Smackdown
Date: November 4, 2022
Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Wade Barrett, Michael Cole

It’s time for a taped show as everyone else is already in Saudi Arabia. The main event this week is Gunther defending the Intercontinental Title against Rey Mysterio in a match that has some potential. Other than that, we probably get the final push towards Logan Paul challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Title, because celebrity. Let’s get to it.

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

Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville

No DQ. It’s a brawl to start with Deville grabbing some kendo sticks and driving Morgan into the apron. Back in and Deville unloads with the stick but Morgan is smiling. Morgan fights up and sticks her down, meaning it’s table time. That’s broken up and Deville puts the table back under the ring. Back up and Morgan hits a suicide dive to drop Deville and then she does it again. Now we can get the table set up with Liv driving her through it as we take a break.

We come back with a bunch of chairs in the ring and Deville hitting a running knee, followed by a middle rope knee for two. Liv fights back and hits a springboard Codebreaker for two but Deville powerbombs her onto the chairs for her own near fall. Another Codebreaker staggers Deville and Oblivion onto the chairs finishes for Morgan at 13:48.

Rating: C+. Good brawl, though I still can’t get into Hardcore Liv. It’s better than what they were doing with her as champion but it still doesn’t feel like the right way to go. Granted she is still getting reactions and the matches are good enough, so there might be something here if they keep developing the idea. The match was a pretty good brawl, but nothing that hasn’t been done a dozen times this year alone.

We look back at Emma’s return last week as she lost to Ronda Rousey.

Emma is excited to be back but Xia Li interrupts. Li calls her weak and is promptly shoved down.

Logan Paul’s brother Jake Paul will be in his corner at Crown Jewel.

Video on Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul, including a clip of Jake Paul showing up at the press conference.

The Viking Raiders are still coming back.

Ricochet vs. LA Knight

Before the match, Knight mocks the ring announcer’s intro, allowing Ricochet to take him down. Ricochet throws him in and we get the opening bell, with a kick to the back rocking Knight. A few shots take Ricochet down though and Knight loads up a top rope Lionsault, only to crash hard. Ricochet knocks him to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Knight stomping away in the corner and hitting the jumping neckbreaker for two. Knight goes up but spends too much time talking, allowing Ricochet to jump up for a super hurricanrana. The running shooting star press gets two but Knight rolls him up with tights/the rope for the pin at 9:56.

Rating: C-. Hey look Ricochet loses again. That’s just one of those things you have to get used to these days, though I can appreciate Knight getting a boost. Having him cheat in two ways is a good way to go and I like the ending, but the match wasn’t exactly thrilling on the way there.

Sami Zayn hypes the Usos being ready to set the all time Tag Team Title reign but Jey Uso doesn’t like his advice. Jey says they were champions before Sami and they’ll be champions after him. Jimmy: “He’s got a point Sami.” The Usos leave and Sami asks “my dogs” to come back.

Bray Wyatt says he isn’t used to sharing his feelings. It’s new to him and he doesn’t like people playing with him like that. We pause for an interruption from someone with a box and, after the camera gets hacked, Bray talks about getting annoyed at a driver who cut him off. The camera keeps cutting to the Wyatt logo as he rants about how he wants to break things because he can’t handle himself.

Bray wants the guy to reach down into his soul and apologize to him for interrupting. The camera interruption gets a bit longer and the man apologizes, with Bray seemingly accepting and asking him to leave. We see a graphic saying Wyatt will be at Crown Jewel, which was announced on Raw. So are the camera cuts and weird graphics Bray’s inner evil trying to escape as he tries to hold it back?

Here are the Usos for a chat. They are ready to become the longest reigning Tag Team Champions and, after an UCEY chant, we hear about how the next step is getting by the Brawling Brutes. Cue the New Day to say they’re cheering for the Brutes tomorrow but if the Usos retain, the New Day has next. Cue the Brawling Brutes for the beatdown so Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn come in for the save. Butch comes back up with some shillelagh shots but Sikoa takes him down and the Bloodline stands tall.

Rey Mysterio loves wrestling and is ready to fight back to win the Intercontinental Title.

Shayna Baszler vs. Natalya

Ronda Rousey is here with Baszler. Natalya gets taken down to start but manages to reverse the arm stomp into a rollup for two. Baszler goes right after the arm again though and takes Natalya down, where Natalya is made to scratch her own head. That’s broken up and Natalya hits the discus clothesline, only to get pulled into the Kirifuda Clutch for the tap at 4:09.

Rating: C. This was just a step above a squash for Baszler as she is heated up again. It would not surprise me to see her as the eventual challenger for Rousey, especially with Rousey as her inspiration. It’s a different direction for Rousey and that is something she has desperately been needing. Now just give Baszler some women to crush and we should be fine.

Post match Natalya gets up and is blasted right back down.

Video on Drew McIntyre vs. Karrion Kross.

Here is MVP to introduce five unnamed opponents for Braun Strowman. Cue Strowman to run all five over and then chase MVP off. MVP’s cane shot is shrugged off and Strowman breaks it in half. The running powerslam plants MVP as a way to keep him from being at Crown Jewel. No match.

Gunther is ready to beat Rey Mysterio and nothing will change because he will retain his title.

Legado del Fantasma isn’t impressed by Shinsuke Nakamura helping Hit Row last week so it’s time for some revenge.

Intercontinental Title: Rey Mysterio vs. Gunther

Gunther, with Imperium, is defending. The champ starts fast by going with the power and knocking Mysterio outside for an early break. Back with Rey being sent stomach first to the floor but coming back in for a crucifix bomb. Mysterio grabs a sleeper and Gunther is in trouble, so he climbs to the middle rope and crashes backwards to free himself and send us to another break.

We come back again with Rey managing a knockdown and hitting the top rope seated senton. A Lionsault gives Rey two and he counters a powerbomb into a hurricanrana for two. Another powerbomb attempt is countered into a Code Red for two more and Gunther has had enough.

The running dropkick in the corner finally lets Gunther hit the powerbomb….for two, and Gunther is livid. Another powerbomb attempt is countered into a 619 attempt but Gunther kicks him away with a heck of a big boot. The big clothesline knocks Rey silly and retains the title at 18:17.

Rating: B+. These two know how to do the big man vs. little man stuff very well and they made it work here. Mysterio started off as an annoyance to Gunther and then became a threat near the end until Gunther went into beast mode to take him apart. That’s a well told story with talented people doing their thing. What more could you ask for in a TV main event?

Overall Rating: C+. The main event helped this show a lot but there was only so much that could be done with a taped show before a pay per view that is all but set and not that great in the first place. Crown Jewel needs to come and go so we can move on to something else, which should be the case after Saturday. This show wasn’t all that great, though Gunther vs. Rey was a rather strong main event.

Results
Liv Morgan b. Sonya Deville – Oblivion onto chairs
LA Knight b. Ricochet – Rollup while holding tights and the rope
Shayna Baszler b. Natalya – Kirifuda Clutch
Gunther b. Rey Mysterio – Clothesline

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

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AND

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Smackdown
Date: October 21, 2022
Location: Huntington Center, Toledo, Ohio
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We are just over two weeks away from Crown Jewel and that means Logan Paul is back tonight. That means we might be in for another kind of weird segment, but hopefully Paul Heyman will be there to walk him through it. The feud feels rather cold going into the match and I don’t know how to fix that. Let’s get to it.

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

Sheamus vs. Solo Sikoa

The rest of the Brawling Brutes, Sami Zayn and the Usos are here too. During the Brutes’ entrance, Bray Wyatt hacks the feed but commentary doesn’t acknowledge it this time. They hit each other hard to start and Sikoa is already needing a breather on the floor. Back in and Sheamus knocks him down again, setting up an armbar. Sikoa fights up and hits a spinwheel kick before sending Sheamus outside and we take a break.

Back with Sikoa hitting a running Umaga attack in the corner but another attempt is cut off by a clotheslines. Sheamus, favoring his arm, grabs an Irish Curse for a breather and uses his good arm for a powerslam. The ten forearms connect and it’s time for everyone to brawl on the floor. The Usos turn the announcers’ table on the Brutes so Sheamus dives off the top onto the two of them. A Sami distraction lets Sikoa kick him in the bad arm and it’s the Swinging Solo for the pin at 13:05.

Rating: C+. WWE is already doing a good job with Sikoa by just having him win. It’s really not that hard and this is the biggest win of his main roster career. While he might not be a game changer, he already feels like he belongs on the main roster and could be a safe bet on his own whenever the Bloodline wraps up. Sheamus will be back for revenge and a WarGames showdown with the Bloodline isn’t the worst idea.

Post match the beatdown stays on Sheamus and Jey uses a chair to crush it on the steps over and over, with Sami having to break it up because it’s over.

We recap Rey Mysterio becoming the new #1 contender to the Intercontinental Title last week.

Earlier today, Imperium didn’t think much of Mysterio so he challenged Ludwig Kaiser to a match later.

We go backstage to find Bray Wyatt, who talks about how confessing some things to the fans might help them. He has always had problems with anger and sometimes it can take him to places he doesn’t want to go. For some reason, he gets chances that most people won’t get but this time, he was happy and content. All he wanted to be was to be left alone but he confesses that he is glad he came back. He needed everyone to pull him up and he is thankful for that.

Now he can see and he knows who you are and what you are trying to do. He confesses that on this journey, he is going to do horrible things that he will never feel sorry over. Bray knows where the circle takes him. No word on who the “you” he was talking about is. This still feels like something we’ll get a piece at a time and still not have the whole picture, which is pretty standard for Wyatt.

The Bloodline celebrates Solo Sikoa’s win and Jey Uso is ready to take Logan Paul apart. Sami Zayn says hang on though, as Roman Reigns has told the Bloodline to keep their hands off Paul. It wouldn’t be very Ucey to let Paul in their heads, which Jey agrees with, but he doesn’t like being called a hothead.

Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville

This is fallout from Deville ranting about Morgan getting one opportunity handed to her after another last week. Morgan takes her into the corner to start and grabs a backslide for less than one. Back up and Deville hits a knee to the face for two and Morgan gets kicked off the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Deville charging into an elbow to the face and an enziguri puts her down. Deville gets in a shot to the face of her own for two and yells at Morgan, who completely snaps and sends her outside. A face plant onto the announcers’ table and some rams into the steps have Deville rocked but it’s a double countout at 8:45.

Rating: C-. So apparently we’re still doing the Morgan being all aggressive and insane stuff which didn’t quite work going into Extreme Rules and I don’t know how well it will work after. If WWE wants Morgan to be a big deal, let her win big matches without shenanigans and see what happens. Until then, I don’t know how well this is going to work but it seems to be what we are getting.

Post match Morgan snaps and throws in a bunch of chairs, setting up a superplex to send Deville into said chairs. So yeah, Morgan is still all insane and violence hungry.

Video on LA Knight.

The Viking Raiders are still coming back.

Here is Braun Strowman for a chat and he wastes no time in calling out Omos and MVP. Cue only MVP, who says Strowman needs to stay away from a real giant like Omos before he gets exposed. Strowman is tired of the talk and issues the challenge for Crown Jewel, with MVP accepting. Cue Omos for the big staredown and a shove sends Strowman outside. That match was pretty clearly coming and it was just a matter of announcing it.

Sheamus has been taken to the hospital.

We look at Drew McIntyre attacking Karrion Kross last week.

Drew has been told to stay away from Kross and he will…..until they meet in a cage match at Crown Jewel.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Shotzi/Raquel Rodriguez vs. Damage Ctrl

Damage Ctrl, with Bayley, is defending and it’s Rodriguez starting with Sky (with commentary thankfully bringing up their NXT history). Rodriguez goes straight to the power to start and sends her outside for the Shotzi dive. Back in and Shotzi hits a running elbow in the corner but Sky comes in for a shot of her own as we take a break.

We come back with Shotzi kneeing her way to freedom and handing it back to Rodriguez to clean house. A superplex is broken up though and Sky hits a great looking top rope tornado DDT for two. Everything breaks down and Shotzi has to deck Bayley, allowing Sky to hit an Air Raid Crash. The moonsault retains the titles at 10:12.

Rating: C+. This got better as it went on and it’s still amazing how much better of a partner Shotzi is than Aliyah. Shotzi and Rodriguez don’t have the best chemistry but they are capable of having a better match together by a wide margin. Damage Ctrl is a good choice for champions, though Bayley needs to win a title of her own sooner than later.

Ronda Rousey is asked about an open challenge tonight but she doesn’t want to do it. We’ll do it next week instead. And she’s rather mad.

The Bray Wyatt mask hacks the screen and we see some scrambled images, including another QR code. Then we see what looks to be an old cowboy who says “howdy”, though we don’t see his face.

Santos Escobar is given a drink and talks about how businesses grow into an empire. Legado del Fantasma latest acquisition is Zelina Vega, who talks about how they’re going to take over everything, starting with Hit Row.

Hit Row is watching and wants to know how Legado is standing head and shoulders over them when the tallest member of the team only comes up to Top Dolla’s shoulder. That was a great line.

Ludwig Kaiser vs. Rey Mysterio

The rest Imperium is here too as Rey starts with an enziguri and some right hands. Giovanni Vinci breaks up the 619 attempt though and Rey has to stop to shout at Gunther. There’s a baseball slide to Kaiser but he’s right back up with an uppercut as we take a break. Back with Rey blocking a top rope superplex and hitting the top rope seated senton. A Lionsault gives Rey two and he rains down some right hands in the corner.

There’s a hurricanrana to send Kaiser outside, where Kaiser ducks a dive to send Rey crashing into the barricade. Imperium goes after Rey, who feigns being attacked (cue Eddie Guerrero reference) so the other two are ejected. Rey goes up for a top rope splash but only hits raised knees. Not that it matters as Rey is right back with the 619 into the springboard splash for the pin at 11:20.

Rating: B-. This is where Mysterio continues to shine. He has been one of the best for the last few decades and somehow can still do stuff like this in his late 40s. At the same time you have Kaiser, who is quite the fit as the henchman who could be dangerous enough to beat someone on the right night. Good stuff here and Mysterio looked more like his old self (ten years older, not twenty five of course).

Here is Logan Paul for his big moment. Paul knows he is supposed to address the hard cams but first he needs to say it is nice to be back in Ohio. As for the Bloodline, Paul doesn’t have anyone in his corner, like two guys who look alike, a guy named Solo who is never alone or someone like Sami Zayn…..whatever he is. Of course he’s the underdog in this whole fight, but what happens if he wins? What happens then?

Cue Jey Uso to jump Paul from behind and the beatdown is on. Sami Zayn comes in to try to cool Jey down but Paul is back up to knock Jey silly with a single right hand (Sami is stunned). Paul escapes as Sami knows they’re in trouble (remember Reigns told him not to go after Paul to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Kind of an up and down show and while the Paul stuff was better, it wasn’t quite good enough to make me care about the title match. The lack of Reigns didn’t help things but the Jey Uso stuff is good enough to drag things forward next week. Other than that, the Mysterio vs. Kaiser match was good and the Wyatt segment still has me wondering where it’s going. Just get through Crown Jewel so we can move away from the Paul title shot and get on to WarGames.

Results
Solo Sikoa b. Sheamus – Swinging Solo
Liv Morgan vs. Sonya Deville went to a double countout
Damage Ctrl b. Raquel Rodriguez/Shotzi – Moonsault to Shotzi
Rey Mysterio b. Ludwig Kaiser – Springboard splash

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

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AND

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

Smackdown
Date: October 7, 2022
Location: DCU Center, Worcester, Massachusetts
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s the season premiere of a show that has seasons in the loosest sense of the world. This week features a showdown between Roman Reigns and Logan Paul, plus a rematch from Clash At The Castle with Gunther defending the Intercontinental Title against Sheamus. One of these things should be awesome so let’s get to it.

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

HHH is in the ring to get things going to say that there will be a time when you think everything is over but it is just the beginning. Welcome to Smackdown, where there is another QR code on the microphone cube.

Wade Barrett is introduced as the new member of the commentary teams. I’ve heard worse ideas.

With HHH gone, here is the Bloodline for a chat. Roman Reigns hits the catchphrase but gets cut off by Logan Paul, who stays on the apron. Reigns invites him in and the fans DO NOT like Paul. Reigns: “Don’t worry, they did that to me years ago too.” Paul Heyman is told to smarten Paul up, with Heyman saying that Logan (too many Paul’s around here) is the Mr. T. and Cyndi Lauper of his day.

The good thing is that Logan brings in more eyes who can acknowledge Reigns, so he is a good thing. Heyman goes over some other online celebrities like Ben Shapiro who would not have the guts to fight Roman Reigns. He can’t for Logan to be in a hospital bed, where he can acknowledge Reigns. Logan asks if Jey Uso is the Tribal Chief, which doesn’t sit well with Reigns. Sami Zayn plays peacemaker and rants about Logan before promising that Reigns will crush him. Zayn hits the catchphrase as Logan leaves. I’m not sure what they were going for here but if the idea was to get Logan over, they might want to try again.

Solo Sikoa vs. Ricochet

Sikoa jumps Ricochet after his flipping entrance but gets sent outside for a dive, with Ricochet still having his vest on. A triangle dropkick puts Sikoa on the floor and Ricochet flips into the superhero pose. Ricochet starts fighting back but a springboard is broken up, dropping Ricochet on the back of his head on the apron (OUCH) and we take a break. Back with Ricochet fighting out of a chinlock and striking away. A superkick into a jumping knee drops Sikoa so Ricochet goes up, only to have his shooting star press countered into Spinning Solo for the pin at 8:40.

Rating: C. Well thankfully Ricochet’s head isn’t broken after that landing. Other than that, the match was another win for Sikoa, which is exactly how you get someone over. Sikoa is brand new to the main roster and he pinned a former Intercontinental Champion clean. What else can you do to get him over?

The Bloodline is pleased with what happened, with Sami Zayn taking some credit for Sikoa’s success. Jey Uso doesn’t like that so Roman Reigns calling him a hothead. Now Sami gets to deal with the Jey problem.

The Usos and Sami Zayn run into New Day. Insults are thrown and a six man is set for later.

Hit Row comes out for a match but three masked men jump them. Zelina Vega joins in and the men unmask to reveal Legado del Fantasma. Yes believe it or not, the three masked men who wear Legado del Fantasma masks, look like Legado del Fantasma and move like Legado del Fantasma are in fact Legado del Fantasma. Vega introduces the team in case you’re slow on the uptake.

We get a White Rabbit vignette, which says the date of 10.8.22, or Extreme Rules. Feed Your Hero.

Sonya Deville/Xia Li vs. Shotzi/Raquel Rodriguez

Deville drives Li into the corner to start and Li comes in for a shot of her own. That doesn’t last long though as the hot tag brings in Rodriguez to clean house. The Vader Bomb elbow connects and everything breaks down. An assisted standing Sliced bread drops Li and the Tejana Bomb finishes Deville at 2:14.

Video on Ronda Rousey vs. Liv Morgan.

Karrion Kross and Scarlett come to the ring but Drew McIntyre jumps him from behind. The strap is tied up but McIntyre has to beat up security. That’s enough to let Kross pull McIntyre into the post a few times before giving him quite the whipping. Drew’s back is all messed up but he gets to his feet and glares as the villains leave. That is always going to work and it did here.

The Viking Raiders talk about waiting and healing. A woman’s voice says Valhalla awaits.

Usos/Sami Zayn vs. New Day/???

The mystery partner is…..Braun Strowman, who should work well. Sami and Woods start things off but let’s go with Kofi instead. Jey comes in, glares at Zayn, and gets dropkicked down. New Day hits the double dive to take out the Usos and we take a break. Back with Kofi in trouble and Sami giving Jey a rather rough tag.

That’s fine with Jey, who chokes Kofi on the ropes to let off some steam. Kofi fights up and knocks Jimmy away, allowing the hot tag off to Strowman for the house cleaning. Sami and Jey get in an argument on the floor, leaving Jimmy to get caught with UpUpDownDown for the pin at 10:28.

Rating: C+. The Usos vs. New Day will be another fine tag program, as well as another instance where I cannot bring myself to care about seeing them fight again. I know they’re probably the two best WWE teams of their generation, but this is reaching Bockwinkel vs. Gagne levels of FIND SOMEONE NEW. Strowman was the perfect choice as the mystery partner here as he is great at getting the hot tag. It’s a great sign that WWE is getting it with him and that should serve him in the future.

Max and Maxxine Durpi argue in the back, with Max declaring himself LA Knight. Barrett: “I KNEW IT WAS LA KNIGHT ALL ALONG!”

Commentary previews the main event and there is a man in a white rabbit suit behind them.

Video on Gunther vs. Sheamus.

Intercontinental Title: Sheamus vs. Gunther

Gunther is defending and we get the Big Match Intros, complete with WXW and PWG references from Cole. They fight straight to the floor to start with Sheamus driving him into the barricade as we take an early break. Back with Sheamus hitting the forearms to the chest but getting sent chest first into the buckle to break it up. Gunther grabs a choke but Sheamus fights up, earning himself a release German suplex as we take a break.

Back with Sheamus driving him into the corner to break up another choke. Sheamus hits ten forearms on the apron, then does ten more over the other two ropes for a change of pace. White Noise connects for two but Gunther is right back with a powerbomb for the same. A top rope splash to the back gives Gunther two but Sheamus grabs White Noise.

The Cloverleaf goes on and Gunther taps….but it doesn’t count as he was reaching for the rope? That’s either one heck of an error or a bad plot point because that was a tap. As Sheamus seems confused, Imperium and the Brawling Brutes come down for the fight. The Brogue Kick is loaded up but the distracted referee lets Gunther get in a shillelagh shot to retain at 18:17.

Rating: B. It was a good fight but that tap was a REALLY bad visual and hurt all of the momentum they had. I’m assuming they were going for the reaching the rope and it looked like a tap thing but if that’s the case, the execution was terrible. Gunther retaining is ok, but there was no way they were reaching the level of their first match (which is hardly a fair request in the first place) and that tap hurt them a lot.

The brawl continues to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This show did work, though it seems WWE is already looking beyond Extreme Rules. There was some build towards the show, but a lot of this week felt like they were getting ready for more important things. Knowing that the White Rabbit will be revealed at Extreme Rules helps and the strap match should be good, but this week felt like it was trying to focus on several different things, with Extreme Rules being just one of them. Still though, good show with some nice action and stories being advanced, just not necessarily ones for tomorrow’s pay per view.

Results
Solo Sikoa b. Ricochet – Spinning Solo
Shotzi/Raquel Rodriguez b. Sonya Deville/Xia Li
New Day/Braun Strowman b. Usos/Sami Zayn – UpUpDownDown to Jimmy
Gunther b. Sheamus – Shillelagh shot

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

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AND

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

Smackdown
Date: September 16, 2022
Location: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole

As has been said multiple times lately, and then everything changed. Over the course of the week, Roman Reigns started focusing on Logan Paul, which seems to be a likely Crown Jewel main event. That is the kind of thing that seems hard to fathom, but here we are with a big segment needed to make it work. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Logan Paul to get things going. After commentary recaps Paul’s issues with Roman Reigns and Paul Heyman this week (Reigns went on Paul’s podcast and had an interview, then after Reigns left, Paul said he could beat him), Paul says he has done it again, meaning he has made someone mad.

We get some hardcore WHATing before Paul talks about how he has challenged people like Floyd Mayweather before, so tomorrow there is going to be a press conference in Las Vegas. If Reigns is man enough, he can show up and meet him face to face. Cue the Bloodline, minus Reigns, with the returning Paul Heyman getting to say exactly what you would expect. Heyman gets inside, as per Logan’s invitation, and tells the team that he has this. He sees Logan as one of the few non-WWE guys who could be a Paul Heyman Guy. Logan is the one who stood up to fight Mayweather and never went down.

Logan asks what Heyman is getting at so Heyman praises the Paul Brothers’ fighting abilities before suggesting that Logan is in over his head. That doesn’t shake Logan, who asks what Heyman is afraid of with a press conference. Yeah Reigns would probably smash him, but what if Logan hit that one lucky shot and won the Undisputed Universal Title? That makes Heyman back up a bit, so he has Solo Sikoa get in the ring.

Logan thinks he could knock Heyman out before Solo could get in the ring, so Sami slides in first. Sami thinks Reigns should have let him handle things, so Heyman throws the mic down and says do it. Logan drops him with one shot, drawing in the Usos and Sikoa to chase him off. Cue Ricochet for his scheduled match. Logan vs. Reigns is an out of nowhere match that needed to be set up fast. They did what they could here but there are only so many ways to make it work and I don’t think it quite came together, especially with all the focus on the boxing stuff.

Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn

Sami works on the arm to start and wristlocks him to the mat. The chinlock is quickly reversed into a headlock as Cole actually name drops Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Ricochet fights up and knocks him to the floor but Sami is right back in with a shot to the face. A middle rope elbow to the head sets up a chinlock but Ricochet fights back up again. What looked like a springboard is broken up, sending Ricochet ribs first as we take a break.

Back with Sami going up top but getting dropkicked out of the air for a crash. Ricochet starts kicking away and hits a running hurricanrana into a high crossbody for two. The Recoil is blocked and Ricochet’s standing moonsault hits knees, causing Heyman to make a mess of the announcers’ table. A superkick looks to set up the frog splash but Jimmy Uso offers a distraction, allowing Zayn to hit the Blue Thunder Bomb for….nothing due to Logan Paul.

The Benedryller is broken up but Ricochet knocks Jey Uso off the apron again. Sami snaps off a half and half suplex but Jey’s angry charge distracts the referee. That’s enough for Zayn to yell at the Usos, allowing Ricochet to hit a big dive onto them. Back in and the shooting star press finishes Zayn at 13:06.

Rating: C+. These two know what they’re doing and as usual, it is always nice to see Ricochet getting a win where he can. That hasn’t happened often enough for a very long time but it’s working more in recent weeks. Throw in Zayn getting to do some more stuff and this was rather nice to see, especially with the time they had.

Post match the Bloodline looks ready to strike but Madcap Moss runs down with a chair to cut it off.

Karrion Kross and Scarlett are looking forward to choking out Drew McIntyre so he’ll stay down. McIntyre fought, but like everyone else, he eventually went down. Kross is going to leave him in an endless loop of suffering.

The Dupris introduce the Maximum Male Models with their Back To School Collection, but Braun Strowman runs in to take them apart (with Mace giving a great OH NO look when the music hit). The powerbomb plants Mansoor hard but cue the Alpha Academy to go after Strowman. Otis manages a World’s Strongest Slam but Strowman pops back up. The Academy wisely runs.

Here is Damage Ctrl for a chat. Bayley laughs about being back and introduces the rest of the team as the new Women’s Tag Team Champions. That means they can go anywhere they want, which Bayley describes as power. They took the titles and put Aliyah on the shelf. Cue Raquel Rodriguez to call them powerless bullies.

Bayley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

The rest of Damage Ctrl is here so Rodriguez goes outside to throw Kai into Sky. The distraction lets Bayley get in some shows of her own though and the stomping ensues outside. Back in and Bayley is knocked into the corner, setting up a big boot to drop Bayley again. The Vader Bomb elbow is broken up via a distraction though and Bayley ties Rodriguez’s leg in the ropes.

A running knee to the tied up knee gives Bayley two and a running clothesline to the back of the head gets the same. Rodriguez fights back up with some fall away slams so the rest of the team offers another distraction. That’s fine with Rodriguez, who slams Kai onto Bayley to set up the corkscrew Vader Bomb elbow. Sky rakes the eyes though and it’s the Rose Plant for the pin at 6:26.

Rating: C. It’s weird to see Rodriguez lose but it did take three people and a bunch of cheating. That’s a good enough way to protect her, which is a good idea given what kind of a force she has been lately. Bayley seems set to go after Bianca Belair so Rodriguez is going to need a partner not named Aliyah to go after the Tag Team Titles, at least in theory.

Post match the beatdown is on until Shotzi runs in for the save.

We get a sitdown interview with Ronda Rousey, who wasn’t worried about Liv Morgan last time and still isn’t this time. Liv comes in and sits down, where she says that Rousey uses more useless words than anyone else. Rousey doesn’t buy it but Liv says she is the only person to beat her twice. Liv is used to the lack of respect and knows she has to do it again, so let’s make it an Extreme Rules match. Rousey says it’s Morgan’s funeral and leaves. I’ll take it over a straight match.

Drew McIntyre is on the commentary table to say Karrion Kross has his attention. It seems that if Kross isn’t jumping him from behind, he won’t face McIntyre like a man. McIntyre says the only countdown Kross needs to worry about is 3, 2, 1, lights out. It was short and to the point, but having McIntyre pop up and stand on the table made it feel more spontaneous, or at least different.

The Usos fire up Solo Sikoa, but he says he has this because Jey Uso was off earlier. Sami Zayn can come though.

NXT North American Title: Solo Sikoa vs. Madcap Moss

Sikoa, with Sami Zayn, is defending. Feeling out process to start until an elbow to the face drops Moss. Back up and Moss runs him over as well, setting up a running clothesline to put Sikoa on the floor. Sami offers a distraction though and Sikoa whips Moss into the barricade to take over. They get back inside where Sikoa can hit a spinwheel kick, followed by some glaring.

A belly to belly plants Moss again and the running hip attack connects, but Moss fights up and hits his forearms to the face. Something like a Rock Bottom gives Moss two, followed by Sikoa’s Samoan drop for the same. Moss grabs a fall away slam but Sami pulls Sikoa to the floor. The chase is on, allowing Sikoa to hit a superkick into a swinging Rock Bottom for the pin at 10:51.

Rating: C-. This picked up a bit near the end but it was clear that neither was ready to lead a match. They’re both athletic and can do the moves, but they don’t quite seem to know when or where to do them. It was disjointed rather than bad and that often shows just as much if not more, which was the case here.

Hit Row vs. New Day vs. Brawling Brutes vs. Imperium

For the #1 contendership with B Fab, Gunther and Sheamus at ringside.. During the entrances, we’re told that Erik of the Viking Raiders has suffered a foot injury, hence the team’s absence. Butch and Kaiser slug it out to start before going outside for the brawl. Top Dolla throws Ashante Adonis onto the two of them, setting up back to back flip dives from New Day to send us to a break.

Back with Kaiser putting Butch in a neck crank but Butch escapes and starts twisting on the fingers. Holland comes in but gets caught in Imperium’s corner, with Vinci armdragging him into an armbar. That’s broken up though and Dolla comes in to suplex Holland. Adonis comes in for an assisted splash and we hit the chinlock. Holland fights up so Kofi tags himself into pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Imperium hits their double dropkick in the corner as we take another break.

Back again with Holland fighting out of trouble, allowing the hot tag to Woods to clear out Imperium. Holland is back in to clothesline Woods but Butch tags himself in and gets to clean house as well. Dolla kicks him down before putting Butch and Woods on his shoulders, plus catching Kofi in a World’s Strongest Slam at the same time.

All three are planted but Holland comes in with an Alabama Slam for two. Kofi hits a heck of a suicide dive onto Dolla, leaving Kofi to hit the top rope splash to Adonis’ back, with Butch having to make a save. Imperium breaks that up and drops Kofi with the Imperial Bomb but Holland tags himself in to steal the pin at 18:55.

Rating: B. This was the kind of insanity that you are supposed to get with a match like this and that was a good thing. It felt like there were multiple times where any team could win and it’s nice to have that kind of drama. The Brutes winning is a surprise and while I can’t imagine them taking the titles, they’re fresh challengers for the Usos so it’s a step up.

Overall Rating: C+. The main event helped and while I wasn’t wild on the Logan Paul stuff, it is something different as they take a side tour on the road to Extreme Rules. This was an easy to watch show save for maybe Moss vs. Sikoa, which wasn’t even that bad. The main thing continues to be a slightly different way of presenting the show and that is what WWE has been needing for far too long now.

Results
Ricochet b. Sami Zayn – Shooting start press
Bayley b. Raquel Rodriguez – Rose Plant
Solo Sikoa b. Madcap Moss – Swinging Rock Bottom
Brawling Brutes b. Imperium, New Day and Hit Row – Imperial Bomb to Kingston

Remember to check out my website at kbwrestlingreviews.com and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

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

Summerslam 2022
Date: July 30, 2022
Location: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

It’s time for one of the biggest shows of the year and that means we are in another stadium. The show is going to be interesting for a few reasons, including the fact that it is the first Summerslam ever not under Vince McMahon’s watch. That means we might be seeing something new this time around so let’s get to it.

The opening video features a country song about Nashville and how it’s a crazy town. The rest of the video looks at the major matches, with Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar not getting that much of a focus above the rest.

Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch

Lynch is challenging. They go to the mat to start with Belair running her over, only to have Lynch snap the arm to take over. Back up and Belair backflips away, setting up a release Glam Slam. A standing moonsault gives Belair two but Belair’s arm is banged up. They head outside where a KOD drops Lynch onto the barricade but she holds the arm and slams Belair into the barricade as well.

A legdrop to the back of the neck makes it worse and they head inside with Belair in trouble. Belair gets sent into the corner for a kick to the back before getting taken down into a weird armbar. With that broken up, Lynch dropkicks her to the apron but another middle rope legdrop is countered into a powerbomb (that’s a new one). Belair knocks her outside for another Glam Slam onto the apron and a suplex on the floor drops Lynch again.

Back in and Belair’s arm gives out on a slam attempt, allowing Lynch to bust out Diamond Dust for two. Lynch goes to the hair but Belair pulls her up into an old Big Show Alley Oop of all things. The KOD is countered into a failed Disarm-Her attempt so they roll outside with the KOD connecting on the floor. Back in and another KOD is blocked so Belair hits a spinebuster. Lynch is back up to pull her off the top though and it’s the Manhandle Slam for two. This time it’s Lynch going up but a Spanish Fly brings her back down. The KOD retains the title at 15:03.

Rating: B. The problem here is that it’s a rematch from one of the better things WWE has done in a very long time. There was nowhere near the same level of urgency or anything close to it and that is because the feud ran out of steam. It’s still a good match and these two feel like some of the bigger stars in the division, but you’re only going to get so far with a match we saw done bigger and better less than four months ago.

Post match respect is shown….and then Bayley is back. Bayley walks down the aisle….and then Dakota Kai does as well. And so does Io Shirai. The trio gets in the ring and stares down Belair, but Lynch gets back up and a staredown sends Bayley and company leaving, with Bayley putting her arms around them. Well there’s your big start.

We recap Logan Paul vs. The Miz. They teamed together at Wrestlemania and won, but then Miz attacked him. Paul has since signed and now he wants revenge.

Logan Paul vs. Miz

Ciampa and Maryse are here with Miz, who gets a chant about the size of his anatomy. Miz has has a Polaroid around his neck of him attacking Paul in a nice touch. Paul gets taken down but is ready for the basement boot to the face. Instead, Miz kicks him down a bit more slowly and mocks Paul, who doesn’t look pleased. Paul takes him down and teases a YES Kick before shifting to the boxing.

Back up and Miz pulls him off the middle rope and hits a Codebreaker. After a cheap shot from Ciampa and a chinlock that doesn’t last long, Miz misses the running clothesline in the corner and Paul has an opening. A Blockbuster and powerslam give Paul two each and he fires off some YES Kicks. The Figure Four rubs it in to Miz a bit more but he makes the rope. Ciampa gets in another cheap shot and is ejected, only to have him sit down in a chair.

Cue AJ Styles to jump Ciampa, leaving Paul to hit a not so Phenomenal Forearm for two. With nothing else working, Paul takes him outside and loads up the announcers’ table for a heck of a frog splash (that got some serious distance). Maryse offers a distraction so there’s no count, Miz loads up the Polaroid but has to pause before hitting Maryse. Paul grabs a Skull Crushing Finale for the pin at 14:13.

Rating: C+. All things considered, this was pretty good, with that frog splash being a major highlight that is going to be shown for a long time to come. Paul has a good look and the athleticism to back it up, meaning he could have a future in this business. Miz was put there because he was going to guarantee a safe match that he could keep together and he pulled that off well here. Not a great match, but for a celebrity in his second match, Paul looked rather good.

The Maximum Male Models shill Pure Life Water.

US Title: Theory vs. Bobby Lashley

Lashley is defending after taking the title from Theory at Money In The Bank. Theory jumps him from behind with the Money In The Bank briefcase before the bell but Lashley says ring the bell. Some forearms to the back keep Lashley in trouble but he’s right back with a big spinebuster. That’s enough for Theory and he tries to leave, only to have Lashley cut him off. Lashley swats away a toss of the briefcase and takes things back inside, where the spear hits the post by mistake. He’s fine enough to load up a gorilla press and then drops Theory into the Hurt Lock to retain at 4:38.

Rating: C-. This was near dominance for Lashley, who shrugged off everything Theory threw at him and then won in the end. The briefcase shots can only get you so far and the rest of the match was pretty much downhill for Theory. I’m still not sure why they needed to do this match again, but Theory continues to fall apart after being thrown into a ladder match for his lone big win in a rather long time.

Judgment Day vs. Mysterios

No DQ and Rhea Ripley is here with Judgment Day. They start fast with Dominik hitting a big suicide dive on Balor, leaving Rey to Lionsault Priest. An armdrag out of the corner rocks Balor again but he’s back with some choking on the ropes to slow Dominik down. Priest and Balor start taking turns on Dominik until he gets in a shot of his own, allowing Rey to come in and pick up the pace.

Balor throws in a chair but Rey takes it away and starts swinging, at least until Priest drops him with a superkick. Rey fights back and tries the 619 but Balor makes the save, only to get caught on top. The double 619 is loaded up but Rhea Ripley pulls Dominik outside and drops him on the apron. Priest gives Rey the South of Heaven chokeslam but here is the returning Edge to spear Balor. Edge helps set up a 619 into the springboard splash to give Rey the pin on Balor at 11:05.

Rating: C. I wasn’t interested in the match before it was announced and I wasn’t interested in how it went. These teams have fought each other time after time now and there is little reason to get interested in them again. The Edge return was a nice moment, but it would have been better to have him appear on Raw rather than here to avoid doing the tag match again. Oh and thank goodness Balor took another fall, just in case you hadn’t gotten the point yet.

We recap Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin. McAfee is happy to be on commentary and laughed at Corbin for losing. Corbin jumped him and wants revenge, so it’s time to have a match on the big stage. There is a personal connection here too, as they were roommates when they played in the NFL.

Happy Corbin vs. Pat McAfee

McAfee has a choir interrupt Corbin’s entrance by singing BUM A** CORBIN for an interesting way to go. Corbin talks trash to start and gets superkicked, setting up a hurricanrana out of the corner. A clothesline puts Corbin on the floor so McAfee puts him on top but gets shoved into his moonsault. That’s fine with Corbin who dropkicks him into the corner so the beating can begin.

Some forearms and right hands send McAfee outside where Corbin whips him into the barricade. Back in and Deep Six gives Corbin two so he tries the slide under the bottom rope (Cole: “Shades of the Boss Man at Summerslam 1991.”) but gets kicked in the face. McAfee hits a dive but gets sent onto the announcers’ table, with Corbin talking trash to Michael Cole.

Back in and Corbin goes up, with McAfee charging the corner and superplexing him back down for two. A missed charge sends Corbin into the post and outside, leaving McAfee to go up top. After almost falling, McAfee flip dives onto Corbin (Cole: “The Swan-Tone Bambini!” Graves: “THE WHAT?????”) and they head back inside. The referee gets bumped so McAfee kicks him low (with Cole pointing out that it was payback for last night when Corbin did the same), setting up a middle rope Code Red (and not a great one, as it might have been a botched Canadian Destroyer) for the pin at 10:35.

Rating: C. Yeah they missed a bit here, as McAfee wasn’t quite on par with his previous performances. They had some very near botches (that slip before the flip dive could have been terrible) but they pulled it together well enough. Much like Miz, Corbin is the kind of guy who is there to walk McAfee through the match, even if Corbin in control isn’t the most fun. McAfee was off tonight, but remember that this is his fourth or so career match. It’s going to happen at some point.

We look at Drew McIntyre beating Sheamus to become the new #1 contender.

Here is McIntyre to talk about being ready to challenge Roman Reigns or Brock Lesnar at Clash At The Castle. McIntyre: “Let’s talk about Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! Uh…..in Nashville! In a last man standing match! In front of…..what’s your name?” Fan: “Colt!” McIntyre: “IN FRONT OF COLT, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!” Anyway, he’s ready to win and gets some fireworks.

We recap the Usos vs. the Street Profits. The Usos won at Money In The Bank but Montez Ford’s shoulder was up. That and some other screwy decisions meant that a guest referee was needed so….Jeff Jarrett was brought in. Sure.

Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Street Profits

The Profits are challenging and come to the ring with the Tennessee Titans cheerleaders. Dawkins and Jimmy start things off with Jey coming in rather quickly. The top rope Demolition Decapitator gets two and Jey grabs a chinlock to keep him down. The Umaga attack in the corner connects and the Usos get to do the NUMBER ONE thing. Another Umaga attack misses though and Dawkins’ enziguri allows the tag to Ford so house can be cleaned.

A running Blockbuster gets two on Jey with Jimmy making the save. Jey is back with a pop up neckbreaker on Ford but he’s back up to send the Usos outside. Dawkins hits the big running flip dive onto both of them, setting up the lifting swinging neckbreaker for two on Jimmy. Everything breaks down and some superkicks set up the Superfly Plash to Dawkins for two.

Ford comes in but gets dropped again, allowing the Usos hit hit the stereo Superfly Splashes on Dawkins. That’s broken up as well and everyone is down for a breather. Dawkins is back up with a spinebuster into Ford’s frog splash for two, meaning Ford stops to yell at Jarrett. Ford hands it back to Dawkins but loads up a dive to the Usos, who kick him in the knee to cut him off. Double superkicks on the floor and in the ring drop Dawkins, setting up the 1D to retain the titles at 13:21. Jarrett was barely a factor here.

Rating: C+. What in the world was the point of that? They built up the Profits as the kingslayers and then they just lose like they have before, with the guest referee meaning nothing? I’m not sure where this is supposed to go, as the Profits have nothing left to do and the only team worth going after the Usos is the Viking Raiders. The Usos are beyond stale as champions and much like Reigns, they’re out of challengers, so what are we supposed to do now?

Riddle runs through the crowd and wants Seth Rollins out here for a fight right now. Security tries to get rid of Riddle but here is Rollins anyway. Cue Rollins so the fight is on, with Rollins hitting another Stomp to leave Riddle laying.

We recap the Smackdown Women’s Title match with Liv Morgan defending against Ronda Rousey. Morgan won Money in the Bank and cashed in on the same night on a banged up Rousey. Tonight, Morgan needs to prove she can do this.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Liv Morgan vs. Ronda Rousey

Morgan is defending and gets kicked down to start. The ankle lock is broken up and Morgan is back with a Codebreaker. Oblivion is broken up and Rousey goes for the armbar, which is reversed into the Rings of Saturn. A crucifix bomb gives Morgan two but Rousey gets another armbar in the ropes.

Back in and the armbar goes on again but this time Morgan makes the rope. Another armbar sends Morgan rolling to the ropes again and we pause for the doctor to look at Morgan’s arm. Morgan insists that she can go but Rousey pulls her into a cross armbreaker. That’s stacked up for a pin on Rousey at 4:35….with Morgan tapping at the same time. Morgan retains, even though the tap came first as shown on replay.

Rating: C-. I had a bad feeling they would pull something like this, as Morgan won but only after getting wrecked by Rousey for a few minutes. As usual, WWE is hesitant to add someone to the main event scene and it makes for some lousy moments like this one. Either let Liv get the big win or give it back to Rousey, but enough of this “well we’ll see” stuff. Rousey looked good and will probably get a rematch, but my goodness the halfhearted push is annoying.

Post match Rousey goes after the arm again and beats up the referee for a bonus as we seem to have a heel turn.

Kane is here to announce the attendance of 48,449. I understand he has some questions about that count.

We recap Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. They’ve fought a lot before and now they’re doing it again, this time in a Last Man Standing match, which is billed as their final match. Theory is also lurking around with the Money In The Bank briefcase.

WWE Universal Title: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Reigns is defending in a Last Man Standing match…..and Lesnar rides to the ring in a tractor. Lesnar cuts off Paul Heyman’s entrance and does his own, while standing in the….whatever you call the part of a tractor that holds stuff. Lesnar dives out of the tractor to start and Reigns is knocked outside, setting up a big overhead belly to belly. They fight over to the lighting structure and knock each other into it, with Lesnar getting the better of things again.

A German suplex sends Reigns flying again so it’s table time. Heyman begs enough for a distraction, allowing Reigns to Samoan drop Lesnar through the table. Reigns puts him through another table and takes it back inside for a pair of Superman Punches. The spear keeps Lesnar down for a bit but a second attempt is countered into a failed F5 attempt. Reigns gets sent outside in a heap so Lesnar goes to the tractor.

With that going nowhere, he hits Reigns in the head with a piece of the table for about six. Lesnar throws Reigns into the bucket of the tractor, raises him up, and then drops him down into the ring. With that not working, Lesnar rolls some German suplexes and hits an F5 for nine. Another F5 is countered into a guillotine, which Lesnar reverses into one of his own. Reigns is mostly out but dives back to the ropes to break the count at nine.

Lesnar gets back in the tractor….and starts ramming the ring. Then he lifts the ring up to send Reigns sprawling out onto the floor but here are the Usos for the save. Lesnar dispatches them so Heyman tries to call it off, only to get F5’ed through the announcers’ table (they’ve been teasing that for a LONG time). Reigns is back up with a spear and they’re both down…so here is Theory to cash in.

A briefcase shot drops Reigns but Lesnar F5’s Theory onto the briefcase. The Usos are back up with a double superkick for nine, followed by a spear for nine more. Reigns unloads with the briefcase for nine more, followed by a belt shot, but Lesnar gets up again. A shot with the other belt knocks Lesnar down and the Bloodline piles a bunch of stuff onto him before standing on top of it to retain at 22:44.

Rating: B-. This is going to be the really divisive match of the night and that isn’t a surprise. They did a lot of stuff and the match was a total spectacle, but they lost me at the end with Reigns knocking him down for nine over and over. It’s a good example of a match that needed to be trimmed down by a few minutes to hammer the point home better. At the same time, I’m sure the fans on the other side of the ring loved looking up at the video screen, because those front row tickets are pretty worthless when the ring is halfway on its side for the last seven minutes of the match.

The other problem here is simple: who in the world is supposed to be able to stop Reigns? Drew McIntyre is the next big challenger, but is that their solution? McIntyre has already had his time and while you can’t really gauge things from the pandemic, I don’t know how much of a success it was. Reigns has cleared out the company by this point, and they are going to need something special to get the title off of him, whenever they finally do it.

Reigns and the Bloodline celebrate for a long time to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show was kind of all over the place, with a good first half, a pretty lame second half, and a main event that will probably have a lot of people mad. The best part was the overall feeling though, as it did feel more loose, with commentary sounding like humans instead of buzzword machines. The show didn’t go too long and was over in less than four hours, but it didn’t have anything great and not much really happened. Not an awful show, but if this was supposed to be the big relaunch, they’re only a little bit of the way there (and that was mainly after the first match).

Results
Bianca Belair b. Becky Lynch – KOD
Logan Paul b. Miz – Skull Crushing Finale
Bobby Lashley b. Theory – Hurt Lock
Mysterios b. Judgment Day – Springboard splash to Balor
Pat McAfee b. Happy Corbin – Code Red
Usos b. Street Profits – 1D to Dawkins
Liv Morgan b. Ronda Rousey – Rollup

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

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

AND

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

It’s one of the biggest shows of the year and that means it is time for a bunch of rematches, because that’s what Summerslam has become this year. Now that being said, we very well may be in for one of the biggest changes in WWE in a VERY long time as this will be the first major show under the new regime. That means we could be in for some surprises and I’m much more interested in what we are getting now that things have changed. Let’s get to it.

United States Title: Bobby Lashley(c) vs. Theory

It’s a Money In The Bank rematch and the match has barely gotten any attention because Theory has Mr. Money In The Bank stuff to focus on instead. That hasn’t left much time for these two to do much, but at the same time, what kind of a story is there to tell with them? Theory seems destined to move up to the top level and Lashley is just one of the biggest stars on Monday Night Raw. It could be an interesting match, but that isn’t what WWE is doing here instead.

There is no reason to have either of them lose, but I’ll go with Lashley retaining here, even if Theory shouldn’t be taking another loss. The problem is I don’t see a need for him to be US Champion again, though that might be a hope spot for the sake of getting rid of the briefcase. Theory is a good smarmy heel, but he isn’t winning here without a lot of cheating so we’ll go with Lashley to retain, perhaps by DQ.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Liv Morgan(c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Now this is an interesting one, as it depends on what WWE wants to do with Morgan. She used the Money In The Bank cheat code to become champion in the first place so it isn’t like she has proven she can hang with the top stars in the division. If WWE wants her to be a thing then they need to have her win here, but I’m not sure if that is what they are going to do.

I’ll go with the false hope and say Morgan retains, but even if she does, there is the shadow of Charlotte’s return hanging over everything. Morgan is not going to go anywhere until she can get away from the top stars and I don’t think that is happening anytime soon. I can go with Morgan retaining here, but I can’t bring myself to believe that WWE is going to actually let someone into the main event club.

Mysterios vs. Judgment Day

This is another rematch that we have seen a few times already, but this time it’s No DQ so it makes things all the better. For some reason WWE thinks that teasing a Dominik Mysterio heel turn and split is interesting, to the point where this is the second Summerslam in a row where the Mysterios have been having issues coming in. If they’re going to do the turn then do it already so we can continue to not be interested in whatever Dominik is doing.

Since they need it a lot more, I’ll go with Judgment Day winning here. The team is in far better need of a win than the Mysterios so go with what makes sense. Normally that wouldn’t make a ton of sense, but maybe we get something new under the new regime. This is one of the least interesting matches on the card and I don’t see them overcoming that problem between the bells.

Logan Paul vs. The Miz

This is the celebrity match on the show but at least Paul is someone who has shown some abilities when he gets in the ring. I’m still not sure how much crossover there is going to be between Paul’s fans and WWE, but it does make sense to try to cash in on his audience. Putting him in there with the Miz means things should be safe, which means this has potential to be something.

I don’t see any reason for Paul to lose here, as you don’t want the celebrity to come back in and lose, especially in a match built on his revenge for Wrestlemania. Paul is going to be a semi regular and it makes sense to have him come in for special events. That interest involves him winning here, as beating Miz will give him just enough credibility. The match should be ok, but I’m not getting my hopes up here.

Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. Street Profits

For the sake of star power, Jeff Jarrett is guest referee, as the New Generation is the best option that we have these days. There have been multiple singles matches between the teams and a lot of them have turned into brawls, so it’s time for something a bit more physical. The question now is if it is time to take the titles off of the Usos, and that might be where they are going.

I’ll go with the Profits winning here, as otherwise, I have no idea what they are supposed to do. The Usos have dominated for so long and someone has to take the titles from them eventually. It makes enough sense to have the Profits win here, if nothing else for the sake of only the Viking Raiders being around as challengers after. I could use a break for the Usos, and hopefully that is the case for WWE as well.

Pat McAfee vs. Happy Corbin

It’s a battle of former roommates, because there is an actual backstory to this thing. McAfee is someone who has done incredibly well every time he has been given the chance and Corbin is someone who can carry anyone in the ring if necessary. They have put in some effort to build this up and now we get one of McAfee’s special appearances, which should go well.

Of course I’m taking McAfee here as you don’t put Corbin in a match like this to have him win. McAfee is a star and having him brag about the win on his podcast can get WWE some extra attention. That is one of the reasons you put him on a show like this one and it helps that he is pretty awesome at everything he does. Now just go and have the match without doing anything too wrong.

Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair(c) vs. Becky Lynch

This match isn’t doing much for me and that is because it feels like something that has been hammered into the ground. WWE has done very little to make me care about the Raw women’s division because it tends to be the same group of people over and over. Belair is great as the champion, but I’m over seeing her face off with Lynch. I’m sure the match will be good, but they both need to move on after this.

Give me Belair to win here, though I have no idea why she is supposed to face next. Raw has a great top half of the division, but it has been used so often now that there is almost no reason to get interested in this stuff again. These two had an epic showdown at Wrestlemania earlier this year, but I’m not sure if they are going to be able to do it again. Belair should win though, and stay from Lynch for good after.

WWE Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Brock Lesnar

It’s Last Man Standing, because WWE had to give us a little something over having the same match that we have seen far too many times. It’s their second Summerslam main event (third if you count their four way in 2017). Lesnar continues to be one of the only people who can give Reigns a run for his money, but, again, forgive me for not getting excited over watching these two fight one more time.

I don’t see any reason for Lesnar to take the title so I’ll go with Reigns to retain, probably with some kind of interference. They’ll beat each other up, but if Lesnar isn’t interested, this could be a bit of a slog. Hopefully Theory cashes in to get rid of the briefcase already, but something tells me they find a way out of what they have been teasing for the last several weeks. Reigns retains here, and gets out to face Drew McIntyre at Clash At The Castle.

Overall Thoughts

It’s kind of interesting and appropriate that this is the first major show under the new regime, because you can feel how old and tired this show is looking. There are parts of the show that could go well but the question now is what kind of changes you could make. I don’t have the highest expectations for the show, partially because I’ve seen a lot of the matches before, but maybe they can mix enough good action with some fresh ideas to make it a nice evening.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 25, 2022
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

We’re officially in an all new era as Vince McMahon is completely gone and HHH is now in charge of creative. That may sound very interesting on paper but I would give it another week before you see any major changes. There might be some surprises here and there this week though as it’s the go home show for Summerslam. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with Miz and Logan Paul mid-brawl in the ring with referees having to break it up. There’s your fresh way of starting the show.

With that out of the way, here is the Bloodline for a chat. Roman Reigns gets to the point by having the Garden acknowledge him before handing it off to Paul Heyman. After the mic goes out (Heyman: “We have a sound guy that must be from New Jersey or something. We want your name written down. You’re the next one out the door.”), we hear about everything Brock Lesnar has done over the years.

Lesnar has ruined a lot of things over the years, including the Streak, but he won’t do that on Saturday when Roman Reigns nears 700 days as Universal Champion. Reigns is tired of hearing about Lesnar every time you mention his name so it is time to send Lesnar back to Canada to slaughter a bunch of hogs. Heyman explains the concept of Last Man Standing, which is how Reigns is finally going to get rid of Lesnar once and for all.

Now cue Theory with the briefcase, but Reigns says that if you’re going to come out here, get in the ring and acknowledge the Tribal Chief. Theory stares Reigns down, but Reigns says that Theory’s daddy isn’t here to protect him anymore. Fans: “WHO’S YOUR DADDY?” Reigns says it’s going to be him if Theory doesn’t mind himself. The Bloodline goes to leave but Jimmy Uso taps Theory on the neck. A briefcase shot to the back…actually doesn’t get any reaction from Jimmy, as the Bloodline leaves in peace.

Post break Theory is still in the ring but Drew McIntyre cuts him off.

Theory vs. Drew McIntyre

McIntyre starts fast and hammers away with the power but gets caught with a jawbreaker. Theory gets to stomp away in the corner until McIntyre blasts him with a clothesline. Futureshock connects but Theory rolls outside before the Claymore can launch. That’s cool with McIntyre, who drops him chest first across the announcers’ table as we take a break.

Back with Theory sending him outside and then whipping him hard into the steps. Back in and McIntyre reverses a suplex into one of his own before winning the slugout. The Claymore is loaded up again but here are the Brawling Brutes to jump McIntyre for the DQ at 9:37.

Rating: C. I liked this one well enough as you had Theory in there with a fresh opponent but he also didn’t use the briefcase for the DQ. It was nice to not go with the obvious ending that Theory has been using as they actually mixed it up a bit. Now just let Theory win a match and we might be getting somewhere.

Post match the beatdown is on until Bobby Lashley makes the save. Theory has to bail before he gets wrecked as well.

Bobby Lashley/Drew McIntyre vs. Theory/Sheamus

Joined in progress with Lashley beating on theory before handing it off to McIntyre. A cheap shot from behind puts McIntyre down though and it’s Sheamus coming in to choke away in the corner. The Irish Curse plants McIntyre and Sheamus hammers away but he won’t tag Theory back in.

That’s enough for McIntyre to get in the Glasgow Kiss and bring Lashley back in. Sheamus gets suplexed and knocked outside, where Lashley’s spear to Theory is cut off by Sheamus’ knee. Butch gets in the ring for a distraction so Ridge Holland can go after McIntyre. That’s fine with McIntyre, who suplexes Butch onto Holland, earning the Brutes an ejection and we take a break.

Back with Lashley fighting out of a chinlock but getting knocked down again so Sheamus can come back in. Lashley spinebusters his way to freedom and the hot tag brings in McIntyre to clean house. A Sky High gets two on Theory but McIntyre gets low bridged to the floor, leaving Lashley to hit the big spinebuster on Theory. Sheamus breaks up the cover with a top rope knee so McIntyre takes him outside. The fight is on until Sheamus hits the White Noise on the floor. Theory is back up but cue Dolph Ziggler for a distraction so Lashley can grab the Hurt Lock for the tap at 12:20.

Rating: B-. This got some more time and advanced Lashley vs. Theory a bit more. Sheamus vs. McIntyre is already set for Friday so they got a little extra time of their own here. It might not have been the best match but it was an effective bit of storytelling and there is always room for that.

Post match Theory goes up the ramp but gets superkicked by the Usos. Roman Reigns comes back out to hand Theory his briefcase.

We look back at 20 years of Rey Mysterio in WWE.

Rey arrived with his wife and kids earlier tonight.

Dolph Ziggler says he wants Theory to back up his potential. AJ Styles comes in to say he likes that idea but here is the Alpha Academy to interrupt. A tag match is set up.

Here is Rey Mysterio, with Dominik, for the 20th anniversary celebration. Rey talks about having his first match in Mexico at 14 years old and now here he is. Rey can’t believe he made it here after making all kinds of legendary rivalries. As a smaller guy and a proud Latino, he became World Champion at Wrestlemania XXII and made a lot of friends along the way.

Rey thanks Dean Malenko, Konnan, Batista, Kurt Angle and Edge, but then there is Eddie Guerrero. He thanks Eddie for always watching over him and feels truly humble for all of the support he has received for the last twenty years. Rey also thanks his family (watching backstage along with some friends) and Dominik in particular but finally he needs to thank the fans. We get some thank you’s in Spanish but here is Judgment Day through the crowd for their scheduled match.

Mysterios vs. Judgment Day

Joined in progress (a theme tonight) with Dominik taking over on Balor before sending him into the corner for right hands from Rey. We get the Eddie dance in the corner as Rey hammers away, only to get sent face first into the buckle. Priest comes in for the hard whip into the corner and the toss suplex gets one.

It’s back to Balor for the chinlock but Rey pops u for a quick escape. Dominik comes back in to clean house, including a dropkick to put Balor on the floor. Priest cuts off Dominik’s dove and sends him into the barricade as we take a break. Back with Dominik hitting a reverse Sling Blade and bringing Rey back in for a kick to Priest’s head.

A top rope seated sent on gets two on Priest, who boots Rey down for two of his own. It’s back to Balor, who has to avoid the 619 and hit the Coup de Grace for two as Dominik saves. With nothing else working, Balor tries the Eddie Guerrero chair trick but Rey does the same thing right back. A double 619 sets up the frog splash to finish Balor at 11:29.

Rating: C+. This feud really needs to wrap up already because it has already run out of steam. Granted that might be due to Judgment Day being treated as a bunch of losers for so long now but I’m sure they’ll stretch it out again. It was nice to see Rey get a win on his big night, though the evening is young and ripe for something happening later.

We look at Cody Rhodes winning the ESPY Award for WWE Moment of the Year.

The Mysterios join their family and friends backstage with drinks being poured. Rey also gets what looks like his gear from Halloween Havoc 1997. Rhea Ripley comes in and pie faces Rey’s daughter, meaning it’s Judgment Day coming in to beat Rey down (Balor: “It’s not your anniversary. It’s my birthday!”), including Priest powerbombing him onto a table.

Here is Bianca Belair for a chat, but first we see how her match with Becky Lynch at Summerslam. Cue Becky but Belair cuts her off with the EST names. Becky decks her and the brawl is on with referees having to break it up. Short and to the point here.

Alexa Bliss is ready for Doudrop tonight and then is coming for the title.

Rey Mysterio is pretty banged up but Dominik has to chase off Judgment Day. The distraction lets Rhea kick Rey in his bad arm.

Doudrop vs. Alexa Bliss

Nikki Ash is here with Doudrop and her distraction lets Doudrop hit a running crossbody for an early two. The chinlock goes on to keep Bliss in trouble but she fights up and kicks away. A running basement dropkick gives Bliss two but she has to avoid a charge in the corner. Doudrop is favoring her shoulder so the referee checks on her, allowing Ash to shove Bliss off the top. Not that it matters as Bliss grabs a tornado DDT for the pin at 4:19.

Rating: D+. Nothing to see here as Bliss’ offense was a bit hard to buy against a monster like Doudrop. That being said, Doudrop hasn’t meant anything in a long time so the result wasn’t a surprise. At least Bliss seems to have something in mind now and her getting back into the title picture wouldn’t be the biggest stretch.

Post match Bliss signs a fan’s sign for a nice moment.

AJ Styles tells Logan Paul that he doesn’t know much about him, but if Paul doesn’t like Miz, AJ must like him.

It’s time for the debut of Logan Paul’s Impaulsive TV and he gets straight to the point by calling Miz out. An insult to the size of Miz’s testicular fortitude, here is Maryse to answer instead. Maryse can’t pronounce genitalia but she does have some statistics about average size. Paul: “Who measures their testicles?” Cue Miz to say he does, as does every single man in this arena. Miz yells about how he gave Paul everything and now Paul is ruining it. Paul says Maryse has a bigger set than Miz and the brawl is on, with Ciampa running in to help beat Paul down. The Skull Crushing Finale drops Paul.

The Street Profits and the Usos have a staredown with Jeff Jarrett in the middle. Trash is talked but Jarrett says he wants peace kept tonight, because he’ll remember it on Saturday.

AJ Styles/Dolph Ziggler vs. Alpha Academy

Before the match, Chad Gable praises himself and mocks Styles and Ziggler as a thrown together team. Like the New York Knicks! AJ starts fast with the drop down into the dropkick to send Gable outside. There’s the big slingshot dive and we take a break. Back with Otis running over AJ, who manages to slip over for the tag to Ziggler. That’s fine with Otis, who drops Ziggler with a hard elbow to the face. Gable comes in and misses the moonsault, allowing Ziggler to hit the superkick. Everything breaks down and AJ knocks Gable into a Zig Zag for the pin at 7:26.

Rating: C. Pretty much just a “there” match with Styles and Ziggler having nothing in common and now getting a tag match for whatever reason. They did need to get Ziggler something to do until Theory is freed up so maybe this is the best that they have. Then again, the Alpha Academy doesn’t mean anything anymore after so many losses so this was some decent filler and little more.

Summerslam rundown.

Bloodline vs. Riddle/Street Profits

Dawkins takes Jimmy down to start and hands it off to Ford. Jimmy pulls Ford into the corner for some choking from Jey and Reigns but Ford is fine enough to grab the arm. Riddle comes in for the rapid fire kicks and the Usos are sent outside, with Ford hitting the big flip dive.

We take a break and come back with Riddle getting stomped in the wrong corner, including some from Reigns himself. Reigns cranks on the arm and hands it back to Jimmy, who misses a splash in the corner. That’s enough for the tag to Ford, who starts the house cleaning with some kicks to the head. Reigns comes in off a blind tag though and a release Rock Bottom plants Ford hard for two. Ford got busted open somewhere in there and the Usos make it worse with something like a top rope Demolition Decapitator.

We take another break and come back with Ford managing to knock Reigns down. Riddle gets the tag to clean house and everything breaks down in a hurry. That includes a bunch of moves with the word Bro, including the springboard Floating Bro to the floor. Reigns tags himself back in and drops Riddle for two, with Ford making the save. Jimmy hits a big dive onto Ford on the floor but Dawkins takes him out. Riddle hits the hanging DDT on Reigns but the RKO is shoved off, allowing Reigns to hit the spear for the pin at 19:25.

Rating: B. This was the hard hitting and long main event tag match that is going to work more often than not. Riddle taking the fall is a bit sad to see, but it is a fall against Reigns and the Profits have a title match at Summerslam so it could have been a worse pick. Good, long match here though and sometimes that’s what you need.

Post match here is Seth Rollings to give Riddle a Stomp onto the steps to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show wasn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it was WAY better than the last few terrible weeks. There was a bit more energy to the show and while we didn’t get anything significantly different, I’ll take some slight changes over what we were getting and hope for more after Summerslam. Other than that, the sad part of this show is how Madison Square Garden feels like any other arena. There was little here that made the Garden feel special and that is sad for the World’s Most Famous Arena. Overall though, this was a breath of fresh air and I’ll take that any week.

Results
Drew McIntyre b. Theory via DQ when the Brawling Brutes interfered
Bobby Lashley/Drew McIntyre b. Theory/Sheamus – Hurt Lock to Theory
Mysterios b. Judgment Day – Frog splash to Balor
Alexa Bliss b. Doudrop – Tornado DDT
AJ Styles/Dolph Ziggler b. Alpha Academy – Zig Zag to Gable
Bloodline b. Riddle/Street Profits – Spear to Riddle

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: July 18, 2022
Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

We have two shows left before Summerslam and that means it is time to start hammering home the rest of the details. A good deal of the card has already been set and now it is time to wrap things up, including things other than Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar. Maybe we can get some more of that this week so let’s get to it.

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

Here is Titus O’Neil for a chat. Titus talks about how many charitable things WWE gets to do and he loves to talk about it as his Global Ambassador. That’s why you’ll never hear us talk about politics, religion or anything else controversial. This is a place that should be a safe haven for everyone so with that in mind, WELCOME TO MONDAY NIGHT RAW! I’m guessing this was something they can play when someone asks “what kind of a company is run by someone as horrible as Vince McMahon”.

We recap Becky Lynch costing Bianca Belair a match against Carmella last week.

Here is Becky talking about the Little Engine That Could. There are people who try with everything they can but she isn’t a little blue train. The Big Time Becks Express is rolling into Summerslam because she is getting the title shot against the winner of tonight’s title match.

Cue Bianca Belair to say that this isn’t the Becky Lynch Wrestlemania Comeback Story, because it is the Bianca Belair Summerslam Comeback Story. She is beating Carmella tonight and kicking Becky’s caboose at Summerslam. Cue Carmella to says he’s winning the title tonight but Belair cuts her off in a hurry. The brawl is on and Becky lays Belair out with a Manhandle Slam as we take a break.

Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Carmella

Belair is defending and can lose the title via countout, with Becky Lynch on commentary. We come back from a break for the opening bell with Belair having to get back to her feet, because a Manhandle Slam four minutes ago is like getting hit by a train. Belair hammers away and takes over but Becky offers a distraction, apparently in an effort to compliment her boots (Becky: “She has nice boots!”).

The distraction lets Carmella throw her into the timekeeper’s area for an eight count, followed by another toss over the top for an eight. We take a break and come back with Belair hitting a handspring moonsault for two. Belair counters a crossbody into a suplex, followed by the KOD for the pin at 10:35.

Rating: C. Well duh. This whole mini feud with Carmella has felt like a waste of time from the beginning and now it is thankfully done so we can move on to something fresh like….the same match we had at Summerslam! The Wrestlemania match was very good, but I don’t know why we have no other options right now. Again, the women’s division has no depth and this is about as good of a choice as they have.

We recap Jeff Jarrett being announced as the guest referee for the Usos vs. the Street Profits.

The Street Profits are happy with the title match because they can get the titles back. MVP and Omos come in to mock them, with Angelo Dawkins vs. Omos being set for later.

Here is Kevin Owens for the KO Show. Owens gets straight to the point and brings out Riddle as his guest. Riddle was promised a Mountain Dew Baha Blast to be here but Owens doesn’t know what that is about. Owens talks about how he took some time off from WWE because he was going crazy over trying to figure out the difference between Ezekiel and Elias. He has been on a nature retreat to calm things down and he sees how calm Riddle is every week.

Maybe Riddle has something helping him be that way, but he wishes Ezekiel and Elias the best in everything. Owens: “That’s not true. I wish them nothing but the worst.” Anyway, Owens knows that RKBro was great but since Randy Orton is gone, BroKO could be even bigger. Riddle doesn’t buy it because Owens is a liar, but Owens says Orton is too. Those are fighting words, which are interrupted by Seth Rollins’ music. Rollins sneaks in from behind and beats down Riddle, including some Stomps.

Post break Rollins is happy with what he did but Ezekiel comes in to say that was too far. A match is implied.

Here is the Judgment Day to promise that Dominik Mysterio is joining tonight, because they get what they want.

Rey Mysterio vs. Damian Priest

Dominik Mysterio and Finn Balor are here too. Joined in progress with Rey throwing Priest back inside and hitting a slingshot splash. Priest knocks him out of the air though and we’re on to the chinlock. Rey fights up and hits a faceplant, only to get caught on top. Priest’s chokeslam is countered into a hurricanrana though and Priest misses a charge into the post.

The 619 is loaded up but Balor offers a distraction, only to be broken up by Dominik. Rey knocks Balor into Dominik, leaving Priest to hit a superkick for two. Back up and the 619 connects, only to have Priest counter the springboard seated senton into a Razor’s Edge (a nasty one at that) for the win at 4:54.

Rating: C. Another match that came and went as the Mysterios have lost anything resembling interest in the last…well few years really. I’m still not sure why Judgment Day needs Dominik to join so badly but it isn’t exactly interesting no matter what they do. Just get Edge back to smash them, hopefully not in a tag match at Summerslam, and everyone can go on their way.

Post match Judgment Day grabs some chair to go after Rey, with Dominik being offered a chance to join to save his dad. Dominik will join but gets beaten down as well instead. If what you just saw wasn’t completely obvious, commentary explains every step of the whole thing.

Seth Rollins vs. Ezekiel

Ezekiel starts fast and gets in a few shots of his own before being sent into the corner. Rollins stomps away until Ezekiel kicks his way to freedom and launches Rollins up for a faceplant. Back up and Rollins sends him outside, where his suicide dive is caught. A posting rocks Rollins again but he catches Ezekiel on top, setting up a knee to the back of the head (that looked good).

We take a break and come back with Ezekiel elbowing away but Rollins slips out of an electric chair. Rollins small packages him for two and a low superkick gets the same, leaving both of them down. Back up and Ezekiel sends him to the apron but springboards into a jumping knee to the face for two. Ezekiel goes up top but gets caught in the superplex into the Falcon Arrow for two more. Rollins kicks him down and the Stomp is enough for the pin at 11:45.

Rating: C+. The match picked up near the end, but this was a fine example of WWE’s lame booking style. These two had a match two weeks ago where Rollins won in about eleven minutes. Ignoring the promo that set this match up, why in the world would I want to see it again? The match ended cleanly and wasn’t that interesting in the first place, but since WWE doesn’t have enough people to put into these spots, we saw the same match again. That’s not a well planned show.

The Usos want Omos to wreck Angelo Dawkins tonight.

Judgment Day promises to destroy the Mysterios once and for all next week on the 20th anniversary of Rey Mysterio’s WWE debut.

Angelo Dawkins vs. Omos

MVP, Montez Ford and the Usos are at ringside. Dawkins tries to stick and move to start, with Ford offering some early distractions. Omos misses a running boot in the corner and some running splashes rock him again. MVP trips Dawkins down though and that’s a DQ at 1:04.

Cue Adam Pearce to make the tag match.

Street Profits vs. MVP/Omos

MVP is in street clothes and Omos runs Dawkins over to start. There’s a boot on Dawkins’ hand and it’s off to MVP for some stomping of his own. Ballin gets one but Dawkins hits him in the face and hands it off to Ford. That means Omos has to pull Ford out of the air but he slips out and kicks Omos in the ribs. Not that it matters as Omos hits a big boot for two, with Dawkins having to make the save. Everything breaks down and MVP is thrown into the Usos. Double superkicks drop Omos and Ford’s frog splash gets one. The shocked Ford goes up again but the Usos shove him off for another DQ at 4:45.

Rating: C-. So they couldn’t have the tag match in the first place because MVP wasn’t in the right clothes (as was his excuse in the segment that set up Dawkins vs. Omos), but then they had the match anyway, with the singles match just tacked on? That’s certainly a Monday Night Raw way to do things, as we get more time filled in with nothing actually happening.

Post match the Usos send the Profits to Omos for a double chokeslam.

Veer Mahaan interrupts an interview, says BOO, laughs, and leaves. Interviewer: “Ok then.” Anyway, Miz comes in for the scheduled interview and thinks Mahaan likes said interviewer. With that out of the way, Miz is ready to make amends with Logan Paul so they can win the Tag Team Titles. Otherwise, Paul will become Miz’s enemy and that will make things even worse.

Theory vs. AJ Styles

Before the match, Theory talks about how he is going to cash in Money In The Bank at Summerslam after what Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar do to each other. We see Lesnar smashing American Alpha last week before Theory talks about how everyone doesn’t like him. It’s all jealousy, including from Dolph Ziggler, which is why he was back last week.

Cue Styles to say people don’t like Theory because he’s a jackass. Theory asks what Styles was doing at 24 and wonders how many Georgia farm boys he had to hit with the Phenomenal Forearm. Style is ready to beat some respect into him and here is Dolph Ziggler to watch too.

After the creepy vignette, we’re joined in progress with AJ flipping out of a belly to back suplex and hitting a backbreaker. A hard whip into the corner gives Theory two and we hit the chinlock. Styles finally suplexes his way to freedom and sends Theory outside, where he shoves Ziggler down.

We take a break and come back with Styles fighting out of an armbar but Theory’s brainbuster onto the knee gets two. The Calf Crusher sends Theory bailing to the ropes and they head outside, where Theory drops him face first onto the announcers’ table. Theory sends him back inside where Styles bumps the referee, allowing Ziggler to hit a superkick for the countout at 11:13.

Rating: C. Ah, so now we’re in the “the briefcase holder must lose all the time” phase before he waits months to cash in anyway. Theory’s match with Bobby Lashley on Sunday was barely mentioned here, but they’re already all in on the Ziggler match. Why WWE can’t wait for one thing to be done before moving onto the next is anyone’s guess, but that’s a very WWE way of doing things.

Long video on Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair, from last year’s Summerslam to this year’s Wrestlemania.

Alexa Bliss/Asuka/Dana Brooke vs. Tamina/Nikki Ash/Doudrop

Asuka and Nikki start but hang on because Akira Tozawa, Nikki, Alexa, Doudrop, Tamina and Brooke all need to win Brooke’s 24/7 Title. Since we’re now caring about who is legal in a match, none of the falls count in the six woman tag so it’s Asuka with the Asuka Lock to Nikki for the win at 2:12. I’ll keep this short and simple: this was stupid.

The Mysterios aren’t worried about Judgment Day next week.

We see the Miz winning the MLB Celebrity Softball All Star Game MVP (for the second time).

It’s time for MizTV with special guest Logan Paul! Paul gets straight to the point and asks if Miz is accepting the challenge for Summerslam. Miz shows us a clip of the two of them winning at Wrestlemania but Paul wants to see the rest of the clip, where Miz turned on him. Miz calls it a teaching moment but Paul still wants an answer to the challenge.

We hear about Miz’s successes and he says Paul can’t do what he has done after all these years. Paul says he has been the underdog for all of his life and brags about his social media career again. Miz still says no, so Paul threatens him with his OWN TALK SHOW NEXT WEEK and calls Miz out for having tiny testicles. That’s too far for Miz, who opens the suit to reveal a MY BALLS ARE MASSIVE shirt.

Miz is down for the Summerslam challenge and the fight is on, with Ciampa running in to help Miz with the save. Paul kicks his way out and bails to….send us to Miz ranting about how Paul isn’t getting away with this. That’s enough to end the show. Paul has a bunch of charisma and will probably draw in an audience of some sort, but “my social media is SO BIG” isn’t the most enthralling story.

Overall Rating: D+. This was another show that fits WWE to the letter: it wasn’t awful and there are far worse episodes, but it felt like a show where nothing happened. Bobby Lashley wasn’t even here, and the six woman tag was one of the dumbest things I’ve seen in a long time. Just another show that came and went with nothing happening, outside of some matches being made official after being pretty obvious for weeks.

Results
Bianca Belair b. Carmella – KOD
Damian Priest b. Rey Mysterio – Razor’s Edge
Seth Rollins b. Ezekiel – Stomp
Angelo Dawkins b. Omos via DQ when MVP interfered
Street Profits b. Omos/MVP via DQ when the Usos interfered
AJ Styles b. Theory via countout
Asuka/Alexa Bliss/Dana Brooke b. Tamina/Doudrop/Nikki Ash – Asuka Lock to Ash

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

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

AND

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

Wrestlemania XXXVIII Night One
Date: April 2, 2022
Location: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Attendance: 77,899
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, Pat McAfee
America the Beautiful: Brantley Gilbert

We have arrived at the biggest weekend in wrestling and this time it is back in the full capacity stadium. Again, this year’s show is split in two and again it feels like there is a good one night in between the two shows. That was the case last year though and the first night went well so maybe history can repeat itself. Let’s get to it.

Note that I was in attendance for this show, sitting in the third level off the floor in the end zone corner with the stage on my right.

Brantley Gilbert sings America the Beautiful.

Mark Wahlberg stars in the opening video and talks about how these people have a chance for a Texas sized helping of greatness. That is easier said than done though, as it is not easy to reach that level. Everyone has a chance though, so go catch greatness on the Wrestlemania stage. Nothing exactly profound here but having a star do the video is nice.

A lot of fireworks go off.

Here are the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders for an unannounced dance routine. I’m a Cowboys fan and I get the idea here, but does this add anything other than Texas flavor? It isn’t like anyone comes out or gets hyped up here.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Rick Boogs/Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Usos

The Usos are defending here but first, Pat McAfee has to lose his freaking mind dancing to Boogs’ guitar intro. You could see him on the announcers’ table from the seats and my goodness his voice makes it all the more over the top/better. We get a quick recap of Boogs faking an injury to help win a #1 contenders match so there is a bit of a backstory here. The Big Match Intros make this all the sweeter in something you don’t often see outside of the main event.

Nakamura starts fast by kicking Jimmy down and it’s already Good Vibrations in the corner. The running knee to the ribs gets two on Jimmy but Jey gets in a cheap shot to take over. A shot from the apron keeps Nakamura down and an enziguri gives Jimmy two. We hit the chinlock for a bit, only to have Nakamura fight up and hit the spinning kick to the head. The double tag brings in Boogs and Jey, with Boogs grabbing him in a bearhug.

That doesn’t last long as Boogs switches to the kneeling vertical suplex for two. A double Samoan drop….goes very badly for Boogs, as his knee buckles under the weight (apparently legitimately, putting him on the shelf for a LONG time). That leaves Nakamura to get the tag and dive onto both champs before striking away at Jey inside. The sliding German suplex looks to set up Kinshasa but Jey hits a superkick. Jimmy adds the Superfly Splash for two and it’s another superkick into the 1D to retain the titles at 6:55.

Rating: C. It’s kind of hard to grade something like this as the injury changed everything. The last two minutes or so were a handicap match and there is a strong chance that they had to come up with something on the fly, so we’ll go with right in the middle to play it safe. The match wasn’t great, but what are you expecting given the circumstances?

Video on Johnny Knoxville vs. Sami Zayn in an anything goes match tomorrow.

We recap Happy Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre. Corbin lost everything in one of the most entertaining stories in a long time, but then gambled his way back to financial security. Then he and Madcap Moss injured McIntyre, setting up a FAR too long feud to get us here. For some reason, Corbin and Moss stole McIntyre’s sword, named after his mother. Corbin: “What do McIntyre’s mother and sword have in common? Drew lost both of them.” Of course you know this means war, which started with McIntyre getting the sword back on Smackdown.

Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin

Madcap Moss is here with Corbin, who is billed as UNDEFEATED, because we now keep track of wins and losses since a name change. McIntyre is wearing some dark gray trunks here for a change of pace. Corbin starts fast but gets clotheslined over the top for his efforts. A posting cuts McIntyre off and Smackdown rol….wrong show, never mind.

Back in and a whip into the corner gives Corbin two as McAfee recaps the Corbin saga. A belly to back suplex drops McIntyre for one but Moss gets on the apron for an inadvertent distraction, allowing McIntyre to grab a spinebuster. The overhead belly to belly into the neckbreaker lets McIntyre nip up as things get a bit more intense.

Corbin is right back with a quick Deep Six for two more but McIntyre knocks him down again. The threat of the Claymore sends Corbin outside so McIntyre hits the big flip dive to the floor (that’s not normal for his size). Back in and Corbin hits End of Days out of nowhere for two, with Cole trying to make that a lot bigger than it really is. The Futureshock gives McIntyre two but the Claymore gives him the pin at 8:42.

Rating: C. This could have been on any given of Smackdown and absolutely should have, as this feud was barely good enough for one pay per view match, let alone a months long feud. McIntyre should be ready to move back to the World Title scene and he needed to run these two over to do so. Maybe this leads to the team splitting, but I don’t know what Moss can do with this gimmick going forward.

Post match McIntyre loads up Angela and swings at Moss, hitting the ropes instead. The ropes are sliced in two, but I wonder why it caused an explosion. The Gordian Knot wasn’t that in your face.

We recap the Mysterios vs. Miz/Logan Paul. Miz has been feuding with the two of them and got Paul to help him out, because that’s the best Miz can do. Then Rey had his mask stolen, setting up a feud over respect that feels like it was chosen at random for Paul’s involvement.

Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio vs. Miz/Logan Paul

The bottom rope is out of sync with the others after the replacements were put in. Paul has a Pokemon card in a lanyard around his neck, which I’m assuming is something expensive. Miz takes Rey into the corner to start so Paul comes in pretty early. Some leapfrogs let Paul start well but he drops into the splits, allowing Rey to kick him in the head. That’s enough for Paul so it’s off to Dominik vs. Miz, with the former hitting a Lionsault for two. A dive to the floor takes Miz out but Paul gets in a cheap shot from behind to put Dominik down.

Back in and a pretty nice running powerslam gets two on Dominik, setting up some alternating YES Kicks. Dominik fights out of a chinlock and gets two off a backslide. That’s not enough for a tag though as Paul comes back in with a Blockbuster for two more. Dominik finally manages a tornado DDT to drop Miz and there’s the hot tag to bring in Rey. The big kick to the face gets two on Miz but Paul comes back in to load up a double superplex.

Dominik makes the save so Rey rolls Miz up for two, followed by another spinning DDT for two more. Rey hits some Amigos but gets sent into the post, allowing Paul to hit Three Amigos of his own to some serious booing as that is too far. To make it worse, Paul goes up, does something close to the Eddie dance, and hits the frog splash for a very near fall. Dominik is back in and it’s a double 619 to set up back to back frog splashes but Miz makes the save. The Skull Crushing Finale finishes Rey at 11:16.

Rating: C. The match was ok enough and Paul had clearly put in the effort to make this work out. He did very well with the limited spots he did and the athleticism is there. I’m not sure how well he would work long term, but there have been some far worse celebrity appearances at Wrestlemania (or anywhere for that matter).

Post match Miz and Paul pose…and Miz lays him out with a Skull Crushing Finale. Miz laughs at him and blows a kiss, making me wonder why I’d want to see Miz vs. Paul and what the green thing on Miz’s forehead is.

Video on Edge vs. AJ Styles as we get more and more filler.

Here is Stephanie McMahon to talk about what Wrestlemania means to her. She brings out Gable Steveson and….that’s the segment.

We recap Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair for the Raw Women’s Title. Belair won the Smackdown Women’s Title last year but then Lynch returned from a year plus away to win the title (completely fairly) at Summerslam. Lynch has since gone full villain and Belair wants the title back. They have traded throat injuries and Belair cut off a bunch of Lynch’s hair to make this even more personal.

Raw Women’s Title: Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch

Lynch is defending and gets a special intro (similar to the WWE TV intro as we look at moments from her career)….but Belair one ups her with the Texas Southern University marching band playing her to the ring. They both have special gear, with Lynch coming out in a kind of skirt/jacket combination and Belair in black and red with her top made to look like her lips logo. They both look like they’re on the big stage and it’s an awesome addition.

They both take the time to soak it in a bit but Lynch would rather punch than shake hands. The very early Manhandle Slam gets two and Lynch can’t believe the Summerslam plan didn’t work. Belair goes to the ropes to avoid the Disarm-Her so some covers give Lynch two. They trade rollups for two each and Lynch reverses a suplex into a DDT for two more. Belair tries….something but can’t get Lynch onto her shoulders so she switches to a rollup instead.

They head outside with Lynch slipping off the shoulders to send Belair into the steps to take over. Some Bexploders connect back inside and we hit the chinlock to slow things down a bit. With that broken up, Lynch switches to a cross armbreaker but Belair powers up and dumps her outside for the double crash. Back in and Belair drives some shoulders into the ribs in the corner, setting up a gutbuster for two. The handspring moonsault gets two more but Lynch catches her on top.

Belair gets creative with a Chicago Skyline of all things and a middle rope 450 gets another near fall. Lynch is back up with a Molly Go Round, with her feet hitting Belair in the face (OUCH) for two of her own. Belair is back with a spinebuster and a cradle but the kickout sends her into the corner.

The KOD is broken up but Belair KOD’s her to the floor. That doesn’t work for Belair so she tries to come back inside, only to have Lynch hit the Manhandle Slam onto the steps. Belair dives back in at nine and then kicks out at two, sending Lynch even further into hysteria. Another Bexploder is loaded up but Belair gets to the middle rope, moonsaults over Lynch, and hits the KOD for the pin and the title at 19:09.

Rating: B+. The action was good to great, but what mattered here was the feeling. This felt like the rise of a new champion, with Belair surviving what Lynch threw at her and then winning in the end, showing that she was the better woman when things were even. It came off like the Wrestlemania showdown with the special entrances and gear and I had a great time with the whole deal. Best thing on the show by a mile so far.

Post match Lynch falls out to the floor and collapses as Belair celebrates, giving us a great visual of the fallen former champion and the new queen.

Video on Sasha Banks to fill in more time.

We recap Seth Rollins vs. a mystery opponent. Rollins kept missing opportunities to get to Wrestlemania, which apparently is more important than what you actually do on the show. Finally the solution was “ask Vince McMahon”, who gave him a match against an opponent of Vince’s choosing, making about a month of stupid stories all the more pointless.

Seth Rollins vs. ???

Rollins comes out with a weirdly dressed choir singing his music for a rather Rollins style entrance. We get the big wait until……it’s Cody Rhodes, which was expected but MY GOODNESS the reaction. Rhodes rises up through the stage and comes to the ring as this is where they got me. Your feelings on Cody aside, that wait where I wanted to see who was coming out was the Wrestlemania Moment and it was outstanding.

They stare each other down for a bit and the energy is all back, even with some CODY chants. Feeling out process to start with Rollins grabbing a headlock and shouldering him down. Cody is fine enough to hit the drop down uppercut but neither can hit a finisher. A suplex over the top sends them both crashing to the floor (that’s always a scary one) and Cody pulls him into the post. Back in and Cody grabs the armbar, setting up a short armscissors.

That’s broken up so Rollins hits an enziguri and dropkicks Cody out of the air. There’s a gutbuster to stay on the ribs (Rollins: “Welcome back to the big leagues b****.”) Rollins grabs a bearhug, which looks as out of place as you might expect it to. Cody breaks that up like it’s a bearhug from a guy who isn’t known for his strength and hits the powerslam. With Rollins down on the floor, Cody hits a suicide dive but the Disaster Kick off the steps is countered into a powerbomb into the barricade.

Back in and the Falcon Arrow gives Rollins two but the Stomp is countered into Cross Rhodes for two (because a returning star’s finisher should always only get a near fall). Cody goes up but gets caught in a reverse superplex into D-Von’s lifting reverse DDT for two of his own. The Phoenix Splash misses so they both tease Pedigrees before Rhodes hits a tiger bomb for two.

The Cody Cutter gets the same as the fans are WAY into this. Rollins’ Pedigree gets its own near fall and some Kawada Kicks set up the forearm to the back of the head. Cody isn’t having that so he hits back to back Cross Rhodes…for no cover. Instead it’s the Bionic Elbow into a fourth Cross Rhodes for the pin at 21:34.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was WAY better here than it was watching it live as they had a more modern style match of trading big moves. Cody winning was the only way to go, if nothing else for the sake of not scaring off other AEW stars who might want to come over. I’m not sure what Cody’s ceiling is in WWE, but they absolutely stuck the landing with his return. Great match, after an even better reveal.

Cody gets to soak in some well deserved cheers and kisses the mat because he’s back.

We look at last night’s Hall of Fame ceremony, which featured a cool idea of walking through the wrestlers on the way to the ring. The wrestlers looking scared at the idea of Scott Steiner on a live mic is great, but not as great as Shad Gaspard’s wife telling her son how great Shad was. Vince McMahon introducing Undertaker as Mark Calaway is….just wrong to hear.

Here is the class in person:

Steiner Brothers (they were up there with Demolition for most overdue tag team)
Shad Gaspard (that was a hard one to sit through)
Queen Sharmell (harmless enough)
Vader (how was he not in before)
Undertaker (I’ve seen that Wrestlemania entrance a few times and it will never be anything less than awe inspiring, even with Undertaker in a suit and looking emotional as he thanks the fans)

Video on Pat McAfee vs. Austin Theory. The fact that I went to the restroom after it started and it was still going when I got back says this went on too long.

Rick Boogs has wrecked his knee and had to be carried out of the stadium. Apparently he has torn his quadricep patella and will need surgery.

The attendance is 77,899. Assuming reports were correct, that means they sold about 20,000 tickets in three days. I’m sure.

Long video on Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte for the Smackdown Women’s Title. The video compares their successes in their main sports before showing the two of them being ready to clash here.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Ronda Rousey

Rousey is challenging and strikes her way out of the corner to put Charlotte in the ropes. A cheap shot has Rousey in trouble but she grabs a rollup for two. That means it’s time for Rousey to adjust her shorts before she sends Charlotte into the corner. Charlotte lands on the apron so Rousey knees her in the face and chokes a bit. The ankle lock goes on with Charlotte still on the apron so she pulls Rousey outside for the break. A posting gives Charlotte two and we hit the front facelock.

Charlotte hits a forearm/clothesline (the replay looked nasty) for two more and the neck crank goes on. That’s broken up so Rousey hits a knee for two of her own, followed by…something mistimed out of the corner. Rousey’s middle rope bulldog gets two but Charlotte is back with a spear for the same. A belly to back suplex gives us a double knockdown but it’s Charlotte up first. The double moonsault kind of connects for two so Charlotte ties her in the Tree of Woe.

That means a Boston crab in the ropes of all things but Rousey escapes and judo throws her down. Piper’s Pit can’t connect so they trade some shots to the face for another breather. Another Piper’s Pit is countered but Rousey grabs the ankle lock. That’s reversed into one from Charlotte, who gets rolled into the corner for the escape. The armbar is countered into a powerbomb for two on Rousey but she’s right back with the ankle lock, complete with the grapevine.

Charlotte escapes that as well and we hit the Figure Eight, which is turned over for the escape before they both roll into the ropes. They go outside so Charlotte can hit a fall away slam into the barricade and it’s time for a slugout back inside. Piper’s Pit gives Rousey three but the referee waves it off because of the foot on the ropes. Natural Selection gives Charlotte a very close two but her spear hits the referee. The armbar goes on and Charlotte taps to no referee. Naturally the referee pops up as Rousey yells at him, allowing Charlotte to hit a big boot for the pin at 18:32.

Rating: B-. That was longer than it needed to be and are you surprised that Charlotte was the one to get the first singles win over Rousey? I’m not sure what this means for Rousey but I could go for seeing her turn heel. The smiling stuff just feels fake so let her bring back the Death Stare and be the Rousey that got her here in the first place. The match was a good, back and forth fight but there were some botches in there and Charlotte getting this latest honor made me roll my eyes pretty hard.

Video on Bobby Lashley.

We run down Night Two.

Video on Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns.

Wrestlemania XXXIX will be in Los Angeles on April 1 and 2, 2023. This is the new normal isn’t it?

We recap Kevin Owens vs. Steve Austin, which isn’t a match but that’s more or less what we’re seeing here. Owens spent weeks insulting Texas before realizing he needed a path to Wrestlemania. Therefore he invited Austin onto the KO Show, with Austin accepting and promising a fight.

Here is Kevin Owens for the KO Show and yeah the fans don’t seem too happy with him. Owens wastes no time in insulting Texas again, saying that if America was a person, Texas would be the a**. However, he does apologize…for speaking the honest truth about Texas. Owens knows the fans are wanting him to bring Austin out there but it’s going to be on his time. Austin is the worst role model and Owens knows this because he used to look up to him. When Austin comes out here, Owens is going to insult him and if Austin doesn’t like it, it’ll be a Stunner and beer poured over him.

Cue Glass Shatter and WOW that is a reaction. Austin is as over as free beer in a frat house and takes some extra time to soak all of this in, as he should. Hold on though as Austin goes to the back and brings out his ATV to ride to the ring, as he tends to do. The set is promptly destroyed, leaving the two of them and two chairs. Owens says cut the music, leaving Austin to fix his knee brace. This is Owens’ show, so take a seat.

Austin doesn’t like Owens talking trash about Texas, but Owens asks what is so great about this place. Owens rants on Texas clothes and says if he lived here, he would have moved to Mexico (Owens: “It’s right there.”). Austin: “In five seconds, you’re going to have 70,000 people calling you an a******.” That’s fine with Owens, who says he lied to get Austin here. Instead, he doesn’t want to talk, but because he is looking for a fight. Really, Owens is here to challenge Austin to a match. Yeah it has been 19 years and Austin’s knees, back and neck were shot back then and must be even worse here.

Owens is challenging him to a No Holds Barred match right now, which has Austin thinking about it. Austin’s facials here are outstanding as you can see him thinking about going to that place one more time. Owens says either get ready or get on the golf cart and ride out again. Austin says his first match was here in Dallas, and now his last match might be too. He leaves it to the fans and says bring him a referee out here, because this is actually happening.

Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens

No Holds Barred and my goodness I can’t believe I’m seeing this. They talk trash and the slugout is on, with Austin naturally getting the better of things. A bunch of stomps in the corner have something mudhole related going on and Austin does it again for good measure. They head outside where Austin has a beer, followed by a clothesline and a drop onto the barricade. Owens is back with a posting though and he beats on Austin with a tripod.

It’s table time (that feels so wrong in an Austin match….because Austin is actually having a match) but Owens is sent through it instead. They fight into the crowd, where Owens actually hits a suplex onto the concrete (egads). Back to ringside and Austin is able to slam him off the barricade and onto (not through) the announcers’ table. More beer is consumed and Austin hammers away on the table, followed by more beer.

Owens manages a neck snap across the top but makes the mistake of going over to Austin’s ATV. Austin isn’t having that and jumps him before driving the ATV (with Owens on it) up the ramp. A pair of suplexes on the stage (one per side) have Owens in trouble and Austin throws him back down the ramp. Back in and Austin has some more beer but Owens grabs a Stunner for two. Owens gets a chair but the swing hits the rope and bounces back onto his own head, setting up the real Stunner to give Austin the pin at 13:52.

Rating: B. This is a weird situation as Austin could have come out there and juggled kittens to the biggest reaction of the night. What made this work was the fact that Austin wound up looking good, all things considered. He didn’t have the same explosiveness but that is to be expected after so long away. This was an actual match, albeit a garbage one, but it let Austin have one more moment and that is not something that is easy to pull off whatsoever. Above all else, this was a special moment and I still can’t believe it actually happened.

Post match Austin drinks even more beer and gives Owens another Stunner, leaving Owens to be taken out by some cops. Austin throws a beer to a guy in the crowd, who fumbles it for a funny moment. Austin is glad to be back in Texas…and for some reason Byron Saxton gets in the ring to celebrate with him. Corey Graves is downright giddy, knowing that Saxton is about to get Stunned, which is of course what happens (that was funny). Austin’s brother gets in the ring for a beer with him and Austin celebrates some more to end the show.

After the show was over, Austin celebrated some more and took some laps on his ATV before finally leaving.

Overall Rating: B+. This show took its time getting started but then got on a roll in a hurry by the second half. The last four matches are all good to great and they nailed the three important moments, with Cody’s return, Belair’s win (the whole match really) and then Austin to cap it all off. As usual, WWE knows how to make things work when they’re trying and that was the case here, though the first half was just ok. That being said, this was a pretty solid smash and night two has its work cut out.

Results
Usos b. Shinsuke Nakamura/Rick Boogs – 1D to Nakamura
Drew McIntyre b. Happy Corbin – Claymore
Miz/Logan Paul b. Mysterios – Skull Crushing Finale to Rey
Bianca Belair b. Becky Lynch – KOD
Cody Rhodes b. Seth Rollins – Cross Rhodes
Charlotte b. Ronda Rousey – Big boot
Steve Austin b. Kevin Owens – Stunner

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

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AND

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In the words of new WWE Hall of Famer Vader, it’s time. It is time for Wrestlemania XXXVIII and that means the card has finally (and I do mean finally) been set. We now know what to expect on each night and the card is…well it certainly exists. There are some interesting matches on both nights, though I’m not sure what to expect from the show. That can make it fun though so let’s get to it.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles: Usos(c) vs. Rick Boogs/Shinsuke Nakamura

Since the New Day is busy, the Usos actually need someone else to fight for once. That opens the door for Boogs and Nakamura, who at least seem like a team. How can you not be ready for a title match after doing Toyota commercials together? This should be good enough as Nakamura knows how to work well with anyone and Boogs is basically an ox with a guitar.

I’ll go with new champions here, on the grounds of “well, someone has to beat the Usos.” They feel like they have held the titles forever, so let the new team get the belts off of them and have a big guitar celebrity. It isn’t like there is anything else for them to do, so go with what makes sense and change the titles already. I’d call it overdue, but we passed that point months ago. New champs crowned.

New Day vs. Sheamus/Ridge Holland

Speaking of the New Day, we might as well get rid of them here. This is a feud that had already started before Holland accidentally broke Big E.’s neck, but since WWE has some decency, they haven’t used that as a major story point in the feud. I’m not sure what to expect from their match, but there is a story here, even if WWE isn’t actually using it (as they probably shouldn’t).

In theory there is no reason for New Day to lose here so I’ll take them, even if WWE logic would seem to go otherwise. WWE likes having weird results like New Day losing here, even if it makes no sense. Hopefully WWE is going to figure this out (work with me here) and give us the New Day win that it should be, as Holland has already taken out their best friend. Is another loss necessary?

Seth Rollins vs. ???

Now I know what you’re thinking (ok I don’t but work with me here): it’s Cody Rhodes. I know that’s the working theory and it’s probably accurate, but what if it is some other surprise? Like say….Undertaker, who teased wrestling one more time and was inducted into the Hall of Fame this weekend by Vince McMahon. Would it be that big of a shock to see him again?

Yeah probably so we’ll say Rhodes is the opponent and….he wins. I’m not sure what the idea of the whole thing will be, as Rhodes winning means he beat a loser who couldn’t get on the show, but Rollins winning means Rhodes is almost dead in the water upon return. I’ll go with Rhodes winning as it has a bigger upside, but it has been such a strange story for so long now that it’s hard to tell.

Rey Mysterio/Dominik Mysterio vs. Miz/Logan Paul

This match feels like it was thrown together for no apparent reason other than to get Paul on the show. Does anyone care about his issues with the Mysterios? It hasn’t been a terrible story, but my goodness does it feel forced. Paul has a following, but is that following going to buy WrestleMania to see him fight a wrestler they have probably never heard of?

This should be a win for the Mysterios as Miz and/or Paul finally get what is coming to them. I say should because I could also see Miz winning to gloat some more, though it would make more sense to go with the family win. While the two of them need to split up at some point, they need to win to make that matter, so we’ll go with the Mysterios winning here to get rid of Paul (again).

Happy Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre

Let’s get this one out of the way too. I have no idea why this is the match we are getting from McIntyre at WrestleMania, as he has been beating up Corbin and Madcap Moss for months. There is almost no chance of Corbin winning here and even WWE does not seem crazy enough to try something like that. I can only hope that something better is coming for McIntyre, but you really can’t tell.

Of course I’ll go with McIntyre to win here, as there is zero reason for him not to. Sometimes the best way to go with the most logical and that is the case here, as there is no reason to not see what you have with McIntyre back in the main event scene. That means taking out Corbin in short order, which is all that this needs to be. Don’t make it any more complicated than that.

Raw Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Bianca Belair

I’m scared. This is a match that should be all about Belair getting her win and the title back. That is what they seemed to be teasing….but then Monday Night Raw came along. That was the night when Belair cut part of Lynch’s hair off, which makes me think that Lynch could keep the belt. It would be weird to see Lynch humiliated and beaten in the span of a week, but that might be where we are heading.

For the sake of my sanity, I’ll say Belair gets the title back here, as it is far past the point where Lynch needs to put someone over for the belt. Belair is already popular and successful, so let her get her second WrestleMania title win in two years and be done with Lynch. Either that or make it a hair vs. title match next month, even if that might not be the best idea in the world.

SmackDown Women’s Title: Charlotte(c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Much like the previous Women’s Title match, it is time. Charlotte hasn’t done much as champion and it would be nice to see her get far, far away from the title picture for a long time. She already has lapped the field when it comes to title wins and it wouldn’t make sense to have her keep it any longer. Certainly not if WWE wants Rousey to be a big star down the line.

I’ll go with Rousey winning here, as WWE doesn’t have much of a choice. Despite Rousey not having anywhere near the same spark that she had in her first run, it is time for her to get the title back so we can see where things take her. Maybe that means a showdown with Lynch for the title, but at some point she has to win and Charlotte has to lose, which is where we are here.

Overall Thoughts

While the show might not look great, there are parts of it that feel awesome. That would include the Women’s Title matches, the Rollins mystery opponent, and of course Steve Austin’s return, which should be a major highlight. Sure it might just be Austin brawling for a bit, but you never know what kind of insanity you might see from the thing. What matters is that it is Wrestlemania, which should be a very fun night. Please be a very fun night.

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

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

AND

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