Ring Of Honor
Date: April 11, 2024
Location: Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, South Carolina
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

We are officially done with Supercard Of Honor and the big story is a new World Champion as Mark Briscoe dethroned Eddie Kingston. That should make for something interesting going forward, but none of that matters if the new champ is barely ever around here. Hopefully the show keeps up its shorter run times as they have helped a lot. Let’s get to it.

Here is Supercard Of Honor if you need a recap.

Supercard Of Honor recap.

Eddie Kingston and Mark Briscoe toast themselves following their win. And they like each other! They’re ready for the House Of Black at Dynasty.

Isiah Kassidy vs. Action Andretti

Marq Quen is here too. Kassidy hammers away to start but gets taken down with a running headscissors. They head outside where Kassidy pounds him down again and nails a whip into the barricade. Kassidy gets to mock him a bit, followed by an elbow to the face back inside. Andretti fights up and hits a backbreaker into a neckbreaker to send Kassidy outside.

The big dive connects and Andretti puts him down for two back inside. Kassidy cutters him to the floor, setting up a Swan Dive for a near fall of his own. The Twist of Fate is countered and Andretti hits a Disaster Kick for a rather close two. Quen offers a distraction so Andretti dives into a cutter for an even nearer near fall. They go up top where Andretti backflips out of a super Side Effect (cool) and hits a dropkick into the corner. The split legged moonsault puts Kassidy away at 9:57.

Rating: B. We’ll file this under “who saw THAT coming” as a tag guy and a lower level star like Andretti had a heck of a match. Those were some great near falls and I actually wasn’t sure who was going to win until the end. I can go for more stuff like this around here as it was far better than I would have guessed.

The Kingdom, with Wardlow, are happy with their win at Supercard of Honor.

The Infantry say you can’t stop them and they’re still coming.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Kaz Jordan/Julian Ward

Moriarty pulls Ward into a quickly broken abdominal stretch before knocking Jordan off the apron. Taylor comes in to throw Jordan into the corner for a heck of a clothesline. Something close to a chokeslam puts Jordan down again and it’s a headbutt to make it worse. The Marcus Garvey Driver finishes for Taylor at 3:37.

Rating: C. Nothing but a squash here as the Promotions continue to dominate. In theory that should get them a title shot, but that isn’t likely to happen as long as the Kingdom has the titles. It would be nice to see them go somewhere other than doing nothing matches on AEW, but there are some weird moves between the two rosters.

We look at Billie Starkz faking a neck injury to win the Women’s TV Title.

Starkz shows the title to her mom, who is not happy with how Starkz won the match. Athena is a bad influence and Starkz is stunned. She goes over to Athena to celebrate instead.

Nyla Rose vs. Kat Von Heez

Rose powers her into the corner to start and a Hennig neck snap makes it worse for Heez. A backsplash and frog splash finish for Rose at 1:04.

We look at Kyle Fletcher retaining the TV Title over Lee Johnson.

Johnson is happy with his performance because he got here, meaning he didn’t lose.

Fletcher is glad to be back after his visa issues.

Cole Karter vs. Christopher Daniels

Karter takes him down to start and Daniels even shakes his hand. Daniels is back up with a slam of his own but Karter hits a running clothesline for two. A dropkick gives Karter two and the chinlock goes on. With that broken up, Karter pops up and hits another dropkick, allowing him to strike a pose in the corner. Back up and Daniels hits an STO but the Angel’s Wings is broken up. Daniels avoids a top rope cannonball though and grabs Angel’s Wings for the pin at 5:24.

Rating: C. So Karter and Griff Garrison beat the Spanish Announce Project at Supercard but then Karter loses to CHRISTOPHER DANIELS the following week? Do you have any idea how low you have sunk to lose to Daniels at this point in his career? The match was fine, but it’s almost confusing to see what they did here.

We look at Dalton Castle winning the Fight Without Honor at Supercard, thanks to an assist from Paul Walter Hauser.

Hauser reveals that he was offered a chance to hang out with Johnny TV but Johnny offering a bunch of Boys made it feel weird.

Righteous vs. Bryce Donovan/Chico Adams

Vincent runs Adams over with a forearm to start and Dutch comes in with the legdrop. Donovan gets the tag and cleans a few of the rooms, only to get caught in Autumn Sunshine for the pin at 2:48. Nothing much to this one.

We look at Athena retaining the Women’s Title (again) over Hikaru Shida at Supercard.

Anna Jay vs. LMK

Feeling out process to start with Jay taking her into the corner for some chops. A few more strikes set up a Blockbuster, followed by a Gory Bomb to finish LMK off at 2:27.

Mina Shirakawa praises Mariah May for her win at Supercard and kisses her. Champagne is toasted.

Josh Woods is ready to hurt people as part of the Premiere Athletes.

Zak Knight vs. Alvin Alvarez

Knight spears him down for two to start and rains down some right hands in the corner. The good sized Alvin gets in a shot of his own but Knight suplexes him down. The running forearm sets up a Falcon Arrow….for two. Alvin fights up and the crowd is behind him, only for a clothesline to finish for Knight at 2:29.

Kyle Fletcher vs. Rhett Titus

Non-title Proving Ground match, meaning that if Titus survives the ten minute time limit or wins, he gets a future TV Title shot. Fletcher won’t shake hands and instead slams Titus down to start. Titus is sent to the apron but comes back with a slingshot shoulder. Fletcher knocks him down again and works on the arm, only to get reversed into a slingshot suplex. The big dropkick has Fletcher in trouble and a backbreaker makes it worse. Titus’ belly to belly sets up a half crab but Fletcher slips out. A snap German suplex into a half and half suplex into the piledriver finish Titus at 5:05.

Rating: C+. Titus is one of those guys from the older days of Ring Of Honor and he can still have a nice match here or there. It’s the kind of win that gives Fletcher a boost as he has to rebuild things up a bit after his visa hiatus. It’s a nice way to go for a main event and having one Proving Ground match work before made it feel that much more possible here.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a few weeks now with a far better length show and that has helped things tremendously. They fit eight matches into a little over 65 minutes here while also doing a bunch of promos. Outside of the opener and maybe the main event, the wrestling wasn’t anything noteworthy, but they featured some people and didn’t overstay their welcome. This Ring Of Honor works and if they keep that up, we could be in for a nice run.

Results
Action Andretti b. Isiah Kassidy – Split legged moonsault
Shane Taylor Promotions b. Kaz Jordan/Julian Ward – Marcus Garvey Driver to Jordan
Nyla Rose b. Kat Von Heez – Frog splash
Christopher Daniels b. Cole Karter – Angel’s Wings
Righteous b. Bryce Donovan/Chico Adams – Autumn Sunshine to Adams
Anna Jay b. LMK – Gory Bomb
Zak Knight b. Alvin Alvarez – Clothesline
Kyle Fletcher b. Rhett Titus – Piledriver

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.

Battle Of The Belts X
Date: April 13, 2024
Location: Truist Arena, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

We’re back for another one of these things and that could go in a few directions. The card is focused on titles, but in this case there are no actual AEW titles on the line. Instead we have an unsanctioned title, an ROH title, and a title eliminator match. That’s quite the way to go so let’s get to it.

We open with fallout from the end of Collision, with the Don Callis Family laying out Bryan Danielson on the ramp.

Hook is asked about his title defense against Shane Taylor. Katsuyori Shibata, through the translator, says he has his back, but Hook respectfully has this.

FTW Title: Hook vs. Shane Taylor

Hook is defending under FTW Rules. The early strikes only get Hook so far but he low bridges Taylor out to the floor. The hard knees to the chest have Taylor in more trouble but Taylor drops him with a shot to the ribs back inside. Taylor starts in on the ribs, which he drapes across the top rope as we take a break.

Back with Taylor hitting a legdrop on the apron and pounding him down into the corner. Hook won’t quit so Taylor whips him into the corner again. The splash misses and Hook slugs away before grabbing the German suplex. Taylor is back with a release Rock Bottom out of the corner though and a middle rope splash gets two. Taylor can’t believe it but Hook grabs the Redrum, with even a drop to the mat not being enough to keep it broken. Hook keeps cranking and Taylor is out at 10:25.

Rating: C+. Classic big vs. little man match here with Hook hanging in there until the end and choking Taylor out. It was feeling like the Bayley vs. Nia Jax match from Takeover: London a good many years ago and that is not a bad thing. Hook gets to slay a monster and Taylor isn’t going to lose any status by putting Hook over here.

Rocky Romero is ready for Roderick String. Kyle O’Reilly comes in to wish him luck.

Roderick Strong vs. Rocky Romero

Non-title and the Undisputed Era is here with Strong. They fight over wrist control to start and then grapple to the mat with neither being able to get that far ahead. A running hurricanrana sends Strong into the corner and Romero starts in on the arm. Strong’s arm is fine enough to grab a backbreaker but Romero is back with a running basement dropkick. Romero sends him outside for a double stomp off the apron and we take a break.

Back with Romero fighting out of a chinlock and kicking him out to the floor. Romero hits some dives to take out Strong and company, followed by a standing Sliced Bread for two. Strong hits the Sick Kick for two of his own but Romero snaps off a hurricanrana into a tornado DDT. They go up top with a super Sliced Bread giving Romero two more. Romero goes up top but dives into a jumping knee to retain Strong’s title at 11:39.

Rating: C+. So Strong beats him clean with a jumping knee to the face. Why then was this match on a show about championships non-title? Anyway, it was another match where the people involved will all but guarantee that it’s at least decent but the idea of Romero winning a title in AEW isn’t the most plausible concept.

Post match Kyle O’Reilly comes in to check on Romero but the Undisputed Era comes in to lay O’Reilly out.

Serena Deeb would love to face Yuka Sakazaki and needs to climb the rankings so they can fight.

Ring Of Honor Women’s Title: Athena vs. Red Velvet

Athena, with her minion Billie Starkz (and with other minion Lexi Nair handling the ring introductions), is defending. They fight over a lockup to start until velvet snaps off some armdrags. Velvet knocks her outside for a moonsault off the apron but a belly to back suplex onto the apron drops Velvet right back down.

We take a break and come back with Velvet hitting some running knees against the ropes. Athena grabs a fireman’s carry, only to have Velvet snap off a hurricanrana to escape. Velvet flips her off the top and kicks Athena in the head, setting up a tornado DDT. Athena is back up and they crash out to the floor, where Athena sends her into the apron. Back in and Velvet grabs a rollup for two but Athena hits her in the face. The O Face (top rope Stunner) retains the title at 12:44.

Rating: C. The only good thing here was getting to see Athena having a chance on the main show (or at least in AEW) rather than being stuck in ROH forever. It worked well enough as Velvet is pretty low in the division, but she wasn’t the point here. Athena needs to be up in AEW already, but for some reason it just hasn’t happened yet.

Post match Athena and Starkz beat Velvet down but Queen Aminata comes in for the save. Aminata stares at Athena and kicks her to the floor to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. And this is the latest Battle Of The Belts, as it continues to feel like AEW is going “erg, we have to do this again?”. This show managed to not actually feature any AEW titles being defended, including a non-title match on a show about titles. The big story here was a likely match between Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong being set up, which doesn’t quite feel like it needed an hour long special. As usual, the shows aren’t terrible, but they feel so detached from everything that matters in AEW. I know it gets a small audience, but maybe that would change if they, I don’t know, tried?

Results
Hook b. Shane Taylor – Redrum
Roderick Strong b. Rocky Romero – Jumping knee
Athena b. Red Velvet – O Face

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.

Rampage
Date: May 13, 2022
Location: UBS Arena, Belmont Park, New York
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho

We’re still in the weird time slot due to some kind of playoffs (basketpuck or hockball I believe) and that means a grand total of nothing on this show. Granted it means very few people are going to watch it, but it isn’t like that is AEW’s fault in this case. This week is going to have some Owen Hart Foundation tournament action so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Death Triangle vs. Butcher/Blade/Marq Quen

Penta does the CERO MIEDO to Blade to start and then kicks him in the ribs. Pac comes in to hold Blade in place for the top rope double stomp What’s Up. Jericho’s voice sounds more than a bit off as Butcher comes in to take over on Pac. That doesn’t last long as Butcher is sent outside, allowing Fenix and Quen to come in. A pop up dropkick puts Fenix down and he gets sent outside for a whip into the barricade as we take a break.

Back with Fenix fighting out of a front facelock but Quen and the Butcher are right there to knock Pac and Penta off the apron. Everything breaks down and Quen hits a big flip dive onto Pac and Penta on the floor, leaving Fenix to get clotheslined down for two. A hurricanrana gets Fenix out of trouble as Kyle O’Reilly is shown watching in the crowd. Back in and Penta makes the save, getting to clean house and take over again. Pac’s German suplex gets two on Quen and it’s the spike Fear Factor. The Lucha Bros hit dives on Butcher and Blade, leaving the Black Arrow to finish Quen at 10:20.

Rating: C+. Death Triangle continues to be just kind of there and that isn’t the most exciting thing. I know we’re heading for the showdown with the House Of Black but it has taken so long to get the team back together and set up the match that any interest I had in the first place is long gone. The team is still fun to watch, but my goodness the spark is long gone.

Post match the lights go out, the House of Black pops up, the lights go out again, and the House of Black pops down.

Shawn Spears vs. Bear Boulder

Spears shows him the TEN to start so Boulder grabs him in a gorilla press. That’s broken up so Boulder settles for a powerslam instead. Spears avoids a charge in the corner though and hammers away in the corner until Boulder grabs him by the throat. Boulder gets in his own right hands in the corner but gets reversed into the C4 to give Spears the fast pin at 2:05. This is the Spears version of the villains beating someone before losing to Wardlow.

Post match Spears unloads on him with the chair.

Tony Nese and Mark Sterling (in a neck brace and with a crutch) are NOT happy with their upcoming match against Hookhausen. Sterling doesn’t even have fights! Nese says he has destroyed Danhausen and he’s a premiere athlete. He can win on his own, so Sterling should put $10,000 on them.

Owen Hart Foundation Tournament First Round: Riho vs. Ruby Soho

Soho works on an armbar to start but gets reversed into la majistral for two. A running kick to the chest misses for Soho and Riho slips out of an over the shoulder backbreaker. Riho hits a double stomp to the ribs to rock Soho but she pulls Riho face first into the buckle to break it up.

There’s a headbutt to put Riho in trouble, only to have her tie the legs up and crank back to put Soho in trouble as we take a break. Back with Riho hitting a northern lights suplex for two but hang on as we need to look at things that happened in the break. Soho loads up a Blade Runner, which is reversed into a crucifix bomb for two. Back up and Soho hits a belly to back suplex, setting up a Blade Runner for the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C+. I can certainly go for seeing Soho get a win over one of the bigger names the division has ever seen so this was a nice result. What matters is having some new faces in the division and Soho could certainly use the boost after a pretty rocky start in AEW. I’m not sure how far she goes in this thing, but a win is not completely out of the realm of possibility.

Billy Gunn holds a meeting between the Gunn Club and the Acclaimed, who he thinks could be a great faction. They need hand gestures though, with the Club suggesting crotch chops. Billy shoots that down, but likes the scissoring deal. Now, catchphrases. Gunn Club: “Oh, you didn’t….” Billy: “NO! THAT WILL NEVER GET OVER!” The Acclaimed suggests “Yo, listen” and Billy is down with that. Now he has a match for them on Elevation!

Here are Jade Cargill and the Baddies for a chat. Cargill hits the catchphrase but Tony Schiavone has to announce that since Hikaru Shida is injured, so Red Velvet has to face Kris Statlander in the first round instead. That isn’t a bad thing for Cargill, but Statlander comes out for the staredown anyway.

Scorpio Sky is ready to defend the TNT Title against Kazarian because the champ’s word is his bond and he promised Kazarian the shot. Kazarian is ready too, and Sky having Dan Lambert and Ethan Page stay in the back makes it even better.

Here is what is coming up on various shows.

TNT Title: Scorpio Sky vs. Frankie Kazarian

Sky is defending. They fight over a lockup to start and neither get anywhere. Sky flips out of a wristlock but Kazarian runs him over with a double to give us a standoff. Kazarian takes him down and drops a leg to the arm, setting up a short armscissors. With that broken up, neither of them can grab their finisher so they collide for a double knockdown. A backslide gives Kazarian two and a fisherman’s suplex is good for the same. Sky sends him to the floor though and there’s the big flip dive to take Kazarian down again.

We take a break and come back with Kazarian hitting the slingshot Fameasser for two. A hard lariat drops Sky again but he is up with the TKO attempt. That’s reversed into a small package for two, followed by the springboard spinning legdrop to give Kazarian a rather delayed near fall. Sky heads to the apron so Kazarian slingshots him in for a heck of a cutter for two. The crossface chickenwing goes on but here is Dan Lambert for a distraction, allowing Ethan Page to come in with a belt shot….for two. Sky (who doesn’t seem to have seen the interference) is back up with the TKO to retain at 11;40.

Rating: B-. The ending wasn’t exactly great but it might set up something good for the future between the two of them. Odds are we’re getting either a rematch or a tag match out of that ending, likely at the Los Angeles show coming up in a few weeks. Sky retaining the title is a good thing, but I don’t think there was any real doubt about the result here.

Post match Kazarian tries to tell Sky what happened and Sky yells at Lambert and Page. Sky wants to know what happened, so Page grabs the mic and says yeah he did it. He did it for the team, so what team is Sky on? Then Sky hits Kazarian with the title and the beatdown is on. Lambert calls Sammy Guevara and “W****hausen” (Tay Conti) into the ring and runs as Sammy makes the save (and holds up the title) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Pretty good show this week, though that ending wasn’t exactly my favorite. They got back to doing some things on this show, as the tournament has gotten off to a pretty fast start. Granted when you have almost six weeks to set things up, there isn’t much of a reason for it not to start well. Nice show here, with nothing close to bad throughout.

Results
Death Triangle b. Butcher/Blade/Marq Quen – Black Arrow to Quen
Shawn Spears b. Bear Boulder – C4
Ruby Soho b. Riho – Blade Runner
Scorpio Sky b. Frankie Kazarian – TKO

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.

Rampage
Date: March 11, 2022
Location: Hertz Arena, Fort Myers, Florida
Commentators: Ricky Starks, Taz, Excalibur

We’re back to the Friday show this time around and we are still in the fallout from Revolution. The big story on Dynamite was the debut of Jeff Hardy to reunite with his brother, which should make for a major story going forward. This week’s main event will feature the debut of Shane Strickland, which should work out rather well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Marq Quen vs. Darby Allin

Sting and Isiah Kassidy are here too, but we don’t have time to intro them because we need to go straight to the ring thirty seconds into the show. As we go to a split screen of Jeff Hardy debuting, Allin takes over with a headlock but Quen fights up and sends him into the corner to take over. Some stomping has Allin in trouble and Quen hits a shoulder to the ribs in the corner. Allin hits a hiptoss for a breather but Quen goes to the apron and pulls Allin down onto it with him as we take a break.

Back with Allin hitting a superplex for two but Quen knocks him down and hits a backflip stomp/knees to the stomach for two. A flipping Downward Spiral gives Quen two, only to have Allin come back with a reverse DDT. The Coffin Drop is loaded up but Kassidy offers a distraction, which draws over Sting for the save. Quen knocks Allin off the top and hits a 450 to the floor before taking it back inside. Quen’s shooting star press misses though and Allin grabs a Fujiwara armbar for the tap at 11:49.

Rating: C+. Allin continues to be worth a watch every time and that is a great thing. He knows how to excite the fans and get them into whatever he is doing and not a lot of wrestlers can say that. You also have Quen, who can do some amazing high flying, but using a 450 to the floor 40 seconds before you lose is a bit much.

Post match the AHFO comes out to go after Allin and Sting but the Hardys make the save.

Dan Lambert talks about Larry Zbyszko and Bruno Sammartino to set up Wardlow vs. Scorpio Sky for the TNT Title on Dynamite. Sky promises to retain the title and his streak.

The House of Black loves violence and seems to threaten Death Triangle.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Jamie Hayter

Britt Baker and Rebel are here too. Hayter takes her down with a headlock to start, with Martinez reversing into a headscissors for a standoff. Back up and Hayter takes her into the corner before an exchange of shoulders lets them stare at each other again. Hayter stomps her down in the corner to take over again though and we take a break. We come back with Martinez rolling a few butterfly suplexes for two. Hayter is back with an Irish Curse for two and a shot to the head rocks Martinez. Hayter heads up but gets German suplexed HARD back down. Baker offers a distraction though and Hayter hits a clothesline for the pin at 9:30.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as Martinez has lost all of her interest in recent weeks and Hayter is little more than Baker’s muscle. It didn’t help that the first half of the match was pretty dull stuff and Hayter only needed a clothesline to win. Not their best stuff, but it felt like a bit of a clash as both of them have done far better before.

Post match the beatdown is on but Thunder Rosa runs in with a chair for the save.

Hikaru Shida is back and hopes Serena Deeb missed her. She promises to cut Deeb’s head off.

Keith Lee vs. QT Marshall

Lee powers him up by the arm to start but Marshall gets in a poke to the eye. Marshall mocks the BASK IN HIS GLORY, earning himself the Grizzly Magnum chop. The Uncle Phil Biel sends Marshall flying but he gets in a Stunner over the top rope. A missile dropkick puts Lee down but he’s back up with a clothesline. The Big Bang Catastrophe is blocked so Marshall hits an enziguri. The cutter is countered and Lee runs through him with a shoulder. Now the Big Bang Catastrophe can finish Marshall at 3:48.

Rating: C. They had me worried about this one as Marshall was getting in a bit too much offense here for a bit. The good thing is that Lee won with his big move at the end. There is something cool about watching Lee run through people and throw them around, but dang that man is rather large. He might need to slim down a bit, just for the sake of looking a bit better.

Post match Aaron Solo and Nick Comoroto come in for the failed beatdown attempts. Powerhouse Hobbs and Ricky Starks come in as well though and Hobbs hits a good spinebuster to drop Lee.

Tony Nese and Shane Strickland have their face to face showdown.

Tony Nese vs. Shane Strickland

Strickland takes him down by the wrist but Nese is back up without much trouble. A missed charge into the corner sets up an anklescissors takes Nese down and a basement dropkick makes it worse. Nese gets sent outside, where Strickland kicks him in the chest from the apron. A cheap shot gives Nese a breather though and we take a break.

Back with Nese blocking an uppercut and hitting a neck snap across the top. Nese misses the moonsault though and it’s a tilt-a-whirl powerslam, with Strickland rolling into a suplex for two. Strickland goes up top but gets pulled into a gutbuster. A good looking 450 gives Nese two but Strickland sends him to the apron for a running double stomp. Back in and a rolling Downward Spiral gets two and the Swerve Stomp (top rope double stomp) finishes at 13:01.

Rating: B-. Good match and Strickland looked awesome in his debut, but this was a perfect example of a match that could have been trimmed down. It’s ok to have Nese get in a few moves and then lose in about six minutes instead of going more than double that. Leave the fans wanting to see more of Strickland rather than running him through so much in his first match.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a downgrade over the usual Rampages, but it was by no means a bad show. Strickland looked good and they did some nice enough stuff in the other matches, but it is still such an oddly paced show. It feels like they have to rush through everything so they can fit in their longer matches, even when they could be done just as well with a few minutes cut off from each. The show comes off like something that was entertaining on paper but it isn’t exactly great when it airs.

Results
Darby Allin b. Marq Quen – Fujiwara armbar
Jamie Hayter b. Mercedes Martinez – Clothesline
Keith Lee b. QT Marshall – Big Bang Catastrophe
Shane Strickland b. Tony Nese – Swerve Stomp

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.

Rampage
Date: February 4, 2022
Location: Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho

We’re still in Chicago and it’s a stacked card as Jay Lethal challenges Ricky Starks for the FTW Title. On top of that, Sammy Guevara defends the TNT Title against Isiah Kassidy and Adam Cole faces Evil Uno. Ok so maybe they’re not all huge matches this time around. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Adam Cole vs. Evil Uno

Cole jumps him to start and the choking begins on the ropes. That lets Cole get a bit more cocky but Uno fights up and runs him over. The Swanton hits knees though and some kicks rock Uno. The Boom finishes for Cole at 2:25. That’s what this should have been.

Post match Cole lists off a bunch of names that he has beaten while he is still undefeated. He doesn’t care about last week because it doesn’t exist. What does exist is a new Adam Cole and now he is ruthless. He has won World Titles and always winds up dominating anywhere he goes. There is one thing that is certain: he will become the World Champion.

Jade Cargill is ready to become 27-0 and laughs at the idea that she is green. She’s green like money.

TNT Title: Sammy Guevara vs. Isiah Kassidy

Sammy, with taped ribs, is defending and Matt Hardy/Marq Quen are here with Kassidy. Feeling out process to start until Kassidy goes after the bad ribs. That doesn’t bother Sammy, who sends him outside for the big flip dive. There’s the nip up as well, just to show off a bit. Sammy goes after Quen though, allowing Hardy to hit a Side Effect onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Kassidy staying on the ribs. Sammy fights up and tries the GTH but the ribs give out. Instead it’s Kassidy charging into a superkick. Sammy goes up but here is Andrade for a distraction. A Backstabber gives Kassidy two and he sends Sammy outside for a dive. Back in and a Swanton to the back gets two but Sammy fights up and springboard dives onto Quen. A springboard cutter gives Sammy two and the GTH retains the title at 9:12.

Rating: C+. This was exactly as the match should have gone. There was no reason to believe that Guevara was in trouble in a straight match against Kassidy so stacking the odds is the way to go. It made for a nice challenge to Guevara before he can move on to something else. Doing things like this is going to make Guevara seem like a bigger deal and that’s what they made work here.

Post match Andrade gets in the ring behind Sammy but Darby Allin runs in. Allin isn’t interested in the money offered to him so it’s a big staredown instead. With Andrade and company gone, Allin slaps Guevara’s TNT Titles (because Sammy is carrying both of them), which might be a warning.

QT Marshall is sending someone after Hook.

Kris Statlander doesn’t think Layla Hirsch has been acting like an amateur wrestler…and then Hirsch blasts her in the back with a chair.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Thunder Rosa

Rosa hammers away to start and takes Martinez down for some elbows to the back. They head outside with Rosa snapping off a suplex before heading back inside. Martinez runs her over this time and we take a break. Back with Martinez hitting a super Death Valley Driver for two but Rosa plants her right back down. They head outside where Martinez whips out a pipe and hits Rosa in the face for the DQ at 7:41.

Rating: C. This was intense while it lasted, but the ending has me wondering just how hard Rosa is going to smash Martinez in their violent rematch. That’s where Rosa shines and hopefully it finally moves towards the big Rosa vs. Baker showdown. You have to do something like this to get there though and that’s a fine way to go, even if a DQ still feels weird around here.

Video on Serena Deeb.

Mercedes Martinez is happy with what she did but here is Britt Baker to say a DQ isn’t what they agreed on. If that’s what she wanted, she would have had Jamie Hayter do it for her. Baker paid Martinez to take out Rosa and now she better not lose again, or Baker will have her out of here faster than Martinez left her last job. Violence is teased but Hayter gets in between them.

Jay Lethal is ready to take the FTW Title. Ricky Starks doesn’t think so.

FTW Title: Jay Lethal vs. Ricky Starks

Starks is defending and has Powerhouse Hobbs with him. Lethal elbows him down to start and chops away as you might have expected. Starks gets sent outside for the suicide dives but a Hobbs distraction lets him run Lethal over. We take a break and come back with Lethal getting two off a backslide and la majistral is good for the same.

There’s the Lethal Combination for two more but a hurricanrana is countered into a heck of a sitout powerbomb for another near fall. Lethal fights back again so Hobbs gets up for a distraction. Lethal’s dive is countered so here’s Dante Martin to take out Hobbs. Back in and Lethal hits a cutter for no cover (Jericho: “JAY YOU MISSED YOUR SPOT!”). The Lethal Injection is loaded up but Starks counters into the Roshambo (that was SWEET) for the pin to retain at 12:42.

Rating: B-. The ending was excellent as Starks couldn’t have timed that better. Lethal is someone who serves as a perfect challenger in a spot like this as he could win the title but also gives Starks a good run for his money. At the same time, I’m not entirely sure the FTW Title needs to exist around here, as it often comes off as “oh yeah that’s still a thing” more than a valuable prize.

Overall Rating: C+. Another rather good show, though it still feels like they pack in a lot. In this case, that wasn’t the best feeling as it came off as rushed. I could go for them slowing down a bit, as this feels like it would be better as a forty five minute show (which obviously can’t be done on TV). That being said, it’s still FAR from a bad show and I don’t remember the last time they had a bad one, with this being the latest solid effort.

Results
Adam Cole b. Evil Uno – The Boom
Sammy Guevara b. Isiah Kassidy – GTH
Thunder Rosa b. Mercedes Martinez via DQ when Martinez hit her with a pipe
Ricky Starks b. Jay Lethal – Roshambo

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.

Dynamite
Date: March 3, 2021
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Jim Ross, Excalibur

It’s an extra big night around here as it’s time for the Shaquille O’Neal match. That could go in a variety of directions but the quality of the match means absolutely nothing. The idea here is that the match needs to be anything resembling passable and everything will be fine. I’m not sure what else is on the card and I don’t think it really matters. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Quick recap of the mixed tag, still without a reason for the whole thing to start.

Cody Rhodes/Red Velvet vs. Shaquille O’Neal/Jade Cargill

Cargill has never wrestled before and O’Neal has only been in a battle royal. Cody and Shaq start and O’Neal just dwarfs him. A wristlock is shoved away and Cody takes him into a corner for some chops. That’s broken up and Shaq hits his own chop, which has Cody down on his knee. Another chop has Cody rocked and it’s off to the women, with Jade throwing her into the corner.

Velvet fires off some kicks, one of which seemed to miss and had to be covered with a camera cut. Cargill throws her down again and mocks the stirring the pot deal, but Velvet hits a high crossbody. That’s countered into a fall away slam for two, with Cody running over to knee Shaq off the apron. Billy Gunn’s kids and QT Marshall try to interfere but get beaten down by Shaq.

Velvet moonsaults down onto Arn Anderson, Cody and Jade, none of whom seemed to be expecting her. Back in and Cargill puts on the figure four (making sure to throw in a mocking wave) with Velvet breaking that up in a hurry. It’s table time, with everyone seemingly confused by Jade pulling one out. Velvet breaks that up and throws Cargill back inside before setting up her own table next to it. An enziguri rocks Jade again so it’s back to the men, with Shaq wanting a test of strength.

Cody’s kick to the leg doesn’t do much good as Shaq grabs a powerbomb for two. Back up and Cody hits a slam, which isn’t treated as quite the big idea. It’s back to the women to slug it out and Cargill manages a spinebuster (but doesn’t look at Arn) for two, drawing Cody in again. This time it’s a poke to Shaq’s eye and a running crossbody drives him through the tables. Cargill is stunned and walks into…..well commentary says a spear but the camera cut to the floor, making me wonder how bad it was. Jade hits a Glam Slam for the pin at 12:03.

Rating: B-. This could have been far, far worse and that’s all it needed to be. The best thing to say here is that they didn’t have any terrible botches and while there were a ton of camera cuts, they managed to hide all of the problems well enough. This was a perfectly fine celebrity match and the table spot/powerbomb both looked good. Cargill looks very green in the ring but she has the charisma and mannerisms down, which is a good sign for her future. All in all, not too bad here.

Post break, Shaq is loaded into an ambulance. Tony Schiavone goes to ask someone a question but Shaq has disappeared.

Rey Fenix/Pac vs. John Skyler/D3

Skyler gets kicked in the head a lot to start and D3 is kicked out to the floor. Pac nails the running flip dive and it’s a 450 to crush Skyler. The over the shoulder piledriver finishes Skyler at 1:08. Now THAT was a good looking squash.

Here is the Inner Circle for Chris Jericho/MJF’s press conference. We can’t hear the first question, but Jericho clarifies that it was about what the Tag Team Titles mean to the two of them. Jericho lost the World Title a year ago but then he has won seven Tag Team Titles in his career. He has teamed with Dwayne Johnson and Paul Wight, but none of them compare to MJF. Next up is Conrad Thompson (how in the world did it take him so long to get on this show) who asks if Sammy Guevara can be back in the team.

MJF and Jericho refuse to answer and throw Thompson out so we can get on to the next question. They don’t want to hear about Papa Buck either because he got blood on MJF’s custom suit. He doesn’t shop at Target (cue the TARGET chant) and if you thought what he did to Papa Buck was bad, wait until he gets skinny Matt and balding Nick on Sunday. Santana tells the Bucks to do better….and now Eric Bischoff is up to ask a question.

Bischoff asks if they know anything about Papa Buck’s condition and wants to know how smart it is to motivate the Young Bucks like that. Jericho tells him to shut up but here are the Young Bucks to interrupt. They talk about how great of a father they have and everything he taught them over the years. He did everything that MJF and Jericho’s fathers failed at, like building them a wrestling ring when he couldn’t send them to college. That’s the kind of work ethic that made the two of them and this company.

If not for them, MJF would be living at home and waiting for the Rosie O’Donnell Show to call and Jericho would be jerking the curtain at the Performance Center. Some superkicks put the Inner Circle down and Brandon Cutler comes out to help with the fight. Cue the Good Brothers with a table on the stage with Nick splashing Ortiz while Matt dives onto Santana on a table at ringside. Some of the verbal jabs were awesome (the Performance Center one made my mouth pop open) but the Bucks trying to be intimidating or serious is still really not their forte.

Video on the exploding barbed wire deathmatch, with various people talking about it, capped off by Atsushi Onita making a cameo to talk about how great it is. JR explains the idea and we see Kenny Omega hammering on the Moxley Extermination Chamber. Thankfully Excalibur does explain who Onita is after the video is over.

FTR/Tully Blanchard vs. Jurassic Express

JJ Dillon is here with FTR/Tully (all wearing old NWA title belts). A bit of shoving sets up a six way staredown before Jungle Boy comes in to dropkick FTR. Tully (in what looks like a bowler’s attire) teases coming in but thinks better of it, leaving Sax to get pulled into the Snare Trap. That’s broken up in a hurry so Boy grabs it on Cash on the floor. Cash taps but the distraction lets Dillon slip Dax the shoe (!) to knock Boy silly for two. Tully comes in and teases a dive but stops to strut instead.

We take a break and come back with Cash breaking up Boy’s hot tag attempt but a Vader Bomb hits raised boots. The hot tag brings in Luchasaurus to clean house on FTR so Tully comes in….and goes right back out. Marko gets tossed into Blanchard to knock him down but FTR kicks Luchasaurus down. Luchasaurus suplexes both of them at once and Boy hurricanranas Dax into a powerslam from Luchasaurus.

A heck of a tornado DDT takes Luchasaurus down on the floor and it’s a PowerPlex for two on Boy. Cash hits a German suplex for the same but it’s Tully with the slingshot suplex to Stunt. Luchasaurus Tail Whips Tully down and Boy loads up a dive but a masked man in a hoodie breaks it up. Whoever it is nails Luchasaurus with something and the spike piledriver is enough for Tully to get the pin at 11:24.

Rating: B-. This could have been a heck of a lot worse and Tully still knows how to play to a crowd like the old school master that he is. Seeing the slingshot suplex was great too and while they had a few too many things going on here, it was nice to have a bit of a Horsemen reunion without going too far with it. Nice enough here and seeing Stunt get beaten up is always fun.

Post match….it’s Shawn Spears under the mask. Everyone poses together and here’s Arn Anderson to give them the Horsemen sign, with Dillon and Tully returning it.

Schiavone brings out Paul Wight for his official Dynamite debut. Wight says raise your hand if you saw this coming. He’s glad to be here and is glad to come back to TNT after all this time. Wight puts over Elevation and talks about how much he’s ready to watch some amazing talent. With an arm on Schiavone’s shoulders, Wight promises that AEW is signing a Hall of Fame worthy talent this Sunday. Tune in to find out who it is.

Women’s Eliminator Tournament Final: Nyla Rose vs. Ryo Mizunami

Vickie Guerrero is here with Nyla and the winner gets Hikaru Shida, also at ringside, for the title at Revolution. Rose drives her into the ropes to start but gets forearmed in the head. Some more forearms rock Rose, who is back with a hard shoulder to take her down. A backdrop breaks up the Beast Bomb and it’s time for some pantomime, followed by a running elbow getting two on Rose.

Rose is back with a running flip dive for her own two and a powerslam is good for the same. Back from a break with Mizunami avoiding a Swanton which would have barely grazed her if she hadn’t moved an inch. A running shoulder to the ribs knocks Rose off the apron and the guillotine legdrop on the apron crushes her again. Rose dives back in at nine so Mizunami hits a quick middle rope legdrop.

Back up and Rose forearms her in the head and nails a Death Valley Driver for two. Mizunami gets draped over the top rope and a knee to the head gets two more. An exploder suplex gives Mizunami two but Rose catches her on top with a superplex. It’s Mizunami up first with a spear and the guillotine legdrop finishes Rose at 12:48.

Rating: B-. Not a bad power match with Mizunami getting the win, thereby giving us one thing that we know about her. The tournament was quite the way to set up a #1 contender for a champion who has held the title WAY too long, but I’ll take someone new over Riho or Rose again. Now just change the title already, as it is long overdue.

Post match Shida comes in for a handshake but they wind up slugging it out, with Shida getting the better of things.

Tony Schiavone brings out Sting for a chat. Sting talks about how the powerbomb from Brian Cage didn’t tickle but it shook the rust off. Now he’s ready for a street fight but here’s Ricky Starks to interrupt. Starks respects him and then slaps him, meaning it’s time for Sting to hammer away. The Stinger Splash into the Scorpion Deathlock is on but here are Hook and Powerhouse Hobbs to jump Sting.

That’s broken up but Brian Cage comes down and loads up another powerbomb, only to have Darby Allin make the save (why Cage stopped to load up the powerbomb when Allin’s music hit isn’t clear). House is cleaned (with Cage making sure to look over his shoulder for the Stinger Splash) with Sting and Allin standing tall.

Face Of The Revolution Qualifying Match: 10 vs. Max Caster

Scorpio Sky is on commentary and Caster raps his way to the ring. 10 grabs a headlock to start and hits a crossbody for two. The right hands in the corner set up a running clothesline to the floor but Caster manages to post him for a breather. We take a break and come back with 10 hammering away, including a spinebuster. The slingshot spear gives 10 two more but Caster is back with a quick brainbuster. A top rope elbow misses for Caster but here’s Jack Evans with a boom box to the head to give Caster the pin at 8:47.

Rating: C-. This wasn’t exactly thrilling stuff as it felt like a quick way to get someone into the ladder match. The Acclaimed haven’t done much for me but maybe having Caster in there can be his big breakout moment. I’m not sure who is going to win the thing but at least there are some interesting options.

Post match here’s Matt Hardy to give Evans $4,200 for taking out part of the Dark Order.

Miro says Chuck Taylor has made him do this and on Sunday, it’s GAME OVER.

We run down the Revolution card.

Matt Hardy/Marq Quen vs. John Silver/Hangman Page

Page thinks we need to go to Adampagewrestling.com, which takes you to two hours of relaxing guitar music and shots of horses. Silver headlocks Matt to start but it’s quickly off to Page, who sends Hardy running. We take a break and come back with Hardy getting two on Silver and grabbing a chinlock. That’s broken up and Page gets the hot tag, sending Hardy bailing to the floor.

This time Page gets his hands on him so Hardy uses Quen as the sacrificial lamb. Back in and Quen dropkicks Page’s knee out, allowing Matt to come in with a neckbreaker. Page isn’t having that and brings Silver back in to clean house in a hurry. A spear sets up Page’s Buckshot Lariat to finish Quen at 11:03.

Rating: C. Well that happened. It’s pretty weird for AEW to have such a lame main event as this felt like it should have been somewhere in the middle of the show. It wasn’t a bad match or anything but it’s the kind of match that really didn’t feel like it belonged in the main event slot. Matt Hardy continues to be one of those guys that makes me sigh when he is in a match. I know whey he is on TV so much but that doesn’t make it much better.

Post match Hardy jumps Page with the microphone and promises to win. Cue the Dark Order, plus all of the other teams in the battle royal. Death Triangle comes out to join the fray to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This is a show where the total absolutely does not equal the sum of its parts. The first hour or so of this was one of the most energized things I’ve seen in wrestling in a long time as it just felt important. Starting with the Shaq match was an interesting way to go and following it up with the hot squash kept my attention. I liked this show quite a bit and while the second hour wasn’t as strong, it certainly wasn’t terrible. Very good show here with some especially great energy.

Results
Jade Cargill/Shaquille O’Neal b. Cody Rhodes/Red Velvet – Glam Slam to Velvet
Rey Fenix/Pac b. D3/John Skyler – Over the shoulder piledriver to Skyler
FTR/Tully Blanchard b. Jurassic Express – Spike piledriver to Luchasaurus
Ryo Mizunami b. Nyla Rose – Guillotine legdrop
Max Caster b. 10 – Boom box to the head
Hangman Page/John Silver b. Matt Hardy/Marq Quen – Buckshot lariat to Quen

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.

IMG Credit: AEW

Dynamite
Date: June 10, 2020
Location: Daily’s Place, Jacksonville, Florida
Commentators: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Chris Jericho

We’re still in Jacksonville and this time around we’re going to be seeing the TNT Title on the line again, as Cody defends against Marq Quen. Other than that the countdown is on until Fyter Fest with the big showdown between Jon Moxley and Brian cage for the World Title. That has gone well so far so hopefully it does again. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening recap.

Opening sequence.

Chris Jericho joins commentary.

FTR vs. Butcher and the Blade

It’s FTR’s (the Revival, who drive their truck to the ring) debut and Dax Harwood (Scott Dawson) takes Blade into the corner to start. A headlock on the mat has Blade in trouble and Harwood small packages him for two. The headlock takeover puts Blade down again and it’s off to Cash Wheeler (Dash Wilder) to work on the arm. Hardwood’s northern lights suplex gets two and it’s a four way standoff.

The fans get behind FTR and we settle down to Wheeler vs. Butcher. Wheeler bangs his shoulder but it’s some goldbricking to set up a cradle for two. Butcher gets in some choking in the corner and Blade knocks him down for a bonus. After Harwood is knocked off the apron, Wheeler gets in a powerslam and the hot tag brings Harwood in. Everything breaks down and it’s a brainbuster to Blade.

A double hanging DDT plants Butcher and it’s a Power Plex for two. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are watching from the crowd (with Shawn Spears watching Tully) as Butcher takes Harwood down. Wheeler makes a save and the Goodnight Express (Shatter Machine, though a really bad looking one) sets up the Mind Breaker (spike piledriver) for the pin on Blade at 10:20.

Rating: C+. The Shatter Machine botch (not FTR’s fault) was a problem but they made a rather nice debut. They looked as polished as you can look out there and they beat up a midcard(ish) tag team. It’s a good debut and they didn’t overstay their welcome, plus the spike piledriver can be a big time finisher when necessary. Not too bad at all.

Post match the Young Bucks come out to say FTR haven’t introduced themselves. They’re the Young Bucks and they’ve been carrying tag team wrestling for the last fifteen years. They’re the best tag team in AEW….and here are Butcher and Blade, Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc to jump the Bucks and FTR. Kenny Omega and Hangman Page (with drink) make the save.

The Natural Nightmares are getting a Tag Team Title shot next week but Brandi Rhodes isn’t happy with Allie wearing a Rhodes family jacket. Dustin Rhodes tells QT Marshall to get his head in the game because next week Allie won’t be at ringside.

Penelope Ford/Nyla Rose vs. Kris Stadtlander/Hikaru Shida

Nyla jumps Stadtlander from behind to start and the brawl is on in a hurry. Stadtlander ducks a double clothesline and sends Rose into Ford but Rose blasts her with a clothesline. Back from a break with Stadtlander fighting out of a chinlock and taking Rose down. It’s off to Shida to kick Ford in the corner, setting up a running knee for a bonus. A suplex drops Ford as JR gets in a quick tribute to Mr. Wrestling II.

Ford counters a suplex with a knee to Stadtlander’s head for two but Stadtlander kicks Rose down. Ford is back with a Stunner, so Shida drops Ford and hits her with a superplex. Stadtlander’s ax kick gets two on Rose, who is back up to drape both of them over the top. A top rope knee to both of their backs drops them but Stadtlander pulls Ford off the ropes. Shida’s running knee sends Rose to the floor and now the Falcon Arrow gets two on Ford. Kip Sabian grabs Shida’s leg though, allowing Ford to get in a belt shot. The fisherman’s suplex pins Shida at 10:00.

Rating: C. That should set up Ford as the #1 contender and that’s not a bad way for Shida to get in her first title defense. Everyone was working hard in there and some of the near falls worked rather well. The women’s division has gotten a lot better in recent months and developing people like Ford is something that is going to help them out a good bit.

Darby Allin is hanging out with Tony Hawk and tries to skateboard off of a ladder.

Britt Baker talks about her existence making her a role model. She doesn’t like Big Swole’s struggles because Baker has more struggles than anyone. Like that time where she had an unexpected biology exam and had to ace it. These things continue to be great.

Santana and Ortiz/Jake Hager vs. Best Friends/Orange Cassidy

The Inner Circle jumps them to start and Hager throws Cassidy up the ramp. Hager heads back to the ring as Trent is beaten up, leaving Cassidy to roll back to the ring. Trent snaps off a suplex to take Santana down so here’s Ortiz to hammer him down again. A quick tag brings in Chuck for Soul Food into the German suplex. Everything breaks down and Chuck gets caught in the corner, with a Vader Bomb crushing him for two. Back from a break with Trent low bridging Santana to the floor and tornado DDTing Ortiz.

Cassidy gets the hot tag for the slow motion kicks to Hager and a double hurricanrana to Santana and Ortiz. A suicide dive sends Hager over the barricade and a big tornado DDT plants Ortiz. Hager hits a powerslam to cut Cassidy off with Trent and Chuck making the save. A heck of a cannonball hits Cassidy (Jericho: “Do you know what cannonball is in Spanish Excalibur?” Excalibur: “No I don’t. What is it?” Jericho: “I don’t know.”) but the Street Sweeper is broken up. Cassidy’s crucifix finishes Santana at 10:13.

Rating: C+. Dang I could go for something a little more serious for Santana and Ortiz, who are one of the best teams in the company today. Instead we’re getting the Best Friends getting a title shot because….I’m not sure why actually. Is there a rule that Cassidy and the Best Friends have to be on every show? I don’t remember the last time they missed making an appearance on more than two shows in a row. No one gets this much TV time in the company outside of maybe Brandi.

Post match Jericho runs to the ring to hit Cassidy with the bat. The Inner Circle pulls out a bag of oranges and hits the already bloody Cassidy in the head. Jericho: “As you can see, Orange Cassidy has just been juiced.”

Maxwell Jacob Friedman knows he is the best and is a great white shark in a locker room full of minnows. Billy Gunn pops up to call him a minnow, but MJF says Gunn needs to be trying to get one of his stupid sons a job. Gunn is ready to fight but Wardlow breaks that up.

We recap Colt Cabana’s recent losing, meaning the Dark Order wants him. Cole doesn’t seem interested.

Colt Cabana vs. Sammy Guevara

Sammy flips him off to start so Cabana leapfrogs him and shows off the double middle finger. The headscissors sets up an armbar to keep Guevara down. Sammy sends him outside though and it’s a big flip dive as we take a break. Back with Cabana kicking him away and hitting the Bionic Elbow. The Flying Apple into the double jump splash gets two on Guevara, followed by the moonsault for the same. Cabana slips on the Chicago Skyline though and it’s the GTH to give Sammy the pin at 7:32.

Rating: C. Cabana continues to be good for a match against almost anyone and Sammy is still one of the brightest stars around. He feels like he could do something good with just about anyone and that is the kind of thing you don’t get very often. Couple that with how much you want to punch him in the face and AEW has a star on its hands.

Post match the Dark Order comes out in full to stare at Cabana, with Brodie Lee helping him up. Cabana looks confused but slowly follows them down the tunnel.

With Colt gone, Sammy brags about his win but here’s Matt Hardy to interrupt. Matt sees a younger version of himself in Sammy because Sammy always gets back up. To realize his potential though, he has to get away from Chris Jericho. The fans approve, but Sammy doesn’t trust someone who tried to kill him twice. Matt likes the idea of a fact and we get the Matt selection screen, with Matt saying he is an excellent driver. With that, Matt ducks his head and becomes Broken. Matt promises to delete (x10) Sammy, who backs off.

Joey Janela is drinking in a bar and doesn’t know how he went from facing Jon Moxley in the main event to fading into the darkness. He leaves the bar and gets picked up by Sonny Kiss. To be continued.

Cabana goes into Brodie Lee’s dressing room.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including Billy Gunn vs. MJF and Le Sex Gods vs. the Best Friends with the Fyter Fest title shot on the line.

Jon Moxley is in the parking lot and is ready to destroy Brian Cage at Fyter Fest. Taz has been running his mouth for weeks so here’s Taz to get in Moxley’s face. Cue Cage to jump Moxley from behind and the beating is on. Moxley misses a pipe shot to hit a car window instead, allowing Cage to slam him into the back window of the same car. Taz gets Cage out of here.

Video on Cody wanting to prove that he can go week to week with the TNT Title defenses.

TNT Title: Marq Quen vs. Cody

Matt Hardy and Isaiah Cassidy come out with Quen but leave before the match. Arn Anderson is here with Cody. Quen gets in a shot to the face to start so Cody takes him down by the leg. A running shoulder into a standing moonsault gives Quen one but Cody snaps off the drop down right hand. Quen dropkicks him out of the air for two though as Anderson isn’t sure what to make of this. Cody grabs a dragon sleeper and we take a quick break.

Back with Quen favoring his leg but insisting he can keep going. Cody kicks the leg out and hits a reverse belly superplex (Though Quen might have countered. It’s not entirely clear.). Quen reverses a suplex into a spinning DDT for two though. Cody is sent outside for a suicide dive, followed by the limping flip dive. Another flip dive takes Cody down for two back inside so Quen sends him to the ramp. A 450 onto the ramp crushes Cody but Quen can’t follow up because of the leg. Back in and the shooting star misses, allowing Cody to grab the ankle lock. A leglock makes Quen tap at 11:48.

Rating: B-. Good action, told a fine story and Quen looked like a future star. Quen has looked like the better of the team and hopefully he gets to showcase himself a little bit more in the future. Right now though he needs some ring time and experience, just for the sake of learning to tighten things up a bit.

Post match respect is shown and Quen leaves. Cue Jake Hager to go after Anderson before beating Cody up as well. Private Party and Matt Hardy make the save with some chairs. The rest of the Inner Circle comes in and the brawl is on. Cody gets back in with the chair and the good guys clear the ring. Cody knows what Hager wants so he can have a TNT Title shot at Fyter Fest. The staredown ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. More good stuff this week with everyone working well and nothing bad on the whole show. They’re getting Fyter Fest ready and it’s feeling like a big show. They have a long way to go to get there though and with a few weeks left, they still have time to fill those holes. Nothing spectacular here, but it did what it needed to.

Results

FTR b. Butcher and the Blade – Mind Breaker to Blade

Penelope Ford/Nyla Rose b. Kris Stadtlander/Hikaru Shida – Fisherman’s suplex to Shida

Best Friends/Orange Cassidy b. Santana and Ortiz/Jake Hager – Crucifix to Santana

Sammy Guevara b. Colt Cabana – GTH

Cody b. Marq Quen – Leglock

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

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

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

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