Monday Night Raw
Date: February 1, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 1,000
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Randy Savage, Rob Bartlett

We’re on to the second month and that means we are slowly making our way to Wrestlemania. This week will be the first show taped after the Royal Rumble so we should be able to focus on the fallout quite a bit more. Other than that, we could be in for anything in the early days of the show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Tatanka vs. Damien Demento

Tatanka starts fast with a small package and some slams, setting up a clothesline to the floor. Demento yells at no one in particular and gets chopped some more, both on the outside and in the corner back inside. A clothesline gets Demento out of trouble so he can talk to the ceiling some more, setting up an elbow for two. We hit the chinlock as Bartlett says he used to have Tatanka Trucks as a kid. The fans aren’t thrilled so we get a WE WANT FLAIR chant, but they’ll have to settle with Tatanka fighting up. It’s time to go on the war path and the Papoose To Go finishes Demento at 4:10.

Rating: C-. Not much to see here, but it’s not like they know what to do with Raw so far. Tatanka was still a solid midcarder if not upper midcarder at this point and still had the undefeated streak. Demento was such an odd guy that it made sense to keep putting him out there in spots like this. Not a great match, but it could have been worse.

We see Bret Hart presenting the Red Cross with a $100,000 check at the Headlock On Hunger show over the weekend. It’s weird to see the wrestlers around the ring.

Here is Brutus Beefcake, who has been out of action for over two years after a horrible parasailing accident. He wants to make a comeback, because it has been a long time away. Right before the accident, Beefcake had to bury his mother and father, then his wife left him. THEN he got hit in the knees by a woman parasailing, and his entire face was crushed. The next thing he remembered was being in the hospital and they weren’t giving him much of a chance. He couldn’t even have an aspirin for an hour and was ready to put himself in God’s hands.

Beefcake reached out his hand and it touched the hand of Hulk Hogan. It was Hulk who was there for him after he came out of surgery with his face barely held together. The red and yellow were the first things he saw when the bandages came off and now he has nothing left. That’s why he went to Hogan again and was told to go for it one more time. Beefcake is back and ready to go for it again. This was a heck of a speech and a lot more emotional than you would have expected from Beefcake.

High Energy vs. Von Krus/Iron Mike Sharpe

High Energy is Owen Hart/Koko B. Ware and Von We recap Doink the Clown attacking Crush a few weeks ago.

Doink the Clown vs. Typhoon

Doink takes him down by the leg without much trouble to start before grabbing a front facelock. Typhoon powers up and shoves him away without much effort, only to be taken down in another hurry. The reverse chinlock goes on as Vince no sells Bartlett’s (very long and detailed) Clowns Anonymous jokes about Doink. Doink rides him to the mat again but Typhoon Hulks Up and hits a powerslam. Typhoon misses a charge in the corner though and Doink hits a middle rope clothesline for the pin (with tights) for the pin at 3:13.

Rating: D. I had forgotten just how bad Typhoon could be when he was asked to do much of anything on his own. It seemed like all he had was the ability to hit a splash, but that doesn’t mean much when Doink is taking you down without any effort. Doink was far more interesting here as he actually had something to do, but egads this was rough and most of it was due to Typhoon not doing much of anything.

Here’s what’s coming on WWF Mania, including GIANT GONZALEZ!

We get a special tribute, including the ten bell salute, to Andre the Giant, who passed away last week. That’s one of the all time important ones.

Yokozuna vs. Bobby DeVito

The bell rings and Bartlett is complaining about not having his own action figure. Yokozuna runs him over to start as we get a phone call from Jim Duggan, who knows he can knock “Yakazuma” off his feet. The running splash in the corner sets up the Banzai Drop to finish DeVito at 2:03 as Duggan praises America as much as he can in such a short amount of time.

Here is Money Inc. for a chat. Ted DiBiase talks about Humpty Dumpty, who crashed just like Brutus Beefcake’s face. That was such a sad story but now Beefcake wants to get back in the ring. He can come back and face a champion, so we’ll flip a coin to decide if it’s Ted DiBiase or IRS. Cue manager Jimmy Hart to say this is a waste of time because if one of them gets hurt, the team is over. DiBiase says it’s just a workout and neither of them are getting hurt. IRS talks about how Beefcake is VERY LATE ON HIS TAXES but Hart says we have business to tend to.

Lex Luger vs. Jason Knight

This is Luger’s in-ring debut and he has a mirror in the ring to admire himself. Cue a ring card girl who is rather large in her own right, much to Luger’s annoyance. Hold on though as we need to see Mr. Perfect throwing passes to a Minnesota Vikings tight end. That’s good enough, but Perfect makes it even better by passing the ball….and catching it himself. With that theme song behind him, I’d believe he can do it. Vince isn’t sure what to make of that but he certainly knows what to make of Luger. An armdrag takes Knight down and Luger gets the chance to pose. Knight manages to send him into the corner but charges into a boot to the face, setting up a heck of a clothesline. There’s the powerslam and the forearm finishes Knight at 2:39.

Post match Luger goes old school with a giant swing of all things.

Vince lets us know that the show is pre-empted by the Westminster Dog Show next week so we’re back on February 15.

Overall Rating: C-. This was much more of a storyline based show than a wrestling one as the Beefcake/Money Inc. deal was by far the biggest part. That worked out well, as Beefcake had a rather emotional story and I could go for seeing if he can do anything in the ring to back it up. Unfortunately there wasn’t much else on the show worth seeing, but at least they seem to have a big story in place at the moment.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 4, 2007
Location: St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
Attendance: 10,000
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re done with One Night Stand and on the way to the Draft, followed by Vengeance. That could make for an interesting few weeks, but I don’t think it’s going to make for a great time this week. This very well could be a lame duck show, which is not something WWE tends to do well. Let’s get to it.

Here is One Night Stand if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here’s John Cena to get things going. Cena listens to the mixed reaction and says this is what he loves about WWE. He thanks everyone who came to the show tonight, from the fat guy booing up there to the hot chick in the top two sizes too small (Cena: “THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT!”). Cena thinks it’s a little bit louder this week though because after six weeks of getting beaten up, the 7’5 giant has been told FU.

It’s more of the same around here, because he thinks he’s in the clear and now they’re springing the Draft on him. He has been drafted before so this might be the last time he is in the ring as part of Raw. If that’s the case, then he’s going to take all of this in one more time and say THE CHAMP IS….being cut off by Vince McMahon, who is rather banged up.

Vince can barely stand up or talk but he thinks Cena is out here to embarrass him for no longer being a World Champion. That’s not going to happen because Vince isn’t going to bend, bow or break. His name is Vincent Kennedy….and Cena turns his back on him. Cena says he’s going to tell himself that Vince is just beat up and delusional. Vince tries to say his name again but Cena turns his back again, saying the only thing keeping Vince alive is his patience.

Cena tells Vince to get it out of his system because he is out of his frigging mind. Vince: “YOU’RE A LIAR!” He explains that he hasn’t lost a thing…except for a World Title. That’s what Cena is going to do tonight when he defends the title against Umaga and Great Khali. Cena looks crushed as Vince is nearly beaming. This was a weird segment as Vince went fully nuts almost overnight and Cena got fed up with him in a hurry. It feels like something that should have come after a few weeks, not a day after Vince lost the title.

Candice Michelle/Cryme Tyme vs. Johnny Nitro/Kenny Dykstra/Melina

Michelle is in full Cryme Tyme gear and Lawler isn’t sure what to think about this one. Dykstra is now carrying a mirror but Melina seems to get more use out of it. The women almost get in a fight before the bell but it’s JTG punching Dykstra in the face to start. Nitro gets in a shot so Dykstra can take over, allowing Nitro to flip JTG into the corner for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit but JTG fights up and brings in Shad to clean house. Everything breaks down and the G9 finishes Nitro.

Rating: D+. Pretty standard six person tag here, which seemed to be more about getting Candice in a different outfit. I’m glad to see Cryme Tyme getting another chance though as they definitely stand out and their push just stopped a few months ago. The division needs some fresh blood so maybe they can get another shot.

Maria likes the Intercontinental Title, because it’s shiny like her dress. Vince McMahon (still smiling weirdly) comes up and says he used to have one of those titles. Maria starts to say something but gets told to shut up. Santino says you can’t talk to a woman like that so Vince makes a title match right now. He throws in a slap to the face and tells Santino to “get” about ten times.

Intercontinental Title: Santino Marella vs. Chris Masters

Santino is defending and kicks at the leg to start. Masters grabs the rope to avoid a dropkick though and it’s time to talk about the Draft. A running leg shot to the back of the neck against the ropes vies Masters two and we hit the neck crank. That’s broken up and an STO gives Marella two. The Masterlock is blocked and Santino flips him over, setting up something close to an Oklahoma roll for the pin.

Rating: D+. These two have fought a few times now and I don’t know why there is no one else for Santino to face. The matches aren’t exactly good, but that is partially because every Masters match is about trying the Masterlock and nothing else. Nothing to see here, but at least they kept it short.

The Hardys are banged up when Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch come in to ask for a title shot, albeit when the Hardys are healthy. That’s cool with the Hardys, but Vince McMahon comes up, mocks them for being southern, and makes the title match for tonight. Cade and Murdoch don’t look happy with the news.

Vince keeps walking and runs into Ric Flair and Torrie Wilson. Torrie looks scared, so Vince says he can’t stand a degenerate hanging out with a woman half his age. For some reason, Torrie thinks it’s a good time to bring up the time Linda McMahon caught Vince with Torrie and his pants around his ankles. That earns Torrie a match with Carlito. Torrie leaves and Flair tells Vince to get over a single loss. Vince is sick of hearing the WOOing, but it makes Flair a legend, so he can face the Legend Killer Randy Orton. This was much more deranged crazy Vince and that’s a good thing.

Randy Orton vs. Ric Flair

Flair (in the weird black boots/red trunks combination) strikes away to start and unloads with right hands in the corner. Orton is back with a powerslam and loads up the RKO but we take a break. Back with Flair putting on the Figure Four but Orton makes the rope in a hurry. The backbreaker drops Flair and Orton gets in the circle stomp. Orton drops the knee but it bangs up his knee again so we hit the chinlock to let him rest it a bit. The comeback doesn’t last long as Flair walks into a dropkick.

We hit the chinlock again but this time Flair suplexes his way to freedom. Apparently Orton doesn’t like being suplexed so he punches Flair down in the corner, earning a poke to the eye. Orton hits a running corner clothesline to give us a Flair Flop but Flair is back up with an elbow to the face. A suplex drops Flair on the floor this time and JR quotes Foreigner to talk about how cold Orton is. Back in and Orton hits the Punt but Flair pulls himself up again…so the RKO can finish him off.

Rating: B-. If you want to get a villain over, there are few better choices that having him destroy Flair. Orton is feeling more and more like a predator every time he is in the ring as of late and adding another body to the list is going to make things even better. You can feel the huge match with Cena coming and they’re making Orton feel special on the way there.

Post match Orton loads up another Punk but the referee threatens him away.

Carlito vs. Torrie Wilson

Torrie has a bad leg so Carlito offers to let her walk away. Torrie tries and gets caught with the Backstabber for the pin in less than a minute. That’s all it needed to be.

Tag Team Titles: Hardys vs. Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch

The banged up Hardys are defending and we get a handshake to start. Matt and Cade go to the mat to start for an exchange of arm cranking. Cade elbows him in the face for two and it’s off to Murdoch to stay on the arm. Matt gets over for the tag to Jeff to pick up the pace, including Poetry In Motion with Cade having to make the save. Jeff dives over the top onto Murdoch but bangs up his knee in the process.

We take a break and come back with Cade slamming Matt down and dropping a knee to the back. The sitout spinebuster gives Cade two more and it’s Murdoch grabbing a waistlock. Somehow Matt twists that around and grabs a reverse DDT, allowing the tag off to Jeff, who can barely walk. Jeff cleans house anyway but gets caught going up top. Matt catches Cade with the Twist of Fate but Jeff misses the Swanton, allowing Cade to get the pin. Ignore Murdoch shoving Jeff’s foot off the rope.

Rating: C+. The ending leaves a door open for later if that’s where they want to go, but at least they finally changed the titles. There wasn’t much left for these guys to do and they have an out with the Hardys being injured. Cade and Murdoch getting another run with the belts is not a bad thing either, as the Hardys never felt like anything more than transitional champions.

Post match Matt asks if Cade saw the foot on the ropes….and the Hardys get laid out with belt shots to the face. As they should have.

Coach is in Vince McMahon’s office but Vince isn’t happy. Vince has an ominous feeling, but he also has an idea for next week. Coach seems to already know what that is and Vince tells him to go inform the people.

Post break here is Coach to say that next week will be the Draft, but also Vince McMahon Appreciation Night.

Raw World Title: John Cena vs. Umaga vs. Great Khali

Cena is defending and charges right into a clothesline from Khali. Umaga heads outside to grab a chair as Khali chokes Cena in the corner and kicks him to the floor. A hard whip sends Cena into the steps but Umaga throws the steps at Khali’s face (DANG) for a knockdown. Back in and Umaga blasts Cena with a clothesline of his own but Cena avoids a sitdown splash.

Umaga knocks him down again and hits a springboard sitdown splash to the chest. Another only lands on raised knees but Umaga is fine enough to plant Cena again. Khali comes back in though and we get the battle of the monsters for quite the visual. I’m not sure what quite, but quite.

They slug it out until Khali hits something resembling a spinning kick to the face and then elbows Cena as he tries to come back in. There’s the legdrop for two on Cena and the big chop follows but Umaga breaks up the double arm chokeslam. Khali loads up the chokeslam on Umaga but gets Samoan Spiked. Cena manages to knock Umaga outside and hit the FU on Khali to retain out of nowhere.

Rating: C. They did what they could here but this was all about having Cena survive against impossible odds. That’s kind of what Cena does every time, though you don’t often see Khali have steps thrown at his face. That alone was good enough to catch your attention and the rest of the match went as well as it could have gone given the circumstances.

Cena poses to end the show, though commentary knows that Vince is going to be angry.

Overall Rating: C. I liked the show well enough, even with how fast Vince went nuts over losing the title. It seemed like a vanity deal for him and now he’s acting like it meant more than the World Title did to HHH five years ago. The good thing is that tied the show together and what we got worked out fairly well. The show takes awhile to get going but it took off a lot more by the end. Now forget about almost all of that, because it’s time for the Draft.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: November 1, 2021
Location: Dunkin Donuts Center, Providence, Rhode Island
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

It’s time to start the final two months of the year and we are getting them going in a big way with Becky Lynch defending the Raw Women’s Title against Bianca Belair. There is always the chance of a title change around Survivor Series time, as WWE might need to make sure that a champion doesn’t lose at Survivor Series by having them lose earlier. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening video looks at Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair to set up the title match.

Belair talks about how we got here and recaps her feud with Lynch. Her failures are opportunities to get better and now Becky is going to see what she can do.

Lynch talks about how hard it is to be here and she might have even heard some booing. All that is going to do is inspire her.

Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

Lynch is defending and the trash talk is on in a hurry. Belair powers her down with a waistlock, setting up the handspring moonsault. Lynch bails out to the floor and catches Belair with a jawbreaker outside. The hair is pulled but Belair uses it to pull Lynch into the post, setting up a suplex.

We take a break and come back with Becky tripping her down but a suplex is countered into a small package. Some dropkicks give Belair a breather and it’s time for an exchange of rollups. Lynch gets most of the Disarm-Her but Belair powers up and they crash out to the floor as we take another break.

Back again with Lynch grabbing a triangle choke but Belair powerbombs her way to freedom. Lynch stops a charge with a boot and goes up, only to get caught in a gorilla press. That’s countered into the Manhandle Slam for two and they head outside. This time Belair plants her face first onto the announcers’ table and hits the Glam Slam for two back inside. Lynch goes up top but gets caught in the KOD. That’s big trouble so Lynch grabs the turnbuckle pad and pulls it off to escape. Belair is sent into the exposed buckle and a rollup with tights retains Lynch’s title at 18:29.

Rating: B. This felt similar to the Sasha Banks vs. Belair match from Wrestlemania, as Belair was relying on straight power and athleticism while Lynch did what she could to survive.. I was a bit surprised by the ending as I was expecting a title change more than once in there. I’m not sure how long Lynch is going to hold the title, but whoever takes the title from her is going to look like a big deal.

Rey Mysterio, with Dominik Mysterio, says Austin Theory is great at what he does…and here is Theory to interrupt. Theory says he’s going to do to Rey what he did to Dominik, but Rey is ready to show what the Mysterio name means.

Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory

Dominik Mysterio is here with Rey and we see the picture Theory took of them backstage before the match (what a great touch). They start fast with Rey hitting a hurricanrana into the corner. Theory is right back up with a suplex for two and it’s off to something like a torture rack to plant Rey again. The rolling dropkick has Rey in more trouble but he sends Theory outside to change momentum. A DDT on the floor keeps Theory down and we take a break.

Back with Rey having to fight out of a bearhug so Theory goes up top. That’s broken up and Theory is sent hard into the corner off a hurricanrana. An exchange of dropkicks keeps Theory down but he takes Dominik down like a villain should. Rey knocks him into 619 position but Dominik slaps Theory in the face. The 619 and splash hit but the referee calls for the DQ off the slap.

Rating: C. This accomplished two things at once, as Theory gets another win so he can keep bragging, while also furthering the Mysterio split. That’s a nice piece of booking, as Theory continues to be one of the better pushed guys on the show in a long time. It’s rather refreshing, as Theory really is that good and was somewhat wasted down in NXT (where he was fun, but not so good).

Rey isn’t happy with Dominik but it doesn’t stop Theory’s photo.

We recap Seth Rollins winning last week’s ladder match to become #1 contender.

Here is Rollins, with his contract, for a chat and he is on top of the world. Last week, he won a grueling ladder match to become the new #1 contender. It feels good to be where he belongs because he came here to be the biggest star on Raw. Now we can look at the fine print, but here is Big E. to interrupt. Big E. talks about Rollins refusing his handshake last week but Big E.’s aunt told him to not think a thing of it.

Rollins talks about how he lost respect last week when Big E. turned down the handshake. We hear about some of Big E.’s most important wins bug Rollins knows Big E. isn’t on his level. They can have their title match and Rollins can take that from him so Big E. can go back and be a joke with his friends. Big E. doesn’t like Rollins making fun of King Xavier and he REALLY doesn’t like him making fun of Kofimania. The challenge for the title match is on for tonight but hold on a second, because Rollins isn’t 100%. They’ll do this on his terms, but here is Kevin Owens to interrupt.

Owens doesn’t want to hear it from Rollins, especially because of that suit. He has heard a bunch of people calling themselves the face of Raw but they are forgetting THIS FACE RIGHT HERE. Last week Rollins won the ladder match, but people were talking about Owens’ performance in the match instead.

Owens promises to give everything he has every week and to always keep fighting. It might be for three more months or three more years (oh my) but he’ll give the fans something to remember. Since Rollins isn’t going tonight, how about Owens faces Big E. for the first time ever tonight? Rollins likes the idea but both of them tell him to shut up. Big E. is down for a first time ever match with Owens. Rollins is a wildcard here and a title change wouldn’t stun me. I’m not sure if it’s a good idea, but it seems to be on the table.

Earlier today, Carmella and Zelina Vega talked about how amazing they were. They didn’t realize that Nikki Ash and Rhea Ripley were right next to them and Zelina says Nikki’s mask compliments her before talking trash about it as they walk off. Ripley comes up and says they heard that so the challenge is on for later. The depth of stories involving women in WWE is remarkable.

Rhea Ripley/Nikki Ash vs. Carmella/Zelina Vega

Non-title because the Women’s Tag Team Titles are quite the waste of time. Carmella gets masked up so Vega yells at Ripley to start, earning herself a big running shoulder. It’s off to Carmella, who gets knocked down as well, setting up a dropkick from Ripley. We see a bunch of the other women in the back as Ripley picks Carmella up and hands it off to Ash for a dropkick to the knee.

Nikki hits a crossbody off the apron to take both of them down and we take a break. Back with Carmella chinlocking Ripley and handing it off to Vega for the same. That’s broken up as well and it’s quickly off to Ash. A fisherman’s neckbreaker plants Vega for two and Carmella posts Ripley. Carmella distracts Ash and it’s the Code Red to give Vega the pin at 8:17.

Rating: C-. This was another match where they were trying to make it work but the Women’s Tag Team Titles are so devalued that it is hard to care about the results. I do like Vega getting a pin to keep her momentum going and I can’t even get annoyed at the champs losing this time. I’m sure the title match will be an epic showdown though, because that makes up for everything else.

The Alpha Academy comes up to Big E., who just happens to be standing in the right place. Chad Gable offers to help Big E. from this place turning into Monday Night Rollins again. We hear about how Gable just earned his Masters from Full Sail as the valedictorian with a 4.0. Just look at what Gable did with Otis and imagine what he could have done with Big E. as Gable beats up Finn Balor.

Video on Veer. Maybe he can win a match next time.

Chad Gable vs. Finn Balor

Otis (who is looking jacked) is here with Gable. Balor gets taken down to start but is right back with a wristlock. The basement dropkick rocks Gable and Balor snaps off some armdrags. Gable grabs an abdominal stretch but Balor hiptosses his way to freedom and double stomps Gable’s chest.

The shotgun dropkick misses though and Gable grabs the ankle lock but the attempt at a grapevine is countered into a cross armbreaker. That’s reversed into the ankle lock again but this time Balor rolls through and hits another double stomp. Gable German suplexes him for two and goes up, where the moonsault hits raised knees. Balor takes WAY too long setting up the Coup de Grace and gets superplexed back down, only to tie the legs up for the small package to pin Gable at 5:43.

Rating: B-. They were working hard in a short match here and packed in a lot. What matters here is that they didn’t waste time and Gable looked like a real threat to Balor. It takes a lot to make someone seem like they escaped instead of winning and they pulled it off here. Good stuff here and it was much better than I was expecting.

We look back at RKBro retaining the Tag Team Titles over Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode last week.

Riddle runs into Ziggler and Roode and talks about dogs. Ziggler cuts him off and says pay attention while RKBro is on commentary because tonight is a preview of the rematch.

We see a video on Titus O’Neil having a school named after him for his work in the community. That’s pretty incredible and he deserves all kinds of credit for what he has done.

Street Profits vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

RKBro is on commentary, which is treated as a big deal. They also seem to have a remixed version of their themes, which is an even bigger deal. Roode headlocks Ford to start and we get a LOUD Randy chant. Ford hiptosses Roode down and Dawkins comes in to suplex Ford onto him for two. Back up and Roode takes Dawkins into the corner for the tag to Ziggler.

That doesn’t last long as Roode is back in, only to get splashed in the corner. Roode tries a hanging DDT of his own but gets backdropped to the floor, much to RKBro’s delight. The Profits take Roode and Ziggler down but stop to stare at RKBro as we take a break. Back with Dawkins still in trouble as Roode and Ziggler take their turns on him. Dawkins manages a quick Silencer on Ziggler and a suplex on Roode, allowing the hot tag to Ford.

The pace picks way up, including a high crossbody and Blockbuster to give Ford two. Roode rolls him up for two but Ford gets the same off of a crucifix. A catapult sends Ford into a DDT for two and everything breaks down. Ford busts out the huge flip dive onto the floor (which even draws RKBro to their feet) but here is Omos for a distraction, allowing Ziggler to slam Ford down for the pin at 11:15.

Rating: C+. Good action here and RKBro being impressed by the Street Profits made it look more impressive. The Profits are the kind of addition to any division that is going to boost things up automatically as they can have an exciting match with anyone and that is more than what they did here. Granted it helps having Roode and Ziggler as opponents. Throw in Omos as a monster and this was a nice way to go.

Post match Omos takes out the Profits and Riddle without much effort. Orton is fired up but isn’t crazy enough to go after Omos.

We look at Damian Priest going nuts and beating T-Bar into oblivion last week.

Priest says that side of him has always been there but he doesn’t like letting it out. If T-Bar wants to throw a chair at him, he is going to a dark place and taking people with him. Tonight, T-Bar has a chance to get very acquainted with the Damian in him.

Damian Priest vs. T-Bar

Non-title and No DQ. Graves describes Priest as “the walking embodiment of the eternal battle between good and evil.” Remember when wrestlers were just called things like “big” or “bad”? They go straight to the floor with Priest sending him into the barricade. It’s already time for the table but the delay lets T-Bar kick him in the face. The table is set up at ringside but T-Bar has to escape a chokeslam. Priest gets posted but is fine enough to kick T-Bar in the face. T-Bar crotches him on top though and it’s a super Samoan drop to send us to a break.

Back with Priest slugging away to get out of trouble, including a jumping enziguri. The spinwheel kick connects and the Broken Arrow gets two. Priest goes up top but gets pulled back down with a chokebreaker for a very near fall. Priest gets his arms tied in the ropes and T-Bar pulls out a kendo stick, because the chair is just too basic.

T-Bar breaks the stick over Priest’s chest and ribs, leaving a bunch of welts. Priest cuts off a charge with the broken stick and hits a heck of a clothesline. Now it’s time for the chair, with Priest looking all nutty. A bunch of chair shots rock T-Bar and the chokeslam puts T-Bar through the table (which exploded) at ringside. Back in and the Reckoning finishes what used to be T-Bar at 12:57.

Rating: B. This was all about showcasing Priest, but T-Bar was FAR more like the Dijakovic days and that is long overdue. Priest looked like a killer here though and that is something we have only seen glimpses of for the last several months. I could go for more of this and I think WWE realizes they have something with him being this kind of a monster.

Post match Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez come out to say they are here to breathe new life into Raw. Crews says Priest will have the chance to meet him in combat and lose the US Title. I was hoping the green lights were Keith Lee but this is better than nothing.

Reggie asks John Morrison about his meditating but has to escape the goons, because THIS is what needs to be on both shows. After Reggie escapes, the goons all yell at each other.

Smackdown Breakdown.

We look back at Becky Lynch cheating to retain the title.

Lynch says she didn’t cheat to win but half of the audience booed her. Those people are fickle because they were the same people cheering her on the way up. It’s time for Bianca Belair to go to the back of the line so someone else can step up. Cue Liv Morgan for the staredown.

Seth Rollins comes up to Kevin Owens and says they might not like each other but maybe they can scratch each others’ backs. Maybe he can help Owens win tonight and slow Big E. down and then Owens can get the first title shot. Owens is thrilled but threatens violence if Rollins gets involved.

Big E. vs. Kevin Owens

Non-title. Owens takes him straight down into an early chinlock, which is reversed into a headlock for a change. With that broken up, Owens hits a hard elbow to the face, which only seems to annoy Big E. The Big Ending is reversed into a reverse DDT for two, setting up a middle rope dropkick.

Big E. is back up and tosses Owens around without much effort. The apron splash misses though and Owens hits the Cannonball off the apron. Cue Seth Rollins to join them at ringside though and we take a break. Back with Owens hitting a superplex for two but his clotheslines just fire Big E. back up. They slug it out until Owens’ Stunner is blocked, allowing Big E. to hit the belly to belly.

Owens sends him into the corner for the Cannonball and the Swanton connects for two. The Rock Bottom out of the corner gives Big E. two of his own but Big E. gets shoved off the top. Another Swanton hits knees so Big E. spears him through the ropes. Rollins hits Big E. with a cheap shot though (which Owens clearly saw) so Owens covers for two, only to get reversed into a crucifix to give Big E. the pin at 12:46.

Rating: B-. This was the near hoss fight and that’s what you would have wanted from these two. Rollins being the X factor here was hardly a surprise but it makes a lot of sense. I know it isn’t likely to last but I’m digging the false hope that we might not have to sit through champions vs. champions again at Survivor Series. I’m not sure what Owen is going to be doing either, but I can go for seeing more of him if WWE is trying to keep him around.

Post match, Big E. sees the replay and asks why Owens tried to cover him after Rollins cheated. Owens swears he didn’t know what happened because he was half knocked out. Instead he blames Rollins for what happened and issues the challenge for next week. Owens apologizes to Big E. again and gets the Big Ending to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a heck of a show with the only thing resembling bad being the never ending 24/7 antics and the not so great women’s tag match. Other than that, there wasn’t a bad thing to be found on the card, at least wrestling wise. There were some issues with people doing dumb things or acting like they have no memory beyond the last few weeks, but WWE is long past the point where continuity is going to be a thing. Maybe it’s due to the TV being so badly lately, but I had a good time with this and the show flew by. Good stuff here, though actually doing something for Survivor Series would be nice.

Results
Becky Lynch b. Bianca Belair – Rollup with tights
Austin Theory b. Rey Mysterio via DQ when Dominik Mysterio interfered
Carmella/Zelina Vega b. Nikki Ash/Rhea Ripley – Code Red to Ash
Finn Balor b. Chad Gable – Small package
Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode b. Street Profits – Slam off the top to Ford
Damian Priest b. T-Bar – Reckoning
Big E. b. Kevin Owens – Crucifix

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.

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 28, 2007
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Attendance: 16,176
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the start of a big week in WWE as we have the three regular TV shows, plus a special Saturday Night’s Main Event and One Night Stand this weekend. That makes this show week the go home show for Sunday, which doesn’t need a lot more set up but maybe they have something good planned. Let’s get to it.

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

It’s Memorial Day, so we get the tribute to the fallen soldiers, including Taps.

Opening sequence.

Battle Royal

Candice Michelle, Mickie James, Maria, Jillian Hall, Layla, Brooke, Kelly Kelly, Michelle McCool, Kristal, Melina

Non-title and it’s a Bikini Beach Blast battle royal, meaning they’re all in bikinis with water guns and pool toys. Melina gets attacked (with the water guns and pool toys) to start and then the water balloons are brought out. Kelly seems to have to adjust her top as the fans want puppies. Kristal is thrown out (through the ropes, because over the top is too much for this kind of match) and there goes Brooke as we slow down for various “weapon” shots. There goes Maria and it’s time to weakly hit each other with pool noodles. Layla is tossed as Lawler says he can’t stand up at the moment.

McCool pours a bucket of water over Kelly, who seems to like it, and then tosses her out. Melina and Jillian go after Mickie and hit her with a water gun for the elimination. Jillian dumps Candice and we’re down to Jillian, Melina and McCool. The villains put McCool on the mat and stretch her by the limbs but she gets back up and clotheslines them down (JR: “Now that’ll knock the barbecue sauce right off of you!”). McCool throws Jillian out and hits a dropkick, but since Melina can’t fall through the ropes, she drops down and rolls out to give McCool the win.

Rating: D. I get it, but my goodness this stuff is cringe. This match actually got about six minutes so Lawler could lose his mind about a thousand times, which got as annoying as you would imagine. There are obvious reasons to put this stuff on TV but egads it does not exactly hold up well.

Here is Shane McMahon to announce that this is the unofficial start of summer. That put some excitement in the air and that is the case in WWE as well. In two weeks, we will be having the first ever tri-branded WWE Draft, featuring Raw, Smackdown and ECW. Any superstar, champion, legend and even leprechaun can be drafted to any show.

Change is inevitable, save for the case of Vince McMahon. At One Night Stand, Vince is going to beat Bobby Lashley, so tonight Shane is going to do the same, as Lashley teams with John Cena against Shane, Umaga and the Great Khali. Tonight, Lashley is finding out what they call Shane the Money. Dancing ensues.

Hardys/Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch vs. World’s Greatest Tag Team/Johnny Nitro/Kenny Dykstra

Nitro and Cade start things off with Cade elbowing him in the face to take over early. It’s off to Matt to take Shelton into the corner so Jeff can come in for the first cover. A dropkick to the back of the seated Benjamin lets Matt come back in for the middle rope elbow as this is one sided so far. Haas comes in for a change and gets thrown into the corner for some elbows from Cade and Murdoch.

As JR suggests that the Hardys, as in the champions, are the real World’s Greatest Tag Team, Haas and Benjamin are sent outside for a huge dive from Murdoch to blow Lawler’s mind (Lawler: “IT WAS LIKE A FLYING COW!”). We take a break and come back with Jeff hitting the Whisper in the Wind to Dykstra but Benjamin gets in a kick to the head to take over. Dykstra hits a heck of a clothesline for two, setting up a backbreaker. Nitro adds a slingshot elbow and Matt has to come in for the save.

Benjamin kicks Jeff in the face for two and we hit the chinlock with a bodyscissors. It’s back to Haas for a belly to belly suplex and a chinlock as we hear that One Night Stand will be all extreme rules matches. Dykstra grabs his own chinlock and bites Jeff in the head for a bonus. That’s enough to get Jeff to jawbreak his way to freedom and the diving tag brings Matt back in. A double DDT (one regular, one reverse) plants Nitro and Dykstra as everything breaks down. The Twist of Fate into the Swanton finishes Dykstra as Lawler can’t believe Cade and Murdoch didn’t turn on the Hardys.

Rating: B-. This was one of those matches that helps move things forward while keeping things fresh. You have so many people in the match that you can have a few pairings you don’t usually get while also solidifying Cade and Murdoch’s face turn (or at least what feels like one for the time being). Good stuff here, which shouldn’t be a surprise given the talent involved.

Post match Benjamin says the Hardys didn’t pin he and Haas, so the challenge is on for One Night Stand. Matt says it’s on, and we’ll make it a ladder match, because of course they will.

Wrestlemania is coming to Orlando.

John Cena reiterates that he is not scared of the Great Khali and would say…..some weird noises to the Punjabi Frankenstein. That’s translated to Cena still not being afraid but he is neither deaf nor invincible. While he isn’t scared, he isn’t sure if he can do the impossible. Yes he made Khali tap, but there was doubt over whether he won or lost.

You can throw out the submissions at One Night Stand because Cena is going to have to put Great Khali on his shoulders and throw him down for the three seconds. Cena isn’t sure if he can do that but he takes great pride in silencing his critics. At One Night Stand, Cena can and he will. This was classic Cena, as he mocked Khali at first, then told the story of the match and brought the fired up promo.

Santino Marella is excited for the Draft and Maria laughs at his accent, which yes, is Italian. He asks if Maria is ok from the battle royal and they seem interested in each other. With Santino gone, Randy Orton pops up to talk about Rob Van Dam. It seems that Van Dam is not happy with Orton injuring Shawn Michaels, but that was one of the highlights of Orton’s career. He felt bad about injuring Shawn, but he won’t about hurting Van Dam.

Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam

They go with the grappling to start as Orton grabs a headlock and blocks a top wristlock attempt. An armdrag frustrates Orton and Van Dam uses his legs to grab a rollup for two. A monkey flip sends Orton flying and there’s a kick to the head. They head outside with Orton getting the better of a slugout, setting up the big dropkick off the top and into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Orton working on the chinlock. Orton pulls him down by the hair to cut off a comeback attempt and it’s time for the circle stomp. Another chinlock is broken up again and Van Dam hits the springboard kick to the face for the double knockdown. Van Dam is up first and kicks him down again, setting up Rolling Thunder.

Orton’s poke to the eye just earns him a step over kick to the face but Van Dam is a little shaky as he goes up top. Van Dam kicks him off the apron but comes back in with the hanging DDT for two. The referee stops to check on Van Dam, who can’t get up to his feet and looks gone. The Punt connects and the referee calls the match as Van Dam is out of it.

Rating: C+. This is the kind of violent Orton that can make for some good stuff as he can be absolutely lethal when he is given the chance. Taking out Michaels and Van Dam in short succession is pretty impressive and should set him up for something else later. Having Van Dam’s facials make it seem like he had been hit in the head with a boulder made this even better.

Post match Orton hits the RKO to make it worse.

Ric Flair/Torrie Wilson vs. Carlito/Victoria

Leave it to Flair to wind up with Torrie out of the whole thing. Flair takes Carlito into the corner to start the chopping but it’s off to Victoria to slap Flair in the face. Lawler: “Lay it on her! She wants it!” Flair takes her down and tries the Figure Four, with Carlito having to make the save. It’s back to Carlito to stomp away at the head and leg, setting up the half crab. Victoria hits Carlito by mistake though and Torrie gets to come in and take over. An X Factor gets two with Carlito making the save. Carlito comes in, kisses Torrie, and hits the Backstabber for the pin (JR: “I KNOW IT’S LEGAL BUT I DON’T LIKE IT!”).

Rating: D+. This feud is running out of gas in a hurry as Carlito has yet to make me believe he is a real threat to Flair. They have fought each other a few times now and it has yet to be anything better than just ok. Both guys need to move on already, as Flair can find something better to do and Carlito can find a good haircut.

Shane McMahon has to break up an argument between Great Khali and Umaga. Shane: “Worst prom couple ever.” He tells them to take out John Cena and Bobby Lashley, but make sure he gets the pin.

One Night Stand/Saturday Night’s Main Event rundowns, edited off of Peacock due to Puddle of Mud.

It’s time for the Kiss Cam with Maria but Chris Masters interrupts. He wants Santino Marella to take the Masterlock Challenge. Masters threatens Maria so cue Marella for the brawl, which ends in the Masterlock. This has been a very Maria frequent show.

Shane McMahon/Umaga/Great Khali vs. John Cena/Bobby Lashley

Umaga sends Cena into the corner to start but misses a charge. Cena scores with the Throwback for a fast two but he gets thrown into the corner to start the hammering. There are the LET’S GO CENA/CENA SUCKS chants as Khali kicks Cena in the head. Shane comes in to stomp away and it’s Umaga getting in some right hands. The Samoan drop gives Umaga a delayed two and Khali drops a leg.

Now Shane is willing to stick around for the bodyscissors and shots to the back of Cena’s head to make things worse. That’s broken up with the ProtoBomb and it’s Lashley coming in to pick up the pace. Lashley runs Umaga over but can’t slam Khali as everything breaks down. The Samoan Spike puts Cena down on the floor and there’s the chokeslam to Lashley. Shane’s top rope elbow hits Lashley for the pin.

Rating: C. Just a quick way to bring in as many people as you can for the main event, which went well enough. Shane getting to gloat works well, as Lashley can shut up either Shane or Vince McMahon to even things up. The match was pretty immaterial, but it isn’t like losing to Umaga and Khali is a big defeat. Lashley didn’t do much until the end but it worked out fine.

Vince McMahon comes out to celebrate with the villains to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. It was better than last week but not by much. This did a good enough job of making me want to see the Raw half of One Night Stand, as they are betting on the gimmicks and stipulations to make the show work. That’s about all you can do at this point in the cycle of feuds so at least they’re going with the smartest route possible.

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: October 25, 2021
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

It’s time for the season premiere and that means we have the new roster officially finalized. We are done with the weird post Draft season, meaning everyone is here for good, assuming you ignore Becky Lynch going to Smackdown last week. We also need to start getting ready for Survivor Series, where it’s Raw vs. Smackdown again. Let’s get to it.

Here is Crown Jewel if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Big E. to open things up and talk about how great it is to have the season premiere in a city like Houston, Texas. We get a LET’S GO ASTROS chant before Big E. congratulates Xavier Woods on winning the King of the Ring. He also needs to talk tip his cap to Drew McIntyre for pushing him even harder than expected at Crown Jewel. There is no rest for the weary though and now he needs a new challenger, so here is Seth Rollins to interrupt. Rollins thinks he should get a shot but Big E. points out the loss to Edge at Crown Jewel.

That doesn’t work for Rollins, because he thought Big E. wants to be a fighting champion. The challenge is on for tonight but here is Rey Mysterio to interrupt (NO! NOT AGAIN WITH THESE TWO FIGHTING!). Mysterio lists off his resume and Big E. isn’t sure where he should go here. Cue Finn Balor (hey he lost at Crown Jewel too) to list off his resume and say he should get a shot at the one title he hasn’t won yet.

Now it’s Kevin Owens to do the same thing as I’m still waiting on someone who actually won a match at Crown Jewel to come out and challenge. Rollins starts swinging but bails from the threat of the Stunner. Sonya Deville comes out to make a four way #1 contenders match. That’s not big enough, so let’s make it a ladder match. I mean, it has been about three months since the last ladder match around here and that’s a long sabbatical for WWE. This would be the latest code for “please don’t watch football”.

Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy vs. Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler

The winners get a Tag Team Title shot later tonight. Ford armbars Gable to start but gets taken down, allowing Gable to yell a lot. Back up and Ford flips out of a release German suplex, allowing the tag off to Dawkins. House is cleaned in a hurry, leaving Otis vs. the Profits. A double dropkick puts Otis on the floor and we take a break. Back with Roode suplexing Ford for two and stopping for some pushups. Ford manages to knock Roode down and a charging Ziggler is caught in a Batista Bomb.

Otis gets smart though by coming in to drag Ziggler to the Academy corner, allowing Otis to come in instead. A missed charge hits post though and it’s Gable coming in to grab the leg, only to have Ford kick him away. The hot tag brings in Dawkins to clean house and there’s the Silencer to Gable as everything breaks down.

The discus lariat/German suplex combination hits Dawkins hard but Ford hits one of the fastest frog splashes I’ve ever seen for the save. Ford hits the big flip dive onto Otis, leaving Dawkins to hit the Anointment on Roode. Cue Omos and AJ Styles with the former punching Dawkins in the face, setting up the Zig Zag/spinebuster combination to give Roode the pin at 10:23.

Rating: C. This was perfectly watchable and that is all it needed to be. You’re only going to be able to get so much out of a ten minute match with six people and interference so they were working with some limitations. What matters most is it seems that we are getting something close to a tag division, with the three teams involved, RKBro and Styles/Omos. There isn’t a ton there, but it’s a heck of a lot better than two teams fighting over the titles and nothing else.

Here is Zelina Vega for her official coronation as Queen. Vega makes the ring announcer say her introduction again before asking what kind of queen she will be. With a British accent coming in and out, she says she’ll be every kind of queen and she knows that she can beat Doudrop again. People will talk about her reign for years.

Doudrop vs. Zelina Vega

Doudrop grabs the scepter to start and pulls Vega in for a clothesline. There’s a big toss to send Vega flying and let’s do that again. Vega has to slip out of what looks like an over the shoulder piledriver but an elbow to the back just annoys Doudrop. A trip sends Doudrop into the corner though and Vega kicks her in the face. Vega scores with a middle rope Codebreaker for two so it’s time to go for a turnbuckle pad. That means the distracted referee misses the scepter shot to Doudrop’s face for the pin at 2:33.

We look at Roman Reigns cheating to beat Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel, setting up Lesnar’s path of destruction and suspension on Smackdown. Adam Pearce’s massacre is included as well.

Here is the new Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch for a chat, with commentary bringing up the testy exchange of titles on Smackdown. Becky says she never lost this title and she is going to pick up right where she left off. We hear about her winning the triple threat match at Crown Jewel and she knows that no one wants to see Bianca Belair getting anywhere near the title. What about Rhea Ripley getting beaten up? Or maybe Liv Morgan!

Cue Bianca Belair, who takes off the earrings on the way to the ring. Belair says it is always something with Becky, who always gets what she wants because she never faces adversity. See, Belair keeps beating Sasha Banks and last week she beat the Raw Women’s Champion, but now that is Becky. Belair says she is the new face of Raw, but Becky has her beaten again. We see some photos of their faces at Crown Jewel, with Becky looking happy and Belair looking mad.

Belair laughs it off and thinks that Becky has nothing behind the title. She FINALLY gets around to the title challenge and the fight is on, with Becky finding a kendo stick because WWE. Belair takes it away and beats Becky down but the KOD is escaped with a rake of the eyes. A Russian legsweep with the kendo stick drops Belair and Becky says she can have the title match….but not tonight. This was one of the most scripted segments I’ve seen in a LONG time, as Belair was just saying words over and over again to get to the point of “I want a title match”.

They could have cut out two minutes of dialogue (because wrestling has dialogue) and made this that much better, but that might mean the show only needs 22 writers instead of 37. Also, WHY WAS THERE A KENDO STICK AT RINGSIDE??? Why? Someone tell me a logical reason for that to be at ringside other than it was needed for the brawl and was put in the script. If you absolutely must do Becky vs. Belair again, find a way to cut about ¾ out of this because it sounded so stupid.

We look back at the opening segment.

Kevin Owens tells Finn Balor he has to win.

Wrestlemania XXXVIII will be two nights.

T-Bar vs. Damian Priest

Non-title but it’s a CHAMPIONS CONTENDER match, because that still needs to be a thing. T-Bar kicks him in the face to start and drops Priest face first onto the buckle for two. Priest gets planted again for two more, setting up a good looking moonsault for a one count. Back up and Priest hits a running elbow in the corner, setting up the Broken Arrow. T-Bar gets knocked outside, where he throws the announcer’s chair at Priest for the DQ at 2:40. This was the first time T-Bar has come close to feeling like Dominick Dijakovic in over a year.

Post match Priest snaps and beats the heck out of T-Bar, including the Reckoning back inside.

Carmella doesn’t like Liv Morgan trying to mess up her face.

Carmella vs. Liv Morgan

Yes, again. Carmella puts the mask on to start and jumps Morgan in the corner. Some shots to the face get two, allowing Carmella to remind us that she is hot and we aren’t. Morgan tries the comeback but charges into two boots in the corner. We hit the chinlock but Morgan fights up with a jumping enziguri. Morgan takes it outside but can’t kick Carmela into the announcers’ table. She can however bulldog her onto it, allowing some trash talk to Corey Graves. Back in and Oblivion misses so Morgan has to settle for two off a small package instead. Carmella is back with a floatover into an X Factor for the pin at 2:58.

Bearcat Lee vs. Cedric Alexander

Lee’s entrance now ha a bearcat growl to hammer home the idea. Cedric is sent flying to start and needs a meeting with Shelton Benjamin on the floor. Back in and Lee shoves him around and shoves Alexander down by the head. A running splash in the corner sets up a missed charge, allowing Alexander to kick away at the leg. Lee runs him over again and shouts a lot before the Big Bang Catastrophe finishes Alexander at 2:38. Finisher aside, this felt like they took everything that made Lee feel unique and replaced it with generic power stuff.

Post match, Lee glares at Shelton Benjamin.

Earlier tonight, Dominik Mysterio gave Rey Mysterio a pep talk but Austin Theory interrupted. Theory asks Dominik to take a selfie for them (back in my day, that was called a photo) but we’re getting a match instead, with Rey saying he’ll be out there if Dominik wants him do be. Dominik says Rey has enough to do already so he’s got this. Everything seems cool.

Dominik Mysterio vs. Austin Theory

Theory dropkicks Dominik down to start and hits the Eddie Guerrero dance, which has Saxton losing his mind on commentary. Dominik is back with a high angle springboard armdrag and does the dance as well. There’s a hurricanrana to Theory but he grabs a half nelson backbreaker for two. Theory misses a charge into the corner but is right back with the ATL for the pin at 2:58.

Post match, Theory gets a selfie with the referee. Theory piling up wins is a good thing for him as they are building him up more and more every week.

Riddle thinks he and Randy Orton could be Mario and Luigi or the creepy girls from the Shining. Orton says they can talk about Halloween later but for now, they need to worry about Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler.

Video on Veer.

Tag Team Titles: RKBro vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

RKBro is defending. Riddle and Ziggler start things off and go nowhere, so Orton comes in (to the fans’ delight) to face Roode. Orton uppercuts him into the corner but it’s too early for the RKO. Roode bails to the floor but gets beaten down back inside. An assisted Floating Bro gives Riddle two and Roode is knocked outside again. The apron kick to the chest is cut off though and we take a break.

Back with Roode missing a charge in the corner, allowing the hot tag off to Orton. There’s the snap powerslam to Roode but Ziggler’s distraction breaks up the hanging DDT. Orton gets sent knees first into the barricade, setting up a Crossface from Ziggler back inside. With that broken up, Roode grabs a chinlock but Orton fights up again. The hot tag brings in Riddle to clean house as everything breaks down. The RKO hits Roode but Ziggler superkicks Orton and rolls Riddle up for two. Riddle is right back with his own rollup for the pin at 11:48.

Rating: C+. This started off kind off slowly but then picked up steam to make it that much better. RKBro is starting to get better as a team in the ring and now that they actually have some fresh opponents, we might be able to get somewhere. Nice match here, and it was a good change of pace after so many short matches throughout the match.

Seth Rollins says of course he has a target on his back but he doesn’t care because he’ll win the ladder match tonight.

Video on Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley at Crown Jewel.

Seth Rollins vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor

Ladder match for a future title shot against Big E. It’s a brawl to start and everyone heads outside, with the referee checking on Owens after a shot with a ladder. Owens is fine enough to pick up a ladder and start cleaning house. Back in and Owens powerbombs Balor onto a ladder bridged against the rope. The Swanton only hits ladder though and we take a break.

Back with Rollins cleaning house with the ladder and shouting about how he shouldn’t be in this match. Balor breaks that up and heads up top to get a hand on the contract, with Mysterio making the save. Owens shoves both of them down though and German suplexes Balor down. Mysterio gets planted as well and Owens goes up but Mysterio manages to make the save. With everyone else down, Owens sets up a table, only to get jumped by Balor. Rollins dives onto both of them but Rey is up with some ladder shots of his own. Balor hits another big flip dive to the floor though and we take a break.

Back with Rollins shoving a ladder over but getting taken down by Mysterio. Owens plants Mysterio but can’t follow up, leaving Rollins to bridge a ladder between the announcers’ table and the apron. Balor goes up and vets a hand on the contract but gets pulled down into a Stunner from Owens. Mysterio’s hurricanrana is countered into a powerbomb through the table at ringside. Rollins cuts off Owens’ climb and sends him through the bridged ladder (check the box) and Stomps Balor. That’s enough for Rollins to get the contract at 22:17.

Rating: B. I’m sick of ladder matches. Absolutely sick of them. This one had all of the required stuff too: illogical table setup, someone going through a ladder bridged horizontally at ringside, people suddenly forgetting how to pull down a clipboard/other object, “LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT LADDER HE JUST PULLED OUT!” and “I can’t believe he won!”. WWE has run this match into the ground so hard for so long now that I never need to see another one, but I’d be shocked if we don’t have at least two more by Thanksgiving at the latest. As for this match, it was the usually entertaining and completely not memorable WWE ladder match.

Post match Big E. comes out for the staredown with Rollins, who offers a handshake.

In the back, Rollins says this is his show and he is back and better than ever. Maniacal laughter ends the show.

Overall Rating: C. This show feels so exhausted that it’s hard to even get annoyed at it. The stuff they’re doing is still ok enough most of the time, but it feels like there hasn’t been anything original in so long. It comes off like they are doing nothing but playing the hits or ideas that worked before and that makes for a very, very tiring three hours.

That’s the word for this show, and Raw in general: tired. The show feels like it is just completely out of energy and ideas and if they stumble into a good match, it’s more out of luck than anything else. Between taking the Smackdown women’s feuds and just moving them over to Raw to “hey I want a title shot/no I want a title shot/NO! I WANT A TITLE SHOT!” to T-Bar being called T-Bar, this show felt like it was cobbled together from pieces of other shows pulled out of a bag.

I don’t know if this was over another script being ripped up at the last minute or WWE not preparing for tonight or just Raw in general, but this show has no spark whatsoever. I don’t get that feeling with Smackdown or NXT and certainly not with any AEW show. Instead, this was the latest example of a show that might not be the worst quality wise (and there have been FAR worse episodes than this in the last few months), but it was so hard to bring myself to care about almost anything they were doing.

You know what was actually the bright spot this week? The tag team stuff, which featured multiple teams wanting to go after the titles and a new feud being set up with Omos/AJ Styles vs. the Street Profits while RKBro dealt with Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler. That actually felt different and it was such a breath of air on a show without much else on it worth seeing (along with Austin Theory, who comes off like a star in the making).

All things considered, Raw is not the worst wrestling show, but it is the least interesting because WWE has made it hard to care about. It feels like they are going out of their way to take away anything that might get the fans’ attention and are just getting by week to week. The show doesn’t so much need an overhaul as much as it needs some fresh minds behind the scenes, and that isn’t going to happen anytime in the future.

Results
Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler b. Alpha Academy and Street Profits – Zig Zag/spinebuster combination to Dawkins
Zelina Vega b. Doudrop – Scepter to the face
Damian Priest b. T-Bar via DQ when T-Bar threw a chair
Carmella b. Liv Morgan – Floatover X Factor
Bearcat Lee b. Cedric Alexander – Big Bang Catastrophe
Austin Theory b. Dominik Mysterio – ATL
RKBro b. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode – Rollup to Ziggler
Seth Rollins b. Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and Rey Mysterio – Rollins pulled down the contract

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: May 21, 2007
Location: Mark of the Quad, Moline, Illinois
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re past Judgment Day and believe it or not, John Cena has somehow done it again, this time by making the Great Khali tap out to retain the WWE Title. That is going to make for some interesting futures for both of them, as Khali loses a big step and Cena beats another giant with less than two weeks to go before the next pay per view. I think you know where this is going so let’s get to it.

Here is Judgment Day if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the pay per view, including Bobby Lashley winning the handicap match in just over a minute but not winning the ECW World Title because he pinned the wrong McMahon.

Here is an annoyed Bobby Lashley to get things going. Since he has to beat Vince McMahon to get the ECW World Title back, get Vince out here right now. Cue Vince (unfortunately minus the snappy doorag), Shane McMahon and Umaga to say no. Vince is on to bigger and better things, like One Night Stand, where he will defend the title in a street fight against the Blue Meanie. Lashley: “Why not me?” Shane talks about how great Vince is and lists off his street fight wins. You might even say he is “inVinceable”. Vince says Lashley can have a street fight at One Night Stand, but he is going to be running a gauntlet.

Saturday Night’s Main Event is back next week.

Ric Flair vs. Carlito

Rematch from last night where Flair won. Flair chops away in the corner to start but Carlito knocks him into another corner and stomps him down. It’s time to go after the arm again, which worked well enough for Carlito last night. Back up and Flair fires off more chops before a Cactus Clothesline takes them both outside. More chopping ensues until it’s a double countout.

Rating: D+. I’m really not sure why we’re seeing the feud continuing after Flair beat him last night but that has never stopped WWE before. You would think that they would have something else for Flair to do but why do that when you can have Carlito spinning his wheels even more? Nothing match again, but what else were you expecting?

Post match Carlito lays Flair out, including a Backstabber and apple spitting.

Melina vs. Candice Michelle

Non-title. Melina starts fast by choking on the ropes and then cranking on both arms. That means some neck stretching on the ropes but Candice is back up with a backbreaker. Some kicks have Melina in trouble and Candice pulls her away from the ropes for a crash. A rake to the eyes slows Candice down but she blocks an O’Connor roll and grabs a jackknife cover for the fast pin.

Great Khali is yelling at Runjin Singh.

The Condemned needs to go away already.

Bobby Lashley vs. Chris Masters

This is the first match in Lashley’s gauntlet. Lashley wastes no time in taking him down, only to miss a charge into the corner. Masters starts stomping away and goes after the banged up arm. The Masterlock goes on but Lashley makes the rope to save himself. Lashley is back up with a powerslam for two, followed by the spear for the pin.

Rating: C-. They kept this short and it’s not like Masters was going to be any kind of a threat to Lashley. Masters got in his best move, had it shrugged off and then got pinned. What else were they supposed to do in something like this? Lashley is on to bigger and better things while Masters is the same guy he has been for a long time now.

Hardys vs. Johnny Nitro/Kenny Dykstra

Non-title with the World’s Greatest Tag Team on commentary. Matt and Kenny start things off with Matt getting caught in the wrong corner. A clothesline gets Matt out of trouble and it’s off to Jeff to pick up the pace. The sitout gordbuster plants Nitro and Hardy goes up, where he has to shove Nitro down. A top rope sunset flip finishes Nitro in a hurry.

Post match the World’s Greatest Tag Team runs in to jump the Hardys but Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch make the save, as this is still going too.

Here are Great Khali and Runjin Singh for a chat. Through translation, Khali says he was cheated last night because his foot was under the rope. John Cena never knocked Khali off his feet, because he needed to use the steps to hurt him. Khali can defeat Cena in the ring or out of the ring, but here is Cena for a rebuttal. Cena says that the foot was under the rope but he made Khali tap. Tonight though, Khali has called Cena a coward and that’s not cool. Last night, Cena was scared but he stood toe to toe with Khali and survived, so he knows he can do it again. Cena wants a rematch and gets dropped by the chop and chokeslam.

Bobby Lashley vs. Viscera

More gauntlet action, though you don’t often see such long breaks between the matches. Lashley gets driven into the corner to start but avoids a shot to the face. Viscera runs him over a few times but Lashley is back with a slam (nearly dropping him) for two. Back up and Viscera takes him down again for some standing on the chest. The swinging Boss Man Slam gives Viscera two and a spinwheel kick is good for the same. Viscera misses a charge in the corner though and the spear gives Lashley the pin.

Rating: C-. This was actually a bit better than the previous match as Viscera felt more like a monster as opposed to someone who was just there for Lashley to beat. Lashley actually had to work at this one a bit and Viscera’s offense looks that much more devastating just because of his size. Not exactly good, but it made sense for what they were trying to do.

Cena vs. Khali II is set for One Night Stand and it’s falls count anywhere.

Here are a bunch of the WWE Divas to introduce the video for Timbaland’s Throw It On Me, setting up the world premiere.

Shawn Michaels has a concussion at the hands of Randy Orton, so here is Orton for a chat. Orton is sorry for what happened last night and we see a video on the attack, including Shawn’s wife checking on him. Back in the arena, Orton wonders if that was Shawn’s last match. Orton did what any wrestler would have done last night and beat Shawn, but it wasn’t because of the concussion. No, Orton beat him because he is the Legend Killer.

Vince McMahon fires Umaga up.

Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga

The gauntlet continues. Umaga wins an early slugout and some kicks to the back keep Lashley in trouble. The bearhug goes on to work on Lashley’s back before Umaga plants him down. A middle rope headbutt misses though and Lashley fights back, including sending him into the post. They fight outside with Umaga superkicking Lashley out of the air. After throwing the timekeeper aside (and making him look like a mannequin in the process), Umaga chairs Lashley down for the DQ.

Rating: C-. Another match that made sense as Umaga’s job was to weaken Lashley rather than flat out beating him. You don’t need to have Umaga take another pin so this was about as good of an idea as they had. The damaged Lashley gets to keep going while Umaga looks like a monster, which works out well for everyone.

Bobby Lashley vs. Shane McMahon

During the break, Umaga Samoan Spiked Lashley to make this even more one sided. Shane knees away at the bad back and hits a baseball slide to send Lashley’s ribs into the post. Umaga loads up a chair but here is Vince McMahon to say no and send Umaga to the back to avoid the DQ. Makes sense.

The distraction lets Lashley come back with a spinebuster but Shane gets in a cheap shot. The Boston crab has Lashley in trouble but he powers out with straight leg strength. Shane knees him in the back though and we hit the camel clutch. That’s broken up as well and Lashley hammers away in the corner. His back gives out on him but Shane takes too long going up top and is speared out of the air for the pin and the title shot.

Rating: C. This was the big finale, but it felt a bit lacking as Lashley beat someone he shouldn’t have had trouble beating. I don’t think there was any doubt about Lashley getting the title shot so there wasn’t much drama. That being said, how much drama can you really build up with two weeks between pay per views?

Lashley stares at Vince to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Oh we’re going full steam ahead on the rematch train here and that is not exactly thrilling. This show was built around setting up a bunch of rematches after a lot of them were already settled at Judgment Day. Now we’re on to One Night Stand, but we only have one more week to build it up. They’re running out of steam with these stories and that is starting to show, as this was the weakest Raw in a pretty long time.

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Monday Night Raw
Date: January 25, 1993
Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York
Attendance: 1,000
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan, Rob Bartlett

We are done with the Royal Rumble and I wouldn’t expect to hear much about that, as this show was taped last week. As for what we will be seeing this week, we have the Repo Man vs. Randy Savage in a battle over a hat, plus Mr. Perfect vs. Ric Flair in a Loser Leaves the WWF match. One of these things is not like the other so let’s get to it.

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

Repo Man is outside and REALLY excited about getting to fight Randy Savage so he can repossess Savage’s career.

Opening sequence.

Commentary runs down the card.

Randy Savage vs. Repo Man

Hat’s off to them for starting with a big one. Makes sense as they are in Man-Hat-Tan. Savage charges in and the beating is on, with Savage knocking him outside to keep up the pain. Back in and Repo Man gets choked down as we hear about how close Savage got to winning the Royal Rumble (in commentary that was probably recorded later). The running knee sends Repo Man outside as Bartlett mocks Repo Man’s bald spot.

Repo Man tries to leave but gets pulled back in for some choking in the corner as the total squash continues. They head back to the floor, with Savage being sent face first into the steps to give Repo Man a breather. A posting keeps Savage down as Bartlett talks about Repo Man’s…feet. Heenan: “Where did you get this guy?” The chinlock with a bodyscissors goes on but Savage fights up and blocks a kick to the ribs as we take a break.

Back with Repo Man dropping a leg for two as Bartlett talks about Savage writing a letter to Jodie Foster. The bodyscissors keeps Savage in trouble and it’s time to choke away on the ropes. Commentary talks to politics as the chinlock goes on to keep Savage in trouble. A backbreaker lets Repo Man walk around and talk trash, only to get clotheslined out of the air. He takes so long that Savage clotheslines him out of the air and drops the elbow for the pin at 12:31.

Rating: C-. What were you expecting from Randy Savage vs. the Repo Man in a fight over a stolen hat? This felt like a way to set something up for a short form story early on in the show’s history. Savage added some star power, but you’re only going to get so far with a story that is this silly. The match was fairly slow too, but an intense Savage is always worth seeing.

Bob Backlund thinks you need to help him put a Headlock On Hunger.

Wrestlemania is coming in April.

Kamala vs. Brooklyn Brawler

Slick is here with Kamala. Brawler actually gets in some shots to start but makes the mistake of trying a slam. A chop into a kick to the face into another chop puts Brawler in the corner so Kamala can hit a reverse Banzai drop. Another knockdown sets up the reverse cover as Vince thinks Kamala and Suzanne Somers would make an interesting couple. Kamala kicks him in the face and slides into the corner for another reverse cover. The chop sets up the splash but Kamala rolls him over four times before finally getting the pin at 3:36.

Rating: D. It takes something special to get repetitive in a three and a half minute match but Kamala made it work here. Kamala’s face turn is so goofy that it is hard to not draw at least a smile, but egads it was not easy to watch him in the ring. It was a total squash and somehow hard to watch, which isn’t something you see very often.

Post match Slick thanks the fans for Kamala being converted. Kim Chee and Harvey Wippleman need to stay out of Kamala’s way though because they may not like what happens if he sees them.

We get the Royal Rumble Report, with recaps of Bret Hart and Yokozuna winning their respective matches to set up the main event of Wrestlemania. Gene Okerlund talks about the debuts of Lex Luger and Giant Gonzalez, the latter of whom destroys the Undertaker. It still feels so weird to hear Okerlund talking about the Undertaker. Such a clash of generations.

Ric Flair vs. Mr. Perfect

Loser leaves WWF and Heenan gets up and watches at ringside. They stare each other down to start with Perfect slapping him in the face a few times. Flair drop toeholds him down but gets slapped in the face, allowing Perfect to bust out a quick shuffle. That’s enough to send Flair outside for a breather, plus a meeting with Heenan. Back in and they go technical, with Perfect taking him down for a hammerlock.

With that broken up, Perfect wins a chop off as Heenan goes back to commentary to suggest Perfect is going to be in trouble. Back up and Flair backs into the corner, leaving Perfect to take down one of the straps. Flair finally gets it together and tosses Perfect outside, setting up a chair shot to the back.

We take a break and come back with Perfect being tossed over the corner for a messy crash out to the floor. Perfect is busted open (that’s not something you saw very often at this point) and Flair starts hammering away, setting up a chinlock with feet on the ropes. Back up and they strike it out again with Perfect hitting him in the face for two. Perfect finally gets him down for a backslide before pulling Flair out of the corner. The right hands in the corner have Flair in more trouble until he atomic drops his way out of trouble.

Perfect suplexes him off the apron for two more, only to have Flair come back with a sleeper. That’s good for two armdrags until Perfect manages to send him into the corner. Perfect tries….a jumping sleeper to take it to the mat (they mistimed something there but it worked out well enough) and now it’s Flair in trouble. Flair powers up again and sends him into the corner, setting up a Figure Four, complete with a grab of the rope. The referee finally catches him so Flair kicks away at the knee in the corner. Flair goes up and comes crashing back down as we take another break.

We come back with Flair getting in a right hand with a foreign object but Perfect gets his foot on the rope. A chop in the corner wakes Flair up and the comeback is on. Clotheslines abound, including one to knock Flair out of the air for two. Flair sweeps the legs in the corner and puts his foot on the rope for a bunch of near falls, only to duck his head and get PerfectPlexed for the pin at 24:58.

Rating: A-. You were expecting something less? This was a heck of a match as the two of them had time to do something great and were allowed to do whatever they wanted. Perfect really can have a great match when he is given the chance and the first half of 1993 might be the best run of his career. This was it for Flair in the company (mostly) for about eight and a half years and he went out on an absolute classic. Great match and the best one that the show would have for a LONG time.

Post match Heenan goes into a long bleep as Flair walks out.

Vince tells us that Ric Flair will honor all of his commitments for the weekend before leaving.

Overall Rating: B. You can tell that the company is trying to figure out what to do with the show so they’re throwing everything they can at the wall so far. That’s a good thing as we get something like this, which is one of the best Raw matches ever. I’m not sure what is coming next, but we can start the long form build towards Wrestlemania, which should be a good way to go. Check out Flair vs. Perfect though as it absolutely holds up.

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: May 14, 2007
Location: Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia
Attendance: 7,200
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s the go home show for Judgment Day and we are on the way towards John Cena vs. Great Khali for the Raw World Title. Other than that, we have a new Smackdown World Champion in Edge, who happens to be a Raw wrestler. That could cause some issues, which we will likely touch on this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is WWE Champion John Cena, who doesn’t have his belt. Cena seems rather sad without the title, because Great Khali took it from him last week and Cena couldn’t do anything about it. Now he could make excuses but that isn’t what he does. Cena has been up against giants before but it has never been like this. You can hit Khali in the mouth and he just looks at you with those eyes. There are people who have been telling him that this Sunday is a bad idea and it won’t be much of a match. That may be true, but that isn’t going to stop Cena from giving Khali one heck of a fight…tonight.

Cue Khali on screen, complete with translator Runjin Singh. Khali speaks, with Singh sending us to a video on Khali’s recent path of destruction. Apparently if Cena wants some, he can come get some. That’s fine with Cena, who goes to the back and gets wrecked in a hurry, including the chokebomb onto a golf cart.

Trevor Murdoch vs. Jeff Hardy

Lance Cade and Matt Hardy are here too. Jeff grabs a headlock takeover to star but gets rolled over into a headscissors to take care of that in a hurry. An exchange of armdrags goes to Hardy so Murdoch elbows him in the face. Hardy sends him outside though and scores with a slingshot dive, only to miss the slingshot dropkick back inside. The chinlock just wakes Jeff up though and the Whisper in the Wind gets two. The Swanton hits knees though and Murdoch gets two, complete with the stunned look on his face off the kickout. He’s so stunned that Hardy grabs a small package for the pin.

Rating: C. Hardy can have a good match with just about anyone and it helps when you have someone as talented as Murdoch. I’m rather sick of seeing this feud take place but at least they had what is probably going to be the best combination. It might not have been great match, but it was a completely nice one and that’s good enough.

Post match, Cade and Murdoch offer a handshake, with the Hardys accepting without any violence.

Video on Snitsky.

We look back at Bobby Lashley attacking Coach last week, with Vince McMahon looking on.

Coach is not happy about having to face Bobby Lashley tonight, but Shane McMahon says he shouldn’t worry. Shane, Umaga and Vince McMahon, in a lilac (or some light pink) suit and doorag, will be in his corner. That’s enough for Coach, who goes off to get ready.

Intercontinental Title: Santino Marella vs. Chris Masters

Marella is defending and is now billed from New Jersey. They start fast with Santino snapping off some hiptosses but Masters powers him into the corner. Some kicks to the leg stagger Masters but he runs Marella over without much trouble. The Masterlock is blocked but the spinebuster connects for two. Masters tries another Masterlock, only to get reversed into a sunset flip (with a nifty reversal that saw Marella spin around the back) to retain Santino’s title.

Post match Masters puts him out with the Masterlock to blow off some steam.

Wrestlers talk about the Condemned.

Candice Michelle vs. Victoria

Melina is on commentary and does the splits entrance on the announcers’ table. Lawler loses it and Candice’s entrance makes it even worse. Candice starts with the hair takedown (Melina: “Oh geez.”) but Victoria sends her face first into the mat. Some hair pulling keeps Candice down but she comes back up with the kicks to the chest. The GoDaddy dance sets up an elbow for two as Melina says all Candice can do is take her clothes off. Victoria’s spinning side slam is countered though and Candice scores with the spinwheel kick for the pin.

Candice wants the title, but Melina thinks she is showing off the fat rolls.

Here is new Smackdown World Champion Edge for a chat. After quite a bit of pyro, Edge talks about how he had the greatest week of any wrestler in history. We see Edge winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, plus the cash in later in the week on Undertaker. Edge was going to have one last great Raw match, but Great Khali has already left.

That leaves him with Batista on Sunday, but Edge has already done what Batista couldn’t do in three months: beat the Undertaker. Edge goes to leave but here is Shawn Michaels to cut him off. Shawn says if Edge wanted to leave with a lasting impression, he could just leave (that’s what he was trying to do man). Edge cuts to the chase and challenges Shawn for later, which seems to be set.

Bobby Lashley starts talking about his title match on Sunday but Shane McMahon cuts him off. Shane reminds Lashley that there can be no contact and does the I’m Not Touching You deal.

Bobby Lashley vs. Jonathan Coachman

Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and Umaga are here too. An exchange of shots to the face goes to Lashley and a running clothesline puts Coach down as well. A torture rack goes on as JR thinks this is about the Hardcore Title. The spear finishes Coach in a hurry.

Post match the brawl is on with Lashley falling tot he numbers game in a hurry. The Umaga Attack misses though and Lashley hits a spear but Shane cuts him off again. Lashley chases Shane to the back but the villains leave in the limo. Vince sneaks up from behind and belts Lashley down to leave him laying. That sneaky champ.

Carlito vs. Val Venis

Venis starts fast with his running knees to the ribs but Carlito takes him down and hammers away. The fans want Flair but have to settle for Venis’ forearms not having much effect. A springboard dropkick puts Venis down but he makes another comeback with elbows to the face. Venis’ neckbreaker gets two, only to take too long setting up the Money Shot. Carlito hits the Backstabber for the pin.

Rating: C-. This was a way to give Carlito a win and set him up for the showdown with Ric Flair on Sunday. Not much of a match of course, but Venis was always a fine hand. Granted I had no idea he was still working here and somehow he had almost two years left, but he could still put in a passable match.

Post match Ric Flair runs in and Carlito bails through the crowd.

Shawn Michaels is getting ready for the main event when Randy Orton comes in. Orton wishes him well tonight but Shawn wonders if there is a point to this. Actually there is, as Orton thinks he can beat Shawn, so the match is made for Sunday.

Next week: Timbaland’s new video debuts, featuring a bunch of the Divas.

We look back at Great Khali taking out John Cena earlier tonight.

Judgment Day rundown.

Edge vs. Shawn Michaels

Non-title and commentary suddenly remembers that Shawn has a concussion thanks to Great Khali last week. Shawn grabs a headlock takeover to start but Edge is out in a hurry with a shot to the head. A swinging neckbreaker gives Shawn a breather so Edge kicks him in the face to keep up the target. Edge gets tossed outside though, allowing Shawn to hit a Thesz press off the apron.

We take a break and come back with the referee checking on Shawn, whose head is looking a bit loopy. Another shot to the head sets up a cravate, followed by a big boot to drop Shawn again. More right hands and a neckbreaker get two and Edge grabs a chinlock with a knee in the back. Shawn fights up again and this time manages to crotch Edge on top. Edge hits a headbutt to stagger Shawn but misses a high crossbody. Somehow Shawn gets up top for the elbow and the superkick finishes Edge off.

Rating: B-. This was a weird one as the concussion wasn’t mentioned until the start of the match (not a bad thing as Shawn had gotten beaten up last week so it was covered) and then Shawn just won clean over the new champ. It’s like they had this match booked and then had to do the Money in the Bank deal without making any changes. Good match, but a rather strange way to go at times.

Post match here is Randy Orton to beat Shawn down. A low blow puts Shawn in trouble and we get what I believe is the first ever Punt to knock him cold to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. Much like the main event, this was a bit off all night, with Cena vs. Khali all set and Shawn vs. Orton being thrown together to give both of them something to do. It feels like they ran out of stuff to do before the pay per view and had to struggle to fill in the time here. Judgment Day feels like a B show and this didn’t exactly shake that feeling, as it was a bit of a lame way to take them home.

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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Monday Night Raw
Date: October 11, 2021
Location: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

We’re less than two weeks away from Crown Jewel and last week, Smackdown added a Hell in the Cell match to the card. That could mean Raw needs to add a huge match of its own, but you never can tell with these things. Hopefully this show can add a nice feeling to the Queen’s Crown Tournament, as the Smackdown matches were nearly insulting last week. Let’s get to it.

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

Here is Drew McIntyre, with his sword, to get things going. He thinks it’s a fun idea that the Scottish Warrior is kicking it off in the home of the Warriors and welcomes us to the show. Drew runs down the Crown Jewel card and says he’ll be winning the WWE Title in the match everyone is going to be talking about. McIntyre has a story from earlier today but here is Big E. to interrupt.

Big E. talks about the sweet nectar of being champion dripping down his chin and between his nipples. While Drew may be a specimen, he is not going to take the title from him. Drew can get to moving, or stay on the tracks and get run over. That makes Drew chuckle and he talks about how Big E. remembers what it means to win the title because it wasn’t that long ago. Drew is a two time champion who held the title for over 300 days, but he is still looking for his moment. That moment is coming at Crown Jewel and there is nothing Big E. can do about it.

Cue the Usos to say they’re hyped up for the match and that the Bloodline is in their city. They know that Roman Reigns is going to beat Brock Lesnar at Crown Jewel, but who is he facing at Survivor Series? Either way, they think that Reigns is going to take the WWE Title and add it to his trophy case. The Usos go to leave but Big E. calls them back, with the challenge being set for tonight. A double superkick drops McIntyre and Big E.

Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston are in the back and have no comment about the idea of facing each other in the King of the Ring. Good thing they were there for that non-answer and not out there to help chase off their longtime rivals the Usos, who have titles they might want and just attacked their best friend.

King of the Ring First Round: Xavier Woods vs. Ricochet

Kofi Kingston is here with Woods and all three of them admire the crown. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get very far. Woods knocks him to the apron and breaks up a springboard to bring Ricochet right back down. That means Woods can go up top, with Ricochet walking over for a top rope superplex and a heck of a crash to leave both guys in trouble as we take a break.

Back with Ricochet dropping Woods again and getting two off a backsplash. Woods manages to send Ricochet ribs first into the ropes though, setting up a stomp to the back and a middle rope legdrop for two. Back up and Ricochet grabs a fireman’s carry for a rolling Death Valley Driver and a kick to the face. Woods is smart enough to roll outside, only to have Ricochet hit a huge flip dive over the post to take Woods down again. Back in and Ricochet nails a suicide shoulder. Make it an attempt at a pair but this time Woods sends him into the barricade two. Back in and the rope walk elbow finishes Ricochet at 10:45.

Rating: B-. As much as I don’t like seeing Ricochet lose, I do like seeing Woods getting a chance to do his own thing. Woods has been obsessed with winning the tournament over the last few months and it makes sense to go with that. If nothing else, Woods has never gotten any singles glory so even a nice run in the tournament would be more than he usually gets.

We recap RKBro fighting with AJ Styles/Omos last week.

Riddle comes up to Randy Orton and says he has challenged Omos to a match tonight. Riddle says he was following Orton’s example from last week because he thinks of Orton as a mentor. Orton says there is no plan because fighting Omos one on one isn’t a good idea. Tonight, Riddle is on his own. Riddle thinks “no plan” is the plan and knows he’ll see Orton out there later. With Riddle gone, Orton sighs a bit.

Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin vs. Mustafa Ali/Mansoor

Ali slips a bit while backflipping out of an atomic drop so it’s off to Mansoor, who kicks Alexander in the face. Everything breaks down and Alexander Michinoku Drivers Ali for the pin at 1:22.

Post match Mansoor goes to help Ali up but gets shoved back down.

We recap Shayna Baszler’s recent path of destruction, with Doudrop saving Dana Brooke’s arm last week.

Queen’s Crown Tournament First Round: Dana Brooke vs. Shayna Baszler

In case last week’s squash wasn’t enough. Brooke gets powered into the corner to start but fights back with some right hands in another corner. The Kirifuda Clutch is countered into some rollups for two on Baszler but she is back with a knee to the face for the pin at 1:25. So yeah, somehow after the complaints over the Smackdown matches not getting time, they managed to make this one even shorter.

Charlotte doesn’t care about the tournament because she only cares about herself. Tonight she is in a match with a bunch of women who can’t walk the walk, because Charlotte is the greatest ever. This was also longer than the tournament match.

Riddle vs. Omos

Before the match, Riddle talks about how he has been thinking lately, which is something he does a lot. He was the one with the idea of Brogurt, but it is clear Omos has been on the brotein. Riddle forgets what he is talking about, which probably happens to everyone at some point. Riddle: “OK RANDY NOW!” Singing Orton’s song doesn’t work either so AJ Styles says Riddle is just stalling, as everyone can see. Riddle: “RANDY! RANDY! RANDY!”

The bell rings so Riddle drops to the floor to kick away at AJ, leaving Omos to pull him back inside. A corner splash sets up the chokeslam to cover Riddle, but AJ says not so fast. AJ wants to see some of the martial arts Omos learned in second grade, so we see Omos kicking him in the head. AJ calls for two replays and then the chokebomb finishes Riddle at 2:29.

Post match Orton’s music hits but there is no Orton. AJ even turns around to see if Orton is running in and then sends Omos outside to watch. Somehow Orton gets inside anyway and hits the RKO on Styles.

We recap the opening segment.

Drew McIntyre comes up to Big E. to yell about what happened. Big E. thinks they need to get on the same page. For one night only, they’ll let bygones be bygones. Drew agrees, thinking that Roman Reigns is scared of them. Big E. talks about his nipples before we get a mock Mega Powers handshake. I have no idea why Drew waited 45 minutes to find Big E. and have this chat.

Here’s Bobby Lashley to look at a recap of his feud with Goldberg. Back in the arena, Lashley asks if fans saw Goldberg talking about ending Lashley’s life. Lashley talks about how that is a horrible thing to a father and how he is a man who defended the WWE Title for half a year. Or would you rather cheer for a guy in cutoff sleeves screaming about MURDER? Lashley talks about how the match at Crown Jewel has to be No Holds Barred because Goldberg is a bit crazy. Goldberg can’t beat him, and he certainly can’t kill the Almighty.

Bianca Belair doesn’t want to hear about Bianca Belair because she is the blueprint of greatness. Tonight she’s beating Charlotte and then winning the Smackdown Women’s Title at Crown Jewel.

Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Theory

Hardy sends him into the corner to start and scores with a middle rope ax handle. The Twisting Stunner is blocked early on and Theory hits a rolling dropkick. The armbar goes on….and it’s time for the 24/7 Title chase, because presenting a potential future star in Theory isn’t as important as a comedy title. With that waste of time out of the way, Hardy does his usual but misses the Swanton, allowing Theory to roll him up (with pants) for the pin at 2:06. That’s a huge relief after where it felt like they were going.

We recap the non-contract signing from Smackdown.

Bianca Belair remembers beating Sasha Banks at Wrestlemania and she is never forgetting what Becky Lynch did to her at Summerslam.

King of the Ring First Round: Jinder Mahal vs. Kofi Kingston

Before the match, Xavier Woods and Kofi still can’t talk about a potential match between the two of them. Veer, Shanky and Woods are here too. Mahal takes him down to start and stomps away in the corner but Kofi hurricanranas him to the floor. The middle rope trust fall drops Mahal again and we take a break.

Back with Kofi hitting the SOS but landing on the back of his own head for a scary landing. Kofi is good to continue so Mahal hits a gutbuster for two before taking Kofi up top. That’s broken up and Kofi’s top rope splash to the back gets two. Kofi loads up Trouble in Paradise but has to deal with everyone brawling outside. The top rope ax handle misses though, allowing Mahal to hit the Khallas for the pin at 9:00.

Rating: C. I can see both sides of this, as while it is annoying to have Mahal win anything, a battle between the New Day members should be something that matters. Throwing them out there on a week’s notice in a semifinal match would be a big waste so Mahal winning here was the right call. Assuming they don’t do something crazy like having Mahal advance to the finals, this was their best move.

Becky Lynch promises to leave Crown Jewel with the title.

Becky Lynch/Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks/Charlotte

Becky’s entrance now has a huge 3D image of herself looking over her sunglasses to send terror into your dreams. It’s a huge brawl before the bell and a bunch of referees come down to yell at everyone. Charlotte loads up the moonsault but gets broken up, with Belair tossing Banks onto the other two. Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville come out to yell as well and say the match is happening.

Back from a break and the bell rings so Charlotte and Banks can trade some standing switches. A wheelbarrow drops Banks but she kicks Charlotte in the face. Belair and Becky come in with Bianca working on the arm, but Banks doesn’t seem happy to be coming back in. Becky avoids Belair’s middle rope ax handle but Belair is right back with a suplex. Banks knocks Belair down but Charlotte tags herself in as Becky tries the Disarm-Her. Charlotte yells at Becky to get out so Banks gives Charlotte the Backstabber. Belair comes back in to clean house, including on her own partner, so the referee throws it out at 3:39.

Rating: C-. This existed for the sake of being able to say it existed, which isn’t quite what I had in mind when I saw it announced. That being said, it was looking like Charlotte was going to win a match over the three people fighting for a title next week so this could have been a lot more annoying. I’m over the partners who are about to fight each other trope, but we have another version of it for later tonight so I can’t get that annoyed yet.

Post match Belair can’t hit the KOD on Becky so Banks takes Belair down. The Manhandle Slam and Backstabber are both countered until Becky kicks Banks in the face and gets the Slam to leave her laying.

We recap the opening sequence.

The Usos are on the phone with Roman Reigns and tell him not to worry. Tonight, their job is to complete the mission.

Queen’s Crown Tournament First Round: Doudrop vs. Natalya

Natalya slaps her in the face to start but a headlock doesn’t get Natalya very far. Doudrop misses a backsplash though and gets caught in the abdominal stretch. That’s broken up as well and Doudrop misses the Cannonball. Natalya’s discus lariat gets two so she tries the Sharpshooter, which is countered into a small package to give Doudrop the pin at 3:04.

Rating: D+. It shouldn’t be a celebration when they break three minutes but that is where we are with this thing. Doudrop beating Natalya to set up the match with Shayna Baszler isn’t a bad idea, but it’s kind of sad seeing Doudrop as the dancing woman already. You knew it was coming, but it doesn’t make things that much better.

John Morrison is meditating when Nikki Ash and Rhea Ripley come up. He’s trying to get ready to expand his mind because there is a lot in there. They think that’s cool but once they leave, they admit they have no idea what he’s talking about. This is something WWE decided was worthy of time on this show.

Austin Theory photo bombs a warming up Big E.

Mustafa Ali yells at Mansoor, saying Mansoor only wants to dance and make friends. Ali has had his back but he should have told him the truth from day one: he is a loser and NOTHING. With Ali gone, Mansoor says he’ll talk to him later but Ali comes back in and jumps him from behind.

Big E./Drew McIntyre vs. Usos

Non-title. Big E. powers Jimmy into the corner without much effort to start and we get the non-New Day version of the Unicorn Stampede. Drew suplexes Jimmy for two but Big E. gets caught in the wrong corner so the Usos can make a wish. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Big E. makes the comeback. That’s broken up as well and Big E. is sent into the steps as we take a break.

Back with Big E. still in trouble but suplexing his way out of the corner. That’s enough for the hot tag to McIntyre for the house cleaning, including a spinebuster for two on Jimmy. The double superkick gets two on McIntyre but he’s right back up with the jumping neckbreaker.

The Claymore is loaded up but Big E. tags himself in (as McIntyre did last week), only to get superkicked down for two. Jey misses the Superfly Splash but counters the Big Ending as well. Drew gets knocked off the apron though and now the Big Ending connects, only to have Drew break up the pin. The fight is on and Big E. is counted out at 15:12 as the brawl continues.

Rating: C+. Better match than the tag match with a similar story and the Reigns factor looming over everything helps, but I’m so sick of this tag team deal. It’s one of WWE’s favorites and they run it so frequently, as the idea of diminishing returns continues to be lost on this company. That being said, there was good action and they went with the smart finish so it could have been much worse.

Post match the Usos jump Big E. and McIntyre and load up the announcers’ table. McIntyre (busted open) and Big E. fight back and get inside, where McIntyre hits the Claymore to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. There was some good stuff on here, but egads the bad things dragged it back down. I’m rarely a fan of setting up two shows at once, but they have already started on the main event of Survivor Series (which must be champion vs. champion, due to reasons of “well, that’s what we do”) without getting Crown Jewel out of the way first. They didn’t officially add anything to the card tonight, though I think you can pencil in Ali vs. Mansoor, as you have been able to do for a few months now.

The biggest problem here though is the Queen’s Crown. The four first round matches combined to be just over eight minutes combined, or less than any one of the men’s first round matches. There is no hiding the fact that WWE does not care about the tournament and it makes me wonder why I’m supposed to care about it either. Even if the semifinals and finals are better, and they almost have to be, WWE has sunk the thing before it can get started. It’s a shame that we waited this long for the thing and now have to see it take place under a regime that has such little interest.

There were some bright spots on the show (Ricochet vs. Woods was good, the Drew vs. Big E. build has gone as well as could be expected under the circumstances, and Theory looked like a star), but this was a rough sit as we move into one of the weaker times of the year. The show is trying to do a lot of things at once and since WWE can barely single task most of the time, multitasking is completely lost on them. Not the worst show, but a rather frustrating one in a trend that is likely to continue.

Results
Xavier Woods b. Ricochet – Rope walk elbow
Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin b. Mustafa Ali/Mansoor – Michinoku Driver to Ali
Shayna Baszler b. Dana Brooke – Knee to the face
Omos b. Riddle – Chokebomb
Austin Theory b. Jeff Hardy – Rollup with jeans
Jinder Mahal b. Kofi Kingston – Khallas
Charlotte/Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks/Bianca Belair went to a no contest
Doudrop b. Natalya – Small package
Usos b. Big E./Drew McIntyre via countout

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: May 7, 2007
Location: Bryce Jordan Center, Stage College, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 7,000
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

John Cena has a new big problem in the form of the Great Khali, who took out Shawn Michaels, Edge, Randy Orton and Cena himself last week. That is going to be quite the issue, and the fact that we are coming up on the Judgment Day pay per view should give you a hint about where this is going. Let’s get to it.

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

Coach is in the ring to introduce Vince McMahon. Vince: “WHAT UP G?” While Vince isn’t talking to God like Coach was doing when he said the same thing years ago, Vince brings talks about Great Khali’s dominance last week. We look at Khali’s path of destruction over Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and Edge, before taking out John Cena face to face. Back in the arena, Vince says that was impressive, because you don’t see someone take out four great ones like that in one night.

Therefore, at Judgment Day, it’s Cena…..well hang on a second as Michaels interrupts. He’s the one who was supposed to face Cena last week and beat him once again, so Khali should have to earn his shot tonight. Vince thought Shawn had more guts than brains and tonight, we might see them all over the ring. Shawn can have his match against Great Khali, and we’ll make that a #1 contenders No DQ match.

With that out of the way, here is Bobby Lashley to interrupt. Lashley says Shawn got what he wanted and now he wants something too. Vince reminds him of the no touch rule and taunts Lashley a bit, but Lashley manages to hold back. We see a clip of Vince winning the title from Lashley at Backlash, albeit with help from Shane McMahon and Umaga. Vince: “You want to call me champ?”

Just to rub it in even more, Vince has a photo of a collector’s edition of WWE Magazine, featuring Undertaker, John Cena and Lashley as champions. It’s a collector’s edition because Lashley isn’t champion anymore, so here’s Vince’s face on Lashley’s body. Vince: “You never heard about the grapefruits did you Lashley?” Anyway, Lashley can have the rematch in another 3-1 handicap match at Judgment Day. Lashley wants to show Vince what he thinks of him, but can’t do it. That makes Vince laugh so he leaves….but Coach doesn’t. Violence and destruction ensues, capped off by a spear as Vince poses with the title.

Mickie James has to tie Candice Michelle’s top. King approves.

Mickie James/Candice Michelle vs. Melina/Victoria

Rematch from last week where Candice pinned Victoria in an upset. Victoria and Mickie start but she wants Candice instead. That works well for Victoria, who stomps her down but gets armdragged (after a minor slip). Melina comes in and draws Mickie in as well, allowing a quick cheap shot to take over. Candice manages to escape and gets over to Mickie for the tag (to zero reaction in a weird moment). House is cleaned and there’s a neckbreaker to Melina. Everything breaks down and Candice spinwheel kicks Melina for the surprise pin. They’re trying with Candice and she has gotten better in recent weeks.

We look back at Santino Marella winning the Intercontinental Title, albeit with an assist from Bobby Lashley.

WWE visited some terminal children.

Intercontinental Title: Santino Marella vs. Chris Masters

Marella is defending in his first scheduled match. Masters shoves him down with straight power to start but Marella slugs away with right hands and a dropkick. A hard clothesline drops Marella though and Masters hits a running stomp (that’s different) to keep him down. The neck crank goes on for all of two seconds but Marella is back up with kicks to the leg. A dropkick to the knee gets two and Marella hammers away in the corner. Masters shoves him off but gets sent shoulder first into the post, setting up a rollup to retain the title.

Rating: C-. This was about all you could have expected here and that’s all well and good. What matters here is they went out and did their thing with both guys keeping things simple. You can only do so much with a guy like Marella and Masters isn’t quite the best choice to get a lot out of him. Efficient would be the right word here, and that’s fine enough.

Here is Mr. Kennedy for a chat on the stage. Kennedy talks about how his Wrestlemania countdown continues, as we are only 328 days until Wrestlemania XXIV. That’s when we will have a new champion and his name is Mr. Kennedy (wait for it) Kennedy.

Randy Orton promises to beat John Cena tonight and get his career back on track.

Umaga vs. Highlanders

There is no Armando Alejandro Estrada with Umaga after Bobby Lashley wrecked him on ECW. The dominance doesn’t take long, including the running hip attack to Robbie in the corner. The Samoan Spike crushes both of them to set up the double top rope splash and the easy pin.

The Condemned is still a thing. It isn’t a thing making much money, but it is a thing.

Edge comes up to Mr. Kennedy in the back and doesn’t like him around here. Since Edge is the first person to cash in Money in the Bank, Kennedy shouldn’t be afraid to defend it against him tonight. The match is on, with Kennedy hitting the catchphrase anyway.

Great Khali vs. Shawn Michaels

No DQ and the winner gets the title shot against John Cena at Judgment Day. Shawn charges at him to start and manages to get Khali tied up in the ropes. That doesn’t last long as Khali gets in a shot of his own to knock Shawn away, setting up a slam. Khali misses a legdrop though and Shawn grabs a chair to blast him in the face. There’s the top rope elbow to keep Khali rocked but Sweet Chin Music is countered with a chop to the head.

Elbows and a clothesline keep Shawn in trouble but he goes for the eyes to escape. Shawn chokes him over the ropes and outside ala Chris Benoit against Big Show at the 2004 Royal Rumble, setting up a baseball slide. Shawn’s DDT through the announcers’ table is shrugged away and it’s the double chokeslam through the table instead. That’s enough for the referee, who calls it off to send Khali to Judgment Day.

Rating: C. Well what else were they supposed to do? There aren’t a ton of options for someone of Shawn’s size against Khali and they did about as well as could be expected. It certainly wasn’t a great match or even a very good one, but they did as well as could have been expected. Throw in the pretty clear ending and this was pretty decent.

Shawn is taken out by the medics.

John Cena isn’t worried about Great Khali because he’ll fight anyone of any size, even if they are 7’5 and over 400lbs and talk like Charlie Brown’s teacher.

Cryme Tyme (hey they’re still here) are having a Mother’s Day sale, including steak (cut to Viscera missing a steak), prescription pills (cut to Eugene missing his pills) and a Hummer (cut to Ron Simmons missing his Hummer and hitting the catchphrase). Cue a guy (clearly Big Dick Johnson) in a Spider-Man costume to say he thinks they’re up to something. Shad pulls out a baseball bat, calls himself Batman, and beats up Spider-Man. Were the writers really bored or something this week?

Hardys vs. World’s Greatest Tag Team

Non-title with Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch on commentary. Matt elbows Benjamin in the head to start and then cuts off a charge with another elbow. Haas offers a distraction though and pulls Matt arm down onto the top. Benjamin takes Matt down by the arm and Haas’ northern lights onto the arm makes it worse.

The arm crank goes on as Cade and Murdoch take turns stealing JR’s catchphrases. Matt finally gets up with a reverse DDT and the hot tag brings in Jeff. House is cleaned in a hurry with Jeff dropping Benjamin onto Haas, who gets caught with the legdrop between the legs. The Whisper in the Wind gets two on Haas with Benjamin making the save. That means a Twist of Fate to Benjamin and the Swanton finishes Haas.

Rating: C+. These guys had a nice tag match and that’s not the biggest surprise. You have two rather good teams and they got in a lot of stuff in a short amount of times. Haas and Benjamin might not be the top team around anymore but they can still work well with anyone, and it helps when you’re in there with one of the best teams ever.

Post match, Cade and Murdoch show respect, with the Hardys skeptically accepting the handshake.

We look at Carlito turning on Ric Flair last week.

Video on Snitsky, who seems to have jumped from ECW. I’m sure they’ll survive.

Here are Carlito and Torrie Wilson for a chat. Carlito talks about how Ric Flair embarrassed him in front of Torrie, which Carlito let go because of who was saying it. Flair said they needed to team together so he could grow, but how much more growing does he need to do? Carlito should be WWE Champion by now but Flair was holding him back. He calls out Flair….who commentary says isn’t here tonight. With that not working, Carlito says it’s time to get rid of the garbage in his life and that starts with yelling at Torrie in Spanish. Torrie leaves and Carlito keeps ranting in Spanish until he throws the mic down.

Money in the Bank: Edge vs. Mr. Kennedy

Kennedy is defending but Edge jumps him from behind before the bell. Edge sends Kennedy into the barricade and the post, setting up a monitor shot to the face. They get inside with Kennedy saying ring the bell, meaning Edge can spear him down for the pin and the briefcase at 6 seconds.

Post match Edge beats Kennedy down again to leave him laying. Kennedy was put on the shelf with a shoulder injury, which turned out not to be that bad, as he was back in the ring less than two months later. Either way, this was it for his time near the title in WWE and I’ve always wondered what would have happened if he had gotten the chance. Maybe not much, but it could have been very interesting.

We look at Great Khali decimating Shawn Michaels again.

Randy Orton vs. John Cena

Non-title. Cena rolls him up for a fast two and snaps off a suplex for the same. Orton sends him shoulder first into the post and drops a knee for two of his own. We’re already in the chinlock but Cena fights up and initiates the finishing sequence…but Great Khali is at ringside. Khali picks up the title to distract Cena, making him drop the AA. Instead, Cena pulls Orton into the STF but he goes after Khali instead, charging right into a belt shot from Khali to end the show. So much for a finish.

Rating: C. This was barely a match and that’s fine enough, though they could have done just about the same thing without having a match in the first place. Khali is a different kind of opponent for Cena and they’re making him feel like a major threat. That’s not the hardest thing to do but it is working so far. As for Orton, it still feels like he is being punished for screwing up on the European trip, which is pretty much deserved.

Overall Rating: C. There was a lot here and a good bit of it wasn’t all that great. That being said, this show was more about moving things forward, as you can see a lot of the pay per view card from here, plus the change of the briefcase. I’m curious about where some of these things are going, even if it is for a B pay per view. Not a great show, but an important one and that’s fine.

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.