IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 12, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

Things have picked up in the slightest sense over the last few weeks as a minor feud has broken out. I wouldn’t expect it to go much further than that but I’ll take what I can get at this point. We now have a full on heel Cruiserweight Champion with lackeys and he’ll need a challenger after Drake Maverick. Maybe someone on here can be built up in that way. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ever Rise vs. Leon Ruff/Adrian Alanis

Martel armdrags Ruff down to start so it’s off to Parker vs. Alanis. The armdrags into the armbar put Parker down and it’s right back to the other two. This time Ruff gets in his own armbar but it’s right back to Martel for a running elbow in the corner. The top wristlock keeps Ruff down for a few seconds until he’s over to Alanis for the hot tag. That doesn’t go well either and it’s Martel holding Alanis up for a running Codebreaker from Parker for the pin at 4:25.

Rating: D+. Ever Rise were a nice team in the indies but they’re not clicking whatsoever around here. They’re just two guys in tights who have passable matches. In other words, they’re TM61 without as much talent or Pokemon jokes. You can see the effort, but sounding like a knockoff battery brand isn’t helping them.

We recap Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch’s mixed results against Tehuti Miles.

We look at Isaiah Scott beating Jack Gallagher but getting beaten down after.

We look at Hijo del Fantasma turning heel by attacking Jack Gallagher, joining forces with Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde and unmasking as Santos Escobar.

Tehuti Miles/Tony Nese/Jack Gallagher vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch/Isaiah Scott

Makes sense. Miles tags himself in to start, much to Gallagher’s annoyance, so Burch elbows him in the face. It’s off to Lorcan and then Scott in the span of a second as the arm cranking continues. Nese comes in and gets headlocked down by Scott, followed by a headscissors from Lorcan. Back up and Gallagher comes in, allowing Nese to snap Lorcan’s throat across the top. The villains take over, including a suplex/middle rope dropkick combination for two.

Miles’ hard clothesline gets two and we hit the chinlock. That doesn’t last long so Miles goes with a flapjack, but hang on as he needs to check his hair. The delay allows the tag off to Scott so the pace can pick up. The rolling Downward Spiral gets two on Miles with Gallagher making the save. Burch throws Scott into the corner to dropkick Miles as everything breaks down. Nese’s spinning kick to the face gets two on Burch but Miles checks his hair again. That’s too much for Gallagher, who walks out because he’s not babysitting kids. Nese goes to talk him out of it as Burch headbutts Miles. The Confidence Boost finishes at 7:43.

Rating: C. Just a six man here and that’s all well and good. What matters most here though is Scott continues to get the push to the next level. He has all the tools needed to be a major challenger and now he seems to be moving in that direction. That being said, he has been here before and WWE has pulled the plug so it’s cautious optimism at best.

Overall Rating: C-. It wasn’t a great show but they’re doing SOMETHING around here. No it isn’t much, but at the same time it’s better than sitting around watching the same stuff over and over again with no story or interest whatsoever. The show still offers a grand total of nothing significant, but at least they’re not just sitting around wasting time every single week.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 5, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

We have a new Cruiserweight Champion and they may have already forgotten the Interim part. I’m not sure where the title or the division is going at the moment, but it doesn’t seem to be something that is going to be taking place around here. There’s something interesting about the fact that all of the shows are being taped in the same place and we never see the champion, or anything of importance around here. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oney Lorcan vs. Tehuti Miles

Danny Burch is here with Lorcan, who takes Miles down into a headscissors to start. Back up and Lorcan chops away, only to get caught in a spinning flapjack. The running crotch attack to the back of Lorcan’s head sets up some elbow drops….and an adjustment of Miles’ hair. A neckbreaker gives Miles two and we hit the armbar. That’s broken up and Lorcan starts getting annoyed, meaning the chops are on again. Miles grabs a rollup with trunks so Burch shouts about the cheating. That has Miles yelling at him, allowing Lorcan to grab a rollup for the pin at 7:49.

Rating: C. It’s kind of weird to see Lorcan getting a pin when Burch couldn’t, though it does make Miles seem a little more important. Now that being said, it’s still Miles and I don’t quite see him being a big star in the future. Then again, it’s not like having the same people around here is a good idea so I’ll take someone fresh.

We look at Isaiah Scott pinning Tony Nese on NXT despite Jack Gallagher’s distraction.

Isaiah Scott vs. Jack Gallagher

They circle each other to start with Scott taking him to the mat and not being able to do much there. Scott spins him down into a short armscissors and then dropkicks him into the corner. The middle rope elbow to the back gets two but Gallagher is back up with a whip into the post.

Gallagher starts striking away but gets caught with a quick House Call to the floor. The rolling Downward Spiral gives Scott two, only to get pulled into the guillotine. That’s countered with a brainbuster but Gallagher countered a belly to back superplex into a crossbody for two more. Gallagher goes for the armbar, which Scott quickly reverses into a rollup for the pin at 7:38.

Rating: C+. Scott winning is always a nice thing to see but he needs something more than trading wins on this show. How many times can you face people like Gallagher and Nese before it stops meaning anything? The match was fine enough, but don’t try to make me care about these matches or stories when WWE certainly doesn’t.

Post match Tony Nese comes out and sends Scott into the steps, much to Gallagher’s confusion.

From NXT.

Interim Cruiserweight Title: El Hijo de Fantasma vs. Drake Maverick

For the vacant title and Maverick’s job is pretty much on the line. They shake hands to start and Fantasma rolls him up for a quick two. That freaks Drake out a bit so it’s off to a slightly safer hammerlock. Fantasma is right back up so they circle each other in a standoff. An armbar takes Drake down and Fantasma gets a rollup for two more. Back up and Maverick grabs a headscissors to put Fantasma on the floor. A Cannonball off the apron takes Fantasma down again and we take a break.

Back with Maverick hitting a middle rope dropkick to put Fantasma on the floor again but this time he powerbombs Maverick on the outside. They head back inside with Fantasma grabbing a surfboard but Maverick slips out and hits a running kick in the corner. Fantasma pulls him into a Boston crab, followed by an ugly sitout powerbomb for two more. That’s enough to fire Maverick up but Fantasma forearms him in the back to take care of that again.

This time Maverick unloads in the corner and drops the top rope elbow for two more. They fight up top again with Fantasma being knocked to the floor. Cue the masked men from the parking lot but Maverick dives onto both of them. Back in and Fantasma hits a quick superkick into the Phantom Driver for the pin and the title at 15:02.

Rating: B. It was a good enough match and I wasn’t sure which way they were going to go until the end. That makes for an interesting way to go and Maverick’s heart was shining through as always. There was even interference to make things feel a little less fair. Fantasma is the right call though as he’s more talented, but it was nice to see Maverick’s great run.

Post match Fantasma celebrates while Maverick sits in the ring. He thanks everyone for what happened, gets the hero’s sendoff…..and here’s HHH with the contract for Maverick to end the show. It was either that or win the title so this was a feel good moment. I’d be curious to find out how long this was planned in advance, but hopefully is wasn’t that long.

Overall Rating: C+. The extra stuff from NXT helped as at least they are trying to do something with this show. I have no confidence that this is anything more than a one off though as this show continues to be little more than time filler on a Friday night. The cruiserweights are treated like filler on TV, so why do they still have their own TV show? I don’t get it, and I doubt WWE does either.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: June 3, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Tom Phillips, Beth Phoenix

It’s the go home show for Takeover and that means we have another stacked card. The big story is building tot he NXT Title match but you never know how that might go. NXT has a good history with making you want to see the major shows, but things have been difference since they went to two hours. Hopefully they can make it work well here all over again. Let’s get to it.

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

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae

Candice jumps her to start but Mia kicks her down without much trouble. More kicks keep Candice down but she kicks her way out of a full nelson. Some backsplashes give Candice two, only to be sent into the corner for a Cannonball. A forearm knocks Candice to the floor and Mia follows her out for a whip into the barricade. The brawling continues and it’s a double countout at 3:49.

Rating: D+. This was just a way to get to the finish and I think you know what’s coming here. Mia was more aggressive than usual here and that’s a good thing that she’s been needing for a while now. Candice is better at the promos than the wrestling, but she could be a lot worse. Just not much of a match, but it wasn’t supposed to be.

Post match the brawl continues and they fight into the Titantron, messing up its feed. Tegan Nox comes in to break it up but Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez come in to break up Nox. Shotzi Blackheart is out as well and the melee is afoot. Everyone else is cleared out and Mia decks Candice. Johnny Gargano comes out to break things up but Candice jumps Mia again. Cue Keith Lee to chase the Garganos off and let’s hit that mixed tag.

Keith Lee/Mia Yim vs. Johnny Gargano/Candice LeRae

Gargano and Lee are in street clothes. The Garganos try to escape but Lee grabs him in a gorilla press. Lee carries him down the aisle and doesn’t mind Candice jumping on his back at the same time. Mia jumps Johnny in the ring and we’re officially ready to start. Mia throws Candice down to start and gets a quick two off Soul Food. Candice gets kicked away but Gargano won’t come in because he’s not in wrestling gear. Gargano comes in to break up a dragon suplex so Lee picks him up, only to have Gargano stab him in the eyes with car keys. Candice rolls Mia up for the pin at 3:45.

Rating: C-. Another angle rather than a match and that’s fine given that the match is already set for Sunday. Gargano vs. Lee should be good and Candice vs. Mia can be done again later. At some point Lee has to lose the title and it would make sense for him to drop the title to the freshly heel Gargano, likely with a lot of cheating included.

Post match Gargano attacks Lee’s hand for a bonus.

Video on Tommaso Ciampa vs. Karrion Kross.

Dexter Lumis has nothing to say….but he pulls in an easel and some markers to start drawing.

Drake Maverick is ready for anything tonight and isn’t feeling the pressure. That’s why he’s having cookies and cake at catering. There is no pressure tonight, and he’s ready for the biggest night of his life.

We get a Prime Target video on Adam Cole vs. Velveteen Dream. Cole is picked up by the Undisputed Era (including Kyle O’Reilly) for a special day commemorating his one year anniversary as NXT Champion. They take the limo to lunch so we go to Velveteen Dream, who talks is rollerblading by Full Sail University, where Cole injured him to cost Dream the North American Title.

The Era has drinks and toasts to Cole’s success and we cut back to Dream talking about the time he pinned Cole. Dream asks his mirror who will be the greatest NXT Champion and is told that it will be him. Various personalities, including Drew McIntyre, talk about how big of a showdown this is. The match is officially a Backlot Brawl.

Lumis has finished his drawing, which is the Undisputed Era in a car with Lumis driving. Ok then.

Tony Nese vs. Isaiah Scott

Fallout from Nese costing Scott a Cruiserweight Title tournament match. Scott spears him down to start and hammers away before they fight outside. Nese gets in a hard shot on the floor and it’s back inside to send Scott back first into the corner. The bodyscissors stays on the back but Scott gets in some chops from the mat.

Nese powers him up into a guillotine but Scott reverses into a brainbuster for a good counter. Scott sends him outside and hits the running boot from the apron to make it even worse. Back in and Nese goes up top but here’s Jack Gallagher for a distraction. Nese punches Scott off the top and loads up the Sunset Driver, only to be reversed into a sunset flip to give Scott the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C. I don’t get why the cruiserweights don’t get a bit more build than they receive. I know they’re never going to be a focal point of the show, but they are right there and capable of doing a little something. Let them fill in some time so you don’t burn through so many of your top stars and stories so fast.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Undisputed Era vs. ???

For the #1 contendership and it’s….Breezango filling out the field in a surprise moment (they’re astronauts because reasons). Burch, Fish and Breeze start things off with Fish getting double teamed. As usual, the other two get in an argument over who should get the pin and the staredown is on. The Era is sent outside and the other four have a staredown to take us to a break.

Back with Strong getting stomped down in the corner until Burch dropkicks Breeze down. Strong sends them into each other and hits a Rock Bottom backbreaker on Breeze. Fish drops Burch on the floor, leaving Breeze to get beaten up in the corner. Fandango gets suckered in so Strong can chinlock Breeze to slow things down. That brings Burch back in for the save and Breeze gets over to Fandango for the tag.

Back to back powerslams plant the Era and it’s a Falcon Arrow for two on Strong. Lorcan comes in as well and strikes away at everyone he can find. A double running Blockbuster drops the Era and Fandango throws Lorcan onto a bunch of people at ringside. Fandango adds the big flip dive, leaving Breeze to Supermodel kick Burch inside. The Era comes in to beat up Breeze as Lumis is here to watch. The Beauty Shot drops Fish though and the Last Dance gives Fandango the pin at 9:46.

Rating: B-. This was your usual wild match but they kept it short enough to not overstay their welcome. Breezango should be good first victims for Imperium, who are the kind of guys who wouldn’t be able to stand the two of them. It could make for an entertaining match, though I’d assume it’s a regular TV match instead of something at Takeover.

Post match Imperium comes out for the staredown, followed by Malcolm Bivens and his two giants. Dang it I was hoping they had forgotten about those two.

We look at Chelsea Green firing Robert Stone last week. That’s probably the right move for both of them as the team wasn’t working.

Aliyah vs. Santana Garrett

Aliyah starts fast with a neckbreaker and right hands as a disheveled Robert Stone comes out to watch. We hit the double arm crank on Garrett but she fires up and hits a hurricanrana out of the corner. A handspring moonsault finishes Aliyah at 2:02. I like both of them but I have no reason to believe this is leading anywhere for Garrett.

An annoyed Stone leaves.

We get another Prime Target, this time on the women’s triple threat match. Io Shirai, underwater, talks about being isolated in the darkness. She loves being alone because it makes her stronger. Rhea Ripley and Charlotte should be afraid of her because she will be the next champion.

Over to Ripley, who is woken up at 5:30am to start training for the day. She finished 2019 on fire but then 2020 was all downhill. It’s time to turn things around. Then we have Charlotte, who is nervous because she hasn’t been on Takeover in a long time. She is NXT homegrown though and will show what she can do again. All three of them want to be the best and have something to prove. Talking heads talk about how good all three of them are and how great the match is going to be.

Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes

Grimes talks trash to start and gets run over by the much bigger Reed. An atomic drop sets up a Bionic elbow and Grimes gets planted off a gorilla press. Reed throws him around again and hits a running hip attack in the corner. Back in and the top rope splash misses, setting up the Cave In to give Grimes the pin at 2:44. Good win for Grimes here and it’s nice to see Reed back.

Post match Grimes talks trash but Karrion Kross is here for the Doomsday Saito to Reed. Kross tells Ciampa that Sunday will be special. Tick tock.

At Takeover: Tegan Nox/Shotzi Blackheart/Mia Yim vs. Dakota Kai/Raquel Gonzalez/Candice LeRae. I can go for a six person.

Interim Cruiserweight Title: El Hijo de Fantasma vs. Drake Maverick

For the vacant title and Maverick’s job is pretty much on the line. They shake hands to start and Fantasma rolls him up for a quick two. That freaks Drake out a bit so it’s off to a slightly safer hammerlock. Fantasma is right back up so they circle each other in a standoff. An armbar takes Drake down and Fantasma gets a rollup for two more. Back up and Maverick grabs a headscissors to put Fantasma on the floor. A Cannonball off the apron takes Fantasma down again and we take a break.

Back with Maverick hitting a middle rope dropkick to put Fantasma on the floor again but this time he powerbombs Maverick on the outside. They head back inside with Fantasma grabbing a surfboard but Maverick slips out and hits a running kick in the corner. Fantasma pulls him into a Boston crab, followed by an ugly sitout powerbomb for two more. That’s enough to fire Maverick up but Fantasma forearms him in the back to take care of that again.

This time Maverick unloads in the corner and drops the top rope elbow for two more. They fight up top again with Fantasma being knocked to the floor. Cue the masked men from the parking lot but Maverick dives onto both of them. Back in and Fantasma hits a quick superkick into the Phantom Driver for the pin and the title at 15:02.

Rating: B. It was a good enough match and I wasn’t sure which way they were going to go until the end. That makes for an interesting way to go and Maverick’s heart was shining through as always. There was even interference to make things feel a little less fair. Fantasma is the right call though as he’s more talented, but it was nice to see Maverick’s great run.

Post match Fantasma celebrates while Maverick sits in the ring. He thanks everyone for what happened, gets the hero’s sendoff…..and here’s HHH with the contract for Maverick to end the show. It was either that or win the title so this was a feel good moment. I’d be curious to find out how long this was planned in advance, but hopefully is wasn’t that long.

Overall Rating: B-. They did a nice job of making Takeover feel like a big deal, but there is still a certain level of magic missing from the show. Maybe it’s a lot of the wrestlers not being able to be in person for the show, but it isn’t exactly as interesting as it has been before. Then again, I’ve said that many times about Takeover before and been completely wrong, so maybe that’s the case this time too.

Results

Mia Yim vs. Candice LeRae went to a double countout

Johnny Gargano/Candice LeRae b. Mia Yim/Keith Lee – Rollup to Yim

Isaiah Scott b. Tony Nese – Sunset flip

Breezango b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch and Undisputed Era – Last Dance to Fish

Cameron Grimes b. Bronson Reed – Cave In

El Hijo de Fantasma b. Drake Maverick – Phantom Driver

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 22, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

We’re back with another edition of the show that continues to exist. The Cruiserweight Title tournament is starting to come to a close and that means absolutely nothing around here, as tends to be the case. Hopefully we can get some good action around here, because it’s not like anything matters when it comes to stories. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Ever Rise

Remember when Burch and Lorcan beat these two on NXT in less than two minutes? Well now you’re getting a rematch! Burch and Martel lock up to start but a cheap shot from the apron lets Parker come in to hammer him down. A leg trip lets Burch take Parker over to the corner so Lorcan can get the tag. The rapid fire uppercuts set up the half crab that gave them the win on Wednesday but Martel sends Burch into them for the save this time.

Lorcan gets taken into the corner for the alternating beatdown, setting up the snapmare into the chinlock. That’s broken up and a running Blockbuster allows the tag to Burch so house can be cleaned. A headbutt rocks Martel but the Tower of London to Parker is broken up. Burch doesn’t mind as he Crossfaces Martel for the win at 5:45.

Rating: D+. So that happened. It was more competitive than what happened before, but it’s not like there was anything interesting here. Ever Rise isn’t worth seeing and I don’t exactly see much for them in the near or distant future. At least they lasted longer than two minutes this time around though, and that’s an upgrade.

We look back at NXT’s tournament matches.

We look back at Jack Gallagher eliminating Isaiah Scott from the tournament.

Isaiah Scott vs. Tyler Breeze

Breeze takes him down to start so Scott takes things into the corner. Scott misses a kick to the head and the frustration is setting in. He even slips going to the middle rope and Breeze dropkicks him to the floor. A hard whip sends Scott into the barricade and Breeze gets two off a suplex back inside. That’s enough for Scott to get fired up and he sends Breeze outside for a running stomp from the apron.

Back in and the rolling Downward Spiral gives Scott two but Breeze is right back with an enziguri for his own two. Scott spins him into a quick German suplex for two more and a neckbreaker staggers Breeze again. The Supermodel Kick gives Breeze a quick two but the Cheeky Nandos kick is broken up. Instead, Scott hit the Confidence Boost (inverted Iconoclasm) for the pin at 8:46.

Rating: C. I’ve liked Scott for a good while now so hopefully this is the start of a push for him. I wouldn’t get my hopes up as it’s a win over a low level wrestler on the least important show in the division at the bottom rung on the ladder. But he won something, so that’s a step up right?

Overall Rating: C-. It’s another case where I can’t say much about the show because there is no reason to think about it that much. I can appreciate that the wrestlers are out there trying and putting in the effort, but this show is just such a nothing event that I don’t know how much hope there is. That’s a sad situation, but it’s also the reality at the moment.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

NXT
Date: May 20, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Beth Phoenix, Tom Phillips

I’m not sure what to expect at the moment but it’s time to start getting ready for Takeover. The show is in two and a half weeks and that means we are going to need to get things going in a hurry. There isn’t much set for the show but NXT knows how to do this stuff like no one else. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory of Shad Gaspard.

Opening sequence.

Karrion Kross vs. ???

Scarlett doesn’t do as much lip syncing this week but the entrance is still cool. Doomsday Saito and the Krossjacket choke finishes…someone (his tights say Liam) at 49 seconds.

Post match here’s Tommaso Ciampa to say Kross started by going after the top man in NXT. Ciampa knows Kross is special and Kross can prove that when they fight at Takeover. They’re starting fast with the build.

We take a quick look at the Interim Cruiserweight Title Tournament.

Interim Cruiserweight Title Tournament Group B: Akira Tozawa (2-0) vs. El Hijo de Fantasma (1-1)

The winner wins the block. Tozawa takes him to the mat with a test of strength but Fantasma is back up with a northern lights suplex for two. They trade armdrags but Tozawa misses a dropkick to give us a standoff. The chop off is on until Tozawa head fakes him into the right hand. A hurricanrana sends Fantasma outside and Tozawa hits the running flip dive off the steps.

Back from a break with Fantasma hitting a frog splash on the apron but Tozawa plants him down inside. Fantasma crotches him on top but Tozawa drops him on the same buckle to even things up. The top rope backsplash gets two with Fantasma sending him outside for the big suicide dive. Back in and the Phantom Driver finishes Tozawa at 11:30.

Rating: B-. This was a rather action packed one and it’s smart to go with someone new in Fantasma getting the win. He’s someone with a lot of potential and while Tozawa has the history, he hasn’t been getting much extra momentum on Raw with all of the losses. I like the result here though and it’s the right call.

Group B Standings

El Hijo de Fantasma – 2 – 1

Akira Tozawa – 2 – 1

Jack Gallagher – 1 – 2

Isaiah Scott – 1 – 2

We recap last week’s Tag Team Title change and Timothy Thatcher attacking Matt Riddle to end the show.

Thatcher wants one more match with Riddle where pinfalls don’t count and you can only win via knockout or tap out. Riddle can pick the time and the place.

Shotzi Blackheart, on a tank, promises to destroy the NXT Women’s division. She rolls over some cars, which sounds like Dakota Kai. Chelsea Green’s makeup got crushed and she’s sorry to Candice LeRae but she might have just squashed a pixie. This was rather over the top and one of the more memorable things I’ve seen in a long time.

Mia Yim vs. Santana Garrett

They try stereo dropkicks to start so it’s an early standoff. Santana sends her into the corner for a handspring elbow and floats over into a press for two. Yim is back with a dragon suplex and Protect Yo Neck finishes Garrett at 1:15.

Post match here are Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae with Johnny mocking Mia’s theme song. Candice mocks her for winning because she should be winning against Charlotte. See, Mia had ANOTHER chance to win and blew it, as she always does. The brawl is on but Johnny low bridges Mia to the floor. Keith Lee runs in for the save.

We recap Damien Priest attacking Finn Balor last week to unveil himself as the attacker and causing Balor to lose to Cameron Grimes in the process.

Grimes gloats a lot about his win.

Drake Maverick has to beat Kushida tonight and that’s not easy against one of the best junior heavyweights of all time. He has to pin Kushida or make him submit and since Maverick isn’t Bret Hart, he doesn’t have a lot of options. All Drake knows is he’s tired of doubting himself so tonight’s winning.

Roderick Strong vs. Dexter Lumis

During the Era’s entrance, Adam Cole promises a celebration of his one year title reign next week. Lumis wins a wrestle off to start and stares Strong to the floor in frustration. Back in and Strong still can’t outgrapple him, meaning it’s time for another breather. Strong gets back in where Lumis uppercuts and slams him into a legdrop. A bulldog brings Strong down again so it’s out to the floor for a third time.

This time Lumis follows and gets sent into the steps as a result. Strong drops him onto the apron and we take a break. Back with Strong hitting his running forearms in the corner and grabbing the seated abdominal stretch. Lumis glares his way to freedom so it’s an Olympic Slam to give Strong two.

The Stronghold is broken up so Strong elbows him in the back instead. This time it’s Lumis fighting up with shots to the head and a backdrop, followed by a slingshot suplex for two. Strong chops away and Lumis just glares at him again and grabs a spinebuster. Strong tries the Stronghold again so Lumis reverses into a cradle but Strong sits down on it for the pin at 11:28.

Rating: C+. It was good, but Lumis continues to be so gimmicky that it’s distracting. I’m not sure if I can get into him being this high on the card but it might not be something that lasts too long. They have to try something else though and it makes sense to put him out there and see what he can do. And at least he didn’t pin Strong here so it could have been much worse.

Post match, Lumis chokes Strong out. The Era comes in for the save but Velveteen Dream comes in to make the real save. A Purple Rainmaker over the barricade hits Cole, likely setting up the rematch for the title at Takeover. Lumis cradles Strong and rubs his head while blankly staring out into the distance.

During the break, Akira Tozawa and Fantasma showed respect but the masked men ran in to jump Tozawa. Fantasma made the save and ran them off.

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch vs. Ever Rise

Burch runs over Parker to start and hands it off to Lorcan for the headlock on Martel. The running Blockbuster sets up a half crab for the tap at 1:33 while Burch Crossfaces Parker at the same time. Well that was fast.

We look back at the Garganos/Keith Lee/Mia Yim segment from earlier.

Keith Lee is sick of the Garganos and is willing to prove it at Takeover.

Matt Riddle would love to face Timothy Thatcher and let’s do it in a cage.

Interim Cruiserweight Title Tournament Group A: Kushida (2-0) vs. Drake Maverick (1-1)

If Kushida wins, he wins the block outright but if Maverick wins, it’s a three way tie between the two of them and Jake Atlas. Kushida grabs a headlock to start so Maverick reverses into a sunset flip. They stare each other down before Drake has to avoid an armbar attempt. A basement dropkick to the ribs puts Maverick in trouble and a handspring elbow makes it even worse.

Kushida snaps the arm back as Jake Atlas comes out to watch. The cartwheel into another basement dropkick gets one on Maverick and we take a break. Back with Maverick sending him into the corner and hitting a middle rope dropkick. A Code Red gets two but Kushida goes right back to the arm to put him outside. Back in and Kushida stomps on the arm but the Sakuraba Lock is broken up with a grab of the rope.

The hold goes on again and stays on a good bit longer, sending Drake into the rope again. Drake demands that the match not be stopped so Kushida gives him a running palm strike in the corner. What looked to be a tornado DDT is blocked but Kushida gets the Sakuraba Lock in the ropes. That has to be broken up due to the ropes so Maverick goes up top for a super sitout bulldog. That’s reversed into the cross armbreaker but Maverick stacks him up for the upset pin at 12:01.

Rating: C+. I understand the issues that exist with the story (playing off of employment at this point, possibly faking a release, releasing someone and then possibly keeping them around because of all of the emotion etc.) but DANG I’ve gotten hooked on the whole thing. I want to see Maverick survive and that’s the kind of story that you need.

Group A Standings

Kushida – 2 – 1

Drake Maverick – 2 – 1

Jake Atlas – 2 – 1

Tony Nese – 0 – 3

Post match it’s Byron Saxton coming out to announce a triple threat match next week for the spot in the finals.

We recap Rhea Ripley vs. Io Shirai.

The Riddle vs. Thatcher Cage Fight is next week.

Drake Maverick talks about living forever. Championships will come, but Finn Balor was a target that turned into an opportunity. Balor put this place on the map so Priest is coming for him at the place where Balor made a name for himself. At Takeover, Balor’s name will turn to ash while the name Damian Priest will live forever.

Ciampa vs. Kross is confirmed for Takeover.

Io Shirai vs. Rhea Ripley

Shirai scratches the back to start so Ripley dropkicks her down. That earns her a quick double stomp from Shirai for two and we take a break. Back with Shirai getting a sunset flip for two and slapping on a Crossface. Ripley powers out and catches her on top for a top rope superplex. That’s good for two and Shirai strikes away, only to get knocked down by a single shot.

Shirai slaps her down into another Crossface so Rhea makes it to the rope again. The 619 connects and a dropkick puts Rhea on the floor. Shirai nails the suicide dive….and here’s Charlotte, for her third appearance on three straight shows. Shirai headscissors Rhea into Charlotte and hits the running knees in the corner back inside. A DDT plants Rhea for two more, only to have Charlotte come in for the big boot to Shirai for the DQ at 10:50.

Rating: C+. Why yes it is Charlotte interfering again, likely setting up a triple threat match for the title at Takeover. I know WWE loves itself some Charlotte and having her on all three weekly shows is something that seems to be a regular move, at least for the time being. Hopefully that isn’t the case, but the title match at Takeover does sound intriguing.

Post match Charlotte spears Rhea down and poses with the title to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I had a better time with this one than most of the recent shows as it felt like two regular hour long shows stacked on top of each other. That made things a little bit easier to watch, if nothing else due to the fact that they didn’t stay on anything for too long. You don’t need to spend that much time on any one thing and make it more like a buffet than one big meal. That has worked well for NXT for years and it’s what they were doing here. Good show, and Takeover is taking shape in a hurry.

Results

Karrion Kross b. ??? – Krossjacket Choke

El Hijo de Fantasma b. Akira Tozawa – Phantom Driver

Mia Yim b. Santana Garrett – Protect Yo Neck

Roderick Strong b. Dexter Lumis – Rollup

Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch b. Ever Rise – Half crab to Parker

Drake Maverick b. Kushida – Rollup

Io Shirai b. Rhea Ripley via DQ when Charlotte interfered

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 8, 2020
Host: Jeremy Borash, Tom Phillips

Yes it’s the first time that Jeremy Borash has gotten to host a show and I could go for more of that taking place. If nothing else, Tom Phillips could probably use a break as he is on almost every show these days. I’m not sure what we are going to be seeing this time, but opening the vault is always fun. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Tom introduces Jeremy and welcomes him to the team.

The subject this week is Oney Lorcan, who is working out in his back yard. Here’s our first match.

From Starrcade 1996.

J-Crown/Cruiserweight Title: Ultimo Dragon vs. Dean Malenko

The J-Crown is a collection of 8 junior heavyweight titles from around the world collected into one title. Dragon currently holds the J-Crown but wants the Cruiserweight Title, held by Dean. Sonny Onoo, the evil Japanese representative, is now a regular evil manager, representing Dragon. The Dragon is a very solid wrestler from Japan while Malenko is a smaller guy but known as the Man of 1000 Holds. Mike Tenay, international wrestling expert, joins commentary for this one.

Dean takes it to the mat to start but Dragon sits out. Now Dean sits out as both guys fight for control. Ultimo finally gets control with a leg lock but Dean rolls away to the ropes. Dragon takes him right back down to the mat and puts on a quickly broken chinlock. They’re moving very quickly so far. Dragon nips out of a headscissors and we have a standoff. Dean is taken down again and Dragon fires off some HARD kicks to the back.

Dean takes him down with a backbreaker and puts on a headscissors as this is a chess match so far with both guys trying to get an extended advantage. Dragon hooks another chinlock but Dean is out of it almost immediately. The fans all chant USA as Dragon hits a jumping kick to take Dean down and it’s off to a modified STF. Malenko fights up again and we head outside where the Dragon slams him down. A suicide dive takes Malenko down but there’s no Asai Moonsault (it’s named after Dragon, its inventor).

Back inside and Dragon suplexes him down for two and Malenko gets the same off a sunset flip. Dragon hooks on a bow and arrow hold before shifting over to an abdominal stretch. The match has slowed WAY down and not in a good way. Tenay talks about Dragon’s name meaning that he’s the final student of Bruce Lee. Dragon would have been about seven years old when Lee died, so I’m thinking that’s not true.

Malenko fights up and hooks a quick release German suplex for two and it’s off to a leg bar by Dean. In a smart move, Dean lets go of the hold for a second so he can pull Ultimo back to the middle of the ring. Dragon finally makes it to the rope so Dean dropkicks him in the side of the knee to keep the pressure on. A kind of spinebuster puts Dragon back down and we hit another leg lock to keep Dean in control. Dean catches a charging Dragon in a WICKED powerslam to pop the crowd but for some reason there’s no cover. Dragon comes back with a spinwheel kick and a powerbomb for two.

Dean picks him up for a tombstone and the fans go nuts again. The Texas Cloverleaf (Malenko’s leg lock finisher) is escaped but a tiger bomb gets two instead. Dean is kicked to the floor and there’s the Asai Moonsault to put both guys down again. Back in and Ultimo misses a moonsault, allowing Dean to put on the Cloverleaf, only to break it to go after Onoo. A brainbuster gets two on Dragon but Ultimo escapes a suplex, leading to a pretty awesome pinfall reversal sequence, culminating with Dragon hitting a tiger suplex for the pin and the title at 18:30.

Lorcan is lifting his dog and throws us to his own match.

From 205 Live, February 21, 2020.

Ariya Daivari/Brian Kendrick vs. Danny Burch/Oney Lorcan

No DQ. It’s a brawl in the aisle before the bell with Daivari throwing Lorcan off the stage (for a rather short drop). Kendrick gets whipped hip first into the steps and Lorcan is brought inside for the opening bell and a near fall as Burch and Kendrick fight in the crowd. Lorcan throws Daivari over the barricade and into Kendrick, who is taken inside for a beating

It’s Daivari coming in with a chair, only to get sent face first into said chair. Again: Daivari is not very good at….anything really. Burch tells Lorcan to get the table and they set one up at ringside. Kendrick saves Daivari from going through the table and sends Lorcan through it instead with a Death Valley Driver from the apron. Lorcan goes over the announcers’ table and Daivari throws in a ladder. Daivari is sent into the ladder though and he’s down again

Kendrick Russian legsweeps Burch off the ladder and Daivari adds a splash off the ladder for two. Lorcan Hulks Up to slug it out with Kendrick but Daivari makes the save with the chair. A running Blockbuster sends Kendrick onto the chair and Burch duct tapes Kendrick to the turnbuckle. Daivari tales the assisted spike DDT onto (not through) the table. Another one inside finishes Daivari at 12:16.

Rating: B. Again, it’s the kind of match that works for the dual reason of they were trying hard and it was something fresh around here. These guys beat each other up rather well and the weapons were the right touch here. Burch and Lorcan are two of the better people around here and if you can get some better opponents for them more often than not, they could be the focal point around here.

Tom and Jeremy both pick Drake Maverick to win the Interim Cruiserweight Title tournament. Tom walks out to let Jeremy have the show to himself to wrap things up.

Overall Rating: B. This is the kind of thing that I like to see. You get a nice mixture of the old and the new, which is the kind of thing that you can do on this show for a long time to come. It’s not like the cruiserweights mean anything around here and I get more out of this than watching the same matches over and over. There’s good stuff in the vault, and sometimes it’s better to let things out than put more stuff in.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 24, 2020
Host: Tom Phillips

We’re still doing The Matches That Made Us and believe it or not, this is one of the shows that I can enjoy the most. Not that it’s such a short show (which it is), but more along the lines of it’s nice to open the huge WWE Vault and showcase some of their stuff. It’s ok to have some classic footage instead of the completely unimportant cruiserweight show and it wouldn’t surprise me if it didn’t come back. It probably will, but I wouldn’t be shocked otherwise. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Tom Phillips welcomes us to the show and introduces us to tonight’s subject: Ariya Daivari.

Daivari talks about being a huge Steve Austin fan and sends us to our first match, from Survivor Series 1996.

Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart

Bret takes him down and stays on the arm with a hammerlock until a hard elbow to the jaw puts him down. Austin keeps slugging away until Bret pulls him into another armbar. Bret: “ASK HIM!” Did Jericho get that from Bret? Steve comes right back with a hot shot and starts choking on the bottom rope.

Daivari throws us to our next match, from 205 Live, July 9, 2019.

Oney Lorcan vs. Ariya Daivari

Anything goes. Lorcan charges up the ramp and the fight is on in a hurry. They get inside for the opening bell with Lorcan throwing him right back to the floor. It’s already time to throw some chairs inside as Lorcan wants to get violent in a hurry. Some running elbows in the corner have Daivari in trouble but he sends Lorcan over the top to get a breather. Daivari throws in a chain and pulls out a trashcan, with the delay letting Lorcan get in a suplex on the floor.

Let’s bring in a ladder, just to crank this one into high gear sooner. First though, the chain is pulled across Lorcan’s face, with Nigel saying it’s going to be hard to make it look worse. The ladder is set up in the corner with Lorcan sending Daivari into it for the crash. A suplex into the ladder is blocked so Lorcan settles for a hiptoss into the ladder instead. The half and half suplex onto a chair is countered into a reverse DDT, allowing Daivari to grab the chain again.

As Nigel talks about the Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine dog collar match, Daivari whips Lorcan into the corner with the chain around the neck. A camel clutch with Lorcan’s head inside the chair offers a rather good looking visual with Daivari ripping at the face to make it worse. With the hold not working, Daivari sits him in the chair and punches away but gets caught with a drop toehold into the chair for a double knockdown.

The running Blockbuster puts Daivari on the floor and a fired up Lorcan hits the running dive off the apron. The fans ask for and receive tables (stop indulging them) but it takes too long, allowing Daivari to hit a superkick. Lorcan rolls outside again but this time he pelts a trashcan at Daivari to knock him out of the air.

It’s time for six more chairs (dude, overkill) with Lorcan setting up for of them in front of the steps. Actually make that six and there is no way this is going to end well. Daivari uses the long breather to get in a shot of his own and a backdrop sends Lorcan off the steps and through all the chairs. Back in and Daivari starts setting up the table but goes for the ladder instead, drawing a YOU ARE STUPID chant.

The Persian Lion splash off the ladder gives Daivari two and you can hear Nigel losing his mind over the kickout. It’s time for another table but that one breaks as Daivari sets it up. That means another table with Daivari stacking it next to the previous one. Another splash takes too long though and Lorcan superplexes him through both tables for the pin at 20:56.

Rating: B. The time helped a lot here as it felt like they were able to beat on each other as much as they wanted to. Some of the spots took some time to set up but I’m rather happy that the match ended with a big spot rather than the finisher hitting out of nowhere. Good match, and Lorcan should get a title shot as a result.

Tom gives us a quick wrap up.

Overall Rating: A+. What else are you expecting here? It’s an hour long show and the weaker half is a heck of a fight. They have a good idea here and I could go for several more weeks of it. 205 Live hasn’t meant anything in a good while and even though it has some positive moments, I’d much rather see something like this any week. Opening the vault can be fun and that’s what we got here, as Bret vs. Austin is one of those matches you can’t see enough times and the other match was quite solid too. What more could you want?

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: April 13, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Jerry Lawler

We’re still in Orlando and that seems to be because Vince McMahon is (possibly rightly) scared of the television networks and that means everything is going to be live going forward. I’m not sure what to expect this week but we’re on the road to Money in the Bank because that show will work in the Performance Center. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We look at a recap of Drew McIntyre winning the Raw World Title at Wrestlemania.

Here’s Drew for his first appearance on Raw as champion. Drew gets right in front of the camera and says thank you before talking about how the internet can be negative, but even there people have seemed to be positive. He won the title at Wrestlemania and then Big Show came out and wanted a title match then and there. We see a clip of the Big Show title match and Drew says anyone in the back can come get a shot.

Cue Zelina Vega and Andrade, with Zelina saying this is the real champion. She is sorry for cutting off his Braveheart rah rah speech but brings up their NXT Title match where McIntyre lost to Andrade. McIntyre says they can do title vs. title tonight so Andrade promises to win again.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Ruby Riott vs. Asuka

Asuka starts dancing a lot and then pulls on the arm. An armbar into a keylock sends Ruby bailing to the ropes so Asuka sends her shoulder first into the buckle. Choking on the ropes and the hip attack put Riott on the floor and that means the sliding knee to the face. Ruby manages to send her over the barricade but Asuka gets in a kick to the head. Some dancing takes us to a break and we come back with Riott kicking Asuka to the floor for two back inside.

Back up and Asuka kicks her down again, setting up the cross armbreaker. That’s broken up so Ruby tries the Riott Kick, only to get suplexed down. A Shining Wizard gives Asuka two more so Riott hits a running clothesline to the back of the head for the same. Ruby goes up but dives into the Asuka Lock, which is countered into a rollup for two and the break. A Flatliner into the Rings of Saturn with kicks to the face has Asuka in trouble but she reverses into the Asuka Lock at 13:03.

Rating: C+. They were hitting each other rather hard but I couldn’t get all the way into it. Riott hasn’t done anything since coming back and that’s understandable but she seems to be spinning her wheels more often than not. Asuka going on to Money in the Bank is fine, even if it seems to be Shayna Baszler’s to win ala the Elimination Chamber.

MVP is in the VIP Lounge in the back and explains that next week we will have three Money in the Bank qualifying matches. Next week it’s Rey Mysterio vs. Murphy, Aleister Black vs. Austin Theory and Apollo Crews vs. MVP.

Aleister Black vs. Oney Lorcan

Lorcan grabs a waistlock to start so Black is quickly out with a waistlock. Black moonsaults over Lorcan and we take a break. Back with Black avoiding the half and half suplex but getting hit in the face for two. A full nelson keeps Black in trouble but he pulls Lorcan into a triangle choke. That’s broken up as well so Black kicks him in the face, setting up Black Mass for the pin at 9:36.

Rating: C-. I can go with them giving Black some higher competition here and there and it’s nice to see him likely get into the Money in the Bank match next week. He needs to have something to do and while going after Andrade could work, I’m not sure if that’s big enough for him at the moment.

We look back at Becky Lynch retaining at Wrestlemania.

Here’s Becky for a chat. Becky talks about getting in Shayna Baszler’s head and how she isn’t going to be messed with like she messes with everyone else. She’s here to challenge the woman in Money in the Bank who wants it most. Whoever thinks they can beat her, she’ll shock the world.

Andrade and Zelina Vega are ready to show what a real dominant title reign is.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Sarah Logan vs. Shayna Baszler

Baszler takes her down and hammers away MMA style until the referee drags her off. Baszler stomps on the arm and the referee stops it at 52 seconds.

Post match Baszler is ticked off and storms to the back through the seats instead of through the ring.

A stoic Seth Rollins talks about his career being crucified.

Austin Theory vs. Akira Tozawa

Zelina Vega is on commentary. Tozawa kicks him into the corner to start but gets dropped onto the top turnbuckle, complete with about five camera cuts. The chinlock goes on for a bit and Theory sends him into the corner for two. An armbar sets up a snap suplex for two on Tozawa and we’re right back into the chinlock.

Tozawa fights up and kicks Theory to the floor, setting up the big flip dive off the apron and Theory is in trouble. Lawler: “Like a Ramen Noodle moonsault.” Back in and a missile dropkick gets two on Theory and the Octopus goes on. That’s countered into the ATL (TKO) to finish Tozawa at 7:12.

Rating: D+. It’s pretty clear that they want Theory to be something special so why in the world are they having him trade moves with Akira Tozawa? It’s ok to have Theory get in a squash here and having him wrestle for seven minutes while having to survive so much offense from a jobber to the stars doesn’t make a lot of sense. Theory’s time on offense wasn’t even that great as a good chunk of it was spent in chinlocks or armbars. Just a bad idea all around.

Post match it’s the rest of Vega’s team to triple team Tozawa.

We look at a clip from Drew McIntyre’s Chronicle special on his way to the main event of Wrestlemania.

Rey Mysterio wants to be Mr. Money in the Bank. He has been cashed in on before but now he’s going to be the one cashing in.

Angel Garza vs. Tehuti Miles

Miles tries a dropkick to start but Garza dropkicks him out of the air in a cool spot. Garza TAKES OFF HIS PANTS and hits a basement dropkick, followed by some Spanish into the camera. A seated abdominal stretch goes on, followed by a kick to the chest and the Wing Clipper to finish Miles at 2:29.

Post match Vega sends out Theory and Andrade for another beatdown, including another hammerlock DDT out of the corner.

The Kabuki Warriors dance in and laugh at the idea of anyone else winning Money in the Bank.

Drew McIntyre looks down at a scar on his arm left by a surgery after his title loss to Andrade. Tonight, it’s a Claymore.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kairi Sane vs. Nia Jax

Sane gets thrown around to start as Asuka is VERY excited in the back. Back to full screen and it’s a clothesline into a toss around by the hair. A gorilla press into a Samoan drop (the Annihilator) finishes Sane at 2:36. Total squash.

Here’s Charlotte to talk about how she got here as NXT Women’s Champion. She (referring to herself as the Queen) won the Women’s Royal Rumble and got to choose an opponent. We’ve seen her vs. Becky Lynch and her vs. Bayley over and over but it was Rhea Ripley coming to the ring and challenging her. That took guts and it reminded her of someone she knows.

Rhea was the next big thing but Charlotte is the biggest thing. Vince McMahon knew that last year when he had her save the main event of Wrestlemania. There is always going to be someone stronger, faster and better and she is going to teach that to NXT, starting with Io Shirai. Everyone bows down to the Queen.

We look at Lana costing Bobby Lashley his match against Aleister Black at Wrestlemania. After the show, Lashley said he thought he needed new management or a new wife.

We look at Shayna Baszler injuring Sarah Logan earlier.

Bobby Lashley vs. No Way Jose

Lashley elbows him in the face as Lana screams a lot from ringside. With Jose down, Lashley goes outside and asks Lana to shut up. Jose gets in a right hand but walks into an overhead belly to belly. A spinebuster sets up the spear to finish Jose at 2:46.

Rollins says the non-believers have left him no choice. Tonight, he stomps out all doubt.

Viking Raiders vs. Cedric Alexander/Ricochet

Ricochet starts fast and hits a dive to the floor, followed by a tornado DDT from Cedric back inside. We settle down to Erik getting caught in a front facelock but he rolls to the floor for a breather. Alexander misses a dive so Erik runs back in for the tag to Ivar. That means Ricochet is thrown at Cedric in a SCARY landing but Ivar dives onto both of them anyway as we take a break.

Back with Alexander taking a bunch of knees to the face, plus Erik slamming Ivar onto him for two. Alexander scores with a cartwheel into a dropkick and a jumping Flatliner really gives him a breather. It’s off to Ricochet to clean house, including a running shooting star press for two on Erik. The Neuralizer misses though and Erik knees Ricochet in the face. Ivar comes back in with the seated senton and Erik drives him into Cedric in the corner for two.

The belly to back suplex/middle rope springboard clothesline gets two with Ricochet having to make a save. That earns him a spinning kick to the face and a completely botched Viking Experience (almost a pop up World’s Strongest Slam instead of a powerslam) finishes Cedric at 13:46.

Rating: D+. This was a rough sit with the Raiders throwing the two of them all over the place and looking a bit sloppy at times. I’m fine with the Raiders winning but they can’t let that finish happen again. It wasn’t a strong performance from anyone and I wasn’t exactly interested in what they were doing in the first place.

The Street Profits officially introduce Bianca Belair and then give a history lesson on vikings. That gets two thumbs up but Bianca says nu uh because they have never beaten the Raiders. Now stop with the games and get that smoke.

Drew McIntyre vs. Andrade

Non-title and Andrade has everyone with him. McIntyre starts stomping away in the corner early on and even catches Andrade with a kick to the chest for trying to jump over him. They head outside with Andrade bouncing on top of the barricade. A Garza distraction lets Andrade pull him into the post though and the chops are on. McIntyre’s arm is sent into the steps and it’s an armbar back inside.

The armbar over the rope keeps McIntyre in trouble and a shot to the arm breaks up a suplex attempt. McIntyre boots him in the face though and hits a top rope shot to the head into a nip up. A spinning back elbow rocks McIntyre but he’s fine enough to backdrop Andrade onto Theory and Garza. Back in and Vega’s distraction lets Andrade crotch him on top but McIntyre escapes the hanging DDT. There’s the reverse Alabama Slam into the Claymore for the pin on Andrade at 5:31.

Rating: C. Not too bad here though I kept waiting on Rollins to interfere and cost McIntyre the match. I wouldn’t have had the US Champion get pinned when he had a big numbers advantage but that title being protected is a long forgotten hope. McIntyre picking up another win is a good thing though as he can mow people down to become the new dominant force around here.

Post match Garza chop blocks McIntyre and here’s Seth Rollins to superkick the champ. A pair of Stomps to McIntyre ends the show.

Overall Rating: D. For the first time in a good while, this show felt like a chore to watch. They’ve had some rough weeks as of late but this was a much harder watch. Maybe it’s the Money in the Bank stuff that always dulls my senses or something else but I didn’t care about most of what they were doing here and the show felt every bit of its three hours. There have been worse shows but this one was exhausting on every level.

Results

Asuka b. Ruby Riott – Asuka Lock

Aleister Black b. Oney Lorcan – Black Mass

Shayna Baszler b. Sarah Logan via referee stoppage

Austin Theory b. Akira Tozawa – ATL

Angel Garza b. Tehuti Miles – Wing Clipper

Nia Jax b. Kairi Sane – Annihilator

Bobby Lashley b. No Way Jose – Spear

Viking Raiders b. Ricochet/Cedric Alexander – Viking Experience to Alexander

Drew McIntyre b. Andrade – Claymore

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: April 10, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Jon Quasto, Byron Saxton

The timing could be interesting around here as William Regal has announced a tournament to crown an interim Cruiserweight Champion due to Jordan Devlin being unable to leave the UK. The tournament won’t start until next week, but at least it gives them something to focus on around here. Or maybe it won’t be mentioned yet because of the taping schedule. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence

Tony Nese vs. Danny Burch

Commentary does know about the tournament so that’s a nice change of pace. Burch armbars him down to start so Nese reverses into a headlock on the mat. That’s broken up into a standoff so Burch goes for the leg, sending Nese to the ropes again. They do the same things with the roles reversed as they’re staying mostly even here. Burch slips out of a headscissors and grabs a headlock but Nese sends him to the apron.

An elbow to the face puts Burch on the floor and it’s a splash for two back inside. The bodyscissors stays on Burch’s ribs and Nese switches over to a waistlock, which is countered with a Stunner of all things. Burch fights back with some clotheslines and a middle rope missile dropkick gets two. Nese flips out of a German suplex and stomps on the ribs for two. The Lionsault gets the same but Burch pulls him down into the Crossface. That’s broken up as well and it’s the German suplex into the corner. The Running Nese finishes Burch at 10:16.

Rating: C+. I liked this one a good bit as the two of them worked well with each other and there was a story throughout the match with Nese working on the ribs throughout. Nese winning makes sense as Burch is usually the one who loses around here most of the time so this was the smart way to go.

Post match Nese brags to commentary and promises to be the next champion.

Jordan Devlin isn’t happy about the tournament but he’ll be here to take the title from whoever wins it.

Oney Lorcan vs. Jack Gallagher

Nese is still at ringside and talking more trash but Gallagher comes out and gets in his face to get rid of him. They go with the grappling to start with Burch taking it to the mat for a headscissors. That’s reversed and Gallagher pounds away, only to bail from the threat of an ankle lock.

Gallagher heads to the ropes, followed by more grappling to send Gallagher to the ropes again. Burch takes him down by the leg so Gallagher gets in some elbows to the head for the break. A few more shots send Burch outside but he’s back in with chops. Those just make Gallagher smile and he strikes away in the corner. They slug it out from their knees with Burch getting the better of things, only to get headbutted down.

Burch BLASTS him with a clothesline for two and loads up a belly to back superplex but gets elbowed back down. Gallagher hits a spinning high crossbody to put both of them down but Nese is here for a distraction. A rollup gives Burch two so Gallagher headbutts the heck out of him. That’s enough for Nese as he comes in and jumps Gallagher for the DQ at 8:01.

Rating: C+. Another good match here and a different style than the first one as this was more of a brawl. The ending even felt like an angle, which hasn’t been the case around here for a few weeks. Lorcan (and Burch) are still great for matches like this as they can work with anyone and have a good match as a result, even Gallagher doing his Conor McGregor deal.

Post match Nese stays on Gallagher but Burch makes a save. Nese gets up and grabs the chair but Lorcan runs out for the save to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This is the first time that they had any kind of an angle on the show for about a month and it made things a little bit better. What matters though is they have good enough matches and the show doesn’t include the horribly annoying people who were dragging things down for so long. That and the shorter run time makes the show that much better. Good stuff here, even if the show is still on the lowest level on the totem pole around this company.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: April 6, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

We’re finally past Wrestlemania XXXVI and that means it’s time to start getting ready for presumably Money in the Bank, assuming they actually get to run the show. I’m not sure what they’re going to be able to do long term but they got through Wrestlemania and that’s what matters. Let’s get to it.

Here’s Wrestlemania if you need a recap (Part Two)

We open with a look at Drew McIntyre defeating Brock Lesnar to win the Raw World Title.

Opening sequence.

Asuka vs. Liv Morgan

Asuka kicks her in the ribs to start and scores with the hip attack for a bonus. Liv manages to knock her to the floor and snaps off a hurricanrana as we take a break. Back with Asuka stomping away and hitting a running knee for two. Liv gets in some clotheslines and a faceplant to stagger Asuka, with a double stomp out of the corner getting two. Asuka is right back with the cross armbreaker but Liv backflips into a cradle for two. That’s fine with Asuka, who pulls her into the Asuka Lock for the tap at 10:06.

Rating: C-. And that seems to end or at least downgrade the Morgan experiment for the time being. I’m sure she’ll come back in the near future but at least she got the Wrestlemania moment. By beating Natalya. On the Kickoff Show. That counts for something, right?

We look at Becky Lynch retaining over Shayna Baszler.

Becky is proud of her year long reign and thinks Shayna underestimated her. She’s ready for anyone.

Baszler talks about the agony of defeat and isn’t done with Becky.

Tag Team Titles: Austin Theory/Angel Garza vs. Street Profits

The Profits are defending and Zelina Vega is here with the challengers. Garza bails from Dawkins to start so it’s off to Theory, who gets dropkicked down. A double flapjack puts Garza onto Theory and we take a break. Back with Theory hitting his rolling dropkick on Dawkins and cranking on the arm. Some stomping keeps Dawkins down and the armbar goes on. It’s off to Garza to work on the legs to mix things up a bit but Dawkins manages to suplex Theory. The hot tag brings in Ford and everything breaks down, with Vega getting involved for the DQ at 10:04.

Rating: C-. If that’s where they’re going, I’m not sure if they needed the first Wrestlemania title match. The match felt tacked on in the first place and now there’s this, which felt like your usual Raw match with the angle at the end to set up something else. The tag division is nothing right now and I’m not sure who the Profits are supposed to face going forward.

Post match the brawl continues with Bianca Belair running in and going after Vega. The ring is cleared so Belair challenges Vega for right now.

Zelina Vega vs. Bianca Belair

Belair powers her down to start and flips forward, only to have Vega get in a slap to the face. That’s too far for Belair, who throws her down by the head. A missed charge goes into the post though and Vega ties her up in the ropes with something like a crucifix chinlock. Belair powers out of a dragon sleeper and Ford grabs the camera in celebration. Theory blocks a moonsault attempt though and the guys get in a fight. Everyone gets inside and the match is thrown out at 4:26.

Rating: D+. They’re going all the way with this trio of matches tonight aren’t they? Belair being out there was a good way to introduce her, though you might think she would just get a clean pin here instead of being used to set up something else. You can do that, but do you really need to let the match be thrown out?

Post match, six person challenge.

Street Profits/Bianca Belair vs. Zelina Vega/Austin Theory/Angel Garza

Dawkins throws Theory around to start and it’s Ford coming in, only to spend too much time trash talking. That earns him a forearm to the back to send Ford outside and it’s a cheap shot from Garza for a bonus. The chinlock into a front facelock keep Ford in trouble and Theory sends him outside. Back in and Ford powers out of a sleeper so Theory knocks Dawkins off the apron. Ford enziguris Theory down though and it’s off to Belair to ragdoll Zelina with a backbreaker. The handspring moonsault connects as everyone else fights on the floor. The KOD ends Vega at 5:26.

Rating: C-. Well at least they got to the right ending. The Profits are long established so having the focus on Belair here makes sense. She’s come a long way in NXT and it would be nice to see her getting a push around here. The women’s division certainly needs the boost and maybe she can do it.

We look at Lana costing Bobby Lashley the match against Aleister Black.

Lashley isn’t happy with Lana and walks away from her.

Aleister Black vs. Apollo Crews

Crews has been signed over from Smackdown. Black front facelocks him to start but Crews powers out into a headlock. Crews shoulders him down but Black flips over him and has a seat, sending Crews bailing to the floor. Back from a break with Black grabbing an armbar but Crews knocks him outside. A belly to back suplex keeps Black in trouble on the floor but he’s right back in with a kick to the chest for two. Crews backdrops him to the floor and scores with a moonsault as we take another break (In this match?).

Back again with Crews hitting a clothesline for two and the chinlock goes on. Black fights up and kicks away until a powerslam gives Crews two. A shot to the leg doesn’t do much to Crews, who hits an enziguri into the toss powerbomb for two more. Crews clotheslines him down and goes up top, only to miss the splash.

A kneebar has Crews in more trouble but he makes the rope. They trade kicks and Black is sent outside as we take a third break. Back again with Black kicking him in the face for two more but Crews hits a dropkick. Crews catches him on top and hits a superplex for a delayed two.

The knee gives out on a gorilla press attempt so Crews gets in a sitout powerbomb for two more. Now the gorilla press sets up the standing moonsault. The standing shooting star press gets the same and they’re both down again. Crews dives into the jumping knee to the face though and Black Mass finishes at 27:26.

Rating: B-. This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting when I saw these two being paired together but surprises can be fun too. Crews continues to have all of the athletic abilities in the world but not much in terms of success. Black got in some good stuff here but Black Mass is something that can make him a star for as long as he wants.

Video on Edge beating Randy Orton in the Last Man Standing match.

Cedric Alexander/Ricochet vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch

Lorcan takes Alexander down into a front facelock and it’s quickly off to Burch for a chinlock. Alexander fights up and brings in Ricochet but has to fight off Burch and Lorcan at the same time. A triangle dropkick puts Burch on the floor and it’s back to Cedric for an enziguri into a front suplex. Ricochet’s standing shooting star and it’s the Neuralizer into the Benadryller for the pin on Lorcan at 3:37.

Rating: C. They packed some action into this one and that’s a good thing to see. Alexander and Ricochet are two guys with nothing else to do and the tag division certainly could use a boost. Then again I don’t know how much of a future they have as the tag division never goes anywhere for very long, but the nod is better than nothing.

Video on Kevin Owens beating Seth Rollins.

Owens has spent several months asking himself if it is worth it to spend this much time facing Rollins. Then he dove off the sign at Wrestlemania and pinned Rollins, which made it all worth it. Now he needs to find something new to do, so maybe we need to find out who needs the next Stunner.

Seth Rollins vs. Denzel Dejournette

Denzel is from NXT and gets sent outside early on. A whip into the barricade sets up the Stomp to give Rollins the pin at 1:23.

Nia Jax vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Jax says fight her and blasts Purrazzo with a clothesline. She does it again for a bonus and it’s the Samoan drop into a fisherman’s DDT to finish Purrazzo at 1:36.

Video on the Boneyard match.

Humberto Carrillo vs. Brendan Vink

Carrillo starts fast with the springboard armdrag to put Vink on the floor but he forearms his way out of a suicide dive. Back in and Vink hiptosses Carrillo down so we can hit the chinlock. Carrillo fights up with a dropkick into a moonsault though, setting up a missile dropkick. A kick to the face into the top rope moonsault finishes Vink at 3:23.

Rating: D+. Just a match here and not much of an entertaining one. I get why WWE wants to push Carrillo but he just isn’t clicking. He can do all of the in-ring stuff just fine but there is a connection issue that needs to be fixed. That isn’t something you can just turn off and on though and I think WWE might be realizing it with him. Maybe this gets better, but it hasn’t shown any signs of doing so yet.

Video on Charlotte winning the NXT Women’s Title.

Charlotte talks about everything she has accomplished and how she has done everything. Rhea Ripley is great and now she has bowed down to the Queen.

Video on Drew McIntyre winning the WWE Championship.

We get some post Wrestlemania footage of McIntyre coming back into the arena wearing the title for an interview. Drew talks about how he can’t believe that he got here and it hasn’t sunk in yet. He thanks everyone who has gotten him here, including Paul Heyman. During the match with Brock Lesnar, Heyman said keep giving Drew the F5 because he can’t keep getting back up.

That made Drew think about all the times he has had to get back up so the F5’s just angered him over and over again. Now he’s WWE Champion….and here’s the Big Show with a referee. Show congratulates him and wants a match right now, not even for the title. Drew says he just beat Brock Lesnar so that’s not happening right now. Show thinks that’s fear but Drew knows what’s going on. That earns him a slap so Drew is ready to go.

Raw World Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Big Show

McIntyre is defending. Show starts fast and slams him down to bang up the ribs a bit. A headbutt cuts the champ off and a Vader Bomb gets two. There’s another slam to work on the ribs even more and Show chokes on the ropes while asking what Drew is made of. The big chop misses and Drew swings away, setting up a slam for two in a good looking spot. Drew goes up top and dives into a chokeslam for two. The KO Punch misses though and it’s the Claymore to retain at 6:57.

Rating: D+. A competitive match here is fine but my goodness they had me worried that they would actually do something this bad. The match was the usual slow and plodding Big Show deal but at least they didn’t pull the trigger for the sake of promoting Big Show’s Netflix series. Points for the drama, but negative points for making me think about the possibility.

Overall Rating: C. Well they did something different and that’s what mattered here. This show didn’t feel boring and was as good of a post Wrestlemania show as they could have had in this situation. They kept the show moving and we had a good enough night as a result. I don’t know if we should expect it going forward, but this was a step up from the recent Performance Center TV shows. I’ll take what I can get at this point so well enough done.

Results

Asuka b. Liv Morgan – Asuka Lock

Street Profits b. Austin Theory/Angel Garza via DQ when Zelina Vega interfered

Bianca Belair vs. Zelina Vega went to a no contest

Street Profits/Bianca Belair b. Zelina Vega/Austin Theory/Angel Garza – KOD to Vega

Aleister Black b. Apollo Crews – Black Mass

Cedric Alexander/Ricochet b. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch – Benadryller to Lorcan

Seth Rollins b. Denzel Dejournette – Stomp

Nia Jax b. Deonna Purrazzo – Fisherman’s DDT

Humberto Carrillo b. Brendan Vink – Moonsault

Drew McIntyre b. Big Show – Claymore

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

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

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

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