I mean…can you blame them?The Revival might want out of WWE and really, I can’t say I’d be upset. I’m a big fan of the team and have been for a long time but my goodness they’ve been wasted on the main roster. They debuted the night after Wrestlemania 33 and somehow haven’t won the Tag Team Titles once. We’re in the middle of Bobby Roode and Chad Gable, a makeshift team, holding the belts and the Revival can’t get them?
I know they’re not exactly suited for the main roster style, but that’s on WWE instead of them. If you want a team that wrestles like the other teams on the main roster, don’t set them up as the old school team who wrestles long, drawn out matches. That’s on developmental and the way WWE has set the thing up. Revival is a great team and knows how to work the old school style, but if WWE isn’t interested in utilizing that, it’s a waste of everyone’s time.
Main Event Results – November 8, 2018: The Best Main Event Match In Years
IMG Credit: WWE
Main Event Date: November 8, 2018 Location: Manchester Arena, Manchester, Arena Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson
We’ve got one more show in England and things have been, shall we say, really pretty dull so far. I’m not sure what we’ll be seeing in the way of highlights but it would be nice to have a few British wrestlers around on the show, just to give things a little bit of flavor. Or they could go with the same stuff we always see around here. Let’s get to it.
So much for fun. Mojo clotheslines him down at the bell and sends Breeze hard into the corner for a running shoulder to the ribs. Breeze gets sent into the corner again and that means the chinlock goes on. The comeback is cut off by another chinlock but Breeze fights up with a superkick this time.
The middle rope crossbody is rolled through, only to have Breeze slip out of a fall away slam and grab a half crab. That means the dramatic crawl to the ropes so Breeze superkicks him off the apron. Back in and Mojo charges into a raised boot to the face, allowing Breeze to go up. This time the high crossbody is rolled through again but Breeze rolls it over again for the pin at 5:04.
Rating: C. Not too shabby at all here, especially considering how many times these two have probably had the same match. Rawley’s career is as alive as my chances to be Miss Nevada 1974 and while Breeze is still good, it’s clear that WWE doesn’t want him for anything more than this until Breezango can reform, because Heaven forbid they let him be the character or performer that worked so well in NXT. You know, where they developed him.
From Raw.
The roster is on the stage and there are security guards at ringside as Baron Corbin comes out. After some clips of Brock Lesnar winning the Universal Title again (just go with it), Corbin talks about Survivor Series and lists off some of the upcoming matches. In addition to just winning for pride though, Raw has a score to settle because Shane McMahon stole the title of Best in the World from Dolph Ziggler. Don’t worry though, because Stephanie McMahon will be here next week to deal with that (You knew it was coming.).
As for the men’s Survivor Series match, Corbin has named himself as captain, meaning he won’t be in the actual match. Therefore, he has to put together a great team, which will start with Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre. Another member is Braun Strowman, who might not be happy with Corbin right now. We’ll call Crown Jewel a teaching moment though and Strowman will learn soon enough.
As for the women’s Survivor Series match, the captain will be picking the full team, so here’s Alexa Bliss. She’ll use her leadership as a five time Women’s Champion to pick her team tonight, starting with the Riott Squad vs. Bayley/Sasha Banks/Natalya. Cue Kurt Angle to say he wants to compete again this year, just like last year when he lead Team Raw to victory.
Corbin doesn’t think so because Angle needs to be permanently gone from the show. They reach an agreement: tonight Angle vs. Corbin with the winner getting to be the captain. Angle leaves and Bliss tells the women to get ready but here’s Strowman to storm the ring. Security is dispatched in all of five seconds and Corbin runs off. The roster goes after Strowman as well but he gets through them all while everyone else brawls. In the back, Strowman can’t find Corbin. This ends Exposition Theater, as we fly towards Survivor Series as fast as possible.
From Raw.
Drew McIntyre vs. Kurt Angle
If Angle wins, he’s team captain at Survivor Series. Angle jumps him before the bell but McIntyre blasts him with a headbutt. We hit the armbar, which might actually cause Angle’s arm to come off his body. A neckbreaker sets up a second armbar but Angle pops up with an Angle Slam to put McIntyre on the floor.
Back from a break with McIntyre hitting a suplex and putting on a third armbar. McIntyre picks him up…..and the armbar goes on again. Angle fights out of it (probably due to familiarity) and rolls the German suplexes. The Claymore kicks Angle’s head off….and Drew doesn’t cover. OH MY GOODNESS JUST END THE SHOW ALREADY!!! Angle goes for the leg but Drew pounds him down and glares at him again.
To really show off, Drew sticks his leg out so Angle lunches again, earning himself another beatdown. Drew calls Angle an embarrassment and now the ankle lock goes on. The hold is kicked off and Drew gives him an Angle Slam before sitting in the middle of the ring instead of covering. Drew puts him in an ankle lock with the grapevine and Kurt taps at 14:36.
Rating: D. They had an idea here with McIntyre wanting to humiliate Angle but egads how many times can we see Old Man Angle get beaten down like this? It wasn’t really interesting the first time and this was a long match to end an already awful show. This was much more about the storytelling than the wrestling and Drew played the heel well, but it was the wrong place and the wrong time.
From Smackdown.
Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe
The winner is on the team and Miz and Bryan are on commentary. Joe goes straight at Hardy in the corner to start and even shouts trash talk at Bryan. Jeff is right back up and tries the Twist of Fate but Joe bails to the floor. Back in and Joe runs him over with an elbow and we take a break. We come back with Joe peppering him with right hands in the corner and the enziguri getting two.
The neck crank keeps Jeff in trouble until Joe takes him outside for a whip into the barricade. This serves as a backdrop for Bryan and Miz’s latest argument, meaning they ignore Jeff walking the barricade for the clothesline. Back in and the basement dropkick gets two on Joe, followed by the Twisting Stunner. The Swanton hits knees (in a great looking crash) and Hardy taps to the Clutch at 9:27.
Rating: C-. This was just going through the motions until the ending and there’s nothing wrong with that, especially given the story here. Joe is the better choice for the spot here, though that landing on the Swanton alone should give Jeff something. Maybe a nice back brace or a full body cast at this point.
Post match Joe talks more trash to Bryan and the fight is on. Miz breaks it up so Bryan beats him up as well, only to have Shane come in for the save. Bryan flips him over, not realizing who it was. Shane is incensed as Bryan walks off to end the show.
Recap of the old man tag match at Crown Jewel. Why did you have to bring that up again?
Revival vs. Chad Gable/Bobby Roode
In case you didn’t get enough of these two on Raw. I’ll let you figure out who I mean. Dawson headlocks Gable to start and gets headscissored down in one of the moves Gable always nails to near perfection. Roode comes in to drop a knee on a monkey flipped Dawson but Wilder trips him up from the floor. That means a double headbutt to Roode and the drop toehold sets up a running legdrop to the back of the head.
Roode gets chinlocked but is fine enough to send Dawson into the corner. There’s the hot tag off to Gable so things can pick up, including a rolling Liger kick to Dawson. Everything breaks down and a double clothesline puts the Revival on the floor as we take a break. Back with Gable in trouble in the corner as the Revival stomp away, followed by a Gory Stretch from Wilder.
Gable slips out but Dawson runs in for the save, meaning a slingshot suplex for two. Wilder adds some long form chinlockery until Gable can send him outside. Now the hot tag brings in Roode and it’s time for clotheslines and a spinebuster. The Blockbuster to Dawson sets up a moonsault for two with Wilder having to make a save. Roode gets sent outside, leaving Gable to try Rolling Chaos Theory on Dawson. Wilder makes a blind tag though and it’s the Shatter Machine for the pin at 11:26.
Rating: B-. That’s the best Main Event match in what feels like years with both teams looking great and a hot finish. Every now and then you’ll see some people go out there and work hard and that’s what happened here. I had a really good time with this one and never would have guessed that coming in. I’ll always take a surprise like this and I’m almost stunned at how good it was.
And one more time from Raw.
Here’s Seth Rollins, with both Tag Team Titles, for a chat. He knows the three titles look a little weird but it was supposed to be three titles and a big trophy. That brings him to Lesnar, who is slapping everyone in the face by holding Roman Reigns’ title. He would tell Lesnar that to his face, but Lesnar isn’t here tonight. Seth: “Shocker, I know.”
Dean Ambrose is here tonight though and Seth wants him right here in his face. Ambrose isn’t here though and that means Rollins can’t defend the Tag Team Titles by himself. Corbin pops up on screen and, after telling his guys to barricade the door, makes a title match for right now.
Tag Team Titles: AOP vs. Seth Rollins
Rollins is defending and starts with Akam, who drives him into the wrong corner. Rezar comes in and blasts Rollins with a clothesline as the numbers are already becoming a problem. Back from a break with Rollins fighting out of a chinlock but getting taken down and pummeled without much effort. The Last Chapter is broken up and Rezar is clotheslined to the floor for a suicide dive.
Back in and Akam is sent outside for a double suicide dive in a rather nice hope spot. A Sling Blade hits Rezar back inside and it’s time to stomp the foot. Drake Maverick offers a distraction but the side slam/middle rope stomp is broken up. Rollins knees Rezar in the face and hits the frog splash for two but the stomp is countered into a heck of a powerbomb. The powerbomb/neckbreaker gives us new champions at 9:47.
Rating: C. They had to do something with the titles and putting the titles on these monsters is as good of an idea as they had. Rollins made a go of it though and that was far more entertaining than I was expecting. AOP will be fine and can run through some teams until someone finally derails them. Not a bad match here, with Rollins trying as hard as he could.
Post match here’s Ambrose to say Rollins wants to know why. Rollins asks why and gets hit with Dirty Deeds.
Overall Rating: C+. Who would have thought that Gable and Roode would have been able to power a show this far? The stuff from earlier in the week wasn’t great but some of the more eventful stuff was at least interesting enough to make most of it work. There actually is a way to make this show work and they pulled off a pretty good one here.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Smackdown Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
Monday Night Raw Date: September 24, 2018 Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Renee Young
Somehow Super Show-Down is next week and that means we need to firm up the card a little bit. They’ve done a great job of setting up HHH vs. Undertaker for the Australia show, but there are still a lot of other things that need to be put together. Tonight’s show could go in a variety of directions so let’s get to it.
There’s a new Then, Now and Forever video, which is a rather nice improvement.
Baron Corbin opens the limo for birthday girl Stephanie McMahon and HHH. He even starts singing Happy Birthday but Stephanie gives him the look. HHH (wisely) leaves and Stephanie gets some birthday balls for giving himself a Universal Title shot last week. Stephanie makes a six man tag for tonight with Baron needing to find some partners.
Here’s the Shield to open things up. Dean says they’re the three workhorses in WWE. They may have lost some battles but they’ve never lost a war. Reigns (cue the booing) says you can read off their resumes but that would take all day. All you have to do is look at them hold up their titles because these are the keys to the kingdom. That’s why Brock Lesnar is back and it’s why Corbin did what he did last week.
As for tonight, the world’s largest substitute teacher has to find some partners so get out here right now. Cue Corbin to sound rather cocky because here are Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre with Strowman saying the Shield is about to crack. Strowman promises a 4-2 fight at “WWE Super Show” because Ziggler remembers Dean being WWE Champion on his own two years ago.
Drew and Ziggler talk about Dean being taken for granted because he’s the only one without a title. Dean is always the one sacrificing himself and making the other two champions. They make it very clear: switch sides and become Intercontinental Champion. Reigns cuts them off and wants to fight but Corbin runs out to keep anything from happening, promising to take Shield out with his still unnamed partners. The Dean stuff is interesting, but it seems too early to break up the Shield again.
Finn Balor vs. Jinder Mahal
Preview for next week’s Mixed Match Challenge match so Bayley and Alicia Fox are here as well. Mahal doesn’t even get an entrance here in case you needed more proof of his collapse. An early shot to the ribs takes Balor down and we hit the headlock on the mat. The fans are behind Balor, mainly because the other option is to be behind Mahal. Balor knocks him to the floor and hits the big flip dive as we take a break.
Back with Mahal in control and putting on an abdominal stretch, only to have it broken up in a hurry. Balor makes the comeback but runs into a superkick. That goes absolutely nowhere as Balor hits a Sling Blade but Singh trips him up. Bayley trips Mahal just as fast and the fight is on, including a Bayley to Belly to Sunil Singh. That’s enough of a distraction for Balor to roll Mahal up for the pin at 9:55.
Rating: D+. This was as good as Balor vs. Mahal was going to be when the match was there to set up what will likely be a match focused on the women. As usual, Raw is designed to be a big commercial for whatever else they can find, which is a big reason why the show is harder to sit through as of late. The Mixed Match Challenge match will be fine, but I could go for something a little more interesting than a ten minute commercial.
Post match Mahal and Fox berate Sunil before sitting down and shouting SHANTI.
Video on Ronda Rousey’s Open Challenge from last week and the Riott Squad answering until the Bella Twins made the save.
Riott Squad vs. Natalya/Bella Twins
Liv and Nikki start things off with Nikki running her over, because Nikki is a star or something. It’s off to Brie for the YES Kicks….and one of them hits Liv in the face, seemingly knocking her cold. Brie almost has to drag her to the corner for the tag off to Logan, because Brie is somehow managing to screw up LIFTING HER LEG INTO THE SAME PLACE OVER AND OVER.
Liv is finally good enough to come back in for a triple suplex to send the Squad out to the floor as we take a break. Back with Morgan gone to the trainer’s room and Logan catapulting Brie into a forearm from Riott. A double hair takedown takes Brie and Logan down, allowing the hot tag to Natalya. House is cleaned but Riott tags herself in to break up the Sharpshooter, setting up the Riott Kick to finish Natalya at 10:27.
Rating: D-. So aside from Brie kicking Liv in the face and knocking her silly (egads man), this was a bad match with no real flow and an ending only designed to set up the six woman tag at Super Show-Down. I’m sure glad we spent months building the Squad up so they can be used to get the oh so precious Nikki set up for her match with Rousey, which the world is just dying to see.
The roster is on the stage as HHH and Stephanie are in the ring for the Connor’s Cure segment. Some kids are brought out and presented with title belts and a big check is presented to Connor’s Cure from a Hyundai charity.
Ziggler comes up to Ambrose in the back to ask where the rest of the Shield was when Dean was out for nine months. Dean just needs to watch what happens tonight.
Chad Gable vs. Konnor
Gable thinks he should just ask what Bobby Roode would do, and that means BE GLORIOUS. Konnor promises carnage and pounds away to start as we’re in the chinlock thirty seconds after the bell. Gable’s armbar over the ropes and a dropkick to the knee have Konnor in trouble, followed by a German suplex. The moonsault misses but Gable lands on his feet. Konnor runs him over though and grabs a Dominator for the clean pin. OH COME ON ALREADY! We’ve sat through FOUR matches between these teams and now Gable loses to Konnor? To set up what better be Roode’s heel turn? This is the best they have???
Stephanie and HHH are leaving when HHH says if Undertaker is worried about HHH wearing a suit, he’s already lost the fight. For Undertaker, the end is near.
Tag Team Titles: Dolph Ziggler/Drew McIntyre vs. Revival
Revival is challenging and get a jobber entrance. Ziggler shoves Dawson into the corner to start so Dawson takes over off a wristlock. Wilder comes in but gets to deal with McIntyre, who takes him back into the corner. It’s already back to Ziggler as the fast start continues. Ziggler gets caught in the corner and Wilder adds a slingshot clothesline for two. The running DDT is countered into the Rings of Saturn but Ziggler rolls over into a cradle.
Back up and a crossbody puts both guys on the floor in a big crash. Ziggler avoids a charge to send Wilder into the steps and it’s McIntyre getting two off a suplex as we take a break. We come back with Dawson getting the hot tag and hitting a leg lariat of all things to drop Ziggler. A tiger driver gets two and a PowerPlex (sweet) is good for the same with McIntyre making the save.
The Fameasser is countered into an electric chair for a Doomsday Device (dang they’re opening the playbook this week) as the fans are way into this. Ziggler slips out of something and brings McIntyre back in for the power. A powerslam is broken up with a dropkick to the back and Wilder falls on top for two. It’s quickly back to Ziggler though and the Claymore into the Zig Zag retains the titles at 12:38.
Rating: B-. Revival was trying to get noticed out here and while that’s not likely to happen, I can certainly appreciate the effort. Ziggler and McIntyre retaining wasn’t much of a secret but at least they had some fun out there and gave us a good match. It’s so weird seeing Revival as the de facto faces but they pulled the role off quite well.
Here’s Elias in front of what looks like a talk show set. Since we’re in Denver, Elias is going to pass this off to Kevin Owens for the Kevin Owens Show. Owens is excited to team with Elias to face John Cena and Elias at Super Show-Down but there’s someone else Owens wants to address. That would be his guest this week: Lio Rush, who Owens says can just walk to the ring instead of flipping and diving. Owens pulls out a booster seat, which Rush laughs off by bringing out Lashley.
Bobby Lashley vs. Elias
Well that wasn’t much of a talk show. Lashley throws him down to start and then does it again for good measure. Elias manages a headlock to slow things down so Lashley runs him over. A crossbody and side slam give Lashley two so Elias gets smart by taking out the knee. Said leg is wrapped around the post as Rush continues the hype. A leglock keeps Lashley down and Elias is getting frustrated when it only gets two. Lashley is back up with a clothesline to the floor but Elias takes the knee out again and we take a break.
Back with Elias working on a half crab until Lashley sends him outside. A Downward Spiral gets two back inside and Lashley’s knee is fine enough for the delayed suplex. The spear puts them both on the floor as Owens chases Rush, eventually kneeing Lashley in the face for the DQ at 13:12.
Rating: D+. Not great here, and I have no idea why I’m supposed to be worried about Cena and Lashley having trouble with Elias and Owens. Rush and Lashley are a good pairing and there’s some potential for comedy with Cena and Rush. That being said, there’s potential for all of these guys and none of it has gone anywhere in a long time. Maybe Owens can quit again to get some of the spark back.
Post match Owens goes after Rush but Lashley makes a save.
Rollins comes up to McIntyre in the back and asks why McIntyre isn’t getting his own singles titles. I wonder that every day. Rollins leaves and Ziggler comes up, with McIntyre telling him not to worry about it.
Kevin Hart is in a movie about being a teacher so Alicia Fox teaches him a few things. This is really not funny.
Nia Jax vs. Alicia Fox
Ember Moon, Alexa Bliss and Mickie James are all here. Fox is scared to start so Jax makes it better by throwing her to the floor. Back in and a quick neckbreaker gives Fox two and it’s off to the chinlock. That lasts as long as you would expect so Fox throws some forearms, only to charge into the Samoan drop for the pin at 2:56. The finish was almost all of Jax’s offense.
Ziggler asks Dean what’s going on and brings up Seth stabbing Dean in the back before.
Video on HHH vs. Undertaker.
Shawn Michaels will be here next week.
Shield vs. Baron Corbin/???/???
The partners are of course the AOP, because who else was it going to be? Braun, Dolph and Drew come out to watch, all with their own chairs. Ambrose and Corbin start things off with Dean actually taking it to the mat so Rollins can come in for a double suplex. Corbin hands it off to Akam so the Authors can run everyone over. Reigns gets to face Rezar, who talks a lot of trash and then gets hit in the face.
A few more shots put Rezar down but he pops back up to Reigns’ shock. The Shield clears the ring so here come Strowman and company with the chairs for a distraction. The Authors beat them down and Corbin gets two off a chokeslam as we take a break. Back with Reigns dropping Corbin in a Samoan style so Rollins can come back in to speed things up. The Blockbuster gets two on Akam but Drake Maverick offers a distraction so Corbin can low bridge Rollins to the floor.
We hit the neck crank from Rezar and an elbow runs him over for good measure. Corbin comes in and runs Reigns off the apron in a smart move but the delay lets Rollins hit a Sling Blade. Everything breaks down and Reigns takes a Last Chapter on the floor. Deep Six gets two on Rollins but he’s able to get out of the side slam/double stomp combination.
The hot tag brings in Ambrose to clean house until Akam crotches him on top. Ambrose is fine enough for a jumping neckbreaker on Corbin but Reigns has to break up the Last Chapter. The Stomp hits Corbin and Rollins hits a suicide dive, leaving Dean to hit Dirty Deeds on Corbin. Ambrose dives onto Akam, leaving Reigns to spear Corbin for the pin at 19:14.
Rating: C+. Pretty standard six man tag here though nothing too bad. Seeing Shield all together is almost always fun and that was the case here, though I could have gone for the Authors having a more dominant venture into the main event scene. At least Corbin took the fall, which was the only way this should have ended.
Post match Ambrose looks at Strowman and company before heading back inside for the fist pose to end the show.
Overall Rating: D+. Raw is the land of feast or famine. If you’re in the main event, you have a story going, motivations and everything else you could need. Outside of that though, you’re lucky to get TV time and if you’re Gable, you’re wondering where it all went wrong. This show has gone falling off a cliff in recent weeks with the build either being focused on everything else or nothing at all and that’s a hard trick to pull off. It’s certainly not the worst it’s ever been, but there needs to be a switch back to a better path in a hurry before things get even worse.
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of KB’s Complete 2003 Monday Night Raw Reviews (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:
Main Event Date: July 5, 2018 Location: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson, Vic Joseph
Oh come on already. Do I really need to watch Monday Night Raw all over again? Anything related with that show is going to be a chore at this point but that’s what we have to work with here. Well that and the Smackdown stuff which was perfectly watchable, although not exactly great. In other words I’m not sure what to expect here but it might not be the best thing in the world. Let’s get to it.
The ECW chants start up but switch to HE’S GOT KIDS in a hurry. Viktor can’t do anything with Slater so it’s off to Rhyno vs. Konnor for a power battle. A flying shoulder puts Konnor down but Rhyno charges into the buckle to put him in trouble. The fans get behind Rhyno but Konnor’s running splash into Viktor’s jumping knee doesn’t make things much better. The belly to belly gives Rhyno a breather and it’s back to Slater off the hot tag. Everything breaks down and Rhyno is sent to the floor, leaving Slater to take the Fall of Man for the pin at 5:07.
Rating: D. Just a Main Event match, but that’s the first time Ascension has won a match since February 7, 2017 in a twelve person tag. It’s their first two on two tag win since Superstars in February 2016. That’s getting up there in Curt Hawkins territory and I have no idea why they weren’t given at least a mini push at some point. Make them a one off challengers for the titles or something but don’t let them sit around doing nothing. What’s the point of calling them up in the first place?
From Raw.
Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler/Drew McIntyre
Ziggler and Rollins start with an early cradle getting two on Seth. Another rollup gets the same so Seth dropkicks him into the corner. Drew comes in to run Rollins over and a shove by the throat puts him down again. It’s off to Reigns who is powered into the corner so Drew can punch him in the head.
The Samoan drop is broken up and McIntyre runs Reigns over again. A superkick gives Ziggler two but one heck of a right hand knocks him out of the air. That’s enough for the hot tag off to Rollins as the pace picks up. A suicide dive hits McIntyre and an apron kick into the frog splash gets two with McIntyre diving in for the save. Rollins and Ziggler exchange rollups until Dolph is sent to the floor.
That means a dive off the post to both villains and we take a break because the match needs to keep going instead of going home after a hot ten minutes. Back with Rollins fighting out of Ziggler’s sleeper and sending him into the corner. McIntyre is right around the other side to pull Reigns off and break up the hot tag, so Rollins kicks him in the face. Now it’s time for the hot tag but the Revival pulls Reigns off the apron for the DQ at 15:49.
Rating: C+. Good match here and they got the ending right. You don’t want the champ, McIntyre or Rollins taking a fall here and Reigns isn’t going to lose so the DQ is as good of an idea as you can get. This was starting to rock before the break and would have been great if they just wrapped it up there but I’ll take what I can get.
Post match the Revival beats Reigns down as Rollins takes the Claymore/Zig Zag combo. Reigns takes a Shatter Machine for a bonus.
From Raw again.
Revival vs. Bobby Lashley/Roman Reigns
Reigns and Dawson start things off with Roman powering him into the corner. Dawson takes a breather on the floor and Reigns refuses to tag Lashley in. Back in and Dawson punches away at Reigns’ ribs, which were banged up earlier tonight. Some stomps set up a bodyscissors to keep Reigns in trouble as he can’t get anything going.
A gutbuster gives Wilder two and another shot to the ribs cuts off Reigns’ comeback. There’s a hard whip into the corner to cut Dawson off but Reigns still won’t tag. Instead it’s Lashley coming in without a tag for a pair of spinebusters but Reigns shakes off the offer of a tag. Revival unloads on him in the corner and that’s a DQ at 7:11.
Rating: C. It was much more about the angle than the match but I’ll take the Revival not looking like a pair of losers for a change. I could go for a lot more of the Revival, but that just doesn’t seem to be in the cards around here. Reigns vs. Lashley should be fine and if they make Revival look a little more valuable in the process, so be it.
Post match Lashley walks away while Reigns takes another Shatter Machine and a top rope splash. Fans: “ONE MORE TIME!”
From Smackdown.
Usos vs. HELL NO
If the Usos win, they’re added to the Tag Team Title match at Extreme Rules. Bryan drop toeholds Jimmy down to start and puts on the surfboard. A corner dropkick seems to wake Jimmy up for some reason so it’s off to Jey, who gets dropkicked as well. Kane comes in and misses an elbow but shoves both twins over the top at once. They pull Kane out with them though and it’s back to back dives to drop Bryan and Kane as we take a break.
Back with Bryan speeding up things up and hitting another running dropkick on Jey in the corner. There’s a super hurricanrana and the YES Kicks have Jey in even more trouble. The Usos finally get their stuff together and take Bryan down with Jimmy stomping away in the corner. A backbreaker/middle rope chop combination gets two and the Usos make a wish on Bryan’s legs.
Back up and a double clothesline allows the hot tag to Kane but he’s kicked to the floor without much effort. Jey charges into an uppercut but it’s time for the superkicks. Back to back double superkicks put Bryan down and get two on Kane and it’s time to go up. The Double Us is caught by the throat, allowing Bryan to knee Jey down and Kane to chokeslam Jimmy for the pin at 12:38.
Rating: C. Kane looked REALLY bad here, barely able to move and not doing much of anything other than being knocked back a few steps and signature stuff. The guy is 50 years old and barely even wrestles part time anymore, but his talking and character stuff is still more than enough reason to have him around. Bryan worked most of the match and was his usual self, but the important thing was they got the finish right.
Bryan and Kane do the YES pose and hug, only to be cut off by the Bludgeon Brothers. A big staredown ends the show.
Quick look at Rusev attacking AJ Styles on Smackdown.
Jinder Mahal vs. Zack Ryder
Mahal works the arm to start but walks into a dropkick to put him on the floor. Back in and Ryder’s backslide gets two but Mahal kicks him in the face. A faceplant and corner forearm look to set up the Broski Boot, the threat of which sends Mahal bailing to the floor as we take a break. Back with Mahal choking in the corner and grabbing a chinlock. Mahal’s suplex gets two and it’s right back to the chinlock. Ryder fights up with the usual, including the middle rope dropkick. A Sunil Singh distraction breaks up the Broski Boot and the Khallas gives Mahal the pin at 10:13.
Rating: D. I’m not sure why it took over a year for WWE to figure out but this is pretty much Mahal’s comfort zone: boring matches against lower level competition with no chance of elevation. He’s just not that good and having him in a prominent position on television doesn’t work for anyone but him. I’m hoping the experiment is over, just for the sake of my sanity.
We look at Braun Strowman wrecking Kevin Owens’ car.
From Raw.
Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman
Owens gets shoved down, rolls outside and runs away for the countout at 51 seconds.
Strowman gives chase so Owens runs into his car, only to not have his keys. Instead, he hides in a well placed portable toilet as Strowman arrives. The fans try to tell Strowman where Owens is as Strowman looks into the car window. He teases going back inside but puts the pieces together. Using a falsetto voice, Strowman asks if anyone is in there and Owens gives himself away.
Strowman wraps duct tape around the thing to seal Owens inside before dragging the toilet and Owens back into the building. We watch as Strowman drags him all the way back into the arena (which takes a good few minutes) and up onto the stage. Of course it’s knocked off the stage and Owens emerges covered in blue liquid. If you listen carefully, you can hear Vince dying with laughter about Owens being “COVERED IN BLUE STUFF” for the next five hours to end the show.
Overall Rating: D-. Oh now you knew they were showing the whole ending to Raw here. For them that’s comedy gold and while I have no idea how that can be seen as the best idea, there’s a good chance that we’re going to be hearing about it more over the next few weeks. This was a dreadful show after a dreadful Raw with even the clipped version not being worth seeing.
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Monday Night Raw – July 17, 2017: The Wrestling Angles
Monday Night Raw Date: July 17, 2017 Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Booker T.
For the first time in a good while we have a major announcement to look forward to. This week will see the reveal of whatever Kurt Angle’s big secret has been and there’s going to be someone here with him to reveal it. There are multiple rumors floating around about what it could be and it should be interesting to see which, if any, is accurate. Let’s get to it.
Long recap of the Angle situation.
Opening sequence.
Here’s Dean Ambrose with a chair to open things up. He goes off about his issues with Miz but here’s Seth Rollins to interrupt. Seth talks about everything he’s done with Miz as of late but Dean says he doesn’t want anyone’s help. Rollins’ question is if Ambrose will be in his way or by his side.
Dean talks about Rollins breaking up the Shield and how they were brothers. Seth actually apologizes for what he did, which he never did before. While it’s true that he turned on Ambrose and Roman Reigns, Seth remembers tearing into Ambrose inside the Cell. He still wants to have Dean with him but Ambrose isn’t convinced.
Seth has an idea though and turns his back on Dean, saying take as many shots with the chair as you need. Ambrose can’t do it so here are Miz and the Miztourage to interrupt. Miz laughs this off because neither of them have what it takes to do this on their own. The fight is on and the numbers get the better of Rollins and Ambrose. A series of chair shots leaves our heroes laying.
Miz and company leave in a hurry.
Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss
Non-title. Bliss slaps her in the face to start and gets driven into the corner for some aggressive stomping to send Bliss to the apron. Cue Nia Jax though and we take a break. Back with Bliss stomping away but missing a charge to send her outside. A Stunner over the ropes slows Bliss down (those Steve Austin show appearances paid off) and the top rope elbow makes things even worse. Bayley chases her to the floor but Jax cuts her off, allowing Bliss to take over. Cue Sasha to take out Jax though and it’s the Bayley to Belly to pin Bliss at 8:13.
Rating: C. I’m assuming we’re setting up Bayley vs. Banks for the #1 contenderdship or one of their beloved four ways because screw storytelling for a one on one match when you can just throw them all together. Bayley is being rebuilt but I wish they could come up with a way to do it besides pinning Bliss in back to back weeks.
Graves gets a text and bails.
Clip from the ESPY’s with a wrestling fan winning an award for courage. Stephanie also received an award at the Sports Humanitarian Awards. Guess which speech gets more time.
Video on Roman Reigns.
Angle is panicking and isn’t sure if he should do this. Graves says do it because it’s going to get out somehow anyway. That seems to convince Kurt.
We recap Akira Tozawa vs. Neville.
Titus O’Neil gives Titus Worldwide a pep talk. Ariya Daivari, who was in a match with Tozawa last week, comes in and challenges him for a rematch later tonight.
Brian Kendrick/Drew Gulak vs. Jack Gallagher/Mustafa Ali
Kendrick bails away from Gallagher to start so we’ll go with Drew instead. Jack works on the knees but Drew pops up and knocks Ali off the apron. One heck of a chop drops Gallagher for two but the headbutt puts Kendrick down. It’s off to Ali for the inverted 450 and the pin at 2:35.
Here’s Enzo Amore for a chat. He knows he lost at Great Balls of Fire but he knows you have to keep getting up if you believe in what you’re fighting for. He’s not done with Big Cass, who may be much bigger and stronger but Enzo has the heart. Cass threw him fourteen feet to the floor but Enzo got back up and kept going. They were friends for years with Enzo making sure Cass stuck with it because Cass is S-A-W-F-T like a big comfy couch.
Cue Cass to chase Enzo off because Enzo says he’s smarter than the average bear. Enzo grabs a seat in the crowd with an Enzo fan to watch this. Cue Big Show for a brawl but Cass kicks him in the face. The fight is on with Show getting the better of it via a hard chop to the chest. Cass sends him into the post twice in a row though and Show’s ribs are hurt. Kicks to the ribs make them even worse and Show is down. Enzo tries to come in and eats a big boot for his efforts. This was another well done Cass segment as I’m very glad they didn’t have Show chase him off. Let Cass look dominant and then win the match. It’s that simple.
Reigns says tonight is all that matters because he wants Lesnar at Summerslam.
Ambrose and Rollins are banged up but still want Miz and company. Angle comes in and offers them a tag match with any two of the three next week. Dean says let’s just make it all three in a handicap match so Angle agrees.
Elias Samson is ready to sing about Nashville but Finn Balor cuts him off.
Finn Balor vs. Elias Samson
Cole tells a story about Elias following NXT around Florida and eventually getting arrested for loitering, only to have Dusty Rhodes bail him out. Graves is of course livid about the story, only to have Elias slam Balor into the corner to cut them off. Balor fights up without too much effort but gets caught in a sitout powerbomb for two. Finn comes back again and takes it outside for the running dropkick into the barricade, only to have Samson BLAST him with the guitar for the DQ at 5:05.
Rating: D+. This was more of an angle than a match though I still wonder why Balor is stuck with Samson. Elias has been better than I was expecting but sweet goodness Balor is a former World Champion and one of the best talents on the roster. Why is he stuck in this midcard feud instead of fighting for the Intercontinental Title at worst?
Bray Wyatt pops up on screen to say Balor didn’t see that coming. Wyatt feels the need to hurt Balor and brings up the Irish mythology. Bray isn’t just a myth though and promises to bring his full powers against Finn. He’ll even enjoy it.
Video on Samoa Joe.
Angle is on the phone when Bayley and Sasha come in, both wanting to fight Bliss at Summerslam. Kurt makes a #1 contenders match between the two of them for next week.
The announcers preview Battleground.
We look back at the Revival attacking the Hardys last week.
Revival attacked the Hardys just because they’re the Hardys. No one has flipped around more than the Hardys so it’s time to use some fists on them.
Akira Tozawa vs. Ariya Daivari
The ropes are still red here. Daivari dedicates this match to an Iranian gold medalist from the 2016 Olympics. Tozawa starts fast but bangs up his shoulder to give Daivari a target. The shoulder is sent hard into the corner and Daivari talks a lot of trash, only to get caught in a hurricanrana. A Codebreaker to the arm gives Daivari two and the shoulder goes into the corner again. That’s enough for Titus who tells the referee to stop it at 2:56.
Tozawa is livid and says Titus never cared about him.
Here’s Angle for the announcement. Everyone is supporting him in this decision and he’s glad to get this off his chest. When he was in college he was dating a woman but then they broke up. Then nine months later, she had a child, which Kurt didn’t find out until recently. It turns out that the kid was a very talented athlete who had several offers to play various sports.
Instead he went to college and earned a degree, followed by pursuing a career in professional wrestling. That son is now a WWE superstar and the newest member of the Raw roster. His name is……Jason Jordan! Jason comes out and hugs Kurt several times but nothing is said.
Revival vs. Hardy Boyz
It’s a brawl to start with Revival bailing to the floor before the bell. We officially get going with Matt headlocking Dawson down, only to get pummeled by Wilder. Matt does his ten rams into each buckle and everything breaks down with the Hardys cleaning house again. They even bust out the Spin Cycle (picking up someone by the arms and legs from the mat and flipping them from their face onto their back), which Booker calls new, though it’s really just brought out of mothballs.
Back from a break with Matt in trouble and Dawson putting on a standing leglock. Wilder gets in some leg work of his own but Dawson is kicked outside, allowing the hot tag to Jeff. A quick splash gets two but Matt has to save his brother from the Shatter Machine. The Twisting Stunner gives Jeff two more, only to have Wilder crotch him to break up the Swanton. Dawson grabs a rollup and jeans for the pin at 13:21.
Rating: C+. The right team won and that’s what matters more than anything else. The Hardys don’t need to win much of anything at this point so having them put over a team like the Revival is best for everyone involved. On top of that it was a good match and that’s just scratching Revival’s surface.
Samoa Joe gives a very intense interview about being ready to beat Roman Reigns again because it gives him another shot at Brock.
Video on a Special Olympian who is in the front row.
Tozawa is in Titus’ locker room and repeats that he didn’t quit. Titus can accept Tozawa being mad at him but Tozawa needs to understand that Titus was looking out for his future. Tozawa seems to accept it but wants a match with Daivari tomorrow night on 205 Live.
Samoa Joe vs. Roman Reigns
Winner gets Lesnar at Summerslam. They trade shoulders to start and it’s Joe being knocked outside as we take an early break. Back with Joe hitting his enziguri in the corner and we’re off to the neck crank. That eats up a long time until Reigns fights up and hits a running clothesline for two. That’s some of Reigns’ only significant offense so far as this has been almost all Joe in the first half.
They head outside with Joe clotheslining him so hard that Reigns lands on the apron. Reigns hits a clothesline of his own to put both guys down as we take another break. Back with Joe talking trash until Reigns comes back with a Samoan drop. One heck of a boot to the face drops Joe again but he’s right back up and blocking a belly to back suplex.
The Rock Bottom is broken up and there’s the Superman Punch for two. With both guys down, cue the returning Braun Strowman to pull Joe out and beat up Reigns for the no contest (though it should be a DQ victory for Joe, who was the first one to be touched) at about 19:00.
Rating: B-. This was definitely the kind of match where they were filling in time until the storyline ending and there’s nothing wrong with that. Neither guy was pinned and it was pretty even when Strowman came in. This is likely setting up what could be a very interesting four way at Summerslam and I’m ok with that.
Reigns and Joe beat on Strowman but both eventually fall victim to powerslams.
Overall Rating: C+. I dug this episode more than most weeks and that’s a good sign. The Angle announcement felt short but big while the main event felt big but long and ultimately meaningless given how things ended. I still liked the show tonight though, which isn’t something I get to say that often. If nothing else they’ve announced THREE matches for next week, which might be a modern day record. Nice show here and better than several they’ve done in recent weeks.
Results
Bayley b. Alexa Bliss – Bayley to Belly
Jack Gallagher/Mustafa Ali b. Brian Kendrick/Drew Gulak – Inverted 450 to Kendrick
Finn Balor b. Elias Samson via DQ when Samson hit him with a guitar
Ariya Daivari b. Akira Tozawa via referee stoppage
Revival b. Hardy Boyz – Rollup with a handful of jeans
Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe went to a no contest when Braun Strowman interfered
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Main Event – June 29, 2017: Where Heels Turn (For a Night At Least)
Main Event Date: June 29, 2017 Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Commentators: Vic Joseph, Corey Graves
We’re in the big city this week as Main Event seems to be changing things up a bit, which is one of the best things that could happen. Just getting some fresh blood around here is a nice change of pace and it’s always great to get away from some of the same repetitive names that frequent this show. Let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Brian Kendrick vs. Cedric Alexander
Kendrick kicks him in the face at the bell and it’s a very early Captain’s Hook, sending Cedric bailing over to the ropes. A butterfly suplex gives Brian a one count but Cedric fights up and catches Kendrick with a spinning elbow to the head. The springboard clothesline gives Cedric two more and frustration is starting to set in. Kendrick kicks him in the face again but he can’t get Sliced Bread #2 just yet. Instead it’s a standing Spanish Fly into the Lumbar Check to give Cedric the pin at 5:57.
Rating: C-. They got a lot of stuff into this one and that makes the match more entertaining than it would be at normal speed. Kendrick has proven that he’s one of the best in the division at putting people over and Cedric seems right at the brink of moving away from pack and getting up to the top of the cruiserweights. It would be better than dealing with Dar at least.
From Raw.
Here’s Roman Reigns to open things up and the WE WANT STROWMAN chants are already out in full force. Reigns: “If you let me get this out you might like this.” He admits that he got choked out last week and Braun Strowman returned to pick the bones. The ambulance match is on and Reigns is ready to drive Strowman out of the building.
Cue an ambulance backing into the arena (I was hoping for a Scott Steiner cameo) so Reigns goes to investigate, only to find…..no one in the back. Instead Strowman jumps him from behind and throws Roman onto the stage. Braun isn’t done with him though and throws Roman back off the stage and against the ambulance. Reigns gets tossed into the ambulance with the doors closed without much effort.
We see the final portion of the gauntlet match with Sasha Banks finally slaying the monster Nia Jax. Alexa Bliss comes out for a staredown with Banks.
Revival vs. Anderson and Gallows
Dash and Anderson start things off but Dawson tags himself in less than ten seconds later. Karl gets in a clothesline and drags Dawson over to Gallows but the Revival does their standard distraction to take over. Anderson and Gallows easily knock them to the floor though and we take a break.
Back with Dawson failing to fight out of trouble but a rake to the eye works a bit better. We hit an abdominal stretch and of course Wilder is there not only to grab the arm but also to switch places without a tag. That’s SO Arn and Tully. Anderson kicks Dash in the face and makes the hot (?) tag off to Gallows for the house cleaning. The Magic Killer is broken up and another blind tag sets up the Shatter Machine to put Anderson away at 10:07.
Rating: C. I could watch Revival for days (all day, all night you might say) and seeing Anderson and Gallows as faces oddly worked here. It feels like the fans want to cheer them and it’s not like they’re doing anything as heels. Why not try them out, especially if you have the Revival right there as heels?
We’ll wrap it up with one more Raw clip.
Here’s Paul Heyman to talk about Samoa Joe not fearing Brock Lesnar. Heyman could have taken a cheap shot at Joe in the back and been saved by everyone breaking it up but he’d rather have Lesnar do it himself. This brings out Lesnar but Joe grabs him from behind on the stage and puts on the Koquina Clutch. Lesnar turns purple but drives Joe into the video wall, only to get choked down again. The locker room comes out to break it up but Brock looks really shaken.
Overall Rating: C+. This was one of the best Main Events I can remember in a good while. Both matches were fine and the stuff from Raw was especially good this week (throw in Enzo and Cass and it’s even better). Somehow Great Balls of Fire is looking good and this show showcased that quite a bit.
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Monday Night Raw – April 10, 2017: Shake Shake Shake
Monday Night Raw Date: April 10, 2017
Location: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton
In case last week’s post-Wrestleania show wasn’t enough for you, this week we have the first half of the Superstar Shakeup, which will see various talents going to the other shows. In other words, it’s whatever they can call the Draft this time around. We’re also less than three weeks away from Payback so let’s get to it.
Opening sequence.
Here are Miz and Maryse as Cena and Nikki for their return to Raw. Miz knows they said they were going to Hollywood but it turns out they sucked as actors. So what better way to revamp their careers than come back here? Cue Dean Ambrose, who is so glad to see John and Nikki and congratulates them on their engagement.
Miz tries to explain this to him but Dean cuts them off and congratulates them on beating the horrible Miz and Maryse at Wrestlemania. Dean loved Cena’s commercial as an elephant but warns against doing something stupid like making Marine 5. Miz reveals their real identities….and gets taken down by Dirty Deeds.
Kurt Angle is on the phone when Sami Zayn comes in to ask if he’s going to Smackdown. Does being here tonight mean he’s staying on Raw? Angle cuts him off and says there’s a lot of interest from Smackdown, which Sami asks him to quantify. Miz and Maryse come in to cut him off to trigger an argument, which sets up a match between the two. Angle looks like he’s about to snap after being here two weeks.
New Day vs. Revival
Woods and Big E. here as Kofi is out after Revival severely hurt his ankle. Not to worry though as Big E. has a Kofi blowup doll as a replacement. Revival mocks Kofi’s injury via some custom t-shirts and are quickly taken down for their efforts. New Day works on Wilder until we take an early break. Back with Dawson working on Woods’ ribs as we hear more about Kofi’s ankle injury and subsequent surgery. The hot tag brings in Big E. to clean house with belly to bellies and a Warrior splash on Wilder.
Dawson gets in a cheap shot to give Dash two, only to have Woods hit a ridiculous springboard elbow (who was less than a foot from the opposite rope) for two on Scott. Revival makes a blind tag and breaks up the Midnight Hour, only to have Woods dive right into the Shatter Machine for the pin at 7:56.
Rating: B-. The last two weeks have been EXACTLY how Revival should have been debuted. Revival has beaten an all time great team twice in a row and it’s not like New Day is going to lose anything as a result. They’ve been bulletproof for a long time now so putting Revival over like this isn’t going to cause them any harm.
Neville isn’t worried about facing Austin Aries again when TJ Perkins comes up. TJ threatens to make Neville eat his words but Neville calls him a joke. Perkins won the Cruiserweight Classic but once 205 Live debuted, TJ’s career has gone nowhere. Now all of TJ’s opportunities are being taken by people like Aries. The only person with any respect for Perkins is Neville, which seems to get TJ’s attention. Cue Aries to say he’s earned all these opportunities but TJ doesn’t seem to buy it.
Curt Hawkins is here to call himself the biggest acquisition since the Louisiana Purchase. This brings out Big Show to knock him out with one punch. For some reason this makes Cole speculate that Big Show is going to Smackdown.
Austin Aries vs. TJ Perkins
Aries’ title shot will officially come at Payback. Neville is on commentary and Cole asks if he can play journalist for a minute. Neville: “Nope.” Perkins takes Aries down with a headscissors but stops to check his hair and dab a bit. They run the ropes with Aries cartwheeling away and catching Perkins with a basement dropkick.
That earns Aries a quick rest on top and some mocking of Perkins’ taunting. TJ misses his pendulum dropkick and gets taken down by a neckbreaker across the middle rope. Aries dives off the top and that’s too much for Neville, who comes down the ramp for a staredown. The distraction lets Perkins grab a small package for the pin at 3:36.
Rating: C. This has me interested as Aries vs. Neville II sounds good but Perkins is one of the only names that could hang on their level if he’s on top of his game. If nothing else it could mean Perkins turning heel, which he should have done about six months ago. Good enough match here but the angle is more important.
Aries stares Neville down but Perkins comes in and gives Aries the Detonation Kick, seemingly turning full heel.
Here’s Seth Rollins for a chat. He didn’t know if he would ever be in this ring again because he gave everything he had to get ready for Wrestlemania. Last week he woke up after a war with HHH and his knee had never been in so much pain. All he knew was that he had never felt so good because at Wrestlemania, he slayed the King.
There are a lot of things Rollins wants to do around here (“The name Samoa Joe comes to mind.”), including wanting to get his hands on the Universal Title. However, something happened at Wrestlemania that might prevent it from happening. We see a clip of Stephanie being knocked through a table, which means she’ll be out for a while. Then she’ll be back though and Rollins becomes public enemy #1. Therefore, it’s probably easier for him to go to Smackdown. That’s not what’s going to happen though as Seth took the easy way out once and he’s not doing it again.
Cue Angle to say that yes, Stephanie made it clear she wants him gone. Angle watched Wrestlemania though and saw Seth win a fight on one leg. Stephanie’s opinion aside, as long as Angle is in charge, Seth has a home here on Raw. Angle goes to leave but Samoa Joe comes in for the fight. Rollins superkicks him to the floor though and Joe bails.
Kevin Owens doesn’t care about the Superstar Shakeup because he’ll be on top of either brand. He says go find Chris Jericho and ask him about the Shakeup because he’d love to go to Smackdown and find some success. Owens is the top champion on Raw and doesn’t want to hear about Dean Ambrose.
Charlotte vs. Nia Jax
Nia runs her over to start and scores with a shoulder breaker to really take over. Some elbows to the back have Charlotte reeling and it’s off to a chinlock. The fans look at something in the crowd as Nia throws Charlotte down but some shots to the ribs give Charlotte an opening. A chop block sets up Natural Selection for two and Nia goes shoulder first into the post. Charlotte hits the moonsault to the floor with her boot hitting Nia square in the head. Nia barely makes it back inside and the Figure Four is easily blocked. A Samoan Drop crushes Charlotte for the pin at 5:58.
Rating: C. This was sloppy at times but it completely got the point across. Nia looks like a much bigger deal now as beating Charlotte is still a huge accomplishment with only a handful of people being able to do it on occasion. Jax still needs experience but once she gets that under her belt, she’s going to be something very special.
Video on Finn Balor.
Jinder Mahal vs. Finn Balor
Balor starts fast with some kicks until Mahal blasts him with a forearm to the jaw. Not that it matters as he kicks Mahal in the head and scores with the Sling Blade. The running corner dropkick sets up the Coup de Grace to put Jinder away at 2:48.
With Balor still in the ring, Bray Wyatt pops up on screen to say he’s here on Raw. In three weeks, the entire world will be able to see him torture Randy Orton at Payback in a House of Horrors match. On the other hand, Balor needs to watch himself because Bray will be watching him.
We look back at the opening sequence.
Apollo Crews, Kalisto, Heath Slater and Rhyno are all coming to Raw.
The Miz vs. Sami Zayn
Sami does his springboard leapfrog to set up the armdrags, followed by a clothesline to send Miz outside. Miz hides behind Maryse to prevent the dive though and we take a break. Back with Sami fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught in a DDT for two. Miz does the YES Kicks but Sami reverses into the Blue Thunder Bomb for its traditional near fall. Maryse makes the save by pulling Miz away from the Helluve Kick but Sami grabs a rollup for the pin at 7:39.
Rating: C+. Not bad here and it’s always nice to see Sami get a win like this. I’d still like to see Sami head over to Smackdown and now he might even go over with some fresh momentum. At the moment, Smackdown is running very low on talent so hopefully someone goes over to the blue show to balance things out a bit.
In the back, Michael Cole has a sitdown interview with Roman Reigns. Roman says the win over Undertaker was the biggest win of his career but it was bittersweet. He’s had great guidance but he’s not sure how you retire someone you respect so much. Braun Strowman comes in and the fight is on with Reigns being destroyed.
Reigns gets powerlsammed onto an anvil case and Braun crushes him by wheeling another case into Reigns’ head. Fans: “THANK YOU STROWMAN!” Reigns is taken out on a stretcher. Fans: “YOU DESERVE IT!” Strowman shoves the stretcher down a flight of stairs, drawing the pop of the night. Reigns is wheeled into the ambulance. Braun: “I’M NOT THROUGH WITH YOU YET BOY!” Strowman beats him up even more and TURNS THE AMBULANCE OVER with Reigns inside.
Post break Reigns is loaded into a new ambulance, which unfortunately isn’t being driven by Strowman.
Hardys/Sheamus/Cesaro vs. Shining Stars/Anderson and Gallows
Before the bell, Elias Samson wanders out onto the stage, sending Graves through the roof due to his long standing hatred of all things Samson. Anderson gets taken down to start with Sheamus dropping a knee. Back from a break with Cesaro in trouble and Sheamus having to make a save. That earns him a Backstabber from Prim but allows Cesaro to dive over for the hot tag to Matt. Everything breaks down and Gallows breaks up a Side Effect. Sheamus and Cesaro send Anderson and Gallows to the floor, leaving Jeff to hit a Poetry in Motion flip dive onto the floor. Back inside, Primo takes the Twist and Swanton for the pin at 7:48.
Rating: C-. This match had no chance of following the Strowman and Reigns segment and I think everyone knew it. The Hardys are still a great nostalgia act but if they’re just Matt and Jeff, I’m not sure how long they’re going to be able to last at this level. Then again, I’m not sure how long they’re supposed to last.
The winners pose for a good while.
Dana Brooke is reading “How to Be Your Own Protege” when Emma comes in. She seems to think Dana still works for her but Dana says that was last year and things have changed.
Here’s Sasha Banks to introduce Bayley for a chat. Bayley thanks everyone for their support because she’s still the same 12 year old girl that loved this so much. Sasha congratulates Bayley for her win but now she wants a title shot of her own. Cue Alexa Bliss to say the two of them are nauseating.
She’s the two time Smackdown Women’s Champion and now wants to add the Raw Women’s Title. This brings out Mickie James to say Bayley’s nightmare is just beginning. Before she can go any further, here’s Nia Jax to run her over. Bliss pushes Banks into Nia, who sends her outside. Bayley gets planted with the Samoan drop and Nia says the title is hers.
Reigns has cracked ribs, internal injuries and a possible separated shoulder.
Dean Ambrose vs. Kevin Owens
Non-title. An early Dirty Deeds attempt sends Owens bailing to the floor but Dean whips him into the barricade. Dean scores with a dive and we take a break. Back with Dean caught in a chinlock. Owens: “I could do this all night baby!” Dean fights up and gets sent outside in a crash, followed by a ram into the post. Back in and Ambrose gets in a good shot to knock Owens outside, setting up a suicide dive.
That’s not enough for Dirty Deeds though but Owens misses a Cannonball. Dean clotheslines him down but Kevin bails outside. That’s fine with Dean, who hits the top rope elbow. Back in and Owens hits the package piledriver slam for two as the fans want Jericho. The Pop Up Powerbomb is countered but Owens escapes Dirty Deeds as well. A superkick blocks the rebound lariat but Dean rolls through into Dirty Deeds for the clean pin at 14:15.
Rating: B. Lack of caring from the crowd aside (yeah fans aren’t that interested in a match with nothing on the line after a three and a half hour taping and no story in sight), this was a good back and forth fight between two people with underrated chemistry. I liked it more than I was expecting to but it was missing something to take it to the next level.
Post match Chris Jericho comes out to hit Owens with a Codebreaker to end the show.
Overall Rating: B-. The wrestling was much better than usual here and they added some big names to the Raw roster, which should really freshen things up a lot. They still need to get rid of some of the excess names because the roster is rather bloated (getting rid of the Cruiserweights would be a good place to start) and I’m sure five or six names will be heading to Smackdown otherwise. Good show here as they kept the energy up, complete with some hilariously unintentional comedy (I think?) with Strowman vs. Reigns.
Results
Revival b. New Day – Shatter Machine to Woods
TJ Perkins b. Austin Aries – Small package
Nia Jax b. Charlotte – Samoan Drop
Finn Balor b. Jinder Mahal – Coup de Grace
Sami Zayn b. The Miz – Rollup
Hardys/Sheamus/Cesaro b. Anderson and Gallows/Shining Stars – Swanton Bomb to Primo
Dean Ambrose b. Kevin Owens – Codebreaker
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
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Monday Night Raw – April 3, 2017: HEY WE WANT……PRETTY MUCH ALL OF THIS!
Monday Night Raw Date: April 3, 2017
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton
IT’S CRAZY NIGHT! This show has a reputation for being the most over the top and often completely ridiculous show with the crowd making the night all about them. It’s hard to say what we might see on here but odds are it’s going to be some debuts and other major announcements, as is often the case on this show. Let’s get to it.
I was in the arena for this show, sitting in the upper deck and looking almost straight at the screen with the hard cameras on my left. On a personal note, while I was getting food before the show, for the first time ever, a fan recognized me. I’m not sure who you were but thank you very much as that made my night.
The opening video looks at the end of Wrestlemania with Roman Reigns outlasting Undertaker and spearing him over and over for Undertaker’s second loss at Wrestlemania. This seemed to signal Undertaker’s retirement after the match, marking the end of a nearly four DECADE career in WWE.
We open with the fans chanting for Undertaker and not letting up on it, which is the only way this should go. Some ROMAN SUCKS chants start up and slowly get louder than the pro-Undertaker crowd. Here’s Roman, which is the best way they can possibly start something like this. Cole says last night might have been the last ride for Undertaker and calls him the greatest performer ever in WWE. I know he just retired but that’s some strong hyperbole.
The chants start up as soon as the music stops with DELETE, F*** YOU ROMAN, DELETE, YOU SUCK, A**HOLE, RO-MAN SUCKS, DELETE, SHUT THE F*** UP and GO AWAY. Reigns finally gets in five words with “This is my yard now” before dropping the mic and walking out after nearly eight minutes on screen. This was MASTERFUL with Reigns cashing in on all the hatred the fans have for him after he destroyed one of their heroes. It’s not clear if this was a heel turn but if it’s not, they’re actually dumber than I thought.
The announcers do their standard “yeah it’s weird but WE TOTALLY LOVE IT!” spiel.
Ad for Wrestlemania XXXIV in New Orleans. This probably aired seven times in two days with people getting sick of it by the end.
Tag Team Titles: Anderson and Gallows vs. Hardy Boyz
Matt and Jeff are defending and this is one of the best things they could put on so early. The fans are going to cheer for the Hardys all night so let them get it out of their system here instead of giving them the focus all night. Anderson and Jeff start things off with the champs quickly shifting to Matt, who gets two off the Side Effect. It’s WAY too early for the Twist of Fate so the champs settle for sending the bald guys to the floor as we take a break.
Back with Matt in trouble and the second WELCOME BACK chant of the match. I think we know they’re back by this point. Now it’s the F*** THAT OWL chant and I’m really not liking these fans turning a PG show into something this vulgar. Yeah I know there’s the whole “I bought a ticket and I can say what I want” defense but what would your response be to someone going to a Disney movie and then loudly swearing the whole time?
Anderson holds Matt open for a kick to the ribs but Matt gets over for the hot tag, triggering the DELETE chants. A basement dropkick and splash of all things gets two but Gallows crotches Jeff on the top. The Boot of Doom gets two (with Cole spoiling the kickout by saying we’re going to have new champions) but Matt breaks up the Magic Killer. The Twist of Fate into the Swanton retains the titles at 10:38.
Rating: C. Nothing all that special here but this was the absolute right call. Let Matt and Jeff go out there, soak in the cheers, and get them a clean win in a TV match. Speaking of wins, do you know when was the last time the Hardys lost a non-ladder two on two tag match? As best I can tell, it would be the WrestleCon Supershow in 2015, or over two years ago. That’s an INCREDIBLE winning streak in modern wrestling and could go on for several more months.
Stills of HHH vs. Seth Rollins.
Here’s Neville to basically say “HAHA I TOLD YOU SO!” There’s going to be a full celebration tomorrow night on 205 Live….but here’s Mustafa Ali to interrupt.
Mustafa Ali vs. Neville
Non-title. A quick hurricanrana puts Neville down and a kick to the head puts him on the floor. Naturally that means a big dive, only to have Neville toss him into the air for a big crash down to the mat. Back from a break with the fans chanting for the beach balls, which were ALL OVER the arena at this point. There were at least ten going around at various points, which is why a headlock on the mat is getting the loudest reaction in history.
Neville stops to glare at the crowd but Ali kicks him in the face during the distraction. The rolling neckbreaker gives Ali two as the fans are chanting BEACH BALL MANIA. Graves tries to keep the focus on the match, saying the crowd is just going to make Neville even angrier. The fans boo when a security guard takes one away, which is just a second before Neville hits a hard clothesline.
With the frustration growing, Cole actually explains the BEACH BALL MANIA concept. In an attempt to get the fans watching what they actually paid for, Ali grabs a top rope Spanish Fly to put both guys down. Fans: “HEY! WE WANT SOME BEACH BALL!” Ali hits a superkick and a reverse hurricanrana, followed by a hard tornado DDT for two. The inverted 450 misses and Neville goes up, looks at the crowd, and jumps down for the Rings of Saturn and the submission instead at 10:31.
Rating: B. This is a great example of why I can’t stand this crowd. I paid to watch wrestling and of course all the beach balls flying around are going to be a distraction. Having fun is one thing but taking over the show with something that has NOTHING to do with what you’re watching is something else. If you’re that bored, go spend your money on something else.
The match was great stuff though with Ali continuing to show just how awesome he can be. Give him a bit of a character upgrade and he’ll be a future champion. I really liked Neville here too as instead of ignoring the beach ball nonsense, he tied it into his character who was tired of being disrespected. It’s very tiresome to watch a match when something big is going on and the wrestlers have to ignore it. Tie it into the match so things can seem a bit more real.
Vince arrives. You had to know that was going to happen.
Here’s Vince for the start of the second hour. Naturally the fans sing his song, drawing a big grin from the boss. A ROMAN SUCKS chant starts up but Vince talks over it (and it goes away), thanking the fans for being so passionate. Wrestlemania may be over but next week we’re having a Superstar Shake Up because it’s time to shake things up. We have some very sad footage from last night, which shows Stephanie going through a table.
That’s going to put Stephanie out for awhile and since we have no General Manager, it’s time to hire someone new. The new GM was inducted into the Hall of Fame over the weekend….and here’s Teddy Long. Teddy starts dancing until Vince shouts that it’s not him. Vince: “TEDDY STOP DANCING!” It’s not you!” Teddy: “It’s not me?” Vince: “It’s not you!” Teddy: “Well….my bad! Holla holla holla!” It’s Kurt Angle of course and that’s as good of an option as they really had. Angle hits the catchphrase and is already out.
Stills of Kevin Owens beating Chris Jericho for the US Title.
Here’s New Day, still with no New Day Pops for purchase. Kofi and Xavier do have what appear to be ice cream cone shoulder pads though. Woods issues an open challenge and CUE TOP GUYS!
New Day vs. Revival
Oh you know they’re getting the pop of the night on this show. Dawson SHOVES THE CART OVER so you know it’s serious. Woods and Dawson start things off as the beach balls are completely forgotten. Revival starts in on Xavier’s arm with Dawson getting in a nasty looking crank. Graves: “That won’t separate your shoulder. It’ll divorce it!” The arm work continues after the break but Woods sneaks over and gets in the tag to Big E. Suplexes abound as everything breaks down. Big E. is sent outside, leaving Woods to try the Honor Roll….right into a Shatter Machine for the pin at 8:04.
Rating: C+. Now that’s more like it! This was the debut that the fans wanted to see and Revival got the clean pin over the biggest team WWE has produced in at least ten years. They did it in classic Revival style and it was as entertaining as it could have been given the short time frame. Woods even took the fall, which is pretty much his only in-ring role. It’s also nice to have something actually happen on this show.
Post match Revival takes out Kofi’s ankle.
Angle is getting his office ready (with a box of gold medals) when Enzo and Big Cass come in. Enzo: “And you can’t teach that!” Angle: “Not in any college I’ve ever heard of.” Enzo on Big Cass being tall: “And you can’t teach that!” Angle looks up: “You sure can’t!” Enzo: “How you doin?” Angle: “I’m doing great! I was just inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and now I’m the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw. How are you guys doing?”
Not too well apparently because they want a title shot. Enzo also wants to know why Goofy is treated like a human and Pluto is treated like a dog. Angle: “I have no idea what you’re talking about right now.” As for their title issues, Kurt gives them a #1 contenders match against Sheamus/Cesaro tonight so Cass promises to prove the two of them are S-A-W-F-T. Enzo and Cass leave as Angle realizes that’s not how you spell soft. This was HILARIOUS and one of the first things I wanted to see when Angle was announced as the new GM.
Bayley/Sasha Banks/Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax/Charlotte/Emma
Yes Emma instead of Emmalina. Emma does her pose on the announcers’ table and is all fired up with Graves suddenly being a huge fan. Charlotte and Dana start things off but Emma tags herself in. A low dropkick puts Dana down and it’s off to Bayley for a showdown. The announcers keep talking about how Emma doesn’t know who she is but thankfully shift over to her new found aggression. Bayley takes her down and rolls around Emma’s back as we take a break.
Back with Bayley in trouble as the announcers talk about Nia being unstoppable at Wrestlemania. You know, until she was stopped. Bayley gets caught in the Tree of Woe for some choking but she’s able to send Charlotte to the floor. The hot tag brings in Sasha for the house cleaning, including the double knees in the corner for two on Charlotte. Everything breaks down and Bayley dives on Nia, leaving Sasha to grab the Bank Statement to make Charlotte tap at 9:14.
Rating: C-. I wouldn’t be surprised if that was Charlotte’s last match before being shipped over the Smackdown. There’s nothing else for her to do on Raw and it would make Bayley look more like a conquering hero. Charlotte has dominated the roster for so long that she needs some fresh challenges and Smackdown would be just the place.
Post match Charlotte yells at Nia and is promptly laid out in what feels like a face turn for Jax. Emma gets stared down and immediately bails in a smart move.
Sami Zayn is in Angle’s office and talks about wanting to cultivate a relationship with him like the one Sami had with Foley. Angle says Zayn demonstrates the three I’s and thinks he’ll be fine. Jinder Mahal comes in to complain about the battle royal. Kurt gets tired of the arguing and puts them in a match tonight.
Here are Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar for a chat. Brock is a little happier than normal tonight and has allowed Heyman to tell us a bedtime story that both of their children hear. There once was a superhero named Goldberg who stood for honor and valor and all that good stuff. Then he took the Universal Title but went on a little side trip through south central Suplex City where the Beast beat him up and took his title. The happy ending: there’s no more Goldberg around here ever again. Fans: “THANK YOU BROCK!”
That means Brock needs new challengers. Fans: “FINN! FINN! FINN!” Heyman suggests Seth Rollins, either Hardys or even both Hardys but let’s talk about the 2 in 23-2. Yes he means Roman Reigns and history says that these two must meet. If Reigns is the big dog then Lesnar is animal cruelty. Heyman wants to do it tonight but here’s Braun Strowman instead to not much of a reaction (not that surprising). Strowman wants Lesnar’s attention because Brock already has his. Lesnar lays the title down in front of Strowman and says bring it but Strowman leaves instead.
So that happened. I know we’re getting Lesnar vs. Reigns in New Orleans whether we like it or not but I really, REALLY hope they don’t announce it in advance as it makes everything until then seem like a waste of time. Let the story get there on its own and things will likely be a lot better. As far as Strowman…..in theory he’s next for Reigns but I don’t see how you have Strowman lose to Reigns to set up Strowman vs. Lesnar, nor do I see how you have Reigns lose to Strowman for any reason at all.
Chris Jericho is confirmed to have a rematch with Kevin Owens at Payback. As for tonight though, he loves this raucous crowd and BEACH BALL MANIA IS RUNNING WILD BABY! These people are the friends of Jericho, los amigos de Jericho or the mates of Jericho. CHEER HIM ON MAN! Tonight he’s starting his revenge against Kevin Owens and he’ll stat with the tip of Owens’ finger. Last night the tip of Owens’ finger saved him and do you know what that means? THE TIP OF OWENS’ FINGER JUST MADE THE LIST!
Cue Owens and Samoa Joe to beat Jericho down and put him through a table. I’m sure this won’t result in Jericho being pulled out of tonight’s tag team match (Rollins/Jericho vs. Owens/Joe). Even if it does, that’s totally different than last year’s post-Wrestlemania Raw where Owens powerbombed Sami through a table to take him out of the main event. See, that took Sami out of a four way and this year is a tag match. Totally different story.
Jericho is out of the main event but Angle promises to find Rollins a new tag partner. Just start the FINN chants now.
Enzo Amore/Big Cass vs. Sheamus/Cesaro
The winners get the Hardys, presumably at Payback. Enzo is in Orlando Magic themed gear and gets an early two on Cesaro. Now we get the catchy chant of the night with “SHEAMUS AND CESARO! HEY HEY HEY!” I couldn’t make it out from the stands (I heard “SHEAMUS IS AWESOME”) but Cesaro chants it for a bit as well. Cass avoids a charge in the corner but gets the back of his neck snapped across the top rope.
Cesaro tries to come in for a save so Cass launches Enzo at him instead. It works so well that he launches him at both of them again, sending us to a break. Back with Enzo getting thrown around as the Sheamus and Cesaro chants continue. Cass gets dropkicked through the ropes and it’s time for Enzo to go swinging. The Sharpshooter is broken up though and it’s time for the Bada Boom Shaka Lacka, only to have a Brogue Kick drop Cass. Sheamus launches Enzo into an uppercut from Cesaro for the pin and the title shot at 9:47.
Rating: D+. Cesaro and Sheamus have grown on me in recent weeks and a lot of that is just getting away from the Best of Seven series and the annoyance of what they were forcing us to sit through. They’re actually a decent power team and this was the right call as putting the Hardys vs. Enzo and Cass would pretty easily make Enzo and Cass the heels, which is the last thing you want to do before they win the titles for the first time.
We see some Tweets from wrestlers on Undertaker’s retirement.
Sami Zayn vs. Jinder Mahal
Jinder jumps him before the bell and the referee actually bothers to ask if Sami can go. Mahal takes him down for a kneedrop and grabs an early chinlock as the OLE’s start up in a hurry. Sami fights up, hits the exploder into the corner and finishes with the Helluva Kick at 2:21.
Samoa Joe/Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins/???
You know it’s going to be Finn Balor, I know it’s going to be Finn Balor and the crowd knows it’s going to be Finn Balor, all of which I type during the entrances, capped of by……hey look it’s Finn Balor. Other than maybe Nakamura, this was the only realistic option they had and it’s the right call. Thankfully the commentators are smart enough to keep quiet until Balor has been able to get in four poses.
Rollins and Owens start things off with Kevin ducking a low superkick for a standoff, meaning it’s off to Joe for a slugout with Seth. A quick trip to the corner is enough for the hot tag to Balor as the NXT chants start up. The fact that four former NXT Champions (and three former WWE World Champions) are main eventing this show is an amazing sign. Owens bails from the threat of a double team but gets taken down by a suicide dive.
That’s not enough for Seth as he hits a big flip dive onto both villains, only to bang up the knee and get caught by a DDT back inside. The STUPID IDIOT chants start (I would have expected them earlier) as Owens grabs a chinlock. It’s back to Joe to crush the knee again as those gold tights are making me think of Savage’s bad knee at Wrestlemania VIII.
Joe misses a backsplash though and Rollins enziguris his way into a hot tag to Balor. Chops and kicks a go-go ensue but Owens catches him in something like a swinging White Noise for two. Rollins breaks up the Koquina Clutch and the running dropkick into the corner sets up the Coup de Grace to put Owens away at 12:12.
Rating: B-. Standard main event tag in front of a hot crowd. This did exactly what it needed to do as I’d assume Balor will get the shot at Owens if Jericho is off touring. You could put the title on Balor without much of an issue as Jericho vs. Owens II is about revenge instead of the title anyway. Joe vs. Rollins should be a lot of fun too.
Rollins and Balor pose to end the show, apparently burying the hatchet over Balor’s wrecked shoulder.
Overall Rating: B+. First and foremost, this show is NOT about the wrestling and it never has been. This show is about moving things forward and surviving an insane crowd. The opening half hour was almost perfect with the Reigns stuff being as great as it could have been and the Hardys fired up the crowd even more, if that was possible. The Angle announcement and Revival debut were both very strong, as was Balor returning at the end.
All in all, the surprises worked very well, even though we knew most of them in advance. Almost nothing on here was a major surprise but that’s not exactly a bad thing. WWE hit almost all of the big ideas on the checklist and gave us a really fun show. Nothing on here was really bad, Reigns was confined to the opening twelve minutes and Angle meeting Enzo and Cass certainly didn’t disappoint.
The big problem though was the announcement of the Superstar Shakeup. Basically that said “none of this matters so we’ll just wait for the important stuff next week.” That kept hanging in my mind all night and while it didn’t kill the show, it did hold things back a good bit. Raw was a lot of fun this week though and that’s what matters here.
Results
Hardys b. Anderson and Gallows – Swanton Bomb to Gallows
Neville b. Mustafa Ali – Rings of Saturn
Revival b. New Day – Shatter Machine to Woods
Bayley/Sasha Banks/Dana Brooke b. Nia Jax/Charlotte/Emma – Bank Statement to Charlotte
Cesaro/Sheamus b. Enzo Amore and Big Cass – Uppercut to Amore
Sami Zayn b. Jinder Mahal – Helluva Kick
Finn Balor/Seth Rollins b. Samoa Joe/Kevin Owens – Coup de Grace to Owens
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
Takeover: Orlando Date: April 1, 2017
Location: Amway Center, Orlando, Florida
Attendance: 14,975
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson
It’s time for the big one again as NXT gets to run a major show from its home city. Wrestlemania is in Orlando this year and that means we get a special Takeover right down the road from Full Sail University. The main event is Bobby Roode vs. Shinsuke Nakamura II for the NXT Title in what might be Nakamura’s farewell. Let’s get to it.
I was in the arena for this show so it’s going to be my second look at it.
We open with a HHH voiceover talking about how this is our night to make history. Tonight we show the world that we are NXT and we are home.
The opening video looks at NXT over the years (or at least NXT from Full Sail), which really does include some amazing moments and stars getting their starts. This turns into a video on Roode vs. Nakamura, which is a fight over Roode fighting for himself and Nakamura fighting for the fans. The Women’s Title gets a quick look as well.
Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/No Way Jose/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot
Sanity all has black paint around their eyes, making them look like Deadpool. Actually hang on a second as Sanity jumped No Way Jose at Axxess and has put him out of action. We have a replacement though.
Sanity vs. Tye Dillinger/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot/Kassius Ohno
The good ones hit the ring at a run and the brawl is on in a hurry. The women officially start things off with Cross throwing Riot across the ring by the hair. I still have no idea how that doesn’t make anyone scream. Ruby sends Cross into the corner so it’s off to Wolfe, meaning Ohno has to come in. That earns Wolfe and Young a big right hand each with Kassius easily taking over. At Takeover. Kind of makes sense no?
Young offers a distraction though and Wolfe takes over like the cheater he is. Another big elbow cuts off the heel control though and it’s off to Strong for some speed. Roderick does his running leapfrog (one of my favorites) and backbreakers Wolfe before kicking Dain in the head. I do love how face teams always stay on the apron and let their buddy fight everyone off at once. It’s just not polite otherwise you see. Dain runs him over though as the SHAVE YOUR BACKS chant start up.
Roderick’s comeback is cut off by a running dropkick and it’s off to Young for some choking. A top rope elbow draws Tye in for the save and there go the TEN chants. Eric misses a charge in the corner though and NOW it’s off to Tye with the hot tag. House is cleaned as everything breaks down, including Tye hitting a high crossbody on Wolfe, straight into a dive on Young for a sweet sequence.
Wolfe makes the save so Ohno loads up a dive but Wolfe moves just in time. Not that it matters as Ohno manages to bail by landing hands first on the apron and flipping onto his feet outside. Cross breaks up Ruby’s dive and the closest thing you’ll get to an NXT catfight breaks out.
That leaves Tye vs. Eric with Dillinger cleaning house, including a superkick for a close two on Dain. Onno BLASTS Wolfe with a forearm and Strong Sick Kicks Young to the floor. Roderick vs. Dain looks to give us a rather interesting showdown but the women jump on their backs. Tye loads up the Tyebreaker on Dain but Wolfe makes a save, setting up the Ulster Plantation (One Winged Angel) for the pin on Dillinger at 12:21.
Rating: B. This was a really good choice for an opener and could have been a classic if Tye had gotten the pin and FINALLY won something but instead let’s have him job again. You have to imagine a big showdown with Dillinger facing Young once and for all, but if he loses, I have no idea what’s left for him in NXT. At some point you have to actually win something and Tye hasn’t quite pulled that off yet. Also, Ohno was the only real option here. He’s been featured too much on NXT TV lately and he had to get a spot on here, especially with a great tease of something with Sanity going forward.
Edge and Beth Phoenix are here.
Andrade Cien Almas vs. Aleister Black
No real story here other than it’s Black’s debut and he needed an opponent. Black’s entrance (which I couldn’t see from the upper deck) is straight out of Nosferatu as he rises up from what looks like a casket and onto the stage. Black slingshots over the ropes and lands in a sitting meditation style position, which is almost guaranteed to become a signature pose.
They trade armbars and headscissor escapes to start until Black misses a swinging kick, leaving Almas to pose at him. Back up and Black kicks him to the floor for a dive, only to moonsault back into the mediation pose. Back in and Almas takes him into the corner for a stomping and one heck of a slap. A missile dropkick gets two for Almas and it’s time to start in on the arm.
Nigel isn’t sure on this as Black mainly uses kicks but figures it might just be overconfidence. Almost immediately thereafter, Black starts firing off the kicks to send Almas outside for a huge middle rope moonsault. Back in and Almas grabs a cross armbreaker over the ropes, followed by something like the Rings of Saturn (I’m glad that’s becoming more popular).
Black ducks the running knees in the corner and they trade kicks to the head for a double knockdown. A moonsault kick to Black’s head sets up a snap German suplex for two so Black starts snapping off kicks. Black Mass (a spinning kick to the head) knocks Almas silly at 9:35.
Rating: B-. This was fine without much of a story other than Almas getting cocky, as is his nature. I wasn’t wild on him at first but this was a solid debut performance. The meditation pose is going to be a winner for him, especially once we get to know him a little bit better. I also like the Black Mass as sometimes you just need to kick someone in the head.
Also of note, I wasn’t really able to pay much attention to the finish live as the fans in section 220 decided they were more important than the rest of the show. This included declaring their section’s greatness, chanting TWENTY after each near fall (“1-2-TWENTY!” Get it?) and calling the other sections around them S-A-W-F-T. You can imagine how this went and you can hear the other sections telling them to shut up during the ending.
We recap the Tag Team Title match, which is almost guaranteed to be the best match on the card. DIY and the Revival tore the house down for the better part of six months but the Authors of Pain took the belts from DIY, setting up a three way feud. This meant a triple threat elimination tag, which for once made perfect sense.
Tag Team Titles: Revival vs. DIY vs. Authors of Pain
The Authors are defending but before the match, William Regal presents some snazzy new title belts (the Women and NXT Titles will get new belts as well), possibly due to the Women’s Title being involved in Paige’s sex tape. Revival and DIY stare each other down before they both turn to face the Authors, drawing the first major pop of many. Rezar is sent into the barricade so DIY grabs a table, even though this shouldn’t be No DQ (I believe a DQ would count as an elimination).
Akam goes into the steps and the four challengers stare each other down, setting up the showdown that the fans really wanted to see. Nigel is beside himself as the champs are recovering while the other four fight each other. We settle down to a regular match until Akam tags himself in for a double clothesline.
Ciampa’s high crossbody is caught but he kicks Rezar in the head, only to have Revival back down the steps instead of taking a tag. That’s smart in this kind of a match, which shouldn’t be surprising given how intelligent those two come off most of the time. With the referee distracted, Dawson sneaks in for a DDT on Akam to give Ciampa two. Dawson comes in legally but takes a shot to the ribs. This time it’s DIY dropping to the floor because they’re just that smart.
Gargano tags himself in and gets two off the slingshot spear before kicking Dawson in the head. Johnny adds a slingshot DDT and the fans are WAY into this, just as you would expect them to be. The champs catch a dive so Ciampa tries a suicide dive of his own, only to have the Authors THROW GARGANO THROUGH THE AIR to break it up. Things slow down with Akam working on Gargano’s ribs, including throwing him up into a torture rack. Johnny finally sends Rezar into an uppercut from Dawson, allowing the hot tag off to Ciampa.
It’s time for a series of strikes into a pair of German suplexes on Rezar, followed by the running knee for two. With Rezar reeling, Gargano tries a powerbomb from the apron through the table but can’t put him down. Ciampa’s help isn’t enough so Revival punches Rezar in the jaw, setting up the double powerbomb through the table for the big crash and an even bigger cheer as the giant is in trouble. That leaves Akam on his own…and all four surround him.
Since he’s a monster though, he actually drops all of them on his own because screw it. A chop block brings Akam down though and Dawson slaps on the reverse Figure Four. Gargano thinks about breaking it up but adds his version of the Crossface for the double submission. The partners grab Rezar so he shoves them into Akam and company for the save, drawing a loud round of booing. A series of strikes drop Rezar and it’s Dawson/Gargano hitting DIY’s double strike. Naturally this means Ciampa and Wilder give Akam a Shatter Machine, sending the fans even further into orbit with the champs going outside.
The fight is on and Ellering cheers both teams on in a perfectly logical (yet still amusing) moment. Gargano and Wilder hit stereo dives on the champs and Ciampa goes up top, only to have Dawson SUPERPLEX HIM ONT THE BIG PILE OF PEOPLE, putting all six down at once. Dawson goes after Gargano (Nigel: “NO! This is a mistake!” It turns out that he’s right as the Authors get back in for the Last Chapter and the elimination on Ciampa at 18:54. You could feel the energy going out of the crowd at that point and it never recovered for the rest of the match (or show for that matter).
The fans chant DELETE (because they’re such big fans that they forgot the Hardys were 40 minutes away at Ring of Honor) but have to settle for Revival, who are now the most over team in the world. A German suplex/top rope elbow gets two on Rezar but Akam kicks Dawson in the face. Almost stereo powerbombs earn the champs a NO ONE LIKES YOU chant as this is getting brutal. Rezar spears Wilder into the barricade while Akam sends Dawson into the corner. The Super Collider retains the titles at 23:43.
Rating: A-. Give this a more popular and less deflating ending and it’s the Match of the Year so far. Those first seventeen minutes or so were as smart and well thought out that I’ve seen in years but as soon as the Authors turned into Super Cena, everything went flying out the window. In theory this means DIY and Revival are heading to the main roster (this is being written after Revival debuted on Raw) and if that’s the case, this is the logical move. If DIY sticks around though, I have no idea what they’re thinking.
The NXT fans want to see DIY vs. Revival in their awesome matches and the Authors are as far removed from that as they could possibly be (not saying they’re bad, but that they’re not what the fans want). It makes them look unbeatable though and that means the team that takes them down will be even more awesome than anyone could imagine. It’s a great match but the ending really brings it back to earth.
We recap the Women’s Title match. Asuka is sitting by a pool and says the division rises and sets with her. She’s said she’ll keep the title forever but Ember Moon is undefeated as well. Asuka might be a more complete wrestler than Moon but she has the biggest weapon in NXT (close enough) in the Eclipse. That’s the whole idea: if Ember can hit that one big move, nothing Asuka can do matters. The video goes on a good bit longer than it needs to, which is a pretty common problem in WWE.
Women’s Title: Ember Moon vs. Asuka
Ember is challenging and has some of the best theme music in NXT at the moment. No special entrance for Asuka but I believe she has new gear. After the Big Match Intros, Regal presents the new title which looks like a cross between a UFC belt and the old X-Division Title. I really liked the first one but come on: it had to change eventually.
They lock up and go to the mat to start with neither being able to get any kind of an advantage. Stereo dropkicks go nowhere and it’s time for a standoff. Asuka offers a handshake but pulls her hand back instead, showing quite a bit of confidence (fair enough). Shoulders go nowhere as they’re doing a great job of portraying both of them as equal. The flying hip attack only sees Ember nip up….and make a not funny face in her way of saying bring it. Yeah that looked dumb.
Another hip attack sends Ember outside and it’s time to really take over with some spinning elbows to the head. A third hip attack drops Ember and Asuka fires off kicks to the chest. The Asuka Lock is broken up and Ember blasts her in the jaw to send the champ outside. They’re doing a really good job here of having Ember hang with Asuka until one big shot cuts her off all over again.
Case in point, Ember kicks her in the head but takes a Shining Wizard for two. The Asuka Lock goes on (To very little reaction for some reason. Even live this didn’t feel important.) with Asuka on Ember’s back, allowing Ember to drop backwards for the break. A good looking superkick drops Asuka and even more kicks have her reeling. Ember’s springboard is broken up though and a German suplex gives Asuka two.
Asuka loses a slugout and gets capture suplexed for two more. Ember loads up the Eclipse and throws Asuka off the top….only to have Asuka shove the referee into the ropes for the heel turn. Somehow that’s not a DQ (I need to read that WWE Book of Rules) and Asuka kicks her in the head to retain at 12:12.
Rating: B. Commentary really helped this one a lot as Nigel was selling the heck out of the idea that Asuka had met her match. That’s the story here and it worked really well: Asuka couldn’t beat Ember using her standard stuff and was in real danger from the Eclipse so she cheated to win instead. I’m fine with Ember losing as she never got to hit the Eclipse (so there’s your rematch) and you have Ruby Riot, Kimber Lee and Nikki Cross ready to challenge too.
In your big surprise of the night, DREW MCINTYRE is in the crowd. That’s the best news I could hear as McIntyre was all over Wrestlemania weekend and I’ve wondered why he isn’t WWE Champion like, now for example. I’m very happy with this and it couldn’t have been much of a better choice.
We recap Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode. As mentioned earlier, it’s basically Roode being out for himself and Nakamura being out for the fans.
NXT Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Bobby Roode
Nakamura is challenging and does his entrance behind a translucent screen where you can see his shadow. That feels very Michael Jackson-esque for some reason. The fans of course sing Nakamura’s song (despite it not having any words) and it’s yet another awesome entrance. Granted they also sing Roode’s song as Roode spins around on a pedestal, accompanied by two pianos (TAKE THAT REBY!). Regal brings out the new belt, which looks almost identical to the Women’s Title.
We’re ready to go, but first this reason why I can’t stand Twitter. Phillips: “These fans are on their feet and they’re ready for this hashtag NXT Championship match!” Roode goes straight for the knees as the fans like both these guys. A headlock doesn’t get the champ very far so Nakamura lays him on the ropes for the head on Roode’s chest spot. Roode laughs off the bring it but gets caught up in the rapid fire strikes to bring him down.
Nakamura drops a knee and sends him into the corner for Good Vibrations. Roode gets in a dropkick and knocks Shinsuke off the apron and into the barricade for a crash. Nakamura seems to have hurt his shoulder but Roode opts to just stomp him down in the corner. Being the cocky jerk that he is, Roode stops for the GLORIOUS pose but still manages to chop Nakamura in the corner.
We hit the nerve hold for a long stretch (softening up the neck for the DDT) before Nakamura gets in a kick to the head for a breather. It’s time to start in with the knees, including one in the corner and one on the apron. Roode comes right back with a heck of a clothesline and a chop block to start in on the knee again. The knee is wrapped around the post and we hit a bad looking Figure Four. Nakamura turns it over to, sending Roode straight to the ropes so he can get right back to the knee.
Another hold is countered into a cross armbreaker but Roode gets to the ropes again. Nakamura fires off strikes in the corner but knees the buckle by mistake. That earns Roode a series of kicks from the good leg so he grabs a Backstabber to put both guys down. They slug it out with Nakamura kneeing his way out of a suplex and dropping another knee for two. Kinshasa sends Roode bailing to the floor but he kicks the ropes to hit Nakamura low.
The Glorious DDT connects for two and again Nigel is right there to sell the heck out of it. Roode goes to get the bell but gets kicked in the head, followed by the exploder. Kinshasa is countered into one heck of a spinebuster for two and Nakamura is done. Back up and Roode drives him into the corner for a tornado DDT into the Glorious DDT to retain at 28:14.
Rating: B+. This was….long. The first match had far better drama with the story around the knee while this was just more long than anything else. That’s not to say it’s a bad match but I did like the first one earlier. The key here though is Roode winning clean without ever really doing anything all that complicated to counter Nakamura’s insane offense. Roode is a very basic wrestler but he does everything so proficiently that it’s hard to beat him. It’s a very good match and pretty clearly Nakamura’s swan song, but not as good as the predecessor.
After the show ended, Nakamura got the big sendoff with his music playing and taking a bow to all parts of the arena. See you Tuesday.
Overall Rating: A-. This show has one problem: it’s going to be compared to Takeover: Dallas. Last year’s show was one of the best of all time while this was just a really good one. There’s absolutely nothing bad on here but the lack of title changes hurt things. This show felt like a big goodbye instead of NXT showcasing itself, which is one of the problems that a developmental territory is going to have. It’s an outstanding show though and definitely worth watching, only being held back by what happened last year.
Results
Sanity b. Tye Dillinger/Kassius Ohno/Roderick Strong/Ruby Riot – Ulster Plantation to Dillinger
Aleister Black b. Andrade Cien Almas – Black Mass
Authors of Pain b. The Revival and DIY – Last Chapter to Dawson
Asuka b. Ember Moon – Kick to the head
Bobby Roode b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Glorious DDT
Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the NXT: The Full Sail Years Volumes I and II, now in PAPERBACK. Check out the information here:
