Formerly Known As

You need to be watching this show.

WWE puts out a freaking ton of stuff on their YouTube channel and there is nothing that tops Formerly Known As. This show is basically a look back at wrestlers and where they came from with whoever the show is about that week going back to their old stomping grounds. They’ll go to wherever they started wrestling, often talking to their trainer or someone they started with while footage of their early career is shown. These things are great and more than worth checking out.

Here’s the playlist with all of the full shows and some shorter clips:

Check this out as it’s more than worth your time.

Main Event – May 31, 2018: Qualifying Quality

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 31, 2018
Location: The Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Another week, another focus on Money in the Bank. There isn’t much else to focus on this week as both Raw and Smackdown ended with a focus on the qualifying matches. Hopefully that doesn’t dominate this week’s show, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me as WWE has a tendency to get hooked on a single concept. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. Tony Nese

As usual, hang on because Nese needs to show off the abs. Tozawa just shouts at him and hits the surprise right hand. Nese misses a moonsault press but nips up to avoid a clothesline and kicks Tozawa in the ribs. A kick to Nese’s face looks to set up the backsplash but it’s way too early so Nese rolls away. Nese is right back up and puts him in the Tree of Woe for the crunch kicks to the ribs.

They’re going back and forth a bit too much here. A reverse torture rack (with Tozawa facing down instead of up) stays on the ribs but Nese drops him, only to get caught with a Shining Wizard. The required suicide dive (I’m sick of that move from everyone) sets up a missile dropkick for two. A pinfall reversal sequence leads to Tozawa kicking him in the head but getting crotched on top. The running Nese is good for the pin at 5:46.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as no one really got control for very long and it didn’t let either of them get much of a flow going. It’s not like the match was bad and Nese winning is quite the surprise, even if it’s never going to mean anything for him in the short or long run. Just not a very well laid out match.

Quick look at Jinder Mahal attacking Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns last week.

From Raw.

Here’s Elias for a song. He insists on how everything needs to be nice and calm but first, he needs the lights brought down closer because he can’t stand looking at this ugly crowd. Elias makes sure the sound levels are right and we take a break. Back with Elias still in the ring and threatening to leave again. Cue Seth Rollins for his title defense and he throws Elias’ stool out. Rollins vs. Elias sounds very appealing.

Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins vs. Jinder Mahal

Rollins is defending and wastes no time hammering away in the corner. A Sunil Singh distraction lets Mahal knock him to the floor and we take a break. Back with Mahal working on the ribs and grabbing an abdominal stretch. Rollins sends him into the corner and then outside for the required suicide dive. Back in and a fireman’s carry gutbuster (Darren Young’s old Gut Check) gets two but the Khallas is countered. The Stomp misses as well and Rollins rolls him up for tow.

The low superkick into the Falcon Arrow gets two as well and dang it they’re doing the crowd reaction shots again. Sunil offers another distraction and gets ejected but it allows Mahal to chair Rollins in the ribs for two. The ejected Singh is back five seconds later so Rollins buckle bombs him into Mahal. That’s enough for Seth and he chairs Mahal for the DQ at 12:21. Please tell me they’re not going to do this match again next week.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t that bad and Rollins is still something close to a miracle worker but the ending has me worried that we’re seeing more of Mahal getting title shots. If they’re not continuing the feud though, I have no idea why Mahal didn’t take the Stomp for the pin. Then again I’m not sure why Mahal is still here anyway.

Post match Rollins chases Mahal off with a chair but gets guitared down by Elias.

Post break, Rollins is being put on a stretcher but gets up and walks to the back on his own as two fans sing Happy Birthday.

Quick look at the Women’s Title matches at Money in the Bank.

From Raw.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Gauntlet Match

Before the match, Bayley says numbers don’t add up and she’s going to Money in the Bank. Bayley is in at #1 and Liv Morgan is in at #2 with the Bayley to Belly getting rid of Morgan in ten seconds. Sarah Logan is in at #3 and blocks the suplex, only to fall victim to a rollup for the pin at 1:50. Logan and Morgan double team Bayley before leaving and it’s Ruby Riott in at #4.

Back from a break with Riott having survived and sending Bayley into the corner. The Riott Kick gets rid of Bayley at 7:01 and it’s Dana Brooke in at #5. Brooke gets sent into the corner and the Riott Kick is good for the pin at 8:44. Hometown girl Mickie James is in at # 6 and sends Riott into the post for an early two. A dropkick gets two and we take a break. Back with Mickie getting two off the middle rope knees, only to get rolled up with trunks for the pin at 15:32.

Sasha Banks is in at #7 (the last entrant) and starts fast with some rollups. The Bank Statement doesn’t work and Ruby gets two off a faceplant. Riott starts the trash talk so Sasha hits her in the face. Another faceplant gives Ruby two and Sasha’s top rope double knees get the same. The Bank Statement is broken up again so Ruby tries a monkey flip, only to bounce off the ropes into a tornado DDT for two. One heck of a powerbomb out of the corner gives Sasha two and here’s the Riott Squad for the distraction. Sasha fights them off with ease and the Bank Statement makes Ruby tap at 20:50.

Rating: D. Well that was terrible. I can’t stand gauntlets where the falls take such little time more often than not. If you can win a fall this fast, why do regular matches take ten minutes? They would have been better off just doing Riott vs. Banks and let them have a good match but, as usual, quantity means quality. I’ll take it over another meaningless singles match though.

Mojo Rawley vs. No Way Jose

Main Event gets its first conga line. Mojo jumps him during the entrance and charges him at the bell to put Jose in even more trouble. A clothesline and some right hands give Jose his first offense and he pounds Rawley down in the corner to even things up a bit. We get some Steve Austin inspired offense with a Thesz press into the right hands and Rawley bails to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Jose getting chop blocked and more stomping in the corner. Rawley scores with a splash in the corner and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Mojo misses a splash, allowing Jose to grab him by the head for a jumping neckbreaker. Jose loads up the pop up right hand but gets sent into the corner for Rawley’s running right hand and the pin at 10:00.

Rating: C. I know Rawley isn’t going anywhere with this stuff as it’s not like they have room for someone fresh in the midcard on Raw (not when you can keep using the same people over and over again). Still though, it’s good to see him getting some ring time and some wins, even though he lost a few weeks back to make this momentum seem like a more recent decision.

And from Smackdown.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Samoa Joe vs. Big Cass vs. Daniel Bryan

Cass gets stomped down in the corner as we get a rare Joe/Bryan alliance. With Cass on the floor, Bryan can’t moonsault over Joe so Joe suicide elbows Cass instead. Bryan dives onto both of them and we take a break. Back with Bryan getting kicked in the head and Joe’s backsplash getting two. Cass drops Joe and sends Bryan outside for a toss over the announcers’ table and it’s back to one on one.

Back in and Cass puts Joe on top but here’s Bryan to take Cass down and snap off a super hurricanrana on Joe. Cass takes Bryan’s head off with a hard clothesline for two and pounds away with some hard intensity as we take a break. Back again with Cass chopping Joe in the corner followed by the Empire Elbow for two.

The East River Crossing gets two on Bryan with Joe making the save. Bryan starts in on Cass’ knee but has to slip out of the Koquina Clutch. Joe gets sent outside but breaks up the YES Lock on Cass. There’s a flying knee from the apron to drop Joe and a missile dropkick to Cass back inside. The running knee hits Cass but Joe comes in and chokes Bryan out for the win at 21:11.

Rating: C+. The important thing here is they got the ending right. Joe was the right call to send to the ladder match and while I didn’t need to see Cass in the match, it was the right ending and that’s what matters most. I’m sure we’ll get Cass vs. Bryan again at Money in the Bank and hopefully that should finish things up. Decent enough match.

Overall Rating: C-. I still don’t care for Money in the Bank but maybe we can move on to anything else now that the qualifying matches are all set. However, there’s also the chance of more meaningless matches under the name of “building momentum”. If we’re really lucky, they’ll show it over and over again on Main Event too, because that’s all that matters at the moment. Run of the mill show here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

Monday Night Raw – May 28, 2018: I’ll Take A Bodog With More Qualifying

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 28, 2018
Location: The Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman

Somehow there are still three shows left before Money in the Bank so we’re really not close to the end of this ride yet. That means another qualifying match tonight, this time in the form of a women’s gauntlet match. Other than that we get to see just how good Seth Rollins is as he defends against Jinder Mahal. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the now traditional Memorial Day video. This one includes soldiers telling stories of some of their missions and those who died on those missions. It’s always nice of WWE to do this.

Here’s Braun Strowman to open things up. He explains the idea of the ladder match and says he can’t wait to become Mr. Monster in the Bank. Finn Balor comes out to say he never lost the Universal Title and nothing is stopping him from winning it back. Last week, he gave everything he had to Strowman but at Money in the Bank, there are six other people. Strowman says it was a good fight for a little guy so Finn slaps him in the face and gets thrown outside. Cue Kurt Angle to say he likes the intensity so let’s have a match.

Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman

So this year they’re not even mixing the matches up week to week. Kevin Owens is on commentary and Strowman throws Balor into the corner again to start. The dominance continues as Owens goes on a rant about how hard it was for him to qualify. Cole asks if we can talk about Owens calling Stephanie McMahon to get a second chance. Owens: “No we can not.”

Balor gets in a kick to the chest for very shortlived avail as Strowman whips him very hard into the corner again. There’s a boot to the chest but Owens grabs the mic and tells Strowman to stay on him because Braun can do better than that. Back from a break with Strowman running around the ring and shouldering Balor over the barricade. Strowman pulls him back to ringside but gets posted.

There’s a dropkick through the ropes but Owens grabs the mic again to give Strowman a pep talk. An enziguri sets up a bit flip dive over the top….but Strowman pops back up. The Sling Blade and a dropkick into the corner have Strowman in trouble and a top rope double stomp to the back has him in more trouble. There’s the Coup de Grace but Owens comes in to jump Balor for the DQ at 11:30.

Rating: C-. So remember last week when this match was a lot better? Apparently WWE does too and since they came up with one idea, they might as well just do it again. I’m glad they didn’t have Strowman lose clean, but as usual it’s the standard formula: take people in a ladder match and have them wrestle in matches that change nothing about that ladder match. Repeat for years on end.

Post match Owens hits Balor with a ladder but Strowman takes it away and LAUNCHES it at Owens, who runs off in fear.

Owens tries to leave but can’t get his key from the valet. Angle comes up and asks what’s up, with Owens saying he wants to see the Memorial Day parade. Angle: “You don’t care about that. You’re Canadian.” Owens gets Bobby Roode tonight.

Sasha Banks says she’ll win.

Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins vs. Jinder Mahal

Post match Rollins chases Mahal off with a chair but gets guitared down by Elias.

Post break, Rollins is being put on a stretcher but gets up and walks to the back on his own as two fans sing Happy Birthday.

Here’s Ronda Rousey for commentary while Nia Jax has an exhibition against a woman named Michelle Webb. Nia has her try an armbar (which Nia can’t remember the name of) but easily powerbombs her down. Some trash talk to Rousey (who is mostly silent) is followed by the Samoan drop, more trash talking, and a legdrop. Nia adds a rolling flip dive and tells Ronda to come help this woman. Rousey comes to the ring and stares Nia down so Nia leaves with a laugh. Nia’s talking was fine until Rousey got in the ring and then it sounded very scripted.

Dana Brooke is going over statistics to figure out how to win the gauntlet match.

Bray Wyatt/Matt Hardy vs Ascension

Non-title. Matt beats Viktor up to start as Cole does his weekly “I don’t understand this wacky Hardy stuff” rant. Konnor comes in and takes Matt down with a chinlock and even a side slam doesn’t get Matt out of trouble. Back up and Matt stops a charge with a boot to the face and there’s the hot tag to Bray. House is cleaned in a hurry with a backsplash getting two on Viktor. Matt Cactus Clotheslines Konnor to the floor and Bray plants Viktor with the release Rock Bottom. The Kiss of Deletion ends Viktor at 4:48.

Rating: D. The tag division continues to be one team and then the same jobbers over and over again. Wyatt and Hardy aren’t great champions but I’m not sure who could beat them, save for having the B Team win in a fluke. Then again that’s not exactly out of the norm around here, which is rather sad.

the B Team is in Angle’s office to ask for a Tag Team Title match. Angle says no because they just beat Breezango twice in a row. The team has a meeting but Angle reminds them that he can hear them. Dallas thinks they need to get the other team’s blessing. Like an invitation to the B Team Tag Team Memorial Day Barbecue! Tonight! Angle: “That’s not what I’m saying!” B Team: “B TEAM!” I dig these guys.

The Riott Squad says they’ll win tonight.

Bobby Roode vs. Kevin Owens

Roode starts fast with a Glorious DDT attempt but gets sent outside. Owens sends him into the barricade and scores with a Cannonball against said barricade to send us to a break. Back with Roode taking over and trying the Glorious DDT again, this time sending Owens bailing up the ramp. He stops though, realizing that Strowman is still here somewhere. Back in and Roode walks into a superkick but tries a sunset flip, only to have Owens sit down on it for the pin at 8:47.

Rating: C-. No time for this one due to the break but that’s probably better when it’s just stalling until Strowman shows up either at the end or after the match. If nothing else it’s cool to see Owens get a clean pin for once as it’s so often staling falls. I’m sure this is the momentum that Owens needs for the ladder match.

Post match here’s Strowman to catch Owens with the running powerslam. Roode gets one as well.

Here’s Sami Zayn for a public apology for last week’s segment with Bobby Lashley’s “sisters”. Well an apology is a nice start, though I’m thinking a prison sentence is more like it. Sami reads the prepared statement and acknowledges how bad it really was. He admits that those were men last week and Sami hired them to entertain and inform. Sami finally gets the apology out but everything he said was true. See, his art was rooted in reality and he doesn’t expect these people to get it.

This brings out Lashley, who talks about what Memorial Day means to a military family like his. With that out of the way, Lashley says his real sisters found last week funny. They need to settle this though so let’s do it at Money in the Bank. Sami shakes on it and threatens to kick the smile off of Sami’s face but Lashley squeezes the hand to take Sami down. Lashley apologizes for what he’s going to do at Money in the Bank.

Mickie James says she’ll win.

Chad Gable vs. Drew McIntyre

Drew powers him into the corner and hammers away with right hands as we talk about the B Team Barbecue. We hit the armbar as Gable is being dominated so far. A super Samoan drop is broken up and Gable gets two off a moonsault press. That’s fine with Drew, who sends him into the post to cut off the comeback bid. The Claymore is enough to end Chad at 4:45.

Rating: C-. I’m glad Drew won but it’s a disappointment as Chad got in almost nothing here. This was just a step above a squash but my goodness Drew is making me drool at the potential. Have him drop Ziggler or have Ziggler be a manager at most as they’re not the best combination. As long as Drew is this awesome though, it’s easy to be happy.

It’s time for the barbecue with most of the other teams on the roster in the ring eating food. The food all starts with B, including Botato chips and Bodogs. With everyone eating, the B Team says no they can challenge for the titles. Titus O’Neil and Heath Slater aren’t happy, so that means no more food. The foot of course winds up on the B Team, and then everyone else, with Rhyno sitting in a chair eating sandwiches. The B Team comes back in and chokeslams Rhyno through a table. Cole: “That was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.”

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Gauntlet Match

Overall Rating: D+. This wasn’t a great show but it was better than last week’s mess. It’s amazing what the lack of something so terrible can do for the quality of a show. The rest of the show was the usual Money in the Bank season show with matches between qualifiers and that’s not exactly thrilling stuff. I’ll take something boring over terrible though so call this an upgrade (while considering how small of a leap that is).

Results

Finn Balor b. Braun Strowman via DQ when Kevin Owens interfered

Jinder Mahal b. Seth Rollins via DQ when Rollins used a chair

Bray Wyatt/Matt Hardy b. Ascension – Kiss of Deletion to Viktor

Kevin Owens b. Bobby Roode – Rollup

Drew McIntyre b. Chad Gable – Claymore

Sasha Banks won a gauntlet match last eliminating Ruby Riott

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

Monday Night Raw – May 7, 2018: It’s That Time Of Year

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 7, 2018
Location: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman

We’re coming off….whatever Backlash was supposed to be last night and that means it’s time to start setting up Money in the Bank. Aside from the weeks of singles matches between the qualifiers and that same song that they’ve used for at least five years now, I’m not sure what else we have coming up. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s Kurt Angle to get things going, walking past the ladders on the stage on the way. Angle talks about how WWE never stops, fifty two weeks a year (tell me about it). That brings us to Money in the Bank qualifying matches, which start tonight with two triple threat matches. First up we’ll have Ember Moon vs. Ruby Riott vs. Sasha Banks, followed by Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn.

Cue Braun Strowman to interrupt and ask about when he was a kid and all of his friends built a tree house. No one asked him to help and he had to listen to them talk about their secret handshake to get into the tree house. Then one day, he waited until they were all in the tree house and knocked the whole tree down. With the story of attempted/successful murder out of the way, Angle thinks Strowman should deserve a shot (what kind of shot isn’t specified) at Money in the Bank.

Cue Kevin Owens (Happy Birthday) to point out that Sami wasn’t legal last night so Strowman isn’t on a roll. The only thing Strowman deserves is to go to a giant corner so he can reflect on how he’s been a very bad monster! Strowman offers Owens his hands but Kevin isn’t interested. Instead he talks about how Stephanie McMahon is watching and thinks he should be entered straight into the ladder match. Angle makes a qualifying match between Owens and Strowman, which starts RIGHT NOW. Well after the break but close enough.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Kevin Owens vs. Braun Strowman

Strowman shoves Owens away to start, knocking the referee down in the process. Some whips into the corner knock Owens down twice in a row before sending him outside. Owens tries to bail into the crowd but manages to catch Strowman in a tornado DDT. Strowman beats the count at eight and Owens is losing his mind. Back in and Strowman hits him in the chest but Owens sends him outside again as we take a break. We come back with Strowman hitting the same kind of knockdown as he did earlier, only to get kicked in the head.

Owens gets two off a backsplash but Strowman pops up with a big boot. Strowman misses a charge into the corner and it’s a superkick into the bullfrog splash for two more. There’s another superkick but the Pop Up Powerbomb just isn’t happening. Instead it’s a splash in the corner and Owens bails outside. The running gag continues with Strowman shouldering him down three times in a row. Back in and the running powerslam sends Strowman to the ladder match at 8:42.

Rating: C. This wasn’t too bad with Owens getting in some offense before falling short. Strowman should be on his way to the Universal Title so hopefully this is a step in the right direction. However, there’s a good chance that Strowman is the guy who gets close to winning and comes up short while Lesnar holds the title for the better part of ever. You know, longer than he already has.

Roman Reigns says he’s the uncrowned Universal Champion. Tonight he’s going to qualify for Money in the Bank and then get his title.

Bayley wants to hug the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Breezango wants the golden ticket in the briefcase. Fandango: “I thought it was a contract.”

Goldust wants to go to Money in the Bank but here’s Jinder Mahal to interrupt. He wants to be in the triple threat match instead of Reigns so Angle gives him a match with Chad Gable. If Mahal wins, Angle will consider it.

No Way Jose/Titus Worldwide vs. Revival/Baron Corbin

But remember: Vince loves Corbin. Titus throws Wilder around to start before it’s off to Apollo for a suplex on Dawson. Corbin comes in to beat the heck out of Crews, including sending him face first into the apron. Dawson comes back in under more favorable circumstances with an abdominal stretch. That’s broken up and everything breaks down with Crews being low bridged to the floor. Corbin makes a blind tag as Jose hits the pop up punch on Dawson. End of Days knocks Jose silly for the pin at 4:59.

Rating: D. Pretty messy match here with Corbin hopefully wrapping things up with Jose (I like Jose but he’s WAY out of his league with Corbin). This feels more like just throwing people out there for the sake of filling in some time, which isn’t quite what you would be hoping for from Corbin. Not very good either, which isn’t helping things.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Ruby Riott vs. Ember Mon vs. Sasha Banks

Sasha and Ember get together to start and take Riott down, only to have Banks roll Moon up for two. Some rather athletic armdrags have Banks in trouble but Riott comes back in to send Sasha face first into the middle buckle. Sasha gets sent outside again as we hear about how successful Money in the Bank cash-ins have been. A double DDT plants Sasha and Moon for two each and it’s off to a chinlock on Moon. That’s broken up with a jawbreaker but here’s Sasha back in to run people over.

Banks stops to dive onto the Riott Squad though, allowing Riott to run her over. Moon hits a heck of a suicide dive for two on Riott as the fans are distracted by something in the crowd, which gets a YOU DESERVE IT chant. Back in and Banks gets two off a sunset flip with the Riott Squad coming in for the legal save. Cue Bayley to help Sasha but the Squad takes her out as well. Moon heads up top for an Eclipse to both Banks and Riott at the same time for the pin on Riott at 10:23.

Rating: D. This felt like an indy match with a bunch of disjointed spots and no flow to the match whatsoever. Moon winning is the right call as Riott could be getting a title shot at the pay per view and Sasha will possibly be busy with Bayley, or in the match later on. This wasn’t a good match though and the ending wasn’t as exciting as it should have been.

Post break, Ember promises to rise up and grab the briefcase.

Video on Bobby Lashley.

Lashley gets a sitdown interview, talking about his family, including his parents and sisters. At one point his sister’s security towel (instead of security blanket) was taken away by some bullies so he took care of them. We wrap it up with Lashley saying hello to his sisters. So….Lashley is a family man when he’s not a monster. Got it. Not sure if I want it, but got it.

Sami and Kevin aren’t sure about trusting each other but Owens reluctantly agrees to have Sami’s back in the triple threat tonight. Sami is rather pleased.

Chad Gable vs. Jinder Mahal

Gable wastes no time in getting two off a rollup, only to have Jinder knock him down without much effort. We hit a bearhug of all things on Gable before Mahal sends him chest first into the corner. Gable pops up top with the moonsault press for a close two, followed by an even closer rollup for the same. Not that it matters as the superkick sets up the Khallas to give Jinder the pin at 4:12.

Rating: D+. And there’s your 50/50 booking. Gable could go somewhere while Mahal has gone as high as he’s going to go, so let’s have Mahal win here for the sake of the two of them tying everything up. I’m so glad we wasted so much time to get us right back where we started too. It was a great use of Raw time.

Post match Mahal beats on Gable some more

Alexa Bliss promises to win the briefcase to become champion and beat the bully Nia Jax once and for all.

Ascension promises to win the briefcase. Wait is there a tag team MITB match that I didn’t hear about?

Zack Ryder wants to be in a Money in the Bank qualifying match in his hometown when Mahal comes in to demand the triple threat be turned into a four way. Angle says Woo Woo Woo, the answer is no, bro. Ryder is pleased despite not being put in a match either.

Heath Slater/Rhyno vs. Drew McIntyre/Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler and Rhyno start things off but it’s quickly off to Slater for a headlock. Drew comes in and gets punched a few times but kicks Slater down to take over. Ziggler tags himself back in and it’s a superkick into a reverse Alabama Slam to drop Slater. That one superkick is enough for Ziggler so it’s the Claymore/Zig Zag combination for the pin on Slater at 2:39.

Here’s Elias to talk about Bobby Roode jumping him last night. He’s not happy with Roode but hang on because the fans like Rusev Day. Elias cuts them off and sings about how Roode isn’t glorious and this city sucks.

Bobby Roode vs. Elias

Roode wastes no time with an enziguri putting Elias on the floor as we take an early break. Back with Elias backdropping him and hammering away in the corner. We hit a Crossface of all things (closer to a Banks Statement actually) to keep Roode down but he snaps off a spinebuster for a breather.

A backbreaker stops Roode and Cole confirms that there will be eight people in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match with four from each show. Wait wouldn’t that suggest just two ladder matches? SWEET! Elias loads up a ram into the buckle but gets kicked away. Roode can’t follow up though, allowing Elias to talk some trash. He talks a bit too much though and it’s the Glorious DDT for the pin at 10:26.

Rating: D+. Another match with potential Money in the Bank implications and not much going on otherwise because you can just throw that blanket over everything for the sake of not having to come up with anything else. Not a very good match, but that’s been the case for a long time for Roode now.

Post break Roode says he hopes that’s enough to get into the Money in the Bank picture because winning the ladder match will be GLORIOUS.

Here’s Seth Rollins to talk about how he’s a fighting champion and wants someone else to face for the title. After last night against Miz, he needs a new challenge so it’s Open Challenge time.

Intercontinental Title: Mojo Rawley vs. Seth Rollins

Rollins is defending, we get Big Match Intros and Mojo is greeted with WE WANT RYDER chants. Rawley wastes no time in knocking Rollins outside and running him over, including a shoulder to send him into the barricade. Back from a break with Mojo throwing him down and talking more trash. A Downward Spiral into the middle buckle rocks Rawley and a clothesline puts him on the floor.

Back to back suicide dives hit Rawley and the Blockbuster gets two back inside. Rawley is right back with a spinebuster for two and frustration sets in at a rather fast pace. The low superkick gives Seth two but Mojo’s fireman’s carry faceplant gets the same. One heck of a Pounce knocks Seth into the corner but he’s right back up with a ripcord knee. A superkick to the ribs sets up the Stomp for the pin to retain at 10:56.

Rating: C. I like the booking here as they could go a long way with Rollins doing the weekly match against some random person. It’s not like Rawley has anything else going on and it’s not like he has anything to lose here. Rollins is on a roll right now and can do almost no wrong so let him elevate someone, even if it’s just for a week at a time.

Finn Balor says the victory at Money in the Bank will be so much sweeter.

Curtis Axel/Bo Dallas vs. Matt Hardy/Bray Wyatt

Non-title and Axel/Dallas might be known as Stay Tuned. Bray runs Axel over to start as Graves goes over the history between Bray and Matt, going back thousands of years for as complete a version as possible. Axel blocks a Twist of Fate and DDTs Matt to give Dallas two. It’s off to Bray to run people over, followed by a kick to knock Dallas off the apron. Axel dives into a release Rock Bottom and a double Downward Spiral is good for the pin at 2:40.

Natalya promises to bring the MITB contract home to her cat.

Baron Corbin says he’s winning the contract again.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn

Sami yells at Reigns to start and gets punched in the face to send him outside. Balor speeds things up and dropkicks Reigns down for two as the announcers debate how important Money in the Bank is compared to the rest of the year. More right hands drop Balor and Zayn as we take an early break. Back with Balor stomping on Reigns until Sami grabs a rollup for two.

There’s a Samoan drop to put Zayn on the floor with Balor on the opposite side. The fans start a TOO SWEET chant and the double beating is on to one of the strongest reactions of the night. Even Balor and Sami seem taken aback by the YES chants. The three head into the crowd and the fans are annoyed when Reigns comes back. A Helluva Kick knocks Reigns into the tech area and the other two head back inside to kill time until Reigns spears one of them.

The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Sami two but Balor fights back and they head to the floor. The fans start booing and I think you know what that means. Cue Reigns diving over the barricade to take Sami out but Balor drops Reigns again. Back in and Reigns hits the Superman Punch on Sami. The Sling Blade looks to set up the Coup de Grace but Reigns rolls away. Instead it’s another Superman Punch but here’s Mahal to trip Reigns. The distraction lets Sami hit the Helluva Kick to drop Reigns but Balor hit the shotgun dropkick and Coup de Grace on Sami for the pin at 15:25.

Rating: C. I like the surprise ending, if nothing else for the sake of needing to see Jinder vs. Reigns, potentially in Chicago, where the fans might be so confused that they break into small camps and stage full revivals of Broadway classics instead of watching the match. Balor going on makes sense and the question about where Owens was is interesting as well. One last question: is there a clause in Roman’s contract that lets him have a break during every multi-man match? It seems to happen every time.

Overall Rating: D. Oh yeah it’s Money in the Bank season. You can tell as all that matters is qualifying for the match (hopefully just two of them, though a tag team one doesn’t seem to be out of the question) and the wrestling doesn’t mean much outside of just trying to get into the match. I didn’t hate the show, but next week’s England show and the following week’s show featuring even more jet lag isn’t going to help the talent feeling burned out. This show felt long again, but nowhere near as bad as last night’s mess.

Results

Braun Strowman b. Kevin Owens – Running powerslam

Baron Corbin/Revival b. No Way Jose/Titus Worldwide – End of Days to Jose

Ember Moon b. Ruby Riott and Sasha Banks – Eclipse to Riott

Jinder Mahal b. Chad Gable – Khallas

Drew McIntyre/Dolph Ziggler b. Heath Slater/Rhyno – Claymore/Zig Zag combination to Slater

Bobby Roode b. Elias – Glorious DDT

Seth Rollins b. Mojo Rawley – Stomp

Matt Hardy/Bray Wyatt b. Curtis Axel/Bo Dallas – Double Downward Spiral to Axel

Finn Balor b. Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns – Coup de Grace to Zayn

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

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Main Event – March 8, 2018: All I Can Ask For

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: March 8, 2018
Location: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness

We’re now on the Road to Wrestlemania and that could be interesting from a Main Event perspective. I mean, I’m not sure how interesting it could be as Main Event doesn’t exactly have the best prospects, but at least we could see some good highlights from the important shows. Let’s get to it.

Here’s last week’s show if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Apollo vs. Curt Hawkins

Where would we be without Hawkins? They don’t waste time and hit an early wrestling sequence until Apollo (I still want to say Crews) scores with a jumping back elbow. Hawkins bails and tries to kiss Dana Brooke, which goes even worse than you would expect. Back in and a Stunner over the ropes ropes Apollo and Hawkins stomps away. Apollo is right back with the jumping enziguri and standing moonsault for two. The Toss Powerbomb is countered into a rollup with a handful of trunks for two more in a not bad false finish. Back up and the Toss Powerbomb connects to end Hawkins at 5:18.

Rating: C. Not too bad here but it’s the same thing we’ve seen so many times now. The thing is, it’s not like Hawkins needs really needs to do anything with the losing streak. It’s a good idea and something they can continue with for months on end. Go with what you can get out of it and that’s all that can be asked.

From Raw.

Here’s Kurt Angle to get things going. Kurt is serious this week because he got sucker punched last week. HHH hit him right in the jaw and while Kurt has swallowed his pride before, he’s calling HHH out right now. The jacket comes off and here’s a swaggering Stephanie (the obvious response) instead. Stephanie asks about Angle’s five kids and ex-wife, meaning he likely has an alimony payment. She advises Kurt to stick with what he does for a living and here’s Ronda Rousey to interrupt.

Rousey talks about the people who brought her here not being what they said they were but she’s dealt with that before. Stephanie laughs this off and says people don’t often understand their bosses’ decisions. What Rousey needs to remember is that she signed a contract with WWE and that puts her under Stephanie. Ronda remembers something about that contract: she’s allowed to pick her opponent. That opponent would be Stephanie, so here’s HHH to keep his wife from a bad case of death.

Angle brings up that Stephanie also has a wrestler’s contract (Why?) so the match is on. She’s not the only one with a wrestler’s contract because HHH has one too. That’s why the mixed tag match is on for Wrestlemania. HHH leaves so Stephanie loads up the slap on Angle, only to have Rousey grab the arm. HHH comes back in for the save and the fight is on with Stephanie knocking Rousey down from behind. The stare sends her bailing as HHH is put in the ankle lock. Stephanie comes back for the save but gets pulled back into the ring for a not great Samoan drop from Rousey.

Video on New Day vs. the Usos.

From Smackdown.

Charlotte and Ruby Riott are brought out for an opening chat. Ruby cuts Dasha Fuentes off and says this started on November 14, 2017 when Charlotte won the Smackdown Women’s Title. Charlotte is the perfect person to be the top star of the women’s division but then Ruby saw the myth fall apart. It was a week later that Ruby started the Riott Squad with the sole purpose of destroying Charlotte’s myth.

Charlotte talks about how just being good isn’t enough because she has to transcend everything. That’s what she’s done and now she’s become the best ever. Ruby says that’s all on the line Sunday and when Charlotte loses, she’ll be just another bleach blonde with a famous last name. The Squad gets in the ring but here’s Bobby Roode to scare them off and to do commentary on the next match. Good promo here, but it should have been for a Wrestlemania match instead of a Fastlane match.

Gran Metalik/Kalisto vs. Ariya Daivari/Tony Nese

Back to the old 205 Live style, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. Daivari and Kalisto get things going with the latter grabbing a bunch of rollups for two each. It’s off to Nese for the posing so Kalisto dropkicks him down without much effort. A hurricanrana sends Nese outside and that means a big flip dive to both villains as we take a break. Back with Metalik missile dropkicking Kalisto for two as everything breaks down. A superkick drops Daivari and Metalik’s top rope elbow is good for the pin at 9:38.

Rating: C+. Totally standard Main Event cruiserweight match here and that’s all it needs to be. It’s a good idea to have the cruiserweights get out there in front of the live crowd as they’re certainly exciting enough to fire the fans up. Just go with something like that and see what you can do to get us ready for the important stuff.

From Raw.

Here’s Paul Heyman to respond to Roman Reigns’ comments last week. Heyman lays the title down, saying he’s allowed to do it because Brock Lesnar allows him to. Roman came out here last week and criticized Lesnar’s schedule. The biggest win of Reigns’ career is defeating the Undertaker last year at Wrestlemania. Brock Lesnar did that too and Lesnar is Brock Lesnar 365 days a year.

After Wrestlemania, Brock may let Heyman come out here and lay the title down again. Then maybe he’ll lay the UFC Heavyweight Championship next to it. At Wrestlemania, Reigns is coming for the title but that’s just not happening. Heyman: “And Afa Wrestlemania, you can Sika new title to challenge for, because this one is going home with Brock Lesnar.” Heyman goes to leave but stops to hold up the title. Last week Reigns said Lesnar was a b****. The reality is the title is Lesnar’s b****.

Brock does what he wants with it and looks at it whenever he wants but Reigns has been looking at it. The title, which isn’t a belt or a strap but proof that Lesnar is the best in the universe, is going to have to be pried out of Lesnar’s hot, active fingers. Reigns wants to be champion because it’s his bloodline, but the title is what matters most to Lesnar. If Reigns wants to be the Universal Champion, he can’t go home if he finds out something happened to his father, because someone has to be there to defend and present this title the night after Wrestlemania.

Reigns isn’t the man to take the title from Lesnar and there’s no way around it. Now Reigns knows that he shouldn’t shoot from the hip with Heyman and he shouldn’t shoot in the ring with Lesnar. Heyman goes to leave again but now it’s Reigns coming out to interrupt. Reigns says this is proof that what he said is right: all he did is sent Heyman for his rebuttal. All the fans want is for their champion to show up and want to be here. Brock is going to be in Detroit next week so he better be dressed for a fight. Heyman gets out as fast as he can to end the show.

It’s a good promo from Heyman, albeit a little long. The problem though is all the cheering for Reigns comes to a crashing halt as soon as Brock shows up. If it doesn’t happen on Raw, it’s going to happen at Wrestlemania. It’s a story we’ve tried before and I have no idea why we’re stuck doing it all over again. At least it should be over soon though and the promos have been solid so far.

Some short form highlights of Smackdown’s five way wraps things up.

Overall Rating: C. Pretty standard Main Event show here and there’s nothing wrong with that. They showcased the big stuff from Raw and Smackdown while giving us some fine original matches. I know I’ve said something similar over and over but it’s the Main Event formula to the letter. Good enough show here, as is almost always the case.

Remember to check out my new forum at steelcageforums.com, follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the 2018 Updated Version of the History of the WWE Championship in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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NXT – December 6, 2017: Somebody Check This Show’s Booking Strategy

NXT
Date: December 6, 2017
Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

Things are about to get interesting around here again as we start the process of crowning a new #1 contender to challenge Andrade Cien Almas for the NXT Title. That process will take place over the next several weeks as we’ll have four qualifying matches to set up a four way match with the winner getting the title shot. Let’s get to it.

We open with William Regal announcing the competition to establish a new #1 contender. Velveteen Dream was scheduled to face Kassius Ohno but is being held out due to an injury. A replacement will be named.

Opening sequence.

Here are Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega for the big championship celebration. Vega tells us to get on our feet while Almas says he told us all so. He laughs at the idea of injuring Drew McIntyre and says WE ARE NXT to wrap things up in a hurry.

Earlier today, Lars Sullivan called Roderick Strong a handsome guy, which Sullivan certainly isn’t. All Lars cares about is getting his hands on Strong so he can become the NXT Champion.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Trent Seven vs. Killian Dane

Seven charges straight into a forearm and a running dropkick sends him into the corner. We hit the neck crank on Seven for a bit before he kicks Dane in the knee and grabs a DDT. The Seven Stars lariat is cut off with a crossbody for two more. A second attempt at the lariat gets two but Dane is right back up with a backsplash into a Vader Bomb to end Seven at 3:13.

Rating: C. Now that is how you make Dane look like an unstoppable monster. He beat the heck out of Seven here, nearly no sold his finisher, and ended him in short order. Dane looked awesome out there and someone pinning him later will look like a bigger deal as a result. Seven will be fine of course as he just needs a promo about his mustache to get him back on track.

The Undisputed Era talks about awesome they are with Adam Cole promising to take out Aleister Black next week. The week after that, Fish and O’Reilly will take the Tag Team Titles from Sanity.

Ruby Riott vs. Sonya Deville

No holds barred. Sonya wastes no time in throwing her down, only to get rolled up for one. A snap suplex gives Ruby one but the Riot Kick is countered into an ankle lock. Ruby grabs a rope but realizes it doesn’t matter, meaning it’s a kick to the head for the break instead. Back from a break with Sonya breaking up a dragon suplex and driving a hard knee into the ribs for two.

A jumping lariat gets the same and we hit the chinlock. Riott fights up with some forearms to the jaw, followed by a springboard faceplant for two of her own. Sonya is smart enough to head out to the floor and Ruby’s ankle is fine enough for a suicide dive. Back in and Sonya kicks her in the face, followed by a triangle choke (in the ropes, which doesn’t matter) for the knockout at 11:15.

Rating: C+. This was hard hitting stuff and a good way to wrap up the feud. They made a big point out of Riott not tapping, which keeps her looking strong in defeat. That’s the right call when you have two people who recently made their debuts on Raw. Good fight here and the ending worked well.

Ember Moon is answering questions when the Iconic Duo comes up. Moon didn’t pin Peyton Royce so she should get a title shot. The match is quickly granted for next week.

Pete Dunne defends the UK Title against Tyler Bate in two weeks.

Video recapping the history between Bate and Dunne.

Fatal Four Way Qualifying Match: Kassius Ohno vs. Johnny Gargano

They circle each other for a bit with a handshake being the only contact in the first minute. Some early cradles give both of them two each until Gargano kicks him in the face to take over. The slingshot spear is countered though and Ohno blasts him in the face to send us to a break.

Back with Ohno dropping a knee to the face with the knee pad pulled down. Gargano tries to fight back so Ohno kicks him square in the jaw for two instead. The backsplash hits knees though and Johnny scores with some clotheslines of his own. A hurricanrana out of the corner sets up an enziguri to send Ohno outside.

Now the slingshot spear connects for two but Johnny misses his rolling kick to the head. Ohno has to bail out of his own dive to the floor and it’s a suicide dive into a tornado DDT to drive Ohno into the ramp. That should probably kill him but he’s right back up without too much energy.

Back in and Ohno’s Cyclone Kick gets two and frustration sets in. Gargano gets two off a victory roll but Ohno hits a great looking flying forearm to the back of the head for the same. Mauro: “What is Johnny Gargano made of??? SOMEONE TEST THAT MAN’S DNA!!!” A series of kicks has Kassius reeling though and the Gargano Escape makes him tap at 14:40.

Rating: B+. This was a heck of a beating with the two guys hitting each other as hard as they could for a long time. Gargano surviving to win in the end was the right call and tells a much better story. Ohno is the kind of guy who can lose over and over again and still come out just fine, which is what will happen here. Really great fight though with the right ending.

Gargano calls Ohno back to the ring for a fist bump of respect to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event more than carries this show but it’s clear that we’re in for the long form build on a lot of these stories. The best thing continues to be building up more than one week’s worth of matches, which gives you ample reason to come back. You get the feeling that this is a very well planned out show and that’s such a nice change of pace over Raw and Smackdown, which feel like they’re made up that day (likely because that’s probably true).

Results

Killian Dane b. Trent Seven – Vader Bomb

Sonya Deville b. Ruby Riott – Triangle choke

Johnny Gargano b. Kassius Ohno – Gargano Escape

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the Monday Nitro and Thunder Reviews Volume VI: July – December 1999 in e-book or paperback. Check out the information here:

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