IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 8, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Samoa Joe, Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton

It’s the go home show for Backlash so expect to hear a lot of about the best match ever. Christian is here to interview Edge, but even more importantly, we have a Decathlon between the Street Profits and the Viking Raiders. Things like that convince me that WWE hates us at times. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here’s Asuka for a match vs. Charlotte but hang on as here are Bayley and Sasha Banks to interrupt. They brag about winning the Women’s Tag Team Titles, allowing them to go wherever they want. Asuka yells in Japanese so here’s Charlotte to tell them to pick up the pace. Charlotte says she needs to beat Asuka, but here are the IIconics to say they’re going to win the titles again on Sunday. Asuka yells some more and Charlotte agrees. It doesn’t matter how many titles Bayley and Sasha win because Charlotte will always see them as garbage. The fight is on and it’s Charlotte and Asuka clearing the ring.

Sasha Banks/Bayley vs. IIconics vs. Charlotte/Asuka

Non-title. Sasha headlocks Peyton down to start but the Meteora is countered into a rollup for two. They both try dropkicks at the same time, meaning it’s a standoff. Asuka and Charlotte are knocked off the apron and it’s Bayley coming in to send Peyton into the corner. There’s a knee to the ribs for two but Peyton gets over to Billie for the tag. Bayley shouts a lot so Billie pulls her down by the hair and knees her in the face.

Charlotte tags herself in and sends Bayley into the corner. There won’t be a tag to Asuka, with Charlotte opting to chop Bayley in the corner instead. Bayley avoids a charge in the corner and drives Charlotte over for the tag to Sasha. The champs stomp away until Charlotte knocks them both down (of course) and brings in Asuka.

House is cleaned in a hurry with the flying hip attack to Banks and a bulldog/clothesline combination to the IIconics. Charlotte mockingly applauds as we take a break. Back with the IIconics cleaning house until it’s off to Charlotte to take them out. Asuka tags herself in and kicks away at Billie, only to have Charlotte tag herself back in, ordering Asuka out of her ring. Chopping abounds but Asuka tags herself in again to Asuka Lock Kay for the tap at 10:42.

Rating: C. You could see where this was going the second Banks and Bayley came out because Charlotte must be involved in everything. Odds are she’s either going to be added to the Raw Women’s Title match or Charlotte and Asuka will be added to the triple threat title match. Really, you might as well just add her to both because we need her star power everywhere, or so WWE certainly seems to believe.

Post match Charlotte lays out Asuka and holds up the title. So the new Tag Team Champions (including Bayley, who has been SmackDown Women’s Champion for eight months) are afterthoughts for another Charlotte title feud. Great.

We recap Seth Rollins hosting Rey Mysterio’s retirement ceremony last week, with Dominick Mysterio looking ready to fight for his dad. Later that night, Aleister Black beat Rollins but got beaten down after the match.

Rey Mysterio joins us for a chat from his house but hang on because Rollins comes out to join commentary. Back from a break with Rey talking about seeing his doctor this morning and now he’s coming for Rollins. Seth says Rey needs to understand the power of words and all the lies that he is spreading. Rey could have walked away a hero but he needs to spread this misinformation. He had the chance to walk away a legend so now Rollins is inviting Rey and Dominick to come to Raw next week. Rey knows this is just because he’s not cleared and yells in Spanish. Cue Black to jump Rollins as we cut to a break.

Humberto Carrillo/Aleister Black vs. Murphy/Austin Theory

Carrillo starts fast with the high angle springboard armdrag to put Theory on the apron. He’s right back in for the double tag to Murphy and Black, with the latter firing off the kicks. Murphy’s Law is countered into a rollup for one and Black adds a springboard moonsault for two. Everything breaks down and Carrillo hits a loud suicide dive onto Theory. Murphy goes up top and gets his head kicked in by Black the pin at 2:20.

Post match here’s Seth Rollins in a Mysterio mask to Mysterio’s music (which is completely different than last week when Nia Jax did the same thing in an Asuka mask) so the trio can beat down Carrillo and Black. Carrillo is sent to the floor and Black gets planted by Murphy’s Law. The Stomp leaves Black laying again.

Randy Orton is ready for Edge to be on the Peep Show.

Here’s Christian for the Peep Show with Edge. After Edge sits down, Christian says Edge is running on fumes and couldn’t pull off the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever in his prime. They’re best friends so they have to be honest with each other. Edge talks about how difficult it is to have this kind of a burden put on him. This is a different Edge though and isn’t the same guy who had to calm Christian down before all of their tag matches. It’s an Edge firing on every cylinder, even though he doesn’t know how many cylinders he has left.

Christian says he’s hearing excuses and he wants to know what Edge was expecting when he came back? Flash a smile and hit some spears before he goes home? Edge’s biggest fan was his mom, who is going to be there for this one too. Christian calls him Adam as Edge’s lip is quivering and that’s what Christian was looking for.

Edge put Orton down at Wrestlemania because he has the anti-venom and we believe in him. We think you can have the greatest match ever, and here’s Orton on the screen to interrupt. Orton is tired of hearing about this and is ready to take away every ounce of GRIT that Edge has. This Sunday, in the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever, the redemption of Edge is over. Edge: “No it’s not.” And he leaves.

That was one of the dumbest segments I can remember in a good while and sums up the problem with this entire setup. In the entire Edge and Christian segment, there was not one mention or reference to Edge winning the match. The whole point was having a great match and if Edge won, that was just a bonus. As a fan, why should I care if Edge can have a great match? I should be caring about who wins and loses, not how many stars a match is going to get. It’s one thing for a wrestling fan to think that way but for a wrestling company to be presenting that as the story? That’s a really bad sign.

MVP, in a Shad Gaspard shirt, is ready for Bobby Lashley to be in the VIP Lounge this week but R-Truth interrupts him. As Truth tries to hide in a crate, MVP asks what he is thinking by interrupting him. Cue Bobby Lashley to full nelson Truth and leave him laying.

We recap the Viking Raiders vs. Street Profits. In everything other than wrestling of course.

It’s time for the Decathlon, with five events picked per side. It’s a bunch of rapid fire competitions so here’s the short version:

The Profits won a 1600 meter dash to start, the Raiders won archery (when Dawkins shot a guy in the foot), the Profits won the flip cup (so Ivar broke the table), the Raiders won sword fighting when Ford forfeited, the Profits won the hurdles (resulting in an argument over whether you’re supposed to run through or jump over the hurdles), the Raiders won stick fighting, the Profits won a dance off (with Ford dancing to Sexy Boy and Ivar to Fandango’s theme), the Profits won the shot put, the Raiders won turkey leg eating and the Raiders won the pole vault, meaning it’s a 5-5 tie. My head hurts again.

Here’s Apollo Crews for a chat. He’s ready to defend the US Title against the winner of the following match.

Kevin Owens vs. Andrade vs. Angel Garza

Owens jumps the other two on the way to the ring and the fight is on in a hurry before the bell. We come back from a break with Owens being double teamed and the argument over who gets to pin him. Garza stops to TAKE OFF HIS PANTS, allowing Owens to roll Andrade up for two. Owens fights out of another double team but gets his throat snapped across the rope. A dropkick to the back of the head stops Owens again and it’s Andrade cranking on both arms. The chinlock goes on and Garza grabs the leg at the same time. Joe: “That’s the most violent Pilates session I’ve ever seen.”

A double suplex gives Andrade two but the fight is on when Garza makes the save. Zelina tries to break up the fight on the floor but she gets knocked down as we take a break. Back with Owens breaking up a superplex attempt from Garza and hitting the Swanton for two. Andrade jumps on Owens’ back so he drops down onto Garza for the crash. The Cannonball hits Garza but misses Andrade, who hits the running knees in the corner to both of them.

Garza superkicks Andrade but gets superkicked by Owens, setting up the frog splash for two on Andrade. Garza’s missile dropkick puts Owens down so it’s a strike off between Garza and Andrade. The two of them head outside, leaving Owens to hit a big running flip dive. Back in and Garza dropkicks Owens in the leg and grabs a leglock. The rope is grabbed and Owens hits the Stunner, only to have Andrade come in and steal the pin at 12:49.

Rating: C+. I was surprised by the ending and while I don’t exactly care to see Apollo vs. Andrade again, it wasn’t the way I expected the match to go. Just getting Crews a title defense on pay per view is a good idea, though I’m not sure if he is going to be retaining. This story isn’t all that interesting, but it’s better than having the title sit on the shelf for months at a time.

We look back at the opening segment and match.

Charlotte says she didn’t lose the NXT Women’s Title last night and she doesn’t like Asuka stealing her moment. Asuka dances in with the title, singing about being a champion. Charlotte asks if she takes anything seriously and gets slapped down.

Zelina is mad at Andrade and Garza.

Kurt Angle joins us to read cue cards (you can see his eyes going back and forth) to talk about how important chemistry is to a great match. He picks Edge to win on Sunday.

Drew McIntyre is thinking about joining the Vikings and invites them to a celebration after the show tonight. There will be meat and turkey legs, but Erik tells Ivar to focus.

Here’s MVP for the VIP Lounge. He talks about his guest being great and having the most devastating finishing move in WWE so here’s Drew McIntyre. Drew talks about them being friends, even though MVP might have had something to do with last week’s full nelson. MVP says they’re not friends and that Bobby Lashley is the real guest. See, MVP is here to make Lashley reach his potential as World Champion. Drew asks about all of MVP’s World Titles and offers to count down to the Claymore but Lashley runs in. Cue the Viking Raiders for a scheduled tag match, with the Street Profits joining them.

Viking Raiders vs. MVP/Bobby Lashley

Drew and the Profits are at ringside. Lashley hits a quick Downward Spiral to Ivar but some knees to the ribs get him out of trouble. It’s off to Erik for a knee to MVP as Lana is watching in the back. Ivar slams Erick onto MVP so Lashley comes in to run Erik over. MVP adds a chinlock but quickly hands it back to Lashley to hammer away.

Erik punches his way to freedom though and it’s back to Ivar to clean house. Everything breaks down with MVP and Lashley yelling at the Profits, leaving Ivar to dive onto both of them as we take a break. Back with the Vikings beating Lashley up some more, including an armbar from Ivar.

We cut to an interview with Lana, who talks about how she needs to work on her marriage. Back to full screen with MVP working over Ivar, who flips over MVP’s back to make the hot tag to Erik. Lashley gets sent outside, where he stares at McIntyre and then spears Ivar. Back in and the full nelson makes Erik tap at 15:10.

Rating: C. The action was good and it makes Lashley look like a monster to make someone like Erik tap. That being said, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, I hope they wait a bit before doing the Raiders vs. the Profits again. Lashley came off great here as the Raiders are big but he’s better. Good booking, assuming they don’t have the Raiders shrug it off and go for the titles immediately.

Post match Ivar punches MVP and gets full nelsoned as well. The Street Profits can’t break it up, but the Claymore certainly can.

Charlotte vs. Asuka

Non-title and here are Banks and Bayley to join commentary. Charlotte kicks Asuka in the face and then takes her down by the leg. They head outside with Asuka being thrown over the commentary table as we take a break. Back with Asuka still in trouble on the floor and not being able to hit the hip attack inside. She can however something like the Octopus but Charlotte is out in a hurry with a running kick to the head for two.

The IIconics are watching from the crowd as Charlotte cranks on both arms at once. Charlotte knees her to the floor but misses a baseball slide. Instead Asuka hits a dragon screw legwhip over the middle rope and now the hip attack hits against the barricade. Charlotte sends her into the barricade for a clothesline though, followed by some bare kneedrops. The chinlock doesn’t last long as Asuka gets two off a small package.

Charlotte’s clothesline gets the same and it’s out to the floor again. The baseball slide drops Asuka but she unloads with kicks to Charlotte’s leg. Back in and Charlotte boots Asuka off the top as the IIconics jump Banks and Bayley. We take another break with the other four gone and Asuka hip attacking Charlotte. The cross armbreaker has Charlotte in trouble but she powers out and knocks Asuka into the chinlock.

Asuka fights up so Charlotte knees her back down, only to have Asuka get in another shot. The middle rope dropkick sets up a German suplex to send Charlotte into the corner. That means more kicks to the back and it’s a hip attack to put Charlotte outside. They fight to the apron with Charlotte hitting a big boot, setting up a moonsault off the barricade. Asuka’s leg is wrapped around the post but she’s able to pull Charlotte face first into the post as well.

Back in and another big boot gives Charlotte another two but Asuka counters the spear with a heck of a knee to the face. The Asuka Lock is countered with a rollup for two so Asuka rolls her into something like a Koji Clutch. That’s broken up but here’s Nia Jax for a distraction, allowing Charlotte to hit another big boot for the pin at 27:12.

Rating: B. They beat each other up as always and I can go for the idea of Asuka having someone she can’t beat, but another interference to set up the finish wasn’t quite the way I wanted to see it go. No it wasn’t a clean loss, but it feels like Asuka is someone who has been fighting from underneath since the day she won the title. That gets a little annoying and having Charlotte get the win again doesn’t make it any better.

Post match Jax Samoan drops Asuka to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Yes, Charlotte did just open and close the show with wins over the Raw Women’s Champion, the Smackdown Women’s Champion and the Women’s Tag Team Champions. Why are you surprised at this point? The show was pretty solid overall with some good wrestling and a build towards Backlash that was needed. I’m not overly excited for a lot of the show, but the main event looks good and there are a few other things that could help boost it up. This show helped get us there, but 45 minutes of Charlotte is a lot not matter what.

Results

Charlotte/Asuka b. IIconics and Sasha Banks/Bayley – Asuka Lock to Kay

Humberto Carrillo/Aleister Black b. Austin Theory/Murphy – Kick to Murphy’s head

Andrade b. Angel Garza and Kevin Owens – Stunner to Garza

Bobby Lashley/MVP b. Viking Raiders – Full nelson to Erik

Charlotte b. Asuka – Big boot

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: June 5, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s a title night as we have the Women’s Tag Team Titles on the line with Bayley and Sasha Banks getting their shot at the titles. Other than that we’re still on the way to Backlash with the amazing main event of Miz and John Morrison getting slaughtered by Braun Strowman. Let’s get to it.

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

Quick preview of the show.

We open with a recap of the Jeff Hardy situation from last week, including Hardy getting out of police custody to cost Sheamus a shot at the Intercontinental Title.

Here’s Hardy for a chat. He thanks WWE and FOX for giving us this time to explain things. Elias was injured (announced as a torn pectoral muscle and broken ribs) and Hardy hopes he is back soon. Hardy says he got here last week and as he was getting things out of his car, someone jumped him from behind and he woke up smelling like alcohol with police yelling at him. It made him start thinking about that dark place again because he knew he couldn’t ask for forgiveness too many more times.

Hardy talks about being interrogated at the police station and eyewitnesses said the driver of the car had red hair and a red beard. Cue Sheamus to say he’s sick of Jeff and his enabling fans. Jeff isn’t a man because he’s just a junkie. Jeff’s wife and daughters must be used to these slip ups right? That’s enough for Jeff who charges up the ramp, and right into a Brogue Kick. Sheamus throws Jeff into the Plexiglas and leaves him laying.

Otis and Mandy Rose find King Corbin’s crown and walk off with it. Corbin comes up and isn’t happy.

We look back at last week’s Mandy/Otis dream sequence.

Otis vs. King Corbin

Corbin charges in and gets clotheslined to the floor, followed by a charge in and a clothesline to the floor. The second time around goes a bit better with Corbin sending Otis back first into the apron. Back in and Corbin hits a spinebuster for two, setting up the quick chinlock. Otis powers up to his feet and drives Corbin into the corner for the break, so Corbin kicks him in the stomach. This has the expected effect and the comeback is on. Corbin rolls outside before the Caterpillar though and it’s a chair shot to Otis for the DQ at 4:02.

Rating: D. We’re going to be seeing this again later aren’t we? And it’s going to be crown vs. briefcase isn’t it? Otis as Mr. Money in the Bank might not be the best sounding thing in the world but I’ll take that over Corbin in the same spot any day. Nothing match of course, but it feels like something designed to move the briefcase over and that’s worse.

Miz and Morrison are in a van with some equipment as Braun Strowman arrives. Oh this is going to hurt isn’t it? Back from a break, Miz and Morrison (with Hey Hey Ho Ho written on their sunglasses) mock the fans for saying they’re going to be destroyed at Backlash. Now some people may call what you’re about to see childish, but once we get to Backlash, Strowman’s life will be a living h***. We cut to a camera feed of Strowman pouring water into a thermos, which explodes. Strowman growls a lot.

Shorty G. is cut off by Mojo Rawley, who says he is cutting the interview short. Rawley: “See, it’s funny because you’re short!” Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura show up and beat on Gable but the New Day make the save.

Lacey Evans vs. Sonya Deville

Sonya jumps her from behind during the intros and knocks Lacey into the steps. Back from a break with the opening bell and Sonya charging into a quick armdrag. Sonya shoves her down again as we recap the fact that this is a feud about hair color. A forearm sets up Lacey’s slingshot elbow for two but she charges into a boot in the corner. The beating is on and Sonya rubs her forearm over Lacey’s face. Lacey is back with a slingshot rollup but Sonya lands on the referee, who seems to have hurt his leg.

Back with a new referee and Sonya working on a chinlock. She sends Lacey into the steps but Lacey manages a running clothesline back inside. The comeback is on and Lacey hits the slingshot Bronco Buster in the corner. The perfect double springboard moonsault gets two but Sonya is back with a choke across the rope. Sonya hits a running knee for two but here’s Mandy Rose on screen to say Sonya is a failure. That’s enough of a distraction for Lacey to hit the Woman’s Right for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: C-. Well at least it wasn’t a rollup. I like both of them but my goodness it was hard to sit through another distraction finish. Throw in the fact that they’re fighting over hair color and this isn’t exactly inspiring stuff. I’ll take Mandy vs. Sonya over this, but it’s not exactly a huge improvement.

Matt Riddle video.

Strowman talks about Miz and Morrison messing with his protein shake earlier so at Backlash, they’ll get these….and then slime falls from the ceiling onto Kayla Braxton. She’s not happy as we cut to Miz and Morrison arguing about the difference between left and right. So these two got into the building early, rigged up a bucket of slime, and somehow knew EXACTLY where this interview was going to take place?

Here are AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan for their face to face showdown before the Intercontinental Title match. AJ says he knows what Bryan is going to say about AJ taking the bye to the finals. Bryan says that AJ is a coward but they just think differently. AJ took the bye because it was a smart move. What Bryan calls noble is really stupid, but Bryan isn’t letting that get under his skin.

Bryan talks about how they have different visions of being champion. AJ sees it as defending the title once in awhile against the best every because it puts him in a special category. On the other hand, Bryan sees himself facing someone different every single week because the title represents competition. He wants fans to watch every week and hope that their favorite wrestler gets a chance that week. AJ says Bryan wants to give handouts. Speaking of which, how did Drew Gulak get to be Bryan’s coach? Therefore, Gulak can come out here right now and take a beating of his own.

AJ Styles vs. Drew Gulak

Gulak knocks him to the floor and we take a break before the bell. AJ hammers away to start but misses a dropkick and gets pulled into an armbar. The rope is grabbed in a hurry and AJ knocks him down again, this time for a chinlock. Gulak fights up and knocks AJ into the corner as the comeback is on. A suplex puts AJ down and a Michinoku Driver gives Gulak two. Back up and AJ hits the moonsault into the reverse DDT but the Styles Clash is countered into a rollup for the pin on AJ at 5:19.

Rating: C+. This was fun while it lasted but they didn’t get to do much. I’m curious about where this goes as there wasn’t much of a reason to have AJ take a clean loss here. It’s a nice feeling to have back so maybe the title match is suddenly a three way. I’m not sure if that’s needed but it’s certainly different.

Miz and Morrison break Braun Strowman’s windshield with a golf club and baseball bat. These people don’t know what pranks are do they?

New Day/Shorty G. vs. Mojo Rawley/Shinsuke Nakamura/Cesaro

Gable’s rolling kick is countered by Cesaro but Gable rolls him up for two anyway. A flying headscissors takes Cesaro down again and it’s off to Nakamura to kick at Big E. That doesn’t go very far as it’s back to Gable to take Nakamura down for back to back New Day splashes. Kofi hits the big running flip dive to the floor but comes up holding his knee. Rawley runs him over with a clothesline and we take a break.

Back with the villains working over Kofi, including a headbutt from Rawley. Kofi fights back with a standing double stomp though and brings Gable back in to clean house. A moonsault gets two on Rawley and the ankle lock goes on, including the grapevine. Nakamura slides in with a knee for the break and it’s Kofi diving onto Nakamura on the floor. Rawley’s Hyperdrive gets two on Gable but he misses the running right hand in the corner. Kofi gets the tag and the Midnight Hour finishes Rawley at 10:40.

Rating: B-. This was a fast paced formula tag match but the people involved could make it that much better. What give me a little hope here is Gable getting to look strong again. If they ever change his name back, there might be a future there. I have little reason to believe they will, but at least there may be a chance.

Strowman finds Miz and Morrison’s van, shouts a lot, and turns it over.

Backlash rundown, including Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus confirmed.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross vs. Sasha Banks/Bayley

Bayley and Banks are challenging and it’s Cross running Bayley over to start. Bliss slaps Bayley and Cross comes back in for a running shot in the corner. Bliss is driven into the corner and Banks gets in her own slap. That just annoys Bliss again and she gets over to Cross to clean house. Bayley gets crushed on the floor but a Banks distraction lets Bayley hit a running knee. The Meteora from the apron takes Cross down and we take a break.

A quick Code Red gives Bliss two as Cross hits a tornado DDT on Bayley on the floor. It’s back to Cross for a high crossbody but Banks pulls her into the Bank Statement. Bayley breaks up her own partner’s hold because Banks isn’t legal and the DQ was coming, sending commentary into an argument over whether or not that makes sense. Banks tags herself in and Bank Statements Cross, only to be reversed into a rollup. That rollup is countered into another rollup to give Banks the pin and the titles at 12:32.

Rating: C-. The ending was kind of messy but I can go with the title change. The titles don’t exactly mean much at the moment but some title changes might spice things up a bit. If nothing else it can get some interest on the titles because you can only get so far on the champions posing with the titles. Maybe they can use this to further Bayley vs. Banks, as it’s only been built for the better part of a year now.

Bayley isn’t sure how to carry this much gold to end the show.

Overall Rating: D+. This show got better as it went on but even some of the better matches didn’t save the “pranks”, which are an annoying trope of WWE. Couple that with the fact that it’s leading to what should be a handicap squash and it’s not exactly getting my interest. They were trying some different stuff here but some of the reasons for these people fighting are a bit of a stretch. It wasn’t the worst show, but there was a lot more eye rolling than smiling.

Results

Otis b. King Corbin via DQ when Corbin used a chair

Lacey Evans b. Sonya Deville – Woman’s Right

Drew Gulak b. AJ Styles – Rollup

New Day/Shorty G. b. Cesaro/Shinsuke Nakamura/Mojo Rawley – Midnight Hour to Rawley

Sasha Banks/Bayley b. Nikki Cross/Alexa Bliss – Crucifix to Cross

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: May 29, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

We’re very slowly closing in on Backlash but tonight is all about the Intercontinental Title tournament. That means a pair of semifinal matches and one of them is actually interesting. It’s AJ Styles vs. Elias and Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan, where I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which is the interesting one. Let’s get to it.

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

We open in the parking lot where Elias has been attacked. The police find the car that the attacker was in and it’s rented to Jeff Hardy. Braun Strowman was an eyewitness who called the cops and saw someone running off. The police go over to the bushes and find Jeff, who apparently smells like alcohol and looks rather out of it. They pass Elias being loaded into the ambulance and Jeff screams at him before being put in the police car. They’re really doing a DUI angle with someone currently still facing legal issues over a DUI? I know it’s going to be something else but there was NO other idea here?

The roster is briefed on the situation and Sheamus says this is Hardy’s sixth strike. AJ Styles says it’s him vs. Daniel Bryan in the finals but Bryan wants them to both have an opponent. He’s not going to be a coward so Sheamus volunteers to be one of the opponents, because Jeff had to be on something to beat him last week.

King Corbin wants in on this too so we’ll have Bryan vs. Corbin vs. Sheamus for the right to face Styles. No one is cool with that so an unnamed boss says it’s a battle royal next for the right to face Bryan in the main event, with the winner of that facing Styles for the title in two weeks. That works for everyone, leaving Styles to call Bryan an idiot.

Battle Royal

Drew Gulak, Shinsuke Nakamura, Lince Dorado, Gran Metalik, King Corbin, Cesaro, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Shorty G., Jey Uso

It’s a brawl to start and Ziggler is already doing his near elimination deal. Sheamus yells at Cole while choking Uso but has to survive Gable’s elimination attempt. Corbin punches Dorado out and Gulak follows him. The fans aren’t happy with that and it’s Metalik going after Corbin until Ziggler superkicks him out of the air. Corbin dumps Metalik and tosses Ziggler for trying to turn on him.

Jey superkicks Corbin out and we take a break. Back with the five (Sheamus, Cesaro, Uso, Gable, Nakamura) all still in and Gable getting the armbreaker over the ropes on Sheamus. A tornado DDT plants Sheamus and it’s Uso cleaning house. Gable gets rid of Cesaro to tick him off and suplexes Nakamura out clean in a heck of an upset.

Cesaro sneaks back in to toss Gable though and we’re down to Sheamus and Uso. Jey fires off forearms but gets sent to the apron. A Stunner across the top staggers Sheamus and the superkick connects back inside. Jey clotheslines him to the apron but Sheamus hangs on and hits the Brogue Kick to win at 14:13.

Rating: C-. They had some surprising moments in there with Gable getting some big eliminations, though I have no reason to believe it’s going to lead anywhere. Sheamus winning is the most logical move they have, if they insist on doing the Hardy angle for whatever reason (which might wind up being a good one). I’m not sure where it’s going though and I’m almost scared to find out.

Sonya Deville tells Lacey Evans to put her hair up and square up. Evans pops up from behind to shove her down.

Cesaro and Nakamura yell at Gable over the eliminations and Cesaro tells him to be the bigger man for once and walk away. Either that or face him in the ring. Gable hits him in the face and says challenge accepted.

Lacey Evans vs. Sonya Deville

This was set up on Twitter when Deville insulted blondes (seriously). Lacey talks about what blondes can do and gets down into referee position for an amateur wrestling fight. That goes to Lacey so Sonya shoulders her down without much trouble. Sonya ties her hair back so Lace nips up and puts her hair up as well. Lacey knocks her into the corner and gets punched in the face for her efforts, allowing Sonya to take over in the corner. Sonya stands on her hair so Lacey gator rolls her to the apron for some right hands. They fight on the floor and it’s a double countout at 4:16.

Rating: D+. They are not only having a match, but apparently a continuing story, over Lacey being a blonde. Was there no one else out there who could come up with a better idea than that? It wasn’t a horrible fight either, but hearing them talking about hair color over and over was killing it for me.

Post match Lacey says bring it but Sonya says on her time.

The Forgotten Sons, with Wesley Blake doing the talking, says he supports his brothers and gets in the blood on our hands line.

It’s time for a special tag team edition of A Moment of Bliss with New Day as the guests. Corey: “I must have been a horrible person in a past life.” Nikki Cross has a special present for New Day: SCOTTISH pancakes! Big E. pulls out some coffee beans (Big E.: “From Djibouti of course.”) and mixes them into Alexa’s coffee (with a wooden spoon that he happens to have), though she’ll save that for later.

Bliss wants to know who is up next for New Day and they like the idea of the Forgotten Sons. They ask Alexa the same thing so here are Bayley and Sasha Banks to interrupt. Banks gets in the ring and takes off her track jacket to throw in Bliss’ face. Bliss isn’t listening to Bayley and points out that Sasha is the only one here without a title. Sasha calls herself the conversation and says she put the titles on the map (with Bayley serving as the annoying hype woman). Bliss says name the time and the place but Bayley makes Bliss vs. Banks right now, even though Banks is in track pants and heels.

Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss

Bayley and Nikki Cross are on commentary and Banks has gotten some better shoes during the break. Some rollups give Bliss some early near falls and Insult to Injury connects for two. Banks is right back with the running knees in the corner for the same, leaving Nikki to LOSE IT when Bayley threatens Cole. The Meteora gives Banks two and Cross starts the LEXI chant.

Banks grabs a double arm crank and hits a backbreaker for two. Bliss faceplants her out of the corner as commentary still won’t stop shouting for two seconds. A dropkick cuts Banks off but it’s another Meteora into the corner. Two knees out of the corner gets two but Bliss fights up and goes to the top. Bayley gets up so Cross deals with her, only to have Banks grab a sunset flip for the pin at 7:18.

Rating: F. Usually I can block commentary out but this was the most annoying thing I have ever heard in wrestling. It was literally just Bayley and Cross screaming for the better part of seven minutes and taking away any focus the match might have had. It wasn’t even that good of a match in the first place but this was a nightmare to listen to and odds are we’ll get it again soon enough. The match itself was watchable enough, but commentary pulled this into a bottomless pit and dragged everything down with it.

We look back at the Hardy/Elias situation.

Shorty G. vs. Cesaro

Nakamura is here with Cesaro and how much of this show was actually booked in advance? Gable starts fast and hits a moonsault for a very quick two and then twists the knee for a bonus. Back up and Cesaro blasts him with a clothesline, followed by a gutwrench suplex. The chinlock with a knee in the back goes on but Gable fights up, earning himself a near Last Ride for two. Gable backflips out of a belly to back superplex and grabs the ankle lock, only to be sent into the ropes. Cesaro’s crucifix gets two so he tries another powerbomb, only to get reversed into a sunset flip for the pin at 4:06.

Rating: C+. After that previous debacle, I was ready to take anything here and they had a rather action packed match. I don’t believe in Gable’s push for a second of course and calling him Shorty G. is still as horrible of a decision as you could have, but at least he’s doing something and getting a win. Now keep it going and don’t just drop everything next week.

Earlier today, Otis and Mandy Rose got to spend some time by the pool with Otis pouring her some peach champagne. We go to the dream sequence where Mandy rather approves of Otis in his limited gear and it’s the homage to Fast Times At Ridgemont High, with Otis taking his shirt off. Mandy squirts the bottle of suntan lotion, only to be woken up when Otis cannonballs into the water and splash her. She rather approves of the dream and gets in the water with him for various canoodling. This is certainly a thing that happened and I’m not sure what else there is to say about it.

Kurt Angle is looking forward to seeing Randy Orton vs. Edge but he’s here for something else. He has gotten to know someone who is going to be the future of this show and introduces a video on Matt Riddle, who is officially coming to the show.

We get a Riddle highlight package.

Sheamus isn’t impressed and wants the Intercontinental Title. Daniel Bryan comes in and kicks him in the leg.

Intercontinental Title Tournament Semifinals: Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan

Sheamus kicks him down to start and grabs a chinlock, only to have Bryan fight back with the kicks in the corner. The suicide dive to the floor connects and we take a break. Back with Bryan working on the arm but Sheamus elbows him down. The top rope clothesline gives Sheamus two and he says he created the YES Movement when he beat Bryan at Wrestlemania.

Bryan fights back but gets Irish Cursed into the Cloverleaf. That’s broken up so Sheamus takes him up top for a superplex. Bryan blocks that as well and hits the missile dropkick but the YES Lock is countered into White Noise for two. Sheamus runs him over again and loads up the Brogue Kick….and here’s Jeff Hardy. The distraction lets Bryan hit the running knee for the pin at 13:12.

Rating: B-. Odd ending aside, they beat each other up well enough and played off some of their history. Bryan knows exactly what he’s doing int here against a big guy and Sheamus is better than your average monster lug. I’m curious about the Hardy ending, but at least they didn’t wait long to seemingly move past the drunk/high thing.

Overall Rating: C. People talk about how something like Stadium Stampede was unrealistic and made wrestling look fake. You can argue that for yourselves, but for me, this show is what makes it look take. Of the five matches taking place, four were booked tonight. It’s true that there were two others booked in advance, but they just happened to find a solution to make the whole thing work out in the end? And it just happened to fill two hours with Hardy arriving at the very end of the show? Plus they filmed a dream sequence. It was entertaining content but the setup didn’t work for me and that hurts things a good bit.

Results

Sheamus won a battle royal last eliminating Jey Uso

Lacey Evans vs. Sonya Deville went to a double countout

Sasha Banks b. Alexa Bliss – Sunset flip

Shorty G. b. Cesaro – Sunset flip

Daniel Bryan b. Sheamus – Running knee

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: May 15, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

As is the case on almost every show these days, it’s time for a tournament, as we have to crown a new Intercontinental Champion. It isn’t clear who will be in the tournament or how many entrants there will be, but at least we have something to keep a smaller number of wrestlers busy for the time being. Let’s get to it.

Here is Money in the Bank if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of the Money in the Bank match/matches.

Miz and John Morrison are here for MizTV and here’s Otis before he is introduced. Otis even throws in a cartwheel on the way to the ring. Miz: “Have a seat.” Otis: “Right here?” Miz: “Where else would you sit?” Eh Otis will stand instead. This is the second biggest win of his career because the biggest was winning his peach Mandy. Now the briefcase contains various stomach aides and a bratwurst. We see a photo of baby Otis and Morrison thinks Otis is pregnant.

Now it’s a shot of Otis and his mom, who helped him with school because he had a learning disability. Then we see Otis as a kid in trunks and wrestling boots. With the gyrations going, Otis says if you’ve got it, flaunt it. That’s too much for Miz as he can’t believe Otis has gone this far, won the briefcase and got the girl too. Miz wants a tag match tonight so get Tucker out here. Otis: “Tucker got a case of disenbary on the Oregon Trail.” Miz says Otis can find anybody so good luck.

It’s tournament time and we’ve got brackets:

Daniel Bryan

Drew Gulak

Jeff Hardy

Sheamus

Elias

King Corbin

AJ Styles

Shinsuke Nakamura

The lack of Ziggler makes me smile.

We look back at Elias vs. Corbin.

Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Elias vs. King Corbin

Elias hammers away to start but gets pulled into a chinlock for his efforts. That’s broken up and it’s a clothesline to put Corbin on the floor. Elias hits a big dive to drop Corbin again so it’s time to go to another side of the ring. Corbin grabs the guitar for some strumming and gets sent into the barricade for his efforts.

Back from a break with Elias’ rope walk being broken so Corbin can hammer away on the announcers’ table. Back in and the slide underneath the rope clothesline gives Corbin two. Elias gets in a swinging neckbreaker for a breather, followed by the reverse swinging neckbreaker for two. A spinebuster gives Corbin the same and there’s a chokeslam for another near fall. Corbin is so annoyed that he destroys Elias’ guitar so Elias knees him in the face. A small package gives Elias the pin at 15:53.

Rating: C-. Who in the world thought Elias vs. Corbin needed fifteen minutes??? This ran longer than it needed to but the amount of relief from the lack of Corbin is a great thing. I’m not sure what to expect on that side of the draw now, but you can almost guarantee that these two will meet at least one more time.

Otis asks Sheamus to be his partner and that’s not happening.

Post break Mandy Rose comes up to Otis to ask how things are going. Mandy suggests asking Braun Strowman. That sounds like a good idea and Otis throws in a kiss on the cheek.

The hacker pops up to say he hears everyone and sees everything. No one is safe. The cameras show everyone again.

Otis asks Strowman about the tag match and while Strowman isn’t sure about Otis’ motives, he’ll think about it.

Naomi vs. Dana Brooke

Naomi is annoyed at the loss in the Money in the Bank qualifying match but gets knocked into the corner to start. Dana tries to start a clap, realizes no one is there for it, and hits a handspring elbow in the corner. Naomi gets a boot up in the corner and hits a high crossbody, which is rolled through and then rolled through again to give Naomi two. A quick victory roll attempt is countered into a rollup to give Dana the pin at 1:22. This wasn’t good while it lasted with a lot of sloppy moves and looking like they were on different pages more than once.

Here’s Charlotte as part of the Brand To Brand Invitational. She talks about how awesome she is because she’s tall, talented and a Flair. Cue Bayley and Sasha Banks with Bayley laughing about how she is the role model and how she has beaten Charlotte twice now. Charlotte points out that it took her being unconscious and Bayley’s haircut to make that work. So just go back to Raw or NXT and beat up Liv Morgan. Charlotte talks about how Sasha made Bayley relevant and goes over Sasha’s impressive resume. Bayley tries to talk for Sasha so Charlotte says cut her mic so Sasha can reply for herself. Bayley is ready to fight, but Charlotte asks Sasha is her own woman or Bayley’s lackey. Sasha doesn’t answer.

The Forgotten Sons talk about being in the military and then being forgotten once they got back home. They weren’t welcomed with open arms so now they’re fighting back with closed fists. This took about thirty seconds and gave us an introduction to the characters with a quick backstory. That’s all you need most of the time and this told you everything you need to know about them.

Miz and Morrison don’t think Otis will get a partner. Dancing ensues.

Intercontinental Title Tournament First Round: Daniel Bryan vs. Drew Gulak

They shake hands to start with Bryan spinning out of a wristlock. Bryan takes him down by the arm and gets the YES Lock but Gulak is in the ropes in a hurry. Gulak gets the Gulock for the same result and it’s an early standoff. A double underhook has Gulak in trouble and he blocks an armbar attempt. Back up again and Drew dumps him over the top in a suplex attempt as we take a break.

We come back with Gulak holding a headlock and shrugging off a shinbreaker to keep hold. Bryan fights up and snaps off a German suplex for two, only to get caught in a Michinoku driver for the same. Gulak stays on the neck with a full nelson but Bryan slips out and hits another German suplex. The running knee misses and Gulak’s sunset flip gets two, leaving Gulak to powerbomb Bryan for two. Neither can get their finisher so Bryan twists the knee down again. A heel hook goes on to make Gulak tap at 12:26.

Rating: B. I liked their match at Elimination Chamber and this one worked too. These two know how to wrestle a technical match like few others and we had a heck of a showdown here. Gulak isn’t ready to beat Bryan and it’s not like it’s a big downgrade for him in losing. Bryan is a favorite to win the whole thing and this was a rather good first step.

Post match Bryan talks about having to vacate the title almost exactly five years ago. He has always wanted to make the title the top championship on Smackdown by defending it every week because he is the best wrestler in the world. Bryan and Gulak shake hands.

Next week, Bayley vs. Charlotte, the other two first round tournament matches and Sonya Deville/Dolph Ziggler vs. Mandy Rose/Otis.

Sonya talks about how Mandy is only good at being pretty and once that is over, she’ll wind up barefoot and pregnant with Otis shouting to bring her another beer. Maybe that’s what she wants but Mandy will never be a winner like Sonya. What matters is Sonya is going to ruin her life and she’s just getting started. Sonya: “B****.” She really has been bringing fire with these promos and someone is going to notice.

Otis/??? vs. Miz/John Morrison

The partner is….Strowman. I’d love it if one time it wasn’t he teased partner and was instead someone like Bo Dallas. Otis drives Morrison into the corner to start so Morrison kicks him in the head. Gyrating gets Otis out of trouble and he faceplants Morrison for a bonus. Morrison gets knocked down again and it’s off to Strowman for a double Caterpillar as we take a break. Back with Miz front facelocking Otis before the YES Kicks connect for two. Otis suplexes both of them down at the same time and it’s back to Strowman to clean house. Miz is ran over on the floor but Strowman goes shoulder first into the post. Morrison strikes away until Strowman catches him with the powerslam for the pin at 9:38.

Rating: D+. That’s all it needed to be as this was about putting Otis’ toe into the main event waters. It’s going to be a good while before Otis goes after the title, assuming he actually gets that far. Normally I would say I can’t imagine the title change taking place, but who would have imagined Otis getting here in the first place?

Post match here’s Mandy Rose and the distraction lets Otis think about using the briefcase. Strowman sees it coming though and Otis says it’s just for a laugh. Celebrating ends the show instead.

Overall Rating: C-. This was the Otis Show and I’m not sure how well that is going to go over with the masses. Otis got over rather well under certain circumstances, but what happens if/when the fans are sick of seeing him? Having Otis be the focal point of the show could backfire, but it’s WAY too early to tell if that is the case just yet. Other than that, the show was good enough because of the tournament and it’s nice to see them having a focus again.

Results

Elias b. King Corbin – Small package

Dana Brooke b. Naomi – Rollup

Daniel Bryan b. Drew Gulak – Heel hook

Otis/Braun Strowman b. Miz/John Morrison – Powerslam to Morrison

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: May 8, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the go home show for Money in the Bank and I’m not sure what else there is to set up. Part of the problem over the last few weeks is building up to a show that is centered around something likely to take place later. That isn’t exactly a thrilling destination, and the TV leading up to it hasn’t been all that strong either. Maybe things can change next week, but this could be a rough one to finish the build. Let’s get to it.

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

Mandy Rose, with Otis, and Sonya Deville, with Dolph Ziggler, are warming up for their match.

Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville

Mandy has a bad leg coming in but goes straight at Sonya in the corner and hammers away. It works so well that she does it again, sending Sonya bailing to the floor. Back in and Sonya hits a running knee for two and we hit the bodyscissors with Sonya shouting about how embarrassed Mandy should be. They head outside with Mandy sending her into the steps and then over the announcers’ table for a big crash. Back in and Mandy loads up the Bed of Roses but Sonya reverses into a rollup with trunks for the pin at 5:02.

New Day/Lucha House Party vs. Miz/John Morrison/Forgotten Sons

Jaxson Ryker is here with the Sons. Miz and Kofi start things off but everything breaks down in a hurry. The villains are sent to the floor and it’s a dive from everyone not named Big E. to take them out. Back from a break with Blake stomping on Big E. in the corner until it’s reversed into an abdominal stretch. The Warrior Splash connects and the House Parts adds three splashes of their own for two.

Kofi comes back in with a top rope stomp to the arm, only to miss a splash into the post. Miz comes in to stomp away, setting up Morrison’s hard running knee to the face. Now it’s Kofi being sent outside for a suicide dive and we take a break. Back again with Morrison hammering on Kofi but Miz gets kicked away….so the Sons pulls everyone to the floor to prevent the hot tag. SOS plants Miz though and it’s the hot tag to bring in Gran Metalik for a springboard flipping seated senton.

Dorado adds a spike hurricanrana into a 450 but the Sons make the save. The Midnight Hour is broken up and it’s the double stomp/reverse DDT combination on the floor to plant Big E. Back in and Dorado gets some rollups for two on Morrison but a backflip Samoan drop (geez) plants Dorado right back. Starship Pain misses and it’s a reverse hurricanrana to Morrison, only to have Miz slip in for the Skull Crushing Finale and the pin at 17:58.

Rating: B-. This was a nice long match where different people got to got out and showcase themselves. If nothing else, it’s nice to see a match about building momentum that might actually has something to do with winning the match on Sunday. I can’t imagine anyone but the Sons leaving as champions, but it was a pretty good match on the way there.

King Corbin is ready to team with Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura tonight but he’s looking forward to Sunday. He wants to see how far Rey Mysterio can fly off the roof and knows that Otis will clog the elevator like he clogs his arteries.

Here’s Jeff Hardy for a chat. He’s worked hard to get back here and can still hear the fans in his head. Sheamus is watching in the back and can’t believe this is what he was waiting on for all these weeks. Jeff says he can’t believe Sheamus didn’t interrupt him yet so here’s Sheamus right on cue. Sheamus doesn’t want to hear about Hardy, who has been around forever and done everything around here, wanting one more run. The fans are tired of him and his suspensions, releases and no shows.

Above all else though, they’re tired of the wasted potential. Jeff calls him a hater but Sheamus says he’s really a fan. When is the real Jeff coming back? Jeff says he should ask the same thing about Sheamus, who says Jeff’s flame has barely been burning for too long. Sheamus comes to the ring to extinguish it for good and the fight is on. Jeff slugs away and hits a Whisper in the Wind into the Twist of Fate. The Swanton connects and shouting on the ropes ensues.

Here’s Braun Strowman for a chat. It’s true that he debuted as part of the Wyatt Family but now he’s his own man. Now Bray has been sending him presents to remind him of the past but if Bray has something to say to him, come do it to his face. Cue Bray, with a very enthusiastic “HI BRAUN!”

Bray says that he created Strowman and knows what is best for him. He can teach Braun how to be special and all it’s going to take is the Universal Title. Bray needs to GET the Universal Title and he repeats the line, but Braun isn’t going to say GET THESE HANDS to prove a point. Bray hands him a mask and the puppets pop up to beg him to come home. Braun says he is home and he has the Universal Title. On Sunday, he’s going to keep it.

Maybe it’s Strowman’s delivery but I can’t get behind this feud. It wasn’t like Strowman was a major part of the Wyatts so having him worried about the past doesn’t quite work. The idea makes sense, but I’m not exactly buying into it. That and I have little confidence in Strowman retaining, so it feels like a given ending (even if it might not be one).

Daniel Bryan and Drew Gulak have a chat with Otis.

Lacey Evans/Tamina vs. Bayley/Sasha Banks

Sasha and Bayley play Rock Paper Scissors to decide who starts so Tamina clotheslines them out to the floor. Bayley winds up starting and kicks Tamina into the corner, only to get thrown down with ease. A Sasha distraction lets Bayley get in a shot to the leg and the double teaming begins. Lacey cuts Bayley off on the floor so Tamina can grab her by the hair. Since Tamina isn’t that good though, Bayley snaps Tamina’s throat across the top and we take a break.

Back with a double elbow getting two on Lacey but she’s over for the hot tag to Tamina anyway. Bayley gets crushed in the corner but the top rope splash misses. The Bayley to Belly plants Tamina and it’s the top rope elbow for two. Lacey comes back in with the Woman’s Right to Sasha, setting up the superkick to Bayley. Tamina hits the Samoan drop to finish Bayley at 13:54.

Rating: C-. Hey, remember all those other times where WWE tried to push Tamina and failed to understand that no one cared? This was the most recent. Normally I would say that there is no chance of her winning the title on Sunday but things have been so wacky of late that I could believe they actually go that insane route. Hopefully everything goes back to normal and Bayley retains, because no one deserves that punishment.

Here’s a tour of the WWE corporate headquarters.

Dana Brooke and Carmella are ready to win the ladder match.

The Hacker pops up to show us some clips of people getting ready for Money in the Bank. He also plays a voicemail from a woman saying that not only is it coming, but it is coming soon. The Truth Will Be Heard. This is the most elaborate hype I’ve ever seen for one of R-Truth’s songs.

Cesaro/Shinsuke Nakamura/King Corbin vs. Daniel Bryan/Drew Gulak/???

The mystery partner is…..Otis, as they spoiled about thirty minutes ago. Bryan front facelocks Corbin to start and brings it in to Gulak for a running dropkick. Cesaro comes in and gets planted with a powerslam for two. It’s off to Otis to wreck things, including a running corner splash to Nakamura. The good guys clear the ring and we take a break.

Back with Bryan flipping out of Corbin’s suplex and bringing in Gulak to slug away on Cesaro. Gulak flips out of the corner into some weird chickenwing/Crossface combination until Cesaro powers out. A clothesline puts Cesaro on the floor it’s the Gulock on Corbin until Nakamura makes the save. Otis comes in and jiggles off Cesaro’s shots to the face. Corbin sends Cesaro outside but walks into a middle rope clothesline for two. Not that it matters as Deep Six finishes Gulak at 10:49.

Rating: C+. Pretty standard six man tag without the most thrilling mystery partner after that opening segment. That being said, it’s kind of amazing that Otis of all people is someone who has grabbed the brass ring like this. He didn’t feel out of place here and that’s a cool thing to see. I can’t imagine he wins the briefcase, though I couldn’t imagine him beating Dolph Ziggler at Wrestlemania so I guess it’s possible. A very tiny bit possible, but possible I guess.

Post match the brawl is on again with Corbin setting up a ladder. A mini ladder match breaks out with everyone involved with Sunday’s match trying to climb. Corbin shoves Bryan off the ladder and onto Otis before pulling down the briefcase to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Maybe it’s just the fact that the show was better than Raw but I enjoyed this well enough. One of the biggest problems with Raw at the moment is the lack of a reason to care about a lot of the people involved. While I don’t care for everyone involved with this show, most of them are at least somewhat established and you either know something about them or what they are trying to do. In other words, the show feels like it has had some effort put into setting everything up.

This show still isn’t great and it’s nothing that I’m going to think about by tomorrow morning, but it’s a watchable show with established storylines, characters and feuds. It’s fine enough and while it didn’t make me want to see Sunday’s show any more than I did coming in, I’ll take something like this over Raw any day. The quality might not have been as great, but it was so much easier to watch overall and that’s what matters most.

Results

Sonya Deville b. Mandy Rose – Rollup with trunks

Forgotten Sons/Miz/John Morrison b. New Day/Lucha House Party – Skull Crushing Finale to Dorado

Tamina/Lacey Evans b. Sasha Banks/Bayley – Samoan drop to Bayley

King Corbin/Shinsuke Nakamura/Cesaro b. Daniel Bryan/Drew Gulak/Otis – Deep Six to Gulak

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: April 24, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s a special event, and given the subject matter it is likely to be a VERY special event. This week marks 25 years since HHH made his WWE debut and they are going all out to celebrate it. You know WWE isn’t going to have to be asked twice to do something like this so let’s get to it.

The opening video looks at HHH and promises a big celebration.

Opening sequence.

Here’s New Day to open things up with their championship celebration. Kofi tells the people to clap but Big E. points out the lack of people here. Instead Big E. says the girls are back around their waists but Kofi says we’re not getting into those details. They have more title reigns than various great teams, with Big E. saying that it’s more than Tom Brady. Big E.: “It’s a new day in Tampa!”

After Kofi is calmed down, here is Lucha House Party to say that’s impressive but they want their own shot. Cue Miz and John Morrison with Miz ranting about how New Day makes the titles look like jokes and Morrison saying New Day has never beaten them in a regular match. Gran Metalik rants in Spanish so Miz asks Morrison what he said (Miz: “You wrestled in Mexico.”).

After a debate over a translation, here are the Forgotten Sons to interrupt. They talk about representing their country while Miz just pretended to be a Marine. The three of them have a special set of skills and you never know when they’re going to strike. The fight is on and the Sons stand tall while Miz and Morrison leave. As usual, the Sons are about as interesting as the coleslaw I didn’t have earlier.

We look at HHH’s rookie year in WWE. Back in the day before his arms grew up.

Miz and Morrison are coming after the Lucha House Part tonight.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: King Corbin vs. Drew Gulak

Daniel Bryan is here with Gulak. Corbin throws Gulak over the top to start and gets slugged down for his efforts. A dropkick to the knee and a kick to the face put Corbin on the floor for a change. There’s a baseball slide to put Corbin into the announcers’ table, followed by a dropkick over it as we take a break.

Back with Corbin hitting a hard clothesline for two and a belly to back drop is good for the same. Corbin’s chokeslam is countered into a sunset flip for another two so Corbin bails to the floor. That’s fine with Gulak, who dragon screw legwhips him into the steps. A top rope clothesline gives Gulak two more but here are Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro to go after Bryan. Gulak makes the save but gets posted by Corbin, setting up End of Days for the pin at 9:36.

Rating: C. Nice match here with Gulak getting to show off and Corbin getting to do what he does best. Corbin is fine at something like this where he gets to be a bully and beat people up while Gulak was a nice underdog out there. As long as Corbin doesn’t actually win the briefcase, I can more than live with this.

Post match Cesaro and Nakamura hold Gulak so Corbin can hit him with the scepter.

The announcers talk about Rob Gronkowski rejoining the NFL. Don’t worry: he WILL be defending the 24/7 Title. Getting him out of WWE is going to be more effort than he put into being in WWE.

We look at Kofi Kingston backdropping Seth Rollins onto the bridged ladder at Money in the Bank 2014.

Sheamus vs. Daniel Vidot

The not too bright Vidot charges at him and gets forearmed down over and over. The Brogue Kick finishes Vidot at 55 seconds.

We get the third part of the Jeff Hardy video. His daughters turned him around and he never wants them to see him like that. He named his daughter after his mother and we see a shot of him standing at his mother’s grave. We see the Hardys’ awesome return at Wrestlemania XXXIII and how happy Jeff was with everything. Part four next week.

From 1998: DX Invades WCW.

Miz/John Morrison vs. Lucha House Party

Dorado chops Miz to start and gets knocked down with a single shop. Miz turns him inside out off another chop and it’s off to Morrison for a right hand into a slingshot elbow. A running knee to the face drops Dorado again and Miz gets in some left hands. Miz’s kick to the head sets up Morrison’s running shooting star press for two.

Dorado hits a springboard Stunner to drop Morrison and it’s off to Metalik….who gets kicked in the face by Miz. It doesn’t seem to matter though as he kicks Miz right back, only to have his moonsault hit raised boots. The Skull Crushing Finale is loaded up but Metalik reverses into a rollup for the pin at 7:56.

Rating: D+. This wasn’t much but I can go with the idea of getting more teams into the tag scene. New Day and the Usos have been around for so long now that they have to add in something else eventually. The House Party has been around for a long time now and they can look flashy in the ring so why not freshen things up a bit?

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Lacey Evans vs. Sasha Banks

Bayley is here too. Banks knocks her to the floor to start and hits a forearm for an early two, followed by some double knees to the arm for the same. The arm is wrapped around the rope but Lacey pops out of the corner with a running clothesline. The slingshot Bronco Buster doesn’t work as the arm gives out though and Sasha posts the arm hard.

Banks’ Meteora gives her two but Evans sends her into the middle buckle. Evans sends her face first into the post over and over, but Banks is still fine enough to kick her in the arm. The Banks Statement is broken up and the Woman’s Right gets two as Bayley puts the foot on the rope. There’s a rollup to Evans but the referee is with Bayley so there’s no count. Another Woman’s Right gives Evans the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C-. Work on the arm the whole match, Evans uses the arm finisher twice anyway. The psychology made sense here until the finish as they would have been a lot better off by having Lacey roll her up or do something else. Evans going on to the ladder match makes sense though as they certainly like the idea of pushing her, even if it hasn’t worked so well so far.

Post match Tamina comes out and superkicks Bayley. Speaking of people they want to push who haven’t worked out.

We get a long video on the history between Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt. Bray had introduced Strowman as part of the Wyatt Family, with Strowman called the Black Sheep. Then Strowman was off on his own and eventually became the Universal Champion five years later. Strowman wanted to forget his time with the Wyatt Family but Bray, now with the Firefly Fun House, wanted the title. They’re fight at Money in the Bank. There isn’t much of a history here as the whole thing can be summed up as “Strowman was in the Wyatt Family. End of story.”.

Carmella is warming up when Dana Brooke pops in to rib her about having a Money in the Bank qualifying match next week. They can win everything though. It’s a good thing they’ve had…..maybe one conversation before this to set up their team?

We look at HHH’s quad tear in 2001 and crazy loud reaction in 2002.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross vs. Carmella/Dana Brooke

Carmella and Brooke are challenging. It’s a brawl to start with everyone heading to the floor and Brooke being the only one left standing as we take a break. Back with Carmella cleaning house and Cross having to make a quick save. Cross comes in but Carmella slips out of the Purge. That just earns her an elevated Downward Spiral (3D into a Downward Spiral) to retain the titles at 6:16. This was nothing given the break included.

Here’s HHH for his big celebration and they’ve got a LONG time for this. HHH talks about how hard it is to believe that it’s been twenty five years….and here’s Shawn Michaels to interrupt. Shawn talks about how awesome this is and he has two words for you: “Social distancing buddy! Don’t touch!”. He’s sent out hundreds of invitations to HHH’s friends and family and they’re all here.

After we look at the empty arena, Shawn talks about how they’ve been friends for the entire twenty five years. He has some nice memories of his own twenty fifth anniversary celebration on Smackdown and HHH can’t even pick his favorite moment from that night. HHH can’t believe Shawn didn’t have his own celebration and promises heads will roll when he gets back into the office. Anyway, Shawn talks about how much money they were when they were in DX (ignore the fact that Shawn and HHH’s DX didn’t beat Nitro once of course) and we get get a blooper reel of DX moments. HHH: “Almost in one take.”

Shawn says his Wrestlemania career pales in comparison to what HHH did at Wrestlemania and we see a look at HHH’s Wrestlemania losses. Shawn: “You weren’t that good.” HHH: “How many losses did you have at Wrestlemania?” Shawn: “This isn’t about me.” After some more platitudes, Shawn gets to Stephanie No Fun, who calls HHH. Stephanie: “I’m watching your twenty fifth anniversary celebration.”

After more talking in a way NO ONE WOULD EVER USE IN REAL LIFE, Stephanie says to tell that lazy eyed….and the call ends. Shawn brings up Ric Flair, who calls in as well to praise HHH and his family. Flair: “Don’t let Shawn superkick you at the end of the segment.” Flair starts to cry to end the call, calls back, and cries some more as we take a break.

Back with Road Dogg on the phone saying HHH got a haircut but needs a bigger one. He finds out that he’s on live TV and gets out in a hurry. Shawn says they need to wrap this up but HHH says he called the bosses at Fox and says they can have all night. Shawn: “Good. We haven’t even gotten to the Katie Vick segment yet.” With that mind blowing line out of the way, here’s Vince McMahon himself for a big moment.

Vince goes into a story about seeing HHH wrestle for the first time. It was like the buildup to the egg hatching at Survivor Series 1990 and then it was such a big disaster. Vince then explains the Katie Vick story (without every detail of course) and the Bayley: This Is Your Life segment, which wasn’t a good idea but it wasn’t Bayley’s fault (Vince’s words).

Anyway, Vince loves him but this was a horrible way to go out. As HHH would say, it was ROTTEN. Vince: “If you haven’t put everybody to sleep by now, I’ll say goodnight.” The lights go out to end the show and some crickets chirp. Shawn: “Story of your career buddy. Story of your career.” This was a lot more lighthearted than I was expecting and there were some funny lines, but other than HHH and WWE, was anyone asking to see this for twenty minutes?

Overall Rating: C-. It wasn’t a terrible show but it wasn’t exactly thrilling, with HHH’s deal taking up the whole ending for a few chuckle worthy lines. We’re very firmly in the middle of Money in the Bank season though, with a bunch of midcard matches between people who aren’t going to go anywhere after their token appearance in the ladder match. I’m rather pleased with the idea of getting this out of the way, but that means having the briefcases around and that always makes my head hut. Not a terrible show, but nothing worth seeing save for maybe the ending segment.

Results

King Corbin b. Drew Gulak – End of Days

Sheamus b. Daniel Vidot – Brogue Kick

Lucha House Party b. Miz/John Morrison – Rollup to Miz

Lacey Evans b. Sasha Banks – Woman’s Right

Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross b. Carmella/Dana Brooke – Elevated Downward Spiral to Cross

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: April 17, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s time to move forwards towards Money in the Bank and this time around we are finding out who else is going to be involved in the women’s match, plus the first man involved. I’m not sure how much steam these empty arena shows have left but they’re all we’re getting at the moment. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Cole runs down the card.

It’s time for A Moment Of Bliss to start things off. After bragging about being two time Women’s Tag Team Champions (I completely forgot their first reign, which isn’t a good sign for titles that are fourteen months old), Nikki Cross brings out Braun Strowman. They congratulate Braun on being the new Universal Champion but bring up the fact that he is officially defending against Bray Wyatt (not the Fiend) at Money in the Bank.

Strowman knows Bray and the games he plays so Bray is going to get these hands. There’s a present on the mat though and it seems to be for Braun. Inside is….the old mask he wore as part of the Wyatt Family. Braun looks upset and we hear Bray’s laughter as a picture of Braun in the mask comes on the screen.

Post break, Cole and Graves explain what we just saw.

Sasha Banks vs. Tamina

If Tamina wins, she gets a Women’s Title match at Money in the Bank and Bayley is on commentary. Sasha throws her a shirt to start but Tamina says it’s not the right size. The shirt is thrown at Bayley and Banks’ rollup completely fails. A headbutt sends Banks to the floor and we take a break.

Back with Sasha hammering away and bending the back of Tamina’s neck around the rope. The chinlock goes on but Tamina fights up with something like a Rock Bottom to send Sasha outside. Bayley offers a distraction so Sasha can get in a posting, a 619 on the apron and a ram into the steps. Bayley loads up a cheap shot but here’s Lacey Evans to cut her off. Tamina hits a superkick and hits a second inside for the pin and the title shot at 8:34.

Rating: D+. So yeah we have the next Jinder Mahal here, as Tamina has never done anything of note (until she won a triple threat match a few weeks ago, she hadn’t won a match in over a year) but now she wins a match or two and we’re supposed to forget about how unimportant and nothing she has been for years. It’s bad storytelling, it’s illogical, it’s annoying to the fans who watch every week and WWE is going to keep doing it over and over because they don’t know how long term storytelling and character building works anymore.

Jey Usos is ready for the triple threat and shouts a lot.

Post break Lacey says wherever Sasha goes, she goes. She’s a Marine, and isn’t stopping until the mission is accomplished. That would be no more Sasha, which is written on the back of her hand.

Sheamus vs. Denzel DeJournette

Sheamus shrugs off a takedown attempt and elbows/knees away at the head. The Brogue kick finishes at 1:03.

Post match Cole starts introducing a video on Jeff Hardy but Sheamus interrupts and asks what is Cole’s malfunction. That’s too much disrespect to Sheamus, fella.

We get the second part of the Jeff Hardy video, which features a bunch of dives that banged Hardy up. It resulted in his addiction issues and caused his career to start spiraling down. Then he left in 2009 (the World Title reigns aren’t mentioned) and we see some videos of him high and drunk, which are still hard to watch. This led to a lot of his legal problems and Jeff knows that he has a lot to make up for. Part three next week.

Carmella comes up to Dana Brooke and isn’t happy that Dana isn’t focused on their Tag Team Title match next week. Dana explains the Money in the Bank idea and says she can do both. Carmella isn’t convinced, just like I’m not convinced that any WWE writer has ever had a conversation with a human if this is supposed to sound authentic.

Commentary talks about the Money in the Bank ladder matches….which will take place at WWE Corporate headquarters with the briefcases ON THE ROOF OF TITAN TOWERS! Well that’s a new one!

Money In The Bank Qualifying Match: Naomi vs. Dana Brooke

Naomi’s helmet is back and at least it covers up that ridiculous looking hair. Naomi kicks her down for two to start but gets thrown outside. Back in and Dana grabs a bodyscissors, allowing her to talk a lot of extra audible trash. That’s broken up so Naomi kicks her in the head a few times, followed by a springboard kick to the face for two. A powerbomb gives Dana the same but the Rear View connects for two more. Naomi is SHOCKED that it didn’t work, making me roll my eyes a good bit. The split legged moonsault misses though and Brooke gets a rollup pin at 4:10.

Rating: D+. I still like Brooke more than most but it’s in the same vein as Tamina: she has barely won anything and yet we’re supposed to take her as a threat. Even if there’s a huge upset and she wins the ladder match and title, it’s still way too much to buy her as a top star. Wins and losses matter if you watch regularly and while this isn’t as bad as Tamina getting a title shot, I’m still not buying it.

During the post match replays, Corey says Dana is the first person to kick out of the Rear View. Normally I’d have to look it up but I’m just refusing to believe that’s true.

Long recap of Otis/Mandy Rose and the Sonya Deville/Dolph Ziggler plan to stop them.

Here’s a very upset Sonya Deville to beg Mandy’s forgiveness. They’ve been friends forever and for the first time in forever, Mandy isn’t here. Sonya has wanted to tell her something but here’s Mandy in person to cut her off. Fighting back tears, Sonya says….that Mandy is the most selfish human being she has ever met. As soon as Mandy became interested in Otis, she was ready to kick Sonya to the curb.

Now all Sonya wants to do is see Mandy hurt. Mandy might be pretty but she’s a dime a dozen blonde who was built in a lab. Sonya worked forever to be second to a talentless piece of eye candy. Now Sonya is going to ruin her life because she isn’t going to deal with some centerfold Barbie b****. Cue Ziggler to say he’s made a mistake but they had a great Valentines Day. Mandy slaps his hand away and Sonya jumps her, freaking Dolph out. Otis runs in for the save and house is cleaned, likely setting up a mixed tag. Well done on throwing in a bit of a surprise instead of Sonya declaring her love for Mandy.

We get the tribute video to Howard Finkel. That voice is never going to be topped and it’s very rare to see someone who clearly loved wrestling like he did. We get a lot NEEEEWWWW’s and a look at his comedy stuff, which really did work for him.

Miz thinks it is an injustice that he has to defend the Tag Team Titles in another three person triple threat match after John Morrison already did it at Wrestlemania. I’d call it more of a bad idea than an injustice.

Video on the Forgotten Sons.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Cesaro vs. Daniel Bryan

Shinsuke Nakamura and Drew Gulak are the seconds. Cesaro shows off a bit by jumping up to touch the briefcase above the ring. Bryan wastes no time in knocking Cesaro to the floor for a suicide dive….and here’s the masked guy on the screen to show us more hidden video. He says some keep their friends close and others keep their enemies closer. There is no video shown though and we take a break.

Back with Bryan working on an armbar and then grabbing a cross armbreaker. Cesaro muscles him up with a powerbomb to escape and a slam gets two on Bryan. He heads to the apron but manages to snap Cesaro’s arm across the top rope. A dive off the top is countered into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker though and Cesaro grabs the Sharpshooter. Bryan gets to the rope and goes outside, setting up the running uppercut against the barricade.

Back from another break with Bryan hitting the YES Kicks for two but Cesaro hits a gorilla press knee to the face. The Crossface goes on, only to be reversed into most of the YES Lock. Cesaro clotheslines the heck out of him and unloads with uppercuts in the corner. Bryan’s moonsault out of the corner is caught but Bryan pulls him down into the YES Lock. Nakamura’s interference is cut off by Gulak and Cesaro taps at 14:24.

Rating: B. This is a lot closer to the match that you would have wanted to see from these two as they were given time and allowed to work to their strengths. It helps when you spend a good chunk of your careers wrestling in front of very few people. They know how to do something else and that makes for a better performance like this. Well that and the two of them being Cesaro and Bryan.

Big E. is ready to win the Tag Team Titles on his own. This morning, he slid out of the triple bunk bed and told Kofi and Woods to eat popcorn in the La-Z-Boys because it’s time to become eight time champions.

King Corbin jumps Elias in the back and crushes his hand between two anvil cases. Corbin drags him away. Post break, Corbin steps on Elias’ hand and tells him to sing before hitting him in the throat with a baton. That looks to be it but Corbin breaks the guitar over his back for a bonus. Now this is more like it for Corbin, FAR away from the main event scene and beating up midcarders. I can go for this far more.

Tag Team Titles: Big E. vs. Jey Uso vs. The Miz

Miz is defending the titles on his own. The challengers waste no time in sending Miz outside before Big E. runs Jey over. Big E. talks about having a plan but the other two are back up to suplex him through the announcers’ table. We take a break and come back with Jey hitting back to back suicide dives.

The running Umaga Attacks in the corner make it worse but Big E. catches Jey with the Rock Bottom out of the corner. Miz even goes aerial with a springboard ax handle, allowing him to start the HEY HEY HO HO. Miz can’t Figure Four Jey, who kicks him into Big E. for two instead. The Skull Crushing Final gets two on Jey and now the Figure Four goes on. Big E. breaks that up with the Big Ending to Miz for the pin and the titles at 9:45.

Rating: C-. Kind of a surprising ending as we continue to have New Day as placeholder champions, though they’ve been placeholder champions for what feels like years now. Normally I would say that I hope this doesn’t lead to the Forgotten Sons winning the titles because that would almost guarantee that it does, so yeah I’ve just screwed it up all over again.

We cut to Kofi at his house for an AND NEEEEEEWWWWW for a nice smile inducing moments.

Xavier Woods throws in a bunch of plugs.

Big E. rolls around on the floor shouting EIGHT TIMES to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. This was ok enough as they’ve managed to make these shows feel like any regular Smackdown. That sounds good in theory, but then you remember that a regular Smackdown isn’t much of a show, much like this one wasn’t. It was a decent enough watch with angle advancement and some good wrestling, but it’s nothing overly memorable. I actually liked that mixed tag angle in the middle as much as anything else, as it was well delivered and the motivations make sense. The match will probably be junk, but points for the setup. Not a great show by any means, but watchable enough for Smackdown.

Results

Tamina b. Sasha Banks – Superkick

Sheamus b. Denzel DeJournette – Brogue Kick

Dana Brooke b. Naomi – Sunset flip

Daniel Bryan b. Cesaro – YES Lock

Big E. b. Jey Uso and Miz – Big Ending to Miz

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Wrestlemania XXXVI Night Two
Date: April 5, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield

We’re back for more of the same and that might not be the worst thing in the world. Last night’s part one wasn’t half bad but they are going to have a hard time surpassing that main event. There are eight more matches, plus the required Kickoff Show match, tonight so hopefully they can have another good one. Let’s get to it.

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

Kickoff Show: Liv Morgan vs. Natalya

Morgan rolls her up for two to start so Natalya does the same for a standoff. Some more rollups get some more near falls until Morgan sends her into the corner. A running hip attack hits Natalya but she’s right back with her basement dropkick for two more. Natalya clotheslines her to the floor, followed by the surfboard back inside. Natalya: “ASK HER!!!!” That’s broken up and Liv’s Codebreaker gets two. The sitout wheelbarrow faceplant gives Natalya the same and they pinfall reversal sequence with Liv getting the pin at 6:33.

Rating: D+. Imagine that: a Natalya match being technically fine but completely emotionless. That’s been the definition of her career for years now and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Liv getting a win is fine but there is no way that she is getting anywhere near the top of the division, leaving this as little more than a way to fill time.

Stephanie McMahon welcomes us to the show in a new message.

Same opening video as last night.

Rob Gronkowski welcomes us to the show and throws us to the first match.

NXT Women’s Title: Charlotte vs. Rhea Ripley

Ripley is defending. The feel each other out to start with Charlotte going straight to the leg. That doesn’t work so Rhea gets in her face, earning some chops into the corner. Ripley is right back with Riptide for two and it’s time for a quick breather. They fight to the floor with Charlotte hitting a double chop but Rhea sends her into the steps. Back in and Rhea hits a dropkick before kicking away at the ribs.

A bodyscissors keeps Charlotte down but Rhea misses a running big boot and hurts her leg on the rope. Charlotte works on the leg, shrugs off a shot to the head, and bends the leg around on the mat. Rhea won’t quit so Charlotte works on the leg again. Back up and Rhea nails a basement dropkick, followed by some shouting at her own knee. The leg is fine enough for an electric chair faceplant for two, followed by a missile dropkick for the same, albeit after a delay because of the knee.

Charlotte chop blocks the knee though and Rhea is down again. The Figure Four doesn’t work again and Rhea reverses into the standing Cloverleaf. That’s broken up as well and Charlott knocks her down with another hard shot. The Figure Four is broken up again so Charlotte goes with a Boston crab instead.

Ripley gets out again and hits a quick big boot (thanks to some editing) for the double knockdown. Rhea takes her up top but gets slammed back down, though she’s able to raise her boots to block the moonsault. A horrible looking spear gives Charlotte two but the Figure Four finally goes on. The Figure Eight makes Ripley tap at 20:26.

Rating: C+. CHARLOTTE! WINS!! AGAIN!!! I have no idea why they needed to have her beat Rhea clean in their first match but I’m sure it has something to do with some kind of tribute to Ric Flair, who hasn’t had one in a while. I’m sick of seeing Charlotte with a title and it almost scares me to imagine how many titles she’s going to wind up with in the end.

We recap last night.

Aleister Black vs. Bobby Lashley

Lana is here with Lashley. Black gets tossed around to start and Lashley hammers away, only to get low bridged to the floor. A running big boot puts Lashley on the floor but Black misses the moonsault. Lashley snaps off the overhead belly to belly but can’t get a suplex back inside. Instead Black kicks him in the chest, only to walk into a snap powerslam for two. Another suplex gets another two and Lashley loads up the Dominator, but Lana tells him to do the spear. That earns him Black Mass for the sudden pin at 7:14.

Rating: D+. This was a way to get Black on the show, and by that I mean a way for him to get beaten up until Lana and Lana alone cost Lashley the match. I’m glad Black won but if you want him to look good, just have him kick Lashley’s head off and win. It’s not like Lashley has anything going on at the moment, but now I’m sure we can get the big fallout with Lana now, because we need another part to that story.

Bayley complains about the elimination match and knows Sasha Banks won’t turn on her. With Bayley gone, Sasha is asked how much she wants to win the title. You’ll have to watch and see.

Money in the Bank ad.

Gronk would like to win the 24/7 Title.

We recap Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler. Otis was going to go on a Valentine’s Day date with Mandy Rose but Ziggler crashed it when Otis was late. Mandy wanted nothing else to do with Otis after that but it turns out that Sonya Deville stole Mandy’s phone and told Otis she would be late (and deleted the texts) so it would fall apart.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Otis

Sonya Deville is here with Ziggler. Otis misses a charge to start and gets superkicked outside in a hurry. That gets one back inside so Ziggler grabs a neckbreaker into the jumping elbow for two. The chinlock goes on but Otis is back up with a catapult. A hard whip sends Ziggler into the corner and a pop up World’s Strongest Slam plants him again. Sonya gets on the apron for a distraction though and Ziggler gets in a low blow. Cue Mandy to take out Sonya and hit Ziggler low, setting up the Caterpillar for the pin at 8:23.

Rating: D+. I was wrong on this one as I didn’t think they would let Otis pin Dolph. I’m rather please by the result and even though it wasn’t much of a match, at least they pulled the trigger on something. You can pencil in the mixed tag coming up and that’s all well and good, though I’m not sure where they can go after that.

Post match Otis picks Mandy up and they get the first kiss.

We recap Edge vs. Randy Orton. Edge came back at the Royal Rumble but Orton attacked him the next night and put him back on the shelf. Orton said Edge was an adrenaline junkie and he attacked him so Edge wouldn’t ruin his life like Orton did. To make it worse, Orton RKOed Edge’s wife (who is a Hall of Famer who wrestled earlier this year so we needed to act like he shot her). Now it’s a Last Man Standing match as this is very personal.

Edge vs. Randy Orton

Last Man Standing. Edge comes out first and glares at the stage for Orton….who is disguised as a cameraman and runs in for an RKO before the bell. The bell rings and it’s another RKO but Edge falls to the floor at nine. They fight back backstage with Orton knocking Edge through some doors. It goes onto the gym with Orton knocking him down again, setting up some choking with a rope on a machine.

Edge gets out and hits a dropkick through some machines before choking away at Orton. Some forearms put Orton in a chair and Edge pulls himself up on a bar for a seated senton of all things. Back up and they slug it out into another room with a red light. Both guys are sent face first into a garage door and it’s back into the arena. Orton shoves him off a platform and into the barricade before they stumble backstage again.

Edge’s head gets bounced off of another wall for a six count and it’s time to go into the office area. This time it’s Orton being sent into a wall but Edge kicks him in the ribs at nine. Orton gets thrown onto the big table so Edge pulls himself up onto part of the ceiling to drop an elbow. The cameraman gets knocked down but another one catches them up in the big storage facility in the back.

Both of them bounce off of various things until Orton knocks him onto a storage crate. Edge gets sent into some steps and Orton starts looking around. That’s good for another nine so they wind up in what looks like the promo area. Edge throws something at Orton’s leg to take him down and some more shots to the face do it again. Orton is placed on a table and drops a huge elbow.

They go to a truck with a cover on the bed and Orton hits the hanging DDT for nine. Edge climbs onto some crates and then on top of an NXT semi truck. Orton and the referee follow them up and it’s a spear to drop Orton. That’s good for nine but another spear is countered into an RKO.

Edge is up at nine as well but Orton has dropped down to the floor next to the biggest ladder I’ve ever seen in WWE (it’s on the floor and is WAY higher than the top of the semi truck). Instead Orton takes some chairs up to the top of the truck to load up the Conchairto. Edge grabs a head and arm choke though and Orton is out. Hold on though as Edge waves off the count so he can hit the Conchairto. Orton is finally done at 36:39.

Rating: B. This one is going to be divisive and I can understand that. If my math is right, this was the longest non-Iron Man match in Wrestlemania history, though it didn’t feel that long. It felt like two guys who wanted to hurt each other and were doing whatever they could to accomplish that. I liked the unique atmosphere and some of the spot, with the Conchairto making for a good finish.

After a quick breather, here’s Mojo Rawley with the Mob chasing him. Gronk shows up and dives off a platform to take out the pile, allowing him to pin Rawley for the title.

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

The Profits are defending. Dawkins shoulders Theory down to start and the champs start working on the arm. That’s fine with Theory, who sends Dawkins to the floor, allowing Theory to mock the dancing. Garza gets in a superkick on the floor, TAKES OFF HIS PANTS, and misses a clothesline so Dawkins can tag Ford in.

A DDT gets two on Ford and Garza hits the moonsault onto both champs on the floor. The Lionsault gets two more on Ford back inside but Ford pops up with an enziguri. Dawkins comes in and runs Garza over, only to get caught in Theory’s TKO. Ford frog splashes his way in for the save though and Dawkins gets the cover to retain at 6:23.

Rating: D+. If ever there was a match to cut for the sake of time. This was a weird one as there was no reason to believe the title change was taking place and then the finish felt like something the heels would do to win. There are no teams to challenge the Profits at the moment and I don’t see Theory and Garza changing that anytime soon.

Post match Garza and Theory stay on Ford but Bianca Belair runs in for the save. That means a KOD on Zelina.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Lacey Evans vs. Tamina vs. Naomi vs. Sasha Banks vs. Bayley

Bayley is defending and this is under elimination rules. Tamina shrugs off the gang attack to start so Lacey chop blocks her down. The other four slug it out with Bayley and Sasha double teaming Lacey. Naomi makes a quick save as a mini tag match breaks out. Tamina comes back in to run everyone over and we actually get a Team Bad reunion. That lasts for all of three seconds as everyone goes after Tamina, including something off the top each. A dog pile pin gets rid of Tamina at 6:23.

Naomi dives onto Sasha but Lacey misses a dive onto Bayley, earning a ram into the steps. A sunset flip gives Naomi two on Bayley and Sasha at the same time, followed by a sliding slip to both. The Rear View hits Sasha and a Bubba Bomb into the reverse Rings of Saturn….is broken up by Bayley. The Bank Statement gets rid of Naomi (Bayley: “DANCE TO THE BACK!”) at 10:36 and we’re down to three.

Bayley shouts about Lacey’s daughter though, allowing Lacey to avoid the running knee. Sasha is knocked silly instead so Lacey small packages Bayley for two. Back in and Sasha yells at Bayley, who shoves Sasha out of the way of the Woman’s Right. Lacey hits the second attempt though and Banks is done at 13:23.

After a replay where you can hear Cole shouting commentary, Bayley mocks Lacey with a salute and shoves her face against the rope. Lacey gets posted for two so Bayley ties her arm to the corner with the tag rope. Since that’s kind of a stupid plan, Lacey kicks her way out and hits the slingshot Bronco Busters in the corner. After a slow motion salute, Lacey’s double jump moonsault gets two. Cue Sasha with a Backstabber to Lacey though and Bayley’s weird bulldog driver retains at 19:15.

Rating: D. Well that was long and served little purpose. Bayley has held the title since last May (save for a four day Charlotte reign) and I’m not sure what else there is for her to do. Unless they do Bayley vs. Becky (unlikely), what is the point in keeping it on her much longer? I’m sure we’ll get to Bayley vs. Banks again eventually, but dang that sounds as appealing as watching this match all over again.

Titus O’Neil takes Gronk’s place as host.

Wrestlemania XXXVII is in Los Angeles.

We recap The Fiend vs. John Cena in the Firefly Fun House. After Cena said that he didn’t want to wrestle at this year’s show, Fiend popped up to challenge him. Cena accepted, and then Bray Wyatt went on to say that he blamed Cena for the rise of the Fiend. See, Cena beat him at Wrestlemania XXX and messed with Bray’s mind, leading to the creation of the Fiend. Therefore, tonight Cena goes to the Fun House.

John Cena vs. The Fiend

Cena makes his entrance but the Firefly Fun House pops up, with Bray saying that Cena is about to face himself. Then Cena is teleported to the Fun House (apparently the same way Seth Rollins got there back in October), where Ramblin Rabbit sends him through a door after the Fiend. Cena follows and finds the Vince puppet, asking if Cena has the ruthless aggression to make it in this company.

We see Wyatt copying the Kurt Angle promo to challenge Cena from 2002 and here’s 2020 Cena in 2002 Cena attire. Cena keeps saying RUTHLESS AGGRESSION but misses a bunch of shots. Bray: “You can look but you can’t touch!” And now it’s the Saturday Night’s Main Event opening, with Bray standing behind a cage and imitating Hulk Hogan. Cena (Johnny Largemeat) comes up and starts rapidly lifting weights, apparently destroying his arms in the process.

Vince and the Mercy the Buzzard are on commentary as Bray asks what happens when Cena realizes that Ego Mania has been running wild on him. Bray sends him off camera to the Smackdown Fist where Cena is the Dr. of Thugnomics, with Bray dancing to Basic Thuganomics. They’re back in the ring and Cena finds out that he can only speak in rhymes, including a Husky Harris reference.

Bray calls Cena a bully and a horrible person who takes the weaknesses of others and turns them into jokes. With that, Bray gives him the floor so Cena throws him Deez Nuts. Cena, in the Babe Ruth jersey from last year, misses a charge and gets knocked out by a chain. Now it’s Bray back in the Wyatt Family gear and sitting in the rocking chair as we see clips of Wrestlemania XXX.

The fans wanted and needed him that night and now it’s time to rewrite his own story. They’re back in the ring now with Bray dancing with the unconscious Cena and loading up Sister Abigail. He lets Cena go though and drops down, handing Cena a chair in a recreation of Wrestlemania XXX. Bray tells Cena to fix his mistake from last year but Bray disappears away from Cena’s swing.

And now it’s…..NWO MONDAY NITRO??? Bray is Eric Bischoff (with the jacket and a Wolfpac shirt) and introduces Cena as Hollywood Hogan. Cena takes Bray down and unloads as we see clips of Cena’s past. He wakes up as himself and sees that he’s beating up Huskus the Pig. The Fiend appears behind him and gives him the Mandible Claw to knock Cena out. We hear Cena’s promo about ending the most overrated overhyped superstar ever and the Claw goes back on with Bray counting the pin. Cena teleports away and the Fiend stands alone.

No rating as this wasn’t a match but I got into this. It’s a rather interesting character study of Cena and you can get what they’re going with in Fiend making him face his fears. Back in the day, CM Punk said that Cena had become the New York Yankees: the big bad who held people down and used money to get what he wants (or going from the Real American Hogan to Hollywood Hogan as they used here).

That’s what Fiend is showing Cena here and it scared Cena that he had changed so much and become what he fought against for so many years. Now granted, if you haven’t been glued to WWE for the last….oh eight years or so, this made no sense, but the effort and thought was ALL there and I got most of what they were going for, plus some of the complete insanity that went along with it. Not a match, but kind of a fascinating weird look into the WWE psyche.

We cut to Titus O’Neil. Titus: “I don’t know what I just saw.”

We recap Brock Lesnar vs. Drew McIntyre. Lesnar is World Champion but Drew eliminated him from the Royal Rumble and then won the whole thing, earning him this spot. Drew has kicked his head off a few times since then to show he can hang with Brock.

Raw World Title: Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar

Lesnar is defending and gets Claymored for two after about ten seconds. Another Claymore misses and it’s time to go to Suplex City. The F5 gets one and Brock isn’t happy. Another F5 gets two and there’s the third for another two. Another F5 is countered and McIntyre hits two more Claymores. A fourth gives Drew the pin and the title at 4:28.

Rating: D. I’m happy that McIntyre won but GOOD GRIEF STOP DOING THAT SAME MATCH OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER! It’s a cool idea one time and then don’t do it again for years. This is all Lesnar does anymore and now it’s creeping over into other main events too. It loses its impact when they keep doing it again and again and now you’ve grown to expect it every time. Anyway, great moment to end the show and McIntyre as champion is awesome, assuming they don’t have Lesnar win it back in two months again.

Overall Rating: C-. I didn’t like this one as much as last night’s but it still wasn’t terrible. This one definitely felt like the bigger show and had the more intriguing matches (for the most part). I’m not wild on some of the booking decisions but it felt more like a Wrestlemania and that’s what matters. The crowd being gone didn’t bother me as much either, but the wrestling itself just wasn’t as good. Overall, not bad but last night’s felt tighter and more enjoyable.

Overall Overall Rating: C. With something like this, it’s almost impossible to give the thing a fair rating. When you factor in the day in between and the weird atmosphere, the show was pretty much just ok. There were some very good matches but some that made me wonder why I was wasting my time. Overall it’s an enjoyable one off, but I’m still not behind the idea of a two night Wrestlemania going forward. Until WWE can cut these things WAY down and trim off so much of the unnecessary stuff, it needs to be one night and one night only, just for the sake of sanity if nothing else.

Results

Charlotte b. Rhea Ripley – Figure Eight

Aleister Black b. Bobby Lashley – Black Mass

Otis b. Dolph Ziggler – Caterpillar

Edge b. Randy Orton when Orton couldn’t answer the ten count

Street Profits b. Angel Garza/Austin Theory – Frog splash to Theory

Bayley b. Sasha Banks, Naomi, Tamina and Lacey Evans – Bulldog driver to Evans

Drew McIntyre b. Brock Lesnar – Claymore

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

No, it won’t be Tamina.

This is another instance where the champ has cleaned out the division but in this case I could buy most of the challengers taking the title. WWE would be crazy to not try and push Evans at some point, Naomi has been pushed before, Banks and Bayley are joined at the hip forever and then there’s that other person in the match who seems to have video of Vince tickling a judge with a rubber duck. I’m not sure where this goes and that’s a nice feeling.

For some reason I want to say Evans wins here, but this seems like a setup for another Bayley vs. Banks feud so I’ll take Bayley retaining. Maybe she stabs Banks in the back to win it or maybe it’s the opposite, but for the sake of this I’ll say Bayley keeps the belt. It won’t be for much longer though as she needs something else to do, but she has gotten something out of this reign and that’s a good thing.

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: April 3, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentator: Michael Cole

While it might not feel like it, this is the go home show for Wrestlemania. The show is again taped, and maybe now that we are only twenty two hours away from the start of the show, we can get some kind of information about the changed World Title match. I mean it’s not like it’s that important or anything. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

There are ladders around the arena and it’s time for MizTV, but here are the Usos instead. They aren’t waiting to be invited out here because it’s time for them to win the Tag Team Titles at Wrestlemania. Cue the New Day to say not so fast because it’s time for them to enter the annals (Big E: “Hehe annals.”) of history by winning the titles again. The fight is about to start but here are Miz and Morrison to interrupt.

Miz talks about how New Day and the Usos will destroy each other, allowing he and Morrison to retain. They climb the ladders and say BE JEALOUS but New Day and the Usos run up the ramp so the brawl can be on in a hurry. The ladders are knocked over and, just as Miz said, New Day and the Usos beat each other up, allowing the champs to pose.

Naomi vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina

Sasha Banks and Bayley are on commentary. Tamina cleans house to start and we take a very early break. Back with Tamina getting one on Naomi but Lacey comes back in to take over. The slingshot Bronco Buster connects as Sasha and Bayley no sell questions about turning on each other at Wrestlemania. Sasha gets up and sends Lacey into the steps, leaving Naomi to sunset flip Tamina for two. A Samoan drop gives Tamina two so Bayley offers a quick distraction, allowing Tamina to superkick Naomi for the pin at 8:24.

Rating: D+. This was your “hey Tamina really could win” match, followed by everyone collectively laughing. She’s in the match to get it up to a higher number, though I’m still not entirely sure why she’s on the roster. Nothing to see here of course, but at least they got the Tamina stuff out of their system tonight.

Post match Bayley tries to make amends with Tamina and gets superkicked. Sasha tries the same and gets Samoan dropped.

Tucker is warming up when the circle of lights pops up. This time the words “THE TRUTH WILL BE TOLD” flashes up on screen.

From Wrestlemania XXIV:

Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels

Flair has the blue robe one more time and while I’m still a fan of the black and white one, I can’t help but smile at seeing the classic look again. Shawn shoulders him down to start and it’s clear that they’re going to have all the time they want here. They trade some hammerlocks with Shawn getting the better of it on the mat. That’s broken up as well and we get the first WOO.

The chops in the corner let Flair yell about Old Yeller but Shawn slaps him in the face and asks if that’s all he has. An exchange of chops in the corner goes to Flair (as it should) but Shawn elbows him in the jaw and goes up. This time Flair slams him off the top and goes up…..for a crossbody into a near fall! You would think that would get more of a reaction but he has to fail at an early Figure Four attempt.

Shawn kicks him to the floor and tries an Asai moonsault, which only hits the announcers’ table, with his ribs landing on the edge which doesn’t break (I’ve seen that many times and it draws a very real cringe). That’s only good for a nine count and Shawn can barely move because of the ribs. A belly to back suplex gives Flair two and he manages a delayed vertical for the same. Note: Charles Robinson (Little Naitch) is referee here and for some reason he’s in a Smackdown shirt. Yeah he’s a Smackdown referee, but you can’t just throw him in a Raw shirt for the occasion?

Flair’s neckbreaker gets two more but Shawn sends him outside. That means a moonsault to the floor which takes Flair out and bangs up the ribs even more. They chop it out back inside and it’s Shawn’s forearm into the nipup as the pace picks up a bit. A slam drops Flair and Shawn’s top rope elbow connects, meaning it’s time to Tune of the Band. Shawn can’t bring himself to do it though and Flair grabs the legs and slaps on the Figure Four in the middle of the ring.

The hold is turned over and they load up the bridge into the backslide….but Flair just can’t do it anymore so they go into a rollup instead. It’s time for the chop block and NOW the Figure Four is on for real. Shawn crawls to the rope so Flair stomps away some more until the referee drags him away. That’s enough of a delay for Shawn to hit Sweet Chin Music for a very close two and the fans go nuts on the kickout.

Shawn loads it up again but stops to tell Flair to get up. That means a low blow (again, you knew he was getting that in somehow) for two more and the fans really bought the near fall. To mix things up a bit, Shawn sweeps the legs and tries a reverse Figure Four (thank goodness it wasn’t a Sharpshooter) to send Flair bailing to the ropes this time.

A rollup with tights gets two and they chop it out from their knees. The chops bring them to their feet and Shawn hits another superkick to put Flair down. There’s no cover though as Shawn goes into the corner and Flair slowly gets up. Shawn says the now legendary I’m Sorry, I Love You and superkicks Flair one more time, this time for the pin at 20:34.

Rating: B+. I don’t remember truly liking this one before and that’s because there are different ways to look at it. It’s hard not to look at a match like this through the emotional lens but if you take that away (which you kind of have to given that Flair wound up wrestling again), it’s actually a heck of a match with all of the old Flair tropes thrown in. Those worked for so long because it’s a great formula that can work against anyone. When you add in Shawn’s second to none abilities, there was no way this wouldn’t be outstanding.

The problem though is that Flair just can’t do a lot of this stuff anymore. He’s trying as hard as he can and what he could still do was good, but seeing him not be able to bridge up anymore was rather sad because it’s something he’s done for so many years before. I don’t remember liking this match that much but it really is a strong one, even ignoring all the other things added to it.

Post match Shawn leaves the ring and a crying Flair gets to his feet for one of the best standing ovations you’ll ever see. This is more than deserved and while he should have retired a long time ago (you could argue all the way back in the 90s), he was far from embarrassing himself and someone as influential, successful and downright talented as he was should absolutely get this kind of a sendoff. And for those who are wondering why, this was originally going to close the show but Flair refused and insisted it go in the middle.

We look back at Elias being attacked last week.

Goldberg is now defending against Braun Strowman. No reason is given and the match is just changed.

Otis tells Tucker to leave him a little piece of Dolph Ziggler. Tucker says he ran into Mandy Rose earlier and she asked about him. Otis gets a text and is rather happy before running off.

Tucker vs. Dolph Ziggler

No Otis this time. Tucker runs him over to start and the fight is on in a hurry, including some kicks to Ziggler’s ribs. A quick shot puts Tucker down for the jumping elbow but he’s right back up with a big boot. Ziggler’s DDT out of the corner puts them both down and we take a break. Back with Tucker slugging away and knocking Ziggler outside. That means a ram into the barricade and a side slam gets two back inside. They head outside again and this time it’s a Zig Zag onto the steps for the DQ at 9:17.

Rating: D+. This is the latest part of your soap opera story around here and that’s not the best thing in the world. Otis vs. Ziggler could be entertaining but at the same time, it’s not the kind of match that I need to see at WrestleMania. Ziggler probably could have won here and then taken Tucker out but it could have been a lot worse.

Post match Ziggler loads up the steps but Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville appear to break it up with Otis making the real save. The Truth Will Be Heard appears again and this time we go to a control room. Someone whose face we can’t see says he told us the truth will be heard. He plays a video from Valentine’s Day showing Mandy talking to Sonya.

After Mandy leaves to do something, Sonya picks up Mandy’s phone and sends Otis a text, saying she’ll be late. We see Otis saying that sounds great and Sonya deletes both messages. Sonya then talks to Ziggler, saying both of them will get what they want. Back in the arena, Mandy walks away from Sonya. Otis chases Dolph out as well. Eh GTV could be fun back in the day so this should work.

Post break, Mandy won’t talk to Sonya.

Daniel Bryan vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Cesaro and Drew Gulak are at ringside while Sami Zayn is on commentary. They fight over arm control to start until Bryan dropkicks him to the floor the running baseball slide sets up Bryan’s running knee from the apron and Nakamura is down. Back in and Bryan hits a running dropkick in the corner, only to get knocked off the middle rope. Nakamura’s middle rope knee to the chest gets two and the sliding German suplex in the corner takes us to a break.

Back with Bryan still in trouble as Nakamura kicks away at the chest. Bryan kicks away and goes for the arm, followed by even more kicks to stagger Nakamura again. The YES Lock is countered and Nakamura pulls him into a blocked cross armbreaker. That’s reverses into another armbreaker from Bryan (Sami: “HOW DID HE DO THAT???”) which is switched into the LeBell Lock. Cesaro runs in for the DQ at 11:39.

Rating: C+. This was the first match all night that felt like something worth watching. Bryan and Nakamura are a great pairing and can have a solid match against each other, which is what we got here. They had some time and while Bryan getting the tap out would have been a bit better, this was the best match of the night by a mile.

Video on the Fiend vs. John Cena.

Here’s Cena for the big closing segment. Cena thanks the fans for getting us here and now we are less than one day until Wrestlemania. The thing is, no one knows what is going to happen, including Bray Wyatt himself. See, no one, including Bray, will tell him what a Firefly Fun House match is. Fear can lead to panic and panic can lead to collapse. The Fiend feeds on fear and panic and here we are. Cena will not be afraid and the poor man’s Mr. Rogers isn’t scaring him.

Goldberg has shown how to beat the Fiend and now the Fiend has made this happen. Cena promises a beating but here are the Firefly Fun House characters, saying that after Fiend is done with Cena, he’ll play with them forever. They say forever over and over again until Ramblin Rabbit says he’s here. The lights go out and the Fiend appears in the crow’s nest. Bray himself pops up behind Cena to say let him in. The lights go out again and Cena is alone to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. This didn’t add much to Wrestlemania but then again it’s not like this is the kind of show that really needs to. Not this year at least, as nothing else makes sense this time around. The announcement of Strowman replacing Reigns was laughably bad as there was no build or explanation, but other than that we had some perfectly fine building for the matches. I don’t really want to see anything more than I did coming in though and the wrestling was mostly weak, but it could have been a lot worse.

Results

Tamina b. Lacey Evans and Naomi – Superkick to Naomi

Tucker b. Dolph Ziggler via DQ when Ziggler slammed Tucker into the steps

Daniel Bryan b. Shinsuke Nakamura via DQ when Cesaro interfered

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

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

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

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