We are on the way to Crown Jewel and this time around that means we are going to be seeing quite the stacked card. There are some rather big matches set for the show and this time around, something might actually happen. For once it feels like a major show that just happens to be taking place in Saudi Arabia, which has certainly not been the case for most of the shows over there. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Usos vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin

Are they still the Hurt Business? Anyway, this was added the day before the show as a way to give us something to get the crowd going. That should be enough to warm up the crowd, though you never know what this kind of crowd is going to be at these things. If nothing else, this is a way to have the Usos around for the main event, as Roman Reigns might need some bodies to throw at Brock Lesnar.

I’ll go with the Usos winning here, as they are one of the best WWE teams in a long time now. Alexander and Benjamin are back together, but it isn’t like they would have been a serious threat to the Usos on their best day. The action should be good, but this is all about the Usos, because they are a mixture of good and more important, making them the easy winners here.

King of the Ring: Finn Balor vs. Xavier Woods

We’ll get one of the more important matches out of the way here, along with one where I’m not sure who is winning. You have the much bigger star in Balor, who already has the Prince name and would be an easy step up to the King deal, but on the other hand you have Woods, who seems to be obsessed with winning the thing. That’s a nice story to throw in and WWE has actually done it well for a change.

As great as it would be to see Woods finally win something, I think it’ll be Balor winning, as he could us something to boost him back up. Balor is a much bigger star and it makes sense to give him the rub, even if Woods could do a lot more with the idea. This is a case where there isn’t a bad option for the win, and as long as they get to actually do something here, we should be in for a good one.

Goldberg vs. Bobby Lashley

Let’s get this one out of the way so I don’t have to think about it again. This is the rematch from Summerslam, where fans were not exactly interested in seeing it in the first place. Then Goldberg, known for his sensitive emotions, got all serious because Bobby Lashley attacked Goldberg’s son Gage, meaning it’s time to get old man serious. That’s totally what this match needed, right?

As stupid as it is, I’m going with Goldberg winning here, because it seems like the kind of thing that WWE would do for the sake of some kind of feel good moment. Since Gage will be at the show (!!!), you can picture the big deal at the end, which is going to be one of those things that isn’t as interesting as WWE thinks it is but will run with it anyway, all at Lashley’s expense. Yay.

Raw Tag Team Titles: RKBro(c) vs. AJ Styles/Omos

I know they haven’t been feuding for very long but this feud has worn out its welcome in a hurry. There are a few other teams on Monday Night Raw but these two have been the exclusive title feud since before Summerslam, meaning I really never need to see them fight again. Both are still good pairings but at some point, you just need to see them fight someone else.

It seems way too early to have RKBro drop the titles just yet so I’ll go with the champs retaining their titles. Styles and Omos seem like a team who could be split up to go their separate ways a bit more easily, so maybe that is being set up by another loss. Omos is going to be given a chance on his own, even if he isn’t ready for the it yet. For now though, it should be RKBro retaining, which I think it will be.

Mansoor vs. Mustafa Ali

This is the easiest pick on the show and I don’t think that is any kind of a secret. WWE understands what they have in Mansoor and there is nothing wrong with that. There is nothing wrong with giving a lower midcard wrestler a win in a match that is going to mean a lot to the live fans, no matter what WWE seems to think at any other point in the year for whatever reason.

Of course Mansoor wins here, because even WWE isn’t crazy enough to think there is any reason to do something else. Mansoor is likely going to be the most over star on the show and now he gets another win in his home country. Ali is a very talented guy in his own right and I could go for seeing him on such a big stage. I know it isn’t the best place for him, but it’s not like he was doing anything else beforehand (or likely after). Mansoor wins here, in as sure of a pick as you can have.

Queen’s Crown: Zelina Vega vs. Doudrop

I can’t help but sigh when I think about this match. The tournament has had six matches so far and those matches have totaled less than fourteen minutes of action. WWE has not exactly treated this tournament like anything that matters and what says honor than a match between someone who hadn’t won a match Vega, who hadn’t won a thing until the tournament started and Doudrop, who is turning into little more than a comedy character?

There seems to be more upside in Vega than Doudrop at the moment, so I’ll take her to win here. Vega is someone who feels ready to become a star as soon as she is given a chance, though it would not shock me whatsoever to see Vega lose something else. At least she is getting on the show this time, which is more than she can say most of the time. Vega wins here, though it really could go either way. Now can they at least get five minutes? Please?

WWE Title: Big E.(c) vs. Drew McIntyre

Now this one actually gets my interest up a bit, as these two could have a solid match against each other. Big E. has shown that he can hang with the bigger stars and McIntyre had a very nice main event level run as champion. Above all else, this feels like a title match these days, though comparing it to Reigns vs. Lesnar hardly does the WWE Title any favors.

I’ll go with Big E. retaining here, as McIntyre is on his way to SmackDown and there is no need to have him be like Charlotte and take the title over to the other show. Big E. can get a nice win, McIntyre doesn’t really get hurt by the loss and everyone gets to move on to whatever they are doing next. In other words, WWE has actually done something well for a change. I’m as shocked as you are.

SmackDown Women’s Title: Becky Lynch(c) vs. Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks

I’m not even going to try and keep track of what is going on with the title and who is on which show as of Crown Jewel and then as of Friday, because WWE is probably going to have some wacky idea to get them out of this. What matters here is we have three women who all could be a legitimate threat to leave with the title, which is always a nice situation to be in.

As for a winner, I think I’ll go with Lynch retaining, as she is fresh off of a loss to Banks and could use the pickup again. That would leave the door open for Lynch and Charlotte to swap titles ala Street Profits and New Day (because that’s such a great idea that doesn’t devalue the titles in any way), meaning we can have the Horsewomen back on top again at Survivor Series! Lynch retains here, leaving us with more room for the same stuff we’ve seen before.

Edge vs. Seth Rollins

The build for this match has been up and down to put it mildly, but what matters here is the fact that they set up the Cell in a way that actually fits. These two have been incredibly angry and violent with each other and it makes sense to do something like this as a result. It was also great to not have something as annoying as the calendar deciding that the match would take place, so again, WWE has actually done this right.

Give me Rollins to win though, as he is likely to be sticking around full time rather than having Edge pop in and out every few months. I wasn’t thrilled with having Edge win the first match, but at least Rollins tied it up a few weeks back. Rollins wins here and could easily be slotted in as Big E.’s next challenger, but don’t bet against WWE going the other way for the old guy getting his moment (to go along with winning the Royal Rumble and headlining WrestleMania of course).

Universal Title: Roman Reigns(c) vs. Brock Lesnar

Now this feels like a main event and that is not something you get to say very often these days. Reigns has taken everything to a different level, but Lesnar is the kind of monster that you do not get to see very often. You also don’t get to see Lesnar as the good guy (or at close as he can get to being one) so they have something special here. By that I mean Paul Heyman being caught in the middle, because WOW he has been an amazing force in this whole thing.

I’m completely lost here, but for the life of me I can’t picture Reigns dropping the title yet, nor should he. Above all else, Lesnar being the absentee champion again does not interest me in the slightest and I’m almost scared to think of WWE doing it again. Reigns should retain here, though I’m not completely sure he is getting the win. You know you’re going to see this match again, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see it at a big stadium in Texas next year.

Overall Thoughts

Above all else, this show is lacking that one dumb or less than great sounding match that so many of the Saudi Arabia shows have had. There is no gauntlet match or multi person tag match, so we’re left with what feels like a pretty straightforward major pay per view level card. That should work out well, so for once I’m actually optimistic about this show. Still not great on the location, but at least the content should work.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin vs. Mustafa Ali/Mansoor

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

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

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

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

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

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

Riddle vs. Omos

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

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

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

We recap the opening segment.

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

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

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

Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Theory

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

We recap the non-contract signing from Smackdown.

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

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

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

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

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

Becky Lynch promises to leave Crown Jewel with the title.

Becky Lynch/Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks/Charlotte

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

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

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

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

We recap the opening sequence.

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

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

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

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

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

Austin Theory photo bombs a warming up Big E.

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

Big E./Drew McIntyre vs. Usos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 4, 2021
Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

It’s time for the second half of the Draft and that could make for a huge night. These are the picks who were not made on Smackdown and the changes do not go into effect until October 22. On top of that though, we also have GOLDBERG making an appearance so you know things are special. Let’s get to it.

Here is the first night of the Draft if you need a recap.

Commentary explains the Draft rules.

Here is Becky Lynch to get things going. Becky says it has been about a year and a half since she has been on this stage but she is ready to make some executives unhappy. The first Draft pick to Raw is…..yeah of course it’s her. Becky talks about how she never lost the Raw Women’s Title and Charlotte can’t stand the idea that she can’t beat her. Maybe it’s time to become Becky Two Belts again….and here is Charlotte to interrupt.

Charlotte reminds Becky that she took the Smackdown Women’s Title from her before and she can do it again. Cue Bianca Belair to interrupt too, saying she has her own unfinished business. The two of them must feel threatened because they both took cheap shots at her on Smackdown. Neither of them are ready for her to become the EST of Raw because she goes here now. Charlotte: “That was really cute but SHH!”

The fans think Charlotte sucks so she mocks the WHAT chants. Belair: “You don’t even go here anymore!” Becky can feel the disrespect and says she would fight Charlotte right now, but she has nothing left to prove. Maybe Charlotte and Belair should fight instead! Charlotte isn’t interested in charity cases but here are Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to make the match for later tonight. That’s not all either, as we need to have some title matches, starting with this one.

Well first of all, it’s time for the first round of the Draft.

Round One
Raw – Becky Lynch
Smackdown – Usos
Raw – Bobby Lashley
Smackdown – Sasha Banks

So Lynch is the only change, but seeing Paul Heyman’s sigh of relief when the Usos stayed with Roman Reigns was great.

US Title: Damian Priest vs. Jeff Hardy

Priest is defending and drops Hardy with a running shoulder to start. A kick to the face sends Priest outside but Hardy misses the clothesline off the apron. The running flip dive off the steps doesn’t miss for Priest though and we take a break. Back with Priest kicking him in the head but not being able to hit the Reckoning. The Sling Blade sets up the Twist of Fate into the Swanton, but Priest reverses into a crucifix to retain at 6:50.

Rating: C. We didn’t get to see much of this but what we got was good enough. Priest continues to rack up some pretty substantial wins and that is the best way to go. I’m not sure what is next for him, but mowing down one challenger after another is going to work. Just keep them coming and Priest looks like a bigger star every time. It has worked for years and it can work for him too.

Post match Hardy says he loves the fans, even when he has been around for a long time. There have been good and bad times for him and maybe it is time to see his new ego. That’s in a few weeks….but here is Austin Theory to interrupt. Theory doesn’t mean any disrespect and is honored to be here with a legend. He doesn’t mean to fanboy and asks if they can take a selfie. Hardy is glad to….and then gets clotheslined down. A TKO onto the knee leaves Hardy laying and Theory poses next to him on the mat for another selfie. Works for me, as this was one of the more effective debuts in a while on this show.

Riddle is glad Randy Orton is back because it is time for them to get some revenge on AJ Styles/Omos. Orton is even looking great, though Riddle isn’t sure if that is a snake in his pocket. Orton calms him down and talks about how they are facing Styles and Omos at Crown Jewel, but that leaves him free tonight. How about he finally faces Omos one on one? Riddles seems scared by the idea.

Time for round two.

Round Two
Raw – Seth Rollins
Smackdown – King Nakamura/Rick Boogs
Raw – Damian Priest
Smackdown – Sheamus

As long as he isn’t a messiah again, Rollins to Raw is fine.

Shayna Baszler vs. Dana Brooke

Brooke goes after the arm in the corner to start but gets pulled into a cross armbreaker. That doesn’t work so it’s the Kirifuda Clutch to end Brooke at 1:21.

Post match Shayna goes after Brooke’s arm again but Doudrop dances out for the save. Baszler hits her from behind but the shot doesn’t drop Doudrop

Paul Heyman is very happy to have the Usos on Smackdown, because he is the warden of the Uso Penitentiary. He is asked if that is how Heyman maintained Brock Lesnar’s free agent status and everything gets serious, with the Usos staring at him.

Mansoor/Mustafa Ali vs. Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza

Carrillo splashes Mansoor into the corner to start but gets caught in a reverse DDT. It’s off to Ali, who gets punched in the face by Garza. That lets Garza TAKE OFF HIS PANTS but Ali is back with a suplex. Carrillo and Mansoor go to the floor and the distraction lets Carrillo post Ali for the pin at 1:45.

Time for round 3.

Round Three
Raw – AJ Styles/Omos
Smackdown – Shayna Baszler
Raw – Kevin Owens
Smackdown – Xia Li

Owens doesn’t seem to mean anything anymore, but Li is an interesting change, even if it probably means the end of Tian Sha.

Here is Big E. for a chat. He calls Raw his show and talks about how nice it was to be back with New Day last week. On top of that though, he had a physically grueling match with Bobby Lashley but now he is the rightful WWE Champion. Before he could even breathe though, he already had his next challenger in the form of Drew McIntyre. Big E. wants him out here right now so here is McIntyre in person. McIntyre says he’s going to Smackdown but now he has unfinished business.

Big E. deserves to be the WWE Champion (pause for the YOU DESERVE IT chants) but there is one person who hasn’t congratulated him yet. As much as Big E. deserves it though, he did cash in on an injured champion. Then again, Bobby Lashley helped cause the same thing happen to McIntyre and since no one likes Lashley, maybe Big E. did the world a favor. McIntyre gets to the point and challenges Big E. for the title.

Cue Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, with the former talking about how he gave both Big E. and McIntyre their big break. We see some clips of Ziggler doing just that and now he wants a thank you. Big E. thinks Ziggler has upgraded with Roode, who doesn’t like the implications. Roode: “They call you Big E. Well they call me Big Bob!” Big E.: “No one, not one person, has ever called you that.” Ziggler just wants his thank you bug the tag match is made instead.

Big E./Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

McIntyre throws Ziggler around to start and hands it off to E. for the apron splash. Roode comes in and gets dropped by McIntyre’s neckbreaker but it’s back to Ziggler for a dropkick on E. A middle rope knee misses for Roode though and McIntyre comes back in for the big boot. Everything breaks down and it’s a superkick to put McIntyre down on the floor as we take a break.

Back with McIntyre fighting out of a chinlock and dropping Roode with the Glasgow Kiss. Big E. gets the tag for some suplexes as everything breaks down. The Zig Zag hits Big E. and McIntyre has to make a save. Roode knocks McIntyre to the floor but dives into an overhead belly to belly. The Big Ending is loaded up but McIntyre tags himself in and hits the Claymore for the pin at 10:20.

Rating: C. I’m sure it had been a few weeks since they had dusted off the idea of two people facing each other teaming together. There isn’t much of a secret in where the feud is going and given how little time they have to set something up, this is about as good as they could do. McIntyre vs. Big E. will be fine and it’s always fun seeing Ziggler get beaten up.

Post match Big E. gives Roode the Big Ending and says he and McIntyre can do it at Crown Jewel. That works for McIntyre.

Reggie has been told that Adam Pearce wants to talk to him about the Draft but that’s not the case. The usual gang of idiots, plus Jaxson Ryker and the Viking Raiders go after the title but escapology ensues. Apollo Crews and Commander Azeez cut him off….but they let him go. The chase continues.

Here is Kevin Owens for a chat but Akira Tozawa interrupts. Tozawa doesn’t want to fight Owens, because he wants the 24/7 Title. Owens gives him a Stunner instead.

We needs more Draft picks!

Round Four
Raw – Street Profits
Smackdown – Viking Raiders
Raw – Finn Balor
Smackdown – Ricochet

As much as I love Ricochet, it’s not like there is any reason to believe this is going to change anything. Balor to Raw could be good though.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Rhea Ripley/Nikki Ash vs. Tamina/Natalya

Tamina/Natalya are defending. Before the match, Nikki promises BSK to anyone who comes after them. BSK would mean Boom, Smash, Kapow, because of course they do. Natalya takes Nikki into the corner to start and it’s off to Tamina to run Nikki over. Nikki reverses into a sleeper but can’t get over to Ripley.

Instead it’s a superkick for two but Nikki slips out of a slam and brings Ripley in. A headbutt sets up a running basement dropkick to drop Natalya, who avoids a charge in the corner. Natalya misses her own basement dropkick though and Ripley gets two off a northern lights suplex. Nikki drops Natalya on the floor and it’s the Riptide to Tamina. A splash off of Ripley’s shoulders gives Nikki the pin at 3:23.

Rating: C-. I’d like to believe that this will end the feud but you never can tell around here. Ripley and Ash are fine enough for the titles but they need someone else to fight for them. You can only get so far with the same teams, but that is not something WWE has ever learned with these titles. At least they kept it short and to the point here.

We have a round five.

Round Five
Raw – Karrion Kross
Smackdown – Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza
Raw – Alexa Bliss
Smackdown – Cesaro

Well that changes…pretty much nothing, especially if Bliss is going to be gone for awhile.

Here is Goldberg for a chat. Goldberg doesn’t like Bobby Lashley saying that attacking Goldberg’s son was an accident. It was intentional, so Goldberg wants him in this ring so he can intentionally break Lashley’s neck. Cue Lashley to say that it was an accident and he isn’t messing up his suit.

Lashley is willing to give Goldberg the match at Crown Jewel, and we’ll make it no holds barred. Goldberg thanks Lashley and promises to apologize to his kids, because Lashley is next and dead. Lashley cuts off the music and says Gage Goldberg can come try it again, but this time it won’t be an accident. Cue Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander, who are taken out in a hurry.

Seth Rollins is so happy to be here that is is singing, but don’t mention Edge. He’ll deal with that on Smackdown.

New Day vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin

Alexander and Benjamin are beaten up but Shelton manages to take Kofi into the corner to start. That just earns him a tornado DDT and it’s already off to Woods to pick up the pace. Everything breaks down and Kofi’s standing double stomp hits Shelton on the floor. The rope walk elbow gives Woods the pin on Alexander at 2:25. Woods: “CROWN ME! CROWN ME! CROWN ME!!!”

Post match here are the Street Profits to congratulate New Day on their new movie. After Ford says no spoilers, they make it clear that they want the smoke. Kofi has a drink from the cup and dancing ensues.

Video on Finn Balor.

Randy Orton vs. Omos

Well in theory, as Omos has not officially accepted the match yet. Cue AJ Styles and Omos, with the former calling Riddle Gilligan and saying Riddle doesn’t have the brain cells to keep the titles. Omos is ready to fight so Orton takes out Styles, then does it again with an RKO. That’s enough for Orton and there is no match.

One more round.

Round Six
Raw – Carmella
Smackdown – Ridge Holland
Raw – Gable Steveson
Smackdown – Sami Zayn

Well that’s eventful. It says a lot when Sami Zayn is possibly the least interesting pick. And yes, Saxton says Stevenson instead of Steveson.

Steveson’s family is happy with the pick, though he doesn’t say anything.

Here are all of the picks.

Raw
Round One – Becky Lynch
Round One – Bobby Lashley
Round Two – Seth Rollins
Round Two – Damian Priest
Round Three – AJ Styles/Omos
Round Three – Kevin Owens
Round Four – Street Profits
Round Four – Finn Balor
Round Five – Karrion Kross
Round Five – Alexa Bliss
Round Six – Carmella
Round Six – Gable Steveson

Smackdown
Round One – Usos
Round One – Sasha Banks
Round Two – King Nakamura/Rick Boogs
Round Two – Sheamus
Round Three – Shayna Baszler
Round Three – Xia Li
Round Four – Viking Raiders
Round Four – Ricochet
Round Five – Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza
Round Five – Cesaro
Round Six – Ridge Holland
Round Six – Sami Zayn

Charlotte vs. Bianca Belair

Non-title and Becky Lynch joins commentary. Becky reads a poem about being able to beat Sasha Banks as Charlotte takes Belair down with a headscissors. Belair sends her into the corner though and then flips over Charlotte, setting up a dropkick. Charlotte is sent to the apron where she hits Belair in the face but can’t quite suplex her into the post. Instead they head to the floor, where Charlotte sends her into the timekeeper’s area as we take a break.

Back with Belair getting two off the delayed suplex. Saxton: “That could be you Becky Lynch!” Becky: “YEAH KICKING OUT! LIKE I DID BEFORE, BYRON SAXTON!” Well that was feisty. Charlotte is right back with a powerbomb for two but Natural Selection is blocked. The KOD is escaped as well but Charlotte is right back with a spear for two.

Belair runs Charlotte over again but gets caught on top for another crash. The double moonsault gives Charlotte two but the Figure Four is countered into a small package to give Belair two. The KOD (with Charlotte landing on her shoulder) gets two, with Becky pulling Belair out for the DQ at 13:10.

Rating: B-. It was good stuff (save for the kind of messy landing on the KOD) and the ending was the right way to go. You don’t want to have either of them take a clean fall in this one so the ending was the best choice they had. Charlotte leaving unscathed is fine too, as it isn’t like she has anything going on at the moment. Solid main event, with neither looking weak in the end.

Post match it’s the Manhandle Slam to Belair but Sasha Banks comes in to take out Becky and Belair. Banks poses to end the show.

Overall Rating: C. I never know how to grade something like this as there is so much going on that it is hard to keep track of everything. Above all else, it was certainly an eventful show as we find out where the shows are going in just a few weeks while also setting up Crown Jewel. I’m wanting to see where things are going, and hopefully that includes some more short matches. They make the show feel like it is going so much faster and that is a great thing. You can put in some longer matches here and there, but you need to keep the attention up on the longer shows. Good enough show, but slowing down will help.

Results
Damian Priest b. Jeff Hardy – Crucifix
Shayna Baszler b. Dana Brooke – Kirifuda Clutch
Humberto Carrillo/Angel Garza b. Mansoor/Mustafa Ali – Carrillo sent Ali into the post
Big E./Drew McIntyre b. Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler – Claymore to Ziggler
Nikki Ash/Rhea Ripley b. Natalya/Tamina – Splash to Tamina
New Day b. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin – Rope walk elbow to Alexander
Bianca Belair b. Charlotte via DQ when Becky Lynch interfered

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: April 9, 2007
Location: Harbor Yard Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Attendance: 6,000
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re officially done with the Wrestlemania victory lap week and that means it is time to start getting ready for Backlash. That could mean more than a few things, but it certainly feels like Wrestlemania fallout is in full swing. Vince McMahon vs. Bobby Lashley and John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels are both continuing and that is likely to be your focus this week. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here is Shane McMahon to get things going. Shane talks about the power of the McMahon name and usually it is greeted with respect. Lately though, it has been greeted with laughter due to what happened to Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania. Tonight is about the McMahon Family dynasty though and it is time to restore honor to the name. Shane calls out Bobby Lashley and his request is granted in a hurry.

Since the McMahons have lost their dignity, Lashley needs to lose what matters to him the most. Therefore tonight, Lashley is defending his title against Shane himself. Cue Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada, but Shane says he’d doing this on his own, even getting in Umaga’s face and slapping Estrada. Lashley is down with the title match, but wants Shane’s hair on the line too. That’s cool with Shane, who is showing some moxxy here.

Mickie James/Candice Michelle vs. Melina/Victoria

Candice starts with Melina but she wants Mickie instead. That’s fine with Mickie, who gets punched in the face almost immediately. Mickie takes her into the corner and brings in Candice to start working on the arm. Candice chokes her on the ropes but Victoria gets in a cheap shot to take over without much trouble.

Victoria ties her in the Tree of Woe and egads the crowd is quiet here. Something like an upside down Bronco Buster gives Melina two and it’s time to stretch both of Candice’s arms at once. Victoria misses the slingshot legdrop though and Mickie comes in for a neckbreaker. Everything breaks down and the MickieDT finishes Victoria.

Rating: C. Totally watchable match here as they kept it short and didn’t have Candice on offense that much. Mickie and Victoria can do whatever they need to in the ring and Melina is getting better. Candice is still a work in progress but she has improved and that is a good sign for her future.

We look at Vince McMahon getting his head shaved at Wrestlemania.

Mick Foley is with Michael Pena, a kid who is tonight’s General Manager (thanks to Make-A-Wish). The Highlanders comes in and introduce themselves, with Foley suggesting Pena put them in a wild match. Instead, Pena meets Maria, which goes a bit better. Pena looks at the camera and gets the cheap pop for praising Bridgeport. The more I see of these Make-A-Wish moments, the more I see why the wrestlers rave about them. They’re just cool, especially with the smiles on the kids’ faces.

Ric Flair and Carlito come out for a match, but first, Carlito reminds Flair of the time that he said Carlito had no heart or passion. That made Carlito angry, but you don’t get a wake up call from the 16 time World Champion very often. Carlito talks about how important it is to see someone who paved the way and we get a clip from the Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen DVD (Flair: “MY SHOES COST MORE THAN YOUR HOUSE!”). Back in the arena, Flair is touched and Carlito says that once they win tonight, they get a Tag Team Title shot at Backlash. That’s cool.

Ric Flair/Carlito vs. Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch

Torrie Wilson is here with Flair and Carlito and the winners get the Backlash Tag Team Title shot. We’re joined in progress with Flair chopping away at Cade, who cuts him off with a jumping clothesline. Murdoch comes in and hammers away on Flair, including a slap to the back (that’s a different one).

A belly to back suplex gets two on Flair with Carlito making the save. The neck crank goes on but Flair fights up and starts chopping away. The hot tag brings in Carlito to clean house, including the knee lift into a clothesline for two on Murdoch. Everything breaks down and Carlito misses his springboard back elbow. With Flair on the floor, a High/Low gives Murdoch the pin on Carlito.

Rating: C-. Pretty basic match here with Flair getting to come in and do his chopping, though another loss doesn’t exactly make Carlito look great. The tag division isn’t all that deep in the first place, though Cade/Murdoch vs. the Hardys should be good. I don’t know if Flair and Carlito have much of a future, but at least it gave Flair something to do.

Post match Flair goes to console Carlito, who walks out on him. It’s not like this was going to be some long term story or anything so they aren’t quite cutting it off too soon.

Video on the Condemned. Egads I’m getting See No Evil flashbacks with all of this hype.

Coach tries to talk Shane McMahon out of the title match and is basically told to mind his own business.

Shawn Michaels is tired of how things have been around here so he is going to start telling it like it is. Tonight he is facing Randy Orton in a #1 contenders match and it is going to be about who wants it more. Randy Orton comes in and says Shawn’s days as the top contender are over. Shawn says Orton wins because he is the 1000th man to say Shawn can’t win around here. Orton’s prize: some new teeth after Shawn kicks his out of his mouth.

Shawn Michaels vs. Randy Orton

Shawn finally comes out to his own theme instead of the DX song. Shawn’s headlock is countered so he grabs a hammerlock instead. Orton gets smart by grabbing the arm to escape, earning herself a headlock takeover. Somehow Shawn’s eyes has been busted open and Orton slams him down but misses a knee drop, allowing Shawn to start in on said knee. We hit the leg crank as they’re still in second gear at most. Orton kicks Shawn away and into the post to take over but here is Edge to watch as we take a break.

Back with Orton hitting a backdrop and elbowing Shawn out to the apron. The leg keeps giving Orton problems but he’s fine enough to hit the hanging DDT for some near falls. Orton grabs the chinlock but Shawn doesn’t waste time before coming back up to escape and hit the swinging neckbreaker. The flying forearm hits the referee but Shawn doesn’t seem to mind and hits the top rope elbow anyway.

Edge offers the distraction though and Orton gets in a Cactus Clothesline. Orton doesn’t like Edge being out there so he throws Shawn back inside and takes a swing, earning himself a spear. Edge throws Orton and the referee back inside, where Shawn hits a quick Sweet Chin Music. Another referee comes in to count the pin…but all four shoulders are down, as pointed out by the original referee. Therefore, Edge’s music plays as the referees aren’t sure who wins.

Rating: B-. This was a messy match with a lot going on with Edge and the two referees. I can go with doing something else to set up a bigger main event down the line though, as the four way at Backlash seems likely. Good enough for a first step though, which shouldn’t be surprising given who was in there.

Randy Orton storms into Shane McMahon’s office to rant about what happened. Shane tells him to go talk to Coach, because Shane has to worry about his hair.

Val Venis and Super Crazy sign autographs for Michael Pena when Cryme Tyme come in. They think they need a raise, but Foley says Pena can’t perform miracles. Johnny Nitro comes in and walks away without saying anything but here is Coach to get in Pena’s face. Coach says he makes the big decisions around here but Edge comes in to say he needs to talk to Coach about what just happened. With the two of them gone, Mick Foley and Pena suggest that they have something planned.

Hardys vs. World’s Greatest Tag Team

Non-title. Haas hammerlocks Matt to start but gets kicked into the corner for the tag to Jeff. The flip dive/fist drop combination keeps Haas in trouble and Jeff gets up, only to have Benjamin jump up and springboard kick him in the head (because Shelton can just do that). Benjamin comes in to grab the chinlock, which doesn’t even last as long as usual. Jeff fights up and makes the hot tag off to Matt as everything breaks down. Poetry in Motion into the Twist of Fate into the Swanton finishes Benjamin.

Rating: C. That certainly was a Hardys match and I’m not sure what else to say about it. They played the hits and they all worked, but it wasn’t like this was anything that they haven’t done a hundred times before. It was certainly good, but it felt like a way to say “hey, the Hardys are still here”.

Here is Edge for the Cutting Edge. Before we get anywhere, Edge wants to talk about what happened with Shawn Michaels and Randy Orton, because they both LOST. Edge has been talking to Coach and they both think that he should be the new #1 contender. Cue Orton to chase Edge off and say HE has talked to Coach too and HE should get the title shot. Now it’s Shawn coming out to say it’s his title shot because he is the better man.

We need the champ out here so it’s John Cena joining everyone. Cena says they all want title shots, but the last time Edge got a shot, it was in his match in his hometown and that didn’t work out for him. Cena is fine with beating him again though, which Edge likes. Orton has been complaining about never having a shot but whose fault is that? If Orton wants to dance, Cena isn’t hard to find. That leaves Shawn, who wants to recreate Wrestlemania, so Cena is with him.

Cue Coach to make a ruling: Cena will defend against Edge and Orton at Backlash in a handicap match….but here is Mick Foley to say hang on. See, Coach just isn’t in charge tonight, so here is Michael Pena to make the four way match at Backlash instead. That’s pretty cool and it’s rather sweet to see.

ECW World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Shane McMahon

Lashley is defending and it’s title vs. hair. Shane jumps him before the bell and sends Lashley into the post to drop him on the floor. A running shoulder drives Lashley into the steps and there’s the bell so Shane can get two. Shane hammers away in the corner but gets tossed with an overhead belly to belly. There’s a t-bone suplex for a bonus….and then Shane punches the referee for the DQ.

Post match here is Umaga, flanked by Armando Alejandro Estrada and Vince McMahon, for the brawl. The big beatdown is on in a hurry, including the running hip attack in the corner and a chair shot to Lashley’s head. Lashley is busted open and Vince reveals the bald head. Vince rants at Lashley and says it’s 3-1 at Backlash for the ECW World Title. More beating ensues, including the Samoan Spike to end the show. So Shane gets his head shaved for losing by DQ right?

Overall Rating: C+. This show was about setting up Backlash and they nailed the two big matches in one night. That’s all they needed to do here and they even threw in the Michael Pena stuff to make it that much nicer. Raw has been on a role lately and they’re even maintaining it after Wrestlemania. I don’t expect it to last, but dang it has been fun for a little while.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Main Event
Date: August 26, 2021
Location: Perchanga Arena, San Diego, California
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

We’re done with Summerslam and now it is time to get back to normal around here. Granted Main Event has been at normal for a long time now so maybe we can get a little change of pace, even if it does not last long. I’m not exactly thrilled by either option but such is life on this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin

They slap hands to start and Benjamin runs him over with a shoulder. Neither can hit their finisher early so Hardy sends him into four top turnbuckles in a row. Another Twist of Fate attempt is countered and Benjamin runs the corner for a knee to the face. We hit the reverse chinlock but Hardy fights up in a hurry and knocks Benjamin down for a breather. Hardy’s leg trap rollup gets two but Benjamin hits a powerslam for the same. The Twist of Fate is countered into a German suplex to give Benjamin two more but now the Twist connects. The Swanton finishes Benjamin at 5:22.

Rating: C+. Sometimes you need to have two skilled veterans go out there and do their thing, which is what you got here. The match was entertaining and hard hitting with both guys getting to do their thing for a few minutes. They aren’t going to get to do that on Raw every week, but at least they had their chance here, and it worked.

We look at Bobby Lashley retaining the WWE Title over Goldberg at Summerslam due to referee stoppage. Yeah it still doesn’t work.

From Raw.

Here are MVP and Bobby Lashley (in a snappy orange jacket) to get things going. After another recap of Goldberg vs. Lashley, because Raw needs more montages than a Rocky movie, MVP says he’d like to explain what happened on Sunday at Summerslam. We all know about Goldberg’s extraordinary history but not so much about his recently unextraordinary history.

What we didn’t know was that his son would be at Summerslam. Maybe he needed a good luck charm or something but Goldberg did score a couple of two counts. Either way, Lashley beat up Goldberg and won by referee stoppage. Goldberg quit like a coward and Lashley would have done that to anyone, including everyone here in San Diego. Lashley doesn’t owe Goldberg or his son an apology but here is Damian Priest to interrupt.

Priest doesn’t care about Lashley and MVP calling people a coward. Well Priest isn’t jumping him from behind and the challenge is on for tonight. Lashley seems interested but MVP tries to talk him out of it. Priest suggests that Lashley is the coward for not saying yes and the fight is on. A big boot sends Lashley outside so MVP says the match is on.

Damian Priest vs. Bobby Lashley

Non-title and Lashley starts fast with the shoulders in the corner. A running shot to the face in the corner rocks Priest again but he makes the comeback….and here is Sheamus to jump him for the DQ at 1:28.

Post match the beatdown is on but Drew McIntyre runs in for the big brawl. A suplex puts Lashley onto the announcers’ table and I think we have a Teddy Long special.

Damian Priest/Damian Priest vs. Bobby Lashley/Sheamus

Joined in progress with McIntyre hammering on Sheamus until he gets taken into the wrong corner. Lashley comes in for a hard whip into the corner but McIntyre comes out with a clothesline. A shot to the throat cuts McIntyre off but he gets over for the tag to Priest anyway. Lashley takes him outside in a hurry and it’s a hard ram into the post. Back from a break with Priest fighting out of Sheamus’ chinlock but Lashley comes in for a head and arm choke.

That’s enough to drag Priest back into the corner for the tag back to Sheamus as the beating continues. Priest elbows his way to freedom though and the hot tag brings in McIntyre to clean house. The numbers game lets Lashley knock McIntyre down but the missed charge in the post puts Lashley in more trouble. Sheamus comes back in and catches McIntyre on top for a super White Noise and a near fall. Priest comes back in to clean house with the variety of kicks but Priest knees him in the face as Lashley walks out. McIntyre comes back in and Claymores Sheamus for the pin at 14:00.

Rating: C+. Nice power tag match here but I’m more curious about where this is heading for Lashley. They aren’t going to do another match with Goldberg at Extreme Rules, but a four way hoss fight between these four could be an interesting way to go. At least Priest didn’t lose in his first match as champion either.

Next week on Raw: Sheamus vs. Bobby Lashley.

Stills of Summerslam.

Money in the Bank is coming to Allegiant Stadium over next 4th of July weekend.

From Raw.

Here is Charlotte for her championship speech. She told us it would happen and now she has her twelfth title. There is no one as talented as she is and she is going to hold this title as long as she wants. She doesn’t need friends, family or the WWE Universe because she only needs the title.

That’s enough for some pyro to go off and Charlotte talks about how great she looked in the mirror this morning. She knows how amazing she is and she is here because she is starting the new Women’s Evolution (there’s a Stephanie McMahon joke in there somewhere). Long live the Queen.

Alexa Bliss interrupting Charlotte is left out.

We look at Becky Lynch returning at Summerslam and beating Bianca Belair to win the Smackdown Women’s Title.

Viking Raiders vs. Lucha House Party

Haven’t seen the Raiders in a bit. Lince rolls away from Erik and hammers away to start so Erik runs him over with a shoulder. Ivar comes in for a shot to the face and a pair of knees gives Erik two. A backbreaker into a gutbuster looks to set up a powerbomb but Dorado hurricanranas his way to freedom. Everything breaks down and the Vikings toss Lince at Metalik to knock the latter outside.

Ivar gets slammed onto Metalik and we take a break. Back with Dorado hitting the Golden Rewind and handing it back to Metalik to pick up the pace. A running headscissors puts Erik on the floor for the big dive, followed by a splash off of Dorado’s shoulders back inside. Dorado adds a moonsault for two but it’s back to Ivar to clean house. This doesn’t take long as the Viking Experience finishes Metalik (ignore Erik not being legal) at 9:03.

Rating: C+. This was more like it as there is something to be said about having the Vikings beat the fire out of a pair of smaller guys. The House Party was doing their thing as well though and it made for a pretty nice match. Certainly better than what you usually get around here and I could go for the Raiders getting another push on Raw. It’s not like the division has any depth to speak of at the moment.

We look at RKBro winning the Raw Tag Team Titles.

Elias is still dead.

From Raw.

Here is Riddle for the RKBro title celebration, complete with balloons and a red mat. Randy Orton comes out, looking rather annoyed. After a bunch of pyro and a special introduction as champions, Riddle has a present for Orton: his own scooter, complete with his name and tassels! Cue AJ Styles and Omos, with AJ calling this stupid and promising to beat Riddle right here, right now. Riddle admits that he lost last week but that was before he had Orton in his corner. Riddle promises to win with the three most dangerous letters in wrestling: RKBRO! Orton looks like he has a headache.

Post break, we have a few recaps, including announcements of Bobby Lashley vs. Sheamus, Doudrop vs. Eva Marie and John Morrison vs. Miz for next week.

Riddle vs. AJ Styles

Omos and Randy Orton are here too. Styles charges straight at him and they go to the mat for the technical off. That’s broken up and Riddle looks just fine with the whole thing. Riddle kicks him to the apron and then out to the floor but the springboard is broken up. AJ still can’t get anything going as Riddle rolls some gutwrench suplexes for two. A sunset flip can’t set up the Styles Clash so Riddle hurricanranas him over the top for the big crash to the floor instead.

We take a break and come back with Riddle kicking him in the head, setting up the Broton for two. The bridging German suplex gets the same but Riddle is favoring his hamstring. AJ is back with the middle rope moonsault into the reverse DDT for two of his own. The Phenomenal Forearm is broken up but AJ gets him into the Calk Crusher on the bad leg. That’s reversed into the BroMission but AJ flips back for another near fall.

Riddle goes up but another Omos distraction breaks it up (just like last week). This time Orton goes after Omos, earning himself a toss into the barricade. A Burning Hammer gives AJ two as Orton unloads on Omos with the scooter. The distraction lets Riddle hit a jumping knee and the Bro Derek for the pin at 14:22.

Rating: C+. The talent lone in this one is going to make it work but Orton getting in there and helping Riddle out made things that much better (especially with the scooter). Riddle gaining energy from Orton makes for such a great story and I’ve liked the whole thing. It was a good main event and probably the best match on the show, which shouldn’t be that surprising.

Post match RKBro poses and AJ gets the RKO to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. They covered some of the good stuff, they avoided most of the bad and the two original matches both delivered. That’s how Main Event can work, though it happens so infrequently that it is easy to forget. What we got here was a fine usage of about 45 minutes as WWE has a lot of places to go now that Summerslam is over.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Main Event
Date: July 29, 2021
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

The fans are back, but unfortunately it seems that the changes that had been taken place around here are not. Last week felt a lot like the Main Event days of old, which is far from exciting news. Normally I would say that I’m not surprised, but I really can’t say I am with this show. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Jaxson Ryker vs. Drew Gulak

Ryker powers him into the corner to start so Gulak does it to him as well. Gulak’s slap to the face doesn’t seem to be the best idea as Ryker is back with a spinning slam. We hit the armbar on Gulak as we hear about Ryker’s military career again. Gulak switches into a cravate to hold Ryker down and it’s off to a cross arm choke. Ryker powers up into some ax handles to the chest and a release slingshot suplex drops Gulak again. The swinging Boss Man Slam finishes Gulak at 5:17.

Rating: D+. This was exactly what you would have expected from these two and that is not a great thing. Gulak is great at the technical stuff but Ryker is as generic of a power guy as you can find. Nothing to see here, but what else were they going to do in a five minute Main Event opener?

From Smackdown.

We start fast this week with John Cena starting us off in a hurry. He talks about how hyped up the fans are here and knows that Roman Reigns is coming. There is some sports news coming out of Cleveland today, which is why he has changed his middle name to Guardians (as did Cleveland’s baseball team). He has to protect the little respect that WWE has left because Roman Reigns is terrible as Universal Champion. We’re back live and that means we are on the way to Summerslam, which is a place for the fans to show what they believe in. Whose team are you on?

That gives us a loud CENA chant, so he asks if you’re on Team Jorts or Team Cargo Pants? Team Hustle, Loyalty and Respect or on a team no one respects? Cena wants to know where Reigns is, because at Summerslam, Reigns can’t see him. Let’s get Reigns out here, but here is Paul Heyman (McAfee: “Legend.”) instead. Heyman says Reigns isn’t coming out here, but Cena will get an answer tonight. Then, Cena will know that the Tribal Chief is here. Heyman then does You Can’t See Me and sings (I guess?) the tune of Cena’s song in something you have to see to appreciate/believe. Both guys were amazing here.

From Smackdown.

Here is Roman Reigns to answer John Cena’s challenge. The fans don’t seem thrilled to see him but he demands to be acknowledged. Cena acknowledged him at Money in the Bank but Reigns did not expect to see it. Reigns was expecting a new Cena but it was the same music, the same run to the ring, the same catchphrases and the same everything, just like it was 2005. Reigns: “It’s like missionary position. The same thing every day!”

That’s not how we do it at the head of the table and that’s not what we’re doing at Summerslam. The answer is no (makes sense, as Bobby Lashley said the same thing to Goldberg this week), but here is Finn Balor of all people to interrupt. Reigns wants Balor to acknowledge him, but that’s not why Balor is here. If Reigns says no to Cena’s challenge, how about Balor instead? Fans: “ROMAN’S SCARED!” Reigns: “Challenge accepted.”

We look back at Goldberg returning and challenging Bobby Lashley for Summerslam.

From Raw.

Here are Bobby Lashley and MVP to respond to Goldberg’s challenge (which Lashley already did on Twitter last week). MVP recaps the challenge and asks Lashley for his answer. Lashley isn’t going to dignify that with a response, but says this is his ring. Cue Cedric Alexander to say he didn’t like the disrespect when Lashley broke up the Hurt Business. Now it’s Shelton Benjamin coming out to say Alexander’s voice is annoying before challenging Lashley as well. Lashley says he’ll fight them both at once.

Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin

Non-title and Lashley runs them over to start. Cedric is sent outside, leaving Lashley to go after Benjamin. Back in and Cedric trips Lashley up, allowing Benjamin to hit a running knee. A springboard tornado DDT plants Lashley for a double two but he is back up with the spinebuster to Alexander. The spear cuts Benjamin down and it’s a Jackhammer to plant him again. The Dominator puts Alexander onto Benjamin for the double pin at 2:44.

Angel Garza vs. Humberto Carrillo

Again. Garza bails to the floor to start to give a fan his rose before heading back inside. That’s fine with Carrillo as he grabs a headlock but hold on as Garza teases….something as we take a break. Back with Garza ripping at the face and grabbing a waistlock. That’s broken up in a hurry and Carrillo is back with the springboard spinning crossbody for two. Carrillo grabs a chinlock before kicking Garza in the face for two more.

The abdominal stretch lets Carrillo pound away at the ribs but Garza slips out. A flapjack gives Garza two of his own and we hit the pinfall reversal sequence. Carrillo headscissors him down and rolls backwards into a standing moonsault for two. Garza superkicks him out of the air, TAKES OFF HIS PANTS, and hits the Wing Clipper for the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. The more you look at these things, the more confusing it is to see Carrillo getting pushed over Garza. It has never made sense as Garza is overflowing with charisma. Maybe the whole ladies man thing is slowing him down, but it’s a lot better than Carrillo being the generic smiling guy. Carrillo is very smooth in the ring, but you need something more than that, which he is lacking.

We recap Nikki Ash winning the Women’s Title with the Money in the Bank contract.

From Raw.

Here is Nikki Ash to get things going. She finally gets to welcome us to Raw and talks about how she didn’t believe she could get here. Nikki has worked to get here and once she finally started believing in herself, she accomplished her goals. If she can do it, everyone can do it and we can all be almost superheroes. Cue Charlotte to talk about how last week wasn’t fair and she is getting her rematch at Summerslam. Charlotte knows that everyone is tired of having people better than them around but they need to get used to it.

Cue Rhea Ripley, now smiling and high fiving (a few) fans. Ripley talks about how Charlotte only held the title for a day and promising to win the title herself. Nikki asks why she is being left out and here are Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to interrupt. The triple threat match is on, and we’ll throw in Nikki vs. Charlotte tonight as well. Charlotte jumps Ripley but gets knocked outside by Nikki, who stands tall. This didn’t do much about making Nikki feel important.

From Raw.

Charlotte vs. Nikki Ash

Non-title and Charlotte chops her into the corner to start. Charlotte goes after the mask and chokes on the ropes to keep Nikki in trouble. Nikki is sent outside, allowing Charlotte to ask if this is your champion. Back in and Nikki’s comeback is cut off in a hurry, as Charlotte fires off more chops. Some rollups give Nikki two each and a headscissors sends Charlotte outside. There’s a dropkick through the ropes but Charlotte throws her over the announcers’ table as we take a break.

Back with Nikki still in trouble so Charlotte can grab the chinlock. Nikki fights up and hits a quick crossbody for a breather so Charlotte misses a bit boot. The leg is snapped across the top but she blocks the sunset flip without much effort. There’s a bulldog for two on Charlotte but she chops Nikki into the corner. Nikki is sat on top, only to come back with a tornado DDT. Charlotte rolls through the high crossbody though and pins Nikki at 12:33.

Rating: D. What is there to say here? Nikki is trying to be a star and gets beaten down, with Charlotte selling absolutely nothing for most of the match. I’d like to think that this leads to Cross overcoming the odds at Summerslam and retaining, but that isn’t going to matter if this is what happens to her on the way. This was a long form squash and Charlotte reminded us of that every chance she could.

Post match Charlotte laughs at Nikki and grabs a mic to say no one is in her league. Nikki grabs the mic and says she knows she lost but she showed she ALMOST could have won. Therefore, Charlotte gets a rematch next week. Charlotte accepts and beats Nikki down again, yells some more, and drops her one more time to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. Egads Raw is terrible. That’s the big story I got out of this, which says a lot when this is supposed to be the big highlight package show. Smackdown isn’t great but it’s better than Raw, which isn’t saying all that much. I would say hopefully Raw is going to get better but I think we can forget about that for the next….oh I’m thinking years or so at this point. Bad show, with Raw dragging things down even further.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Monday Night Raw
Date: February 26, 2007
Location: Save Mart Center, Fresno, California
Attendance: 8,700
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re rapidly approaching Wrestlemania and this time around we have more from Donald Trump. This week, Trump gets to pick his representative to face Umaga in the Battle of the Billionaires, which is going to be the show’s real main event. Other than that, we have the continuing saga of Shawn Michaels trying to keep John Cena safe until Wrestlemania. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the Battle of the Billionaires, leading to Trump returning tonight.

Tag Team Titles: John Cena/Shawn Michaels vs. Rated-RKO

Cena and Michaels are defending….or at least they should be. Instead, Rated-RKO pops up on screen to say they aren’t ready to compete right now. Instead, they’ll have this match later tonight.

Randy Orton says that Shawn got robbed at the Oscars last night, because he managed to say that he had Cena’s back until Wrestlemania. Cena needs to watch his back because Shawn is a liar. We see a video history of Shawn turning on his partners, which really has happened a lot. Back in the arena, Cena isn’t sure what to think as Edge calls Shawn a liar. Having your back and stabbing you in the back are two different things. See you later tonight. Staring ensues, with Shawn saying “you can trust me.” Right.

Mick Foley has a new book: the Hardcore Diaries, complete with a lot of celebrities.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin

Shelton doesn’t get an entrance but we do get an explanation of Money in the Bank, plus Big Match Intros. Benjamin takes him to the mat without much effort to start but Hardy is back up with a few kicks to the ribs. Hardy gets taken down again though and Benjamin hammers away, setting up the quickly broken chinlock. A few more shots send Benjamin outside, meaning Hardy can run the barricade to hit the clothesline. The Whisper in the Wind connects but it’s too early for the Swanton, with Benjamin jumping up for a belly to belly superplex into the big crash.

We take a break and come back with Benjamin holding a chinlock with a bodyscissors. Hardy fights up but gets backdropped right down for a fast two. Another chinlock goes on until Hardy fights up again, this time sending Benjamin to the apron. Benjamin slips off a springboard and lands HARD, allowing Hardy to grab a quick two. The Stinger Splash hits buckle and it’s a Twist of Fate into the Swanton to give Hardy the fast pin.

Rating: C. The botch just before the ending is what is going to be remembered here, as there is no way around something like that. Benjamin fell and landed on his face, thankfully without some kind of an injury. Hardy going to Money in the Bank makes a lot more sense here as Benjamin is just a tag guy at the moment.

Post match, Vince McMahon pops up on screen to sarcastically congratulate Jeff for winning. Jeff didn’t win last week when he faced Umaga though, just like whoever Donald Trump picks at Wrestlemania won’t do. We get some of the HILARIOUS shots of Trump in various stages of baldness, which Vince promises we will see at Wrestlemania.

Video on Ashley’s Playboy shoot.

Melina rants and raves about Ashley and Mick Foley getting all of this attention. Next week she has to face Mickie James in a Falls Count Anywhere match and tonight she has to face Maria. Johnny Nitro: “SHUT UP!” Nitro goes on a rant about how he isn’t going to Wrestlemania and has nothing, but he doesn’t have time to listen to her right now.

Johnny Nitro vs. Super Crazy

Nitro jumps him before the bell and the beating is on outside. Crazy is sent hard into the steps, setting up a faceplant on the floor. That’s enough for Nitro, who walks away still furious.

Melina vs. Maria

Non-title and Melina has the paparazzi, which Nitro was lacking. Melina takes her down by the hair to start and it’s already in catfight territory. Back up and Maria misses a dropkick as Melina holds onto the rope. Choking ensues on said ropes, with Lawler saying Maria can teach you some new positions. The camel clutch doesn’t last long on Maria, who fights up and knocks her into the corner. The Bronco Buster is blocked with a kick to the ribs though, allowing Melina to grab a rollup for the pin.

Rating: D. This was as good as it was going to get between these two as Melina is still getting the hang of this and Maria was never exactly good in the first place. The idea here was to get Melina in the ring and show that she could do something other than beating Mickie James. It wasn’t a good match, but what else were you expecting under these circumstances?

Wrestlemania is in thirty four days.

Here is Vince McMahon to find out Donald Trump’s Wrestlemania pick. Vince recaps the Battle of the Billionaires concept and explains why Trump is here. He isn’t sure what he wants more: Trump being bald or giving Trump a billionaire b**** slap. Before we get to that though, we see a clip of Umaga destroying Rey Mysterio on Smackdown, just to eliminate Rey from the list of options.

Vince brings out Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada before explaining that Trump made his career on outdoing someone else. This might include building a skyscraper or marrying a good looking woman, causing Trump to get divorced and marry a better looking one. If Trump says he’s winning at Wrestlemania, Vince will turn him into a bald faced liar.

Trump pops up on screen to say he is impressed by Umaga (dang he pronounced it right), but Umaga is an animal. You tame animals, and Trump will do that by finding someone or something superior. Therefore, here is the man responsible for Trump shaving Vince’s head at Wrestlemania: Bobby Lashley. Cue Lashley, with Vince demanding that security get out here right now. Umaga hits him in the face and the brawl is on, with security not being able to hold them apart for very long. This was a hot angle and the fight looked great.

It’s time for the Masterlock Challenge with….Great Khali answering. Oh dear. Chris Masters isn’t sure what to do as Khali sits in the chair, as he can’t get his arms around Khali’s shoulders. Cue Kane though and the violence is on, with a bunch of chair shots getting rid of Khali and Masters. This was short and to the point as we seem to have our Wrestlemania monster fight.

Vince McMahon is rating at Coach about Trump when he gets a phone call. Someone on the Board of Directors has an idea: a guest referee for the Battle of the Billionaires. Coach thinks that would be unfair but Vince isn’t so sure. Either way, he isn’t winding up bald.

Jerry Lawler is announced for the Hall of Fame. Lawler seems touched by the announcement and we get the Hall of Fame video, including some pretty sweet Memphis footage.

We recap the opening sequence, including the Shawn betrayal montage again.

Carlito vs. Kenny Dykstra

Torrie Wilson is here with Carlito and we’re joined in progress with Dykstra holding a chinlock. With a few moments to kill, we see Dykstra calling Carlito Flair’s flunkie during the break to set Carlito off. Carlito fights back and hits the springboard spinning Swanton but Dykstra pokes him in the eye. A flapjack gives Carlito two anyway but another springboard misses. Dykstra sends him right first into the apron for two and some shoulders to the ribs make it worse.

We hit the seated abdominal stretch, followed by a knee to the ribs to cut off Carlito’s comeback. Now it’s the standing abdominal stretch, including the notable lack of toe hooking. As a result, Carlito sends him to the apron and hits the springboard back elbow back inside. A hurricanrana is countered into a sitout powerbomb for two on Carlito but Dykstra misses a charge into the corner. Carlito Backstabs him for the pin.

Rating: C-. As usual, Carlito isn’t exactly thrilling but the rib stuff was fine for a midcard Raw match. They didn’t need to do anything more than this as the idea was for Carlito to get a win. Granted I’m not sure how much it means to beat Dykstra, but it is better than losing week after week.

Ric Flair comes out to applaud Carlito.

Vince McMahon is still annoyed and is going to ECW to make Bobby Lashley’s life a nightmare.

Tag Team Titles: John Cena/Shawn Michaels vs. Rated-RKO

Cena and Michaels are defending and Shawn keeps his eye on Cena during the entrances. Shawn and Edge start things off with Shawn working on the arm. That’s enough for Edge so Orton comes in and gets pummeled in the corner by Orton. Cena gets taken into the wrong corner though and the villains take over. Edge forearms him down without much trouble and it’s back to Orton for the right hands to the head.

Some choking in the corner sets up more right hands as the offense hasn’t exactly taken off yet. Cena’s release fisherman’s suplex gets him a breather though and it’s off to Shawn to pick up the pace. The top rope elbow hits Orton and it’s an atomic drop to put Edge on the floor. Shawn tries Sweet Chin Music but Orton ducks, meaning Cena has to catch the boot instead.

We take a break and come back with Edge cranking on Shawn’s arms. The comeback is cut off by the Edgecution and it’s back to Orton to stomp away. The chinlock goes on for a bit, followed by the backbreaker for two. It’s back to Edge for the sleeper, which is broken up like any common sleeper. Shawn gets over for the tag to Cena as everything breaks down, with Shawn being sent outside. The spear is countered into the AA but Orton comes in with one of the belts. Shawn takes it away and hits Edge, only to throw it back to Orton. Edge sees Orton holding it and walks off, leaving Orton to get superkicked into the AA for the pin.

Rating: C+. They were in a bit of an interesting place here as I could have seen it going either way. Cena and Michaels dropping the titles to let them focus on their Wrestlemania match would have made sense, but so does Michaels continuing to guard Cena. I like the way they went, and now it seems they have a way to wrap up Rated-RKO. The team doesn’t need to be around any longer anyway so it isn’t some great loss.

The long staredown between Cena and Michaels ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. They’re doing a good job of making me want to see Wrestlemania and that is more than I would have bet on coming into the season. Almost all of the matches are already set and that does not leave much to do other than push everything across the finish line. This show did a nice job of doing just that, and I want to see the show more than I ever would have bet on leading up to it. Another pretty good show here, but another good step towards Wrestlemania.

Monday Night Raw
Date: July 26, 2021
Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Commentators: Jimmy Smith, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves

It’s time to find out how bad Raw can get this week, which tends to be the new low every week. Last week’s show was one of the biggest head scratchers I’ve seen in a very long time and it could be terrifying to see just how low things can get. We are less than a month away from Summerslam and it’s time to build things up. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of last week’s Women’s Title match and Nikki Ash cashing in Money in the Bank to win the title.

Here is Nikki Ash to get things going. She finally gets to welcome us to Raw and talks about how she didn’t believe she could get here. Nikki has worked to get here and once she finally started believing in herself, she accomplished her goals. If she can do it, everyone can do it and we can all be almost superheroes. Cue Charlotte to talk about how last week wasn’t fair and she is getting her rematch at Summerslam. Charlotte knows that everyone is tired of having people better than them around but they need to get used to it.

Cue Rhea Ripley, now smiling and high fiving (a few) fans. Ripley talks about how Charlotte only held the title for a day and promising to win the title herself. Nikki asks why she is being left out and here are Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville to interrupt. The triple threat match is on, and we’ll throw in Nikki vs. Charlotte tonight as well. Charlotte jumps Ripley but gets knocked outside by Nikki, who stands tall. This didn’t do much about making Nikki feel important.

Damian Priest doesn’t think much of Sheamus bullying Humberto Carrillo so he’ll deal with Sheamus tonight.

Damian Priest vs. Sheamus

Non-title but Priest gets a shot if he wins here. Sheamus shoulders him down to start so Priest is back with an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Priest sends him outside, where Sheamus drops him onto the apron. We take a break and come back with Priest fighting out of a chinlock and hitting a heck of a clothesline.

Another shot knocks off Sheamus’ mask but he gets his boots up in the corner to cut Priest off. Sheamus goes up but gets chokeslammed down for two. Back up and Sheamus grabs an Alabama Slam for two, meaning it’s time for the Texas Cloverleaf. That’s broken up by some kicks to the head so Sheamus knees him in the head for two more. Priest kicks his way out of the forearms to the chest though and the Reckoning is good for the pin at 10:05.

Rating: C+. I can go for two big men beating on each other until one of them can’t get up and that is what we got here. This was what it should have been, maybe save for the champ taking a clean loss. I’m really not wild on the Champions Contenders deal, as it just gives you a non-title match to set up the same match with the title on the line. There are a lot of other ways to do this, but why use them when you can take the easy way?

Post match Sheamus shouts that he rebroke his nose and he wants a doctor.

Tag Team Titles: Viking Raiders vs. Omos/AJ Styles

Omos and Styles are defending. Ivar starts fast and runs Styles over, setting up the seated senton out of the corner. Erik drives Ivar into Omos to knock him off the apron and the Viking Experience connects early. Omos breaks that up at two and sends the Raiders into the barricade to take over in a hurry.

We take a break and come back with Omos cranking on Erik’s head. That’s broken up and it’s back to Ivar to clean house. The cartwheel gets Ivar away from the Phenomenal Forearm and he runs AJ over again. Ivar’s charge in the corner hits boots though and AJ gets two off a tornado DDT. Erik comes back in to run AJ over but a Pele kick drops him again. The hot tag brings in Omos and the double chokebomb crushes Erik. AJ’s springboard 450 retains the titles at 8:35.

Rating: C-. Remember when Styles and Omos won a tag match because no one, including the Vikings, couldn’t stop Omos? Well Styles and Omos just won a tag match because no one, including the Vikings, couldn’t stop Omos. Yeah it’s repetitive, but the tag team division has all of three decent teams in it at the moment, and I’m not sure what else they can do at the moment.

We recap Jinder Mahal and company attacking Drew McIntyre in Money in the Bank. As a result, McIntyre annihilated part of the company last week.

Here’s Drew McIntyre for his match with Veer but here are Jinder Mahal and someone in a suit instead. Mahal talks about how Shanky was taken out by an angry McIntyre, so this man is Mahal’s lawyer. McIntyre is being SUED, so McIntyre can do the right thing. That makes Drew think: should he take everyone out for a steak dinner and apologize? Or should he beat Veer down just as bad? McIntyre asks for a DREW IS GONNA KILL YOU chant and we’re ready to go.

Drew McIntyre vs. Veer

They slug it out to start with Veer actually dropping McIntyre with a right hand and a slam. The jumping elbow sets up a neck crank but McIntyre fights up. Jinder Mahal throws in a chair, which is Claymored into Veer’s face for the DQ at 3:50.  Er actually Veer is disqualified for holding the chair.  Huh?

Rating: D. This feud is already on the brink of disaster and now McIntyre can’t even Veer? I don’t know why WWE thinks 3MB imploding in 2021 is interesting but that’s what the guy who carried Raw throughout the pandemic is getting. I know he seems interested in the idea, but shooting it down is a good idea at times too.

Post match Drew Claymores the lawyer too.

We recap Eva Marie and Doudrop in Alexa’s Playground, with Alexa Bliss seemingly finding a new target.

Eva Marie/Doudrop vs. Natalya/Tamina

Non-title, but it’s a CHAMPIONS CONTENDER match. Doudrop takes Natalya down for two to start and Natalya comes up favoring her knee. It’s off to Tamina, who gets taken down by Doudrop. Eva comes in to get the cover…and Alexa Bliss takes over the screen for a video on the Lillylution. The distraction lets Tamina hit the superkick for the pin on Eva at 3:10.

Rating: D-. Hopefully Natalya is ok as her knee didn’t look good. This was another match which wasn’t going to be very good in the first place and was then made worse with the dumb interference. The Lilly thing was dumb in the first place and now it’s back because it must be a good idea….somehow. Now just get rid of the Champions Contenders things and the show can be that much better.

Karrion Kross vs. Keith Lee

Non-title. Kross can’t pick him up to start but Lee can toss him with a release belly to belly suplex. A clothesline puts Kross outside, where he posts Lee to take over. Kross hits his own suplex on the floor and we take a break. Back with Kross choking in the corner and hitting a DDT for two. The Krossjacket Choke goes on but Lee powers out of it and starts hammering away. Lee hits the hard running shoulder but the Spirit Bomb is countered into the Doomsday Saito. The running forearm to the back of the head sets up the Krossjacket to make Lee eventually tap at 8:52.

Rating: C-. That’s better than last week for Kross, and he should have beaten Lee here. At the same time, if they want to do anything with Lee at any point in the future, he shouldn’t have been in this spot. I’m not sure what is going on with Lee, but it is pretty clear that something has gone wrong. I’d still love to know why he was gone, but right now I’d rather know why WWE seems to have given up on him.

We recap Nikki Ash winning the Women’s Title, plus her big celebration.

Nikki Ash believes in herself and no one can take away that feeling, win or lose. She wants all the boys and girls to believe that things are worth fighting for and no matter what, she will be defending her title at Summerslam. Rhea Ripley comes in to says he can respect the confidence, but she is leaving with the title. Tonight though, she wants Nikki to give Charlotte h***.

Mace and T-Bar are ready to eat the smaller people, because people like Mansoor and Mustafa Ali exist to be devoured by them.

Mace/T-Bar vs. Mustafa Ali/Mansoor

Before the match, Mansoor talks about wanting to show how good the team can be. Ali says follow his lead, get the win, and we’ll see about the future. Ali hammers on T-Bar to start but the Cyclone Boot kicks Ali’s head off for two. Mace comes in to plant Ali with Mansoor having to make a save.

That earns Mansoor a shot to the floor and a running big boot gets two on Ali. A shot to the face gets Ali out of trouble and he brings Mansoor in to take over. T-Bar makes a save of his own and sends Mansoor outside, where Ali hits a suicide tornado DDT for the save. Ali yells at Mansoor for not being ready but Mansoor saves him from a chokeslam. A victory roll gives Mansoor the pin on Mace at 3:04.

Rating: D+. I’m curious to see where this goes as Ali doesn’t like Mansoor but Mansoor is really into the team. At the moment, it isn’t like there are many teams to contend with so throw some people together and see what they can do. Mace and T-Bar seem to be the latest lost causes and I’m not sure why, but it’s another shame.

Here are Bobby Lashley and MVP to respond to Goldberg’s challenge (which Lashley already did on Twitter last week). MVP recaps the challenge and asks Lashley for his answer. Lashley isn’t going to dignify that with a response, but says this is his ring. Cue Cedric Alexander to say he didn’t like the disrespect when Lashley broke up the Hurt Business. Now it’s Shelton Benjamin coming out to say Alexander’s voice is annoying before challenging Lashley as well. Lashley says he’ll fight them both at once.

Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin

Non-title and Lashley runs them over to start. Cedric is sent outside, leaving Lashley to go after Benjamin. Back in and Cedric trips Lashley up, allowing Benjamin to hit a running knee. A springboard tornado DDT plants Lashley for a double two but he is back up with the spinebuster to Alexander. The spear cuts Benjamin down and it’s a Jackhammer to plant him again. The Dominator puts Alexander onto Benjamin for the double pin at 2:44.

John Morrison and the Miz are ready to make this city Moist AF but AJ Styles and Omos interrupt. They have something to talk about, with AJ doing the talking and Omos blocking out the camera.

John Morrison vs. Riddle

Miz is here too and it’s a Drip Stick to Saxton before the match, which actually makes him sound angry. Riddle takes him down by the leg to start and snaps off a suplex for two. The kicks in the corner rock Morrison and a fisherman’s suplex gets two more. Miz Drip Sticks Riddle so it’s a jumping knee to Morrison. Riddle kicks Miz down, turning the wheelchair over. That means mocking Miz for being stuck on his back as we take a break.

Back with Miz upright and Riddle striking away in the corner. The threat of a running kick in the corner sends Morrison outside, where Riddle hits a springboard flip dive. Cue AJ Styles and Omos so Morrison can get in a shot to the face for two of his own. That just earns Morrison the Final Flash for two and Riddle goes up top….as Omos breaks the scooter. The distraction lets Morrison grab a Razor’s Edge spun into a hard slam. Starship Pain finishes Riddle at 9:56.

Rating: C. This was about storyline advancement, as Riddle needs his partner to save him from the numbers game. RKBro getting the title shot at Summerslam could be a great moment, especially if Orton finally gets in on Riddle’s antics. You know, assuming Orton doesn’t take months to get back like so many others.

Post match (after Miz sprays the Drip Stick in celebration) Styles stomps on Riddle and plants him with the Styles Clash.

We recap Reginald winning the 24/7 Title last week.

24/7 Title: Reginald vs. R-Truth

Reginald, with an unseen trampoline to get him over the top, is defending and Truth has a headset on. Truth hits him in the face and takes Reginald’s jacket off, so Reginald flips into the corner. Some shots with the coat miss due to some well timed flips and Truth misses a charge into the corner. The side kick misses as well and Reginald’s running flip seated senton is good for the pin at 1:31.

Post match the usual gang of idiots are here so Reginald flip dives to the floor and backflips up the aisle.

Charlotte vs. Nikki Ash

Non-title and Charlotte chops her into the corner to start. Charlotte goes after the mask and chokes on the ropes to keep Nikki in trouble. Nikki is sent outside, allowing Charlotte to ask if this is your champion. Back in and Nikki’s comeback is cut off in a hurry, as Charlotte fires off more chops. Some rollups give Nikki two each and a headscissors sends Charlotte outside. There’s a dropkick through the ropes but Charlotte throws her over the announcers’ table as we take a break.

Back with Nikki still in trouble so Charlotte can grab the chinlock. Nikki fights up and hits a quick crossbody for a breather so Charlotte misses a bit boot. The leg is snapped across the top but she blocks the sunset flip without much effort. There’s a bulldog for two on Charlotte but she chops Nikki into the corner. Nikki is sat on top, only to come back with a tornado DDT. Charlotte rolls through the high crossbody though and pins Nikki at 12:33.

Rating: D. What is there to say here? Nikki is trying to be a star and gets beaten down, with Charlotte selling absolutely nothing for most of the match. I’d like to think that this leads to Cross overcoming the odds at Summerslam and retaining, but that isn’t going to matter if this is what happens to her on the way. This was a long form squash and Charlotte reminded us of that every chance she could.

Post match Charlotte laughs at Nikki and grabs a mic to say no one is in her league. Nikki grabs the mic and says she knows she lost but she showed she ALMOST could have won. Therefore, Charlotte gets a rematch next week. Charlotte accepts and beats Nikki down again, yells some more, and drops her one more time to end the show.

Overall Rating: D. I was thinking that this show was a fair amount of good things with some bad sprinkled in, but the more I look back on it, the ratio is reversed. There were quite a few bad parts to this show with only a few positives and that isn’t enough. The Women’s Title stuff is insufferable, Mahal is the same boring heel he has been for years and the Lilly stuff is awful. There were a few bright spots here and there, but it was another bad show as Raw focuses so much on the terrible stuff that it drags everything else down. Another awful show, mainly thanks to the focus being on the worst parts.

Results
Damian Priest b. Sheamus – Reckoning
AJ Styles/Omos b. Viking Raiders – Springfield 450 to Erik
Veer b. Drew McIntyre via DQ when McIntyre kicked a chair into Veer’s face
Natalya/Tamina b. Eva Marie/Doudrop – Superkick to Eva Marie
Karrion Kross b. Keith Lee – Krossjacket Choke
Mustafa Ali/Mansoor b. Mace/T-Bar – Victory roll to Mace
Bobby Lashley b. Cedric Alexander/Shelton Benjamin – Double pin
John Morrison b. Riddle – Starship Pain
Reginald b. R-Truth – Running flipping seated senton
Charlotte b. Nikki Ash – Rolled through high crossbody

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Main Event
Date: July 15, 2021
Location: Yuengling Center, Tampa, Florida
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

So THIS is the final Thunderdome show because we really can’t escape that place. As much fun as it would be to see a big Thunderdome farewell, it is much more likely to be the run of the mill Main Event, as the show can’t go that long without disappointing me all over again. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Angel Garza vs. Jaxson Ryker

Ryker powers him into the corner to start so Garza grabs a somewhat desperate headlock. That’s broken up and Ryker slaps him in the chest, setting up a slam for two. There’s a release gordbuster to drop Garza again but Garza runs OUT OF HIS PANTS. A running dropkick puts Ryker down and Garza actually wins a strike off. Garza hits a basement dropkick for two and it’s off to an armbar. Some elbows to the head keep Ryker in trouble and a bulldog sets up a double arm crank. Back up and Ryker hits a running shoulder in the corner, followed by a belly to back suplex. The swinging Boss Man Slam finishes Garza at 5:03.

Rating: D+. Quick match here with Garza not being able to survive the INTENSITY that is Ryker. I’m still not sure what WWE sees in him but I’m sure there is some kind of audience that likes this guy. You’re only going to get so far under these circumstances and I think they hit that limit pretty firmly.

Don’t try this at home.

From Raw.

Rhea Ripley vs. Natalya

Non-title and Tamina is here too. They go with the grappling to start and Natalya grabs some rollups for two each. Rhea takes her outside and hits a quick dropkick to Tamina as we take an early break. Back with Natalya being knocked off the top, allowing Rhea to hit a good looking missile dropkick.

A bridging northern lights suplex gets two but Rhea gets sent into the corner with her head hitting the post. Natalya powerbombs her out of the corner for two but the Sharpshooter is blocked. Natalya tries it again and is reversed into the Prism Trap. With that broken up, Natalya finally gets the Sharpshooter, only to be rolled into the corner for the break. Riptide gives Ripley the pin at 9:28.

Rating: C. This is where Natalya keeps her job: she can have a fine match with just about anyone on the roster and is completely dependable. As long as you keep her away from any microphone, character stuff or storyline, she is a rather valuable member of the roster. Good stuff here, as Ripley broke a sweat but won in the end.

Post match, Charlotte comes in to chop block Rhea and the Figure Four over the apron makes Ripley scream.

Long video on Edge vs. Roman Reigns/the Usos.

From Smackdown.

Here are Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns for a chat. After a long canned ROMAN SUCKS chant, Reigns talks about how he does not like Edge suggesting that he is in Reigns’ head. Reigns might have been a bit scared at Wrestlemania when he was in the crossface but then he stacked them and pinned them. They even printed a shirt up about it! Two weeks ago, Edge got to Reigns because he wasn’t focused. Reigns has some family stuff going on so let’s deal with that right now.

Cue Jimmy Uso, to say he tried to take care of Edge last week when Reigns was on vacation. Reigns asks when Jimmy got to make some decisions for them, but last week wasn’t a vacation. This brings out Jey Uso, to say Reigns needs to keep his head up while the brothers win the Tag Team Titles again. Reigns says Jey hears what he wants to hear it but Reigns wants all three of them to succeed. They need to do it together though and everyone hugs.

Toni Storm is on her way to Smackdown. Must be taking the scenic route.

From Smackdown.

Here is Edge to promise to destroy anyone who gets in his way. We see Edge crossfacing Roman Reigns and Jimmy Uso, and now he wants Reigns out here right now. In the locker room, Reigns says he has this covered and wants the Usos to stay here (hopefully leaving the keys with Paul Heyman). Reigns comes to the ring but the Usos follow him out. That isn’t happening though as Reigns says he has this before slowly getting in the ring.

The fight is on but here are the returning Mysterios to jump the Usos. Edge loads up the spear but Jey grabs his leg. Rey breaks that up and the Mysterios hit a double 619 to the Usos. The spear drops Jey as Roman leaves like he should be doing. Edge breaks off a piece of chair to crossface Jey and then does the same to Jimmy, holding his arm in place for at least the second time this week. Jey gets it again as Reigns walks off to end the show. This Edge feud continues to not be good, but that is kind of the case with everything Edge does outside of the ring these days.

Mansoor vs. Shelton Benjamin

Shelton takes him down without much effort and a clothesline makes Mansoor think for a second. Mansoor gets sent to the floor but lands on his feet as Mustafa Ali comes out to watch. A dropkick staggers Benjamin for a change but a look at Ali lets Benjamin knock Mansoor outside.

We take a break and come back with Benjamin grabbing a chinlock as Ali has made it down to ringside. Make that a reverse chinlock before Shelton throws him outside. Ali tells Mansoor to use his mind instead of his heart before a Russian legsweep gives Shelton two. We go back to the chinlock but Mansoor fights up with chops and a jawbreaker. There’s an enziguri into a DDT for two as Benjamin is in trouble for a change. Benjamin’s rollup with feet on the ropes gets two so he yells at Ali. That’s enough of a distraction for Mansoor to grab his own rollup for the pin at 8:59.

Rating: C-. Just when I’m expecting nothing from Main Event, they throw me a curve ball with some storyline advancement. That’s more than I would have expected from this show and that is a nice thing to be able to say. Granted I could go for Mansoor doing something other than winning with a bunch of rollups, but this is probably about as it is getting for him at the moment.

We look at New Day beating Bobby Lashley and MVP.

From Raw.

Xavier Woods vs. Bobby Lashley

Non-title with Kofi Kingston/MVP at ringside. I’m really not sure what it means to have a Cell match two weeks ago, then a tag match, and now a regular match. It’s almost like they might want to come up with some fresh ideas to set up these programs. Lashley throws him into the corner to start but Woods takes the leg out. A step up backsplash gets two but seems to just annoy Lashley. They head outside with Lashley sending him hard into the steps as we take a break.

Back with Woods still in trouble but managing a superkick. A tornado DDT sends Lashley outside and there’s the big flip dive to take him out again. Back in and a missile dropkick puts Lashley down, followed by the Crossface to make it worse. That’s broken up so Lashley hits the huge spinebuster into the spinning Big Ending for no cover. Instead Lashley takes him outside for a hard ram into the post and the spear connects back inside. Lashley still doesn’t cover though….and gets small packaged for the pin at 10:19.

Rating: C. They did a nice job with the surprise as they kept teasing the idea of Lashley costing himself but I didn’t think they would actually have Woods pin him. It’s certainly an upset and while I’m not wild on a champion losing, I can live with the idea of one of the most decorated tag team wrestlers ever scoring a fluke pin when Lashley got too cocky. Just have Lashley smash Kingston and things should be fine.

From Raw.

It’s time for the VIP Lounge with a bouncing MVP saying this should be the Lashley Dome. Next week we are back on the road (which the fake fans appreciate) so here is Lashley….or at least MVP introducing him. Eventually cue a slightly disheveled Lashley to ask the women to leave. He doesn’t like what happened earlier and from now on, it is time to be serious again.

Lashley destroys the entire set, including throwing the love seat out with no trouble. Sunday is the end of Kofi Kingston, as Lashley is going to take care of him like he should have done a long time ago. Lashley leaves and MVP looks scared to end the show. This was straight fire from Lashley and one of his best promos ever.

Overall Rating: C-. That’s it for the Thunderdome and it has overstayed its welcome long enough. I know it was necessary and about all WWE could do, but there was only so much that could be done with the idea. This was your run of the mill Main Event for the most part, and all it made me do was want to see fans back. They aren’t going to make Main Event better, but maybe it might mean a little something for a change.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Main Event
Date: July 8, 2021
Location: Capitol Wrestling Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Kevin Patrick, Byron Saxton

Our random wrestling show of the week is back and I’m really not sure what that is going to mean. In a reversal of things that I said for years about Main Event, I’m running out of ways to say that things are different around here and that is a very good thing. I’m curious to see what we get, though it might not wind up working out. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Veer vs. Jeff Hardy

Shanky and Jinder Mahal are here with Veer. That isn’t surprising as Jeff Hardy and Shanky doesn’t have the same ring. Veer powers him into the corner to start and Jeff knocks himself down while trying a shoulder. Hardy is sent throat first into the middle rope and we’re already in the neck crank. Jeff fights up but gets taken down by the hair, which seems to be the consequences of a bad appearance choice.

The nerve hold goes on again but Hardy fights up with a sitout jawbreaker. This time Hardy’s comeback actually works, including some shots to the head but the Twist of Fate (possibly with a botch as we cut to Mahal and Shanky) is blocked. Veer sends him into the corner for some running clotheslines and the baseball clothesline finishes at 4:31.

Rating: C-. They’re doing a nice enough job of making Veer feel like a monster, but then you remember that he is (at least currently) little more than Mahal’s lackey. That could go in a few different directions, but odds are it winds up being nothing more than another Mahal push, because of course that is what it is going to wind up being. As for Hardy….egads it’s still weird to see him like this.

We look back at Edge returning to challenge Roman Reigns. This still isn’t working.

From Smackdown.

Here is Jimmy Uso to call Edge out. Cue Edge, who asks Jimmy if he gets what is going on. Jimmy is doing everything Roman Reigns wants, because he is Reigns’ b****. Yeah this is a trap, but it’s a trap for Jimmy. Edge goes to the ring and the fight is on, with Edge sending him shoulder first into the post twice in a row. Jimmy is back with a superkick and a ram into the steps, followed by a bunch of right hands. A big boot cuts Jimmy off and it’s a crossface (with a sleeper for a change) to make him tap. Edge grabs a piece of chair for the regular Crossface to mimic the Wrestlemania photo from earlier to end the show.

From Raw.

Nikki Cross/Alexa Bliss/Asuka/Naomi vs. Eva Marie/Doudrop/Shayna Baszler/Nia Jax

Oh boy. First of all, it has gone from Nikki Cross to Nikki ASH to Almost A Superhero Nikki Cross. Second, this could be an all time train wreck. Reginald is here too because you just need nine people here for a match. Doudrop and Naomi start but Eva tags herself in and actually drives Naomi into the corner. A single forearm sends Naomi into the corner and it’s already back to Doudrop. Naomi kicks Doudrop to the floor and hits the dive onto everyone else.

The parade of dives is on until Eva is left alone in the ring. Bliss comes in and screams her to the floor as we take a break. Back with Bliss forearming Doudrop but getting headbutted down for her efforts. Jax comes in to hammer on Asuka and it’s off to Baszler to work on the leg. That doesn’t last long so Bliss channels Reginald, with Baszler breaking things up. Eva comes in, ducks a kick from Asuka, and hands it back to Baszler again. Everything breaks down with Nikki’s top rope splash connecting for two, only to have Jax (Nikki Jax according to Smith) Samoan drop her for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: D-. There were botches, there were timing issues, there were too many people involved at once and none of them were interesting, plus Cross loses so NIA JAX can get some momentum? This division is in a complete nose dive and feels so silly most of the time these days. It’s turning into the Divas Era where most of the women are either goofy or horrible in the ring and that’s a scary thought. It’s also very disappointing, though I really don’t think WWE cares.

Angel Garza vs. Shelton Benjamin

Benjamin grabs a headlock to start but gets armdragged down for an early standoff. This time Shelton tries wrestling him down to some better success, only to have Garza slip out again for another reset. It’s Garza’s turn as he hiptosses Benjamin down, leaving him rather stunned. Benjamin is back up and sends him over the top to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Benjamin running him over and grabbing a half camel clutch. With that not working, Benjamin grabs a snap suplex for two. The reverse chinlock goes on, with the reverse being dropped in a hurry. Garza fights up and hits a kick to the head but Benjamin rolls through a rather high crossbody. A whip into the corner has Benjamin in trouble though and the delayed Lionsault is good for the pin at 9:15.

Rating: C. As usual the formula of taking a pair of talented wrestlers and giving them some time works out well for everyone involved. This wasn’t a great match, but it was something fresh and that is often welcome. I could go for more from Garza and Benjamin is still good for putting someone over. It’s a perfectly nice match and that there are far worse ways to fill in about ten minutes.

We look back at Kofi Kingston’s rather good argument with MVP, setting up this week’s main event.

From Raw.

New Day vs. MVP/Bobby Lashley

MVP works on Xavier Woods’ arm to start and then powers him down without much effort. Woods goes after MVP’s recently healed knee though and hammers away on the mat. Kofi Kingston comes in off the top with a shot to the knee and then slaps on a hammerlock. That doesn’t last long so Lashley comes in to unload on Kingston in the corner.

A neckbreaker gives Lashley two but Kingston slips power of a powerslam and kicks him in the face. Lashley isn’t having that and pounds Kingston down in the corner, allowing MVP to come back in for some right hands of his own. Kingston knees his way out of a delayed vertical suplex though and it’s into the corner for a short form Unicorn Stampede.

New Day sends them outside for the big dives and we take a break. Back with Lashley snapping off a suplex to Woods, setting up an armbar. MVP comes in to work on the arm as well but Woods shoves him away without much effort. If’s back to Kofi to clean house, including a Ballin Boom Drop to MVP. Everything breaks down with Lashley being knocked outside, allowing Trouble in Paradise to finish MVP at 14:36.

Rating: C-. This felt like a house show main event and I believe it is the match that was advertised for the house show main event when things come back later this month. The match itself was a fine way to get Kingston ready for the title match, but it wasn’t exactly something that got my interest up very high.

Overall Rating: D+. All this did was remind me of how bad Raw was this week. I know the fans being back is the big goal and that’s when things are supposed to get better, but egads people. Do we really need to waste so much time with one horrible show after another? As is almost always the case, Smackdown is watchable enough and serves as a fine show, but Raw is dreadful and makes me not even want to watch the highlights. With this as example, the lowlights might be a better way to go.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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