Smackdown
Date: November 8, 2019
Location: MEN Arena, Manchester England
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s an interesting week here as we are over in the United Kingdom (or in Manchester, New Hampshire if you believe WWE.com) for a taped show because WWE hasn’t gone all over the world enough just yet. That means things could get interesting as we see the matches that were supposed to take place last week before everything went nuts. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of last week’s NXT invasion.

Opening sequence.

It’s the standard pre-FOX set, with the basic stage and Union Jack flags on the side.

Here’s King Corbin to open things up. He isn’t happy with the NXT invasion from last week but that’s all over now that they’re here. That brings him to Roman Reigns, who he certainly respects. Reigns has main evented four Wrestlemanias and even came back from leukemia in less than a year. I mean, who does that? But what has Reigns done lately? Now Reigns is a family man who spends time making appearances with children.

It’s like the Big Dog now has some little marbles and sounds like a chihuahua. Corbin shows us a computerized dog head on screen with a high pitched bark. So Corbin went through the time, effort and perhaps money to have that made just for the sake of that ten second visual? There’s no Reigns though because he isn’t here yet but he’ll be here tonight for the main event. Then the fans can get out their dog scoop bags to take care of Reigns. Corbin has such a bag with him because THEY GOT IN THAT PROMO DEAN AMBROSE TALKED ABOUT.

New Day is ready to win the Tag Team Titles because they have to keep up with Charlotte. This one is for Xavier Woods.

Tag Team Titles: New Day vs. Revival

Revival is defending. Kofi rolls Dawson up for some early near falls and it’s off to Big E. to go after Wilder’s knee. The referee has to check on Wilder and we take an early break. Back with Big E. hitting a belly to belly on Wilder, whose knee is just fine. Kofi comes back in for the dropkicks and the big dive onto both champs. Back in and Dawson avoids Trouble in Paradise, leaving Kofi to get two off the SOS to Wilder.

Big E.’s Rock Bottom out of the corner is broken up and it’s a double hanging DDT to Big E. for no cover. A middle rope uppercut/German suplex combination gives Wilder two but the Shatter Machine is broken up. Dawson gets sent outside and Big E. holds Wilder up for Trouble in Paradise for the pin and the titles at 8:30.

Rating: C+. Well so much for Kofi’s post title loss depression. I’m not sure how much sense it makes to go back to that but if Kofi needs another line on his already Hall of Fame resume, so be it. At this rate he’s already a two time Hall of Famer so it’s hardly a stretch to have him win another title. The match was the usual entertaining stuff between these two.

Sami Zayn comes up to Daniel Bryan in the back and suggests that if Bryan had joined up with he and Shinsuke Nakamura, Bryan would be the new NXT Champion. They need to stick together and Sami should could watch Nakamura’s tag match later and see what can be done.

Heavy Machinery comes out for a match but Imperium jumps them. Some Smackdown guys run out for the save.

Shinsuke Nakamura/Cesaro vs. Ali/Shorty G.

My money is on Da Ali G Show. Bryan comes out to watch as Gable grabs the armbar over the ropes to put Nakamura in early trouble. Cesaro comes in to throw Gable into the corner though, only to have Gable Victory roll his way over to Ali. The big tornado DDT drops Cesaro and everything breaks down.

Gable belly to belly suplexes Nakamura to the floor, followed by Gable and Cesaro joining them. Ali dives onto Cesaro and it’s Gable grabbing the ankle lock. That’s broken up and Nakamura hits Ali with the reverse exploder. Kinshasa is blocked with the superkick but Cesaro sends Gable outside. Now Kinshasa can connect to finish Ali at 4:08.

Rating: C+. They packed a lot of stuff into a short match but it was entertaining. What matters here is the Sami stuff with Bryan, as the attempted manipulation is strong, even if it isn’t likely to work. That makes for a good story as you can see what is going on and there is a possibility that it could work. Not knowing where it is going (though one result is pretty heavily favored) makes it more interesting.

Sasha Banks vs. Nikki Cross

Bayley is on commentary. Banks has a remixed version of her theme song, including some vocals from Snoop Dogg. Cross gets sent into the corner for some early choking to start, followed by more choking on the ropes. The fans sing to Bayley as Cross starts the comeback with some armdrags. Cross goes after Bayley instead though and grabs the headset to shout something I couldn’t understand.

Banks uses the distraction to get in a cheap shot, only to be small packaged for two. Back with Cross fighting out of trouble and hitting a tornado DDT for a double knockdown. Cross’ crossbody misses but she stays out of the Bank Statement. That works for all of a few seconds before Banks locks it in for the tap at 8:39.

Rating: C-. They’ve done a nice job of trying to make Cross into a thing but she hasn’t won anything of note on her own. Having her lose over and over again isn’t a recipe for success but WWE doesn’t seem to see it that way. Granted she has already been more successful than I would have bet on for the main roster, though there seems to be more potential there.

Post match Bayley jumps Cross but Shayna Baszler runs in and lays Bayley out.

Sami tries to convince Bryan to not do the YES Movement again. The lights go out and the Fiend appears for the Mandible Claw on Bryan as Sami runs away.

We look at Tyson Fury defeating Braun Strowman at Crown Jewel.

Here’s hometown boy Tyson Fury to fire up the crown. He has been around the world and fought everywhere, including last week in Saudi Arabia. That brings him to Braun Strowman, who he wants to see right here in front of him. Cue Strowman, with Fury praising him for a great fight and offering a handshake. They shake hands and Fury says they should be a tag team. Strowman likes the idea but doesn’t think anyone is crazy enough to face them. Cue the B Team, with Dallas saying the B stands for fearless. The beatdown doesn’t take long with Strowman running them over and Fury hitting a right hand.

The winners are two of the five entrants on the Smackdown women’s Survivor Series team, joining Sasha Banks. Sonya throws Carmella around to start as we hear that it’s going to be a three team, fifteen woman Survivor Series match. Mandy and Carmella come in with the latter getting stomped in the corner.

The beatdown continues until Carmella runs over and makes the hot tag off to Dana. A lot of screaming ensues with Dana’s cartwheel moonsault getting two. Carmella superkicks Mandy and throws Sonya to the floor so Dana can flip over her. A dropkick into the steps sets up the Swanton to give Dana the pin on Sonya at 4:00.

Rating: D+. As one of the four people in the world who watches Main Event, Dana has grown on me quite a bit over the last year. No she is not great or even very good, but she has improved a lot and looks like she is trying every time she is out there. It’s not her fault that she went from signing to start training in 2013 and was on the main roster less than three years later. She’s slowly getting better, but unfortunately we’ve spent three years laughing at her because she was thrown into the deep end before she could wade into the water.

Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin

Reigns jumps him before the bell and hits a clothesline to the floor. After a quick beating, it’s Corbin coming back inside and hammering away. Reigns hits a big boot but here are Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler to go after Reigns, because he’s lost the locker room or something. Corbin catches Reigns with Deep Six back inside and we take a break.

Back with Ziggler getting in another cheap shot so Corbin can send Reigns into the barricade. They get back in and slug it out until Corbin hits a chokeslam. Corbin misses a shot off the top though and Reigns hits a running clothesline for two. Ziggler and Roode come in again though and the distraction lets Corbin hit End of Days for the pin at 9:27.

Rating: D+. This really missed for me as Corbin vs. Reigns is boring enough on its own, and then we have Roode and Ziggler, who shouldn’t like Reigns in the first place, attacking him because….he took time off for cancer? It feels like it could be the start of Reigns’ big road to redemption, because that’s a story WWE loves to do. It isn’t the worst thing they could go with, but please find a more interesting way to go about doing so.

Overall Rating: D+. The first half was pretty good but it was downhill in a hurry with the Corbin stuff not doing it any favors. This felt really out of place after last week with Imperium and Baszler being the only invaders, and Imperium is more of a different thing than last week. The previous show felt important and interesting while this one felt like a standard “we’re in England” show. It’s the curse of the schedule again, as I’m assuming they didn’t want to bring all the NXT people over and therefore we have to wait a week to get back to what was a hot angle. We got one week out of it, but WWE fumbled it. Again.

Results

New Day b. Revival – Trouble in Paradise to Dawson

Shinsuke Nakamura/Cesaro b. Ali/Shorty G – Kinshasa to Ali

Sasha Banks b. Nikki Cross – Bank Statement

King Corbin b. Roman Reigns – End of Days

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

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

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

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

Crown Jewel 2019
Date: October 31, 2019
Location: King Fahd International Stadium
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole

This is one of those things that we just have to get through. The wrestling isn’t the problem here as the action will likely be acceptable enough. The problem is going to be some of the decisions that are made, as WWE tends to lose their minds around here. Couple that with the fact that this is going to be built around part time wrestlers and mainstream athletes. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Battle Royal

Sunil Singh, Mojo Rawley, Erick Rowan, R-Truth, Sin Cara, The Brian Kendrick, Titus O’Neil, Tony Nese, Akira Tozawa, Shelton Benjamin, Apollo Crews, Buddy Murphy, Andrade, Drake Maverick, Eric Young, Luke Harper, Cedric Alexander, Heath Slater, Humberto Carrillo, No Way Jose

The winner gets a US Title shot at AJ Styles on the main show. Thankfully we do get a point made about the 24/7 Title being suspended during the match. It’s the usual brawl to start until Rowan tosses Maverick out first. Rowan gets sent to the apron but holds on to eliminate Slater and Nese.

Harper gets rid of Kendrick and Young, followed by Rawley and Cara going out as well. Crews gets rid of Titus and we take a break. Back with Harper and Rowan having a staredown but Jose recommends dancing. Harper gets in on it before blasting him with the discus lariat. That’s it for Jose, so Tozawa goes after Rowan by asking for a fight. Harper looks down at him and reality sets in, followed by the quick elimination. There goes Crews and Rowan shoves Murphy out as well.

Truth and Andrade follow them out and we’re down to Harper, Rowan, Singh, Carrillo and Alexander. Singh is out as well and we’re down to four. The fans like Harper so he and Rowan get rid of Alexander. Singh goes to leave but Truth steals the pin and the title (because the title was only being protected until Singh was eliminated instead of the whole match). The Mob chases Truth off and the double teaming continues. Carrillo shrugs them off though and gets rid of both monsters for the win at 12:24.

Rating: D+. Keeping these matches short(ish) is the best thing that can be done as they just aren’t going to work very well more often than not. Carrillo winning is perfectly fine and I’m sure the match with Styles is going to be fine. That’s all it needs to be as there aren’t exactly high expectations going into a match like this.

The opening video looks at the main events and little more. It’s a really standard, generic video.

The set does look awesome, as it usually does.

WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez

Lesnar is defending and gets a monster pop. Rey Mysterio is here with Velasquez, who does look a little better in ring gear than he has recently (emphasis on a little). They start slowly as Lesnar has learned from what got him in trouble against Cain the first time. Lesnar takes him into the corner for some clinch fighting but Cain gets in a kick to the head to drop the champ. Ground and pound ensues but Brock grabs the Kimura for the win at 2:07.

Post match Lesnar won’t let go so Rey hits him with a chair, earning himself a toss to the floor. Brock chairs Cain down and hits the F5 onto the chair. Rey comes back in with another chair and swings it quite well for someone with one good arm. Enough shots connect to send Lesnar outside and we would have a fresh challenge if the Brand Split didn’t exist. I mean, I’m sure that’s going to last of course, right?

The Revival is ready to be named best in the world.

The Viking Raiders are ready to fight and beat everyone up.

Tag Team Turmoil

Non-title and there are nine teams with the winners getting a big trophy. Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler and the Lucha House Party start things off with Kalisto as the odd man out. Ziggler takes Dorado into the corner to start and hits a dropkick to really take over. Roode comes in and gets caught with the Golden Rewind, allowing the House Party to take over on the arm. A gordbuster gets Roode out of trouble though and Ziggler comes back in for a Fameasser into a crossface of all things.

That’s broken up and Dorado gets up top for a high crossbody to Ziggler, allowing the diving tag (with his head) to bring in Metalik. There’s the rope walk dropkick to Roode and everything breaks down. Roode shoves Dorado off the top into a superkick from Ziggler, followed by another superkick to Metalik. The Glorious DDT gets rid of House Party at 5:45.

Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder are in third and it’s a quick Samoan drop/Blockbuster combination (with Ryder completely missing the Blockbuster part) for two on Roode. Not that it matters as the Zig Zag/spinebuster combination finishes Ryder at 6:53. Heavy Machinery is in fourth and Tucker wrestles Ziggler to the mat without much effort. Roode comes back in and Ziggler hits a cheap shot to take over though and the big guys are in trouble.

We hit the chinlock for a bit before Tucker gets taken outside for a ram into the barricade. Back in and Tucker drops Roode, allowing the tag off to Otis to start cleaning house. Otis’ shirt comes off and the jiggling starts fast. Ziggler pulls Roode to the floor before the Caterpillar, so Heavy Machinery settles for the Compactor to get rid of Roode at 13:24.

New Day is in fifth and Big E. starts fast with a battle over an abdominal stretch with Tucker. Big E. manages to stay on his feet while bending backwards and even applauds himself to show off. A double clothesline puts them both down so it’s off to Kofi vs. Otis. Kofi gets knocked down this time and the Caterpillar connects this time, meaning it’s another double tag. Tucker suplexes Big E. for two but misses a middle rope crossbody.

Kofi comes back in and there’s the Midnight Hour to get rid of Heavy Machinery at 17:32. The B Team is in sixth with Axel hitting a quick clothesline to the back of Big E.’s head to take over. Dallas grabs the chinlock but Big E. isn’t having that and pops up for the Big Ending and the elimination at 19:34.

The OC is in eighth but Kofi hits a double stomp on Anderson. Gallows pulls Big E. off the apron though and it’s the Magic Killer to finish New Day at 27:00. The Viking Raiders are the final team and it’s Gallows kneeing Erik in the ribs to start. Erik gets knocked off the apron and a snap suplex gives Gallows two back inside. The chinlock is broken up though and it’s back to Ivar to pick up the pace, including a cartwheel to show off. Erik slams Ivar onto Anderson but Gallows is back in to kick Erik down. The Magic Killer gets the pin at 32:16, marking the Raiders’ first pinfall loss in WWE.

Rating: C-. It wasn’t even that bad of a match but it was a lot of completely average stuff until a stupid ending. You spend two and a half years setting up the Raiders as these unstoppable monsters and then the OC, who weren’t even fresh, just pin them? The OC? Really? As in the team who was ready to leave earlier this year? Really not a fan of this, as the Vikings shouldn’t have lost heading into the hoss fight against the AOP.

We recap Lesnar vs. Velasquez and Mysterio cleaning house after the match.

Rey promises revenge on Lesnar.

Cesaro vs. Mansoor

Cesaro slaps him in the face and Mansoor isn’t having that so he’ll take a wristlock from Cesaro instead. Mansoor knocks him down and gets two off a standing moonsault, followed by the armdrag into the armbar. A dropkick puts Cesaro on the floor and it’s a dropkick through the ropes to keep him down. The dive through the ropes is cut off with an uppercut and it’s Mansoor being sent into the barricade.

Back in and the chinlock is broken up in a hurry so Cesaro pulls him off the middle rope for two instead. Now the chinlock can stay on for a bit and a belly to back suplex gets two more. Cesaro gets dropkicked out of the air though and the comeback is on, including an enziguri. The tornado DDT gives Mansoor two so Cesaro uppercuts him down.

Mansoor is back with a slingshot neckbreaker for another near fall but Cesaro nails Swiss Death into the Crossface. That’s broken up as well and Mansoor hits a superkick for a close two. Cesaro gets ticked off and tries a gutwrench superplex but Mansoor counters into a sunset bomb. A moonsault gives Mansoor the clean pin at 12:38.

Rating: B-. This was actually quite the fun match and Mansoor is more than good enough to hang in a regular match. He isn’t ready for the main roster or anything but being a regular on NXT wouldn’t be out of the question. This was the least surprising result on the show and there’s nothing wrong with that here. Nice match and the fans were WAY into this.

Post match Mansoor talks about waking up and knowing that this was the match of his life. He was nervous but then he came into the stadium and the fans made him ready. Now he cannot wait to see what they do next. He speaks some Arabic and the fans seem rather pleased.

Seth Rollins says the Fiend has taken him to some dark places but a little part of him likes it. No matter what happens tonight, he didn’t start the fight but he’s going to finish it.

Survivor Series will be Raw vs. Smackdown vs. NXT. I’m so thrilled.

We recap Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman. Fury was at the premiere of Smackdown and got into it with Strowman. Now they’re having a battle of the sports.

Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman

Fury comes out to It’s Your Thing by the Isley Brothers (or at least a cover of it) and is in the traditional Saudi robes. Strowman powers him into the corner to start and there’s the hard shove. Some shots to the body don’t do much to Strowman so Fury nips up (kind of) out of a wristlock. A big boot drops Fury though and reality seems to set in. Strowman hits the post, as usual, and falls to the floor, only to drop Fury with a right hand.

Fury gets some boots up to drop Strowman right back though and it’s a big boot of his own for two (he didn’t seem to know how to cover, though he did hook a leg). Strowman is right back with a sledge to the chest so Fury does the Undertaker sit up. A World’s Strongest Slam plants Fury so he bails to the floor, where Strowman hits the running shoulders. Back in and Fury nails the right hand to knock Strowman off the apron and that’s a countout at 7:59.

Rating: D. Fury tried but this really didn’t work. Other than the big right hand at the end, Fury didn’t show anything of note here, though it’s just not his sport and he’s been training for what, a few weeks at most? Fury wasn’t a disaster or anything, but it was something that felt a lot longer than it was. Strowman losing by countout is a bit of a relief though and I’ll take a small victory where I can.

Post match Strowman hits the running powerslam and Fury pops up to shout at him some more.

We recap R-Truth regaining the 24/7 Title.

Truth runs again but runs into the Singh Brothers, who steal the title back.

US Title: AJ Styles vs. Humberto Carrillo

AJ is defending and has the OC, with trophy, in his corner. Styles goes right for him and the fight is on in a hurry with a knee to the ribs taking Carrillo down. A dropkick puts AJ on the floor but he’s ready to avoid the big dive. Back in and AJ hits another knee to set up the chinlock as things settle down a bit. Carrillo gets up again but the springboard armdrag is shoved away.

A brainbuster gives AJ two but Carrillo comes right back with the handspring armdrag and a high crossbody for two. An exchange of jumping kicks to the head leaves them both down and we get a breather. They go the apron with AJ flipping him over the post, only to get caught with a dropkick.

There’s the dive to the floor to drop Styles again and Carrillo grabs a sunset flip for two back inside. The Phenomenal Blitz takes Carrillo down again and the Calf Crusher goes on. Carrillo gets to the ropes and the leg is fine enough for a jumping kick to the head. An attempted moonsault tweaks the knee though and the Phenomenal Forearm retains the title at 12:38.

Rating: C+. The completely acceptable wrestling (for the wrestlers at least) continues in a match without that shocking of a finish. There are a lot of people who could take the title from AJ but you can tell who are just the challengers of the month. It was Alexander last week and now it’s Carrillo. The OC being dominant is a good idea for the short term though as you can have someone knock them off later and wins like this will make that one mean more down the line.

Hulk Hogan dubs Byron Saxton Beautiful Byron before promising to destroy Ric Flair once and for all. Team Hogan has been training day and night with Hogan making them drink sand.

Natalya vs. Lacey Evans

I never thought I would see the day. Natalya is in her regular gear with a t-shirt over it and Lacey is in long pants, a long sleeved shirt and a Lacey shirt. The fans seem rather into this one, second only to the Mansoor match so far. They shake hands to start and Lacey spins out of a wristlock but gets rolled up for two. That gets another round of applause and a second handshake before a headlock takeover puts Lacey down. That’s broken up so Natalya sends Lacey outside and strikes her pose.

Lacey knocks the leg out though and nails the slingshot dropkick, followed by the chinlock. A slingshot elbow gives Lacey two and it’s time to work on the arm. That’s broken up and Lacey takes the belly to back drop into the stepover dropkick. It’s too early for the Sharpshooter so Lacey grabs a suplex to set up the double jump moonsault for two more. Lacey loads it up again but gets pulled off the ropes this time, allowing Natalya to nail the discus lariat. Now the Sharpshooter goes on for the tap at 7:19.

Rating: C. The match was pretty paint by numbers and could have been on any given house show. That’s completely not the point though as this is one of those things that seemed impossible and yet they managed to make it happen. I have no idea if it is going to lead anywhere or make any real difference, but they did something and that’s more than you would have expected possible. Well done and it actually is historic for a change.

Post match we see a bunch of young girls cheering and there is a lot of emotion from both women.

Team Hogan vs. Team Flair

Hogan: Roman Reigns, Shorty G., Ali, Rusev, Ricochet

Flair: Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Lashley, King Corbin, Drew McIntyre

One fall to a finish and Ricochet is in full body gear due to tattoos. Nakamura and Gable start things off with Gable going straight for the ankle but getting kneed down for his efforts. Corbin comes in for a few shots before handing it off to Lashley. Gable gets over for the tag to Rusev and Lashley brings McIntyre in as fast as he can. A spinwheel kick puts McIntyre down and it’s Ali coming in to work on McIntyre’s arm.

McIntyre takes over with the power and shoves him hard onto the apron to really put him in trouble. Orton gets in some shots to the face on the floor and Nakamura/McIntyre add in their own kicks to the ribs. Ali is fine enough to dive over for the hot tag to Ricochet so the pace can pick up. A few rooms of the house are cleaned but Corbin gets in a cheap shot so McIntyre can hit the reverse Alabama slam.

The beating is on, including Corbin’s required chinlock. The chokeslam is countered into a sunset flip to give Ricochet two so Corbin blasts him with a clothesline. Flair busts out the strut to a big reaction but Ricochet gets a boot up in the corner, followed by a spinning kick to Orton’s jaw. The hot tag brings in Reigns to clean house with right hands, clotheslines and a big boot/legdrop to Corbin. Everything breaks down and the RKO is blocked, setting up the Superman Punch for two.

Reigns gets taken to the floor so Rusev makes the save, leaving him to beat up Lashley. That earns Rusev a low bridge but Reigns is back in with a Superman Punch to Lashley. The big dive over the top takes everyone down and another Superman Punch is countered into the RKO for a close two. You don’t see that one kicked out of very often. The Punt is loaded up but Gable grabs the boot. Ali and Ricochet take Orton down and hit stereo dives to the floor. Reigns spears Orton for the pin at 19:49.

Rating: B-. Obvious ending aside (it was only about who was going to get the pin on whom), this was a perfectly enjoyable and at times even good, tag match. I was expecting this to headline the show for the sake of star power but it’s not like Hogan beating Flair was any secret. At least Flair didn’t get physical, which is the best choice for everyone involved.

Team Hogan celebrates.

The announcers talk about Survivor Series.

We recap Seth Rollins vs. the Fiend. Rollins defeated him in the Cell in one of the dumbest things that WWE has done in years and now they’re having a Falls Count Anywhere rematch which can’t be stopped for any reason. On Halloween. With a supernatural character. There is no way they can screw this up, so let’s see how they manage to screw this up.

Universal Title: Seth Rollins vs. The Fiend

Rollins is defending and it’s Falls Count Anywhere. They’re doing the red light deal again too, because that worked so well last time. Fiend is still in his jacket to start and hits Rollins in the throat. A headbutt puts Rollins down and the jacket comes off. The Sling Blade connects but Fiend is right back with the running crossbody. They fight outside with Fiend being sent into an LED screen, followed by the fighting around ringside.

Rollins loads up some tables on top of each other but opts to grab a chair and sledgehammer. Fiend avoids getting his skull caved in and loads up the Arabic announce table. The running backsplash only hits table though and Rollins gets one. Rollins goes up but gets shoved through both tables for the big crash. Fiend takes forever to go over and get him but opts to pull back the floor mats instead.

That of course means a Stomp onto the concrete for no cover as they fight onto a platform. Sister Abigail onto the platform gives Fiend two so they go up to the stage. Another Stomp is no sold so Rollins hits a pair of superkicks. Another two Stomps slow Fiend down and it’s another to keep him down for a few seconds.

There’s another two of them and a series of superkicks sends Wyatt into the tech area for the explosions. Some fire extinguishers are brought out and more pyro goes off, with Rollins getting caught in the eye. Fiend pops up like a monster and grabs the Mandible Claw, setting up Sister Abigail on the floor for the pin and the title at 21:26.

Rating: B-. I’m actually shocked here. They can figure out the Raw/Smackdown situation later but what matters here is they changed the title as they should have here. This should have taken place in the Cell but at least WWE figured out that something needed to be done. It was also a heck of a fight, even if they had the ridiculous spamming of finishers from Rollins. What matters here though is the title change and they got that right, so maybe they’re not completely insane.

The lights go out and come back on so Fiend can pose with the title.

A lot of pyro ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. I’ll gladly admit I was wrong about this one as they realized they screwed up in the Cell and switched gears while also delivering a pretty good show. There were a few historical points on the card and nothing was terrible (Fury vs. Strowman was bad but there’s a big asterisk with it), but more importantly it feels like something mattered here, which is one of the biggest problems with this show most of the time. It’s no classic and isn’t worth watching, but they addressed some of the bigger problems and had an entertaining enough show, making this a miracle by comparison to the rest of the shows.

Results

Brock Lesnar b. Cain Velasquez – Kimura

OC won Tag Team Turmoil last eliminating the Viking Raiders

Mansoor b. Cesaro – Moonsault

Tyson Fury b. Braun Strowman via countout

AJ Styles b. Humberto Carrillo – Phenomenal Forearm

Natalya b. Lacey Evans – Sharpshooter

Team Hogan b. Team Flair – Spear to Orton

The Fiend b. Seth Rollins – Sister Abigail onto the floor

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

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

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

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

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this. I hope I can at least. These things have gone from one of the worst shows of the year to THE worst show of the year, somehow finding new lows to reach. Last year’s Crown Jewel was one of the worst things I can ever remember seeing for a wrestling show and I don’t see this one being a massive improvement. It isn’t about the wrestling content but rather about what kinds of stupid decisions they make and expect us to just accept. This could be a complete nightmare as it tends to be so let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Battle Royal

This is one of those ideas that has been around since house shows began because it is something that will always work. The winner gets a shot at the United States Title later in the night so how bad can this be? Above all else, it feels like a bunch of lower level guys getting a chance to get a one off title shot so it isn’t like the winner is going to mean much in the end.

For the sake of simplicity, I’ll go with Cedric Alexander winning, as his feud with AJ Styles is a few months old now and it would make the most sense to go back in time for a match like this. It’s easy, it’s inoffensive and the match will likely wind up being pretty good. Why mess with a formula that works? I mean, very little has worked on this show in the past but at least they might have something with Alexander winning.

US Title: AJ Styles(c) vs. ???

So yeah I think you get the idea here and unless you’re reading this out of order (I’ve heard worse ideas), you know where I’m going with the pick. What matters most here is giving the fans a good match and thankfully Styles is the kind of wrestler who can do that against anyone. There is no reason to rock the boat whatsoever on this one and they would be smart to just do what they have done so many times.

Therefore, just like he has every time, I’ll go with Styles to win and retain over Alexander. I’m sure the match will be fine and likely go about ten minutes, making it pretty much what they do on any given show. Alexander is someone you can easily buy as a viable challenger and his stuff will look good in a major stadium. Now all that you have to do is find a way to bring him back up after choking so many times in his big match.

Natalya vs. Lacey Evans

Just in case you needed more reinforcement in the concept of NEVER SAY NEVER. This is the kind of thing that I never believed could possibly happen and yet here we are. WWE did not announce this one until the day before the show, which sadly may have been to weaken the impact and culture shock that would come with it. It really is a big deal, though we’ll have to see if it is something that keeps going in the future.

I’ll take Natalya for the win here as she is the perfectly safe pick that WWE would love to push here. I know she isn’t the most interesting wrestler in the world and that has been the case for a long time now. On the other hand though, you’re going to get a steady match and that is going to be a better idea than putting Evans out there with someone who doesn’t have enough experience to make something work on the big stage.

Mansoor vs. Cesaro

Yeah we’re doing this again. I get that Mansoor is actually decent in the ring and I’ve liked a few of his appearances in NXT. He isn’t some incredible, can’t miss prospect or really even anything close to it, but he can handle himself in the ring and is someone that can be put out there to give the Saudi Arabian fans something to cheer about, but don’t pretend that he’s anything more than that. What they’re doing here isn’t a secret so let’s just get it over with.

Of course Mansoor wins here because it’s not like he’s around for anything else. Go with what makes sense from this show’s perspective and have Cesaro lose (AGAIN) so Mansoor can get the home country pop. I know it doesn’t mean anything because it’s on one of the Saudi Arabian shows, but they better realize that Cesaro is probably bailing from the company as soon as he can and this is just the latest reason that he’s running.

Tyson Fury vs. Braun Strowman

This would be another example of a match that is only taking place for the sake of the live crowd, because the Saudi Arabian government wants some star power for their money. Fair enough, and Fury has been a heck of a promo when he is given the chance, but this has a chance to be a serious disaster. Strowman isn’t the most graceful wrestler in the world and he hasn’t even been wrestling for that long, but now he’s supposed to be able to walk Fury through a match? In these conditions? That’s how this is supposed to work?

I’ll go with Strowman here, but I have a really bad feeling that it is going to go to Fury for the sake of the surprise. That being said, even if Strowman loses, does it matter? Last year’s match against Brock Lesnar at this same show is about as bad of a result as he could have had and now we’re just stuck waiting on him to do anything else because for some reason WWE doesn’t think that someone tripping at the goal line every time will ever hurt him. Strowman wins, but I have very little confidence in either the pick or his future.

Team Hogan vs. Team Flair

Here’s your legends match, as we are really supposed to pretend that Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair was ever a rivalry between two sides that were even close to equal. This feud has been dusted off in the WWF, WCW, Impact and now WWE again, plus on Hogan’s own tour of Australia. How we’re still doing this is beyond me, but at least this time there will be some other wrestlers there to share some of the spotlight. I mean, like 3% of it but it’s better than nothing.

Of course Team Hogan gets the nod here, as there is no reason for them not to. This is the kind of match that is designed for the legendary face to win while Flair, who has been bragging about being cleared to take a bump (because he’s nuts and no one will be sane and tell him no) gets to lose and kick his feet again, because that’s how this rivalry (and I use that term loosely) has gone for about twenty five years now. Hogan’s team wins, because that’s what he does when he faces anything associated with Flair.

Tag Team Turmoil

If there is one match that shows you how divorced from reality this series of shows really is, it’s this one. You have a rather ridiculous nine teams in one match, including both Tag Team Champions, and the prize is the title of BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD. Now one would think that would just be Revival vs. Viking Raiders, but why do that when you can do it MUCH FREAKING BIGGER???

Just for the sake of making my head hurt, I’ll go with New Day here, because they lost on SmackDown but since that doesn’t matter, they’ll win here and then not win the titles in their match on Friday. It makes the least sense possible from a narrative perspective so I find it to be the most likely outcome. This is probably going to get a lot more time than it needs, which tends to be the case with a lot of gauntlet style matches these days.

WWE Championship: Brock Lesnar(c) vs. Cain Velasquez

I’m not sure what to say here as I get the concept, but it isn’t something that gets me overly interested. Normally I would say that there is no chance Velasquez wins, but at the same time we’re going to be seeing a women’s match in Saudi Arabia so that line of thinking isn’t quite viable. It’s been about nine years since Velasquez mauled Lesnar for the UFC Heavyweight Title and Lesnar is out for revenge, while Velasquez is fighting for Rey Mysterio and Dominick, both of whom were injured at Lesnar’s hands.

I’m going to go with what makes sense here and pick Lesnar, but I have this feeling in my gut (which is almost never right) that they might give it to Velasquez. The biggest problem I see with that though is what in the world they could do with Velasquez, who has wrestled less than three career matches, after that. I’ll take Lesnar here, but a freaky ending that sets up a WrestleMania rematch wouldn’t shock me.

Universal Title: Seth Rollins(c) vs. The Fiend

And then….this. It takes a lot to actually make me annoyed about a wrestling show but their first match did the trick. For reasons that only WWE could explain to you, they felt the need to not only put their hottest act in the Cell, but have him lose in the least intimidating way possible. It was booed out of the building and WWE hasn’t been the same since that took place. Now it’s the rematch and the question is how can they mess this up again?

I’ll go with Rollins here, because it’s the dumbest thing that they could do. Fiend is in trouble after everything that has happened to him as of late and the best thing possible for him would be to no sell the Stomp and win this in about two minutes. WWE loves having the title on Rollins too much for that to happen though, so Rollins retains here and WWE gets to spend even longer trying to figure out why their audience is shrinking and why the Fiend keeps getting weaker reactions.

Overall Thoughts

Does anyone actually want to watch this show? The entire series has become a nightmare for WWE fans, though I’m sure the company doesn’t mind due to the crazy checks they receive for them. The wrestling has rarely been the problem here, but there is a real chance that we are going to be in for some of the worst booking decisions of the year, because WWE either thinks that no one pays attention or that they’re brilliant enough to get themselves out of it. I doubt it can be worse than last time, but remember: never say never.

 

 

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

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

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

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

Main Event
Date: October 17, 2019
Location: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Commentators: Mickie James, Byron Saxton, Dio Maddin

Since everything has been so hectic in the last week, this is coming out a bit later, which can make for an interesting watch. A big part of the problem with this show is that it just reminds you how bad the previous week’s show was but now that we have moved on a bit, maybe it won’t be as bad. I mean, it probably will be but you have to have some hope. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Mojo Rawley vs. Zack Ryder

It never ends. Rawley shoves him around to start but charges into a boot in the corner. A quick Pounce gives Rawley two and the beatdown is on. The chinlock doesn’t last long so Rawley elbows him down again and stops to fling sweat at the crowd. The distraction lets Ryder get in a running clothesline and a middle rope dropkick, setting up the Broski Boot for two. A Downward Spiral gets two more but Mojo sends him into the corner for the running right hand. The Alabama Slam finishes Ryder at 5:10.

Rating: D. This is another instance where I just don’t get it. I know neither of these two are going anywhere so why keep Rawley as the big deal around here? Ryder isn’t anything of note but he’s a bigger deal than Rawley. If you’re not going to do anything with Rawley, and it’s clear that they won’t, why not let Ryder get a boost before he does something (as minor as it will be) on Raw?

We look at the Raw and Smackdown rosters.

From Smackdown.

Here are Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman for a chat. Heyman talks about how WWE is trying to make Brock Lesnar repeat October 23, 2010, when Cain Velasquez conquered Lesnar. Brock has never made an excuse for that because he has no excuse. That brings Heyman to last week, when Lesnar won the WWE Championship and then had to face the ghost of his past. Lesnar embraces his fears because he conquers them, which he will do at Crown Jewel on October 31.

You can roll this clip back in a few weeks and find out that this is a….moment that is being interrupted by Rey Mysterio and Velasquez. Rey shows us some stills of Velasquez massacring Lesnar in their UFC fight and busting him open, leaving a scar on Lesnar’s face. Cain promises to give him a matching scar on the other cheek at Crown Jewel.

From Smackdown again.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Bayley vs. Charlotte

Charlotte is defending. Bayley has cut her hair and doesn’t have it in a ponytail anymore, plus has a new theme. She also doesn’t dance on the way to the ring….but she does pull out an ax and DESTROYS THE BAYLEY BUDDIES! Bayley starts fast and gets knocked right back down. They head outside instead with Charlotte being sent into the steps and we take an early break.

Back with Bayley grabbing a headlock to keep Charlotte in trouble. That’s broken up with Bayley being sent outside for a slingshot dive and it’s time to start in on the knee. Some kicks to the leg put Bayley on the floor and Charlotte hits a moonsault off the barricade. Back in and Bayley grabs a quick Bayley to Belly for two, followed by the top rope elbow for the same. Bayley freaks out and gets caught with Natural Selection, but the Figure Eight is countered into a small package to give Bayley the pin and the title at 11:25.

Rating: C-. The match was nothing but thank goodness they got Charlotte another title reign of five days so she can be a ten time champion. Bayley’s heel turn was a very hard one and that’s a good thing in her case. It didn’t make a ton of sense for her to be upset and then come dancing out there so making her a harder heel is the right move. Not as right as giving her the title back, but a right one nonetheless.

Post match, Bayley grabs the mic and says “B******. Screw all of you!” Well that’s a hard shift.

Dana Brooke vs. Sarah Logan

FOR THE LAST TIME EVER!!! Brooke flips around and dropkicks her down to start, followed by a headscissors into the corner. The chinlock goes on as Mickie is sounding more comfortable with the analysis. Logan powers out and we take a quick break, coming back to Logan putting Brooke on top and hammering away. Brooke shoves her down and hits a suplex, followed by an enziguri. The cartwheel splash gets two but Logan dropkicks her to the floor. Back in and Logan pulls her off the top, setting up the standing Cloverleaf for the tap at 8:33.

Rating: D+. And that’s it for the feud because they’ve just run out of things to do. Unfortunately that was the case a month ago but no one seemed to notice. I still feel really sorry for Brooke, but this is the kind of thing she needs to do: get in the ring and learn how to work a match. The problem is she spent years wrestling above her head and all she is learning is how to wrestle Logan. At least it’s something though.

From Raw.

It’s time for the contract signing between Braun Strowman and Tyson Fury. Jerry Lawler recaps everything and brings the two of them out for the big staredown. Strowman talks about how big of an ego that Fury has and that’s why he was at the premiere of Smackdown. He isn’t letting Fury use him to advance his career so he’ll beat him at Crown Jewel.

Fury says he isn’t out of his element in any ring and Strowman will be looking up at him after Fury knocks him out. They stand up and Fury snaps the pen before leaving. Fury is a good promo but Strowman is still one of those forced promos where the writers have to get in their lines that they think sound good because they don’t know how humans communicate with each other.

Video on Seth Rollins vs. the Fiend inside the Cell.

From Raw.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House to end the show. Bray thinks Rollins is smart but the Fiend never forgets. Ramblin Rabbit says Rollins is on his way but Wyatt doesn’t think much of it. Rollins comes in and jumps Wyatt from behind so the beatdown is on (with the friends freaking out in a nice little touch). Seth breaks the pictures but Bray gets up and asks why Seth is doing this.

They go through a wall off camera and Rollins gets an evil look on his face. He says burn it down….and then lights Bray’s table on fire. The wall catches fire and the pictures burn as the Fiend starts to laugh to end the show. I mean, the character was in trouble anyway so they might as well get rid of the thing. Then again, odds are he’ll find a way back before losing to Rollins (again) in Saudi Arabia.

Overall Rating: D. Yeah this didn’t help anything and made me wonder how bad Crown Jewel is going to be. The show just is not looking good and having this show focused on the Draft shows without looking at the Draft itself shows you how worthless those shows really was. It was a bad show, but that’s because it was recapping bad stories and there isn’t anything Main Event can do to fix that.

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

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

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

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

Main Event
Date: October 10, 2019
Location: Rabobank Arena, Bakersfield, California
Commentators: Mickie James, Byron Saxton, Dio Maddin

In a weird way, this is going to be both a return to normal and the brand new normal at the same time. That means Smackdown is going to be included here again, though this time around Smackdown came first during the week and that is going to be the case going forward. I doubt that is going to change much about the shot itself though. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Revival vs. Zack Ryder/Curt Hawkins

Non-title and this is what the champions have been reduced to: a Wrestlemania rematch on Main Event (which is thankfully mentioned). Hawkins shoulders Wilder down for two so Ryder comes in and takes a shoulder of his own. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Dawson goes with the simple choking on the ropes. Ryder gets in a jawbreaker and the hot tag brings in Hawkins to clean house. The Michinoku Driver gets two and a small package is good for the same but it’s the Shatter Machine to finish Hawkins at 5:29.

Rating: C. These harder worked matches have become more of a trend around here and that’s not a bad thing. You wouldn’t expect this match to be anything and while it was far from great, they were working and actually tried to put something together. Can you blame the Revival for not being interested in staying though? This is the best the champs can get?

We look at the biggest moments from the Smackdown premiere.

We look at Brock Lesnar destroying Rey Mysterio and Dominick.

From Smackdown.

Smackdown World Title: Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston

Kofi is defending. The F5 makes Brock champion in six seconds.

Post match here are Rey Mysterio and CAIN VELASQUEZ as Brock looks like he’s seen a ghost. Cain takes him down with a double leg and the scared Brock bails in a hurry. Brock teases coming back to the ring but backs off and walks away as we’re off the air at 9:58.

From Raw.

We open with a recap of the end of last week’s show with Lana and Bobby Lashley, for lack of a better term, canoodling on the stage right in front of Rusev. This is interspersed with clips of Rusev and Lana’s wedding and marriage.

Rusev vs. Randy Orton

Hang on a second as we come straight out of the opening sequence to Orton and Baron Corbin stomping on Rusev. He fights back but Lashley pops up on screen in a robe. That would be Rusev’s robe, because Lashley is in Rusev’s house. Actually he’s in Rusev’s bedroom, which includes a rather comfortable bed.

There is only one thing missing, which would be Lana herself. She comes in and climbs in next to Lashley, while mentioning that everything they own is now in her name, plus they no longer have separate checking accounts. Lana removes some of the little clothing she still has on and the lights go out with more laughter.

We come back to the arena where Rusev is taking this as expected and Orton and Corbin laugh on the floor. Rusev snaps and beats both of them up, including various shots to Corbin with the steps. A jumping superkicks each knocks both of them into the crowd. No match of course.

We look at the Cell matches and Charlotte vs. Bayley from Hell In A Cell.

Cesaro vs. Cedric Alexander

Cesaro headlocks him to start and Cedric can’t do much with the power. His own headlock works just as well though, suggesting that power has nothing to do with it. Cesaro isn’t about to give him a clean break on the ropes so Cedric hits a basement dropkick. Some chops just annoy Cesaro so he stomps Cedric down and forearms him in the head.

We take a quick break and come back with Cesaro slapping on an abdominal stretch, which he can make look rather devastating. It’s off to an arm trap chinlock instead but Alexander fights up and hits the springboard Downward Spiral. Cesaro’s big boot gets two and he grabs an over the shoulder body vice, only to have Alexander slip out again. The Lumbar Check gives Alexander the pin at 9:50.

Rating: C+. These two work well together though it isn’t like either of them are going anywhere anytime soon. That’s one of the biggest problems for WWE at the moment: they have so many names on the roster but a good number of them don’t get to do anything due to having wrestlers appearing on both shows and taking up so much time. This kind of a match doesn’t do anything for either of them and it’s just depressing at this point.

Quick talk about the Draft.

From Raw to end the show.

Jerry Lawler brings Fury to the ring for a chat. He didn’t like Strowman making him look like a fool last week and he is here to demand an apology. Cue Strowman to say he was just giving Fury a present last week and then he told security to let Fury go. If Fury wants to get in Strowman’s ring, he’ll eat him for lunch.

Fury says he would have knocked Strowman out but Strowman says he would do the same. How man titles has Strowman won? They go into the corner and here’s security to break it up in a hurry. That doesn’t last long though and the fight is on again but here is the locker room for the save. They keep breaking it up and the fight starts up over and over again.

In the back, Strowman says Fury is tough but there will be no apology. Strowman comes charging back out and the brawl ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The whole point of this show is to recap the bigger details of the week and they covered a lot of that with the highlight package from Smackdown. There is a lot to cover in a week in WWE and this one managed to do it well enough while also giving us a pair of completely watchable matches. It still doesn’t need to exist, but it’s nice when they do it well.

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

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

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 7, 2019
Location: Rabobank Arena, Bakersfield, California
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Dio Maddin, Jerry Lawler

I don’t think there’s any other way to put it: the ending to last night’s show was a nightmare, with no one coming out of Seth Rollins vs. the Fiend in the Cell looking good. Things need to be put back on track, so tonight we have a singles match to build towards Crown Jewel, a boxer talking to set up a likely match at Crown Jewel, and Lacey Evans vs. Natalya V: Last Viewer Awake loses. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of the end of last week’s show with Lana and Bobby Lashley, for lack of a better term, canoodling on the stage right in front of Rusev. This is interspersed with clips of Rusev and Lana’s wedding and marriage.

Opening sequence.

Rusev vs. Randy Orton

Hang on a second as we come straight out of the opening sequence to Orton and Baron Corbin stomping on Rusev. He fights back but Lashley pops up on screen in a robe. That would be Rusev’s robe, because Lashley is in Rusev’s house. Actually he’s in Rusev’s bedroom, which includes a rather comfortable bed.

There is only one thing missing, which would be Lana herself. She comes in and climbs in next to Lashley, while mentioning that everything they own is now in her name, plus they no longer have separate checking accounts. Lana removes some of the little clothing she still has on and the lights go out with more laughter.

We come back to the arena where Rusev is taking this as expected and Orton and Corbin laugh on the floor. Rusev snaps and beats both of them up, including various shots to Corbin with the steps. A jumping superkicks each knocks both of them into the crowd. No match of course.

Lacey Evans vs. Natalya

Last Woman Standing so Lacey brings out a garbage can with Natalya’s name on it. They have reached the end of the line so it’s time to take out the trash. Natalya starts the fight on the floor by driving Lacey back first into the barricade and knocking her around ringside. The Sharpshooter goes on inside but Lacey climbs the ropes for a break. Lacey slams her head first into the mat for a nine so they head outside, with a swing sending Natalya head first into the barricade.

That’s good for another nine so Lacey teases a table, only to whip Natalya into the steps instead. Back from a break with Natalya being whipped into the timekeeper’s area and being hit with a kendo stick for nine. Lacey gets annoyed so she gets creative by putting Natalya in the chair and strapping her in with the stick before turning the chair over.

That’s only good for nine as well and more stick shots get the same. A hard trashcan shot (which actually includes actual trash) and a moonsault off of the barricade get another nine. They head up the ramp with Natalya being sent into the set, followed by a suplex onto the announcers’ table. Natalya gets back up and hits a suplex on the stage, followed by a powerbomb off the stage and through a table for the win at 17:10.

Rating: D. Good grief this was bad with Natalya selling for almost the entire match, which was mainly Lacey doing something and Natalya laying around for a long time before Natalya hit two moves and won. On top of that, NATALYA gets the big blowoff win in the series? They can’t possibly be setting her up as the next challenger again right? They couldn’t possibly think that is a good idea.

Aleister Black is still in his dark room and talks about the calm and collective demeanor on Raw. That is not who he is though because he is as unforgiving as fire and as cold as death. He is forever restless so come knock on his door for a fight.

The Street Profits do their thing. After the regular recap, it’s time for a scouting report for the upcoming Draft. Apollo Crews is a blue chipper, Buddy Murphy is the best kept secret and Drake Maverick is WWE’s Steve Carrell: the forty year old virgin. With that out of the way though, it’s time to talk about Tyson Fury.

We see Braun Strowman and Fury squaring off on Smackdown and Fury accidentally getting knocked down, drawing him over the barricade for a near fight.

Fury says maybe he shouldn’t have jumped the barricade, but he’s not leaving until he gets an apology. If not, Strowman is going to get these hands.

Viking Raiders vs. Dolph Ziggler/Robert Roode

Non-title. Ziggler gets beaten up by Erik to start and Ivar gets slammed onto him for a bonus. That sends Ziggler, clutching his chest and ribs, over for the tag so Ivar beats up Roode instead. The knee to Roode’s face has both champs on the floor and Roode gets knocked outside again as we take a break.

Back with Erik being knocked off the barricade and getting caught with Ziggler’s running DDT on the floor. The chinlock goes on to keep Erik in trouble so Ziggler grabs a neckbreaker for two. Roode comes back in for another chinlock but Erik fights up and shrugs off some double teaming. Ziggler misses a splash and the hot tag brings in Ivar to clean house.

The Fameasser cuts Ivar off for two but Erik is back in for the German suplex/springboard clothesline combination for two more. Ivar gets sent outside and it’s a spinebuster/Zig Zag combination for two on Erik. The Glorious DDT is blocked Erik comes back in for the Viking Experience and the pin on Ziggler at 14:50.

Rating: C. When all else fails, go with the booking that is the easiest and least interesting way to get the Raiders to a title match. Why they needed anything more than “the Raiders are unstoppable and deserve a shot” is beyond me but why not beat your not great champions to get there?

Here are the Singh Brothers, who seem to have been left to Raw in the 205 Live will. They call out Aleister Black so they can prove themselves for the Draft.

Aleister Black vs. Singh Brothers

Kick to the head, kick to the chest, jumping knee, Black Mass and something like a dragon sleeper give Black the win at 1:05.

Video on the Smackdown premiere.

It is now 9:15pm and we have not had a single mention of last night’s show, or at least nothing major. Unless I missed some quick reference in passing, it has not been mentioned once.

Strowman says he was having fun with Fury on Friday but if he wants to get serious, tonight Fury can get these hands. We get a quick clip of Strowman knocking AJ Styles out with one punch last night, which is as big of a reference as we have gotten so far.

We look at Brock Lesnar winning the WWE Title from Kofi Kingston and the ensuing beatdown by the debuting Cain Velasquez.

Rey Mysterio is upset about what happened to Dominick but the physical scars will fade. He let himself and his family down though but he was sitting in the hospital when Cain Velasquez, Dominick’s godfather, came in. Cain can brag about beating Lesnar and he’s coming for revenge.

AOP talks about fighting to keep food in front of their families and promise violence.

OC vs. Lucha House Party

Kalisto starts in on Anderson’s arm before handing it off to Dorado for the same. Metalik comes in with the splash off of Dorado’s shoulders for two but it’s off to Gallows to take over. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the House Party hits a triple moonsault (off the same corner) for the big knockdown as we take a break.

Back with Dorado fighting out of a chinlock and hitting a high crossbody for the breather. A roll into the diving tag brings in Kalisto with a slingshot hurricanrana and the rolling kick to the face. The hurricanrana driver gets two on AJ with Anderson making the save. The Pele into the Phenomenal Forearm ends Kalisto at 9:30.

Rating: C. Perfectly watchable six man here with the OC getting back on track after last night’s dumb result. The House Party is perfectly fine for a spot like this as they work well together and have exciting matches, meaning it’s not like a loss is going to hurt them. The OC will be fine, assuming they stay together. They could be fine on their own but they seem to work better together.

Post match the House Party takes another beating, including the super Styles Clash to Dorado.

We recap Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks from last night.

It’s time for MizTV with Miz talking about how awesome Smackdown was with all of the big names coming out. With that out of the way, here are his guests for the week with Becky Lynch and Charlotte taking seats. Miz talks about all of Becky’s accomplishments in the last year, including being on Golden Crisp cereal. Becky is proud of everything she has done but what matters right now is beating Sasha Banks. As for Charlotte, it’s good to be the queen because she is champion again.

They get into an argument over whose reign means more with Charlotte saying she made Becky famous. Becky says her reigns mean more but Charlotte says ten times is ten times. Cue the Kabuki Warriors with Asuka shouting in Japanese. The previously announced fight is on and we get a referee, but it’s a double baseball slide to drop the Warriors as we take a break.

Kabuki Warriors vs. Charlotte/Becky Lynch

Non-title. Becky and Asuka start things off with a cheap shot from the apron allowing Asuka to send her outside. Becky fights up and brings Charlotte in to take over on Asuka, including Natural Selection to send Asuka outside. Sane gets sent outside as well and Charlotte busts out the moonsault to the floor to put them both down again. A Figure Eight attempt is broken up and Asuka kicks a diving Charlotte out of the air as we take a break.

Back with Charlotte taking Sane down and bringing Lynch back in to clean house. Asuka gets in a distraction though and Sane hits Becky in the face to take over again. Becky fights back but Charlotte is down and holding her knee. The Disarm-Her has Sane in trouble but Asuka hits the mist, allowing Sane to roll Lynch up for the pin at 11:25.

Rating: C. I’ll give them some rather nice points here for getting out of what could have been a messy ending without screwing things up. None of the new champions took the fall and Becky was protected in the loss. Given that they had other champs lose clean earlier tonight, it’s at least a step in the right direction.

Post match the beatdown is on until Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross make the save.

Roman Reigns talks about the impact children with cancer had on him.

We look back at Lana and Lashley from earlier.

Apollo Crews is ready for Ricochet tonight and is ready to showcase himself.

The Viking Raiders get a Tag Team Title shot next week.

Ricochet is ready for what could be his last night on Raw. This is a showcase, not a swan song.

Ricochet vs. Apollo Crews

Ricochet flips out of a German suplex attempt to start but Crews cartwheels his way out of a hurricanrana as well. They both miss moonsaults to the floor before heading back in for a dropkick from Crews. Ricochet rolls away again and heads to the apron for the kick to the face in the corner. The springboard clothesline sets up a running shooting star press for two. It’s too early for the 450 though and Crews hits an enziguri into the standing moonsault for his own near fall. Not that it matters as Ricochet is right back with the Recoil for the pin at 4:02.

Rating: C+. They packed a lot into a four minute match and that’s exactly what you would want from these two. Don’t leave them out there long enough to let them overstay their welcome and leave you wanting more from them. Crews is his usual self and Ricochet looks more and more like a star every time he’s out there.

We actually look at Rollins vs. Wyatt in the Cell and Rollins not being able to end him. The DQ is included, as I still see no referee stoppage. There is no announcement or conclusion, as they just air clips and move on.

Jerry Lawler brings Fury to the ring for a chat. He didn’t like Strowman making him look like a fool last week and he is here to demand an apology. Cue Strowman to say he was just giving Fury a present last week and then he told security to let Fury go. If Fury wants to get in Strowman’s ring, he’ll eat him for lunch.

Fury says he would have knocked Strowman out but Strowman says he would do the same. How man titles has Strowman won? They go into the corner and here’s security to break it up in a hurry. That doesn’t last long though and the fight is on again but here is the locker room for the save. They keep breaking it up and the fight starts up over and over again.

In the back, Strowman says Fury is tough but there will be no apology. Strowman comes charging back out and the brawl ends the show.

Overall Rating: D+. I came into this show hoping that WWE could find something to start a new path towards fixing last night. What I got was WWE taking the night off after a horrible pay per view and basically saying none of what you’re seeing here matters. It was nowhere near as bad as last night and there were some interesting moments here, but this show felt like they just weren’t interested in trying until the Draft, as everything changes again. That’s not a good sign two nights in a row, no matter how much effort you put in last week.

Results

Natalya b. Lacey Evans – Powerbomb off of the stage

Viking Raiders b. Robert Roode/Dolph Ziggler – Viking Experience to Ziggler

Aleister Black b. Singh Brothers – Dragon sleeper to Sunil

OC b. Lucha House Party – Phenomenal Forearm to Kalisto

Kabuki Warriors b. Charlotte/Becky Lynch – Rollup to Lynch

Ricochet b. Apollo Crews – Recoil

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

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

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