IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: January 20, 2006
Location: Civic Center, Florence, South Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

Things changed in a big way last week and now we get to start moving towards the new norm around here. That includes Kurt Angle as the Smackdown World Champion and seemingly gearing up to feud with Mark Henry, probably at the Royal Rumble. Speaking of the Rumble, the show is in ten days and it could use some build. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap looks at Angle winning the title in a battle royal, last eliminating Henry.

Opening sequence.

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Bobby Lashley

JBL has Jillian Hall with him, now with a bandage on her face after Boogeyman bit off her growth. An exchange of shoulders hurts JBL’s arm but his right hand is good enough to hammer Lashley down in the corner. A thumb to the eye cuts Lashley off but he’s right back with a belly to bell. The charge misses in the corner and JBL runs him over….so here’s Boogeyman from underneath the ring. The distraction lets Lashley hit the Dominator for the pin.

Rating: D+. This didn’t have time to go anywhere and was just a backdrop for the Boogeyman interference. The good thing about JBL is it’s not like a loss hurts him so just have him go out there and take a beating, which isn’t going to cause him any real damage. Lashley gets a win and we move forward towards JBL vs. Boogeyman. I’m not sure why, but it’s at least something and JBL can play scared with the best of them.

Post match, JBL bails from the threat of the worms.

Rey Mysterio congratulates Angle on winning the title and promises to become #1 contender. Angle likes the idea of the challenge and walks on to accept more congratulations. He runs into Henry though, who promises to beat Rey and take the title from Angle at the Royal Rumble. Angle wishes him luck and says stay out of his face. The YOU SUCK chants are about his opponents, so don’t be his opponent, because you’ll SUCK.

Post break a scared Jillian is in Teddy Long’s office when JBL storms in. Long doesn’t want to hear the yelling and makes JBL vs. Boogeyman at the Rumble.

Here are Sharmell and Booker T. for the big US Title celebration, including the balloon drop. Booker thanks everyone for believing in him and Sharmell calls Chris Benoit a loser. After a congratulatory kiss, Booker says this is how a real winner celebrates. Cue Orlando Jordan to say Booker disrespected him when Jordan offered to help him in the series. Jordan wants a match right now and punches Booker down for saying no. Cue Teddy to make Jordan vs. Randy Orton for later tonight. So there you go Orlando Jordan enthusiasts. We get to suffer while you enjoy yourselves.

Matt Hardy vs. Finlay

This is Finlay’s debut and he hammers away to start, including taking Hardy down in a hurry. Matt kicks away and hits an atomic drop before catapulting Finlay over the top. Back in and Finlay kicks him in the head before hitting a hard slam for two. The neck crank goes on and you can feel the mean coming off of Finlay. Matt fights up for a backdrop and the Side Effect gets two. The screaming…uh, backsplash actually here, gets two more so Finlay goes outside. Matt gets tied up in the ring skirt and Finlay hammers away before taking him back inside. More forearms in the ropes are enough for the DQ.

Rating: C. This was a physical match and that’s the kind of thing that Finlay is known for. Wanting to brawl and beat on Hardy for the DQ was a logical way for him to debut, as a lot of fans aren’t going to be familiar with him after so many years away from mainstream wrestling. Not so much a good match, but an effective debut.

Post match, Finlay can’t believe that was a DQ and stomps Hardy’s head on the steps.

We look back at Daivari costing Angle a match against Shawn Michaels on Raw. Angle fired Daivari as a result.

Daivari is in Teddy’s office to rant about Angle firing him. He wants Teddy to fix it, so Long makes Daivari vs. Angle for tonight.

Batista had triceps surgery for the second time.

Rey Mysterio vs. Mark Henry

The winner gets the title shot at Angle at the Rumble. Melina is here with Henry. Mysterio starts sticking and moving to start but gets knocked down in a hurry. The pace picks up a bit and Rey sends him outside for a dropkick through the ropes. A quick dive knocks Henry up against the barricade and we take a break. Back with Henry running him over and shoving Mysterio down by the head.

Henry steps on his chest but misses a splash. Mysterio can’t do much with the delay though as he gets knocked outside, with Henry throwing him back inside with no trouble. Back in and Henry misses a charge in the corner so Rey kicks at the leg, slips out of a gorilla press, and kicks at the leg again. Some 619s to the back and ribs set up the regular version and Rey hits a heck of a frog splash. Henry rolls through like it’s nothing though and plants him with the World’s Strongest Slam for the pin and the title shot.

Rating: C. Pure formula stuff here and that’s the right way to go. Show that Henry can absorb the offense and then pop up for the win. Beating Mysterio so decisively sets up Henry for the World Title shot that he was all but guaranteed to get. Not a great match, but it did things rather well.

Mr. Kennedy comes out with some of his new shirts but if you want them, go buy them.

Gymini vs. Paul London/Brian Kendrick

Simon Dean is here with the Gymini and Kennedy is on commentary. Cole and Tazz throw on the Kennedy shirts, with Kennedy complimenting Cole’s head. London and Kendrick hit the ring in a hurry and clothesline Dean to the floor at the bell. London starts fast with a missile dropkick but a Dean distraction lets the monsters run him over. A double shoulder takes him down again as Dean starts blowing the whistle. Some missed elbows allow the hot tag to Kendrick to clean house as everything breaks down. Kendrick gets spinebustered onto London though and a double Regal Cutter finishes Kendrick in a hurry.

Rob Van Dam is back at the Royal Rumble.

Orlando Jordan vs. Randy Orton

Orton takes him over with a headlock to start and the trash talk is on. Some armdrags send Orton outside though and it’s time for a breather. Back in and another armdrag lets Jordan clothesline him to the floor but Orton avoids the slingshot dive. We come back from a break with Orton grabbing a chinlock with a bodyscissors, followed by the dropkick for two. Jordan couldn’t get his foot to the rope, so the referee says it was under the rope for the break anyway.

Jordan’s comeback is cut off in a hurry and we hit the chinlock again. The comeback works this time as Jordan starts in on the arm, including a standing armbar. That’s reversed into the backbreaker for two and Jordan’s dropkick gets the same. A swinging neckbreaker drops Orton but here is Sharmell for a distraction so Booker can come down for a crutch shot to Jordan. The RKO is good for the pin.

Rating: D+. For the love of all things good and made of poultry can we PLEASE cut it out with Jordan already? He has never been interesting, he has never been anything resembling good and he has never been anything more than a name on the roster. Let him go to Velocity and stay there already because he is as much of a groan inducing name as there is these days.

Post match Chris Benoit runs in for the save and rips up Booker’s shirt.

Video on Mark Henry.

We run down the Rumble card.

Raw Rebound.

Daivari is scared about the main event and know it’s going to be screwed up.

Kurt Angle vs. Daivari

Non-title and here are Mark Henry and Melina to watch. Angle snaps off the belly to belly suplex to send Daivari outside, where Daivari is terrified of Henry. Back in and Daivari’s low blow doesn’t do much damage so Angle throws him at Henry. With Henry holding Daivari in the air, Angle hammers on Daivari’s back before throwing him back inside. The Angle Slam sets up the ankle lock but Melina comes in for the DQ.

Post match Angle puts Melina in the ankle lock but Henry comes in for the World’s Strongest Slam. Henry crushes Angle with the steps for a bonus. With Angle down on the floor, Daivari announces himself as Henry’s new manager to end the show. Was Daivari that great of a manager that we need to have him added like this?

Overall Rating: C-. This show was more logical than anything else and that’s fine. It might not have been exactly thrilling, but it did a good job of setting up the non-Rumble matches. The perk about the Rumble is that it doesn’t need much of a build in the first place so hopefully we get a little push next week, but it’s not like the match really needs it. Angle vs. Henry actually sounds decent though, which I never would have guessed on coming in.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: June 19, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

With all of the insanity going on at the moment, it might be nice to have a wrestling show to clear the pallet a bit. We’re done with Backlash and that means it’s time to get ready for Extreme Rules. The big story tonight is the return of the Firefly Fun House, as Bray Wyatt is likely going after the World Title again. Other than that, we may have the debut of Matt Riddle. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a recap of AJ Styles winning the Intercontinental Title last week.

Opening sequence.

There are wrestlers around the ring for Styles’ Intercontinental Title presentation. AJ is glad that everyone got their cheering right and he’s just here to say he told you so. Life’s rewards are for the people who go and claim the brass ring instead of waiting for a handout. He’s ready for the title presentation but Renee Young isn’t the right person to do it. Instead, AJ wants Daniel Bryan to do it himself.

Bryan gets in the ring and AJ says put it around his waist, but make sure not to do anything stupid. AJ says Bryan doesn’t have to do it if he’s a coward. Bryan finally puts the title on and says that last week, AJ was the better man. Bryan gets all fired up and says AJ is going to be a great champion. Imagine AJ vs. Gran Metalik or against Big E. (they both seem game), but AJ sees it a little different.

That’s fine with Bryan, who thinks Drew Gulak should get a shot because he beat AJ two weeks ago. AJ thinks Bryan is trying to get himself a title shot so he has to become #1 contender. The next person to challenge for the title is going to have to suffer the consequences. Cue the debuting Matt Riddle, much to AJ’s annoyance. AJ sees another human being looking for a handout. The fight is on with Riddle cleaning house so AJ says get a referee out here.

AJ Styles vs. Matt Riddle

The wrestlers are still around the ring. Hold on though as AJ says no shoes, no shirt, no title shot. The bell rings and Riddle hits a German suplex into the rolling gutwrench suplexes for two. Riddle hammers away on the mat and kicks him in the head for two more. More shots have AJ in the corner so he snaps off a dropkick to get a breather.

Back up and Riddle kicks him down in the corner but this time AJ hits a running clothesline to the apron. Riddle gets knocked into King Corbin and gets in an argument as we take a break. Back with AJ in control but the YES Kicks just fire Riddle up. A right hand to the head puts him down though and a snap suplex gives Styles two. AJ takes him down again and a dragon screw legwhip sends Riddle into the corner.

Riddle’s comeback is cut off with a shot to the leg but a jumping knee to the face rocks AJ. A quick suplex drops AJ again and the Broton gets two. Riddle grabs a rear naked choke but has to let go when Styles bridges back for two more. The Calf Crusher goes on so Riddle goes to the ropes, meaning AJ heads outside to get in Bryan’s face. AJ yells at Bryan before loading up the Phenomenal Forearm, only to get caught in the Bro Derek to give Riddle the pin at 12:53.

Rating: B-. That’s a good way to have a debut and the lack of a clean finish helped a bit. AJ has no one to blame but himself here and that makes for a good way to set up some potential matches in the future. You could go with Styles vs. Riddle or Bryan or maybe even all three (hopefully not), or perhaps Riddle vs. Bryan for the #1 contendership. It’s nice to have the options like that though and that’s what they did here.

Post match the lumberjacks get in the ring to celebrate with Riddle, who strikes his still awesome pose.

We get a long video on Sheamus vs. Jeff Hardy, including the build to Backlash and Sheamus beating him in the big showdown.

Hardy sits down for an interview with Renee Young and talks about having to put out one fire after another. He isn’t wild on Sheamus throwing his failures in his face over and over. Yes he lost the match but he’ll lose a bunch more in his career. The failures make him wonder if he is a bad father or husband but he knows he has to catch himself before the line of thinking spirals out of control. Hardy knows he is a junkie and an alcoholic and Sheamus us just another obstacle to be overcome on his road to redemption. He isn’t done yet.

Shorty G. talks about being ready to face Mojo Rawley, who is bigger and heavier than he is. He’s used to that though and Rawley, who is behind him, doesn’t know what it’s like to have eyes in the back of your head. Gable lays out Rawley with a right hand and heads to the ring. Nice idea, but Rawley was so close that Gable knowing he was there wasn’t that impressive.

Shorty G. vs. Mojo Rawley

They’re in the ring when we come back from a break (as they should be) and Gable goes straight for the ankle lock. That’s broken up so it’s a northern lights suplex for two on Rawley instead. Back up and Rawley hits a heck of a Pounce for two of his own, followed by a running splash in the corner.

Gable is right back with a German suplex out of the corner but the high crossbody is caught in a fireman’s carry. That’s reversed as well, with Gable grabbing a small package for the pin at 2:42. Cole calls that an upset and thankfully Graves cuts that nonsense off in a hurry. It’s Mojo Rawley. It’s an upset if he can figure out how to operate a spoon.

Here are Miz and Morrison for MizTV. After talking about the whole Universal Title fiasco on Sunday (Morrison: “You don’t change the rules before the big game!”), it’s time to deal with the canned ham in the room. Morrison: “Otis.” That brings out Mandy Rose as their guest, with Graves being annoyed at Cole for talking during the entrance. They get straight to the Sonya Deville discussion but she isn’t here to be insulted.

Mandy goes to leave but Miz stops her with a surprise. Cue Sonya (in a suit and tie), with Mandy asking if we’re still on this. Mandy says she’s done but Sonya says she can’t be done. Sonya rants about how Mandy has gotten all of these opportunities but what has she done with them? Win matches? Make someone better? Oh wait: made out with Otis by a pool so everyone can see.

Mandy asks why Sonya is still doing all of this and assumes it’s because she’s alone. Sonya says she’s not even mad anymore because she’s looking at the two of them and thinks the difference has to be their appearances. The only thing Mandy has is her presentation so Sonya is going to take everything Mandy has until she is as ugly on the outside as she is on the inside. The brawl is on with Sonya bailing as Miz and Morrison separate them.

It’s a shame that Mandy just has nothing to offer here because Sonya is nailing it and is telling a good story. This would be gold with someone like Trish, who could give something right back in the whole thing instead of just kind of standing there for the most part. Mandy is trying, but there just isn’t enough depth to make her work.

New Day vs. Lucha House Party

Non-title and Bayley/Sasha Banks are on commentary for some reason. After freaking out at New Day throwing their gear at commentary, Kofi and Gran Metalik trade flips to start. That doesn’t go anywhere so everything breaks down, with Big E. throwing belly to belly suplexes (Bayley and Sasha: “BAYLEY TO BELLY!”). The House Party hits some springboards to take New Day outside and that means the big flip dives as we take a break.

Back with Big E. splashing Dorado but getting caught in the Golden Rewind. Metalik comes in for the rope walk dropkick but gets dropkicked out of the air. Dorado’s top rope splash gets two on Kofi with Big E. making the save. Big E. shoves Metalik off the top and it’s Kofi’s running double stomp to Dorado. The Midnight Hour finishes Dorado at 9:35.

Rating: C. What an odd choice (not a bad thing) for a setup as you don’t often see the champs facing a team in a non-title win like this. What we got was good enough though, even with the rather bizarre commentary choice. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but it was a weird situation all around.

Post match, Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura immediately run in to beat down New Day. The Swing into a knee to the head knocks Kofi cold and Cesaro and Nakamura head outside to celebrate with Bayley and Sasha. Cesaro yells at commentary about being here for eight years and being treated like this.

Dana Brooke, Tamina (free of the asylum), Alexa Bliss, Naomi and Lacey Evans are hanging out at the Performance Center and decide they should ALL be #1 contenders. They’ve lost Nikki Cross though and that seems concerning.

Sheamus is a bully but he wants to help raise Jeff Hardy up. He’ll do that next week as a proper Irishman should: with a proper toast.

Bayley and Sasha love that idea but here’s Nikki Cross to jump both of them. Alexa Bliss makes the save but Nikki wants Sasha right now. Bayley accepts for her.

Sasha Banks vs. Nikki Cross

Joined in progress with Nikki fighting out of the corner and hitting a dropkick. Sasha begs off and says she’s sorry before sending Nikki outside. Nikki catches her in the ring skirt and hammers away but Sasha gets in a shot to the face. The chinlock into the double arm crank has Nikki in trouble until she sends Sasha into the corner. Cross knocks her down but can’t get the Bank Statement, instead getting rolled up for two. They go to the pinfall reversal sequence until Banks hits a Meteora for the pin at 4:34.

Rating: C-. That was a pretty big coincidence to have Banks and Bayley out there to set up the match but it’s something other than arguing in the back to set up the match earlier in the night. Bayley accepting the match on Banks’ behalf should be a way to set up some strife between the two of them but I’ve long since given up on the idea of these two ever actually fighting so why bother thinking it’s happening now?

Video on Titus O’Neil’s charity efforts, which have earned him a nomination for an ESPY humanitarian award.

We look back at AJ Styles vs. Matt Riddle.

Next week: AJ defends against Drew Gulak.

It’s time for the Firefly Fun House. Bray has been gone for a long time so he has joined a book club, learned the new Tik Tok moves, learned how to raise the dead, learned how to knit, and taken over a reptile society. Ramblin Rabbit pops in to say Bray has just been sitting in the corner muttering about losing to Braun Strowman. After a clip, a distressed Bray thanks him for the reminder. It’s true that he lost, but in defeat, he learned that he went about this the wrong way.

We cut to the arena where Braun Strowman comes out (now with what sounds like a train at the start of his music), causing Bray to give him thumbs down. Bray wasn’t lying about raising the dead and he morphs into the Wyatt Family version, saying that in order to move forward, they have to take a step back to where it all began. Bray created him so now Braun needs to come see him. Follow the buzzards and run. The lantern is blown out to end the show. Does WWE really think that Strowman’s time with the Wyatt Family was that important? And they’re going to fight at the Wyatt Compound aren’t they?

Overall Rating: C-. Pretty meh show with only Riddle’s debut being noteworthy (making that probably the seventh most important headline about him this week). It’s too early to say if that is going to mean anything but at least he debuted strong. Other than that, totally skippable show here as we’re heading towards a bunch of rematches before we get to the Summerslam build. That isn’t much to write home about, but June/July rarely is.

Results

Matt Riddle b. AJ Styles – Bro Derek

Shorty G. b. Mojo Rawley – Small package

New Day b. Lucha House Party – Midnight Hour to Dorado

Sasha Banks b. Nikki Cross – Meteora

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

It really is this easy.

https://wrestlingrumors.net/tommyhall/kbs-review-gold-silver-secret/

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: January 16, 2006
Location: RBC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
Attendance: 7,500
Commentators: Joey Styles, Jerry Lawler, Jonathan Coachman

We are getting closer and closer to the Royal Rumble but the big story coming out of last week’s show is Ric Flair interrupting Edge and Lita’s special celebration. Edge has something else to worry about with John Cena though and he might have to deal with both of them here. Oh and we get Shawn Michaels vs. new Smackdown World Champion Kurt Angle in case you need a likely instant classic. Let’s get to it.

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

Martin Luther King Jr. Day video. They never miss those.

Opening sequence.

Tonight: Edge defends against Ric Flair in a TLC match. That sounds like something you might want to promote a little more than an hour and a half in advance.

Here are Edge and Lita for a chat. Edge talks about how people have been calling him a cheap champion and that he stole the title. The truth is he won the title fair and square (indeed) and as champion, he calls the shots. Some people were offended by last week’s celebration but get over it, because it was the highest rated ending to Raw in over two years.

The day after he won the title, over twenty five million people checked WWE.com, making him the most watched WWE Champion of all time. That brings him to Flair, meaning we see a clip of the Conchairto from last week. For now, Edge wants to finish what he started with Lita last week so he grabs a chair….and here’s Kurt Angle, flanked by Daivari, to interrupt. He thinks the YOU SUCK chants refer to Lita and doesn’t like Edge using a briefcase to win the title.

Angle doesn’t take the easy way to the World Title, but Edge thinks Angle ran to Smackdown because he can’t beat John Cena. Angle wants to unify the titles tonight but Edge insults him even more. The suplexes are on but here’s Vince McMahon to interrupt. There isn’t going to be any unification match because Edge is defending against Flair in a TLC match. Edge and Lita leave, with Vince telling Lita to cover up. That’s as out of character as you’re going to get all night. As for Angle, he’s facing Shawn Michaels in a non-title match, but if Shawn loses, his contract is terminated.

Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

Non-title and the match is joined in progress after the break with Shawn chasing Daivari before heading inside to chop Angle. A headlock puts Angle down and Shawn chops away in the corner again. Shawn goes up though and dives into the belly to belly, which is never a good thing. Angle’s German suplex sets up a bodyscissors to work on the ribs but the Angle Slam is countered into a DDT.

That means a very delayed two but Daivari low bridges Shawn to the floor to cut him off again. A superkick drops Daivari but the Angle Slam drops Shawn on the floor. Back from a break with Shawn’s back in trouble and Angle whipping him hard into the corner. Angle can’t hit a belly to belly superplex twice in a row so he runs the corner for a super Angle Slam and a delayed two.

The ankle lock is countered into a victory roll for two and Shawn starts slugging away. That just earns him another ankle lock but Shawn is out in a hurry and clotheslining away. The top rope elbow misses though so there go the straps. The ankle lock isn’t broken so quickly this time, though Shawn does manage to slap Daivari. That’s enough to bring Daivari in with a chair but Angle breaks it up, only to have Daivari accidentally hit him with said chair. Shawn is right there with a rollup for the fluke pin.

Rating: B. These two have gotten into a formula with Angle overwhelming Shawn, leaving him to have to get in his shots here and there. It’s a formula that works and it did here, as they have spaced the matches out well enough that they don’t feel repetitive. Angle losing a few days after winning the title isn’t the best thing, but the whole situation is a mess and it wasn’t remotely clean so it could have been a lot worse.

Post match Daivari stomps away on Shawn but Angle pulls him off and wants some answers. Daivari slaps him in the face and gets Angle Slammed to the floor. Moron deserves it.

During the break, Angle said Daivari’s services are no longer needed.

We look at Edge’s huge spear at Wrestlemania X7.

Maria interviews Chris Masters and shows him how he lost in the Elimination Chamber. Masters blames Carlito but he’ll take care of him at the Royal Rumble. Tonight though, John Cena loses the Masterlock Challenge.

Ashley vents to Trish Stratus about Mickie James being all psycho. Mickie comes in and doesn’t like being talked about. Yes she is obsessed, about what she did to Ashley last week. For tonight though, they’re a team, with Mickie offering some well placed slaps.

It’s Masterlock Challenge time, with Masters saying he’s doing this to prove that he had the Elimination Chamber won if not for Carlito. Cena comes out to take the challenge, listens to Masters’ trash talk, and then flails around in the hold. He Hulks Up but here’s Edge to blast Cena with the title, busting him open. Edge’s evil smiles are always great.

Vince comes into the training room to see Shawn and throws him out for the evening. Ric Flair is next to him so Vince says Flair could become the 17 time World Champion (Flair looks straight at the camera as Vince says 17, likely wanting to go on a promo with a lot of numbers). Candice Michelle comes in to flirt with Vince and do the Go Daddy dance.

Trish Stratus/Mickie James/Ashley vs. Torrie Wilson/Victoria/Candice Michelle

During the entrances, we see a clip of Candice’s Go Daddy Super Bowl commercial, involving various parts of her washing a window. Victoria works on Trish’s arm to start and is quickly pulled down into a rollup for two. It’s off to Ashley, but Mickie spears her down and goes nuts as Victoria watches on like a smart villain. Trish argues with Mickie and it’s the Widow’s Peak to finish Ashley in a hurry. Trish vs. Mickie continues to be one of the more interesting stories on the show.

Classic Edge TLC Moment: TLC I.

Rob Van Dam is back at the Royal Rumble.

Carlito doesn’t understand why Rob Van Dam coming back is a big deal and we see a clip of Carlito attacking him in June. The reality is that Carlito is on a roll and was THIS CLOSE to winning the title at New Year’s Revolution. Don’t worry though, because he’s winning the Royal Rumble and heading to Wrestlemania. No one on Raw or Smackdown can stop him so here’s Kane to put an apple in Carlito’s mouth and throw him over the top.

Someone wants to see Vince and he seems to think it going to be Candice.

Post break, Vince starts stripping for Candice but it’s Mama Benjamin and Shelton. Well at least it wasn’t Moolah and Mae. Anyway she wants Shelton to have a match tonight and sends Shelton away. Mama offers Vince chocolate thunder and brown sugar. Even Vince seems disturbed by that one.

We look at Chris Benoit’s Swan Dive only hitting a table in TLC III.

Shelton Benjamin vs. Big Show

Mama Benjamin is here and looks close to passing out when Show’s music hits. Shelton hides behind Mama but Show is kind enough to hold the ropes open for her. Mama: “Shelton, you’re on your own.” Shelton slugs away to no avail and has to go after the broken hand to escape a chokeslam attempt. A fall away slam works better for Show as Shelton is sent outside. Show throws him back in but here’s HHH for the brawl to cause the countout, giving Shelton the win.

Rob Van Dam hit the Van Terminator in TLC IV.

Raw World Title: Edge vs. Ric Flair

Only Edge (with Lita) is defending in a Tables Ladders and Chairs match (the first ever singles edition). Before the match, Flair hugs his daughter Ashley, better known as Charlotte (so yes, she was getting TV time before she even debuted). The title is raised and we’re ready to go. Edge hammers away to start and drops some elbows before throwing in the toys. A ladder to the face has Flair down and Edge crushes him in between. They head outside with Flair knocking him up against the barricade.

That means Edge gets knocked into the crowd but Flair follows and is quickly backdropped to ringside. Edge suplexes him on the floor and loads up another Conchairto on a table, but Flair fights up this time. Lita goes after Flair so Edge chairs him down like a true villain. As you might expect, Flair is busted open (I’m surprised it took him this long) and Edge puts him on the table. A splash off the ladder in the ring destroys Flair and we take a break with both of them down.

Back with Edge getting crushed in a ladder for a change and Flair chairing the ladder to make it worse. A nasty chair shot to the head lets Flair climb a ladder (gulp) so Edge superplexes him right back down for the double knockdown. Edge’s missile dropkick misses though and they’re both down again. It’s Edge up first to chair him to the floor but Flair turns over the ladder, sending Edge crashing through a table on the floor (there’s your crazy crash of the match). Lita makes the save this time and gets Figure Foured so Flair goes up again. This time Edge knocks him off though and retains in a hurry.

Rating: B. There is something so wrong yet so fascinating watching Flair in a match like this. One thing I have to give him is that he threw himself into it and almost looked comfortable out there. The lack of drama didn’t help things, but the constant shots of Ashley made me believe that there was a chance. It was a fun match, though building it up more than an hour and a half could have been advised.

Post match Edge loads up another Conchairto, drawing out Cena for the save. Cena swings the chair but can’t hit anyone to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. It’s hard to screw up a show with a big main event and Shawn vs. Angle and they were a strong enough combination to work here. What mattered here was getting the Flair vs. Edge feud out of the way and now we are moving full steam ahead to the Rumble. Cena vs. Edge is feeling like a big deal and then the Rumble itself can carry the rest of the card. Very good show here, but how could it not be given how stacked the card was?

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: June 12, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

Things have picked up in the slightest sense over the last few weeks as a minor feud has broken out. I wouldn’t expect it to go much further than that but I’ll take what I can get at this point. We now have a full on heel Cruiserweight Champion with lackeys and he’ll need a challenger after Drake Maverick. Maybe someone on here can be built up in that way. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Ever Rise vs. Leon Ruff/Adrian Alanis

Martel armdrags Ruff down to start so it’s off to Parker vs. Alanis. The armdrags into the armbar put Parker down and it’s right back to the other two. This time Ruff gets in his own armbar but it’s right back to Martel for a running elbow in the corner. The top wristlock keeps Ruff down for a few seconds until he’s over to Alanis for the hot tag. That doesn’t go well either and it’s Martel holding Alanis up for a running Codebreaker from Parker for the pin at 4:25.

Rating: D+. Ever Rise were a nice team in the indies but they’re not clicking whatsoever around here. They’re just two guys in tights who have passable matches. In other words, they’re TM61 without as much talent or Pokemon jokes. You can see the effort, but sounding like a knockoff battery brand isn’t helping them.

We recap Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch’s mixed results against Tehuti Miles.

We look at Isaiah Scott beating Jack Gallagher but getting beaten down after.

We look at Hijo del Fantasma turning heel by attacking Jack Gallagher, joining forces with Raul Mendoza and Joaquin Wilde and unmasking as Santos Escobar.

Tehuti Miles/Tony Nese/Jack Gallagher vs. Oney Lorcan/Danny Burch/Isaiah Scott

Makes sense. Miles tags himself in to start, much to Gallagher’s annoyance, so Burch elbows him in the face. It’s off to Lorcan and then Scott in the span of a second as the arm cranking continues. Nese comes in and gets headlocked down by Scott, followed by a headscissors from Lorcan. Back up and Gallagher comes in, allowing Nese to snap Lorcan’s throat across the top. The villains take over, including a suplex/middle rope dropkick combination for two.

Miles’ hard clothesline gets two and we hit the chinlock. That doesn’t last long so Miles goes with a flapjack, but hang on as he needs to check his hair. The delay allows the tag off to Scott so the pace can pick up. The rolling Downward Spiral gets two on Miles with Gallagher making the save. Burch throws Scott into the corner to dropkick Miles as everything breaks down. Nese’s spinning kick to the face gets two on Burch but Miles checks his hair again. That’s too much for Gallagher, who walks out because he’s not babysitting kids. Nese goes to talk him out of it as Burch headbutts Miles. The Confidence Boost finishes at 7:43.

Rating: C. Just a six man here and that’s all well and good. What matters most here though is Scott continues to get the push to the next level. He has all the tools needed to be a major challenger and now he seems to be moving in that direction. That being said, he has been here before and WWE has pulled the plug so it’s cautious optimism at best.

Overall Rating: C-. It wasn’t a great show but they’re doing SOMETHING around here. No it isn’t much, but at the same time it’s better than sitting around watching the same stuff over and over again with no story or interest whatsoever. The show still offers a grand total of nothing significant, but at least they’re not just sitting around wasting time every single week.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: June 11, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: MVP, Tom Phillips

It’s time for a go home edition of the show and that should mean that at least part of this should be more interesting than usual. However, that isn’t exactly the most likely situation with the rest of the show, because Main Event doesn’t work that way. If nothing else it just makes you realize that WWE has a lot of people on its roster and they are in quite the tiered structure. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Natalya vs. Liv Morgan

Feeling out process to start with Liv nipping up out of a headscissors. She counters a wristlock into one of her own but Natalya takes her down with a waistlock. Liv spins out of that and smiles at Natalya, who is getting annoyed at Liv’s lack of seriousness. A kick to the back of the trunks sets up the basement dropkick, followed by the sitout powerbomb out of the corner.

The surfboard lets Natalya kick Liv face first into the mat but Liv pops back up with the clotheslines. There’s the Shining Wizard and a double stomp to the back gives Liv two. Oblivion is countered though and they go into a rollup exchange for a bunch of near falls. The Sharpshooter is loaded up but Natalya reverses into a small package for the pin at 5:32.

Rating: C-. Morgan is a great case of someone who might not have all the tools but she seems to be working hard to improve. That is going to get her somewhere at some point and giving her a win over someone like Natalya (not the biggest star but better than others) is going to mean something. Not a terrible match, though to be fair it’s the opener on Main Event.

Post match Natalya has another fit.

From Smackdown.

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

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

Back with Cross still in trouble and Banks hitting the running knees in the corner for two. Bayley beats on Cross in the corner but Cross kicks her way out and makes the hot tag to Bliss. Insult to Injury hits Bayley but Twisted Bliss is broken up. The super Bayley to Belly connects…and Bayley tags instead of covering, allowing Banks to hit a running knee for two on Bliss.

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

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

From Raw.

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

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

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

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

Shelton Benjamin vs. Shane Thorne

The lockup sends Thorne to the apron and Shelton takes him to the mat without much effort. MVP doesn’t think the wrestling stuff is going to work here for Thorne because MVP has some intelligence. Back up and Shelton grabs the ankle lock, sending Thorne straight back to the apron. Thorne finally sends him to the corner for a cannonball and we take a break.

Back with Thorne working on the arm with some knees and tying it around the bottom rope. The Dragon Whip gets Shelton out of trouble though and he whips Thorne hard into the corner. Shane can’t get a crossface chickenwing so Shelton knees him in the face. Paydirt finishes Thorne at 10:57.

Rating: C-. Shelton is another case of someone who isn’t going to go anywhere but at least he’s getting to do something in the ring most weeks. Thorne’s push has stopped cold and I can’t say I’m surprised. He’s just kind of there for the most part and that isn’t enough to warrant a ton of television time.

We recap Miz and Morrison “pranking” Braun Strowman. They deserved to have their van wrecked.

From Raw.

Viking Raiders vs. MVP/Bobby Lashley

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

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

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

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

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

Overall Rating: D+. Totally run of the mill Main Event here and that’s not the best thing in the world. There is only so much that you can get out of a show like this and this week was good evidence of that. You could feel the lack of importance in the matches, but at least they had some focus on the Backlash build. Not a great focus mind you, but a focus.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Monday Night Raw
Date: June 15, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tom Phillips, Byron Saxton, Samoa Joe

We’re done with Backlash and on the way to Extreme Rules, but the question now is how much of a change we are going to be seeing under the new creative direction. I’m not sure what that is going to mean but we’ll probably be seeing some big changes taking place in one night. Let’s get to it.

Here is Backlash if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Here’s Randy Orton to open things up. He talks about seeing Edge’s intensity back in January and knew that he needed to save Edge from himself, just like Edge saved Orton back in the day. Orton knows he’s the greatest and doesn’t need the WWE Title to prove it. He owes Edge a thank you though, because Edge reignited a fire to be the Legend Killer. Orton wishes Edge was here to see him face to face but he’s in a hospital having his muscle reattached to the bone. He’s heard that Edge is going to be cleared in July…..of 2029. Maybe their paths can collide again, say in nine years?

Cue Christian of all people to say Edge’s redemption is not done. Orton injured him but Christian knows that Edge will be back. Orton thinks Christian wants one more match but Christian says no way because he isn’t medically cleared. There is a way around that though: tonight, Christian vs. Orton, unsanctioned. Orton turns his back on him and says the offer expires at the end of the night. If Christian says no, it proves that he’s nothing more than a coward. Christian doesn’t say anything as Orton leaves.

Angel Garza is asked if he feels guilty about last night’s United States Title match. Zelina Vega tries to answer for him but Garza says he has this. Garza talks about how if you care for anything, you have to fight for it, like they’ll fight Kevin Owens. Garza offers Charly Caruso a special interview after he beats Owens. Charly thinks they could arrange something but here’s Andrade to say Garza will disappoint him if he loses to Owens.

Angel Garza vs. Kevin Owens

Garza goes after the knee to start but Owens is ready for him this time. Cue Andrade to watch and we actually don’t take a break. Instead they trade waistlocks and Owens TAKES OFF GARZA’S PANTS. The threat of a Stunner sends Garza to the floor but Andrade tells him to get back in. Vega breaks it up, says she’s sick of this, and leaves. Back from a break with Garza missing a Bronco Buster but hitting a missile dropkick for two. The leg cranking is on until Owens fights out, only to have Andrade grab Owens’ foot. Garza yells at Andrade and walks into the Stunner for the pin at 6:41.

Rating: C. They started fast here but with a good chunk of it in the commercial, it wasn’t going to be able to do much. Zelina and company fighting each other isn’t the most thrilling story but I’ll take them actually having a story to tell rather than just throwing stuff out there week to week. Owens getting into the US Title picture could help as well.

Post match, Zelina comes back out to say they need to work together. The three leave together.

We look at Drew McIntyre surviving against Bobby Lashley.

MVP and Bobby Lashley don’t appreciate being asked about the loss last night. That wasn’t Lashley’s fault and they’re going to do something about it.

Here are MVP and Lashley to rant about Lana’s interference and Drew McIntyre not giving him an immediate rematch. Cue Lana to say that she does everything for Lashley, including coloring her hair brown and getting a divorce for him. MVP blames Lana for everything but she cuts him off and calls him a snake. Lana says stop the tone because she is a woman thank you very much.

She and Lashley were on a hot streak, but Lashley cuts her off over the “we” part. When is the last time Lana won anything other than a bunch of Facebook likes? He accuses her of using their sex life to get famous but Lana says if that’s what she wanted, she would have slept with someone more famous. Like Drew. Lashley: “I WANT A DIVORCE!” Lana is crushed as MVP and Lashley leave together.

We recap the Street Profits/Viking Raiders over the last few weeks, including last night’s insanity.

The Profits and the Raiders talk about wanting a cinematic universe and an animated series, but here are Akira Tozawa and the motorcycle ninjas. Tozawa wants in the sequel, so the Profits say they’re down for a fight anytime. The giant ninja appears and Erik has to be held back. The ninjas leave and the Viking Profits know what they have to do.

Viking Profits vs. Ninjas

Erik knees Ninja 1 down as the giant ninja is watching from ringside. Ford comes in for a dropkick to Ninja 2 and everything breaks down in a hurry. Double spinebusters set up double frog splashes to give the Profits the pin at 1:24.

Post match Akira Tozawa sends in the Giant Ninja so the Viking Profits huddle. They want the smoke….and here’s the Big Show.

Seth Rollins finds it interesting that no one has seen Dominick Mysterio yet but he knows Dominick is here. Rollins is heading to the ring with a message.

Christian is on the phone and doesn’t seem sure about anything.

Here’s Rollins to talk about how Rey Mysterio has been invited here but has declined the invitation. That’s taking the coward’s way out, but his son Dominick is here instead. Cue Rey on screen to say this is Rollins’ one warning. Rollins doesn’t understand the warning and asks Rey to be a good father for once and have his son join Rollins’ movement.

Austin Theory and Murphy are out to find Dominick right now so Rollins will get him sooner or later. Rollins says Dominick is an adult who makes his own choices. As Rollins drops to his knees, cue Dominick from behind to jump Rollins. Murphy and Theory charge in so Dominick runs away and gets out, with Rey coaching him from the screen.

R-Truth wants to give Lashley and MVP his condominiums for the loss last night. Last night, Lashley went to Claymore Country so he must be jet lagged. That must be a raw deal, and yes that’s a pun. Tonight it’s Truth/Drew McIntyre vs. Lashley/MVP, but Truth runs from a fight at the moment.

Post break, Lashley and MVP find Truth under a training ring but here’s Drew for the staredown. MVP says Drew is a pretender and wants tonight’s tag match to be winner take all. Truth: “YAHTZEE!” Drew says it’s on, but doesn’t seem thrilled as Truth doesn’t seem to get what “winner takes all” means.

Liv Morgan/Natalya vs. IIconics

Natalya goes after Kay to start but gets kicked down by Royce. Kay gets in a top rope double stomp to the back for two but Natalya grabs a rollup for the same. The kickout sends her over to Morgan for the tag and a springboard dropkick gets two on Kay. Everything breaks down and Morgan’s rollup gets one on Kay. Instead it’s Royce getting a blind tag and A Fall From Grace finishes Morgan at 2:22.

Post match the IIconics want the Women’s Tag Team Titles. They call out Bayley and Sasha Banks right now but no one comes out. They’ll do it next week instead.

Big Show talks with Christian about how this might be a trap with Orton.

Natalya yells at Morgan for making rookie mistakes and understands why Ruby Riott let her go. Morgan walks away and Natalya rants about the lack of respect after she built this division brick by brick. Lana comes in to say Natalya thinks she has it bad. Lana was supposed to be married to the WWE Champion and now this happens. Natalya gets it.

Here’s Christian for a chat with Charly on the stage. Christian says he won’t be disrespected, so if Orton wants to give him one more match, he accepts.

MVP comes up to congratulate Apollo Crews on being United States Champion. It’s one thing to be a champion but you need to be a smart US Champion. Crews is going to need someone to guide him and MVP offers his services. That’s not happening, but MVP gets serious by saying the only way Crews keeps the title is with MVP’s help.

Charlotte and Ric Flair have a chat about Charlotte having plans for later tonight.

Apollo Crews vs. Shelton Benjamin

Non-title and Crews has new music. Benjamin suplexes him into the corner for a running knee to start as MVP is watching from the back. The chinlock doesn’t work and Crews nails an enziguri. The standing moonsault gives Crews two but Benjamin slips out of a gorilla press. Shelton grabs a rollup with feet on the ropes for two but the referee catches him. That means a rollup from Crews, who grabs the rope himself to finish Benjamin at 2:08. It didn’t feel like a heel turn, but rather Crews giving Shelton his own medicine.

Tozawa and the ninjas, one of them a referee, comes up to Truth and shouts something while pointing at the 24/7 Title. The threat of a crane kick sends them running, though Drew standing behind Truth might have something to do with it. Drew wants Truth to be serious for a second because this is a big deal. Truth gets serious and understands.

We recap Asuka vs. Nia Jax, which started when Nia got annoyed at Asuka for being awarded the Raw Women’s Title for winning Money in the Bank. They went to a double countout last night.

Asuka is ready to finish Jax.

Truth has good news for Drew: only the WWE Title will be on the line tonight. Truth knows what it’s like to lose a title and Drew won’t have to feel that tonight. Drew doesn’t look convinced.

The Viking Profits talk about a chariot race next week when Big Show comes in. They thank him for his help and he thanks them for the free shirts. Show has liked the competitions but maybe they should have a Tag Team Title match. Say next week. The Profits are in so Show demonstrates some dancing.

Raw World Title: MVP/Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre/R-Truth

McIntyre is defending and Lashley or MVP can pin either McIntyre or Truth to win the title. Drew drives Lashley into the corner to start and it’s a Glasgow Kiss to rock Lashley in a hurry. Lashley goes with the power and starts elbowing McIntyre in the head, allowing the tag to MVP. Drew gets to clothesline Lashley outside and hits a neckbreaker on MVP, but Truth tags himself in.

A suplex sends Truth into the corner and it’s off to Lashley to send Truth into the barricade as we take a break. Back with Truth kicking MVP down and making the hot tag to McIntyre to clean house. McIntyre suplexes MVP and hits the top rope shot to the head for a bonus. The Futureshock connects with Lashley making a save. Lashley’s spear to Truth goes into the steps and the Claymore hits MVP….but McIntyre tags in Truth. A Rocket Launcher pins MVP at 9:12.

Rating: C. This felt like it could have been a fine house show main event around the horn for a few weeks and that’s not bad for a quick TV match like this one. They were playing up the drama but it wasn’t exactly easy to buy early in the third hour on Raw. Still though, what we got was good enough for a short deal.

Ric Flair can’t talk Christian out of the match.

Here are Bayley and Sasha Banks for a chat. Bayley says she’s ready to celebrate the win but it’s also her birthday! It’s going to be a week long celebration, starting tonight, then moving on to NXT to beat Tegan Nox and Shotzi Blackheart before they go back home to Smackdown. Sasha isn’t happy with the IIconics, but here they are to interrupt. They didn’t hear an answer to their challenge and call out Sasha for collapsing under pressure. Royce slaps Banks, sending Bayley into such a frenzy (Bayley: “IT’S MY FRIGGIN BIRTHDAY!”) that she accepts the challenge.

We look back at Dominick jumping Rollins and vamoosing while the vamoosing was good.

Rey Mysterio will be back next week.

Raw Women’s Title: Asuka vs. Nia Jax

Asuka is defending in a rematch from last night’s draw. Jax goes at her to start but has to power out of a cross armbreaker. The running hip attack misses though and Jax ties her in the ropes. What looked like a Samoan drop is countered into a quickly broken sleeper, meaning Asuka can start kicking at the legs. Jax’s big right hand drops the champ but she has to power out of a triangle. This time it’s a powerbomb on the floor to drop Asuka and we take a break.

Back with Asuka having to fight out of a torture rack and hitting a running basement dropkick for two. Jax puts her on top but Asuka slips out of a super Samoan drop and hits a running dropkick to the ribs for two more. The kicks to the chest are shrugged off though and the Samoan drop connects. There is no count though as Asuka’s foot is under the rope. Jax shoves the referee so he holds up the DQ, only to have Asuka roll her up for a pretty fast pin at 8:54.

Rating: C. Well Jax didn’t kill anyone and Charlotte wasn’t involved so I’d call this a big win. The ending would suggest a rematch at Extreme Rules and while a third match in about a month is a bit much, neither match has broken ten minutes so it’s not like we’ve seen them doing this over and over for long stretches. Just find the right gimmick or it could be bad in a hurry.

Orton thinks Christian is a legend but he’s ready to finish him with the RKO.

Randy Orton vs. Christian

Unsanctioned…and here’s Ric Flair before the match starts. Flair has talked to Edge and he isn’t cool with this happening right now. Christian takes the mic and says he has to do this so the bell rings….and Flair hits Christian low. Orton hits the Punt on Christian and, after looking like he regrets it a bit, gets the pin at 1:01. I’m curious about where this could be going, but Flair and Orton reuniting doesn’t do much for me.

Post match Orton says he didn’t want this to happen and asks why Christian is here. Medics check on Christian and Orton says he didn’t want to finish Christian….but it’s Christian’s fault. He interrupted Orton a few hours ago and now this is what he gets. More glaring ends the show.

Overall Rating: C+. Well, it wasn’t boring. That’s quite the compliment for the show and it’s a good sign for one night. There were enough stories to keep the show moving and they had a little drama in the right places. This did feel like something of a course correction and while a lot of the stories are things that have been set up before, they are heading in somewhat different directions. That being said, I have little confidence in WWE to keep something like this up as they have haven’t shown much in the way of maintaining momentum in recent years.

Results

Kevin Owens b. Angel Garza – Stunner

Viking Profits b. Ninjas – Double pin off frog splashes

IIconics b. Liv Morgan/Natalya – Fall From Grace to Morgan

Apollo Crews b. Shelton Benjamin – Rollup with a grab of the rope

Drew McIntyre/R-Truth b. MVP/Bobby Lashley – Rocket Launcher to MVP

Asuka b. Nia Jax – Rollup

Randy Orton b. Christian – Punt

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Backlash 2020
Date: June 14, 2020
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Samoa Joe, Byron Saxton

It’s back to pay per view again and this time it’s not a themed show. The main event certainly has a theme though, as Edge and Randy Orton are supposed to have the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. I’m not sure if anyone actually sees that as being a realistic possibility, but it’s a heck of a tagline. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: United States Title: Andrade vs. Apollo Crews

Andrade is challenging and has Zelina Vega and Angel Garza with him. Hold on though as here’s Kevin Owens (with a tie) to join commentary. Crews misses the dropkick to start and gets caught in a headlock as Owens accuses Garza of not being so angelic. Andrade chokes on the rope and they head outside where Crews backdrops him onto the ramp. The apron moonsault connects and Andrade is rocked early on.

Back in and the release Falcon Arrow gives Crews two but Andrade drop toeholds him face first into the middle buckle. The Alberto double stomp misses and Crews grabs an overhead belly to belly into the corner. Crews suplexes him to the apron and Andrade gets in a slingshot DDT for two. Back up and Crews hits the gorilla press into the standing moonsault. Owens cuts off Garza and the toss powerbomb retains the title at 7:23.

Rating: C-. Totally run of the mill Raw match here though Owens as a potential challenger is interesting. He’s needed something to do since Wrestlemania (and yes the injury slowed him down) so a US Title run could be interesting. Just do something of note with him for the sake of not having him float around. Crews doesn’t seem like a long term champion, but at least he didn’t lose the title immediately.

The opening video is all about Edge vs. Orton, complete with clips of other great matches. The two World Title matches apparently aren’t important enough to warrant even a clip.

Bayley and Sasha Banks are ready to defend the Women’s Tag Team Titles. After dubbing herself Bayley Dos Straps (I didn’t know you could use that word), Bayley says nothing is stopping her friendship with Sasha. If Kayla has another stupid question like that, get Charly Caruso to ask it. Burn…..maybe?

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

Bayley and Banks are defending and Cole makes it clear that you can only tag your own partner. Nikki slugs away at Billie and Bayley to start but the double teaming slows her down. Everyone tags out and it’s a six way staredown for a second. An exchange of rollups gets a bunch of near falls and then more rollups get more near falls to change things up. Everyone comes in again until Bliss sends Peyton into Banks in the corner.

Peyton spinwheel kicks Cross down and Banks brings in Bayley as Cole lists off all of the titles that Bayley has won over the years. Bayley grabs Billie in a wheelbarrow so Banks can hit a running knee for two with Nikki making a save. Nikki sends Bayley into Billie and it’s back to Bliss to clean house. Everything breaks down and Royce crossbodies Bliss and Banks off the apron onto everyone else. Back in and Twisted Bliss hits Peyton but Banks steals the rollup on Bliss to retain at 8:49.

Rating: C. The match was non-stop action for the most part but it was so fast paced that it got messy by the end. That’s almost always going to be the case with this many people flying around the match at once and that’s not always the best idea. They’ve done a nice job of rebuilding the division in a hurry though and it’s because of a really simple idea: have people fight over the titles. I have no idea if this is going to last (it probably won’t) but it has been a nice few weeks for the belts. Or straps as Bayley now calls them.

Braun Strowman came to work earlier today.

Extreme Rules is on July 19.

We recap Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus. Hardy is back after a knee injury and Sheamus doesn’t like him for having so many personal demons. Sheamus may have framed him for a drunk driving crash that took out Elias but Hardy swears he was framed. Then there was some stuff with bodily fluids to bring things down a good bit.

Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus

Hardy grabs a headlock to start as his artistic way of expressing his anger at someone who almost cost him everything. The slingshot dropkick in the corner connects but Sheamus comes straight back with the running shot to the face. They head outside with Hardy diving off the steps to take him down and, after a painful obvious spot call, sends Sheamus back inside. Hardy teases using the steps but Sheamus catches him on the way back in and drives the elbows into the back of the neck.

Sheamus drops Hardy onto the top and the knee hits the post for a nasty crash. A middle rope knee gives Sheamus two and, after calling the fans enablers, he plants Hardy with some Irish Curses for the same. Sheamus hits a nasty running knee to the face and the chinlock goes on, complete with some rakes to the eyes. Hardy fights up with a belly to back suplex but Sheamus cuts him down with a clothesline.

The top rope clothesline misses though and Hardy hits the Whisper in the Wind for two of his own. The legdrop between the legs into the basement dropkick gets two and Hardy adds a mule kick. Hardy’s Sling Blade lets him go up top but Sheamus meets him on the rope. That’s broken up but Sheamus blocks the dive and hits White Noise for two. Hardy’s knee is banged up so Sheamus slaps on the Texas Cloverleaf.

Hardy makes the rope so Sheamus starts kicking at the knee and adds the forearms to the chest. Sheamus goes shoulder first into the post though and the Swanton connects for two with Sheamus getting his foot on the rope. They head outside with Hardy trying the run off the barricade but Sheamus Brogue Kicks him out of the air. Back in and another Brogue Kick connects to give Sheamus the pin 16:45.

Rating: B-. Pretty good power vs. speed match here but it’s pretty clear that they are heading for a gimmick rematch at Extreme Rules. I’m almost scared to imagine what that is going to be given how they have set things up so far, but hopefully we can get something as lame as a tables match or something instead. Hardy being knocked backwards and then overcoming the odds will be fine. It’s not like losing to Sheamus is some big upset.

Miz and Morrison aren’t happy with hearing that if they beat Braun Strowman, the winner will be the sole Universal Champion. Otis comes in to say they might not be champion that long. Mandy Rose clarifies that Otis means they might not be champion that long.

We recap Asuka vs. Nia Jax. Asuka won Money in the Bank to become champion and Nia is being her usual jerk of a self. Title match ensues.

Raw Women’s Title: Nia Jax vs. Asuka

Asuka is defending and goes for the sleeper early. That’s broken up and Nia hits a headbutt, only to have Asuka grab an Octopus in the middle of the ring. Nia powers out without much trouble and, after shrugging off a Fujiwara armbar attempt, runs Asuka over with straight power. The spinebuster sets up a cobra clutch but Asuka is back with a guillotine.

Nia powers out with a Jackhammer for two but Asuka scores with the Shining Wizard for the same. A middle rope dropkick gets two and there’s the running hip attack for two more. Jax grabs a sitout powerbomb for two of her own and Asuka goes for the armbar. That sends them outside where Asuka grabs the armbar again. The hold takes some time though and Asuka kicks her in the head, only for both of them to get counted out at 8:25.

Rating: C. It was a fun match while it lasted with Asuka trying to take down the monster, but it’s a little hard to get invested in the feud when the monster has been slayed so many times before. It feels like we’ve seen the same Jax story over and over and that can get old in a hurry. Not a bad match at all, but I’m not really wanting to see them fight again, especially if they manage to get Charlotte involved.

MVP is getting Bobby Lashley’s celebration ready when Lana comes in. Lana asks why MVP has banned her from ringside for Lashley’s matches, but MVP says he didn’t do it. Go ask Lashley why, unless she’s scared of the answer.

We recap Braun Strowman vs. Miz/Morrison for the Universal Title. Strowman beat both of them and then agreed to face them both at once, so they started “pranking” him, meaning destroying the windshield of his expensive car and failing to slime him. Strowman wrecked a van and is ready to destroy.

Smackdown World Title: Miz/John Morrison vs. Braun Strowman

Miz and Morrison are challenging and before the match, they show us their new music video for Hey Hey Ho Ho. Morrison is knocked into the corner without much trouble so it’s off to the terrified Miz for a kick to the face. That just annoys Strowman, who kicks Miz outside. The freight train around the ring is cut off by a dive from Morrison and the champ is in trouble for a change.

The chinlock keeps Strowman down and Miz comes in for the YES Kicks. He wants some singalong time, but the delay lets Strowman get in a chop. A charge goes into the post though and Morrison adds the Flying Chuck. The Skull Crushing Finale with a stomp from Morrison connects but they fight over who gets the pin. Miz finally lets Morrison cover but Strowman kicks him out to the floor. The chokeslam plants Miz and the running powerslam to Strowman retains the title at 8:23.

Rating: D+. So that’s about exactly what was expected and all it should have been. This was a pretty big waste of a pay per view title match (put Nakamura in there for a one off challenger if nothing else) as we’ve seen Strowman beat both of them before. Did we really need to see him beat both of them on pay per view?

We look at AJ Styles winning the Intercontinental Title over Daniel Bryan on Smackdown.

Styles promises a big title presentation on Friday and wants Bryan there. Bryan is great, but he isn’t phenomenal and has a lot to learn.

We recap Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley. MVP has gotten in Lashley’s ear and made him a lot more aggressive, plus getting him his first title match in thirteen years. McIntyre knows what a threat Lashley is but is ready to fight as usual.

Raw World Title: Bobby Lashley vs. Drew McIntyre

Drew is defending and MVP is here with Lashley. Before the bell, Lashley grabs the full nelson with a bodyscissors and a bunch of referees have to pull it off. McIntyre says ring the bell anyway so Lashley throws him down for two. We see Lana watching in the back as McIntyre can’t even get his gear off. Lashley hits a knee to the head and chokes on the rope (MVP: “How you feeling champ? Feeling like a loser yet? Don’t worry. It’s coming.”).

McIntyre manages to knock Lashley outside and drives him back first into the Plexiglas. A glare at MVP takes too long though and Lashley gets in a hard shot. MVP: “One, two, you hear the clock ticking.” Lashley sends McIntyre into the post but he charges into a suplex into the barricade. McIntyre muscles him up for a suplex and hits the top rope shot to the head back inside.

The spinebuster gets two but Lashley hits his own for one. Lashley grabs a lifting Downward Spiral for one more so MVP tells him to hit something McIntyre can’t kick out of. The full nelson doesn’t work so Lashley climbs to the middle rope, only to get countered with the reverse Alabama Slam for two. Lashley is right back with a Crossface but McIntyre powers up. A Tombstone is teased but Lashley slips out and grabs the ankle lock.

That’s broken up and McIntyre grabs a Kimura of all things. Lashley grabs the rope so McIntyre takes him to the top for a superplex and a big crash. The Claymore is countered with the spear for two and both MVP and Lashley are shocked. Cue Lana to get on the apron though, with McIntyre hitting the Glasgow Kiss to knock Lashley into her. The Claymore finishes Lashley at 13:15.

Rating: B. This was the match I was looking forward to in the buildup and they delivered with a good, hard hitting fight. They made this two big, strong guys beating each other up, but the Lana interference was annoying. Odds are we have a Last Man Standing match or a cage match next month, as the rematch is certainly warranted. Plus a lot of Lashley yelling at Lana of course. Oh and a lot of credit for MVP here too. I was never a fan of his back in the day but he has been pure gold in this role with Lashley.

The announcers talk about the Raw Tag Team Title match and we cut to the back where the teams are fighting near Strowman’s car. Erik is slammed through the windshield so they run off and fight into the building. We enter cinematic mode with the Profits pulling out golf clubs but the Raiders counter with shields, an axe and a bowling ball. Profits: “NO!” The chase is on again and they go into a tunnel where they agree to put their weapons down.

The Profits hits them in the face to take over, leaving Ivar with his bowling ball. Ivar flashes back to the bowling match, then rolls the ball down the tunnel between Ford’s legs. Ivar heads outside to find Erik down but Dawkins spears Ivar through a glass door. That means another flashback to bowling where they pulled a turkey leg out of the ball return. With that out of the way, Ivar wants to head outside, where they already are.

Cue a seven person motorcycle gang, as led by Akira Tozawa. He says anything you can do, we can do better, and throws his helmet at Ivar. The Raiders and the Profits huddle up (with a camera looking up at them), to say those are ninjas on bikes. They have to do this together, so a bunch of lightning strikes and they pull out red solo cups and turkey legs.

With a Viking Profits graphic coming up, they want the smoke and start beating up the ninjas with the cups and turkey legs. The ninjas are dispatched and the Viking Profits throw their fists together for a pose. Tozawa gets up to shout a lot and waves a huge ninja (as in over 7’) over. Ivar summons a turkey leg ala Captain America and the hammer in Avengers so the ninja pulls out a sword.

They climb onto the top of the production truck with Ivar not being able to keep up. Then they argue over who beat up the ninjas and start fighting again, with Dawkins diving off the truck with a bulldog to send Erik into a trashcan. Ivar throws Ford in, shouts AIR IVAR, and Swantons in after them. That means another flashback to all of the women finding Ivar cute but not so much with Erik. Cue referee Jessika Carr to say their match is next and that Ivar is cute, but not so much with Erik. Then what looks like an alligator tail appears in the trashcan and they all scramble to escape.

That was such a waste of time that I don’t know where to start. The only thing I can say is this: just wrestle. Have the two talented teams who have torn the house down before tear it down again. This match was announced earlier today and we get this stupid thing to flash back to the month long series of jokes that have left everyone involved looking goofy. The Raw Tag Team Titles haven’t been defended in over two months, but we’ve had bowling and basketball between the teams that had a non-title match before the whole thing started. Just have a freaking match already. Is that too much to ask on the wrestling show?

And no, the match isn’t taking place, because they set up the match about eight hours ago just to not do it on the pay per view.

Commentary announces that they will be offering an enhanced viewing and audio experience for the next match.

We recap Edge vs. Randy Orton. Edge won in a Last Man Standing match at Wrestlemania and now it’s a wrestling match, which will be the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever because that’s what they billed it as and that’s what it’s going to be.

Edge vs. Randy Orton

They pipe in the fake crowd noise on the entrances, just in case you were wondering what you were getting here. We get a voiceover from Howard Finkel and the old MSG microphone for the entrances as Charles Robinson is wearing the 1980s WWF referee uniform. After referee instructions, Tom instantly declares this the greatest wrestling match ever. Edge snaps off some armdrags but the third misses as Orton puts on the brakes. Orton grabs a headscissors with Edge powering out in a hurry.

They trade leapfrogs until Orton sends him outside. Edge suckers him in for a big boot though and they press play on the “crowd cheers” audio file. Back in and Edge armdrags him into an armbar (they’re playing up the history of injuries, with Edge’s neck and Orton’s shoulder), with Edge wrapping the legs around Orton’s arm. It’s off to a headlock but Orton gets up to take him into the corner and kick at the leg.

A headscissors sends Orton outside and Edge goes up, only to have Orton pop up top to meet him. Edge headbutts him down and Orton is busted open, prompting some far louder than possible THIS IS AWESOME chants from the crowd. Back in and Orton misses the RKO so Edge can grab the head and arm choke, sending Orton over to the ropes. They fight to the floor with Orton sending him into various things and then drops him onto the announcers’ table.

Back in and Orton goes with the Garvin Stomp, followed by the chinlock. That’s broken up so Orton looks up and hits two out of Three Amigos. Edge blocks the third and hits his own Three Amigos to put them both down. They head outside again with Edge being sent chest first into the post, setting up a top rope superplex back inside. Joe: “EDGE IS NOT GOOD RIGHT NOW!”

That gets two and they get back up for stereo crossbodies and another knockdown. Edge drapes him over the top and hits the Edgecution for two, followed by a knee to the face. A sliding forearm to the chest (Joe: “Stee-rike!”) gets two on Orton and a high crossbody is good for the same. Edge gets the Crossface on the shoulder he hasn’t been working on but Orton switches into a rollup for two instead. Orton snaps off an Angle Slam for two and the frustration is setting in.

Back up and Edge can’t hit an Unprettier but manages to counter the RKO into the Edge-O-Matic for two. Now the Unprettier connects for two, followed by Orton hitting a Pedigree for the same. Edge busts out a Rock Bottom for his own near fall and they’re both down again. The Edgecator is blocked and Orton hits the RKO for the closest near fall yet. Orton can’t believe it so Edge spears him down and hits a second for two, meaning it’s time for him to be stunned as well. Edge goes back to the head and arm choke but Orton goes low and hits the Punt for the win at 44:49.

Rating: B. This was a great example of a lot of the problems with WWE in a nutshell. They have some outstanding talents and wrestlers, but they can’t just let them do their thing. Instead it was over hyped, overproduced and overly long (this easily could have been trimmed down by twenty minutes) and now we’re going to hear about how great it was for the next few days. Why can’t it just stand on its own as a big match between two of the best ever?

It was a heck of a match too, with both guys working on their opponent’s weak spots and playing off the history. I could have gone without bringing in the legends’ finishers, but it tied in a bit to the legends being brought in for predictions. The problem wasn’t the wrestlers or what they did, but all of the additional weight that was put on them, which may have been a nice marketing idea on paper, but didn’t do anyone involved any favors.

Post match Orton whispers something in Edge’s ear (sounded something like telling Edge’s daughters Uncle Randy says hi but I couldn’t make it out) and Edge is helped up after a long while to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure what to think of this show as the wrestling was pretty good for the most part, but between the back to back cinematic matches and the feeling that it was a dress rehearsal for Extreme Rules, it was a little hard to care. It did exceed my expectations, but sweet goodness can we cool it on the cinematic matches already? It feels like we’re getting at least one per show now and that’s a good bit too much.

Results

Bayley/Sasha Banks b. IIconics and Alexa Bliss/Nikki Cross – Rollup to Bliss

Sheamus b. Jeff Hardy – Brogue Kick

Asuka vs. Nia Jax went to a double countout

Braun Strowman b. Miz/John Morrison – Running powerslam to Morrison

Drew McIntyre b. Bobby Lashley – Claymore

Randy Orton b. Edge – Punt

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

For the first time in several months, we have a show that doesn’t have a gimmick or theme to the whole thing. That can be either a blessing or a curse, as there is nothing to lean on but it also leaves WWE relying entirely on the wrestling, which might not be the best thing. I’m not entirely sure what to expect from it, but there is one major focal point to the show, which could get them in a bit of trouble. Let’s get to it.

Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus

We’ll start with one of the more discussed matches on the show, as Hardy’s substance abuse issues have been turned into a story. I can get why a lot of people aren’t comfortable with this (I’m not entirely) but it’s what we’re getting, including bodily fluid jokes on SmackDown. These two have been feuding for a bit now and there is a good chance that they’ll continue after this.

I’ll take Sheamus to cheat to win here, as Hardy has already beaten him once and they need a reason to keep the feud going. There is still the question of who was actually driving the car that took Elias out, so we could be moving towards something else in the future. For now though, Sheamus needs something to brag about and Hardy can still get the big win in the end, even if it’s not over Sheamus.

Raw Women’s Title: Asuka(c) vs. Nia Jax

This match has kind of been forgotten as everything regarding the women has turned into the Charlotte Show. WWE isn’t hiding the fact that whomever wins here will probably face (and likely lose to) Charlotte, making this a little less interesting than it should be. Jax has been her usual condescending giant self throughout this feud and that is going to be the case going forward no matter what.

In this case it’s going to be after a loss as Asuka retains. Jax has such a history of choking in these big matches and even though Charlotte vs. Jax would actually be a fresh match for a change, we’re getting another instance of Charlotte vs. Asuka. They’ll need to build Asuka up before then though and she’ll get a win here to do just that.

SmackDown World Title: Braun Strowman vs. Miz/John Morrison

Then there’s this, which might be the worst pay per view World Title match in recent memory. Strowman pinned Miz and Morrison in back to back weeks so now the solution is to have him beat up both of them at once. The build has included a variety of pranks, which have wound up damaging a car and a van. Why that is supposed to make me think Miz and Morrison have a chance is beyond me, but that’s where we are.

Of course Strowman retains, because much like Asuka vs. Charlotte (you have to mention her in at least one extra match you see), this is all about killing time until the Fiend is back to take the title from Strowman. It says a lot about SmackDown that the best thing they can do with their World Champion is have him beat up a tag team but here we are, with absolutely nothing else possible for him. You might want to work on that a bit.

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

For the first time since the Tag Team Titles have been around, WWE is actually making them seem important for a change. These three teams have fought over the titles for a bit now (plus Charlotte and Asuka, who beat them the IIconics and Bayley/Banks on Monday in a match that doesn’t seem to count but needed to exist to give Charlotte another win) and that makes the titles seem valuable.

For the sake of sanity, I’ll go with Banks and Bayley retaining here, as the revolving door of champions needs to slow down for a bit. Hopefully they can continue this in the future though as it has turned the titles from nothing into something in just a few weeks. It really isn’t that complicated but WWE took almost a year and a half to figure out the concept. Bayley and Banks retain here, but it really could be any of the three.

US Title: Apollo Crews(c) vs. Andrade

Now this one has become a lot more interesting in the last few days as Paul Heyman, Crews’ biggest supporter, was fired as Executive Director of Raw. Crews didn’t seem to be on the strongest footing as champion in the first place and it wouldn’t shock me to see the title change back here for the sake of getting rid of a Heyman guy in the first place. Then again you would think they might come up with someone more interesting that Andrade, whose first title reign didn’t exactly set the title on fire.

I’ll go with Crews retaining here in a pick likely to go wrong, but he isn’t going to hold the title much longer. Crews has all of the physical attributes that you could want but he still isn’t exactly an interesting character. Unfortunately Andrade hasn’t been interesting at all as champion, though I have a feeling he or someone else just as uninteresting will get the title back. The problem isn’t the wrestler though, but rather what they do with the title. WWE has shown that they’re fine with Andrade just sitting on the thing, and I think that’s what we get again, though not just yet.

Raw World Title: Drew McIntyre(c) vs. Bobby Lashley

This is the one match on the show that I’m especially looking forward to as they have done a great job of making me care about these two fighting. McIntyre is a successful champion so far but needs to slay a few dragons. That’s where Lashley could come into play but WWE has done a rather nice job of making you think that the title change is a possibility. It isn’t easy to make that work so points to them for a successful build.

McIntyre retains here, but I have a bad feeling that we’re on the inevitable path towards another Brock Lesnar title reign. The ratings for Monday Night Raw haven’t been great (to put it mildly) as of late and if there is one thing WWE likes to do, it is shifting back to Lesnar because why try something new when you can try something that hasn’t fixed the ratings issue? McIntyre keeps the title, but Lesnar is getting closer every day.

Edge vs. Randy Orton

There’s almost no way this doesn’t headline as WWE needs to do something else to set these guys up to fail. The problem here is simple: they are going to have a rather good if not great match, but billing it was the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever has put them so far behind the eight ball that it doesn’t matter. Couple that with the instant classic from SmackDown two days earlier and what in the world are they supposed to do?

I’ll take Orton to even things up, as there is a good chance this is going for a third match at Summerslam. That isn’t the best idea as Edge doesn’t have a ton of matches left in him and using two if not three of them on Orton isn’t exactly brilliant, but there are bigger problems here. The story here is going to be the build, plus listening to commentary tonight and tomorrow as they talk about how this might be the best match ever. It won’t be, but it should be pretty good.

Overall Thoughts

Man this card doesn’t seem like much, but there are a few bright spots in there. You can probably pencil in Shinsuke Nakamura/Cesaro (either of whom would have been a better challenger for Strowman) vs. New Day to flesh the card out a bit, but this is all going to be about the Raw World Title and Edge vs. Orton. That might be enough to carry it, though the card doesn’t look great overall.

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

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

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: January 13, 2006
Location: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Attendance: 10,892
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

It’s a big night around here as we are finally done with the Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton/Booker T. series for the US Title. It’s kind of interesting that so many fans (myself included) seem to remember more Benoit vs. Orton matches than there really were. I’m not sure what else to expect here but let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Here are Batista and Teddy Long to open things up. Commentary talks about Batista suffering some injuries over the weekend and this doesn’t sound good. With a heavy sigh, Batista talks about being injured in a match against Mark Henry over the weekend, meaning he’s going to need surgery and be out for a long time.

A long time ago, a friend of his named Paul told him to enjoy the ride with the title and that is what he has done. He has enjoyed following in the footsteps of men like Ric Flair, Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes. Due to the injury though, he is forced to relinquish the World Title. Batista hands the title to Long, but says he’s coming back for it. It’s sad to see the title reign end like this but there was nothing else they could have done. Granted the fact that he hadn’t defended the title on TV since No Mercy in October, they might have been running out of things for Batista to do anyway.

During the break, various people wished Batista luck, including Ricky Steamboat and Arn Anderson. Rey Mysterio had the big emotional moment.

Back in the ring, Long says that we’ll be crowning a new World Champion tonight in a battle royal.

We recap the Best of Seven series for the US Title.

Randy Orton wants in the battle royal but Long says no because Orton is only wrestling once tonight.

US Title: Chris Benoit vs. Randy Orton

For the vacant title, and Booker T. (here at ringside with Sharmell) is champion if Orton wins. They fight over a lockup to start with neither being able to get anywhere in the corner. Benoit takes him down by the arm into a keylock with a bodyscissors but Orton gets up and drives him into the corner. Orton’s throat is snapped across the top with Benoit dropping to the floor….and grabbing his knee while pointing at Booker. That’s enough for an ejection and we take a break.

Back with Orton fighting out of a bearhug of all things and working on Benoit’s arm. Orton actually takes him down for a headlock but has to fight out of a Crossface attempt. Benoit chops away but gets sent shoulder first into the post, allowing the headlock takeover to work a bit better this time around. Another Crossface attempt is blocked so Benoit goes with an armbar instead. That’s enough to send Orton bailing to the floor again, only to have Benoit suplex him right back in.

The armbar goes on again but Orton slips out and heads up top. That earns him a bunch of headbutts for a crash down into the barricade so we can take another break. Back again with Orton dropping some knees but Benoit chops from the mat to get him away. The chinlock (of course) goes on but Benoit is out in a hurry. A dropkick takes him down again and we’re right back to the chinlock.

Benoit fights up in a hurry and gets two off a fisherman’s suplex. The chops in the corner set up the Sharpshooter but Orton is straight over to the ropes. The rolling German suplexes set up the missed Swan Dive though and they’re both down again. Benoit is up first and tries the Sharpshooter, with the kickoff bumping the referee.

Cue Orlando Jordan….who is knocked down with a single shot because Jordan is really bad at his job. The Crossface goes on again so here are Booker and Sharmell as the referee is still down. Benoit decks Booker and grabs the Crossface again for the unseen tap. Booker gets in and hits Benoit with the title for the save and Orton gets the pin to make Booker champion.

Rating: B. The screwy finish is a bit annoying but at least the series is finally over. They have been needing to move on to something else for a good while now and it’s nice to see the thing finish. There are a few ways to go after that screwy finish, but that probably means Booker vs. Benoit again because we haven’t seen it enough so far. Good match though, as these two always have chemistry together.

Roddy Piper runs into JBL and Jillian Hall in the back, with JBL saying he should be on Piper’s Pit tonight instead of the Boogeyman. JBL makes the mistake of mentioning that Piper never won the World Title…and gets the spot on the show. Piper on Jillian: “Put her on a leash if you can.”

Eddie Guerrero’s family was given an award in his memory.

Here’s Piper for Piper’s Pit. Piper talks about the show debuting right here in Philadelphia 22 years ago but here are JBL and Jillian to interrupt his entrance. JBL talks about fighting through injuries and keeps cutting Piper off. He promises to win the title back tonight and the party will be on in New York. Piper finally gets to talk and asks about the growth on Jillian’s face, which has more hair on it than George Steele.

JBL interrupts and is told to shut up. Piper: “JBL, you’re as stupid as she looks.” Cue the Boogeyman, with JBL throwing Jillian at him. Boogeyman licks the growth on Jillian’s face and then bites it off in the best thing that could have happened to Jillian’s career. Boogeyman goes over to Piper, who immediately starts praying. That’s enough for Boogeyman, as Piper isn’t sure what he just saw.

Melina is ready for Mark Henry or MNM to be World Champion.

Finlay is coming next week.

Smackdown World Title: Battle Royal

William Regal, Paul Burchill, Mark Henry, Animal, John Bradshaw Layfield, Joey Mercury, Johnny Nitro, Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Psicosis, Super Crazy, Rey Mysterio, Simon Dean, Sylvan, Orlando Jordan, Nunzio, Vito, ???

There’s a bonus competitor and it’s…..KURT ANGLE, who jumps over from Raw (with Daivari). JBL says he’s got this and is quickly German suplexed, followed by a clothesline for the fast elimination. Vito is out as well and it’s Animal slugging it out with Henry. MNM takes Animal out though and we take a break. Back with Dean having been eliminated and MNM tossing Nunzio.

Angle throws out Jordan, Regal and Burchill in a row, followed by Henry throwing Angle through the ropes. Lashley gets rid of London as Henry follows Angle to the floor and loads up the announcers’ table. Henry gorilla presses Angle through the table and heads back inside for the showdown with Lashley. The shoulder doesn’t work but Lashley does block a suplex. That’s it for his success though as Henry dumps him out, followed by getting rid of Kendrick for a bonus.

Back from another break with MNM, Henry, Hardy, Mysterio, Sylvan and Angle (on the floor) still in. Hardy gets rid of Sylvan but Henry gets rid of him, followed by Mysterio getting rid of MNM back to back. Mysterio realizes that leaves him alone with Henry and there are the EDDIE chants. Rey hits some dropkicks to the knee and a pair of 619s before making the eternal mistake of jumping on Henry’s back. Henry puts him on the apron and catches the springboard for the easy elimination.

Angle is back up though and we’re down to two. The straps come down and Angle is in….where Henry runs him over. Angle snaps off the Angle Slam but Henry hits the running splash in the corner. Henry puts him on top but Angle grabs a headscissors choke, only to get powerbombed right back down. A German suplex gives Angle a breather and he tries to guillotine Henry over the top ala Benoit in the 2004 Royal Rumble. With that not working, Angle goes back to the headscissors and pulls Henry over to win the title.

Rating: C+. This was a situation where WWE didn’t have many options so they went with one of their best choices. Angle is as safe of a pick as you have for World Champion on such a short notice. You can put him into any spot on the card and it’s not like it’s some kind of a stretch to make him the new champ. They can figure out where they want to go from here and Angle is a great bridge to get there. The match was fine with Henry being the only real threat to Angle, and the ending should set up a Royal Rumble title match. They did what they could with their limited options and that’s perfectly acceptable.

Confetti falls to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was the “we don’t have a pay per view” edition of Smackdown and that’s perfectly fine. It’s a show that is going to work every time because it feels important. I’m curious to know what the original plan was for the main event, but a 20+ minute US Title match was more than a big enough deal. Good show here, and Angle coming in as the surprise champion was a cool moment.

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:

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