ECW On Sci Fi
Date: June 10, 2008
Location: Save Mart Center, Fresno, California
Attendance: 6,000
Commentators: Mike Adamle, Tazz

Things took a step back in time last week as it seems like we are on the way towards Miz/John Morrison vs. CM Punk/Kane again. That isn’t the most thrilling concept at the moment, but it isn’t like there is anything else going on. As usual, ECW feels pretty creatively out of gas but maybe they can change it up a bit in the Draft later this month. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Kofi Kingston/Evan Bourne vs. Mike Knox/Shelton Benjamin

Bourne was formerly known as Matt Sydal and we get a quick insert interview where he gets to introduce himself. Knox and Bourne start things off with Bourne’s jumping kick not having much effect. Instead Knox takes him into the corner so Benjamin can come in for a clothesline. That earns Benjamin a jumping spinwheel kick to the face and it’s off to Kofi vs. Knox. Kofi hammers away in the corner and hits some dropkicks (this is a rather kick heavy match) but Benjamin’s distraction lets Knox come back with a heck of a clothesline.

Benjamin grabs the reverse chinlock but Kofi fights up and hits another dropkick. Knox is back in there to cut him off so Kofi kicks him a few times and gets over to Bourne. A pop up hurricanrana into a dropkick rocks Knox, who kicks Bourne in the face. Everything breaks down and Kofi hits Trouble In Paradise, allowing Bourne to hit a top rope dropkick to a laying/seated Knox (that didn’t seem to go as it was supposed to) for the pin.

Rating: C+. It was a fun match but the kicks thing became a joke by the end. It’s still effective enough but that was more than a little weird to see. What matters is Bourne gets a nice start in WWE and Kofi gets to regain some of his momentum. Nice start here, and it’s nice to see some fresh names getting a chance.

A never before seen blonde is waiting in Teddy Long’s office when Armando Estrada comes in, looking for Long. He just stepped out, so Estrada brags about being the former GM. Long comes in and introduces the blonde as his new personal assistant Tiffany. Estrada wants a contract and gets a chance to earn one tonight if he can beat Finlay. Tiffany gets in the holla holla holla.

Victoria vs. Kelly Kelly

So Long’s catchphrase is holla holla holla and Kelly’s song starts with “holla holla” (or something close to it). That’s quite the theme. Victoria mocks Kelly’s stretching before the bell so Kelly sweeps the legs and gets some terrible right hands. Kelly tries to do it again and gets kneed in the face, allowing Victoria to send her shoulder first into the buckle.

We hit the chinlock, followed by a chinlock, and then another chinlock (Victoria might want to work on her variety) until Kelly fights up and grabs a headscissors out of the corner. A victory roll gets two but Kelly gets sent to the apron. Another headscissors is blocked with a simple shove on to the floor (for a heck of a face first bump)….and the referee calls it because Kelly is out. I guess it was a better bump than I thought.

Rating: C. The ending wasn’t quite what I was expecting but it does seem that Kelly is getting better in the ring. She’s still not great, but she is able to do some stuff that makes her look a bit more competent. Victoria is still one of the best hands around despite feeling like a relic from a generation gone by.

Finlay vs. Armando Estrada

Hornswoggle is here with Finlay. Estrada jumps him in the corner to start and hammers away as well. Finlay gets a boot up in the corner though and the seated senton has Estrada in more trouble. The Celtic Cross finishes Estrada in less than a minute.

Post match Teddy Long comes out and says Estrada has another match right now.

Armando Estrada vs. Colin Delaney

Finlay gets in a shillelagh shot before the bell and Delaney hits a DDT for th pin in less than ten seconds.

Hold on though as Long has one more match for Estrada.

Armando Estrada vs. Hornswoggle

Tadpole splash finishes in less than ten seconds. Finishes for Hornswoggle if that wasn’t clear.

The three winners dance…and then Finlay hits Delaney with the shillelagh, apparently for Delaney giving him Hornswoggle’s hat.

Here is Mark Henry for a chat. He addresses Big Show’s challenge for a fight last week and says he’s here right now. Cue Show, and Henry looks rather shocked at these developments. Henry congratulates Show on becoming #1 contender and wants the first shot if Show wins, but for now he’ll settle for a handshake. They shake hands but Show doesn’t let go, because he knows what Henry is doing. If Henry keeps campaigning for an a** whipping, he’ll get elected. That’s enough for Henry to leave, with Show promising to win the ECW Title at Night Of Champions.

Tag Team Titles: Kane/CM Punk vs. Miz/John Morrison

Kane and Punk are challenging and Kane runs into Show on the way to the ring. Punk and Morrison trade hammerlocks to start until Morrison kicks him down. Miz comes in and gets elbowed in the face before Punk sends him out to the floor. Punk hits a slingshot dive to drop Miz again and we take a break. Back with Kane seemingly trying a cross armbreaker on Miz but Miz reverses into some forearms to a downed Kane.

They get back up and Kane hits a side slam but Miz gets in a cheap shot to bring Morrison back in. Morrison grabs the chinlock before Miz hits the running corner clothesline. Kane manages a backdrop and hands it back to Punk (who is holding his ribs after the dive before the break). Punk’s ribs are good enough to slam Morrison and fire off some knees in the corner. The snap powerslam gives Punk two but everything breaks down. Miz and Kane go outside and Morrison kicks Punk in the bad ribs. The Moonlight Drive retains the titles.

Rating: C+. Mr. Money In The Bank loses again as that tends to be the case far too often. The problem continues to be that these people have little to do other than face each other, but it does make me wonder why Big Show isn’t involved in this whatsoever. He’s the #1 contender to Kane but Kane is busy doing this instead. I’m not sure I get that.

Overall Rating: C. There are at least some different people involved in some things around here and that helps, but the main event didn’t do much in the way of keeping things interesting. Other than that you had more Estrada/Delaney stuff and Show vs. Henry teased, but at least Tiffany and Bourne are some fresh blood. The Draft needs to help this show, but I’m not entirely sure that is going to be the case. For now though, this could have been worse.

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: June 9, 2008
Location: Oracle Arena, Oakland, California
Attendance: 8,500
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

Both Night Of Champions and the Draft are looming, but this is about MONEY! Tonight is the official start of the new concept as Vince McMahon is going to be giving money to the fans. I’m sure this won’t dominate the conversation on commentary, even with John Cena challenging HHH at the pay per view is already set. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

We open with Vince McMahon and it’s money time. Vince has $1 million in cash brought out and put in a case, as he explains how to win (register, answer the password he gives you, win money). The password is “WWE Universe” and we’ll have our first phone call, for $200,000, after our first match.

Mr. Kennedy vs. Paul Burchill

Katie Lea is here with Burchill, who is tossed outside in a hurry. Back in and Kennedy grabs a headlock as commentary talks about Kennedy’s rising popularity since he got rid of William Regal. Burchill belly to back suplexes Kennedy into the corner to escape and the chinlock goes on. That doesn’t last long as Kennedy is back up with a running boot to the head. The Mic Check finishes Burchill without much trouble.

Rating: C. Kennedy wins again and that is how you give someone a push. WWE is building him back up and winning a quick feud against Burchill should give him a nice step up. You can sense that WWE wants to do something big with Kennedy and he seems to be off to a nice restart.

Post match Katie comes in to slap Kennedy, allowing Burchill to hit the Twisted Sister (JR: “Holy Dee Snider!”

Here is Vince for the $200,000 giveaway and he even puts his glasses on to make the call. First up, Vince calls the wrong number, then he calls someone whose number plays music until the person answers the phone. The guy picks up but Vince hangs up on him, leaving JR and King a bit stunned. Vince: “You guys want to win $200,000 or not?” Vince calls the music guy again and this time he gets through, with the guy giving the password and winning the money. More later and hopefully with some more entertaining hijinks.

Mickie James vs. Beth Phoenix

Non-title. Mickie kicks her in the ribs to start but a DDT attempt is countered into a kind of side slam for two. A slingshot suplex gives Beth two more but Mickie headscissors her way out of a powerbomb. Mickie hits a running dropkick to the face for two before the top rope Thesz press finishes Beth in a hurry.

Post match Beth decks Mickie but Melina runs in to go after Beth, including a top rope faceplant.

It’s time to give away more money and the guy wins $75,000.

John Cena and HHH run into each other in the back and talk about what a big match they’ll have at Night Of Champions. It’s not personal, but rather about being the best. HHH says he’s the best right now, but Cena reminds him of their Wrestlemania match. They’ll see what happens at Night Of Champions.

Charlie Haas of all people is here to help give away more money. Vince McMahon tries to call a few times and can’t get anywhere, as he makes jokes about modern technology and a “crack staff”. A guy named Gabe brings Vince another number, with Haas getting to dial. Actually never mind as Vince dials and gets through to a woman who wins $50,000.

Hang on though, as Vince says he’ll make it $100,000 if Haas can kiss a Diva. Cue Maria and kissing ensues, but Vince says if Haas can kiss another Diva, the woman gets another $25,000. Cue Mae Young, who grabs Haas by the trunks and kisses him. Ron Simmons comes out for his catchphrase as Young has Haas begging for help. That was as weird of a segment as you could have hoped to see.

JBL thinks no one deserves money but John Cena deserves a beating.

John Bradshaw Layfield vs. John Cena

HHH is on commentary and a quick distraction lets JBL hammer away in the corner. JBL forearms him in the back but gets pulled down with the running bulldog. A swinging neckbreaker cuts Cena down for two but he gets up to stare JBL out to the floor. HHH and JBL have a standoff and we take a break.

Back with JBL kicking Cena in the face on the floor and dropping an elbow for a bonus. The cravate goes on back inside as we see Lawler on WWE.com for some reason. The sleeper goes on and Cena is in about as much trouble as you would expect for a sleeper to give John Cena. Another big boot cuts Cena down but he pops back up and initiates the finishing sequence. The AA is escaped though and the Clothesline From JBL gets a delayed two thanks to a foot on the rope. JBL loads up the announcers’ table, which takes long enough that Cena can grab a small package for the fast pin.

Rating: C. These two only have so much chemistry together and they don’t have great matches for two bigger stars. Granted it doesn’t help that Cena losing to JBL seems almost hard to fathom, especially with a big title match coming up. At least JBL got in some more offense here, but the whole rivalry being so one sided isn’t doing them any favors.

Post match Cena gets on the announcers’ table but HHH trips him down and leaves.

Vince McMahon comes out to give away more money, but first he talks to Lilian Garcia. He brings up her measurements and adds them up to 98, so let’s give away $98,000. A woman answers and wins.

Here is Chris Jericho for the Highlight Reel. His guest was a hero to Jericho as a child and during his career, so here is Shawn Michaels. Jericho talks about how Shawn is still banged up from the beating Batista gave him but brings up the “fake” knee injury. Shawn says the only person he lied to about the knee injury was Jericho himself, with Jericho talking about how he always get booed for telling the truth. Jericho wants to know how Shawn has become such a lying worm of a human being…and jumps him to start the fight. A low blow cuts Shawn off and Jericho says this is what Shawn wanted. Then he sends him face first into the Jeritron 5000 to bust Shawn’s eye open.

Post break, we see what we saw pre break.

Snitsky/Umaga vs. Cody Rhodes/Hardcore Holly

Non-title and my goodness how far Umaga has fallen. Cody dodges Snitsky to start before handing it off to Holly. That doesn’t go so well to start as Holly goes to the middle rope but Cody wanted a double suplex. The suplex works but Holly gets annoyed at Cody, allowing Snitsky to jump Holly and take over. Umaga comes in for a clothesline but Snitsky misses the big elbow for a crash. The double tag brings in Cody to slug away at Umaga but the dropkick only puts him on one knee. Umaga’s swinging release Rock Bottom is a swinging release faceplant this time and the Samoan Spike finishes Cody fast.

Rating: C-. Not much of a match here and it’s not exactly interesting to see Cody and Holly losing over and over. They only felt like a makeshift team in the first place but they’ve been champions for months now. That doesn’t make for a great story and now it seems we are on the way towards their inevitable demise. I’m sure Snitsky and Umaga will get a title shot out of this though yes?

Post match Ted DiBiase Jr. comes out to say the champs need to get their act together before they lose the titles at Night Of Champions.

WWE does work with Make-A-Wish. That’s always awesome, as the smiles on those kids’ faces are amazing.

Back in the arena and Vince McMahon cuts off Jillian Hall and Trevor Murdoch’s singing to give someone $2, the value of Hall’s singing. That’s so cruel it’s almost hilarious. Vince calls someone else and gives him $200,000, earning some swearing in happiness.

Cryme Tyme vs. Santino Marella/Carlito

Santino and JTG start things off with Santino grabbing a rollup for a fast two. JTG does it right back for the same and Santino is already looking annoyed. Shad comes in for a slam before Alabama Slamming JTG onto Santino for two. JTG gets knocked out of the air though and Marella puts on a camel clutch. That’s broken up and everything breaks down with Shad hitting an STO for the pin on Santino.

Rating: C. Hopefully that starts the end of Carlito and Marella’s run as a team as my goodness they’re about as lame of a team as you can get. Other than that, this was a nice win for Cryme Tyme, as they always seem ready to move on up to the title picture. Not enough time to do much here, but at least the right team won.

Post match Vince McMahon calls Cryme Tyme to the stage as he gives away $51,998. Lawler: “Did he say $51,998?” JR: “That’s right Jerome.” And the fan wins.

Jeff Hardy vs. HHH

Non-title and John Cena is on commentary. HHH runs him over with a shoulder to start but stops to stare at Cena, allowing Hardy to hammer away. More right hands look to set up the Twist of Fate but HHH powers him off and hits the spinebuster. The jumping knee gets two on Hardy and we hit the abdominal stretch (complete with a rope grab of course).

The facebuster connects as commentary talks about the value of a good right hand. Back up and Hardy misses the Whisper in the Wind, allowing HHH to clothesline him out to the floor. Hardy manages to drop him ribs first onto the barricade but HHH hiptosses Hardy into Cena for the crash. That’s enough for Cena to pull HHH off the apron….and Hardy wins by countout. Ok then.

Rating: C+. They got to do a bit here but it was only about nine minutes long and with that screwy finish. Cena vs. HHH does feel like a huge match but I would imagine it headlining Summerslam rather than Night Of Champions. At the same time, Hardy is getting a nice push here as well, which could bode well for his future.

Post match Cena and HHH stare each other down on the floor before Hardy dives onto both of them.

Vince McMahon comes out and thanks everyone for making Million Dollar Mania work. Then he gives a fan $250,000 to end the show with promises of another $1 million giveaway next week.

Overall Rating: C-. This show was mostly all about the money and it’s not exactly an interesting thing to see. Other than Vince not being able to use a phone very well and some mishaps, it was a lot of “here’s a person winning money”. The rest of the show wasn’t very interesting either, though HHH vs. Cena does feel like a huge pay per view match. Other than that though, pretty weak stuff this time around.

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

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AND

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Monday Night Raw
Date: September 4, 2023
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

We’re done with Payback and Seth Rollins has retained the Raw World Title over Shinsuke Nakamura. However, Nakamura attacked him again after the show was over so we might be in for a rematch. That would likely be at Fastlane in a little over a month, but we have some time to set that up. Let’s get to it.

Here is Payback if you need a recap.

Payback recap.

Opening sequence.

Here is Jey Uso, through the crowd, for his Raw debut. He talks about being introduced by Cody Rhodes and some people aren’t going to be happy that he’s here. Cue Sami Zayn to say that’s true, but Sami is indeed happy that he’s here. Sami extends his hand but Jey doesn’t move. That’s cool with Sami, who says he’s happy to wait and will talk whenever Jey is ready. Sami goes to leave but Jey says that wasn’t very Ucey of him. Jey holds out his hand and Sami hugs him, so everything is cool. As they leave, Jey runs into Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle, both of whom stare at him but nothing gets violent.

We look at Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura from Payback.

Ricochet is asking Adam Pearce for an opportunity when Seth Rollins comes in. Pearce isn’t happy he’s here because of the medical report on his back and Jey Uso. Rollins: “Uso schmuso. Medical schmedical.” Ricochet says Rollins doesn’t have to carry the show himself when he has help but Rollins insists he’s fine.

Of note: we cut back to McIntyre and Riddle waiting in the ring for their match to start, with McIntyre being heard saying “we’ve been out here forever”.

Drew McIntyre/Matt Riddle vs. Viking Raiders

Tornado tag and Valhalla is here with the Vikings. They start fast and the Vikings get dropped, allowing McIntyre to flip Riddle onto Erik for two. The Vikings are sent outside, with McIntyre suplexing Riddle onto them. It’s already time for the table (why there is a monitor under the ring isn’t clear) and we take a break. Back with McIntyre saving Riddle from a splash through a table. A double superplex to Ivar misses the table as well but Erik is back up.

McIntyre suplexes his way out of trouble and hits a Death Valley Driver on Ivar. Another suplex on the floor drops Erik but Ivar dives off the announcers’ table with a splash to McIntyre. Riddle is back up to clean house but the Vikings are back up thanks to Valhalla interference. Cue Kofi Kingston to break up Ragnarok but he accidentally hits Riddle with Trouble In Paradise. Kofi is tossed at McIntyre and a double powerbomb through the table finishes Riddle at 9:40.

Rating: B-. It was the usual wild brawl as this was basically another version of a street fight. The Kofi interference going the wrong way opens up some doors as we are likely heading towards a triple threat tag team match. It’s a story that has been going for a few weeks now and isn’t losing steam so well done on putting things together well enough.

In honor of tonight’s main event, we look at some legends who held the Intercontinental Title over the years.

Here is Seth Rollins for a chat. Shinsuke Nakamura brought it on Saturday and Rollins didn’t know if he could continue the fight, but he’s still the champ. Then Nakamura attacked him after the match, meaning Nakamura walked out of the arena but Rollins was wheeled out by his wife. So Nakamura can get out here right now and we’ll finish this.

Cue Nakamura, who won’t get in the ring. Therefore, Rollins offers to put the title on the line right now. Nakamura responds in Japanese, which Rollins takes as a yes, so let’s ring the bell. Nakamura: “No.” Rollins is confused so Nakamura says it again, which makes it even more confusing. That doesn’t work for Rollins, who charges up the aisle and the fight is on. Security is here to break it up but Nakamura gets in some knees to the back. Ricochet makes the real save.

Post break Adam Pearce tells Rollins that he’s going too fast and Pearce is just trying to protect him.

Ricochet vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura bails tot he floor to start but Ricochet throws him back in. A suplex doesn’t work for Ricochet and Nakamura hits a middle rope knee to the face. Nakamura hits the sliding German suplex and we take a break. Back with Nakamura striking away as Rhea Ripley and Damian Priest are watching backstage. Ricochet hits a running boot in the corner and the running shooting star press gets two. Nakamura kicks him in the head but Ricochet hits the Recoil for two of his own. They head to the floor with Ricochet being driven into the barricade. Then Nakamura hits him with a chair for the DQ at 9:32.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here but there is something to be said about Ricochet as Rollins’ buddy, as he can hold his own against a lot of people. One thing that helps that theory is the lack of a pin here, as Ricochet was in trouble but lost via DQ. That helps quite a bit and for some reason it is often overlooked.

Post match Nakamura wraps a chair around Ricochet’s neck but Seth Rollins runs in for the save. Security can’t break it up so Nakamura drives him into the steps. Ricochet makes the real save with a chair. We cut to the back where Rhea Ripley tells Damian Priest “not tonight”.

We look at Becky Lynch beating Trish Stratus at Payback, with Zoey Stark turning on Trish after the match.

Zoey Stark says she respects Stratus, but no one pushes her around. Shayna Baszler (oh yeah she’s supposed to be a thing now) comes in to say she’s glad Stark got rid of the dead weight. Stark wants a match tonight so Baszler says show her something.

Here is Judgment Day for a chat. Dominik Mysterio is of course booed out of the building as he tries to go over what the team managed to do at Payback. Finn Balor thanks the team for everything they have done, including Damian Priest, who has had some issues with him, but now they’re the champs. Balor thanks JD McDonagh for having his back but also himself, as he is now Grand Slam Finn. Rhea Ripley is proud of the team for rising to the occasion, but now people are talking about Jey Uso instead of the team.

Cue JD McDonagh to say that the team needs some kind of a change. That would be a new briefcase for Priest, with the new version being blue and saying Senor Money In The Bank. Cue Sami Zayn to say he hears a bunch of talking but wants Mysterio tonight. McDonagh steps in instead though and the match seems to be set.

More Intercontinental Champions.

Gunther is ready to be in the history books and he’ll prove it tonight.

Adam Pearce gives Raquel Rodriguez something. Chelsea Green comes in to say the Women’s Tag Team Titles are NOT cursed and someone like Rodriguez isn’t getting them. The thing that Pearce gave her by the way? A match with Green.

Zoey Stark vs. Shayna Baszler

Baszler takes her down fast and starts in with the strikes to the arm. They fight to the floor where Stark has to get out of a choke. The big dive drops Baszler again and we take a break. Back with Stark kicking Baszler down and hitting a springboard dropkick for two. Baszler kicks her down for two more but has to block the Z360. Instead Stark knocks her to the floor and hits a splash off the apron. Back in and Stark misses a springboard splash, allowing Baszler to grab the Kirifuda Clutch for the (eventual) knockout at 8:52.

Rating: C. This is a good example of a match that probably shouldn’t have been made. You had Baszler get the big win at Summerslam but then Stark had her big moment two days ago. With both of them needing to follow up on things, having the match means one of them is probably going to have to lose. Why do it in the first place then?

Respect is shown post match.

Judgment Day wants JD McDonagh to prove himself and Finn Balor agrees. They’re off to keep an eye on things. Rhea Ripley tells Dominik to go take care of this.

Raquel Rodriguez vs. Chelsea Green

Green tries to bail to start and is quickly ragdolled. Some shots to the face don’t do much to Rodriguez, who catches a crossbody and plants Green. A hard clothesline sets up the Tejana Bomb for the pin on Green at 1:40.

More famous Intercontinental Champions.

Chad Gable, with the Alpha Academy, is ready to win the Intercontinental Title.

It’s time for MizTV and Miz isn’t happy about that loss to LA Knight. He accuses Knight of being in league with John Cena and wants an explanation. Cue Cena….or at least the invisible version. Miz yells at him as they have a seat, and Miz apparently gets a confirmation that Cena cheated. Therefore, the loss to Knight should NOT count.

Miz tells Cena to get out and the fight is on, with Miz hitting the Skull Crushing Final. Miz says there is nothing invisible about how unfair that loss was, so now he wants a rematch with Knight. That was certainly different and I’m not sure if that’s good or not. Knight vs. Miz doesn’t need to continue though and the fact that it is isn’t a good sign.

Video on Gunther vs. Chad Gable.

Jey Uso runs into Adam Pearce and says Smackdown is getting compensation for the trade for Jey (It was a trade?) and it’s going to tick people off. Jey leaves and Tommaso Ciampa comes in to see Pearce to continue some conversation they’ve been having.

JD McDonagh vs. Sami Zayn

McDonagh bails to the floor to start but takes over back inside. They trade chops in the corner before heading outside, where McDonagh rams him into the announcers’ table. We take a break and come back with Sami fighting out of a chinlock and hammering away in the corner. A backdrop sets up the Michinoku Driver for two on McDonagh. Sami loads up the Helluva Kick but cue Dominik Mysterio to break it up. The villains are both beaten up but McDonagh grabs a rollup with tights for the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C+. Not a bad match, with McDonagh getting a needed win. McDonagh has been up and down throughout his time on the main roster so maybe this is the next step for him. At the same time, that’s back to back falls for Sami, who is mostly bulletproof but doesn’t need to lose over and over.

Post match Sami fights up and hits the Helluva Kick on McDonagh as Mysterio leaves.

We look at Tiffany Stratton interrupting Becky Lynch after Payback.

More Intercontinental Champions.

Judgment Day is pleased with JD McDonagh but Dominik Mysterio goes over to see Jey Uso. They have a lot of things in common, like coming from a broken family. If Jey is interested, there are open arms in the Judgment Day. Jey doesn’t say no.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Intercontinental Title: Chad Gable vs. Gunther

Gunther is defending and after the Big Match Intros, a headlock takeover puts Gable down. Back up and Gable dropkicks him to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Gable cranking on the leg over the ropes. The leg is fine enough for a big boot and the hand is fine enough for a chop but Gable is right back up. Gable unloads in the corner but Gunther kicks him out to the floor as we take another break.

Back again with Gable reversing a powerbomb into a hurricanrana to the floor. Gunther kicks him down and goes up, only to have Gable run the corner for a superplex. The ankle lock is broken up but Gable suplexes his way out of a sleeper. Rolling Chaos Theory gets two and the grapevined ankle lock goes on. That’s broken up as well and Gunther gets the sleeper. With that broken up, Gunther hits a sleeper suplex into the powerbomb into the hard clothesline to retain at 16:03.

Rating: B. They were rolling by the end and made the most out of a rough situation. Gunther has gone over a year as champion and will break the record for longest reign ever later this week. There is no reason to take the title off of him here, so Gable was tasked with making the most out of a rough situation. It was a heck of a fight here near the end, but this was the only way it should have gone.

Gunther leaves but gives Gable a respectful look to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was a bit of a tighter show, with multiple stories running throughout the show. That made for a good night, as you can see where multiple stories are probably going. On top of that, you had a heck of a main event as Gunther is all but guaranteed the record for longest Intercontinental Title reign of all time. Solid show here, which is even better coming off a pretty unimportant pay per view.

Results
Viking Raiders b. Drew McIntyre/Matt Riddle – Double powerbomb through a table to Riddle
Ricochet b. Shinsuke Nakamura via DQ when Nakamura used a chair
Shayna Baszler b. Zoey Stark – Kirifuda Clutch
Raquel Rodriguez b. Chelsea Green – Tejana Bomb
JD McDonagh b. Sami Zayn – Rollup with tights
Gunther b. Chad Gable – Lariat

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

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

AND

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

Payback 2023
Date: September 2, 2023
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Corey Graves, Michael Cole

We’re back to the big shows here but this one isn’t exactly looking like the most thrilling. There are six matches announced, plus Cody Rhodes appearing on the Grayson Waller Effect. The main event will likely be Seth Rollins defending the Raw World Title against Shinsuke Nakamura and John Cena hosting should spice things up a bit. Let’s get to it.

The opening video talks about how this was started a long time ago but now it’s time for payback. The matches all get a quick look.

We recap Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch in a cage. Trish claims she paved the way for everyone today and wants recognition. Becky points out that she got further than Trish ever did on her own. Trish was the best of her generation, but this is a new generation. Now it’s time to end a rather long running feud.

Trish Stratus vs. Becky Lynch

In a cage with pinfall, submission or escape to win and NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton is here watching again. Becky starts fast with the Bexploders but gets elbowed in the face for her efforts. Trish sends her into the cage and grabs a spinebuster to cut off a comeback attempt. The double fishhook keeps Becky in trouble (Trish: “CHEESE!”) but Becky manages to ram her into the cage a few times.

It’s too early for the Disarm-Her so Becky is sent into the cage two more times. Trish Matrixes her way out of a clothesline, only to have Becky drop a double legdrop onto the stomach in a clever counter. Some rapid fire rams into the cage have Trish in more trouble and Becky goes up top for the Fameasser in the ropes for two. Trish is back up and hammers away in the corner but Becky slips out and hits a powerbomb for two more.

Back up and Becky is sent into the cage again, setting up a Widow’s Peak (including the Victoria hair pulling) for two. Becky misses something off the top and gets caught with Stratusfaction for another near fall. They go up top with Trish hitting a super bulldog for two, allowing her to stare at the camera and show off a NASTY welt on her forehead. Both of them head up top with Trish knocking her down, only to have Becky climb back up for a top rope superplex and a huge crash for two more. Becky goes up as Trish goes for the door so Becky climbs down for the save.

Cue Zoey Stark to grab Trish’s arms but Becky pulls her back in….where Stark slams the door on her face. Not that it matters as the Manhandle Slam gets two, as Stark comes in for the save. Becky is back up and slams the door shut to fight both of them at once. A Manhandle Slam to Stark and a super Manhandle Slam to Trish are enough for the pin at 20:02.

Rating: B+. It was a heck of a fight and what matters is that it felt like the big blow of to the feud. That’s what it needed to be, as this feud has gone on long enough and it’s time for both of them to move on. As usual, Becky looks like a warrior who overcame the odds because very few can hang with her when she is at the top of her game. The Stark interference was a bit much but if that’s the only downside to the match, they did rather well.

Post match Stark gets up but Trish tells her to get out. That earns her a Z360, which should write Trish off TV.

Long video on Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins while they get rid of the cage.

Here is John Cena, who praises the opening match. He’s done a lot of things over the years but he’s never been a host. It’s his job to make the night special, so how about he guest referees LA Knight vs. the Miz! Cue the Miz to say he isn’t happy with this because Cena sucks as a host. Miz wants Cena to stay out of his match but Cena says that was his one idea. Does Miz have any other ideas? Sure: When the people making the Barbie movie call you, don’t say you’ll be a Merman! Miz suggests he take more initiative, so Cena says he’ll be the guest referee. He even has a shirt and we’re ready to go.

Miz vs. LA Knight

John Cena is guest referee. Miz stalls to start and walks up the aisle but Knight brings him back in and they slug it out on the mat. It’s Miz taking over and hitting the top rope ax handle for two. Knight is back up with a powerslam for two and Miz bails to the floor, where Knight hits a dropkick through the ropes. Knight sends him into a few things but goes inside to break the count, allowing Miz to manage a ram into the announcers’ table.

That doesn’t last long as Knight jumps onto the barricade for a clothesline to take over again. Back in and Knight hits a running clothesline before stomping away in the corner. That doesn’t work for Cena, who yells at Knight, allowing Miz to get in a cheap shot. A Codebreaker out of the corner gives Miz two and we hit the chinlock. The YES Kicks keeps Knight in trouble but he suplexes his way out of trouble.

The jumping neckbreaker and a middle rope bulldog drop Miz again and a running boot gets two. Miz’s DDT gets the same but a spinning DDT out of the corner gives Knight two more. Miz grabs a rollup with the rope for two and they both almost hit Cena. The Skull Crushing Finale gives Miz two more but Miz tries his own Five Knuckle Shuffle. The delay lets Knight come back with the powerslam and spelling elbow. Blunt Force Trauma finishes Miz at 15:41.

Rating: C+. This was a good bit longer than it needed to be but it wasn’t bad, with the important point being Knight’s win. It’s one of the bigger matches of his career and he beats a former World Champion, which is about all you could hope for here. Cena was there to pick things up a bit, but thankfully didn’t play a role in the ending. Good stuff, with the right result.

Post match Cena offers a handshake but Knight says Cena almost cost him the match. Knight does shake his hand.

We recap Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio for the US Title. Theory attacked Santos Escobar before Escobar’s US Title shot so Rey took the spot and won the title. Now it’s time for a rematch.

US Title: Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory

Rey is defending. They start fast with Rey taking him into the corner for some right hands as Cole is still listing off Rey’s career accomplishments. A clothesline cuts Rey off and a running version in the corner makes it worse. Theory grabs a suplex but another attempt is countered into a small package for two. A swinging sleeper drop sets up a chinlock on Rey, with Theory whispering something to him. Back up and Rey is sent chest first into the buckle before Theory starts going after the mask.

With that broken up, Rey hits a top rope moonsault to drop Theory again and they’re both down for a bit. Rey sends him outside for a sliding tornado DDT. Back in and the top rope seated senton gives Rey two more but Theory grabs a torture rack powerbomb for the same. A Town Down misses so Theory goes with the rolling dropkick. Rey is right back with the basement dropkick and they’re both down. The 619 connects for Rey but the slingshot splash hits knees. Theory tries A Town Down again but this time it’s reversed into a victory roll to retain the title at 9:49.

Rating: B-. This felt like a Smackdown main event and was a good bit better match than their original version. Mysterio can still go with anyone and seems likely to be ready for a showdown with Santos Escobar down the line. For now though, they had a good enough match and now Theory can move on to anything else.

Becky Lynch is interrupted by Tiffany Stratton, who forgot that Becky was never the NXT Women’s Title. Becky suggests that Stratton focus on her title defense, but maybe she’ll see Stratton soon. Stratton doesn’t seem worried.

We recap Judgment Day coming after Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens’ Tag Team Titles. They’ve been coming for the belts for awhile now, despite bickering a lot. Therefore, let’s have a street fight.

Tag Team Titles: Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens vs. Judgment Day

Finn Balor and Damian Priest are challenging in a street fight. The weapons are pulled out fast, with Balor not being pleased at the sight of a Terrible Towel. Owens gets a kendo stick knocked out of his hands but it’s Zayn hitting a big running flip dive to take the villains down. Trashcan shots rock Priest and Balor has a trashcan put on his head. The kendo stick shots put Balor down again so the fans request, and receive, tables.

Priest is back up for the save and Zayn gets stomped down in the corner. Owens fights back on Priest and unloads on him with stomping, plus a chair shot. Balor chairs Owens down but Zayn is back up to chair Balor down as well. The fight goes into the crowd and here is Dominik Mysterio to help take the champs down. We get a Judgment Day huddle but Owens (bleeding) and Zayn come back with Pittsburgh Penguins jerseys and hockey sticks.

Cole think they’re the Pittsburgh Steelers as the champs unload on Dominik. Back in and Owens pulls Priest off the apron for a ram into the steps, leaving Zayn to Blue Thunder Bomb Balor onto a pile of chairs. A bunch of chairs are set up inside but Priest Broken Arrows Zayn onto the chairs for two, with Owens throwing a chair at the cover for the save. They head back into the crowd with Owens having to fight out of a double teaming.

Zayn comes back in for the save and dives off the Kickoff Show desk to take them both down. Owens is back up to put Dominik on a table and there’s the Swanton off of a balcony. In the ring, Sami suplexes Balor into the corner but Priest throws a trashcan at Zayn’s head for two. Zayn fights back up and suplexes Priest into the corner and knocks Balor through a table at ringside.

Owens is back in to Stun Priest into the Helluva Kick but JD McDonagh pulls Zayn out at two. That earns McDonagh a powerbomb onto the announcers’ table but cue Rhea Ripley to spear Owens through the barricade. Back in and Balor shotgun dropkicks Zayn into the corner, only to miss the Coup de Grace. Zayn suplexes him into the corner again and the Helluva Kick gets two as Dominik makes the save with the briefcase to give Balor the pin and the titles at 20:43.

Rating: A-. This was ALL about the insanity and violence and that worked incredibly well. There were multiple times where I would have believed it was over and then it kept going, without ever feeling like it was going too long. It took five people, but Zayn and Owens finally lost the titles after a huge win earlier this year. The big thing here was that they changed the titles when there was almost no realistic way for Owens and Zayn to retain. That’s how it should have gone and my goodness this was a heck of a fight.

Here is Grayson Waller for the Grayson Waller Effect. Waller says his guest is a lot like Pittsburgh, in that neither of them can ever finish a story. Cue Cody Rhodes to talk about….nothing actually, as Waller cuts him off. Cody talks about how new Waller is at this and sums up how this is going to go, with the big ending being a Cross Rhodes to Waller.

Instead, Cody talks about the stars of NXT and of Smackdown, the latter of which included a recent issue that needs to be solved. Cody gets up and introduces the newest member of the Raw roster: Main Event Jey Uso. Jey comes in to pose but Waller cuts him off, only to get superkicked for his efforts. Well that’s a big moment.

We recap Rhea Ripley defending the Women’s World Title against Raquel Rodriguez. Ripley has taken out her knee a few times, but now Rodriguez is back and healthy, meaning it’s time to fight.

Raw Women’s Title: Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez

Ripley is defending and we get the Big Match Intros. They trade the power shoves to start with neither getting very far. Rodriguez picks her up or a trip to the floor, where Ripley gets in a quick neck snap. Back in and Rodriguez is sent into the corner, where she blocks a whip with straight power. Rodriguez gets her up for a slam but Ripley is back with a running clothesline and some right hands.

Ripley slowly stomps away before snapmaring her into a seated abdominal stretch. A front facelock keeps Rodriguez down but she manages to power Ripley off. Back up and some clotheslines rock Ripley and there’s the fall away slam. The middle rope spinning elbow is broken up though and Ripley goes up top for some headbutts. Rodriguez knocks her down again though and now the middle rope corkscrew elbow connects.

Back up and Ripley gets in a faceplant, setting up a running knee for two. Riptide is blocked though and Rodriguez drops her throat first onto the top rope. Ripley goes back to the bad knee and gets the Prism Trap, which is broken up as well. A powerslam gives Rodriguez two but Ripley is back to the knee. They head outside with Rodriguez hitting a powerbomb against the post (ouch) but cue Dominik Mysterio. That’s fine with Rodriguez, who gives him a running powerslam. Ripley kicks the knee out again though and Riptide retains the title at 17:18.

Rating: C. This was another match that went longer than it needed to and that really held it down. Rodriguez felt like one of the first people who could hang in the ring physically with Ripley but that is only going to take things so far. Rodriguez having that kind of size negates one of the biggest advantages that Ripley has but it was hard to fathom Rodriguez actually winning the title. Not an awful match, but keeping this as an eight minute hoss fight would have been WAY more entertaining.

John Cena, in a jacket that doesn’t fit and in a pink bow tie, talks to Judgment Day about their win. There is no trouble in the ranks and insist that they are stronger than ever.

We recap Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the World Heavyweight Title. Nakamura turned on him and revealed that Rollins had a bad back. Then Nakamura mentioned Rollins’ family, which was too far for Rollins to go.

Raw World Title: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Seth Rollins

Nakamura is challenging and has a special video in Japanese (with animation), talking about how he’ll remove the burden of being champion from Rollins’ back. As a bonus, the Great Muta of all people is here to watch the match. Nakamura goes after the arm to start but Rollins reverses into a hammerlock. Rollins takes him to the mat and grabs a quickly broken STF.

Back up and Nakamura tells him to COME ON so Rollins strikes away. With Nakamura knocked outside, Rollins hits the required suicide dive, followed by a springboard Swanton back inside. Another suicide dive connects but Nakamura is fine enough to drop Rollins onto the announcers’ table. Nakamura hits the running knee in the corner and then drops another to put Rollins on the floor again.

The half crab doesn’t last long as Rollins fights up and grabs a super hurricanrana. The back is too hurt to follow up though and they’re both down for a bit. A Sling Blade into a frog splash gives Rollins two so he yells about his family being brought into this. The Stomp misses and Nakamura hits the middle rope knee to the chest for another near fall. The sliding German suplex gives Nakamura two more but the Kinshasa is cut off with a superkick.

Nakamura gets the triangle choke, which is countered into a sitout powerbomb for two. They slug it out until Nakamura connects with a kick to the head. Both of them go up top with a super Landslide giving Nakamura two. Kinshasa to the back of the head connects but Rollins collapses before the regular version can connect. Rollins is knocked to the apron but comes back with a Pedigree for two. The stomp from out of nowhere finishes Nakamura at 25:56.

Rating: B. Remember how I’ve taken issue with matches going too long almost all night long? That was the case again here as the match was very good but often felt like they were trying to fill in the long run time. Nakamura did his usual good match, but it wasn’t like there was much of a reason to believe Nakamura was anything more than the challenger of the month.

Rollins kneels in the ring due to his back as Nakamura walks around ringside for a long time….and that’s it.

Overall Rating: B. From a quality standpoint, this show was quite good with only the Women’s Title match not being pretty good at worst. That being said, they really needed another match or two on here so that the already existing matches didn’t have to be dragged out so long. Six matches does not make for much of a pay per view card and that was a glaring issue all night. It also was only so eventful of a show, with Jey Uso jumping to Raw and the Tag Team Title change being the only important parts. Good show if you’re looking for quality wrestling, but not as much for big time forward movements.

Results
Becky Lynch b. Trish Stratus – Super Manhandle Slam
LA Knight b. The Miz – BFT
Rey Mysterio b. Austin Theory – Victory roll
Judgment Day b. Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens – Briefcase shot to Zayn
Rhea Ripley b. Raquel Rodriguez – Riptide
Seth Rollins b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Stomp

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

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So WWE has brought another of its shows out of mothballs and in a way, I like the idea of there not being a major theme. There is no big signature match or concept to the show, instead leaving it as just a show with matches. Now that being said, this show has not had the strongest build, with part of that being due to last week’s Smackdown being thrown off the rails after Bray Wyatt passed away. There isn’t much of a card to go over so far but let’s get to it.

Women’s World Title: Rhea Ripley(c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez

We’ll start out with the hoss fight as these two are going to be able to hit each other really hard. They aren’t exactly hiding about what this is supposed to be and that is a fine way to go. Sometimes you need to just present two powerhouses doing powerhouse things and that is exactly what we’re getting here. Ripley is a star but Rodriguez has risen to the occasion before so we should be in for some fun with this one.

That being said, as entertaining as the match might be, there is no reason to believe that Ripley’s title reign is in any serious danger. Ripley is looking like she could have the kind of record setting title reign that WWE has been using in recent years and while Rodriguez will get her reign one day, it isn’t going to be here. They’ll have a heck of a fight, but it won’t include a title change.

Tag Team Titles: Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens(c) vs. Judgment Day

This is a street fight and that should make for a fun match. Owens and Zayn can work a regular match but they can also do the wild brawling stuff rather well. It also helps that the Judgment Day can work that style as well, with Dominik Mysterio and perhaps JD McDonagh getting involved as well. At the same time though, you have the internal issues for the Judgment Day and things could get rather complicated rather fast.

Again I don’t see much of a reason to believe that the titles are going to change hands here, as Zayn and Owens have cooled off as champions, but I don’t think they’ve cooled off enough to lose. Judgment Day has to win something, but that briefcase Priest is carrying around makes the Tag Team Titles feel like a downgrade. Owens and Zayn retain here, but I’m not sure how much longer they’ll keep the belts.

United States Title: Rey Mysterio(c) vs. Austin Theory

Mysterio is in a more vulnerable place than most champions as he does not feel like anything resembling a long term champion. He is someone who could put someone else over at any time and Theory getting the title back is not completely out of the question. It makes for a more compelling match, but the fact that Mysterio beat him so easily a few weeks ago brings that back down.

I still can’t go with a new champion here though, as Mysterio retains and likely drops the title to Santos Escobar sooner than later. That is the story that has been set up and I don’t see much of a reason for anything else to happen. Theory has held the title for so long that it doesn’t make sense to put the belt back on him, as he is desperately in need of something new. Therefore he doesn’t win here, as Mysterio gets ready for his eventual showdown with Escobar.

LA Knight vs. The Miz

This has been built up on a string of promos and that is where both of them shine. The match gone from what felt like an easy win for Knight into something more personal as Miz has been in serious mode in the last few weeks. That can make for a good Miz feud and he has made it work well enough here. Now they just have to stick the landing and Knight can be well on his way.

So yeah of course there is no reason to believe that Miz wins here, as Knight is one of the hottest stars in WWE at the moment. He can move up the ladder a bit with a win here as he gets into title contention, with this kind of a win helping. What matters most is that Miz has been serious coming into it, which will make the win feel that much more important. This match doesn’t have to be great, but it needs to be good enough with Knight winning, and that should work out.

Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus

They’re inside a cage, which should be the end to this longer than necessary feud. However, that has been the case for a few months now and the thing just keeps going. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt though as a cage match should be a sure fire way to wrap it up. Lynch has already taken out Zoey Stark as well, so they have a way to make this one work out.

Since there is no reason to believe that Stratus is sticking around after this one, I’ll take Lynch to win so she can move on to something else (like Tiffany Stratton for example). Unless they jump start some new feud way faster than necessary, this should be Lynch going over to finish Stratus off or good. The feud has lost steam, but having them get a good, dramatic and violent match here would be enough to get out of it as unscathed as possible. Lynch wins.

World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins(c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

This is the only match that I can imagine headlining the show, but like most World Heavyweight Title matches so far, it feels like a glorified midcard title. Rollins is trying and they have enough of a feud, but this headlining the show doesn’t seem like the easiest move. It’s about all we have for now though and they should be able to have a good match in this slot.

As much as I would love Nakamura to win the title for once, there is no reason to believe that he is anything more than the challenger of the month in between Rollins’ bigger feuds. Rollins does have a bad back and that is going to need to be addressed sooner than later, but for now, Rollins wins. He also doesn’t have to deal with Money In The Bank just yet, as they haven’t ignored it long enough to have Priest cash it in.

Overall Thoughts

And that’s the show for now. It’s a six match card as of the end of Smackdown and that isn’t exactly feeling like something major. There is also Cody Rhodes on the Grayson Waller Effect and John Cena as the guest host, and it wouldn’t shock me to see Cena and Rhodes cross paths. The show needs something else and setting up a potential Rhodes vs. Cena showdown could work. Odds are we get a bonus match somewhere, but there isn’t much that can be done to hide how much of a C-list show this really is.

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

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Smackdown
Date: September 1, 2023
Location: Giant Center, Hershey, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick, Corey Graves

We are back to normal this week with the go home show for tomorrow night’s Payback. That should be a big enough deal, but we’re also getting the return of John Cena, who is going to be around for a long time to come. At the same time, we have the return of Jimmy Uso so the Bloodline is back. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of Jey Uso laying out the Bloodline and then quitting WWE.

Here is John Cena to get things going and yeah the fans still remember him. Cena is here to say thank you for everything he gets to do, including wrestling in India for the first time ever next week. As for this weekend though, he is going to be the host of Payback. As for tonight though, you saw the video about Jimmy Uso so tonight is about answers. Cena is about to say what he is doing tonight but here is Jimmy Uso to interrupt.

The fans want Jey but Jimmy says he did what he did out of love for his brother. Jimmy again explains that he didn’t want Jey to get corrupted by the power like Roman Reigns….or Cena. Jimmy isn’t pleased with the sky blue shirt but Cena seems to like the look. Apparently Cena and Reigns are exactly alike (Cena: “Nah man.”) because they both take and take but Cena does his with a smile. Cena thinks the pressure is getting to Jimmy and he has one (Cena does the one finger pose) thing to say: the wrong Uso quit. Jimmy tries a superkick but gets caught in the AA.

Grayson Waller and Austin Theory aren’t impressed with John Cena being back. Now go watch them be the best tag team ever.

Jimmy Uso is livid.

Rey Mysterio/Santos Escobar vs. Austin Theory/Grayson Waller

Escobar dropkicks Waller down to start and then launches Rey over the top onto the villains as we take an early break. Back with Mysterio in trouble and Escobar getting tripped off the apron. Rey manages to send Waller outside for a crash and then grab a tornado DDT. That’s enough for the tag off to Escobar so the pace can pick back up. Everything breaks down and Theory takes out Escobar’s leg (after Escobar shoved Rey out of the way). Rey and Theory go to the floor and the rolling Stunner gives Waller the pin on Escobar at 8:05.

Rating: C+. Waller getting the pin on Escobar here is a bit of a surprise as Escobar isn’t on Payback and Waller is hosting a talk show on there. At the same time, I’m glad they didn’t have a champion get pinned, even if it is Rey. For now though, nice opener and at least Waller FINALLY got a pin.

Michin is talking to Adam Pearce when Jimmy Uso interrupts. Pearce tells him off for being rude and that’s that.

Post break Michin talks to the Good Brothers about Jimmy Uso disrespecting her. AJ Styles is going to deal with this.

Here is Bobby Lashley (rocking a suit) for a chat. Lashley acknowledges the fans liking him these days but he is here to talk about the only thing anyone wants to ask him about: what is up with him and the Street Profits? Lashley says that real recognizes real so here are the Profits to join him. The Profits thank Lashley for everything he’s done for them lately and they’ll thank him with success. Lashley says they’re coming for power, control and championship gold. As they’re leaving here are Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for their match, plus a staredown.

Kevin Owens/Sami Zayn vs. Cruz del Toro/Joaquin Wilde

Non-title. Sami armbars Wilde down to start and hands it off to Owens for a Swanton. Back up and del Toro hits a rolling dropkick to send Owens into the corner. Del Toro misses a springboard dive and it’s a pop up powerbomb to put him down. Del Toro gets kicked off the apron and the Helluva Kick into the Stunner finishes Wilde at 2:28. Total squash.

Post match Sami tells the Judgment Day to bring it tomorrow night.

Jimmy Uso is going to leave when he runs into AJ Styles. Arguing and shoving ensues, with Solo Sikoa running in to jump Styles. Jimmy says no one in the Bloodline can tell Jimmy a thing, then he leaves.

AJ Styles wants to beat up the Bloodline but the OC tries to calm things down. The attempts don’t work out.

Here is the Miz for a chat. Miz talks about how much better he is than LA Knight, as he impersonated him so easily on Raw. Knight isn’t on his level or even half of the star Miz was ten years ago. Cue Knight to interrupt and say Miz has impersonated stars such as the Rock, John Cena and now Knight himself.

Knight has done it all to get here from working nothing jobs to living in the roach infested apartments to cashing his checks at the payday loan place. Now Miz is talking about how Knight isn’t on his level, but it’s Miz who isn’t on his level. Miz brings up Knight’s failure on a reality show and you might not remember it because he was the first eliminated. Miz was in the Marine series and has Miz and Mrs. because he succeeds everywhere he goes. Knight talks about how the star of Miz and Mrs. was Miz’s wife because he just carried the bag that held his giblets.

Speaking of Maryse, he apologizes for sending her a broken husband after Payback, but Knight would be happy to fix her, YEAH. Miz laughs it off and says Knight is different than these people, who will settle for mediocrity. Knight is trying to do something but after Payback, he’s sending Knight back to 2003, where he can cut promos into a hairbrush in his roach infested apartment. Knight says Miz will learn tomorrow and hits the catchphrase, but Miz jumps him with the Skull Crushing Finale. Knight gets up and chases after him but security breaks it up. They were both bringing it here and this was a fiery exchange.

Shotzi vs. Bayley

The rest of Damage CTRL is here with Bayley. Shotzi ducks a big boot to start, as Cole asks “who thinks of shaving panthers.” Bayley hammers her down in the corner but gets sent outside for a flip dive off the apron. We take a break and come back with Bayley tying her in the Tree of Woe for a bottom rope springboard elbow. Shotzi fights up so Bayley wants Iyo Sky’s title. Cue Charlotte to take Sky out and Shotzi hits a DDT for the pin at 9:09.

Rating: C. Not much to this one, but somehow this wound up being more about Charlotte than anyone in the match. Shotzi’s new look might not stand out as much but she did look rather unique with the change of pace. What mattered here was giving Shotzi a win though and hopefully she can go somewhere after years of floundering.

Video on Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.

Payback rundown.

AJ Styles vs. Solo Sikoa

No Paul Heyman this time. Sikoa runs him over with a shoulder to start but the running headbutt only hits knees. Styles hits his jumping knee and adds a running clothesline in the corner Heyman comes out. Sikoa’s cheap shot doesn’t work as Styles knocks him outside and hits the slingshot forearm as we take a break.

Back with Styles being sent ribs first into the post and a belly to belly gets two. Sikoa backdrops him but Styles is right back with the Pele. The running basement forearm and there’s the corner clothesline to rock Sikoa again. The Phenomenal Blitz is countered into a pop up Samoan drop to give Sikoa two more. Styles knocks him right back down and hits a Lionsault of all things for two. Sikoa grabs the referee though and here is Jimmy Uso to break up the Phenomenal Forearm. Sikoa hits the Spike for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: B-. Kind of a lackluster main event here and you might as well have had a big sign counting down to Jimmy showing up again to interfere. This is the latest issue for the Bloodline as one guy seems to want back in but there is a chance that it’s another big swerve. Styles and the OC going after the Bloodline is at least something fresh, but this wasn’t a great way to bring Jimmy back.

Post match Heyman looks stunned and Jimmy hugging Sikoa makes it even more complicated. Sikoa shoves Jimmy away and goes to the floor, leaving Jimmy to drop Styles and hit the Superfly Splash. Heyman calls (presumably) Roman Reigns to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a kind of all over the place show as they were trying to get Jimmy Uso back while having Cena pop in and give a hard final push towards Payback. It didn’t help that last week was nearly a punt of a show (for good reason) but Payback is looking like a weak show and it isn’t like there was much excitement for the event in the first place. Not a bad show, but fairly skippable, as might be the case with Payback as well.

Results
Austin Theory/Grayson Waller b. Rey Mysterio/Santos Escobar – Rolling Stunner to Escobar
Sami Zayn/Kevin Owens b. Cruz del Toro/Joaquin Wilde – Stunner to Wilde
Shotzi b. Bayley – DDT
Solo Sikoa b. AJ Styles – Samoan Spike

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

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

AND

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: August 28, 2023
Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett

It’s the go home Raw for Payback and the card is mostly set. There are still a few things that need to be either set up or at least finalized a bit more and hopefully that makes for an entertaining show. Odds are we’ll also be seeing something in the way of tributes to Bray Wyatt and Terry Funk. Let’s get to it.

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

In Memory Of Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt.

Sami Zayn vs. Damian Priest

This is a preview of the newly announced Tag Team Title match at Payback, where Sami and Kevin Owens will defend against Priest and Finn Balor. Priest’s headlock doesn’t last long as Zayn sends him out to the floor and hits a springboard moonsault. Back in and Priest blasts him with a clothesline, followed by the Broken Arrow for two.

Zayn is sent outside for a Downward Spiral onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. We come back with Zayn hitting a sunset bomb for two and the Blue Thunder Bomb gets the same. Zayn exploders him into the corner but here is JD McDonagh for a distraction so Priest can hit South Of Heaven for the pin at 11:30.

Rating: C+. This is the standard way to build towards a Tag Team Title match in WWE and I would bet on an Owens vs. Balor match later in the night. The McDonagh factor makes it more interesting but we might be waiting to see that one go anywhere. For now though, we got a decent enough match as Priest gets the win while Zayn is protected in a loss.

Post match Priest shoves McDonagh down and leaves, with Kevin Owens coming in to beat McDonagh up again.

Drew McIntyre has a new photo of himself in bright green trunks, which Akira Tozawa finds a bit disturbing. Matt Riddle comes in to suggest they get matching kilts and watch New Day vs. the Viking Raiders tonight.

Video on Raquel Rodriguez wanting to get revenge on Rhea Ripley.

Here is the Miz dressed as LA Knight and we have an impression. Miz mocks the way Knight speaks and switches between YEAH and WHAT. He knows it takes more than a catchphrase to get your support and whips out a bag of LA Knight shirts. If you want a free shirt, give him a H*** YEAH. Miz takes off the gear and talks about how pathetic the fans are. They’ll cheer for anything and the party is over when he beats LA Knight for good. You can cheer for catchphrases and losers and in five days, they’ll be chanting M-I-Z, YEAH! Miz was fired up here and it worked as usual.

We look back at Shinsuke Nakamura talking about Seth Rollins’ back injury.

New Day vs. Viking Raiders

Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle (taking notes) are at ringside. Woods headlocks Erik to start but it’s off to Ivar to take over without much time. That’s broken up and Kofi comes back in to strike away. The kick in the corner sets up a high crossbody for two on Ivar, who needs a breather. The big no hands dive takes Ivar out again and we take a break.

Back with Kofi having to dropkick his way out of trouble. Commentary references Barbarian of all people as they talk about Valhalla wearing antlers at ringside and Kofi gets dropped with a forearm for two. Ivar forearms Kofi down and Erik adds a boot as the beating continues. Ivar’s chinlock doesn’t last long and he misses a sitdown splash.

Kofi gets over to Woods so the pace can be picked up but Erik grabs a full nelson onto a raised knee. Everything breaks down and Kingston is driven into Riddle and McIntyre. The latter throws a chair inside and another hits Woods HARD in the face (he seemed to be aiming for Erik). Ivar dives onto McIntyre and Ragnarok finishes Kofi at 17:08.

Rating: C+. This got a lot of time (likely too much) and was more about Riddle and McIntyre interfering than anything else. McIntyre throwing the chair at Woods’ head was a nasty looking crash and should set up a triple threat match. Good stuff here, but it went longer than it needed to.

Post match Kofi, McIntyre and Riddle check on Woods.

Finn Balor and Damian Priest argue about JD McDonagh again and Rhea Ripley has to calm things down again. She already has to deal with Raquel Rodriguez and if the team doesn’t walk out of Payback with Gold, there are going to be some changes.

We get the full Bray Wyatt tribute from Smackdown.

Drew McIntyre and Matt Riddle ask Kofi Kingston about Xavier Woods, with Kofi saying he’ll be ok. He knows it was an accident because that’s not what Drew is about. Next week, Drew and Riddle are dealing with the Viking Raiders.

Here is Imperium for a chat. Gunther, standing on the announcers’ table as usual, talks about how Chad Gable defeated him last week….by countout. In reality, Gable won nothing, because Gunther is still the champion. The only thing Gable has achieved is making him mad, and now Gable has his focus. If Gable is the last thing left between him and the longest title reign in history, so be it. Cue the Alpha Academy, with gable saying Gunther is making some good points. Next week, Gable is taking the title away.

Chad Gable vs. Ludwig Kaiser

Gable wrestles him down to start and sends things outside for a flip dive off the apron. We take a break and come back with Gable bridging up from a wristlock and taking him down with a drop toehold. Kaiser shoulders him down as well though, only to have Gable come back with a roll into the ankle lock.

That doesn’t work either as Kaiser blasts him with a clothesline. The armbar over the ropes slows Kaiser down again but he knocks Gable outside with a heck of a slap. We take another break and come back again with Kaiser dropkicking him out to the floor. Back in and Gable goes after the leg but can’t get a German suplex.

Instead Kaiser kicks him in the face for two but gets caught with a neckbreaker. Gable misses the moonsault, only to come back with something like a Gory Stretch into a Dominator for two. A Cactus crossbody puts Kaiser on the floor and Gable moonsaults down onto Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci at the same time. Back in and the ankle lock is broken up so Gable grabs Chaos Theory…but Vinci comes in for the DQ at 18:08.

Rating: C+. Wait what? They had the #1 contender go 18 minutes with the champ’s chief goon and then he can’t even get a pin? Not only should Gable have won this clean after taking out an interfering Vinci, but he should have done it in about ten minutes less. I don’t get this one and it didn’t do Gable any favors at all.

Post match the brawl is on with Gunther coming back in. Gunther’s powerbomb is countered into an ankle lock but Gable is beaten down anyway.

Here is Seth Rollins to call out Shinsuke Nakamura. After taking his time to soak in some singing, Rollins throws in a YOWIE WOWIE before saying who he is. It has been a long week so he’ll get to the point and calls out Nakamura right now. There’s no Nakamura, so Rollins is off to drink.

Cue Nakamura on the screen in a video, as he practices with various weapons as well as grappling. The voiceover (with captions) talks about how he is going to stop Rollins. This doesn’t impress Rollins, who wants the OLD Nakamura back. A year ago, Rollins would have given him the shirt off his back but not anymore. On Saturday, Rollins will lay him out, so Nakamura will know that he is never getting anything else from him. Cue Nakamura to jump him from behind and whisper something else to Rollins.

Sami Zayn is sick of Judgment Day always using the numbers game to win. We’ll do it one more time, but it’s going to be in a Steel City Street Fight.

Bronson Reed vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Reed jumps him downing the entrance but gets kneed down as we take a break before the bell. We come back joined in progress with Reed crossbodying him down to cut off an early comeback. Ciampa avoids a charge and manages an Air Raid Crash but Reed is back with a powerbomb. Reed knocks him off the apron and hits a flying shoulder from said apron for the big crash. Back in and Willow’s Bell into a running knee to the face gives Ciampa two. Ciampa gets back up and grabs a crucifix bomb for the pin (despite barely being able to get the shoulders down) for the pin at 4:38.

Rating: C. Not much to this one and the ending didn’t help things. It feels like these two and a few others have been trading wins for weeks now and no one has really come out looking better. What matters here is Ciampa gets a win for a change, but it doesn’t make much of a difference if there is no follow up.

Becky Lynch is ready for Trish Stratus in a cage and for Zoey Stark in a falls count anywhere match. It’s not the easy way and that’s fine with her.

Here are Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley for a chat (and NXT Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton is in the crow). Ripley doesn’t think much of Raquel Rodriguez, even if she has a resume of her own. Like being tall! Either way, Ripley is keeping the title at Payback. Cue Rodriguez for the brawl with a fall away slam sending Ripley flying. The Riptide is blocked and Ripley gets clotheslined to the floor.

Trish Stratus and Zoey Stark are ready for Becky Lynch.

Payback rundown.

We get the Terry Funk video tribute from Smackdown.

Zoey Stark vs. Becky Lynch

Falls count anywhere and Trish Stratus is here with Zoey. They both grab kendo sticks to start with Becky beating her down. They head outside where a Trish distraction lets Stark get in a cheap shot. A springboard missile dropkick connects so Trish throws in some chairs….one of which hits Stark in the head (meaning commentary is all over Trish).

There is a pile of chairs in the ring but Lynch pulls her off the top. The Z360 is countered into the Manhandle Slam for two, with Trish making the save. Becky gives chase but has to pull a kendo stick away from Trish. The beating sends Trish up the ramp, only to have Zoey get in a chair shot to the ribs as we take a break.

Back with Becky throwing Zoey over the barricade and back to ringside for a suplex into the barricade. They get back inside where Stark chairs her down again as Michael Cole is standing up on commentary for some reason. A slingshot springboard corkscrew dive hits the chair on Lynch so Stark goes up again. Becky catches her with a superplex onto the chairs and we head outside.

This time the Manhandle Slam onto the announcers’ table is loaded up but Stark escapes and kicks her in the face. Trish is back with a bulldog through a well placed table for a rather delayed two. A double bulldog is broken up and Stark accidentally takes Trish out. The Manhandle Slam off a crate and through a table finishes Stark at 16:11.

Rating: B. They were going for the big fight feel here with Becky overcoming the odds, but that only worked so well as it felt like a handicap match instead of a showdown with Stark. At the same time, this didn’t really make me want to see a Lynch vs. Trish cage match, as Trish was mostly vanquished here. This whole feud has been a bit of a mess and I don’t see the blowoff on Saturday going great either.

Lynch holds up a BRAY armband to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This was an up and down show with the main event being the best match on the card. At the same time, there wasn’t much added to Payback, save for a Tag Team Title match which was hardly a surprise. Instead they had a wrestling heavy show this week and that is a nice thing to see every so often. They needed a steady show like this after all of the rough news last week, so this was about as good of a choice as they had available. It worked well enough, but save for the main event, there isn’t much you need to see here.

Results
Damian Priest b. Sami Zayn – South Of Heaven
Viking Raiders b. New Day – Ragnarok to Kingston
Chad Gable b. Ludwig Kaiser via DQ when Giovanni Vinci interfered
Tommaso Ciampa b. Bronson Reed – Crucifix bomb
Becky Lynch b. Zoey Stark – Manhandle Slam through a table

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

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Monday Night Raw
Date: August 16, 2010
Location: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler

This was a request for reasons not quite clear. It’s night after Summerslam and the big story is John Cena and company vanquished the Nexus, in a match that saw Cena overcome some rather insane odds. Other than that, Sheamus is still Raw World Champion, having retained the title over Randy Orton. Let’s get to it.

Opening sequence.

Here is the Nexus to get things going, with commentary saying that the team showed they belong despite losing last night. Wade Barrett (the team’s leader) says they beat SIX of the best that Raw had to offer last night (keep in mind that it was a 7 on 7 tag match) and they are still ready to dominate WWE. They were defeated and that means there will be consequences for Raw.

Cue John Cena, to say that Barrett has the resolve of Winston Churchill and the toughness of Snooki from the Jersey Shore. Cena brings up how Barrett tapped out to cause the team to lose. The reality is that Nexus is expendable and Barrett must be kicking himself in the fish and chips over letting Daniel Bryan go. Then last night Bryan eliminated over half of the Nexus by himself as they proved that Nexus can be defeated.

You have the various members of the team, such as Otunga (an above average male escort), Tarver (looks like a stripper), Heath Slater (the chick from Wendy’s…..so Wendy), Darren Young (a cross between Cena and Buckwheat), Justin Gabriel (he has an “alternative” way of thinking) and Skip Sheffield (who thinks the Meow Mix theme).

All that matters is they are a bunch of humans, with Young tapping out in less than a minute. We get an email from the anonymous Raw General Manager (egads the flashbacks), saying tonight it’s Team WWE vs. Nexus in a bunch of singles matches, with threats made against Nexus interference.

Barrett doesn’t like hearing that he tapped out, but promises that after tonight, Nexus will be stronger than ever. If any of them lose though, their spots might not be safe. Otunga says that’s fine, but if Barrett loses, someone else can step up and take the leadership. We get another email, saying Nexus can pick their matchups tonight. Except for Barrett that is, because he gets to face Chris Jericho. So there’s your show tonight, and they did it in about fifteen minutes. That’s fairly fast for some Raw opening segments.

Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett

Jericho kicks him down to start as the rest of Nexus is shown watching in the back. There’s the triangle dropkick to send Barrett outside but he’s able to knock Jericho off the apron for a breather. There’s a big boot to drop Jericho again and we hit the double arm crank. Jericho fights up and hits a middle rope dropkick, followed by the bulldog. A quick Wasteland attempt is countered into the Walls, sending Barrett straight to the rope. Back up and Jericho boots him in the face again, only to get caught with an enziguri. The Codebreaker is loaded up but Barrett reverses into the Wasteland for the clean pin.

Rating: C+. Jericho can be criticized for a lot of things, but he has a reputation as someone who will put just about anyone over. That is a big win for Barrett, especially after last night’s big loss. Barrett being able to hang with someone at Jericho’s level helps him a lot and they had a good match to show what Barrett can do.

This week’s guest hosts are Jason Sudekis, Charlie Day and Justin Long. They have a new moving coming out and seemingly have no idea what to talk about here so they just make weird noises. We hear some NBA insults before the team introduces the Hart Dynasty (Tag Team Champions).

Hold on though as we get another email. As of tonight, the Unified Tag Team Titles will now be known as the WWE Tag Team Titles, so here is Bret Hart with the new (bronze, because of course) titles. Thankfully that means dropping the dumb four belts for two people idea but here is Nexus on the screen. They have picked Hart’s opponent for tonight: Justin Gable, who promises a 450 to Bret. At least those morons were off quick.

We hear about Daniel Bryan replacing the injured Great Khali on Team WWE. No clip for that?

Michael Tarver vs. Daniel Bryan

Bryan goes after the arm to start as Cole goes off about Bryan having no skill or change of becoming a star because he doesn’t eat meat. The rapid fire kicks to the chest in the corner have Tarver in more trouble and a missile dropkick makes it worse. Cue Miz and Alex Riley for a distraction though, allowing Tarver to get the fast rollup pin.

Post match Bryan goes after the Miz but Riley and Tarver take him down. The Skull Crushing Finale onto Miz’s Money In The Bank briefcase leaves Bryan laying.

Post break Miz and Riley talk about how they don’t like Bryan’s popularity, with Miz promising that Riley will be the next breakout star.

Darren Young tells Nexus that he’ll be facing John Cena. Pep talking ensues.

Justin Gabriel vs. Bret Hart

Actually hold on as we get an email saying there is a replacement.

Justin Gabriel vs. Randy Orton

Orton (in his weird bare arms phase) powers him into the corner to start but Gabriel flips over him and starts kicking away. As Lawler tries to figure out what kind of animal Gabriel is poking here (before finally remembering the whole VIPER thing), Orton snaps off the powerslam and the hanging DDT. The RKO is loaded up but cue Sheamus for….not a DQ as Orton brawls with him into the crowd for the countout instead. Well that was a dumb way out of the stipulation.

Post match Orton goes back inside to RKO Gabriel. With that not being enough, Orton grabs a chair and unloads on Sheamus to blow off some steam. That’s not enough so Orton drops Sheamus with the RKO on the floor for a bonus.

Skip Sheffield/David Otunga vs. R-Truth/John Morrison

Morrison works on Otunga’s arm to start before grabbing a Russian legsweep. It’s off to Sheffield to powerslam Truth but Otunga comes back in and gets Downward Spiraled. Cole asks what a Truth/Morrison win would mean for the locker room’s psyche. I’m thinking….not much? Anyway Morrison comes back in to pick up the pace but Sheffield runs him over. One heck of a running clothesline finishes Morrison to keep Nexus undefeated.

Melina/Eve Torres/Gail Kim vs. Jillian/Maryse/Alicia Fox

Gail easily takes Maryse down to start and calls her a gold digger. A crossbody gives Gail two and it’s off to Melina, who is taken into the wrong corner. Fox hits her always nice looking northern lights suplex and the chinlock goes on. That’s broken up and Eve comes in with a bunch of dropkicks. Everything breaks down and Eve hits an enziguri out of the corner to drop Jillian. The moonsault is loaded up but Jillian rolls her up out of the corner for the big upset pin.

Edge isn’t surprised that he led Team WWE to victory last night but here is Heath Slater to interrupt. They’re facing each other tonight and Heath tries to get him to back out. That’s not going to work for Edge, who isn’t losing to a Wendy looking Edge wannabe. Heath decks him and leaves.

Edge vs. Heath Slater

Edge knocks him into the corner without too much trouble to start but Heath gets in a cheap shot. They head outside with Edge being sent into the barricade, followed by the armbar back inside. That’s broken up and Edge makes the clothesline comeback for two. Heath gets in his own clothesline for two, with a fan shouting “I HATE YOU HEATH SLATER! I HATE YOU!” Back up and Edge sends him (Heath, not the fan) outside but misses the baseball slide dropkick. The spear against the steps misses….and Heath beats the count back inside for the pin.

Rating: C-. Well that was nothing, but it’s getting more than a little tough to accept that after eliminating all seven members last night, Team WWE can’t beat a single member of the Nexus here. That doesn’t makes the most sense and it’s leading to some rather screwy finishes. This didn’t feel like something Edge would ever fall for and it’s not something I would buy him doing, which doesn’t exactly make for a strong finish.

Post match Edge hits a spear to blow off some steam.

The hosts are in the back with Great Khali and talk about long distances relationships (which is why Khali hasn’t been doing the Kiss Cam). Justin Long sees a picture of Khali’s girlfriend and the other hosts aren’t impressed. They then find out that Khali understands English, but he admits the girlfriend is ugly. Then he leaves with the Bellas. Cole: “WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?”

Video on Summerslam week, including a bunch of charity stuff.

John Cena vs. Darren Young

No entrance for Young and that can’t be a good sign. Hold on though as cue Nexus to watch from the stage and Young gets two off a fast rollup to start. Young grabs a headlock and my goodness you can hear the spots being called despite a fairly rowdy crowd. Cena reverses into a headlock of his own but gets suplexed down, setting up a legdrop for two more. Cole: “Remember Young has to win this match.” Lawler: “I think Cena has to win this match.” Cole: “I agree with you.”

A clothesline and neckbreaker give Young two each and we hit the chinlock with a knee in the back. Back up and Cena….charges into an elbow in the corner as this has been one sided so far. Young drops a leg, Cena says “one more leg”, Young drops another leg. A northern lights suplex gets two more and Young is getting frustrated. With nothing else working, Young tosses him outside and then into the steps for a nine count. Back in and Cena quickly starts the comeback, setting up the Shuffle into the STFU for the tap.

Rating: C+. For someone who almost never got used on his own, Young can wrestle a decent match when he is given the chance. Granted having Cena call spots REALLY LOUDLY might have helped, but it was the best Young ever looked in WWE. At some point someone from Nexus had to lose and Young was the only one left by the end.

Post match the Nexus comes to the ring but let Cena go, instead circling Young. The big beatdown is on, with the Wasteland into the 450 splash destroying Young to end the show.

Overall Rating: C-. Normally I like the idea of focusing on one thing throughout the show but this was extreme even by WWE standards. Other than the women’s match and some dumb stuff with the hosts, this was all about one storyline. Throw in Nexus dominating most of the show and this wasn’t exactly interesting, with Nexus dominating most of the show despite losing last night. Not a good show, as the Nexus story was instantly a lot lamer after the Summerslam loss. Focusing on a big story is fine, but you have to mix it up a bit.

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

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Smackdown
Date: August 25, 2023
Location: KFC Yum Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Commentators; Wade Barrett, Michael Cole, Kevin Patrick

This is not going to be a normal show and it shouldn’t be. The wrestling world lost an all time legend and a current star this year as Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt both passed away. As a result, I’m not expecting much in the way of storylines tonight, but it isn’t likely to be a full on tribute show either. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a double graphic for Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt (listed as Windham Rotunda) with the roster (including Braun Strowman and also Erick Rowan). Michael Cole is at ringside and talks about how this is for the two of them and we get the ten bell salute.

We get the music video on Wyatt (starting with He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands) and looking at most of his WWE run, including the Firefly Fun House and the Fiend. We see some pictures of him with the other Wyatts and his family (oh boy). He blows the lantern out…..and we’re back in the arena where the empty rocking chair gets a spotlight. Well. That was heartbreaking.

Back from a break and we get a series of tweets from wrestlers and personalities memorializing Terry Funk.

Rey Mysterio vs. Grayson Waller

Non-title. Rey takes him down to start and does Waller’s knee drop pose, followed by a forearm to the face. A headscissors sends Waller into the corner but another is countered to send Rey to the apron. Waller kicks him in the face and slides out after him, only to get hurricanranaed into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Waller stomping Rey down into the corner before hammering away with some forearms. Waller’s top rope elbow gets two but he charges into a boot in the corner. Rey hits a springboard DDT for two and knocks Waller down again but here is Austin Theory for a distraction. The ensuing rollup gives Waller two and a collision puts both of them down. Cue Santos Escobar to go after Waller but his knee gets banged up again. Rey is back up with a 619 and hits the slingshot splash for the pin at 12:04.

Rating: C+. I’m rather glad that they’ve more or less dropped the distraction leading into a rollup, or at least it’s no longer a near running joke. Waller continues to lose and continues to not exactly be great in the ring. Rey did his thing here to carry it, but Waller might be better off as someone who just talks rather than wrestles on a regular basis. It suits him better.

We see the original Bray Wyatt vignette from NXT.

We get some tweets on Bray.

Commentary talks about Bray.

Damage CTRL yells at Kayla Braxton and call her short. Like Zelina Vega, who isn’t beating Iyo Sky tonight.

We look at the Fiend’s debut. That worked.

Smackdown Women’s Title: Iyo Sky vs. Zelina Vega

Sky, with Damage CTRL, is defending. Vega gets slammed to start but slips out of a second and kicks Sky in the head. Sky is dropped again and Vega hits a middle rope Meteora (with an Eddie tribute of course). Back up and Sky hits a great looking springboard missile dropkick but Vega is back with a DDT. Code Red is blocked but works on the second time, with Sky falling out to the floor. Sky is fine enough to send her into the steps, followed by t running knees in the corner back inside. Over The Moonsault retains at 6:10.

Rating: C. This was a way to get Sky’s first title defense out of the way against a popular challenger and that worked just fine. Vega has that fight until the end style to her and the Code Red is enough of a threat that it might steal a win someday. For now though, Sky gets her win and is ready to move on to a more serious feud.

More Bray tweets.

Here is Cody Rhodes to pay tribute to Terry Funk. He remembers being at the airport in Denver with his dad at 11 years old when he heard someone call Dusty Rhodes an egg sucking dog. The same person said something about his mother and Cody didn’t quite get it. Of course it was Funk, and we get the In Memory graphic.

The people who get in this ring have been called a lot of things, but Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt were cowboys in the best sense of the word. Of all of the wrestlers who said they went to West Texas State University, Funk actually attended classes there. Funk gave an entire company and a revolution “the rub”, and we see the WWE tribute video to him. Tonight we’re getting a hardcore tag match in Funk’s honor.

Street Profits vs. Brawling Brutes

Hardcore. It’s a brawl to start with the Brutes taking over, including Butch hitting a dropkick to each of them. Holland is back in as Butch moonsaults onto both of them. Holland puts Butch in a fireman’s carry for a version of the Terry Funk ladder spot (that was nice) but Ford sends them both outside. There’s the big flip dive and cue Bobby Lashley as we take a break.

Back with the Brutes hitting the stereo ten forearms to the chests and getting two on Ford. The Profits are back up with Ford hitting a nice Blockbuster for two, with Butch making the save. Butch pulls out a table (and seems to offend Lashley in the process) but Ford takes it away. What looks to be a Rock Bottom is broken up but Lashley spears Butch down on the floor. The Sky High/neckbreaker (the Revelation) sends Holland through the table for the pin at 12:24.

Rating: C. for a regular tag math with a table thrown in, it was rather good but for a hardcore match, it was hardly hardcore. That being said, the ladder spot was awesome and the Brutes feel like a team who belongs in such a match. It might not have been the most logical way to pay tribute to Funk, but the fans were into the Profits.

More Bray tweets.

We get a TMZ video with Miz threatening LA Knight.

Here is LA Knight or a chat before his match. Knight talks about how he saw the Fireflies out here earlier tonight. It got him thinking about how your greatest foes can be your greatest helpers. He and Bray Wyatt did some horrible things to each other but it was Bray getting him ready for anything.

That brings him to Miz, who threatened him (with Knight doing a high pitched impression) but was only an afterthought even when he was main eventing Wrestlemania. If Miz wants to try and end Knight, come find him anywhere anytime. Knight hits the catchphrase but has one more piece of advice for Miz: the next time you see him, RUN. That got a heck of a reaction, as it should have. Excellent stuff and the ending was a great tribute.

Here’s what’s coming next week, including the rescheduled return of Jimmy Uso. That makes sense as no one was up for a major storyline this week.

LA Knight vs. Finn Balor

Wyatt’s last opponent vs. the person the Fiend debuted against. Knight starts fast by sending him to the apron for a hand stomp. As we’re told Miz vs. Knight is set for Payback, Knight rams him face first into the announcers’ table for two back inside. We take a break and come back with Balor getting faceplanted and kicked in the head for two.

Balor fights back and hits the shotgun dropkick into the corner. The Coup de Grace misses though and Knight hits his powerslam. Balor is back up and drops Knight again, only to get crotched on top this time. Knight jump sot the top for the superplex and the BFT is good for the clean pin at 10:45.

Rating: B-. They were in a weird spot here as there is no storyline reason for them to be fighting. Knight goes over as he needs the win more and it’s not like anyone is going to count a loss like this against Balor. What mattered here was doing something with people who had been associated with Wyatt and this was about as good as they could have done, all things considered.

Knight leaves and the lights go out Fiend style, with the lantern showing up in the ring and a silhouette of Bray (appearing to have wings thanks to the firefly behind him) appearing on the Titantron. A THANK YOU BRAY chant takes us out.

Overall Rating: A. As has been the case before, this wasn’t about the wrestling. This was about paying tribute to two wrestlers who passed away this week, one of whom was a current member of the roster. Bray getting more focus than Funk made sense, but Cody’s promo and the Funk video were both great. They focused a bit on storylines here but moving most of them until next week is the right way to go. The show had me thinking about Bray and Funk throughout though, and that’s what it should have been this week.

Results
Rey Mysterio b. Grayson Waller – Springboard splash
Iyo Sky b. Zelina Vega – Over The Moonsault
Street Profits b. Brawling Brutes – Revelation to Holland
LA Knight b. Finn Balor – BFT

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

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

AND

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

https://twitter.com/TripleH/status/1694840084091023529

https://twitter.com/SeanRossSapp/status/1694865077621359086

I have no idea how to process this one.  Yesterday it was Terry Funk, which came at the end of a long life (and no that doesn’t make it any better) but this one hits hard and came out of nowhere. There had been rumors that he was training to return to the ring next month and then this happens. The Covid and heart issues do make sense but my goodness I’m still trying to process this.

I got to meet Bray once and he was easily one of the nicest wrestlers I’ve ever met. The wife and I met him in Texas at a meet and greet over Wrestlemania XXXII weekend. He heard my wife’s British accent and said something like “Now I know you’re not from around here with a sweet voice like that. Whereabouts are you from little lady?” She said Leeds, England and they chatted about how bad the traffic is over there. When I met him I said something about loving the stuff he did and he said the pleasure of meeting me was all his. Could not have been a nicer, sweeter guy and an absolute southern gentlemen.

This is one of the real tragic deaths in wrestling in a long time and it is a shame given all of the potential he showed and only kind of got to achieve. It’s going to take me some time to get my head around this one and I’m sure I’m not alone in that.