So I’ve been doing more of the 1999 Raw’s and EGADS the talent that came through around that time.I know we always talk about the Class of 2002 with Cena, Orton, Lesnar, Mysterio and Batista.  That’s very good, but consider who WWE brought in from February 1999-January 2000:

Big Show

Chris Jericho

Kurt Angle

Dudley Boyz

Chris Benoit

Eddie Guerrero

Five World Champions and the most decorated tag team of all time.  It might not have the marquee value of 2002, but this is one of the best years for talent acquisitions of all time and has to beat anything else for second place.

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 31, 2018
Location: The Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

Another week, another focus on Money in the Bank. There isn’t much else to focus on this week as both Raw and Smackdown ended with a focus on the qualifying matches. Hopefully that doesn’t dominate this week’s show, but it certainly wouldn’t surprise me as WWE has a tendency to get hooked on a single concept. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Akira Tozawa vs. Tony Nese

As usual, hang on because Nese needs to show off the abs. Tozawa just shouts at him and hits the surprise right hand. Nese misses a moonsault press but nips up to avoid a clothesline and kicks Tozawa in the ribs. A kick to Nese’s face looks to set up the backsplash but it’s way too early so Nese rolls away. Nese is right back up and puts him in the Tree of Woe for the crunch kicks to the ribs.

They’re going back and forth a bit too much here. A reverse torture rack (with Tozawa facing down instead of up) stays on the ribs but Nese drops him, only to get caught with a Shining Wizard. The required suicide dive (I’m sick of that move from everyone) sets up a missile dropkick for two. A pinfall reversal sequence leads to Tozawa kicking him in the head but getting crotched on top. The running Nese is good for the pin at 5:46.

Rating: C-. I wasn’t feeling this one as no one really got control for very long and it didn’t let either of them get much of a flow going. It’s not like the match was bad and Nese winning is quite the surprise, even if it’s never going to mean anything for him in the short or long run. Just not a very well laid out match.

Quick look at Jinder Mahal attacking Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns last week.

From Raw.

Here’s Elias for a song. He insists on how everything needs to be nice and calm but first, he needs the lights brought down closer because he can’t stand looking at this ugly crowd. Elias makes sure the sound levels are right and we take a break. Back with Elias still in the ring and threatening to leave again. Cue Seth Rollins for his title defense and he throws Elias’ stool out. Rollins vs. Elias sounds very appealing.

Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins vs. Jinder Mahal

Rollins is defending and wastes no time hammering away in the corner. A Sunil Singh distraction lets Mahal knock him to the floor and we take a break. Back with Mahal working on the ribs and grabbing an abdominal stretch. Rollins sends him into the corner and then outside for the required suicide dive. Back in and a fireman’s carry gutbuster (Darren Young’s old Gut Check) gets two but the Khallas is countered. The Stomp misses as well and Rollins rolls him up for tow.

The low superkick into the Falcon Arrow gets two as well and dang it they’re doing the crowd reaction shots again. Sunil offers another distraction and gets ejected but it allows Mahal to chair Rollins in the ribs for two. The ejected Singh is back five seconds later so Rollins buckle bombs him into Mahal. That’s enough for Seth and he chairs Mahal for the DQ at 12:21. Please tell me they’re not going to do this match again next week.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t that bad and Rollins is still something close to a miracle worker but the ending has me worried that we’re seeing more of Mahal getting title shots. If they’re not continuing the feud though, I have no idea why Mahal didn’t take the Stomp for the pin. Then again I’m not sure why Mahal is still here anyway.

Post match Rollins chases Mahal off with a chair but gets guitared down by Elias.

Post break, Rollins is being put on a stretcher but gets up and walks to the back on his own as two fans sing Happy Birthday.

Quick look at the Women’s Title matches at Money in the Bank.

From Raw.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Gauntlet Match

Before the match, Bayley says numbers don’t add up and she’s going to Money in the Bank. Bayley is in at #1 and Liv Morgan is in at #2 with the Bayley to Belly getting rid of Morgan in ten seconds. Sarah Logan is in at #3 and blocks the suplex, only to fall victim to a rollup for the pin at 1:50. Logan and Morgan double team Bayley before leaving and it’s Ruby Riott in at #4.

Back from a break with Riott having survived and sending Bayley into the corner. The Riott Kick gets rid of Bayley at 7:01 and it’s Dana Brooke in at #5. Brooke gets sent into the corner and the Riott Kick is good for the pin at 8:44. Hometown girl Mickie James is in at # 6 and sends Riott into the post for an early two. A dropkick gets two and we take a break. Back with Mickie getting two off the middle rope knees, only to get rolled up with trunks for the pin at 15:32.

Sasha Banks is in at #7 (the last entrant) and starts fast with some rollups. The Bank Statement doesn’t work and Ruby gets two off a faceplant. Riott starts the trash talk so Sasha hits her in the face. Another faceplant gives Ruby two and Sasha’s top rope double knees get the same. The Bank Statement is broken up again so Ruby tries a monkey flip, only to bounce off the ropes into a tornado DDT for two. One heck of a powerbomb out of the corner gives Sasha two and here’s the Riott Squad for the distraction. Sasha fights them off with ease and the Bank Statement makes Ruby tap at 20:50.

Rating: D. Well that was terrible. I can’t stand gauntlets where the falls take such little time more often than not. If you can win a fall this fast, why do regular matches take ten minutes? They would have been better off just doing Riott vs. Banks and let them have a good match but, as usual, quantity means quality. I’ll take it over another meaningless singles match though.

Mojo Rawley vs. No Way Jose

Main Event gets its first conga line. Mojo jumps him during the entrance and charges him at the bell to put Jose in even more trouble. A clothesline and some right hands give Jose his first offense and he pounds Rawley down in the corner to even things up a bit. We get some Steve Austin inspired offense with a Thesz press into the right hands and Rawley bails to the floor as we take a break.

Back with Jose getting chop blocked and more stomping in the corner. Rawley scores with a splash in the corner and we hit the chinlock. Back up and Mojo misses a splash, allowing Jose to grab him by the head for a jumping neckbreaker. Jose loads up the pop up right hand but gets sent into the corner for Rawley’s running right hand and the pin at 10:00.

Rating: C. I know Rawley isn’t going anywhere with this stuff as it’s not like they have room for someone fresh in the midcard on Raw (not when you can keep using the same people over and over again). Still though, it’s good to see him getting some ring time and some wins, even though he lost a few weeks back to make this momentum seem like a more recent decision.

And from Smackdown.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Samoa Joe vs. Big Cass vs. Daniel Bryan

Cass gets stomped down in the corner as we get a rare Joe/Bryan alliance. With Cass on the floor, Bryan can’t moonsault over Joe so Joe suicide elbows Cass instead. Bryan dives onto both of them and we take a break. Back with Bryan getting kicked in the head and Joe’s backsplash getting two. Cass drops Joe and sends Bryan outside for a toss over the announcers’ table and it’s back to one on one.

Back in and Cass puts Joe on top but here’s Bryan to take Cass down and snap off a super hurricanrana on Joe. Cass takes Bryan’s head off with a hard clothesline for two and pounds away with some hard intensity as we take a break. Back again with Cass chopping Joe in the corner followed by the Empire Elbow for two.

The East River Crossing gets two on Bryan with Joe making the save. Bryan starts in on Cass’ knee but has to slip out of the Koquina Clutch. Joe gets sent outside but breaks up the YES Lock on Cass. There’s a flying knee from the apron to drop Joe and a missile dropkick to Cass back inside. The running knee hits Cass but Joe comes in and chokes Bryan out for the win at 21:11.

Rating: C+. The important thing here is they got the ending right. Joe was the right call to send to the ladder match and while I didn’t need to see Cass in the match, it was the right ending and that’s what matters most. I’m sure we’ll get Cass vs. Bryan again at Money in the Bank and hopefully that should finish things up. Decent enough match.

Overall Rating: C-. I still don’t care for Money in the Bank but maybe we can move on to anything else now that the qualifying matches are all set. However, there’s also the chance of more meaningless matches under the name of “building momentum”. If we’re really lucky, they’ll show it over and over again on Main Event too, because that’s all that matters at the moment. Run of the mill show here.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

By AB Morales

It feels like it was a long time ago, but just less than 4 years ago, women on Raw and Smackdown were not exactly treated the way they are today. Nowaways, they are a normal part of the program. Treated like a full division of talent. Better handled than the tag team & Cruiserweight divisions. But problems do arise. While the Women since the start of the fabled “Women’s Revolution” have grown to the point of headlining Pay-Per-Views and having special matches for them (Money In The Bank, Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber) but we are starting to run into a bit of a pickle lately.

The Women are no longer just a division on each brand. Let me explain. In wrestling, you have your regular roster of people. You have your tag team division, your Jr. Heavyweights or Cruiserweights and then Women and others. But the women on Raw and Smackdown have grown a bit too much. You now have layers to that one division. It becomes very evident when WWE doesn Money In The Bank or Elimination Chamber for women. They aren’t all exactly on a steady level. You’ll have clear top starts like Asuka, Charlotte & Becky Lynch, but then to fill out the ranks you get clearly out of place women like Lana, Dana Brooke or Peyton Royce. To draw a parallel, you now have main event women, midcards and lowercarders but because of the brand split, WWE still has to mix them together.

The women have been established to the point that it gets pretty ridiculous when the likes of Nia Jax & Carmella win the titles and there’s a vast assortment of women that are far more fit for the role. It feels like they take a step back with these as Champions rather than a step forward.

Rumors of Tag Team titles have been circulating for months but then you run into another problem. While the women’s divisions are bigger than ever, they are still pretty short in number and one set of tag team titles requires another in these brand split days. If the rosters were not split a secondary Women’s title would help greatly as it would help ease the gap between the female midcard and main event field. We see glimpses of that nowadays with the Raw & SDL Women’s titles but because of the roster divide, both titles need to be treated as equal rather than one above the other and that results in things like trying to sell us on Asuka vs Carmella as a viable main program for a PPV.

At the rate the women continue to grow in WWE, in a matter of two years, the rosters would probably be very big and you could theoretically solve the issue of needing women to fill spots like in the Royal Rumble, but that still does not fix the widening gap between the top and bottom of the female talent food chain. The division has grown too much to have another Naomi vs Lana scenario like last year did this time around and Asuka vs Carmella is quite close to it.

====

Thank you for reading. My name is AB Morales, Puertorican Dirt Sheet writer, a friend of KB for years. You can find and follow me here:

Facebook | Where I have my own personal blog with daily wrestling updates and even cover anime and videogames once in a while.
Twitch | Where I stream videogames and do occasional art streams.
Twitter | Where I do….., well it’s Twitter.
Impacto Estelar | My own little Spanish Dirt Sheet site.

Monday Night Raw
Date: December 29, 2003
Location: SBC Arena, San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 12,000
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

We’re FINALLY done with this terrible year with one last show and, of course, it’s focused on HHH, who is defending the World Title against Shawn Michaels in Shawn’s hometown. This will set some stuff up for the Royal Rumble, which is in about four weeks and has barely been discussed yet. Such is life in WWE, which is rarely up for capitalizing on the extra time that they have. Let’s get to it.

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

The opening recap focuses on Mick Foley walking out on the show instead of fighting Randy Orton two weeks ago. This is treated like the most serious moment in years, which actually works instead of making it feel ridiculous.

Opening sequence.

We open with Mick Foley’s music….and Randy Orton coming out instead. Orton has been thinking about Foley over the holidays and knows that while Foley is a coward, he’s a smart coward. Foley knew what would happen if he got in the ring with Orton but we’re not quite done yet. Orton has Lillian Garcia come inside and announce him as the winner of the match and the NEW Hardcore Legend.

Cue Booker T. to say his New Year’s resolution is to win the Intercontinental Title tonight. That’s going to have to be delayed though as Mark Henry comes out and jumps Booker from behind, sending him into the set. Orton accepts the challenge for later tonight like a good villain should do.

Eric Bischoff stops Henry and Teddy Long to say that was a bad idea. They’re out of the building but Henry cashes in his Survivor Series favor to get to stick around. Instead, Henry can take the night off next week.

Rob Van Dam vs. Scott Steiner

Somehow this is still fallout from Survivor Series. Steiner whips him hard into the corner and we hit the pose. That just earns him some spinwheel kicks and a standing moonsault, followed by the jumping kick to the face. A crotching brings Rob back down and a belly to belly superplex gets two. The spinning belly to belly gets the same, followed by the Push Up Elbow for two more. Rob is right back with a kick to the face, setting up Rolling Thunder and the split legged moonsault for two of his own. The top rope kick to the face sets up the Five Star to put Steiner away clean.

Rating: D+. Just a match here but it’s cool to see someone getting a clean pin like this. Raw needs faces near the top of the card and someone like RVD is as good as anyone else. They’ve never pulled the trigger on either of them and while there’s no reason to believe they’ll do it again here, at least we can get something to bridge the gap between Shawn and whomever is next.

Classic Shawn clip: Royal Rumble 1997. Not really a great match but the huge crowd makes up for it.

Chris Jericho and Christian argue over their friendship ending because of a GIRL. How dare Jericho?

Coach is in Stamford, Connecticut, where Vince and Linda McMahon will be arguing against and for Steve Austin’s return to Raw. We’re now to the point where the McMahons arguing is now one officially one of the biggest plot points on the show. At least it’s not just implied now. Vince comes in and says he’s pretty easily going to win because he owns the company. That’s kind of the line that sums up the last six years.

Video on Tribute to the Troops, including footage from the plane ride over.

Dudley Boyz vs. Eddie Craver/Russell Simpson

Ric Flair is guest referee for the purposes of a screwy finish. Before the match, the Dudleys say they can’t believe it, but Mick Foley turned into a coward last week. D-Von hiptosses and armdrags Craven to start as the fans already want tables. Bubba comes in and hits the Flip Flop and Fly…and that’s a DQ.

Post match Flair gets punched as well but Batista comes in for the save.

Classic Shawn clip: Summerslam 2002.

Bischoff tells the referees that he stands for law an order in a way to suck up to the Board of Directors.

Vince has given his speech and thinks it went moderately well. What he wanted to get through to the Board was that Austin’s time was great but you can’t live in the past. That kind of thing has no place in WWE. As for the million fans signing the petition, Vince gives them what they want at all times and thinks of them as children. You can’t just give them what they want all the time. So yes, Vince did just say he was terrible at dealing with the fans.

Trish Stratus, Lita and Stacy Keibler, all in sexy Santa outfits, imply that they had something special for Christmas. Before Lita can elaborate on that, Steve Austin nearly runs them over with his truck. He’s here to wait on a call from the Board as well.

Intercontinental Title: Randy Orton vs. Booker T.

Orton is defending. Booker drives him into the corner to start and we get a nice clean break. Must be the new refereeing initiative. A headlock doesn’t go very far so Booker takes him into the corner again and unloads with chops. Booker gets two off a kick to the face and a backslide is good for the same. Orton neckbreakers his way out of trouble and it’s time for the chinlock.

That goes nowhere so Booker comes back with a spinwheel kick, which Lawler wants to be a DQ. JR: “For what?” This sends JR into a discussion of what kinds of kicks are illegal until Booker gets two off his forearm. We pause for a Spinrooni (Lawler: “That should be a disqualification for taunting your opponent!”) but here’s Kane for a distraction, allowing Orton to hit the RKO to retain.

Rating: D+. Orton going over bigger names like this is a good thing for his title reign as he doesn’t have the biggest resume yet. Kane vs. Booker is far from interesting but it’s better than nothing until Undertaker gets back for their next big match. Also it’s not like Booker has anything going on at the moment, save for being from Texas and odds are this is some form of punishment for wrestling in his home state.

Classic Shawn clip: Survivor Series 2002. I really wouldn’t point out that we’re still watching HHH vs. HBK while people like RVD, Booker, Kane and Jericho are still in the midcard/upper midcard spots they were in about a year ago.

Linda is ready for her speech and says she’s equally passionate about this business. They listen to the people and how can they ignore a million viewers?

Jericho gives Trish a Christmas present but she doesn’t think it’s going to make her forget what he’s done. She recaps everything that has gone on and says Jericho only thought she was worth 75 cents after the exchange rate. Trish got something out of this: a broken heart, which she explains in tears. She fell for Jericho and was the one who made the real mistake.

This was supposed to be some big emotional scene but it’s not quite as effective when she’s still in the Santa outfit. You couldn’t shoot this earlier and have her get changed? Oh of course not, as you just NEEDED that scene with Austin backing in earlier. Why is it so hard to figure out these details in advance to make things not look so stupid and unintentionally funny?

Speaking of so stupid, Austin’s phone rings but it’s not the Board. Just in case you didn’t get that he’s waiting and is impatient you see.

Victoria/Miss Jackie/Molly Holly vs. Stacy Keibler/Trish Stratus/Lita

They’re all in Santa outfits of various levels of revealing. In a moment that Jerry thankfully misses, Stacy does her slow entrance and Lita has a look before shrugging. Stacy misses a spinning kick to Victoria’s head and it’s off to Molly as we hear about Victoria becoming #1 contender. Lita comes in as they’re working a regular six person tag here instead of going for comedy, which is kind of nice given how bad the comedy versions become.

The fans want puppies but have to settle for Jackie breaking up Lita’s rollup on Molly. Victoria pulls Jackie to the floor and sends her into the barricade, leaving Molly to crank on Lita’s arms for a bit. A headscissors gets Lita out of trouble and it’s Trish coming in with a Thesz press and the Stratusphere. Stratusfaction is good for the pin.

Rating: D. They’re not exactly hiding the idea here but like I said, this could have been FAR worse if they had done something like a bad comedy idea or trying to do more of a theme. Trish getting back into the title scene is a little odd given how she has something of her own going on, but there’s always the chance that pinning the champion means nothing.

Post match Victoria shoves Molly down and holds up the title.

Austin gets the call and is officially back on Raw but doesn’t want to be co-General Manager. He hangs up and drives away.

Post break, we see the entire Austin segment again. It wasn’t that impactful but that’s never stopped WWE before.

Raw World Title: HHH vs. Shawn Michaels

HHH is defending against the hometown boy and they have a ton of time here. They trade hammerlocks to start until Shawn headlocks him down. Back up and one heck of an elbow to the jaw slows Shawn down but he skins the cat to take HHH outside. A little strutting brings the crowd up even more and a plancha drops Flair and HHH again. Back in and the arm cranking begins with Shawn getting the better of it off an armdrag.

Shawn wins a slugout and the whip into the corner sends HHH flying over the top. That goes nowhere so they head back inside with HHH backdropping him to the floor in a big crash. Back from a break with HHH stomping in the corner and getting two off a backbreaker. HHH stays on the back (a popular idea for him) before sending Shawn outside and hard into the steps.

Shawn’s shoulder looks to be very messed up (with a noticeable bump that might be something out of place) but he’s still able to get two off a sunset flip. HHH slaps on an abdominal stretch before going even more Harley Race with a jumping knee to the face, which seems to hurt his own knee. Well to be fair Shawn’s face hurts me most of the time.

Naturally Shawn goes to the Figure Four, because there are no other leg holds in the world. Flair finally sneaks in for an eye rake and we’re back to even. The Pedigree is countered with a backdrop and Shawn falls head first into HHH’s crotch ala the old Sting spot. They chop it out with Shawn getting the better of it and forearming his way into the nip up. The fans are way into this as Shawn drops the big elbow but Flair’s distraction prevents Sweet Chin Music.

The referee gets bumped (of course) so Flair throws in the belt for a near fall. We get a second ref bump so here’s Bischoff as HHH takes off a turnbuckle pad. Of course HHH goes face first into the steel for no count until Bischoff comes in to count a fair two. HHH is busted open so some right hands get two. The facebuster gives HHH two more (again, at a fair pace) but Shawn scores with Sweet Chin Music for the pin out of nowhere.

Rating: A. When these two have time to work and put something together, it’s some of the best chemistry around. Shawn knows how to make people believe in him and that’s what you got here in front of a crowd begging to see something historic. It’s not as good as their Summerslam match but the fans were into it the whole way and the work was the level that you would expect from Shawn and HHH when they were trying. HHH taking Shawn apart piece by piece was a good story with Shawn fighting back through heart and determination. It’s what got him here in the first place and they were both on fire here. Check this one out.

The big celebration is on but Bischoff announces HHH as still champion because all four shoulders were down. The footage shows that Bischoff is right so he gets a little cocky, sending Shawn into a rage. Flair tries to come in and eats a superkick, followed by a right hand to Bischoff. Shawn goes to leave but Bischoff fires him. Cue Austin though and since he’s now Sheriff Austin, Shawn is rehired and getting a rematch at some point. The Stunner to Bischoff ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. The main event carries this thing a long way but there was a lot to overcome. The stupid corporate stuff that they just love to do and everything being back to where it was before Survivor Series doesn’t help things. Also, are they allergic to getting ready for the Rumble? I don’t think it’s been mentioned once yet and they’re getting close to the show in a hurry. Anyway, great main event and pretty bad everything else but thirty minutes of outstanding more than carries things.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

205 Live
Date: May 29, 2018
Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
Commentators: Vic Joseph, Nigel McGuinness, Percy Watson

It’s championship night as Buddy Murphy gets the Cruiserweight Title shot which was set up before Wrestlemania. You know, because there’s so much other stuff going on around here. Champion Cedric Alexander is in his home state and that could be one heck of a horrible sign for both he and his title reign. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with a long recap of Murphy attacking Alexander two nights after Cedric won the title, but a variety of things have prevented the match from taking place until now. Murphy talks about needing to make a statement because no one was ever going to do it for him. That statement was attacking Alexander after Wrestlemania and now it’s time for the big title showdown. This is a heck of a build up video for a match that only had me moderately interested.

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick/Jack Gallagher vs. Kalisto/Lince Dorado

Drew Gulak is on commentary again and has pamphlets called “Lucha And You”, offering all his insights on lucha libre and its problems. Kendrick shoulders Dorado down to start as Gulak lists off his issues with Lucha House Party (Gulak: “They wear fuzzy costumes.”). An elevated splash gives Kalisto two on Kendrick but Gallagher gets in a cheap shot from the apron to take over on Dorado. Back up and it’s already off to Kalisto to speed things up, although without waking the fans up that much. Gallagher dives over for a blind tag so Kendrick gets in a cheap shot.

That lets him mock the Lucha dance, making it very clear that they’re the villains here. A faceplant gives Gallagher two as Gulak goes over the history of lucha libre. We hit the chinlock and Gulak goes nuts over the lucha noisemakers. As usual, I agree with Gulak as those things are really annoying. Kalisto gets away and brings in Dorado for a high crossbody. The Golden Rewind drops Kendrick to the floor and there’s a suicide dive to make it worse. Gulak gets up and crotches Dorado before the shooting star though, setting up Kendrick’s Captain’s Hook for the tap at 7:10.

Rating: C-. You remember all those times that some combination of these teams and Akira Tozawa/Hideo Itami have fought? Well this is the most recent version. Just nothing memorable here and you can hear the fans being even less interested than usual. Gulak is getting somewhere but these guys have had the same matches so many times that any interest is long gone.

We look back at Hideo Itami beating Akira Tozawa last week.

Tony Nese and Mustafa Ali are split on who will win tonight.

Drake Maverick has no opinion on who wins the title match. They’re treating this like a big deal. He’s also not happy that TJP is complaining about not being in the title picture.

Cruiserweight Title: Cedric Alexander vs. Buddy Murphy

Cedric is defending and we get Big Match Intros. With those going on, it’s very clear that 205 Live should never have a wide camera shot as the empty seats get worse and worse every time. They fight over a wristlock to start with Murphy powering him down but Alexander flips forward to his feet and a standoff. Both try headscissors and both land on their feet and it’s another standoff. A dropkick puts Murphy down for one and Cedric isn’t sure what to make of it.

There’s a kick to the head to put Murphy on the floor, followed by a dropkick through the apron to knock him over the announcers’ table. Alexander takes a little too much time though and gets dropped hard onto the same table, banging up his back to give Murphy a target. Back in and the hard whip into the corner makes things worse for the champ. We hit the chinlock with a knee in the back for a few seconds before Cedric pops up with a hard forearm to the face.

A springboard is kicked out of the air though and Murphy gets two. Some running knees to the back keep Cedric down but he pops up with a superkick for the double knockdown. Cedric wins the slugout and kicks him outside for a big flip dive to the floor. Back in and the springboard clothesline gets two but Murphy knocks him to the floor for a big dive of his own. To be fair Cedric’s was hands free so it was a lot more impressive. One heck of a Falcon Arrow gets two and Cedric is STUNNED on the kickout.

Murphy catches a charge with a raised boot and a running suplex gives him two more. With nothing else working, Murphy takes him outside but gets caught with a running Downward Spiral onto the apron for a double knockdown. As expected they both do the big slide back inside at nine and it’s time to slug it out again. One heck of a knee to the face gives Murphy two but he can’t hit Murphy’s Law. Another knee to the head gets another two but Cedric is back with a pair of Neuralizers and the Lumbar Check for the pin at 20:07.

Rating: B+. This had the time and felt like the big match that they were shooting for. Cedric was in the fight of his title reign here against someone bigger, stronger and maybe more athletic but he was able to go as far down as he needed to in order to pull it off. The ending was Cedric going to a deeper level than ever to finally unload on Murphy enough for the pin. Really good match here and the best they could have done.

Overall Rating: B+. The main event taking up nearly half of the show and being that good is all you could ask for and it was a very entertaining fifty minutes. In theory this should be setting up either Mustafa Ali or Drew Gulak as the next challenger but it wouldn’t shock me to see Murphy get another shot after coming that close. Besides, it’s not like clean wins mean anything around here most of the time. Very strong show though and that’s a rarity too often.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

Why aren’t we seeing Sanity and the Authors of Pain?

https://wrestlingrumors.net/kbs-review-isnt-complicated/

Also, make sure to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all your wrestling needs.  I write several of the articles there and we have a bunch of fun stuff.  Check out the site and the Facebook page right here.

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: May 29, 2018
Location: PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

It’s dream match night on Smackdown as we have the final Money in the Bank qualifying match between Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe. I’d think that alone sums up the perks of tonight but we also get some more build between AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. This should be their final showdown but stranger things have happened. Let’s get to it.

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

Here’s Samoa Joe, despite being scheduled to wrestle later tonight. He pulls a ladder out and sets it up in the ring for a climb and takes down the green briefcase. Joe talks about the ladder being a connection between the earth and the Heavens. Jacob looked at his ladder and saw angels smiling down, but Joe’s ladder has no salvation. There will be no smiling, but after Money in the Bank, he’ll be smiling because he has this ladder.

Tonight, Joe will prove to Daniel Bryan that there are things far worse than forced retirement. Bryan needs to call Brie and have her tell their daughter a story. Brie needs to tell their daughter that Bryan will be home for Money in the Bank but he won’t be the same man. Bryan will be a man full of doubts and that’s because of a man named Samoa Joe.

Cue Bryan to say Joe crossed a line that he shouldn’t have. Bryan has his own vision and that’s Joe with a broken leg if he mentions Bryan’s family anymore. The fight is almost on but here’s Big Cass on a crutch. Cass expected nothing less from the shrimp and the blimp but that should be Cass’ briefcase. He’s tired of all this second chance talk and by word of General Manager Paige, Joe vs. Bryan isn’t happening.

Instead, Cass will be taking Bryan’s spot when Cass is cleared, which has already happened. Cass breaks the crutch over Joe’s shoulder so Bryan hammers and kicks away, only to be sent into the ladder. A briefcase shot to the head drops Joe and Cass poses. They were this close to something special there if they just started Bryan vs. Joe then but something that interesting seems beyond them.

Nakamura is walking through the back with cards numbering from one to ten, which he counts and drops as he walks.

Paige runs into Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville, who accuse Paige of making mistakes. Like giving Asuka another chance when she doesn’t need it. Mandy thinks there are more deserving women out there so Paige gives her Asuka tonight. They leave and Renee Young comes up to ask about the Money in the Bank match. Say it with me: triple threat.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tye Dillinger

Tye goes after him to start but misses a charge and gets kicked to the floor as we take an early break. Back with Tye fighting out of a chinlock but getting kneed right back down. More knees in the corner set up the running knee in the corner but Tye gives him the Perfect 10 sign. Nakamura is done with this and hits the middle rope knee, setting up Kinshasa for the pin at 8:52.

Rating: D+. Just a squash here and I can go for that far more than having another staredown or brawl with AJ. This wasn’t a great match or anything (not that it was designed to be) but it was a way that we haven’t seen in far too long and it’s been effective for as long as wrestling has been around. Perfectly fine story building here.

Post match Nakamura hits another Kinshasa and counts to ten.

AJ Styles says this is a scary time for him because he’s up against a dangerous opponent in a match suited to the striker like Nakamura. That’s cool with AJ because he’s the last man in the arena, the last man to give up and at Money in the Bank, he’ll be the last man standing. Good stuff from AJ here.

Rusev Day sings Lana to the ring for a dance off with Naomi. We’re not ready quite yet though as here are the Usos to back Naomi up. They both dance with Lana doing her more traditional stuff and Naomi doing her standard dancing, they lock hands and dance at the same time, Lana takes her down with a neckbreaker and the fight is on. Lana slaps Jimmy though and Rusev Day is cleared out.

New Day and Miz/The Bar train for tonight’s six man with both teams using pancakes. Moving on.

New Day vs. The Bar/The Miz

They start fast with Woods being sent outside and we take a very early break. Back with the Bar taking turns on Kofi but Cesaro gets sent to the floor. Miz misses a charge but distracts Big E. so Cesaro gets back in to knee Kofi in the face. The SOS gives Kofi enough of a breather to dive over to Woods and the pace picks way up. Using Sheamus as a springboard, Woods takes Cesaro down with a flip dive to the floor.

Everything breaks down with Kofi diving onto Miz but getting dropped by Cesaro. A belly to back suplex/top rope ax handle combination gets two on Woods but it’s back to Big E. for the power. Miz makes a blind tag and hits a DDT for two with Kofi making a save. The slingshot dive is caught and Woods gets dropped onto the barricade. Kofi dives onto the Bar and the Big Ending puts Miz away at 12:06.

Rating: B. This was slow to start but once Woods came in, they were off to the races and tearing the house down. Just six talented guys going at full speed to have an entertaining match. Big E. getting the pin is a nice surprise and I’d love to see him getting the spot in the ladder match.

New Day looks up at the briefcases but still don’t say who is getting into the ladder match.

The Good Brothers are ready to win and Karl Anderson brags about his abs. At Money in the Bank, they’re going to beat the Bludgeon Brothers like a couple of….hang on as the Bludgeon Brothers come up on screen to say they’re going to destroy the Good Brothers by liquefying their bodies.

Mandy Rose vs. Asuka

Carmella is on commentary. Graves: “I feel like I’m in a park watching a beautiful baby chipmunk and there’s a falcon about to dive in!” Phillips and Carmella: “WHAT?” Hang on though as Deville jumps Asuka from behind. Asuka says ring the bell anyway and a gutwrench suplex gives Mandy two. A dropkick puts Asuka down again as Carmella is wondering when she’ll be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Back from a break with Asuka fighting back and hitting the hip attack in the corner. There’s the missile dropkick but the Asuka Lock is broken up. The second attempt works and Mandy taps at 5:36. Not enough shown to rate but it was perfectly fine for what it was supposed to do.

Post match Carmella comes in and stares Asuka down.

Becky Lynch and Carmella argue over who is winning the ladder match. Paige comes in and brings up Team PCB before having the idea of tea time. I’m assuming that means a match at some point in the future.

Next week: Naomi/Usos vs. Rusev Day/Lana and Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch.

Andrade Cien Almas leaves the locker room and runs into Sin Cara, who says hello. Zelina Vega comes in and yells, saying Cara is a nobody. Cara says he and Almas go way back but Almas tells him to leave him alone.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Samoa Joe vs. Big Cass vs. Daniel Bryan

Cass gets stomped down in the corner as we get a rare Joe/Bryan alliance. With Cass on the floor, Bryan can’t moonsault over Joe so Joe suicide elbows Cass instead. Bryan dives onto both of them and we take a break. Back with Bryan getting kicked in the head and Joe’s backsplash getting two. Cass drops Joe and sends Bryan outside for a toss over the announcers’ table and it’s back to one on one.

Back in and Cass puts Joe on top but here’s Bryan to take Cass down and snap off a super hurricanrana on Joe. Cass takes Bryan’s head off with a hard clothesline for two and pounds away with some hard intensity as we take a break. Back again with Cass chopping Joe in the corner followed by the Empire Elbow for two.

The East River Crossing gets two on Bryan with Joe making the save. Bryan starts in on Cass’ knee but has to slip out of the Koquina Clutch. Joe gets sent outside but breaks up the YES Lock on Cass. There’s a flying knee from the apron to drop Joe and a missile dropkick to Cass back inside. The running knee hits Cass but Joe comes in and chokes Bryan out for the win at 21:11.

Rating: C+. The important thing here is they got the ending right. Joe was the right call to send to the ladder match and while I didn’t need to see Cass in the match, it was the right ending and that’s what matters most. I’m sure we’ll get Cass vs. Bryan again at Money in the Bank and hopefully that should finish things up. Decent enough match and that’s all it had to be.

Post match Cass kicks Bryan in the head to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I had a good time with this show and they got through a fair amount of stuff in two hours. If nothing else it was a good idea to shift the focus away from the World Title match, which is pretty much set up for good at the moment. Other than that the rest of the pay per view was getting some good focus and that’s what it needed. Better show than usual as of late and that’s a very nice thing to be able to say for once.

Results

Shinsuke Nakamura b. Tye Dillinger – Kinshasa

New Day b. The Miz/The Bar – Big Ending to Miz

Asuka b. Mandy Rose – Asuka Lock

Samoa Joe b. Daniel Bryan and Big Cass – Koquina Clutch to Bryan

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

Monday Night Raw
Date: May 28, 2018
Location: The Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman

Somehow there are still three shows left before Money in the Bank so we’re really not close to the end of this ride yet. That means another qualifying match tonight, this time in the form of a women’s gauntlet match. Other than that we get to see just how good Seth Rollins is as he defends against Jinder Mahal. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the now traditional Memorial Day video. This one includes soldiers telling stories of some of their missions and those who died on those missions. It’s always nice of WWE to do this.

Here’s Braun Strowman to open things up. He explains the idea of the ladder match and says he can’t wait to become Mr. Monster in the Bank. Finn Balor comes out to say he never lost the Universal Title and nothing is stopping him from winning it back. Last week, he gave everything he had to Strowman but at Money in the Bank, there are six other people. Strowman says it was a good fight for a little guy so Finn slaps him in the face and gets thrown outside. Cue Kurt Angle to say he likes the intensity so let’s have a match.

Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman

So this year they’re not even mixing the matches up week to week. Kevin Owens is on commentary and Strowman throws Balor into the corner again to start. The dominance continues as Owens goes on a rant about how hard it was for him to qualify. Cole asks if we can talk about Owens calling Stephanie McMahon to get a second chance. Owens: “No we can not.”

Balor gets in a kick to the chest for very shortlived avail as Strowman whips him very hard into the corner again. There’s a boot to the chest but Owens grabs the mic and tells Strowman to stay on him because Braun can do better than that. Back from a break with Strowman running around the ring and shouldering Balor over the barricade. Strowman pulls him back to ringside but gets posted.

There’s a dropkick through the ropes but Owens grabs the mic again to give Strowman a pep talk. An enziguri sets up a bit flip dive over the top….but Strowman pops back up. The Sling Blade and a dropkick into the corner have Strowman in trouble and a top rope double stomp to the back has him in more trouble. There’s the Coup de Grace but Owens comes in to jump Balor for the DQ at 11:30.

Rating: C-. So remember last week when this match was a lot better? Apparently WWE does too and since they came up with one idea, they might as well just do it again. I’m glad they didn’t have Strowman lose clean, but as usual it’s the standard formula: take people in a ladder match and have them wrestle in matches that change nothing about that ladder match. Repeat for years on end.

Post match Owens hits Balor with a ladder but Strowman takes it away and LAUNCHES it at Owens, who runs off in fear.

Owens tries to leave but can’t get his key from the valet. Angle comes up and asks what’s up, with Owens saying he wants to see the Memorial Day parade. Angle: “You don’t care about that. You’re Canadian.” Owens gets Bobby Roode tonight.

Sasha Banks says she’ll win.

Here’s Elias for a song. He insists on how everything needs to be nice and calm but first, he needs the lights brought down closer because he can’t stand looking at this ugly crowd. Elias makes sure the sound levels are right and we take a break. Back with Elias still in the ring and threatening to leave again. Cue Seth Rollins for his title defense and he throws Elias’ stool out. Rollins vs. Elias sounds very appealing.

Intercontinental Title: Seth Rollins vs. Jinder Mahal

Rollins is defending and wastes no time hammering away in the corner. A Sunil Singh distraction lets Mahal knock him to the floor and we take a break. Back with Mahal working on the ribs and grabbing an abdominal stretch. Rollins sends him into the corner and then outside for the required suicide dive. Back in and a fireman’s carry gutbuster (Darren Young’s old Gut Check) gets two but the Khallas is countered. The Stomp misses as well and Rollins rolls him up for tow.

The low superkick into the Falcon Arrow gets two as well and dang it they’re doing the crowd reaction shots again. Sunil offers another distraction and gets ejected but it allows Mahal to chair Rollins in the ribs for two. The ejected Singh is back five seconds later so Rollins buckle bombs him into Mahal. That’s enough for Seth and he chairs Mahal for the DQ at 12:21. Please tell me they’re not going to do this match again next week.

Rating: C. The match wasn’t that bad and Rollins is still something close to a miracle worker but the ending has me worried that we’re seeing more of Mahal getting title shots. If they’re not continuing the feud though, I have no idea why Mahal didn’t take the Stomp for the pin. Then again I’m not sure why Mahal is still here anyway.

Post match Rollins chases Mahal off with a chair but gets guitared down by Elias.

Post break, Rollins is being put on a stretcher but gets up and walks to the back on his own as two fans sing Happy Birthday.

Here’s Ronda Rousey for commentary while Nia Jax has an exhibition against a woman named Michelle Webb. Nia has her try an armbar (which Nia can’t remember the name of) but easily powerbombs her down. Some trash talk to Rousey (who is mostly silent) is followed by the Samoan drop, more trash talking, and a legdrop. Nia adds a rolling flip dive and tells Ronda to come help this woman. Rousey comes to the ring and stares Nia down so Nia leaves with a laugh. Nia’s talking was fine until Rousey got in the ring and then it sounded very scripted.

Dana Brooke is going over statistics to figure out how to win the gauntlet match.

Bray Wyatt/Matt Hardy vs Ascension

Non-title. Matt beats Viktor up to start as Cole does his weekly “I don’t understand this wacky Hardy stuff” rant. Konnor comes in and takes Matt down with a chinlock and even a side slam doesn’t get Matt out of trouble. Back up and Matt stops a charge with a boot to the face and there’s the hot tag to Bray. House is cleaned in a hurry with a backsplash getting two on Viktor. Matt Cactus Clotheslines Konnor to the floor and Bray plants Viktor with the release Rock Bottom. The Kiss of Deletion ends Viktor at 4:48.

Rating: D. The tag division continues to be one team and then the same jobbers over and over again. Wyatt and Hardy aren’t great champions but I’m not sure who could beat them, save for having the B Team win in a fluke. Then again that’s not exactly out of the norm around here, which is rather sad.

the B Team is in Angle’s office to ask for a Tag Team Title match. Angle says no because they just beat Breezango twice in a row. The team has a meeting but Angle reminds them that he can hear them. Dallas thinks they need to get the other team’s blessing. Like an invitation to the B Team Tag Team Memorial Day Barbecue! Tonight! Angle: “That’s not what I’m saying!” B Team: “B TEAM!” I dig these guys.

The Riott Squad says they’ll win tonight.

Bobby Roode vs. Kevin Owens

Roode starts fast with a Glorious DDT attempt but gets sent outside. Owens sends him into the barricade and scores with a Cannonball against said barricade to send us to a break. Back with Roode taking over and trying the Glorious DDT again, this time sending Owens bailing up the ramp. He stops though, realizing that Strowman is still here somewhere. Back in and Roode walks into a superkick but tries a sunset flip, only to have Owens sit down on it for the pin at 8:47.

Rating: C-. No time for this one due to the break but that’s probably better when it’s just stalling until Strowman shows up either at the end or after the match. If nothing else it’s cool to see Owens get a clean pin for once as it’s so often staling falls. I’m sure this is the momentum that Owens needs for the ladder match.

Post match here’s Strowman to catch Owens with the running powerslam. Roode gets one as well.

Here’s Sami Zayn for a public apology for last week’s segment with Bobby Lashley’s “sisters”. Well an apology is a nice start, though I’m thinking a prison sentence is more like it. Sami reads the prepared statement and acknowledges how bad it really was. He admits that those were men last week and Sami hired them to entertain and inform. Sami finally gets the apology out but everything he said was true. See, his art was rooted in reality and he doesn’t expect these people to get it.

This brings out Lashley, who talks about what Memorial Day means to a military family like his. With that out of the way, Lashley says his real sisters found last week funny. They need to settle this though so let’s do it at Money in the Bank. Sami shakes on it and threatens to kick the smile off of Sami’s face but Lashley squeezes the hand to take Sami down. Lashley apologizes for what he’s going to do at Money in the Bank.

Mickie James says she’ll win.

Chad Gable vs. Drew McIntyre

Drew powers him into the corner and hammers away with right hands as we talk about the B Team Barbecue. We hit the armbar as Gable is being dominated so far. A super Samoan drop is broken up and Gable gets two off a moonsault press. That’s fine with Drew, who sends him into the post to cut off the comeback bid. The Claymore is enough to end Chad at 4:45.

Rating: C-. I’m glad Drew won but it’s a disappointment as Chad got in almost nothing here. This was just a step above a squash but my goodness Drew is making me drool at the potential. Have him drop Ziggler or have Ziggler be a manager at most as they’re not the best combination. As long as Drew is this awesome though, it’s easy to be happy.

It’s time for the barbecue with most of the other teams on the roster in the ring eating food. The food all starts with B, including Botato chips and Bodogs. With everyone eating, the B Team says no they can challenge for the titles. Titus O’Neil and Heath Slater aren’t happy, so that means no more food. The foot of course winds up on the B Team, and then everyone else, with Rhyno sitting in a chair eating sandwiches. The B Team comes back in and chokeslams Rhyno through a table. Cole: “That was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.”

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Gauntlet Match

Before the match, Bayley says numbers don’t add up and she’s going to Money in the Bank. Bayley is in at #1 and Liv Morgan is in at #2 with the Bayley to Belly getting rid of Morgan in ten seconds. Sarah Logan is in at #3 and blocks the suplex, only to fall victim to a rollup for the pin at 1:50. Logan and Morgan double team Bayley before leaving and it’s Ruby Riott in at #4.

Back from a break with Riott having survived and sending Bayley into the corner. The Riott Kick gets rid of Bayley at 7:01 and it’s Dana Brooke in at #5. Brooke gets sent into the corner and the Riott Kick is good for the pin at 8:44. Hometown girl Mickie James is in at # 6 and sends Riott into the post for an early two. A dropkick gets two and we take a break. Back with Mickie getting two off the middle rope knees, only to get rolled up with trunks for the pin at 15:32.

Sasha Banks is in at #7 (the last entrant) and starts fast with some rollups. The Bank Statement doesn’t work and Ruby gets two off a faceplant. Riott starts the trash talk so Sasha hits her in the face. Another faceplant gives Ruby two and Sasha’s top rope double knees get the same. The Bank Statement is broken up again so Ruby tries a monkey flip, only to bounce off the ropes into a tornado DDT for two. One heck of a powerbomb out of the corner gives Sasha two and here’s the Riott Squad for the distraction. Sasha fights them off with ease and the Bank Statement makes Ruby tap at 20:50.

Rating: D. Well that was terrible. I can’t stand gauntlets where the falls take such little time more often than not. If you can win a fall this fast, why do regular matches take ten minutes? They would have been better off just doing Riott vs. Banks and let them have a good match but, as usual, quantity means quality. I’ll take it over another meaningless singles match though.

Overall Rating: D+. This wasn’t a great show but it was better than last week’s mess. It’s amazing what the lack of something so terrible can do for the quality of a show. The rest of the show was the usual Money in the Bank season show with matches between qualifiers and that’s not exactly thrilling stuff. I’ll take something boring over terrible though so call this an upgrade (while considering how small of a leap that is).

Results

Finn Balor b. Braun Strowman via DQ when Kevin Owens interfered

Jinder Mahal b. Seth Rollins via DQ when Rollins used a chair

Bray Wyatt/Matt Hardy b. Ascension – Kiss of Deletion to Viktor

Kevin Owens b. Bobby Roode – Rollup

Drew McIntyre b. Chad Gable – Claymore

Sasha Banks won a gauntlet match last eliminating Ruby Riott

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the NXT The Full Sail Years Volume III (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Smackdown
Date: December 25, 2003
Location: Camp Victory, Baghdad, Iraq
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

This is a very special show as it’s Christmas in Iraq for the first of a series later called Tribute to the Troops. Back in the day they actually went overseas for the shows, giving this a very special feeling indeed. The focus isn’t going to be on the wrestling tonight but rather the atmosphere as a whole, which is how things should be going for something like this. Let’s get to it.

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

We open with the National Anthem, though not by Lilian Garcia for a change.

Here’s Vince McMahon to get things going and he’s staying in character with the scowl. That’s gone pretty quickly though as on behalf of freedom loving people around the world, WWE is hear to say thank you. Vince thanks everyone for their sacrifices and for protecting our great nation. Oh and thanks for catching Saddam. Vince wants to say one more thing….but here’s a rather rotund Santa Claus with bags of presents.

The presents aren’t for Vince though, because they’re for the troops. Santa starts handing out shirts from the bags but Vince wants him to come back in for one more thing. Vince wants his present and thinks it’s somewhere in Santa’s stomach. And why didn’t Santa come visit him when he was a kid? Vince shoves Santa over and the hat comes off….to reveal a bald head. There’s the Stunner and let’s drink some beer.

Austin isn’t done though and, while still wearing the furry Santa boots, says he’s going to go backstage and drink some more beer instead of hurting us by trying to sing Christmas carols. He thanks the troops and talks about how much WWE supports them before having the troops throw up the middle fingers to Saddam. Perfect way to open things up with one of the few timeless segments that will never stop working.

We see some of the wrestlers being told what to do if terrorists attack. That’s a rather sobering discussion.

Clip of the ring and arena being set up. The troops who helped got to sit in the front row.

World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. APA

Bradshaw is in a helmet and flack jacket. Shelton takes Faarooq into the corner to start but gets taken down by a middle rope shoulder. Bradshaw comes in to forearm Haas in the back for two but has to let go of an early torture rack as Shelton tries to make a save. The Dominator doesn’t work on Haas and Shelton gets in a cheap shot to take over. Faarooq shoves Haas away and brings in Bradshaw to clean house. Everything breaks down and Shelton superkicks Bradshaw down. Not that it matters as Faarooq tosses Shelton to the floor, leaving Bradshaw to Clothesline Haas for the pin.

Rating: C. I’m going to be a lot nicer to the wrestling here as that’s not the point to a show like this one. This match was about letting the APA, a popular team, come in and get a quick win and to have Bradshaw, who was one of the big names behind the whole idea, out there as he should be. If nothing else, Bradshaw hitting a Clothesline that hard is going to get a reaction.

Austin gives Chris Benoit a pep talk before his match with Eddie Guerrero. That’s kind of an odd segment as it’s not like they’re great friends or anything.

Some troops say hi to their families.

Rikishi vs. Rhyno

Rhyno gets shoved away to start as the announcers talk about this being in the middle of an active war zone. Some kicks to the, ahem, thong arena, have Rikishi in some trouble but he stops a charge with a superkick. The announcers actually act like they’re there (commentary is being recorded in Connecticut), even talking about their clothes in the desert for a little flavor. The Rump Shaker hits raised knees but the Gore misses. Rikishi grabs a Samoan drop for the fast pin.

Post match, Rhyno takes a Stinkface and dancing ensues with some (armed) troops coming into the ring.

Video of wrestlers meeting troops.

Some wrestlers went up on a helicopter to another camp to meet more troops.

Here’s John Cena for a chat. He wants to give Torrie Wilson a pearl necklace for Christmas but tonight he has to deal with Big Show. Sure he’s wrestling a giant but the real big show is in his crotch. Show is picking the wrong day to fight when Cena has all of the troops behind him and Saddam should be buried in a hole.

Now Austin gives Eddie Guerrero a pep talk. Apparently Benoit promised to lie, steal and cheat tonight. Eddie: “THAT’S MY STUFF!”

More troops say hello.

Wrestlers signed autographs and met troops at the other camp. Cena even had some battle raps.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit

Feeling out process to start as Cole and Tazz go over the history between these two. Eddie starts in on the arm and gets two off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Benoit comes back with some forearms and Eddie grabs the referee’s waist for security. Hang on as a security helicopter flies over the ring so Eddie puts on a flack jacket. As you might expect, Eddie throws the jacket at Benoit and takes over with a dropkick.

They fall out to the floor and we take a break. Back with Benoit cranking on both arms as the fans chant for Eddie. That seems to do him some good as he sends Benoit into the corner to take over again but falls off the ropes on a sunset bomb attempt. The Three Amigos are countered into the Crossface but Eddie rolls over to the ropes.

Some rolling German suplex soften Eddie up a bit more and a shoulder breaker has the arm banged up even more. Benoit barely misses the Swan Dive but avoids the frog splash for another double knockdown. Back up and Eddie gets in a rollup with feet on the ropes for the fast pin.

Rating: B-. That’s all you can ask for her with the two guys who know each other well enough to have a good match in their sleep. There were a few botches here but wrestling in that kind of heat in this kind of atmosphere isn’t the easiest thing in the world. The fans were more into Eddie anyway and it’s not like a win or a loss on this show means much.

Post match Eddie puts the jacket and helmet back on for a handshake.

We look at the opening segment again.

More soldiers say hello.

Another video on wrestlers meeting troops.

More soldiers say hello.

Wrestlers shoot guns with Big Show being the best shot.

It’s time for a Santa’s Little Helper’s contest between Torrie Wilson, Dawn Marie and Sable as Cole tries to figure out the rules. Thankfully Tazz points out the obvious that the rules really aren’t likely to mean much here. Cole: “I’d like to be the Crocodile Hunter and Dawn Marie be the crocodile.” I…really don’t know what that means and I think I’ll keep it that way. It’s a dance contest, they all look great, and Torrie wins. A brawl breaks out, which is rather difficult as Torrie is in lingerie. Sable gets stripped and the villains bail. This was exactly what you would expect.

Wrestlers visited wounded troops.

One more video of the wrestlers with the troops.

One more video of troops saying hello to their families.

John Cena vs. Big Show

Say it with me: non-title. Cena gets chokeslammed about five seconds in and rolls to the floor for a breather. Back in and Show hits the overhand chop in the corner, followed by a hard headbutt to put Cena down. It’s off to the abdominal stretch for a few seconds but the ref gets kicked down. Show grabs the chain but gets kicked low, allowing Cena to hit him with the chain for two. Another chokeslam is countered into the FU to give Cena the pin.

Rating: C. I remember watching this match with my dad, who is one of those people who tends to not think much of wrestling because it’s fake. When Cena tossed Show onto his shoulders and flipped him over like it was nothing, my dad’s jaw dropped for a second. There’s nothing to the match of course and it’s not like Show losing means anything to his title reign, which is as unnecessary as any I can ever remember.

Post match Austin comes out to Stun both guys. Austin calls out the ladies and the locker room for one last celebration. One more Stunner to Big Show and beer consumption ends the show.

Overall Rating: B. As mentioned, the wrestling really isn’t the point to something like this. The wrestling is secondary to entertaining the troops and that’s what happened. It did exactly what it was designed to do and felt important, unlike what this show would eventually become. This had nothing to do with storylines and nothing was advanced, which didn’t need to be the case. It was a fun show and having Austin as a big star was the right call. Just let it be fun and come back home for the real stuff later on. And be glad La Resistance didn’t get squashed.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and pick up the paperback edition of the WWE Grab Bag (also available as an e-book) from Amazon. Check out the information here:

http://kbwrestlingreviews.com/2018/05/25/new-book-nxt-the-full-sail-years-from-dallas-to-new-orleans/

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

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

IMG Credit: WWE

Main Event
Date: May 24, 2018
Location: Times Union Center, Albany, New York
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Vic Joseph, Percy Watson

I’m out of ways to say that this show is going to be all about Money in the Bank qualifying matches. Those things have dominated Monday Night Raw and Smackdown for the last few weeks now and it’s burned out a lot of my interest in the upcoming pay per view. It says a lot when the Main Event original content needs to bail us out. Let’s get to it.

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

Opening sequence.

Brian Kendrick/Jack Gallagher vs. Lince Dorado/Kalisto

Kendrick uses an early Gallagher distraction to take Kalisto down in the corner to start. A backbreaker keeps Kalisto in trouble and let’s talk about the Cruiserweight Title match. Eh it’s not like this match means anything anyway. Kendrick can’t get the Captain’s Hook so it’s off to Gallagher (no longer in Slytherin green), who is backdropped in a hurry. That’s not enough for a hot tag though as Gallagher runs over and pulls Lince off the apron in time.

Kendrick comes back in for a chinlock but Kalisto fights up with some kicks to the chest. That’s enough for the hot tag to Dorado so things can speed up, including a moonsault press. The Golden Rewind drops Kendrick again and Kalisto dives on Gallagher. Back in and Lince’s hurricanrana to Kendrick doesn’t count as Kendrick isn’t legal. The confusion lets Gallagher headbutt Lince down for the pin at 4:47.

Rating: C-. The heels…won??? I don’t remember the last time that happened in a cruiserweight match on this show, to the point where it was a running joke for a long time. Gallagher and Kendrick are fine for a low level heel team and Lucha House Party is going to be fine, at least until fans grab those noisemakers and bludgeon them half to death.

We get some highlights of the first three Women’s Money in the Bank qualifiers.

From Raw.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Dana Brooke vs. Natalya vs. Sarah Logan vs. Liv Morgan

It’s a brawl to start and Morgan gets two off a top rope faceplant to Natalya. Everyone gets in a running shot for two each until the Riott Squad double teams Natalya. Brooke comes back in for the save and breaks up Logan’s cover, only to be sent shoulder first into the post. Natalya is back up with the discus lariat and the Sharpshooter for the win at 4:28.

Rating: D. Another match where they had to rush the whole way, mainly because the first hour was the Roman Reigns Show. Natalya winning was the only pick here, mainly because she’s likely to cash in on her new friend Ronda Rousey and win the title. You know, because that’s how you make Rousey a bigger star: make her a former champion who couldn’t hold the title for five minutes.

From Smackdown.

Money in the Bank Qualifying Match: Naomi vs. Sonya Deville

Naomi starts fast with some rollups for two each as we see other qualifiers watching in the back. Sonya gets in some right hands and a shot to the back for two. A spinebuster gives Sonya two more but Naomi comes back with some kicks. They trade enough kicks for a double knockdown, only to have Naomi grab another rollup for the pin at 4:21.

Rating: D+. Naomi is the right call as she’s a bigger star and has the crazy athleticism needed to make something like the ladder match fun. I’m not sure what Sonya did to warrant getting a second chance at getting into the match but at least they got the winner right, which isn’t always the case.

From Raw again.

Here’s Stephanie to emcee the contract signing. Nia comes out first and Stephanie talks about the personal issues between Nia and Bliss. Rousey is out now and asks Stephanie how her arm is feeling. After Stephanie asks Rousey about how it feels to jump over the women that Rousey has called more deserving, we hear about Rousey not being used to wrestling singles matches.

Stephanie continues her monologue, talking about how Rousey might leave WWE if she loses and accusing Nia of being lazy for taking so long to beat Bliss (Way to treat one of your best homegrown stars there Steph.). She talks about the armbar and Nia finally snaps, saying that Rousey can’t get the armbar on her.

Nia is tired of being called lazy and promises to make a name for herself at Money in the Bank. She signs and picks up the title with Rousey signing next. Rousey moves the table to the side and promises to take the title as they do the long handshake. She promises to take the arm too and a staredown ends things. Not bad, especially once Stephanie shut up for a few seconds.

Apollo Crews vs. Mojo Rawley

Mojo powers him down to start as Nigel recaps Rawley’s last year or so. The always good looking dropkick puts Rawley down and a high crossbody gets two. A shot to the back puts Crews on the floor though and we take a break. Back with Rawley grabbing a chinlock for a good while before hitting a running shoulder in the corner. A second attempt hits a raised knee though and Crews starts his comeback to a nice reaction. The Pounce is cut off by an enziguri and a standing moonsault puts Rawley away at 8:34.

Rating: D+. That chinlock didn’t do them any favors, but at the same time it’s annoying to have Rawley win one week and lose the next. If they want to use this show to help people along (ok so that’s not likely the case), they might as well have some continuity to the thing. Rawley is someone they see something in so why is he losing clean like this?

Post match Titus O’Neil comes in to celebrate but Rawley jumps them both. Titus gets sent outside and Crews goes into the post for a big crash. My goodness, an angle on Main Event. What else could we possibly see?

From Smackdown.

Jeff Hardy vs. Daniel Bryan

The winner gets Samoa Joe, on commentary here, in a Money in the Bank qualifying match next week. Feeling out process to start until Bryan shoulders him down for two. The moonsault over Jeff into the running clothesline is countered with an atomic drop. Bryan rolls outside and we take a break. Back with stereo crossbodies putting both of them down again.

Its Bryan up first and kicking Jeff to the floor but missing the apron knee. Jeff scores with a running clothesline from the apron but takes too long going up top. The delay allows Bryan to tie him in the Tree of Woe for a running dropkick. Jeff blocks a belly to back superplex though and scores with a Whisper in the Wind for two. The Twist of Fate is countered and Bryan kicks away, only to get caught with the Twist.

The Swanton hits knees (with a great bounce off the crash) so Bryan kicks him in the head for two more. Another Twist is countered into a dragon screw legwhip and Bryan slaps on a heel hook for the tap at 11:23. That would be the second time that the US Champion has lost clean in Money in the Bank matches.

Rating: B. Champion losing again aside, this was a fun match with both guys looking like stars who could have gotten the win. Bryan needed the win to get back on track after the Rusev loss, but I’m not sure I can picture him beating Joe next week. Then again I’m not sure I can picture Joe losing to Bryan either, and that makes for a much more interesting match.

And one more time from Smackdown.

Here are AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura o announce the stipulation for Money in the Bank. Nakamura doesn’t understand what a stipulation is but can show us a clip of him defeating Styles last week. He’s been thinking very carefully and wants to dishonor Styles at Money in the Bank. Nakamura picks a pillow fight, which AJ doesn’t think much about. Not that it matters as Nakamura wants to dishonor AJ at Money in the Bank.

The fight is on with AJ blocking the low blow and taking it outside. A chair shot misses as well and Nakamura gets sent into the crowd. AJ tries a springboard off the barricade but gets chaired down, allowing Nakamura to hit Kinshasa. Nakamura makes it a Last Man Standing match. Makes sense given most of their matches.

Overall Rating: D+. They were trying to do something better here but if I heat that MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY song one more time I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions. It’s been done to death for years and now we get to hear it all over again because the calendar says so. This was another run of the mill show, save for that surprising result to the tag match. Just get past the ladder matches already so we can move on though.

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