RevPro British J Cup
July 8th, 2017 | Walthamstow Assembly Hall in Walthamstow, Greater London
The Super J-Cup in Japan is the most famous junior heavyweight tournament, with the annual Best of the Super Juniors in NJPW being right up there. RevPro threw their name in the hat with this inaugural British J Cup. Eight of the top juniors from around the world would compete in four singles matches, with the winners meeting in an elimination four way to determine the first British J Cup winner.
British J Cup First Round: Marty Scurll vs. Tiger Mask IV
The ring announcer wisely noted that Tiger Mask did win back to back BOTSJ tournaments at one point. Marty refused a handshake, so Tiger Mask refused the “too sweet”. After some early back and forth, Marty went for the finger snap spot, but Tiger wisely grabbed the ropes. I’ve never seen anyone do that. Marty held serve, with Tiger Mask finding openings for hope spots like the Tiger Driver. He blocked the Chicken Wing, only to get his fingers snapped. Marty then used the Mouse Trap, which is a pinning combination, to get the three at 11:56. Solid opener. The crowd was into it, though they were a bit too pro-Marty, which hurt some of his heel stuff. It also felt too one-sided for going as long as it did. [**½]
British J Cup First Round: Josh Bodom vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Liger got a thunderous ovation. Bodom attacked quickly with a cheap big boot. He got a quick near and arrogantly toyed with the legend. Liger fought back with a superplex, Shotei and Liger Bomb for a near fall. A brainbuster later and Liger got the win at 2:21. The crowd absolutely ate that up. Not much of a match to rate, but it was a great moment. The cocky Bodom got what was coming to him. You don’t fuck with a legend like Liger. [NR]
British J Cup First Round: KUSHIDA vs. Kyle O’Reilly
This is one of my favorite rivalries in wrestling. Their two BOTSJ matches in 2015 and 2016 both got ****½ from me and they had a match on ROH TV last year that also nearly cracked four stars. KUSHIDA came in as the ROH TV and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. Lots of mat work between two guys who know each other so well. We got an appearance of SLEAZY KYLE, which was combated by SLEAZY KUSHIDA! Considering the length of the last match, and the slow approach they took here, you could tell this was gonna last long. KUSHIDA had the arm targeted, while Kyle went after the leg. Everything they did felt like a struggle, in a good way. It was all earned. Kyle was brilliant, catching KUSHDIA in a choke, but doing all he could to reach and transition to an ankle lock since he worked the leg. It’s the little things, folks. They moved into a strike exchange similar to the BOTSJ ’15 match. KUSHIDA eventually took Kyle off the top into an awesome Hoverboard Lock. Kyle kneed free, only for a knee to get countered into Back to the Future, giving KUSHIDA the win at 21:27. These two can’t have a bad match. It started slow, but built to some furious action. Great limb work, selling and exchanges. Their chemistry never fails to deliver. [****]
British J Cup First Round: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Will Ospreay
Positive reaction for the “Funky Weapon” here. The last match was a BOTSJ 2015 finals rematch and this was a 2016 finals rematch. On that night, we got a more serious, big match version of Taguchi. Here, he was in playful mode and Ospreay was more than happy to follow suit. For example, Ospreay poured Red Bull down Taguchi’s throat, which fired up the Taguchi Japan leader, only for him to crash. The “Funky Weapon” was exposed and Taguchi used it to sit on Ospreay’s face. Yes, you read that correctly. Ospreay managed to pick up the win with an awkward looking Oscutter at 13:26. Fun little match. Nowhere near the quality of their BOTSJ finals match as they opted for a lighter, comedy route. [**½]
John Wall and Kurtis Chapman vs. The Tempura Boyz
For those unaware, the Tempura Boyz are Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu from the New Japan Dojo. This was their first match in RevPro and the first major show appearance for Wall and Chapman. Chapman looks like Zack Sabre Jr., except he’s somehow way skinnier. He took the beating here, as the Tempura Boyz took joy in working him over. Tanaka and Komatsu work so well together. Their chemistry was clear from the start. Wall’s hot tag was solid and he impressed, before Chapman ended up getting dominated again. He did sell a package piledriver like death, which was appreciated. That move ended things at 9:33. Decent showcase for the Tempura Boyz, while giving the local guys a few moments to shine. [**¼]
BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi vs. CCK
DARYL! Hiromu’s stuffed cat got a huge pop and even a “Daryl” chant. CCK was Chris Brookes and Travis (TRAVIS, TRAVIS FUCKING) Banks. Their Tag Titles weren’t on the line here. There was some fine back and forth in this one, with each team getting in some signature stuff. I liked BUSHI and Hiromu utilizing a double STF on Brookes. I realized here that I would give almost anything to see a singles match between Hiromu and Travis Banks. The LIDJ guys worked so well together. If Hiromu isn’t getting another IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title reign soon, give them the Jr. Tag Titles. More interesting than the same few teams rotating with the belts. This was just picking up when Hiromu hit a low blow and BUSHI spit the mist for the DQ finish at 8:30. I’m hoping there’s a rematch coming soon. That was fun while it lasted until the finish. [**¾]
The third CCK member, Kid Lykos, showed up to help make the save for his buddies.
Matt Riddle vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Nothing against the British J Cup, but this was why I made it a point to watch this show. This was exactly what you’d expect. They traded brutal strikes throughout and fired up after some of their big offense, including German suplexes. The intensity out of the gates was off the charts. The quality dipped towards the middle thanks to a few miscues and some slow down. Despite that, the strikes were always vicious and the crowd was engaged in everything. They wanted to see who would hit harder. Riddle has a famous UFC knockout under his belt, yet Ishii dared him to hit him harder. Ishii brought headbutts and a brutal lariat, before Riddle caught a kick and nailed the Tombstone for a great near fall. He followed with the PK and fisherman buster, yet Ishii wouldn’t die. Ishii scored with a brainbuster to put Riddle away at 11:17, winning a magnificent sprint. They played to their strengths and delivered the kind of match I wanted, but something was missing to put it over the top for me. It was damn good, but I’ve seen much better from both guys in 2017. Still, definitely worth checking out. [***¾]
British J Cup Finals Elimination Match: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. KUSHIDA vs. Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay
All four guys competed in the BOTSJ this year. Marty was a dick early, antagonizing everyone and getting beat up for it. They brought some fun into is, as Marty used his umbrella on Liger following a ref bump. He tossed it to Ospreay, a la Eddie Guerrero, causing KUSHIDA to think Ospreay did it. That led to a great sequence where Scurll and KUSHIDA teamed up against Ospreay. They’re not a common pairing, so I was into it. KUSHIDA and Ospreay re-did their Oscutter counter into a springboard armbar spot, though it didn’t come off as cleanly here. In a surprising moment, KUSHIDA was the first one eliminated when Marty used the Mouse Trap to get rid of him. Liger kept getting dumped outside, leaving this to be Scurll vs. Ospreay. They’ve had some wars in the past. Ospreay tried a Rainmaker, so Scurll tried Cross Rhodes, both taking moves from their stablemates. After another ref bump and some more wildness, Scurll used the Mouse Trap again, this time to eliminate Ospreay. The final stretch between Liger and Scurll was good, with the crowd fully behind the legend against the villain. Shotei was countered into a finger snap that led to a great Mouse Trap near fall. Liger kicked out a brainbuster at one before hitting his own to win the first British J Cup at 23:00. A fun main event with the right amount of shenanigans and exchanges, before a good finishing stretch. Liger overcoming the villain who had outsmarted everyone else was a good story to tell and Liger was a great choice for the first winner. [***½]
Overall: 7/10. It clocks in at the typical 2.5 hours, yet this show felt like it flew by, which is a good thing. The tournament features strong matches and nothing on the card is bad. Riddle/Ishii wasn’t quite what I hoped for, but still a damn good match between two guys who meshed well together. The finals delivered, while it was cool to see the Tempura Boyz and the BUSHI/Hiromu tandem. If pressed for time, check out KUSHIDA/O’Reilly and Ishii/Riddle.
Round two of the Cueto Cup begins!
Cueto Cup Second Round: Jeremiah Crane vs. Taya
Taya began with a slap, so Crane kicked the shit out of her. He held nothing back, adding a massive cannonball on the outside. They did some brawling around the ring, highlighted by a Taya cross body. Inside, Taya ran absolutely wild and Matt Striker sold the fuck out of it. The fans got way behind Taya because of it. They exchanged some brutal strikes, but Taya got too cocky as she went to the top. Sexy Star appeared and distracted Taya, allowing Crane to hit a bicycle kick. She still got a near fall on a rollup, but fell to cranial contusion at 6:23. Hard hitting, fun and with a hot crowd, this was a good choice to open. I didn't love the finish though, as Taya was so over with the crowd that Sexy came off like a heel of sorts. [***]
Post-match, Sexy laid out Taya with brass knuckles, getting some revenge.
Backstage, Fenix worked out when Aerostar came up to him and discussed their issues with former partner Drago. Fenix asked Aerostar, a time traveler, if he's gonna win tonight. Aerostar playfully didn't answer.
Cueto Cup Second Round: Mil Muertes w/ Catrina vs. Paul London
London played mind games early, dancing around and avoiding Mil's grip. He got caught, but managed to get free and started running around the ring. Mil finally got him and beat the shit out of him. London bumped like a madman, though he may not have had much of a choice. Mil was a monster. Some of the middle of the match lacked a bit, but when London kicked out of a chokeslam, it picked back up. London got a near fall on a shooting star press that the fans bit on. Mil then murdered him with a spear and won via Flatliner at 9:29. That was a lot of fun. London's act was enjoyable, he got in the right amount of hope spots and Mil murdered him at times. [***1/4]
After the match, Catrina gave London the lick of death, which led to a camera shot of him smiling. The fans chanted "lucky bastard."
In a bar somewhere, Brenda met up with Texano and flirted. They drank some whiskey and Brenda admitted to being tipsy. She told him he was boring and dull. Texano broke the bottle in his hand and said he wasn't dull. She said he needed a woman's touch. Famous B watched from afar like a creeper. I mean, Texano is pretty boring.
Next week, Cage takes on Pindar, Prince Puma goes up against PJ Black and Son of Havoc faces Dante Fox.
Cueto Cup Second Round: Fenix vs. Marty "The Moth" Martinez w/ Mariposa
Marty had a lunchbox and shoved a sandwich in Melissa Santos' mouth. She spat it back at him and introduced Fenix. Lots of high quality character work from Marty. He IS the moth and you can tell each time he's out there. He ripped at Fenix's mask, jealous of his relationship with Melissa and wanting to do more than just win. Fenix fought back with a vicious spin kick in the corner and a great double stomp. Marty busted out some of the biggest offense we've ever seen from him, but the Fenix would not die. He couldn't even stand at one point. Mariposa attempted to use the lunchbox as a weapon, but Melissa stopped her! Fenix pulled Marty into a great pinning combination to win at 10:31. These two told a great story. Marty was vicious, Fenix wouldn't die and the Melissa interaction was a great payoff to her story with Marty so far. [***1/2]
Afterwards, Marty clocked Fenix with the lunchbox. He pulled out a fork and repeatedly jabbed it into Fenix's head. Mariposa held Melissa and forced her to watch. Marty shouted that he did it for her and that he loves Melissa.
Overall: 7.5/10. Highly entertaining stuff this week. We got three good matches, which all told a good story. They also furthered a few angles (Famous B/Texano, Fenix/Marty, Sexy/Taya) and set up Mil/Crane, which has the Catrina angle in the middle. Lots of fun this week, with Marty being the MVP.
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Evolve 89
July 9th, 2017 | Marietta Event Hall in Marietta, Georgia
At Evolve 88, surprising new Tag Team Champions were crowned. Could the Evolve Championship change hands as well when one of the top WWN guys gets a shot at Zack Sabre Jr. This would be Evolve’s first trip to the Atlanta area.
Lenny Leonard did his typical introduction stuff until Darby Allin showed up, demanding Timothy Thatcher right now.
Darby Allin vs. Timothy Thatcher w/ Stokely Hathaway
I don’t know if it’s just FloSlam or what, but the video quality on this show is pretty bad. I stream stuff before and after it and it’s all perfect, except this show. Thatcher applied a sleeper early on and Allin looked out of it. Thatcher walked out, thinking he won, but Allin held his arm up despite looking dazed. Allin came at him with a dive, but once back inside, Thatcher took him to the mat. Allin was as resilient as ever, but made the mistake of trying to strike with Thatcher, who beat his ass. Thatcher turned the beating into a pinning combination, but Allin had his shoulder up. They had to re-position so Thatcher could win at 8:26, but it seemed like he had him down for a seven count or something. No reaction from the crowd for the finish. Good ideas in this match but things like the finish and the crowd, hurt this. [**½]
ACH vs. Ethan Page
The guys were friendly before the match. ACH cut a promo, thinking he would main event against Page, but instead they’re going on second. So, he promised to give number two effort. Before starting, Page said ACH’s promo was bad last night, so he offered to help him with promos if ACH helped him with wrestling since he’s apparently “a bad wrestler.” They proceeded to mock pro wrestling as ACH did a ton of flips for no reasons, while Page threw money at him. They even did a play off the Okada/Omega matches with a ridiculous amount of Rainmaker reversals. ACH eventually won via rollup at 8:01. People will have mixed feelings about this. It was funny and was a surprisingly strong parody of wrestling in 2017. I was entertained, but I could see why some would hate this. [***]
Jason Kincaid vs. Jon Davis
Davis holds the FIP Florida Heritage Title and had a great match with Matt Riddle for the WWN Title a few weeks ago. Kincaid had to utilize his unique offense to combat Davis’ power. Davis took him outside and battered him with strikes, chops and kicks. He had Kincaid’s stuff well scouted, but Kincaid didn’t do enough to change things up in my view. There were some impressive moments, like Kincaid hitting a falcon arrow (HE DID THE DEAL), allowing him to show some strength. Kincaid won with the double stomp at 15:32. It felt like a long fifteen minutes. Davis looked good, but I wasn’t big on Kincaid in this one. It’s a shame because I’ve enjoyed both guys in 2017, they just didn’t click very well together. [**¼]
Keith Lee vs. Tracy Williams w/ Stokely Hathaway
Tracy’s been on a hot streak en route to a showdown with Matt Riddle next month. These two met in a damn good match at Evolve 79. They took it right to one another here, bringing hard hitting offense from the go. Lee’s power was enough to stop a lot of Tracy’s submission attempts. Williams did his best to exchange strikes and showed zero fear (CERO MIEDO) despite the size difference. Their brawl became so intense that the referee’s attempts to keep them out of the corner were futile. They charged at each other and squashed the referee in between them. The fight moved outside and the locker room had to show up to separate them. The match was thrown out around 8:00. Lee took out the locker room with a big dive over the top. This was fun while it lasted. The finish sets up another match at some point, which is fine. [***]
Lee and Thatcher ended up brawling before things calmed down. Stokely got on the microphone and wanted a Tag Team Title rematch. Dickinson called the new champs jobbers. Before the match started, the debuting Ugly Ducklings, Lance Lude and Rob Killjoy, showed up to also accept the open contract.
Evolve Tag Team Championship: Anthony Henry and James Drake (c) vs. Chris Dickinson and Jaka w/ Stokely Hathaway vs. The Ugly Ducklings
There was a third person with the Ugly Ducklings, but I’m unfamiliar with them. This was wild action from start to finish. The crowd was way into the Ducklings, quacking at every chance. Jaka showcased his aerial skills with a dive onto everyone. Dickinson did a more impressive one, but it got less of a pop. Drake and Henry got to showcase their offense a bit more, while the Ducklings were kind of the stars. The former champions took a bit of a backseat until Dickinson busted out a springboard into a Canadian Destroyer. It didn’t come off too well. The Workhorses (Henry and Drake) retained after a Drake moonsault on the Ducklings at 8:14. Great sprint. Lots of wild action, with each team getting their chance to shine. The tag division finally looks to have some direction and intrigue. [***¼]
Austin Theory w/ Priscilla Kelly vs. Trent Beretta
Kelly cut a promo before the match about Austin joining her to avoid being weak like the people in the crowd. This is a rematch from Evolve 87, when Austin lost and turned heel. Wisely, this began with a brawl as Trent had every right to be pissed. His elbow was heavily taped, by the way. They fought in the crowd for a while and once in the ring, Theory took over by attacking the elbow. The crowd was way into this, loving Trent and giving a ton of heat to Theory. Trent refused to die and the crowd even chanted “you can’t beat him” at Theory. After a lot of action, Theory countered a super rana by rolling through it. He hoisted Trent up and hit the TKO to win at 16:06. Really good stuff. Theory is doing very well in his new persona, while Trent continues an impressive 2017. His resilient babyface work is great whether it’s here, PWG, NJPW or anywhere else. [***½]
Evolve Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Fred Yehi
At Evolve 86, Sabre beat the WWN Champion and here, he took on the FIP Champion. They met back at Evolve 71 (***¾), so I came in excited for this one. The expected tons of mat work opened this and continued throughout. Unfortunately, the crowd seemed to die again during it, meaning a lot of this work was done to silence. It’s a shame, because the exchanges on the mat were good. Sabre brought his aggressive style, and Yehi was able to combat it with his unorthodox offense. He applied the Koji Clutch late and some fans bought that it could be the finish. Sabre managed to counter it into his famous pinning combination to retain at 23:06. A high quality match that just happened in front of the wrong crowd. Put this match in La Boom in Queens and it would’ve gone over better. Plenty of great exchanges and with a better crowd, it would be one of the top Evolve Title matches this year. [***½]
Overall: 6.5/10. Like Evolve 88, this was a solid and consistent event that didn’t have quite enough to stand out as one of the better Evolve shows this year. The final two matches are good, but had things to keep them from being great. The Tag Title match was fun, but a few matches missed the mark. However, there are signs of things moving in the right direction (heel Theory and ACH, the tag division), which is always good.
Evolve 88
July 8th, 2017 | UpTownLife in Charlotte, North Carolina
I honestly had no idea Evolve was running this weekend. I realized it about an hour into the show, so I checked this show out on Sunday morning. This was the first Evolve show in Charlotte since Evolve 12.
Lenny Leonard introduced the show in the ring.
Caleb Konley vs. Jason Kincaid
Konley has quietly had some solid performances in FIP this year. Kincaid has been consistently good, yet has been on a losing streak. Lots of grappling in the early stages, as both tried getting a feel for the other. As things progressed, they began throwing bigger offensive moves. Kincaid came close with a flurry that ended with him going coast to coast. It reached a point where both men were down after a great springboard slingblade. Kincaid’s frustrations grew (even after he DID THE DEAL) at his inability to pick up a win. Konley hit a great series of powerbombs, but Kincaid hit a double stomp while hanging from the rafters! That wasn’t enough, so Kincaid transitioned into Compassionate Release to make Konley tap at 14:21. A bit long, but it told the story it had to. Konley was dying to come back strong, while Kincaid was desperate for a win. [***¼]
Austin Theory, fresh off a heel turn, came out with Priscilla Kelly, who spearheaded his change. He’s scheduled to face ACH, but ACH said he’s not wrestling this early on the show again. Theory was ready to take the forfeit, but Ethan Case came out to take ACH’s place.
Austin Theory w/ Priscilla Kelly vs. Ethan Case
Both guys had bursts of offense in the opening big. Theory showed off his more aggressive side. He threw dirty looks at the referee, delivered vicious stomps and arrogantly taunted. Case came back with fiery offense. He’s quicker than he looks. Theory cut him off with the TKO to score the win at 6:34. Fine little showcase for Theory, while Case got in enough of his stuff. First Evolve win for Theory. [**]
Ethan Page vs. Keith Lee
A rematch from Evolve 86. Lee was clearly pissed and came out more aggressively than usual. Page withstood that and took control, working the heat. Lee’s hope spots featured some brutal chops and offense, but Page almost always had a way to stall the momentum. He got two with the RK-Ego and talked trash to the fans. He also came close with a big rana. Near the finish, they just began trading blows, which isn’t where Page wanted to be. Lee bested him with a discus forearm at 9:49. Solid match, though I preferred their Evolve 86 outing. [**½]
Keith Lee got on the mic and mentioned Tracy Williams. Hot Sauce came out and attacked Lee. He got tossed aside until Timothy Thatcher joined him, and they teamed up on Lee. Darby Allin ran out, which helped Lee get free. Lee and Thatcher headed to the back, leaving the competitors alone.
Darby Allin vs. Tracy Williams w/ Stokely Hathaway
Allin is out to prove he’s more than a guy who can just take sick bumps. He’s also said he wants a shot at the EVOLVE Title. Williams took it to the mat early, where Allin surprised him by holding his own. Each time Allin attempted to take to the skies, Williams had it scouted and took it back to the ground. The focus was on Allin’s bad arm. They kept having the official check on Allin, as if Tracy wanted him to have to quit. Allin wouldn’t though, bringing harder strikes than Williams. Allin managed a few high risk moves once he got out of major trouble. Tracy countered a Coffin Drop into a rollup that he transitioned to the crossface. When that didn’t work, he turned it into a brutal arm submission and Allin had to tap out at 13:07. The underdog who won’t quit story is Allin’s specialty. I liked how Tracy had the strategy of not letting him fly. Good match but some of Tracy’s time on offense lulled. [***]
Fred Yehi was brought out and he’s scheduled to face Trent Beretta. However, Trent had his elbow drained a bit ago and isn’t cleared to compete. Trent was watching with his taped elbow and got a “Trent” chant. Fred offered an open contract to anyone in the world. ACH answered and said he doesn’t get paid if he doesn’t wrestle, so he challenged Yehi to put his Evolve Title shot tomorrow on the line. Yehi agreed, but ACH said he wouldn’t get his gear because it’s not the main event. ACH stumbled through the promo at times.
Number One Contender’s Match: ACH vs. Fred Yehi
At Evolve 77 back in January, these two had a damn good match (***½). A lot of quick back and forth here, showing that the guys are evenly matched. ACH did a good job playing the cocky heel without overdoing it. Yehi used his unique offense to gain slight advantages, but ACH was too quick for the most part. He had the upper hand at almost every turn. After hitting two suicide dives, ACH’s third was avoided, but he still managed to one up Yehi and kick him in the chest. Yehi rallied, nearly winning after a string of offense that ended with a dragon suplex. ACH won a battle of Germans, but his lariat wasn’t enough for the win. Yehi got his knees up on the 450 splash and won with the Koji Clutch in 16:38. I liked this, but the crowd didn’t seem to care. They’ve been weak most of the night but seemed extra quiet here. It’s a damn shame too, because they worked hard to have a competitive match. Kudos to ACH for some of the character work. [***¼]
Evolve Tag Team Championship: Chris Dickinson and Jaka (c) vs. Anthony Henry and James Drake
Henry and Drake are regulars in PWX, a company based in the area from what I hear. Henry has been awesome all over WWN, with two stellar Style Battle matches against Fred Yehi. He started hot, fueled by the crowd, but found himself in trouble. The confident champs allowed him to go to his partner, but Henry opted to stay in. The challengers started hitting some nice offense, until a Jaka blind tag swung the momentum again. Henry took the heat, yet continued to show fire. He was just overmatched by his larger opponents. The hot tag came, but Jaka still managed to cut off a tandem move. It looked over when the champs hit a double team move that ended with Burning Hammer, but Henry broke up the pin. The crowd was the loudest they’ve been all night for a drake near fall on a moonsault. Dickinson popped up, only to fall to Drill Bit. New champions after 19:14 of action! A shocking upset, but one that I liked. I wasn’t big on Dickinson and Jaka as champs, I love Henry and the shock means that these open challenges have an “anything can happen” feeling. The fans were finally invested and loved this. They built up the drama and had it pay off in a great way. [***¾]
Evolve Championship No Holds Barred: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Timothy Thatcher w/ Stokely Hathaway
Sabre ended Thatcher’s record-setting 596-day reign as champion back in February. Like Thatcher’s No Holds Barred match with Biff Busick in 2015, this wasn’t about weapons. It was about two dudes beating the hell out of each other because of nothing but hatred. Things did spill outside and over to the bar area in the early stages. Back to the ring and Sabre twisted Thatcher’s leg in horrible ways. Like, I can’t believe his leg didn’t snap. They also played into the No Holds Barred aspect when submissions were applied and the ropes couldn’t cause a break. They delivered some stiff strikes throughout, with the hardest coming down the stretch. Thatcher applied an armbar and Sabre slipped under the ropes. It was still locked in, so Hathaway took the title and showed it to Thatcher for motivation. It just motivated Sabre, who got free and applied an octopus hold in the ropes and Thatcher gave up at 17:58. A very strong main event that played off their past. It was different, due to the aggression and violence level. I slightly preferred the February match, but this ruled. [***¾]
Post-match, Sabre got on the mic and said he’s always respected Thatcher. He said the rivalry was over and wanted Thatcher to do the right thing. Thatcher took the title from Hathaway and handed it to Sabre before leaving.
Overall: 6.5/10. A middle of the pack show from Evolve. The crowd was pretty dead for most of it, but things picked up late. Everything was good, but I wouldn’t call anything great. The moment of the Tag Title change would be the thing I’d say you should go out of your way to see. The main event was also a strong match, just not “must see”. A fine way to spend two and a half hours, but there are better Evolve shows from this year.
WWE Great Balls of Fire
July 9th, 2017 | American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas
I still can’t believe this is a real Pay-Per-View name.
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Neville (c) vs. Akira Tozawa w/ Titus O’Neil
Not enough people are talking about it, but Neville has been one of the best things in all of wrestling in 2017. Unfortunately, despite being the best booked champion in WWE (against a hot babyface) they were regulated to the Kickoff Show. Their chemistry was evident early, harkening back to their Dragon Gate days. Tozawa was game to bump for Neville, and his comebacks also looked great. It was helped by a crowd who loved his battle cry. They also bought into the near falls, thinking we’d have a new champion. The finish was odd. Tozawa got crotched on the ropes and Neville kicked the rope. With Tozawa on the mat, Neville delivered a spin kick to the gut and won at 11:35. Other than the weird finish, this was damn good. Lots of action, a hot crowd and two guys, with great chemistry, playing their roles well. LONG LIVE THE KING! [***½]
Bray Wyatt vs. Seth Rollins
I know it would never happen because of their name value, but this belonged on the Pre-Show. It’s so hard to care. I don’t know if I ever cared this little about a Seth Rollins match. Honestly, they could’ve come out and attempted to legitimately murder each other, and I would’ve found it hard to get invested. The stuff they did was fine, it was just hollow. Like two guys going through the motions on a house show. Wyatt used a poke to the eyes to set up Sister Abigail and get the win at 12:04. Nobody cared and it all fell flat, though not quite as flat as the entire feud. Honestly, just repackage Bray at this point.[**¼]
Big Cass vs. Enzo Amore
Enzo got a lengthy promo before the match. The message was clear and cool, but the delivery got a little lost in the middle. Then, Cass came out to his new theme. It, like him and his gear, was incredibly bland. The match itself was pretty much exactly what it needed to be. Enzo got his ass kicked and had all his comeback attempts cut off. Cass won with the big boot in 5:21. He was too big, too strong and knew too much about Enzo to be fazed by him. Mostly a squash. [*]
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Ironman Match: Cesaro and Sheamus (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz
Ironman matches can be tricky to pull off. Knowing a match is going 30 minutes can make some fans tune out of the opening stretch. They tried avoiding that here, as Sheamus hit a Brogue Kick for the 1-0 lead within 20 seconds. Somewhere, Daniel Bryan had flashbacks. From there, we got the tired Ironman match formula where the babyfaces fall behind and have to rally. Honestly, the WWE uses that formula too often in other things, like the Best of Seven between Cesaro and Sheamus last year. The Hardys found themselves down 3-1, before rallying to tie it (sorry Indians and Warriors). The final stretch where they desperately fought to tie it was easily the highlight. Matt got a nasty cut after a dive off the top. Jeff hit the Swanton, but Cesaro rolled him up to take a 4-3 lead with about 25 seconds left. He ran away but got caught with a Twist of Fate, only for time to expire before Jeff could get the three. Though the finishing stretch was the best part, the Hardys were clearly gassed. This is not the match for them to be working in 2017. Good match. The beginning was a bit slow, but it picked up nicely, even though the formula was predictable. [***¼]
WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks
It’s been widely noted that these two are not friends in real life. Sasha seemed to touch upon it on Raw Talks, saying Alexa doesn’t have any respect for the business and is fake. All I can judge on is performance. For months now, Sasha’s been lackluster, while Alexa has thrived. Here, their animosity came to the forefront. The match was snug and felt more intense than any main roster women’s match since Sasha/Charlotte at SummerSlam. There was a great spot where it looked like Alexa’s arm popped out of socket or something, but it was just a trick to lure Sasha in. She nails those little things. The finish was disappointing (notice a trend?) as Alexa got counted out at 11:48. I usually don’t mind the finish. It’s a smart way to keep a feud going. However, the WWE has gone to that well too often lately. Anyway, even with the finish, this only trails Alexa/Bayley at Payback for best Raw Women’s Title match of 2017. [***¼]
After the match, Sasha was a sore loser and attacked Alexa. Alexa tried to DDT her through the announce table, but Sasha fought her off. She jumped off the stage with the double knee attack, but mostly caught Alexa with a crotch attack.
WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) w/ Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel and Maryse vs. Dean Ambrose
The story here was that The Miz had the numbers advantage and if Dean could overcome it. Early on, Dean hit everything moving, including Axel and Dallas. It quickly was too much and Miz got him down. Miz focused on the leg, which Dean sold well at times. He held it in pain, couldn’t stand at points and limped. However, he also shook it off enough to hit a few too many high flying moves for my taste. It’s okay to use adrenaline here or there, but he did it over and over. This suffered from the same problem as Bray/Seth. Nobody really cares about the feud. Both guys were much better off on Smackdown and their stock has fallen on Raw, not helped by this lesser version of their Smackdown feud. The Miztourage got involved, leading to the Skull Crushing Finale for the win at 11:48. Inoffensive and it told a solid story, yet nobody cared. It felt like something I’d see in the middle of Raw. [**½]
Ambulance Match: Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns
Has there ever been a great Ambulance match? Anyway, their match at Fastlane was solid, but the Payback outing was an improvement. This had the slight edge as their best outing together. It felt like a war between two guys who hate one another. They threw bombs at one another and brought the big moments, like Strowman getting thrown through the stage. Still, Strowman wouldn’t die. Reigns got tossed off the stage, but came back by hitting Strowman with a light fixture. He went for the Spear, but Strowman sidestepped him and he hilariously flew into the ambulance. Strowman closed it to win after 16:33 of war. This was exactly what it needed to be. Two guys trying to kill each other and they both came out looking great. Reigns took another loss to Braun, but was protected just enough.[***½]
Post-match, Reigns was pissed and threw Braun into the ambulance. He drove to the parking lot and we got cheesy camerawork as we watched his “internal struggle” with the decision he was about to make. Roman backed the ambulance into a parked truck, crushing the back. THAT’S ATTEMPTED HOMICIDE! I was hoping Braun would still pop out and brush it off like nothing. Kurt Angle and other officials arrived as Roman walked off, to try and free Braun.
Curt Hawkins vs. Heath Slater
This served no purpose. The fans chanted “We want Balor” and there was no reason not to include him on this card. Since his return, he’s been on a Kickoff MizTV, eaten the pin in a main event and was a healthy scratch on three PPVs. Slater won but we didn’t see it because the camera was out with the ambulance. [NR]
They finally pried open the ambulance. A bloody Braun shook off medical help and walked off on his own power. People felt this was a double turn, since Reigns attempted murder and Braun walked off like a hero. I don’t think it is, since commentary was careful not to condemn Reigns for his actions. Good monster movie segment, though.
WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Samoa Joe
During introductions, Joe attacked Brock and put him through the announce table. ADVANTAGE JOE! Brock made it back in to start the match and we got Joe kicking his ass. Brock fought back with several German suplexes, but Joe kept coming back with the Coquina Clutch. The submission has been expertly built and each time it was applied, you felt like Brock was vulnerable. Brock came in prepared and managed to counter or escape it each time. Joe countered the F5 into the Clutch, which Heyman sold masterfully at ringside. Brock fired up and hit the F5 to win at 6:26. Great stuff until the finish. Everyone kicks out of the F5 these days, so one seems flat. I don’t like people kicking out of finishers, so I’d have had Brock hit it and deliver another for good measure, to make sure his monster opponent was down for good. Besides the flat finish, this was basically just what I wanted. [***¾]
Overall: 6.5/10. The tradition of me not giving a Raw PPV match **** continues, but like Payback two months ago, this was a consistently solid show. The worst matches still managed to get more than two stars (except for the Cass squash). There was a lot of good action, just hampered by some of the booking decisions and lame finishes. Joe/Brock and Reigns/Strowman were a very strong way to close out an event, while Sasha/Alexa, Neville/Tozawa and the Tag Title matches all delivered. Thumbs up.
I've stated my issues with the cruiserweight division several times, but they've finally become arguably the most interesting thing on a show. I was excited for Neville/Aries, but there were more interesting matches at Mania. Here, Tozawa/Neville is easily the highlight if the main event goes a certain way. They've never met before, so it's fresh. Neville as the "King of the Cruiserweights" has been one of the best things going in all of WWE, for quite some time. Tozawa has momentum and the Titus Brand stuff is a great addition. At first, I thought maybe Titus inadvertently costs Tozawa, but I think they do the change here. Tozawa wins and we get a pre-show rematch at SummerSlam. This should be match of the night.
Winner: Akira Tozawa
I still say this split was a bad idea. Enzo Amore hit the nail on the head on Raw when he said that Cass' merchandise checks without him will have ZERO DIMES. Cass without Enzo is bland and Enzo without Cass is unthreatening. I could see Enzo winning with a flash rollup or something, but I don't think they did the big heel turn for Cass to lose his first time out. Expect Cass to dominate and win, with Enzo drawing more sympathy.
Winner: Big Cass
Holy shit. It's hard to fathom how little I care about this match. When it was the Shield vs. The Wyatt Family in 2014, I absolutely did. Now, in 2017, it's the pits. Seth has been a lackluster babyface and Bray just cuts the same rambling promo each month, regardless of his opponent. Both guys are in funks and this feud isn't helping. It feels like they're killing time until Seth gets his shot at Brock. I'll go with a cheap Bray win here, before Seth wins the rematch at SummerSlam and eventually, the feud. Why? Because that's the Bray Wyatt way.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
For the first time in a while, it's hard to predict a Roman Reigns match. I always go with the BIG DOG eating, yet I was wrong at Payback. Part of me can't see Braun Strowman beating Roman Reigns again, but I also don't think they do Reigns/Lesnar at SummeSlam. I think they're saving that for Mania. So I say Braun wins, without having to pin Reigns. Braun then gets served on a plate to Brock at SummerSlam, before Reigns eventually comes back and beats him in their next match.
Winner: BRAUN
Their series has been good, but not quite good enough that I want to see a thirty minute match between them. Still, it should be one of the better matches on the card. I was close to picking a babyface win here, because I have so many heels winning but I just can't see the Hardys winning back the titles. They had their nostalgia run. I get the feeling they lose here and it either causes Matt to go Broken or it starts him on that path.
Winners: Sheamus and Cesaro
On Smackdown, this feud was a nice bit of fun. On Raw, it has fizzled out and doesn't interest anymore, despite my love for Miz. The awful Lavar Ball segment did nothing to change my interest. At this point, it's hard to care. I honestly think the best option would be for Miz to feud with Finn Balor over the title. I'd have Finn dethrone him and a Finn IC Title reign main eventing shows with Brock out could do wonders for the title. Of course, that won't happen. Miz retains here, because why not?
Winner: The Miz
This should be clear. After coming in with a lot of hoopla, Sasha Banks (along with Charlotte and Bayley) hasn't done a ton. Sure she's racked up accolades (Women's Titles, main events, etc.) but the performances on the mic and in the ring haven't been near the level of her NXT work. Meanwhile, Alexa Bliss came in with little hype and (like Carmella) has done what the Four Horsewomen (excluding Becky) haven't. She delivers character and promo work in spades. Remember the Superstar Shakeup? Bayley and Sasha were in the ring together, but it was Alexa who got the biggest pop. Imagine thinking that would happen in 2015. Alexa should absolutely win here. She's the top heel, Sasha remains a shitty babyface (and I say this as a big Sasha fan) and the title switches too often. That being said, I predict Sasha taking the title here because, WWE.
Winner: Sasha Banks
I want to love this. The buildup has been perfect. Samoa Joe looks like a legitimate threat who wants to kill Brock. His promos have been awesome and Brock looks vulnerable, yet still confident. Yet, I'm very worried. This is Brock. I've been excited for Brock matches that go nowhere (vs. Seth, vs. Dean, etc.) before. I'm so worried that Brock suplexes Joe into oblivion and they waste everything. Joe should get the Coquina Clutch on early, weakening Brock. Brock reaches the ropes to break it, showing he can't escape it and giving Joe an opening. Brock withstands Joe and wins, but Joe looks great in defeat. Hopefully, that happens.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
2017 Prediction Record: 32-23
2016 Prediction Record: 72-41
2015 Prediction Record: 60-35
The Architecture of NXT
Episode #126
July 18th, 2012 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida
Byron Saxton and William Regal are on commentary. They plug the main event pitting former WWE Tag Team Champions against each other when Heath Slater faces Justin Gabriel.
Kaitlyn vs. Tamina Snuka
Babyface Tamina is a strange sight. Kaitlyn won season three of NXT and is about six months away from a Divas Title run. Tamina shows her power and sends Kaitlyn to the apron. If this was about four years later, Kaitlyn would be muscular enough to ragdoll Tamina. Kaitlyn gets in some stuff but is too overconfident, so Tamina hits a cross body for a near fall. Tamina withstands another Kaitlyn run and hits some boots. Kaitlyn grabs Tamina’s leg to stop her from going up top and then applies an interesting submission. Tamina powers out and hits the Superfly splash to win at 5:19. Kaitlyn is much better as a plucky babyface than the weird heel she played here. Meanwhile, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a good Tamina match. [*]
VIGNETTE ~ The Big Ending is coming because Big E. Langston ins on his way to NXT.
Jinder Mahal vs. Percy Watson
Like Kaitlyn earlier, “Showtime” Percy Watson competed on a previous season of NXT, though he didn’t win. Regal puts over Mahal’s uncle, who used to wrestle. It’s a small thing but he excels at adding those tidbits. Watson starts hot, including a hip toss, but Mahal uses a cheap shot to turn it around. Watson is in trouble but then rallies and hits the Showtime Splash for two. Mahal hits a high knee and wins with the Camel Clutch at 4:02. Like the opener, there wasn’t much to this. [*¼]
Jinder Mahal slaps the submission back on after the match.
Leo Kruger vs. Richie Steamboat
Kruger is not yet the “hunter” and far from Adam Rose. He stops the quickness of Richie with a school boy into the turnbuckle. Again, Regal excels by pointing out how smart it is to use the entire ring as a weapon. He throws in some digs by doing Steamboat like arm drags. After a suplex, Kruger takes time to pose a bunch. Steamboat starts in with the babyface fire and comeback. Kruger makes Richie chase him around the ring. Once inside, Kruger counters a cross body into a pin with his feet on the ropes at 4:28 to steal it. This was the best thing so far, but didn’t do much for me. I do like how it should set up a better rematch though. [**]
Paige vs. Raquel Diaz
It’s funny to me that Paige is used as a jobber in these early episodes. Raquel cuts a promo on a headset on her way to the ring, saying she was here to rid NXT of ugliness. She has the mannerisms down but is a bit over the top. Paige gets an actual entrance here. She has no character yet but is already quite over. Diaz starts by rubbing Paige’s face in the mat and talking smack. She cowers in fear when Paige turns it around. She blocks a kick and hits the Gory bomb to win at 1:37. A squash but we all know Raquel went nowhere fast. [NR]
Backstage, Alex Riley asks Aksana where catering is. She flirts a bit when Antonio Cesaro comes in. She complains that Riley was flirting with her. Cesaro calls it very “American” of Riley to do and a match is made for next week.
Jim Ross joins the booth.
Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel
I remember randomly finding an episode of FCW before the original Nexus run and these two were in an FCW Title match. Slater spends a good chunk of the opening run wearing down Gabriel on the mat. It doesn’t make for exciting TV, but is a smart strategy. Sure enough, Gabriel turns things around with a series of kicks and fast paced offense. A blue thunder bomb gets a near fall. Heath comes back with a spinebuster for two and argues with the official. They continue to trade near falls until Gabriel hits a nice moonsault like DDT for the win at 8:53, though it looked like Slater kicked out. The finish was flat and the match was alright. The closing stretch was decent. [**¼]
Overall: 4/10. Back down to an episode I didn’t care much for. In terms of entertainment, it was kind of just there and none of the matches stood out. I liked that Kruger/Steamboat is developing a story and Raquel’s character looked interesting. However, shining a light on people like Tamina and Justin Gabriel, especially knowing they don’t really go anywhere with it, is odd.
