Raw History
Episode #118
July 3rd, 1995 | Danville, Pennsylvania
We get a recap of the end of Raw last week, when Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels came to blows. There are also those classic quick promos from the guys in our main event, Sid and Bam Bam Bigelow. Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler, back from his dentist appointment.
1-2-3 Kid vs. Mike Bell
I feel like I haven’t seen the 1-2-3 Kid in a long time. I know he’s just coming back from an injury, but it still feel like a while. Kid falls victim to the size disadvantage for a bit. He’s too good to let that stop him though, getting in some of his fast paced, high octane offense. An Oklahoma roll wins it.
Winner: 1-2-3 Kid in 3:30
Fine start to the show. Gets Kid a win in his return, which the crowd seemed to love.
Todd Pettengill is here to bring us the second In Your House Report! The show airs on July 23rd. Three titles will be on the line. First, Diesel defends the WWF Championship against Sycho Sid in a Lumberjack match. IRS, Kama, King Mabel and Jacob and Eli Blu are Sid’s lumberjacks, while Diesel will have Razor Ramon, Savio Vega, Adam Bomb and the Smoking Gunns. Todd shows the viewers what happened when Raw went off the air last week. Jarrett demanded a title match with Michaels only to get laid out with Sweet Chin Music. He’ll defend the strap against HBK at In Your House, along with his live singing debut. The Roadie will meet the 1-2-3 Kid in a battle of future DX members. Lastly, Yokozuna and Owen Hart will put the Tag Team Titles on the line against the Allied Powers. That actually sounds like a decent show.
For the first time ever, Jeff Jarrett’s “With My Baby Tonight” music video is shown. This song is still on my iPod to this day.
Bob Holly vs. Brooklyn Brawler
Considering Holly’s future as a member of the J.O.B. Squad, I’m surprised Brooklyn Brawler wasn’t part of that stable. Holly’s offense was so much more high flying based at this time. He snaps off a rana and gets in the BEST DROPKICK IN THE BIZ. He wins with the top rope cross body.
Winner: Bob Holly in 2:54
Standard stuff. Holly was impressive at times.
Next week, King Kong Bundy teams with Tatanka to face the Allied Powers.
Let’s go back to Superstars this past weekend. Henry Godwin took on Adam Bomb. They fought to a double countout, leading to Bomb getting slopped.
Henry O. Godwin vs. Barry Horowitz
Barry continues to be the only jobber to get the “oh but he’s never won a match” treatment from commentary. There are actually some “Barry” chants. Vince says that Ted Dibiase is courting Henry Godwin for some reason. Godwin uses a second rope knee before winning via Slop Drop.
Winner: Henry O. Godwin in 2:57
Much better than his debut squashes. It’s like he’s starting to click within the gimmick.
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Sycho Sid w/ Ted Dibiase
They make a point of showing Ted Dibiase nod in the direction of Henry Godwin, who smiles and stays at ringside. He meets Bigelow in the aisle and gets into a slugfest with him. Bigelow is confused by this but has to quickly prepare for the match. He gets the upper hand early and even withstands a Dibiase distraction. Bigelow nails a DDT and goes up for the headbutt, but again Dibiase gets on the apron. You can tell Bigelow is a full-fledged babyface because he stupidly follows Dibiase around the ring, opening the door for Sid. Bigelow fights out of a camel clutch with an impressive electric chair drop. He also avoids the powerbomb. Bigelow climbs up, only for Godwin to resurface and shove him off the top. Sid pins him, because apparently it’s that easy to beat Bigelow.
Winner: Sycho Sid in 5:41
Obviously, Sid couldn’t lose with a title shot on the horizon. They did about as good as one could expect, all things considered. Unfortunately, that isn’t very good. *½
Sid delivers the powerbomb after the match. No Diesel run in though.
Waylon Mercy vs. Jeff Hardy
Hey, it’s a debut that I am actually excited to see. They do a great job of showcasing how different he is once the bell rings. Beforehand, he shakes hands with the future WWE Champion and even the official. Once things start though, he pretty much doesn’t let up at all. Both guys are wearing all white, which looks a bit strange for some reason. SWEET BABY JESUS, he hits a damn Brainbuster! Mercy ends it with a sleeper hold and his facial expression while applying it was fantastic.
Winner: Waylon Mercy in 3:06
Okay, that was easily the highlight of the entire show. Great debut for someone so interesting.
Jerry Lawler takes us back to the dentist office. It’s hilarious to see him there in his full king attire. He berates a kid until the kid says Jerry has bad breath. Lawler announces that Isaac Yankem was a great wrestler before he became a dentist. Seeing the future Kane, with that hair and those teeth, is pretty priceless.
Overall: 5/10. At first, I was prepared to give this a really low score. I mean, the big matchup between Bigelow and Sid pretty much fell flat. But, the show worked in other ways. It set up In Your House rather well, brought back the 1-2-3 Kid in strong fashion and gave us the debut of the awesome Waylon Mercy.
Raw History
Episode #119
July 10th, 1995 | Danville, Pennsylvania
Things open with a recap of Sid turning on Shawn Michaels, joining the Million Dollar Corporation and Bigelow getting kicked out of the group. They focus on the fact that Sid is a bully who runs a bit scared when faced with someone else of his size. Our usual hosts run things.
The Roadie w/ Jeff Jarrett vs. Jerry Flynn
Future WCW lower midcarder Jerry Flynn gets a crack at the future Road Dogg. He actually starts a bit hot, taking Roadie over and working the arm before hitting a spin kick. Roadie actually applies a half Boston crab and, like a good heel, uses the ropes for leverage. Flynn tries a rana but Roadie counters into a sweet powerbomb for the three.
Winner: The Roadie in 2:38
Some off moments during this but that was the best finish to a Roadie match I’ve ever seen.
They take us to Jeff Jarrett with Rip Taylor videos in Las Vegas, though it’s pretty much just rehashed footage from his early vignettes. This leads into another airing of the “With My Baby Tonight” music video.
Savio Vega vs. Mike Khoury
Mike Khoury has to be one of the longest tenured jobbers I can recall. He gets in some offense but not too much. This is all about Savio and the SV shaved into the back of his head. Surprisingly, it’s a crucifix that gets him the win.
Winner: Savio Vega in 1:48
Short and relatively sweet.
Vince McMahon brings out Sycho Sid for an in-ring interview. Ted Dibiase does the talking for Sid, disappointing me because I love hearing insane Sid. Ted brings out the best lumberjacks that money could buy. They include the Million Dollar Corporation, King Mabel, Sir Mo, Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, Skip, Mantaur, Rad Radford, Jean-Pierre Lafitte, the Heavenly Bodies and others. Not exactly murderer’s row. Sid ends it with a loud “I AM THE MASTER AND THE RULER OF THE WORLD!”
Yesterday on the Action Zone, Skip took on Barry Horowitz. Skip dropkicked him down and started doing push-ups. Barry took advantage, rolling him up to score the first win of his career.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Matt Hardy
Oh snap. This is most likely two future WWE Hall of Famers. Matt looks so damn bland here. Hunter’s offense was really generic at this time. He would sprinkle in the mannerisms of the blueblood character to try and spice things up. HHH finishes him with the Pedigree.
Winner: Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 3:11
About what I’d expect here except that Matt didn’t impress as the jobber here.
Todd Pettengill’s In Your House Report brings us the final two matches added to the card. Razor Ramon will team with Savio Vega to face Men on a Mission, while Bam Bam Bigelow goes one on one with Henry Godwin.
The Allied Powers vs. Henry O. Godwin and Tatanka w/ Ted Dibiase
The Million Dollar Corporation attack before the bell. Once the match officially starts, we get the continuation of the terrible Tatanka/Luger rivalry. Also, wasn’t this supposed to be King Kong Bundy instead of HOG? Not that I’m complaining since Godwin can at least do stuff. Luger takes the heat for a while. Tatanka’s attire has two handprints on his ass, which is strange. Bulldog gets the hot tag and just lays into Tatanka. Tatanka tries an up and over, but struggles due to his weight most likely. Bulldog hits the stalling vertical for a very close near fall. He still picks up Tatanka and scores on the running powerslam for the victory.
Winners: The Allied Powers in 5:51
A fine, basic tag team match designed to give the top contenders a win heading into the Pay-Per-View. *¼
We get another Isaac Yankem video with Jerry Lawler. It’s not very good.
Overall: 3/10. Not as fun or interesting as last week’s show. The main match was very blah and the rest of the show came off as boring. None of the squash matches really interested me and the Sid promo was a lot of nothing.
Raw History
Episode #120
July 17th, 1995 | Danville, Pennsylvania
It’s the final show in a big block of tapings from Danville. IRS tells us he wants to make Shawn Michaels the “Heartbroken Kid” while HBK wants to slap the tax man around. Lawler and McMahon are on commentary.
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji vs. Jim Dimitrie and Gus Kantarrakis
According to Cornette, the jobbers sound like a law firm. Dimitrie and Kantarrakis…not so much. They actually have matching attire, though it’s just generic blue singlets. Owen Hart does most of the work, as usual. Yokozuna is up to 641 pounds, which, according to Lawler, is more than Jacob and Eli Blu combined. Good lord. A Sharpshooter ends the jobbers.
Winners: Owen Hart and Yokozuna in 2:54
Just put here to get Owen and Yokozuna a win before the PPV.
In Your House Report time. Nothing new comes to light.
Jean-Pierre Lafitte vs. David Thornburg
Thornburg tries to overpower Lafitte, which completely fails. Vince tells us that things have gone missing in the locker room, insinuating that Lafitte stole it because he’s a pirate. Lafitte nails Le Cannonball and puts away Thornburg.
Winner: Jean-Pierre Lafitte in 2:33
Not bad.
It’s the first vignette for MAKE A DIFFERENCE Fatu. Surprisingly, Vince actually doesn’t act like this is a whole new person, admitting he was Fatu from the Headshrinkers. It’s so cheesy. He literally says “there’s no hope in dope.”
Another airing of “With My Baby Tonight” is shown. Wow, they really got mileage out of this didn’t they?
IRS w/ Ted Dibiase vs. Shawn Michaels
I feel like this is weird placement for this match. IRS is sporting blue instead of white. It looks odd considering we’ve become accustomed to his original look. IRS stalls a ton because he’s IRS, so Shawn goes to the aisle and gets him, pulling him by his tie. Shawn gets in some of his offense until IRS sends him outside and throws him into the steel steps. He does classic IRS stuff, like the abdominal stretch with the ropes for leverage and the chinlock. Babyface comeback time for HBK but he misses the Sweet Chin Music. He tries it again and connects, getting the 1-2-3.
Winner: Shawn Michaels in 8:37
Not even Shawn Michaels in this era could get a good match out of IRS. I think this is the end of the IRS run, but I’ll be reviewing Nitros and he shows up there too. Dammit. *½
Next week, Bret Hart takes on Hakushi! Yes!
More Isaac Yankem videos involving awful dentist noises and bad Lawler puns.
Kama w/ Ted Dibiase vs. Billy Mack
Vince spends the match talking about the Miss America pageant. It reminds me of his pop culture talk during the early episodes of Raw. Kama knocks out Mack like he’s the Big Show or something.
Winner: Kama in 2:02
At least it was short. It’s Kama though, so it wasn’t much fun. Kama also goes over to mess with some of Undertaker’s “creatures of the night.”
Vince McMahon introduces the WWF Champion, Diesel, to bring out his lumberjacks. Before he shows us his friends, he hypes the match a bit, saying that he’s going to end things once and for all. His lumberjacks are Adam Bomb, Bob Holly, Bigelow, the Smoking Gunns, Tekno Team 2000, 1-2-3 Kid, Fatu, Savio Vega, Duke Droese and Shawn Michaels. Diesel gets words from some of the lumberjacks about what they’ll do if they get their hands on Sid. Vince brings out Sid, who has his lumberjacks follow. Or at least, Jerry Lawler says he went to get them for some reason. Sid nearly enters the ring but decides against it.
Overall: 4/10. I’m scoring this one in the middle of the past two shows. This one again didn’t have a good marquee match but it worked as a go home show. The closing segment focusing on the WWF Title match was probably the first time I can recall that happening on a go home episode.
It's the season three finale of Lucha Underground. Unfortunately, there's a strong chance it could be the series finale, as well.
Steel Cage Match: El Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Matanza Cueto w/ Dario Cueto
This entire time, I totally thought it was Matanza vs. Mysterio. I don't know why, but I was 100% sure that was the match until Azteca was announced. Azteca came right at Matanza and hit a moonsault off the cage. That didn't last too long, as Matanza began throwing him around the cage. Matanza caught Azteca with a huge belly to belly that sent him THROUGH THE CAGE WALL! Before Azteca could be announced as the winner, Dario said the match would not end that way. Pinfalls and submissions became the only way to win. Azteca got his hands on Dario, who hilariously sold his fear, before Matanza saved him. He beat on Azteca inside, including ripping part of his mask. Just as Azteca rallied, Black Lotus appeared for the first time in months. She took out Azteca with a cross body off the cage, before Matanza finished him with the Wrath of the Gods in 8:27. This was good. It had the right amount of violence (without overdoing it) and told the story it needed to, while bringing Lotus back into the mix. [***]
Post-match, Dario Cueto celebrated in the ring. Matanza stood on the middle rope, giving an opening for Lotus to sneak up and powerbomb him. She backed Dario into the corner and called him a liar. She was talking about Dario telling her that Dragon Azteca killed her parents. Dario admitted he was a liar as Matanza got back up and planted her with the Wrath of the Gods.
Gauntlet of the Gods Elimination Match: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes w/ Catrina
Dario made this an elimination match just before it began. Right from the opening bell, this was a war. Crane got busted open early and brought a trash can into play. It was a smart way to level the playing field against two larger opponents. Mil no sold a lot of his normal offense, before chokeslamming him through a table. Then, Mil busted out a TILT-A-WHIRL HEADSCISSORS as he and Cage went at it. In a sickening moment, Crane drove skewers into Cage's head! If that wasn't enough, he then drove them in further with a DDT that somehow only got a near fall. These guys also used a hammer and brought glass into play. Mil was laid on two tables outside, while Cage and Crane battled inside. Cage then DEADLIFE SUPERPLEXED CRANE ONTO MIL THROUGH THE TABLES! Cage took Crane inside and eliminated him with Weapon X at 11:33. Cage suplexed Mil back inside and got two on a twisting elbow drop. Cage and Mil traded offense for a bit until Mil hit a Flatliner on a chair to win in 14:04. That was a great, violent brawl. Some of the spots made me cringe, which is hard to do after everything we've seen in Ultima Lucha. I do feel like the final exchange between Cage and Mil could've been better. It didn't live up to the rest of the match. [****]
Dario Cueto brought out a box with the gauntlet. Catrina retrieved it and brought it to Mil Muertes. Mil put it on and punched the mat, causing the lights to go out. When they came back on, KING CUERNO was in the ring! He kicked Mil in the head, slammed Catrina and continued beating on Mil. Mil put him on the shelf at Ultima Lucha Dos last year. He stole the gauntlet, setting up a great continuation of the feud if Lucha Underground ever returns.
We got to see the finished product of Taya's documentary on Johnny Mundo. It was possibly the best thing Mundo's ever been a part of.
Lucha Underground Championship vs. Career: Johnny Mundo [c] vs. Prince Puma
Puma has now main evented all three Ultima Luchas. This pairing was also the main event of episode one (***3/4) and they had the first All Night Long Match (****1/4). This started with the athletic exchange we'd expect from these two. Puma nailed an awesome double jump springboard shooting star press to the outside. Puma got a flurry going inside, until Mundo slipped out and leveled him in the kidney. Eventually, we got a ref bump, which signaled the Worldwide Underground shenanigans. PJ Black and Mundo hit Puma with a superkick/brainbuster combo and Jack Evans added his own offense. The referee awoke, but Puma found a way to kick out. WU beat up the referee and attempted to use chairs. ANGELICO made his return and took out the group before hitting Mundo with a somersault dive. Pissed at WU, referee Rick Knox added his own dive and nearly killed himself. Puma hit a springboard 450 on Mundo, but it wasn't enough. They continued to battle until Mundo nailed a super Moonlight Drive for a close near fall. Puma got his knees up on End of the World and fired off a series of kicks and knees. Puma hit a shotgun dropkick and 630 to win the title for a second time in 18:23! Great main event. Though I didn't love the interference, it made sense and allowed for Angelico to get some revenge. Once left alone, Mundo couldn't beat a guy who was fighting for his life. Better than their first match, but not as good as the All Night Long one. [***3/4]
Vampiro stood with a strange smile as Puma celebrated. Dario Cueto came out of his office and congratulated Puma, before announcing that the night was not over. There was one match left and the crowd chanted, "Cero Miedo." Following a commercial, Dario announced that someone wanted to cash in a title shot after tonight's main event. Normally, he'd decline so he could promote the match, but rules are like bones; they're made to be broken. He introduced the Gift of the Gods Champion, Pentagon Dark, to a HUGE ovation. It gave me chills.
Lucha Underground Championship Career vs. Career Match: Prince Puma [c] vs. Pentagon Dark
Just before this started, Dario announced both careers were on the line. Puma started with a pump kick and the action flowed from there. Pentagon performed his trademark arm break spot within a minute or so. Puma popped it back into place and taped it up so he could keep going. That's some gangster shit. Vampiro barely commentated, because he was too invested in his two proteges going at it. Puma did an excellent job selling the arm, not using it for some of his signature moves. His series of one armed suplexes were incredibly impressive. Puma avoided the Destroyer, countered a Package Piledriver and hit his own Destroyer. The Benadryller connected, but Pentagon got his shoulder up. Vampiro got up from commentary as Puma went for the 630. He pulled Pentagon out of the way! Pentagon picked up a near fall before FINALLY winning the title with a Package Piledriver in 8:26. An awesome way to end the season. I think I liked this more than their excellent Cueto Cup Finals match. It was a wild sprint with the added intensity and drama of the stakes being so high. Vampiro's involvement was a great way to end a long storyline. [****1/4]
Vampiro and Pentagon celebrated in front of a heartbroken Puma. Pentagon said the Temple was now his.
The season ended with one of Lucha Underground's incredible montages. Here's what we saw: Puma removed his mask and exited the Temple. King Cuerno chilled in his trophy room with the Gauntlet. Sexy Star greeted fans when a little girl brought her a box and said, "She hasn't forgotten about you." The box held a tarantula. The Rabbit Tribe followed Mascarita Sagrada, who promised to bring them to the White Rabbit. Fenix and Melissa Santos left in a car, as Catrina walked in the background and Jeremiah Crane watched from a rooftop. My main DAGA was back and took his place as Kobra Moon's king. He beheaded Pindar, while Drago remained a prisoner. Vampiro met with his master, who said he did well. I believe he also said he wanted to cause Pentagon's fall. Matanza was still in his cage and it looked like Rey Mysterio was in one as well. Lastly, Dario had a meeting with Agent Winter. He promised to get the Gauntlet back, but was told not to worry. He gets a pass because he'll be dead. Winter then shot Dario and said there would be new management going forward. When he left, Dario used his possible final breaths to make a phone call. He said something in Spanish and the person on the line seemed to call Dario, "jefe." Dario said he needed help before falling to the ground and the line cut out. It ended with, "To be continued."
Overall: 9.5/10. All together, Ultima Lucha Tres may be my pick for show of the year. This was a great ending to what I considered an uneven season. The Cage match was a solid start and it continued some stories. The 3-Way was nuts in he best possible way. We were treated to the returns of Cuerno, Angelico and Daga, which were all cool. Puma winning was a cool moment to cap a very good match and everything involving Pentagon ruled. I absolutely loved the closing montage. If this is the end of Lucha Underground, it went out with a bang. I'll miss it if it's gone. They showed that wrestling could be done in a cinematic format and did so while making plenty of stars. I love you, Lucha Underground.
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Judgment Day 2007
May 20th, 2007 | Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri | Attendance: 10,500
2007 is not a time I look back on fondly when it comes to the WWE. For whatever reason, I really fell out of focusing and caring about the product. There were things that reeled me in (CM Punk on ECW, the Undertaker/Batista feud, Edge being awesome for example), but a lot of it just didn’t cater to me. I was more interested in TNA and definitely more into Ring of Honor at the time. This is a PPV that I don’t remember seeing to be honest, so this should be somewhat fun. This is the ninth Judgment Day Pay-Per-View. It is also the last PPV to feature Chris Benoit.
I dig the opening video package, set to “I Don’t Wanna Stop” by Ozzy Osbourne. It shows Edge win the Money in the Bank briefcase from Mr. Kennedy and cash it in on the Undertaker. The other two top titles, the WWE and ECW belts, get some shine, but less than the World Title. Each brand has their own commentary team. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler open for Raw.
Carlito vs. Ric Flair
This was during the era where Flair chastised Carlito for being lazy. Flair takes Carlito to the woodshed from the start. Carlito has to take a powder and turns things around once he gets back inside. Commentary does a commendable job in building up the story here. Carlito is a cocky, talented guy, who thinks things should be handed to him and Flair wants to teach him a lesson. Carlito targets the arm, working it around the ring post. He dropkicks the arm into the ring post, which I don’t recall seeing anyone else do. This arm work goes for an extended period of time. Flair starts to lay into Carlito with those classic chops. Folks, there’s a reason people “woo” for every chop in history. Flair takes a back body drop bump that looked hideous. Carlito goes back to the arm until Flair gets free with an arm drag. I wish he did a different move to do so. He blocks the Backstabber and stomps on the leg. The Figure Four gets locked in and Carlito taps out.
Winner: Ric Flair in 15:35
I think this was a strong choice for the opener. The crowd really liked Ric Flair and they were into this. Carlito looked good and the arm work was very pronounced. Despite being known for doing some high flying stuff, Carlito really worked an old school style to draw the crowd in before Flair made the comeback. ***
Shawn Michaels gets interviewed backstage but is attacked from behind by Randy Orton.
ECW Championship Handicap Match
Vince McMahon (c), Shane McMahon and Umaga vs. Bobby Lashley
The fact that Umaga didn’t win the ECW Title and it was Vince instead was so stupid. Umaga absolutely deserved something after his great run. Future sometimes crooked referee Scott Armstrong is the official here. Do-rag Vince is the only good thing to come out of this. Right at the bell, Lashley charges and sends Umaga outside. He beats up the McMahons and sends Umaga into Shane when he comes back in. Lashley hits Shane with the Dominator and wins the belt.
Winner: Bobby Lashley in 1:14
Well this was a waste of time. Lashley wins the belt back in quick time, barely gets his hands on Vince and doesn’t even pin the champion. Why? ¼*
Umaga attacks Lashley afterwards and Vince gets on the microphone. He says that Lashley has to pin him to become champion, meaning this garbage feud had to continue. By the way, Joey Styles and Tazz call the ECW action.
CM Punk vs. Elijah Burke
Punk is doing his best DDP impersonation by having a ton of tape around his ribs. Burke recruited Punk for his New Breed stable but Punk aggressively declined. Like Carlito on Flair’s arm earlier, Burke targets Punk’s ribs. With each bit of offense that Punk does, he still makes sure to sell the injury. He pays homage to the late British Bulldog with a stalling vertical suplex, though I wish he found a different way to do so since he has the bad ribs. Burke uses his boxing background to lay into Punk, making sure to get in body shots. Punk is mostly wrestling smart, taking Burke to the ground to avoid high impact stuff. The ribs come into play again as Burke works it at every chance. He front suplexes Punk onto the top rope, then holds him there and kicks him in the stomach. For some reason, the fans begin chanting for JBL instead of focusing on what has been a strong match. Out of desperation, Punk hits a superplex and instantly sells that he is damaged. He gets two on an enziguri. Burke misses the Elijah Express but blocks the GTS. He hits the Elijah Experience, another move named after himself, for two. In another brilliant move, he hits the Elijah Express to Punk’s lower back. Burke sells what it did to his knees too, so he can’t pin. He tries a second Elijah Experience, only for Punk to reverse and nail the GTS for the 1-2-3.
Winner: CM Punk in 17:12
Sue me, I thought that was great. They followed a smart, old school pattern of taking a body part and making the match about that. Burke attacked it with almost every offensive move, while Punk sold it all, even his offense, very well. Two young guys looking to break through were given a good chunk of time and did their best with it. ***¾
Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels
In storyline terms, Michaels got a concussion the week before and Orton’s pre-match attack added to it. Orton tries to get a forfeit win but Michaels shows up, looking way out of it. Michaels has a glazed look in his eyes as Orton beats him up, attacking the head viciously with punches, kicks and a DDT. Shawn is able to get in a few hope spots, but the odds are too stacked against him. He went for Sweet Chin Music only to collapse, forcing the official to call the match.
Winner: Randy Orton in 4:31
Expertly booked due to Michaels’ injury. He had a real life knee problem that would keep him out of action for months. Tons of sympathy for Michaels, this stayed short and Orton gets massive heat. More of an angle than a match though. **
The referee helps Shawn Michaels up only for Randy Orton to strike with the RKO. To add to everything, Shawn’s wife shows up to cry over his condition. She sold this better than any woman in the company could have.
World Tag Team Championship
The Hardy Boyz (c) vs. Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch
After losing to the Hardy Boyz, Cade and Murdoch seemingly turned over a new leaf and were acting like babyfaces. It was still unclear if they were sincere. The early portions of the match feature nothing of real note. The crowd doesn’t really get into things until Jeff Hardy gets tagged. Despite not being the most memorable of teams, Cade and Murdoch have good chemistry and do some nice tandem offense. They work another relatively hot tag to Jeff and again, the crowd wakes up. He was on the cusp of his biggest run ever. He goes for a plancha outside and misses, crashing very hard. That leads to Jeff taking a heat. The challengers mostly focus on his lower back. The pick a body part and work it strategy has been well done all night. Murdoch does his odd code red variation but Matt breaks up the pin. Matt gets the hot tag, which is always weird to me. Side Effect connects but Murdoch breaks this pin. The final few minutes include some good back and forth until Jeff wins it with the Swanton.
Winners and Still World Tag Team Champions: The Hardy Boyz in 15:03
Another match that got more time than I expected. I think both teams performed well. Cade and Murdoch stayed to the babyface style throughout, putting on a competitive match. Better than I thought it would be. ***
World Heavyweight Championship
Edge (c) vs. Batista
Before the match, Edge presents a video package surrounding his cash in. Cole and JBL were unbearable at times even back then. Batista is pissed and takes it to Edge early on. They go outside for a bit where Edge counters a slam and send Batista into the steel steps. Batista has his leg wrapped, and that’s exactly what ran into the steps. More body part work. Edge gets in control. He stops any Batista rally by going back to either the leg or the shoulder that Batista ran into the ring post. Edge makes the mistake of getting into a slugfest with the “Animal”. Still, he find an opening for the Spear but Batista catches him with one of his own instead, getting a near fall. Batista hits a spinebuster, but his knee gets hurt, allowing Edge to roll him up and retain.
Winner and Still World Heavyweight Champion: Edge in 10:39
They told a fine story throughout the match. Batista was the superior star but Edge was just cunning enough to take advantage of any opportunity. It even played into the finish, which I appreciated. Something fell flat about it all though. The crowd was mostly dead and it all seemed like they were going through the motions. **¼
WWE United States Championship 2 Out of 3 Falls Match
Chris Benoit (c) vs. MVP
After meeting at WrestleMania 23 and Backlash, this was the third match in their series. Benoit holds a 2-0 advantage. JBL says that MVP took out Benoit’s leg two days ago and I assume that will come into play. Benoit looks for the Crippler Crossface early and often. Both men try to work the ground, looking for an upper hand. They wisely build off of their previous encounters, with MVP having Benoit expertly scouted. Each time Benoit tries the Crossface or any submission, MVP either blocks or quickly reaches the ropes. MVP hits the Playmaker after Benoit’s knee gave out at 8:26 to pick up the first fall and get the monkey off of his back. A great way to have the leg really be the advantage that MVP needed. As MVP continues to work the knee, some fans chant “this is boring.” Well I must like a different style of wrestling. Benoit finds a way to counter a second Playmaker into the Crossface, but MVP again has it scouted. MVP then pulls him into a messy small package to win the title.
Winner and New WWE United States Champion: MVP in 14:28
The finish came from out of nowhere and didn’t get the reaction that they were probably hoping for. Everything up to that was well done. MVP, after losing his first two shots at the US Title, came in with a game plan and executed it to perfection. I can always enjoy a smartly worked match. ***½
WWE Championship
John Cena (c) vs. The Great Khali
He’s had some big matches before, but this was the highest profile match in the career of the Great Khali up to this point. Cena tries to fight him at the bell but Khali shrugs it off and tosses him around. For the first five or so minutes so far, Khali has absolutely dominated. They move outside where Khali slams Cena’s head into the announce table. Khali works the DREADED trapezius hold, also known as my least favorite move in wrestling. Cena powers out and hits some shoulder blocks that stagger Khali into the ropes, where he gets tied up like he’s Andre the Giant. Again they go outside and Cena dropkicks the steps into Khali’s legs. Cena has an opening, hitting the super Fameasser back inside. He then applies the STFU and the giant monster heel they’ve built up taps out after only fighting for a few seconds.
Winner and Still WWE Champion: John Cena in 8:13
Like most of the matches on this show, this told a fine story. Khali was Goliath and Cena was kind of a David. Khali dominated and Cena had to be resourceful to overcome the odds. The ending was odd though, as you have the monster tap out in under ten minutes. The rematch at One Night Stand would prove to be better. *¾
Overall: 6/10; Average. Considering my usual disdain for this era in the WWE, this was a pretty fun watch. Outside of the three major title matches (ECW, World and WWE), everything was good. Even if the match itself wasn’t great, like HBK/Orton, it told a great story and advanced an angle. This show had a very old school feel to it with early everyone picking a body part and working it. Even if every match didn’t deliver, the show was mostly booked in a wise manner. According to my randomizer, the new “Kevin's Random Review” is set to be WrestleMania XXX!
Ultima Lucha continues with three more big matches.
Last Luchadora Standing Match: Sexy Star vs. Taya
This stemmed from Sexy's rivalry with the Worldwide Underground. Sexy came to the ring seriously, looking for a fight. Taya hit the first big move, powerbombing Sexy into the barricade outside. She made a mistake and missed a dive into a bunch of chairs, turning the tide. Taya got busted open and Sexy pulled a Catrina by bringing a bottle in as a weapon. Matt Striker actually tried to explain the tables being under the ring, by saying they're for the Ultima Lucha afterparty. A for effort. They exchanged some brutal sounding chops in the crowd. After some more brawling, they both fell through two tables and both were down. The referee counted and Sexy was first to stand, scoring the win in 9:15. I enjoyed the intensity of this match. A few spots came off odd, including the finish. My main issue was that the finish was kind of lame and this kind of match feels redundant after Catrina/Ivelisse. [***]
Lucha Underground Trios Championship: The Reptile Tribe (Drago, Pindar & Vibora) [c] w/ Kobra Moon vs. Dante Fox, Killshot and The Mack
The Mack won the Unique Opportunity Battle Royal and his prize was a Trios Title shot. However, he had to team with Fox and Killshot, who nearly murdered one another on night one. They sold the wounds of that war and were clearly not 100%. The champions worked like a well oiled machine and they isolated KIllshot. The fans seemed to feel each move that Killshot and Fox took, knowing what they went through recently. The hot tag went to The Mack, who hit everything moving. Vibora ended his run and it took the teamwork of Fox and Killshot to try to slow him down. The final moments were frantic, highlighted by Mack taking down Vibora with a Pounce and then Fox and Killshot hitting stereo dives. Pindar ignored advice from Kobra Moon and fell to Lo Mein Pain, a Stunner and Kill Stomp in 7:59. This was a lot of fun and a great moment. Mack has been very popular for a while and putting on strong performances since season one. Killshot and Fox were incredible two weeks ago and having their story continue on as uneasy partners who work well together because of their past is great. [***1/4]
Next week, Ultima Lucha Tres closes. Here's what's scheduled.
- Steel Cage Match: Matanza Cueto vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
- Gauntlet of the Gods 3-Way: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes
- Lucha Underground Championship: Johnny Mundo [c] vs. Prince Puma
Gift of the Gods Championship Ladder Match: Pentagon Dark vs. Son of Havoc
Two wildly popular wrestlers here. They had simultaneous pins in the multi-man Gift of the Gods Title match, leading to this. Right off the bat, Havoc nailed a sweet dive to the outside. They brawled outside until Pentagon tossed a bunch of ladders into the ring. There was a spot where Havoc used a chair to hit a ladder into Pentagon's groin. Havoc continued to show a violent streak with a suplex through the table. Pentagon finally got free by countering an SSP into a cutter. Pentagon one upped the violence by setting up four open chairs and hitting a Package Piledriver through them! Things got worrisome when it looked like Pentagon might go for too much violence over attempting to win. They ended up battling on a bridged ladder, which Pentagon threw Havoc off of and through a table. Pentagon retrieved the title to win in 13:58. A very good ladder match, just shy of being great. Lots of cool spots and a big moment as Pentagon finally wins a title. [***1/2]
Vampiro and Prince Puma were shown in Vampiro's temple. Or whatever that place it. Vamp told him to win next week to save his career and win the title. Puma agreed and left. Nothing special there, but then a strange voice was heard telling Vamp he did a good job. Vamp thanked him and called him master.
Overall: 8/10. Ultima Lucha Tres has been much better than Dos. This was another fun show, with all three matches being highly entertaining. Sexy/Taya was good, the Trios Title was a blast and the main event was very good. A fast moving episode that featured big moments and lots of action.
Want to watch Lucha Underground, Raw and Smackdown and don't have cable? Try signing up for Fubo.tv. Stream USA, El Rey, NBA TV, SyFy and many other channels by getting Fubo.tv right here!
PROGRESS Revelations of Divine Love
October 2nd, 2017 | The Dome in Tufnell Park, Greater London | Attendance: N/A
Though not a PROGRESS chapter, I chose to review this event because A) I love my PROGRESS subscription and B) it features a one night tournament to determine the top contender for Toni Storm’s PROGRESS Women’s Championship.
Glen Joseph handled in-ring host duties with no Jim Smallman tonight. He, Matt Richards and Dahlia Black were on commentary.
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Quarterfinals: Candyfloss vs. Jinny
Jinny is a late replacement for Alex Windsor, but must be considered the favorite. Apparently, Candyfloss isn’t even 18 years old yet. She got “Candy fucking Floss” chants. Jinny was the arrogant vet, taking Candyfloss lightly. Candyfloss had fun early, until Jinny feigned an injury to goad her in. Jinny brought an added viciousness to her offense. She also made sure to target the arm for most of it. When Candyfloss started rallying, she also went after the arm. Tit for tat. Her rally ended when Jinny crotched her in the corner and hit the X-Factor at 8:51. I liked the story they told and felt the dynamic between the vet and rookie was strong. Candyfloss had some issues throughout, but Jinny did well to help her through her biggest match to date. I’d call it a success. [**¾]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Quarterfinals: Millie McKenzie vs. Sierra Loxton
It looks like McKenzie is also just 17 years old. Sierra’s gimmick is odd and kind of distracting. Their exchanges were rather basic. Sierra used her size advantage to hit a fall away slam and get momentum going. The crowd to be very pro-McKenzie. She kept having comeback attempts cut off until nailing an ace crusher. Loxton came back with hip attacks like her name was Umaga. They looked to really rattle McKenzie. To match Sierra’s higher intensity, McKenzie fired off kicks, before advancing with a swinging neckbreaker in 8:17. I was very impressed by McKenzie. I got some Travis Banks vibes (he trained her) and when Sierra upped the intensity, this got really good. Especially impressive considering how young both girls are. [***]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Quarterfinals: Chakara vs. Zoe Lucas
Chakara is, you guess it, only 17 years of age. I feel old. Lucas was quite popular. They had fun before the match with Lucas offering Chakara a cupcake, which Chakara declined. Vicky Haskins joined commentary for this. There was a fair amount of striking to start, but neither girl really got them going. Chakara showed a lot of fury, though the in-ring stuff came off weak. Lucas missed a spin kick in the corner, but hit it on the second attempt. Then, seemingly from out of nowhere, Chakara hit the Widow’s Peak to advance at 5:15. Decent, but nothing to write home about. This didn’t have a great flow to it. Lucas showed more potential. [**]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Quarterfinals: Charli Evans vs. Charlie Morgan
The fans instantly had one with dueling “Let’s go Charlie” chants. It then progressed to more positive chants for Morgan. She had the upper hand and was confident in the first exchanges. That confidence was an issue at times. She would take too long to pin or make a nonchalant cover. Meanwhile, there was a sense of fire and desperation from Evans. She’d go for quick covers and felt like she was fighting from behind. Morgan hit an especially brutal looking lung blower for a near fall. Morgan’s overconfidence came into play in the finish, as she shouted “I’M CHARLIE FUCKING MORGAN AND DON’T FORGET IT BITCH!” just before Evans countered her and won via face buster in 6:14. I rather enjoyed this. They told a good story of one person being outmatched, but giving her all, while the other was too cocky. Morgan impressed me in this one. [***]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Semi-Finals: Chakara vs. Charli Evans
There was an intermission before this, but on the VOD, it’s strange to see Evans wrestle back to back. You’d think Jinny/McKenzie would go here. Chakara’s attitude made her a good foil for the fiery Evans. Again, Evans kept going for pins. I love that because it really gives a sense of urgency to the tournament. Chakara hit a leg trap exploder for the most impressive move in her arsenal besides her finisher. She was aggressive and also hit a sweet looking double stomp for two. Evans went for her finisher, but Chakara fought it off with forearms. Evans got free of a Gory special and managed to hit her chicken wing face buster to win in 7:07. Pretty good as both girls hot to play the roles they look comfortable in. Chakara looked better this time, while Evans again showed a good underdog persona. [**¼]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Semi-Finals: Jinny vs. Millie McKenzie
Jinny and Dahlia shot dirty looks at one another during Jinny’s entrance. It’s clear that McKenzie is a threat, as Jinny jumped her with a neckbreaker before the bell. Jinny spent the next few minutes wrecking McKenzie. She even avoided a Millie tope and delivered a fantastic one of her own. For a woman who doesn’t do them often, it looked great. Jinny scolded her, saying the championship belongs to her. Millie fired back with a huge spear to a great reaction. Jinny brought big forearms and Millie gave them right back. She also fired up from a German like Travis Banks and started hitting her own, capped by one into the turnbuckles. When she busted out an RKO, the place believed she had won, but Jinny got her shoulder up. Jinny took a terrifying bump on it, by the way. She had enough of McKenzie and drilled her with an Acid Rainmaker. Knowing Millie was tough, Jinny added a Style Clash to win in 7:15. That should’ve been the finals. Great action, with Jinny looking like an awesome heel and McKenzie showing the best she had to offer. The intensity was great. Jinny showed that, while confident, she was in trouble and made sure McKenzie looked like a million bucks.[***½]
Charlie Carter vs. David Francisco vs. Mauro Chaves vs. The O.J.M.O.
A break from the women’s action tonight. Well, the referee was a woman. The fans seemed familiar with these guys, even if I wasn’t. This wasn’t a match to take seriously. They went the comedy route from the start, looking to give the fans a fun little break from the tournament. The OJMO was probably the most entertaining guy here. They called him a “living meme” and he had a good time. While three guys were wrapped up in a multiple cravat spot, Chaves got a bag of kale and fed it to them. I’m not making that up. Everyone got involved in a more traditional tower of doom spot. In the end, after a frenzy of moves, Francisco got the win with a Curb Stomp on Chaves in 10:19. It was fine for what it was, though it went a bit too long. A nice change of pace comedy match. OJMO was the star of this. [**]
PROGRESS Women’s Championship Contender’s Tournament Finals: Charli Evans vs. Jinny
Jinny wore a different outfit for each match, perfectly playing into her gimmick. Evans came out of the blocks firing, not wanting to get in trouble and fight from behind like her earlier matches. Jinny cut that run short and took her outside for a beating. She was extra aggressive in her assault around the ring. Commentary hyped up the referee being lenient because, “there must be a winner.” Evans finally got an opening and whipped Jinny into a bunch of steel chairs. Evans did a great job selling the toll her body took over the course of the night. She built a great amount of sympathy, made all the better by Jinny excelling at being a bitch. Dahlia brought out the Acid Rainmaker on the stage. Her antics were too much for Dahlia, who got up from the booth and wiped her out with a chair. Charli hit the chicken wing face buster and scored the huge upset at 15:20. A well done main event. Jinny winning seemed obvious, but she doesn’t need it. She has issues with Dahlia and Toni Storm anyway. This established Charli. Not winning clean was fine here. Jinny deserved some of that from Dahlia and it kept her strong while giving people a feel good finish. [***¼]
Overall: 6.5/10. This wasn’t the kind of show you watch to see incredible matches. It was PROGRESS’ first all-women’s show (mostly) and it was a success. At just two hours, it’s a breeze to watch and nothing is bad. The only match that overstays its welcome is the men’s four way, but that has its entertaining moments. The tournament worked well and introduced me to some new people. McKenzie stole the show, while Charli Evans and Charlie Morgan looked good, too. A strong show.
WWE Hell in a Cell
October 8th, 2017 | Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan | Attendance: 16,206
Kickoff Match: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin vs. The Hype Bros
Corey Graves called Gable and Benjamin “The Minnesota Wrestling Crew,” which is a name I love. They also debuted matching gear. Both teams worked quick tags in the early stages, with a Benjamin/Ryder exchange giving me ECW 2009 flashbacks. After the obligatory Kickoff commercial break, Ryder took the heat before making the hot tag to Mojo. Mojo was born for short bursts of offense. We got some quality near falls down the stretch, making for a better closing run than expected. When Shelton hit Paydirt, I fully expected the finish, but the pin was broken up. Mojo got dumped outside, leaving Ryder to fall to a powerbomb/bulldog combo that ended things at 10:24. One of the better Kickoff matches, though we have had Neville/Aries and New Day/Usos on Kickoff shows this year. Great tag formula, Shelton and Gable already have good chemistry and the close calls late ruled. [***¼]
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Hell in a Cell: The New Day [c] w/ Kofi Kingston vs. The Usos
I’ve loved this feud. They had high quality matches at MITB (***½), Battleground (****¼), SummerSlam (****¼) and Smackdown (***¾). Thankfully, they went with tornado tag rules for this and it was fucking wild. They brawled right from the start and brought in a bunch of weapons. Chairs, kendo sticks (including a rainbow one), a damn gong and even a cowbell. Matches could always use MORE COWBELL. I loved that we got the crazy moments, but they did enough to change things up. This was also one of the more creative Cell matches. The spot where New Day trapped an Uso in the corner of the cell with a bunch of kendo sticks was fantastic. The same goes for the Usos doing a suicide dive spot where Big E was on one of their shoulders. Great stuff. It wasn’t just made up of big moments for the sake of it either. This was violent and had a sense of real hatred. The Usos handcuffed Xavier Woods to the ring post and wailed on him with kendo sticks while forcing Kofi to helplessly watch from outside. The Usos were downright barbaric. Big E went on a pretty great run following that, with the crowd completely believing it would lead to a victory. The Usos turned it around and hit the double splash, but a desperate Woods made the save, while still handcuffed. He got destroyed with kendo sticks for his efforts, before losing to the stereo splashes with a chair on his chest after 21:54. This was incredible. It wasn’t just a great match in the cell. It was a match worthy of the cell. It was the kind of personal, vicious match that you want from this environment. This was the best main roster match of 2017. [****¾]
Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Following that Hell in a Cell was a tall task and this wasn’t the feud to do it. Randy Orton’s had one of the worst years I can recall. Luckily, this wasn’t as bad as his Bray Wyatt series of matches. It was perfectly acceptable pro wrestling, with a crowd that didn’t seem to care. I didn’t care either, to be honest. Rusev tried to do his best to make this work, which he does with everything. The best part came at the end. When Orton did his usual RKO taunt, Rusev grabbed his hands and flipped over into the ACCOLADE FROM OUT OF NOWHERE! He should’ve won there, but Orton slipped out and won with the RKO in 11:38. The wrong guy won. Better than most of Orton’s 2017 and technically fine, just really hollow. [**½]
WWE United States Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Baron Corbin vs. Tye Dillinger
Coming into this show, I wished this match involved Tye Dillinger. Luckily, Tye was added on the Kickoff Show. Early on, Tye and AJ ganged up on Corbin, getting revenge for weeks of attacks. We ended up getting some of the typical Triple Threat match tropes, with one guy staying outside. However, I think it worked here because Corbin isolated Tye. He didn’t want none (yea, I did that) of AJ, knowing his skill level. Corbin got to play the bully, which he excels at. AJ and Tye bumped great for him, adding to things. In the end, Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm on Tye, only to get kicked out by Corbin, who stole the pin at 19:20 and won the title. I didn’t like the finish, as the WWE goes to that well too often and a big guy like Corbin doesn’t need that. Regardless, the match was entertaining and one of the better triple threats this year. It went a bit long, as you could shave off about eight minutes and miss nothing. [***½]
WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Natalya [c] vs. Charlotte
The WWE continues to put these two women together and it continues to underwhelm. Natalya and Charlotte are both solid in the ring, but lack any kind of personality. Unfortunately, not even the in-ring stuff worked this time around. Charlotte sold some of Natalya’s leg attacks better than usual, but most of it was just boring. Charlotte fought through it and hit her moonsault, but landed on the bad leg. Natalya then decided to just attack Charlotte with a chair, getting disqualified at 12:19. Like Orton/Rusev, this was kind of just there. Natalya is not an interesting heel and Charlotte makes for a shit sympathetic babyface. She works best as a dominant character. [**]
WWE Championship: Jinder Mahal [c] w/ The Singh Brothers vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
One has had a lackluster WWE run. The other has been a boring champion since May. I missed this live (playoff baseball and all), but went back and watched it after hearing some high praise. I remained unimpressed. It just felt like Jinder’s other matches since becoming champion. Jinder’s offense didn’t interest me, similar to Natalya. Nakamura continued to not give his best effort, making for a bad combination. They at least had the decency to alter the finish this time. Instead of a Singh distraction leading to a Jinder win, their distraction just led to Jinder surviving Kinshasa by grabbing the rope. He ended up hitting his finisher to retain in 12:22. This was a match that happened and that’s about it. Both men continue to be dull. Most of the Smackdown roster is more interesting than them.[**¼]
Bobby Roode vs. Dolph Ziggler
Dolph’s recent run has been the epitome of what I dislike about Smackdown now. Bobby Roode had a style he worked in most of his NXT matches, but didn’t go that route here, mainly because it doesn’t work as a babyface. Ziggler came out with no music, playing off his recent string of bad mockery entrances. For some reason, this went on forever. People just wanted to get to Shane/Owens. They chanted for things that had nothing to do with the match. This back and forth encounter ended when the Glorious DDT was countered and they exchanged rollups. Roode won out with a handful of tights to win his PPV debut in 11:40. Ziggler hit a Zig Zag after the match. This was a snooze fest and did nothing to make me care. Dolph checked out a while back and face Roode doesn’t work. [*½]
Hell in a Cell: Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon
I’m someone who bites his nails often, but this match made me do that more than ever. Shane jumped Owens outside the cell, making me think they’d go the Seth/Dean or Taker/Foley route and go to the top early. Instead, Shane brought Owens in and they went at it in the cage. That segment took a long time and while it was good, things didn’t pick up until Shane decided to exit again. I loved Owens stealing Shane’s taunt right in front of Shane’s kids. He is incredible at little things like that. They did a wonderful job of building the tension. Shane and Owens both looking towards the top of the cell made the crowd go nuts. Owens set Shane up on the table and looked to jump off, but kept stopping. He couldn’t bring himself to do what Shane does. Shane followed him up and that’s where I started losing my mind. Their fight on top gave me the most anxiety I can recall. It seemed like each bump would break the roof. Owens’ doing his BIG BOY SENTON and Popup Powerbomb were both insane. Shane fought off being pushed to the ground and they battled on the side of the cell. Shane won out, sending Owens through the announce table. That still wasn’t enough for Shane, who set Owens up on another announce table and climbed to the top of the cell again. He jumped off, but Owens was miraculously pulled to safety. BY SAMI ZAYN! MY GOD! Sami placed Owens on Shane and made the referee count for the finish at 38:48. The Sami stuff was awesome and has me more intrigued than anything Smackdown has done in a very long time. Is he officially heel? Was it just compassion for his old best friend? Will they team up again? The match itself was great and one of the best cells in a while. Like the Usos/New Day one, it felt like something that belonged in the cell. The tense moments on top added to this and the finish was incredibly memorable. [****¼]
Overall: 7/10. This was one of the better solo brand PPVs in a while. I’d say it was the best Smackdown one this year. It reminded me of an NJPW event in that some of the matches were great and delivered in spades (Usos/New Day, Shane/Owens, US Title) and some stuff lacked (Roode/Ziggler, Natalya/Charlotte, Nakamura/Jinder). The matches that ranked in the middle (Kickoff and Rusev/Orton) were better than expected. Though the show went longer than usual, it only felt long during Roode/Ziggler as I was too captivated by the main event to care. Thumbs up.
Why isn't Rusev in Jinder Mahal's spot right now? Not a single person has been able to give me a legitimate answer to that outside of the population in India. Rusev is easily the most entertaining character on Smackdown, other than Kevin Owens. He should run through the ever dull Randy Orton and avenge the ridiculous loss at SummerSlam. However, that's not what seems to happen at these shows. Orton will win and put in little effort, while Rusev will lose and continue to be a blast on TV. Sigh.
Winner: Randy Orton
Man, this recent Dolph Ziggler angle has been absolutely painful. When I do go back and catch Smackdown, it's cringeworthy and became something to fast forward. Nothing about Dolph is even remotely interesting anymore. Bobby Roode hasn't done much for me in WWE either, so I just can't get interested in this feud. Bobby will win.
Winner: Bobby Roode
I honestly don't get why the WWE keeps going back to this match. It worked at the first TakeOver (though the NXT women bested it several times over) and was strong at the first Roadblock event. Every other match I can recall (other than a random good one on Raw last year) has been dreadful. Their PPV matches last year sucked. It's two girls who are solid in the ring, but lack personalities. I guess I'll go with Charlotte winning, because Natalya is bland and it could set up Carmella's cash in. Save_Us_Carmella.
Winner Lady Big Dog
Another questionable move on Smackdown since Road Dogg took over was the setup of AJ Styles doing an open challenge and not following through. It should produce great matches on a weekly basis, but we barely get anything out of it. What a waste. AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the world and he hasn't done much of note lately, while we've had to watch Orton bore us to death, Ziggler do a lot of nothing and a Jinder Mahal WWE Title run. Whatever. Baron Corbin has been solid in 2017, but I'm gonna say AJ retains.
Winner: AJ Styles
Their SummerSlam match was alright, but had another shit finish. I get heels should cheat, but it's almost the same thing every time in Jinder matches. To be fair, Shinsuke Nakamura hasn't impressed me much on the main roster either (or for most of his NXT run to be honest), so I'm not thrilled at the idea of him as champion. That being said, it's the better option. However, I've just got this feeling that this reign of boredom will never end.
Winner: Jinder Mahal
Ah, the real main events of the show. New Day/Usos has been a highlight of WWE TV this year. I've seen people bash WWE, while praising NJPW all year, but the WWE tag division absolutely obliterates NJPW's. Between this feud and the Bar/Shield stuff, they've been on fire. I expect to be the best thing on the show, as these men will go all out inside the cell. I'm gonna say New Day wins because this ends the feud. I'm not sure what the teams do next.
Winners: The New Day
This is gonna be fun. Shane McMahon's last foray into the cell wasn't very good, but he rebounded nicely with a great match against AJ Styles. Kevin Owens will move better than the Undertaker in the cell and the build for this has been great. They're teasing something big. These are two guys who tend to deliver for the most part and I think it'll be wild. I'd have Owens win here, Nakamura beat Jinder and Owens beat Nakamura before carrying the title into Mania. On the other hand, I could see this leading to HHH/Owens at Mania. Either way, Owens should win here.
Winner: Kevin Owens
2017 Prediction Record: 57-33
2016 Prediction Record: 72-41
2015 Prediction Record: 60-35
