G1 Climax 27 Night Six
July 25th, 2017 | Big Palette Fukushima in Fukushima, Japan | Attendance: 2,500
After a day off, the G1 returned with B Block action today. Would Kazuchika Okada suffer his first loss as he took on SANADA? Would Toru Yano steal one against Kenny Omega? The two winless guys in the block met so someone would get their first victory today.
Ryusuke Taguchi and Togi Makabe def. Kota Ibushi and Shota Umino in 7:31
Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI def. Katsuya Kitamura and Tomoyuki Oka in 7:58 [***¼]
Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito def. Hirai Kawato and Yuji Nagata in 8:17 [***]
Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi def. El Desperado, Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. in 5:37
David Finlay and Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Hirooki Goto and Jado in 7:09
*Good friend Tetsuya Naito helped console Hiromu Takahashi, who came out clutching an imaginary Daryl, which Naito fist bumped.
B Block: Michael Elgin [0] vs. Satoshi Kojima [0]
Exactly two years ago today, they met in the G1 (***½), which Kojima won. This was quite hard hitting from the start, which is what I want and expect from these two. Elgin brought the power game, but Kojima came back with some his signature stuff, like the machine gun chops and apron DDT. Kojima nearly got counted out after an apron powerbomb. His resiliency had the crowd chanting his name. They went into a lariat battle, with Kojima nearly getting decapitated. I’m pretty sure they lifted a spot from their 2015 match, where Elgin jumped into a lariat. Kojima ate the buckle bomb, but popped out with a desperation lariat. Elgin eventually hit the Elgin Bomb after a sunset bomb to win at 13:09. Nothing fancy here. Just two dudes desperately fighting for their first win. Kojima fought hard, but Elgin was just better tonight. [***½]
B Block: EVIL [2] vs. Tama Tonga [2]
Two members of heel stables collide. In true fashion to their stables, this was a brawl. They almost immediately went outside and fought through the crowd. Tonga threw EVIL into what looked like a garage door, resulting in a very close countout call. Though EVIL made it back inside, Tonga was in control until he missed a stinger splash. EVIL sent him back outside and used steel chairs to his advantage. Down the stretch, things picked up. Tonga did his misdirection stuff and hit Veleno for a near fall. They went into a great series of Gun Stun/STO counters, reminding me of the end of old Karl Anderson G1 matches. EVIL won out with the STO to pick up two points at 10:27. Fun little match here. The brawling stuff was more than we typically get in G1 matches, which helped it be different, though some of it was dull. The crowd was into the finishing stretch, which I liked. [**¾]
B Block: Juice Robinson [2] vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki [2]
Props to Juice, who came in selling stuff from a few days ago. IT’S NOT THAT HARD PEOPLE! Minoru attacked him during his entrance, because that’s Minoru’s style. Since Juice was selling the leg, Minoru twisted it in disgusting ways. Like the previous match, there was crowd brawling, with El Desperado getting involved. Once that was over, they traded a bit of stuff inside, with Juice showing fire. He continually got cut off by Minoru trying to rip his leg off. Though the crowd is normally way into Juice, they didn’t pop for his near falls and hope spots the way I hoped. Suzuki countered Pulp Friction, hit a right hand and won via Gotch piledriver at 11:23. Good stuff. I loved Juice’s resiliency and how well he sold the leg throughout the entire match. Something I remember missing from Minoru’s biggest match of the year back in February. With a more invested crowd, this would’ve ranked higher. Still, good effort from both and Minoru got to look like a killer. [***]
B Block: IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega [4] vs. Toru Yano [2]
I gave their G1 match last year ***. Omega forgot to bring the belt and told the camera, “I forgot the belt. How did I do that? Jesus Christ. I’m gonna get in big trouble.” Yano was a trickster, using powder from inside a DVD to blind Omega and roll him up. The fans bought that as the finish and they also bought a low blow near fall right after. Unfortunately, this wasn’t as fun as their encounter last year. Don’t get me wrong, some of it was entertaining, but like I said, Yano works better in short bursts. This went too long. Omega resorted to some Yano tactics, tying his feet together. They both had their feet tied, making for some wacky moments. In the end, Omega hit a V-Trigger and Yano fell outside, getting counted out at 11:31. I’m sure some people enjoyed this, but I didn’t. I’ve always said I liked serious Kenny way more. His goofiness is something that never clicked for me and a 10+ minute with Yano, who shouldn’t go more than five, is not good. Gedo’s booked three 10+ minute Yano matches in this tournament so far. In much better news, Omega should have quality matches going forward. [*¼]
B Block: IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada [4] vs. SANADA [2]
They had two matches last year (***¼ and ***), with Okada not pulling a Tanahashi and making sure SANADA looked like a star. I wonder if that changes this time around. By the way, I’m assuming every Okada G1 match (besides Yano) goes 20+ minutes. This was laid out just like Okada/Elgin. Basic stuff inside, Rainmaker tease, fight outside, Okada cross body over the guardrail. Wash, rinse, repeat. Back inside, SANADA tied Okada up and dropkicked him. It’s not my favorite SANADA move, but is sometimes rather funny. Some of the stuff in the middle was kind of just there, before we got the typical hot finishing stretch from Okada matches. Okada survived Skull End and countered into a Rainmaker. HE HELD THE WRIST (yea, I’m beyond over that spot. It was cool the first time.), hit a second and had a third countered. That’s exactly what happened against Elgin, except Okada hit a German instead of a Tombstone next. A third Rainmaker ended it at 20:49. The Okada formula isn’t a bad one, but he should mix it up when he has so many singles matches in a row. This felt so similar to the Elgin match, except with SANADA bringing athleticism instead of power. [***½]
Overall: 6/10. The weakest of the G1 shows so far. Only Omega/Yano is something I’d consider bad, but nothing stood out as must see either. It’s an easy watch for the most part, though Omega/Yano went way too long. Elgin/Kojima is a really good hard hitting battle, EVIL/Tonga is a solid brawl, Juice/Minoru was two guys playing their roles perfectly and the main event was Okada stuff. SANADA is that dude though.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Kota Ibushi | 4 (2-1) | Kenny Omega | 6 (3-0) |
| Hirooki Goto | 4 (2-1) | Kazuchika Okada | 6 (3-0) |
| Tetsuya Naito | 4 (2-1) | Minoru Suzuki | 4 (2-1) |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 4 (2-1) | EVIL | 4 (2-1) |
| Bad Luck Fale | 4 (2-1) | SANADA | 2 (1-2) |
| HIroshi Tanahashi | 4 (2-1) | Tama Tonga | 2 (1-2) |
| Tomohiro Ishiii | 2 (1-2) | Juice Robinson | 2 (1-2) |
| YOSHI-HASHI | 2 (1-2) | Toru Yano | 2 (1-2) |
| Togi Makabe | 2 (1-2) | Michael Elgin | 2 (1-2) |
| Yuji Nagata | 0 (0-3) | Satoshi Kojima | 0 (0-3) |
WWE Battleground
July 23rd, 2017 | Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Kickoff Match: Aiden English vs. Tye Dillinger
I wish this feud had more TV time. Aiden English is great in his singing role, while Tye Dillinger is the perfect guy for these Kickoff matches. The crowd loves him. Their Kickoff match at Backlash was nowhere near as good as this. They had some strong back and forth throughout this, with a crowd that was hotter than expected. English mocked Tye’s “ten” taunt after countering the Tye Breaker into a DDT. Tye fired up, but was hit with a Flatliner as English picked up a surprising win at 9:41. Like the crowd, this was better than expected. Two solid hands, having a solid match in front of a good audience, without overdoing anything. I hope both guys go on to do more. [***]
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. The New Day w/ Big E
Putting Xavier Woods in there with Kofi Kingston instead of Big E was a great move. I do like what Big E brings to the table, with Woods and Kofi are capable of going full throttle with the Usos. This match moved at a wild pace and was the best straight tag I’ve seen all year outside of British Strong Style vs. The South Pacific Power Trip. Kofi took a sick powerbomb outside and was out of it for most of the match. That left Xavier in big trouble, but he was resilient and survived the best the Usos threw at him. One of the best spots of the year in ANY COMPANY came when Woods did his rope walk elbow, only to get caught with a masterfully timed superkick. It was the best superkick since HBK made Shelton Benjamin a Pez dispenser. Yes, I’m including all people who do superkicks. Unfortunately, once that didn’t end it and a superfly splash didn’t either, New Day winning was rather clear. Trouble in Paradise and the Woods elbow gave us new champions at 13:46. I’d have preferred if the Usos retained, but I can’t be upset after that match. Fantastic work from both teams, having their best match against each other. Awesome pace, great tag team wrestling and hot near falls. I loved it. [****¼]
Baron Corbin vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
The WWE kind of booked themselves into a corner here. Nakamura can’t lose yet and Corbin shouldn’t either, though that never stopped them before with MITB holders. Corbin was in full dick mode, talking smack to Nakamura and the fans at every opportunity. It was weird for commentary to spend time hyping Corbin’s striking ability, when that isn’t his strong suit. It’s Nakamura’s. Their strike exchange didn’t look good, which hurt that build. Nothing about this match made Nakamura look like the star he should look like. It felt like Corbin killed time, Nakamura sold a bit and then we got a cheap finish where Corbin kicked Nakamura in the balls, giving us a DQ at 12:22. Nakamura is now 2-2 in lackluster singles PPV matches. The finish protected both somewhat. This felt like something I’d see as the first hour main event on Smackdown. [**¼]
Number One Contender’s Fatal Five Way Elimination Match: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte vs. Lana vs. Natalya vs. Tamina
Smackdown Women’s Champion Naomi joined commentary for this and added next to nothing. She sounded uncomfortable. This went almost exactly the way you’d expect. It reminded me of the Six Pack Challenge at Backlash, but a lot worse. I enjoyed Lana and Tamina teaming up, as well as Lana’s personal vendetta in wanting to be the one to eliminate Charlotte. Lana nearly beating Becky Lynch was great too, before Becky countered into the Dis-Arm-Her. Tamina saved her, only to get eliminated herself by Becky. Then Becky made Lana tap about 15 seconds later, only to get rolled up by Natalya ten seconds later. Charlotte and Natalya had an alright back and forth, highlighted by a Charlotte powerbomb. Natalya got knees up on a moonsault and slammed Charlotte into the buckles to win at 10:55. It wasn’t terrible, but the rapid fire elimination stuff is a terrible move and I hate that they always do it to the women. It all felt rushed and didn’t give viewers enough time to get invested in much. Also, Natalya is a bad choice as her vs. Naomi sounds incredibly dull at the second biggest show of the year. [**]
WWE United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens
Owens beat AJ via countout at Backlash before AJ took the US Title from him at an MSG house show. They went through some early exchanges, feeling like two guys who knew each other and didn’t want to make the first mistake. The slow start made sense, but wasn’t executed as well as it could’ve been. That’s unexpected, because these are two of the best in the business. The crowd was flat, which is unusual for Philadelphia. When commentary wasn’t talking, it was either silent, or you could hear random conversations from uninterested fans. It picked up late and seemed to be heading towards something bigger. Instead, they went a different route. We got a ref bump and the two began trading submissions. As the referee stirred, they moved into a weird cradle position for about five seconds before the referee started his slow count. He made it to three and Owens won his third US Title at 17:44. What the hell was that? That was one of the flattest finishes in recent memory, which is saying something. The referee had his timing wrong or something, because they were down for so long that it made AJ look like a chump. Just let them wrestle without this bullshit. AJ’s worst PPV match since coming to WWE and their worst match together. [**¾]
Flag Match: John Cena vs. Rusev
I hate everything about this feud. Rusev is only evil because he’s from another country. That’s hardly the best message to send, especially as a global company. This wasn’t just a typical Flag match, because you had to get your flag, take it up the ramp and place it on your country’s pedestal. But why? Rusev/Cena was solid in their first match in 2015. The second was lackluster and the final two were dire, because of stipulations like this. The guys did their standard stuff and kept cutting each other off from winning. They brawled by the entrance, reminding me of their shitty I Quit Match. Rusev trapped Cena in the Accolade, before taking his flag and looking to win. Cena fought back, escaped another Accolade and delivered an Attitude Adjustment through a table. He planted his flag and won in a ridiculous 21:10. In what world did this need to go over 20 minutes? It was a giant waste of time, with an outdated feud and stipulation. There was no drama or reason to care, the crowd was dead and the match was hokey. They went through the motions like this was a house show where they had to kill time and I didn’t like any of it. The worst WWE match since the House of Horrors. [DUD]
The Fashion Police looked to solve the case of who trashed their office. These segments have been great. The Ascension entered the office to say it was them the whole time. Tyler Breeze called it a disappointment like other season finales. Fandango claimed it couldn’t have been them because they were at an Eddie Money concert, which they denied. After they left, the lights went out and Breeze was jumped. Fandango was attacked as well, and dragged out of the office. So, no resolution.
Mike Kanellis w/ Maria Kanellis vs. Sami Zayn
This has been a harmless little midcard feud. In their first match, Sami dominated until Maria got involved and helped her husband steal it. This wasn’t as one-sided, with a lot of back and forth early on. It was all average work, with nothing sticking out but nothing being bad. After getting worn down, Sami rallied when Mike stopped to kiss Maria. He hit a tope con hilo and looked for the corner exploder. Maria jumped in and we almost got a repeat of the Smackdown finish, but Sami escaped Mike’s grasp. He hit the exploder and Helluva Kick to win in 7:16. Nothing special here. Like the feud, it was harmless and didn’t go too long. [**½]
WWE Championship Punjabi Prison Match: Jinder Mahal (c) vs. Randy Orton
The explanation for this match sounds ridiculous. It’s not that hard to understand, but hearing the ring announcer go over it made it seem convoluted. The first half of this match saw them stay in the ring, which isn’t a good thing. Jinder’s offense isn’t interesting and Orton at a methodical pace is like watching paint dry. It was mostly a standard match, with almost no use of the cage except for trying to escape here and there. They took 10 minutes to get to the third exit door being locked, but it felt like 25. We got some dull “Let’s go Jinder” chants and a shot of a dejected Orton. Jinder escaped the final door because the Singh Brothers pulled him out after hiding under the ring. THE POINT OF CAGE MATCHES IS TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE! How does the WWE manage to have interference in almost every cage match. Orton made it over the first structure and moved to the second one to stop Jinder from escaping. I can’t complain about interference too much, since the Singh Brothers have been the best part of Orton/Jinder matches. They were again here, with Samir taking a wild bump off the cage through a table. It was one of the craziest and hardest bumps I’ve ever seen. In the end, just when Orton looked to have it won, the fucking Great Khali came out. He choked Orton and held him in place, while Jinder climbed over and out to retain at 27:38. Under no circumstances should Jinder be working 27 minute matches. Hell, unmotivated Orton shouldn’t either. The first half of this was dire, while the Singh Brothers made the back half watchable. It’s not a good sign when the Singh Brothers were the only highlights of this entire feud. There were a few entertaining bits, but it went far too long. [**]
Overall: 4.5/10. I think this was the worst Smackdown PPV since the brand split. The only match that you should spend your time on is the Usos/New Day stuff. Kanellis/Zayn and Tye/Aiden were both solid. Styles/Owens was a huge disappointment, as was Corbin/Nakamura. The women’s match was kind of just there. The Flag match was complete and utter shit and should be avoided at all costs. The main event went on for way too long and wasn’t very engaging. An easy skip outside of one match.
G1 Climax 27 Night Five
July 23rd, 2017 | Machida Municipal Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 4,598
We return to the A Block and leave Korakuen Hall as the G1 Climax hits the road. Tetsuya Naito and Hirooki Goto sit atop the standings, while Yuji Nagata and Togi Makabe remain without points. This show happens to feature my second most anticipated match of the entire tournament.
TenKoji def. Katsuya Kitamura and Michael Elgin in 4:41
El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki and Taichi def. David Finlay, Hirai Kawato and Juice Robinson in 8:31
EVIL and Hiromu Takahashi def. Chase Owens and Tama Tonga in 5:10
Kenny Omega and Yujiro Takahashi def. Jado and Toru Yano in 6:29
BUSHI and SANADA def. Gedo and Kazuchika Okada in 5:43
A Block: YOSHI-HASHI [2] vs. Zack Sabre Jr. [2]
They both won on night one and lost on night three. Sabre was with his buddy El Desperado again. We got his usual brilliance here, picking apart YOSHI’s arm in brutal ways. It was as if YOSHI found himself in a heap of trouble almost immediately. After reaching the ropes on a painful looking submission, YOSHI started the comeback, which the crowd was into. It’s great how far he’s come in the past two years, in terms of performances and crowd reaction. Sabre got a near fall with the PK, but transitioned right into an armbar attempt. I love when his constant grappling has meaning behind it. YOSHI fought out and got two on a lariat, but Sabre was relentless. He went into the Octopus Hold, turning it into a vicious double arm submission for the win at 11:48. I liked how simple this was. Sabre targeted a body part, YOSHI fought hard and just didn’t have enough. [***¼]
A Block: IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] vs. Yuji Nagata [0]
If it was up to me, I’d have this main event. Tanahashi is Tanahashi and Nagata’s on his final G1 run. He should close out at least one show. The crowd was pro-Nagata. They worked an even outing early, with Tanahashi kind of relishing in the boos. When he took control, he taunted the crowd. I love when Tana shows heel tendencies. Tanahashi targeted the leg, but Nagata responded with some badass kicks and work on the bad arm. Things got heated with some slaps and the match picked up from there. Nagata pulled out a super exploder and brainbuster, but Tanahashi kicked out of both. Tanahashi countered a Backdrop Driver and they just slapped the shit out of each other. IT led to a bloody eye for Nagata. He popped the crowd by getting up before High Fly Flow, but Tanahashi fought him off to the mat. A cross body and High Fly Flow kept the legend down after 14:47. A damn good match, but slightly below Nagata’s first two G1 outings. Good intensity and back and forth, before Nagata fell just short. [***½]
Personally, I think Nagata should’ve won here. It would avoid the Liger BOTSJ route, where the guy in his final tournament just loses each time out, and it would set up a final big title match for Nagata. Nagata/Tanahashi headlining a Destruction event for the IC Title would be great.
A Block: Bad Luck Fale [2] vs. Tetsuya Naito [4]
Naito better wreck this jerk for murdering Daryl. These two opened the G1 25 in a shit match (*¾). Naito attacked Fale during his entrance, then taunted. Fale took over quickly and got a countout tease. Back inside, he worked one of his less interesting heat segments, with Naito playing the come from behind babyface. I did like Naito bringing out moves like the Koji Clutch, trying different things to wear down Fale. Naito’s rally was cut short when he was hit with the Grenade. Though he survived that, he couldn’t after eating the Bad Luck Fall, giving Fale a big victory at 11:55. Not good. Underdog Naito is not a role he’s great in, especially after not playing it for so long. Fale was at his most lethargic here, bringing none of the effort we’ve seen against guys like Tanahashi, Nakamura or even Shibata this year. Naito’s worst match since the 2015 one with Fale. [*¾]
A Block: Kota Ibushi [2] vs. Tomohiro Ishii [2]
Not booking this match in Osaka, Ryogoku or Korakuen is a travesty. Their 2014 match was incredible (****¾) and this was only behind Ibushi/Naito for the match I was most excited for this year. My favorite thing about Ibushi is that he’s fast and known for aerial stuff, but he can strike with the best of them, so Ishii’s style is in his wheelhouse. After a short opening exchange, they went right into murdering each other. Ishii popped up from a brainbuster, but Ibushi caught him with a gorgeous dropkick. It might be the best in the business. Styles, Okada and SANADA are all up there. Ishii gave zero fucks about Ibushi’s kicks, brushing them off like nothing. Ibushi responded with disrespectful kicks to the head, so Ishii fired up and they just went into a brutal strike exchange. Slaps, headbutts and kicks galore. They traded suplexes, with Ishii hitting the stalling superplex and Ibushi nailing a snap German. Ishii wanted a German of his own, but Ibushi landed on his feet. Both guys kicked out at one after big moves, before a dragon suplex got Ibushi two. Some barbaric slaps led to a lariat. Ibushi hit the Golden Star Bomb to win in an awesome 17:14. That was what I wanted from them. Just beat each other up for 15 or so minutes. It reminded me of Shibata/Ibushi from the G1 two years ago. This was below their 2014 match, as a hotter crowd and better finish would’ve put it over the top, but it still stands as the second best G1 match this year. [****½]
A Block: Hirooki Goto [4] vs. Togi Makabe [0]
This shouldn’t be a main event match, but it’s Makabe’s hometown apparently. Their G1 matches have gotten progressively worse to me (***½ in 2013, ***¼ in 2014 and **¾ last year). I won’t lie, I found it very hard to get into this. It reminded me of Goto’s main events with Okada and Tanahashi last year, which weren’t very good. At least there was more energy here. Goto tried, Makabe was motivated and the crowd was into it. Makabe called for Goto to bring his best, leading to a series of near falls. Makabe avoided the GTR and nailed a German, before they traded lariats where neither man went down. Goto remained mostly in control, with Makabe having to fight from behind to the crowd’s liking. When Makabe hit the King Kong Knee Drop, it surprisingly didn’t’ end things. He did finish things with a flurry that included a powerbomb, spider German and a second King Kong Knee Drop at 16:53. A good match that lacked a few things. Following Ibushi/Ishii didn’t help. Solid, but unspectacular. [**¾]
Overall: 6.5/10. Probably tied with night two for the worst G1 show so far. Goto/Makabe was decent, while Naito/Fale sucked. Nagata/Tanahashi and Sabre/YOSHI were very good outings, while Ibushi/Ishii was awesome. Not a must-see show by any means and it isn’t bad, but if pressed for time, only watch Ibushi/Ishii.
| A BLOCK | POINTS | B BLOCK | POINTS |
| Kota Ibushi | 4 (2-1) | Kenny Omega | 4 (2-0) |
| Hirooki Goto | 4 (2-1) | Kazuchika Okada | 4 (2-0) |
| Tetsuya Naito | 4 (2-1) | Minoru Suzuki | 2 (1-1) |
| Zack Sabre Jr. | 4 (2-1) | SANADA | 2 (1-1) |
| Bad Luck Fale | 4 (2-1) | Toru Yano | 2 (1-1) |
| HIroshi Tanahashi | 4 (2-1) | EVIL | 2 (1-1) |
| Tomohiro Ishiii | 2 (1-2) | Juice Robinson | 2 (1-1) |
| YOSHI-HASHI | 2 (1-2) | Tama Tonga | 2 (1-1) |
| Togi Makabe | 2 (1-2) | Michael Elgin | 0 (0-2) |
| Yuji Nagata | 0 (0-3) | Satoshi Kojima | 0 (0-2) |
This is on the Kickoff? I had no clue. It hasn't helped that almost the entire build has been done via social media. Tye's also beaten Aiden rather handily each time they've met. I know it would like Aiden should finally get one over on Tye, but the WWE tends to have babyfaces win these Kickoff matches. I'm going with Tye, though neither guy seems to be gaining any sort of momentum.
Winner: Tye Dillinger
I remember thinking Sami would be the top candidate for Mike's first program. Sami's lovable, a great performer, always gets the crowd invested and loses quite often. I expect more of that here. It won't be a total one-sided squash like their Smackdown match, but I get the sense Sami's in control for the most part. Maria will get involved in some way, leading to a Kanellis win. Sooner or later, though, Sami has to start winning. Right? Right?
Winner: Mike Kanellis
Boy, the WWE has brought up Shinsuke Nakamura and made him pretty cold almost instantly. The shitty Ziggler feud was a bad start and though the Corbin one has been an improvement, I don't believe the match will fully allow Nakamura to showcase what makes him so good. I'm hoping the plan is for Nakamura to work Styles at SummerSlam, so we can get a "big match" Nakamura performance for the first time since TakeOver: Dallas. He'll need to win here to set that up most likely. Plus, Corbin has the briefcase and those guys always have horrible win/loss records.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Holy crap, this is awful. There's so much more both guys could be doing than "RAH RAH, AMERICA BABY, WOO". Rusev should be in Jinder's spot as he has the skill and charisma to be a top guy. Not just some evil foreigner. Outside of the Fastlane match in 2015, this feud was atrocious then and nearly killed Rusev. There's no way the Bulgaria flag gets waved. Cena picks up a win here to set himself up for something important at SummerSlam. Maybe a WWE Title match?
Winner: John Cena
Smackdown sure loves their multi-woman match tropes, huh? I give them props for booking more women to seem on a level playing field than Raw, where it's just Sasha/Bayley/Nia/blonde heel over and over. However, I have no interest in watching Tamina wrestle. Lana hasn't impressed much either and Natalya has next to no character. With a shot at the second biggest show of the year on the line, it comes down to either Becky or Charlotte. I think Becky/Naomi is the way to go, as the only two pure babyface women on Smackdown would make for an original and fun match. However, LADY BIG DOG GOTTA EAT. Charlotte wins because, woo.
Winner: LADY BIG DOG
They are the two best tag teams on Smackdown, so the feud makes sense. Outside of the rap battle though, I haven't been into it. The New Day was at the top of their game in 2016, but after losing the Raw Tag Titles, their act wore thin. The Usos have been rejuvenated in their new characters and I think they should retain here and get a lengthy reign. What I see happening though, is another New Day reign.
Winners: The New Day
This is pretty much the only match that sticks out to me on this card. Their match at Backlash was nearly great, but it felt like they held something back for a rematch, especially with that finish. With AJ Styles already as champion, I see him retaining here in their best match together. What Kevin Owens does after this is puzzling, but AJ should go on to face someone big (Nakamura or Cena most likely) at SummerSlam in a show stealer. Look for AJ to keep the gold in the best match of the night.
Winner: AJ Styles
Someone needs to put me out of my misery and end this damn feud. The Money in the Bank match was solid, but had the same exact finish as the Backlash one and I'm just over it. Jinder does nothing for me as champion, cutting generic promos and having generic matches, while Randy Orton is at his most unmotivated. Don't expect this to be anything of interest. Though, wouldn't it be hilariously awful if WWE gave Jinder the title, just to move it back to Orton here to set up Cena vs. Orton at SummerSlam?
Winner: Jinder Mahal
2017 Prediction Record: 39-24
2016 Prediction Record: 72-41
2015 Prediction Record: 60-35
