Because this is Raw, we have to open with an excessively long promo featuring multiple interruptions. Dean Ambrose comes out and talks about John Cena and Seth Rollins. Of course, Cena interrupts and they get into their usual verbal sparring. Triple and Stephanie cap off the opening of interruptions by announcing that Cena and Ambrose will be partners tonight. They would be in a non-title Triple Threat Tag Team match right now against the Usos and the Dust Brothers. Good start to the show as this was an enjoyable contest. It was a bit boring at the start, but picked up. CenAmbrose won after an AA on Stardust.
Triple H and Stephanie come back out with HHH saying that he lost a bet to Stephanie concerning Ambrose and Cena's ability to work together, so he pays her a buck. I'd give her a single too for certain activities. No? Oh well. Tonight we get Cena/Ambrose in the main event instead of waiting for Hell in a Cell. Next, Divas Champion AJ Lee teams with Layla to face new besties Paige and Alicia Fox. Typical stuff here and it continues the story of AJ being a loner who needs no friends. Layla doesn't want to tag in near the end, so AJ smiles and hits the Shining Wizard on Fox to win. Paige escaped during the match and Layla goes to do the same but AJ catches her and tosses her around.
Randy Orton wants Seth Rollins to stop stealing his spotlight so he wants to face the loser of tonight's contract on a pole match. I feel like Orton getting the loser while Seth gets the winner isn't the best way to be above Seth's spotlight. Another video package for Erick Rowan plays and I'm intrigued by where this goes. Orton faces Dolph Ziggler in non-title action next and it was fantastic. Seriously one of the better matches on Raw in a long while. Seth Rollins watches from the ramp mid-match too. There were times that I actually thought Dolph would pull this out. He takes a vicious corner bump but the highlight was the finish. Orton counters the FameAsser by hoisting Dolph up for a Powerbomb. He launches him up and catches him with a sick RKO!
I can't get over that RKO. For a guy who does a ton of awesome ones, that was top five for sure. Seth Rollins also Curb Stomps Dolph after the match. He gets his chance to show he deserves the spotlight with a match against Jack Swagger. They wrestled on Main Event recently but this was much better. It was actually just a step below the previous match and that's saying something. Seth wins a back and forth bout with a rollup and a handful of tights. I was impressed with the match but felt he should've gotten a cleaner victory to be on par with Orton. Also, Orton hits an RKO on Swagger post match.
Dean Ambrose is interviewed by Renee "Perfection" Young. They make sexy eyes at each other so hard that I don't remember what they spoke about. Big Show then talks about how Rusev has never been beaten. Lana badmouths Christoper Columbus and America. It's cheap heat at it's finest. Rusev and Big Show proceed to have a match that was actually far better than I expected. Don't get me wrong, it was by no means a classic or the match of the night, but it was a solid big man match. Mark Henry comes out near the end and attacks Rusev, resulting in the disqualification. Show and Henry argue about it as the Russian flag comes down. Rusev tries to run in but eats a WMD. Not a bad segment.
With Cesaro seemingly starting a program against Dolph Ziggler, it truly has seemed like the mid card champions have swapped challengers. I say this because Sheamus, the United States Champion, meets The Miz, the former Intercontinental Champion. Nothing special here as Miz takes the countout while allowing the tremendous Damien Mizdow to eat a Brogue Kick. Guest star Nene or whatever stands up for the face Total Divas in the back. At least it was a short appearance. Summer Rae, Cameron and NIkki, also known as the heels of Total Divas, take on the faces in Natalya, Brie and Naomi. If you watch the show, you know that it's hard to root for Brie and Natalya. The faces win. This was the first thing on the show that I wasn't a fan of. Brie did get to pin Nikki, which I didn't expect to happen until their eventual PPV match.
Renee Young interviews John Cena just before the main event, though it's pretty clear that she enjoys this less than the interview with Dean Ambrose. The main event begins with Seth Rollins, Kane and Triple H coming down to ringside. For an "Object on a Pole" match, this wasn't bad but it wasn't the Ambrose/Cena match Id hoped for. However, I expect that if they eventually get a Pay-Per-View program, they could tear the house down. Of course, the Authority gets involved as shenanigans ensue. Dean Ambrose manages to snatch the contract and THANK THE LAWD we get Ambrose/Rollins in the Cell! The flipside is that we have to sit through Orton/Cena for the 15568423rd time, but I'll take it. Ambrose tells Cena "you can't see me" and Hell in a Cell seems brighter.
For the first time in a long time, I thoroughly enjoyed Raw. Everything served a purpose and there was really no filler. I mean, even the Total Divas tag allowed for their celebrity guest to appear and pushed the show. We got fun Ambrose/Cena stuff and two great matches in Orton/Ziggler and Seth/Swagger, plus, we finally officially get Ambrose/Rollins in the Cell. 8/10. Well done Raw.
With Smackdown's 15th Anniversary episode airing recently, it has got me thinking about the history of that program. What began as a catchphrase of The Rock, turned into the second longest running wrestling show in history. In the early years, Smackdown played a vital role and complemented Raw perfectly. Storylines would get shine on Monday nights as always, but once Thursday rolled around, the angles would continue. Then, the brand split happened and Smackdown actually surpassed Raw in some years. Now though, Smackdown is a complete afterthought and I know people who haven't watched it in months and have yet to miss anything of importance. That's a problem and it's time to see what can be done about it.
From it's inception in 1999 until 2002, Smackdown was Raw's brother brand and featured many memorable moments. However, Smackdown didn't become must see television until the brand split. With it's own separate roster and being written by Paul Heyman, Smackdown would actually go on to surpass Raw in ratings, house show ticket sales, merchandise and general all around greatness. During the years 2002, 2003 and even 2009, Smackdown clearly had the better product.
Even early in 2014, Smackdown was at least fun to watch. But in the past few months, Smackdown has become irrelevant television. Instead of being a show that furthered storylines and had good wrestling, it became Raw 2.0 with less angle advancement. If I purchased tickets to a Smackdown event, I'd only look forward to seeing Main Event. The Smackdown portion would feature about six matches and usually one, maybe two go over four minutes. To make matters worse, the matches are mostly rematches from things we saw on Raw and nothing happens storyline wise that matters. There are nearly as many minutes spent recapping Raw with video packages as there is in ring action.
Now, there's news that Smackdown is moving from Friday nights in January. This will only matter if Smackdown gets back to being a vital part of WWE programming. What are some ways to accomplish that you ask? For starters, no more lazy booking consisting of rematches all of the time. What I saw on Raw does not need to be seen again just a few days later. With Brock Lesnar barely being on television the focal point of Smackdown should be the Intercontinental and United States Titles. Make them the belts that people are scratching and clawing for. If they are the focal point of the Friday show, with the right booking, the belts could mean something again. Also, big issue, cut back on the constant Raw recaps. We can see that on the WWE Network's "This Week in WWE" show or on youtube.
I know that a lot of people clamor for the show to go live but that's not going to happen. There have been budget cuts galore since the launch of the WWE Network and going live would cost too much. The biggest issue with Smackdown isn't that it's pre-recorded, it's that it's irrelevant. Something like The Rock's recent appearance on Raw wouldn't work for Smackdown since the shock value would be killed, but give the fans good matches with good story development and they'll watch Smackdown. One of the things hurting it, is the addition of the third hour on Raw as it over saturates the product but with the money they generate from advertising, this won't go away anytime soon. All in all, it's as if creative puts little to no effort in Smackdown and consider it a throwaway show. While a little care and dedication won't get Smackdown back to "A Show" status, it can get it back to important and watchable. After all, isn't the wrestling fan just looking for an enjoyable two hours?
We open with the best theme music on NXT and that belongs to Tyler Breeze. I mean, it won an MTV Euro Award even. He would face everyone's least favorite member of the NXT roster, Mojo Rawley. It's as if the WWE has given up completely on trying to push Mojo because nobody likes him and he just continues to get beaten every week. Tyler busted out a fujiwara armbar and the referee called the match to give Prince Pretty the win. I can't be upset with that opening.
Next, we get a recap of the feud between The Ascension and Hideo Itami, which started back at TakeOver: Fatal Four Way. Last week, we were supposed to get Itami vs. Viktor but the Ascension jumped him instead. Tonight we got the actual match and I was no impressed. Don't get me wrong, I've seen Itami live before he signed with the WWE and the man is outstanding. Something didn't feel right though and he looked sloppy as hell. Konnor appeared on the top of the stage with a beaten down Funaki, who is Itami's friend. Itami still beats Viktor, with a lame dropkick but gets taken out by Konnor. They tie up Itami in the ropes and continue to pulverize Funaki while Itami was helpless. It wasn't a bad segment, however the crowd was dead for it.
Enzo Amore and Big Cass continue their handheld videos from the Performance Center. This time, they get William Regal to look at Carmella, who does some impressive ring work. He agrees to give her a tryout match. She celebrates by jumping into Cass' arms as he responds with a "how ya doin", while Enzo gets pushed. They would then face the Vaudevillians in tag team action. This was a decent match, nothing special, as the Vaudevillians picked up the win to continue their momentum towards a future Tag Team Title match.
Time for the NXT Divas, which is consistently among my favorite time of the week. Two of my favorites went at it as Sasha Banks took on Becky Lynch. My favorite NXT Divas consist of Sasha, Bayley and Becky in that order. Both girls looked great, as specimens and as competitors. Sasha won by hitting the Bank Statement, which is my favorite Divas finisher, even though she didn't hit it flush. Becky tapped out and I can see Sasha or Bayley as the next Women's Champion.
The main event of the evening featured Sami Zayn going one on one with Titus O'Neil. Titus has been upset since the NXT guys took up time on Raw, so he's been getting involved in the NXT Title picture. After Sami took him out last week, this match was set up and it wasn't bad. I was a bit bored during it but it might have just been because I was tired. I do know that Titus surprised the hell out of me by beating Sami Zayn cleanly. Not sure who much I like it, but Sami is the kind of guy who can lose and not lose momentum. Titus goes to continue the attack after the match but Adrian Neville makes the save.
Overall, a good episode of NXT. Despite the main event not being my favorite and the Hideo Itami match being a huge disappointment, the show was fun and earns a 7/10 while continuing to outclass anything that the main roster does. On Superstars, Zack Ryder met Heath Slater, because Ryder is always booked in New York. This was solid and Zack picked up the win. After a bunch of recaps, Naomi beats Cameron to continue the epic saga of the Funkadactyl breakup. Superstars wasn't bad, earning a 5/10.
Armageddon 2002
December 15th, 2002 – Office Depot Center in Sunrise, Florida – Attendance: 9,000
Fresh off of a great Survivor Series 2002 Pay-Per-View, the WWE looked to end 2002 on a high note with Armageddon. If memory serves right, Shawn Michaels would defend his newly won World Heavyweight Championship against Triple H in a Three Stages of Hell match, while Big Show defended the WWE Title against Kurt Angle. Sounds like good stuff to me. Smackdown was the superior show with Paul Heyman at the helm but I totally disagreed with his call to have himself turn on Brock at the previous Pay-Per-View. Anyway, let's get into this.
We get a decent video package to start but it feels too similar to ones I've seen before. “Classy” Freddie Blassie, “The End” song and images of wrestlers inter cut with images of war. It makes sense for a show called Armageddon though so I understand. Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler start off on commentary for the Raw stuff.
World Tag Team Championship Fatal Four Way Elimination Match
Chris Jericho and Christian (c) vs. Booker T and Goldust vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. Lance Storm and William Regal
The reunited Dudley Boyz now have their awesome Powerman 5000 theme music. William Regal and Lance Storm have won seven straight matches coming into this. Who says wins and losses don't count? I hated Christian's attire with the tank top and I'd also like to point out that Christian was Tag Team Champion with Storm just four months prior. Bubba Ray and Storm start (ECW! ECW!) and the crowd is hot for the Dudleys. We get some quick tags so everyone can do their thing and my favorite interaction is between Jericho and Goldust. Bubba and Goldust actually hit the Champions with stereo punches and a bionic elbow so they decide to do a little handshake/butt bump after that was pretty funny. WASSSUP headbutt but a huge brawl ensues before D-Von is told to get the tables. Christian gets hit with a 3D but Regal blind tagged in and pinned Bubba Ray in a strange sequence as Bubba and Regal rolled on top of each other. The Dudleys are gone but quickly after, Regal is eliminated by a Goldust powerslam. Two quick eliminations that both seemed strange. Jericho and Booker go at it until Goldust and Booker hit a double team move for two. It's cool that two guys who were in the Elimination Chamber the previous month are competing for the Tag Titles. It didn't lessen Jericho and Booker and made the Tag Titles feel important. From commentary, I gather that Booker and Goldust had a storyline where Goldust was seemingly the weak link. Jericho does his signature dance as he and Christian work over Goldust for a bit. Booker gets the hot tag and cleans house before getting a near fall with a rollup and another with a small package. Jericho dodges the Scissors Kick and ends up putting Booker in the Walls! Goldust makes the save and Booker gets another two count with a kick. Booker hits a missile dropkick for yet another near fall. Jericho misses the Lionsault and gets flapjacked, so Booker does the SPINAROONIE! He hits the Scissors Kick but Jericho gets his shoulder up. Jericho hits Booker with the Tag Title and then connects with a Lionsault but Booker kicks out! Jericho goes for it again but it's countered into the Bookend for the win!
Winners and New World Tag Team Champions: Booker T and Goldust in 16:43
This shouldn't have been a four way. The Dudleys reunited just to be eliminated first, and things didn't get interested until it was down to two teams. That being said, the stuff after the first two eliminations was excellent. Great opener. ***1/4
Jonathan Coachman interviews the new Champions and Booker makes sure to let Goldust know that he is no weak link. They cut to a video from Heat where Josh Matthews interviews Brock Lesnar to ask if he's going to be in Kurt Angle's corner. Brock doesn't answer the question and is as intimidating as you'd expect.
A-Train vs. Edge
This came about because A-Train took out Edge's partner, Rey Mysterio two weeks ago and then he beat up Edge, costing him a shot at the WWE Title. According to Michael Cole, Edge tore his MCL during the attack. I've seen NBA players miss a season with that injury so I doubt it's legit. A “shave your back” chant rings through the arena as A-Train takes control. Edge tries to use his quickness but A-Train is too much. We get more power work from the future Tensai and the crowd isn't really feeling this. Edge breaks a rest hold with a jawbreaker and chops away on A-Train which has to feel gross. He hits a spinning heel kick and a face buster for two. Edge climbs to the second rope and hits a spinning Edge-o-Matic which I've never seen. He also pulls on A-Train's tights and I see way too much of him. Edge leaps off the top but jumps right into a Bicycle Kick for two. A-Train gets mad and gets a steel chair but Edge baseball slides him. Train fights back with the Baldo Bomb for another near fall. Train gets mad and levels Edge in the leg with a steel chair, resulting in the DQ.
Winner via disqualification: Edge in 7:12
Nothing match really. A-Train was the power guy and Edge played the speed guy. Basic stuff. *3/4
Edge ends up taking the chair from A-Train and proceeds to beat the hell out of him with the chair. It was a nice precursor to the “Rated R Superstar” that he would become. A nice step in the character development of Edge. Cutting to the back, Paul Heyman is pleading with the Big Show to not barge into Stephanie McMahon's office.
Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero
Because this is Chris Benoit vs. Eddie Guerrero, things open with a wrestling sequence. Benoit counters an armbar type move with a badass power up and slams Eddie. I believe some of the fans chant “boring” which I disagree with because I like a good wrestling sequence. Eddie goes to backdrop Benoit outside, but he gets caught in the ropes and awkwardly falls. Eddie follows with a flying press in a nice spot. Back inside, Eddie targets the leg and the crowd isn't feeling this. Benoit wakes the fans up with a trio of German suplexes but that's not enough. He keeps hold and finishes him off with five straight! He signals for the end as he climbs up for the headbutt but Eddie gets to his feet so Benoit jumps down and hits two more German suplexes. Eddie fights out and feels that German suplexes are successful as he busts out four of his own. Brock Lesnar would love this match. Eddie nails the Frog Splash but Benoit gets his shoulder up! An upset Eddie tackles Benoit to the outside. Eddie gets inside and distracts the referee as Chavo runs down and knocks out Benoit with a Tag Title. Benoit somehow kicks out of the pin and Eddie is very frustrated. He locks in the El Paso Lasso but Benoit reaches the ropes. Benoit fires back with a STIFF powerbomb and climbs to the top. Eddie again pulls the referee to distract him so Chavo can attack. The Wolverine fights him off and knocks him outside, allowing Eddie to climb up too. Benoit shoves him off and connects with the headbutt. Before Benoit can pin, Eddie grabs his leg and gets in the El Paso Lasso! Benoit counters into the Crippler Crossface though! Eddie tries to roll out but it's locked in and Eddie taps out.
Winner: Chris Benoit in 16:47
Really good stuff that started slow. I've seen better from both guys though as they've set a ridiculously high bar. The crowd not being into it hurt it somewhat. ***3/4
Paul Heyman enters Stephanie McMahon's office to complain about Brock Lesnar's suspension being lifted. Heyman's pleas fall on deaf ears as Stephanie McMahon will allow Brock to be in Kurt Angle's corner.
We then cut to a video package of the feud between Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson, involving the legendary Al Wilson. Dawn Marie revealed that she was attracted to Torrie Wilson and blackmailed her into HLA by promising not to marry Torrie's dad. Dawn decides to marry Al anyway and is now out to the ring to reveal her sex tape with Torrie. We get to see some of the good stuff as Torrie disrobes a bit and makes out with Dawn, seemingly enjoying it. Al makes Dawn stop the video, thus cementing his legacy as one of the biggest heels in wrestling history. Few things get draw more heat than stopping HLA.
Keeping with the sexy theme, we get a quick shot of Shawn Michaels stretching.
Batista w/ Ric Flair vs. Kane
The first Pay-Per-View match for Batista and being accompanied by Ric Flair is pretty cool. This should be a good battle of the bigs as Kane was red hot at this time, pun intended. Batista shoulder blocks Kane to the mat but he sits up and clotheslines him outside, where Flair gives Batista some advice. Kane picks up Batista for a Tombstone but realizes that it's too soon for that and just awkwardly slams him down. Batista hits Kane with the biggest EDDIE GILBERT hot shot that I've ever seen and follows with a Spear for two. Batista connects with a decent looking floatover suplex for another near fall. As Batista sends Kane outside, Kane retaliates with a snapmare so Flair runs at him. Flair tries to Irish whip Kane but it fails so he resorts to chopping him, which has no effect either. Flair hilariously just shouts and Kane chokes him, allowing Batista to get the upper hand. He earns some near falls but Kane rallies so Flair gets involved. Kane beats him up, giving Batista the chance to hit a Batista Bomb, which is impressive on a guy like Kane and it's over.
Winner: Batista in 6:38
For a first Pay-Per-View match, Batista gets a big win and showed a lot of potential. I could've done with less from Ric Flair, but being in Batista's corner was a big deal at the time so it made sense. **
Kurt Angle is shown backstage looking for Brock Lesnar. That's it. Now we get a rapping John Cena who comes to the ring with B2. It's not good. Cena has had some entertaining raps but this wasn't one of them.
WWE Women's Championship
Victoria (c) vs. Jacqueline vs. Trish Stratus
Man, I really loved the Victoria character at this time. I never saw anything in Jacqueline really though. Last note before the match is that I hate how Victoria's “All the Things She Said” theme is dubbed over. Victoria runs to the ring for a brawl but awkwardly stalls when she gets inside. They do brawl and Victoria hits her sweet somersault leg drop on Trish. Jacqueline goes all Karate Kid and sweeps the leg for two. Trish tries Stratusfaction but it's countered into a double back suplex. Jacqueline uses a flying head scissors, which I've never seen her do before Trish and her make a wish on Victoria. Jacqueline is all “DTA” and tosses Trish outside. The challengers get near falls on each other with a cross body before Jacqueline kicks Victoria outside. Trish hits the handstand hurricanrana on Jacqueline and kick Victoria down. She continues her hot streak with a neckbreaker but Victoria stops her momentum. Victoria climbs to the top and is shoved off, so Trish hits Jacqueline with the Chick Kick. Victoria quickly gets in and breaks the count. Trish covers Jacqueline near the apron, so Victoria hits her in the head with the belt and covers Jacqueline in a sloppy finish.
Winner and Still WWE Women's Champion: Victoria in 4:28
Jacqueline subtracted from the great Trish/Victoria feud. After their classic women's match at Survivor Series, this was a big step down. 3/4*
Victoria steals Trish's hat as she exits and we cut to Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar talking backstage. Kurt sells him on being ringside for the WWE Title match. There is some clear tension between them though as Kurt inserts a VHS of Paul Heyman turning on Brock at Survivor Series into Brock's TV.
WWE Championship
Big Show (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Kurt Angle
Big Show looked pretty terrible during this time. He was huge and the tank top/jeans combination was not flattering. Kurt Angle manages to take out Paul Heyman early by landing on top of him outside, but he runs into Show who chops him a few times. Show tosses Angle outside hard and then brings him back in just as rough. Show continues to treat Angle like a rag doll until Kurt uses a jawbreaker to try and turn things around. He stupidly goes for a cross body but caught and nailed with the Final Cut. Show applies a bearhug but doesn't kill time with it as Angle breaks it quickly by biting Show. He gets a choke on Show by jumping on his back and gets him down to one knee. Angle pulls out a tornado DDT and both guys are down for a while. He hits a missile dropkick and a moonsault but barely hits the latter. In an impressive moment, Angle hits an Angle Slam for two. THE STRAPS ARE DOWN! Ankle Lock is applied but Show rolls out and goes for a Chokeslam. Angle somehow counters that into an Ankle Lock. Show powers out and Angle takes out the official. Heyman throws a chair in the ring but Angle uses it on Show. He covers but Show kicks out and the referee is hit again. Ankle Lock is in and Show taps but there's no referee. A-Train runs out and hits Angle with a back breaker before running out through the crowd. Show connects with the Chokeslam but Brock is here. F5 LIKE SHOW IS A CRUISERWEIGHT and Brock goes after Heyman who runs to the back. Angle covers Show to become the new Champion.
Winner and New WWE Champion: Kurt Angle in 12:36
Not bad. Big Show dominated so it was slow and it got overbooked like crazy in the end. Could've been better. **1/4
Kurt Angle celebrates along with the crowd as he wins his third WWE Title. I could have sworn that Paul Heyman turned on Big Show here. We then cut to the World, where Rob Van Dam is to tell us that HBK is going to win the main event, dude.
World Heavyweight Championship Three Stages of Hell
Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Triple H
So the first fall is a Street Fight and the first weapon to show up is a trash can as Triple H and Shawn Michaels brawl on the outside. Shawn tries to hit HHH but ends up hitting the trash can before pulling out a table. THE BIG GUNS ARE COMING OUT EARLY! He goes for a suplex through it but Triple H blocks. Inside, Shawn reverses HHH's suplex attempt as well but eats the high knee. HHH wisely targets the lower back, which he did at SummerSlam as well. HHH attempts a tilt a whirl backbreaker onto an open chair but Shawn counters into one of his own. Interesting to see Shawn now focus on HHH's back. Shawn panders to the crowd before Sweet Chin Music, so HHH obvious blocks it and slams Shawn's knee to the mat. The psychology shifts to working the knee as Triple H slams it onto the trash can now. HHH locks in a Figure Four in a nice nod to having Ric Flair in his ear over the past few months. Shawn gets out of it but has his head scrambled by a trash can lid shot. They fight up to the entrance where HHH pulls out a barbed wire 2x4! He goes to use it but see the flames in the entrance and decides to light it on fire first. ITS ONLY THE FIRST FALL DUDE, CHILL! Shawn kicks him and uses the flaming 2x4 on HHH. Things go back to the ring where HHH hits a drop toe hold into an open chair. I love how something like a drop toe hold gets utilized in street fights. Shawn nips up but HHH chop blocks him, followed by a Pedigree to take the first fall.
As the Steel Cage for the second fall lowers, HHH throws a bunch of weapons into the ring and busts HBK open. Shawn rallies by bouncing HHH off of the cage a few times. They rumble to the top of the cage as Ric Flair comes down to ringside. Flair stacks up four tables, two on top of two while they're up there. They fall back to the ring and Flair enters, only to get beat down. Shawn lays out both guys with a steel chair and of course, Flair is bleeding. Shawn sets up a table and lays HHH on it. He climbs to the top of the Cage and splashes him through the table to even the score.
The third fall, which we all knew was happening, is a Ladder match. Ric Flair is rolled out of the ring and is GUSHING. Shawn gets things kicked off with a bang by suplexing HHH onto the ladder. They continue to use the ladder as a weapon as Shawn whips HHH into one in the corner. Shawn tries a splash off the ladder but misses and lands awkwardly. HHH follows with the Pedigree but can't get the belt as he's knocked outside. Shawn is alone as he starts the slow climb to the top. The camera wisely doesn't catch Triple H get up as he enters and shoves the ladder, sending Shawn crashing through three of the four tables at ringside. HHH climbs and pulls down the belt.
Winner and New World Heavyweight Champion: Triple H in 38:35
These two have fantastic chemistry but something was off about this match. Having the Cage match in the middle was weird and something just didn't click with this like it does other nights. There were a LOT of high spot moments, but I didn't love it. **3/4
Overall: 5.5/10; Decent. I had high hopes for this show but was disappointed. This Shawn Michaels/Triple H match was nowhere near the level of their SummerSlam classic. Edge/A-Train and the Women's Title matches weren't good, while the WWE Title and Batista/Kane were passable. The only matches really worth it were the opener and the Eddie/Benoit bout. Hopefully, 2003 starts with a better show.
First off, I'd like to apologize for there being no Raw Report yesterday. I had an incredibly busy day and was unable to get to it and for that, I'm sorry. I'm back with the Main Event Report however, so let's dive right in. We start with the Intercontinental Title being on the line. I guess a pin and some DQ wins over Mark Henry earn you a shot as Bo Dallas took on Dolph Ziggler. Cesaro is on commentary for this and, even though moving him from the US Title to the Intercontinental Title is lazy booking, his eventual shot at Dolph should produce a good match. Cesaro is great at putting over both guys on commentary and Dolph wins in about nine minutes. The best match of Bo's main roster career so far.
A recap of the Today Show on Raw is show, which nobody cares for. Tyson Kidd asks Kane for a match because he's more than just "Nattie's husband". Not if you ask the NXT crowd. Kane laughs and says that Nattie already asked for a match for him. Nikki Bella came out next with socks that said "Tough Tatas". It would be her, Cameron and SummerLay in a four on one handicap match. I'm still not sure if SummerLay are officially faces or heels. Brie Bella comes out and actually has a decent little match. Nikki uses the numbers advantage to hit the Rack Attack on Brie and win. The feud continues and this was a good way to do so as it plays into Nikki being put into handicap matches while Brie was out.
Tyson Kidd's headphones are back, making their first appearance since NXT TakeOver: Fatal Four Way. I love it. Zeb Colter badmouths Tyson's manhood saying that it's kept neatly in Natalie's small purse. Tyson Kidd vs. Jack Swagger is a match that I don't think we've seen before and I'd love to see them get more time. This only went about three minutes and Tyson won with a rollup. I enjoyed this. We also get some Raw recaps of Breast Cancer stuff and then the Ambrose comedy.
The last match here on Main Event furthered the WWE Tag Team Title angle as Stardust, along with Goldust, took on I believe Jey Uso, with Jimmy. As usual on Main Event, we were treated to a solid little match that did it's job. I would've closed with Dolph/Bo as it was better, but this wasn't bad. Jey wins in about six minutes with a top rope splash. Another fun episode of Main Event that earns this show a 6.5/10.
Halloween Havoc 1994
10/23/1994 – Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan – Attendance: 14,000
Funny that my last Night of Champions review was in the Joe Louis Arena and I randomly select another show to watch and it's from the same arena. WCW in 1994 is something I don't remember well so this should be interesting. I know that Hulk Hogan was there already and that this was about a year before Nitro would officially begin. I have heard mixed reviews on this show so I have mixed feelings going in but that's the fun in this. Seeing something I've never seen before and forming my own opinion on it. According to the WWE Network description, Hulk Hogan faces Ric Flair in a Career match to main event this which is a wise booking decision as they were the two biggest names in wrestling at the time.
I believe that I saw Muhammad Ali in the front row. The commentary booth has Tony “Greatest Night in the History of Our Spot” Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and MEAN BAH GAWD GENE. He plugs the WCW Hotline of course, just dial 1-900-909-9900. We see the National Anthem performed which I thought was a pre-show deal.
WCW World Television Championship
Johnny B. Badd (c) vs. The Honky Tonk Man
Honky Tonk Man is billed from “Honkyland USA”. I can't make this up. Johnny B. Badd has fangs in his mouth because it's near Halloween or something. It took six minutes, but Schiavone calls this the “biggest night in the history of our sport.” When Badd tries early offense, HTM holds the ropes to prevent it. Badd messes up HTM's hair in what has to be considered a vicious move. We cut away mid-match to Sting being interviewed on the WCW hotline. I honestly prefer that. Honky slows things with a rest hold and they do indeed show Muhammad Ali. Badd tries to come back with a sunset flip but gets two, so Honky resorts to another rest hold. Five minutes remain in the ten minute time limit. Badd rallies with a body slam but again gets stopped by missing an elbow. Honky goes back to a THIRD REST HOLD. We get a reminder that there is now four minutes remaining. Do we really need an update every minute? Badd reverses Shake, Rattle and Roll with a back body drop. Honky ends up trying a pin with his feet on the ropes for two. High risk time for Honky as he nails a double axe handle off of the apron. OHMYGOD! With just over two minutes left, Honky applies REST HOLD NUMBER FOUR! Even the announcers are questioning why he's going with slow moves. Badd hits ten punches in the corner as we have one minute left. Oh my god this is going to end in a draw. They brawl as time expires.
The match ends in a time limit draw at 10:00
This was piss poor. It made no sense as the challenger kept going for rest holds to extend the time. Honky came out looking like an idiot and this did nothing for the Champion. Stupid.DUD
Honky tries to attack the Champion after the match but fails and ends up running with his tail between his legs. Tony Schiavone takes us back to a previous WCW show where Hulk Hogan was attacked by a masked man. He was hit in the knee with a tire iron or something and “walked” back from the hospital. The masked man returned and helped Flair take out Hogan. A few weeks later it was revealed that there was more than one masked man. Lastly, an amateur video is shown of Mr. T coming out of a restaurant with Ric Flair. CONTROVERSEY!
WCW World Tag Team Championship
Stars and Stripes (c) vs. Pretty Wonderful
For those who don't know, Pretty Wonderful is Paul Roma and Paul Orndorff while Stars and Stripes consists of Marcus Bagwell and The Patriot. All four men start the match with fist fights which surprises me. According to the infinite wisdom of Schiavone, Stars and Stripes are a good team because they tag frequently. NO KIDDING. Heenan and Schiavone actually get into an argument about what a tag is. Bagwell forces Orndorff to take a breather outside and tries a “USA” chant that doesn't really catch on. Paul Roma comes in and showboats too much, allowing Stars and Stripes to stay in control. That changes quickly as Pretty Wonderful cut the ring in half and beat on Bagwell for a bit. Mr. Wonderful does a weird dancing elbow drop that I never remember him doing. Roma follows with a botched elbow of his own but Bagwell hits a cross body to try and change the tide. Mr. Wonderful is able to stop his comeback attempt though. The Patriot gets tired of waiting for the hot tag and comes in to make this a four man brawl again. I'm not sure if this is the same Patriot from the WWF in 1997 but he is jacked. Bagwell hits a fisherman suplex but the referee is focused on removing the Patriot, so Roma nails Bagwell with a top rope elbow and the titles change hands.
Winners and New WCW World Tag Team Champions: Pretty Wonderful in 13:47
Not a bad match but not really good either. The fans actually popped for the heels winning which isn't a great sign. Decent. **
MEAN BAH GAWD GENE interviews Ric Flair and Sherri in the back. It's the usual Ric Flair greatness. We then get a recap of the build for Kevin Sullivan vs. David Sullivan. Yuck.
Dave Sullivan vs. Kevin Sullivan
I don't know if it was his gimmick but Kevin Sullivan shouts “HEY” as he walks to the ring. Dave is in full Hulkamania gear and his theme is even called “I Wanna Be a Hulkamaniac”. It's terrible. I'm praying that this is short. Dave knocks Kevin out of the ring and reveals that he is in Hogan attire but with red trunks and not yellow. They go through the motions of some boring offense as Kevin is clearly carrying this, though not very far. He makes the mistake of going to the top and Dave is “Hulking” up. He shoves his bandana in his brother's mouth and hits a terrible looking clothesline. He continues to try and hulk up but the crowd doesn't react. Kevin suckers Dave into believing that he's turned to the good side and he falls for it. They fight outside but Kevin doesn't get inside in time so Dave wins via countout.
Winner via countout: Dave Sullivan in 5:17
It was short so that's a plus. Besides that, this was bad. There was nothing else good about this. DUD
They show a recap of the feud for the upcoming match between Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson.
Arn Anderson w/ Colonel Robert Parker and Meng vs. Dustin Rhodes
Meng and Robert Parker are an odd combination, especially with Arn Anderson. Dustin Rhodes is so fat here compared to twenty years later. Rhodes hits a big lariat off the top for two. Anderson is playing the role of the wily veteran as he uses some wise underhanded tactics to gain the upper hand. Things spill outside where Dustin dodges a move and Arn hits the post. Back inside, Rhodes focuses on the arm and starts to work it for a bit. Dustin misses a move and his momentum takes him over the top and outside hard. He rolled far from the ring too. Arn now takes full advantage of this and hits the slingshot into the bottom rope but seems to hurt himself. Both guys now fire away with chops and double clothesline. That's such a 90's spot. It's hard to believe in Dustin as “The Natural” here when he's in such bad shape. He gets a near fall with a lariat and manages to block Anderson's DDT. There's a lady, who kind of looks like a guy in drag in the front row and she is very into the show. It's entertaining. Dustin removes the knee pad and misses a knee drop so Anderson gets a rollup. He tries to use the ropes and gets stopped by the official, so Dustin reverses and rolls him up for three.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes in 9:50
Best match of the show so far, but that's not saying much. It was solid but nothing special **3/4
Arn Anderson attacks Dustin Rhodes after the match and his stupid “Natural” theme song hits. Going back with Mean BAH GAWD Gene, who is with Jimmy Hart, Brutus Beefcake and Hulk Hogan. Hogan rambles his way through a promo where he mentions slamming Andre the Giant in Detroit seven years prior. I heard a lot of “WELL YOU KNOW SOMETHING BROTHER”.
We get a recap of the build for Steve Austin vs. Jim Duggan and it's funny to hear Austin talk because he sounded like he was in Stone Cold mode. He even called Ricky Steamboat a melee mouth punk.
WCW United States Championship
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. “Stunning” Steve Austin
This is Steve Austin's rematch after dropping the belt to Jim Duggan at Fall Brawl in mere seconds. Austin starts with a sneak attack but ends up eating some shoulder blocks and a slam from the Champion. Duggan applies a sleeper but Austin wriggles free and starts to work the knee. Tony Schiavone tries to say that grounding Duggan is a great strategy but I don't really see it as “great”. Duggan comes back with the longest stalling atomic drop I've ever seen. Duggan's moveset reads like the “Basics of 1990's Wrestling”. It's all generic face stuff. Austin offers a handshake, which Duggan ignores and Austin forgets about instantly because he just goes to the corner. Austin hits back to back double axe handles, but of course, the third fails as Duggan levels him in the gut. He goes to the corner and grabs the referee, hitting a low blow behind his back. Bobby Heenan, in all his greatness says “there goes that trick knee again.” You have to love him. Austin misses a top rope splash and Duggan is making the babyface comeback. As he tries the Three Point Stance, Austin ducks and back body drops him outside, resulting in the disqualification.
Winner via disqualification: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan in 8:02
This wasn't bad but I hate the finish. The over the top DQ works best for a heel using it to retain his title. It was stupid here. **
Steve Austin tries to attack after the match but gets run out of the ring by the 2x4. That's like, three attempted attacks in five matches. Mean Gene plugs the hotline before introducing Sting and getting extremely excited for him. Sting comes out with no face paint but with shades. He will sit in the front row to see what happens in the main event.
The Guardian Angel vs. Vader w/ Harley Race
In the video recap for this feud, The Guardian Angel, or Big Boss Man for those who don't know, lost to Vader at Bash at the Beach by disqualification and he didn't even get caught cheating. He just had a baton in his hand. Good officiating. Vader stops at ringside to bark at Sting and Muhammad Ali which I got a kick out of. His name is dumb here so I'm going to call him the Boss Man for the remainder of this match. He attacks Harley Race before the match in what should be a heel move but it's okay here. They brawl outside for a bit but once they're inside, Boss Man slams Vader onto a fallen Harley Race. Schiavone exclaims “THE GUARDIAN ANGEL HAS GONE BAD”! He hits a splash in the corner that the crowd doesn't react to and that Sting should've shouted gimmick infringement on. The crowd finally pops when Boss Man suplexes Vader but Vader fires back with some stiff jabs. Vader leaps off the second rope but gets caught with a body slam. Boss Man goes up and hits a second rope headbutt for two. Boss Man actually hits an enziguri before knocking Vader outside. Vader turns things around inside and hits the Vader Bomb for two. He tries again but Boss Man gets the knees up. He hits his finisher but decides to focus on Harley again which allows Vader to splash him and win.
Winner: Vader in 8:17
Basic slug fest style match. Two of the better big men of all time and it was decent. Could've been better though. **1/4
More WCW Hotline plugging from MEAN Gene. He introduces Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns. He is a boxer and gets interviewed about nothing really.
Bunkhouse Buck and Terry Funk w/ Colonel Robert Parker and Meng vs. The Nasty Boys
Robert Parker is announced as the best promoter in wrestling. The Nasty Boys, trying to be hip, have Beavis and Butt-Head masks but instead of wearing them, Knobbs just has them on his hands. All out brawl kicks the match off before it breaks down and Saggs sits on Funk and wiggles his rear end. It's like a seated stink face. Funk gets the Pit Stain and reacts hilariously. The teams trade double team beat downs in opposite corners which was funny to me. Funk rolls outside after a beating and starts hitting himself with a chair. What is going on in this match? Saggs gets Funk on the top rope, but not in the corner. Just on the top rope and they kind of stand there doing nothing for a bit until Funk slowly falls outside. I mean slowly. Meng gets on the apron and accidentally knocks Funk out, leading to Saggs hitting Funk with a piledriver onto a pumpkin. Yes, a pumpkin and that ends it.
Winners: The Nasty Boys in 7:56
You know what? I enjoyed that. It wasn't a good match but I found it entertaining and fun. **
Eric Bischoff and Mean BAH GAWD Gene present Muhammad Ali with an award. This was there. Bobby Heenan then passionately promotes Ric Flair and the fact that he's a ten time World Champion. Mr. T will be the special referee and there's speculation about who's side he'll be on as “Hogan sucks” chants can be heard.
WCW World Heavyweight Championship Career vs. Career Steel Cage Match
Hulk Hogan (c) w/ Jimmy Hart and Brother Bruti vs. Ric Flair w/ Sensational Sherri
Brother Bruti is such a stupid name, but so is Brutus Beefcake and the Booty Man. Once the bell rings, Hogan attacks Flair with right hands in the corner and a back body drop. Hogan stays in control until Flair goes for the knee. If the knee didn't come into play here, I would seriously question things. Hogan decides that his knee is okay and he powers up and throws Flair into the cage. He gets into a shoving match with Mr. T as he awkwardly stands in place so he can take a double axe handle from Flair. Flair hits a nice suplex for a near fall before driving short punches into Hogan's head and strutting. Hogan crotches Flair on the top rope and starts to bite Flair. Schiavone exclaims “I'VE NEVER SEEN HOGAN ACT LIKE THIS” which is total BS because he's done heel stuff his whole career. Flair chops away in the corner and Hogan “Hulks Up”. Flair attempts to escape over the top although the only way to win is via pinfall or submission. Hogan catches up to him and lights his chest up with chops. Flair rallies and removes Hogan's knee pad so Mr. T stops and shoves him. Flair applies the Figure Four but it's Hogan, so of course he doesn't quit. He turns it over to break it and Mr. T gets taken out by mistake. Flair notices this and stomps on T as Sherri tries to climb in. Jimmy Hart tries to pull her down and removes her dress. Sherri doesn't stop so Sting brings her down. The masked man comes out from under the ring and wails on Hart and Sting. In one of the most badass moments I've ever seen from a female, Sherri leaps from the cage to double axe handle Hogan barefoot! They beat up Hogan and Flair covers, but T has been handcuffed and takes too long. Flair covers but then decides to get up and stomp on T. Dumb. Flair hits a suplex and Hogan is back up to be Superman. Hogan completes the comeback sequence and hits the Leg Drop to win.
Winner and Still WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan in 19:25
I heard great things about this but I wasn't a big fan. Too much stupidity and overbooking for no reason. It wasn't bad, just wasn't amazing. Also, the masked man just disappeared.**3/4
Hulk Hogan celebrates as Muhammad Ali exits and Bobby Heenan sounds like his child died or something. The masked man is finally back and goes to take out Hogan with the pipe, but Hogan stops him. When he unmasks him, it turns out to be Brother Bruti! OHMYGOD! THE SURPRISE OF THE CENTURY! Bruti, instead of acting like a serious contender, is suddnely scared to death. Kevin Sullivan runs out along with Earthquake and they all beat up Hogan. Come to think of it, Brother Bruti came out with Hogan but disappeared. Sting runs back down and takes out all three heels before checking on Hogan.
Overall: 4.5/10; Below Average. I expected to hate this show but I didn't. While the opener was dreadful and the Sullivan brothers bout sucked, everything else was at least watchable. The main event was the match of the night and everything on the show, besides the two DUDS got two stars at the minimum. Not a recommended show but not the worst show either. Next on “Random Network Reviews” will be “SuperBrawl Revenge”.
