WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #3 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #3
August 31st, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

Looking at the cards, episode #3 was my most anticipated one of the first round. It features three of my favorite girls on the independent scene.

The opening video package gave short introductions for the eight women competing tonight, voiced over by Mauro Ranallo.

Ayesha Raymond vs. Toni Storm
I’ve never seen Raymond before. She’s 27 and can apparently deadlift over 450 pounds. Storm has been KILLING it lately and is very popular. She’s just 21 and is the first PROGRESS Women’s Champion. Storm stood out and looked more like a star before even locking up than everyone else so far. Raymond didn’t shake hands, but Storm paid her back with some cockiness of her own. Storm got to bust out the ass attacks, which got a pop. Raymond took over a bit with her power, while Storm rallied behind the “Aussie” chants. The finish was VERY awkward, as Raymond faked out her finish, then missed a splash and got pulled into a lame looking cradle to lose in 4:27. It worked as a decent showcase for Storm. She didn’t show a ton of offense but she oozed charisma. [**½]

Charlotte and Sara Amato were shown in the crowd.

Dakota Kai vs. Kavita Devi
Devi is the first Indian woman in the WWE. Kai is my absolute favorite in the tournament, formerly known as Evie. She’s been great in SHIMMER, Shine and STARDOM in recent years. She’s signed to the WWE. Like Raymond in the previous match, Devi held the clear strength advantage. Her doing a slow motion lucha arm drag was not a good look. It looked bad and she should probably stick to power stuff for now. Kai got in some dropkicks that had no effect and then looked to die on a press slam. Kai quickened the pace and delivered a huge running kick, before scoring with a diving double stomp to win in 3:56. The double stomp looked more impactful than Balor’s, to be honest. Kai did her best to sell and bump for Devi, but Devi didn’t know enough to even work a four minute match. She was very repetitive. Still, kudos to Kai for selling during and after the match. Kai meets Rhea Ripley in round two. [**]

The Rock’s family was shown in the crowd. His mother, his daughter and his ex-wife, sitting with Nia Jax.

Bianca Belair vs. Sage Beckett
Both are signed to WWE. Beckett is 32 and was trained by the Dudley Boyz, while Belair is 28 and has been working for about a year. Again, we had someone with a clear size and strength advantage. Maybe they should’ve put these matches on separate episodes. Belair fired up but the crowd didn’t seem that into it. Beckett got a pop from me for busting out the old Bubba Bomb. She ended up missing the Vader Bomb and Belair whipped her with her braid. She followed with a spear to win in 5:33. Average outing, though the story of a bigger girl having control and making a mistake that costs her is redundant on this episode. With no familiar faces in this one, the crowd was less invested than the first two matches. [**]

Piper Nevin vs. Santana Garrett
It blows my mind that Garrett hasn’t been signed yet. She’s 29, worked with TNA and STARDOM and has won tons of titles. She also has the kind of look that the WWE would typically market. Nevin is signed and formerly known as Viper. She’s 26 and has worked for STARDOM, WCPW and other promotions. The crowd was split for this one. From the start, it was clear that this would be the best “speed vs. size” matchup. Santana used her quickness and athleticism to find ways to negate Piper’s size. Piper powered out of a submission and pulled out a cross body of her own. That led to Piper slowing the pace and wearing down Santana. Santana fought back with a tornado DDT and Eat Defeat (I wouldn’t have her do that, since it’s another girl’s finish). She survived another splash and pulled out the Trish handstand rana for two. The fans came to their feet just before Santana missed her finish. Piper hit a senton and weird looking Michinoku Driver to win in 7:09. Another quality main event. They told a tried and true story very well, but I was kind of burnt out by that tale on this episode. Santana and Piper are both great and it’s a shame one had to go out so early. The dynamic worked and the crowd was way invested. Piper faces Serena Deeb in the next round. [***½]

Overall: 6/10. I wanted to like this episode more. With Toni Storm, Dakota Kai, Santana Garrett and Piper Nevin, it could’ve been great. However, Storm and Kai were paired with women who weren’t anywhere near their level and put in short matches. They both looked good, though. Belair/Beckett was alright. The main event was very good and showed why Nevin and Garrett are so good. I just would’ve put some of these matches on different episodes due to how redundant they were.

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #2 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #2
August 30th, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

After a solid debut episode, I dive back into the Mae Young Classic. I’m familiar with six of the eight women on this episode.

The opening video package showed highlights from episode one.

Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li
Li is signed to the WWE and has only worked a tiny amount of matches. Martinez is a 36-year old vet who has been in SHIMMER, Shine, ROH and many other promotions. I’ve been watching her for about ten years at this point. Martinez had fun with the opening handshake, intimidating Li and mocking her. Lie responded with a series of kicks that overwhelmed Martinez. Li made the mistake of running into a spinebuster and Martinez took her to school. Martinez turned a surfboard into a dragon sleeper for the submission victory in 3:06. I liked the potential that Li showed. In her first televised match, she was given a chance to show off and did well. Martinez made her look good. Martinez faces Princesa Sugehit next. [**½]

Marti Belle vs. Rachel Evers
Belle, 29, has been seen in TNA and Shine. Evers, 24, is the daughters of Paul Ellering, was trained by Lance Storm and has impressed me in some appearances for Shine. Early on, Belle went to stall tactics and called for timeout when Evers had control. Marti took over a bit, but the stronger Evers did the old school spot where she no sold turnbuckle smashes. Evers showed off a fisherman slam, which I don’t think I’ve seen before. Marti responded with a bad looking Stroke for a near fall. Rachel then rolled her up to win from out of nowhere at 6:10. That wasn’t any good. Marti looked horrible. She was sloppy as hell and, though I like Evers, she didn’t stand out either. Easily the worst match so far. Evers meets Laith in the next round. [¼*]

New signees Shadia Bsesio and Kacy Catanzaro were shown in the audience.

A video package was shown of Triple H giving the 32 participants a talk at the Performance Center.

Miranda Salinas vs. Rhea Ripley
Salinas, 23, was trained by Booker T, while Ripley is just 20 years old and signed to WWE. Ripley is way taller. After some basic grappling exchanges, Ripley busted out a sweet dropkick. Like, some of the top dropkick guys in the business would be a bit jealous. Salinas didn’t back down, regrouping and finding a way to take her larger opponent down. Ripley brought more dropkicks, including a hesitation one in the corner. A full nelson slam later and Ripley won at 3:51. In the short time, they told a fine David vs. Goliath story. The important thing here was Ripley looked like a star. Of the girls I’ve never seen before, she seems to have the most potential. [**]

Beth Phoenix and Natalya were shown in the crowd.

Mia Yim vs. Sarah Logan
Logan is the former Crazy Mary Dobson, is 23 and signed to WWE. Yim is 28 and has worked for TNA, SHIMMER and Shine in the past. They started with a quick pace and had the crowd giving split chants. Yim showed off an impressive array of kicks, with Logan conjuring up FIGHTING SPIRIT, only to keep getting kicked. As a side note, this was the most knowledgeable Lita sounded in the tournament, noting their past and Yim using the tarantula as a tribute to her old trainer, Tajiri. The women continued to hit each other hard with strikes, kicks and knees. They moved to suplexes, with Yim hitting some great looking ones. Logan was fired up and resilient, constantly fighting back and racking up near falls. Logan missed a weak looking strike and fell to Eat Defeat in 7:17. The best thing on this episode. There was some great looking moves throughout and Logan showed some great babyface fire. Yim was very impressive in her own right. I enjoyed the back and forth aspect, as it hasn’t been something we’ve seen a lot of in the tournament so far. Yim faces Baszler next round. [***¼]

Overall: 5.5/10. Not the best episode if you’re looking for great matches. Only Yim/Logan stuck out to me. However, what did work was how some girls got to showcase potential. Ripley has future star written all over her and a great presence, while Li and Logan looked to be good pieces for the Performance Center. Martinez being on WWE TV was quite cool, too. Avoid Evers/Belle, though. That didn’t work at all.

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #1 Review

WWE Mae Young Classic Episode #1
August 28th, 2017 | Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida

I’d love to pump out reviews of these episodes as quickly as possible, but I have quite the busy schedule for school (at Full Sail, no less) this week. Except for Tuesday. Therefore, I’m going to do my best to review at least one episode per day this week. I’ll be using the date I watch each episode as the date listed on the review.

Stephanie McMahon, pioneer for all things women’s wrestling related, voiced over the opening video package that showcased women throughout history. It called this the “greatest era” for women’s wrestling.

Jim Ross and Lita were on commentary. They had to re-record their work due to some issues.

Kay Lee Ray vs. Princesa Sugehit
Like the CWC, we got a video package to highlight the competitors. Sugehit is a 37-year old Mexican luchador with over 680 matches under her belt. Ray is 25 and from Scotland. I’ve seen Ray in PROGRESS and SHIMMER in the past, but never any Sugehit. They did the handshake gimmick like the CWC. The setting was quite dark as the lights in the crowd were very dim. Fans were behind Ray. She was confident, but Sugehit used her quickness to combat it. Sugehit busted out an impressive Code Red that was probably the best spot. Another highlight was Ray turning a kickout into a Koji Clutch, but Sugehit countered. Ray’s high risk style cost her, as she missed a swanton and Sugehit made her tap to an armbar in 5:58. Good way to start the tournament. The cocky, younger, more popular girl made a few too many mistakes and the veteran made her pay. Good stuff. [***]

Naomi was shown in the crowd.

Serena Deeb vs. Vanessa Borne
The video package showed Borne is 28 and has a past as a broadcast announcer and cheerleader. She is signed to WWE. Deeb (31) obviously worked as Serena in the Straight Edge Society, but had alcohol issues that cost her the job. Deeb has had quite the body transformation and looks very different. Of note, this was the first match officiated by WWE’s first female referee. Deeb controlled early with her experience edge. Borne had some nice offense, including a sliding headbutt that I don’t think I’ve seen before. She wore Deeb down for a bit, before the comeback started. Borne took a great bump on a neckbreaker. Deeb missed a spear, and Borne tried a few moves that weren’t enough. The frustration was clear, opening the door for the Deeb rally and Spear to win in 6:05. I thought this was solid. Borne is clearly still learning, so pairing her with Deeb was wise. She led a smart match and Borne showed some flashes. I could see Deeb either getting a run with the WWE or as a trainer at the PC out of this. [**¼]

Charly Caruso gave us nothing of note in the control center. Ronda Rousey, Marina Shafir and Jessmyn Duke were shown in the crowd to support Shayna Baszler.

Shayna Baszler vs. Zeda
Zeda is signed to WWE and has a short background in MMA. She represents China. Baszler is 37 and one of the “Four Horsewomen” of MMA. No handshake from Shayna and we got “Shayna’s gonna kill you” chants. She took Zeda down and disrespectfully slapped her. They grappled around on the mat, with Shayna having the upper hand. Zeda surprised many by picking up a near fall with a monkey flip. Shayna countered a hanging guillotine into a falcon arrow/rear naked choke combo. Zeda tapped at 2:19. Pretty much the perfect way for Shayna to start. You establish her as a killer and Zeda’s the kind of girl who can take a loss like this since she has no name value and will continue to work at the PC. [**¼, but **** booking]

Abbey Laith vs. Jazzy Gabert
Laith is better known as Kimber Lee. She’s 27 and currently signed to WWE, hence the name change. Gabert is 35, represents Germany and is one imposing looking woman. Gabert gave the handshake, but pulled Laith in hard. Laith came out of the blocks with fire, but her shots didn’t have much effect. The crowd ate everything up. Gabert began tossing her around. They did a cool spot where Gabert caught a kick and slammed Laith’s leg down, only for Abbey to go into a split and show it didn’t hurt. Gabert walloped her with strikes and Laith had to fight for her life to escape submissions. Laith made her comeback and hit the swanton bomb that Kay Lee Ray missed earlier. It wasn’t enough and Laith looked at a loss for what to do next. Gabert wrecked her with a lariat and some mounted punches. As Gabert went for the kill, Laith countered into the Alligator Clutch pin, which she learned her trainer who was taught it by Mae Young, to score the upset in 7:09. The best thing on the show. Great David vs. Goliath story and both women came out of this looking awesome. Laith showed strong fire, Gabert was a brilliant monster and everything they did made sense. The added touch of a Mae Young finish to the match was great. [***½]

Overall: 7/10. I found this to be a good way to kick off the tournament. Nothing on the show was bad and everything flowed nicely. The format is very much like the CWC, which is fine. The biggest issue was the commentary, as it came off clunky and awkward. Ray/Sugehit was good fun, Borne/Deeb was solid for what it was and Borne showed potential. Baszler was booked expertly and the main event was very good, getting both women over. I look forward to more.

Random Match Review #14

Austin Aries and Kota Ibushi vs. The Briscoes – ROH Tag Wars 2008 4/18/08; Michigan State Fairgrounds & Expo Center


ROH had a banner year in 2007. 2008 got off to a great start as well, but was bolstered by the arrival of Kota Ibushi. Ibushi was still a bit of a baby in the industry, having debuted about four years prior. His short stint with ROH in the Spring of 2008 marked his first appearances in the United States. He suffered losses to Davey Richards and Claudio Castagnoli before this match. Not much else of a backstory here, as it was just the best tag team in ROH at the time against a singles ace in Austin Aries and an international star.

The early portion of this match felt rather pedestrian. Not that they were bad, but it felt like the fans, and myself, were just waiting for things to get out of hand. The Briscoes picked up the pace, working a heat segment on Ibushi and reminding everyone why they were the best team in the world at the time. That heat segment was great. It was perfect for the Briscoes, because they got to show off their skills and do it at a crazy quick pace that wowed the audience. With Kota struggling early, you could sense some fans wondered if Aries would remain a loyal partner. He was in the midst of a storyline where he may or may not join the villainous Age of the Fall.

When Aries got the hot tag, it got even better. He had a rather lengthy history with the Briscoes and it showed. Kota got to bust out his double moonsault, which is honestly a contrived spot, but worked here because the fans weren’t used to it and popped big time. The traditional tag formula went out the window by that point, with no more tagging and guys coming in and out for spots. Yet, it doesn’t fully become a spot fest. There’s a reason behind stuff and the underlying stories of Aries being the strong link against the Briscoes and Kota desperately wanting to return home with a win, remained evident. The Briscoes managed to finally hit Aries with the Doomsday Device, leaving Kota alone. He fought valiantly, but fell victim to a spike Jay Driller to lose in 17:36.

Great tag team acting. Ibushi got to shine and showcase his stuff in his first trip to the States, while the Briscoes were allowed to be the great team that they are. The inclusion of Aries could’ve felt like an afterthought, but his history with the Briscoes and past as an ROH World Tag Team Champion were key factors. They weaved that into the story of the match brilliantly. The desperation of Kota, the upper hand of Aries (and his AOTF questions) and the overall excellence of the Briscoes. It made for quality TV. [****]

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History

#1) Stretcher Match: Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy - WWE Smackdown 4/10/09 [***½]

#2) Steve Austin vs. Val Venis – WWF Smackdown 10/21/99 [**¾]

#3) Prince Devitt vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – PROGRESS Chapter 13: Unbelievable Jeff 5/18/14 [***¾]

#4) NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ricky Steamboat [c] vs. Ric Flair – WrestleWar 5/7/89 [****¾]

#5) GWF Light Heavyweight Championship 2 Out of 3 Falls: Lightning Kid [c] vs. Jerry Lynn – GWF 12/27/91 [***]

#6) PROGRESS Championship: Marty Scurll [c] vs. Mark Haskins vs. Tommy End – PROGRESS Chapter 36: We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Room…Again 9/25/16 [***½]

#7) TNA Legends Championship I Quit Match: AJ Styles [c] vs. Booker T – TNA Sacrifice 5/24/09 [***¼]

#8) AWA World Heavyweight Championship: Nick Bockwinkel [c] vs. Hulk Hogan – AWA Super Sunday 4/24/83 [***]

#9) GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship: KENTA [c] vs. Low Ki – ROH Final Battle 12/17/05 [****½]

#10) NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament: The Miracle Violence Connection vs. The Steiner Brothers – Clash of the Champions XIX 6/16/92 [****]

#11) NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW Power Struggle 11/8/14 [****½]

#12) IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Naomichi Marufuji [c] vs. Prince Devitt – NJPW Dominion 6/19/10 [****}

#13) PROGRESS Championship: El Ligero [c] vs. Ricochet – PROGRESS Chapter 6: We <3 Violence 3/31/13 [***¼]

Random Match Review: 8/25/17

PROGRESS Championship: El Ligero [c] vs. Ricochet – PROGRESS Chapter 6: We <3 Violence 3/31/13; The Garage


I’d like to thank everyone who voted, as this got the most total votes of any poll I’ve posted so far. 

There’s not much of a backstory to this one. This was the early days of PROGRESS and El Ligero was only the second champion in company history. We’re so far back that there wasn’t even a belt yet. The title was a staff. Ricochet was the first American to appear in PROGRESS since Chapter 1 and got a title shot in his debut.

It was weird seeing Ricochet here, as he looked considerably smaller and had a mohawk. It was pretty clear that he was very good, getting the upper hand on El Ligero at almost every turn. As if Ligero wasn’t ready for his level of skill. The champion finally got an opening with a dropkick. With him in control, we got to see more of a guy who was a top champion. For the early portions, he certainly didn’t feel like he was in Ricochet’s league. As he slowed the pace, things worked in his favor. Of course, Ricochet would find ways to regain some of the control, but the match moved into a more back and forth affair.

Though the match was more even in the later stages, it still felt like Ricochet was the star. His offense is always impressive, so the fans gobbled up everything he did. However, some of Ricochet’s aerial stuff came back to bit him in the ass. He missed a Phoenix Splash and Ligero got his knees up on a Shooting Star Press attempt. Ligero delivered a great looking reverse rana and springboard tornado DDT to remain champion after 18:09.

This was a fun main event, just not a great one. It worked as a great showcase for Ricochet, though I feel Ligero didn’t come off looking too great. It seemed like the outsider was way above the top PROGRESS guy in terms of skill. Ligero did manage to show some resourcefulness and resiliency, though. A good outing with a clean finish, just not dramatic enough to take it to the next level. [***¼]

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Random Match Review: 8/24/17

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Naomichi Marufuji [c] vs. Prince Devitt – NJPW Dominion 6/19/10; Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium


At Wrestle Kingdom earlier in the year, Naomichi Marufuji won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship, despite being a Pro Wrestling NOAH regular. On that same night, Prince Devitt and Ryusuke Taguchi successfully defended their Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles. In the time between then and Dominion, Devitt’s team was stripped of the titles for not defending them and he entered the 2010 Best of the Super Juniors Tournament. Devitt bested Kota Ibushi in the finals to earn this title shot.

Though the men were close in age (Devitt was 28 and Marufuji was 30), Marufuji would be considered the veteran. He was accomplished, having won the Super J Cup twice, a Heavyweight Title in NOAH and Jr. Titles in NJPW, NOAH and AJPW. Devitt’s BOTSJ win was the biggest singles accomplishment for him so far. Marufuji beat Devitt in their first match in the Super J Cup Finals a year prior, and again at a show earlier in 2010. Devitt needed to finally beat Marufuji to bring the title back to NJPW.

The veteran instinct of Marufuji came into play early. Devitt was amped and busted out a dive in the opening minutes, but Marufuji had a game plan and took the attack to his challenger’s leg. He slammed it on the apron and applied submissions like a modified stretch muffler and figure four. Devitt refused to quit, surviving it all. He began his rally, which the crowd was firmly behind. Some of his stuff involved the use of his leg a bit too much, with no time taken to sell it. IF you’re going to use a body part that’s been worked on, at least stop to sell the pain or shake it out or something. To be fair, he was better about it in the later stages. 

They had a brilliant exchange of kick attempts, where they each dodged a bunch. Marufuji would win out, catching Devitt with stiff kick after stiff kick. As the match reached its final point, they called back to previous outings. Marufuji needed to reach deep to beat Devitt this time, because he wouldn’t stay down. He went for high risk offense, taking Devitt to the top rope. That mistake proved costly when Devitt countered and hit Bloody Sunday off the top to take the championship away from NOAH and earn his first Jr. Heavyweight Title at 20:20.

Great match, with the added bonus of the almost always excellent Osaka crowd. I had some issues with the leg selling at times, but other than that, this ruled. They had great exchanges and reversals from knowing so much about each other in their past battles. A lot of the time, it looked like Marufuji was the better wrestler. He was almost always a step ahead. But Devitt wouldn’t quit and survived a lot to finally take home the title. [****]

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Random Match Review: 8/22/17

NEVER Openweight Championship: Tomohiro Ishii [c] vs. Hirooki Goto – NJPW Power Struggle 11/8/14; Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium


At King of Pro Wrestling a month earlier, Tomohiro Ishii regained the NEVER Openweight Title and now came face to face with Hirooki Goto. The NEVER Title sort of became the de facto championship for matches where dudes just stiff one another and go to war. Considering Ishii and Goto, that’s what I expected coming into this. I’ve seen them meet in later years and it’s always fun. All three meetings were in the G1, coming in 2015 (****½), 2016 (***½) and 2017 (****).

People wanted them to go to war and that’s just what they did. There were brutal strikes from the opening bell. That’s Ishii’s domain and, though Goto can hold his own there, he got outmatched early. A chop exchange led to him crumpling to the mat in pain. Goto manned up and returned the favor to Ishii in the next few minutes, setting the tone that he would dish out as good as he took. The sheer brutality in this never wavered. Strike after strike. Chop after chop. Lariat after lariat. It seemed to become about more than the title, it was a test of who was manlier. A great exchange saw Goto finally send Ishii down with a lariat, only for him to pop up and return the favor. Goto got up instantly and they took each other out with simultaneous lariats.

With each move someone survived, the crowd got louder and more invested. They continued to stiff each other and I honestly have no idea how they kept the pace they did. Goto nearly decapitated Ishii with a lariat, only for Ishii to kick out at one. That really took the crowd to the next level. Goto put the focus on Ishii’s neck and head, hitting several neckbreakers and USHIGOROSHI (shoutout to Mauro). Ishii had blood in his mouth and I’m not sure if it was something internal or a busted lip. After surviving the very best they could throw at each other, Ishii put Goto down and retained in 17:15.

This is what the NEVER Openweight Title was built on. Two warriors doing battle to not just win, but outlast the other. They worked the crowd into a frenzy and never stopped. It’s the Tomohiro Ishii special. 12-20 minutes of non-stop, hard hitting action and a never say die attitude. Goto gave him everything in his arsenal, but Ishii weathered the storm and retained the gold. A must-see match that’s probably their second best encounter ever. [****½]

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Random Match Review: 8/21/17

NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament: The Miracle Violence Connection vs. The Steiner Brothers – Clash of the Champions XIX 6/16/92; McAlister Field House


Looking to re-establish their relationship with the NWA, WCW hosted an NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament. The opening stuff went down on this edition of the Clash of the Champions. Earlier in the night, the Miracle Violence Connection, Steve Williams and Terry Gordy, defeated Jeff and Larry O’Dea. The Steiner Brothers beat Miguel Perez Jr. and Ricky Santana via forfeit, which got them to the second round here.

I’ve seen these teams wrestle once. At Beach Blast, four days after this, they wrestled to a thirty minute draw. Rick started the match for his team and commentary instantly noted that was unusual for the Steiners. Little things like that being noticed by commentary adds so much. It really made this feel like a strategic head game, rather than Rick just wanting to start. Some of the early stuff felt clunky, but they made it work. For example, Scott had trouble bridging up with Gordy on him and instead of feeling like a botch, it was more like we saw how not even Scott’s strength was enough against these opponents.

Once things picked up, this became one of the manlier tag matches you’ll find. Scott started throwing suplexes and the intensity revved up. Slaps, ground and pound and stiff shots were the name of the game from there on out. The fans woke up for that, popping for the big offense and biting on near falls. Rick got the hot tag of sorts, as we were treated to the old “referee didn’t see the tag” spot. Scott had his leg worked on, so when he got clipped late, it seemed like it might be the end but he survived a great gorilla press slam. Scott came back with an attempted belly to belly suplex, only to get clipped again. Williams landed on top of him and got the three at 15:01 to eliminate the tournament’s #1 seed.

Early on, this wasn’t really working for me. I just wanted to see them go at it, but the slow start left something to be desired. Once it got going, I was way into this. Rugged action that looked legitimate at times and felt different to a lot of what was going on at the time. The finish worked because it came as a shock and played into the leg work from earlier. I prefer their match from Beach Blast, but this was still great. [****]

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WWE SummerSlam Review

WWE SummerSlam 2017
August 20th, 2017 | Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

Oh, boy. These six hour shows tend to be very middle of the pack.

Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel and WWE Intercontinental Champion The Miz w/ Maryse vs. The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan
This match just happened on Raw last week. It started around 5:30PM EST and the crowd was mostly still outside the arena. Not a good look. The Hardys returned at Mania in front of a massive crowd and were back to working in front of GFW/TNA levels of empty seats. Anyway, the match was similar to the one on Raw, but flowed better and didn’t go too long. That helped things out. Jeff took most of the heat for his team and Matt got the hot tag to several “DELETE” chants. Jordan eventually got another hot tag of sorts, throwing Dallas and Axel around. The finish saw a barrage of moves from everyone until Jordan went for the Angle Slam. Miz had blind tagged in and planted Jordan with the Skull Crushing Finale at 10:33. It was a match. Wasn’t too bad, wasn’t too interesting either. Miz deserves better.[**]

WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Akira Tozawa [c] w/ Titus O’Neil vs. Neville
Neville brought out the all white gear tonight. There was a lot of back and forth stuff early on, but the crowd wasn’t very invested. Despite things playing out evenly early, it felt like Tozawa may have had Neville’s number. He locked in the Octopus Hold and got two near falls shortly after. Neville responded by going after the previously injured shoulder, though I’d have liked more focus on that throughout. Neville cut Tozawa off up top and ended up getting his knees up to block the senton that beat him on Raw. Neville followed with the Red Arrow to the back to regain the title in 11:44. Solid match, with some issues. A lackluster crowd hurt it and I wish there was better psychology related stuff earlier, though the finish was nice. I don’t get the point of doing the title switch for no real reason. [***]

WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The New Day [c] w/ Kofi Kingston vs. The Usos
The Kickoff MAIN EVENT! These teams tore the house down last month, though we got Big E instead of Kofi Kingston this time. The most important thing to note, was that Xavier Woods was still involved. He came out looking like a star. He played a great face in peril and the Usos were great at cutting off the hot tag. Big E got to run wild once he got it, which was when the action and pace picked up. The Usos busted out some new offense, including an incredible spot where they did the Alley-Uce from in the ring to the outside. I’ve never seen anyone do that. New Day came close to winning, but the pin was broken up. I completely bought into it. The same could be said for a splash spot on Woods at one point. Big E had a tope suicida cut off with a superkick, before being taken out with a splash. Woods ate another splash for another title switch in 19:12. Slightly below their Battleground match, but still something great. This was the first thing the crowd got excited for, the chemistry between the teams was off the charts and we even got a bit of history. The Usos joined Edge & Christian, the Dudley Boyz, the Hardy Boyz and the New Age Outlaws as the only teams to win four Tag Team Titles. [****¼]

The main card began here.

Baron Corbin vs. John Cena
Seeing John Cena open a show is strange. He was in a playful mood, going to commentary to say that Corbin was “shook.” About a week ago, Corbin looked to be in line for something big. He had a marquee match with Cena and the Money in the Bank briefcase. He lost his cash-in and looked weak here. At no point did he look like a legitimate threat. I think Corbin’s at his best against smaller opponents who bump well for him (Zayn, Kalisto), which isn’t Cena’s style. Most of Cena’s recent run has been very basic, paint-by-numbers stuff and this was no different. Cena won via Attitude Adjustment in 10:11. It wasn’t bad, it just felt like something that I’d see on a house show or TV. It didn’t belong on Pay-Per-View at all. Corbin had a horrible week, while Cena moves on to Raw most likely. [**¼]

WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship: Naomi [c] vs. Natalya
It was almost impossible to get interested in this one. Two bland women in a big time title match. That was clear from the crowd response, as they basically sat on their hands for this entire match. To be fair, they tried their hardest. Natalya brought good offense and Naomi bumped around quite well. I thought Natalya was a solid bully and she didn’t throw in too much of her awkward character work that tends to drag her matches down. I liked the tease of Carmella watching from the back, teasing her cash-in. Naomi fired up and rallied, but in surprising fashion, it wasn’t enough. Natalya slapped on her second Sharpshooter and Naomi had no choice but to tap out after 10:50. Natalya as champion sounds painful, but this was better than expected. Good effort, though the crowd didn’t care about any of it. No Carmella cash-in was disappointing. [**¾]

Big Cass vs. Big Show
Enzo Amore was suspended in a shark cage above the ring. It was nowhere near as high as Paul Ellering or Chris Jericho in recent months. Anyway, this was pitiful. Whoever thought giving Show and Cass s10:27 is a moron. It was so boring. Show sold his hand a bunch and Cass’ offense was dreadful. Enzo put the spotlight on himself with his antics in the cage, before lubing himself up, stripping to his boxers and escaping the cage. It all led to an instant big boot. So again, Enzo looked like a complete loser. Cass hit two big boots and the Empire Elbow to mercifully end this. Up there with Rusev/Cena and the House of Horrors for worst WWE PPV match this year. [DUD]

Randy Orton vs. Rusev
Fuck this. Rusev jumped Orton before the match to give himself an advantage. As soon as the bell rang, Orton hit the RKO and won in 0:09. Randy’s stunk up the joint for most of 2017 and took losses on four straight PPVs, so I knew he’d win here, but seriously? Honest question coming up. Other than the 1.3 billion people in India, why isn’t Rusev in Jinder’s spot? Not making a knock on Jinder, but Rusev is great in the ring and super charismatic. He deserves better than this shit. [NR]

WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss [c] vs. Sasha Banks
Sasha came out with a peacock like headdress. The good thing about these two is that their reported legitimate beef has led to some stiff shots in their matches. This was no different. I thought the opening minutes of this delivered in spades. Unfortunately, it seemed to drag on in the back half. Alexa worked the arm and it wasn’t all that interesting at that point. Sasha made a comeback and won with the Bank Statement in 13:17, but that finish felt very anti-climactic. It felt like they realized the finish was coming up and had to rush it after taking a while with most of the back half stuff. Like I said, I thought the opening stretch was great, but we got half a strong match here. I’m also not sure about putting the title on Sasha here. [**½]

Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor
I watched this show with my girlfriend, who was mainly waiting for Finn. His “Demon” paint was cool and I liked that it felt like he was a different person from the guy who lost to Bray on Monday. Too often, the “Demon” wrestles just like Finn. There needs to be something to set him apart. They did some good mind games like moments, including one where they had a cool staredown. Finn was more aggressive than usual here and had to escape Sister Abigail more than a few times. In the end, Bray attempted his spider walk thing, but Finn just got up and was having none of it. That took Bray aback and Finn finished him with a flurry capped by the Coup de Grace in 10:41. Not a match many will probably remember, though I thought it was solid and the best thing on the main show thus far. I got a kick out of seeing the paint for the first time in a year and Finn got a much-needed win. Plus, it was the first good Bray singles match on PPV this year. [***]

WWE Raw Tag Team Championship: Cesaro and Sheamus [c] vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins
The mini-Shield reunion has been fun and has potential to be a highlight of the rest of 2017. Dean and Seth have been lost in the shuffle of the singles scene on Raw and could be a kick in the ass for the tag division. Take note, NJPW. The crowd was into this, but really got going when Cesaro hopped into the stands and popped a beach ball some bored fans were playing with. This was not the match to pull something like that, as it was a lot of fun. There were great tandem moments from both teams, awesome spots and close near falls. Cesaro and Sheamus are a great team that I think get very underrated. The end saw Seth super rana Cesaro into Sheamus and Dean, causing a huge car wreck like scene. Seth then hit superkicks and his Rainmaker V-Trigger spot, before Dean got the win with Dirty Deeds in 18:34. Awesome match. Lots of action, a match that moved along briskly and had a hot crowd. Once Cesaro popped the beach ball, this picked up and never stopped. I’m all for a big rematch at the next Raw PPV. The Tag Title matches shined tonight. [****]

WWE United States Championship: AJ Styles [c] vs. Kevin Owens
Shane McMahon was the special guest referee. These two have had good matches, marred by cheap finishes and shenanigans. This followed that trope. The action was mostly good, as these are two of the best in the world (with AJ being THE best), even though a few moves weren’t as crisp as they should’ve been. My main gripe was the focus on Shane. I totally understand that this was all to set up Owens/Shane, but they beat us over the head with the idea that Shane is the one ref who could take a hit. He got hit over and over again. There was a funny moment where Owens got upset at him, shouting, “YOU CAN FALL OFF BUILDINGS BUT YOU CAN’T GET UP TO MAKE A COUNT?” AJ eventually won with the Phenomenal Forearm in 17:23. They told a great story, but some parts were wacky and didn’t hit the way they needed to for this to be truly great. [***¾]

WWE Championship: Jinder Mahal [c] w/ The Singh Brothers vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Nakamura got his violinist for his entrance. My feelings about Mahal were magnified in this match. He hit on the heel mannerisms and looked the part, but a lot of the in-ring stuff missed the mark. This started fine, with a fair amount of action and Nakamura being his charismatic self. It quickly slowed down as Jinder took over on offense. That segment was mostly dull. Nakamura attempted to make his comeback, only for the Singh Brothers to get involved. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Nakamura fought them off and then fell to a weak looking Khallas in 11:25. I may have been too nice with this score, but there was potential for a good match in there. It got ruined by a dull middle and the overdone, already boring Jinder match finish. Also, it was an odd way for Nakamura to lose. He just beat John Cena clean and survived an AA, but lost in relatively easy fashion here. Strange. [**¾]

WWE Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar [c] w/ Paul Heyman vs. Braun Strowman vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe
Ah, now this is more I like it. A major title match that felt like a big deal and delivered like one. I wanted a war and that’s exactly what I got. This was magnificently chaotic. Braun came out looking like the biggest star in the world. He owned Lesnar, putting him through two tables and dropping a third on top of him. Brock did the stretcher job to avoid doing too much work. Braun also launched the announcer’s chair again, because he’s awesome. Reigns got booed every time he did something, while Joe was kind of just there. Not that he was bad, but he didn’t play a major role and I wish he did. Although, he did come close a few times with the Coquina Clutch. Brock made his return and went right at Braun. It was incredible to see Brock sell so much for a non-part timer. We had several broken tables, a broken guardrail, chairs and four beefy dudes beating the shit out of each other. What more could I ask for? The multi-man match doesn’t always work, but WWE got it right this time around. Brock retained after hitting Reigns with an F5 at 20:52, to end a fantastic match. This was one of the best SummerSlam main events ever. I gave the same score to the closing matches in 1992, 2009 and 2013, but that’s about it. [****½]

Overall: 6/10. As is the case with a lot of these six hour affairs, this was a mixed bag. When the show hit, it was rad. When it missed, it struck out by a mile. There were three standout matches. The two Tag Team Title matches were absolutely must-see and the Universal Title match was an incredible spectacle. Go out of your way to see them. I thought AJ/Owens was very good, while Bray/Finn and the Cruiserweight Title were solid. The rest of the show could be skipped for the most part. The Women’s Title matches were alright. The WWE Title match was lackluster and Corbin/Cena felt like something I’d see on a house show. Rusev/Orton and Cass/Show were absolute travesties.