PWG Battle of Los Angeles Stage One
September 1st, 2017 | American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, California
The Battle of Los Angeles is here. PWG’s annual three-night tournament featuring some of the biggest names in indy wrestling. Each year, the tournament produces some high quality matches, though I never seem to love and fawn over it the way a lot of others do. Maybe this will be the year.
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Brian Cage vs. Dezmond Xavier
Cage has had a strong 2017, with some great matches in Lucha Underground and rising to a GHC Title shot in NOAH. Xavier has appeared around WWN companies like FIP and Style Battle, as well as TNA/GFW/whatever they’re known as now. This match went for the expected David vs. Goliath formula, but Cage isn’t your typical Goliath. He can show his athleticism as much as a guy like Xavier. Cage spent the match throwing Xavier around with ease. Xavier would get in small hope spots and it seemed like Cage was toying with him at times. He made that mistake and it cost him when Xavier slipped from his grasp and used a modified Yoshi Tonic to steal it at 10:41. Pretty good start, though I’ve seen both guys do better. They told a fine story and started things off with an upset. [**¾]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Flash Morgan Webster vs. Marty Scurll
Two stars on the UK scene. Scurll won this tournament last year. He bragged about it and ran down the Reseda fans for a bit. Webster shut him up with a headbutt and scored a three count that got a huge pop. However, Scurll’s foot was on the rope, making for a great false finish. Webster continued with a hot start until Scurll turned it around and used a steel chair behind the referee’s back. At one point, Scurll just threw Webster into a heckler in the front row. Granted, that’s not hard in the small confines of PWG, but still. Flash continued to find openings and used his experience against Scurll to avoid some of his signature spots. He came close several times before falling to the Chicken Wing in 15:34. Good match. Scurll continued to underestimate Webster and it nearly cost him on multiple occasions. Scurll was a great heel, while Flash showed lots of fire. [***¼]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Fenix vs. Ray Horus
For those unaware, Ray Horus is Lucha Underground’s El Dragon Azteca Jr. As expected, the pace was very quick and the two came across as evenly matched at times. Fenix had a great spot where he tried a springboard, got knocked over, landed on the top rope on his back, popped back up and finished the move. It was wild. Horus tweaked his knee early, which hurt some of his offense right after, but he shook it off. Fenix was a bit more aggressive than I expected, though it might be because I typically watch him as the pure babyface he is in Lucha Underground. Horus busted out one of the most insane tornado DDTs you’ll ever see, followed by a Spanish Fly for a great near fall. There was another awesome moment where Horus shoved Fenix’s legs out from under him on the top, only for Fenix to bounce off the middle rope back to the top and then hit a moonsault. When none of Fenix’s best could keep Horus down, he showed off an impressive submission to make him tap in 16:07. This was a hell of a lot of fun. Horus won over the crowd, while Fenix was his usual great self. I liked that there was more to this than just guys doing flips. It dragged at a bit near the end, but was still a blast. [***¾]
The Chosen Bros vs. The Monstars
Matt Riddle and Jeff Cobb against Donovan Dijak and Keith Lee. Lee and Dijak had bangers over in Evolve earlier this year and they compete on night two (I believe) in a singles match that Dave Meltzer gave the full five. Hmm. Lee and Cobb opened things with a friendly display of BIG BOY ATHLETICISM. From there, Dijak tossed Riddle around like a baby, only for Cobb to then treat Dijak like a little guy. Cobb ended up getting worked over by the impressive offensive displays of the Monstars. The friendly stuff eventually went away as this broke down into a buffet of ridiculous offense from all four men. The Chosen Bros showed off an awesome Doomsday Knee, Dijak sold a Bro to Sleep by falling over the top rope and that was before we got to the insane moves in the closing stretch. Lee and Dijak doing a powerbomb/chokeslam onto the knee combo was ridiculous in the best possible way. The finish saw Cobb launch Lee into a Riddle knee at 18:25. This was bonkers. One of my favorite things in wrestling is when big dudes beat the shit out of each other and that’s what we got here. It’s almost impossible to not be wowed by the things they did in this match. [****]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Matt Sydal vs. Penta El Zero M
In the past two years, Pentagon was eliminated by the two eventual winners. “Cero Miedo” got cheered, while “Peace and Love” got booed. My kind of people. Despite his peaceful personality, Sydal gave into his more violent side and tried matching Penta. That was Pentagon’s domain though, so he had the upper hand. They went back and forth for the most of the match, with the highlight coming near the end. Sydal went for the SSP, but Pentagon got a boot up and ruined his life. Somehow, Sydal survived that and got in a bit more offense. He went for the SSP again, only for Penta to avoid it. He hit a flipping piledriver and the Package Piledriver to advance in 14:15. Solid, but unspectacular. I just can’t seem to get invested in anything Sydal does these days, even though I love Penta. [***]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Jonah Rock vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
This was Jonah’s first match in the States. Sabre won this tournament in 2015 and used it to become PWG Champion. Both guys worked in NOAH in the past. They played the story of Jonah using his size to beat on Sabre, who responded by trying to wear him down with his technical acumen. Jonah’s leg got trapped in the ropes at one point, opening the door for Sabre. Like a shark smelling blood, he immediately went after it. Sabre still bumped for Jonah and did a great job making him look like a star. It felt like Sabre was out of his depth and the unknown entity in the match was going to win. In typical Sabre fashion though, he slapped on a submission from out of nowhere to take it in 18:07. In one night, Jonah Rock made me intrigued to see more. Both guys played their roles very well and, though it probably went a bit too long, managed to keep me interested. [***½]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Flamita vs. Ricochet
Most of the time, I enjoy Ricochet. Flamita is a guy I really like and who I feel is severely underrated as one of the best high flyers in the business. Ricochet looked to ground his younger counterpart in the early stages. It’s strange to me that I live in a world where Ricochet is kind of old. Though they eventually did do some aerial stuff, this was worked at a much slower pace than expected. It’s not the kind of match that suits them. The crowd were rather silent, which is odd since the show wasn’t running long or anything. Ricochet eventually won with the Brainbuster in a LONG 22:11. I was heavily disappointed by this. They went too long and it made for a mostly dull match. Dull is not the word I associate with these two wrestlers. The match would’ve worked better as a 12-15 minute athletic sprint. I give them props for trying something different, they just didn’t execute. Lastly, they also never made me believe Flamita would get the win. [**½]
Overall: 7/10. About on par with stage one last year. There was a lot of good sandwiched in between some very average bookends. The show opened in decent fashion and closed in disappointment. In between, there was a fair amount to like. Sabre/Rock told a great story and established Rock in PWG. Penta/Sydal was solid, though could be skipped. Webster/Scurll and Fenix/Horus were battles of guys who knew each other well and it made for high quality matches. The show stealer was the Monstars/Chosen Bros tag and ranks as the only must see match of the night. Still, the show is barely over two hours and is an easy watch.
WWE TLC
October 22nd, 2017 | Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota | Attendance: 13,381
Kickoff Match: Alicia Fox vs. Sasha Banks
Fox is in the midst of one of her random short pushes that get her on PPVs here and there. She was completely in character here, throwing tantrums throughout the match. Some were lame, but I did get an audible chuckle out of her shouting for the fans to do the referee’s job and count Sasha out. Her disdain when Sasha beat the count was pretty good, as well. She also did a nice northern lights suplex. Sasha didn’t do much of note, mostly bumping and allowing Alicia to do her character work. She won with the Bank Statement in 10:13. It was better than I expected and had the crowd engaged. Alicia’s character can be annoying, so I didn’t need to see as much of it as I did. [**]
Asuka vs. Emma
As a match, this was good. It featured some quality wrestling and Emma was fantastic. It really makes you wonder why she’s not better positioned on Raw. Could she not work as a feud for Bayley or Sasha when they’re out of the title picture? Or maybe move her to Smackdown, since their division isn’t deep. Anyway, the issue was that this was Asuka’s debut. She was hyped as something special, and then had a basic match where she fought from behind. That’s not good. Remember when Nakamura went 50/50 with Dolph Ziggler in his debut match? That didn’t turn out so well. I love Emma, but in kayfabe terms, she’s played the loser heel who mostly cares about social media. She should’ve lost in about half the time, getting overwhelmed by Asuka. The finish was strange, as Asuka was knocked to the floor, only to hit a kick and put on the Asuka Lock from out of nowhere. She got the win at 9:26. Like I said, other than the finish, the match is good. It’s just not what it needed to be. [**¾]
The Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher vs. Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann
Jack Gallagher debuted a new heel theme. He and Brian Kendrick played a great sneaky team here, while Alexander and Swann were an awesome face duo. They flew around the ring and showcased some great chemistry. Surprisingly, the crowd was quite invested in this, showing that these are some of the more over cruiserweights. The heat was worked on Swann and Alexander’s hot tag run was a blast. Kendrick applied the Captain’s Hook on Cedric, but Swann broke it up with a Phoenix Splash, which was rad. Swann went after Gallagher, leaving Kendrick free to take the Lumbar Check to end this in 7:54. Lots of action crammed into that timeframe. I’m glad the crowd was into this, as it was four of the best in the division. I wish Swann and Cedric weren’t stuck in the division, because they’d make a great team competing for titles. [***]
WWE Raw Women’s Championship: Alexa Bliss [c] vs. Mickie James
This was another prime example Alexa fans should show people when they discredit her in-ring work. She reminds me a lot of the Miz a few years ago. She’s not blowing anyone away with her moveset, but she’s brilliant at working the crowd and being a damn good heel. She played off everything Mickie did so well. And Mickie brought it more than she has since the Asuka match last year. They told a story of a cocky heel underestimating their veteran opponent and getting in trouble for it. Mickie frustrated the champion throughout, always being one step ahead. Considering the things Alexa has said about Mickie lately, and Mickie dedicating the match to her son, seeing it get personal was fitting. They traded strikes like you rarely see in a women’s match. The crowd kind of died when Mickie hit a weak looking jumping kick off the top. Luckily, they didn’t go much longer after, as Alexa retained with a DDT in 11:19. Exactly what it needed to be. The wily vet fought valiantly, but just didn’t have enough in the tank. Alexa gets a clean victory in a very good match. It told a great story and the work was crisp. [***¼]
WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Kalisto [c] vs. Enzo Amore
Enzo lost his voice, so his promo was kept rather short before the match. I’m not complaining. He’s great in this current role, but it doesn’t lend itself to great matches. He did a lot of running and avoiding Kalisto, knowing that he was outmatched. Unfortunately, not enough people seemed to be behind Kalisto and the crowd was dead for this. I don’t think it helped that they were salivating for Styles/Balor and this felt like filler. Kalisto had the advantage throughout, so Enzo use da thumb to the eye and Eat Defeat to regain the title in 8:31. Acceptable match, but not the best execution they could’ve gone with. The story made sense, it just wasn’t very interesting or entertaining. [*½]
AJ Styles vs. Finn Balor
We got “Demon” Finn here, though it didn’t make much sense in the context. Anyway, this was a dream match for a lot of people. The first two leaders of the Bullet Club had never wrestled in the past and this was only announced 48 hours earlier after Bray Wyatt got sick. They worked this like an NJPW main event in some ways. It started slowly, with the guys feeling each other out, before building to bigger and bigger spots. The fans were into everything they did, making for a great atmosphere. I was concerned that AJ wouldn’t be in top form, as he spent most of the day traveling, but he delivered his best work since WrestleMania (he’s been lackluster over the summer and was bogged down by Smackdown’s awful, awful booking). They both got in all their signature stuff, but worked it in a way that it made sense. It never felt like moves for the sake of moves. They both hit Pele kicks, which was kind of fun. I was hoping they’d both do Bloody Sundays. After hitting a super rana for a good near fall, AJ missed the springboard 450. Balor hit a huge lariat and shotgun dropkick, before winning with one of his best Coup de Grace stomps ever in 18:16. Despite things working against them, they had a great match. The atmosphere was wild and they had a great, clean match that felt like two guys trying to prove who was better. See, some matches don’t need long builds. While this was great, it felt like they could do better. Maybe when AJ’s not potentially jetlagged. [****¼]
Post-match, Finn and AJ “too sweeted” one another. FUCK THE YOUNG BUCKS!
Elias vs. Jason Jordan
On the Kickoff Show, Elias asked Kurt Angle for time to sing on the main show. Angle agreed, which was bullshit since they cut Drew Gulak’s PowerPoint presentation for time. Anyway, Elias sung twice, but kept getting interrupted by Jason Jordan (who Elias dissed on the Kickoff show) throwing random vegetables at him. Yea, I don’t get it either. Anyway, they had a match. It was there, though nobody will remember it. Jordan won via small package in 8:33, but replays showed Elias’ shoulder was up, so I’m sure they’ll rematch it on Raw. [**]
TLC Match: Braun Strowman, Cesaro, Kane, The Miz and Sheamus vs. Dean Ambrose, Kurt Angle and Seth Rollins
Kurt Angle came out in Shield gear and it was the greatest thing ever. Him smiling behind Seth and Dean, who were trying to look menacing, was my favorite part. Okay, so this was a hard match to rate. On one hand, it featured weird tropes and made little sense at points. On the other, it was a fucking blast and some of the most fun I’ve had watching wrestling in some time. It was smart to have the Shield start hot, because it was a good way to get past the numbers game. Kane and Braun were taken out with elbows through tables, allowing for an even 3-on-3 situation. Braun awoke and put Angle through a table, giving us the medics spot. That left us with a LONG 5-on-2 beat down of Ambrose and Rollins. With the heels in control, Kane accidentally hit Braun with a chair, leading Braun to shove him on his ass. Peace was kept until they reached the top of the stage, when Kane attacked Braun again. He chokeslammed him through the stage and buried him under chairs like his name was Wade Barrett. There was a very weird idea to bring a garbage truck into play, that made no sense. Anyway, Braun woke up like a villain in a horror movie, and kicked Kane’s ass. He hit everything moving, until his teammates overwhelmed him. Then, Braun was thrown in the trash compactor and they turned it on. I hate spots like that in wrestling. Like, he should technically be dead, but I’m sure he’ll be on Raw like it was no biggie. It just feels dumb. Angle returned for the big, heroic save, and went wild. Miz ended up left alone with his three opponents and took all their finishers. They finished him with the Triple Powerbomb (complete with Angle doing the Reigns yell) at about 35:09. Like I said, this was bonkers. It was like Vince provided a list of his favorite wacky spot ideas and dared the producers to put them all in one match. The stuff I didn’t like kept this from being truly great, but it’s an insanely fun ride at times. [***¾]
Overall: 7/10. Outside of the Cruiserweight Title match and Elias/Jordan, this was a very fun show. I expected a lot of nothing coming in, but the card over delivered. Alicia/Sasha was solid and though the Asuka debut was underwhelming, it was a good match. Bliss/Mickie will get unfortunately get forgotten, but it’s probably the second best Raw Women’s Title match this year. The cruiserweight tag was fun and worth checking out. The main event is pure insanity and I can’t stress that enough. Styles/Balor gave me exactly what I wanted and was probably the second best match on a Raw PPV since the brand split. All in all, I had fun watching the PPV, which is the most important thing.
It looks like it's time for the annual mild Alicia Fox push. They never work because she's flat out no good. Sasha Banks hasn't been much better in 2017, so putting this on the Kickoff Show makes sense. I'm way more interested in Drew Gulak's Powerpoint presentation on the Kickoff show. I could see the match going either way. Sasha could win, because she's Sasha, while Alicia could win to set her up as Asuka's next victim. It depends on how slowly they want to take the Asuka stuff. I'll go with Sasha.
Winner: Sasha Banks
The cruiserweights have TWO main card matches. Stop the presses. This has actually been built up quite well and Jack Gallagher's heel turn has gone smoother than expected. His pairing with The Brian Kendrick has been interesting, while Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann are probably the two best babyfaces in the division. I'm still waiting for Alexander to get the push he deserves. I'd love to see him as the Cruiserweight Champion. I'm gonna say the heel duo wins to help further establish them. Swann and Alexander will be in the same position with a win or loss.
Winners: The Brian Kendrick and Jack Gallagher
Holy shit. Viral meningitis saved Finn Balor. Instead of the horrible pumpkin demon against Sister Abigail, we're getting Finn Balor vs. AJ Styles. That's basically the biggest upgrade one could ask for. Since both men are faces, this doesn't need some kind of significant build. Just let them do it as a dream match and enjoy it. It should be the kind of match Finn has been dying to have on the main roster and could be the first true great AJ PPV match since WrestleMania. Though AJ's apparently next in line to job to Jinder, I'm gonna say Finn wins this. AJ's the kind of guy who can afford losses at this point, while Finn needs it more.
Winner: Finn Balor
If given time to produce an actual match, this could be the show stealer. I do worry that this will be nothing more than a squash that goes under a minute to establish Asuka. However, I can see them picking Emma for this match because she's worked Asuka a bunch and could have a good match with her. Either way, Asuka starts 1-0 on the main roster.
Winner: Asuka
I still don't get why Enzo dropped the title so quickly. I didn't agree with him winning in the first place, but if they had to do it, I'd have gone with him in a Jinder like role. A guy who the crowd doesn't like and holds the title for a while. Enzo as the guy everyone hated worked well. The match should be fine, and I suspect Enzo regains the title with help from his new buddies. It could set up a cruiserweight tag at Survivor Series.
Winner: Enzo Amore
Poor Mickie James. She had the Piggie James angle and now she has a title feud built around being old. This is Raw, so I could totally see them doing another pointless title swap here, but I'm gonna give them the benefit of the doubt. This feels like a filler feud for Alexa. Nobody has come out of feuds with Alexa looking better than when they went in (see: Becky Lynch, Bayley, Sasha Banks) and I'm gonna say Mickie takes the loss. This all has to end with Asuka beating Alexa. Right?
Winner: Alexa Bliss
I don't see the point of making this a 5-on-3. I love The Miz, but wouldn't this show have been better off if he defended his Intercontinental Title in some other match? Then, The Shield could face Braun and The Bar in a fucking war. Alas, this is what we get. Well, it's what we would've had if Roman Reigns didn't get hurt. Instead, we get the return of Kurt Angle. As much as I was looking forward to seeing the Shield in action again, this is quite the interesting replacement. Can Kurt still go? The good news, is that even if he can't, the match should be chaotic enough to cover that up. His appearance in the match doesn't really change my prediction, as I'm gonna say the Olympic Shield takes this.
Winners: Dean Ambrose, Kurt Angle and Seth Rollins
2017 Prediction Record: 62-35
2016 Prediction Record: 72-41
2015 Prediction Record: 60-35
Raw History
Episode #118
July 3rd, 1995 | Danville, Pennsylvania
We get a recap of the end of Raw last week, when Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels came to blows. There are also those classic quick promos from the guys in our main event, Sid and Bam Bam Bigelow. Your hosts are Vince McMahon and Jerry Lawler, back from his dentist appointment.
1-2-3 Kid vs. Mike Bell
I feel like I haven’t seen the 1-2-3 Kid in a long time. I know he’s just coming back from an injury, but it still feel like a while. Kid falls victim to the size disadvantage for a bit. He’s too good to let that stop him though, getting in some of his fast paced, high octane offense. An Oklahoma roll wins it.
Winner: 1-2-3 Kid in 3:30
Fine start to the show. Gets Kid a win in his return, which the crowd seemed to love.
Todd Pettengill is here to bring us the second In Your House Report! The show airs on July 23rd. Three titles will be on the line. First, Diesel defends the WWF Championship against Sycho Sid in a Lumberjack match. IRS, Kama, King Mabel and Jacob and Eli Blu are Sid’s lumberjacks, while Diesel will have Razor Ramon, Savio Vega, Adam Bomb and the Smoking Gunns. Todd shows the viewers what happened when Raw went off the air last week. Jarrett demanded a title match with Michaels only to get laid out with Sweet Chin Music. He’ll defend the strap against HBK at In Your House, along with his live singing debut. The Roadie will meet the 1-2-3 Kid in a battle of future DX members. Lastly, Yokozuna and Owen Hart will put the Tag Team Titles on the line against the Allied Powers. That actually sounds like a decent show.
For the first time ever, Jeff Jarrett’s “With My Baby Tonight” music video is shown. This song is still on my iPod to this day.
Bob Holly vs. Brooklyn Brawler
Considering Holly’s future as a member of the J.O.B. Squad, I’m surprised Brooklyn Brawler wasn’t part of that stable. Holly’s offense was so much more high flying based at this time. He snaps off a rana and gets in the BEST DROPKICK IN THE BIZ. He wins with the top rope cross body.
Winner: Bob Holly in 2:54
Standard stuff. Holly was impressive at times.
Next week, King Kong Bundy teams with Tatanka to face the Allied Powers.
Let’s go back to Superstars this past weekend. Henry Godwin took on Adam Bomb. They fought to a double countout, leading to Bomb getting slopped.
Henry O. Godwin vs. Barry Horowitz
Barry continues to be the only jobber to get the “oh but he’s never won a match” treatment from commentary. There are actually some “Barry” chants. Vince says that Ted Dibiase is courting Henry Godwin for some reason. Godwin uses a second rope knee before winning via Slop Drop.
Winner: Henry O. Godwin in 2:57
Much better than his debut squashes. It’s like he’s starting to click within the gimmick.
Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Sycho Sid w/ Ted Dibiase
They make a point of showing Ted Dibiase nod in the direction of Henry Godwin, who smiles and stays at ringside. He meets Bigelow in the aisle and gets into a slugfest with him. Bigelow is confused by this but has to quickly prepare for the match. He gets the upper hand early and even withstands a Dibiase distraction. Bigelow nails a DDT and goes up for the headbutt, but again Dibiase gets on the apron. You can tell Bigelow is a full-fledged babyface because he stupidly follows Dibiase around the ring, opening the door for Sid. Bigelow fights out of a camel clutch with an impressive electric chair drop. He also avoids the powerbomb. Bigelow climbs up, only for Godwin to resurface and shove him off the top. Sid pins him, because apparently it’s that easy to beat Bigelow.
Winner: Sycho Sid in 5:41
Obviously, Sid couldn’t lose with a title shot on the horizon. They did about as good as one could expect, all things considered. Unfortunately, that isn’t very good. *½
Sid delivers the powerbomb after the match. No Diesel run in though.
Waylon Mercy vs. Jeff Hardy
Hey, it’s a debut that I am actually excited to see. They do a great job of showcasing how different he is once the bell rings. Beforehand, he shakes hands with the future WWE Champion and even the official. Once things start though, he pretty much doesn’t let up at all. Both guys are wearing all white, which looks a bit strange for some reason. SWEET BABY JESUS, he hits a damn Brainbuster! Mercy ends it with a sleeper hold and his facial expression while applying it was fantastic.
Winner: Waylon Mercy in 3:06
Okay, that was easily the highlight of the entire show. Great debut for someone so interesting.
Jerry Lawler takes us back to the dentist office. It’s hilarious to see him there in his full king attire. He berates a kid until the kid says Jerry has bad breath. Lawler announces that Isaac Yankem was a great wrestler before he became a dentist. Seeing the future Kane, with that hair and those teeth, is pretty priceless.
Overall: 5/10. At first, I was prepared to give this a really low score. I mean, the big matchup between Bigelow and Sid pretty much fell flat. But, the show worked in other ways. It set up In Your House rather well, brought back the 1-2-3 Kid in strong fashion and gave us the debut of the awesome Waylon Mercy.
Raw History
Episode #119
July 10th, 1995 | Danville, Pennsylvania
Things open with a recap of Sid turning on Shawn Michaels, joining the Million Dollar Corporation and Bigelow getting kicked out of the group. They focus on the fact that Sid is a bully who runs a bit scared when faced with someone else of his size. Our usual hosts run things.
The Roadie w/ Jeff Jarrett vs. Jerry Flynn
Future WCW lower midcarder Jerry Flynn gets a crack at the future Road Dogg. He actually starts a bit hot, taking Roadie over and working the arm before hitting a spin kick. Roadie actually applies a half Boston crab and, like a good heel, uses the ropes for leverage. Flynn tries a rana but Roadie counters into a sweet powerbomb for the three.
Winner: The Roadie in 2:38
Some off moments during this but that was the best finish to a Roadie match I’ve ever seen.
They take us to Jeff Jarrett with Rip Taylor videos in Las Vegas, though it’s pretty much just rehashed footage from his early vignettes. This leads into another airing of the “With My Baby Tonight” music video.
Savio Vega vs. Mike Khoury
Mike Khoury has to be one of the longest tenured jobbers I can recall. He gets in some offense but not too much. This is all about Savio and the SV shaved into the back of his head. Surprisingly, it’s a crucifix that gets him the win.
Winner: Savio Vega in 1:48
Short and relatively sweet.
Vince McMahon brings out Sycho Sid for an in-ring interview. Ted Dibiase does the talking for Sid, disappointing me because I love hearing insane Sid. Ted brings out the best lumberjacks that money could buy. They include the Million Dollar Corporation, King Mabel, Sir Mo, Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, Skip, Mantaur, Rad Radford, Jean-Pierre Lafitte, the Heavenly Bodies and others. Not exactly murderer’s row. Sid ends it with a loud “I AM THE MASTER AND THE RULER OF THE WORLD!”
Yesterday on the Action Zone, Skip took on Barry Horowitz. Skip dropkicked him down and started doing push-ups. Barry took advantage, rolling him up to score the first win of his career.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Matt Hardy
Oh snap. This is most likely two future WWE Hall of Famers. Matt looks so damn bland here. Hunter’s offense was really generic at this time. He would sprinkle in the mannerisms of the blueblood character to try and spice things up. HHH finishes him with the Pedigree.
Winner: Hunter Hearst Helmsley in 3:11
About what I’d expect here except that Matt didn’t impress as the jobber here.
Todd Pettengill’s In Your House Report brings us the final two matches added to the card. Razor Ramon will team with Savio Vega to face Men on a Mission, while Bam Bam Bigelow goes one on one with Henry Godwin.
The Allied Powers vs. Henry O. Godwin and Tatanka w/ Ted Dibiase
The Million Dollar Corporation attack before the bell. Once the match officially starts, we get the continuation of the terrible Tatanka/Luger rivalry. Also, wasn’t this supposed to be King Kong Bundy instead of HOG? Not that I’m complaining since Godwin can at least do stuff. Luger takes the heat for a while. Tatanka’s attire has two handprints on his ass, which is strange. Bulldog gets the hot tag and just lays into Tatanka. Tatanka tries an up and over, but struggles due to his weight most likely. Bulldog hits the stalling vertical for a very close near fall. He still picks up Tatanka and scores on the running powerslam for the victory.
Winners: The Allied Powers in 5:51
A fine, basic tag team match designed to give the top contenders a win heading into the Pay-Per-View. *¼
We get another Isaac Yankem video with Jerry Lawler. It’s not very good.
Overall: 3/10. Not as fun or interesting as last week’s show. The main match was very blah and the rest of the show came off as boring. None of the squash matches really interested me and the Sid promo was a lot of nothing.
Raw History
Episode #120
July 17th, 1995 | Danville, Pennsylvania
It’s the final show in a big block of tapings from Danville. IRS tells us he wants to make Shawn Michaels the “Heartbroken Kid” while HBK wants to slap the tax man around. Lawler and McMahon are on commentary.
WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna w/ Jim Cornette and Mr. Fuji vs. Jim Dimitrie and Gus Kantarrakis
According to Cornette, the jobbers sound like a law firm. Dimitrie and Kantarrakis…not so much. They actually have matching attire, though it’s just generic blue singlets. Owen Hart does most of the work, as usual. Yokozuna is up to 641 pounds, which, according to Lawler, is more than Jacob and Eli Blu combined. Good lord. A Sharpshooter ends the jobbers.
Winners: Owen Hart and Yokozuna in 2:54
Just put here to get Owen and Yokozuna a win before the PPV.
In Your House Report time. Nothing new comes to light.
Jean-Pierre Lafitte vs. David Thornburg
Thornburg tries to overpower Lafitte, which completely fails. Vince tells us that things have gone missing in the locker room, insinuating that Lafitte stole it because he’s a pirate. Lafitte nails Le Cannonball and puts away Thornburg.
Winner: Jean-Pierre Lafitte in 2:33
Not bad.
It’s the first vignette for MAKE A DIFFERENCE Fatu. Surprisingly, Vince actually doesn’t act like this is a whole new person, admitting he was Fatu from the Headshrinkers. It’s so cheesy. He literally says “there’s no hope in dope.”
Another airing of “With My Baby Tonight” is shown. Wow, they really got mileage out of this didn’t they?
IRS w/ Ted Dibiase vs. Shawn Michaels
I feel like this is weird placement for this match. IRS is sporting blue instead of white. It looks odd considering we’ve become accustomed to his original look. IRS stalls a ton because he’s IRS, so Shawn goes to the aisle and gets him, pulling him by his tie. Shawn gets in some of his offense until IRS sends him outside and throws him into the steel steps. He does classic IRS stuff, like the abdominal stretch with the ropes for leverage and the chinlock. Babyface comeback time for HBK but he misses the Sweet Chin Music. He tries it again and connects, getting the 1-2-3.
Winner: Shawn Michaels in 8:37
Not even Shawn Michaels in this era could get a good match out of IRS. I think this is the end of the IRS run, but I’ll be reviewing Nitros and he shows up there too. Dammit. *½
Next week, Bret Hart takes on Hakushi! Yes!
More Isaac Yankem videos involving awful dentist noises and bad Lawler puns.
Kama w/ Ted Dibiase vs. Billy Mack
Vince spends the match talking about the Miss America pageant. It reminds me of his pop culture talk during the early episodes of Raw. Kama knocks out Mack like he’s the Big Show or something.
Winner: Kama in 2:02
At least it was short. It’s Kama though, so it wasn’t much fun. Kama also goes over to mess with some of Undertaker’s “creatures of the night.”
Vince McMahon introduces the WWF Champion, Diesel, to bring out his lumberjacks. Before he shows us his friends, he hypes the match a bit, saying that he’s going to end things once and for all. His lumberjacks are Adam Bomb, Bob Holly, Bigelow, the Smoking Gunns, Tekno Team 2000, 1-2-3 Kid, Fatu, Savio Vega, Duke Droese and Shawn Michaels. Diesel gets words from some of the lumberjacks about what they’ll do if they get their hands on Sid. Vince brings out Sid, who has his lumberjacks follow. Or at least, Jerry Lawler says he went to get them for some reason. Sid nearly enters the ring but decides against it.
Overall: 4/10. I’m scoring this one in the middle of the past two shows. This one again didn’t have a good marquee match but it worked as a go home show. The closing segment focusing on the WWF Title match was probably the first time I can recall that happening on a go home episode.
It's the season three finale of Lucha Underground. Unfortunately, there's a strong chance it could be the series finale, as well.
Steel Cage Match: El Dragon Azteca Jr. vs. Matanza Cueto w/ Dario Cueto
This entire time, I totally thought it was Matanza vs. Mysterio. I don't know why, but I was 100% sure that was the match until Azteca was announced. Azteca came right at Matanza and hit a moonsault off the cage. That didn't last too long, as Matanza began throwing him around the cage. Matanza caught Azteca with a huge belly to belly that sent him THROUGH THE CAGE WALL! Before Azteca could be announced as the winner, Dario said the match would not end that way. Pinfalls and submissions became the only way to win. Azteca got his hands on Dario, who hilariously sold his fear, before Matanza saved him. He beat on Azteca inside, including ripping part of his mask. Just as Azteca rallied, Black Lotus appeared for the first time in months. She took out Azteca with a cross body off the cage, before Matanza finished him with the Wrath of the Gods in 8:27. This was good. It had the right amount of violence (without overdoing it) and told the story it needed to, while bringing Lotus back into the mix. [***]
Post-match, Dario Cueto celebrated in the ring. Matanza stood on the middle rope, giving an opening for Lotus to sneak up and powerbomb him. She backed Dario into the corner and called him a liar. She was talking about Dario telling her that Dragon Azteca killed her parents. Dario admitted he was a liar as Matanza got back up and planted her with the Wrath of the Gods.
Gauntlet of the Gods Elimination Match: Cage vs. Jeremiah Crane vs. Mil Muertes w/ Catrina
Dario made this an elimination match just before it began. Right from the opening bell, this was a war. Crane got busted open early and brought a trash can into play. It was a smart way to level the playing field against two larger opponents. Mil no sold a lot of his normal offense, before chokeslamming him through a table. Then, Mil busted out a TILT-A-WHIRL HEADSCISSORS as he and Cage went at it. In a sickening moment, Crane drove skewers into Cage's head! If that wasn't enough, he then drove them in further with a DDT that somehow only got a near fall. These guys also used a hammer and brought glass into play. Mil was laid on two tables outside, while Cage and Crane battled inside. Cage then DEADLIFE SUPERPLEXED CRANE ONTO MIL THROUGH THE TABLES! Cage took Crane inside and eliminated him with Weapon X at 11:33. Cage suplexed Mil back inside and got two on a twisting elbow drop. Cage and Mil traded offense for a bit until Mil hit a Flatliner on a chair to win in 14:04. That was a great, violent brawl. Some of the spots made me cringe, which is hard to do after everything we've seen in Ultima Lucha. I do feel like the final exchange between Cage and Mil could've been better. It didn't live up to the rest of the match. [****]
Dario Cueto brought out a box with the gauntlet. Catrina retrieved it and brought it to Mil Muertes. Mil put it on and punched the mat, causing the lights to go out. When they came back on, KING CUERNO was in the ring! He kicked Mil in the head, slammed Catrina and continued beating on Mil. Mil put him on the shelf at Ultima Lucha Dos last year. He stole the gauntlet, setting up a great continuation of the feud if Lucha Underground ever returns.
We got to see the finished product of Taya's documentary on Johnny Mundo. It was possibly the best thing Mundo's ever been a part of.
Lucha Underground Championship vs. Career: Johnny Mundo [c] vs. Prince Puma
Puma has now main evented all three Ultima Luchas. This pairing was also the main event of episode one (***3/4) and they had the first All Night Long Match (****1/4). This started with the athletic exchange we'd expect from these two. Puma nailed an awesome double jump springboard shooting star press to the outside. Puma got a flurry going inside, until Mundo slipped out and leveled him in the kidney. Eventually, we got a ref bump, which signaled the Worldwide Underground shenanigans. PJ Black and Mundo hit Puma with a superkick/brainbuster combo and Jack Evans added his own offense. The referee awoke, but Puma found a way to kick out. WU beat up the referee and attempted to use chairs. ANGELICO made his return and took out the group before hitting Mundo with a somersault dive. Pissed at WU, referee Rick Knox added his own dive and nearly killed himself. Puma hit a springboard 450 on Mundo, but it wasn't enough. They continued to battle until Mundo nailed a super Moonlight Drive for a close near fall. Puma got his knees up on End of the World and fired off a series of kicks and knees. Puma hit a shotgun dropkick and 630 to win the title for a second time in 18:23! Great main event. Though I didn't love the interference, it made sense and allowed for Angelico to get some revenge. Once left alone, Mundo couldn't beat a guy who was fighting for his life. Better than their first match, but not as good as the All Night Long one. [***3/4]
Vampiro stood with a strange smile as Puma celebrated. Dario Cueto came out of his office and congratulated Puma, before announcing that the night was not over. There was one match left and the crowd chanted, "Cero Miedo." Following a commercial, Dario announced that someone wanted to cash in a title shot after tonight's main event. Normally, he'd decline so he could promote the match, but rules are like bones; they're made to be broken. He introduced the Gift of the Gods Champion, Pentagon Dark, to a HUGE ovation. It gave me chills.
Lucha Underground Championship Career vs. Career Match: Prince Puma [c] vs. Pentagon Dark
Just before this started, Dario announced both careers were on the line. Puma started with a pump kick and the action flowed from there. Pentagon performed his trademark arm break spot within a minute or so. Puma popped it back into place and taped it up so he could keep going. That's some gangster shit. Vampiro barely commentated, because he was too invested in his two proteges going at it. Puma did an excellent job selling the arm, not using it for some of his signature moves. His series of one armed suplexes were incredibly impressive. Puma avoided the Destroyer, countered a Package Piledriver and hit his own Destroyer. The Benadryller connected, but Pentagon got his shoulder up. Vampiro got up from commentary as Puma went for the 630. He pulled Pentagon out of the way! Pentagon picked up a near fall before FINALLY winning the title with a Package Piledriver in 8:26. An awesome way to end the season. I think I liked this more than their excellent Cueto Cup Finals match. It was a wild sprint with the added intensity and drama of the stakes being so high. Vampiro's involvement was a great way to end a long storyline. [****1/4]
Vampiro and Pentagon celebrated in front of a heartbroken Puma. Pentagon said the Temple was now his.
The season ended with one of Lucha Underground's incredible montages. Here's what we saw: Puma removed his mask and exited the Temple. King Cuerno chilled in his trophy room with the Gauntlet. Sexy Star greeted fans when a little girl brought her a box and said, "She hasn't forgotten about you." The box held a tarantula. The Rabbit Tribe followed Mascarita Sagrada, who promised to bring them to the White Rabbit. Fenix and Melissa Santos left in a car, as Catrina walked in the background and Jeremiah Crane watched from a rooftop. My main DAGA was back and took his place as Kobra Moon's king. He beheaded Pindar, while Drago remained a prisoner. Vampiro met with his master, who said he did well. I believe he also said he wanted to cause Pentagon's fall. Matanza was still in his cage and it looked like Rey Mysterio was in one as well. Lastly, Dario had a meeting with Agent Winter. He promised to get the Gauntlet back, but was told not to worry. He gets a pass because he'll be dead. Winter then shot Dario and said there would be new management going forward. When he left, Dario used his possible final breaths to make a phone call. He said something in Spanish and the person on the line seemed to call Dario, "jefe." Dario said he needed help before falling to the ground and the line cut out. It ended with, "To be continued."
Overall: 9.5/10. All together, Ultima Lucha Tres may be my pick for show of the year. This was a great ending to what I considered an uneven season. The Cage match was a solid start and it continued some stories. The 3-Way was nuts in he best possible way. We were treated to the returns of Cuerno, Angelico and Daga, which were all cool. Puma winning was a cool moment to cap a very good match and everything involving Pentagon ruled. I absolutely loved the closing montage. If this is the end of Lucha Underground, it went out with a bang. I'll miss it if it's gone. They showed that wrestling could be done in a cinematic format and did so while making plenty of stars. I love you, Lucha Underground.
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