PWG Battle of Los Angeles Stage Two
September 2nd, 2017 | American Legion Post #308 in Reseda, California
After a good start, we move onto Stage Two. I’ve reviewed this tournament the past two years and night two was the best in both of those. Hopefully, that trend continues here.
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Donovan Dijak vs. Trevor Lee
This has potential. Dijak’s been good in 2017 and Lee was tremendous in 2016. Dijak taunted on the middle rope before getting started, leading Lee to pull him off with a huge German. That’s a very PWG way to start the show. Lee played up his PWG heel shtick, hyping being a GFW/TNA star. It was a bit surprising to watch him control the match with him being the smaller participant. I liked how he wanted to win in any way, including via countout. He also used smart offense to cut him down to size. Dijak’s comeback saw him use power offense that popped the crowd. As Lee kicked out of stuff, he flipped the bird to the fans. Dijak picked up the win with Feast Your Eyes in 11:34. A better opener than stage one. Lee was a great, smart heel and Dijak’s offense made for a fun finishing stretch.[***¼]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Joey Janela vs. Sammy Guevara
Janela was a late replacement for the injured TK Cooper. These two were out to steal the show from the opening bell. There were crazy moments almost instantly. A running DVD into the corner, a multi-jump SSP, a monkey flip while Janela was seated in a chair and another DVD, this time onto that same chair. Janela also took an insane bump on the apron, leading to a countout tease. It wasn’t a great tease, as Janela sold it in wacky fashion. Then things got really wacky. Janela missed a swanton and went through an open chair. Guevara then hit him with a Burning Hammer through a chair! Somehow, Janela kicked out. Why? Janela fought a bit before eating a reverse rana and 630 to end it in 14:30. This was wildly absurd in a good way. There were issues, though. How is the Burning Hammer on a chair not the finish? That just looks dumb. Lots of good action here, but a fair amount of overkill. [***¾]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Mark Haskins vs. Travis Banks
Ah, the rare first round match to feature TWO guys I really like. They’re both regulars in the best wrestling promotion of 2017, PROGRESS. For most of the match, they worked it at a style and pace I enjoy. Banks brought his hard hitting, intense style, while Haskins slowed things down and took his time to pick Banks apart. When Banks managed to get going, he hit dives outside, cannonballs in the corner and it all looked great. Haskins avoided the Slice of Heaven, stopping Banks’ momentum. There was a great moment where Haskins got kicked into the ropes and rebounded into a roll that led to a Samoan drop. It was all so fluid. After some false finishes down the stretch, we got an AWFULLY blown finish. Banks hit the Slice of Heaven and covered. The referee didn’t count three, instead just awkwardly pausing and calling for the bell at 16:58. They had a good match, though it felt like they were going for an epic and fell short. The finish didn’t help. [***¼]
LDRS vs. Matt Sydal and Ricochet
I love LDRS together, but the Sydal/Ricochet pairing has never worked for me. Ricochet’s teams with Ryusuke Taguchi and David Finlay were both much more enjoyable to me. LDRS jumped their opponents during their entrance, setting the stage for a brawl at the start. The faces turned it around and hit some dives to the outside. Things calmed down into a more traditional tag, with Sydal taking the heat segment. That’s the best way to go, because Ricochet is one of the better hot tag guys around. His hot tag spot wasn’t as great as it could’ve been here, but still delivered. He and Sydal started hitting tandem offense, including a double Benadryller, but the pin was broken up. I loved seeing LDRS apply stereo submissions for a great false finish. The closing stretch was the highlight. The stereo SSPs were broken when Scurll shoved Rick Knox into the ropes and crotched Sydal. Ricochet’s was stopped by Sabre catching him in a submission. Ricochet fought out, only to end up in the Chicken Wing. He signaled for Sydal to hit him and Marty with an SSP to break it, sacrificing himself. Good stuff. They would still lose though, once Sabre pulled Sydal into a pinning combination after 20:56. Better than I expected. LDRS were fantastic, really nailing everything they had to. Ricochet and Sydal were fine, but I can’t get over how Sydal and Scurll just nailed all the little things. [***½]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Jeff Cobb vs. Sami Callihan
Sami attacked Cobb before the bell. That’s two matches in a row, is Gedo booking this thing? Cobb turned it around quickly, because he’s a big boy. This was a battle of Cobb’s power against Callihan’s sheer aggression. I got a kick out of Chuck Taylor making fun of Jeff Cobb’s generic jobber name. “Mr. Athletic Jeff Cobb would job to Ultimate Warrior on Superstars.” Cobb slowed the pace, which was wise since Sami enjoys going at 100MPH. Sami found ways to dish out punishment, causing some of Cobb’s usual offense to be weaker than usual. Sami countered the Tour of the Islands, only to come off the middle rope and caught in one anyway, ending this in 11:41. This was fine, but certainly on the weaker side of tournament matches so far. is like Sydal for me. A lot of people like them, yet I just don’t see it. [***]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Matt Riddle vs. Michael Elgin
After a great G1 Climax run in 2015 and a banner 2016, Elgin’s kind of fallen off the map in 2017. Riddle’s been great again throughout 2017. Elgin was confident and in control early, but then Riddle got going and that’s always impressive. Watching him deadlift Elgin was great, even though I’ve seen him do it to much larger men. That led to a “This is BROLA” chant. Surprisingly, his next set of kicks were weaker than normal, which opened the door for Elgin to bash him with strikes. I also got a chuckle when Riddle cocked his first for a Superman Punch. He missed and ate a German suplex. They built to bigger moves and near falls down the stretch, with the crowd fully engaged. Riddle kept kicking out of the best that Elgin had to offer. Riddle couldn’t lock in the Bromission, so he resorted to a cradle Tombstone to win in 17:59. Very good and they succeeded in making me think Riddle might lose, even though he was the favorite. That’s part of where Flamita/Ricochet failed one stage one. I enjoyed a lot of this, though it felt long. Both guys are at their best when keeping it under 15 minutes. [***½]
Battle of Los Angeles First Round: Keith Lee vs. WALTER
Easily my most anticipated match of any night. BIG LADS WRESTLING. Their interactions in a four way on an Evolve show in August were great. WALTER grounded Lee instantly, causing him to take a breather outside. That’s not something Lee’s used to. It’s insane to see a guy who can just wallop Lee with a single lariat and then body slam him. As the match progressed, they just lit each other up with chops and strikes, while stopping to throw one another around. WALTER hit a super butterfly suplex, while Lee delivered an awesome looking Spirit Bomb. These moves are great normally, but when done to huge guys, they look even cooler. Lee had the advantage in strikes in the early stages, but WALTER threw some brutal lariats to kind of even the score there. They got into a chop battle, until WALTER just decided to kick Lee’s leg out. Lee fought out of a sleeper and hit a Samoan Drop/powerslam combo to advance in 19:44. This time, a match going long didn’t bother me. I love these guys and big lads wrestling, so this was right up my alley. They showed off some mat stuff early, gave us the hard hitting stuff and brought out the big offense. A ton of fun. [****]
Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. Flamita and PWG Tag Team Champions Fenix and Penta El Zero M
I was weary coming into this. The Stage Two tag main event last year got TONS of rave and I found it to be quite average. This one also got a lot of hype but Kenny Omega is about a thousand times better than Adam Cole, while Fenix/Penta/Flamita are much more fun than the Sydal/Ricochet/Ospreay trio. Interestingly, there was no commentary for this and one continuous camera shot. The guys paired off early, with the fans going mental for the Penta/Omega interaction. The lucha team cut off a trio of Terminator dives, leading to their own fantastic dive spot. That was followed by some comedic moments, none better than hearing Penta shout obscenities in Spanish across the ring. The action in this was as crazy as you’d think. A ridiculous pace with moves coming left and right and guys flying into the screen at random times. Both teams showcased great chemistry and tandem offense. Penta launching Flamita into a super rana in one fluid motion was tremendous, as was Penta and Fenix hitting a double stomp/Package Piledriver combo. The Elite set up the Meltzer Driver and shouted, “This is for you, Dave,” which I’m sure made him ecstatic. I’m surprised he didn’t throw the full five at this right then. It got cut off, leading to another flurry of offense from both teams. The end came after an IndyTaker and One Winged Angel at 27:06. This kind of perfectly encapsulates PWG. Put a bunch of big stars together and let them get their shit in, while having a wild match that sprinkles in comedic moments. They did that about as well as you can, with this main event being SO MUCH better than last year’s. [****]
Overall: 8.5/10. Like the past two years, Stage Two delivered. There’s not a single bad match on this show, with everything getting at least three stars. They balanced the strong tournament matches with the two big tags very well. The only person who didn’t make it to round two that I was sad about was WALTER. The final two matches were the standouts and they’re both totally different from one another, which is great. A thumbs up for night two.
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.
