Sunday, July 5, 2015

WWE The Beast in the East 2015 Review



Match 1: Chris Jericho vs. Neville
This is probably the coolest thing the WWE has put out on their Network. I got chills when I saw the promo video they released featuring Brock Lesnar at the forefront. To kick off the night, we get a sick match between two guys who have traveled across the globe promoting the art of professional wrestling. I loved the story they were aiming for here. The veteran in Chris Jericho not letting the newer Neville gain the advantage through his flashy style. Just when Neville looked to score the upper hand, Jericho was seemingly one step ahead of him. For instance, Jericho hit a Codebreaker as Neville launched himself onto Jericho from the top rope and soon after, Jericho scored the submission victory after locking Neville in his Walls of Jericho finisher by countering a third Red Arrow attempt. Awesome opening match to set the mood and pace for the rest of the night. Surprising Jericho got the win as I was expecting Jericho to appear and put over the younger Neville. Nonetheless, that was Jericho reminding us that he never lost it.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ****

Match 2: Divas Championship – Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige vs. Tamina Snuka
Nikki Bella is looking to hit 300 days as champion and has quite the task here in a triple threat match. This was a mess of a match, they tried doing a couple cool spots here and there but they seemed so forced and nothing about the match felt different from what we have seen before. Bella scores the quick victory and retains as she continues on her path for 300 days.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: ½*

Match 3: Brock Lesnar vs. Kofi Kingston
The amount of cameras and phones the fans have out for this is insane. This dude has become a spectacle. For all the crap the WWE does sometimes, they certainly did it right with Brock Lesnar. This was a huge squash match, no other way to put it. And guess what, it worked. Kofi Kingston did his absolute best to tame the beast with all sorts of kicks but Lesnar would not budge. He tossed Kingston around like a ragdoll and eventually landed a sweet F5 to score the very easy victory in under five minutes. Lesnar then comes back into the ring after the match and tosses around Kingston a bit more before the rest of New Day come out to Kingston’s aid. However, Xavier Woods & Big E both suffer the same fate as Kingston and get hit with an F5 each. You want to know how big a star Lesnar is? WWE put this show on WWE Network completely focusing on Lesnar’s return to the ring. And he won in about two minutes. And it was still awesome.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: *

Match 4: NXT Championship – Kevin Owens (c) vs. Finn Balor
Every time I review a Kevin Owens match, I can’t help but feel inspired. The same could also be said for his opponent here, Finn Balor. Two guys who worked on their craft for hours on end until finally reaching the pinnacle of the game. Here we are, Kevin Steen vs. Prince Devitt in a WWE ring for the NXT Championship live in Tokyo! Per tradition, the two competitors are given flowers before the match where Owens hilariously tosses them down the aisle. I love this dude. The streamers also reign down from the audience and we’re off! Owens looks to use his knockout style of wrestling against the faster Balor who is the clear underdog here. Back and fourth action throughout and they had the crowd on their toes the entire time. I loved the story here, Owens is such a brass and arrogant heel while Balor is the superhero of a babyface. Very cool to see all the close finishes with the crowd going nuts behind them as Balor seemingly can’t get the victory over the champion. Finally, Balor hits a second Coup de Grace for the win and to capture the NXT Championship! What a match, what a moment. Owens eats the loss but let’s be honest, his time in NXT has likely concluded. Plus, Owens is on a roll and this loss does not at all make him look weaker to the audience. Balor looked like a million dollars and he is going to be an amazing champion. To see this match happen in Tokyo is just so awesome, especially for a guy who built his career in the country. Can’t wait to see what happens from here.
Winner: Finn Balor
Rating: ****1/2

Match 5: John Cena & Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane & King Barrett
Sorry, haters, this is your main event. As much as I would love to see the last match close out the night, this is the right call. John Cena, whether you like it or hate it, is still the face of the company and should always be the guy to close out the events outside the states. At least that’s my opinion. Most of this match was basically Dolph Ziggler getting eaten alive by the well-oiled team of Kane & King Barrett. Cena grew extremely frustrated watching from the sidelines until he finally scored the hot tag where he hit an Attitude Adjustment on Barrett to get the main event win. A basic television tag team main event with the basic outcome as usual. But this is acceptable considering they’re in Tokyo and the crowd still love their Cena. Cena & Ziggler celebrate with the crowd afterwards as Michael Cole wishes the American fans at home a happy 4th of July!
Winners: John Cena & Dolph Ziggler
Rating: **1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This is the exactly what WWE should be putting out on the Network. Just very exclusive stuff with special appearances and matches like this one. The rating I give this show isn’t necessarily about the match quality, it’s about that and everything else in between. An awesome vibe, an awesome presentation, an awesome Brock Lesnar appearance, and a couple awesome matches. Check this show out!
Rating: 9/10

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