Match 1: United States Championship - Orlando Jordan (c) vs. Chris Benoit
The opening contest for the 18th annual Summerslam is for the United States Championship as Orlando Jordan defends the gold against Chris Benoit. The match starts and within the first minute, Benoit locks in his Crippler Crossface and submits Jordan. Crowd pops big, that was pretty damn cool! I'm sure lots question a title match being so short but I dig having an unexpected finish like this and the fans did, too.
Winner: Chris Benoit
Rating: n/a
Match 2: Edge vs. Matt Hardy
We all know the story here with Lita being the fuel added to the fire between these two guys. This is pretty much the first marquee match of the stacked show. Off the gate, the two throw huge blows and the gates have been opened. Lita watches on as the two beat the hell out of each other before Edge drops Hardy on the ringpost. Hardy is bleeding and he is bleeding bad. Edge doesn't stop and continues to lay it on Hardy before the referee finally calls off the match. This was more of an angle than a match so I can't really give it a star rating but it worked. Got the point across that they're going to need a cage or something to finish this.
Winner: Edge
Rating: n/a
Match 3: Ladder - Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
The soap opera stories continue for the night as the winner of this match gets the custody of Dominick. Through this ridiculous story, this was far and away one of the best ladder matches that I have ever seen. This match often gets remembered for the time Vickie Guerrero didn't come out to the ring in time while Eddie was pulling on the briefcase. This is unfortunate because this match was spectacular. They were going at one pace and it was full speed ahead. They spaced out their big moves perfectly and had some of the most innovative spots I have ever seen. Not to mention that they landed them all smoothly and the crowd reacted big time for every single one. The finish came when Vickie pushed Eddie off the ladder allowing Rey Mysterio to climb to the top as Vickie held down Eddie. A disappointing finish but considering how much of a soap opera this feud was, it made sense. But even still, it would have been cool to see a better ending with Mysterio being able to score the win without any assistance. One of my personal favorite ladder matches that everybody should check out, ignore the soap opera story and just enjoy the match.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating: ****1/2
Match 4: Eugene vs. Kurt Angle
This is going to be fun. They have a no time limit rule going on and it looks as if Kurt Angle is just here to have his way with Eugene. This crowd is absolutely hot for Angle, cheering all the suplexes he drops on Eugene but they're pretty hot for Eugene, too. Angle hits the Angle Slam within three minutes into the match and makes Eugene submit with the Ankle Lock. Afterwards, Angle places a steel chair in the middle of the ring where he stands on it. He then demands for the referee to place his gold medal around his neck. Awesome. An odd spot for Angle to be in at a Summerslam but it's also another short match for the night as they're likely saving time up for the main events.
Winner: Kurt Angle
Rating: 3/4*
Match 5: The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton
The rematch from WrestleMania 21 as Randy Orton looks to avenge his loss against The Deadman. I loved their encounter and WrestleMania and this one should be a worthy follower. There's nobody in the WWE, past or present, like The Undertaker. For all the recognition he gets for his gimmick and ambiance, he's just as amazing in the ring. Orton made sure to focus on Undertaker's leg early on and Undertaker sold it as perfect as you can imagine. Tazz also did a fantastic job on commentary selling the injury as Undertaker was visibly limping around the entire way through. Cool finish for the match when an apparent fan ran into the ring as Undertaker held him back. Security rushed out and pulled the fan out as Orton capitalized on the situation and hit an RKO for the win. Orton then revealed it was his father disguised as the fan afterwards. This gives Orton a big victory and sets up a bigger rematch down the line.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 6: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Chris Jericho
This whole notion that John Cena is a thug is just plain ridiculous, nobody believes it. Either way, his match here against Chris Jericho should be a good one. Crowd is absolutely rocking, this is Cena's early stages as the face of the company and the hate is unreal. The crowd was begging for him to lose and it's funny to think that they believed Jericho really had a chance at making Cena submit. Watching this now, it was really just a typical Cena match but it still holds up in 2015. Good action and Jericho was fantastic in his role as a heel. They got a few cool spots in and a great finish with Cena landing his FU finisher out of nowhere to retain the gold. Like I said, this was almost like a foundational John Cena match and it worked here. Cena needed a strong title defense on a big PPV and this was definitely it.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***
Match 7: World Heavyweight Championship - No Disqualification - Batista (c) vs. JBL
After switching brands from Raw to Smackdown, Batista needed a big heel to face off against after conquering Triple H. JBL was the perfect choice. They start the match hot and take it out on the stage before the match really even begins. They finally bring it back when Batista speared JBL through a barricade. Inside the ring, they gave us a stiff contest that Batista quickly put JBL away from an awesome Batista Bomb on the steel steps in the middle of the ring that have off a loud thud to score the win. Batista then ripped up a JBL bill after the win, that was a nice finishing touch. Good match for what it was worth but it still didn't live up to any expectations. They were in a weird spot, acting as the bridge from the two bigger matches on the card. The WWE Championship match along with the main event didn't have any stipulations added so they needed to differentiate themselves from those ones and this was the perfect way to do so. Having the no disqualification match in between fit nicely and with the time they had, I thought they gave us a pretty good match with a sick ending.
Winner: Batista
Rating: **1/2
Match 8: Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels
From what I can recall, there really hasn't been a match in the past ten years that was perfectly built more than this one right here. Shawn Michaels proved to us again that he certainly is the best performer in the ring and out of the ring both as a heel or babyface. The antics, the promos, and everything else in between leading to this match was simply amazing. There was an atmosphere in the arena for this match that was unprecedented. The electricity in the house was off the charts, Michaels finally finds out if he can beat the legendary face of the company, Hulk Hogan. This match is notorious for Michaels selling the crap out of everything Hogan did to him, it was hilarious and I'll admit, it spoke volumes of how good Michaels is in the ring. Jim Ross, who was also amazing in his role on commentary, kept repeating how Hogan was bigger and stronger than Michaels so it almost made sense that Michaels would roll across the ring after a punch to the head from Hogan. Ross also mentioned that it this was going to be a longer match, then the "younger" Michaels would easily have the advantage due to his conditioning. Blood always makes these types of matches better and there was buckets pouring out of the head of Hogan. They pulled out all the smoke and mirrors for this one. Hogan had a crimson mask going and Michaels looked relentless. But after hitting a Sweet Chin Music, Hogan wouldn't go down and was able to hit his Leg Drop for the win. Should also mention that Michaels danced around the ring after Hogan hit a big boot before the finish. The two shake hands after the match, you can guess how Michaels felt about losing to Hogan on this one. Either way, this was more of Michaels proving why he is the best in the game more than anything else. They pulled out all the smoke and mirrors to cover Hogan's limited skills and it worked. Perfectly timed moves that all had some sort of effect and in turn, it made every close finish matter that much more. I really wish they would have done a rematch down the line but politics likely got in the way of things. Regardless, that was a Summerslam main event for the ages. It wasn't the best in-ring match ever but the hype, the electricity, and the magnitude it had on the company at the time all stand out.
Winner: Hulk Hogan
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A pretty average Summerslam (aside from the Ladder match) until it finally hit the main event, basically the match the entire show was circled around. It's no wonder why this show ranks up there as one of the highest purchased PPV shows of all time as the main event was hyped amazingly. Safe to say, the main event delivered and if you haven't checked it out, then you're missing out.
Rating: 7/10
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Monday, July 27, 2015
WWE Summerslam 2014 Review
Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Live from Hollywood, it is Summerslam 2014 and Mr. Hollywood himself is ready to open the show. The Miz comes out first and puts himself over while putting down the Lakers. Los Angeles crowd is loving Ziggler as he looks to capture his second Intercontinental Championship. Miz does his best to avoid shots to the face in order to save the moneymaker and nearly scores the win in a nice back and fourth match but Ziggler got the best of him to get the big win as the crowd popped big for the win. Nice opening contest to set the mood. Not too long, not too short, and nicely paced.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: **1/4
Match 2: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
This is Paige's rematch after AJ beat her for the title on an episode of Monday Night Raw. They do some weird hair pulling in the beginning of the match as they wrestle a decent match for five or so minutes until AJ locks in her Black Widow finisher. Paige nicely reverses into her modified DDT and scores the win. She then kisses an unconscious AJ after the match as she celebrates her second Divas Championship. Nothing different from their other matches but it was cool to see the crowd pop nicely for the finish.
Winner: Paige
Rating: *
Match 3: Flag - Rusev vs. Jack Swagger
Every Summerslam should have a Flag match! Okay, maybe not. But I am a sucker for America vs. any other country feuds. Before the bell tolls, Swagger locks in his Patriot Lock on Rusev and injures Rusev's ankle in the process. The match still goes on and Rusev does a great job of selling the injury as it became difficult for him to lock in his Accolade submission until the very end where he locked it in completely as Swagger passed out. Zeb Colter then receives a kick from Rusev afterwards for good measure. The Russian national anthem then plays as the Russian flag is raised behind the ring as Rusev celebrates in front of an unconscious Swagger. Good stuff.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Lumberjack - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
They did not get to beat the hell out of each other at Battleground so they get to do it here in a Lumberjack match at the Staples Center. Chaotic from the start as the two straight throw punches at one another and the entire arena can feel the pressure boiling. This definitely was not your typical Lumberjack match. This was much, much better than what we normally see. Ambrose likes to do unique things and this is a perfect example. The suplex out of the ring onto the lumberjacks, Ambrose punching his way through the lumberjacks, running on the announce tables to dive onto Rollins. Ambrose is a loose cannon, no pun intended. They even take the fight way into the seats where Kane finally comes out and screams at the lumberjacks to get them back into the ring. Rollins tries to escape but the babyface lumberjacks carry him back into the ring where Ambrose dives onto everybody! He then hits Rollins with a Curb Stomp but Kane attacks Ambrose which allows for all the lumberjacks to enter the ring as a huge melee erupts. Rollins then nails Ambrose with the Money in the Bank briefcase and scores the victory. Awesome stuff from these two and the crowd was definitely hot for this one. Good fun leading into the second half of the show.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***3/4
Match 5: Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho
I love Chris Jericho but I think his time for more serious feuds has concluded. His feud with Bray Wyatt has been good but nothing else. It lacks the fire and emotion the two are trying to build. The match here resembled my thoughts of their feud, it lacked that fire and that extra step. The crowd could not invest their troubles into the match after being fried out from the last bout. This felt like more of a match to kick off their feud rather than one that has been built for weeks. The action was fine but nothing spectacular or anything noteworthy. They did their normal routines as Wyatt was able to score the victory after hitting a Sister Abigail outside followed by hitting one inside the ring.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: **1/2
Match 6: Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon
Feels weird to see Stephanie McMahon back in the squared circle but I am all for it! This feud has been really odd but like I said, I am all for having Stephanie back in the ring for the first time in over ten years. For being out of the ring for so long, Stephanie never really showed any ring rust. Then again, her and Brie Bella had a pretty basic match from the start to the finish. Triple H and Nikki Bella both came out during the match as Triple H pulled out the referee before Brie hit a sliding kick to Triple H. Nikki then came into the ring where she dropped Brie in the middle of the ring for Stephanie to pick up the bones. The crowd loved the turn and loved seeing Stephanie in the ring. Match was fine but nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary.
Winner: Stephanie McMahon
Rating: *3/4
Match 7: Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns needs that one big match to really elevate him into the main event scene and one against Randy Orton on the company's second biggest show of the year is perfect. Many argue that this match went on too long for their liking but I liked it. Reigns needs a lengthy match in the spotlight so he can get used to these types of matches. I never felt like this match dragged at all, they spaced out all their moves nicely with no real wasted motion throughout. Things really started to pick up later on which saw Orton slickly reverse a Spear from Reigns into a powerslam. He then turned a Superman Punch a couple minutes later into a RKO which caught everybody off guard. It's almost as if we know the RKO is coming but at the same time, we don't. Reigns managed to kick out as the crowd is going nuts before Reigns hits a Spear and covers Orton for the win. Definitely a huge win for Reigns but begs the question of where Orton is going after this. Either way, great match that sets up the main event of the night.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ****
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
This is it, the huge rematch from a couple years back. The difference here is that this is for the richest prize in the industry and Brock Lesnar is coming off a victory against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX. With that being said, the Los Angeles crowd is hyped for both Lesnar and this match. They set the pace fast early on as a slug fest ignites between the two which led to Lesnar hitting an F5 within the opening minute. How cool would it have been to have Lesnar win right then and there? Either way, this was foreshadowing for the rest of the match. Lesnar basically tossed Cena around with ease, suplex after suplex after suplex. Cena did show some signs of life as he was able to hit an Attitude Adjustment on Lesnar only for Lesnar to sit right back up like The Undertaker and laugh at the face of Cena. Lesnar continued his onslaught and once Cena was able to see an opening, he locked in the STF. But Lesnar quickly countered and landed another F5 for the convincing win. This was almost like a glorified squash match. But I loved it. People get so caught up with the action in the ring that they forget that this is all entertainment and nobody does it better than these two along with Paul Heyman. They established their story early on with the F5 and it carried on from there with the commentators continuously hyping Lesnar to the moon. Should be interesting to see Lesnar as champ.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ***1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another great installment to the Summerslam legacy with a very fluid pace from the start to the finish. The biggest highlight of the night goes to the main event as Lesnar's legend still grows with a huge win over Cena in what was a fitting way to cap off the summer's biggest show.
Rating: 8/10
Live from Hollywood, it is Summerslam 2014 and Mr. Hollywood himself is ready to open the show. The Miz comes out first and puts himself over while putting down the Lakers. Los Angeles crowd is loving Ziggler as he looks to capture his second Intercontinental Championship. Miz does his best to avoid shots to the face in order to save the moneymaker and nearly scores the win in a nice back and fourth match but Ziggler got the best of him to get the big win as the crowd popped big for the win. Nice opening contest to set the mood. Not too long, not too short, and nicely paced.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: **1/4
Match 2: Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
This is Paige's rematch after AJ beat her for the title on an episode of Monday Night Raw. They do some weird hair pulling in the beginning of the match as they wrestle a decent match for five or so minutes until AJ locks in her Black Widow finisher. Paige nicely reverses into her modified DDT and scores the win. She then kisses an unconscious AJ after the match as she celebrates her second Divas Championship. Nothing different from their other matches but it was cool to see the crowd pop nicely for the finish.
Winner: Paige
Rating: *
Match 3: Flag - Rusev vs. Jack Swagger
Every Summerslam should have a Flag match! Okay, maybe not. But I am a sucker for America vs. any other country feuds. Before the bell tolls, Swagger locks in his Patriot Lock on Rusev and injures Rusev's ankle in the process. The match still goes on and Rusev does a great job of selling the injury as it became difficult for him to lock in his Accolade submission until the very end where he locked it in completely as Swagger passed out. Zeb Colter then receives a kick from Rusev afterwards for good measure. The Russian national anthem then plays as the Russian flag is raised behind the ring as Rusev celebrates in front of an unconscious Swagger. Good stuff.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/2
Match 4: Lumberjack - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
They did not get to beat the hell out of each other at Battleground so they get to do it here in a Lumberjack match at the Staples Center. Chaotic from the start as the two straight throw punches at one another and the entire arena can feel the pressure boiling. This definitely was not your typical Lumberjack match. This was much, much better than what we normally see. Ambrose likes to do unique things and this is a perfect example. The suplex out of the ring onto the lumberjacks, Ambrose punching his way through the lumberjacks, running on the announce tables to dive onto Rollins. Ambrose is a loose cannon, no pun intended. They even take the fight way into the seats where Kane finally comes out and screams at the lumberjacks to get them back into the ring. Rollins tries to escape but the babyface lumberjacks carry him back into the ring where Ambrose dives onto everybody! He then hits Rollins with a Curb Stomp but Kane attacks Ambrose which allows for all the lumberjacks to enter the ring as a huge melee erupts. Rollins then nails Ambrose with the Money in the Bank briefcase and scores the victory. Awesome stuff from these two and the crowd was definitely hot for this one. Good fun leading into the second half of the show.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***3/4
Match 5: Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho
I love Chris Jericho but I think his time for more serious feuds has concluded. His feud with Bray Wyatt has been good but nothing else. It lacks the fire and emotion the two are trying to build. The match here resembled my thoughts of their feud, it lacked that fire and that extra step. The crowd could not invest their troubles into the match after being fried out from the last bout. This felt like more of a match to kick off their feud rather than one that has been built for weeks. The action was fine but nothing spectacular or anything noteworthy. They did their normal routines as Wyatt was able to score the victory after hitting a Sister Abigail outside followed by hitting one inside the ring.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: **1/2
Match 6: Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon
Feels weird to see Stephanie McMahon back in the squared circle but I am all for it! This feud has been really odd but like I said, I am all for having Stephanie back in the ring for the first time in over ten years. For being out of the ring for so long, Stephanie never really showed any ring rust. Then again, her and Brie Bella had a pretty basic match from the start to the finish. Triple H and Nikki Bella both came out during the match as Triple H pulled out the referee before Brie hit a sliding kick to Triple H. Nikki then came into the ring where she dropped Brie in the middle of the ring for Stephanie to pick up the bones. The crowd loved the turn and loved seeing Stephanie in the ring. Match was fine but nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary.
Winner: Stephanie McMahon
Rating: *3/4
Match 7: Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns needs that one big match to really elevate him into the main event scene and one against Randy Orton on the company's second biggest show of the year is perfect. Many argue that this match went on too long for their liking but I liked it. Reigns needs a lengthy match in the spotlight so he can get used to these types of matches. I never felt like this match dragged at all, they spaced out all their moves nicely with no real wasted motion throughout. Things really started to pick up later on which saw Orton slickly reverse a Spear from Reigns into a powerslam. He then turned a Superman Punch a couple minutes later into a RKO which caught everybody off guard. It's almost as if we know the RKO is coming but at the same time, we don't. Reigns managed to kick out as the crowd is going nuts before Reigns hits a Spear and covers Orton for the win. Definitely a huge win for Reigns but begs the question of where Orton is going after this. Either way, great match that sets up the main event of the night.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ****
Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
This is it, the huge rematch from a couple years back. The difference here is that this is for the richest prize in the industry and Brock Lesnar is coming off a victory against The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX. With that being said, the Los Angeles crowd is hyped for both Lesnar and this match. They set the pace fast early on as a slug fest ignites between the two which led to Lesnar hitting an F5 within the opening minute. How cool would it have been to have Lesnar win right then and there? Either way, this was foreshadowing for the rest of the match. Lesnar basically tossed Cena around with ease, suplex after suplex after suplex. Cena did show some signs of life as he was able to hit an Attitude Adjustment on Lesnar only for Lesnar to sit right back up like The Undertaker and laugh at the face of Cena. Lesnar continued his onslaught and once Cena was able to see an opening, he locked in the STF. But Lesnar quickly countered and landed another F5 for the convincing win. This was almost like a glorified squash match. But I loved it. People get so caught up with the action in the ring that they forget that this is all entertainment and nobody does it better than these two along with Paul Heyman. They established their story early on with the F5 and it carried on from there with the commentators continuously hyping Lesnar to the moon. Should be interesting to see Lesnar as champ.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ***1/2
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another great installment to the Summerslam legacy with a very fluid pace from the start to the finish. The biggest highlight of the night goes to the main event as Lesnar's legend still grows with a huge win over Cena in what was a fitting way to cap off the summer's biggest show.
Rating: 8/10
Thursday, July 23, 2015
WWE Battleground 2015 Review
Match 1: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
Kicking off the night is the match we have seen countless times on Monday Night Raw as Mr. Money in the Bank goes up against WWE's Apex Predator. St. Louis is always hot for their hometown hero as Orton brought another great performance against Sheamus. Loved the aggression they showed from top to bottom but constantly felt like I have seen this match so many times before. JBL did his best to make it sound like the biggest slobber knocker of a match ever but that only helps so much considering he says the same thing for every single match. The action was great but nothing that seemed different from their encounters in 2010! Even still, I enjoyed the match and the crowd loved the RKO out of nowhere finish. Would have liked to see Sheamus score the win but Orton just seems on a roll.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: WWE World Tag Team Championships - The Prime Time Players (c) vs. The New Day
I'm really digging both these teams, they've stepped up their game and really made a name for themselves with the fans. Aside from Xavier Woods constantly shouting ringside, this was a fun tag match and it's really cool to see the division finally getting a bit of a better reputation. Kofi Kingston does his normal routine but it's Titus O'Neil who seemingly is getting the bigger push out of everybody here as he scores the pin to secure the belts for his team. Good match following the opening contest but again, haven't I seen this before?
Winners: The Prime Time Players
Rating: **
Match 3: Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns
Not a huge fan of this feud at all but I'm all for it if it's to build Roman Reigns back into the main event scene. Crowd is pretty split for Reigns as the St. Louis crowd is definitely more vocal than usual for Bray Wyatt. They were given a good chunk of time and the first half of the match was really slow and the crowd really wasn't given much to cheer for with so many rest moves. But the second half is where things really picked up, this seems to be the case for most matches involving Reigns. As the pace quickened, the match got much better and the crowd was really enjoying it. For those who doubt Reigns as a star, I have no idea what you are watching. He was great here as the match picked up more steam and definitely had the crowd on their toes along with Wyatt. The ending came when Luke Harper, who was dressed in a hoodie, came out of nowhere and landed a big boot to the face of Reigns. Wyatt then set Reigns inside where he hit a Sister Abigail for the win. Interesting match, a bit longer than what it needed to be but still fine. As for the finish, Harper works much better with Wyatt and the same can be said for Wyatt with Harper so it will be interesting to see where they go from here. Reigns takes a loss but he will likely easily get another big win to erase this one.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***1/4
Match 4: Brie Bella vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks
After making an impressive debut on Monday Night Raw, the NXT ladies are here to impress on a bigger stage as the established Brie Bella has her hands full against Charlotte and Sasha Banks. Definitely not your average Divas match, this was much faster and tons funner to watch. Charlotte and Banks are both fantastic in the ring but Bella doesn't really get the credit she deserves. Kudos to her for polishing her work and becoming much better over the past months. With that being said, we got a different type of Divas match today with lots of action and more substance than style. The crowd was behind them and so was I. Charlotte locked in her Figure Eight finisher on Bella to score the big win over Team Bella!
Winner: Charlotte
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: United States Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens
This is the third and deciding match in their epic series as John Cena defends the gold in front of a St. Louis crowd that loves their Kevin Owens. Cena has undoubtedly stepped up his game, he may have the same haters but nobody can deny his awesome display of wrestling he brings to the table week after week. And Cena does exactly that here in his third encounter against Owens. This was simply another roller coaster of a contest, Owens proves exactly what Cena said at Money in the Bank in that he belongs on this stage. The way he was mocking Cena throughout the match was brilliant, it was almost as if Batman met Joker. Owens imitated Cena with his signature taunts and even locked in the STF at one point. Crowd absolutely loved this match, they were going nuts when Owens just would not fall to the Attitude Adjustment as Cena hit one both in the middle of the ring and even from the top rope. However, Cena got the better of Owens as he was able to get Owens to tap with the STF. Great finishing bout to their epic series of matches. While it was a great match, it didn't really set itself apart from their last two matches or even Cena's match against Cesaro a couple weeks back. It was still a great match, but it felt like a really missed opportunity to not have it as a hardcore match or even inside a steel cage. They could do it at Summerslam but it just would have made more sense here. Either way, Cena continues to push the United States Championship and younger stars like Owens in the process. Owens may have lost the series to Cena but in no way shape or form do I think this should be looked at as a burial.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****
Match 6: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Seth Rollins (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar finally gets his hands on the slimy Seth Rollins to avenge his WrestleMania loss and gain his belt once again. Just as you would expect, this was basically Lesnar tossing Rollins around like a toy, hitting German suplexes left and right. Rollins was introduced to Suplex City and seeing him fly across the ring was definitely a sight to behold. Rollins played his role perfectly, he used his cunning and fast style to take down the bigger and stronger style of Lesnar but nothing really hurt Lesnar. Rollins even tried escaping the match but Lesnar ran after him and threw him back. Lesnar was having his way with Rollins and finally hit an F5. Lesnar goes for the cover until the arena goes black as a loud gong sounds. The Undertaker has arrived. He is in the ring and stares down Lesnar before kicking Lesnar downstairs and hits a Tombstone! Undertaker leaves the ring but sees Lesnar still conscious so Undertaker gets back inside and hits another! Undertaker poses as the show goes off the air. This was certainly more of an angle than a match to set the main event for Summerslam. Would have liked to seen more of the match but we will likely get the rematch down the line. Even still, the match was cool for the short duration that we got. The ending leaves lots of questions which will certainly be answered at Summerslam.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A good show that never dragged throughout the course of the show. Everything was good but nothing really stood out too much. The Cena vs. Owens match was great but it didn't really bring anything too different from the last two matches. And of course, the main event. I would have loved to see more of the actual match but like I said, I'm sure we will get these two again down the line. But obviously, everything will be overshadowed by return of The Deadman. Right now, his return doesn't really make too much sense considering Lesnar is the hottest face of the company but again, we just all have to play the waiting game.
Rating: 7.75/10
Kicking off the night is the match we have seen countless times on Monday Night Raw as Mr. Money in the Bank goes up against WWE's Apex Predator. St. Louis is always hot for their hometown hero as Orton brought another great performance against Sheamus. Loved the aggression they showed from top to bottom but constantly felt like I have seen this match so many times before. JBL did his best to make it sound like the biggest slobber knocker of a match ever but that only helps so much considering he says the same thing for every single match. The action was great but nothing that seemed different from their encounters in 2010! Even still, I enjoyed the match and the crowd loved the RKO out of nowhere finish. Would have liked to see Sheamus score the win but Orton just seems on a roll.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4
Match 2: WWE World Tag Team Championships - The Prime Time Players (c) vs. The New Day
I'm really digging both these teams, they've stepped up their game and really made a name for themselves with the fans. Aside from Xavier Woods constantly shouting ringside, this was a fun tag match and it's really cool to see the division finally getting a bit of a better reputation. Kofi Kingston does his normal routine but it's Titus O'Neil who seemingly is getting the bigger push out of everybody here as he scores the pin to secure the belts for his team. Good match following the opening contest but again, haven't I seen this before?
Winners: The Prime Time Players
Rating: **
Match 3: Bray Wyatt vs. Roman Reigns
Not a huge fan of this feud at all but I'm all for it if it's to build Roman Reigns back into the main event scene. Crowd is pretty split for Reigns as the St. Louis crowd is definitely more vocal than usual for Bray Wyatt. They were given a good chunk of time and the first half of the match was really slow and the crowd really wasn't given much to cheer for with so many rest moves. But the second half is where things really picked up, this seems to be the case for most matches involving Reigns. As the pace quickened, the match got much better and the crowd was really enjoying it. For those who doubt Reigns as a star, I have no idea what you are watching. He was great here as the match picked up more steam and definitely had the crowd on their toes along with Wyatt. The ending came when Luke Harper, who was dressed in a hoodie, came out of nowhere and landed a big boot to the face of Reigns. Wyatt then set Reigns inside where he hit a Sister Abigail for the win. Interesting match, a bit longer than what it needed to be but still fine. As for the finish, Harper works much better with Wyatt and the same can be said for Wyatt with Harper so it will be interesting to see where they go from here. Reigns takes a loss but he will likely easily get another big win to erase this one.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***1/4
Match 4: Brie Bella vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks
After making an impressive debut on Monday Night Raw, the NXT ladies are here to impress on a bigger stage as the established Brie Bella has her hands full against Charlotte and Sasha Banks. Definitely not your average Divas match, this was much faster and tons funner to watch. Charlotte and Banks are both fantastic in the ring but Bella doesn't really get the credit she deserves. Kudos to her for polishing her work and becoming much better over the past months. With that being said, we got a different type of Divas match today with lots of action and more substance than style. The crowd was behind them and so was I. Charlotte locked in her Figure Eight finisher on Bella to score the big win over Team Bella!
Winner: Charlotte
Rating: ***1/4
Match 5: United States Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Kevin Owens
This is the third and deciding match in their epic series as John Cena defends the gold in front of a St. Louis crowd that loves their Kevin Owens. Cena has undoubtedly stepped up his game, he may have the same haters but nobody can deny his awesome display of wrestling he brings to the table week after week. And Cena does exactly that here in his third encounter against Owens. This was simply another roller coaster of a contest, Owens proves exactly what Cena said at Money in the Bank in that he belongs on this stage. The way he was mocking Cena throughout the match was brilliant, it was almost as if Batman met Joker. Owens imitated Cena with his signature taunts and even locked in the STF at one point. Crowd absolutely loved this match, they were going nuts when Owens just would not fall to the Attitude Adjustment as Cena hit one both in the middle of the ring and even from the top rope. However, Cena got the better of Owens as he was able to get Owens to tap with the STF. Great finishing bout to their epic series of matches. While it was a great match, it didn't really set itself apart from their last two matches or even Cena's match against Cesaro a couple weeks back. It was still a great match, but it felt like a really missed opportunity to not have it as a hardcore match or even inside a steel cage. They could do it at Summerslam but it just would have made more sense here. Either way, Cena continues to push the United States Championship and younger stars like Owens in the process. Owens may have lost the series to Cena but in no way shape or form do I think this should be looked at as a burial.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****
Match 6: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Seth Rollins (c) vs. Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar finally gets his hands on the slimy Seth Rollins to avenge his WrestleMania loss and gain his belt once again. Just as you would expect, this was basically Lesnar tossing Rollins around like a toy, hitting German suplexes left and right. Rollins was introduced to Suplex City and seeing him fly across the ring was definitely a sight to behold. Rollins played his role perfectly, he used his cunning and fast style to take down the bigger and stronger style of Lesnar but nothing really hurt Lesnar. Rollins even tried escaping the match but Lesnar ran after him and threw him back. Lesnar was having his way with Rollins and finally hit an F5. Lesnar goes for the cover until the arena goes black as a loud gong sounds. The Undertaker has arrived. He is in the ring and stares down Lesnar before kicking Lesnar downstairs and hits a Tombstone! Undertaker leaves the ring but sees Lesnar still conscious so Undertaker gets back inside and hits another! Undertaker poses as the show goes off the air. This was certainly more of an angle than a match to set the main event for Summerslam. Would have liked to seen more of the match but we will likely get the rematch down the line. Even still, the match was cool for the short duration that we got. The ending leaves lots of questions which will certainly be answered at Summerslam.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **1/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A good show that never dragged throughout the course of the show. Everything was good but nothing really stood out too much. The Cena vs. Owens match was great but it didn't really bring anything too different from the last two matches. And of course, the main event. I would have loved to see more of the actual match but like I said, I'm sure we will get these two again down the line. But obviously, everything will be overshadowed by return of The Deadman. Right now, his return doesn't really make too much sense considering Lesnar is the hottest face of the company but again, we just all have to play the waiting game.
Rating: 7.75/10
Monday, July 6, 2015
WWE The Great American Bash 2007 Review
Match 1: United States Championship - MVP (c) vs. Matt Hardy
Kicking off the 2007 edition of The Bash is two of SmackDown's hottest guys outside the main event scene. JBL does a fantastic job of not only putting over both guys, but putting over MVP's big boot finisher. MVP built the match around that move and Matt Hardy did a great job of selling the effects of MVP's strategy. At one point, Hardy had trouble climbing the top rope because of the damage he suffered to his head. MVP was later able to hit a big boot and followed it with his Playmaker finisher to score the victory. Great opening contest which once again tells the story of Hardy not being able to get that big win and obtain a singles championship. Great chemistry and great storytelling, both guys at the top of their game here in the decent time they were given.
Winner: MVP
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: Cruiserweight Championship - Cruiserweight Open - Chavo Guerrero (c) vs. Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Shannon Moore vs. Funaki vs. Jamie Noble vs. Hornswoggle
This should be a fun one, first competitor to score pinfall or submission is the winner and new Cruiserweight champion. Unfortunately, they didn't get enough time to really set a nice pace or really do anything special. There were a couple cool spots here and there, but nothing that makes the division stand out. The end came when Hornswoggle appeared out of nowhere and hit a Tadpole Splash on Jamie Noble to score the win.
Winner: Hornswoggle
Rating: **
Match 3: Singapore Cane on a Pole - The Sandman vs. Carlito
If you thought the last match was odd, this one might be a tad bit odder. Feels so strange to see The Sandman coming down the aisles in the WWE. Anyway, first combatant to retrieve the cane up on the pole is able to use it. This match was about five minutes of the two literally exchanging punches, likely because of Sandman's limited capabilities. Sandman eventually grabs the cane first and as he swings for the fences, Carlito ducks and hits his Back Cracker. So all that and nobody even got hit with the cane.
Winner: Carlito
Rating: 1/2*
Match 4: Women's Championship - Candice Michelle (c) vs. Melina
I always dread the Divas matches but this one wasn't so bad. Melina has always been pretty good and Candice Michelle has definitely upped her game a notch. More fluid and clean action from these two that we are normally used to seeing on Raw as the two go back and forth before Candice hits her Candywrapper finish to retain the title. Decent match but per normal, nothing special or anything that will be remembered in a couple weeks.
Winner: Candice Michelle
Rating: *3/4
Match 5: Intercontinental Championship - Umaga (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
Looking back at this makes me miss both of these guys. The chemistry these two have for whatever reason was just brilliant. They managed to put on a great match while telling the perfect story. Jeff Hardy, the crowd favorite, can't match size with the heavyweight in Umaga so he relies on his unique style of wrestling to gain the advantage. Umaga has no intentions of changing his strategy at all against Hardy, he's looking for the kill. Umaga was in control for the better part of the match but Hardy held his own. Hardy relied on Umaga's mistakes in order to gain the advantages and was able to hit a Swanton Bomb but Umaga managed to kick out! Umaga was then able to hit a Samoan Spike which Hardy sold perfectly. Great match, Umaga comes out looking like a bigger beast while Hardy looked like a worthy contender.
Winner: Umaga
Rating: ***1/2
Match 6: ECW Championship - John Morrison (c) vs. CM Punk
I remember being a sucker for the 2007 version of ECW for whatever reason. This was the rematch from their match at Vengeance where Morrison won the vacant ECW Championship. The commentators do their best to hype this match but they don't even believe what they're saying. The crowd is quiet but the action is fairly enjoyable. But nothing from this match differentiates from their previous encounter. And just like that bout, this lacked the fire it needed to shift out of first gear and get the crowd going. Finish came when Punk launched himself off the top rope where Morrison hit Punk right in his knee to score the pin. Really uneventful finish for what was a pretty uneventful match.
Winner: John Morrison
Rating: **3/4
Match 7: Texas Bull Rope - Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
You can't have a Great American Bash without Dusty Rhodes! Mr. Legend Killer looks to take out another legend as Randy Orton's challenge to Rhodes in a match backfired when Rhodes called for a Texas Bull Rope match. There's only so much you can do here but the stimulation really covered Rhodes and his limits. They made the match pretty believable despite the ridiculous circumstances, Rhodes was the veteran of the match and used the rope to his advantage. Orton looked like a slithering snake out there and played his role perfectly. Rhodes got the majority of the offense before Orton finally drilled Rhodes with the bell for the finish. Orton looked to punt Rhodes in his skull afterwords before Cody Rhodes comes out for the save. Better than I expected but that really isn't saying much considering this is a PPV. Either way, they did the best they could with what they were given and it allows Orton to add a legend under his Legend Killer belt.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: *1/2
Match 8: World Heavyweight Championship - The Great Khali (c) vs. Batista vs. Kane
This was scheduled to be Edge vs. Kane for the World Heavyweight Championship until injuries happened. Crazy stuff. And even more crazy, Khali is champ! And he is constantly holding the title upside down and it drives me crazy. Since Khali is so limited in the ring, Batista and Kane have no choice but to team up and take him out. They take the fight outside where they drive Khali straight through the ECW announcers table! The match is basically Batista vs. Kane until Khali steps inside again and hits Kane with a Punjabi Plunge to retain the title. The table spot was really cool and the action really wasn't all that bad as the crowd was pretty vocal throughout. It was pretty obvious they structured the match with Khali being the third wheel. It still boggles me to this day that WWE wanted Khali as champ and they still wanted him to go over here. Still, this match was easily better than any expectations I had.
Winner: The Great Khali
Rating: ***
Match 9: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Bobby Lashley
I always loved Bobby Lashley, he had a phenomenal presence and I think in his latter years in the WWE, he was definitely gaining some personality. This match against John Cena for the WWE Championship was getting hyped to the moon and I always recall thinking that they drew the gun too fast on this match. They should have at least saved it for Summerslam and for another time as Lashley just switched brands from the 2007 Draft. Of all the challenges Cena has had, he's never had to face someone like Lashley. A legitimate amateur wrestler who is bigger and faster than Cena. Never a dull moment in this match, Lashley has the advantage throughout most of the match and looks like a worthy opponent for Cena's belt. But Cena closes the gap and the final minutes definitely turn things up a notch as Jim Ross does an incredible job of hyping the contest. Cena almost makes Lashley submit and Lashley almost wins after hitting a Spear. But the finish came when Cena was able to hit an FU off the top rope to retain the title. Great match which would have benefited from more time. Too short for me to give this match four stars but it was definitely a great main event and a great way to close out the night. The FU from the top was a great finish as Lashley's strength and will was too much for Cena to overcome with a normal finish. Unfortunately, we never got a rematch and this remains Lashley's final WWE PPV which just happened to be in the main event against John Cena. Would have loved to see where Lashley's WWE career would have taken him but this is as far as it went.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A good night of wrestling with the highlight being the main event the WWE tried to build as a mega match with John Cena overcoming Bobby Lashley. Also, the Hardy matches both delivered respectively and the World Heavyweight Championship bout wasn't all that bad.
Rating: 7/10
Kicking off the 2007 edition of The Bash is two of SmackDown's hottest guys outside the main event scene. JBL does a fantastic job of not only putting over both guys, but putting over MVP's big boot finisher. MVP built the match around that move and Matt Hardy did a great job of selling the effects of MVP's strategy. At one point, Hardy had trouble climbing the top rope because of the damage he suffered to his head. MVP was later able to hit a big boot and followed it with his Playmaker finisher to score the victory. Great opening contest which once again tells the story of Hardy not being able to get that big win and obtain a singles championship. Great chemistry and great storytelling, both guys at the top of their game here in the decent time they were given.
Winner: MVP
Rating: ***1/2
Match 2: Cruiserweight Championship - Cruiserweight Open - Chavo Guerrero (c) vs. Jimmy Wang Yang vs. Shannon Moore vs. Funaki vs. Jamie Noble vs. Hornswoggle
This should be a fun one, first competitor to score pinfall or submission is the winner and new Cruiserweight champion. Unfortunately, they didn't get enough time to really set a nice pace or really do anything special. There were a couple cool spots here and there, but nothing that makes the division stand out. The end came when Hornswoggle appeared out of nowhere and hit a Tadpole Splash on Jamie Noble to score the win.
Winner: Hornswoggle
Rating: **
Match 3: Singapore Cane on a Pole - The Sandman vs. Carlito
If you thought the last match was odd, this one might be a tad bit odder. Feels so strange to see The Sandman coming down the aisles in the WWE. Anyway, first combatant to retrieve the cane up on the pole is able to use it. This match was about five minutes of the two literally exchanging punches, likely because of Sandman's limited capabilities. Sandman eventually grabs the cane first and as he swings for the fences, Carlito ducks and hits his Back Cracker. So all that and nobody even got hit with the cane.
Winner: Carlito
Rating: 1/2*
Match 4: Women's Championship - Candice Michelle (c) vs. Melina
I always dread the Divas matches but this one wasn't so bad. Melina has always been pretty good and Candice Michelle has definitely upped her game a notch. More fluid and clean action from these two that we are normally used to seeing on Raw as the two go back and forth before Candice hits her Candywrapper finish to retain the title. Decent match but per normal, nothing special or anything that will be remembered in a couple weeks.
Winner: Candice Michelle
Rating: *3/4
Match 5: Intercontinental Championship - Umaga (c) vs. Jeff Hardy
Looking back at this makes me miss both of these guys. The chemistry these two have for whatever reason was just brilliant. They managed to put on a great match while telling the perfect story. Jeff Hardy, the crowd favorite, can't match size with the heavyweight in Umaga so he relies on his unique style of wrestling to gain the advantage. Umaga has no intentions of changing his strategy at all against Hardy, he's looking for the kill. Umaga was in control for the better part of the match but Hardy held his own. Hardy relied on Umaga's mistakes in order to gain the advantages and was able to hit a Swanton Bomb but Umaga managed to kick out! Umaga was then able to hit a Samoan Spike which Hardy sold perfectly. Great match, Umaga comes out looking like a bigger beast while Hardy looked like a worthy contender.
Winner: Umaga
Rating: ***1/2
Match 6: ECW Championship - John Morrison (c) vs. CM Punk
I remember being a sucker for the 2007 version of ECW for whatever reason. This was the rematch from their match at Vengeance where Morrison won the vacant ECW Championship. The commentators do their best to hype this match but they don't even believe what they're saying. The crowd is quiet but the action is fairly enjoyable. But nothing from this match differentiates from their previous encounter. And just like that bout, this lacked the fire it needed to shift out of first gear and get the crowd going. Finish came when Punk launched himself off the top rope where Morrison hit Punk right in his knee to score the pin. Really uneventful finish for what was a pretty uneventful match.
Winner: John Morrison
Rating: **3/4
Match 7: Texas Bull Rope - Dusty Rhodes vs. Randy Orton
You can't have a Great American Bash without Dusty Rhodes! Mr. Legend Killer looks to take out another legend as Randy Orton's challenge to Rhodes in a match backfired when Rhodes called for a Texas Bull Rope match. There's only so much you can do here but the stimulation really covered Rhodes and his limits. They made the match pretty believable despite the ridiculous circumstances, Rhodes was the veteran of the match and used the rope to his advantage. Orton looked like a slithering snake out there and played his role perfectly. Rhodes got the majority of the offense before Orton finally drilled Rhodes with the bell for the finish. Orton looked to punt Rhodes in his skull afterwords before Cody Rhodes comes out for the save. Better than I expected but that really isn't saying much considering this is a PPV. Either way, they did the best they could with what they were given and it allows Orton to add a legend under his Legend Killer belt.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: *1/2
Match 8: World Heavyweight Championship - The Great Khali (c) vs. Batista vs. Kane
This was scheduled to be Edge vs. Kane for the World Heavyweight Championship until injuries happened. Crazy stuff. And even more crazy, Khali is champ! And he is constantly holding the title upside down and it drives me crazy. Since Khali is so limited in the ring, Batista and Kane have no choice but to team up and take him out. They take the fight outside where they drive Khali straight through the ECW announcers table! The match is basically Batista vs. Kane until Khali steps inside again and hits Kane with a Punjabi Plunge to retain the title. The table spot was really cool and the action really wasn't all that bad as the crowd was pretty vocal throughout. It was pretty obvious they structured the match with Khali being the third wheel. It still boggles me to this day that WWE wanted Khali as champ and they still wanted him to go over here. Still, this match was easily better than any expectations I had.
Winner: The Great Khali
Rating: ***
Match 9: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Bobby Lashley
I always loved Bobby Lashley, he had a phenomenal presence and I think in his latter years in the WWE, he was definitely gaining some personality. This match against John Cena for the WWE Championship was getting hyped to the moon and I always recall thinking that they drew the gun too fast on this match. They should have at least saved it for Summerslam and for another time as Lashley just switched brands from the 2007 Draft. Of all the challenges Cena has had, he's never had to face someone like Lashley. A legitimate amateur wrestler who is bigger and faster than Cena. Never a dull moment in this match, Lashley has the advantage throughout most of the match and looks like a worthy opponent for Cena's belt. But Cena closes the gap and the final minutes definitely turn things up a notch as Jim Ross does an incredible job of hyping the contest. Cena almost makes Lashley submit and Lashley almost wins after hitting a Spear. But the finish came when Cena was able to hit an FU off the top rope to retain the title. Great match which would have benefited from more time. Too short for me to give this match four stars but it was definitely a great main event and a great way to close out the night. The FU from the top was a great finish as Lashley's strength and will was too much for Cena to overcome with a normal finish. Unfortunately, we never got a rematch and this remains Lashley's final WWE PPV which just happened to be in the main event against John Cena. Would have loved to see where Lashley's WWE career would have taken him but this is as far as it went.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***3/4
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A good night of wrestling with the highlight being the main event the WWE tried to build as a mega match with John Cena overcoming Bobby Lashley. Also, the Hardy matches both delivered respectively and the World Heavyweight Championship bout wasn't all that bad.
Rating: 7/10
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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