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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