WWE TLC 2014 Review

Tables, ladders, chairs... and stairs. WWE looks to close the year of 2014 out with a bang as John Cena's second opportunity to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Brock Lesnar is in danger as he puts that shot on the line against Seth Rollins in a tables match. Also, Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt face off in a TLC match.

Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Ladder - Luke Harper (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
They needed a match to kick off the night with some energy and this was the perfect choice. Even as the Intercontinental Champion, Luke Harper really hasn't been given the love he has earned at this point. A ladder match is the perfect opportunity to impress some eyes in the back and the front. Really fun match here that saw the two go back and fourth with Harper really showing off his hidden athleticism. Despite Dolph Ziggler getting busted up a little, he was still able to fight through and his a superkick on Harper off a ladder to clear his path to the belt. Ziggler is able to grab the title and win the Intercontinental Championship for the 4th time in another big TLC PPV win with this time, doing it in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ****

Match 2: WWE Tag Team Championships - The Miz & Damien Mizdow (c) vs. The Usos
While The Usos were voted as the tag team of the year at the Slammy Awards, Damien Mizdow is still the favorite among the audience here. Solid match for what it was here with again, Mizdow getting the majority of the attention from the crowd and they were eating up every moment he was copying The Miz. Frustrated with the way the match was going, Miz drills The Usos with their own Slammy Awards which causes the ref to call for the bell. Almost as if they didn't want The Usos to eat a pin and didn't want Miz and Mizdow lose any momentum so they took the easy way out with that disqualification finish.
Winners: The Usos (via disqualification)
Rating: **

Match 3: Stairs - The Big Show vs. Erick Rowan
For the first time ever, we have a stairs match. Who thought of this? As ridiculous as it sounds, it wasn't actually all that bad despite the crowd being pretty bored throughout the contest. From what I saw, I saw two big guys really go at it and be as innovative with the stairs as they possibly could and making it a point that those stairs were a pain to be hit with. The Big Show was able to hit a Chokeslam on Erick Rowan and follow it up with a Knockout Punch to secure the win before trapping him under the top side of the steep stairs on the pin. Nice to have the young upstart in Big Show pick up a needed win here. All jokes aside and putting aside how wacky this really was, I enjoyed it more than most. Kill me, I enjoyed a wrestling match. 
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: **1/4

Match 4: Tables - Seth Rollins vs. John Cena
If John Cena loses here against Seth Rollins, he will lose his chance at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble. The announcers nicely noted that Cena has a roller coaster of a history at this PPV that included him losing the WWE Championship in a tables match against Sheamus in 2009. Of course, they centered much of this match around Cena having to not only fight off Rollins, but fight off his security team in J&J Security who blatantly took advantage of the no disqualification rules. They intervened nicely on the part of Rollins and even hid the evidence of a broken table when Cena put Rollins through one while the referee was down. Nice touch. However, Cena was able to fight off the team and hand them an Attitude Adjustment through a table together. The match took another turn once Cena and Rollins went through a couple tables on the outside together which caused the referee to restart the match. And then, here we go, The Big Show comes out and looks to aid his friend in Rollins until Roman Reigns appears and Spears Show through a table. A Superman Punch to Rollins was followed by an Attitude Adjustment by Cena through a table to score the win. While there may have been too many shenanigans going on and while the match went on a little longer than it needed, it was still an enjoyable contest and a nice way for Reigns to get back on a PPV as he got a huge pop. Also a nice setup for Lesnar vs. Cena III which would eventually turn into a triple threat match with Rollins getting added to the mix.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***1/2

Match 5: WWE Divas Championship - Nikki Bella (c) vs. AJ Lee
With her sister in Brie Bella by her side, Nikki Bella must defend her championship against AJ Lee here. Bland match here with Nikki dominating the match as the annoying crowd kept chanting for their beloved CM Punk. When Brie caused a distraction with the referee, Nikki sprayed something in AJ's face and hit her with a Rack Attack to secure the win. 
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *

Match 6: Chairs - Kane vs. Ryback
In another filler of a match, we have Kane taking on Ryback in a chairs match. As you could imagine, this was a pretty slow match with Kane staying in control for most of it as the crowd became a bit restless from the action in the ring. Kane almost had the win in the as he threw a steel chair to the face of Ryback and followed it up with a Chokeslam. However, Ryback was able to kick out and nail a Shell Shocked (or is it Shell Shock?) to get the win. You can definitely pass on this one.
Winner: Ryback
Rating: *

Match 7: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Jack Swagger
Rusev is riding his success into this PPV and must defend his United States Championship against Jack Swagger. Another forgettable match here with Swagger doing everything in his power to weaken the ankle of Rusev throughout so he can really get him with a Patriot Lock. However, Rusev again proves to be too much and disposes him with his Accolade finish. A glorified squash match that sees Rusev riding his momentum into a feud with John Cena.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *1/2

Match 8: TLC - Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt
The two craziest superstars in the WWE look to settle the score in the main event of the last PPV of 2014. With no title or contract on the line, you must either pin or submit your opponent to pick up the win as opposed to usually grabbing whatever is hung above the ring. As expected, you get your cool table spots from both guys but there never really was a moment that made this match stand out from any other TLC match. Dean Ambrose diving off a ladder three times and driving his elbow and body through Bray Wyatt and a table were all cool moments but in the end, Ambrose made the silly mistake of trying to crack Wyatt in the head with a TV monitor. Unfortunately for him, the monitor was still connected with a cable and as he tried running it over to Wyatt, the cable shorted and the monitor exploded in his face. Wyatt capitalizes on the situation and hits another Sister Abigail on Ambrose to secure the win. If anything, that finish just made Ambrose look stupid. While in 2018, Wyatt has nearly been completely forgotten about, the company was really big on him here in 2014 as he was getting ready for his date with The Deadman at WrestleMania just a few months later.
Winner: Bray Wyatt
Rating: ***

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Definitely not the worst PPV the WWE offered up in 2014 but this was certainly nothing to really write home about. You had a couple great matches but you also had a lot of junk and time fillers that really brought this one down and made it a forgettable show.
Rating: 6.75/10

WWE Survivor Series 2010 Review

Free or fired. John Cena is in the biggest predicament of his career as he serves as the special guest referee in the main event between Randy Orton and Wade Barrett for the WWE Championship. If Barrett wins, Cena will be free from The Nexus. But if Orton wins, Cena will be fired.

Match 1: WWE United States Championship - Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Ted DiBiase
Feels kind of weird to see Daniel Bryan without a long beard and him chanting "YES!" on his way to the ring. Also just as weird to see Maryse accompany Ted DiBiase to the ring. Solid opening match here that really above all, was a good time for Bryan to display his huge array of moves and continue to solidify himself as a legitimate star in the company. DiBiase put up a good fight but in the end, Bryan put him in his LeBell Lock to score the win. Afterwards, The Miz attacks Bryan from behind with his Money in the Bank briefcase and goes off on The Nexus and the Miami Heat in the process.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: Sheamus vs. John Morrison
A year prior to this, Sheamus was on a wining squad in a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match, he would go on to win multiple WWE Championships and become a focal point in the company on a weekly basis. Is there anyone who had a better first year than Sheamus? In the later part of 2010, he had a little feud that churned out some great matches against John Morrison. While this match was no exception, it did feel a bit underwhelming and almost as if it went on a little longer than it needed to. Sometimes, less is more.
Winner: John Morrison
Rating: ***

Match 3: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kaval
Much like the opening match, this match saw Kaval display his talents to the PPV audience and show why he made it to the big leagues. As the winner of NXT, Kaval was given the opportunity to choose a championship match of his choosing at a PPV of his choosing. Was he not allowed to choose a shot at the WWE Championship? Regardless, if anyone forgot, Kaval is not only good in the ring, but stiff. Looks like Dolph Ziggler took some serious hits in a solid back and forth contest that continued the nice start for the PPV. Ziggler would go on to roll up Kaval and grab a handful of tights to secure the win.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4

Match 4: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Mysterio (Rey Mysterio, The Big Show, Chris Masters, Kofi Kingston & MVP) vs. Team Del Rio (Alberto Del Rio, Cody Rhodes, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre & Tyler Reks)
Can we talk about how great Alberto Del Rio was when he debuted in the WWE and began feuding with Rey Mysterio? He had the look, the charisma and the talent in the ring. He leads a team of heels against Mysterio and the good guys. Unfortunately for Del Rio, he got escorted out of the match by doctors after The Big Show drilled him with a Knockout Punch. The last leg of the match came down to Mysterio and The Big Show having to fight off the majority of Team Del Rio before finally taking down Drew McIntyre last to pick up the win. Solid Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match that let Mysterio pick up a win without Del Rio having to suffer a pin.
Winners: Team Mysterio
Sole Survivors: Rey Mysterio & The Big Show
Rating: ***1/4

Match 5: WWE Divas Championship - LayCool (c) vs. Natalya
For those who recall, Michelle McCool and Layla were the co-champions and thus, this was a handicap match against Natalya. Typical short match for the Divas here with Natalya scoring the win as she was able to take Layla away from the equation before submitting McCool with a Sharpshooter. Afterwards, LayCool look to attack Natalya before Beth Phoenix comes out to make the save. Take it for what it was but it was definitely cool to see Natalya win her first championship
Winner: Natalya
Rating: 3/4*

Match 6: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Kane (c) vs. Edge
Another weird moment in 2010 featured Edge kidnapping Kane's father in Paul Bearer and leading them to a World Heavyweight Championship bout here at Survivor Series. Fun fact, these two were scheduled to have a match for the belt at The Great American Bash in 2007 before Edge suffered an injury. Welp, they ended up rescheduling the match here over three years later. Funny how things work. Edge played mind games with Kane throughout the match by bringing out a wheelchair and parading around the ring with it to remind Kane about his missing father. As you would imagine, this was a fairly slow contest with Kane playing up the angle as Edge was successfully getting into Kane's head. Edge was able to hit a Spear on Kane but as Edge covered Kane, Kane inadvertently had an arm dropped across Edge as well. The referee counted and called for a draw instead of Edge winning the match. Afterwards, Edge placed Kane on the wheelchair and drove him through the barricade. A pretty disappointing match between the two veterans here but not as bad as some of the critics made it out to be. Always good to see these two go at it in the ring.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **

Match 7: WWE Tag Team Championships - The Nexus (c) vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov
Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel are representing The Nexus here as they take on the odd team of Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov. Basically a squash match here with Slater pinning Marella to get the easy win and retain the gold for his squad. Afterwards, the rest of The Nexus continue the beatdown before Michael Cole quotes the anonymous Raw general manager that all members of The Nexus are banned for the main event. Like I said, just a squash match to gap the two championship matches and put in place the stipulation of banning all Nexus members.
Winners: The Nexus
Rating: 1/2*

Match 8: WWE Championship - Special Guest Referee (John Cena) - Randy Orton (c) vs. Wade Barrett
Much like Sheamus, Wade Barrett had an incredible first year in the WWE and perhaps main eventing Survivor Series against Randy Orton may be his biggest bragging right as a singles star. With John Cena being a member of The Nexus, he finds himself in a pickle as the special guest referee of the match. If Barrett wins the match, Cena will be freed from The Nexus. However, if Orton wins, Cena will be fired. Much of the match was basically Barrett beating down Orton and arguing with Cena about not getting the count in his favor. Finally, Cena shoves Barrett after the two got into a huge argument which led to Orton hitting an RKO on Barrett to secure the win. Afterwards, members of The Nexus come out but only to get beaten down by both Cena and Orton. Orton walks out with a shocked look as he realizes the consequence of his victory. Cena then shows love to the audience as the show concludes. Of course, Cena would literally return to action sooner rather than later after this which basically renders this match completely pointless. If any steam was left from The Nexus taking a loss at Summerslam, it was certainly lost after this.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: *3/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
What started out as a promising show turned into one of the more disappointing PPVs of the year with the biggest gripes being the two world championship matches. As disappointing as the World Heavyweight Championship match was, the WWE Championship match didn't do any better. Quite simply one of the most forgettable fall classics the WWE has ever had to offer.
Rating: 6/10

WWE Survivor Series 2016 Review

Fantasy warfare just got real. The rematch over 12 years in the making, Brock Lesnar looks to avenge his WrestleMania XX loss against Goldberg in the biggest main event in Survivor Series history.

Match 1: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Raw (Bayley, Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks & Charlotte) vs. Team SmackDown Live (Becky Lynch, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Carmella & Natalya)
With the Team SmackDown Live captain in Nikki Bella getting attacked from behind, Natalya stepped up to the plate and took over for her. This is the first Raw vs. SmackDown Live contest of the night with Charlotte leading the charge for the red team. Fine opening match here to get the crowd warmed up for a night full of brand warfare matches. Becky Lynch would eventually be the last one standing for Team SmackDown Live as she had to go against both Charlotte and Bayley. Despite putting up a good fight, Bayley hit Lynch with a Bayley-to-Belly to secure the win for her team. Afterwards, Charlotte sends Bayley a message by beating the living daylights out of here. That team comradery only lasted as long as it could.
Winners: Team Raw
Sole Survivors: Bayley & Charlotte
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: WWE Intercontinental Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Sami Zayn
The Miz defeated Dolph Ziggler on an edition of SmackDown Live in their 56th match against each other to capture the Intercontinental Championship and must defend it against Raw's Sami Zayn. Solid match here with Miz working on the leg of Zayn and warming him up for a Figure Four. Miz looked to have the win secured when he had the lock in place but Zayn was able to power out and eventually lock Miz in his own version of it. Maryse created a distraction by ringing the bell at ringside and Miz was able to roll Zayn up as he had thought he had won via submission.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***

Match 3: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Raw (Enzo, Big Cass, The Shining Stars, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Sheamus, Cesaro, & The New Day) vs. Team SmackDown Live (Heath Slater, Rhyno, Breezango, The Usos, The Hype Bros & American Alpha)
Watching this match made me forget how many dumb gimmicks there were at the time for the tag team division. What the hell were The Shining Stars all about? Or The Hype Bros? Regardless, here we are in a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match with the tag teams. If one member of a tag team gets eliminated, then their respective tag team would be eliminated from the match. Loved the start of the match where both Breezango and The New Day were both eliminated very quickly to cause quite a stir for the match and made things interesting. But let's cut to the chase, the main part of this match came when the last two teams were in play, Sheamus & Cesaro against The Usos. So many nearfalls that had me guessing and so many cool spots from both sides with Cesaro being the main standout of them all. They had the crowd reeling.
Winners: Team Raw
Sole Survivors: Sheamus & Cesaro
Rating: ***1/2

Match 4: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Brian Kendrick (c) vs. Kalisto
Brand warfare spills into the Cruiserweight division as the champion in Brian Kendrick must win in order to retain both his title and the entire division on Monday Night Raw. If Kalisto wins, he brings both the title and the division over to SmackDown Live. As usual with guys on 205 Live, this was a fast-paced match with the crowd virtually not paying any attention. Great action between the two here with it spilling to the outside for a bit and finally back inside with a highlight being Kendrick dropping Kalisto from the top rope and putting him in his Captain's Hook finisher. However, Baron Corbin comes out of nowhere and attacks Kendrick from behind before catching a flying Kalisto and hitting him with an End of Days for the disqualification finish. If they were trying to improve the lacking division, then this really does no favors for them. They were having a great match and it completely got overshadowed by having Corbin coming in and causing a wreck.
Winner: Brian Kendrick
Rating: ***

Match 5: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team SmackDown Live (Shane McMahon, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, AJ Styles & Dean Ambrose) vs. Team Raw (Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens)
For the first time since 2005, Raw and SmackDown go head to head to determine the top brand of the WWE. I loved the feud back then and while 2016 couldn't really match that intensity, I still appreciated the efforts and loved that this was back. Oh, let's just forget about Bragging Rights. Much of the story in this one was focused on if AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose could coexist for their team as they had a match approaching at TLC in a couple weeks. They couldn't... and it made sense. Styles had the chance to break up a pin attempt against Ambrose and didn't which drove team captain in Shane McMahon nuts. Eventually, Ambrose would make his way back to the match and briefly reform with his former Shield brothers to powerbomb Styles though the announcers table. Awesome. All the eliminations made sense with McMahon's being the nastiest as he took a Spear in midair from Roman Reigns that legitimately knocked him out. Sweet spot that made me bite my tongue as I saw McMahon hit the floor hard. It came down to Reigns fighting his way against both Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. Reigns looked to Spear the living daylights out of Wyatt before Orton came in and took the Spear for him which allowed Wyatt to hit a Sister Abigail on Reigns to score the win for him and Team SmackDown Live. Fun match that saw JBL totally kill the finish by screaming, "Raw wins!" It's edited on The WWE Network if you're wondering. Loved the eliminations and absolutely loved that finish. The main problem I had was how long it went, I felt like they could have shaved off a few minutes as it kind of felt like it was just not going to end near the finish.

Winners: Team SmackDown Live
Sole Survivors: Bray Wyatt & Randy Orton
Rating: ****

Match 6: Brock Lesnar vs. Goldberg
If there was one word to describe this main event, it would be epic. Going back to 2016, I actually don't even remember the last time I was this excited for a main event in quite some time. The build, the history and the atmosphere had me on my toes for this one. Fantasy warfare just got real, the rematch over 12 years in the making is finally happening. The crowd was hot as soon as Brock Lesnar's music hit and the confident look he had in his face as he awaited Goldberg gave me chills. Once Goldberg's music hit, it was almost hard to believe it was actually happening. The bell sounded and as Lesnar attacked first, Goldberg easily pushed him down and surprised him with a Spear! Crowd was in disbelief as Heyman was crying on Lesnar's behalf. Goldberg followed it up with another Spear and a Jackhammer to shock the entire world and defeat Lesnar in less than a couple minutes. Not sure if Goldberg was capable of wrestling a longer match or not, but I loved this. I always wondered what a big WWE main event would be like if this happened and it couldn't have happened for a better match than this. Goldberg celebrates in the ring with his son in what will go down as the biggest main events in Survivor Series history. Wow.

Winner: Goldberg
Rating: n/a

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This is probably one of the WWE's stronger efforts into the fall classic in quite some time. I absolutely love the fact that the brand warfare feud is back and they really put in a full effort in making it a good one despite some a couple questionable booking spots. But perhaps the biggest standout to me would be the main event, a shockingly short match with Goldberg making one of the most memorable returns to the ring in the history of the company.

Rating: 8/10

WWE Survivor Series 2009 Review

Two triple threat matches decide who will walk out with the richest championships in the business. The Undertaker defends his World Heavyweight Championship against both Chris Jericho and The Big Show while John Cena has his hands full as his WWE Championship is on the line against Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Match 1: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Miz (The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre & Sheamus) vs. Team Morrison (John Morrison, Evan Bourne, Finlay, Matt Hardy & Shelton Benjamin)
Best way to start off a Survivor Series is with a Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match! This match was seven years ago and really showed off the newer stars that would soon become main eventers like Sheamus and The Miz. Nice opening match here that shifted the focus to those newer guys as guys like Finlay or Matt Hardy had very minuscule parts to the match. Really told us where WWE's agenda was. It came down to The Miz having himself along with Drew McIntyre & Sheamus against the lone John Morrison. Morrison put up a fight until Sheamus hit him with running crucifix powerbomb to score the win for his team. Good match and a nice way to open the show while displaying the younger talent. Damn, that feels so weird saying that in 2018.
Winners: Team Miz
Sole Survivors: The Miz, Drew McIntyre & Sheamus
Rating: ***

Match 2: Rey Mysterio vs. Batista
Batista had one of my favorite heel turns of all time at Bragging Rights 2009 and a feud with Rey Mysterio just made all the right reasons. Unfortunately, they never really got a proper ending and this would go on to be their only match on PPV. Disappointing considering how long these two have been friends for and how much more they could have stretched this out for. Regardless, they really made the most of what they were given and the feud was red hot from the start. As for the match, it was exactly what it needed to be. Mysterio was able to get in a little bit of offense but Batista was way too much and delivered three nasty Batista Bombs before the referee finally called for the bell as the Washington D.C. crowd was cheering on their hometown hero. Afterwards, Batista hits a spinebuster to Mysterio onto a steel chair as Mysterio was screaming. Really wish the feud went on for longer after this because this was so brilliant. Batista is incredible as a heel and no pun intended, is an absolute animal in his role. Mysterio was the perfect opponent for him here as I felt so compassionate as his former best friend was beating the living daylights out of him with no remorse.
Winner: Batista
Rating: *3/4

Match 3: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Orton (Randy Orton, CM Punk, William Regal, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase) vs. Team Kingston (Kofi Kingston, MVP, Mark Henry, Christian & R-Truth)
For those who forgot, Kofi Kingston wrapped up his Jamaican gimmick around this time and was propelled to the main event of Monday Night Raw with a big time feud against Randy Orton, the top heel of the show. Loved the structure of the match as the animosity between Team Orton was looking like it had been brushed aside in the beginning until Team Kingston would make the comeback. The quick eliminations of both Mark Henry and R-Truth put Team Kingston in the hole and worked since it forced them to make the babyface comeback. Eventually, it would go down to Kingston facing off against Orton and CM Punk as Kingston would eliminate Punk before immediately hitting a Trouble in Paradise on Orton to secure the win for his squad and be the sole survivor. Good match here that was just as good, if not a little bit better than the first match of the night. Shame that the push for Kofi went nowhere after this because this dude was hot.
Winners: Team Kingston
Sole Survivor: Kofi Kingston
Rating: ***1/4

Match 4: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - The Undertaker (c) vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Big Show
Interesting build to this match with Chris Jericho and The Big Show being tag partners and having to fend for themselves in a triple threat match including The Undertaker. Loved the drama that led up to this one with Jericho hitting a Codebreaker on Big Show to close out the final minutes of SmackDown before the PPV. Solid match here with Jericho and Show working cohesively in the beginning to take out The Undertaker before the wheels of the wagon just came off. Eventually, the match became a true triple threat with The Undertaker taking the most of the offense from the two. With Big Show knocking out Jericho, he set his eyes on The Undertaker. As Show reached in for a Chokeslam, Undertaker was able to reverse it into a Hell's Gate submission to seal the win. A bit of an underwhelming match here as I was expecting a little more from three legends. Regardless, I enjoyed the match and the right person won here.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ***1/2

Match 5: Traditional Survivor Series Elimination - Team Michelle (Michelle McCool, Alicia Fox, Beth Phoenix, Jillian Hall & Layla) vs. Team Mickie (Mickie James, Eve Torres, Gail Kim, Kelly Kelly & Melina)
The final Traditional Survivor Series Elimination match of the night has the Divas going at it against each other as the personal feud between Michelle McCool and Mickie James comes to a head. As expected, the eliminations came rather fast with the one Diva being the standout was Beth Phoenix who was quick to make an impact as soon as she entered the fray. However, she was eliminated by James soon after. With James still in the equation, Melina is able to pin McCool to pick up the win for her and her team. Solid match for what it was and a nice bridge between the two title matches.
Winners: Team Mickie
Sole Survivor: Melina
Rating: **1/2

Match 6: WWE Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
Much like the World Heavyweight Championship match, the WWE Championship will also be defended in a triple threat match with John Cena having to go against the team of D-Generation X. Absolutely loved how they began the match with Shawn Michaels landing a Sweet Chin Music on Triple H out of nowhere. The crowd was shaking, the announcers were screaming as John Cena looked at a stoic Michaels in disbelief. Awesome. But just look very closely at it and you'll notice that Michaels didn't even touch Triple H, pretty great selling on Triple H's part here. This allowed Cena to battle Michaels who would eventually get his turn delivered to him via a spinebuster from Triple H through the announcers table. Another awesome spot. Cena was able to fight off both men and escape with the WWE Championship in hand after delivering an Attiutude Adjustment to Michaels ontop of a prone Triple H who just ate his third Sweet Chin Music of the match. As much as I would have loved to see Michaels get one more go with the belt before his retirement, it just wasn't in the cards. However, I think there still were some missed opportunities after this match to create some friction and drama between D-Generation X as Michaels started to become more and more obsessed with his rematch with The Undertaker. Anyway, I just loved how they constructed the match with Michaels telling us that there will be no cohesion whatsoever from the start before having to face Triple H in the middle of the match. It amazes me how forgotten this match has become and how great it would have been to see this at a WrestleMania a year or two earlier to this. Easily one of my favorite Survivor Series matches.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ****1/2

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Despite the show getting some back feedback from most critics, I enjoyed the show for the most part. None of the matches were hard to watch and I loved the Rey Mysterio vs. Batista match along with the main event. If there was any reason to go back and watch this show, it would definitely to see how far the younger stars of this show have come along with an incredibly underrated main event.
Rating: 7.25/10

Match of the Week (October 22, 2018) - Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns (WWE Survivor Series 2015)

Certainly one of the more heartbreaking moments in Monday Night Raw history occurred tonight when Roman Reigns was forced to relinquish his Universal Championship due to his fight with leukemia. There were a lot of matches from his career that I wanted to feature for the Match of the Week but ultimately, I think his first WWE World Heavyweight Championship victory should be the one. Never mind the fact Reigns would lose to Sheamus immediately after the match, this match still represents the long climb it took for Reigns to get to the top of the mountain. He lost his big match at WrestleMania earlier in the year but would go on to avenge that loss with a big one at Survivor Series just months later. If there is anyone who is ready for a fight, it's Roman Reigns. Can't wait to see you back in the ring where you belong.

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WWE World Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final - Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns
Fittingly, this is tonight's main event. They debuted at Survivor Series three years ago and have established themselves as the top dogs of the company. I liked the dynamic of this match, two brothers beating the hell out of each other to secure what they want most. They looked bruised and battered from their last bouts and they did a fantastic job of selling the pain. Unfortunately, the Atlanta crowd wasn't all into the action or the two guys in the ring for that matter. Regardless, they still pulled out a fun match here with Roman Reigns finally hitting a sick Spear onto Dean Ambrose to score the win. The match made sense, they were tired from their last matches and thus, the match lasted less than ten minutes. The scene with both guys sitting and trading punches was really cool. Can't wait for The Shield to have that triple threat match. Confetti and fireworks go off as Reigns embraces the moment with Ambrose by his side. And then, out comes Triple H. The Game offers his hand to shake. However...
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: **3/4

Match of the Week (October 15, 2018) - Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE WrestleMania XXX)

Since today is my birthday, I wanted to share with you a match that had a special meaning to me in my life. In 2014, Daniel Bryan defeated both Randy Orton and Batista in the main event of the biggest show of the year to capture the most prestigious championship in the WWE. However, the meaning behind both this match and event as a whole is so special to me. I was transitioning through a new phase of my life as I had broken up with my girlfriend and was finding my way into finally transferring into a university. Things were happening fast and I was experiencing a different level of stress that I have never felt before. There was one thing I could always count on to help me with life... professional wrestling. Seeing Daniel Bryan beat Evolution in one night before closing out the show with the championship belts in both hands was something I will never forget.

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Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (Taken from WWE WrestleMania XXX Review)
This is it. The first triple threat main event at a WrestleMania since WrestleMania XX. And this event oddly resembles that one is so many ways. Bryan gained this opportunity after beating Triple H earlier in the show. Hard to believe that the original main event was going to be Batista vs. Orton. Bryan being injected into the match gives this match and event both a different kind of life. You know Bryan is going to win, but you just still got that feeling. The hate for Batista is real and he is fully embracing his role as a heel. He does such an amazing job at provoking these fans to boo him, he is a heel at heart. This match was exciting from the start and definitely worthy of closing out a wild night of wrestling. Just a roller coaster of a match filled with Bryan trying to fend off both Orton and Batista. Things got really foggy when Batista hit Bryan with a Batista Bomb as Orton connected with an RKO through an announce table. One of the coolest spots I have ever seen in a WrestleMania main event. Bryan refuses to quit and ends the match by getting Batista to submit after an amazing back and fourth finish. Bryan celebrates in the ring with both titles in hand as the pyro sets off to cap off an incredible night. Wow. Everything made sense here. It wasn't the perfect match or even the best main event in WrestleMania history. But again, everything made sense. You had Triple H, the scumbag boss, do his best to alter the finish with Scott Armstrong and the sledgehammer. But he failed. You had Batista, the man who was scheduled to likely win the match, submit to Daniel Bryan! What a match, what an ending, and what a show. 
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/4

Match of the Week (October 8, 2018) - The Brothers of Destruction vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper (WWE Survivor Series 2015)

As The Brothers of Destruction get ready to reunite at Crown Jewel to take on D-Generation X, let's go back to the 2015 edition of Survivor Series. To coincide with the 25th anniversary of The Undertaker's debut, he teamed with his brother Kane to take on The Wyatt Family in a legendary Survivor Series match that I will remember for the rest of my life.

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The Brothers of Destruction vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper
Numbers can easily define the legend that is The Undertaker. 25 is the flavor of death for tonight. Survivor Series 2015 celebrates 25 years to the day that The Undertaker debuted on the WWE stage. Bray Wyatt gets to choose two members of his family to take on The Brothers of Destruction. He sends in Erick Rowan to the wolves where he receives a Double Chokeslam for his troubles. Wyatt decides to team with Luke Harper and have Braun Strowman stay in his corner. The Brothers are in control of the match until Strowman tosses Kane over the announce table. The tides seem to turn until Undertaker gets his retribution as he leads a Double Chokeslam to Strowman through the table with the help of Kane. Awesome. Back in the ring and once again, Wyatt looks to be in control. However, The Brothers both sit up simultaneously in the faces of Wyatt & Harper before delivering the final nail to the coffin. What a scene. Undertaker plants Harper with a Tombstone for the win. That was more show and more nostalgia than anything. And I loved it. I got chills watching that incredible entrance by The Undertaker and it literally felt like I was stepping back into my childhood watching this match. The Wyatt Family took the loss but let's be honest, facing The Brothers of Destruction on a PPV match is as good as anything.
Winners: The Brothers of Destruction
Rating: ***1/4

WWE Battleground 2016 Review

The Shield goes to war! All three members of The Shield collide in the main event as the WWE Championship is on the line in the final PPV before Raw and SmackDown go their separate ways.

Match 1: Charlotte Flair & Dana Brooke vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley
With these ladies being drafted to Monday Night Raw, the Raw women's division was looking stacked. Charlotte Flair teams up again with Dana Brooke to take on Sasha Banks and her former NXT enemy in Bayley. Crowd was absolutely hot for Bayley here and were eating up every move she executed with Flair having the weakest link in the match in Brooke being a downfall for her. Banks is able to submit Flair with her Bank Statement submission as the long feud between Charlotte and Sasha had only just begun.
Winners: Sasha Banks & Bayley
Rating: **1/4

Match 2: The New Day vs. The Wyatt Family
Aside from Xavier Woods oddly becoming scared to death of The Wyatt Family, this feud was a really good one. Really looked forward to seeing the two top teams in the company at the time go at it. While the match didn't get enough time I think they needed to really steal the show, they still put on a great display of twists and turns. They also centered the match around Woods being afraid of Bray Wyatt before he was finally able to conquer his fears and gain an advantage over him at one point before he went on to eventually fall to Bray and his Sister Abigail finisher. Great match but also kind of seemed like a lost opportunity to have these two feud for a longer period and have a better payoff than this.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: ***

Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Zack Ryder
Just a tad bit random to see Zack Ryder get a crack at Rusev and his United States Championship. Not complaining since I'm definitely a huge Ryder fan and love seeing him get some love on the PPV. Ryder was trying to ride the momentum he gained from WrestleMania 32 and take down Rusev with it. Ryder actually got in a decent amount of offense in this one and made the match more competitive than most Rusev matches at this time were. Unfortunately for Ryder, a kick to the back of the head from Rusev before following it up with an Accolade proved to be too much. Afterwards, Mojo Rawley came out to Ryder's aid as he stared down Rusev out of the ring. Enjoyable for what it was but definitely felt like a pre-show type of match.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **

Match 4: Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens
If anyone has ever seen these two go at it in Ring of Honor back in the day, then you know what to expect. More specifically, this match reminded me of their match at Death Before Dishonor in 2010. If you have never seen it, then I highly recommend you do so before watching them here. It was their first match against each other in their personal feud that year and very similar to the animosity that was building here. As usual, incredible chemistry between the two with some incredible displays of athleticism that had the crowd reeling. After hitting two consecutive Helluva Kicks, Zayn pins Owens to score one of the biggest wins of his career. Remarkable performance as usual from these two with a very sweet ending as Zayn stared down Owens after the first Helluva Kick and following it up with another second nasty kick to the face. These two truly are destined to fight each other forever.
Winner: Sami Zayn
Rating: ****1/4

Match 5: Natalya vs. Becky Lynch
After Natalya turned her back on Becky Lynch a PPV ago, the two square off here. Seeing Natalya interact as a heel just seems a bit off to me. As much as I love these two, this was just a bland match that saw Natalya dominate throughout the match before Lynch finally got in a bit of offense at the end. Am I watching a John Cena match from 2006? Natalya locks up Lynch in a Sharpshooter and makes her submit to score the win.
Winner: Natalya
Rating: *1/2

Match 6: WWE Intercontinental Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Darren Young
If you forgot how slim the roster was looking in 2016 due to injuries, look no further than this. Another bland match here with the shenanigans nearing the end of the match overlooking all the action in the ring itself where the crowd was growing restless. With Bob Backlund at ringside for Darren Young, he gets himself involved with the match after Maryse slaps him. Backlund goes crazy and shoves Backlund to the floor before Young came down and choked The Miz out outside the ring as the referee calls for the bell. What the hell was that? If anything, that just made everyone involved in the match look like an idiot and those who don't know who Bob Backlund is just get a bad outlook on him. 
Winner: n/a
Rating: *1/4

Match 7: John Cena, Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. The Club
The next chapter in the feud between John Cena and AJ Styles has them finding allies to go at it in a war here before they face off in another singles match. Dig the idea of this as it sets up for a big rematch at Summerslam between the two. Fun match here with Enzo Amore really getting a rub from both Cena and the crowd has he cut a pretty sweet promo on The Club prior to the start of the match. Say what you want about him but he can damn well talk. Solid chemistry between the two teams as they nicely sprinkled some action between Cena and Styles but not enough to fulfill your appetite. But the two tag teams more than held their own and had some cool spots for themselves when Cena or Styles weren't involved. However, Cena and his squad get the last laugh when an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope to Styles proved to be the difference maker.
Winners: John Cena, Enzo Amore & Big Cass
Rating: ***3/4

Match 8: WWE Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
Always wondered when the WWE would book a triple threat between The Shield members, just never thought it would come on a lesser PPV like Battleground. However, with the roster being slimmed down from injuries and with the new brand extension, I guess this makes sense. But I'm pretty sure they will eventually all go at it at a WrestleMania or Summerslam down the road. Especially one that won't have the general managers and commissioners at ringside hogging the spotlight. Even still, this was still a great match as you would expect from three guys who have been going at it for years. Back and forth they went with teases of them colluding before realizing it's a triple threat match and every man is for themselves. Roman Reigns hits Seth Rollins with a Spear but Dean Ambrose immediately grabs Reigns and plants him with a Dirty Deeds DDT to secure the win. With that being said, Reigns has been pinned cleanly in consecutive PPVs. Interesting. Afterwards, the SmackDown Live roster comes out to hoist up Ambrose and celebrate their champion.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ****1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Heading into a new stage in the WWE, they really needed a strong PPV that would deliver in terms of quality in the ring along with blending that to help with feuds down the line for each respective brand. Thankfully, they certainly delivered but it wasn't without a couple hiccups with the biggest one being Chris Jericho hosting Randy Orton on an episode of The Highlight Reel which came off as just forced and cheesy for a PPV. Regardless, still a fun show and a nice introduction into the 2016 brand extension.
Rating: 8/10

Match of the Week (October 1, 2018) - Kane vs. The Undertaker (WWE Hell in a Cell 2010)

Another random pick for this week's Match of the Week but the conclusion of tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw got me thinking... How many times have The Undertaker and Kane fought against each other? It's easy to remember their classic WrestleMania bouts but it's also easy to forget their later matches like this one in 2010.

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World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Hell in a Cell 2010 Review)
Probably one of the most baffling main events I could remember within the past decade or so. I remember the hate this match was getting before it even happened. But in my opinion, it's cool to see these old veterans main event a PPV inside Hell in a Cell with Paul Bearer being in The Deadman's corner. Also incredible to believe that these two men were involved in the very first Hell in a Cell match. Let's get this out of the way, the ending may have been the most fucked ending I have ever seen in a WWE ring. And trust me, I've seen some stupid shit. But before that, I thought that the match was actually going really well, probably better than what anyone could expect. We tend to forget just how good Kane can really be and I love the emphasis he put on working on The Undertaker's leg. Matt Striker nicely pointed out that it would affect Undertaker's arsenal of moves. But things got really weird when after Kane knocked out the referee after hitting a Tombstone to The Undertaker. Paul Bearer would enter the match when the door opened. The lights dimmed down as fire started to erupt from the titantron. Bearer gives the urn to Kane before Kane knocks him out The Undertaker it. Kane retains the championship. I feel like we took a trip back to 1999.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **1/4

Match of the Week (September 24, 2018) - New Age Outlaws & Kane vs. The Shield (WWE WrestleMania XXX)

With all the talk of The Shield possibly breaking up soon, why not relive the last time they competed as a cohesive squad at a WrestleMania. They wanted to make a statement across the company against three other veterans and they did so in convincing fashion. The group would soon disband after as they were more than ready to move on to bigger and better things.

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New Age Outlaws & Kane vs. The Shield (Taken from WWE WrestleMania XXX Review)
This match is basically two teams from two completely different eras going at it. Hungry is the word to describe The Shield and the monster push they have received over the year continues here as they absolutely destroy their opponents with ease. It was simply a showcase of The Shield beating down three other guys for about five minutes with The Shield finally planting New Age Outlaws with their Triple Powerbomb finisher after Roman Reigns gave a Spear to everyone. Fun match that simply got a good spot on the card for The Shield and allowed them to get a quick win.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: *1/4

WWE Money in the Bank 2016 Review

High rollers, high risks and high rewards... Live from Las Vegas, it is the 2016 installment of Money in the Bank. Not only did the event feature one of the most star-studded Money in the Bank ladder matches, but it also saw former Shield reverends collide in the main event for the richest prize in the business.

Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. Enzo & Cass vs. The Vaudevillians vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
The New Day look to continue their long title reign after they won the WWE Tag Team Championships at Summerslam of 2015. Awesome way to start the show with the Las Vegas crowd being very vocal for all teams involved. Loved every team in this match but for whatever reason, it just felt like such a cluster having all these guys in the match and seeing them try to get their offense in. With that being said, I was really taken out of the action once Enzo Amore scored the count on Karl Anderson before the referee called it a 2 count. Okay. The New Day are able to capitalize when all other teams are down to score the win and retain the gold. While the right team won, there is no doubt that this could have been much better than what it was.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler
Baron Corbin was still pretty new to the main roster at this point and the company just seemed pretty high on him at the time. Unfortunately, that spelled bad news for the veteran in Dolph Ziggler. The first half of the match was basically Corbin looking dominant and leading us to believe that this was a possible squash match as the crowd grew a bit restless from it. However, Ziggler would make things interesting as the match became more competitive. Despite that, Ziggler would still fall to Corbin after Corbin hit his End of Days finisher. With the crowd caring less for what they were processing in the beginning, it was a struggle for them to get out of that first gear. But once they did, the match went on to be better than what I expected. Still, a little too long and dragged out for me.
Winner: Baron Corbin
Rating: **3/4

Match 3: Charlotte Flair & Dana Brooke vs. Becky Lynch & Natalya
As Charlotte Flair continues her dominance, she gets a break from defending her Women's Championship as she teams up with Dana Brooke to take on both Becky Lynch & Natalya. I dig the idea of the title not being defended on every PPV, makes it feel just a bit more important. Decent action here with a fairly short amount time given here and a great finish that saw Natalya nearly score the win for her team until Brooke drove Lynch right into Natalya as she had the Sharpshooter locked in. Flair then hit her Natural Selection move to score the win. Afterwards, Natalya beats down Lynch and cries as she walks away.
Winners: Charlotte Flair & Dana Brooke
Rating: **

Match 4: Sheamus vs. Apollo Crews
After making his debut on the main roster after WrestleMania, Apollo Crews quickly was becoming a fan favorite. Sheamus, of course, did not approve and was not about to let Crews make a name off him here. Solid action here as Crews does a great job of fighting as the underdog but also not making the match seem complete out of reach for him. Credit also goes to Sheamus for looking like an animal, he works much better as a heel. Sheamus is fending off Crews and his late comeback as he hits a White Noise from the top rope. However, Sheamus isn't able to get the pin and argues with the referee before getting rolled up out of nowhere for Crews to steal the win. Good win for Crews as his momentum would soon be stopped quickly. As for Sheamus, this dude won the Money in the Bank match the previous year as his career looked to be going nowhere at this point.
Winner: Apollo Crews
Rating: **3/4

Match 5: AJ Styles vs. John Cena
Let me just start by saying how much I loved everything about the feud these two had from 2016 and heading into the early part of 2017. Their chemistry on the mic and in the ring was on another level, easily one of the more underrated feuds of this generation. Can we stop the hate on John Cena at this point? The dude has become so adaptive and working with the best in the business, AJ Styles included. Styles looked to be control early on and was cocky in his ways as he kept mouthing out if this was the best Cena had. Fantastic exchanges throughout the match with both guys delivering the best from their respective arsenals. Every spot made sense and as the match progressed, both the unpredictability of the winner and the intensity grew. However, a referee bump caused Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson to come out and hit Cena with a Magic Killer. They then rolled Styles atop Cena as the referee made the count. AJ Styles just beat John Cena. Regardless of the finish, Styles pinning Cena gives him some legit credibility in the WWE. Incredible match and a nice way for them to get their feud going into another gear.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ****1/2

Match 6: Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Chris Jericho vs. Cesaro vs. Sami Zayn vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kevin Owens vs. Dean Ambrose
Who doesn't love a good ladder match? Especially when it involves some incredible talent in there like these guys. What makes a good Money in the Bank match is having everybody having their own spots and making their spots both matter and be memorable. Here, everybody got in the act and the mayhem made for some sweet spots that had the crowd on their feet. While it seemed a bit predictable that Dean Ambrose was going to walk away with the briefcase in hands, they certainly gave us a bumpy ride that had me thinking someone else was really going to walk away the winner. One of my favorite spots saw Alberto Del Rio lock Cesaro in a Cross Armbreaker on top of the ladder. However, that and Cesaro spinning everybody around were not enough as Ambrose was able to knock Kevin Owens off a ladder onto another ladder before grabbing the briefcase and securing the biggest win of his career. Another solid Money in the Bank match that lacked predictability, but made up for it with great action in the ring. Can't complain.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***3/4

Match 7: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Titus O'Neil
With Titus O'Neil's kids sitting ringside to watch their father try to earn his first singles championship of his career, the Super Athlete in Rusev stood in his way. While it's pretty much a foregone conclusion from the start that Rusev was going to retain, we need to really give credit to O'Neil for his improvement in the ring and becoming a great ambassador of the sport outside the ring. A title reign for him wouldn't be the worst idea. Fairly short match here with Rusev controlling the better part of the match and teasing O'Neil's kids at ringside before submitting him to an Accolade submission. Afterwards, Rusev tells O'Neil's kids to have a happy father's day. Good stuff for Rusev here as his star continues to rise after having it crash a few months back.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *3/4

Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins
After finally returning to the WWE from his injury about a month prior, Seth Rollins looks to reclaim the WWE World Heavyweight Championship he never lost against Roman Reigns. Loved how they built this match in the first half with Reigns seemingly being too much for Rollins as the guys on commentary noted how Reigns had become increasingly better in the duration that Rollins was out of commission. But once Rollins gained his footing, the action picked up a little as the crowd was a bit tired from the previous matches along with the fact that the show had passed the 3 hour mark. With that taken into account, I felt like the pacing of the match was a bit too slow for something that nearly went on for 30 minutes. There were certainly times throughout the match where I caught myself drifting off. Even still, the closing minutes were certainly exciting with Reigns missing a Spear on the outside through a barricade and later getting another Spear attempt countered into a Pedigree. Rollins hits Reigns with another Pedigree and successfully regains his championship. While the match probably could have shaved off a few minutes, it was still another solid main event for Reigns but nothing like the ones he had with AJ Styles prior to this.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****

Match 9: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
As Seth Rollins celebrated in the ring, JBL noted how Rollins had never lost the championship. Welp, out comes Dean Ambrose who drills Rollins with the Money in the Bank briefcase from behind before cashing it in. Ambrose plants Rollins with a Dirty Deeds DDT to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the first time in his career. Fantastic finish to the night as the WWE completely swerved us by having all Shield members hold the richest prize in the business on the same night.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: N/A

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
While the start of the PPV was a bit bland, it certainly followed things up with a great second half that made for great television to follow. Not only that, but the action in the ring was great with the biggest point being AJ Styles gaining a huge win over John Cena. However, that isn't to say that the end of the show left a nice lasting impression with Dean Ambrose finally reaching the pinnacle of the business and closing it out with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in hand.
Rating: 8/10

Match of the Week (September 17, 2018) - AJ Styles vs. Daniels vs. Samoa Joe (TNA Turning Point 2009)

Before Samoa Joe was the new daddy in the Styles household, he clashed against The Phenomenal One in TNA years prior. We always talk about the famous match at Unbreakable 2005 between AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe, but we tend to forget their amazing rematch in 2009. So the next time you see Styles and Joe clash in a WWE ring, don't forget where they came from.

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TNA World Heavyweight Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. Daniels vs. Samoa Joe (Taken from TNA Turning Point 2009 Review)
Here it is, the biggest rematch in company history. For those who don't know, these three guys in AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, and Samoa Joe had what was arguably the greatest match in company history at Unbreakable 2005 for the X Division Championship. Four years later, the three compete again in the main event for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Pretty cool to see how things change but always remain the same. The buildup for this match was no joke either, they were sure to let us know of the history they had and how the friendship between Styles and Daniels was quickly deteriorating. As expected, this match was as fast as you could imagine with some of the sweetest moves and reversals that you wouldn't even be able to think of. Nobody had the advantage and everybody was getting in their offense at a fast rate. Incredible finish that saw Daniels hit a BME on Joe before Styles was able to hit a 450 Splash out of nowhere on the both of them with Daniels getting the brunt of it. Another fantastic match to close out the show on a high note. It's almost as if these guys had a chip on their shoulder after the company signed Hulk Hogan and they wanted to prove a point that they were still the mainstay and the reason to tune in every week. Styles going over was easily the right call, he was white hot at the time and the perfect guy to lead the company's charge into the new direction they were headed. While this did feel like an indy spotfest here and there, it was still a remarkable display of athleticism and professional wrestling at its finest.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ****1/2

Match of the Week (September 10, 2018) - D-Generation X vs. Legacy (WWE Hell in a Cell 2009)

Can you believe that this Sunday's Hell in a Cell event will be the tenth Hell in a Cell event in history? Where does the time go? With that being said, this week's Match of the Week takes us to the very first event in history back in 2009 where Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase wanted to make their presence felt against the the two legends in Triple H and Shawn Michaels of D-Generation X. While it wasn't the best main event in the history of Hell in a Cell, it was certainly a great way to debut what would go on to be one of the company's biggest PPV shows of the year.

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Hell in a Cell - D-Generation X vs. Legacy (Taken from WWE Hell in a Cell 2009 Review)
The heated feud between these two teams finally hits its conclusion inside Hell in a Cell. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase of Legacy looked confident after talking things over with Randy Orton after his title win. However, he made sure to remind them that win or loss, nobody comes out of it the same. Legacy sneak attacks D-Generation X from behind as Triple H & Shawn Michaels were coming down to the ring. The fight starts outside Hell in a Cell before the bell even rings as the mayhem gets taken into the stands. Finally, Legacy gets the advantage and lock themselves inside with Michaels as Triple H was forced to watch as his partner got decimated. Finally, and I mean finally, Triple H comes back and opens up the door and makes the save for his team as they lay out Legacy for the win. Hard to give this match more than *** when it was basically a handicap match. This was Legacy beating down Michaels for a strong part of the match before Triple H made the save that seemingly took forever. After their big win at Breaking Point, you think a win here for Legacy would have been in their cards. 2009 in a nutshell.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: **3/4

WWE Hell in a Cell 2013 Review

Daniel Bryan has to face the machine again as he takes on Randy Orton inside Hell in a Cell with Shawn Michaels serving as the special guest referee. Will Bryan be able to get over the hump and regain the gold or does The Viper walk away with another big main event win?

Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - Cody Rhodes and Goldust (c) vs. The Usos vs. The Shield
While it feels like I have seen these teams face off about a thousand times, I really have no reason to complain considering how good the action usually is. This is a perfect way to start off the show and the crowd was eating up every second of it. It felt like every man in this match had a chip on their shoulder and just something to prove, you could feel the intensity from every step of the way. With both Cody Rhodes and Goldust being involved within the storyline against The Authority, they were certainly riding a big wave of momentum here as Cody was able to hit a Cross Rhodes on Seth Rollins while Roman Reigns and The Usos were out of the equation to pick up the win for himself and Goldust. Completely forgot about this match and very interesting to look back and see The Shield take a clean loss like this considering how high the company was on them. Regardless, great opening match with a hot crowd along for the ride.
Winners: Cody Rhodes and Goldust
Rating: ***3/4

Match 2: Fandango and Summer Rae vs. The Great Khali and Natalya
At this point, the hype behind Fandango had finally died down as he teams up with his lady to take on The Great Khali and Natalya. Also, this is Summer Rae's first match of her WWE career. As expected with a Khali match, very bland action whenever he was the legal person as Fandango struggled against the much larger opponent. Natalya at least made things interesting with her fight against Summer Rae. Summer Rae was able to roll up Natalya and sneak a win for her team. Poor Natalya, she is definitely one of the better female wrestlers on the roster and she gets jobbed out for someone's first match.
Winners: Fandango and Summer Rae
Rating: *

Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Big E Langston
With a very deflated crowd, these two had a tough task of getting in an exciting match that would wake them up. Unfortunately for them, the action in the ring was solid but not enough to get the crowd out of their seats. Dean Ambrose plays his role as a heel phenomenally as he has trouble going against the bigger Big E Langston. Eventually, Ambrose tries to escape the match but only gets tossed back in. However, Ambrose is still able to hit his DDT but is not able to score the win with it before Big E would then spear himself and Ambrose out of the ring. The referee counts out Ambrose as he then tries to walk away with his title but Big E pulls him back in the ring and gives him a Big Ending for his troubles. Decent match here with a crowd that just could not get behind the action. Still weird to see another match where The Shield takes a hit.
Winner: Big E Langston
Rating: **

Match 4: Hell in a Cell - CM Punk vs. Ryback and Paul Heyman
Funny enough, these two faced off in a Hell in a Cell match a year prior to this with the main difference being that their roles were completely reversed. CM Punk turned this match into a handicap match as he wanted to also get his hands on his arch nemesis in Paul Heyman. However, Heyman was atop the cell the entire match as Punk had to fight off the big Ryback. Like many Ryback matches, the action wasn't really the best but it was definitely interesting to watch the two go at it in a pretty stiff match. For the better part of the match, it was Ryback looking like he was going to easily gain the win but Punk was able to turn the tides before hitting an elbow drop on Ryback through a table and following it with a GTS for the win. Good story throughout the match with Punk fittingly playing the role of the underdog but finally being able to break through. Afterwards, Punk climbs the structure and beats down Heyman with a kendo stick and delivering him a GTS for the months of stress he had caused against Punk.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: **3/4

Match 5: Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans
I wonder how Zeb Colter's gimmick of defending our borders would go in 2018. Anyway, his team of Cesaro and Jack Swagger take on Los Matadores with El Torito at their side. Basic tag match with Cesaro really shining here as he hit his patented Cesaro Swing at one point for over 30 swings. The crowd ate it up and has easily become one of my favorite moves in all of wrestling. However, Los Matadores pick up the win as El Torito is able to fight off The Real Americans after the contest.
Winners: Los Matadores
Rating: *3/4

Match 6: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. John Cena
Another John Cena return from injury, another title shot. If it makes money, it makes sense. Cena is coming back early from a tricep injury he sustained a few months back after Summerslam and is testing himself against the dangerous Alberto Del Rio. Solid match here with Cena doing what he does best as he nurses his left arm while Del Rio savagely works on it throughout the match. Don't you just love it when wrestling actually makes sense? Cena does a great job of actually making it look like he's ready to turn the tide before his opponent continues their onslaught. Seriously, remember when he used to just take a beating for the entire match and miraculously make that comeback? Well... I guess that still kind of happens here but definitely to a lesser extent. Cena is able to hit his Attitude Adjustment and win his 14th world championship. Solid match that puts the strap back on Cena to boost some viewership for television.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***

Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Brie Bella
With Tamina standing in AJ Lee's corner, Brie Bella had her sister to back her up in case things would get silly. Is there a more annoying entrance music out there than AJ's? Because damn, it is awful. And as for the match, it really wasn't any better. After Brie accidentally knees her sister on the outside, AJ capitalizes and submits her with her Black Widow. That was brutal to watch.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: 1/2*

Match 8: WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan
I always felt like these two had underrated chemistry with each other but then again, there really isn't anyone they can have a bad match with. With Shawn Michaels serving as the special guest referee, the vacant WWE Championship is on the line as Triple H presents the title to Michaels before the contest. With the crowd being a bit deflated from the last match, these two had a lot on their plate. Thankfully, the crowd was definitely a bit more energized as both Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan had themselves a bit of an old school type of fight with tons of chairs being tossed into the ring and used during the match. While the match itself was a bit underwhelming, the main story came when Triple H made his way to the ring and inserted himself in the match to check on Michaels who was inadvertently knocked out by Orton. However, Bryan knees Triple H in front of Michaels before Michaels would give a receipt to Bryan in the form of a Sweet Chin Music. Orton is able to capitalize and score the pin as Michaels reluctantly makes the count. Orton wins as Michaels walks away ashamed at himself for what he had done. Messy finish to a match that was going slowly in the right direction. It's almost as if the WWE said, "Okay, let's just get Bryan out of the main event picture and hopefully nobody will remember him after this." And you guessed it... they were right. Except the fact that Bryan would go on to main event the next WrestleMania because of how wrong the company was.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
2013 may have to be one of the company's weakest years in terms of PPV, possibly even worse than 2007. This event is a testament to that statement with a card full of forgetful matches and a main event that just simply left a bad taste in my mouth. I usually enjoy the Hell in a Cell shows but this was one you can pass.
Rating: 5.75/10

Match of the Week (September 3, 2018) - The Undertaker vs. Triple H (WWE WrestleMania XXVIII)

With both Hell in a Cell being in two weeks, I decided to take a look back at one of my favorite Hell in a Cell matches that also happens to be a match that will be happening in a month... The Undertaker vs. Triple H. This match was billed as "The End of an Era" with two legends squaring off inside the most legendary structure the WWE has ever seen on the biggest stage of all. If that wasn't enough, Shawn Michaels served as the guest referee for the match. In my opinion, this match blew their previous match a year ago completely out of the water with an incredible mix of emotion and physicality. This match also goes down as one of The Undertaker's final greatest displays as The Streak would go on to be broken just a couple years later.

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Hell in a Cell - The Undertaker vs. Triple H (Taken from WWE WrestleMania XXVIII Review)
The epilogue after the series of matches between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels continues here as Triple H gets another opportunity at conquering The Undertaker and The Streak. With Shawn Michaels as the guest referee and the contest being battled inside Hell in a Cell, this is easily one of the most anticipated matches of all time. Just the matches between Michaels and Undertaker, I don’t know where to begin with this one. Just a definite masterpiece in its own right. The ambiance, the production, the lowering of the cage, everything was done masterfully and the match already had its pace set before the bell even rang. Good action from the first few minutes before Hunter seemingly had his grasp on the match. He began to take The Undertaker out with a series of nasty chair shots to the dismay of Shawn who tried to stop the match to Undertaker’s refusal. Hunter calls back to WrestleMania XXVI by telling Undertaker to stay down. Shawn tries to get himself involved until Undertaker takes him out before being saved by Triple H. Good psychology and smart wrestling from the first half until the second half takes off with The Undertaker getting back into the thick of things and gives Triple H chair shots. Plenty of great spacing, kicking out, and spots from the match so far with Michaels dropping Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music in revenge. However, Triple H can’t capitalize and that even after bringing out the sledgehammer, The Undertaker and his streak is safe. After a grueling battle, Triple H tries to hit The Undertaker with one last shot through the sledgehammer to which The Undertaker catches the shot and caps off the match with a Tombstone. Everything worked, this match had so much hype that I didn’t think it would live up to it. However, I was wrong. Amazing action, Shawn was great in his role, and the whole match consisted of smart wrestling psychology. One for the ages. A definite end of an era.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *****

Match of the Week (August 27, 2018) - Team Hell No & Ryback vs. The Shield (WWE TLC 2012)

With The Shield reuniting once more, I wanted to make this week's Match of the Week one that was dedicated to The Hounds of Justice. Of course, before the three became mega stars of the WWE, they had to make a name for themselves as a unit and they did so in remarkable fashion against Daniel Bryan, Kane and Ryback in an incredible TLC match. After this win, they were immediately catapulted to the top of the wrestling world and would later become the strongest faction the business has ever seen.

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TLC - Team Hell No & Ryback vs. The Shield (Taken from WWE TLC 2012 Review)
For the first time ever, it is a three vs. three TLC match with the only way to win is via pin or submission. This is going to a ton of fun. It is also hard to believe that this is the first match for The Shield on WWE television/PPV, not bad. I was not expecting anything that we used to see in TLC matches from years past, but things did get pretty damn close to it. They exceeding the expectations of the viewers while making the match retain the 2012 type of WWE style. This is just one of those matches that I have no idea where to begin. A beautifully constructed match with huge spots perfectly positioned throughout the match and everyone came out looking better when all was said and done. Off the bat, everyone went after each other to set the tone of the match. Lots of trash talking and much more fighting, the type of  action that needs to be established early to let the viewers know just what exactly is going on here. Many big spots to mention including The Shield throwing Ryback through the Spanish announcers table again, Kane jumping off a table set up on the top rope, Kane hitting a Chokeslam through a steel chair, Ryback coming back from the dead to look like a beast, Kane getting buried in all sorts of equipment after a Spear from Roman Reigns through a barricade, and Seth Rollins getting thrown off one of the ladders on the stage by Ryback to which Rollins landed through four tables. The latter being the nastiest spill of them all, maybe even one of the nastiest spills I have ever seen in pro wrestling. However, after that happened, the other two members of The Shield put Daniel Bryan through a table with a bomb off the top rope. Awesome match with an awesome finish, just sucks that Bryan had to be the one to eat the pin. The fallout should be interesting as Ryback’s beef with The Shield will definitely continue.
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ****¼

WWE Night of Champions 2014 Review

After getting demolished by Brock Lesnar at Summerslam, John Cena tries to rebound and avenge his loss by recapturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - The Usos (c) vs. Gold and Stardust
Brothers against brothers is the first match of the night, pretty strange to see Goldust and Cody Rhodes as heels here... sorry, Stardust. However, around this time, the tag division was really starting to pick up and the two teams here really found their chemistry against each other. Lots of action to start the show and the crowd was hyped for all of it, especially The Usos. However, Stardust is able to pin one of The Usos after a failed splash attempt as the long reign of The Usos finally came to its end. Solid match to start the show and very cool to see the Rhodes brothers to become champs in 2014.
Winners: Gold and Stardust
Rating: ***

Match 2: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. Cesaro
I really can't recall if I've seen this match before or if I've just seen them wrestle against each other about a million times before. Probably the latter. Even still, this was probably the best match I have seen from these two as their chemistry just clicked so brilliantly here. Cesaro was working as a heel and would not let up on a bigger Sheamus. This was as physical as you could want from a professional wrestling match, they threw fists, elbows, knees, everything... and they all looked brutal. The second half of the match had the crowd on their toes with the two exchanging blows left and right before Sheamus was able to catch Cesaro with a Brogue Kick to seal the victory in a match that could seriously be the match of the night.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***3/4

Match 3: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. The Miz
As much as I love them, very odd to have Florida Georgia Line come out to help do commentary for this match despite them trying to build up their appearance at Tribute to the Troops later in the year. Kind of random to have them there, though. With them being on commentary, the commentators pretty much overlooked the entire match and even made light of the match itself. Can we all take a minute to remember how good Damien Mizdow was? He made that gimmick look like a million bucks. Dolph Ziggler had his own stunt double as well in R-Ziggler, good stuff. Like the last match, the two have great chemistry with each other as the match worked well here with Florida Georgia Line helping out Ziggler in the process. Even still, a handful of tights was enough for The Miz to roll up Ziggler and steal the win and win back the Intercontinental Championship. Solid match here but it becomes more and more difficult to care about this championship when the guys on commentary don't even care.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***

Match 4: Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
With Roman Reigns being out of commission due to an emergency surgery, Seth Rollins was left without an opponent. Rollins still comes out and calls him out for not being man enough to show up as he forces a referee to start the match without him being in the arena. The referee counts out Reigns and welp, Rollins is the winner via forfeit. Afterwards, Rollins issues an open challenge to which Dean Ambrose then appears and beats the crap out of Rollins. However, The Authority then come out to break up the action. Great segment here that substitutes for Reigns missing the show, the crowd ate up Ambrose coming back.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: n/a

Match 5: Mark Henry vs. Rusev
Trying to defend the honor of America, Mark Henry takes on Rusev in a match with pride and bragging rights on the line. Before the match, Lillian Garcia sings the national anthem before Rusev made his way down to the ring, nice touch. As obvious as it was that Rusev was going to go over, they worked a good back and forth contest with Rusev being too much for Henry who was still able to his his World's Strongest Slam move. However, Rusev locked Henry in his Accolade submission as Henry was forced to tap after Rusev had worked much of the match focusing on the back of Henry.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **

Match 6: Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton
I'm convinced that there is no bigger discrepancy in the WWE with Randy Orton as a babyface and as a heel, he works so much better as a heel that it's pretty ridiculous. Fun fact of the day, the two faced off in 2007 for the WWE Championship where JBL interfered in the match. Seven years later, the two face off again and JBL is sitting at the table doing commentary for it. Funny how things work. Nothing new needs to be said here, two amazing veterans at the top of their game painting another piece of art. They did such a great job of revving up the match into a higher gear as the match progressed. They really did have the crowd at the tip of their fingers as they fell for every reversal and second of drama they created. Chris Jericho would end up falling for a RKO after he jumped off the top rope as Orton would then pose in front of an unconscious Jericho before pinning him. Did I say Orton works better as a heel? Because he is miles better as a heel and that just proved it. Another solid match on the card.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/2

Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - Paige (c) vs. AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella
After the last match, there needed to be a bridge between that and the main event. Alas, the Divas Championship is on the line in a triple threat match. Basic Divas match here with the crowd really not caring much for the action in the ring despite their efforts. AJ Lee is able to lock Paige in her Black Widow to win her third championship. Decent for what it was but nothing more. Ready for the main event.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/2

Match 8: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. John Cena
Brock Lesnar steamrolled through John Cena at Summerslam en route to becoming the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That match consisted of Lesnar suplexing the hell out of Cena and making it look like Cena's worst loss of his career. Like that much, this was similar in Lesnar dominating Cena for the most part but Cena was able to get some more offense in this time around. Surprising how this match never main evented a WrestleMania because the crowd was absolutely buzzing for this one. Cena was able to lock Lesnar in an STF and possibly had Lesnar ready to tap until Seth Rollins appeared and hit Cena in the back with his Money in the Bank briefcase along with hitting Lesnar with a Curb Stomp. A disqualification is called before Rollins attempts to cash in his contract but Cena attacked Rollins from behind and stopped that. The last scene, however, is Lesnar standing tall alone in the ring as he gives Cena an F-5 for his troubles. As much as people hate on disqualification endings in main event matches, this certainly worked. Cena doesn't get a big loss for two PPVs in a row, Lesnar still looks dominant, and Rollins remains the wild card in all of this and gets to feud with Cena while Lesnar is out of television. As for the match, it was one of Lesnar's weaker ones but again, it served its purpose and kept the crowd entertained.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **3/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
While nothing in the show completely blew me away, this was still a solid show that I think was nicely booked from the start to the finish. The main concern I have with some of these PPVs is how recycled they feel. It's almost as if I have seen all of these matches on another PPV or on an edition of Raw before.
Rating: 7.75/10

Match of the Week (August 20, 2018) - Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker (WWE Unforgiven 2007)

I honestly didn't mean to choose two Undertaker matches in a row to start off my Match of the Week posts. Nonetheless, The Undertaker is still going to be my feature considering he will be returning to the ring in October to face Triple H. Look, we all know the battles these two have had but I figured I would dig deep to September of 2007. I was just a freshman in high school and the WWE was coming off the worst summer in its existence. Injuries and controversies plagued the company as a whole but finally... The Deadman was ready to make his return and get some revenge against a man who had decimated him after The Undertaker had gone through a grueling steel cage match, Mark Henry. The weeks leading to this match on episodes of Friday Night SmackDown were so well put together and if there is anyone that could close out a PPV that already had two world championship matches on the card, it's The Undertaker. Was the match the greatest thing ever? Absolutely not, but not every match needs to be five stars with tons of nearfalls and crazy bumps everywhere. This match represented that not only was The Undertaker back, but the company was ready to get back on its feet again.

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Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker (Taken from WWE Unforgiven 2007 Review)
After being placed on the shelf for four months, The Phenom is set to return in a huge main event against Mark Henry. Henry comes down to the ring and talks tons of trash as he looks supremely confident. I always have to mention how great a heel Henry makes, this dude is ruthless and I absolutely love it. The Undertaker makes an incredible entrance to the ring as the Memphis crowd stands in awe. Shame this entrance tends to get forgotten, the ambiance created here was unreal. I could only imagine what it felt like to be in the arena for this. Henry managed to squeeze in some offense but this was The Deadman's show. Henry managed to also kick out of a Chokeslam but eventually had to succumb to a Last Ride. More of a spectacle than a match. They planned this match when Undertaker had to drop the title to Edge and had Henry come out before that to plant the seeds. I like it, it all made sense and his return led for a grand main event to save the show and give the fans a big reason to buy the PPV. What a return for The Undertaker as he goes on to now challenge for the top prize on SmackDown.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **1/2

WWE Summerslam 2015 Review

The rematch the wrestling world has been anticipating since the most shocking moment in history, The Undertaker looks to avenge his WrestleMania XXX loss against Brock Lesnar in the main event. Also, John Cena and Seth Rollins face off in a title unification match. WWE comes to Brooklyn for the biggest event of the summer.

Match 1: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus
One of these days, I am going to look back and see how many times I have reviewed a singles match between these two. Anyway, after a horrendous opening with the supremely annoying Jon Stewart, these two finally kick off the show. Stiff action and enjoyable to watch with a stupid New York crowd trying their best to hijack the show with old chants. You pretty much know what you are going to get with these two but it felt like the sped things up a bit and gave us a more enthralling effort. Loved the finish that saw Sheamus push Orton off an attempted RKO before following it with two Brogue Kicks. As the Money in the Bank winner, Sheamus needed a big win and one against Randy Orton certainly helps his cause. Orton can take a loss and still be where he was anytime.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***1/4

Match 2: WWE Tag Team Championships - Primetime Players (c) vs. The New Day vs. Lucha Dragons vs. Los Matadores
Nice way to get all these guys on the card as The New Day is riding all the momentum in the world in their efforts to take down three other teams. Glad to see this match get the time it deserved as they certainly made every second count with action that would not stop with Xavier Woods at ringside making hilarious comments and trying to insert himself in the match. Titus O'Neil has come a long way in the WWE and definitely had his star shining here when he literally took out everybody in this match individually. However, a blind tag by Kofi Kingston allowed him to score the win for his team as The New Day are the new champions! Fun tag match here with tons of twists and turns that eventually led to The New Day stealing one. Would have loved to see Primetime Players retain here but there was no doubt that The New Day is the hottest commodity in the tag team division.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ***3/4

Match 3: Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev
Both Dolph Ziggler and Rusev are facing dilemmas with their own ladies and the two face off here with the ladies at ringside. Since losing to John Cena at WrestleMania, definitely felt like much of Rusev's momentum had been lost and nearly derailed at some points. The two had some great exchanges and really good chemistry here as Ziggler did a great job in fighting as an underdog against the stronger and bigger Rusev. A double countout ends the match when Ziggler kicks the living daylights out of Rusev on the outside and isn't able to get himself back into the ring before the final count. Afterwards, the two ladies go at it before being held back by their respective boyfriends. Another solid match on the card and dig the double countout to end the match as it allows for the feud to grow into something bigger from this.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **3/4

Match 4: King Barrett and Stardust vs. Neville and Stephen Amell
Of course, the WWE really wanted to get their movie star on the card as a little shove from Stardust against Stephen Amell on an edition of Raw proved to be the spark to the fire. The Green Arrow teams with the Red Arrow himself to take on the team of King Barrett and Stardust. Credit where it is due, Amell looks to be in great physical shape as was able to more than hold himself well in the ring and look legitimate in his role while also being able to display how was in an uncomfortable league. Cool spot saw Amell dive off the top rope onto the outside as he took out both Barrett and Stardust in the process. Finally, a Red Arrow from the top by Neville proved to be the nail in the coffin as he wins it for his team. Great match and easily one of the better performances from a movie star in the WWE. Crowd wasn't too much into the action but they were certainly paying attention.
Winners: Neville and Stephen Amell
Rating: **

Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Ryback (c) vs. The Big Show vs. The Miz
Another Summerslam, another random match for The Big Show to be a part of. The Miz is up to his dastardly tricks again by letting Ryback and The Big Show duke it out themselves in the beginning of the match before getting himself involved. For what was such a short match, the guys in the ring packed in as much action necessary to keep the fans invested. Big Show was able to hit a Knockout Punch on Miz before getting clotheslined out of the ring by Ryback. Ryback is able to pin an unconscious Miz to retain his championship. Definitely enjoyed the match for what it was but question the finish, what kind of babyface champion does this make Ryback for basically taking the pin for Big Show putting in the work?
Winner: Ryback
Rating: **1/2

Match 6: The Wyatt Family vs. Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Finally reunited with Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper helps Wyatt's cause in taking out both Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns. Of course, Wyatt and Harper basically had no chance in winning this one but they still did a great job in selling the match and doing their best to make it look like they had a believable chance. While this certainly felt like a main event match you would expect to see on an episode of Monday Night Raw, the action was fun and the Brooklyn crowd was hot for this one... especially for Reigns. They can boo him and talk all the noise they want, but they are giving him the biggest reaction of the night regardless. Per usual, the chemistry was on point as a Dirty Deeds from Ambrose onto Wyatt leading into a Spear from Reigns capped off the match.
Winners: Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns
Rating: ***1/2

Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - WWE United States Championship - John Cena (c) vs. Seth Rollins (c)
This is certainly a dream match of sorts for me as I recall watching Seth Rollins wrestle as Tyler Black back in the day and wondering what a match against John Cena would look like. So many stories heading into this one with Rollins breaking the nose of Cena on episode of Raw prior to this along with Cena looking to tie Ric Flair as a 16 time world champion. The two brought out their best here with some really innovative spots along with an incredible display of athleticism such as Rollins diving through the ropes three times in succession. One of the coolest points in the match saw Cena lock Rollins in a Figure Four, a callback to Flair. How cool would it be to see Cena tie Flair's record with that submission? Also interesting to note how Rollins has changed his style in the ring after getting injured later in 2015, his style was certainly reminiscent of his days of Ring of Honor with an emphasis on so many dives and big spots. The biggest story from this match was Jon Stewart coming in to hit Cena with a steel chair and letting Rollins plant Cena with a Pedigree on that chair to pick up the win. Rollins becomes the first individual to simultaneously hold both the World Heavyweight and United States Championships. I get that the WWE wanted to get some sort of noteriety with that finish, but man, I really can't be the only one who gets annoyed as hell whenever Stewart is on my television. This is supposed to be one of the biggest matches in WWE history and we have to settle with a political comedian being the deciding factor? Come on! Even still, I will try not to let it spoil the taste in the mouth and understand how great of a contest it was before that.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****1/4

Match 8: Elimination - Team Bella vs. Team B.A.D. vs. PCB
Around this time is when the Divas Revolution was starting to really come into its own as these three teams get their chance to shine on the summer's biggest stage. Brie Bella is able to pin Tamina to eliminate Team B.A.D. from the equation before going up against the team of Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch of PCB. Once it's down to these two teams, the action certainly picks up a notch. Nonstop action with the six ladies in the ring with Lynch being able to pin Brie to score the win for her side. Great win for the newcomers and placing a new emphasis on PCB. Good match.
Winners: PCB
Rating: **1/2

Match 9: Cesaro vs. Kevin Owens
Super awesome to see these two go at it on such a big stage after years of watching them wrestle on the independents. A true testament to their passion and dedication. Kevin Owens was still fairly new to the scene here and at this point, the company was certainly not too shy from giving him big matches and wins. The chemistry he had with Cesaro was fantastic, perhaps considering how long they have been wrestling against each other, it should not come as a surprise to anyone. Cesaro really proved that he can more than hang with the top dogs of the company here, can't help but marvel at how strong and athletic this guy is. We see him pick up guys every time with ease that we forget what a monster he is. The crowd was hot for both guys and loved seeing Owens hit his Pop-Up Powerbomb to pick up the big win. We need more of this.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: ***1/2

Match 10: Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker
The rematch 16 months in the making. To put things into perspective, the last time Brock Lesnar had been pinned was at WrestleMania 29 against Triple H. Not waiting, Lesnar attacked The Deadman before he could take his coat off and as Undertaker fended off Lesnar, you just knew that this match had a different type of intensity to it. For as bad as Undertaker looked in his last two WrestleMania matches, he easily made up for them in this match. He looked motivated to make up for those matches and took some ridiculous bumps like an F5 through the announcers table that just looked downright nasty. One thing you will get from a Lesnar match is intensity. And with that intensity, Lesnar eliminates the idea of having a PG match. Let's be honest, the dude could basically say or do whatever he wants in a match and will almost have no repercussions for it. For instance, early on in the match, Lesnar was driven into a turnbuckle and was visibly cut with blood coming out of his forehead. Regardless if he bladed or not, it looked like he couldn't give a damn about the cut and continued his onslaught against Undertaker which added another layer of intensity to the match. The big story for this match was the finish. Lesnar had Undertaker locked in a Kimura which caused The Undertaker to tap out. How many times have you heard that before? The referee never called for the bell but the time keeper immediately rang the bell which caused much confusion. With the referee discounting the ring, Undertaker low blowed Lesnar and put him in a Hell's Gate. Defiant until the end, Lesnar saluted Undertaker with a middle finger as he passed out. The referee called for the bell as The Undertaker had finally avenged his biggest loss. Interesting finish here with Lesnar having an out for his loss and of course, another rematch set down the line inside Hell in a Cell. That is how you book a feud, my friends. What surprises me is how forgotten this match has become, the crowd was hot throughout and the intensity level was high from the start. An incredible effort from both parties.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I loved this edition of Summerslam, a great combination of awesome in-ring action and big moments that give us good reason to go back and rewatch this. Am I in the minority here? Probably, but that doesn't stop me from giving this show two thumbs up. It was an easy watch from the start to the finish and certainly ranks up there as one of my personal favorite Summerslam events.
Rating: 9/10