Top 5 WWE Superstars of the Decade

Can you believe the 2010s have finally come to a close? It seriously feels like yesterday that we were all getting ready for WrestleMania XXVI. Fast forward to now and we are getting ready for WrestleMania 36 with some new faces and some old faces being front and center in the WWE realm. There's been so many Superstars who have taken the decade by storm so compiling a top 5 list was a very difficult task. Nonetheless, here is my list and why I believe these stars were the five best...

5. Randy Orton
The most underrated characteristic a wrestler can have is consistency. A consistency to show up, perform and always put on a damn good show at that. As a matter of fact, Randy Orton has done that at nearly a main event level since the start of 2010. Of this list, Orton is the only wrestler to have started as a top name from 2010 and finish as a top name here in 2019. Whether Orton was competing as a babyface or a heel, the audience was simply invested in what he was doing. His best work was arguably in 2011 where he had some of his best matches against the likes of Christian and Mark Henry for the World Heavyweight Championship. From multiple world championship wins, to winning his second Royal Rumble and to even winning a Money in the Bank Ladder Match, his resume more than speaks for itself.

4. John Cena
This is where the list begins to get really controversial. I really wanted to rank John Cena higher than this position but I think with the next three guys you will see on this list, this is ultimately the right spot for him. Like Orton, Cena began the decade as a marquee name in the business. But unlike Orton, Cena did not finish off the decade on top as he would only make sporadic appearances in the company starting in about 2017 or so in order to focus on other ventures. Regardless, his catalog of accomplishments and amazing matches during this time frame cannot be overlooked. Put aside the fact that the man won tons of championships and events and just look at the quality and quantity of matches the man had. Say what you want about the man, but his matches against guys like CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins speak for itself. When all is said and done, we will have to seriously consider John Cena as the greatest of all time.

3. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns first appeared on WWE television in late 2012 as a member of The Shield. The trio of Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose ran rampant through the company before breaking up in 2014. It was no secret at the time, Reigns was picked to be the golden boy of the group and the company looked to make him the new face of the WWE as John Cena began to step away from the limelight. Although it was Rollins to be the first member of The Shield to become a world champion, it was arguably Reigns who was the first member to truly make their mark on the main event scene. A 2015 Royal Rumble victory propelled Reigns into three straight WrestleMania main events along with multiple world championships and multiple amazing matches. Reigns does not carry a long of a catalog as both Orton or Cena but certainly carries an incredible one that makes up for those missing years in the beginning of the decade. He became the face of the WWE for damn good reason.

2. Daniel Bryan
Of all the wrestlers on this list, I don't think anyone has a more inspiring or more wild one than that of Daniel Bryan. Bryan began the decade on the original NXT show before legitimately getting fired from the company. Upon return, Bryan willed his way to the main event scene and eventually forced the WWE to have him main event an incredible WrestleMania XXX. The "YES" movement became worldwide and his career had finally reached its peak... until he was forced to retire in early 2016. A sad and abrupt end to an amazing career left so many hearts broken until Bryan was eventually medically cleared to wrestle again in 2018. Bryan continued to reinvent himself as he became an environmental-obsessed heel in late 2018 where he would eventually win the WWE Championship against AJ Styles. Charisma, popularity, in-ring abilities and the power to reinvent himself when needed is what helped put Bryan on this list.

1. Brock Lesnar
Love it or absolutely hate it, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Superstar of the decade and in my opinion... it's not even close. The thought of Lesnar returning to the WWE after his departure in 2004 seemed like a dream that would never happen. However, Lesnar eventually left the UFC in 2011 before returning to the WWE in 2012 and immediately making an impact with an F5 to John Cena on the Raw after WrestleMania in Miami that left the crowd in complete disbelief. Lesnar was different this time around, he was a legitimate monster and the people treated him as such. His star soared highest in 2014 when at WrestleMania XXX, he broke The Streak in what can be seen as the most memorable and infamous WrestleMania moment ever. Soon after, he demolished John Cena to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and really... never looked back. He became the longest reigning world champion in the history of the company to go along with so many main event victories and above all, becoming the most controversial and most talk about figure in the company's history. You can call him boring and you can call him whatever the damn hell you please, but you have to respect the legitimacy he brought to the business this decade to go along with some of the most shocking and memorable moments in the history of professional wrestling.

WWE TLC 2015 Review

WWE TLC 2015
December 13, 2015
Boston, Massachusetts

The final PPV event of 2015 sees Roman Reigns try to regain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Sheamus in a TLC Match. Is Reigns up to the challenge or will Sheamus escape Boston with another big PPV victory?

Match 1: WWE Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match - The New Day (c) vs. The Lucha Dragons vs. The Usos
What a way to open up the night with a wild Ladder Match with three of the hottest tag teams in the company. The New Day working as heels was an amazing act, would love for them to go back to heels one day. Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day for the match with Xavier Woods being on commentary and getting his hand prints on the match later on. This was certainly one of the more overlooked matches of the year with all teams giving it their all throughout the match with some innovative spots that had the crowd rocking to start the show. Highlight of the match was Kalisto delivering a Selena del Sol off the top of a ladder and driving one of The Usos through another ladder set up in the ring. Crazy spot. Unfortunately for him and Sin Cara, Woods would involve himself in the match by tossing his trombone to Kalisto which allowed Kingston to toss Kalisto off the ladder and grab the belts to win the match. Wow, what a match. Super overlooked match that everyone needs to check out!
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ****1/2

Match 2: Rusev vs. Ryback
What an odd match to follow up with. Nothing screams 2015 like Rusev vs. Ryback on a PPV. Pretty standard match here with Lana watching closely in the background as she cheers on her man. Crowd was pretty taken out of the fun for the match here and could not care less for what was happening. With Lana pretending that Ryback ran her over outside the ring, Rusev would later take advantage and lock in his Accolade submission to secure the win. Take it or leave it. At this point, Ryback's run in the WWE has come to a screeching halt.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: *1/4

Match 3: WWE United States Championship - Chairs Match - Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger
With Alberto Del Rio turning on his manager in Zeb Culter, Jack Swagger looks to fight in his defense against Del Rio for the United States Championship... in a Chairs Match. Always thought that this was one of the WWE's oddest stipulations but in this case, the two here made the match work. Del Rio was great in making those chair shots look nasty and meaningful throughout the match and coming off as a nasty heel that he is. Great ending to the match here with Del Rio stomping Swagger through his chest from the top rope on to a pool of steel chairs to seal the deal. Del Rio did a great job of selling the ankle injury after the match when Swagger locked in a Patriot Lock with a chair earlier on. Good middle of the card match here.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Rating: **1/2

Match 4: Elimination Tables Match - The Wyatt Family vs. The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno & Tommy Dreamer
Here it is, the match you have all been waiting for as The Wyatt Family goes against some ECW Originals in a Tables Match. Keep in mind that the year here is still 2015. Wild. This match was exactly what you would expect, all eight guys beating the crap out of each other as the fans wondered what exactly they paid for. Lots of messy spots here with Braun Strowman eventually saving the day for The Wyatt Family by slamming Bubba Ray Dudley through a table before Bubba could drive Bray Wyatt through a table. If you like mindless table spots, this is for you. If not, pass on this. The real saving grace here was giving The Wyatt Family a win on PPV.
Winners: The Wyatt Family
Rating: *1/2

Match 5: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Any time you put these two against each other in a ring, sign my ass up. With the roster being so limited at the time due to injuries, this is basically the second main event match of the night and it's for Kevin Owens' Intercontinental Championship. As you would expect, fun match here with both guys beating the living daylights out of each other as the crowd ate up every minute of it. Even after hitting a Dirty Deeds DDT onto Owens, Ambrose was still unable to secure the win. However, it all set up for a sweet finish that saw Ambrose counter a Pop Up Powerbomb attempt from Owens into a pin to score the big win. Afterwards, Ambrose celebrates the win with the crowd as the new Intercontinental Champion. Great Match.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***1/2

Match 6: WWE Divas Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Paige
It's interesting to look back at how much Charlotte Flair has evolved these past years and has really come onto her own. It felt like she was rushed to the main event scene here in 2015 and was essentially just a carbon copy of her dad. Her taunts, actions and moves all felt so forced and as if her persona was strictly just to be Ric Flair's daughter. That case was on full display here in her match against Paige. The action itself was decent but nowhere near as good as what she has become now in 2019. A little bit of a sluggish finish here with Ric helping Charlotte get her leg under a rope for a pin before Charlotte was able to drive Paige into an exposed turnbuckle... right in front of the referee. Charlotte scores the win and retains the belt in another successful PPV match.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: **1/2

Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - TLC Match - Sheamus (c) vs. Roman Reigns
The fans are already booing the match before it even begins, pro wrestling fans are the absolute worst. This match tends to be one of the more forgotten TLC matches and it's a shame because these two delivered when they really needed to. This was just a good ol' fashioned spot fest above all, table spots galore and it was just downright fun to watch it all go down. I think we all tend to be so damn technical in the way we match pro wrestling that we forget what it's supposed to at its core: fun. Tons of drama throughout the match with some really innovative spots that eventually kept the crowd from booing. One of the coolest spots saw Roman Reigns hit a Superman Punch on Sheamus off the ladder and through a table set up nearby. However, Alberto Del Rio and Rusev hit the ring to prevent Reigns from grabbing the belt. Eventually, Sheamus would hit Reigns with a Brogue Kick and grab the belt for the win. Fantastic main event, Reigns would go on to defeat Sheamus for the belt the next night on Monday Night Raw for those keeping score. After the match here, Reigns took out the three guys from League of Nations before Triple H came out to try and stop the mess. However, Reigns ended up beating the living daylights out of The Game for his troubles. Great way to send the fans home happy along with setting up the main event for WrestleMania.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ****1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Even with a couple weak matches on the card, the show still had a nice fluidity to it and the main matches really delivered. The opening contest and the main event match were both fantastic efforts and a nice way to close out the year with a banging PPV leading into the final weeks of 2015. The seeds for WrestleMania have officially been planted.
Rating: 7.75/10

WWE Crown Jewel 2018 Review (Part 2)

WWE Crown Jewel 2018
November 2, 2018
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

One of the biggest nights of the calendar year for WWE sees Shawn Michaels returning to action as he teams with Triple H to represent D-Generation X and go into battle against The Brothers of Destruction. Also, the vacant Universal Championship is up for grabs in a bout between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman while the WWE World Cup Tournament decides who is the best in the world.

Match 6: WWE World Cup Semifinal - The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio
At this point, the crowd is beginning to become deflated from what has already been a pretty long night. Either way, the show must go on as the first semifinal match of the night sees The Miz go against an injured Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is nursing his injured ribs throughout the match and Miz is doing is best to exploit that injury. This made for some fun action and probably the best match of the night with Mysterio gutting through the contest and even kicking out of a Skull Crushing Finale. However, Mysterio hit a 619 and followed it up with a dive from the top that resulted in Miz putting his knees up into Mysterio's injured ribs. Miz quickly pinned Mysterio to close the match and advance.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: ***

Match 7: WWE World Cup Semifinal - Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler
When you run out of ideas, what do you do? That's right, put Seth Rollins and Dolph Ziggler together in a singles match. Some may argue that these two had the feud of the year in 2018 as they do battle in Saudi Arabia. Per usual, the two had a great match as their chemistry together has completely been raised to a different level after all their bouts. However, this match just wasn't as exciting as their other encounters with such a dead crowd to work with. They built much of the match around Drew McIntyre being ringside and possibly interfering until Rollins was able to later take both him and Ziggler out with a single dive out of the ring. However, McIntyre would later insert himself in the match by tossing Rollins off the top rope which led to Ziggler hitting a Superkick for the win. Solid match between the two but like I said, not their best one but still a great match for what has been a fairly dull night.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4

Match 8: WWE Championship - AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
AJ Styles and Samoa Joe meet once again in a singles match here for the WWE Championship. More than two hours deep into the show and the crowd is already super tired, tough task for the two veterans here. Despite the crowd being completely out of the action and having their own fun in the stands, the two in the ring were still able to put on a solid match as you would expect from the two. However, that isn't to say the match didn't feel a tad bit underwhelming. For a feud that has gotten so personal, I would have preferred to see the two beat the daylights out of each other opposed to a regular singles match that we were presented with here. Styles is able to hit a Phenomenal Forearm to seal Joe's fate as Styles is able to go home with the title in his hands. What's the count for failed title challenges for Joe at this point? Poor guy.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***

Match 9: WWE Universal Championship - Brock Lesnar vs. Braun Strowman
With Roman Reigns having to surrender his Universal Championship, it was left vacant as Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman having a match here to determine a new champion. Before the bell even rings, GM Baron Corbin whacks Strowman over the head with the Universal Championship belt. Lesnar is able to land a few F5s to Strowman who is able to still kick out of them. Lesnar then tried to win the match by tossing Strowman out of the ring with an F5 until Strowman was able to beat the referee's count by sliding back into the ring. However, this would lead Strowman to walk right back into another F5 for Lesnar to score the assisted win. Hate him or love him, Lesnar is definitely the top guy of the company and it's no surprise why they put the belt back on him. Every time his music hits, people stop to watch. For Strowman, his momentum was basically derailed at this point and by the end of 2019 now, he's still trying to find his footing.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: 3/4*

Match 10: WWE World Cup Final - Shane McMahon vs. Dolph Ziggler
Welp, The Miz was unable to compete due to injury so Shane McMahon decided it would be best to sub himself in and take on Dolph Ziggler. Much to the chagrin of Baron Corbin and the Raw commentators, the bell rings and it's a fresh McMahon against a worn down Ziggler in the final. As you could imagine, a very quick match here with Shane being able to hit his Coast-to-Coast finisher and scoring the big win as he went on to celebrate as if he went through the rigorous tournament himself. Strange finish and really puts a stinker on could have been a cool thing to do yearly at this Saudi events. I guess this was their way of setting up the brand warfare for Survivor Series.
Winner: Shane McMahon
Rating: 1/2*

Match 11: D-Generation X vs. The Brothers of Destruction
We finally got it, the one match everyone was looking forward to happening in 2018... D-Generation X against The Brothers of Destruction. It is insane to think how long these guys have been doing this for. As much as everyone was hating on this match before it even happened, just about everyone was still interested in seeing Shawn Michaels make his return to the ring for the first time since retiring in 2010. That included me, as much as I would prefer to see these guys step away from the ring at times, there was still no denying the interest I had in seeing Michaels back. Funny thing, he was probably the one who looked the best in the ring despite having over 8 years off. Everything else in this match looked so sluggish and slow with both teams fighting in a match that went way longer than it had any right to. The nostalgia feelings wore off early on and watching these guys wrestle just felt a bit disheartening. A couple Sweet Chin Musics to The Undertaker and Kane led to Triple H landing a Pedigree on Kane to score the win as the match and show mercifully come to an end.
Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: **1/2

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This was a long ass show and I felt like I should have been compensated with pay once I finished. Seriously, having shows this long feels like such a chore to finish and the action certainly becomes repetitive at times with the crowd being basically dead near the half-way mark. There were a couple good spots during the show but the main events were pretty bad and definitely not worth investing your time into.
Rating: 4.25/10

WWE Crown Jewel 2018 Review (Part 1)

WWE Crown Jewel 2018
November 2, 2018
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

One of the biggest nights of the calendar year for WWE sees Shawn Michaels returning to action as he teams with Triple H to represent D-Generation X and go into battle against The Brothers of Destruction. Also, the vacant Universal Championship is up for grabs in a bout between Brock Lesnar and Braun Strowman while the WWE World Cup Tournament decides who is the best in the world.

Match 1: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton
Dig the mention of the two meeting 12 years ago at the start of the 2006 Royal Rumble match, here they are now to kick open one of the biggest shows for 2018. Longevity doesn't get the recognition it deserves. If you were expecting a usual amazing match between the two here, forget it. They have had some outstanding matches in the past with some great chemistry between the two, even fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship. However, this was barely 5 minutes and not much offense from the two was on display here.  Rey Mysterio is able to quickly roll Randy Orton up to score the win before Orton hits Mysterio with an RKO afterwards and attacks him around the ring. With so many matches lined up for the night, I get why it was so short. But damn, would have loved to see them go at it for just a few more minutes. 
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Rating: *1/2

Match 2: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Jeff Hardy vs. The Miz
How I miss The Miz as a heel... and how I miss Jeff Hardy as a top star. Good times. Much like the last match, this was a fairly quick and basic bout, almost as if I was at a house show watching this. Hardy is able to hit some of his usual stuff here in a more competitive match than the last one before falling to The Miz and a Skull Crushing Finale. Good for what it was. Like I said, very basic match as you would expect here but still solid, especially considering how many matches they have lined up for the night. 
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **1/2

Match 3: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Seth Rollins vs. Bobby Lashley
Am I the only one who enjoyed seeing Lio Rush as Bobby Lashley's hype man? I think their dynamic worked really well together. With Rush by his side, Lashley was seemingly having his way against the Intercontinental Champion in Seth Rollins. However, a missed Spear was enough to cost Lashley the match as he would quickly fall right into a Curb Stomp for the finish as Rush watched in horror. Again, continuing the pattern of quickly getting the first round matches out of the way. Take it or leave it. Still would have been nice to have Rollins maybe get a little more offense than he did. 
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: **

Match 4: WWE World Cup Quarterfinal - Kurt Angle vs. Dolph Ziggler
Completely forgot they had Kurt Angle wrestling on this card, he goes against Dolph Ziggler who also has Drew McIntyre keeping an eye on things in his corner. Almost sad to watch Angle at this point in his career, looking very stiff in the ring and unable to move around like he once did. Thankfully, he had somebody like Ziggler who was able to really sell much of Angle's attacks nicely and really keep the match pushing forward at a great pace. Angle gave his best efforts to Ziggler but he would run himself into a corner post before Ziggler would be able to land a Zig Zag to score the win.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: **1/4

Match 5: WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship - The Bar (c) vs. The New Day
For those keeping score at home, The Big Show is a heel around this time and accompanies The Bar to the ring as their enforcer. The Bar defend their belts against The New Day with Xavier Woods rooting on both Big E and Kofi Kingston. Loved seeing The New Day come down to the ring on a magic carpet, they really do have the best entrances in the game today. The action in the ring was solid for what it was worth with both teams getting in a good amount of offense. Watching Kingston prior to him winning the big one feels strange, it's almost unbelievable how good he is and how baffling it is to think that he wasn't actually given a shot at it until a few months later. But I digress, Big Show gives Sheamus a helping hand with a punch to the face of Big E as the referee's back was turned which led into a Brogue Kick for the finish.
Winners: The Bar
Rating: **3/4

Hell in a Cell - The Greatest Hell in a Cell Matches of All Time DVD (Disc 3) Review

Match 1: Vengeance 2005 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Batista (c) vs. Triple H
After Batista beat Triple H at two PPVs in a row, they look to settle the score inside Hell in a Cell. This feud was white hot at the time and a perfect reason to break out the Hell in a Cell. Loved the intensity right off the bat, the two came in with a mindset that this was really the end to their feud and they needed to show us exactly that. Blood began to pour from the forehead of The Game early on before introducing a steel chair wrapped in barbed wire into the mix. The match really turned up a gear here as the two beat the crap out of each other with it. They did a perfect shot of Batista's back becoming bloody after Triple H drilled his back with it. However, even with that, a sledgehammer and a Pedigree, Batista was not going down. One of the coolest spots in the match came when Batista rammed a bloody Triple H into the bottom half of the steel steps set in the corner of the ring. Finally, a Spinebuster on the steps followed by a Batista Bomb would be enough for The Animal to close the book on his former mentor. Incredible and completely underrated Hell in a Cell match with one of the coolest finishes ever. Batista had Triple H in the air for a Batista Bomb with Triple H ready to strike with a sledgehammer but was not quick enough to pull the trigger. That is everything you could want from a Hell in a Cell match with the top two guys in the business. Go back and rewatch this.
Winner: Batista
Rating: *****

Match 2: Armageddon 2005 - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker (Taken from The Undertaker's Deadliest Matches DVD (Disc 2) Review)
Here it is, the conclusion of a feud that was possibly the best one on SmackDown for 2005. With his father being locked outside, Randy Orton looked to beat The Deadman at his own game. In the beginning, it looked completely bleak for The Legend Killer as The Undertaker beat Orton to a pulp with a few nasty steel chair shots that left Orton dripping blood. Almost forgot how much blood can add to a match. Undertaker was dominating the match and Orton only had a few sprinkles throughout that had him in the leading position. Got to mention the part with Undertaker pulling Bob Orton into the cell from the inside and cutting him open by tossing Randy straight into him. Bob was able to enter the cell after a referee bump and later suffered a Tombstone for his troubles. Loved his participation in the match, never did it feel forced but it still felt necessary to have him inside since he was a focal point during their feud. After, Undertaker delivered one to Randy and won the match to end their lengthy feud. Another great Hell in a Cell match under the belt for The Undertaker. It certainly did have its slow parts and the crowd just was not as hot as they needed to be, but it was certainly a fulfilling end to their great feud. It was as gruesome and intense as it needed to be.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2

Match 3: Unforgiven 2006 - Hell in a Cell - Shane McMahon, The Big Show & Mr. McMahon vs. D-Generation X
It's almost hard to believe that this match was 13 years ago. Where does the time go? Both Triple H and Shawn Michaels wanted to take out the biggest challenge against them in the match early on as they landed low blows against The Big Show early on to shift their focus against The McMahons. The blood poured early on for this one with Shane McMahon looking like a complete mess when Michaels was handling him outside the ring. For all the jokes and questionable angles leading up to this match, they really turned things up a notch the weeks leading into this one and really doing a fantastic job of making you feel how personable this feud was inside the cell. The McMahons and The Big Show would get the advantage later on with Shane hitting a Coast-to-Coast on Triple H and Mr. McMahon not letting the match end. There was blood everywhere and this was intense from the very beginning. Triple H and Michaels were finally able to turn the tides with a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels to both Shane and The Big Show before shifting the focus to Vince... With Show being held up by the ropes on his stomach, D-Generation X shove Mr. McMahon's face into Show's behind before Triple H finishes things off with a sledgehammer shot to the back of Vince. A bloody and fantastic Hell in a Cell match that lives up to its name and a perfect ending to the feud.

Winners: D-Generation X
Rating: ****1/4

Match 4: Survivor Series 2007 - World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Batista (c) vs. The Undertaker (Review taken from WWE Survivor Series 2007 Review)
2007's best and most epic rivalry comes to a conclusion inside Hell in a Cell. They each have a win under their belts along with two draws, this is the rubber match. Even in 2015, this match holds up as one of my personal favorites in Survivor Series history. You could feel the hate between the two and everything was spaced out perfectly. While the crowd could have been livelier, it didn't detract me from the action in the ring as both men were on the top of their games respectively. Everything action done was done with purpose, no wasted spots or motions from the two. They emphasized how brutal the structure was early on as the blood flowed hard. The Undertaker driving Batista's neck with a steel chair onto the steel steps and Batista smashing Undertaker's head in with the steel steps were both sights to be seen. Every fall felt like it could have been the legit finish and when Batista wasn't able to finish off Undertaker with a Batista Bomb through a table, things got even more interesting. Batista later kicked out of a Tombstone and when Undertaker hit another one, Edge appeared out of nowhere disguised as a cameraman. He hit a shocked Undertaker with the camera and then hit his famous Con-Chair-To before lifting Batista's lifeless body onto Undertaker's lifeless body where he forced the referee to make the count. Batista retains. Afterwards, Edge smashes Undertaker's face in with a steel chair to close out the night. What. A. War. An incredible end to their rivalry which ultimately got overshadowed by the return of Edge. While this match could have done without Edge, his return still added another layer to this contest. Regardless, this was the ultimate main event for the night and maybe even for the entire year.
Winner: Batista
Rating: ****1/2

Hell in a Cell - The Greatest Hell in a Cell Matches of All Time DVD (Disc 2) Review

Match 1: Judgment Day 2002 - Hell in a Cell - Chris Jericho vs. Triple H
This is probably one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches, I barely have any recollection of this match. As a matter of fact, one of the more memorable spots of this match came when the referee in Tim White got injured after getting tossed into the cage. I did enjoy how you could definitely feel the animosity between the two throughout the match. They were fighting each other everywhere and Chris Jericho was relentless as he was constantly talking down to Triple H in the process. With White getting injured inside the structure, other WWE officials had to run into open the door and help him out. This allowed for Jericho and Triple H to take the fight outside where it led them to the top of the cell. After hitting Jericho with a barbed wire baseball bat, Triple H hits a Pedigree on top of the cell to seal the win. Solid match that dragged just a bit in the beginning before really turning up a notch once the White bump happened. But again, this was certainly one of the more forgettable Hell in a Cell matches that you will come across.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***1/2

Match 2: No Mercy 2002 - WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. The Undertaker
One of the rare instances where two Superstars would have two Hell in a Cell matches began in 2002 when the young Brock Lesnar faced off against The Undertaker in what was supposed to be their concluding match. This was exactly what a Hell in a Cell match, bloody and brutal from the very beginning to the very end. Loved the feud they had going into this with their hatred for each other becoming extremely personal before Lesnar would break Undertaker's hand on an episode of SmackDown. This forced Undertaker to get a cast on his hand but he would be allowed to have it on during the match. This made for some extra drama added to the match with Undertaker trying to use it to his advantage before Lesnar would eventually take it off along with bashing The Deadman's hand with a steel chair with the help of a bloody Paul Heyman getting his hands on The Undertaker through the cell. Tons of blood and tons of gritty spots before Lesnar sealed the deal by reversing a Tombstone into an F5. Awesome finish. Afterwards, Lesnar poses with the WWE Championship atop the cell. What a match and what a defining moment for the young Lesnar at that stage in his career.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****3/4

Match 3: Bad Blood 2003 - WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Hell in a Cell - Triple H (c) vs. Kevin Nash
This is another fairly forgotten Hell in a Cell match when talking about its storied history. I even sometimes forget about this one. Mick Foley is serving as the special guest referee for this one to serve order between the two competitors. It's almost strange to watch Kevin Nash move around fairly effortlessly around the ring and put on a pretty damn good match as opposed to seeing him a few years later. This was a bloody and fun affair that saw the two beat each other up with barbed wire baseball bats, steel chairs and sledgehammers. Despite Nash still looking pretty good around this time, they were still able to hide some of his limits by putting much of the focus on the foreign objects in the match along with Mick Foley getting involved throughout the match against Triple H. Nash nearly scored the win over The Game a couple times and really had the crowd thinking so until Triple H was able to get his shoulder up before drilling Nash with a sledgehammer to the face along with a Pedigree. Solid Hell in a Cell match to conclude their feud. Sort of. They actually had a Ladder match in 2011 at a TLC PPV event. Can't make this up.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****

Match 4: Bad Blood 2004 - Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels
The storied feud between two former best friends and two former partners finally gets its conclusion in the main event of Bad Blood. Incredible stories leading into this one and definitely a match that doesn't really get the recognition it deserves. Like Triple H's last Hell in a Cell match against Kevin Nash a year prior, this match was just as bloody and just as fun to watch. They didn't hold back here, beating the living daylights out of each other with steel chairs, steel steps and actually breaking out a ladder and table for kicks. I guess it was a little throwback to their Summerslam encounter which was a nice touch. The two scratched and clawed to the finish line where Triple H barely had enough energy to muster a third Pedigree against Shawn Michaels to secure the win. I'm personally not the biggest fan of matches that go past 45 minutes, but these two made it work and considering the backstory leading into this, it had to go this long. The match didn't drag but they definitely reminded us how the length of the match was taking a toll on them with the two struggling to get up, kick out of a pin or pin their opponent at certain points. When talking about the history between these two guys, this match shouldn't just be an afterthought.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/4

Free WWE Match Review: Randy Orton vs. Sheamus (Hell in a Cell 2010)

Review Taken from Randy Orton - The Evolution of a Predator DVD (Disc 3) Review

WWE Championship - Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus
I question why this match had to be inside a Hell in a Cell. I hate having matches inside the friendly confines without having blood feuds. The match itself was fine and I was able to feel the tension between the two despite my strong thoughts of having it inside Hell in a Cell. The flow and pacing of the match was fine but again, the lack of focus on the actual cage itself was a distraction. They brought out the steel steps and made it a focal point of the match where Randy Orton was able to hit an RKO to Sheamus atop the steps for the victory. Good match as their styles blended nicely here as they would go on to have several more matches down the line and many more in 2016. Would have been the exact same match if the cage wasn't taken into play. I liked the match and I liked the build to the RKO at the end but this is Hell in a Cell, this should have been so much more.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014 Review

WWE Hell in a Cell 2014
October 26, 2014
Dallas, Texas

Two big Hell in a Cell matches headline the 2014 Hell in a Cell PPV event! John Cena and Randy Orton clash once again inside the devil's playground to determine who will get the opportunity to face Brock Lesnar for his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Also, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose close out the night in a brutal Hell in a Cell match.

Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - 2 Out of 3 Falls - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Cesaro
Anytime you have these two going at it, you can sign me up. And if it is going to be a 2 out of 3 falls match, then you can sign me up twice. Always thought Dolph Ziggler worked pretty well as a babyface and he had a great heel in Cesaro to go against here. Ziggler is able to pretty quickly roll Cesaro up for the first fall. Nice way to start the match, Cesaro doesn't take a hit from that pin since Ziggler squeezed it out of nowhere and it now really sets a faster pace for the rest of the match. Great action between the two with Cesaro being able to display his crazy strength. However, a kick from Ziggler and a Zig Zag allows Ziggler to sweep the match and retain his gold in a solid opening contest.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/4

Match 2: Nikki Bella vs. Brie Bella
For those who forgot, Nikki Bella helped Stephanie McMahon defeat Brie Bella at Summerslam and the two sisters come to a crash here at Hell in a Cell. The stipulation here is that the loser must be the winner's personal assistant for 30 days. Alright then. Fairly quick match here with Nikki hitting a Rack Attack to seal the win before mocking her sister right after. Good for what it was worth, just wish the crowd wasn't so damn annoying.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Rating: *1/2

Match 3: WWE Tag Team Championship - Gold & Stardust (c) vs. The Usos
For my younger readers, your AEW hero in Cody Rhodes was once named Stardust and actually paired with his brother. They actually had some banger of matches during their run and their bouts against The Usos were no exception. This is the rematch from a month ago when The Usos lost at Night of Champions. However, the match the two teams had here was rather underwhelming and much of that was because they didn't really have much time as they probably should have to really put on their usual great stuff. Stardust helps Goldust fight off one of The Usos as the referee's back is turned before Goldust hits his finisher to pick up the win for his team. Good match in the fairly short amount of time they had, great chemistry.
Winners: Gold & Stardust
Rating: **3/4

Match 4: Hell in a Cell - Randy Orton vs. John Cena
One of these days, I'm going to count how many times I've seen these two wrestle against each other on PPV. I completely forgot they had ANOTHER Hell in a Cell match here in 2014 with the winner getting a shot at Brock Lesnar and his WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Since I have no recollection of their last Hell in a Cell match, I can't compare the two matches but I'm sure they're both pretty similar. Action in the ring was fine for what it was and exactly what you would expect from these two. A few kickouts from some RKOs and Attitude Adjustments before the two finally brought the fight on the top rope where John Cena was able to finish Randy Orton with an Attitude Adjustment off the top rope. Cena wins and gets another crack at The Beast as he stares down an angry Paul Heyman shortly after the match. Good match but nothing close to being a memorable Hell in a Cell match.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***1/4

Match 5: WWE United States Championship - Sheamus (c) vs. The Miz
With Damien Mizdow serving as his stunt double, The Miz challenges Sheamus for his United States Championship. As much as I loved Mizdow mimicking Miz at ringside, he definitely became a distraction for the better part of the match and the novelty was definitely beginning to wear about half way through. Despite Mizdow doing his best efforts to help Miz, Sheamus was able to fight the odds and hit a Brogue Kick to Miz as he was coming down from the top rope. Afterwards, Sheamus messes around with The Miz and Mizdow before delivering another Brogue Kick to Miz. Another fairly basic match on the card, funny to see how over Mizdow was getting around this time.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: **3/4

Match 6: Rusev vs. The Big Show
Rusev was on an absolute roll around this time as the company was getting him ready to face John Cena at the upcoming WrestleMania. Loved the feud he was having against The Big Show around this time and Show does a great job in making the newer guys look good. Evidence to that point was shown in this match, Show allowed Rusev to look dominant throughout the match but also put up a battle on his own right as well. In other words, Rusev wasn't about to have a cake walk and it makes for a more entertaining and believable match. Despite Mark Henry coming out to cheer on Show, Rusev is still able to lock in an Accolade submission to secure the win. Surprisingly solid match here, fantastic way to continuing building Rusev as a serious threat.
Winner: Rusev
Rating: **1/4

Match 7: WWE Divas Championship - AJ Lee (c) vs. Paige
It's a battle of the two most annoying theme songs in the history of WWE. I've said that on numerous occasions but I might be serious about it this time around. Basic and quick Divas match here, the two tried their bets but the action just wasn't as fluid and entertaining as you would expect from these two. AJ Lee is able to drop Paige off the top of a barricade outside the ring before locking her in a Widow's Peak submission to secure the win. Afterwards, Paige slaps Alicia Fox for rolling Paige back in the ring after she nearly got counted out before getting hit with a Widow's Peak. Forgettable match, on to the next one.
Winner: AJ Lee
Rating: *1/4

Match 8: Hell in a Cell - Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins
After a pretty dull Hell in a Cell match earlier, the former Shield brothers look to close out the night on a high note. They started the match on top of the cell and eventually both fought each other off as they were climbing down and landed through the announcers tables. They brought back the fight into the ring and let their work do the talking. However, the action in the ring wasn't anything really that felt like it was a Hell in a Cell match and it was definitely beginning to drag a bit in the middle. Despite Rollins getting help early on from J&J Security along with Kane throughout the match, Ambrose was still giving Rollins tons of trouble with nasty steel chair shots and an elbow drop through Rollins on a table. However, Ambrose looked to seal Rollins' fate by driving him through a couple cinder blocks before Bray Wyatt appeared of nowhere to attack Ambrose and give Rollins the win. Afterwards, Wyatt hits Ambrose with a Sister Abigail to close out the show. The match itself was longer than it really needed to be, especially after their first spot through the tables. Also, the Wyatt interference felt more awkward than anything as it took him a pretty good minute to actually appear from the dark. Disappointing finish to a disappointing card.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ***

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
I have yet to even look at other scores for this event but it was really such a forgettable event. There was so much boring stuff and so much bland stuff that I completely forgot I was even watching a PPV at times. The card was headlined by two Hell in a Cell matches but in all honesty, they were probably two Hell in a Cell matches that you could go without watching.
Rating: 5.75/10

Free WWE Match Review: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton (TLC 2009)

Review taken from WWE TLC 2009 Review

Match 6: Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton
2009 marked the changing of Kofi Kingston's persona and it really got started with his feud against Randy Orton. Kofi had a marquee moment on an edition of Monday Night Raw in Madison Square Garden where he did his Boom Drop on Orton through a table which eventually led to a match here. Strong match here that saw the younger Kingston try to keep up with the veteran in Orton. Whenever Orton looked to be in trouble, he got right back into the fight with a dropkick or some sort of reversal. Basically, he was still on another level than Kingston and the story they told got across pretty well. Orton was able to nail Kingston with an RKO to win the match. However, Kingston walks away looking like a main player despite the loss.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***

WWE Night of Champions 2010 Review

WWE Night of Champions 2010
September 19, 2010
Rosemont, Illinois

The top six Superstars on the Raw roster compete for the WWE Championship in the main event while Kane must defend his World Heavyweight Championship against his big brother, The Undertaker.

Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Kofi Kingston
Holy crap. Another Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston match. Crazy to think that even in 2019, the two are still having great matches. In this case, Ziggler will still lose his title if he is either counted out or disqualified. Ziggler has Vickie Guerrero by his side and must ensure that she does not interfere or she will cost Ziggler the match and title. As expected, solid action from the two as their chemistry was still awesome back here in 2010. Ziggler had to prevent Vickie from getting her hands on Kingston which allowed Kingston to go for a Trouble in Paradise. However, Kingston missed and would fall right into a Zig Zag for Ziggler to score the big win. Great opening contest between two hungry guys. Still shocks me to think that these two would eventually be wrestling each other nearly ten years later for the WWE Championship.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***1/2

Match 2: CM Punk vs. The Big Show
Before the match, CM Punk comes out to cut a promo as he buries the people of Chicago before saying he wants to burn the entire city to the ground with him restarting the city on his own terms. Of course, The Big Show comes out and could care less about whatever Punk has to say. Strange match here on a show that already features a bunch of matches. Regardless, Punk is able to get in a squeak of offense against Show before getting speared in midair and getting hit with a Knockout Punch from Show to seal the match. Baffling to see how Punk was being booked at this point in his career. Maybe my *1/4 is a little too generous.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *1/4

Match 3: WWE United States Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Daniel Bryan
We all remember the feud back in 2010 between The Miz, Michael Cole and Daniel Bryan. BUT! How many of us can remember Bryan's terrible entrance music? It was bad, guys. Another crazy thing to note in how we saw Ziggler vs. Kingston in 2019, we also saw Miz vs. Bryan again in 2018. Wrestling is a crazy thing. Like the Ziggler vs. Kingston match, you already know what to expect from these two. Solid action in the ring with the pace and intensity picking up at every minute. Alex Riley tried to insert himself in the fray but Bryan was able to run him into a ring post and eliminate him from the affair. Bryan is able to lock Miz in a LeBell Lock to secure the biggest win of his career. Great win for Bryan with Michael Cole continuing to berate him on commentary. Miz may have lost the United States Championship, but he was certainly in line for much bigger things... 
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2

Match 4: WWE Women's Championship & WWE Divas Championship - Lumberjill Match - Michelle McCool vs. Melina
Finally, the Women's Championship and Divas Championship get unified... but why a Lumberjill Match? 5 bucks to anyone who remembers this match and unification actually happening. The action in the ring between Michelle McCool and Melina was a bit dull at times and definitely overshadowed by all the Divas at ringside. It was also pretty annoying to see them throw the lightest of punches to each other once they got thrown out. Regardless, McCool takes advantage of Layla interfering in the match and hitting a big boot to seal the win and unify the titles.
Winner: Michelle McCool
Rating: *1/2

Match 5: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Holds Barred - Kane (c) vs. The Undertaker
Even in 2010, people were still complaining about these two being the focal point of SmackDown. People were dying for the younger stars to be in the spotlight. If only they knew what they had coming. Anyway, the feud between the two brothers spills into the No Holds Barred match with Kane defending his gold against The Undertaker. Always thought it was super cool to see Kane get a run as a world champ in 2010 and of course, the WWE had to take up the opportunity to have him feud against The Deadman. Even with The Undertaker rushing the ramp to attack Kane before the match officially began, Kane was in control for the better part of the match. Actually, he was in control for nearly the entire match and it allowed things to drag a bit as it started to take the crowd out of things. 'Taker looked to finally gain some serious momentum and finish his brother before Kane was able to hit a Tombstone of his own. Clean win for Kane as they set up for future rematches. Undertaker doesn't always lose clean so him losing to Kane certainly made Kane an even more believable champion at the time. Match could have been better but I wasn't going into this looking for a ***** affair anyway.
Winner: Kane
Rating: **3/4

Match 6: WWE Tag Team Championship - Tag Team Turmoil - The Hart Dynasty (c) vs. The Usos vs. Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Evan Bourne & Mark Henry vs. Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes
The Hart Dynasty start off the match as the champions going into this match face the biggest challenge. If the champs want to retain their belts, then they must go through four other teams. Unfortunately for them, The Usos were quick to eliminate them in the very beginning before the match came down to Evan Bourne and Mark Henry going against Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. What odd teams they had here. Rhodes hits a Cross Rhodes on Bourne to seal the win and capture the gold for himself and McIntyre. Crazy to see where these two are at now in 2019. Anyway, good match for what it was. Short and sweet, sometimes that's all you can ask for. 
Winners: **3/4
Rating: Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes

Match 7: WWE Championship - Elimination - Sheamus (c) vs. John Cena vs. Edge vs. Chris Jericho vs. Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton
Sheamus puts hits WWE Championship on the line against five of the other top guys on the Raw brand with Edge and Chris Jericho possibly forming a little alliance for the match. That alliance quickly got shut down when Jericho was eliminated first and fast in the match, much to the shock of the other guys in the ring. Pretty cool start to the match to stir the pot a little more. Jericho's elimination was later followed with an Edge elimination as the two guys who tried to form a team were the first two to leave. Interesting to think that this would be one of Edge's final performances as a wrestler before being forced to retire. The Nexus interfere during the match and help Wade Barrett eliminate him from the match. However, the interference would end up biting Barrett back as Cena would lay waste to the rest of Nexus before Orton delivered an RKO to narrow the match down to himself and the champion, Sheamus. Sheamus quickly hit a Brogue Kick but Orton is able to kick out! Sheamus looks to end the match with a High Cross before Orton turns the tides into an RKO for the win. Fine main event for what it was, fairly forgettable but the ending was definitely nicely done. The feud between The Nexus and Cena continues while Orton gets back his top position in the company. 
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
For 2010 PPV standards, this was actually better than what the WWE offered throughout the year. There was basically three solid matches on the card with everything else being forgettable. Looking back at it, it's just crazy to think how so many people were paying a lot of money to watch this on PPV opposed to having the WWE Network. Either way, you can pass on this one.
Rating: 6/10

Free WWE Match Review: Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena (Night of Champions 2014)

Review taken from WWE Night of Champions 2014 Review

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

WWE Clash of Champions 2016 Review

WWE Clash of Champions 2016
September 25, 2016
Indianapolis, Indiana

After Triple H helped Kevin Owens pin Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship, Rollins gets another crack at the biggest prize in the game against Owens at the first Clash of Champions event in WWE history.

Match 1: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson
Big E and Kofi Kingston represent The New Day as they defend their belts against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in the first contest of the night. While this was a fairly short match, they told a great story with Gallows and Anderson doing everything in their power to bully their way to a victory. The two started by attacking all members of The New Day before the match and cutting the ring in half while focusing on the smaller Kingston during the match. However, The New Day were able to turn the tides with Xavier Woods driving Francesca into the face of Anderson that led to a Midnight Hour from Big E and Kingston to seal the win.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - T.J. Perkins (c) vs. Brian Kendrick
At this point, the Cruiserweight train was running low on steam and the crowd was acting accordingly. Interesting story mentioned by Michael Cole during the match of how Brian Kendrick would give car rides to T.J. Perkins on their way to wrestling school years ago. Say what you want about WWE commentary, but that really gave some extra reason on the animosity that the two may have here which also boosts my interest in what was a fairly uninteresting match. You get your usual good stuff between the two here but nothing that was out of the ordinary or worth really noting. Perkins wins by submitting Kendrick with a kneebar submission. Afterwards, Kendrick headbutts Perkins as the two embraced each other for their performances.
Winner: T.J. Perkins
Rating: **3/4

Match 3: Best of 7 Series (Match 7) - Sheamus vs. Cesaro
After having a 3-0 lead against Cesaro, Sheamus looks to not completely blow his lead and seal a win tonight that would also score him the series victory. These two have amazing chemistry with each other and while I came into this match thinking this would be something identical than their last bouts, I was completely wrong. This match really picked up to a different level in the second half of the match that saw the two beat the living daylights out of each other as they kicked out of each other's finishers in spots that had me believing it was the end. It is also necessary for myself to mention Cesaro diving head first out of the ring towards Sheamus and landing right on his head. Looked disgusting but made for a sweet spot. The two take the fight to the outside where a clothesline from Cesaro to Sheamus over the ring barricade led to the doctors and referee to call for the match. The fans booed the finish but let's face it, the finish kind of made sense as the two were ready to get paired up. Great way to show the fans how evenly matched these two are.
Winner: n/a
Rating: ****1/4

Match 4: Sami Zayn vs. Chris Jericho
The former best friend of Kevin Owens against the current best friend of Chris Jericho. What a concept. As expected from the two veterans here, solid action from the beginning that really made you feel the animosity between the two that had been transpiring for the past weeks. However, I couldn't help but feel like the match seemed rush and as if the two were trying to get in all their signature moves just for the sake of it. Jericho is able to hit Zayn with a Codebreaker from out of nowhere to seal the deal and get the big win for himself and his best friend Owens. A great match between these two and a nice match to feature on the middle of the card when things usually start dragging. I wouldn't mind seeing more of these two going against each other... which I guess would be kind of hard as I review this in 2019. 
Winner: Chris Jericho
Rating: ***1/2

Match 5: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks
At this point, Charlotte Flair is still undefeated in title matches on PPVs but has her hands full against two of Raw's top female stars. Does anyone else cringe a bit sometimes when these girls trash talk each other in the ring? They say some of the corniest things ever. As usual from these women, solid action but definitely a bit sluggish at times. Almost as if Bayley was still getting adjusted to the main roster and understandably so. Crowd was certainly into the action and definitely very fond of having Bayley compete for the gold. However, a couple big boots from Charlotte to Bayley allowed Charlotte to score the win and retain the title. Good match but nothing worth writing home about, they definitely have had better ones than this.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***

Match 6: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is fighting to become a United States Champion while Rusev is fighting to not only retain his gold, but also fight in the honor of his wife. As you could expect, the crowd had little interest in this because Reigns was apart of the match as they were really sitting on their hands in the first half of the match before even starting a "CM Punk" chant. Bunch of babies. While the first half wasn't exactly the most exciting thing ever, it was a nice pace that led into a wild second half that saw Lana save her husband from a loss at one point when she grabbed the referee out of the ring after a Spear to Rusev from Reigns. However, Reigns is able to recover and fight off an Accolade submission before finishing off Rusev with another Spear to seal the big win. Solid match before rolling into the main event. Reigns continues to shine, the crowd wanted to hate this match but they couldn't help but love it once the ball got rolling. 
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ***1/2

Match 7: WWE Universal Championship - Kevin Owens (c) vs. Seth Rollins
For those keeping score, these two actually main evented a Ring of Honor show back in 2010 for the ROH World Championship. Fast forward to 2016 and they're closing out a WWE PPV for the biggest prize in the company. Kind of crazy to even think that. Perhaps the crowd was tired from the night but for whatever reason, they just weren't getting into the action for the better half of the match. And unfortunately, it was tough for me to get into the action as well. A very slow start to the match and I almost forgot I was watching a match for the brand's top prize at one point. The pace finally started to pick up a bit once the fight spilled outside where Kevin Owens drove himself through one of the announcers tables after Seth Rollins moved out of the way. However, some interference by Chris Jericho allowed Owens to escape a loss and eventually hit a Pop Up Powerbomb to score the win and retain the gold. Underwhelming main event that finally picked up a bit at the very end. Even still, it's nice to see the heel close out a PPV with a big win every now and then.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: **3/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Such a bland and forgettable show. Definitely some solid matches on the card but nothing memorable or anything that really stood out. This was the first event exclusive to Raw and it was a also a great reminder why the brand split in 2016 was just off to such a slow start. Again, definitely some good matches on the card but nothing that should warrant a serious consideration of watching this show.
Rating: 6/10

Free WWE Match Review: Triple H vs. John Cena (Night of Champions 2008)

Review taken from WWE Night of Champions 2008 Review

WWE Championship - Triple H (c) vs. John Cena
I was one of the few that was always bummed these two didn't have their WrestleMania 22 rematch at another WrestleMania since I absolutely loved their first encounter. The build for this match has been remarkable, the videos throughout the show were a nice touch. There's an aura about this rematch that is hard to describe, two of the biggest stars in the business going at it for the richest prize. Solid wrestling from the start as Triple H looks to be in the driver's seat. Cena is seemingly underestimating The Game after their first bout. Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler both note that these two hardly make any mistakes and how true that statement is. Triple H won't let up, not wanting this match to end in the same result that their 2006 match did. The tides finally change when Cena tosses Triple H out of the ring as Triple H lands awkwardly on his knee. This allows Cena to try and score an advantage by focusing on The Cerebral Assassin's knee. The commentators do a fantastic job of noting Triple H's two quad injuries. Triple H reminds us why he is the best in the business, selling the injury to perfection. Hitting the Pedigree on Cena but not being able to cover Cena quickly due to his injury. Cena does his best to regain the momentum, hitting an FU and locking in an STFU to boot. However, Triple H is able to reverse the STFU into his own crossface as the crowd is rocking. Triple H hits a second Pedigree and this time around, Cena isn't able to get up. Triple H wins the rematch and both titles go to the blue brand. Another fantastic main event match from these two that goes forgotten as their previous bout overshadows this one dramatically. They would go on to have a wasted rubber match later in 2009 on an edition of Raw where Triple H once again won. Still, this was a great main event match to close out the PPV and add more exciting questions after the 2008 Draft. Too bad this match doesn't get the recognition it deserves.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ****1/2

WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III Review

WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III
August 19, 2017
Brooklyn, New York

The notorious NXT returns to Brooklyn for another epic TakeOver event. Another stacked lineup is presented as Drew McIntyre looks to put the cherry on top of his epic return to WWE by beating Bobby Roode to capture the NXT Championship.

Match 1: Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade Almas
Love to see these two open up the card, arguably two of the brand's best wrestlers going at it. If you've seen these two wrestle before, you can imagine just how good this match was. They had 13 or so minutes to work with and none of it was put to waste. Despite Andrade Almas having roughly 20 pounds on Johnny Gargano, Gargano was able to use his masterful wrestling techniques to his advantage and it was certainly a joy to see him execute them to near perfection. However, a distraction from Zelina Vega who threw a shirt at Gargano led Almas to plant Gargano with a hammerlock DDT to secure the win. Believable nearfalls and incredible action made this match an incredible way to open the night. 
Winner: Andrade Almas
Rating: ****1/4

Match 2: NXT Tag Team Championship - The Authors of Pain (c) vs. SAnitY
The Authors of Pain are still undefeated at this point and the team of SAnitY certainly have their hands full here. Before the bell even rings, the two teams go at it before Eric Young inserts himself in the match alongside Alexander Wolfe to take on Akam and Rezar. I dig making the late switch of having Young added to the mix and adding some unpredictability to the match. Despite giving up lots of size, Young and Wolfe relied on their craftiness to try and beat AOP including Nikki Cross inserting herself in the match and even helping Wolfe send one of the members of AOP through a table outside in a sweet spot. In the ring, Young and Wolfe team up to hit a neck breaker to seal the big win and secure the tag titles. Great match and while AOP dropped the belts, they looked more than ready to take off to the main roster after this. They are gold. Afterwards, both Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly come out to beat down SAnitY and send a message that they are coming for the gold.
Winners: SAnitY
Rating: ***3/4

Match 3: Hideo Itami vs. Aleister Black
How cool is it to see these two match up against each other? Two of the best strikers in all of NXT looking to punch and kick the living daylights out of each other. What's not to love? Hideo Itami was working Aleister Black early on in the match and the kicks he was delivering to Black looked like they had some serious power behind them. To add to that point, Itami cracked Black's nose pretty early on in the match. Hard-hitting throughout with sweet counters and kicks from each men but it was Black who was able to hit a Black Mass out of nowhere to seal the win. I am convinced that Black has one of the best finishers in the game, love how he can hit it at any point in a match and love how vicious the damn thing looks. Give these guys a few more minutes and this could have been a serious show stealer.
Winner: Aleister Black
Rating: ***1/4

Match 4: NXT Women's Championship - Asuka (c) vs. Ember Moon
The NXT Women's Championship isn't the only thing Asuka puts on the line against Ember Moon, she also puts her undefeated streak on the line as well in the co-main event of the night. Moon starts the match aggressively and attacks Asuka fast and hard. Love the intensity from the beginning, the two have a heated feud and are really making you feel the animosity between the two. Some great exchanges between the two here and while Moon was giving Asuka the work, Asuka had no problem with maintaining the same energy which led to some sweet nearfalls that had the crowd reeling. Awesome finish here with Moon looking like she have had the win in her sights before Asuka is able to clamp her up in an Asuka Lock to seal the win. Great match and a great finish that had me itching for the rematch. Asuka comes out the victor but Moon still comes out just as strong.
Winner: Asuka
Rating: ****

Match 5: NXT Championship - Bobby Roode (c) vs. Drew McIntyre
I've always loved and admired the story of Drew McIntyre. Being called "The Chosen One" by Vince McMahon back in 2009 before leaving the company to grow and mature himself into the star he is today. The lead-in to McIntyre getting a chance for the NXT Championship against Bobby Roode just seemed so beautiful to me. It's crazy to see how much McIntyre has improved in the ring from his first stint and how he's able to really utilize his huge frame by tossing Roode around with case. However, the commentators did a fantastic job in mentioning how Roode has been in the game for years and knows every trick in the book. So despite the huge size of McIntyre, Roode was definitely still in control due to his experience. While the match probably went a few minutes longer than it actually needed to, the finish was fantastic as Roode tried hitting a trifecta of Glorious DDTs before falling to a headbutt and Claymore to seal his fate against McIntyre. What a moment for McIntyre as he celebrates in the middle of the ring with the gold before he spots Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly in the corner of the ring... and boom! Out comes Adam Cole! He beats down McIntyre and poses with his belt to cap off the show. Wow, what an ending.
Winner: Drew McIntyre
Rating: ****

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
As usual, a phenomenal effort from the very beginning to the close. Seriously... what do you want me to say that I've never said about prior NXT TakeOver events before? Incredible wrestling mixed with incredible stories and capped off with Adam Cole, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly looking like a million dollars.
Rating: 9/10

Free WWE Match Review: Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns (Summerslam 2014)

Review taken from WWE Summerslam 2014 Review

Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns needs that one big match to really elevate him into the main event scene and one against Randy Orton on the company's second biggest show of the year is perfect. Many argue that this match went on too long for their liking but I liked it. Reigns needs a lengthy match in the spotlight so he can get used to these types of matches. I never felt like this match dragged at all, they spaced out all their moves nicely with no real wasted motion throughout. Things really started to pick up later on which saw Orton slickly reverse a Spear from Reigns into a powerslam. He then turned a Superman Punch a couple minutes later into a RKO which caught everybody off guard. It's almost as if we know the RKO is coming but at the same time, we don't. Reigns managed to kick out as the crowd is going nuts before Reigns hits a Spear and covers Orton for the win. Definitely a huge win for Reigns but begs the question of where Orton is going after this. Either way, great match that sets up the main event of the night.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ****

WWE Summerslam 2016 Review (Part 2)

WWE Summerslam 2016
August 21, 2016
Brooklyn, New York

The Beast Incarnate clashes with The Viper in the main event of the biggest event of the summer! Will Randy Orton be able to take down the imposing Brock Lesnar? Also, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor fight for a chance to become the first Universal Champion.

Match 6: WWE World Championship - Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Both Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon are out as the SmackDown Live brand's biggest match of the night is for the WWE World Championship. Funny enough, it's 2019 that I'm watching this and Dolph Ziggler is making having the same gripes with the company as he is in his current feuds. Another solid match for the night but it never felt like this match was able to really suspend my belief as I never really took Ziggler as a legit threat to Ambrose and his title. The action was consistent but nothing that really had me jumping out of my chair like the Styles vs. Cena match earlier. A Dirty Deeds from Ambrose was enough for him to seal the win and retain his title. I'm not sure what it was, this match just didn't feel like it was a World Championship match despite the WWE doing their best to truly build this match up. Disagree with me all you want but Ambrose as the top star was just odd. It's almost as if his character was stuck between a goofball and a serious prizefighter.
Winner: Dean Ambrose
Rating: ***1/2

Match 7: Naomi, Carmella & Becky Lynch vs. Natalya, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Bella
In place of Eva Marie, Nikki Bella makes her return to the ring to team with Natalya and Alexa Bliss. Crowd was hot to see Nikki make her return but once the bell rang, much of their interest was lost as they were seemingly cheered out from that Styles vs. Cena match still. Regardless, the women in the ring did a good job in keeping the match flowing with everyone getting in their offense. Bella is able to seal the win for her team by hitting a TKO on Carmella. Interesting to see this match get so much time but I guess they needed something to bridge the gap between the two title matches as we head into the main events. Good match for what it was but nothing out of the ordinary.
Winners: Natalya, Alexa Bliss & Nikki Bella
Rating: **1/4

Match 8: WWE Universal Championship - No Disqualification - Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
Much like the WWE World Championship match earlier, the big bosses are out for this one as Stephanie McMahon and Mick Foley are ready to crowd the first Universal Champion in WWE history. As you would expect, solid and fluid action from the two here despite Finn Balor getting injured during the actual match. Kudos to him for continuing throughout the match and finishing it. Totally forgot Seth Rollins was still a heel at this time and was completely toying with Balor throughout the match while trash talking left and right. Rollins' cockiness would eventually catch up to him as Balor was able to gain some serious momentum in the final stages of the match before landing his beautiful Coup de Gras finisher to score the biggest win of his life. Great contest between the two and unfortunately, Balor's injury during the match would lead him to surrender the gold just a day later. Regardless, nice to see Balor get the huge win and be the inaugurual champion. Shame the New York crowd was too focused on booing the actual championship belt. Also kind of interesting to see this match not close out the show, kind of speaks volumes to the level of hype behind the Lesnar train. 
Winner: Finn Balor
Rating: ****

Match 9: WWE United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. Roman Reigns
After Roman Reigns ruined the marriage celebration between Rusev and Lana on an edition of Monday Night Raw, Rusev was defend his gold against Reigns here before tonight's main event. Before the match even begins, Rusev attacks Reigns and the fight between the two spills outside with Reigns beating the living daylights out of Rusev with a steel chair. Finally, they have to announce that there will be no title match between the two here. Afterwards, Reigns gives Rusev a Spear for his troubles. Definitely an easy way to set up a bigger match between the two down the road. Was there just not enough time to give these guys an actual match?
Winner: n/a
Rating: n/a

Match 10: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton
This is a match that I've never actually watched until now and one that I have also been dying to check out. They hyped this match nicely over the past month or so and really gave it a main event type of feel to it. Amazing video package prior to the match that documents their history together and also the animosity between the two. Super stiff match here with Brock Lesnar tossing Randy Orton around early on like a toy before eventually getting hit with an RKO on the announcers table. However, Orton's punt attempt leads him into an F5 before getting absolutely destroyed with elbows from Lesnar as the referee finally calls for the bell. Orton is left in a pool of his blood, what an eerie sight this was. Afterwards, Shane McMahon comes out to get in Lesnar's face until he eats an F5. Lesnar closes out the biggest night of the summer on a very big note. Here's the thing, not all professional wrestling matches need to go 25 minutes with tons of nearfalls and counters to be a stellar match. That just wouldn't make sense here, it's two guys who literally want to beat the living daylights out of each other. And they did just that. Was it a "***** masterpiece?" No, but it didn't need to be. This is truly when Lesnar is at his best and he comes out leaving this match as an even bigger problem to the locker room. Stop complaining.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Rating: ****1/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
That was an enjoyable show for me and I have no problem in giving it the score I just did despite maybe seeing this show as average. The Styles vs. Cena match was out of this world, the Universal Championship match was great and the main event was a perfect ending to the night. A memorable event and a main event that I think doesn't get the credit it deserves. 
Rating: 9/10

Free WWE Match Review: AJ Styles vs. John Cena (Summerslam 2016)

Review taken from WWE Summerslam 2016 Review (Part 1)

AJ Styles vs. John Cena
After a fluke victory over John Cena at Money in the Bank, AJ Styles gets a chance to right his wrongs here at Summerslam in one of the biggest marquee matches of the night. I am going to include myself when I say this match gets completely overlooked by so many because of their classic bout at Royal Rumble 2017. For whatever reason, Cena and Styles had some unreal chemistry and truly brought the best out of each other like no other. The case was no different here, the crowd was absolutely electric for the action here that really just saw them stepping on the gas from the very beginning. The nearfalls throughout the match were a joy to watch and seeing Styles kick out of an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment nearly blew the roof off the building. Despite Cena kicking out of everything Styles gave him, Styles finally sealed the deal after hitting a Styles Clash and immediately following it with a Phenomenal Forearm. Styles pins Cena clean. Incredible performance from the two and a shame that this match has become almost forgotten.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ****3/4

WWE Smackville 2019 Review

WWE Smackville 2019
July 27, 2019
Nashville, Tennessee

The SmackDown Live brand comes to Nashville for a special WWE Network exclusive on a Saturday night in July. Kofi Kingston must defend his WWE Championship against his two latest foes in Dolph Ziggler and Samoa Joe before heading into Summerslam to take on Randy Orton.

Match 1: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Ali
With Finn Balor being out of commission due to injury, Ali serves as the replacement to face Shinsuke Nakamura for the Intercontinental Championship. Nakamura forces the referee to begin the match against Balor as the referee then calls for the bell and proceeds to count out Balor. Here, Ali comes out and steps in for the injured Balor. Despite the crowd being pretty quiet throughout the contest, the action was still pretty fast and certainly fun to watch. The two used their unique offenses nicely here to really help the viewers remember just how good Ali can be in the ring. However, a Kinshasa from Nakamura put an end to Ali and his big return.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Rating: ***

Match 2: Elias vs. Kevin Owens
Elias came out for his big performance and as usual, did a great job of getting heat from the crowd while claiming Johnny Cash once told him that the Tennessee Titans will never win a Super Bowl. Kevin Owens interrupts Elias from behind and calls for a referee as an impromptu match has now begun. Pretty solid match here between the two as watching Owens wrestle as a babyface is definitely working better than the first time around. Elias is able to get in a decent amount of offense before getting hit with a Stunner by Owens to end the match. Fun to watch Elias on the guitar and fun to watch these two go at it in a short match before heading into the main event.
Winner: Kevin Owens
Rating: **1/4

Match 3: WWE Championship - Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Samoa Joe
Seeing Kofi Kingston as the top dog and WWE Champion never gets old to me. Also seeing Dolph Ziggler and Samoa Joe in the main event will never get old to me as well. Ziggler and Joe try to coexist early on to eliminate Kingston from the equation until animosity between the two grow pretty fast. Seriously, when does that ever work? Definitely cool to see the exchanges between all three guys with everyone doing a great job in making the match believable despite everyone pretty much knowing what the outcome would be. After a failed attempt of a Coquina Clutch, Joe walks right into a Trouble in Paradise for the the finish. While I enjoyed the match and enjoyed having this show in general on The Network, I question having Kingston having a random title defense right before Summerslam. In some ways, it kind of feels like it waters down the title's legitimacy with all these defenses. Would it really hurt to just get Kingston a partner and make this a big tag match? What do you guys think?
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Rating: ***1/2

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
If you know me, you love I love these WWE Network specials and how much I love to rave about them. Solid show here to continue the build towards the biggest show of the summer. While it was a little too short for my liking, it was still an enjoyable watch and really cool to see the WWE continuing to make efforts in putting out house shows on their Network.
Rating: 7/10

WWE Summerslam 2016 Review (Part 1)

WWE Summerslam 2016
August 21, 2016
Brooklyn, New York

The Beast Incarnate clashes with The Viper in the main event of the biggest event of the summer! Will Randy Orton be able to take down the imposing Brock Lesnar? Also, Seth Rollins and Finn Balor fight for a chance to become the first Universal Champion.

Match 1: Enzo & Big Cass vs. Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens
Enzo & Big Cass come out to open the show in front of their New York fans as Enzo cuts a slick promo before the match. Hate him all you want but the dude really could really throw out some dope stuff on the mic. If I'm correct, this was the first time Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens had a big tag team match and of course, they meshed well so nicely here. Loved their trash talking throughout the match and Owens mocking Enzo was a sight to see. With Big Cass getting eliminated from the action, Enzo was left to fend for himself as he got launched by Owens to Jericho for a Codebreaker. Jericho & Owens pick up the big win in a solid opening match.
Winners: Chris Jericho & Kevin Owens
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Sasha Banks (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
After Sasha Banks won the Raw Women's Championship from Charlotte Flair a few weeks prior to this on an episode of Monday Night Raw, Charlotte gets her big rematch here. Really solid action from the two here, they were able to truly display their athleticism and abilities in the ring while teasing us for more matches down the line. This was around the time the women's division was picking up and the crowd was definitely eating up all the cool spots throughout the match. Banks looks to seal the deal with a Bank Statement until Charlotte is able to roll her up with a surprise win and steal the victory and regain her Women's Championship. Great match between the two and a great way for them to lead into bigger matches down the road soon after.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: ***3/4

Match 3: WWE Intercontinental Championship - The Miz (c) vs. Apollo Crews
At this point, The Miz was really coming back into his own as a star and certainly becoming one of the company's top heels for the first time in a long time. Mauro Ranallo notes on commentary how the Intercontinental Championship has changed hands many times at Summerslam which could possibly mean trouble for the current champ. Decent match here with Apollo Crews showcasing a bit of his cool offense while The Miz tries to walk away from the fight before hitting a Skull Crushing Finale out of nowhere to seal the win and retain the title.
Winner: The Miz
Rating: **

Match 4: AJ Styles vs. John Cena
After a fluke victory over John Cena at Money in the Bank, AJ Styles gets a chance to right his wrongs here at Summerslam in one of the biggest marquee matches of the night. I am going to include myself when I say this match gets completely overlooked by so many because of their classic bout at Royal Rumble 2017. For whatever reason, Cena and Styles had some unreal chemistry and truly brought the best out of each other like no other. The case was no different here, the crowd was absolutely electric for the action here that really just saw them stepping on the gas from the very beginning. The nearfalls throughout the match were a joy to watch and seeing Styles kick out of an Avalanche Attitude Adjustment nearly blew the roof off the building. Despite Cena kicking out of everything Styles gave him, Styles finally sealed the deal after hitting a Styles Clash and immediately following it with a Phenomenal Forearm. Styles pins Cena clean. Incredible performance from the two and a shame that this match has become almost forgotten.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ****3/4

Match 5: WWE Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. Gallows & Anderson
With Big E out of action, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods defend their titles against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Oh, and Jon Stewart is in the corner for The New Day. When are we going to get rid of this damn guy? The crowd could seriously not care any less for this dude and him talking for just two minutes on the mic prior to the match was such an annoyance. Decent tag match here with Stewart involving himself in the match and nearly getting destroyed by Gallows and Anderson before Big E returns to come and make the save. The match ends in a disqualification against The New Day but they still retain the belts.
Winners: Gallows & Anderson (via disqualification)
Rating: **

Free WWE Match Review: Team Bella vs. Team B.A.D. vs. PCB (Summerslam 2015)

Review taken from WWE Summerslam 2015 Review

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

WWE Elimination Chamber 2018 Review

WWE Elimination Chamber 2018
February 25, 2018
Paradise, Nevada

The road to WrestleMania stops in Las Vegas for the annual Elimination Chamber PPV. Two Elimination Chamber matches headline the night with huge WrestleMania implications on the line. Who will walk in to WrestleMania as the Raw Women's Champion and who will challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship?

Match 1: WWE Raw Women's Championship - Elimination Chamber - Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Sasha Banks vs. Mickie James vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sonya Deville vs. Bayley
For the first time ever, the women grace the Elimination Chamber as Alexa Bliss must defend her Raw Women's Championship against five other competitors if she has any desire to enter WrestleMania with the gold around her waist. They built the match around Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville of Absolution working together, Sasha Banks and Mickie James working together, Mickie James fighting for her own self and Alexa Bliss trying not to lose the match rather than trying to actually win it. The structure worked and it kept the match flowing nicely throughout with things really picking up when it finally came down to Banks, Bayley and Bliss. Bliss tried to escape the two before Banks turns on Bayley which then shifted their focus onto each other instead of focusing on the champ. This little opening gives Bliss enough room for her to take advantage of things before last eliminating Banks with an elevated DDT to secure the win and escape the chamber as the champion. Solid opening match, nothing that will blow you away but certainly a nicely constructed and nicely executed match that makes sense as Bliss walks into WrestleMania as the champ with this big win.
Winner: Alexa Bliss
Rating: ***3/4

Match 2: WWE Raw Tag Team Championship - The Bar (c) vs. Titus Worldwide
Titus O'Neil and his partner in Apollo Crews get their biggest opportunity as a team by facing Sheamus and Cesaro here for the Raw Tag Team Championship. Good match for what it was, basic tag action here with Crews really getting the chance to showcase his amazing athleticism. However, a sneaky tag from Sheamus led to a very costly mistake as The Bar hit their finisher on a surprised Crews to pick up the win. We really don't give The Bar enough credit as champions, their chemistry together is phenomenal and at this point, they have really etched themselves as one of the most legitimate tag teams of the past few years.
Winners: The Bar
Rating: *3/4

Match 3: Nia Jax vs. Asuka
With Alexa Bliss keeping a close eye on this one from the backstage area, she watches her potential WrestleMania opponent in Asuka take on Nia Jax. Sometimes we tend to forget just how good Asuka can be in the ring and this is a great example of that fact. Doesn't matter the size of her opponent, she's great in adjusting her style to make the match both believable and fun to watch. Fun exchanges from the two with Jax being able to show off her strength and quickness at the same time throughout. However, Asuka is able to score a fairly quick win out of nowhere with a roll up. However, Asuka isn't able to celebrate for long as Jax attacks her from behind before ramming her through the barricade outside the ring. Solid match here as Asuka is able to gain a big win heading into WrestleMania while Jax still looks like a monster after all this.
Winner: Asuka
Rating: **3/4

Match 4: Matt Hardy vs. Bray Wyatt
The two had their wars on episodes of Monday Night Raw as they continue their war here before the Ronda Rousey appearance as well as the main event. Matt Hardy plays mind games with Bray Wyatt before the match by disappearing from the ring during Wyatt's entrance and attacking him from behind. Basic match for what it was with Hardy hitting a Twist of Fate to score the win and basically complete the burial of Bray Wyatt. Weird this was even on the card but considering there's only four other matches, I guess they needed something to fill the card.
Winner: Matt Hardy
Rating: **1/4

Match 5: Elimination Chamber - Elias vs. Braun Strowman vs. John Cena vs. Roman Reigns vs. The Miz vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
Love the different approach to this Elimination Chamber match with having three guys begin the match, makes things a little more exciting and it's a solid way to get all the top guys on the brand featured in the match. Eliminations don't occur until all seven men enter the ring with Braun Strowman absolutely wrecking havoc throughout the entire match along with kicking out of just about everybody's finisher. There's no doubting that Strowman was red hot at this point and the crowd was simply eating up everything he gave them. He was certainly the biggest shining star of the match and no matter what his opponents fed him, he would not give in... until it was down to him and Roman Reigns. The two had a great exchange with Strowman nearly hitting his Running Powerslam before getting hit with a quick Spear by Reigns. Reigns is now headed back to WrestleMania with another opportunity to take down Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. After the match, Strowman attacks Reigns and hits him with a couple Running Powerslams before tossing him through one of the pods. Two things that really came out of this here with WWE solidifying Reigns as their top guy and the company also has huge stock in Strowman. They wanted Reigns to get he win but also wanted to protect Strowman at all costs which is why he eliminated everybody else. Looking back at this now, it's a shame they didn't continue to roll the ball on Strowman and pull the trigger on him because he was over big time with the audience. Could they not have just inserted him into the main event match at WrestleMania? That would have been a much better option and he would have a solid argument to be added to the mix.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Rating: ***3/4

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
This is supposed to be one of Raw's biggest headliners going into the biggest show of the year and it felt very underwhelming. The Chamber matches were fun but certainly nothing that blew me away while the middle of the card was also nothing to write home about. They really put all their chips on the two Chamber matches along with the Ronda Rousey contract signing except they all didn't deliver too hard on their promises.
Rating: 5.75/10