Free WWE Match Review: Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan (WrestleMania XXX)

Review taken from WWE WrestleMania XXX Review

Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan
This is it. The first triple threat main event at a WrestleMania since WrestleMania XX. And this event oddly resembles that one is so many ways. Bryan gained this opportunity after beating Triple H earlier in the show. Hard to believe that the original main event was going to be Batista vs. Orton. Bryan being injected into the match gives this match and event both a different kind of life. You know Bryan is going to win, but you just still got that feeling. The hate for Batista is real and he is fully embracing his role as a heel. He does such an amazing job at provoking these fans to boo him, he is a heel at heart. This match was exciting from the start and definitely worthy of closing out a wild night of wrestling. Just a roller coaster of a match filled with Bryan trying to fend off both Orton and Batista. Things got really foggy when Batista hit Bryan with a Batista Bomb as Orton connected with an RKO through an announce table. One of the coolest spots I have ever seen in a WrestleMania main event. Bryan refuses to quit and ends the match by getting Batista to submit after an amazing back and fourth finish. Bryan celebrates in the ring with both titles in hand as the pyro sets off to cap off an incredible night. Wow. Everything made sense here. It wasn't the perfect match or even the best main event in WrestleMania history. But again, everything made sense. You had Triple H, the scumbag boss, do his best to alter the finish with Scott Armstrong and the sledgehammer. But he failed. You had Batista, the man who was scheduled to likely win the match, submit to Daniel Bryan! What a match, what an ending, and what a show. 
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****1/4

Free WWE Match Review: Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena (TLC 2012)

Review taken from WWE TLC 2012 Review

World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Contract - Ladder - Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena
The big scandal going around the WWE focuses upon John Cena’s relationship with AJ Lee. With Vickie Guerrero exposing everything, a match between Cena and Ziggler is formed. The Ladder match has become something in the WWE that is a lock for a good match but at the same time, is a tough effort for the parties involved to create something different. I am going to start off with giving credit to both guys for resiliently doing their best to add a spark to the main event by pulling out some innovative moves we have never seen in this type of match. Ziggler hitting his patented sleeper submission to Cena on top of the ladder which led to them crashing through a table and Cena putting Ziggler and a ladder on top of his shoulders for an Attitude Adjustment were moments to mention. Also, to credit Brooklyn, they have been fantastic tonight and they added another layer to this match. Ziggler looks ready to take on a bigger role in the company and a match against Cena in the main event of the final PPV can only do good. And guess what, Ziggler pulls out the big win. Of course, Cena looked like he was going to win until AJ pushed Cena off the ladder after beating up Guerrero seconds earlier. The ending was predictable but it made for a cool moment and only draws attention to the younger audience for future episodes of Raw. The match was very good, nothing to necessarily write home about but definitely something to watch again down the line.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Rating: ***½

Becky Lynch: Iconic Matches DVD Review

To be the man, you got to beat the man. Becky Lynch's rise to becoming one of the most polarizing and biggest figures in the WWE began to really take shape in 2018. This DVD features three instrumental matches that turned Becky Lynch into The Man.

Match 1: Summerslam 2018 - SmackDown Women's Championship - Carmella (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch
Carmella looks to continue her dream reign as champ and must face the two biggest female stars on the SmackDown Live roster as she puts the title on the line. Despite Carmella being the champion, the story of the match going into this one was really just Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch feuding against each other as their friendship begins to implode. Just like the feud, the match itself was structured the same way. Much of the time, it felt as it I was just watching a Charlotte vs. Becky match with some Carmella sprinkled in here and there. Regardless, the action in the ring was still fun but it never felt like it got out of that second gear. Becky nearly submits Carmella in the middle of the ring until Charlotte runs in to hit her Natural Selection on Becky to score the win. With this win, Charlotte Flair is has now held a women's championship for seven times. Good match that didn't live up to the hype. Afterwards, Becky beats down Charlotte and officially completes the heel turn. However, a very instrumental match in kick starting Becky's rise to the top.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: Hell in a Cell 2018 - SmackDown Women's Championship - Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Becky Lynch
Despite being the heel in the match and feud, the hype for Becky Lynch was beginning to blossom at this point. The crowd was definitely split for this one and you could really hear the cheers for Becky here as her new persona has given her some life in the ring. Much of the match was built around Becky working on the arm of Charlotte Flair and setting her up for her Disarm-Her finisher. Great action from the two here as their chemistry from wrestling each other for years came together. Becky is able to finally lock in her Disarm-Her until Charlotte is able to roll out of the ring. However, Charlotte goes for a Spear on Becky in the ring before Becky is able to reverse it and pin Charlotte for the win. Charlotte is shocked and distraught as her former best friend finds a way to beat her. Afterwards, Becky raises her newly won championship in the face of Charlotte. Good match here and definitely enjoyed watching Becky work on Charlotte's arm throughout as the two built the match around it.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Rating: ***1/4

Match 3: Evolution 2018 - SmackDown Women's Championship - Last Woman Standing - Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
We all thought maybe this was going to be the supreme ending to their feud in the biggest match of the night at Evolution... but we were wrong. The matches between the two just kept on coming. While a lot of their matches do feel recycled and can get tiresome, this was a good one. This Last Woman Standing match was a chance for these two to showcase why they are the two best in the game. They came into the match like they had a chip on their shoulder, a little more intensity from the two and a little more fire in their punches. They brought out all the foreign objects from this one from steel chairs to kendo sticks to tables to ladders, nothing was off limits. I don't recall a women's match having three different table spots and had as much drama as when Becky stacked Charlotte in a pile of chairs for her to rise up at the last second. However, a big powerbomb from Becky to Charlotte through a table outside the ring was the final blow. Charlotte was close to getting up for the final second but wasn't able to muster the power for it. Great match between the two with some remarkable spots throughout with the right amount of drama to go along with it. Despite still being a heel, Becky is just starting to become red hot at this point. 
Winner: Becky Lynch
Rating: ****1/4

Free WWE Match Review: Baron Corbin vs. Samoa Joe (NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 2015)

Review taken from WWE NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn 2015 Review

Baron Corbin vs. Samoa Joe
They showed an awesome video package of their feud and like the others, this is my first time seeing Baron Corbin. This guy looks legit and can cut a good promo, he has the perfect opponent in Samoa Joe. Corbin has a huge frame and looks a bit green in the ring but even still, he looked good here against the veteran Joe. Action was stiff but never got out of hand, good enough to please the audience and have a nice match. Joe locks in the Coquina Clutch for the third time after reversing a pin from Corbin to secure the win as Corbin passes out. Just a good strong-style match with lots of punches and hard hits with a very fitting finish. Corbin takes the loss but has the out for it considering he never actually tapped out. Interesting to see where they go with Corbin and Joe after this.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Rating: **3/4

WWE Super ShowDown 2019 Review

WWE Super Showdown 2019 
June 7, 2019
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

For the first time ever, The Undertaker meets Goldberg in a singles match in one of the most anticipated matches in WWE history. Also, Seth Rollins puts his Universal Championship on the line against Baron Corbin as Brock Lesnar and his Money in the Bank contract look big in the background.

Match 1: WWE Universal Championship - Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin
Still weird to see Baron Corbin wrestling in his commissioner outfit. Either way, he gets a shot at Seth Rollins and his Universal Championship in the opening contest of the night. Rollins has his ribs taped from the onslaught that was given to him by Brock Lesnar on last Monday's episode of Raw. Corbin did his best to take out Rollins in a pretty decent match here before he let his emotions get the best of him by yelling at the referee for not making the count in his favor. With Corbin and the referee arguing, Rollins rolls up Corbin to score the win. Afterwards, Corbin gives Rollins an End of Days for his troubles before Lesnar comes out with his briefcase! However, a low blow from Rollins gives himself an opening to tear into Lesnar with a steel chair and a Curb Stomp to Lesnar on his briefcase. Rollins is able to escape with the title in his possession. Decent start to the show and Lesnar still holding on to the briefcase was just WWE's way of being able to advertise him for the show but allow him to cash in later for a bigger match down the line.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: WWE Intercontinental Championship - Finn Balor (c) vs. Andrade
Finn Balor comes out to his demon entrance as snow rains down in the desert for his entrance, cool stuff. I am not entirely sure if these two ever met in NXT but damn, this was a solid following match to the opener that really suffered from a pretty dead crowd. A shame because the action in the ring was a dandy to watch as there could definitely be an argument for these two being the most underrated in the game right now. Andrade works as such a great heel and loved seeing him mortified when he wasn't able to get the win after hitting his finisher. Balor is able to recover with a DDT from the top rope and a Coup de Gras to finish. Solid match that with a few more minutes and a hotter crowd, could have been something special. Would definitely love to see the rematch.
Winner: Finn Balor
Rating: ***1/4

Match 3: Shane McMahon vs. Roman Reigns
Shane McMahon looks to score one of the biggest wins of his career against Roman Reigns. With Drew McIntyre by his side, Shane actually may have a chance of just doing so. Even without McIntyre involving, McMahon didn't have much of a problem in getting some offense in against Reigns.... which begs the question. Is Shane on the level of these main eventers? Reigns is able to hit a Superman Punch on Shane but isn't able to score the win with it and once the fight continued, Shane inadvertently knocked down the referee which led to McIntyre hitting a Claymore on Reigns. Shane is able to pin Reigns to score the win as he and McIntyre then celebrate the big win. I dig Shane winning since it allows the company to troll the internet fans and their hero in CM Punk. However, the match itself wasn't anything too interesting and just basically sets up for the match between Reigns and McIntyre at Stomping Grounds.
Winner: Shane McMahon
Rating: **

Match 4: Lucha House Party vs. Lars Sullivan
I really could not care less for Lars Sullivan and I find it hard to buy into this hype around him as he faces Lucha House Party in a handicap match. As you would imagine, this was Sullivan fighting off the three guys from Lucha House Party fairly easily before they all joined the fight at the same time and got themselves disqualified. However, Sullivan gets his revenge afterwards and lays them all out on the ramp. Moving on.
Winner: Lars Sullivan (via disqualification)
Rating: 3/4*

Match 5: Randy Orton vs. Triple H
Let's cut to the chase, we've seen these two wrestle against each other about a million times and that includes at WrestleMania and even in an amazing Last Man Standing match. So while I certainly am interested in watching them at this point in their careers, it would be a stretch for me to say that I am that much interested in it. Regardless, I was pleasantly surprised with this match here and I would even go as far as saying this was better than their WrestleMania match. Despite Triple H looking like he definitely has lost a couple steps, having Randy Orton in there helps his cause for a stronger match. While the match went on way longer than it needed to, as is the case for most Triple H matches these days, it was still a solid performance and the nearfalls were believable before Orton hit a second RKO of the match to seal the win and gain the win over The Game. Like I said, much better than expected but don't come into this thinking this was the best thing ever.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/2

Match 6: Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman
Two of the most physically gifted guys in the company going at it. The two also love to use running powerslams. As expected, physical match here with Bobby Lashley reminding us that he can still go in the ring and never ages. Even with a fairly dead crowd, these two brought out the best of each other for the pretty short time they were given. Definitely enjoyed watching Lashley use his strength to toss Strowman around as if he weighed half his weight. Despite being suplexed on the ramp in the match, Strowman is able to get up and slam Lashley a few extra times in the ring to pick up the win. Fun and physical match here, both guys deserve title shots down the line.
Winner: Braun Strowman
Rating: **3/4

Match 7: WWE Championship - Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Super random to have Dolph Ziggler come back and challenge for the WWE Championship but whenever he and Kofi Kingston tangle in the ring, I don't question or mind it. Solid action from the two here and of course, very reminiscent of their matches from years back. It's almost like going in a time machine and watching these two go at it on a bigger scale. It's certainly cool to see these guys on this stage. The crowd was still pretty quiet here as they have definitely cooled off from the start but it didn't deter too much from the action in the ring. Ziggler looked more menacing in his approach to gain the gold from Kingston. However, Ziggler would walk into a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston to end the contest. Afterwards, Ziggler tells Byron Saxton that he wants a rematch inside a Steel Cage so Xavier Woods won't be able to help Kingston. Solid match that sets up a bigger rematch, you can always count on these do for a quality outing.

Winner: Kofi Kingston
Rating: ***

Match 8: 50-Man Battle Royal
Unlike last year's event at Greatest Royal Rumble, this 50-man battle royal starts with everyone in the ring. Thank God. You get your funny moments like Titus O'Neil going under the ring and you get your face offs like the three biggest tag teams in the ring staring each other down. But really, 50 men in the ring is just way too much to digest and it just dragged on for much longer than it needed to. Maybe they were using this as a meas to bridge the gap between the WWE Championship match and the main event. Either way, it came down to Elias and the Saudi Arabia prospect in Mansoor as the final two. Mansoor is able to eliminate Elias to get the biggest win of his career as his home crowd goes absolutely bonkers. Cool finish but just a pretty basic battle royal match that the crowd just couldn't get behind until they realized that their hometown hero had a chance. 
Winner: Mansoor
Rating: *3/4

Match 9: Goldberg vs. The Undertaker
First off, I don't care what anyone says. I'll never get tired of watching the entrances from these two. Okay, time to talk about the match... Let me be honest from the start, this shit broke my heart. It was hard to watch. It started with some promise with Goldberg hitting two Spears in the beginning and having The Undertaker kick out. But from then on, it was just ugly and full of mishaps. Goldberg was able to hit a Jackhammer on Undertaker that basically had Undertaker land on top of his head. Finally, Goldberg looked to attempt a Tombstone on Undertaker but wasn't able to muster the strength for it so they both just fell. Undertaker then hits a Chokeslam on Goldberg and the two call it a day. Undertaker looked visibly upset after the match. I can't even give this match a rating since I have way too much respect for them to rate them on their performance that sees them way past their prime. Either way, tough to watch.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: n/a

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
These Saudi Arabia shows just aren't it. Lots of attempts of nostalgia that nobody really cares about because the horse has been beaten down to death at this point. The matches just weren't all that interesting for me to tell someone to go back and watch. As for the main event... well... yeah. 
Rating: 4.75/10

WWE Super Show-Down 2018 Review (Part 2)

WWE Super Show-Down 2018
October 6, 2018
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The WWE goes down under! A stacked card sees AJ Styles put his WWE Championship on the line against Samoa Joe before Triple H wages war against The Undertaker one last time!

Match 6: The Riott Squad vs. The Bella Twins & Ronda Rousey
Interesting to note that Ronda Rousey took her biggest loss of her UFC career in the very same stadium the show is at. She looks to get that loss back as she teams with The Bella Twins to take on The Riott Squad. The Bellas start the match for their team and while things started pretty good for them, the members of The Riott Squad were able to quickly turn the tides and gain the advantage. However, Rousey is able to get tagged in and absolutely takes control of the match. Despite The Riott Squad's efforts, Rousey was too much and ended up locking both Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan in her devastating armbar submission simultaneously to score the win for her team. Hate all you want but Rousey is a star through and through. The final sequence of the match was so nicely done and the crowd ate it up.
Winners: The Bella Twins & Ronda Rousey
Rating: **1/4

Match 7: WWE Cruiserweight Championship - Cedric Alexander (c) vs. Buddy Murphy
Cedric Alexander gets to defend his championship against... Melbourne's own, Buddy Murphy! Great reaction from the crowd for Murphy's entrance. Safe to say, these two brought the fight here and have us the show stealer for the night. Action from the first bell to the last with the final minutes of the match having everyone on their toes. Alexander is able to hit his Lumbar Check but Murphy is able to kick out and eventually hit his Murphy's Law finisher to secure the biggest win of his life! That was as good as you could get for 10 minutes. Amazing moment for Murphy to be able to win in front of his home crowd as they absolutely went bonkers for the win and probably the loudest the crowd has been all night. Some criminally underrated stuff here.
Winner: Buddy Murphy
Rating: ****

Match 8: Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre & Dolph Ziggler vs. The Shield
The Shield come out to a bangin' entrance with each member walking out of different hallway in the crowd before meeting each other closer to the ring. I thought I felt the need to address that. Always fun to watch The Shield in the ring at the same time, they always deliver the goods. Safe to say, this was no different. The story going into this match was if Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins could trust Dean Ambrose or not in their attempt to take down Braun Strowman and his crew. Solid action in the ring throughout but nothing that would really blow you away from what we know they are capable of showing us. Loved the spot with Reigns and Rollins being surrounded and wondering if Ambrose was actually going to come to their aid or not. But the finishing sequence of the match was certainly a lot of fun with Reigns saving Ambrose with a Spear to Strowman through a barricade before Ambrose is able to seal the win for his team with a Dirty Deeds in the ring. Solid match, exactly what it needed to be and it answered all the lingering Dean Ambrose questions concerning his loyalty. The only real problem is what to do with Strowman after this. He was so ready for big things until this unnecessary heel turn. 
Winners: The Shield
Rating: ***3/4

Match 9: The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan
The winner of this match gets to face AJ Styles for his WWE Championship which begs the question... what does The Miz need to do to actually get a damn shot at it already? The dude is more than ready for another WWE Championship run. Either way, this was certainly not a match for The Miz to remember. A really short contest here that lasted a little over two minutes with Miz hitting Daniel Bryan's Running Knee finisher but a quick pin from Bryan gets the better of Miz. Bryan wins and will now challenge Styles for the gold. That was ridiculous, The Miz deserves way better than this. 
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: *

Match 10: No Disqualification - Triple H vs. The Undertaker
This match is billed as "the last time ever." Yeah, we'll see about that. Kane is in the corner of The Undertaker so Triple H made sure his brother in Shawn Michaels was in his corner to go with it. The match itself started off with some promise but unfortunately, it gradually dragged on and on and the last few minutes of the thing was just a complete mess. They took the action to the crowd and back with using steel chairs and even a table for all the special effects. However, much of it was pretty tough to watch considering how old they are and how different they look compared to their previous bouts years back. With the help of a Sweet Chin Music from Michaels, a sledgehammer shot and a Pedigree, Triple H is finally able to defeat The Deadman. Afterwards, the four celebrate in the ring before The Undertaker delivers a Tombstone to Triple H and Chokeslams Michaels through the announcers table to set up a future match down the line. *** for the effort and some of the cool spots throughout the match. Other than that, it went on way longer than it needed to and the energy from the crowd certainly became deflated at times due to the length. Are we over this yet? Seriously, I wasn't big on them wrestling each other at WrestleMania XXVII so the idea of me being stoked for this was a stretch. Either way, that was your main event.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
For the all the flack this show got, I don't really think it was all that bad. It was certainly long and it dragged on for parts with some of the matches going much longer than they needed to be. However, the actual substance of the show wasn't all that bad despite the flow being a bit disrupted from some of the matches just dragging on a bit. Much like Greatest Royal Rumble, this was mainly just another glorified house show. 
Rating: 6.75/10

WWE Super Show-Down 2018 Review (Part 1)

WWE Super Show-Down 2018
October 6, 2018
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The WWE goes down under! A stacked card sees AJ Styles put his WWE Championship on the line against Samoa Joe before Triple H wages war against The Undertaker one last time!

Match 1: WWE SmackDown Tag Team Championship - The New Day (c) vs. The Bar
Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods represent The New Day as they gold the titles on the line against both Sheamus and Cesaro of The Bar. Crowd is hot for this opening match and ate up seeing The New Day come down to the ring as they tossed out pancakes... no pun intended. Solid match here as you get your usual stuff from the two teams with The Bar using their strength to take advantage of the smaller New Day members. However, a Trouble in Paradise from Kingston to Sheamus on the outside let to Kingston and Woods teaming up to take out a lone Cesaro in the ring to score the win. Big win for New Day before Kingston would later receive the push of a lifetime a few months following this.
Winners: The New Day
Rating: ***

Match 2: WWE SmackDown Women's Championship - Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair
This is probably the 100th encounter between the two as the heated feud between two former best friends continues. This was right before Becky Lynch took off as the biggest star in the game and watching her go at it as a heel against the babyface Charlotte Flair seems so strange. Good action for what it was despite the match being fairly short, the two made plenty of use of it and got the message across that their feud was far from over. Lynch works so great as a heel and the turning point of the match saw her walk outside to grab her belt and try to walk away from the fight before Charlotte dragged her back in. Charlotte was able to sink in her Figure Eight submission on Lynch who then disqualifies herself by hitting Charlotte with the championship belt. Afterwards, Becky gives Charlotte an extra beating for her troubles. Fine match that helps sets up a bigger rematch between the two soon after.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (via disqualification)
Rating: **3/4

Match 3: Elias & Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Lashley & John Cena
Let's clear the air, Elias is a star and if you haven't realized that by now, then you're simply a fool. His ability to connect with the audience before the match on the guitar was and always will be a joy to watch. John Cena finally makes an appearance back in the squared circle as his former foe in Bobby Lashley basically gets beaten up the entire match. With Lashley having to really fight the fight on his own, it was a joy to watch Kevin Owens jaw at Cena while Owens and Elias put their focus and energy on Lashley. However, Cena is able to get tagged in and lands his big moves on Elias before debuting his new punch finisher to seal the win. Really, I'm giving this match its *3/4 just for the overall fun of the match despite Cena just finishing it off in the last minute of the match. Apparently, it had something to do with not having him risk injury for a movie he was filming. Afterwards, Cena gets on the mic and gives an emotional promo to the audience about the unknowing direction of his career. Again, not the greatest match ever but certainly fun to watch from the beginning to the end and always interesting to see Cena in this stage of his career.
Winners: Bobby Lashley & John Cena
Rating: *3/4

Match 4: The IIconics vs. Asuka & Naomi
The IIconics come back home to their native country of Australia and have a big test ahead of them in both Asuka and Naomi. But poor Asuka, she went from being the most unstoppable force in the division to almost an afterthought as she dances with Naomi and looking less and less serious as time goes on. Regardless, fun match here that much like the last tag match, felt more like something you would really see on a house show. Regardless, nice to see The IIconics pick up the big win in front of their home fans. They have certainly become a joy to watch.
Winners: The IIconics
Rating: **

Match 5: WWE Championship - No Disqualification - AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe
I can't even tell you how many times I've seen these two wrestle against each other. I also can't tell you enough how much I love watching them go at it. They meet once more here in a no disqualification and no countouts match in front of 70,000 people. Funny how things work. Despite the storyline heading into this match being a bit odd, you can still sense the intensity these two were going to bring from the start as they began the fight in the middle of the walkway headed to the ring from the stage. Solid action from the two as usual with chairs and a table being used since there was no disqualifications. Even with AJ Styles beating Samoa Joe up with a chair and driving him through a table, Joe was relentless in his pursuit of the gold as he was able to put Styles in a Coquina Clutch numerous times throughout the match. Despite Joe fighting back, Styles locks Joe up in a Calf Crusher to seal the win and retain the gold. Probably a bit longer than it needed it to be and at times, I forgot this was even a no disqualification match. Regardless, still an enjoyable title match between the two and always good to see Styles continue his reign as champion.
Winner: AJ Styles
Rating: ***3/4

Free WWE Match Review: Edge vs. The Undertaker (WrestleMania XXIV)

Review taken from WWE WrestleMania XXIV Review

World Heavyweight Championship - Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker
How cool was it to have the SmackDown main event close out the show? The last time that had happened before this? That would be WrestleMania XIX in 2003. Plus, Edge more than earned his spot in the main event and more than earned his spot at WrestleMania against The Undertaker. Oh, and last time The Undertaker closed out a WrestleMania before this? WrestleMania 13 in 1997. Couple more fun facts, this was the only WrestleMania that Edge would close out and also one of Edge's last WrestleManias as he would retire only three years later. Who would have thought that Edge's career was on its last legs at this moment? I got chills watching Edge come down to the ring as The Undertaker looked on. The years of hard work had finally rewarded him with the ultimate spot in the business. And what a match it was. I love how Edge did not look afraid of neither The Undertaker nor the spotlight, he stood in there and hung with the best. Loved the false finishes and loved seeing The Deadman Chokeslam the Edgeheads on top of each other. Edge hit a Spear on Undertaker that wasn't enough to finish him off, he tried hitting another one but got caught up in The Phenom's Hell's Gate finisher. Edge taps! Awesome match and an awesome finish! The Undertaker continues to reinvent himself as he more than establishes his new submission finisher to close out the night. The sight of The Undertaker hoisting the World Heavyweight Championship as the pyro sets off was the perfect ending to the night.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: ****1/2

WWE NXT TakeOver: The End Review

WWE NXT TakeOver: The End
June 8, 2016
Winter Park, Florida

Every beginning has an end... The NXT Championship is up for grabs when Finn Balor and Samoa Joe meet inside a Steel Cage!

Match 1: Tye Dillinger vs. Andrade Almas
Poor Tye Dillinger, you just know that he's already taking the L for this one before the match even started as the commentators just could not wait to hype up Andrade Almas. This match was really just a way to display the array of offense that Almas has and quite honestly, it worked. The crowd was eating up his moves and enjoyed watching Dillinger do everything in his power to derail this hype train. However, Almas is able to defeat Dillinger after running his knees straight into the face of Dillinger in the corner. Solid and pretty quick opening match that does a great job of starting off the night while nicely getting Almas over with the audience.  
Winner: Andrade Almas
Rating: **3/4

Match 2: NXT Tag Team Championship - American Alpha (c) vs. The Revival
This is the big rematch from their awesome match the two teams had back at the TakeOver event in Dallas during WrestleMania weekend. This match was just as solid as their first bout with everybody getting involved within the contest and more than doing their parts. The Revival really don't get enough credit for the way they work as dastardly heels. They're old-school and while they don't have the fanciest set of moves, they make up for it with their smart and rugged approach in the ring. Their style in the ring meshed well against American Alpha here and this made for a roller coaster of a match with nearfalls and awesome tag team wrestling to boot. Sweet finishing sequence where American Alpha looked to hit their Grand Amplitude finisher to score the win until The Revival were able to make it into a Shatter Machine to steal the win and their second NXT Tag Team Championship! Fun match in only the second match of the night and a rematch that certainly holds well against their first battle. After the match, The Authors of Pain come out to destroy both Chad Gable and Jason Jordan. Perfect booking to not only set up a future match between the teams but to also get the new guys in The Authors of Pain over as badass heels.
Winners: The Revival
Rating: ****

Match 3: Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Certainly the dream match of sorts here as two icons from the independent circuit go at it on the WWE stage. From the moment the bell rung, my eyes were glued to the screen for this one. These two are veterans of the game and really know how to build up the match from the very start. Loved the more methodical pace in the beginning with emphasis on grappling before the two took things up a notch soon after. The exchanges these two had looked like they were legitimately trying to take each other's heads off and the crowd was definitely eating it up. Austin Aries looked to have the match sealed but one missed dive to the outside cost him everything. Shinsuke Nakamura took advantage of the mishap and went to town. Kinshasha to the face of Aries spilled the end for him as Nakamura walks away the victory in an awesome match. All you have to do is look at the two names on the card and you know what you're going to get. This was certainly the case as both men were on the top of their game for this one. Fun stuff.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Rating: ****1/4

Match 4: NXT Women's Championship - Asuka (c) vs. Nia Jax
This is Asuka's biggest test since winning the championship from Bayley a couple months prior to this as Nia Jax bullied her way to an opportunity for the gold. While Asuka certainly is a beast in her own right, she hasn't faced anyone with the size and strength like a Nia Jax. The two did a great job in telling that story throughout the match with Asuka giving everything she had but almost always falling short to the sheer power of Jax. It made for a very compelling watch as Jax was having her way with Asuka for the better part of the match. However, Asuka finally found an opening and demolished Jax with some brutal kicks to seal the win and retain the gold. Loved the finish and loved seeing Jax scream at Asuka before taking a brutal kick to the head. Even in 2016, Asuka was already a star at this point. 
Winner: Asuka
Rating: ***3/4

Match 5: NXT Championship - Steel Cage Match - Samoa Joe (c) vs. Finn Balor
Another rematch from the NXT TakeOver event in Dallas as the guys who main evented the show do so again inside a steel cage. First off... Finn Balor has the coolest entrances in the game. From the chainsaw at the Dallas TakeOver event to the dope cage-themed entrance here. Kudos for the creativity and getting me that much more psyched for the match. Evenly balanced contest throughout the match and never once did I have to question the two guys why they weren't able to exit the cage so easily since the opponent never made it easy. Loved watching the two beat the crap out of each other as they nicely utilized the steel cage to play a huge role in the match and the beatings they were dishing out against each other. Balor looked to escape the cage until Samoa Joe grabbed him from the middle rope and dropped him with a Muscle Buster off the rope to pick up the big win. Another great match for the night with another awesome finish to go with it. Steel Cage Matches can become so repetitive but these two did a great job of ensuring this wasn't one of your more ordinary ones. Two masters at their craft, what's not to like about it? 
Winner: Samoa Joe
Rating: ****

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
As usual, this was another fantastic NXT TakeOver outing. Every match delivered with the shining star going to the Austin Aries vs. Shinsuke Nakamura match. I have nothing else to say. If you don't watch NXT, then you're just flat out missing out on a ton of good stuff. 
Rating: 9/10