Match 1: El Generico vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Jacobs comes out to kick off the show to address the crowd for his actions the previous night until El Generico comes out and goes after Jacobs as the bell rings! Night 2 is officially under way! For an impromptu contest, this was fun to watch and was short to the point. Jacobs tries to use the spike against Generico but is unable to connect and finally rolls up Generico for the win. Just a big surprise and quick win for Jacobs as Generico is again getting lost in this roster. Nice match to open up the show.
Winner: Jimmy Jacobs
Rating: **¼
Match 2: Cedric Alexander vs. Tommaso Ciampa
This was just a quick match to further Ciampa as an animal as he took care of Alexander in just a few minutes after Ciampa drives his knee into Alexander. I’ve said it many times and I’ll say it again, Ciampa is ready for a bigger role in the company. Coleman puts his hands on Prince Nana which leads him to getting destroyed by Ciampa afterwards.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Rating: *¼
Match 3: TJ Perkins vs. Fire Ant
Haven’t seen much Chikara so this is one of my first few times seeing Fire Ant and these two managed to put on a great little contest. The technical wrestling was there and the big moves were there to boot. Crowd wasn’t too much into the action but they did show their respect and attention still. With that being said, a pretty damn good match which suffered from time constraints. TJ picked up the win for ROH after the 450. The feud of ROH vs. Chikara continues.
Winner: TJ Perkins
Rating: **¾
Match 4: Adam Cole vs. Kyle O’Reilly
They showed a video clip of O’Reilly talking trash to Cole before the match and it was bad. It almost feels as if his character is so forced. Fortunately, the story is different with him in the ring. O’Reilly seems like a good fit as a heel but I strongly feel that Cole should have been the one to turn heel. For the amount of time given, they did a good job of using their strengths to fit the match. However, the action just seemed so slow for the talent given in the ring and the fun just wasn’t there for part of the match. Both the crowd and the commentators just didn’t even show that much interest. O’Reilly gets the quick win by pulling of the tights. Interesting to see where they go from here.
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly
Rating: **½
Match 5: Street Fight - The Young Bucks vs. The All Night Express
This is the second part of the Dual Duel matches for the two teams of the weekend. These two are a couple of my favorite tag teams in the business so a match with no rules or disqualifications should be a ton of fun. The intensity the two teams always bring is here and present with the crowd supporting all the action. The match didn’t go to extreme levels but went to the point where you could simply feel the feud in front of your eyes. A fun match for the weekend and definitely not the end of this feud. Bucks pick up the win after a big table spot and they leave Ft. Lauderdale with the big advantage.
Winners: The Young Bucks
Rating: ***¼
Match 6: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
This is a match that I just simply was not looking forward to and therefore, I had trouble investing in. It’s almost as if we have seen this match tons of times before and the action is pretty much the same that we’ve seen before. The wrestling was fine, the crowd was pretty hot, and WGTT were great in their roles as heels. But the problem arises when you feel like you’re watching a repeat of a match you’ve seen before. It also doesn’t help that this match followed the street fight and this match doesn’t seem as important. Briscoes retain after a quick pin. WGTT attack The Briscoes after the match as the feud continues.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: ***
Match 7: Eddie Edwards vs. Kevin Steen
Steen hasn’t lost a match since rejoining the company as he faces Eddie Edwards on the second show of the weekend. Crowd is somewhat split for both men and the action began quickly and stayed in the same gear throughout. I know I will get much hate for this but I feel like many of Steen’s matches are smoke and mirrors. He relies too much on flashy moves to make his matches interesting from a wrestling standpoint and this was a great example. I’m not saying this is a downfall for Steen but it becomes repetitive. However, that is not to say that these two pulled out a fun match that got the crowd set up for the final two matches. Steen is quickly moving up the ranks and a win here further proves it. Edwards is going downhill pretty fast and I really hope that ROH puts him in a better position soon.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: **¾
Match 8: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Roderick Strong
Before the match, Tommaso Ciampa comes out and after a few words with Lethal, Lethal accepts Ciampa’s challenge to put the belt on the line. In the ring, Lethal doesn’t really do wonders for me and I don’t think this match isn’t going to change anything on that. His matches are just so similar to each other to me and this one was just like any other I have seen from him. The technical wrestling was there and fun to watch but the pacing was just too slow for my liking. It felt like they were waiting for the time limit to near its end so Ciampa could get involved. Ciampa softly threw Lethal into a steel post where Strong finished Lethal off to win the second ROH Triple Crown. Decent match that lacked energy throughout. Strong should be an interesting champion and the feud between Lethal and Ciampa continues.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: **¾
Match 9: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Michael Elgin
This is the match that has managed to garner critical acclaim and rightfully so. From start to finish, this was one hell of a match. Whether it be the intensity, the kicking out, the kicks, the moves, or anything, everything felt important and all served its own purpose. If I’m correct, this is Elgin’s first shot at the championship and he definitely managed to impress. He is quickly becoming a huge star and this furthers my point. This is the last match for the ROH weekend and the crowd managed to keep their emotions heavily invested. This match just felt a little different from Davey’s other matches because he used storytelling and psychology instead of focusing of landing kick after kick. I’m not saying Richards was the prime reason for the excellence of the match but he definitely upped his game here and made sure to close out the weekend on a heavy note. Every big move and submission in this contest felt like it mattered. In typical matches for these guys and even the whole company, the moves of some wrestlers can be strongly diminished. In this case, Elgin slamming Richards into the barricade felt like it changed the match. Richards’ submission moves on Elgin had a significant impact and was also the prime reason to which Richards was able to land one final kick for the win. Go out of your way to see this match. A very inspiring wrestling match in a weekend full of overshadowing smoke and mirrors. I don’t have the words to describe the finishing sequence of this match. Just a beautiful performance by both. Definitely one in my top matches in Ring of Honor.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: *****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
A weaker show than last night and also didn’t really do much to differentiate from it. However, the main event was incredible. Simply put, one of the best matches in recent memory. Seeing Elgin spit in the face of Davey Richards was so damn cool. Seeing Richards land one last blow to Elgin’s head was so damn cool. The whole match was just so damn cool and something fresh in a pretty stale show.
Rating: 7/10
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
ROH Showdown in the Sun - Day #1 Review
Match 1: Proving Ground - The Briscoes vs. Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste
We kick off the big weekend with The Briscoes! They face a team of Australians who earned their spot a couple months back at Rise + Prove. They come off as a very generic tag team but they were definitely able to impress with their huge array of moves. The crowd was impressed but they were basically a glorified punching bag for The Briscoes. Some cool spots here and there when ultimately, The Briscoes put a cap on them.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: **½
Match 2: Adam Pearce vs. Adam Cole
Jim Cornette is out to interview Adam Pearce for whatever reason. NWA had a show last night where Pearce retained his championship against Adam Cole. Cole then interrupts Pearce and we now have an impromptu contest. Good action from the two with Cole getting a cool win after Pearce was going for a piledriver until the referee stopped it. Good win for Cole for the weekend.
Winner: Adam Cole
Rating: *¾
Match 3: Tornado - The Young Bucks vs. The All Night Express
This is their first of two matches for the weekend with tomorrow’s being a Street Fight. It seemed as if they wanted to save their energy and creativity for tomorrow. While this match did excite at some levels and some moments, it just fell short and came off as very underwhelming. The All Night Express get the first win after a very abrupt finish. Afterwards, The Bucks take out Rhett Titus and his injured knee. Decent affair that never got out of that first gear and suffered from the lack of time.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***
Match 4: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Kyle O’Reilly
I’ve been a bit critical of both these guys in the past for the fact that I feel that most of their matches come off as being recycled. However, this was a great opportunity for them to prove me wrong. Good match with excellent pacing but the attention was more drawn over to Ciampa who was standing out ringside. Another good match that suffered from lack of time as Lethal gets the clean win over the heel O’Reilly. Definitely expected more from the two but considering the position they were in, it was understandable. They most likely will have a better rematch down the line.
Winner: Jay Lethal
Rating: ***
Match 5: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Caprice Coleman & Cedric Alexander
One of my first few times watching Coleman & Alexander as they face up against Haas & Benjamin. Not much to say about this match, decent action that never really got out of the first gear. Both Haas & Benjamin are very entertaining in their heel roles and the crowd really reacted well to them. Good match, just take it for what it’s worth. A match to get these guys on the card and show off the heel WGGT on iPPV.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: **¼
Match 6: Mike Bennett vs. Lance Storm
For those who don’t know, Lance Storm is a legend of the business who never really had any much charisma to break through that glass ceiling. Bennett isn’t necessarily the most technically sound wrestler but hopefully, he can pull out some unexpected stuff against Storm. Wrestling was heavy here and while Storm did show some rust in the ring, he still looked really good and very much in shape. Bennett was no slouch, he hung in there with Storm and both men really made the match lots of fun. Bennett picks up the strong win and drops him one more time after the match. Bennett is becoming a strong heel and big things should definitely be in his horizon.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: ***¼
Match 7: Last Man Standing - El Generico vs. Kevin Steen
This is another match in their feud that will seemingly never end. Even still, it is a much anticipated match for the weekend and you can assure that they will put up one hell of a fight. However, knowing the severity of these types of matches, my interest is not as high as it was back in 2010. The action was not over the top but there were still times in which I had no choice but to cringe. They made every move count and you could simply feel the hatred and animosity between the two. It’s certainly a task that wrestlers have a hard time capturing these days. Jimmy Jacobs comes in at the end of the contest and decks El Generico in the face with a steel chair to help Steen secure the victory. The feud between Jim Cornette and Kevin Steen turns up a notch as Steen takes out his nemesis in El Generico. I’m glad that the action did not cross the line and remained within the borders of safe, albeit the table and chair spots. Steen is hot right now and his road to facing Davey Richards is becoming more clear and more exciting. Great match for the weekend a great way to further the storyline.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ****
Match 8: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Roderick Strong
While the intensity of the rivalries has seemingly been cooled down between all three guys, this match is easily one of the most anticipated ones of the weekend. It reminds me of Cena vs. Triple H vs. Orton a few years back in 2008. The company’s top dogs going after the top prize. The big fight feel is present as the three guys go at it with elimination rules. Fantastic wrestling from the first half and especially from Richards. Richards is wrestling this match at a different rate from usual and adjusting to the added opponent nicely. That does not mean that Strong or Edwards or slouching, they both brought their top notch game and we had a match going as if we were on a swing. A very balanced out amount of exchanges from all competitors with Truth Martini & Michael Elgin causing a distraction which allowed Strong to roll up Edwards for the first elimination. Afterwards, Richards took out Strong after a huge kick to Martini to retain the title. Elgin then rushes the ring and destroys Richards as he challenges Richards the next day. As I stated earlier, very reminiscent to the WrestleMania XXIV triple threat and in a sense, ROH’s Big Bang main event back in 2010. The wrestling, the action, the crowd, the drama was all fantastic and the match didn’t overstay its welcome. A fine main event to close out the first show of the weekend.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: ****¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
ROH normally pulls out some great shows during these big weekends and this show is no exception. Fine wrestling from start to finish with a fantastic main event that sets up tomorrow’s main event with Richards vs. Elgin. While not as strong as last year, the show to kick off the weekend was a fun watch!
Rating: 8/10
Sunday, April 14, 2013
WWE WrestleMania XXVIII Review
Match 1: World Heavyweight Championship - Daniel Bryan © vs. Sheamus
The opening match for the big show is once again for the World Heavyweight Championship. Sheamus kicks Bryan and gets the win in 18 seconds. This was a glorified squash match and it was just ridiculous. Was definitely hoping for a really good match between two really good wrestlers. However, I can’t say I’m surprised. Here’s hoping for a better future after this for Bryan.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: n/a
Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Kane
Before I get into this match, it should be noted that Kane gets the victory! It was really cool to see WWE’s most underrated guy get a win over Orton on the biggest stage. Anyway, this was a pretty good match at best and Orton put up a very serious effort against the bigger and stronger Kane. Kane reminds me of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, he isn’t the most entertaining guy to watch but he gets the job done efficiently and is the veteran that doesn’t get the attention he so rightfully deserves. Good back and fourth contest to come off the opening match with an awesome finish!
Winner: Kane
Rating: **¾
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - Cody Rhodes © vs. The Big Show
Pretty cool story going into this match about Cody teasing Show for never having a big moment at WrestleMania. Couldn’t help but feel throughout the course of this match that this was a complete filler and maybe having the Money in the Bank match would have helped miles more. Alas, the match was decent for what it was with Show pulling out the big win to capture gold and capture a cool moment. Pretty interesting to see Kane & Show go over in consecutive matches over two former Legacy members.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix & Eve
This match will always be remembered for the stain that was on Menounos’ pants because this match was a dud. Your typical Divas match that just brought nothing to the table which is a shame considering they had a few good past matches.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
Rating: ¼*
Match 5: Hell in a Cell - The Undertaker vs. Triple H
The epilogue after the series of matches between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels continues here as Triple H gets another opportunity at conquering The Undertaker and The Streak. With Shawn Michaels as the guest referee and the contest being battled inside Hell in a Cell, this is easily one of the most anticipated matches of all time. Just the matches between Michaels and Undertaker, I don’t know where to begin with this one. Just a definite masterpiece in its own right. The ambiance, the production, the lowering of the cage, everything was done masterfully and the match already had its pace set before the bell even rang. Good action from the first few minutes before Hunter seemingly had his grasp on the match. He began to take The Undertaker out with a series of nasty chair shots to the dismay of Shawn who tried to stop the match to Undertaker’s refusal. Hunter calls back to WrestleMania XXVI by telling Undertaker to stay down. Shawn tries to get himself involved until Undertaker takes him out before being saved by Triple H. Good psychology and smart wrestling from the first half until the second half takes off with The Undertaker getting back into the thick of things and gives Triple H chair shots. Plenty of great spacing, kicking out, and spots from the match so far with Michaels dropping Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music in revenge. However, Triple H can’t capitalize and that even after bringing out the sledgehammer, The Undertaker and his streak is safe. After a grueling battle, Triple H tries to hit The Undertaker with one last shot through the sledgehammer to which The Undertaker catches the shot and caps off the match with a Tombstone. Everything worked, this match had so much hype that I didn’t think it would live up to it. However, I was wrong. Amazing action, Shawn was great in his role, and the whole match consisted of smart wrestling psychology. One for the ages. A definite end of an era.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *****
Match 6: Booker T, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, & Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
It’s Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy with the winner taking over both brands. This match feels like a complete filler but a much needed one at that to both give all these guys a spot on the card and to also ease the mood after the crazy match before this. Basic big tag team match with everyone getting their share of action and a few cool moves here and there. Ultimately, The Miz finishes off Zack Ryder and Team Teddy after Eve distracted Ryder. Eve then gave a low blow to Ryder afterwards.
Winners: Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
Rating: **½
Match 7: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. Chris Jericho
The WWE Championship has only changed hands twice on this grand stage since 2004. Before the match, John Laurinaitis declares that Punk will drop the title to Jericho if he gets disqualified. This has been a sensational and personal feud surrounding Jericho mocking Punk for his dysfunctional family and their addictions. With this, Jericho tries to get himself disqualified early on until realizing Punk won’t fall for his tricks. Jericho takes control of the match early on until the momentum quickly turns into a swing. Fantastic fundamental wrestling from the two, a breath of fresh air from what we’ve been watching tonight. However, considering that the feud is a very personal one, I was hoping that they would amp up the action just a bit. Even still, the reversals and submissions were just a joy to watch as Punk manages to make Jericho to submit using the Anaconda Vice. A cool showing from both men who manage to change the pace of the show with something different. The crowd may have not been reacting greatly to it, but they definitely showed their respect and attention to it.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 8: John Cena vs. The Rock
It is not time for the main event, the second WrestleMania main event without a world title on the line in the past three years. A match that is being billed as once in a lifetime, John Cena vs. The Rock. It’s a clash of two different generations as both men come out to special entrances under the night sky of Miami, Florida. This is one of the rare cases in pro wrestling where the hype was more than the match itself. The action in the ring wasn’t anything particularly special in the first half. They played things smart and used the crowd as a way to build anticipation and suspense for the latter half. It seemed as if they were trying to recreate The Rock’s showdown with Hulk Hogan. Although The Rock looked to be drained after the first half of the match, his will help kept him moving forward and the crowd was hot in turn. Great exchanges and close calls with both men hitting their main finishers. Sometimes, wrestlers milk this opportunity and make every pin come off as predictable and less exciting than the last. However, the spacing from both men was tremendous and while both men did not go for submission victories or pins constantly, it helped make each one special. In their case, less was more. After The Rock kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment by Cena, Cena tried capping off the match by mockingly doing a People’s Elbow on The Rock. Rock then hit a Rock Bottom to pick up the victory in front of his hometown. Great main event and a memorable contest to finish a memorable show. Rock winning only allows for a future rematch. Some may see this as an odd choice, but it makes sense in a financial standpoint. WWE took a look at the bigger picture and helped shape the future.
Winner: The Rock
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Very reminiscent show to that of WrestleMania 24 with the atmosphere and matches themselves resembling each other. With that said, the show was very good and definitely lived up to the WrestleMania lineage. Things started off pretty slow until the three main matches came in to save the day and make this show something to remember. From a ratings standpoint, the show didn’t set the world on fire. However, the show managed to capture memorable moments for different reasons.
Rating: 7.75/10
The opening match for the big show is once again for the World Heavyweight Championship. Sheamus kicks Bryan and gets the win in 18 seconds. This was a glorified squash match and it was just ridiculous. Was definitely hoping for a really good match between two really good wrestlers. However, I can’t say I’m surprised. Here’s hoping for a better future after this for Bryan.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: n/a
Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Kane
Before I get into this match, it should be noted that Kane gets the victory! It was really cool to see WWE’s most underrated guy get a win over Orton on the biggest stage. Anyway, this was a pretty good match at best and Orton put up a very serious effort against the bigger and stronger Kane. Kane reminds me of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, he isn’t the most entertaining guy to watch but he gets the job done efficiently and is the veteran that doesn’t get the attention he so rightfully deserves. Good back and fourth contest to come off the opening match with an awesome finish!
Winner: Kane
Rating: **¾
Match 3: Intercontinental Championship - Cody Rhodes © vs. The Big Show
Pretty cool story going into this match about Cody teasing Show for never having a big moment at WrestleMania. Couldn’t help but feel throughout the course of this match that this was a complete filler and maybe having the Money in the Bank match would have helped miles more. Alas, the match was decent for what it was with Show pulling out the big win to capture gold and capture a cool moment. Pretty interesting to see Kane & Show go over in consecutive matches over two former Legacy members.
Winner: The Big Show
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix & Eve
This match will always be remembered for the stain that was on Menounos’ pants because this match was a dud. Your typical Divas match that just brought nothing to the table which is a shame considering they had a few good past matches.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
Rating: ¼*
Match 5: Hell in a Cell - The Undertaker vs. Triple H
The epilogue after the series of matches between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels continues here as Triple H gets another opportunity at conquering The Undertaker and The Streak. With Shawn Michaels as the guest referee and the contest being battled inside Hell in a Cell, this is easily one of the most anticipated matches of all time. Just the matches between Michaels and Undertaker, I don’t know where to begin with this one. Just a definite masterpiece in its own right. The ambiance, the production, the lowering of the cage, everything was done masterfully and the match already had its pace set before the bell even rang. Good action from the first few minutes before Hunter seemingly had his grasp on the match. He began to take The Undertaker out with a series of nasty chair shots to the dismay of Shawn who tried to stop the match to Undertaker’s refusal. Hunter calls back to WrestleMania XXVI by telling Undertaker to stay down. Shawn tries to get himself involved until Undertaker takes him out before being saved by Triple H. Good psychology and smart wrestling from the first half until the second half takes off with The Undertaker getting back into the thick of things and gives Triple H chair shots. Plenty of great spacing, kicking out, and spots from the match so far with Michaels dropping Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music in revenge. However, Triple H can’t capitalize and that even after bringing out the sledgehammer, The Undertaker and his streak is safe. After a grueling battle, Triple H tries to hit The Undertaker with one last shot through the sledgehammer to which The Undertaker catches the shot and caps off the match with a Tombstone. Everything worked, this match had so much hype that I didn’t think it would live up to it. However, I was wrong. Amazing action, Shawn was great in his role, and the whole match consisted of smart wrestling psychology. One for the ages. A definite end of an era.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: *****
Match 6: Booker T, The Great Khali, R-Truth, Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, & Zack Ryder vs. Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
It’s Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy with the winner taking over both brands. This match feels like a complete filler but a much needed one at that to both give all these guys a spot on the card and to also ease the mood after the crazy match before this. Basic big tag team match with everyone getting their share of action and a few cool moves here and there. Ultimately, The Miz finishes off Zack Ryder and Team Teddy after Eve distracted Ryder. Eve then gave a low blow to Ryder afterwards.
Winners: Jack Swagger, Drew McIntyre, David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, & The Miz
Rating: **½
Match 7: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. Chris Jericho
The WWE Championship has only changed hands twice on this grand stage since 2004. Before the match, John Laurinaitis declares that Punk will drop the title to Jericho if he gets disqualified. This has been a sensational and personal feud surrounding Jericho mocking Punk for his dysfunctional family and their addictions. With this, Jericho tries to get himself disqualified early on until realizing Punk won’t fall for his tricks. Jericho takes control of the match early on until the momentum quickly turns into a swing. Fantastic fundamental wrestling from the two, a breath of fresh air from what we’ve been watching tonight. However, considering that the feud is a very personal one, I was hoping that they would amp up the action just a bit. Even still, the reversals and submissions were just a joy to watch as Punk manages to make Jericho to submit using the Anaconda Vice. A cool showing from both men who manage to change the pace of the show with something different. The crowd may have not been reacting greatly to it, but they definitely showed their respect and attention to it.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 8: John Cena vs. The Rock
It is not time for the main event, the second WrestleMania main event without a world title on the line in the past three years. A match that is being billed as once in a lifetime, John Cena vs. The Rock. It’s a clash of two different generations as both men come out to special entrances under the night sky of Miami, Florida. This is one of the rare cases in pro wrestling where the hype was more than the match itself. The action in the ring wasn’t anything particularly special in the first half. They played things smart and used the crowd as a way to build anticipation and suspense for the latter half. It seemed as if they were trying to recreate The Rock’s showdown with Hulk Hogan. Although The Rock looked to be drained after the first half of the match, his will help kept him moving forward and the crowd was hot in turn. Great exchanges and close calls with both men hitting their main finishers. Sometimes, wrestlers milk this opportunity and make every pin come off as predictable and less exciting than the last. However, the spacing from both men was tremendous and while both men did not go for submission victories or pins constantly, it helped make each one special. In their case, less was more. After The Rock kicked out of an Attitude Adjustment by Cena, Cena tried capping off the match by mockingly doing a People’s Elbow on The Rock. Rock then hit a Rock Bottom to pick up the victory in front of his hometown. Great main event and a memorable contest to finish a memorable show. Rock winning only allows for a future rematch. Some may see this as an odd choice, but it makes sense in a financial standpoint. WWE took a look at the bigger picture and helped shape the future.
Winner: The Rock
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Very reminiscent show to that of WrestleMania 24 with the atmosphere and matches themselves resembling each other. With that said, the show was very good and definitely lived up to the WrestleMania lineage. Things started off pretty slow until the three main matches came in to save the day and make this show something to remember. From a ratings standpoint, the show didn’t set the world on fire. However, the show managed to capture memorable moments for different reasons.
Rating: 7.75/10
Friday, March 22, 2013
ROH 10th Anniversary: Young Wolves Rising Review
Match 1: The All Night Express vs. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Before I get into this, it should be noted that the overall visual quality has improved dramatically and it looks fantastic. Good too see The All Night Express back and the crowd is really loving this one. Great action to start off the show with just a little bit of ring rust shown by Rhett Titus who had his leg being targeted. Good psychology, fun action, and just a fitting match to open up the night as The All Night Express pick up a win in their big return.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Homicide
Mike Bennett is like a WWE wrestler wrestling in an ROH ring, his style is methodical and isn’t really flashy. With that being said, going against someone like Homicide isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire. The action definitely slowed down from the past match and it was just hard to get into the action. Homicide is just all over the place these days and his sluggish wrestling abilities didn’t tie well with Bennett. Maria causes a distraction which leads to Bennett rolling up Homicide for the win.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: *¾
Match 3: The House of Truth vs. TJ Perkins & Amazing Red
The heat between The House is starting to shape up and it’s becoming more intriguing each time. This is a battle between two teams of strength against speed. They managed to work their styles together nicely and the action was nonstop and relentless from the beginning. The announcers did a great job of putting over the two teams as the match never really had a clear winner. However, The House get a big win and hopefully for them, things have become a bit more stable.
Winners: The House of Truth
Rating: ***
Match 4: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Tommaso Ciampa
ROH has done a nice job of building up both these guys and the match as a whole. They’re finally making the title feel important and having these two go at it is a great representation of it. The announcers quickly note that there is a 15 minute time limit to the match which basically spoils where this match is headed. Slow and decent action to start things off until the final few minutes where both men finally turn it up a notch and end on a strong note as the bell tolls for an expiration on the time. Good match, nothing out of the ordinary. Things definitely dragged from the start and when they finally got going, it all just seemed too late. However, this was a nice way to build up for bigger things in the future.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **¾
Match 5: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. The Young Bucks
It’s almost as if we’ve seen every combination of that tag teams in Ring of Honor. And it’s almost as if we’ve seen this match tons of times. A good tag match to say the least, standard action we’ve become accustomed to seeing from these guys. Even still, the action was fast and furious and it was fitting for The Briscoes to pick up the big win. They both give hugs to Cary Silkin afterwards. Just completely underwhelming and with the stage that this is, I was really hoping for a much better battle. The crowd, the announcers, and even the wrestlers for that matter didn’t manage to give this match the credibility it needed.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: **¾
Match 6: No Disqualification - Kevin Steen vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Kevin Steen is quickly increasing himself in the ranks in Ring of Honor and he looks to take care of Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino pleading him to stop. Jacobs sets the mood early on by revealing that he will be fighting Steen in his Age of the Fall outfit, a nice touch. As expected, this was a nasty brawl but thankfully, the violence was taken down a notch from Steen’s last matches against the likes of Generico and Corino. However, blood still played a crucial factor in the match when Jacobs stabbed Steen in the latter stages of the match. This prompts Steen to smile and retaliate with a spike of his own to Jacobs and finally, tossing him onto two chairs for the finish. I really hope they end these types of matches. As much as I enjoy them, I just can’t watch them anymore knowing the risks they are going through. The blood was cool but I don’t think it was justified, a good match and a good way to further the storyline.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***¼
Match 7: Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
There has been much controversy over this particular match and it closing out the show. However, I think it’s a perfect fit as we get to see a mix of two veterans and two young guys on the rise. This match was exactly what you could simply imagine it to be, four guys going at it full speed with tons of kicks, chops, and cool submissions. Oh, and a bunch a kicking out. Did I mention there was a ton of kicking out? Because this match was nearly more than half an hour long and while the action was fun, it just seemed unnecessarily long. The crowd didn’t really seem too interested in this match closing out the show and particularly gave heat to Davey Richards. The exchanges between Richards and Edwards was very entertaining and only increased the heat between them that had been seemingly lost. With that being said, the biggest highlight of the match was definitely Adam Cole pinning the champ! After all the kicking out and all the big spots, Adam Cole getting an upset pin on Richards was a cool sight. The crowd was definitely surprised and it was definitely a fitting way to end the match. While I enjoyed the match, the action got repetitive and the match just got hurt through its long duration.
Winners: Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another good effort from Ring of Honor on iPPV. Still, not a strong show that the company needs badly. The flow to the show worked and the main gripes simply come from the variety and strength of the matches. In some ways, it felt as if I was watching the same thing over again and it becomes a huge reason for me to switch over to another wrestling promotion. While the main event was a great way to celebrate the company’s anniversary, it definitely overstayed its welcome and in some sense, diminished the quality of the match itself. With all this being said, I am very happy that the company has lasted this long and I am hopeful to see it around for another ten years.
Rating: 6.5/10
Before I get into this, it should be noted that the overall visual quality has improved dramatically and it looks fantastic. Good too see The All Night Express back and the crowd is really loving this one. Great action to start off the show with just a little bit of ring rust shown by Rhett Titus who had his leg being targeted. Good psychology, fun action, and just a fitting match to open up the night as The All Night Express pick up a win in their big return.
Winners: The All Night Express
Rating: ***
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Homicide
Mike Bennett is like a WWE wrestler wrestling in an ROH ring, his style is methodical and isn’t really flashy. With that being said, going against someone like Homicide isn’t exactly going to set the world on fire. The action definitely slowed down from the past match and it was just hard to get into the action. Homicide is just all over the place these days and his sluggish wrestling abilities didn’t tie well with Bennett. Maria causes a distraction which leads to Bennett rolling up Homicide for the win.
Winner: Mike Bennett
Rating: *¾
Match 3: The House of Truth vs. TJ Perkins & Amazing Red
The heat between The House is starting to shape up and it’s becoming more intriguing each time. This is a battle between two teams of strength against speed. They managed to work their styles together nicely and the action was nonstop and relentless from the beginning. The announcers did a great job of putting over the two teams as the match never really had a clear winner. However, The House get a big win and hopefully for them, things have become a bit more stable.
Winners: The House of Truth
Rating: ***
Match 4: ROH World Television Championship - Jay Lethal © vs. Tommaso Ciampa
ROH has done a nice job of building up both these guys and the match as a whole. They’re finally making the title feel important and having these two go at it is a great representation of it. The announcers quickly note that there is a 15 minute time limit to the match which basically spoils where this match is headed. Slow and decent action to start things off until the final few minutes where both men finally turn it up a notch and end on a strong note as the bell tolls for an expiration on the time. Good match, nothing out of the ordinary. Things definitely dragged from the start and when they finally got going, it all just seemed too late. However, this was a nice way to build up for bigger things in the future.
Winner: n/a
Rating: **¾
Match 5: ROH World Tag Team Championships - The Briscoes © vs. The Young Bucks
It’s almost as if we’ve seen every combination of that tag teams in Ring of Honor. And it’s almost as if we’ve seen this match tons of times. A good tag match to say the least, standard action we’ve become accustomed to seeing from these guys. Even still, the action was fast and furious and it was fitting for The Briscoes to pick up the big win. They both give hugs to Cary Silkin afterwards. Just completely underwhelming and with the stage that this is, I was really hoping for a much better battle. The crowd, the announcers, and even the wrestlers for that matter didn’t manage to give this match the credibility it needed.
Winners: The Briscoes
Rating: **¾
Match 6: No Disqualification - Kevin Steen vs. Jimmy Jacobs
Kevin Steen is quickly increasing himself in the ranks in Ring of Honor and he looks to take care of Jimmy Jacobs with Steve Corino pleading him to stop. Jacobs sets the mood early on by revealing that he will be fighting Steen in his Age of the Fall outfit, a nice touch. As expected, this was a nasty brawl but thankfully, the violence was taken down a notch from Steen’s last matches against the likes of Generico and Corino. However, blood still played a crucial factor in the match when Jacobs stabbed Steen in the latter stages of the match. This prompts Steen to smile and retaliate with a spike of his own to Jacobs and finally, tossing him onto two chairs for the finish. I really hope they end these types of matches. As much as I enjoy them, I just can’t watch them anymore knowing the risks they are going through. The blood was cool but I don’t think it was justified, a good match and a good way to further the storyline.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***¼
Match 7: Davey Richards & Kyle O’Reilly vs. Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
There has been much controversy over this particular match and it closing out the show. However, I think it’s a perfect fit as we get to see a mix of two veterans and two young guys on the rise. This match was exactly what you could simply imagine it to be, four guys going at it full speed with tons of kicks, chops, and cool submissions. Oh, and a bunch a kicking out. Did I mention there was a ton of kicking out? Because this match was nearly more than half an hour long and while the action was fun, it just seemed unnecessarily long. The crowd didn’t really seem too interested in this match closing out the show and particularly gave heat to Davey Richards. The exchanges between Richards and Edwards was very entertaining and only increased the heat between them that had been seemingly lost. With that being said, the biggest highlight of the match was definitely Adam Cole pinning the champ! After all the kicking out and all the big spots, Adam Cole getting an upset pin on Richards was a cool sight. The crowd was definitely surprised and it was definitely a fitting way to end the match. While I enjoyed the match, the action got repetitive and the match just got hurt through its long duration.
Winners: Eddie Edwards & Adam Cole
Rating: ****
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Another good effort from Ring of Honor on iPPV. Still, not a strong show that the company needs badly. The flow to the show worked and the main gripes simply come from the variety and strength of the matches. In some ways, it felt as if I was watching the same thing over again and it becomes a huge reason for me to switch over to another wrestling promotion. While the main event was a great way to celebrate the company’s anniversary, it definitely overstayed its welcome and in some sense, diminished the quality of the match itself. With all this being said, I am very happy that the company has lasted this long and I am hopeful to see it around for another ten years.
Rating: 6.5/10
Sunday, February 17, 2013
WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 Review
Match 1: WWE Championship - Elimination Chamber - CM Punk © vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz vs. R-Truth
Surprised that this is the match they decided to kick off the show with. Had a gut feeling that they were going to close out the night with Punk. Michael Cole quickly notifies the audience that in its ten year existence, the Chamber is a high risking way for titles to change hands. Only three champions have retained inside the Chamber. Taking the fact that this was the opening contest of the night, the match served its role brilliantly. It was great, had a nice flow, and had the crowd going. The match also made sure to not overstay its welcome and not steal the show to tale away the flame for the rest of the night. Every man in the match was over and looked good. The eliminations weren’t sudden and for good reason, they take away the idea of putting men over inside the Chamber. Punk and The Miz were the final two and Punk hit the GTS to retain. Great match and a great win for CM Punk.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 2: Divas Championship - Beth Phoenix © vs. Tamina Snuka
Beth Phoenix is having a pretty damn good reign and it continues here tonight against Snuka. Hard to believe that a Divas match would be a really fun roller coaster but these two managed to pull off an impressive showing. The two look really great in the ring and Phoenix is starting to get really over as a Diva. She wins by hitting a Gland Slam.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rating: *¾
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - Daniel Bryan © vs. The Great Khali vs. The Big Show vs. Santino Marella vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes
So with this, we will be getting John Cena vs. Kane in the main event. On paper, this match looks to be another fantastic Chamber match as Bryan looks to defend and retain his belt for only the fifth time in the Chamber’s existence. The booking of this match was absolutely brilliant. From getting Khali out of the match quickly, to having Show destroy Bryan inside his pod, to Rhodes elimination Show, and to Marella nearly pulling off the Milan Miracle Part II. The drama, action, and excitement was definitely through the roof and the crowd really enjoyed this one more than the one earlier. Bryan makes Marella tap out to retain. Sheamus later comes out after the match and takes out Daniel Bryan. Things are getting interesting.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****
Match 4: United States Championship - Jack Swagger © vs. Justin Gabriel
This was basically just a simple squash match to kill some time and put a quick spotlight on Swagger. Nothing special, served its purpose finely. Gabriel has a lot of talent and probably deserves better. Too bad he ran into the push that is Jack Swagger.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Rating: ½*
Match 5: Ambulance - John Cena vs. Kane
This has to be one of the oddest feuds in recent memory. It also happens to be the marquee match of the night. This is the first Ambulance match in over ten years and it’s John Cena trying to overcome the hate against Kane. The crowd is pretty hot for this one and both men take the fight around the arena and really go at each other. Surprised to see Cena take some big bumps before his match against The Rock including getting a Chokeslam through the table. However, the seriousness of the match took a toll when Cena took a microphone and asked Booker if he was apart of his top five. I understand that they’re just trying to have some fun, but I really felt like it took a lot of the drama. Cena eventually gained the victory after delivering a cool Attitude Adjustment to Kane off the ambulance. Decent match and a fitting way to end the last PPV before WrestleMania. As much as one of the Chamber matches would be great to close out the night, Cena needs to stand tall before going up against The Rock.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Had high hopes for the show that just weren’t realized. While the Chamber matches were great, it just simply wasn’t enough to give the PPV that extra push. I understand that the objective of this show is to simply create more buzz for the next one, however, it shouldn’t be an excuse for a PPV to finish so poorly.
Rating: 5.75/10
Surprised that this is the match they decided to kick off the show with. Had a gut feeling that they were going to close out the night with Punk. Michael Cole quickly notifies the audience that in its ten year existence, the Chamber is a high risking way for titles to change hands. Only three champions have retained inside the Chamber. Taking the fact that this was the opening contest of the night, the match served its role brilliantly. It was great, had a nice flow, and had the crowd going. The match also made sure to not overstay its welcome and not steal the show to tale away the flame for the rest of the night. Every man in the match was over and looked good. The eliminations weren’t sudden and for good reason, they take away the idea of putting men over inside the Chamber. Punk and The Miz were the final two and Punk hit the GTS to retain. Great match and a great win for CM Punk.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***¾
Match 2: Divas Championship - Beth Phoenix © vs. Tamina Snuka
Beth Phoenix is having a pretty damn good reign and it continues here tonight against Snuka. Hard to believe that a Divas match would be a really fun roller coaster but these two managed to pull off an impressive showing. The two look really great in the ring and Phoenix is starting to get really over as a Diva. She wins by hitting a Gland Slam.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Rating: *¾
Match 3: World Heavyweight Championship - Elimination Chamber - Daniel Bryan © vs. The Great Khali vs. The Big Show vs. Santino Marella vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes
So with this, we will be getting John Cena vs. Kane in the main event. On paper, this match looks to be another fantastic Chamber match as Bryan looks to defend and retain his belt for only the fifth time in the Chamber’s existence. The booking of this match was absolutely brilliant. From getting Khali out of the match quickly, to having Show destroy Bryan inside his pod, to Rhodes elimination Show, and to Marella nearly pulling off the Milan Miracle Part II. The drama, action, and excitement was definitely through the roof and the crowd really enjoyed this one more than the one earlier. Bryan makes Marella tap out to retain. Sheamus later comes out after the match and takes out Daniel Bryan. Things are getting interesting.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ****
Match 4: United States Championship - Jack Swagger © vs. Justin Gabriel
This was basically just a simple squash match to kill some time and put a quick spotlight on Swagger. Nothing special, served its purpose finely. Gabriel has a lot of talent and probably deserves better. Too bad he ran into the push that is Jack Swagger.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Rating: ½*
Match 5: Ambulance - John Cena vs. Kane
This has to be one of the oddest feuds in recent memory. It also happens to be the marquee match of the night. This is the first Ambulance match in over ten years and it’s John Cena trying to overcome the hate against Kane. The crowd is pretty hot for this one and both men take the fight around the arena and really go at each other. Surprised to see Cena take some big bumps before his match against The Rock including getting a Chokeslam through the table. However, the seriousness of the match took a toll when Cena took a microphone and asked Booker if he was apart of his top five. I understand that they’re just trying to have some fun, but I really felt like it took a lot of the drama. Cena eventually gained the victory after delivering a cool Attitude Adjustment to Kane off the ambulance. Decent match and a fitting way to end the last PPV before WrestleMania. As much as one of the Chamber matches would be great to close out the night, Cena needs to stand tall before going up against The Rock.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: **¼
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
Had high hopes for the show that just weren’t realized. While the Chamber matches were great, it just simply wasn’t enough to give the PPV that extra push. I understand that the objective of this show is to simply create more buzz for the next one, however, it shouldn’t be an excuse for a PPV to finish so poorly.
Rating: 5.75/10
Monday, February 4, 2013
ROH Homecoming 2012 Review
Match 1: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Future Shock
Shelton & Charlie trash the city of Philadelphia in a generic heel promo before the match and we’re set. Very basic action between the two teams, nothing too special. A good match to establish the groundwork for the rest of the night. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team work better as heels and Future Shock really had the crowd behind them. Good start.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: **¾
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Andy Ridge vs. Grizzly Redwood
I really enjoy watching these four corner survival matches. Really liking how we had the faces team up against the heels until things quickly diversified. The action was very quick but the match was short and in all honesty, that’s exactly how this match should be. There was no need for it to overstay its welcome and the pacing was done nicely. Ciampa picks up the win after taking out Redwood.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Rating: **½
Match 3: Kevin Steen vs. Kenny King
It’s good to see Kevin Steen back in a Ring of Honor ring. With Rhett Titus on the sidelines, this should be a very interesting contest. We got a damn good brawl from the two of these men and Steen looked dominant and did a fantastic job of interacting with the crowd. His jokes and antics really put him over and really make his matches unique from the others on the card. Steen picks up the win and kicks Titus in his injured knee afterwards. Great stuff.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***
Match 4: Michael Elgin vs. Chris Hero
As good as it was to see Steen back in a Ring of Honor ring, seeing Chris Hero back in one definitely takes the cake. This is likely Hero’s final appearance in Ring of Honor before moving on to bigger things so a match against the red hot Michael Elgin is a perfect fit. Shane Hagadorn made a quick cameo before the match to be in Hero’s corner. Hero declined and the match was underway. Hero toyed with Elgin early on but as things progressed, the action became much heavier and it was awesome to see these two go at it with chop exchanges and nasty kicks from Hero. The time limit was nearing its course and the match became more interesting until Elgin dropped Hero to pick up the huge victory. Afterwards, Hagadorn returned back to the ring but Hero sent him back with a huge elbow. A very fitting way for Chris Hero to leave Ring of Honor.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Rating: ***½
Match 5: No Holds Barred - Roderick Strong vs. Adam Cole
Since Eddie Edwards is unable to compete, Adam Cole comes out to take his spot against Roddy! Cole nails Truth Martini with a huge kick and the match is on! This was a really great way to showcase the talents of Adam Cole and maybe even put him over as a bigger star for the company. The exchanges these men had with chops, kicks, punches, and chairs was so much fun to watch. The crowd really bought into the action and they invested their time into Adam Cole. There were a few nasty spots but they all made sense considering Cole wanted to make a name for himself against Strong. Elgin comes out to interfere and Strong’s behalf until Edwards runs out to make the save. However, Strong drops Cole hard to get the win. Afterwards, Cole gets a great standing ovation.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: ***¾
Match 6: Proving Ground - The Briscoes vs. Jigsaw & Hallowicked
Definitely a match that I’m excited for as I think that huge things can arise from this match. The crowd has been great throughout the night and this match was no different. Everyone was mostly for The Briscoes but Team Chikara got some big pops in the thick of things. Good wrestling from bell to bell and some nice smart wrestling tossed in there with the bigger Briscoes using their size and strength to mainly get the better of these guys. The Chikara locker room later comes out for the latter part of the match and things get heated and much more interesting. Jay throws a punch and that leads to him being distracted and getting rolled up for the pin! The Briscoes have lost the Proving Ground match! Jigsaw & Hallowicked earn shots at the titles in Chicago in April! Good match that sets up for something big down the down. Match completely served its purpose.
Winners: Jigsaw & Hallowicked
Rating: ***½
Match 7: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Jay Lethal
We are now on to the main event with two top guys going at it for the company’s top title! It was going to be interesting to see what type of match we would see from these two and while the action was somewhat predictable, it felt fresh and varied from start to finish. This was a nice change of pace considering the matches we get from these two are generally similar from the last. They began with fantastic technical wrestling and shifted into gears as the match progressed with harder kicks and strikes. Once again, the crowd was most definitely into the action. In the latter part of the match, Roderick Strong came to take out Lethal but Lethal quickly disposed of him. The interference wasn’t really necessary but since it had little to no effect on the match, I understand why it happened. Richards gets the better of Lethal and finishes him with a nasty series of kicks. A great ending to a pretty great main event. Lethal will have more shots at the title and hopefully, we can get something different from this. Afterwards, Richards puts over Lethal and the company to send everybody home.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
An awesome way for the company to start the year. We saw Chris Hero wrestle his last match, a big angle with Chikara begin, Kevin Steen return to the ring, Adam Cole get a huge opportunity, and Davey Richards retaining against Jay Lethal. While nothing was noteworthy spectacular, nothing was noteworthy bad. Every match served its purpose and all the pieces fell nicely into place.
Rating: 8.5/10
Shelton & Charlie trash the city of Philadelphia in a generic heel promo before the match and we’re set. Very basic action between the two teams, nothing too special. A good match to establish the groundwork for the rest of the night. Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team work better as heels and Future Shock really had the crowd behind them. Good start.
Winners: Wrestling’s Greatest Tag Team
Rating: **¾
Match 2: Mike Bennett vs. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Andy Ridge vs. Grizzly Redwood
I really enjoy watching these four corner survival matches. Really liking how we had the faces team up against the heels until things quickly diversified. The action was very quick but the match was short and in all honesty, that’s exactly how this match should be. There was no need for it to overstay its welcome and the pacing was done nicely. Ciampa picks up the win after taking out Redwood.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
Rating: **½
Match 3: Kevin Steen vs. Kenny King
It’s good to see Kevin Steen back in a Ring of Honor ring. With Rhett Titus on the sidelines, this should be a very interesting contest. We got a damn good brawl from the two of these men and Steen looked dominant and did a fantastic job of interacting with the crowd. His jokes and antics really put him over and really make his matches unique from the others on the card. Steen picks up the win and kicks Titus in his injured knee afterwards. Great stuff.
Winner: Kevin Steen
Rating: ***
Match 4: Michael Elgin vs. Chris Hero
As good as it was to see Steen back in a Ring of Honor ring, seeing Chris Hero back in one definitely takes the cake. This is likely Hero’s final appearance in Ring of Honor before moving on to bigger things so a match against the red hot Michael Elgin is a perfect fit. Shane Hagadorn made a quick cameo before the match to be in Hero’s corner. Hero declined and the match was underway. Hero toyed with Elgin early on but as things progressed, the action became much heavier and it was awesome to see these two go at it with chop exchanges and nasty kicks from Hero. The time limit was nearing its course and the match became more interesting until Elgin dropped Hero to pick up the huge victory. Afterwards, Hagadorn returned back to the ring but Hero sent him back with a huge elbow. A very fitting way for Chris Hero to leave Ring of Honor.
Winner: Michael Elgin
Rating: ***½
Match 5: No Holds Barred - Roderick Strong vs. Adam Cole
Since Eddie Edwards is unable to compete, Adam Cole comes out to take his spot against Roddy! Cole nails Truth Martini with a huge kick and the match is on! This was a really great way to showcase the talents of Adam Cole and maybe even put him over as a bigger star for the company. The exchanges these men had with chops, kicks, punches, and chairs was so much fun to watch. The crowd really bought into the action and they invested their time into Adam Cole. There were a few nasty spots but they all made sense considering Cole wanted to make a name for himself against Strong. Elgin comes out to interfere and Strong’s behalf until Edwards runs out to make the save. However, Strong drops Cole hard to get the win. Afterwards, Cole gets a great standing ovation.
Winner: Roderick Strong
Rating: ***¾
Match 6: Proving Ground - The Briscoes vs. Jigsaw & Hallowicked
Definitely a match that I’m excited for as I think that huge things can arise from this match. The crowd has been great throughout the night and this match was no different. Everyone was mostly for The Briscoes but Team Chikara got some big pops in the thick of things. Good wrestling from bell to bell and some nice smart wrestling tossed in there with the bigger Briscoes using their size and strength to mainly get the better of these guys. The Chikara locker room later comes out for the latter part of the match and things get heated and much more interesting. Jay throws a punch and that leads to him being distracted and getting rolled up for the pin! The Briscoes have lost the Proving Ground match! Jigsaw & Hallowicked earn shots at the titles in Chicago in April! Good match that sets up for something big down the down. Match completely served its purpose.
Winners: Jigsaw & Hallowicked
Rating: ***½
Match 7: ROH World Championship - Davey Richards © vs. Jay Lethal
We are now on to the main event with two top guys going at it for the company’s top title! It was going to be interesting to see what type of match we would see from these two and while the action was somewhat predictable, it felt fresh and varied from start to finish. This was a nice change of pace considering the matches we get from these two are generally similar from the last. They began with fantastic technical wrestling and shifted into gears as the match progressed with harder kicks and strikes. Once again, the crowd was most definitely into the action. In the latter part of the match, Roderick Strong came to take out Lethal but Lethal quickly disposed of him. The interference wasn’t really necessary but since it had little to no effect on the match, I understand why it happened. Richards gets the better of Lethal and finishes him with a nasty series of kicks. A great ending to a pretty great main event. Lethal will have more shots at the title and hopefully, we can get something different from this. Afterwards, Richards puts over Lethal and the company to send everybody home.
Winner: Davey Richards
Rating: ***¾
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
An awesome way for the company to start the year. We saw Chris Hero wrestle his last match, a big angle with Chikara begin, Kevin Steen return to the ring, Adam Cole get a huge opportunity, and Davey Richards retaining against Jay Lethal. While nothing was noteworthy spectacular, nothing was noteworthy bad. Every match served its purpose and all the pieces fell nicely into place.
Rating: 8.5/10
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
WWE Royal Rumble 2012 Review
Match 1: World Heavyweight Championship - Steel Cage - Daniel Bryan © vs. The Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Awesome way to open up the show in St. Louis. The awesome Daniel Bryan taking on two of 2011’s most underrated stars of the WWE in a steel cage. The action was very minimal and understandable considering that three men were locked inside. Even still, the three men added enough drama to make things interesting as Daniel Bryan was able to escape the grip of The Big Show and fell to the floor to retain!
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: **¼
Match 2: Kelly Kelly, Eve, Alicia Fox, & Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Brie Bella, & Nikki Bella
As Jerry Lawler drools, the Divas go at it. I’ll admit that these matches are actually becoming much better and watching these matches don’t really seem like much of a chore anymore. Phoenix slams Kelly to pick up the win after she tagged herself in.
Winners: Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Brie Bella, & Nikki Bella
Rating: *¼
Match 3: John Cena vs. Kane
This is definitely one of the oddest feuds going on in the wacky world of wrestling as Cena defends the honor of Zack Ryder & Eve against Kane. The action was exactly what it was expected, slow and short. The contest didn’t last long as the referee counted both men out. However, the action spilled out backstage where Kane beat down Cena and then took Ryder back to the ring where he landed a Tombstone. If it wasn’t for the hot St. Louis crowd, that would have been a total disaster. This whole feud should end soon because both guys deserve better.
Winner: n/a
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Brodus Clay vs. Drew McIntyre
Basic Brodus squash match with the only difference being that this match is on PPV. McIntyre’s career has been in a spiral and salvaging it seems like a nearly impossible task.
Winner: Brodus Clay
Rating: n/a
Match 5: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. Dolph Ziggler
The special guest referee of the contest is John Laurinaitis who is getting his job evaluated the following night. I’m not much a fan of special guest referees but this one works well with the situation. He immediately kicks Vickie Guerrero out of the match and the match begins. Great back and fourth action from the two but maybe I was just expecting a little to much from the two. You get your usual referee bump as Punk beats Dolph three times without a referee in the ring. Punk eventually lands another GTS on Dolph and gets the win with Laurinaitis doing the count simultaneously with another referee. Good match which leads to interesting television for the next few weeks.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***
Match 6: 2012 Royal Rumble
It is finally time for one of my favorite matches of the entire year, the Royal Rumble! They are going back to the smaller 30 man format instead of last year’s 40 man format which I felt was a good move. The Miz, who is a perfect fit to open the match, is in as the first entrant against Riley. This year’s match was filled with oldies, guys hanging around in the low bottom of the card, and a few stars tossed around. It really made the match feel less special and in turn, the crowd was a little turned off. There were some really dull moments throughout the course of the match where a big name could have been used but they mainly came out nearing the end. There were also a lot of missed opportunities, the eliminations came too fast and thus, nobody really got over because of it. The Rumble is a perfect chance to have someone last long throughout the match and make a name for himself. Other than maybe The Miz or Cody Rhodes, nobody had a significant part of the match. The final four came down to The Big Show, Sheamus, Chris Jericho, and St. Louis’ Randy Orton. A really cool mix because everyone has a legit reason to win. After Show and Orton were quickly eliminated, it was down to Jericho and Sheamus. The two went back and fourth until Sheamus finally kicks Jericho out to earn a main event ticket to WrestleMania XXVIII. Very cool finish and a very cool exchange between the two to cap off the show. The right man won, Sheamus is definitely on a roll and is star continues to shine. This Rumble win was kick he needed to elevate himself. The match as a whole was definitely on the weaker side but the final eliminations were really something to write home about.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***½
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
That was probably one of the strangest Royal Rumbles ever. The show had good pacing but everything felt rushed and the WrestleMania feel just wasn’t there. The two title matches were good and nothing more. The Royal Rumble match was also good and nothing more. However, Sheamus is definitely going to be a major player in the WWE and this big win is a great representation.
Rating: 5.75/10
Awesome way to open up the show in St. Louis. The awesome Daniel Bryan taking on two of 2011’s most underrated stars of the WWE in a steel cage. The action was very minimal and understandable considering that three men were locked inside. Even still, the three men added enough drama to make things interesting as Daniel Bryan was able to escape the grip of The Big Show and fell to the floor to retain!
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: **¼
Match 2: Kelly Kelly, Eve, Alicia Fox, & Tamina vs. Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Brie Bella, & Nikki Bella
As Jerry Lawler drools, the Divas go at it. I’ll admit that these matches are actually becoming much better and watching these matches don’t really seem like much of a chore anymore. Phoenix slams Kelly to pick up the win after she tagged herself in.
Winners: Beth Phoenix, Natalya, Brie Bella, & Nikki Bella
Rating: *¼
Match 3: John Cena vs. Kane
This is definitely one of the oddest feuds going on in the wacky world of wrestling as Cena defends the honor of Zack Ryder & Eve against Kane. The action was exactly what it was expected, slow and short. The contest didn’t last long as the referee counted both men out. However, the action spilled out backstage where Kane beat down Cena and then took Ryder back to the ring where he landed a Tombstone. If it wasn’t for the hot St. Louis crowd, that would have been a total disaster. This whole feud should end soon because both guys deserve better.
Winner: n/a
Rating: *¼
Match 4: Brodus Clay vs. Drew McIntyre
Basic Brodus squash match with the only difference being that this match is on PPV. McIntyre’s career has been in a spiral and salvaging it seems like a nearly impossible task.
Winner: Brodus Clay
Rating: n/a
Match 5: WWE Championship - CM Punk © vs. Dolph Ziggler
The special guest referee of the contest is John Laurinaitis who is getting his job evaluated the following night. I’m not much a fan of special guest referees but this one works well with the situation. He immediately kicks Vickie Guerrero out of the match and the match begins. Great back and fourth action from the two but maybe I was just expecting a little to much from the two. You get your usual referee bump as Punk beats Dolph three times without a referee in the ring. Punk eventually lands another GTS on Dolph and gets the win with Laurinaitis doing the count simultaneously with another referee. Good match which leads to interesting television for the next few weeks.
Winner: CM Punk
Rating: ***
Match 6: 2012 Royal Rumble
It is finally time for one of my favorite matches of the entire year, the Royal Rumble! They are going back to the smaller 30 man format instead of last year’s 40 man format which I felt was a good move. The Miz, who is a perfect fit to open the match, is in as the first entrant against Riley. This year’s match was filled with oldies, guys hanging around in the low bottom of the card, and a few stars tossed around. It really made the match feel less special and in turn, the crowd was a little turned off. There were some really dull moments throughout the course of the match where a big name could have been used but they mainly came out nearing the end. There were also a lot of missed opportunities, the eliminations came too fast and thus, nobody really got over because of it. The Rumble is a perfect chance to have someone last long throughout the match and make a name for himself. Other than maybe The Miz or Cody Rhodes, nobody had a significant part of the match. The final four came down to The Big Show, Sheamus, Chris Jericho, and St. Louis’ Randy Orton. A really cool mix because everyone has a legit reason to win. After Show and Orton were quickly eliminated, it was down to Jericho and Sheamus. The two went back and fourth until Sheamus finally kicks Jericho out to earn a main event ticket to WrestleMania XXVIII. Very cool finish and a very cool exchange between the two to cap off the show. The right man won, Sheamus is definitely on a roll and is star continues to shine. This Rumble win was kick he needed to elevate himself. The match as a whole was definitely on the weaker side but the final eliminations were really something to write home about.
Winner: Sheamus
Rating: ***½
Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
That was probably one of the strangest Royal Rumbles ever. The show had good pacing but everything felt rushed and the WrestleMania feel just wasn’t there. The two title matches were good and nothing more. The Royal Rumble match was also good and nothing more. However, Sheamus is definitely going to be a major player in the WWE and this big win is a great representation.
Rating: 5.75/10
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