The NXT Review – 20th April 2016

Whats up Wrestling Peeps! With NXT tapings still emanating from Dallas in the hangover from WrestleMania & TakeOver. It means that we get to see stars that have made the jump to the Main Roster perform double-duty. Well, at least in the WWE timeline in any case.

Edit-altering-timeline aside. It means we get to have fantasy booking such as American Alpha Vs. Enzo & Cass, a match which every NXT fan wanted to see before Team SAWFT took their smart-mouths to Monday Night Raw.

Yes okay, I admit it. As a major fan-boy for these two teams, it would take a mess-of-a-match for me to deduct points from these teams performances. But the varied move sets from both sides made for an eclectic match where storytelling was never in doubt given the calibre both teams have demonstrated in the past.

That being said, the match wasn’t perfect, with moments coming from Chad Gable‘s immense speed making Enzo Amore look a little long-in-the-tooth. Don’t get me wrong, Enzo is not known for his mat skills or pro-wrestling acumen but rather a more smash-mouth fighting style. Its just interesting observation that maybe the scrappy-talker could improve in-between the ropes as Team SAWFT ascend the lofty heights of WWE.

American Alpha on the other hand are ready packaged and just waiting to be sign, sealed and delivered to RAW. But not just yet Trips, NXT isn’t done with them yet.

Big shout-out to Corey Graves for the mad LOL’s “Who is this Jose and why is he always being denied.” A very good question that I’m sure my favourite colour commentator will ponder for many weeks to come or alternatively until this gimmick wrestler runs-his-course. *cough* Fandango *cough, cough*

Sorry but I’m going to be a hater for a sec. I know Gimmicks are a facet of Wreslting that have been around since day dot. Along with Heel or Face, it’s an easy way for an audience to identify the character you are portraying in an effort to “get over“. But as Wrestling feels the need to evolve so too must the Gimmicks that are on display.

Lets take Bray Wyatt’s Undertaker inspired character. Rather than straight forward portrayal or homage to the future Hall of Famer. Wyatt’s classic Monster-Type was given a Cult Leader update that was fresh and innovative. How fresh can a dancing Gimmick be?

Lets heed the lesson learnt from Adam Rose shall we and throw this character on the scrap heap before the act runs thin … please.

Oh Hello Deonna Purrazzo, welcome back to your own personal purgatory. I enjoyed that Tom Phillips and Graves referenced this underdog’s propensity for punishment given her rather unlucky losing streak so-far on NXT. But with her opponent Nia Jax looming large over the NXT Women’s locker room, her bad luck looked to continue.

Besides an otherwise obvious squash match to show Jax’s overwhelming power, I have to think that this losing-Purrazzo-Losing meme is leading to something for the young superstar. Because if not, Sad-Purrazzo-is-sad may become the theme to her NXT career.

What was ultimately a m’eh episode of NXT culminated in a pretty m’eh Main Event also. Much like the hangover from a raging party, the storylines are really just hanging on the yellow brand at the moment. Samoa Joe Vs. Apollo Crews is fine but with Crews now smiling-wide on RAW, we know that a long drawn out feud with Joe is not on the cards so why bother here.

With characters like Shinsuke Nakamura, Austin Aires and Finn Balor calling NXT home. This weeks episode was pretty weak-sauce with under whelming strides in making storylines going forward. And with Nakamura paired with Elias Sampson next week, the trend looks set to continue.

I’m not angry NXT, just disappointed.

For all your NXT-News-and-Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

‘WWE’ & ‘E!’ Announce ‘Total Bellas’

With WWE and Total Divas alumni Nikki & Brie Bella sidelined from in-ring action, It seems that the veterans of pro-wrestling are moving onto pastures new with their own reality series Total Bellas.

During WWE’s broadcast of Monday Night RAW’s overseas trip to the UK; E! released the debut trailer for the Total Divas’s spin-off show. “We are excited to build on one of our most successful franchises with this new series that goes exclusively inside the world of WWE fan favourites The Bella Twins,” revealed Jeff Olde, EVP of Programming & Development at E!. “Nikki and Brie Bella have an undeniable charm and wit that matches their irrefutable beauty, and we are thrilled to get an intimate look into what it’s like to be in a relationship with some of the hottest sports entertainers in the world.“

The six-episode series will also feature WWE superstars John Cena and Daniel Bryan, with John ‘Big-Johnny’ Laurinaitis joining the Bella’s clan after becoming engaged to the twin’s mother, Kathy Colace, in September last year.

It had been reported last week that E! had trademarked the name Total Bellas with reference to the title being used for a reality based show, leading many outlets to suspect that the Twins would be departing the Total Divas brand. E! confirmed today however that the pair will remain on the cast when the show returns for Season Six in the fall, alongside new cast members Maryse, Lana, Naomi and WWE announcer Renee Young.

For all your Reality-Era-Wreslting-News, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

WWE Monday Night RAW – April 11, 2016

Opener

Because of “overwhelming social media support”, Shane McMahon is back at the helm of Monday Night Raw. Pffft. Yeah right. If WWE really did make their decisions based on overwhelming social media support, NXT would be the flagship show, Dean Ambrose would be champion and Roman Reigns would be demoted to the Social Outcasts.

Regardless, Shane McMahon is a great fit as the GM of RAW. Aside from announcing fantastic matches and starting fresh new rivalries, Shane McMahon leaves his promos short and sweet. He doesn’t pause for reactions or waste anyone’s time a-la The Authority. I hope his run as GM isn’t a short-term storyline but rather a permanent gig. He’d bring back legitimate wrestling and appeal to both the hardcore and casual fan.

Opening segment: 3/5

Kevin Owens V Cesaro: #1 contender for the Intercontinental Championship

Remember last week when Kevin Owens said he’s on to bigger and better things? Well, here he is, back in the IC title hunt. This wouldn’t be such an insult if WWE didn’t tarnish the prestige of the championship. I know they were aiming to fix this problem by putting the belt on Bryan but we all know what happened after that…damn, I shouldn’t have brought that up. The wound is still fresh!

Despite being stuck in the IC title picture, Cesaro and Owens do what they do best and put on a stellar match. Cesaro even wore some ‘bandages’ (more like black electrical tape) on his shoulder to show he isn’t 100%. Both men are insanely talented and would benefit greatly from an established run as IC champ.

Cesaro comes out on top after hitting the Neutralizer on Owens.

KO V Cesaro: 3.5/5

The Dudley Boyz V Lucha Dragons

As part of a new tag-team tournament, The Dudley Boyz face-off against the Lucha Dragons. The tournament is kicked off by the reigning W-W-E-Tag-Team-Champions (read this as you swirl your hips), The New Day. The New Day is thriving as a Face tag-team. They’ve got a ton of charisma and they just make me laugh with their whole Booty O’s concept.

The Dudley’s win in a matter of minutes. They would have won quicker if Sin Cara didn’t botch the Dudley Death Drop and D-Von didn’t go for the pin thinking he was the legal man! A very sloppy ending from these two teams.

If it wasn’t for Enzo and Cass coming out to save the day with a little Italian-American humor, this entire matchup would’ve been a complete waste. Unfortunately for Enzo and Cass, the crowd wasn’t as hot as the Raw after WrestleMania.

Dudley’s V Lucha Dragons: 1.5/5 (the extra .5 on account of Enzo and Cass)

Roman Reigns in-ring segment

Open the floodgates, Roman Reigns is out.

Romans practically copy and pastes his entire dialogue from last week and uses it this week. His promo classes must be really paying off.

Here’s what I don’t get about Roman Reigns; in my past couple of posts, I’ve written about Roman’s arrogant side. I’ve stated how I think his arrogance is a good fit for him. It seems natural and it’s the start of his eventual Heel turn. But then I really started thinking about the reasoning behind it and it just doesn’t make any sense. Usually, a slow build for a Heel is reserved for someone who needs time to turn. Roman doesn’t need any time. The crowd already hates him. Wouldn’t it be a better use of time, money and resources to have him ‘snap’ at the crowd and let the pressure of being a Face get to him?

Think about it? Wouldn’t it make for a much better storyline? It would let the crowd feel empowered. Just look back to how engaged the WWE Universe was with the Daniel Bryan/Authority storyline. If the Universe feels they’ve actively made a change in WWE, they’ll be hooked to what comes next.

Whatever WWE has planned, I hope it’s better than “I’m not a good guy. I’m not a bad guy. I’m the guy.” This gimmick is bound to get stale, soon.

Speaking of stale, League of Nations is out to zero reaction. Who are these guys? What are they doing in life? What power do they have on Vince McMahon to constantly appear on tv to stay relevant?

I really want to be a fly on the wall of a WWE writers meeting. I want to see what species of monkey WWE has chained to a typewriter to come up with these dry fillers that benefits no one.

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, The Wyatt Family come out to get rid of The League of Nations. They look to do the same on Roman but Shane comes out and makes a statement of Teddy Long proportions. The main event for Raw will be The League of Nations V Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt, playa!

Roman Reigns in-ring segment: 1/5

Primo and Epico video package

The Puerto Rican travel agents are back in all their flower-sniffing glory. This really isn’t a joke? WWE is really going through with this. Hmm.

Primo and Epico video package: 0/5

Charlotte V Natalya: Women’s Championship

I’m really happy with the direction WWE is going with the women’s division. Charlotte and Natalya have great in-ring chemistry. They’ve so far been the few standouts in this abysmal episode of Monday Night Raw.

Also, why the fuck was Dr. Phil at ringside?

Charlotte wins via DQ after Ric Flair pulls the referee out of the ring (right before Charlotte taps to the Sharpshooter).

Charlotte V Natalya: 3/5

The Usos V Social Outcasts

Ha, I’m not even going to subject my fingers to typing anything more about a match featuring The Social Outcasts. The Usos win via roll-up in a hot second.

While the Usos celebrate their win, they’re attacked by Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. I never stayed up to date with the indy scene but I’ve heard nothing but good things about these two’s involvement in The Bullet Club.

Usos V Social Outcasts: 1/5

Backstage segment w/ The Miz, Maryse, and Cesaro

Bad acting and bad puns make for a bad segment.

Miz, Maryse, and Cesaro backstage segment: 0/5

AJ Styles V Sami Zayn

The wildly-anticipated lock-up between AJ Styles and Sami Zayn was sort of a letdown. It was a perfectly average match with some cool spots here and there, but I think everyone was expecting a bit more from these two.

AJ Styles picks up the win with a Phenomenal Forearm.

AJ Styles V Sami Zayn: 3/5

Chris Jericho and Dean Ambrose in-ring segment

Jericho hosts a highlight reel featuring himself as the guest which is as exciting as you’d expect. Ambrose derails the production and replaces it with the Ambrose Asylum talk show. The segment didn’t provide much in the form of entertainment, but it does give us a look into Dean Ambrose’s next big rivalry and I can’t wait.

While Roman Reigns has been wrongfully catapulted to the top of the food chain, Dean Ambrose his honing his main event skills by getting into rivalries with Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, Bray Wyatt, Kevin Owens and more. When Dean Ambrose is finally ready to hold the strap, he’ll knock it out of the park. Trust me.

Jericho and Ambrose in-ring segment: 2/5

Apollo Crews V Adam Rose

Apollo Crews arrives, hits a few big moves and leaves. Squash match 101.

Apollo Crews V Adam Rose: 1/5

Primo and Epico video package

ANOTHER ONE?! Fuck off!

Primo and Epico video package: 0/5

Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt V The League of Nations (Sheamus and Del Rio)

While this was a pretty standard tag-team match, the pairing of Roman Reigns V Bray Wyatt was pretty interesting. It’s a testament to how even the slightest changes in everyday routine can make a big difference. Bray Wyatt and Roman worked decently together while getting in each other’s faces a couple of times. The Wyatt Family has run its course and a Face turn might be exactly what they need to reinvigorate their gimmick.

Reigns and Wyatt pick up the win.

Roman Reigns and Bray Wyatt V The League of Nations (Sheamus and Del Rio): 3/5

Raw rating: 22/65

Based on my complex algorithm (assigning 5 stars to each match/segment and adding up the results), the April 11, 2016, episode of Monday Night RAW was a big-time failure. Aside from a few decent matches, RAW was mostly comprised of lacklustre performances, both in and out of the ring. This is not the calibre of show WWE should be running when they have a locker room full of promising young talent who’ve recently been brought up from NXT.

The NXT Review – 13th April 2016

Whats Up Wrestling Peeps! I’m back! Yes I survived my trek into Middle Earth, met some Orcs and got more than slightly tipsy on Elf Juice; but I’m back-here to break down this weeks NXT and yes perhaps discuss those call-ups that happened over the WrestleMania Festivities.

First up, I’m more than obsessed with Austin Aries sparkle-trunks. So glad it wasn’t just a TakeOver thing. Maybe we could extend it to sparkle-clothing in a budget version of Y2J’s light-bulb heavy jacket? “Yeah, Baby!”

For reals tho, Aries offered up an appropriate showing coming off his big win at TakeOver but Angelo Dawkins … yawn. I know this guy has been with NXT since its re-branding from FCW, so the kid has paid his dues but this gimmick, I’m not down with. ‘Curse of Greatness’, yeah right. Re-establish yourself first then come back with this. Otherwise go back to those Dork Glasses.

Unique Clothing For Everyone!!!!

Speaking of unique. The Vaudevillians were back in action. And receiving a more appreciative response from this NXT crowd than their lack lustre debut on SmackDown! last week. But lets not focus on the negative (Sorry Ascension) because we’ve got Johnny “Wrestling” Gargano in action with his boy Tommaso Ciampa and damn! What is it with NXT and creating great Tag Teams?

Of course this pair picked up the win – The Vaudevillians have one foot out-the-door after all  – but a win here was important. Not only does it show that when NXT hits the reset button (with Talent moving up an’ all), their are guys itching for that opportunity to shine. But also the yellow brand’s versatility with single performers linking-up on short notice.

Ciampa probably benefits more out of the two, considering that Gargano is so over at this point its ridiculous. But lets face it, the NXT Title scene is so bloated with big signee’s, the Tag Team division is probably the best fit for these guys. For the time being at least.

Another guy playing double-duty tonight was Baron Corbin. Fresh off a lose at TakeOver Dallas and the Lone Wolf was looking for blood. And yeah … he got his fill.

Lets be honest, this was nothing but a squash match against fresh prey that was Tucker Knight. And I have a sickening feeling that this will be the course of action until Corbin no longer has to set foot in an NXT ring.

Eat. Sleep. Squash. Repeat.

My mantra regarding Corbin is that he has more to prove outside of NXT than in it. With him being called-up and winning the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal (yeah, say that three times fast), we will see if he can achieve that on RAW and SmackDown!

Who knows. Maybe fans will warm to his loveable douche-bag persona. M’eh, or not

So those who read my TakeOver Dallas review know how bummed I was at Bayley losing her NXT Women’s Title. Yes it was too soon and Yes I stand by my totes amosh response to how it happened. But as with all things, time heals all wounds.

That being said!

I need closure to this Asuka size hole in my heart that the Empress of Tomorrow left when she torn that title away from an unconscious Bayley. And you give me a Liv Morgan match?

Now I’m not hating on Morgan, she is a plucky little competitor that had a great showing during the #1 Contenders Battle Royal match awhile back. But I can’t wait till the next TakeOver or Network exclusive PPV for Bayley to get a shot at the title again. I’m a Bayley-Holic and I need my fix of the Huggster in a match of substance.

Sorry Liv, your just no Asuka.

Isn’t it totally absurd that Shinsuke Nakamura would be paired with Tye Dillinger after that re-donk-kulous debut match against Sami Zayn at TakeOver?

On the face of it yes. The Perfect 10’s goofiness shouldn’t work against the hard-hitting King of Strong style. But Nakamura’s shtick, his gurning face and flamboyant movements, inherently stems from the weirdness that is common place in Japanese Manga and Anime that, at times, can be goofy too.

This match was far from goofy however.

Dillingers and Nakamura’s banter showed that NXT’s newest signee can put on an entertaining match even without the high-stakes that his debut match had. Without pride on the line, he was able to mock The Perfect 1o and get the win whilst still maintaining his blasé persona. As for Dillinger, this only further cemented him as the most over-looked commodity inside NXT.

#GiveDillingerAChance

For all your NXT-News-&-Reviews, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Ring Of Honor – April 9, 2016

Hey everybody and welcome to my first article on ROH. I’d like to begin this article by stating how good of a product that Ring of Honor puts out. They have some of the most talented wrestlers in the world and on a pretty consistent basis put on the best matches in wrestling. The purpose of these articles is to hopefully get more folks into Ring of Honor. I also hope those that are already into ROH enjoy these articles as well. Let’s get into my first ever piece on ROH.

On this week’s episode, we have Silas Young and Dalton Castle in the Main Event as well as Roppongi Vice against War Machine. We will also see ACH go up against Kenny Omega.

The first match of the night is Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero aka Roppongi Vice up against War Machine (Hanson & Rowe) for the ROH Word Tag Team Championships. Before we get into the match, I’d like to warn you that Beretta is one of my favorite wrestlers on the planet. There may be some bias involved in this match.

During War Machine’s entrance, Roppongi Vice attacks them from behind. Roppongi Vice start out the match by double teaming Rowe. Hanson gets himself together and it is even now at two on two. Hanson hits Romero outside the ring.

We come back from commercial and Rowe accidentally hits his partner. Romero tags in and gets a nearfall on Rowe. Rowe tags in Hanson but Trent Stops them from hitting a double team move on Romero. Trent and Romero are now back to double teaming War Machine but it is Hanson this time rather than Rowe. Rowe is able to get back in the match. Rowe and Hanson both pick up a member of Roppongi Vice and throw them into each other. War Machine now double teams Trent but Romero is able to stop them. Just as Roppongi Vice looks like they are about to take over, War Machine throws Trent against the side of the ring. Romero almost hits the 1, 2, 3. War Machine then hit a tag team leg drop on Romero for the win. I was hoping to see Roppongi Vice get the win. War Machine is a very suitable tag team but I’d like to see some new champs soon and I think the crowd seems to agree with me.

Donovan Dijak comes out with Prince Nana. Dijak is on television but is dressed like he just got off from his job as a plumber or something. That being said, I do think Dijak plays the dislikable heel really well. Nana berates the crowd and says Dijak will be the new ROH champ. Dijak then states that he’s done with Lethal & the House of Truth and speaks badly of Lethal. Lethal is having none of that and attacks Dijack while he’s speaking. These guys are beating the hell out of each other. Security has to come out and stop the fighting.

Dalton Castle speaks about Silas Young backstage and says he’s fighting to hurt him. If you are not familiar much with ROH, Dalton Castle is without a doubt one of the most entertaining wrestlers on the show and in wrestling in general. He will impress you.

Match two is upon us and its ACH up against Kenny Omega. Kenny Omega is a giant star around the world and I love seeing him in ROH. Omega comes out with his broom as well as The Young Bucks. This will be one heck of a match! I spoke highly of Omega but ACH is ridiculously talented as well.

The match starts off with Omega denying to partake in the Code of Honor. ACH seems to have the upper hand towards the beginning but ACH is kicked while outside the ring by one of The Young Bucks. One of the Bucks then throws a banana peel ringside. He does this to hopefully explain to the ref why ACH is no longer on his feet. That was a wonderful touch by The Young Bucks! The crowd even chants “He slipped!”

Both Omega & ACH are back in the ring now. Both men go back and forth. Omega misses some top rope moves that ACH is able to counter. The Young Bucks try to distract ACH but he is able to jump onto all three men over the top rope. This was by far the highlight of the night so far! Like I said, ACH is a ridiculously talented guy. Especially inside the squared circle.

Both men are back in the ring on the top turnbuckle. ACH is able to kick Omega down and go for the pin. Omega is able to kick out. Omega then hits a tremendous suplex on ACH. ACH then hits a brain buster. I can’t speak highly enough of this match so far. What a match!

ACH goes to the top turnbuckle but misses. Omega & ACH continue to go back and forth in the middle of the ring. Omega goes for a super kick but ACH is able to counter. ACH goes for the pin. Omega kicks out. ACH tries a top turnbuckle move again but Omega is able to move out of the way. Omega then hits his finisher on ACH for the win. What a fantastic match this was! After a relatively lackluster first match, these two men put on one of the best matches I’ve seen on television in quite awhile.

The Main Event is next and it is Dalton Castle up against Silas Young. It is a Fight Without Honor which essentially means that it is a No Disqualification match.

These men are fighting with streamers in the ring towards the beginning of the match. That’s not something you see everyday! You can tell that Castle is trying to prove himself in this match. Young & Castle are doing everything they possibly can to get the better of their opponent. Young uses a chair against Castle. Castle goes for a slap but ends up hitting the ring post.

Young now has two chairs and tries to suplex Castle on to them. Castle is able to counter. The two continue to fight outside the ring. Young attempts to use a table and ladde to further hurt Castle. Young is able to throw Castle onto those two chairs he had set up earlier. Young enters the ring with Castle to go for the pin but Castle is able to kick out. Silas Young is pissed everybody!

These two men continue to attack each other in the ring. Young goes to the top turnbuckle but Castle moves out of the way and Young lands on a ladder. These two are now throwing haymakers back and forth! Young goes for the pin but Castle kicks out again. Both men are clearly tired but this match means so much to each of them that they continue to fight.

Young brings in a trash can lid and a microphone. The Boys come out and attempt to take down Silas Young. They don’t get in much offense but it gives Castle the time to get his wits together and get some offense in on Young.

Castle hits a suplex on Young but he is able to kick out. He then throws Young through a table. Another kickout from Young occurs. Young punches Castle in the man zone with a low blow but is not able to get the win just yet. Castle performs the Bang-A-Rang on Young and is finally able to get the win. That was another great match!

ROH typically puts together an enjoyable hour of wrestling and they particularly did that this week. The match between ACH and Omega is even one of my personal favorite matches I’ve seen recently.

WWE SmackDown – April 7, 2016

WWE has slowed back down to its original cadence. The Road to WrestleMania is always an exciting time to be a wrestling fan (for the most part). There are a ton of rivalries set in motion to stack up the card for the grandest show of them all. The Raw after WrestleMania is an aftershock of the excitement that is built up during the January – April time frame. The first SmackDown after WrestleMania, however, signals the end of the excitement. Its back to the grind as it were.

WrestleMania video package

Before the show even begins, we’re treated to a highlight reel of WrestleMania 32 to the tune of “My House” by Flo Rida, AKA, Vince’s desperate attempt to stay hip in his old age. I’ve lost count of how many times Flo Rida has appeared or provided music for WWE. The highlight reel is flashy and a great summary of what WWE has become. There were no physical matches shown during the package, only entrances and fireworks and the attendance record. WWE is truly an entertainment juggernaut now. It’s more pomp and circumstance than DDTs and dropkicks.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s best for business. It’s just something I noticed during the package which made me feel some sort of way.

Opening segment

We have Roman Reigns come out to heavy boos — or so you would think if SmackDown wasn’t pre-taped. WWE editors worked their magic and muffled the boos with pre-recorded cheers. The cameramen made sure to only pan to pro-Roman Reigns signs. It’s really sad how badly they’re trying to push Roman as the top guy. Fans don’t like him. Just listen to them…

Roman talks about how he’s not a good guy or a bad guy, he’s just a champion. He vows to beat AJ Styles. Speak of the devil, AJ Styles is out looking like a trendy trucker.

Styles congratulates Reigns and shakes his hand. He says that he’s been all over the world and beaten the best and if he wants to do the same in WWE, he’ll beat Roman if he has to. Roman fires back with his one liners. He says Styles has beaten everyone except him and he never will. Roman pats Styles on the shoulder and walks out.

Roman seems pretty arrogant. I’m digging it.

Lucha Dragons V The Vaudevillians

The Vaudevillians make a disappointing debut on SmackDown. Their gimmick is bound to be short-lived on the main roster. They’ll surely join The Ascension in the doghouse.

Lucha Dragons hit a sweet monkey flip into a 450 splash combo on Aiden English. Simon Gotch blind tags and hits a painful running knee to Sin Cara as he attempts to dive out the ring onto English. Kalisto gets a tag in and energizes the match as usual. Kalisto looks to hit the Salida del Sol on Gotch but English pushes Kalisto off and the Vaudevillians hit their signature, The Spinning Dervish for the pin.

There were a few highlights but I don’t see this team gaining any traction. Creative is going to sour on them, quick.

Summer Rae V Natalya

Charlotte is sitting ringside with Poppa Flair. We get a highlight from Raw when Charlotte got her ass handed to her by Natalya.

Natalya is throwing Summer Rae around the ring like a ragdoll. Summer gets some redemption by hitting a snap suplex on the outside floor. Summer locks Natalya in a cobra clutch while Charlotte goes off on the headset about how she just wants some respect.

Summer goes for a kick to Natalya but Natalya grabs her leg and locks her in a Sharpshooter for the win. Natalya and Charlotte have a stare down. Pretty decent match. I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t a squash.

Zack Ryder V The Miz: Intercontinental Championship

Ryder is in the ring and he looks intense and ready to go. Maryse is out to introduce her husband and champion, The Miz. Miz and Maryse pose on top of the stage in all their flash. I kind of like Maryse’s addition to Miz’s character. Their vain power couple gimmick is working for them.

Ryder controls the match early on but Miz switches that up by pulling Ryder off the top rope by his leg. Miz hits a ton of heavy hits on Ryder. Miz goes for a suplex but Ryder lands on his feet and turns it into a neckbreaker. Ryder goes for a dropkick from the top rope but Miz grabs him mid-air and slams him into a powerbomb. Ryder goes for a springboard splash but Miz puts up his knees. While Ryder is clutching his stomach, Miz hits a quick DDT.

Holy shit, look at these two putting on a stellar match!

Ryder gets Miz on the outside. Ryder hits a Broski Boot as Miz rests against the barricade. Ryder hits the El-bro drop for a near three count! I’m very surprised by the caliber of this matchup.

As Ryder works on Miz in the corner, Maryse unbuckles the padding from the bottom turnbuckle to distract the referee. Miz thumbs Ryder in the eye when the referee isn’t looking and then follows it up with a Skull-Crushing Finale.

Top notch bout.

Curtis Axel V Apollo Crews

The Social Outcasts play rock, paper, scissors to determine who fights Crews.

The Outcasts goof around outside the ring. Crews nails Adam Rose with a nasty looking apron clothesline. Crews makes quick work of Axel and gets the win. I think we all know how this one was going to turn out! I give Crews 3 months before Vince realizes that he himself is a racist and cuts Crews’ momentum short.

I hate to sound negative but there aren’t opportunities for African-American wrestlers in WWE. The last African-American to hold a tier-1 title was Mark Henry back in 2011. Just take a look at Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley, Shad Gaspard, Ezekiel Jackson and Titus O’ Neil. All of them had potential but were forced into lame tag-teams or jobbing stints until they faded into obscurity. It’s only a matter of time until Crews falls into that zone — which is a shame because he’s really talented.

Backstage segment:

An announcer tries to talk to Baron Corbin but he tells him to save it. He talks about what he accomplished at WrestleMania and Raw and then leaves.

Backstage segment:

Another backstage segment but with Becky Lynch this time. Becky talks about her amazing triple threat match at WrestleMania before being interrupted by Emma. They have a cringeworthy spat with some even worse puns added in.

What a pointless, pointless segment.

Dean Ambrose V Tyler Breeze

Dean Ambrose is out to a huge pop.

We get another promo with Primo and Epico sniffing flowers and urging people to visit Puerto Rico. I can practically hear their release letters being signed off on. This repackaged gimmick has absolutely zero chance of being successful.

Back in the ring, Tyler Breeze is on his way out.

I quickly glance at my phone to read a text. I look back up and…wait. The match is over?! Dean Ambrose wins, I guess.

Backstage Segment

Goldust and R-Truth try to be funny but to no avail. The segment has something to do with Hollywood. Why haven’t they fought as a tag team yet? They’ve been joking around in backstage segments for 2-3 months now? I don’t get where this is going but it’s dying quickly.

AJ Styles + Cesaro V Jericho + Kevin Owens

Cesaro comes out to the ring in a suit, again. He tears it off and the announcers call him the Swiss Superman.

Cesaro and AJ Styles make some quick tags and lay some cool sequences. Jericho throws a small tantrum on the outside of the ring and we cut to commercial. Jericho and Owens take control but Cesaro fights off with uppercuts. He runs his uppercut train then tries to lock in his Cesaro swing on Jericho and Owens, separately.

Jericho and Owens control Cesaro in the corner. Owens mocks Styles by doing his signature pose. The heels work on Cesaro so he can make the infamous hot tag. Cesaro knocks Jericho out of the ring with a huge uppercut. He goes for the big tag but Jericho pulls Styles off the apron. It almost looked like Styles jumped off on purpose.

Owens and Styles have a really strong back and forth. Styles goes for a Phenomenal forearm but Jericho pushes him off the rope. Cesaro deals with him.

Back in the ring, Owens is about to put Styles away when Sami Zayn starts walking down the ramp with WWE agents trying to shoo him away. Also, Billy Kidman is an agent now? Who knew?

Styles rolls up Owens while he’s distracted for the win. Owens runs outside and starts brawling with Zayn. The show ends with Owens being dragged out by Kidman and Jamie Noble.

Overall, this week’s SmackDown was pretty lame. If it wasn’t for The Miz V Zack Ryder and the main event, SmackDown would have been a complete let down. Like I said, the Road to WrestleMania is over. WWE is back to booking subpar shows until they have a big PPV coming up.

Wins of the night:

-Zack Ryder V The Miz

-Main Event

Fails of the night:

-All the backstage segments

-Primo and Epico’s new gimmick

-Editing of crowd reaction against Roman Reigns

Lucha Underground SN2 EP11- ‘Bird of War’

It’s week three of my Lucha Underground reviews, everybody! Before I get into this week’s episode, I’d like to thank anyone who has taken a look at my articles from the past two weeks. I love Lucha Underground and I’m happy to see so many people feel the same way! Alright, enough with that! Let’s get to this week’s episode!

This week’s episode starts out with a few recaps including the one and only, Joey Ryan’s life as an undercover cop as well as looks back at the matches from last week.

We now go to Vampiro backstage being verbally assaulted by Dario Cueto. Vampiro clearly wants to attack Dario but thinks better of it. After Cueto walks away, we see Vampiro’s shaking arm with a bottle of pills. He scarfs down multiple pills. It is a heartbreaking and intense scene. Unlike anything else you see in wrestling today.

Ladies and gentleman, it’s Joey Ryan time! We see him and Castro in the office of their captain. They recap her on recent events going on in the Temple. She wants evidence against Dario. Joey mentions how he met Dario and how Dario loved him so much that he was put in the Trios tournament. Who doesn’t love Joey Ryan? Joey Ryan is the only person in the world that can make me and Dario agree on something.

It’s time for action now! Striker mentions that Fenix will be facing Matanza tonight in the main event for the Lucha Underground Championship. The first match of the night is Ivelisse up against Kobra Moon.

These women are going at it from the start! This crowd loves Ivelisse, as do I. Ivelisse seems to have Moon’s number to start the match until a submission move is done by Moon on the ropes. Moon now tries to pin Ivelisse but she is able to kick out.

Moon tries another submission move on Ivelisse. She is ridiculously impressive with her submissions! Ivelisse refuses to give up and counters with her own submission. Moon is able to get out of it. After a bit more action, both women are now down in the ring. They get up and are throwing punches like nobody’s business! I’m loving this match!

Ivelisse hits a suplex and goes for the pin but Moon is able to kick out again. Moon then tries to pin Ivelisse after an impressive move but she kicks out as well. Ivelisse is able to get the 1,2,3 after a sunset flip. Moon is no longer undefeated in Lucha Underground. What a match! If you read my article on last week’s episode, you know how disappointed I was to see Ivelisse be the first eliminated in the Trios Championship match last week. This week she was able to shine and put on one heck of a match with Kobra Moon. Moon was very impressive in this match as well.

A vignette for Killshot is up next. Apparently he was a sniper in the army. We see him beat the hell out of some bad guys as well as shoot some. Where else in wrestling do you see a wrestler use a gun? And no, we’re not talking Brian Pillman… This vignette made a frequently underused guy like Killshot look like a total bad ass.

A backstage segment involving Famous B and Mascarita Sagrada follows. The background music makes me feel like I’m listening to a theme song from a 70’s sitcom. Famous B tells Sagrada he can make him famous.

Another backstage segment is next. This time involving Willie Mack and Sexy Star. Mack is stuck with Mariposa and The Moth in the Trios tournament and wants Sexy Star’s support. She declines and is haunted by the Moth and Mariposa as she lifts weights. One note I have to make is how impressive that tracking shot was in between the two backstage segments. The production quality and filming in Lucha Underground is always top-notch.

Match two of the night is up next. It’s Joey Ryan, Castro & Mr. Cisco up against The Mack, The Moth & Mariposa. How can you do this to me Lucha Underground? My two favorite acts in Lucha Underground against each other! This is like a parent picking a favorite child.

The match starts off with Joey Ryan and The Mack in the ring. Joey immediately tags in Mr. Cisco. Cisco and Mack fist bump and then the action starts. They go back and forth for awhile.Cisco and Mack are two guys who I’ve never particularly been fans of but I have to apologize to these two. They worked amazingly well together and started the match off way better than I would have guessed.

Ryan tags in and wants to face Mariposa. Mariposa then tags in. Creepy Joey Ryan everybody… You gotta love it! They go at it until Mariposa tags in The Moth. He is taken down by Ryan who then tags in Castro. Cisco is quickly tagged in too. While the ref isn’t looking, Mariposa kicks Cisco in the back of the head. Mariposa tags in and they hit that move I loved from last week where The Moth picks up Mariposa and throws her onto their opponent. Cisco kicks out. Mariposa then tags The Moth back in. They seem to be ignoring Willie Mack entirely. Cisco is taking a beating but is able to kick out again. He eventually hits a neckbreaker that allows him to tag in Castro. Some action between The Moth and Castro occurs before Willie Mack and Joey Ryan tag themselves in. The Moth is very unhappy even though The Mack is manhandling Ryan.

All six members of the match are going at it now. As I previously stated, I have to apologize to Willie Mack. He has made me a fan in this match and no matter the outcome has been the star of it. A guy of his size taking a dive over the top rope is beyond spectacular. The Mack throws Ryan into the ring for a pin but The Moth tags himself in. The Moth and The Mack won’t stop slapping each other even though they are teammates in the particular match. The Mack eventually hits a stunner on The Moth and Joey Ryan gets the pin and the win for his team. Joey Ryan celebrates like he just won the Super Bowl and completely ignore his teammates in the process.

After the match, Mariposa attacks The Mack but he is saved by Sexy Star. These women are about to fight!  Sexy Star attacks Mariposa. Mariposa is barely able to return any type of attack. First that fantastic match between Ivelisse and Kobra Moon to start off the show. Now this beatdown between Sexy Star and Mariposa. There is no better place in the world for women’s wrestling than Lucha Undeground! You can quote me on that.

Rey Mysterio and Dragon Azteca speak outside. They seem to be speaking on the roof of the Temple to be exact. Mysterio clearly is the mentor of Azteca and gives him some wise words particulary about Matanza. They will be in the Trios Tournament next week and their partner will be Prince Puma.

The main event of the evening is upon us and it is for the Lucha Underground Championship! It’s former champ, Fenix up against the man who took the title from him, Matanza.

The match starts off with Matanza throwing Fenix completely across the ring. Matanza is a killer. He almost even goes after the referee. Fenix is able to hit a few moves on Matanza but not enough to have any effect. Matanza continues to abuse Fenix. He does it specifically with consistent suplexes. Fenix seems to have no fight left in him. As I write that, he proves me wrong and gets Matanza with a kick and move off the turnbuckle. They fight outside the ring as Dario tells Matanza “remember mom”.

Matanza throws Fenix brutally to the ground outside the ring. He brings him back in and gets the win. Matanza is superb as a monster. I’m not sure if there is anyone better at giving a beating than Matanza. After the match, Catrina distracts Matanza while Mil Muertes attacks him from behind. Muertes is the first person in Lucha Underground to get some legitimate attacks in on Matanza. What a feud this will be!

That is Lucha Underground for this week. I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this week’s episode. There was not a dull moment this week. I was 100% entertained for the full hour. Lucha Underground may be the only show I can genuinely say that about. I can’t wait to see what is in coming up next week on Lucha Underground!

RAW After WrestleMania 32

The RAW after WrestleMania has become an event in and of itself. The commentators even made it a point to call out the rowdiness of the crowd at the top of the show. Most likely to cover their asses for shoddy booking?

April 4th, 2016’s edition of Monday Night RAW was no different. The crowd was hot and ready to boo Roman Reigns out of Texas, forever.

Opener:

The show started with Vince McMahon walking out to his theme music being sung by the crowd. A forced grin appears along his face as he pointed out how crazy the WWE Universe can get after WrestleMania. You can always tell when Vinnie Mac is improvising his lines. He starts smiling like crazy and just yells and waves his hands around.

He speaks to Shane’s loss at WM and how The Authority is reeling from the events of Sunday night. He admits that he gained some respect for Shane after seeing him leap off the top of Hell in a Cell onto a bare announce table (which was amazing, BTW). He saw his passion but also his foolishness. The “Shane O Mac” chants begin and Vince signs off. As luck would have it, Shane McMahon’s music hits and you hear an uproar of excitement from the fans.

Shane limps out to address Vince and the fans. He says as the only man in the family, he wants to shake Vince’s hand and admit that he lost. He also wants to thank the fans for welcoming him back with such passion and says he’ll never forget the experience he went through. He begins to leave the stage and Vince tells him to stop. Vince refuses to be upstaged and agrees to give Shane temporary control of RAW, just to see how he’ll fair. The crowd goes nuts, Shane smiles, Vince leaves and The New Day is up next.

The New Day (Kingston & Big E) V League of Nations (Sheamus & Barrett) – Tag Team Championship:

The League of Nations make their way out to heavy boos. They go for their weird 4-man wave and Alberto is resisting hard. As Rusev, Barrett and Sheamus bow all the way down and back up for their salute, Alberto half-asses it. He seems to be embarrassed in this stable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he quit soon.

Pretty standard tag team match. Nothing exciting except for the crowd’s enthusiasm with The New Day’s trombone antics. If anyone doubts how over New Day is with the fans, just think back to last year’s RAW after WM. That’s when Sheamus returned with his new look and got wrecked by “you look stupid” chants. The New Day was exciting enough to keep the attention on them and away from the miscellaneous chants the crowd resorts to when they’re bored (which always happens when Sheamus is in the ring).

The New Day come out victorious and retain their Tag Team gold. Once they dance their way out of the ring, Sheamus grabs a mic and starts bitching about how the LoN is a team of world-class athletes. He says they’re only as strong as their weakest link and then orders Rusev and Del Rio to hold up Barrett so Sheamus can deliver the Brogue Kick. I guess Barrett’s out of the team. That’s okay, I’m sure he’s going to find another stable to join/create. It’s the only way he stays relevant in WWE (which is a shame).

After the kick, Sheamus, Rusev and Del Rio stand tall until they get interrupted by The Wyatt Family. The Wyatt Family come out and makes quick work of the LoN. The crowd starts chanting “Thank You Wyatt”.

I honestly can’t believe why WWE keeps booking The Wyatt Family so poorly. They have a solid gimmick and the crowd loves them. They did not deserve that segment with The Rock and John Cena at WrestleMania. They should have had a match and they should have won that match. I hope their feud with LoN gives them the spotlight they deserve.

Backstage segment:

We see Renee Young following Vince McMahon to his limo. Vince says he’s leaving because he doesn’t want to see Shane sink the ship. I’m interested to see where this angle goes. Perhaps they’re setting up for Shane V HHH for control over RAW or SD? I heard WWE is spit-balling the idea of splitting their brands up…again.

Sasha Banks V Summer Rae

 We’re back in the ring and Summer Rae is just wasting oxygen by garnering cheap heat until Banks makes her way out. Sasha Banks comes out and talks some smack before starting the match. There wasn’t really a point to this bout. It was slotted in so RAW could capitalize on Sasha Bank’s popularity post-WrestleMania. Banks makes quick work of Rae and forces her to tap via the Bank Statement.

Apollo Crews V Tyler Breeze

Up next is a squash match so WWE can showcase their next black superstar with a name derived from Roman history/mythology, Apollo Crews. He’s following the footsteps of Tony Atlas and the still-under-suspension-for-nothing, Titus O’ Neil. I can’t wait for the eventual debut of ‘Zeus Major’. Did I just make that up or is it real? No one will ever know…

Crews hits a few of his notable moves from NXT and covers for the 1-2-3.

Roman Reigns in-ring segment 

The moment everyone was waiting for. Roman Reigns is up next to showcase his new title. The moment Reign’s music hits, boos erupted from every corner of the arena. WWE tries to focus on the two tiny pro-Roman Reign signs in the crowd but are overpowered by the strength of the post-WrestleMania crowd’s hate.

Despite the jeers, Roman is loving every second of it, and you know what? It works for him. Roman glows as a smug and arrogant. The character fits him perfectly. That’s who he should be! He’s the guy who knows he’s the shit and doesn’t care what people think. Everything, from his cocked eyebrows to his body language screamed IDGAF if you hate me or not, I’m the champ. Way better than that lame “I want to be the guy who tells you to never give up” shtick.

Roman is simple with his words. He says that if anyone wants a shot at his title, they should come to the ring, now. After that, we have Jericho, AJ Styles, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn all enter the ring. They go after one another until Jericho is left standing. Roman nails Jericho with a spear and walks to the back in a shower of boos.

I’m not a fan of Roman as champ but if he sticks with this attitude, I will be.

Backstage segment

Shane runs into Roman and informs him that Jericho, Owens, Zayn and Styles will have a fatal 4-way tonight to determine a number 1 contender (because WWE’s rematch clause is as inconsistent as Big Show’s Heel/Face switches).

Baron Corbin V Dolph Ziggler

*Sigh* Here comes Dolph Ziggler so he can be made an example of.

Corbin says he doesn’t care if anyone knows who he is, he has the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale trophy and that’s all that matters.

Ziggler and Corbin have a decent back-and-forth match which results in a double count-out so Corbin can throw poor Ziggler into all sorts of set pieces. Corbin blames what he did on the referee’s decision to count them out.

The camera pans to a lifeless Ziggler and you can’t help but think that he could have been one of WWE’s top stars right now if he didn’t receive that concussion via Alberto Del Rio a couple of years back. It’s such a damn shame.

Zack Ryder V The Miz 

Zack Ryder comes out to say a few words about his championship win. The crowd chants “you deserve it” and Ryder soaks it in. He says he wants to thank his father for always supporting him. The camera pans to his dad and he looks like he just banged out a couple of pushups because he’s jacked as hell.

The Miz comes out in a golden trench coat which he stole from the Gods of Egypt set. He says that the title was at his fingertips at WrestleMania. If Ryder hadn’t snuck up from behind and pushed him off at the last second, he would be the rightful champion.

Miz goats Ryder into defending his title by insulting his relationship with his dad.

Ryder and Miz put up a decent back-and-froth. Ryder gets a 2 ½ count after he nails the El-bro drop. The crowd is really behind Ryder. He’s getting the same reaction as he did back when he was US champion. I really think this will be his big break. I’m confident WWE won’t screw this momentum up…

Near the end of the match, Miz gets into Zack Ryder’s dad’s face. Mr. Ryder stiff arms Miz and the crowd loves it. Ryder is about to pick up the win when Maryse – former Diva and Miz’s current wife – storms over the security barricade and starts yelling at Ryder’s dad. She slaps him and diverts Ryder’s attention away from Miz – who nails Ryder with the Skull Crushing Finale. Miz covers Ryder and wins the Intercontinental championship!

For fuck’s sake.

History repeats itself and Ryder is on the losing end of the stick. I hope WWE is planning something because people aren’t happy.

Backstage segment:

 Renee Young talks with Kevin Owens. Owens says Sami Zayn won’t leave him alone and that it took Zayn and 5 other men to strip him of the Intercontinental championship. He says he’s on to bigger and better things. He vows to win the #1 contender match.

Women’s championship ceremony: 

Every WWE diva is in the ring as Lita introduces Charlotte and Ric Flair. Charlotte starts talking about how the new Women’s championship is a step forward for any woman who wants to be a wrestler. She tries to continue but the raucous crowd is singing some song lyrics and hijacking the attention.

Whenever there is an in-ring segment featuring a ceremony or crowning of sorts, no one is interested. Remember the infamous ‘championship ascension’ when the RAW crowd drowned out HHH with Daniel Bryan chants? WWE writers should really stop writing these segments in.

Back to the ceremony; Charlotte switches gears and starts bragging about how she’s new to the main roster and already accomplished so much. She talks down to all the other divas and they walk out in protest. She continues to gloat until Natalya grabs the mic. Natalya tells Charlotte that she needs to learn a lesson in humility and that if she wants to prove her genetic superiority, she should do so by facing a member of another famous family, the Harts. Charlotte says some shit and Natalya takes her down and locks her into the Sharpshooter. Flair pulls Charlotte out of the ring and they walk out.

WWE recently switched the ‘Divas’ section of their website to ‘female superstars’. Hopefully, the rise of the Women’s championship signals the end of cringe-worthy 10-female tag team matches which only last 5 minutes and mainly consist of screaming and botches.

Backstage segment:

Renee Young is back but this time with AJ Styles. Styles says there’s an era of change in WWE and that era is going to be phenomenal.

I wasn’t really paying attention. I was distracted by Style’s perfectly conditioned hair.

Primo and Epico video package:

We see a video package of Primo and Epico in Puerto Rico sniffing some damn flowers. They urge people to come to Puerto Rico and smell the said flowers.

Really? ANOTHER gimmick for Primo and Epico? Are they Puerto Rican travel agents, now? Isn’t this their 3^rd try as a tag-team? Did WWE not foresee Los Matadores completely bombing?

Ugh! I love WWE but some of the decisions they make are infuriating.

The Dudley Boyz V The Usos: Tables Match

In a rematch from WrestleMania, The Dudley Boyz face off against The Usos in a tables match. This match was pretty boring. Even with tables involved!

The Usos and Dudleys fightt outside for a bit and then make their way to the ring. Usos prop The Dudleys on two separate tables so they can hit a splash from the top rope just like they did at WrestleMania. The Dudleys roll off at the last second and send the Usos crashing through the table.

Backstage segment 

Sami Zayn speaks to his chance at the WWE Championship. He wants to prove that he has what it takes to make it. Unfortunately, he can’t prove it tonight because here comes Kevin Owens with a classic backstage ambush.

Oh, that dastardly Kevin Owens, what will he get up to next?

 In-ring segment 

Back in the ring, The Dudley Boyz are still flapping their mouths to the crowd. They’re on their way out when suddenly some familiar Italian music hits and the crowd pops like crazy.

Out come Enzo and Cass to a loud “How Ya Doin’?” chant. I never witnessed any of Enzo and Cass’s antics before but after this segment, I was pretty hooked. I can see why people love them.

Enzo and Cass rip into the Dudley Boyz and challenge them to a fight, which the Dudleys promptly refuse.

The crowd was on fire for this segment. They hung on every word coming out of Enzo’s mouth and repeated every notable line. Great stuff. A very enjoyable segment.

SAWFT!

Fatal 4-Way: #1 Contenders Match

We get all contenders out to the ring sans Sami Zayn. Lillian Garcia informs us that he is not medically cleared to wrestle after his backstage altercation. Although, they’ve found a replacement.

At this point, I was holding my breath, hoping that it wouldn’t be John Cena.

Suddenly, blood started trickling out of my ears. That only happens when I hear a high-pitched siren. Is it? YES! It is! Cesaro is the 4^th contender!

Cesaro walks out in a full suit to a huge ovation. He poses a little then rips off the suit to reveal his wrestling gear. He’s ready to fight.

The match starts and the crowd is chanting for Cesaro. Remember when Vince said Cesaro wasn’t resonating with the WWE Universe? Me neither.

All men quickly go after one another until Cesaro and Styles are left in the ring. Styles hits a stiff dropkick. Cesaro returns the favor with a dizzying tilt-a-whirl slam. He screams into the crowd to a huge cheer.

Fast-forward a few minutes and the crowd has burst into a “This is wrestling” chant which I’ve never heard before. That can only be the sign of a great main event!

Jericho and Owens look to double superplex Styles. Cesaro sneaks in and adds a powerbomb into the mix. The three fallen men retrieve to individual turnbuckles and Cesaro starts his uppercut train. He nails Jericho but gets derailed my Owens. Owens runs past Cesaro and hits a corner somersault onto Jericho. Styles floors Owens and Cesaro returns to hit Styles with a pop-up uppercut for a near fall.

Jericho thumbs the eye of Cesaro and begins to work on Owens. Jericho goes for the Lionsault but Owens puts his knees up. Jericho lies flat on his back and Styles lands a springboard 450 splash out of nowhere! This match is hype!

Owens is in to work on Styles. He calls out Aj Styles’ “stupid haircut” and ducks out of the way of a Cesaro crossbody attempt.

Cesaro pretty much owns the ring for the next 2 minutes, hitting countless corner uppercuts and even locks Jericho into a Cesaro swing for 10 roations. The man’s conditioning is uncanny.

Owens hits a Pop-up Powerbomb on Styles, Jericho hits a Codebreaker on Owens and locks in the Walls of Jericho on Cesaro. Cesaro counters into a Sharpshooter and Styles breaks it up with a Phenomenal forearm! Jesus Christ. I can’t keep up.

Styles clears the ring until it’s only him and Jericho. They struggle for a bit until Jericho hits the Codebreaker for a 2 ¾ count. He argues with the ref, giving Styles enough time to hit the Styles Clash and secure the victory!

Styles is going to be facing Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight championship.

What a match!

Summary:

Overall, RAW after WrestleMania was a noteworthy affair. It could have been way better if they didn’t include the filler matches but I get they wanted to include all the stand-outs from WrestleMania. The main event was definitely the highlight of the night. You don’t often see Fatal Four-Ways where all the participants are in the ring. Usually 2 people lie on the outside for the majority. I’m also going to give it up to Enzo and Cass for sparking the crowd back up after they started to lull. But as always, the biggest winners of Raw after WrestleMania are the crowd members. They were hotter than usual and it made for an entertaining night.

 

 

 

 

 

The TakeOver Dallas Review – “Wrestling Panto & Panache”

NXT! NXT! NXT!

Whats up Wrestling Peeps! And WOW what a night for wrestling. In the words of Corey Graves this really is NXT’s WreslteMania and boy did the yellow brand not let us down. Dreams where made and more than some were broken … ah heck, lets jump straight into it shall we.

So in an opening match that had everything from flips-to-fists, American Alpha walked out as your new NXT Tag Team Champions but The Revival did not make it easy for them. In a near 20 minute match I was hooked from the offing. Given that Chad Gable and Jason Jordan leave it in the ring each and every night it was surprising to see how much of an in-depth story these guys can carry in-between the ropes. Yes it was flippy and show-boatey but hey it’s what these guys do best and the audience lap it up. I say carry however, in regards to American Alpha, because The Revival (in particular Scott Dawson) really executed a compelling narrative using the audiences vocal dislike (good-job Dallas) for the old-school-pair to their advantage. Even the Botch-A-Mania moment that the audience really railed them for (although take a look back guys, Gable didn’t help the spot, just sayin‘) helped to compound the desperation of the Champions continuous use of dirty tactics. Leading to a satisfying end where the eventual winners defeated the underhanded villains. Its was like Wrestling-Panto.

“He’s behind you Gable!“

WWE’s video packages are always great but their work for the Baron Corbin & Austin Aires feud highlighted the core values of Corbins’ quarrel with Aires. Fear.

Corbin has been on a downward spiral since being the sacrificial lamb in the Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe saga. Sitting back, watching as these two superstars fight-it-out for the top spot really has to get your goat. So for an accomplished wrestler like Aires to come to NXT and call himself the greatest thing since slice bread (No.2), makes Corbin feel like he has been put out to pasture.

Wow, so many live-stock references. Well he is the Lone-Wolf after all, Bazinga!

Speaking or Aires, check out his sparkling self. He wouldn’t be out-of-place in Magic Mike 3, hey if Kevin Nash can do it (*shudders*) … anybody can.

This was a surprisingly sloooow match, not bad but meh not great. As a rule, I don’t dig matches such as these unless it features a comprehensive storyteller which Corbin just isn’t yet. That reversal of the End-of-Days into a pin was a great finish though.

Moving on.

Shinsuke Nakamura, Holy Shit! So jarring in the land of WWE yet oh-so-Brilliant. How long do with have this dude for? Oh really? Double it, Triple it, Quad-f@#king-duple it!

I spoke about storytelling early on but nothing compares to the talents of these two. In short, this was a showcase match in which Nakamura chewed up every inch of it with an influx of charisma and wrestling panache.

A thoroughly enjoyable back-and-fourth match that had a strong ebb-and-flow with both men trying to one-up each other. Ultimately Nakamura shined in his debut but Sami Zayn was not an afterthought, proving that he has a bright future on the Main Roster and an uncanny ability to produce Match of the year material when given the chance.

Was this a goodbye match for Zayn? You have to wonder but what a match to go out on.

From a Holy Shit to WTF! Did not see Bayley losing the title, it was a possibility, a definite possibility given how dangerous Asuka is but still, feelings right now, so many feels.

Bayley and Asuka are two of my faves on the NXT Roster right now but I was totally under whelmed by this match, which only further compounds my disappointment with a Asuka win. Both women put on a great show but something about the submission holds and the direction the match took seemed clunky to me – or better yet – obscure with what story the wrestlers were trying to tell.

At moments we saw Asuka in trouble when Bayley deliberately targeted her competitors knees only for The Empress to jump straight back to feet and nail the Champ with a kick to the face. I get fighting through the pain and with wrestling there is an inherent need to suspend belief but c’mon.

Okay I’ve vented. Bright side, this does further the title with regards to whom will challenge the new champ going forward. Bayley will no doubt get her rematch but past that, could we see a prolonged feud between Asuka and Emma going forward?

My fingers are crossed.

As the night came to an end we finally got to see Samoa Joe get another crack at Champion Finn Balor’s title. And for a match that was as hard-hitting as their first in TakeOver London, The Demon was in the details.

When Joe started bleeding I assumed, like many, it was just a mistake. They happen, superstars get cut open and the red flows freely. However, with continuous interference from the medical team (tend to those cuts kids) I started to get a whiff of a screw-job going down here.

As many of my loyal readers will know, I’ve been Nostradamus-ing a Balor Heel-Turn for some time now. So the insistence of the medical staff to tend to Joe’s – can only assume – life threatening injury when the Big-Guy was on a roll. Started to get me excited that an Authority-style ruse was in play.

As with many of my predictions, of course, I was wrong. However, this was a litany of errors that put a bad taste – not only in my mouth – but the Dallas crowd. Whose chants of “Bullshit!” only made the Heel of the match looked downright sympathetic. Especially given the hoops that Joe had to jump through just to get this shot in the first place.

I can let this go because obviously it was just happen-stance but the theme of the night has been storytelling and in this case, it soured towards the end.

With Joe rumoured to make the jump to the Main Roster this coming Monday (we will see), it might be the right time to find some fresh-meat for the Demon to Chow-down on.

For all your NXT-News-Reviews-And-Pay-Per-Views, stick with @mitch_rated only on Skatronixxx

Lucha Underground SN2 EP10 – ‘El Jefe is Back’

What’s up luchadores and luchadoras! I’m back for my second week of reviewing the greatest hour of wrestling on TV each week, Lucha Underground.

We were treated with a five star match last week. Let’s see what we have going on in The Temple this week!

We start out this week with a some recaps including the debut of Matanza from last week as well as a few other refreshers on current feuds in Lucha Underground.

El Jefe is in the ring! Oh how we missed you Dario! Pentagon Jr. interrupts Cueto while he is announcing a new Trios tournament and new #1 contender for the Lucha Underground Championship. Pentagon wants to face Matanza. They will face each other for the title tonight. You’ll regret that Pentagon! Rather than ‘cero miedo’ you’ll have mucho miedo after facing Matanza.

This first match of the night is Taya & Johnny Mundo vs. Mr. Cisco & Cortez Castro. Taya and Cortez start the match off. Striker mentioning Taya being taller than Cortez gave me a good laugh. Sorry for that Cortez. Mundo tags himself in while Taya is impressing the #LuchaKliq at the Temple. He violently punches Cisco in the face multiple times. Cisco and Mundo go back and forth for a bit as both lay in the ring trying to tag in their partners. They both get to their partners. Castro pins Taya after a bit of action but Mundo stops it.

Now we hear “I’m a Machine!”. Cage is out to continue his feud with Mundo. Mundo runs off leaving Taya alone in the ring with both Castro & Cisco. They get the 1, 2, 3. This was a pretty solid first match to start the show.

Up next is a fantastic vignette involving Mariposa and Marty The Moth. Let’s just leave it at the fact that you don’t want to mess with Mariposa. The Moth and Mariposa are quickly becoming one of my favorite acts in Lucha Underground! I always liked Mariposa before she came to Lucha Underground,  so I’m glad she’s getting the chance to shine here.

We are then treated with a backstage promo between Dario and Catrina. Thank god you are back in charge Dario! Catrina threatens Dario that her man should be champ and not Matanza.

Match #2 of the night is up next and it’s a elimination match for the Trios Championship. It’s great to have Ivelisse, Angelico and Son of Havoc as champs again. I can’t imagine Lucha Underground without them. They will be facing the Disciples of Death.

We start of with some action between Angelico And Barrio Negro. Son of Havoc and Ivelisse also get involved and continue to beat the hell out of Negro. How dare you call Ivelisse the weakest Matt Striker! She’s the baddest bitch in Lucha Underground for goodness sake! Ivelisse is eliminated due to outside involvement from Catrina.

The action continues between the remaining men in the match. Angelico eliminate Trece. It’s now two on two. Angelico and Havoc have the moves of the night so far by going over the ropes and landing on the Disciples of Death. Angelico is next to be eliminated. The move that eliminated Angelico made me cringe. Son of Havoc is now all alone.

Havoc eliminates Negro to make it a one on one match. Ivelisse is back out to attack Catrina. Gotta love Striker calling Havoc a “bearded bastard”. The best commentator in all of wrestling is Matt Striker and I don’t think it’s even arguable. Havoc gets the win for his team to retain the titles. All in all, a pretty good match but I would have preferred more Ivelisse. Son of Havoc stole the show in that match.

We are then treated with more Dario Cueto backstage. This time with Rey Mysterio. Mysterio confronts Cueto about issues he has with Matanza, who he feels attacked his mentor.

Willie Mack and Sexy Star wait in the ring for the third match of the night. Sexy Star will be facing of against Mariposa. The Moth will also be ringside.

Mariposa and Sexy Star go at it. This kind of action doesn’t happen anywhere else. These are two of the most talented women in wrestling. It has to be said that Marty is one creepy son of a gun and you have to love him for it! Mariposa hits Sexy with what she calls ‘The Butterfly Effect’ to win the match. The Moth & Mariposa then attack Willie Mack as he is checking on Sexy Star. That move where The Moth picked up Mariposa and proceeded to throw her on Mack may be the highlight of the night for me.

The main event is next and it’s for the Lucha Underground Championship. Pentagon Junior watch your back! Matanza is coming for you! This match will be like something you’d see in a comic book. A young kid by me at the taping I attended described Matanza as, “like Bane from Batman but if he were a wrestler”.

Pentagon continually attacks Matanza to start of the match but it seems to have no effect. Matanza is a killer ladies & gents! He chucks Pentagon into the wooden chairs at ringside. Told you you’d regret it Pentagon! Matanza is probably the strongest and most intimidating guy I’ve ever seen in wrestling. Matanza easily defeats Pentagon to remain champ.

Vampiro enters the same ring as Matanza after the match. Man, Vampiro has some cajones! To no ones surprise, he is attacked by Matanza. Way to help out your buddy, Striker! I take back what I said earlier. Matanza then throws Pentagon through the commentary table. And that’s how we end Lucha Underground this week.

We were treated with another great hour of wrestling on Lucha Underground this week. The highlights being the singles debut of Mariposa, Son of Havoc in the Trios match and the continuing dominance of Matanza.