Smackdown Live 24/8/2016

Hey guys I’m back! Y’know me…. Parzy? Ok its been a long month and a lot has changed so I’ll forgive you. This is where I’d say that Smackdown is hot off of Summerslam but to be honest, are we? I mean what did Smackdown do during Summerslam? A subpar WWE title match with no title change, a forgettable Intercontinental match, an alright women’s match, Randy Orton’s bleeding all over the ring. There’s nothing reall- JOHN CENA LOST CLEAN! God that match was so damn good, AJ Styles kicking out of that Super AA nearly gave me a heart attack.God I love AJ Styles.

We open in the locker room, superstars are chatting, including Corbin and a masked Rowan, until someone enters. The new face that runs this place, AJ Styles, he gloats as he puts Cena’s armband on his head (Cena’s biceps are so fucking big) before noticing Dolph Ziggler sulking. AJ tells him that he hates losers before Dolph erupts and attacks him, the two are quickly seperated before the opening credits role.

The Tag team and Women’s division line the ring with some new belts in the center, both of which looking better than the Universal title. The titles are great but there are really so little people to contend for the titles, I mean six women for the title sort of diminishes its importance. The Tag Team division is looking more full though, with any team being possible champs, though some more than others (American Alpha man). Shane and Daniel are interupted by top free agent HEATH SLATER. He announces that he wants a title of some kind. When told that he isnt equipped to get the Women’s title, he announces that he’ll find a tag team partner and win the Tag Team title at Backlash. As he runs backstage to get a partner, AJ Styles comes out infuriated. As he lambasts the Tag Team division, the women’s title and the g- Dolph Ziggler! Obviously the locker room comments were too much for Dolph to handle, as he attacks AJ, starting another feud that he’s sure to lose. We go to adverts as they’re held apart.

Becky Lynch vs Alexa Bliss

Our first match of the night sees Lynch fighting Bliss as Naomi and Natalya commentate. Naomi has been so over since her rebrand, it’s unreal. It’s great too, the women’s division didn’t hhave time for a character who’s entire gimmick was ‘She has a big ass’. I wonder if Tamina will get similar treatment when she comes back. Natalya doesnt really do much. Lynch and Bliss put on a good match to open the night, with Bliss tapping out to Lynch after a short bout.

Winner by Submission: Becky Lynch

Next we get our first Slater backstage promo which had me laughing. Slater is surprised by a shockingly happy Miz as he agrees with Slater’s  proposal, saying that it’ll launch his career to new heights. Then he takes off his hood and reveals his bluetooth headset, he was accepting a job offer from Spielberg to be the new Indianna Jones. I’d prefer a movie of his chicken character from Summerslam but beggers can’t be choosers. Slater’s quest goes on.

Tag Team Tournemant Round 1: The Uso’s vs The Ascension

We start the tournemant with a battle of the jobbers, while The Usos are less jobberly, I hope The Ascension at least get to the second round of this tournemant. They desperately need a push of some kind. It pleases me that the crowd is so alive for this match though, chanting in response to Jey’s ‘OOOS’ yells and gasping where appropriate, maybe these teams are back on the up and up, at least to this crowd. The match ends with the Usos’ getting a win after an impressive finisher gets the pin for them. As The Usos advance and stand next to the titles (They look so good compared to my expectations) We find out that Randy Orton will be back to explain Summerslam’s ending tonight.

Winner By Pinfall: The Usos

AJ Styles, clad with Cena’s sweatband on his arm walks out to the ring and pulls out a mic. He gloats about his victory over Cena and allows Cena fans to look to him as their new idol. Felt like when when Harry Potter died and Voldemort invited people to look to him as a role model. God I love AJ’s heel work so much. As AJ yells at the crowd, Dolph Ziggler once again comes out, before being stopped by security. Daniel Bryan announces that they’ll fight tonight, if AJ wins, he faces Dean for the WWE Title at Backlash, if Dolph wins, so does he. I honestly don’t know what I want.

Carmella comes out, the crowd is almost silent. Why doesn’t the crowd like Carmella? she deserves so much more. At this rate she won’t get a pop until she shares a promo with Enzo and Cass. Nikki Bella comes out and completely crushes her pop, as she starts an interview with Renee Young, Carmella attacks. Maybe a heel run will get her the attention she requires. Oh shit it does. The Bella Buster she performs on Nikki actually gets her a cheer. This could be a good rivalry. Face Nikki vs Heel Carmella is what they both need right now, especially since being face did nothing for Carmella.

Randy Orton comes out to thunderous applause as he sports 1o staples in his noggin. Randy is annoyed, that Shane intervened in his match, believing that he could have went on, but he’s confident that they’ll have a rematch one day. He can’t say anymore as he is interupted by Bray Wyatt. God I love Bray Wyatt. His accent just puts me behind his promos instantly. ‘How’s your head randy?’ He compliments Randy’s fortitude, but chalks his loss up to his limits as a man. While Bray himself is a god. Bray begins to remove his jacket before he disapears, leaving the rocking chair empty.

We go backstage as Shane Mcmahon is interviewed, accusing Stephanie of not taking the incident with Brock seriously enough. He says that a $500 fine is a miserable punishment, and that he isn’t finished with Brock. Oh god, Team Shane vs Team Brock at Survivor Series please.

Heath Slater’s quest  for a partner continues, as he asks his final potential partner, Arn Anderson. Anderson declines, but tries to set him up with something before Slater lets slip that he was his last hope. Anderson leaves and Slater is crushed, until a new partner enters the picture. Rhyno!

‘I bet a Tag Team Title could pay for an above ground pool’

‘Did we just become Tag Team Partners?!’

This could be good.

Tag Team Championship Tournemant Round 1: American Alpha vs Breezango

Both of these teams should have went through to the next round over the Usos and The Ascension, instead  we’re probably losng Breezango so AA may live. American Alpha dominate, completely pumping the crowd up to give out USA chants. even though they’re sure to lose, Breezango put on their best performances, with breeze selling like a champ to the armbar. After the adverts the match gets elecric, with both teams stepping up their game, with huge moves and tonnes of exchanged near falls. Breezango have come a long way from their sunburnt match with The Golden Truth. However, an Alphaplex to a  Grand Amplitude puts Breeze in the ground, allowing Alpha to get the pin.

Winner by Pinfall: American Alpha

Dean Ambrose comes down from the casino to make an appearance as he’s interviewed about what he thinks of the #1 contenders match at the end of the show, he seems wholly unconcerned with it, although he will provide commentary.

Dolph Ziggler vs AJ Styles

Loving these new ringposts, the new look just makes the show feel more fresh, I was hoping they’d stay after Summerslam and I’m glad they did, definitely a good addition. The same goes for the grey mats. Oh yeah also the main event is on. Ambrose compliments Ziggler as the match goes on, bringing up his new aggressiveness and power since they started their feud. It shows as he dominates the early match, could this be the start of a new heel turn for Ziggler? Then again, the aggressive nature is making this match sloppy as hell, just like it did on Sunday. Hopefully if he goes heel he’ll at least put some more finesse into it. Ambrose completely outshines Otunga and JBL on colour commentary, showing them up at their own game. Those two have been terrible tonight and Ambrose’s success with limited experience shows that off really well.

The ending of the match is ridiculously close, with multiple near calls and masterful last second kickouts, the closest being Dolph’s pin after superkicking Styles. This completely  picks up the drama and draws ‘this is Awesome’ chants from the crowd. This main event is probably better than the title match on Sunday. In the end though, Styles is too much for Ziggler.I feel so bad for Dolph though, this may have been his last push for a title and it ended at this match. I hope he gets something after this.

Winner by Pinfall: AJ Styles

Overall, that was a great Smackdown, setting up interesting storylines and introducing great looking titles (although a bit too similar to the Raw ones). While, I won’t make a habit of this, I have to bring attention to the destruction of Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack.

That has to have been the best promo of The Miz’s career and it wasnt even on the main show. I originally saw Talking Smack as a cash in on the Talking Bad/Talking Dead formula but if it blurs the lines between shoot and work like this so often, I need to watch it some more and so should you. Other highlights of Talking Smack included The Usos being allowed personality and more expansion on the Bella/Carmella feud. Great Smackdown, great Talking Smack, watch the clip again.

Have a good one, and find me on Twitter @Oliverwoodster

‘SmackDown Live’ Introduces Two New Titles

In a move that has been much-anticipated since SmackDown Live GM Daniel Bryan announced it prior to  last Sunday’s SummerSlam. The Blue brand has finally given their Women and Tag Team Superstars their own Gold to fight for.

Following in the footsteps of UFC, uniformity seems to be on the minds of the WWE top brass with both of SmackDown’s newest titles mirroring their Monday Night RAW counterparts. The SmackDown Women’s Title retains the white strap with a Blue faceplate while the new SmackDown Tag Team Title looks dramatically different. Gone has the Bronze-plating that fans have derived for so long and replaced with a Silver face plate and side shields that compliments the new dark Blue strap.

Fan reaction overall has been more positive to the new belts, certainly more with regards to RAW’s Universal Title, that was audible booed during the SummerSlam broadcast on Sunday. But maybe the Red brand can still get it right when their bring the Cruiserweight division to Monday Nights on September 19.

Both belts will be awarded during SmackDown Live’s first Exclusive PPV BackLash on September 11. When the finalists of the Tag Team Tournament (that is currently underway) will face-off while the SmackDown Women’s Division will compete in a Six-Pack Challenge.

So Wrestling Peeps, your thoughts on the New Belts? As always you can hit-us-up on the comments below or find us on Twitter.

For all your Wrestling News & Reviews, stick with @mitchrated only on Skatronixxx

UFC 202 Main Card Results

 

So this weekend we finally got around to UFC 202 and the much anticipated rematch between Conor McGregor Vs Nate Diaz. We also saw fights between Anthony Johnson Vs Glover Teixeira, Doanld Cerrone Vs Rick Story, Mike Perry Vs Hyun Gyu Lim and Tim Means Vs Sabah Homasi.

Conor McGregor Vs Nate Diaz – Winner Conor McGregor Majority Decision

So this was the fight everyone was waiting for and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest, McGregor came out with a completely different game plan to the first fight landing some brutal leg kicks throughout the fight on Diaz’s lead leg. McGregor also managed to knock down Diaz three times during the fight but instead of running in like a Bull in a China shop he allowed Diaz to get back up to his feet before unleashing more brutal kicks to the legs and punches to the head causing a nasty cut above Dias’s eye and there was blood pouring out of it during the fight.

The only questions raise of McGregor during the fight was his cardio as he began to look sluggish at the end of the second round and during the 3rd round which allowed Diaz back into the fight. Diaz managing to get McGregor up against the cage and land some good shots but on the other side McGregor did some good work covering up against a lot of these and even managing to lands some good shots of his own and at points turning on the cage and taking control of Diaz. At the end of the fight Diaz finally managed to get McGregor to the mat and lands some good shots before the final buzzer went.

At the end of the fight the pair showed a mutual respect to each other for the war that had just taken place. McGregor was announced the winner by majority decision with one of the judges scoring the contest a draw. McGregor decided to grab the mic and announce ‘Surprise Surprise the fucking king is back’ he also said he would fight Diaz again but the fight would have to be at 155lbs and not 170lbs. Diaz during his interview said he wanted the third fight as well but didn’t say at what weight and that he would not be returning to the UFC until he was given this fight.

You could also hear McGregor admit to his trainer that he thinks he has broken his foot this came from the brutal kicks he landed on Diaz and this could have appeared to be true as McGregor limped out of the arena.

Anthony Johnson Vs Glover Teixeira – Winner Anthony Johnson by KO RD1

By far the shortest fight of the night lasting just 13 seconds Teixeira came out swinging at Johnson who took a step back and landed a shattering uppercut to the chin of Teixeira knocking him out cold and Johnson pounced on him landing 2 shots before the ref stepped in and ended the fight. Replays showed after the fight that the shot was so good that it knocked one of Teixeria’s teeth out.

Doanld Cerrone Vs Rick Story – Winner Donald Cerrone by TKO RD2

Both fighters rushed to the middle of the Octagon to get the fight under way Cerrone landed some nice kicks before taking down Story but not for long Story got to his feet and push Cerrone against the cage before taking him down. Cerrone took advantage of this and tried to get Story into a submission position but it didn’t work out and Story ended up taking control of Ceronne’s back but Cerrone managed to get to his feet once again. Both fighters managed to land some nice kicks to the body after this trying to tire each other out and restrict the movement of the other fighter. Cerrone managed to land a good combination of punches to the head of Story towards the last 30 seconds of the round and the round ended with the pair trading punches.

The skins round began and the pair both rushed t the centre of the Octagon Cerrone stopped the take down attempt by landing a knee on Story. Cerrone mixed things up by landing some nice front kicks and then an uppercut on Story. Cerrone lands a jab to the face a punch to the body and then as Story was doubled over he landed a high kick to the head and Story stumbled and landed against the cage and Cerrone followed up with a punch to the head and then a knee to the body that floored Story and Cerrone landed a few punches to Story while he was on the floor before the ref stepped in to stop the fight.

Mike Perry Vs Hyun Gyu Lim – Winner Mike Perry by TKO RD1

Perry came out for the first round looking very aggressive against an opponent who looked much bigger than him and even to big to be classed at a Welterweight standing at 6ft 3ins. Perry started to work on the legs on Lim to try and slow him down and stop being kept at distance, Lim landed a good left over the top but Perry throw a bomb of a right hand that floored Lim. Perry swarmed own top and landed some good shots before Lim managed to wiggle free. Perry then landed a forearm to the face of Lim knocking him down and Perry decided to start unleashing punches to Lim on the ground but eventually Lim got to his feet. Perry could tell that Lim was hurt and didn’t let up on the pressure. Perry landed a mean left to the cheek of Lim flooring him once again and followed up with a flurry of punches to the head of Lim when he was on the floor before the ref stepped in and stopped the fight. This was definitely a good way for Perry to start his UFC career with a win over a much more seasoned UFC fighter.

Tim Means Vs Sabah Homasi – Winner Tim Means by TKO RD2

Good opening round in this fight some good shots to the head from Means and some nice legs kicks from Homasi, there was a take down by Homasi but means managed to get away from this and get the fight back to the feet. Homasi was throwing some big shots at means but this did not do him any favours as he appeared to look tired and that is the last thing you want in the first round of a fight. Means landed a nice elbow while the pair were up close and it opened up a mean looking cut to the head of Homasi. The last 10 seconds of the fight Means caught Homasi with another mean elbow and Homasi looked shaken as Means landed some nice clean shots before the buzzer to end the round.

The second round starts bit slower than the first with Homasi not throwing big shots following the orders from his corner, Means kept up the pressure on Homasi not allowing him to catch his breath. Means picked off some nice punches to the body of Homasi followed by a nice jab and some knees to the head, Means caught Homasi with a nice right hand followed by a few nice jabs to the head. Ref Herb Dean was taking a close look at Homasi as he appeared to be in real trouble from the punishment Means was handing out as Means followed up with a flurry of punches Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight.

As always for all your UFC Ground and pound needs stick with @Deadpool_1984 only at skatronixxx.com

 

Summerslam 2016 Review

Summerslam is second only to Wrestlemania as the biggest event of the year. This year, Summerslam had to follow a fairly underwhelming Wrestlemania and an unsurprisingly good Takeover: Brooklyn 2. So how does the biggest party of the summer hold up?

Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho vs. Enzo and Big Cass

This was a solid opener. Owens and Jericho make surprising sense as a team since they are two of the best at trash-talking in the ring. There were some exciting spots such as Cass powerbombing Enzo out of the ring, Owens pulling a cannonball into the ring barrier as well as a splash. Jeri-KO – as they call themselves – ended the match with a nifty new move – a pop-up Codebreaker. Owens tosses the opponent backwards and Jericho performs the Codebreaker. The match loses points for a few slow moments and the crowd wasn’t entirely into things yet, but overall this was a good way to kick off Summerslam.

Overall rating: 3.5 stars (Out of 5).

Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte – Women’s championship

These two used to tear the house down during their days in NXT so it should be no surprise that these two had a great match… which may be hard to watch in hindsight. First the good stuff – There were some insane spots such as Sasha countering a top rope razor’s edge into a frankensteiner, an outside dive and the several attempts at the Banks Statement (Just gloss over a noticeable botch where Charlotte puts her own arm into the move). The match ended when Charlotte cleverly countered the Banks statement into a pin.

If Banks losing the Women’s Championship so soon sounds odd, I must discuss why this match may be hard to watch. According to reports, Sasha lost the title because of an injury. One early spot featured Charlotte straight up drop Sasha from the top – I’d be unsurprised to learn this caused the injury. I also thought for sure Sasha landing on her outside dive was hard to watch.

Overall rating: 4 Stars (would have been higher without injuries/botches)

Apollo Crews vs. the Miz – Intercontinental Championship

There’s very little to say about this match. Both Crews and Miz did a good job keeping the flow of the match going, but they had little to work with. This was kind of a filler match, but for filler, it got the job done.

Overall rating: 3 stars

AJ Styles vs. John Cena

When these two clashed at Money in the Bank, I thought they had a good match, but could have done better. Given the right circumstances, these two could have a truly epic match. This was that match. Just about everything that be done right these two did. They pulled out just about every trick in their collective bags. AJ even pulled an AA on Cena. Submission moves can slow a match down, but even when these guys used them, there was STILL a ton of suspense. Styles and Cena used moves like the Calf-crusher and STF that have ended matches. Cena even pulled the top rope Attitude Adjustment which was enough to finish off Styles in their 6-man tag match last month. But Styles still kicked out, performed the Styles Clash AND Phenomenal Forearm for the V. Regardless of one’s opinions on these guys, this match was outstanding.

Overall rating: 5 STARS

The Club vs. The New Day – Tag Team Championship

I pitied whatever fools had to follow that stone classic, but I guess they had to put something on, especially to give fans a bathroom/food break. It’s also funny to think that the Club, this team who already has the gimmick of being tough guys, has slowly re-invented themselves as these goofball doctors. Hey, if the shoe fits, wear it.

The match itself? Yeah, this was one of the weaker matches. Most of the match was serviceable. Then Jon Stewart interfered and did… whatever. Say what you will about Stewart’s oft-maligned interference in last year’s Cena/Rollins match, at least he did SOMETHING. Big E made a return after being injured by the Club (though I suspect they were disguising him falling on his head at Money in the Bank… please retire that spear, Big E). I seriously expected better from these two teams.

Overall rating: 2 stars

Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler – WWE Championship

This match was… good, but the crowd was practically dead during the entire ordeal. Part of the problem is that putting Dolph Ziggler in this match is akin to when WCW replaced Ric Flair with Barry Whindam in 1991 – You have someone who is super talented and a former World Champion but has been away from the main event for so long (or in Ziggler’s case, wrestling ON the Main Event) that fans just can’t buy him as a credible threat to the throne. Also, this kind of booking just hurts Ambrose. Last month, he was treated like a hero for retaining the championship, but a match like this just made the Kingpin seem unimportant. Oh well, looking at the glass as half full, the match was still solid: The two broke no new ground, but they are solid workers and put on a good match – good but not great.

Overall rating: 3.75 stars

Becky Lynch, Carmella and Naomi vs. Natalya, Alexa Bliss and Nikki Bella

I’d say the way the company covered Eva’s suspension was brilliant, but I suspect that was the plan all along. I have to say “mean fans” is kind of a funny excuse not to show up. For a filler match – with a Bella no less – this was passable. Although I dismissed them as pretty faces, Naomi and Carmella both proved their worth with some impressive athletics in this bout. It irks me that once again Becky Lynch – one of the few people I can think beloved by both the IWC and the casual fans (for reasons I consider obvious) did the job in a big match. But for the low bar set for a match like this, it passed.

Overall rating: 2.5 stars

Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins – Inaugural Universal Championship

There’s been a lot of hype about the new Universal Championship, including the design. And… It’s just the World Championship painted red. Wait a minute… Isn’t that the Women’s Championship? Well, at least creating the thing in create-a-belt mode will be easy. This match was solid, but not the epic bout I expected. To be fair, Rollins and Balor are both talented enough that they can bring their B-game and still have a good match.

The match started out promising enough with Rollins trying to roll out of the ring but being caught by Balor both over the top rope and on top of the barricade. After that, the match was fairly solid, with both men diving into their usual bag of tricks. The crowd was a little more into this match than they were the World Championship Match. Even if they did little new, they did everything right. Finn won, but the match placement hurt this one. Instead of a big celebration over a new champion crowned, the after match vibe was “Yeah, we got two more matches. Let’s get this show on the road.”

Overall rating: 4.25 stars

Rusev vs. Roman Reigns – US Championship

Wondering why this match was given away a few days before on Raw? Maybe it has something to do with this barely being a match. Rusev was so angry with the way Reigns crashed his ceremony that he beat the stuffing out of Reigns, not even letting the match start. Reigns quickly retaliated and continued whaling on Rusev even after refs pulled him away. This worked as being a tough guy who beats people up is an attitude that works for Reigns. Some might criticize Reigns for this, but I say replace Roman with Austin or Orton and see if it still upsets you. Seriously, Reigns gets criticized for being a white-meat babyface AND for being grey anti-hero – make up your minds, people! (Though I did notice a change in the crowd’s attitude towards Reigns – they booed him on his entrance but cheered him as he pummeled Rusev).

No Match, no star rating

Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton

Okay, this it. This is the main event – this is the match that headlined the show over not one, but TWO World Title matches. This is the match that has been advertised since before Battleground, the only match to get coverage on both Raw and Smackdown, two of the biggest names in the business finally butting heads.

The match started out promising enough. Lesnar did Suplex City. Orton RKO’d Lesnar on the table. Then the gloves literally came off for Lesnar to pummel Orton to a bloody pulp and… the match…. just ended. Lesnar was declared the winner by TKO. Shane tried to come to the rescue but was rewarded with an F-5 for his efforts. This is was kind of anticlimactic. Lesnar winning this way was a good idea as it re-established him as a monster. But it happened too soon. The match ended seemingly as it was just as it was getting started. Orton was mauled in a match that felt so much like a squash, it made me wonder if Randy rubbed someone the wrong way. This was not the way to end a show like this. The little action we got was okay, but this will do little to curb the criticisms of Lesnar being lazy.

Overall rating: 2.75 stars

Summerslam was a mixed bag. On one hand, most matches were serviceable at least and we got a bonafide match of the year contender. On the other hand, big matches underperformed and the ending was a huge downer. Pitting Reigns vs. Rusev and Lesnar vs. Orton back-to-back was a HUGE mistake as it featured two matches in a row without real endings. Despite being a solid show, these mistakes may leave a sour taste in the mouth of viewers.

WWE Raw Review: 15.8.2016

So we start the show with a cold open that takes us outside the arena for once. We see the WWE Universal title contender Seth Rollins standing in the parking lot. The Man decides he wants to call out Finn Balor, but not just normal old Finn. No, he wants the Demon King. When I saw this I was excited that they were referencing the demon and was glad they called him the Demon King as it confirmed he would be assuming the person come Summerslam. In hindsight, I envy that excitement, as I did not know that the name Demon King would be forced so much that I still flinch when I hear those words.

OPENING SEGMENT

The Bulgarian Brute and his bride make their way to the ring and boy are they angry. Rusev in his typically charming manner calls out both Roman Reigns and the General Manager Mick Foley after what happened last week between Rusev and Reigns. Eventually, after everyone makes their way to the ring we get a frankly childish back and forth between the champion and the challenger. I mean that is okay for Rusev as he is the heel, but why is our babyface making ugly jokes and calling Lana a mail order bride? Just makes him look like a dick. My confusion increases after GM Foley sets up a non-title match between the two tonight under the guise that Rusev is defending his wife’s honour. Why are we meant to boo this guy? He’s just a good husband.

SHEAMUS vs SAMI ZAYN

Before the match begins Byron Saxton interviews Sheamus about his recent rivalry with Cesaro. Sheamus claims that he is better than him and that he’s moved past him onto Zayn. This is clearly not true as Cesaro is on commentary. The match is fairly standard, as each man hits their routine moves, Sheamus with the white noise and Sami Zayn with the blue thunder bomb. The match ends after Sami hits the helluva kick (with some help from a Cesaro distraction) for the win.

• Backstage Tom Phillips interviews Team Jeri-KO about their match with Enzo and Cass at Summerslam. They claim that they are already close than those two will ever be, which obviously means that Owens will turn on Jericho.
• Sheamus and Cesaro continue their feud backstage before Mick Foley interrupts them and sets up a best of 7 series starting at Summerslam. Why? I don’t know, Cesaro has already won 2 out of 2 matches.
• More testicle jokes from the good doctors.

THE NEW DAY vs THE DUDLEYZ

This was yet another run of the mill matches in a run of the mill Raw. But at least this one served a purpose as the win for the New Day gave them momentum to take into their title match at Summerslam. It also showed more evidence of an upcoming split between the Dudley Boyz after Devon accidentally hit Bubba (Common where’s Rev. Devon?). Kofi was able to take the win after he hit the trouble in paradise. After the match we get another visit from the local physicians who show they have jars for the balls of both Kofi and Xavier. This was alright at one point but The Club needs to look like a serious threat. Not like little kids.

• Seth continues his search for the Demon King backstage when he runs into Neville who gives him a warning about the Demon persona.

NIA JAX vs RACHEL LEAVY

Another week another squash match. I understand the purpose of a squash match but it is really hard to get excited about them. When Nia Jax does eventually move onto the main event opponents she will have the reputation of a monster.

HEATH SLATER vs THE WORLD

Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman come out to do their usual shtick, or as The Beast would put it “say something stupid”. The duo is in the ring and is ready to talk but they are interrupted by one man, a one man band. Heath Slater came out to the ring and once again called himself the hottest free agent in sports entertainment. Who am I to disagree? It is then revealed that Slater has been offered a contract to join Raw, the only catch is he has to defeat Brock Lesnar. Ouch man. Slater is committed to the task as he has to get a job to provide for his children and Lesnar for once actually, speaks up and tells Heath that he respects him for trying to provide for his children. But at the end of the day, “he doesn’t give a shit about his kids”. Damn Brock, this is why not matter what I’ll think you are awesome. Brock proceeded to kick the shit out of Slater and then they hyped the Summerslam match. This was by far the best segment all episode.

JERI-KO vs ENZO & CASS

The heels are able to get the win against Enzo and Cass after a solid match. Big Cass was pushed as the real danger in the match at all times and it is clear that they want to push him as a force to be reckoned with. However, with this win, the Jeri-KO duo look dangerous going into Summerslam.

• Roman Reigns and Rusev fight backstage, that’s what happens when you insult someone’s wife.

THE PRIME TIME PLAYERS vs THE SHINING STARS

Apparently, Titus and Darren are friends again. Does this mean there will be a grand resurgence for the Prime Time Players? I doubt it. So both teams come out, and I have to ask is it possible to get an anti-pop? Seriously the crowd was completely dead. As we all predicted the Shining Stars picked up the win due to more dissension between Titus and Darren.

NEVILLE vs JINDER MAHAL

Neville is just floating around until the cruiserweight division finally gets to Raw. It is obvious that with the CWC superstars he will be placed at the top of the division, so this match was another filler match for The Man Who Gravity Forgot. Neville picks up the win with the Red Arrow.

• Seth is unable to find the Demon King so Mick Foley suggests he go to the ring to call him out.

DEMON KING

Rollins decides to take the advice of our GM and heads out to the ring. He claims he is not afraid of the Demon King, that the Demon King is the one that is afraid. After a bit of a wait, we still have no Demon King. But wait who’s that? IT’S…. some random fan. Okay then….. That was weird. Anyway moving on let’s get to the Demon King (Have I mentioned he’s the king of demons?). Balor comes out to the Demon entrance… But it is not the same. There is something off about this version of the entrance compared to the real deal from NXT. Maybe it was the terrible Corpus Christi crowd or the shoddy producing from Kevin Dunn, but this felt slightly underwhelming despite my love of Finn and the Demon character. Something of this magnitude should have been saved for Summerslam.

THE CLUB vs THE GOLDEN TRUTH

As with the New Day earlier, The Club needed a win to take the momentum into this Sunday, however, they needed to dominate the Golden Truth, not look even with them. I get that the Golden Truth seem to be a favourite of those backstage, but they are glorified jobbers at best and they had a back and forth match with future tag team champions. Post-match The New Day try to ambush Anderson but he is saved by Gallows.

• Dana Brooke apologises to Charlotte but it is not enough and it seems they are teasing a split between the two.

CHARLOTTE vs ALICIA FOX

Woah Alicia Fox exists? Well, she just jobbed to Charlotte so does it matter? I’m just kidding this was, of course, the correct decision as Charlotte is going into a huge title match at Summerslam and she needs to be built as a legitimate threat to the newly crowned champion Sasha Banks who was on commentary. After the match Sasha was ambushed by both Charlotte and Dana beat her down. This wasn’t anything special but in the middle of this show, it was stood out as one of the highlights.

RUSEV vs ROMAN REIGNS

So this main event ended up being a 25-minute slobber knocker. Both guys spent a lot of time brawling and using the environment such as the barricade or the steel steps. Many have questioned the decision to give Roman the win over Rusev but to me, it is not a big problem as Roman needed a legitimate reason to be given a shot at the US title. Even if it did come a bit late. The match wasn’t bad but it was a typical Roma Reigns matchup, with little to no selling of major moves from Rusev. Reigns lasted too long in the accolade and just way too many near falls. By the third-second rope headbutt, I knew this wasn’t going to be the Bulgarian Brutes day. Reigns eventually wins with a Spear.

FINAL NOTES & SCORE

• Tonight’s MVP: Heath Slater
• Match of the Night: Reigns vs Rusev
• Moment of the Night: I don’t give a shit about your kids
• DEMON KING DEMON KING DEMON KING DEMON KING DEMON KING DEMON KING DEMON KING DEMON KING
• Smackdown was better

This week’s Raw was bad. Real bad. I’m talking 2010 Super Cena bad, as a go home show, this just reeked of laziness. Of course, hardcore fans will watch Summerslam but casuals have not incentive after this week.

AJ Styles: ‘Conor McGregor Belongs In WWE Women’s Division’

In a recent radio interview with Ebro and Peter Rosenberg on HOT97, AJ Styles was asked about the “Notorious” Conor McGregor. AJ said Conor is a great promoter but is a “little-bitty” guy. Continuing on to say “We’ll Put Him In The Women’s Division.” UFC 202 and SummerSlam, of course, are on the same weekend which means both companies will do anything for money. Or in this case say anything for money.

Conor McGregor has trashed WWE lately, saying he’d smack the heads off of anybody on the WWE roster. Including calling John Cena a fat Mr.Olympia failure (I laughed).  Wrestling fans and UFC fans, have been in an internet war for the past week and it will all come to a head this weekend based on how both shows respond. Conor McGregor fights Nate Diaz in a rematch Saturday at UFC 202. WWE has one of it’s biggest pay per views on Sunday in SummerSlam. Ric Flair, Chris Jericho, and Roman Reigns all attacked McGregor on twitter after the comments posted by TMZ of him calling the superstars soft and fake. AJ Styles seems to be agreeing with his fellow bandmates when he take shots at McGregor being a featherweight in this interview on HOT97.

Whatever side your on, as a fan of both, I hope both shows kick-ass this weekend and bring a lot of excitement back to the companies! I am rooting for Nate Diaz and Finn Balor, how about you? Let me know in the comments below or on twitter @MAK10GATOR !

WWE Suspends Eva Marie, Paige, Del Rio!

A few days before SummerSlam, a day after Paige’s birthday, the WWE has suspended 3 of it’s top superstars. Eva Marie and real-life couple Paige and Alberto Del Rio. Eva Marie was supposed to be involved in a 6-women tag match this Sunday. And now because of a violation of the WWE’s wellnes policy, all 3 wrestlers will be out for 30-days. We haven’t seen Paige on television for a long time, with Del Rio only getting sprinkled in on SmackDown so far. Eva Marie has debuted 3 times now and we still haven’t seen her wrestle. Not sure why all of this is occurring but WWE always has a reason.

The Eva Marie suspension seems to be a little bit scripted especially after the latest shenanigans they have written for her debuts. Roman Reigns was also suspended recently, which also seemed fake to a lot of people. I actually wanted to see Eva Marie in the ring because I know she is going to be better than people expect. WWE has suspended people for the dumbest actions, for example, Titus O’neil. Wellness policy can be anything from drinking, smoking or popping some pain medications, so it is unclear when this happens, what exactly was the reason?

Alberto Del Rio and Paige have had a history of being very vocal when they are frustrated with their roles with the company, so it was only a matter of time before they got some sort of punishment. Del Rio was rumored to have heat with backstage creativeness and Paige was at first injured, then fighting Charlotte, back to being injured and now she is suspended? As wrestling fans we love to speculate and read every rumor as if it is true. But something is a little fishy when the WWE suspends 3 major talents days before one of their biggest pay per views. Whatever they did, did they caught doing it together? Jonathan Coyle (Eva Marie’s husband) has vowed recently to fight for Eva’s side, to prove she should not have been suspended.

WWE has been sub-par lately and not very exciting since the WWE Draft. The shows seem unorganized and lacking any substance in storylines. Not to mention the forgetting lines in promos or botches every night on basic moves. It hasn’t looked good, especially, when as of today Vince McMahon sold a decent chunk of his WWE stocks? WWE has been entertaining me for years and usually I don’t like to complain about them, so let’s step it up McMahon Family!

The NXT Review – August 17, 2016 – Just Keep Smiling

Whats Up Wrestling Peeps! First up I have to redact my hater-aid-waterfall of Mojo Rawley’s ‘Farewell‘ tour. Plenty of people get a kick outta him and his Hype–ness, I’m just not amongst them. That aside, my main complaint with the Main Event last week was that it was needless given that of the handful of NXT stars movin’-on-up, Rawley was by far the least deserving if my precious Alexa Bliss wasn’t to receive the same treatment.

Well what’d you know *Open Mouth, Insert Foot* soon as my complaint was out there and into the ether. We get a mucho-good 6-Women-Tag-Team match.

You know, there is a lesson to be learnt from all this. Never doubt NXT. Or maybe my whining echoed back through time and altered these pre-taped shows. I doubt it but, you know, Time Lordian powers. Just sayin’

Before we get to that, Hideo Itami faces off against another CWC competitor, Mustafa Ali.

It seems that Kota Ibushi’s NXT debut as opened the floodgates for Cruiserweight Classic alumni to appear on the brand. No bad thing in of itself but this match mirrored the meh appeal of Itami’s other match with Sean Maluta.

While this match told more of a story, Ali was nothing more than enhancement talent for Itami’s comeback. Which is what NXT should be doing with a guy like Hideo, push-push-push, but until we get someone to match his calibre (Shinsuke Nakamura anyone?), these matches become nothing more than pre-show level stuff.

Moving on.

It may have well been a 6-Women-Tag Team match but with Bliss and Carmella on opposing teams, this Main Event was about the veterans of NXT’s Women’s division paving the way for fresh blood on the roster.

Okay, confession time. As a watcher of Tough Enough and Total Divas, seeing Amanda ‘Mandy‘ Saccamonno finally debut on TV alongside Daria Berenato was an unexpected pleasure. While these two have worked numerous house-shows, giving them TV time now highlights WWE’s faith in presenting them as the future of NXT.

And it isn’t without justification.

Daria for her part worked her MMA background to perfection, highlighting her aggressive powerhouse style and submission moveset while Mandy Rose seemed more subdued in the ring, clearly  the more greener of the pair. That being said, I already feel protective over Mandy with the Eva Marie comparisons already echoing loudly from the future. Time Lord remember. But at this point its too early to tell. Sure she moves around the ring as if she is bored to be there but just because she is a former Fitness Model that John Laurinaitis would’ve lost his shit over. Doesn’t make her a lost cause … just yet!

Nikki Glenncross on the other hand showed why she is the self-proclaimed “best in the galaxy” and took it to the monster Berenato only to be in wrong end of a spear for her troubles. With all the glamour, swagger and sparkling attires the other five women brought to this match. It was refreshing to see a striped back Glenncross whose fighting Scottish spirit and superior wrestling skills spoke volumes in-between ropes. My only concern is that at this point she reminds me of a pre-Steampunk Becky Lynch. Without the right gimmick/defining style and prerequisite name change. Glenncross will easily be lost in the shuffle.

While all women took a fair share of the limelight (with Liv Morgan playing the sacrificial lamb), it was the departing Vets. that stole the show. While I’m Blissed-off that Alexa didn’t get a one-on-one match (but then again did she ever get enough singles competition on NXT?), its time to let my evil-pixie shine on SmackDown! Live. And with Daniel Bryan confirming another Women’s Title is on the way, maybe she’ll finally bag that elusive top spot.

We will see.

NXT Champion Samoa Joe closes the show in an interview with Byron Saxton and his TakeOver Brooklyn opponent Shinsuke Nakamura.

Poor Byron Saxton. Not only does he get mock mercilessly by JBL, and now his former NXT buddy Cory Graves over on RAW. But now he has to sit in-between these two forces of nature. One a brooding-narcissistic-champ, who can go off at any moment. The other a notorious Nose-Stealer and showboater who smiles widely when he thinks about the pain he afflicts to others inside the ring.

Surprisingly, not much besides raised voices and Saxton’s Roadrunner routine goes off here. I suppose Nakamura can placate his urges by merely fantasising about hurting Joe in the ring. But the Champ, he seems pre-occupied with levelling his vocal barbs at William Regal, a man that he insists doesn’t like him too much. And he has a point. How many times did Joe have to prove he deserved a shot against the then NXT Champ Finn Balor before he got his off-screen win?

I’ve lost count but this point but if Regal thinks Samoa Joe is going let that belt slip through his grasp easily, especially after the GM placed him in this match without his say so (how dare he). Nakamura has another thing coming.

Onwards to Brooklyn!

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

McGregor And Diaz Finally Agree On One Thing

So finally McGregor and Diaz have agreed on one thing and that is there is a serious issue with doping in the UFC at present.

Both fighters have been big advocates against Steroid use and cheating in the sport and at present McGregor is the most tested fighter on the roster in 2016 giving a total of 14 samples to the USADA. Diaz has been tested 8 times in the last 7 months.

McGregor states that he is happy to lead the charge but admitted there is something going on in the sport with Jon Jones being pulled from the UFC 200 event for a potential USADA violation and co-headliner Brock Lesnar receiving news of multiple violations after the July event.

McGregor had the following to say.

“The boy is not far wrong, they (expletive) all are on steroids,” McGregor said on today’s UFC 202 media conference call. “So it is (expletive) up. The co-main and the main at 200, that’s messed up to me, to be honest. I don’t know. I’m happy to be tested and I know Nate’s being tested. I know Nate’s been throwing accusations at me, but it’s his teammates that have been caught before. I just hope he’s been tested as much as I’ve been tested.”

McGregor who was submitted by Diaz in the second round in the pairs first meeting at UFC 196 back in March is adamant that he has nothing to hide but doesn’t think other fighters are doing the same.

“I’m happy to be tested,” McGregor said. “I won’t do a (Jose) Aldo and throw the piss over my shoulder and ring the police like he done in Brazil. I welcome them in, I do the test and that’s it. It’s a good thing for the sport, that’s all I know so I’m happy to be tested.”

Although there is a difference in the amount of times McGregor has been tested against how many times Diaz has been tested McGregor does not seem to be that bothered by this.

“Six less than me – when was he tested? Was he tested this camp? I don’t know,” McGregor said. “I know the Nevada guys were saying he was heading there now. I don’t know. All I know is I’m getting tested and that’s it.”

The pair meet this weekend the 21/08/16 at UFC 202 in this Las Vegas for this hotly anticipated rematch all of which will be covered by myself right here at skatronixxx.com.

As always for all your ground and pound Octagon needs stick with @Deadpool_1984

 

 

Dean Ambrose Calls His Lesnar Match at WM “Lazy”

Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose was one of the most highly-anticipated matches at this year’s Wrestlemania. Lesnar and Ambrose are two of the most over guys in the company. Being a commodity that only appears at a few big events per year, Lesnar matches rarely under-deliver. Both men have rough-and-tumble brawling styles that were expected to gel in a way to not only produce the match of the night, but also a match of the year candidate. Just a month prior, the two tore the house down at Fastlane – it was in a triple threat that also involved Roman Reigns, but the match was a classic that showed the kind of clinic these two could pull off. The match itself… was a bit underwelming.

Realistically, the match was not bad. It was good, with some exciting spots. When Dean smacked Brock with the the chair during a German Suplex and when Ambrose paid tribute to Terry Funk by burying Lesnar in chairs. However, standards and expectations were high – sky high. When an A+ is expected, a mid-B feels a little disappointing. The match was decent but lacked innovation. Lesnar did Suplex City and there were a lot of weapon hits – all of this is good but nothing new. Plus the ending of fan favorite Dean Ambrose going down by one F5 was a tad anti-climatic.

Dave Meltzer called it one of Lesnar’s weakest matches since his comeback – however, he gave it a score of 3.5 stars, which is respectable (and fair for that match). Realistically, Lesnar has had much worse. However, there was usually something in the way – his streak-ending match against the Undertaker was mostly disappointing because ‘Taker suffered a mid-match concussion. Dean Ambrose was recently interviewed on the Stone Cold Podcast. When he was in the mood to talk, Dean Ambrose was critical of his match at Wrestlemania. In particular, he accused Lesnar of being lazy. This is noteworthy because Daniel Bryan recently made a similar accusation of Lesnar.

Is it fair to accuse Lesnar of growing lazy? He hasn’t had a full match since the Ambrose match and will not be seen again until this month’s Summerslam. Before Wrestlemania, Lesnar had some insanely good matches with the Undertaker in the Summer/Fall of 2015. Lesnar’s attitude may be changing for the worse. After he came back, he had superb matches against Cena and Punk early on. These matches were not only exciting and brutal but also featured some unique spots. Ambrose said in his interview with Austin that he pitched several ideas which were all shot down.

There may be reasons for Lesnar’s attitude. When Lesnar came back in 2012, he worked only a few shows a year. Since then, he his schedule has gone up – more big shows, Network specials and even house shows (albeit rarely). Wrestlers such as Ambrose and former wrestlers such as Bryan may not find Lesnar’s attitude acceptable as they not only work their tales off, but guys like Cena work year round – and even someone like Chris Jericho whose stance as a permanent member of the roster is questionable is full time when he’s there. Lesnar also recently made a one match return to UFC, which may have lead Lesnar’s mind to be elsewhere. Either way, these factors may have lead to Lesnar being less adventurous in the ring.

These accusations about Lesnar also reveal a lot about Dean Ambrose’s attitude about his matches. The Wrestlemania match could be described as good but not great, so it says a lot Ambrose that he is disappointed that his match was anything BUT great. It makes one wonder what he thought about that disappointing Asylum match from Extreme Rules, but in his and Jericho’s defense, the absurd gimmick hurt that match – Ambrose and Jericho were good for their parts.