Wednesday 27 December 2017

WWE Clash of Champions 2017 Review

The match on the Kick Off Show was Mojo Rawley taking on Zack Ryder. Ryder goes right at Rawley at the beginning before Rawley gets the advantage. Ryder does make a comeback but Rawley hits a brutal elbow to the head to get the win. This was a pretty decent match between the two.
Winner: Mojo Rawley  (1 for 1)

The first match of the show was a triple threat match for the United States Championship as Bobby Roode and Dolph Ziggler challenge Baron Corbin. Ziggler and Roode team up to take out Corbin before fighting each other. Corbin recovers and focuses on Roode while keeping Ziggler down. The match goes at at fast pace and Ziggler comes close after hitting a fameasser on Roode. Roode covers Ziggler after hitting him with a Glorious DDT but Corbin pulls him off. In the end, Corbin is about to hit The End of Days on Roode when Ziggler hits Corbin with the Zig Zag to get the win. Thisu was a realyl good match and I enjoyed the match. The only problem is what happened on the following Smackdown. Ziggler basically vacates the Championship and walks away. It does beg the question of why he wanted to be added to the match if he was going to vacate the Title. Anyway, let's see who our new Champion will be in the new year.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (1 for 2)

The second is a fatal 4-way match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship as The Usos deal with the challenges of Aiden English and Rusev, The New Day and Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin. Highlights of the match include: Jey Uso and Big E briefly working together; English hitting a Samoa drop into a spine buster on Gable and Rusev putting Big E in the Accolade. After Gable goes through a tonne of German suplexes, The Usos proceed to superkick him to death then hit an Uso Splash to get the win. The match was hard to follow at the beginning with 4 wrestlers in the ring at the same tine. However, as the match went on, it got better.
Winners: The Usos (2 for 3)

We now get our 3rd Championship match as Natalya challenges Charlotte Flair in a lumberjack match for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Natalya gets the advantage and keeps throwing Charlotte out of the ring so that she can get beaten up by the lumberjacks. Eventually, thanks to the lumberjacks, it degenerates into a clusterfuck. Natalya dithers putting on the sharpshooter and Charlotte reverses it into a Figure 8 to get the win. The match was pretty decent although I felt that the match was more about the lumberjacks than the actual competitors.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (3 for 4)

Next is Breezango taking on The Bludgeon Brothers. After about 2 minutes, Harper and Rowan hit Fandango with the double crucifix powerbomb to get the win. This match was shorter than the time they took to show the international announcers during Breezango's entrance. I feel that this didn't mean to be a squash match, especially as The Fashion Files have led up to this point.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (4 for 5)

The penultimate match is Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens taking on Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura with Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan as Special Guest Referees. After a while, Owens and Zayn get the advantage, wearing down Orton. Orton manages to hit a back suplex on Zayn, giving him the chance to tag in Nakamura. Owens frog splashes Nakamura through the announce table and Orton RKOs Zayn but Owens pushes Bryan onto Shane to stop the count. Zayn rolls up Orton but Shane doesn't finish the count. Bryan and Shane argue and Orton tries to RKO Zayn. However, Zayn rolls up Orton and they get the win after Bryan does the count at lightning speed.

I struggled to enjoy the match to be honest and it shows that Shane is the absolute worst right now. Owens and Zayn have got their comeuppance a couple of times but Shane proceeds to stack the deck against them and then try to fuck them over during the match, giving Bryan the reason to do the fast count. don't forget, Shane is technically the face here but if you're a face in the WWE, that somehow gives you permission to be a bigger dick than the heels. Anyway, I expect that this will lead to a Shane/Bryan feud in the near future.
Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens (5 for 6)

The main event is Jinder Mahal challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Styles attacks Mahal's left leg before he gets bounced off the ropes, injuring the ribs. Mahal continues the advatnage by suplexing Styles onto the announce table and applying a body scissors. Eventually, Styles manages to recover and start a comeback after hitting a electric chair drop. After some back and forth, Styles hits a 450 splash but The Singhs try to pull Mahal out of the ring (which is not a disqualification apparently). In the end, Mahal goes for the Styles Clash but Styles gets out of it and gets Mahal to submit to the Calf Killer to retain the Championship. The match was a pretty decent way to end the show.
Winner: AJ Styles (6 for 7)

Like a lot of the WWE events this year, I felt that Clash of Champions was a mixed bag. Some matches were pretty good but some weren't great. Hopefully, with the Rumble coming up, it will improve.

Sunday 17 December 2017

WWE Clash of Champions 2017 Preview

Clash of Champions 2017 poster.jpg



The last PPV of the year, Clash of Champions will be taking place this evening at the TD Garden in Boston. There are some interesting matches on the card so how will it go? Let's take a look.

Zack Ryder vs Mojo Rawley
The match on the Kick Off Show involves the break up of The Hype Bros. I'm going for Mojo to win.
Predicted Winner: Mojo Rawley

Breezango vs The Bludgeon Brothers
Er...I'm not too bothered about this match but I'm going for The Bludgeons to win.
Predicted Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers

Charlotte Flair vs Natalya  
Lumberjack Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship
I can see this developing it into a clusterfuck between The Riott Squad and the rest of the women's roster.  I feel that Charlotte will find a way to win here.
Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

The Usos vs Shelton Benjamin and Chad Gable vs The New Day vs Rusev and Aiden English
Fatal 4-Way for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
This is one match that I'm quite looking forward to seeing and I'm torn on how I think will win this. I think that The Usos will retain here.
Predicted Winners: The Usos

Baron Corbin vs Bobby Roode vs Dolph Ziggler
Triple Threat Match for the United States Championship
Another tough one to call but I'm going on a limb here and going for Bobby Roode to become Champion.
Predicted Winner: Bobby Roode

AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal
WWE Championship Match
I cannot see Jinder winning so Styles to win here.
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton and Shinsuke Nakamura
Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon Special Guest Referees
This is a very interesting one to watch. Even though Owens and Zayn are technically the bad guys, Shane has been a jerk to them unncessarily. Having two referees will definitely degenerate into a clusterfuck and does that mean we could see a Bryan heel turn? I can't see it but you never know. I'm going for Owens and Zayn to find some way to win here.
Predicted Winners: Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens

As usual, I won't get to see this til at least Tuesday. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.

Wednesday 6 December 2017

WWE Survivor Series 2017 Review

WWE Survivor Series 2017 took place on Sunday 17th November at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas? After this, we will get the answer to who is the better brand: RAW or Smackdown. I mean, if you care about that kind of thing. Anyway, let's take a look at the show.

There were 3 matches on the Kick Off Show and the first was Elias taking on Matt Hardy. Elias gets the advantage after bouncing Hardy's neck off the top rope and focuses on his left shoulder. Hardy hits the side effect to start his comeback. However, he is limited due to the shoulder. In the end, Elias sends Hardy into the ring post and follows up with the Drift Away to get the win. The match was ok for me.
Winner: Elias (N/A)

Next was Kailsto challenging Enzo Amore for the Cruiserweight Championship. Kalisto almost gets the win early on with a sunset bomb. Enzo gets the advantage and goes on to hit the JawdonZo to get the win. The match wasn't that great to be honest. Hopefully, we get a new challenger for Enzo.
Winner: Enzo Amore (1 for 1)

The last match on the Kick Off Show was Breezango taking on Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Breeze gets isolated by Owens and Zayn and they wear him down. Breeze stops a senton by Owens, giving him the chance to tag in Fandango. However, Fandango misses the Last Dance due to Owens pulling Zayn out of the way. Owens then gets tagged in and hits Fandango with the pop up powerbomb to get his team the win. I quite enjoyed this match and I'm liking the team of Owens and Zayn.
Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn  (N/A)

The first match of the event is The New Day taking on The Shield. After some close near falls, The New Day hit a double Midnight Hour on Ambrose and Rollins but Reigns breaks up the pin. In the end, Kofi gets hit with a spear from Reigns followed by a triple powerbomb from the too rope and The Shield get the win. This was a really enjoyable match and a great way to start the show.
Winners: The Shield (2 for 2)

The next match is our 1st Survivor Series Elimination Match. The team of Becky Lynch, Carmella, Natalya, Tamina and Naomi from Smackdown taking on the team of Alicia Foxx, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks from RAW. Becky is the first to be eliminated when she gets rolled up by Bayley. This is followed by Tamina eliminating Bayley with a splash. Nia Jax gets counted out and Naomi pins Alicia. Sasha gets Naomi to submit to the Banks Statement and Asuka eliminates Carmella after kicking her head off but Sasha submits to the Sharpshooter by Natalya. Asuka goes on to get Tamina to submit to an armbar then Natalya to submit to the Asuka Lock, becoming the sole survivor. This match was pretty decent, although the timing of the eliminations did bug me slightly.
Winner: Asuka  (2 for 3)

We now get our first Champion vs Champion match as the United States Champion Baron Corbin takes on the Intercontinental Champion Hollywood Miz. Corbin comes close after hitting a Deep Six and goes on to get the win after avoiding a dropkick to hit the End of Days. Although nothing really stood out, I still found the match to be quite entertaining.
Winner: Baron Corbin (2 for 4)

Now a match that I was looking forward to watching: The RAW Tag Team Champions Cesaro and Sheamus taking on the Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Usos. The match goes back and forth before Cesaro and Sheamus get to wear down Jimmy. Jimmy gets a cockscrew on Sheamus, giving him the chance to tag in Jey Uso. Cesaro does the giant swing into the Sharpshooter on Jey but he gets to the ropes. Cesaro and Sheamus come close to winning a couple of times but in the end, The Usos superkick Sheamus to death followed by a Uso Splash by Jey to get the win. This was a good match with some really cool spots.
Winners: The Usos (3 for 5)

Our second Women's match is the RAW Women's Champion Alexa Bliss taking on the Smackdown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair. Alexa pulls Charlotte off the apron to the floor to get the advantage. Alexa keeps her down by hitting moves such as the insult to injury and a sunset bomb but Charlotte hits a sit down powerbomb to start her comeback. Alexa comes close with a DDT but Charlotte manages to get the win after hitting a big boot followed by getting Alexa to submit to the Figure 8. Even though it went longer than I thought I would, this was a really good match.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (3 for 6)

Our penultimate match is the Universal Champion Brock Lesnar facing the WWE Champion AJ Styles. Lesnar goes at Styles at a fast pace, going to hit a variety of suplexes during the match. Lesnar misses a knee strike, giving Styles to fight back, coming close after a 450 splash and a Phenomenal Forearm. When Styles goes for another forearm, Lesnar catches him in mid air and hits the F5 to get the win. This match was really good and it was quite possibly Lesnar's best match in years. It just goes to show how good Styles is right now and makes me wish that he was in WWE a few years earlier.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (4 for 7)

The main event is another Survivor Series Elimination Match with the team of Kurt Angle, Triple H, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor and Braun Strowman from RAW taking on the team of Shane McMahon, Bobby Roode, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura and John Cena from Smackdown. Strowman eliminates Nakamura then Roode with running powerslam to give his team a 2 man advantage. Cena eliminates Joe with an AA but he gets eliminated after 2 Olympic Slams by Angle. Orton then eliminates Balor with a RKO. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens come down and attack Shane, who fights back with a chair. In the chaos, Orton gets eliminated after another running powerslam by Strowman, leaving Shane to take on Angle, Triple H and Strowman. Angle puts Shane in the anklelock but Triple H stops it and Pedigrees Angle. He then puts Shane over him and Angle gets eliminated. Triple H checks on Shane while Strowman, me and the vast majority of the crowd is wondering what the fuck is going on and then suddenly, Triple H Pedigrees Shane and Team RAW get the win. Afterwards, Strowman beats up Triple H.

This match for most of it was pretty good and we got to see cool matchups such as Triple H fighting Roode and Balor fighting Nakamura. Then the ending just went off the fucking rails. It involved 3 part timers, one of them isn't technically a wrestler. Then Triple H doing what he did confused me and made no sense at the time plus did Triple H really needed to get the winning pinfall? I assume it was to build an Angle/HHH match and cement Strowman's face turn. However, I suspect that there was a better way to do that. Anyway, well done to RAW for winning the event 4 matches to 3, if you give more of a fuck about that than I do.
Winners: Triple H and Braun Strowman (5 for 8)

Up until the main event, I was enjoying Survivor Series with some really good matches. Unfortunately, the main event really spoiled it for me. Whilst it's nowehere near the level of what Hulk Hogan has done, some of the creative involving Triple H over the years has made no sense and at times, been total bullshit. I feel that the ending of the show is an example of that. WWE had a chance to big up a wrestler. Instead, we got unnecessary nostalgia and a nonsenscial ending with Strowman's face turn seemingly an afterthought. Hopefully, Clash of Champions will not have any of this although I'm not holding my breath.


Saturday 25 November 2017

NXT Takeover: War Games Review

NXT Takeover: War Games took place last Saturday at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Not only we will get to see a match not seen in almost 20 years but the crowning of a new NXT Women's Champion. So, let's take a look.

The first match was between Kassius Ohno and Lars Sullivan. Sullivan is dominant early on, shaking off any offence Ohno manages to get in. After an impressive pop up powerslam for 2, he misses a top rope diving headbutt and this gives Ohno the chance to make a comeback. However, it was not enough as Sullivan avoids a discus elbow to hit the Freak Accident to get the win. This was a short yet enjoyable match.
Winner: Lars Sullivan (1 for 1)

The next match was Aleister Black taking on The Velveteen Dream. In the early going, Black puts Dream through a technical masterclass. After they both do mind games to each other, Dream gets the advantage with a running clothesline. Dream gets some near falls and comes close to winning after a death valley driver. Black goes on to get the win after hitting the Black Mask out of nowhere. Afterwards, Black says Dream's name. This match was really good and a lot better than I thought it would be. I also loved the mind games they were doing to each other. As for Dream, he finally got Black to say his name so, I guess mission accomplished?
Winner: Aleister Black (2 for 2)

Our first Championship match is a fatal 4-way between Ember Moon, Kairi Sane, Nikki Cross and Peyton Royce for the vacant NXT Women's Championship. The match goes at a fast pace with one highlight being Ember powerbombing Nikki on the floor. Other highlights include: Kairi spearing Peyton; Peyton, Kairi and Ember doing a tower of doom; Nikki hitting a swinging fisherman's neckbreaker on Kairi; and Peyton hitting Nikki with a fisherman's suplex. In the end, Ember hits the Eclipse on both Nikki and Peyton and pins Nikki to get the win. This was a good match and congratulations to Ember Moon on finally becoming the Champion.
Winner: Ember Moon (2 for 3)

The penultimate match is for the NXT Championship as Andrade "Cien" Almas with Zelina Vega challenges Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship. There was a great bit when Zelina tries to hit a hurracarrana but McIntyre stops it mid move and puts her on the apron. Almas does get athe advantage  but McIntyre starts his comeback only a couple of minutes later. After some back and forth, Zelins manages to hit the hurracarrana on McIntyre while the referee was distracted. Almas follows that up with a Hammerlock DDT but that somehow only gets 2. Eventually, Almas hits a hangman's DDT to become the NXT Champion...wait, what the fuck? I honestly did not see that coming. The match was pretty godo, although I feel that the spot with Zelina interfering should have ended the match. I am surprised that McIntyre lost the Championship so soon but it might mean that he might get called up to the main roster in the new year.
Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas (2 for 4)

The main event is SAnitY, The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong and The Undisputee Era int he first War Games Match since WCW Fall Brawl 1998. Highlights of the match include: Bobby Fish hitting a wheelbarrow suplex on Eric Young, Akam and Razr chucking everyone from one ring to the other.; Killian Dian hitting a senton dropkick on Akam and Razr; a super tower of doom involving everyone; and Alexander Wolff sending Razr through a table with a German suplex. In the end, Adam Cole manages to hit the Shining Wizard on Eric Young to get the win. This was a good match and I really enjoyed it.

I quite enjoyed NXT Takeover: War Games. Most of the matches were good and we got a couple of surprises as well. Unfortunately, I don't know if Survivor Series will be the same.


Sunday 19 November 2017

WWE Survivor Series 2017 Preview

Image result for survivor series 2017 poster



WWE Survivor Series 2017, which has now become a mash up of Bragging Rights and Clash of the Champions, will be taking place this evening at the Toyota Center in Houston? We will get to see some dream matches plus who is the better brand, RAW or Smackdown? Or, are you like me and don't really care about that? Anyway, let's take a look at the card.

Kailsto vs Enzo Amore
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match
The match on the Kick Off Show could be a good one. Whilst I have mixed feelings on Enzo, he has been interesting as Champion so I'll think he'll win here.
Predicted Winner: Enzo Amore

Hollywood Miz vs Baron Corbin
Whilst this is a heel vs heel match, I feel that it could work here. Miz is a joy to watch right now so he'll probably act a little like a face and go on to get the win here.
Predicted Winner: The Miz

Charlotte Flair vs Alexa Bliss 
I do feel sorry for Natalya but I feel that this match would be a better contest. This is quite a tough one to call but I think that Alexa will find a way to win here.

The Shield vs The New Day
This is one that has the possibility to be the match of the night. Whilst I enjoy The New Day, I think that The Shield will be victorious here.   
Predicted Winners: The Shield

Cesaro and Sheamus vs The Usos
This is another one that has the possibility to be the match of the night. I'm going for The Usos to win here.
Predicted Winners: The Usos

Team RAW (Alicia Fox, Asuka, Bayley, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks) vs Team Smackdown (Becky Lynch, Naomi, Carmella, Natalya, Tamina)
Survivor Series Elimination Match
I have mixed feelings about this one. Whilst some of the talent involved are good, I feel that they have some rapid eliminations. Anyway, I'm going for Team Smackdown to find a way here.
Predicted Winners: Team Smackdown

AJ Styles vs Brock Lesnar
Like Natalya, I feel sorry for Jinder Mahal but if you had a choice between Mahal vs Lesnar or Styles vs Lesnar, what the fuck would you rather have? Anyway, whilst Styles will be awesome as always, I feel that Lesnar will get the win here.
Predicted Winner: Brock :Lesnar

Team RAW (Kurt Angle, Triple H, Bruan Strowman, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe) vs Team Smackdown (Shane McMahon, Randy Orton, Bobby Roode, Shinsuke Nakamura, John Cena)
I can see this match being a long one but hopefully it will be fun as well. I feel that Team RAW will win with maybe a little help from Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens.
Predicted Winners: Team RAW

I will get to see this over the week so until the review comes up, I hope you enjoy the show.      

Saturday 18 November 2017

NXT Takeover: War Games Preview

NXT Takeover: War Games will be taking this evening at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. We will get to see a new NXT Women's Champion plus the return of a match not seen in over 20 years. So how will it go? Let's take a look.

Kassius Ohno vs Lars Sullivan
This could be a good match and I feel that Lars will continue to be dominant here.
Predicted Winner: Lars Sullivan

Aliester Black vs Veleteen Dream
I'm interested to see how this match goes. I would like to see Dream win but it's more likely that Black will win here.
Predicted Winner: Aliester Black

SaNitY vs The Undisputed Era vs The Authors of Pain and Roderick Strong
War Games Match
For the first time in WWE history, we will see a War Games match. A tough one to call but I feel that The Undisputed Era will find a way to win here.
Predicted Winners: The Undisputed Era

Ember Moon vs Peyton Royce vs Kairi Sane vs Nikki Cross
Fatal 4-Way Match for the NXT Women's Championship
This is a match that I'm really looking forward to and it's probably the toughest one that I've had to predict in a long time. I can see any of them winning, even Royce who was been impressive this year. Putting aside my Scottish bias for Nikki Cross, I really want Ember Moon to finally win it. However, I feel that Kairi Sane will go on from winning the Mae Young Classic to becoming the Champion.
Predicted Winner: Kairi Sane

Andrade "Cien" Almas vs Drew McIntyre
NXT Championship
Whilst Andrade has been good since Zelina Vega came onto the scene, I honestly don't think he'll win this.
Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Due to a busy weekend, I won't get to see this til next week. Until then, I hope you enjoy the show.

Watching Smackdown Live in Manchester

Last week, me and my girlfriend went to the Manchester Arena to watch the taping of Smackdown Live and 205 Live. Even though I've been a wrestling fan on and off for over 25 years, this is only the 3rd time that I've been to a WWE event. I've been to a Smackdown taping in Manchester 2 years ago with my girlfriend; and a RAW house show in Liverpool with my brother earlier this year. I was really looking forward to it as we would get to see a WWE Championship match. As for my girlfriend, she isn't really a fan of wrestling so I was hoping that she would enjoy it.

To recap the night, I've changed the format a little bit putting it into bullet points.
We were supposed to be on the upper tier but we got moved to lower tier facing the stage. It was unfortunate that the arena was half full (as seen below) but with RAW being in the same city the night before, very few people would have been at both. The only reason I went to the Smackdown taping was because I saw RAW earlier in the year. So most people would have gone to one or the other.

  • The night started with Breezango taking on The Colons. I don't care about The Colons but it was nice to see Breezango, who got the win.
  • Smackdown itself started with Shane McMahon and The New Day patting themselves on the back for what happened on RAW the night before. This was interrupted by Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn and I did mark out for that.
  • Zayn versus Kofi Kingston was pretty good and Kofi won. Owens responds with briefly attacking Kofi then bailing. Apparently him and Zayn were supposed to get beaten up by The New Day and that they were sent home.
  • Rusev vs Randy Orton was fun although I wished that Rusev won. Having Aiden English as his hype man is fun to watch and I forgot how good English's voice is.
  • Becky Lynch vs James Ellsworth was pretty decent although I feel that the TV PG rating might have limited what they could do.
  • Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin challenging The Usos for the Tag Team Championship was a disappointment because it was far too short. The match ended with Gable chop blocking Jey and Benjamin scratching his balls while the match ended in a count out. I was looking forward to this but I wasn't happy with the ending. Plus isn't Gable doing a chop block a heel move?
  • AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal was the best match of the night and Styles won, which very few people expected to see. I do feel sorry for Mahal but I would rather have Styles face Lesnar than Mahal.
  • Next was 205 Live and a lot of people round me left. It was just after 9pm at this point and a lot of these people had young children with them. I suspect that the time plus the possibility that they might not heard of any of the 205 wrestlers would have been a factor.
  • It didn't help that 205 Live started with the Zo Show which felt like it went on for hours. Having the UK wrestlers in the ring effectively brown nosing Enzo was weird, especially with Tyler Bate. Thankfully Bate saw sense and this led to him facing Enzo in the main event.
  • The other matches featured some of the UK wrestlers and to be honest, nothing stood out. I haven't watched it on the Network yet so I might have a different opinion then.
  • Having said that, we got the debut of Jack Gallagher's new theme and his promo was pretty good as well.
  • Enzo Amore vs Tyler Bate was quite good. I was gutted that Enzo won but he lost to UK Champion Pete Dunne the night before so him losing again wouldn't look good.
  • The last match was Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin taking on Shinsuke Nakamura and Bobby Roode. I'm a big fan of Roode and it was pretty cool to see his entrance live. Nakamura and Roode won to end the night.


Overall I really enjoyed the night and more importantly,  so did my girlfriend. WWE only come here twice a year and it's something that I recommend that you go to if you're a fan from the UK.

Sunday 29 October 2017

WWE TLC 2017 Review

WWE TLC 2017 took place last Sunday at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Recent medical issues has resulted in not only AJ Styles making a guest appearance; but Kurt Angle is taking part in his first WWE match in over 11 years. So, will the event live up to the recent hype? Let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was Sasha Banks taking on Alicia Foxx. Alicia tries to offer a handshake but Sasha responds with a dropkick. Even though Alicia gets the advantage for a little while, Sasha gets her to submit to the Banks Statement to get the win. The match was ok, I guess. Just nothing really special stood out for me.
Winner: Sasha Banks (1 for 1)

The first match of the event Emma taking on Asuka, making her main roster debut. Emma gains the momentum after sending Asuka to the outside and following up with a baseball slide. Asuka gets back into it and eventually gets Emma to submit to the Asuka Lock to get the win. This was an ok match and I was surprised that Emma got as much offence as she did.
Winner: Asuka (2 for 2)

The next match is The Brian Kendrick and Gentleman Jack Gallagher taking on Rich Swann and Cedric Alexander. Kendrick pulls Swann off the turnbuckle to the mat to give his team the advantage. Eventually Swann manages to tag in Alexander and they get the win after he hits Kendrick with a Lumbar Check. A fun match to watch.
Winners: Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann (2 for 3)

We now get our first Championship as Mickie James challenges Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women's Championship. Alexa focuses her attack on Mickie's left arm, but Mickie gets back into it with a hurracarrana. Alexa tries to win it with a Twisted Bliss but she misses. In the end, Alexa pulls Mickie head first into the turnbuckle then hits her with the DDT to get the win. This was a really good match and I hope we get a rematch between the two before we get the inevitable reign of Asuka.
Winner: Alexa Bliss (3 for 4)

Next is Enzo Amore challenging Kalisto for the Cruiserweight Championship. Enzo struggles at the beginning but he gets the momentum when he pulls Kalisto off the turnbuckle and his head bounces off the pad. Kalisto does get back into it. However, the end comes when Enzo tries to flee and he takes the ring apron with him when Kalisto drags him back. While the referee is putting that back, Enzo pokes Kalisto in the eye then hits the JawdonZo to get the win. This match was ok but the way that Enzo has been winning has been annoying. The Cruiserweight Division is built on fast pace and exciting moves. However, Enzo has won his last 2 Championships with a low blow and a poke in the eye. It feels like a big fuck you from WWE to me.
Winner: Enzo Amore (3 for 5)

We now get a match that everyone has been wanting to see for years: Demon Finn Balor taking on AJ Styles. The match goes back and forth with both guys exchanging kicks and punches. Balor kicks Styles out of the ring and follows that with an over the top suicide dive. Styles manages to apply the calf crusher but Balor gets out of it by continually bashing Styles' head against the mat. Balor comes close with the 1916 and Styles hits a beautiful springboard hurracarrana for 2. In the end, Balor hits the Coup de Grace to get the win. Afterwards, the two shake hands and do the Too Sweet sign.

This was a really good match and it's a leading contender for my match of the year. However, as soon as Bray Wyatt has recovered from his illness, we're back to the Demon vs Sister Abigail match. Honestly, who the fuck wants to see that?
Winner: Finn Balor (4 for 6)

The penultimate match is between Elias and Jason Jordan. This all started at the Kick Off Show when Elias interrupted a moment between Jordan and Kurt Angle to ask to perform a concert. Jordan didn't take too kindly to that and distrupted Elias' attempts at a concert by throwing food at him..? Don't forget, Jordan is technically a face. My main question beforehand was, who set this match up? Stephanie McMahon hasn't been seen in ages and Kurt's been too busy preparing for his match. Anyway, Jordan gets a questionable win after reversing a suplex into a small package and it looks like Elias got his shoulder up before the referee does the 3 count. I wasn't really a fan of this match mainly because I couldn't get myself into it.
Winner: Jason Jordan (N/A)

We now get our main event: the team of Hollywood Miz, Cesaro, Sheamus, Demon Kane and Bruan Strowman taking on Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Kurt Angle.  First of all, I get that Angle was made a temporary member of the Shield but I would have preferred it if he came out to his music and the singlet. Highlights of the match include: Kane and Strowman being put through the announce tables; Angle doing a fuck load of German suplexes; Strowman sending Angle through a table with a running powerslam and Angle has to go to the back; Kane chokeslamming Strowman through the stage and dropping a row of chairs on top of him; and Strowman then getting murdered by getting put in the back of a bin lorry. It looks like The Shield are going to lose when Angle's music hit and he comes out, giving Cesaro and Sheamus Olympic Slams. After Rollins and Ambrose spear Kane into the timekeeper's area, Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Angle for 2. In the end, Miz did hit by all of his opponents' finishers followed by a triple power bomb and The Shield and Angle win.

This match was a mixed bag for me. The middle part of it got pretty boring and I feel that it was too long. Despite that, there were some fun spots and it was nice to see Angle wrestle in a WWE ring again.

I thought that TLC was quite a fun event, despite my criticisms. We got 2 really good matches and the return of a WWE Hall of Famer. Next is Survivor Series and it's something that I'm quite looking forward to seeing.

Sunday 22 October 2017

WWE TLC 2017 Preview

WWE TLC will be taking place tomorrow evening at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The card was looking pretty good but recent events have now made it fucking amazing. Why? Well, let's take a look and find out.

Sasha Banks vs Alicia Foxx
I can't see Alicia winning this but you never know.
Predicted Winner: Sasha Banks

Cedric Alexander and Rich Swann vs The Brian Kendrick and Gentleman Jack Gallagher
This should be an enjoyable contest and it's a tough one to call. I'm going for Kendrick and Gallagher to win.
Predicted Winners: The Brian Kendrick and Gentleman Jack Gallagher

Mickie James vs Alexa Bliss
RAW Women's Championship
A part of me feels that Mickie will win this. However, I think it's more likely that Alexa will win and drop the Title to Asuka.
Predicted Winner: Alexa Bliss

Enzo Amore vs Kalisto
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
This could be an enjoyable contest and I think that Kalisto will retain.
Predicted Winner: Kalisto

Asuka vs Emma
Bitch please. Asuka is winning this. Don't be fucking stupid.
Predicted Winner: Asuka

AJ Styles vs Finn Balor
Yes, you read that right. Due to medical issues with Bray Wyatt, we get to see a dream match and I can't remember the last time I was this excited for a match. This is tough but I'm going for Finn to win here.
Predicted Winner: Finn Balor

Brian Strowman, Kane, Cesaro, Sheamus and Hollywood Miz vs Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Kurt. Fucking. Angle
For the first time in over 11 years, RAW GM Kurt Angle will take part in a WWE match. Obviously they have to win, right?
Predicted Winners: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Kurt Angle

Even though I'm looking forward to this, I won't get to see it live. I hope you guys enjoy the show.


Saturday 21 October 2017

WWE Hell in a Cell Review

WWE Hell in a Cell 2017 took place on Sunday 8th October at the Little Caesar's Arena in Detriot. Unfortunately, due to being on holiday, I didnt get time to write up my predictions. Sorry about that. Anyway, let's take a look at the show.

The match on the Kick Off was The Hype Bros taking on Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin (so, American Alpha 2.0?)Benjamin takes advantage of Ryder's offer of a handshake to hit him with a spine buster. Eventually,  Ryder manages to get the hot tag to Rawley. However, it was not enough as Benjamin amd Gable hit a neckbreaker/powerbomb combo on Ryder to get the win. This was quite a decent match and I feel that it's the beginning of the end for the Hype Bros.
Winners: Chad Gable and Shelton Benjamin

The first match of the show was The Usos challenging The New Day in a Hell in a Cell match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Highlights of the match include: The New Day practically using an orchestra on Jey Uso; The New Day trapping Jey in the corner of the Cell with kendo sticks; and The Usos handcuffing Woods against the ring post and beating the fuck out of him with kendo sticks. The Usos almost win it when they hit Big E with a double splash but Woods breaks up the pin. In the end, The Usos prevail after hitting Woods with a double splash and they are the new Smackdown Tag Team Champions.  This was an awesome match to watch amd it's a shame that it is the end of their rivalry. Hopefully,  they will find a way to have another match in the near future.
Winners:The Usos

Next is Rusev taking on Randy Orton. Rusev takes advantage after sending Orton into the barrier from the apron. However, Orton gets back into it and hits the RKO to get the win. To be honest, I found the match to be dull, nothing special. The match was ok, although I don't get
Winner: Randy Orton

We were supposed to have Baron Corbin challenging AJ Styles for the United States Championship. However, Tye Dillinger manages to get Daniel Bryan to make it a triple threat match instead. Styles and Dillinger team up on Corbin at the beginning before they turn on each other. Styles manages to put Dillinger in the calf crusher, but Corbin pulls him out of the ring. In the end, Styles hits Dillinger with the Phenomenal Forearm.  However, Corbin throws Styles out of the ring and pins Dillinger to become the new United States Champion. This was quite a good match and I was surprised that Corbin won. Whilst I'm not a big fan of the ending,  it does set up a match between Styles and Corbin.
Winner: Baron Corbin


We now get our 3rd Championship match as Charlotte Flair challenges Natalya for the Smackdown Women's Championship. After some back and forth, Natalya focuses her attack on Charlotte's left knee. Charlotte makes a comeback but Natalya manages to put on the Sharpshooter and Charlotte gets out of it. In the end, the match goes to the outside and Natalya goes "fuck it" and attacks Charlotte with a chair to get herself disqualified.  Even though I wasn't a fan of the ending, I thought it was a good match.
Winner: Charlotte

After a hilarious episode of the Fashion Files, we get Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship, which isn't inside Hell in a Cell..? Seems a bit weird but anyway, Mahal sends Nakamura into the crowd to get the advantage then proceeds to grind him down. During the match, the Singh Brothers keep on interfering and the referee eventually sends them to the back. The end comes when Mahal avoids the Kinshasa and hits the Kahlass to get the win. Whilst it seemed weird seeing Mahal win clean, this was quite a good match.
Winner: Jinder Mahal

The penultimate match is Booby Roode taking on Dolph Ziggler. The match goes back and forth before Ziggler applies a sleeper. Roode gets out of it with a back suplex. In thebend, Roode gets the pin while holding the tights. Immediately after, Ziggler hits him with the Zig Zag. The match was ok, although I don't get what WWE are doing withRoode. THe obviously has a heel gimmick but he sometimes acts a face then cheats to win? Make up your mind.
Winner: Bobby Roode

The main event is between Shane McMahon and Kevin Owens inside Hell in a Cell that is also falls count anywhere..? Er, ok. Right off the bat, this match is 39 fucking minutes lomg. So to save time, I'm going to skip to near the end. Shane uses bolt cutters to get out of the cell and the match goes to the top. Eventually, Owens falls off the side of the cell amd goes through the Spanish announcers table. Instead of pinning Owens,  Shane decides to climb to the top and goes for the elbow. Suddenly, Sami Zayn comes in and pulls Owens away and Shane goes crashing through the Samckdown announcers table. While paramedics and referees tend to Shane, Zayn pulls Owens on top of him and he gets the win.

The match was good but it was far too long. I used to enjoy Shane during the Attitude Era as he was protrayed as an underdog who would cheat like fuck to win. Now, he's goimg toe to toe with Owens and AJ Styles. I do find that hard to believe. As for Zayn's hell turn, it was shocking and I didn't think it would happen but it might be what he needs. It's been looking good so far so I'm interested in it.
Winner: Kevin Owens

I thought that Hell in a Cell was a pretty good event. However, WWE have been booking endings to matches that I've not been a fan of. Hopefully that will end soon.

Friday 6 October 2017

WWE No Mercy 2017 Review

WWE No Mercy took place on Sunday 24th September at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The card looks pretty good with two really big matches. So, how will it go? Let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was Elias taking on Apollo Crews. Elias struggles to deal with Apollo's athleticism before taking his legs out from under him. Despite Apollo mounting a comeback, Elias sends him into the turnbuckle then hits the Drift Away to get the win. The match was a lot slower than I expected him to be but it was still pretty decent.
Winner: Elias (1 for 1)

The first match of the show is for the Intercontinental Championship as Jason Jordan challenge Hollywood Miz. Jordan gets distracted by the Miztourage, giving Miz the chance to hit a dropkick and get the advantage. Jordan comes close a couple of times but in the end, Curtis Axel manages to get a cheap shot and Miz hits a Skull Crushing Finale to get the win. This was a decent match to start the show.
Winner: The Miz (2 for 2)

The next match is Finn Balor taking on Bray Wyatt. Wyatt attacks Balor from behind before the bell, ending with him slamming Balor onto the German announce table. Balor manages to recover and beats the crap out of Wyatt once the bell rings. Wyatt starts to get back into it and there was some back and forth. In the end, Balor hits the Coup de Grace to get the win. This match was pretty decent.
Winner: Finn Balor (2 for 3)

We now get the RAW Tag Team Championship as Cesaro and Sheamus challenge Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. During the match, Ambrose gives Cesaro some impromptu dental surgery with a slingshot into the ring post. Cesaro and Sheamus beat down their opponents, getting frustrated with the referee when they can't get a 3 count. Sheamus hits White Noise on Ambrose followed by Cesaro powerbombing Rollins onto him from the top rope and that somehow gets a 2 count. In the end, Sheamus gets hit with the high knee by Rollins followed by Dirty Deeds by Ambrose and they retain the Championship. This was a really enjoyable match and extra kudos for Cesaro on continuing after getting his teeth knocked out.
Winners: Cesaro and Sheamus (3 for 4)

Next is a Fatal 5 Way match for the RAW Women's Championship.  Alexa Bliss has to deal with the challenges of Sasha Banks, Bayley, Emma and Nia Jax. Highlights of the match include: Nia destroying everyone, including doing a double Samoan drop on Sasha and Alexa; the women teaming up to powerbomb Nia; and Sasha putting Alexa in the Banks Statement. In the end, Alexa throws Bayley into Emma then hits Bayley with the DDT to get the win. Even though I was surprised that Bayley took the pin, this was a very entertaining match.
Winner: Alexa Bliss (4 for 5)

Now it's the first of the big matches as John Cena takes on Roman Reigns. Reigns completely dominates Cena to begin with. Cena tries to start a comeback a couple of times but Reigns shuts them down. Cena eventually gets to hit an AA but Reigns kicks out. Reigns goes on to kick out of 3 more AAs, including one from the top rope. In the end, Reigns hits a Superman punch followed by a spear to get the win. The match was pretty good although Reigns kicking out of 4 AAs did bug me.
Winner: Roman Reigns (5 for 6)

The penultimate match is for the Cruiserweight Championship as Enzo Amore challenges King Neville of the Cruiserweights. Amore does get a few hits in but Neville completely domi ates him. Neville misses a Phoenix splash. Neville sends Amore flying into the time keeper's area. Amore then grabs the belt and threatens to use it. When the referee takes it and goes to hand it back, Amore kicks Neville in the balls then pins him to get the win. What the actual fuck, WWE? At Summerslam, Amore was in a shark cage then gets his head kicked off by Big Cass. Now a month later, he's the Cruiserweight Champion?! Eventhough I'm rapidly souring on Amore, I'm interested to see how his heel turn will go with the cruiserweights. However, it would work better if you didn't have King Neville there.
Winner: Enzo Amore (5 for 7)

The main event is Bruan Strowman challenging Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Strowman hits a running powerslam early on for 2. Lesnar does go on to apply a Kimura and 5 consecutive German suplexes. Even though Strowman hit 2 more running powerslams, Lesnar hits a F5 to get the win. Even though it was short and annoying that Strowman lost after just one F5, it was a good match.

Except for the Cruiserweight match, I thought that No Mercy was a good event. However, there was one thing that bothered me. Two of the matches had one guy take mutliple finishers then goes on to hit their finisher once to get the win. Hopefully WWE will not do this all the time.


Sunday 24 September 2017

WWE No Mercy 2017 Preview

WWENoMercyPoster2017.jpg 

WWE No Mercy will be taking place this evening at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. There are 2 really big matches on the card plus some interesting Championship matches. Let's look at the card.

Apollo Crews vs Elias
Elias will take some time out of his World Tour to take on Apollo Crews. I hated Elias on NXT but I've heard good things about what he's doing on RAW so let's see how it goes. I'm going for him to win.
Predicted Winner: Elias

Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt
Yay, we're getting this again. I really don't want him to but I think that Wyatt will win.
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt   

Enzo Amore vs King Neville of the Cruiserweights
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
There is no fucking way that Amore will win this. If he does, that means that WWE are just trolls.
Predicted Winner: Neville

Jason Jordan vs Hollywood Miz
WWE Intercontinental Championship
I don't think that Jordan will win, especially with Miz having the Miztourage to help him, but you never know.
Predicted Winner: The Miz

Nia Jax vs Emma vs Bayley vs Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss
RAW Women's Championship
This has the potential to be good or a clusterfuck. I think that Alexa will find some way to win.
Predicted Winner: Alexa Bliss

Cesaro and Sheamus vs Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins
RAW Tag Team Championship
I enjoyed their match from Summerslam and I'm hoping for the same here. I think that Ambrose and Rollins will win.
Predicted Winners: Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins

John Cena vs Roman Reigns
Even though I'm not a fan of these guys, I'm really looking forward to this match. I'm going for Reigns by some questionable method.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

Braun Strowman vs Brock Lesnar
Universal Championship
This is a tough one to call as I can see both guys winning. I think that Strowman will fuck Lesnar up but Lesnar will find some way to win.
Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

I won't get to see til later in the week so until then, I hope you enjoy the show.        

Monday 18 September 2017

Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (1944-2017)


Yesterday it was announced Raymond Louis Heenan ,better known as Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, passed away. He was 72.

Heenan started his wrestling career selling refreshments at events and carrying bags for the wrestlers. After dropping out of school, his first break in the industry came as a manager in 1965. After time in the World Wrestling Association and the American Wrestling Association, he joined the WWF in 1984 as the manager of Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Heenan went on to manage numerous wrestlers, including Andre The Giant who faced Hulk Hogan in Wrestlemania III.

Heenan then moved onto commentary, and he formed a brilliant partnership with Gorilla Monsoon. After leaving WWF in 1993, he was approached by WCW and he did their commentary until 2000. His last commentary was with Mean Gene Okerlund for the Gimmick Battle Royal at Wrestlemania X-7.

I will always remember Heenan as one of the best commentators of all time and his partnership with Gorilla Monsoon is something that I don't think WWE appreciate as much as they should. One of the reasons that I find Wrestlemania VIII When I got into wrestling in 1992, I only knew him as a commentator and when I saw some of the old Wrestlemanias when he was a manager. He was such a joy to watch and it's a shame that his neck injury meant we didn't see more of it. Heenan was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2004 and he is regarded as one of the best wrestling managers of all time. Not only that, He will be sorely missed by everyone in the wrestling world.

Heenan is survived by his wife Cynthia, his daughter and two grandchildren.

Tuesday 12 September 2017

WWE Summerslam 2017 Review

The 30th WWE Summerslam took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday 20th August. There are some matches that look pretty good on paper so will they live up to the hype? Let's take a look.

There were 3 matches on the Kick Off Show and the first was The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan taking on Hollywood Miz and the Miztourage. Curtis Axel stops Jeff Hardy going to the top rope to give his team the  advantage. Eventually, Matt Hardy does get tagged in but in the end, Jason Jordan goes to hit a suplex on Axel but Miz had already blind tagged himself in and hits the Skull Crushing Finale to get the win. The match was ok but considering the talent involved, I was expecting a little better.
Winners: Hollywood Miz and The Miztourage (0 for 1)

The second match was King Neville of the Cruiserweights challenging Akira Tozowa for the Cruiserweight Championship. The match goes back and forth with some exciting offence. In the end, Neville avoids a Senton Splash and hits the Red Arrow to get the win and regain the Championship. This was a good match and whilst I'm happy with Neville winning, it does raise the question of the point of Tozowa being Champion for 6 days. As for Neville, it looks like his next challenger will be Enzo Amore and I'm not looking forward to it as he is nowhere near the Neville level.
Winner: Neville (0 for 2)

After a concert by Elias, we get our Kick Off Show main event: The Usos challenging The New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Jimmy Uso counters a jump off the top rope by Xavier Woods with an uppercut to get the advantage. Woods reverses a back suplex to hit Jimmy in the head, giving him the chance to tag in Big E. Both teams come close to winning with double team moves and at one point, Woods applies a submission move. The New Day hit the Up Up Down Down but Jimmy breaks up the pin. In the end, The Usos hit multiple superkicks on Big E followed by a double Uso Splash to get the win. This was another great match between the two teams and it's a shame that it wasn't on the main card. I hope they have another one soon.
Winners: The Usos (0 for 3)

The first match of the event was John Cena taking on Baron Corbin with his new shit music. Cena acts as a cocky dick at the beginning, and Corbin proceeds to beat the crap out of him. He goes on to keep Cena down while slagging off the crowd and the referee. Despite hitting moves such as a Deep Six, Cena gets the win after hitting an AA. I thought the match was pretty good and I start to wonder if this is the beginning of the end for Baron Corbin.
Winner: John Cena (1 for 4)

We now get our first Championship match as Natalya challenges Naomi for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Natalya starts by slapping Naomi and goes on to dominate after catapulting her from the apron to the post. Naomi does make a comeback but Natalya gets her in a sharpshooter after avoiding a split-legged moonsault. Naomi is forced to submit and Natalya is the new Champion. This was quite a good match and I was surprised that Natalya won. Hopefully she will have a decent reign, but with Carmella waiting in the shadows to cash in at any time, that might not be possible.
Winner: Natalya (1 for 5)

Next is Big Cass taking on Big Show with Enzo Amore for some reason in a shark cage. Enzo does not shut the fuck up while Big Show is attacking Cass. Eventually Cass focuses on Show's injured hand. Enzo manages to get out of the cage and Cass murders him with a big boot. Cass goes on to hit 2 big boots followed by an Empire Elbow on Show to get the win. The match was ok I suppose. Unfortunately, Cass fucked up his ACL the following day, which will keep him out for at least 8 months. I wonder if they will change his gimmick when he returns.
Winner: Big Cass (2 for 6)

Next is Randy Orton taking on Rusev. Rusev attacks Orton during his entrance. When the referee makes sure Orton is ok, the bell rings and Orton dodges a punch and hits the RKO to get the win. Ok, seriously what the fuck? The match lasted about 10 seconds. I hope that this isn't a burial of Rusev. As for Orton, he can get fuck himself.
Winner: Randy Orton (3 for 7)

Our second Championship match is for the RAW Women's Championship as Sasha Banks challenges Alexa Bliss. After they exchange some blows, Alexa gets the advantage, focusing on the neck. Sasah hits a running knee, giving her the chance to make a comeback. Alexa injures Sasha's shoulder and goes on to hit Twisted Bliss but Sasha kicks out. Sasha then manages to apply the Banks Statement to make Alexa tap out and Sasha Banks is the new RAW Women's Champion. This was an enjoyable contest and I would congratulate Sasha on winning the Championship. However, she lost it back to Alexa 8 days later. Hopefully this isn't the start of the Championship yo-yo-ing like last year. 
Winner: Sasha Banks (4 for 8)

Next is Finn Balor in Demon Mode taking on Bray Wyatt.  Wyatt struggles to cope with Balor before he hits a snap suplex to the outside to get the momentum. Wyatt tries to hit Sister Abigail a couple of times but he's stopped each time. The match goes back and forth before Balor hits the Coup de Grace to get the win. The match was ok and hopefully Balor will get the fuck away from Wyatt in the future.
Winner: Finn Balor (5 for 9)

Now we get a mini Shield reunion as Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose team up to challenge Cesaro and Sheamus for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Rollins and Ambrose work together before Cesaro and Sheamus catch Rollins attempting a suicide dive and throw him to the floor. They continue to beat down on Rollins while taking a moment for Cesaro to destroy a beach ball that was being thrown amongst the crowd. Eventually Ambrose gets tagged in and they come close when Ambrose hits a super plex followed by a splash by Rollins on Sheamus, but Cesaro breaks up the pin. Later on, Cesaro does on giant swing on Ambrose followed by a sharpshooter, which he transitioned into a crossface. In the end, Rollins hits Sheamus with his high knee followed by a Dirty Deeds by Amborse and they become the new RAW Tag Team Champions. This was a really good match and hopefully we get a rematch at No Mercy.
Winners: Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose (5 for 10)

Next is Kevin Owens challenging AJ Styles for the United States Championship with Shane McMahon as the Special Guest Referee. As usual, the match is an entertaining affair and Owens gets the advantage after hitting a brutal clothesline. Owens goes for the pop up powerbomb but Styles gets out of it to hit a fireman's carry neckbreaker for 2. Styles goes for a 450 splash but Owens pulls Shane on top of him to take the hit. Owesn hits the pop up powerbomb but it only gets 2 and Owens goes ballistic at Shane. Shane gets hurt again when Owens kicks Styles into him and he goes out of the ring. Styles comes close when he hits a Styles Clash and Owens thinks he won after a pop up powerbomb; but Shane waves off the pin when he notices Styles' leg on the rope. Owens and Shane start pushing each other and this gives Styles the chance to hit a Phenomenal Forearm followed by a Styles Clash to get the win. This match was pretty good and a lot better than their match at Battleground.
Winner: AJ Styles (6 for 11)

The penultimate match is Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. Mahal struggles to cope with Nakamura's offence. Luckily, the Singh Brothers distract Nakamura long enough for Mahal to get some momentum. Nakamura makes his comeback but when he goes for the Kinshasa, the Singhs interfere. Nakamura beats the fuck out of them and this gives Mahal the chance to hit the Khallas to get the win. I found this match to be a disappointment. First of all, this match was only 11 minutes. Secondly, once again, Jinder's match ends the same way: Singhs interfere, gets the fuck beaten out of them, Mahal hits the Khallas to win. Fuck WWE, at least change the ending next time.
Winner: Jinder Mahal (6 for 12)

The main event is for the Universal Championship as Bruan Strowman, Roman Reigns and Samoa Joe challenge Brock Lesnar in a Fatal 4-Way Match. Strowman seriously fucks up Lesanr in this match. He powerslams Lesnar through the Spanish announce table; then again through the Smackdown announce table. Then, he tips the German announce table on top of Lesnar. Lesnar is taken away on a stretcher and Strowman turns his attention to Reigns and Joe. Later on, Lesnar comes back and beats up Strowman. After numerous finishing moves and near falls, the end comes when Reigns hits 3 Superman punches on Lesnar. When he goes for a spear, Lesnar picks him uo and hits a F-5 to get the win. This was a good match and it made everyone look good, especially Strowman.
Winner: Bruan Strowman (6 for 13)

I thought that Summerslam, with a couple of exceptins, was a good event. WWE have been a mixed bag with their PPVs this year. Hopefullly, this can be the start of some good stuff from them.

Sunday 3 September 2017

NXT Takeover Brooklyn III Review

NXT Takeover Brooklyn III took place last Saturday at the Barclays Center. The last few Takeovers have been pretty decent so will this be better? Let's take a look.

The first match was Johnny Gargano taking on Andrade "Cien" Almas with Zelina Vega. Almas occasionally displays some of the arrogance that Vega is trying to get rid of; and he gets the advantage early on. After they exchange blows, Gargano comes close after a beautiful slingshot DDT. In the end, Gargano is about to go for his finisher when Vega throws a #DIY T-shirt at him. This somehow gives Gargano a traumatic experience and Almas hits a running dropkick followed by  hammerlock DDT to get the win. This was a really good match and without a doubt, Almas' best match since joining NXT. It would have been nice to see Gargano win but I feel that Almas needed it more and hopefully this will continue.
Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas (1 for 1)

Next is the NXT Tag Team Championship match as Alexander Wolff and Killian Dian from SaNitY challenge The Authors of Pain. Razr and Akam don't fuck around and attack their opponents before the bell rings. When the referee regains control and the match officially starts, Young replaces Dian, which I assume is ok. There was an awesome bit when Nikki Cross attempts a cross body but she's caught by Akam. Dian then does a running cross body, sending all of them through a table. This gives Young and Wolff the chance to hit a belly-to-back suplex/neckbreaker combo to pin Razr and become the new NXT Tag Team Champions...? Holy shit, I didn't expect this. Unofrtuantely, their celebrations were short lived as Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly turn up and fuck everyone up.

This match was probably the one that I was least looking forward to yet this was a very pleasant surprise. MVP of the match definitely is Alexander Wolff. I didn't think he had it in him but he was amazing. Well done to SaNitY for winning their first Championship.
Winners: SaNitY (1 for 2)

Our 3rd match is between Hideo Itami and Aleister Black, and they spent the early part of this kicking the shit out of each other. Itami hits a guillotine knee drop to get the advantage and keeps him grounded. After a very back and forth match, including Itami hitting a flacom arrow from the top rope, Black hits a Black Mask to get the win. It was a bit slower than I expected but despite that it was a good match.
Winner: Aliester Black (2 for 3)

The penultimate match is one that I'm really looking forward to as Ember Moon challenges Asuka for the NXT Women's Championship. Ember dominates Asuka to begin with. However,  Asuka sends Ember into the steel steps then suplexes her onto the steel ramp to get the advantage. Asuka focuses her attack on the shoulder that she injured earlier in the year, with moves such as an octopus lock. The match goes back and forth, with Ember having to adapt due to her shoulder. In the end, Asuka manages to apply the Asuka Lock and Ember eventually taps out. This was a really good match and I was quite surprised that Asuka won. I was going to write about where they would go with Asuka. However, it was revealed that she got injured and is out for a few months. Therefore, she has vacated the Championship and she will be on the main roster when she comes back. A shame that no one in NXT got to beat her. However, I'm looking forward to seeing how she does on the main roster.
Winner: Asuka (2 for 4)

The main event is Drew McIntyre  challenging Bobby Roode  for the NXT Championship. After some back and forth between the two, McIntyre manages to hit a Future Shock and a Claymore utring the match but Roode kicked out each time. Roode goes on to a Glorious DDT but McIntyre kicks out. Roode then hits another Glorious DDT and immediately hits a third. However, McIntyre gets out of it and hits a second Claymore to get the win and become the new NXT Champion. Afterwards, Adam Cole along with Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish, interrupts McIntyre's celebrations and fucked him up.

This was a decent match between the two and I'm looking forward to seeing a McIntyre/Cole feud. As for Roode, I was looking forward to seeing him face Roderick Strong in the near future. However, he got called up to Smackdown a few days later so I guess that might not happen.
Winner: Drew McInytre (3 for 5)

I really enjoyed Takeover: Brooklyn III and it has been the best Takeover of the year so far. Even though two of their Champions are going up to the main roster, I feel that NXT is in a good place right now and will stay there for the foreseeable future.

Sunday 20 August 2017

WWE Summerslam 2017 Preview

Image result for summerslam 2017

WWE Summerslam will be taking place this evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. There are 13 matches on the card, so will the 30th Summerslam be the best one yet? Let's take a look.

The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan vs Hollywood Miz and The Miztourage
There are a lot of interesting matches on the Pre Show and this should be a good one. I'm going for The Hardys and Jordan to win.
Predicted Winners: The Hardy Boyz and Jason Jordan

The Usos vs The New Day
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
Based on their last two matches, I'm looking forward to this one. I think that The New Day will retain.
Predicted Winners: The New Day

King Neville of the Cruiserweights vs Akira Tozowa
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
It was a bit weird seeing Neville lose his Championship 6 days before Summerslam. Whilst I would like Neville to win, I feel that Tozowa has to win this otherwise what was the point?
Predicted Winner: Akira Tozowa

Randy Orton vs Rusev
Er...I'm not too bothered about this but I think that Orton will win.
Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Big Show vs Big Cass
Oh God, I don't care about this either although seeing Enzo Amore in a shark cage might be  funny. I'm going for Big Cass to win.
Predicted Winner: Big Cass

Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt
Balor will be in Demon Mode for Summerslam and hopefully that will be enough to beat Wyatt, who I give no fucks about.
Predicted Winner: Finn Balor

John Cena vs Baron Corbin
Corbin is on thin ice at the moment. After the worst cash in of all time, this match will define the direction of his career. If he wins, he should be ok but I think that won't happen and this will be the beginning of the end for him.
Predicted Winner: John Cena

Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose vs Cesaro and Sheamus
WWE RAW Tag Team Championship
A tough one to call but I think that Cesaro and Sheamus will retain.
Predicted Winners: Cesaro and Sheamus

Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles (Shane McMahon Guest Referee)
WWE United States Championship
This is one that I'm quite looking forward to. I feel that Styles will retain.
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

Natalya vs Naomi
Smackdown Women's Championship
Whilst I feel that it should be Charlotte Flair instead of Natalya, this could be a good match. I think that Naomi will win but I do wonder if Carmella will make a surprise appearance.
Predicted Winner: Naomi

Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss
RAW Women's Championship
Another one that I'm looking forward to. I feel that Sasha will be the new Champion.
Predicted Winner: Sasha Banks

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Jinder Mahal
WWE Championship
This has the potential to be a good match and I feel that Nakamura will be victorious.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Samoa Joe vs Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
Fatal 4-Way Match for the Universal Championship
I can see any one of these guys winning but I'm going on a bit of a limb here and predicting Samoa Joe to win.
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe

I'll get to see it during the week but until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.

Saturday 19 August 2017

NXT Takeover Brooklyn III Preview

Image result for nxt takeover brooklyn iii poster



NXT Takeover Brooklyn III will be taking place this evening at the Barclays Center. The last few Takeovers have been pretty good so will this one be in the same vein? Let's take a look.

Johnny Gargano vs Andrade "Cien" Almas
This is an interesting one to predict as I can see each one winning. It's a tough one but I think the influence of Almas' valet Zelina Vega will be enough for him to win.
Predicted Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas 

Hideo Itami vs Aliester Black
Another tough one to call but I think Black will win this.
Predicted Winner: Aliester Black

SaNity vs Authors of Pain
NXT Tag Team Championship
This is another tough one to call but I'm going for Authors of Pain to retain.
Predicted Winners: Authors of Pain

Ember Moon vs Asuka
NXT Women's Championship
This match is one that I'm really looking forward to.  I think it's time for Asuka's undefeated streak to end and for Ember Moon to win the Championship.
Predicted Winner: Ember Moon

Drew McIntyre vs Bobby Roode
NXT Championship
Another match that I'm looking forward to. Like Asuka, I think that's time for a new NXT Champion so McIntyre to win.
Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

I'm going to be a bit busy over the weekend so I'll review it during the week. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.

Wednesday 16 August 2017

Worst. Cash In. Ever.

Image result for baron corbin cash in

Last night, the main event of Smackdown Live was Jinder Mahal taking on John Cena. It looked like Cena was going to win when Corbin interferes and beats up Cena. He then decides to cash in his briefcase. Unfortunately, he is distracted by Cena and this allows Jinder to roll him up and get the win.

Without a doubt, this is the worst cash in I have ever seen and there are many things to look at. First of all, the timing. To do this in the last few minutes of your go-home show before the second biggest event of the year is a big surprise and if Corbin was successful, it would have made Summerslam very interesting. Would Cena vs Corbin now be a Championship match? What would Shinsuke Nakamura, the Number 1 Contender, have to say about it? Would it be now be a triple threat match or will Corbin face Nakamura instead? If Talking Smack was still going on, you could see all those questions being answered by Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. 

Secondly, Jinder is probably the luckiest person on the planet because everyone else involved in this are fucking morons. Corbin is practically back at the Gorilla position before he decides to cash in. Then he has to wait for the referee to tell the ring announcer and the time keeper about what is happening and make sure Jinder is ok to compete. This gives Jinder a long time to recover. When the match starts, Corbin gets distracted by Cena, who is just standing on the apron not doing anything. Also, you have to think that Cena is an idiot in this as well. Even though he techncially didn't do anything, but he's laughing at Corbin afterwards. You do realise that you could be facing Corbin for the WWE Championship at Summerslam, right? You know, the chance to be a 17-time World Champion, breaking Ric Flair's record? I know that Cena is supposed to be the ultimate babyface but there are times where he does some really dumb things.

I'm not the biggest fan of Baron Corbin but I feel so sorry for him. He not only loses in less than 10 seconds but by a roll up. Jinder doesn't even hit his finishing move. If that isn't a big "fuck you" by WWE, I don't know what is. I know that some people think that this could make Corbin better but we thought that about Damien Sandow and look what happened to him.

Sunday 13 August 2017

The Podcast is Moving

As you may know, I have been doing a podcast for the last 3 years. It started by talking about match in Undertaker's Streak. I have since go on to discuss various other matches such as every Money in the Bank match and the Austin/Rock Trilogy.

The podcast has been hosted on Wordpress but until recently with work, I have not been able to arrange a iTunes feed. When I got round to doing it, I kept on getting into complications. Therefore, I decided to move the podcast to a site in which I can reach more of the Internet Wrestling Community.

Soundcloud is used by various other wrestling podcasts such as How2Wrestling and the RAEra Podcast. It is also used by up and coming musicians as well. It is my hope to reach more people with this. I admit that it sometimes doesn't sound like a professional podcast (I record in the back room with a sometimes unpredictable Wi-Fi signal); but if you want some analysis into matches that have gone on to be significant to wrestling fans good or bad, then give it a try. The link will be at the bottom of this article and on the menu bar.

For the guys listening on the Wordpress, I thank you for your support and I hope you continue your support as we go forward.

https://soundcloud.com/lodownwrestling

Saturday 5 August 2017

WWE Battleground 2017 Review

WWE Battleground took place on Sunday 23rd July at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The last couple of Smackdown PPVs have not been great so will Battleground be an improvement? Let's take a look.

The match on the Pre Show was Aiden English taking on Tye Dillinger.  Early on, Dillinger uses some impressive technical skill before he gets headbutted then kneed in the back. English goes to get the win after hitting The Director's Cut. Quite a surprising victory for English but it was a decent match between the two.
Winner: Aiden English (0 for 1)

The first match on the show is for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship as The New Day  challenge The Usos. The Usos start to wear down Xavier Woods with cheap shots and double team moves. Woods his a missile dropkick, giving him the chance to tag in Kofi Kingston. The match goes back and forth with The Usos coming close a couple of times. The New Day then almost win it after hitting The Midnight Hour. In the end, Kofi hits Trouble in Paradise on Jimmy followed by an top rope elbow drop by Woods from the other side of the ring to get the win.This match was awesome to watch with so many near falls. A great way to start the show.
Winner: The New Day (1 for 2)

The next match is Shinsuke Nakamura taking on Mr Money in the Bank Baron Corbin. Corbin gets the advantage, wearing down Nakamura with moves such as a bearhug. Nakamura stuns Corbin to get out of a chokeslam and starts to make a comeback. The end comes Nakamura goes for an exploder suplex and Corbin hits a low blow, getting himself disqualified. Er...what? Afterwards, Corbin hits Nakamura with The End of Days. There was a cool spot when Corbin reverses a Kinshasa into a Deep Six, otherwise the match was pretty poor. Also I don't get the booking decision. I understand that you want to make The Money in the Bank winner has to look strong. However, there have been times when previous winners have lost clean, Daniel Bryan being a prominent example. So, why is Baron Corbin any different?
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (1 for 3)

We now get to determine who will face Naomi at Summerslam for the Smackdown Women's Championship as Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Lana, Natalya and Tamina face each other in a 5-Way Elimination Match. Becky puts Lana in the Dis-arm-her twice but her buddy Tamina saves her both times. Becky eventually gets Tamina then Lana to submit to the Dis-arm-her. However, Natalya immediately rolls up Becky to eliminate her. In the end, Natalya rolls Charlotte head first into the bottom turnbuckle and pins her to win the match? Er...what? The match was going at a decent pace but we suddenly had 3 eliminations in less than 40 seconds then a pretty shitty ending. As for Natalya winning, part of me is happy for her and I think her match with Naomi could be pretty good. However, I feel that the majority of the fans would have preferred Charlotte instead.
Winner: Natalya (1 for 4)

Next is Kevin Owens challenging AJ Styles for the United States Championship. Styles accidentally hits the barricade, giving Owens the chance to send him into the ring post and get the advantage. Styles does eventually make a comeback and after some and forth, Owens sends Styles flying into the referee. Styles has Owens in a crossface but it's reversed into a pin and Owens wins. The match was pretty good but the ending came out of nowhere. There are rumours that the referee fucked up or the decision for Owens to win was very last minute. Despite that, congratulations to Kevin Owens.
Winner: Kevin Owens (1 for 5)

We now get an old school flag match as Rusev takes on John Cena. Well, I thought it was. In order to win, you have to grab your flag then plant it on a pedestal by the entrance way. Rusev is the first one to get his flag after reversing a missile dropkick into a powerbomb. After taking out Rusev with a STF, Cena grabs his flag. The match goes up to the pedestals and Rusev stops Cena from planting his flag. Instead of chucking it into the crowd, Rusev goes to grab his flag and comes very close to planting it. In the end, Cena hits an AA from the pedestal, sending Rusev through 2 tables. Cena then plants his flag to get the win. Except for the ending, the match was ok, nothing special.
Winner: John Cena (2 for 6)

After an awesome episode of The Fashion Files, we get our penultimate match which is Mike Kanellis taking on Sami Zayn. Maria Kanellis stops Sami from hitting a suicide dive, giving Mike the chance to gain the advantage. Sami does get back into it and despite Maria interfering again, gets the win with a Helluva Kick. The match was too short and whilst I'm happy for Sami getting the win, I really think that Mike should have won.
Winner: Sami Zayn (2 for 7)

The main event is Randy Orton challenging Jinder Mahal in a Punjabi Prison Match for the WWE Championship. Early on, they both try to go through  one of the inner doors but they don't do it within the 60 second time limit.The Singh Brothers turn up from under the ring and help Mahal go through an inner door. They go on to interfere and Orton fucks them up as usual, including sending Samir off the outer cage through the announce table. It looks like that Orton is going to climb out to win when The Great Khali makes his triumphant(?) return and stops Orton from climbing any further. That gives Mahal the chance to climb out of the outer cage and win the match.

I thought that this match was pretty boring and I struggled to see what was going at times. As for The Great Khali returning, I mean for fuck's sake. I understand that WWE want to expand into the Indian market but bringing back the worst wrestler that I have ever seen to do that? Really?
Winner: Jinder Mahal (3 for 8)

I honestly think that Battleground is the worst show of the year and possibly the worst show that I have ever reviewed. Some of the wrestling was good but some of the creative decisions and the endings are really shitty at times. At times, the RAW shows weren't great but not to this level. With Summerslam coming up, I hope that WWE pull their finger out and make a vast improvement. Hopefully it won't get any worse.

Sunday 30 July 2017

WWE Great Balls of Fire 2017 Review

WWE Great Balls of Fire took place on Sunday 9th July at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas. Brock Lesnar has decided to grace us with his presence and face the challenge of Samoa Joe for the Universal Championship. So, how will that go? Let's take a look.

The match on the Pre Show was for the Cruiserwieght Championship as "Titus Brand" Akira Tozowa challenges King Neville of the Cruiserweights. Tozowa gets the early advantage before Neville kicks him hard in the head. Tozowa does make a comeback, including applying an octopus stretch, Neville puts Tozowa onto the top rope then kicks it to hurt him. Neville follows that with a kick to get the win. I quite enjoyed this match and I wonder who will dethrone Neville as I can't see anyone doing it at the minute.
Winner: Neville (1 for 1)

The first match of the show is Bray Wyatt taking on Seth Rollins. Wyatt throws Rollins head first into the steel steps to get the advantage. He continues to hit moves such as a superplex and driving him head first onto the apron. Rollins does get back into it with a dropkick and a suicide dive. However, in the end, Wyatt pokes Rollins in the eye and then hits Sister Abigail to get the win. I thought the match was pretty decent between the two.
Winner: Bray Wyatt (1 for 2)

Next is Enzo Amore taking on Big Cass. This match has come full circle as this is the arena where they made their main roster debut. Enzo tries to use his speed to begin with but Cass shoulder tackles him then proceeds to demolish him. Cass then hits Enzo with a big boot to get the win. As expected, this was a squash match and I can't see them having a rematch.
Winner: Big Cass (2 for 3)

We get our second Championship match of the evening as The Hardy Boyz challenge Cesaro and Sheamus in a 30 minute Iron Man Match for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Cesaro and Sheamus take the lead almost immediately as Cesaro distracts Matt Hardy and Sheamus kills him with a Brogue Kick. The Champs  then take a 2-0 lead when they hit Jeff with a double team move. The Hardys make it 2-1 when they hit Cesaro with a side effect by Matt followed by a Twist of Fate by Jeff. However, Cesaro and Sheamus make it 3-1 when Matt gets counted out. The Hardys team up to pin Cesaro and make it 3-2. The pace increases as The Hardys try to equalise and they do when Matt hits Sheamus with a Twist of Fate from the top rope. The Hardys then try to take the lead but with just over 30 seconds left, Jeff hits Sheamus with a Swanton Bomb but they're unaware that Cesaro is the legal man. Cesaro then slides in to pin Jeff to make it 4-3. Cesaro bails and even though Jeff hits him with a Twist of Fate, time runs out and the Champs retain.

The match was dull at certain points but the last few minutes were really good. A strong contender for match of the night.
Winners: Cesaro and Sheamus (3 for 4)

Next is Sasha Banks challenging Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women's Championship. Alexa looks like that she broke her arm but she uses that to hit a cheap shot and gain the advantage. Alexa goes on to attack the lower back but Sasha makes her comeback with forearms. In the end, Alexa gets herself counted out to lseo but retain the title. Sasha doesn't take that well and they brawl to the announce table, ending with Sasha hitting a double knee. This was a good match and whilst I'm not happy with a count out finish, it does set up a rematch. At least I thought it did but it will be Bayley vs Alexa at Summerslam. Normally, I would be ok with that but I think that the majority would prefer Sasha instead.
Winner: Sasha Banks (N/A)

Dean Ambrose challenging Hollywood Miz with the Miz-tourage for the Intercontinental Championship is our next match and Ambrose divides his attack between Miz and his lackeys at the beginning before Axel helps Miz get the advantage. Ambrose hits a swinging neckbreaker to start his comeback and after some back and forth, Bo Dallas hits Ambrose in the back of the head and that gives Miz the chance to hit the Skull Crushing Finale to get the win. Whilst I enjoyed the match, I want other people to challenge The Miz now.
Winner: The Miz (4 for 5)

Next is Roman Reigns facing Braun Strowman in an Ambulance Match. Strowman and Reigns go back and forth before Reigns uses a steel on Strowman's elbow. After some more back and forth, the end comes when Reigns tries to spear Strowman into the ambulance. However, Strowman moves out the way and Reigns goes flying into the ambulance. He then shuts the door and wins the match. Reigns, because he's a dick, beats up Strowman, throws him into the ambulance and drives off and it ends with him reversing the ambulance full speed into a lorry trailer.

The match was pretty good and I thought the ending was brilliant. As for Reigns trying to kill Strowman, that is the epitome of a heel turn. However, it doesn't look like that WWE are doing that right now. I assume that Reigns has to commit mass murder to be considered a heel.
Winner: Braun Strowman (4 for 6)

We get an impromptu match between Curt Hawkins and Heath Slater. Apparently, Slater wins but we don't see it as the focus is on the emergency services tending to Strowman. Whilst this was good to watch, I do wonder if this should have ended the show instead and had the aftermath featured on RAW Talk.
Winner: Heath Slater (apparently) (N/A)

The main event is Samoa Joe challenging Brock Lesnar  for the Universal Championship. Joe attacks Lesnar before the bell and sends him through the Spanish announce table. Lesnar manages to get into the ring and when the bell rings, Joe continues his assault. Lesnar does recover and goes on to hit 6 German suplexes. In the end, Joe puts on the Coquina Clutch but Lesnar reverses into a F5 to get the win. This match was great and not only did it make Joe look like a million dollars but it was probably Lesnar's best match since Wrestlemania 31. If Samoa Joe doesn't become Universal Champion by Wrestlemania 34, I will be very surprised.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (5 for 7)

I actually quite enjoyed Great Balls of Fire. Some of the matches were pretty good and it looks like RAW is in a good place going into Summerslam. The question is whether Smackdown can do the same with their next PPV Battleground.

Sunday 23 July 2017

WWE Battleground Preview 2017

WWE Battleground 2017 poster.jpeg



WWE Battleground will be taking place this evening at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The last Smackdown PPV, Money in the Bank, was a massive disappointment so will this one be any better? Let's look at the card.

Tye Dillinger vs Aiden English
This could be a good match and I'm going for Dillinger to win.
Predicted Winner: Tye Dillinger

Sami Zayn vs Mike Kanellis
I would love for Sami but it's more likely that Mike will win instead.
Predicted Winner: Mike Kanellis

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Baron Corbin
A tough one to call as I can see both guys winning. I'm going for Corbin to win here.

Kevin Owens vs AJ Styles
United States Championship
This is one that I'm really looking forward to and I'm going for Styles to retain.
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

The New Day vs The Usos
Like last time, I'm going for The New Day to win. Hopefully it will be a clean victory.
Predicted Winners: The New Day

John Cena vs Rusev
Flag Match
I can see both guys winning but I think that Cena will win.
Predicted Winner: John Cena

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Lana vs Natalya vs Tamina
Elimination Match to Determine the No 1 Contender for the Smackdown Women's Championship
I think that it's between Becky and Charlotte for this one and I think that Charlotte will win.
Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

Randy Orton vs Jinder Mahal
Punjabi Prison Match for the WWE Championship
Admittedly I have never seen a punjabi prison match but I've heard that they're not great. Anyway, I feel that Jinder and Randy will deliver a good match and I'm going for Jinder to retain.
Predicted Winner: Jinder Mahal

I'm still catching up on PPV reviews so I will get to publish my review as soon as I can. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.