WWE TLC 2020 Preview

 

The final WWE Pay-Per-View of the year, TLC, will be taking place this evening at Tropicana Field in Tampa, Florida. At the time of writing, there are only 6 matches on the card so, let's take a look.

The New Day vs The Hurt Business

RAW Tag Team Championship

This could be a good match and I think that The New Day will retain.

Predicted Winners: The New Day

Sasha Banks vs Carmella

Smackdown Women's Championship

I might be in the minority here but I'm going for Carmella to get the win.

Predicted Winner: Carmella

Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler vs Asuka and TBD

Women's Tag Team Championship

I feel that Jax and Baszler will retain.

Predicted Winners: Nia Jax ans Shayna Baszler

"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton

Firefly Inferno Match

Yeah...I'm not looking forward to this based on their last rivalry a few years ago. I'm going for Wyatt to win just because.

Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt

Drew McIntyre vs AJ Styles

TLC Match for the WWE Championship

I'm quite looking forward to this one and I think that McIntyre will retain.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns vs Kevin Owens

TLC Match for the Universal Championship

Whilst I like Owens, I can see Reigns being Champion til Wrestlemania. Therefore, I'm going for him to retain.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

I'm going to try and watch this over the next month. I hope you all enjoy the show.

Clash of Champions 2020 Review

WWE Clash of Champions took place on the 27th September at the WWE Thunderdome at the Amway Center in Orlando. We have 8 matches on the card so, let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was The Lucha House Party challenging Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Cesaro and Nakamura focus on Lince Dorado for most of the match and, despite a brief fightback, they get the win after a Giant Swing/Kinsasha combo on Kalisto. I thought this was a good match between the two teams.

Winners: Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura (1 for 1)

The first match of the show is a triple threat ladder match between Jeff Hardy, AJ Styles and Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship. After a time of the three of them destroying each other, Zayn remembers that he brought some handcuffs with him. He proceeds to handcuff Hardy's ear lobe to a ladder but is initially unsuccessful with doing the same to Styles. Zayn eventually handcuffs himself to Styles, forcing Styles to carry Zayn on his shoulders up a ladder. When Styles gets distracted dealing with Hardy, who had to take the ladder he was handcuffed to with him, Zayn uses a key to get out of the handcuffs and then handcuff Styles to the ladder. With his opponents incapacitated, Zayn climbs up the other side of the ladder and grabs the belts to win the match. I quite enjoyed the match and I'm happy that Zayn got back the Championship that he, technically, got screwed out by WWE. I also thought the ending of the match was very clever.

Winner: Sami Zayn (2 for 2)

After we see Drew Gulak pin R-Truth to become the 24/7 Champion, we get Zelina Vega challenge Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship. Asuka initially underestimates Vega but she injures her left arm, giving Vega an opportunity to get the advantage. After a few pinning combinations, Asuka manages to get Vega to submit to the Asuka Lock and get the win. I thought that the match could have been better. Vega is a good wrestler but she hasn't wrestled much since joining the WWE so it might be ring rust. 

Winner: Asuka (3 for 3)

The next match is Apollo Crews challenging Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship. Crews comes close after hitting a standing shooting star press followed by a frog splash. However, Lashley hits a standing spine buster then gets Crews to submit to the Hurt Lock to get the win. The match was pretty decent.

Winner: Bobby Lashley (4 for 4)

Next is Andrade and Angel Garza challenging The Street Profits for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Despite Montez Ford getting worn down by Andrade and Garza, The Street Profits managed to recover and Dawkins hits The Anointment on Garza to get the win, despite the referee missing Garza getting his shoulder up. I thought it was a bit short but it was a fun match.

Winners: The Street Profits (4 for 5)

After R-Truth regains the 24/7 Championship, Bayley comes out and issues an open challenge. Asuka accepts and we get a impromptu match for the Smackdown Women's Championship. After a few minutes, Bayley attacks Asuka with a steel chair, getting herself disqualified and giving Asuka the win. Afterwards, Sasha helps Bayley celebrate by hitting her with a steel chair and a kendo stick. The match was just used to advance a story between Sasha and Bayley. I don't mind that normally but I wouldn't have used Asuka to do it.

Winner: Asuka (N/A)

 The penultimate match is for the WWE Championship as Randy Orton challenges Drew McIntyre in an ambulance match. Throughout the match, people that Orton attacked over the last few weeks turn up to get their revenge. The first was The Big Show, who choke slammed Orton. This was followed by Christian, who attacked Orton when they were backstage; and Shawn Michaels, who hit Orton with Sweet Chin Music. In the end, McIntyre manages to get Orton in the ambulance and punts him before shuttting the doors and getting the win. The match was quite good and it was pretty cool seeing Orton get his comeuppance from some of the people he attacked.

Winner: Drew McIntyre (5 for 6)

The main event is Jey Uso challenging Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. Reigns is completely dominant for most of this match. Jey makes a comeback and comes close after hitting an Uso Splash. However, he is hit by a low blow by Reigns while he was kicking out. Reigns goes on to hit 2 spears and beats up Jey, forcing Jimmy to come out and throw in the towel, giving Reigns the win. I thought this was a good match and it really set Reigns' heel turn in stone with the way he brutalised Jey. 

Winner: Roman Reigns (6 for 7)

I thought that Clash of Champions was an ok event. The ladder match and the main event were good but the rest of the matches were just ok to me. I do wonder whether the next event will be more of the same.

NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2020 Preview

 NXT TakeOver: WarGames will be taking place this evening at the WWE Performance Center. There are 5 matches on the card, including 2 WarGames matches; so let's look at the card.

Timothy Thatcher vs Tommaso Ciampa

This will be a brutal affair and I feel that Ciampa will get the win here.

Predicted Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

Dexter Lumis vs Cameron Grimes

Strap Match

This should be fun to watch. A tough call but I'm going for Grimes to find a way to win.

Predicted Winner: Cameron Grimes

Leon Ruff vs Johnny Gargano vs Damien Priest

Triple Threat Match for the North American Championship

Another tough one to call but I'm going for Ruff to retain.

Predicted Winner: Leon Ruff

Team Shtozi (Shotzi Blackheart, Ember Moon, Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley) vs Team Candice (Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai, Raquel Gonzalez and Toni Storm)

WarGames Match

I'm quite looking forward to this one and I feel that Team Shotzi will get the win.

Predicted Winners: Team Shotzi

The Undisputed Era vs Pat McAfee, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch and Pete Dunne

WarGames Match

The Undisputed Era's tradition of having a WarGames match continues and this should be fun to watch. I'm really torn on this one as I can see both teams winning. I'm going for The Undisputed Era to get the win.

Predicted Winners: The Undisputed Era

I'm still massively behind on the shows; hopefully I get to watch over the next month. I hope you all enjoy the show.

WWE Survivor Series 2020 Preview

 

WWE Survivor Series will be taking place this evening at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Not only will we have our usual RAW vs Smackdown matchups but WWE will be celebrating 30 years of the Undertaker. So, let's take a look at the card.

Bobby Lashley vs Sami Zayn

This should be a good contest and I'm going for Zayn to win.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

The New Day vs The Street Profits

This is one that I'm quite looking forward to seeing. I'm going for The New Day to win.

Predicted Winners: The New Day

Asuka vs Sasha Banks

The two Women's Champions face off in what could be an interesting contest. I'm going for Asuka to win.

Predicted Winner: Asuka

Team RAW (AJ Styles, Keith Lee, Sheamus, Braun Strowman and Riddle) vs Team Smackdown (Kevin Owens, Jey Uso, King Corbin, Seth Rollins and Otis)

Men's Survivor Series Elimination Match

I'm going for RAW to win this one.

Predicted Winners: Team RAW

Team RAW (Nia Jax, Shayna Baszler, Lana, Lacey Evans and Peyton Royce) vs Team Smackdown (Bianca Belair, Ruby Riott, Liv Morgan, Bayley and Natalya)

Women's Survivor Series Elimination Match

I feel like Team Smackdown will find a way to win and Nia Jax will continue her weekly tradition of putting Lana through a table.

Predicted Winners: Team Smackdown

Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns

The WWE Champion takes on the Universal Champion in what I feel will be a brutal encounter. I may be biased but I'm going for McIntyre to win.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

It will be a while before I get to see this. I hope you all enjoy the show.

WWE Payback 2020 Review

WWE Payback 2020 took place on Sunday 30th August at the Amway...sorry, The WWE Thunderdome. I'm really sorry for being so behind with the Pay-Per-Views. A combination of things have led to me putting WWE on the back burner. Anyway, let's start with the catch up and take a look at the show. 

The match on the Kick Off Show was The Riott Squad taking on The IIonics. Liv Morgan and Ruby Riott struggle to work together during the match and Billie Kay and Peyton Royce take advantage of that. In the end, Kay gets hit with a double knees followed by a Riott Kick to give The Riott Squad the win. The match was quite good and I liked the story that they told in the ring.

Winners: The Riott Squad (1 for 1)

The first match of the event is for the United States Championship as Bobby Lashley challenges Apollo Crews. Lashley gets the win after getting  Crews to submit to a Full Nelson and becomes the new United States Champion. This was a good match between the two.

Winner: Bobby Lashley (2 for 2)

The next match is Big E taking on Sheamus. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick but Big E catches him and hits a power bomb followed by The Big Ending to get the win. The match was pretty decent.

Winner: Big E (3 for 3)

Next is King Corbin taking on Matt Riddle. Corbin hits Riddle with a clothesline as soon as he entered the ring. The match was hard hitting at times and after hitting a Bro to Sleep, Riddle hits a Floating Bro to get the win. Corbin doesn't take the loss well and attacks Riddle backstage afterwards. The match was ok.

Winner: Matt Riddle (4 for 4)

We now get our second Championship match as Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax team up to challenge Bayley and Sasha Banks. Despite Bayley and Banks wearing down their opponents for most of the match; Baszler and Jax managed to put their differences aside and Baszler gets Bayley to submit to a Kirifuda Clutch while at the same time, having Banks legs trapped in a cloverleaf. While it seemed slightly similar to the women's tag team match earlier in the night, it was a good match and I really liked how it ended.

Winners: Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax (4 for 5)

Next is Keith Lee taking on Randy Orton. Lee manages to get the win after stopping a RKO amd hitting a Spirit Bomb. The ending did seem a bit out of nowhere as I expected Lee to get the win using the Big Bang Catastrophe. The match was quite good but I really hate Lee's new music.

Winner: Keith Lee (4 for 6)

The penultimate match is Dominik and Rey Mysterio taking on Murphy and "The Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins. Murphy tries to kick Rey but accidentally hits Rollins in the head instead. The Mysterios take advantage and Dominik hits a 619 followed by a Frog Splash on Murphy to get the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch. 

Winners: Dominik and Rey Mysterio (5 for 7)

The main event is "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt defending his Universal Championship against Braun Strowman and apparently, Roman Reigns. On the Smackdown beforehand, Reigns refused to sign the match contract and vowed to do it at Payback. During the night, Kayla Braxton asked Reign's new manager Paul Heyman if he had signed it but was not given a definitive answer. So, keep that in mind. Anyway, Strowman doesn't fuck around and attacks Wyatt at the end of his entrance. The bell rings even though Reigns hasn't entered and they go on to beat the fuck out of each other. After a super plex that broke the ring, Reigns makes his appearance, signs the contract and enters the match. He goes on to hit a Spear on Strowman to get the win and become the new Universal Champion.

Erm...right, the match was fine but a lot of the things surrounding it doesn't make sense. First of all, there is no way in hell that Reigns would do what he did regarding the contract. Surely, he would have been given a deadline, right? If Reigns was taking part, why did the referee ring the bell when after Strowman attacked Wyatt? And also, what was the point of Wyatt being the Champion? I understand the need of transitional Champions. However, I didn't see the need for it, especially as it further weakened Wyatt. Anyway, it looks like Reigns is going full heel now and I'm interested to see where that goes.

Winner: Roman Reigns (5 for 8)

I thought Payback was pretty decent with a lot of good matches. However, the story surrounding the main event was dumb and ruined it for me. I've seen bits of Reigns heel run over the last couple of months and it's been ok. Hopefully, WWE won't find a way to fuck it up.

WWE Hell in a Cell 2020 Preview

 

WWE Hell in a Cell will be taking place this evening at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. At the time of writing, there are only 5 matches on the card, including 3 Hell in a Cell matches. So, let's take a look.

Otis vs The Miz

This match is for the Money in the Bank briefcase and, nothing against Otis, but I feel that Miz will win this.

Predicted Winner: The Miz

Jeff Hardy vs Elias

A tough one but I feel that Elias will win this one.

Predicted Winner: Elias

Bayley vs Sasha Banks

Hell in a Cell Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship

I feel that Sasha will win and end the reign of Bayley.

Predicted Winner: Sasha Banks

Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton

Hell in a Cell Match for the WWE Championship

I think that McIntyre will retain here.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso

Hell in a Cell Match "I Quit" Match for the Universal Championship

Roman Reigns should retain here.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

I'm really behind on the PPVs so I'll get to this show at some point. I hope you all enjoy the show.

WWE SummerSlam 2020 Review

SummerSlam 2020 took place on Sunday 23rd August 2020 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. We get the PPV debut of the Thunderdome so let's take a look and see how it goes.

The match on the Kick Off Show is for the United States Championship as MVP challenges Apollo Crews. MVP goes for the Playmaker but Crews avoids it and hits the Backdrop Powerbomb to get the win. The match was ok.

Winner: Apollo Crews (0 for 1)

The first match of the show is for the Smackdown Women's Championship as Asuka challenges Bayley. The end comes when Asuka goes for the hip attack but hits Sasha Banks instead. Bayley then rolls up Asuka to get the win. Afterwards, Sasha and Bayley continue to beat up Asuka. The match was quite good and I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out when Asuka faces Sasha Banks later on. 

Winner: Bayley (0 for 2)

The next match is for the RAW Tag Team Championship as Andrade and Angel Garza challenge The Street Profits. During the match, Zelina Vega goes up to the apron to argue with the referee and gets accidentally knocked off by Montez Ford. When Andrade goes to check on her, he misses the chance to get tagged in by Garza. The Street Profits take advantage and hit a spine buster followed by a From the Heavens to get the win and retain the Titles. I quite enjoyed the match and it looks like they're teasing a break up between Andrade and Garza. I hope they don't do that as I think they work well together. 

Winners: The Street Profits (1 for 3)

The following match is one that I was quite looking forward to seeing; Mandy Rose taking on Sonya Deville in a No Disqualification Loser Leaves WWE Match.  After using a couple of steel chairs and a table, Rose hits an Implant Buster followed by a running knee to get the win. The match wasn't as good as it could have been as I feel that they didn't really take advantage of the no disqualification stipulation. I'm gutted that Deville lost as I feel that she has improved a lot recently. However, she has to deal with a court case involving someone stalking her. So, hopefully, that will be resolved soon and she can come back and continue to improve.

Winner: Mandy Rose (2 for 4)

Next is "The Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins taking on Dominik Mysterio in a Street Fight. During the match, Dominik's mum comes out and Rey Mysterio goes over to her. Rollins' lackey Murphy starts attacking Dominik, forcing Mysterio to get involved and the match degenerates into a cluster fuck. In the end, Dominik goes for a  frog splash but Rollins gets his knees up. Rollins then hits the Blackout to get the win. I thought the match was good. However, I do question the placement of the match in the show. We had 2 no disqualification matches in a row and I feel that limited the women's match beforehand. As for Dominik, considering that this was first singles match on the second biggest show of the year, I thought he did a good job. 

Winner: Seth Rollins (3 for 5)

We now get Asuka's second match of the night as she challenges Sasha Banks for the RAW Women's Championship. Sasha focuses on the knee that she injured earlier then goes to try to get Asuka to submit to the Banks Statement. However, Asuka manages to get Sasha to submit to the Asuka Lock to get the win. I thought this was a pretty good match.

Winner: Asuka (3 for 6)

The penultimate match is for the WWE Championship as Randy Orton challenges Drew McIntyre. During the match, both guys get cut slightly: McIntyre from an eye gouge not seen by the referee; and Orton from a Future Shock DDT. McIntyre goes for the Claymore Kick but misses. When Orton goes for a RKO, McIntyre manages to reverse it into a backslide and get the win...? Erm, ok. The match was good although the ending seemed to be underwhelming.

Winner: Drew McIntyre (4 for 7)

The main event is for the Universal Championship as "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt challenges Braun Strowman in a Falls Count Anywhere Match. The match goes briefly to the Gorilla position then back to the ring. Strowman exposes the wood in the ring but that turned out to be a bad idea as Wyatt hits 2 Sister Abigails onto the wood to get the win. Afterwards, Roman Reigns makes his return, spears both Wyatt and Strowman then proceeds to fuck them both up with a steel chair. In the terms of the match, it was quite good although, considering how much she was featured in the pre match video, that Alexa Bliss wasn't involved in some way. As for the return of Reigns, I'm not a big fan of him but I'm glad he's back.

Winner: Bray Wyatt (5 for 8)

I thought that SummerSlam was a pretty good event. It was good to see fans there, albeit virtually, and it made for a better atmosphere. 

NXT TakeOver 31 Preview

 

NXT TakeOver 31 will be taking place this evening at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. There are only 5 matches on the card, so let's take a look.

Kushida vs Velveteen Dream

This should be an entertaining match and I'm going for Dream to win.

Predicted Winner: Velveteen Dream

Santos Escobar vs Isaiah "Swerve" Scott

NXT Cruiserweight Championship

I would love Scott to win. However, I feel that that Escobar will retain.

Predicted Winner: Santos Escobar

Damien Priest vs Johnny Gargano

NXT North American Championship

Priest should retain here.

Predicted Winner: Damien Priest

Io Shirai vs Candice LeRae

NXT Women's Championship

A tough one to call but I'm going for LeRae to win here.

Predicted Winner: Candice LeRae

Finn Balor vs Kyle O'Reilly(??)

NXT Championship

Nothing against O'Reilly but I never saw him being a challenger to the NXT Championship. I can see this being a good match and I think that Balor will retain.

Predicted Winner: Finn Balor

It will be a few weeks before I get to see it so I hope you enjoy the show.

NXT TakeOver XXX Review

 NXT TakeOver XXX took place on Sunday 22nd August at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. I'm trying a new way of reviewing these shows, which will be how the match ends and general thoughts about it. I appreciate any feedback about this new format.

Anyway, we had a match on the Kick Off Show, which was a triple threat tag team match between Breezango, Legado del Fantasma and Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch. Breeze gets the win after hitting Lorcan with a super kick. I was surprised that Breezango won.  Legado del Fantasma have been on fire over the last few weeks and I thought this would be the next step up. Having said that, it makes sense that Breezango would get the win here. 

Winners: Breezango (0 for 1)

The first match was Finn Balor taking on Timothy Thatcher. This was match in which you saw Balor use his high flying offence but struggle to deal with Thatcher's style of putting you in holds that hurt you. Despite Thatcher almost getting Balor to submit a few times with a single leg Boston Crab, Balor managed to overcome his injured ankle to hit a 1916 DDT and get the win. it would have been nice to see Thatcher get the win but Balor getting the win was the right call. The match was probably not as exciting as previous Balor matches have been in NXT but this was still an entertaining contest.

Winner: Finn Balor (1 for 2)

Now, a match I was really looking forward to seeing: Johnny Gargano, Damian Priest, Bronson Reed, Velveteen Dream and Cameron Grimes facing each other in a ladder match for the vacant North American Championship. Gargano gets some help from his wife, Candice LeRae, but she gets taken out when Reed, with her on his back, splashes Gargano from the ladder. At the end of match that had some insane spots, Gargano and Priest fight it out on top of a ladder. Gargano is pushed off and Priest grabs the belt to get the win. This match was really entertaining. Having said that, I felt like it had too many false finishes. As for Priest, I think he'll do a good job being North American Champion.

Winner: Damian Priest (1 for 3)

The next match is Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) taking on Pat McAfee. Despite McAfee putting up more of a fight than I thought he should have, Cole gets the win with a Panama Sunrise. I had mixed feelings about this match. I thought it was a bit weird that the biggest heel in NXT for at least 3 years was now a face against a celebrity. However, McAfee does portray himself as an arrogant jerk so it made sense. While I was quite impressed with McAfee's wrestling ability, it doesn't mean that we should have more celebrities wrestling in NXT. Save that for the main roster.

Winner: Adam Cole (1 for 4)

The penultimate match is for the NXT Women's Championship as Dakota Kai challenges Io Shirai. Kai gets some help from Raquel Gonzalez during the match, especially when the referee is briefly taken out. However, it is not enough as Shirai hits a Moonsault to get the win and retain the title. Afterwards, Gonzalez doesn't take the loss well and attacks Shirai but Rhea Ripley comes in to make the save. This was an entertaining match between the two and it looks like Shirai's next challenge will be Ripley, which should be fun to watch.

Winner: Io Shirai (2 for 5)

The main event is for the NXT Championship as Karrion Kross challenges Keith Lee. Kross focuses on Lee's right arm and despite a great fightback by Lee, Kross manages to get the win with a Doomsday Saito from the 2nd rope. The match was pretty good. However, I strongly disagree with Kross getting the win. Keith Lee becoming the NXT Champion was a great story, especially as he was also the North American Champion. Relinquishing the North American Championship made sense but it led to Lee having the shortest NXT reign in history and that is nonsensical to me. The thing is NXT have done this before with Sami Zayn and Johnny Gargano. Both guys became Champion as part of a great feel good story then go on to lose it on their first TakeOver defence. I get that they wanted to put Lee on the main roster. However, due to the pandemic, they're not going anywhere so they could have done what they did with Kevin Owens and have him feature on the main shows while still being NXT Champion. Then, to make things worse, Kross suffered a separated shoulder during the match, leading him to vacate the Championship the following Wednesday. So, not good all round.

Winner: Karrion Kross (2 for 6)

With the exception of Kross winning the main event, I enjoyed TakeOver XXX. All of the matches were pretty good and I'm interested in seeing how NXT goes moving forward.

WWE Clash of Champions 2020 Preview

 

WWE Clash of Champions 2020 will  be taking place this evening at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. I'm massively behind on the shows so let's look at the card.

Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura vs The Lucha House Party

Smackdown Tag Team Championship

I feel that Cesaro and Nakamura will retain.

Predicted Winners Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura

Jeff Hardy vs AJ Styles vs Sami Zayn

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship

I think that Zayn will get the Title he technically never lost.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Bobby Lashley vs Apollo Crews

United States Championship

Hopefully, Lashley will retain and move on to someone else.

Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Asuka vs Zelina Vega

RAW Women's Championship

I like Vega but I think that Asuka will retain

Predicted Winner: Asuka

The Street Profits vs Andrade and Angel Garza

RAW Tag Team Championships

I feel that Andrade and Garza will get the win here.

Predicted Winners: Andrade and Angel Garza

Drew McIntyre vs Randy Orton

Ambulance Match for the WWE Championship

A tough one but I'm going with my compatriot to retain.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Roman Reigns vs Jey Uso

Universal Championship

I like Jey Uso but there is no way in hell that Reigns will lose this.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

I'm so behind on the shows so I will get to it at some point. I hope you all enjoy the show.

WWE Payback 2020 Preview

 

WWE Payback will be taking place this evening at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. WWE are not messing around as SummerSlam was only a week ago. There are 8 matches on the card, so let's take a look.

The Riott Squad vs The IIonics

I can see The Riott Squad winning this one. 

Predicted Winners: The Riott Squad

Big E vs Sheamus

I think that Big E will win this.

Predicted Winner: Big E

Matt Riddle vs King Corbin

A tough one but I feel that Riddle will win this.

Predicted Winner: Matt Riddle

Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio vs Murphy and "The Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins

This has the ability to be a good match and I feel that Rey and Dominik will be victorious here.

Predicted Winners: Dominik Mysterio and Rey Mysterio

Keith Lee vs Randy Orton

I'm torn on this one. Lee should win this but I think that WWE will find a way to fuck up his push and give Orton the win.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax vs Bayley and Sasha Banks

Women's Tag Team Championship

A tough one to call but I think that Bayley and Sasha Banks will retain.

Predicted Winners: Bayley and Sasha Banks

Apollo Crews vs MVP 

United States Championship

I don't want them to but I think that MVP will get the win.

Predicted Winner: MVP

Braun Strowman vs Roman Reigns vs "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt

No Holds Barred Triple Threat Match for the Universal Championship

Wyatt has only been Champion for a week ago but I'll be surprised if he loses it. However, Reigns is involved so you never know. I'm going for Wyatt to retain.

Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt

I'm really behind on WWE TV so it will be a while before I get to see it. I hope you all enjoy the show. 

WWE SummerSlam 2020 Preview

 

WWE SummerSlam 2020 will be taking place this evening at the Performance...wait, sorry. It will be at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Some of the matches look interesting so, let's take a look.

Andrade and Angel Garza vs The Street Profits

RAW Tag Team Championship

I think that The Street Profits will retain. 

Predicted Winners: The Street Profits

MVP vs Apollo Crews

United States Championship

MVP's buddies Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley, are barred from ringside but I can see them interfering in some way to help MVP get the win.

Predicted Winner: MVP

Dominik Mysterio vs "The Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins

Street Fight

I'm quite looking forward to this one. Rollins should win this but I can see Dominik giving him a run for his money.

Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

Asuka vs Sasha Banks

RAW Women's Championship

Asuka is challenging both of the Women's Champions and I feel like she will lose this one.

Predicted Winner: Sasha Banks

Asuka vs Bayley

Smackdown Women's Championship

In a twist, I think that Asuka will beat Bayley here.

Predicted Winner: Asuka

Mandy Rose vs Sonya Deville

No Disqualification Loser Leaves WWE Match

I've been impressed with Deville's promos over the last few months. However, I feel like she will lose in this one.

Predicted Winner: Mandy Rose

Randy Orton vs Drew McIntyre

WWE Championship

I think that McIntyre will retain here.

Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs Braun Strowman

Falls Count Anywhere Match for the Universal Championship

I feel that Alexa Bliss will be the key factor here and help Wyatt get the win.

Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt

It will be at least a week before I get to see SummerSlam. I hope you all enjoy the show.

NXT TakeOver: XXX Preview

 NXT TakeOver: XXX will be taking place this evening at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. The card looks pretty good so, let's take a look.

Breezango vs The Brit-Am Brawlers vs Ledago del Fantasma

Triple Threat Tag Team Match to Determine the No. 1 Contender to the NXT Tag Team Championship

This should be a fun match to watch. I'm going for Ledago del Fantasma to win here.

Predicted Winners: Ledago del Fantasma

Finn Balor vs Timothy Thatcher

A tough one to call but I'm going for Balor to win here.

Predicted Winner: Finn Balor

Adam Cole (Bay Bay!)  vs Pat McAfee

I'm slightly disappointed that we have a match like this in NXT. Cole should beat the fuck out of him but  I can see McAfee finding a way to win this.

Predicted Winner: Pat McAfee

Dakota Kai vs Io Shirai

NXT Women's Championship

I'm quite looking forward to this one and I'm going for Shirai to retain.

Predicted Winner: Io Shirai

Cameron Grimes vs Johnny Gargano vs Velveteen Dream vs Bronson Reed vs Damien Priest

Ladder Match for the vacant North American Championship

This could go in a lot of different ways so I'm interested to see what WWE will do here. I'm going for Gargano to win here.

Predicted Winner: Johnny Gargano

Karrion Kross vs Keith Lee

NXT Championship

Lee has vacated the North American Championship so I think it will insane for him to lose the Championship in his first TakeOver defence. I'm going for Lee to retain,

Predicted Winner: Keith Lee

I'm a few weeks behind on NXT so I won't get to watch this for a few days. I hope you all enjoy the show.

 

The Horror Show at Extreme Rules Review

The Horror Show at Extreme Rules took place at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida on Sunday 19th July. Some of the matches look pretty interesting, so let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was Kevin Owens taking on Murphy. The match starts at a breakneck pace before Murphy applies a sleeper to slow things down. Owens hit a DDT followed by a brutal clothesline to start a comeback. In the end, Owens hits a super kick followed by a Stunner to get the win. I thought this was a good match.
Winner: Kevin Owens (N/A)

The first match of the show was a Tables Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship with Shinsuke Nakamuta and Cesaro challenging The New Day. Both teams come close to putting thier opponents through a table. However, in the end, Cesaro powerbombs Kofi Kingston through 2 tables on the outside to get the win. This match was ok.
Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro (0 for 1)

The next match is Nikki Cross challenging Bayley for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Bayley is cocky to begin with but she takes it more serious after getting with a neck breaker. Bayley sends Cross into the barrcade to get the advantage but Cross catches her in the apron to start a comeback. After a little bit of back and forth, Sasha Banks gives Bayley her Boss ring then distracts the referee. This gives Bayley the chance to hit Cross with the ring then hit her with the Arm Trap Headlock Driver to get the win. I thought this match was pretty good.
Winner: Bayley (0 for 2)

The next match was supposed to be MVP challenging Apollo Crews for the United States Championship. Unfortunately, Crews did not pass his pre-match fitness test so MVP and Bobby Lashley come and claim the title by forfeit. So, MVP wins I guess.

Anyway, we got the first ever Eye for an Eye Match between Rey Mysterio and Seth Rollins. Mysterio starts the match by attacking Rollins from behind. However, Rollins gets the advantage very quickly. During the match, they use kendo sticks, a table and a steel chair, to attack each other eyes. In the end, Rollins pushes Mysterio into the steel steps and that is enough to him to lose his eye and give Rollins the win. I didn't like this match as I couldn't take it seriously. I know that wrestling requires a suspension of disbelief. However, I found the whole stipulation stupid, especially when WWE is TV-PG.

Winner: Seth Rollins (1 for 3)

The next match is Sasha Banks challenging Asuka  for the RAW Women's Championship. Banks gets the advantage very early on and manages to apply the Banks Statement at one point. Asuka reverses an arm drag into a knee to the face, giving her back the momentum. The match goes back and forth, with both women coming close to getting the win. Bayley starts to interfere like crazy but is kicked in the head by Asuka. Asuka goes for the green mist but she hits the ref instead. Asuka puts on the Asuka Lock but Bayley hits her in the back with the belt. She then takes the referee's shirt and counts the pin when Sasha covers Asuka and this gives Sasha the win? Wait, what?! What the fuck was that?! Up until the last 30 seconds, this was a really good match. Unfortunately, it's ruined by what Bayley did. I didn't think it was needed and it just looks stupid. 

Winner: Sasha Banks (apparently) (1 for 4)

The penultimate match is for the WWE Championship as Dolph Ziggler challenges Drew McIntyre/ Ziggler can choose the stipulation and he goes with an Extreme Rules Match. However, this only applies to Ziggler himself. I first thought this was a dumb idea but looking back on it, it was quite clever by Ziggler. McIntyre, at the beginning, prevents Ziggler from taking advantage of the stipulation. However, Ziggler hits a low blow then goes on to use a steel chair on McIntyre. Later on, McIntyre almost gets counted out after getting put through a table by Ziggler. Ziggler goes for a super kick but he gets wiped out by a Claymore Kick by McIntyre to get the win. I thought this was a pretty good match.

Winner: Drew McIntyre (2 for 5)

The main event is a Wyatt Swamp Fight between Bray Wyatt and Braun Strowman. Highlights of the match include: Strowman being attacked by, I assume, his evil twin; a tied-up Strowman having a confrontation with the original Bray Wyatt; and Alexa Bliss tempting Strowman. Waytt and Strowman fight on the jetty and it looks like Strowman has won when Wyatt is booted into the water and doesn't come back up. However, Wyatt appears and pulls him into the water. The Fiend then appears and the show ends. So, I guess that Wyatt wins? and Strowman is dead...? Ok...

I wasn't a fan of this at all. I didn't feel like a match to me, just a bad attempt at a horror movie. i get that WWE are trying to do different things with the current climate. However, I think that they need to focus more on the traditional wrestling and stick with what works. 

Winner: Bray Wyatt? (3 for 6)

Like recent WWE events, I thought this was a mixed bag. Some matches were good. However, I wasn't a fan of the main event and a couple of the booking decisions really annoyed me. To be honest, it's been hard to review these shows as I'm struggling to enjoy them. With SummerSlam coming up, I'm worried that we will have more of the same for the foreseeable future.

The Horror Show at Extreme Rules 2020 Preview

The Horror Show at Extreme Rules will be taking place this evening at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando. There are only 7 matches on the card so let's take a look.

Apollo Crews vs MVP
United States Championship
This should be a decent match and I'm going for Crews to win.
Predicted Winner: Apollo Crews

The New Day vs Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura
Tables Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
A tough one but I think The New Day will retain.
Predicted Winners: The New Day

Braun Strowman vs Bray Wyatt
Wyatt Swamp Fight
This sounds like this will be a cinematic match and they have been ok so far. I feel that Wyatt will find  a way to win.
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt

Rey Mysterio vs Seth Rollins
An Eye for an Eye Match
Obviously, this won't end in someone losing an eye so I'm curious to see how the match will end. I'm going for Rollins to win.
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

Asuka vs Sasha Banks
RAW Women's Championship
I'm quite looking forward to this one and I feel that Asuka will retain.
Predicted Winner: Asuka

Bayley vs Nikki Cross
Smackdown Women's Championship
I might be in the minority here but I'm going for Cross to win.
Predicted Winner: Nikki Cross

Drew McIntyre vs Dolph Ziggler
WWE Championship
Drew will win this, no question.
Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

It will be a few days before I get to see the show. Until then, I hope you all enjoy it.

WWE Backlash 2020 Review

WWE Backlash 2020 took place on Sunday 14th June at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Will Edge versus Randy Orton be "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever"? Let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was for the United States Championship as Andrade challenges Apollo Crews. Andrade sends Crew into the corner then hits them with a running double knee to get the advantage. Crews recovers and sends Andrade flying into the corner with an overhead bell-to-belly suplex. After Crews hits 2 standing moonsaults, Angel Garza distracts the referee. However, he is stopped by Kevin Owens, who was on commentary, and hits him with a Stunner. Crews goes on to hit the Toss Powerbomb to get the win. The match was pretty decent.
Winner: Apollo Crews (0 for 1)

The first match of the show was for the Women's Tag Team Championship as Bayley and Sasha Banks defend their titles against the IIconics and Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. There are a lot of the women rolling each other up in the early going before it becomes a back and forth affair. It looks like Alexa Bliss has won it after hitting Peyton Royce with the Twisted Bliss. However, Banks rolls up Bliss to get the win. The match was quite fun, although there weren't any high spots for me.
Winners: Bayley and Sasha Banks (1 for 2)

The next match is Jeff Hardy taking on Sheamus, who somehow hasn't been arrested for running over Elias and perverting the course of justice. I guess it's not in the public interest. Anyway, Sheamus gets the advantage after a brutal clothesline and presses it home when he suplexes hardy onto the ring post. Hardy gets back into it and comes close to winning after hitting a Whisper in the Wind. Hardy hits a Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb but Sheamus manages to get his foot on the rope. In the end, Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick to get the win. The match was quite good.
Winner: Sheamus (2 for 3)

We now get our second Women's match as Nia Jax challenges Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship. Asuka tries to apply submission moves in the early going. However, Jax clotheslines Asuka then hits power moves to press home her advantage. Asuka gets back into it and, when the fight goes to the outside, Asuka puts Jax in an armbar. In the end, it ended in a double count out. Asuka then a running hip attack from the apron. The match was ok but I hated the ending Jax was leaning against the barrier with Asuka lying on the floor while the referee was counting. Didn't she think about breaking the count? I get double count outs if they are too busy fighting each other and lose track of time. However, that wasn't the case and it made Jax look like an idiot in my eyes.
Winner: Double Count Out so No One (N/A)

The next match is Hollywood Miz and John Morrison challenging Braun Strowman in an handicap match for the WWE Championship. Miz and Morrison use every trick in the book to frustrate Strowman, Morrison hits a corkscrew suicide dive to get the advantage. Strowman does make a comeback but Miz and Morrison hit a Skull Crushing Finale/Stomp combo. Morrison tries to pin Strowman but Miz pulls him off. In the end, Strowman hits a running powerslam to get the win. The match was ok and went the way I expected.
Winner: Braun Strowman (3 for 4)

We now get Bobby Lashley challenging Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. Lashley puts McIntyre in a full nelson before the bell and has to be taken off it by 3 referees. When the bell rings, Lashley continues his momentum. The match goes to the outside and Lashley slams McIntyre into the ring post. McIntyre sends Lashley into the crowd barrier and this gives him the chance to make a comeback. Both guys try to get the other to submit before Lashley counters a Claymore Kick with a spear for 2. Lana then comes out and bitches to the referee on the apron. McIntyre headbutts Lashley, who staggers and knocks off Lana from the apron into MVP. McIntyre then hits Lashley with a Claymore Kick to get the win. The match looked a but sloppy at times but it was pretty good.
Winner: Drew McIntyre (4 for 5)

The penultimate match was supposed to be for the RAW Tag Team Championships between The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders but they are seen brawling backstage. The brawl stops for a bit after Angelo Dawkins spears Ivar through a glass door. Suddenly, a group of ninjas on bikes led by Akira Tozowa arrive and The Street Profits and The Viking Raiders team up to fight them. After that, they go back to brawling each other and they all end in a massive trash can, which has a monster in it. This was shit. It made no sense at all and it meant that we didn't see a match that I was quite looking forward to seeing.

The main event is Edge taking on Randy Orton  in what will be "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever". Orton gets the advantage early on and focuses on the neck. Later on, Orton starts bleeding after receiving a headbutt. Orton tries to do the Three Amigos but Edge stops that and does a Three Amigos of his own. The match goes back and forth before they start finishing moves such as the Pedigree and the Rock Bottom to try and get the win. Orton eventually gets to hit the RKO but Edge kicks out at 2. Edge hits 2 Spears but Orton kicked out. In the end, Edge puts Orton in the Anti-Venom but Orton hits a low blow, which the referee didn't see. Orton then hits a Punt to get the win.

This wasn't "The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" but it was still very good. However, WWE did some things that made no sense, For example, playing crowd audio while you actually have a crowd there is a weird decision.
Winner: Randy Orton (5 for 6)

To be honest, I struggled to get through this show. Some of the matches were ok but there were times that I didn't enjoy it. It's probably just me more than the show itself and hopefully Extreme Rules will be a better show.

NXT TakeOver: In Your House Review

NXT TakeOver: In Your House took place on Sunday 7th July in the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. I'm looking forward to this one as the card looks pretty good so, let's take a look.

After an opening musical performance by Code Orange, we get our first match; which is the team of Shotzi Blackheart, Mia Yim and Tegan Nox taking on Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez. The match is a good back and forth affair before Kai distracts the referee, giving Gonzalez the chance to clothesline Blackheart and give her team the advantage. Blackheart manages to get the hot tag to Yim. Later on, Yim and LeRae brawl to the back and Nox hits The Shinest Wizard on kai to get her team the win. This was a fun match to watch.
Winners: Shotzi Blackheart, Mia Yim and Tegan Nox (0 for 1)

The next match is Finn Balor taking on Damien Priest. Balor hits Priest with a running dropkick before the bell and when the bell rings, Balor continues his assault. Priest sends Balor into the steel steps to get the advantage. Balor gets back into the match and hits Priest with a forearm, sending him onto the steel steps. Balor then hits 2 Coup de Graces to get the win. This was quite a good match.
Winner: Finn Balor (1 for 2)

We now get  Johnny Gargano challenging Keith Lee  for the NXT North American Championship. After a few minutes, Gargano tries to leave via the door on the entrance way. The match goes back into the ring and Gargano focuses on the hand that he injured earlier in the week. Lee does get back into it but he's hampered by the injured hand. Garagno and Lee go out of the ring and Gargano has to break the count to stop Lee getting counted out. That turned out to be a bad idea as Lee bodychecks Gargano through the plexiglass into the crowd. Candice LeRae tries to interfere but she's stopped by Mia Yim. In the end, Lee hits 2 spirit bombs followed by a Big Bang Catastrophe to get the win. I thought this was a really good match.
Winner: Keith Lee (2 for 3)

The next match is a Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship as The Velveteen Dream challenges Adam Cole (Bay Bay!). Highlights of the match include: Cole trying to leave a few minutes into the match and Dream stopping him with a baseball bat; an Uber randomly arriving(?);  Cole sent flying into a car windshield; Roderick Strong and Bobby Fish interfering; Dexter Lumis coming out from under the ring and putting Strong and Fish into the boot of his car and driving away; and Dream hitting a Purple Rainmaker. In the end, Dream gets caught monologuing and Cole low blows him. Cole then hits a Panama Sunrise onto a pile of chairs to get the win. The match was ok but the constant camera cuts and the random bit with the Uber did take me out of it a little bit.
Winner: Adam Cole (3 for 4)

The penultimate match is Karrion Kross taking on Tomasso Ciampa. Ciampa gets in some offense for a few minutes before Kross slams him onto the ring apron. Kross goes on to hit an array of suplexes keeping Ciampa down. Ciampa does make a comeback but Kross made him pass out due to the Kross Jacket, giving him the win. I was surprised that Ciampa got in as much offense as he did but otherwise, it was the kind of match that I expected.
Winner: Karrion Kross (4 for 5)

 For the first time in almost 5 years, the NXT Women's Championship will be in the main event as Charlotte Flair faces Io Shirai and Rhea Ripley in a triple threat match. Highlights of the match include: Charlotte doing Flair chops on both Ripley and Shirai; Charlotte putting Shirai in a Boston crab; Shirai putting Charlotte in a cross face; and Ripley stopping Charlotte putting Shirai in the Figure 8. The match goes to the entrance way and Shirai takes out Charlotte and Ripley with a crossbody off the top of the set. The match goes back in the ring and Ripley hits Charlotte with a Riptide from the top rope then puts Shirai in the Prism Trap. Charlotte remembers that it's no disqualification so beats the fuck out of her opponents with a kendo stick. Charlotte puts Ripley in the Figure 8 but Shirai hits Ripley with an Asai Moonsault then pins her to get the win.

The match was really good and I was quite surprised that Io won. As for Charlotte Flair, I feel like her reign was a wasted opportunity. She only defended her title twice beforehand and she got herself disqualified in one of them. I was looking forward to see face other wrestlers such as Tegan Nox and Candice LeRae; but based on the fact that she challenged Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship the following night, I guess that's not happening.
Winner: Io Shirai (4 for 6)

TakeOver was pretty good but it was let down by the NXT Championship. With the pandemic happening, WWE have been doing a few cinematic style matches. For some reason, the 2 worst ones have been on NXT. Hopefully, they will do less of them in the future.

WWE Backlash 2020 Preview

WWE Backlash 2020 will be taking place this evening at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. There are 8 matches on the card so let's take a look.

The Street Profits vs The Viking Raiders
RAW Tag Team Championship
I feel that The Street Profits will retain.
Predicted Winners: The Street Profits

Apollo Crews vs Andrade
United States Championship
I like Apollo but I'm going for Andrade to regain the Championship
Predicted Winner: Andrade

Bayley and Sasha Banks vs Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs The IIconics
Women's Tag Team Championship
Bayley and Sasha have just become Champions so I can't see them losing.
Predicted Winners: Bayley and Sasha Banks

Jeff Hardy vs Sheamus
I think that Sheamus will win this
Predicted Winner: Sheamus

Asuka vs Nia Jax
RAW Women's Championship
I'm going for Asuka to retain
Predicted Winner: Asuka

Braun Strowman vs John Morrison and Hollywood Miz
Handicap Match for the Universal Championship
Braun will find a way to win this
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman

Drew McIntyre vs Lashley
WWE Championship
A part of me thinks that Lashley will win this. However, I think it's more likely that McIntyre will retain.
Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Edge vs Randy Orton
In a match that has been prematurely called "the Greatest Wrestling Match Ever" (fuck knows why), it's a tough one to call. I'm going for Orton to win this one.
Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

As usual, it will be a few days before I post the review so until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.

NXT TakeOver: In Your House Preview

NXT TakeOver: In Your House will be taking place tomorrow evening at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The TakeOvers are generally pretty good but this will be the first one during the pandemic, so I'm interested to see how it will go. Let's take a look at the card.

Finn Balor vs Damien Priest
I feel that Balor winning is the only logical choice here.
Predicted Winner: Finn Balor

Mia Yim, Shozti Blackheart and Tegan Nox vs Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez
I've not seen every TakeOver but I think this is the first time that we have a women's tag match. A tough one to call but I think that the team of Kai, LeRae and Gonzalez will win.
Predicted Winners: Candice LeRae, Dakota Kai and Raquel Gonzalez

Keith Lee vs Johnny Gargano
North American Championship
This match is really tough to call. I can see Candice LeRae and Mia Yim getting involved at some point but I think that Lee will retain.
Predicted Winner: Keith Lee

Tommaso Ciampa vs Karrion Kross
I'm a big fan of Ciampa but Kross wins this, no question.
Predicted Winner: Karrion Kross

Charlotte Flair vs Rhea Ripley vs Io Shirai
Triple Threat Match for the NXT Women's Championship
I really want Ripley or Shirai to win but it's more likely that Charlotte will win and be Champion til the end of time. Yay...
Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) vs Velveteen Dream
Last Chance Backlot Brawl for the NXT Championship
I feel that Dream;s gimmick is suffering due to the lack of crowd. I feel that if they are going to give him the belt, it will be when the crowds are back. I'm going for Cole to retain.
Predicted Winner: Adam Cole

Due to the TV deal in the UK, I don't get to see NXT until a week after it aired. Therefore, it will be at least a week until I'll watch and review the TakeOver. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the show.

WWE Money in the Bank 2020 Review

Money in the Bank 2020 took place last Sunday at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The current circumstances involving the pandemic have been meant that the show took place in an empty arena; with the Money in the Bank ladder matches taking place at the same time at WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut. Let's take a look to see how it goes.

The match on the Kick Off Show is Jeff Hardy taking on Cesaro. Cesaro catches Hardy doing a crossbody off the steel steps and throws him into the crowd barrier to get the advantage. Cesaro attempts a gutwrench suplex from the top rope but Hardy stops it and hits Whisper in the Wind to start a comeback. In the end, Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb to get the win. The match between the two was pretty decent.
Winner: Jeff Hardy (1 for 1)

The first match of the event was for Smackdown Tag Team Championship as The Lucha House Party, Hollywood Miz and John Morrison and The Forgotten Sons challenge The New Day. Highlights of the match include: Gran Metalik and Morrison diving onto everyone else on the outside; The New Day hitting Steve Cutler with a powerbomb/double stomp combo; and Morrison hitting a Starship Pain on Big E. In the end, Big E hit Gran Metalik with the Big Ending to get the win. The match was fun for the most part.
Winners: The New Day (2 for 2)

The next match is R-Truth, who looked like a moron doing his "What's Up?" in front of no one, taking on MVP. R-Truth and MVP get into an argument and Bobby Lashley comes out and offers to take MVP's place. Lashley proceeds to completely destroy R-Truth and, despite a brief fightback by R-Truth, Lashley hits a spear and gets the win. This match was a squash that I think we should not have on a Pay-Per-View.

The next match is for the Smackdown Women's Champion as Tamina challenges Bayley. Bayley slams Tamina's knee into the ring post to get the advantage. After a few minutes, Tamina starts a comeback after getting water thrown in her face and comes close to getting the win when Sasha Banks distracts her. This gives Bayley the chance to recover and reverse a Samoa Drop into a crucifix pin to get the win. I thought the match was ok.
Winner: Bayley (3 for 3)

We now get "Firefly Fun House" Bray Wyatt challenging Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship. Strowman is dominant at the beginning before he goes to shoulder charge Wyatt on the outside. However, Wyatt avoids it and Strowman crashes into the announce table. Wyatt, with encouragement from one of his puppets, follows up with a DDT to get the advantage. Wyatt goes on to hit Sister Abigail but Strowman just kicks out. Strowman turns it round when he reverses another Sister Abigail into a choke slam. Strowman then appears wearing the black sheep mask that he wore when he was with The Wyatt Family. This is enough somehow to convince Wyatt that he turned him onto his side and Strowman hits a Running Powerslam to get the win. The match was pretty good but I didn't like the way it ended as it made Wyatt looked like an idiot.
Winner: Braun Strowman (4 for 4)

Next is "The Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins challenging Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship. Rollins hits a couple of dropkicks on McIntyre's left knee followed by a suicide dive to get the advantage. Rollins keeps McIntyre on the outside but when he goes for another suicide dive, he gets caught and gets sent flying over the announce table with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. McIntyre starts his comeback but Rollins comes close after hitting a superplex into a falcon arrow. Rollins hits a super kick but McIntyre retaliates with a Claymore Kick to get the win. I thought this was a really good match.
Winners: Drew McIntyre (5 for 5)

We now get to the main event, which are the Money in the Bank ladder matches. Taking part in the ladies' match were Asuka, Carmella, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans, Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler; and it was AJ Styles,  Aliester Black, Daniel Bryan, King Corbin, Otis and Rey Mysterio taking in the mens'. The ladies started by the lifts and the men started in the gym. Highlights of the matches were:

• Cameos by Brother Love, not Doink the Clown, Stephanie McMahon and John Laurinatis 
• Otis, Bryan, Black and Corbin fighting in a lift. 
• Brooke winning idiot of the year by thinking the briefcase in a meeting room was the real one, despite it being told numerous times beforehand that it was on the roof. 
• Styles getting PTSD by seeing a picture of the Undertaker. 
• A food fight at Paul Heyman's buffet with Rey Mysterio getting squashed by Otis and Jax. 
• Styles accidentally fighting in Mr McMahon's office. and getting told off by McMahon.

Asuka, Evans and Jax are the first ones to enter the ring and, after dealing with Corbin trying to stop her for some reason, Asuka grabs the briefcase to get the win. A few minutes later, the rest of the men arrive and Corbin throws Mysterio and Black over the roof, apprently killing them? Anyway, in the end, Corbin and Styles fight over the briefcase. Elias comes in from nowhere and hits Corbin with a guitar, Styles fumbles the briefcase and it falls onto Otis' lap and he wins...? Er...what?

The matches were ok but I'm not happy that all the men got to the ring but only half the women. I know that Brooke and Carmella got taken out but Baszler basically disappeared. I was slightly surprised that Asuka won. However, the next night, "The Man" Becky Lynch announced that she was pregnant and that the match was actually for her RAW Women's Championship. With that, Asuka winning actually made more sense and it looks like it might lead to a face turn and maybe a feud with Baszler or maybe Kairi Sane.

As for men's, I'm sorry but what the fuck? Nothing against Otis but he's a comedy character so him having the briefcase doesn't make sense. I don't think that, barring a massive stroke of luck, he will successfully cash it in but a little of me does wonder what they will do with it.

Winners: Asuka (5 for 6) and Otis (5 for 7)

I thought that Money in the Bank was a decent event. There were a couple o good matches but a couple had really crappy endings. The lack of a crowd does hurt it tho and hopefully, it won't be too long before it's safe enough for them to come back.

WWE Money in the Bank 2020 Preview

WWE Money in the Bank will be taking place this evening at the Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. However, the Money in the Bank ladder matches will be taking place at the WWE headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut at the same time. This will be interesting to watch so let's take a look.

Jeff Hardy vs Cesaro
I think that Hardy will win here.
Predicted Winner: Jeff Hardy

R-Truth vs MVP
I thought that MVP retired from wrestling? Anyway, R-Truth to win here.
Predicted Winner: R-Truth

The New Day vs Hollywood Miz and John Morrison vs The Forgotten Sons(?!) vs Lucha House Party
Fatal 4-Way for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
 I can see Miz and Morrison winning but I don't think it will happen. Therefore, The New Day to retain.
Predicted Winners: The New Day

Bayley vs Tamina
Smackdown Women's Championship
Unless Sasha Banks inadvertently hinders Bayley there is no way that Tamina wins this.
Predicted Winner: Bayley

Braun Strowman vs Bray Wyatt
Universal Championship
Strowman is finally Champion so I can't see him losing it right now.
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman

Drew McIntyre vs " The Monday Night Messiah" Seth Rollins
WWE Championship
I think that McIntyre will retain.
Predicted Winner: Drew McIntyre

Asuka vs Carmella vs Dana Brooke vs Lacey Evans vs Nia Jax vs Shayna Baszler
Women's Money in the Bank ladder match
Baszler wins this, right?
Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler

Aleister Black vs AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan vs Dolph Ziggler vs King Corbin vs Otis
Men's Money in the Bank ladder match
This is a tough one to call but I'm going for Bryan to win.
Predicted Winner: Daniel Bryan

It will be a few days before I get to see the show. I hope you all enjoy the show.

Lo-Down Wrestling Awards 2019

It's time for the 2019 Lo-Down Wrestling Awards. To be honest, I was not a fan of some of the wrestling, especially by WWE, over the last year. However, there were some good moments. So, let's give out some awards.

Feud of the Year
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano
A feud that started due to a long term injury to Tommaso Ciampa led to 3 Takeover main events, 2 guys getting their 1st NXT Championship, and (spoiler alert) 2 other Lo-Down Wrestling awards. Solid gold throughout the feud.

PPV of the Year
Survivor Series

Aside a couple of lapses in logic, I thought that Survivor Series was the best show of the year. It had a lot of good matches and an interesting story that developed throughout.

Most Surprising Moment of the Year
NXT Winning Survivor Series

I was convinced that NXT would lose all their matches. Therefore, I was surprised that they won most of them. Shame that it didn't really lead to anything.

Douchebag of the Year
WWE

WWE, once again, wins this mostly due to their continuing blood money relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Video of the Year
Chris Jericho's Promo Video, AEW Dynamite 6th November 2019
This video was made in response to a video by Cody Rhodes in the lead up to their match at AEW Full Gear. Everything about it was perfect. Sammy Guevara saying that Jericho is the youngest AEW Champion always make me laugh.
https://youtu.be/M0WsXcPNZSo

Moment of the Year
Kofi Kingston Winning the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania
A moment that was over 10 years in the making finally happened as KofiMania reached its pinnacle and became the best moment of the year.


Worst Match of the Year
Undertaker vs Goldberg, WWE Super Show-Down
This match was a clusterfuck. They both did moves that threatened the safety of their opponents and was worrying to watch. You would think that they would realise that perhaps they should stop wrestling. However, based on the fact that they are taking part at this year's Wrestlemania, I guess not.

Tag Team of the Year
Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish
A great year for this team. They took part in great matches and regained the NXT Tag Team Championship.

Most Improved Wrestler

Rhea Ripley

Ripley started out as the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion. She went on to take part in the first ever Women's War Games Match, was instrumental in NXT's victory at Survivor Series; and ended the year as NXT Women's Champion.

Match of the Year
Adam Cole vs Johnny Gargano, NXT Takeover: New York
This was a great match that had everything going into it. The crowd was amazing and it led to one of the feel good moments in NXT history.

Honorable Mention
Private Party vs The Young Bucks, AEW Dynamite 9th October 2019
This was the first time that I had seen both teams and this was an amazing match. Private Party winning was a surprise but it got them over and made me a fan.

Female Wrestler of the Year
Becky Lynch
It's been a great year for "The Man", winning the first women's main event in Wrestlemania history. Lynch went to be RAW Women's Champion for the rest of the year.

Male Wrestler of the Year
Chris Jericho
Jericho has helped get AEW on its feet by being its first ever Champion. Along with forming the Inner Circle, he had been the most entertaining part of AEW Dynamite.

Wrestlemania 36 Part 2 Review

The second night of Wrestlemania took place on Sunday 5th April at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. The first night wasn't too bad so let's see how the second night goes.

The Kick Off Show featured Natalya taking on Liv Morgan. Natalya uses her experience to get the advantage. However, after a few minutes, Morgan manages to get the win. The match wasn't great.
Winner: Liv Morgan

The first match of the night is one that I was really looking forward to seeing: Charlotte Flair challenging Rhea Ripley for the NXT Women's Championship. Charlotte taunts Ripley early on but Ripley hits the Riptide to get a 2 count. This gives her the chance to get the advantage. However, Charlotte injures the left knee and focuses her offence on it. Ripley gets back into it and almost gets Charlotte to submit with a standing cloverleaf. However, in the end, Charlotte gets Ripley to submit to the Figure 8 and become the new NXT Women's Champion, This was a really good match and I'm interested to see how they handle Charlotte on NXT. As for Ripley, she has been awesome over the last year and I'm confident that she'll bounce back.
Winner: Rhea Ripley

The next match is Aleister Black taking on Bobby Lashley. Lashley avoids a moonsault and hits an overhead belly-to-belly suplex to get the advantage. Lashley hits power moves to keep Black down. On Lana's recommendation, Lashley goes for a pear. However, that turns out to be a bad idea as he runs into a Black Mask, which gives Black the win. The match was pretty good and it looks like it's set the foundations for the break up of Lana and Lashley.
Winner: Aleister Black

We now get Otis taking on Dolph Ziggler. Otis uses his weight against Ziggler but Ziggler's quickness quickly gets him the advantage. Otis catapults Ziggler into the turnbuckle and this gives him the opportunity to make a comeback. Otis goes for the caterpillar but Sonya Deville distracts the referee and Ziggler hits a low blow. This prompts Mandy Rose to come out and bitch slap Deville and roll her into the ring. When the referee tries to get Deville out, Rose hits Ziggler with a low blow. Otis then hits the caterpillar and gets the win and the girl. The match wasn't a masterpiece but it was fun to watch.
Winner: Otis

Next is Edge's first singles match in 9 years as he takes on Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing match. Orton disguised himself as a cameraman and he surprises Edge with a RKO. When Edge recovers and the bell rings, Orton hits another RKO and he goes on to dominate the early going. The match goes all over the Performance Center and ends up on top of a trailer. Orton goes for the one man con-chairto but Edge puts Orton him in a choke hold then hits him with the con-chairto to get the win. Except for the beginning and the end, I found this to be a disappointment. The match is the 2nd longest match in Wrestlemania history and it was far too long. This match had a really good build and I feel like the match didn't live up to it.
Winner: Edge

After Ron Gronkowski pins Mojo Rawley to become the 24/7 Champion, we get the RAW Tag Team Championship as AOP Andrade Austin Theory(?) and Angel Garza challenge The Street Profits. After Theory throws Angelo Dawkins out of the ring, Graza super kicks him while the referee is distracted to give his team the advantage. Dawkins avoids a clothesline by Garza to get the hot tag to Montez Ford. In the end, Theory hits a TKO on Dawkins but Ford breaks up the pin by hitting a frog splash. Dawkins then pins Theory to get the win. Garza, Theory and Zelina Vega don't take the loss well and beat up The Street Profits. This prompts Bianca Belair to come out and make the save.This was a fun match to watch.
Winners: The Street Profits

The next match is a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship as Lacey Evans, Naomi, Sasha Banks and Tamina challenge Bayley. The first woman to be eliminayed is Tamina as they all team up to pin her. Banks gets Naomi to submit to the Banks Statement but she gets eliminated thanks to a Women's Right by Evans. In the end, Banks returns and hits Evans with the back stabber. Bayley follows that up with the Rose Plant to get the win. The match was pretty decent.
Winner: Bayley

The penultimate is a Firefly House Match between John Cena and Bray Wyatt. The basic story of the match is Wyatt referencing parts of his and Cena's wrestling history such as his debut against Kurt Angle and Cena being the Doctor of Thuganomics, and Wyatt's gimmick when he debuted on the main roster. We then get a NwO reference as Cena then attacks Wyatt. Wyatt turns into a puppet and The Fiend then hits Sister Abigail and technically pins Cena to get the win...? This was batshit insane and it was fun to watch in a way. It was also quite thought provoking if you really look at it and probablyt the most unique thing that WWE have ever done. I think that this would have been a disaster if Cena wasn't involved. I don't think where both guys go on from here but I'm interested to see what happens.
Winner: Bray Wyatt

The main event is Drew McIntyre challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship. McIntyre hits the Claymore Kick almost immediately to get a 2 count. Lesnar goes to hit 3 German suplexes and a F-5 but McIntyre kicks out at 1. Lesnar hits 2 more F-5s but McIntyre kicks out each time. McIntyre goes on to hit 3 Claymore Kicks to get the win. This match wasn't great as it was just finishers and suplexes and it had the same format as the Strowman/Goldberg match from the night before. Having said that, McIntyre is the first Scotsman to become the WWE Champion and, as a fellow Scotsman, I'm really happy for him.
Winner: Drew McIntyre

I thought that Wrestlemania was pretty decent over the two nights. The circumstances surrounding the event did lead to some things that you couldn't do with a live crowd. However, there are some great moments in the event that are hurt because of the lack of crowd reaction. That's quite sad. As for the foreseeable future, Florida have issued a stay-at-home order (finally!) yet WWE have taped some shows and are planning to have their Money in the Bank event in May. I'm quite torn that the WWE are still doing some shows but I don't think they should be building to another PPV. Let's see how they will handle it.

Wrestlemania 36 Part 1 Review

The first night of Wrestlemania 36 took place at the Raymond James...wait, sorry. I meant the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. Not only has the Coronavirus pandemic led to the event taking place in an empty arena, but the sickness of some superstars and the fucking stupidity of another has led to some matches having to be changed. To be honest, I can see this being a fucking disaster. Anyway, let's take a look.

During all this, they decided to have a Kick Off Show, which was Cesaro taking on Drew Gulak. Early on, Gulak tries to put on some submission holds and focuses on the right arm. Cesaro tries to hit the Neutraliser but his injured arm prevents him from doing so. Gulak almost runs into the referee and this gives Cesaro to hit an European Uppercut followed by an airplane spin, with no hands, to get the win. I enjoyed the technical side of the match but I generally found the story a bit weird. I'm still getting used to Gulak being a face and it was surprising to see him be so dominant only for Cesaro to seemingly get the win out of the blue. Having said that, I thought the airplane spin with no hands was pretty impressive.
Winner: Cesaro

The first match of the weekend was for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship as Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross challenge The Kabuki Warriors. Asuka and Kairi Sane are cocky towards Bliss in the beginning and they go on to get the advantage after Asuksa hits a roundhouse kick to Cross. Eventually, Bliss gets the hot tag but it doesn't last long as The Kabuki Warriors reassert their dominance. Cross gets tagged in and hits the Fisherman's Neckbreaker to Asuka but Sane breaks up the pin with an Insane Elbow. Sane and Asuka come close a couple of times but in the end, Sane gets hit with another Fisherman's Neckbreaker by Cross followed by a Twisted Bliss by Bliss and they go on to regain the Championship. I thought this was a good match and hopefully, WWE will start to give more of a fuck about the Women's Tag Team Championship.
Winners: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross

The next match is supposed to be Elias taking on King Corbin. Corbin is convinced that, after throwing him off a platform the week before, Elias won't be able to take part. However, Elias does turn up and is dominant to begin with before Corbin sends him flying to the floor. Elias sends Crobin into the corner, giving him the chance to make a comeback. Corbin tries to use the ropes while pinning Elias but the referee sees it and admonishes him. While Crobin continues to argue with her, Elias rolls him up and gets the win. I didn't think this was a great match.
Winner: Elias

We get the RAW Women's Championship match as Shayna Baszler challenges "The Man" Becky Lynch. Baszler goes for the Kirifuda Clutch early on but Lynch gets out of it. That doesn't deter Baszler as she is relentless and gets the advantage. In the end, Baszler manages to apply the Kirifuda Clutch but Becky rolls over and manages to pin her and get the win. To be honest, I didn't expect Lynch to win as I was convinced that Baszler would win. However, thy just used the same ending that Baszler had against Kairi Sane. Hopefully, they might be saving her victory for when they can host a Pay-Per-View in front of a crowd. As for the match itself, I thought it was pretty good.
Winner: Becky Lynch


The next match is for the Intercontinental Championship as Daniel Bryan challenge Sami Zayn. Zayn delays wrestling Bryan for as long as possible with help from Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura. Drew Gulak takes them out, giving Bryan the chance to wrestle Zayn. In the end, Nakamura and Cesaro attack Gulak and Bryan goes to help him out. Bryan then goes for a move off the turnbuckle but Zayn counters with apparently a Helluva Kick to get the win. The match was ok but I feel that they could have done better.
Winner: Sami Zayn

We now get a triple threat ladder match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Thanks to The Miz being sick, it will be Kofi Kingston from The New Day and Jimmy Uso challenging John Morrison. Highlights of the match include: Kingston vaulting through a ladder, only to be caught and thrown out of the ring; Morrison hitting a crokscrew ladder onto Uso; and Kingston hitting a hurracarrana, sending Morrison off a ladder. In the end, they are all on ladder and they manage to get the hook containing the belts, each of them having a hand on it. Kingston and Uso headbutt Morrison off the ladder. However, he had a hand on the belts and he falls to the mat with them, technically making him the winner. I thought this was a really good match and I really liked the ending.
Winner: John Morrison

Next is the Monday Night Messiah Seth Rollins taking on Kevin Owens. The match goes back and forth before Rollins reverse a powerbomb to back body drop Owens onto the apron. Rollins follows up with a falcon arrow onto the apron. Owens gets back into it and Rollins ends up hitting him with the ring bell to get himself disqualified. Owens manage to convince Rollins to return and make the match no disqualification. Owens goes on to hit Rollins with the ring bell then hits a senton from the Wrestlemania sign, sending Rollins through the announce table. Owens then rolls Rollins back into the ring and hits the Stunner to get the win. I thought this was a decent match, although it would made more sense if it started as a no disqualification match.
Winner: Kevin Owens

The penultimate match is for the Universal Championship as Braun Strowman challenges Goldberg. Goldberg hits 4 spears then goes for a Jackhammer. However, Strowman reverses it into a powerslam. He then hits 2 more powerslams then a running powerslam to get the win. Wow. Due to Roman Reigns pulling out, I thought that Goldberg would retain. I'm happy that Strowman won but the match wasn't great and I feel that Strowman will be a transitional Champion.
Winner: Braun Strowman

The main event of the night is a Boneyard Match between AJ Styles and The Undertaker. Some of the highlights include: Styles arriving in a coffin on the back of a hearse; Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows helping Styles out; Styles spearing Undertaker through a fence; and Undertaker using his parlor tricks such as teleportation and shooting columns of fire on top of a barn roof. After Undertaker takes out Gallows and Anderson, he chokeslams Styles off the barn roof. He then drags him to the empty grave prepared earlier and big boots him into it. Undertaker then uses a tractor to bury Styles and technically win...? He then rides off into the night. This was weird but quite fun to watch. Some of it was riduclous but I think that was the point. Hopefully, this will be the last of The Undertaker. As for Styles, I guess he's dead now.
Winner: The Undertaker

I thought that the first night of Wrestlemania was pretty decent. Some matches could have been better but a couple of quite good, especially the ladder match. Let's see how the second night goes.