NXT UK Takeover: Blackpool II took place on Sunday 12th January at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool. I was planning to do a predictions article on this event but I thought it started at 8pm and it actually started at 5pm. So, sorry about that. Anyway, let's take a look at the show.
The first match on the show is Trent Seven taking on Eddie Dennis. Dennis tries to hit a big boot on Seven immediately but misses and gets hit with a powerbomb instead. Dennis goes on to hit a Razor's Edge to get the advantage. Seven gets back into it with a German suplex followed by a suicide dive. Dennis decides to cheat by removing s turnbuckle and later on, Seven accidentally runs into it and Dennis hits another Razor's Edge to the outside but that somehow doesn't get 3. Dennis then hits a Neck Stop Driver to get the win. This was a good match and whilst I'm not a big fan of Dennis, I felt that he needed to win this.
Winner: Eddie Dennis
The next match is one that I was really looking forward to seeing: Kay Lee Ray defending her NXT UK Women's Championship against Piper Niven and Toni Storm in a triple threat match. Storm doesn't fuck around and attacks Ray before the bell. Other highlights include: Niven flattening Ray with a suicide dive; Ray hitting Storm with a tornado DDT; and Storm and Niven teaming up to take out Ray. Ray hits the Gory Bomb on Niven but Storm stops the referee from counting the 3. Ray gets hit with a Canadian Destroyer by Niven followed by a Storm Zero by Storm but she somehow manages to survive. In the end, Storm hits a frog splash on Niven. However, Ray super kicks Storm out of the ring and pins Niven to get the win. I really enjoyed this match and I'm interested to see where they all go from here.
Winner: Kay Lee Ray
We now get Jordan Devlin taking on Tyler Bate. Devlin gets the advantage with a slam followed by a springboard moonsault. Both guys collide when they do a crossbody and this gives Bate the opportunity to make a comeback. After they exchange punches, Devlin hitas an avalanche Spanish fly followed by the Devlin Side but it only gets 2. Bate hits a DDT off the top rope followed by a Tyler Driver but Devlin kicks out. Bate hits a corkscrew splash to get the win. This was a really good match between the two.
Winner: Tyler Bate
Next is a ladder match for the NXT UK Tag Team Championship as Mark Coffey and Wolfgang defends their titles against Fabien Aichner and Marcel Barthel, The Grizzled Young Veterans and Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster in a ladder match. Highlights of the match include: Aichner and Barthel baseball sliding a steel chair into James Drake; Andrews hitting Coffey with a shooting star press off the ladder; Drake hitting a 450 splash off a ladder on Andrews; and Andrews and Webster splashing Wolfgang through a table. Wolfgang spears Aichner through a ladder and Barthel comes close to grabbing the belts. However, Mark Coffey stops him and throws him off the ladder to the rest of the wrestlers on the outside. Wolfgang and Coffey then grab the belts to get the win. This was a really fun match and I was surprised that Coffey and Wolfgang retained. However, the Championship changed hands twice in the last few months so keeping it on them probably makes more sense.
Winners: Wolfgang and Mark Coffey
The main event is Joe Coffey challenging WALTER for the United Kingdom Championship. Coffey keeps Walter off his game with quick, high flying offence followed by punches. Coffey starts to hit Flair chops on WALTER, which turns out to be a bad idea as he retaliates with a Flair chop to send Coffey down. Later on, WALTER applies a Boston crab followed by a STF, but Coffey manages to get to the ropes. Coffey avoids a dropkick by WALTER, hitting the referee instead. This gives Alexander Wolfe to run down and attack Coffey. Ilja Draganov then comes out and hits Wolfe with a Torpedo Moscow but he sends Wolfe into Coffey, injuring his knee. After WALTER destroys Draganov with a clothesline, he comes close with a powerbomb and another clothesline. In the end, WALTER hits a powerbomb then gets Coffey to submit with a modified sleeper to get the win. Afterwards, The Undisputed Era attack WALTER and the rest of Imperium. I thought this was a really good match, although I was surprised that it ended in a submission
Winner: WALTER
I really enjoyed NXT UK Takeover as it had some good matches. I was quite surprised at a couple of the decisions. However, it didn't affect the event in a negative way and I look forward to seeing how the performers do at Worlds Collide.
Saturday, 25 January 2020
Tuesday, 24 December 2019
WWE TLC 2019 Review
WWE TLC, the last Pay-Per-View of the year, took place on Sunday 15th December at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Will WWE end the year on a high? Let's take a look.
The match on the Kick Off Show was Humberto Carrillo taking on Andrade. Andrade is dominant early on before Carrillo hit a jawbreaker followed by a hurracarrana. During the match, Andrade gets a cut below his eye. Zelina Vega tries to interfere but almost gets taken out Andrade. In the end, Carrillo hit a reverse hurracarrana followed by a moonsault to get the win. This was a really good match between the two.
Winner: Humberto Carrillo (N/A)
The first match on the show was a ladder match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship as The Revival challenge The New Day. Highlights of the match include: Big E chucking Scott Dawson over the German announce table; Kofi Kingston flipping a ladder onto The Revival; The Revival hitting Shatter Machine off a ladder on Kingston; and Big E hitting Dash Wilder with the Big Ending off a ladder. After Kingston pushes Dawson off a ladder, he manages to collect the belts and get the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch.
Winners: The New Day (1 for 1)
The next match was Aleister Black taking on Buddy Murphy. Black keeps Murphy down with kicks but Murphy bounces Black's head off the steel steps, busting his nose. Murphy takes time to try on Black's coat, and Black doesn't take that well and he makes a comeback. In the end, they exchange kicks before Black hits The Black Mask to get the win. I thought this was a good match between the two and I assume that Black will go back to his room and wait for someone to challenge him in a couple of months.
Winner: Aleister Black (2 for 2)
Next was an open challenge by The Viking Raiders for the RAW Tag Team Championship. That challenge is accepted by The O.C. Karl Anderson sends Erik out of the ring then distracts the referee, giving Luke Gallows the chance to hit a superkick and give his team the advantage. Eventually, Erik manages to tag in Ivar. The Viking Raiders hit the Viking Experience on Anderson but Gallows breaks up the pin. The match goes to the outside and it ends up in a double count out. Afterwards, The Viking Raiders powerbomb Anderson through the table set up earlier on winners of a KFC competition. The match was pretty decent but I hated it ending in a double count out.
Winners: Double Count Out (N/A)
The next match is a TLC Match between Roman Reigns and King Baron Corbin. During Reign's entrance, he destroys half of Corbin's security. Corbin gets the advantage after hitting a Deep Six and goes on to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him, including hitting him with a can of dog food and choke slamming him through a table. Reigns responds by putting Corbin through the German announce table with a Samoan drop. Dolph Ziggler comes in to help out Corbin then bizarrely decide to go after one of the guys at ringside. Reigns uses a kendo stick on Corbin's security before The Revival come out to attack Reigns. Corbin goes on to hit the End of Days onto a chair to get the win. I do not like this match. It was overbooked with 9 people helping Corbin to win and the bit where Corbin and Ziggler beat the fuck out of some random made no sense.
Winner: Baron Corbin (2 for 3)
Next is Hollywood Miz taking on Universal Champion"The Fiend" Firefly Fun House Bray Wyatt in a non-title match just because...? Anyway, as soon as the bell rings, Miz starts beating the fuck out of Wyatt. Wyatt goes for a Sister Abigail but Miz gets out of it and hits the Skull Crushing Finale. The match goes to the outside and eventually Wyatt hits a Sister Abigail. Miz just about gets back into the ring before the 10 count but he gets hit with another Sister Abigail and Wyatt wins. After the match, The Fiend pops up on the screen and Wyatt grabs a large sledgehammer. Then someone runs in and hits Wyatt with a running knee, which turns out to be the original Daniel Bryan. Bryan then goes on to beat up Wyatt. This match was weird and I was not a fan.
Winner: Bray Wyatt (3 for 4)
The penultimate match is a tables match between Rusev and Bobby Lashley. Rusev grabs a table but Lana pulls it away, giving Lashley the chance to get the advantage. After some back and forth and using kendo sticks on each other, Lana jumps on Rusev's back and Lashley sends him through a table with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex to get the win. The match wasn't anything special.
Winner: Bobby Lashley (3 for 5)
The main event is a TLC Match for the Women's Tag Team Championship as Charlotte Flair and "The Man" Becky Lynch challenge The Kabuki Warriors. Lynch and Flair don't fuck around as they throw Kairi Sane and Asuka into anything they can see. Sane gets the worse of it as she gets a monitor thrown at her head, then thrown onto the announce tables; and later on, lands badly after a suplex by Flair. Sane and Asuka incapacitate Lynch by tying her onto a ladder to help them get the advantage. Eventually, Lynch manages to get free and Flair powerbombs Sane through a table. In the end, Lynch climbs up but Asuka pulls a rope connected to the ladder to send her off. Asuka then climbs the ladder to grab the belts and get the win. Unfortunately, it's overshadowed 10 seconds later as the camera cuts to a brawl involving the men's locker room, that had been going on backstage since the Corbin/Reigns match, spills out into the crowd.
The match was pretty good but it got sloppy towards the end. This was due to Sane getting concussed after a suplex by Flair. To make it worse, it got overshadowed by a brawl that I had no interest in. I felt sorry for Asuka as she had seconds to celebrate before the camera cut away from her.
Winners: Kabuki Warriors (4 for 6)
I thought TLC started pretty well with 2 good matches. However, it turned into a mess with overbooking and crappy creative decisions. The wrestling is there but it's being overshadowed by poor creative booking. It doesn't help that the main story on RAW at the moment, Seth Rollin's heel turn, wasn't really a part of the show. Next month will be the start of the Road to Wrestlemania XXXVI and hopefully it will start to get better.
The match on the Kick Off Show was Humberto Carrillo taking on Andrade. Andrade is dominant early on before Carrillo hit a jawbreaker followed by a hurracarrana. During the match, Andrade gets a cut below his eye. Zelina Vega tries to interfere but almost gets taken out Andrade. In the end, Carrillo hit a reverse hurracarrana followed by a moonsault to get the win. This was a really good match between the two.
Winner: Humberto Carrillo (N/A)
The first match on the show was a ladder match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship as The Revival challenge The New Day. Highlights of the match include: Big E chucking Scott Dawson over the German announce table; Kofi Kingston flipping a ladder onto The Revival; The Revival hitting Shatter Machine off a ladder on Kingston; and Big E hitting Dash Wilder with the Big Ending off a ladder. After Kingston pushes Dawson off a ladder, he manages to collect the belts and get the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch.
Winners: The New Day (1 for 1)
The next match was Aleister Black taking on Buddy Murphy. Black keeps Murphy down with kicks but Murphy bounces Black's head off the steel steps, busting his nose. Murphy takes time to try on Black's coat, and Black doesn't take that well and he makes a comeback. In the end, they exchange kicks before Black hits The Black Mask to get the win. I thought this was a good match between the two and I assume that Black will go back to his room and wait for someone to challenge him in a couple of months.
Winner: Aleister Black (2 for 2)
Next was an open challenge by The Viking Raiders for the RAW Tag Team Championship. That challenge is accepted by The O.C. Karl Anderson sends Erik out of the ring then distracts the referee, giving Luke Gallows the chance to hit a superkick and give his team the advantage. Eventually, Erik manages to tag in Ivar. The Viking Raiders hit the Viking Experience on Anderson but Gallows breaks up the pin. The match goes to the outside and it ends up in a double count out. Afterwards, The Viking Raiders powerbomb Anderson through the table set up earlier on winners of a KFC competition. The match was pretty decent but I hated it ending in a double count out.
Winners: Double Count Out (N/A)
The next match is a TLC Match between Roman Reigns and King Baron Corbin. During Reign's entrance, he destroys half of Corbin's security. Corbin gets the advantage after hitting a Deep Six and goes on to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him, including hitting him with a can of dog food and choke slamming him through a table. Reigns responds by putting Corbin through the German announce table with a Samoan drop. Dolph Ziggler comes in to help out Corbin then bizarrely decide to go after one of the guys at ringside. Reigns uses a kendo stick on Corbin's security before The Revival come out to attack Reigns. Corbin goes on to hit the End of Days onto a chair to get the win. I do not like this match. It was overbooked with 9 people helping Corbin to win and the bit where Corbin and Ziggler beat the fuck out of some random made no sense.
Winner: Baron Corbin (2 for 3)
Next is Hollywood Miz taking on Universal Champion
Winner: Bray Wyatt (3 for 4)
The penultimate match is a tables match between Rusev and Bobby Lashley. Rusev grabs a table but Lana pulls it away, giving Lashley the chance to get the advantage. After some back and forth and using kendo sticks on each other, Lana jumps on Rusev's back and Lashley sends him through a table with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex to get the win. The match wasn't anything special.
Winner: Bobby Lashley (3 for 5)
The main event is a TLC Match for the Women's Tag Team Championship as Charlotte Flair and "The Man" Becky Lynch challenge The Kabuki Warriors. Lynch and Flair don't fuck around as they throw Kairi Sane and Asuka into anything they can see. Sane gets the worse of it as she gets a monitor thrown at her head, then thrown onto the announce tables; and later on, lands badly after a suplex by Flair. Sane and Asuka incapacitate Lynch by tying her onto a ladder to help them get the advantage. Eventually, Lynch manages to get free and Flair powerbombs Sane through a table. In the end, Lynch climbs up but Asuka pulls a rope connected to the ladder to send her off. Asuka then climbs the ladder to grab the belts and get the win. Unfortunately, it's overshadowed 10 seconds later as the camera cuts to a brawl involving the men's locker room, that had been going on backstage since the Corbin/Reigns match, spills out into the crowd.
The match was pretty good but it got sloppy towards the end. This was due to Sane getting concussed after a suplex by Flair. To make it worse, it got overshadowed by a brawl that I had no interest in. I felt sorry for Asuka as she had seconds to celebrate before the camera cut away from her.
Winners: Kabuki Warriors (4 for 6)
I thought TLC started pretty well with 2 good matches. However, it turned into a mess with overbooking and crappy creative decisions. The wrestling is there but it's being overshadowed by poor creative booking. It doesn't help that the main story on RAW at the moment, Seth Rollin's heel turn, wasn't really a part of the show. Next month will be the start of the Road to Wrestlemania XXXVI and hopefully it will start to get better.
Sunday, 15 December 2019
WWE TLC 2019 Preview
The last WWE PPV of the year, TLC, will be taking place this evening at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There are 6 matches announced so let's take a look.
Roman Reigns vs King Baron Corbin
TLC Match
I'm going for Reigns to win.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns
The New Day vs The Revival
Ladders Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
This is a match that I'm looking forward to seeing and I'm for The New Day to retain
Predicted Winners: The New Day
Rusev vs Bobby Lashley
Tables Match
I think that Rusev will win here.
Predicted Winner: Rusev
Aleister Black vs Buddy Murphy
This should be a good one and I'm going for Black to win.
Predicted Winner: Aleister Black
Hollywood Miz vs Firefly Fun House Bray Wyatt
Hang on, not only is not a match for the WWE Championship but we won't get to see The Fiend. Well, at least it won't be bathed in red light. Anyway, I'm going for Wyatt to win.
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt
The Kabuki Warriors vs "The Man" Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
TLC Match for the Women's Tag Team Championship
This should be a good match. I can see Becky and Charlotte remembering that they hate each other and this will lead to The Kabuki Warriors getting the win.
Predicted Winners: The Kabuki Warriors
I will hopefully get to see it in the next week. I hope you guys enjoy the show.
WWE Survivor Series 2019 Review
WWE Survivor Series took place on Sunday 24th November at the AllState Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. This year, we get NXT added to which brand is the best, if you care about that sort of thing. Anyway, let's take a look.
The first match is a Tag Team Battle Royal. Taking part were The O.C., The Revival, The Forgotten Sons, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, The Street Profits, Zack Ryder and Kurt Hawkins, Breezango, Lucha House Party, Imperium and Heavy Machinery. Steve Cutler from The Forgotten Sons is the first to be eliminated quickly followed by Lince Dorado from The Lucha House Party. The final 3 teams end up being The O.C., Ziggler and Roode, and The Street Profits. Ziggler eliminates Luke Gallows. Montez Ford hits a beautiful frog splash on Ziggler but Roode grabs him and throws him over the top rope to give his team the win. The match wasn't too bad.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode (N/A)
The next match is for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship as Lio Rush faces the challenge of Kalisto and Akira Tozowa. Highlights of the match include: Rush hitting a double elbow on his opponents; Tozowa hitting a sucker punch on Rush; and Kalisto stopping a German suplex pin and almost pinning Rush. In the end, Kalisto hits Tozowa with the Salida del Sol; but Rush hits him with The Final Hour to get the win. This was a fun, fast paced match to watch.
Winner: Lio Rush (1 for 1)
The Kick Off Show main(?) event is The New Day, The Viking Raiders and The Undisputed Era facing each other in a triple threat tag team match. Highlights of the match include: Kyle O'Reilly putting Kofi Kingston in a knee bar; and Erik body slamming Ivar onto their opponents on the outside. O'Reilly and Fish take out Kingston leaving them to face Erik and Ivar. In the end, The Viking Raiders hit O'Reilly with the Viking Experience onto Fish to get the win. This was quite a good match.
Winner: The Viking Raiders (1 for 2)
The first match of the show is the Women's Survivor Series Elimination Match with Team Smackdown (Sasha Banks, Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Carmella and Dana Brooke) taking on Team RAW (Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Sarah Logan and Natalya) and Team NXT (Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae). During the match, Io Shirai and Candice LeRae have to withdraw from the match due to injury. Cross is the first to be eliminated as she gets rolled up by Belair. Then Belair eliminates Logan with a 450 splash. Carmella gets eliminated thanks to a Natural Selection from Charlotte, Sasha Banks eliminates Sane with a double knee then Asuka eliminates Carmella. Charlotte and Asuka get into an argument and Asuka retaliates by spraying green mist into Charlotte and going: "fuck you guys, I'm off". Evans takes advantage and hits Charlotte with the Women's Right to leave Natalya left for RAW. Natalya rolls up Evans to eliminate and Natalya and Sasha team up to eliminate Storm and Belair. Banks then eliminates Natalya with a punch (wait, what?) leaving her to face Ripley. Banks gets Ripley in the Bank Statement but LeRae and Shirai suddenly recover from their injuries and pull her out of the ring. LeRae distracts the referee while Shirai kills Banks with a springboard dropkick. Ripley then hits the Riptide to get the win.
I thought the match was pretty decent but I found the ending a bit weird. I'm a few weeks behind on NXT but, last I checked Shirai and LeRae were in a feud. So, I found it strange that they teamed up to help NXT get the win, especially since they were opposite sides in the Women's War Games Match the previous night. Anyway, as I said, it was a decent match.
Winners: Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai and Candice LeRae (1 for 3)
Now a match I was quite looking forward to seeing: a triple threat match between the Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, the United States Champion AJ Styles and the North American Champion Roderick Strong. Highlights of the match include: Styles throwing Strong into Nakamura; Strong monkey flipping Styles into a running knee by Nakamura; and Nakamura kicking Strong off Style's shoulders. In the end, Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura. However, Strong throws Styles out of the ring and pins Nakamura to get the win. I thought this was a pretty good match to watch.
Winner: Roderick Strong (1 for 4)
The next match is for the NXT Championship as Pete Dunne challenges Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) Both guys are carrying injuries from the night before, which slows down their offense. Dunne goes for a moonsault but Cole gets his knees up then hits the Last Shot but it only gets 2. Later on, Dunne hits the Bitter End but Cole kicks out at 2. After some back and forth, Dunne goes for another Bitter End but Cole manages to reverse it into a Panama Sunrise. He then hits another Last Shot to the back of the head to get the win. I thought this was a really enjoyable match.
Winner: Adam Cole (2 for 5)
Next is for the Universal Championship as Daniel Bryan challenges "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Bryan starts at a tremendous pace, hitting 2 running dropkicks before Wyatt responds with a clothesline. Wyatt goes on to press home his advantage. Bryan avoids a Sister Abigail to hit a running knee off the apron and make a comeback. Bryan hits a running knee but it only gets 2. In the end, Wyatt pins him with the Mandible Claw to get the win...? Erm, ok. Anyway, the match was pretty good but last time I checked, the Mandible Claw is not used to pin someone. Also, stop fucking using the red light. I hate it.
Winner: Bray Wyatt (3 for 6)
We now get our 2nd Survivor Series Elimination Match with Team RAW (Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet and Kevin Owens) taking on Team Smackdown (Roman Reigns, Shorty G, King Baron Corbin, Ali and Braun Strowman) and Team NXT (Tomasso Ciampa, Walter, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and Damien Priest). Walter is the first to be eliminated thanks to a Claymore Kick by McIntyre, which pissed me and the crowd off. Shorty G gets eliminated after a frog splash by Owens, who then gets eliminated thanks to a hanging DDT by Ciampa. Orton eliminates Priest with a RKO but Riddle rolls him up and eliminates him. Orton thanks Riddle by hitting him with a RKO and Corbin takes advantage and pins Riddle to eliminate him. Strowman gets counted out after a Claymore Kick by McIntyre and Ricochet gets eliminated thanks to an End of Days by Corbin. Corbin has an argument with Ali and this gives Rollins the opportunity to eliminate Ali with the Blackout. McIntyre is eliminated thanks to a Spear by Rollins. He then gets into an argument with Rollins, who goes on to hit a Superman punch followed by a Spear. Ciampa then pins Corbin to eliminate him. Rollins and Reigns team up Rollins eliminates Ciampa with another Blackout. Lee then eliminates Rollins with a Jackhammer, leaving him and Reigns. They go on to have some very close falls before Reigns hits a Spear to get the win. The match was generally good. However, I'm pissed off that Walter was the first to be eliminated. He is the United Kingdom Champion and he has been booked as almost undefeatable. So, I wasn't happy with him having getting less than 3 minutes.
Winner: Roman Reigns (4 for 7)
The penultimate match has Brock Lesnar gracing us with his presence and defending his WWE Championship against Rey Mysterio in a no disqualification match. Lesnar throws Mysterio round like a rag doll before Mysterio's son Dominic runs in to try to throw in the towel. When Lesnar refuses, Mysterio low blows him then teams up with his son to take out Lesnar. Despite this, Lesnar recovers and German suplexes Dominic and F-5's Mysterio to get the win. The match was only 7 minutes but I quite enjoyed most of it.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (5 for 8)
The main event is a triple threat between the RAW Women's Champion "The Man" Becky Lynch, Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley and NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. Highlights include: Baszler stamping on Bayley's elbow; Lynch hitting Bex-ploders to her opponents; and Bayley hitting Belly-to-Bayley on Baszler. After Baszler sends Lynch onto the announce table, she goes on to get Bayley to submit to the Kirifuda Clutch and get the win. Afterwards, Lynch sends Baszler through the German announce table.
I was slightly disappointed in this match. There were some good spots but it was a lot of 1-on-1 action, despite it being a triple threat match. Also, it seemed to go at a very slow pace until the few last minutes.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (5 for 9)
With the exception of the main event and a couple of booking decisions, I generally liked Survivor Series. With NXT winning most of their matches, I thought this could lead somewhere but, with the exception of Seth Rollins' heel turn, it looks like that it hasn't. We'll now see how the rest of the year goes.
The first match is a Tag Team Battle Royal. Taking part were The O.C., The Revival, The Forgotten Sons, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, The Street Profits, Zack Ryder and Kurt Hawkins, Breezango, Lucha House Party, Imperium and Heavy Machinery. Steve Cutler from The Forgotten Sons is the first to be eliminated quickly followed by Lince Dorado from The Lucha House Party. The final 3 teams end up being The O.C., Ziggler and Roode, and The Street Profits. Ziggler eliminates Luke Gallows. Montez Ford hits a beautiful frog splash on Ziggler but Roode grabs him and throws him over the top rope to give his team the win. The match wasn't too bad.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode (N/A)
The next match is for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship as Lio Rush faces the challenge of Kalisto and Akira Tozowa. Highlights of the match include: Rush hitting a double elbow on his opponents; Tozowa hitting a sucker punch on Rush; and Kalisto stopping a German suplex pin and almost pinning Rush. In the end, Kalisto hits Tozowa with the Salida del Sol; but Rush hits him with The Final Hour to get the win. This was a fun, fast paced match to watch.
Winner: Lio Rush (1 for 1)
The Kick Off Show main(?) event is The New Day, The Viking Raiders and The Undisputed Era facing each other in a triple threat tag team match. Highlights of the match include: Kyle O'Reilly putting Kofi Kingston in a knee bar; and Erik body slamming Ivar onto their opponents on the outside. O'Reilly and Fish take out Kingston leaving them to face Erik and Ivar. In the end, The Viking Raiders hit O'Reilly with the Viking Experience onto Fish to get the win. This was quite a good match.
Winner: The Viking Raiders (1 for 2)
The first match of the show is the Women's Survivor Series Elimination Match with Team Smackdown (Sasha Banks, Nikki Cross, Lacey Evans, Carmella and Dana Brooke) taking on Team RAW (Charlotte Flair, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Sarah Logan and Natalya) and Team NXT (Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair and Candice LeRae). During the match, Io Shirai and Candice LeRae have to withdraw from the match due to injury. Cross is the first to be eliminated as she gets rolled up by Belair. Then Belair eliminates Logan with a 450 splash. Carmella gets eliminated thanks to a Natural Selection from Charlotte, Sasha Banks eliminates Sane with a double knee then Asuka eliminates Carmella. Charlotte and Asuka get into an argument and Asuka retaliates by spraying green mist into Charlotte and going: "fuck you guys, I'm off". Evans takes advantage and hits Charlotte with the Women's Right to leave Natalya left for RAW. Natalya rolls up Evans to eliminate and Natalya and Sasha team up to eliminate Storm and Belair. Banks then eliminates Natalya with a punch (wait, what?) leaving her to face Ripley. Banks gets Ripley in the Bank Statement but LeRae and Shirai suddenly recover from their injuries and pull her out of the ring. LeRae distracts the referee while Shirai kills Banks with a springboard dropkick. Ripley then hits the Riptide to get the win.
I thought the match was pretty decent but I found the ending a bit weird. I'm a few weeks behind on NXT but, last I checked Shirai and LeRae were in a feud. So, I found it strange that they teamed up to help NXT get the win, especially since they were opposite sides in the Women's War Games Match the previous night. Anyway, as I said, it was a decent match.
Winners: Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai and Candice LeRae (1 for 3)
Now a match I was quite looking forward to seeing: a triple threat match between the Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, the United States Champion AJ Styles and the North American Champion Roderick Strong. Highlights of the match include: Styles throwing Strong into Nakamura; Strong monkey flipping Styles into a running knee by Nakamura; and Nakamura kicking Strong off Style's shoulders. In the end, Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura. However, Strong throws Styles out of the ring and pins Nakamura to get the win. I thought this was a pretty good match to watch.
Winner: Roderick Strong (1 for 4)
The next match is for the NXT Championship as Pete Dunne challenges Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) Both guys are carrying injuries from the night before, which slows down their offense. Dunne goes for a moonsault but Cole gets his knees up then hits the Last Shot but it only gets 2. Later on, Dunne hits the Bitter End but Cole kicks out at 2. After some back and forth, Dunne goes for another Bitter End but Cole manages to reverse it into a Panama Sunrise. He then hits another Last Shot to the back of the head to get the win. I thought this was a really enjoyable match.
Winner: Adam Cole (2 for 5)
Next is for the Universal Championship as Daniel Bryan challenges "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt. Bryan starts at a tremendous pace, hitting 2 running dropkicks before Wyatt responds with a clothesline. Wyatt goes on to press home his advantage. Bryan avoids a Sister Abigail to hit a running knee off the apron and make a comeback. Bryan hits a running knee but it only gets 2. In the end, Wyatt pins him with the Mandible Claw to get the win...? Erm, ok. Anyway, the match was pretty good but last time I checked, the Mandible Claw is not used to pin someone. Also, stop fucking using the red light. I hate it.
Winner: Bray Wyatt (3 for 6)
We now get our 2nd Survivor Series Elimination Match with Team RAW (Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet and Kevin Owens) taking on Team Smackdown (Roman Reigns, Shorty G, King Baron Corbin, Ali and Braun Strowman) and Team NXT (Tomasso Ciampa, Walter, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee and Damien Priest). Walter is the first to be eliminated thanks to a Claymore Kick by McIntyre, which pissed me and the crowd off. Shorty G gets eliminated after a frog splash by Owens, who then gets eliminated thanks to a hanging DDT by Ciampa. Orton eliminates Priest with a RKO but Riddle rolls him up and eliminates him. Orton thanks Riddle by hitting him with a RKO and Corbin takes advantage and pins Riddle to eliminate him. Strowman gets counted out after a Claymore Kick by McIntyre and Ricochet gets eliminated thanks to an End of Days by Corbin. Corbin has an argument with Ali and this gives Rollins the opportunity to eliminate Ali with the Blackout. McIntyre is eliminated thanks to a Spear by Rollins. He then gets into an argument with Rollins, who goes on to hit a Superman punch followed by a Spear. Ciampa then pins Corbin to eliminate him. Rollins and Reigns team up Rollins eliminates Ciampa with another Blackout. Lee then eliminates Rollins with a Jackhammer, leaving him and Reigns. They go on to have some very close falls before Reigns hits a Spear to get the win. The match was generally good. However, I'm pissed off that Walter was the first to be eliminated. He is the United Kingdom Champion and he has been booked as almost undefeatable. So, I wasn't happy with him having getting less than 3 minutes.
Winner: Roman Reigns (4 for 7)
The penultimate match has Brock Lesnar gracing us with his presence and defending his WWE Championship against Rey Mysterio in a no disqualification match. Lesnar throws Mysterio round like a rag doll before Mysterio's son Dominic runs in to try to throw in the towel. When Lesnar refuses, Mysterio low blows him then teams up with his son to take out Lesnar. Despite this, Lesnar recovers and German suplexes Dominic and F-5's Mysterio to get the win. The match was only 7 minutes but I quite enjoyed most of it.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (5 for 8)
The main event is a triple threat between the RAW Women's Champion "The Man" Becky Lynch, Smackdown Women's Champion Bayley and NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. Highlights include: Baszler stamping on Bayley's elbow; Lynch hitting Bex-ploders to her opponents; and Bayley hitting Belly-to-Bayley on Baszler. After Baszler sends Lynch onto the announce table, she goes on to get Bayley to submit to the Kirifuda Clutch and get the win. Afterwards, Lynch sends Baszler through the German announce table.
I was slightly disappointed in this match. There were some good spots but it was a lot of 1-on-1 action, despite it being a triple threat match. Also, it seemed to go at a very slow pace until the few last minutes.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (5 for 9)
With the exception of the main event and a couple of booking decisions, I generally liked Survivor Series. With NXT winning most of their matches, I thought this could lead somewhere but, with the exception of Seth Rollins' heel turn, it looks like that it hasn't. We'll now see how the rest of the year goes.
Sunday, 24 November 2019
WWE Survivor Series 2019 Preview
The 2019 Survivor Series will be taking place this evening at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Whilst I don't give a fuck too much about brand supremacy, this year has had NXT involved and it has to some interesting matches. So, let's take a look.
Lio Rush vs Kalisto vs Akira Tozowa
NXT Cruiserweight Championship
This should be a fin match to start the evening and I'm going for Rush to win.
Predicted Winner: Lio Rush
The New Day vs The Viking Raiders vs The Undisputed Era
Triple Threat Tag Team Match
This could be one of the matches of the night and I'm gutted that it's scheduled to be on the Kick Off Show. I'm going for the New Day to win.
Predicted Winners: The New Day
Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) vs Pete Dunne
NXT Championship
I'm quite looking forward to this one and I'm going for Cole to retain.
Predicted Winner: Adam Cole
Team RAW (Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Ricochet and Kevin Owens) vs Team Smackdown (Roman Reigns, Mustafa Ali, Braun Strowman, Shorty G and King Baron Corbin) vs Team NXT (TBA)
Triple Threat Survivor Series Elimination Match
I can see teammates from the RAW and Smackdown teams fucking each other during the match and that might give NXT a chance. However, since I don't think NXT will win of these matches, I'm going for Smackdown to win.
Predicted Winners: Team Smackdown
Team RAW (Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Asuka, Kairi Sane and Sarah Logan) vs Team Smackdown (Sasha Banks, Carmella, Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke and Lacey Evans) vs Team NXT (Rhea Ripley, Toni Storm, Candice LeRae, Bianca Belair and Io Shirai)
Triple Threat Survivor Series Elimination Match
A tough one to call but I'm going for Team RAW to win.
Predicted Winners: Team RAW
AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura vs Roderick Strong
Triple Threat Match
I should be looking forward to this one but every Styles vs Nakamura match has not been great. However, the addition of Strong will change that. I'm going for Styles to win.
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles
Brock Lesnar vs Rey Mysterio
No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship
If Brock doesn't fuck up Mysterio within 5 minutes, I will be very surprised
Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar
"The Man" Becky Lynch vs Bayley vs Shayna Baszler
Triple Threat Match
I'm really looking forward to this one and I would love for Baszler to win. However, I'm going for Bayley to win.
Predicted Winner: Bayley
"The Fiend" Bray Wyatt vs "The New" Daniel Bryan
Universal Championship
This could be a good match and I'm going for Wyatt to win. Hopefully, it won't take place bathed in red light.
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt
Due to personal issues, it will be a while before I get to see this. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the show.
Saturday, 23 November 2019
NXT TakeOver: War Games 2019 Review
NXT TakeOver: War Games 2019 took place on Saturday 23rd November at the AllState Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. There are only 4 matches on the card but it does include 2 War Games matches, so let's take a look.
We actually get a match on the Kick Off Show as Isiah "Swerve" Scott taking on Angel Garza. The match starts at a fast pace before Garza pulls off his pants, throws them in Scott's face and hits a Superkick. Scott gets back into it after hitting a death valley driver onto the apron however, Garza manages to hit a Wing Clipper and get the win. This was a fun match to watch.
Winner: Angel Garza (N/A)
The first match of the night was the Women's War Games Match. During the Kick Off Show, Mia Yim was attacked by an unknown assailant and was replaced by Dakota Kai. So, the teams were Shayna Baszler, Kay Lee Ray, Io Shirai and Bianca Belair taking on the team of Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox andMia Yim Dakota Kai. Shirai and LeRae start the match and they are joined by Belair, Ripley and Lee Ray. When Dakota Kai comes out, she decides to take the opportunity to turn heel (and become prime suspect in the attack on Mia Yim in the process) and brutally fuck up Tegan Nox at the cage. She gets ejected by William Regal and Baszler then enters the match, leaving her team with a 4-on-2 advantage. Io Shirai almost wins it with an Asai Moonsault on LeRae but Ripley breaks up the pin. After Ripley creams Lee Ray with a trash can, Baszler applies the Kirifuda Clutch. Ripley gets out of it and hits the Riptide onto 2 steel chairs to get the win. Ignoring the fact that perhaps Ripley and LeRae shouldn't have won this with a 2 woman disadvantage; it was still a very fun match.
Winners: Rhea Ripley and Candice LeRae (0 for 1)
The next is a triple threat match between Pete Dunne, Damien Priest and Killian Dian to determine who will face Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) for the NXT Championship at Survivor Series. Highlights include: Dian hitting a Michinoku driver onto Priest's face; Dunne hitting both guys with clotheslines; and Priest hitting Dunne with the Razor's Edge onto the Spanish announce table. In the end, Dunne has Dian in a sleeper and Dian gets out of it by hitting a senton onto a prone Priest. However, this gives Dunne the chance to pin Priest and get the win. This was a good match even though it was obvious who was going to win.
Winner: Pete Dunne (1 for 2)
We now get Finn Balor taking on Matt Riddle. Balor hits a dropkick then applies a chinlock to get the advantage. Riddle hits a fallaway slam to get back the momentum. After hittign each toher with German suplexes, Balor goes for the Coup de Grace but Riddle avoids it and applies the Bro-Mission. In the end, balor hits the 1916 DDT to get the win. This was a good match and a lot of fun to watch.
Winner: Finn Balor (2 for 3)
The main event is the Men's War Games Match. It's The Undisputed Era taking on the team of Tommaso Ciampa, Dominik Dijakovic and Keith Lee. Ciampa and Roderick Strong start the match and they are followed by Kyle O'Reilly, Dijakovic, Bobby Fish, Keith Lee and Adam Cole (Bay Bay!). When it looks like a fourth member of Campia's team wouldn't turn up, Kevin Owens comes out. Strong, O'Reilly and Fish get sent through tables and Ciampa and Cole end up fighting on top of the cage and Ciampa sends Cole through the table to get the win. This was a really good match with all the people involved getting a chance to shine
Winner: Tomasso Ciampa, Dominik Dijakovic, Keith Lee and Kevin Owens (3 for 4)
I really enjoyed War Games. All the matches were really good, especially the women's War Games match. We will now see if Survivor Series will be just as good.
We actually get a match on the Kick Off Show as Isiah "Swerve" Scott taking on Angel Garza. The match starts at a fast pace before Garza pulls off his pants, throws them in Scott's face and hits a Superkick. Scott gets back into it after hitting a death valley driver onto the apron however, Garza manages to hit a Wing Clipper and get the win. This was a fun match to watch.
Winner: Angel Garza (N/A)
The first match of the night was the Women's War Games Match. During the Kick Off Show, Mia Yim was attacked by an unknown assailant and was replaced by Dakota Kai. So, the teams were Shayna Baszler, Kay Lee Ray, Io Shirai and Bianca Belair taking on the team of Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox and
Winners: Rhea Ripley and Candice LeRae (0 for 1)
The next is a triple threat match between Pete Dunne, Damien Priest and Killian Dian to determine who will face Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) for the NXT Championship at Survivor Series. Highlights include: Dian hitting a Michinoku driver onto Priest's face; Dunne hitting both guys with clotheslines; and Priest hitting Dunne with the Razor's Edge onto the Spanish announce table. In the end, Dunne has Dian in a sleeper and Dian gets out of it by hitting a senton onto a prone Priest. However, this gives Dunne the chance to pin Priest and get the win. This was a good match even though it was obvious who was going to win.
Winner: Pete Dunne (1 for 2)
We now get Finn Balor taking on Matt Riddle. Balor hits a dropkick then applies a chinlock to get the advantage. Riddle hits a fallaway slam to get back the momentum. After hittign each toher with German suplexes, Balor goes for the Coup de Grace but Riddle avoids it and applies the Bro-Mission. In the end, balor hits the 1916 DDT to get the win. This was a good match and a lot of fun to watch.
Winner: Finn Balor (2 for 3)
The main event is the Men's War Games Match. It's The Undisputed Era taking on the team of Tommaso Ciampa, Dominik Dijakovic and Keith Lee. Ciampa and Roderick Strong start the match and they are followed by Kyle O'Reilly, Dijakovic, Bobby Fish, Keith Lee and Adam Cole (Bay Bay!). When it looks like a fourth member of Campia's team wouldn't turn up, Kevin Owens comes out. Strong, O'Reilly and Fish get sent through tables and Ciampa and Cole end up fighting on top of the cage and Ciampa sends Cole through the table to get the win. This was a really good match with all the people involved getting a chance to shine
Winner: Tomasso Ciampa, Dominik Dijakovic, Keith Lee and Kevin Owens (3 for 4)
I really enjoyed War Games. All the matches were really good, especially the women's War Games match. We will now see if Survivor Series will be just as good.
NXT TakeOver: War Games 2019 Preview
NXT TakeOver: War Games will be taking place this evening at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. We will be seeing 2 War Games matches so let's take a look.
Pete Dunne vs Killian Dian vs Damien Priest
Triple Threat Match to Determine the No. 1 Contender to the NXT Championship
This should be a good match but the only one I can see winning is Pete Dunne.
Predicted Winner: Pete Dunne
Finn Balor vs Matt Riddle
It still blows my mind that Balor is back on NXT and then turned heel. I'm going for him to defeat Riddle here.
Predicted Winner: Finn Balor
Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Candice LaRae and Mia Yim vs Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray
War Games Match
I'm quite looking forward to this one and I'm going for Baszler and her team to win.
Predicted Winners: Shayna Baszler, Bianca Belair, Io Shirai and Kay Lee Ray
The Undisputed Era vs Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and TBA
War Games Match
The Undisputed Era'as unwanted annual tradition continues as they are in another War Games match. Ciampa's fourth team member could be the deciding factor (my money's on Kevin Owens) and I'm going for his team to win.
Predicted Winners: Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic and TBA
There are only 4 matches but it should be a good event. I hope you all enjoy the show.
Sunday, 20 October 2019
WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 Review
WWE Hell in a Cell took place on Sunday 6th October at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. With only 4 matches announced beforehand, I was interested to see how the show goes. So, let's take a look.
The match on the Kick Off Show is Lacey Evans taking on Natalya. Lacey wears Natalya down, focusing on the shoulder. Later on, Lacey goes to apply the Sharpshooter but Natalya slaps her to stop it. In the end, Lacey misses a moonsault and this gives her the chance to get Lacey to submit to the Sharpshooter and get the win. This was a decent match.
Winner: Natalya (N/A)
The event starts with our first Hell in a Cell match as Sasha Banks challenges "The Man" Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship. Banks starts attacking Lynch as the Cell is being lowered. Lynch recovers and attacks Banks with a chain when the bell rings. They spend most of the match using chairs against each other and throwing each other into the cell. Banks focuses on the arm but Lynch comes close to winning after sending Banks' face onto the chair. After Banks hits a double knee sending Lynch through a table, she uses a kendo stick to strangle her. In the end, Lynch hits a Bex-ploder suplex from the top rope onto a pile of steel chairs then gets Banks to submit to the Dis-Arm Her to get the win. I quite enjoyed this match between the two.
Winner: Becky Lynch (1 for 4)
The next match is a Tornado Tag Team Match with Erick Rowan and Luke Harper taking on "The New" Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. Reigns and Bryan work well together at first before Harper and Rowan start to dominate. When Harper and Rowan try to powerbomb Bryan through an aouunce table, Bryan counters with a hurracarrana on Harper and Reigns spears Rowan through the German announce table. In the end, Harper then hits with a Superman Punch, a running knee and a spear and Reigns and Bryan get the win. Whilst I was slightly surprised that Bryan didn't betray Reigns, I thought this was a really fun match.
Winners: Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan (1 for 2)
Next, we get Randy Orton taking on Ali. After both guys exchange Flair chops, Orton pulls Ali off the top rope to the floor to get the advantage. Ali does make a comeback however, he misses a 450 splash. Despite Ali avoiding a RKO in an unique way, he can't avoid a second one and Orton gets the win. This was a decent match between the two and I liked the ending.
Winner: Randy Orton (N/A)
The next match is for the Women's Tag Team Champions as Asuka and Kairi Sane challenge Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Sane and Asuka were extremely aggressive at the beginning, keeping Cross down while keeping Bliss off the apron. Sane and Asuka go on to be dominant for most of the match, focusing their attack on Bliss. Bliss manages to tag in Cross and she hits a hanging neckbreaker but Asuka breaks up the pin. In the end, Asuka gets inspiration from Tajiri and sprays green mist into Cross' face, which is legal apparently, then kicks her in the head to get the win. It was a little weird seeing Asuka and Sane be heels but it was an enjoyable match.
Winners: Asuka and Kairi Sane (N/A)
Next we get The O.C. taking on the team of The Viking Raiders and Braun Strowman. AJ Styles hits a cheap shot on Erik to get his team the advantage. Erik sends Styles flying with a back body drop, giving him the chance to tag in Strowman. Strowman tries to hit a running powerslam on Styles but Karl Andersaon and Luke Gallows stop it and start beating up Strowman. This is enough for the referee to disqualify them (what, really?), giving The Viking Raiders and Strowman the win. I thought the match was pretty good but it was ruined by the ending.
Winners: The Viking Raiders and Braun Strowman (N/A)
The next is King Baron Corbin taking on Chad Gable. Corbin starts by doing shitty jokes about Gable's height. Gable doesn't take that well and puts Corbin in an ankle lock early on. Crobin gets the advantage by sliding Gable into the ring post. Gable makes a comeback and hits a moonsault followed by applying an ankle lock. Corbin then decides to cheat and tries to hit Gable with his specter. When the referee grabs it, Gable rolls up Corbin and gets the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch.
Winner: Chad Gable (N/A)
The penultimate match is for the Smackdown Women's Champion as Charlotte Flair challenges Bayley. Flair tries early on to get Bayley to submit by putting her in a Boston crab. Bayley takes control of the match after poking Flair in the eye. Bayley then focuses on the leg but Charlotte starts to do the same to her. Bayley tries to use the ropes for leverage when pinning Charlotte but the referee catches it. This gives Charlotte the chance to hit a big boot then get Bayley to submit to the Figure Eight. Bayley doesn't take well and spits the dummy while Charlotte celebrates. This was a good match and I was surprised that Charlotte won. However, it did lead to Bayley going full heel with this "fuck this hugging shit" and regaining the title on the following Smackdown so I'm interested to see where that will go.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (1 for 3)
The main event is "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt challenging Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Championship. It doesn't start well as the whole match took place under red light. Wyatt gets the advantage early on, forcing Rollins to use a kendo stick which doesn't affect Wyatt. Wyatt continues to be dominant despite Rollins hitting him with a Curb Stomp 12 times and a Pedigree. Rollins hits him in the head with a steel chair but Wyatt kicks out. Rollins started using every weapon he can find to beat up Wyatt. After using a toolbox to slam a ladder into Wyatt's head, Rollins grabs a sledgehammer and, despite the referee's pleas, hits Wyatt with it. This is apparently too far and the referee calls for the bell...wait, what?! When the medics tend to Wyatt, Wyatt suddenly recovers and beats the fuck out of Rollins ending with him hitting a Sister Abigail onto the exposed floor and applying a Mandible Claw.
Erm...what to say about this match. I get the story that they were trying to tell. However, it was very poorly executed. All the majority of us wanted was for Wyatt to win. Instead, we got a long drawn out match with Rollins getting more and more violent, getting effectively disqualified for it; then Wyatt doing a Undertaker style recovery way after the match ended to attack Rollins. WWE have gone on to say the match ended due to referee stoppage but that doesn't make it any better and for the second year in a row, a Hell in a Cell match has ended in a no contest. A match that is designed to not end that way. Who the actual fuck thought this was a good idea because, in case you hadn't realised it yet, it wasn't.
Winner: Nobody including the fans (1 for 4)
Hell in a Cell was a mixed bag. It started well enough and it had some matches that I enjoyed. However, the main event ruined it for me and I feel sorry Bray Wyatt. He has been involved in some of the worst matches I have ever seen and had his last gimmick ruined piece by piece since coming up to the main roster. His new gimmick is really good and got over with the fans. However, in his 1st big match, it became a clusterfuck. Hopefully, they will sort it out quickly.
The match on the Kick Off Show is Lacey Evans taking on Natalya. Lacey wears Natalya down, focusing on the shoulder. Later on, Lacey goes to apply the Sharpshooter but Natalya slaps her to stop it. In the end, Lacey misses a moonsault and this gives her the chance to get Lacey to submit to the Sharpshooter and get the win. This was a decent match.
Winner: Natalya (N/A)
The event starts with our first Hell in a Cell match as Sasha Banks challenges "The Man" Becky Lynch for the RAW Women's Championship. Banks starts attacking Lynch as the Cell is being lowered. Lynch recovers and attacks Banks with a chain when the bell rings. They spend most of the match using chairs against each other and throwing each other into the cell. Banks focuses on the arm but Lynch comes close to winning after sending Banks' face onto the chair. After Banks hits a double knee sending Lynch through a table, she uses a kendo stick to strangle her. In the end, Lynch hits a Bex-ploder suplex from the top rope onto a pile of steel chairs then gets Banks to submit to the Dis-Arm Her to get the win. I quite enjoyed this match between the two.
Winner: Becky Lynch (1 for 4)
The next match is a Tornado Tag Team Match with Erick Rowan and Luke Harper taking on "The New" Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. Reigns and Bryan work well together at first before Harper and Rowan start to dominate. When Harper and Rowan try to powerbomb Bryan through an aouunce table, Bryan counters with a hurracarrana on Harper and Reigns spears Rowan through the German announce table. In the end, Harper then hits with a Superman Punch, a running knee and a spear and Reigns and Bryan get the win. Whilst I was slightly surprised that Bryan didn't betray Reigns, I thought this was a really fun match.
Winners: Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan (1 for 2)
Next, we get Randy Orton taking on Ali. After both guys exchange Flair chops, Orton pulls Ali off the top rope to the floor to get the advantage. Ali does make a comeback however, he misses a 450 splash. Despite Ali avoiding a RKO in an unique way, he can't avoid a second one and Orton gets the win. This was a decent match between the two and I liked the ending.
Winner: Randy Orton (N/A)
The next match is for the Women's Tag Team Champions as Asuka and Kairi Sane challenge Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. Sane and Asuka were extremely aggressive at the beginning, keeping Cross down while keeping Bliss off the apron. Sane and Asuka go on to be dominant for most of the match, focusing their attack on Bliss. Bliss manages to tag in Cross and she hits a hanging neckbreaker but Asuka breaks up the pin. In the end, Asuka gets inspiration from Tajiri and sprays green mist into Cross' face, which is legal apparently, then kicks her in the head to get the win. It was a little weird seeing Asuka and Sane be heels but it was an enjoyable match.
Winners: Asuka and Kairi Sane (N/A)
Next we get The O.C. taking on the team of The Viking Raiders and Braun Strowman. AJ Styles hits a cheap shot on Erik to get his team the advantage. Erik sends Styles flying with a back body drop, giving him the chance to tag in Strowman. Strowman tries to hit a running powerslam on Styles but Karl Andersaon and Luke Gallows stop it and start beating up Strowman. This is enough for the referee to disqualify them (what, really?), giving The Viking Raiders and Strowman the win. I thought the match was pretty good but it was ruined by the ending.
Winners: The Viking Raiders and Braun Strowman (N/A)
The next is King Baron Corbin taking on Chad Gable. Corbin starts by doing shitty jokes about Gable's height. Gable doesn't take that well and puts Corbin in an ankle lock early on. Crobin gets the advantage by sliding Gable into the ring post. Gable makes a comeback and hits a moonsault followed by applying an ankle lock. Corbin then decides to cheat and tries to hit Gable with his specter. When the referee grabs it, Gable rolls up Corbin and gets the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch.
Winner: Chad Gable (N/A)
The penultimate match is for the Smackdown Women's Champion as Charlotte Flair challenges Bayley. Flair tries early on to get Bayley to submit by putting her in a Boston crab. Bayley takes control of the match after poking Flair in the eye. Bayley then focuses on the leg but Charlotte starts to do the same to her. Bayley tries to use the ropes for leverage when pinning Charlotte but the referee catches it. This gives Charlotte the chance to hit a big boot then get Bayley to submit to the Figure Eight. Bayley doesn't take well and spits the dummy while Charlotte celebrates. This was a good match and I was surprised that Charlotte won. However, it did lead to Bayley going full heel with this "fuck this hugging shit" and regaining the title on the following Smackdown so I'm interested to see where that will go.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (1 for 3)
The main event is "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt challenging Seth Rollins in a Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Championship. It doesn't start well as the whole match took place under red light. Wyatt gets the advantage early on, forcing Rollins to use a kendo stick which doesn't affect Wyatt. Wyatt continues to be dominant despite Rollins hitting him with a Curb Stomp 12 times and a Pedigree. Rollins hits him in the head with a steel chair but Wyatt kicks out. Rollins started using every weapon he can find to beat up Wyatt. After using a toolbox to slam a ladder into Wyatt's head, Rollins grabs a sledgehammer and, despite the referee's pleas, hits Wyatt with it. This is apparently too far and the referee calls for the bell...wait, what?! When the medics tend to Wyatt, Wyatt suddenly recovers and beats the fuck out of Rollins ending with him hitting a Sister Abigail onto the exposed floor and applying a Mandible Claw.
Erm...what to say about this match. I get the story that they were trying to tell. However, it was very poorly executed. All the majority of us wanted was for Wyatt to win. Instead, we got a long drawn out match with Rollins getting more and more violent, getting effectively disqualified for it; then Wyatt doing a Undertaker style recovery way after the match ended to attack Rollins. WWE have gone on to say the match ended due to referee stoppage but that doesn't make it any better and for the second year in a row, a Hell in a Cell match has ended in a no contest. A match that is designed to not end that way. Who the actual fuck thought this was a good idea because, in case you hadn't realised it yet, it wasn't.
Winner: Nobody including the fans (1 for 4)
Hell in a Cell was a mixed bag. It started well enough and it had some matches that I enjoyed. However, the main event ruined it for me and I feel sorry Bray Wyatt. He has been involved in some of the worst matches I have ever seen and had his last gimmick ruined piece by piece since coming up to the main roster. His new gimmick is really good and got over with the fans. However, in his 1st big match, it became a clusterfuck. Hopefully, they will sort it out quickly.
Sunday, 6 October 2019
WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 Preview
WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 will be taking place this evening at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento,California. With WWE focusing on the debut of Smackdown on FOX and their upcoming propaganda trip to Saudi Arabia, there have been only 4 matches announced for the card. Well, at least this will be a short article. Let's take a look at the card.
Bayley vs Charlotte Flair
Smackdown Women's Championship
A tough one to call as there seems to be a lot of focus on Charlotte at the minute. I think that Bayley will find a way to retain.
Predicted Winner: Bayley
Erick Rowan and Luke Harper vs Roman Reigns and "The New" Daniel Bryan
If Bryan doesn't fuck Reigns over, I will be very surprised. Harper and Rowan to win.
Predicted Winners: Erick Rowan and Luke Harper
"The Man" Becky Lynch vs Sasha Banks
Hell in a Cell Match for the RAW Women's Championship
I'm loving Sasha's work at the minute but I think that Becky will win.
Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch
Seth Rollins vs Bray Wyatt
Hell in a Cell Match for the Universal Championship
Bray Wyatt has to win this otherwise it will be the beginning of the end of his new gimmick.
Predicted Winner: Bray Wyatt
I will watch this over the next few days. I hope you all enjoy the show.
Kofi Deserved Better
At Wrestlemania, Kofi Kingston became the first African-American to become WWE Champion by defeating Daniel Bryan. Whilst it only started due to Kofi replacing an injured Ali at the Elimination Chamber match, it led to an enjoyable storyline and a feel good moment. Kofi's reign since then has been relatively good but we all knew that it would eventually come to an end. My main worry was that he would lose it to someone like Randy Orton. What we got was far worse than that.
When Brock Lesnar made his first appearance on Smackdown in over 15 years and hit Kofi with a F-5, we all knew that Lesnar would win the WWE Championship at the next Pay-Per-View. Instead, we got their match on Smackdown this week. With the show making its premiere on FOX that day, I was wondering where the match would go. With it being 2 days before Hell in a Cell as well, I thought that it might lead to a no contest with the rematch happening on Sunday.
Instead, we got this:
I mean, what the fuck was that?! I'm not the biggest fan of 5-10 second squash matches (unless it's happening to Shane McMahon); especially for Championship matches. However, this was complete bullshit. I find it insane that with the show now on a major TV network in the US, that WWE would give the WWE Championship to a part timer. Then, former UFC fighter Cain Valasquez turns up in support of Rey Mysterio and beats up Lesnar. So, WWE decides to make their WWE Championship between two former UFC fighters: one a part timer and one who only started wrestling about a year ago.
I feel sorry for Kofi as I think he's done pretty well since being Champion. Hopefully, he will get another Championship reign in the near future. For me, this whole thing is indicative of the problems I have with WWE. They pander too much to nostalgia and are happy for part timers to be their main Champions. Also, fans of shows like NXT are getting pretty annoyed of wrestlers getting called up and then getting treated pretty badly. I think out of all the NXT call ups in the last couple of years, I think that maybe Samoa Joe and Shinsuke Nakamura have been relatively successful. Hopefully, this rivalry with Lesnar and Valasquez won't last long and Lesnar doesn't have a long title reign. However, I think that WWE will do the complete opposite.
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