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.
Friday, 19 June 2020
Sunday, 14 June 2020
WWE Backlash 2020 Preview
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.
Saturday, 6 June 2020
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.
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.
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
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:
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.
Sunday, 10 May 2020
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.
Wednesday, 15 April 2020
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.
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
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.
Friday, 10 April 2020
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 asAOP 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.
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
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.
Tuesday, 7 April 2020
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.
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.
Saturday, 28 March 2020
WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 Review
WWE Elimination Chamber, the last PPV before Wrestlemania, took place on Sunday 8th March at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. How will Wrestlemania look after this show? Let's take a look.
The match on the Kick Off Show was The Viking Raiders taking on Zack Ryder and Kurt Hawkins. After a few minutes, The Viking Raiders hit The Viking Experience on Ryder to get the win. The match wasn't memorable.
Winners: The Viking Raiders
The first match of the event was Daniel Bryan taking on Drew Gulak. The match starts as a technical match before Gulak gets the advantage by focusing on the neck, hitting moves such as a dragon suplex. Bryan mounts a brief comeback but Gulak hits an inverted superplex then goes for the Gu-Lock. Bryan gets out of it and applies the Yes Lock to get the win by submission. This was a very good match with a lot of technical ability being displayed by both men.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (0 for 1)
The next match is for the United States Championship as Humberto Carrillo challenges Andrade. The match starts with Andrade hitting a back elbow and he goes on to press his advantage. Andrade tries to expose some concrete so that he can DDT Carrillo onto it but he gets stopped. Carrillo hits a jawbreaker to start his comeback. After a lot of pinning combinations, Andrade manages to pin Carrillo with a handful of tights to get the pin. I quite enjoyed this match, which was very physical to addition to the high flying style that we expected.
Winner: Andrade (1 for 2)
We now get our first Elimination Chamber match as The New Day, The Usos, Heavy Machinery, Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, and The Lucha House Party challenge John Morrison and Hollywood Miz for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. The New Day and The Usos start the match; then after 5 minutes, The Lucha House Party join them. They are followed by The Miz and Morrison then Heavy Machinery. They hit Gran Metalik with The Compactor to eliminate The Lucha House Party then Roode and Ziggler enter the match. Roode eliminates Heavy Machinery after hitting Tucker with a Glorious DDT but they get eliminated after a Uso Splash by The Usos. Kingston misses a splash off one of the cages and Miz and Morrison take advantage to pin him and eliminate The New Day. In the end, Morrison and Miz, with some help of the ropes, pin Jimmy Uso to get the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch.
Winners: The Miz and Jim Morrison (2 for 3)
The next match is a No Disqualification match between AJ Styles and Aliester Black. Styles' buddies, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, distract Black a few times to help Styles get the advantage and focus on the leg. Styles puts Black in the calf crusher but he uses a kendo stick to get out of it. After some back and forth, Black looks like he's about to hit the Black Mask when Gallows and Anderson gang up on him. When Styles is about to finish it, The Undertaker suddenly appears, hits Styles with a chokeslam then disappears. Black manages to recover and hits the Black Mask to get the win. This was a good match, although I feel that they could used the no disqualification stipulation a bit more.
Winner: Aliester Black (3 for 4)
We now get the RAW Tag Team Championship match as Seth Rollins andBuddy Murphy challenge The Street Profits. Angelo Dawkins doesn't see Murphy tagging Rollins, and this gives him the chance to chop block Dawkins and give his team the advantage. Dawkins sends Murphy over the top rope, and this gives him the chance to tag in Montez Ford. When AOP interfere in the match, The Viking Raiders come out and fight with them to the back. After both teams have a chance to win it, Kevin Owens appears out of the crowd and throws popcorn in Rollins' face. This gives Dawkins the chance to shoulder charge Rollins into the barrier and then take out Murphy with a frog splash by Ford to get the win. Afterwards, Owens hits Rollins with a Stunner. It was a decent match but I wasn't a fan of the ending as I feel that The Street Profits needed to win clean to establish themselves as Champions.
Winners: The Street Profits (4 for 5)
The penultimate match is for the Intercontinental Championship as Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura challenge Braun Strowman in a handicap match. Strowman is dominant for most of the match but he constantly tries to get at Zayn. Nakamura takes advantage with a dropkick to the knee. Strowman makes a comeback and goes after Zayn. That turned out to be a bad idea as Nakamura and Cesaro hit a double suplex with a Helluva Kick by Zayn. Zayn then pins Strowman to become the new Intercontinental Champion. This turned out to be quite a good match and I liked the story of Strowman being too focused on Zayn and it leading to his downfall. I'm happy that Zayn is the Intercontinental Champion. It's a shame that Strowman will probably fuck him up at Wrestlemania.
Winner: Sami Zayn (4 for 6)
The main event is a Elimination Chamber match to determine the No 1 contender for the RAW Women's Championship with Asuka, Liv Morgan, Natalya. Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan and Shayna Baszler taking part. Riott and Natalya start the match followed by Logan and then Baszler. Baszler immediately gets Logan and Riott to sumbit to the Kirifuda Clutch within 60 seconds. A couple of minutes later, she gets Natalya to submit to the Kirifuda Clutch, leaving her by herself. A few minutes later, Liv Morgan enters the match but she doesn't last long as Baszler fucks her up and gets her to pass out due to another Kirifuda Clutch. Eventually, Asuka enters the match and she puts up a fight, putting Baszler in the Asuka Lock. However, it was not enough as she gets Asuka to pass out to the Kirifuda Clutch and get the win.
I wasn't a fan of the match. I feel that they made Baszler too dominant. I'm a big fan of her but I'm worried that if it really hurt her if WWE decide to book Lynch to win at Wrestlemania. Also, there was a lot of the match where Baszler was the only one in the ring and you can't have in the main event.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (5 for 7)
With the exception of the main event, I thought that Elimination Chamber was pretty good. The Wrestlemania card did look pretty good. However, with the Coronavirus pandemic affecting it, I now worry about how it will go.
The match on the Kick Off Show was The Viking Raiders taking on Zack Ryder and Kurt Hawkins. After a few minutes, The Viking Raiders hit The Viking Experience on Ryder to get the win. The match wasn't memorable.
Winners: The Viking Raiders
The first match of the event was Daniel Bryan taking on Drew Gulak. The match starts as a technical match before Gulak gets the advantage by focusing on the neck, hitting moves such as a dragon suplex. Bryan mounts a brief comeback but Gulak hits an inverted superplex then goes for the Gu-Lock. Bryan gets out of it and applies the Yes Lock to get the win by submission. This was a very good match with a lot of technical ability being displayed by both men.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (0 for 1)
The next match is for the United States Championship as Humberto Carrillo challenges Andrade. The match starts with Andrade hitting a back elbow and he goes on to press his advantage. Andrade tries to expose some concrete so that he can DDT Carrillo onto it but he gets stopped. Carrillo hits a jawbreaker to start his comeback. After a lot of pinning combinations, Andrade manages to pin Carrillo with a handful of tights to get the pin. I quite enjoyed this match, which was very physical to addition to the high flying style that we expected.
Winner: Andrade (1 for 2)
We now get our first Elimination Chamber match as The New Day, The Usos, Heavy Machinery, Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler, and The Lucha House Party challenge John Morrison and Hollywood Miz for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. The New Day and The Usos start the match; then after 5 minutes, The Lucha House Party join them. They are followed by The Miz and Morrison then Heavy Machinery. They hit Gran Metalik with The Compactor to eliminate The Lucha House Party then Roode and Ziggler enter the match. Roode eliminates Heavy Machinery after hitting Tucker with a Glorious DDT but they get eliminated after a Uso Splash by The Usos. Kingston misses a splash off one of the cages and Miz and Morrison take advantage to pin him and eliminate The New Day. In the end, Morrison and Miz, with some help of the ropes, pin Jimmy Uso to get the win. I thought this was a fun match to watch.
Winners: The Miz and Jim Morrison (2 for 3)
The next match is a No Disqualification match between AJ Styles and Aliester Black. Styles' buddies, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, distract Black a few times to help Styles get the advantage and focus on the leg. Styles puts Black in the calf crusher but he uses a kendo stick to get out of it. After some back and forth, Black looks like he's about to hit the Black Mask when Gallows and Anderson gang up on him. When Styles is about to finish it, The Undertaker suddenly appears, hits Styles with a chokeslam then disappears. Black manages to recover and hits the Black Mask to get the win. This was a good match, although I feel that they could used the no disqualification stipulation a bit more.
Winner: Aliester Black (3 for 4)
We now get the RAW Tag Team Championship match as Seth Rollins and
Winners: The Street Profits (4 for 5)
The penultimate match is for the Intercontinental Championship as Cesaro, Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura challenge Braun Strowman in a handicap match. Strowman is dominant for most of the match but he constantly tries to get at Zayn. Nakamura takes advantage with a dropkick to the knee. Strowman makes a comeback and goes after Zayn. That turned out to be a bad idea as Nakamura and Cesaro hit a double suplex with a Helluva Kick by Zayn. Zayn then pins Strowman to become the new Intercontinental Champion. This turned out to be quite a good match and I liked the story of Strowman being too focused on Zayn and it leading to his downfall. I'm happy that Zayn is the Intercontinental Champion. It's a shame that Strowman will probably fuck him up at Wrestlemania.
Winner: Sami Zayn (4 for 6)
The main event is a Elimination Chamber match to determine the No 1 contender for the RAW Women's Championship with Asuka, Liv Morgan, Natalya. Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan and Shayna Baszler taking part. Riott and Natalya start the match followed by Logan and then Baszler. Baszler immediately gets Logan and Riott to sumbit to the Kirifuda Clutch within 60 seconds. A couple of minutes later, she gets Natalya to submit to the Kirifuda Clutch, leaving her by herself. A few minutes later, Liv Morgan enters the match but she doesn't last long as Baszler fucks her up and gets her to pass out due to another Kirifuda Clutch. Eventually, Asuka enters the match and she puts up a fight, putting Baszler in the Asuka Lock. However, it was not enough as she gets Asuka to pass out to the Kirifuda Clutch and get the win.
I wasn't a fan of the match. I feel that they made Baszler too dominant. I'm a big fan of her but I'm worried that if it really hurt her if WWE decide to book Lynch to win at Wrestlemania. Also, there was a lot of the match where Baszler was the only one in the ring and you can't have in the main event.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (5 for 7)
With the exception of the main event, I thought that Elimination Chamber was pretty good. The Wrestlemania card did look pretty good. However, with the Coronavirus pandemic affecting it, I now worry about how it will go.
Sunday, 8 March 2020
WWE Elimination Chamber 2020 Preview
The final PPV before Wrestlemania, Elimination Chamber, will be taking place this evening. at the Wells Fargo Center in Pittsburgh. How will the landscape change on the Road to Wrestlemania? Let's take a look at the card.
Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak
I'm looking forward to this one and I think that Gulak will find a way to win here
Predicted Winner: Drew Gulak
Andrade vs Humberto Carrillo
United States Championship
I think that Andrade will retain.
Predicted Winner: Andrade
Aliester Black vs AJ Styles
No Disqualification Match
I think that, despite Styles getting help from The OC, Black will get the win.
Predicted Winner: Aliester Black
The Street Profits vs Seth Rollins and Murphy
RAW Tag Team Championship
The Street Profits have only been Champions for a couple of weeks so I'll be surprised if they lose here.
Predicted Winner: The Street Profits
Braun Strowman vs Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro
Handicap Match for the Intercontinental Championship
I don't get why they've done this match. If Strowman wins, it will bury 3 talented wrestlers. If Zayn, Cesaro and Nakamura win, it will devalue the Championship. I'm going for the least worst option, which is Strowman to retain.
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman
Hollywood Miz and John Morrison vs The New Day vs The Usos vs The Lucha House Party vs Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode vs Heavy Machinery
Elimination Chamber Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
It should be a good match and I'm going for Miz and Morrison to retain.
Predicted Winners: The Miz and John Morrison
Ruby Riott vs Liv Morgan vs Sarah Logan vs Shayna Baszler vs Asuka vs Natalya
Elimination Chamber Match to determine the No 1 contender for the RAW Women's Championship
There is no way that Shayna is going to lose this, right?
Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler
It will be a couple of days before I put up the review. I hope you all enjoy the show.
Daniel Bryan vs Drew Gulak
I'm looking forward to this one and I think that Gulak will find a way to win here
Predicted Winner: Drew Gulak
Andrade vs Humberto Carrillo
United States Championship
I think that Andrade will retain.
Predicted Winner: Andrade
Aliester Black vs AJ Styles
No Disqualification Match
I think that, despite Styles getting help from The OC, Black will get the win.
Predicted Winner: Aliester Black
The Street Profits vs Seth Rollins and Murphy
RAW Tag Team Championship
The Street Profits have only been Champions for a couple of weeks so I'll be surprised if they lose here.
Predicted Winner: The Street Profits
Braun Strowman vs Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro
Handicap Match for the Intercontinental Championship
I don't get why they've done this match. If Strowman wins, it will bury 3 talented wrestlers. If Zayn, Cesaro and Nakamura win, it will devalue the Championship. I'm going for the least worst option, which is Strowman to retain.
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman
Hollywood Miz and John Morrison vs The New Day vs The Usos vs The Lucha House Party vs Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode vs Heavy Machinery
Elimination Chamber Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
It should be a good match and I'm going for Miz and Morrison to retain.
Predicted Winners: The Miz and John Morrison
Ruby Riott vs Liv Morgan vs Sarah Logan vs Shayna Baszler vs Asuka vs Natalya
Elimination Chamber Match to determine the No 1 contender for the RAW Women's Championship
There is no way that Shayna is going to lose this, right?
Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler
It will be a couple of days before I put up the review. I hope you all enjoy the show.
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