Money in the Bank 2018 took place on Sunday 17th June 2018 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. Lat year's event wasn't great so will this year's be any better? Let's take a look.
The match on the Kick Off Show is for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship as Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson challenge The Bludgeon Borthers. Harper and Rowan bounce Anderson off the ring apron to get the advantage. Despite Gallows getting the hot tag and coming close to hitting the Magic Killer, it gets stopped and The Bludgeon Brothers hit The Bludgeoning on Gallows to get the win. The match was ok.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (1 for 1)
The first match on the show is Daniel Bryan taking on Big Cass. Bryan tries to keep Cass down by attacking the legs. However, Cass sends Bryan into the barricade to get the advantage and slow down the pace. Bryan gets back into the match and after some back and forth, Bryan manages to get Cass to submit to a heel hook and get the win. This match was a lot better than their match at Backlash and with Cass now gone, Bryan can go and do something else.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (1 for 2)
Next is Sami Zayn taking on Bobby Lashley. Despite Zayn using his quickness to get the advantage, Lashley manages to hit Zayn with power moves such as a spine buster. Lashley then goes to get the win after 3 delayed vertical suplexes. This felt like a glorified squash match to me and Lashley seriously needs to change his finishing move.
Winner: Bobby Lashley (2 for 3)
The next match is Elias challenging Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship. Elias clotheslines Rollins, who lands badly on his neck, to get the advantage. After Rollins makes his comeback, Elias tries to hit the Drift Away but Rollins stops it and manages to roll up Elias to get the win. This match was pretty good and Elias has proved that he has the ability to be a Champion.
Winner: Seth Rollins (3 for 4)
We now get the Women's Money in the Bank Match between Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Ember Moon, Naomi, Lana, Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss. Highlights of the match include: Ember hitting a crossbody, sending Sasha onto a ladder; Naomi hitting Sasha with a blockbuster to the floor; and Charlotte spearing Ember onto a ladder. In the end, Becky has her hand on the briefcase but Alexa tips her off the ladder then climbs up to grab the briefcase and get the win. This match was a lot of fun to watch although I was surprised that Alexa won.
Winner: Alexa Bliss (3 for 5)
Now a match that I'm struggling to give a fuck about: Roman Reigns taking on Jinder Mahal. Mahal struggles to deal with Reigns' offence. Luckily, a wheelchair bound Sunil Singh helps out by pushing Reigns into the ring post. Mahal then slows the match down with elbow drops and chinlocks. Reigns gets back into it and, after hitting Sunil with a Superman punch and a spear, spears Mahal to get the win. The match was ok, nothing special.
Winner: Roman Reigns (4 for 6)
We get our first Women's Championship match as Asuka challenges Carmella for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Carmella manages to survive Asuka's offence and slam her into the ring post to get the advantage. After both competitors have the chance of getting the upper hand, someone comes to the apron wearing Asuka's entrance attire. This is enough to distract Asuka and when that person is revealed to be James Ellsworth (for fuck's sake), Carmella hits her shitty finishing move to get the win. I thought the match was pretty decent but the ending was shit. WWE have managed to turn possibly the most dominant women's wrestler in the company's history into a fucking idiot. Congratulations.
Winner: Carmella (4 for 7)
Next is a Last Man Standing Match with Shinsuke Nakamura challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Highlights of the match include: Styles hitting a Phenomenal Forearm to the outside; Nakamura going for the low blow but missing; and Nakamura running across the announce tables to hit a Kinshasa. Styles comes close to winning after hitting a Styles Clash off the steel steps, getting a count of 9. Styles then gives Nakamura a low blow then hits a Phenomenal Forearm, sending Nakamura through the English announce table. This is enough to keep Nakamura down for 10 and Styles wins. This match was definitely the best one that they had. However, I felt that Nakamura should have won, otherwise his heel turn seems a little pointless.
Winner: AJ Styles (4 for 8)
The penultimate match is for the RAW Women's Championship with Ronda Rousey challenging Nia Jax. Jax immediately uses her strength to throw Rousey round like a rag doll. Rousey goes for the armbar but Jax gets out of it with a sit out powerbomb. Jax continues to be dominant but she misses a leg drop, giving Rousey the chance to make a comeback. Rousey is finally about to put on the armbar when Alexa Bliss comes in and attacks them with her newly acquired MITB briefcase. That means that Rousey wins by disqualification.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (5 for 9)
I don't have time to give my thoughts on the Rousey/Jax match as Bliss continues to beat the fuck out of them and then cash in her briefcase. Bliss hits a DDT then a beautiful Twisted Bliss to get the win and become the new RAW Women's Champion.
I thought that the Rousey/Jax match was pretty good and I like the story they told. I was surprised at the ending as I didn't expect Bliss to cash in so quickly. Despite that, I'm happy that Bliss is Champion. It looks like Rousey will be Champion in the near future and I feel that her going after Bliss will be a better story and I'm interested to see where it goes.
Winner: Alexa Bliss (N/A)
The main event is the Men's Money in the Bank between Kevin Owens, Bobby Roode, Hollywood Miz, Braun Strowman, Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, Rusev and a member of The New Day, which was Kofi Kingston. Highlights of the match include: Strowman being buried in ladders; Rusev hitting a fallaway slam sending Owens onto a ladder; Strowman tossing Owens off a ladder through a table; and Rusev putting Kingston and Roode in The Accolade. In the end, Strowman, Balor and Kingston fight it out on the ladder. Strowman throws Kingston off his back then beats down Balor. Strowman then grabs the briefcase to get the win.
I thought that the match was a lot of fun and I like the story of keeping Strowman down for as long as possible. Like Alexa Bliss, I was surprised that Strowman as I don't think he needs it. However, I can't wait for him to cash in on Brock Lesnar. You know, on one of the 10 days a year that Lesnar works.
Winner: Braun Strowman (5 for 10)
I thought, with a couple of exceptions, that Money in the Bank was a fun event. Extreme Rules is the next event and hopefully, it will be as fun as these one.
Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Sunday, 15 July 2018
WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Preview
Extreme Rules 2018 will be taking place this evening at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Money in the Bank was pretty decent. However, some of the matches have no stipulations, which defeats the purpose of an Extreme Rules event. Anyway, let's take a look.
Sin Cara vs Andrade "Cien" Almas
The first match on the Kick Off Show could be a good one. I'm going with Andrade to win.
Predicted Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas
The New Day vs Sanity
Tables Match
I'm quite surprised that this is on the Kick Off Show. It's a tough one but I think that Sanity will find a way to win this.
Predicted Winners: Sanity
Finn Balor vs Constable Corbin
I might be in the minority but I'm going for Corbin to win.
Predicted Winner: Constable Corbin
Braun Strowman vs Kevin Owens
Steel Cage Match
Strowman will win this, no question
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman
The Bludgeon Brothers vs Team Hell No
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship
I feel that Daniel Bryan and Kane will find a way to win and become the new Champions.
Predicted Winners: Team Hell No
"Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt vs The B-Team
WWE Raw Tag Team Championship
I think that Wyatt and Hardy will continue on their reign.
Predicted Winners: "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Jeff Hardy vs Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE United States Championship
I feel that Nakamura has to win this otherwise it will continue to feel that his heel run has been pointless.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Dolph Ziggler vs Seth Rollins
30-Minute Iron Man Match for the Intercontinental Championship
This has the potential to be the match of the night. I'm going for Ziggler to find a way to retain.
Predicted Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Carmella vs Asuka
WWE Smackdown Women's Championship
I really want Asuka to win. However, I think that James Ellsworth, who will be suspended in a shark tank, will help Carmella get the win.
Predicted Winner: Carmella
Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax
Extreme Rules Match for the WWE RAW Women's Championship
I think that Bliss will win here and go on to be murdered by Ronda Rousey at Summerslam
Predicted Winner: Alexa Bliss
Roman Reigns vs Bobby Lashley
I'm struggling to care about this match and, with any luck, it won't be the main event. I feel that Lashley will use his shitty vertical suplex to get the win.
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley
AJ Styles vs Rusev
WWE Championship
I feel that this could surprise a lot of people. Styles is obviously awesome and Rusev, who I never saw in this position, has the ability to match Styles. Anyway, whilst Rusev being Champion would be interesting to see, I think that Styles will retain.
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles
I have been really busy over the last month but I will hopefully get to see this over the next couple of days. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.
Sunday, 8 July 2018
NXT Takeover: Chicago II Review
NXT Takeover: Chicago II took place on Saturday 16th June at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The card looks really good on paper, so will it live up to the hype? Let's take a look.
After getting used to not having Mauro Ranallo on commentary, we get Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch challenging The Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championship. The match goes at a fast pace before Roderick Strong hits a dropkick on Burch to get the advantage. Burch lands badly after another dropkick by Strong, which results in a cut to the head. A headbutt by Burch on O'Reilly gives him the chance to tag in Lorcan. They go on to hit their finishing move on O'Reilly but Adam Cole (Bay-Bay!) pulls him out of the ring and gets ejected. In the end, O'Reilly and Strong hit their finishing move on Lorcan to get the win. This match was a lot better then I thought it was going to be and it was a great way to start the show.
Winners: The Undisputed Era (1 for 1)
Now a match that I was really looking forward to; Ricochet taking on The Velveteen Dream. The match starts at quite a slow pace with headlocks and scissor moves before the pace quickens. Dream gets the advantage by bouncing Ricochet's neck off the ropes. During this time, Dream does some moves that are more athletic than what he normally does. Ricochet gets back into it with 2 awesome over the top rope moves. Dream hits a death valley driver from the top rope to get the 2 count. Dream comes close a couple of times and Ricochet hits the Purple Rainmaker, but it only gets 2. In the end, Dream goes for the Purple Rainmker but he misses. Ricochet then hits the 630 splash on Dream's back to get the win. I was quite surprised at the pace of the match at the beginning. However, it was a really good match.
Winner: Ricochet (1 for 2)
Our second Championship match is Nikki Cross challenging Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship. Cross fucks with Baszler at the beginning but Baszler slams her onto the ramp to get the advantage. Baszler goes on to hit a ton of knee strikes but Cross hits a belly-to-back suplex to get back the momentum. Cross hits a hanging neckbreaker but Baszler puts her foot on the rope. Baszler goes to put on the Kirifuda Clutch and Cross passes out, giving Bazler the win. I wasn't quite sure what to expect in this match but I found it to be quite entertaining.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (2 for 3)
The penultimate match is Lars Sullivan challenging Aleister Black for the NXT Championship. Sullivan and Black go at a fast pace before Sullivan catches Black doing a moonsault and bounces him off the apron. The match goes back and forth and Sullivan goes for the Freak Accident but Black reverses it into a DDT. In the end, after a botched Black Mask, Black goes on to hit 2 more of them to get the win. Except for the botch, it was a good match. I didn't see Sullivan as a Champion but this match has opened me to that possibility.
Winner: Aleister Black (3 for 4)
The main event is a Chicago Street Fight between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampia.Some of the early highlights include:
This was a really good match to watch. I especially liked the ending with Gargano losing it, which led to hsi downfall. I can see them facing each other at Takeover: Brooklyn IV and I'm looking forward to that if it happens.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampia (4 for 5)
I thought that this was a really good Takeover with some enjoyable matches. The Takeovers are generally pretty entertaining. Hopefully the PPVs will start to be like that as well.
After getting used to not having Mauro Ranallo on commentary, we get Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch challenging The Undisputed Era for the NXT Tag Team Championship. The match goes at a fast pace before Roderick Strong hits a dropkick on Burch to get the advantage. Burch lands badly after another dropkick by Strong, which results in a cut to the head. A headbutt by Burch on O'Reilly gives him the chance to tag in Lorcan. They go on to hit their finishing move on O'Reilly but Adam Cole (Bay-Bay!) pulls him out of the ring and gets ejected. In the end, O'Reilly and Strong hit their finishing move on Lorcan to get the win. This match was a lot better then I thought it was going to be and it was a great way to start the show.
Winners: The Undisputed Era (1 for 1)
Now a match that I was really looking forward to; Ricochet taking on The Velveteen Dream. The match starts at quite a slow pace with headlocks and scissor moves before the pace quickens. Dream gets the advantage by bouncing Ricochet's neck off the ropes. During this time, Dream does some moves that are more athletic than what he normally does. Ricochet gets back into it with 2 awesome over the top rope moves. Dream hits a death valley driver from the top rope to get the 2 count. Dream comes close a couple of times and Ricochet hits the Purple Rainmaker, but it only gets 2. In the end, Dream goes for the Purple Rainmker but he misses. Ricochet then hits the 630 splash on Dream's back to get the win. I was quite surprised at the pace of the match at the beginning. However, it was a really good match.
Winner: Ricochet (1 for 2)
Our second Championship match is Nikki Cross challenging Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship. Cross fucks with Baszler at the beginning but Baszler slams her onto the ramp to get the advantage. Baszler goes on to hit a ton of knee strikes but Cross hits a belly-to-back suplex to get back the momentum. Cross hits a hanging neckbreaker but Baszler puts her foot on the rope. Baszler goes to put on the Kirifuda Clutch and Cross passes out, giving Bazler the win. I wasn't quite sure what to expect in this match but I found it to be quite entertaining.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (2 for 3)
The penultimate match is Lars Sullivan challenging Aleister Black for the NXT Championship. Sullivan and Black go at a fast pace before Sullivan catches Black doing a moonsault and bounces him off the apron. The match goes back and forth and Sullivan goes for the Freak Accident but Black reverses it into a DDT. In the end, after a botched Black Mask, Black goes on to hit 2 more of them to get the win. Except for the botch, it was a good match. I didn't see Sullivan as a Champion but this match has opened me to that possibility.
Winner: Aleister Black (3 for 4)
The main event is a Chicago Street Fight between Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampia.Some of the early highlights include:
- Gargano tossing Ciampia over the announce table, taking out Nigel McGuinness.
- Ciampia putting Gargano into a steel chair vice and throwing him onto the steel steps.
- Ciampia hitting White Noise onto the steel steps.
This was a really good match to watch. I especially liked the ending with Gargano losing it, which led to hsi downfall. I can see them facing each other at Takeover: Brooklyn IV and I'm looking forward to that if it happens.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampia (4 for 5)
I thought that this was a really good Takeover with some enjoyable matches. The Takeovers are generally pretty entertaining. Hopefully the PPVs will start to be like that as well.
Friday, 6 July 2018
Big Van Vader (1955-2018)
It was reported last month that Leon White, better known as Big Van Vader and Vader, passed away on the 18th June. He was 63.
White was born in Lynwood, California and actually started out in American Football. He was an offensive lineman for the University of Colorado and was drafted in the 3rd Round in the 1978 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. White went on to play for the Rams against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Superbowl XIV but had to retire soon after.
After being trained by Brad Rheingans, White spent time in the American Wrestling Association and the Catch Wrestling Association before going to New Japan and winning their World Championship 3 times. While there, he was approached by WCW and went on to become a 3-time World Champion and a United States Champion. White then went to the WWF and would have become World Champion if it wasn't for the creative control of Shawn Michaels. His time there was not as successful as it was at other companies and he left to return to Japan in 1998. He went on to compete at TNA and various independent companies.
My experience of seeing Vader is actually very little. I didn't watch WCW until 1999 and I wasn't watching WWF for most of the '90s. I bought a Wrestlemania box set when I was younger and I watched him at Wrestlemanias XII and XIII. Looking back on it now, Vader is someone that the WWF never booked properly. The man had impressive ability for his size yet that was not enough for them.
Vader is considered to be one of the best heavyweight wrestlers of all time and his legacy will live on for years to come. He is survived by his ex-wife and 2 children.
Sunday, 17 June 2018
WWE Money in the Bank 2018 Preview
WWE Money in the Bank 2018 will be taking place this evening at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. After the terrible event that was Backlash, I'm worried about this event, especially as it's following TakeOver the night before. The Money in the Bank ladder matches looks good tho, so let's take a look at the card.
The Bludgeon Brothers vs Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
The match on the Kick Off Show looks like it could be a decent one. I'm going for The Bludgeons to win.
Predicted Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers
Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass
Their match at Backlash wasn't great so hopefully this one will be better. I'm going for Cass to win.
Predicted Winner: Big Cass
Bobby Lashley vs Sami Zayn
I like Zayn but I don't really care about this match, especially as the reason for this feud makes no sense. Er..fuck, Lashley to win, I suppose.
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley
Roman Reigns vs Jinder Mahal
Hopefully this will not be the main event and I think that Reigns will win.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns
Carmella vs Asuka
Smackdown Women's Championship
Unless Carmella has some help, I think that Asuka will destroy her
Predicted Winner: Asuka
Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey
RAW Women's Championship
This is surprisingly a tough one to call. I can see Nia winning as I think it's way too soon for Ronda to be Champion. However, Ronda will probably win.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey
Seth Rollins vs Elias
Intercontinental Championship
Seth is the man right now and I think he'll retain.
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins
Ember Moon vs Charlotte Flair vs Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch vs Lana vs Naomi vs Sasha Banks
Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
This should be a good contest. I can see most of them winning but I'm going for Ember Moon to win.
Predicted Winner: Ember Moon
Braun Strowman vs Finn Balor vs Hollywood Miz vs Rusev vs Bobby Roode vs Kevin Owens vs Samoa Joe vs One of The New Day
This is a hard one to call. I would like to see them use this as the vehicle to break up The New Day. I like the team but I feel that they're ready to go on to bigger things. Anyway, this might be from left field but I'm going for Samoa Joe to win.
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe
AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Last Man Standing for the WWE Championship
I am worried about this match and I shouldn't as Styles and Nakamura are awesome. I think that Nakamura will win although, if they end this in a draw by dick punch, I will lose my shit like this:
Roman Reigns vs Jinder Mahal
Hopefully this will not be the main event and I think that Reigns will win.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns
Carmella vs Asuka
Smackdown Women's Championship
Unless Carmella has some help, I think that Asuka will destroy her
Predicted Winner: Asuka
Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey
RAW Women's Championship
This is surprisingly a tough one to call. I can see Nia winning as I think it's way too soon for Ronda to be Champion. However, Ronda will probably win.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey
Seth Rollins vs Elias
Intercontinental Championship
Seth is the man right now and I think he'll retain.
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins
Ember Moon vs Charlotte Flair vs Alexa Bliss vs Becky Lynch vs Lana vs Naomi vs Sasha Banks
Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
This should be a good contest. I can see most of them winning but I'm going for Ember Moon to win.
Predicted Winner: Ember Moon
Braun Strowman vs Finn Balor vs Hollywood Miz vs Rusev vs Bobby Roode vs Kevin Owens vs Samoa Joe vs One of The New Day
This is a hard one to call. I would like to see them use this as the vehicle to break up The New Day. I like the team but I feel that they're ready to go on to bigger things. Anyway, this might be from left field but I'm going for Samoa Joe to win.
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe
AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura
Last Man Standing for the WWE Championship
I am worried about this match and I shouldn't as Styles and Nakamura are awesome. I think that Nakamura will win although, if they end this in a draw by dick punch, I will lose my shit like this:
Anyway, it will be a while before I review this. A combination of work, moving house and struggling to watch and then type some terrible wrestling has led to this at the moment. Hopefully, it will be better than the last event. Although, to be honest, that won't be too hard.
Saturday, 16 June 2018
NXT TakeOver Chicago II Preview
NXT TakeOver Chicago will be taking place this evening at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. I'm a bit behind on NXT so I don't really know all that is happening. However, after looking at the card, it looks like it will be a good event. So, let's take a look.
Shayna Baszler vs Nikki Cross
NXT Women's Championship
This should be a good match as Nikki is awesome and is shown to take some serious bumps. I would love her to win but I think that Shayna will win and then Nikki can join SaNitY on Smackdown.
Predicted Winner: Shanyna Baszler
The Undisputed Era vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch
NXT Tag Team Championship
It seems a little weird seeing Roderick Strong as a heel, especially after seeing those WWE videos about him last year. However, it has fun to watch. I can't see him and Kyle O'Reilly losing this one.
Predicted Winners: The Undisputed Era
Ricochet vs Velveteen Dream
This has a strong possibility to not only be the match of the night but one of the matches of the year. It's a really tough one but I'm going for The Dream to win here.
Predicted Winner: Velveteen Dream
Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso Ciampia
Chicago Street Fight
Like their match in New Orleans, this should be another enthralling contest. It's another tough one to call but I think they will continue this feud for a little longer do I'm going for Ciampia to win.
Predicted Winner: Tommaso Ciampia
Aliester Black vs Lars Sullivan
NXT Championship
To be honest, whilst I love Sullivan, I never thought he will get the opportunity to become NXT Champion. I think that he and Black will have a good match and I'm going for Black to retain here.
Predicted Winner: Aliester Black
It will be several days before I watch this and publish the review so until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.
WWE Backlash 2018 Review
WWE Backlash took place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on Sunday 6th May. It's been a busy month with Wrestlemania taking place followed by The Greatest Royal Rumble the week before. It's been a mixed bag so will Backlash be an improvement? Let's take a look.
The match on the Kick Off Show was Bayley taking on Ruby Riott. Riott hits a brutal right hand, giving her the advantage. Riott's friends, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, help Riott out with keeping Bayley down. Bayely hits a springboard crossbody to start her comeback. Bayley comes close with an elbow drop. However, a distraction by Liv Morgan gives Riott to hit the Riott Kick and get the win. This was a pretty good match between the two.
Winner: Ruby Riott (1 for 1)
The first match of the show was Hollywood Miz challenging Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship. Miz sends Rollins crashing onto the floor to get the advantage. Rollins stops the momentum with a X-Factor. Miz goes on to hit 2 Skull Crushing Finales but it's not enough. In the end, Rollins manages to hit the Blackout to get the win. This match was really good and a great way to start the show.
Winner: Seth Rollins (2 for 2)
The next match is for the RAW Women's Championship as Alexa Bliss challenging Nia Jax for the RAW Women's Championship. Bliss goes after Nia at the beginning but Nia starts to use her strength to dominate the match. Even though Alexa gets some offense in, Nia gets the win after hitting a Samoan Drop. This match was decent but it felt like they copied bits of it from their Wrestlemania match.
Winner: Nia Jax (3 for 3)
Our third Championship match is Randy Orton challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate early on but Orton stops it and goes on to get the advantage after drop kicking him off the apron. The match goes back and forth before Orton goes for the RKO. However, Hardy gets out of it and hits a Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb to get the win. I thought the match was pretty good.
Winner: Jeff Hardy (3 for 4)
Next is a concert by Elias but he gets interrupted by The New Day then Aiden English and Rusev and then No Way Jose with Titus Worldwide and Breezango. Holy shit. Elias gets interrupted for a 4th time when Bobby Roode appears out of thin air and hits Elias with a Glorious DDT. I felt that the segment was far too long and pointless.
Anyway, back to the wrestling. The next match is Daniel Bryan taking on Big Cass. Bryan uses his speed to go right after Cass. However, Cass hits a spine buster and then keeps Bryan down with punches and slaps. Bryan avoids a big boot and manages to get Cass to submit to Yes Lock to get the win. Afterwards, Cass beats up Bryan. I can't believe I'm saying this for a Daniel Bryan match but it wasn't very good. Big Cass just did moves that were very basic and the ending seem to come out of nowhere.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (4 for 5)
Our next Championship match is Charlotte Flair challenging Carmella for the Smackdown Women's Championship. After Charlotte is dominant at the beginning, Carmella manages to hit a brutal kick to the head then slows the match down with a chinlock. Charlotte gets back into it with multiple Flair chops. However, in the end, Carmella takes advantage of Charlotte injuring her knee while attempting a moonsault to kick the knee then fold her in half to get the win. Like the last one, this match wasn't great. Plus it seemed weird that Carmella won clean.
Winner: Carmella (5 for 6)
Next is a no disqualification match between Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. They spend the first portion of the match throwing each other into the barrier and the steel steps. The match goes back and forth before Nakamura remembers that it's a no disqualification match and sends Styles onto a chair with a reverse exploder suplex. Later on, Nakamura gives Styles his usual low blow but Styles returns the favour. In the end, Styles and Nakamura kick each other in the balls and the match ends in a no contest. This match was pretty shit and the definitely the worst of the three they have had so far. As for the ending, that was fucking abysmal.
Winner: No Contest ( 5 for 7)
The penultimate match is Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens taking on Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley. Owens and Zayn manage to wear down Lashley but Strowman gets tagged in and completely destroys Owens and Zayn. In the end, Owens and Zayn turn on each other and Lashley pins Owens after hitting a vertical suplex...? Since when has that been a finishing move? Anyway, Strowman and Lashley, who are the faces by the way, beat up on Owens and Zayn some more. The match was well...meh.
Winners: Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman (6 for 8)
The main event is Roman Reigns versus Samoa Joe...? Oh, for fuck's sake. Anyway, Joe attacks Reigns before the bell, which ends with him sending Reigns all over the announce tables. When the referee manages to get them in the ring and ring the bell, Joe continues to be dominant. Eventually, Reigns manages to recover. Joe goes for a muscle buster but Reigns stops it and hits a Spear to get the win. The match was quite good but it shouldn't have been the main event.
Winner: Roman Reigns (7 for 9)
I thought that Backlash started well then it came very close to being called up as evidence against WWE for Crimes Against Wrestling. Holy shit, some of the matches seemed weird and some of the endings are complete atrocities. Money in the Bank is next and, with the expection of the ladder matches, I'm seriously worried about the event.
The match on the Kick Off Show was Bayley taking on Ruby Riott. Riott hits a brutal right hand, giving her the advantage. Riott's friends, Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, help Riott out with keeping Bayley down. Bayely hits a springboard crossbody to start her comeback. Bayley comes close with an elbow drop. However, a distraction by Liv Morgan gives Riott to hit the Riott Kick and get the win. This was a pretty good match between the two.
Winner: Ruby Riott (1 for 1)
The first match of the show was Hollywood Miz challenging Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship. Miz sends Rollins crashing onto the floor to get the advantage. Rollins stops the momentum with a X-Factor. Miz goes on to hit 2 Skull Crushing Finales but it's not enough. In the end, Rollins manages to hit the Blackout to get the win. This match was really good and a great way to start the show.
Winner: Seth Rollins (2 for 2)
The next match is for the RAW Women's Championship as Alexa Bliss challenging Nia Jax for the RAW Women's Championship. Bliss goes after Nia at the beginning but Nia starts to use her strength to dominate the match. Even though Alexa gets some offense in, Nia gets the win after hitting a Samoan Drop. This match was decent but it felt like they copied bits of it from their Wrestlemania match.
Winner: Nia Jax (3 for 3)
Our third Championship match is Randy Orton challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate early on but Orton stops it and goes on to get the advantage after drop kicking him off the apron. The match goes back and forth before Orton goes for the RKO. However, Hardy gets out of it and hits a Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb to get the win. I thought the match was pretty good.
Winner: Jeff Hardy (3 for 4)
Next is a concert by Elias but he gets interrupted by The New Day then Aiden English and Rusev and then No Way Jose with Titus Worldwide and Breezango. Holy shit. Elias gets interrupted for a 4th time when Bobby Roode appears out of thin air and hits Elias with a Glorious DDT. I felt that the segment was far too long and pointless.
Anyway, back to the wrestling. The next match is Daniel Bryan taking on Big Cass. Bryan uses his speed to go right after Cass. However, Cass hits a spine buster and then keeps Bryan down with punches and slaps. Bryan avoids a big boot and manages to get Cass to submit to Yes Lock to get the win. Afterwards, Cass beats up Bryan. I can't believe I'm saying this for a Daniel Bryan match but it wasn't very good. Big Cass just did moves that were very basic and the ending seem to come out of nowhere.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (4 for 5)
Our next Championship match is Charlotte Flair challenging Carmella for the Smackdown Women's Championship. After Charlotte is dominant at the beginning, Carmella manages to hit a brutal kick to the head then slows the match down with a chinlock. Charlotte gets back into it with multiple Flair chops. However, in the end, Carmella takes advantage of Charlotte injuring her knee while attempting a moonsault to kick the knee then fold her in half to get the win. Like the last one, this match wasn't great. Plus it seemed weird that Carmella won clean.
Winner: Carmella (5 for 6)
Next is a no disqualification match between Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. They spend the first portion of the match throwing each other into the barrier and the steel steps. The match goes back and forth before Nakamura remembers that it's a no disqualification match and sends Styles onto a chair with a reverse exploder suplex. Later on, Nakamura gives Styles his usual low blow but Styles returns the favour. In the end, Styles and Nakamura kick each other in the balls and the match ends in a no contest. This match was pretty shit and the definitely the worst of the three they have had so far. As for the ending, that was fucking abysmal.
Winner: No Contest ( 5 for 7)
The penultimate match is Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens taking on Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley. Owens and Zayn manage to wear down Lashley but Strowman gets tagged in and completely destroys Owens and Zayn. In the end, Owens and Zayn turn on each other and Lashley pins Owens after hitting a vertical suplex...? Since when has that been a finishing move? Anyway, Strowman and Lashley, who are the faces by the way, beat up on Owens and Zayn some more. The match was well...meh.
Winners: Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman (6 for 8)
The main event is Roman Reigns versus Samoa Joe...? Oh, for fuck's sake. Anyway, Joe attacks Reigns before the bell, which ends with him sending Reigns all over the announce tables. When the referee manages to get them in the ring and ring the bell, Joe continues to be dominant. Eventually, Reigns manages to recover. Joe goes for a muscle buster but Reigns stops it and hits a Spear to get the win. The match was quite good but it shouldn't have been the main event.
Winner: Roman Reigns (7 for 9)
I thought that Backlash started well then it came very close to being called up as evidence against WWE for Crimes Against Wrestling. Holy shit, some of the matches seemed weird and some of the endings are complete atrocities. Money in the Bank is next and, with the expection of the ladder matches, I'm seriously worried about the event.
Thursday, 24 May 2018
WWE Greatest Royal Rumble
The Greatest Royal Rumble took place on Friday 27th April in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Whilst I have expressed my issues in WWE hosting an event in the country, the card looks pretty good. So, let's take a look.
The first match was between John Cena and Triple H. The match starts with a test of strength before Triple H gets the advantage. Cena makes his comeback and hits an AA but Triple H kicks out. In the end, Cena manages to reverse a crossface into an AA. He then slingshots Triple H into the turnbuckle then hits another AA to get the win. Although it was weird seeing things like a test of strength, I thought the match was pretty good.
Winner: John Cena (1 for1)
Next is a match for the Cruiserweight Championship as Kalisto challenges Cedric Alexander. Alexander sends Kalisto to the outside and follows that with an over the top suicide dive to get the advantage. Kalisto gets back into it and hits an incredible swinging DDT for 2. The match goes back and forth before Kalisto goes for the Salida Del Sol. However, it is reversed into a Lumber Check and Alexander gets the win. This was a really good match between the two.
Winner: Cedric Alexander (2 for 2)
We now get Cesaro and Sheamus taking on "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt for the vacant RAW Tag Team Championship. Cesaro bounces Hardy's neck off the ropes to get his team the advantage. Eventually, Hardy manages to tag in Wyatt, and they go on to hit an elevated Twist of Fate to get the win. I thought the match was ok, nothing really standing out.
Winners: "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt (3 for 3)
Our third Championship match was Jinder Mahal challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship. Sunil Singh helps Mahal get the advantage and he keeps Hardy down with chinlocks. However, Hardy manages to recover and hits a Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb to get the win. Like the last match, this one was ok.
Winner: Jeff Hardy (4 for 4)
Our fourth Championship match was The Usos challenging The Bludgeon Brothers for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Harper and Rowan get the advantage very quickly, focusing their attacks on Jey Uso.Harper misses a big boot, and this gives Jey the chance to tag in Jimmy. However, despite their best efforts, Jey gets with an assisted powerbomb and The Bludgeon Brothers retain. This was quite a good match.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (4 for 5)
Now a match that I was looking forward to seeing: Samoa Joe, Hollywood Miz and Finn Balor challenging Seth Rollins in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Highlights of the match include: Rollins doing multiple suicide dives; Joe, Balor and Rollins doing a tower of doom; and Balor doing a Coup de Grace on Miz while he was lying on a ladder. In the end, Balor looks like he is about to grab the belt. However, Rollins uses the ropes to vault onto the ladder and get it first. This was a good match and I quite enjoyed the ending.
Winner: Seth Rollins (5 for 6)
After a segment involving the Diavari brothers and some random potential wrestlers from Saudi Arabia, we get Shinsuke Nakamura challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. After attacking the back of the knee, Nakamura gets the advantage. Styles makes a comeback but Nakamura gives him his usual low blow after the referee gets distracted. They continue fighting outside the ring and they both get counted out? Wait, what? The match seemed to be better than their one at Wrestlemania. The double count out does seem weird but I suppose it was to show how much they now don't like each other.
Winner: No Contest (5 for 7)
Next is a casket match between Rusev and The Undertaker. Undertaker manages to get Rusev in the casket but Aiden English stops him from closing the door. This gives Rusev the chance to recover and get back into the match. In the end, Undertaker hits Rusev and English with Choke Slams and Tombstones; then puts both of them in the casket to get the win. This wasn't a bad match, but it was surprisingly short.
Winner: Undertaker (6 for 8)
The penultimate match is Roman Reigns challenging Brock Lesnar in a steel cage match for the Universal Championship. Lesnar starts out by avoiding a Superman punch and hitting 4 German suplexes and a F5. Reigns hits 3 spears but it only gets 2. Reigns tries to go out of the door, but Heyman slams the door on his head and Lesnar hits a F5. I thought that would have finished the match but Reigns kicks out at 2. Reigns hits a Superman punch then spears Lesnar out of the cage. This technically(?) menas that Lesnar hit the floor first and wins the match. I didn't really like this match as it seemed to just consist of big moves. At least it was shorter than their Wrestlemania match.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (6 for 9)
The main event is the 50-man Royal Rumble Match. Highlights of the match include:
I thought the match was ok and it was nice to see some NXT wrestlers be involved. However, it did feature some people that I had to look up on Wikipedia.
Winner: Braun Strowman (6 for 10)
I thought that The Greatest Royal Rumble was a decent event. Some of the matches were good but a few didn't do much for me and I thought that we would see a title change. Hopefully next year, we will get to see the women take part in Saudi Arabia.
The first match was between John Cena and Triple H. The match starts with a test of strength before Triple H gets the advantage. Cena makes his comeback and hits an AA but Triple H kicks out. In the end, Cena manages to reverse a crossface into an AA. He then slingshots Triple H into the turnbuckle then hits another AA to get the win. Although it was weird seeing things like a test of strength, I thought the match was pretty good.
Winner: John Cena (1 for1)
Next is a match for the Cruiserweight Championship as Kalisto challenges Cedric Alexander. Alexander sends Kalisto to the outside and follows that with an over the top suicide dive to get the advantage. Kalisto gets back into it and hits an incredible swinging DDT for 2. The match goes back and forth before Kalisto goes for the Salida Del Sol. However, it is reversed into a Lumber Check and Alexander gets the win. This was a really good match between the two.
Winner: Cedric Alexander (2 for 2)
We now get Cesaro and Sheamus taking on "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt for the vacant RAW Tag Team Championship. Cesaro bounces Hardy's neck off the ropes to get his team the advantage. Eventually, Hardy manages to tag in Wyatt, and they go on to hit an elevated Twist of Fate to get the win. I thought the match was ok, nothing really standing out.
Winners: "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt (3 for 3)
Our third Championship match was Jinder Mahal challenging Jeff Hardy for the United States Championship. Sunil Singh helps Mahal get the advantage and he keeps Hardy down with chinlocks. However, Hardy manages to recover and hits a Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb to get the win. Like the last match, this one was ok.
Winner: Jeff Hardy (4 for 4)
Our fourth Championship match was The Usos challenging The Bludgeon Brothers for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Harper and Rowan get the advantage very quickly, focusing their attacks on Jey Uso.Harper misses a big boot, and this gives Jey the chance to tag in Jimmy. However, despite their best efforts, Jey gets with an assisted powerbomb and The Bludgeon Brothers retain. This was quite a good match.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (4 for 5)
Now a match that I was looking forward to seeing: Samoa Joe, Hollywood Miz and Finn Balor challenging Seth Rollins in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Highlights of the match include: Rollins doing multiple suicide dives; Joe, Balor and Rollins doing a tower of doom; and Balor doing a Coup de Grace on Miz while he was lying on a ladder. In the end, Balor looks like he is about to grab the belt. However, Rollins uses the ropes to vault onto the ladder and get it first. This was a good match and I quite enjoyed the ending.
Winner: Seth Rollins (5 for 6)
After a segment involving the Diavari brothers and some random potential wrestlers from Saudi Arabia, we get Shinsuke Nakamura challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. After attacking the back of the knee, Nakamura gets the advantage. Styles makes a comeback but Nakamura gives him his usual low blow after the referee gets distracted. They continue fighting outside the ring and they both get counted out? Wait, what? The match seemed to be better than their one at Wrestlemania. The double count out does seem weird but I suppose it was to show how much they now don't like each other.
Winner: No Contest (5 for 7)
Next is a casket match between Rusev and The Undertaker. Undertaker manages to get Rusev in the casket but Aiden English stops him from closing the door. This gives Rusev the chance to recover and get back into the match. In the end, Undertaker hits Rusev and English with Choke Slams and Tombstones; then puts both of them in the casket to get the win. This wasn't a bad match, but it was surprisingly short.
Winner: Undertaker (6 for 8)
The penultimate match is Roman Reigns challenging Brock Lesnar in a steel cage match for the Universal Championship. Lesnar starts out by avoiding a Superman punch and hitting 4 German suplexes and a F5. Reigns hits 3 spears but it only gets 2. Reigns tries to go out of the door, but Heyman slams the door on his head and Lesnar hits a F5. I thought that would have finished the match but Reigns kicks out at 2. Reigns hits a Superman punch then spears Lesnar out of the cage. This technically(?) menas that Lesnar hit the floor first and wins the match. I didn't really like this match as it seemed to just consist of big moves. At least it was shorter than their Wrestlemania match.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (6 for 9)
The main event is the 50-man Royal Rumble Match. Highlights of the match include:
- Seeing the return of wrestlers such as Mark Henry, Hornswoggle, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle and Rey Mysterio
- Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston taking advantage of Tony Nese dancing with them to eliminate him.
- Seeing Tucker Knight and Roderick Strong from NXT
- Titus O'Neill coming in at number 39 and tripping, going under the ring.
- Shane McMahon hitting Braun Strowman with a coast to coast. Strowman responds later on by sending him through the announce table
I thought the match was ok and it was nice to see some NXT wrestlers be involved. However, it did feature some people that I had to look up on Wikipedia.
Winner: Braun Strowman (6 for 10)
I thought that The Greatest Royal Rumble was a decent event. Some of the matches were good but a few didn't do much for me and I thought that we would see a title change. Hopefully next year, we will get to see the women take part in Saudi Arabia.
Sunday, 13 May 2018
WWE Wrestlemania 34 Review
Wrestlemania 34 took place on Sunday 8th April at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The card looks pretty good with a couple of dream matches so, let's take a look.
The first match on the Kick Off Show is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal with the following taking part: Aiden English, Konnor, Curt Hawkins, R-Truth, Primo Colon, Mike Kanellis, Viktor, Zack Ryder, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Shelton Benjamin,Heath Slater, Rhyno, "Woken" Matt Hardy, Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Sin Cara, Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Chad Gable, Apollo, Titus O'Neil, Goldust, Tye Dillinger, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Mojo Rawley and Baron Corbin. English is the first to be eliminated and Ziggler spends the whole match getting out of being eliminated before Kane throws him out. The final 3 end up being Hardy, Rawley and Corbin. Crobin and Rawley beat up Hardy before Bray Wyatt appears and helps Hardy to get the win. This match wasn't anything special for me.
Winner: "Woken" Matt Hardy (0 for 1)
The second match is a match that should have been on the main card: Cedric Alexander taking on Mustafa Ali for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship. The match is a back and forth affair throughout. Ali goes for the 450 Splash but Alexander pulls him off, sending him crashing to the floor. Eventually, Alexander hits the Lumber Check to get the win. This was a really good match and well done to Cedric Alexander on becoming Cruiserwieght Champion.
Winner: Cedric Alexander (1 for 2)
The main event of the Kick Off Show was the Women's Battle Royal involving: Carmella, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Kairi Sane, Naomi, Lana, Kavita Devi, Taynara Conti, Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, Peyton Royce, Natalya, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Sasha Banks and Bayley. Carmella is the first to be eliminated as all the other women gang up on her. The Riott Squad team up to eliminate a few of the women and we also see Bel Air use her hair to whip Lynch. Bayley and Sasha team up to eliminate Natalya and the Riott Squad. Bayley then thinks she's won after eliminating Sasha. However, Naomi reappears as she never got eliminated. Naomi then eliminates Bayley to get the win. This was quite an entertaining match although the ending was a bit confusing as we assumed that Naomi was eliminated.
Winner: Naomi (1 for 3)
The first match of Wrestlemania was Seth Rollins and Finn Balor challenge Hollywood Miz in a triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship.The match starts at at fast pace with one highlight being Rollins doing multiple suicide dives. Miz puts Balor in the Figure 4 but Rollins hits a splash to break it up. Each one of them has a chance to win it, including Miz getting close with a Skull Crushing Finale. In the end, Balor hits a Coup de Grace on Miz but Rollins hits Balor with a Curb Stomp. Rollins then hits Miz with a Curb Stomp to get the win. This was a really good match between all of them and a great way to start the show.
Winner: Seth Rollins (1 for 4)
The next match is one that I'm really looking forward to: Asuka challenging Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Charlotte injures her right shoulder during the match and Asuka takes advantage of that. Asuka has a chance to win it when she reverses a moonsault into a triangle choke but Charlotte gets out of it. They both use awesome moves to try and get the win such as Cahrlotte hitting a Spanish fly. Charlotte eventually gets Asuka into the Figure 8 and Asuka submits...? Wait, what? Asuka lost? Ok, I did not see that coming. Afterwards, Asuka congratulates Charlotte.
This match was brilliant and it's one of the best women's matches ever seen at Wrestlemania. Both women raised their game and you could either one of them winning. I was shocked that Asuka lost but I suppose they can do more with her without the streak. I would have loved her to continue and slowly develop into the heel that we saw hints of in NXT. Ah well, I guess it wasn't to be. As for Charlotte, she stays Champion for two more days before Carmella successfully cashes in her Money in the Bank briefcase.
Winner: Charlotte (1 for 5)
We now get a Fatal 4-Way Match for the United States Championship as Jinder Mahal, Bobby Roode and Rusev. Highlights of the match include: Orton doing a superplex on Roode; and Orton hitting RKOs to Aiden English, Rusev and Mahal. In the end, Rusev is about to put Mahal in The Accolade when Sunil Singh distracts him. This gives Mahal the chance to hit The Kahless to get the win. I thought the match was pretty decent and I'm gutted that Rusev didn't win on Rusev Day.
Winner: Jinder Mahal (1 for 6)
Next we get to see the debut of Ronda Rousey as she teams up with Kurt Angle to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Triple H sends Angle over the ropes to get the advantage. Stephanie helps out at every opportunity, including pulling Rousey off the apron. Eventually, Rousey gets tagged in and she proceeds to fuck Stephanie up. However, Stephanie gets back into it with a DDT. The match goes back and forth before Rousey puts Stephanie into a brutal armbar to get the win by submission. This match was a lot of fun although I feel that it should have ended a few minutes earlier.
Winners: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle (2 for 7)
We now get our first Tag Team Championship match as The New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers challenge The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Harper and Rowan are completely dominant before The Usos focus their attack on Harper. In the end, Harper hits a sit down powerbomb from the top turnbuckle to get the win. This match was surprisingly short and I did not expect The Bludgeon Brothers to win. Despite that, it was a fun match.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (2 for 8)
Next was supposed to be John Cena taking on The Undertaker. Cena had been in the crowd watching the show as a fan. After the Asuka/Charlotte match, a referee goes to speak to Cena and he runs to the back. Cena comes out and instead of The Undertaker, Elias comes out and does a musical segment. After Cena beats him up and is about to leave, The Undertaker's music hits. Ok, guess we're having the match after all. Pretty much, Undertaker goes through his move set and, despite Cena hitting one move, goes on to win with a Tombstone.
I thought the whole thing was stupid. I found it hard to believe that Cena couldn't get a match at Wrestlemania and then he gets squashed. It felt like a waste of time to me.
Winner: The Undertaker (3 for 9)
After we see the Hall of Fame Class of 2018, we get the return of Daniel Bryan as he teams up with Shane McMahon to take on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Owens and Zayn do a sneak attack and beat up Bryan. While he is getting medical attention, Shane starts the match by himself. Zayn and Owens quickly get the advantage, focusing on Shane's stomach. Owens hits a frog splash but Bryan, out of nowhere, breaks up the pin and eventually gets tagged in. Zayn and Owens hit their finishers but it's not enough as Bryan gets Zayn to submit to the Yes Lock to get the win. I thought the match was pretty decent and it was nice to see Bryan wrestle again.
Winners: Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan (4 for 10)
We now get our second Women's Championship as Nia Jax challenges Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women's Championship. Nia completely fucks up Mickie James before the bell to prevent her from interfering. When the bell rings, Nia throws Alexa round like a rag doll before she gets poked in the eye. This gives Alexa the chance to attack the knee. Alexa hits a Twisted Bliss to the outside and a DDT but it doesn't keep Nia down. In the end, Nia hits a Samoan Drop from the 2nd rope to get the win. This was another fun match to watch.
Winner: Nia Jax (5 for 11)
Now a match that I'm really looking forward to: Shinsuke Nakamura challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Nakamura has the advantage for a little bit, attacking Styles with knee strikes. Styles reverses a suplex to get back some momentum. Nakamura hits a reverse exploder suplex then goes for the Kinshasa. However, Styles manages to reverse it into a Styles Clash to get the win. Afterwards, Nakamura congratulates Styles by hitting a low blow then a Kinshasa, turning heel in the process. The match was pretty good, although I feel that it could have been better.
Winner: AJ Styles (5 for 12)
The penultimate match is for the RAW Tag Team Championship as Cesaro and Sheamus deal with the challenge of Braun Strowman and... Yeah, Strowman decides to go into the crowd and pick a boy named Nicholas. Anyway, Strowman eventually gets worn down and Cesaro and Sheamus but he manages to tag in Nicholas. Nicholas understandably tags back Strowman and he hits Cesaro with a Running Powerslam to get the win. The match was stupid but it was fun. Unfortunately, due to Nicholas (who actually is the son of referee John Cone) having to go through 8 more years of school, they had to vacate the Championship.
Winners: Braun Strowman and Nicholas (6 for 13)
The main event is for the Universal Championship as Roman Reigns challenges Brock Lesnar. The match starts at a fast pace with Lesnar hitting 3 German suplexes before Reigns responds with multiple Superman punches. Lesnar goes on to hit three F5s but Reigns kicks out each time. Lesnar hits a F5, sending Reigns through the German announce table then another one in the ring but Reigns kicks out. Lesnar busts Reigns open and, despite Reigns hitting 2 spears, hits a sixth F5 to get the win. The match was enjoyable to begin with then it became boring with finishers being used for spots. Lesnar winning was a surprise but I assume that Reigns will win it in the near future.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (6 for14)
I thought that Wrestlemania was bit of a mixed bag. There were some really good matches with some surprising results. However, there were some matches that were just stupid and it bought the event down for me. Hopefully, with both brands being involved in every Pay-Per-View from now on, the standard should improve.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
The first match on the Kick Off Show is the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal with the following taking part: Aiden English, Konnor, Curt Hawkins, R-Truth, Primo Colon, Mike Kanellis, Viktor, Zack Ryder, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Shelton Benjamin,Heath Slater, Rhyno, "Woken" Matt Hardy, Dash Wilder, Scott Dawson, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel, Sin Cara, Tyler Breeze, Fandango, Chad Gable, Apollo, Titus O'Neil, Goldust, Tye Dillinger, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, Mojo Rawley and Baron Corbin. English is the first to be eliminated and Ziggler spends the whole match getting out of being eliminated before Kane throws him out. The final 3 end up being Hardy, Rawley and Corbin. Crobin and Rawley beat up Hardy before Bray Wyatt appears and helps Hardy to get the win. This match wasn't anything special for me.
Winner: "Woken" Matt Hardy (0 for 1)
The second match is a match that should have been on the main card: Cedric Alexander taking on Mustafa Ali for the vacant Cruiserweight Championship. The match is a back and forth affair throughout. Ali goes for the 450 Splash but Alexander pulls him off, sending him crashing to the floor. Eventually, Alexander hits the Lumber Check to get the win. This was a really good match and well done to Cedric Alexander on becoming Cruiserwieght Champion.
Winner: Cedric Alexander (1 for 2)
The main event of the Kick Off Show was the Women's Battle Royal involving: Carmella, Dana Brooke, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Kairi Sane, Naomi, Lana, Kavita Devi, Taynara Conti, Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai, Becky Lynch, Mickie James, Peyton Royce, Natalya, Liv Morgan, Ruby Riott, Sarah Logan, Sasha Banks and Bayley. Carmella is the first to be eliminated as all the other women gang up on her. The Riott Squad team up to eliminate a few of the women and we also see Bel Air use her hair to whip Lynch. Bayley and Sasha team up to eliminate Natalya and the Riott Squad. Bayley then thinks she's won after eliminating Sasha. However, Naomi reappears as she never got eliminated. Naomi then eliminates Bayley to get the win. This was quite an entertaining match although the ending was a bit confusing as we assumed that Naomi was eliminated.
Winner: Naomi (1 for 3)
The first match of Wrestlemania was Seth Rollins and Finn Balor challenge Hollywood Miz in a triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship.The match starts at at fast pace with one highlight being Rollins doing multiple suicide dives. Miz puts Balor in the Figure 4 but Rollins hits a splash to break it up. Each one of them has a chance to win it, including Miz getting close with a Skull Crushing Finale. In the end, Balor hits a Coup de Grace on Miz but Rollins hits Balor with a Curb Stomp. Rollins then hits Miz with a Curb Stomp to get the win. This was a really good match between all of them and a great way to start the show.
Winner: Seth Rollins (1 for 4)
The next match is one that I'm really looking forward to: Asuka challenging Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Charlotte injures her right shoulder during the match and Asuka takes advantage of that. Asuka has a chance to win it when she reverses a moonsault into a triangle choke but Charlotte gets out of it. They both use awesome moves to try and get the win such as Cahrlotte hitting a Spanish fly. Charlotte eventually gets Asuka into the Figure 8 and Asuka submits...? Wait, what? Asuka lost? Ok, I did not see that coming. Afterwards, Asuka congratulates Charlotte.
This match was brilliant and it's one of the best women's matches ever seen at Wrestlemania. Both women raised their game and you could either one of them winning. I was shocked that Asuka lost but I suppose they can do more with her without the streak. I would have loved her to continue and slowly develop into the heel that we saw hints of in NXT. Ah well, I guess it wasn't to be. As for Charlotte, she stays Champion for two more days before Carmella successfully cashes in her Money in the Bank briefcase.
Winner: Charlotte (1 for 5)
We now get a Fatal 4-Way Match for the United States Championship as Jinder Mahal, Bobby Roode and Rusev. Highlights of the match include: Orton doing a superplex on Roode; and Orton hitting RKOs to Aiden English, Rusev and Mahal. In the end, Rusev is about to put Mahal in The Accolade when Sunil Singh distracts him. This gives Mahal the chance to hit The Kahless to get the win. I thought the match was pretty decent and I'm gutted that Rusev didn't win on Rusev Day.
Winner: Jinder Mahal (1 for 6)
Next we get to see the debut of Ronda Rousey as she teams up with Kurt Angle to take on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Triple H sends Angle over the ropes to get the advantage. Stephanie helps out at every opportunity, including pulling Rousey off the apron. Eventually, Rousey gets tagged in and she proceeds to fuck Stephanie up. However, Stephanie gets back into it with a DDT. The match goes back and forth before Rousey puts Stephanie into a brutal armbar to get the win by submission. This match was a lot of fun although I feel that it should have ended a few minutes earlier.
Winners: Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle (2 for 7)
We now get our first Tag Team Championship match as The New Day and The Bludgeon Brothers challenge The Usos for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Harper and Rowan are completely dominant before The Usos focus their attack on Harper. In the end, Harper hits a sit down powerbomb from the top turnbuckle to get the win. This match was surprisingly short and I did not expect The Bludgeon Brothers to win. Despite that, it was a fun match.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (2 for 8)
Next was supposed to be John Cena taking on The Undertaker. Cena had been in the crowd watching the show as a fan. After the Asuka/Charlotte match, a referee goes to speak to Cena and he runs to the back. Cena comes out and instead of The Undertaker, Elias comes out and does a musical segment. After Cena beats him up and is about to leave, The Undertaker's music hits. Ok, guess we're having the match after all. Pretty much, Undertaker goes through his move set and, despite Cena hitting one move, goes on to win with a Tombstone.
I thought the whole thing was stupid. I found it hard to believe that Cena couldn't get a match at Wrestlemania and then he gets squashed. It felt like a waste of time to me.
Winner: The Undertaker (3 for 9)
After we see the Hall of Fame Class of 2018, we get the return of Daniel Bryan as he teams up with Shane McMahon to take on Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. Owens and Zayn do a sneak attack and beat up Bryan. While he is getting medical attention, Shane starts the match by himself. Zayn and Owens quickly get the advantage, focusing on Shane's stomach. Owens hits a frog splash but Bryan, out of nowhere, breaks up the pin and eventually gets tagged in. Zayn and Owens hit their finishers but it's not enough as Bryan gets Zayn to submit to the Yes Lock to get the win. I thought the match was pretty decent and it was nice to see Bryan wrestle again.
Winners: Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan (4 for 10)
We now get our second Women's Championship as Nia Jax challenges Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women's Championship. Nia completely fucks up Mickie James before the bell to prevent her from interfering. When the bell rings, Nia throws Alexa round like a rag doll before she gets poked in the eye. This gives Alexa the chance to attack the knee. Alexa hits a Twisted Bliss to the outside and a DDT but it doesn't keep Nia down. In the end, Nia hits a Samoan Drop from the 2nd rope to get the win. This was another fun match to watch.
Winner: Nia Jax (5 for 11)
Now a match that I'm really looking forward to: Shinsuke Nakamura challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Nakamura has the advantage for a little bit, attacking Styles with knee strikes. Styles reverses a suplex to get back some momentum. Nakamura hits a reverse exploder suplex then goes for the Kinshasa. However, Styles manages to reverse it into a Styles Clash to get the win. Afterwards, Nakamura congratulates Styles by hitting a low blow then a Kinshasa, turning heel in the process. The match was pretty good, although I feel that it could have been better.
Winner: AJ Styles (5 for 12)
The penultimate match is for the RAW Tag Team Championship as Cesaro and Sheamus deal with the challenge of Braun Strowman and... Yeah, Strowman decides to go into the crowd and pick a boy named Nicholas. Anyway, Strowman eventually gets worn down and Cesaro and Sheamus but he manages to tag in Nicholas. Nicholas understandably tags back Strowman and he hits Cesaro with a Running Powerslam to get the win. The match was stupid but it was fun. Unfortunately, due to Nicholas (who actually is the son of referee John Cone) having to go through 8 more years of school, they had to vacate the Championship.
Winners: Braun Strowman and Nicholas (6 for 13)
The main event is for the Universal Championship as Roman Reigns challenges Brock Lesnar. The match starts at a fast pace with Lesnar hitting 3 German suplexes before Reigns responds with multiple Superman punches. Lesnar goes on to hit three F5s but Reigns kicks out each time. Lesnar hits a F5, sending Reigns through the German announce table then another one in the ring but Reigns kicks out. Lesnar busts Reigns open and, despite Reigns hitting 2 spears, hits a sixth F5 to get the win. The match was enjoyable to begin with then it became boring with finishers being used for spots. Lesnar winning was a surprise but I assume that Reigns will win it in the near future.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (6 for14)
I thought that Wrestlemania was bit of a mixed bag. There were some really good matches with some surprising results. However, there were some matches that were just stupid and it bought the event down for me. Hopefully, with both brands being involved in every Pay-Per-View from now on, the standard should improve.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Sunday, 6 May 2018
WWE Backlash 2018 Preview
WWE Backlash will be taking place this evening at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. With the fallout after Wrestlemania still going on, will these matches change that? Let's take a look.
Bayley vs Ruby Riott
The match on the Kick Off Show should be a good one. I feel that Riott's friends, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan, will help her get the win.
Predicted Winner: Ruby Riott
Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass
A tough one to call but I'm going for Bryan to win.
Predicted Winner: Daniel Bryan
Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley vs Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
This should be a fun one and I'm going for Owens and Zayn to win.
Predicted Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe
I don't get what they're doing with Roman right now and I feel that he will lose again.
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe
Charlotte Flair vs Carmella
Smackdown Women's Championship
I think that Carmella will retain here.
Predicted Winner: Carmella
Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax
RAW Women's Championship
This should be a fun match to watch as I feel that Nia will retain here.
Predicted Winner: Nia Jax
Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy
United States Championship
A tough one but I think, even though I don't want him to, that Orton will win.
Predicted Winner: Randy Orton
Hollywood Miz vs Seth Rollins
Intercontinental Championship
This should be a good match and I'm going for Rollins to retain.
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins
Shinsuke Nakamura vs AJ Styles
No Disqualification Match for the WWE
Their last two matches have been pretty good so far and I feel that Nakamura will low blow his way to victory.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
I haven't seen The Greatest Royal Rumble yet but I hope to see that and Backlash in the next week. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.
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