Monday Night Raw 7-24-06 Review

Monday, July 24th, 2006
Quicken Loans Arena
Cleveland, Ohio

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Shawn Michaels is here solo to kick things off. Apparently Triple H is with Stephanie for her pregnancy, which leads to some joking about their relationship. Jonathan Coachman comes out and he says that Vince put him in charge tonight. Coach talks to Vince on the phone and he says that Shawn Michaels will face Coach tonight, which leads to lots of laughing from Shawn.

World Tag Team Championship Match
Spirit Squad vs. Highlanders

Kenny and Mikey are representing the Spirit Squad in the ring tonight. The Highlanders dominate most of the match, which leads Jim Ross to comparing them to the Bushwhackers. The Spirit Squad members outside the ring distract the challengers and it leads to a cheap victory. Their formula is starting to get stale with these guys. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

We go to Mick Foley in the WWE studios. He unleashes a rant like only Foley can and honestly, it's hard to not root for Foley over Flair here.

After showing a 24/7 spot on Terry Funk vs. Ric Flair from Great American Bash '89, Flair is out in the ring and he wants Foley. Out comes Edge and Lita to interrupt. Johnny Nitro comes out and they attack Flair. Cena is here to save the day. 

Carlito and Trish Stratus are backstage flirting. Carlito asks Trish to hang out after his match.

We go to Coach and he's flustered. Edge and Lita storm in, which leads to him announcing Johnny Nitro and Edge against Ric Flair and John Cena. 

Todd Grisham comes out and announces that Stephanie has given birth to Aurora. This seems pretty weird considering the storyline going on. 

Intercontinental Championship #1 Contender Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. Carlito

This is match #3,736 in their series. Carlito hits a nice running knee lift and follows it up with a weak looking clothesline. That's pretty much Carlito in a nutshell. Carlito tries to suplex Shelton over the top rope, but he lands on the apron and pulls Carlito's arm on the top rope. Carlito climbs the top rope, but Shelton leaps up to meet him. Carlito shoves him off, but Carlito catches him by the arm when he leaps and puts him a submission hold. Carlito is eventually able to get the bottom rope to break the hold. Shelton goes for a powerbomb, but Carlito counters it for a sunset flip and gets a 2 count. Carltio hits the Back Cracker, but Shelton gets his foot on the bottom rope. Shelton tries to take off the turnbuckle, but Carlito hits a back body drop. Carlito finishes taking it off, but gets caught by the ref. It leads to a little spot of back and forth until Shelton hits him with a low blow and gets the victory. That was a little bit more of a clever finish than you would expect for a random Raw match. 

Match Rating: **1/2

Hulk Hogan is here to an extended ovation. He talks about Orton offending his family, so of course Orton is out here. He says that he's not here to confront him, but to talk about Brooke. Hogan has heard enough and he wants Orton right now. Orton gets thrown into the ring by Lawler and Hogan gets in a few punches, but Orton rolls out of the ring before the big boot. 

Candice Michelle vs. Mickie James

Mickie attacks her before the bell and Lawler gives us creepy old man commentary. Candice goes up top and hits a top rope crossbody, but Mickie rolls through, grabs the tights and gets the victory. This was over about as quickly as you would expect a women's match would in 2006. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

Shawn Michaels vs. Jonathan Coachman

Shawn rolls out of the ring and puts on a swim cap and then pulls down Coach's pants. He hits the forearm and the top rope elbow and now the Spirit Squad comes out. Shawn easily disposes of them and then hits Sweet Chin Music on Coach. Umaga comes from behind Shawn and hits a Samoan Drop on Shawn, causing the DQ. The Spirit Squad comes back in, but Umaga runs them out of the ring and gives Shawn the Samoan Spike. Making Umaga look like a killer was the point of that segment and they accomplished that. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

John Cena is with Maria and she can't remember what his match is tonight. Cena is in funny mode but it's not working very well tonight. 

Miz is out tonight and lets his future wife know that she is eliminated. I'd say it all worked out pretty well for her. On SmackDown it will be musical chairs. Can't wait. 

Johnny Nitro & Edge vs. Ric Flair & John Cena

It turns into a brawl quickly and Cena and Flair stand tall going into the commercial break. When we come back, Nitro and Edge have Cena isolated. Cena avoids a charging Nitro and tags in Flair, who takes out Nitro's knee with a chop block. He slaps on the Figure Four, but Edge breaks it up. Cena comes in, but Edge tosses him over the top rope. Edge hits a Spear on Flair, but Cena comes in to break up the pin attempt. Nitro hits a reverse neckbreaker and then Lita and Melina get a few cheap shots on Flair. Nitro gets in some more cheap shots while Edge and Cena distract the ref. Edge comes off the second rope, but Flair greets him with a chop and he's able to make the tag to Cena. Cena destroys Nitro and goes for the Five Knuckle Shuffle, but when he's running the ropes, Edge hits him with a chair to the back. Nitro goes for a one man version of the Snapshot, but Cena counters and puts on the STFU, Flair keeps Edge from getting in and Nitro taps. That was probably shorter than it should have been, but they made the most of the minutes. I'll take that on your weekly show. 

Match Rating: ***

So no Vince, Shane or Triple H and it ends up being one of the better episodes in awhile. It was nice to have the focus off of all of that for the night, even though I know we have at least two more months of it to sit through. 

Overall Rating: 63%

NXT 8-7-14 Review

Original Airdate: Thursday, August 7th, 2014
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

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NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament First Round Match
Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. Tye Dillinger & Jason Jordan

Jordan is able to get Big Cass down, but it doesn't last long and he hits the hot tag to Enzo. However, Enzo runs into a big kick by Dillinger. He doesn't go for the pin and instead puts him in his corner for Jordan to do some more damage. He goes for a shoulder in the corner, but Cass comes in and takes the hit for his partner. He hits a boot and Enzo falls on top for the victory. A seemingly rare victory for the very over team of Enzo and Cass. They didn't really get enough time to do much here, but the right team won.

Match Rating: *

Sami Zayn tells Renee Young that his tag team partner isn't medically cleared, so as of now he has no partner. Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel come over to make fun of him. Zayn says he will beat them by himself if he has to. In comes Adam Rose and he says he'll be his partner. 

CJ Parker vs. Xavier Woods

Parker's sign says "Stop frilkin fracking", which makes no sense since, you know, frilkin is not a word. Parker is able to avoid a charging Woods and as a result, he hits his shoulder into the ring post and down to the floor. Woods makes a comeback and hits a top rope crossbody, but Parker rolls through for a 2 count. Woods hits the Honor Roll, but Parker kicks out of it. Woods hits a top rope elbow from across the ring, but Parker kicks out again. Parker uses the ropes to turn the tide and hits what appears to be his new finisher for the victory. This was given more time than expected and we got a decent match out of it. 

Match Rating: **1/4

Tyler Breeze is on the big screen and he announces that it's time to challenge Adrian Neville for the NXT Championship. 

Bayley vs. Eva Marie

I once saw Eva Marie at the airport. That's about all I have to talk about for her. The crowd gives her the "You can't wrestle" treatment. Meanwhile, she hits a snap suplex and gets a 2 count. She goes for another one, but Bayley gets a small package for a 2 count. Bayley hits a running reverse elbow in the corner and then hits the Bayley-to-Belly for the victory. Yep.

Match Rating: 1/4*

NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament First Round Match
Tyson Kidd & Justin Gabriel vs. Sami Zayn & Adam Rose

Kidd and Zayn start things off somewhat surprisingly. Zayn hits some arm drags and tags in Rose, which leads to some stalling and crowd chants. Alex Riley touts all of the success Gabriel had in the Corre. I guess I'm somewhat impressed he even remembered that they existed. They isolate Rose with their new heel style. Rose gets his knees up on Kidd and is able to tag in Zayn. He hits a double dive outside of the ring and then Rose hits a somersault dive off the top rope to the floor. Rose throws Gabriel back in the ring and Zayn hits the Helluva Kick for the victory. That was decent for what it was, but they didn't get as much time as I thought they would. 

Match Rating: **1/2

They distributed the match times a little bit more evenly than normal and it made for a pretty good show. I'm not sure I'll remember any of it tomorrow, but it was entertaining enough. I really am looking forward to them building towards the next TakeOver though, as it feels like they are just kind of passing time.

Overall Rating: 58%

Monday Night Raw 8-15-94 Review

Monday, August 15th, 1994
Lowell Memorial Auditorium
Lowell, Massachusetts 

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We get more footage of Lex Luger and Tatanka. They really are pushing this feud a lot harder than I would have guessed. I would argue there has been more effort put into this than anything else on the card for SummerSlam.

Owen Hart vs. 1-2-3 Kid

Owen attacks Kid, but Kid is ready for it. Owen runs into the ring post and Kid goes to work on the arm and shoulder. I always liked this venue for WWE for whatever reason. It's kind of strange to me that Kid didn't get a match at SummerSlam after his showing with Bret and getting a big match here with Owen. Owen hits an enzuigiri and slows down the pace. Kid's able to explode again with a dropkick and a crossbody to the floor into the commercial break. Kid tries to suplex Owen back into the ring, but Owen covers and Kid goes crashing to the floor. Owen follows up with a slingshot crossbody. These two really bring out the best in each other. Owen misses off the top rope and is selling a knee injury. Kid hits some kicks to the knees. Owen misses with the enzuigiri and Kid puts on the half crab. In comes Neidhart and he clubs Kid and they eventually call for the bell. It doesn't really make sense to me to use that finish. Owen looks weak and they are hyping up the challenger as someone who needs help despite them building to a cage match. This was very good up until the finish. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

It's time for the SummerSlam Report. No news to report, as the card is complete. 

The show Abe Knuckleball Scharwtz is out in the crowd and blames the fans for the baseball strike.

Duke Droese vs. Nick Barbarry

From Abe to Duke, yeesh. Duke really needs to stop using the garbage can lid to try to get the crowd going. Duke hits his generic offense and wins with an elbow drop. When did it turn into 1978? 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They show the same Leslie Nielsen vignette from Superstars. 

Kwang vs. Tony Roy

Kwang hits 3 moves and a spin kick for the quick win. All the while we are stuck listening to Ted DiBiase saying "My Lex Luger". 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Ted DiBiase is with Jerry Lawler in the King's Court. I still don't understand why they put so much effort into Ted DiBiase during this era. He was just on TV way too much. Out comes Paul Bearer to confront DiBiase. They yell back and forth and the fake Undertaker comes out. Bearer tells him that the true Undertaker will destroy him, so he chokes out Bearer. The lights begin to flicker and the arena then goes completely dark. The lights come on and Bearer just keeps yelling that he's here. I can't wait until we go on to pretend this never happened.

Mabel vs. Raymond Roy

I miss Mo. Randy Savage loves to rip on Woodstock. I swear he has done it about 10 episodes in a row. Mabel hits a second rope elbow drop and that's all for Mr. Roy. I will say the crowd here is pretty into Oscar's rap tonight. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Jeff Jarrett vs. Scott Taylor

This is a Sunday Night Heat main event quality match in a few years. Find yourself someone who loves you as much as Jarrett loves pointing to his head to let us know how smart he is. They must have been running low on time because Jarrett typically gives his jobbers a little bit of offense in. This one is quick, as he slaps on the Figure Four. As he's celebrating, his music stops and Oscar and Mo are back out with a lot of "Yeah....yeah...yeah" going on. This is just about the entire build to this match. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They hype up Sunday Night Slam, which unfortunately isn't up on Peacock. 

Any time in these one hour shows where you get a good match, it's a huge win. Owen and Kid had great chemistry together and delivered in the ring for the second time this year. The rest of the show was basically a turd, featuring the two least desirable matches on the SummerSlam card. We also got Kwang and Droese, who no one cares about. I'll just call it thumbs in the middle because I'm feeling generous.

Overall Rating: 50%

Superstars 8-13-94 Review

Original Airdate: Saturday, August 13th, 1994
Wheeling Civic Center
Wheeling, West Virginia

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Headshrinkers vs. Barry Horowitz & Reno Riggins

Jobber royalty here today to take on the champs. I feel like the Headshrinkers haven't been around much as of late and the tag division as a whole feels like a major afterthought. They toss Riggins around and then hit the splash for the victory. Not much to this one. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

We get highlights of the Lex Luger/Tatanka confrontation on Raw. 

Bob Backlund vs. John Paul

Vince criticizes Backlund for being a sore loser. Interesting that it's coming from the guy who did the Billionaire Ted skits. Backlund quickly puts on the Crossface Chicken Wing for the victory. He looks at his hands some more. This is all thrilling. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Timothy Well vs. Adam Bomb

Well Dunn is never on WWE TV and no one cares as a result. I also have no clue how this is even worthy of being a feature match on Superstars? Bomb doesn't look particularly motivated here. He gives a weak boot to the gut of Well and then Harvey gets on the apron. Bomb of course falls for it and then Well Dunn double teams him and we get a DQ. God forbid Timothy Well do a job. Adam Bomb cleans house and that's all. This was pointless and no one cared. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

We go to Ray Rougeau, which is just all part of Leslie Nielsen's skit. It leads to Leslie Nielsen telling the cops to arrest another Leslie Nielsen. Great writing. 

It's time for your Domino's Pizza SummerSlam Report. Owen Hart continues to say the family has jumped on his bandwagon. Bret Hart's not buying it and it's not going to be like when they were scrapping around in the dungeon. Walter Payton cuts a promo and tells Shawn and Diesel that they're going to find out what the NFL is all about. 

Doink vs. Ted Miller

They found the only lady in the crowd wearing a Doink shirt to be the guest ring announcer. This looks to be the biggest arena they have run in awhile here in 1994. Considering it only holds 5,600 people, that's kind of sad. Doink hits a couple variations of a suplex and the Whoopee Cushion for the victory. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

It's time for the Heartbreak Hotel since Shawn hardly ever wrestles any more. They bring out Jim Cornette and they talk about Yokozuna being scared of Undertaker. I'm not really sure why they are doing this before SummerSlam. 

Fake Undertaker vs. Major Yates

I have enjoyed 1994 so far more than most people do, but this episode has been terrible. Faker hits a chokeslam and that's all. Horrible.

Match Rating: 1/4*

They hype up the Mabel/Jeff Jarrett match for some unknown reason. They also claim that Jeff Jarrett is known for his high flying acrobatics. 

Next week it will be Adam Bomb and the Smoking Gunns against Kwang and Well Dunn. Plus, Tatanka and Diesel will be in action. We then go to Paul Bearer at a cemetery saying Undertaker is here. Paul Bearer says he'll be on Raw Monday to confront Ted DiBiase. 

This was one of the worst episodes of anything I have watched in a long time. This was all just useless filler and nothing worth ever watching.

Overall Rating: 21%

Great American Bash 2006 Review

Sunday, July 23rd, 2006
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indianapolis, Indiana

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The intro video feels very chopped at the beginning due to all of the changes to the card. 

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Paul London & Brian Kendrick vs. Pit Bulls

Michael Cole and JBL surprisingly bring up a lot of the NWA history at this show. This is a great choice for a pay per view opener. London and Kash have a little bit of a sloppy opening, but it leads to London launching Kendrick off the top rope on Kash. We get a double dive by the champions, which at the time wasn't something you saw 10 times a show. London and Kendrick are getting in a lot more offense than I expected here. They do a great spot where London tries to skin the cat, but Noble dropkicks him when he is upside down and he goes crashing to the floor. The challengers isolate London and hit him with an impactful double chop. London makes a hot tag quicker than expected and he almost gets the victory, but Kash grabs the bottom rope on 2. Things break down and Kendrick climbs up the turnbuckles to leap down on Noble. Kash goes for the brainbuster on London, but in comes Kendrick and he hits a missile dropkick and London pins him to pick up the victory. Things were a little bit sloppy to start, but once they got settled in, they delivered. Good opening match and the crowd continues to be behind London and Kendrick as champions. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

Daivari and Khali are arguing backstage with Daivari asking why Khali just can't wait. 

Teddy Long is out to deliver some bad news. Lashley was found to have elevated enzymes in the liver and won't compete tonight. Lashley's music hits and is on his way out. This is all just weird. Out comes William Regal and Finlay. Finlay thinks it's crap and wants Long to raise his hand as the winner by forfeit. Instead, we're getting Regal and Finlay.

US Championship Match
Finlay vs. William Regal

Regal goes and checks under the ring before locking up. Regal ends up outside and Hornswoggle grabs his leg and gets chased with a shillelagh. This all leads to Finlay taking control of the match. This match has a weird vibe with it being heel vs. heel. It leads to a loud "Boring" chant, which is pretty stupid. Cole says it's because they want Lashley in the match. I'm thinking that's not the reason. Finlay catches Regal on the ring apron and Regal comes out of it with missing a boot. Regal grabs the shillelagh, but Hornswoggle hands Finlay the boot. He uses it to club Regal in the head and then puts his feet on the ropes to get the victory. That was kind of a weak ending to a weird match. 

Match Rating: **1/2

Chavo Guerrero and Rey Mysterio are backstage and Chavo tells Rey that he might as well be a Guerrero. 

Matt Hardy vs. Gregory Helms

Hardy mocks the Hurriane gimmick before clotheslining Helms over the top rope. We get some back and forth action until Helms hits a nice swinging neckbreaker from the top rope. Classic Helms there. JBL making fun of Hardy caring about the fans is pretty fun. Things pick up and Helms hits the Shining Wizard, but Hardy is able to kick out. They're back on the turnbuckles again, but Hardy knocks Helms off and hits a moonsault for a 2 count. Hardy hits an elbow off the second rope and again gets a 2 count. Helms is able to lift Hardy up and drop him face-first onto the top turnbuckle and then rolls him up and grabs the tights to steal the victory. This was a really competitive match where both men looked good. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

We go back to Khali and Daivari. Undertaker attacks Daivari and then turns his attention to Khali. Big Show comes out of nowhere and they attack Undertaker.

After the Punjabi Prison Match hype video, Teddy confronts the trio and tells Big Show that he's going to take Khali's spot in the match. 

Punjabi Prison Match
Big Show vs. Undertaker

Michael Cole gives us the rules and this feels like Legends Of The Hidden Temple. After entrances that take forever, Show attacks Taker on his way into the ring. This match is already pointless. Undertaker picks up steam and charges at Show and into the cage. Show catches him and goes for the chokeslam, but Taker counters into a DDT. Taker asks for one of the doors to open and the timer starts. These rules are so stupid. Show stops him and then takes the turnbuckle off the top rope. They spent all this time hyping how dangerous this structure is and then Show thinks a turnbuckle is more vicious. Taker goes for Old School, but Show is able to throw him off. Show asks for the door to be opened, but he takes forever, so Taker stops him. Show slams Taker's head into the turnbuckle to no reaction, so there's that. Taker hits a superplex and that allows Taker to roll out of one of the doors. Taker tries to climb up the exterior cage, but Show gets out of the final door and stops Taker. Show then throws Taker through a table and then wisely throws him back in the ring before the fourth door shuts. No more doors are able to open and Show is on level 2. Taker and Show both start climbing their cages and Taker is out of his first. He walks over to the exterior cage and swings from a rope to kick Show off the cage. Taker then runs and leg drops Show through a table. Out come Daivari and Khali as Taker is climbing the interior cage. Taker leaps off and lands on Show, with the cage door opening as Show falls. They declare Taker the winner, but that was a stupid ending. I guess it should be noted that both men are bleeding from their foreheads. Just when you think this couldn't be any dumber, Khali and Dairvari were climbing the cage to come in. This was just really stupid. I appreciate them trying to come up with a new gimmick match, but this was more Vince Russo than Pat Patterson. 

Match Rating: *1/4

Queen Sharmell is pumping up King Booker before making out. 

Fatal 4-Way Bra And Panties Match
Kristal vs. Michelle McCool vs. Jillian Hall vs. Ashley

I'm surprised they booked two classics in a row. Kristal rips Ashley's top off, so Ashley throws her out of the ring. Jillian goes up top, but Kristal knocks her off. McCool takes off Jillian's top from the tree of woe. Jillian and Ashley team up to throw Kristal and McCool into each other and then rip both of their skirts off. Jillian has Kristal by the legs and Ashley rips off her top. Ashley gets declared the victor, but Jillian is disappointed. Ashley grabs her back in and they rip off each other's skirt while Cole declares that this is what SmackDown is all about. This was about as horrible as you would expect.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Mr. Kennedy tells Miz that he'll beat Batista.

Batista vs. Mr. Kennedy

Kennedy points up for his microphone, but Batista attacks him before that happens. Kennedy gets busted open pretty quickly here and pretty badly. He teases walking to the back, but when he runs back in, Batista greets him with a running Spear. Kennedy is able to rake the eyes and then hits him with a boot to the face. Kennedy continues the attack until Batista catches him and drives him into the ring post. Batista has him in the corner and shoves his boot in the face of Kennedy. Charles Robinson tries to get him off, but Batista won't release, so he calls for the bell. Talk about a lame finish. Batista just takes out his anger on Kennedy and hits three spinebusters and a Batista Bomb. This was actually a pretty solid match up until the dumb finish. Kennedy looked like he belonged despite this being a thrown together match. 

Match Rating: **1/2

World Heavyweight Championship Match
King Booker vs. Rey Mysterio

Hey, it's the same match that I watched for free two nights ago on SmackDown. After some back and forth, Mysterio hits a seated senton to the outside. Back in the ring, Booker hits him with a kick and gets a 2 count. Sharmell gets in some fingernails to the eye behind the referee's back. Booker hits the Three Amigos and doesn't get as much heat as you would think. Booker misses a Scissors Kick and Mysterio unleashes. He goes for the 619, but Booker moves. Mysterio still hits him with a kick to the head and gets a 2 count. He goes for it again and this time Sharmell trips him up. Nick Patrick sends her to the back, but back in the ring, Booker hits a back suplex. Mysterio hits a couple of dropkicks to the knees of Booker and both men are down. Mysterio hits a DDT, but Booker gets the shoulder up. Booker catches Mysterio and tosses him right onto Patrick and he's knocked out of the ring. Mysterio hits the seated senton and the 619. He goes up top and hits hte Frog Splash, but the referee is still knocked out. Booker hits a low blow and a Book End. He goes out and grabs a chair, but Mysterio dropkicks it off his head. Out comes Chavo and drills Mysterio with a sick chairshot to the head. Why? Patrick is back in the ring and slowly counts to 3 to crown a new champ. This was a really entertaining match even if you hate ref bumps. Mysterio's reign was never treated seriously, so it's no surprise that he lost here. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

This was basically an episode of SmackDown on steroids. It ended up being changed and it probably effected their goals, but probably improved the in ring quality. The Punjabi Prison match was a real downer and took up way too much time. It's hard to say that this was a great show or anything, but it was entertaining enough and had the title change to make it somewhat memorable. All hail King Booker.

Overall Rating: 61%

NXT 7-31-14 Review

Original Airdate: Thursday, July 31st, 2014
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

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Tyler Breeze vs. Angelo Dawkins

Dawkins has a lot of charisma for a job guy here. Breeze is a little bit more aggressive here and as I am typing that, he quickly hits the Beauty Shot for the easy victory. After the match, he dumps Dawkins out of the ring and grabs the mic. He announces that he has submitted his music video for the Academy Awards in the documentary category and says he's going to play it again. Out comes Adrian Neville instead. Breeze makes a Hobbit joke and Neville fires back about getting a Snapchat from Breeze's mom. They start to brawl and Breeze runs to the back. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Natalya tells us that she's excited that Adam Rose is back tonight. Tyson Kidd makes fun of him and Natalya tells him to enjoy his life for once. Kidd challenges him to a match tonight. 

They announce that a #1 contender's tag team tournament will start next week. Oh, and Tyler Breeze has left the building. 

Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch

Becky's entrance is pretty cool. We get a quick-paced opening minute or so, with Lynch showing a lot of fire. Charlotte catches a kick and goes to work on Becky's leg. Becky makes her comeback with some clotheslines and a leg drop. Charlotte catches her leg again and is able to hit Natural Selection for the victory. I'm surprised this didn't go a little longer, as they were having a good match. 

Match Rating: **

Mojo Rawley is looking for a partner is for the tournament. In walks Bull Dempsey and he says that as much as it pains him to say, he'll be Mojo's partner. 

The Ascension vs. Mac Miles & Steve Cutler

302 days as the champs and I honestly can't remember one match they had. The champs hit a double shoulder tackle on Cutler. They hit Fall Of Man and that's all. We've seen this 100 times. They grab the mic and say nothing.

Match Rating: 1/4*

CJ Parker gets a vignette about saving the Earth and Xavier Woods. 

Mojo Rawley & Bull Dempsey vs. The Mechanics

Hey, look it's the best tag team in wrestling. Rawley is just such a one note character and he never adapted to anything else. The Mechanics show off their trademark teamwork early on and isolate Mojo. Mojo fights back and hits a splash. He tags in Bull and he hits the Bulldozer for the victory. The Mechanics showed a lot of promise in a short amount of time here, so of course they lost. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

Bayley says that she's happy the BFFs broke up because they have been mean to her. She reminds us that she has beaten Charlotte, so of course she walks in. Charlotte tells her that it would be in her best interest for Bayley not to mutter her name again. 

Adam Rose vs. Tyson Kidd

I'm not sure I've ever seen a long Adam Rose match. Rose hands Natalya a sucker and she eats it. Kidd takes it away and isn't happy. Rose backs Kidd into the corner and stomps in his chest. Rose then drops Kidd off his shoulders and onto the ring apron. He follows that up with a baseball slide into the commercial break. Kidd shifts the momentum with a clothesline over the top rope. Kidd comes out and rams Rose into the ring post with authority not once, but twice. After some lengthy rest holds, Rose fires back and hits a big clothesline in the corner. Rose hits a spinebuster for a 2 count. Kidd fires back and snaps Rose's neck on the road and hits a kick to the face from the apron. Kidd gets distracted by Natalya and it allows Rose to get an inside cradle and steal the victory. Natalya goes to check on him and Kidd isn't happy. The match was just okay. 

Match Rating: **

This was a pretty ho hum episode despite Becky Lynch and the future FTR looking really good in defeat. They're kind of in a holding pattern here waiting for the next TakeOver to occur. 

Overall Rating: 46%

Monday Night Raw 8-8-94

Original Airdate: Monday, August 8th, 1994
Beeghly Center
Youngstown, Ohio

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We get a weird intro this week where a doctor stops a surgery to turn on Raw. 

Fake Undertaker vs. Butch Banks

Has any character declined as quickly as Ted DiBiase did? His decline and the decline in popularity of WWF seem to go hand in hand. The good news is this portion of the Million Dollar Corporation is almost over. Faker catches Butch for a chokeslam and that is all. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They show the highlights of Lex Luger on the Heartbreak Hotel.

Lex Luger vs. Chad Miller

DiBiase was still at ringside and they show him and Luger interact before the match starts. They then interview DiBiase backstage and he told Luger to not worry about a thing. A lot of nothing happening here until Luger hits his running forearm. I'm surprised he didn't use the Torture Rack here, as he's been using that more often.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Todd Pettengill runs down the full card of SummerSlam tonight.

Doink & Tatanka vs. Bam Bam Bigelow & IRS

Remember when IRS and Tatanka had that big feud? Well, they start things off and Tatanka gets hit in the face with a back elbow. Tatanka fights back and then the hot feud from WrestleMania X comes in there with Doink and Bam Bam. Tatanka tags in and hits a crossbody on Bam Bam. IRS tries to pull the top rope on Tatanka but for some reason it doesn't work in an awkward spot. He eventually ends up on the floor and IRS attacks him as we go to commercial break. Both Tatanka and Bam Bam both go for crossbodies and they are both down. Both men tag in their partners and Tatanka isn't happy with the ref's count. This allows Bam Bam to attack Doink from behind and IRS to hit the Write Off for the victory. This was pretty standard TV fare. After the match Tatanka attacks IRS, but Bam Bam comes in there and they double team him. Out comes Luger to make the save. In comes DiBiase and he puts the money in his hand. Tatanka and him get in a war of words and then Bam Bam and IRS come in to keep them apart, along with a bunch of officials. This story would have been a lot better if Luger just would have turned heel. 

Match Rating: *3/4

Next week, 1-2-3 Kid takes on Owen Hart. Yes, please. 

Jerry Lawler is here for the King's Court and his guest is Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart. Owen has his all pink attire on and Neidhart is in all black. Owen says that his entire family has jumped on his bandwagon because Bret's a loser. Lawler brings out Bruce, who he calls the runt of the litter. He yells at Owen and says that no one is on his side. He then claims that Owen cheated at WrestleMania, which he didn't. Bruce then goes after Neidhart and there is lots of yelling. 

Bob Backlund vs. Kevin Krueger

Backlund tries to do his babyface offense that no one cared about when he was a babyface, so they don't care about it now. He has been back for two years now and has done nothing to make anyone care about him, until the turn on Hart. I still can't believe that he would go on to beat Bret. I guess we'll see what happens between now and then. There is so much stalling here. Backlund then slaps on the Crossface Chicken Wing out of nowhere and gets the win. This was horrible.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Jerry Lawler will have Ted DiBiase and Paul Bearer on the King's Court. We then go backstage to Luger in the Million Dollar Corporation locker room. Tatanka finds him there and they start shoving as we go off the air. 

The King's Court segment was fun because Bruce seemed to go into business for himself a little bit, but everything else here was skippable. We're just at the point where we need to get to SummerSlam and soon.

Overall Rating: 41%

Superstars 8-6-94 Review

Original Airdate: Saturday, August 6th, 1994
Ocean City Convention Center
Ocean City, Maryland

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Well, apparently they had some technical difficulties with this episode, so there is a disclaimer saying that this is presented in the best way possible. It doesn't look like anything was cut in terms of time, as the episode clocks in at 48 minutes. For some reason we are stuck with Stan Lane and Lord Alfred Hayes. Somebody hates me.

Owen Hart vs. Mike Khoury

Scott Keith's review mentions that JR and Lawler are the announcers for this episode, so I wonder what version we have here? One thing that doesn't get noted enough was how well Owen transitioned his offense to a heel offense. Owen hits a nice missile dropkick and then slaps on the Sharpshooter for the victory. Owen looks good as always. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They show the same Leslie Nielsen Domino's commercial vignette again.

Lex Luger is the guest on the Heartbreak Hotel. Shawn continues hinting that Luger has been bought, but Luger says he hasn't been bought. Michaels gets him to admit that Ted DiBiase gave him a lucrative offer. Luger then says that there's no price that DiBiase could pay to buy him and walks off. Stan then tries to entice us by letting us know that Kwang is up next. 

Jim Powers vs. Kwang

Hey, it's Jim Powers. Powers ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody. Kwang hits a spin kick in the turnbuckle to slow down Power's momentum. We get a quick little spot of come counters, but Kwang hits the spin kick and picks up the victory. I'm not sure why they wouldn't have let this one go another minute or two. This was a spirited little match. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

They show highlights of Diesel winning the Intercontinental Championship. 

Jeff Jarrett vs. 1-2-3 Kid

The Kid comes in from the crowd and sneak attacks Jarrett. Kid hits a kick and then a dive over the top to the floor. I love '94 Kid. Kid leaps off the apron, but Jarrett catches him and drops him on the guardrail. Jarrett goes for the second rope fist, but Kid moves out of the way. Kid then avoids an elbow drop. Jarrett tries a suplex, but Kid uses an inside cradle for a 2 count. Jarrett slaps on the sleeper hold. Kid gets out and tries one of his own. Jarrett backs him in the corner, but Kid hits an inverted atomic drop. Jarrett trips him up and gets his feet on the rope to steal the victory. Kid isn't happy and referees come out to talk about the finish. Jarrett runs to the back and nothing is done about the finish. This was a good match, as Kid continues to just kill it almost every opportunity he gets. 

Match Rating: **3/4

They show highlights of the Bret Hart/Bob Backlund match from last week. 

Duke Droese vs. Ray Hudson

It already feels like they've kind of given up on Droese and it's kind of amazing that he kept the same gimmick all the way to 1996. He hits the Trash Compactor and that's all. No one cares. After the match, they pretend Lord Alfred Hayes is the one drawing instead of Jerry Lawler.

Match Rating: 1/4*

It's time for our SummerSlam Report. Todd Pettengill lets us know that Razor has recruited Walter Payton for the show. Alundra Blayze is now taking on Bull Nakano and the Headshrinkers are taking on IRS and Bam Bam Bigelow. Tatanka is still crabby and Bret has lost his respect for Owen. 

Now Leslie Nielsen is in front of a green screen. 

Razor Ramon vs. Mike Haywood

Razor catches Haywood and hits the fall away slam. It doesn't take long until he hits the Razor's Edge and that is all. Your usual Razor squash, which isn't a bad thing. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They show highlights of the Luger/Tatanka feud and then we join a match taped at Raw with Luger. I am guessing this is why the episode is a little longer. Next week, Adam Bomb is taking on Timothy Well. Get your VCRs ready for that one. 

This was a pretty good show by Superstars standards. We got the one good feature match and Michaels did a good job of being annoying to Lex Luger. Other than that, this was the usual.

Overall Rating: 44%

SmackDown 7-21-06 Review

Original Airdate: Friday, July 21st, 2006
American Bank Center
Corpus Christie, Texas

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Teddy Long is in the ring to let us know that Mark Henry is hurt and has had knee surgery. As a result, he's about to name Batista the #1 contender, but is interrupted by Mr. Kennedy. He challenges Batista to a match at Great American Bash. I guess that's one positive of waiting until the week before to make matches. Out comes Batista and his attire is definitely a choice. Batista says to make the match because he has 6 months worth of anger and no one to take it out on. Kennedy asks for a handshake, but lifts his hand up like he's in 3rd grade. 

Brian Kendrick vs. Kid Kash

Kash works on the leg of Kendrick ahead of their championship match at Great American Bash. JBL actually is a good announcer during this era. He does a really nice job of making both teams feel important. As I typed that, he goes on to call the APA the greatest tag team ever. Kendrick makes a comeback until Noble gets on the apron. He avoids a charging Kash and almost gets a win with a roll up. London comes in to help, but it distracts the ref and Noble catches Kash on the Sliced Bread #2 attempt. This allows Kash to hit the brainbuster and pick up the victory. That was a good finish to a solid match. 

Match Rating: **1/2

Teddy is with Chavo Guerrero and talking about retirement. In comes King Booker and Queen Sharmell. He wants Mysterio in a match, but Teddy says he gets him Sunday. Booker wants him tonight to show him respect tonight. Chavo says that he's sick of Mysterio not getting respect. He gives him his match tonight for some reason. 

After the commercial, Teddy is with Chavo and Mysterio. Chavo tries to talk him out of his match, but Rey accepts the challenge. 

Michelle McCool & Kristal vs. Ashley & Jillian Hall

These are four women that never really did much for me as wrestlers or characters. This is all just a set up for the Bra & Panties match on Sunday, with Jillian ripping off Kristal's shirt, her getting embarrassed and Ashley pinning her. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Great Khali and Daivari are in the ring to talk about the Punjabi Prison Match that he won't be wrestling in. They show a highlight package and that's it. 

Lashley is with Miz for an interview. They show highlights of Finlay beating him for the United States Championship and Lashley says that Finlay isn't the only one who loves to fight. 

United States Championship Match
Finlay vs. Bobby Lashley

After some stalling to start, Finlay fakes an injury to get an advantage early on. Finlay uses his physical offense to slow things down. Even though he never got super over with the fans, he really was a breath of fresh air to the roster. As you would expect, Finlay dominates and slows it down. If you didn't know Finlay was unorthodox before this match, please allow Michael Cole to inform you of that about 30 times in this match. Finlay worked on the injured knee for a couple of minutes, but Lashley seems to forget about it right at the start of his comeback. William Regal is out and it allows for Hornswoggle to interfere. Finlay goes back to the injured knee. Lashley again makes a comeback and doesn't sell the knee. He does the delayed vertical suplex with ease and sets up for the Spear. Regal grabs him by the leg and starts beating on him while the ref is distracted by Finlay. Finlay takes off a turnbuckle pad, but the ref catches him. Finlay gets a chair while the referee puts it back on, but Lashley kicks it back in his face. Regal comes in and attacks Lashley with another chair and the bell rings. Hornswoggle comes in from behind and gives him a low blow. Lashley picks up the victory, but gets destroyed as a result. The match was pretty good, but again this whole feud is derailed by Lashley missing some time. 

Match Rating: **1/2

Miz is out for the Diva Search. It's a Diva Dance Contest and it's pretty obvious that Layla is the star here. Erica is embarrassingly bad. Maryse isn't much better. Somehow Milena wins with the crowd and I can't believe I've had to watch this twice in my life now. 

Matt Hardy, Funaki and Tatanka are hanging out as one would expect and Sylvan comes in to talk about Quebec. 

Gregory Helms joins the announce team for the next match.

Super Crazy vs. Psicosis

Psicosis has new music for his heel turn. Helms announces that he has agreed to a match at the Great American Bash, but he doesn't know who his opponent is. I'm not really sure I understood them breaking these guys up because no one cares about it and they were a good tag team. Super Crazy explodes for a springboard dropkick and then a moonsault to the outside. Psicosis hits a spin kick for a 2 count and then a face-first suplex. Super Crazy hits a springboard arm drag into a pinfall and picks up the victory kind of out of nowhere. The psychology of this match didn't really make much sense and then they just hit a few nice moves to end it. Like I said, I just don't understand what the point of this was. 

Match Rating: *1/4

More videos of Vito shopping for dresses and getting made fun of. 

They run down the card for Great American Bash, which feels semi-thrown together.

King Booker vs. Rey Mysterio

Again, I can't find the logic of having the main event of your show in 2 days facing each other on free TV. Rey tries to leap over Booker in the corner, but he gets caught and thrown like a lawn dart. Booker hits a suplex after bouncing him off the top rope and then slows things down. Mysterio makes his comeback and JBL compares him to herpes. Mysterio then cheats and hits a baseball slide to the crotch of Booker behind the referee's back. Rey sets up Booker for the 619, but Sharmell trips him up. You can't really argue with that. Booker goes for the Scissors Kick, but Chavo trips him up. Rey hits the 619 and springboard leg drop for the victory. I thought for sure that they were just going to have Regal and Finlay attack Rey here, so I guess this is a little bit surprising. The match was good for the time allotted, but it still just makes no sense. 

Match Rating: **3/4

This was an entertaining in ring show this week, but with all of the other pay-per-views, ECW, Raw and Saturday Night's Main Event, this just feels like an afterthought. However, SmackDown does still tend to be the best weekly show and this week it was by quite a bit.

Overall Rating: 58%

ECW 7-18-06 Review

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006
American Bank Center
Corpus Christie, Texas

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We start with Kelly Kelly dancing. She takes off her skirt and shirt and out comes Mike Knox. He brings her to the ring and she smiles and waives. Knox grabs a mic and shows Kelly what happened last week when he got attacked by Sandman because of her. He tells her that she will never take her clothes off in public again and then tells her to go in his corner for his match with Sandman.

Mike Knox vs. Sandman

Knox takes it to Sandman early on, throwing him into the barricade on the outside. Sandman grabs the cane and Knox grabs Kelly and throws her in front of him and she gets whacked in the head. Wow, I very vaguely remember this. Knox takes advantage of it and kicks Sandman below the belt twice. That's enough to get him the pinfall victory. Knox then walks to the back without checking on Kelly. This was all storyline and an attempt to get Knox over as a mega heel. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

Shannon Moore is a reject.

Paul Heyman is out to talk about suspending Rob Van Dam for 30 days. He doesn't get to ramble on for too long before Tommy Dreamer makes his way down. Dreamer says he has been with him since the beginning and he wants an explanation. Heyman grabs him and kisses him on the lips. As Dreamer is distracted, in comes Test and knees him in the head. Heyman walks to the back, but Test isn't done. He hits a TKO for good measure. 

Balls Mahoney is a knucklehead. 

Sabu vs. Stevie Richards

It's the big money rematch from Saturday Night's Main Event. Stevie actually gets in some offense here tonight, so I'm happy. It doesn't last long of course and Sabu hits a somersault leg drop. Sabu hits a DDT and then slaps on the Camel Clutch for the easy victory. It is kind of interesting how much they continue to push Sabu despite suspending RVD. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

CM Punk is disciplined. 

Kevin Thorn is with Ariel and he exposes blood all over her neck. 

ECW Championship Match
Big Show vs. Undertaker

We get lots of punches to start if you're into that. Taker tries to take Show down with a couple of clotheslines, but Show gives him a boot and Taker is down. Show dominates and slams Taker into the steps. The arena is really dark, making me think there are a lot of empty seats. Taker makes his comeback with lots of punches and then hits a DDT. Show is able to get Taker up on the turnbuckle and hits a second rope superplex. Show goes for the pin, but Taker sits up at 2. They both go for a chokeslam, but then Show whiffs on a headbutt. Taker does Old School and hits a boot to the head. Out comes Great Khali and he starts brawling with Taker. Taker grabs a chair and starts swinging, but we have the ref calling for the bell. We have a double countout, but Show and Khali hit a double chokeslam through the announce table. We're just 5 days away from their match that was never meant to be. The match was average, but nothing memorable. 

Match Rating: **1/4

This felt like a filler episode. This show is desperately needing some fresh blood, so stop with the vignettes and give us CM Punk.

Overall Rating: 49%

Monday Night Raw 7-17-06 Review

Monday, July 17th, 2006
AT&T Center
San Antonio, Texas

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DX is here for a PSA, which is just a bunch of "highlights" of the last few weeks. They then come out to the arena in Shawn Michael's hometown. The segment goes on forever and of course the McMahons come out. It all just leads to them announcing Shane vs. Shawn tonight. 

They show some highlights of Umaga because he's up against John Cena tonight.

#1 Contender Match For The Intercontinental Championship
Carlito vs. Shelton Benjamin

Todd Grisham announces the match for the Cruiserweight Championship on accident. This is about the 361st time these two have wrestled. Carlito hits a springboard elbow in his comeback. They have a nice little spot of counters and it leads to Shelton to rolling up Carlito and Shelton failing to be able to grab the ropes. Carlito reverses that and he is able to grab the ropes to become the #1 contender. I'm not sure why this was so short, but that's WWE for you. 

Match Rating: *1/2

Carlito and Trish interact backstage to show off their budding romance. 

Trish Stratus & Torrie Wilson vs. Mickie James & Victoria

Candice Michelle is the special guest referee just because. Once Trish gets tagged in, we get some good action. Candice throws Mickie out of the ring and Trish is able to hit Stratusfaction on Victoria and pick up the victory. This was extremely short, like you would expect. However, I thought they maximized their minutes here. 

Match Rating: *

Umaga and Armando Alejandro Estrada are backstage with Maria and it's the usual Umaga doesn't speak type interview. 

Mick Foley is at WWE Studios and he declines Ric Flair's rematch request. 

They show clips of why Lilian Garcia isn't here tonight. Maria interviews Viscera and Charlie Haas and they say nothing. 

Highlanders vs. Steele & Simpson

The jobbers attack the Highlanders, but shockingly the Highlanders overcome the odds. They hit a Battering Ram for a 2 count. The crowd does not care about this at all. They hit the Scot Drop and that's all. After the match, they challenge the Spirit Squad for the titles. The tag division sure is heating up!

Match Rating: 1/4*

DX is backstage and the Highlanders run into them. They tell him to walk into Vince's office to get and know him. They tell him that he is losing his hearing and that he loves having his butt patted. 

Matt Striker is in the ring with his chalkboard that says Edge>Cena. His guest today is John Cena. Cena basically insults him, takes off his shirt and says it's time to fight.

John Cena vs. Umaga

They start brawling as soon as Umaga gets to the ring, but there is no referee yet and the chalkboard is still in the ring. Umaga gets thrown right through the chalkboard and then a ref makes his way in the ring. Umaga continues the attack and hits a splash. Cena battles back with a DDT and goes for the STFU, but Umaga gets to the ropes. Edge makes his way out and Umaga hits a running thrust to Cena in the tree of woe. Cena avoids a charging Umaga and goes out to beat up Edge. Umaga grabs Cena and throws him into the steel steps. Cena fights back again and hits the spinning powerbomb suplex. It's Five Knuckle Shuffle time, but Armando gets on the apron. Edge comes in, but Cena puts him up for the FU. Before he can, Umaga hits the Samoan Spike and gets the victory. This was just about everything you would want out of a TV match with interference featuring top stars. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

The Highlanders are in Vince's office eating his catering. Vince walks in and they start yelling in his ear, but Vince yells at them and they slap his butt. Hilarious. 

Randy Orton vs. Eugene

We'll finally get a 10+ minute match on Raw here. RKO already? Man. Orton tells Eugene not to take advantage of the McMahons, just like he never would take advantage of Brooke. He shows a clip from Saturday Night's Main Event.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Mick Foley is back and said he was impressed by Ric Flair's match with Big Show on ECW. He tells him he should wear some flannel next time too.

Out comes Ric Flair to the ring. They show some clips of his match and Flair says he wants Foley in a Hardcore Rules match. He is interrupted by Johnny Nitro and Melina. Nitro informs Flair that he means nothing to Foley and he attacks him after Melina distracts him with a "Wooo". Flair battles back, but when he goes for the Figure Four, Nitro kicks him away and he knocks Melina off the apron. Nitro helps Melina to the back and Flair apologizes? This was a weird segment. 

It's Diva Search time. They announce the first elimination and it's Amy. She looks like she is about to cry and then throws out thongs that she pulls out of her jean shorts. Miz tells them it will be a Diva Dance Off on SmackDown. Can't wait. 

Shane and Vince are backstage. Vince says that DX will never make fools of them again and wouldn't you know it, Vince has a sign on his back that says "Vince loves cocks". Shane lets him know and then we see that he has one that says "Me too". 

Shawn Michaels vs. Shane McMahon

Shane gets the early advantage and starts tuning up the band for Sweet Chin Music. Shawn catches the attempt and hits a right hand. He hits the flying forearm and inverted atomic drop. Michaels follows it up with a top rope elbow drop and now he tunes up the band. Vince grabs his leg and Triple H chases after him. The Spirit Squad runs into the ring and attacks Michaels. Triple H runs back to help, but the Squad has the numbers game. They try to do their five man move, but Michaels lands on his feet. They beat him down again and hit the move. Triple H was shown being thrown into the steps and Shane hits him with a chair. They set up some chairs in the ring, but in comes Triple H with the sledgehammer. They take out the Spirit Squad and the McMahons retreat to the back. We seriously have like 2 more months of this stuff. This was the same ol' same ol'. It wasn't much of a match either. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

The Umaga/Cena match saved this from being a dud. That was a refreshing matchup and the right guy went over to help build Umaga as a top contender. The rest of the show though, woof. The DX stuff is getting really old, really quickly. 

Overall Rating: 48%

NXT 7-24-14 Review

Original Airdate: Thursday, July 24th, 2014
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

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Ascension vs. Aaron Solo & Jonny Vandal

This is one of those matches that feels like it would take place in a high school gym. For some reason, the crowd is into this. Unfortunately, the tag team division is pretty much the low point of 2014 NXT. They hit a few moves, it's over. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Tyler Breeze vs. Mojo Rawley

Breeze shows off his hangnail a little bit, which is in a cast. He then catches Mojo by surprise with the Beauty Shot and that's all. I'm a little surprised by that. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

NXT Women's Championship Match
Summer Rae vs. Charlotte

Charlotte mocks Summer's dancing and they go at it. Charlotte gets Summer in a Figure Four headlock as we go to a quick commercial break. This one has been pretty light on action so far. Summer baits Charlotte and she falls through the ropes. Summer takes control and works on the leg with a half crab. Charlotte hits a spin kick and gets a 2 count. Charlotte hits a sort of awkward Natural Selection and picks up the victory. This was a really disappointing match. They had a story to work off of and it just didn't deliver. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

Vaudevillains vs. Kalisto & Sin Cara

Both of these teams are still learning how to team with one another. We get some decent wrestling to start and Sin Cara hits a nice one armed powerbomb on Aiden English. In comes Kalisto and he hits some of his signature offense. English breaks up the pin attempt on Gotch after a springboard kick fro Kalisto. Sin Cara takes out English with a dive and Kalisto hits Salida del Sol for the victory. I'm surprised they didn't go for some sort of cheap finish here with both teams being new. This was a pretty good introduction to both teams. 

Match Rating: **

Adrian Neville vs. Rusev

We get the Putin picture on the screen here for the first time I believe. Rusev catches Neville and he hits some knees to the ribs before hitting the fall away slam. They do a nice variation of the usual big man/smaller opponent match and Neville hits a dropkick. Out comes Tyler Breeze who interferes, but the ref doesn't see it. Neville hits a kick to the head and goes up to the top. Breeze knocks him off the turnbuckle and the ref rings the bell. Rusev attacks Neville and puts him in the Accolade. He celebrates as they go off the air. The match never got much of a chance to get going, but was pretty good for what it was.

Match Rating: *3/4

This show was pretty bland this week despite having a lot of the bigger names on the card. It just didn't do much to progress anything outside of the interference from Tyler Breeze in the main event. The Charlotte/Summer match was a real disappointment, as it was just a generic match instead of a blow off to a feud. 

Overall Rating: 48%

WrestleMania 38: WrestleMania Sunday Review

Sunday, April 3rd, 2022
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas

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Jessie James Decker is here tonight to sing "America The Beautiful". This is followed by another Mark Wahlberg intro. 

Triple H's music hits and he makes his way to the ring. He gets a big ovation and introduces us to WrestleMania and the pyro. He leaves his boots in the ring with a microphone. Gable Steveson is in the audience tonight. 

Triple Threat Match For The Raw Tag Team Championships
RK-Bro vs. Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy

It makes me happy to see Chad Gable actually being used. It's chaos to start things off and the referee is just sitting there watching it unfold. Montez Ford hits his leaping dive over the corner to the floor and Gable follows it up with a moonsault. When everything calms down, it's Otis hitting a splash on Riddle in the ring. Angelo Dawkins gets some offense in taking care of both Gable and Riddle, but in comes Otis to make the save. Riddle avoids Otis in the corner and he hits his shoulder on the ring post, but it's his own corner, so Gable tags in. Riddle hits a knee and then hits a Bro To Sleep on Dawkins. Orton and Ford get tagged in and Orton gets the better of it. Orton hits a back suplex on the announce table on Ford and then on Gable. Orton and Riddle hit a double draping DDT on the Street Profits. Otis hits an elbow and then they hit a top rope bulldog. In come the Street Profits hits a top rope blockbuster, but Gable somehow kicks out. Dawkins avoids a RKO and then hits a dive to the outside. Ford goes up top, but Riddle gets up and hits a top rope RKO. Gable goes off the top rope, but Orton catches him and hits the RKO for the victory. I don't think I thought this was going to be as good as it ended up being. The crowd absolutely loved the final minutes too. After the match, the Street Profits hand RK-Bro some red cups and then call in Gable Steveson to join them. They go for a cheers, but in comes Chad Gable and slaps away the cup. Chad has the mic and tells him to shoooooosh. Gable grabs him and hits an overhead suplex and then joins in the toast. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

Omos vs. Bobby Lashley

Omos dominates the early going and then my signal goes out. Omos catches Lashley off the top rope and he launches him up and down to the mat. It is pretty crazy how small Lashley looks compared to Omos. Omos drives him into the turnbuckle and it appears that Lashley may have hit his head on the ring post. Lashley makes his comeback and hits a suplex to a nice ovation. He hits a Spear to the back of Omos and then another one for the victory. I wasn't expecting much here, but I'd say they slightly exceeded my expectations. 

Match Rating: *1/2

I guess if you don't have a match at WrestleMania, you do charity work. 

Anything Goes Match
Sami Zayn vs. Johnny Knoxville

This honestly may have the best build out of all of the matches on the card and Zayn is my favorite character on the current roster. Zayn runs and hits a Helluva Kick right as it starts. He then throws him into the barricade in front of some of the Jackass crew. The distraction hurts Sami though and Knoxville sprays a fire extinguisher in his face. I have never seen a single episode (or movie) of Jackass. We got some weapons in the ring now and Zayn cracks a crutch on the back of Knoxville. Zayn brings out a table and a bowling ball. He then brings out a table full of mousetraps. Knoxville hits two garbage can lids on Zayn and a Stop sign. Knoxville sets up a table in the corner, but Zayn hits an exploder on Knoxville through the table. Chris Pontius is out and then takes off his pants and starts dancing. Zayn attacks him and dumps him out of the ring. Knoxville rolls up Zayn and gets a 2 count. Zayn goes under the ring and Wee Man attacks him. Wee Man then hits a body slam on Zayn, which is pretty impressive. Knoxville then hits a tornado DDT, but Zayn kicks out. I'll be honest, I had never heard of Wee Man until yesterday. Zayn goes up top, but some pyro goes off and sends Zayn off. Knoxville then rolls the bowling ball to the groin reason. Knoxville has a taser and stalks Zayn with it. Zayn runs into a giant hand. This is silly fun that I don't think we've ever seen taken to this level in WWE. Zayn tries to go up to the top rope again, but is hesitant. The extra time allows Knoxville to grab Zayn by the crotch with tongs and then throws him through the table full of mousetraps. The Jackass crew comes out and puts a giant mousetrap in the ring. Knoxville uses the taser on him and puts him in the mousetrap. It doesn't seem to work exactly as they'd hoped, but it was enough for the victory. The entire crew celebrates as Zayn stays in the trap. I'm not sure that anyone expected Zayn to not be game here for anything, but I think he even exceeded what I thought he would do. This was something very different than just about anything we have ever seen on WWE TV. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

Fatal Four-Way For The Women's Tag Team Championships
Naomi & Sasha Banks vs. Liv Morgan & Rhea Ripley vs. Shayna Baszler & Natalya vs. Queen Zelina & Carmella

With it being 9:30 already, I'm thinking the entrances will be longer than the match here. Not that it is a surprise at all, it really is a shame that this tag division means absolutely nothing. We get lots of quick tags and lots of interference to start. Shayna stomps on the ankle of Liv and then starts to twist it as Morgan screams in pain. In comes Carmella in her Madonna gear and mask. Zelina then hits Code Red, but Rhea breaks it up. It's chaos again with everyone coming in and hitting big moves. Carmella hits a hurricanrana on Rhea on the turnbuckle and Zelina hits a moonsault to the outside. Sasha and Naomi go up top, but both get stopped and we get dual tower of doom spots with Rhea and Liv pulling it off. Carmella gets a close call with a superkick on Naomi, but loses it when she kicks out. Sasha comes in and puts on the Banks Statement, but Zelina pulls Carmella out. Sasha hits a Meteora to Zelina and Sasha and Naomi hit a Code Breaker combo to become the new champions. I'm not sure what it is, but everything here is exceeding expectations so far here tonight. This was definitely a formula match, but the pace was good and they worked hard. 

Match Rating: ***1/4

AJ Styles vs. Edge

Edge gets a Brood type entrance full of fire. AJ gets the better of Edge after hitting a nice dropkick and then a running knee. AJ goes for the springboard 450, but Edge gets his knees up. Edge slows the match down and dominates AJ. AJ tries to charge at Edge, but then slides into the turnbuckle in a cool looking spot. AJ is able to suplex Edge into the turnbuckles, which seems like a dangerous move for a guy who has an injury history like Edge. We get a sequence of a lot of counters and it leads to Edge putting on the STF, but AJ is able to get the bottom rope with his foot. AJ hits a cool variation of the DDT and both men are down. Edge tries for a superplex, then AJ tries for a sunset flip powerbomb and it ends up with AJ hitting a spinning powerbomb out of the Torture Rack. Edge hits Edgecution, but AJ kicks out. They start slugging it out and AJ hits the Pele Kick and puts on the Calf Crusher. Edge counters and goes for the arm bar and ends up with a crossface in. Styles is able to will his way out, but Edge remains in control. AJ hits a suplex on Edge on the apron, which again doesn't seem like a great idea for Edge. AJ hits the 450 splash but Edge kicks out. Edge ducks the Phenomenal Forearm, AJ leaps over the Spear and AJ then hits the Styles Clash, but Edge just barely kicks out. AJ goes for the Phenomenal Forearm again, but Damian Priest is outside the ring. It distracts AJ just enough and Edge hits the Spear on AJ in midair and that's enough for the victory. I like the idea of Edge and Priest as a duo. The match was good, but it didn't meet what I was expecting. It was full of some good sequences, but there also felt like some filler in there. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

They announce the attendance for tonight as 77,453. 

Sheamus & Ridge Holland vs. New Day

Hey, they made it! No special entrance for the New Day is a bummer, but they are wearing Big E inspired gear. Sheamus and Ridge attack them on their way into the ring and we have a brawl. The bell rings and Kofi hits Trouble In Paradise, but Sheamus is able to pull him off before the 3 count. Xavier hits a diving kick through the ropes and they are playing up Butch having to be contained by Sheamus. Xavier takes down the straps, but on the outside Kofi eats a big kick to the face. Sheamus hits a Brogue Kick on Xavier and Ridge hits Northern Grit and gets the victory? I knew this would be short, but I'm not really sure it should be this. Butch runs in and attacks Xavier and his teammates have to pull him off. He basically is a more serious version of the original version of Hornswoggle. This match could have been good, but this was hardly that. I'm sure there will be a rematch down the line. 

Match Rating: *1/2

They do the Hall Of Famers again, but only have Undertaker come out tonight. 

Austin Theory vs. Pat McAfee

Vince McMahon comes out to introduce Theory. McAfee gets "Seven Nation Army" and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. He follows that up by punting a football into the crowd. I have to say, this is a really strange position to put Austin Theory in. The dude is 24 years old and is fighting a punter in front of 70,000 people. McAfee hits a series of right hands to start the match off. McAfee hits a hurricanrana for a 2 count. McAfee is more over with the crowd than Edge was. I'm not sure I'm even joking. McAfee counters a suplex and hits one of his own. He then knocks Theory off the apron and into the announce table right in front of Vince. McAfee pays homage to the Rock and puts on the headset during a beatdown. McAfee goes for a Swanton, but Theory moves out of the way. I'm going to be honest, I'm not really sure why they are using Vince in an on air role. He just isn't able to be what he used to be anymore. Theory goes up, but he takes too long and McAfee hits him with a right hand. McAfee goes for a superplex, but Theory blocks it, so McAfee moonsaults off. McAfee leaps up to the top and hits the superplex. McAfee really should not be as good as he is. He goes for a punt, but Theory avoids it and hits him with a right hand. Theory gets McAfee on his shoulders, but McAfee escapes and rolls up Theory for the victory and it's like a party in here. It's insane how over he is with the WWE crowd. After the match, Vince teases getting into the ring and takes off the shirt. A referee climbs into the ring, but Theory attacks him from behind. The ref rings the bell, so we have a match?

Pat McAfee vs. Vince McMahon

McMahon hits a clothesline and we're underway. Theory gets involve in between a lot of stalling since Vince can't really do anything. Theory hands Vince a Cowboys football and he teases punting it in the crowd before finally punting it in Pat's midsection. Vince picks up the victory in one of the weirdest things in WrestleMania history. It's not over yet because after the celebration, Austin's music hits. Theory attacks Austin, but that doesn't work. Austin hits the Stunner and he's out of the ring. Austin hands Vince a beer and they chug them. Austin kicks him in the gut and delivers one of the worst Stunners ever. Sorry, the worst Stunner ever. He celebrates with McAfee and then hits the Stunner on him to end this fever dream. I don't even know how to rate all of this. The Theory/McAfee match was solid and the Vince part was horrible. Austin coming out was fun, but also took too long to get to where they were going. What a strange trip tonight has been.

Match Rating: **3/4

Winner Takes All Match
Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

It's interesting to note how different the vibe is going into this match compared to their main event at WrestleMania 31. Lesnar manhandles Roman before hitting the first three belly-to-belly suplexes. Lesnar clotheslines Reigns over the top and goes after Heyman. This leads to a Spear through the barricade, which continues to be the go to spot. Lesnar barely beats the count and then immediately gets hit with a Spear for a 2 count. Roman hits a Superman Punch and hits another for good measure. It's safe to say that Roman is a little bit more over than he was at WrestleMania 32 in this same stadium. Lesnar is back up and hits five German suplexes. He goes for another, but Roman pushes him into the turnbuckle and hits another Superman punch. Lesnar hits the F5, but Roman kicks out at 2. Roman hits a low blow and the referee is down. Roman hits Brock in the head with the belt, but Brock kicks out. Roman hits a weird Spear to the back and Lesnar is right under the ropes for the pin attempt. Roman hits another Spear, but Lesnar put son the Kimura. After a good amount of time in the hold, Reigns is able to grab the bottom rope. Brock goes for the F5, Reigns escapes and hits another Spear and that's all? What a weird finish to that match. I continue to be in the minority that finds the match quality of this Reigns run as disappointing. That was just a flat finish where there didn't need to be one. The match was pretty good, but they did very little to differentiate it from their other matches.

Match Rating: **3/4

Well both nights were the most fun I've had watching WWE in a really long time. The crowd was hyped up both nights and a lot of the matches delivered. This show reminded me a lot of WrestleMania 31, where they did a perfect mix of wrestling and sports entertainment and they left me more interested in their product than I was coming into it. I'm going to go with the same score as last night here. 

Overall Rating: 80%

WrestleMania 38: WrestleMania Saturday Review

Saturday, April 2nd, 2022
AT&T Stadium
Arlington, Texas

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Brantley Gilbert is here to sing "America The Beautiful". I'm not going to pretend I know who he is. This goes to Mark Wahlberg giving us a Rock at the Super Bowl type of video. I miss the old intros with Vince screaming. 

The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are introduced with "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC playing. 

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Match
Rick Boogs & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Usos

Rick Boogs of course plays the guitar here to kick things off. The Mike's Harder Farmer is in the crowd and they play in front of him. This is just glorious. Shinsuke tries to start things off quickly with a running kick to start off the match. Things settle down and the Usos isolate Nakamura. Boogs gets the tag in and slaps on a bearhug and turns it into a vertical suplex. Boogs shows off his power until both Usos were on top of his shoulders and his knee buckled. Nakamura comes in, as Boogs sells the knee injury outside the ring. Nakamura runs into a superkick and Jimmy hits a top rope splash, but Nakamura kicks out at 2. Nakamura gets another superkick and the 1D for the victory. It seems like they maybe changed the finish here, as Boogs looks to be legit hurt. You never like to see that and Boogs is one of the few newer guys on the roster that actually has some of that old school personality the roster desperately needs.

Match Rating: **1/2

Happy Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre

I don't even watch the weekly programming and I know that this feud has been going on forever. I will say that I'm a little surprised that they didn't do one of the bigger matches yet. McIntyre takes the fight outside the ring, but it eventually backfires when he tries to get back in the ring and is run into the ring post from the apron. The crowd is pretty dead already, but there are some boos sprinkled in towards Corbin. Corbin hits a Deep Six, but Drew kicks out. This probably would have been a good match to put a stipulation of some sort to spice it up. McIntyre hits a top rope chop and goes for the Claymore Kick, but Corbin rolls out. Drew then hits a swanton over the top rope on both Corbin and Moss. Corbin ducks under a Claymore Kick and Corbin hits the End Of Days, but McIntyre kicks out. I believe that is the first person to ever kick out of that move. McIntyre hits the Future Shock and then hits the Claymore Kick for the finish. This just all felt kind of flat. After the match, Drew has the sword and points it at Moss. He takes the sword and cuts the ropes and they collapse. 

Match Rating: **

Rey & Dominik Mysterio vs. Miz & Logan Paul

Dominik is paying tribute to Eddie Guerrero with his costume. Paul gets to show off some of his athleticism before getting kicked in the head. Dominik hits a corkscrew to the outside before Miz is able to isolate Dominik. Paul looks good here and hits a nice 2nd rope blockbuster. The hot tag gets made to Rey and he still amazes me every time that I watch him. Rey goes for 619, but Miz gets up, so Mysterio hits a DDT. Rey goes for the Three Amigos, but Miz gets out of it before the third and Logan Paul hits the Three Amigos to some major boos. Logan Paul goes up top and hits the Frog Splash. The Mysterios fight back and hit the double 619 and the double Frog Splash. In comes the Miz and he hits the Skull Crushing Finale and steals the victory. This match was a great time, much like the Bad Bunny match last year. After the match, Miz celebrates with Paul and then hits the Skull Crushing Finale on Paul. Now that is awesome. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

Stephanie McMahon is out here because she does whatever she wants. She introduces Gable Steveson to the crowd and gets a solid ovation. 

Raw Women's Championship Match
Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair

The crowd is very much into this one and rightfully so. We get a fast and furious start that leads to Becky hitting the Manhandle Slam and almost stealing a quick victory. Becky misses with a moonsault and Bianca puts her in the Disarm-her. Becky gets to the ropes and we get some quick pinfalls. Bianca dups Becky out of the ring, but Becky pulls her out with her hair and then throws her into the steps. Bianca gets hung up on the top rope and Becky hits a guillotine leg drop for a 2 count. I am loving the energy in this match. I am not wanting to type too much here because I am just genuinely enjoying this match. They are up on the second rope and it leads to Bianca putting Lynch on her shoulders and dropping her on the top rope. Bianca hits a 450 splash from the second rope, but Becky kicks out. Becky hits a somersault kick to Bianca and that looks like that may have hurt. We get some stiff shots from both ladies and Bianca hits a spinebuster. Bianca goes for the KOD, but Becky holds on to the ropes for dear life. Becky launches herself, but she falls to the floor. She runs away from her and then pulls her by her hair again and into the ring post this time. Bianca just beats the countout and Becky has lost her temper. Bianca backflips off the second rope and hits the KOD for the victory and gets the huge pop. Dude. This match was insanely awesome. I am probably overreacting, but this was a freaking WrestleMania classic. Two performers that I genuinely enjoy that just went out there and just tore the house down. Bravo. 

Match Rating: ****3/4

Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes

Well I'll be darned. It's Cody Rhodes. I think it's safe to say he has come back a bigger star than he ever was in WWE, huh? We get a slow build to start, but things pick up as Rhodes suplexes Rollins over the top rope with Seth holding on and them both crashing to the floor. Cody goes for a crossbody off the top rope, but Rollins hits him with a dropkick. Cody hits a clothesline to send Seth over the top and hits a dive that sends him flying over the announce table. Cody hits a reverse crossbody from the top rope and gets a 2 count. On the outside, Rollins bounces back and hits a powerbomb into the barricade. He comes back in the ring and hits the Falcon Arrow for a 2 count. The pace picks up and it leads to Rhodes hitting the Cross Rhodes, but Rollins kicks out. I'm a little surprised at that in his re-debut. Cody goes up top, but Rollins crotches him and heads up to meet him. Cody is able to elbow him off, but Rollins leaps back up and hits an inverted superplex and a Curtain Call, but Rhodes kicks out at 2. Rhodes avoids the Phoenix Splash, but Rollins rolls through and they both try for Pedigrees. Cody hits a powerbomb and sells the ribs. Cody hits the Cody Cutter, but Rollins kicks out again. Cody takes too long and Rollins kicks him in the gut and hits the Pedigree, but Rhodes kicks out. Cody hits Cross Rhodes and sprinkles in a bionic elbow before another Cross Rhodes for the victory. The crowd was very lively for this one, which is a good sign for Cody's future. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

They bring out the Hall Of Fame inductees and then announce the attendance as 77,899. This all took place in the span of like 53 minutes. That time is about as official as the attendance number. 

SmackDown Women's Championship Match
Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

Rousey comes out firing until Charlotte is able to hit an elbow on the apron. Charlotte dumps Rousey out of the ring and gloats for a little bit. She then rams her into the ring post and tosses her back in the ring. These two have an uphill battle having to follow the amazing Becky/Bianca match and the huge debut. Not to mention that we are starting hour 3 here. Charlotte hits a clothesline that in reality turned out to be more of an elbow tot he head. Rousey is able to hit a big knee to the face and get a 2 count. Charlotte hits a Spear, but it's not enough just yet. Ronda moves out of the way of the moonsault, so she goes for another one, but we have a miscue and she misses her, but goes for the pin anyways. Charlotte has Rousey in the tree of woe and then climbs up top. She pulls her up by her legs, but Rousey lifts herself up and hits a forearm. Rousey pulls her down by the arm and takes her to the mat. She hits the Piper's Pit and then goes for the armbar, but Charlotte rolls away. Rousey is able to get Charlotte into the Ankle Lock in the center of the ring, but Charlotte counters into one of her own. Rousey is able to push her face first into the bottom turnbuckle. Charlotte counters the Arm Bar and puts her in the Figure Eight. Rousey reverses it and they eventually get under the ropes. Rousey throws her off the apron to the floor. Rousey charges at Charlotte, but Charlotte catches her and hits a fall away slam into the barricade. Rousey hits Piper's Pit, but Charlotte gets her foot on the bottom rope. The ref counted 3, but he caught it after he made the call. Rousey argues with him and Charlotte hits Natural Selection and this time Rousey kicks out. Rousey kicks Charlotte and she hits the ref and knocks him down. Rousey puts the arm bar on and Charlotte is tapping. Rousey goes to wake up the ref and Charlotte hits her with a boot to the face and retains the title. This is a tough match to rate, as there were some really great moments but also just felt slightly off for both performer. The crowd wasn't quite as hot for it either. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

Well, they cut New Day and Sheamus/Ridge Holland, which is kind of crazy to me. 

It's time for the KO Show, which is your main event. This is also so bizarre to me, but I'm definitely intrigued. I love that Kevin Owens has kept up his KOMania shirts up. Owens insults the fans and then moves onto Austin until Austin's music hits. There will never be a better interruption entrance theme ever written. Austin gets quite the ovation considering we are 210 minutes into the show. In the middle of his entrance, Austin walks to the back and comes out riding a 4 wheeler. Owens' face there was priceless. Austin kicks down the KO Show sign and tosses the other one out of the ring. Owens cuts the music and tells Austin that this is his show. Austin goes off on Owens for a little bit before Owens tells Austin that he didn't invite him here to talk. He wants a No Holds Barred match here tonight. Austin doesn't respond before looking at the crowd and looking to be doing everything he can to hold back some tears. Austin calls for a ref and we're getting a match.

No Holds Barred Match
Kevin Owens vs. Steve Austin

Austin is still in great shape. They start trading blows to start and Austin stomps a mudhole in the corner. Austin calls for a beer and drinks one in the ring before stomping away in the corner again. This is starting to feel like the Bret Hart/Vince McMahon match, as Austin throws Owens out of the ring. Owens throws Austin into the barricade, but Austin bounces off with a clothesline. Owens finally gets some effective offense in when he throws him into the ring post. Owens brings out a table and leans it on the barricade. Austin reverses though and throws Owens through it. They start making their way into the crowd. I take back my comment about the Bret/Vince match because Owens suplexes Austin to the concrete. I can't believe after all of these years, Austin decided 2022 was the year to have a match. Austin is able to throw Owens from off the barricade and onto the announce table. Austin grabs a couple more beers and hits some more right hands to the face of Owens. Owens tries to take the ATV, but he can't get it started and Austin attacks him. He takes him for a ride up the ramp and Austin hits a suplex on the stage. He heads on to the other side and hits one over there for good measure. The then throws Owens down the ramp and then back into the ring. Austin drinks some more beers, but Owens pops up and hits the Stunner. He goes for the pin, but Austin gets the shoulder up. Austin hits Owens with a chair and hits the Stunner for the victory. This was in no way a good match, but they did what they could with the limitations that they had. Austin didn't get to end his career the way he wanted to, but I wish he would have done this years ago. After some more beer drinking, Austin hits another Stunner and is escorted out by some sheriffs. Owens was great in his role here, as you would expect. Austin brings in Byron Saxton for a beer and he gets a Stunner. Maybe that's the end of his announcing career? Wishful thinking. Austin brings in his brother and they celebrate and that's all. 

Match Rating: **1/4

I think they could have easily cut this down at least 30 minutes, but with that being said, this was a really enjoyable show. Bianca and Becky was something truly special and one of the best WrestleMania matches ever. Cody/Seth and Ronda/Charlotte were both very worthy matches and the Logan Paul match was a blast as well. The first two matches didn't feel like WrestleMania, but it was all business from that point on. 

Overall Rating: 80%

Off The Grid, Volume 21: WrestleMania VI Review

Sunday, April 1st, 1990
SkyDome
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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Off The Grid, Volume 21:

It should be noted that I am watching the DVD version of this show so that it is the complete show. 

We kick things off with the awesome constellation Vince intro and with the ultimate WrestleMania theme music. Robert Goulet is here to sing O Canada and we're underway. 

Koko B Ware vs. Rick Martel

Just minutes into the show, you can tell we are getting prime Gorilla Monsoon. Koko gets off to a hot start with some dropkicks and a clothesline to send Martel out of the ring. Koko brings him back in the hard way, but Martel is able to dump him out of the ring. Martel slows things down and tries to put Koko in the Boston Crab, but he's able to fight his way to the ropes before he can flip him over. Koko makes a comeback, but misses with a second rope reverse crossbody. Martel grabs the legs and flips him into the Boston Crab for the victory. That was an enjoyable opener, even if it was on the short side. Both of these guys were always reliable for solid matches. 

Match Rating: **

We get a quick promo from the tag team champs, where Bobby Heenan doesn't get to say too much. We then head to Demolition who let us know that they're going to smash the champions. 

WWF Tag Team Championship Match
Colossal Connection vs. Demolition

Things get started in a hurry and as you would expect, it's a brawl. I'm kind of bummed that this version has the generic music instead of the real Demolition theme. I always have liked Smash/Barry Darsaw, but I've really grown to appreciate Ax over the last few years. Andre really could barely move at this point, which is sad. After an early advantage, Haku is able to shift the momentum. Smash gets the hot tag and they even knock down Andre who tries to come in. Andre holds Smash, but he ducks and Haku kicks him so that he is tied up in the ropes. Demolition hits Demolition Decapitation and we have ourselves new champions with one of my favorite pops ever. It's totally ruined by this generic music blaring, but still pretty great. After the match, Heenan starts losing it at Andre. Heenan slaps him and that's not a good idea. Andre grabs him by the neck and hits him with some slaps to the face. Heenan is kicked out and then Haku tries to kick him, but Andre catches him. Andre headbutts him and rolls him out of the ring. Heenan and Haku try to get on the mini ring cart, but Andre kicks them out and heads back alone. The match was pretty good for what it was and the crowd loved it. 

Match Rating: **1/4

Earthquake is here with one of his bouncing promos as Hercules heads to the ring. 

Hercules vs. Earthquake

Jimmy Hart is in WrestleMania mode, no question about it. Herc gets in a few jabs before Quake goes out to regroup. Earthquake bouncing angrily in the ring is always pretty impressive. Hercules gets in more offense than you would expect here. Quake hits his impressive elbow drops and then signals for the end. He hits the running splash and that's all. After the match, he hits a second splash for good measure. 

Match Rating: *1/2

Rona Barrett is with Miss Elizabeth, who promises that if she returns to ringside that she'll be far more active than she has ever been. 

Brutus the Barber Beefcake, what are you doing? We'd all like to know. Brutus says that he's going to ruin his perfect record.

Mr. Perfect vs. Brutus Beefcake

Perfect bumps around for Beefcake, who admittedly was still pretty over here. They show Mary Tyler Moore in the crowd and claim that she's a huge fan of Brutus. Genius gets up on the apron and leaves the scroll for Perfect. Perfect nails him in the face behind the ref's back and Brutus is in trouble. Perfect works on Beefcake for a little bit, but then Beefcake hits a slingshot where Perfect hits the ring post and that's the end of the perfect streak. I know I'm not alone in saying that I'm sure I could have thought of someone better to beat Perfect for the streak. Beefcake goes after the Genius after the match and throws him back in the ring. He puts him in the sleeper and starts trimming away. This match was disappointing considering how good Perfect was in this time period. 

Match Rating: **

They show highlights of Bad News Brown and Roddy Piper brawling to the back at Royal Rumble. We then get one of the low points of Piper's career where he painted himself and cuts a pretty racist promo. I'm not sure how any of this ever got approved. 

Bad News Brown vs. Roddy Piper

This match is a straight up punch and kick fest. Bad News dominates most of the match and removes the turnbuckle pad behind the referee's back. Piper moves out of the way and Bad News runs into the exposed steel. Piper puts on a Michael Jackson style glove, just to make this worse. The action spills outside and Bad News goes for a fist, but Piper ducks and he hits his hand on the ring post. They begin brawling and again and the bell rings for a double countout. They start brawling out through the aisle. This one wasn't that great and then throw in Piper's terrible decision, so this is far from a stellar effort. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

I'm switching over to the Peacock version. We go back to Steve Allen with the Bolsheviks practicing in the shower and honestly I love this segment. 

Hart Foundation vs. Bolsheviks

The Bolsheviks of course want to sing the Soviet national anthem and of course the Hart Foundation attack them. Neidhart clotheslines Volkoff over the top rope. They hit the Hart Attack on Zhukov and that is all. On a card with so many matches, you have to have at least one of these and this was the right choice. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

WrestleMania VII is going to be at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on March 24th. We promise!

Surprisingly, Tito gets a promo spot on the first stop of his jobbing to the Powers Of Pain tour he did in 1990. 

Barbarian vs. Tito Santana

Barb is still rocking the face paint here. I always liked the antler look he developed after this. This is a rare Tito match where the crowd isn't really into it. Crowd fatigue is a real thing and somehow companies still keep putting on 4+ hour shows. Barbarian hits a big boot to the face and follows it up with a shoulder breaker. He goes up to the second rope, but misses with the elbow drop. Tito hits a couple of dropkicks and the flying forearm, but Heenan is there to put Barbarian's foot on the bottom rope. Barbarian is able to pull Tito's neck into the top rope and then hits the top rope clothesline for the finish. Tito's sell of that was really good. What a pro he was.

Match Rating: *3/4

After showing highlights of their feud, Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire are with Sean Mooney. Dusty hints at a crown jewel for tonight. 

Randy Savage & Sensational Sherri vs. Dusty Rhodes & Sapphire

Dusty gets on the mic and introduces Miss Elizabeth out to a big pop. We get some shenanigans to start and we quickly get to the butt bopping of Sapphire. She looks to be moving in slow motion, especially with Savage in this match. Savage is just so good. He hits the double ax handle from the top to the floor and Sherri rakes Dusty's eyes behind the referee's back. Savage then hits a second ax handle. Savage then throws Sapphire to the floor and then hits a double ax handle inside the ring. Savage grabs the scepter and hits him in the back with it. Sherri then hits a top rope splash on Dusty and for some reason the ref counts it. Dusty fires back with a double noggin knocker. Sherri gets thrown outside and Elizabeth throws her back in. Sherri gets into it with Elizabeth and she pushes Sherri over Sapphire's back and they get the pin. Dusty then clears the ring with the scepter and we get a dancing celebration by the victors. This match wasn't particularly good, but the characters all played their roles well. 

Match Rating: *3/4

Mean Gene is with a distraught Bobby Heenan. Heenan seems to lose his train of thought and then goes on another rant. 

Gorilla and Ventura are with Rona Barrett, who looks tiny. She hints at an adult video featuring Ventura, so they send over to an irate Savage and Sherri. We then go back to Gene with Demolition and I really will never understand why they decided to turn them heel after this. They were still very, very over. 

Now it's time to hear from Hulk Hogan and he talks about the greatest arena of all times, SkyDome. Hulk then says it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it just matters what kind of winner and loser you are. Right. 

Now we go to Sean Mooney and Ultimate Warrior. Warrior then tells Mooney that he's not allowed to breathe the same air that he and Hogan breathe. 

Orient Express vs. Rockers

I prefer the Kato version of the Express. Rockers hit some double teams, including a double dive to the outside. Fuji hooks the top rope with his cane and Jannetty goes to the floor. He then gets in a cheap shot with a cane to the back and the Rockers are in trouble. There are 3 pretty marvelous mullets in this one. Tanaka is able to get in a kick to the back of Michaels to stop the Rockers' momentum. Michaels hits the hot tag to Jannetty after a clothesline and he's able to take care of both men on his own. A double dropkick sends Kato out of the ring and they hit a double back body drop on Tanaka. They go for the double top rope maneuver, but Fuji hooks the leg of Jannetty. Marty goes after Fuji and gets salt thrown in his face. He falls over the rail and the Rockers are counted out in a bummer of a finish. I know a lot of people are hard on this match and the Rockers were supposedly not in the best shape here on this night, but this is still a good tag team match. It just has an awful finish for a WrestleMania match. 

Match Rating: *** 

Steve Allen is backstage and interviews Rhythm & Blues and he just basically makes fun of Honky while Valentine stands there. 

Dino Bravo vs. Jim Duggan

It's kind of interesting that you would book a guy who brings an American flag down with him to face a Canadian in Canada. Earthquake is at ringside for this one. Ventura's commentary is more entertaining here than the match. I certainly don't like Bravo, but I'm not sure he's my least favorite like many retro wrestling fans out there. Things break down with distractions and Duggan grabs his 2x4 and hits Bravo in the back and picks up the victory. In comes Earthquake and he attacks Duggan. Quake hits the splash and build up for his feud for Hogan has begun. Jimmy Hart pinning the referee in the corner is good stuff. Earthquake ends up hitting 3 splashes on Duggan. The match was what it was. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

Jake Roberts delivers one of his most iconic promos here. Good stuff. 

Million Dollar Championship Match
Ted Dibiase vs. Jake Roberts

Jake takes things a little slow for a grudge match, but dominates the early portion. Jake misses with a high knee and slows things down even more. The wave gets started in the crowd, which is never what you want during your match. DiBiase hits a piledriver, but takes his time to pin him. Jake reverses the pin, but DiBiase kicks out at 2. DiBiase is able to snap on the Million Dollar Dream and Jake is starting to fade, but he gets his foot on the bottom rope. DiBiase goes off the second rope, but Jake his a punch to the midsection. Jake hits a back body drop and the short arm clothesline. He also stalls before signaling for the DDT. Virgil pulls Jake out of the ring, so Jake hits him with a body slam. DiBiase comes from behind and puts Jake in the Million Dollar Dream. Jake hits him into the post, but Virgil rolls DiBiase in the ring and he gets the victory by countout. This is the second bummer of a finish in a 3 match span. The match was slightly better than I had remembered, but still disappointing given the story that went into the build. After the match, Jake clotheslines both DiBiase and Virgil. Virgil runs off to the back with the Million Dollar belt and Jake hits the DDT. Jake gives away some of the money and people fighting over the bill on the floor is great entertainment. He then hands one to Mary Tyler Moore and we get a rare agreement from Gorilla and Jesse that she doesn't need it. Jake brings out Damien, but out runs Virgil to roll DiBiase out of there. Jake has to run all the way to the back with that huge python on his back. That's no easy task. 

Match Rating: *3/4

Slick and Akeem are with Sean Mooney. Slick was always such a great promo. Boss Man is with Mean Gene and talks about DiBiase being scum and that he doesn't take money from anyone. 

Akeem vs. Big Boss Man

DiBiase was hiding under the ring and he attacks Boss Man before the match. This leads to a classic argument between Jesse and Gorilla of what's fair. Akeem can't get the easy victory and gets a little bit of offense before Boss Man hits a botched inverted atomic drop. He hits the Boss Man Slam and that's it. I like Boss Man from this era, but this stunk. Boss Man then gets revenge on Slick. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Sean Mooney is out in the crowd and asks some kids about Honky's new hit single. He then goes over to Mary Tyler Moore who seems to be having a good time, but knows nothing about really what's going on. 

It's time for the Rhythm & Blues performance and they of course come out in Diamond Dallas Page's pink Cadillac. Greg Valentine is the best part of this. He is just so out of place, it's fantastic. The Bushwhackers are out disguised as merch salesmen. Rhythm & Blues hurry to the back and Butch and Luke mock and then destroy their guitars. 

Howard Finkel announces the attendance record for SkyDome at 67,678 fans. 

Rick Rude vs. Jimmy Snuka

Steve Allen joins the announce booth for this one. Rude's music is so underrated. Snuka knocks him down and mocks Rude's dance. He dropkicks Rude out of the ring and Rude comes back in and goes for a sunset flip. Snuka holds onto the ropes to block it. Rude hits a suplex and shows us the real dance. Rude's tights are among his best ever here. Snuka misses a second rope headbutt and Rude hits the Rude Awakening for the victory. Rude looked good here as they re-build him up as a top contender. This was a pretty spirited match despite having to be rushed. 

Match Rating: **

It's now time for the hype video for the Ultimate Challenge. 

WWF Championship Match
Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan

Despite this show not doing as big of business as previous Manias, the crowd is absolutely phenomenal here. We get a test of strength to start things off. Warrior brings Hogan to his knees and Hogan looks to be in complete agony. He of course battles back up and brings Warrior to his knees. Hogan takes him down and looks for a quick pin. Crisscross and Hogan hits a scoop slam. Warrior is right back up and we crisscross again. Warrior then hits a scoop slam, but Hogan is slow to get up. Warrior clotheslines hi over the top. Hogan is on the outside selling a knee injury. Warrior rolls him back in, but Hogan is limping. No knee injury is enough to stop Hogan and he's back hitting elbow drops with ease. Hogan goes for a rare small package, but Warrior kicks out. After a few pin attempts, Hogan slows it down with some rest holds. Warrior breaks the hold with some elbows and we get the iconic double clothesline. Warrior starts shaking the ropes as he puts Hogan on the other side of Hulk up. Warrior hits a series of clotheslines and slaps on the bearhug. Hogan battles out of it and when Warrior runs the ropes, Hogan ducks and he accidentally hits the referee. Warrior goes up to the top rope and hits a double ax handle. Warrior goes for the running shoulder tackle, but Hogan moves and pushes him to the mat. The referee isn't there to count, so Hogan does and complains. Warrior is back up and hits a back suplex and this time Warrior covers Hogan with no ref. The ref is back up and Hogan gets a 2 count. Hogan hits an elbow that pushes Warrior over the top rope. They battle outside and Warrior shoves Hogan into the ring post. Back in the ring, Warrior gets Hogan up and hits the gorilla press. He hits the splash, rolls Hogan over, but Hogan kicks out. Hogan is Hulking up and he hits the big boot. Warrior moves out of the way for the leg drop, he hits the big splash and we have a new champion. That's two crowd pops on this show that still give me chills to this day. I love the little twist thrown in at the end with Hogan hulking up after Warrior did, giving you that feeling that of course Hogan is going to win again. This was a very worthy WrestleMania main event with good storytelling. The rest holds probably could have been cut down a little bit, but that's about the only complaint. After the match, Hogan raises the hand of the Warrior and we get a big hug. Warrior gets the big pyro finale as Hogan gets carted off to the back. 

Match Rating: ***1/2

Well, this one was a lot more enjoyable than I remembered. Obviously from my match ratings, there weren't a handful of great matches or anything, but this is one of those comfort food types of shows that you like to go back and re-watch. The commentary, the crowd and the roster are all very good and really make the show. The main event isn't an absolute classic, but it's a big nostalgia trip for most retro fans and one that's worth taking. 

Overall Rating: 81%