Monday Night Raw 7-31-06 Review

Monday, July 31st, 2006
Continental Airlines Arena
East Rutherford, New Jersey

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Vince and Shane McMahon are out to kick off the show and they are beaming from Stephanie's baby girl being born. They then announce that they will be facing DX in a tag team match at SummerSlam. DX's music keeps hitting until they finally come out. Shawn then talks about a rumor of Triple H being in the same hospital. We then get a picture of Vince as a baby and then Shane. They then show a picture of the new baby and it's Triple H's face. This is horrible. 

Jen from the Diva Search then shares that she would like to see JT eliminated.

Triple Threat Match For The Intercontinental Championship
Carlito vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Johnny Nitro

Carlito attacks Nitro on his way into the ring and then of course we get interrupted by a commercial break. God forbid we don't get more of the DX/McMahon saga. Carlito hits a monkey flip on Shelton, but he lands on his feet and then he hits one on Nitro, who lands face-first. We get a little bit of an awkward spot, but Carlito ends up hitting a hurricanrana on Nitro and then Shelton hits a DDT on Carlito. Melina puts Carlito's foot on the bottom rope and this upsets Shelton. Nitro takes advantage by knocking Carlito into Shelton and then rolls up Carlito to retain his Intercontinental Championship. This was good for what it was. 

Match Rating: **1/4

Layla would vote off Milena. 

Randy Orton is out in the ring to tell us he is going to kill the legend of Hulk Hogan. He then introduces his reality show, Orton Knows Best. He brings out impersonators of the Hogan family and this segment is just as bad as the opener. It ends with Orton hitting the RKO on Hogan. Really bad stuff here. He then shoves over Lawler to set up a match for next week between Orton and Lawler in Memphis.

Armando Alejandro Estrada gives Vince and Shane some cigars.

Erica says she would vote off Rebecca. Erica is not good at this.

Mickie James & Victoria vs. Trish Stratus & Candice Michelle

Torrie Wilson is the guest referee here. The heels dominate Candice here until she hits the hot tag to Trish. She hits a sit down powerbomb and gets a 2 count on Mickie. Trish botches the Stratusfaction but gets the 3 count anyways. The division has been going nowhere for awhile and this just felt pointless. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Johnny Nitro, Melina and Mick Foley are backstage and Foley asks Melina to introduce him. 

Milena says that she would vote off Erica, which is the right choice. 

Melina comes out and introduces Foley. Foley says that is going to give the crowd what they want, which is Foley and Flair in the ring...in their quest for tag team gold. Flair comes out and delivers a passionate promo saying that he wants Cactus Jack or Foley or whatever he wants to be. He then tells Melina that she would be Space Mountain-ized. Foley says that the difference between him and Flair is that he sees a person not a conquest. He then rips on Flair for being an absentee parent and Foley quickly backpedals. Foley talks about how much Flair loves his kids, but then says that he'll never know what it's like to tell his kids he's been arrested. Flair knocks him out and then Coach comes out. He tells us that Vince has authorized that Flair and Foley will wrestle at SummerSlam, which Foley tells him that his contract allows him to pick who he wants to wrestle. He only has a few matches left and he won't waste it on Flair. This was far and away the best thing on the show so far. 

Rebecca says some words. I didn't care to listen. 

They announce that Edge will face John Cena at SummerSlam and if Edge gets disqualified, he will lose the title.

Matt Striker vs. John Cena

Edge and Lita make their way down before the match gets started. They unveil an announce table near the top of the ramp and they have live mics. Meanwhile, Cena destroys Striker, puts him in the STFU and gets the easy victory. They went through a lot of work for the announce table for a 2 minute segment. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Johnny vs. Rory McAllister

The ref quickly throws out all four of the other Spirit Squad members. I don't remember who this referee is. Johnny takes out his frustration on Rory early on. Rory tries to get something going, but Johnny hits a nice kick to the face. Robbie and Johnny get into a war of words and Rory gets an inside cradle for the victory. This was pretty dull.

Match Rating: 1/2*

JT thinks Rebecca should be voted off. I'm kind of surprised she didn't win. 

We get the Divas all out and Miz announces that Rebecca is gone, which is also kind of surprising. 

After showing the WrestleMania 23 fan rally, some detectives and cops come in their locker room to search their bags. They find some Cuban cigars and they take Triple H away. They pass Vince and Shane who then pull out some cigars. 

Shawn Michaels vs. Umaga

It's going to take one heck of a match here to save this show. Michaels is able to slide out of the ring and out come Vince and Shane into the commercial break. When we come back, Umaga hits a big kick to the chin, sending Shawn over the top and to the floor. Umaga continues to dominate until he misses in the corner and Shawn hits a fling forearm. Michael tries to kip up, but Estrada, holds him down. Shawn knocks him off the apron, but Umaga hits the pop up Samoan Drop. Michaels is able to hit a low blow behind the ref's back and follows it up with a top rope elbow drop. He tunes up the band, but Vince grabs his leg. Shane comes in and he gets hit with the forearm. Umaga nails Michaels with a Samoan Spike and that's all for this one. That was an entertaining match, even if it took a lot of interference for Umaga to win. After the match, Vince and Shane attack Michaels. Vince takes off his belt and whips Michaels and then chokes him. They hit him with a chair and tell Michaels that next week it will be Triple H taking on Umaga. 

Match Rating: **3/4

Well, Raw continues to be a total downer of a show. There is so little to enjoy and it's just so full of DX and the McMahons every week. The main event was entertaining, as was the Flair/Foley segment. Everything else was completely skippable.

Overall Rating: 40%

NXT 8-14-14 Review

Original Airdate: Thursday, August 14th, 2014
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

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We get a Tyler Breeze/Adrian Neville hype video to start. 

NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament First Round Match
Bull Dempsey & Mojo Rawley vs. Vaudevillains

We get some shenanigans from the Vaudevillains while working on the arm of Mojo. Bull gets tagged in and he starts working on Gotch. Mojo tags in, but Bull isn't super happy about it. It leads to Gotch hitting a rolling senton and English hitting a top rope senton for the victory. Bull isn't happy after the match, so he clotheslines him and continues his attack. I just don't really care for either of these guys. The crowd gets behind Bull because they are done with Mojo. 

Match Rating: 3/4*

Sasha Banks confronts Bayley backstage. Sasha says that she's next in line and we'll find that out tonight.

NXT Women's Championship #1 Contender Match
Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

Bayley shows off a little bit of an aggressive side and then we get a series of pinfall attempts. This is probably the most these ladies have been able to show off in a match. Bayley continues to get the better of her, so Sasha rolls out of the ring. We even get a commercial break here, which is a rarity for women's matches. During the break, Sasha hits a double knee to the midsection of Bayley. Sasha hits the Back Stabber and then puts on the Banks Statement. Bayley reverses it into a pinfall and is your new #1 contender. Charlotte comes out to reach out her hand to Bayley and ends up raising her hand. This was a pretty good match that actually got a chance to give the ladies a proper match.

Match Rating: **1/4

NXT Tag Team Championship #1 Contender Tournament First Round Match
Sin Cara & Kalisto vs. Wesley Blake & Blake Murphy

This is Murphy and Blake's first televised match as a team. Cara and Kalisto are obvious the legit team at this point, so they dominate most of it. They hit a nice missile dropkick combo and then Salida del Sol for the quick victory. There wasn't much to this one, but the victors looked solid.

Match Rating: 1/2*

NXT Championship Match
Tyler Breeze vs. Adrian Neville

Neville gets Breeze out of the ring, but when Neville goes on the apron, Breeze kicks his legs out from under him. Tyson Kidd is now out and stands next to the announce team. Breeze slows down the match before dumping Neville out of the ring. He meets him out there and throws him into the steps before throwing him back in. Neville makes a comeback, but it is short-lived, as Breeze hits a dropkick while Neville is in midair. Breeze hits a bulldog into the second turnbuckle, but Neville hits a superkick for a 2 count. They battle up on the turnbuckles and Neville hits a sunset flip powerbomb for a 2 count. He goes up top, but Breeze rolls out of the way. Breeze hits a huge tornado DDT, but Neville kicks out. I just realized that Mike Chioda is the referee for the match. Breeze goes for a German suplex, but Neville lands on his feet and he then hits one on Breeze into a bridge for a 2 count. Neville hits a dive onto Breeze and Tyson walks over that way. Neville hits him with a superkick and then hits a kick on Breeze. He heads up top, but Kidd grabs his foot and Neville spills to the mat. Tyson attacks him and then Breeze comes in and attacks Kidd. Out comes Sami Zayn and he knocks both heels out of the ring. His music hits and that's all for this week. This was a solid main event, but it felt like they were holding back a little bit. The ending was a little flat, but the match was good enough to make up for it.

Match Rating: ***

This was a very focused episode that had four matches that all had meaning behind them. Nothing was must see, but it was entertaining from start to finish.

Overall Rating: 66%

Monday Night Raw 8-22-94 Review

Original Airdate: Monday, August 22nd, 1994
Beeghly Center
Youngstown, Ohio 

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Vince McMahon and Randy Savage greet us from WWF Studios to kick things off. I guess we're seeing some matches from Sunday Night Slam, so we'll hear from Gorilla Monsoon and Jim Ross here.

Lex Luger vs. Crush

Crush was so memorable that I completely forgot he hasn't done anything in months. After a quick start from Crush, Luger battles back and knocks him out of the ring. He immediately throws him back in, but Crush hits him with an inverted atomic drop and a big back breaker. Crush continues to work on the back and out comes Ted DiBiase just as we go to commercial break. When we come back. Luger counters a suplex into a small package and gets a 2 count. I have to say, both guys look pretty motivated here. Crush hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and DiBiase jumps on the apron to offer Crush some money. Crush knocks it out of his hand and then gets hit with a running forearm for the victory. This wasn't bad storytelling for the seemingly never ending DiBiase/Luger story. This wasn't too bad considering who was involved. 

Match Rating: **

Vince and Savage discuss if Luger has sold out and Savage thinks he has. If you want to voice your opinion for no reason, you can pay $1.49 to call the hotline. 

We get a Owen Hart/Bret Hart recap. We also get the steel cage interview from Superstars. Now it's time for a Bret Hart interview with Raymond Rougeau. He talks about going in the steel cage in the SummerSlam. He then calls Neidhart fat and stupid. 

We now get more of Leslie Nielsen. Peak 1994 WWF. 

Typhoon vs. Diesel

Typhoon coming out to Earthquake's music by himself is just weird to me. They have a big collision and Diesel is the one who goes flying to the mat. Diesel then hits an impressive leaping shoulder tackle to knock Typhoon down and follows it up with an elbow drop. Typhoon actually gets in some more offense here, but it all leads to Typhoon missing an elbow drop. Typhoon does hit a running splash in the corner, but on the second attempt, Diesel gets the boot up. He follows it up with a big running clothesline and gets the victory. They made Typhoon look a little too strong there for my taste. This was your typical big man match, but Diesel did look good. 

Match Rating: *

We see a Razor Ramon/Walter Payton interview into the commercial break. 

Vince and Savage then throw us back to the King's Court last week on Raw where the lights went out when Paul Bearer was getting choked out by the Fake Undertaker. We go back to Leslie Nielsen again. When we come back. they announce that Raw will not be on for two weeks due to the US Open. Vince pretends to not be mad. SummerSlam is next week, oh yeah.

Well, this was basically a studio show, but it did have two feature matches on it. Neither of them was memorable, but they also weren't bad overall. This was pretty paint by the numbers, but I was mostly entertained.

Overall Rating: 50%

WrestleMania Backlash 2022 Review

Sunday, May 8th, 2022
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence, Rhode Island

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Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes

I appreciate them putting a big match as the opener, but I always like it when the show gets going right away and not with 10 minutes of hype video. We have a nice opening with both men trying to get a one up, but slowly getting there. Rhodes chases Rollins around the ring and gets turned inside out with a clothesline. Rhodes does come back with his springboard enzuigiri. Neither man has been able to sustain a lengthy amount of offense. As I type that, Rollins puts on a sleeper hold. Even all of that doesn't last long, as Cody hits a superplex to slow the momentum. We get a fast-paced series that leads to a clothesline over the top and then Cody crashing and burning to the outside. Rollins then goes for a dive, but runs into a forearm. Cody runs in the ring and hits a Cody Cutter for a 2 count. Rollins battles back and hits a Falcon Arrow for a 2 count. They have done the back and forth match very well here so far. It hasn't felt as unbelievable as a lot of matches that go for that type of story. This has just felt like two very evenly matched competitors having problems sustaining momentum. Rollins hits a Buckle Bomb and a huge Frog Splash, but Cody is able to kick out. Cody avoids Rollins off the top rope, he rolls through and Cody hits him with a superkick. He goes up top, but Rollins leaps up and hits a superplex. Rollins rolls for another one, but Cody counters and hits CrossRhodes. Rollins is able to get hit foot on the bottom rope and Cody is losing his temper. Cody goes for a moonsault, but misses. Rollins hits the Pedigree, but Cody kicks out. Seth mocks Dusty which leads to a bunch of counters and it ends up with Cody countering a roll up and holding the tights for the victory. I appreciate them not going 50/50 as they normally do with non-title feuds. I liked this better than the WrestleMania match, as I thought the action was quicker and the story was stronger. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

Omos vs. Bobby Lashley

As you would expect, Lashley tries to get something going, but Omos then dominates the match. I feel like MVP is missing one more person in his stable, as it just feels kind of empty with it just being him and Omos. Lashley gets an opportunity open up when Omos gets tied up in the ropes. I'm glad so see they are going for all of the old tricks with Omos. Lashley gets distracted by MVP and tries putting on the Hurt Lock. Omos reaches over and grabs him back in the ring. Lashley hits a Flatliner and then goes for the Hurt Lock on Omos and gets it on. Omos starts to fade, but then backs Lashley into the corner to break it. Lashley ends up running his shoulder into the ring post and MVP hits him in the face with his cane. Omos hits a Khali slam and that is all. They had to put him over after losing at WrestleMania in this scenario, as I'm sure they are hoping that he takes off as their monster. The match was pretty basic and about what you would expect.

Match Rating: *1/4

Edge vs. AJ Styles

Damian Priest is barred from ringside for this one. It's kind of weird to me that Styles is less than 4 years younger than Edge. We get a brawling start and Styles hits a dropkick through the ropes to Edge on the outside. He follows it up with a springboard moonsault to the floor. He goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but Edge hits him with a dropkick. Edge goes to work on Styles shoulder and throws him into the steps outside. We get a double crossbody, with both guys getting the wind knocked out of them. Styles recovers quicker and hits a running forearm. Styles pulls out a top rope hurricanrana. Edge is able to hit a backbreaker and puts on the Crossface. Styles is able to escape and puts on the Calf Crusher, but Edge is eventually able to grab the bottom rope. Edge takes off the second turnbuckle during a German suplex, but it backfires when he goes for a Spear and he runs into it. He's able to kick out, which felt to early for that spot. Edge hits a Spear, but AJ is able to kick out as well. He goes for another Spear, but Styles hits him with a knee. Styles then hits the Styles Clash and Edge kicks out. Out comes Damian, Finn Balor is out and attacks Priest from behind. Styles is up top, but a masked person pulls Styles off the top. Edge puts on the Crossface in the center of the ring. Edge cranks back and Styles is out and the ref calls for the bell. The mystery person takes off the mask and it's Rhea Ripley. This was pretty good overall, but more of a setup for the addition of Ripley.

Match Rating: ***1/4

So...many...commercials.

I Quit Match For The SmackDown Championship
Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair

We get lots of brawling here to begin. Ronda uses the kendo sticks out in the aisle. They battle into the crowd and Charlotte attempts a submission using a rail. They head back towards the ring and Charlotte pulls out a powerbomb to the barricade on the outside, but Ronda refuses to say I quit. Ronda tries to make a comeback, but Charlotte is quick to put a stop to it. Ronda is able to put in an armbar to an upside down Charlotte, who is hanging from the top turnbuckle. Both women then both crash to the floor and are down. Charlotte brings a chair into the mix and hits Ronda in the back with it. Back in the ring, Charlotte hits Natural Selection onto the chair. Charlotte slaps on the Figure Eight despite Ronda trying to stop her. Ronda is able to grab the chair and use it to break the hold. Charlotte goes to try to use the chair again and wishes Ronda a happy Mother's Day. Ronda grabs the arm through the chair and slaps on the armbar. Charlotte eventually says I quit and we have a new SmackDown Women's Champion. I liked the WrestleMania match a lot more than most and I thought this was also quite good. It seemed like this crowd was more into Rousey than the crowd in Dallas. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss

I'll be honest, I didn't even know that these two broke up. I appreciate that they've given these guys a midcard story, even if I still don't ever care to watch Corbin wrestle. Corbin dominates for a lot longer than I care to watch, but Moss eventually hits a fall away slam. Corbin eventually bounces back and hits a Deep Six for a 2 count. Moss hits a sunset flip out of nowhere and gets the victory. This was just a TV match put in the death slot on the show.

Match Rating: *

Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro vs. Roman Reigns & Usos

When was the last time a six man tag main evented a pay per view? In Your House: International Incident? Either way, this one follows the usual formula to start where the head heel stays out of the match. Reigns comes in when Riddle is down and hits him with a big reverse elbow. It eventually comes down to Drew and Roman and we have a big man battle. McIntyre gets the better of Reigns until he's able to get a Superman Punch in to knock Drew out of the ring. This show seemed like a good candidate to end 20 minutes early, but these guys just aren't having it. It's kind of a miracle that I'm still awake. McIntyre is able to hit a Claymore Kick out of nowhere and it allows a tag to Orton, who is super over here. Orton hits a draping DDT on one of the Usos and a big RKO on Roman. He hits another on Jimmy Uso, but Jey breaks up the pin attempt. Maybe they should go with Orton and Reigns next. McIntyre is in and goes for another Claymore Kick, but he gets hit first with a superkick and then a double superkick. Riddle is now back up on the apron and waiting for a tag and he gets it. Riddle hits a really nice burst of offense and this match has kicked into the next gear. Reigns dumps McIntyre through the table and then we get some dives to the outside. Now it's Riddle and Jey destroying each other back in the ring. Jey is up top, but Riddle runs up and hits a RKO off the top rope. In runs Roman and he hits a Spear and pins Riddle for the victory. Those last 5 or so minutes were really incredible. It was sort of an odd choice to put on last with Ronda winning the title tonight, but they definitely delivered a main event match. 

Match Rating: ***3/4

4 out of 6 matches definitely delivered here tonight and the other just felt like filler. This didn't feel like essential viewing, but we did get a title switch and Rhea Ripley joining Edge, so it wasn't like nothing memorable happened in terms of storyline. We got some very good wrestling and even if nothing was an all timer, it just reminded you that they do have a lot of guys on the roster that can deliver in the ring. 

Overall Rating: 73%

Superstars 8-20-94 Review

Original Airdate: Saturday, August 20th, 1994
Wheeling Civic Center
Wheeling, West Virginia

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Diesel vs. Kevin Krueger

I mean, I know this will surprise you, but Diesel dominates Krueger here. They actually let him win quickly, which is what he should always be doing in squash matches. He hits Snake Eyes and then the Jackknife for the victory. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Vince interviews Owen Hart in an empty arena with the steel cage set up. Owen says the usual stuff here, but it's a lot more effective with them doing it in a different setting. This was a nicely done little segment. 

Sparky Plugg vs. George Anderson

Start your engines, he's back. He hits a few moves and a top rope crossbody and that's all. Main event push coming soon.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Kwang & Well Dunn vs. Smoking Gunns & Adam Bomb

I guess this is their SummerSlam match. Bart hits a dropkick and then he hits a unique move while running the ropes and using a slingshot on Billy to send him into the ring on whichever one of Well Dunn guys. Kwang gets a tag in though and hits a spin kick on Billy. Dunn goes off the top rope, but Billy hits him with a dropkick and he kind of lands funny. Adam Bomb gets the hot tag and hits a sidewalk slam. He heads up top and hits a big clothesline, but the pin attempt is broken up. They start brawling outside the ring and Harvey gets on the apron. Bomb avoids the attack from behind and Harvey is knocked to the floor. He hits the pump handle slam and that is all. That was fun for a semi-jobber feature match. 

Match Rating: **1/4

It's time for more Leslie Nielsen. 

Bam Bam Bigelow & IRS vs. Sonny Rogers & Tom Stone

Tom Stone looks like he's in his 50s. We get a quick promo from the champions and Lou Albano, which is still weird to me. Bam Bam and IRS hit a double clothesline to prove to us that they are a great tag team. Bam Bam hits a unique spinning backbreaker and a splash for the victory. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

We go to Paul Bearer digging in the cemetery and him talking in a high pitched voice. 

We got to Todd Pettengill for the SummerSlam Report. Bret Hart reminds us of how high the steel cage is. Lex Luger never sold out. Alundra Blayze actually gets a promo and when she comes from behind, you feel the heat. Luna Vachon yells really loud. 

At Sunday Night Slam, it's Typhoon vs. Diesel. Oh yeah.

Tatanka vs. Todd Becker

Becker's tights are really something. His wrestling skill is also on par with mine. Tatanka hits the Samoan Drop for the victory. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

They show us the backstory of Alundra vs. Bull. 

Next week, it's Duke Droese vs. Jeff Jarrett and Ted DiBiase and Fake Undertaker on the Heartbreak Hotel. Vince then informs us that Joey Marella has passed away. They then give him a nice little tribute. I know Gorilla was said to have never been the same again after this. 

This was a passable episode with a fun six man tag match. The Owen interview was also a nice departure from what they were normally doing. The rest was typical Superstars.

Overall Rating: 49%

SmackDown 7-28-06 Review

Original Airdate: Friday, July 28th, 2006
Joe Louis Arena
Detroit, Michigan

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Mr. Kennedy vs. Batista

Kennedy is announced as the man who beat Batista at Great American Bash. I never understand these episodes where there are a bunch of rematches from the pay-per-view you just made people buy. Kennedy uses a distraction from the ref to go after the knee of Batista. The action spills outside of the ring and they are brawling. Kennedy rolls into the ring and the ref calls for the bell, counting out Batista. This leads to Batista trying to destroy Kennedy, but he's able to roll out of the ring and Batista is frustrated. This was more of an angle than it was a match. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

They show the WrestleMania 23 press conference. I unfortunately wasn't able to go to this. 

Vito vs. Simon Dean

Well, this may be the most 2006 match ever. Vito makes a comeback, but Dean hits him with a kick to the face. Dean tries to use his Simon System powder, the ref grabs it and Vito hits a spinning DDT. He then locks in his embarrassing finisher and that's it.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Miz interviews Rey Mysterio, but all Rey says is that all he cares about is winning the World Heavyweight Championship.

Tatanka vs. Sylvan

You can chalk this one up as a match that I 100% forgot I saw live. Sylvan is able to throw Tatanka into the steps outside the ring and back in. Tatanka tries to comeback, but runs into the turnbuckle and Sylvan hits a back suplex for a 2 count. Tatanka makes another comeback with a back body drop. He hits some chops and a body slam. Tatanka goes for the chop off the top rope, but Sylvan hits a nice dropkick to the gut. Sylvan misses Tatanka in the corner and Tatanka hits End Of The Trail for a 2 count. Sylvan avoids an elbow drop and grabs the tomahawk. Tatanka knocks it out of his hand and the ref goes to grab it. This allows Sylvan to hit a low blow and a TKO for the victory. This wasn't a super convincing victory for Sylvan here, but I guess they would give up on him pretty soon anyways. After the match, Sylvan grabs the headdress and just drops it to the floor. 

Match Rating: *1/4

Michelle McCool vs. Jillian Hall

It's almost as if they were daring you to turn off this show. Seriously, how did they approve Vito, Sylvan and this match in 3 straight segments? Jillian dominates the entire match, but misses the handstand leg drop. McCool takes advantage and puts her feet on the ropes for the victory. This was something that happened.

Match Rating: 1/4*

Sharmell cordially invites all of us for the grandest coronation in WWE history.

Chavo Guerrero is here for a studio interview and says that he is not in Detroit for personal reasons. He says he will be on SmackDown next week. 

King Booker and Queen Sharmell come out a motorized carriage with balloons and a flower girl. Booker does his king schtick and then Mysterio comes out and attacks him. 

Finlay and William Regal are backstage. They bicker about their past. 

United States Championship Match
William Regal vs. Finlay

Another rematch and this one didn't get a good response from the live crowd at that show. These two don't really care though and just try to have as stiff of a match as they can. Regal hits a couple of suplexes and takes off the top turnbuckle. Out comes Hornswoggle and he hits a low blow on Regal. He hides back under the ring and Finlay rolls him up for the victory. This was a little too short to be anything special. With the roster where it was, I really don't understand why Regal wasn't a bigger factor. 

Match Rating: **

The Diva Search is here and it's musical chairs. Layla is the first one eliminated and messes up the other contestants hair on her way out. JT wins if you care. I don't.

Teddy Long is on the phone and Paul Heyman barges in. Heyman complains about Teddy making Big Show compete against Undertaker. Somehow it ends up with Batista being the next person to face Big Show.

Sylvester Terkay vs. Matt Hardy

Elijah Burke introduces Terkay, who had no hype prior to tonight. JBL and Cole hype him up as 71-1, with his only loss being to Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle, he is not. Terkay dominates Hardy and I remember the crowd being stunned. He hits a spinning back fist and puts him in an arm submission and that is all. This was to put this guy as a monster, but he just never clicked. 

Match Rating: 1/2*

World Heavyweight Championship Match
King Booker vs. Rey Mysterio

Rey starts off hot, as we head into a quick commercial break. When we come back, Mysterio misses a dive to the outside and Booker goes to work. Rey explodes for his comeback, hitting a spinning headscissors for a 2 count. Rey hits the Three Amigos, but then Sharmell gets up on the apron to distract the ref. Out comes Chavo and he pulls Rey off the apron, hitting his head on the barricade. He tosses Rey back in and Booker hits the Scissor Kick for the victory. They packed a lot of action into a short match here, but this was only here to further the Chavo/Rey story. 

Match Rating: **1/2

Well, sometimes when you attend a live show, you enjoy it more than it probably deserves. In the case of this ECW/SmackDown taping I attended, I'm not so sure that is true. These were both pretty bad, with ECW particularly being terrible. The main event saved it for me here, as Rey really went out and tried to make that match as good as it could be. Nothing else was worthwhile, particularly the Diva Search. 

Overall Rating: 41%

ECW 7-25-06 Review

Tuesday, July 25th, 2006
Joe Louis Arena
Detroit, Michigan

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I get to review a show I was at for the first time in awhile. We start off with Mike Knox and Kelly Kelly in the ring and he shows a video package of her stripteases. They then show her getting smacked in the head by Sandman. He then tells her that he didn't abandon her, he ran to the back to get medical attention as quickly as possible. I guess we're getting a match here.

Mike Knox vs. Sandman

The ref takes away the cane and it allows Knox to attack him. This is not an Extreme Rules match, if you're keeping score at home. Sandman hits a side Russian leg sweep. Kelly gets on the apron and Sandman grabs his cane. He goes to hit Knox, but Kelly gets in the way and in comes Test to attack Knox. They double team Sandman and the crowd doesn't care. I remember it being pretty silent for all of this. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Test and Knox are backstage celebrating and they get attacked by Tommy Dreamer with a garbage can. 

We go to Paul Heyman and Sabu, who wants to challenge Big Show for a title match. Heyman says that the match can't happen and he tells Sabu to take the night off. Heyman then goes off on Little Guido and kicks him out of his chair. His stooges then attack him until Heyman tells them it's enough. Heyman then tells him his match is next. 

CM Punk is coming.

Kevin Thorn vs. Little Guido

Guido is dragged to the ring by Heyman's security. I can't believe I forgot that I got to witness the televised debut of Thorn. He hits a version of the powerbomb and then chokes Guido. He then hits a draped Stunner and a Razor's Edge for the victory. He honestly didn't look too bad and that's a credit to Guido, who did a great job bumping around. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

We get a Kane "highlight" package. 

Balls Mahoney vs. Justin Credible

These two are having a match and no one really cares. Credible gets enough offense in to have a rest spot, which seems like a bad idea considering how little the crowd is invested in either guy at this point. Balls hits a back suplex to get out of it and does his punch gimmick. Credible goes for a sliding kick in the corner, but Balls moves and he slides into the post. Balls gets dropkicked into the ref and Credible grabs a chair. Balls gets it away from him and he hits Credible with it and the ref sees it and that's a DQ. This was brutal and almost uncomfortable for the performers. Balls doesn't like the decision so he hits the ref with it and that gets the biggest pop of the whole thing. 

Match Rating: 1/4*

Big Show is back with Heyman and he is questioning why he won't let him face Sabu. They then show a tale of the tape for Big Show and Kane and they actually list "Star of See No Evil" as a career highlight. 

Extreme Rules Match For The ECW Championship
Big Show vs. Kane

There have been times where I felt that WWE has tried to test my fandom and this was one of them. The sad thing is that my interest is possibly even lower today. Show climbs to the second rope, but Kane hits a back suplex on him, leaving both men down. They get to their knees and start slugging each other with right hands. Kane hits two clotheslines in the corner and grabs him for the chokeslam. Show grabs Kane by the throat and hits the chokeslam instead, but Kane kicks out at 2. Show sets up two tables next to each other outside the ring and then hits Kane with a trash can. Kane starts nailing Show with a chair and he eventually knocks him off the apron and through the tables. More unprotected chair shots. Kane drags him back in the ring after Heyman checks in on Show. Show is busted open and Kane goes up top, but Show catches Kane by the throat. He goes for the chokeslam, but Kane counters into a terrible DDT. Heyman pulls the ref out of the ring during his count and Kane drags Heyman in. Show grabs a chair and hits Kane in the back and head. Show hits a chokeslam on the chair and this is thankfully over with. Sabu comes from out of nowhere and hits a missile dropkick with a chair on Show and heads to the back. They show the replay of Heyman pulling the ref out of the ring, but it shouldn't have even mattered since Show's feet were both under the ropes. But then again, nothing on this episode mattered, so I guess it's fitting.

Match Rating: *1/2

It's never a good thing when a short backstage segment is the highlight of the show, but that was the case in this turd of an episode. This was really boring and just a poorly booked show from every aspect.

Overall Rating: 26%