Tuesday 25 December 2018

WWE TLC 2018 Review

WWE TLC took place on Sunday 16th December at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. There are 12 matches on the card, so will WWE end 2018 on a positive note? Let's take a look.

The first match on the Kick Off was for the Cruiserweight Championship as Cedric Alexander challenges Buddy Murphy. After some fast paced action and quick pin attempts, Murphy knees Alexander in the face, sending him out of the ring. Alexander gets back into it with a kick to the stomach and both guys try to hit their finishing moves. Alexander does hit the Lumber Check but Murphy manages to get his foot on the ropes. In the end, Murphy manages to retain the Championship after hitting Murphy's Law. This match was pretty good and I'm disappointed that it was on the Kick Off.
Winner: Buddy Murphy (1 for 1)

The second match on the Kick Off Show is an actual ladder match between Elias and Bobby Lashley. Now the rules are that whoever grabs the guitar hanging up wins. Lashley tries to get a ladder but Elias stops him and gets one himself. Lio Rush tries to stop Elias from climbing up the ladder, giving Lashley the chance to recover. Elias manages to turn it around and, despite Rush's efforts, grabs the guitar to get the win. Afterwards, Lashley and Rush beat up Elias. This match was ok and was shorter than I thought it would be.
Winner: Elias (1 for 2)

The first match is the final of the Mixed Match Challenge as Fabulous Truth take on Mahalicia. After Carmella and R-Truth have their mandatory dance break, Alicia Fox hits Carmella in the back to get the advantage. Carmella comes close with a Superkick but Jinder Mahal breaks up the pin. In the end, Carmella gets Alicia to submit to the Code of Silence and they get to enter their respective Royal Rumble matches at number 30. They also get an all expenses paid trip to WWE Headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut...? Ah ok, then. Anyway, this was a fun match between the two teams.
Winners: Fabulous Truth (2 for 3)

Next is The Bar facing The New Day and The Usos in a triple threat match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. The Bar get the advantage, wearing down Xavier Woods. Eventually, Kofi Kingston gets tagged in and Jimmy Uso tags himself in by tagging Cesaro. Cesaro gets tagged back in and puts Kofi in the sharp shooter after a giant swing but Woods stops that with a DDT. In the end, Sheamus hits Woods with a Brogue Kick to get the win. This was a good match but it was hampered by the fact that only two wrestlers were allowed in the ring even though it was a triple threat match.
Winners: The Bar (2 for 4)

We now get a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match between Braun Strowman and RAW General Manager-Elect Baron Corbin with Heath Slater as referee. Earlier in the night, Corbin was convinced that Strowman wouldn't show up. However, Strowman turns up with Finn Balor, Bobby Roode, Chad Gable and Apollo Crews. They attack Corbin with chairs and when he tries to leave, he is stopped by a returning Kurt Angle. Obviously, Corbin gets destroyed and Strowman pins him to get the win. This means that Corbin is no longer the RAW General Manager and Strowman will face Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. This wasn't a match and I felt that having 5-on-1 against Baron Corbin was overkill. WWE must have liked it as they put Corbin against 6 wrestlers the following night.
Winner: Braun Strowman (2 for 5)

Next is a Tables Match between Natlaya and Ruby Riott. Early on, Natalya tries to spear Riott but Liv Morgan gets in the way and gets speared through a table. Later on, Sarah Logan tries to interfere but gets bodyslammed through another table by Natalya. In the end, Natalya gets a table with Ruby plastered on it. Natalya then powerbombs Ruby from the top turnbuckle through the a table to get the win. The match was ok but it dragged too long at times.
Winner: Natalya (3 for 6)

We now get Finn Balor taking on Drew McIntyre. McIntyre sends Balor halfway across the ring with a brutal overhead belly-to-belly suplex to get the advantage. Balor gets back into it with a twisting DDT. After they fight outside the ring, McIntyre throws Balor back into the ring then gets s surprise superkick from Dolph Ziggler. McIntyre doesn't take well and hits him with a big boot. When McIntyre tries to attack Ziggler with a steel chair, Balor hits him with a running dropkick followed by the Coup de Grace to get the win. The match was pretty decent.
Winner: Finn Balor (4 for 7)

Next is a Chairs Match between Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio. Mysterio is the first one to use a chair, attacking the stomach and back. Mysterio goes for a seated senton but misses and lands on a chair. Orton continues his assault then tries to hit him with a RKO onto the chairs. However, Mysterio avoids it and hits a hurracarrana into a victory roll to get the win. There were a couple of cool spots otherwise, the match wasn't that special.
Winner: Rey Mysterio (4 for 8)

We now get our Women's Championship match as Nia Jax challenges Ronda Rousey. Ronda tries to apply the armbar but Nia powers out of it with a sit down powerbomb. Nia then uses her superior strength to dominate Ronda. Ronda hits a crossbody to the floor to start her comeback. However, Nia hits a Samoan Drop for 2. Ronda goes for the armbar but Tamina distracts her. In the end, Nia goes for face breaker but Ronda grabs the arm and twists it in half in an armbar to get the win by submission. Afterwards, "The Man" Becky Lynch backstage goes "remember me, bitch?"and attacks Nia. This was quite a fun match to watch and it was nice to see Becky get some revenge on Nia.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (5 for 9)

Next is AJ Styles getting his rematch for the WWE Championship against "The New" Daniel Bryan. Bryan stops a forearm by Styles with a kick to the ribs then goes on to apply submission holds. The match goes back and forth before Bryan hits 2 running dropkicks and gets clotheslined when he goes for a third. Styles attacks Bryan's left leg and applies a single leg crab. However, Bryan manages to get out and apply the LeBell Yes No Yes LeBell Lock; which Styles gets out of. In the end, Bryan avoids a Phenomenal Forearm and manages to pin Styles with an inside cradle to get the win. I was slightly surprised that it ended in an inside cradle. However, it does't take away from the fact that this was a really good match.
Winner: Daniel Bryan (6 for 10)

The penultimate match is for the Intercontinental Championship as Dean Ambrose challenges Seth Rollins. Ambrose slams Rollins into the steel steps then onto the announce table to get the advantage. After hitting moves such as a neckbreaker with some taunting thrown in, Ambrose starts to focus on the the repaired knee and applies a cloverleaf. Rollins starts a comeback but is hampered by the injured knee. The match goes back and forth before Rollins goes for the Curb Stomp. However, Ambrose manages to hit Dirty Deeds instead to get the win. The match was pretty good, although it felt like a normal wrestling match; which was weird considering the people involved. However, the commentary bothered me as Corey Graves kept going on and on to Ambrose's wife, Renee Young during the match.
Winner: Dean Ambrose (7 for 11)

The main event is the first ever Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship as Asuka and Charlotte Flair challenge "The Man" Becky Lynch. Highlights include: Asuka hitting a code breaker on Charlotte; Asuka powerbombing Charlotte off a ladder and through a table; Becky fucking up her opponents with a steel chair; Becky hitting a legdrop off a ladder, sending Charlotte through the German announce table; Charlotte going apeshit on everyone with a kendo stick; Charlotte spearing Asuka into the timekeeper's area; and Charlotte Flair chopping Becky to death before splashing her through a table. After Charlotte and Becky fight it out on a ladder, Ronda Rousey comes out and tips the ladder, sending them to the floor. Asuka seizes the opportunity and climbs the ladder to claim the belt and win the match.

This match was absolutely incredible and I was surprised that Asuka won the Championship. Ronda interfering made sense although I thought she would have done it earlier. If this doesn't lead to Becky facing Ronda at Wrestlemania, I will be very surprised.
Winner: Asuka (7 fror 12)

I thought that TLC was a good event. Considering some of the creative disasters that WWE have done with their events, it was nice for the year to end on a positive note. Hopefully, there will continue that as we approach the road to Wrestlemania XXXV.

Sunday 16 December 2018

WWE TLC 2018 Preview

Wwetlc.jpeg


WWE's final Pay-Per-View of the year, TLC, will be taking place tomorrow evening at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. There are 12(!!) matches on the card, so let's take a look.

Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton
Chairs Match
Er...I not that bothered about this match so Orton to win, I guess.
Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Fabulous Truth (Carmella and R-Truth) vs Mahalicia (Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox)
Mixed Match Challenge Final
I'm a few weeks behind on the Mixed Match Challenge so I'm surprised that two of the worst teams in the tournament are now in the final. I'm going for Fabulous Truth to win.
Predicted Winners: Fabulous Truth

Elias vs Bobby Lashley
Ladder Match (Kind Of)
This match is slightly different as it has pinfalls and submissions but a guitar is hung up to be used as a weapon. I can see this being a mess and I'm going for Lashley to win.
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Natalya vs Ruby Riott
Tables Match
I will be very surprised if Natalya doesn't win this.
Predicted Winner: Natalya

Buddy Murphy vs Cedric Alexander
Cruiserweight Championship
This should be a good match and I'm going for Murphy to retain.
Predicted Winner: Buddy Murphy

The Bar vs The Usos vs The New Day
Triple Threat Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships
This should be another good match and I think that The Usos will win.
Predicted Winners: The Usos

Finn Balor vs Drew McIntyre
This could be a good match and I think that Finn will win
Predicted Winner: Finn Balor

Braun Strowman vs Baron Corbin
Table, Ladders and Chairs Match
I can see Corbin using his authority as acting General Manager and cheating like fuck to get the win.
Predicted Winner: Baron Corbin

Ronda Rousey vs Nia Jax
RAW Women's Championship
I can see Ronda winning this and continue her quest to the new Chyna
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose
Intercontinental Championship
This should be a fun match to watch. A tough one to call but I think that Ambrose will win.
Predicted Winner: Dean Ambrose

"The Man" Becky Lynch vs Asuka vs Charlotte Flair
TLC Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship
I'm really looking forward to this one and it has the potential to be the match of the night. I think that Becky will retain.
Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

AJ Styles vs Daniel Bryan
WWE Championship
I think this should be a good match abd I think that Bryan will retain.
Predicted Winner: Daniel Bryan

It will be a few days until I get to see it. I hope you guys enjoy the show.

Saturday 1 December 2018

WWE Survivor Series 2018 Review

Survivor Series 2018 took place last Sunday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. RAW have won the last two Survivor Series, so will this year be any different? Let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show was a Survivor Series Elimination Match with Team RAW (Bobby Roode and Chad Gable, The Revival, The Ascension, The B Team and Lucha House Party) taking on Team Smackdown(The Usos, The New Day, Sanity, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows and The Colons(?)) The Colons are the first team to be eliminated after The Revival hit Epico with the Shatter Machine. Anderson eliminates The B Team with a roll up and Eric Young is eliminated thanks to a combo Roode Awakening/Moonsault by Roode and Gable. The Ascension are eliminated when Big E splashes Konnor and Anderson and Gallows are eliminated after a senton by Gran Metalik on Anderson. The Usos then eliminate Lucha House Party and Gable and Roode get eliminated with a Up Up Down Down by The New Day on Gable. The Revival hit Shatter Machine on Xavier Woods to leave it with just them and The Usos. In the end, Jimmy Uso hits an Uso Splash on Scott Dawson to get Team Smackdown the win. This was a good match with Chad Gable and The Revival being particularly impressive.
Winners; The Usos (1 for 1)

The first match on the show is the Women's Survivor Series Elimination Match with Team RAW (Mickie James, Tamina, Nia Jax, Sasha Banks and Bayley) versus Team Smackdown (Naomi, Carmella, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville and Asuka) Earlier on, Alexa Bliss had replaced Natalya and Ruby Riott with Sasha Banks and Bayley. Naomi is the first one to be eliminated with a superkick by Tamina but she was eliminated immediately by a roll up by Carmella, who celebrated with a dance break. Rose blind tags in as Deville hits a running knee on James and eliminates her to take the credit. Bayley eliminates Carmella with a Belly-to-Bayley and Sasha Banks eliminates Mandy Rose with the Banks Statement. Deville and Bayley both get counted out, leaving Asuka to take on Jax and Banks. Jax decides to be a jerk and push Banks off the turnbuckle, leading her into a Asuka Lock by Asuka. Banks submits and Jax then kills Asuka with multiple legdrops and a Samoan Drop to get the win for Team RAW. This was quite a good match and it ties the event at...wait, it's 1-0 to RAW? So, the one on the Kick Off Show doesn't count? Then, what was the point of the match?
Winner: Nia Jax (2 for 2)

We now get our first Champion vs Champion match as the Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins takes on United States Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Both guys get a feel for each other before Nakamura kicks Rollins in the face as he goes for a suicide dive. Nakamura focuses on the neck before Rollins slams Nakamura into the turnbuckle. Rollins hits 3 suicide dives in a row before the match goes back and forth. Nakamura hits a Kinshasa to the back of the head but Rollins kicks out. Nakamura goes for another one but misses and Rollins hits the Curb Stomp to get the win. This was an entertaining match and possibly, one of Nakamura's best matches since being called up to the main roster. I was surprised that Dean Ambrose didn't make an appearance. I suppose brand supremacy is more important than his hatred of Rollins.
Winner: Seth Rollins (2 for 3)

Our second Champion vs Champion match as the RAW Tag Team Champions AOP take on Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Bar. Sheamus and Cesaro get the early advantage as they focus on Razr. AOP recover, wearing down Cesaro. Cesaro eventually tags in Sheamus. Drake Maverick starts to interfere, distracting Sheamus then putting Razr's foot on the rope to stop him being pinned. When The Bar and Big Show go after him, he wets himself...? What? Anyway, AOP use this opportunity(?) to hit Sheamus with The Last Chapter and get the win. I wasn't a fan of this match. It felt like it went on for too long and the ending was fucking stupid.
Winners: AOP (2 for 4)

We now get a break from RAW dominating Smackdown as Mustafa Ali challenges Buddy Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship. Ali uses his quickness against Murphy before being sent flying off the top rope into the crowd barrier. Ali tries to get back into it but Murphy uses his superior strength to shut him down. Ali comes close with a beautiful hanging DDT then hits a Spanish fly from the German announce table. In the end, Ali goes for a crossbody but gets kneed in the head. Murphy then hits Murphy's Law to get the win. This was a really good match and it was great to see the Cruiserweight Championship on an actual Pay-Per-View.
Winner: Buddy Murphy (3 for 5)

Next is our final Survivor Series Elimination Match as Team RAW (Bobby Lashley, Finn Balor, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre and Braun Strowman) take on Team Smackdown (Hollywood Miz, Best in the World(?) Shane McMahon, Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy and Rey Mysterio). Samoa Joe is the first to be eliminated with a Claymore Kick by McIntyre. Shane elbows Strowman through the announce table and Balor gets eliminated by Rey Mysterio after a 619 and a Dropping a Dime.   Shane eliminates Ziggler after a Coast to Coast and when he goes for another one, Strowman clotheslines him in mid air. Strowman eliminates Hardy, Mysterio and Miz with powerslams, leaving only Shane left for Smackdown. Strowman then hits him with a brutal powerslam to get the win for RAW. RAW Captain Baron Corbin celebrates by hitting Strowman on the back of the head. Whilst I was pissed off that once again, Shane McMahon was the last member of his team; it was a good match.
Winners: Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley and Braun Strowman (4 for 6)

The penultimate match was supposed to be RAW Women's Champion Ronda Rousey taking on Smackdown Women's Champion "The Man" Becky Lynch, which was that a lot of people was looking forward to seeing. However, Nia Jax broke her nose and gave her a concussion, meaning that she couldn't compete. Instead, we got Ronda taking on Charlotte Flair. Charlotte sends Ronda flying into the turnbuckle to get the advantage. Ronda tries multiple times to go for the Armbar but Charlotte stops it each time. Both women come close to winning before Charlotte goes for the Figure 8 but Ronda reverses the pressure and they end up on the floor. In the end, Ronda goes to attack Charlotte on the outside but she gets hit with a kendo stick out of thin air, causing a disqualification. Charlotte proceeds to beat the absolute fuck out of Ronda with kendo sticks and a steel chair. When referees start to stop her, she beats the fuck out of them as well, ending with  putting Ronda in a chair vice and stomping on it.

This match was really good and definitely the best one that Ronda has had so far. The ending was surprising, but I was initially ok with it if it led to something. However, Ronda comes out the next night acting as if nothing happened; and, except for a segment on Smackdown, Charlotte is still being a face. So, it felt that it didn't change anything. As for the future, it could lead to some interesting inter-promotional matches between Nia Jax, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey if WWE play it right.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (5 for 7)

The main event was between Universal Champion Brock Lesnar and the new WWE Champion Daniel Bryan. The match starts at a slow pace with Bryan mocking Lesnar. That turns out to be a bad idea as Lesnar proceeds to hit 2 release German suplexes and 3 overhead belly-to-belly suplexes. Lesnar continues to brutalise Bryan, hitting a F-5 but choosing not to end the match. Lesnar goes for another F-5 but he throws Bryan into the referee and Bryan hits a low blow and a running knee for 2. Bryan starts his comeback, kicking and stomping on Lesnar. The match goes back and forth and Bryan comes close after hitting another running knee. In the end, Lesnar manages to prevail by getting out of a triangle choke and hitting the F-5.

This match was weird to watch at first. It looked like it was going to be a glorified squash match, which was insane to see considering it had two World Champions involved. However, it developed into and entertaining, back and forth match. An unusual but enjoyable match.
Winner: Brock Lesnar (6 for 8)

Except for a few moments, Survivor Series was pretty good. It was weird that RAW swept the board, except for the Kick Off Show, which doesn't count for some reason. Despite that, there were some good matches. If WWE can just stop doing stupid things when booking some of their matches, then maybe we can get some more good events.

Friday 23 November 2018

NXT Takeover: War Games II Review

NXT Takeover: War Games II took place last Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The card looks awesome so let's take a look.

We have an unexpected start with Matt Riddle coming out and challenging Kassius Ohno. They were supposed to wrestle on the next NXT episode. As soon as the bell rings, Riddle knees Ohno in the face and gets the win. The match seemed a bit pointless but it was a fun way to start the show.
Winner: Matt Riddle (N/A)

The next match is a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the NXT Women's Championship as Kairi Sane challenges Shayna Baszler. Kairi starts at breakneck speed; but while the referee is checking on Shayna, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir run down and attack Kairi. Shayna gets Kairi to tap out to the Kirifuda Clutch to take the lead. Shayna goes on to dominate but Kairi hits a DDT onto the apron. She then goes on to hit an Insane Elbow to tie the match. When Jessamyn and Marina attempt to interfere, Dakota Kai and Io Shirai come out to even the playing field. Kairi hits another Insane Elbow but Shayna manages to turn it into a pin. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere. Despite that, it was a thoroughly entertaining match.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (1 for 1)

We now get to see the complete fall of Johnny Gargano as he takes on Aleister Black. Gargano plays mind games and gets the advantage after a kick to the face. Black gets back into it but Gargano comes close with a slingshot DDT. The match goes back and forth and Gargano applies the Garag-No Escape but Black hits 2 Black Masks to get the win. This was an amazing match to watch and I look forward to seeing what they will do with Gargano in the future.
Winner: Aliester Black (1 for 2)

Next is The Velveteen Dream challenge Tommaso "Fuckface" Ciampa for the NXT Championship. In the early stages, the play mind games with each other before Ciampa pushes Dream off the turnbuckle to the floor. Dream gets back into it and applies a Figure Four. Both of them come close to winning, before Ciampa starts to expose the flooring and Dream sends them flying over the announce table. Ciampa has a go at commentator Mauro Ranallo for some reason, and he gets hit with a Death Valley Driver onto the padding. Dream follows that with a Purple Rainmaker but Ciampa kicks out. Dream tries another Purple Rainmaker but misses, crashing to the floor. Ciampa goes on to hit a DDT onto the metal connecting the two rings to get the win. This match was amazing and a forerunner for match of the year.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa (1 for 3)

The main event is a War Games Match with The Undisputed Era taking on the team of The War Raiders, Ricochet and Pete Dunne. Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) and Ricochet start the match followed by: Kyle O'Reilly, Hanson, Roderick Strong, Rowe and Bobby Fish. When Fish comes out, he double locks Dunne's cage and The Undisputed Era proceed to beat the fuck out of their opponents with their custom made steel chairs. Eventually, the referee uses bolt cutters to get Dunne out of the cage and even the sides. Other highlights of the match include: Dunne taking out The Undisputed Era by himself; Fish spearing Rowe through a table; Hanson splashing O'Reilly through another table; and Ricochet hitting a 630 splash on everyone from the top of the cage. In the end, Cole goes for the Last Shot on Dunne. However, Dunne avoids it and hits The Bitter End. Ricochet follows up with a 450 Splash and his team gets the win. This match, whilst not as good as the others, was a lot fun to watch and a great main event.
Winners: The War Raiders, Ricochet and Pete Dunne (1 for 4)

Takeover was, as usual, an amazing event with some matches that were amongst the best of the year. I hope that WWE applies some aspects of these events and apply them to their own.

Sunday 18 November 2018

WWE Survivor Series 2018 Preview

Survivor Series 2018 poster.jpg



The 32nd Survivor Series took place this evening at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The card looks interesting, especially after the previous Smackdown. So, let's take a look.

Team RAW (Bobby Roode and Chad Gable, The Revival, The B-Team, Lucha House Party and The Ascension) vs Team Smackdown (The Usos, The New Day, Sanity, Luke Anderson and Luke Gallows, and The Colons(?))
Survivor Series Elimination Match
The RAW Tag Team Division is a joke at the minute even though they have The Revival. I'm going for Smackdown to win.
Predicted Winners: Team Smackdown

Buddy Murphy vs Mustafa Ali
Cruiserweight Championship
This should be a good match and I'm going for Murphy to win.
Predicted Winner: Buddy Murphy

AOP vs The Bar
This should be a good match and I'm going for The Bar to win.
Predicted Winners: The Bar

Seth Rollins vs Shinsuke Nakamura
This is one of the matches that I'm really looking forward to seeing. Rollins is awesome at the minute but I can see Dean Ambrose interfering, giving Nakamura the win.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

Team RAW (Mickie James, Nia Jax, Tamina, Natalya and Ruby Riott) vs Team Smackdown (Carmella, Naomi, Sonya Deville, Asuka and TBD) 
Survivor Series Elimination Match
A tough one to call, especially as we don't know yet who the fifth member of Team Smackdown will be. I'm going for Team RAW to win this one.
Predicted Winners: Team RAW

Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair
Unfortunately, Becky Lynch's injury meant that she can't face Rousey; so we get Charlotte instead. This could be the match of the night and I think that Rousey will win.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Brock Lesnar vs Daniel Bryan
In a big surprise, Bryan became WWE Champion, turning heel in the process on Tuesday. This has led to an interesting match up between, technically, two heels. I'm going for Brock to win.
Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Team RAW (Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Braun Strowman, Finn Balor and Bobby Lashley) vs Team Smackdown (Hollywood Miz, Shane McMahon (Fuck's Sake...), Rey Mysterio, Samoa Joe and Jeff Hardy)
I think Team RAW will win this one and hopefully the Best in the World Shane McMahon will be the first one to be eliminated.
Predicted Winners: Team RAW

It will be a few days before I see this so the review won't be up for a while. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the show.

Friday 16 November 2018

NXT Takeover: War Games II Preview

NXT Takeover: War Games II will be taking place tomorrow evening at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Even though there are only 4 matches, the card looks fucking amazing. So, let's take a look.

Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black
In a year of surprising heel turns of beloved wrestlers, Gargano's was probably the best one done. This is a tough one to call but I'm going for Gargano to win.
Predicted Winner: Johnny Gargano

Shayna Baszler vs Kairi Sane
2 out of 3 Falls for the NXT Women's Championship
Their rivalry has produced some great matches so far and, whilst I love Kairi to regain the Championship, I think that Shayna will win.
Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler

Tommaso "Fuckface" Ciampa vs The Velveteen Dream
NXT Championship
The Dream was perhaps an unusual choice to be the No 1 Contender but he's tremendously talented and also well deserved. I might be in the minority but I think he'll win.
Predicted Winner: Velveteen Dream

The Undisputed Era vs War Raiders, Ricochet and Pete Dunne
War Games Match
The Undisputed Era need to stop pissing off William Regal round this time of year to avoid being put in this match. This should be a great match and I think that The Undisputed Era will find a way to win.
Predicted Winners: The Undisputed Era

Along with Survivor Series, it will be a few days until I get to see it, so the review won't be up for a while. Until then, I hope you all enjoy the show.

Wednesday 7 November 2018

WWE Crown Jewel Review

WWE Crown Jewel took place last Friday at the King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Parts Unknown...? This is going to be hard to watch, not just because of the political situation but the card doesn't appeal to me. Anyway, let's get through this.

The match on the Kick Off Show was for the United States Championship as Rusev challenges Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura hits a backstabber to get the advantage and keeps Rusev down with kicks and knee strikes. Rusev manages to get out of a headlock and start a comeback. Rusev avoids a Kinshasa to put on the Accolade. However, Nakamura "accidentally" headbutts Rusev in the groin while getting out of the Accolade then hits the Kinshasa to get the win. This was a decent match between the two.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamua (1 for 1)

After WWE decide to start with a segment involving that racist piece of shit Hulk Hogan (fuck's sake...), we get our first match in the WWE World Cup, which was between Rey Mysterio and Randy Orton. Orton hits a dropkick on Mysterio while he was in the air and continues to beat him down. Mysterio gets back into it with a senton and a DDT. In the end, Orton goes for the RKO but Mysterio avoids it and pins him to get the win. Orton responds by hitting Mysterio with a RKO anyway then proceeds to slam him against the Arabic announce table. This match was ok.
Winner: Rey Mysterio (N/A)

Our second quarter final pits Jeff Hardy against Hollywood Miz. Miz hits a couple of running dropkicks but gets hit with a clothesline when he goes for a third. The match goes back and forth before Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate. However, Miz reverses it into a Skull Crushing Finale to get the win. This was a decent match and it sets up an interesting semi-final between Miz and Rey Mysterio.
Winner: Hollywood Miz (N/A)

The third quarter final was Seth Rollins taking on Bobby Lashley with hype man Lio Rush. Lashley hits a brutal spine buster to get the advantage. Rollins counters a vertical suplex then goes on to hit a couple of suicide dives to get back the momentum. Rollins goes on to hit the Curb Stomp to get the win. This was quite a short match and I was surprised that Lio Rush didn't get involved to help out Lashley.
Winner: Seth Rollins (N/A)

The final quarter final was between Kurt Angle and Dolph Ziggler. The match starts at a slow pace with lots of holds before Ziggler gets the advantage. Angle goets back into it with multiple German suplexes. Angle hit the Olympic Slam but Ziggler kicks out at 2. Angle manages to put on the Ankle Lock but Ziggler manages to power out of it and goes on to hit the Zig Zag to get the win. This was quite a good match.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (N/A)

Next is The New Day challenging The Bar with The Big Show for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship.  The Bar focus their attention on Kofi Kingston before he gets the hot tag to Big E. Big E goes for the Big Ending on Sheamus but Big Show distracts the referee. Show goes on to hit Big E with a punch when the referee is looking away. Sheamus follows that with a Brogue Kick to get his team the win. This was a good match between the two teams.
Winners: The Bar (2 for 2)

We now get our first semi-final in the WWE World Cup between Hollywood Miz and Rey Mysterio. Miz gets the advantage and keeps Mysterio down. Miz goes for a pumphandle slam but Mysterio reverses it into a DDT to start a comeback. Miz manages to hit a Skull Crushing Finale but it only gets 2. In the end, Mysterio hits a 619 then goes for a frog splash. However, Miz gets his knees up and pins to get the win. It was a bit of a damp ending but it was a good match.
Winner: The Miz (N/A)

The second semi-final was between Dolph Ziggler and Seth Rollins. Drew McIntyre distracts Rollins, giving Ziggler the chance to hit a DDT. After a few pinning combinations, Rollins hits the ripcord knee for 2. In the end, McIntyre takes advantage of the referee being distracted to push Rollins off the turnbuckle. Ziggler then hits a super kick to get the win. This was a good match and I was surprised that Ziggler won. Based on their previous history, Ziggler vs The Miz should be a good match tho.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (N/A)

Next is Samoa Joe challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Styles attacks the left knee at the beginning but Joe bounces him off the crowd barrier to get some momentum. Styles hits a step up enzigiuri to start a comeback. After some back and forth, Joe manages to apply the Coquina Clutch but Styles attacks the knee to help him get out of it. In the end, Styles hits the Phenomenal Forearm to get the win. This was a good match and, after some of the stupid endings that they've previously had, it was nice to have this match have a clean ending.
Winner: AJ Styles (3 for 3)

We now get Brock Lesnar  taking on Braun Strowman for the vacant Universal Championship. Acting General Manager of RAW Baron Corbin presents the Championship belt then hits Strowman on the back of the head with it. The bell rings and Lesnar hits 3 F-5s but Strowman kicks out each time. Lesnar then F-5's Strowman out of the ring and after a very, very brief fightback, Lesnar hits a fifth F-5 to get the win. Wait, what?! My reaction to that was:
bad girls club wtf GIF

Seriously, what the fuck was that?! You have had a part time Champion for almost a year and a half, now you want to go back to that so soon?! Plus, you just made Strowman once again look stupid. Ah well, be prepared for Lesnar's first title defence in what? A year or two?
Winner: Brock Lesnar (3 for 4)

The penultimate match is WWE World Cup Final between Hollywood Miz and Dolph Ziggler. The referee tells McIntyre to go to the back before the match. Then Miz attacks Ziggler before the bell. When Miz throws him out of the ring and follows him, he lands badly. They continue fighting but Miz is not able to continue so Shane McMahon, who was watching at ringside with Baron Corbin, decides to take his place...? What?! I take it Rey Mysterio or any Smackdown wrestler was suddenyl unavailable?! Anyway, during the match, Corbin interferes so he gets ejected. Ziggler beats the fuck out of Shane but Shane recovers and hits a Coast to Coast to get the win?! Shane McMahon wins the World Cup?!?!
Bullshit GIF

Seriously, what the fuck just happened?! This show was pretty decent so far then in the last two matches, it just went off the fucking rails. Michael Cole on commentary was stunned and angry over what had happened and I agree with him. I cannot believe that they ended a decent tournament like that.
Winner: Shane McMahon?! (N/A)

The main event is where we get to see the return of Shawn Michaels as he teams up with Triple H to take on The Undertaker and Mayor Kane. I am not looking forward to this so let's get through it. Early on, Triple H suffers a torn pectoral muscle so he has to do most of the match with one arm. Michaels goes for the Sweet Chin Music on Kane but he gets hit with a Chokeslam instead. The match descends into chaos and Kane chokelams Triple H through the announce table. Undertaker and Kane beat up Michaels for what seems like a year before Triple H gets tagged in. In the end, Kane gets hit with a Sweet Chin Music by Michaels followed by a Pedigree by Triple H and D-X get the win.

The match was ok and Michaels did better than I thought he would. However, did this match, involving 3 guys in their 50s, need to go for 27 minutes; especially since the only regular-ish wreslter gets seriously injured?
Winners: Triple H and Shawn Michaels (4 for 5)

Crown Jewel was going actually quite well but it suddenly went to shit near the end. The main event was ok but once again, it was far too long. Hopefully, WWE can now  put this show behind them and focus on Survivor Series

Tuesday 6 November 2018

WWE Evolution Review

WWE Evolution took place on Sunday 28th October at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Inbetween The Super Show-Down and Crown Jewel, the build up to their first all women's pay-per-view has been mostly terrible. However, there are some really good matches on the card so let's take a look.

The first match on the show is Trish Stratus and Lita taking on Mickie James and Alicia Fox with Alexa Bliss in their corner. Lita and Trish are absolutely dominant before Alexa stops Lita from doing a moonsault on Mickie. Lita hits a reverse DDTm giving her the chance to tag in Trish. Trish hits a Stratusfaction and, after a moonsault by Lita, hits a Chick Kick to get the win. I felt that Trish and Lita had to be carried a little bit but despite that, it was a fun match.
Winners: Trish Stratus and Lita (1 for 1)

Next is a 20 women battle royal, with the winner getting a title shot. In the match were: Naomi, Michelle McCool, Sonya Deville, Alundra Blayze, Carmella, Zelina Vega, Kelly Kelly, Tamina, Ember Moon, Lana, Maria Kanellis, Mandy Rose, Molly Holly, Dana Brooke, Nia Jax, Ivory, Asuka, Torrie Wilson, Peyton Royce and Billie Kay. Highlights of the match include: Billie and Peyton being eliminated almost immediately; a massive combined suplex; and a dance break involving Carmella and Ivory. The final 4 end up being: Asuka, Ember Moon, Nia Jax and Tamina. Ember eliminates Asuka and then Tamina. Then Zelina Vega, who had fell out of the ring under the ropes earlier on and tries to eliminate Nia and Ember. Nia responds by press slamming her out of the ring and then eliminates Ember to get the win. This was a fun match to watch and it was nice to see people like Molly Holly and Ivory back in the ring.
Winner: Nia Jax (1 for 2)

We now get the final of the Mae Young Classic between Toni Storm and Io Shirai. Highlights of the match include: a brutal snap German suplex by Storm; Shirai hitting a moonsault to the outside; and Storm hitting Storm Zero for 2. Shiari goes for the Asai Moonsault but Storm gets her knees up and goes on to hit another Storm Zero to get the win. This match was really good and one of the best of the tournament. I'm so happy that Toni won and hope that she does well in NXT UK. As for Io, except for her inconsistency in landing the Asai Moonsault, she has been extremely impressive. I can see her being NXT Women's Champion within the next year.
Winner: Toni Storm (2 for 3)

Next is The Riott Squad taking on the team of Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley. Sarah Logan baseball slides Bayley into the ring post to get her team the advantage. Eventually, Bayley manages to tag in Sasha. Bayley hits a Belly-to-Bayley on Ruby Riott but Liv Morgan pushes Sasha onto Bayley to break up the pin. Later on, Natalya puts Ruby and Sarah in a double sharpshooter but Liv stops it. In the end, Liv gets hit with a powerbomb by Natalya, an elbow drop by Bayley, and a frogsplash by Sasha and their team get the win. This was a good match and quite fun to watch.
Winners: Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley (2 for 4)

We now get a match that I was really looking forward to seeing: Shayna Baszler challenging Kairi Sane for the NXT Women's Championship. In the early going, Shayna keeps on trying to put on a choke but Kairi is able to prevent them. Shayna viciously stamps on Kairi's left arm, which somehow doesn't get her disqualified, to get the advantage. Shayna goes on to manipulate the arm but Kairi gets back into it with a spear. The fight goes to the outside and Kairi tosses Shayna into a group of NXT Superstars watching the match, including Shayna's friends, Jessamyn Duke and Marina Shafir. Jessamyn and Marina use this as justification to try to interfere but Kairi fends them off. In the end, Jessamyn hits a cheap shot while the referee was distracted and this gives Shayna the chance to apply the Karifuda Clutch. Kairi passes out and Shayna regains the Championship. Whilst I was slightly disappointed that it was a tainted victory, this was a really good match.
Winner: Shayna Baszler (2 for 5)

The penultimate match is a Last Woman Standing Match for the Smackdown Women's Championship as Charlotte Flair challenges Becky Lynch. Highlights of the match include: Charlotte putting Becky through a table with a senton; Becky slamming Charlotte onto a ladder; and Charlotte trapping Becky's legs in a ladder and then applying the Figure 8. After they fight through the crowd, Becky puts Charlotte through the German announce table with a legdrop from the ladder. Charlotte somehow beats the 10 count and then again after being bureid under a fuck load of chairs. In the end, Charlotte gets powerbombed from the ring apron through a table and doesn't beat the 10 count, giving Becky the win. This was an amazing match between the two and definitely the match of the night.
Winner: Becky Lynch (3 for 6)

The main event is for the RAW Women's Championship as Nikki Bella challenges Ronda Rousey. Rousey is cocky at the beginning before Brie Bella helps Nikki get the advantage. Ronda gets kept down by being thrown onto things and Brie hitting cheap shots at every opportunity. Ronda gets back into it and hits both the Bellas with a spinning Samoan drop. Even though Nikki gets to hit the Rack Attack 2.0, Ronda manages to prevail after getting Nikki to submit to an Armbar. The match was better than I thought it would be, although I feel that it might have been a bit too long.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (4 for 7)

Except for a few minor criticisms, I thought that Evolution was really good and the best event of the year so far. Despite a terrible build up, it had some really good matches. Hopefully, WWE do it again next year and give it more of a build up.



Friday 2 November 2018

WWE Crown Jewel Preview

WWE Crown Jewel will be taking place this afternoon at the King Saud University Stadium in Riydah, Saudi Arabia. There has been a lot of controversy about this event but putting that aside, the card doesn't look that great to me. Also, WWE thought that this event would be a great time to bring back that racist piece of shit, Hulk Hogan. So, let's take a look at the card.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Rusev
United States Championship
This match will be on the Pre Show and I'm going for Nakamura to retain.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

WWE World Cup
WWE are hosting a tournament to find determine "the best in the world" involving 8 American wrestlers... Anyway, the quarter finals are:
Seth Rollins vs Bobby Lashley
Dolph Ziggler vs Kurt Angle
Jeff Hardy vs Hollywood Miz
Rey Mysterio vs Randy Orton
A tough one to call but I'm going for Seth Rollins to win the whole thing.
Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

The Bar vs The New Day
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
The Bar only won the Championship a few weeks ago so I can't see them losing it so soon but I could be wrong.
Predicted Winners: The Bar

AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe
WWE Championship
As much as I love Joe to win, I'm going for AJ to retain.
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

Braun Strowman vs Brock Lesnar
Universal Championship
Unless WWE want to go back to having a part-time Champion, Braun Strowman's winning this.
Predicted Winner: Braun Strowman

Undertaker and Kane vs Triple H and Shawn Michaels
We get to see the return of Shawn Michaels, which would have been great 5 years ago. This is a main event which seems like a nostalgia tour involving 3 wrestlers in their 50s so hopefully, this match will not be that long. I'm going for Triple H and Shawn Michaels.
Predicted Winners: Triple H and Shawn Michaels

I haven't seen Evolution yet so once I've seen that, I'll watch this and put up the review within the next week. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.

Thursday 1 November 2018

WWE Choosing Money Over Morality

On Friday, WWE Crown Jewel will take place in Saudi Arabia as part of  Saudi Vision 2030. I was quite surprised that they're hosting another event in the country in the same year as they hosted The Greatest Royal Rumble. I've had my concerns about the WWE hosting events there however, I was ok with it if it led to Saudi Arabia being more tolerant towards Western culture in the future. There were quite a few things that have bothered me about the event, especially as it's taking place 5 days after WWE Evolution, their first ever all women's Pay-Per-View. From a kayfabe standpoint, it did bother me that they seemed to be focused more on Crown Jewel than Evolution. However, recent events have put a massive elephant in the room.

Jamal Khashoggi. a journalist and Saudi dissent, was believed to have been murdered when he entered the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Despite initial denails, the Saudi government admitted that Khashoggi was killed in a fight. It is believed that the murder was premediated and it's possible that high level members of the Saudi Royal Family were involved in the planning. A report yesterday suggested that Khashoggi was strangled as soon as he entered the Consulate.

In the United States, this has led to politicians from both the Democrats and Republicans to call on WWE to cancel the event. The company has political connections as well as commerical. Linda McMahon is the Administrator of the Small Business Administration and Glenn Jacobs, who wrestles as Kane, is the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. Despite the criticism, WWE have chosen to do the event citing "contractual obligations".

WWE's deal is worth 450-500 million dollars over 10 years so a part of me can understand them not wanting to suffer the financial consequences. However, the Saudi government have been made it clear that they are not going to change as much as we thought they would. Add the fact that the Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman is believed to be the one who approved the murder and it seems that WWE are happy to be a part of blatant pro-Saudi propaganda. WWE choosing to do this is a dark day and they have chosen money over basic morality and that is troubling to see. I feel sorry for the wrestlers involved in this. John Cena and Daniel Bryan will be not taking part but they are a big enough name to do that. The other wrestlers might feel like they have to take part.

I thought a long time about whether I will watch the show and I decided that I will. Part of me feels like I'm supporting the Saudis in doing that. However, I will be watching partly out of interest to see how WWE handle the show. Hopefully, there will be no pre-show and they will try to make the event as short as possible. If you're angry about what the WWE have done, all I ask that you don't take it out on the wrestlers. Most of them would feel that they are stuck between a rock and a hard place and would probably wish that they weren't there.

Sunday 28 October 2018

WWE Evolution Preview

WWE Evolution poster.jpg



The first ever all-women WWE Pay-Per-View, Evolution, will be taking place this evening at the Nassau CTo be honest, WWE have not built this up as much as they normally would however, the card has some really good match ups so let's take a look.

Women's Battle Royal
So far, the confirmed participants are: Asuka, Naomi, Carmella, Nia Jax, Ember Moon, Dana Brooke, Lana, Billie Kay, Peyton Royce, Mandy Rose, Sonya Deville, Tamina, Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Alundra Blayze, Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly, Maria Kanellis and Zelina Vega. I know that some of them are not happy with this but it gets more women on the show and we can get some wrestlers from the past such as Ivory and Molly Holly. I'm going for Asuka to win and go back to the bad ass we saw in NXT.
Predicted Winner: Asuka

Sasha Banks, Bayley and Natalya vs The Riott Squad
I might be in the minority but I'm going for the Riott Squad to win.
Predicted Winners: The Riott Squad

Trish Stratus and Lita vs Mickie James and Alicia Fox
Unfortunately, Alexa Bliss is not able to take part so Alicia Fox takes her place. I'm going for Trish and Lita to win
Predicted Winners: Trish Stratus and Lita

Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler
NXT Women's Championship
For the first time since Roadblock, a NXT Championship will be defended on the main roster. This should be a good match and I think that Sane will win.
Predicted Winner: Kairi Sane

Toni Storm vs Io Shirai
Mae Young Classic Final
I'm a bit behind on the tournament but it's been really good from what I've seen. This is probably the toughest one to call as I can see either one of them winning. I'm going for Toni to win.
Predicted Winner: Toni Storm

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair
Last Women Standing for the Smackdown Women's Championship
Becky has to win this, right? Right?!
Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Ronda Rousey vs Nikki Bella
RAW Women's Championship
Yeah, unless WWE want to give us a big fuck you, Ronda is winning this.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

I need to catch up on the Mae Young Classic before I watch Evolution so the review won't be up for a while. I hope you enjoy the show.

Thursday 25 October 2018

WWE Super Show-Down Review

WWE Super-Show Down took place on Saturday 6th October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. The card looks pretty good so let's take a look.

The first match is for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships as The Bar challenge The New Day. Sheamus and Cesaro catch Kofi Kingston attempting a suicide dive and wrap up round the ring post, giving them the advantage. Kofi manages to send Cesaro to the outside and then tags Xavier in. In the end, The New Day hit a backstabber/coup de grace combo on Cesaro to get the win. This was a good match and a good way to start the show.
Winners: The New Day (1 for 1)

Next is Charlotte Flair challenging Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women's Championship. The match starts with them beating each other up before Becky pulls Charlotte out of the ring to the floor to get the advantage. Becky gets Charlotte in the Dis-Arm Her but she gets out of it and later on, stomps on the back of the knee to get back some momentum. Charlotte gets Becky in a Boston Crab but Becky rolls out of the ring and tries to leave. Charlotte stops her, rolls her back into the ring and pus her in the Figure 8. In desperation, Becky whips Charlotte with the belt to lose vua disqualification. After the match, Charlotte attacks Becky when she tries to leave but that turns out to be a bad idea as Becky fucks her up. I thought this was a good match and I was slightly disappointed that it ended in a disqualification. However, it showed Becky acting like a heel in the ring so I'm ok with it.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (1 for 2)

We get a musical interlude with Elias and Kevin Owens before their match with John Cena and Bobby Lashley. Lashley is dominant against both guys to begin with before Owens superkicks him and then stomps on him. Lashley hits a spine buster on Owens and he finally tags in Cena. Cena beats up Elias, hits an AA then a lightning fist to get the win. It would have been nice to see Cena wrestle a bit more but otherwise, it was a decent match.
Winners: John Cena and Bobby Lashley (2 for 3)

We now get Australia's two favourite females, The IIonics taking on Naomi and Asuka.  Asuka and Naomi work well together before Billie Kay hits Asuka with a big boot to get the momentum. Asuka eventually manages to tag in Naomi. However, Billie holds Naomi up for Peyton Royce to knee her in the side of the head to surprisingly get the win. This was a short yet fun match.
Winners: The IIonics (2 for 4)

Next is a No-Disqualification match for the WWE Championship between Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. The match goes back and forth before Joe tries to use a steel chair but it gets dropkicked into his face. Joe hurts his knee when he goes through and Styles focuses on it. In the end, Styles gets Joe to submit to the calf crusher to get the win. This was a good match and the best one that they had.
Winner: AJ Styles (3 for 5)



We now get our 2nd women's tag match as The Riott Squad take on Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins. During the match, The Bellas only tag each other. The Riott Squad wear down Nikki Bella and she eventually tags in Rousey, who proceeds to destroy them. Rousey goes on to get Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan to submit to a diuble armbar. This was another fun match to watch. However, it looks they are continuing to make Rousey invincible and I feel that it's not really necessary
Winners: Ronda Rousey and The Bella Twins (4 for 6)



Now a match that I was quite looking forward to seeing: Buddy Murphy challenging Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship. Murphy immediately knees Alexander in the head to get an early near fall; then goes on to press home his advantage. Alexander hits a super kick to get back into it and they go on to hit some amazing moves such as a top rope Michinoku driver. Alexander comes close after hitting the Lumber Check but Murphy gets the win after hitting Murphy's Law. This was a great match and I'm so happy that Murphy got the win.
Winner: Buddy Murphy (5 for 7)

Our final tag team match pits the team of Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre taking on The SHIELD. Early on, The SHIELD try to powerbomb Strowman through the announce table but Ziggler and McIntyre stop it and go on to wear down Seth Rollins. Strowman misses a splash, giving Rollins the chance to tag in Dean Ambrose. During the match, Roman Reigns accidentally hits Ambrose with a Superman punch then goes on to spear Strowman through the barrier. In the end, Ambrose hits Ziggler with Dirty Deeds to get the win. This was another enjoyable match.
Winners: The SHIELD (6 for 8)


The penultimate match is between Daniel Bryan and Hollywood Miz to determine the Number 1 Contender for the WWE Championship. As soon as the bell rings, Miz attacks Bryan focusing on the ribs. Bryan recovers and when Miz goes for the Skull Crushing Finale, Bryan reverses it into a small package and get the win...wait, what? The match was over in less than 3 minutes. What the fuck? This was such a disappointment as I was looking forward to this match. There's about a hour left of the show. Do we really need that long for the main event?
Winner: Daniel Bryan (6 for 9)


Well, I guess we're about to find out. It's The Undertaker versus Triple H "for the last time ever". Triple H plays mind games in the beginning and is able to shut down Undertaker quite quickly at the beginning. During the match, Kane and Shawn Michaels get involved and we get two ref bumps in a no disqualification match. In the end, they both try to hit their finishing moves and Triple H manages to hit the Pedigree to get the win. Afterwards, after a show of respect, Undetaker and Kane attack Triple H and Michaels just because...?


This match wasn't great. It was far too long and Undertaker did not look great, despite the best efforts of everyone else involved. Some of it didn't make sense either, such as the ref bumps in a no disqualification match. Whilst the ending means that we will see the return of Shawn Michaels, it would have been nice to see it a few years earlier.
Winner: Triple H (6 for 10)


The vast majority of Super Show-Down was really good with a nice house show feel to it. However, choosing to dramatically cut down a match that a lot of people were looking forward to seeing so that we can have a overlong crappy main event leaves a bad taste in my mouth. At least I can look forward to Evolution, which look pretty good at the minute.


Saturday 6 October 2018

WWE Super Show-Down Preview

WWE-Super-Show-Down-Poster.jpg



WWE Super Show-Down will be taking place early Saturday morning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The card looks pretty decent so let's take a look.

Asuka and Naomi vs The IIonics
A tough one considering the IIonics are from Australia. I'm gojng for Asuka and Naomi to win.
Predicted Winners: Asuka and Naomi

Bobby Lashley and John Cena vs Elias and Kevin Owens
Yeah, Lashley and Cena are winning this
Predicted Winners: Bobby Lashley and John Cena

The Bella Twins and Ronda Rousey vs The Riott Squad
I'm going for the Bellas and Ronda to win here. Hopefully, Brie Bella won't break Liv Morgan's face in the process.
Predicted Winners: The Bella Twins and Ronda Rousey

The New Day vs The Bar
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
This should be a good match and I'm going for The New Day to continue their reign
Predicted Winners: The New Day

Daniel Bryan vs Hollywood Miz
Match to Determine No 1 Contender for the WWE Championship
This is a match that I'm really looking forward to seeing. I would love Bryan to win but I think Miz will win instead.
Predicted Winner: Hollywood Miz

AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe
No Disqualification Match for the WWE Championship
I think that Styles will retain and go on to lose to The Miz
Predicted Winner: AJ Styles

Cedric Alexander vs Buddy Murphy
If the hometown boy, Murphy, doesn't win, I will be very surprised.
Predicted Winner: Buddy Murphy

The Shield vs Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler
This should be an interesting one to watch. They have been teasing an Ambrose heel turn recently. I don't think it will happen here and I'm going for The Shield to win.
Predicted Winners: The Shield

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair
Smackdown Women's Championship
I found their last match to be slightly disappointing but hopefully, this one will be better. I'm going for Becky to retain.
Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Undertaker vs Triple H
This match will be the "Last Time Ever" between the two. I don't know about this one. Undertaker will win it but I feel that he's been showing his age in his last few matches. Hopefully, Triple H will help him have a good match.
Predicted Winner: Undertaker

I won't get to see the show until the middle of the week. Until then, I hope you guys enjoy the show.

Friday 28 September 2018

WWE Hell in a Cell 2018 Review

WWE Hell in a Cell 2018 took place on Sunday 16th September at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Summerslam was a mixed bag so will this be any better? Let's take a look.

The match on the Kick Off Show is Aiden English and Rusev challenging The New Day for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships. Rusev knees Kofi Kingston to death then hits a fall away slam to give his team the advantage. Kofi hits a tornado DDT on Rusev, giving him the chance to tag in Big E. English manages to get Kofi in The Accolade. However, Kofi powers out of it a d hits Trouble in Paradise to get the win. This was a good match between the teams.
Winners: The New Day (1 for 1)

We start the show with a Hell in a Cell match between Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy just...because? During the match, they use tables, ladders and chairs to beat the crap out of each other. Orton also decided to continue his attack on Harry's ear lobes with a screwdriver. In the end, Hardy tries to splash Orton through a table by hanging off the top of the cell. Unfortunately, Orton moves out of the way and he crashes through the table. Orton then pins him, despite the referee's protest to get the win. Afterwards, Hardy is taken out by paramedics. The match was ok but it didn't really need the cell. Speaking of the cell, it's been painted red and it looks stupid.
Winner: Randy Orton (2 for 2)

Next is Becky Lynch challenging Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship. Early on, they both try apply their finishers but they get stopped. Becky gets the advantage after kicking Charlotte off the apron. Becky focuses on the left arm and aftersome back and forth, Cahrlotte gets out of an armbar with a sit out powerbomb. In the end, Becky reverses a spear into a pin to get the win. After Charlotte tries to offer her congratulations but Becky basically goes "fuck you" and leaves. I found this match to be a slight disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the match and it was technically very good. However, Becky didn't act like a vindicative heel until after the match. Hopefully, she can have a decent title reign and further develop her character.
Winner: Becky Lynch (3 for 3)

We now get our 1st RAW match as Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose challenge Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler for the RAW Tag Team Championship. A distraction by Ziggler gives the opportunity for McIntyre to club Ambrose in the back of the head. Rollins gets tagged in but Ziggler and McIntyre continue their advantage. Both teams have chances to win it but in the end, Rollins is about to hit Ziggler with a superplex/falcon arrow combo. However, McIntyre hits him with a Claymore Kick and Ziggler flops on top of Rollins to pin him and get the win. This match was amazing and (spoiler alert) the match of the night.
Winners: Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler (4 for 4)

Next is Samoa Joe challenging AJ Styles for the WWE Championship. Styles starts off hot but Joe manages to deal with it and gets the momentum by kicking Styles in mid air. Joe goes for a superplex but Styles bounces his head off the turnbuckle to start a comeback. After the match goes back and forth, Joe applies the Coquina Clutch but Styles rolls through it to pin Joe and get the win. However, the referee doesn't see Styles tapping and Joe is irate. Later on, Joe bitches to Smackdown General Manager Paige about the result and she grants a rematch to take placw at Super Show-Down in Australia. This was a good match but I hated the ending. Styles tapping out while he was pinning someone makes him look like a idiot. He's been wrestling for almost 20 years. I'm sure he can survive a submission move for 3 seconds as the referee's counting. Hopefully, in Australia we can get a clean ending.
Winner: AJ Styles (4 for 5)

We now have a match that should be interesting: Hollywood Miz and Maryse taking on Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella. As expected, Miz and Bryan do the vast majority of the match. Bryan does manage to get Miz in the Yes Lock but Maryse breaks it up. Eventually, Brie gets tagged in and beats up Maryse. In the end, Maryse manages to reverse a roll up to get the pin and the win. This match was ok but the women added nothing to the match. Also, I know Maryse is probably on the same level of talent as Alicia Fox but she could have at least have done one offensive move.
Winners: The Miz and Maryse (4 for 6)

The penultimate match is Ronda Rousey defending her RAW Women's Championship against Alexa Bliss. Bliss gets a lot more offense than she did at Summerslam and she focuses on the ribs that she injured earlier in the month. Alicia Fox and Mickie James try to help Bliss out but Natalya evens the odds. Rousey manages to hit a gutwrench powerbomb to get back the momentum. Rousey then goes on to get Bliss to sumbit to the armbar and get the win. This match was pretty goog and I wished they had this match at Summerslam.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (5 for 7)

The main event is Braun Strowman's Money in the Bank cash-in as he challenges Roman Reigns in a Hell in a Cell match for the Universal Championship, with Mick Foley as the Special Guest Referee. The match goes back and forth as they use steel steps, kendo sticks, a steel chair and thge ell itself against each other. Reigns spears Strowman through a table and that is enough to take them out for the next 5-10 minutes as McIntyre and Ziggler attempt to interfere. They get stopped by Rollins and Ambrose and their brawl goes on for ages and they end up on top of the cell. Rollins and Ziggler end up falling through the announce tables from the side of the cell. Then Brock Lesnar and PAul Heyman turn up. Lesnar kicks the door in and Heyman pepper sprays Foley. Lesnar hits Strowman and Reigns with F-5s and another referee runs in and declares the match a no contest.

The match was pretty good but then it degenerated into a clusterfuck. The brawl outisde the cell went on for far too long and having not only a Hell in a Cell match, but your main event end in a no contest is unforgivable in my eyes. I guess it extends the feud but I feel that that was going to happen anyway.
Winner: No Contest (5 for 8)

I thought that Hell in a Cell was another mixed bag. Some of the matches were good but some of them had crappy endings, especially involving the WWE and Universal Championships. I hope we get a better show in Australia.


Sunday 16 September 2018

Hell in a Cell 2018 Preview

Hell in a Cell 2018 PPV poster.jpg

WWE Hell in a Cell will be taking place this evening at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Some of the matches look good so let's take a look.

The New Day vs Rusev and Aiden English
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
This should be a good match on the Kick Off Show. I think The New Day will win this one.
Predicted Winners: The New Day

Randy Orton vs Jeff Hardy
Hell in a Cell Match
This can go either way but I'm going for Orton to win.
Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella vs Hollywood Miz and Maryse
I expect Miz and Bryan to do most of the work and I think that Bryan and Bella will win.
Predicted Winners: Daniel Bryan and Brie Bella

Ronda Rousey vs Alexa Bliss
RAW Women's Championship
This won't be much of a contest. Ronda wins.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre vs Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose
RAW Tag Team Championship
I feel sorry for The Revival. It looked like they would be getting a push towards the Tag Team Championship; then suddenly Ziggler and McIntyre win the belts. This could be a good match and I'm going for Ziggler and McIntyre to retain.
Predicted Winners: Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre

Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch
Smackdown Women's Championship
This is a match that I'm really looking forward to seeing. I really want Becky to win but I feel that Charlotte will win instead.
Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair

AJ Styles vs Samoa Joe
WWE Championship
I feel that it's time for Joe to become WWE Champion
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe

Roman Reigns vs Braun Strowman
Hell in a Cell Match for the Universal Championship
A tough one to call as Reigns has just become Champion and this is Strowman's Money in the Bank cash-in. I'm going for Reigns to win.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

I won't get to see the show til the middle of the week so until then, I hope you enjoy the show.

Sunday 9 September 2018

WWE Summerslam 2018 Review

WWE Summerslam 2018 took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Sunday 19th August. There are 13(!!) matches on the card, so let's get to it.

There are 3 matches on the Kick Off Show and the first match is the team of Rusev and Lana taking on Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega. A distraction by Vega helps give Almas the advantage over Rusev. Lana eventually gets tagged in. When Lana attacks Almas when he tries to distract the referee, Vega rolls her up and, with leverage on the ropes, gets the win. The match was pretty decent.
Winners: Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega (1 for 1)

Next is Drew Gulak  challenging Cedric Alexander for the Cruiserweight Championship. Gulak tries to apply the Gu-Lock but Alexander gets out of it and hits a dropkick. Gulak hits a knee to the back of the neck to get the advantage. Gulak continues to focus on the neck but Alexander hits a flatliner, giving him a chance to make a comeback. After a lot of roll up attempts, Alexander manages to roll up Gulak to get the win. This match was pretty good but this is only our 2nd match but they have both ended in a roll up. That's slightly worrying.
Winner: Cedric Alexander (1 for 2)

The last match on the Kick Off Show is for the RAW Tag Team Championship as The Revival challenge The B Team. Dash Wilder hits a dragon screw on Bo Dallas then The Revival hits a Shatter Machine on Curtis Axel to get the advantage. Dallas hits a hangman's neckbreaker on Wilder, giving him the chance to tag in Axel. The end comes when Dawson puts Axel in a small package while Wilder is fighting Dallas at the ropes. Wilder bounces Dallas' neck off the ropes who stumbles into Dawson an Axel. This then puts Dawson's back on the mat and The B Team win...? What the fuck was that?! This match was getting good then The B Team win by stupidity?! Plus this is the 3rd match in a row that ended in a roll up. Out of 3 matches!! Oh dear God, the Kick Off Show has really pissed me off and I'm now worried about how many more matches that are going to end in a roll up. On a side note, this is the first time I've heard The B Team's theme tune and it's fucking shite.
Winners: The B Team (1 for 3)

The 1st match on the show is for the Intercontinental Championship as Seth Rollins challenges Dolph Ziggler. After a fast paced, back and forth start to the match, Ziggler attacks the knee then hits a neckbreaker. Rollins catches Ziggler doing a crossbody and suplexes them both out of the ring; and this gives Rollins the chance to start a comeback. Ziggler comes close after reversing a frog splash into a small package. In the end, Dean Ambrose stops Drew McIntyre from interfering with a Dirty Deeds and Rollins hits a superkick followed by a Curb Stomp to get the win. This was a really good match and a lot of fun to watch.
Winner: Seth Rollins (1 for 4)

Next is The New Day challenging The Bludgeon Brothers for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Harper and Rowan get the advantage almost immediately, beating down on Xavier Woods. Woods eventually tags in Big E, who hits overhead belly-to-belly suplexes on The Bludgeons. Harper and Rowan hit The Crucifix Bomb but it only gets 2. When it looks like The New Day are going to win it, Rowan starts attacking them with his hammer to get himself disqualified. This match was a lot of fun but the ending ruined it for me.
Winners: The New Day (2 for 5)

We now get Braun Strowman taking on Kevin Owens. If Owens wins, he'll win the Money in the Bank briefcase. Strowman completely fuck up Owens, who does manage to hit a superkick. However, Strowman chokeslams him onto the ramp, then hits a Running Powerslam when he rolls him back into the ring to get the win. Okay, once again,  what the fuck was that?! This was a squash match in WWE's second biggest event of the year and the loser is a former Universal Champion! I don't see the point of this match at all.
Winner: Braun Strowman (2 for 6)

We now get our 1st Women's Championship match as Carmella defends her Smackdown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch. Carmella tries to pit Becky and Charlotte against each other but it doesn't really work. There's a lot of back and forth between the three before Becky breaks up Charlotte putting the Figure 8 on Carmella. Carmella breaks up a couple of pins to save the match before Becky puts her in the Dis-Arm-Her. Charlotte breaks it up by hitting Natural Selection on Becky then pins her to get the win. Afterwards, Becky helps Charlotte celebrate by beating the fuck out of her. The match seemed a little slow at times but it was pretty good. As for Becky's heel turn, the crowd cheered for it because Becky is 100% justified in her actions. Becky worked hard for weeks to get a opportunity. Charlotte returns from injury and basically get added to the match then goes on to win. I can see why Becky went apeshit at Charlotte. They now need to make Becky the worst person on the planet in order to get the crowd to boo her. Maybe, she can get some tips from Tommaso "Fuckface" Ciampa.
Winner: Charlotte Flair (2 for 7)

Next is Samoa Joe  challenging AJ Styles  for the WWE Championship. The match starts at a slow pace before it quickens and Joe kicks Styles' leg out from under him. Styles makes a comeback but Joe comes close to winning after hitting a knee from the top rope. Later on, Styles hits a Styles Clash but Joe kicks out. After Joe goes on the mic to mock Styles' wife, who was standing in the crowd nearby, Styles snaps and fucks Joe up. He then attacks Joe with a steel chair, getting himself disqualified. Afterwards, Styles leaves with his wife and daughter. This match was really good. I'm slightly pissed that it ended in a disqualification. However, this made more sense than the disqualification at the New Day/Bludgeons match.
Winner: Samoa Joe (3 for 8)

After an Elias musical segment that didn't involve any music, we get a match that I think the whole wrestling world was looking forward to: Daniel Bryan taking on Hollywood Miz. Miz hits a cheap shot early on to get the advantage. After a lot of back and forth, Miz bounces Bryan's head off the turnbuckle then hits the Skull Crushing Finale but Bryan kicks out. Later on, Bryan puts on the Yes Lock but Miz gets to the ropes. The match goes to the outside and Bryan kicks Miz into the barrier, where his wife Maryse is sitting. She gives Miz with a foreign object and he hits Bryan with it when Bryan tries a suicide dive. Miz then pins him to get the win. This was an amazing match and definitely the match of the night.
Winner: Hollywood Miz (4 for 9)

Next is Constable Baron Corbin taking on Finn Balor,  who decided to surprise Corbin by turning up in Demon Mode. Corbin is not happy about this and when the bell rings, Balor destroys him. Balor goes on to hit the Coup de Grace to get the win in less than 2 minutes...? Right, this is our 2nd squash match and I would have been ok with it if we didn't have the Strowman/Owens squash earlier.
Winner: Finn Balor (4 for 10)

We now get Jeff Hardy challenging Shinsuke Nakamura for the United States Championship. During the match, they mock each other, and Nakamura hits knees to the back of the head to get the momentum. Hardy gets back into it and hits a Twist of Fate followed by a Swanton Bomb but Nakakmura kicks out. Hardy does another Swanton Bomb but misses and hits the apron. Nakamura then goes on to hit the Kinsasha to get the win. Afterwards, Randy Orton runs (sorry, strolls) in and then turns around and goes to the back...? Ok...anyway, this match was pretty good. It's just the Orton thing made no sense.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (5 for 11)

The penultimate match is Ronda Rousey challenging Alexa Bliss for the RAW Women's Championship. Bliss plays mind games as she avoids locking up with Rousey. Bliss eventually puts Rousey in a chinlock but she powers out of it and hits a spinning Samoan drop. She goes to destroy Bliss and gets her to submit to an armbar to get the win. Afterwards, Rousey celebrates with Natalya and The Bella Twins for some reason. This match was a bit weird with Rousey asking Bliss if she's ready to get hit with a move. I knew that Rousey would destroy Bliss but I'm now worried that she would destroy everyone on the roster and end up like Chyna when she won the Women's Championship. A quick side note about The Bellas, there were on 3 times on this show. Firstly, in an interview to promote their show and say that they started the Women's Evolution (Bull. Shit); then we saw Brie with Daniel Bryan (which made sense); finishing with them celebrating with Rousey. I do feel sorry for the other women wrestlers who don't have as much of a presence outside of wrestling as much as The Bellas do. It would be nice to feature them a but more.
Winner: Ronda Rousey (6 for 12)

The main event is Roman Reigns having yet another opportunity to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship. Before the match starts, Braun Strowman comes down and announces that he'll cash in on the winner of the match. When the bell rings, Reigns hits 3 Superman punches and 3 Spears but Lesnar manages to apply the Kimura. Reigns tries another Spear but misses and hits Strowman, who was watching on the outside. Lesnar then hits a F5 on Strowman then attacks him with his own briefcase and a steel chair. When Lesanr goes back into the ring, Reigns hits a Spear and gets the win. The match was short, which was fine, and pretty good.
Winner: Roman Reigns (7 for 13)

Honestly, Summerslam was a fucking weird show. The Kick Off matches weren't great but the show did have some really good matches. However, we also had a musical segment that had no music, a run in that didn't happen, 3 squash matches and 2 DQ finishes. Hopefully, Hell in a Cell won't be as weird.

Wednesday 29 August 2018

NXT Takeover Brooklyn IV Review

NXT Takeover Brooklyn IV took place on Saturday 18th August. As usual, the card looks awesome so let's take a look.

The first match is for the NXT Tag Team Championship as Moustache Mountain challenged The Undisputed Era. The match starts in a brawl before the referee manages to restore order. The match goes back and forth before Roderick Strong kills Tyler Bate with a brutal clothesline. There was a great bit later on when Kyle O'Reilly puts Bate in a heel hook and Trent Seven gets tempted to throw in the towel but doesn't. In the end, despite the best efforts of Bate and Seven, Strong and O'Reilly hit Total Elimination on Seven to get the win. Afterwards, The War Raiders attack Strong and O'Reilly. This was a really good match and probably the best one out of the three that they had. I don't really like what happened afterwards tho. It looks like they're making The War Raiders faces so it seemed weird them attacking Strong and O'Reilly.
Winners: The Undisputed Era (1 for 1)

The next match is Velveteen Dream taking on EC3. Dream gets the advantage after hitting a twisting DDT onto the ramp. Dream then focuses on the neck. EC3 manages to make a comeback, hitting moves such as a sit down powerbomb. However, Dream hits a rolling death valley dirver onto the apron, followed by the Purple Rainmaker to get the win. I enjoyed the match, although it was hard to top the tag team match.
Winner:Velveteen Dream (2 for 2)

We now get our 2nd Championship match as Ricochet challenges Adam Cole (Bay Bay!) for the NXT North American Championship. Cole manages to cope with Ricochet's fast paced offence before sending him to the floor. Ricochet gets back into it, although Cole comes very close after hitting a superkick followed by a fireman's carry neckbreaker. In the end, Ricochet hit an awesome leaping hurracarrana, sending Cole from the apron to the floor. He then follows that with a 630 splash to get the win. This match was awesome and so much fun to watch.
Winner: Ricochet (3 for 3)

The penultimate match is for the NXT Women's Championship as Kairi Sane challenges Shayna Baszler. Sane takes it to Baszler before Baszler dropkicks her knee then stomps her calf to death to get the advantage. Baszler focuses on the knees, bending them in ways that a contortionist would be proud of. She then starts to get cocky before Sane hits 2 rolling neckbreakers. Sane goes on to hit 2 Insane Elbows but Baszler kicks out. They then both try to do submission moves before Sane goes for another Insane Elbow. Baszler manages to block it and apply the Kirifuda Clutch. Howver, Sane reverses it into a roll up to suddenly get the win and become the new NXT Women's Champion. This match was another awesome one to watch. I thought the psychology of the match was well done and I loved the ending, which is similar to how the Piper/Bret match finished at Wrestlemania VIII. I was surprised that Sane won but it probably means that Baszler is being prepped to go up to the main roster so I'm looking forward to thier rematch in the near future.
Winner: Kairi Sane (3 for 4)

The main event is Johnny Gargano challenging Tommaso "Fuckface" Ciampa in a Last Man Standing Match for the NXT Championship. Highlights of the match include:

  • Gargano not waiting for Kaylee Braxton to finishing announcing before attacking
  • Gargano throwing Ciampa over the announce table then Ciampa sending Gargano through the Spanish announce table.
  • Ciampa applying a sleeper.
  • Ciampa hitting 3 powerbombs into a double knee then sitting on a chair while the referee counted
  • Ciampa hitting an implant buster onto the steel steps
  • Gargano accidentally hitting a member of the ring crew with a superkick
  • Ciampa sending Gargano crashing through the timekeeper's area then burying with anything he can find, including the knocked out member of the ring crew
  • Gargano sending Ciampa through a table he had set up earlier
The end comes when Gargano handcuffs Ciampa to part of the stage then proceeds to kick him repeatedly in the head. When Garagno hits a running knee, he goes flying off the stage into the crates nearby. Both guys are down but Ciampa just about slides off the stage onto his feet before the ten count to get the win.

Like the other matches on this show, it was awesome to watch and I liked the way it ended. Gargano, in his attempts to beat up Ciampa, has been letting his anger get the best of him. This is another example as he hurt himself in the process of hitting Ciampa and it ended up costing him the match. Whilst I've enjoyed these matches, I feel that we need a little step back away from it and have Ciampa have another feud. Hopefully, Gargano's injury will do that.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa (4 for 5)

I have not seen every Takeover but I think that this was the best one I've ever seen. Four of the matches were amazing and Dream vs EC3 was not as good but it was better than most of the matches that I see on the main roster. Hopefully Summerslam will be just as good (it probably won't but I can dream, right?)

Sunday 19 August 2018

WWE Summerslam 2018 Preview

WWE SummerSlam 2018 Poster.jpg



The 2nd biggest event of the year, Summerslam, will be taking place this evening at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. There are 13 matches on the card so it will be a long night. Let's take a look.

Rusev and Lana vs Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega
I think that Aiden English will find some way to fuck over Rusev and Lana, giving Almas and Vega the win.
Predicted Winners: Andrade "Cien" Almas and Zelina Vega

The Revival vs The B-Team
RAW Tag Team Championship
Finally, The Revival get a Championship opportunity and I feel that they have to win to give the RAW Tag Team division a boost.
Predicted Winners: The Revival

Drew Gulak vs Cedric Alexander
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Gulak has been one of the best things on 205 Live right now and I believe that its' time for him to be Champion
Predicted Winner: Drew Gulak

Finn Balor vs Constable Baron Corbin
I don't quite know yet but I'm not bothered about this match. Balor won the last one so I think that Corbin will win this one.
Predicted Winner: Constable Baron Corbin

Jeff Hardy vs Shinsuke Nakamura
United States Championship
Hopefully, their match will last longer than their last one on Pay-Per-View. I think that Nakamura will win.
Predicted Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

The New Day vs The Bludgeon Brothers
Smackdown Tag Team Championship
The New Day have to win this, right?
Predicted Winners: The New Day

Kevin Owens vs Braun Strowman
Strowman's MITB Contract is on the Line
This is an interesting one as it can go in a lot of different ways. I think that Owens will find some sneaky way to win.
Predicted Winner: Kevin Owens

Ronda Rousey vs Alexa Bliss
RAW Women's Championship
I love Alexa Bliss but Ronda is going to fuck her up. Rousey to win easily.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey

Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Carmella
Smackdown Women's Championship
A tough one to call here. I think that Carmella will find some way to win and retain.
Predicted Winner: Carmella

Seth Rollins vs Dolph Ziggler
Intercontinental Championship
Rollins has been great to watch this year. Despite that, I feel that Ziggler, with Drew McIntyre's help, will retain.
Predicted Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles
WWE Championship
This has a small chance to be the match of the night. A tough one to call but I'm going for Joe to win.
Predicted Winner: Samoa Joe

Daniel Bryan vs Hollywood Miz
The match that everyone is looking forward to see. Part of me wishes it was for a Championship but it doesn't need it. I really want Bryan to win. However, I think that they will extend the feud over the autumn meaning that Miz will win.
Predicted Winner: Hollywood Miz

Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
Universal Championship
Hey look, Brock has decided to grace us with his presence as he faces Roman Reigns for (check notes) the 6th time in over 3 years. Yay? Anyway, Reigns has to win this. Otherwise, there's no point. Keep in mind tho, that this is a rare opportunity for the MITB Briefcase holder to cash in.
Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

It will be a few days before I get to see the show. Until then, I hope you enjoy watching it.

Saturday 18 August 2018

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn IV Preview

NXT TakeOver Brooklyn IV Poster.png



The 4th annual NXT Takeover: Brooklyn will be taking place this evening at the Barclays Center. The card looks pretty awesome as usual so let's take a look.

Velveteen Dream vs EC3
The only match that doesn't involve a Championship has been the one that has the most fun to see build. Having said that, it has been weird seeing EC3 as technically the face as his gimmick doesn't say that. This is a tough one as I can see both guys winning. I feel that Dream has to win a match at Takeover and I think it will happen here.
Predicted Winner: Velveteen Dream

Mustache Mountain vs The Undisputed Era
NXT Tag Team Championship
Based on their last two matches, this should be fun to watch. Whilst I like Tyler Bate and Trent Seven, I feel that The Undisputed Era will retain.
Predicted Winners: The Undisputed Era

Ricochet vs Adam Cole (Bay Bay!)
NXT North American Championship
A strong contender for match of the night and I think that Ricochet will win here.
Predicted Winner: Ricochet

Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler
NXT Women's Championship
Another tough one to call but I don't think it's Sane's time yet. Therefore, Baszler to win.
Predicted Winner: Shayna Baszler

Johnny Gargano vs Tommaso "Fuckface" Ciampa
Last Man Standing Match for the NXT Championship
Whilst I love to see Gargano as Champion, I don't think it's that time yet. I'm going for Ciampa to win.
Predicted Winner: Tommaso Ciampa

I will get to see Takeover during the week. I hope everyone enjoys the show.

Wednesday 1 August 2018

WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Review

Extreme Rules 2018 took place on Sunday 15th July at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Money in the Bank was pretty good so will Extreme Rules continue in that vein? Let's take a look.

There were two matches on the Kick Off Show and the first was Sin Cara 2.0 taking on Andrade "Cien" Almas. Almas deals with Cara's offence by throwing him into the crowd barrier. Almas keeps Cara down with moves such as an arm lock. Cara makes a comeback and hits a frog splash. However, Zelina Vega distracts the referee, which gives Almas the chance to hit a dropkick, which is followed by the knees in the corner and the Hammerlock DDT to get the win. The match was pretty good.
Winner: Andrade "Cien" Almas (1 for 1)

The other match on the Kick Off Show is a Tables Match between The New Day and Sanity. The match descends into chaos, leaving Eric Young and Alexander Wolff beating down on Big E. Everyone else recovers and the match goes back and forth, including both teams coming very close to winning. In the end, Young, with the help of Wolff, sends Kofi through a table with a top rope elbow drop to get the win. This match was fun to watch.
Winners: Sanity (2 for 2)

The first match of the show is for the RAW Tag Team Championship as The B Team challenge The Deleter of Worlds. A cheap shot by Bo Dallas on Matt Hardy gives his team the advantage. Hardy hits a side effect on Curtis Axel , and it enables him to tag in Bray Wyatt. Hardy tags back in but that turns out to be a bad idea as Dallas hits him with a hangman's neckbreaker to get the win. I was surprised that The B Team won but it was a good yet short match.
Winners: The B Team (2 for 3)

Next is Finn Balor taking on Constable Baron Corbin. Corbin is dominant early on, hitting brutal clotheslines and keeping him down with chinlocks. Balor gets out of a powerbomb and hits a dropkick. Corbin goes for The End of Days but Balor manages to stop it and put Corbin in a small package to get the win. This was a pretty decent match.
Winner: Finn Balor (2 for 4)

We now get Asuka challenging Carmella for the Smackdown Women's Championship with James Ellsworth suspended above the ring in a shark tank. Someone didn't think to search Ellsworth as he keeps interfering in the match. Then he manages to escape but gets caught and ends up hanging upside down. Asuka decides to forget about Carmella and start kicking Ellsworth. Carmella then slams Asuka's head against the cage then hits her shitty finishing move to get the win. This match was a fucking abomination and definitely the worst match of the year so far.
Winner: Carmella (3 for 5)

Our third Championship match is Shinsuke Nakamura challenging Jeff Hardy. When the referee gives his belt to the timekeeper, Nakamura gives Hardy a low blow. Hardy insists that he is ok but when the bell rings, Nakamura hits a Kinshasa to get the win. Afterwards, Randy Orton makes his return and attacks Hardy, turning heel. Ok, what the fuck was that? I understand if Hardy was injured, but he wrestled on the following Smackdown, so what was the point? As for Orton returning, I don't really care.
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura (4 for 6)

We now get a steel cage match between Kevin Owens and Braun Strowman. Owens tries to escape at every opportunity but Strowman keeps stopping him. Owens gets his best chance when he handcuffs Strowman to the turnbuckle. Unfortunately, it's next to the door so Owens starts to climb the cage. Strowman breaks the handcuffs and climbs after him. Strowman then proceeds to throw Owens off the top of the cage through the announce table. This technically means that Owens wins. Afterwards, Owens is taken away on a stretcher. I quite enjoyed the match but I found it hard to support Strowman in this feud. He's been treating Owens like shit and when Owens goes to Kurt Angle about it, he gets put into a steel cage match. I was also surprised at the ending, as it took place in the same city where Mick Foley got seriously injured when Undertaker threw him off the top of the cell.
Winner: Kevin Owens (4 for 7)

Next is Team Hell No challenging The Bludgeon Brothers  for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Earlier in the night, Harper and Rowan attacked Bryan and Kane backstage. Kane didn't recover in time so Bryan had to take on The Bludgeon Brothers himself. Bryan uses his quickness to Harper and Rowan at bay but it doesn't last long. Harper and Rowan accidentally take each other out and Kane comes out with a leg cast and gets tagged in. Unfortuantely, Harper and Rowan manage to hit a powerbomb/diving clothesline combo on Bryan to get the win. The match wasn't bad but it was hampered by Kane's real life injury. A lot of people were looking forward to seeing the return of Team Hell No but, depending on Glen Jacobs' bod for Mayor of Knox County, there's a chance that we will never get to see it.
Winners: The Bludgeon Brothers (4 for 8)

We now get Roman Reigns taking on Bobby Lashley. Yay...? Anyway, Reigns acts a little more aggressively during the match and is quite dominant in the early going. Lashley stops getting hit
by some steel steps and hits a clothesline to start a comeback. Both guys have a chance to win it but in the end, Reigns goes for a spear but Lashley hits a spear of his own to get the win. The match was actually pretty decent with a couple of nice spots. I just found it hard to get into am match where I have very little interest in the guys involved.
Winner: Bobby Lashley (5 for 9)

Next is Nia Jax, with Natalya, challenging Alexa Bliss, with Mickie James, in an Extreme Rules match for the RAW Women's Championship. An added factor is Ronda Rousey. She had been banned from RAW but she got a ticket to watch the show because...loophole? Mickie gives Alexa a fuck ton of weapons but Nia just grabs them and chucks them into the ring. After Nia press slams Alexa ontop a trash can, Alexa uses a trash can lid to get the advantage. When Mickie and Alexa start attacking Natalya, Ronda gets involved. After Mickie takes out Ronda with a kendo stick, Alexa goes on to hit Nia with a DDT on to a steel chair to get the win. Ignoring the fact that, due to the stipulations, Ronda could have got involved at any time, it was a fun match.
Winner: Alexa Bliss (6 for 10)

The penultimate match is for the WWE Championship as Rusev challenges AJ Styles on Rusev Day. Rusev uses power moves before focusing on the lower back. However, Styles injures Rusev's left leg, slowing him down. The match goes back and forth with both guys going for submission moves. Rusev tries to put on the Accolade but is unable to due his leg. Aiden English exposes a turnbuckle but Rusev accidentally runs into it and Styles hits a springboard 450 followed by a Phenomenal Forearm to get the win. This was a really good match and hopefully, Rusev gets another Championship opportunity in the near future.
Winner: AJ Styles (7 for 11)

The main event is a 30-minute Iron Man match for the Intercontinental Championship as Seth Rollins challenges Dolph Ziggler. Rollins takes the lead after 4 minutes with a buckle bomb followed by a inside cradle. Rollins hits a Curb Stomp to make it 2-0. Drew McIntyre then interferes and beats the fuck out of Rollins, resulting in the referee ejecting him. Even though McIntyre's actions gave Rollins a 3-0 lead, it was negated when Ziggler pins a fucked up Rollins to make 3-1. he then hits a super kick followed soon after by a Zig Zag to tie the macth at 3-3. A minute before the half way point, Ziggler hits a forearm and pins Rollins, using his feet on the ropes for leverage. This gives Ziggler the lead. With 3 minutes to go, Rollins bounces Ziggler's head off the ring post and pins him to tit the match at 4-4. Despite Rollins' best efforts, the match ends at 4-4. Normally, this means Ziggler retains the title. However, Kur Angle comes out and takes the match into overtime. When the bell rings, Rollins gets distracted by a returning McIntyre and Ziggler hits a Zig Zag to get the win. This was a generally good match but I hated the ending. I don't see the point of taking a match into overtime and then it ends 10 seconds later. Also, some of Rollins' logic was questionable, esecially when he stopped Ziggler from leaving. If he left him, Ziggler would have been counted out and Rollins would have won.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler (8 for 12)

I thought that Extreme Rules was an average event. There were some good matches but there were some that were really shit. Hopefully, at Summerslam, we will get more of the good and less of the bad.