WWE Super Show-Down Recap

This PPV is 4 hours long and on a Saturday! Oof. Nevertheless, I’m a diehard wrestling fan and I intend to watch and recap every single second of it! The Super Show-Down has some great matches on the card so let’s see how it turns out! I’ll be recapping these as I watch, and as always remember the scores I give are just my personal opinion. I’m no wrestling guru just a guy that loves to watch!

The New Day (Champs) vs. The Bar – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

It’s so great to have The Bar back, I love watching Sheamus and Cesaro. New Day went with Kofi and Xavier Woods and these two put on the type of match they always do. Fast and high flying. Cesaro got to be the King of Swing again, and the Bar almost won when Cesaro used the rope to help his pin. Luckily Kofi and Woods managed to come out on top with the win. Although a little short for these two teams, it was a pretty solid start to the show. The New Day retains via pinfall 8.25/10.

Becky Lynch (Champ) vs. Charlotte Flair – Smackdown Women’s Championships

One of my favorite feuds in WWE. I think I said that last time… BUT I MEAN IT. Charlotte and Becky threw their entire movesets at each other and there were so many near falls. The back and forth was so great just when you thought one of them was going to win, the other would counter with something insane. These two seemed like they truly hated each other during this fight. Charlotte got Becky Lynch in the Figure Eight lock and just before Charlotte had the submission complete, Becky in an ingenious last ditch effort grabbed her title and beat Charlotte with it. The match ended in DQ but there was still carnage afterwards as Charlotte (bitter that Becky ended the match that way) attacked her on the ramp. Becky got the upper hand though and walked out with her title. Charlotte wins via DQ, Becky retains 8.75/10.

John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Kevin Owens & Elias

Four great wrestlers in a match that has absolutely no significance. Nevertheless, I loved it when Elias came out playing Thunderstruck on his guitar. He and Kevin Owens are top notch heels and I love watching them get a crowd riled up. They’re actually a really great tag team, I’d love to see them work together more and maybe get some tag opportunities. They don’t really have any significant storylines right now. For a match that hyped the return of John Cena though, he didn’t really get to do much. Elias and Owens kept Lashley in the ring and tore him apart. Cena of course did eventually go in and made short work of Elias and Owens. His new finisher move though where he crosses his arms and just punches his opponent is just silly I’m sorry. The match had no consequences but it was still fun to watch. John Cena & Bobby Lashley win via pinfall 7.5/10.

Naomi & Asuka vs. The IIconics 

Another match with no real meaning! The IIconics have homefield advantage but there was no question who was going to win this one. At least you think. This was a weird match though because both teams danced as much as they fought. At one point the IIconics posed like superheroes, Asuka basically told Billy Kae to kiss her ass it was… something. In a surprising turn of events the IIconics actually got the win! Usually WWE doesn’t care when someone’s in their hometown so I was pretty surprised to see the IIconics win. It was  a nice moment that both me and the people of Australia really liked! The IIconics win via pinfall 8/10.

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Samoa Joe – WWE World Heavyweight Championship (No Disqualifications, No Count Outs)

Come on AJ, just let Samoa Joe have sex with your wife and have your championship! It’s the only way he’ll leave you alone! I love how messed up this storyline has gotten. Joe is such an entertaining bad guy. I was underwhelmed by their last fight especially with the ending, but I was excited for today thanks to the no DQ/Count Outs stipulation. This was a lot more quick paced than their last PPV encounter, Samoa Joe turned into a wrecking ball and Styles basically kicked the shit out of him for his counter strategy. It took awhile for the stipulation to come into play but when the chair and table arrived, things really started to pick up. Styles was literally coughing up blood at this point. The best part though came when Styles sacrificed himself to throw Samoa Joe into a table and then moved the referee away from checking on Joe. Styles yelled “He’s mine now” and put Joe through the ringer. It was by far the longest match of the night at this point, and while the fight was amazing, the ending wasn’t QUITE as epic as I had hoped Best match so far though! AJ Styles retains via tap out 9/10. 

Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins vs. The Riott Squad

Was there anyone in that arena or watching at home that thought the Riott Squad would actually win this match? Nikki and Brie fought the majority of the match and honestly the highlight of their time in the ring was when Liv Morgan got the opportunity to kick Brie in the face almost as revenge for the genuinely painful kicks Brie gave to her a few weeks ago (which knocked her out). When Ronda came in she was great as always. It amazes me how fast she has been learning and mastering the craft. She’s already one of the best wrestlers in the Women’s Division. The double arm bar at the end was pretty cool. Rousey & The Bella Twins win via tap out 6.75/10. 

Cedric Alexander (Champ) vs. Buddy Murphy – Cruiserweight Championship

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy are wrestlers like these two on a show that nobody watches!? This match was INCREDIBLE! Fast, hard hitting, and filled with unbelievable moves from both wrestlers. The crowd went absolutely bonkers for their hometown guy Buddy Murphy and it’s easy to see why. He’s absolutely incredible! There were so many “that has to be the end” moments but it just kept going! Cedric Alexander is an absolutely amazing talent, but I’m glad to see a new Cruiserweight Champion! Buddy Murphy wins the Cruiserweight Championship via pinfall 9.5/10.

The SHIELD vs. Braun Strowman, Dolph Ziggler, & Drew McIntyre

This match was fine. There wasn’t any too memorable about it though to e honest. These guys have definitely had better fights against each other. Drew McIntyre was the star in my opinion. He’s really come into his own as a heel I’ve really grown to like him as a bad guy as time has gone on. The big story here though was “will Dean turn on his SHIELD brothers?” After Roman punched him in the face on accident I thought there was a chance. I think it’s inevitable, but who knows when it’ll happen. There was some awesome camera work at the end though. Dean looked like he was going to get taken out by Braun but then off camera out of nowhere Roman speared him through the barricade. Then Drew McIntyre looked like he was going to finish off Dean instead, but the Rollins again off camera super kicked him out of commission. This all gave Ambrose the opportunity to pin Ziggler and get the win. Average fight with a great ending! The SHIELD wins via pinfall 7.75/10. 

Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz – #1 Contender Match

 Miz came out guns blazing and hit Daniel Bryan with all of his own moves. They went back and forth and it looked like it was going to be a great match. But then it just kind of ended out of nowhere. There isn’t much to say about it. Daniel Bryan and Miz got wrapped up on the ring, the ref counted to three and Daniel Bryan stole a win out of nowhere. This match took a page out of the AJ Styles/Samoa Joe story line. Miz is claiming he was robbed, Daniel Bryan walked away with the win, and more than likely these two are going to fight again. I wouldn’t be surprised if Miz sabotaged Daniel Bryan’s match against AJ Styles at Crown Jewel. Daniel Bryan hasn’t had a genuinely good PPV match this year… and that streak continued today. Daniel Bryan wins via pinfall 6.5/10. 

Undertaker vs. Triple H

I’m going to get hate for this but this match was BORING. Everyone involved in this match (Kane and Shawn Michaels were at ringside) is just too old to be wrestling. Yes they are living legends, but their time is over. Triple H can still fight, but the rest just aren’t and that’s OK that’s life! If you’re going to have older superstars wrestle, make the match shorter! That’s what made Undertaker vs. Cena enjoyable at Wrestlemania. Undertaker went in, kicked his ass, then left in about 15 minutes. It was short, fast paced, and Undertaker did all the moves you wanted to see him do. This though just dragged because referees kept getting KO’d throughout the match. The ending wasn’t even that great. Shawn Michaels hit Undertaker with Sweet Chin Music and Triple H used the pedigree. Then it was over. Definitely the lowpoint of the PPV for me. Then after the match Undertaker attacked Triple H… meaning we haven’t seen the end of this unfortunately. Triple H wins via pinfall 5/10. 

This was a pretty uneven PPV that didn’t really feel like a PPV. Felt more like a somehow even longer episode of Monday Night RAW with some great matches sprinkled in there! The next PPV is only two weeks away but I’m super excited for Evolution! Final Score: 7.75/10

 

WWE Hell In A Cell Recap

Last year’s Hell In A Cell was… kind of a mess not going to lie. The card this year has some potentially awesome matches, and the cell tends to bring some great matches. I’ll be writing this as the matches happen so let’s see how Hell In A Cell turns out!

The New Day (Champs) vs. Rusev Day – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

I’m so grateful that WWE didn’t go through with splitting up Rusev Day (for now) because it gave us this great tag match! It’s an absolute crime that these two teams were put on the pre-show. They’re some of the most popular wrestlers on the roster! Unsurprisingly these two teams put on a great match. The highlight for me was whenever Aiden English tried to put Kofi in the Accolade (Rusev’s signature) and Rusev matchka kicked Big E. New Day ended up winning but honestly both teams were great so I can’t complain too much. When’s Rusev gonna win gold though?!? The New Day retains via pinfall 8.5/10.

Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton – Hell In A Cell Match

How has Jeff Hardy not fought in a Hell In A Cell Match before!? It’s right up his alley! This was an excellent choice for the starting match Randy was dastardly attacking Jeff with chairs, ladders (the inverted one was delightful) and even a screwdriver!!! I haven’t been able to watch any of the times Randy messed with Jeff’s gauges in his ears so the screwdriver tonight was unbearable. From the beginning of the match I was on edge, Jeff kept staring at the top of the cell acting(?) nervous for what was to come. You knew he was going to do SOMETHING insane, and man did he! He (of course) managed to climb to the top of the cell, swung like a gymnast and then fell face first into what was supposed to be Randy Orton. Instead he got a face full of table. This match was bloody, crazy, and dare I say… HELLacious? Great start to the show. Randy Orton wins via pinfall 9/10.

Charlotte (Champ) vs. Becky Lynch – Smackdown Women’s Championship

This feud has been great since Summerslam, the “friends told enemies” storyline never grows old they’ve always been great. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn, Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano, and now Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch! Becky put in some excellent moves in this match and Charlotte Flair was her usual phenomenal self. Even though Becky was the “heel” of the match it’s clear that she’s the one everybody wanted to see come on top. There were plenty of great moments, but the ending was the highlight. Becky focused on Charlotte’s left arm, but she quickly retaliated. Just when you thought Charlotte was going to win Becky ended up flipping Charlotte and pinning her for the win! To make it even better, Becky refused to shake Charlotte’s hand at the end. Becky Lynch wins the Smackdown Women’s Championship via pinfall 8.75/10.

Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre (Champs) – RAW Tag Team Championships

I love all four of these guys so I was excited for this match. Dean Ambrose has looked great since returning from injury and I’m so glad that Dolph Ziggler has gotten some big matches it’s felt like forever since he has. Rollins and Ziggler have such a versatile move set it has been so fun to watch them feud all summer long. Ambrose and McIntyre were both great as the “lunatic/psycho” of their respective teams I wouldn’t mind seeing them feud someday. There were so many near falls and spots this was another great match it’s not often we get three great fights in a row. The ending of this one was wild, Rollins was about to finish Ziggler off when McIntyre showed up out of nowhere and hit Rollins with a Claymore kick. Ziggler flopped to the ground and somehow ended up on top of Rollins essentially pinning him. If there was one complaint I had about this match it’s that it was pretty obvious Ziggler and McIntyre would win. They wouldn’t give both the tag and intercontinental titles to Rollins. Ziggler and McIntyre retain via pinfall 9/10.

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Samoa Joe – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

I feel like this match was placed incorrectly. Number one, it’s the WWE World Heavyweight Championship it deserves to be one of the last fights. Second, we just had a crazy fight and it clearly wore the crowd out they were practically crickets here. AJ is undeniably phenomenal as he says and while Samoa Joe is an excellent heel, his style is a little too slow sometimes. There are parts of this match that dragged on which took away from the truly great parts! The end of the match was dumb though. Samoa Joe grabbed onto AJ Styles with the coquina clutch submission then Styles rolled him over and won via pinfall. Joe though got up thinking he won when in reality the ref ruled AJ the victor. Then OF COURSE, the replay showed that AJ Styles tapped before the ref counted to three. I’m A-OK with the feud continuing but I think it’s stupid that this match ended that way. AJ Styles wins via pinfall 7.25/10.

Brie Bella & Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz & Maryse

This was pretty boring. Maryse kept avoiding fights with Brie so it was mostly just Miz vs. Daniel Bryan. There wasn’t anything overly flashy or fancy about the fight either it was just all completely average. There was a moment where Brie and Daniel did simultaneous Yes Kicks to Miz and Maryse which was a nice moment but the biggest surprise came at the end. It seemed almost guaranteed that Daniel Bryan and Brie were going to win, but in a turn of events MARYSE ends up pinning Brie Bella for the win! I guess making Miz and Maryse lose to Cena and Nikki at Wrestlemania meant they got to win this time. The Miz and Maryse win via pinfall 6.5/10.

Ronda Rousey (Champ) vs. Alexa Bliss – RAW Women’s Championship

Next to Tomasso Ciampa, Alexa Bliss is probably my favorite heel in WWE she is absolutely diabolical. The entire match she went after Ronda’s ribs and talked smack the entire time. Both are just incredible athletes and while I’m ecstatic to see Ronda Rousey on WWE, I’m starting to worry that she’s getting a little stale. She is a hell of a fighter, but I feel like all her matches go the same exact way. She just ends up destroying everyone else it’s almost boring to see her matches. You just know that she’s going to end up winning in the end. I’m not sure what the future holds for Rousey, but I hope her matches stop being so one sided soon. Rousey retains via submission 7.25/10. 

Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman – Hell In A Cell Match for the Universal Championship

Braun and Roman had a pretty decent match inside Hell In A Cell. Both hit each other with multiple weapons, Braun turned stairs into a weapon and there were plenty of tables getting smashed. The best parts of this match though happened outside the cell! Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre came out to help Braun, but Roman’s SHIELD brothers Rollins and Ambrose quickly intervened. The four ended up on top of the cell with kendo sticks unleashing hell on each other. Ziggler and Dolph ended up climbing down and throwing each other onto announce tables. Then, I thought the match was going to continue between Roman and Braun but then the last thing I thought would ever happen… happened.

Brock Lesnar’s music hit.

BROCK LESNAR!? WHAT? He and Paul Heyman came in, maced Mick Foley who was the guest referee and literally kicked in the Hell In A Cell gate. He then smashed broken tables on both Strowman and Roman. He eventually left, but man was it insane! I thought he was going to UFC and was done with WWE stuff (for now). Who knows what’s happening next! The only blemish on this was the fact that the referee just called the match a draw at the end and didn’t let anyone finish. I understand storywise, but the last fight of the PPV should never end without a winner of some kind! The match ended in a draw 8.75/10.

Final Thoughts

This was way better than I thought it would be. The lineup of matches wasn’t the most impressive but damn were the fights good for the most part! The first three matches were the absolute best of the night, but there were some great moments for the rest of the night. For the first time in ages I’m excited to see what happens with the Universal Title so that’s definitely a win! Final Score: 8.25/10

Yet Another Late WWE Recap: NXT Takeover Brooklyn & Summerslam

THIS IS SO LATE I’M SORRY. Nevertheless I vowed to document my opinions of every NXT and WWE PPV no matter how short the recap is! I’m writing this minutes before Hell In A Cell begins so this’ll be super short. I’m talking like a couple sentences apiece.

The Undisputed Era (Champs) vs. Moustache Mountain – NXT Tag Team Championship

This was a great start to the PPV, their first match together was awesome, and this was no different. Tyler Bate was the notable star of the match and I loved the reversed bit where Trent Seven ALMOST threw in the towel for Tyler Bate (similar to how Bate did to Seven a few months ago). Side note: I LOVED that the War Raiders came out at the end, I can’t wait to see them go against the Undisputed Era! The Undisputed Era retains via pinfall 8.75/10.

EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream

The NXT Roster is so stacked, it’s almost impossible to have a bad card. EC3 and Velveteen Dream really brought it tonight. EC3 is great but you can’t top Velveteen Dream he’s one of the most exciting wrestlers WWE has. The “Call Me Up Vince” pants were absolutely incredible. I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve seen The Dream win so it was nice to see him come out on top. Velveteen Dream wins via pinfall 9/10.

Adam Cole vs. Ricochet – North American Championship

This was the best match of the night. I know I’m just as shocked as you are. Anything either of these two touches turns to gold. This match had so many nearly falls and incredible moments of athleticism, I was on the edge of my seat the entire match. The highlight of the match for me though was that we have a new North American Champion in Ricochet! Ricochet wins the North American Championship via pinfall 9.5/10.

Shayna Baszler (Champ) vs. Kairi Sane – NXT Women’s Championship

This was the best women’s championship match in NXT in a long time. Shayna Baszler has been slowly growing on my as time has gone by but I’m SO glad that she lost the belt. The women’s division has been so boring as of late because it didn’t seem like anyone could beat Baszler and I was pleasantly surprised to see Sane managed to sneak the win! Kairi Sane wins the NXT Women’s Championship via pinfall 8/10.

Tomasso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano – Last Man Standing Match

These two have had two masterpiece matches, but this one didn’t QUITE live up to the same potential as them. It wasn’t bad by any means don’t get me wrong, but something was slightly off about it. It wasn’t as insane as their second encounter, but then again I didn’t think it was possible to get any more extreme. I thought the end of the match was a little silly. Johnny Gargano looked like an idiot, but I guess that’s kind of what the story has been. Gargano has given into the darkness! How much longer can these two possibly feud!? I hope it isn’t losing gas. Ciampa is the last man standing 8.5/10.

Final Score: Awesome PPV! I wish the Ciampa & Gargano match was better but it was still pretty solid! 8.75/10

Summerslam

Rusev & Lana vs. Andrade Cien Almas & Zelina Vega 

This was a weird mixed tag match. It wasn’t all that mixed! Rusev and Almas fought the first half of the match, then there was a single tag and Lana and Zelina fought the rest of it. Rusev and Almas were pretty decent, and I’m glad to see Lana get a little better with each match. Zelina didn’t really get to do much of anything but she still got the win for her and Almas. Pretty forgettable match, but not “bad.” Rusev and Almas are better than the preshow. Zelina Vega & Almas win via pinfall 7/10.

Cedric Alexander (Champ) vs. Drew Gulak – Cruiserweight Championship

I’m so happy to see Gulak get a title opportunity! It’s a shame he didn’t have a PowerPoint presentation with him and that he didn’t win but man Gulak got a title shot! Cedric Alexander though is absolutely incredible and he proved that once again tonight. I’m not sure who is going to end up taking that title from Alexander. Also, will any of these guys get to go on the main roster or even NXT? Basically can they go on a show where people will watch them? Cedric Alexander retains via pinfall 8.5/10.

The B Team (Champs) vs. The Revival – RAW Tag Team Championship

When oh when will The Revival get to be taken seriously!? Honestly I’ve seen a lot of superstars come up to the main roster and get cast aside but I haven’t seen anyone get robbed this badly since the Ascension. It would be nice to see The Revival win the tag team championship someday but honestly I don’t think it’ll happen anytime soon. This was a pretty solid match though. The B Team retains via pinfall 7.75/10.

Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler (Champ) – Intercontinental Championship

This match was a big step up for these two from their Extreme Rules match. That match wasn’t bad, this one was just way better. These two have a fighting style that go together so incredibly well. This had lots of great spots, Dean Ambrose and Drew McIntyre on the outside added a great element to the whole event. Best part of it though? Rollins wins! Rollins wins the Intercontinental Championship via pinfall 9/10.

The New Day vs. The Bludgeon Brothers (Champs) – Smackdown Tag Team Championship

Although I’m not usually a fan of PPV matches ending in a disqualification, this one wasn’t bad. The New Day are simply an excellent tag team and the Bludgeon Brothers got to beat the hell out of them pretty good. It’s a shame that after this, Rowan got injured causing them to give up the title early. The New Day win via DQ 7.5/10.

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens 

The stipulation was if Strowman lost in any way he lost the Money In The Bank contract. This was hardly even a match though as Strowman totally destroyed him. What’s the point of this “feud?” Is it even a feud? A feud usually has two sides fighting but it has basically only been Strowman destroying Owens so far. Poor Owens just gets getting wrecked for the sake of a lousy storyline. These two still deserve better. Strowman wins via pinfall 6.5/10.

Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs. Carmella (Champ) – Smackdown Women’s Championship

The ladies pulled through tonight, yes even Carmella! I think we can all say we saw the ending coming from a mile away. As much as we wanted to see Becky Lynch win tonight, we all knew that Charlotte’s sudden appearance wouldn’t be for nothing. Charlotte swooped in at the end and stole the win from Becky… but then we got a Becky Lynch heel turn!  These two could have an excellent feud together! Charlotte Flair wins the Smackdown Women’s Championship via pinfall 8.5/10.

Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles (Champ) – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Like I said earlier, I don’t usually like matches that end in disqualifications but this was actually amazing. The storyline was a little goofy up until this fight. Samoa Joe told AJ that he never wanted a family it was such a soap opera. Then the fight happened and Samoa Joe told AJ’s wife Wendy that he’d be her daddy. Then AJ lost it and beat the hell out of Samoa Joe, covering himself in blood and getting himself disqualified. Then he went to hug his wife and daughter and his daughter was visibly scared and crying. What a moment! The story went 0 to 100mph real fast! Samoa Joe wins via DQ 9/10.

The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan

The match I have wanted since the moment I heard Daniel Bryan was cleared to fight was finally here! It may not have been the masterpiece I wanted it to be, but it was still immensely entertaining because this feud has felt real and personal since that fated interview oh so long ago. This fight ended exactly how I thought it would; Miz cheated with Maryse’s help and ended up pinning Daniel Bryan. Can’t wait to see what happens in this feud next! The Miz wins via pinfall 8.5/10.

Finn Balor vs. Baron Corbin

Why did we get another one of these? Why are these two still feuding? It just feels so random! That all being said, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this match and you know why? Because we got THE DEMON KING BACK!!! It has been far too long since we saw him and I think he’s Finn’s best incarnation. The matches just always seem to be better. This match was totally one sided, but you can’t complain about that when it’s The Demon King Finn Balor. I hope we get to see him again soon because he always makes the show better! Balor wins via pinfall 8.75/10.

Shinsuke Nakamura (Champ) vs. Jeff Hardy – United States Championship Match

Ah yes, the match we should’ve gotten at Extreme Rules! Definitely still not bitter about that… OK maybe I am. Anyways this match was kind of a snore. These two are so talented, but the match just never became anything special. It felt like a match you’d see on Smackdown. Then of course Randy Orton came out and………………….. did nothing? Not sure what’s going on with this. Nakamura retains via pinfall 6.5/10.

Ronda Rousey vs. Alexa Bliss (Champ) – RAW Women’s Championship

Everyone watching knew what was going to happen. Ronda was going to obliterate poor Alexa Bliss and boy did she. It was barely even a fight because Ronda just absolutely decimated Alexa and ended the whole thing pretty fast. That arm bar does not look fun in the slightest. Ronda Rousey wins the RAW Women’s Championship via submission 6.75/10.

Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (Champ) – WWE Universal Championship

IT IS FINALLY OVER!!! FINALLY BROCK LOST THE BELT! I DON’T EVEN CARE THAT ROMAN HAS IT THE BELT WILL FINALLY CONSISTENTLY BE ON RAW!!! MOST GLORIOUS INDEED!!! This match was fine. Roman Reigns wins the Universal Championship via pinfall 7.5/10

Final Thoughts: Overall a pretty mixed bag for Summerslam but I definitely enjoyed more of it than I disliked. Roman winning the title is all I ever really needed from this PPV. Final Score: 8/10

I foolishly decided to take an extra class this semester so I haven’t been able to keep up with my weekly posts, and I apologize. Once I get through this semester I’ll be more consistent with my posts!

A Very Late WWE Extreme Rules Recap

I haven’t posted anything in weeks… blame grad school! Extreme Rules was almost a month ago and the reason I didn’t immediately write my recap like I usually do is because I was at the actual event! I lived it man! I was one of those thousands of people that made the annoying buzzing noise every thirty seconds! Anyways, I’m going to do a much briefer recap of this event since I’m so far behind, and I’ll be getting back into my weekly posting starting now! Let’s take a look at the roller coaster that was Extreme Rules.

Sin Cara vs. Andrade Cien Almas

What has Sin Cara been up to all this time!? I feel like it’s been forever since he’s wrestled. This match was all about (I think) giving Almas a push to get him into hopefully some future title fights. Sin Cara actually had some opportunities to shine, but in the end it was all about Almas who laid the smack down (ha) on Sin Cara. I’m really hoping Almas gets a good push because he was nothing short of incredible on NXT. Almas wins via pinfall 7/10. 

Sanity vs. The New Day 

Two great tag teams equals a pretty great match! All three members of each team got to fight leading to some chaos both in and outside the ring. Killian Dayne continues to be the best part of Sanity and I’m glad he was highlighted so much in the match. The best part though had to be when Kofi stomped both Eric Young and Alexander Wolf from the top rope. The match ended a little sooner than I would’ve liked though. I feel like it could’ve gone on longer. Either way, this was a great match that shouldn’t have been on the preshow. Sanity puts New Day through a table to win 8/10. 

Matt Hardy & Bray Wyatt (Champs) vs. The B Team – RAW Tag Team Championships

This was one of those matches where I really like both teams so I didn’t really care who won. It’s been nice to see Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel actually be a part of something substantial. That all being said, I can’t believe these two are actually tag team champs! Overall a decent match. The B Team wins the RAW Tag Team Championships via pinfall 7.5.

Finn Balor vs. Constable Corbin

Honestly didn’t even know this match was booked for the event… the fight was passable but the story between these two just isn’t that great. They’re basically feuding just to give the two something better to do. I don’t mind the constable gimmick for Corbin but these two should definitely be used better. Finn Balor wins via pinfall 7/10.

Asuka vs. Carmella (Champ) – Smackdown Women’s Championship

Has there ever been a match where someone that was locked in a steel cage and actually stayed there for the entire thing? Ellsworth was locked in the steel cage but *shocker* he escaped! He then cost Asuka the match when Asuka was thrown into the steel cage. Carmella won again, and WWE seems content with burying Asuka currently. This match was, as expected, a total dud. Carmella wins via pinfall 6/10

Jeff Hardy (Champ) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – United States Championship

Oh boy was this infuriating. I was so excited to see these two duke it out in a match and what happens? Nakamura hits Jeff with a low blow then a kinshasa and 3, 2, 1 Nakamura is the United States Champion. Such a hyped match over in a minute Then Randy Orton comes out and beats the hell out of Hardy for some reason!? Who knows what’s coming next for these two (three?). All I know for sure was that this “match” was total garbage. It wasn’t even a match so I’m giving it a 1. Nakamura wins the United States Title via pinfall 1/10. 

Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens – Steel Cage Match

This match wasn’t long enough! Owens and Braun are both great but there was a major plot hole with this match. At one point Owens had Braun handcuffed to the ring, why didn’t he just escape the steel cage and win the match? Logic aside, this match had a hell of an ending! Braun and Owens were at the top of the steel cage and Braun tossed Kevin about 30 feet into an announce table. Owens could’ve literally died if that was botched! Braun may not have won but that wasn’t his goal. He just wanted to hurt Kevin Owens and damn did he! Definitely one of the highlights of the night if only for the ending. Kevin Owens “escapes” the cage and wins 8/10. 

The Bludgeon Brothers (Champs) vs. Team Hell No – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

This one felt like we got a little shorted as well. We were promised Team Hell No, but the match was mostly Daniel Bryan alone vs. The Bludgeon Brothers due to Team Hell No being jumped before the match. If I read correctly, Kane was injured before the PPV so this is the match they were forced to run with so I can’t give them too much grief for it. That being said, this was another bummer for the night. The Bludgeon Brothers win via pinfall 6.25/10.

Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley

Yeah yeah, Roman sucks blah blah I get it. This was actually a solid match! Their fighting styles mash together well and it was high energy the entire match. The icing on the cake though is that we actually witnessed a rare Roman Reigns loss! The two had been feuding for awhile and I’m surprised to say that Bobby Lashley actually came out on top! Sure they would then fight again shortly after and Roman would win, but Roman losing at a PPV? I’ll take that. Bobby Lashley wins via pinfall 8.25/10.

Alexa Bliss (Champ) vs. Nia Jaxx – Extreme Rules Match for the RAW Women’s Championship

Their match at Wrestlemania was decent. There match at Extreme Rules? Eh about the same. This was the ONE extreme rules stipulation match the entire night and while there was definitely some good moments, all in all I would say that the match wasn’t as extreme as it needed to be. Especially after the wild Money In The Bank ladder match they had last PPV, I know the ladies can do a crazier match than the one we got tonight. Ronda Rousey was watching at ringside and believe it or not she got involved in the match! *Gasps* I know, totally crazy. It’s obvious this match was just a stepping stone for an upcoming Rousey vs. Bliss match. Bliss wins via pinfall 7/10. 

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Rusev – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This was the match of the night hands down! These two threw everything at each other and it went back and forth looking like each of them had plenty of chances to win. There were so many near falls that just about everyone in the audience was out of there seats. Half the crowd wanted AJ to win and the other endlessly chanted Rusev Day. Styles may have won the match, but the crowd won by getting to witness the best fight of the night! AJ Styles wins via pinfall 9/10. 

Dolph Ziggler vs. Seth Rollins – Iron Man Match for the Intercontinental Championship

I’m genuinely shocked this was the main event of the night. When was the last time the IC Title match closed out the night!? I figure they wanted a match with an extreme(ish) stipulation to be the finisher of the show. Everything Rollins touches turns to gold and this was a pretty entertaining match! Ziggler took the initial lead earning the first fall, but then Rollins was on a winning spree pinning Ziggler and earning an extra fall thanks to Drew McIntyre intervening in the match. Ziggler of course caught up and it seemed like Rollins was going to get a last minute win. But he didn’t… the match ended in a draw and everyone thought they got cheated out of the match. Then Pittsburgh’s own Kurt Angle came out and restarted the match. Yay! We all thought, until McIntyre showed up and the match ended like 30 seconds later. I just don’t understand this ending. I’m OK with Ziggler winning, but why have that tie ending just to have the match end for real less than a minute later? Great match with a lame ending. Dolph Ziggler retains via 4-3 pinfalls 8.5/10. 

Final Thoughts

This PPV was all over the place. There were some really entertaining matches then there were some that sucked something awful. There weren’t nearly enough “extreme” stipulations, and the ones we got for the most part just weren’t as great as they should’ve been. That all being said, I enjoyed being at the show even though I think the rest of the WWE Universe hates Pittsburgh now after the Iron Man Match countdown debacle. Oh well… I know the recaps were short but I just wanted to include SOMETHING about this PPV so I have something to look back on when I rank the best PPV matches of the year in December! 7/10. 

WWE Money In The Bank 2018 Recap

This is one of my absolute favorite PPVs WWE has! Anything that involves ladders gets me excited because that usually means craziness is going to be involved! This year’s Money In The Bank (MITB) has some really exciting matchups and some that are destined to be disasters, but as always I’m here to recap them and give my personal opinion of them all! So who walked away from MITB with their head held high? Let’s find out!

Bludgeon Brothers (Champs) vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson – Smackdown Tag Team Championships

When was the last time Gallows and Anderson got to be in any type of match with importance? I honestly can’t remember and that’s sad because they’re an excellent tag team! From time to time I’ve enjoyed the fact that Luke Harper finally has a title too, but I think it’s time Gallows and Anderson got some type of a push. Their match in the kickoff show was pretty decent. Nothing too flashy, but it definitely wasn’t boring. Gallows and Anderson got to show off some of their moves but ultimately the Bludgeon Brothers came out on top. I’m not surprised, I just wish there was a little more meat to this fight and I think it’s always bad to put a title fight on the kickoff show. It just undermines the importance of the title belt! If it’s not good enough to be on the actual PPV why should we care? Hopefully Gallows and Anderson get more title opportunities in the future. The Bludgeon Brothers retain via pinfall 7.5/10.

Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass

Remember my recap for WWE Backlash? I said unfortunately I didn’t think it was the end of the Big Cass and Daniel Bryan feud? *Sigh* well here we are again. The story is supposed to make Daniel Bryan look like he has a disadvantage because he’s “a little guy,” but this is Daniel Freakin’ Bryan we’re talking about! He’s never at a disadvantage! And that’s exactly what ended up happening for a majority of the match! Bryan just made a fool out of Big Cass countering everything Big Cass threw at him. Big Cass had a few moments to shine but they were always ultimately overshadowed by Daniel Bryan. At no point did you ever think Cass was going to win and ultimately he didn’t. Bryan hit him with the running knee then put him in the Yes Lock which made Cass tap out yet again. There was no final attack by Cass though so maybe this is the last we’ve seen of this feud? At least they got this fight out of the way first thing! Daniel Bryan wins via tap out 6.75/10.

Bobby Lashley vs. Sami Zayn

Two great wrestlers in an incredibly stupid feud! I’m digging the fact that the matches people don’t care about are getting done first though. This story has been so stupid. Sami has constantly antagonized Lashley with tactics such as painfully bad interviews with his sisters and making Lashley run through an idiotic obstacle course. These two deserve a lot better. Their match was as lackluster as their feud. Sami used hit and run tactics while Lashley didn’t do anything overly flashy besides his vertical suplex. It was a surprisingly slow match for how quick both wrestlers can be. It wasn’t even a close contest, Lashley threw Sami around like a rag doll and then pinned him using one hand. Hopefully they’re making Lashley look tough so he can get some better opportunities in the future. Hopefully they also begin giving Sami the types of matches HE deserves as well! Definitely a lowpoint of the night in my humber opinion. Bobby Lashley wins via pinfall 5.5/10

Seth Rollins (Champ) vs. Elias – Intercontinental Championship

Now that the garbage is out of the way we can get to the good stuff! Elias and Seth Rollins are two of my favorite wrestlers in WWE so there was no way it was going to be bad. Elias called Chicago scumbags and the “WE ARE SCUMBAGS” chants returned!! I’m proud to say I was part of the original “We are scumbags” chants, but I love that other cities can get into it! This was a great fight both going at each other full speed. Elias focused on the multiple injuries he had given Rollins over the past few weeks, but the Architect seemed to have an answer for every attack. There were so many moments I thought Elias was actually going to steal the title from Rollins, but in the end it wasn’t meant to be (yet). Elias was in good health and had the size advantage, but just as it seemed like Rollins was completely broken, he managed to steal the victory when the two where rolling each other in and out of pins. It was the first truly great match of the night and I expected no less from these two! Rollins retains via pinfall 8.5/10. 

Sasha Banks vs. Natalya vs. Charlotte vs. Ember Moon vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Becky Lynch vs. Naomi vs. Lana – Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Last year was the first MITB match for the Women’s Division and it was wasted on that goof with the weird nose Ellsworth, because that’s what we wanted in the first Women’s MITB Ladder match; a guy to basically win it. The lineup for this match was pretty stacked with multiple women having legitimate chances of winning the briefcase. Ember Moon had the first great move of the match body slamming Sasha Banks into a ladder, the ladder attacks continued through the match with just about everyone getting a taste of steel. In the first few minutes alone this was already an improvement from last year. At one point there were six women at once on two ladders going at it for the briefcase! Even Lana was surprisingly decent and had a cool moment when she put Bliss in the Accolade (the signature move of her husband Rusev). It was clear from the beginning who the crowd wanted to win, fans went nuts any time Becky Lynch or Lana climbed the ladder, but just about everyone came close to winning. There was a pretty bad botch at the end though, Becky Lynch was at the top, had the briefcase essentially unhooked and Bliss was WAY late to knocking her off. But she did, and Alexa Bliss ended up becoming the 2nd Women’s MITB winner! What I appreciated most about this match was just how vicious some of the hits were. A lot of bodies were slammed into a lot of ladders proving (once again) that the women are just as tough as the men! Alexa Bliss wins the Money In The Bank Briefcase 8.75/10.

Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *wipes tear from eye* oh boy I can’t believe this is actually happened. Last year Jinder Mahal was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion and DEFEATED Randy Orton AGAIN! What is it with Jinder Mahal and this PPV!? How does he keep getting these PPV matches!? It’s like Vince McMahon looked at this PPV and thought, “Last year’s match with Jinder was pretty bad… how can we make this even worse?” Then Roman Reigns stepped in and said, “Hold my beer.” These are two of the most hated people on the entire WWE Roster, who do you even root for in this match!? I think for the first time in his career, Jinder got LESS boos than his opponent! They hate Roman that much! The crowds chanted just about everything including “Boring,” “NXT,” “Johnny Wrestling,” “This is awful,” and (of course) “CM Punk.” Every time WWE comes to Chicago there’s CM Punk. I think one point they were chanting “Let’s Go Cena” too. I’m surprised I didn’t see any beach balls. The biggest boos came whenever Jinder started the submissions and Roman began his classic “miraculous second wind.” We’ve seen this a million times, it’s not miraculous anymore!!! Jinder’s moves are so generic and Roman does literally the same thing every single fight. He does the Superman punch, yells OOOH, spears his opponent and gets obliterated and miraculously comes back and wins. And let me tell you, all those happened tonight. The crowd reaction was more entertaining than the fight but to be honest, it was better than Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley. Please WWE, never do this again. Roman Reigns wins via pinfall 6/10. 

Carmella (Champ) vs. Asuka – Smackdown Women’s Championship

I had a very bad feeling about this one. I didn’t think Carmella had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning, and I wasn’t convinced it was time yet for Asuka to win. I expected a pretty mediocre match ending with a DQ either by Carmella herself or by the Iconics. The match was OK but to be honest I was impressed that Carmella actually followed through and wasn’t afraid of Asuka. With Charlotte she ran away for half the fight but Carmella fought Asuka head on. Then the absolute unexpected happened. An Asuka lookalike showed up and everyone was confused. Who could that be!? IT WAS THAT GOOF WITH THE WEIRD NOSE I MENTIONED EARLIER JAMES ELLSWORTH. He’s back. Dear God why is he back!? He distracted Asuka long enough to get hit by a super kick via Carmella. Carmella pinned Asuka and now Carmella has officially defeated the Empress of Tomorrow. Thanks to Ellsworth. Why… just why!? Carmella retains via pinfall 6/10. 

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Last Man Standing Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Title

We can all agree that their last match’s ending was an absolute disaster right? I couldn’t believe it ended that way. If something like that happened again this time around there was going to be hell to pay. For a match where the point is beating your opponent to the point they can’t stand, this one took awhile to get going. How is it that two of the best superstars on the roster can be so boring at times. Things picked up though once they made their way out of the ring. Nakamura hit Styles with the Kinshasa on the announce table and threw him through another table in ring. Styles played it well making us all think he was about to lose on the 10 count multiple times. He timed it to the very last second. Styles then retaliated by targeting Nakamura’s knee and even began hitting it with a steel chair. Just when you thought Styles was going to finish off Nakamura, he retaliated with yet ANOTHER punch to the balls. Styles’ balls refused to give up though which led to another Kinshasa to the face. Styles though nailed Nakamura with a Styles Clash of the steel clash which was epic. Nakamura wouldn’t give up though and the match continued. Nakamura even begged for more so Styles basically punted Nakamura’s balls. Believe me, I’m tired of low blows but THAT was pretty legit. Then as if decimating Nakamura’s balls wasn’t enough, Styles hit him with the phenomenal forearm so hard that Nakamura flew through the table! It had moments where it dragged, but you can’t deny how great the finale was! We got an ending that wasn’t garbage! Both put on solid performances and the match was good, but not great. So is this rivalry over? Styles beat Nakamura clean so who knows if we’ll be seeing these two fight again. Styles wins via Last Man Standing 8.25/10. 

Ronda Rousey vs. Nia Jax (Champ) – RAW Women’s Championship

This was another match I wasn’t sure of. Ronda Rousey will obviously become champion someday, but this was her first singles match; is she really ready to be champion? On the other hand though, do you want her to lose her first singles match? Rousey was surprisingly good in her first fight at Wrestlemania so it was interesting to see how she could hold up on her own. Nia came in like a wrecking ball and instantly began pulverizing Rousey who quickly retaliated with a signature lock of hers. Nia dominated most of the match though and Rousey took way more of a beating this time than she did at her Wrestlemania debut. We got a first for Rousey and she did her first jump from the top rope and hit Nia with a lateral press (our girl is coming into her own!) Then somehow she lifts Nia and does a judo throw! Rousey was on the verge of victory then out of NOWHERE Bliss showed up with her newly won MITB briefcase and beat the crap out of both Nia and Rousey! BLISS THEN CASHED IN AND PINNED NIA TO WIN THE BELT!!! I wasn’t sure about this match in the beginning but this was a PERFECT finish! Rousey still looked strong and is (probably) heading into a feud with Bliss and the Goddess is champion once again!! Couldn’t have written that any better myself! Alexa Bliss cashes in her MITB contract and wins via pinfall to become the new RAW Women’s Champion 9/10.

Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode vs. The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Braun Strowman vs. Rusev vs. Samoa Joe vs. Kofi Kingston – Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match

This lineup of superstars is STACKED! Honestly I wouldn’t be upset if any of these guys won, they’re all deserving in their own way. The New Day ended up choosing Kofi Kingston to represent them, and the match was underway. To nobody’s surprise, seven of the superstars ganged up on Braun. This is the Monster Among Men we’re talking about though and he brushed them off as if they were made of paper. The match almost got formulaic. The superstars ganged up on Strowman, beat the crap out of each other, went back to Strowman, then back to each other. Rinse. Repeat. Samoa Joe showed himself to be the biggest individual threat to Strowman but watching everyone put their power against him was great. Strowman though rose to the occasion and threw Kevin Owens at least 30 feet off a ladder and then made quick work of the rest of his opponents.  He even bulldozed himself through a ladder like it was made out of paper. Miz ingeniously tried to sneak his way to the briefcase multiple times through the match while everyone else was distracted by Braun. Of course his opponents were too smart to be fooled by that and a new strategy was in order. In the meantime, Balor hit Bobby Roode with a vicious coup de gras from the top of a ladder, and Kofi made a super cool jump onto Strowman’s back. In the end it was the Miz vs. Braun with Kofi on his back duking it out for the belt. The Monster (of course) overpowered the Miz and Kofi and won the MITB briefcase! Maybe we will FINALLY see Strowman rip the Universal Title from Brock Lesnar!!! Like I said, anyone could’ve won this match and I would’ve been happy! That being said, I feel like this was a little short for a MITB match. It had a lot of highly entertaining spots but I wish it lasted a little longer since there were so many talented superstars in this match! Irregardless, it was a great match and a solid end of the night! Braun Strowman wins the Money In The Bank Briefcase 8.75/10. 

Final Thoughts

This year’s Money In The Bank was full of highs and lows. It started out REALLY rough, but once those duds got out of the way, the show finally picked up with the IC Title match and there weren’t as many rough patches after that. The MITB ladder matches, and at one point the briefcase, were the highlights of the night and that’s what matters most for this PPV! It definitely could’ve been better, but honestly there were some great story progressions tonight and that’s one of the things I want the most from a PPV! The next WWE coverage from me will be coming from Extreme Rules, which I’ll be attending!! Until then, let’s all hope the stories go in the right direction! Final Score: 7.5/10

NXT Takeover: Chicago Recap

I love NXT. The roster, the matches, and the storylines are everything that the main roster ought to be. Although NXT is technically the “developmental show” for WWE, I think it goes without saying that almost every weekend there’s an NXT Takeover and a main roster PPV, NXT Takeover is the better show. It’s Money In The Bank weekend, but Saturday night belongs to NXT! Here’s a recap of NXT Takeover Chicago II! Although I give a score for each individual match, it’s only my personal opinion, I’m definitely not a wrestling guru just a guy that loves wrestling!

The Undisputed Era (Champs) vs. Danny Burch and Oney Lorcan – NXT Tag Team Championships

When this feud first began I was disappointed that Pete Dunne didn’t seem to be playing a part in it. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch hadn’t really made a name for themselves yet in NXT, but holy Hell did they bring it tonight! I’m definitely an Oney Lorcan guy now! Both him and Burch put on an incredible fight against the Undisputed Era who were represented by Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong. Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch have a pretty sweet signature move and I love the fact that Danny Burch headbutts his opponents. That all being said, The Undisputed Era are one of the best tag teams in the world for a reason. As always they showed perfect synchronicity and having Adam Cole at ringside gave them an unfair advantage, but Lorcan and Burch put up a great fight. Lorcan took a nasty fall where he hit his back off ringside, and the moment he came back I was in disbelief. Though they were close to victory, the Undisputed Era came out on top. It was way more entertaining than I thought it’d be. Excellent opening fight! 9/10 The Undisputed Era wins via pinfall. 

Ricochet vs. Velveteen Dream

 

NXT Takeover: New Orleans gave us one of the greatest ladder matches in recent memory, and these two stars were a big part of that. They had many spots in that match that were absolutely incredible so these two feuding is a dream (puns) come true. The feud began with Velveteen telling Ricochet that anything he can do, the Dream can do better and that story played through the match. Velveteen Dream read Ricochet like a book and was his usual psychological self. Early in the match he began copying Ricochet and doing moves nobody had seen him do before (literally proving he can do anything Ricochet does), but whenever Ricochet starts flying he becomes unstoppable and an absolute blast to watch. Velveteen Dream hits Ricochet with the same Death Valley Bomb he used during the Takeover: New Orleans ladder match and even suplexes Ricochet off the top rope onto the floor which looked PAINFUL. Ricochet then got revenge and used the Death Valley Bomb on Velveteen dream and even mocked him with Velveteen’s signature pose. The ending was a series of 1-Ups from the two, Ricochet did a Shooting Star Press from halfway across the ring, Velveteen Dream attempted an elbow drop from the entire length of the ring, but then Ricochet ended the contest with an INSANE 630. Two amazing wrestlers proving why they’re some of the best in the world. It didn’t matter who won this one, we got the amazing show we were promised! 10/10. Ricochet wins via pinfall.

Shayna Baszler vs. Nikki Cross – NXT Women’s Championship

These two aren’t my favorites in the Women’s Division, but Shayna Baszler has grown on me as a champion. She’s definitely gotten better with time, and Nikki Cross does the “crazy” persona better than anyone I can think of. This match had a bit of humor with how Cross essentially wanted Baszler to beat the crap out of her. After the beginning though there wasn’t much to this match. None of the spots really stuck out, and the finisher where Baszler held Cross in the submission definitely dragged out longer than it should’ve. I didn’t have high expectations for this, and sadly I was right to think so. Definitely the low point of the night, but I’m still excited to see who will be the first genuine threat to Baszler. 6.5/10 Baszler wins via submission.

Aleister Black (Champ) vs. Lars Sullivan – NXT Championship

Takeover continued with NXT Champion Aleister Black defending his belt against Diet Braun Strowman aka Lars Sullivan! Both of these guys always put on a hell of a show so my hopes were high for this one. Black came in hot and began a fast paced assault on Sullivan bringing the monster down fast, but Sullivan easily retaliated to gain the upper hand. The first big spot came when Sullivan climbed the top rope and body slammed Black. Black quickly put up his knee in defense but Sullivan’s massive size just crushed it. That injury played a role the rest of the match, but unlike most “injury stories” in matches, this one looked believably painful. Also, it’s amazing how Black can go from 0 to 100 in just a second. He’s so fast, and Sullivan is surprisingly quick for his size as well. It dragged on a little in the middle but the ending was phenomenal. Black hit Sullivan in the face with his knee then followed up with a Black Mass. Sullivan though shook it off and looked Black in the eye saying “I’m not finished yet.” To which Black yelled out a battle cry and hit Sullivan with another Black Mass to finish the beast off for good. A good, not great match with a very cool ending! Can’t wait to see who challenges the champ next! 8.5/10 Black wins via pinfall.

Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa – Chicago Street Fight 

Gargano vs. Ciampa at Takeover: New Orleans was one for the history books and the feud continued tonight in Chicago where it all began! In the first NXT Takeover: Chicago, Ciampa ended their tag team DIY and betrayed his best friend Gargano starting a blood feud that would last for months due to Ciampa’s injury. That time though only added to the heat between these two and has led to an absolutely amazing feud. Gargano was out for blood this time around leading William Regal to make their match a Chicago Street Fight so they could go all out. The match almost immediately went to the “streets” though with Gargano throwing Ciampa into the announce table (which wrecked poor Nigel McGuinness) and then into the stands. Ciampa though returned the favor with a trip to Suplex City for Gargano and a brutal spot where Ciampa put a chair around Gargano’s neck and threw him into the steel steps. Things started getting kinky though when Ciampa tried to handcuff Gargano, but Gargano defended himself and started whipping his old friend with his belt. Jokes aside, this match made excellent use of weapons and the “everything is legal” stipulation. The two just tore into each other and you really felt these two HATED each other. Things began spiraling further out of control when Ciampa ripped the ring apart exposing the wood underneath (something I have never seen before). Gargano luckily escaped that, but he didn’t escape the trash can lid to the face soon after. Ciampa then dragged Gargano to the entrance ramp and essentially reenacted the moment at the last Takeover Chicago where Ciampa initially turned heel. To rub salt into the wound though, Ciampa took Gargano’s wedding ring, spat on it, then threw it into the crowd. That gave Gargano a second wind which ended up with him putting Ciampa through a table. Ciampa was then getting put on a stretcher and you could see the insanity on Gargano’s face. Gargano snapped and took Ciampa from the medical staff, beat down the WWE staff and unleashed hell on Ciampa. Just when you thought Gargano was going to win, Ciampa somehow with his hands cuffed slammed Gargano head first into the exposed wood of the ring. Ciampa then got the pinfall and won what was a hellacious second chapter to this insane feud. The crowd was shocked and absolutely silent. Nobody could believe the way it ended. I don’t know how they managed to top the first match between these two, but they did. We all know Gargano vs. Ciampa III is coming, and I have NO IDEA how they’re going to top this! 10/10 Ciampa wins via pinfall. 

Final Thoughts 

This PPV was another amazing show WWE should be proud of. With exception to the Women’s Championship, every match was incredible! I wasn’t sure if anything could top Velveteen Dream and Ricochet’s match but then Ciampa vs. Gargano happened. Both were absolute show stealers and to be able to see both in the same night just goes to show how strong the NXT roster is. Gargano vs. Ciampa III will be a must see (whenever that may be) and I’d love to see Ricochet get a title shot in the near future whether it be the North American or NXT Championship Title. Also, I hope Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch don’t get completely overshadowed in the future because they really proved their worth tonight. And for the Women’s Division? I’d love to see someone like Kairi Zayn get a shot against Baszler or even to see Dakota Kai get some sweet revenge. Either way, the future for NXT continues to look as bright as ever! Final Score: 9/10

WWE Backlash Recap

The end of Wrestlemania is basically the season finale for WWE’s storylines. Not including the Greatest Royal Rumble, Backlash is the first PPV of the new “season” of WWE! Now that my Infinity War marathon is over, I’m trying to write something once a week, and I’ve decided that I’m going to include a WWE section on my blog! Primarily I’ll be recapping PPVs from both the main roster and NXT! Nevertheless, here’s a recap and my personal opinion of each match on the Backlash card! Reminder, these are my opinions, I’m not some wrestling guru; just a guy that loves some wrasslin’!

Bayley vs. Ruby Riot 

This was a pretty generic match with the outcome you’d expect. Before the match Bayley asked Sasha to bury the hatchet and be ringside to give her some backup against the Riot Squad. Sasha turned down the offer, and as expected there were a bunch of moments where Baylet got hit by the other Riot Squad members while the ref wasn’t looking. Besides Ruby Riot’s move where she threw Bayley into the turnbuckle, there wasn’t much that stuck out. It was a kickoff show match though so you can’t expect much out of it. 6/10 Ruby Riot wins via pinfall. 

Seth Rollins (Champ) vs. The Miz – Intercontinental Championship Match

Similar to Wrestlemania, Backlash decided to start the night off with the Intercontinental Title match! No Finn Balor this time though, only Rollins and the Miz! These are two of the most popular superstars on the roster so putting them together is instant success. Miz continues to be the ultimate heel and had some great spots with Rollins. I’m not sure if it’s possible for Rollins to have a bad match he’s just so versatile with his moveset which makes all his matches so exciting. At one point he pulled a Shane McMahon and nearly jumped the entire length of the ring to frog splash Miz, it just shows how athletic he is. The most dramatic point came when Rollins hit his knee off the post and Miz put him in the figure four lock. Rollins though gets an evil look in his eye and turns the lock on the Miz. The two go back and forth on the lock until Rollins makes it to the rope. Going into the match it was obvious that Rollins would win. If Rollins lost, both the Intercontinental and US titles would be on Smackdown making RAW super boring, but this fight did a pretty great job of making you second guess what the outcome would be. 8.75/10 Rollins wins via Pinfall.

Nia Jax (Champ) vs. Alexa Bliss – RAW Women’s Championship Match

Speaking of ultimate heel, Alexa Bliss holds that title proudly for the Women’s Division. These two had a great match at Wrestlemania, and the two again had a pretty decent showing at Backlash. Nia Jax repeatedly tossed Bliss around like she was a piece of paper, but Bliss responded with some smart moves such as attacking Nia’s legs and knocking her off the top post when the opportunity presented itself. In the end though, Nia was never in any real danger of losing the title so the match as a whole wasn’t as exciting as one would hope. 7/10 Nia Jax wins via Pinfall. 

Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy (Champ) – United States Championship Match

Next to Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe, this is the match I was most excited for! A championship match where either of the two could win because they were on the show (yay proper booking)! These two put on a solid match. Hardy got to do some nice aerial moves while Orton countered with his slower style. There weren’t any RKOs though which is always a downer. Nevertheless, Jeff Hardy had a sweet finish to close out the match to retain the title. Considering a year ago Orton was fighting Jinder Mahal, I’d say this year was an improvement for Mr. Orton. 8/10 Jeff Hardy wins via Pinfall 

Filler in a Pay Per View is never a good sign, but this one might just get a pass since it included some of WWE’s best Superstars.

At this point of the show Elias came out with guitar in hand, called New Jersey a toilet and did what he does best: piss the crowd off. Seriously why hasn’t this guy gotten more wins/title opportunities. New Day interrupted him with instruments (and pancakes) of their own and played their own song. Elias was about to restart when Aiden English broke out into a rap announcing Rusev Day! Elias tried to restart AGAIN, but was interrupted by No Way Jose who had Titus Worldwide in his entourage of dancers along with the Fashion Police. After everyone stopped, Elias YET AGAIN tries to start only to get interrupted by the GLORIOUS Bobby Roode and then hit with a Glorious DDT. As far as fillers go, this one was at least funny. Rusev deserves better though.

Daniel Bryan vs. Big Cass

And now the fight everyone has been waiting for! Daniel Bryan vs. The Mi… wait. Big Cass? BIG CASS!? WWE has been building heat between Daniel Bryan and The Miz for months and months and now that Bryan can fight again we are gonna have him feud with BIG CASS!? The story behind this feud is pure silliness: both were medically cleared the same day and Big Cass was overshadowed by Daniel Bryan (shocker). That being said, just seeing Daniel Bryan in the ring again is a treat. Big Cass isn’t a bad wrestler by any means, he has some good moments in the fight, but the story is just something the WWE Universe doesn’t want. This match up really is kind of a lose lose situation. Daniel Bryan wins, then Big Cass looks weak just after his return to the ring. Big Cass wins then the WWE Universe hates Big Cass for beating Daniel Bryan. Overall it was just an OK match that nobody really cared about. 7.5/10 Daniel Bryan wins via Pinfall, but Big Cass attacks Bryan from behind. Unfortunately this probably isn’t the last we’ll see of this feud. 

Carmella (Champ) vs. Charlotte Flair – Smackdown Women’s Championship Match

Since winning Money In The Bank nearly a year ago, Carmella really hasn’t had any time to shine so seeing her steal the Women’s Title from Charlotte after Wrestlemania was a breath of fresh air. Going into this match I was almost positive it was going to end in a DQ via the Iconics attacking Charlotte, but I was gladly proven wrong! I hate that Carmella is being portrayed as one of those champions that avoids fights and literally screams in terror at the competition, but thankfully we only had to deal with a small portion of that. The rest of it was a genuine match between the two and I am shocked to say that Carmella had a clean win! 7.75/10 Carmella retains via Pinfall.

AJ Styles (Champ) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – WWE World Heavyweight Championship, No DQ Match

Why isn’t this the main event of the night? Seriously we have a pointless tag match happening after this! Also, why is Nakamura obsessed with hitting AJ Styles in the balls? Besides the constant nut crushing, I’ve been happy that Nakamura is a heel and I’m even happier to see these two feuding still. A No DQ stipulation usually leads to a pretty epic match and this was no different. There were some great moments like Styles taking the nastiest crash into the steps I think I’ve ever seen, Nakamura getting hit with a chair and said chair deflecting back to AJ’s face, and AJ FINALLY getting revenge and smashing Nakamura’s balls. Then the ending happened. AJ and Nakamura exchanged nut shots again and both were unable to get up after a 10 count so the match was declared a no contest. An awesome match with the absolute stupidest ending I’ve seen in a long time. The feud could’ve continued with a much better ending aka anything other than that. 7/10 No Contest. 

Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

What’s the story of this match? All these big names didn’t have a match so they decided to put this together. Braun deserves so much more than being in a glorified filler match. The match was exactly that until the ending where Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens began fighting and throwing each other into the ring meaning soon we’ll (hopefully) be getting a feud between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn soon. This was just a match filled with superstars that should be doing bigger and better things. 6.5/10 Bobby Lashley & Braun Strowman win via Pinfall.

Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe 

I’m sure the WWE Universe loved the beginning of this match. Before the bell even range Samoa Joe unleashed hell on Roman Reigns and beat the snot out of him throwing him into all three announce tables at ring side. After the bell rang it was more of the same, Joe smacked Reigns around and the crowd (and myself) loved it. However it wouldn’t be a Roman Reigns match without a miraculous comeback from him with his signature, spear, Superman punch, and “OOOOOOOH” yell. They’re all there, but what brought the match down was the overuse of Joe putting Roman in dragged out submissions. It’s OK to have them, but these were dragged out for way too long where it seemed like nothing was happening. I get it’s part of their “story building” but the story shouldn’t bring down the actual match. The ending had some great back and forths but unfortunately the wrong person won. 6.75/10 Roman Reigns wins via Pinfall

Final Thoughts

I didn’t expect much from this PPV, and sadly my fears were right. It was overall a pretty mediocre PPV. The only great match from start to finish was Rollins vs. The Miz. The US Title match was good, but the other matches were all just average at best. Daniel Bryan should be in a better feud, or at least be making Big Cass look good. Instead we got the exact opposite. Styles vs. Nakamura ended up being a complete waste, and the final match had some spots that dragged on forever. I’ve only been watching WWE for four years, but I don’t think I’ve ever watched a Backlash PPV where I thought “Wow that was really good!” Maybe someday that’ll change, but not today. 7.25/10