WWE The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 Results and Review

Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 Results and Review - SRC wwe 

The opening of the show was definitely interesting, with a kick off panel of all men, and then we got into the crowd filing in, and I was absolutely stunned. This is a huge stadium, and there’s a ton of people in the crowd, and it truly was epic to see Saudi Arabia’s support for the WWE. WE started with the national anthems of both Saudi Arabia and The United States before the event took place. No singers, just the sound, and that was it. We went live at noon, and well, I don’t usually do this, but this review is being written as I watch the show! That’s right, going back to the old school.

WWE The Greatest Royal Rumble 2018 Results and Review

The crowd was electric to start, and the WWE spent a lot of money on pyro. This felt far more like Wrestlemania than anything else. The crowd was going nuts, and I loved it, this was a great crowd, and truly something interesting to see.

John Cena defeated Triple H

I wasn’t sure who was going to go over on this one, but it was interesting to see the two work a different style. They started a little slower than usual, and the crowd was all over this one. After some methodically placed fighting, Triple H couldn’t get Cena down for the 3 count, and eventually lost to three Attitude Adjustments across several points in the match. This was a fun little match, with Cena winning and that’s it. The crowd was all Cena at times, and Triple H had fans too, it was fun. The crowd was all in with this, and I was too. Fun match, and it was definitely a good opener.

Cedric Alexander defeated Kalisto in the WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match

This was a great back and forth match with Kalisto throwing out everything he had. The two went back and forth with relative ease, and there was a lot of attention to the speed and frequency of the match. Alexander was able to retain, but not without a heavy duty fight with Kalisto hitting some of his greatest hits, including a variation of the Spanish Fly that I haven’t seen in WWE, with a spring board effect. That was quite good. The Lumbar Check was hit, and Kalisto would lose to the champ, and that was it. This had a good flow to it, but they weren’t as over as the previous guys, obviously. A good match none the less.

Bray Wyatt and Matt Hardy defeated The Bar in the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Match

Wow, well, that was something else. The guys were working in half-speed if you ask me. The Bar was able to throw in a lot of attacks, but Wyatt and Hardy were quick to counter the fight left and right, and it was interesting to see them work together. Hardy and Wyatt worked very well here, while The Bar was missing their offense and getting things reversed at times. It’s interesting to see how many of the moves were reversed or missed, and of course that led to Wyatt and Hardy getting the big win, and that’s that. Not my favorite match, but not a terrible one either. It was a good television match at best.

Jeff Hardy defeated Jinder Mahal in the United States Championship Match

This was an interesting match with a lot of upside to it. Hardy was able to get the upper hand after Jinder Mahal was throwing lefts and rights, and even a distraction from one of the Singh brothers. While this was a decent match, it wasn’t great, and the fans were way into Hardy over Mahal. While I didn’t think it was stellar, there was enough here to make it worth checking out. Hardy is always fun to watch, and Jinder has finally been hindered. Hardy wins, Mahal goes down, it’s that simple.

The Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Usos in the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match

Well, I didn’t expect the ending that we got here. The Usos didn’t go down without a big fight, though, although the match wasn’t that long. The Usos were just not powerful enough to get the win here, and the bigger men took everything that the Usos had and still couldn’t get the job done. The Bludgeon Brothers took them down with high power, and constant moves forward, which was a nice touch. The big guys win, the Usos go down, and that’s that. An ok match, but nothing too stellar, and now it’s time for a bathroom break if you ask me.

Seth Rollins defeated Samoa Joe, Finn Balor, and The Miz

Well, well, this was a hard hitting match with a lot of bruises being left on the guys. Finn was busted wide open, Rollins had his ribs nearly smashed in, Joe had his head smacked hard on the ladders, the Miz took some major shots on the back and face, and it was a hard hitting affair. This was back and forth, with lots of great overall flurries, and in the end, it was Seth Rollins that got the big win with cat like reflexes, and that was fun. Rollins got a huge reaction too, and it was fun to see him win this one.

The WWE introduced 4 new athletes from Saudi Arabia, and they were getting cheered. But out came the Daivari Brothers to immense heat!

The recruits bonded together and beat up the Daivari brothers to a lot of cheers and great reaction. This was a cool little segment, and the Saudi Arabian new recruits got a lot of praise from the crowd, and it was fun to see.

Aj Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura ended in a double countout in the WWE Championship Match

I don’t know what is wrong with these two, but they lack the chemistry that they did in NJPW. This match wasn’t that great, and I was actually kind of bored through the match. I didn’t really have a lot of reason to like this, as the two seemed to be working at half speed at times, and the logic was thrown out the window at times. It was slow, and methodical, but without any real passion for me. I ended up nearly falling to sleep, but out of the blue a low blow, and some fighting outside caused a double count out and the match was over. I guess that’s a good thing. Overall, not a terrible match, but definitely far from great, and a double countout? Ok, I’ll take it.

The Undertaker defeated Rusev with Aiden English in a Casket Match

Well, well, The Undertaker got a huge ovation, but he was looking old, and tired. The Undertaker allowed for a little more of a match than Wrestlemania, but it was obvious that he isn’t the same guy, as the past. He was able to take on Rusev and drop Aiden English and Rusev into the casket and that was that. A slow moving match with the ending that featured the end of English and Rusev. This was not a fun match, it was slow, but it featured a good performance overall from Taker, given his limitations, and well, it made the crowd feel happy, and that’s ok with me. I hope he retires.

Brock Lesnar defeated Roman Reigns in a steel cage match for the WWE Universal Championship

The match was overall the same as you’d expect with other matches that these guys have had. I didn’t expect the final moments, and that was shocking overall. Over the course of the match, there were a lot of F5’s a lot of Spears and Superman punches and it was insane, Roman took a serious beating. But here’s the thing, the match ended when Roman speared Lesnar through the cage and onto the floor! It was a stellar bump, no doubt, and Lesnar got hit hard, and it looked like it hurt overall, including Lesnar looking like he got the wind knocked out of him or at least knocked out, with Roman looking like he pulled his shoulder too, and that was that. Lesnar hit the ground first, which meant that Lesnar is still the champion. I don’t like the finish, I don’t like Lesnar, but wow, that was a brutal finish.

Braun Strowman Won The Greatest Battle Royal

What was one of the longest Royal Rumble Matches, we got to see a huge event pull through 50 guys, and some missing of course. There was fire works, there were 50 super stars and so much more. This was an interesting match for sure, and lots of stories could have been told, but the biggest ones were with Daniel Bryan, Braun Strowman, Elias, and others. Daniel Bryan was nearly at the end, he was in the final 3, and it was all over when Braun Strowman took out Big Cass, right after Cass eliminated Daniel Bryan. Bryan’s chest was blistered and just awful, which was interesting overall. Shane got through threw a table, and well, the whole night was fun, but of course Braun Strowman would win big here.

At the end of the day, I had a good time with this, but probably because I was working at the same time. It was a fun romp, but nothing that I would want to do annually. Some may think it was a glorified house show. I thought it was fun, and well worth the hype. I would give it a B rating, just because it was fun, and that’s it. There were some dry spots, no doubt, but overall, this is a lot of action and a lot of WWE overall. I didn’t hate it, I want to express that clearly. It wasn’t as good as Mania, but hey, it was a fun romp none the less.

WWE NXT April 25, 2018 Results and Review The Best of The Best

Ciampa Stands Tall - SRC WWE 

I don’t usually cover NXT but since I’ve been on a new tear for this blog, I decided to give it a shot, and well, I am delighted about what has gone down last night with the throwdown of NXT. Let’s discuss the quick show that had a lot of action, and was well paced overall.

WWE NXT April 25, 2018 Results and Review The Best of The Best

The Undisputed Era came out and cut a promo about how cool they are and that they are going to run rough shot over NXT for good. This was a good little segment, but I never liked a lot of talking with my wrestling, but that’s the norm these days, I guess.

Adam Cole defeated Oney Lorcan in the NXT North American Championship Match

This was a stellar affair, although quick. Lorcan really connects fast and hard with the moves he has, and is a slippery fellow. Adam Cole didn’t have much of an answer to him for a few spots, and he was selling a rib injury, but with the help of his cronies, he was able to pick up the big win. If it wasn’t for them attacking Lorcan while the ref was turned, this would’ve turned out a lot differently.

Heavy Machinery defeated Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli

This was an interesting little match, as it featured Heavy Machinery throwing their weight around, no joke. They eventually would get the win as Riddick Moss and Tino Sabbatelli are going their separate ways, as one refused to tag in, and left the other for dead.

Johnny Gargano was stretchered out of Full Sail after Tommaso Ciampa attacked

Ciampa attacked Gargano with a serious frenetic pace that was nothing short of insane. It was a killer beat down that goes down deep into the ages of the world of wrestling. It was a nice intense fight and at the end of the day Ciampa got the last laugh by throwing Gargano down a table with a finisher that looked just as brutal as ever.

Aleister Black defeated Eric Young

Since the title match didn’t happen, Eric Young and Sanity came down the ramp and challenged Black and he accepted. This was a good overall television match with lots of back and forth action, and some stellar offense and defense from both men. Black was able to control some of the match, but not all of it, with a great deal of maneuvering overall. Young was able to fly through the air, and got a little help from Sanity, but it wasn’t enough because Black Mass hit and Young was thrown down as he is now going to Smackdown with his crew.

Overall, the night of wrestling felt crisp, and within only 1 hour, I was fully vested into the happenings that are going on with WWE NXT, that’s for certain.

205 Live April 24, 2018 Results and Review The One Match Show

Gulak Beat The Hell Out of 205 - SRC WWE

205 Live this week was just one match. That’s right, just one match overall. It was a gauntlet match for the number one contender spot for the Greatest Royal Rumble event this Friday.

205 Live April 24, 2018 Results and Review

Kalitso won the Gauntlet Match

The match featured Mustafa Ali starting out and getting a quick win over TJP, but after that, he was spent, and out came Drew Gulak and he put the boots to Ali. Ali would eventually pass out in the Gulak lock or the GULOCK, and that was a good match. Tony Nese came out and really worked over Gulak, and I thought he had his number, but nope, he tapped out after some back and forth action. After that, we saw Kalisto show up and get rocked for a good portion of the match, until he was able to throw down after a Salida Del Sol and that was that!

Kalisto will face Cedric Alexander at the Greatest Royal Rumble.

A one match show? Ok. Not a bad show, but again, lots of missing talent. Furthermore, why didn’t Nese come back to cost Gulak the match? I’m just saying, he was very upset with his loss, and that could’ve put the show a little further down the road instead of just having one match, and that’s it. Oh well.

WWE Smackdown Live April 24, 2018 Results and Review Heel Foreigner Reigns

Knee To Face Deux - SRC WWE 

I didn’t realize that WWE Smackdown was live in Louisville! That’s near where I live, and had I known, I would have gone down there. Sadly, I was not there, I was at home watching this overall. Anyways, here we go, smackdown Live was going on, but guess what? There’s not many of my favorites, including your favorites, such as Tye Dillinger. Anyway, here we go, Smackdown Live where the foreign heels get big time shots at the gold.

WWE Smackdown Live April 24, 2018 Results and Review

Miz TV started the show, and I figured Daniel Bryan was going to come down, but instead it was Big Cass. He cut a promo and sized up Miz, then sized up Daniel Bryan, and we go forward with the show. Not a great opening, and what happens in the back is interesting, as Bryan is laid out and holding his shoulder. Already injured? Lame.

The Iiconics defeated Asuka and Becky Lynch

I know that it’s not “woke” to talk about the body’s of women performers, but The Iiconics have breast implants and it’s painfully obvious that they have been enhanced. I think they are beautiful regardless. Either way, you’ll find that the match was serviceable, and had a good back and forth feel. It was fast paced, had some nice pushes, and you’ll find that Asuka is not the unbeatable woman any longer, as she once again loses on television. The Iiconics work very well together, and outsmarted the duo of Lynch and Asuka, which I appreciated overall.

Jimmy Uso defeated Rowan

This was a short, fast match. The Uso’s were able to use Naomi to help distract, and a superkick to the side of the head claimed a serious blow to the Bludgeon Brothers and we ended up seeing Rowan drop a match to Jimmy Uso. Not a bad match, not a great one either.

Carmella and Charlotte Flair Signed a Contract for WWE Backlash

This was boring. I was bored with it.

Shelton Benjamin defeated Randy Orton

This was a fast paced, good overall match, and it was great to see Orton go beyond just “work mode” and do well with Shelton. Shelton is a pure athlete and can go very well with just about any worker if you ask me. In this match the two were able to put together a fast paced, good match, even though one of the Singh brothers interfered with a mask on! Classic! Jeff Hardy was watching on the sidelines. Good match for what it was worth.

Shinsuke Nakamura, Rusev, and Aiden English defeated Aj Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows

This was a good match with a lot of back and forth between the players. I didn’t dislike anything here, although it was a little short. Aiden English and Rusev felt like jobbers, and Nakamura was the star here. Anderson, Gallows, and Styles worked well together, but eventually succumb to the chaos of the ring and would get a loss due to Nakamura.

After the match, Nakamura got jumped, but recovered, and was going to take out Styles but Ken Anderson got in the way, and he got killed with two knees to the head. That was the end of the show, and we got the finish for Smackdown.

Overall, a good show, but there was a lot missing. There was so much missing that I wonder why this show isn’t 3 hours. I’m serious, there’s a lot of missing talent for this show, and the matches were cut short etc.

Impact Wrestling Redemption 2018 Results and Review

Impact Redemption 2018 Poster 

As a wrestling fan, you know I watch a lot more wrestling than the average person. That’s the case for this week again, as I was able to catch the Impact Wrestling Redemption show. Well, here are my thoughts on the PPV that featured talent from Impact Wrestling, and Lucha Underground, oh and AAA as well. If you missed it, you may want to check it out. This show happened in Orlando Florida on April 22, 2018.

Impact Wrestling Redemption 2018 Results and Review

Aerostar defeated Drago

This was a singles match that was on half speed. The two are obviously good, but it seemed like they were miscommunicating in the ring, and it was a bit slow. Aerostar would win, but it was obvious that the two weren’t working their best match. It was a decent lucha opener with the normal spots you’d expect.

Eli Drake and Scott Steiner defeated LAX for the Impact World Tag Team Championship Titles

This was a fun match that featured a lot of Drake flying around the ring with Lax. Lax is good here, and I miss the older version of the group, but this one was good overall. When Steiner got tagged in he threw in a lot of suplexes, but got blown up fast. He was breathing heavy, but he managed to climb up to the top rope and hit a top rope Frankensteiner that blew me away, and eventually would get the big win with the help of Eli Drake. The two are now world tag team champions! A good overall match, but Steiner is looking lighter, and out of shape, or rather ring shape. Still good though, better than me on a lot of levels, so maybe I should give the guy a break.

Taya Valkyrie defeated Kiera Hogan

Kiera Hogan looks like Ember Moon, and I was stunned by her look and the Hogan name. Taya Valkyrie is hot, and I love her. I’d love to interview her. Valkyrie won, and took the boots to Hogan, really worked well and the two put on a decent back and forth match. It’s hard not to like Taya Valkyrie, she’s a good wrestler, and just appeals to me as a very attractive woman.

Matt Sydal defeated Petey Williams in the X Division Championship Match

This was an interesting back and forth match for the cruiserweight guys, and it was not too unlike what you’d expect from 205 Live. Sydal is Evan Bourne, mind you. Petey was able to throw down a lot of different offense including a Canadian Destroyer, but Bourne had the last laugh with a win here. They did well here, but it wasn’t their best work. A funny note before the match, Petey Williams was throwing down some Steiner math, when Steiner showed up and said that it’s Canadian math and it’s different. I marked out huge.

OVE defeated Eddie Edwards, Moose, and Tommy Dreamer in a House of Hardcore Match

This was your standard hardcore match with a lot of back and forth, hard hits, tables, chairs, and trash cans. OVE would win this round, but after the match Eddie Edwards snapped and tied Sami Callihan to the ropes and beat the crap out of him with a kendo stick. Callihan bladed on camera after a while, which was a dumb production move, as they didn’t cut away from it. Edwards eventually hit a woman with the kendo stick and that was the end of this. This was a cluster of a match, with lots of back and forth and some decent moves including Moose throwing himself across various plateaus and even a table with a cutter mid-way, lots of a fun.

Allie defeated Su Yung in the Impact Knockouts Championship Match

Wow, Su Yung’s character is amazing. I love her. I love the look, and love the style. She should be Sister Abigail, I’m calling it now. Allie is the cookie cuter American blonde champion, and she’s good. She reminds me a little of Madusa. After some decent back and forth, Allie would get the win, but barely escaping from Su Yung’s offense. I love her, did I mention that? Great back and forth and style from Su Yung and Allie did well too, throwing in some clever action for a decent victory.

Pentagon Jr. defeated Austin Aries, and Fenix for the Impact World Championship

This was not a great match, mind you. It was a lot like the match that they had in New Orleans during Mania weekend, but it was a good one to watch none the less. I did like Pentagon Jr and Fenix throwing down some great action against Aries, and was impressed with Aries as usual. Pentagon, however, wow, he’s ready for the top spot in nearly any company and WWE is stupid for not pushing him and the Demon, as the two would be killers together. Obviously, he’s not in that fed, but this was fun to watch, and the win cements him as a big time player, it was great to see overall. I loved it.

Overall, Impact Wrestling’s Redemption PPV was a good watch. I had fun, I didn’t hate any of it, and I’m curious to see how they follow this up. I won’t be watching Impact on a weekly basis, or maybe I will, I don’t know, but this was a great night of wrestling for them. I want to see how they can continue this momentum.

WWE Monday Night Raw April 23, 2018 Results and Review The A Show Drags On

Riott Squad Flying - SRC WWE 

If you were to claim that the status quo was going to return to the WWE after WrestleMania, you were right on. This night of Raw was par for the course in many ways. I didn’t think it was terrible, but it definitely wasn’t that grand. I was laughing at some points, and overall, there are some good things to talk about, but was it a great night of Raw? Nope!

WWE Monday Night Raw April 23, 2018 Results and Review

The show opened with a 10 Bell Salute for the latest fallen WWE legend, Bruno S. Legend in every way you can define it.

Roman Reigns confronted Brock Lesnar after Lesnar was jumping around the ring and having Heyman talk to him. This was boring, and I’m so sick of Lesnar in WWE. I don’t like Reigns, but I hate Lesnar at this point.

Elias defeated Bobby Roode

Onto the first match of the night, a competitive bout with Elias getting the better of the Glorious One. Smart move by Elias getting Roode’s shoulders caught up in the ropes, then yanking for a quick roll up and a pinfall victory. As far as in ring psychology is concerned, this was a good match, but it was short and just kind of ended etc. Elias is great, I love him, and Roode is a great technician, so this may be the start of a longer program.

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeated The Ascension

Guess what? Paige Here! I kid. Wyatt and Hardy buried the Ascension. It was what you’d expect.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre defeated Titus Worldwide

Well, Apollo Crews has his last name back. Other than that, this was a terrible match with a focused ending that was great. Ziggler and Mcintyre’s finisher is awesome, but other than that, they are burying another tag team, as this wasn’t competitive at all.

Chad Gable defeated Jinder Mahal

WWE Raw is now officially Hindering Jinder! Gable put on a fight after getting blindsided by Jinder, but eventually succumb to the onslaught that the bigger man was throwing down. Gable would throw in some good offense here and there, and would eventually outsmart the big man whom’ tried to get his finisher on him. The classic back bump into a cobra clutch pinfall was great here, and it made Chad Gable smarter than Jinder Mahal on this night, which I loved.

Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

Oh, before this match was even a thing, they had the Kevin and Sami Show or something. It was ok at best, but it was just the two rambling on about random topics. Kurt Angle put them in a match and this was it. Lashley started things out and it wasn’t too bad, Zayn getting beat down for most of the match, but then Strowman tagged in. Strowman is a one man wrecking crew and was able to really knock down the duo, and eventually would get the pinfall. Strowman and Lashley could very well run rough shot through the tag division, and I don’t mind it.

Baron Corbin attacked No Way Jose

No Way Jose was supposed to battle Baron Corbin, but instead, he get a beat down at the top of the ramp. Is this the way that they are going to bury No Way Jose? So soon?!

Seth Rollins and Finn Balor defeated The Miztourage

Well, the Miztourage again gets buried. Earlier in the show they tried to join Seth Rollins and then they tried to form their own Balor Club, but it didn’t work. The two ended up getting beat down, and that’s the end. Jobbers today, and jobbers tomorrow. A filler match with no real repercussions.

Alexa Bliss, Mickie James, and The Riott Squad defeated Nia Jax, Sasha Banks, Bayley, Natalya, and Ember Moon via Disqualification

I loved this main event match, and it featured 10 women that really know how to work today. The action was crisp, there was some back and forth, and aside from Natalya looking like she had a legit knee injury, I was all in for this one. Nia Jax squashing 5 women off the apron was fun, and watching the women work is always fun. The match would be thrown out when Ronda Rousey came down to help Natalya, as she was getting a beat down from Mickie James, and apparently was injured.

Overall the night of Raw was good, it just felt very long. The Moment of Bliss PSA was funny, and the backstage antics of The Miztourage was great too. I had a lot of fun with the show, although there seemed to be a lack of decent story line progression with the matches, but I guess that’s the case with Raw sometimes.

Combat Zone Wrestling Best of The Best 17 Results and Review

As promised, here we go, another event. This time around I’m looking at the recent Best of the Best Tournament from Combat Zone Wrestling. This occurred on April 14, 2018 and it was streamed on IPPV and other formats I’m sure. If you didn’t catch it and are interested in my opinions, here we go.

Combat Zone Wrestling Best of The Best 17 Results and Review

Matt Riddle defeated Curt Scallion and Wheeler Yuta

The first match was a triple threat match in which the King of Bros, Matt Riddle was able to take out two guys that weren’t measuring up. Curt Scallion and Wheeler Yuta were good, don’t get me wrong, and they put on a good match, but Riddle had their number and it was curtains for these guys when he finally got warmed up. A good opener for sure.

David Starr and Tessa Blanchard defeated Peter Avalon

Another triple threat match, and this time I was completely impressed by Tessa Blanchard’s performance. David Starr is growing on me, this is the third or fourth event that I’ve seen him wrestle on and was impressed with his timing. Blanchard should be in WWE, here timing is great too, and poor Peter Avalon lost this one, even though he gave it his best shot. Starr and Blanchard made him tap out, and the two would advance in the tournament.

Joe Gacy defeated Rich Swann, Brandon Kirk, and Joey Janela

There just is a lot of triple threat matches in this event, and why not? This match featured Joey Janela, the bad boy, Joe Gacy, Brandon Kirk and Rich Swann! That’s right, Rich Swann showed up and was dancing around, and I’m glad to see him back in wrestling. He was dancing and doing his normal thing, even in the ring. Janela, Gacy, and Kirk worked well together and Swann was stealing the show at times. I liked this back and forth match with lots of action, as you’d expect from the smaller guys in pro wrestling overall. I loved it. Gacy would get the win, and that was that, he’d move onto the later rounds of this tournament.

Zachary Wentz defeated Myron Reed and Trey Miguel

I didn’t really know much about Wentz here, but he was able to garner a victory against Reed and Miguel. Another good triple threat match, with not a lot to write about, just back and forth wrestling, some great stiff shots, and some nice top rope moves before Wentz got the win.

Zachary Wentz defeated Joe Gacy

Wentz moved forward with the tournament and wrestled Joe Gacy. This wasn’t too bad, and Wentz really showed up to perform, while Gacy was surprised by the onslaught that was garnered. Wentz through down some great options, and Gacy was mad when he lost, but Wentz just had a little more in the tank than Gacy did this time.

David Starr defeated Matt Riddle and Tessa Blanchard

One hell of a match here, and Riddle should’ve won if you asked me. Blanchard and Riddle teamed up at one point and were killing Starr. Starr was able to maneuver well enough, and eventually tied up Riddle into a pinning combination where his arms were locked and his back was down, so he got the pinfall. Blanchard again impressed me, Riddle is seriously good, and Starr is definitely deserving of the win here.

The REP defeated Storm of Entrails in a CZW Rules Match to retain the CZW Tag Team Championships

Not much to say here, just a normal hardcore match is what this turned into. A lot of blood, a lot of chair shots, and stiff hits to the dome. The Rep is an interesting tag team, while the other guys look like War Machine, and well, they did ok. This was a filler match, and while I appreciated the effort, it felt out of place during this pure wrestling tournament.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman defeated Rickey Shane Page to become the NEW CZW World Champion

I’ve never seen either one of these guys, but they put on a good enough match to make things move forward. It was slow starting, but over time, Friedman grew on me, and eventually would get the big win. It took a great deal of time to build this, but in the end, Friedman got the pinfall and that was that. Not a great match, but definitely a good overall championship match.

David Starr defeated Zachary Wentz to become Best of the Best 17 Champion

This was a great overall match and a fitting end to the tournament. Starr really put on a show and Wentz answered most of his offense, with great back and forth. Starr would eventually get the pinfall with one hell of a piledriver combination, and that was that. This was great, back and forth, high flying, submissions, strong style, and lots of great moments, although a bit much on the no-selling certain spots, but oh well, Starr won and really made the show great.

Overall, CZW Best of the Best 17 was a good night of wrestling, and while the crowd wasn’t huge, the matches were good, and everyone did a good job with putting together an entertaining showdown. I recommend checking this out if you can, and seeing what else CZW throws together.

WWE 205 Live April 17, 2018 Results and Review The Weight Problem

Stereo Dives - Source WWE 

205 Live is a bastard child of the WWE at this point, and while this show was good, it doesn’t get nearly the same promotional consideration that the other shows get. That’s sad, considering the talent that comes through this brand.

WWE 205 Live April 17, 2018 Results and Review

Mustafa Ali defeated Ariya Daivari

I thought for sure Ariya Daivari had Mustafa Ali’s number here, but nope, Ali wins again. The match was stellar, but I can’t stand how they book Ali sometimes. He should be selling from Wrestlemania’s loss, and should be slightly distracted, and shouldn’t kick out of Daivari’s finisher. But then again, Daivari must be learning or something because Ali got the win, even if it was logical. The 054 splash hit and Ali gets another hard fought victory. I miss the ZO Train.

Buddy Murphy Doesn’t Make Weight

Buddy Murphy was 2 pounds over, who gives a crap!?! So now we get a gauntlet match for next week’s show. Ok.

Jack Gallagher and The Brian Kendrick defeated Jobbers

There wasn’t much to this, it was just jobbers getting beat up.

Lince Dorado and Gran Metalik defeated Akira Tozawa and Hideo Itami in a Tornado Tag Team Match

I haven’t seen one of these in a while and it didn’t disappoint. The match was back and forth, with lots of action, lots of high flying, and counters. The lucha guys were able to get a win with some killer moves from the top to end it all, but it was a fast paced, flurried match with a lot to offer critics. I found it fund, and was loving every minute. A great way to end 205 Live that’s for sure.

WWE Smackdown April 17, 2018 Results and Review The B Show Gets Jacked

Joe Buries Sin Cara - SRC WWE  

Well, here we go, another day has passed, and before I begin talking about anything I want to say that it’s unfortunate to hear about the death of Bruno Sammartino. He has passed, and it’s a sad day for sure. If you’re a fan of wrestling, then you know that this is a big deal. RIP Bruno! RIP! We’ll see you in heaven brother.

WWE Smackdown April 17, 2018 Results and Review

A lot went down in an hour and a few minutes of Smackdown. People keep saying that it’s 2 hours, but it’s not. When you cut commercials out, you get about 1 hour and 20 minutes of programming, and sometimes less. Whatever the case may be, there was a lot shoved into this night of wrestling.

Aj Styles defeated Rusev via disqualification

The starting of the show had Aj Styles doing a promo but was interrupted by Rusev and Aiden English. That prompted a match between the Bulgarian Lion and Styles, but it ended when English jumped in and started to beat down Styles. That prompted a save from Daniel Bryan, and that would setup the final match later in the evening.

Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin

Benjamin cut one hell of a heel program and then asked anyone to come down. Randy Orton showed up first, but was thwarted by Jeff Hardy. Jeff Hardy is now officially on Smackdown Live, and he ran down with the belt to challenge Benjamin with the title on the line. This was a compelling back and forth match, and it really showed the talents of both men. I loved it, and it could very well be one of the best matches of the week. Hardy would win with his final moves, but wow, Benjamin had some answers for the offense.

Harper defeated Jey Uso

The Usos were buried here, there’s no two ways about it.

Carmella Threw a Mellabration

Carmella’s little party was ok to say the least.

Samoa Joe defeated Sin Cara

Sin Cara got buried by Samoa Joe, and Joe threw down one hell of a promo.

Charlotte Flair defeated Billie Kay

Flair beat down Billie Kay and won with the figure 8, but after the match, out came Peyton Royce to beat down Flair. She was saved by Asuka, whom is now on the Smackdown Live brand. Not a great match at all.

Aj Styles and Daniel Bryan vs. Rusev and Aiden English ended in a no contest when Shinsuke Nakamura and Big Cass interfered

This wasn’t too bad. It was a good back and forth tag with Styles getting most of the action with Rusev and English, until he got the hot tag, and Bryan ran in. Bryan was doing well until Shinsuke Nakamura showed up and low blowed Styles, and then Big Cass interfered and stomped out Bryan. That was how Smackdown ended.

Shinsuke Nakamura was asked why, and he delivered a great line, “no speak English”, and I loved it.

This night seemed packed with stuff, and though it wasn’t a long night of wrestling, it worked well enough for the time frame, and there’s a lot of new faces to expect coming through.

WWE Monday Night Raw April 16, 2018 Results and Review The Shake Up Night One

Ronda Rousey Take Down 2018 - src wwe dot com

Let’s shake things up! That’s what we were going to get with Monday Night Raw, and it was interesting to see how things shaped up. It’s better than the last one, but let’s see how it all works out.

WWE Monday Night Raw April 16, 2018 Results and Review

Jeff Hardy defeated Jinder Mahal for the US Championship

Jeff Hardy is so good, and still so clean when he is in the ring. He was able to throw down some good offense against Jinder and Mahal wasn’t bad. Jinder Mahal and Jeff Hardy threw down a great deal of back and forth and I enjoyed it tremendously. I was rooting for Jeff towards the end, and was surprised to see that he was able to pull the title away from Jinder Mahal. Apparently, Jeff Hardy is now Hindering Jinder! Great opening match.

Bayley vs. Sasha Banks

The two women were throwing hay makers at each other and it was getting ugly until the Riott Squad broke into the ring and started to beat down the two women. They just kept fighting them, and beat them down with relative ease. It was an interesting jump, and one that didn’t have music played first.

The Authors of Pain defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno

Well, the Authors of Pain once again bury the duo of Slater and Rhyno and that’s the end of them. Sorry about that.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn showed up for Miz TV

Miz Tv was special in that they announced Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, but then again, Miz ended up being told that he would be moved to Smackdown and that Daniel Bryan is waiting.

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeated The Revival

Why even have NXT tag teams come up? The Revival once again lose, and the team of Hardy and Wyatt is just stupid to me. The match was ok at best, and you knew that The Revival was going down, which they did.

Ember Moon defeated Mickie James

One hell of a match here, and it wasn’t long. However, the finish saw Ember Moon hitting her finisher and nearly wrecking Mickie James. This match is worth mentioning as the best match of the week, just for that insane finish. I loved it.

Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre showed up and beat down Titus Worldwide

I have nothing to say about this.

Samoa Joe confronted Roman Reigns

Samoa Joe babbles on and Roman Reigns all has to say one thing, but he doesn’t. He just needs to say that Samoa Joe couldn’t beat Lesnar either.

Natalya defeated Many Rose

This was a fast paced match, but it ended fast with a little help from Rose’s friends. Natalya would get a beat down after the fact, but out came Ronda Rousey and fought Sonya Deville and it was fascinating to see her beat down Sonya fast. I loved it.

Breezango defeated Cesaro and Sheamus

A short match, and nothing too crazy here, just an average match where Breezango steals a win. It was a fun little romp, and their backstage antics was fun to watch too.

Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins, Finn Bálor, Braun Strowman, Bobby Lashley and Bobby Roode defeated The Miz, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and The Miztourage

This was a fast paced 10 man tag and nothing crazy. Just a lot of finishers, and back and forth. I loved it and it’s funny to see how they all interact. The best part here involved The Miz. The Miz got isolated and The Miztourage refused to tag in, and then Braun Strowman beat him down and pinned him for the win. The Miz gets sent out beaten, and without his crew.

An overall good night of wrestling, with a stacked Raw show. I liked it, even though it felt a little long. I hope Smackdown is just as good, otherwise this time around Raw will win the big showdown. I loved it. I’m sure others did too.

ROH Masters of The Craft April 15, 2018 Results and Review

ROH Masters of the Craft 2018 Results and Review 

I don’t follow Ring of Honor week to week, but I have been reviewing the major shows, and that’s what I’m doing here. I was able to check out ROH Masters of the Craft PPV that was held in Columbus, Ohio, just a stones throw away from where I live. I didn’t go, because I had a final to write, but I did want to make sure that you was able to review this, and well, here we go.

ROH Masters of The Craft April 15, 2018 Results and Review

Silas Young defeated Cheeseburger to retain the ROH TV Title

This opener was hot, and Cheesburger wasn’t getting buried. Silas Young was great here, and dia good job with letting his guard down here and there, taking the smaller man a bit less than serious, and eventually got the win. However, it was a lot of back and forth and some good moments.

Post match, Cheesburger got a beat down from Bully Ray, and then someone saved him, but I forgot.

Sumie Sakai, Tenille Dashwood, and Deonna Purrazzo defeated Brandi Rhodes, Madison Rayne, and Jenny Rose

The Women’s division in ROH is interesting. The champion is not a looker, but boy is she amazing in the ring. I love that they aren’t focusing on just “pretty women” for wrestling, and that’s not to say that Sumie Sakai isn’t pretty. I’m just saying that they are not focusing on just “looks” like WWE does for a lot of what they do. If you see this match, you’ll know what I mean, especially how Sakai’s move set complements the rest of the talent. This was a good match, short, but it was fun to watch.

The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Flip Gordon defeated Christopher Daniels, Frankie Kazarian, Scorpio Sky, and Shane Taylor

A fun 20 minute match with lots of back and forth, and a unique move that looked like the Human Centipede. It’s a fun little match, with lots of back and forth, and wow, good stuff. The Bucks aka Bullet Club was able to get the big win here and that was fun to see.

ROH Tag Team Champions Jay Briscoe and Mark Briscoe defeated Matt Fitchett and Davey Vega

The Briscoes were able to knock out the new guys with relative ease. It was a fun match, but you knew that the new guys were going down. The Briscoes need more talent, simple as that.

Jay Lethal defeated Jonathan Gresham

Lethal and Gresham put on a clinic of how to build a wrestling match from boring to exciting. I’d love to see Gresham and Lethal take on Zack Sabre Jr. because this match showed off how amazing technical wrestling can become. This was great, and it kept building to more and more over time. I loved it.

Matt Taven defeated Cody in a First Blood match

Taven impressed me here, and Cody has such crisp moves at times. His dropkicks are so good, and his timing has improved so much since last I saw him in WWE and even against Omega. Taven is good too, and the two were pounding each other with an interesting focus. I didn’t know how the two would get blood, but it happened when Cody punched a championship belt with this bare fist, and busted it open. He kept beating on Taven and it looked like Taven was busted open, but it wasn’t, it was Cody’s hand and his blood that was fun. Great match and interesting finish, and I loved it.

Marty Scurll defeated Dalton Castle, Punishment Martinez, and Beer City Bruiser in a Defy or Deny match. By winning the match, Scurll is once again the No. 1 contender to the ROH Championship

I was confused by the rules, but over the match’s eliminations I figured it out. This was an interesting elimination match with Scurll getting the win and getting a title shot. Scurll is so good here, and the rest are good too, and for once, Dalton Castle showed off a great deal of skill in this match. I was surprised by how good this was. I loved it.

GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2 Results and Review

Joey Janela's Spring Break 2 (2018) GCW

So here we go, a review of the last event that I want to review for the sake of this site. GCW’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2 happened during the weekend of Wrestlemania 34, and it was an interesting thing to see. It was sold out, and had roughly 1500 people there. It had some great lead up, so I wanted to see a great deal of what surrounded the hype to this event. So instead of reviewing Evolve and other options, I went ahead and waited to review this today. Here we go…

GCW Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2 Results and Review

Eli Everfly defeats DJ Z and Gringo Loco and Kyle The Beast and Teddy Hart and Tony Deppen

Not a bad opening six man tag match. There was a lot of back and forth, and some interesting noise made by the audience. I haven’t seen a lot of these guys wrestle, but it was fun to see how this all went through, I enjoyed it. This was a fun little opening, and I liked it no doubt.

Matt Riddle defeats James Ellsworth

I loved this match. It wasn’t long, but James Ellsworth had a little bit of offense on Riddle before Riddle finally gave up on trying to outsmart Ellsworth and just leveled him. Ellsworth got a few shots in, and at one point, I thought for a moment, he was going to win overall. It was an interesting solution. Riddle would win eventually, but Ellsworth put on an entertaining show with him.

PCO defeats WALTER

This was a hell of a match. It was like a brawl at one point, and PCO’s chest was completely black and blue, which was insane. Walter and PCO beat the hell out of each other, with pure respect no doubt, and I liked to see how it all went down. A good match, a good brawl, and wow, what a fascinating turn of event.

Nick Gage defeats Penta El Zero M in the GCW Title Match

Gage got a lot of boos, and people were upset that he got booked. He robbed a bank and served his time, so here he goes. Penta came out to a raucous crowd and threw down some great back and forth with Gage, but in the end Nick Gage would get the win, and the pinfall victory, in a match that wasn’t too long, and should’ve been a victory for Penta if you ask me.

David Starr defeats Mike Quackenbush

I’ve seen David Starr wrestle a handful of times, and I don’t get it. He’s ok at best, and this match wasn’t too bad. Quackenbush seemed good here, and David Starr wasn’t bad here, the two were able to go back and forth and it was fun to see the two develop a good overall match. It was a nice in between what would go down next.

The Invisible Man defeats Aero Boy and Alabama Doink and Bryan Idol and Chris Dickinson and Crazy Boy and Curt Stallion and Dan Severn and Ethan Page and Facade (w/Dani) and Grado and Joe Gacy and Kikutaro and Markus Crane and Martina and Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Mikey Whipwreck and Nate Webb and Orange Cassidy and Rickey Shane Page and Rory Gulak and Swoggle and Wheeler YUTA in the Clusterf*ck Battle Royal

I don’t know what I just saw with this match, but hey, it was entertaining. Is it just me or is Swoggle gaining some weight? The invisible man, I kid you not, won this match. I don’t know what to say about all of this.

Joey Janela (w/Penelope Ford) defeats The Great Sasuke

The main event featured Joey Janela fighting one of the legends of the ring, The Great Sasuke. The two threw down some incredible moments, including an insane ladder spot, and a huge dive with an inflatable alligator at one point. The fight was back and forth, but you could tell that Sasuke was getting tired, and Janela had to carry a few moments of the match, which wasn’t bad, mind you. The eventual winner was none other than Janela, but not without getting the bricks from the Great Sasuke.

Overall, this was a fun show to watch and I don’t have a lot of complaints. I enjoyed it. It’s an indie show, but it was fun to watch, and I enjoyed it for the most part.

Ring of Honor Card of SuperCard of Honor April 7, 2018 Results and Review

Supercard of Honor XII 

There were 11 matches that went down in New Orleans for Ring of Honor’s biggest of event of the year. There were 6,000 people in attendance, and it was quite the thrilling crowd and truly sold out. While NXT was going on, this was going on, so you know a lot of wrestling was going on. This had a lot of stories going into it, and I finally was able to see it all.

Ring of Honor SuperCard of Honor 2018 Results and Review

Kelly Klein defeated Mayu Iwatani (Women of Honor Tournament)

This wasn’t too bad, 9 minutes, and standard back and forth wrestling. I didn’t know either women, but it was good to see another set of women wrestling besides WWE.

Sumie Sakai defeated Tenille Dashwood (Women of Honor Tournament)

This was really good, and Sumie Sakai was excellent here. I was impressed by her and Tenille’s match, as the two were able to put together a good back and forth match with an interesting finish. I liked this one.

Chuckie T. defeated Jonathan Gresham

I wasn’t aware of who these guys were, so when it all went down, I didn’t really know what to expect. This was a standard opener, nothing too crazy, and it worked well enough.

Punishment Martinez defeated Tomohiro Ishii

I did not expect Ishii to go down here, but Punishment Martinez appears to be the latino version of Baron Corbin which is kind of interesting. I liked this option. A good back and forth fight, with lots of hard hits and interesting break downs. Good match for only around 8 minutes or so of action.

Kota Ibushi defeated Hangman Page

Ibushi is great here, and Page was able to throw down with him, but I knew it wasn’t Page’s day, and he lost after getting rocked back and forth by Ibushi’s offense. There was a moment where I thought Hangman Page was getting a win, but Ibushi fought back for a good win.

Sumie Sukai defeated Kelly Klein to win the Women of Honor Championship

I was impressed with this one. Wow! Sukai is amazing, and she pulled out one hell of a match with a lot of back and forth. Klein was good too, and she threw down a great deal of offense but Sukai was dropping some incredible moves, and the timing was just there for a 7 minute match, I loved it.

SoCal Uncensored defeated Flip Gordon and The Young Bucks for the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship

This was not half bad. Was it as good as some of the other matches? Nope. This was adequate. It had all of the spots that you would expect from the Bucks and the guys in SoCal Uncensored. I loved it, no doubt, and the 25 minute match was great, but it seemed like I’ve seen this before, and the Bucks just wrestled another match that they’ve done in the past. It was entertaining, just didn’t seem to mean as much.

The Briscoes defeated Jay Lethal and Hiroshi Tanahashi for the World Tag Team Championship

This was a fast paced, quick match and it showed. The Briscoes were on fire tonight and they worked way better than the Japanese team. Jay Lethal is good, and Tanahashi is great too, but the 20 minute match was mostly Briscoes showcasing why they are the most important teams not in WWE right now. I loved the match, it had everything that you could want from a tag team match.

Silas Young defeated Kenny King in a Last Man Standing Match

I didn’t know who these guys were, but wow, the two were able to throw a good match together and a hard hitting one. King would lose this one, and wow, good for Silas Young as he truly put the boots to King, although, the ending was a bit funny if you saw it.

Cody defeated Kenny Omega

Nearly 40 minutes of action, and a lot of back and forth. Kenny Omega was great. Kenny Omega threw down a great deal of offense, and even knocked out the bear that Cody brought. Cody delivered on all ends as being the ultimate bad guy here, and in the end, after a ref bump, after Brandi went through a table at ring side, Omega got a couple of superkick in the face and Cody pinned him. Cody won! This was an emotional ride, and Cody won big.

Dalton Castle defeated Marty Scurll in the ROH World Championship Match

I was shocked by the fact that Marty Scurll didn’t win. Dalton Castle won after a lot of back and forth wrestling, and Scurll taking out all of the possible weapons that nearly killed Ospreay in NJPW. I loved this match’s theme, I just didn’t like that Castle won. I’ve seen a few matches with Dalton Castle, and honestly, I don’t get why he’s champion, Scurll made him look silly at various times. I loved Scurll here, and he should’ve won.

Overall, this was a long show, but it felt good to see something other than WWE, and therefore I liked it. I liked about 4 matches overall, and the rest was filler to me. It was still good, mind you, but not nearly as good as NXT.

Smackdown Live April 10, 2018 Results and Review

Daniel Bryan Flies - src WWE 

Smackdown after Wrestlemania should be good, right? Well, I don’t know, maybe? It’s only an hour or so show, not 2 hours as some people think, so let’s discuss how it went down. I’m a little jaded, I’ve seen 30 some odd hours of wrestling, including all independent shows, ROH, and so much more. With that in mind, let’s take into consideration the following night of Smackdown.

Smackdown Live April 10, 2018 Results and Review

Shane McMahon announced Paige as the New General Manager for Smackdown Live.

I didn’t mind this at all. It was ok. I guess people love Paige, and since she retired, they love her even more. I’m indifferent.

The Usos defeated The New Day

The Usos threw down another great match against The New Day. It was a good match with a lot of back and forth. I didn’t hate this one, and I didn’t think it was that good either. It had some bright spots, but it’s painfully obvious that the New Day may have run their course and it’s time to give these guys a singles push on their own. The Usos are great, fast, and remind me of the GOD in NJPW only smaller.

Naomi defeated Natalya

Not bad, a good overall match that was fun to watch. This was fast paced, had a few counters, and really put together a swift women’s match that is somewhat forgettable, but not too bad. I liked it enough.

Carmella defeated Charlotte Flair for the Women’s Championship

After Peyton Royce and Billie Kay showed up and said they are taking over, and beat up Flair, out came Carmella. Carmella threw down her Money In The Bank Briefcase and hit a super kick on Flair and pinned her. She won the title, without the help of Ellsworth this time, and it was a fun thing to see. Carmella is your new champion, and the crowd went nuts for it. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay are different now, I think they may have breast implants, but hey, what do I know?

Randy Orton defeated Bobby Roode and Rusev

Oh my lord this again? Randy Orton is in cruise control, going through the motions of being a wrestler and not caring. Roode is good, but it’s obvious that he needs a better wrestler to work with. Jinder Mahal was at ringside and the winner would get a shot at Backlash. I was hoping for Roode to win, but nope, Orton won this match and that was that. I can’t say too much about this match, as it wasn’t my favorite, but it was adequate to move the night forward I guess. Rusev Day is so over, and yet the WWE doesn’t want to push him, I don’t know why.

Aj Styles vs. Daniel Bryan ended in a no Contest

The next match was interesting, and it featured Daniel Bryan and Aj Styles doing what they did best. They were able to get through a lot of motions and focused on stellar back and forth wrestling. It was a better match than the Nakamura match at Wrestlemania, at least for what it was. Then out came Shinsuke Nakamura and hit Bryan and Styles with a knee, and then low blowed Styles. That was the end, Nakamura looking tall, and that’s that.

Smackdown was ok. It was short, which I liked, but the whole thing just seemed phoned in. I wonder where guys like Ziggler, Tye Dillinger, and so many others were. Oh well, I guess that’s the end of the week of wrestling, oh no, here’ comes 205 Live, Ring Of Honor, and Joey Janela’s reviews that I have to write still. Oh well. This was ok at best.

Monday Night Raw April 9, 2018 Results and Review

Miz Is Raw - SRC WWE

Monday Night Raw after Wrestlemania is usually a good thing, and honestly, it didn’t feel like it was 9 hours long for a change. Let’s consider the Monday Night Raw after Wrestlemania here before I get to Ring of Honor and Joey Janela’s Spring Break 2.

Monday Night Raw April 9, 2018 Results and Review

The opening of the show had Stephanie McMahon trolling the audience and then introducing Ronda Rousey. Rousey showed up and then put McMahon into an armbar and got her to tap again, and it got the crowd going nuts.

Nia Jax and Ember Moon defeated Alexa Bliss and Mickie James

This was an incredible match that showcased Ember Moon’s skills, and really made Jax look good too. Ok, incredible is a bit much, but I’m still high from the NXT Takeover show. Good overall match, not a long one, but enough to get Ember Moon over as a newcomer.

No Way Jose defeated a Jobber

No Way Jose beat a jobber and danced. I liked it.

The Revival defeated The Club Sandwich Boys in a Tag Team Eliminator Match

There’s a tournament for the number one contenders to the titles, and the Revival fought their long time rivals the Club Sandwich boys. The Revival won after they hit their finale, and that was that. It was a short match with a fast finish and that’s it.

The Miz, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor were talking in the ring and Jeff Hardy showed up, making a match for later. This wasn’t bad, but it was more talking.

Mandy Rose defeated Sasha Banks

This wasn’t bad, Mandy Rose was able to beat Sasha Banks thanks to Bayley’s outside interference, and that was that.

Bobby Lashley attacked Elias

Elias showed up and sang a bit before Bobby Lashley showed up and beat him down and that was that. Nice to see Lashley back, that’s for sure.

The Authors of Pain defeated Heath Slater and Rhyno

This was a burial, nothing more. I can’t believe how far the former Smackdown Champions have fallen.

Samoa Joe cut a promo on Roman Reigns

Cool!

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt defeated Titus Worldwide in a Tag Team Eliminator Match

We very well may see Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt get the tag team titles next. The two are now Woken and are a team, and they beat up Titus Worldwide in a short match.

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn ended in a No Contest

This was interesting, as the winner will get a job on Raw. Neither won, as there was a double 10 count loss, and while the match was good as per usual, the ending was kind of dumb.

Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, and Jeff Hardy defeated The Miz and The Miztourage

A great match this was not. It was good, but not great. The good guys flew through the ring and controlled a lot of it, including Jeff Hardy throwing down all of his moves and getting the crowd to go completely nuts for the tag team work that the guys did here. The Miz and Miztourage lose again.

Overall, Raw wasn’t too bad, and it was better than most weeks. However, it’s not something that I loved, and it didn’t have the same gusto that you’d get with other nights after Mania. It was good though, don’t get me wrong.

NXT Takeover New Orleans April 7, 2018 Results and Review

Shayna Baszler NXT Takeover 2018 - source WWE 

I’m excited that I will be seeing NXT in Chicago later this year. I am excited to see the product in person, and if it is anything like this one, I’m going to be in for a great treat for sure. As for all of that, let’s start with our take on this past weekend’s big event. We will be talking about NXT Takeover New Orleans.

NXT Takeover New Orleans April 7, 2018 Results and Review

Adam Cole defeated EC3, Killian Dain, Lars Sullivan, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream in a Ladder Match for the NXT North American Championship

This was a stellar 30 minute match that had everything you’d want from a ladder match, with the sole exception of blood. That’s just a small nitpick, but other than that, you’re going to find that there was a lot of greatness, that featured these guys killing themselves for a title. There’s so much to explore in this match that I can’t list everything I liked, it’s just one of the best ladder matches that I’ve seen in a long time. Ricochet here, holy crap, Velvet Teen Dream, holy crap, and you know what, amazing.

Shayna Baszler defeated Ember Moon for the NXT Women’s Championship

I disagree with nearly every podcast that I heard talking about NXT Takeover. I loved this match, and loved Shayna Baszler’s improvement from the past match that she had with Ember Moon. Shayna has improved so much that I saw shades of Zack Sabre Jr. and he’s my favorite wrestler right now. Shayna Baszler improved so much that she was able to counter some of Ember Moon’s offense and eventually get her to pass out in her finisher. I was so glad to see the change that I may pick up a Shayna Baszler shirt, even if I’m the only one wearing one.

The Undisputed Era defeated Authors of Pain, and Pete Dunne and Roderick Strong for the NXT Championship and Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic Trophy

This was a stellar match with a lot of upside. I loved the process that was going on in this three way dance for the title and trophy. It was going well until Roderick Strong turned on Pete Dunne and caused this match to go down hill. The match dropped a heel turn for Strong, and he joined The Undisputed Era and is now part of the championship category of NXT. Dunne, however, was laid out as a result. Good match, and I appreciated the turn.

Aleister Black defeated Andrade “Cien” Almas for the NXT Championship

Aleister Black put on a show against Almas, and Almas stuck with him every single turn. I loved it. I appreciated the work the two put into this match, and the counters that worked through the various stages of this incredible match for the title. I was going for Almas, so when he lost in a sequence that was quite good, I was impressed. Aleister Black was able to get the Black Mass strapped on with ease and won the match. A good one.

Johnny Gargano defeated Tommaso Ciampa in an Unsanctioned Match

Holy hell, perhaps the best match I’ve seen this year. I thought Okada versus Zack Sabre Jr. was good, but it goes second now. Gargano and Ciampa put the boots to each other and left it all out in the ring. Ciampa and Gargano’s finish was great, both sitting in the middle of the ring, and then the Gargano lock with Ciamapa’s knee brace across his own face was great to see. This 37 match was stellar above all else, and was absolutely the best thing I’ve seen all weekend, now that I take it all in.

NXT Takeover New Orleans is what the WWE should be all the time, and yet it is not. This is one hell of a show and something that you need to really see, as there were some great moments here, and it’s just a great overall rundown of programming that you will love as a wrestling fan, simple as that.

WWE Wrestlemania 34 Results and Review

Ronda Rousey at WM 34 - src wwe 

Welcome to New Orleans and the latest edition of WWE Wrestlemania, this time there were 78,133 people in the building and the card was stacked from top to bottom. This seemed to go 9 or 10 hours, but it was only around 7 hours. If you saw it, then you may wonder what my thoughts are and if you didn’t see it, you may want to know what my thoughts are anyways because you read this diatribe of mine.

WWE Wrestlemania 34 Results and Review

Matt Hardy won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

This was a cluster of a match but it ended well enough. There were some highlights, including Mojo getting Zack Ryder out, and lots of eliminations, until it was Matt Hardy that won the match. He would win thanks to the lights going out and Bray Wyatt showing up to befriend him. The two are now WOKEN together!

Cedric Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship

I love these two, but I feel that I’ve seen this match happen many times before. It was good, but in 12 minutes, there’s not much that could be told about it, so I guess it was ok at best. I have seen these two do this match before, many times it seems.

Naomi won the Women’s Battle Royal

This was under 10 minutes and was somewhat boring. Naomi was great at the end after Bayley eliminated Sasha Banks, and would become the big winner here. It was not bad, but it was far from good either. Under 10 minutes, that’s the revolution folks.

Seth Rollins defeated The Miz and Finn Balor in a triple threat match for the Intercontinental Championship

A good back and forth match with some impressive moments from The Miz. The Miz wasn’t a slouch here, he had some great momentum to disrupt the better wrestlers. I was impressed by his work here, and of course Balor and Rollins were great as usual. Lots of broken pinfall attempts, lots of counters and lots of fun to see in this match.

Charlotte Flair defeated Asuka

In only 13 minutes, Asuka’s streak was broken by Charlotte Flair. The two wrestled a good match, but it was painfully obvious that they were getting rushed. It was a hard hitting affair, with Asuka’s chest turning bright red and blistered after some heavy chops from Charlotte. Asuka worked on the arm of charlotte, but it wasn’t enough, she put on the Figure 8 and made it Asuka tap out. Hell of a match for only being 13 minutes.

Jinder Mahal defeated Rusev, Bobby Roode, and Randy Orton for the United States Championship

Wow, in just 8 minutes and some change Jinder Mahal was able to capture the United States Championship, and well, the modern day Maharaja continues to win, and it baffles many. This was a fast match, and it featured a lot of quick moments, with distractions and Jinder Mahal getting the pinfall victory.

Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey defeated Triple H and Stephanie McMahon

This was by far the most entertaining 20 some odd minutes of professional wrestling that I’ve seen a rookie put on ever. Ronda Rousey is amazing, and she put on a show, and it was great to see her work. I am so proud of her, and love her. She is truly an amazing woman, and was able to get the wrestling thing down well, and made Stephanie McMahon tap out with relative ease. I loved it. I cannot say enough about how great this match was.

The Bludgeon Brothers defeated The Usos and The New Day in the WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match

The teams only had about 5 minutes to work, so the match didn’t get too hot, and it was dead when the Bludgeon Brothers won. Oh well.

The Undertaker defeated John Cena

In 3 Minutes, John Cena was buried. But first out came Elias and got a beat down for his troubles. The Undertaker looks old, I don’t want to see him wrestle anymore.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon defeated Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn

This was better than I thought and no one turned on each other. The match was 15 minutes long and it was a fun back and forth match with Daniel Bryan eventually getting the hot tag and making Zayn tap out. The match was fun, and I loved seeing Daniel Bryan back in action.

Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss for the WWE Raw Championship

Holy crap, Nia Jax put the boots to Alexa Bliss. Bliss did a great deal of offense, however, but this time around it was Nia Jax’s night and she was able to get the pinfall after some great offense overall.

Aj Styles defeated Shinsuke Nakamura in the WWE Championship Match

A 20 minute boring and methodical match ensued here. This was not nearly as good as their New Japan fight, and it sufficed in many ways to be a slow moving, well plotted match for what it was. However, after the match Nakamura low blowed Styles and became a bad guy. Ok. The match was not great.

Braun Strowman and Nicholas defeated Cesaro and Sheamus for the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship

In 4 minutes, Braun Strowman did quick work of the BAR. He picked a kid from the audience to be his partner, and that was that.

Brock Lesnar defeated Roman Reigns in the WWE Universal Championship match

What a load of crap. Lesnar was blown up, he looked tired and like he didn’t care. Roman carried Broke many times, and even got the brunt of Lesnar being too tired to work, and made him look great. However, at one point Lesnar busted open Reigns the hard way with his elbow, and then threw down another F5, 6 in total, and pinned Reigns to win the match. I’m so sick of Lesnar. He wins, oh well.

Overall, Wrestlemania was a fun show to watch, even if it was a little long. The Rousey match was my favorite and I loved her even more for getting out there and being great. Other than that, Flair and Asuka was good, and so was the Nia Jax match. Other than that, this was a mediocre showcase, and I’m glad I didn’t go to New Orleans. But I will be in Chicago twice this year for WWE and All In shows.

Wrestlemania 34 Break

For all two of you followers out there. I wanted to give you an update as to what is going on.

I had a delayed start this week, and did not review Raw, Smackdown, or 205 Live. However, I did see them, and I also saw a lot of other wrestling. I saw some PWG, Evolve, Wrestlecon Supershow, and will most likely see Joey Janela's Spring Break, Nxt, and of course Wrestlemania.

I gave myself the week off to enjoy being a fan. I will be starting up again on Monday with a review of Wrestlemania, then will review Raw, Smackdown, NXT, 205 Live, ROH Super Card of Honor, and any other bit of wrestling that I can find.

I'm not in New Orleans this year.

I almost went.

However, I will be in Chicago for Money in the Bank, NXT Takeover Chicago, and All In this September.

Until Monday, enjoy your weekend, and just enjoy being a fan. I know I am.

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2018 Results and Review

Sakura Genesis 2018 Okada vs. Zack Sabre Jr. 

The opening day of pro wrestling’s greatest week started with an event featuring all of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s best talent, and there were 9 matches. Lots went on in this 4 hour event and I was absolutely thrilled to get to see it all go down. After 4 plus hours of competition, I am not sure how the WWE could compare with some of the amazing talent that the New Japan Pro Wrestling camp has. Let’s talk about how it all went down, and my thoughts on the event that started April 2018.

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2018 Results and Review

The Young Bucks defeated Bullet Club Members (Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi)

The opening match wasn’t very long, and it was the same style that the Young Bucks showed off in Long Beach. It was a fast paced, back and forth, standard high flying match with lots of tag team elements. The end came with the Bucks getting the win, in what seemed to be a predictable fashion if you ask me.

Chaos (Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano) defeated Suzuki-Gun (Taichi and Takashi Iizuki)

This was another tag match with some good comedy moments from Chaos, and some great action from Suzuki-Gun. I didn’t hate this match by any means, but it seemed like the two teams just put on the same match I’ve seen before. That didn’t mean that I didn’t like it, but for those harsh critics out there, you may find it repetitive. I found it fun to watch, and it was only around 8 minutes long anyway.

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa) defeated Michael Elgin, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe in the Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Match

This was a fast paced affair with a lot of back and forth action. Michael Elgin is a beast! And Taguchi with Makabe were fun to watch as well, but the Bullet Club were on their game and it was hard for them to not win this one. I loved it. They were able to throw down some clever moves, reversals, and power elements that reminded me of the speed of the Usos, only bigger, badder, and more intense. I loved it.

Taguchi Japan (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, and David Finlay) defeated Chaos (Hirooki Goto, Jay White, and Yoshi-Hasshi)

Another six man tag team match here, and while it was under 10 minutes, it just seemed like a lot of tag matches for the show. After the starting point, however, I didn’t mind, because the guys really put on some great moments. Lots of tag team momentum, and lots of high spots, with a mix of psychology and focus on submissions here and there. I had fun with this match, even if it ended a bit too swiftly for my taste.

Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Evil, and Sanada)

This was another six man tag, believe it or not, and the guys tore down the house with some good back and forth. I’m still very impressed with Davey Boy Smith Jr. here, and he truly needs more attention in the states, he’s really good here. Archer and Suzuki are good too, but the Ingobernables de Japon were no slouches here. I had a blast watching them all beat down each other, and the Suzuki and Naito element was great too! Good match, a bit short though.

Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi) and Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) for the IWP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

A triple threat match for the titles and it was a fast paced match with lots of back and forth. I found it to be great, and while I was already tired of so many tag matches, I still had fun with it. I think it’s because I grew up with Lucha Libre, and there’s a ton of tag matches in those events. This was fast, and only 13 minutes long, but it had some great back and forth action, double team moves, and even a ref pull. Great action, and the champs retain.

Will Ospreay defeated Marty Scurll in the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match

This went 30 minutes and it was incredible Marty Scurll seemed to have Will Ospreay’s number in nearly every single way here. He had some amazing moments, including focusing on Ospreay’s neck and really causing damage to his head, including a cut at one point. There’s a lot of back and forth, and it wasn’t just Scurll getting some hard hits either. Every major counter to high spots could’ve been seen here, and the two eventually landed into a nice ending sequence that had Ospreay pulling out the win, but not necessarily winning the war. He looked hurt, and there were some major hits taken to pull this match together. Marty Scurll is an incredible talent, and wow, this match proved it yet again.

Bullet Club (Cody and Hangman Page) defeated The Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi)

Another great tag team match, only this time it featured two heavy hitters from the Bullet Club, and it was action packed. Cody is a great heel, and Hangman Page is deceptively strong. He has Cesaro strength, and it showed several times during this match. Cody is a great heel, and was able to make this a great counter point to Kenny Omega and Ibushi’s good guy act. Omega and Ibushi were like well oiled machines in the ring, and they put on a show, but even though they busted Cody wide open, it didn’t matter, Cody and Page were able to get the win. Great match, and lots of action with a slight shift due to the Young Bucks coming out and asking what this is all for anyway.

Kazuchika Okada defeated Zack Sabre Jr. in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match

I am calling it here, this was one of the best matches I’ve seen all year. Zack Sabre Jr. had nearly every single counter to everything Okada did, and whenever Okada would get a little bit of breath, Sabre Jr was right there to stop him. He is truly the man with 1,000 holds, because he knew everything and how to counter it. Okada had to really work to stop him, and instead of focusing on hard hitting back and forth action, the finishers were in place, and wow, just wow. Lots of back and forth but mainly Zack Sabre Jr. putting on a clinic of submissions that never got old. This match went over 30 minutes, and I was all in from the start. Zack Sabre Jr. may be my favorite wrestler right now, even though he lost after a couple of rain makers to finish things off. Zack Sabre Jr. put Okada through the ringer, and he survived, and I’m impressed.

This was one hell of a show, and the main events were great to watch. There’s so much talent on this show, that I am not sure how WWE is going to top any of this. I was just beyond thrilled to catch it, and am a huge fan of this type of wrestling compared to WWE.