Source: F4WOnline
F4Wonline.com reports that the current layout and approximate bell times for WWE’s SummerSlam pay-per-view looks like this:
8. Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena, 25 minutes
7. Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon, 15 minutes
6. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns, 20 minutes
5. Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins, 15 minutes
4. Paige vs. AJ Lee, 12 minutes
3. Rusev vs. Jack Swagger, 12 minutes
2. Bray Wyatt vs. Chris Jericho, 15 minutes
1. Dolph Ziggler vs. The Miz, 10 minutes
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Paul Heyman recently spoke with Scott Fishman of The Miami Herald to promote his new WWE DVD. Below are a few highlights:
Fans who say Brock Lesnar shouldn’t win the WWE World Heavyweight Title because he’s a part-timer:
“I don’t know if any of those critics of privy to an agreement Brock Lesnar may or may not have with WWE. So I don’t understand how anybody can credibly say this is what Brock Lesnar’s schedule is going to be when he becomes the WWE champion. Second, I think the WWE championship is the defended too often and lost some of the prestige because of the beast of monthly pay-per-views. The champion having to defend on every single pay-per-view, let alone at every single arena, has taken away from the special event that is when a champion defends the title.”
“Here is the best example I can give you. Why don’t we just do 12 WrestleMania events a year? I mean it’s the brand name in pay-per-view. You know people understand that WrestleMania means it’s something special and unique and doesn’t happen all the time. It’s can’t miss. Well, you can’t do 12 WrestleMania events a year because then you water-down WrestleMania, and it won’t mean as much on the rare occasion you present the brand name WrestleMania.”
“It’s the same with Brock Lesnar. If you present Brock Lesnar 52 weeks a year and you have Brock Lesnar defend the title 12 times a year, you’re losing money. You’re not making money because you are watering down the unique opportunity that the audience can have to see an once-in-a-lifetime athlete on the rare occasion that he dons the tights and laces up the boots and goes into the ring to beat people within an inch of their lives.”
“Plus, here is one more thing to consider. If Brock Lesnar were to work a full-time schedule he would wipe out the roster at once. There would be nobody left for him to fight. So how can people be clamoring for Brock Lesnar to be work a full-time schedule? Then you’ll have three hours of Brock and Paul Heyman sitting alone in a ring talking to each other because there would be nobody left for Brock Lesnar to conquer.”
His reaction when WWE approached him about doing a DVD:
“I was not happy about it. I had no idea what take WWE was going to have on a look back on what I’ve done so far. You never know the story that they want to tell. It’s a deeply personal issue to me because it’s me. I wasn’t sure what direction it was going to take. So being a control freak that had no control over, the creative content involved, I was apprehensive to say the very least. Plus, it puts me in a position where I have to talk about stuff from 20, 30 years ago, and I hate spending time looking back.”
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Credit: Pwponderings.com
Estimated Attendance: 700+
ROH’s return to Philadelphia is January 24th
Dark match: Sumie Sakai def Veda Scott with a roll of the dice-type move
Three episodes to be taped tonight. Kevin Kelly & Steve Corino introduced as announce team, separately as usual.
Episode 1
* Rocky Romero def Tommaso Ciampa by DQ when Ciampa wouldn’t release his submission hold while Romero was in the ropes – there was a post match brawl
* Veda Scott gave Moose another chance to join her and RD Evans which ends up succeeding so there was no match and apparently a new team. “RD: “I’ll be your quarterback. Will you be my lineman.” Moose joined because of this, shaking RD’s and Veda’s hands. Ramon wasn’t happy.”
* ROH TV Title: Jay Lethal vs ACH went to time limit draw (30 mins) Lethal left and there was a standing ovation for ACH – Seleziya came out at one point and pushed ACH into the ringpost to which Todd Sinclair told her, “Get the f*** outta here”. Truth Martini was kicked out later on during the match for tripping ACH.
Episode 2
Prince Nana joins the commentary team
* WAR MACHINE (Raymond Rowe & Hanson, and not the recently fired MMA fighter) vs. The Briscoes ended in the match being thrown out because of excessive brawling on the outside. At one point Hanson was put through the timekeeper’s table via a doublestomp. Rowe slammed Mark through a table at ringside also.
The crowd started going flat for all these non-finishers but were vocal during the matches as they have all been good to great.
* RD Evans & Moose def Tadarius Thomas & Adam Page (w/ BJ Whitmer) when Moose spears Thomas after RD blind-tags in and RD gets the pin. BJ Whitmer berated his team afterwards
Nigel McGuinness out for commentary.
* ROH World Title: Michael Elgin def Cedric Alexander via submission with the stretch muffler/stomping on Cedric’s head which caused Cedric to pass out
Episode 3
* BJ Whitmer & Jimmy Jacobs def Caprice Coleman & Watanabe with the All Seeing Eye on Watanabe – Decade tried to recruit Watanabe afterward but Coleman stopped him from joining and chased away The Decade.
* Matt Taven vs. Jay Diesel match was thrown out. Diesel handcuffed Taven to the ropes while the House of Truth came out. Truth and Seleziya beat up Taven first and then Lethal joined in. Lethal calls Taven a loser but doesn’t destroy him because he wants to do it in their cage match next week in Brooklyn. Taven calls Lethal “the biggest pussy” in ROH.
* Silas Young def Brian Kendrick with a rollup counter – during the match Silas suplexed Kendrick from the apron to the floor to a good reaction
* Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian def Young Bucks when Kazarian hit Nick Jackson with the Flux Capacitor
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Prime Time Wrestling 3/14/88
– Man the opening video is REALLY outdated. Cummon guys, get with the times, it’s 1988, not 1985! It’s Gorilla and Bobby and we’re only 2 weeks away from WrestleMania IV. Monsoon gives Heenan a hard time about his 6-Man match at Mania, Bobby replies with the usual fun responses. These guys make even the most lamest of conversation topics into something fun. Off to action.
Match #1: Jacques and Raymond Rougeau v. “King” Harley Race and “Iron” Mike Sharpe (w/ Bobby Heenan). From Madison Square Garden 2/22/88. Sharpe is subbing for Hercules for whatever reason. Gorilla Monsoon and Alfred Hayes on commentary. The Rougeaus spend the early minutes working the leg of Sharpe. Race finally tags back in and he takes over on Jacques immediately with the piledriver and a knee drop, but Jacques gets his foot on the rope to stop the count. The heels make some tags and get dirty on Jacques. Race with a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Race with a belly to belly suplex also gets 2. Sharpe misses an elbow drop and Raymond gets the hot tag. Ray Rougeau is all over both guys, and gets a Sleeper on Sharpe, but Race breaks it up. Now all 4 men in. The Rougeaus reverse double whips and send the heels colliding into each other. Race is knocked from the ring and the Rougeaus land Le Bombe de Rougeau to finish this one in 9:26. Harley hit a lot of his token offense, but the match was nothing outside of that. I give this 3/4* to be kind.
– Gorilla mocks Bobby for having Mike Sharpe on his team. To Bobby’s credit, he doesn’t bury Sharpe. And now, it’s the WWF ON TOUR! They’re in 3 states tomorrow ranging from Texas to Ohio, and the next day, Connecticut. Jesus, what a shit schedule.
Match #2: Koko B. Ware v. Terry Gibbs. From the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita, Kansas, “Superstars” TV Taping 2/16/88. Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, and Jesse Ventura on commentary. “Piledriver” does not make very good entrance music. Koko with some basics, uses his speed, Gibbs eventually puts a stop with a back elbow to the face. Gibbs gets a minute or two to work over Ware, but Koko blocks a turnbuckle smash and starts flapping his wings. Ware comes back with a single backdrop before he lands the Ghostbuster, and a damn good one for what it’s worth, for the win in 3:50. Gibbs was decent as a journeyman wrestler in the late 70’s and early 80’s in places like Puerto Rico, Mid-Atlantic, Florida, and the Mid-South. In the WWF, Gibbs plays a jobber to the stars, and that includes Koko. Both guys did their job well, but Ware’s comeback was really quick and over. For a squash this gets a *
– EDIT: April 30, 2017. WWF Update with Craig DeGeorge. Leave already. We want Mooney. So anyway, this update segment was missing from my original 2014 review that was based on a live version copy of this show. The live version I had of this show was missing 15 minutes of the program. That would be this right here. The new WWE Network version has the missing segment intact, so here it is. We relive Hulkamania being born against the Iron Sheik, followed by a Real American music video, followed by WrestleMania III Hogan/Andre highlights, followed by Andre attacking Hulk, followed by DiBiase buying Andre, followed by the Twin Referee extravaganza, followed by Andre giving DiBiase the belt, followed by the title being stripped, followed by a far too long onstage interview with DiBiase & Andre. This entire Update segment runs a good 15 minutes.
– Vanna White hypes WrestleMania. She gives it her best for the 3 seconds of times she’s given.
Match #3: Sam Houston v. “Dangerous” Danny Davis. From Madison Square Garden 1/25/88. Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan and Alfred Hayes on commentary. These guys are feuding for battle of the top jobber. The feud actually started way back in the fall and they’re just following up on it now. There were a pair of TV matches, first Houston pinned Davis even though Danny had his foot on the ropes, the return match Davis conked Houston with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone for a count out win. If you don’t count the 100 matches they did on the house shows, we can pretend this is the rubber match. Yep, somebody is walking out of here top jobber. Sam Houston is out to “Midnight Rider”. Houston jerks Davis into the ring to get things going and works over the arm of 3D for the next several minutes. Davis ducks a cross body and Houston goes flying to the floor. PTW takes a commercial and Davis takes over in the ring. Davis with the most generic heel offense imaginable. Danny hits a shitty elbow drop and just can’t believe it wasn’t enough for a 3 count. Davis hits a nasty flying clothesline to the throat of Houston but argues with the referee and Sam counters with a small package for the win in 8:00. Davis attacks Houston and Sam clears the ring after the match, but we miss the entire thing for the epic instant replay. This was bad, Houston can have a decent match, but not with Davis. I’m changing my normal rank of DUD here, to CRAP.
Match #4: The Young Stallions (Paul Roma and Jim Powers) v. Barry Horowitz and Steve Lombardi. From the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita, Kansas, “Superstars” TV Taping 2/16/88. Gorilla and Bobby Heenan on inserted commentary. Roma shows off his speed and agility spots with Lombardi, then Powers does more of the same with Horowitz. The Stallions control the match for a lengthy amount of time, before Lombardi cheap shots Powers and takes over. Barry & Steve get a whopping 2 minutes of offense, before a Lombardi and Powers double clothesline spot. Hot tags to Horowitz and Roma follow. Nice dropkick by Roma on Barry, but Steve breaks things up. Roma then dropkicks Lombardi out of the ring. Tag back to Powers, Roma whips Barry off the ropes, drops down, Barry runs over Roma and right into a powerslam from Powers for the finish in 9:50. This was a textbook match, both teams were good at what they needed to do. A simple example of how NOT to make a basic match suck. Match lacked crowd response, but it’s no surprise given the guys involved. I was also disappointed there was no mention of Terry Garvin’s School of Self Defense. Match still gets *
– Special Interview: Craig DeGeorge interviews Hercules and Bobby Heenan up on the stage. The discuss the match with the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania IV. Herc says Warrior has to deal with his power. DeGeorge talks about Warrior breaking the chain. Heenan corrects Craig, he says Warrior was simply holding the chain, Herc was the one who snapped it. I believe this interview was also taped in Wichita at the Superstars Taping.
– WrestleMania IV Report: Bulldogs announce Matilda Returns at WM4! Koko has renamed his finisher the Weasel Buster! Does it get any better? Heenan responds, he’s prepared. We also have to listen to Beefcake suck at promos and Honky Tonk with empty promises of playing a tune on the Barber’s head. Moving onto the title tournament, Randy Savage is ready, and Greg Valentine wants the only title that has eluded him.
Match #5: The Killer Bees (“Jumping” Jim Brunzell and B. Brian Blair) v. The Islanders (Haku and Tama) w/ Bobby Heenan. From Madison Square Garden 12/26/87. Gorilla Monsoon and Alfred Hayes on commentary. I’m depending on this match to save the show. The Bees dominate the entire first half of the match. The Islanders make plenty of attempts to take over, but the Bees keep staying a step ahead. We go to take a commercial break, and Gorilla does everything but come out and say that the Bees suck and the Bulldogs are better. After the break the Islanders take control. Bobby Heenan interrupts the commentary several times to give his thoughts. Blair reverses a vertical suplex from Tama and makes a hot tag to Brunzell, but the referee misses it thanks to interference from Haku. Blair still manages a cross body on Tama for 2, and this time Brian tags in Brunzell, Haku tagged in as well. Brunzell going bonzo gonzo and hits the DROPKICK on Haku! Tama makes the save. Brunzell applies the Sleeper on Haku next, while Blair chases Tama around ringside and into the ring. Brunzell gets the sleeper hold broken and both he and Haku are down. While the ref gets Blair out of the ring, Tama comes off the second rope with a diving headbutt on Brunzell and puts Haku on top for the win in 10:45. Was expecting more from the island boys but the match was still decent for a show opener or something along those lines. *1/2
– Gorilla shits on the Bees some more, pointing out that the Bulldogs are quicker, stronger, and more determined. Heenan needs to be worried, WrestleMania IV around the corner. Next week on Prime Time, Bobby Heenan announces that they will be in Atlantic City and that he set everything up.
Stay tuned for Airwolf, next on USA.
Final Thoughts: The show itself this week, like most weeks, was throw away. The matches stunk for the most part, and there was even less than usual. Bobby and Gorilla were okay this week, not at their best but still fun. They sure knew how to hype their big shows.
Match of the Night: The Bees and the Islanders, and even that wasn’t exactly thrilling.
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Date: July 28th, 2014
Location: Sendai Sun Plaza Hall
Announced Attendance: 2,850 (Super No Vacancy Full House)
I am running out of things to say in the intro, which is bad since there are still a whole bunch of days left in the G1 Climax. Here are the standings going into the event:
| Block A: | Block B: |
|---|---|
|
Shelton Benjamin [8] Hiroshi Tanahashi [6] Bad Luck Fale [4] Katsuyori Shibata [4] Satoshi Kojima [4] Shinsuke Nakamura [4] Tomohiro Ishii [4] Davey Boy Smith Jr. [2] Doc Gallows [2] Yuji Nagata [2] Tomoaki Honma [0] |
Hirooki Goto [6] Kazuchika Okada [6] Tetsuya Naito [6] Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] Togi Makabe [4] Toru Yano [4] AJ Styles [2] Karl Anderson [2] Lance Archer [2] Minoru Suzuki [2] Yujiro Takahashi [2] |
Today’s matches:
– Block A: Doc Gallows vs. Tomohiro Ishii
– Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Lance Archer
– Block A: Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Satoshi Kojima
– Block B: Minoru Suzuki vs. Yujiro Takahashi
– Block B: Karl Anderson vs. Toru Yano
– Block A: Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shelton Benjamin
– Block B: AJ Styles vs. Hirooki Goto
– Block A: Bad Luck Fale vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
– Block A: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma
– Block B: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito
Doc Gallows vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Ishii faces off with Gallows to start and kicks Gallows in the stomach, chops by Ishii but Gallows just absorbs the blows. Ishii goes off the ropes but he can’t knock Gallows down, Gallows goes off the ropes and he hits a shoulderblock. Gallows throws Ishii into the corner but Ishii kicks Gallows back, another kick by Ishii and he goes off the ropes but Gallows catches him and hits a powerslam. A trio of elbow drops by Gallows, cover, but it gets a two count. Gallows elbows Ishii in the chest and Gallows headbutts Ishii. Gallows punches Ishii in the head but Ishii chops him back. Elbow by Gallows and he stands on Ishii near the ropes. Gallows picks up Ishii and knees him, another knee by Gallows but Ishii elbows him back. Ishii ducks a kick and slaps Gallows into the corner, chops by Ishii, Irish whip, reversed, Ishii moves when Gallows charges in and he goes for a brainbuster but Gallows blocks it and hits a vertical suplex. Gallows goes for a body press but Ishii rolls out of the way. Lariat by Ishii in the corner, he picks up Gallows and this time he gets up Gallows and hits a vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ishii grabs Gallows around the waist, but Gallows elbows him back and punches Ishii in the face. Gallows picks up Ishii and hits fallaway slam, body press by Gallows but it gets a two count. Gallows picks up Ishii, Irish whip to the corner and Gallows hits a body avalanche. Gallows goes up to the second turnbuckle but Ishii gets his feet up when he goes for a reverse splash. High kick to the head by Gallows, he picks up Ishii and hits a pump-handle slam. Cover, but Ishii gets a shoulder up. Gallows picks up Ishii and gets him on his shoulders but Ishii slides off, club to the back by Ishii and he hits a release German suplex. Ishii goes off the ropes and hits a lariat but Gallows doesn’t go down. He goes off the ropes again and hits a second lariat with no luck, he goes off a third time but Gallows hits a boot. Gallows goes off the ropes but Ishii levels him with a lariat, cover, but it gets a two count. Ishii picks up Gallows but Gallows elbows him off, big boot by Gallows, he picks up Ishii and hits the full nelson slam. Cover, but Ishii barely kicks out. Gallows picks up Ishii and grabs him by the throat, but Ishii knocks him back. Headbutts by Ishii, he goes off the ropes and hits a lariat to a seated Gallows. Cover, but it gets two. Ishii picks up Gallows and goes for a brainbuster, Gallows blocks it and goes for a suplex but Ishii lands on his feet. Kick by Ishii, he grabs Gallows and he nails the brainbuster. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Tomohiro Ishii
Match Thoughts: This was fun. It is nice that just a Ishii headbutt is enough to change the course of a match but he gives the headbutts so well. Gallows did well here as well, this is the right type of match for him as it was mostly just two people slugging it out… with one person being half the size but not particularly caring about that fact. Good opener. Score: 6.5
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Lance Archer
Archer pushes Tenzan to start the match but Tenzan pushes him back. They trade chops to the chest, then they trade elbows. Mongolian Chops by Tenzan but Archer chops him back. Headbutt by Tenzan and he hits some more chops, Irish whip by Tenzan, reversed, and Tenzan hits a shoulderblock. Tenzan stomps on Archer and hits a headbutt, he goes out to the apron but Archer snaps his neck over the top rope. Archer picks up Tenzan and he throws him to the guardrail. Stomp by Archer, he picks up Tenzan and clubs him in the back. Archer slides Tenzan back into the ring, he waits for him to get up and hits a shoulderblock. Archer picks up Tenzan and hits a short arm lariat, cover, but it gets two. Camel clutch by Archer but Tenzan elbows out of it and chops Archer into the corner. Headbutts by Archer, Irish whip by Tenzan, reversed, Tenzan elbows Archer when he charges in and kicks Archer back, and Tenzan floors Archer with a lariat. TAKA gets on the apron but Tenzan knocks him off, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and he hits the calf branding. Cover, but it barely gets one. Back up, Archer gets Tenzan around the throat but Tenzan headbutts him. Archer knees Tenzan but Tenzan hits a Mountain Bomb. Cover, but it gets a two count. Tenzan goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving lariat. Cover, but it gets another two. Tenzan applies the Anaconda Vice but Archer muscles out of it. Tenzan goes off the ropes but Archer catches him with a sidewalk slam. Archer applies a crab hold but Tenzan gets a hand on the ropes. Archer picks up Tenzan and clubs him in the back, Archer goes off the ropes but Tenzan hits a heel kick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Tenzan goes up to the top turnbuckle but Archer rolls out of the way of the moonsault attempt. Archer waits for Tenzan to get up and he hits a chokeslam. Cover, but Tenzan gets a shoulder up. Archer puts Tenzan in the corner, elbow by Archer and he puts Tenzan up on the top turnbuckle. Archer joins Tenzan up top but Tenzan headbutts Archer off. Big boot by Archer, he grabs Tenzan and he delivers the Blackout. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Lance Archer
Match Thoughts: Archer just has boring offense, I have trouble getting into his matches. Shoulderblocks, chokes, lariats, basic submission holds….. nothing very quick or hurty. He just hits a move, looks angry, hits a move, looks angry, repeat. Also his finisher just needs so much setup, apparently he can’t do it without putting his opponent on the top turnbuckle first. Tenzan was good here when he was on offense but he wasn’t on offense much. Not that great. Score: 3.5
Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Satoshi Kojima
They circle each other to start, tie-up, waistlock by Smith and he puts Kojima in the ropes before giving a clean break. Tie-up, armbar by Smith and he hits an armbreaker. Wristlock by Smith into a hammerlock, but Kojima hits a side headlock takedown. Kojima gets out of it pretty quick and they both return to their feet. Tie-up, side headlock by Kojima, Smith Irish whips out of it and they collide with neither man going down. Kojima goes off the ropes and it happens again, then Smith shoulderblocks Kojima. Smith picks up Kojima and hits an elbow, Smith goes off the ropes but Kojima catches his big boot attempt. Kojima goes off the ropes and hits a shoulderblock. Kick by Smith and he throws Kojima out of the ring. Smith throws Kojima into the guardrail and then drives him backwards into them. Kojima gets on the apron but Smith lariats his legs from the floor before hitting a DDT on the apron. Kojima rolls back into the ring with Smith slowly following, chops by Kojima and he goes for a snapmare, but Smith rakes his eyes. Sidewalk slam by Smith and he kicks Kojima in the stomach. Smith picks up Kojima and hits an uppercut. Smith picks up Kojima and hits a delayed vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets a two. Smith applies a neck grip and then a stretch hold, but Kojima gets a foot on the ropes. Irish whip by Smith from the corner but Kojima moves when Smith charges in. Chops by Kojima in the corner, Irish whip, and he hits a jumping elbow smash. Diving elbow drop by Kojima, cover, but it only gets two. Kojima picks up Smith and chops him in the chest, but Smith elbows him back. Elbows by Kojima but Smith kicks him in the stomach, and Smith hits a butterfly suplex. Cover, but Kojima kicks out at two. Smith waits for Kojima to get up but Kojima elbows him back. Roaring elbow by Kojima, he goes off the ropes but Smith catches him with a jumping knee. Smith picks up Kojima and he hits a backdrop suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Smith applies a Sharpshooter but Kojima gets into the ropes to force a break. Smith goes off the ropes but Kojima blocks the lariat and hits one of his own, sending Smith out of the ring. Kojima gets Smith and slides him back in the ring, and Kojima hits a Koji Cutter. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Kojima goes off the ropes but Smith ducks the lariat, but Kojima hits one anyway. Cover, but Smith gets a shoulder up. Kojima picks up Smith and goes for a suplex but Smith blocks it. Smith goes for the Bulldog Bomb but Kojima punches out of it and hits a snap DDT. Kojima takes off the elbow pad but gets distracted by ringside commotion, allowing Smith to hit a Tiger Suplex Hold for a two count. Both wrestlers slowly get up and Kojima knocks down Smith with a lariat. Kojima goes off the ropes but Smith catches Kojima with a powerslam, he quickly picks up Kojima and he hits a Bulldog Bomb. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Match Thoughts: This was a really solid match. Smith’s offensive can be dull when he wastes time with rest holds, but when they are up on their feet the match was really fun. Smith is a big dude so it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that he can withstand a few Kojima lariats and not get knocked out. Good hard hitting match between the two. Score: 6.0
Minoru Suzuki vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Takahashi attacks Suzuki before the match starts, snapmare by Takahashi and he hits a sliding kick. Takahashi stomps on Suzuki’s face and Suzuki rolls out of the ring. Takahashi slams Suzuki into the apron, and he throws Suzuki into the guardrail. TAKA attacks Takahashi from behind which gives Suzuki time to get a steel chair, and he hits Takahashi in the back with it. Suzuki picks up Takahashi, knee by Suzuki to the stomach and Suzuki throws Takahashi into the guardrail. Suzuki twists Takahashi’s head around the guardrail, he picks him up and punches Takahashi in the face. Suzuki throws Takahashi back into the ring, and Suzuki rakes at Takahashi’s face. Takahashi punches Suzuki in the stomach, and Suzuki knees Takahashi in the stomach. Suzuki picks up Takahashi and chops him in the chest, knee by Suzuki and he hits an elbow. Headbutt by Suzuki, he picks up Takahashi but Takahashi slaps him. Elbow by Takahashi but Suzuki catches a kick and applies a cross kneelock on the mat. Takahashi eventually makes it to the ropes, and Suzuki kicks Takahashi in the leg. Kick by Takahashi and he goes for a suplex, but Suzuki blocks it and applies a front facelock. Takahashi gets out of it with a vertical suplex, chops by Takahashi but Suzuki chops him back. Takahashi kicks Suzuki in the corner, Irish whip attempt but Suzuki throws Takahashi in the corner and chops him in the chest. Eye rake by Takahashi and he elbows Suzuki in the corner. Irish whip by Takahashi and he hits a big boot in the corner. Takahashi grabs Suzuki out of the corner and goes for a neckbreaker but Suzuki blocks it. Kick by Takahashi and he slaps Suzuki in the head. Suzuki slaps him back hard, Suzuki picks up Takahashi and knees him in the stomach. Irish whip by Suzuki and he hits a big boot in the corner. Snapmare by Suzuki, he goes off the ropes and goes for the PK but Takahashi catches his foot. Eye rake by Takahashi, he goes off the ropes but Suzuki also goes off the ropes and he applies a sleeper hold. Takahashi gets out of it with a backdrop suplex, cover, but it gets a two count. Takahashi goes off the ropes and he hits a lariat, cover, but Suzuki kicks out. Takahashi picks up Suzuki and puts him on his shoulders, but Suzuki knees out of it. Slaps by Suzuki and he hits a running boot to the face, Suzuki applies the rear-naked choke and Takahashi quickly taps out. Your winner: Minoru Suzuki
Match Thoughts: A pretty average match… not really bad but nothing really good about it either. Takahashi continues to not impress me and Suzuki is a deliberate wrestler that needs just the right foil. He can have great matches but if he isn’t against the right opponent his matches tend to just be kinda slow paced with random strikes. Nothing really to see here. Score: 4.5
Karl Anderson vs. Toru Yano
Anderson kicks Yano before the match starts, he takes of Yano’s rope and keeps stomping on him. Anderson puts on Yano’s rope and poses with it, mocking Yano. Anderson throws it out of the ring and stomps on Yano but Yano rakes him in the eyes. Yano goes off the ropes but Anderson hits a jumping kick to the face. Anderson hits Yano from behind, and he removes one of the turnbuckle pads. Anderson throws Yano into the exposed corner and hits Yano as he crawls near him. Anderson picks up Yano and throws him out of the ring, Anderson goes out after him and stomps Yano. Anderson throws Yano into the guardrail before rolling back into the ring. Yano returns after a moment, and Anderson stomps on Yano. Cover, but it gets a two count. Anderson throws Yano into the exposed corner again, he picks up Yano and does it a third time. Anderson applies a reverse chinlock to Yano, he picks up Yano and hits an uppercut. Anderson tries to Irish whip Yano into the corner, Yano reverses it, but Anderson moves when Yano charges in. Anderson charges Yano but Yano drop toeholds him into the exposed corner, cover, but it gets a two. Anderson elbows Yano but Yano ducks the third elbow and pulls on Anderson’s ears. Yano goes off the ropes but Anderson hits a spinebuster. Anderson picks up Yano and put him on his shoulders, and he hits the swivel Gun Stun. Cover, but Yano gets a shoulder up. Anderson goes for the Gun Stun but Yano blocks it and monkey flips Anderson into the corner. Yano goes for a powerbomb, Anderson gets out of it and trips Yano, kicking him in the back of the head. Anderson goes for the Gun Stun again, Yano gets out of it and he finally is able to hit a low blow onto Anderson. Akakiri by Anderson, and he gets the three count. Your winner: Toru Yano
Match Thoughts: The one thing I like is that Yano’s opponents know exactly how he is going to win and do everything they can to prevent it. Anderson knew Yano was going for the low blow and got out of it a few times, but Yano was just too determined and he eventually was able to get it. Of course it is silly that a wrestler can only win after a low blow and basically a roll-up, but that is just what Yano is right now, a bizarre comedy wrestler. Anderson mocking Yano was fun though and for a mid-card comedy match it was acceptable. Score: 5.5
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shelton Benjamin
They circle each other to start, they jockey for position on the mat, Benjamin gets Shibata into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Waistlock by Shibata, he applies a headscissors but Benjamin gets into the ropes, and Shibata gives a clean break as well. Side headlock by Shibata, Benjamin tries to Irish whip out of it but Shibata keeps the hold applied. Benjamin elbows out of it and applies an ankle hold but Shibata quickly gets into the ropes. They trade elbows, kick by Shibata but Benjamin catches one and slams Shibata to the mat. Shibata rolls out of the ring, Benjamin goes out after him and throws Shibata into the guardrail. Benjamin picks up Shibata and swings him back and forth into the guardrails. Benjamin gets back in the ring and Shibata makes it back as well, stomps by Benjamin, Irish whip by Benjamin to the corner and Shibata collapses on impact. Cover, but it gets a two count. Benjamin picks up Shibata and knees him in the back. Benjamin clubs Shibata in the back and hits a snap suplex. Cover, but it gets another two count. Benjamin applies a sleeper, but Shibata gets a foot on the ropes. Benjamin picks up Shibata, Irish whip to the corner and he hits a Stinger Splash. Benjamin goes off the ropes but Shibata catches him with a jumping knee. Elbow by Shibata but Benjamin elbows him back and they trade blows. Shibata elbows Benjamin into the corner, he gets a running start and delivers a dropkick. Shibata picks up Benjamin and he hits a single arm suplex. Cover, but it gets two. Shibata picks up Benjamin, but Benjamin fights him back and hits a swinging kick. Cover, but Shibata kicks out at two. Benjamin picks up Shibata and he hits a double arm slam. Benjamin goes for a superkick but Shibata swats his foot away and they trade elbows. Shibata wins that battle with a spinning chop, he picks up Benjamin and puts him on his shoulders, but Benjamin blocks the Go 2 Sleep and applies an ankle hold. Shibata inches to the ropes and finally reaches them to force a break on the hold. Knee by Benjamin and he goes for a suplex, but Shibata lands on his feet. German suplex by Shibata but Benjamin avoids the PK and knocks Shibata to the mat. Superkick by Benjamin and he goes for the Paydirt, but Shibata avoids it and applies a rear naked choke. Sleeper by Shibata but Benjamin drives him back into the corner. Benjamin goes for a swinging kick again but Shibata ducks it and applies the sleeper. The sleeper puts Benjamin down to a seated position, Shibata releases the hold and he nails the PK. Cover, and he gets a three count. Your winner: Katsuyori Shibata
Match Thoughts: Benjamin did a better job here than I was expecting, I knew he wouldn’t be eating the moves Tanahashi did the night before but he wasn’t a slouch either. Some of the reversals looked really nice, I have no idea when they have time to practice these things but it was a very fluid match from start to finish. There was a little wasted time but generally they stayed on point and overall it was a very good match. Score: 7.0
AJ Styles vs. Hirooki Goto
Styles and Goto circle each other to start, tie-up, waistlock by Goto and they trade holds, but Goto gets into the ropes. Styles goes for Goto’s leg and Styles applies a leg lock, Goto reverses it but Styles gets into the ropes. Tie-up, side headlock by Styles and he takes down Goto, but Goto applies a headscissors. Cover by Goto but it only gets two and Styles rolls out of the ring. Styles gets back in, kick by Goto and he applies a side headlock. Styles tries to Irish whip out of it but Goto keeps the hold applied. Styles Irish whips out of it but Goto hits a shoulderblock. Goto goes for an elbow drop but Styles rolls out of the way. Irish whip by Styles to the corner, reversed, Goto goes for a suplex but Styles lands on his feet. Styles goes for a splash but Goto moves out of the way and hits a hiptoss. Elbow smash to the side of the head by Goto and Styles gets out of the ring to re-group. Goto chases Styles but Styles snaps Goto’s neck over the top rope. Slingshot elbow drop by Styles, he picks up Goto and he hits a vertical suplex. Styles picks up Goto and throws him into the corner and Styles hits a shoulderblock. Styles picks up Goto and throws him into the corner, and a running elbow in the corner. Cover by Styles, but it gets a two count. Styles grabs Goto’s legs and kicks him in the stomach before applying the Muta Lock. Goto gets into the ropes to force a break, Styles picks up Goto and elbows Goto in the back of the head. Chops by Goto and the two trade elbows, Goto goes off the ropes but Styles drops him with a dropkick. Styles applies a reverse chinlock into a side headlock, Goto elbows out of it but Styles delivers a high kick. Another kick by Styles but Goto returns to his feet, elbows and chops by Styles and he goes off the ropes but Goto does as well and hits a lariat. Goto elbows Styles into the corner, Irish whip, and Goto hits a jumping heel kick. Backdrop suplex by Goto, cover, but it gets two. Goto picks up Styles and puts him on his shoulders, but Styles elbows out of it and hits a facebuster. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Styles picks up Goto and goes for the Styles Clash but Goto blocks it. Styles clubs Goto in the back and chops Goto in the corner, Styles puts Goto up on the top turnbuckle and joins him, but Goto elbows him off. Styles gets back up there and goes for a superplex but Goto elbows him and hits the Kaiten. Cover by Goto but Styles gets a shoulder up. Goto picks up Styles and goes for the Shouten but Styles lands on his feet and hits a Pele Kick. Styles elbows Goto, he goes off the ropes, Goto goes for a lariat but Styles ducks it and hits a strike combination. Styles goes off the ropes but Goto catches him and hits a fireman’s carry slam on his knee. Goto goes for a Shouten but Styles blocks it and hits the Bloody Sunday. Styles picks up Goto and drops him with the Styles Clash, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: AJ Styles
Match Thoughts: A little slow in the middle but not bad. Goto busting out the Kaiten was nice since after watching these wrestlers so many days in a row I appreciate when someone does something different. The end stretch was really good, I just wish the middle portion had a bit more focus as not a whole lot happened but they had really good chemistry together. Solid match. Score: 6.0
Bad Luck Fale vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Fale and Tanahashi circle each other, tie-up, Fale pushes Tanahashi into the ropes and goes for a lariat but Tanahashi ducks it. Fale lands in the ropes, Tanahashi goes to give a clean break but Fale shoves him back. Fale asks Tanahashi to lock knuckles, Tanahashi does and Fale gets Tanahashi to his knees. Hammerlock by Tanahashi and he applies a side headlock, Fale Irish whips out of it and they collide with no result. Fale goes off the ropes, drop toehold by Tanahashi and he dropkicks Fale while he is on the mat. Tanahashi stands on Fale’s back near the ropes, and Fale rolls out of the ring. Tanahashi goes to the ropes but Fale pulls him out of the ring and punches Tanahashi against the guardrail. Fale Irish whips Tanahashi into the guardrail and hits a lariat. Fale picks up Tanahashi and slides him back into the ring, he gets in the ring as well and he stands on Tanahashi’s back using the ropes for leverage. Fale then stands on Tanahashi’s chest, he picks up Tanahashi and hits a scoop slam. Cover, but it only gets a two. Fale pulls on Tanahashi by the hair and twists on his head, then he elbow drops Tanahashi in the back. Fale drops another elbow onto Tanahashi’s back and he applies a camel clutch. Fale releases the hold and covers Tanahashi, but it gets a two count. Fale picks up Tanahashi but Tanahashi punches him, but Fale clubs Tanahashi to the mat. Fale throws Tanahashi into the corner, punches by Fale and he clubs Tanahashi in the corner. Fale chokes Tanahashi with his boot, Irish whip, Fale charges Tanahashi but Tanahashi moves. Tanahashi punches Fale in the stomach, uppercut by Tanahashi, Irish whip, reversed, and Tanahashi dropkicks Fale in the knee. Dragon screw leg whip by Tanahashi and he punches Fale, he goes for a slam but Fale blocks it. Fale picks up Tanahashi but Tanahashi gets down his back and hits a Final Cut. Cover, but it gets a two count. Tanahashi waits for Fale to get up and goes off the ropes, but Fale shoulderblocks him down. Fale waits for Tanahashi to get up and Fale hits a body avalanche. Body press by Fale, cover, but it gets a two count. Fale waits for Tanahashi again and goes for the Grenade, but Tanahashi blocks it and slaps Fale. Tanahashi goes off the ropes but Fale throws him out of the ring, Tanahashi skins the cat and gets Fale around the neck, pulling Fale out of the ring. Tanahashi goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a plancha down to the floor. Tanahashi picks up Fale and slides him back into the ring, waistlock by Tanahashi but Fale elbows him off. Tanahashi goes off the ropes and he hits a Sling Blade. Tanahashi goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the High Fly Flow, but Fale gets Tanahashi around the neck and hits the Grenade. Cover, but Tanahashi gets a shoulder up. Fale picks up Tanahashi and gets Tanahashi up, but Tanahashi slides down his back. Fale hits a Samoan Drop, he picks up Tanahashi and nails the Bad Luck Fall. Cover, and he gets the three count. Your winner: Bad Luck Fale
Match Thoughts: This wasn’t bad. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t the worst Fale match I have seen. Tanahashi’s effort here was A+, he got all that anyone can get out of Fale. My major complaint is the spot where the High Fly Flow turned into a choke, it was just really stupid. I mean he basically no-sold the move that Tanahashi has used to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, I am not sure who thought that was a good idea. Besides that it was a fine match but very skippable. Score: 5.0
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma
Tie-up, Honma pushes Nakamura into the ropes, Nakamura switches positions with him but Honma chops him back. Irish whip by Honma and he hits a back elbow. Scoop slam by Honma but Nakamura gets back up, and Honma hits another scoop slam. Nakamura avoids the falling headbutt, kick by Honma and he hits a shoulderblock. Nakamura lands on the apron, he goes down to the floor and pulls Honma’s head over the apron so he can hit a kneelift to the chest. Nakamura then goes up to the apron and drops a knee on the back of Honma’s head. Nakamura slides Honma back into the ring and returns as well, and he toys with Honma. Honma chops Nakamura but Nakamura kicks Honma in the chest. Snapmare by Nakamura and he hits a kneedrop. Cover, but it only gets a two. Kneedrop by Nakamura, he picks up Honma and hits a knee. Knees by Nakamura in the corner, he gets a running start but Honma is up and hits a lariat on Nakamura. Chops by Honma, Irish whip to the corner and Honma hits a jumping elbow smash followed by a face crusher. Falling headbutt by Honma, cover, but it gets a two. Honma picks up Nakamura but Nakamura knees him and connects with a spinning heel kick. Nakamura kicks Honma in the chest, Honma catches one but Nakamura hits a heel kick. Nakamura puts Honma up in the corner and delivers a running knee to the midsection. Cover, but it only gets a two count. Nakamura picks up Honma and applies a front facelock, he goes for the inverted powerslam but Honma blocks it and hits a DDT. Neckbreaker by Honma, he picks up Nakamura and he hits a piledriver. Cover, but it gets two. Honma picks up Nakamura and goes for a slam but Nakamura gets away and applies a sleeper. Backstabber by Nakamura, he picks up Honma and hits an inverted powerslam. Nakamura waits for Honma to get up but Honma hits a jumping shoulderblock. Honma picks up Nakamura and drops him with a brainbuster. Cover, but Nakamura gets a shoulder up. Honma goes up to the top turnbuckle but Nakamura moves out of the way of the falling headbutt. Nakamura picks up Honma and they trade elbows, headbutt by Honma and he charges Nakamura in the corner, but Nakamura boots him back. Punch by Nakamura and he hits a jumping knee of the second turnbuckle. Nakamura waits for Honma to get to his knees and charges him, but Honma rolls him up for a two count. Honma is up first, he picks up Nakamura and hits a headbutt, but Nakamura hits a jumping kick. Boma Ye by Nakamura, cover, but Honma barely kicks up. Honma gets to his feet but Nakamura promptly hits another Boma Ye, cover, and he gets the three count. Your winner: Shinsuke Nakamura
Match Thoughts: Sometimes I think that the crowd makes Honma matches seem better than they actually are, but this was certainly a very fun match. The near falls were really well done and it felt a few times like Honma may actually be pulling off the upset. Nakamura is going to make it less special when people kick out of the Boma Ye though if everyone is doing it. The strikes were on point, the drama was there, and Nakamura was more serious than goofy. Overall a really entertaining match. Score: 7.5
Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito
They circle each other to start, tie-up, waistlock by Naito and he applies a wristlock, Okada rolls out of it and applies a hammerlock, but Naito gets into the ropes. Irish whip by Okada and Naito eventually hits a dropkick. Snapmare by Naito and he applies a reverse chinlock, he applies a side headlock and Naito elbows Okada into the corner. Okada elbows him back, kicks by Naito but Okada puts him onto the top turnbuckle and dropkicks him out of the ring to the floor. Okada goes out after Naito and twists his neck in the guardrail. Okada picks up Naito and slides him back into the ring, scoop slam by Naito in front of the ropes and he hits a slingshot senton. Cover by Okada, but it gets a two count. Okada picks up Naito and throws him into the corner, stomps by Okada but Naito punches him back. Knee by Okada, snapmare, he goes off the ropes and delivers a sliding kick. Okada picks up Naito and he hits a snap DDT. Cover, but it gets a two count. Okada throws Naito into the corner, elbows by Okada, Irish whip, but Naito moves when Okada charges in. Okada kicks Naito back but Naito puts Okada’s legs in the ropes and he hits a neckbreaker. Irish whip by Okada, hiptoss by Naito and he delivers a dropkick. Snapmare by Naito and he hits a senton, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Naito goes for his slingshot dropkick in the corner, but Okada catches him and hits a Schwein onto his knee. Scoop slam by Okada, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving elbow drop. Okada picks up Naito and goes for the Rainmaker, but Naito ducks it. Tornado DDT by Naito off the ropes, he waits for Okada to get up and kicks Okada in the corner. Slingshot dropkick by Naito, he puts Okada up on the top turnbuckle, hitting a Frankensteiner. Naito picks up Okada and he hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Naito picks up Okada but Okada elbows him off, Irish whip by Naito, reversed, but Okada ducks Naito’s attack and dropkicks Naito in the back of the head. Okada picks up Naito and he hits a tombstone piledriver. Okada picks up Naito and goes for the Rainmaker, Naito blocks it but Okada elbows him off. Enzigieri by Naito and he hits a release tiger suplex. Naito and Okada trade elbows, Irish whip by Okada, reversed, and Naito hits a jumping elbow smash. Naito goes off the ropes but Okada catches him with a dropkick. Okada picks up Naito and goes for the Rainmaker but Naito ducks it and hits a uranage. Naito kicks Okada on the side of the head, scoop slam by Naito and he goes up to the top turnbuckle. Stardust Press by Naito, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Tetsuya Naito
Match Thoughts: A step down from the last match but I enjoyed it. It had a great ‘big match’ feel which main events should and helped elevate it a bit from the average G1 Climax match. Both wrestlers were pulling out all the stops, and I liked that Naito was able to avoid the Rainmaker (which he knew would beat him) again and again until he finally got Okada down. From start to finish just a logical and well-paced match, Naito’s offense is a bit light at times but Okada makes up for it and them busting out different moves makes watching these matches back to back to back less repetitive. Score: 7.0
Current Standings:
| Block A: | Block B: |
|---|---|
|
Shelton Benjamin [8] Bad Luck Fale [6] Hiroshi Tanahashi [6] Katsuyori Shibata [6] Shinsuke Nakamura [6] Tomohiro Ishii [6] Davey Boy Smith Jr. [4] Satoshi Kojima [4] Doc Gallows [2] Yuji Nagata [2] Tomoaki Honma [0] |
Tetsuya Naito [8] Hirooki Goto [6] Kazuchika Okada [6] Toru Yano [6] AJ Styles [4] Hiroyoshi Tenzan [4] Lance Archer [4] Minoru Suzuki [4] Togi Makabe [4] Karl Anderson [2] Yujiro Takahashi [2] |
Final Thoughts:
Best Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tomoaki Honma. There really wasn’t a match on this event that screamed “THIS IS THE BEST MATCH!” but I have to give Honma/Nakamura the nod. The crowd loving it really helps, I’ve always said a really vocal crowd can make a bad match seem good and a good match seem great. But there were a lot of nearfalls and it was exciting throughout. I had my doubts about Honma being able to stay relevant all the way through the tournament but so far, so good.
MVP: Tomoaki Honma. As long as Honma keeps the crowd, which at this point I don’t doubt that he will, he will make at least one match on every card at least somewhat memorable. I mean the crowd loves him, and every near fall he gets has such a loud reaction because everyone is wondering if he will get any wins in this tournament. If they were smart they’d wait until the last day to give him a win, that way his G1 Climax would end on a high note and the crowd will no doubt go bonkers for it. He will never be at the top of the New Japan ladder, but he is one of the most entertaining wrestlers right now in New Japan.
Overall: This was a really, really solid day of action. There were a slew of good to great matches with not a lot of bad, my only complaint is that there wasn’t really a stand-out match and I doubt any of these matches will end up in the Top 5 for the whole tournament. But from the opener to the main event there was a lot of entertainment here, and it is one of the most complete cards of the tournament even if it didn’t have that one special must-see match.
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TV 1996-08-20 (match taped from “The Doctor is In” 1996-08-03 at ECW Arena in Philadelphia, PA)
World: Raven
TV: Shane Douglas
Tag Team: Gangstas
We open with brief footage of the Gangstas and Eliminators match from the Doctor is In.
New Jack is backstage and he calmly talks about his nephew being shot and killed by a stray bullet. This is what put him on his quest to win the tag team titles so he could get his family out of the projects. This was a surprisingly decent promo. A video package plays of the feud between the Gangstas and Eliminators with the Gangstas theme song playing over with the music video edited in. Back to New Jack who talks about needing to win the titles to get his nephew a tombstone.
Opening Video
Joey Styles welcomes us to the show and tells us that the Gangstas will take on the Eliminators in a cage match with weapons in each corner this Saturday night. Coming up tonight it’s the story of Pitbull 1 and this Friday is a Pitbull tribute show.
TV Champion “The Franchise” Shane Douglas and Francine are backstage for an ECW Fan Cam interview. Douglas says that on Friday night they will not be at the Requiem for a Pitbull show. Douglas says there is no reason to honor someone that already gets the best parking spot at the mall and qualifies for the Special Olympics. Douglas compares Pitbull to Magnum TA as two guys that weren’t tough enough to stick it out.
After the commercial break Joey brings us to a very short video package of the feud between Douglas and Pitbull 2 with “Thunderkiss 65” playing over it. We then get the interview with the Pitbulls and match between Pitbull 2 and Douglas from The Doctor is In.
“Misirlou” promo time. Pitbull 2 tells Pitbull 1 he wishes it was him hurt. Shane Douglas and Francine are in a limo and Shane talks about being better then everyone. Brian Lee talks trash about Tommy Dreamer. Terry Gordy threatens to kick Lee’s ass. Taz threatens Tommy. Buh Buh Ray Dudley threatens D-Von. Kiss looks for a ride. New Jack says he’s coming home with some money for his mom he gets attacked by the Eliminators and they steal the belts and cash that New Jack has.
My thoughts on the show…
Thumbs up good New Jack interview to start off the show and one of the few matches I liked from The Doctor is In show.
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ECW “Requiem for a Pitbull” 1996-08-23 at Bodyslam Arena in Reading, PA)
World: Raven
TV: Shane Douglas
Tag Team: Gangstas
Bill Alfonso comes out and says he was paid $1000 by “The Franchise” Shane Douglas to put a stop to the show. Alfonso tries to kick everyone out of the building. Tod Gordon shows up and gives Alfonso a 5 count to leave. Alfonso slaps him so Gordon tackles him and they brawl. Some wrestlers come from the back to break them apart. Taz comes down and german suplexes everyone. He locks in the tazmission on Gordon until Sandman makes the save with his cane. More wrestlers come in and break those two up.
Stevie Richards and crew come out as the Jackson 5. Super Nova dressed as a more current MJ. Nova says something in his best Michael voice and they all dance to “ABC”.. My God I fucking love these guys. Nova then gets a solo dance to “Billie Jean”. Sandman comes out and ruins the whole thing. Dickwad. Raven comes out and chop blocks Sandman. Missy Hyatt hits the ring to try and help out and out comes Lori Fullington to attack her. A bunch of refs come out and break them up and we then get ring introductions for;
World Champion Raven & Lori Fullington (w/ The Jackson 5 & Tyler Fullington) vs. Sandman & Missy Hyatt ref Jim Molineaux
Damien Kane and Lady Alexandra hit the ring and say they should be in the match. Missy slaps him Sandman canes him and the two girls brawl. Sandman pulls Alexandra off of Missy and puts her out of the ring. Lori goes for the pin on Missy and gets a 2 count as I guess the match has started. No because now we get a bell. Sandman hits a DDT on Raven and gets the win in .10. Big bullshit chant from the fans. Sandman calls Raven back to the ring to get his belt which he had left behind. They talk some shit and no one is into this at all as they are still pissed off by the finish. Blue Meanie and Super Nova come out. Sandman keeps them out of the ring with his cane. Raven finally comes down with Tyler and Lori and he goes after Sandman. Sandman canes him and he bails.
Super Nova (w/Stevie Richards & Blue Meanie) vs. Hack Meyers ref John Finnegan
Nova uses Billie Jean as his entrance song. Meyers beats the crap out of Joel Gertner. Nova jumps out of the ring and tries to get on the mic but its not turned on so Hack chases him. After a few minutes of nothing much happening Hack gets a 2 count from a powerbomb. Nova gets back in control. Hack fights back hits the leg drop from the apron and then finishes it off in 5.04 with his top rope knee driver. Stevie and Nova argue and then they hug.
European Junior Heavyweight Champion Mikey Whipwreck vs. Little Guido (w/ JT Smith & Sal Bellomo) ref John Finnegan
Smith tells Mikey to just hand over the title and Mikey tells him to kiss his ass. Some back and forth for the first 3 minutes. Mikey dumps Guido and then slingshot planchas onto the FBI on the floor. Mikey comes back into the ring with a top rope clothesline for 2. Back body drop gets another 2. Guido reverses an irish whip and Smith trips up Mikey. Guido beats on Mikey for a bit and he attempts a few comebacks but keeps getting cut off. Side slam by Guido and then he taunts the crowd. Guido goes up top but Mikey cuts him off. Mikey goes up top for a superrana but instead jumps out of the ring and gives Smith a flying rana! Super bulldog back into the ring and Mikey wins in 7.10.
Buh Buh Ray Dudley (w/ Sign Guy Dudley) vs. Louie Spicolli ref John “Pee Wee” Moore
Some back and forth chain wrestling to start Buh Buh with a monkey flip but he charges at Spicolli and he pulls down the rope and Buh Buh falls to the floor. Spicolli goes out after him and slams him into the ring post a few times. Spicolli with a enzguri back in the ring and he puts on a chin lock. Buh Buh fights out and gets an avalanche in the corner followed by a bossman slam for two. Buh Buh bomb but D-Von Dudley and Axl Rotten come down and attack Sign Guy. Buh Buh comes outside the ring to help him but they get the better of him. Spicolli in the ring with a small package for the win in 5.31. After Buh Buh gets the upper hand on all three men for a bit but they prove to be to much for him. Sign Guy brings out Big Dick Dudley. Dick chokeslams Spicolli and Axl. D-Von of course gets away.
Tag Team Champions The Gangstas vs. Samoan Gangsta Party ref Jim Molineaux
As one would imagine New Jack and Mustafa hit the ring and a huge brawl breaks out for the next 5.15, when New Jack gets the pin after the running powerslam / 187 chairshot combo.
Eliminators vs. Tommy Dreamer & Terry “Bamm Bamm” Gordy (w/ Beulah) ref John Finnegan
Gordy starts off with Saturn. Gordy catches two Saturn kicks and leg whips him. On the third Saturn hits an enziguri and tags out. The same thing happens to Kronus and the Eliminators both drop to the floor. Back in the ring Dreamer tags in and gets the upper hand on Kronus with a powerslam for 2. Saturn from the apron clotheslines Dreamer and Kronus tags him in. Saturn hits a spin kick and tags back to Kronus. Pump handle fall away slam by Kronus gets 2. Saturn back in he gets Dreamer with a sloppy cross body and top rope leg drop for 2 and tags back out. Kronus tosses Tommy to the floor and Saturn throws him into the guard rail. The Eliminators tag on a few a bit and Dreamer makes a small comeback and is able to make the tag. All four men in the ring with Dreamer and Gordy having the upper hand. They seem to be moving in slow motion tonight. They all brawl to the floor and into the crowd. Back in the ring Gordy hits a power bomb on Kronus but Saturn breaks up the pin. Spinning neck breaker by Saturn on Dreamer for 2. Saturn flies across the whole ring with a top rope headbutt for 2. Awesome distances on the jump. Saturn misses a top rope moonsault and Dreamer hits a DDT for the win in 12.27. I smile as it means “Freebird” will play again.
“El Puerto Ricano” Pablo Marquez vs. “Primetime” Brian Lee ref John “Pee Wee” Moore
Lee hits the ring and attacks immediately. He hits a big boot and catches Marquez by the throat coming over the top with a chokeslam for the pin in .39. After the match Lee chokeslams Marquez out of the ring through a table at ringside.
Rob Van Dam comes out followed by Tommy Dreamer with Beulah and Pitbull 1. Dreamer gets on the mic and talks about Pitbull 1 a bit and then tells Van Dam he’s here to fight him. Van Dam tells Dreamer that he respects him and goes to shake his hand. Van Dam instead spin kicks Dreamer in the jaw and we get…
Rob Van Dam vs. Tommy Dreamer (w/ Beulah & Pitbull 1) ref Jim Molineaux
After that kick they spill right to the floor and into the crowd where Dreamer gains control. Back in the ring Van Dam gets control and leaps onto the top rope but can’t keep his balance and has to leap into the crowd basically taking out someone. Back in the ring he puts a chair on top of Tommy then rolls around the ring and leg drops it. Frog splash for 2 and they go back to the floor. Back in the ring Van Dam comes off the top rope with a flying kick. A standing moonsault gets 2. Monkey flip onto a chair and then a somersault legdrop for 2. Van Dam misses a split legged moonsault and Dreamer with a pile driver on a chair. Francine comes out and goes after Pitbull. Dreamer grabs her and TV Champion “Franchise” Shane Douglas comes from behind and hits Dreamer with the belt. Van Dam hits a spin kick and covers for the win in 7.50. After the match Beulah gets on the mic and calls Francine back to the ring. Douglas holds her back and they leave.
Pitbull quickly gets on the mic and thanks everyone for coming to support him.
My thoughts on the show…
Well my first thought on this show is where the fuck was Pitbull 2!! There was a fundraiser show for your partner and you don’t show up??? The Jackson 5 stuff was awesome. The rest of this show was garbage. Thumbs down.
– It appears that the new stable with Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E may have already been dropped. There has been no mention of the group in the past couple of weeks, and Big E was back to being a babyface and getting squashed by Rusev on last night’s episode of SmackDown. There was no mention of Woods or Kingston during the match. Kingston has also been working as a face during the WWE tour in Australia this week.
– In light of news of Alberto Del Rio being released by WWE on Thursday “due to unprofessional conduct and an altercation with an employee,” it has been disclosed that Divas Champion AJ Lee was almost fired last year for similar behavior.
During filming of WWE’s Tribute to the Troops event on December 11, 2013 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Pierce County, Washington, Lee’s relationship with CM Punk became a story when the WWE Diva confronted NBC Sports personality Michelle Beadle after Beadle had spoken to him. Beadle and Punk had been acquainted long before Lee’s relationship with Punk began.
As Beadle wrote on Twitter on December 15, 2013, “I’ve known CM Punk for years. Considered him a friend. When I saw him at the arena, I said ‘hey f&$?face’. The exact same way I talk to everyone. His girlfriend was no where near this. And I kept walking along with my assistant and two members of WWE PR. Next thing I know, I’m being yelled at.”
The person yelling at Beadle was Lee. The NBC presenter continued, “I honestly thought it was a joke. Period. The event went on and it was amazing. So I hope we can move on from this ridiculously lame ‘story.’ As for the crazies, BLOCKED! And Happy freaking Holidays!!!”
Shortly after WWE announced that Del Rio was let go “due to unprofessional conduct and an altercation with an employee,” Ring of Honor founder and RF Video owner Rob Feinstein claimed that Del Rio slapped a member of WWE’s social media team at a television taping this week. This claim was backed up by both F4WOnline.com and PWInsider.com. Then, as members of the F4WOnline.com message board were discussing Del Rio’s termination and speculating which WWE employee was on the receiving end of his slap, Wrestling Observer editor Dave Meltzer remarked “Cody Barbierri.”
On LinkedIn and Twitter, Barbierri identifies himself as WWE’s manager of social media live events. Though not identified by name, F4WOnline.com’s updated story on Del Rio’s termination says the altercation involved the company’s social media manager. According to the website, WWE’s social media manager was supposedly asked to wipe his plate clean following a meal in catering. He allegedly joked that it was Del Rio’s job to clean the plate, which could be perceived as racist by Hispanic people. Del Rio was informed of the comment, and confronted him. The individual did not apologize for his remark and then smiled at him. Fuming, Del Rio slapped him.
Meltzer addressed the matter again on the F4WOnline.com message board in response to a user comparing it to Lee’s outburst at Beadle. He revealed that WWE officials had decided to terminate her contract over her unprofessional conduct, but were overruled by Vince McMahon.
“A.J. wasn’t safe at all,” Meltzer wrote. “There was a reason she wasn’t fired and it had nothing to do with Punk being her boyfriend nor how good a performer she was, although her star power did play into it.”
He continued, “The decision was made to fire her but Vince overruled it because he saw the big picture. It’s very complicated, but in that issue, Vince was savvy way beyond those underneath him and saw what would happen long-term and made the big picture smart call. If that happened now, the situation would be the same and she wouldn’t be fired for the same reason. Her being fired for that specific incident would have caused a chain of events to happen next that Vince thought would do the company more harm than good. There is no guarantee he was right in how he thought it would play out but it was far more foresight than is usually exhibited in these situations.”
One month later, in his final interview before leaving WWE, Punk offered his take on the situation to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani: “A bunch of horses–t. I don’t know what a lie was. I thought me and Beadle were pals. She had this group of women and they walked past me and she said some disrespectful s–t and I was just like ‘whoa’. My girlfriend pulled her aside in front of this same group of people and was like, and she introduced herself, and she was like ‘Don’t be disrespectful to my boyfriend’ and Beadle just went ‘okay’, and walked away and that was it. … She walked by and said ‘what’s up f–k-face’ and high-fived one of the girls.”
In May, Beadle appeared as a guest on The Ross Report podcast with WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross and she went into great detail on what happened that night, the fallout, and how she feels about it: “Usually when things like this happen I try to ignore them. I just think, ‘okay, crap happens, the world will never know, blah, blah, blah’. But then, you know, I went to Tribute to the Troops and was honored to be asked to be a part of it by WWE and got to do a thing in the ring with John Cena and a couple things there. The back story… the thing about it is is social media is so whacked. All that stuff came out and it was ‘oh, you were flirting’. Look: First of all, when I’m flirting people will know I’m flirting. I’ve also known Phil for a few years at this point and I had, at that time, considered him a friend. We texted on a regular basis, we’ve had dinner numerous times; it’s just one of those things where he’s not my friend, whatever. It was what it was. I thought it was a friendship, I guess I was wrong.
“But I show up at Tribute to the Troops, I see him in the hallway, I say ‘what up, f-face’, which is my very loving way of referring to my friends. Like, I don’t call my friends… I just… I’m an idiot. I call them all kinds of names, that’s how you know I like you. He was alone in a hallway, he didn’t really say anything. I was with P.R. from WWE and my assistant and we walked by. The next thing I know, she’s in my face yelling at me and I honestly, I swear to you, thought it was a joke. I thought I was being set up for like a ‘ha ha ha’. And I looked up at him and he wouldn’t look at me and he kept his back to us and she kept going and I just was blown away. So that was kind of it. I thought, ‘all right, no big deal’. WWE was apologetic to me on site and I just said ‘it’s not your problem, people are who they are’ and that was it. I thought it had died but when I got home like that following week it hit all the blogs and all the wrestling peeps had all this information and that’s when I finally… I issued like a three part tweet just to say my side of the story because it was getting really old (hearing) that I was trying to take someone’s man or whatever high school crap people want to say.
“So, that’s all. And, you know, Phil and I stopped being friends that day and I wish him the best of luck and that’s it. It’s a bummer because I always respected him. I thought he was one of those cool guys that kind of didn’t fall into a certain role and kind of did what he wanted but to watch all that happen and to have somebody tattle on me and have their girlfriend get in my face is a little pathetic. But it’s okay, I’ve moved on.”
Scott Steiner was on hand for the San Diego Comic-Con, where he briefly spoke out on his career and action figures. During an interview with Ringside Collectibles, “Big Poppa Pump” was asked if there’s any chance of him signing a WWE Legends deal—it enables WWE to create new merchandise in the talent’s likeness, with the talent being compensated.
“Well, I’ve been asked for a Legends contract,” said Steiner. “Unfortunately, my lawyer explained to me that it’s not worth the paper it’s written on.”
WWE has promoted Steiner on a product as he is a playable character in WWE 2K14. Video game deals with former talent, however, are separate from WWE Legends contracts.
WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart has also declined the Legends deal, and has no desire to sign one. He prefers to be “good friends” with WWE since he does not want to be owned by Vince McMahon’s sports-entertainment empire.
“I think I’m one of the few guys that doesn’t because—these Legends contracts sound great, but they own your soul. It’s like signing your life to the devil,” Hart told radio station 680 News in Toronto last summer. “I’m Bret ‘the Hitman’ Hart and I don’t want to give WWE my name.”
Hart continued: “It took me fourteen years of hard labor to own the rights to my name. That was one of the conditions when I left. To go back now and just give it to them – I’m doing fine with it on my own. I don’t like to be owned by WWE; I like to be good friends with them.”
