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Fighting Spirit Review: ZERO1/Tonkotsu Big Fireworks on 3/21/14

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Date: March 21st, 2014
Location: Fukuoka, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown

My real love in Puroresu, to be honest, is small weird Indy promotions. While there haven’t really been any events from 2014 that fit that description yet to make video, this is the closest that we have had so far. It does have some name people but it also has some wrestlers I have never heard of and has an “Electric Chair” Death Match that just sounds fascinating. Here is the full card:

– Jason Lee vs. Mineo Fujita
– Asosan, Junji Tanaka, Kitai Kubo, and The Atchee vs. Hideki Hosaka, Ichiro Yaguchi, Kenichi Fuji, and Yasu Uike
– Daemon Ueda, KAMIKAZE, and Sugawara vs. Hidaka, Masato Tanaka, and Omatayuuchaku
– Daichi Hashimoto and Kazuki Hashimoto vs. Kohei Sato and Yoshikazu Yokoyama
ZERO1 World Heavyweight Championship: James Raideen vs. Ryouji Sai
– No Ropes Barbed Wire Big Blast Electric Chair Death Match: Atsushi Onita and Shinjiro Otani vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Yoshihiro Takayama

Onto the matches!

Jason Lee vs. Mineo Fujita

They circle each other to start, waistlock by Fujita but Lee reverses it into a wristlock. Fujita reverses it back, hammerlock by Lee but Fujita hits a snapmare. They trade moves ending with a Fujita headscissors, but Lee gets out of it and both men return to their feet. Kick by Fujita, Irish whip, reversed, trip by Lee and he goes to a praying position, which confuses Fujita. Armdrag by Lee and he hits a dropkick. Lee picks up Fujita but Fujita hits him low and delivers a dropkick. Lee falls out of the ring and Fujita sails out onto him with a tope con giro, hitting his legs hard into the guard rail in the process. He gets back up anyway and throws Lee back into the ring, Fujita gets on the apron and hits a slingshot doublestomp. Cover, but it gets a two count. Fujita picks up Lee and hits a scoop slam, he goes off the ropes and delivers a leg drop. Cover, but again it gets two. Fujita picks up Lee but Lee elbows him back and the two trade elbows. Back fist by Lee but Fujita kicks Lee low as he falls to the mat, possibly on purpose. Fujita picks up Lee, Irish whip to the corner but Lee kicks Fujita back. Lee goes off the ropes and hits an enzigieri. Punch combination by Lee in the corner, he goes off the ropes but Fujita catches him with an atomic drop. Fujita goes off the ropes but Lee hits a dropkick, cover, but it gets a two count. Back up, Fujita avoids Lee’s strikes and dropkicks him to the mat. Fujita goes off the ropes and kicks Lee in the back, cover, but it gets a two count. Fujita picks up Lee and puts him on his shoulders but Lee rolls him up for a two count. Irish whip by Fujita but Lee hits a tornado DDT. La Magistral by Lee, but it gets a two count. Superkick by Lee and he nails the Game of Death for the three count cover. Your winner: Jason Lee

Match Thoughts: A really basic opening match (lots of dropkicks), but generally not offensive. I hadn’t seen Fujita in a while, doesn’t seem like his career has progressed since last time I did see him however. Lee came down with some belts so I guess he was the ‘better’ wrestler going in, and he did dominate the match when Fujita wasn’t connecting with his groin-based offense. Not much to it but nothing actively bad either. Score: 4.5

 

Asosan, Tanaka, Kitai Kubo, and The Atchee vs. Hosaka, Yaguchi, Fujii, and Yasu Uike

Asosan and Yaguchi start things off. Side headlock by Yaguchi, Asosan Irish whips out of it but Yaguchi shoulderblocks him down. Snapmare by Yaguchi and he applies a reverse chinlock. Back up, Yaguchi drives Asosan back and tags in Fujii. Elbows by Fujii but Asosan returns fire. They trade chops and elbows, knee by Asosan and he tags in The Atchee. Clubs to the back by The Atchee, Irish whip, and The Atchee hits a back elbow. Stomp by The Atchee, he picks up Fujii and hits a scoop slam. Reverse chinlock by The Atchee and he clubs Fujii in the back. Fujii goes off the ropes and elbows The Atchee to the mat, he picks him up and tags in Hosaka. Irish whip by Hosaka and he elbows The Atchee in the chest. Cover, but it gets a two count. The Atchee drives back The Atchee and tags in Kubo, elbows by Kubo but Hosaka elbows him back and the two trade shots. Chops by Hosaka, Kubo grabs him by the nuts and tags in Tanaka. Elbows by Tanaka, Irish whip, and he hits a back elbow. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hosaka tags in Uike, Uike kicks Tanaka in the stomach and chest, cover but it gets a two count. Uike applies a reverse chinlock and he applies an armbar. Uike tags in Hosaka, Hosaka kicks Tanaka and he hits a vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hosaka tags in Yaguchi, and Yaguchi stomps down Tanaka in the corner. Yaguchi picks up Tanaka, Irish whip, and Yaguchi elbows Tanaka in the chest. Yaguchi elbows his opponents off the apron and he hits a knee drop to Tanaka. Cover, but it gets a two count. Yaguchi picks up Tanaka and applies a double underhook, hitting a butterfly suplex. Cover by Yaguchi, but it only gets two. Yaguchi picks up Tanaka and tags in Fujii, elbows by Fujii to Tanaka and he tags in Hosaka. Double Irish whip to Tanaka and they hit him with a double elbow strike. Hosaka scoop slams Tanaka to the mat, cover, but it gets a two count. Hosaka picks up Tanaka, Tanaka fights back but Hosaka rakes Tanaka in the eyes. Hosaka picks up Tanaka and he tags in Yaguchi. Yaguchi picks up Tanaka and he hits a headbutt. Another headbutt by Yaguchi and he chokes Tanaka with his boot, he picks up Tanaka but Tanaka elbows him back.

Yaguchi knocks Tanaka to the mat and tags in Fujii. Fujii picks up Tanaka and stands on Tanaka by the ropes. Fujii picks up Tanaka and throws him into the corner, tagging in Hosaka. Hosaka chops Tanaka into the corner and he hits a vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hosaka tags in Yaguchi and Yaguchi knocks his opponents off the apron. Yaguchi picks up Tanaka and chops him in the corner, Irish whip, and he hits a lariat. Uike comes in the ring next and he hits a jumping knee on Tanaka. Kicks by Uike and he connects with a kick to the side of Tanaka’s head, cover, but it gets two. Uike waits for Tanaka to get up but Tanaka catches his kick and applies a crab hold. Fujii quickly breaks it up and Uike tags in Yaguchi, Yaguchi comes off the ropes but Tanaka catches him with a pair of kicks and tags in Asosan. Asosan hits a lariat onto Yaguchi, Irish whip to the corner, reversed, but Asosan kicks Yaguchi as he charges in and delivers a dropkick. Asosan’s teammates come into the ring, Yaguchi is snapmared to the mat and everyone hits falling strikes on Yaguchi ending with an Asosan senton. Cover, but it gets a two count. Kubo is tagged in, he goes off the ropes and he dropkicks Yaguchi in the knee. Shining Wizard by Kubo, cover, but it gets a two count. Spinning heel kick by Yaguchi and he tags in Hosaka as Kubo tags in Tanaka. Hosaka dropkicks Tanaka and he tags in Fujii. Fujii comes in the ring with his teammates and they all hit running strikes on Tanaka in the corner. Scoop slam by Hosaka to Tanaka and Fujii hits an elbow drop. Another elbow drop by Fujii, cover, but it gets a two count. Fujii and Hosaka pick up Tanaka and they hit a double vertical suplex. Cover by Fujii, but Asosan breaks it up. Fujii grabs Tanaka but Tanaka snaps off a backdrop suplex. Cover, but it gets two. Tanaka picks up Fujii, he puts him onto his shoulders and hits a Samoan Drop. Tanaka goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving headbutt. Cover by Tanaka, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: Asosan, Junji Tanaka, Kitai Kubo, and The Atchee

Match Thoughts: A pretty blah affair. None of these guys are particularly good wrestlers (as far as I am aware) and this match kinda showed that. Pretty basic match with lots of strikes and not overly exciting offense. It isn’t the worst match I have seen but certainly was dull as hell. Score: 3.5

 

Ueda, KAMIKAZE, and Sugawara vs. Hidaka, Tanaka, and Omatayuuchaku

They brawl to start the match and go outside of the ring, fighting at ringside and into the crowd. Tanaka pairs up with KAMIKAZE as Omatayuuchaku and Ueda get back into the ring. Omatayuuchaku and Ueda trade elbows, Omatayuuchaku goes off the ropes and he hits another elbow, but Ueda elbows him back. Omatayuuchaku finally gets the better of it, he picks up Ueda and he throws Omatayuuchaku into the corner. Chops by Omatayuuchaku, Irish whip, reversed, but Omatayuuchaku kicks Ueda back. Back kick by Omatayuuchaku and he hits a springboard doublestomp to Ueda’s back. Omatayuuchaku picks up Ueda and hits a suplex, cover, but it gets a two count. Omatayuuchaku picks up Ueda but Ueda elbows him and they trade blows again. Omatayuuchaku goes for a scoop slam but Ueda headbutts him. Scoop slam by Ueda, he picks up Omatayuuchaku, Irish whip to the corner but Hidaka runs in the ring. Ueda picks up Hidaka, he puts him in the corner with Omatayuuchaku and hits a running splash. Ueda picks up Omatayuuchaku and throws him in the corner before tagging in Sugawara. Sugawara and KAMIKAZE Irish whip Omatayuuchaku and hit a double back elbow. Stomps by Sugawara to Omatayuuchaku, he picks up Omatayuuchaku and punches him against the ropes. Snapmare by Sugawara and he hits a fist drop. Cover, but it gets a two count. Sugawara tags in KAMIKAZE, snapmare by KAMIKAZE and he rakes Omatayuuchaku in the eyes. KAMIKAZE and Sugawara stomp down Omatayuuchaku, Sugawara picks him up and clubs Omatayuuchaku in the back. Elbows by Sugawara in the corner, Irish whip, reversed, but Omatayuuchaku hits a dropkick. Omatayuuchaku tags in Tanaka, and Tanaka lariats Sugawara in the corner. Tanaka scoop slams both KAMIKAZE and Ueda before hitting a stunner/DDT combination on Sugawara and KAMIKAZE.

Tanaka lariats Ueda out of the ring but Sugawara attacks him from behind. Double Irish whip to Tanaka but Tanaka lariats both KAMIKAZE and Sugawara. Tanaka picks up Sugawara, Irish whip to the corner and Tanaka hits a jumping elbow strike. Mounted punches by Tanaka in the corner, he goes off the ropes but Sugawara ducks his attack and hits an enzigieri. Sugawara tags in KAMIKAZE and KAMIKAZE hits a overhead kick to Tanaka. Vertical suplex by KAMIKAZE, cover, but it gets a two count. Elbows by Tanaka to KAMIKAZE, he goes off the ropes but KAMIKAZE kicks Tanaka in the chest. KAMIKAZE picks up Tanaka and goes for a slam but Tanaka lands on his feet and hits a DDT. Tanaka tags in Hidaka and Hidaka hits KAMIKAZE with a missile dropkick. Omatayuuchaku and Tanaka come into the ring too, they throw Ueda into the corner and Hidaka hits a springboard attack. Hidaka picks up Ueda and slams him to the mat, Tanaka goes up top and hits a diving headbutt. Cover by Hidaka, but Sugawara breaks it up. Hidaka elbows Sugawara but Ueda attacks him from behind. Double Irish whip to Hidaka but he hits a tornado DDT onto Sugawara. Hidaka waits for Ueda to get up, kick by Ueda and he goes for the Shiranui but Ueda shoves him off. Sugawara dropkicks Hidaka, then KAMIKAZE slams Hidaka to the mat and he delivers a moonsault. Ueda picks up Hidaka and drops him with a brainbuster, cover, but it is broken up. Ueda waits for Hidaka to get up and goes off the ropes but Hidaka ducks the lariat and applies La Magistral for a two count. Hidaka goes off the ropes but Ueda catches him with a lariat, cover, but Hidaka kicks out at two. Ueda picks up Hidaka and nails Lucifer’s Hammer, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: Daemon Ueda, KAMIKAZE, and Sugawara

Match Thoughts: A little better than the last match which I guess isn’t saying much as the wrestler quality was a bit higher. Seemed like a waste of Tanaka who is probably the best wrestler on this entire card, but he seemed like he was having a good time. Not much to it but nothing really wrong with it either. Score: 5.0

 

Daichi Hashimoto and Kazuki Hashimoto vs. Sato and Yokoyama

Daichi and Yokoyama start things off. They circle each other to start, tie-up, Yokoyama pushes Daichi into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Tie-up, Yokoyama pushes Daichi into the ropes, Daichi switches positions with him and slaps Yokoyama in the chest. Yokoyama chops him back and they trade blows, kick to the leg by Daichi but Yokoyama keeps chopping him. Daichi kicks Yokoyama to the mat and throws him in the corner before tagging in Kazuki. Yokoyama gets away and tags in Sato, Sato and Kazuki circle each other and Sato kicks Kazuki in the back of the leg. They trade kicks and Sato knees Kazuki in the stomach, Irish whip, reversed, and Kazuki slaps Sato. Kick to the back by Sato and he tags in Yokoyama. Kazuki drags Yokoyama by the leg and he tags in Daichi. Daichi and Yokoyama trade strikes, Yokoyama gets the better of it and he tags in Sato. Double Irish whip to Daichi and they hit a double shoulderblock. Sato kicks Daichi and they trade elbows, and Sato hits a knee. Sato tags in Yokoyama and Yokoyama stomps on Daichi. Yokoyama picks up Daichi and he hits a scoop slam. Elbow drops by Yokoyama, cover, but it gets a two count. Yokoyama slaps Daichi but Daichi slaps him back, and Yokoyama tags in Sato. Sato knees Daichi in the stomach and hits a hiptoss. Single leg crab hold by Sato but Daichi gets to the bottom rope. Dropkick by Daichi and he tags in Kazuki.

Kazuki kicks Sato in the corner and hits a series of boot scrapes. Cover, but Sato kicks out at two. Kazuki goes off the ropes but Sato hits a side slam and tags in Yokoyama. Yokoyama picks up Kazuki, Irish whip to the corner and he hits a running shoulder tackle. Scoop slam by Yokoyama and he hits a reverse splash for a two count. Sato comes in the ring, double Irish whip to Kazuki and Yokoyama hits a powerslam. Sato hits a Falcon Arrow and Yokoyama follows with a diving elbow drop. Cover, but Daichi breaks it up. Yokoyama picks up Kazuki but Kazuki gets away, Yokoyama goes off the ropes but Kazuki levels him with a lariat. Kazuki tags in Daichi, and Daichi kicks Yokoyama in the chest. More kicks by Daichi and he finally sends Yokoyama to the mat. Cover, but Yokoyama is in the ropes. Daichi hits a backdrop suplex on Yokoyama, cover, but again it gets two. Daichi puts Yokoyama in a choke hold while Kazuki puts Sato in an ankle hold, but Yokoyama gets into the ropes to force a break. Daichi picks up Yokoyama, Irish whip to the corner and Kazuki hits a jumping knee as does Daichi. Triangle Kick by Daichi, cover, but Sato breaks it up. Daichi picks up Yokoyama and goes for a suplex but Yokoyama blocks it. Knees by Daichi, he goes off the ropes but Yokoyama elbows him. Back kick by Daichi and he hits a DDT. PK by Daichi, cover, but Yokoyama kicks out. Daichi picks up Yokoyama and hits a Rising DDT, he picks him up again and delivers a second one. Cover, and Daichi picks up the three count. Your winners: Daichi Hashimoto and Kazuki Hashimoto

Match Thoughts: This was a typical match that has Sato and Hashimoto in it… lots of strikes throughout the entire match. So if you enjoy strike battles you may like this one a lot, to me it was just ok. I hadn’t seen Yokoyama before, he looked pretty solid and both teams worked well together so it didn’t seem like two thrown together teams (even if it was). The ending was definitive, maybe overly so, and it was nice to see Daichi actually pick up a pinfall win over someone. Some good and some bad, but overall certainly watchable. Score: 6.0

 

(c) James Raideen vs. Ryouji Sai

This match is for the ZERO1 World Heavyweight Championship. Tie-up to start, Raideen pushes Sai into the ropes and he gives a clean break. Tie-up again, waistlock by Raideen but Sai reverses it into a wristlock. Raideen reverses it back and they trade the hold, Raideen pushes Sai to the mat but Sai gets back to his feet. They go into a Test of Strength, kick by Raideen and they trade chops. Kicks by Sai and he applies a reverse chinlock, he pushes Raideen into the corner and kicks him in the chest. Irish whip by Sai, reversed, and Sai collapses in the corner. Irish whip by Raideen and Sai collapses in the corner again. Sai falls out of the ring as Raideen goes out after him, and Raideen punches Sai around the guard rail into the crowd. Raideen slams Sai’s head into a steel chair, but Sai knees Raideen in the stomach and kicks him in the chest. Raideen chops him back and throws Sai back into the ring, cover, but it gets a two count. Raideen applies a reverse chinlock but Sai gets to the ropes to force a break. Raideen picks up Sai and delivers a scoop slam. Cover, but again it gets a two count. Raideen stomps on Sai, chops by Sai but Raideen chops him to the mat. Cover by Raideen, but Sai gets a hand on the ropes. Raideen waits for Sai to get up and goes off the ropes, but Sai catches him with a suplex. Irish whip by Sai and he hits a big boot, cover, but it gets a two count. Sai picks up Raideen but Raideen hits a vertical suplex. Raideen picks up Sai, Irish whip into the corner and Raideen hits a lariat. Irish whip again and Raideen hits a second lariat, cover, but it gets a two count. Raideen picks up Sai and he hits a backdrop suplex. Elbow drop by Raideen, cover, but Sai kicks out at two. Raideen charges Sai but Sai catches Raideen, Raideen gets away and goes for a powerbomb, but Sai gets Raideen onto his shoulders. Sai puts Raideen onto the top turnbuckle and joins him, but Raideen elbows him off. Sai climbs back up but Raideen pushes him off again, but Sai kicks Raideen and climbs up a third time. Superplex by Sai and they both get up slowly, and Sai hits a running knee in the corner. Cover, but it gets a two count. Sai picks up Raideen and goes for a suplex but Raideen blocks it. Elbow by Raideen but Sai hits a delayed vertical suplex. Cover, but it gets two. Sai goes up to the top turnbuckle but Raideen rolls out of the way of the doublestomp attempt. Sai grabs Raideen and hits a Gutbuster, cover, but it gets a two count. Sai goes off the ropes, but Raideen catches him with a sidewalk slam. Cover, but Sai gets a shoulder up. Raideen goes off the ropes and levels Sai with a lariat, cover, but it only gets a two count. Raideen picks up Sai and nails the powerbomb, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner and still champion: James Raideen

Match Thoughts: This was a pretty so-so affair. It was just ‘there’, it was not particularly exciting or interesting from start to finish. Raideen is solid for the big muscle guy but lacks charisma (think of a slightly smaller Rob Terry), and the match just wasn’t really captivating. I can’t say it was bad, the action was solid, it was just missing that special something to make it memorable or make it seem like it was a title match. Score: 5.0

 

Atsushi Onita and Shinjiro Otani vs. Fujiwara and Takayama

This is a No Ropes Barbed Wire Big Blast Electric Chair Death Match. Meaning the barbed wire around the ring is set to blow up, and there is a barbed wire chair that is laced with explosives as well. They all start off in the ring as there are no tag rules in crazy matches like this, and they start brawling. Takayama and Onita pair off while Fujiwara chokes Otani on the mat. Onita tries to throw Takayama into the barbed wire, Takayama blocks it but he can’t throw Onita into the barbed wire either. Onita kicks Takayama in the stomach, but Fujiwara comes over and headbutts Onita. Otani elbows both Fujiwara and Takayama but Fujiwara gives him a headbutt and Takayama boots Otani into the barbed wire, setting off our first explosion. Onita comes up and spits red mist in Takayama’s face and slides him out of the ring under the barbed wire. Still in the ring Fujiwara rolls over the crispy Otani and covers him, but Otani barely gets a shoulder up. Fujiwara takes Otani outside the ring and stomps on him while Takayama has gotten the better of Onita as they battle around the ring into the crowd. Takayama throws Onita into the guard rail while Otani has recovered and is trading chops with Fujiwara. Punches by Takayama to Onita as Fujiwara and Otani continue to trade chops. Otani gets the better of Fujiwara while Onita and Takayama get back in the ring. Onita gets a barbed wire bat and hits Takayama in the chest with it before dropping him with a brainbuster. Onita picks up Takayama as Fujiwara slides back into the ring and attacks Onita from behind. Takayama boots Onita, and Onita falls into the barbed wire, setting off an explosion. Fujiwara slaps on the Fujiwara Armbar and cranks it on, but crazy Onita grabs the barbed wire to break up the hold, setting off another explosion which gets Fujiwara off of him (and blows himself up in the process).

Onita gives the camera a great “I’m too old for this shit” face as he gets back up, and he kicks Fujiwara out of the ring. He goes to Takayama but Takayama elbows Onita and clubs him in the back. Otani attacks Takayama from behind and drops him with a backdrop suplex. Otani puts Takayama near the corner and Otani hits the bootscrapes, but the last one sends Otani into the barbed wire ropes, which sets off an explosion as Otani falls out of the ring. Onita drops Takayama with a DDT, cover, but Takayama gets a shoulder up. Takayama gets the better of things and stomps on Onita, but Otani crawls back into the ring and hits Takayama from behind. Onita gets the barbed wire bat and hits Takayama with it, then both Otani and Onita shoulderblock Takayama into the barbed wire, setting off another explosion. Onita hits Takayama with another DDT, cover, but Takayama kicks out. Elbow drop by Otani to Takayama, another cover, but again it gets two. Otani kicks Takayama out of the ring as Fujiwara rolls back in it, and Onita sprays green mist into Fujiwara’s face. Otani gets a chair and sits it in the middle of the ring, and then sits Fujiwara on it. Onita then hits the Big Red Button, which turns off the lights. As the lights come back on, Onita has the explosive barbed wire chair. Onita hits Fujiwara in the chest with the barbed wire chair, causing a big explosion. Cover, but Fujiwara somehow gets a shoulder up. Fujiwara hulks up and headbutts both Otani and Onita to the mat, Fujiwara picks up Onita and headbutts him as Takayama gets back in the ring, and all four men brawl. As they are fighting all four of them bumble into the barbed wire, setting off a final explosion. Onita is the first one up and slowly covers Fujiwara, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: Atsushi Onita and Shinjiro Otani

Match Thoughts: Not really sure what I just watched. It was sloppy and kinda sad, but also captivating. I mean I know the explosions are partly for show but Onita’s arm had a noticeable burn on it so it wasn’t all fun and games. So we have four wrestlers with an average age over 50 doing ugly brawling and mostly just repeatedly falling into the barbed wire to make it go “BOOM!”. I can’t call it a good match, I just can’t, there wasn’t someone like a Hayabusa or a Great Sasuke to give the match any flair that it desperately needed. But it was a good throwback to the heyday of FMW, even with the silly ending (Fujiwara didn’t touch the barbed wire on the last spot, he should have just been pinned after the chair shot). So even though it was rough to watch, it was still… interesting and it is a match that I am glad I saw since it is just further proof that wrestlers are crazy. Score: 6.0

Final Thoughts:

Best Match: Atsushi Onita and Shinjiro Otani vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara and Yoshihiro Takayama. By default, right? I mean this whole event was built around this match, I think they went out of their way to make the rest of the card dull just to make the main event better. But it was a crazy match, especially considering how old the wrestlers were. Sure it was really sloppy and lacked structure and was dull aside from the explosions, but it still had that FMW feel to it and it was oddly captivating. Worth watching.

MVP: Yoshiaki Fujiwara. Considering his age, Fujiwara was not afraid to get down and dirty in the main event. He took the “big bump” of the match and also showed the most fire with his headbutts. Also even though he was the oldest wrestler in the main event he wasn’t the most plodding (that award goes to Takayama) and stayed pretty active throughout the match. Not bad for a senior citizen.

Overall: This was the epitome of a one match card. The first five matches had no real variety… just multi-man matches before a dull title match leading up to the big finale. And the main event didn’t disappoint in many ways, it was certainly crazy, but it was also really sloppy and ugly. Which in a way is part of the charm, but it really needed one younger wrestler that could fly around and take the bumps so the older guys could get a breather. Instead they just… got blown up when they needed a breather. It is in a way worth seeing the show just for the main event but you may end up being disappointed, and there is nothing on the rest of the show that anyone needs to go out of their way to see.

Grade: D

For profiles of Puroresu wrestlers and older reviews, check out my website Puroresu Central!

WWE Main Event Results 5/13/14

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Credit goes to Marc Middleton

WWE Main Event Results 5/13/14

Tonight’s WWE Main Event opens up with Renee Young and Sheamus in the ring. Heyman doesn’t want Sheamus’ name spoke in the same sentence as a Paul Heyman Guy. He starts bragging about The Undertaker’s Streak being ended by Brock Lesnar. WWE United States Champion Sheamus interrupts and comes to the ring.

Sheamus reminds Heyman who is and that he’s champion. Sheamus says he’s going to kick Heyman’s face in if he doesn’t get out of the ring in 5 seconds. Heyman says Sheamus can’t act like this in front of a lady. Sheamus asks Renee to leave the ring and Heyman pleads with her. Sheamus starts counting to 5. Heyman dares Sheamus to kick him in the face. Heyman runs out of the ring right before the 5 count. Cesaro suddenly attacks Sheamus from behind and nails the Neutralizer. Cesaro goes for the Cesaro Swing but Heyman stops him and fans boo. They leave the ring as Sheamus tries to recover. Heyman said he stopped Cesaro from doing the Swing so there’s something left of Sheamus for later tonight. Heyman says Cesaro won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and will teach Sheamus why he’s the main event tonight. Cesaro’s music hits and Sheamus looks on pissed off.

– Still to come, Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow. We go to Network commercials.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Damien Sandow

Back from the break and out comes Damien Sandow. Sandow takes the mic and says since he can’t get a mic backstage, he’ll have to take one out here. He says there are people who don’t want to hear what he has to say but suddenly he’s interrupted by Ziggler’s music and out he comes. Sandow takes control after some back and forth in and out of the ring. Sandow with a 2 count. He stomps and drops several knees before showing off to the crowd some. Ziggler tries to fight back. Sandow runs into an elbow. Sandow counters and beats Ziggler down with more elbows. Ziggler makes another comeback but Sandow goes for a leg submission. Ziggler finally makes it to the bottom rope and breaks the hold. Sandow drops more knees. Ziggler nails a Zig Zag out of nowhere for the win.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Emma vs. Alicia Fox

Alicia takes the mic. She says she’s kind of surprised Emma showed up and immediately slaps her. Alicia goes to work on Emma but the referee backs her off after the cheap shot. Alicia with more stomps until the bell finally rings. Alicia with a backbreaker. Alicia picks up Emma and just tosses her through the ropes and out to the floor. Alicia throws her into the barrier. Emma comes back in the ring and has one of her moves blocked. Alicia talks trash and keeps Emma down. Emma rolls her up out of nowhere for the win.

Winner: Emma

– After the match, Emma leaves the ring but Alicia attacks her. Emma is just trying to get away and finally does. Alicia argues with the referee. Alicia says she’s underrated. Alicia goes to ringside and apologizes to a crew member and Tony Chimel. She mushes and slaps Chimel around. She says she loves him. She alps the crew member also. She comes over and messes with Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips also. Now she jumps up and down on the announcers table after demanding they give her their money. She shoves paper in their match and knocks them over in their chairs. She stomps on top of the table some more. She stomps back in the ring and fans boo.

– We see Sheamus backstage walking. Renee approaches him for comment. Sheamus says it won’t be a match, it will be a fight tonight.

– We get a look at what happened to Daniel Bryan on RAW.

US Champion Sheamus vs. Cesaro

We go to the ring and out comes WWE United States Champion Sheamus for a non-title match. They cut to Network commercials.

We come back and Cesaro is out with Paul Heyman. They brawl to start the match as Heyman looks on. Cesaro rolls to the floor for a breather and some advice from Heyman. Sheamus waits but finally runs out. He chases Cesaro in the ring. Sheamus pulls Cesaro out and sends him into the steps. Sheamus brings Cesaro back in but Cesaro goes right back to the floor with Heyman. Cesaro runs up on the apron with uppercuts. A third knocks Sheamus off his feet and onto the ropes. Cesaro with a DDT on the ropes and the apron. Cesaro works Sheamus into the corner now. Sheamus turns it around and unloads. Sheamus with the high knee in the corner. Sheamus goes to the apron and comes back in with a battering ram for a 2 count. Sheamus with the forearm shots to the chest on the apron now.

Sheamus suplexes Cesaro back in for a 2 count. Cesaro comes back with big uppercuts and a pin attempt. We come back from a quick break and Cesaro is in control, hitting Sheamus with an elbow. Sheamus fights back out of the corner with forearms. Cesaro with more uppercuts. Cesaro with a big kick to the face. More back and forth. Sheamus hits the Irish Curse backbreaker but can’t get the win. Another big slam and pin attempt by Sheamus. Sheamus goes for more forearms on the apron but it’s blocked. Cesaro blocks White Noise and a Brogue Kick. Cesaro with a German suplex for 2. Cesaro goes for a Neutralizer but it’s blocked with White Noise for a 2 count. Cesaro ducks a Brogue and drops Sheamus over the top rope. Cesaro goes to the top but Sheamus knocks him out to the floor. Sheamus leaps out and takes Cesaro back down. Cesaro dumps Sheamus over into the timekeeper’s area. They continue brawling around the ringside area. They tumble over the barrier and continue to brawl until they both get counted out.

– After the bell, they continue brawling around ringside and back into the ring. Heyman gets in the way and tries to get Cesaro to safety. Cesaro ends up eating a Brogue Kick. Heyman and Cesaro regroup on the floor as Sheamus celebrates with fans and Main Event goes off the air.

Daniel Bryan Neck Injury News: Return Date? WWE Title Situation?

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Source: PWInsider Elite

Word coming out of last night’s RAW is that WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan has a broken neck. It was described as a minor break. Bryan will be undergoing a simple procedure this Thursday, not something complex like neck fusion surgery.
The belief is that he will be out of action for 6-8 weeks. At RAW last night, WWE officials were looking at SummerSlam for a potential return.

The injury came from years of Bryan working the in-ring style that he does, not just one instance. There were some people talking like the diving headbutt from the forklift & pallet at Extreme Rules may have furthered the injury but that hasn’t been confirmed.

Regarding the status of the WWE World Heavyweight Title, the belief is that when they get done with surgery, if there’s nothing too bad discovered then they will likely keep the belt on Bryan. If they get a bad report from surgery, then Bryan could be stripped. Obviously WWE could decide to keep the title on Bryan and then change their minds at any moment.

Mick Foley In Jeff Jarrett’s Latest GFW Promo

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– Mick Foley is featured in Jeff Jarrett’s latest “#TheJourney” video, as seen below. It’s fairly safe to assume that we’ll see Mick acting in some capacity on behalf of GFW going forward…

TNA Announces ‘Suspension’ Of Top Star

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MVP announced on his Twitter that Bobby Roode has been suspended “indefinitely” for his actions on last week’s episode of Impact Wrestling. He wrote:
“And @REALBobbyRoode is indefinitely suspended from @IMPACTWRESTLING for his unacceptable conduct! Take the time to think about your actions.”

Roode won’t be wrestling on Impact for the next several weeks to sell the storyline suspension.

TNA News: Changing Cable Networks? Chris Sabin News, More

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Source: PWInsider Elite

– To clarify Chris Sabin’s TNA departure, he was offered a new deal but turned it down. He wasn’t outright released. The deal was believed to be for less money than he had been making.

– Katie Ryjavec, who been handling TNA’s live event marketing and media buys, recently gave notice and will be leaving the company. She has been with TNA since 2011.

– There continues to be concern within TNA about their future with Spike TV. There has been no new deal signed but the United Talent Agency is representing TNA in ongoing negotiations. Word is that UTA will be shopping TNA around to other networks instead of jumping right into a new agreement with Spike.

Big Daddy V’s Wife On How WWE Has Treated Her

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– Cassandra Frazier, the wife of the late Nelson “Big Daddy V” Frazier Jr., noted on her Facebook page that WWE has been taking care of her following her husband’s untimely passing. She wrote:

“Facebook, how do I start ! Wwe has taken care of me , I’m in tears ‘ they did the right thing and has made sure I have and wll get everything I need , I want say an amount but I’m super well taken care of, I was blessed and I feel very stupid for what I had said about their company! Feeling happier than ive ever been in my entire life, except for when I met Nelson ! I think I’m gonna start watching wwe again lol , I’ve been very blessed! I love all my Facebook friends at least for today! Lol ! Much love and wwe yes they rock , much love!!!”

The WWE Raw Report 5/12/14

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Raw Pre-Show 5/12/14

– Panel this week is the usual Josh Matthews, Alex Riley, Brooker T and guest panelist this week is Jimmy Hart.

– Discussion of the Evolution and Shield feud. Specifically how the Shield is handling the Authorities backlash.

– We’ve got Titus O’Neil vs. Kofi Kingston being taped for Superstars in the background… Kofi surprisingly goes over… Lawler interviews Kofi on the ramp, he doesn’t want to talk about Rusev and the past, Kofi was successful tonight!

– Damien Sandow interrupts the panel. He’s pissed about the way he’s been treated… His mic gets cut… He continues to go, he’s “shooting” on the company. I guess they are bringing angles to the pre-show…

– Legends House stuff….

– We are forced to relive the Daniel Bryan and Kane garbage from last week. May God have mercy on us…

– Now the announcers make their way out for the show and it’s time!

Probably missed some things as I keep peaking for a tornado…

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WWE Raw 5/12/14 from Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina

– The Shield are in the ring as we begin. They’re not running FROM Evolution, but rather running to them. They want a rematch! When Evolution shows up tonight, Shield’s going to hunt them down. Evolution WAS good, but they can no longer “evolve” into what they need to be in order to beat The Shield. Roman Reigns is pissed off. He took all the finishers last week, and he wants to know if that’s all Evolution has, because it wasn’t enough. Evolution is going to believe in the Shield!

Backstage camera shows Evolution pull up in a limo. The Shield rush to the parking garage to attack Evo. THE FIGHT IS ON!!!! The Shield looking for some revenge before the six men are pulled apart, with Evolution left laying…

– RVD on his way to the ring for our first match… So we already know Raw will be off to a SLOW start…

-Commercial Break-

1. Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger (w/Zeb Colter). Zeb cuts the usual promo, not that it’s a bad thing. Adam Rose has been added to Zeb’s deportation list. Zeb sends a warning to Rose. Very short match, Adam Rose comes out with his Rosebuds, which Michael Cole refers to as Rose Petals, lol… it distracts Swagger, RVD lands a kick and scores the easy win in like 10 seconds… Well that didn’t have time to suck, but I’m not digging this Adam Rose stuff… A 10 second match to set the tone for the show… lovely…

Adam Rose and company fance away from ringside, Zeb is speechless at the scene….

– Video package for Paige.

-Commercial Break-

– BO-lieve in BO Dallas…

2. Divas Champion Paige vs. Alicia Fox… For like the fourth time… Fox actually takes the mic and says Paige hasn’t been here long but has managed to alienate herself from everyone backstage. Fox tells Paige she doesn’t fit in, and attacks her. Alicia works Paige over and yells at the referee to ask Paige if she’s ready. The bell rings and the match officially begins… Alicia goes back to work on Paige in the corner. Alicia with a backbreaker and then they fight to the floor. The fight goes back into the ring with Fox continuing the dominance. Alicia drives Page face first into the mat repeatedly, but Paige turns it around out of nowhere and gets the win.

– After the match, Alicia throws a tantrum and shoves the referee. She goes around ringside and tears the top off the announcers table. She takes one of JBL’s drinks, shakes it up and sprays it everywhere. She kicks the fan barrier a few times. She yells at fans about how she’s Divas Championship material. She grabs JBL’s hat and puts it on before continuing her tantrum up the ramp…. Wow… that was actually different… I’ll take that…

– We get a video package on Kane and Daniel Bryan.

– Up next, Bryan will address the WWE Universe… Here we go… :\

-Commercial Break-

– Out comes WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. He thanks everyone because it’s been a long road getting here. He says he knew it would be an uphill battle and it has been but the hill is a little steeper than he thought it would be. “NO!” chants follow… Bryan says The Authority threw everything they had at him but he still walked out of WrestleMania XXX as the champion. Bryan says when he came back from his honeymoon, he got a bad beating from Kane and was put in a neck brace because of that… Bryan says he was determined to beat Kane at Extreme Rules and he did. Bryan says his entire style comes with a price and that win over Kane came with a price… Bryan believes fans chant for him because he pays that price with his body. Bryan says he is having neck surgery this Thursday. He gets emotional and says he’s not happy about it because this has been his dream. Bryan says some people are happy about it – Stephanie McMahon, Kane, Triple H…. He says to them, they think his career is pretty much done. Bryan says he will come back but he doesn’t know when. He gets a big “yes!” chant going and that’s all folks… Lovely…

– Wyatt Family video….

– Cena and The Usos vs. The Wyatts is next.

-Commercial Break-

3. John Cena & The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family. Harper starts things out with Jey Uso. Back and forth between the two until Harper throws a dropkick… Damn! Rowan takes his turn on Jey, then Bray gets his licks in… Back to Harper in the ring, but Jey finally tags out to Jimmy… Jimmy Uso with a Samoan Drop on Harper… Jimmy turns his attention to Bray and Rowan on the apron, and Harper blindsides him…. They keep Jimmy down, until Jimmy Uso ducks a Wyatt clothesline and dropkicks Bray… Hot tag to Cena… John with some basic Cena offense, Rowan escapes an AA attempt and Harper nails Cena from behind…

Jey Uso comes in and takes out Harper, but Bray takes out Jey… Jimmy Uso then takes out Bray… Jimmy Uso takes to the air but gets nailed by Rowan… Cena then clobbers Rowan and hooks him in an STF, but Bray breaks it up with a splash… Bray goes for Sister Abigail onCena, but Jey Uso kicks Wyatt in the head… and a superkick to Harper!!! The Usos leap out onto Bray and Harper on the floor… And Cena with the AA on Rowan for the win…..

– After the match, Bray speaks from the ring and thanks Cena for what he must do. Bray says to follow the buzzards…. that’s all… for now…

– Still to come, Evolution will appear…

-Commercial Break-

– Back from the break and out comes Evolution… Randy Orton speaks first and he’s ready to take the gloves off when it comes to The Shield. HHH says The Shield will get their rematch at Payback. They’re going to go from Ambrose to Rollins to Reigns, but Reigns won’t be coming back from Payback. The Shield suddenly attack from behind and clear the ring of Evolution!!! Batista takes a mic and comes down the ramp. He’s had enough of all three of them… Batista challenges Reigns to a match for tonight!!! Batista talks trash from the ramp as Evolution’s music hits.

-Commercial Break-

4. Natalya vs. Nikki Bella. Okay, so I don’t follow Total Divas, but apparently one of their storylines is that Nattie painted a picture of Nikki and Cena, and Nikki crapped on it… Now THAT is good TV… The cast of Total Divas is at ringside for this match… The Total Divas are outside holding Numbers to rate the match… wow, so much material to work with there… Back and forth, until Nikki takes over with a big kick… Slap fight ensues, then Natalya locks in an abdominal stretch… Pin attempts from both ladies, but Nikki gets the win…

– After the match, Brie comes in to celebrate with Nikki. The other Divas are giving her “10” scores. Nikki goes to ringside and celebrates with the other Divas… Natalya gets upset and rips their numbers up… Natalya’s feeling are hurt… Heel turn coming??? Alicia Fox was far more amusing…

That’s 2 Divas matches in the first 90 minutes… Literally half the matches so far have been the Divas…

-Commercial Break-

5. U.S. Champion Sheamus vs. Curtis Axel (w/Ryback). Apparently they tried to turn Sheamus heel last week, but nobody caught onto it… Sheamus controls, then Axel gets his turn. Curtis seats Sheamus on the top rope and lands a suspension neckbeaker. Axel goes for a dropkick but Sheamus catches his legs and turns it into a Clowverleaf for the submission win in 3:30… Damn thing went shorter than the Divas matches…

Immediately after getting the win, Ryback mauls Sheamus from behind… A mini-brawl and the two men separate and stare each other down… Well, I guess no heel turn this week, fella….

-Commercial Break-

6. U.S. Champion Sheamus vs. Ryback (w/Axel). We come back from break and the match is already going… Ryback has control, but misses a knee or something and Sheamus takes over… Kneelift and the ten forearm clubs on the ropes… Sheamus tries to slingshot into the ring with a shoulderblock, but he’s caught by Ryback!!! Ryback tries for Shellshock but has to settle with a jawbreaker for 2… Ryback charges with the meathook clothesline, but Sheamus counters with White Noise for a near fall!!!! Ryback escapes a Cloverleaf attempt, Sheamus misses a Brodgue Kick… Ryback with a spinebuster for a near fall… Ryback charges into a boot from Sheamus, and Sheamus hits a powerslam for 2… Sheamus calls for the Brogue, Axel distracts and Ryback lands the Meathook Clothesline!!! It’s Shellshock time!!! But Sheamus escapes, Ryback ends up taking the Brogue Kick for the finish… Sheamus retains, but that was the damndest 6 minute match I’ve seen between guys this size… That speaks wonders for how far along Ryback has come in the last 6 months…

-Commercial Break-

If Ryback and Axel weren’t enough… Shamus has a match with Cesaro tomorrow on the Main Event…

– Oh God… It’s Stephanie McMahon headed to the ring… If my satellite dish was going to go back out, NOW would be the time… Stephanie has tried to protect Daniel Bryan, but now he can’t perform… Stephanie has something to say to Bryan face to face, she calls for Bryan to come out… But instead… It’s Kane… dragging a lifeless Daniel Bryan to the stage…. UGH… Just when you think it can’t get any worse… Oh, and Bryan’s shirt is all ripped up to add to the visual. Kane just walks away and Daniel Bryan has to be carted off on a stretcher… Stephanie comes up the ramp to check on Bryan, acting concerned… Brie Bella is right there too, but isn’t doing a damn thing to Stephanie…

The guy leaves for a legit neck surgery, and instead of squashing this garbage, they drag it out even more? This is the worst booking of a World Champion since possibly Rey Mysterio…

-Commercial Break-

Back from break, Daniel bryan is being loaded into an Ambulance… Stephanie apologizes again, and Brie swats her away and warns her to STAY AWAY!!! Brie gets in the Ambulance and they leave… Stephanie stands there with a suspicious look on her face as we go back to the ring…

7. Dolph Ziggler vs. Fandango (w/Leyla). We see clips of Fandango kissing Summer Rae from Total Divas, and now Layla from Smackdown… Fast action from the guys and Ziggler takes a bump to the floor… Back inside Fandango tries a pin for 2… Fandango misses a charge in the corner, Ziggler with a flurry of punches and a neckbreaker… Ziggler misses the Famouser, and Fandango comes back with a Falcon Arrow for a near fall… Fandango goes up top but Ziggler dodges, Fandango jumps down but takes a FAMOUSER from Dolph… 1..2.. Fandango kicks out and Layla hops onto the apron for a distraction… This allows Fandango to hit a spin kick for a near fall… Layla gets her leg stuck in the ring apron, which distracts Fandango, and Ziggler comes back with the ZIG ZAG for the win in about 5:00…

– After the match, Fandango says he may have lost, but Layla has won his heart… He professes his love for Layla, and they make out… So it’s okay to lose because he’s in love? Okay…. Happy Ziggler won, just wish he’d beat somebody that meant something…

-Commercial Break-

– Back from break and “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan makes his way to the ring… Obviously this is in association with Legends House… Duggan barely gets two setences out before LANA appears… She’s “Russian” and all that you know… Duggan being Mr. USA makes the perfect foil… Fans chant “USA” as Lana runs down the States… Rusev now represents Russian and Vladimir Putin… Duggan gets the USA chants going again…

And here comes Rusev to destroy the patriot Jim Duggan… Duggan primes his board in a batting position to defend himself from Rusev… Lana gives him one chance to BEG for mercy… Instead, Duggan chants for USA, RUSEV TAKES THE 2X4 AND BREAKS IT OVER HIS KNEE!!!! Rusecv goes after Duggan, but here comes BIG E!!!! And there goes Big E…. Rusev lays Big E out like he’s nothing… Duggan tends to Big E while RUsev and Lana stand in the ring…

Truth, Xavier, Kofi… now… Big E??? I’m starting to see the pattern others were talking about….

-Commercial Break-

– Damien Sandow comes to ringside with a mic to continue his “pipe bomb” from the pre-show… But he’s interrupted by the Rhodes Brothers…

8. Cody Rhodes (w/Goldust) vs. Damien Sandow. They continue to play up Cody being on a losing streak while Goldust has been winning… Back and forth, Cody hits a twisting sunset flip out of the corner for a near fall… Sandow gets control with stomps and chinlocks… fun… Rhodes with a bunch of quick pinfall attempts… Sandow drop toe holds Cody throat first into the middle rope and jumps on his back… Russian Legsweep by Sandow but he misses the Elbow of Disdain… Damien stays on top and back to a chinlock… Cody steals the Ted Dibiase Jr. chasing clothesline, and the Goldust uppercut, and the Bob Holly kick while Sandow rests over the top rope… Cody tries Cross Rhodes, but Sandow blocks… Sandow gets all over Cody, Goldust yells and distracts the ref. Cody sneaks in an eye rake and the Disaster Kick for the win in 5:00… So Sandown can’t even beat a guy on a losing streak… Cody cheats to win… And Goldust celebrates with his bro…

Up next it’s Batista vs. Reigns…

-Commercial Break-

– Bo Dallas Promo

– Wyatt Family Promo, from the darkness… Bray challenges Cena to a “Last Man Standing” match at Payback….

– The Shield make their way into the ring as we take another break…

-Commercial Break-

9. Roman Reigns vs. Batista. These two go right at each other, brawling to the floor, Reigns rams Batista into the steps… Back inside Roman misses a shoulder charge in the corner… Reigns has control, Evolution cliumb onto the apron, allowing Batista a brief offensive comeback. Rollins and Ambrose decide to take out HHH & Orton, while Reigns nails Batista with the dropkick on the apron… Reigns sets up for the spear or Superman punch or something, but HHH trips him up… HHH goes for a pedigree on Rollins outside, but Ambrose hits a flying assault on the game… Bell sounds, I assume we got a quick no contest after maybe 4:00…

The Shield beat down Evolution and look like they’re ready to take out HHH, when Stephanie McMahon sends out the troops…. Jack Swagger, Titus O’Neil, Ryback, Curtis Axel, 3MB, Brodus Clay, Fandango, even Damien Sandow (that makes sense), are out to attack the Shield… The heels take out the Shield, toss Rollins and Ambrose to the floor… The heels hold Reigns while HHH comes at him with a steel chair, but Roman breaks free AND SPEARS THE GAME!!! Rollins and Reigns return with STEEL CHAIRS and clear the entire ring!!! Fandango gets the forward DDT on a chair from Ambrose. Axel gets curb stomped on a chair from Rollins… SUPERMAN PUNCH to Heath Slater… Spear on Ryback… Triple Powerbomb on Ryback… Evolution watch from the aisle as the Shield celebrate in the ring to end the show… Give them a couple chairs and they can take out the entire heel roster…

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WWE Raw “Backstage Pass” Post Show

– The action isn’t over in the ring as the Shield put an added beating on Heath Slater…

– The panel discusses the entire Evolution vs. Shield situation and rematch at Payback…

– Discussion of the John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt feud and the proposed Last Man Standing Match…

– Discussion of Daniel Bryan’s neck injury. Booker says nobody ever comes back from a neck injury the same…

– Rene Young interviews a WWE doctor on an update on Daniel Bryan… Nothing to report here… Booker thinks they need to get the belt off Bryan because off the deserving talent…

– Tomorrow on Main Event, Sheamus defends the US Title vs. Cesaro.

Thank God Jimmy Hart was passive tonight, he wasn’t annoying, he barely spoke… Works for me…

All of that, and we somehow managed to avoid two tornadoes in our area… That’ll do it for tonight…
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