WWE WrestleMania 40 Night 2 Review

It all comes down to this – will Cody finish his story?

Kyle Dixon’s RAW Review: 4th April 2016

It’s the night after Wrestlemania 32 and Roman Reigns has reclaimed the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. How will The Authority react? Shane McMahon lost the chance to control when The Undertaker beat him at Wrestlemania. Will we see him again in WWE? John Cena returned last night but is he back full-time yet? Also, the night after Wrestlemania usually brings surprises. What have we got tonight? Let’s find out.

 

Date: 4^th April 2016

Event: RAW

Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas

Announcers: Michael Cole, JBL, Byron Saxton

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

We open the show with a video package of last night’s Wrestlemania and ended on Roman Reigns winning the championship. It was well done as usual. The RAW intro is followed by some pyro in the arena as Michael Cole introduces us to the show. The announcers talk about the smart crowd in attendance. It’s basically a warning to casual fans that tonight can be an unusual show. That’s fair enough.

Vince McMahon makes his entrance and gets a pop from the crowd. He stands on the stage with a microphone and the crowd are singing his entrance song. Vince said Shane had no chance against Undertaker last night. He says unfortunately there is a new WWE World Heavyweight Champion and that gets a big boo. Vince says he is feeling good though and Shane no longer has anything on him with the lockbox taken care of. He says as much as he enjoyed watching Undertaker beat up Shane last night, there was one time that got to him; when Shane jumped off the top of the cell. Vince says he had no idea Shane wanted control that much but says he was foolish to jump off the cell. He says tonight’s RAW will be one the fans never forget. Shane McMahon comes out to a huge pop for the interruption. He is limping badly and there’s a huge Shane O’Mac chant. Vince asks what is he doing out here and Shane has no business out here. There is a Thank You Shane chant but he thanks the fans. He says as he is the only man in the family and he does things face-to-face, he wants to shake Vince’s hand like a man because he won. They shake hands and Shane thanks the fans for giving him a reaction he will never forget. There’s a You Still Got It chant and he looks upset. Vince says it was the fans fault he got beat up so stop it. Shane says thanks again and goodbye. The fans are saying no and so is Vince. He says nobody upstages him and it would be crazy of Shane run RAW. The fans are doing a YES chant and Vince says to prove his point, Shane will be in charge tonight. The fans love it. It was a good opening promo with a very hot crowd. It makes things interesting but it does make last night’s match pretty worthless.

New Day come out to a massive ovation and the fans do their intro with them. There is a loud New Day Rocks chant as they dance to the ring. They are in tag action for the WWE Tag Team Champions. It’s going to be Kofi Kingston and Big E defending the belt. Big E gets on the microphone and the fans are chanting for New Day. He says that things did not go according to plan at Wrestlemania although Kofi did get to twerk with Shawn Michaels. On the other hand, Xavier Woods got stunnered by Steve Austin. Woods says he admits it was pretty much his own fault but it was lit. Big E says they have the last piece of Wrestlemania Booty-O cereal and Kofi calls it the booty of life. Xavier sings the Lion King start in a funny bit and they hold the cereal piece like Simba. They do the tagline and Woods says they are getting revenge of the League of Nations tonight and will walk out still champions. They will because New Day rocks.

Commercial.

We come back and Lilian Garcia is dancing with New Day. League of Nations come out to a negative reaction and it will be Sheamus and King Barrett challenging for the titles tonight. There is an Italian announce table and a French announce table in a weird moment.

New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) (c) vs. League of Nations (Sheamus and King Barrett) for the WWE Tag Team Championships

It’s Kofi and Sheamus who start and the Irish man is nailed with a big dropkick. Kofi launches him out the ring and Big E sends Barrett out too. Kofi is thrown onto the League by Big E and New Day are celebrating. Kofi climbs to the top rope but Rusev distracts him which allows Sheamus to launch him into the barricade. Barrett tags in and covers Kofi for a one count. He mocks New Day and Kofi starts to fight back with punches. Barrett hits a big kick to the midsection and clotheslines Kofi to the outside.

Commercial.

We come back with Sheamus and Kofi the legal men. Sheamus hits a gutbuster and gets involved with the crowd’s Mexican wave. Kofi hits a double foot stomp and gets the hot tag to Big E. Barrett gets belly-to-belly suplex three times and he hits a big splash. He goes for the shoulder charge but Barrett gets his knees up. Sheamus is accidently knocked off the apron and New Day hit their double finisher on Barrett to retain their titles.

Winners by pinfall and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston)

After the match, Sheamus says he is sick and tired of this. He says they are a group that should destroy everybody but there is something wrong. The crowd are chanting for Enzo and Cass. Sheamus tells them to shut up and says everybody knows they are only as strong as their weakest link. Sheamus gives Barrett a Brogue Kick and they kick him out of the ring and seemingly out of the group. The Wyatt Family make an interruption and are beating up the League of Nations. The crowd are singing He’s got the Whole World in his Hands as they destroy the League. Sheamus gets a Sister Abigail and the crowd cheer the Wyatt Family. There’s a Thank You Wyatt chant and Bray is laughing. He says follow the buzzards.

Match Rating: **

Match Analysis: The match was your average tag match with New Day getting most of their stuff in. Barrett cost the League the win and it made sense after with him being kicked out the group. Barrett asked for his release a few months ago and it seems this was his final appearance. It’s a shame because he could have been something special if booking decisions and injuries didn’t hamper him. The Wyatt Family attacking the League was a shocker and could signal a face turn for them. On the other hand, they may be getting rid of competition and going after New Day’s titles.

Commercial.

More still images from Wrestlemania last night as per usual on the show after. Vince is backstage and leaving the arena. Renee asks if he is confident in Shane running RAW. He says no and that it could be a disaster. He says it is only temporary.

Summer Rae is in the ring and says if she was in charge last night, Team B.A.D and Blonde would have won. She said at least she didn’t end up flat on her first like Sasha Banks. The Boss makes her entrance to interrupt and gets a huge pop from the crowd. Sasha says she is still the Boss and slaps Summer.

Summer Rae vs. Sasha Banks

Banks goes straight after Summer who bails out of the ring. Sasha gets hung on the bottom rope and a spinning heel kick gets a two count. Summer hits a strong slap on Sasha attacks. She hits the double knee in the corner and another in the middle of the ring gets a two count. The crowd are chanting for Sasha and she goes for the Bank Statement. Summer counters with a roll-up for two and Sasha gets the Statement for the win.

Winner by submission: Sasha Banks

Match Rating: *

Match Analysis: It was just a short match to put the heat back on Sasha after failing to win the WWE Women’s Championship last night. I would expect Sasha gets a one-on-one match at Payback. She was super over again tonight.

Up next, Apollo Crews is making his RAW debut in a shock. We see him backstage talking to Shane and warming up.

Commercial.

Tyler Breeze makes his entrance and gets a good reaction from this smart crowd. He will be Crews’ opponent which is smart as they would know each other very well. Crews makes his entrance and gets a big pop from the crowd. It seems like this is a main roster promotion for Crews. Cole brings up Crews and Breeze’s rivalry on NXT.

Tyler Breeze vs. Apollo Crews

The crowd are chanting for NXT as Crews hits a shoulder block. He hits a big powerslam but Breeze hits the superkick for a two count. He hits a back suplex for a near fall but Crews hits a standing moonsault. He delivers the sit-out powerbomb for the win.

Winner by pinfall: Apollo Crews

Match Rating: *

Match Analysis: Once again, it was a short match to put over one particular superstar. It’s a shame Breeze is just a jobber but he is so good at making people look good. Crews is a surprising choice to be on the main roster but he is a good talent.

Roman Reigns and Charlotte were on NBC Today earlier discussing Wrestlemania. That’s good publicity. Tonight, Charlotte will get an official presentation of the WWE Women’s Champion. Next, we will hear from Roman Reigns.

Commercial.

The WWE World Heavyweight Champion makes his way out to a torrent of boos. There are literally no cheers it seems. It’s like the most hated heel on the roster walked out here. Cole acknowledges the crowd’s reaction and says they are a very passionate crowd. They put it down to them being a different crowd. Reigns says come on because he isn’t a bad guy. He says he isn’t a good guy either. He is just the guy. He says he beat Triple H’s ass last night and told Shane that if anything wants the title, come out now. It sounds like an open challenge. Chris Jericho comes out to answer the challenge although I don’t think he is in his gear. He gets in the ring with a microphone and tells the audience to shut their mouths and listen to him. He tells Reigns that he is just a guy and is an idiot like everyone here tonight. He says he has seen them come and go during his career but no one compares to him because he is the best in the world at what he does. Jericho says Reigns and AJ Styles can’t compare to him. He says he buried Styles last night and will do the same tonight to Reigns. Jericho demands to be number one contender but here’s Styles to interrupt. Big pop for Styles. He looks serious as he walks down the aisle. Styles points at the championship and says he wants it. Kevin Owens makes his way put to a massive pop. He’s limping following the ladder match but also points at the title. He wants it to. Sami Zayn is the next to make his way out and the fans sing his song. Zayn wants the title too and starts brawling with Owens. Jericho and Styles are fighting too and Zayn hits a senton to Owens over the top rope. Styles is launched out by Jericho who turns into a spear from Reigns. Big boos for that.

Analysis: It makes sense for a load of people to come out if the champion is offering a shot at the title. I’m very intrigued as to who will be Reigns’ next challenger.

We see a recap of Vince putting Shane in charge tonight. We find out there is a tables match tonight with The Usos taking on the Dudley Boyz.

Commercial.

Backstage, Reigns is walking and Shane comes in to a make a Styles vs. Jericho vs. Owens vs. Zayn for the number one contendership in the main event.

The Andre the Giant trophy is by the ring and Baron Corbin makes his entrance to a mixed reaction. He’s on the main roster too from now on then which is a good thing. We see him winning the battle royal last night in still shots. Corbin poses with the title and is in action now. He has a microphone and says the only thing people need to know about him is the trophy. He says his arrival signals the end of days for anyone who stands in his way. Cue his opponent making his entrance, Dolph Ziggler. The announcers plug his movie that comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray tomorrow.

Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler

Corbin misses a clothesline and Ziggler nails punches in the corner. Dolph hits a dropkick but it does not knock Corbin off his feet. Baron hits a stiff back elbow and a powerful right hand knocks Ziggler off the apron.

Commercial.

We come back with Corbin in full control of Ziggler. Corbin is sent into the ring post and Ziggler hits a couple of big splashes. He goes for a neckbreaker but Corbin blocks it. Ziggler hits a DDT for a two count and goes for a superkick. Corbin catches the foot but Ziggler hits a famouser for a two count. Dolph goes for a Zig-Zag but Corbin counters with a Deep Six for a near fall. On the outside, Corbin hits a big boot that sent Ziggler into the crowd. They brawl in the crowd with the referee counting them out.

No winner due to double count-out

After the match, Corbin hits Ziggler with End of Days on the floor

Match Rating: *1/2

Match Analysis: It seems like Ziggler will be Corbin’s first feud and he is probably a good choice. Their match was okay but they were holding stuff back you could tell. I’m happy if this is the feud.

Commercial.

We see stills of the No Holds Barred Street Fight between Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose last night.

The new Intercontinental Champion Zack Ryder comes out and Lilian Garcia makes a mistake on announcing. We see stills of the ladder match and the crowd are chanting You Deserve It to Ryder. He says last night was the greatest night of his night and he had a Wrestlemania moment. Ryder thanks his dad who is in the front row again tonight but here’s The Miz to interrupt. He says this is so heartwarming but Zack is a flash in the pan. Miz says Ryder ruined his Wrestlemania moment but Zack says it sucks to be Miz, bro. Miz says it does not suck to be him and tells the crowd the shut up. He says Ryder was lucky to win the title and wants a title shot right now. He talks trash and the match is on.

Zack Ryder (c) vs. The Miz for the WWE Intercontinental Championship

Miz hits a shoulder block to start and Ryder counters the backbreaker with a dropkick. He hits the double knees and a missile dropkick gets a near fall. Ryder hits a hurricanrana off the top rope and a dropkick through the middle ropes.

Commercial.

Miz dodges a crossbody and Ryder falls to the outside. Miz drags him in the ring and covers for a two count. Miz went for a back drop but Ryder counters with a facebuster. He hits a flying clothesline and goes for another missile dropkick. Miz side-steps and hits a DDT for a near fall. He goes for the Skull Crushing Finale but Ryder blocks. He goes for the Rough Ryder but Miz dodges it. Ryder rolls Miz up for a close near fall. Miz goes for a suplex but Ryder reverses into a neck breaker for a two count. The champion climbs to the top rope but Miz cuts him off. Ryder headbutts him off and hits the elbow drop for a two count with Miz getting his foot on the ropes. Miz hits a big boot but misses the X-Factor. Ryder hits a clubbing blow and goes for the Broski Boot. Miz slides out the ring but Ryder is attacking out there. He is driven into the apron and the barricade in front of his dad. Miz gets in his dad’s face and gets pushed to the ground. Ryder hits a clothesline and drags Miz in the ring. Maryse appears from nowhere and slaps Ryder’s dad. Miz uses the distraction to hit a Skull Crushing Finale and win the championship.

Winner by pinfall and NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion: The Miz

After the match, Miz brings Maryse into the ring and the announcers acknowledge their marriage.

Match Rating: ***

Match Analysis: I really enjoyed this. They gave it enough time to tell a story and there were a lot of counters in this. Maryse showing up is a shock but it could mean a new power couple in WWE. Miz being managed by his wife could work in a way Edge and Lita did in 2006. Ryder was only ever going to be a short-term champion like I said in the Wrestlemania review. It’s good he got his moment though. Miz has really improved after working with AJ Styles and Chris Jericho earlier this year.

Renee Young is backstage with Kevin Owens. He says it wasn’t fair when he lost the title and says Sami Zayn won’t leave him alone. He blames Zayn for losing the title but he is on to bigger and better things. He says he will the fatal 4-way match tonight. He says he will destroy the Roman Empire and take the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. That got a big cheer. He says the road to KOMania 2 begins tonight.

Shane McMahon shakes hands with Ric Flair and Charlotte. The presentation is next.

Commercial.

There is a vignette for the Vaudevillains who will debut on Smackdown this week.

Lita is in the ring surrounded by Paige, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Eva Marie, Naomi, Natalya, Emma, Lana, Tamina Snuka, Alicia Fox and Summer Rae. The WWE Women’s Title is on display. Lita brings out the new champion, Charlotte who is flanked by her father, Ric Flair. We see shots of the triple threat last night. She holds the title in the air and her two opponents last night do not look pleased. The fans are chanting for Bayley which makes Charlotte smile and she nods along. Cole says Bayley is not here. She says the title is about all the women in the ring and says the fans believed in them. They are still singing for Bayley with the Hey Bayley song. Charlotte tries to talk over them but is getting drowned out. There is a Sasha chant as Charlotte says this is the future. There is a women’s wrestling chant which everyone seems to enjoy in the ring. She says most importantly, she wouldn’t have won last night if it wasn’t for here father. She says she is finally immortalised and thanks Ric. She thanks the audience from Wrestlemania because their energy fuelled her to a victory. Becky and Sasha are pissed. Charlotte mocks the women who have been here years as the crowd chant for Sasha. Charlotte woos over them. She turns to Becky and Sasha and says they did it. Banks leaves the ring and Becky does too. All the ladies leave the ring and Charlotte wants respect. Natalya grabs a microphone and tells Charlotte that she needs to learn about humility. Charlotte says she wants Natalya to teach her a lesson. She says this is her moment and Natalya wants a shot at the title. Charlotte says the title proves her family is better than Natalya. Nattie attacks and looks to lock in the Sharpshooter but Charlotte bails with Ric’s help.

Backstage, Renee is with AJ Styles. He says Shane is running RAW, Roman ready to take on all challengers and change is in the air. He says he came here to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Next, its tables match time between The Usos and The Dudley Boyz.

Commercial.

There are tables at ringside and here come The Usos to a good enough reaction. The Dudley Boyz come out to a decent pop.

The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) vs. The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley) in a tables match

Both teams brawl to start and they pair off. The Dudleys take control with D-Von and Jimmy fighting around the ring. In the ring, Bubba dodges Jey’s superkick and hits a big boot. Jimmy gets a powerslam and D-Von hits the diving headbutt. The Dudleys go to get a table but The Uso hit stereo diving crossbodys.

Commercial.

We come back with D-Von looking to superplex Jimmy through a table. D-Von gets headbutted down but misses the table. Jey hits Bubba with a superkick and Jimmy hits a big splash, diving over the table. During the commercial, Jey saved Jimmy from going through a table. The crowd are doing the Gable/Jordan chant and chanting for Enzo Amore. Two tables are set up the ring and the Dudleys go for powerbombs but get nailed with superkicks. The Usos hits stereo axe-handles off the barricade and throws the heels in the ring. They place them on tables and go for a splash each. The heels dodge it and The Usos go straight through a table. They get sent through a table for good measure.

Winners: The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray Dudley and D-Von Dudley)

Match Rating: **

Match Analysis: This was a decent match and I enjoyed Bubba’s heel work. The Usos are just stale and predictable though. They do the same sequences every match and it’s getting really boring.

Renee is with Sami Zayn. She actually asks him if he has wrestled in a fatal-4 way. Your better than that Renee. He says tonight could steer the course of his career and he has to prove that he belongs in the main event. Owens attacks from behind and they brawl backstage. Zayn gets powerbombed through a table. That should take him out of tonight’s match.

Commercial.

The Dudleys are still at ringside and refuse to leave. Enzo and Cass are here though and get a huge pop. Carmella isn’t with them though. They enter the ring after walking past the Dudleys on the aisle. Enzo grabs a microphone and does his usual schtick. The afns do it with him and are hot for these two. The Dudleys look unimpressed. Enzo tells them that they are ugly as hell. He insults them some more and wants them to fight. Bubba pulls D-Von away but Enzo insults Bubba too. The fans are chanting for Enzo. Cass says they should come to the ring and do something and they decide to. They stand on the apron and then back away up the ramp. Cass says there is only one word to describe the Dudleys and he spells it out for them with the crowd’s help. JBL does not like them.

The Fatal 4-Way in next but there will be a mystery opponent in Zayn’s slot.

Commercial.

On Smackdown, Zack Ryder has his rematch with The Miz for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Next week on RAW, Dr. Phil is here

AJ Styles comes out for the main event and gets a good pop for the second time tonight. Jericho is out next and quickly followed by Kevin Owens, who is still limping. The mystery fourth man comes out and is Cesaro to a massive pop. This is his return from a shoulder injury and the fans love this. He is in a suit though which is confusing but has ring gear underneath. If this gets time, this could be amazing.

Kevin Owens vs. Cesaro vs. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho for the Number One Contendership for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

They pair off with Styles/Jericho and Owens/Cesaro. Owens is thrown out and Jericho hits him with the springboard dropkick. Styles chucks out Jericho and stands off with Cesaro, which gets a pop. AJ hits a nice standing dropkick but Cesaro comes back with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.

Commercial.

We come back with Jericho in control of Styles in the ring. The fans are chanting KOMania and Owens is launched into the barricade by Cesaro. Cesaro goes to swing Jericho but Owens attacks from behind. He teases swinging Cesaro but gets an uppercut for his troubles. Jericho chucks Cesaro over the top rope and AJ attacks in the corner. Jericho hits a standing dropkick and the fans chant that this is wrestling. Jericho propels Styles on the top rope and calls him stupid with a slap. Owens comes in from behind and they go for a double superplex on Styles. Cesaro comes in powerbombs Jericho and Owens, with Styles having the superplex. That was a nice spot. Cesaro hits an uppercut to Jericho but Owens counters with the big boot. He hits Jericho with a cannonball but Styles dropkicks him in the back of the head. He goes for one on Cesaro who counters with a big uppercut for a near fall. Cesaro hits some uppercuts on Jericho who counters with a thumb to the eye behind the referee’s back. Owens goes for a powerbomb on Jericho and hits it for a near fall. He goes for another cannonball but Jericho dodges it and hits a running bulldog. He goes for the Lionsault but Owen got his knees up and AJ hits the springboard 450 splash. He covers Jericho but Cesaro breaks it up at two. Cesaro hits a crossbody on AJ but Owens breaks the cover up at two. Cesaro hits stereo uppercuts on Owens and Styles in the corner multiple times. Jericho gets one too and the crowd cheer for Cesaro. He has all three set up in corners for multiple uppercuts. Jericho counters with a big boot and goes for a missile dropkick but Cesar counters with the Cesaro Swing. He gets ten rotations until Owens hit a superkick. He hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb on Styles for a near fall with Jericho breaking it up. He looks for one on Jericho who counters with a Codebreaker for a near fall with Cesaro breaking it up. Jericho hits a couple of knife-edge chops and Cesaro goes for a German suplex. Jericho counters into the Walls of Jericho but Cesaro counters in the Sharpshooter, in tribute to his partner Tyson Kidd. AJ Styles breaks it up with the Phenomenal Forearm and Owens rolls up Styles for a near fall. AJ hits Owens with the Pele Kick but walks into Jericho’s Codebreaker for a close near fall. AJ backslides Jericho and turns it into the Styles Clash for the win.

Winner by pinfall and NEW Number One Contender to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship: AJ Styles

After the match, Styles celebrates to end the show.

Match Rating: ****1/2

Match Analysis: That was a tremendous match between four fantastic workers. It was great to see Cesaro back and he proved how good he is by being the worker here. He glued stuff together and it was awesome. Styles getting the win sets up new things and that can only be good.

Show Rating: 8/10

Show Analysis: This show was about setting up the future storylines and the company has a very fresh feel to it. There are still major decisions that need to be made but tonight was a step in the right direction. Once again, the RAW after Wrestlemania was one of the best episodes of the year.

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

Kyle Dixon’s PPV Review: NXT Takeover: Dallas

Date: 1st April 2016

Event: NXT Takeover: Dallas

Location: Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, Dallas, Texas

Announcers: Corey Graves and Tom Phillips

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

We get a video package on the history of wrestling in Texas, including the Fabulous Freebirds, Shawn Michaels, Terry Funk and Steve Austin. JBL was also in there too. It moves on to the revolution that is emerging in NXT. It focused on Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Bayley vs. Asuka and Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe. It was a good video package as usual from the WWE.

We cut to the arena where the fans are chanting NXT as usual. The announcers introduce us to the show and here comes American Alpha. The opening match will be for the NXT Tag Team Championships. Chad Gable and Jason Jordan get a huge pop and the fans love them in Dallas. The champions are The Revival, who are made up of Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder. They have been champions for a long while at this point and fans were clamoring for this match.

The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) (c) vs. American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan) for the NXT Tag Team Championships

The fans are doing the Gable chant as he starts out with Dawson. The heel slaps Gable a few times to mock him and the fans are asking which one is Dawson and which one is Dash. They chain-wrestle a little with Gable rolling him up for a close two count which is understandable as he is a former Olympic wrestler. Dawson works on Gable’s arm and hits a couple of shoulder blocks. He flings Gable across the ring but the babyface comes back with a arm drags and a headscissors. Jordan tags in to nail a big dropkick that gets a good pop. Dash tried to tag in illegally and the distraction allows Dawson to rake the eyes behind the referee’s back. Dash does tag in but Jordan fights back with clotheslines and Gable helps out for a double back body drop. Jordan covers for a two count and tags in Gable. He works on Dash’s arm but Wilder fights out with an elbow. Dawson tags in to hit a stiff forearm but Gable comes back with a rollup for a near fall. He hits a crossbody but only gets two again. Gable hits a couple of arm drags and a dropkick. Jordan tries to get involve so the heels go for a double suplex on Gable. Jordan catches him partner and American Alpha hit a double dropkick. They hit dueling German suplexes and the crowd go wild for it. On the outside, the heels are hit with a Double Noggin Knocker. Wilder nails Gable with a clothesline though and pulls him into the ring for a beatdown. Dawson tags in and hits a nice back elbow for a two count. The heels start getting quick tags and isolate Gable from Jordan in their corner. Gable is stuck in a chinlock as the crowd chant for him. The heels cut off the hot tag and Dawson tags in to nail a dropkick to the head for a two count. He locks in a nice submission move that worked on Gable’s back but Chad rolls him up for a near fall. The Revival try to cut off the tag but get nailed with a double DDT. Wilder goes under the ring to knock Jordan off the apron, stopping the tag. Gable is hit with what looked like a Doomday Device attempt, but they didn’t connect properly with it. Wilder goes for the cover but the referee won’t count as Dawson is the legal man. The fans are all over Revival for the mistake. Wilder tags in but misses an X-Factor attempt. Dawson stops the hot tag again at the least minute but finally, Jordan gets in the match. He cleans house with dropkicks and hits Dawson with a T-Bone Suplex. The back suplex gets a two count but Dawson rolls Jordan up for a near fall. He had his feet on the ropes and Wilder was also holding the leg down that time. Wilder hits a huge uppercut but Gable saves the pinfall at two. He gets tossed out but Jordan rolls up Dawson for another near fall. Jordan hit a belly-to-belly but Wilder moves Dawson out of the way of the splash. Gable gets tagged in but gets rolled up for a near fall. Gable and Dawson exchange roll-up near falls. A backbreaker pin combo gets a two count for Gable and Jordan tags in without Dawson realizing. American Alpha hit Dawson with Grand Amplitude for the win.

Winners by pinfall and NEW NXT Tag Team Champions: American Alpha (Chad Gable and Jason Jordan)

Match Rating: ***1/4

Match Analysis: That was a terrific tag team match that was booked very smartly. American Alpha are the new hot thing and will take the NXT tag division in a fresh direction. They are so fun to watch in the ring and you can see why the crowd gravitates so much to them. Part of their charm is the little things. Their facial expressions are great throughout the match and really added to the drama. There were a lot of roll-ups during this, and probably a little too much. At one point later in the match, it made a lot of sense but they should have toned it down a bit. Still, for an opening match, this was perfect. The fans are hyped for the rest of the show and that is the purpose of the slot.

We see shots of the crowd where Jim Ross, Michelle Beadle and Funaki are there. Next to him though is Kota Ibushi. The announcers make note of the Global Cruiserweight thing coming up so he is going to be in that it seems.

NXT will be in the UK in June for a run of shows.

Backstage, we see Bayley doing Make-A-Wish stuff earlier today. It cuts to a shot of Asuka warming up earlier also. That is still to come but next we have Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin. We see a video package of how this match came around. Corbin was the loser of a triple threat match with Samoa Joe and Sami Zayn after tapping when both men had a hold on. He wanted to be in the rematch but William Regal said no. Aries came in for his debut but was immediately attacked on stage by an angry Corbin. He hit the End of Days on the floor and we are set for the match.

Corbin makes his way out to a lot of jeers from the crowd. He’s looking pretty bad-ass though. He has a cool jacket on that makes it look Viking-like. It really suits his character. Aries makes his entrance to a nice pop from this Dallas crowd. He looks pleased to be here. This is his WWE in-ring debut. Graves mentions how Austin has been a champion everywhere he has been.

Baron Corbin vs. Austin Aries

Aries goes right after Corbin but the heel powers out. The crowd have a dueling chant for these two so it shows Corbin has won over the fans. Aries hits a dropkick to the knee and clubs away at the back of Corbin’s head. There is a big size difference between these two. Aries hits a rolling forearm which sends Corbin to the outside. He climbs to the top and hits a forearm to the outside. Back in the ring, Corbin hangs Aries on the top rope and stomps away. Corbin stamps on Aries’ hand and chokes him on the bottom rope. Corbin launches Aries shoulder-first into the ring post and that gets a two count. With Aries in a resthold, Corbin talks a lot of trash to the crowd which is quite funny. Corbin hits a couple of corner clotheslines and nails a few elbows for a near fall. Aries fights back with a few forearms and chops Corbin into the corner. Aries taps Corbin in the ropes and unleashes a lot of punches. He hits a double axe-handle to the back of the rope and sends Corbin crashing off the second rope. Aries hits a missile dropkick from the top rope and another one in the corner sends Corbin out of the ring. Aries flies out with a suicide dive but Corbin comes back with a Deep Six on the floor. He climbs into the ring and demands the referee counts Aries out. He gets back in the ring at 9 ¾. Corbin unloads with forearms to the face and the crowd boo him heavily. Corbin goes for End of Days but Aries counters with a roll-up for the win.

Winner by pinfall: Austin Aries

Match Rating: **1/2

Match Analysis: This was a good big man vs. little man match. They did a real good job of playing up the psychology with Corbin overpowering Aries so he had to think of something different to win the match. It was a clever finish and worked here. I think the pace of the slow was a bit too slow when Corbin was on offense but I understand that it suits his character. It just seemed to take the wind out of the fans who were very quiet by the end. I do like Corbin a lot though and think he could make a good monster NXT Champion if he was given the chance.

We get a Wrestlemania advert which heavily featured The Rock. That does make sense I suppose. We see Finn Balor arriving to the arena earlier today. I like these clips as it adds a sense of realism to it and builds the main event. Up next, it’s Zayn vs. Nakamura and the crowd pop for both names on the screen. We get a video package which showed Zayn’s return from injury and failure to become number one contender for the NXT Championship. Regal announced that Zayn deserved a big match at Takeover and introduced NXT’s newest signing, Nakamura. They hype worldwide appeal with clips from Revolution Pro and New Japan. Zayn wants to know if Nakamura has what it takes when the pressure is on. We are about to find out.

We see Scott Hall and X-Pac in the crowd and out comes Zayn to a good reaction. The crowd in NXT will always love Sami Zayn. He is the ultimate babyface. He’s the modern day Ricky Steamboat. The crowd sing Zayn’s entrance music which amuses Sami. This is Zayn’s swansong NXT match as he is fully on the main roster and probably won’t be on NXT for a long while after this. The crowd eagerly await Nakamura and chant for him. The King of Strong Style makes his entrance to a great pop from this Dallas crowd. It was a really cool entrance too with strobe lighting before he finally showed his face. He looks pleased to be here and Zayn has a smile on his face at Nakamura’s debut. He does his trademark gestures in the ring to a huge roar. The crowd gives us a Holy Shit chant which seems fitting as this seemed impossible just six months ago.

Sami Zayn vs, Shinsuke Nakamura

The crowd start a dueling chant for these two and there is a great atmosphere inside the arena. Zayn takes a while to get to his feet which allowed Nakamura to soak in the reaction. There’s a massive yes chant for this. Zayn goes for a lock-up to start and Nakamura ducks it and swaggers away showing his unreal amount of charisma. The crowd think this is awesome already as Nakamura asks Zayn to bring it. He charges at Nakamura but gets hit with a knee to the gut and a few kicks which catches Zayn off-guard. Zayn works on the arm as the dueling chant rings out. Nakamura reverses with a wristlock of his own. The crowd actually start a hold his hand chant in a funny bit. Sami takes control with his wristlock and hits a couple of arm drags. Zayn tells Nakamura to bring it now. Graves note show this is Zayn’s house and Nakamura is here to take it from Zayn. Nakamura hits a kick to the chest and jumping knee gets a one count from Zayn. He locks in a nice arm bar as the crowd chant Shinsuke’s gonna kill you. Zayn fights out of it with elbow but gets hit with an enziguri. Nakamura stamps on Zayn’s face and a big spinning heel kick gets a one count. Zayn gets a nice snap suplex for a two count and hits a stiff forearm to the face. Zayn hits a dropkick to the face that gets another two count. Nakamura fights back a sharp forearm and climbs to the top rope, but Zayn knocks him off to the outside. Nakamura hits a Pele kick on the apron and drives his knee into Zayn’s face. Another knee drop gets a round of applause from the fans and Nakamura hits a stiff knee to the gut for a near fall. He goes for a T-Bone suplex but Zayn lands on his feet and sends Nakamura to the outside. He hits the running dive to the outside and a crossbody back in the ring gets a two count. Sami goes for a standing suplex but Nakamura counters with a knee to the face. He nails a couple of knees on the floor but Zayn hits a Michinoku Driver. They exchange blows with both men getting cheered. These blows are stiff forearms and Nakamura is busted open at the nose. It looks nasty actually. Neither man can get an advantage and the crowd loves it. Nakamura hits some stiff knees and Sami is in trouble. The King is using his strong style to destroy Zayn here. The crowd say they love strong style. Zayn hits a massive clothesline that turned Nakamura inside out. Nakamura turns another clothesline into the rolling armbar but Zayn fights out. Nakamura turns it into a triangle choke but Zayn counters with stiff kicks. He hits a strong punch and stamps on Nakamura to a big pop. Zayn gets nailed with a stiff shot but he counters with the Koji Clutch. The crowd chant no as they don’t want Nakamura to tap out. He counters with a roll-up for a two count. Zayn nails an enziguri and collapses in a heap. The crowd chant fight forever as they do not want this to end. Nakamura goes for a powerslam but Sami hits a stiff elbow. Nakamura hits a nice one-legged dropkick. Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick but Nakamura dodges it and hits an inverted exploder suplex. He goes for the Kinshasa, which used to be called the Bomaye but Zayn counters with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a very close near fall. On the outside, Zayn goes for his turnbuckle DDT but Nakamura blocks it with a roundhouse kick to the head. That got a Holy Shit chant. Nakamura climbs to the top rope but Zayn joins him up there and goes for a superplex. Nakamura fights out with a headbutt and climbs down. He goes for a running clothesline but Zayn counters with an exploder suplex attempt. Nakamura blocks with clubbing elbows and nails a knee to the back of the head from the top rope. He hits the Kinshasa for the win to end this war.

Winner by pinfall: Shinsuke Nakamura

After the match, Nakamura offers a handshake to Zayn who reluctantly takes it. They hug in the ring to a big pop and Zayn raises Nakamura’s arm. He leaves and Zayn gets an ole chant in the ring. He looks upset as the fans give him a standing ovation. He waves goodbye to the NXT fans and leaves up the ramp as the crowd hype his Wrestlemania match on Sunday.

Match Rating: *****

Match Analysis: That is five stars out of five. It’s the highest rating I can give and it deserves every star. It was an all-out war between two of the best wrestlers on the planet and it was glorious. There was counter after counter and the stiffness of some of the blows was amazing. These two men put it all on the line and the winners were the fans who watched it. That was the best NXT match there has been and is up there as one of the best matches of all time. It is that good. It’s better than some of the five star matches in the past and is in the top five matches of all time. I honestly believe that. Zayn endorsed Nakamura after the match and got the standing ovation he deserves. He is on to bigger things now and deserves his spot, but he will be missed in NXT. Nakamura is ready to step in and be the man for the yellow brand that Zayn has been for three years. This match will top anything on the rest of the show and also on Wrestlemania too. I will be happy to be wrong though.

We get a video on the Hall of Fame ceremony on Saturday night and we see Samoa Joe backstage. He looks focused. Up next, Bayley will defend her NXT Women’s Champion against Asuka. We see a package on Bayley’s title reign so far with Charlotte, Carmella and Becky Lynch showing up to praise the champion. It then focuses on Asuka’s NXT career so far with a focus on her style in the ring. Emma calls her dangerous and Dana Brooke says nothing gets Asuka out of her element. Regal announces that Asuka will challenge Bayley at Takeover and the match is set.

We see Stephanie McMahon in the crowd and she gets booed of course. Here comes Asuka to a decent pop with a new mask. Graves calls Asuka’s smile one of the most terrifying things anyone will ever see. That is good work from him. Bayley comes out to a decent cheer and she has the inflatable things with her. The crowd are chanting for her and she looks happy as usual. They get big match intros for this in a nice touch.

Bayley (c) vs. Asuka for the NXT Women’s Championship

The crowd are doing the Bayley chant to the tune of Hey Baby. They chain-wrestle to start with neither women getting an advantage. Asuka fights her way out with a stiff punch to the jaw and hits a good shoulder block. Bayley comes back with an arm drag but misses an elbow drop, and Asuka nearly connects with a roundhouse kick. Asuka kicks at the legs of Bayley but the champion hits a stiff forearm. Asuka hits one of her own and nails the hip attack. Bayley is hit with a stiff kick to the shoulder and Asuka goes for another hip attack. Bayley dodges it and hits a clothesline on the apron. A diving forearm gets a two count for the champion and she hits the running elbow. Bayley hits a crossbody from the top for a near fall. She hits a knee drop and goes for a forearm but Asuka counters with an Fujiwara armbar attempt. Bayley quickly gets to the ropes but gets nailed with kicks. Bayley counters by handing Asuka in the tree of woe and hits a springboard elbow drop for a two count. Asuka climbs to the top rope but is nailed by a stiff forearm by Bayley. The champion hits a hurricanrana from the top rope but Asuka kicks out at two. Bayley quickly goes for the Guillotine Choke, which is the move she beat Nia Jax with at Takeover: London. Asuka fights out and whacks on an ankle lock. Bayley is stuck in the middle of the ring but uses her leg strength to flip Asuka to the outside. Bayley has a hurt ankle now but still hits a suicide hurricanrana to the outside. In the ring, she covers for a two count. Bayley unloads with forearms but Asuka hulks up and hits a dropkick. She starts with kicks to the chest and hits a missile dropkick from the top rope to a round of applause. Bayle fights back with a right hand but Asuka hits a roundhouse kick and a stiff knee for a near fall. Bayley rolls her up for a two count and counters a hip attack with a back suplex. Asuka misses a roundhouse kick but follows it round with an enziguri. Both women are down and the crowd think this is awesome. They both go for a dropkick but Asuka hits a massive right hand. Bayley comes back and actually puts on a Asuka Lock. She turns it into a ankle lock and hits a running boot. Bayley is working on Asuka’s leg which is very clever. She delivers a dragon-screw leg whip but Asuka gets the Fujiwara Armbar locked in. Bayley fights out and dodges both the dropkick and the enziguri to roll Asuku up for a good near fall. The challenger goes for the Asuka Lock but Bayley counters with a snap suplex and a clothesline for a two count. She puts on the armbar that beat Sasha Banks last year but Asuka tries to fight out. She gets rolled up for two and Bayley goes for the Bayley-to Belly. Asuka counters with a big kick and hits a suplex. She locks in the armbar and Bayley is in trouble. Asuka tries to turn it into the Asuka Lock but Bayley tries to stop it. She does get it locked in and they are in the middle of the ring. Bayley powers up but can’t fight out of the hold. She passes out and the referee rings for the bell in a shocker.

Winner by submission and NEW NXT Women’s Champion: Asuka

Match Rating: ****1/4

Match Analysis: That was another tremendous match between two great wrestlers. They had a submission type match and in the end, Bayley fell to the deadly Asuka Lock. I liked how much Bayley countered Asuka and proved she can hang with her with puts the out-going champion over. I’m not that surprised by the result but they made you feel the shock by the end of the match. The loss means Bayley can go up to the main roster which is expected soon. She deserves it and has been a terrific NXT Women’s Champion. They need to focus on building up heel challengers for Asuka though as there is nobody ready at the moment.

We see an advert for Wrestlemania focusing on Triple H vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

It’s time for the main event of the evening. We see a video package of Balor and Joe’s rivalry so far. Balor beat Joe at Takeover: London but the heel weren’t giving up. He beat Sami Zayn in a 2/3 falls match and after the war in London, Balor has to do it all again to defend his championship. It focused on Balor having to survive against Joe which makes sense.

We see a shot of Bobby Roode in the crowd and that gets a big pop. It looks like he will be signed to NXT then. Samoa Joe comes out to some decent heel heat and the announcers put over his obsession with the NXT Championship. The champion makes his entrance and the crowd give a big ovation for the Demon. Balor has a chainsaw with him and it looks like he is in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre theme to mark the location. Nice. Joe looks unimpressed though.

Finn Balor (c) vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship

Joe has an intense look on his face at the start. They stare off and Joe misses a splash. Balor is launched to the outside but comes back in with shot to the afce straight away. Joe is cut open already and Balor hits the flying dive over the top rope onto Joe on the outside. Balor continues to attack Joe but is launched over the barricade onto an unfortunate security guard. Joe is bleeding badly and it is adding to the occasion. Balor hits a jumping forearm and drags Joe back into the ring. Balor is not letting the referee check on Joe and the heel hits a couple of stiff punches. He hits a roundhouse kick to the head and Balor is knocked off the apron. Joe launches himself into a suicide dive that gets a Holy Shit chant. The trainer is here now attending to Joe who is covered in blood. They try and close the cut on a reluctant Joe. He has to let them or the referee will stop the match and Joe will lose his title opportunity. Joe hits a massive Rock Bottom like move out of the corner and hits a Pele kick for a two count. The match is stopped again so Joe can get seen to. The crowd think this is bullshit. There’s a Fuck PG chant which is funny. Joe hits a stiff elbow and starts chopping Balor’s chest. Joe actually hits a Broski Boot in the corner and tries to set up the Muscle Buster. Finn blocks it and goes for a double-axe handle from the top but Joe counters with an atomic drop. A couple of stiff kicks is followed by a knee drop to the face for a two count. Finn hits a nice dropkick and Joe is being attended to again. Balor hits a couple of forearms and a clothesline drops Joe to the mat. He hits a stiff chop in three corners but Joe counters with an kick to the face. He climbs to the top but a chop by Finn sends him to the outside. Balor hits the stiff kick to the face and drags Joe into the ring for a Slingblade attempt. Joe counters with a belly-to-belly suplex and went for another Broski Boot. Balor counters with a clothesline and another one is reversed into a senton by Joe. The heel hits a massive powerbomb for a two count. Joe transitions into a Boston Crab and then quickly into a crossface. Balor reverses into a double stomp and hits a Slingblade. He hits a dropkick and goes for the Coup de Grace but Joe stops it and hits an enziguri. Joe hits the Muscle Buster but Balor kicks out at two in a good near fall. Bakir hits a forearm and both men exchange blows. Balor hits the Pele kick and both men are down meaning the referee starts a count. They are both up at nine and Balor is demoning up. He hits a corner dropkick and the Coup de Grace is followed by a 1916 attempt but Joe counters with a Coquina Clutch. Balor springboards off the top rope into a roll-up for the win.

Winner by pinfall and STILL NXT Champion: Finn Balor

Match Rating: ***1/2

Match Analysis: This was good, but man, the stoppages took the wind out of this. I understand why they had to do it. This isn’t ROH or ECW. This is a PG WWE whether we like it or not. They are not going to allow mass amount so blood for a long time in the match. What we got though was good stuff with Joe looking like a monster and Balor escaping again. I thought Joe was going to win the title here and Balor was heading up to the main roster but this changes that. Is Joe going to go up to the main roster now? Is he going to be Roman Reigns’ first challenger for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship? I’m not sure where it leads Balor either. If he goes up to main roster, who takes the title at this point? Lots of questions are not a bad thing though.

Show Rating: 8.5/10

Show Analysis: This was a great show once again from the NXT roster. Is it the best NXT Takeover ever? It’s up there without a doubt. Each match was good in it’s own right with the worst of the lot coming in at decent stuff. The main event is slightly disappointing as they can do a lot better if Joe isn’t cut so early. The Women’s Championship match was a great showing from two quality wrestlers while the opening match showed American Alpha and The Revival at their best. To top it all off, two of the best wrestlers in the world had an all-time classic. This show will probably be better than Wrestlemania, but to be fair to the main roster, it’s a near impossible task to beat it.

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

Kyle Dixon’s WWE Superstars Review: 29th January 2016

Date: January 29^th 2016

Event: Superstars

Location: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida

Announcers: Rich Brennan and Byron Saxton

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

After the usual opening video, we have Stardust to kick us off in the opening match. His opponent is Darren Young, who is a Miami native.

Stardust vs. Darren Young

There’s huge Cody chants to start which enrages Stardust. After a throw by Young, there’s a lot of stalling from Stardust. Young hits a couple of arm drags and ties in a hammer lock. Stardust gets nailed with a big punch and an inverted atomic drop. The neckbreaker gets a two count. The heel comes back with an elbow to the gut and he stomps away on Young. The Cody chants are back as Stardust gets in the resthold. Its babyface comeback time after Young gets slapped so he hits Stardust with a belly-to-back suplex. He hits another one onto the ring apron for a near fall. Stardust dodges a clothesline and hits the Queen’s Crossbow for the victory.

Winner by pinfall: Stardust

Match Rating: ½*

Match Analysis: I’m a big fan of Rhodes, but I weren’t feeling this. I’m fed up of Stardust now and these predictable matches that he does. Both men seemed to run through the motions here, which is strange seeing as it was a chance for Young to impress in his hometown.

Commercial.

The RAW Rebound shows AJ Styles’ first match on RAW as he beat Chris Jericho in a bit of a dream match.

Commercial.

The next RAW Rebound sees The Rock’s return and verbal sparring with the New Day.

Backstage, Jojo is with Tyler Breeze. He says he will go into every match knowing his opponent will realise he is more than a pretty face.

Commercial.

Here comes Titus O’Neil for our final match of the show. His opponent is Tyler Breeze and I’m already fed up of this match.

Titus O’Neil vs. Tyler Breeze

Breeze does his lying on the turnbuckle pose but gets thrown across the ring by Titus. He mocks the pose in a bit that gets unfunnier every time we see it. Breeze tries to hit a few slaps to the chest but Titus nails a shoulder tackles. He hits a big chop of his own and the crowd calls for another so he gives it to them. Breeze goes for a crossbody but it is countered into a couple of side backbreaker.

Commercial.

We come back with Breeze in control and we learn that O’Neil was drove into the ring post during the break. Breeze hits the Supermodel Kick for a near fall. A dropkick also gets a two count but Titus comes back with a big boot. A splash in the corner gets followed by the Clash of the Titus for the win.

Winner by pinfall: Titus O’Neil

Match Rating: *

Match Analysis: This was match purely there to put over Titus. He has received a push of sorts lately, so it was no surprise to see him get a win. Breeze is wasted on the main roster.

Commercial.

The final RAW Rebound sees all the drama surrounding the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Show Rating: 4/10

Show Analysis: This was a poor show. Both matches lacked drama, effort and excitement. It was like nobody cared so why should the fans?

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

Kyle Dixon’s WWE Main Event Review: 26th January 2016

Date: 26^th January 2016

Event: Main Event

Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida

Announcers: Rich Brennan and Jerry Lawler

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

After our usual opening video, we cut to the crowd here in Florida before Kevin Owens makes his way to the ring for the opening match. He has one of the most surreal entrance music on the current roster. It has a big star feel to it. His opponent tonight gets a pop as Jack Swagger comes out to the ring. That’s the third Main Event in a row where Swagger has wrestled. C show push!

Kevin Owens vs. Jack Swagger

Swagger goes straight for the Patriot Lock but Owens dodges it into the ropes. The heel has a bandage on his arm, which is selling the damage down by the Last Man Standing match with Dean Ambrose on Sunday at the Royal Rumble. He beats on Swagger with shoulder blocks to the ribs and talks trash to the crowd throughout. Swagger comes back with as chop to the knee and a big back suplex for a two count. Owens gets control with a right hand and mocks Swagger’s “We the people” chant by replacing the word people with idiots. A running senton gets two as Lawler laughs at Owens’ trashtalking.

Commercial.

We come back and Owens has Swagger stuck with elbows to the face. During the resthold, Owens sings the Canadian national anthem which is a very nice touch. Swagger comes back with a kick to the face and a few clotheslines. He goes for the Swagger Bomb but Owens rolls out of the ring. Swagger meets him out there with a huge clothesline and in the ring, he goes for another Swagger Bomb. This one hits but Owens gets a shoulder up at two. Swagger goes for a splash but Owens drops him to the outside and he goes face-first off the ring steps. The heel takes advantage by dragging Swagger back in the ring and performing a vicious cannonball for a near fall. Owens calls for the end but Swagger counters the Pop-Up Powerbomb into the Patriot Lock. Owens powers out of it and goes for a suplex, but Swagger counters into a German suplex of his own. The Real American goes for another Swagger Bomb but Owens counters with a kick to the face. He hits his own German suplex and a superkick gets a very close near fall. Owens goes for the Pop-Up Powerbomb again, but once again, Swagger counters as he rolls him up for a two count. He goes for a shoulder block in the corner, but Owens moves and Swagger goes straight into the ring post. Owens does finally hit the Pop-Up Powerbomb for the victory.

Winner by pinfall: Kevin Owens

Match Rating: ***

Match Analysis: This was a good match that just about scraped the three star barrier. It’s a notch below the match between Dolph Ziggler and The Miz on Superstars last week that I also gave three stars to. Still, this had enough to warrant the rating as they packed a very good match into the time they had. What Swagger and Owens did really well here is put over how final the Pop-Up Powerbomb can be. They did a super job of building to the move and making you feel that if Owens hits it, the match is over. That will come in handy in the bigger matches for Owens as anybody who kicks out of it is made to look great thanks to matches on the smaller shows like this. This match is another testament to the idea that superstars put on these unimportant shows should make the most of the time they have. Owens did that here by building up his finisher, and Swagger continues to prove how good of an in-ring talent he is each week.

Commercial.

Here comes the Dudley Boyz who are in tag team action next. They will face The Ascension who are already in the ring. That does not bode well.

The Dudley Boyz (D-Von and Bubba Ray) vs. The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor)

The heels attack early as the referee gets control of the match. It’s D-Von in there with Viktor. Bubba tags in and runs riot with a splash and a clothesline for Konnor. He hits Viktor with the Bionic Elbow while talking a lot of trash. He hits a bodyslam and sets up D-Von for the diving headbutt. However, Konnor attacks D-Von who was perched on the top rope. Viktor hits Bubba with an STO for a two count. Konnor is in there and he beats away on Bubba with a strong Irish whip. Vikto comes back in but gets hits with a backbreaker and here’s the hot tag to D-Von. He gets a few shoulder tackles and a nice neckbreaker. A massive lariat clothesline gets a near fall and Bubba tags in for a 3-D and the win.

Winners by pinfall: The Dudley Boyz (D-Von and Bubba Ray)

Match Rating: *

Match Analysis: This wasn’t bad, but it didn’t blow me away either. It was solid enough and the work involved wasn’t terrible. I just didn’t get invested in this.

Jojo is backstage with Rusev and Lana. She asks how the powerbomb from RAW will affect him but Lana says nothing effects a super athlete. Rusev says he will destroy Ryback tonight. Lana tells him to crush.

Commercial.

It’s RAW Rewind time with Triple H’s celebration of winning the Royal Rumble and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It’s Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Roman Reigns at Fast Lane and the winner faces Triple H at Wrestlemania for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Here comes Rusev for the main event of this week’s Main Event. As he is in singles action and not involved with the League of Nations tonight, Lana is with him at ringside.

Commercial.

We come back and Ryback makes his entrance to a decent amount of noise.

Rusev (w/ Lana) vs. Ryback

It’s a test of strength to start with neither man coming out on top. Ryback builds up steam and hits a nice crossbody. He performs a Thesz Press and a big splash gets a near fall. He calls for his finisher, but Rusev rolls to the outside. Ryback tries to attack him on the outside but Rusev nails a superkick. He throws Ryback into the steel steps as we head for a break.

Commercial.

We come back with Rusev working on Ryback’s shoulder. He hits a big back body drop and a running splash gets two. Rusev goes for a suplex over the ropes to the outside but Ryback blocks it and suplexes him back in the ring. Ryback hits a high knee and a missile dropkick from the top rope for a near fall. He goes for a powerbomb but Rusev reverses into a back drop. He hits a running crossbody for a near fall. Ryback goes for ShellShock but it is blocked so he turns it into a neckbreaker and gets a two count. He goes for a Meathook Clothesline but gets hit with a superkick. Ryback nails the clothesline anyway for a near fall. They start trading punches and Ryback goes for ShellShock. Lana is on the apron and Rusev pushes Ryback in her direction. He avoids the collision but Lana slaps him around the face anyway. The referee gives nothing for it and Rusev rolls him up for a near fall. Rusev goes for a superkick but Ryback blocks it and nails a superkick of his own. He goes for the Shell Shock but Rusev escapes again. He nails Ryback with a superkick and locks in the Accolade. Ryback passes out and the referee calls for the submission.

Winner by submission: Rusev

Match Rating: **1/2

Match Analysis: There was some very good stuff here as they went all out to have a big match. They traded a lot of counters and had a good hoss battle. The only thing that lets it down is how slow it was to start and some stupid officiating. Lana slaps Ryback in full view of the referee yet there was no DQ given. I like the clean finish, but that seemed like someone messed up there. Still, very solid match between two good big men.

Show Rating: 7/10

Show Analysis: This was a good show in my eyes. You had two good matches at the top and tail of the show while the filler wasn’t anything bad. You can’t ask for much more on a show that the company doesn’t care about.

Written by Kyle Dixon (@kyledixon95)

Kyle Dixon’s Smackdown Review: 7th January 2016

Smackdown has moved networks in the United States to the USA Network, and tonight’s show could be the start of a bumper run. We have two title matches, as well as an appearance from John Cena. Let’s get to it.

Kyle Dixon’s WWE Main Event Review- January 7th 2016

WWE have started 2016 strong, with a decent episode of Superstars and a great show on Monday with RAW. Can they keep the run going with another C show, Main Event? Let’s find out.

Kyle Dixon’s RAW Review: January 4th 2016

It’s the first RAW of 2016 as we reach episode 1180. We start the year with a bang with the main event already announced as Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With Mr. McMahon as special guest referee, can Reigns come out still holding the championship? Let’s find out.

Kyle Dixon’s WWE Superstars Review: 1st January 2016

It’s a new year and 2016 could be a great one for the WWE if their creative gets into check. The first show of the calendar year is from the WWE Network as we get the first Superstars of 2016. This is a show that most people don’t bother with, but you sometimes get some hidden gems while it’s good to see some deserving talents get some sort of TV time. Let’s see what this week has in store for us.

Stuart Irvine PPV Review: WWE Hell in a Cell 2015

Welcome to Stuart Irvine WWE Hell in a Cell 2015 review, with the show taking place at the famous Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. With two Hell in a Cell matches with Roman Reign facing off against the Bray Wyatt and The Undertaker taking on Brock Lenser in their final showdown. We also get the John Cena United States Championship Open Challenge, but who will answer the call to face John Cena for the U.S title.

Read on to find out.