WWE SummerSlam 2017

WWE SummerSlam 2017

Brooklyn, NY - August 2017

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Brock Lesnar holds the WWE Universal Championship, while Jinder Mahal is the WWE World Champion. The RAW Tag Team Champions are Cesaro and Sheamus, while The New Day hold the titles on SmackDown. AJ Styles is the United States Champion and the Intercontinental Championship is held by The Miz. For the females, Naomi is the SmackDown Women's Champion and Alexa Bliss holds the RAW Women's Championship. Either Tozawa or Neville is the Cruiserweight Champion, though, I don't recall who and, seeing as they weren't on the main show, I kind of don't care.

COMMENTATORS: Cole, Graves, and Saxton (RAW) / JBL, Phillips, Otunga (SmackDown)


I don't typically catch Kickoff Shows - especially when the show itself is 4 hours and everytime I do try to watch the pre-show, the actual matches are diced up with needless commercial breaks. So, my 2017 SummerSlam viewing experience started with John Cena taking on Baron Corbin. The story coming in was that Corbin is upset with Cena because...well...John Cena is just kinda disliked by most heels and most faces too. Its like "his thing." Also, last week on SmackDown, Cena screwed Corbin in his Money In The Bank briefcase opportunity. I found this match to be about as good as anyone could've expected or hoped it could be. Cena might be the only guy that can challenge AJ Styles for being the best worker in the US right now and that's saying something when you consider how much longer Cena has been in the WWE spotlight than Styles. I loved Cena's entire approach this match - the cocky veteran getting in the head of the angry, boorish newcomer to start things off and, despite taking some heavy blows, sticking to his bread-n'-butter. This was almost a classic "fun babyface" Cena performance, which is a bit refreshing compared to the years he spent trying to bust out crazy high spots that kinda betrayed his entire ring style before then (busting out Canadian Destroyers??). Corbin has got a ton of hate on the internet, which baffles me. He's not a super worker, but he's come a long way from his even-worse NXT run and his jawing at the crowd and Cena throughout the match was gold. I remember singing the praises of The Miz for being a true heel way, way back, and I see the same thing in Corbin - he's a guy that is impossible to root for because he looks like a real shithead. Wrestling-wise, I think he throws better hands than he's given credit for (and I hate the knock that he doesn't "punch like a boxer" because this is pro-wrestling and "Marvelous" Marc Mero stunk) and most of his signature stuff looks pretty gnarly. My biggest gripe about this match was the finish. Nobody should be losing to a single Attitude Adjustment in 2017 and, though I have no issue with Cena getting the W, there were better routes to get there that would've given more of a rub to Corbin, who, if he's going to be a major player in the future, shouldn't be losing so decisively as he's climbing the ranks. My prediction: Corbin gets his "win back" on a random episode of SmackDown that a fraction of SummerSlam's audience will see before Cena takes off for RAW (as is the rumor). (3/5)

Naomi vs. Natalya for the SmackDown Women's Championship followed. I'm a bigger fan of both these women that most probably, so I was excited about what they could do when given the spotlight on a major show. Naomi is not the smoothest worker and I didn't like the logic of busting out a Blockbuster to the arena floor in the first minute, but the spirit she puts into her bumping should be commended. Natalya, meanwhile, has kind of built her career on being consistently good if rarely great, a smart worker who is underappreciated in terms of getting big reactions out of clever cut-offs (for example, pulling Naomi's leg practically out of its socket to block her running knees). There were more than a couple moments when the choreography stalled, but there were also enough quality  high spots to keep the audience engaged and the suspense level high. Good match. (3/5) 

Next up was the "Battle of the Bigs": Big Show vs. Big Cass with Enzo Amore hanging from a shark cage above the ring. Before the match, Enzo cut a promo about his ex-best friend. I really dug his schtick in 2015 and even into 2016, but even in front of a supportive somewhat "hometown" crowd, it came off as same ol'-same ol' to me on this night. It would probably help if the feud with Cass hadn't run its course weeks ago and if he had any chemistry at all with his stand-in Big Show. I've written it elsewhere but I feel for Show - he got in the shape of his life to fight Shaq at WrestleMania and when that belly up, Creative had nothing for him. On the positive side, The Good Brothers weren't involved - which was a distinct possibility based on the build-up. On the negative side, just about everything else that happened in this match. The logic in this match had holes the size of the competitor's boots. There was a time when slugging someone with a cast on your hand was the go-to cheap finish but here - even when that paw belongs to a giant who uses a punch to the jaw as his established finisher - it garners a nearfall. Some minutes later, Enzo woke the crowd up by slithering out of the shark cage only to get booted square in the jaw and taken out instantly. If there is going to be an eventual pay-off to Enzo getting his butt kicked by his former tag team partner, I'm becoming increasingly less interested in seeing it because of matches like this. This match couldn't main event a RAW and didn't deserve its placement on the main show over the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match - which I'm guessing was way better than this just based on the talents involved. Maybe a half-point fo Enzo's effort and the fact that it didn't overstay its welcome too long. (0.5/5)

Things went from bad to worse next - Rusev attacking Randy Orton before the bell could ring for their match but then immediately doing the job to the RKO. Orton's finish is an established game-ender, but was this not almost exactly the same sort of thing that kept Rusev from wrestling at last year's SummerSlam? Here's my guess - someone backstage knows that Rusev is going to get CHEERED over Orton, so keeping their time on-screen short was the only move they could make...which is kind of the same thing that happened last year between Rusev and Reigns. Here's an idea: let Rusev be Rusev and see if he can get over and stay over. What's the worst that could happen? You create a credible upper midcarder? Hated pretty much everything about this segment. (0/5)

Thankfully, Sasha Banks vs. Alexa Bliss for Bliss' RAW Women's Championship came up next. If the rumors are true, these two legitimately dislike each other backstage, but that doesn't mean they don't have pretty good chemistry, one-upping each other with stiff strikes and a good number of barely-protected slams. The biggest irony here might be that a lack of trust or friendship between the two has resulted in Banks have to wrestle a slightly safer style - and that's not a bad thing when you consider how many neck surgeries she narrowly seemed to escape in her often reckless matches with Charlotte in 2016. Bliss did not come to the main roster as a polished performer, but she has picked thing up quick and it will be interesting to see how much further she can develop. Sasha, meanwhile, might have come in a bit overhyped - but like CM Punk in 2007-2008, because she's arguably a more natural heel, I don't think we've seen her even close to her main roster peak yet. As for the match itself, I thought it started off much better than it progressed with the intensity starting at 10, then dropping a little bit to a 7, and then building back up to an 8 before Banks got the submission victory. My issue might have been that Banks withstood too much punishment (with Bliss taking too little) for a half-locked-in Banks Statement to be a convincing enough ending. As much as I enjoyed this one overall, I don't think it quite measured up to their Great Balls of Fire match. Part of that may have been on the crowd, part of that may have been on them, but I'd still call this a vast improvement over the last two bouts. (3.5/5)

After a lengthy video promo reviewing their feud, "The Demon King" Finn Balor took on Bray Wyatt. All credit to Finn Balor for making this as watchable as it was. Bray Wyatt started out an interesting character and, as a performer, I think he's more than solid - but the Creative Team has basically booked him into complete oblivion and made every wrong choice possible for his character. He's a cult leader? Take away his cult. He has supernatural powers? Let them be completely ineffective. He should be feared by all the babyfaces? Have him lose to every one in every big match possible. His aimless promos, originally at least creepy, no longer pack any bite. So, in summation, Balor had his work cut out for him to make this match actually exciting when the finish was never really in question. And, for the first time in the show, I'll throw a bone to whoever was behind keeping Balor off the last RAW pay-per-view - distance has certainly made the heart grow fonder as the crowd was jacked to see this guy and his signature offense got huge pops. Like Wyatt, I'm not sure if "The Demon King" gimmick will work if it is something we see every month and Balor himself is going to need a real meaningful, personal storyline to make me care about him moving forward, but he definitely came off as one of the bigger stars on the show. As I wrote earlier, Balor's offense was terrific and Wyatt held his own by keeping pace and taking several devastating splashes, knees, and double stomps. Nothing I'd rewatch, but I can see moments of this ending up on a Balor highlight reel. (2.5/5)

The RAW Tag Team Championships were on the line next - the reunited Shield allies Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins challenging Antonio Cesaro and Sheamus. Extra half-point relatively early for Cesaro tearing up a beachball in the audience like an absolute boss. I'm not sure I agree with the sentiment as its not the fans' fault that SummerSlam has become such a bloated event that the crowd tires of the product around minute 157 or whatever, but I appreciate Cesaro refusing to be upstaged by an inflatable pool toy. When Sheamus and Cesaro began teaming up, it felt like two separate singles guys doing their own thing next to eachother - but they got really good and I wouldn't be opposed to them keeping the partnership up as long as they have nothing on the horizon independently. Ambrose and Rollins look like they could be on the same trajectory after some unsteady months in meandering singles feuds themselves. Lots of good double-team maneuvers and I like how this one wasn't worked like your classic face-in-peril match, which is what I kind of expected based on the build and Ambrose's overness as a common man's hero. I look forward to their eventual rematch and wouldn't mind them raising the stakes a little bit with some sort of tornado tag stip as part of the fun of this match was how "out of control" it got in its closing minutes. Not quite a match-of-the-year candidate or anything, but certainly better than average. (3/5)

Here comes the money! Shane McMahon arrives to special guest referee the United States Title match between AJ Styles and Kevin Owens. I have been consistently disappointed with the matches these two have had, but I tried to come in with an open mind about this match. This was definitely the most "indy" of the matches of the night, both guys pulling out pretty much every trick they could to please the crowd. Unfortunately, Shane McMahon's presence was a double-edged sword in that, on one hand, his involvement gave this match a much-needed something to freshen it up, but, on the other hand, his refereeing was atrocious considering Shane O-Mac is supposed to be somewhat of a super-athlete/super-brain who can take all sorts of nasty bumps (as Owens pointed out) and doesn't fall for the cheap ploys and manipulations that your typical referee does. Here, though, from the very start, he involved himself in unnecessary ways (Why pull these two apart to start the match? Just ring the damn bell!) and put himself in harms way for no apparent reason (Since when do referees check on a talent being able to continue a match by covering his/her body with their own?). On paper, Styles and Owens should have tremendous chemistry, but there is something that doesn't click here that I can't place my finger on - maybe its the fact that the matches are too back-and-forth? Maybe its that Styles, unlike, say, Sami Zayn, is too credible for me to ever truly buy into Owens trying to bully him? Maybe its that Owens doesn't take enough shortcuts for me or play enough mindgames? His trash talk is great, but it comes off as impersonal against Styles in a way it never did against Cena or Zayn or even Roman Reigns. I'd probably call this their best pay-per-view match yet, but the bar wasn't set very high. (3/5)

The WWE Championship was on the line next with Jinder Mahal defending the strap against the super popular Shinsuke Nakamura. I'm a Nakamura fan, but I didn't go into this expecting him to dethrone Mahal - especially after Corbin lost his briefcase last week. Still, I at least hoped that the match would be entertaining, that the crowd would rally behind Nakamura and let Vince hear their support, and that maybe they'd come up with an inventive finish that didn't involve The Great Khali, who, by the way, certainly seemed like he was gonna get another cameo when he cost Orton a guaranteed victory last month. Overall, this was a meh match despite Nakamura maybe being at his best in terms of showing his charisma and humor, a very different type than everyone else on the card save for maybe Cena. I've read so many recent blogs or comments about how Mahal may not be a great worker but he has "presence" or an "it factor." So did Van Hammer in the early 90s. So did Mr. Kennedy. "It factor" and "presence" are important traits and maybe the hardest attributes to find...but call me old school, I like World Champions that can actually elevate their opponents and put on high-level, top tier matches with consistency. Mahal, at his best, is an average in-ring performer making the most of a stereotypical evil foreigner gimmick. Even if Nakamura had won this match, I wouldn't call it great. Nakamura willed this one into watchable territory with an assist awarded to the fans. (2/5)

Main event time - Brock Lesnar defending the WWE Universal Championship against Samoa Joe, Braun Strowman, and Roman Reigns in a Fatal 4-Way. This one reminded me a fair amount of the Lesnar/Cena/Rollins triple threat at Royal Rumble some years back in that I'm not sure I've ever seen a more fun, wild, and violent version of this stipulation. The crowd was, as one might've expected, red hot for Joe and Braun, somewhat lukewarm to Lesnar, and frigid for Reigns. Great start to the match with plenty of Lesnar/Strowman teasing that would ultimately pay-off in a hugely impressive and awesome way with Strowman powerslamming Lesnar through two tables and then toppling a third one on top of him. I would've lost the Beast getting wheeled to the back on a gurney, but hey, if that was the only way we were going to get Paul Heyman losing his frigging mind on the outside of the ring, I'll take it. I'm really, really, really looking forward to Heyman and Strowman's future interactions because there is gold there any which way they want to mine it. Joe and Reigns were relatively afterthoughts, but it was actually somewhat smart to keep them around the periphery considering Reigns was booed for nearly every offensive move he hit and Joe, as over as he is, was always going to be regarded as the underdog no matter how much the commentators played up the 25% chance BS. Even after Lesnar returned to the match, I'm not sure this one ever hit the same peak it had at its midpoint, but whoever laid this one out did a fine job of giving everyone a chance to look like they might get the W (well, maybe not Joe) only to be cut off by another competitor. The finish itself was a shocker to me as I was under the impression that Lesnar was going to be returning to the UFC in the near future. Maybe he drops the title to Strowman at Survivor Series? A very, very good main event and easy Match of the Night, with a chance of being a Match of the Year candidate too. (4/5)


SummerSlam 2017 was a needlessly long show, though, its lows never dipped as low as some of the awfulness of last year. No match truly over-delivered, though I could see the argument that Balor/Wyatt was much better than it probably had any right to be considering how weak the Bray Wyatt character has become. The main event was the best match of the night as it didn't waste too much time getting to its point - 4 guys demolishing each other with weapons and signature offense. Elsewhere, the women continued their streak of maybe being the most consistently fun-to-watch performers on the roster not named AJ Styles. Banks and Bliss reported legit beef lends their matches "real fight feel" every time and it was a bit of a breath of fresh air to see Naomi and Natalya get some spotlight considering how much the rest of the division took a backseat to the Four Horsewomen in 2015 and 2016. The Big Show/Enzo/Cass storyline should be taken out back and shot - in fact, I'm not sure they shouldn't already be plotting a way to reunite Cass and Enzo because as singular entities, neither look like they are heading anywhere special. Rusev, for the second year in a row, was completely wasted and made to look weak despite being noticeably one of the best in-ring performers on his brand in July (the fact that the Flag Match against Cena last month was even remotely entertaining had nothing to do with the booking or build and everything to do with Cena and Rusev's talent and chemistry). With a Kwang Score of 2.45-out-of-5, despite offering a majority of matches that were slightly better than your average TV match, this show was too long and, more than often than not, deflating in its finishes to warrant a full watch.  

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III

Brooklyn, NY - August 2017

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Bobby Roode is the NXT Champion, The Authors of Pain hold the Tag Team Titles, and Asuka is the reigning NXT Women's Champion.

COMMENTATORS: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuiness, and Percy Watson


For the third time in three years, NXT takes over the city of Brooklyn on the Saturday before SummerSlam. Unlike previous years, this year's show didn't boast a tremendous card, but when NXT specials over-deliver more often than not.

The show began with a music performance by Code Orange, who look like they're going to be huge one day in 1999. Did this gang of de-tuned weirdos get here from the time travel booth on a Family Values tour? 

Mauro Ranallo is back on commentary and welcomes us to the show and its opening contest - Johnny Gargano taking on Adres "Cien" Almas. Almas came in as a face, but changed his tune when that didn't get him anywhere and has since brought in Salina Vega as his manager. A big "Johnny Wrestling" chant to start things off as these two got to grappling. Gargano put the pressure on early with a series of rolling pins and facelocks, but Cien cut him off with a stiff back elbow and slowed the pace. Minutes later they gave us a great double clothesline spot and then a terrifically stiff strike-trading sequence. Gargano earned a loud NXT chant for a tope to the floor and then a slingshot DDT for 2 and 4/5ths. Cien would cut off Gargano's spear through the ropes, though, eventually landing an inverted Tornado DDT for a 2 count of his own. Again the crowd burst into a "Johnny Wrestling" chant, but Almas quieted em' with a knife-edged chop. Onto the top rope they climbed, trading blows, until Gargano attempted a somersault powerbomb to no avail. A fantastic sequence of counters and strikes followed building to the Gargano Escape and a one-armed Buckle Bomb by Almas. Almas then nailed the running double knees into the corner but somehow Gargano kicked out! Damn, we've seen at least 3 should-be-finishes in this match and its not over. Gargano stuns him with two big superkicks and then lawn-darts Almas into the corner. As he geared up for his finish, though, Vega tossed him a #DIY shirt and the distraction allowed Almas to lock him up for his convoluted DDT-like finisher. I wouldn't call this a must-see just because I'm not sure there was enough emotion involved (admittedly, I don't really follow NXT week-to-week so I might be wrong), but this was probably my favorite Cien match from any Takeover he's been on. (3.5/5)

The camera cuts over to show Kurt Angle and Daniel Bryan watching the show from a skybox in the Barclays Center. After a video promo hyping the next match, Corey Graves joins the commentary team. 

Up next - The Authors of Pain defending the NXT Tag Championship against SAniTY's Killian Dane and Alexander Wolfe. This is essentially a heel/heel match, but as long as these teams delivered some hard-hitting high spots, the crowd was willing to get behind the match. Eric Young brought out a table early and tried to steer his men towards it, some good foreshadowing for future destruction. Wolfe and Akem started things off before Rezar came in, though the Authors would keep the pressure on with a series of quick tags. In a weird choice, Eric Young would be tagged in rather than Killian Dane, the match, hyped as being a battle of giants, turning into, well, just your typical tag match. Young and Rezar went into the crowd for some brawling, but found their way back into the ring after a minute or so. Great double-team back body drop-into-a-dominator spot from the Authors. Excellent crossface strikes from Akem (or Rezar? Still haven't figured out who's who). Wolfe came in to relieve Young and ended up hitting a huge release german suplex on Rezar. Wolfe wouldn't maintain control for long, though, eventually getting dropped to the mat with a double-team neckbreaker-powerbomb combo. Wolfe was prepped for a powerbomb off the top but reversed it into a Frankensteiner and made the hot tag to Young. This led to a cool spot that saw one Author powerbomb the Author when Nikki Cross prevented a Tower of Doom. Both Young and Wolfe would come flying through and over the top rope onto the Authors on the outside and Nikki Cross came in to a huge pop to get her own moment. Cross got caught, though, and looked to be in trouble before Killian Dane tackled both Cross and the Author through the table! A "This is Awesome" chant began as Eric Young and Alex Wolfe landed their finish to win the titles! I'm going to call that an upset just because I expected the Authors reign to last a good while - not because they're not ready for a call-up, but because they're one of the few acts on NXT that I'd say are legitimately over, credible, and established. I liked the match itself more than the finish. Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly show up and take out both teams! Known in other companies as reDRagon, I'm excited to see what they'll do, but I'm not sure dishing out a post-match beatdown on both teams, establishing them as basically heels (unless the WWE is banking on them getting over as babyfaces just because of their RoH background), was a wise move when the division desperately needs a replacement for #DIY. (3/5)

And we get another guest commentator - this time its none other than Jim Ross! 

The recently heel-turned Hideo Itami makes his way to the ring next to take on the relative newcomer Aleister Black. I must admit that I enjoyed Black's entrance, Code Orange doing a solid impression of that one European metal band where there's like 12 members and everyone has a mask? As expected, this one was all about stiff strikes so it didn't take long before Black had a bloody nose. Without the color, I'm not sure this one would've seemed as hard-hitting and violent as it did, but it was an absolutely brutal affair, Itami, at least to me, finally living up to the hype of 3 years ago. This may have been designed to help establish Black as NXT's next great babyface, but it was Itami who, to me, looked like he was ready to be pulled to the main roster and given a solid heel push. Very good finish too, with the Black Mass looking like it could be the next RKO, just an absolute stunner of a move that can come out of almost anywhere and score you a 3 count. Here's hoping they never have anyone kick out of that thing. (3.5/5)

Its time for the NXT Women's Championship match - Asuka defending against the woman that almost had her number at the last Takeover show, Ember Moon. Moon tried to surprise her way to a victory early, but once Asuka gained control, the punishment began. Asuka's viciousness is still remarkable even after a year of witnessing it from the champ, everything she does looking like it is either knocking a tooth out, pulling a clump of hair out, tearing a muscle, or breaking a bone. Asuka is the ultra-rare heel that the fans should want to see get dethroned, but don't. Moon is the best challenger she's had, a woman who is underrated simply because the gulf between just about anyone and Asuka is so wide and the women that Moon could more easily be compared to in terms of talent level are already on the main roster. I loved how Moon came in with a clear strategy of not only surviving Asuka, but upsetting her with unexpected pin attempts and innovations of her own. There were some slight spot-calling issues, but nothing too egregious in the grand scheme of the match, as any time these two might've lost the crowd, they brought them back in with a nasty kick or a big slam. Moon hit the Eclipse but Asuka kicked out! I wish there had been some previous attempts to build to it, but thats admittedly nit-picking a little bit. Moon went up a second time for it, but this time Asuka caught her and nearly pinned her with a handful of trunks! The ref caught it, though, and waved off the finish. Moon hit a huge superkick for 2! Moon doesn't go for the cover, though, and Asuka plays possum, locking her up in the Asuka Lock in the center of the ring as the crowd goes wild! Wisely Asuka stays off her back and Moon is forced to tap! To me, the measuring stick for a 4-star match is whether or not it is "must see" and/or worthy of future rewatch and this one hit that mark. Fantastic bout and a step up from their previous bout. This may have been Asuka's best, which is saying something when you consider that she's had some real show-stealers since joining the company. (4/5) 

Main event time - Drew McIntyre challenging Bobby Roode for his NXT Championship. As someone who doesn't watch NXT regularly, seeing McIntyre as a babyface waving the NXT flag is fresh and unexpected considering he was a dastardly heel in his initial WWE run. In a nod to Nakamura's legendary entrance at last year's show, McIntye's entrance song is backed up by the NYPD's Bagpiper Unit. Not to be outdone, Roode also got a very special (or should I just call it glorious) entrance of his own. With Roode, the entrance tends to overshadow the ring work, but this one started out pretty well thanks to Roode's spirited character work and bumping. McIntyre didn't impress me too much in 2009, but has gotten better at the little things and has diversified his offense to include some much fresher maneuvers. A "McIntyre/Bobby Roode" chant started up which surprised me because, as much as I like Roode's gimmick, as an in-ring performer he's not the most dazzling or exciting dude on the roster. With these two you knew you were going to get a more standard wrestling match - less high spots, less stiff strikes, not too many flipperoos - but they worked things wisely and didn't bog things down with extensive headlocks and needless submissions. Instead, they built suspense through pacing and spacing, each big slam separated by selling of pain and fatigue on both sides. As the match progressed, we saw more and more crisp, effective offense from both guys - a great tree of woe spot in the corner, McIntyre's perfect double-underhook DDT, Roode countering a Celtic Cross from the second rope into a powerbomb - and what made it all work was that nothing was undersold. McIntyre seemed to have the match won after a devastating front kick straight to Roode's jaw, but the champion wisely rolled towards the bottom rope to not only buy some time but allow himself the proximity necessary to drape his foot over it. Smart. Roode rolled to the outside only for McIntyre to somehow hit him with a RIDICULOUS front somersault dive over the top rope! A deserved "Holy Shit" chant followed as it was an absolutely gnarly move by a guy who has no business doing it. Back in the ring they went and McIntyre called for what I'm guessing his finish, but Roode caught him in a spinebuster! Roode somehow his Glorious DDT minutes later, but McIntyre still had gas in the tank, kicking out at 2. Roode hit a second one, but didn't go for the cover, opting instead to hit it a third time. Mcintyre headbutted out of it though and hit his running front kick - the Claymore - to become the new NXT Champion in a very good match. Extra half-point for the literal last-minute debut of Adam Cole, who got a huge reaction from the Brooklyn crowd. (3.5/5)


Going into the show I didn't have the highest expectations. On paper you had the underwhelming and half-baked SaNiTy challenging fellow heels The Authors of Pain for the titles, two guys in the main event that aren't known for riveting matches as much as workmanlike consistency in being good-not-great, and impersonal matches in Black/Itami and Gargano/Almas that had no real stakes. No gimmick matches, no *advertised* debuting newcomers or special attractions like Jushin Liger or Mickie James. But Takeover III over-delivered at every turn, each match offering something slightly different than what came before and after. A dearth of "marquee" names has been a recurring criticism since Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, the 4 Horsewomen, and Shinsuke Nakamura left, but this show proved that not only can the brand itself helped lift the show, but there is time yet for Gargano, Almas, Nikki Cross, and others to become The Next Big Thing. With a Kwang Score of 3.5-out-of-5, identical to NXT: Chicago and Orlando from some months back, NXT delivered yet another show that is not to be missed.

FINAL RATING - Watch It

WCW Souled Out 99'

WCW Souled Out 99'

Charleston, West Virginia - January 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is back as the WCW World Champion, the United States Title is held by Bret Hart, the TV Champion is Scott Steiner, and the Cruiserweight Champion is Billy Kidman. The World Tag Team Championships were vacant at this point (I don't quite recall why but Rick Steiner and Kenny Kaos were the last champions before a tournament was started to crown new ones).

COMMENTATORS: Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone, and Bobby Heenan

The show begins with a video message from Ric Flair, the new President of WCW. Then, after a rundown of tonight's main events, Schiavone sends us to the back where Goldberg is clutching his knee in pain. 

Classic WCW incompetence for the opener - Chris Benoit vs. Mike Enos. The crowd is into it, Enos puts on a simple-but-effective heel act, and everything Benoit does sells this match as a legitimate fight between two unflinching opponents. Meanwhile, on commentary, Schiavone talks about the attack on Goldberg and the on-going war between WCW and nWo for 80% of the contest. Granted, on paper, this looks like the kind of match that isn't going to give you much to talk about - but what these two may not bring in charisma and, for lack of better word, "flair," they make up for with stiff shots and intensity (even an Enos chinlock is milked for all its worth by a writhing Benoit). After what should've been the end of the match (Benoit's devastating diving headbutt), Enos and Benoit botch the clothesline-counter-into-a-Crossface spot which draws boos from the crowd, an unfortunate fleck of dirt on an otherwise solid contest. (3/5)

A short video package plays up tonight's grudge match main event.

Norman Smiley comes down the aisle next clutching an urn that supposedly holds the remains of "Pepe," his opponent Chavo Guerrero Jr.'s beloved "horse." Smiley shows off some really impressive offense and his dancing is very over, the Big Wiggle getting a respectable pop, but this one runs just a few minutes too long to keep the crowd firmly engaged from bell-to-bell. The commentary is a bit better here than in the opener, but that's not hard to explain because this match had considerably more build than the random Enos/Benoit curtain-jerker. Its surprising that Smiley wasn't brought in to the WWE in 2001 considering he had ties to the Guerreros and Jericho (I think) dating back to his years working in Mexico, but then again, as he was primarily a comedy wrestler I can also understand Vince overlooking the fact that he could actually work (to a much lesser degree, this also seems to have happened to Disco Inferno). Guerrero is supposed to be the loony underdog that the fans rally behind, but that gimmick requires the ability to garner true sympathy - something that Chavo could do well in spurts, especially when he was under the thumb of his uncle Eddie, but not well enough independently to make his feuds and matches with Stevie Ray and Norman really work (again, its Norman's Big Wiggle that draws the biggest face pops of the match). The build to the finish has some awkwardness - Guerrero's sleeper is so lazily worked that it telegraphs the counter, Chavo's spill to the outside and Smiley's dancing isn't captured by the camera, the nearfalls after the Gory Special just too much too late - and when its finally time for the actual finish, it just comes off as paltry. Plus, shouldn't sawdust in the eyes, blatantly thrown in front of the referee, be a disqualification? I wanted to like this because I'm a fan of Smiley, but this was like chocolate on a steak - too many things I generally like stacked on top of each other to the point of being put off. (2/5)

Konnan is backstage with Mark Madden talking about how the Wolfpack turned on him. I would've turned on the guy too cause his matches generally sucked from what I saw.

Fit Finlay takes on Van Hammer (in his hippy gimmick) next. Huh. I definitely forgot this was a thing. Hammer, like Smiley but way different, is another guy one would've thought that Vince would've seen money in - tall, muscular, good look - but no, the guy never got so much as a cup of coffee for Titan Sports. Finlay has his work cut out for him trying to carry the dude to a decent match and opts to do it by just leveling him with stiff shots and, as Tenay calls it, "elementary offense" that he makes look brutal. Finlay goes on a tear to start things out, but the crowd, unsurprisingly, doesn't give a single shit because, as far as I know, these two didn't really have a program coming into this random pairing. Hammer eventually takes over and whatever heat this match had gets sucked out pretty quickly as his offense is nothing special. Was Hammer supposed to be a babyface here because he garners no sympathy at all...? To his credit, he overbumps and oversells multiple times, but its not nearly enough to get his ridiculous one-note character over. Nasty tombstone piledriver to finish a very un-PPV worthy match. I probably would've liked this more if this was an even more favorable Finlay squash. Why would someone play money to see this? Points awarded for Finlay's work, but this was a Pro match at best. (1.5/5)

Wrath vs. Bam Bam Bigelow follows. At least this one had some build with Wrath on a winning streak and Bigelow coming in significantly more over than some might think in 2017. After a little bit of hard-hitting action, Bigelow takes Wrath down in a headlock and the crowd is lulled to sleep even more than Wrath is. Things don't get much better as the match wears on and Bigelow looks increasingly fatigued. Usually its Bigelow's opponent who brings the movement and energy to the match, so having him play the role of ring general was just a bad call. The best thing about this might be that we get a clean finish. (1/5)

Konnan comes out and proceeds to cut a promo against his former friends in the Wolfpack that ends with a weird list of sex acts ("toss my salad and peel my potato"?). His opponent tonight is Lex Luger and again one has to wonder who thought some of these pairings were a good idea. Not one to be outdone, Luger decides to do some talking of his own before the match begins, letting Konnan make the choice of whether or not he actually wants to throw down. Konnan doesn't back down and starts throwing fists immediately, Luger showing ass and the crowd eating it up with huge reactions. I may not be a Konnan fan, but there's no denying that the guy (and his catchphrases) were damn over in late 98'/early 99'. After withstanding Konnan's initial flurry, Luger takes control and does a respectable job of getting heat too, this being the first time he's been a pure heel in what? At least 5 years? As the match wears on, both men's fatigue is noticeable, each move looking more labored. At one point, Konnan rolls to the outside and it certainly seems like he's legitimately injured as Luger follows him to the outside and Konnan tells him something or other. Its a bizarre moment but also the most interesting thing to happen between bells (and that includes the arrival of Miss Elizabeth). Konnan is carried to the back in the end to sell the damage from getting his face sprayed by paint? (1/5)

Time for Saturn vs. Jericho, the former Lionheart in full heel mode by this point. The stipulation here is that the loser will be forced to wear a dress, but maybe the more interesting ingredient in the mix is that Perry Saturn had been having issues with referee Scott Dickinson (and Jericho had been adding fuel to the fire). Back-and-forth to start things out with Saturn earning the upper hand by dishing out some very physical offense (aside from a botched heel kick out of Saturn). Jericho takes charge and sends Saturn to the guardrail with his springboard dropkick and then takes it an extra step with a huge crossbody over the top rope to the floor. Saturn tries to rally minutes later, but gets cut-off by a big boot out of Jericho and then a running senton. Y2J locks in a rear chinlock, but they don't waste too much time with it before they're exchanging strikes. Jericho attempts a Lionsault but Saturn gets his knees up. Jericho tries for a maneuver off the top, but Saturn counters again - this time into a T-bone suplex. As the match continues, we get a variety of impressive offense from both men, including a huge splash from Saturn off the top rope and Jericho lifting a page from Benoit's book with a stiff german suplex. As the announcers had alluded to at the start of the match, Dickinson ends up screwing Saturn in the finish. Personally, I would've found that to be a more interesting twist if it genuinely felt like Saturn was on the brink of victory. Not a terrible match, but not a terribly good one either. (2.5/5)

The Cruiserweight Championship is on the line in the next bout - Billy Kidman defending the title in a tag-rules fourway against Rey Mysterio, Psicosis, and Juventud Guerrera. With these four, you know you're going to get your fair share of excellent high-flying spots and lightning-fast exchanges, though, with Juvi around, you also get some slop. The psychology of the match is questionable (as the announcers point out early), but the point of a match like this is to jam-pack as many high spots into a relatively short match as possible and let the craziness do the talking. Unfortunately, the bar the cruiserweights had set over the previous few years was so high that this one doesn't quite hit the mark, though, that's not for lack of effort. There are some absolutely sick moments - dual powerbombs off the apron, Psicosis getting monkeyflipped over the post, Kidman delivering a somersault splash to the outside, an Air Juvi to the floor, Psicosis launching himself with a dropkick from the top that ends up looking much more like a double stomp to the back of Juvi's neck - but there are lulls and the crowd is, for whatever reason, much more mild in their reactions for this than the awful Konnan/Luger match. A hotter crowd and tighter sequences and you have a Match of the Year contender. As it is, though, it still stands as one of the best cruiserweight title matches in WCW history. (4/5)

The Flairs vs. Barry Windham and Curt Hennig is next and it is, as advertised, one of the most interesting bouts I've reviewed in awhile. For starters, the build-up to this was based on a legit beef between Flair and Bischoff, but as Hennig had cost Flair his match against Sleazy E at Starrcade, this is the rivalry that we saw blossom in January. As for the match itself, right from the start it subverts expectations a bit as its David Flair who comes in first holding his own, at least for the first minute or two, against Barry Windham, who, looks-wise, had certainly seen better days, but in terms of the basics, is still fundamentally sound if no longer an elite worker - which is kind of the same thing one could say about Hennig too, who one could easily argue was a better worker in 98'/99' than longtime rival Bret Hart despite the disparity in card placement and accolades. Speaking of Hennig, his jawing for the first 4-5 minutes of the match is deliciously evil. Windham busts out his classic superplex (and the commentators ignore it) for two, but Flair is able to get some desperation offense in and the former Horsemen is forced to tag in Hennig, who immediately goes to work on Naitch's knee. The figure four is applied and Windham provides extra leverage, but Flair won't give up. Windham comes in and tries to lock in a Figure Four himself, but Flair nearly cradles him. Flair desperately strikes back with some chops but Windham lays in a blatant choke, expertly cutting the ring in half. Tenay, in a rare quality moment of commentary from WCW, does a nice job playing up the idea that even if Flair could make the tag, he may be hesitant knowing that his son would then be on the receiving end of a beatdown from two tough veterans. David Flair tries to come in, but ends up causing a distraction that allows Arn Anderson to pul Hennig out of the ring and for Flair to momentarily bring Windham to the mat with a figure four. Its back to a 2-on-1, though, with Flair only briefly saved by a low blow from David Flair. The match falls into chaos and Arn Anderson sneaks in and nails Hennig with a tire iron! Hennig accidentally pulls David on top of him and its an nWo vs. 4 Horsemen brawl - and just like 18 months or so earlier, the nWo essentially destroy them. Flair gets handcuffed and David Flair gets schoolboyed by Hogan. David tries to fight back, but is beaten down and eventually whipped repeatedly by the Hulkster. Flair's passion here is remarkable - I've read that he felt Hogan took liberties, but in the moment, I'm not sure this wasn't just really good acting out of a guy whose calling card was always how convincing and "real" he made the character Ric Flair. The beating goes on at least 4-5 minutes too long, which wouldn't have been a problem in 1996 or 1997 when the nWo was novel and new, but in 1999, the only chance the rebooted nWo had of working was to dial back a little and make them "special" again. One way of doing this would've been to dial back the group membership and make the act a little less dominant on the show in terms of screentime - I mean, that is what made them the hottest act going 3 years earlier, when part of the fun was the mystery of when they'd show up and what'd they do when they did finally appear. As a whole, this is a not a must-watch match or post-match angle, but its still above average in terms of entertainment value and passion from the Nature Boy. (3/5)

Main event time - Bill Goldberg vs. Scott Hall in a Ladder Match with Hall's Taser hanging above the ring. Hall cuts a brief promo before the match to get even more heat and make sure the live audience is aware as the home audience that Goldberg has a bum knee. Once the action gets going I found that these two had pretty good chemistry. As a heel, Hall could typically use his size as an advantage, but against a guy like Goldberg or the Giant, he has to use his cunning, and I've always found his ring psychology to be sound in that role. Here, he utilizes the slight advantage he has over an injured Goldberg but never fully dominates - say what you will about the booking of Goldberg outside of the ring, but between the bells, Hall (and Nash at Starrcade to a lesser extent) seemed to have little problem putting over his toughness and the clear idea that, in a fair fight, he's essentially unbeatable. With these two you're not going to get a Hardy Boys ladder spot fests, but Goldberg does get some color and when they do take bumps off the thing, they look particularly nasty. At one point Hall tries to crotch the top rope, for example, but can't quite get his leg over the top and takes a horrid spill onto the mat, while Goldberg takes an even sicker fall from the ladder neck-first into the unforgiving ropes minutes later. Interference from Disco Inferno muddies up the finish a bit as I'm not sure they couldn't have gotten to the match's conclusion without his unnecessary cameo. Extra half-point for a fan that is so into this match she is literally screaming at Goldberg in an attempt to help him find the taser (which had gotten knocked to the arena floor). Like the match that precedes it, this is easily above-average in terms of entertainment value, but I'm not sure how above-average it really is. The crowd is into it, Goldberg is mega over, Hall has one of his best matches in months - its unfortunate that so much went wrong in the build to this and in what would continue to come down the pike for WCW that a solid main event like this is unjustly remembered as a flop. (3/5)

For WCW's peak years, the low and midcard were where you'd look for the best wrestling - but by 99', some of those talents were pushing at the glass ceiling, which is how you end up with the cruiserweights putting on the best match of the night fairly deep into the show and Saturn and Jericho following bigger names like Bam Bam Bigelow and Lex Luger. Card placement only tells half the tale, though. While Jericho and Saturn were getting well-deserved screen time, they're practically background actors in their own segments as the commentators stay tethered to their all-nWo-all-the-time talking points. With a Kwang score of 2.33-out-of-5, Souled Out 99' has its moments, but when it drags, it really drags. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

WCW Great American Bash 90': New Revolution

WCW Great American Bash 90': New Revolution

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Ric Flair holds the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Lex Luger is the United States Champion, the Television Title is held by Arn Anderson, and Doom are the World Tag Team Champions. Finally, the US Tag Titles are held by the Midnight Express.

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Bob Caudle

Brian Pillman takes on Buddy Landell in the opening contest. Landell is a classic heel in that he is practically impossible to like. He's pretty ugly, looks a tad tubby, is overly confident, and his offense is cheap shots and cutting corners. Meanwhile, Pillman is in incredible shape, is full of energy, and is a great seller. Put these ingredients together and you get a decent opening contest designed to get the crowd going, but not necessarily to steal the show. I think this one goes just a touch too long, but it definitely comes off as a real fight, everything they do looking snug. (2.5/5)

After a quick word from Gordon Solie, we get The Iron Sheik vs. "Captain" Mike Rotunda. Rotunda gets quite a pop for his introduction but is immediately attacked by the dastardly Sheik. As soon as Rotunda goes on a roll, though, Sheik heads for the hills, drawing the ire of the fans. The action in this match may not be great, but there's no doubt that the Sheik could draw heat, at least for short spans. Both men deliver some respectable suplexes, but the only thing that really gets any response is Sheik's crowd-baiting and the imperfect feel-good finish. At least it doesn't run too long. (2/5)

Gordon Solie is joined by Harley Race, who will be taking on Tommy "Wildfire" Rich. Race notes that after he takes out Rich, he'll be watching the World Championship match like everyone else. 

Back in the ring, Dutch Mantell gets ready to take on "The World's Strongest Man" Doug Furnas. Furnas had only competed for a few years prior to joining WCW but he was a quick learner it seems, holding his own against the veteran. Like the opener, the contrast of styles and looks makes it clear who the fan favorite is even before a single punch is thrown. Furnas not only impresses with his agility, but his strength, press slamming Mantell early on. His technical game isn't too shabby either, everything he does looking better than it probably should for someone so early in his career. Furnas attempts a splash from the corner, but his overconfidence costs him as Mantell dodges and takes over with a rear chinlock and then a wristlock. Mantell executs a textbook snap suplex for two and then tries to break Furnas down again with an arm bar. Things get better when Furnas and Mantell start using the ropes to speed things up, Furnas eventually landng a move I don't recall seeing too often - a snap belly-to-belly suplex. No worse than average, but not better than it either. (2.5/5)

Jim Cornette joins Gordon Solie to hype up tonight's card and The Midnight Express' United States Tag Team Titles defense against The Southern Boys.  

Tommy Rich vs. Harley Race is our next contest, Cappetta making sure to note that these two are both former World Champions lest fans think this is just "filler." Rich has control to start, but even after Race goes hard shoulder-first into the corner, Race is able to get to work and deliver some tough-looking strikes and slams. Race's selling and mannerisms look a little out of place in 1990, but fans of his work will surely like this match as a trip down memory lane. Decent enough finish to a match that I'm not sure anyone cared about it. I've seen this match get praised in some dark recesses on the internet, but I didn't think it was anything special at all. (1.5/5)

Next up - The Midnight Express defending the US Tag Titles against Tracey Smothers and Steve Armstrong, The Southern Boys. Classic babyface shine to open this up with "Beautiful" Bobby on the receiving end of all sorts of fast-paced offense from Armstrong. Smothers comes in and the story remains the same until Eaton finally allows Lane to take over. Lane tries to use his karate skills to take out Smothers (who, for some reason, is also trying to work in some martial arts) but ends up on the mat with a big right hand to the head. The crowd pops huge as Smothers follows with a thrust kick to Eaton and the Midnights are forced to regroup. Eaton comes back in but Smothers is too quick and agile to keep down for long, their sequences leading up to a real cool baseball slide spot and then an excellent crossbody off the top by Steve Armstrong. The challengers have the crowd going crazy and Cornette can't believe it, the legendary manager screaming his head off to get the Midnights back into the ring. A ref distraction allows the heels to finally get some offense in, but the real game-changer is Smothers getting sent with tremendous force into the guardrail back-first. Eaton hits the Alabama Jam, which is incredible, but can't capitalize on it for a 3-count and in Lane comes. The double-teams the Midnights bust out get tremendous heat and they keep control by cutting the ring in half and sending Smothers out of the ring multiple times. On commentary, Bob Caudle is definitely caught up in this match, begging for Smothers to make a tag at every small opportunity. Armstrong eventually comes in like a house on fire, throwing fists and chops at the heels and leveling Lane with a flying shoulderblock. The Southern Boys hit their finisher, but the referee is too busy making sure Smothers and Eaton are out of the ring to make the three count. Armstrong goes back to the top rope, but gets shoved into the top rope by Eaton and its Rocket Launcher time! Again, the referee is slightly out of position and it gives Armstrong just a hair long enough to kickout! The Midnights are pissed, but their anger almost costs them as Eaton gets pulled down in an inside cradle for two! Smothers takes to the ropes, but Lane clocks him in the back of the skull with a boot and now its Eaton who locks in a small package for a full count! I've seen others rate this as high as 4.5, but I'm not going to go there just quite. Easy 4 stars, though. (4/5)

After a word from the Fabulous Freebirds its back to the ring for the arrival of Tom "The Z-Man" Zenk and his opponent, the debuting Big Van Vader. Vader's entrance is awesomely intimidating and badass, the future World Champion looking 100% fearless as he makes his debut. The bell rings and Vader comes out striking, everything he does looking stiff and brutal. Vader puts Zenk on the mat with a short-arm clothesline that looks like it knocked a few teeth loose and, moments later, matches it with a guerilla press slam and an elbow drop. Vader his a vertical suplex and eventually finishes him off with a crushing splash. Everything about this debut is perfect at establishing Vader as more than just your run of the mill 300-pounder- this guy puts speed behind his moves and it makes all the difference. (3/5)

Gordon Solie is joined by the Horsemen sans-Flair who cut a promo about their opponents tonight. Ole Anderson guarantees that Ric Flair will walk out of Baltimore with the title.

The Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Steiner Brothers is next. The Freebirds go right after Scott Steiner before the bell rings, trying to get an upperhand anyway they can. After a couple minutes, though, the Freebirds are reeling with Michael "P.S" Hayes jawing with the crowd and the Steiners leading the angry mob in a "Freebirds Suck" chant. You can't fault the teams of getting huge reactions with ga-ga, but it feels like you can condense the first 5 minutes of "action" into about 15 seconds of actual work, not exactly my favorite style of wrestling. Eventually Scott Steiner hits Hayes with a Pearl River Plunge, but the high spot is followed by even more stalling from the Freebirds (leading to an audible "Michael is a Bitch" chant from one or two fans who must've been sitting close to a mic). The tide turns when the referee's back is turned and Garvin kicks Rick in the back of the head when he's bouncing off the ropes (a good spot but one already used better in the previous tag match). Hayes hits a bulldog and tags in Garvin a little later who ties the Dog-Faced Gremlin up in a headlock. The match pretty much falls apart from here as Garvin lazily comes off the top rope only to get caught in the midsection by Rick Steiner. This leads to a "hot tag" that doesn't get much of a reaction, but the match is saved by the finish, which I thought was a bit convoluted and overtly choreographed, but certainly pleased the crowd. After the slugfests with Doom, this whole match just comes off as a bit lazy and soft. (1.5/5)

It is 6-man time - Barry Windham, Sid Vicious, and Arn Anderson of the 4 Horsemen taking on the debuting El Gigante, The Junkyard Dog, and "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff. Sid Vicious and Orndorff start, which isn't a bad way to start things off as Vicious, while still a bit green, is over and intimidating. Arn Anderson comes in, but the Horsemen have to take a powder once El Gigante gets in the ring. Speaking of Anderson, he's terrific here - willing this match into watchable territory with his dramatic selling and by playing to the crowd every chance he gets. JYD's headbutts are cartoonish, but its almost like by selling for him, they're just lowering the bar for when El Gigante finally gets tagged in. Its not a bad strategy - as long as you're going to have a shit match full of ridiculous, psychology-free, slow-as-molasses "rassling," you might as well go all the way with it. Things pick up a little bit when Orndorff comes back in and the Horsemen take control. An un-ignorable "We Want Sid" chant starts up but as would become a recurring theme with Vicious, once he gets in and the crowd actually sees his limited moveset, it becomes clear that they really don't. The Horsemen end up tossing the babyfaces over the top rope and getting disqualified, but El Gigante comes in and sends them packing with what can only be described as the worst shoving I've ever seen in wrestling - honestly, Gigante was not asked to do much of anything, but even the little he was asked to do, he looks incapable of. He looks completely confused by the very concept of pro-wrestling and the crowd seems to realize it instantly too (though maybe they're just booing the BS finish). Very bad match salvaged only slightly by the hard work of Double A. (0.5/5)

Paul E. Dangerously accompanies "Mean" Mark down the aisle for his United States Title Match against Lex Luger. The appeal of most every "Mean" Mark match is the novelty of seeing the Undertaker before he was the Undertaker and in this one Mark is 0% Undertaker. He bumps and sells more than the Deadman ever would, he complains to the ref more than the Phenom ever would, and he moves more than the Undertaker ever would (he busts out a leap frog at one point!). Despite their best efforts, though, the match didn't pull me in - even after Luger took a tremendous spill to the outside. After some back and forth, the crowd comes alive as Luger lifts up "Mean" Mark into the Torture Rack. The ref goes down, though, when Luger accidentally knocks into him and this allows Paul E. to knock the champion with his cell phone. Dangerously wakes up the ref, but too much time has passed because he only gets a 2 count. "Mean" Mark tries to size him up for the heart punch, but Luger explodes off the ropes, booting the challenger, knocking Dangerously off the apron, and then scoring the pinfall with a big clothesline. I'd say this was just slightly below average. (2/5)

Doom defend the World Tag Team Championships against The Rock n' Roll Express next. Reed and Simmons are a team that I thought were one thing but turned out to be another. In my mind, they were two brutes who were a mirror of the no-selling Road Warriors, but from what I've seen, I'll take Doom over the Legion of Doom any time. Both Reed and Simmons bump and sell and their offense, while not quite as impressive the Road Warriors', is damn near perfect for a heel team of bruisers. Both Gibson and Morton get face-in-peril minutes here with Doom dominating the majority of the minutes, but that structure helps the match from ever getting too dull. I would've liked to see a few more hope spots out of the Rock n' Rollers, but only because it would've added some variety to the sequences. Solid finish to a solid (but not much more) match. (3/5)


Main event time - Sting challenging Ric Flair for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. In terms of "moments," this match is a classic, but dissecting piece-by-piece? Not so much. Sting's no-selling is guaranteed to pop the crowd and, at the start of the match, doesn't completely spit in the face of ring psychology - but when he's no-selling getting tossed into the steel barricade or the 50th chest chop, its just bad transitioning. That being said, its impossible not to get caught up in the final 4-5 minutes of this match as the audience recognizes that Flair's reign of terror is over and the Dudes with Attitudes are going to prevent the Horsemen from interfering on his behalf. Sting isn't a broomstick, but this is almost a quintessential Flair carry job because, while Sting has a nice press slam, a good dropkick, and, when he's not simply laughing off Flair's offense, can actually sell damage well, it is the Nature Boy who is moving this match along, spiking it with so many signature Flairisms that it reaches "classic" status through the sheer volume of "hits" he busts out. I've read people call Sting's post-match interview a bad decision, but I thought it was fine as the Stinger had always been respectful of Naitch's talents and, unlike Hogan at this time, was presented as a competitor who just wanted a fair shot - not someone hell bent on maiming the guy. A match that is more than the sum of its parts, some of which are pretty wonky. (3.5/5)


The 1990 Great American Bash was all about the future. Brian Pillman is featured in the opener. The Southern Boys, even in a losing effort, are spotlighted as a tag team to watch. Doug Furnas gets a win over veteran Dutch Mantell. Doom get a fairly decisive victory over the Rock n' Roll Express. Obviously the main event was designed as Sting's coronation. Unfortunately, a year later, WCW be in a real creative funk and Ric Flair would be on his way out the door. With a Kwang Score of 2.36-out-of-5, this show features too much filler to enjoy from beginning to end and the main event, while certainly delivering a historic "feel good moment," doesn't measure up to the superior bouts Flair had wrestled on other major shows the year prior.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WWE No Mercy 2003

WWE No Mercy 2003

Baltimore, MD - October 2003

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Champion, Tajiri holds the Cruiserweight Championship, the United States Title is held by Eddie Guerrero, and the WWE Tag Team Championships are held by Los Guerreros. 

COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole and Tazz

No Mercy 2003, a SmackDown exclusive pay-per-view, kicks off with a heel Tajiri defending his Cruiserweight Championship against Rey Mysterio Jr. The match begins with some mat wrestling, not exactly the style both guys are known for, but picks up quickly as Tajiri starts laying in the strikes and Mysterio starts using his speed to cut off Tajiri's offense. Cool spot with Rey countering Tajiri's backflip handspring with a drop kick and then catching him on the outside with a plancha. Tajiri regains control back in the ring, though, turning his focus back on the arm of Rey. After taking some damage, Mysterio is able to situate himself for a tornado DDT hope spot for 2, following it up with a splash off the ropes and then, moments later, a hurricanrana on the arena floor. With the crowd rallying behind him, Mysterio attempts the West Coast Pop, misses it, but lands a 619 into Tajiri's gut. Rey tries the Pop a second time but gets viciously powerbombed instead. After an excellent moonsault spot from Rey, Tajiri locks in the Tarantula momentarily to cut off his momentum. A huge 619 and a West Coast Pop look like they should give Rey the victory, but a mystery man runs in and distracts the ref! Really good opener, borderline great match. (3.5/5)

Backstage, maybe my favorite backstage interviewer, frosted-tipped and earring'd Josh Matthews, catches up with Vince McMahon. McMahon tells the roster that if anyone interferes in his inter-gender match tonight, they'll be in trouble. 

Chris Benoit vs. A-Train is next. Benoit was over with the Baltimore crowd so this match has more heat than I thought it would. A-Train uses his size to cut-off Benoit's offensive surges while the Wolverine works to chop him down with literal chops and stiff forearms. Albert dominates for a lengthy stretch and Benoit ends up with a busted lip, the blood giving this somewhat pedestrian big-vs-small match an extra (and needed) air of danger. Benoit's hope spots continue to be stalled by A-Train's powerhouse offense, including a belly-to-back suplex and a nasty spot where Albert lifts him for a guerrilla press slam but when Benoit tries to escape it, he lands head-first onto a steel chair. Despite the damage, Benoit rallies with a Crossface attempt and then his signature trio of German Suplexes, the crowd going wild as he heads to the corner for his headbutt dive. Albert slams him from the corner, though, and hits his Baldo Bomb finisher - but only for 2! Showing great ring awareness, Benoit dodges a front kick and A-Train jams his leg in the steel chair in the corner, allowing him the opener to lock-in a Sharpshooter for a clean win. Physical match and an obvious step towards further legitimizing Benoit as a World Champion-caliber worker. One of the better A-Train matches I've seen in that I didn't actively want to fast forward it every other second. (2.5/5)

Zach Gowen takes on Matt Hardy next. The story here is that Matt Hardy would suffer the ultimate embarrassment if he were to lose to the one-legged Gowan. Hardy is in the driver's seat for this and goes out of his way to make Gowen look good - unfortunately, the story of the match doesn't quite make sense as Hardy essentially "beats himself" until Gowen takes over on offense and scores a very clean pinfall. Couldn't Shannon Moore, who is on the outside the entire match, have accidentally caused Hardy to lose? Couldn't Hardy have gotten a bit cocky and somehow cost himself the match? The first 2/3rds of the match tell a clear, believable story - but Gowen's closing flurry, no matter how well executed, wasn't convincing enough. (2/5)

The APA vs. The Basham Brothers is next. On their YouTube channel, The Basham Brothers are archived on a video the WWE itself put out under the label "Boring Tag Teams," which tells you a good amount about what to expect in this match. Farooq plays the face-in-peril after the APA's initial onslaught. Despite a not so great first half, the closing stretch picks up quite a bit once Bradshaw comes in for the hot stretch. Its actually somewhat remarkable how over Bradshaw is and how dominant he is presented in the match. As shocking as it his main event singles push may have been to some, his work here, looking back, makes it seem like he was destined for that run even after spending so long on the tag team scene. The Bashams, according to Jim Cornette, were criminally underutilized and mismanaged, but I'll have to take his word on that because there's nothing here from them to make one think they were anything special. (2/5)

A bizarre promo follows from the Bashams and Shaniqua follows. Based on the segment, the Bashams' gimmick was that they were into sub/bondage play? 2003 was a disgusting, disgusting year for this company. But so was 2002. And 2001 had some grossness....

The grossness continues as we get a video hyping our next match - Vince McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match with the additional stipulation that while Vince has to force Steph to say "I Quit," Stephanie also has the option of pinning Vince. The stipulation of this match is if Steph wins, Vince will resign as Chairman of the Board. Steph arrives first with Linda in tow followed by Sable, who has been playing the role of Vince's on-screen mistress. As soon as Vince gets in the ring, Steph tries to choke him out, but Mr. McMahon is too strong for her, putting her to the mat with hair pulls and shoulder tackles. Sable gets involved early and is chased around the ring by Linda for a huge pop. Back in the ring, Vince takes Steph out with a clothesline that she takes a nasty back bump from. The "wrestling" in this match is hard to watch, the commentary is OTT, but one can't deny that the crowd is responsive to it. McMahon applies a half-crab that Stephanie sells like she's giving birth to conjoined triplets. Desperately, Stephanie rakes Vince's eyes while Linda attacks Sable (who was in the process of throwing in a lead pipe). Linda then slaps Vince and hits him in the balls with the lead pipe for a HUGE 2-count. Pipe in hand, Stephanie cracks Vince in the ribs, the back, straight to the face, and on the top of the head as the crowd goes insane. Looking like she has it sewn up, Steph makes a cover - but Vince somehow gets his foot on the rope. Sable causes a distraction, but Steph stays in control, bulldogging the chairman for another near fall. Vince miraculously comes back from all this and slams Steph to the mat with a choke before grabbing the pipe and bashing Steph in the stomach with it. The crowd audibly chants "Asshole" as Vince chokes her and this match goes at least 3 minutes beyond what it needed to go. Linda throws the towel in as Steph is getting choked out because Stephanie needs to be protected because...? There are moments of this that were actually pretty exciting, but there were also some glaring moments of self-indulgence and stupidity (including the post-match). Child abuse and spousal abuse as wrestling angles is not necessarily offensive (when you consider we're talking about the McMahons), but it also isn't good wrestling. (0.5/5)

Thankfully the next match has a storyline build-up I can get behind - John Cena taking on Kurt Angle. The lead-up to this match looks like it was fun (at one point Kurt Angle dressed as Cena and let loose with a rap on SmackDown). In the ring, though, things are all business from the bell, the rivals locking up with the Olympic Gold Medalist outwrestling Cena early. There is an audible "Let's Go Cena" chant early (noted by the commentators) which is somewhat interesting considering Cena is coming into this clearly booked as the heel. Angle continues to control as the match devolves into brawling until Cena escapes a corner and Kurt runs full speed into the post. I usually dislike that spot based on how often its used, but at least in this match Angle had used it successfully minutes earlier (which explains why he'd use it again). Cena takes over and drops Angle with a reverse neckbreaker and, over the next few minutes, a variety of moves - some dropped over the years, some still very much a part of his game. An even louder dueling chant breaks out before Cena lands a big spinebuster. Angle is bleeding profusely out of his mouth at this point, though I'm not necessarily sure from what. Cena attempts his legdrop from the top rope, but Angle shuts him down with a dropkick straight to the shin. Its a risky move that I'm not sure I've seen too many times since (if ever) - a wise choice by Cena because its also a spot that is more risk than reward. Angle hits a Russian Leg Sweep and then uses Cena momentum against him to lock in an Ankle Lock. Cena grabs the ropes and heads to the outside, but Angle follows him out with a baseball slide that shoves Cena into the announce table. Angle teases a German Suplex off the apron through an announce table, a spot that woud've been absolutely sick, but Cena escapes and basically DDTs Angle into the apron instead. Cena hits the guillotine leg drop as Angle tries ot get back in the ring for a close two count. Angle somehow gets up and hits a German Suplex, but Cena cuts him off again with a dropkick to the leg and then "The Throwback" (a rolling neckbreaker). Moments later, Angle busts out the hat trick of german suplexes for another 2 count - the type of sequence that Angle's critics love to note makes so little sense in this point of a match where he should be, ostensibly, running on fumes and selling more. Cena busts out a buckle bomb! Damn, didn't know that was in his arsenal back then. Cena sets him up for the F-U and connects...but Angle kicks out at two! Hmm...maybe its not a new phenomenon that a single F-U never gets the job done. Angle is back on his feet and this time its his turn to finish his ineffective finisher, Cena taking the Angle Slam but kicking out at two. Cena makes his way to the corner and grabs his trademark chain, but Jimmy Korderas takes it away. Cena has him outsmarted, though, because he's got the gold medals in his hands! Cena levels Angle with a big right, but again, only gets 2! Angle with a backslide for 2! Angle with a victory roll into the Ankle Lock and Cena's in trouble! Cena nears the ropes but Angle pulls him back and grapevines to force the submission! This match has plenty of flaws - in fact, if you're not a fan of his and were looking for a match that maybe exemplified everything wrong with Kurt Angle's in-ring work, you could base your entirely argument on a match like this. Angle sells only sporadically and there's little to no psychology in his attack. All the drama comes from finishers getting kicked out. The "Wrestler vs. Street Fighter" backstory is dropped almost instantly. Still, if you're like me and can actually just sit back and almost enjoy Angle for his absurdity, this is a pretty riveting watch. For starters, the crowd is absolutely hot - not just for Angle, but for Cena, giving this match an interesting twist as a 2017 viewing. Second, yeah there are a ton of false finishes, and yes that's a kind of cheap way to build suspense, but it works. Third, the storytelling and pacing may be flawed in a traditional sense, but Angle's "go-go-go" style prevents this match from ever slipping into tedium. Watching 6 matches in a row where this is the speed and style is very difficult in 2017 - but on this card, this match follows a "spectacle" bout (Vince vs. Steph), some tag team shenanigans (APA vs. Bashams), the unique Zach Gowen vs. Matt Hardy, a big vs. little match in Benoit vs. Albert, and is followed by Eddie Guerrero vs. Big Show. Really fun match that is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of either guy and haven't seen it before. (4/5)

The United States Champion is on the line next with Eddie Guerrero defending the strap against a very heavy and sluggish Big Show. I went into this fairly high expectations as, when motivated, Big Show can be pretty good and Guerrero can always be counted on to carry his half of the match and then some (plus he was plenty over). Unfortunately, with Show in rough shape, Guerrero had to pull a miracle to make this as watchable as it is. Eddie is in full "Lie, Cheat, and Steal" mode, but the tricks he pulls in this one lack the creativity of his better known matches from this time. A ref bump adds excitement and brings the crowd fully into the action, though Nick Patrick might oversell the damage a bit as he's worthless for 5-6 pin attempts in a row, telegraphing the near falls a bit. The actual finish, while nothing innovative, is at least credible - the fact is, nobody should be kicking out of a single chokeslam let alone three. After a rocky start, they found their way, but this is no better than average. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Josh Matthews catches up with Big Show, who gloats about his victory. This is followed by a video package promoting tonight's main event - The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar in a Biker Chain Match. Lesnar and Taker get right to throwing fists to start things off, fighting their way into the corner. Lesnar ends up shoulder first in the post, one of the most overused transitions in wrestling. Taker hits a big boot, a legdrop, and then the Old School but Lesnar escapes to the outside. Taker follows him out and the brawling continues, Lesnar able to fight back with knees to the midsection. Moments later, Lesnar impressively hits Taker with a lightly-hooked fisherman's suplex, but Taker is able to get some rights and lefts in. Taker tries to hit him with a running boot in the corner but Lesnar dodges, the Deadman crotching himself on the top rope. Back to the outside they go, but this time around its all Lesnar. Back in the ring, Taker rallies again, taking to the ropes and launching himself with a signature flying clothesline for two. Taker puts some space between himself and Lesnar and takes off for the chain, but the lights go out as he gets closer! The distraction prevents him from grabbing the chain and Lesnar is able to capitalize with a powerslam. Brock grabs the steel steps and tosses them into the ring where the Phenom is waiting for him. They brawl a bit before the steps come into play, Lesnar drop-toe-holding him into them, but unable to utilize them any more before Taker fights back and clotheslines him over the top rope. Instead of grabbing for the chain, though, Taker continues his assault on the outside, hitting Lesnar with a piledriver on the steps! Even the safest version of that move is a risky one and the audience recognizes it, popping for the rare maneuver. Taker goes for the chain and Lesnar follows, but Taker applies the Triangle Choke. In desperation, Lesnar hits Taker with a low blow and grabs the steps once more, bashing them into the challenger. Lesnar grabs them once more, but Taker kicks them into his head. Taker goes to use them once more but Lesnar dodges and they end up on the entranceway. Lesnar goes for the chiain but Taker pulls him from the post and nearly lands the Last Ride. Lesnar escapes and both men go down in a double clothesline spot. From here, Taker is able to gain relative control, hitting the Snake Eyes-to-Big Boot before calling for the Chokeslam. Lesnar escapes the Chokeslam attempt, though, connecting with a Spinebuster. When he goes for the pin, Taker applies another Triangle Choke but in a tremendous show of strength Lesnar breaks out by lifting him up and powerbombing him back into the mat. A dazed Taker gets on his feet, but Lesnar knocks him back down with a stiff clothesline. Lesnar attempts a powerslam, but Taker reverses it into a dragon sleeper! Lesnar escapes though and hits an F-5! Taker gets his foot on the rope, though, surviving Lesnar's match-ender. Lesnar goes for the chain, but Taker catches him and chokeslams him off the top rope! Before he can grab the chain, though, the FBI - Nunzio, Johnny the Bull, and Chuck Palumbo - come out and prevent him. Taker isn't fazed, though, sending the stooges out of the ring and then hitting the Last Ride on the champion! Taker then takes out the FBI with a perfect tope over the top rope! Taker shoves Nunzio off the post and grabs the chain, but Vince McMahon himself shows up and shoves Taker, crotch-first, onto the top rope. Lesnar grabs the chain off the mat and hits Taker with a huge right hand to retain the championship. Fun brawl, lots of high spots, plenty of shenanigans but the stipulation was treated with respect. Very solid main event and one of the better Taker performances I've seen as he and Lesnar pulled out all the stops. (4/5)


With a Kwang Score of 2.63-out-of-5, the 2003 version of No Mercy is an overall decent watch. The main event delivers, Cena/Angle earned its reputation as a "career-maker" for the WWE's current franchise player, and the opener is very good. The rest of the card is hit-or-miss with the dependable Benoit and Guerrero making chicken salad out of chicken shit. Depending on your tolerance for McMahon Family drama, you may or may not enjoy the Steph/Vince match for its depravity. Overall, though, having this kind of variety on your card ends up working in its favor as the show flies by for the most part, each match offering something slightly different than the last.

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand