WWE Backlash 2005

WWE Backlash 2005

Manchester, New Hampshire - May 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this RAW-brand show, the World Heavyweight Champion was Batista, the Women's Champion was Trish Stratus, the Intercontinental Champion was Shelton Benjamin, and the World Tag Team Champions were Tajiri and William Regal. 

The build for this show was all about the return of Hulk Hogan and Triple H/Batista II, a rematch from the previous month's WrestleMania XXI, but our opening contest was Chris Jericho challenging Shelton Benjamin for the Intercontinental Championship. This match started off with some impressive shows of agility by Benjamin before Jericho upped the intensity with a hurricanrana on the floor. Jericho took control and brought the match back into the ring, Y2J working a bit heelish despite - as far as I know - being a babyface at the time. Benjamin got a huge pop for his insane vertical leap from the mat to the top rope to perform a superplex and then, moments later, another big one for tossing Jericho into the air and letting him drop face-first. It is not surprising why Benjamin was considered a potential future main eventer at this time, though every attempt they tried to add something to his character ended up flopping - mostly because having bleached hair is not a gimmick and being a Momma's Boy isn't a good one. The crowd bites on a couple big nearfalls, including one coming off a springboard bulldog by the champion. Jericho attempts a Walls of Jericho, but Shelton won't turn. Shelton catches him with his T-Bone Suplex, but only gets 2 as Y2J gets his legs under the ropes. There's a great little sequence leading to Jericho actually applying the Walls, the crowd going insane. Shelton manages to grab the ropes and the crowd boos. Jericho goes after him, but Benjamin surprises him with a surprise spinning heel kick for anther 2.7 count. Benjamin eventually gets a sneaky pinfall to secure the victory. This was a good opening contest and a strong showcase for Benjamin. I wouldn't go as far as calling it "must see" just because there wasn't enough character-driven drama in it for me to get invested in. (3/5)

After an interview with Edge, its time for our World Tag Team Championship Match - a Tag Team Turmoil bout (basically a gauntlet match) starting off with The Heartthrobs vs. Tajiri and William Regal (the defending champions). The Heartthrobs were Antonio and Romeo, their gimmick basically being Night At The Roxbury-esque party boys. They didn't last very long in the WWE and never made it anywhere else either. Very good wrestling out of Regal and Tajiri early on, the foreign faces wowing the crowd with their technical prowess. Regal looks to be in the best shape of his career at this point, lean and mean. After eliminating the Throbs, Simon Dean and Maven came out next, another team that wouldn't last too long (Maven would be released in July). Regal and Tajiri make relatively quick work out of them before La Resistance - Sylvan Grenier and Rob Conway - make their way down the aisle. A loud "USA" chant breaks out but ends rather quickly as (I'm guessing) the audience realizes there's not a single American in the ring (actually, Conway is American but had become loyal to Quebec). The Frenchmen steal the win and are declared the new champions, but the match ain't over as Hurricane and Rosey come out as the next entrants. Helms takes a really good bump early on, his legs bouncing off the post before he spills to the outside and the audience grimaces in pain for him. La Resistance try to the slow the match down, Helms playing the face-in-peril. Rosey gets the hot tag and takes out both members of La Resistance, nearly getting a 3-count with a slam on Conway. The match ends with a wonderful finishing spot as Rosey sits on the top turnbuckle and Helms climb on him, hitting a huge splash off of Rosey's shoulders to win the gold. I'm not usually a fan of these matches, but they kept all the individual bouts short and the pace was kept swift. (2.5/5)  

Next up - Chris Benoit vs. Edge in a Last Man Standing Match. The story coming into this match is that Edge had won the inaugural Money In The Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania XXI by targeting Benoit's arm. There's a loud "You Screwed Matt!" chant early on and then an even louder "We Want Matt!" one minutes later, this match occurring just a couple weeks after it was revealed that Lita had cheated on longtime beau Matt Hardy with Edge while he was recuperating from a knee injury (in real life, that is). Hardy was fired in April for airing his dirty laundry, but would end up rehired in July when Vince realized how he could use the real-life drama to propel Edge's career. Anyway, the first few minutes is just some straight-up tough guy 'rasslin' with the two Canadians hitting each other with all sorts of strikes. Out of the ring they go and then into the crowd, brawling in the stands. They don't last too long out there, though, and into the ring they go where Benoit applies a Sharpshooter and Edge taps out - but the ref won't call it because this is a Last Man Standing match. Ugh. Terrible. I know Edge wasn't an established main eventer yet, but it still doesn't make much sense that he would "instinctively" tap out so soon. Benoit hits him with a trio of Suplexes and then some running forearms to knock him to the arena floor for a count of 8. A loud "Get The Tables" chant starts, but is broken up when Benoit attempts a suicide dive only to be met by a trash can lid! Edge followed it up by bashing the lid over his noggin a second time, putting the Crippler on the ground for a count of 6. They end up on the top rope in the corner and Edge hits Benoit with a superplex through the trash can for a count of 8. Edge brings a ladder in and we get the first truly RIDICULOUS spot of the match as Edge gets german-suplexed from halfway up the thing. That is just a completely insane maneuver and somewhat hard to watch considering what would happen with Benoit about two years after this. Benoit follows it up with an even more self-harming diving headbutt from the very top of the ladder, a move that Edge rolls out of the way from. Edge grabs his briefcase but Benoit gets hold of him and applies the Crossface. When Edge taps here, it makes total sense but draws no reaction because they'd prematurely had Edge tap out to a Sharpshooter in minute 5. Benoit releases the hold but Edge is back on his feet. Benoit hits him with another 2 German Suplexes, but Edge fights out of it and hits the Impaler on the briefcase. Edge then rocks him with one of the nastier Spears I've ever seen him perform, putting Benoit down for 8. Edge nails him with a SECOND spear and the crowd tries to cheer him back to his feet, eventually inspiring him to get up at another 8 count. This time, instead of using a spear, Edge grabs a brick and strikes him in the back of the head of it! We've seen guys survive a ton more, but because this match didn't go too extreme with its violence, that finish felt worthy. I'd still call this one of the lesser Last Man Standing bouts I've seen, saved mostly by Benoit's ever-fearless performance and signature self-abandon in the hopes of giving the crowd a good show. (2.5/5)

Lita is then shown backstage, talking to Kane about the stakes of his match against Viscera. The segment ends with Lita kissing he storyline husband Kane, which is just gross. 

Back in the ring, Jerry Lawler is holding a copy of a WWE Divas Magazine. He then welcomes the RAW divas - Christy Hemme, Maria, Candice Michelle, Victoria, Stacy Keibler, and, from her seat at ringside, Lillian Garcia. Each Diva reveals their favorite photo in the magazine and Lawler reacts like they're really risque when, truthfully, its all pretty PG stuff. I mean, Victoria's picture features an iguana siting on her back. When they get to Keibler, the crowd gives her the loudest pop of the segment (followed by Lillian). As Jerry is about to ask each diva an "intimate, personal question," he is interrupted by the arrival of "The Masterpiece" Chris Masters. I was about to give this match a -1 rating, but having Masters come out and perform his Master Lock Challenge saved this for me just because this is the type of variety show stuff I think adds nice flavor to a wrestling show. Masters picks a woman out of the crowd - future Extreme Dodgeball player, Melissa Coates - and applies the hold, shaking her violently back and forth and then dropping her on the mat. 

Backstage, Trish bumps into Viscera, who had a storyline obsession with her at this point. Trish and Viscera have enough chemistry to make their creepy interaction work, but its still icky. Anyway, to the ring we go for Kane vs. Viscera. Kane comes flying off the top rope and onto the floor as yet another "We Want Matt" chant erupts. Back on the mat, Kane dominates and the crowd begins chanting "Lita Sucks." Despite how much heat Lita had on her, I'd argue that if the same scenario played out today, much more of the crowd would be aware and the heat would be nuclear. Viscera hits an impressive sidewalk slam. Kane attempts a chokeslam but Viscera knocks him out of the ring with a clothesline. Lita tries to protect her husband from fer damage but gets tossed aside for her trouble. Trish tries to get involved with a chair but Lita nails her with her crutch to a huge reaction! That was cool. Kane comes flying off the top again, but Viscera catches him and hits him with his sit-out chokeslam for 2. Lita gets in the ring and Vis corners her, attempting to plunge his tongue down her throat. Kane breaks it up, though, and this time he connects with the chokeslam for 3. For whatever reason, Kane's victory gets a pop despite he and Lita being the heels. During the post-match, Trish Stratus mocks Viscera, calling him a "fat, chicken-eating loser." Viscera bearhugs her and shakes her like a ragdoll then, much to the delight of the crowd, crushes with her a splash. Again, this isn't "good" - hell, the line about Viscera eating chicken was downright racist - but this was also Viscera's most relatable role, the most over he ever was, and Trish Stratus was excellent at turning lemons into lemonade. The match wasn't too long and the crowd was into it. No worse than average. (2.5/5)

We get an interesting package hyping Muhammad Hassan and his manager/sidekick, Daivari. Hassan had attacked Shawn Michaels on Raw, who proceeded to request a handicap match against them. Bischoff denied him, though, so Michaels had to find a partner and he found the most American one possible - Hulk Hogan. This all led to our next contest, Hogan's first after about a 2-year hiatus. Hogan comes out to a massive ovation followed by an enormous "Hogan" chant, the crowd fully into the nostalgia trip. The opening minutes are all shtick and they get a huge reaction, Hogan starting things out against Hassan by shoving him into the corner and then applying a headlock. Daivari comes in and the double-team begins, but Hulkster fights back with a double-clothesline and then another one just to Hassan. Hogan sends Hassan into Michaels' boot and then tags him in to take over. A loud "HBK" chant starts up but its clear that his own overness has been "trumped up" by his proximity to Hogan. That's not to say Shawn wasn't popular in his own right, but...The "work" in this match is nothing to write home about, but few were expecting a mat classic and its not like Daivari and Hassan were much better than just average. Michaels calls for Sweet Chin Music but, when Hogan tries to prevent Hassan from interfering, distracts the ref and ends up allowing Hassan to strike with a metal pipe. Daivari makes the cover but Hogan breaks it up as Michaels gets puled into the corner to get beaten down by the heels. They cut the ring in half and Michaels plays the face-in-peril, the crowd dying for a hot tag. Hassan applies a camel clutch and the commentary really misses the opportunity to play up Shawn's history of lower back problems. Michaels miraculously escapes by getting to his feet and hitting Hassan with an electric chair, the crowd once again rooting for the hot tag. As Hassan crawls over to Daivari, Shawn finally makes the tag and Hogan comes in to a huge pop. He unloads on both heels, bashing them headfirst into each other before dropping Daivari with a signature big boot. Hogan calls for the Leg Drop but Hassan strikes again with the lead pipe! Daivari covers, but Hogan kicks out and "hulks up," Daivari's rights having no effect on the Immortal One. Hogan hits him with his trademark offense, but once again Hassan distracts him. Hogan fights him off and, when the ref's back is turned, Shawn hits Daivari with a Superkick to get the big win! Hogan and Shawn celebrate in the ring for a little bit, Michaels sending Daivari out of the ring for good measure. They do some dancing and it seems all is good, even doing some poses together, really milking the moment. They even bring in a fan with a ridiculous Hulk Hogan tattoo on his back. All in all, this was designed to please the crowd and the nostalgic fans at home as well and, in that regard, it worked - though, knowing that this would not, in fact, be Hogan's last match (even if it was probably his last good run), makes it less meaningful. (2.5/5)

Before our main event, we get a quick promo from Triple H and then an even better promo out of Christian (backed up by Tomko) in the ring. Christian targets John Cena specifically, addressing his "fellow main eventers" by delivering a "rap" about all the people he doesn't like on Raw and SmackDown. This was the kind of work that made people very much believe that Christian deserved a strong push around this time - a push that he ultimately did not receive (which led to him jumping ship to TNA and becoming a true main eventer there). (+1)

A video recap airs before our main event - Triple H challenging Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. Ric Flair comes out first to introduce Triple H, this show really stretching its legs by this point. The build-up for this match was all about Triple H's Pedigree and Batista's supposed fear of it and the opening minutes make that story extra clear as The Game nearly hits his finish twice (and Batista almost hits a Batista Bomb too). I'm not a massive fan of Triple H, but I have to acknowledge the psychology here and give credit where its due - this is a match with a clear story, a clear face/heel dynamic, and smartly-worked transitions. Batista was a limited work - then, now, forever - but he had an incredible look and, considering his size and power, had underrated vulnerability. With Triple H clearly leading the match, the pace is methodical but not necessarily slow. Triple H controls a lengthy stretch and gets additional help from Flair, Batista hitting the occasional offensive move but getting cut-off repeatedly. Finally, Batista hits a succession of maneuvers, including an irish whip into the steps on the outside. Batista looks to hit a Batista Bomb but Triple H catches him with a World Championship Belt shot with the ref's back turned! Triple H makes the cover, but only gets 2! The Animal and The Game trade shots and Triple H attempts a pedigree, but Batista back-body drops him. Batista goes for a clothesline, but Triple H dodges and the ref gets knocked out. Triple H makes the cover and gets a blind 5 count. I'd always heard that Triple H put Batista over super strong in their series but he's pretty well-protected here as he basically gets a 10-count on his Pedigree finish. Triple H attempts another one, but Batista counters it with a huge spinebuster as another referee makes his way down the aisle. Batista goes for another back-body drop but Triple H counters it into his facebuster variation. Triple H goes for another Pedigree, but Batista sends him into the corner and hits him with a series of big clotheslines. As Triple H tries to regain his composure on the ropes, he kicks the ref in the balls and escapes a Batista Bomb attempt. Shenanigans ensue and Batista gets hit with a lowblow that sends him into the corner. Triple H pummels Batista in the corner, but Batista reverses it into a Batista Bomb to get the 3. The finish was a bit overbooked and I'm not sure the crowd ever bit on any of Triple H's nearfalls, but this was a decent enough, straightforward contest. (3/5)

I wasn't watching WWE in the spring of 2005, but by the summer, I was back to watching weekly with some buddies and roommates while living in Athens, Ohio, and attending Ohio University. The impetus for that return to fandom (after around a 4-year break) was two-fold: the hype around the eventual Shawn Michaels/Hulk Hogan match and the other tent pole spectacle of the SummerSlam 2005 card - Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero in a ladder match for the custody of Mysterio's son Dominick. It also helped that one of my buddies in particular - shout-out to Adam Lee - let me borrow a Ring of Honor tape and WWE, as this show exemplifies, was moving away from the embarrassing, sordid, and desperate storylines that marred the post-Attitude Era and actually trying to go back to basics a little bit (which dovetailed nicely with my friends and I's renewed interest in "low culture" after years of being music-obsessives and wanna-be hipsters). Sure there was still sultriness to the presentation of the divas and the Stratus/Viscera drama was more than suggestive, but compared to Hot Lesbian Action? Necrophilia? The rumored Stephanie/Vince incest storyline that never saw the light of day? Lita and Kane's marriage was comparatively wholesome. Elsewhere on the card, Muhammad Hassan and Daivari were edgy, but not wholly original; "Evil foreigners" had been a part of wrestling for decades by this point and 20 years earlier, Sgt. Slaughter was burning the American flag on Saturday morning TV. Chris Masters' shtick was a throwback to the crowd work of Ted DiBiase. While he didn't appear on this show, Carlito was getting a run around this time, spitting apples in people's faces and cutting over-the-top promos that wouldn't have been out of place in 1988. At the same time, Batista and John Cena were seen as fresh main eventers even if their actual in-ring skills weren't praised or appreciated by the "smart" portion of the audience. Some months later the WWE would begin a promotion claiming "The Power Is Back" and it did kinda feel that way for a time (partially because the WWE had also returned to its "home" network, USA, by then). In some ways, the goodwill the company was getting from the fans helped make a show like this click. There's not a single match I'd consider great, but the crowd is into every single bout and many of the wrestlers are positioned properly, allowed to showcase their talent and play to their strengths. There's variety. There's not too much comedy. There's the past (Hogan and Flair), the present (Triple H, Benoit, Kane), and the future (Batista, Hassan, even Edge and Christian to some degree) all getting featured in the right way. With a Kwang Score of 2.83-out-of-5 and lots of stars on the card, I've got no problem giving this...

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

ECW: One Night Stand 2005

ECW One Night Stand 2005

Manhattan, New York - June 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Champion was John Cena, the World Heavyweight Champion was Batista, the Intercontinental Champion was Shelton Benjamin, and the United States Champion was Orlando Jordan. The World Tag Team Champions were Rosey & The Hurricane, while the WWE Tag Team Champions were Joey Mercury and Johnny Nitro. Finally, the WWE Women's Champion was Trish Stratus and the Cruiserweight Champion was Paul London. Mind you, absolutely none of these titles or wrestlers appeared on this show, though. 

How should one categorize a show like this?

The WWE produced it and promoted it. It features a number of then-WWE superstars. A group of RAW and SmackDown "invaders" show up at the end. At one point, Joey Styles even thanks Vince McMahon for making this show happen.

But this show still feels like a true ECW pay-per-view. The aforementioned Joey Styles is on commentary and kicks off the show. The crowd is rabid, almost entirely male, and there's even that one bearded dude sitting front and center just like in the old days. The WWE superstars who do appear on the show are sporting their ECW-era gear. The setting itself is a callback to the more intimate venues that hosted ECW rather than the stadiums and arenas that the WWE routinely filled at this time. 

This isn't a true ECW show, but its as close to it as the WWE would ever get.

The show begins with Joey Styles being welcomed into the Hammerstein Ballroom, the commentator almost brought to tears by the warm reception he gets. Styles introduces his commentary partner, the Hardcore Legend Mick Foley, one of the most notable ECW alums. 

Our opening contest sees Lance Storm (with Dawn Marie) taking on his longtime friend and former tag team partner, Chris Jericho (who is decked out in his Lionheart gear). Jericho and Storm show off their technical skills early, trading counters and reversals. This match features some of the coolest and best dropkicks I've seen in years, at one point Jericho even hitting one to the back of Storm's head as he leaps backwards off the top rope. This is just a great, great match, action-packed and physical and, because of the production style, you can hear every hit. Justin Credible and Jason make an unexpected appearance at the tail end of the match, interfering to help Storm steal the victory. With a better ending, I'd probably call this a "Must See" match, but its not quite there. (3.5/5)

Cut to a video introduction by "The Pitbull" Gary Wolfe. Wolfe briefly eulogizes his ECW brothers who can't be on the show, including Pitbull #2 (Anthony Durante), who had passed away about two years before this show. Its a nice video and the crowd chants "Yes We Do" after the title card "ECW Remembers" appears.

"The Sinister Minister" James Vandenburg and Mikey Whipwreck show up as back-up for Tajiri as he prepares to face The FBI's Little Guido (backed up by Tracey Smothers (RIP), Tony Mamaluke, Big Guido, and JT Smith) and Super Crazy in a 3-way dance. As expected, these guys go all out, even brawling into the crowd where Super Crazy hits a moonsault off of a balcony onto multiple members of the FBI. Back in the ring, we get all sorts of run-ins and signature spots, this match just a flurry of fun moments and high spots. The crowd is fully behind Super Crazy when it comes down to him and Tajiri. The ending sequence isn't great - why doesn't Whipwreck break up the count like he did multiple times earlier? - but at least its clean. Really fun match. (3/5)

Joey cuts to a video package of ECW highlights. Lots of good highlights. 

Next up, Psicosis vs. Rey Mysterio. Have these guys ever had a bad match against each other? A loud "lucha libre" chant breaks out before they even touch. Styles notes on commentary that these two had, up till this time, wrestled 500 times. A "Put The Mask On" chant breaks out in reference to Psicosis taking his mask off before the match (I don't quite know why) but its quieted down by their next sequence. Psicosis applies a headlock and gets booed then gets even more heat by manhandling Rey, sending him neck first into the corner and then the barricade. Psicosis then hits a guillotine leg drop on Rey to a huge pop. Psicosis attempts an Air Sabu, but Mysterio dodges and hits the mat hard. Rey now gets some offense in and Psicosis attempts another dive into the corner but hits the post hard and ends up in the crowd. Mysterio then delivers a ridiculous Seated Senton onto Psicosis in the crowd! Mysterio sets him up and hits the 619, which gets booed before hits the West Coast Pop for the win. Another great match, though, I certainly wouldn't call it their best ever. (3/5)

The WWE "Invaders" arrive and the crowd loudly boos them, chanting "You Suck Dick" and then "Fuck You SmackDown" as Kurt Angle, JBL, and others make their way into the balcony. 

Styles then cuts to another video package of ECW highlights, including Benoit breaking Sabu's neck and Steve Austin doing his Eric Bischoff impression. 

Back in the arena, Joel Gertner gets in the face of Kurt Angle and JBL. Before he can finish asking them a question, the SmackDown stars shove him out of the balcony. Angle cuts a promo that enrages the crowd before handing the mic to JBL. As JBL rips into the audience, a loud "Shut The Fuck Up" chant nearly drowns him out. BL continues to berate the crowd but is interrupted by none other than...Rob Van Dam and Bill Alfonso! RVD was recovering from an injury at this point, but would be back in the ring before the year was over (if I'm not mistaken). Van Dam proceeds to cut one of the most clear-headed, meaningful promos of his career, dropping more than a few controversial lines about being held back by the "creatives" in the WWE. (+1)

Before Van Dam can finish his speech, Rhyno shows up and spears him to signal the start of an impromptu match against Sabu (who appears in the ring after the lights cut off and come back on). Sabu wallops Rhyno with a chairshot to the head that draws a huge pop from the already-wild crowd. Sabu follows it up with a springboard dive into the entranceway. Sabu attempts a moonsault through a table, but Rhyno prevents him and retakes control. Rhyno flips off the crowd, fully embracing his heel role on this night. Rhyno climbs to the top rope, but Sabu brings him down with a flying headscissors for 2. Sabu hits the Air Sabu into the corner and then a leg drop off the chair for another 2 count. Sabu attempts the Triple Jump Moonsault, but Rhyno trips him up and sends him face-first into the chair. Rhyno drops Sabu face-first onto the chair again off a fireman's carry and then hits him with a reverse powerbomb into the corner. Rhyno gets ready for another Gore but hits Alfonso instead! Rhyno hits Sabu with a piledriver and looks to have the match sewn up, but RVD clocks Rhyno with a chair and then hits him with a Chair Surf in the corner. RVD places Rhyno's head on top of a table and Sabu comes off the top rope with a skullcrushing chair-assisted legdrop to get the victory. This match doesn't necessarily deliver as well as the ones that came before it, mostly because its so short and feels a bit more like an add-on to RVD's promo rather than a true match of its own. Still, the crowd loves every minute of it and we do get a crowd-pleasing finish. Plus, it really does capture the "feel" of ECW and how "matches" didn't always start or end with the ringing of bells or adhere to a specific structure. The chaos was part of the fun then and its part of the fun of this show too. (3/5)

Backstage, Al Snow is seen talking to Head and then we get another video package of ECW highlights.

Back in the arena, Eric Bischoff leads a crew of RAW wrestlers into the Ballroom, including Edge, William Regal, and Snitsky. As they snub their noses to the crowd, Chris Benoit arrives to a decent-sized pop. His opponent tonight is noneother than his best friend, Eddie Guerrero. Its kind of a shame that the fans are distracted at the beginning of this match, chanting about Lita (in order to mock Edge) rather than focusing on the action in the ring. Guerrero is brilliant, though, drawing the attention back into the ring by leaving it for a breather. Unfortunately it doesn't quite work as a "You Screwed Matt" chant starts up soon after. Benoit and Guerrero trade chops and finally the audience starts to turn their attention to the ring, leading to dueling "Let's Go Benoit/Let's Go Eddie" chants. Ironically, considering the reputation of ECW and despite this match being the most technical, it is Eddie Guerrero who ends up with blood on his face first on this show. As Eddie applies a headlock, a "Fuck You Bischoff" chant starts up, the audience too focused on the "invaders" to really care about what's going on in the ring for long. Eddie grabs their attention with a chairshot on the outside of the ring and then a superplex back into the ring. Eddie goes for the frog splash, but Benoit rolls out of the way and both guys are out. Benoit hits a Northern Lights Suplex moments later but only gets 2 and then follows it up with a trio of German Suplexes before calling for the headbutt from the top. He connects but can't make the cover in time to get the win, Eddie barely able to kick out at 2.9. Benoit is able to lock in the Crossface and Eddie eventually taps out. This was a good-not-great match that was marred and made inconsequential by the fans' disinterest (hence the 2.5 and not the 3-point score). (2.5/5)

Joel Gertner is back in the balcony, this time hoping to get a word with Eric Bischoff. Gertner begs for a job in a funny twist that was true to his weasley character and Bischoff turns him down, then insults the crowd. Bischoff shines here. 

The next contest is a bit of a controversial one - Mike Awesome vs. Masato Tanaka. Awesome was the ECW World Champion in 2000 but jumped ship - still with the title - to WCW when he got what was reported to be a huge contract offer. Awesome's talents were then mostly wasted in WCW, who also had to pay ECW a large sum of money and agree to have Awesome drop the title (to WWE's Tazz, no less) in his last ECW appearance. Because he had essentially "sold out," Awesome was not necessarily beloved by the ECW faithful or even some of the "boys" in the back who felt it was disrespectful for him to leave the company with the belt. Of course, Paul Heyman was also notorious for not paying his wrestlers, pulling all sorts of other shady moves over the years, and allowing his wrestlers to work in various states of inebriation - so, hey, maybe Awesome was justified in wanting to use his rapid rise in popularity to get employment with WCW. Anyway, on commentary, Styles calls him a "Judas" at the start of the match (and doesn't lay off from there) even as Awesome and Tanaka wow the crowd with their work. The most grotesque line that Styles utters during this match is when he says "Its a shame he didn't succeed" in reference to Awesome hitting a "suicide" dive on his opponent (Mike Awesome would go on to take his own life in 2007). Tanaka clobbers him with a devastating chairshot to the skull a few minutes later as Awesome sets up a table. Awesome then hits him with an Awesome Bomb through the table on the floor in one of the sickest spots of the night. Wow. Even Styles has to bestow it with an "Oh My God!" as the crowds chant something a little more R-rated. Awesome hits a big splash, but only gets 2. Awesome tries a piledriver, but Tanaka counters - only for Awesome to counter it again and hit another Awesome Bomb! Awesome grabs a chair and waffles Tanaka with it 3 times right in the skull! Tanaka won't stay down, though, and ends up hitting him with a flip-over neckbreaker from the corner. Tanaka delivers a devastating tornado DDT onto a stack of chairs for another 2 count. He follows it with a ridiculous chair-assisted elbow drop onto Awesome (who already has a chair covering his face) as the crowd goes insane. This match is just all kinds of ridiculous. Awesome and Tanaka continue their war, Awesome eventually landing a release german and then a spear. Awesome follows it with a jumping chair shot and then grabs another table. Awesome sets the table up and then hoists Tanaka up onto the top rope. Tanaka gains the upperhand, though, hitting Awesome with a tornado DDT through a table! Back up to the top rope they go, Awesome hitting another Awesome Bomb into the table scraps. Awesome heads out of the ring and sets up yet another table, ultimately powerbombing Tanaka from the ring onto the arena floor and then hitting another splash onto the wreckage to get the pinfall on the floor (which is legal in ECW, I guess?). Insane match and rightfully considered the Match of the Night. (4/5)

Paul Heyman comes out next, the crowd chanting "Paul E" as he makes his way down the aisle. Before he can speak any words, a loud "Thank You Paul" chant erupts. Heyman thanks Tod Gordon and then a pair of TV producers in the front row before turning his attention to the fans, thanking them for their support. Heyman then tells off Eric Bischoff, Edge, and JBL, getting in some serious digs and his famous line about how the only reason JBL got to be World Champion was because "Triple H didn't want to work Tuesdays." Another classic moment from this show. (+1)

Main event time - The Dudleys vs. Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman. Everything about this "match" is tremendous. I put "match" in parenthesis because this is the opposite of a traditional wrestling match - it is a circus. Before the bell rings, we get a Sandman homecoming, an "invasion" by the Blue World Order, an appearance by the chairmen of ECW, Ballz Mahoney and Axl Rotten, and Kid Kash doing a springboard front-flip dive into a whole mess of ECW wrestlers. The chaos does not end there as, within the first minute, Tommy Dreamer's face is a crimson mask and we get cheese graters, chairs, tables, canes, and a ladder in rapid succession. If that isn't enough, The Impact Players show up with barb-wire and Francine in tow and immediately go after Dreamer and Sandman. Making the save, though, is none other than Dreamer's real-life main squeeze, Beulah McGillicutty, who not only gets some revenge on her arch-nemesis Francine but even gets to hit a DDT on Bubba Ray. The ultraviolence continues as the match goes on, peaking with the arrival of Spike Dudley with lighter fluid in hand and the powerbombing of Tommy Dreamer through a flaming table. If you're at all a fan of ECW, this match is the ultimate Greatest Hits package, the most notable absences being Raven, Terry Funk, and Shane Douglas (who all appeared on the counter-reunion held two days earlier known as Hardcore Homecoming). I'm not going to go a full 5-stars with this because this match is really just about scratching a nostalgia itch more than anything, but in terms of delivering on that promise, its absolutely a career highlight for everyone involved and a definite must-watch. (4.5/5)

Demanding a beer for his fallen tag partner, The Sandman pleads helplessly until we hear the familiar sound of glass shattering and out comes "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Austin gets a warm reception from the crowd because, hey, he's Steve Austin and appearances from Austin were and still are fairly rare, but it does seem a bit odd that Austin is given such a prominent spot considering his actual ECW run wasn't all that lengthy. Austin calls out the WWE Superstars in the balconies and, again, it just seems a bit weird to have a guy that is on the shortlist of BIGGEST WWE Superstars of all time calling out the RAW and SmackDown invaders. Eventually the invaders make their way to the ring and we get our final cameo - Taz (with one "z" as Joey Styles notes on commentary) - and the crowd goes ballistic one last time watching the ECW stars beat down the WWE army (including Eric Bischoff, who is clearly having the time of his life playing the role of the ultimate anti-ECW villain). (+1)

At a running time of 2.5 hours and filled with a variety of wrestling styles, personalities, video packages, promos, and segments, ECW One Night Stand 2005 remains one of the best pay-per-views the WWE ever produced. Much of that credit, according to most sources, goes to Tommy Dreamer, though he's stated in interviews that he was helped by Paul Heyman and the "look" of the show definitely has at least some of the WWE sheen (maybe not so much in the graphics department, but there's none of the graininess, shaky cam look, or dropped sound that often comes to mind when speaking about ECW productions). With a strong Kwang Score of  3.79-out-of-5, this is an easy...

FINAL RATING - Watch It

WWE Clash of the Champions 2020: Gold Rush

WWE Clash of the Champions 2020: Gold Rush

Orlando, FL - September 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this event, Roman Reigns was the Universal Champion, Drew McIntyre was enjoying his 5th month as WWE Champion, the Intercontinental Champion was technically Jeff Hardy (though Sami Zayn was claiming to the true champion), Bobby Lashley held the United States Championship, the RAW Women's Champion was Asuka, Bayley held the SmackDown Women's Championship, and the team of Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler were the Women's Tag Team Champions. The RAW Tag Titles were held by the Street Profits, while the SmackDown Tag Titles were held by the team of Nakamura and Cesaro. Finally, the 24/7 Champion was R-Truth (who was in the midst of his THIRTY-NINTH "reign"). 

The big story coming into this show was all about who wouldn't be appearing after a reported Covid-19 outbreak at the Performance Center. So, despite being advertised to compete and challenge for championships, Nikki Cross and Nia Jax would have to sit this one out.

Anyway, the show started with a video package narrated by John Cena hyping up tonight's events before we headed to the Thunderdome for our opening contest - the Intercontinental Championship triple threat ladder match: AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn vs. Jeff Hardy. This was one of the matches I was looking forward to most as these three guys are all known for their risk-taking and high-flying. The storyline coming into this match was that Jeff Hardy is the rightful Intercontinental Champion because Zayn, who never lost the belt, had to relinquish it when he took a 5-month hiatus due to the coronavirus (which is never mentioned). Styles, meanwhile, is the number one contender to the title and had been chasing Hardy for it for quite awhile. This match was spoiled a bit by the three already wrestling on SmackDown just 2 days earlier, but they spiced it up by utilizing the ladders basically right from the start. Some of the highlights included Jeff Hardy splashing belly-first into the supports of an open ladder after an AJ dodge, Sami Zayn taking a great bump into a ladder in the corner, and AJ taking an Exploder Suplex into some steel, AJ sending a ladder into Zayn like a javelin, and Hardy dropping onto Zayn with a swanton bomb off a ladder through another ladder on the floor. The first half was built more around signature offense than ladder-based chaos, but the second half saw all three men taking some insane bumps in front of a virtual, non-paying audience. Kudos to them for not half-assing it - this match was as physical as any ladder match I've seen recently. Towards the end, Sami Zayn inserted a handcuff into Hardy's earlobe and attached to the other side to a ladder - one of the most bizarre things I think I've ever seen in a wrestling match. Zayn tried to handcuff Styles to the bottom rope, but AJ fought back, eventually catching Sami with a snap suplex. When AJ got up, though, Zayn had handcuffed him to himself, though! Meanwhile, outside the ring, Hardy remained attached to a ladder and had to slide into the ring with it attached to his face. On the ladder, Zayn busted out a key and unlocked himself, attaching the other cuff to the ladder so that AJ could not reach the titles. Wow, that was a unique finish and the right man won. I wouldn't call this a must-see match, but I enjoyed it. (3.5/5)

Before the next bout, we got an extended skit involving R-Truth that led to Drew Gulak winning the 24/7 Championship. Ugh. 

Zelina Vega then made her way down the aisle to take on Asuka for the RAW Women's Championship. Vega's an experienced grappler but still came in as a massive underdog against Asuka and looked a bit out of her league here. There was some telegraphing, some awkward transitions, some weak-looking offense, the camera even catching some in-ring discussion between the competitors - Vega just did not come across as a legit challenger and Asuka seemed oddly unprepared and completely unable to save this match. The fact that this match went over 5 minutes was also a mistake in hindsight. This was probably the worst Asuka match I've seen, but I'm going to chalk that up to the lack of chemistry and Vega being thrust into a match after, to my knowledge, not working regularly for years. Even the post-match attack by Vega was poorly executed and predictable. (1/5)

Apollo Crews challenged Bobby Lashley for his United States Championship next. The best part of this match might've been MVP's managing on the outside. For all his athletic gifts, Crews remains a guy that I always find bland. Lashley, meanwhile, is a destroyer that comes across as unable to destroy anybody, a monster that goes 50/50 with every challenger he faces. There were some good sequences but nothing that really grabbed me, mostly because, in terms of character and story, I'm indifferent to this entire storyline. Lashley eventually got the win with his full nelson submission and I hope that signaled the end of this rivalry as it seems like its been going on for half a year now. (2/5)

The RAW Tag Team Titles were on the line next - The Street Profits defending the gold against Andrade and Garza. Cole noted that the Profits are the longest reigning RAW Tag Team Champions ever, but it just kinda reminds me of how little competition they've had. A decent match, but the big story coming out of it was an injury to Angel Garza as it looked like he tweaked his knee and they had to improvise a finish. After Dawkins hit Andrade with a spinebuster, the ref made a 3 count (despite Andrade clearly kicking out after 2) and nobody looked happy. Another underwhelming bout. (2/5)

After a lengthy commercial break, Bayley made her way down the aisle to defend her SmackDown Women's Championship. Her opponent, Nikki Cross, was not medically cleared (due to Coronovirus exposure), and instead we got Asuka! Asuka controlled early, but Bayley was able to regain her composure. Moments later, on the outside of the ring, Bayley got herself disqualified by attacking Asuka with a chair. In a shocking moment, though, Sasha Banks showed up and nailed Bayley with a chair shot straight to the back (that also seemed to clip her on the back of the head too). Banks, sporting a neck brace, continued to beatdown Bayley, but the SmackDown Women's Champion kicked her off and grabbed some weaponry of her own. When Bayley cornered her, Banks fought back, though, taking hold of a kendo stick and putting it to use on the champ. Sasha attempted to bash her with a chair, but Bayley rolled out of the ring and escaped with her title, crawling to the back. This was more of a "segment" than a match, but it was fine for what it was. (2.5/5)

The show slogged on with another lengthy video package hyping the WWE Championship match - Drew McIntyre defending the gold against Randy Orton in an Ambulance Match. Orton and McIntyre wasted no time busting out some of their signature moves, including the hanging DDT from the Viper to take control. As Orton got ready to kick McIntyre in the skull, though, the Big Show shockingly appeared and chokeslammed him through an announce table! In an Ambulance Match there's no disqualification so the ref didn't call for the bell and the match continued, McIntyre now in the driver's seat. Drew sent Orton into the barricade, steps, and eventually the back door of the ambulance before grabbing some weapons out of the vehicle, including a bright red steel chair. As Drew wound up to strike again, Orton caught him with a crutch to the midsection and then drove the chair into Drew's (kayfabe) broken jaw. Orton and Drew ended up inside the ambulance, brawling it out, but neither man was incapacitated and the doors never shut. In a great spot, McIntyre caught Randy with a nasty headbutt and then attempted to Claymore him into the ambulance's side door, but Orton dodged it and the door flew off the hinges! To the back they went, but now it was Christian who showed up to attack the Viper, Captain Charisma sending him crashing into a catering table. I'm not sure how this necessarily helped McIntyre's credibility as he struggled to put away Orton despite interference from TWO former World Champions, but Orton is so despicable that I never felt any real sympathy for him (and I doubt anyone else did). Back towards the ambulance they went, McIntyre sending him onto the hood of the vehicle. As Drew sought to inflict more punishment, Orton dug his fingers into Drew's eye and then sent him backfirst into the windshield. McIntyre and Orton then made their way up to the very top of the ambulance, McIntyre's lower back and side shredded from the windshield glass. McIntyre spilled off the ambulance and the camera didn't even bother catching what would've been such a weak spot. As Orton turned to climb down the ambulance, though, Shawn Michaels hit him with a Superkick that knocked him off the ambulance and through an unseen crash pad below! That would've been a great spot if we'd actually seen him go through a table or something. Back on the floor, McIntyre looked to dump Orton into the ambulance, but got RKO'd instead. Orton was able to lift Drew into the ambulance, but as he looked to close the second door, McIntyre got his hands out to stop him and raked Orton right in the eye. McIntyre then connected with a vicious Claymore straight to the face and dumped Orton into the ambulance, but instead of taking the guaranteed victory, Drew hit him with a punt of his own to finish him off for good. Good-not-great match with some fun cameos (including Ric Flair during the post-match) and even a little bit of blood. (3/5) 

After a commercial for the latest WWE videogame, it was time for our main event - Roman Reigns defending the Universal Championship against his cousin Jey Uso. The build-up for this match was strong, though the finish was never really in question as Uso came in as a huge underdog. Reigns sported a new look here - being shirtless - and looked impressive. Speaking of impressive, Reigns was a terrific heel here, dominating his cousin and talking trash while doing it. I also loved his jawing with Charles Robinson, Roman doing the little things to get this new persona over. After getting in a hope spot with a Samoan Drop, Jey Uso attempted a splash in the corner but got Superman Punched on his way, forcing the challenger to retreat to the floor. Reigns continued to wear down the challenger and got even more dramatic with his verbal messages to Jey, the action broken up by comments about how Jey should've just "taken the pay day" instead of actually trying to compete. Uso rallied a bit, dodging a spear that sent Roman into the post. I've grown to loathe that spot. Jey then hit a clothesline that sent Reigns to the floor and then hit him with a huge plancha and then, moments later, another one! Uso rolled Reigns into the ring and then delivered a crossbody for 2, followed by a superkick to the chin for another nearfall. Jey went back to the top rope but wisely rolled through whatever he was going to attempt only to eat a flying leg drop from Reigns (a move I'm not sure he's busted out too often before). Back in control, Reigns attempted a spear but Uso countered it into a pinning combo for 2 and then hit a huge superkick and a splash for 2.8 count! In a brilliant bit of sneaky fuckery, as Reigns kicked out, he caught Uso right in the junk. This allowed Reigns to then connect with a devastating spear that could've and would've given him the victory. Rather than make the cover, though, Reigns demanded that Jey call him "chief" and acknowledge his supremacy. Rather than say those words, Uso fought on only to eat a second spear. Reigns than lifted up Uso's head and showed him "[his] camera," asking again for Jey to "acknowledge him." Heyman tried to calm Reigns down, but Roman refused to accept Paul's acknowledgement and then beat down Jey some more before threatening Charles Robinson. This was just a brutalizing by this point, Robinson pleading for Jey Uso to throw in the towel. At this point, Jimmy Uso showed up with a white towel and told his twin he was going to throw it in for him as Jey begged him not to. Reigns then leveled him with even more shots, hitting him with a barrage of punches and forearms until Jimmy threw in the towel and the match was called. Jimmy then "acknowledged" his cousin, calling him the Tribal Chief. In an extra bit of heelishness, Heyman then adorned Reigns with the lei that Jey had worn down to the ring. Some of the acting was really hammy and the match itself was really just a prolonged beatdown, but the drama, story, and character work out of Reigns made this special and engaging. Definitely not anything like a Match of the Year candidate, but I'm excited to see where this version of Reigns goes. (3/5)

As a whole, this show underwhelmed me. I enjoyed SummerSlam a good bit and even found Payback to be a decent show thanks to some solid matches in Big E/Sheamus, the Mysterios/Rollins & Murphy tag, and Keith Lee/Orton. This show felt too long, too loaded with commercials, and had too much filler. Its understandable that they had to fill time with the Women's Tag Match and the advertised SmackDown Women's Championship matches pulled, but to fill in that time with lengthy stretches of advertisements slowed the show down and kept it from ever picking up steam. The Vega/Asuka bout was one of the worst I've seen on a major WWE show this year, which is a shame because I enjoy both performers. The chemistry just wasn't there. The best match of the show was the opener, which is unfortunate because it made everything that came after feel a bit like a let down. McIntyre/Orton was the "funnest" match they've had and I give them credit for balancing cartoonish hijinks with actual violence. The main event was interesting but could not be classified as a "great match." Like his non-performance at Payback, Roman Reigns is now letting the character dictate the story of his matches and, for now at least, that means we're getting "angles" more than athletic contests. I'm okay with that, but tonight's main event tip-toed on the line between engaging and comically overdramatic (at one point even Jey Uso looked like he was going to burst out laughing). With a Kwang Score of 2.43- out-of-5, I'm giving this one a....

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Survivor Series 93'

WWE Survivor Series 93'

Boston, MA - November 1993

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Yokozuna was the WWE Champion, the Intercontinental Championship was around the waist of Razor Ramon (Shawn Michaels had been stripped of the title in September for "not defending the title for 30 days" but the real reason was due to a drug test failure), and the World Tag Team Champions were The Quebecers (Jacques Rougeau and Pierre Oullett). 

After viewing SummerSlam 93', I opted to go ahead and watch the follow-up PPV held a few months later - Survivor Series 93'. The show starts with a somewhat awkward video message from Lex Luger and his family. Its particularly awkward because I just listened to an interview with Luger from a couple years ago where he discussed his estrangement from the family largely due to the many years he spent on the road (though they weren't actually divorced until 2003 according to what I dug up online). 

After a not-so-rousing rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," its time for our opening contest: an old school Survivors matching between Irwin R. Schyster, Diesel, Adam Bomb, and "The Model" Rick Martel and their opponents, The 1-2-3 Kid, Marty Jannetty, Intercontinental Champion Razor Ramon, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage (who was replacing Mr. Perfect as a crowd-pleasing surprise entrant). As Savage makes his way down the aisle, Vince refers to him as "legendary," but the crowd certainly doesn't regard him as some washed-up hasbeen. In fact, considering the ovation he gets, its surprising he wasn't on the card to begin with. Ramon and Martel start the match off, The Model coming off as much more of a throwback to the 80s than Savage did. Martel tags in Adam Bomb, his impressive size getting a big reaction from the Boston crowd. Ramon sells for the big man, bumping into the corner and across the ring from just some basic shoves. They lock up in a test-of-strength as Bomb isn't really capable of anything beyond this most basic of sequences it seems. As goofy as it is, it gets a huge response from the crowd and when Martel inadvertently hits Bomb, the heel squadron falls into complete disarray! Meanwhile, 1-2-3 Kid gets tagged in and tries to take the fight to Bomb but ends up sent across the ring with a chokeslam toss. Deisel comes in and he continues the assault on The Kid, tossing him from one corner to the other in a great spot. Deisel follows it up an awesome gutwrench powerbomb, relishing in getting to show off his power on his cruiserweight opponent. Deisel sends him back into the ropes, but The Kid surprises him with a flying headscissors and tags in Savage! Savage cleans house and ends up sending Bomb into Nash, eventually even hitting him with a bodyslam and then his trademark elbow and Deisel is outta there! Solid booking there as the heels go down 4-3, but Deisel got more than enough shine with the fireworks display he put on against Waltman. IRS comes in and takes a beating too, Ramon getting tagged in soon after. Interference from Martel allows the heels to take control as Heenan and McMahon argue about who the "real" Intercontinental Champion is - Ramon or Shawn Michaels. The heels perform a fun switcheroo at this point, IRS and The Model switching places mid-headlock when the ref's back is turned. While Savage and IRS go at it in the ring, Crush (who was feuding with Macho at this point) shows up and distracts Savage long enough for Schyster to pin him with a roll-up. Why not have Savage chase after Crush and have him counted out? Seems like that would've protected him a bit better. Jannetty comes in and after a brief flurry of offense, ends up getting beaten down by the heels. When Martel barrels into the post, Jannetty tags in Ramon and the Intercontinental Champion eliminates IRS with a beautiful Razor's Edge in the center of the ring. He attempts to hit Martel with the same move moments later, but IRS smashes him in the stomach with his briefcase when the ref tries to get control of the action. Ramon gets counted out and we're now down to a 2-on-2 contest with the least over guys in the match. A decent-sized "1-2-3" chant starts up in support of The Kid. After some nice exchanges with Martel, Bomb comes in. The Kid tries to catch him with a dive to the outside, but Bomb catches him and bodyslams him on the floor. The Kid shows some resilience, though, fighting back after Adam Bomb dominates him for awhile. He eventually makes the hot tag and the babyfaces regain control, eventually pinning both opponents in rapid succession with a series of sunset flips. Not a bad opener with some great work out of Waltman and Martel, as well as strong minutes out of Diesel. (3/5)

Backstage, Shawn Michaels stands with Todd Pettengill, claiming to be the real Intercontinental Championship. Pettengill cues up a video message from The Harts (who are standing with Family Feud host Ray Combs). The story coming into this match is that Shawn became a relatively last minute substitute for Jerry "The King" Lawler, who was under investigation for child rape. He was most likely guilty, by the way. As Michaels continues to taunt the Harts, making a comment about how Stu and Helen should be "in the ground," Combs heads to the ring.

In the ring, Ray Combs makes a lengthy, lengthy introduction of the Harts at ringside, makes a few jokes at HBK's expense, and then welcomes our team. This is like proto-RAW Guest Host filler and Combs gets booed by a significant portion of the audience of his efforts. Finally its time for some action - Shawn Michaels and his Knights (Jeff Gaylord in Black, Greg Valentine in Blue, and Barry Horowitz in Red) vs. Bret Hart, Owen Hart, Keith Hart, and Bruce Hart. For all the pomp and circumstance before the match starts, when it actually gets going it is a rather heatless, dull match. The wrestling is fine - even Keith and Bruce are solid - but with only one definable heel in Shawn Michaels, there's really no dynamic for the Harts to play off of. Its a bit like watching Batman and Robin fight the nameless henchmen in the 60s Batman show only it takes much, much longer for the Harts to beat them. Meanwhile, on commentary, Bobby Heenan runs down the Harts non-stop and while some of his quips are clever, with Ray Combs also at the desk and Vince trying to call the match, none of the drama of the match - if there was any - is sold effectively. Owen Hart's elimination and his post-match temper tantrum is the best thing about this whole affair, which goes on way too long and doesn't even end with a legit finish (Shawn Michaels takes a voluntary count-out and walks away from the match). A point-and-a-half awarded for some of the in-ring action and the masterful heel turn by Owen. (1.5/5)

After a commercial for WrestleMania X, Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon take over on commentary and we get a video package recapping the build-up to tonight's main event. There were actually some twists and turns in the build-up as Tatanka was replaced on the face side by the Undertaker and Jean Pierre of The Quebecers was replaced by Crush. 

Up next, though, was another Jim Cornette match - his Heavenly Bodies taking on the Rock n' Roll Express in a spotlight match for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, which Jim Ross notes on commentary before the bell rings. Jim Ross also mentions that these teams have been feuding for a decade, which isn't really true, though the Bodies were essentially the "sequel" to the Midnight Express (who had feuded with the Rock n' Rolls for that long). Because neither team is really established, the crowd is a bit dead and don't react to much of anything in the early going. There are moments when the Express show their age a bit, some of their antics coming across a little stale, but the Heavenly Bodies' offense is almost the exact opposite as Jimmy Del Ray delivers multiple moonsaults and Dr. Tom Pritchard hits a sit-out powerbomb, maneuvers you did not see very often in the WWE in 1993. As the action intensifies, at least part of the audience seems to care - but a more noticeable part of the crowd can be heard chanting "boring" too. When Morton finally makes the hot tag, the reaction is minimal and Gibson's usual heroic comeback doesn't elicit anything either. There are false finishes and the Express getting confused by the rules and in front of a crowd that cared, one can imagine all of this working, but in this context, its DOA. (2/5)

One of the hokiest matches in Survivor Series follows - Bam Bam Bigelow, Bastion Booger, and the Headshrinkers taking on Doink, Mabel (dressed as Doink), Mo (dressed as Doink) and also dressed as Doinks, The Bushwhackers. A loud "We Want Doink" can be heard from the crowd, the audience seemingly bothered by the fact that the actual Doink is not involved in the match. I'm not surprised - Matt Borne was a better bell-to-bell worker than anyone not named Bigelow at this point (though Fatu would go on to be dependable as Rikishi). Anyway, the most noticeable thing about this match might be how 90s it is - the crowd chanting "Whoop! There It Is" early on in a nod to the classic Tag Team single. The "wrestling" in this match is atrocious and dumb, but it gets big responses, especially from the younger fans in attendance. There's food involved and scooters and this whole match is just too childish to enjoy if you're over the age of 7. Bigelow is the clear MVP, the only guy treating this match like an actul contest and win-or-lose situation. At one point McMahon describes it as a "cartoon" and that's probably the best description of this joke. At least they don't bother stretching it with headlocks or any sort of other restholds. A half-point awarded for Bigelow's effort and the fact that, as crazy as it may seem, the crowd actually popped for this more than they did for the solid tag bout before. (0.5/5)

Main event time - Yokozuna, Ludvig Borga, Crush, and Jacques Rougeau of The Quebecers vs. Lex Luger, The Steiner Brothers, and the Undertaker. This one is a sloppy mess, but that's an apt description of the WWE in 94' in general. The first elimination occurs when Ludvig Borga botches a spot and somehow pins Rick Steiner. A few minutes later, Randy Savage appears and lures Crush outside of the ring, leading to Crush getting counted out (when in any other match this would've led to one of the faces getting DQ'ed). Jacques gets eliminated when Luger comes off the top with a top rope splash, making the heels the underdogs for some reason. Borga gets some time to shine, but not much before Scott Steiner tosses him halfway across the ring with a ridiculous superplex. Yoko comes in and attempts an elbow drop, but Steiner rolls away and (stupidly) tries a Frankensteiner only for Yoko to dodge it and then hit a leg drop to even up the sides. Yoko and Luger trade slaps in the middle of the ring before the Champ takes control. Borga takes over and Luger works hard to get sympathy. The crowd goes wild for the hot tag, which is unsurprising considering how popular Taker was at the time and the fact that - if I'm not mistaken - he and Yoko had not squared off up to this point. They would go on to main event Royal Rumble 94' a few months later and its no surprise why as the crowd goes abslutely insane for their exchange here. Taker no sells all of Yoko's best offense and the two men eventually get counted out as they brawl outside of the ring, a real lackluster ending. Back in the ring, Luger is still selling damage from multiple minutes earlier for some reason and Borga tries to finish him with some basic offense. He doesn't botch anything else too badly, but nothing he does is particularly smooth either. We get a double-clothesline spot and some hijinks involving all 3 managers, Borga eventually clocking Lex with Mr. Fuji's wooden bowl. How lame. Borga goes for the cover but barely gets 2, Lex rallying and getting some nearfalls with a back elbow and then a bodyslam. Luger finally gets the win with the flying forearm. The crowd enjoyed this match considerably more than I did watching at home 27 years later. An extra half-point for the ridiculousness of having Santa Clause show up during the post-match. (2.5/5)

With a Kwang Score of 1.90-out-of-5, the bright spots of Survivor Series 93' are not in abundance but they are there if you search for them. The 1-2-3 Kid shines in the opener, the Undertaker/Yoko confrontation during the main event feels like a big moment, and if you're a fan of old school tag wrasslin', the Heavenly Bodies/Rock n' Roll Express match will scratch that itch (though the crowd's indifference definitely detracted from it for me). The low points of the show are undeniably bad, though. The Harts/Knights Survivors match is dull and overlong. The Team Bigelow/Team Doink match is absolute dreck (though at least it doesn't last too long). If you're nostalgic for this era, I'd sooner check out the 94' Rumble (which is far from a masterpiece but at least has slightly more fun moments). This show offers not a single match that's really worth your time. 

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

WWE Payback 2020

WWE Payback 2020

Orlando, Florida - August 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The Universal Championship was held by Bray Wyatt coming into this event, while Drew McIntyre was still the WWE Champion. Jeff Hardy was enjoying his 5th reign as Intercontinental Champion, while Apollo Crews held the United States Championship. Nakamura and Cesaro were the SmackDown Tag Champs, while the Street Profits held the RAW version of those titles. Bayley and Sasha Banks still held the Women's Tag Championships, but Banks had lost her RAW Women's Title to Asuka at SummerSlam a week earlier while Bayley still held the SmackDown Women's Championship. Akira Tozawa was the 24/7 Champion.

Opening up the show was Bobby Lashley challenging Apollo Crews for the United States Championship. Lashley was accompanied by his Hurt Business compadres, MVP and Shelton Benjamin. Lashley controlled early, trying to keep Crews on the mat, but Apollo eventually got his offense going, delivering some flashy flippy-dippy stuff. Crews is a guy who can do everything and anything he wants in the ring, but I struggle to care about any of it. For guys that have been feuding for months and months, there should have been some real heat, but this one didn't play to either man's strengths; Lashley wasn't made to look like a killer and, well, I'm not exactly sure what Crews' strengths are. The best part about this match the finish, which was executed believably and led to the right man getting his hand raised. This wasn't sub-average, but it wasn't above-average either. (2.5/5)

After some interesting backstage happenings involving Paul Heyman, JBL, and Keith Lee, we were back in the Thunderdome for Big E vs. Sheamus. This was as good as most would've predicted, which isn't surprising considering how many times these hosses mixed it up in tag matches over the years. It was a nasty physical fight with some hard-hitting knees and elbows and both guys delivering all sorts of signature offense. This match was designed to continue Big E's push as a singles threat and getting the clean W certainly supported that cause. Not necessarily a "career match" for either guy, but definitely solid. (3/5)

Backstage, Matt Riddle was interviewed and reminded of a recent tweet from Baron Corbin calling him a "failure at home." Whoa. Kinda tasteless here for the WWE to turn accusations of date rape into an angle, but hey...Corbin attacked Riddle before the bell and controlled a good portion of this match, really using his size and strength to keep Riddle down. Its been hard to be much of a fan of Riddle after all the accusations that came to light and Corbin, well, he's just an average-at-best worker. When Riddle got to rally and hit a flurry of his offense, it all looked great and reminded me of why he felt like a "Next Big Thing" in the first place, but when Corbin took back over, the sloppiness came back in the form of lazy pins, telegraphed sequences, and a somewhat flat finish. Cole and Graves described it as an upset victory for Riddle, but isn't this dude a legit UFC badass while Corbin is a goof whose sole feud victory is over "Shorty G"? (2/5)

Whoops, spoke too soon. Corbin attacked Riddle backstage so this feud will inexplicably continue.

The Women's Tag Team Championships were on the line next with Sasha Banks and Bayley (The Role Models) defending the titles against Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax. Jax and Baszler haven't seen eye-to-eye in the build-up to this match but both hate the Role Models so we got a rare Heels/Heels match with this. This time last year, Shayna Baszler had "Big Match Feel" to her NXT Women's Championship defenses, but that seems like many, many moons ago. I liked the Role Models teamwork and strategy - going after Nia's knees, trying to keep Baszler isolated - but its hard to get into a match where you're not actively rooting for anyone. Baszler hit a flurry of excellent offense that reminded me of how good she could be, but it wasn't enough to seal the win for her team. Bayley and Banks tried to double-team Nia, eventually even hoisting her up for a double back body drop, but Baszler got the blind tag and ended up with both of the Role Models locked up in ridiculous submission that led to Bayley tapping out! I wouldn't consider this a great match, but the shock ending absolutely worked for me. During the post-match interview, Nia showed more personality than I think she's ever shown before - is this the start of a new "goofy Giant" gimmick for her with Baszler as the straight woman? - and the Role Models looked absolutely heartbroken, further seeding their inevitable split. (2.5/5)

The next match was an interesting one - Keith Lee taking on Randy Orton. Just a week prior, Keith Lee dropped the NXT Championship to Karrion Kross (who ended up having to vacate the title just a few days later anyway), but made a shocking debut on RAW, immediately inserting himself into the on-going Orton/McIntyre feud. With Orton delivering a devastating trio of punt kicks to McIntyre's skull, Lee stepped up for his "friend" (Oh, you didn't know they were buds?) and challenged Orton for this match. Much of the talk, however, has been about Keith Lee's new entrance music and attire (he essentially wore a "skort" on RAW). At least on this show, Lee was sporting his usual shorts (though he covered his abdomen with a tank top). This match told a great story as Orton put everything he had into his selling and facial expressions. When he was taking punishment, Orton looked shocked by Lee's strength and toughness. When he was the one bringing the pain, every smile reeked of veteran arrogance. The finish came out of absolutely NOWHERE, with Orton attempting an RKO but eating a Spirit Bomb instead for a completely unexpected victory. Had this been given 3-4 more minutes, I think it would've been even better as the finish was just too unexpected and, after what we've seen Orton go through this year - from 40-minute epics with Edge to a highly competitive title match against McIntyre a week prior - it just didn't seem realistic. (3/5)

A fairly lengthy video package set the stage for the next contest - Rey and Dominik Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins and Buddy Murphy. The phony crowd noise was pumped up full blast on this match, but I won't lie - it started out hot and, considering this was only his second match, Dominik delivered what he needed to with the grace and style his father made famous. Speaking of his father, I loved Rey getting into the ring and calling out Rollins as a "punk ass," a line that popped the commentary team too. There was a great spot where Rollins slid Mysterio out of the ring and right onto Buddy's knees that I'm not sure I've seen before. Rey was able to make the hot tag minutes later, but the heels maintained control, Rollins thwarting a crossbody by turning it into a Falcon Arrow. It was now Dominik's turn to play the face-in-peril, but as he's been able to do repeatedly over the course of this feud, Dom was able to use his cunning to outsmart the heels and evade defeat, eventually making the tag to his old man. Rey hit Seth with some big offense, including a moonsault for 2.He tried to hit a 619 but Rollins dodged it, only to escape a powerbomb attempt with a hurricanrana-into-a-kick to the head. Murphy came in and the pace became frenetic, Rollins finally cutting off the babyface's offense with a spinning backbreaker. The back-and-forth continued until the heels took full control, smashing father and son into the barricades and then targeting Rey in the ring. Rollins' continued to berate the senior Mysterio, even calling out Rey's wife Angie. In an awesome moment, though, Rollins attempted a buckle bomb only for Rey to counter it into a hurricanrana that sent Seth right into an absolutely nasty kick from Murphy! This led to the feel-good victory for the babyfaces, Dominik eventually hitting Murphy with a frog splash to get the W. This was one of the best tag matches I've seen in quite awhile, possibly even a Top 10 WWE Match of the Year in what has been a "slow" year for the E. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Roman Reigns vs. Braun Strowman vs. "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a No DQ Triple Threat Match for Wyatt's Universal Championship. The big question coming into this match was whether The Big Dog, who returned a week earlier at SummerSlam and took out both men, would end up turning full-fledged heel after revealing an alliance with Paul Heyman on SmackDown. Before the bell could even ring, Strowman jumped The Fiend out of nowhere. Strowman and The Fiend went at eachother with big offense, Wyatt even landing a Sister Aabigail for 2. Minutes passed and Reigns was nowhere to be seen, the Big Dog seemingly deciding to take his sweet time to join the fray. Outside the ring, Wyatt sent Strowman through a table and then we cut away to Alexa Bliss, twirling her hair and watching on a screen backstage for some reason. Wyatt grabbed his massive mallet from under the ring, but before he could use, Strowman nailed him with a thrown desk chair! The brawl continued, these two actually delivering the heavy hits and chaos that was lacking from their SummerSlam fight. Wyatt seemed to have the Monster down after striking him with a mallet shot to the chest, his "head twist" move, and a steel stairs bash. Again the camera cut to Alexa Bliss backstage, confusing the commentators as well as anyone watching at home. Towards the backstage area they fought, Roman Reigns still not coming out. Wyatt attempted a Sister Abigail, but Braun blocked it and ending up tackling Wyatt off the stage and through a table! Back into the ring they went as Michael Cole reminded the fans that this was not a Falls Count Anywhere match. For some reason, Strowman opted to head to the top rope instead of hitting his finisher and Wyatt chased him up there, The Fiend delivering a superplex that...broke the ring. Seen that before too many times to really mark out for it. At this point, Roman Reigns showed up, a chair in hand and Paul Heyman at his side. Before entering the ring, Reigns signed the contract - formally entering himself into the match, I guess - and then looked to pin Bray. There was no ref, though, so by the time someone got there, Bray kicked out! Then Braun kicked out! Reigns then beat down on Braun with the chair, but still only got 2! Reigns tried to do the same to Wyatt, but Wyatt caught him with the Mandible Claw. Reigns escaped with a kick to the balls and then hit Braun with a spear for 3! Well, in terms of heel turns, I think we've all seen far better versions. There was some good brawling in this match and I'm guessing that this match will one day be regarded as historically important, but Reigns' heel turn was spoiled by already revealing the alliance with Heyman. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.78-out-of-5, Payback 2020 wasn't a perfect show, but the matches that needed to deliver absolutely did. The main event was disappointing but effective in getting Reigns' new character over. The Mysterios vs. Rollins/Murphy tag was the easy match of the night, action-packed and dramatic and it ended with a crowd-pleasing moment. I liked Lee/Orton well enough and Big E/Sheamus was also a good bout that probably would've gotten a big reaction in front of a live crowd. The low point of the show was Riddle/Corbin. To be honest, its hard for me to enjoy Riddle's work these days after the #MeToo allegations revealed him to be the bad kind of "bro" and Baron Corbin isn't exactly the kind of guy that is going to make me care either. 

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

WWE SummerSlam 2020

WWE SummerSlam 2020

Orlando, Florida - August 2020

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Braun Strowman held the WWE Universal Championship and Drew McIntyre the WWE Championship coming into this event. The Intercontinental Champion was Jeff Hardy, while Apollo Crews held the United States Championship on RAW. The RAW Women's Champion was Sasha Banks, the SmackDown Women's Champion was Bayley, and together, they held the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship. Speaking of tag titles, the RAW Tag Team Champions were The Street Profits and the SmackDown Tag Team Champions were Nakamura and Cesaro. Finally, the 24/7 Champion was Shelton Benjamin.

The "party of the summer" began with a video recapping the major storylines building up to the show. This was the first major show held in the Thunderdome too - a "virtual" arena featuring actual fans on live cams and (noticeably) piped-in faux crowd noise. 

Our opening contest was for the SmackDown Women's Championship - Bayley defending the title against Asuka (who would also challenge for the RAW Women's Championship later in the evening). As expected, Bayley was accompanied to the ring by Sasha Banks, her best friend, co-Women's Tag Team Champion, and the RAW Women's Champion. Once the bell rang, Asuka took control and immediately tried to tap Bayley. When that didn't work, she went with her awesome strikes and a hip attack that sent Bayley to the floor. Bayley mounted a comeback, eventually even landing a Bayley-to-Bayley for 2. When Asuka regained control, she hit a flurry of well-executed offense including a big german suplex and then another hip attack. On the apron they went, but when Asuka went for yet another hip attack, Bayley countered it into a nasty kneebreaker on the hard edge of the ring. Bayley sought to capitalize by applying a leglock, but Asuka turned it into an ankle lock. Bayley escaped with an elbow to the ear, but Asuka hit her with a Codebreaker for 2. Asuka attempted a dropkick, but Bayley countered it into another leglock. Not everything in this match looked perfect, including the sunset-flip powerbomb that Bayley followed the leglock with, but to me, that adds realism. The finish came when Bayley dodged a would-be hip attack and Asuka struck Banks on the ropes, allowing Bayley to then roll her up for a quick 3. After the match, Bayley and Sasha beat down on Asuka, further softerning her up for her match against Banks later tonight. This was a good match that did what it needed to do in setting up the RAW Women's Championship match later on. (3/5)

After some commercials featuring Charlotte and Roman Reigns, we got a brief backstage scene involving the Mysterio family and then a video recap of what Retribution have been up to on SmackDown. Kevin Owens then jumped in on commentary for the next bout - Angel Garza and Andrade challenging The Street Profits for their RAW Tag Team Championships. Andrade and Montez Ford started things off and the action would've been great to watch if it wasn't for the fact that it was seemingly being filmed by someone suffering from a seizure. There were at least 10 cuts/zooms in the first minute. Garza came in and slowed things down, locking Ford up in an armbar. The heels kept the pressure on, Andrade eventually locking in yet another armbar over the ropes. The heels really shined during their heat segment - Garza and Andrade's teamwork coming across as effortless and calculated at the same time. Ford eventually made the tag to Dawkins, but Dawkins ended up eating a back elbow from Andrade that looked like it could've knocked a few teeth loose. Zelina Vega tried to distract the ref to help her team out, but it ended up backfiring and the Profits hit their finisher for a clean victory. I would've liked to see a title change here because Garza and Andrade are the better team, but the match was solid and didn't overstay its welcome. Perfectly fine contest. (2.5/5)

Banks and Bayley guaranteed victory in a promo backstage, also hyping next week's Payback show in the process. This was followed up by Sonya Deville vs. Mandy Rose in a Loser Leaves Town Match. This was supposed to be a Hair vs. Hair match, but because Sonya was the victim of a house invasion, the stipulation changed to supposedly allow her some time off-screen. This match was worked very, very well. Rose took the fight to Deville, suplexing her on the ramp, busting out a table, and keeping the intensity level high throughout. When Sonya took over, she went right after Rose, dropping her with a serious of kicks and then a devastating running knee right to the chest. I know some critics will talk about how this was only good because it was likely rehearsed and scripted move-for-move, but I'm not really concerned how the sausage is made if it tastes good. Like the opener, not everything looked perfect or overly choreographed but that just made it feel like a fight all the more. There was also an ultra-violent moment when Rose started tossing chairs with full force across the table, attempting to maim Deville. While she never caught her with one, it still enhanced the intensity and raised the stakes. Back in the ring, Rose stunned Deville with a series of big knee strikes and then hit her with double-underhook facebuster - followed by another knee - to get the clean win. I would've liked a more "extreme" ending, but this was still really good and fun. I wouldn't quite call it "must-see" - a stronger finish would've put it into that territory - but it was a career match for both performers. Here's hoping it leads to a further push for Rose (and Deville when she comes back). (3/5)

One grudge match followed another as Seth Rollins took on Dominik Mysterio in a Streetfight. I'm not a big Rollins fan, but I gotta give some credit to the dude for sporting an outfit that referenced Mysterio's legendary bout with Eddie Guerrero from Halloween Havoc 97'. As expected, Rollins started this out with some mat wrestling because...? If this had been fought under regular wrestling rules, having Rollins upstage Dominik in the beginning would've made sense but, considering the build-up was super violent, it was an unfortunate reminder of the last time Rollins shit the bed in a blood feud against Ambrose (now Jon Moxley in AEW). Things seemed like they'd get better when Dominik took hold of a kendo stick, but Rollins inexplicably kicked it out of the ring (when he could've used it) and the match went right back into being your standard singles bout. That being said, I did like Rollins' taunting Dominik and how the pre-match segments gave reason for why Rey did not get involved despite it being a No Disqualification match. After a lengthy heat segment, Dominik finally got some, err, retribution, unloading on Seth with the kendo stick. Dom tried to go to the top, but Rollins hit him with a Falcon Arrow for 2. With Dom putting up a stronger fight than he may have expected, Rollins finally started using some weaponry, bashing him with the kendo stick and then asking for a table. To the corner they went but Dom ended up crotching Rollins on the top rope and then delivered a kendo stick-assisted russian leg sweep through the table. Dom followed it up with a frog splash...but only got 2, the match rising in intensity. Dom brought another chair into the ring but idiotically slid it across and out of the ring, allowing Rollins to nail him with a superkick and then a powerbomb. Rollins ripped off Dom's vest and delivered a ton more kendo stick shots, the welts appearing in bright red. Murphy then handed him a pair of cuffs, but before he could use them, Dominik went to the outside of the ring. Murphy attempted to blind him the same way Seth did to Rey, but Rey stopped him and the match fell into chaos. After beating down both Mysterios, Rey ended up handcuffed to the rope. Seth and Buddy grabbed the kendo sticks, but before they could use them, Mama Mysterio showed up. As Seth approached her, Dominik sprung to life and took out both the villains, sending Murphy over the barricade and then Rollins into the steps. Dominik rallied, hitting Rollins with a 619 but got blocked on another Frog Splash attempt. With Mysterio trying to make the save (but cuffed to the bottom rope), Rollins delivered a Curb Stomp to Dominik to put him out for good. The start of this match wasn't what I expected, but it got better as it went on and Rollins started to actually deliver on the stipulation. I also must admit to biting a bit on the false finish towards the end, believing that there was a slight chance that Dom would get the W and Seth would be leaving TV for awhile to spend time with Becky Lynch (who is what? 5 months pregnant now?). As much as I'm not a fan of Rollins, I will say this - on big shows, he tends to deliver and this was another solid outing from him, helped significantly by having an emotional weight that we don't always get. Still not a "must see," all-time classic, but above average. (3.5/5)

The RAW Women's Championship was on the line next with Sasha Banks defending the title against Asuka. This one started off highly physical but borderlined on stomach-churning when we saw an absolutely INSANE powerbomb spot from Banks on Asuka to the outside that sent Asuka's skull into the floor. It was a sick spot, the kind of move that probably should've ended the match entirely. After Asuka kicked out at 2, Banks continued her attack, eventually knocking her right in the skull with a big boot. I have no idea how she didn't suffer multiple concussions here. Banks attempted her double-knees in the corner, but Asuka escaped the ropes and hit her with a devastating electric chair-into-a-facebuster and then locked her in a kneebar. Sasha refused to tap and the fight raged on, the competitors eventually finding themselves in the corner where Asuka delivered a move I'm not sure I've seen a ton before - a top-rope, front-facing DDT. Banks wisely rolled to the outside, but once they ended up back inside she ate a big dropkick from Asuka for another nearfall. Asuka attempted to pull Banks from the corner, but the Champ countered with double-knees for 2. Banks missed on a frog splash, but Asuka couldn't capitalize. Sasha got some words from encouragement from Bayley, but ended up caught in the Asuka Lock! Banks escaped and the two went into a great sequence of counters that resulted in Asuka getting locked up in the Banks Statement - only for Asuka to roll through and reapply the Asuka Lock! Wow, that was sweet. In a great callback to the first title match of the night, Bayley and Banks attempted the same ploy they utilized earlier, but this time it didn't work and Banks ended up in the Asuka Lock again! Banks taps! That was a really good match, maybe even a Match of the Year contender in a year where the WWE hasn't exactly been hitting it out of the park all that often. (4/5)

The WWE Championship was on the line next with Drew McIntyre defending against Randy Orton. I really liked the pre-match video as it highlighted the strong build-up to this match. Orton has been on fire with his promos and Drew matched him at every turn. I wasn't on Team Drew at the start of 2020, but I'll give credit where its due and say that this feud has helped him show his character far better than he got to against Lesnar and Dolph Ziggler. Orton started things off with mind games, escaping to the outside each time Drew might've got the upperhand. It was wise work and led to some near-RKO moments, Orton trying to end things early. Orton had McIntyre chasing him in and around the ring, eventually dodging a spear attempt that sent McIntyre shoulder-first into the post. Orton maintained control in the ring with a headlock soon after, controlling the pace between the bigger moves. One such move was a brilliant counter by McIntyre in the corner that saw him block a big boot and turn it into a knee wrench that dehibilitated Orton. McIntyre followed it up with a spinebuster and then a figure four, trying to force Orton to submit. Orton escaped by raking McIntyre in the eye, digging his nail in deep enough to actually slice him a bit. I'm not sure if it was intentional or not (or somewhere in between), but the blood - which was relatively minor - helped add to the drama and bring the match into another gear. McIntyre rallied and started dishing out a bunch of over-the-head belly-to-bellies, following them up with a clothesline from the top rope. McIntyre kipped up (a nod to Shawn Michaels, who was involved in the build a bit) and then placed Orton on the top turnbuckle, attempting to set him up for a superplex. Orton headbutted his way out of it, though, and McIntyre ended up in the tree of woe. Orton looked like he might've been going for a knee drop of some kind, but Drew used his incredible strength to pull him over into the center of the ring. Drew hit the Future Shock DDT but only got 2. At some point in all this (maybe on the headbutt?), Orton ended up cut open himself, a trickle of blood streaming down the center of his forehead. Soon after, McIntyre hit Orton with an awesome punch straight to the head but couldn't follow it up and ended up getting hit by the Viper's trademark spinning bodyslam. Orton attempted a Hangman's DDT but got hit by a Glasgow Kiss instead! Great spot there. Orton was sent stumbling but managed to regain his composure and turn things around, hitting McIntyre with the Hangman's after all. Instead of making the cover, though, Orton paused, basked in his own glory, and started calling for the RKO. With McIntyre unable to make it to his feet, though, Orton reconsidered and lined him up for a punt kick - only to get caught with a huge powerbomb from McIntyre! Drew started calling for the Claymore, but missed it! Orton went for the RKO, but Drew countered with a backslide and got a 3 count! I liked that finish as it protected both guys a bit. Orton obviously saw the Claymore coming and had his counter prepared, but didn't have a counter-to-the-counter mapped out and was caught off guard. That was easily the best Drew McIntyre match I've seen and maybe even in the top 10 Orton matches. There were critics who called this slow, but it at least felt different from the go-go-go style we sometimes get in our NXT main events. The MVP might also be the little bit of "color" we got as even a touch of blood goes a long way in modern WWE. (4/5)

Main event time - Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman for Strowman's Universal Championship in a Falls Count Anywhere match. The build-up for this match has been hit-or-miss with me, but I was excited to see how it would play out and what role Alexa Bliss would end up having. Once the fight got taken outside, Wyatt went to work with a toolbox, driving it into Strowman's massive stomach. Braun fought back, though, eventually shoulder-blocking Bray through the barricade wall. Wyatt basically no-sold it, though, getting up only to get chokeslammed into an announce table. Unfortunately for Wyatt, his lower back took the brunt of the damage as he landed awkwardly on the edge of the table. Yowzee Wowzee, right? Braun grabbed the steps and effortlessly smashed them into Wyatt's head as the ref tried to regain control. Back in the ring, Braun hit Wyatt with his finisher - a running powerslam - but barely even got 2 with it. The fight went back out of the ring and up the ramp, Braun sending Wyatt into the SummerSlam screen. They headed backstage, brawling in the "Gorilla Area," and Wyatt ended up delivering his Sister Abigail finish for 2. Wyatt tried to gouge out Braun's eyes but had no luck.The two monsters made their way back towards the ring, Bray eventually locking in a Mandible Claw. Braun fought out of it, though, eventually crushing Bray with a big forearm across the chest for a 2 count on the floor. Back in the ring, Braun delivered yet another huge powerslam but only got 2 with it. He beat down on Wyatt with some big right hands out of frustration, the Monster Amongst Men clearly unsure how to put his foe away. Strowman exited the ring and grabbed a razor from the emptied toolbox and cut the ring open, exposing the wooden boards beneath. Bray was up on his feet, though, and ended up hitting Braun with a chokeslam and then a pair of Sister Abigails onto the boards to win the Universal Champion. No Alexa? This wasn't a bad brawl and I'm glad it didn't go too long, but I wouldn't seek this out either. An extra half-point for the surprise return of Roman Reigns during the post-match. It was nice to see him make a return and take out both Wyatt and Strowman and I wouldn't mind seeing them mix it up in a triple threat sooner than later. (They would end up having this very match a week later at Payback, by the way.) (3/5)

With a relatively strong Kwang Score of 3.29-out-of-5, SummerSlam 2020 was one of the better shows the WWE has put on in the "Covid Era." The Sasha Banks/Asuka match was as good as most expected it would be, though, maybe not quite as high as the highest expectations. Orton/McIntyre delivered for me (even if I'm in the minority a bit). While I wasn't captivated by the RAW Tag Team Title Match, they didn't go too long and sometimes I like a little bit of "filler" to break up the bigger matches. Speaking of bigger matches, the Mandy Rose/Sonya Deville match lived up to the promise of their extended and well-booked feud even if it wasn't any sort of "mat classic." Similarly, while the Rollins/Dominik Mysterio match started a bit too "mat-based," by the time it wrapped up, I was undeniably on the edge of my seat. The main event wasn't great, in fact, in terms of even brawls it was average-at-best, but the post-match twist made it feel like a big deal and a worthy way to close out the show. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It