WCW/nWo Souled Out

RATING LEVELS: 

Curt Hennig – A “GOAT” show, as Perfect as possible

Watch It – A consistently good show worth watching in its entirety

Watch It…With Remote in Hand – 3 or more above-average ratings 

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, inessential, but 1-2 good matches

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

WCW/nWo Souled Out - January 1997

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Hulk Hogan is the WCW World Champion coming into tonight's show, Eddie Guerrero is the US Champion, Lord Steven Regal holds the Television Championship, Dean Malenko is the Cruiserweight Champion, and the WCW World Tag Team Champions are the Outsiders, Hall and Nash.

COMMENTARY: Eric Bischoff and Ted DiBiase


The notorious WCW/nWo Souled Out PPV kicks off with members of the New World Order cruising down Cedar Rapids on the back of garbage trucks with a police escort blaring their sirens. When they reach the arena, the stage is unlike any other PPV's design I've ever seen, three huge video walls and a podium from which the nWo's top administrator, Eric Bischoff, welcomes the audience. The wrestling equivalent of a Nuremberg rally might be the only way to describe it. Absolutely incredible, innovative, and unique. Bonus point for creativity! (+1)

The wrestling portion of the show starts with Masahiro Chono taking on "Lionheart" Chris Jericho. DiBiase and Bischoff have little to no chemistry, though, admittedly, they are in somewhat unchartered territory by having to provide play-by-play via their antagonistic, sarcastic heel gimmicks. In the ring, Jericho brings a ton of energy and Chono is serviceable, the match featuring at least a handful of bright moments (including a respectable table spot). Nick Patrick's purposely poor ref'ing is a touch less annoying and obvious than what he did at Chono's last match at Clash of the Champions XXXIV which allows for there to actually be some suspense when Jericho gets the upperhand. A touch above average. (3/5)

Bischoff and DiBiase gab about the motorcycles on display and the contestants in tonight's Miss nWo contest. They toss things over to Jeff Katz, who I guess was the operator of the nWo hotline (?), standing by one of tonight's contestants. Katz looks about as uncool as any person could possibly look in sunglasses and a leather jacket. His first interviewees offer absolutely nothing interesting on the mic, seemingly caught off guard that they'd actually have to answer questions rather than just sit on motorcycles and smile.

Decked out in tie-dye and accompanied by Jimmy Hart, Hugh Morrus makes his way down the ring for a Texas Death match against the nWo's resident hoss, Big Bubba. Morrus is constantly praised for his agility as a big man, but he's upstaged by the former Bossman, whose bumping and character work here is remarkable, drawing good heat through the use of low blows, weapon use, and cheap shots. Morrus is comparatively less engaging, surprisingly infusing his work with none of the charisma he seemed to do almost effortlessly in his TV matches. Obviously, this is a more "serious" match and Morrus is trying to bring that tone to it, but by not incorporating any of his trademark laughs or smiles, he undercuts his own gimmick. When the match spills out of the ring, the use of a motorcycle as a weapon is novel, but more comical than anything. Somewhat enjoyable match that manages to squeak by through the strong character work of Bubba and the ridiculousness of the final spot. (2.5/5)

And we're back with Jeff Katz, interviewing more of tonight's Miss nWo contestants, followed by more filler material, including a tour of the nWo website.

Jeff Jarrett vs. VK Wallstreet is next, a match that screams...something, but definitely not "PPV worthy." Jarrett controls early on, outmaneuvering his veteran opponent and connecting with a big crossbody from the top. Jarrett is an interesting character at this point - booked as a babyface but not necessarily a likeable one, especially considering his connection to Debra McMichael, the Horsemen's least beloved valet and real-life better half of Steve "Mongo" McMichael. There are a few too many pregnant pauses in this one for me, Wallstreet locking in a headlock that fans are indifferent to no matter how much Jarrett tries to pull them in. Jarrett's figure four gets a decent reaction, as does Mongo's eventual involvement. Arn Anderson's unimpressed view from the stands sums things up. (2/5)

"The Babe Hunter" Jeff Katz welcomes us to the "Senior Division" of the Miss nWo contest, interviewing a pair of older women, one of whom seems to have trouble hearing Jeff's questions. I'm not sure if this is the absolute worst on-going segment in the history of a wrestling pay-per-view or just the third or fourth worst.

Here we go with the first actual built-up match of the night - Scotty Riggs stepping into nWo territory to take on his former tag team partner, Marcus "Buff" Bagwell. Riggs' attitude as he walks into the ring is absolutely the wrong one - I mean, I "get" that the American Males were meant to be cocky, somewhat self-centered chippendales, but Riggs should be coming into this match as a pissed off, sympathetic babyface ready to exact revenge on the man who turned on him, not a self-absorbed pretty boy. From that misstep we get yet another as Riggs allows Buff several minutes to take off his coat and show off his guns instead of going right after him, which is how a grudge match should start. When the action begins, the back and forth isn't terrible, but its not riveting either. Riggs takes a nice bump into the barricade at one point, but Bagwell follows it up by posing instead of getting even more brutal in his attack on his former friend. Bagwell eventually goes there by hitting Riggs with a wicked powerbomb and cutting off his comebacks with some stomps and punches to the head. But despite Bagwell's dominance, the crowd never gets behind Riggs, keeping his eventual run on offense from garnering any sort of reaction. They worked hard and seemed to execute the gameplan they had going into things correctly, but there were too many flaws in the psychology of the match itself (which goes at least a minute or two longer than necessary) for this to work. (1.5/5)

More Jeff Katz and, again, his interviewee can't quite hear his questions despite him practically screaming in her ear. At first I found these segments to be sorta funny, but after three or four of em', I'm more annoyed than anything.

The WCW Tag Team Championships are on the line next - The Outsiders defending the straps against The Steiner Brothers. The crowd is red hot for this, but the action just isn't great. Scott Hall takes some impressive bumps from the Steiners' suplex-based offense, but this is too standard a match to achieve much beyond just being average. It doesn't help that Bischoff and DiBiase completely bury the finish on commentary, guaranteeing that it doesn't matter and that it will be overturned the following night. Decent and I'll at least give credit to the competitors' respectable efforts, but this one just didn't come together. (2.5/5)

Syxx competes for the United States Championship he stole from reigning champion Eddie Guerrero in a ladder match next. Unlike the previous bout, the crowd is fairly dead for this until the ladder gets introduced, which is a shame because both Guerrero and Syxx showcase a ton of excellent aerial moves in the early going. When the ladder comes into play, the crowd perks up, but I'd argue that the in-ring action actually levels off a bit as Guerrero and Syxx perform a number of spots that had been done better elsewhere without adding much originality. I also didn't particularly like the clumsy finish, one that almost seems "too obvious" for a ladder match but could've worked if it was better executed. While certainly the match of the night (by a wide margin), I wouldn't go digging for this one (and this is coming from a fairly big and admittedly bias Guerrero mark). Dave Meltzer gave this one 4-stars in the Observer, but I wonder what he'd give it on re-watch. (3.5/5)

And, with roughly 30 minutes left on the show, we're set for the incredibly awkward and grating finale of the Miss nWo contest. I almost wanted to give this 5-stars for how bizarre it is, but I deducted a half-point for every minute it overstayed its welcome. There are actual moments where women whisper inaudibly into Bischoff's ear, making sure the audience can participate in exactly zero percent of whatever "fun" this is supposed to be. The sight of Bischoff swapping spit with the winner is one of the more grotesque moments in not just WCW history but maybe world history. When the winner parades around the ring following her coronation, the look on the faces of the audience says it all - this was not just stupid, it was boring. Awful, unwatchable, not even "so bad it's good." (0/5)

Main event time - The Giant challenging Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Hogan arrives backed up by a whole crew of Dallas Cowboys (and, for whatever reason, Vincent) while Bischoff describes how countless promoters, including Verne Gagne, Jerry Jarrett, and Vince McMahon, have all ridden on the Hulkster's coattails to amass their fortunes. His entrance, like the kickoff to the show, is a pretty awesome sight and another example of how innovative and cool the production around this show was. Almost instantly, though, garbage begins to be pelted towards the ring, symbolic of the "action" that is delivered. Giant starts by hitting Hogan with a series of chest chops, causing Hogan to duck out of the ring, before he sneaks back in and clips the big man at his knees. Hogan proceeds to bash his head into the ring, follows it up with a series of boots to the midsection, and then pulls out some chops of his own. If this sounds like high-impact offense to you, you'll love this match...but if you're looking for something resembling a contest of athleticism, agility, strength, and submissions, steer clear. What might be most remarkable about this match is that these two had a ton of matches prior to this, which would suggest that they could've relied on a few signature spots and momentum shifts to carry them through a passable contest (the way, say, Giant and Luger did in their underrated Starrcade match a month prior). Instead, this one doesn't bother to tell any sort of dramatic story - instead, there's powder-throwing, choking with a rope, and, for some bizarre reason, The Giant attempting to come off the top rope because they must've figured the match needed an interesting moment but didn't want to come up with something logical. Moments later, Hogan drops the Giant with a bodyslam and connects with a legdrop, but ends up on the receiving end of a chokeslam when he wastes time gloating (and The Giant no sells what was once the most devastating finisher in the sport). This leads to a thoroughly disappointing screwjob finish that spits in the face of the audience (who, as expected, begin to fill the ring with more trash). If this were the end of a Nitro, it might be reasonable - but WCW expected people to pay for this (and it was considerably more than $9.99). The only saving grace is the near deafening "We Want Sting" chant that breaks out, a cool moment that is, unfortunately, not capitalized on by actually having the Stinger make an appearance. (1/5)

With an average match/segment rating of 2.13-out-of-5, Souled Out is a very difficult show to watch. While the production is unique, the novelty of the show wears thin as Bischoff and DiBiase's commentary gets more irritating, Nick Patrick's cheating gets tiresome, and the Miss nWo segments go from somewhat funny to increasingly annoying. There's also not a single match on the card that is really worth watching, not even the overrated Guerrero/Syxx ladder match. Had this been a Clash of the Champions, it could have been passable, but considering this was an actual pay-per-view, I can't imagine that the fans who purchased this event felt like they got their money's worth. I definitely want my three hours back. 

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

NXT Takeover Unstoppable

NXT Takeover: Unstoppable - May 2015

Winter Park, Florida

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this evening's event, Kevin Owens was declared the NXT Champion, Sasha Banks held the NXT Womens' Championship, and the Tag Team Titles were held by Blake and Murphy.

COMMENTATORS: Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, and Rich Brennan

Tonight's show kicks off with a battle to decide who will be the number one contender for the NXT Championship - Finn Balor taking on Tyler Breeze. I've seen some people call this a Top 10 Match of the Year, which might be a tad bit much. I'm not even sure its the best opening match we've seen on an NXT show this year (I felt the Asuka/Emma match from Takeover London was significantly better). Breeze does a nice job of trying to outwrestle Balor, but is eventually overtaken by Balor's boundless energy. Others have pointed it out before but one of Balor's best gifts is his ability to draw in viewers with false finishes; he might have the best kickouts in the business in terms of waiting for the last possible millisecond to get a shoulder up. Balor tried to give the NXT crowd a moment by leaping off the stage, but he didn't get enough airtime to really make it a memorable spot. His actual finisher, however, was delivered with uncanny gusto and devastation. Very good, but not great match. (3.5/5)

Emma and Dana Brooke took on Bayley and Charlotte next. While not as good as the top shelf work that Charlotte and Bayley put out at other times this year, this one was considerably more tolerable than most main roster diva matches we get on TV. Brooke's sloppiness was covered up well for the most part, but she was noticeably out of position in a few moments and certainly didn't bump on Charlotte's DDT remotely as well as Emma did. Bayley played the face-in-peril in this standard bout that wisely didn't overstay its welcome. (2/5)

Next up was a grudge match between Baron Corbin and Rhyno (is every Corbin match a grudge match?). Watching this several months after the fact, I was surprised by how warm the reception was for Corbin, who, since this show, seems to have lost the small bit of crowd support he had here. This match might help explain why. Despite a good look and some good intensity, Corbin lacks polish. His moveset is limited to strikes and stomps and he could learn a thing or two from heels like Sasha Banks, Kevin Owens, or Connecticut Blueblood-era Triple H, all of whom ornament their most basic offense with taunts and jabs at the crowd. Corbin's natural sneer and impressive size makes the bully role a natural fit - but he sometimes looks afraid of the crowd (or at least afraid to show his personality in front of it). Rhyno deserves credit for keeping this match together and bringing energy to his selling, but this wasn't anything special. (2/5)

The NXT Tag Team Championships were on the line with Blake and Murphy defending against Colin Cassady and Enzo Amore. Having just watched NXT Takeover London last week, I feel like I just watched a better version of this match in Cass and Enzo vs. Dawson and Dash. There were some bright spots in this one - Enzo hitting an impressive tornado DDT, Cassady going on absolute tear cleaning house - and you have to credit the agent with setting up a match that played to the strengths of the teams, but as over as Cassady and Enzo's pre-match ritual is, their in-ring work doesn't quite live up to the watermark set by their introduction (call it New Age Outlaws Syndrome) and fan interest petered out within two or three minutes of the bell ringing. Blake and Murphy are good (not great). When their teamwork clicks, they can be fun to watch because some of their offense is innovative and crafty...but they need more of those double-team weapons in their arsenal, as well as distinct individual personalities, to be the next Brainbusters or Midnight Express. Solid match but nothing more than that. (2.5/5)

And then it was time for Sasha Banks to defend her NXT Womens' Championship against Becky Lynch. I'd heard great things about this match, but didn't want the hype to spoil it for me. Fortunately, the buzz was well deserved. Banks' arm work is remarkable - easily the best, most creative, most technically-impressive limb work that I've seen this calendar year. Lynch's selling is equally brilliant too. Praising just the technical, mat wrestling high points of this match undercut the rest of what it offers: Banks' unbelievable character work (her ability to go from irritated to arrogant to irate is Flair-esque), Lynch excellently executing a couple of unique-but-logical suplexes, and a handful of "little things" that you simply don't see enough of in any match, male or female (for example, Banks nearly bashing Becky's face in when she has her locked in an armbar, countless pinfall reversals, and a rare application of a personal favorite, the straightjacket cobra clutch [a move that my little brother and I used to call a "Japanese Cobra Clutch" because we saw it on an FMW tape when we were kids]. While this match doesn't have the emotional pull of Banks/Bayley from NXT Brooklyn, it is a thoroughly engaging match that, in a world where Banks/Bayley never happens, probably would've found its way on to even more Match of the Year lists. Excellent, excellent stuff. (4/5)

Main event time - Kevin Owens defending the NXT Championship against the former titleholder, Sami Zayn. There is a ton of bad blood between these two and the pre-match video does a nice job of setting the table for the fight we get. Going into this match there was serious question as to what level Zayn would be able to perform at, but he does a tremendous job of hiding the answer to that question in the early going, essentially leveling Owens with an unrelenting wave of forearms and fists. Owens tries to evade the onslaught but gets fought into and out of the crowd instead, taking a few respectable bumps in the process. In the ring, Owens takes a nasty looking half-and-half suplex too. All the while, each time Owens' game-changing powerbomb is teased and escaped the idea that this match will be all but over if the champ manages to score that one debilitating slam builds. When it does happen, the match is essentially over and, like their bout at Rival months earlier, it becomes more about the angle/storyline developed. I compared that initial contest to an old school NWA angle and this one continues in that vein, which is a tad disappointing, but understandable when you consider the real life injuries that Zayn was working through. Samoa Joe makes his debut in the post-match and the atmosphere goes from electric to nuclear, capping off a relatively strong show with a fierce eye-to-eye between two no-nonsense ass-kickers. As an overall package, the match and its aftermath work well. (3.5/5)

With an "entertainment average" of 2.91-out-of-5, Unstoppable is arguably the weakest NXT show of 2015, one that offers only one truly great match (Banks/Lynch), two pretty great matches (the opener and the main event), and a handful of skippable filler to round out the show. Unlike their recent specials from Brooklyn and London, the crowd doesn't elevate the pedestrian matches either (it is noticeable how much more excitement there was in Enzo and Cass's London match compared to their bout here). Still, at 120 minutes or so, the NXT brand's blow-off specials are just so much more digestible than the marathons the WWE puts on. 

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

NXT Takeover Rival

NXT Takeover: Rival - February 2015

Winter Park, Florida

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Sami Zayn is the NXT Champion, Blake and Murphy hold the NXT Tag Team Titles, and Charlotte is the NXT Womens' Champion coming into tonight's show.

COMMENTATORS: Rich Brennan, Corey Graves, and Jason "Prince" Albert

NXT Takeover: Rival kicks off with Hideo Itami taking on Tyler Breeze. Itami spends most of this match fighting from underneath, having his knee injured early on which allows Breeze to dominate with submissions and strikes targeting the damaged limb. Miraculously, Itami recovers and mounts a comeback, only sporadically selling any injury. Ignoring the inconsistency, Itami's fighting spirit does make for an awesome sight to see in a WWE ring, as were his hard-hitting kicks (which, to his credit, he did embellish by selling that they were hurting him as well as his opponent) and a nifty hesitation dropkick in the corner. Overall, not a bad match, but not very good one either. (2.5/5)

Bull Dempsey arrived next, a "wrecking ball" and the "last of a dying breed" according to Rich Brennan, a fancy way of saying that this guy is a huge mass of hoss. His opponent in this No DQ match is Baron Corbin, who comes into the ring with a head full of a steam but ends up on defense after Dempsey hits him with a snap suplex on the ramp. The crowd impatiently chants "We Want Tables," loudly booing after Bull teases their use but doesn't pull them from under the ring. Corbin is able to make a comeback with a big spinebuster in the middle of the ring, following it up with a botched clothesline that brings both men over the top (in the wrong order, though, eliciting more boos from the crowd). Dempsey gets a decent response for tossing Corbin into the steps, but its not until he grabs a steel chair that the crowd really comes alive. Before he can use it, though, Corbin hits his End of Days finish and the match is over before a single weapon is used. Puzzling booking for a No DQ match between two archrivals. Meaningless post-match scene too with Corbin simply sitting on the chair and looking at what he had done (which didn't seem like much). (0.5/5)

The NXT Tag Team Championships were on the line next, with the Lucha Dragons challenging the regining title holders, Blake and Murphy. Within the first minute, Sin Cara seems to botch a maneuver on Wesley Blake, a rare goof from one of the brand's more technically proficient workers. A minute or so later, Kalisto slips on the middle rope, but the crowd is brought back into it when Cara connects with a vicious victory roll on Murphy from the top rope. Blake and Murphy take control, though, hitting a double-team pop-up neckbreaker. Kallisto gets the hot tag next, delivering a twisting crossbody before having his Sarita Del Sol countered into a somewhat awkward collar-and-elbow tie-up. Cara and Blake go through a pretty incredible sequence of counters and reversals, leading to a sprint through the final minute. Blake and Murphy showed tremendous resiliency, quickness, and cunning, but they are missing a piece to truly stand out as a great tag team. Solid bout that suffered from some awkward moments. (2.5/5)

Former NXT Champion Neville took on relative NXT newcomer Finn Balor next. While some will likely include this match in their top five bouts of the year, I'm a tad less enthusiastic about it - not because of the effort put in or the number of amazing spots and sequences (there is a ton), but simply because of the gravity of the match. By this point, it was common knowledge that Neville would be leaving NXT for the main roster and Balor was being groomed for a top spot in the brand, hurting the suspense of the match considerably. To their credit, Neville and Balor don't wrestle this match like the finish is a foregone conclusion and the crowd plays along - but it doesn't change the fact that this match suffers from a telegraphed outcome. In terms of the in-ring action, there is little to criticize - these two put on a fireworks display of awesomeness, including a Finn Balor dropkick that sends Neville all the way into the crowd. Great match that may not land in my top 5 of the year, but could sneak its way into the Top 10 or 12. (4/5)

The NXT Womens' Championship was on the line next in a fourway match pitting champion Charlotte against Sasha Banks, Bayley, and Becky Lynch. After a few hiccups in the early minutes, the pace quickens and the crowd warms up, giving this match a sense of urgency and excitement that makes it a bit more meaningful than even Balor/Neville. What is really commendable here is how well everyone is positioned too; Banks is the focal point and anchor of the match, the right spot for the most over heel, while Lynch serves as the glue, capable of working segments with anyone else in the match based on her tweener role (not to mention her impressive versatility as a technician/bumper). Charlotte is the reigning Champion, eager not to lose her title by getting pinned or by having an opponent take a pinfall, essentially "on defense" for the majority of the match. Bayley shines as the underdog, the "perennial loser" whose flurries of offense are a bit unexpected but are delivered with so much spirit that she becomes a very credible threat to Charlotte. While only half of these roles are as fully developed as they could be, should be, or would be in the months that followed, the fact that a women's wrestling match under the WWE banner has any character development in it is still something really special. With a near-flawless finish coming after a series of crowd-pleasing spots, this is a must watch for fans of womens' wrestling. (4/5)

Main event time - Sami Zayn defending the NXT Championship against former friend Kevin Owens. There was a great backstory for this match and the crowd cares about it from the start. Owens dominates for extended stretches, dishing out some fairly typical stuff early on before busting out his more innovative weapons. Zayn's hope spots are well-timed, well-executed, and effectively showcase his mix of high-flying offense and technical skill. The finish of the match is an unforgettable series of events wonderfully reminiscent of peak era NWA - at what point does the match end and the "angle" start? The crowd, fully aware that they are watching a scripted wrestling event (these are the "smartest" fans in the world, right?) buys into what they are watching in the ring. It is professional wrestling in its most intended and awesome form - storytelling perfection that leaves the viewer uneasy and, to some degree, unsatisfied. This is not a match to watch if you are seeking closure or because it is either man's peak performance. No, this is a match to watch because it reaffirms your fandom and love for the concept of professional wrestling. (4/5)

Here is a fairly excellent show so heavily burdened by its weakest parts that its 2.92-out-of-5 score doesn't really do it justice. The last three matches are absolutely tremendous. In fact, there is probably no other Network show from 2015 that features a run of matches as good as those three together (in fact, I'm almost willing to wager there is no show this decade that boasts a string as good as the last three here). Unfortunately, the first three matches offer way less excitement. Itami/Breeze is solid but ultimately unmemorable. The tag titles match was no less than average, but featurd a few flubs. The less said about the Corbin/Dempsey match the better (I'm not positive, but it may be my lowest rated match of the year). Easy rating to give for a show featuring an almost perfect second half, but a boring first...

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

NXT Takeover London

NXT Takeover: London - December 2015

London, England

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Finn Balor holds the NXT Championship, Bayley is the NXT Womens' Championship, and Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder hold the NXT Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTATORS: Byron Saxton, Rich Brennan, and Corey Graves

You probably won't find it on many people's Year End lists, but I enjoyed the hell out of tonight's opener - Asuka vs. Emma. Unlike what we've been getting on the main roster over the past few months, here was a women's wrestling match with a clearly defined hero taking on a clearly defined heel with the fans firmly behind the side of good. Asuka's offense was every bit as sharp and devastating as one would expect (her backhand combo is a thing of beauty), but, as someone wholly unfamiliar with Emma's ballyhooed work in NXT in 2013-2014, I was equally impressed by what she did here, cutting off Asuka at the right time, using crafty dirty tactics to try to get her opponent disqualified, controlling the "heat" part of the match with her offense but not doing anything so flashy that it ever got its own pop. This is how a heel should work. Very strong and well-executed match with great twists in the closing minutes. (4/5)

Our next match was for the NXT World Tag Team Championships - Dash and Dawson taking on Enzo and Big Cass. As expected, Enzo and Cass got a huge response from the crowd, their pre-match promo incredibly over. As if they needed even more reason to cheer, Enzo sported the Union Jack on the inside of his leather overalls, drawing a deafening Enzo-themed soccer chant at its reveal. My favorite chant of the match, however, was "Big Cass" substituted for the chorus of "Hey Jude," a masterful change-up if I've ever heard one. As far as the in-ring action, though, this was fairly standard, the faces getting in their signature stuff while the villains worked to slow down the pace and combat the good guys' energy and enthusiasm. The story of the match developed when Enzo injured his left arm/shoulder getting tossed to the outside, giving Dash and Dawson the advantage in the contest. Sadly, this was nothing at all like the bloodbath that Enzo and Cass heavily suggested the fans would get in their opening promo. The hot crowd certainly helped elevate what was really just an average match. (3/5)

After a brief video package highlighting the power of Nia Jax, we got our next bout - a bit of a grudge match between Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin. Corbin has been smartly positioned as NXT's "anti-indie" guy, the symbolic stand-in for all the NXT fans despise: unpolished workers with no "cred," no amateur background, no resume, but "the right look." For example, after pushing Crews hard to outside and seemingly injuring his knee, Corbin shouted down to him, "You should've stayed in Ring of Honor!" - the kind of taunt only a fraction of the general audience would understand but that the NXT faithful went crazy for. Aside from that, Corbin didn't do much in this match to prove his critics wrong, but he also didn't give them more arrows to load in their harpoon guns, doing everything he needed to in this match but nothing more. Crews did the heavy lifting in the form of big bumps and dazzling offense, but Corbin is undeniably good in his role as a true heel that fans do not have any desire to cheer. Compare that to heels like Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, and Bray Wyatt and its easy to see the difference and how their fan reactions tend to hurt their matches more than help them. The product is just so much more digestible when one can get lost in the morality play of good vs. evil and actually cheer for the hero to overcome the villain. Again, the crowd's passion seemed to elevate this one just a touch above how it would've come across in a milder setting. (2.5/5)

Post-match we get a video about Sami Zayn and, in a very cool moment, a tease of a potential feud brewing between Nia Jax and Asuka. That should be awesome.

Bayley vs. Nia Jax was next, prefaced with a cool video package about the rise of Bayley and her struggle to retain the NXT Women's Championship. Nia Jax dominated most of this one, which was exactly the right story to tell considering her size advantage. Bayley's selling was excellent throughout, the kind of work that makes it understandable that people would credit her more than any other performer for being the best underdog babyface since Daniel Bryan. At times, this one reminded me of a Sting/Vader classic, which is why I was a bit disappointed with the definitive finish, one that, in my mind, might make a rematch a tough sell aside from the fact that it will, if this one any indication of the potential in their rivalry, give us another awesome match. Very strong match, that I found to be just a hair below the opener. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe for Balor's NXT Championship. Despite this show taking place near Balor's home country, Samoa Joe had a sizable portion of the fanbase rooting him on. In the early going, Balor had control over his larger opponent, knocking him into the steps with a big dropkick. Joe would take the upperhand moments later, catching Balor with some big jabs before bombarding him with a splash into the corner and a pele kick (moving around the ring with more shades of Joe 04'-05' than he has since joining NXT this year). An inverted atomic drop from Joe led to a mafia kick (extra credit to Corey Graves noting that this was straight out of Masa Chono's handbook), but Balor would not stay down until Joe connected with a huge flying shoulder through the middle rope to the outside. Unfortunately for Joe, by the time he got Balor back in the ring, the Demon was able to muster enough strength to kick out, inspiring the Samoan Submission Machine to display one of his signature sequences - a powerbomb into a boston crab into a crossface (it was sweet). Able to buy himself some time after reaching the ropes and hitting Joe with a tornado DDT, Balor got some offense in of his own - an enziguiri to Joe on the top rope, a slingblade, a reversal of Joe's musclebuster finish, and a pele kick that brought both guys to the mat. At this point the match went into its final act, with Joe trying his best to lock in his Kokita Clutch but Balor using every trick he could (including a double stomp in the center of the ring) to hold onto his title. A second slingblade and three big dropkicks into the corner gave Balor his first opportunity to land his finish, but Joe had other plans - a musclebuster from the top rope that would've guaranteed him victory. With his last bit of strength, Balor countered and forced Joe back to the mat, where he connected with his Coup De Gras finish to end the match. Very good main event bout that proved that Joe, against the right opponent, in the right setting, can be a huge deal and that the sky is the limit for Balor right now as his selling and comebacks really made this match captivating. (4/5)

With an average rating of 3.4-out-of-5, NXT Takeover: London was yet another home run for the WWE's "minor leagues." With a runtime more comparable to a Clash of the Champions than a typical Network Special, the show benefits from a lean presentation and an incredibly hot crowd. From top to bottom, the performers did what they needed to do to get each match over - but the overall show suffered from a tough of being irrelevant. There were no title changes. There were no surprises returns or post-match shenanigans. The Nia Jax/Asuka staredown, a very cool moment, loses a bit of its luster now that Nia Jax is no longer an undefeated monster. Unlike shows of this past, this one did not present a Number One Contender's Match to signal who would be Balor's next opponent (though, one could argue that Sami Zayn is more than deserving of that spot). Unlike the past two shows, charged with emotion due to the Bayley/Sasha Banks storyline, this show came off as a bit a return to NXT's "roots" as not an alternative or competitor to the WWE, but as a place to see its future, where the storylines are kept purposefully uncomplicated in order to showcase the in-ring skills more than the writers' lofty concepts. If this is their goal, NXT Takeover: London hit the target. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It All

My Favorite Network Matches of 2015

I'm not going to lie and say I've been the most faithful WWE viewer this year, but I've certainly spent more hours enjoying The Network than a 31 year old man should admit. Since subscribing in the spring of 2014, I've chronicled my journey through the highs and lows of some of WWE and WCW's history on this very blog, while also reviewing the current product. Here's a list of my favorite matches from the Network this year...

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
* Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns vs. Dean Ambrose (Payback 2015) - Considerably better than it could've been. Proof that there's still money in the Shield concept.

* Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte vs. Bayley (NXT Rrival) - An awesome, genre-defining "coming out party" for the NXT's women's division.

* Goldust vs. Stardust (FastLane 2015) - Hated by most, beloved by me. This is what a match between two siblings, one reluctant and the other unhinged, should be. Extra consideration for the backstage segments/production work around the match.

10. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn (NXT Arrival) - A flawless mix of an actual wrestling match with an old school wrestling angle. Reminiscent of top shelf (and ultra violent) NWA storytelling. 

9. PrimeTime Players vs. Los Matadores vs. Lucha Dragons vs. New Day vs. Kidd and Cesaro vs. The Ascension (Elimination Chamber 2015) - Many will point to the New Day/Lucha Dragons/Usos match from December's TLC show as the best tag opener of the year, but I'm going to stick up for this underappreciated and thoroughly entertaining hidden gem. A spotlight match for everyone involved - which is no small feat when you consider there were 12 guys involved.  

8. Kevin Owens vs. Finn Balor (NXT Takeover Brooklyn) - In a year featuring no less than a half-dozen matches incorporating ladders, Owens and Balor delivered the year's best spot fest. 

7. Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch (NXT Unstoppable) - In a year of stellar performances by Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, and Finn Balor (not to mention Brock Lesnar and John Cena), this is the match that started the argument that Sasha Banks was 2015's most consistently awesome performer and the best heel in the entire WWE. 

6. Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns (TLC 2015) - Despite huge bouts against Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan, and Bray Wyatt this year (not to mention winning the Royal Rumble), this was the character-defining match that Roman Reigns needed in 2015.

5. Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns (FastLane 2015) - Sadly, this one may go down as Daniel Bryan's last great match in the WWE. The fact that he went out putting over the next big star when his own run in that position was cut short only adds more gravitas to rewatches. 

4. The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar (Hell in a Cell 2015) - An incredibly violent contest that probably pissed off Vince McMahon, but successfully gave the rest of the world a brief trip back to the Ruthess Aggression era.

3. Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns (WrestleMania XXXI) - Many will have this as their Match of the Year, but I was slightly less enthused. Simillarities to the unforgettable Cena/Lesnar match from SummerSlam 2014 and a finish that denied fans a real victor keep this one a notch below the greatness of my top 2 picks.

2. John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar vs. Seth Rollins (Royal Rumble 2015) - On his show, which has become the quintessential wrestling podcast, Steve Austin called this "the best triple threat match [he's] ever seen." While there may be some hyperbole in that statement, last January, few weren't arguing the opposing side. 

1. Bayley vs. Sasha Banks (NXT Takeover Brooklyn) - This match may not be flawless, but it packs an emotional wallop that no other bout this year came close to matching. Impeccable production, unbelievable atmosphere, remarkable characters competing in a match of consequence, and the added bonus of this match symbolizing the landscape-altering work of the young women in the WWE's developmental system - this wasn't just the best match of 2015, it was the most historically significant.

WWE TLC 2015

WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2015 - December 2015

Boston, Massachusetts

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, the WWE World Championship was held by "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus, the Divas Champion was Charlotte, the Intercontinental Champion was Kevin Owens, the United States Champion was Alberto Del Rio, and The New Day held the WWE Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole, JBL, and Jerry "The King" Lawler

The 2015 TLC event kicked off with The New Day defending their WWE World Tag Team Championships against Kalisto and Sin Cara, otherwise known as The Lucha Dragons, and Jimmy and Jay, The Usos. New Day came out first, cutting a solid promo, before Xavier Woods joined Cole, Lawler, and JBL at the commentary desk. From the early minutes, all 6 of the match's participants brought the goods - this was easily the best WWE tag team match in months, full of fun and inventive spots, including a star-marking and absolutely ludicrous sarita del sol (I think thats what they called it) from atop one ladder and through another by Kalisto. Extra points awarded for Big E benchpressing a ladder with both Lucha Dragons on it and Woods correcting Michael Cole on commentary for confusing two luchadores. The Usos were noticeably the least over of the three teams, which is surprising considering how hot they seemed in 2014. Like their cousin The Rock, maybe the fans have tired of their one-note, smile-a-mile-wide Samoan blue chippers gimmick? I wouldn't be surprised to see this one on many WWE fans' top 10 list of the year. (4/5)

Any match that followed was sure to be a letdown, so its not too surprising that Rusev and Ryback's match drew mostly crickets. The "aura" that Rusev had 7 months ago might as well have been 7 years ago because it is seriously depleted at this point. Ditto for Lana's popularity. Ryback has suffered so many big PPV losses over the past few months that its not surprising the crowds are getting behind him less and less. Personally, I think he did a nice job of helping set up Wyatt and Owens for bigger and better things this year - but having that "Kane spot"/gatekeeper role seems like a waste of a guy who, at one time, seemed poised for a bit of a push up the ladder. This was an average match that suffered from featuring two cold workers and a cold manager more than anything either guy did or didn't do in the ring. (2/5)

I was  only slightly more impressed by the next bout, Alberto Del Rio defending his United States Championship against Jack Swagger in a Chairs match. The match started a bit slow, but got better as it went on, Del Rio doing a nice enough job getting heat to have the crowd fully behind Swagger by the end. Unfortunately, the finishing sequence featured one of my least favorite spots of modern pro-wrestling, the blatantly unnatural stomp in the corner from the top on a wrestler who is unnecessarily pulling himself up and positioning himself to take the maneuver instead of fighting away from it. I read one review that called this "the best Chairs match in WWE history" and while I can't think of a better example off the top of my head, it still seems like a backhanded compliment to me. Passable, but hardly worth a second watch. (2.5/5)

Say what you will about their combined age or about how many times the WWE has dug up the bones of ECW for cheap pops, the next contest delivered what the previous two didn't - fun and energy. The Dudleys, Tommy Dreamer, and Rhyno took on The Wyatt Family (fearless leader Bray Wyatt and his apostles, Luke Harper, Braun Strowman, and Erick Rowan) in an Elimination Tables match. Seconds after the bell rang, weapons came out in the form of cans and canes and "the shit was on." The weakest link of the match was Strowman, though the veterans tried their best to make him look like an absolute monster. Like the opener, there were a number of cool moments - Harper's Michinoku Driver, a great elimination sequence for Rhyno that saw his Gore get trumped by a Bray Wyatt crossbody (followed by a spot-on Luke Harper big boot through a table), Bubba caning his way out of a Sister Abigail - but there were also some slip-ups (both involving Strowman, to be sure). The fire tease at the end was a bit of unexpected "trolling" of the fans - but they might've deserved it for chanting "We Want Tables" in a match that featured 5 table spots and a bevy of big bumps. While I think they surpassed the bar they set here the following night, this was probably the funnest match we've gotten out of the Dudleys since their return some months back. (3/5)

Kevin Owens made his way down the aisle next, cutting a cocky heel promo about how he would retain his Intercontinental Championship tonight in his match against Dean Ambrose. I noted how much I liked these two guys' chemistry at last month's Survivor Series show and was not disappointed by their outing here, though I do think it needed 3-4 minutes to really get it over as an epic clash. While he hasn't been busting out as many never-before-seen maneuevers, Owens still wows with me the intensity and snap of his offense. In this one we saw him connect with a nasty clothesline to a seated Ambrose and, moments later, a fallaway slam into the barricade that looked awesome. Later, Owens draped one finger over the bottom rope after Ambrose hit him with the Dirty Deeds and earned a huge reaction for it. Actually, the most glaring flaw I saw in this presentation was coming from the commentators who inexplicably spent much of the match building on the idea that Ambrose would make a terrible ambassador for the WWE because he isn't handsome (like Owens is?) and is too unpredictable (again, when has notorious sore loser Owens been booked as clearheaded?). While this might have been a fine speaking point for a WWE Championship match, when's the last time the IC Champion was even on a national talk show? This match didn't "steal the show," but it proved that stipulation matches on a show full of stipulation matches can bleed into eachother and end up creating something less than memorable, while a well-executed albeit brief "straight up" match can shine in through its simple layout. (3.5/5)

Paige challenged Charlotte for her Divas Championship next. I've been a pretty vocal critic of Paige in the past, criticizing her incessant shrieking and uneven character development (which is more than partially the fault of the bookers/Creative team), but somehow this one worked for me. Despite being a heel/heel match, the action didn't get confused and neither girl "lightened up" or went for any sympathy. I wouldn't say Charlotte looked more natural in this match than in previous bouts on the Network, but I also think she's still a bit "green" and would come off that way in any spot on the card. Charlotte made all sorts of homages to her legendary father, but her doing the "Flair Flop" was a bit too much when begging off, going for frequent "powders," and pulling down the pad before dropping a knee got the point across just fine. On the more physical side of things, Charlotte hit Paige with a seated DDT that look absolutely vicious. I also liked the post-match promo afterwards, setting her up for a feud with Becky Lynch that will give her the benefit of working against a clear babyface instead of "tweeners-at-best" like Nikki Bella and Paige. Solid match. (3/5)

Main event time - Sheamus defending the WWE World Championship against Roman Reigns in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. I'll be the first to admit that I headed into this match without the highest of expectations. I'm not a big Reigns fan and I'm even less of a Sheamus fan (in fact, some of the internet love for the guy in 2012-2013 irked me a bit because, to me, as good as he may have been in his SmackDown workhorse days, the character wasn't interesting). On this night, though, like the fans in Boston, these two made a believer out of me. The match began with near-deafening chants of "We Want Cena," but Sheamus and Reigns stuck to their game plan and hit each other with stiff shot after stiff shot (many with chairs in hands). The first big spot came when Reigns back body dropped Sheamus over the barricade and Sheamus, an absolute pro, took it without hesitation or any attempt at protecting himself. Despite continuing chants of "Seth Rollins," "Daniel Bryan," and "NXT," Reigns and Sheamus stubbornly stuck to a slow, methodical pace, allowing each big change in momentum time to breathe. As the match wore on, the fans' ire weakened, especially after they witnessed Reigns toss Sheamus through a huge display of ladders and chairs, the Celtic Warrior hit a "Holy Shit!"-inducing White Noise through a table, and Reigns return the favor minutes later with a nasty-looking Samoan Drop through a ladder. While none of these spots were as jaw-dropping as Kalisto's spotlight maneuver in the opener, they mattered more because the characters mattered more. When Reigns hit Sheamus with a Superman Punch at the top of the ladder (causing Sheamus to fall through a nearby table), the crowd was fully behind him for the first time in...well...ever. The run-in by the League of Nations (as well as Sheamus' Brogue Kick in the closing minute) got great heel heat, further proving that these fans weren't just begrudgingly accepting Reigns, they were pissed off at watching him get screwed after what he had been put through (and what he had impressively put Sheamus through). This match proves that if you hit hard, don't cut any corners, and sacrifice, fans will respond to it. Sheamus and Reigns worked their asses off and it was almost heartwarming to see them flip a crowd from indifferent to 100% engaged. While I wouldn't call this a Match of the Year candidate, I wouldn't be surprised to see it land on a few people's shortlists. (4/5)

...But the show was not over! With the fans finally supporting him, Reigns let loose with the rage, refusing to leave the arena until he had extracted a bit of revenge on his opponent via some stiff chair shots. This led to Stephanie McMahon and Triple H making their way down the aisle, trying their best to "rein in" the ex-Shield member. Triple H seemed to have him under control for about a half-second, but anyone could see where this was heading. Reigns' beatdown on Triple H was vicious and weirdly cathartic, Reigns' serving as the embodiment of all the fan frustration of the past few months (if not years). The little things here really made this segment come of as special, including the table not breaking when Reigns tried to powerbomb The Game through it (making it look even more vicious), Stephanie's constant screaming, the "I Can't Believe It's Not Over" spear, and, most of all, the "Thank You Roman" chant that not a single fan in that arena, when the night began, would've have wanted to have pass through their lips. Compelling stuff that made the next night's RAW a must-see show after at least half a year of that not being the case. (+1)

With a highly respectable 3.29-out-of-5 entertainment level score (or whatever you want to call it), TLC 2015 was the best WWE Network show in several months (possibly since WrestleMania). As Steve Austin stated on his podcast this week, every performer on the show worked hard, brought the goods, and, generally speaking, things "clicked." In fact, he might have liked the show even more than I did, giving it a notable A grade on the report card. The worst match of the show, Ryback/Rusev, was far from a trainwreck and, arguably, "bland by design" to give the show requisite peaks and valleys. The Tag Team Titles match and 4-on-4 Tables elimination match exceeded expectations, while Charlotte/Paige and Ambrose/Owens simply lived up to them and, in the case of the latter, would've surpassed them if given a few more minutes of airtime. Most importantly, though, the main event delivered everything it needed to and then some. While I wouldn't call the entire show a "must watch" production, the bouts that bookended were two of the best we've seen this calendar year.


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

WCW Clash of the Champions XXXIV

WCW Clash of the Champions XXXIV - January 1997

Milkwaukee, Wisconsin

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is the WCW World Champion, Ultimo Dragon is the Cruiserweight Champion, The Outsiders are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, Steven Regal is the Television Champion (but doesn't defend it here, which seems like a crime at a Clash show), Eddie Guerrero is the recognized United States Champion (though Syxx holds the title), and Akira Hokuto is the Women's Champion.

COMMENTARY: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Dusty Rhodes

In a rematch from Starrcade 96', tonight's show starts with Dean Malenko challenging Ultimo Dragon for his WCW Cruiserweight Championship. Unlike their Starrcade match, which I felt relied a bit too heavily on overtly-choreographed sequences, this one is considerably more straightforward. The crowd is also noticeably more amped for things, especially when Malenko dishes out some suplexes. Its tough to say whether the commercial break in the opening minutes helps or hurts this one - what did we miss? If it was restholds and stalling, this much is better without it because, when the cameras are rolling, there's barely a moment of downtime. While better selling out of Dragon would've helped this one tremendously (Malenko works his legs so effectively it is a shame Dragon doesn't bother to pretend they hurt during his comeback), the urgency and intensity of the match is a step up from what they did in December. A very solid finish wraps up things well. Dave Meltzer gave this an even more glowing review at the time for what its worth. (3.5/5)

"Rough and Ready" Mike Enos takes on Scotty Riggs in the next match, a somewhat perplexing 3 minutes of action. Enos dominates until Riggs connects with a flying forearm, somehow incapacitating his opponent with a maneuver that shouldn't even get a 2 count. Considering that Riggs is the one with the big PPV match a few days later, he really should've come out of this one looking much more competent. Oh, WCW, you really gave no shits at times. (0/5)

The Four Horsemen, sans Ric Flair, arrive to share some thoughts with "Mean" Gene. Chris Benoit gets a load of time and does a decent job of it, but its Mongo McMichael who gets the biggest reactions, likely due to his NFL career and the Packers/Bears rivalry more than anything. Not a great segment. (2/5)

Konnan, Mr. JL, and La Parka (replacing Psychosis) make their way down the aisle for their match-up against Chris Jericho (replacing Juventud Guerrera), Chavo Guerrero, and Super Calo. Mike Tenay is back on commentary for this one, noting that this match is going to offer WCW its first glimpse into a more traditional luche libre style match (or trios match). Konnan is noticeably the least fluid worker of the bunch, with La Parka and Chris Jericho's segment maybe being the best sequence of the match. Speaking of La Parka, there's a spot in this match that looks so horrendous, it almost makes it a "must see" moment - Konnan hoisting Chavo onto his shoulders and La Parka attempting to connect him with a moonsault, but instead, knocking both guys over and landing on the top of his head. From here we get all sorts of splashes and planchas to the outside, each guy getting an opportunity to shine, including Jericho, who hits an absolutely awesome super frankensteiner. In my viewing journey through WCW's pay-per-views and Clashes dating back to the early 90s, I'm not sure there is more than one or two matches that are remotely comparable to the insanity of this one. Really fun match. (4/5)

Harlem Heat are taking on Joe Gomez and The Renegade next. This is as one-sided as one would expect, Stevie Ray working extra stiff to make that point clear for some reason. Nothing to see here, move along. (0/5)

After some words from Lee Marshall, Masahiro Chono takes on Alex Wright. Nick Patrick serves as referee for this one, sporting an nWo shirt instead of the more traditional black-and-white stripes. Wright tries his best to get the crowd behind him, but they seem disinterested in cheering him or his opponent. Patrick's purposely bad ref work is annoying, which is kind of the point, but in the context of such a tedious, meaningless match between two guys that the audience doesn't care about, it only serves to make Masahiro Chono look like a jobber and Wright like an idiot. The finish doesn't even make sense - why not just disqualify Wright? (1/5)

Big Boys Shopping Network time! Lex Luger's holding of some jobber in the rack is worth a bonus point. (+1)

Scott Norton vs. Eddie Guerrero (with Nick Patrick still serving as ref) is our next contest. More of a storyline-furthering angle than a real back-and-forth match, this one is still a fun watch. Norton's power offense may have never looked more impressive than it does here, hitting Guerrero with some devastating slams and a wicked powerbomb. Just when it seems Guerrero's chances are hopeless, though, a crowd-pleasing run-in occurs that is extra heartwarming when you consider the history between Guerrero and the man who comes to his aide. Solid segment. (2.5/5)

The Giant cuts a bizarre promo standing in front of the same backdrop used on that first Phil Seymour record. The Giant's delivery is good, but the lines he's spewing seem a bit strange and out of character, almost like they'd make more sense in a Raven promo.

In yet another gimmick match between these two longtime rivals, Kevin Sullivan takes on Chris Benoit in a Falls Count Anywhere contest. By this point in their feud, WCW had made it perfectly clear that their personal issue was a "domestic dispute" with Woman in the middle. These two don't even bother starting off in the ring, heading into the stands the second the bell rings, and going right into the men's room. Jimmy Hart gets struck by a trash can early on in a spot I'm not sure was intended before Sullivan tosses Benoit down a flight of concrete steps. Bobby Eaton and Doug Dillinger try their best to keep the fans from getting involved, but there are moments when it seems like these two are going to get eaten alive by a swarm of cheeseheads. The symbolic finish wraps this one up too quickly for this to be considered any sort of classic, but as far as a TV match goes, there's not a dull moment at any point of this one (even the post-match is pretty killer, no pun intended). (3/5)

The Amazing French Canadians make their way down the aisle for their contest with the returning Steiner Brothers, who are set to challenge The Outsiders in less than a week at the upcoming Souled Out PPV. The Canadians get at least a few minutes of offense in, but this one is all about the in-ring return of Scott Steiner, who looks incredibly dominate here. Nothing special at all, but it doesn't overstay its welcome, which is more than one can say about some of the Steiners' matches in 96'. Effective for what it is. (2/5)

The Wolfpack arrive for tonight's main event - Scott Hall vs. Lex Luger. Hall's chickenshit heel work in the nWo is so good it almost worked against him. The fact is, after the Outsiders run, where he played the bumper and Nash played the heavy, I'm not sure Hall ever got over as a legitimate singles guy the way he was in his Razor prime. Luger no sells Hall's initial offense but a clothesline from Big Sexy changes the tides. Lex was WCW's most respectable, credible hero at the time, younger and more physically imposing than Piper and far less mysterious than Sting or Savage, and the way he is presented as a threat to not only Hall but also his posse is perfect. While not a technical masterpiece or anything, the crowd is engaged, Hall's character work overshadows any of his sloppy mechanics, and Luger does the simple things well enough that it all works. Bonus half-point for Nash's spirited bumping and a post-match melee that effectively sets up Souled Out. (3/5)


With an overall entertainment rating of 2.20-out-of-5, Clash of the Champions XXXIV only works as a "time capsule" show - but even if that's the itch you're hoping to scratch, there are countless better options (like, say, the previous month's strong Starrcade show). There are sprinkles of excellence in here for the determined viewer (the opening contest and 6-man are well above average), but the low points are "ocean flooric." Joe Gomez is on the card and there's a Scotty Riggs/Mike Enos match, so what would one expect? Thanks to the work of the cruisers and short-but-sweet matches out of Benoit and Guerrero,  even with a score in the bottom 2s, this one isn't a total dud.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WWE King of the Ring 2002

King of the Ring 2002 - June 2002

Columbus, OH

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The Undertaker holds the WWE World Championship, Rob Van Dam is the recognized Intercontinental Champion, Bradshaw holds the Hardcore Championship, The Hurricane is the Smackdown-exclusive Cruiserweight Champion, Trish Stratus is the Womens' Champion, and William Regal holds the European Championship. Billy and Chuck are the WWE Tag Team Champions.

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler


Here is a match that tries desperately to be great, but missteps by defying its own logic - Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho in the first of tonight's three King of the Ring tournament matches. The first 15 minutes or so are excellent, with RVD and Jericho trading stiff, high impact offense. Unfortunately, the last few minutes resort to cheap "finisher spamming" and, even more egregious, an almost offensive decision to undermine the exposed turnbuckle trope, retroactively cheapening much of the match by nullifying the suspense around that element. In other words, if you're going to expose a turnbuckle in your match, drawing attention to it and building the last third of a match around it, that thing oughtta be respected as a "game-ender," not a tool for a transition spot. There are some other glaring flaws in the match (RVD's ability to go from overselling to a full health is more glaring here than in his other matches, Jericho outright positioning himself for the Frog Splash), but that's not to say this one is anything close to a dud. With a hot crowd, plenty of time to build drama, and the tremendous effort these two put in, the overall presentation works and one absolutely gets the sense that winning and losing matter, that the tournament is a big deal, and, most importantly, that Rob Van Dam will not be at 100% for the finals. (3.5/5)

The tournament continues with our next match - Brock Lesnar vs. Test. This might be one of the best "hidden classics" I've seen in months, an absolute stiff-as-a-board battle that proves Lesnar not only had plenty of "It," but had enough "It" to elevate Test into the best match of his entire career (or at least the only one I've seen that I'd strongly, strongly recommend to others). In my review of the previous month's Judgment Day, I mentioned that a 4-star match, to me, usually means that its worthy of a rewatch. By that standard, this counts...except for the unnecessary, gratuitous interference at the closing, which doesn't help protect Test anyway. The fact is, Lesnar (even pre-UFC world beater Lesnar) was enough of a monster to make his clean wins the opposite of embarrassing for the loser. In fact, Test overselling Heyman's interference takes away from the fact that he went toe-to-toe with the Beast and got some solid licks in. Fans of flawless execution and picture-perfect sequences will no doubt spot specific moments where these two seem to lose the plot, but because of how snugly this one is worked, these brief moments of confusion come across as literally two guys just trying to shake the cobwebs out of their believably zonked craniums. Absolutely great match that, with a more definitive finish, I'd have no problem giving 4 stars to. (3.5/5)

The Cruiserweight Championship is on the line next, with The Hurricane defending against Jamie Noble. This feud centered not around the title, but around the sneaky Nidia, Hurricane's "crazy ex-girlfriend," who had ended up with Noble, the King of the Trailer Park. Based on the pre-match video vignette, one would think this match would have a ton of heat, but the crowd is indifferent. A better-than-average third act elevates this one, but not to the point of being worth watching. (2/5)

Eddie Guerrero takes on Ric Flair in the next contest, a match that, interestingly enough, has a little bit to do with Steve Austin's departure from the company a few weeks prior. See, Guerrero was slated to compete against Austin at this show, but because the Rattlesnake "took his ball and went home," Latino Heat and the returning Chris Benoit blamed Ric Flair for keeping him from what would've been a spotlight, star-making match. This led to Guerrero and Benoit beating down the Nature Boy and, thus, this match. Guerrero and Flair wrestled loads of times in WCW, but typically with their roles reversed. Its fun to see Guerrero playing the dastardly heel here, though the vicious beat down he gives to Flair make Space Mountain's numerous comebacks a bit hard to swallow. Guerrero works on Flair's knee throughout, though, as the commentators wisely point out, his frustration leads to him getting sloppy and lazy, failing to maintain his attack at crucial times. As a huge Guerrero fan, its hard not to view this one with a bias or be a bit disappointed with the finish, which involves a run-in by a guy that, maybe in 2002 made sense, but in 2015 looks completely out of place as Flair's "savior." Fun to watch for fans of either guy, but inessential. (3/5)

The Women's Championship is on the line next, with Trish Stratus defending against Molly Holly. Anyone one thought shaming females for being a hair above weight started with Mickie James should revisit this feud, in which Holly was ostensibly a villain because of her "virginal ways" (as JR puts it). The Columbus crowd chants "She's A Fat Ass," forgetting that Holly, even when "dressing down" as she is here, is probably still at least a fairly hot "Ohio 8." A "We Want Puppies" chants is quieted by Stratus and Holly actually attempting a wrestling match, one featuring at least a handful of solid sequences and spots, including a viciously stiff dropkick from Holly and Stratus delivering a half-dozen chest chops that would make Ric Flair proud. A mistiming towards the end followed by a questionable, sloppy ref count hurts this one even more than the lame audience, but it is still somewhat commendable how much they tried to load into this sub-5 minute match. (1.5/5)

Kurt Angle is in the back, wig tucked under his headgear. Angle makes a corny joke about Hulk Hogan tapping "faster than Bojangles on speed" and being the WWE's only real American hero. Not his best work.

A video package chronicling the Hogan/Angle feud is next. What is really interesting here is that the feud started because Hogan wanted to retire, but Vince McMahon would not allow him to. This led to Hogan stating that, since he'd already held the Undisputed World Championship, the only accomplishment he had yet to achieve was kicking Vince's ass in the ring. Why's that interesting? Because its pretty rare an angle from June ends with a pay-off the following April (Hogan and Vince would square off at 2003's WrestleMania 19 event).

Everything about the next match seems to occur in opposites. The Hulkster makes a tremendous entrance, leading to an absolutely phenomenal pop, while Kurt Angle comes out to a deafening chorus of "You Suck" chants. The crowd is hot and Hogan takes more bumps here than in any match I've seen him wrestle from this era in his career, but, for whatever reason, the match resolves just as it is peaking, ending where a "false finish" should be. Don't be mistaken - the result was the right one - but considering how "game" Hogan looks here, it sure seems like this match could've went an additional 2-3 minutes and gone down as one of the Hulkster's last great contests. While I wouldn't call this match average (Hogan is too over, the crowd is too enthralled, and the action is too well-paced for that), the unfortunately sudden ending keeps it from hitting much higher than one notch above. (3/5)

Goldust, Booker T, and Rock sketch in the back. Pretty funny stuff featuring three over characters. I'm not sure we could even get that many on the screen at one time in December 2015.

The King of the Ring Finals are next - Brock Lesnar vs. Rob Van Dam. In a move I'm not sure they did every year prior (and certainly not every year since), the winner of this particular finals will be receiving a World Championship match at SummerSlam. I was pretty disappointed by this as it featured considerably less back-and-forth than Lesnar's bout with Test earlier and incorporated very little-to-none of the storyline back damage that Rob Van Dam suffered at the hands of Chris Jericho in the opening contest. The crowd was hot for it and the action we do get was good, but this was just too underwhelming to deserve any sort of recommendation. (1.5/5)

Backstage, the nWo - Kevin Nash, Big Show, Sean Waltman, and Shawn Michaels - give Triple H their best wishes in his main event title match against The Undertaker, which is next. Paul Heyman joins Lawler and JR on commentary and goes out of his way to put both guys over, wisely building up his own client Brock Lesnar in the process by making sure the audience knows that, at SummerSlam, Lesnar will not just be beating some tomato can - he'll be beating one of the greatest champions ever (no matter who wins). I thoroughly enjoyed Taker and HHH's match at WrestleMania XVII, but this one doesn't offer anything new (or as epic as the aforementioned gem). That's not to say these two don't work hard pulling out all the stops to try to get the crowd involved, including some fairly atypical bumps from the Deadman and a double ref bump. Still, the crowd doesn't erupt until The Rock shows up to confront Paul Heyman, who had been running his mouth about how Lesnar had chased the Great One out of the arena. Once Rock takes a seat at the commentary table, though, the crowd's excitement is momentarily deflated as they demand The Brahma Bull to play a more immediate role in the in-ring action. Fortunately for the live audience, he does in fact make his presence felt a few minutes later, earning a loud "Rocky" chant in the process and thoroughly outshining any of the mild babyface reaction Triple H had received. The final minutes are drawn out to the point that one is tempted to reach for the remote, though I'd suggest to stick around - the pinfall that ends this is one of the heeliest heel moves I can recall, the kind of thing that would still work in today's landscape if it was employed by the right crafty ne'er-do-well. The post-match shenanigans are almost comically overbooked and unnecessary. Nothing very special, but not a total bore. (2.5/5)

With an entertainment rating of 2.56-out-of-5, King of the Ring 2002 isn't the worst show I've seen this year, but is far from the best. Things start off promisingly enough with RVD/Jericho and Test/Lesnar delivering the goods. Guerrero/Flair isn't too shabby either, nor is Hogan/Angle. What hurts this show is how tedious the main event is, an Attitude Era "paint-by-numbers" match that the crowd doesn't seem to care about until The Rock shows up in the final third of the match. Lesnar/Van Dam, somewhat of a "dream match" on paper, is a total letdown, especially considering what both men accomplished in their earlier match of the night. Everything else on the show is almost instantly forgettable.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever