WCW Clash of the Champions VI

WCW Clash of the Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun

New Orleans, Louisiana - April 1989

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Ricky Steamboat holds the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Lex Luger is the United States Champion, Sting holds the TV Title, and the Road Warriors hold the NWA World Tag Team Championships (though, surprising as it may sound, they'd lose the straps on this show in an untelevised match). Rick Steiner and Eddie Gilbert hold the United States Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Michael "P.S" Hayes

Before the show, we're treated to a very brief video showing how Ricky Steamboat became the NWA World Champion in February. Some more clips are aired and the national anthem plays while a very poor lighting/firework show happens. Commercial break.

The Samoan SWAT Team vs. The Midnight Express open the show in a lengthy contest. The SWAT Team consisted of Samu and Fatu (the future Rikishi) and were a heel group managed by Paul E. Dangerously, who was engaged in a war with the babyface Midnight Express and their manager, Jim Cornette. The most notable thing about this match might be its running time, the match running 20 minutes but feeling like it might be twice as long. Now, that's not to say all the work is terrible - at times, it's quite good - but without a stronger finish, it is hard to recommend to fans coming into the match cold (as I was). (2.5/5)

Ridiculously sick intro for The Great Muta and his manager Gary Hart. Less impressive is his opponent, Steven Casey, who looks like he stepped out of a misfunctioning Lex Luger Cloning Machine. Very cool match with The Great Muta doing an outstanding job of both defining his character and making even somewhat ordinary moves (by today's standards, for sure) pop off the screen thanks to little twists, spooky facial expressions, and body language. Jim Ross's commentary is effective, but even with the commentary turned off (which one might recommend for some of this show, based on Hayes' work), Muta is amazing, his "death-defying style" drawing huge reactions, but his subtle character embellishments being what made him a star. As an overall presentation, its better than just calling it a "predictable squash." (3/5)

The Junkyard Dog makes a big entrance to the ring, played out with a loud marching jazz band with the crowd's excitement adding even more noise. His opponent, Butch Reed, is accompanied by the more mild-mannered Hiro Matsuda. Like most of the JYD matches I've seen, the "wrestling" is not a selling point. Junkyard Dog's offense is about basic as it gets (though, his selling might be underrated by some), but he knew how to get mileage out of it, even against a guy like Butch Reed, who is solid here (maybe even slightly better than solid) but certainly not adding enough to make this a classic. (2/5)

Though Jim Ross said the next match would feature Bob Orton and Dick Murdoch, after a commercial break we get Kevin Sullivan and "Dangerous" Danny Spivey taking on the United States Tag Team Champions, "The First Family" of Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner. Spivey has impressive size, but he's not very smooth here, benefitting tremendously from the spirited selling of Hot Stuff. Rick Steiner comes in for the hot tag and slams Spivey around the ring, the crowd barking along. The finish and post-match lets us know this feud ain't over. Not very good. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Fortunately, Terry Funk has joined the commentary team, replacing the grating Michael Hayes. Modern fans may get a little bored with this, especially if they're expecting the same workrate and high spots that we get from guys like Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens in 2016, but this is a match that pays off your patience and has a much more genuine feel than what the WWE presents today, where a guy like Dolph Ziggler is happier knowing he "stole the show" above actually winning. Flair and Steamboat are trying to beat each other and they know there are no shortcuts to doing so based on their history. The first fall is all about wearing your opponent down and they unload a bevy of stiff chops to each other. Steamboat gets in some respectable suplexes and focuses on wearing down his challenger with headlocks, but knows that he needs to raise the stakes during the second fall. The urgency and viciousness grows exponentially after the first round - this is storytelling, with Steamboat eventually locking in Flair's own finisher, the figure four leglock and, when that doesn't work, transitioning right into a Boston Crab. If the first fall is a bit longwinded and repetitive (even maybe boring at times), the second fall is the exact opposite - every single move, facial expression, near fall is heated and purposeful. After hitting a superplex, Steamboat goes after Flair's injured back, the Champion willing to do whatever it takes, including targeting Flair's historically weakened back (JR plays this up on commentary by mentioning Naitch's plane crash in 1975) to hold onto his title. Minutes later, Flair is able to lock in a figure four, but Steamboat reaches the ropes and the match continues into its final act, both competitors stubbornly refusing to quit. In terms of psychology, there are some moments that defy logic (a complaint that could be lodged against many Flair matches when you consider his signature flops and tendency to go to the top rope despite never hitting a move from there), but the frenetic energy both guys show in the final minutes makes perfect sense if you factor in the adrenaline of knowing they are one fall away from becoming or remaining the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The desperation is not only painted on their faces, it is driving their every move. Flair locks in a figure four, but Steamboat won't quit, screaming in agony and trading knife-edged slaps in resistance. Minutes later, Steamboat's legs give out on him and it appears the Champion is out of gas, but miraculously he stays alive, selling the damage to his knees all the while. A huge splash from the top gets 2 and nine-tenths, the crowd erupting in shock. Needing to create space between them, Flair tosses Steamboat to the outside, but nearly ends up victim of a sunset flip from the outside. Running out of options, Flair locks in a sleeper hold that Steamboat somehow survives with tremendous heroic effort, eventually using his momentum to ram Flair face first into the corner. Flair looks like he's prepping for another figure four, but Steamboat hits a heel kick at the 50-minute mark, the war raging on as Funk calls this the "match of the year." The Dragon's selling in these closing minutes (and JR's selling of it on commentary) is spectacular, his comeback so dramatic that Flair's cut-offs feel like he's kicking the audience in its groin. With the clock winding down, we get a clever finish that can be contested on multiple levels (ensuring yet another rematch at the next month's WrestleWar 89' pay-per-view). (4.5/5)


With a Kwang score of 2.7-out-of-5, the 6th Clash of the Champions is not an "all-time great" show, but its also hard to call it a dud or even a "high risk" watch when you know that, at the very least, you're in store for a captivating appearance by the then-relatively unknown Great Muta and a match that is consistently considered one of the greatest bouts in the history of televised wrestling. I didn't go all the way and give Steamboat/Flair the full 5 stars, but only because there are some slight logic problems and the finish, while very clever from a storytelling perspective, is hardly definitive. The fun, though, is watching this show and then diving right into WrestleWar 89', where Flair and Steamboat, just a month or so after this tremendous war, will have to lock up again to finally resolve their issue.

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

WWE No Way Out 2003

WWE No Way Out 2003

Montreal, Canada - February 2003

With the sound Evanescence's "Wake Me Up Inside" booming out of my TV's speakers - WWE No Way Out 2003 kicks off. My god this song. 2003 seems so long ago and yet this song remains almost just as inescapable today as it was back then (or it just feels that way because the horribleness of this tune has been ringing in my ears like white noise for 13 years). Maybe THE absolute worst "heavy metal" or "alternative rock" song ever and I'm not forgetting Jackyl or Nickelback or Puddle of Mudd. Still, a bonus point just for, in the span of a half second, contextualizing the ENTIRE promotion and what it stood for in February 2003. Even with a card this good on paper, I'm preparing myself for the worst here thanks to this song. (+1)

Our commentators tonight are Jerry Lawler and Jonathan Coachman, The Coach replacing Jim Ross, who had suffered a (storyline, I think) concussion on RAW a week prior. Coach is one of my least favorite commentators and, even as early as 03', Lawler was well beyond being a reliable "heel" color guy, his major function being to make crude remarks about whatever female was last seen on the screen.

Jeff Hardy takes on Chris Jericho in the night's opening contest, a far better match than I was necessarily expected. Jericho takes a great bump over the post and Hardy hits a corkscrew somersault off that ropes that's equally awesome. The Montreal crowd is pretty firmly in Jericho's corner, but Hardy has his fans and the Rainbow Warrior's sympathetic daredevil style is impossible to boo. We get a number of Walls of Jericho teases and spread throughout the match are high-impact, high risk spots (a huge hip toss off the top rope, a super vicious dropkick in the corner) and the kind of signature moves that the crowd adores and bites on hard (Hardy's Whisper in the Wind). A sloppy powerbomb from the top rope and the fact that, with his feud with Shawn Michaels obviously building towards a WrestleMania showdown, the winner was well-known ahead of the actual finish keep this match from being a real classic, but it is certainly not far from it. A match that, put on exactly the same way today, would probably garner some deserved "This is Awesome" chants. I actually prefer that one can enjoy the match without that unnecessary crowd validation. (3.5/5)

Kane and Rob Van Dam team up to challenge Storm and Regal for the WWE World Tag Team Championships in the next bout. Lawler and Coach play up the "odd couple" factor of Kane and Van Dam while RVD and Storm go through an incredibly athletic sequence in the ring. Regal comes in, after some exchanges with Van Dam, takes an awkward powerslam from Kane that seems like it may have concussed him. Storm comes in and gets press slammed for his troubles, the Big Red Machine dominating while Regal tries to regain his composure on the outside. The babyfaces get a ton more offense in before Storm is finally able to cut Van Dam off, tossing him from the top rope where he was preparng to hit his Frog Splash. Cutting the ring in half, the heels inflict some punishment, building towards a hot tag for Kane. There's a faint "We Want Regal" chant that breaks out, soon hushed by the more audible support for Van Dam playing face-in-peril. Kane comes in and obliterates, but Lance Storm cleverly blinds him with his own mask, leading to an unexpected twist finish. A slightly-above average bout with a cool ending. (3/5)

The Cruiserweight Championship Title match follows - Billy Kidman defending the strap against Matt Hardy (in his Version 1.0 gimmick). The story coming into this match was that Hardy worked frantically to lose weight in order to challenge for the title, the commentators doubting that he'll maintain that weight (and questioning whether, even in this match, he has sufficiently kept the weight off since a weigh-in on SmackDown). Weight issues aside, Kidman and Hardy have strong chemistry together, both working up to their reputations as solid technically-proficient workers (if not the most exciting to watch). Hardy controls a majority of the match, though Kidman does get in some good-looking offense himself (an on-point dropkick to the jaw, a plancha to the outside, some nice reversals). The finish is a touch "much" if you ask me, but its obvious that Hardy wanted to help keep Kidman strong in a losing effort instead of going over him with his "usual" finisher. If Kidman was more over and the crowd was more enthusiastic I can see this match being worthy of more respect, but as it is, I'm calling it average. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Edge has been attacked and Chris Benoit and Brock Lesnar don't know who did it and what this means for their 6-man tag match tonight.

A video package hypes the next match - The Undertaker vs. Big Show, a continuation of their months-long rivalry (Big Show injured Taker roughly 4 months later). Surprisingly, this is not the slow-paced slugfest I expected. Taker is arguably in the best shape of his career and Big Show is obviously driven not to stink up the joint for the Deadman's big return. They cut a decent pace (or at least as good as two super heavyweights are going to cut) and there's a surprising number of big spots, including a huge plancha to the outside from the Phenom and a respectable standing vertical suplex (not a move I've seen the Undertaker take the brunt of very often). The finish isn't great, especially considering that the WWE would have this program last all the way to WrestleMania but by exceeding my low expectations and actually staying engaging from bell to bell, I'm going to call it one of the better Taker/Show matches I've ever seen. (3/5)


If you stop watching this show after the next match, Lesnar and Benoit vs. Team Angle, you'd be making a wise choice. Designed to wrap up the Benoit/Angle feud and transition the focus of the WWE Championship scene onto Lesnar/Angle, the match serves it purpose while simultaneously delivering some very solid action. The crowd is hotter for Lesnar than anyone else that comes out the remainder of the night (save for Austin, 'natch), but are also supportive of Benoit and seem to delight in watching Haas and Benjamin get tossed around and tangled up. The exclusion of Edge surprisingly adds to the match - having him around would've made it too lopsided when, really, any team that includes a young Brock Lesnar is never going to be seen as underdogs. Not my pick for match of the night, but not far from it. (3/5)

The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line next in a rematch from January's Royal Rumble show - Scott Steiner challenging Triple H. That match has been decried as one of the worst main event title matches in WWE history, but this one is much more deserving of that dishonor. If their initial match could skate by on what appeared to be respectable effort from both men (Triple H especially) and the thrill of seeing Steiner dish out a half-dozen suplexes on the champ, this one doesn't even reach those unimpressive heights. Again, the heel is the babyface here, Triple H coming in bandaged up and Steiner targeting the injured area and, at least initially, punctuating his offense with sit-up exhibitions and taunts instead of, y'know, trying to score a pinfall. There are restholds here where there were strength spots a month earlier and the Montreal crowd, which certainly wasn't overly enthused in Boston, actively shits on the match with chants of "Steiner Sucks" and "Boring." There are noticeable times when signals are crossed and they stumble through the same repetitive actions (Steiner's offense is 90% clubbering forearms) but not all the blame can be placed at the feet of Big Poppa Pump (even if that is what Triple H wants you to believe with his pinballing). Mid-90s Shawn Michaels has been criticized for the same unnecessary and illogical bumping, garnering sympathy from an audience instead of making us want to see his comeuppance, so its not surprising Triple H would do the same here, essentially upstaging Steiner the way Michaels (then a heel) upstaged Razor Ramon and Kevin "Diesel" Nash at WrestleManias 10 and 11 respectively. Some friend, huh? Shocking as it may seem, while Steiner would not compete at WrestleMania, this does not mark his exit from the WWE - he actually stuck around the rest of the year and even competed in January 2004's Royal Rumble. The more you know. (0.5/5)

The triumphant return of Steve Austin was next, the Rattlesnake make his long-awaited return to face the man who had fired him from WCW almost ten years earlier, Eric Bischoff. If this was 1997, Bischoff would've gotten some offense in and maybe even won the match - but its 2003, WWE, and Bischoff is no Vinnie Mac, so this is as one-sided as it should realistically be. Austin seems to be having fun coming back to play the hits, but its a sadder experience to watch than even his infamous SummerSlam 97' match. Incapable of really performing in-ring, Austin was brought back by the WWE just to say "Hey, Austin's back." Unlike his wars with Vince McMahon, which led to some heated, intense, and wildly over matches (1999's Royal Rumble and their cage match at the following month's St. Valentine's Day Massacre shows come immediately to mind), this is a silly whooping that gave Austin an excuse to hit a couple stunners (he drops Bischoff with THREE) and pour some beers all over himself. For fans in attendance, it would've been a fun way to cap off an evening - in fact, I'm guessing they could've run this same exact contest every night for months on the house show circuit and left the crowd happy - but that doesn't make the segment interest or worthwhile viewing, especially when there are so many other highlights to enjoy in Stone Cold's career. Months later, thanks in part to a last-minute trip to a Seattle hospital, Austin would "do the honors" and end his career in a match against The Rock that defied his ailing physical condition and worked based on the size of the personalities involved and Austin's willingness to nearly cripple himself rather than go out on a bad match. That is the finale fans should revisit. (1/5)

Main event time - The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan in a rematch from WrestleMania XVIII. Reviewing that match several years ago, I wrote, "It's hard not to love this match...Even without the [hot] Toronto crowd, this one would be above average based on the size of the personalities and Hogan's respectable effort." While their first encounter won me (and many fans) over by delivering a near-perfect vision of big attraction "sports-entertainment," this one stumbles from the very second it starts and then, like the words of Hogan's original entrance music, "comes crashing down" to lower and lower levels of awfulness. Where to start on this trainwreck of a match? Maybe with The Rock, working one-legged because he had one foot kicking desperately into Hollywood. While the Rock and Hogan essentially switching their roles could have led to some fun sequences, The Rock doesn't bother to do much but jaw at the crowd and take a handful of bumps. Where are the facial expressions that made time stand still in Toronto? The Rock, inarguably one of the most larger-than-life characters the WWE ever produced, is noticeably "smaller" here, doing the same gimmick The Miz does now but less awesomely. If The Rock was trying to be "meta" in order to draw heat, he may have over-succeeded because he sucks in this match. Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan, who had somehow tricked father time and pulled out some passable matches against Triple H, Lesnar, and Undertaker six or so months prior is completely out of gas and looking every bit of his age here. While one can watch The Rock's performance and criticize him for half-assing it, with Hogan, you just have a guy that has no business being in the ring. Everything he does looks like it is happening in a vat of baby oil. The power of nostalgic crowds had willed his first comeback into being passable entertainment, but a year later, the magic had run out - and an uninspired Rock certainly wasn't going to make up for it. Even the finish of this match manages to pale in comparison to their first contest (the finish of that match being one of few major criticisms levied against it). Possibly explaining his less-than-stellar performance, the conclusion not only relinquishes any credibility The Rock had left after having to sell for a 50-year old man for ten minutes but also makes sure to cast him as Sylvan Grenier's equal when, ostensibly, this is the guy you're counting on to help sell your biggest show of the year in a month or two. Anyone who considers Goldberg/Lesnar from Survivor Series the worst rematch to ever headline a PPV needs to revisit this one and see just how bad things could've truly went. Goldberg/Lesnar may have felt like false advertising, but this one goes beyond that level of disappointment - The Rock's worst character work since his forgettable rookie year Blue Chipper paired with a staler-than-stale Hulk Hogan wrestling like he was 10 years older than he actually was. The wrestling equivalent of Jaws II. (0/5)


When the inclusion of an Evanesence song on the show is one of the bright spots, you kind of know that you've got a real dud on your hands. The opener is the Match of the Night and, from there, things just tend to get from passable to decent to worse and worse and worse. Still, No Way Out 2003 is an interesting show to talk about historically. When today's fans complain about how the company tends to revive old timers and sign big name free agents to short-term deals just to pad the WrestleMania line-up, this show (and the Mania that followed) proves this is nothing new. Looking at the roster the WWE had signed up and performing regularly at this time and the word "stacked" barely does it justice; Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Ric Flair, Steiner, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, and even Vince McMahon himself were all featured consistently on TV (not to mention Batista, Orton, Cena, Eddie Guerrero, Benoit, and Edge all waiting for their shot at the top). Lack of star power wasn't what was killing the WWE at the time and making shows like No Way Out so unbearable. No, it was plain old bad booking (the HHH/Steiner feud), unmotivated, burned out workers (The Rock), and a tendency to present cards that actually worked against what the fans, through their reactions, were pleading for (basically, the SmackDown storylines were over while the RAW ones weren't). Hmmm...sounds a bit like the same situation we're experiencing today, where an AJ Styles consistently gets the loudest response of the night, but RAW is still consistently presented as the "A" brand thanks, in no small part, to the idea that it consistently features the most stars from yesteryear (Goldberg, Lesnar, and Triple H spring to mind, but let's not forget that the Undertaker may have also made more appearances on RAW this year than SmackDown). No Way Out 2003 is fascinating in how misguided so much of it is, from casting the genuinely unlikeable Scott Steiner as a babyface to believing you could recapture lightning in a bottle for what would've been at least the fourth time by reheating the bandana-wearing Hulkster to trying to push the hideously hairy Albert as a legitimate heel, the ineptitude is just staggering. 


FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

WWE Survivor Series 2016

RATING SCALE: 

Curt Hennig Level – A “GOAT” Show

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

Watch It…With Remote in Hand – Imperfect, but fun, with at least a few great matches

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, salvaged by an awesome match or two, for die-hards only

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

WWE Survivor Series 2016

Toronto, Canada - November 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, the WWE World Champion is AJ Styles while the Universal Championship is held by Kevin Owens. The United States Champion is Roman Reigns of RAW, while The Miz holds the Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown. RAW's World Tag Team Champions are (still) The New Day. On SmackDown, the Tag Team Champions are Heath Slater and Rhyno. The Womens' Champions are Charlotte (RAW) and Becky Lynch (SmackDown). Finally, the recently restored Cruiserweight Championship is held by The Brian Kendrick. 

COMMENTARY: JBL, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo

In a somewhat unexpected move, the 2016 Survivor Series began with Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, Charlotte, and Alicia Fox squaring off against SmackDown's Becky Lynch, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Naomi, and Natalya (replacing Nikki Bella). I'm guessing the Natalya sub-in was done because the 'E expected her to get a huge response from the Canadian crowd (and maybe because Nikki Bella reaggravated her neck injury?), but the live audience seemed pretty indifferent to her inclusion. The two least polished workers of their respective teams, Carmella and Fox, started things off. The match picked up once the Four Horsewomen of NXT got their minutes in, but it was Nia Jax  who stole the match for me - her powerhouse offense drawing a deserved "Holy Shit" chant at one point. I'd personally be interested in seeing her square off with Nikki Bella, the only diva (save for maybe Charlotte) who has the size and strength to possibly take Jax off her feet. Alicia Fox's Scissors Kick continues to be one of my favorite moves in the WWE as, no matter how many times she delivers the thing, it almost always looks like her opponent is not expecting it and she's delivering it with utter recklessness - it is just beautiful in its sloppiness like a JBL clothesline. Less impressive? The elimination of the dominant Jax to an armbar Jax is not a good enough seller to sell. If there was to be a survivor in this match, it probably should've been her. Solid final stretch, but predictable and uninspired post-match, especially considering that, booked differently, the WWE had the opportunity to help establish Bayley's "I'm a Hugger" character and maybe tell a more nuanced story between her and Charlotte. (2/5)

The Intercontinental Championship was defended next, reigning titleholder The Miz of SmackDown getting challenged by RAW's Sami Zayn. The Miz has been having a hell of a 2016 and this match was yet another feather in his cap, the Awesome One doing everything possible to draw heat, acting as the perfect foil to the lovably scrappy Zayn. Not since his matches with Kevin Owens earlier this year have I found myself as engaged in a Sami Zayn outing and a lot of that credit should go to Miz who has finally raised his in-ring abilities to the level of his mic work. The story here was simple but effective - Miz targeted Zayn's legs while also taking the time to needle the fans through his mockery of longtime rival Daniel Bryan. Meanwhile, Zayn did what he does best, selling damage but digging deep to bust out some great babyface hope spots and dazzling offensive, including a somersault plancha to the outside and a Blue Thunder Bomb. The finish was brilliant and has me hoping that Zayn ditches RAW for SmackDown to prolong the feud. My biggest gripe was with the fans, though, as their incessant "10" chants distracted from what was a very good match. (3.5/5)

A 20-man tag followed, The New Day captaining a squadron that included Enzo and Cass, the Shining Stars, Cesaro and Sheamus, and Gallows and Anderson against The Usos, Breezango, The Hype Brothers, American Alpha, and Rhyno and Slater. Fandango and Breeze were cast out almost instantly following a comedy bit that I didn't get (probably because I haven't watched any of their matches), swiftly followed by The New Day, a team that is simultaneously over and stale. Mojo Riley's extended boogie into his corner splash is awful and drew an immediate "We Want Gable" chant. Gallows and Anderson got to deliver more than a couple Magic Killers, finally scoring pinfalls on a major show - too bad its been repeatedly established that they can't win the gold or else they'd make a decent pair of challengers for The New Day. Later, American Alpha delivered a Steinerizer, though, Jordan forgot he was the legal man, nearly botching the pinfall after. After a flurry of signature spots from the remaining participants, a Magic Killer led to the Alphas' exit, while Gallows fell victim to a Rhyno Gore. Enzo landed a Cass-assisted splash to eliminate the former ECW star before his team got eliminated as well, leaving us with a semi-awkward Cesaro/Sheamus vs. Usos final. After not getting many minutes in the "meat" of the match, Cesaro finally got his time, running around the ring like a man possessed and almost single-handedly taking out the Samoan twins. Cesaro's feats of strength and agility (his dropkick to a seated Uso on the top turnbuckle, for example) are marvelous no matter how many times one sees them, though, I do wish he'd drop the 619 from his arsenal - it's just not necessary. Thanks to a strong finish and wise booking that kept things moving, this one exceeded my admittedly low expectations. (3/5)

After a lengthy, lengthy, lengthy amount of downtime, the Cruiserweight Championship was on the line in the next contest - Brian Kendrick defending against Kalisto. Last December, at the 2015 TLC show, Kalisto performed a Salida Del Sol off a ladder and through another ladder and it seemed like a star was born. Then, at April's WrestleMania 32, Kalisto defeated Ryback on the Pre-Show to retain his United States Championship (now around the waist of Roman Reigns) and it seemed like the semi-strong push would continue. Since then, though, Kalisto hasn't been doing too much, this being his first Network special match since Extreme Rules in May. Eager to impress (and maybe help save the crashing cruisers division), Kalisto and Kendrick through a ton of nifty and risky high spots into this match, but they didn't amount to anything and some legitimately insane maneuvers were sold like transition moves (for example, Kalisto's Standing Spanish Fly to the outside of the ring would've been a CAREER ENDER in 1980s Jim Crockett NWA). The finish was a bit of a mercy killing as the crowd wasn't too into this match. As I've written a number of times in the past few months, I'm a fan of Kendrick and believed that he wasn't the worst pick to help build the cruisers division, but the WWE missed an important opportunity to hit the reset button here by putting the title on Kalisto and bringing the whole concept to SmackDown. With word that they'll be taping 205 Live after SmackDown, I'm guessing that is still the plan. (2/5)

One of the more divisive matches of the year followed - Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman of RAW teaming up against SmackDown's AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, and Shane McMahon (with James Ellworth serving as "mascot"). Styles and Jericho were mega over, drawing huge cheers upon their respective arrival, while Roman Reigns got a very cool (as in, chilly) reception. While The Undertaker had claimed he would seek vengeance on SmackDown's representatives if they lost this match, those were the only real stakes and were barely mentioned by the commentators. The crowd was hot for the start of this but mellowed out until we got all ten men in the ring duking it out inside and outside of the ring. Speaking of outside of the ring, Strowman and Ambrose performed one of the absolute dumbest spots I've ever seen, the former Wyatt Family member carrying the ex-Shield member around the ring for no apparent reason just to get hit by an AJ splash. Fortunately, things turned around from that low-point, the next several minutes built entirely around Strowman, with the former strongman choke-tossing the WWE Champion over the top rope like a piece of human garbage and then going through the rest of the Blue Brand's roster, eventually eating an RKO and getting put through a table via a Shane McMahon signature elbow drop. The sequence culminated in a brilliant elimination and the big man sending the world's most famous jobber off the stage and through a table (and even more "Holy Shit!" chants). I'm expecting Strowman to get plenty of eliminations at January's Rumble and, based on his work in this match, he has some upside beyond just squashing no-names each week on RAW. Back in the ring, Chris Jericho fought through a bloody nose, but his list didn't survive nearly as well, eventually destroyed (purposely or not) by his best friend, Kevin Owens. Speaking of Owens, his elimination seemed a little silly considering the chaos that had been going on inside and outside of the ring for the 10 minutes prior and the crowd felt so too, audibly chanting "bullshit" at the ref's call. Soon after the match settled into a 2-on-4 situation with Rollins and Reigns up against Orton, Wyatt, and Shane. Here, the WWE gave us two of the greatest moments of the night - Shane McMahon getting hit with a huge spear on a Coast-to-Coast attempt and a really fun Shield reunion. The former was vicious and it looked like Shane might've legitimately suffered a broken rib or two while the latter provided a memorable, crowd-pleasing exit for AJ Styles. Unfortunately, with Styles and Shane out, the match fell to the four least over guys in the whole contest - Reigns and Rollins squaring off against Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton in a battle of brand supremacy. The finish was all about furthering the Wyatt/Orton alliance storyline and I'm curious what the endgame is for that particular thread - maybe they'll somehow flip roles and Wyatt will end up the babyface? Around minute 35 or so, I was ready to call it the best modern day Survivors match I'd ever seen - largely due to the insanity of certain spots, Braun Strowman's spotlight performance, the Jericho/Owens comedy, and the mini Shield reunion. The lackluster closing stretch, involving the four guys that I cared about least in the match, hurt this one for me, but all in all, a very fun match that featured more than enough fireworks to keep my eyes glued to the screen. (4/5)

Main event time - Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar. How should one rate a match like this - which was more of an "angle" than anything? Reviewing SummerSlam 2014, I gave the equally one-sided Cena/Lesnar match a glowing 4-star rating two years ago, but that bout went nearly 20 minutes and felt like something I'd never seen before. This match is different (and unworthy of equal praise) because it barely lasted 20 seconds. It also wasn't something "never seen before" - it was a squash not dissimilar to the Sheamus/Bryan title match at WrestleMania 28 or the squashes that made Goldberg famous in the first place way back in 1997. I can fully understand the knee-jerk reaction to call this the worst WWE main event in years (maybe even ever) - but there are things to enjoy about what we got. For starters, the pre-match introductions and "big fight" feel set the stage for an unforgettable match and, though there were less than 4 "moves" in the (very brief) match, all four got HUGE responses. Also, though he didn't have to do much, Lesnar was fantastic with his facial expressions (that smug smile after getting pushed down by Goldberg told the whole story of the match) and body language. As for Bill Goldberg, he did the three things he had to do here - 1. Look Good, 2. Spear Good, 3. Hit a Respectable Jackhammer. I often say that what separates a 4-star match from a 3.5-star match is the replay value, but while this one has plenty of replay value, it's basically a cool GIF. As a match, this one warrants maybe a 1, but as an angle, it was a spectacular, unforgettable event that, due to the whole build of the match being that Lesnar would underestimate his opponent, actually made more kayfabe sense than many critics are giving it. Rating it as just average seems like missing the point. (3/5)


With an overall Kwang score of 2.92-out-of-5, this year's Survivor Series earned an almost-identical score as last year's show despite vastly different cards (last year's show featured almost no Survivors matches and was sold primarily based on the return of the Brothers of Destruction and a mini-tournament for the vacant WWE World Championship). Booking-wise, Survivor Series was an imperfect show featuring a number of glaring holes - including the fact that a 50 year old man waltzed into the ring and promptly bested the most credible monster the WWE has on its roster. Ignoring the booking, though, there was plenty to love on the show. Miz/Zayn may eke its way onto my Top 10 Matches of the Year list, while the Team RAW/Team Smackdown match delivered at least a close to a dozen cool moments. Like the WCW pay-per-views of the late 90s, though, fans will probably remember this show most for its falsely-advertised main event, a "mega match" that ended before it began.

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

NXT Takeover: Toronto

RATING SCALE: 

Curt Hennig Level – A “GOAT” Show

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

Watch It…With Remote in Hand – Imperfect, but fun, with at least a few great matches

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, salvaged by an awesome match or two, for die-hards only

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

NXT Takeover: Toronto

Toronto, Canada - November 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Shinsuke Nakamura holds the NXT Championship, Asuka is the reigning NXT Womens' Champion, and The Revival hold the NXT Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTARY: Tom Phillips and Corey Graves

The latest edition of NXT Takeover starts off with a glorious entrance for Bobby Roode, a full choir singing (or convincingly lip syncing) his theme song. His opponent, Tye Dillinger, doesn't get as special of a welcome, but the crowd is definitely supportive with "10" signs all over the arena. What I enjoy about Roode is how he takes his time, working a methodical style, filling out his matches with purposeful looks and broad gestures to bring the viewer in. I wouldn't call anything he does "subtle," but he's certainly not the type to beat you over the head with innovative offense (which may be why some fans consider him boring). As for Dillinger, he was his reliable self, but I've seen him compared to Tom "Z-Man" Zenk in the past and I think the comparison is rather apt. A solid hand with good size and a haircut that he'll be embarrassed of in 10 years. The match was good but no better than that, making the emotional send-off (if that is what it was) more annoying than cool. When these "special" goodbyes happen to every single call-up, they become less special. Save this sort of theatrics for the characters who really did make a difference on the show (Sasha, Bayley, your NXT Champions), not run-of-the-mill developmental league curtain jerkers. (3/5)

The finals of the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic followed - The Authors of Pain taking on TM61. A ridiculous senton spot in the early minutes pulled the crowd in and one could tell that the bookers wanted TM61 to come out of this looking strong, but it should've been all about the Authors and their destructive power. As fun as TM61 can be, if you want to establish the Authors as an unbeatable pair of monsters, they should be no selling practically everything the Aussies threw at them. Instead, you had an even match where the big, bad monster heels were taking suplexes from a pair of cruiserweights. There are worse matches out there, but I can't recall many with booking I felt more confused by. (2/5)

During SummerSlam weekend, The Revival and #DIY put on a Match of the Year candidate so I was anxious about their 2-out-of-3 falls match. Could they top it? Was part of the initial match's greatness based on the idea that, prior to it, both teams were still relatively "under the radar"? The pressure on these teams was immense. The first time around, they were expected to put on as good a match as possible, but this time, expectations were for a classic. To their credit, they stuck with the elements that made their first match so excellent - the heels cutting the ring in half, loads of sneaky misdirections, unfair double team advantages, and both teams staying driven with the singular purpose of winning the fall instead of showboating or playing to the crowd. Also like their last match, the MVPs were Johnny Gargano and Scott Dawson. If Dawson isn't the best tag team wrestler in the world, he's got to be the best in North America. Gargano, meanwhile, is such a naturally sympathetic babyface that he should be pegged for a singles run with the Cruiserweight Championship yesterday. I'm not convinced he couldn't salvage that entire sad division. This was an all-out war that managed to achieve some very difficult tasks, including offering three separate, believable finishes and delivering just enough "call backs" without getting too self-referential and aping their first match. Extra quarter-point for color too, as the cut added intensity to a match that was already as intensely competitive as any I've seen this year. Another Match of the Year Contender. (4.5/5)

Asuka vs. Mickie James for Asuka's NXT Womens' Championship was next. Some have criticized this match for giving James "too much" offense and presenting her as a bigger challenge to Asuka than Nia Jax or Bayley. I say you don't bring in a "special attraction" and multi-time Womens' Champion and make her not special by having her jobbed out in 4 minutes. Asuka doesn't need that much of a rub. In fact, having her actually challenged by her opponent and taken aback by the level of competition James brought was what made this match different than any of Asuka's previous bouts on NXT. Now, if James hadn't of brought her work boots, I might've been convinced she deserved to be put in her place, but she looked nearly as good here as she ever did, drawing great reactions and building a story without needlessly hurling her body into dangerous spots and taking mega-stiff strikes (something that shouldn't be lost on some of today's risk-taking performers). The post-match segment was great too, further cementing Asuka's gimmick as a lone, unsentimental wolf who doesn't care about anything except kicking ass and keeping her title. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Shinsuke Nakamura defending the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe in a rematch from the last Takeover special. Again, Nakamura gets an astounding entrance, adding to the match's "big fight" feel, while Joe shot him daggers from the outside of the ring. Easily the best Nakamura match since his debut against Sami Zayn. Samoa Joe looked and worked like he'd turned back the clock 10 years. From the very first minute, both guys brought the goods, but what really set this match apart for me was the way Nakamura earned sympathy, not just through his animated selling but by, at times, looking like he'd just forgotten to do his homework on Joe. All sorts of fun spots throughout too including a picture-perfect kinchasa, outside-of-the-ring action that actually felt dangerous and brutal, and a german suplex/dragon suplex/straightjacket suplex trio that blew my mind. Strong, legitimate finish to cap things off. Great match that has unnecessarily taken a hit by many critics who can't look past who the winner was. On most other shows, this would've been your Match of the Night. (4/5)


Last summer's NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II earned a Kwang Score of 3.42-out-of-5, edging out this edition's strong 3.4-out-of-5 score by a hair. In many ways the show mirrored eachother - both featured a masterpiece tag team match, an intriguing NXT Womens' Championship defense, and a great main event presented in atmospheres where the crowd was obviously passionate about what they were watching. What the Brooklyn show provided that this did not, though, was a look into the future of NXT, presenting a variety of debuting or "fresh" talent (Ember Moon, No Way Jose, Roode) to a broader audience than the typical NXT viewer. This show, on the other hand, was missing that element, trading in "new and exciting" for two rematches from the last Takeover and a one-off appearance by a talent who came up in a time when the WWE's developmental league was still based out of Kentucky. Still, with its easily digestible running time and at least two "must see" matches, NXT Takeover: Toronto is a more than worthy installment of the NXT Network special series.

FINAL RATING - Watch It

WCW Spring Stampede 98'

WCW Spring Stampede

April 1998 - Denver, Colorado

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The WCW World Heavyweight Champion coming into tonight's show is Sting, while the United States Title is held by Diamond Dallas Page. Booker T is the reigning Television Champion, Chris Jericho holds the WCW Cruiserweight Championship, and the World Tag Team Championships are held by The Outsiders (though, based on Cagematch.net, they hadn't defended the titles in well over a month). 

COMMENTARY: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

Bill Goldberg takes on Saturn of Raven's Flock in the night's opening contest. Goldberg is super over to the point that every single thing he does gets a pop. While his work is noticeably sloppy, Saturn (and several other members of the Flock) feed into him so well that the action never ceases and Goldberg really does come across as an unstoppable monster. Still, what makes this match work beyond being just another Goldberg squash is Saturn's brief offensive flurries; the former ECW star's inventive moveset is as fun to watch as Goldberg's raw intensity. Ignoring the hiccups (a bothced back elbow from the apron, a mistimed dropkick) is easy when you get a finish sequence as hot (and incredible) as this. Fun, above-average match. (3/5)

Chavo Guerrero vs. Ultimo Dragon is one of the best cruiser matches I've seen that doesn't include Mysterio, Malenko, or Chavo's uncle Eddie. Dragon and Guerrero bust out a ton of submissions early and, throughout the match-up, both competitors display defensive wrestling techniques (reversals, counter-strikes, blocks) that you don't see often enough in today's product. The attention to detail and crisp execution (save for yet another mistimed dropkick) would make this a better-than-average match on its own, but what keeps the audience engaged is the added bonus of having Eddie Guerrero carrying on ringside, advancing his on-going drama with his nephew. Guerrero's facial expressions are overdramatic and campy, but hey, this is WCW Wrestling, not Masterpiece Theater. A telegraphed finish hurts this one a touch, but overall, a very good (almost great) match that provides quality storyline advancement as well. (3.5/5)

The hits keep coming when the Television Title is on the line - Booker T defending the strap against Chris Benoit. The story coming into this match is that Booker and Benoit had wrestled two time limit draws over the previous few weeks forcing WCW to eliminate the time limit for this showdown. In the early going, Benoit won't let Booker T get any momentum, scrambling out of the ring every time it looks like the Harlem Heater is gonna get on a roll. While the match starts a bit slowly, Booker T working an armbar and Benoit's offense initially just consisting of some of the stiffest, loudest chops ever, as it revs up, Booker T's selling and bumping paired with Benoit's steely determination and vicious suplex display draws the crowd in and transform this match into, easily, the best Television Championship match I've caught in months. Without a heel/face dynamic, the crowd is fully behind both men by the end, especially in the las third of the contest when Benoit delivers several outstanding maneuvers (a picture-perfect diving headbutt, a trio of german suplexes, and a back suplex from the top rope) but can't score a pinfall due to his own exhaustion. Booker's final comeback is not as technically impressive, but the audience doesn't mind, popping huge for an Arn Anderson-worthy Spinebuster, a Tito Santana-inspired flying forearm, and Booker T's very own Spinnerooni. Referee shenanigans taint the winner's victory, but progresses the story without sacrificing either man's overness or credibility. The best Booker T match I've seen on my journey through WCW's pay-per-views and one of Benoit's best performances as well. (4/5)

After three good-to-great matches, I was wondering when this show would sink a little and the next match was the answer - British Bulldog vs. Curt Hennig with Jim Neidhart and Rick Rude handcuffed outside of the ring. I'd guess these two guys worked a ton together in the WWE during the early 90s (and a cursory Google search proved it) but there's not much chemistry to speak of here, both men definitely just going through the motions to get to an unremarkable finish that actually hurts everyone involved (including Bret Hart, who isn't even there for it) by making it painfully obvious that the whole Hart Family/nWo rivalry was at least 2-3 entire rungs down the ladder in terms of relevancy. When Vincent is a key figure in your storyline, you know you're small potatoes. Poor Bret. (1/5)

Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner make their way down the aisle, "The Stuff" showing off a brand new cast on his wrist. Bagwell claims that, due to injury, their match tonight is cancelled, but JJ Dillon (and a doctor in street clothes) show up to put the kibosh on their tomfoolery. Lex Luger and Rick Steiner (with Ted DiBiase in tow) make their way down the aisle and the match has begun, though, despite trying to avoid the match, its the heels who dominate for most of the match's duration, breaking down the Dog-Faced Gremlin and cutting the ring in half. Eventually Luger comes in for the hot tag and Scott Steiner runs away from his revitalized brother like a coward leading to a predictable "feel good" ending. More of storyline-advancing segment than a PPV-worthy contest, but it isn't bad for what it is. However, one does have to wonder, considering how unimpressive the action was, how many people really were clamoring for a Steiner vs. Steiner match so many months after Big Poppa Pump's heel turn? (1.5/5)

Tony Schiavone announces the next match as a bonus bout and what a bonus it is - La Parka vs. Psicosis. As much as I wanted to adore this match (as a fairly big La Parka fan), it just didn't measure up to the peaks that La Parka had previously reached in his WCW pay-per-view appearances. Ditto for Psicosis, whose match against Rey Mysterio at Bash at the Beach 96' is one of the greatest cruiser battles I've ever seen. Part of the problem is the fact that the crowd is beyond dead, barely popping for any of the high spots, even when they're head-spinningly awesome (for example, Psicosis hits a corkscrew somersault to the outside that is way, way riskier than this crowd deserves from him). Now, maybe in 1998, when cruisers could be enjoyed weekly via Nitro and Thunder, a match like this could be seen as ho-hum, but in 2016, we just don't see daredevil wrestling presented as fun and character-driven as these two did it. Plus, even in a slightly-less-than-amazing La Parka match, you're still talking about a guy who exuded so much charisma and worked the actual ring in such crafty ways to gain an advantage (notice the way the Chair Man of WCW utilizes the ropes and, in one great spot, the imbalance of two guys on the turnbuckle) that there is far more to enjoy in this match than there is to complain about. Average on the La Parka scale is above-average on everyone else's. (3/5)

Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan make their way out for the next contest, a Bat-on-a-Pole match against Roddy Piper and The Giant. Piper goes for the bat early on, but ends up taken down by the heels. Piper gets on a bit of a roll, though, and Hogan bumps and sells for him with respectable pizzazz - the fact is, as old and tired as Hogan was even in 1998, he could still draw huge reactions with minimal work. Not a single high spot in the La Parka/Psicosis match popped the crowd as much as seeing the Hulkster put over The Giant's knee and cartoonishly spanked. When Nash and The Giant square off, they don't bother with anything as hard-hitting as what they attempted in their somewhat infamous first match but they don't half-ass it either, stealing a page from Piper and Hogan by keeping it simple but also keeping things moving and reserving their energy for a handful of "That was cool" moments (the double Big Boot and The Giant's dropkick, for two examples). The finish is structured chaos - the babyfaces teaming up to grab the bat while the heels rely on the arrival of Hogan's oiled-up ally The Disciple, Hollywood errantly striking his own teammate with the bat - and as a storyline-pushing angle, it is intriguing. Unfortunately, WCW wouldn't follow this up in the way fans were obviously craving (Nash vs. Hogan sooner rather than later), but in a vacuum, its a pretty enjoyable spectacle match. (2.5/5)

Epic Slamboree commercial next, the announcer promising that this event will...change...wrestling...history...forever. Seeing as I can't name a single match on the show, I'm going to wager that it didn't. (+1)

Diamond Dallas Page vs. Raven for Page's United States Championship follows, a match that kicks off so hot, it is almost a tragedy that it can't maintain that level of intensity and awesomeness for its entirety (an entirety that also feels like it doesn't last quite enough for it to be considered a true classic). Weapon shots galore, wild use of scenery, stiff shots from both guys, emphatic selling and bumping - Raven and Page are just outstanding here and spots by Billy Kidman (DDP hits one of his coolest Diamond Cutters here) and Sick Boy of Raven's Flock just add to a match already chock-full of fireworks. The crowd is thoroughly engaged as well, arguably more than they were in the more "star-studded" match that preceded this one and definitely more than the main event that follows. Even the commentators can't help but mark out. As close to a 4-star match as a match might get. (3.5/5)

Main event time? Sting vs. Randy Savage for the WCW World Championship in a No DQ match is our show's closer, but the bout really serves to just set the table for the post-match angle, a continuation of the brewing Nash/Hogan feud. Overshadowed by the much more hellacious brawl before it, Sting and Savage fight all over the arena and deliver a few decent moments (the Stinger Splash onto the guardrail spot is one I never tire of thanks to Sting's dedication to the bit), but things don't get interesting until the final moments, when Miss Elizabeth gets physically involved to a degree she rarely (if ever) had before. From there, clusterfuckery ensues as was wont for WCW's main event scene at this time (as evidenced by similar shenanigans wrapping up the two matches that came before this one too). Some critics have called this one of the worst WCW main events of the year, but I'm going to hold my judgment until I see how low WCW can go in 1998. As a stand-alone match, it's not that awful, but its also not anywhere close to great. Watching it, one can't help believe that these two could've actually put on a much better match if they had worked together in 94' or 95', when Sting was less dejected and Savage was less hobbled by injuries. (2/5)


WCW Spring Stampede 98' reminds me of Paul Simon's Graceland album. The first third is almost impervious to criticism. Goldberg/Saturn is a red hot opener. Chavo/Dragon is, maybe, the best Chavo Guerrero match I've ever seen and the first Ultimo Dragon match I found myself caring about in months. Booker T/Benoit is a classic TV Title Match reminiscent of the kind of great TV Championship bouts Regal delivered in 93'/94'. And then, with the all too familiar entrance theme of the New World Order, the wheels fall off the show. Hennig/Bulldog go through the motions in their match, both tag matches play out as extended angles that occur after a wrestling match occurs in the background, and the crowd is indifferent to a shoehorned "bonus match" between La Parka vs. Psicosis that is pretty exciting but painfully misplaced on the card. DDP/Raven shakes the cobwebs out of the crowd's collective head only for their brain to be bludgeoned by yet another angle posing as a contest, Sting not necessarily even trying to make the best of a bad situation and Savage, who was remarkably over at the time, essentially positioned as a supporting actor on what should be one of the biggest nights of his career. With a Kwang score of 2.77-out-of-5 thanks to a handful of very good (even great) matches, I'm categorizing this as...

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

WWE Royal Rumble 2003

WWE Royal Rumble 2003

Boston, Massachusetts - January 2003

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WWE World Champion was Kurt Angle, while the World Heavyweight Championship was held by Triple H. Lance Storm and William Regal held the World Tag Team Championships, while the WWE Tag Team Champions were Los Guerreros. Billy Kidman was in the midst of his third Cruiserweight Championship reign and Victoria held the WWE Womens' Championship at the time.

COMMENTARY: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (RAW), Michael Cole and Tazz (SmackDown)

The 16th annual Royal Rumble kicked off with a match that would have serious consequences later in the show - The Big Show taking on Brock Lesnar for a spot in the evening's 30-man battle royale. Lesnar was over huge as a babyface while The Big Show was huge at this point, lumbering through this match. Of course, Show being noticeably heavy makes Lesnar's feats of strength even more impressive. I'm not sure the finish was ever in question, but after Show lands a chokeslam the crowd does bite hard on a near fall. A sub-par match that could've been at least average if Show was able to move faster than 1 mile per hour. (2/5)

The Dudley Boys take on the World Tag Team Champions, Lance Storm and William Regal, in the next bout. Within the first 15 seconds, the fans are demanding tables. A fun match, but nothing particularly memorable. Storm and Regal are near-flawless workers and the Dudleys were still over - but this is the type of solid-but-unspectacular match that these two teams could've essentially accomplished in their sleep. I'm not knocking the lack of creativity (or even tables), but average ain't exciting. (2.5/5)

Extra point for a video package hyping the debut of Nathan Jones. Jones was a "can't miss" prospect to some degree - 7 feet tall, 300+ pounds, legitimate villainous background, scary look - but his career would collapse almost as soon as it began, his run not even reaching El Gigante heights of notoriety. (+1)

Oh my - Dawn Marie vs. Torrie Wilson. Where does one begin in describing this feud and match? For starters, a cursory search on Google reveals that this rivalry began in October - meaning that this was the culmination of a 4 MONTH FEUD. Compare that to Angle and Benoit, who wrestle later in the evening but were tag team partners for months earlier. Anyway...a half-point must be awarded for the incredible video package that precedes this match and captures some of the most distasteful moments in WWE history, including Torrie Wilson's father, Al Wilson, suffering a heart attack during his honeymoon with Marie and then the out-and-out BRAWL that occurred at his funeral between our two leading ladies. If the Katie Vick storyline is RAW's unparalleled low point, the Al Wilson storyline is SmackDown's nadir. The match that ensues is sloptastic, but they at least try some moves beyond hair tosses and forearms. Surprisingly, though, what really hurts the match is that it is worked like any other (poorly choreographed) womens' match of its time. Dawn Marie should be enjoying the beatdown she administers while Torrie Wilson should be an emotional volcano, erupting with anger to the point of destroying Marie beyond recognition. Instead, we get a rather rushed finish to a feud that, again, lasted four months and involved the DEATH of one woman's father at the hands of her opponent. I'm not saying this should've been a 60-minute Hell in a Cell match, but if you're going to give us an overwrought soap opera build, give us an overwrought soap opera conclusion. (0.5/5)

Hey - the matches of tonight may not be anything special, but we do get some great vignettes. This time its Sean O'Haire who breaks up the monotony with his fun Devil's Advocate gimmick. I'd love to see a guy like Austin Aries get similar spotlights prior to his debut on the main roster because a segment like this gets much more accomplished than a cold match in front of an indifferent audience. (+1)

The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line when Scott Steiner challenges Triple H. Scott Keith gave this negative stars. Dave Meltzer gave this one star. Me? I don't know...I mean, it's a bad match. The layout is questionable as Triple H fights from underneath so much that the crowd, which was 50/50 anyway (due to this being pretty much The Game's hometown), is definitely rooting for him by the end. At one point, Triple H bleeds needlessly and so gratuitously that it comes across as overreaching. Steiner sports a whale tail that would make Lita blush and he botches an underhook powerbomb. The finish draws huge boos from the crowd....but Flair's involvement is great, Triple H and Steiner sell for each other well, and the other dozen or so power moves that Steiner executes are crisp. If you think this is one of the worst matches on PPV ever, I'd draw your attention to some of the crap WCW put on their Battlebowl cards or basically just about every match on the InVasion pay-per-view. For a World Title match, this one underwhelms, but its not a slap-in-the-face insult the way so many other critics have described it. In fact, as Act II of a storyline, the finish (and post-match) makes total sense, even if the crowd wanted a clean ending. (2/5)

And on the opposite end of the spectrum we have the next bout - Kurt Angle defending the WWE Championship against Chris Benoit. At the time, this match was praised heavily - including earning near-masterpiece status from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer (he gave it a rare 4.75 stars) - and I must admit that, the first time I saw it (this would be in 06'/07'?), I believed it to be one of the best matches I'd ever seen, right up there with Bret vs. Perfect at SummerSlam 91', one of my go-to "Favorite Matches Ever" as a remarkably great match rife with emotion but never overdramatic or corny. The emotion is earned in this match through nothing more than wrestling. Subsequent viewings have taken some of the luster off the match - its one of those bouts that, on first viewing, feels much longer, like a true epic, but tends to get shorter every time I see it. Similarly, the post-match scene comes off as far more genuine when you don't see it coming after a lengthy commercial for the WWE Anthology CD. But these are small, slight criticisms. The timing, the counters and reversals, the struggle put into every submission, the way the crowd's interest and emotions are built up from a respectable rumble (no pun intended) to raucous ovations...this match is just undeniably terrific. Modern viewers unfamiliar with this match may see it as a harbinger of the "self-conscious epic" of today and may even criticize the sheer amount of high spots and "movez" - but I find that criticism invalid for this particular match. To me, Benoit and Angle (especially) had their fair share of matches with each other and others where they seemed more interested in proving how much they could do instead of telling a story, but this one actually seems edited to me, like they decided to purposely let their biggest spots breathe and didn't hesitate to take two extra breaths with their selling. For being, arguably, the quintessential match of both guys' WWE careers, I have no issues scoring this one high. 13 years later, it remains a must-see match, the execution flawless and the finish standing as one of the most definitive endings to a title fight ever. (4.5/5)

Main event time - the 2013 Royal Rumble kicks off with the arrival of our number one and number two entrants - Shawn Michaels and Chris J...Christian, rather. With the distraction in place, Jericho attacks the Showstopper from behind, bloodying him with a chair and tossing him as Chris Nowitski (the number 3 entrant) watches from outside. As a start to the Rumble, its an awesome, attention-grabbing sequence that is only strengthened by Jericho's strong work over the next 30+ minutes (save for one moment when, at least to these eyes, it looks like his feet do hit the ground during one of his many "skin the cat" moments). Elsewhere, we get a nice callback to the previous year's show when Undertaker and Maven share a moment and John Cena cutting an R-rated promo to the delight of the crowd (Batista also has a respectable showing in his first Rumble appearance). Unfortunately, what hurts the match is its lack of consequence beyond birthing the Michaels/Jericho feud and providing a storyline explanation for Brock Lesnar to compete for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 19. In fact, examining that card, one sees a plethora of names that don't appear anywhere on this show, specifically Steve Austin, The Rock, Vince McMahon, Hulk Hogan (3 out of 4 would appear at February's No Way Out show). While the finish was likely never in question to most fans in 2003, the lack of star power or even a single surprise entrant hurts the replay value considerably (throughout the match, Ross essentially admits to knowing every expected entrant [but not what number they drew], telegraphing the idea that there will be no shocking debuts or returns in this match beyond the advertised re-emergence of the Undertaker). A decent edition of the company's most popular annual speciality match, but far from worth revisiting. (3/5)



With a Kwang score of 2.75-out-of-5, the 2013 Royal Rumble is a one match show that is buoyed by a handful of good production choices (love those Nathan Jones and Sean O'Haire promos), storyline advancement (the Michaels/Jericho sequences during the Rumble match), and fun sports-entertainment moments (Cena's raps, the return of The Undertaker). The rest of the show is a split between a trainwreck that you can't look away from and dreck that you'd fast forward through on a typical RAW episode. On the trainwreck side you get Dawn Marie and Torrie Wilson attempting to put on a heated wrestling match when neither is capable of the simplest of maneuvers and Triple H trying laughably hard to prove his value by "carrying" Scott Steiner to a bloody, suplex-filled showdown (when, in reality, if they had stuck to a more traditional layout and less nuanced finish, it would've actually worked better). The dreck is what is left over (the non-match between Show and Lesnar and the instantly-forgettable Tag Titles bout). I can see Ruthless Aggression superfans calling this one of the best shows of that era, but I'm certainly not a member of that minority. Are you?

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WWE Hell in a Cell 2016

WWE Hell in a Cell 2016

Boston, Massachusetts - October 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Kevin Owens is the reigning WWE Universal Champion while Roman Reigns holds the United States Championship. The New Day are still your WWE World Tag Team Champions, TJ Perkins is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and Sasha Banks holds the RAW Womens' Championship.

COMMENTATORS: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton

Hell in a Cell 2016 kicked off with the first of three cell matches - Rusev vs. Roman Reigns for Reigns' United States Championship match. Relatively slow-paced and full of weapons, Rusev and Reigns delivered a pretty good hardcore match - but a Hell in a Cell? Not really. As would be the problem for the two cell matches that followed, the lack of blood put on a ceiling on the drama and I'm just not really a fan of matches built around steel steps spots. Rusev busted out a kendo stick at one point, striking Reigns right across his chest protector in one of the more silly sequences. There was at least one great sequence of wrestling leading up to a Superman Punch and Rusev's chain-assisted Accolade made for a great visual, but this match was less interesting than the pull-apart brawl they had at SummerSlam. (3/5)

Bayley took on Dana Brooke next. This match was ripped to shreds by many, but I didn't find it too distasteful. Dana Brooke is a face tattoo away from being Luna Vachon. Very deliberate, highly choreographed work. Clean finishes are a good thing and this one didn't overstay its welcome, but that's about the best that can be said about it. (1.5/5)

Commercials galore.

Jericho is backstage with Mick Foley and Stephanie for a filler segment.

The action continues with Enzo and Cass taking on Gallows and Anderson. The more abstract and weird that Enzo gets with his pre-match schtick, the more I appreciate him. Speaking of Enzo, his offense looked noticeably better here than in recent months and it should be fun to see him tangle with the similar-sized members of the New Day (as you'd have to believe that feud is coming sooner than later considering they're the only two tag teams on RAW that are remotely over). Gallows and Anderson may have been "big in Japan," but in America, they are irrelevant and dull. Another ho-hum match that was thankfully kept short and ended clean. (1.5/5)

We're back in the Cell for the WWE Universal Championship match - Kevin Owens defending against Seth Rollins. You know a show isn't very good when you don't get your first great spot of the night until 90 minutes in and you've already had a Hell in a Cell match. Stiff, action-packed, with good character work, but a lack of selling took me out of the first half, particularly one sequence where both Owens and Rollins were landing great-looking superkicks but treating them like Duane Gill chest chops. Rollins hit an impressive suplex on the apron before we got some much-needed shenanigans in the form of a fire extinguisher and the arrival of Owens' best friend, Chris Jericho. I really enjoyed Y2J's involvement, his presence taking this Hell in a Cell match somewhere relatively fresh. Despite being at a 2-on-1 disadvantage, Rollins connected with an incredible powerbomb on Owens through two tables leading to an Eddie homage frogsplash and a big near fall. I didn't particularly like the finisher kickout that followed, but the vicious chairshots that Rollins suffered definitely worked. A very good match that probably could've been considered great if it had been slowed down and significant moves were treated as significant. Instead, the "go-go-go" of this match worked against it as almost nothing these two did registered as effective. (3.5/5)

Brian Kendrick challenged TJ Perkins for his Cruiserweight Championship next. The crowd could not have cared less about this and, while I'm an admitted Kendrick mark, I was equally bored by this one. Where are Perkins' signature moves? His Detonation Kick is sweet, but aside from that, I'm not sold on him being a fresh and exciting performer. Even on the main roster, we've seen better high-flying out of Kalisto and Neville. Kendrick hit a nifty belly-to-back into a cradle at one point too. Dull start to the match leading to a finish that was too derivative to fool anyone in the crowd. (1/5)

The New Day defended their WWE World Tag Team Championships against Sheamus and Cesaro in the next contest. Considering the amount of experience in the ring, I was surprised how sloppy this one started, Cesaro and Woods not grooving as well together as one might've expected.  A decent enough schmoz finish wrapped up a match that was definitely better than the first tag bout of the night but nothing worth seeking out. The New Day need new challenges that are booked as credible threats to them and, while Sheamus and Cesaro are better-than-average workers, they weren't positioned as potential usurpers nearly well enough for this match to have any real suspense. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Charlotte challenging Sasha Banks for her WWE Womens' Championship in Banks' hometown of Boston. Both women got lavish entrances after an excellent video package really set the tone for this history-making showdown. While every other cell match began with the cage already on the floor, Charlotte and Banks got into the ring when it was still hanging overhead, essentially telegraphing how this fight would begin. Banks took a huge powerbomb through an announcer's table and the match, which had not yet begun, was seemingly cancelled on the spot. While it was obvious the match wouldn't end this way, credit must be given to Banks and Charlotte - lesser actors would've bungled the story, but Banks' tears seemed real and Charlotte's grating, obnoxious celebrating made it impossible not to want to see her get her ass kicked. Once the match started back up, the two women proceeded to put on the match of the night and one of the best matches of the year. Nothing that the men had done in their cell matches seemed original, while this one featured a variety of fresh spots, partially because Banks and Charlotte have the speed and agility of cruiserweights and, as far as I can recall, we've never seen two out-and-out cruisers in a cell match. Hence, we saw monkey flips into the cage wall, huge crossbodies, and double knees that were delivered with more intensity than anything the men did. Unlike Rusev and Reigns, whose use of weapons seemed perfunctory, Charlotte utilized chairs and tables to target Banks' injured back, at one point sending her through a chair with a spinning sidewalk slam. In return, Sasha had her best babyface performance yet - trying her best to outwrestle Charlotte throughout but not being afraid to get violent (the double knees in the corner onto a chair was a particularly kickass moment). As the match winded down, the drama increased, Flair eventually ramming Banks' head into the corner of the steps in a rapid motion that looked like it should've opened her up hardway. What appeared to be a botched table spot on the outside eventually sequenced into Charlotte locking in the Figure 8, but Sasha would not quit, bashing the hell out of Flair with a chair. This led to a riveting and emotional forearm-trading stretch in which Charlotte's demands of "Respect Me!" seemed like they came from deep inside her soul, her character's true motivation beyond just holding the WWE Womens' Championship finally coming to light. Sasha tried valiantly to hoist Charlotte up for a powerbomb through a table, but ultimately fell short, the toll of the match making it impossible for her to seal the deal. The actual finish was abrupt and underwhelming, an unfortunately anti-climactic ending to a match that delivered some tremendous violence, remarkable character work out of both performers, and an emotional weight that neither of the previous cell matches even bothered to attempt. A stronger ending would've thrust this even higher on my rating scale, but expect to see this one on my Year End's list. (4/5)


With only one match worth seeking out, Hell in a Cell 2016 (and its 2.43-out-of-5 Kwang score) was a below-average show that no one will ever want to revisit. While the main event was a must-see affair, Rusev/Reigns and Owens/Rollins were the kind of instantly forgettable matches that have thoroughly deflated the entire concept of the Hell in a Cell as a gimmick match. Now, its been many a year since what was once the most violent stipulation match in the WWE lost its defining quality, but one can still criticize the WWE for shoehorning this event (and its guarantee of not just one cell match, but multiple cell matches) into its yearly schedule instead of actually letting the need for a cell organically rear its head in a storyline.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WCW UnCensored 98'

WCW UnCensored 98'

March 1998 - Mobile, Alabama

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Sting is the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, the Outsiders are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, Booker T holds the TV Title, the US Champion is Diamond Dallas Page, and Chris Jericho holds the Cruiserweight Championship.

COMMENTARY: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Mike Tenay

Eddie Guerrero challenges Booker T for his World Television Championship in the opener. From the very start, this one is worked intelligently and the crowd eats up pretty much everything they do. Guerrero is excellent as the heel, initially trying to avoid Booker T and buy time, but then getting vicious when he is able to score the upper hand. Booker T, meanwhile, may not have been the most polished worker yet, but his enthusiasm is contagious and the crowd was definitely hugely behind him. The type of match that makes one miss the Television Championship and what it stood for - solid storytelling, clear heroes and villains, urgency, and palpable drive to defeat your opponent to achieve a true goal. I would've liked Guerrero to get more violent during the post-match, but overall, a strong opening contest that was borderline great. (3.5/5)

Next up, a rematch from several years before (and one of the most truly fucked up matches I've reviewed), Juventud Guerrera taking on the nWo's Konnan. Unlike their notoriously botchy and almost kayfabe-breaking match-up at Fall Brawl 96' (which I still gave 4-stars), in this one, they seem like they're on the same page for the most part which makes for a more comfortable viewing. Konnan dominates again, but that was always his best role in WCW anyway - tossing around cruiserweights and acting like a total bully. Meanwhile, Guerrera is perfectly fine as an underdog, though, not nearly as good as Rey Mysterio. There are some great spots throughout this match, some daredevil bumping by Guerrera, and some impressive offense out of K-Dawg, but the finish is so "out of nowhere," it really hurts any sort of credibility the match had built up. (2.5/5)

The WCW Cruiserweight Championship is on the line when Chris Jericho defends against Dean Malenko. A month prior, Jericho had had won of his best matches yet against Juvi and he steps it up again here, shifting organically from cowardly, ass-showing heel to vicious, corner-cutting villain over the course of the match. Malenko, mild-mannered and cool, is a great foil to the brash Jericho and their in-ring chemistry is hard to ignore. Their feud, up to this point, had emphasized Malenko's tremendous offensive repertoire and Jericho's jealousy (and ludicrous claim that he knew even more moves than the Iceman), but the match doesn't go to extreme bounds to play that up - for better or worse. While it may have been fun to see Jericho try his hand at dozens and dozens of increasingly complex submissions, as his comedic promos may have alluded to, it's not a knock against the match that, as the match goes on, both competitors are more interested in winning than just dazzling the crowd with innovative spots (and Jericho calling out things like "This is #634!" doesn't last longer than minute 2). (3.5/5)

Lex Luger takes on the nWo's newest member - Scott Steiner - next. On paper, this seems like a terrible match, especially in 1998 (had it happened in 90'/91', it would've been a fairly big deal), but with a very short running time and Steiner wrestling a sell-first style unlike anything we'd ever seen out of him before, it's a pretty fun sprint. That being said, the execution of both Steiner and Luger is far from flawless, but the crowd pops for the big moments and the match is lean enough that it almost seems like all big moments. The finish is clusterfuckery, but it keeps everyone looking strong and signals to the match that fans were really craving - brother vs. brother, Rick vs. Scott. (2.5/5)

In 1998, three-way matches weren't unheard of to most wrestling fans (ECW's first pay-per-view, Barely Legal, from almost a year earlier had featured one), but for WCW, a true triangle match was still a novelty. Fortunately, the workers involved here were three of the most creative that WCW had to offer - Chris Benoit, Raven, and United States Champion, Diamond Dallas Page. Unlike in today's typical three-way, Raven, Benoit, and Page stay in close proximity for the vast majority of the match, cutting off eachother's pin attempts and really delivering the non-stop action that matches like these should provide. Pinfalls count anywhere, which adds an extra element to the match and promotes the usage of high-risk and hardcore wrestling out of all three men, the fight even ending up at the entrance way at one point. On commentary, Schiavone and Tenay do a nice job of retelling some history to make it clear that all three men are tough enough (and crazy enough) to go to extremes to win the match. Things get crazy when the weapons come into play, all three men giving and taking some vicious shots as the match devolves into a violent brawl. The first misstep is a lame, botched table spot near the entrance way, but by this point, the crowd had seen so much, it doesn't damper their spirits in the least. Page's crawl back into the match may be a trope now, but back then, his immense popularity and the freshness of the stipulation allowed it to work in a way it really can't in 2016. Back in the ring, Benoit's dismantling of Raven is awesome, the ex-ECW star selling with the kind of gusto that only comes from knowing you are tearing the house down (and have even more A+ stuff on the way). The final spot of the match isn't pretty, but its hard to fault the performers when part of the fun of this match, for the audience and seemingly for the participants, was to take every risk imaginable and innovate without a net. Well worth checking out. (4/5)

As JJ Dillon had announced earlier, the powerbomb is legal in the next contest - Kevin Nash vs. The Giant in a rematch from Souled Out 98' (which, itself, was a rescheduling of their cancelled match at Starrcade 97'). Nash arrives first with a cocky grin followed by The Giant (who has no entrance music, but is sporting a neck brace). There's some intimidating posing out of both men and then kung fu comedy out of Nash, these two obviously not looking to take the same risks they took in their surprisingly athletic exhibition in January. Say what you will about how the nWo had made WCW look like chumps for all of 97', by this point in the feud, the crowd would still rally behind guys they believed could thump the villains and The Giant was one of em'. Nash takes more bumps in this match than I think he's taken post-2005, but aside from a single bodyslam, there was not much meat to this. A dumb run-in makes the drama of the Jacknife Powerbomb being legal moot. (1.5/5)

Bret Hart takes on Curt Hennig next. While this pales in comparison to their matches at SummerSlam 91' and the first King of the Ring PPV, its still worth watching for fans of either guy, especially considering that neither would go on to produce any real classics from this point on. I particularly like Rude's consistent involvement and Hart's resiliency and focus - this is Bret doing the Bret of 92'-96' in front of a 1998 crowd that had moved on from that type of storytelling, which makes it an interesting watch, even if it isn't the best bout of the night. Above-average based on their chemistry alone, but certainly a step down in terms of heat from what Bret had done with Austin, Michaels, and Undertaker in the WWE a half-year earlier. (3.5/5)

The WCW World Heavyweight Championship is on the line - Sting defending the title against Scott Hall, who had won this opportunity by being the sole survivor in November's World War 3 battle royale (who woulda thunk WCW would actually hold up the guaranteed title shot from that match 4 months later?). The best bits of this match are Hall's - his bumping and clowning were really second to none at this point, though, Sting had lost so much credibility at Starrcade (and in the months after) that this match has absolutely none of the "big title fight" feel that his first defense could've (and should've) had. In 1998, having Dusty Rhodes as your wingman in what was supposed to be a "too cool for school" stable was just an awful idea. This was a pre-Memba Berries era and Dusty was only a hair hipper than Lee Marshall at the time (hell, if Chris Cruise had joined the nWo it would've made more sense than the Dream doing it). At under 10 minutes and featuring Sting doing a "crotch chop" (because that was a "cool" thing that faces did in the late 90s), this match seems like the death knell for the Crow gimmick and any chance of Sting being booked as a legitimate champion in WCW. (2/5)

Main event time - "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan vs. "The Maddness" Randy Savage. What is really surprising about this one is just how motivated Hogan seems, especially compared to Sting, essentially proving that the poor booking of the Stinger and the continued dominant booking of the Hulkster may have actually been a good idea. Macho is pretty animated but he's slowed down since the feud with DDP and, against Hogan, can't get nearly as brutal with his offense. There are all sorts of ridiculous moments to this match, including a finish and post-match that are beyond dumb, but one can't argue that the old timers got lazy here - they blade, they go at eachother with stiff belt shots, and Savage takes a hell of a back body drop into the cage wall. Far from the best cage match WCW ever produced, but not nearly as embarrassing as some of the ones Hogan produced against The Giant or the Dungeon of Doom in 94'/95'. Again, the post-match is inarguably one of the worst "swerves" WCW would throw against the wall in a year full of mindless garbage booking. (1.5/5)



Don't let the 2.72-out-of-5 average score fool you - this is a show for only WCW's most faithful fans, those people out there who can actually appreciate what Hogan and Savage are able to accomplish despite themselves, who can watch a lesser Hart/Hennig match and recognize the quality storytelling (even as the crowd takes a siesta), who can turn back their mental clock and get caught up in the innovation and excitement of the excellent triple threat match while ignoring the fact that nearly every spot here has been done and redone countless times since. This is a show that "smart" fans will enjoy partially because of how of its times it is - and how easy it is to watch and pick apart (Booker T and Eddie Guerrero in an opening match? The Disciple showing up in a main event? Juventud Guerrera maskless? What was WCW thinking?!?). But there's far funnier ways to spend 3 hours on the WWE Network if its comedy you're looking for.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver