WCW Great American Bash - July 5th, 1986

WCW Great American Bash: July 5th, 1986

Charlotte, North Carolina - July 1986

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this supershow, Ric Flair was the NWA World Champion, his stablemate Arn Anderson was the TV Champion, and Mid-Atlantic Champion was Black Bart. Denny Brown was the Junior Heavyweight Champion, while the World Tag Team Champions were the Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey). Finally, the World Six Man Tag Team Champions were Dusty Rhodes and the Road Warriors.

COMMENTARY: None

The Great American Bash originated as an NWA tour (not an annual PPV like it would become in future years) and this edition, from early July 1986, is the first of the shows available to watch on the Network. 

After a showing from a precision skydiving team and an instrumental rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, Denny Brown defends his NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship against "Mr. Electricity" Steven Regal (not to be confused with Lord Steven "William" Regal). Brown and Regal have some good exchanges and there's a spattering of pro-Denny chants sprinkled into the match, but this wasn't too attention-grabbing. I like how these Brown and Regal actually work the headlocks that they build the match around, both guys really showing the struggle of maintaining/resisting the hold. The match picks up in intensity as it goes on, especially as the announcer (on the PA) starts counting down the minutes. Unfortunately, without color commentary, unless you are very familiar with these two guys, its hard to appreciate this one because neither guy is particularly colorful as a worker. I liked the post-match bit too, especially the elderly woman making her way as close as possible to Denny Brown to cheer him on. (2.5/5)

Next up - the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Black Bart takes on the wildly popular Robert Gibson of the Rock n' Roll Express. I'm used to seeing Ricky Morton in singles action based on his heel run in the early 90s, but less familiar with what Robby would do in this context. The crowd, especially the high-pitched women, show their support for Gibson early and often, popping big for anytime he gets some offense in or dodges one of Bart's maneuvers. Its interesting to see Black Bart actually wrestle too, as the few matches of his I've seen have all been wild brawls. Gibson brings Bart down with a headlock takedown and they lie in it for awhile (a bit too long for my taste), but when Bart takes over, things pick up nicely. Gibson is a dramatic salesman and Bart's offense is high-impact and varied. Aside from uppercuts and chokes, he busts out a back body drop and a pair of "stungun" slams on the top rope and then the steel barricade. Bart hits a double leg-drop and then a big clothesline before shoving Gibson into the corner. Gibson fights back, though, with some big right hands that Bart sells expertly. Gibson catches him with a crossbody out of the corner and shocks the crowd with a big pin! I'm not sure if this was a title match, but the announcer does not announce him as the new Mid-Atlantic Champion so I'm guessing it was not. Good match. (3/5)

The unmistakable Minnesota Wrecking Crew make their way to the ring for the next bout. Their opponents in this "Special Challenge Match" are Sam Houston, who gets a big round of applause from the crowd, and Nelson Royal. I had to look up who Nelson Royal was because I'd never heard of him - which isn't too surprising because his prime years were a good decade or two before I was born. The match begins with Arn and Houston in the ring, Double A jawing at Royal after steamrolling Houston with a shoulder block. Houston eventually lands a hiptoss for a big pop. Ole comes in and Houston tags in Royal, the two "elder statesmen" in the match locking up. Royal was a junior heavyweight in his day, but he doesn't back down from the larger Ole. Arn comes in and sells beautifully for Royal - its the kind of performance that will instantly remind modern fans of The Revival at their best. The Andersons cut the ring in half, though, and get to work on Royal's arm. Royal escapes a wristlock and tags Houston back in, the youngster taking out both Andersons with his big right hands. I wasn't super impressed with Houston's work at Starrcade 85', but he's pretty solid here in a tag context. Granted, a major part of that might be based on how good Arn Anderson is - every little thing he does is magic. Notice the way he prevents Houston from making a hot tag by wrapping his legs around his knee at the last possible minute, or the way he feeds into Royal without just merely walking into the veteran's punches. This is one of the better Ole performances I've seen too - which isn't necessarily saying much as I haven't seen all that many Ole matches - but compared to other bouts, he's more animated, more active. The Andersons' focus on Royal's shoulder allows them to slow things down and heat them back up at will, which they do repeatedly without ever bringing things too far into a lull (though, things get close around the 10 minute mark). By this point, even just after 10 minutes, though, the match has already felt like a more intense war than practically anything the WWE offers, even if the high spots have been mostly hiptosses. Houston eventually comes in for the hot tag and the crowd explodes, the match devolving into a melee. Houston gets the blind pin, but Ole cracks him in the back of the skull when the ref's back is turned. I enjoyed the heck out of this. (3.5/5)

Here we go with another wild one - "The Ragin' Bull" Manny Fernandez vs. Baron Van Raschke (with Paul Jones at his side) in an Anything Goes Bunkhouse Match. The "bunkhouse" stipulation means that Fernandez and Raschke are both dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt - which isn't odd for Fernandez, but makes Raschke look even odder than he usually does. Who told him a yellow tee-shirt was a good idea? Fernandez is not afraid of getting bloody and Raschke was an established heel so the crowd is pretty hot for this. At Starrcade 85', the blood was flowing fast and thick from basically the second match on, so I was surprised to see them actually deliver some straight-up wrestling before the weapons came out - specifically some type of spike that Raschke uses to essentially stab Fernandez in the forehead. Raschke then uses a leather strap on the Bull, using it both to choke and whip him. Raschke's decision to use his own belt leads to him sagging like a gangsta rapper in 94'. Fernandez rallies and gets to whipping before delivering a very weak flying clothesline (that Raschke doesn't seem to know how to take). Fernandez pulls Raschke's shirt over his head, which lessens the serious and grisly nature of the contest just as much as seeing Raschke's pants practically fall down to his ankles. Fernandez goes for a flying forearm but Raschke dodges and the Bull ends up on the grass (yes, there were no pads around the ring because this show was held in an outdoor field). Raschke takes over, sending Manny into the barricade neck-first. Raschke attempts to bodyslam him back into the ring, but Fernandez rolls him up for a flash pin...in a death match? This was too weird for me - from Raschke's plumber-ish get-up to the comedic sight of the Baron's pants practically falling to his ankles to the inside cradle finish, it just didn't seem to find the right tone despite it being a violent, bloody match at its core. (2/5)

Jimmy "Jam" Garvin (with Precious) takes on Wahoo McDaniel in the next bout. This is a strap match, with Garvin and Precious stalling for the first few minutes by making out and doing all sorts of other nonsense. It gets plenty of heat from the Charlotte crowd. Eventually McDaniel grows tired of it and just starts whipping on Garvin. Garvin tries to put distance between himself and Wahoo, rolling out of the ring and jawing with the crowd. Eventually he gets back into the ring and locks Wahoo in a headlock, but McDaniel uses the strap to break the hold by putting it between Garvin's legs and lifting him up. He uses the strap to toss Garvin across the ring, but Jimmy Jam puts on a front headlock and then gets to stomping. Out of the ring they go for a tug-of-war sequence that ends in a total goof-up as McDaniel, backing up, accidentally trips through the barricade. Garvin jumps on it and beats him down in the grass. Well, it wasn't pretty but they do a nice job recovering and working it into the match as Wahoo ends up getting some serious color on his forehead. Garvin wraps the straps around Wahoo's hands and then drops two big knees onto his skull. With Wahoo's hands tied, Garvin tries to tag the four corners but Wahoo fights back and the two men get to trading blows. Wahoo takes over on offense and now its Garvin whose bloodied with his hands hogtied. McDaniel attempts to tag the corners, but Precious trips him and Garvin goes up top - only to get pulled right down! McDaniel hits a big elbow drop and hogties Garvin, pulling him to all four corners despite Precious screaming and slapping him in the face!  After the match, Garvin tries to get his heat back, but Wahoo barely sells for him, essentially no-selling the post-match attack. I'm not a huge Wahoo fan, but I did enjoy Garvin's efforts - he looks far better in this than he did in most of the Freebirds matches I remember him wrestling from when I was a kid. (2/5)

Tully Blanchard makes his way down the aisle next with JJ Dillon in tow. Blanchard was the NWA National Heavyweight Champion at the time and is sporting the gold. His opponent is "Rugged" Ron Garvin, who has Wahoo McDaniel in his corner, and was known as the Man With Hands of Steel. This match - a Taped Fist/Boxing match - has an absolutely terrific opening with Blanchard trying to sneak attack Garvin only to get back body dropped over the moon and then slugged right in the face. Instead of the match starting instantly, Blanchard really sells this unexpected beating, with Dillon needing to revive him by splashing water in his face. Garvin, meanwhile, needs to be held back from decking Blanchard's lights out. When the bell is rung, Garvin essentially knocks him out cold with a series of jabs, forcing Dillon to revive him with smelling salts. Blanchard gets back on his feet but it is all Garvin, with Tully dropping in the corner. Blanchard goes for a kick, but Garvin grabs him by the leg and knocks him back down with one punch. Blanchard stumbles out of the ring looking completely punch drunk. Blanchard goes to the corner and tries to cover up, eventually forcing Garvin to give him some space. With the ref's back turned, Blanchard goes for another sneak attack - but Garvin catches him with a big right hand and Blanchard is out cold. Dillon jumps into the ring to stop the count and ask for a timeout, buying time for his client. Blanchard uses the ropes to pull himself back up, but he's not on his feet long. At this point, Tully has a small cut on his forehead for Garvin to exploit. Garvin strikes with two big headbutts and Garvin continues his dominance. This match started out with lots of excitement and great bumping from Tully, but its gotten really repetitive at this point. On one hand, the fact that they start trading actual wrestling holds for a minute is a breath of fresh air - on the other hand, it doesn't really make much sense that Garvin would want to turn this into a wrestling match after how easily he's maintained control with simple strikes. For every shot Blanchard gets in, Garvin seems to hit 5 more. Blanchard wisely pulls Garvin by his tights and sends him headfirst into the post, the kind of transition this match needed 5 minutes earlier. Blanchard goes to the outside and sends him into the post again before dumping a bucket of water on his own head in an attempt to get back into this match. Garvin is bloodied now and its Blanchard whose getting the big strikes in. Wahoo comes in to try to revive Ronny during one of the round breaks, but Tully maintains control. Garvin "hulks up," but Tully stays on him, bodyslamming him to the mat and then hitting him with two big elbow drops and a knee to the skull. Garvin starts no-selling again, but unlike Hogan or the Road Warriors, he still lets Tully's offense register. Out of the ring they go and McDaniel hits Blanchard with an atomic drop into another Garvin right! Garvin is back in control, hitting Tully with a series of big shots right before another round break. During the break, Dillon re-tapes Tully's fist. Garvin continues striking him and Tully goes down face-first into the mat. Blanchard pulls himself back up and tries a headlock, only to get suplexed. Tully goes to the top rope and attempts a flying punch (I think?), but gets caught by Garvin and both men are down. Dillon springs into action, trying to revive his man with a towel. Wahoo grabs a bucket of water and throws it into Garvin's face and Garvin is up first, beating the count! This one is over. This was a bit of a mixed bag to me - I loved Blanchard's work and Garvin's strikes did look good, but it went long and, without the aid of commentary or being 100% clear on the rules of a Taped Fist match, there were times I was a tad confused as to what was legal and what wasn't. Blanchard went out of his way to make Garvin's strikes look devastating, but it borderlined on overselling at times - to the point that, even when Tully was "in control," I never felt like Garvin was in too much trouble. The post-match argument between Dillon and the ref is the kind of thing that I'm sure old school NWA fans will appreciate, but I found a bit tedious by this point. I can see some people really, really loving this match, but I wouldn't consider a true "must see" classic. (3/5)

The Road Warriors take on Nikita and Ivan Koloff in a Double Chain Match next. These WCW/NWA supercards were really loaded with gimmick matches, weren't they? The Koloffs go for some pin attempts early to no success as the Warriors end up dominating things early. Nikita is able to use the chain to get some offense in on Hawk while Animal works on Ivan, whose bleeding by minute 3. Animal hits a powerslam off the top rope for 2 as Hawk wails on Nikita with the chain. Animal choking a bloodied Ivan in the middle of the ring is a great visual, even if this match is definitely short on storytelling and psychology. I like that the Road Warriors actually sell for the Russians and let them get some heat on them for a stretch, even if its a pretty brief one. The ref takes a bump out of the ring and then ends up with Hawk on top of him and, oddly, this leads to a visual pin on Animal by Ivan - something you normally wouldn't see a heel team get. Paul Ellering gets involved and helps his team score the victory but the fighting doesn't stop there. The Koloffs double-team Hawk, clotheslining him off the ropes with the chain. Animal runs them out, though, and the babyfaces celebrate. Not bad stuff, but not great either. (2.5/5)

Pez "Shaska" Whatley takes on Jimmy Valiant next in a Hair vs. Hair Match. I had to look up the storyline of this match as I was unfamiliar with it. Whatley and Valiant were one-time partners but "Shaska" took offense to some comments Valiant made about him being only the best black athlete (not the best athlete period). Neither guy is a particularly great in-ring worker, but Valiant always came through with the energy and the crowd was undeniably behind him. Valiant ends up bloody from one of Whatley's punches (I suppose) and Shaska locks him in a headlock to try to drain him of even more energy. Valiant uses the crowd support to get back on his feet and the Boogie Woogie Man looks like he might turn things around. Whatley keeps the pressure on, cutting off Valiant's hope spots with relative ease. Whatley eventually sets him up in the Tree of Woe and puts the boots to him before distracting the ref and allowing Paul Jones to choke him with his baton. Like the Blanchard/Garvin match, no matter how much I personally like Valiant's bumping and selling, it gets a bit repetitive after awhile to see him get clobbered, start dancing and "revving up," only to get clobbered again. At one point, Whatley actually gets a clean 3-count because Valiant's kickout is so lazy or he simply zoned out for a minute. Its a noticeable gaffe and seems to inspire the boys to take it home, with Valiant "hulking up" and locking Whatley in a sleeper until Baron Von Raschke shows up to held out his stablemate. Fernandez shows up too, though, and we've got a Pier 6 brawl on our hands! Valiant grabs Raschke's loaded black glove and clocks Whatley in the face for the 3! With help from a whole cadre of babyfaces, Valiant uses clippers to shave Whatley's head much to the delight of the crowd. After doing the deed we get the classic moment of Whatley waking up to the indignity of being bald, a classic 'rasslin' trope if there ever was one. Speaking of shaving, if they had shaved a few minutes off this, I think it would've been an improvement as the "meat" of the match was pretty repetitive. Still, because of the heat they generated and the post-match, I'd nudge this into average territory. (2.5/5)

The next match is being fought in an old-fashioned cage: Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, and Baby Doll taking on Bobby Eaton and Dennis Condrey, aka The Midnight Express, and their manager, Jim Cornette. I'm always a little bothered with the idea of tag team cage matches that aren't wrestled with "tornado" rules as it just seems weird to see two teams in what is essentially a "no holds barred," brutal match still following the rules of a classic tag style match. Fortunately, Magnum TA kicks things off by sending Eaton into the cage wall twice in rapid succession and then brings Dusty in to deliver stereo punches and elbows. Eaton is bloodied early but manages to tag Condrey in. Dusty tags TA back in and he delivers a forearm from the top before sending Condrey into the mesh. Baby Doll comes in and drags Condrey's face along the mesh, bloodying him up as well. Credit where credit's due, the ref manages to get everyone back to their corners after some free-for-all brawling. Cornette comes in, misses a big elbow drop, and immediately goes to the corner, the match devolving into a melee again. Magnum TA plays the face-in-peril essentially as the heels cut the ring in half. Bobby Eaton climbs the cage and hits him with a big forearm smash from the top rope before tagging in Condrey. Condrey tosses a bleeding Magnum into the cage wall and then clobbers him. TA fights back, but can't maintain offense. Eaton is back in and he attempts another top-of-the-cage forearm, but TA catches him with a punch to the gut. Magnum is still out of it, though, unable to make the tag. Another hope spot from TA as he goes for a sunset flip for 2. Dusty comes in and takes out Condrey. Baby Doll is in the ring and she goes right after Cornette. He may not be the legal man, but she gets the pinfall on him! This one is over! The heels leave the ring, but TA is a crumpled mess in the ring. Meanwhile, Big Bubba Rogers taunts Dusty from the outside, begging him to come out and fight him. Dusty takes the bait and gets "Pearl Harbor'd" as Baby Doll tries to climb out of the cage. Rogers hits Dusty with a shocking number of straight hands to the head as the Express holds him back. Its a simple-but-effective visual, especially in that day and age when straight punches to the skull were still somewhat of an illegal move. Plus Dusty does a blade job, which is basically the extent of his work this evening. This wasn't a technical masterpiece and I wish we would've seen Cornette get more of a comeuppance, but this was plenty entertaining for what it was. Still not quite a "must see," but very close. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Ricky Morton (with a facemask) vs. "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for his NWA (WCW) World Heavyweight Championship in a cage match. Before the match, the camera actually follows Ric Flair's arrival via helicopter for several minutes - it is an absolutely incredible arrival, maybe more grandiose than anything I've ever seen, and an immediate +1 on the scoreboard. Despite being the heel, Flair is mega over in Charlotte (natch). The bell rings but Flair is in no rush, pacing the ring a bit and trying to avoid contact with the cage. They lock up and Morton immediately goes at Flair's face, then grabs him with a headlock. They work their way to the corner and Morton rains down with a series of big right hands and then one more that drops Flair to his back. Flair with a headlock takedown, but Morton counters and rubs his face in the mat. Flair attempts to escape the cage, but Morton pulls him back by his trunks, exposing his rear to the crowd. Flair flop already! Flair sends Morton to the ropes, but Ricky counters with a landslide for 2. Flair shoves the ref and the ref shoves him to the mat! Flair is really working through all his signature bits pretty quickly here. They lock up again and back to the quarter they go - Morton rabbit-punching Flair, which he sells like someone tossed acid into his face. Flair is on overdrive, but mounts a bit of a comeback with a big chest chop that sends Morton into the corner. Back to the corner they go for more rabbit-punches and a big headbutt from Morton. Morton almost steals the win with a roll-up, but Flair manages to kickout. Flair begs off in the corner and they lock up again. I dig the rhythm of this match, with rapid flurries of offense broken up by each man sizing the other up. It establishes just how dangerous they both can be - Flair not wanting to full prey to Morton's emotional attack and Morton not wanting to make a simple mistake against the masterful technician. As soon as Flair takes control, the arrogance shines through, but it almost costs him dearly as Morton hits a crossbody for 2. Flair with a hiptoss. Morton comes back with a clothesline - but Flair gets his foot on the rope at 2. Morton connects with a series of fists to the skull but misses an elbow drop. Flair eventually pulls Morton's facemask off, revealing his broken nose. Flair sends Morton to the cage wall and Morton is busted open. Flair pulls him by his broken nose and sends him into again, mocking the Rock n' Roller by putting on his facemask and then tossing it out of the cage. Brilliant little twist there. Morton is a bloody mess and Flair is a master, rubbing his face along the unforgiving top rope/cable. Of course, Morton's selling is the stuff of legend too, so this entire sequence is excellent. Flair grinds his face into the cage and Morton is in obvious agony. Flair tosses him face-first into the cage for the third or fourth time. Flair hits his signature knee drop on the challenger and then jaws at someone in the crowd. Flair hits another chop and runs Morton's face on the top rope again, then brings him to the mat with a snapmare for 2. Flair hits a back suplex for 2. Flair follows it up with a vertical suplex but instead f going for the cover, he locks Morton in the figure four. Morton sells it like absolute torture while Flair grabs the ropes for leverage when the ref's back is turned. Is that even illegal in a cage match? I don't think it is, but whatever. Flair lets him go and Morton hobbles around before falling back to the mat. Flair now goes after him with a serious of big right hands. Morton tries an inside cradle, but Flair kicks out. Usually when someone gets color early in the match, by this point, their sweat has essentially rinsed it away but Morton is just bloodier and bloodier by the minute. Morton finally rallies with some big right hands and sends Flair into the cage. Morton hits Flair with a number of fists in the corner and Flair counters with an atomic drop, but Morton no-sells it and strikes with another right hand! Flair is bloodied now, sporting his own classic crimson mask. Morton locks him in a sleeper, but Flair doesn't just drop, he really tries to fight his way out. Flair gets to the ropes and the ref threatens to disqualify Morton. Morton grinds Flair's face into the mesh and drops him with another right hand. Morton climbs up top again and gets 2 off a crossbody! Flair tries to escape the cage, but Morton is right behind him. Morton hits him with some big rights on the top of the cage and Flair drops to the mat. Morton connects with a forearm off the top rope for 2. They trade blows in the corner and Flair takes a big bump into the middle of the ring before getting tossed into the cage wall again. Flair begs off, but Morton isn't backing down. Morton goes to the top rope and hits a dropkick, but again Flair kicks out at 2! Both men are exhausted, but Flair manages to make the cover. Flair's got his feet on the ropes but the ref doesn't see it. Flair gets the W and leaves with the gold. Its a bit of a mild ending to the match, but so much of the action was top notch that I'd still consider this well above average and the match of the night over all. (4/5)


I'm not too knowledgeable about NWA history, but from reading up on it a bit, this show was absolutely a "supercard" - though, as this show in particular occurred toward the start of the Great American Bash tour, it was not designed to deliver blow-offs to any of the major feuds. This could explain why many matches feature some sort of post-match angle to propel the stories to their next chapters, but we do have at least one feel-good moment in the form of Pez "Shaska" Whatley getting his head shaved. With Gordon Solie and Jim Ross on commentary, this would've been considerably more watchable - but as a show to keep on in the background at a party or when you're drinking with buddies, the visuals are enough to make it consistently fun and interesting. It also helps that the setting has a considerably different look than the shows of today (I'd love to see AEW do something similar, though I doubt they'd be able to fill a venue like Memorial Stadium, which held an estimated 20,000 fans). The main event is the only must-watch match on the show, but there are a couple others that almost get there but don't quite reach that level due to one issue or another (repetitiveness, a poor finish, lack of structure). With a Kwang Rating of 2.85-out-of-5, I'm comfortable giving this a...

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

WWE SummerSlam 2004

WWE SummerSlam 2004

Toronto, Ontario, Canada - August 2004

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: The WWE World Champion is JBL, while Chris Benoit holds the World Heavyweight Championship. The Intercontinental Champion is Edge, the US Champion is Booker T, and the Cruiserweight Champion is Spike Dudley. The WWE Tag Team Champions are London and Kidman and the World Tag Team Champions are La Resistance, who do not appear on the show. Finally, Trish Stratus was the reigning WWE Women's Champion. 

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler (RAW), Tazz and Michael Cole (SD)


In the spirit of the summer, I've opted to watch SummerSlam 2004 for the first time...

The show begins with a crazy cheap-looking video package hyping all of tonight's matches. I'm wondering if maybe the Network version has changed out the theme song because the music is noticeably corny...and yet its still an improvement from the "nu-rock" that they used to soundtrack their shows at the time.

Anyway, opening things up, as per usual, are The Dudley Boys (including Spike) taking on Rey Mysterio, Billy Kidman, and Paul London. The Dudleys do a nice job getting heat early, beating down on Paul London after an initial flurry of offense from the babyfaces. London eventually gets the hot tag to Mysterio, who comes in and goes after his rival Spike Dudley, hitting him with a huge springboard leg drop. Moments later he connects with a top-rope hurricanrana for 2 as well, Mysterio moving like its 96'. Mysterio takes out Bubba and D-Von for good measure before tagging in Kidman, who hits Spike with a flying back elbow. Kidman gets 2 after a BK Bomb and London comes in, the match falling into chaos. London and Kidman dropkick Bubba out of the ring and then London springboards off of Kidman's back to hit a somersault splash on Bubba to the outside! They got a huge pop for that. Mysterio hits the 619 on Spike and Kidman follows with the 7 Year Itch, but D-Von breks the count at 2.9! Kidman ends up eating a 3-D and Spike makes the cover to get the victory. That was about as good a Dudley match as I've seen in years and a red hot opener. (3.5/5)

Before the next match, we get a video recap of the Kane/Matt Hardy feud, which was based on Kane impregnating Lita. The winner of this bout would presumably get Lita's hand in marriage, a stipulation that hasn't aged well. Hardy goes right after Kane to start the match, using his quickness to hit Kane with some big strikes and even a nasty-looking tornado DDT. Hardy's dominance early ends with a single Kane uppercut and then a cut-off clothesline. Hardy regains control, though, eventually almost even winning the match via countout. Lita provides Matt Hardy with the ring bell and Hardy clocks Kane in the skull with it, but the Big Red Machine gets his foot on the rope. Hardy tries to hit a forearm from the top but nearly gets chokeslammed. Hardy counters and attempts his trademark neckbreaker, but Kane sends him to the ropes and hits him with a big boot. Kane goes to the top rope, ostensibly for his clothesline from the top, but Hardy follows him up and attempts a tornado DDT only for Kane to hit him with a HUGE chokeslam from the top rope for 3! I was expecting Lita to turn on Kane here, so kudos to the WWE for not going with that twist (at least not yet?). I'm usually not a fan of Kane matches, but that was pretty solid. (3/5)

Backstage, Randy Orton gets interrupted by John Cena, who was still in his rapper gimmick. Cena's mic work is cloying, but Orton is excellent. 

Back to the ring we go to see Booker T defend his United States Championship against the aforementioned John Cena. This was the first of a Best Of 5 series between the two that I don't recall hearing much about. Cena comes out to a big ovation as Cole explains how Cena was stripped of the US Title. Booker and Cena trade blows to start things off, Booker T trying to use his experience to stay in control. Booker hangs Cena on the top rope with an atomic drop and then clothesline him to the arena floor in a nice sequence. It is weird to hear a "Let's Go Cena" chant without the "Cena Sucks" response, but you can hear it briefly as Booker hits Cena with a series of rights to the head. Booker applies a rear chinlock, but Cena escapes and attempts a small package for 2. Booker clocks him with a clothesline to send him back to the mat but misses the axe kick. Cena comes back with some right hands and then a clothesline of his own. Cena hits a back elbow, but gets cut-off. Booker T does a Spinnerooni, but Cena surprises him with an F-U out of nowhere. That finish seemed a bit rushed to me after Booker controlled so much of the match, but that wasn't too bad. Plus, it doesn't really make sense that, even in a Best of 5 series, Cena wouldn't be awarded the US Championship after pinning the champion clean. I'd call this match slightly Below Average just because of how one-note it was. (2/5)

Backstage, Eric Bischoff approaches SmackDown GM Teddy Long and basically tells him that his days are numbered. Long responds by telling him that, win or lose, he'd bring Eric's nephew Eugene to the Blue Brand - and the offer goes to any RAW Superstar.

Batista and Chris Jericho challenge Edge for his Intercontinental Championship in a triple threat in the next match. Edge is supposed to be the hometown hero, but the Toronto fans are clearly in the corner of Jericho and, at certain points, Edge gets booed. I believe the feeling at the time was that Edge was getting too big of a babyface push, though, its funny - in 2019, a guy like Edge, who had worked hard for the company for 5+ years at this point, would've probably had the crowd support based on the idea that he'd been "held back" while Lesnar, Orton, and, within a year, Cena and Batista, all got "The Push" past him. Speaking of Batista, his timing is off at certain times, but he's well-protected for the most part. He doesn't come off as a megastar just yet, but like Cena, he certainly hits his signature spots with enough "oomph" to catch your eye. Jericho is the match's MVP as he's obviously directing most of the traffic and there are some good sequences. Overall, though, the most remarkable thing is the crowd response and the commentators playing it off as WWE being in "Bizarro Land" because they couldn't care less about Edge. (2.5/5)

In a rematch from WrestleMania XX, Eddie Guerrero takes on Kurt Angle next. This is a bit of a weird one as I expected these two to put on a clinic and it never quite clicked for me. The build-up to this match was all about how Guerrero had "cheated" (faked an ankle injury) at Mania to beat Angle and how Angle had then, weeks earlier, faked his own injury as SmackDown General Manager and screwed Guerrero out of the WWE Championship (that he had lost to JBL). The focus on faked injuries foreshadowed a match that would be all about ankle locks, and for stretches, that is what this match was all about - but how interesting is a match all about ankle locks going to be? The answer is not very. Guerrero and Angle work hard, no doubt, and there are some nice moments with clever counters and Angle, in particular, does an excellent job of focusing his efforts on Guerrero's ankle, but it almost seems like the very concept they're working is a creative dead-end. I'm a huge Guerrero fan, but by this point, his one-time innovative "shortcuts" had become predictable. I've read some reviews that consider this one of the pairing's best matches, but I wasn't wowed. Even on his worst day in 2004, Eddie Guerrero was going to give you something no worse than average, but I was expected a hidden gem and this didn't deliver. (3/5)

The next match pitted Triple H against Eric Bischoff's "special" nephew Eugene. The Eugene character is one of the worst the WWE ever created. It wasn't funny or clever at the time and it certainly hasn't aged any better. Now, if Eugene was just a terrible character relegated to filler matches on RAW, it would've been offensive and stupid - but making him the centerpiece of a major angle that Triple H treats deathly serious is practically against the Geneva Conventions. For some reason, this match goes nearly 15 (!) full minutes and, as the commentators laugh about being in "Bizarro Land," the audience shits on Eugene for most of it (though they do pop for his Stone Cold Stunner and Hogan-inspired Leg Drop). There is at one especially awful moment when Lawler brings up Eugene's "unexpected but tremendous strength" (an ugly, awful myth about people with cognitive disabilities) as he counters Triple H's attempt to suplex him outside of the ring. And just to prove he's an equal opportunity asshole, Triple H also tosses Lillian Garcia to the ground too for no apparent reason. I get that Triple H is the heel, doing nasty heel things, but this entire angle is so repulsive that Triple H doubling-down on it, stretching what should be a 5-minute squash to something three times as long, reeks of desperation, like Triple H forcing the audience to take this match and angle seriously by doing everything he possible can think of. The problem is that this match and angle wasn't serious. I'm not exactly sure what they were trying to accomplish with this match or this character, but if the goal was to entertain the audience, it didn't do a shred of that for me. (1/5)

The Diva Dodgeball Game is next. This is an embarrassment for everyone involved, but mostly for the writers and "creative" team that thought this would be remotely entertaining. I feel so terrible for Gail Kim, Trish Stratus, Molly Holly, and the other women's wrestlers that had to do this rather than actually show what they could do in the ring. Zero redeeming quality. (0/5)

The Undertaker challenged JBL for the WWE Championship in the next bout. JBL was a newcomer to the main event scene after years of working in tags, but he got good heat - partially because he wasn't anyone's definition of a great worker at the time. The hatred for the Undertaker at the time was slightly less explainable. He gets a decent response for his entrance, but within 5-6 minutes, the crowd is audibly booing both men. Its hard to make-out exactly what they're chanting, though I think heard "You Both Suck" and there is an unmistakable "We Want Flair" chant - despite Flair being well past his own "Best Of" date. In fact, while Taker would get even better in the years that followed, his performance here is relatively strong, even if its limited to big boots, leg drops, and just the occasional signature move (though he does bust out a nice superplex too). As Tazz and Cole talk more about Toronto being "Bizarro Land," a wave breaks out - something I didn't think happened back then when the crowd got bored. Hey, you learn something new each day. At one point, the crowd chants for a table spot, but Taker and JBL don't call the audible - maybe because that was being saved for Benoit/Orton? The final 3-4 minutes are solid, with Taker kicking out of a Clothesline from Hell and JBL managing to survive both a chokeslam and a Last Ride. Whether or not the crowd supported it back then (or if it was even the right call in hindsight), Taker undoubtedly worked hard to cement JBL's status as a legit World Champion. The finish is a bit lackluster as all sorts of shenanigans lead to a DQ, but they at least one the crowd over a bit. In the post-match, Taker bloodies JBL and eventually chokeslams him through the "roof" of a gimmicked limo. The live crowd loves the spot, but it looked incredibly phony on TV. Its funny - the parts of this match that the crowd shat on the most were the segments I didn't find too bad. I think modern viewers would like the whole presentation much more than the crowd did at the time. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Chris Benoit defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Randy Orton. At the time, this was a very controversial match/feud. Orton was a rising star in the WWE, but was still plenty green, while Benoit had essentially been given a "token" Championship run based on his experience and skill. The "feel good moment" he received at WrestleMania XX was never designed to last long, but it was still considered a very risky move to put the belt on such a young talent as Orton. Of course, there were also many who believed putting the title on Orton was being done to try to erase the legacy of Brock Lesnar, the previous holder of the "youngest World Champion ever" mantle. Then there was that pesky Triple H and his haters - many of whom suspected (and would soon be proven true) that putting the title on Orton was just a way to thrust the Evolution stable back into the main event - a main event that one could argue they never left. So, on this night, in Toronto, Benoit had the unenviable job of putting Orton over big time while still trying to save face and, in the best case scenario, position himself strongly enough to remain a cemented main eventer like Kurt Angle. While Benoit does everything in his power to do so - leading Orton by the nose through some pure wrestling at the start of the match and later, when necessary, taking some heinous bumps (a suicide dive into the barrier and a full-force headbutt onto Orton's outstretched feet) to pop the crowd - the match never quite reaches all-time classic status. Part of the problem is that the crowd, as in several other matches on this card, seem to be suffering from complete tunnel vision, specifically a desire to see a Spanish Table spot and apparently nothing else. The crowd doesn't really come alive for Benoit the way one would think a "smart" Canadian audience would. Maybe its because the "smarky" thing to do at the time was to boo the babyface, but its not like they come unglued for much Orton does either (which, to be honest, isn't all that much anyway). More than anything, the crowd just doesn't seem super engaged. The match goes 20 minutes, which does give it the "feel" of an epic and, though their feud wasn't very hot, Benoit's intensity does effectively make the stakes seem important. The ending is "out of nowhere," but that's kinda the point, right? Above average match, but not "must see." (3/5)


SummerSlam 04' started out with an excellent opener but steady declined in enjoyability as it went on. The biggest issue may have been the "Bizarro Land" crowd. Typically, fans "hijacking" the show makes me enjoy a show more - the unexpected jeering of babyfaces and rapturous support for villains often resulting in the in-ring workers loosening up, stretching their character a bit and improvising. We saw this at the second ECW One Night Stand show in 2006 and on various post-Mania episodes of RAW in recent times. There's even an early Halloween Havoc that benefits from a crowd "not playing along." But on this show, the crowd's unexpected reactions go from interesting and understandable (the anti-Edge sentiment) to outright hostile (the JBL/Taker match) to seemingly just plan disinterested (the main event). What were these fans expecting? What did they not get (aside from a Spanish Table spot)? The most over guys on the roster, at least in front of this crowd, seemed to be Cena and Jericho - though individual spots and moments get huge reactions elsewhere on the card. On paper, this show looks like it would've been a much bigger success, but with with a Kwang Rating of 2.28-out-of-5, the show is barely average. 

KWANG RATING - High Risk Maneuver

ECW: The Night The Line Was Crossed

ECW: The Night The Line Was Crossed

February 1994 - Philadelphia, PA

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the ECW Heavyweight Champion was Terry Funk, Sabu held the ECW TV Title, and the ECW Tag Team Titles were vacant. 

COMMENTATOR: Joey Styles

The Night The Line Was Crossed was not a PPV event but a VHS release put out by ECW (then known as Eastern Championship Wrestling). The video begins with an appearance from Tod Gordon, ECW's President, warning viewers that "Eastern Championship Wrestling isn't for everyone."

"Wildman" Sal Bellomo, dressed as an old Roman warrior, makes his way down the aisle for the opening contest, throwing toys into the crowd as he does so. I'm admittedly unfamiliar with Bellomo, so I'm not necessarily sure what's going on. His opponent is Mr. Hughes, seconded by the quote-unquote "Sexiest Man on Earth," Jason. Hughes and Bellomo tie up to start things off with Hughes gaining control, the match being fought at a snail's pace. Both guys' offense consists of mostly shoulder tackles and forearms with Hughes eventually putting the match to an end with an ugly sidewalk slam in under 5 minutes. Shit match with a half-point awarded for keeping it short. (0.5/5)

The Sandman and "Ironman" Tommy Cairo take on The Pitbull and Rockin' Rebel (also with Jason in their corner) in a Double Dog Collar Match next. This is pre-Zubaz & Metallica Sandman, which is always a bit jarring considering his later look would become so iconic. The lack of cameras available to capture the action is unfortunate as the one "hard cam" basically has to swivel back and forth as each pair of wrestlers take each other out with chairs in the early going. Rebel looks to be busted open early, but its hard to tell with the video quality. Sandman and The Rebel end up at the back of the arena where The Sandman gets backdropped onto (but not necessarily through) a table. The Pitbull and Cairo continue their work in the ring as Rebel and Sandman make their way back towards it. Rebel hits a nasty pilediver on a table on the outside to a big pop. With all four men back in the ring, the match goes into an awkward finishing sequence that eventually sees Cairo miraculously hit a belly-to-belly on Pitbull and make the three count with Sandman assisting him. The heels free themselves from the chain and double-team Cairo, but Sandman runs them off. This match had a few good spots, but not nearly enough to make it worth watching. The finish made no sense either as the heels had dominated this one from the start. (1/5)

The Public Enemy take on The Bruise Brothers (aka The Harris Twins, Skull & 8-Ball, The Blu Brothers, etc.) next. This is a messy brawl from the start with the Harris Brothers grabbing chairs and bashing their opponents with little regard for their opponent's safety. Big surprise considering they're white supremacist assholes. Again, the poor production quality prevents us from even seeing most of the action as they fight into the unlit stands. Rocco Rock eventually makes his way towards the concession stand and looks to be trying to set up a cool spot, but the Harris Brother he's working with doesn't figure out what it is so they abandon it. Back in the ring, the Harrises continue to dominate. By this point, Johnny Grunge has been opened up. Back into the crowd they go, the Harrises continuing to no sell what little offense the Public Enemy do get in. Again Rocco Rock tries to climb away but gets bodyslammed onto Joey Styles' table for his efforts in the best moment of the match - largely due to Styles' commentary. Johnny Grunge eventually turns the tides by throwing salt in the eyes of one of the Harrises and Rock decks him in the back with a 2-by-4. They then stack themselves on top to get a cover that elicits boos from the crowd. Yeah, it was a bullshit finish. This was basically the same match as the one before it only with nazis. (1/5)

A wrestling legend appears next - "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka taking on "Chippendale Era" Tommy Dreamer. As was common at the time, Dreamer gets booed when he is announced. Snuka gets a mild response too, though this is probably because he is accompanied by a nerdy, clearly heel manager, Hunter Q. Robbins III. In the front row, a fan holds up an "ECW: No Pretty Boys Allowed" sign, a clear reference to Dreamer. Snuka gets into it with a number of fans at ringside, drawing heat before a single punch is thrown. Its actually surprisingly clever work as the unpopular Dreamer gains some cheers just by sticking up for the fans. Of course, it runs a little too long as one can hear chants of "boring" sprinkled in towards the end. Snuka and Dreamer start things with off with some pretty pedestrian wrestling, Dreamer eventually hitting the Superfly with a pair of bodyslams and forcing him to the outside. If Dreamer had been more over as a babyface, this probably would've gotten a huge reaction but because much of the audience doesn't like Dreamer either, it doesn't quite work out that way. A "Piper" chant erupts to get under the skin of Snuka as Styles tries to sell it as the crowd getting behind Dreamer, which is debatable. To the outside they go, Snuka grabbing a chair and slamming it into the back of Dreamer. He tosses him back in the ring and hits him with a stomp and then a "vintage" Snuka chop off the ropes. After a backbreaker, Snuka heads to the top rope for his splash but takes his time getting up there. Snuka lands it, but Dreamer kicks out at 2! I wasn't expecting that at all, to be honest, and Styles does a good job selling it on commentary. Had this match actually had some real intense wrestling building up to that moment, it would've been bigger, but because it has been pretty ho-hum, it doesn't quite work. Snuka maintains control, drops an elbow and then goes up top again to hit a second pitch-perfect splash. This time, though, he doesn't make the cover, opting instead to strike him with more punches. Snuka then goes up for a third splash and connects! This time Dreamer stays down. Snuka headbutts the referee and continues to attack Dreamer, who is now bleeding out of his mouth. Snuka hits a FOURTH splash from the top as the crowd boos heavily. Tod Gordon arrives to help the referee and try to prevent Snuka from hitting a FIFTH splash, but gets clobbered with a forearm smash for his troubles. A number of babyfaces come out from backstage to stop Snuka, convincing him to retreat to the back. The "meat" of this match was nothing special and the pre-match shenanigans went on a little long, but everything after Snuka's first splash was smart booking and executed very well. I'm not an ECW historian so I'm not sure if this was "The Match" that made Dreamer a true babyface, but it certainly must've helped. As a whole, this was a pretty cool match/angle. (2.5/5) 

Kevin Sullivan & The Tazmaniac (Taz) vs. The Sheik and Pat Tanaka is the next match. This one barely goes 5 minutes, wrapping up before it even really starts. The Sheik throws a fireball from outside the ring into the back of Taz, but its barely even caught on camera and if you blink, you'll miss it. No big loss if you do. (0/5)

The next match is surprisingly awesome, pun intended, as Mike Awesome takes on JT Smith. I didn't realize Mike Awesome was around in 94' or that he was already a major ass-kicker. He is absolutely incredible here and the crowd appreciates what he does, chanting "Awesome" as he pulls off an insane suicide dive and a bunch of nasty power moves. Smith somehow ends up with the W via a flash pin, which would've been cool if we hadn't already seen similiar endings in the Public Enemy and Sandman/Cairo matches. After the match, Awesome goes to the top rope to attempt a splash on the referee, but the top rope falls off and he falls face-first into the ring. I'm not sure if he is selling the flub or genuinely got a concussion, but its a crazy moment. This is absolutely worth digging up; a very entertaining 5 minutes of sports-entertainment, intentional or not. I kinda just wish it all went on longer. (4/5)

Main event time - Sabu vs. Shane Douglas vs. Terry Funk for the ECW Heavyweight Championship. This is a 3-way Dance, but the stipulation is a bit different than your typical triangle match as Sabu and Douglas start things out in a 15-minute singles match with the winner going on to challenge Funk. This initial contest is a mixed bag - some of the work is sloppy and slow, but there's also bits of good hardcore violence, including a table spot that nearly ends the match. As there is no winner after the first 15 minutes, though, the match becomes a true Triple Threat, with Funk arriving and going right after Douglas as Sabu sells a knee injury on the outside. Funk and Douglas brawl in and out of the ring, the Funker eventually landing a piledriver on the floor that the camera is unable to capture. Funk tosses Douglas back into the ring and hits him with a pair of DDTs and then goes for a pin, for Douglas' manager, Sherri, breaks the count. To the outside they go, where Funk slugs Sherri and then hits a DDT on the floor. He then launches a number of chairs into the ring and asks the crowd for more, with some audience members tossing their seats to him. Funk stacks up the 5-6 chairs in the middle of the ring and DDTs Douglas into the pile, hurting himself in the process. Douglas uses the opportunity to go to the top rope and hit a splash onto Funk's back. The Franchise hits a belly-to-back and gets a 2 count. Out of the ring they go and Douglas sends Funk into the guardrail. This match has definitely picked up from the Douglas/Sabu stretch and the reason is purely Funk - his punches are world-class, his selling is great, and there's an unmistakable, unparalleled level of deliriousness to everything he does. It really is hard to predict what he's going to do next in this match, even if, in the end, its just another DDT or Funk blindly swinging for anything that moves (and nearly breaking his arm on the ring post). At one point, Funk busts out a roll-up and an inside cradle, and its genuinely shocking. Douglas exposes the top turnbuckle and bashes Funk's bloodied head into it, the referee unable to call a DQ (if it even would be) after getting tossed to the mat. Funk falls through the ropes in dramatic fashion and, intentionally or not, ends up hanging from them for a second in a great visual. Douglas continues his assault, stomping on Funk's head. He rolls him back into the ring and tries to send him into the exposed buckle, but Funk counters and its Douglas who hits the steel. Funk then hits him with a series of open-hand slaps followed by some big right hands in the corner. Into the crowd they go soon after, the camera nearly losing them in the dark stands. Funk hits an atomic drop and puts Douglas on the rail, embarrassing him further by pulling his trunks down. Funk goes after Sherri and a photographer, which gives Douglas a chance to slide into the ring. Funk chokes him out with some tape, but Douglas manages to escape and Funk ends up on the arena floor out of exhaustion. Sabu returns at this point, a portion of the crowd chanting his name. Funk wanders into the crowd, climbing his way to the announce stable. Funk grabs a microphone and demands that Sabu and Douglas come out to the crowd, but can't hear him because he has confused Styles' commentary mic for an actual microphone. Its a surreal moment in a match that is already plenty bizarre. Funk makes his way back into the ring and applies an ankle lock on Sabu, further damaging his knee. As 911 distracts the ref, Paul E. hits Funk with a phone, but Sabu is unable to make the cover. Douglas comes back into the fray and eats a neckbreaker from Funk. Funk then hits another one on Sabu and goes for a cover - - but Paul E. breaks it up at 2. Douglas continues to work on Sabu's bad knee as Sherri chokes Funk in the corner. A loud "Sabu" chant builds up as Douglas applies a headlock onto him only for Funk to apply a sleeper on Douglas at the same time! This sort of spot has obviously been done to death since, but, at the time, was pretty clever. Douglas clotheslines Funk out of the ring and stomps on Sabu's knee, eventually locking him up in a figure four. Sabu won't give up, though, grabbing the ref so that Paul E. can break in and rake the eyes of Douglas. Moments later, Sabu attempts a springboard moonsault but botches it on his first attempt. His second attempt goes much better and he attempts to follow it up with an even crazier move, but Sherri distracts him. Sabu continues to chase Sherri and Douglas beats down on Funk with a chair. Axl and Ian Rotten come out to try to protect Funk as Douglas and Sabu continue their match in the ring. Douglas hits a nasty fisherman brainbuster for two. Sabu tries a hurricanrana, but can't get Douglas over. Sabu then hits a big rope-assisted leg drop onto Douglas before applying a camel clutch. The Rottens arrive and a battle of chairs ensues, the match really deteriorating at this point. I understand that ECW and "hardcore wrestling" meant anything went, but what's the point of even having a referee if outright interference from random friends is legal? Even Styles seems surprised that the original match is still going on at this point. Axl Rotten proceeds to beat down Sabu, eventually even bringing him backstage, but Sabu re-emerges and the fight with Douglas continues. At this point, Funk returns too, Douglas egging him on. Dangerously and 911 beat down on Ian Rotten on the outside, the camera inexplicably more interested in this action than anything the actual match's competitors are doing. Douglas and Funk brawl their way out of the arena, the camera unable to actually follow them (though dozens of fans do). Funk ends up back in the ring first as Douglas then hits an atomic drop on Sabu onto the rail. Funk knocks out the ref and then hits Douglas with a low blow. Styles exasperated commentary is brilliant here as the announcer states the match has reached the 50-minute mark. Funk starts delivering headbutts but basically knocks himself out. Sabu then takes control, hitting Funk with a stiff clothesline followed by a big bodyslam. Sabu attempts a springboard moonsault but the ropes are too loose. He goes up to the top rope and hits a moonsault, landing squarely on Funk's legs. Sabu connects with another moonsault, this time hitting Douglas. Funk and Sabu both cover Douglas, but there's no referee to make the count! Douglas hits a piledriver and then front-suplexes Sabu on top of the Funker. Douglas goes for a cover on Funk and the ref wakes up enough to make a 2 count. Sabu regains control, launching himself onto Funk for another 2 count. Douglas hits a legdrop on Funk and then a strong vertical suplex, but can't make the count. Sabu splashes both men and it looks to be over - but both men kickout at 2! Sabu applies a clutch on Funk, but Douglas comes from behind and rakes Sabu's eyes in another cool visual moment. With 5 minutes left, Sherri jumps on Funk's back and gets suplexed for her troubles! Funk tries to apply the spinning toe hold on Sherri but Douglas connects with a big clothesline. Douglas attempts a piledriver on Sabu but gets back-dropped. Funk, with Sherri's boot in his hand, hits Sabu with a big low blow to a huge response from the crowd. Funk then uses the heel of Sherri's boot to needle Douglas in the ear. With under 3 minutes left, Funk hits Paul E. with an atomic drop and then inexplicably attempts to cover Sherri. Douglas comes off the top rope with a big splash, though, hitting both of his opponents. At one point, Douglas seems to have the match sewn up, pinning Sabu for well over 3 seconds but the referee is nowhere to be found. As the match winds down, there are more random pinfall attempts, but none for a full 3 count. The crowd erupts in applause at the match's conclusion, a nice show of respect to the hour of brawling these guys put in. I know this match is a personal favorite for some, but I'm not sure I'd even recommend it to most fans. It is overlong, has no actual finish, and the rules-free structure is too outrageous. Joey Styles' commentary is great, but there's only so much that can be said about the same handful of spots and sequences happening over and over again over the course of 60 minutes. This is too wild to be considered just average, but I tend to only reward matches with 4 points that I would want to watch again. I've got no real interest in doing that with this match. (3.5/5)


The Night The Line Was Crossed is considered an ECW "SuperShow" and maybe, in 1994, that is what it would've seemed like. Watching it in 2019, though, I was disappointed. Even if one can ignore the low production value, which does have its own charm, most of the matches are outright bad and lack even the slightest hint of logic. All three tag matches are basically the same and end with the same ridiculous finish of the dominant team basically tripping over a banana heel and costing themselves the match. Snuka/Dreamer has some truly inspired moments, but the "meat" of the match is really no better than the crap we saw in the opener. The Mike Awesome reverse-squash, aside from its stupid finish, is the most entertaining stretch on this entire show and it runs well under 5 minutes. As for the main event, it is regarded by some as a classic and, in a certain sense, it does represent everything ECW would become - it is wild, lawless, and shocking at times, but it never feels like a real title fight, like a match being structured with a clear beginning, middle, and end. With a Kwang Score of 1.79-out-of-5, The Night The Line Was Crossed is not where I would go to scratch my ECW itch...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

WWE Extreme Rules 2019

WWE Extreme Rules 2019

Philadelphia, PA - July 2019

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Seth Rollins is the Universal Champion while Kofi Kingston holds the WWE Championship. The Intercontinental Champion is Finn Balor and the United States Championship is held by Ricochet. The RAW Women's Champion is Becky Lynch, while Bayley holds the SmackDown Women's Championship. The IIconics hold the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships, The Revival are the RAW Tag Team Champions, and Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan are the SmackDown Tag Team Champions. Drew Gulak holds the Cruiserweight Championship and the 24/7 Champion is Drake Maverick.

COMMENTATORS: M. Cole, C. Graves, R. Young, B. Saxton, and T. Phillips

Extreme Rules 2019 kicked off with The Undertaker and Roman Reigns teaming up against Drew McIntyre and Shane McMahon in an "Extreme Rules" grudge match. When is the last time the Undertaker wrestled in the opening contest of a PPV? I feel like you'd have to go back at least 15+ years. Equally surprising was how little the Philadelphia crowd, usually a rowdy bunch, shit on this match. Taker has so much goodwill that even if the IWC is full of people that despise his never-ending non-retirement tour, they were drowned out by the thousands who still love the guy. This match was nothing special, though it did feature a few cool moments. Taker has undeniable aura and, though the commentators went overboard, did look better in this match than he did against Goldberg a few months ago. He clearly wanted to show he still had "it" and worked hard. Reigns played second fiddle but still hit a nifty spear on McIntyre at one point. McIntyre also had some time to shine, but he was far from dominant at any point. In fact, the "game changer" was Elias, a guy that I don't particularly hate but that sticks out like a sore thumb in this mix-up. If Drew McIntyre is a "Dino Bravo level" heel - which I'd argue he is at this point - Elias is basically Naked Mideon. Eventually, the heroes won again, which I was 90% sure was happening before the match. If this is the way the company wants to heat up McIntyre for a showdown with the Deadman, Vince McMahon and his Yes Men clearly deserve the plummeting TV ratings and criticism they've been getting for the past few months. Nobody's best day, but not terrible. (2.5/5)

The RAW Tag Team Championships were on the line next with The Usos challenging The Revival. When The Revival and #DIY were tearing it up in NXT a few years back, this would've been somewhat of a dream match - but this match had so much working against it that even if it had been a technical masterpiece with perfect execution, I'm not sure it would've ever resonated with the crowd. The first problem is that the rivalry between these two teams has been muddled since the outset with The Usos inexplicable face turn never firming up and The Revivals' title win and subsequent reign not feeling nearly as fresh and invigorating as it should be. Not only was this the second tag bout in a row (questionable sequencing no matter who had been in the opener), they also had to follow a match featuring The Undertaker and Roman Reigns, two of maybe seven guys on the current roster that feel like legit capital-M/capital-E Main Eventers. The crowd seemed generally disinterested and lukewarm to the effort put forth. Maybe in a vacuum this match could be seen as a success, but in this slot, in front of this crowd, with their current gimmicks, The Usos and The Revival could not make magic. (2/5)

Next up, another match that one could argue would be a "dream match" if the WWE had actually made the longterm effort to make it so - Aleister Black vs. Cesaro. Cesaro had been on a roll on RAW coming into this match, but that "roll" was all of what? 3-4 weeks? Cesaro spent the previous few years as a "tag team specialist" and while he has been very good in that role, being labeled as such means that, in singles, his matches don't have that "big fight feel." Black still has the aura that he had in NXT, but I still think he would've benefited more from having his big WWE main roster PPV debut be a total squash, where he absolutely mauled a lower-card guy, rather than having a back-and-forth match with Cesaro. That being said, this match was hard-hitting, featured some great technical wrestling, and Black's Black Mass finish looked powerful enough to vanquish anybody at any time. I still think this match would've been even better if Cesaro was coming off of months of dominant performances and Black was doing the same. Instead, Cesaro was really only mildly warmed-up, which made Black's victory impressive but not "star-making." The best match of the show up to this point, but nothing I'd consider "must see." (3/5)

Bayley defended the SmackDown Women's Championship in a 2-on-1 against Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross next. I really liked 90% of this match, but wasn't super into the finish. If Bliss and, to a lesser degree, Cross, were The IIconics, who have never been presented as talented enough to actually win matches clean, it'd be one thing for them to get beaten by a single wrestler - but Bliss spent most of 2017 outsmarting her opponents and successfully winning and defending championships. With a 2-on-1 advantage and no real dissension story going on, they should've rather handily defeated Bayley. Instead, Bayley continually found ways to fend off both of her challengers, at one point even tying them up simultaneously in submission moves. I'm not even saying I didn't like the spot - if it was a great visual - but at the end of the day, Bayley surviving a handicap match against these two specific competitors felt forced. I'm a big enough Bayley fan to hold onto the incredulous hope that maybe - just maybe - they're booking her strongly to build her up for an eventual feud with Rousey (if you believe the rumors, Fox wants Rousey to be a SmackDown exclusive star), but if I had to gamble, it will be Charlotte who'll be wearing the Blue and Gold next. Meanwhile, Bliss and Cross , by losing a handicap match, can barely even claim the right to challenge the IIconics for their Women's Tag Team Championships - that is, if those even still exist. Aside from the finish, there was enough that I enjoyed here to give it an average rating. (2.5/5)

In a rematch from RAW, Braun Strowman took on Bobby Lashley in a Last Man Standing Match next. Lashley's act was better with Lio Rush, but it seems like he was sent home a couple months ago for all the Twitter nonsense he was involved in. Strowman came out and immediately the two hosses went at it with Strowman pulling Lashley out of the ring and then tossing him every which way. Lashley was able to take back control with a spear and then went after Strowman with the steel steps. From here, they went into the crowd where Lashley wielded a chair as Strowman made his way up the stairs. They found their way into the mezzanine but it was just more of the same as Lashley struck him with a series of forearms and whipped him into the wall. Unfortunately, the commentators missed one of the major stories of the match - that because of the size of these guys, even just getting up took more energy and power than your average wrestler, a key point that might've helped explain the somewhat plodding pace. Lashley went for a suplex, but Strowman reversed it into a release suplex into a wall of tee-shirts that I'm guessing was supposed to fall over, but didn't give - causing Lashley to almost drop on his head in the best spot of the match thus far. Back to the stairwell they went, this time with Strowman in control. Down the stairs they went, with Strowman booting Lashley in the face on the last step. Strowman then took a big running start and struck Lashley with a big shoulder for a 9 count. Strowman attempted a powerslam, but Lashley escaped and tackled him through the barrier wall and back to the ringside area. A "holy shit" chant erupted, but I'm not sure it was earned - we've seen this spot countless times this year (though, Strowman's head did take a nasty bounce off the ground when they made impact). Lesnar then ran around the ring and hit Strowman with a shoulder tackle to send him behind one of the announce tables. Lashley then shoved the table on top of Strowman, but Braun beat the count by crawling out from underneath it. Strowman tried to put some distance between himself and Lashley by going back over the barricade, but Lashley jumped onto the barricade and tried to hit him with a splash - only for Strowman to then grab him and toss him over a foreign announce table! An "ECW" chant erupted as Lashley crawled out of the wreckage. Strowman stayed on the attack but Lashley hit him with a kick to the groin and then bashed him with a neaby recycling bin. Strowman wouldn't stay down, though, the two men brawling on the concrete floor. At one point Lashley was on his knees, practically begging for Strowman to strike him, only for Braun to boot him straight in the chest. They went back up the stairs, Lashley eventually distracting Strowman by tossing a fan directly into him. Strowman grabbed a chair and brought it down on Lashley's back as they made their way into a section of seats. Strowman and Braun traded rights and lefts before Strowman connected with an insane powerslam off of a section of seats through an inexplicably-constructed "box" that was blocking off one a hallway. It didn't make much sense for such a construction to even exist, but the crowd dug it and it felt like the kind of finish that needed to happen as these two had brawled up and down the arena. I wouldn't call this "must see," but it was satisfying enough and both guys came out of it looking like absolute monsters that should and could be legit challengers for Kofi Kingston or Seth Rollins. Why is Baron Corbin involved in the company's biggest title feud again? (3/5)

A Triple Threat Match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships followed - Daniel Bryan and Erick Rowan defending the straps against The New Day and relative newcomers Heavy Machinery. I wasn't expecting to enjoy this match as much as I did as I find some of Otis' antics to be a bit cloying and The New Day, while probably one of the Top 10 best teams in WWE history, have become a bit stale after 5 YEARS of partnership. Fortunately, Daniel Bryan has the wrestling equivalent of the Midas Touch and the little bits of character work he added to the match - including a wonderful moment where he reminded himself that he didn't need to listen to the ref to break up a hold because the match was being fought under "Extreme Rules" (Was it, though?) - really helped things out. While Otis still busted out the tiresome "caterpillar" spot, he and his partner wrestled the rest of the match relatively "straight" (as did The New Day, no strangers to heavy-handed "cuteness" themselves). The finish was a genuine shocker too, with Daniel Bryan eating a very clean pinfall to the give The New Day their umpteenth championship. While I wouldn't quite call this a Match of the Year, it was definitely above-average. (3/5)

AJ Styles challenged Ricochet for his United States Championship next. Before the match could begin, Styles' right-hand men, Gallows and Anderson, beat up Ricochet, which should've given Styles a key advantage for the remainder of the match - but instead, it was largely forgotten after Styles initial control segment. Based on their matches on RAW from the previous few weeks, there was no reason to doubt they could produce a great match, but this one just didn't quite peak the way I'd hoped. Part of the problem was that Ricochet still has a bit to learn in terms of garnering sympathy from the crowd. His offense is so explosive and dynamic that I'm not sure his long-term selling was registering with the crowd. Meanwhile, AJ Styles, as excellent as he is (and his execution remains near-flawless), has only recently turned heel - meaning 40% of the audience still wants to cheer the guy. While the pre-match beatdown on Ricochet should've helped make Styles the clear villain, the layout of the rest of the match didn't seem to serve that story or cement it. By the 13-minute mark, dueling chants broke out - the antithesis of what this match should've been designed to accomplish. Even with those criticisms, the action itself was riveting and there were some tremendous sequences, including a very strong finish that saw Styles hit his Styles Clash from the second rope. The Black/Cesaro match was many people's choice for Match of the Night, but I liked this one just a touch more. (3.5/5)

Kevin Owens squashed Dolph Ziggler in under a minute in the next segment (I won't call it a match). On one hand, Owens cosplaying as "Stone Cold" in a war against Shane McMahon is a step in the right direction from the stasis that Owens has been in. On the other hand, we've seen the Owens/Shane feud before. Similarly, there are pros and cons to the treatment of Ziggler here. On one hand, Dolph has been on a hamster wheel for years and, at this point, his credibility is so shot that this loss will mean nothing in a week. On the other hand, Ziggler's ability to bounce back - from jobbing in under a minute to challenging for the WWE Championship the next (like he did in June) - is a bit of an overrated quality. Sure, Ziggler has the passion and skill to "reinvent himself" and deliver "This Time Will Be Different" promos, but how many fruitless reinventions will this guy go through before the audience fully tunes out? It feels like we're already there and that's not a good thing for a company in desperate need of star power. (1/5)

Kofi Kingston defended the WWE Championship against Samoa Joe in the next bout. Joe and Kingston had some good sequences, but never really captured the crowd. At certain points, a loud "We Want Lesnar/No We Don't" chant erupted and I felt bad for Kofi. While he still has plenty of support online and with the live crowds, the truth is, the post-Mania booking has been disastrous for him (and Rollins) as the WWE had absolutely nobody warmed up hot enough to serve as foils to Kingston and Rollins. As Kingston is not now and has never been a strong enough character to carry his own feuds, he really needed some strong opponents to make this title reign work and - sadly - Owens, Ziggler, and Joe have been unable to deliver in that department. In the case of Owens, the rushed babyface/heel turn (he's now babyface again, BTW), hurt the story, but for Ziggler and Joe, it has become glaringly obvious that they are "placeholder" challengers because, well, that's all they've been for years. Joe's lack of credibility hurt this match before the bell even rang. I've seen some people call this Joe's best singles match on the main roster, but while I appreciated he and Kofi's effort, it felt a bit ho-hum to me, like a match they could've had in front of any crowd in any city on any night. Instantly forgettable doesn't always mean "bad," but it never means special. (3/5)

Main event time - Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch defending their respective championships against Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans. I was expecting the Philly crowd to shit on this match from the start, but they mostly just seemed resigned with it, generally disinterested, and eager to see Brock Lesnar show up (Paul Heyman had come out earlier in the show and guaranteed Lesnar would appear to capture either the WWE Championship or the Universal Championship). Like in the opener, the execution of the "Extreme Rules" gimmick was specious at best as, despite there being no disqualifications, pin attempts weren't broken up immediately and large sections of the match were fought like any other match. The match went close to 20 full minutes, but really didn't pick up until the final quarter when Evans hit an insane springboard moonsault and Corbin hit Lynch with a devastating End of Days. There were also a pair of solid table spots, but nothing novel or remarkable. When the best two spots of the match are coming from Baron Corbin and Lacey Evans, one has to wonder how the narrative of Seth Rollins being a "super worker" ever took root. I'm still a fan of Becky Lynch, or at least the Becky Lynch of 2018, but the sooner she distances herself from her real-life boyfriend, the sooner she might find herself in a storyline of some quality. After taking out Lynch, Rollins "hulked up" and destroyed Corbin with a series of Curb Stomps. This match, like the whole show, was a bit too long, but not terrible. (2/5)

Buh-buh-buh-BONUS match: Brock Lesnar challenged Seth Rollins by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase. I loved seeing Lesnar destroy Rollins in a matter of minutes (as did a sizable part of the crowd), but the "moment" was somewhat ruined by the fact that Rollins hadn't really been through much of a "war" in the previous bout. Had the previous match been an epic, weapon-filled brawl that went all over the arena and featured a number of big table spots (like The Shield matches of yesteryear), Lesnar playing the buzzard and taking advantage of a beaten man would've been a good story. But that's not what happened. Rollins may not have been at his freshest, but we've seen this guy wrestle gauntlets on TV, countless cage matches, and all sorts of exhausting, technical epics. This was a "plunderfest" match that I'm not sure Rollins and Lynch were ever really at risk of losing. If Lesnar's cash-in had been in the plans all along, they certainly didn't do a good job of creating a capital-M moment of out of it. No bonus point awarded.


As a whole Extreme Rules 2019 was a so-so show and its Kwang Rating of 2.55-out-of-5 reflects it. While the show was an improvement from the weaker Stomping Grounds show, there was still some absolutely awful matches - specifically the main event, the Owens/Ziggler squash, and the forgettable and underwhelming RAW Tag Team Championship match.On the positive side, Styles/Ricochet showed great chemistry, Daniel Bryan put in an absolutely wonderful performance, and Strowman/Lashley had some very fun moments. 

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