WWE Clash of the Champions 2019

WWE Clash of the Champions 2019

Charlotte, NC - September 2019

I don't usually catch the pre-show, but tonight I did so I'm going to go ahead and include our pre-show title match: Drew Gulak defending the Cruiserweight Championship against Lince Dorado of Lucha House Party and Humberto Carrillo. Gulak served as the base for both luchas, slowing them down with submissions (or trying to). Carrillo hit a cool back-roll-moonsault for 2. Gulak went to the outside and ended up with Dorado on his shoulders, leading to Carrillo hitting a huge front-flip splash on the outside like some sort of bizarre Steinerline/Doomsday Device. It was a cool spot but not quite "This is Awesome" level in my eyes. Back in the ring, Gulak attempted a superplex on Carrillo but Carrillo resisted and ended up locking up Gulak in a Sharpshooter-eseque submission. Dorado came in and applied a submission of his own Carrillo, though, breaking the hold. Gulak lifted up Lince and tossed him into Humberto and then we got a series of nearfalls. This match was fast-paced and full of twists and turns, but didn't feature enough dazzling action to really blow me away, especially from three guys that I don't really know or care about. Dorado eventually hit a top-rope hurricanrana, but missed on a shooting star press, allowing Carrillo to attempt to score the win with his Aztec Press. Gulak then connected with a belly-to-back to retain the title. This was obviously better than your typical match, but nothing I'd rave about or consider "must see." (3/5)

I'm glad I bothered to tune into the pre-show as the United States Championship was defended with AJ Styles putting the gold on the line against Cedric Alexander. This was a bit of a shocker as I expected it to be considerably more back-and-forth. Instead, Styles put in a rare dominant performance, basically ending the match with a Styles Clash on the outside and then just toying with Alexander from there. I'm sure some will boo-hoo the decision to do this in front of Alexander's hometown crowd and after Cedric had picked up a string of wins on RAW, but because this was on the pre-show - which has a fraction of the viewers of the actual PPV, which itself has a fraction of the viewers of the average episode of Raw - its far from a career killer. Styles should be able to beat someone like Cedric Alexander at each guy's respective stage in their career. But while that's true, it doesn't necessarily make for a very exciting or engaging match. (On the other hand, any match with a Styles Clash on the floor is going to get an extra point with me.) (2/5)

Clash of the Champions 2019's proper opener was the RAW Tag Team Championship match pitting WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins and his tag partner (and challenger later on in the show) Braun Strowman against the team of Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode. As I don't watch the weekly TV shows, I wasn't too invested in any of this. As would be a bit of a pattern on this show, I found this match to be decent but nothing too special. Its not even that the work wasn't good - it was mostly crisp and spirited and the crowd popped at the right moments. What turned me off was just how unexciting all of these characters have become. Bobby Roode isn't the flashiest worker around, but as a foil for more colorful characters (like Nakamura in NXT or even teaming with Gable), he holds his own. His bumping and stooging for Strowman were a highlight here. The same is true for Ziggler. Sadly, though, Ziggler and Roode's partnership has been so brief that no chemistry has developed. Just last month, Ziggler put forth tremendous effort in getting obliterated by Goldberg and it was fresh. Seeing him paired up with another directionless, bland heel feels like, if not a demotion, a return to the hamster wheel. Are Roode and Ziggler really the most exciting team on RAW? Even if it would've been a face/face dynamic, why not insert the Street Profits or Viking Experience? While I didn't mind the finish, it seemed forced and - as much as it pains me to say it - unrealistic. While I'm not a big Rollins fan, the World Champion shouldn't be laying down for someone as inconsequential and unimportant as Bobby Roode. I'm not inspired at all to care about the RAW tag team scene any more than I was before this match happened - and that's the opposite of what you should feel after a title change. This was okay for what it was, but what it was wasn't interesting. (2/5)

Next up - Bayley defending the SmackDown Women's Championship against Charlotte. Like the Styles/Cedric match, this one was also a bit surprising and arguably a bit too one-sided as Charlotte controlled most of the match and Bayley spent most of the match bumping and selling and trying to avoid Charlotte's offense. The finish was sudden, though, as Bayley tripped Charlotte into an exposed turnbuckle and stole the victory, running back to the lockerroom with her title in her hands. I still wish the WWE would be more creative with changing up Bayley's entrance to reflect her newfound heel status, but its early so I'm not going to gripe too much. As far as her in-ring performance, this is clearly a different Bayley and the crowd booed her throughout. The question remains, though, whether this change will still feel fresh and an avenue towards new, exciting storylines in 4 months time, when the initial buzz won't be there. It oddly reminds me of Rikishi's heel turn so many years ago, when the super-popular, dancing, goofy Samoan "did it for The Rock" and became, briefly, one of the company's top villains. After 3-4 months, though, his betrayal no longer fresh in people's minds and with him pretty much back on the midcard hamster wheel, Rikishi was a non-factor and back to stinkfacing bad guys within the same year. For what this was, it was a fine little match/angle that progressed Bayley's heel turn and, for better or worse, gave Charlotte a legit, babyface reason to be the top contender for SmackDown's Women's Championship. (1.5/5)

Next up, The New Day's Big E and Xavier Woods defending the SmackDown Tag Team Championships against The Revival. I can see some people calling this a sleeper Match of the Night Candidate. If I rated wrestling with a checklist, lots of boxes would be checked. It had a complete and well-executed narrative with Xavier getting taken out early, Big E taking a nasty bump on the outside, the heels controlling from them on until the babyfaces got to have a fiery (albeit unsuccessful) comeback. We saw Dash and Dawson bust out some excellent old-school tag moves and, in the match's final moments, deliver some really heelish punishment on a sympathetic, already-injured Woods. Big E got to play the face-in-peril and, as usual, completely delivered in the role. So why didn't this one grab me? The major reason is because this is happening in September 2019 - almost two years since their debut. If this same match happens in January 2018 or even at WrestleMania that year, it may have felt special and exciting. At this point, though, the magic that made every Revival match "must see" in NXT has worn off and we now just have a good team that, sadly, needed a partnership with Randy Orton to freshen them up. This used to be a team that main evented NXT Takeovers. There was a team that a match against The New Day felt like a relative "dream match," that this very match, laid out the same way, would've been one of the best angles the WWE has going. One could argue that this match was great. But because of how much The Revival has cooled, it feels more like a glimpse into what could've been, an alternate universe where this would've made The Revival legit stars with one very hot angle. (3/5)

The Miz made his way down the aisle next for a shot to win his tenth WWE Intercontinental Championship against Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura's entrance was preceded by a brief promo from his hypeman, Sami Zayn about the Undertaker (who chokeslammed on SmackDown earlier in the week). During the match, the neck brace-sporting Zayn grabbed a mic and immediately started heckling The Miz, getting in a great jab about the Panthers to get some cheap heat. Zayn's mic was cut off moments later as The Miz took over on offense. To the outside they went, where Zayn's distraction allowed Nakamura to take control. He dropped a knee to the back of the neck on the guardrail and then delivered a series of Yes Kicks in the center of the ring. Miz ended up in the corner and wisely blocked a Nakamura kick and then kicked out Nakamura's leg in a neat counter I'm not sure I've seen him bust out before. Miz continued his attack on Nakamura's knee, softening him up for the figure four, but Nakamura countered. Miz escaped and hit a DDT for two, but sold some damage to the arm before delivering some big Yes Kicks of his own. Miz nearly connected on a Skull Crushing Finale, but Nakamura escaped and sent Miz into the corner with a kick. Nakamura showed some innovation of his own here, using the ropes to assist him in bringing Miz onto the back of his head in a swift motion. Nak geared up for a Kinchasa, but Miz sidestepped and went right back after Nakamura's knee, locking him up in the figure four as the crowd came alive. Nakamura was able to get to the ropes, though, forcing Miz to break the hold. Miz went for it again in the center of the ring, but Nakamura countered it into an inside cradle for 2. Miz went after Zayn on the outside and got nailed with a big kick to the back of the head on the second rope for his efforts - but wouldn't stay down! Nakamura called for the Kinchasa, but Miz sidestepped and hit a Skull Crushing Finale! Before he could make the count, though, Zayn distracted the ref. Miz went after Zayn on the outside, but got hit again with another big Nakamura kick and then a Kinchasa in the middle of the ring for 3. Many people thought this would be one of the weaker bouts on the card, but I had a feeling that these two would show surprising chemistry. Now, I wouldn't call this an all-time classic or even must-watch, but it kept my attention for the most part. (3/5)

The next bout was one of the more heavily promoted - Sasha Banks challenging Becky Lynch for her RAW Women's Championship. This one had its bright spots and its warts - some good technical wrestling exchanges between Banks and Lynch, some stiff knee strikes, some real urgency and intensity from both women, but also some weak-looking chair shots and one of the more tedious brawl-in-the-crowd stretches of recent memory. Longtime fans of Banks were really hoping that her and Lynch were going to deliver an all-time classic, but this one paled in comparison to even Ronda Rousey's more forgettable PPV matches from 2018. In fact, it didn't even really touch the level of suspense of Banks' matches against Charlotte Flair. If this match was meant to be a rebirth of The Boss, a wake-up call to those that questioned Banks' vitality, it only seemed that way for brief, fleeting moments. Lynch, meanwhile, may have maybe gone too far with her cocky "Man" act, a gimmick that worked well when she was the injured underdog going after Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair and even against the snooty "mean girl" Lacey Evans. But against Banks, the dynamic didn't work and the audience only half-accepted her beatdown of Banks at the end of the match. The less said about the tired, cliche, and overtly-choreographed finish the better. This was a disappointment considering what it could have been and what, for a minute here or there, it was. (2/5)

Kofi Kingston defended the WWE Championship against Randy Orton in the next bout. I liked their SummerSlam match quite a bit, but I was surprised that this rematch featured no special stipulation as even something as simple as a No DQ/No CO stip would've added some intrigue to this match. Like in their SummerSlam match, it was obvious that Orton was having fun and looking to impress, delivering a series of big spots including a vertical suplex on the outside and a series of back suplexes on the announce table, something that has become a bit of a trademark spot for him in 2019. Between those moments of high impact offense, we got smiles and sneers and poses (and even Orton momentarily faking a shoulder injury just to get the upperhand) - the heel shtick that was once his bread and butter. Kingston's hope spots were good-not-great, the crowd barely stirring for his flurries of offense. Kingston pulled them in by attempting a Trouble in Paradise (prompting the audience to chant "New Day Rocks"), but Orton countered it into a backbreaker. Kingston managed to sent Orton to the outside and then delivered an excellent over-the-top rope side splash. He tried to follow it up with a crossbody, but Orton rolled through, nearly pinning the champ in the process. Orton and Kofi traded blows before Kofi nearly got the W with an SOS in the middle of the ring (which got a much milder applause than one might've expected). Kingston went up top, but Orton caught him and he ended up straddling the buckle. The Viper attempted a superplex, but Kingston fought out, headbutting Orton back to the mat. Orton went for another superplex and Kingston escaped again, but when coming off the ropes, got driven to the mat with a vintage Orton powerslam. Orton delivered the hangman DDT and finally looked to be ready to end the match with an RKO, driving his fists into the mat. Kofi dodged it, though, and nearly got the pin with a roll-up for 2. Kofi then caught Orton with a kick in the corner, but couldn't capitalize, walking into an RKO close to the ropes! Orton got 2, but Kingston managed to get his foot on the ropes. Kudos to the WWE for protecting the RKO. Orton backed up and looked to deliver a Punt, but Kingston dodged it and nailed him with a Trouble in Paradise to get the clean victory! This was good, but not quite great, missing that "one big spot" or twist that would've really made it memorable. Orton's performance pushed it into above-average territory, but not too far into it. (3/5)

Backstage, the Street Profits got some time to get their characters over. I'm still iffy on these two as the gimmick is borderline minstrelsy, but hey? Maybe this precisely the gimmick and type of delivery they want to do??? The cameo from King Booker was a plus for me...though, again, even Booker T's portrayal over the years was sometimes questionable. 

Next up, Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan, the next chapter in a lengthy and somewhat confusing storyline that started with Reigns having a mystery stalker/attacker, ended up leading to a moment where it was suggested that the attacker was an Erick Rowan stunt double, and then, weeks later, the real Erick Rowan essentially turning on Daniel Bryan in anger. Despite all these shenanigans going on, the big question coming into this match remained just how it would go considering that, as far as I know, this was Erick Rowan's first PPV singles match (and if it wasn't, it was certainly his most high-profile). Reigns came out first and brought the fight to Rowan as soon as he made his entrance, this no DQ match starting off with some straight-up brawling in and out of the ring. Rowan took control early, shrugging off a tackle into the stairs before sending Reigns into the crowd and beating him down with a kendo stick. Rowan then effortlessly lifted a trash bin and slammed it down on Reigns in an impressive show of size and strength. Back to ringside they went with Reigns getting some shots in and then delivering a drive-by dropkick by the announcers. Reigns cleared off a table, but got blindsided by an Erick Rowan crossbody before he could use it. Rowan then sent him back to the middle of the ring and drilled his boot into Reigns' neck in the corner. After a scoop slam, Rowan hit an elbow and then a splash, the commentators laying it on a little thick about how much damage Reigns was taking (considering his wars with Lesnar and Braun Strowman not too long ago). A "Use The Table" chant began stirring as Rowan continued to dominate in the ring and the two eventually did make their way back out of the ring. Instead of going for the table, though, Rowan ripped off part of the ring apron and dropped Reigns face-first onto the "exposed edge"of the ring. This only got him a 2-count, though, so Rowan tossed the stairs into the ring. Rowan attempted to toss them onto Reigns, but Reigns countered it into a Samoan Drop for 2. From here, it was a pretty back-and-forth, heavy-hitting match that included Erick Rowan kicking out of a Superman Punch and the two big men finding their way over to the stage area. The finish came when Luke Harper returned out of nowhere to lend a hand to his longtime partner-in-crime Rowan and the two men took out Reigns in the center of the ring. I'm not sure where this partnership is leading to but it does feel a little bit like a retreat into the comfort zone for both men. Together, we've seen the Bludgeon Brothers deliver when they've needed to, but we've also seen just about everything the Bludgeon Brothers can do together. It was refreshing to see Rowan in a new light and he did a solid job in this spotlight match (and, from what I've seen, throughout this entire angle). Harper, meanwhile, is gifted enough that I believe a total repackaging could make him a main event player ala Kane or JBL or Mark Henry, someone with the size, innate charisma/"look," and in-ring skill to be a reliable upper midcard villain that can stand on his own two feet without needing to be supported by Bray Wyatt or Daniel Bryan or even Erick Rowan. It will be interesting to see where this storyline goes from here as I assume Reigns will have to find a partner to help him take on these two. As for this match, it was solid, but nothing must see. (3/5)

In the night's main event, Seth Rollins defended the Universal Championship against Braun Strowman. While Roman Reigns has a knack for elevating the suspense and drama of his matches with quality selling and facial expressions, Rollins continues to be one of the least engaging main event acts I've ever seen. As has been written before by me and countless others, Seth Rollins is a guy who can do it all...except make me care or want to see him win. By the time this match entered its closing minutes, it felt like the majority of the crowd felt the same way as it was clear Strowman was receiving the lion's share of the cheers. While this match wasn't at all terrible, it paled in comparison to Braun's match against Lashley a couple months back and the wild brawls he had with Reigns in 2017/2018. A decent main event that didn't overstay its welcome but also failed to make me care or at all excited about Seth Rollins being the face of the brand. I can understand the decision-making behind his incessant push, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. The appearance of "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in the post-match segment got the biggest pop of the whole thing and that's not necessarily a compliment. Not terrible, but only slightly better than average and well short of "must see." (3/5)


On paper, the 2019 Clash of the Champions show looked like it would be pretty tremendous. Charlotte/Bayley, Banks/Lynch, Styles/Alexander, and The New Day/Revival are, in an alternate universe not too dissimilar from our own, "dream match" scenarios in some regards. There was a time when most of the names above were the hottest acts in pro-wrestling (and the same can be said of Nakamura, The Miz, Roman Reigns, Braun Strowman, and Seth Rollins too). Unfortunately, in September 2019, the years of 50/50 booking and directionless characters and storylines that happen and are made irrelevant a month later have led us to an era where everything seems inconsequential, even if the wrestling itself has never been more crisp, well-executed, and physically impressive. With a Kwang Score of 2.50-out-of-5, this show really did feel like it just sat there, smack dab in the middle - not great, not terrible, not really good, not really bad, not unwatchable, but not something worth investing 4+ hours in, with not even a single match sticking a toe into Match of the Week, let alone Match of the Year, territory. Recommended to only the most die-hard WWE fans.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver