WWE In Your House #10: Mind Games

WWE In Your House #10: Mind Games

Philadelphia, PA - September 1996

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WWE Champion was Shawn Michaels, the Intercontinental Champion was vacant (due to Ahmed Johnson being injured mid-reign), and the WWE Tag Team Champions were The Smoking Gunns.

September 96' was an interesting time in the WWE, mostly because it was a much more interesting time in WCW. By this point, the New World Order angle was the hottest thing in all of pro-wrestling (at least in the US) and so McMahon was forced to get a bit more creative and start shifting his show into more of an "adult" space. The change to "The Attitude Era" didn't happen overnight, but as early as this show, things were changing in noticeable ways...

For example, during our opening contest, Savio Vega vs. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw in a Caribbean Strap Match, we get the surprise appearance of ECW's The Sandman (who spits beer in Vega's face) and the acknowledgement of their presence by Vince as an "outlaw local promotion." There had been ECW chants during WWE shows in Philadelphia before, but to acknowledge the company on a WWE PPV was definitely something new. It also seemingly pissed off Bradshaw, who held a grudge against the company for years to come. As for the match...it's not as good as the Austin/Vega one from a few months earlier, and at 7 minutes, it doesn't really tell a full story, but the action we do get is hard-hitting and physical, more violent than most anything the WWE had produced over the previous 9 months (save for Mankind's outings). Unfortunately, the finish is a repeat of the one from Vega/Austin, which is just lazy booking/producing. (2/5)

In the back, the backs of "Diesel" and "Razor Ramon" are shown beating up Savio Vega from afar. This was part of the awful angle where Jim Ross brought back a fake "Diesel" and a fake "Razor Ramon" so that Vince could prove a point about how he had created those characters and that Nash and Hall were just two lucky "actors" playing those roles. It might be the dumbest angle in WWE history, really, as it backfired 100% and just made WWE look even lamer. 

Back to the ring we go for Jim Cornette vs. Jose Lothario. This is barely a match as Lothario just whips his ass in under a minute. There wasn't much of a story to this match beyond Cornette's stable of heels feuding with Shawn Michaels and Lothario being Shawn's mentor (though, as we'd see at Survivor Series 96', at the time, I don't think Shawn necessarily wanted an old man walking down the aisle with him). A half-point for this not going a second too long. (0.5/5)

Brian Pillman makes his way down the aisle, welcomes Owen Hart, and then "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, all three piling on and verbally destroying Bret Hart. Austin had been having good segments before this on TV and PPV, but this is one of the more memorable ones - and deservedly so. He spews his famous line about "adding an S in front of Hitman" during this promo and once again challenges Bret. This would lead to their Survivor Series classic. (+1)

In a somewhat interesting rarity, especially for this era, we get a heel/heel match as The Smoking Gunns (with Sunny) defend their WWE Tag Team Championships against Owen Hart and the British Bulldog. Bulldog and Owen actually get a bit of a face response, mostly because I think the Philly crowd respected their talent and would never have gotten behind a cartoonish gimmick team like the Gunns. On commentary, Mr. Perfect tries to hype this as being a great technical wrestling contest and, to be sure, there is far more actual wrestling in this one match than in the previous two combined. Still, it's just an average match with maybe a slightly above-average finish and at least one good nearfall towards the end. The right team won as Hart and Bulldog were much more reliable hands and added credibility to the titles. Sunny basically turns on her team after they lose, but if I recall correctly, this doesn't lead to a Bart Gunn/Billy Gunn feud like one would suspect. I think they actually disappeared from the scene instead, with Billy showing up as Rock-a-Billy a few months later. (2.5/5)

Jerry "The King" Lawler made his way down the aisle, hurling insults at his opponent, the debuting Mark Henry. Vince made it clear that Henry was untrained as a wrestler, but that if he got his hands on Lawler, he could use his strength to rip the King apart. It came off as him apologizing for what he knew would be a very one-note match, though, to his credit, Lawler, works hard to make Henry look good, gamely getting himself tossed into a guardrail with a sickening thud. Its a tremendous bump. Henry won with a backbreaker submission after 5 minutes. This was better than I thought it would be, but still not something worth checking out really. After the match, the New Rockers run in to attack Henry for no real reason and then Hunter Hearst Helmsley also shows up - inexplicably - to try to attack Henry only to get press-slammed out of the ring. I'm guessing they did this to establish that all the heels were jealous of Mark Henry? It didn't make sense to me. (2/5)

Next up - The Undertaker vs. Goldust. A month earlier, Paul Bearer had turned on the Undertaker and aligned himself with Mankind and I must say, it is kinda noticeable that the Undertaker seems almost "incomplete" here without Bearer at his side. Taker's own presence and charisma would eventually make it not such an uncommon sight but, at the time, it was weird. There's an Undertaker/Goldust match from a different PPV - I think it was In Your House #8: Beware of Dog - that I really liked but I was less impressed with their match at In Your House #9 and this one isn't that hot either. The match as billed as a "Final Curtain" match, meaning it must end by pinfall, which seems backwards because their first match was a Casket Match. Goldust attacks early and the Undertaker shows some vulnerability, even getting slapped by Marlena. Things get hokey when Marlena blinds Taker with "gold dust" from her purse and the Deadman sells that he's been blinded only for Goldust to not really capitalize all that much. For some reason, despite this match needing to end by pinfall (making it No DQ/No Countout by default), they didn't spend much time out of the ring or use any weaponry. I found that to be a missed opportunity as, while Taker and Goldust did more actual wrestling than brawling, this crowd probably would've appreciated something wilder and chaotic and Dustin Rhodes, at his best, was very capable of that. (2/5)

Main event time - Shawn Michaels defending his WWE Championship against Mankind. Mankind starts out in control, striking HBK with a series of strikes, a back body drop, and then the first major spot of the match - a clothesline that  takes both men over the top rope and onto the floor. Foley then kicks Michaels into the guardrail and uncovers the floor only to get caught underneath the padding and stomped by Michaels. Michaels immediately hits a crossbody on Mankind onto the floor! Michaels follows it up by sending Mankind skull-first into the floor in a horrific bump. Damn, this match has gone barely 2 minutes and we've already seem some nasty spots. Back in the ring and Michaels hits some rights and then a clothesline, the pace not letting up at all. Michaels delivers a scoop slam and then goes to the top rope to hit his trademark elbow. He calls for the Sweet Chin Music but Mankind dodges it by going to the floor. Bearer and Foley regroup on the outside and the two competitors trade blows in the corner and then end up brawling on the mat. Michaels attempts a neckbreaker but Foley falls back and grapevines him, attempting the Mandible Claw. Great hard fought, legitimate-looking exchange there with Michaels showing no restraint. Mankind gets up, though, and delivers a devastating right hand that Michaels sells perfectly. Mankind sends Michaels back to the outside and rearranges a table, but MIchaels dives over it! Shawn then hits one of the more legendary spots of the match, a suplex on the floor that sends Foley's leg right into the steel steps! Wow. That was brutal. Mankind barely sells it, though, and makes his way onto the apron. Michaels chop-blocks him and Foley ends up on top of the casket left at ringside from the previous match. Michaels continues to work on the knee and now Foley sells the heck out of it, falling into the corner. Michaels loses his cool momentarily and Mankind takes advantage, striking back. Mankind goes for a boot, but Michaels catches his leg and delivers a leg twist before applying the figure four. Good refereeing by Hebner as Mankind nearly gets pinned. Mankind rolls over and Michaels releases the hold, both men struggling to make it to their feet. Mankind sends him to the ropes and Michaels comes back with a dropkick to the knee and continues his attack on the knee. For some reason some fans can be heard chanting "Boring," which is just bizarre considering how action-packed this match has been with not even a single rest hold. Another great spot follows soon after as Mankind hits a surprise stun gun on Michaels that HBK sells perfectly. Mankind drives a pencil into his own knee on the outside and it seems to have energized him as he chokes Michaels on the bottom rope and then slams his headfirst into the casket. Michaels gets back in the ring but Mankind is in full control, eventually even hitting the running thigh in the corner, a move far ahead of its time. Mankind drives Michael's head into the canvas repeatedly but Michaels cuts him off with a back suplex. Mankind recovers quickly, though, and hits a headbutt and then a stomp. Michaels gets a second wind but succumbs to a big irish whip into the corner. Michaels hits a series of elbow drops on Michaels as he hangs in the corner, the champion taking a serious beating. Mankind hits a leg drop on Michaels as he lies facedown in the center of the ring and then eats another pair of stomps, the second one sending Michaels back over the top rope. Mankind goes for another running thigh into Michaels, but Shawn moves out of the way, sending Foley into the steps. Michaels follows it up with a drop toe hold into the steps and rolls back in the ring. Michaels attempts a suplex on the apron, but Mankind counters. Michaels lands on his feet on the apron and Mankind looks to drive him into the post, but Michaels dodges and its Foley who hits the post. Back into the ring and the breakneck pace continues as they go into another brilliant exchange of cut-offs and counters, ending with Foley caught in the ropes by his neck! Holy shit! Michaels approaches and Mankind manages to apply the Mandible Claw before Mankind slips through the ropes and goes to the floor. Back on the floor, Foley applies the Claw, but Michaels counters by driving him into the guardrail. Michaels grabs a chair, Foley punches him but catches the steel, and then HBK uses it on Mankind's knee and hand! Back in the ring, Michaels continues his attack on Mankind's hand, biting his fingers and stomping them on the mat. This is as vicious as Michaels has ever been, heel, face, any era. Michaels takes Mankind to the edge of the ring and uses the ropes to help him stomp on Foley's hand repeatedly! Michaels gets into it with Hebner, allowing Mankind to recover. Michaels comes running at him and Mankind back body drops him back onto the floor! Foley hits the big elbow drop on the floor and breaks the count. Foley comes back and hits a swinging neckbreaker on the floor, Shawn looking to be in serious trouble. As Michaels gets back in the ring, Mankind hits him with a leg drop and then a double-arm DDT...but only gets 2.9! Mankind then delivers a piledriver and, again, he only gets 2.5! Mankind applies another two pin attempts but can't get the W, pulling out his own hair in frustration. Mankind  then grabs some chairs, heaving them into the ring only for Hebner to toss them back out. Mankind opens up the casket and tries to roll Shawn into it, but Shawn fights back! Shawn hits the flying forearm and is all revved up! Michaels with the scoop slam and then a crossbody for 2! Michaels goes back to the top rope, but Foley grabs the ropes, crotching him on the top turnbuckle. Mankind climbs up the ropes too, looking to back suplex him into the table, but both men end up going through as Michaels ends up on top of him! Yet another fantastic spot. Mankind grabs a chair as Bearer distracts the referee. Mankind goes to the top with the chair, but Michaels catches him with a Sweet Chin Music in the corner! Michaels looks to have the match run but Vader runs in! Michaels fights off Vader as Bearer then strikes Michaels with the urn! Sid runs down and he and Vader get into it! The bell keeps ringing as Mankind gets to his feet and applies the Mandible Claw! Mankind looks to roll Michaels into the casket, but The Undertaker emerges! This match deserved a clean finish, but the booking here was actually really smart as Michaels won by DQ, Mankind was protected, and they set up some intriguing storylines going forward with Mankind and Undertaker continuing their feud, Sid and Vader igniting theirs, and Shawn Michaels proving that he could survive the most brutal match of his career. An absolute classic and arguably one of the top 5 WWE Matches of the 90s and maybe even of all time. (5/5)

This show's unremarkable Kwang Score of 2.5-out-of-5 might leave you thinking that Mind Games was a forgettable, middling show unworthy of a first watch let alone repeat viewings. While the show does start off with a series of stinkers, things pick up nicely after the Pillman and Owen segment, with the World Tag Team Title Match being at least interesting, Henry/Lawler serving its purpose, and the Undertaker/Goldust match (while not as good as their bout from a few months earlier) isn't outright offensive or anything. What makes this show worth checking out, though, is the main event, arguably a Top 10 WWE Match of All Time (which covers a TON of ground). As this match had no sequel and both guys' career trajectories were so different in the years after, it is a match unlike any other on either guy's resume. This match alone has made Mind Games something of a classic as its mere existence on this card somehow elevates the whole show and proved that the WWE might stand a chance against the juggernaut that WCW had become at this time.

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

WWE No Mercy 2005

WWE No Mercy 2005

Houston, TX - October 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's SmackDown-only show, the World Heavyweight Champion was Batista, the United States Champion was Chris Benoit, the Cruiserweight Champion was Nunzio, and the WWE Tag Team Champions were the Road Warriors (Animal and Heidenreich). The Women's Champion was Trish Stratus, but she was exclusive to RAW.

No Mercy 2005 kicks off with a 6-person intergender tag match pitting MNM (with Melina) against the team of Christy Hemme, Road Warrior Animal, and Heidenreich, who was a pseudo-Warrior at the time. Heidenreich wouldn't last much longer with the company, getting the axe just a few months later. Him and Animal were actually the WWE Tag Team Champions at the time, which just shows how deep (or, rather, shallow) the talent pool was in the division at the time. An inoffensive match built mostly around the nostalgia pop of seeing Christy Hemme hit the Doomsday Device on Melina. Respect for them actually performing the move considering that it's a fairly dangerous one for relatively untrained wrestlers to attempt performing. I was still surprised by the outcome as MNM were clearly the team with the brighter future and Melina had more star power than Hemme (who hits one of the all time worst hurricanranas I think I've ever seen), but the crowd absolutely loves the end anyway. (2/5)

Simon Dean made his way down the aisle next with a plate of cheeseburgers in his hands. He berates the Houston crowd for being fat, lazy slobs and says that if he loses tonight, he'll personally eat 20 double cheeseburgers. Of course, his opponent, Bobby Lashley, destroys him in under 2 minutes. As much as some wrestling nerds would love to claim that the Simon Dean character was degrading or embarrassing for the ECW alum, the superhero character he did under the name of Nova and the one-note bWo "Hollywood" Nova gimmicks showcased even less of his character and ability. At least as "Simon Dean," Mike Bucci got mic time and steady TV work and while it was never going to bring him to the top of the company, I kinda like the way the gimmick was a throwback to some of the sillier gimmicks of the mid-90s, complete with him riding a segway and shilling The Simon System. Anyway, this is inoffensive and ultimately leads to awkward backstage segments where Lashley, who was very, very green at this point, forcing Dean to eat the cheeseburgers against his will. Fine for what it is, but not necessarily PPV worthy. (2/5)

The Houston crowd has been given two big babyface wins so you just know that they won't get to see their hometown boy Booker T get the W in the next match - a four corners bout for Chris Benoit's United States Championship also featuring the woefully underutilized Christian (he'd leave the company at the end of the month) and the just plain woeful Orlando Jordan. Matches with Benoit are always a bit rough to watch, mostly because of how his life ended but also because, over time, Benoit's hard-hitting, suplex-and-submission heavy style has become less impressive as countless wrestlers have imitated and arguably bettered what he did. They tried to tell the story of Booker T being the fan favorite and getting "cut out" of the finishing stretch, but I wish they would have laid it on even thicker and made it so he had the match fully won himself rather than just "clearing the way" for Benoit to apply the Sharpshooter. There was good action throughout this bout, but the through-line of the match wasn't apparent for me to feel like it was anything more than "good match for good match's sake" filler. (2.5/5)

Mr. Kennedy makes his PPV debut next, taking on Hardcore Holly. I'm willing to wager that Holly did not step into this match enthusiastically as, based on his book, if I'm not mistaken, this was around the time when he was fairly fed up with being tagged a "midcarder for life" while guys like JBL and Mark Henry got big pushes. As for Kennedy, he walked like Austin, talked like The Rock, and had a catchphrase like the Road Dogg, but in the ring, he was only better than the third one (which isn't saying much as Road Dogg was never a great worker). Kennedy and Holly actually go close to 10 minutes and Holly gets to show his toughness throughout, getting in more than enough offense. Kennedy's offense, meanwhile, is unremarkable and he had not yet developed the Mic Check, a reverse Rock Bottom (natch) as his finisher (instead using a rolling senton). This was another inoffensive, but not quite PPV-quality match. After the match, Holly refused medical attention, which felt tacked-on and unnecessary, but led to the arrival of Sylvan Grenier, who beat down Holly again. Yeah, I'm guessing ol' Sparky Plugg was not happy about having to job to one rookie and then get beaten down by another greenhorn. (2.5/5)

After some more backstage segments, JBL (with Jillian Hall and her disgusting facial growth) took on Rey Mysterio. This might be a JBL career match and I'm going to go ahead and put much of that credit on Rey Mysterio being an excellent opponent for him, bringing the fun and the movement and speed that JBL couldn't. This is a clash-of-styles match with JBL working to slow things down and crush Mysterio and Rey constantly bringing the tempo up, striking with high-flying moves. There was some cool spots too - a bulldog by Mysterio, a fallaway slam on the floor, and a really good believable ending with JBL hitting the Clothesline from Hell to get the win. This also went the right amount of time, clocking in at a few minutes over 10, which was enough to make it feel like a real battle between two veterans without ever getting dull. (3.5/5)

For the first time ever, The Undertaker competed in a handicap Casket Match, taking on both Randy and "Cowboy" Bob Orton. This was a continuation of a long-running feud between Taker and Orton that stretched all the way back to WrestleMania and really put Orton on the map as a top heel. This match starts out a bit slow with the Ortons using their numbers advantage to cut off the Deadman every time he may be in control. The Ortons eventually hit a double-superplex, a move made famous by senior. Things pick up once "Cowboy" Bob brings out the fire extinguisher and the match becomes much more chaotic. Some good bomb-throwing too as Orton hit some of his signature offense, Taker hit the Last Ride, and Bob spent multiple minutes in the casket. I like how the last few minutes were fairly unpredictable too as I went into the match thinking there was no way that Taker was going to lose, but the Ortons ended up getting what was essentially a 100% clean win (with help from a chair and the extinguisher) in what was a war of a match. I wouldn't consider this an all-time great match or anything, but it exceeded my expectations. (3/5)

After the match, Orton set the casket on fire, which was a cool image.

The Cruiserweight Championship is on the line next with Nunzio defending against Juventud Guerrera. In ECW or even WCW this might've been a good opener, but this is designed to be filler/a bathroom break and is treated as such by the live crowd. Tazz tries his best to hype up this match and the importance of the Cruiserweight Championship, but there was just nothing these two guys could do to get the crowd back after seeing the Undertaker get (kayface) burned alive. Its also worth noting that Juventud, who had been a pretty spectacular performance 7-8 years earlier in WCW, wasn't as exciting a performer in 2005 - not just because he was taking less risks, but because, by this point, the cruiserweight style had become less unique. Juvi wins the title and the Mexicools celebrate. Not bad, but just kinda there, with the audience indifference dragging it down another half-point. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Eddie Guerrero challenging Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. The story coming into this match is that Eddie has had a change of heart and is no longer the sneaky, cheating heel that he was in the Rey feud but, of course, nobody trusts him, including Batista, who had a history of getting stabbed in the back dating...err, back...to his Evolution days. Batista was the babyface, but a large portion of the Houston crowd is clearly in Eddie's corner because he was so entertaining. This match was more about the character dynamic than the actual wrestling, but you have to give credit where its due as Guerrero knew that having a technical-based or lucha-type match with The Animal was not going to work and that the crowd was much more interested in the suspense around whether Eddie would try to cheat anyway. Early on, Eddie nearly goes for a chair, but sets it down, which got a big reaction. Eddie still managed to gain control with a brilliant frog splash onto Batista's back for 2. That move set the stage for Eddie to attack Big Dave's lower back and keep the pressure on with a half crab. Moments later, again, Eddie looked like he may take a shortcut by using the tag rope to choke out Batista but opted not too. Then it was an errant ref bump that Eddie didn't take advantage of. Some good nearfalls followed as Batista continued to sell the back and couldn't manage to land the Batista Bomb. Batista did connect with a devastating spinebuster, which was something of a secondary finisher for him, for 2. Eddie was able to counter an elbow drop and hit the Three Amigos, which was very impressive. Eddie went back to the top, but Batista dodged whatever he was going for and hit a spinebuster to get the win. This match could've been something special if it had maybe gone an extra minute or two with Eddie doing another tease that he may cheat and Batista actually hitting his Batista Bomb. Heck, from a storyline perspective, it may have been cool to see Batista get DQ'd here as a way to build towards the next match. Unfortunately, this would be Eddie's last pay-per-view match and it just ended with a thud. Better than average thanks to the work of Guerrero and some good selling by Batista, but nothing I'd go out of my way to see and definitely not a match that would make either guy's Top 10. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.43-out-of-5, No Mercy 2005 is not a show I'd recommend to anyone, full stop. There's not a single match on this show that is worth checking out, though I guess an argument could be made that the Rey/JBL match is one of JBL's better ones. If you're looking for a great Eddie match, you won't find it here. If you're a Randy Orton stan, the guy's probably worked a couple hundred matches that are better than this one and at least 1-2 better ones against the Undertaker. These kinds of shows are a great example of why the brand split idea was always a risky idea. I mean, I like Simon Dean as much as the next guy (which is probably not that much), but he's not a "PPV worthy" talent. The opening match would be filler on an episode of SmackDown so what's it doing here? Whatever the opposite of a "stacked card" is, this show is that. There are enough "moments" to keep this from DUDleyville territory, but not by much.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE King of the Ring 1999

WWE King of the Ring 99'

Greensboro, NC - June 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, The Undertaker was the WWE World Champion, Jeff Jarrett was the Intercontinental Champion, Mideon was (somehow) the European Champion, Al Snow was the Hardcore Champion, Ivory was the Women's Champion, and The Acolytes were the World Tag Team Champions. (Duane Gill was recognized as the Light Heavyweight Champion, but hadn't defended the title on WWE TV since December of 98' according to Cagematch). 

I most definitely caught this show live when it happened, but its been awhile and I needed something to watch while I jogged on my treadmill so...

After a lengthy video recapping the latest state of affairs between Vince McMahon and Steve Austin, a feud that was now full into its 2nd year, we get Hardcore Holly vs. X-Pac. If I'm not mistaken, Vince Russo was still in charge so this tournament is more about storyline progression than putting on great matches (like Bret in 93') or establishing a new superstar (like 94', 96', or 97'). Holly and Waltman try to deliver something good by working stiffly and not wasting any time, but they also only get 3 minutes before the bell is rung as Holly has gotten himself DQ'd for using a chair. In the Attitude Era, this was not only acceptable but had become the norm, which means nobody was invested in this tournament at all and winning it meant nothing because, to be crowned King, your path was likely littered with schmozz endings and DQs. (1/5)

Kane vs. Big Show is next. I was surprised how fun this started out as Kane really went out of his way to make Big Show look like not just his equal, but actually the even stronger monster. Unfortunately, after a promising start, the match swiftly turns into the drizzling shits as a ref bump leads to a Hardcore Holly run-in (this, by the way, marks his third segment on the show as he was interviewed backstage by Terry Taylor prior to this match) and then a god awful stretch where Kane applies a choke on Show that seems to go much, much longer than it was ever intended to (maybe there was a ref botch or something?). Eventually, Kane opts to just bash Show with a chair in order to advance in the tournament. I guess this was supposed to protect Big Show, but because this match fell apart so awkwardly and terribly, neither guy benefitted one bit. (1/5)

"Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn takes on Ken Shamrock next. At WrestleMania a few months prior, DX had split as Triple H and Chyna (and Gunn, later, IIRC) turned heel, leaving X-Pac and Road Dogg as babyfaces. Shamrock, meanwhile, was in his own storyline feud with the McMahons and had been attacked by Steve Blackman (at Vince's behest, I believe) on the Sunday Night Heat pre-show, causing him to the come to the ring (after taking out a bunch of EMTs) with blood already dripping out of his mouth. Again, the emphasis of this match is on the shenanigans that happened earlier in the show and not at all on Billy Gunn. Ken Shamrock being a nutcase was one of my friends' favorite things about the WWE, but it was definitely more about laughing at his ridiculous delivery and overacting more than it was actually thinking he was cool. After a few minutes and Shamrock coughing up more blood, Teddy Long stops the match and awards it to Billy Gunn. That's 2 non-finishes and a screwy finish if you're keeping score at home. This gets a half-point just because Shamrock is so ridiculous here. (0.5/5)

Backstage, Chyna cuts a promo before her match with Road Dogg. Chyna cut a promo before the match about growing up and wanting to be a princess, but now wanting to be the first Queen of the Ring. In hindsight, I think they should've went with her as the winner as she was way more over than the person who got the nod instead. This match should've been a somewhat big deal as there was plenty of history between Road Dogg and Chyna and they do get a touch more time, but because we're talking about Road Dogg and Chyna, that's not necessarily a good thing. Road Dogg always worked better for me as a tag wrestler or a bumping manager because nothing he does looks at all tough. Chyna, meanwhile, always came across to me as stiff and robotic in the ring, though she at least looked intimidating. Triple H is on the outside, playing second fiddle for the last time in his career really as he'd be fully thrust into the main event by the end of the summer (and would be cheating on real-life girlfriend Chyna with the boss's daughter, Stephanie McMahon, by the end of the year if I'm not mistaken). Because of his interference, Triple H is ejected by the commissioner, Shawn Michaels. If I recall correctly, he was brought in on TV in 99' basically just because WWE was paying him all along, but he does not look too excited to be on TV and was still a drug addict at this point. There's a decent finish in this match as Chyna attempts a low blow but Road Dogg came prepared with a cup and gets the win with his pump handle slam. As other reviewers have noted, this might actually be the best match of the night so far, but that still doesn't make it good. (1.5/5)

Edge and Christian (still with Gangrel) take on The Hardys (with Michael "P.S" Hayes as their manager) next. These two teams go out and actually have to accomplish something and get over and you can see it in the effort they put into this brief match (the runtime is less than 5 minutes), loading this with as much high-impact and speedy offense as they possibly can, including a nifty moment when Jeff Hardy goes for the Air Hardy and gets driven to the mat with a spear from Edge instead. This is really just a teaser for when they would start stealing the show in the fall and then blow people away with a triangle ladder match at WrestleMania 2000 featuring the Dudley Boys. (2/5)

Before the next match, Vince McMahon cuts a promo and attempts to cancel tonight's match with Austin, but Shawn Michaels nixes that idea. McMahon then explains that he wasn't going to cancel the match after all - he was just going to find a suitable replacement. Its a bit confusing and feels unnecessary anyway as this could've been a backstage segment. This entire show feels more like an episode of RAW than something worth paying $50 to see.

Mr. Ass takes on Kane next. Another nothing match with a screwy finish as Big Show clocks Kane in the head with a chair to give Gunn the win. The WWE ratings were super high at this time for their TV shows and they were selling out arenas worldwide, but its also worth noting that much of this popularity was delivered on the shoulders of a handful of giants that got over HUGE in 98', namely Steve Austin and Vince McMahon and then Mankind and The Rock. The "crash TV" style without these characters resulted in crap like this tournament and, in WCW, drove the company's ratings and credibility into the ground. (1/5)

X-Pac vs. The Road Dogg is the other half of the semi-finals. Road Dogg vs. Gunn for the crown would've made more storyline sense, but also would've meant that the Road Dogg wrestled three matches on a show and even Vince Russo, who famously couldn't care less about the in-ring product, probably recognized that that was an awful idea. So X-Pac wins in under 4 minutes instead. (1/5)

The WWE Championship is on the line next as The Rock challenged the The Undertaker. This match had a bizarre overbooked start (surprise surprise) as Taker took out the ref but then got Rock Bottom'ed and ate a visual pin, which popped the crowd but also made The Undertaker look very weak. That sort of spot would've worked great against a cowardly heel - even a Triple H - but against the Undertaker, it was just too gimmicky. Like most of the Attitude Era main events of the time, many minutes were spent out of the ring, brawling up the aisleway and using chairs and whatnot to keep the crowd engaged. Eventually, there was a rag of ether and then a Triple H run-in that cost The Rock his match. The crowd enjoyed this way more than I did watching it 20+ years later, which is why I want to give this a sub-average score but can't deny that The Rock was so over that even a sub-average match out of him was enough to pop 20,000 plus fans and keep them at the edge of their seat from overbooked beginning to overbooked end. I believe the Undertaker was working through quite a few injuries at this point in his career, desperately needing time off but also not wanting to miss out on the biggest paydays of his career against such strong babyfaces as The Rock and Austin. (2.5/5)

The Finals of the King of the Ring tournament are next as "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn faces X-Pac. I read that X-Pac was injured coming into the show, which makes it a bit surprising that they'd have him wrestle in three matches on the show, but then again, when your only alternative is the Road Dogg, you're kinda stuck. Of course, a Gunn/Road Dogg finals would've seemed natural considering their history but...yeah...it would've sucked even worse than this match. Cheers to X-Pac for working hard to produce something good, but the Billy Gunn singles run was DOA (and I'm not talking about Skull and 8Ball). After Gunn wins the match in 5 minutes, with a top rope Fameasser (which could've felt like a big deal if it actually been built up after a "classic" Fameasser didn't do the job), he doesn't even get a coronation moment...which just goes to show how little anybody in the back cared at all about this tournament, its "prestige," or Gunn himself. (1.5/5)

Multiple backstage segments on this show have revolved around the main event (with "Stone Cold" himself never appearing on-screen), including one before the last match where Shawn Michaels banished Triple H from the building for interfering in the WWE Title match, thus eliminating Vince's top choice for a replacement tag partner for Shane. So, instead, Vince McMahon makes his way down the aisle and announces Steve Blackman as his partner. Of course, that plan is also ruined by Shawn Michaels, who sees on a GDTV/GTV feed (look it up if you're unfamiliar with this aborted gimmick), that Shane McMahon is actually 100% healthy and is fully capable of tagging with his old man against Steve Austin for control of the WWE. Speaking of Austin, he comes in and gets a mega-pop as expected, running roughshod over the McMahons after they try to walk out (a move by the McMahons that makes absolutely no sense considering that they'd then be essentially forfeiting a match that has the highest possible stakes for them). Austin gets a big pop when he pulls Shane crotch-first into the post but this buys time for Vince to recover on the outside and the McMahons gain control by beating down the Rattlesnake 2-on-1. Austin fights back, though, and sends Shane into the steps before beating down Vince in the aisleway. Shane makes his way over and ends up on top of the ladder-made set. Austin follows him up and Shane comes down, though its not captured very well on camera. Austin sends the McMahons through the various ladders, eventually causing the whole thing to collapse in a cool visual that the crowd gives a huge reaction to (though, on camera, its clear that the McMahons weren't really crushed all that much). Austin brings a ladder into the ring in order to retrieve the briefcase but the McMahons ends up chasing him down, only to get knocked around with the ladder some more. Austin shoves Shane onto the Spanish Announce Table and sets up a ladder, coming down onto him with his trademark elbow in a spot I'm honestly surprised Stone Cold did (and I was even more surprised when he climbed back up on the ladder and ending up getting sent into a table himself by Vince). Vince sets up the ladder in the middle of the ring but he can't reach the briefcase. Austin stops him with a low blow and then pulls Vince over the ladder, ramming his head into the steel rungs before pulling him onto the arena floor. Shane comes in but he gets cut off too, stomped out in the corner. Austin uses the ladder to continue to punish both McMahons and looks to have the match sewn up, with Shane in particular taking a hell of a beating. Austin sets up the ladder and climbs to the top, but Vince dumps the ladder and Austin goes down. I like how Vince and Shane try to win the match without using a ladder next and Austin bringing them both down in a heap. I can understand that moments like these are maybe a touch too comedic but the McMahons doing Three Stooges bits always got a huge reaction. Austin climbs atop the ladder but, inexplicably, the briefcase is pulled up closer to the ceiling. Among my friends, there was always a question as to "Who Raised the Briefcase?" but its clear now the intention was never to really answer that question, just to make it clear that the McMahons were able to "pull strings" and have company employees do their bidding. In all the confusion, Shane McMahon retrieves the briefcase and the McMahons have regained control of the WWE. There's not much a "match" here, but there are some fun moments and the crowd is absolutely into it. I wouldn't consider this a highlight of Austin's run when he had so many better matches and moments. (3/5)

With a pretty woeful Kwang Score of 1.5-out-of-5, King of the Ring 99' is a dreadful show only somewhat salvaged by a "good enough" main event, a decent World Championship match between The Rock and The Undertaker (mostly due to a hot crowd), and a tag team bout that shows off the chemistry between Hardys and Edge & Christian and is a textbook definition of "maximizing your minutes." The King of the Ring tournament itself has to be in contention for the worst versions ever, though it does have some stiff competition in the 95' version that saw Mabel get the crown. Recommended to only the most ardent supporters of Vince Russo...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Survivor Series 2005

WWE Survivor Series 2005

Detroit, MI - November 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this event, the World Heavyweight Champion was Batista and the WWE Champion was John Cena. Kane and Big Show were the World Tag Team Champions, while MNM (Joey Mercury and Johnny "Nitro" Morrison) were the WWE Tag Team Champions. The Intercontinental Champion was Ric Flair and the United States Champion was vacant. Finally, the Cruiserweight Champion was Juventud Guerrera and the Women's Champion was Trish Stratus.

Chris Benoit vs. Booker T opens up the show, the first match (?) in their Best of Seven series. Booker's real-life wife, Sharmell, was now his manager and they had great chemistry, though it wouldn't peak until Booker became King Booker the next year (my favorite singles run of his). This is one of those matches, like much of Benoit's output in the last few years of his life, I'd point to as being better-remembered that it actually was. Benoit was consistently good, could execute as well as anyone, and never half-assed anything...but it didn't always make for thrilling matches. Here, he and Booker have a good contest, but it seems almost pedestrian and rote at times, a really good version of a paint-by-numbers match that both guys, with their experience and chemistry, could have without really thinking about it. The best part, to me, was the finish, just because it introduced the concept that Booker was turning fully heel as he has to cheat to get the W. (2.5/5)

Before the next match, there was a segment in which Vince McMahon used the n-word. Yeah. That one. It is edited out of the Peacock version. Interestingly, there seems to be some other moments that were edited out of the Peacock version as the Benoit/Booker match also has some weird "blackout" moments. Maybe they had something to do with the verbiage being used to describe Benoit?

Back in the ring, Melina takes on Trish Stratus in an inter-promotional match. This match was not as technically crisp as the opener, but I daresay that I enjoyed it more. In terms of in-ring skill, this was around the time when many US fans, unversed in joshi wrestling or aware of what was happening on the indies in the 00s, considered Stratus to be the best women's wrestler in the world and maybe in WWE history. This match, while under 7 minutes, is a good example of why that argument could be made. Stratus brings tremendous spirit into every move and there are some good counters and reversals, even if at times it feels a bit overly choreographed. Trish's superfan (Mickie James) gets involved a bit, but their feud didn't really start up until a few weeks after this, building to a tremendous WrestleMania match in 2006. (2.5/5)

One of the more memorable matches of the night follows - Triple H vs. Ric Flair in a non-title Last Man Standing Match (Flair was the Intercontinental Champion). This feud was all about Triple H wanting to put the Nature Boy out of his misery, but Flair, who was 55 or 56 at the time, refused to retire. Triple H attacks Flair early and they brawl into the crowd, setting a hardcore tone to this match even before the bell could be rung. After moving back into the ring for a bit, Hunter grabs a screwdriver. Before he can even use it, Flair does a blade job and is bleeding all over the place. Triple H maintains control until he grabs a microphone, allowing Flair to catch him with a low blow. There was a time when the low blow wasn't Flair's most effective transition spot but that was at least 7-8 years before this match. Triple H sets up Flair for a pedigree on the announce table but Flair back body drops him through the Spanish table instead. Back in the ring they go and Triple H attempts another pedigree but Flair cuts him off with another low blow. Flair takes control of the match here and while his offense isn't exactly innovative, technical, or impressive, it is very much spirited and the crowd eats it up as he basically targets The Game's balls and legs. Flair gets the "visual pin" by applying the figure four with Triple H tapping out (which in this match means nothing). From here things went back-and-forth and we got some near-finishes as Triple H hit a pedigree to put Flair down for 8 and both guys used the steel steps to their advantage. Even after two more pedigrees, Flair wouldn't stay down, defiantly flipping the bird at his one-time best friend. At this point, Triple H grabbed his trusty sledgehammer and used it on Flair's back to get the win after a nearly 30-minute match. Some people really love this match and it is a bloody, violent brawl...but its also close to 30 minutes and a bit "one note." In a sense, it is the exact match one would expect these two guys to put on without a single original spot or truly suspenseful moment. Its for that reason I can't go a full 4 stars on this as, even if you're a huge fan of this era of Flair, he went on to have an equally brutal match with Foley not too long after this and, of course, a much more emotional match against Shawn Michaels a few years later. (3.5/5)

The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line next as John Cena defends the title against Kurt Angle. The story coming into this match is that Cena has the deck stacked against him with Angle hiring his own personal referee, Daivari, and Eric Bischoff hoping to get the title off Cena. What's maybe most interesting about this match - aside from the crowd being split 50/50, which isn't all that interesting for this era of Cena's run - but that this match is solidly an Angle match more than a "Cena match." Cena makes a cover early on that Daivari doesn't even bother counting and then, moments later, Angle applies the Ankle Lock but Daivari doesn't immediately call for the bell (which seems like what he would and could do, though I can understand the WWE not wanting to just rehash the Montreal Screwjob for the millionth time). Ignoring that lack of internal logic, I like that this match does lean in to the stipulation - with Cena almost getting himself DQ'd only for Angle to prevent it and then a whole slew of ref bumps that prove that, even with the ref in his pocket, Angle's anger issues (say that 5 times fast) and inability to maintain his composure are what has caused his undoing. Cena would get much better - his offense is milquetoast here - and he even seems to shrink a bit in the spotlight, something that wouldn't be the case a year later, but Angle's performance is enough to carry this match into good territory and keep the crowd engaged. I can fully understand that many critics would consider this match overbooked (and it is), but that's kind of the point too. (3/5)

Teddy Long takes on Eric Bischoff in a Battle of the GMs. Bischoff probably hated having to be made to look like a chump despite being an actual accomplished martial artist. This match and segment goes close to a full 10 minutes, which is about 7 too long. The Boogeyman shows up. I guess that earn it a half-point? (0.5/5)

Main event time - Team RAW (Shawn Michaels, Chris Masters, Carlito, Kane, and Big Show) vs. Team SmackDown (Batista, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, JBL and Bobby Lashley). Looking back at this match, it really does seem like SmackDown was the stacked roster with each of its members being a former or future World Champion and likely Hall of Famer. Meanwhile, two-out-of-five members of RAW's team were basically total flops who never got closer to the main event scene than this match. Some people regard this match as a bit of a hidden gem (Meltzer gave it 3.5 stars in the Observer and it has a solid 7.78 rating on Cagematch), but I wouldn't and won't go that far in singing its praises. What this match gets right is that it treats its biggest stars as stars. Nearly everybody has a chance to shine, though Mysterio and Michaels are the clear MVPs. I really liked the way guys like Big Show and Kane had to be put down through rapid-fire execution of multiple finishers rather than just having them eat a single big move from just one opponent. While I do tend to prefer big multi-man matches having some sort of car crash element, whether it be a big table spot or a match devolving into a melee that reaches all the way to the entranceway, this one's strength is in its simple story and quality execution, especially Shawn's stunning Sweet Chin Music elimination of an airborne Rey Mysterio, easily the best spot of the entire night. Speaking of Michaels, his detractors will likely see his ability to almost win a 3-on-1 match as yet another example of HBK being booked as a superman and while that usually would bother me, it worked here for a couple reasons, namely that Mysterio has always been portrayed as "beatable" by just about anybody at any time, JBL has also always been portrayed as a guy that is a formidable opponent but can be outsmarted (here he's eliminated when he unwisely opts to grab a chair and ends up getting it kicked into his own face), and, in the end, Michaels does fall prey to Randy Orton, who was on hot streak and had the deadliest finisher in the game (and arguably still does). After the match, Orton is hoisted upon the shoulders of various SmackDown heels, but his victory party is interrupted by The Undertaker who does come in and destroy a half dozen or so guys without breaking a sweat. Undertaker's return gets a huge ovation (there was even a chant for him earlier in the match) and he does look badass, but its still not enough for me to consider this a "must watch: match. (3/5)

I can see the argument that Survivor Series 2005 is a great show marred by one terrible match - Long vs. Bischoff - and the fact that 15 minutes of the event may be considered unwatchable due to the presence of Chris Benoit. But to me, the main event is overrated by Shawn Michaels superfans and the WWE Championship match is underwhelming (with the aforementioned Benoit match not being all that special even if you are comfortable watching his work). The match of the night is the 30-minute brawl between Triple H and Ric Flair and even that isn't something I'd consider "must see" or would find myself wanting to revisit. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Extreme Rules 2021

WWE Extreme Rules 2021

Columbus, OH - September 2021

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Champion was Big E, the World Heavyweight Champion was Roman Reigns, the Intercontinental Champion was "King" Shinsuke Nakamura, the United States Champion was Damian Priest, the RAW Tag Team Champions were RK-Bro, the SmackDown Tag Team Champions were The Usos, the RAW Women's Champion was Charlotte Flair, and the SmackDown Women's Champion was Becky Lynch.

The Columbus crowd was psyched for the opening contest - The New Day vs. Bobby Lashley, AJ Styles, and Omos. This match got plenty of time and Big E was made to look strong, but as we'd see in the next match, this one seemed to go from being just a "hot opener" to a match that seemed to run a bit too long, with too many false finishes. The live crowd was with them, though, so this match can't be seen as anything below "good," plus there were sprinklings of future rivalries in AJ/Big E and even a potential split between Styles and Omos if they are drafted separately this Friday. A good, solid opener, if a bit overcooked. (3/5)

Street Profits challenged The Usos next for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships. To me, the err in this match came down to show layout. After a lengthy 6-man tag, it felt like "more of the same" with another tag match placed immediately after. Though the crowd was hot at the start, it seemed to cool considerably and, at one point, voiced a demand for tables. Considering this show was called "Extreme Rules," that shouldn't have been a surprise. Fortunately, Montez Ford's aerial skills were enough to recharge the audience, but like the opener, the match went a touch too long and featured a few too many false finishes for me. By the time they got to the end, the Usos' offense looked particularly sloppy too as they barely connected on a double superkick or their double splash finish. I'm not sure where this feud goes from here as the Profits have now lost decisively and were already on Raw not too long ago so I doubt they'll be re-drafted. Could they be getting split? If so, pray for Dawson as he seems like Jannetty of the duo. (2.5/5)

Charlotte Flair defended the RAW Women's Championship against hometown gal Alexa Bliss next. I'm a bigger fan of Bliss than most, though even I've been turned off by her new gimmick (and how long it's been running, even after the departure of Bray Wyatt). I'm not a fan of "hocus pocus" in my wrestling, but I also hate inconsistency, so this match was a bit "Damned If You Do/Damned If You Don't" for me. On one hand, I like both Flair and Bliss as in-ring performers so the fact that this was basically a straight-up match meant that I got to see them do the things that I like about them. On the other hand, its wildly inconsistent for Bliss to have special powers some weeks and no special powers the next. It also didn't help that Bliss, like so many babyfaces (and she was the clear babyface here), had to do the clean job in front of her hometown, a move that obviously deflated the audience and then was made doubly bad by having her thrown some sort of weird post-match tantrum involving what I believe was a faulty throat lozenge meant to turn into foam. Overall, a not bad match that was really tainted with a bad post-match angle and an abandonment of what the "new Alexa Bliss" character was supposed to be. (1.5/5)

The United States Championship was on the line next as Damien Priest defended against both Jeff Hardy and Sheamus. In terms of beginning-to-end action, smart booking, satisfactory finishes, and having just the right amount of time, this match delivered and it certainly was the best match of the night up till this point. Jeff Hardy remains immensely popular, almost to the point of being underrated in terms of the energy and excitement he can bring to a PPV show just by being there, and here was a match where his involvement definitely helped keep the crowd's energy level up when there is still some question as to how over Damien Priest really is. Speaking of Damien Priest, he's probably the biggest success story that NXT has had in years (along with Bianca and the Street Profits), and unsurprisingly, its because he's been treated like a big deal since his debut, immediately booked into a strong position and a major storyline (as Bad Bunny's buddy) rather than just being saddled with guys that the audience doesn't regard as serious players (for example, Dolph Ziggler). Which brings us to Sheamus, another guy who I'd argue is a bit underrated in an entirely different way than Hardy. While Hardy is the eternally popular "fuck up," Sheamus is the consummate heel pro, reliable for a hard-hitting match at any time and very skilled at making his opponents look great without ever sacrificing his own credibility. I'm not sure there's another major title run in Sheamus' career and he definitely suffers a bit from his longevity and the fact that he's already fought and feuded with nearly everybody, but as a gatekeeper, he's in the conversation as being one of the best the WWE has ever had at that position. (3/5)

Bianca Belair vs. Becky Lynch for Lynch's SmackDown Women's Championship was next. Despite being the heel, Lynch had at least 50% of Columbus rooting for her. I think part of that comes from the fact that PPV crowds tend to contain a fair number of fans that don't necessarily follow the storylines week-to-week and may not know that Lynch has been a not-so-subtle villain since SummerSlam. With the crowd 50/50, Belair and Lynch put on a strong match that felt competitive and serious, a match that showcased everything it needed to by re-establishing what Becky Lynch does in the ring (which is a little bit of everything but mostly she carries herself as tough, resilient, and crafty) and that Belair is every bit a"top tier" wrestler, powerful and quick and agile, someone who does seem like they're on the same level as the rest of the "4 Horsewomen." Belair and Lynch made up for the time they didn't get at SummerSlam, working a lengthy match with some really cool moments, including Belair countering a Disarmher by lifting Lynch off the ground (quite a feat after working hard for close to 20 minutes). Some fans really disliked the finish and joked about how a show called "Extreme Rules" having a match end in a DQ is lame, but the only real Extreme Rules match on the show was the main event and I personally like the continuity of not only Sasha Banks wanting to be the one to win her title back from Bianca, but also attacking Lynch, which does seem like a reasonable way to possibly nudge Lynch back into the tweener/"gray area" cocky babyface role that made her so popular to begin with. The only way it could've been better, at least to me, would've been if Bayley was at her side, though I guess one would have to forget that Bayley and Sasha had their own huge split and probably shouldn't be booked as best buddies again after how huge that feud was. Regardless, this was a really good match, though just a hair short of being "must see" to me. (3.5/5)

Main event time - "The Demon" Finn Balor challenging Roman Reigns for Reigns' Universal Championship in an Extreme Rules contest. The hype for this match was all about Balor wrestling as the "undefeated" "Demon" (even though the Demon was defeated in NXT). They started things off with some actual wrestling, Finn's makeup looking a bit like the Boogeyman of 15 years ago. Within the first minute, the fact that they referred to "The Demon" as "The Demon" and didn't interchange it with "Finn" or "Balor" or "Finn Balor" got super annoying. Reigns went to the outside early and grabbed a kendo stick, but Balor surprised him with a super kendo stick that combined 3-4 different sticks. Reigns' facial expression when he saw it was priceless and kudos to him for taking some shots from it. Balor dropped it quickly though and allowed Reigns to regain control as the crowd started demanding tables. Balor trapped Reigns in the apron and hit him with an awesome running kick to the face before grabbing a table. Of course, Reigns stopped him with a Superman Punch and then denied the fans what they wanted, sliding the table back under the ring and telling the fans there wouldn't be any splintered wood tonight. Reigns then grabbed a chair and went after Balor's midsection before doing some more gloating. Reigns went for another swing, but Balor caught him and hit him with a double stomp with Reigns holding the chair in a cool spot. Balor went after him on the floor, sending him into the barricade before grabbing hold of a table to a huge pop. Balor slid the table into the ring, but Reigns caught him with the Driveby! Reigns tossed Balor over the barricade and then, in a brilliant move, asked Paul Heyman for a mask before he went into the crowd! That is funny. Reigns tossed Balor around the Kickoff Show area, even attempting a Rock Bottom on the desk at one point. Balor fought out, though, eventually landing a huge crossbody off the table and through another table. Balor chopped and shoved Reigns back into the ring and tried to set up the table that was lying there. Reigns tried to stop him but Balor fought him off and set it up only to get chokeslammed through it for a 2 count. This led to a deserved "This is Awesome" chant, a crowd response I typically find cloying and often unearned. Reigns went for another Superman Punch but Balor dodged it and connected with a Pele Kick only for Reigns to spring back with a Superman Punch anyway for another great near fall. Reigns went for his spear, but Balor caught him with a Sling Blade only for Reigns to end up hitting him with a Spear for 2.9 as Balor delivered a big low blow on the kickout! The crowd bit on that one hard. Balor hit a dropkick that sent Reigns to the outside and then went to the air, hitting a splash to the outside and the Coup De Grace...only for the Usos to pull him off at 2.9! The Usos hit the double superkick against the barricade and grabbed another table, the crowd erupting with heat. The Usos attempted a double slam on Balor but the Demon fought them off, eventually sending Jey Uso through the announce table with a powerbomb. Not a millisecond later, though, Reigns hit Balor with a ridiculous spear through the barricade that brought on a massive "Holy Shit!" chant. Wow. That was an incredible sequence. Unfortunately, this is when the match turned to ridiculous hokey bullshit as the lights turned red and the Demon sprung up, no selling the damage and grabbing a chair. He went hard after Reigns and even caught him with a double dropkick that sent Reigns through another table! As Balor's music played, the Demon climbed to the top rope and went for another Coup De Gras, but this time, the ring exploded and Balor landed awkwardly, tweaking his knee and leaving him vulnerable to a spear from Reigns to end the match. What a silly shit ending that basically buried the Demon character as being unbeatable aside from by fault ring-making. Sadly, everything up till that moment was really, really good, so good that this match would/will still probably make my Year End List due to the tremendous performance by Reigns and the excellent series of near falls that preceded the match's demise into bullshit. (4/5)

Extreme Rules 2021 will probably go down as the most controversial WWE pay-per-view of the year due to the finish of the main event (and, to a lesser degree, the way Alexa Bliss seemed to be written off TV), but with a Kwang Score of 2.92-out-of-5, I'd say it was mostly good wrestling with surprisingly flat finishes. Lynch/Belair, for example, was very good but the end result was designed to further a storyline and reintroduce Sasha Banks rather than deliver a definitive ending. The main event was spectacular until its final few moments. I think the SmackDown Tag Team Titles match suffered from card placement more than anything. If you have the time for it and you're not totally sick of "hamster wheel" wrestling, this show has plenty to offer.

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

WWE SummerSlam 1990

WWE SummerSlam 90'

Philadelphia, PA - August 1990

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE World Champion was the Ultimate Warrior, the Intercontinental Champion was Mr. Perfect, and the WWE Tag Team Champions were Demolition. 

The show begins with Power and Glory taking on The Rockers...but really just Marty Jannetty as Shawn Michaels had a real-life knee injury and spends the entirety of the match selling on the arena floor, taken out before the bell even rings by Hercules and his chain. Jannetty gives a valiant effort, but can't sustain it long enough to score the upset victory. This was Power and Glory's biggest victory, though their run would last another full year. This isn't a great match, but it tells a clear story, the heels get to look dominant, and Jannetty shines too. A solid opener. (3/5)

Backstage, Mr. Perfect and Bobby Heenan cut a promo about "The Texas Tornado" Kerry Von Erich, whose challenging him for the Intercontinental Championship. After Von Erich gets his own mic time, the match begins and we get 5 minutes of Curt Hennig doing what he did best, bumping and selling and making his opponent look fantastic. The backstage story going into this match was that it was originally meant to be Beefcake/Perfect with Brother Brutus winning the IC Title but Beefcake smashed his face in a parasailing accident and so Von Erich was inserted at the last minute. Vince went ahead with the title change too, ostensibly to give the Tornado a big W to establish him is a capital-S Superstar before putting the belt back onto Hennig a few months later. Perfect's performance (and post match interview) nudges this into average range, but there's really not much to it. (2.5/5)

Sensational Sherri comes out for her scheduled match against Sapphire but Sapphire doesn't show up. Backstage, Dusty Rhodes is searching for her.

Tito Santana vs. Warlord follows, a match that feels completely out of place on a PPV because neither of these guys were very over. I know that Bruce Pritchard has confirmed that there was some discussion about Santana getting a World Championship run around 92'-93' (with Bret Hart ultimately getting put into that spot instead), but I find it hard to believe Vince would've ever pushed Santana to that level when he was being used to put over guys like The Warlord, his former tag partner The Barbarian, and, at the start of 91', The Mountie. He got a decent push again when he became "El Matador," but it still seems far-fetched that they would've given him a World Championship run even if the plan was to use Santana to breaken open the market in Mexico/Central America. Anyway, very forgettable match designed to put over The Warlord. (1/5)

Next we have the World Tag Team Championships on the line as Demolition defends against The Hart Foundation. Some people really like Demolition and I thought the Demolition/Hart Foundation from SummerSlam 88' was good, but this match shows how much weaker Crush was than Ax and that, from a booking perspective, its a bit of a sloppy mess. For example, Demolition get the first pinfall rather cleanly and after just 6 minutes of action which makes the Harts weak. I'd have preferred to see some trickery from the champs or even some sort of submission loss that could be explained away as Bret having to submit in order to be able to compete in the next fall. Speaking of the next fall, the Hart Foundation wins it via DQ after Crush breaks up a post Hart Attack cover. I can understand wanting to protect Demolition by not having them suffer two pinfalls, but considering how the third fall ends, I think the Hart Foundation needed a clean win somewhere in this match, rather than a nitpicky technical violation (that rarely ever gets called for a DQ). The match closes out with Ax finally getting involved, switching out with Smash even though Ax and Smash wear completely different makeup, have different haircuts, and their bodies don't look alike at all. If Demolition had been using "Twin Magic" (or whatever you want to call it) for years, the ref being fooled by Ax and Smash swapping places would've made sense, but because they never did, its just another lame twist in a match full of questionable ideas. The Legion of Doom show up and basically steal the Hart Foundation's thunder by helping them win. (2.5/5)

Jake Roberts vs. Bad News Brown is next with the Big Bossman as the guest referee. Having such a pure babyface as the referee would seem a bit weird in 2021 when guest referees are usually in some sort of conflicted position, but back then, a babyface guest referee was meant to represent fairness and not necessarily that they'd hand the win over to the good guy. They don't get much time but that's not a bad thing because I've never seen Roberts as a particularly great in-ring competitor and Brown always struck me as a guy that was also better in shorter matches. Still, even with less than 5 minutes of ring time, they tell a compelling story built around Roberts trying to hit the DDT and Brown doing everything he can to avoid it until he finally grabs a chair and gets DQ'd. Its an unsatisfying ending that I'm guessing was designed to keep both guys looking strong, especially considering that Warrior needed strong heels to beat. (1.5/5)

Brother Love interviews Sgt. Slaughter next. Slaughter had only recently returned to the WWE as a heel. He cuts a promo about how weak America is and it gets a good amount of heat. 

"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Nikolai Volkoff vs. The Orient Express follows and goes, thankfully, under 5 minutes. The crowd is into it because Jim Duggan was always over with live audiences but this is not a good or interesting match in any way. (0.5/5)

Dusty Rhodes vs. "The Macho King" Randy Savage is the next match, but before it even begins, we get a huge angle as Rhodes' manager Sapphire is revealed to be the latest "purchase" of Ted DiBiase. The Rhodes/DiBiase feud was only really just heating up at this point and eventually led to the Virgil babyface turn, which is one of my all-time favorite storylines. With DiBiase/Rhodes being the focus of so much of this show, it really makes Savage feel like a side character in his own match. Speaking of the match, it only goes 2 minutes because Rhodes is so distraught over what has happened to Sapphire. This whole segment is more angle than match and the angle is great, so it works for me, even if it is hard to "rate." I'll just call it average and move on...(2.5/5)

Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake is next. This was Hogan's big return match after getting his ribs injured by Earthquake (kayfabe) in May. I'm an unapologetic fan of Earthquake and I was a Hulkamaniac as a kid, but I didn't start watching WWE pay-per-views live until the end of 1990. Anyway, Hogan and Earthquake get a ton of time and its interesting to theorize whether that was because Warrior and Rude couldn't go longer (Warrior wasn't known for his stamina) or because Hogan wanted to upstage the World Championship match by basically dominating the screen and exhausting the audience by wrestling a near-15 minute match and then doing his posedown for an additional few minutes. This match was all about Hogan making Earthquake look like the biggest monster possible and his struggles to take him down - so, basically, like the Andre matches from years before. What makes things slightly more interesting is that Earthquake actually had a decent arsenal of offense; at one point, Quake busts out a boston crab and an impressive power slam. What also makes this match stand apart is the finish, which sees Hogan and Quake's "back-up" (Big Bossman and Dino Bravo respectively) getting involved, the match collapsing into a wild brawl on the outside that includes one of the earliest table spots in WWE history (if I'm not mistaken). Unfortunately, the table doesn't break under Earthquake's weight (somehow), but its still an interesting and surprising moment to see in the context of 1990. Despite not winning the match (as Piper notes on commentary), Hogan and Bossman celebrate the Hulkster's return and the crowd gets their posedown. I wouldn't consider this an all-time great Hogan match - mostly because, despite the formulaic nature of many of his matches, Hogan's actually had some absolutely awesome matches in his day - but it's an above-average one. (3/5)

Main event time - "Ravishing" Rick Rude challenging The Ultimate Warrior for his WWE World Championship. For some reason, on Peacock/Network, Rude's music is dubbed over. Rude cuts his usual pre-match promo before Warrior comes running down the aisle. Warrior is definitely over and Rude does his usual expert bumping and selling for him, getting launched repeatedly into the cage walls. Warrior goes for a splash but Rude dodges and Warrior is in trouble now. Rude tries to escape but has to deliver some more punishment before he's able to get the victory. He sends Warrior into the cage wall a couple times, all the while selling the damage. Rude attempts the Rude Awakening, but the Warrior uses his strength to fight out and hit a clothesline. Warrior goes for his patented splash, but Rude gets his knees up! Rude hits the Rude Awakening and it looks like he may the W, but instead of going for the cover, Rude goes to the top of the cage and hits a flying fist drop onto a standing Warrior. Its a very impressive move, especially in 1990. Rude attempts another one, but this time, Warrior catches him with a fist to the gut. Warrior goes crawling for the door, but Heenan slams the door shut on him. Rude makes the cover, but Warrior kicks out at 2. We get a not-so-hot collision spot that leaves both men on the mat. Rude tries to crawl out but Warrior grabs him by the ankles and then by the back of his tights (to reveal his bare ass, which gets a huge reaction). Warrior pulls Heenan into the cage and rocks him with a right hand and then an atomic drop that sends him back out of the cage. Great bump by the Weasel. Warrior does his version of Hulking Up, but Rude catches him with a clothesline. Warrior starts shaking the ropes and feels no pain as Rude tries to work him over. Warrior hits a series of clotheslines and then a huge guerilla press slam. Warrior climbs to the top of the cage and then drops out in a rather anti-climactic finish. I wonder if Rude resisted taking another pinfall loss to the Warrior. A more riveting, definitive finish would've made me happier, but I'm going to just come out and say that I liked much more about this match than I hated. Sure, there's some illogical moments, but Rick Rude puts in a great performance and there are some very fun spots and moments. The match doesn't overstay its welcome at all either. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of just 2.17-out-of-5, one would think that this show is a tough watch, but the variety offered by this show makes it better than its score would indicate. The actual wrestling on the show isn't too great, but Hogan/Earthquake and Warrior/Rude both deliver what they need to and the opener tells a great story too (and actually makes Power & Glory look like a team that was on the rise). Santana/Warlord and the Duggan & Volkoff tag match aren't PPV worthy, but I like the way the Dusty Rhodes/DiBiase storyline plays out over the course of the night and, with spirited promos from Hogan, Warrior, Bobby Heenan, and Randy Savage sprinkled across the broadcast, there are enough little moments on the show to keep one engaged (especially fans of this era). While not a single match could be called "must see," as an overall show, there's certainly stuff worth cherry-picking.

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

WWE Royal Rumble 2013

WWE Royal Rumble 2013

Pheonix, AZ - January 2013

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, CM Punk was the WWE Champion, Alberto Del Rio was the World Heavyweight Champion, Team Hell No were the WWE Tag Team Champions, and Kaitlyn was the Divas Champion. Wade Barrett was the Intercontinental Champion and Cesaro was the United States Champion.

The opening contest pitted World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio against The Big Show in a Last Man Standing match, a rematch from an episode of SmackDown with the same stipulation. I've never been big on Del Rio as an in-ring performer and even less so as a character and even lesser than that as a human being, but I'll give him at least a little bit of credit here as he has good chemistry with Big Show and the Phoenix crowd does get behind him for brief spells. Still, the Del Rio babyface run was just so unnatural and its no surprise that, a few months later, the audience would fully turn on him once Dolph Ziggler cashed in his briefcase. They get nearly 20 minutes and the match never really slows down, though things don't really get good until the weapons and tables are introduced. There were some camera tricks to make some of the spots look much rougher than they actually were - the not-so-great table spot off the set, Alberto using a chair to smash Big Show's right arm - but, again, the crowd was undeniably into it and were generally with them the whole time. (3/5)

Next up...Team Hell No defends the World Tag Team Championships against The Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow). 7-8 months later, Daniel Bryan would be the biggest babyface on the roster, but he wasn't quite there yet at this point. This is less of a showcase for Bryan than one would expect, though he still does get a few minutes to shine. Its just so clear that, watching him in AEW right now, he had so, so, so much more that he could have been doing in terms of fresh maneuvers, counters, and actual wrestling especially against a guy like Cody Rhodes, who does have somewhat of a legit wrestling background. Kane and Sandow are basically just along for the ride in this one. I was also surprised that this match didn't really feature any comedy, which was a huge part of what made the Kane/Bryan team work. By this point, they had "hugged it out" so, in some ways, there really wasn't much comedy left for them. Speaking of comedy, in hindsight, Sandow was better as The Miz's stunt double than he was at Cody's BFF. Unremarkable match but not outright bad. (2.5/5)

Reviewing Rumble matches is always hard because unless they are boring from start to finish, there are almost always highlights and, overall, the concept itself is arguably one of the WWE's (read: Pat Patterson's) greatest inventions. The 2013 Royal Rumble match starts off with Dolph Ziggler and, in a big shocker, the return of Chris Jericho, who had been off TV for 3 months. Of course, considering the number of times Jericho had come and gone from the WWE, this probably barely ranks on the all-time list of top Rumble shockers. Still, the Phoenix crowd digs it and, because Ziggler is the guy who sent Y2J packing, it does show some nice attention to detail...Cody Rhodes comes in at #3 and this core of workers would basically stick around for the next 30 minutes as a number of quality competitors - Goldust, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston - came out in between some less exciting figures like 3MB Era Drew McIntyre and David Otunga. The first really cool moment happens with Goldust comes out and goes head-to-head with his brother Cody. I'm not sure if this is their first televised run-in with eachother (I kinda doubt it was), but it gets a huge reaction as Goldust hadn't appeared on WWE TV in well over 2 years. "The Funkasaurus" Brodus Clay and Lord Tensai came in back-to-back so that anyone viewing this years later could be reminded of how shitty some of the WWE's ideas are. Kofi Kingston's annual near-elimination spot was cool and Rey Mysterio got a little bit of shine by hitting the 619 on both Jericho and Ziggler, but this Rumble was missing something. Cena showed up at #19 and the crowd was audibly split on him. Cena was the heavy favorite going into this match, but considering it was a somewhat foregone conclusion that The Rock would be winning later on the show, there really weren't all that many options outside of Cena to win this. I'm no fan of his in general, but this is where having guys like Lesnar and Triple H in the Rumble would've really helped not only in giving this match some star power, but also some suspense as The Rock/Brock or Rock/HHH would've at least been in the realm of possibility for main eventing WrestleMania. Zack Ryder got a decent pop when he came in, as did Randy Orton, but there really wasn't much drama once it whittled down to the final four (Sheamus, Ziggler, Cena, and Ryback). It ended up being Ryback and Cena to close things out, foreshadowing of Cena's next big feud after Mania. Ryback had his fair share of supporters in the crowd, but Cena ended up tossing him out for what I believe was his 2nd (and final) Royal Rumble victory. To me, this Rumble was too predictable and didn't have enough big name stars to stand out and warrant a viewing. (2/5)

After a lengthy video package, The Rock cut a promo before his match against CM Punk for Punk's WWE Championship. It was a weird promo, more heartfelt and preachy than the usual comedic take that maybe The Rock famous. Punk came out first to a mostly negative reaction, as would be expected, before The Rock emerged and got a mega pop. Both guys played their roles perfectly before the bell rang, CM Punk not shrinking in the spotlight at all against arguably the most famous pro-wrestler of all time. The Rock attempted his finish early, but Punk elbowed him into the jaw to escape, the fight then going to the floor. A dueling "Let's Go Rocky/CM Punk" chant erupted as Punk and Rock went back and forth, but it was Punk's enthusiastic backers who tended to drown out the Rock's fan base at times. With help from Heyman, Punk took control and delivered some sharp offense to the People's Champ, eventually applying a body lock on the mat. Considering the size difference, The Rock sold well for Punk, especially his cut-offs and submissions. A tweaked knee and a missed splash from the top led to The Rock gaining control after a lengthy heat segment and we got a great sequence that started with a Rock Bottom attempt and ended up with the Great One locked in the Anaconda Vice. The Rock hit his patented DDT and both men sold for awhile on the mat, the crowd going quiet. The Rock positioned himself for another Rock Bottom, but for the third time, Punk countered it. This time the Rock was able to lock Punk in the Sharpshooter, but Punk wouldn't tap and eventually got hold of the bottom rope. Punk rolled out of the ring and got clobbered with a short-arm clothesline, one of my favorite moves of all time. The Rock cleared off the Spanish announce table and the two ended up duking it out on top of it, Punk signaling for the GTS but ending up in the Rock Bottom before the table gave way and both men ended up on the floor. The crowd (and combatants) were clearly disappointed in the spot, but The Rock ended up making up for it by hitting Punk with the Rock Bottom on the arena floor. The Rock rolled Punk back into the ring, but too much time had passed so CM Punk kicked out (predictably). A good exchange of strikes followed, The Rock eventually hitting a flying clothesline and the spinebuster to lead up to the People's Elbow. Before the Rock could drop it, though, the lights went out and *surprise surprise* The Shield arrived and, according to Michael Cole, triple powerbombed The Rock through the announce table (though, because it was dark, its unclear and unlikely this actually happened). Wow. Talk about ridiculous bullshit. Because he's an arrogant heel, CM Punk didn't just take the 10-count, he rolled The Rock back into the ring and went for the cover and, in a legit shocker, got the W. Punk then booted The Rock out of the ring, celebrating his victory with Paul Heyman as the audience watched in total disbelief. Of course, this wasn't where the match ended, though, as Vince McMahon emerged and announced he was going to strip Punk of the title - only for The Rock to demand that the match be re-started. Punk stomped The Rock in the corner and then rocked him with a big running knee in the corner. Punk went for the top rope elbow drop and connected but only got 2. Punk went for the GTS, but it got countered and The Rock nailed a spinebuster and then a People's Elbow to get the clean win and send the crowd home happy. This match had some really good sequences and both Punk and The Rock brought their respective "A games." Considering the differences in style, they had good chemistry too. Unfortunately, this was just overbooked, the non-run-in by the Shield was ludicrous, and the biggest spot of the match (The Rock Bottom on the announce table) was botched. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.63-out-of-5, one's enjoyment of Royal Rumble 2013 would likely come down to how big a fan of this particular slice of WWE history you are. If you were a fan of the year-long rematch build for WrestleMania 29 and the roster that the WWE was built around that year, this show will give you everything and everybody you might want to see - excluding The Shield, Triple H, and Brock Lesnar, whose presence in the Rumble was much needed. Time has not been kind to guys like Ryback, Damien Sandow, or even Dolph Ziggler. While all three, and others, get featured at various points on the show, the fact that none became true main eventers makes their prominence here less important in hindsight. What may have counted as "star power" in 2013 doesn't hold water on re-watch 8 years later and makes this show uneven and hard to recommend.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Survivor Series 2021

WWE Survivor Series 2021

Brooklyn, New York - November 2021

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, the Universal Champion was Roman Reigns, the WWE Champion was Big E, the RAW Women's Champion was Becky Lynch, the SmackDown Women's Champion was Charlotte Flair, the RAW Tag Team Champions were RK-Bro, the SmackDown Tag Team Champions were The Usos, the United States Champion was Damian Priest and the Intercontinental Champion was Shinsuke Nakamura. Finally, the Women's Tag Team Champions were Nikki ASH (who wasn't on the show at all) and Rhea Ripley, who had all of one title defense in 60 days as champions before dropping the titles on RAW the day after this show.

Before the show, Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair was rumored to be the main event - but instead, it kicked off the event. There was considerable buzz going into this match as Lynch and Flair had been playing up their off-screen falling out and working the major media outlets into believing that they may go "off script." I'll give them credit for trying to give this match an extra layer as, truthfully, these two have fought so many times now that it needed the extra oomph to make this not feel like a retread. Unfortunately, what this match really needed was stakes of some kind, a problem that this entire show suffered from. A heated exhibition match is still just an exhibition match if the win doesn't mean anything. Anyway, Becky Lynch's outfit will probably be the thing talked about most coming out of this one as it almost seemed to be a nod to Britney Spears (recently emancipated). The match itself was good - not great. These two always have good chemistry and I liked how they continued to build on the idea that they know each other better than any other two opponents, but for a match that was arguably pitched as them potentially "shooting" on each other, it was about as professional a match as possible. The finish also seemed inconsequential and non-scandalous. Sure, Lynch got the win, but it was by a cheap roll-up with help from the ropes, a typical heel thing to do. Now, if Lynch had come in as a babyface, then it would be an interesting way to end things, but she didn't, so it wasn't. For a match so hyped to come off as so trivial is unfortunate, especially as, overall, this was quite good, with enough physicality and twists and turns to keep the crowd hot. (3/5)

The next match was a classic Survivors match - Team RAW vs. Team SmackDown. Representing RAW was Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor, Bobby Lashley, and Austin Theory, while the Blue Brand's team was "Happy" Baron Corbin, Xavier Woods, Sheamus, Jeff Hardy, and Drew McIntyre. Kevin Owens walked out on the match, which is what I felt like doing. Kevin Owens strikes me as a guy who is biding his time until he can go to AEW. Austin Theory got plenty of time in the ring, lasting all the way until the final 3, but he is just too bland for me. If he can develop a personality beyond taking selfies, maybe I'll turn around on him...but until then, not a fan. If I had the pen, I would've used this match to help rebuild Lashley as, just a few months ago, he was a world beater and now he's been cycled back down into the irrelevant midcard. Instead, Vince opted to give the shine to Seth Rollins, a guy who can do it all in the ring except make me care. The brightest spots of this match came from Xavier Woods' selling and Sheamus being Sheamus, but this was just a ho-hum, meaningless Survivors match with no stakes and I couldn't get invested in it. (2.5/5)

A 25-Man Battle Royal for (checks notes) absolutely nothing happened next. Omos eliminated  ton of folks, including the equally massive Shanky and Commander Aziz. The best moment was Sami Zayn trying to unify his SmackDown brethren and getting beaten up for his troubles. Before Aziz left ringside area, though, he nearly pulled AJ out of the ring until Omos grabbed him by his legs. This allowed Cesaro and others to bump Omos and cause AJ to get pulled out of the ring, which only seemed to anger the big man. From here, Omos got to no sell a ton of offense and club his way to victory, eliminating the remaining four (including the runner up, Ricochet, who had quite a bit of crowd support). This accomplished what it needed to but, at certain times, it was clear that Omos still has some rough edges and isn't ready for a legit main event push yet. Its hard to rate battle royals, but this one didn't go too long and I liked the Sami Zayn segment and Omos dominating as the focus. (3/5)

The RAW Tag Team Champions RK-Bro took on The Usos (SmackDown's Tag Team Champions) next. As noted on commentary, Orton's appearance set him at the top of the list of most PPV matches of any wrestler in history. The crowd "sweeting" was distracting to me as, despite the volume of the crowd on the screen, every fan I could see in the audience was sitting with their mouths closed and their arms folded. The Usos took control as Matt Riddle played the face-in-peril, cutting the ring in half and heeling it up for several minutes. Unfortunately, the big momentum shifter was an atrocious GTS by Riddle that didn't seem to connect with any part of Jimmy Uso's body, let alone his head, at all. Orton got the tag and hit two side suplexes onto the announce table and then a draping DDT on Jey Uso. Orton went for the RKO but Jey Uso caught him with some superkicks. Riddle tagged himself in and hit some sharp offense, including his ripcord knee. The sequence ended with Riddle attempting a senton on Jey Uso and Uso getting his knees up before hitting a cool-looking pop-up reverse neckbreaker. The Usos hit their double team Samoan Drop but only got 2 (I guess they call it the "Alley-Oose"?). The Usos hit a double superkick on Orton and then their finisher on Riddle, who somehow bridged out of it. I'm not sure why they didn't just get the clean W there as it kinda buried the Usos' finish A minute or so later, Orton hit a huge RKO on one of the Usos as he went for a splash off the top rope in what was a cool spot that would've been just as cool if it happened before the Usos had their finish treated like a transition move. That criticism aside, this was maybe the match of the night so far. (3/5)

Backstage, Vince McMahon spoke with Pearce and Deville and it was revealed that his $100 million egg was stolen.

Before the next match, the WWE played a unique video hyping the SmackDown debut of Xia Li.

The Women's Team RAW vs Team SmackDown was up next. RAW was represented by Carmella, Rhea Ripley, Zelina Vega, Bianca Belair, and Liv Morgan while SmackDown's team was Sasha Banks, Toni Storm, Shotzi Blackheart, Natalya, and Shayna Baszler. Carmella was eliminated early and we got a teased interaction between Belair and Banks, but Blackheart tagged herself in (continuing her own feud with Sasha). Liv Morgan had an extended segment with Natalya and we then saw Rhipley and Baszler get some minutes. In the past, seeing wrestlers that have never interacted before in a Survivors Match was part of the appeal...but because everyone has fought everyone so many times and because there were no stakes to this match (or any match on the card), this match had to deliver with just good wrestling only and, for the most part, it did. There were some questionable production/booking decisions, though - first, an extended Bianca/Banks segment that was quite good but also weirdly shot with every other woman in the match lying on the floor for no reason. In a Survivors match, with at least 8 competitors still in the match, it just made no sense beyond wanting to put the spotlight on them and minimizing the star power of the other competitors, many of whom are in desperate need of elevation. Then, we get to the finish, which drove the point home by having Bianca outlast Banks and go on to eliminate Natalya, Baszler, and Blackheart (who could've come out of this with a much needed big win) in good order. The wrestling was good, the booking was just too heavily pro-Belair for me. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Big E (WWE Champion) vs. Roman Reigns (Universal Champion). Considering the lack of stakes, this match had enough "big fight feel" to feel important and exactly the type of match they should've been building up as a WrestleMania main event. Some good exchanges to start and then our first big spot: Big E missing his ring apron splash when Reigns rolled out of the way, putting himself in a vulnerable position and getting dropped with a Roman Reigns Drive-By. Back in the ring, Reigns kept the pace slow and continued to dominate before taking some time to jaw about the Brooklyn crowd. Reigns tossed Big E to the outside and beat him down some more but E managed to reverse an Irish whip into the steps to buy himself some time. Back in the ring, E hit a trio of belly-to-bellys to take command, adding insult to injury with a grind and then a big splash in the middle of the ring. Big E looked to go for a spear off the ropes but Reigns countered with a Samoan Drop. In the corner, Reigns struck with a series of big clubbing clotheslines. When he went for another round, though, Big E countered with his signature sidewalk slam/uranage for 2. Big E applied his stretch muffler submission, but Reigns reversed it into a roll-up and then an impressive feat of strength, a powerbomb for 2. Just an incredible spot there. This was followed by the most talked about move of the match - a Rock Bottom by Roman Reigns (again, more of an uranage) that caused a "Rocky" chant to break out momentarily. Big E kicked out, though, and the match continued, with Big E shaking off 2 Superman punches before getting dropped with a devastating 3rd one. Reigns got huge heat for this but when he called for his spear, Big E ws back on his feet and able to launch a (rather ugly) spear on Reigns to the outside of the ring. Big E rolled him back in the ring but Reigns caught him with his own spear for 2! That was nuts. A loud dueling chant erupted, the crowd fully engaged in this after such an incredible sequence. Reigns made it to his feet first and talked down to Big E before going for a guillotine. E drove him into the corner to escape, though. Big E went for another spear, but this time Reigns caught him in the guillotine on the ropes and then back in the ring as well. Big E wouldn't tap, though, powering Reigns over his shoulder and dropping him with the Big Ending! That should've been the finish, but Reigns grabbed hold of the bottom rope to stop the count. A "This Is Awesome" chant began and I must say, by this point, it deserved it. To the outside they went, Big E tossing Reigns into the table, post, and barricade. When E tried to send him into the steps, though, Roman countered and it was E who went crashing into the steel steps, potentially re-injuring the knee that he'd damaged way earlier in the match. Reigns then hit a huge Superman Punch on the outside and then, after a failed Big Ending, took out E's knee with a stomp and capitalized with a final big spear to get the W. I didn't love the ending as it seems disconnected from the brilliant sequences that came before it. They didn't need to go back to the outside just to have E stumble over the steps as, by that point, Reigns winning in the same fashion without the extra minute on the outside would've meshed better into the flow of the match. Regardless, this was the clear match of the night and proof that there was money in a legit Reigns/Big E feud on SmackDown. (3.5/5)

With a respectable Kwang Score of 2.92-out-of-5, Survivor Series 2021 should stand as one of the best WWE pay-per-views of the year. Not a single match was a real disappointment. Unfortunately, this match will likely be remembered more for what it could've been rather than judged solely on what happened in the ring. Lynch/Flair was a good match, no doubt, but at no point did it live up to the hype surrounding it as a match that was advertised as being unpredictable and likely to go "off script." Both Survivors matches were also good (I liked the women's edition more than most), but suffered from questionable booking and production choices and a lack of stakes that made Kevin Owens walking out on the match in the first minute one of the smartest moves of any competitor all night. The main event proved that there was arguably an all-time great story to tell with Big E fighting his way through the Bloodline to finally be the one to defeat Roman Reigns at WrestleMania next April, but by already winning the WWE Championship from Bobby Lashley (a "lesser" champion) and then losing here, that story does not seem to be in the cards nor it would feel as big and fresh and exciting as it could've. And what can or should be said about the night's storyline involving Vince McMahon? The gratuitous product placement was off-putting and further highlights just out of touch the WWE Creative is with its own fan base. Good performances out of Reigns, Big E, Belair, and Sami Zayn keep this from being too bad of a show but also weren't enough to make it a must-see.

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