WWE Money in the Bank 2022

WWE Money in the Bank 2022

Las Vegas, NV - July 2022

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Roman Reigns was both the WWE Champion and the Universal Champion, The Usos held both the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships, Ronda Rousey was the SmackDown Women's Champion, Bianca Belair was the RAW Women's Champion, Theory held the United States title, and Gunther held the Intercontinental Championship (but did not appear on the show).

The show began with our Women's Money in the Bank Match - Becky Lynch vs. Asuka vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan vs. Shotzi vs. Lacey Evans. Watching this match, it was very, very apparent who the experienced workers and who has not had as much time on "the big stage," least of all in a match involving ladders. Raquel Rodriguez, for example, struggled with a number of power spots and, at one point, Shotzi took a back bump onto a ladder that looked like it could've really messed up her tailbone. Lynch and Asuka were the linchpins of the match but there was only so much they could to keep this one on the rails and moving. But while the ugly spots were ugly, one can't deny the tremendous effort that the women put into this match and the risks that they were taking. The right woman won too as the crowd was very much behind Liv and her with the briefcase not only felt like a big "feel good" moment but also adds some much needed variety to the women's division main event scene on RAW. (2.5/5)

Austin Theory is not someone I'm generally very high on, but against Bobby Lashley, I finally saw at least some of what Vince must see in the guy. Lashley was mega over with the live crowd and Theory got good heat playing the chickenshit heel. There was plenty of back-and-forth action going on until Theory slowed things down with a headlock that went on a touch too long for my liking. From there, things didn't pick back up until Lashley regained control and got to show off his offense. Watching this, I don't know how someone could think Lashley didn't deserve the victory because he looked fantastic here while still making it believable that Theory might somehow eke out a victory. Another "feel good" win and a heck of a performance out of the All Mighty. (3/5)

Backstage, Liv Morgan spoke about winning the briefcase and mentioned the possibility of challenging for one of the titles at WrestleMania. 

From here, we got video package explaining how Carmella became the number one contender for Bianca Belair's RAW Women's Championship. At TLC 2020, Carmella had a very good match against Sasha Banks, so I was curious how this one would go. Belair has had some undeniably great matches, but they've usually been against top talent. While Carmella has improved considerably from when she started out, she's never been a top 5 in-ring worker in the company. Early on, Carmella went for a hurricanrana and got backbreaker'd twice instead in an impressive feat of strength by Belair. Carmella went to the outside but got flattened by a shoulder block too. Things got a little sloppy when Carmella took over on offense, Belair telegraphing a kick on the ropes terribly. This wasn't the only moment when it seemed like Belair and Carmella slowed down to prep for a spot either, but on the positive side, when it came time for the big strikes - elbows and superkicks and whatnot - they both laid them in and made them count. I also very much appreciated the definitive, straight-to-the-point finish rather than any sort of "spamming" or nearfalls-for-the-sake-of-nearfalls foolishness (though Carmella did get some heat back by attacking Belair after the match). (2.5/5)

Logan Paul challenged The Miz for SummerSlam in a video shot on the day he signed with the company. 

We then got a very, very dumb WWE Visa "commercial" featuring Alexa Bliss talking to her doll. It was awkward to watch.

The Usos defended their Unified Tag Team Championships against The Street Profits next. These team faced off at Extreme Rules 2021, so this wasn't their first meeting (I'm sure they've squared off on TV quite a few times too). Dawkins and Jimmy Uso started things off as the crowd started up a chant for "the smoke." Dawkins hit a huge dropkick early on as Montez got the crowd going with a series of crotch chops before getting tagged in. He and Jey traded some moves with McAfee and Graves noting how much muscle Ford has taken on (it is quite noticeable). The Usos took control from there, eventually hitting Dawkins with a double suplex into the corner post on the outside. Dawkins' spent the next few minutes selling like he was trapped in carbonite, the match slowing to a near-halt at one point. Ford got the hot tag but flew right into an Uso superkick to cut off his offensive flurry before it even began, the match again becoming mostly just the Usos making mean faces and the babyfaces selling on the mat. The Usos hit a nice double team maneuver a minute or so later and then Jimmy followed it up with a series of chest chops. The Usos dominance continued as Jey applied a chinlock to Ford, this match going all in on the "face-in-peril" formula. Ford finally got to rally momentarily but was, again, cut off by a Jimmy Uso uppercut. Onto the apron they went and Ford was able to suplex Jimmy and then make the big tag to Dawkins, who hit a somersault plancha onto both Usos on the floor and then a flying elbow back in the ring onto Jimmy. Dawkins hit a spinning corkscrew neckbreaker (thanks Michael Cole for calling the move) for 2 and shoulder-blocked both Usos on the floor before tagging in Ford to hit a slick double-team move that I'm not sure I've seen before (Dawkins essentially "alley-ooped" Jimmy into Ford, who caught him with a one-legged flapjack). The Profits hit their two-man blockbuster, but still couldn't put away the Usos. Dawkins and Jey traded strikes and the Profits looked like they might be taking over until Ford got caught with a double superkick for another big nearfall. Ford fought off both Usos, eventually getting them onto the floor so that he could hit a tremendous dive over the post. From here, Ford hit his frog splash to a huge pop from the crowd and made the cover - only for Jimmy Uso to make the save in an absolute heartbreaker moment. In a cool moment, both teams slowly got to their feet and we got a bit of a staredown before the fight continued, the Usos eventually landing another double superkick before landing their finish to end the match with a rather flat ending (it didn't help that there seemed to be a moment of confusion right before it). As the commentators hyped the match as being an all-time classic, it was shown that Montez Ford had his shoulder up during the pin - which, like the flat ending, worked against the idea of this being the "masterpiece" that I'm sure some fans will describe it as. (3.5/5)

A bizarre video played next that featured crosses, a dangling medal, and a guy walking. Gable Stevenson ad maybe?

Ronda Rousey defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Natalya next. This was an interesting match as Rousey allowed Nattie to control large parts of the match and really put her over strong. Credit to Nattie too as she busted out a variety of big submissions and, at one point, took an absolutely nasty bump into the corner post in one of the match's highlights. Another highlight was Rousey applying the Sharpshooter and then doing the Shawn Michaels pose, a great bit of trolling there. Both women showed off a number of counters into and out of ankle locks, Rousey eventually tapping Natalya out with the armbar. On one hand, Rousey gave a full wrestling performance here, showing vulnerability and fighting spirit, but on the other hand, Rousey felt more like your average wrestler than at any other point in her WWE run. (3/5)

After the match, Liv Morgan cashed in her briefcase and, after surviving the initial shock of getting caught in an ankle lock and what would've been an absolute crowd-killing moment, managed to roll up Rousey after kicking Rousey in her injured leg. Like her briefcase victory, this got over huge with the crowd, who chanted "You Deserve It" as she celebrated. (+1) 

A video package hypes the next installment of the never-ending Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar rivalry. The narration called their upcoming match at SummerSlam the "final chapter" and also confirmed that the match will be a Last Man Standing match, which I'm not sure was previously announced. Then again, I don't watch the weekly programming so...

Main event time - the Men's Money in the Bank Match: Riddle vs. Seth Rollins vs. Omos vs. Madcap vs. Sami Zayn vs. Sheamus vs. Drew McIntyre....vs. Austin Theory, who got inserted into the match at the very last minute. Adding him to the match drew jeers from the crowd, the audience clearly hoping for someone that hadn't already appeared on the show - maybe AJ? maybe Owens or Ezekial? Edge? With him added to the match at the last minute, it also seemed like a bit of a "tell" that Theory would win the match. Omos controlled early, eventually prevented from climbing to the top by an awesome Claymore out of McIntyre. A few minutes later, McIntye and Sheamus had a nice moment together using Theory as their punching bag before that was broken up by Rollins (with ladder in hand). Rollins set up Riddle for a pedigree on a ladder, but Riddle back body dropped him and then him with a senton before getting sent out of the ring by Sami Zayn. Before Zayn could climb up the ladder, Madcap brought him down and the two SmackDown stars went at it. Madcap was a waste body in this match as he seemed to have absolutely no chance of winning. Though the same could be said for Sheamus, the Celtic Warrior is at least a multi-time champion. Moments later, Riddle attempted to climb the ladder again but was brought down by an Omos powerslam. Omos then chokeslammed Theory from the ladder as well, the big man dominating until he was sent to the floor by a Madcap and McIntyre clothesline. On the floor, Omos was then beaten down considerably and buried under a mountain of ladders, which wasn't very original but worked as a means to explain his absence for an extended stretch of time. Back in the ring, Sheamus, Rollins, and Zayn all found themselves near the briefcase, eventually joined by Theory too. Sheamus shoved Rollins and Zayn down but was then sent down by Theory, who was picked off the ladder by Madcap. Madcap hit an ugly fallaway slam and tried to grab the case, but got distracted by Zayn. Madcap and Zayn fought in the corner, Madcap eventually hitting Zayn with a huge powerbomb into a ladder in the corner. God bless Zayn for taking that bump. Back up the ladder Madcap went, where he brawled with McIntyre. McIntyre nearly grabbed the case but was stopped by Sheamus, who pulled him down and hit him with the White Noise. Riddle came in but ate an Irish Curse for his trouble. Sheamus went for the Brogue Kick but ended up getting his leg caught in a ladder, allowing Riddle to hit him with the Hangman DDT in a nod to his tag partner. Riddle then went on a flurry, taking out Madcap, McIntyre, and Rollins. Riddle then hit a huge Floating Bro on a pile of guys, drawing arguably the biggest pop of the match. At this point, Omos came into the ring and demolished everyone that came at him, sending Madcap and McIntyre to the floor. Omos looked like he was ready to climb the ladder, but Riddle jumped on his back. After throwing Riddle off his back, he caught Theory with a two-handed chokeslam off the ladder only to get hit by a series of big kicks from Sheamus and Zayn. Riddle caught him with an armbar on the ropes and Omos got dumped by Madcap, hit with a headbutt from McIntyre, and then Curb Stomped on the apron by Rollins. At this point, Omos got powerbombed by 6 men through a table to finally put him out of action for good (with the crowd chanting "Holy Shit" in praise of the move). An all-out brawl followed, allowing for Zayn to sneak his way towards the case. Before he could climb the ladder, McIntyre caught him. Of course, Sheamus wasn't far behind. Sheamus attempted to whip McIntyre into a ladder in the corner but got DDT'd. McIntyre set the ladder up on top of Sheamus and it looked like he may have the match won only for Butch (Pete Dunne) to interfere. With Budge on his back, McIntyre ate a Brogue Kick. Sheamus pinned Drew under the ladder and climbed to the top, but McIntyre used his impressive strength to push the ladder up, tilting Sheamus away from the briefcase. McIntyre hit the Claymore on Butch and once again went for the case, but Sheamus cut him off, the match basically having turned into a 1-on-1 battle for the past 3-4 minutes with Rollins, Theory, Riddle, and Madcap just sleeping outside the ring. Zayn, Madcap, and Rollins eventually woke up and made attempts for the case, Riddle even bringing in the "super ladder" and hitting Rollins with an RKO from the top of it (to another huge pop). Riddle looked like he might have the match won but Theory climbed the ladder and the two traded strikes until Theory shoved him off the top and grab the briefcase. This finish drew boos from the audience and maybe helps explain why they gave Liv the feel good win (knowing that this ending was not going to be well-received at all). A fun match that really seemed to be built around Riddle and Omos more than anyone else, but not one that I would consider to be particularly great or one of the better Money in the Bank matches in history. (3/5)

With an overall Kwang Score of 3.08-out-of-5, this year's edition of Money in the Bank 2022 was an overall good show with great performances coming from a number of performers who one might not have necessarily suspected would have career nights - Liv Morgan obviously, but also Omos and Riddle, Dawkins of the Street Profits, Natalya, and Carmella. Unfortunately, this meant some of the bigger stars on this show, like Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins, faded into the background a bit. As I noted above, Ronda Rousey and Natalya had a fine match...but it was also one in which Ronda came across as a WWE wrestler and not as the legit MMA bad-ass that was initially what set her apart from everyone else in the company (save for Brock Lesnar). 

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

WWE Cyber Sunday 2007

WWE Cyber Sunday 2007
Washington, DC - October 2007

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the World Heavyweight Champion was Batista, the WWE Champion was Randy Orton, Jeff Hardy was the Intercontinental Champion, the US Champion was MVP (who was also one half of the WWE Tag Team Champions with Matt Hardy), the Women's Champion was Beth Phoenix, Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch were the World Tag Team Champions, and CM Punk was the ECW Champion. 

Cyber Sunday was a pay-per-view event where fans got to vote, right up until the match happened (I guess?), for stipulations, participants, guest refs, etc. As one would assume, most longtime fans agree that the outcomes were rigged or - at the very least - set-up so that the wrestlers didn't have to improvise too much depending on what the fan vote would be (plus, in some cases, the expected outcome was so overwhelmingly obvious that there was little mystery as to what "the fans" would vote for). And our opener is a great example of all of these things as Rey Mysterio takes on Finlay in a Stretcher Match (as opposed to a Shillelah-on-a-Pole or No DQ match). Of course, because a Stretcher Match is automatically No DQ and the shillelagh was already hanging on a pole in one of the corners, it didn't really matter what stipulation was going to be voted for because the resulting match would've been near identical - save for the finish. As one would expect from two world class workers, this is a solid opener that features some big Mysterio bumps and some trademark Finlay nastiness. I wouldn't go as far as to call this a "hidden gem," but the crowd is into it, the action is mostly good, and its worth checking out if you're a fan of either guy. The most impressive thing about the match, though, is the exact thing I just said couldn't happen on a show like this - something unplanned (or at least it looks unplanned). After hitting an awesome somersault splash out of the ring and onto Finlay (who is laying on the stretcher), Mysterio looks to bring him over the finish line only for the stretcher to get caught on a camera cord. From the looks of it, this was not planned, so when the cord finally wraps itself around the wheel, Finlay has two choices: inexplicably play dead or come up with something on the fly. Fortunately, they go with the latter and Finlay rolls off the stretcher in such a way that the back wheels lift and the stretcher loosens itself. Instead of just falling back onto the thing, though, he actually grabs the nearby shillelagh and looks like he might strike Mysterio, who swiftly counters with a face drop that sends Finlay chin-first onto the stretcher. Really good work on-the-fly that was totally believable as a legit way to end the match. (3/5)

Backstage, Matt Hardy is injured so he cannot compete tonight in what would've been a World Tag Team Championship defense (I think?) with his teammate MVP. Instead, MVP will be defending the US Championship against Kane, Mark Henry, or The Great Khali. 

Back to the ring we go for CM Punk's ECW Championship defense against...The Miz (who earned more votes than John Morrison and Big Daddy V). In 2022, we've learned that CM Punk seemed to have a genuine dislike for The Miz based on his lack of credentials, but if these two had any legit heat back then, it doesn't come across at all. This match is actually pretty darn good and would probably rank as The Miz's best yet at this time (he'd really only been competing for a few years by then). CM Punk isn't as over as he'd become, but his big moves get a great reaction (especially the running knee in the corner). The Miz gets decisively beaten, but its not a squash match. Hard-hitting, good back-and-forth, no wasted minutes - this one gets a little extra love for exceeding expectations and ending definitively. The Miz wasn't then and isn't now a world-class in-ring worker, but he had surprisingly good chemistry with Punk in this match and its kind of a shame that those two never got a real feud against eachother in 2011/2012 when its possible they could've worked some match (maybe Punk's disdain for Miz prevented that?). (3/5)

Before the next match (and throughout the evening), we also get a look at various divas in costumes. The fan vote here is to...see one of the divas in their costume? Seems unnecessary. Each vignette is dumber than the last. This is the type of thing that makes being a wrestling a fan embarrassing and so it gets a negative point from me. (-1)

Shawn Michaels, Jeff Hardy, and Mr. Kennedy are shown backstage - all three in the running to challenge Randy Orton for his WWE Championship later in the evening. Of course, all three weren't really in the running because Michaels was positioned as the biggest star and biggest threat to Orton's reign (though I'm curious if Jeff Hardy might've actually won the vote had it been legitimate). With Michaels winning the vote, Hardy and Kennedy square off in the next contest. This wasn't bad and Jeff Hardy, like Mysterio in the opener, takes his fair share of hellacious bumps to not only keep the crowd engaged but help establish Kennedy as a vicious heel. (2.5/5)

MVP defends his title against Kane next. These two had feuded extensively so they have good chemistry together and MVP knows how to basically just bump and sell his way into Kane's offense. Kane dominates for the most part, but MVP gets enough offense in to make it seem like he has actually might get the win. Unfortunately, a pretty good match gets a pretty lame finish as MVP gets counted out to retain the title. Another solid match, but nothing you wouldn't get on your average episode of SmackDown around this time. (2/5)

Randy Orton defends his WWE Championship against Shawn Michaels in the next contest. This is one of those matches where most people assumed (correctly) that Shawn Michaels had no chance of actually winning, so the challenge that he and Orton had was to actually see if they could make fans question that assumption. I'm not sure they ever actually do...but they come close enough, especially for the live crowd, who pops huge for some of the nearfalls. Michaels does a good job of targeting Orton's left arm and I appreciate Orton selling it throughout the match. Speaking of Orton, I would've liked to see a touch more heelishness out of him and some more attempts to hit the RKO, but he really gives this match to HBK and, by doing that, the live crowd does buy into the idea that Michaels has him beat by the end. Speaking of the end, the finish is another one that bums out the crowd, but I love the unexpected nature of it. A stronger, more definitive finish would've nudged this one into "must see" territory, but instead, its just a Match of the Night contender instead. (3.5/5)

After some more diva nonsense backstage, we get Triple H vs. Umaga. Like the previous match, it was obvious to any longtime fan that Umaga would be doing the job, but because of the stipulation, the question here wasn't so much about whether Umaga might score an upset as much as it was about whether they could live up to some of the excellent hardcore matches that Umaga had had with Cena and Jeff Hardy in the years before this. While they didn't surpass the Umaga/Cena match from Royal Rumble 07' (few matches have), Triple H does a great job of making Umaga look like an absolute monster and there are some stellar moments in this match. They start things out by brawling in the crowd, going through part of the stage, and Umaga nearly decapitating the Game with a crossbody near the guardrail. In the ring, Umaga controls and we get the Triple H that I've always found to be maybe the best version of Triple H, or at least an underrated part of his skillset: babyface taking punishment from a monster. While this is a street fight, there aren't an abundance of weapons, which means that when we do get low blows, chair shots, and Triple H's trademark sledgehammer, they carry much more weight than if the whole match had been a "kitchen sink" brawl like one might've expected. Before the finish, Umaga looks to have the match won when he lands a very impressive splash onto Triple H through a table, but Triple H manages to get a hold of his trusty hammer to help him secure the win. A very, very good match that I'd consider "must see" if you're a fan of either guy. (4/5)

Mickie James wins the diva contest but doesn't even get to come out in front of the crowd. What a waste of time. I'm tempted to take another point off this show. 

Main event time - The Undertaker defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista. Steve Austin is named the Special Guest Referee (no surprise there) and, after giving a stunner to both Mick Foley and JBL, he does his job and completely fades into the background. (Though its worth mentioning that he actually eats a pretty stiff clothesline from JBL before the match and takes a back bump when I was under the assumption that he really couldn't "work" until his recent "one night only" comeback at WrestleMania XXXVIII.) People talk up the Taker/Batista match at WrestleMania XXXIII but these two guys had tremendous chemistry from the jump and this one does not disappoint whatsoever. I like how there are a number of counters and dodges, but this never feels like a match built entirely on signature offense - even though, when you're Undertaker and everything you do is basically signature offense, there's no other way to describe it. Batista was always a limited worker, but everything he does do he does well in this match, from the shoulders into the corner to the devastating spinebuster he hits to counter the Old School. Undertaker goes for the triangle choke a couple of times and cinches it once, but they don't waste much time with headlocks and submissions. This is a fight and it is a battle between two powerhouses. I really like how definitive the finish was for this one too, but wonder if it was done clean here because this was a "lesser" show and maybe Vince thought it wouldn't hurt Undertaker's legitimacy? If so, he was right, but also, Batista earned this victory every step of the way so there was no real need to worry about protecting the Deadman anyway. For a match that goes 15+ minutes, it never drags either. I'd consider this a "must watch" if you're a fan of either guy or maybe slept on this feud after some of their more high profile outings. (4/5)

Cyber Sunday and Taboo Tuesday (its predecessor) were "lesser" pay-per-views when they existed, but this show proves that sometimes a WWE show overdelivers when the expectations are relatively low. I'm not sure anyone was expecting as many good-to-great matches as we got here, even if, on paper, matches like Mysterio/Finlay, HBK/Orton, Umaga/Triple H, and Batista/Undertaker all sound very enticing. The issue was predictability in finishes and a thin midcard, but because the performers went out of their way to make the in-ring action as exciting and varied as possible, the show works as a whole, earning a respectable 3.0-out-of-5 Kwang Score (which would've been slightly higher if it weren't for all the embarrassing diva nonsense.)

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

WWE Hell in a Cell 2022

WWE Hell in a Cell 2022

Chicago, IL - June 2022

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Roman Reigns had unified both the WWE Championship and the Universal Championship and his cousins, The Usos, had done the same with the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships. Ricochet was the Intercontinental Champion, the United States Champion was Theory, the RAW Women's Champion was Bianca Belair, the SmackDown Women's Champion was Ronda Rousey, and the Women's Tag Team Championships were vacated after Naomi and Sasha Banks walked out on the company. 

Bianca Belair defended her RAW Women's Championship in the opening contest against Becky Lynch and Asuka. This was the match I was most excited for and while it wasn't the Match of the Year candidate I was hoping for, it was quite good. The crowd was electric from beginning to end but some of the spots (Asuka applying a double ankle lock, Bianca crowding both women into the corner for 10 forearms) were a bit too "cutesy" for me. Asuka and Belair didn't seem to click, but Becky Lynch helped keep things moving. The last third of this match had some excellent false finishes and I found myself questioning whether Belair would actually leave with the title at times. A good match, bordering on great but never quite getting there. (3.5/5)

Bobby Lashley vs. MVP and Omos in a handicap match followed. Over the past year, I've come to see Bobby Lashley as maybe one of the 2-3 best big men in wrestling. Though I heard he was good during his Impact run, I really had no idea how good he had become. This wouldn't rank as one of his better outings, but he's so easy to root for and his strength is so impressive that he still helps - with MVP's expert timing also playing a factor - carry this match into passable range. Cedric Alexander showing up mid-match seemed unnecessary, though I'm guessing it was done to set-up a Lashley/Cedric encounter on Raw sometimes soon. I'm not sure where you go with MVP and Omos after this defeat, but it doesn't really matter - Lashley is the guy that should be racking up big victories if there is any chance on rebuilding him towards another World Championship run. This match at least gets him "hot" enough for a Money in the Bank spot next month. (2.5/5)

From here, we got Kevin Owens vs. Ezekial (aka Elias). I don't watch the weekly TV show so I've got no real opinion on the Ezekial/Elias storyline, but it does definitely feel like a significant step back down into irrelevancy for Owens after a show-stealing match with Austin at WrestleMania a couple months back. Ezekial is clean-shaven, dresses a bit like the Ultimate Warrior sans face paint, and wrestles a bit like Randy Savage. I'm not sure if the "80s throwback" look is meant to make him standout, but its a weird mix that doesn't quite make sense to me. This was an alright match with Ezekial showing why he had some initial buzz upon his debut beyond just being an interesting character. Still, this felt every bit like a Raw match rather than a "premium live event" match. (2/5)

Finn Balor, AJ Styles, and Liv Morgan teamed up to face Judgement Day - the stable comprised of Edge, Damien Priest, and Rhea Ripley - in the next contest. This one was another good-not-great match that could've used a touch more AJ Styles and seemed a bit like a showcase for Finn Balor more than anyone else. I really liked Liv Morgan's energy too and Rhea Ripley got some moments to shine, though the two of them weren't able to get as many minutes in the spotlight as the men (not surprising). I liked the variety that this match added onto the card and the crowd was very much into it - as they were for every match by this point. The last third of this match had some solid near falls, though it was fairly clear that Judgment Day were the team that was going to (rightfully) go over. (3/5)   

Madcap Moss faced his former buddy Baron Corbin in a No DQ match next. Madcap Moss ditched his lame gear and lamer persona to become a more "serious" competitor. I was hoping for such a change for him, but I really dislike the lazy way they went about it as Madcap came out on SmackDown and just outright said that he was no longer "the old Madcap" and was now a new, serious version (I guess). There's an old screenwriting adage that one should "show not tell" and I would've preferred Madcap showing the change rather than beating the audience over the head with it by explaining why he was no longer sporting suspenders and goofy shorts. And so, while this is a "new" Madcap, the audience wasn't there to see his transformation, just told that it happened...as if this whole enterprise is some sort of scripted TV show where characters can just change on a writers' whim or something. Anyway...These two let their chemistry show from the very start, both guys working hard to not only make sure their own offense looked good but to bump and sell big for each other too. It only took a minute or two before the weapons came into play, Corbin sending Moss over an announcer's desk only to get a chair tossed into his head. Moss sent Corbin into two different set of steps as the crowd began chanting for tables. Corbin went into the crowd and caught Moss as he followed him, the villain showing how his experience gave him the edge. Corbin taunted the crowd by teasing a table only to shove it back down under the apron. I like that part of Corbin's game as its simple-but-effective heeling. Corbin grabbed a chair and went to work on Moss's back, eventually driving it into the back of Madcap's neck. Another "We Want Tables" chant broke out as Corbin went to the ropes and got himself drop toe-holded into the chair. Corbin came back with a Deep 6 but only got 2. Corbin grabbed another chair and set it up in the corner as the crowd chanted "Asshole," the Chicago crowd way more into this match than I was at home. After a nice series of reversals and dodges, Corbin ended up running head-first into the chair in the corner in a great spot, but the crowd continued to chant for tables. Moss repeatedly drove a chair into Corbin's back and then beat him down in the corner, eventually landing a DDT onto the chair for 2. Corbin tried to retreat to the outside, but Moss caught him with a running shoulder tackle into the corner and then a bump to send him over the top rope and onto the floor. Moss went for a clothesline but Corbin caught him with a chop block to regain control. Corbin hit a series of big right hands and then grabbed another chair, positioning it around Moss's neck and then sending him into a table. That sort of spot used to be enough to write a wrestler off TV for weeks, but is seemingly now just a transition move? Yuck. Corbin brought the steps into the ring and set them up in the corner. Corbin tried for a powerbomb into the steps but Moss countered and ended up setting him into the steps with a fallaway slam before hitting his finisher, the Punchline. Moss then set up the chair around Corbin's neck and drove the steps onto the legs to "cripple" Corbin and get the W. I really hate how they've made a "Pillmanizing" into a non-lethal move, but that's where we're at in 2022. Moss is steadily improving, but I'm not yet sold on him being some sort of next great babyface as he still comes off to me like a guy "playing" wrestler. This wasn't terrible, but wasn't something I'd go out of my way to see. (2.5/5)

Theory defended his United States Championship against Ali next. Ali was the hometown challenger and the crowd was behind him, but nobody would ever confuse the pop he got for the one received by CM Punk. In the early moments, the commentators made sure to say Ali's full name - something that makes me wonder if this wasn't a sticking point for him when he came back. Theory tried to avoid contact in the early minutes, but Ali caught him with a huge crossbody to the floor. Theory gained control by sending Ali into the post, drawing a "Theory Sucks" chant moments later. After a couple big bumps from Ali, Theory slowed things down with a headlock. Ali rallied with a series of sharp offensive maneuvers but only got a 2 count by the end of it. Theory hit an insane split-legged Spanish Fly that could've and maybe should've been the finish, but Ali stayed in it and hit a tornado DDT of his own moments later. Theory tried to his finish, but Ali countered with an STF. Theory made it to the ropes, though, and the match went on with Ali hitting a tilt-a-whirl DDT. Ali went for his 720 (?), but Theory rolled out of the way and hit a chop block and then hit his own finishing move to end the match clean. Ali is so good and Theory, while not a character I find particularly interesting or unique, is obviously a crisp, talented in-ring worker so its not surprising that this was a strong match. (3/5)

Main event time - Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins. The big story coming into this match was that Cody Rhodes had a legit torn pectoral muscle but that he was somehow going to fight through the pain to compete. Rollins came into the match wearing polka dots in a nice bit of heeling. Cody Rhodes, meanwhile, was sporting a tremendous bruise along his pec. If you can't do blood in a Hell in a Cell anymore, building the match around a non-kayfabe injury as gnarly as Rhodes' definitely worked at making this match "hellacious" - though one does have to think this was sending a not-so-great message to the locker room about working hurt. Ethics aside, this was the best of the Rhodes/Rollins series and part of that reason is because of the limitations necessitated by the injury. There was to be no overwrought counter sequences - which would've made far more sense here than they did at their WrestleMania match - and because of his injury, Rhodes had to pare down his offense and jettison some of his signature moves (no moonsault, no front suplexes, his lone attempt at a Cody Cutter causing more damage to him than his opponent). And while there was less of a reason for Rollins to refrain from going into his own deep repertoire of moves, Seth showed quite a bit of restraint himself, his offense built around punishing Rhodes with weapons designed to not only hurt Cody physically, but to pour a little salt in the wounds too (Seth brought out a polka-dot belt at one point and then, later, in one of two nods to Triple H and Rhodes' infamous throne destruction moment, a sledgehammer). Other highlights included Rhodes getting powerbombed through a table and the brilliant and long-overdue return of the bullrope, Cody Rhodes bringing out a weapon that didn't just trigger memories of Dusty Rhodes, but memories of all the "'rasslin'" that Vince McMahon sought to (and arguably did) eradicate in order to make the WWE's version of wrestling the only one left. A match with this many layers is rare, but it wouldn't necessarily qualify as "must see" if the work itself wasn't so expertly delivered, if the booking veered into ridiculous character-killing territory (like the last time Seth Rollins found himself in a Hell in a Cell), if Seth Rollins wasn't good enough to make it believable that he could lose to a one-armed man without filling the match with "banana peel" transitions. Its hard to say whether they could've had a better match if Rhodes was healthy because they certainly didn't have better matches before this one and I'm not sure if their original version could've surpassed the story we got here, a focus on efficiency and emotion forced upon them for the better. An easy contender for the best WWE Match of the Year. (4/5)

With a relatively strong Kwang Score of 2.93-out-of-5, Hell in a Cell 2022 was a solid show for the WWE, strengthened considerably by a main event that will likely go down as one of the top 5 or 10 Hell in a Cell matches ever. With most matches being at least average and the opener being close-but-not-quite great, the overall quality of in-ring action was high and I liked that the show offered a good amount of variety too with the fun six-person tag, triple threat opener, aforementioned mentioned Cell match, and handicap match all being good-to-great. Though I'm not sure it will go down as the best WWE pay-per-view of the year - especially considering the highs of the 2-night WrestleMania - it was a show worth checking out if you're a fan of the current product, especially the main event.

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

TNA Bound for Glory 2007

TNA Bound for Glory 2007

Atlanta, GA - October 2007

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, the TNA World Heavyweight Champion was Kurt Angle, the X-Division Champion was "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal, and the TNA Tag Team Champions were Team Pacman (Ron Killings and Pacman Jones). 

A lengthy, lengthy pre-show video hypes tonight's major stars before we get our opening match - an Ultimate X match pitting "Primetime" Elix Skipper and Senshi (Low Ki) against the team of Homicide and Hernandez (aka The LAX). One of the bright spots of watching more TNA/Impact shows is seeing how good LAX were and they do not disappoint here. Senshi/Low Ki is a somewhat polarizing performer, partially because he has a reputation of being somewhat of an idiot, but I can't lie and say I don't enjoy some of his wrestling. Highlights include Hernandez shoulder-blocking Senshi out of the ring to eat an awesome cannonball tope from Homicide, Skipper getting tossed halfway across the ring by SuperMex, Homicide hitting a crazy hanging neckbreaker from the "monkey ropes," and Primetime hitting an absolutely insane crossbody from the very top of the scaffolding onto Hernandex. Lowlights include Homicide standing back and watching Elix Skipper and Senshi go for the hanging X and a small number of noticeable moments of cooperation in order to perform some of the bigger spots (including Senshi's double-stomp onto Homicide as he was in the tree of woe position). Still, this was an excellent opener that set the bar pretty high for the rest of the show as this was 90% action and the big spots were all legitimately jaw-dropping. I'm not sure it had enough emotional weight to be a "must watch," but this was a lot of fun. (3.5/5)

A video package shows Kurt Angle walking into the arena, followed by Karen Angle and Kevin Nash, who looks a bit like a fancy Kenny Rogers. Mike Tenay and Don West then rundown the rest of the card before we hear from Christian, who is hanging out with Tyson Tomko and AJ Styles.

The next match is the Fight for the Right stipulation match - a 16-man reverse battle royal that turns into an 8-man battle royal that turns into a singles match. Our competitors include Jimmy Rave, Johnny "Havoc" Devine, Lance Hoyt (Lance Archer), Petey Williams, Shark Boy, Kazarian, The Motor City Machine Guns, Sonjay Dutt, Kip James and BG James, James Storm, Eric Young, Bobby Roode, Chris Harris, and Junior Fatu (aka Rikishi), who I completely forgot was ever in TNA (as he was only in TNA for roughly 6 weeks). Speaking of Fatu, he's the first man to get in the ring and he makes it look so easy that the first portion of this match comes across as incredibly stupid. I'm not sure what's dumber - guys doing moves to get into the ring or the amount of guys who are essentially just standing around and not even attempting to get into the ring despite how simply it seems it would be. Anyway, when the over-the-top rope battle royal begins we've got Fatu, the MCMG, Young, Kaz, Roode, and Archer (with James Storm eliminated within the first 3 seconds). Fatu was the biggest star in the match and still looked pretty good here, though his act had really run its course by then. Fatu giving the Stinkface to Lance Hoyt gets a big reaction, but Fatu then becomes the target for everyone else in the match, the other 6 all teaming up to eliminate the big man. With Fatu out, the match feels much more like a "TNA" match as its the homegrown talent - the MCMG especially - who shine. After eliminating Sabin, Kaz gets eliminated via an insane chokeslam from the apron to the floor by Roode. Lance Hoyt goes up for the moonsault, but Roode knocks him to the floor and we're down to three with just Eric Young, Roode, and Shelley left. Shelley gets eliminated soon after and its Roode vs. Young in a straight-up one-on-one match. The "match" does not last very long, though, as Young ends up getting the win with a quick roll-up after a series of nearfalls. This was just messy from beginning to end and I don't recall Eric Young being super over in 2007 and certainly not as over as some of the other guys in the match. (1/5)

A video package hypes Pacman Jones and R-Truth Killing's team as they challenge AJ Styles and Tomko for the TNA Tag Team Championships. Before the match, though, Killings announces that there has to be a replacement for Jones due to a decision made by his then-NFL team, the Tennessee Titans. In his place...Consequences Creed (aka a young Xavier Woods). I've never seen a Pacman Jones match so I can't say whether or not this was addition by subtraction, but I'm guessing it was because Woods, even at this stage in his career, was a solid in-ring worker and a suitable partner for Truth. The match starts up with Creed and Styles and the crowd is super hot, mostly supporting AJ (probably because Pacman was such a controversial figure and AJ was AJ). Speaking of AJ, he's clearly in the driver's seat against the highly-energetic-but-sloppy Creed. Eventually Styles makes the tag to Tomko, who comes in to clean house but doesn't shine for long before AJ is back in the ring and this one falls apart into a wild spotfest. That's not a knock against it, though, as the non-stop action means that there is never a boring moment and you're never more than a few seconds away from a crazy AJ Styles moment. Pacman's spot is executed terribly (because Pacman clearly has no idea what he's doing), but I like how it leads to the ending that the fans clearly want. This wasn't a "must watch" match and Pacman Jones' performance is so laughably bad it does mar the match a bit, but this was still mostly entertaining stuff. (3/5)

Backstage, Karen Angle gets interviewed by Jeremy Borash as she walks to the locker room and then chats up Kevin Nash about talking Kurt into something or other. 

Next up - the X-Division Champion, "The Black Machismo" Jay Lethal, defends his title against Christopher Daniels. Jay Lethal's Macho Man cosplay has not aged particularly well, though, even at the time it was pretty hammy. Christopher Daniels' face paint was also not a great look. Fortunately, between the ropes, these two were more than capable of delivering the goods and they do so here for the most part. Daniels takes control with a sick body slam onto the guardrail that the commentators treat like a match-ender. Back into the ring they go and Daniels hits a big suplex and then a lucha-inspired moonsault off the ropes. Daniels maintains control but can't put Lethal away, working his back over methodically. Lethal rallies, though, hitting a series of elbows and then a hurricanrana before delivering one of Macho's trademark hangman's over the top rope. Lethal hits a suplex for 2 and then an enziguiri and, moments later, a nifty face-plant move I'm not sure I've seen before. Lethal went for a springboard but Daniels caught him with a Death Valley Driver and then the BME...but only got 2 and a half. Daniels' frustration costs him his focus and Lethal hits a big full-nelson suplex to pop the crowd. Lethal goes for another elbow in the corner but Daniels dodges and the Fallen Angel goes for a hurricanrana off the top but gets shoved off instead. Lethal goes for the flying elbow but Daniels rolls away and nearly gets a cover of his own! Solid false finish there as I thought Lethal was definitely going to hit the elbow. Daniels sets him up on the top rope again, but Lethal chops his way into hitting the Lethal Combination off the top rope to get the W. This was good-not-great, missing some intangible element. (3/5)

Backstage, the Steiners cut a promo to hype their match against Team 3-D. Their match is a 2-out-of-3 Tables match, which is the Dudleys' specialty, but the Steiners are no slouches and seem to have most of the crowd support. This could be considered something of a dream match...except its happening in 2007 and not 1997. Both teams brawl around the ring and into the crowd with the Dudleys doing most of the selling, which is not the norm for them.  Eventually the Steiners set up a table in the ring and it looks like Scott might go for the Frankensteiner, but D-Von stops him and they put Rick Steiner through a table with the Dudley Death Drop to go up 1-0. They look to powerbomb Scott Steiner through a table from the corner, but BPP ends up hitting the Frankensteiner (sorta) and Bubba goes through a table instead. The move gets a huge pop despite it being very obvious that Bubba had to do a front flip to make it work. The match continues and D-Von goes for a flying headbutt but eats the mat. Scott goes to inflict more damage but Bubba catches him with a lowblow and then starts whipping him with a belt. The Dudleys gloat for awhile and then grab a table and a few chairs. They put Steiner onto a table that breaks beneath his weight but the ref waves it off for no real reason. They set up another table and lay Steiner on it and look to injure him permanently, but the MCMG show up and cause a distraction. D-Von and Bubba end up hitting their chairs together, which allows Rick Steiner to show up after spending at least 7-8 minutes selling on the outside and hit the bulldog off the top on D-Von through a table. The crowd was way more into this match than I was as I found this plodding and slow with very few spots that looked remotely good. (1/5)

A Gauntlet Match to crown the first ever TNA Knockouts Champion is next. Awesome Kong had debuted just a few weeks (?) before this show and was the favorite. The first two competitors are Ms. Brooks (aka Traci Brooks) and "The Pride of Tennessee" Jackie Moore with additional wrestlers joining every 60 seconds. Shelly Martinez comes in at #3 and then, at #4 we get Awesome Kong. Before Kong can even get a move done, ODB comes in at #5. Kong eliminates Brooks and Martinez with ease before crushing Jackie in the corner and eliminating her as well. Kong and ODB have a stand-off as Toronto's own Angel Williams (Angelina Love) comes down the aisle. Christy Hemme comes in next and I must admit that I didn't know she actually competed as a wrestler in TNA. Kong remains the dominant figure in the match as Gail Kim comes in. Hemme eats a powerbomb and then gets checked out by the medical professions. As  Talia Madison (Velvet Sky) comes down the aisle, the other three women manage to eliminate Kong. Next in is the final competitor - Roxxi Laveaux, the Voodoo Queen. With Angel getting eliminated, we're down to four. Kim eliminates Madison as Roxxi dumps ODB and we're down to our final two. Gail Kim  is able to apply her crucifix submission but Roxxi gets to the ropes. Kim attempts a dropkick from the top but Roxxi moves and the Queen gains control and attempts a backbreaker but Kim rolls her over for 2. Roxxi hits a powerbomb and then a bridge but only gets 2 herself. The Queen starts some dancing, but Gail Kim catches her in an over-the-shoulder belly-to-back piledriver (Celtic Cross/White Noise) to get the win. TNA had a reputation for having the better women's division around this time, but you wouldn't really know it based on this battle royal. I'm going to award some points for the final few minutes and Awesome Kong's performance, but this wasn't very good. (1.5/5)

Backstage, Kevin Nash sits down with Kurt Angle and tells him he wants to "smooth things over" with Sting for him so that their match is less personal. They argue and Nash says he's not going to have his back tonight and Angle mocks him and tells him he doesn't need his help anyway.

A video package hypes our next match - Christian Cage vs. Samoa Joe with Matt Morgan as the Special Guest Ring Enforcer. The crowd is electric for this, which isn't surprising as both guys were very over at the time. Joe applies a nice headlock to start things off and then shoulder blocks Christian down as the crowd breaks into a "Let's Go Joe/Let's Go Christian" chant. They trade slaps in the corner and Joe hits his running knee before running his boot across Christian's face. Christian sneaks out from the under the bottom rope and gets in some offense before running into an elbow and then getting hit with a leg lariat. After eating some rights and lefts, Christian is able to apply a head scissors. Joe gets to his feet but Christian brings him back down with a reverse DDT. Christian goes for the frog splash, but Joe rolls away. They trade stiff palms to the face and then we get a great spot where Christian attempts to come in from the outside but eats a big enziguiri instead. Joe hits his rlling splash to the outside, which leads to a "This Is Awesome" chant. After coolly dodging a Christian splash, Joe hits an absolutely insane clothesline that looks like it could've taken Christian's head off. He goes for the Muscle Buster but can't set him up and eventually has to settle for a Buckle Bomb and then the big boot and the back splash for another nearfall. Unfortunately, things get a little sloppy during the next stretch as Joe sets himself up for a powerbomb in the corner and then we get an awkward pinfall attempt from Christian into a rear-naked choke. Both men go to the top rope but after headbutting eachother, Christian ends up on the floor and Joe falls to the mat. Tyson Tomko shows up and brawls with Matt Morgan. AJ Styles comes out too, but Morgan clears them both out, proving to be an effective enforcer. Of course, the distraction allows Christian to hit a low blow and then the Unprettier. Joe somehow kicks out at 2 and manages to not only hit the Muscle Buster but also forces Christian to tap with the rear-naked choke. This was really good and Christian did a fantastic job of putting Samoa Joe over as a top guy. Great match. (4/5)

And now we get tonight's most hardcore match - Rhyno vs. Raven vs. Abyss vs. Black Reign (Dustin Rhodes) in a Monsters Ball match. Before the bell can even ring, the brawling commences. It doesn't take long before various weapons come into play - trash can lids, a shopping cart, a kendo stick. A match like this is all about the crazy spots and there are some highlights worth noting in this one: Rhyno goring himself off the stage, Raven hitting an elbow from the balcony on Abyss through a table, Raven getting Black Hole Slammed into a pile of tacks and shards of glass. This doesn't overstay its welcome, it ends with the most violent spot of the match, and I like the variety it added to the show, but this isn't something I'd consider "must see" or particularly memorable. (3/5)

Main event time - Sting challenging Kurt Angle for the TNA World Championship. The fact that this match is happening in Atlanta is heavily hyped on commentary as Atlanta represents Sting's adopted hometown and Angle won his Gold Medal at the 96' Olympic Games there. After a lengthy intro, Sting controls early and manages to land some big right hands, a dropkick, and a clothesline that sends Angle to the floor. Angle rallies, though, turning the match into a grind in order to wear down the challenger. We get a double clothesline spot that puts both men down and then they trade strikes before Sting hits a series of clotheslines and then a big spinebuster for two. Sting hits two Stinger Splashes and then a bulldog but doesn't go for the cover. Instead, he heads to the top only to get suplexed down by Angle for another nearfall. Angle attempts his Angle Slam but Sting counters it into a nearfall. Angle connects with a trio of German Suplexes that look absolutely devastating. Angle takes down the straps and applies the Ankle Lock, but Sting rolls over and somehow turns it into a Scorpion Death Lock. Karen Angle runs down the aisle, though, causing Sting to release the move. Kevin Nash then sneaks into the ring and clotheslines Sting. Angle hits the Olympic Slam but there's no referee! By the time the ref makes it back to the ring, Angle only gets a 2 count. Angle hoists Sting up to the top rope and goes for a Belly-to-Belly but Angle shoves him off. Sting goes for a Splash, but Angle gets his knees up. Angle goes for the cover and only gets 2.5. Angle hits a body slam and then looks to go to the top himself for a 450. Angle is too tired to really hit the move, though, nearly crushing Sting with his knees. After another nearfall, Angle applies the Ankle Lock - but Sting rolls out and sends Angle into the buckle where he hits Nash! The referee ends up knocked out as Sting hits the Death Drop! A new ref shows up and it looks like its over, but Nash pulls him out of the ring before he can count to 3. Nash goes after Sting and beats him down in the corner. Angle gets up and its 2-on-1, but Sting fights them both off! Sting sends Nash out, but Angle hits him with a lowblow. Angle grabs the bat and goes to strike Sting, but Sting blocks him and takes hold of the weapon. After taking Nash out, Sting hits another Scorpion Death Drop and we've got a new champion! The final minutes of this match were the epitome of overbooked nonsense...but I'm not going to lie and say that all the slop they threw into the mix didn't work. This did feel like a big victory for Sting and that he had overcome a ridiculous amount of interference to win the title. A fun match that had too much "gaga" to be truly great. (3.5/5)

An uneven show, but not without its merits, Bound for Glory 2007 features some excellent performances out of Christian, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Sting, AJ Styles, and LAX. Unfortunately, the "Fight for the Right" reverse battle royal is unremarkable and the Gauntlet Match to crown the first Knockouts Champion belies how good the division would become in the years after this due to the work of Awesome Kong, Gail Kim, Mickie James, and others. The Steiners/Team 3D is a disappointment, a "dream match" happening at least 5 years (but probably closer to a decade) after it could've been good. With a Kwang Score of 2.61-out-of-5, but at least one excellent match and a few considerably above-average, this one earns a...

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

WWE Unforgiven 2004

WWE Unforgiven 2004

Portland, Oregon - September 2004

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the World Heavyweight Champion was Randy Orton, the WWE Champion was John Bradshaw Layfield, the Intercontinental title was vacant (Edge had dropped the title due to injury), and the United States Champion was Booker T. The World Tag Team Champions were La Resistance, the WWE Tag Team Champions were Rene Dupree and Kenzo Suzuki, and the Women's Champion was Trish Stratus. The Cruiserweight Champion was Spike Dudley.

Ric Flair and Batista vs. Chris Benoit and William Regal is our opener. It is telling that, on commentary, there's little mention of Benoit's World Heavyweight Championship reign and much more emphasis on the greatness (and cunning) of Evolution. I had no idea that William Regal was ostensibly a babyface around this time? The match itself is what one would expect to see out of two world class workers in Benoit and Regal, a still-a-bit green Batista, and Ric Flair, the showman who, by this point, seemed most interested in just getting his schtick in rather than working a hard-hitting, logical athletic contest. There are times when it seems like Flair basically stops the match so that he can force a Flair Flop in or do a trademark cut-off via low blow or eye poke. Its a shame too because Benoit and Regal's work is damn good throughout and seeing them beat the hell out of Flair only for Batista to come in and even the odds through sheer power is a perfectly fine story to tell. Not a bad match, but not as good as it could've been if Flair's need to "get his shit in" wasn't so blatant at times. (2.5/5)

Trish Stratus defended her Women's Championship against Victoria next. The story going into this match was that Stratus was still attached to Christian, who forbade his right-hand man, Tyson Tomko, from accompanying her to ring...until Trish convinced Tomko backstage before the match using her feminine mystique. Victoria, meanwhile, was getting assisted in her matches by a mystery woman around this based on the commentary. Stratus and Victoria don't have a perfect match, but there are some highlights here - an awesome gutbuster by Victoria early on, some stiff strikes from both women - and I like that this match does come across as being a big deal for a major championship. Again, there's some sloppiness/slow motion moments on display that are noticeable, but hey, its not like Charlotte Flair doesn't have a terrible moonsault herself or there haven't been times when Bayley has looked awkward in the ring either. The worst part of this match was really the finish, which saw Tomko get involved after Victoria inexplicably thought she could neutralize him in any way (which was unnecessary because he was barely getting involved beforehand). (2.5/5)

After the Stratus/Victoria match, Tyson Tomko raises Victoria up in a choke (which is kinda shocking considering we rarely get anything even resembling man-on-woman violence in today's WWE) but is saved by the aforementioned mystery woman - who ends up being Stevie Richards. They have an impromptu match that goes way, way too long despite probably running only 5-6 minutes. Richards gets beat up for most of it and Tomko is just not an entertaining ass-kicker. When Richards does finally fight back, his offense is sharp (I love the dropkicks he throws) and the crowd rallies behind him before he gets cut off and eats Tomko's finish. This should've been a segment on RAW rather than a "match." (0.5/5)

When Edge vacated the Intercontinental Championship, it was put up for grabs in our next contest - a ladder match between Chris Jericho and Christian, who had feuded extensively in the build-up to WrestleMania XX (where Christian defeated Y2J and Trish turned heel on the smitten Ayatollah of Rock n' Rolla). By this point, the feud had been over and done with - partially due to Christian suffering an injury in May that kept him out of action through the summer - but with Edge injured, it only made sense for Christian and Jericho to have one last clash. There is much to love in this match as Christian and Jericho go for broke from start to finish, delivering some devastating offense and taking some crazy ladder bumps. I love Christian hitting the Unprettier on the floor. I love Christian dangling from the belt and taking a big fall to the ring. I love Christian running face-first into the ladder off an Irish whip. Hell, I love Christian and this is the type of performance that explains why so many fans were clamoring for him to get a major push as a top heel in 2005. Jericho is no slouch either and the crowd is clearly in his corner, though I found the finish lackluster, a disappointing ending to a match that was otherwise thrilling and featured a variety of fun moments (though some were undeniably "repeats" from previous ladder matches these two had been a part of). (3.5/5)

After a segment backstage, Kane takes on Shawn Michaels in a No DQ match. The story coming into this is all about Kane being an absolutely evil psychopath who had forced his way into a marriage with Lita (and impregnated her by putting a pinhole in a condom). It was a disgusting storyline, though not necessarily out of character for Kane in the mid-00s. Because they were married, Lita somehow got to pick Kane's next opponent and she picked HBK because he'd been put on the shelf for 3 months by the Big Red Machine. I wish they would've at least mentioned that Shawn was around when Kane debuted in 97' as that might've made for an interesting wrinkle, but the focus was really on the Kane/Lita/Matt Hardy situation more than anything. Anyway...Kane and Shawn get plenty of time and they even have a stipulation to work with, but this match essentially proves that Kane was just not a very interesting worker. He doesn't blow any spots or ever look lost - there is no denying his competency - but when people argue that Kane was never "put in a position to have good matches," I'd point to this one as an example where even Shawn Michaels, who arguably carried much less experienced/less capable workers (Shelton Benjamin, Chris Masters, even Hulk Hogan in 2005) to thrilling matches couldn't manage to pull anything better than average out of Kane. I can understand wanting to limit the weaponry after the ladder match that came before this (and also to save some big spots for the main event), but this is Shawn pinballing around and Kane just being his normal (often boring) self. Again, the argument that Kane wasn't "put into position" to have good matches just doesn't hold water when the guy had more than enough 10+ minute matches with Rey Mysterio, Kurt Angle, Triple H, and Chris Jericho over the years...and only one or two of em' are any more memorable than this match against Shawn Michaels (who was certainly not yet in any sort of decline at this point). I like that Lita was involved in the finish and one has to give credit to Shawn for his bladejob and how much he did to put over Kane as a monster (even his eventual win doesn't seem definitive as he quickly gets out of the ring before Kane can exact any revenge). Still, this is was maybe only slightly above average despite getting plenty of time, having a stipulation that should've allowed for some creative spots, and a hot (albeit disgusting) storyline coming into it. (3/5)

La Resistance (Sylvan Grenier and Rob Conway) defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against Rhyno and Tajiri next. This was designed to be a "cool down" match, but everyone works hard. Rhyno and Tajiri are both fun and get some moments to shine, though the crowd is clearly indifferent to most everything until the final few minutes when things get more exciting building to the finish. An unremarkable match - not good, not bad, just kinda there and maybe a touch too long. (2/5)

Main event time - Randy Orton defending the World Heavyweight Championship against his former stablemate, Triple H. Triple H's promo before the match goes very long for being a backstage segment and then we get a video recap of their feud. The commentators make a big deal about Orton doing "what Triple H couldn't" and beating Chris Benoit. The story of the match is that Triple H is targeting Orton's knee, using Flair's figure four to try to beat Orton into submission. Orton rallies, though, and Triple H ends up doing a bladejob to try to give this match some much-needed heat. The crowd is behind Orton for the most part, but this is a Triple H-dominated contest and its clear he's setting the pace (methodical) and basically guiding Orton through a rather generic title match. Eventually we get a ref bump and Evolution interfering, this match needlessly overbooked. The crowd is not happy about the title change, but based on this outing, its not like Orton was ready to be the top guy yet either. (2.5/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.36-out-of-5, Unforgiven 2004 is not a show I'd consider "must see." As it only features performers from the RAW brand, it doesn't offer the full scope of talent that the WWE had on its roster at the time either (Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Angle, Undertaker, and a young John Cena were on the Blue Brand). The Jericho/Christian match is the only bout worth seeking out at all if you're a fan of either performer, Stratus and Victoria over-deliver, and the opener is a fine tag match. Kane/Michaels might be one of Kane's better matches, but that's mostly because his resume has so few matches that are above-average. The main event is nothing special. 

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver 

TNA Lockdown 2005

NWA/TNA Lockdown 2005

Orlando, FL - April 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Jeff Jarrett was the reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Christopher Daniels was the X-Division Champion, and America's Most Wanted were the NWA Tag Team Champions.

The show opens with Lance Hoyt (now Lance Archer) teaming up with Chris Candido to take on Sonny Siaki and Apollo. This match is most notable for being Chris Candido's last as he breaks his leg within the first few minutes. Sadly, a blood clot would take Candido's life just four days later. With Candido taken to the back within the first 3 minutes, the other three men are forced to improvise and I've got to hand it to them for making it work, especially Lance Hoyt. At the time and for the years that followed, Hoyt had a very bad reputation as a worker and wasn't regarded as even approaching good until he went to NJPW in the late 2010s (he'd win the Most Improved Award from the Wrestling Observer in 2019), but he's really not too bad here. Sure, there are clunky bits and neither Siaki or Apollo are particularly crisp or exciting workers, but this isn't the trainwreck one might expect considering the circumstances. (2/5)

Dustin Rhodes takes on a young Bobby Roode next in a bizarre 2-out-of-3 falls match where, if the 3rd match occurs, they'll both be blindfolded. Roode gets a pin within the opening minutes off a roll-up and the match doesn't halt so I'm not even sure the crowd knows it happens (the commentators aren't even sure it counted either). Considering Roode's level of experience and this being during a "lull" in Dustin's career, the action is better than I expected it would be and Scott D'Amore on the outside helps keep the crowd hot. Roode's offense is crisp and well-executed and I didn't mind that they worked a rear choke-into-a-camel clutch for awhile to build towards Dustin's comeback. What was less likable was Roode hitting his Northern Lariat (a clothesline to the back of the head) and getting only a 2 count because Dustin got his foot on the rope (out of camera shot). Since when are there rope breaks in a cage match? Anyway, Dustin hits a bulldog from the top rope a moment later and we get our Blindfold match. The Jake Roberts/Rick Martel Blindfold Match from WrestleMania VII (I think?) is a notoriously maligned match, but at least it served a storyline purpose. This? Not so much. So, Dustin and Roode pretend they can't see through the hoods they're wearing and they eventually back into each other only to push apart. The referee tries to join them up but he ends up double-clotheslined. Scott D'Amore throws a chair into the ring and then unlocks the cage door so he can attack Dustin only to get hit with the chair instead! Dustin grabs the chair and catches Roode clear on the skull with it, rolling him over and getting the pinfall victory. Not a career highlight for either guy, though, at the time, this was probably one of Roode's highest profile matches. (2/5)

The X-Division Xscape match is next - Michael Shane (with Trinity) vs. Chris Sabin vs. Shocker vs. Sonjay Dutt. Despite being Shawn Michaels' real-life cousin and not too shabby of a worker, Michael Shane never really got anywhere in his career. Sabin and Sonjay start things off as this match is inexplicably being wrestled under "tag" rules. Sabin and Sonjay have great chemistry and, in watching this, I had to remind myself that in 2005, this sort of wrestling wasn't as commonplace as it is now. The rules of this match are weird as two wrestlers need to be eliminated before anyone can try to escape the cage. Sabin and Sonjay hit an awesome combo spot, but Shane recovers and puts Dutt in the Tree of Woe to deliver a beautiful low dropkick. Moments later, Shane delivers an Alabama Slam to Sabin that sends him into the cage wall that gets a big reaction too. Shocker comes in and cuts off Shane's momentum, nearly eliminating him with a roll-up. Shane goes for a tarantula, but Sonjay and Sabin come in too and we get a four-man tarantula spot. Why on Earth was this match not booked as a complete 4-man spotfest? With the referee having lost control, the non-stop action has the crowd going bonkers. Dutt hits an absolutely insane flippity-flip splash and goes for the cover, but Shane breaks it up for no reason (as the commentators note). Shane sends Dutt into the cage wall and follows it with a superkick, but Shocker hits him with a big boot and Dutt is eliminated. Shane goes for a piledriver but gets head-scissored into the corner. Shocker hits a tilt-a-whirl onto his knee and goes to the top, but Sabin leaps up and hits him with a suplex off the top turnbuckle for 2. Again, Shane breaks up the cover for no reason. Shane puts Sabin on the top rope and looks to land a superplex, but Sabin wrestles out. Trinity climbs the cage on the outside and is followed up by Traci Brooks. The camera misses the action in the ring but turns back to the ring to see Trinity hit a moonsault from the top of the cage onto all the men in the middle. This gets a "Holy Shit" chant and did look pretty good on the replay. Brooks comes into the ring, though, and clotheslines Trinity. Shane sends her back out of the cage, but Sabin catches him withe Cradle Shock and we're down to Sabin and Shocker. The final two try to escape, racing to climb up the cage, eventually getting into a strike exchange on the top rope. They both end up straddling the cage and then over it, ramming eachother's head into the cage - which is one of the dumbest things you could do to your opponent as it could only lead to them falling - and this is exactly what happens with Shocker hitting the ground first. There was some really good action in this match, but the finish was very underwhelming. (2.5/5)

Tenay and Don West play back the tape of Chris Candido's injury and it is very clear, in the replay, just how bad the break was. Man, that was ugly.

A video package tells the story of the Raven/Jeff Hardy feud before their Tables match. Raven is usually solid in hardcore, weapons-based matches and Jeff Hardy is no stranger to a stipulation like this, but this match underwhelmed me. There is one crazy spot - Jeff putting himself through a table with a swanton from the top of the cage - but the rest of the big moments aren't memorable and seem a bit paint-by-numbers. Raven is known for having one of the best minds in the business, but there are head-scratching ideas in this match that betray the objective of the match as both Hardy and Raven make some inexplicable choices that don't seem to be based on actually winning the match. (2/5)

The NWA Tag Team Championships are on the line next as Team Canada's Eric Young and Petey Williams take on America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris and James Storm), who come in as the champions. Not only is this a cage match, but there are also straps involved in this. I'm not sure if AMW were technically babyfaces, but because they represent the US, the crowd is on their side for this. Harris and Storm have straps in their hands coming in which allow them to gain control early, torturing the Canadians. Eric Young starts the match by straddling the cage which makes for an awkward start.  A-1, one of the members of Team Canada, comes out to help the heels and allow them to gain control on the inside. James Storm gets busted open by Young and Williams as Harris staggers around the outside of the cage. What's the point of the cage if wrestlers can come and go in-and-out of it willy-nilly? With the match basically 3-on-2 and the villains in control, Petey Williams grabs an American flag and uses the pole to choke Storm out. The heels dominance is momentarily disrupted by Storm hitting a jawbreaker in the ring and Chris Harris whipping A-1 into the rail. The babyfaces continue their (unearned) comeback, Petey Williams inexplicably jumping into a powerbomb. Williams comes back with a tornado DDT and a pinfall cover but the referee doesn't follow through because WIlliams' feet are on the ropes...which should be legal in a cage match? Team Canada try to choke out Storm in the corner, his face a bloody mess, as Harris catapults A-1 into the steel on the outside. Harris whips A-1 into the steps on the outside and climbs into the cage, taking out both Team Canada members with a double clothesline from the top. Harris destroys both of his undersized opponents with some solid big man power moves but can't get the pin. AMW hit the Hart Foundation's old finish but only get a 2 count. Petey Williams fights back with a sick tilt-a-whirl counter into a side russian leg sweep and then attempts a Sharpshooter that is made even more devastating with a Young elbow from the top. That was cool. They only get a 2 count on it, though, as Williams goes for the Canadian Destroyer only to get cut-off by a Chris Harris spear for 2. Young calls for a superkick to Harris but Harris catches him, spins him around, and eats one from Storm instead! Storm lifts Young up for the Death Sentence but Team Canada evades it and Petey Williams smashes the hockey stick across Harris' back. This match started out with some nonsense, but has gotten pretty damn solid by this point. A-1 hands William a bag of powder and we're back into overbooked territory here. Storm kicks the powder back into Williams face and Williams (who is "blinded") ends up taking out his own partner with the Canadian Destroyer. The heroes hit the Death Sentence and this one is over after a terribly convoluted and corny finish. Sadly, the highlights of this match - and there were quite a few, mostly coming from Storm and Petey - were really overshadowed by the garbage and idiotic elements. (2/5)

Christopher Daniels defended his TNA X-Division Championship against former tag partner Elix Skipper next. The story of this match was that Daniels and Skipper knew each other's moves better than anyone else and the counters and reversals in the early minutes are as phenomenal as advertised. Things take a shift, though, when Daniels sends Skipper shoulder-first into the cage and Skipper does an excellent job of selling the damage. I love Daniels' shoulder-focused offense and the way he's cuts off Skipper quite a few times before the babyface gets to make a big comeback and deliver some of his own impressive repertoire of maneuvers. However, once things go 50/50, all the excellent work from earlier in the match gets ignored for a stretch. The biggest spot of the match comes when Skipper hits a ridiculous splash from the top of the cage onto an unsuspecting Daniels, but he only gets a 2 for it. Skipper attempts a tilt-a-whirl powerslam but his shoulder gives out on him. Daniels tries for an Angel's Wings but Skipper counters only for Daniels to counter his counter with an Angel's Wings to get the W. This was a good-not-great match that featured some really good work out of Daniels especially. (3/5)

A video package hypes tonight's next match and semi-main event - a Lethal Lockdown battle between Team Jarrett (Jarrett, Billy Gunn, and Monty Brown) and Team DDP (Page, Nash, and Sean Waltman). Waltman and Jarrett start things off outside the cage, brawling into the crowd. For a guy not known for his brawling, I'll give credit to Waltman for bringing plenty of energy and attempting a spin kick on the table (which didn't look great, but hey, at least it was something we haven't seen much before). Into the ring they went with the clock down to 2 minutes, Waltman sending Jarrett into the steel and bashing him over the head with the trash can. Entering #3 was "The Outlaw" (aka Kip James aka Billy Gunn), but Waltman is ready for him at first until the 2-on-1 advantage is too much for him. Fortunately for Waltman, it is only a 2-minute wait before his partner - Diamond Dallas Page - makes his way down the aisle. Page has a kendo stick in hand and takes out both heels with it, Billy Gunn taking some seriously stiff shots to the back and head. With how well Page was moving here, it really is a shame that the WWE did nothing with him in his brief run there as he could still go at this point. Next in the ring is Monty Brown, a guy that seemed like he could've been a huge deal before his unexpected retirement just a few years after this. Brown wasn't a technical wizard or anything, but he had physical charisma and presence. The heels dominate for 2 minutes until its time for the last entrant: BG James (aka The Road Dogg) rather than Kevin Nash. BG James leans house and has a face-off with Billy Gunn that is broken up when X-Pac breaks it up and hits The Outlaw with a facebuster. The babyfaces take control, Waltman eventually hitting Brown with a Bronco Buster in the corner. Brown somehow springs to life soon after, though, and hits both BG James and Waltman with nasty pounces. Page breaks up a pin attempt and hits a Diamond Cutter on Jarrett, but only gets 2, the cover broken up by The Outlaw. The Outlaw goes for the Fameasser but gets dropped by a spin kick from Waltman in a great spot. Despite all the messiness and poor camera work, this was undeniably action-packed and wild, mostly carried by Waltman (who eventually scores the victory roll pinfall on Monty Brown to put an end to this). This was about as good as one could've hoped considering the mix of talent and stipulation. (3/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles vs. Abyss to determine the number one contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The match starts with a bang as Styles comes flying out of the cage with a ridiculous cannonball splash through the cage door! Styles then does a hurricanrana off the guardrail, but Abyss is too big of a monster to stay down for long. Abyss tries to send Styles into the crowd, but Styles somehow catches himself on the guardrail and then does an awesome Phenomenal Forearm from the stands onto Abyss. Styles tries for another splash, but this time Abyss dodges and Styles flings himself into the crowd. This is maybe the most uncanny "Man vs. Broom" matches I've ever seen as Styles is doing unreal work here. Into the crowd they go and Styles fights back with some kicks before Abyss grabs him in a choke and flings him into the fence at the top of the steps. They make their way back down the steps, Abyss dominating completely and tossing Styles over the rail. Abyss inexplicably takes the pressure off, allowing Styles to regain his breath and fight back with big right hands. At this point, they've still not made their way into the ring so the match has not technically started. As Styles makes his way towards the ring, Abyss slams the door twice onto AJ, once in the back and once smack-dab in the face (which AJ sells expertly). AJ is busted open at this point, bleeding a gusher on his forehead. Abyss tosses some weapons into the ring - a chair, a chain, thumbtacks. He sets the chair up in the corner and then wraps the chain around Styles' neck. Styles unwraps himself but eats a big boot. Abyss wraps the chain around the post and looks to send AJ into it, but AJ fights back only to get catapulted chin-first onto it when he attempts a move off the ropes. Abyss hits the Black Hole Slam, but only gets 2, though, Styles somehow surviving. Abyss dumps the tacks and attempts another Black Hole Slam, but AJ counters it. Abyss goes for a powerbomb but instead AJ reverses it and hits a pseudo-Styles Clash onto the tacks! Its still not enough, though, as Abyss kicks out at 2. AJ hits Abyss with some right hands and then makes his way towards the top of the cage. Before he can deliver a move, though, Abyss chokeslams the ref into the cage wall and AJ stumbles. Abyss tries to knock AJ off the cage but it won't work so he climbs up after him, chain in hand. Abyss wraps the chain around AJ's neck and Abyss hangs up from the cage. Abyss goozles Styles, but Styles bites his finger and then somehow hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Abyss onto the tacks to get the W. A tremendous, tremendous performance from AJ Styles that carries this one into near-masterpiece territory. (4.5/5)

Anchored by a truly spectacular main event, Lockdown 2005 is the kind of show that should've made TNA reconsider having every single match on a card happen inside a steel cage. The opener wasn't good before Chris Candido's ultimately life-ending injury, several matches featured laughably bad booking decisions and corny finishes (Rhodes/Roode, AMW/Team Canada), and the co-main event (Team Jarrett vs. Team DDP) would never confuse anyone for a bona fide War Games match. Despite a somewhat low Kwang score of 2.63-out-of-5, Styles vs. Abyss is such a good match that it saves the show from earning my lowest rating.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver