WWE Crown Jewel 2022

WWE Crown Jewel 2022

November 2022 - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Roman Reigns was the WWE and the Universal Champion, the Usos held the RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Championships, the Intercontinental Champion was Gunther, the United States Champion was Seth Freakin' Rollins, Bianca Belair was the RAW Women's Champion, Ronda Rousey was the SmackDown Women's Champion, and the Women's Tag Team Championships were held by Alexa Bliss and Asuka. 

I don't usually review these shows because they are despicable cash grabs put on for one of the worst governments on Earth, but...it ain't like the US's shit don't stink and, I'll just go ahead and admit, this card was stacked and, for the first time in the history of the event, hooked me as "must see." 

Bobby Lashley vs. Brock Lesnar was our opening contest, most likely because Lesnar wanted to get in and out of Saudi Arabia as quickly as possible. Before Lesnar could hit the ring, Lashley went right after him, driving him into the steps and then spearing him on the floor. Lashley hit him with a second one in the middle of the ring, but couldn't capitalize as the Beast went to the floor, selling a damaged knee. Lashley speared him through the barricade and rolled him back into the ring for a fourth spear. Lashley looked to apply the Hurt Lock, but Lesnar countered with a big german suplex and then a second. Lesnar connected on a third suplex and played to the crowd a bit, all the while still selling the knee damage. Lesnar hit the F5, but only got a 2 count. He attempted another one, but Lashley escaped and clotheslined Brock to the floor. Lashley then hoisted Lesnar up in a fireman's carry and drove him into the post, garnering a sizable amount of boos from the crowd. Lashley went for another spear, Lesnar countered, but Bobby was able to counter-the-counter with a huge sidewalk slam. Lashley got the Hurt Lock on, but Lesnar wouldn't quit. Lashley got him down to one knee, but Lesnar kept fighting, evenually kicking himself off the top turnbuckle and getting the pinfall when Lashley wouldn't release the hold and had his shoulders to the ground. This was another "sprint" out of Lesnar and could've really been something special if they had actually set the table a bit more and given us a full 1st and 2nd act. Instead, we got an interesting opening minute with Lashley playing the heel and going after Lesnar's knee, but then never doing anything to continue to target the leg. After the match, Lashley re-applied the Hurt Locker and, for the first time in recent memory, Lesnar really did look like he'd been overpowered as Lashley essentially left the ring looking like the victor. If these two wanted to, I have no doubt they could have an incredible match...but this wasn't it. (2.5/5)

Next up - Alexa Bliss and Asuka defended the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Dakota Kai and Iyo Sh - whoops, Skye of Damage Control. During Alexa's pre-match promo, a nearby screened flickered with a Bray Wyatt clip, a nod to Bliss's past with the Fiend. I'm a big fan of Bliss, an even bigger fan of Asuka, and though I haven't seen a ton of their work, have appreciated what I've seen out of Kai and Skye. This was a really solid match with some good double-team work out of the babyfaces and cut-offs by the heels. There was some noticeable telegraphing at times (at one point, Bliss seemed overly distracted by Shirai before she attempted a Twisted Bliss), but also some seriously devastating moves (a Code Red that looked like it could've resulted in a concussion). I liked the finish, which saw Nikki Cross attack Bliss, seemingly as revenge for her abandoning their partnership? I'm not really sure, but I'm intrigued just because looking at RAW's women's division, there is just so, so much talent to work with. A very solid match here and, who knows, maybe the start to the Women's Tag Team Championships being featured more prominently? (3/5)

Karrion Kross vs. Drew McIntyre in a Steel Cage match followed. I'm not sure what wrestler I loathe more in 2022, Jay Lethal or Karrion Kross. Lethal is someone I used to enjoy, so I guess he's got the slight edge, but I just don't see why he should be featured on AEW so prominently. Karrion Kross, meanwhile, is a guy who I can't even say I used to enjoy. This was better than I expected to be, but I'd give most of the credit to the audience as the Saudi Arabian fans were inexplicably very into this. I didn't like the overdramatic dialogue in this match and I didn't like the pacing, which was slow at times, but there were enough big spots (including Scarlet attempting to use pepper spray) to keep things moving and the crowd engaged. I still wouldn't ever want to re-watch this, but this was noticeably better than their Strap Match last month. So far, this show has absolutely deliver what it has needed to. (2.5/5)

The O.C (AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, and Luke Gallows) vs. Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Dominick Mysterio, and Damien Priest). Despite not being in the match, plenty of attention was heaped onto Rhea Ripley at ringside. As one would expect, this was a fine match, but nothing super special. The stretches involving AJ and Finn were the highlights (no shock there), but maybe the most noteworthy aspect of the entire match was how freely Michael Cole and Wade Barrett spoke about the history of each team member, outright referencing the original Bullet Club and NJPW at times. It may seem like a small thing, but in 2022, there's simply no reason not to speak openly about the histories of competitors like Balor and AJ, two guys who did so much internationally that it only makes the WWE look better to have them on their roster. I'm not saying every wrestler should come in as a "top prospect" from Impact or Ring of Honor and be touted as such, but in no other sport would someone who won a major championship in the minors or in another league be inexplicably presented as a "rookie" or "unproven" once they made it to the bigger stage. Anyway...this crowd really loved Tower of Doom spots and, frankly, most everything that happened in this match. It wasn't the smoothest contest of all time and I would've liked to see some storyline development with someone, anyone - Doudroup? Carmella? Tamina for chrissakes? - coming out to help even the odds. Another inoffensive match that benefited considerably from a hot crowd and the dependability of Styles and Balor to maximize their minutes. (2.5/5)

Braun Strowman vs. Omos followed in a match that many expected to be a total trainwreck. Strowman did most of the selling throughout the match, which made sense considering that Omos does tower over him and is a much less versatile performer. That being said, Strowman isn't good enough to carry anyone so this match was uninteresting, one-note, and drew the first real wave of indifference from the otherwise lively Saudi crowd. Strowman eventually won with an impressive powerslam, but it didn't feel like much of an accomplishment because so much of the match felt overly-scripted and "designed" to make the victory seem organic. I'm not sure why they were so quick to separate Omos from AJ Styles as Omos does have undeniable presence and the potential to be a decent big man in time...but this was the type of pair-up that exposed both guys instead of amplifying their strengths. (1/5)

The Usos defended their Smackdown and RAW Tag Team Championships against The Brawling Brutes (Butch and Ridge Holland) in the next contest. At times this felt more like a long advertisement for the Usos/New Day match on SmackDown, but that's not to say they were half-assing it. The Usos have made a strong case for being on the shortlist of the best WWE tag teams of all time, while the Brutes are still developing as a team and simply couldn't match their double-team firepower. I don't think anyone in the arena thought the Brutes stood a chance, so the nearfalls didn't quite "hit" as big as they could've. A solid outing. (2.5/5)

The next match was a Last Women's Standing bout between Biance Belair and Bayley with Belair's RAW Women's Championship on the line. I've become a not-so-big fan of Last Man Standing matches, mostly because of how anti-climactic they tend to be compared to matches that end with a pinfall or submission. The 10-count is just too long to work and ends up leading to ridiculous scenarios where a wrestler will be out for a 7 count but miraculously pop up at 9. Anyway...there were some good spots in this, but most of my favorite were really just normal maneuvers with the added bonus of being performed atop steel (a suplex on the ramp, a spinebuster on the steps, etc.). The women used every weapon they could've - the aforementioned steps, a kendo stick, a chair, a table - and we even got a set piece moment when Belair came down the ramp with a golf cart. It was a "kitchen sink," almost cartoonish match, not too far removed from the Last Man Standing match that Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns had at SummerSlam. This wasn't an all-time great match or anything, but this was certainly above-average. The finish was innovative, though I'd have preferred to see someone get knocked unconscious after a big spot rather than just being "tied down" or "pinned" by a ladder. (3.5/5)

Before the main event, Bray Wyatt came out and delivered a promo. I found the White Rabbit promos to be clever, but this felt like a promo lifted straight from 3-4 years ago, lacking any real meaning and overly flowery for no reason, yet another example of Wyatt just weaving phrases together without saying anything of substance. Sure, we got to see the face of what seems to be the next Bray Wyatt character, but that does nothing for me, just like I didn't really care who the newest freak in the Dungeon of Doom was after awhile. 

Main event time - Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul. While I wouldn't say this one "spoiled" for me, the buzz after the match was so big that it was impossible not to hear how good this was. Typically, so much hype would have me going in with lots of cynicism, but from the early going, this has "big fight feel" even if the chances of Reigns dropping the title were very slim. Though I wouldn't say I "bit" on any of Logan's nearfalls towards the end of the match, I did think they were really, really well-executed. After a match like this, there is always some debate on whether or not this was a "carry job" or if the only reason it was so successful was because Paul had weeks and weeks to train and prep for wrestling just one match, but these same sort of criticisms have been lobbed against Randy Savage and Chris Jericho in the past, both guys with reputations for laying out every sequence of their biggest matches. So, while this match was certainly not "called in the ring," it doesn't really matter when the result is something this great. What might've been most impressive out of Logan Paul were the little things - from making sure his head was down and turned away from the camera to obscure the spot-calling to making sure his strikes looked convincing and stiff to knowing when and for how long to sell. Considering this was only his third match, Paul looked incredible and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here as there's little doubt he's capable of putting on great performances. The real question going forward, though, is who is the right star to pair him with on his next go? Should he get a rematch against Roman? How about Brock? Or is he potentially interested in becoming something resembling a "full timer" who can actually help build or maintain the star power of other workers - like, say, Seth Rollins or Kevin Owens? Of course, with so much emphasis on how natural Paul looked, few of the reviewers I read said much about Reigns' performance, which was also top notch. Reigns dominated for most of the match, but when it was time to let Paul strike, he did a wonderful job of making it appear like an upset could happen. Again, Reigns proved that he may be one of the best "less is more" workers in WWE history, a guy that really knows how to space out the big hits of a match and whose use of trash talk comes across far more natural and organic and entertaining than any time we've seen Rollins or, on this same show, Karrion Kross attempt it. A sure-fire contender for the WWE's Match of the Year. (4/5)

As others have written, Crown Jewel 2022 was undeniably the best Saudi Arabian Blood Money show in the company's history. Morally, it pains me to say how watchable and, more importantly, relevant this show was as, in the past, these international super-shows have generally existed outside of "canon" in some ways. Crown Jewel 2022 felt vital, like the events that occurred here really mattered (even when, ultimately, no titles changed hands). The Bayley/Belair match felt like a decisive ending to that rivalry for now. Ditto for Kross/McIntyre. Lesnar/Lashley seemed to hint to a third clash between the two on the horizon and maybe even signaled what Lesnar's motivation will be going into the Rumble in January. Reigns/Paul exceeded expectations and, again, raised some intrigue about what Paul will be doing next. This show didn't feel designed to be forgotten the way previous Crown Jewel shows have been. With a Kwang Rating of 2.69-out-of-5, its impossible to enjoy every minute of this show as Strowman/Omos was ugly and there was quite a bit of average-level "filler," but there were enough bright spots to make this worth catching most of.

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

WWE WrestleMania XV

WWE WrestleMania XV

March 1999 - Philadelphia, PA

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, The Rock was the WWE World Champion, Road Dogg was the Intercontinental Champion, Billy Gunn was the Hardcore Champion, the WWE Tag Team Champions were Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett, Shane McMahon was the European Champion, and Sable was the Women's Champion. 

WrestleMania XV kicks off with Boys II Men singing "America The Beautiful" and drawing a whole bunch of boos from the notoriously rough Phillie crowd. This crowd is here for what the WWE "style" was at this time - brawling, raunch, swearing, whatever the opposite of wholesome was and Boys II Men just didn't fit the bill at all.

Our opening contest is for the Hardcore Championship held by Billy Gunn. His opponents are ECW alum Al Snow (with Head) and Hardcore Holly. In the weeks building up to this show, the expectation was that Road Dogg would be the one heading into the match as the Hardcore Champion (while Gunn would hold the Intercontinental Championship), but there was a switcheroo for whatever reason. My guess is that one of the Vinces - McMahon or Russo - just wanted to subvert expectations as part of the "crash TV" method they were using to make their shows feel chaotic and "must see." Anyway...this was funner than I thought it would be. Its not a very "hardcore" match in the true sense of the word as there's no blood and only one table bump, but everyone in the match was relatively over and the action is non-stop with everyone working like they want to leave with the title. Plus, at 7 minutes, there's just no time for anyone to be bored by the action. I also liked the finish, which saw Gunn hit his Fameasser but then get screwed out of the title by Holly. Not a bad opener at all. (2.5/5)

The WWF World Tag Team Championships were on the line next as Owen Hart and Jeff Jarrett (and a very scantily clad Debra McMichael) took on the team of D'Lo Brown and Test. Brown and Test were the last two men to survive a pre-show battle royal, which made them the number one contenders because...well...that's just how the titles were treated in the WWE at the time. This match only goes 4 minutes, but again, kudos to the competitors for making the most of those minutes and actually getting something of a story across (even if the story has more to do with D'Lo's valet Ivory and her on-going conflicts with the Pretty Mean Sistas, Terri Runnels and Jacqueline). Also, any Owen Hart on a show is better than no Owen Hart. Inoffensive except if you were expecting an Attitude Era show from 99' to actually feature some sort of real tag team action. (1/5)

The next "match" is a notorious one - Butterbean vs. Bart Gunn in a Brawl-for-All style boxing match. This one is hard to rate as a "match" because, in terms of actually providing a hard-hitting battle, it offers none. This is what one would call a two-hit fight: Butterbean hits Gunn, Gunn hits the mat. But what a story! The Brawl-for-All tournament was supposedly designed because Good Ol' JR had let it be known that when "Dr. Death" Steve Williams arrived in the WWE, he'd be the toughest guy in the locker room or something like that. This led to "the boys" debating who would actually win in a legit boxing-style fight, with guys like Marc Mero (who did have amateur boxing experience) and JBL all entering the contest that was, again, supposedly originally designed to get over Steve Williams (who was nearing 40 and hadn't been a major star in the US for at least a decade when he was signed by McMahon to be a potential rival for Austin). Anyway...Bart Gunn was not expected to win the tournament, but he happened to have a ridiculously strong left hand and was tougher than he seemed. Of course, because Gunn wasn't supposed to win the tournament, the company refused to get behind him despite him being 34 years young, objectively handsome (or at least not ugly), in great shape, and having respectable size (at 6'4'', he'd basically be considered a giant in today's wrestling scene). So, instead of pushing him as a hired gun for the Corporation or as a legit bad ass that could reasonably hold his own against other known or perceived tough guys - Shamrock, Taker, Big Show, really anyone - Vince decided to embarrass him on the biggest show of the year and then swiftly fire him. Which brings us to Butterbean, the "King of the 4 Rounders," a guy most known for his imposing and unforgettable look and ability to knock out his competition quickly. Now, true boxing aficionados will tell you that Butterbean was more "sizzle than steak," a Harlem Globetrotter more than an NBA All Star, but this bout with Gunn was going to be a spectacle and Butterbean was the perfect opponent in that regard. And, when the bell rings, anyone with even passing knowledge of Butterbean's abilities - limited as they may have been - knew he was going to take Gunn out quickly (which he does). What people may not remember, though, is that Gunn actually gets up from Butterbean's initial flurry, which is commendable in its own right and way, way, way beyond what most anyone else inside or outside of the WWE locker room on that night could've done. Is this a "must see" match? No, of course not. Its not a pro-wrestling match at all. But in terms of being a "must see" Attitude Era moment? It definitely ranks in the top 15-20 moments of that entire span, which is no small feat considering how wild and crazy the WWE was over those years. (5/5)

Big Show faced Mankind in the next contest to decide who would serve as the guest referee in the night's main event. I don't remember this being very good, but I was pleasantly surprised by the action in this. Mankind did a great job of bumping for Big Show and I'm a bit surprised that these two didn't have an extensive feud after this match because Foley was such a great sympathetic babyface that I think he could have salvaged the ridiculously poor job they did with Big Show as a monster heel upon his debut (he actually came into this match winless despite being in the company for a full month). Big Show gets frustrated and resorts to using chairs against Mankind, which results in him getting DQ'd in under 8 minutes. Vince comes down and gets in Big Show's face and Big Show eventually decks him, turning babyface. I'd be curious to know what the plan was when Big Show first came to the company and if Vince always viewed him as a babyface and wanted this to be his big "coming out" party. Regardless, Mick Foley carried this match into "good" territory and Big Show was perfectly fine, so perfectly fine that I'm surprised that Vince supposedly soured on him not too long after this. (3/5)

Backstage, Vince tells his goons to have Big Show arrested. They also notify him that Mankind was injured after getting chokeslammed through the chairs.

Road Dogg makes his way down the aisle to defend his Intercontinental Championship against Ken Shamrock, Goldust (who is accompanied by Blue Meanie and Ryan Shamrock), and the former champion, Val Venis. Unlike your "fatal" four-way match, this was fought under the rules that only two men could be in the ring at the same time and it was "elimination-style." Those rules lead to this being one of the longer matches of the night - a whopping 9 and a half minutes! Anyway, I'm a fairly big Goldust fan but this wasn't his in-ring peak. Road Dogg bothers me more and more as the years go on, but I'll admit his shtick was really over at this time. Shamrock is a guy I would've loved to see come up in a different era because I'm curious if having different coaches and trainers would've helped him become a smoother in-ring worker along the lines of a Kurt Angle or even Ronda Rousey. Val Venis is Val Venis. This was decent, but felt like a piss-break match after the more exciting Big Show/Mankind and the novelty of Butterbean/Gunn. (1.5/5)

Big Show gets shown being arrested backstage and then we get a classic WrestleMania moment as Pete Rose attacks Kane dressed as the San Diego Chicken and gets tombstoned. Kane was technically a heel going into this match, but was seen as somewhat sympathetic because he was so easily manipulated. His opponent was Triple H, who was a babyface and had been "betrayed" by his longtime manager, Chyna. This match goes 11 minutes, which feels a bit like a marathon compared to everything else on this show. I've always found Triple H to be a touch underrated when it comes to working with larger opponents as, in that context, he tends to bump and sell and not dominate a match with his "methodic" style and sometimes outright unimaginative style. The crowd is undeniably into this match too. Chyna eventually makes her way down and *surprise surprise* turns on Kane to rejoin Triple H, but Kane still somehow wins via DQ, which seems like a half-hearted finish. Not a bad match, but nothing remarkable. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Vince declares himself the special guest referee in tonight's main event. 

Back in the ring, Sable defended her Womens' Championship against Tori. I wouldn't consider this among the worst WrestleMania matches ever like some only because (a) its too short and (b) its not like anyone was going into this expecting much. Tori was among the most experienced womens' wrestlers on the roster at the time, but she didn't have enough charisma to make this storyline work and get the crowd behind her (as Sable was in the midst of a drawn out heel turn). When Nicole Bass shows up, Lawler introduces her as being from the Howard Stern show, but really, there was no introduction needed as she had such a strong physical presence (even if she looks like she nearly injures Tori performing the one simple move she performs). Sable's performance here - from the pre-match promo to her wrestling - are interesting not so much because she's good, but because you can really tell how much her ego had swelled from when she first started and that this inflated sense of star power seems to have prevented her from actually being a bigger star. Like, if she'd actually had some fun out there, maybe her promos wouldn't sound so forced? If she'd actually trained a bit, maybe she could've come up with some fun moves to perform that would've popped the crowd (for example, remember when Snooki wowed everyone because she could do a backflip elbow)? (1/5)

Shane McMahon vs. X-Pac was the next contest. Shane hadn't yet started building all his matches around giant stunts so this is more-or-less fought in the ring and built around Shane getting help from the Corporation and the Mean Street Posse to try to beat X-Pac. Shane McMahon was technically the European Champion, though a Google search reveals that he "retired" the title not long after this - and then gifted it to Mideon not long after that. Anyway, Shane and X-Pac work well together, which isn't surprising considering that X-Pac, at his best, was always reliable to put on a decent match. Shane was limited in what he could do, but he was athletic and coordinated enough to do more than just brawl. The finish is the real story here as Triple H and Chyna turn on X-Pac and join the Corporation. Not a bad match, just kinda average. (2.5/5)

Before the next match, we get a nifty video package showcasing the Undertaker's feud with the Corporation. Looking back, the fact that Vince McMahon, later revealed to be the Higher Power behind the Ministry, would want the Undertaker to terrorize him and his family makes no sense, but that was the WWE during the Attitude Era, when allegiances and long-term character motivations would be abandoned for no reason other than the writers wanting to "spice things up." The Undertaker wrestles The Big Bossman in a Hell in a Cell match to continue the feud and the two proceed to put on one of the worst Hell in a Cell matches ever (if not the worst). There's a funny moment when Undertaker gets handcuffed to the cell wall, but the cuffs break almost instantly. On the plus side, I like that both men got "color," which isn't enough to save the match or anything but still makes it seem at least a little more violent than many of the cell matches we get nowadays. I'll also give some credit to the Deadman for his leaping clothesline, which looked terrific. The Undertaker won fairly handily, which was what everyone expected and part of the reason why this match had no heat. After the match, the Undertaker called down the Brood, who propelled from the ceiling and then gave the Undertaker a noose. He hooked the noose around Bossman's neck (not actually, but it did look real) and then Paul Bearer raised the cell, effectively "hanging" the Bossman while Michael Cole repeatedly asked/shouted "Is this supposed to be symbolic?" No, Michael, he's actually hanging the Big Bossman. This stunt was considered one of the most tasteless things the WWE ever did back in 1999 and, close to a quarter century later, it has aged even worse. Still, like the Butterbean match earlier in the show, it is undeniably memorable in its awfulness. The match is less offensive than I remember it being and the post-match angle is more disgusting than I remember it being. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Vince McMahon comes down the aisle, set to handle referee duties, but is interrupted by the return of the WWE Commissioner Shawn Michaels! Michaels gets a fairly big pop, though his performance isn't too good here and some of his lines (and readings of said lines) are woeful. I'm not sure if Michaels was still a drunk/druggie, but I wouldn't doubt it. Michaels announces that only he can decide who the special guest ref is (okay, sure) and that Vince is not it! Vince is sent to the back and out comes Mike Chioda to take over for The Rock defending the WWE Championship against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. The match itself is fine, but not all that memorable. They brawled outside of the ring and into the crowd, by the entrance way, by the ring...nothing too special. If I was in that crowd I think I would've been kinda miffed about so much of the action being only viewable on the screen or by a portion of the audience. They finally got into the ring and we almost instantly get to the finishers as The Rock hits a Rock Bottom for a nearfall and then we get a ref bump off a chair shot. This match was no DQ so the use of a chair wasn't going to end the match anyway, but they needed multiple ref bumps anyway because...? Tim White replaces Mike Chioda but he gets taken out by a Rock Bottom and then the same basically happens to Earl Hebner as he's knocked out by Vince McMahon. The crowd is into this match and I'll give credit to Vince for laying out so many nearfall  and swerve situations, but there was no way in hell Austin wasn't leaving with title and the audience knows it. Mankind shows up to prevent Vince and Rocky from dominating Austin and the Texas Rattlesnake overcomes the odds to regain the WWE Championship. I like the poetry of Mick Foley helping Austin win the title as, months earlier, it was Austin who helped Mick get the W over The Rock. I also like how much The Rock, even in losing, was treated like a top guy. After the match, Austin celebrates and hits a Stunner on Vince to close out the show. This would've been a bigger moment had it not happened countless times before. All in all, a satisfactory main event due to the star power involved, but not an all-time classic match or anything. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.35-out-of-5, WrestleMania XV is not the worst WrestleMania of all time as some may try to argue, but it doesn't feature a ton of great wrestling either. On the plus side, most of the matches go by swiftly and there are at least 3-4 truly classic Attitude Era moments. Unfortunately, when things do drag - the Intercontinental Championship match, the slower parts of HHH/Kane, the entirety of the Tori/Sable match - they really, really drag. Foley/Big Show is better than I remember it being (as was the opener) and the main event is fun enough, but the most entertaining 10 minutes on this card are the ones devoted to the notorious Brawl for All, which barely qualifies as a pro-wrestling storyline/angle. If you're not at all interested in that aspect, steer very clear of this entire show.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

ECW Guilty As Charged 99'

ECW Guilty As Charged 99'

Kissimmee, FL - January 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the ECW World Champion was Shane Douglas, the ECW Television Champion was Rob Van Dam, and the ECW World Tag Team Champions were Sabu and Rob Van Dam. 

The first ever Guilty As Charged PPV begins with a video message from Paul Heyman. He hypes up the night's show and talks about, unlike WWE or WCW, they're not going to bait-and-switch people and they're going to come right out and say what line-up changes are going to happen. Of course, telling people these updates after they had purchased the PPV doesn't mean anyone's getting a refund so...

To the ring we go for our opening contest - The Full Blooded Italians (Little Guido and Tracey Smothers) vs. Danny Doring and Roadkill. The match, oddly heel/heel, barely begins before Ian Rotten and Balls Mahoney show up and, after basically calling the competitors a bunch of homosexuals (not exactly a line that aged well 23 years later), turning the match into a 3-Way Dance. Guido and Smothers are almost always at least passable and they're no different here. I don't think their act would've ever worked in WWE or WCW at the time, but that's not to say it couldn't have been replicated with maybe someone in place of Smothers (who I'm guessing Vince saw as "too southern" considering his one run in the company was working as Freddie Joe Floyd). Doring is better here than he was at November at Remember and Roadkill also looks a bit sharper. Oddly enough, in terms of actual wrestling content, the heels shine brightest here while the Chair Swingin' Freaks come across as more one-dimensional. Eventually the babyfaces get the W to pop the crowd after around 10 minutes, which was the right amount of time for this match despite it being fought under elimination rules. Perfectly fine opener, but nothing special. (2/5)

After a promo from Terry Funk, we get an international face-off between Mexico's Super Crazy and Japan's Tajiri. These two - along with Little Guido - would go on to have many, many encounters, but if I'm not mistaken, this was their first in ECW (if not anywhere). Like the Mysterio/Psicosis and Dean/Eddie matches, this was all about showcasing talent rather than necessarily getting either guy's character over (something I'm not sure they ever actually accomplished over the next two years). In that respect, this match is a total success. What's fun about this match is that the crowd doesn't really have any reason to dislike or cheer either guy at the onset, but because Tajiri smiles more and Super Crazy tries to lead some chants in Spanish, they end up assuming clear face/heel roles as the match progresses. Both guys hit a bunch of the signature spots that would become their calling card, but I wouldn't degrade this by calling it a spotfest - the submissions look painful, the technical exchanges are convincing, the shots are stiff, the high-flying is well-executed, and there is progression and escalation of offense. I wouldn't call this "must see," but it was very, very good and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who may have thought ECW stopped bothering with cruisers after WCW basically stole all of them away. (3.5/5)

John Kronus comes out to the ring. He was doing a lunatic gimmick, not too dissimilar to what Al Snow had been doing months earlier (at least to my eyes). Its a shame that the peak of the Eliminators team happened at a time when ECW did not have the exposure it would get from 97' onward as Kronus' career became a footnote in the career of Perry Saturn (the "forgotten" Radical). Former ECW referee Judge Jeff Jones shows up, makes a few jokes about the justice system in the US (including an OJ one that is at least few years late), and then welcomes his client...Sid! The crowd absolutely loses it, which isn't surprising considering that Sid had been off TV for most (all?) of 98' after leaving the WWE in mid-97'. As usual, he looked like a million bucks and the physical charisma that had carried him to the main event of WCW and WWE was still there. More than anything, Sid had star power that nobody else in ECW really had as even the company's most popular homegrown talents still often seemed like big fish in a small pond. Again, say what one may about his in-ring skills, by 99', Sid had main evented two WrestleManias and something like half-a-dozen other pay-per-views over the course of a decade when pay-per-views weren't always monthly affairs. Anyway...Sid comes in and just destroys Kronus. The only thing I don't like about this segment is that they go to the outside and Sid usually a chair, which is just unnecessary and Sid's chair shots don't look as hardcore as ECW's (highly dangerous) "norm." The crowd wants to see a powerbomb and they get it. I don't think Sid stuck around ECW too long - which is kind of a shame because his run in WCW wasn't all that great and it was fun to see him in this environ. For what this was, it wasn't perfect...but it was almost there and the crowd ate it all up. (3/5)

The Dudleys make their way down the aisle and cut a lengthy, lengthy promo. This had become the norm for them and eats up lots of time, but...there wasn't much in the way of innovation going on here. That being said, this might be the most tasteless of their pre-match promos (at least up to this point) as they really lay it on thick with the Disney references for the Floridians. They issue an open challenge and out comes longtime rivals New Jack and Spike Dudley. As one would expect, this is just a wild brawl, though there are some high points - specifically Bubba launching Spike into the crowd, a cool Mexican stand-off moment with the babyfaces holding guitars and the heels holding chairs, and a pair of 3Ds to end the match. After the bell is rung, Bubba cuts another promo running down all the other tag teams they've defeated and, in some cases, sent packing from ECW. I like how, while he's cutting the promo, they continue to put the beat down on New Jack, who just won't leave the ring and end the fight. Its a neat way to protect New Jack and show how much of a bad ass he is. The Dudleys call out Public Enemy, who were coming back to the company after what could only be described as failed runs in WCW and then WWE (the latter being infamously brief and featuring a near-shoot fight with the APA that is cringey to watch). Some reviewers really loathe this sort of match, but it was kept relatively short (under 10 minutes) and it was effective in making it clear that the Dudleys, even without the ECW Tag Team Championships, were still the top team in the company. (2.5/5)

Rob Van Dam was set to defend the ECW TV Title against Masato Tanaka, but because Tanaka is out, his challenger is Lance Storm (with Tammy Lynn Bytch in tow) instead. This match features some really strong action, but as was common for RVD, there are some lulls. Lance Storm has a reputation of being a boring wrestler, but he was quite good here in the delivery of his pre-match promo and then, as expected, his execution of some pretty stiff maneuvers, including a reverse DDT on the outside that looks like it legit concusses him. Maybe that's why there's a lull in the minutes that follow? RVD looks genuinely out of it and starts talking to himself/the audience and its not entirely clear what he's talking about (though it seems he's referencing that their not even halfway through the match yet). Anyway...eventually a chair gets tossed into the fray and then, in a surprising twist, Lance Storm gets the visual pin. I'm not sure other ECW stars on the rise like RVD would've been as willing to put Storm over, but really, throughout this match, Van Dam has really helped make Storm look like an absolute killer and maybe the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the company. Van Dam eventually wins with a german suplex, another twist that I liked but will admit came a bit of nowhere - especially in 2022, when basically no match ends until someone hits their finisher. (3/5)

Next up...a Stairway to Hell match (basically a Cane-on-a-Pole match) between Tommy Dreamer and Justin Credible. Heyman had been trying to push Credible as a major star in ECW, but it just never took as he's rarely mentioned in the same breath as any of the other "ECW Originals" despite being on so many ECW shows over the years (and being featured fairly prominently). I'm not sure why they didn't just book Funk/Dreamer for this show, but I'm guessing it was because the main event had been built up for so long that they didn't want to put another big marquee match on the card? Dreamer and Credible are fine brawlers and know how to use weapons, but because they are using weapons from around minute two, there's very little suspense or struggle over, y'know, getting the cane. I mean, who needs to bother when you can use a chair or ladder right away? There's some fun stuff with Credible's motley crew of hangers-on (Nicole Bass, Jazz, and Jason) too and I like that they didn't do the obvious and have Dreamer piledrive any of the women. There's a bit more of a story to this match than some of the wild brawls that came before it as Dreamer gets his arm banged up, but it doesn't really play into the ending. Speaking of the ending, the biggest spots of the match occur in the end with Dreamer doing a Diamond Cutter off the ladder and then also doing a nifty jumping DDT off the ladder too - neither of which required him to grab the cane (which he also did). The nail-in-the-coffin is a devastating and gnarly That's Incredible piledriver from Credible to Dreamer on the ladder that I can't believe Tommy had the balls to take as it was a move that could've so easily gone terribly, terribly bad for him. (There's also a Terry Funk run-in towards the end to further that feud.) This wasn't terrible and, on paper, should've made Justin Credible an even bigger and *ahem* more credible top guy, but it didn't. (3/5)

Main event time - Taz vs. Shane Douglas for the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. The build for this match was months and months long, which put Taz and Douglas in the rough position of having to deliver on a huge amount of build-up despite Douglas still being injured. This match has lots of detractors, but I found it to be a fun brawl even if this sort of thing had now been done to death (and better) by the WWE. This felt like a fight, but maybe not a title fight if that makes sense, more like a grudge match due to the amount of crowd brawling and the use of tables. The main reason this match seems to have such a bad reputation, though, is the overbooked finish. Instead of giving Taz a clean and well-earned victory to solidify him as the top guy in ECW (which wouldn't have even hurt Douglas too much considering the length of his reign and the fact that he wrestled this match in a cast), we get a Sabu run-in - which was admittedly cool - and then a Chris Candido run-in (and turn) on top of that. The Sabu run-in could've been saved for the post-match and would've been a perfect way to advertise the Sabu/Taz match at the next PPV (Living Dangerously 99') while the Candido turn fell flat with the live crowd when it likely could've been a bigger moment on ECW TV. This is better than its reputation, but did almost nothing for Taz, who really deserved the entire spotlight to be on him after how long this rivalry had gone. (3/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.86-out-of-5, ECW Guilty As Charged 99' is a well-paced, mostly good wrestling show that I'd argue is a bit underrated mostly because it failed to live up to expectations. The main event wasn't the epic title fight that the storyline had been building to, but its a heated brawl and Sabu's return is undeniably thrilling. Tajiri/Super Crazy is excellent, RVD/Storm is good, and Credible/Dreamer is about as good as it possibly could be considering how bland Credible could be (even given every weapon under the sun to work with) and how bad some of Dreamer's matches had been in 98'. The Dudleys match is exactly what you'd expect, but its kept relatively short (unlike their pre- and post-matches) and seeing Bubba toss Spike into the crowd is still a sight to behold 20+ years later. Oh, and there's Sid. Sid, in this context, is awesome and different. Only the opener feels unworthy of being on a PPV, but isn't too offensive. What hurts this show more than anything else is that it doesn't feature a single truly great match (Tajiri/Crazy is close but lacks stakes and feels more like an exhibition of new talent than an important contest) and the main event doesn't deliver on the promise of the Taz/Douglas rivalry. 

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

ECW November to Remember 98'

ECW November to Remember 98'

New Orleans, LA - November 1998

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Shane Douglas was the ECW World Heavyweight Champion, Rob Van Dam held the ECW Television Championship, and the World Tag Team Champions were the Dudley Boys. 

Coming off of the strong Heatwave 98' show, I was hoping November to Remember 98' would be another loaded card. Before the show starts, a video is shown of Jack Victory getting jumped by New Jack. This was very similar to what happened at Heatwave, but this time New Jack was hauled off by cops.

Back in the ring, Joey Styles runs down the card before getting interrupted by the returning Terry Funk. Funk comes in and basically cuts a heel promo on Styles and then Tommy Dreamer, angry that his former mentee didn't bother to call him up as back-up in his upcoming match against the Dudleys. A point awarded for Terry Funk being Terry Funk. (+1)

Speaking of Terry Funk, his cameo in the next match is another example of how just his presence can make something more exciting and entertaining. The match itself - Blue Meanie and Nova vs. Danny Doring and Roadkill - is nothing special...but Funk showing up in the early moments adds an extra air of danger at ringside and makes the "meat" of the match more interesting until they get to the final few minutes, which are actually quite good. Nova was known for his innovative offense and we do get to see a little bit of it. Blue Meanie had improved considerably from his previous appearance on an ECW pay-per-view to my eyes, but he was so green originally that its not like he's all of a sudden Dean Malenko out there. Doring and Roadkill are generic heels and I'm not surprised they didn't go on to do much when they eventually did make it to WWE. Terry Funk eventually puts himself through a table on the outside, which is ridiculous and makes no sense, but hey, he's Terry Funk, so it still somehow works. (2.5/5)

Next up - the FBI's Tracy Smothers took on Tommy Rogers. This was a weird match because the FBI were over and were a terrific gimmick, but Tommy Rogers felt really out of place in ECW and even his attempt to win over the crowd before the match was met with indifference. I'm guessing Paul E. thought Rogers would be welcomed as a bit of a hometown guy as this match was in Louisiana (a state familiar with Rogers from his days in the Mid-South territory), but he not treated like a big deal at all. Smothers is great - as usual - but this match could've used even more shtick from Little Guido and Tommy Rich as their comedy work was really what the fans wanted from there (despite Smothers and Guido still being able to "go" in the ring). This match goes 8 minutes but feels longer and was not at all "ECW" match, which means the crowd was not into it and didn't get behind Rogers. I liked Tommy's finisher, though, which Christian nicked. (1.5/5)

Afterwards, we get run-ins from the returning Chris Chetti and then Mabel (Viscera/Big Daddy V) runs out in an FBI shirt. This leads to an impromptu match against Spike Dudley because...ECW did shit like this. Its impossible to rate this 5-second segment as a real match so I won't.

Lance Storm vs. Jerry Lynn follows, but 90% of the attention of this match goes to Tammy Lynn Sytch (Sunny), who is serving as one of two guest referees (the other being Mikey Whipwreck). Storm and Lynn are outstanding wrestlers and they deliver a clinic, but this match really feels like someone trying to force-feed a child their vegetables while dangling a candy bar over their nose. The fans are respectful - to a point - but it is very clear that whatever Sunny is doing, that's where their eyes are going (probably because she's wearing a mini-skirt, a thong, and half a ref shirt). The intro to this match goes way too long and the amount of fuckery in the finish is almost unnecessary (and boy does Sunny nearly end up crippled when she attempts to take Whipwreck's signature neckbreaker). Neither Storm nor Lynn were known for their charisma (in fact, I'd argue that Storm was actually better served in WCW when they made being boring part of his gimmick), but because of how distracting Sunny's presence is, this match can't really get over on its own merit either. (2/5)

The ECW World Tag Team Championships were on the line next as The Dudleys took on the team of Masato Tanaka and Balls Mahoney. After the usual lengthy Dudleys intro, the babyfaces came out (with Axl Rotten leading the way) and they declare that the match is now going to be a Bourbon Street Brawl. Did anyone expect this to be just a traditional tag? They start with a little bit of actual wrestling, but they know what the fans want and we soon get some big splashes to the outside and chairshots galore. Sign Guy, Big Dick, and Joel Gertner all get involved, but the babyfaces won't stay down (despite Joey Styles repeatedly noting that they both suffered serious head traumas not too long before this due to chairshots). The crowd is VERY into this and pop big for every big chairshot and some of them are absolutely brutal. With Jeff Jones as the ref, you knew you were going to get shenanigans but because the action was so good, his treachery still comes "out of nowhere" and gets a great response. I really liked the Dudleys kicking out of Tanaka and Mahoney's finishes and Tanaka kicking out the 3D - it really put both teams over as super tough. Unfortunately, the actual finish, while it delivered a "feel good" moment, seemed like it was tacked on when they couldn't figure out a clean way to finish it and almost overshadows how good the rest of this was. I get that they were building for a RVD/Sabu vs. Dudleys re-match, but either Balls and Tanaka were worth putting the straps on cleanly or they weren't worth giving the titles to at all. This was a really fun, violent brawl. (3.5/5)

After a promo from Shane Douglas and the Triple Threat, Justin Credible and Jack Victory made their way down the aisle for their match against Tommy Dreamer and his mystery partner...Jake Roberts. Uh oh. Jake didn't even bother getting dressed in his wrestling gear so you can kinda tell he's not going to be doing much. He looks a bit thinner than he had during his last WWE run in 95'-96', but that's about the most positive thing one might say about him. This match is a total mess and not in a good way. If the previous match was a good example of a "kitchen sink brawl" still telling at least some semblance of a story and delivering cool moments, this match is the opposite of that. The best moment is Jake Roberts hitting a DDT on Nicole Bass, but there's nothing else particularly memorable or clever or interesting in this match despite it featuring run-ins from One Man Gang, Rod Price, New Jack (who had someone escaped police custody?), and Kronus. Nobody in this match looks good, but one can't deny that Tommy Dreamer was over and that the ECW faithful were into it. (1/5)

After the match, Terry Funk shows up and eventually attacks his former protege, Tommy Dreamer. This is followed by a series of promos to hype up tonight's main event - Shane Douglas, Bam Bam Bigelow and Chris Candido vs. Sabu, Rob Van Dam, and Taz. This is a continuation of the Taz/Douglas feud, but there was also some on-screen heat between Taz and Bigelow and Bigelow and Rob Van Dam (as well as Sabu and Taz), which really added to the intensity of the match. I wasn't expecting much out of this, especially after seeing multiple messy brawls on the same show, but this exceeded my expectations largely because of the personalities involved (and the fact that they worked this less as a "kitchen sink" brawl and like an actual six-man tag match). Sabu comes out in a neck brace, so he essentially plays the face-in-peril after hitting some of his signature offense. Rob Van Dam and Bigelow get some time in (and out) of the ring together but the big "must see" pairing was Taz and Douglas and they do a nice job of building to that moment. This, of course, leads to an interesting finish where Taz applies the Tazmission onto Douglas and looks like he's got the win only for Sabu to come flying off the top to take out both men and steal the W. Despite getting the team victory, Taz is obviously pissed that he was prevented from tapping out the champ and the babyfaces argue in the ring until the show comes to a close. As I wrote above, this match exceeded my expectations but wouldn't be on a shortlist of great ECW matches. (2.5/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.16-out-of-5, this show is not going to wow with you with its wrestling quality or star power. However, there are some fun moments to enjoy if you're an ECW fan - the Dudleys/Tanaka & Balls match is wonderfully violent, the main event does a nice job of furthering the Taz/Douglas feud while also allowing Sabu to stick his nose into that storyline. Jake Roberts' involvement is disappointing and underwhelming, though I enjoyed Terry Funk's multiple appearances on the show. Still, with only one match worth your time - and still only really for fans of the genre - this show is a...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Royal Rumble 97'

WWE Royal Rumble 97'

San Antonio, TX  - January 1997

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Psycho Sid was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, the Intercontinental Champion was Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and the World Tag Team Champions were Owen Hart and the British Bulldog.

The show kicks off with the Intercontinental Champion, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, defending the title against Goldust, who had only recently turned babyface and had a semi-infamous segment where Jerry Lawler called him a "queer" and he punched him in return. This match was solid but went a touch too long and really seemed to lose the audience after a fairly heated opening 7-8 minutes. As noted earlier, Goldust had only turned babyface semi-recently and it still hadn't been fully "exposed" that he was Dusty Rhodes' son (if I'm not mistaken, that would all come via a sitdown interview with JR later in the year) so the Texas crowd was not 100% behind him. Helmsley and Goldust have good chemistry and there are moments that get big reactions - I really like Hunter's selling of knee damage and the eventual spot with Marlena - but this dragged at times. As JR noted on commentary, Hebner's refereeing was highly questionable at times as he basically let these guys do whatever they wanted on the outside of the ring. There's a certain amount of leeway that happens in any wrestling match, but outright bashing your opponent's legs with the steps would typically be a DQ. (2/5)

The next match - Farooq vs. Ahmed Johnson - has a reputation as being awful, so I was actually a bit surprised how good the first few minutes were. Ahmed was still over and Farooq got a ton of heat doing the Nation of Islam rip-off gimmick. Farooq was no longer as quick and athletic as he'd been in WCW 4-5 years before this, but he was arguably a better seller and a bigger personality. Like in the opener, the referee opted not to call a DQ despite Farooq blatantly using a chair on his opponent. While the spot doesn't look too good, I'll also give some credit to these guys for dishing out something quite rare at the time - a bodyslam on the spine of the chair by Farooq to the Pearl River Powerhouse. When Farooq takes over, the match grinds to a halt and then veers into a rather convoluted, cartoonish mess when they get to a ridiculous electric chair spot that makes Farooq look like a total idiot (and like he may not have any feeling in his testicles?). There's an ugly spinebuster spot and then a DQ finish due to the Nation running in. The first 2-3 minutes of this match were spirited and fun, but they couldn't sustain it. An extra half-point for the post-match table spot (another thing that wasn't super common in WWE yet). Unfortunately, Ahmed's work from here on out only got worse as he was really never the same guy after the injury that sidelined him in 96' as his conditioning dipped noticeably. (1.5/5)

Next up - The Undertaker vs. Vader. This is one of those dream matches that, sadly, never lived up to its potential. By this point, Vader's confidence had been pretty broken and he was no longer the top heel that he was in WCW in the first half of the decade. Not only had Shawn Michaels famously chewed him at SummerSlam (and then, according to rumor, refused to drop the title to him at Survivor Series), but Bret Hart was also reportedly uncomfortable working with him because of his stiffness. I'm guessing as tough as Undertaker was, he wasn't super eager to get in the ring with Vader either as the Deadman, 10 years into his career, had already had his fair share of injuries and surgeries. Put all these ingredients together and you have the makings for a boring slugfest between two guys that weren't super motivated and were outright sloppy at times. The moments that you'd think would get a reaction - Paul Bearer's interference, Undertaker's various sit-ups, Vader's powerbomb and finishing splash - get big reaction, but that's like, what? 23 seconds out of a 13-minute match? Re-watching this many, many years later, I wonder if the plan was for them to have a rematch at WrestleMania XIII, but Vince switched things up when Shawn "lost his smile" (refused to drop the title to Bret). Another dud. (1/5)

After the match, the Undertaker had a bit of a temper tantrum and then yelled at Vince McMahon. People, myself included, sometimes forget how far the WWE was already going towards revealing that Vince was in charge of the WWE close to a full year before the Montreal Screwjob...

A six-man tag match follows pitting Canek, Hector Garza, and Perro Aguayo against the team of Fuerza Guerrera, Heavy Metal, and Jerry Estrada. At the time, I remember thinking how much less exciting these guys were than all the luchadores that were being featured in WCW at the time. I'm guessing that Konnan - and Eric Bischoff - knew that the younger, more acrobatic workers would stand out much more than the older, more traditional luchadores and they were 100% right as this match does not get any big reactions. It doesn't help matters to the viewers at home that nobody on the announce team has the slightest clue as to who any of these wrestlers were (this is why Mike Tenay was so useful to WCW). Also, unlike in WCW, we only get one real crazy dive and while its cool to see Aguayo hit a double stomp in 97' (decades before it would be widely used in the states), the audience is so indifferent that it doesn't register as a big deal at all. The story goes that Vince was nervous about filling the Alamodome (as he should've been - the show was famously "papered" after only selling an estimated 20k-40k seats out of a possible 71k) and thought that a partnership with AAA would help draw...but then probably forgot that to bring in the AAA fans, you might want to actually promote a major AAA match (which I'm guessing, by fan reaction, this wasn't). Weirdly enough, reading other reviews of this show, this match has its fans (maybe it would've come off better if any single one of them had been in attendance). (1/5)

The 1997 Royal Rumble match is next. These are always a bit hard to review because, unless they're really, really great (which this wasn't), they tend to all blend together. The 97' edition is not as star-packed as the ones from 90' or 91', but the WWE roster was in a rebuilding phase at this point after losing some of its biggest names in the previous year - Hall, Nash, Sean Waltman, Jeff Jarrett - and the massive loss of Hogan in the summer of 94' and Savage in December 94'. So, yes, Vince had to add a number of AAA stars into this match (including the notoriously selfish Mil Mascaras), but there are still quite a few big stars in the match and, though Bret Hart was heavily favored due to his on-going rivalry with Shawn Michaels (who was expected to win back the WWE Championship later in the night), its not like Bret didn't have to fight his way through some major main event stars. I doubt anybody expected Mankind or Terry Funk to win, but that didn't stop them from trying to steal the match with some wild brawling and some excellent near-eliminations by the Funker. The Undertaker might not have been at his physical peak, but he was maybe the most universally babyface in the company in 96' and into 97' (as Shawn's "pretty boy" image wasn't a winner with the older male fans, Bret wasn't around for most of 96', and Austin was still *technically* a rule-breaking heel). Speaking of the Undertaker, Vader had defeated him earlier in the show. Goldust, Triple H, and Marc Mero were all upper midcard fixtures, as were Farooq and Ahmed (who continue their feud in the Rumble). Rocky Miavia makes a respectable appearance, though nobody could've predicted that he would go on to be the biggest action movie star of the past 20 years. While the 99' Royal Rumble, for example, undoubtedly happened in a hotter time for the company, I'd still take this edition over it. This Rumble is played straight and feels like a genuine competition with competitors actually working like a victory here would be their ticket to WrestleMania. Aside from the Jerry Lawler spot, there's no comedy. There's no Gillberg. There's no cutesy Santino Marella bit. Fake Diesel and Fake Razor Ramon show up and neither one is treated like a joke (in fact, Fake Diesel is one of the final four). Though the match is remembered for Steve Austin's remarkable performance - and it is absolutely brilliant - people may forget that he doesn't dominate the early going and even fades into the background at times to allow Vader and Taker and Ahmed and Farooq to get showcased. Owen and Bulldog tease a break-up at one point. And the finish. Oh, the finish. Maybe just one or two spaces below Ric Flair's win in 91', I'd rank the finish of this Rumble as one of the best ever executed. Austin gets dumped out by the Hitman, but because the refs are so busy with the chaos between Funk and Mankind on the outside (if I'm not mistaken, Foley was pitching for the two to have a death match at WrestleMania that year), they miss his elimination and he ends up coming in and dumping everyone else out. The crowd's reaction is huge - a mix of cheers, audible shock, and boos that make it clear how money the angle was. The closing minutes alone push this from being a fairly average Rumble for its time to something slightly above. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Shawn Michaels challenging Sid for the WWE World Championship. The finish for this one was really never in question and, because of that, it seems like Shawn works even harder to make Sid look like a super powerful monster. That being said, Shawn definitely spaces out the big spots in order to stretch out a match that would've likely had more action had HBK not also been recovering from the flu (according to the commentators). This isn't nearly as good as the Survivor Series match, but that match exceeded most folks' expectations and the New York crowd was very vocal. The audience at the Alamadome wasn't nearly as interested overall and, while the whole idea of doing this event in San Antonio and building it around Shawn regaining the title was a decent pan, Vince really overestimated Shawn's popularity towards the end of his title run as well as the company's overall popularity (especially in the south, which was historically more welcoming to "classic" southern-style 'rassling rather than the WWE's brand of "sports-entertainment"). But even if the crowd had been more interested, this match relies on too many rest holds to stretch out its duration and the finish is poorly executed (Shawn using the camera to knock Sid out looks awful). Plus, at one point, Sid gets a clean visual pin, a moment that I'd consider wholly unnecessary as it only makes Shawn less likable and credible in front of an audience that wanted to cheer for him, but maybe were a little turned off by the Sexy Boy gimmick and increasingly irritable on-screen persona. Like at the previous In Your House, its somehow Sid that comes out of this match as the guy I'd want to cheer. Not a terrible match, but not good. (2/5)

I must've seen this show a half-dozen times after it happened as I had recorded it on VHS. The Rumble, as a whole, isn't great, but the finish is probably within the top 5 ever. Michaels/Sid isn't as good as their Survivor Series match, but that match has unique elements that could never have been replicated or even safely predicted. Even if Michaels had been 100% going into the rematch, the San Antonio crowd just wasn't really "there" for him as much as the hype needed them to be. The rest of the show features below average wrestling or, in the case of the opening bout, good wrestling that is stretched so long that it becomes bad. With a Kwang Rating of 1.83-out-of-5, Royal Rumble 97' should be in that DUDleyville range, but because of how great Austin and Hart's performances are (with nods also to Foley and Funk), I'm giving this a...

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

ECW Wrestlepalooza 98'

ECW Wrestlepalooza 98'

Marietta, GA - May 1998

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, Shane Douglas was the ECW World Heavyweight Champion, the ECW TV Champion was Rob Van Dam, and the ECW World Tag Team Champions were Lance Storm and Chris Candido. 

Context is important when reviewing pro-wrestling shows, especially ECW ones, and extra especially (is that a thing?) a show like Wrestlepalooza 98'. ECW was the "outlaw promotion" of the Big 3, but by 98', it was pretty clear that Paul E.'s favorite target was WCW. This is unsurprising. Vince had given ECW a spotlight on Raw in 97' and, conversely, used Paul E.'s creative mind to help him recast guys like Al Snow later that year (its not entirely clear what his contract status with the WWE, but I believe he was still technically getting paid by Vince while working in ECW). Meanwhile, Heyman's ire for WCW seemed to be based mostly on not only his own treatment by the company earlier in the decade, but also the company's "raiding" of his talent (most notably Stevie Richards, Raven, and Perry Saturn in 97', but also guys like Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Psychosis, Dean Malenko, Chris Jericho, Public Enemy, and countless others who Heyman unreasonably believed would stick with him despite much better deals with WCW).

Regardless, this show was billed as ECW putting on a show in "enemy" territory and kicks off with a fun tag match between The FBI (Tracy Smothers and Little Guido w/ Tommy Rich in tow) vs. the debuting team of Nova and The Blue Meanie. I think Joey Styles should've leaned a bit more into Smothers and Rich's history with the NWA considering the locale, but the FBI's gimmick was so over independently of their history that it didn't matter. Nova is competent in the ring. Little Guido is competent in the ring. Tracy Smothers is great at every aspect of pro-wrestling. Blue Meanie, aside from his killer moonsault, is not good. He doesn't really need to be good, though, because this match is mostly comedy and is loaded with some really goofy spots (including the referee bodyslamming both members of the FBI because he gets caught up in the nonsense). Traditional wrestling fans would find this all a bit too goofy, but wrestling is a variety show and I liked the Three Stooges hijinks. Unfortunately, when things get more serious, things get less interesting and drag a bit with some of the sequences looking noticeably sloppy. Even the dance contest in the opening minutes - a genuinely fun concept - is ruined a bit by nobody going fully over-the-top with it. (2/5)

At the Living Dangerously pay-per-view, Mikey Whipwreck returned after suffering a broken leg at the hands of Justin Credible, who was peeved that Whipwreck had ended his unbeaten streak. This led to a grudge match between the two here that might be the first Credible match that I've really liked. Credible throws himself into every big bump throughout the match and Whipwreck brings the intensity by going after the guy with rights and lefts and leg sweeps and whatnot rather than doing any of his usual high-risk high-flying. At one point, Justin Credible goes over the guardrail and lands on what looks to be a 13-year old kid. Why on Earth would you bring a middle schooler to an ECW show? I like that Whipwreck gets in a ton of offense and even gets to hit some moves on Credible's entourage but that Credible, who was getting a push, ends up with his arm raised cleanly. I wouldn't call this "must see," but its very good. (3/5)

Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney challenge the ECW Tag Team Champions - Chris Candido and Lance Storm - in the next match. Candido and Storm still hated eachother so there's some fun with the pre-match shenanigans, but once the bell rings, they're both competitors and want to win (which is not the easiest dynamic to get across, even with the added threat from Paul Heyman that, if they were to try to screw each other, they'd both get fired). As Styles notes on commentary, Axl Rotten is actually a skilled technical wrestler and this match does mostly focus on that side of his game rather than the brawling and weapon-based offense that he and Balls Mahoney were more known for. The crowd is into some of this, but the minute they see a chest chop, they erupt into a "Free Ric Flair" chant, the loudest chant of the match. You almost feel bad for the competitors over it because they really work hard in this match, really trying to offer something resembling a traditional tag and not over-relying on weapons or blood or big spots. At a little over 10 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome and the finish makes sense and continues the Candido/Storm rivalry. Not bad at all. (2.5/5)

Before the next match, Joey Styles welcomes a slew of "hardcore legends" - The Junkyard Dog, the Masked Superstar, "Dirty" Dick Slater, and "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. JYD gets the biggest reaction and while the Masked Superstar was a huge deal in the 70s and 80s, I think the audience - even in 1998, even in Georgia - was a bit too young to really recognize how big the Masked Superstar was and would've probably reacted bigger to him coming out as one half of Demolition (though it would've made much less sense). Anyway, for all their WCW bashing, this came across as the kind of segment WCW put on their PPVs in the mid-90s.

Shane Douglas makes his way to the ring for an interview. He cuts a promo bashing the WWE - and more specifically Shawn Michaels and the Intercontinental Championship - and then goes after "Dick" Flair. Shane's point is that other wrestlers stay home when they're injured, but he's tougher than that and will deliver a great match later that evening. Taz interrupts him and says that, just like Michaels handed Douglas the IC belt years earlier, its time for Douglas to hand over the ECW Championship to Taz. Its an awkward segment because it comes across as Taz not wanting to beat Douglas straight-up. Taz ends up putting him in the Tazmission and Douglas clearly taps out, but before Taz can do any more damage, he's carried away by security. In the aisleway, he ends up brawling with Bam Bam Bigelow again. Eventually, Taz is put into a Cobb County Police car, he kicks out the window before getting driven off. Aside from the awkwardness with Taz demanding Shane hand over the title (a very heel perspective to have as it comes across as borderline cowardly), this was a good segment and a clear inspiration for the kind of stuff the WWE would be doing with Austin (and had already been doing) in the summer of 98' and on and on...

Bam Bam Bigelow waits in the ring for his opponent, New Jack. This is a really fun match, though, like any New Jack match, it doesn't really tell a story as much as its a garbage brawl leading to a big balcony dive. The fun here is that the guy New Jack is working with is Bam Bam Bigelow, who was very over in ECW and brought a real legitimacy to the company based on how big of a star he'd been in WWE. Bigelow and Jack trade weapon shots and Bam Bam seems to have no problem selling for the much less trained/talented New Jack. New Jack ends up a bloody mess as they brawl in the crowd and eventually Bigelow gets cut open too. New Jack was never going to win this match and I'm not sure he even goes for a pinfall the entire "contest," but he still looks tough for standing up to Bigelow and taking a ton of punishment. Eventually New Jack ends up on the balcony with a guitar and comes down onto Bigelow, but the spot doesn't look good as the guitar doesn't really connect that well and the most damage looks like it was done to New Jack's ankles as he lands on the concrete feet-first. Instead of doing something different, they really should've done "the usual" and had New Jack put Bigelow through a table or something - or have New Jack put himself through one. Bigelow basically shrugs off the guitar smash, lifts up a limp New Jack, and carries him into the ring to hit him with his finisher and end the match at well under 10 minutes. This was never going to be a mat classic, but what really hurt this was the flat finish. Everything else is sloppy but effective brawling and the crowd was super into it, which boosted things a little. (2/5)

After a video package, its time for The Dudleys to take on the team of Tommy Dreamer and the Sandman. While the other two tag matches on this show kept things *mostly* in the ring and followed traditional rules, this is an ECW brawl with anything and everything going. Joel Gertner's introduction gets cut off by the arrival of the babyfaces (who have a pre-match beer bash). I like how Sandman is selling his neck injury by struggling to drink a beer. Oh, the humanity. The big set piece in this match is part of the guard rail, which is a nice change of pace from the usual tables and chairs. Sandman gets taken out of the action after a bump that re-injures his neck and this becomes a 2-on-1 match. The Dudleys get a ton of heat for beating down Dreamer, which leads to a huge ovation when Spike Dudley runs out to even the score. Big Dick Dudley, Sign Gun, and Beulah McGillicutty all get involved and the crowd loves every minute of it. Sandman comes back into the fray and him and Dreamer get the big babyface victory after hitting stereo DDTs. This was in that good-not-great territory where its hard to point at any specific segment or stretch being boring or ineffective, but at the same time, it was just everything you expected and nothing more - which is kind of silly because Spike Dudley's run-in was a surprise. The issue here really is that ECW brawls like this one were fairly commonplace, so it usually took some real insane spots and weapon usage to make them feel "extra special." (2.5/5)

The next match is for the ECW Television Champion as Rob Van Dam defended the strap against his former tag team partner and best friend, Sabu. I'm not going to go too far into detail about the background for this, but one of the big questions was whether Bill Alfonso would manage RVD or Sabu. Before the match, Alfonso reveals that his plan is to manage both. Sure. The match starts with some fun technical, mat-based wrestling (though, its definitely not at the level that, say, Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero had busted out 4 years earlier in the same company). Then, Rob Van Dam grabs a mic and basically announces this was all a ploy and that they wouldn't actually wrestle each other and the fans are too gullible...but then Sabu "double-crosses" him by attacking him when his back is turned. Why did they do that? It just makes no sense and adds nothing to the match because Sabu doesn't really do anything else extra heelish and Rob Van Dam certainly doesn't work like a babyface who had been betrayed either. They just proceed to have the exact same kind of match as most people expected they would, a series of escalating high spots that are spread out with minutes of boring nonsense. I'm a bigger RVD fan than lots of other wrestling critics, but, at this point, he really didn't know how to build a compelling match from beginning-to-end (and maybe that's why he wasn't nearly as over as he would become in future years?). The fact that this goes for 30 minutes is wild because it really could've been shrunk down to 20, if not fewer. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Shane Douglas defending the ECW World Championship against Al Snow. This may have been the peak of Snow's entire career, but even this match does not come across as worthy of being the headline match on a PPV. Because of how long the Douglas/Taz rivalry had gone on, it also feels like a placeholder title match until Douglas was healthy enough to face Taz. Anyway...this match is nothing special but its not terrible either. The crowd is way more into chanting obscene things to and about Francine than they are the match itself. They botch what I assume would've been the big spot of the match (Douglas spinebustering Al Snow through 4 chairs) and there's really nothing else all too remarkable that happens. Towards the end, Candido and Bigelow show up and Al Snow takes them both out. I would've liked to see more of Snow being the underdog and overcoming the odds to build towards a false finish or two, but for whatever reason, the pieces and parts are there but don't add up to make for a satisfying, suspenseful match. (For example, when Snow does hit his finisher, it gets almost no response at all.) The other thing that doesn't make much sense is the post-match "celebration." It feels totally unearned because Al Snow, while he was obviously over with the ECW fans and was seemingly respected backstage, didn't win even a moral victory over the Triple Threat. It was just a weird scene that looked forced to my eyes. According to rumors, the plan was for Snow to win the title - mostly because Shane was injured - but I'm not sure I buy it (Snow wasn't given the W because, days before this event, the WWE re-hired Al Snow). (1.5/5)

With a Kwang Score of 2.14-out-of-5, Wrestlepalooza 98' is not a show I'd go out of my way to see. The main event feels irrelevant and undeserving of being a PPV headlining match. Sabu/RVD starts out as idiotic-but-entertaining and then just becomes tedious. The Dudleys/Dreamer and Sandman match is perfectly fine "garbage wrestling," but there's nothing really special about it despite the relative star power. Bigelow/New Jack had the potential of being a "curio dream match," but doesn't deliver. When Justin Credible has the best match of the night on a show, that's just a bad sign.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville 

WWE In Your House 12: It's Time

WWE In Your House #12: It's Time

West Palm Beach, FL - December 1996

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Psycho Sid was the WWE World Champion, the Intercontinental Champion was Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and the WWE Tag Team Champions were The British Bulldog and Owen Hart. 

Flash Funk vs. Leif Cassidy is our opening match. I've been watching a fair amount of ECW recently, so seeing this match from December 96' had me thinking about some of their respective ECW highlights from 97'-98'. As 2 Cold Scorpio, Funk had had some good matches in WCW, so I can totally understand why Vince thought bringing him in would be a good idea, but this gimmick was just awful, especially as WCW was surging ahead in the ratings in large part because of how much more serious and "adult" their product was. Flash Funk was a gimmick that would've likely been more successful in 94', but in 96'? The audience was just not interested. What's most surprising about this match, though, is how much it isn't a real spotlight for Funk. Cassidy gets at least as much offense in and, at times, looks to be a much more versatile and aggressive competitor. There are some nifty spots, but Cassidy was seen as a jobber and Funk was a relative newcomer with a gimmick that only small children would enjoy. This was better and more competitive than I thought it would be, but I wish the crowd had cared more. (2.5/5)

Next up - Fake Diesel and Fake Razor Ramon challenging the WWE World Tag Team Champions, Owen Hart and The British Bulldog. When people talk about how lame the Fake Diesel and Fake Razor Ramon gimmicks were, they often undersell just how terrible this entire angle was. See, the Fake Diesel and Fake Razor weren't just bad gimmicks that came out a couple times - they were featured. They challenged for the Tag Team Championships on pay-per-view. The Fake Diesel went far in the 97' Rumble. This match gets 10+ minutes despite being a heel/heel encounter. Granted, Owen and Bulldog are subtly working as the babyfaces, but the crowd certainly isn't all-the-way behind them and pops pretty loud when Austin runs in to attack the Bulldog (the story goes that Austin/Bulldog was set for WrestleMania XIII before Michaels pulled out of the show in February). I liked the finish and Owen and Bulldog were competent enough to keep this moving, but this was just not anything that should've been paid for. (1/5)

Next up, a pretty cool segment featuring Ahmed Johnson and the Nation of Domination. This is a great example of Vince not having any idea what direction the WWE should be going in and just throwing everything against the wall. Earlier in the show, its Flash Funk and the Funkettes. Later on the same show, Farooq is backed by a group that splits the difference between the Nation of Islam and New Jack City and calls out Ahmed Johnson as an "Uncle Tom." And speaking of Ahmed Johnson, his promo before Farooq shows up is bad ass and crazy. A year earlier, the hype around Johnson was that he could potentially be a mega-star for the company, but watching a segment like this makes it clear how absurd that notion really was. Still, this was still bonkers in the best way. (+1)

The Intercontinental Championship was on the line next as Hunter Hearst Helmsley defended the title against "The Wildman" Marc Mero in a rematch from a few weeks prior. The air was really let out of the balloon in this feud when Mr. Perfect left the company after helping Helmsley win the title on Raw. Mero's run in 96' was not as successful as McMahon clearly hoped it would be and within the next year I believe he'd be turned heel. This is a good match, but just feels lifeless because, a bit like in the opener, the gimmicks and characters are just too corny. I might enjoy this version of Helmsley more than I do most of his main event work as he's basically cherry-picked the best spots of a half dozen all-time greats - Perfect's bumping, some of Regal's offense, early-90s Shawn heeling - and while none of it is very original, its all well-executed. I liked Mero better in WCW, maybe because he wasn't over-pushed or over-hyped? The finish of this match sees Goldust getting involved and essentially turning face by going after Helmsley (who had hit on Marlena). This same angle happening even just a couple years later would've led to a triple threat match, but those were ultra-rare in the US (the WWE wouldn't feature one until June 97' according to the internet). Not a bad match, but nothing super special. (3/5)

The Undertaker took on The Executioner in an Armageddon Rules match next, which basically followed the rules of a Last Man Standing (though you had to pin your opponent before the ref would start the 10 count). Considering Terry Gordy's ability at the time, the match's stipulations, and the Executioner's corny gimmick/appearance, this was a real test to see if The Undertaker could turn chicken shit into chicken salad. This is certainly no mat classic, but its not nearly as terrible as one might think. Taker - and whoever else produced this match - were smart enough to realize that they'd have to use a bunch of smoke and mirrors to keep fans engaged. And so we get Mankind coming down and getting thrown through the In Your House set (he ultimately ends up in a straightjacket too), Paul Bearer getting involved, and The Executioner getting tossed into the Gulf of Mexico (?). Its a busy 11 minutes and is successful in hiding how much of a flop The Executioner character was. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Bret Hart challenging Sid for the WWE Championship with Shawn Michaels on commentary. What's most surprising about this, watching 20+ years later, is how heelish Bret Hart's character already was by this time. In his pre-match promo, he comes across as completely obsessed with Shawn Michaels and almost arrogant about his ability to defeat Sid. He comes across as whiny in a way that I just didn't appreciate or really consider when I was a Hitman mark in 96'. Michaels doesn't exactly come across as super likable on commentary either, though, which leads me to believe that he too saw the writing on the wall for his own status as the top babyface and maybe the emerging star power of Austin? In the ring, Bret goes to work on Sid's lower back and has a clear strategy but also undoes the top turnbuckle early on, a very, very heelish thing to do. The psychology works because Bret had said he was willing to do whatever it took to regain the WWE Championship, but its still a noticeable change in moral character. I wish this was as good in the physicality and exchanges as the Bret/Diesel matches, but Nash was a better seller with a touch better offense too. Austin makes an appearance towards the end of the match and clips Bret's knee, but gets chased off by Bulldog. Again, because Bret hadn't really been fighting all that valiantly and was actually in control for much of the match, this doesn't really elicit sympathy as much as it might've had Bret actually made Sid look more dominant. Back in the ring, Bret uncharacteristically botches one of the big false finishes when Sid dumps him into the unprotected corner and Bret hits the bottom rope instead of the top. They repeat the spot because I'm guessing Bret thought it was integral to the match, but in the big picture, it really wasn't as the actual finish comes minutes later when the action spills to the floor, Sid pie-faces Shawn, and then Shawn gets up on the apron and ends up in a collision with Bret. Its a really well-executed sequence of events, but its not the most original finish in history and doesn't do Sid any favors. The post-match is fun too as we get even more Bret/Shawn drama. Its a shame these two didn't square off at WrestleMania XIII as the tension was absolutely there and I'm curious how it would've been booked from a heel/face perspective as neither guy was 100% supported by the fans but also not outright heels. (2.5/5)

As a time capsule, It's Time is a more interesting show than I remembered it being. Though its Kwang Score - a measly 2.3-out-of-5 - would suggest a show that is below average in the wrestling department, that belies some of the unique elements of the show. Bret Hart's heel work in the main event was something I completely forgot or, maybe more realistically, failed to see in my fandom back when I watched this as a 12 year old Hitman devotee. The Undertaker/Executioner match isn't good, but almost seems like essential viewing for any real Freebirds fan curious to see just how much the once-great Terry Gordon had deteriorated. The Ahmed Johnson/NOD segment is bonkers, but shows how much the WWE was already inching towards its Attitude Era facelift a full year before McMahon's famous speech. While this show isn't going to wow you with its wrestling, for fans curious about or even just nostalgic for the WWE's murky transitional phrase between the New Generation Era to the Attitude Era, this show is worth checking.

FINAL RATINGS - High Risk Maneuver