TNA Against All Odds 2008

TNA: Against All Odds 2008

Greenville, SC - February 2008

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the TNA World Champion was Kurt Angle, Johnny Devine was the recognized X-Division Champion, AJ Styles and Tomko held the TNA Tag Team Titles, and Awesome Kong was the Knockouts Champion.

The pre-show video package is bonkers as it splices Presidential scandals with footage of TNA. I am completely clueless as to the tie-in there, but they also bring out a group of marines to perform the National Anthem so I must be missing something. The commentators make sure to note - multiple times - that the men challenging for the TNA World Tag Team Championships, BG James and his father "Bullet" Bob Armstrong attended Marine boot camp in South Carolina (where this show takes place) to put over how tough they are. The titleholders, AJ Styles and Tomko, are in the midst of a conflict because AJ has sided with Angle and Tomko sided with Christian in their on-going feud. AJ and Tomko put over Armstrong's toughness and BG does most of the work for his team, but this is still a silly match to have for your championships on a PPV (well, I guess technically this was on the pre-show, but still). The right team wins after 8 minutes (it felt like longer). Not as terrible as it could be, but not good. Another example of Styles carrying a bunch of lesser talents to something passable through sheer energy, connection with the crowd, and bumping. (2/5)

Traci Brooks vs. Payton Banks follows in the actual kick-off match of the show. The crowd is hot for this and I'll give Brooks and Banks credit for their effort. This started out very sloppy, but actually got better as it went on - to the point that I may have even been interested in seeing what they could've done with just 1-2 minutes of ring time (the match goes barely 5). Brooks was over with the TNA crowd, but she was not a good worker. Banks is the better worker and would go on to have a very respectable run in the indies over the next decade, but never really got a shot in the WWE for whatever reason. (1.5/5)

Scott Steiner vs. Petey Williams was up next. If the first two matches were a bit underwhelming, this one overdelivered. Scott Steiner may not have have the cardio to keep up with Williams, but his offense still looked vicious and Williams always had great execution, bumping ability, and fluidity to his movements and moves. The crowd is hyped for this too and, at one point, there are loud "Let's Go Petey/Let's Go Steiner" chants. A very fun match where it actually seems like Williams might steal the victory due to Steiner's overconfidence, exhaustion, and some shortcuts along the way (a mule kick to the balls, Steiner getting his head run into a briefcase). Not a "must watch" or even close to it, but this exceeded my expectations and made me care about a Petey Williams match, which is not something that has happened often during my TNA viewing despite his obvious in-ring skills. (3/5)

James Storm vs. Eric Young for Young's "Beer Drinking Championship" followed. Young had a cheap - but somewhat funny - video package before the match. The match was fine, but nothing spectacular. Rhyno made his return to TNA in the end to take out Storm with a Gore. Dependable midcard action seemed like the ceiling for these two at the time as they always delivered a "good enough" match and, at times, exceeded that. (2.5/5)

TNA Knockouts Champion Awesome Kong defended her gold against ODB in the next contest. The crowd was into ODB, but this wasn't on the same level as Kong's matches against Gail Kim. The energy was there, though, and I liked how ODB kept bringing the fight to Kong despite the size difference. Not a bad match, but not long enough to be considered in the "great" range. (2/5)

The next match was dubbed "Barb Wire Massacre" and did not take place in South Carolina, but rather back in Florida due to the "extremeness" of the match stipulation. Abyss had been feuding with Judas Mesias, his kayfabe half-brother, for awhile by this point. The hype around this match would've been hard to live up to, but I'll give credit to both guys for taking some gnarly bumps (especially the shirtless Mesias). The pace was slow, but that makes sense in a match like this because they needed to build up the drama of seeing someone get "massacred." Still, 15 minutes is just a bit too long for either of these guys to work especially against each other. A "spectacle" that was gory and violent, but not very interesting. (3/5)

Booker T was mega over with this crowd and I'm not sure why exactly? He's famously from Houston, but maybe he's got some other connection to Greenville aside from that area being usually considered part of NWA/WCW's "territory." Anyway, they are red hot for him and cheer him on as he comes in and immediately takes over this match against Bobby Roode, who had accidentally slugged Sharmell at the previous show. I like how Booker T dominated the majority of this match even after Payton Banks tried her best to interfere and give her man the advantage. Roode abandoned the match to lead to a double count-out, which seems like a mistake because I really doubt that any future match would be as heated as this one was. (2.5/5)

A hardcore 6-man streetfight for the future of the X-Division followed as Jay Lethal and the Motor City Machine Guns united to take on Team 3-D and Johnny Devine (who was the X-Division Champion). For all the wild plunder and weapon shots, I thought the best moments were the MCMG's speedy double-team offense and a career performance out of Jay Lethal where his execution and timing was just off the charts. Bubba hitting a piledriver on a blow-up doll was goofy, but this match was designed to harken back to their ECW glory days so I wasn't surprised to see a little bit of crowd-popping comedy thrown in. My only real gripe was how much the commentators made this about Lethal overcoming the odds and winning the match 1-on-3 instead of at least giving some credit to the MCMG for all they did in the match. Just felt like they were kinda shitting on them a bit. A good match and maybe even a great match for TNA/WWE in 2008, but nothing I'd strongly recommend or put in "must see" territory. (3/5)

Main event time - Kurt Angle defending the TNA World Championship against Christian. Just like their match at the previous show, a very good match in terms of technicality and execution is marred a bit by being fought between two unlikeable heel characters. Samoa Joe is the Special Guest Enforcer, but does not get super involved until the final few minutes (as one would expect). There are some really good spots in this and these two know exactly how to build a match from beginning to end, with Christian doing a nice job of setting a pace that was not as manic as Angle can sometimes get. The finish was a bit overcooked and when Tomko made his appearance, it was clear that he was going to turn on Christian...which is basically the same exact finish from their previous match at the last PPV. In a sense, it is great to see Christian get his comeuppance after treating AJ and Tomko so terribly when they were part of the Christian Coalition, but its not like you're really cheering for Tomko or for Angle here either. (3/5)

As the old adage goes, it's worse to be boring than to be bad. While Against All Odds earned a decent 2.5-out-of-5 on the Kwang Meter, there is not a single match worth checking out on this card. The main event, six-man, and Barb Wire Massacre matches are good-not great. Scott Steiner vs. Petey Williams is the most interesting bout on the show due to the clash of styles and size difference, but I wouldn't call it "must see" for anyone but the biggest Big Poppa Pump fans.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Judgment Day 2005

WWE Judgment Day 2005

Minneapolis, MN - May 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Champion was John Cena (and was still on SmackDown), while Batista held the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW. The United States Champion was Orlando Jordan, the Intercontinental Champion was Shelton Benjamin, the Women's Champion was Trish Stratus, the Cruiserweight Champion was Paul London, the World Tag Team Champions were on RAW and were Rosey & The Hurricane, while SmackDown's WWE Tag Team Champions were MNM (Nitro & Mercury). 

The opening contest is for the WWE World Tag Team Championships as MNM defend against the makeshift team of Charlie Haas and Hardcore Holly. This is a solid opener - nothing special, but not bad at all. Haas looks very good here and has some really strong offense. I liked MNM's heel work too. I wasn't surprised to see on Cagematch that this match got some love from Meltzer in the Observer as it was above-average and entertaining from beginning to end, not overstaying its welcome and featuring hard work from everyone involved, including Holly. (3/5)

Carlito vs. Big Show was next. This goes under 5 minutes and isn't very strong. The "big moment" is when Matt Morgan, who looks like his hair and goatee have been painted using black shoe polish, hits an F-5 on Big Show towards the end to help Carlito win. At this time, many writers and fans believed this was done as a not-so-subtle jab at Brock Lesnar, but, looking back, I don't think it was about Lesnar as much as it was about trying to push the strength of Morgan (and the relative ease of the move aside from actually being able to lift Big Show). Unremarkable, but inoffensive. (1.5/5)

The Cruiserweight Champion, Paul London, defended his gold against Chavo Guerrero in the next contest. They get 10 minutes and they pack it with very good wrestling and, from London, some great dives and high-flying. The crowd isn't super into it, but that's to be expected as the WWE audience never really got behind this division or any other attempt the WWE ever made to showcase light-heavyweights. Solid action, but not really a "hidden gem." (2.5/5)

Booker T took on Kurt Angle in a grudge match next. The storyline leading up to this match was incredibly off-putting. Angle was obsessed with Booker's wife Sharmell and openly stated that he wanted to sleep with her/sexually assault her. Its really gross stuff that overshadows whatever might've been good or interesting to see from these guys in the ring together. Booker brings the intensity to the match, which makes sense considering the storyline, but the finish is a bit too "wrestling" and I'm not sure they shouldn't have just had Booker eventually snap and destory Angle with a weapon to get the DQ loss but the moral victory. The post-match allows Sharmell to get revenge on Angle by kicking him in the junk. Speaking of junk, this storyline was junk, was criticized widely at the time, and has only aged worse. The match is decent, though. (2.5/5)

Orlando Jordan defended his United States Championship against a babyface Heidenreich in the next match. Yup. This is about as terrible and WrestleCrappy as you might imagine. Heidenreich's babyface gimmick is all sorts of cringe as he seeks out a friend before the match and then recites some poetry. This is almost more offensive than Kurt Angle doing a rape storyline. The match lasts less than 5 minutes but with all the extra garbage, the segment feels like three times that. I guess there is some comedic value in seeing how awkward Heidenreich is here. (0.5/5)

Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero in a rematch from WrestleMania 21 follows. At Mania, Guerrero was still ostensibly a babyface, but he'd gone full heel by this point, viciously brainbustering Mysterio on the steel steps in the build for this match. As expected whenever these two are in the ring together, we get an incredible match with lots of lightning-quick sequences and high impact moves. So much good character work out of Eddie here and Rey's offense looks equally as devastating and purposeful at times. This is not Mysterio showing reluctance in battling his one-time friend and tag partner, this is Mysterio trying to hurt Guerrero just as much as Guerrero is trying to hurt him. The difference is that Guerrero will bend every rule to do it and, by the end, doesn't even care about getting the W in the history books - he just wants to cripple Rey. I've read some reviews that are super high on this match and some that are a little low (looking at you, Meltzer), but this is certainly in the "should-watch"/"must watch" category just because the crowd is electric for this, Guerrero and Mysterio are their usual excellent selves, and the finish, which could've been a total letdown, actually works at prolonging the feud. (4/5)

Main event time - JBL challenging John Cena in an "I Quit" Match for the WWE Championship match. Like the previous match, there are some great touches in this match that make it work. Their Mania match was not very good so they course-correct here and decide to just brawl it out after a little bit of requisite "wrestling" in the opening minutes. I love JBL bringing out the non-"spinner" championship because he still feels like he should be the recognized World Champion. Cena's entrance is great too and gives the match a major set piece to use later on. Cena gets busted open and is just pouring blood out of his head at one point, which is gnarly to watch. JBL takes a couple big bumps too, including a back body drop through a table that looks like it hurt like hell. They did some bumps on the hood of the limo, which popped the crowd. I liked JBL's face getting rammed through a TV despite how fake it looked. Lots of choking, which works because Cena - and JBL by the end - were both sporting crimson masks. Very vicious match unlike the much tamer "I Quit" matches that would follow as the WWE grew more and more "PG." I'm not a huge fan of the finish, which saw Cena threaten to impale JBL with part of the truck (the smokestack, or exhaust pipe), as I felt a little bit out-of-nowhere after JBL had withstood so much punishment. "I Quit" matches are always hard to end because you either have to do something with audio fuckery (Mankind vs. The Rock) or negate the stipulation by having the referee or someone else throw in the towel for one guy or you have to utilize submissions (which would be out of a place in a match like this, which was so much more of a weapons-and-set piece brawl). Still, a very good match and worth checking out if you're remotely curious about the early days of John Cena's run as the WWE's top guy. (4/5)

With a pair of great matches in Guerrero/Mysterio and the main event and some solid action in the opener and the Cruiserweight match, Judgment Day 2005 is a solid show that is hindered by a couple of matches that illustrate the weakness of the "brand-only PPV" concept. Orlando Jordan and Heidenreich were barely TV-worthy characters, so them competing on this show was always going to be nothing more than bathroom break fodder. Big Show/Carlito wasn't much of a match either, though, to be fair, it did further a storyline. Booker T/Kurt Angle might be the biggest disappointment, though, only because these two showed some good chemistry and willingness to get their hands dirty with a physical, violent contest. Unfortunately, the story that led to the match is so cringeworthy, it casts a shadow on what is an otherwise good match. With a Kwang Score of 2.57-out-of-5, I'm giving this a...

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

WWE Backlash: France

WWE Backlash: France

Lyon, France - May 2024

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE Universal Champion was Cody Rhodes, the World Heavyweight Champion was Damian Priest, Sami Zayn was the Intercontinental Champion, Logan Paul was the United States Champion, The Awesome Truth held the RAW Tag Team Championships, Theory and Grayson Waller held the SmackDown Tag Team Titles, the RAW Women's Champion was Becky Lynch, the SmackDown Women's Champion was Bayley, and the Kabuki Warriors were the reigning Women's Tag Team Champions. 

For the first time in WWE history, Lyon, France played host to a WWE PLE/PPV - the 2024 edition of Backlash. The show kicked off with French-Canadian Kevin Owens teaming with Randy Orton against the Bloodline's Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga. Owens and Orton got extended introductions and the crowd was incredibly loud for them, singing along to their entrance themes so loud that it nearly drowned out Cole and Graves on commentary. This one started out red hot with the heels and faces brawling before the match could even begin, clearing the locker room of referees and officials (2 of which ate Stunners from KO) before the SmackDown GM Nick Aldis came out and re-started the match as Anything Goes. The combatants then brawled throughout the arena before eventually finding their way back to the ringside area. Very good brawling here when the faces dominated, but the heel heat segment was a bit "mid" as the kids call it. Orton spent an exorbitant amount of time on the outside so that Owens could get beaten down by kendo sticks and garbage cans. Tama Tonga's brother Tanga Loa made his debut to help the heels gain the upperhand and get the victory following a Solo Sikoa spike to Owens. This match started better than it ended and I have no clue who Tanga Loa is and was surprised to learn that he wrestled as the forgettable Camacho character nearly 10 years ago in the WWE. (3/5)

After a lengthy break, Bayley defended her SmackDown Women's Championship against Tiffany Stratton and Naomi in a triple threat in the next match. Bayley was the most over of the three, but Naomi got a big response for her entrance and Tiffany Stratton definitely had some fans in attendance as well. Stratton had a star-making performance at the Elimination Chamber match a few months back and once again stole the show here. Bayley's sunset flips didn't look too great, but aside from that, this was an excellent match and I loved Bayley's reactions to the crowd's chants (at one point, she could be seen saying "I don't know what you're saying" with a smile after the crowd started chanting "Seulement Deux!" after every 2 count and then figured out moments later). This was the best of Naomi I've seen since her return as she's had some shaky performances. This wasn't "must see" but it was a step up from the previous match and Stratton's Alabama Slams into the announce tables were absolutely brutal to see. I kinda wish they had found a bigger "death blow" to Stratton to lead to the finish, but Bayley using a roll-up on a tired and beaten-down Naomi made logical sense to me (despite some fans criticizing the finish for being a bit "flat"). They got plenty of time and they put on a great match. Very good stuff. (3.5/5)

The World Heavyweight Championship was on the line in the next match as Damien Priest took on Jey Uso. Jey Uso is undeniably over - or at least his catchphrase is - but I still haven't seen him deliver a truly great singles match and this wasn't it either. I liked the story of Priest wanting to win this match on his own but JD McDonough and Finn Balor interfering anyway to help him retain his title. Solid match, but the suspense really only picked up when Balor and JD were involved. Feels like the bells-and-whistles of the Judgment Day story carried this match much more than the actual interactions between Jey and Priest. (2.5/5)

The Kabuki Warriors defended the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill in the next match. I'm not sure giving these four such a long match was a great idea as the match dragged a bit in the middle. There was an awkward stretch between Cargill and Sane that the crowd picked up on, but they recovered and the finishing stretch was very good. Cargill is a freak talent, no doubt, but she still looks a bit lost and robotic at times. Then again, the same thing can be said about Belair, who has worked with Asuka extensively over the past year but doesn't have the chemistry with her that one would imagine they'd have by this point. (2/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. Cody mentioned in a promo that this wasn't a "dream match" for him - it was a must win situation. Like every other match on this show, this one got plenty of time, running nearly 30 minutes. Personally, I would've liked this to have more of a story beyond both guys just taking turns dishing out punishment. At one point, Styles took a vicious Irish Whip into the bottom rope, for example, but then was back on offense within 30 seconds. Ditto for the powerbomb into the announce table. By this point, I'd also tired of the French audience and their constant singing. Yes, the energy level was great...but the repetitive chanting and singing got obnoxious. Cody kicking out of Styles' Burning Hammer seemed lifted wholesale from one of those NJPW epics and felt out of place here, almost more of a Hulk Hogan moment. (3.5/5)

With a Kwang Rating of 2.9-out-of-5, Backlash: France was another strong showing from the WWE, though not a single match struck me as "must see." By the end of the show, I was more bothered by the audience than I was delighted. The match of the night was the Women's Championship bout as the main event went a tad too long and didn't have a clear enough story. 

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

AEW Dynasty 2024

AEW Dynasty

St. Louis, MO - April 2024

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Samoa Joe was the reigning AEW World Champion, the International Champion was Roderick Strong, the TNT Champion was Adam Copeland, the FTW Champion was HOOK, the AEW Tag Team Championships were vacant following the retirement of Sting, Julia Hart held the TBS Championship, the Women's Champion was Toni Storm, the Continental Champion was Okada, and the AEW World Trios Champions were Billy Gunn and the Acclaimed (though they'd lose those titles to the Ring of Honor Six-Man Champions Jay White and the Gunns in a title unification match during the Zero Hour pre-show). 

Dynasty 2024 kicked off with Okada vs. PAC. The crowd was a bit quieter for this than I expected, though they did get "liver" as the match wore on. The finish was never really in question as Okada is going to need some signature wins to establish himself and PAC is a great opponent for that aim because of his top-shelf execution and the respect he's earned from the AEW audience. The lack of real heat hurt this match more than anything they did or didn't do. A good match that didn't reach the level of "great" that people probably hoped for despite getting plenty of time to get there. (3/5)

A six-man followed as Mark Briscoe, Adam Copeland, and Eddie Kingston took on The House of Black (Malachi Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews). After the match went 20+ minutes, I was shocked that this match got so much time. There were some cool spots, but this match felt like it "peaked" a couple 4-5 minutes before we actually got to the finish and the crowd seemed to be bored with it by the end. It also goes to show that the wrestling that we see on TV every week is at such a high level that a match like this - which, again, had some really cool moments (all three of the babyfaces hitting spears at the same time, a cool front-flip splash from Briscoe) - comes across as just kinda average. (2.5/5)

The TBS Championship was on the line next as Julia Hart defended against Willow Nightingale. I liked this match, though will readily admit it wasn't some all-time great or, as the kids would say, a "banger." Julia Hart has improved over the years and, along with Brody King, makes up the better and more interesting half of House of Black. I really hope that if/when Black and Buddy Murphy make their departure, Hart and Brody are pushed strongly because they have both been doing great work. Good action here and I'm glad they didn't go overboard with multiple false finishes and kickouts. They didn't need to. I wasn't intrigued with the post-match, though, as Mercedes Monee came out and stole Willow's thunder. Didn't we just see this with Danielson and Eddie Kingston a couple months back on Collision? I read after-the-fact that Hart was injured coming into this match, but she didn't half-ass it one bit and really gave her all to give Nightingale a big win despite their feud taking a backseat behind Monee's debut since the former Sasha Banks showed up. (2/5)

Roderick Strong defended his International Championship next against former stablemate Kyle O'Reilly. Compared to Strong's feud with Orange Cassidy building up to his title win, this felt really cold and the crowd was not super into any of it, even the finishing stretch. Kinda like the six-man tag, this one felt like it ran a good 3-5 minutes too long and "peaked" long before it ended. I like O'Reilly, but he needed more high-profile wins to make him seem like a true contender, while Strong could've used a few more high-profile defenses to give the title the same credibility that Orange Cassidy gave it. The action and work was good - with these two, the chemistry is obviously not an issue and they are not at all afraid to hit each other hard (even with KOR coming off an injury) - but this might've had the littlest amount of "heat" of any match on the card. The finish was also confusing as Wardlow made his way out to the ring, didn't really do much, but, on commentary, was referenced as the key factor in Strong's victory. How so? (2.5/5)

I was expecting to loathe the next match: HOOK vs. Jericho for the FTW Championship (because AEW seemingly doesn't have enough singles titles for guys to fight over) in a match fought under "FTW Rules" (no DQ, falls count anywhere). Their match on Dynamite (or was it Collision?) a few weeks back was interesting because HOOK essentially dominated Jericho. Still, this whole storyline has reeked off re-heated leftovers as we've seen Jericho serve as the mentor or tag partner to any number of guys over the years and, in none of the cases, have we really seen the chemistry that Jericho showed in the WWE with guys like Kevin Owens, Big Show, and others. In AEW, we've seen Jericho have extended storylines with MJF, Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia, Action Andretti, Adam Cole...and while they have produced some good moments, it's essentially been the same story over and over as Jericho plays the mentor/Superstar and the young up-and-comer has to prove he can hang with the Ocho. The biggest issue, though, is just that Jericho hasn't taken more than a couple weeks or months off here or there since debuting in AEW and the audience, as we heard in this match, is clearly just sick of the guy. Jericho put on one of the best performance he's had in months...and the crowd still basically shit on him, breaking into chants of "Fozzy Sucks!" and "Go Home, Jericho, Go Home" at various points in the match. But, sadly, it wasn't like they were actively cheering HOOK either, who is still noticeably green. I don't like trash can spots - they sound better than they look - but the suplex through the table on the outside was nasty and, at one point, Jericho looked like he might've had his head cracked open when he took a German Suplex on the floor. This match didn't necessarily need 17 minutes, but it didn't feel overlong like the other matches because, even if he has been overexposed and desperately needs to step out of the spotlight, Jericho still has aura and knows how to build a match's suspense. He's a pro's pro in a company with many guys who haven't worked at his level and it shows. I've read a number of reviews that want to shit on this match because of how tired they are of Jericho, which isn't really speaking about the quality of the match itself, which was compelling and had more heat - "go away" or not - than any of the matches that came before it (despite those matches featuring much better technical wrestling and high-flying and high spots and all those things that wrestling fans love). I wouldn't call this a "must see" match, but it was an interesting one to watch unfold and exceeded my expectations due to Jericho's effort and ability. (3/5)

Toni Storm vs. Thunder Rosa for Storm's AEW Women's Championship followed. I'm a big fan of Storm, but have seen less of Rosa's "high end" work. I thought Toni looked great when she's on offense while Rosa looked a little sloppy at times. Toni Storm reminds me of Goldust in 96' at times - a brilliant gimmick that is over and gets great reactions, but when the bell rings, you don't get that same level of "holy cow." Rosa, meanwhile, is someone I want to root for, especially coming off an injury, but I never got the sense that the live crowd - or the fans online - were really behind her. A decent match and one that was better than what you usually get in a TV match, but the AEW Women's division is clearly not at the same level as the WWE's if one would consider this the best they could offer in the spring of 2024. (2/5)

Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay was next up. The crowd was absolutely hype for this and these two did not disappoint, delivering one of the best matches of the year. I'm not sure I'd go as far as Dave Meltzer, who called this one of the best matches in US history, but in terms of modern wrestling, this was as good as anything that has ever been done in that style. Ospreay is an incredible athlete and is able to bust out moves that regularly blow my mind (at one point, he did a backwards flip off of Danielson's chest), but I won't deny that it was the American Dragon who wowed me even more. Danielson's execution of every move, counter, dodge, strike, and bump was not just flawless, it was spirited and emotional. There's no doubt that a guy like Roderick Strong or PAC has the athletic ability to do every move that Danielson can do and more, but Danielson's brilliance is that he does the little things that make these moves pop and feel like he is inflicting serious pain on his opponent. I loved the variety of submissions. I loved the back-and-forth action early and the way both guys made us wait for their big impact moves through cut-offs and counters. Ospreay's Shining Wizard on the outside was gnarly. The final 10 minutes kicked this match up to an even higher degree as we saw insane counters and cut-offs, including Danielson hitting a Busaiku Knee to prevent Ospreay from hitting an off-the-ropes Wizard. I loved the finish too - and, personally, from what I saw (without the benefit of replay), it looked like Danielson took the Tiger Driver 98' perfectly (natch) - as they had built up to it over the course of the match. I wrote a few weeks/months back somewhere that I did not want to see Danielson attempt to take the move and it still made me gasp watching it, especially after 35?+ minutes in the ring, but, man, what else could've put this one to bed? Tremendous match and easily among the top 50-100 I've ever seen, but I'm not sure I'd put it in the top 20. (4.5/5)

The vacant AEW World Tag Team Championships were up for grabs (literally) in a ladder match between FTR and The Young Bucks. These teams were fighting an uphill battle to start as they had to follow an easy MOTY candidate. The Bucks have also become even more controversial as workers and characters over the past 3 months than ever before as many fans have turned on them in the wake of their new EVP storyline. Fortunately, they have great chemistry with FTR and also had the benefit of being able to work this as a wild TLC match, filling it up with a whole bunch of great spots. I'm as tired of convoluted, PG-rated ladder matches as anyone, but this was not that. We got blood. We got big table spots. We got Cash Wheeler dropping groin-first on a ladder. It is in these types of matches that AEW really differentiates itself from the much tamer hardcore matches that the WWE puts on. The Bucks and FTR didn't reinvent the TLC concept here, but they absolutely delivered the goods and made this feel as violent and personal as it needed to be. The finish, which saw the return of Jack Perry, got a huge reaction and didn't feel like too much of a letdown as both teams got to shine and it protected FTR in the loss. Great, great match. (4/5)

Main event time - Swerve Strickland challenging Samoa Joe for the AEW World Championship. Swerve was mega-over with this crowd. Like FTR and the Bucks before them, Joe and Swerve had a tough task. Yes, the crowd was red hot and did not seem fatigued at all by witnessing two back-to-back excellent matches, but anything short of "really good" was likely to be viewed as an underwhelming close to the show. Of course, Samoa Joe can be counted on in these sort of situations, his batting average near 1.000 since joining AEW (honestly, I can't recall him having a bad match, though I'm sure there was at least one at his age). Joe controlled the early going, which is never a bad thing because he is so good at pacing a match and that layout - while nothing revolutionary - added gravitas and made this feel like a real Big Fight Title Bout. Strickland did a good job selling and fighting from underneath, but I do kinda wish he had found a way to integrate some of his heelishness into this match rather than wrestling it as a straight-up underdog babyface against Joe The Monster. While not as good as either of the matches before it, the red hot crowd and spirited, crowd-pleasing finishing stretch pushed this one very close to "must see" territory. (3.5/5)

Earning a strong 3-out-of-5 on the Kwang Meter, the first ever Dynasty PPV was an above-average show featuring at least two potential Top 10 Matches of the Year in the unbelievable Ospreay/Danielson match and the ridiculously fun Tag Team Championship Ladder bout. Though I haven't seen many AEW pay-per-views, I thought this show was a little bit of a step down from Revolution (which earned a 3.17 rating), but still largely entertaining with only a few matches really not clicking, specifically the Women's Championship bouts, the somewhat pedestrian 6-tag, and the undercooked and overlong O'Reilly/Strong matches. 

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

WrestleMania XXI

WWE WrestleMania XXI

Los Angeles, CA - April 2005

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion was Triple H, the WWE Champion was JBL, the Intercontinental Champion was Shelton Benjamin, the United States Champion was Orlando Jordan, the World Tag Team Champions were Tajiri and William Regal (who did not appear on the main show), and the WWE Tag Team Champions were Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. The Women's Champion was Trish Stratus while Paul London held the WWE Cruiserweight Championship. 

After a performance of "America The Beautiful" by longtime WWE announcer Lillian Garcia and a series of cool "WWE Goes Hollywood" videos (including an extended one featuring Stone Cold in Gladiator), the show kicked off with Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio. Eddie and Rey were the WWE Tag Team Champions at the time, but the story here was that Eddie had been goaded into challenging Rey by his nephew Chavo to try to snap his bad luck "jinx" as a singles wrestler. Anyway...Eddie and Rey start the match off with some good technical wrestling as Eddie tries to ground him. Good psychology there. They sprinkle in some high-flying and finisher teases, escalating and speeding things up, eventually leading to some really good sequences and spots (a nasty Eddie powerbomb, some very tight nearfalls) and an unexpected flash pin towards the end that didn't sacrifice Eddie's overness or credibility in the slightest. This isn't as good as their legendary Halloween Havoc match - very few matches are - but this was still really, really good and an excellent start to their rivalry. (3.5/5)

After a brief meeting between reigning WWE Champion JBL and World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, its time for the first ever Money In The Bank Match. These matches have become known for intricate, convoluted spots, eventually became the basis of their own PPV (on which you might see multiple MITB matches in the same night), and have given birth to a whole bunch of questionable booking decisions and failed pushes...but nobody knew that in 2005. And the spots in this match hadn't been done and done again and done dozens of times more. Every participant in this match had a legitimate chance of winning; Chris Benoit had slid back into the midcard but was arguably a heel turn away from challenging the expected titleholders at the end of the evening, Kane was the credible monster (and also someone who, at any point, could be slotted into a feud with whoever was champion whether it was 4 weeks later or 4 months later), Christian and Edge were on the cusp of the main event scene, Chris Jericho was a former World Champion and would wear the gold again within a few years, and Shelton Benjamin was the blue chipper and Intercontinental Champion and, if he could tap into the right gimmick, had all the skills to be a big star. And the crowd was HOT for this match from beginning to end, oohing and aahing at all the right moments and all the big spots. Highlights include Christian bumping like mad, multiple guys taking back bumps from the ladder (a "simple" bump but one that looks and sounds so much more intense and hard-hitting when you haven't seen it 1000 times before), Shelton Benjamin's absolutely incredible run-up on a ladder (imagine that going wrong), and Chris Benoit busting himself open by doing a diving headbutt from the ladder despite having stitches in his skull. This wasn't as bonkers as the TLC matches from a few years prior, but there was more psychology and it really did feel like guys were actively trying to win from beginning to end and not needlessly setting up ladders just to do convoluted spots. A match that was praised highly at the time and still holds up. (4/5)

Eugene comes out next - which just goes to show, for all the good things about the WWE during this era, there was some absolutely horrid shit going on too, including having a wrestler doing a "special needs" gimmick. Oh, and the guy who comes out to cut his promo short? A guy designed to capitalize on anti-Muslim sentiment, Muhammad Hassan. Now, to be clear, Hassan's gimmick wasn't that he was jihadist who hated America, it was that everyone assumed he was...which made him angry and caused him to hate America. See the subtle difference? No? Anyway, Hassan (who is seconded by Daivari) attacks Eugen, which brings out Hulk Hogan, who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the previous night. Hogan gets a MASSIVE reaction - no surprise there - and takes out Hassan and Daivairi before engaging in his classic posedown. No lie, 2005 was a big "nostalgia" year for me as I got back into pro-wrestling that summer and Hulk Hogan's return to the WWE was a big part of that (he'd go on to have a controversial but fun feud with Shawn Michaels later this summer). After 05', Hogan's body wouldn't allow him to do much of anything of note and he'd only compete about a dozen times between then and his retirement match in 2012 (which, sadly, wasn't really booked as his "retirement" match as much as it was just the last match of his career). A crowd-pleasing segment.

The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton was next. Taker's streak was only at 12-0 at this point, which seems slight knowing that he'd keep the Streak alive for several years to come. Orton was young here and clearly not as smooth as he'd become - there is at least one noticeable botch off the ropes where he and Taker collide and fall down in a heap and Orton hasn't yet developed the trademark snap to his powerslam or added the Punt to his arsenal - but, at this time, Taker might have been at his physical peak and does everything in his power to make Orton look good, including taking a great bump from the apron into the barricade. I was expecting more bells-and-whistles, but this is a fairly straight-up match and that's fine with me because it is good, borderline great. (3.5/5)

The first objectively bad match of the evening follows as Trish Stratus defends her Divas Championship against Christy Hemme. Hemme was a barely-trained pro-wrestler who was getting pushed because she was on the cover of Playboy. Watching this, its impossible not to feel a little bad for both women. This match was built around "eye candy" pin attempts and Hemme's revealing her butt in a microskirt, not "real" wrestling. Over the years, I've found that there are some matches that were able to strike a balance between blatantly sexist, gratuitous "T&A" teasing and genuine physicality, matches like the one Stratus would have the next year against Mickie James at WrestleMania XXII, but those are the exception to the rule. Oh, and they sorta botched the finish. A point for effort. (1/5)

Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle in something of a "dream match" followed. I wouldn't call this a masterpiece - there's just too much of Michaels' overselling and too little realism for me - but I'm not surprised that this match is often considered among the very best in WrestleMania history. The match starts off red hot with Angles taking down Michaels and showing him whose boss when it comes to mat-based wrestling. Michaels bounces back, though, and takes control with his own arsenal of submissions. While the announcers play up how unexpected of a strategy that is, I thought it was cool how Angle almost "accepted" Michaels' control but was never really in trouble, knowing full well that this match would not be won by either man in under 8 minutes. The match shifts when Angle hits a high Angle Slam into the post - but that's also when I caught the first hiccup. From one angle, it looks like Shawn's lower back takes the brunt of the punishment, which is what Michaels and the commentary team sell. However, when they cut to a replay from a different vantage point, it is clear that it's the back of the knee that hits the post - which actually makes sense as Angle is working towards the Ankle Lock. A minor criticism. Michaels' Asai Moonsault onto the table is an incredible spot, perfectly timed and executed, and I like that the table didn't break. I loved Angle hitting an Angle Slam off of the top rope later in the match. Shawn Michaels' out-of-nowhere Sweet Chin Music was great. These two guys "laid their shit in" as they say and it did feel like a war. However, both men are a little guilty of going from dead tired to miraculously full of spirit, a trope in wrestling that these two guys might rely on more than any other two main eventers in WWE history. Say what one may about the "Hulk Up," Hogan's end-of-the-match sequence was done during a more cartoonish, heavy-on-the-entertainment-light-on-the-sports time, while Michaels and Angle (especially) were putting on matches filled with high spots, big suplexes, multiple momentum shifts, and incredible feats of stamina and endurance. At a certain point, exhaustion shouldn't be undersold. The finish is not one that I found to be thrilling, realistic, or exciting. Angle's Ankle Lock should've been protected more. Instead of making it about how long Michaels could sustain the punishment, it should've been about Michaels accepting that Angle had him entrapped, in the middle of the ring, and that he had no choice but to submit after maybe 10-15 seconds of attempting to counter it. Instead, we get Michaels flailing around for so long that the Ankle Lock loses credibility. (4/5)

Another segment follows - this time with Roddy Piper, Steve Austin, and Carlito. It really is a shame that Carlito never really succeeded to the level that the WWE clearly wanted him to as he held his own here and looked very comfortable hanging with two of the all-time best on the mic. This was a fun segment and shows that, at least in 05', Piper could still do very well in a live situation with a live mic playing off the crowd. Austin was also sharp here and clearly having a great time with a guy he obviously admired in Piper. Fun sugment. (+1)

Akebono vs. Big Show was next and felt like more of a "segment" than an actual match. Absolutely zero heat. Akebono looked old, not imposing. Big Show looked like he was well aware that this was most certainly a "rib" based on Vince wanting to see him in a sumo diaper in front of 20,000 fans. The commentators do their best to treat this with a modicum of respect, explaining sumo traditions and talking up the size of the athletes, but there's only so much they can do. This isn't unwatchable, but it is forgettable filler. (1/5)

The WWE Champion JBL defended his title against John Cena in the next match. JBL controlled what felt like 90% of this match, punishing Cena from the start. I'm guessing the plan here was to build sympathy, but this audience seemed to turn on the challenger by the end, unhappy with how this match - which should've been a physical, back-and-forth brawl like the one they'd put in their bloody rematch - seemed to be an attempt to turn Cena into the modern-day Hogan rather than letting him actually show what he can do before going into his 5 Moves of Doom. A disappointing match that gave too much to JBL and not enough to Cena. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Batista challenging Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H gets a Motorhead-assisted entrance, while Batista doesn't even get pyro. This match felt like a major test for Batista and an attempt by Triple H to prove that he was capable of "carrying" a more one-dimensional powerhouse wrestler to a quality 20-minute match. I'm not sure he was successful to that end, but Batista didn't get lost and they had the crowd with them from beginning to end, plus Triple H did take some good bumps. The match doesn't drag, but it's not riveting either, at least not until it gets to its final few minutes and we get to the false finishes and Triple H's blade job. I didn't dig Triple H's cartoonish selling of Batista powering out of the Pedigree, but that's nit-picky. A good-not great main event that served its purpose and ended the show on a high note. (3/5)

Earning a respectable 2.81-out-of-5 on the Kwang Scale, WrestleMania XXI starts out relatively strong with a solid opener in Eddie/Rey, the first and arguably best Money in the Bank Ladder Match ever, and Orton/Taker in a strong match. From there, though, the show hits a lull that not even a great Angle/HBK match can pull it out of. The sumo exhibition, Trish/Hemme, and JBL/Cena are all bad and I could've done without the multiple Hulk Hogan appearances (though, to be fair, in 2005, the nostalgia for Hogan was incredible). 

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

TNA Final Resolution 2008

TNA Final Resolution 2008

Orlando, FL - January 2008

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into this show, the TNA World Champion was Kurt Angle, Jay Lethal was the X-Division Champion, the Knockouts Champion was Gail Kim, and the Tag Team Titles were held by AJ Styles and Tomko.

Final Resolution 2008 kicks off with a tag team contest between The Latin American Exchange and the Rock n' Rave Infection (Jimmy Rave and Lance Hoyt with Christy Hemme). The LAX were very over with this live crowd and for good reason: their offense is spectacular and hard-hitting and they do a fantastic job of mixing high spots with power moves. Their gimmick would never have worked in the WWE at the time and I'm not sure how interested Homicide was in changing his name and toning down his persona, but they were absolutely among the best tag teams working in the US during this era. This feels more like a "TV" match than a pay-per-view one, but that's not to say it is bad and the right team gets the win. During the post-match, we get a reveal that the mysterious third member of LAX - who had been attacking Hemme on TV in the weeks prior - is, surprise surprise, a beautiful woman! (2.5/5)

Next up - Black Reign vs. Kaz. TNA was trying to make "Kaz" happen and, as I've written about over my last few TNA reviews, one can understand why. He had a good look. He could do absolutely everything in the ring. He was hard-working. But there's just something that didn't quite connect with the crowd to make him stand out as a true top guy like Styles and Joe. This feud does not help things at all as Dustin Rhodes was in bad shape and his "split personality" gimmick made no sense. On Impact, Rhodes wanted an apology and said he didn't remember attacking Kaz because that was his other personality. Okay. Sure. So then why is this match Black Reign vs. Kaz? Shouldn't it be Dustin Rhodes vs. Kaz and then Rhodes "snaps" during the match and transforms into Black Reign? Also, this wrinkle of having a split personality due to a bad childhood is extra stupid because Dustin Rhodes' backstory had been mulled over countless times going back to his earliest appearances in the WWE in 1990. Anyway...this isn't a bad match because Kaz was so smooth in the ring that he could drag a lifeless body to something resembling a competitive match. Plus, while Dustin was not looking too good, his timing and psychology were still there even if his gimmick and cardio were poor. Unfortunately, Kaz's effort and the little bit of spark that Dustin had were not enough to get this across the goal line and the crowd seems indifferent to most of it. A tedious match and a post-match that somehow makes Dustin sympathetic and Kaz look like an asshole as he kidnaps Dustin's pet rat, Misty. Gross. (1.5/5)

Things, thankfully, get much better in our next contest - Gail Kim defending the TNA Knockouts Championships against Awesome Kong in a No Disqualification match. This is a heck of a lot of fun as Kim and Kong spend 10+ minutes destroying each other, brawling in the card, and bringing the physicality and drama in a way that was incredibly rare in the US in terms of women's wrestling at the time. Hell, a match this good wasn't exactly happening every night in the men's division in TNA at the time either. I really liked Gail Kim's toughness and relentless energy despite Kong cutting her off with slam after slam. The chairshots Kim delivers towards the end of the match are brutal and cringe-inducing, but, hey, this is pro-wrestling and these two wanted to steal the show and live up to a No DQ stipulation. I really liked the finish too as Kong essentially cost herself the victory by losing her cool. Great false finishes leading up to it also. Those backhands by Kong were excellent too. An easy "must watch/should watch" that falls just a hair or two short of being an all-time classic, but only because the finish is a touch inconclusive/overbooked with all the ref bumps. (4/5)

Judas Mesias took on Abyss in the next match. Having now seen considerably more TNA than I ever thought I would, I've come around to seeing why Abyss was considered one of the better big men of the 00s despite a gimmick that lent itself to some very convoluted and corny storylines. Mesias was James Mitchell's kayfabe son and isn't an awful worker, though he was clearly brought in just to work with Abyss, a role not too dissimilar to the monsters that the WWE would bring in to work short feuds with Taker in the 90s. Abyss and Mesias get 11 minutes and it is better than I thought it would be and not just because of the blood and weapon spots. Mesias and Abyss have good enough chemistry and the match has good transitions and feels hard fought and personal. Its nothing that I'd necessarily seek out or watch again, but this exceeded my admittedly low expectations. (2.5/5)

Booker T and Sharmell teamed up to face to Bobby Roode and Traci Brooks in the next contest. This was mostly a 1-on-1 Booker T/Bobby Roode match with Brooks on the outside, trying her best not to get involved (as she was a babyface now, but stuck under Roode's thumb). They get 11 minutes but don't do much with it. Booker is someone who achieved a ton in pro-wrestling and, at times, could be great with the right gimmick and right opponent. Unfortunately, Booker didn't have much of a gimmick in his TNA run aside from just being a "legend" and him and Roode don't have good enough chemistry to make this match worth a watch. Not terrible, but boring. The best moment is the post-match segment, where Sharmell takes a big right hand and sells it like she's been shot with and out of a cannon. Feel free to fast forward through the rest of the action to get to it. (1.5/5)

The night's Ultimate X Match was next as Team 3D and Johnny Devine took on The Motor City Machine Guns and "Black Machismo" Jay Lethal. Before the match, Bubba got on the mic and cut down the crowd - very reminiscent of when they used to do similar pre-match promos in ECW, though those were usually handled by Joel Gertner. This was another match that over-achieved for me. I've not enjoyed many of Team 3D's matches in TNA, but this was them poking fun at themselves. Johnny Devine took some nasty bumps, including a botched double-table spot that ended with him sliding off of the pine and landing hard on the floor rather than crashing through them. A fun match with an ending that wasn't super clever, but was still really effective and got heat. (3/5)

The third tag team match in a row followed, this time for the titles, as Samoa Joe and Kevin Nash teamed up to challenge AJ Styles and Tyson Tomko. Joe and Styles had such great chemistry that it absolutely carries this match well beyond what I believe Nash or Tomko could've done without them doing the bulk of the work. That's not to say Nash or Tomko are particularly bad, but Styles and Joe were at another level and complemented each other incredibly well. Kevin Nash "turns" on Joe towards the end of the match and one would think that Joe would then get squashed, but I actually bought that he might somehow pull out a victory towards the end. You really can't go wrong putting Joe and Styles together. (2.5/5)

Main event time - Kurt Angle defending the TNA World Championship against former champion and fellow heel Christian Cage. The heel/heel dynamic and the predictability of the finish - nobody expected Cage to win - kept me out of what was an otherwise good match. Cage's bumping was excellent and I like he seemed to reign in some of Angle's tendency to rush through a match with go-go-go big spots and then blatant no-selling later on. Here, the transitions work, the pace is methodical without being boring, and while I didn't bite on any of the false finishes, the execution of all the sequences, counters, and pin attempts was good. There were a few noticeable moments of cooperation and re-positioning, but nothing too egregious. The story around this match was what role AJ Styles would play, so we get him showing up towards the end and seemingly partnering up with Christian before turning on him and helping Angle win. Why not? Being turned on does not make one a babyface in my eyes, but I'm interested in seeing how this played out when I watch the next PPV. (3/5)

With an overall Kwang Rating of 2.56-out-of-5, Final Resolution 2008 isn't a complete DUD, but it is buoyed by some particular great performances from Kong and Gail Kim, Cage and Angle, and, surprisingly enough, Team 3D. The rest of the card is nothing to write home about, though there are some cool moments sprinkled throughout the show, including Sharmell getting decked in the face, LAX's always-welcome tag work, and Samoa Joe and AJ Styles getting time to showcase their chemistry. Still, with only one match being something I'd consider "must watch" - and even that might be a bit of a stretch - this show earns a...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE WrestleMania XL

WWE WrestleMania XL

Philadelphia, PA - April 2024

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the first night of this two-night event, Roman Reigns was the WWE Universal Champion, Seth Rollins was the World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER was the Intercontinental Champion, the Judgment Day were both RAW and SmackDown Tag Team Champions, the RAW Women's Champion was Rhea Ripley, the SmackDown Women's Champion was IYO SKY, the United States Champion was Logan Paul, and the Kabuki Warriors held the Women's Tag Team Championships.

The first big surprise of the night occurred before the show even started as we got a new "bumper" - or at least one I'd not seen before - free and clear of any McMahon. It was then time for the usual pre-show video package and Grammy winner Coco something singing the National Anthem. I'm not sure if this was the first time that the Anthem was sung instead of "America The Beautiful," but if so, that'd be another switcheroo from the Vince Era.

Paul "Triple H" Levesque made his way to the ring to officially kickoff the first truly post-Vince WrestleMania. The commentators made that abundantly clear without name-checking their former boss. 

Opening the show up was RAW Womens' Champion Rhea Ripley defending her title against Becky Lynch. They got cool intros with Lynch's playing off her recently-released memoir and Ripley coming out to a live rendition of her entrance music by Pennsylvania metal band Motionless in White. Good back and forth to start things as the commentators noted that Lynch was coming into this match after battling strep throat earlier in the week. Yuck. I've had strep a few times and it absolutely sucks. I'm not sure if it was Lynch not being 100% (likely), but this felt like the Rhea Ripley show more than a clash between two equals. Things picked up in the final few minutes, especially once Becky started getting more aggressive in the corner, bashing Ripley's head into the post at one point. Good stuff there. The finish was a little sloppy with Ripley not fully hitting the Riptide into the buckle the way they'd probably hoped. Liked seeing Ripley get the definitive win to extend her reign. I'm not sure where Lynch goes from here, but most likely a well-earned vacation. A good match, but not a great one like Ripley/Flair. They got plenty of time, but this still felt hamstringed. (3/5)

Both Tag Team Championships were on the line next in a 6-team scramble between #DIY (who were decked out in DX-inspired gear), The New Day, the reigning champions Judgment Day, A-Town Down Under (Grayson Waller and Austin Theory), The Awesome Truth, and New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate). This was your typical spotfest made much better by the inclusion of R-Truth, clearly the most over babyface in the entire match. Some nifty ladder and tabel spots, including New Catch Republic hitting stereo moonsaults on the floor, Grayson Waller getting put through a ladder by #DIY, and JD McDonaugh being sent flying through a table on the floor by Awesome Truth. This was fun for what it was, but nothing worth seeking out especially. (3/5)

Another tag match followed as Rey Mysterio and Andrade took on Santos Escobar and Dominik Mysterio. This was the third Judgment Day match in a row, which just goes to show how much of a cornerstone they are on both brands because, without them around, both this match and the previous probably would've drawn crickets. I really loved the Mysterio vs. Mysterio feud last year, but this lacked any of that spirit or emotion. I like Andrade more as a heel, but I understand the decision to push him as a babyface for now to get him on the card. Cool double-crossbody early on and Joaquin Wilde got to do his trademark assisted-springrope splash to give the fans a WrestleMania moment. The ending saw Jason Kelce and some other Philadelphia Eagle (I don't follow the NFL) come out in lucha masks to help the babyfaces win. It was fitting to have such a disconnected finish tacked onto this match because this match itself felt tacked on. Better than your typical TV match because they were given time and everyone involved is capable of delivering between the ropes, but "good filler" is still filler, especially on a show that runs 4+ hours. (3/5)

Uso vs. Uso was next after a very good video package and a not-as-good "performance" from Lil' Wayne. I wondered what they had to pay to bring him out there because it was not worth it (and I'm a Wayne fan). Jey and Jimmy definitely pulled from the Roman Reigns playbook for this match, milking the moments and adding a ton of melodrama to their match rather than filling it up with huge spots. Jey hit Jimmy with a ton of superkicks and when it came time to deliver the deathblow, Jimmy put his hands up and then apologized to his brother. It was a trick, though, and Jimmy hit his own superkick and then a splash for a 2 count. Jey's kickout led to the finishing stretch, which saw Jey hit a big spear and then his own splash to end the bout. This one could've used a little bit more time and a little bit more action as they basically fast-forwarded through the first act and got right to the trading superkicks/you're turn-my turn mirror stuff before going into the closing stretch. For a match that featured so much stalling and no-selling of superkicks, it felt rushed. (2/5)

The six-woman tag match follows as Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai, Asuka, and Kairi Sane took on the babyface trio of Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and Naomi. Asuka and Naomi started things off. Speaking of Asuka, her dancing to Bianca's music before the match began popped me. Bianca got the first tag for her time, giving her the opportunity to shine by basically taking out all of Damage CTRL single-handedly. The crowd wanted to see Cargill come in, but Bianca's tag was cut-off and the heels regained control. A "We Want Jade" chant started up as the heels beat down Bianca in the corner. Cargill got the tag and Asuka and Dakota ran into her elbows and feet. Kairi came off the top but got caught and dropped with a backbreaker. Kai came at her next and ate a back body drop before getting put down with a driver. Cargill went for the cover but it got broken up. The babyfaces still got the big win moments later after Asuka inadvertently misted Kairi and the faces all hit their signature moves (with Cargill getting the pinfall W with Beth Phoenix's old finisher). This was good for what it was, clearly designed to push Cargill as the next big star of the women's division. (2.5/5)

The Intercontinental Championship match was next - GUNTHER defending against Sami Zayn. Before the match, Chad Gable gave Zayn a final pep talk and the camera followed him through the tunnel and the Gorilla Position where we saw him get a final hug from his longtime buddy, Kevin Owens. Cool moment there. This had "big fight feel" more than any match before it, which is a testament to Zayn's overness and how strong they have made GUNTHER. Very physical match with GUNTHER really laying in the chops and clotheslines (as expected). Zayn's suplexes looked great, though, and his fiery comebacks made it clear that he was not going down without a fight. I wish this match had got an extra 3-4 more minutes because I didn't necessarily buy the finish after all the punishment that GUNTHER took, but the emotion was certainly for the surprising finish. I liked how GUNTHER's overconfidence was the key factor, but felt like this was maybe a touch out-of-character for a guy that has been so laser-focused on holding onto the Intercontinental Championship in every major defense before this. The spot of the match was Zayn pulling off an insane brainbuster on the turnbuckle, a move that cut through the noise and really did feel like it was wild enough to flip a match entirely. Maybe weekly viewers of Raw would've been more emotionally invested in this than I was, but I didn't feel it quite to that level and think another minute or two of hard-hitting action before GUNTHER's prolonged heat segment could've got me there. (3.5/5)

Main event time - The Rock and Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins. Cody came out first to a huge reaction from the Philly crowd, following by Rollins, and then The Rock, who arrived with a custom Brahma Bull championship belt  that said "People's Champion" over his shoulder, a belt that Cole explained he'd been given the previous night at the Hall of Fame ceremony. The ring introductions were RIDICULOUS for this with even Michael Cole making note of how "big" Samantha Irvine went for this. And why not? A big staredown to start things, nobody making a move for a solid minute or two. They wanted a Rock/Hogan moment, but I'm not sure they got there, either because the crowd was too cold or just because, ultimately, the electricity wasn't there for all four men in the same way. Reigns and Rollins started things off, the crowd erupting into song to support the Architect of the Shield. Rhodes came in and we got a preview of Night 2's main event with Rhodes working on Roman's arm. Some good wrestling between the two before Rollins came back in and then, with the crowd demanding it, The Rock got brought into the fray. Into a collar-and-elbow they went, Rocky shoving Seth halfway across the ring. Rollins came back at him, though, showing off his quickness and technical skill with a headlock into an armbar before shoving the People's Champion away. The Rock and Rollins traded some blows, Rocky eventually landing a clothesline and then calling for Rhodes to be tagged in. Rollins made the tag and in came the American Nightmare, the crowd now chanting for both guys. The fact is, as much as The Rock has absolutely nailed it as the mega heel coming into this show, Philly has also been a "tough" crowd that might root for the villains, especially ones as cool and dominant as The Rock and Reigns. The match turned into an outright brawl, the action spilling out of the arena. The Rock told the referee not to count anyone out, throwing in a profanity for extra effect. Good stuff there. Into the crowd Rock and Rollins went while Cody and Roman fought on the entrance ramp. A nice throwback moment to The Rock's Attitude Era days when he spat water in Rollins' face. Rollins looked like he was going to go for a springboard something, but Roman yanked him off the apron, twisting his knee from underneath him. The Rock went after Rollins' injured knee, driving it into the post before tagging Reigns in. Rollins played the face-in-peril for the next stretch, selling a damaged knee and taking a serious beating from both Reigns and Rock. Roman went for a Superman Punch but Rollins countered it into a neckbreaker. Rollins tried to crawl his way over for the tag, but Rock dragged him back and nailed him with a nasty low blow. The Rock applied a Sharpshooter, but Cody broke it up with a big slap to the face. Rollins landed a superkick and then a Curb Stomp on The Rock but immediately collapsed afterwards. Rhodes and Roman came in, Cody landing a big slam before hitting the Disaster Kick and then a Cody Cutter for 2. Great nearfall when The Rock landed a Superman Punch moments later. Roman went for the Spear but Cody countered it into a sunset flip and then hit an awkward quasi-Cody Cutter off the top rope this time! Seth landed a huge splash but only got 2, this match now in a higher gear. Reigns hit a big powerbomb but a spear attempt was thwarted by a Rollins superkick and then both babyfaces got shots in. Cody hit the Cross Rhodes, but The Rock pulled the official out of the ring at 2.99. Predictable but well-executed false finish there. Back in the ring, Roman hit a low blow and then a massive spear...but Cody kicked out at 2! Roman applied a guillotine but Cody wouldn't submit or pass out. The Rock pulled Cody's legs out from under him but Rollins broke it up by hitting Roman with a stomp from the top rope! Rock sent Rollins back to the outside and tagged in but before he climbed into the ring, he grabbed the "Mama Rhodes" belt. Before he could use it, though, Cody got in a stomp and grabbed hold of it himself! Cody fired back with a bunch of series of rights and then a Bionic Elbow. Rocky caught him with a spinebuster off the ropes, though, the prelude to a People's Elbow...but Cody cut him off with a Cody Cutter, which actually drew boos from the crowd!  Cody went for a Cross Rhodes but ate a Superman Punch from Reigns. Reigns went for another Spear, but this time Rollins shoved Cody out of the way and Reigns speared The Rock! The babyfaces hit stereo pedigrees, but only got 2s! Wow. I bit on that finish. The fight spilled back onto the floor with Rollins hitting a splash from the top rope onto Reigns while The Rock and Cody fought by the announce table. Rocky went for the Rock Bottom through a table, but it was Cody who ended up hitting the move through the table beside it! A split second later, Reigns speared Rollins through the barricade to another huge pop. Cody rolled The Rock into the ring, but Reigns hit him with a Drive By before he could go for the cover. Reigns, looking dazed, tagged in and beat down on Cody with some big right hands. Cody fought back and hit two Cross Rhodes, but before he could hit the third, The Rock blasted him in the back with the Mama Rhodes belt. Damn. That sounded like a gunshot. Reigns hit the Spear and then tagged The Rock in to wrap things up, the crowd on their feet by this point. The Rock hit the Rock Bottom and then the People's Elbow to score the win. This delivered and even had me doubting at one point where they might actually have the babyfaces win due to Roman spearing The Rock. (4/5)

Night 2 began with a surprise appearance by Stephanie McMahon. Personally, I'm not eager to see any McMahon on my screen right now, especially one that most likely was aware of so much of Vince's evilness. Yuck.

Drew McIntyre came out to challenge Seth Rollins for his WWE World Championship in the night's opener. In another unexpected twist, CM Punk did not get a big entrance and started the night already on commentary, which was very underwhelming and came off to me as a bit of an ego check for ol' Phil. There was plenty of time on the broadcast to give him a simple entrance. The crowd would've certainly erupted. Snoop Dogg, who was guest commentator on the next match, got to hear his theme music play (more on that later). Anyway...the crowd enjoyed this match a ton more than I did. McIntyre fired off a Claymore early and that set the pace for the rest of the match, which was heavy on "bomb-throwing" and very low on psychology. McIntyre was made to look essentially impotent throughout the match, which went way longer than it should have considering how much punishment Rollins had sustained the previous evening. Not my thing at all, though at least McIntyre got the win. (1.5/5)

After the match, McIntyre gloated in CM Punk's face, which caused Punk to take off his arm brace and attack the new champion. This led to Damien Priest cashing in his Money in the Bank Briefcase. A new Champion was crowned and McIntyre's big victory was ruined. This was more of a "segment" than a match, so I'm not going to grant it any points. Personally, I don't see Priest as a top-top guy so I doubt he'll be champion for long but I'm also not sure who they transition the title to if not back to McIntyre (in which case, why even take it off him?)

Moving on...Bubba Ray Dudley came out as the special guest referee, with the aforementioned Snoop Dogg on commentary, for the next match: Karrion Kross and the Authors of Pain vs. Bobby Lashley and the Street Profits in a Philadelphia Street Fight. I had zero expectations for this match so I can't say I was disappointed. Snoop was not good on commentary, though, again, I wasn't expecting him to be Jesse Ventura out there. Doing PG-rated "streetfights" is rarely a good idea, though I'll give Kross and Lashley credit for a cool chair spot early on and Montez Ford doing his best to shine with an absurd splash over the ring post. They paid tribute to the Dudleys at one point but ran into a hiccup when the table they used collapsed before Montez could hit the splash. Whoops. Not there fault, but that was kind of the story of the whole match. They worked hard, but bad commentary and no real heat made this feel like filler and "crowd service." (2/5)

After the Hall of Fame inductees were honored, it was time for LA Knight vs. AJ Styles. This went a minute longer than the opener, but I thought it told a much better story. LA Knight is not a great worker bell-to-bell, but he was over with this crowd. I still think he'll continue to be lost in the mix, especially now that The Rock has come back and Knight's gimmick looks even more like a bad imitation. AJ Styles proved, once again, how effortless he can make having a good match look as he and Knight were thrown out in front of a somewhat "cold" crowd with a story that hasn't been particularly interesting or original and no actual stakes on the line or stipulation. I mean, would it have killed the bookers to make this a Number One Contender's match or something? But this match clicked with me because of the way the action escalated. Something a simple, straightforward, hard-hitting match works because it doesn't overthink things or rely on gimmicks. The best of the first three matches on the show, though still just in the "average" range really. (2.5/5)

The United States Champion, Logan Paul, defended his title against Randy Orton and Kevin Owens in a triple threat match next. Before Owens came out, he ran into Sami in the gorilla position - a nice callback to what we saw the previous night. I also liked KO giving Orton a ride on his golf cart. When the bell rang, though, it didn't take long for Orton and KO to come to blows after initially beating down on the champion together in very entertaining fashion. From there, this match was just a ton of fun with a whole bunch of interesting twists - it almost seemed like these three came to steal the show and put on a main event-caliber match and they knocked it out of the park. Even the hijinks with the streamer in the Prime bottle costume was well-executed. I'm not sure where they go from here but I'd be on-board for a straight-up Owens and Orton match as they put together some excellent sequences. Easily the best match of the weekend up till this point. (4/5)

IYO SKY vs. Bayley for Sky's SmackDown Women's Championship was up next and, within the first 5-6 minutes, you knew you were watching some very special. If the previous match was a little too "fun" and featured too much "ga-ga" for it to be considered a classic, this was a competitive fight filled with excellent spots, masterful selling by Bayley, IYO Sky executing all sorts of moves and counters that finally made it clear - at least to me - why she is considered to be one of the best women's wrestlers of the past decade. This was as good as any Women's Championship match I've seen in the past year. (4.5/5)

Main event time - Cody Rhodes challenging Roman Reigns for the WWE Undisputed Universal Championship. This was a "spectacle" match of the highest order - just an absolute epic war that included some great brawling in the crowd, a whole bunch of finishers and big nearfalls, and then a string of cameos as a bevy of mega-stars came out to counteract the interference from Jimmy Uso, Solo Sikoa, and "The Final Boss" The Rock. The match has been almost universally praised and for good reason as this match needed to be a cinematic clash of good vs. evil and it played out like a blockbuster movie, with The Undertaker serving as the big final reveal after Jey Uso, John Cena, and Seth Rollins had helped even the odds. I wasn't a fan of the post-match celebration and wish it hadn't turned into a weird curtain call for Bruce Pritchard and Triple H and wish they would've cut the show before it, but I'm not going to hold it against the match itself, which was riveting and felt "big" from beginning to end. I'd still consider the previous match to be more of what I personally enjoy in a wrestling match as I didn't bite on any of the false finishes - you knew that with Bloodline rules, the match wouldn't end until we'd seen a ton of run-ins - and prefer a more straightforward match, but this was undeniably must-see and a fitting conclusion to the massive title reign of the former champion. (4/5)

After a not-that-great Night 1, I was skeptical about how good Night 2 was going to be. Night 1 wasn't bad - the worst match was the Usos match and even that match wasn't nearly as bad as some have made it out to be - but aside from the main event, nothing really delivered quite to the level that it could've and should've (even Zayn/GUNTHER felt like it needed more time to really reach "all-time classic" level). Night 2 was an overall better show despite kicking off with the match I enjoyed the least of either night. The US Championship was very fun, the IYO/Bayley match was fantastic, and the main event delivered the big feel-good ending that it needed to. With an overall runtime of close to 8 hours, there's no way to recommend this show in its entirety, but it still earned a respectable Kwang Rating of 2.82-out-of-5 and a final rating of...

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