WCW Souled Out 98'

WCW Souled Out 98'

Dayton, Ohio - January 1998

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WCW World Championship is vacant following the controversial conclusion to the Sting/Hogan match at Starrcade 97', Diamond Dallas Page holds the United States Title (but does not appear on the show), Rey Mysterio Jr. is in the midst of his third Cruiserweight Championship reign, the Outsiders are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, and Booker T holds the TV Title.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Dusty Rhodes, and Mike Tenay


Live from Dayton's historic Hara Arena, Souled Out kicks off with an astounding 8-man tag pitting Super Calo, Chavo Guerrero, Juventud Guerrera, and Lizmark Jr. against La Parka, Psicosis, Silver King, and El Dandy. As one might expect, this is a somewhat "typical" lucha libra spotfest...but in 2016, when you don't get to see anything like this on TV all year (let alone once a month or once a week like WCW offered), it really stands out. La Parka is an absolute god in this match - if you watch this and don't want to see him get pushed to the moon, you're an idiot (or Eric Bischoff, I guess). Even Bobby Heenan marks out for him. Parka steals the match, but I was also highly impressed by Silver King's work. Surprisingly, Juvi and Psicosis come off as a bit sloppy in their minutes and Chavo doesn't really fit with the high-flyers. Still, thanks to the Chairman of WCW, this is a must-watch. (4/5)

Raven and his Flock make their way down the aisle for his match with Chris Benoit. This one reminded me of the kind of match Raven was having in ECW before coming to WCW - brawling inside and outside of the ring, hardcore spots built around a single weapon (a chair), and an ending that pointed to a future storyline while still being satisfying enough to make one feel like they saw a complete match. I wouldn't call this the best Raven match ever, but its a strong one, a match that hits all the right notes without trying to play any extraneous fills. It is all about the intensity here, not necessarily flawless execution or technicality. Its also a match full of "little things" done with purpose, the mark of a better-than-average bout How WCW didn't find a way to capitalize on the popularity of these two men by the end of the year is astonishing because Raven is over as rover and Benoit looks like he's equally prepared for a run in the upper midcard. (3.5/5)

Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho for Mysterio's Cruiserweight Championship is next. This one started out fantastic and then suffered from too many illogical moments when Rey's selling went out the window and Jericho seemed more interested in showing his versatility/creativity rather than actually targeting Mysterio's damaged knee and working it to get heat. Those criticisms aside, it may still be Jericho's best pay-per-view match yet, the former Lionheart looking remarkably more comfortable working as a brash heel. Considering the peaks these two would hit in their WWE series over a decade later, this isn't a bad match (and the finish is very good), but its also not a great one, largely due to Jericho and Mysterio mucking up their own story by trying to pop the crowd with maneuvers they didn't need to shoehorn into the mix. (3/5)

The WCW Television Championship is on the line next with Booker T taking on Rick Martel. Booker T was not yet at his peak, but he does enough to keep up with Martel, the wiry veteran eager to reclaim his spot among the champions. While I won't rate this match higher than it deserves, it's a noteworthy one simply for the nifty story it tells and how good Martel is, doing a stupendous job of toeing the line between heel and face, wanting desperately to best the young upstart but refusing to cut corners (as his old Model persona might've) and (ultimately) failing because of it. A solid 10 minute match.  (2.5/5)

The culmination of the long-gestating Larry Zybysko and Scott Hall feud is next. I was very impressed by Zybysko's work in 94' (I think?) when he came back to the ring to wrestle Regal, but after the terrible Zybysko/Bischoff match at Starrcade 97', I did not have much hope for this. While the "wrestling" portion is markedly better than the physical competition on display in Zybysko's previous bout and, unlike the surprisingly lengthy Zybysko/Bischoff fiasco, this bout actually progresses without overstaying its welcome, the highly questionable, nay outright stupid booking decisions continue. This time around, it's not Zybysko's legacy that takes the hit, its Dusty Rhodes' as "The American Dream" inexplicably turns on WCW to join the New World Order. Now, we all know that Rhodes is legitimately one of the coolest dudes in the history of wrestling, but in 98', wrestling wasn't nearly as nostalgia-centric and most casual fans had little respect for the sport's forefathers (hence the "Larry Sucks" chants that are audible throughout this match), making the nWo's inclusion of a fat, old man an incredibly uncool move. Its like how everyone knows the coolest actor in Pretty in Pink was Harry Dean Stanton - but I'm guessing when McCarthy, Spader, and Lowe went birddogging through Hollywood as the Brat Pack, they didn't bring grandpa out with them. Criticisms aside, the angle at the end of the match does draw a huge reaction - but I'd liken it to the end of M. Night Shyamalan's Signs, a loud gasp that comes naturally by being surprised but one that you're almost embarrassed to admit to having made when you start thinking through how stupid the plot twist is. The only good thing to come out of this is the commentary work of Heenan and Schiavone, who do a respectable job of making Dusty's turn a huge personal insult to them and all fans. (1.5/5)

If Zybysko/Hall failed because of its overbooking, the next match is a dud simply because it just isn't very interesting to watch. The Steiners and Big Bubba take on the nWo's Konnan, Buff Bagwell, and Scott Norton in a match only noteworthy because of the foreshadowing it provides towards Scott Steiner's eventual break-up with his brother. Of course, like everything else with WCW's booking around this time, the build towards the split is imperfectly executed and needlessly more confusing than it should be. Instead of Scott Steiner simply showing his growing frustration with brother Rick in a series of tag matches against Bagwell and Norton, we get Bubba shoe-horned in and a "Battle of the Bods" mini-feud between the future Big Poppa Pump and the former Handsome Stranger to muddy the waters. You lose nothing by fast-forwarding through this match when, really, this should've been a key turning point towards the SuperBrawl break-up. (0.5/5)

The long-awaited Battle of the Giants finally arrives - Kevin Nash vs. The Giant. Hulk Hogan is on-hand, adding more than you'd think to this match with his interference and crowd-baiting. Its a bit of a shame that this one is most famous for its grimace-inducing botched finish as there are several moments when its obvious that Nash and Giant were on the same page and were working hard to deliver a match that exceeded expectations. At one point Nash even attempts a tope! (I say "attempts" because his execution is as bad as one would imagine - but, hey, "A" for Effort!) The Giant is still very over at this point, arguably more popular here than in any of his later WWE babyface runs, made vulnerable and relatable by being the target of constant attacks by a force that relies on the numbers game and had spent the better part of the year screwing him or evading him at every turn. Say what you will about either guy's in-ring abilities, the crowd was into this and, before the poorly executed (and poorly though-out) ending, they were doing everything they could to earn and keep that enthusiasm. (3/5)

In his in-ring debut for WCW, Bret Hart take on Ric Flair next. Promoted as a dream match but not delivering on the hype, this is a match with a bunch of great ideas but an unfortunately stilted pace. At this point, Flair is at least 4-5 years removed from the end of the his peak and it shows in every labored sequence. Hart, meanwhile, comes into this match off a run in WWE where, like Flair to some degree, his bread-and-butter was his character more than his ring work. His matches with Austin in 97' were stellar - but Austin was at the crest of his own storytelling ability, the crowd rabidly supported him, and Hart had essentially shifted his entire in-ring game to drawing heat, brawling more, and bringing out his mean streak. The perennial underdog who bested Flair in 92' didn't exist anymore, but, in WCW, Hart was not a full-fledged heel either (as he had been in WWE). It makes for a match that should be wrought with emotion (and the build certainly was) come off as less remarkable, the live crowd not nearly as engrossed in the action as they likely would've been had Hart been more sympathetic or Flair had been booked as a stronger figure in the months before this feud. Now, other writers have taken a different view of the match - including Dave Meltzer (who gave it 3.75 stars in the Observer - but I wasn't taken aback by anything aside from the closing 3-4 minutes (the match goes a lengthy 18). Above-average based on its historical importance and the crisp execution of the major spots, but a disappointment considering how good this could've been. (3/5)

Main event time - Lex Luger vs. Randy Savage. If Hart/Flair seemed to run a bit long, this one seems like it didn't run at all. Well under 10 minutes and ending in a screwjob, Luger/Savage may sound like a dud, but Savage and Liz are magnificent and Luger is so over that the crowd goes bananas throughout this "sprint" of a contest. I've read some reviews complain about how slow this is, but I found it fairly fast-paced compared to Hart/Flair and the 6-man tag. While this match didn't deserve to headline this show, it at least ends the broadcast with a feel-good moment. (2.5/5)


Souled Out 98' starts off with a series of good-to-great matches, namely the lucha libre 8-man, Raven/Benoit, and, to a lesser extent, Mysterio/Jericho...but then it stumbles and tumbles into mediocrity. Flair/Hart doesn't live up to the hype. Luger/Savage is a Nitro main event at best. Dusty Rhodes' illogical heel turn is frustrating split seconds after any entertainment you may get from it. With an overall Kwang score of 2.61-out-of-5, I'm putting this one under...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE Clash of the Champions 2016

WWE Clash of Champions

Indianapolis, Indiana - September 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Kevin Owens is the WWE Universal Champion, Rusev holds the United States Championship, the World Tag Team Championships are held by The New Day, TJ Perkins is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, and Charlotte is the RAW Womens' Championship.

COMMENTARY: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

I typically don't review Kickoff matches, but I'm a bit of an Alicia Fox mark, so I made sure to catch her match with Nia Jax. This is the type of bout that shows why I'm a Fox fan - she's not the most fluid worker, but her matches feel like legitimate contests, her Scissors Kick and forearms imperfect but more vicious because of it. Jax, meanwhile, is more than adequate in her, admittedly, one-dimensional role right now and, for now at least, that's all she needs to be. If this is the new "average" womens' match for the WWE, this division might be better than the mens' by year end. (2.5/5)

Kicking off the show proper was Gallows and Anderson vs. The New Day for the WWE World Tag Team Championships. Right from the start, the heels took control, Gallows taking out both Big E and Woods on the outside. Big E would come in for a good hot tag sequence, but Anderson and Gallows took back the match via big boots and some impressive offense. This was not a match for the purists looking for a redux of Ciampo/Gargano vs. The Revival, but rather a very good version of the type of match the New Day have mastered, fast-paced and full of crowd-pleasing signature spots building towards a frenzied finish. Things look grim for Gallows and Anderson, even after what I found to be the best match they've had on any Network special. (3/5)

The newly crowned Cruiserweight Champion, TJ Perkins, gave us some words before the match, setting the scene for his first defense against one of my favorites from the 00s, Brian Kendrick. Given maybe just a few minutes more than the fans might've been ready for them to get, Perkins and Kendrick put on a strong back-and-forth battle, but Kendrick getting cheered and the finality of having Perkins withstand TBK's best offense worked against the post-match angle and the overall story of the match for me. I'm not sure that having a "Prince Iaukea-type" as your first Cruiserweight Champion is the best idea when, looking at the best years of WCW's division, things really kicked off much better with a strong heel (Dean Malenko) who could work with practically anyone holding down the strap until a popular babyface (Rey Mysterio) could overtake him. The WWE had a chance to right that wrong here, but opted not to. A disappointment of a match only compared to what we saw in the very tournament that the title originated in. (2/5)

The seventh and final match of the Sheamus/Cesaro Best of Seven series was next. I'll admit that this was the first match between the two that I've watched (from this series), though I wouldn't be surprised if I'm not the only one coming into this series a little cold - I mean, it's not like they hadn't already squared off a half-dozen other times. Despite some highly physical blows, the crowd was indifferent for the first several minutes, barely mustering a "You Look Stupid" chant but popping a bit when Cesaro surprised them with a 619 of all things. Sheamus then connected with a series of Irish Curse backbreakers but could not put Cesaro away, locking in a cloverleaf as well to no avail. The Swiss Superman got the upperhand, though, applying both his signature swing and a sharpshooter, the crowd now fully engaged after a tepid start. In a questionable decision, Cesaro launched himself with a tope through the middle rope that looked like it could've paralyzed him. After hitting a Neutralizer to put himself back in the game, the crowd erupted in a "This is Awesome" chant, the war waging on through an incredible sequence that saw both men showing off their underrated agility. Every time the match seemed to be entering its final stretch, or I thought I'd seen them bust out everything they had, they pulled out another trick from their bag and, when that didn't work, they simply just slugged each other harder. Still, there's no talking around the non-finish. I've seen some call it "well earned," but I just can't agree - it was a cop-out ending to prevent either guy from looking bad when a victory, even a dirty one, would've been a big feather in the cap for one guy or the other. Instead, this match, and both men's incredible work in it, will be forgotten come December. (3.5/5)

Chris Jericho took on Sami Zayn next in what some might've respectably seen as the Match of the Night. Personally, I found the match (and its conclusion) a bit undercooked, Zayn trying to pull the heartstrings of an audience that really hasn't seen enough of these two feuding to warrant his overdramatic selling. I'd argue this was a match that should've existed as a sequel to a lesser match, not as the first major chapter in what could, by the two men's sheer chemistry, be a solid program. The finish will likely rub people the wrong way, but Jericho has been on fire as of late and Zayn, though I hate to say it, seems like a guy that has yet to find his footing outside of feuds with Owens. If Reigns going after the United States Champion seemed like an illogical step down, Zayn challenging Rusev would've come off as a great natural progression for the guy. Again, solid-but-imperfect action that is still better than average, but questionable overall storytelling kept it within just "pretty good" range. (3/5)

The WWE Women's Championship was on the line with Charlotte defending against Bayley and Sasha Banks. Not as strong as the WrestleMania three-way or the SummerSlam battle between Charlotte and Sasha, but still a Match of the Night contender, Charlotte dominated here, but Bayley and Banks both got opportunities to shine as well. Wrestled noticeably safer than the controversial SummerSlam match, the result remained the same - a very, very good match where winning seemed to matter and competitors attempted more and more of their best maneuvers in logical sequences. Pinfalls were broken up. Finishers were teased. Bayley wrestled as the underdog, Sasha Banks wrestled as the cocky risk-taker, and Charlotte worked as the world-class athlete eager to prove that her spot was as deserved now as it was when she ended Nikki Bella's run a year or so ago. Some will say that Charlotte looked too good, but I didn't find that to be true - if anything, the match pointed to a logical Bayley/Banks split as the Boss certainly has reason to believe she would be champion now if Bayley hadn't of gotten involved, mucking up her plans. (3.5/5)

Rusev vs. Roman Reigns for Rusev's United States Championship bout was next and I'm not sure it shouldn't have been the main event. Reigns may not be popular, but he draws a huge reaction positive and negative, something Rollins and Owens would struggle to do later on. Rusev, meanwhile, has got to be one of the top five workers in the company right now, effortlessly portraying his character in ways I complimentarily liken to a Ted DiBiase or Jake Roberts. Every movement, every facial expression, every piece of offense tells you exactly who this guy is - the Bulgarian Brute, well-trained but ill-tempered, not necessarily the smartest or bravest, but passionate to a fault. This wasn't Reigns best night and, this far into his career, it really is a bit grating that his offense hasn't evolved beyond what it was a year ago (How about a jumping back-elbow instead of the same clothesline? Can we just retire the Spear now?), but I've always found his timing and selling to be quite good. Detractors of the Roman Empire will no doubt dislike the ending, but I felt there were enough twists and turns to keep me entertained and eager for a rematch. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Kevin Owens defending the WWE Universal Championship against Seth Rollins. As one might've expected, the crowd was a bit listless for this, not fully behind either of these two self-identified heels and possibly burnt out from the much more emotional Reigns/Rusev battle. Owens tried to pull them in with trash talk and showboating, but even when he followed up with some of his best offense (including an excellent elbow off the apron onto the arena floor), the crowd barely popped. Even as the intensity escalated and both guys began delivering (or attempting) signature spots, the match seemed flat, the crowd "oohing and aahing" for the bigger strikes and more innovative spots, but not necessarily invested in who would win - which is kind of the whole point of watching wrestling (or at least it should be). Oddly enough, the match picked up once Chris Jericho arrived, his interference signaling a clear "screwing" of one man and an unfair advantage for the other. The fact that its Jericho, who broke many a heart earlier in the night and doesn't have "NXT cred" like Triple H, only helped, the Ayatollah drawing the biggest boos of the match as he beat down the Architect in the corner. The clusterfuckery continued from there and I must admit to being a bit bored with it. I'm not sure where this storyline is heading, but its hard to care about any particular character involved when every one, from Owens, to Rollins, to Stephanie, to Jericho, to Triple H have been booked as unlikeable, vile human beings for the better part of the past 5 years. (3/5)


Overall, Clash of Champions (it really does need that "the") was a good show...but not a great one. Sheamus/Cesaro was heading towards being a true epic, the kind of match that would've landed atop many a Year End Best list, but with such a deflating finish, it may not even be the best match they've had this series (I wouldn't know). In a vacuum, Owens/Rollins was a taut, well-paced battle for most of its running time - but wrestling happens in front of the audience and 50% of the audience couldn't have cared less (they're the Cena/Reigns fans who, understandably, hate Owens and Rollins), while the other 50% had no real reason to cheer one guy over the other because their opponent wasn't Cena/Reigns. The screwy finish got the biggest reaction of the match - which is kind of pitiful when you consider how hard both guys worked for the 15 minutes before it. Elsewhere, one could argue that Gallows and Anderson were buried by the New Day steamroller, Perkins/Kendrick were buried by (ostensibly) road agents that told them not to pull from the much better bag of tricks they used in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, and Sami Zayn was buried by being put in the unenviable spot of having to do the job for a veteran when, not 2 months ago, he scored a career victory over the current World Champion. If you're looking for a show to watch for its wrestling, you could far worse than Clash, which featured not a single match I'd call even remotely deplorable. Look elsewhere, though, if you like your wrestling with clear heroes and villains, clear winners and losers, and clear road signs at why we should bother tuning in next month. Despite a relatively high 3.00-out-of-5 on the ol' Kwang-o-Meter, I'm giving this show a...

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuever

WWE Backlash 2016

WWE Backlash 2016

Richmond, Virginia - September 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Dean Ambrose holds the WWE World Championship, The Miz is the Intercontinental Championship, and both the SmackDown Womens' Championship and SmackDown Tag Team Championships are vacant.

COMMENTATORS: Mauro Ranallo, JBL, David Otunga

The show begins with a somber message commemorating 9/11 before a video package hyping tonight's monumental show, the first SmackDown-only show of the second Brand Split era.

Shane McMahon makes his way down the aisle and is soon joined by Daniel Bryan, both to a warm welcome from the Virginia crowd. They gloat a bit about the success of their show before announcing that the new Smackdown Womens Championship will be awarded to the winner of tonight's opening contest.

Six-Pack Challenge time - Becky Lynch vs. Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs. Nikki Bella. Not the most fluid action between Lyncha and Naomi to start things off, but Nikki and Natalya popped the crowd in their sequences with the less experienced Bliss, who showcased 2-3 clever maneuevers. Carmella has no business being on the main roster yet, but Nikki brought such aggressiveness to their exchange that I'm willing to overlook how green she is to see this rivalry continue. After hitting a big springboard splash to the outside, Naomi eliminated with Bliss with an assistance from Natalya via a Blockbuster Powerbomb combo. Natalya then iced Naomi with a Sharpshooter that could've been sold far better, a clear picture of what Naomi's developing game is missing. Natalya and Nikki went in rapid succession, the match entering a finale stage that was pretty poorly delivered but, at least at its start, had the crowd fully engaged. People calling this one of the better womens' matches of the decade must've watched a different match than me because, while this was certainly not a bad match, the execution was far from perfect and, aside from continuing the Carmella/Bella feud, this one didn't really point to anything coming around the bend the way it should have. (2.5/5)

The Usos took on The Hype Bros next, a "Last Chance Challenge" for one team to go on and face Heath Slater and Rhyno later in the night for the newly-minted Smackdown Tag Team Championships. Not much to say about this average-at-best match-up, though I did like how the Usos really heeled it up throughout and punctuated the match with a vicious attack on Ryder that mirrored their takedown of Chad Gable to secure the win. A "TV" match at best that was elevated by a crowd that was engaged. (2.5/5)

Heath Slater and Rhyno are backstage with Renee Young. I know Slater's been killing it on SmackDown as of late, but skits that end with him or anyone else admitting they has diarrhea are never going to be funny to me. 

The Intercontinental Championship was on the line when The Miz defended against longtime rival Dolph Ziggler. I've been a Miz fan for years now and this match offered plenty of proof why, though I've soured quite a bit on Ziggler over that same stretch. Considering how many times these two have locked up, I was expecting to be pretty bored, but, fortunately, they exceeded my relatively low expectations and put together a solid match that kept a good pace and featured some of the Miz's most fluid work to date. Ziggler seems to be heading for a heel turn sooner than later and, based on what I saw here, looks excited with the change, infusing this match with expressions of dejection that hinted towards his character change without overtly beating the audience over the head with it. As for Miz, his Daniel Bryan trolling was great fun, though, its questionable if the ends will justify the means if Bryan never competes again. An improvement from the IC Title match at SummerSlam, but not necessarily anything beyond just good. (3/5)

Earlier in the night Bray Wyatt attacked Randy Orton backstage, the Creative Team's last minute changeroo to deal with the fact that Orton was not medically cleared following the vicious elbows he took from Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. After taking a countout victory, Wyatt was challenged to a No DQ bout by Kane, yet another moldy oldie match from at least two years ago. After brawling in and out of the ring for awhile, using a few of the typical "toys" lying around, Wyatt hit a big senton through an announcers table for the best spot of the match. Back in the ring, the monsters exchanged chokeslams before Orton showed up to hit Wyatt with an RKO in the center of the ring to secure a victory for the Big Red Machine. While not offensively bad, this would've been filler on a Christmas episode of SmackDown. (1.5/5)

After an AJ Styles segment and a commercial for upcoming WWE Network programming, we're back in the ring for the finals of the SmackDown Tag Team Tournament, The Usos taking on Heath Slater and Rhyno. The first 4/5ths of this was Slater getting destroyed, but then he hit the hot tag and the match sprinted through a tremendous ending that was well-executed and, better still, didn't defy logic. The crowd was heavily invested throughout even if the action itself ebbed-and-flowed, shuffling between fresh, creative spots (the Usos' double-suplex into the post) and run-of-the-mill, old school 'rassling (restholds and classic cut-offs). Slater's post-match promo wasn't stellar, but there's no doubt he was super over and the crowd enjoyed the finish. (3/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles battling Dean Ambrose for the Lunatic Fringe's WWE World Championship. Easily the match of the night, this one was yet another feather-in-the-cap performance from AJ Styles, who now has to be the undisputed WWE Wrestler of the Year. Ambrose was no slouch here, but Styles was leading this dance and his work was almost flawless - his strikes stiff, his submissions snug, his remarkable athleticism on display without coming off as overly "babyface-ish," a criticism one would apply to, say, Seth Rollins. Styles may be beloved by the crowd, but everything he does makes sense for a heel to do. Unlike at SummerSlam or WrestleMania even, Ambrose seemed to wrestle a looser style that allowed his charm to come through in important moments (his efforts to brawl himself out out of submissions was particularly good). Maybe against Lesnar, he was burdened with having to script a match that his opponent didn't even want to be bothered with having. Maybe against Ziggler, a cold, tired crowd mixed with generally heatless sequences to produce underwhelming filler. Here, with Styles in the driver's seat, Ambrose got to be reactive instead of being the one pushing the match forward, a role that the "Lunatic Fringe" character makes far more sense in. The finish points to a future bout between these two and I'm all for it. (4/5)


As the first Network special of the second brand-split era, Backlash 2016 had a ton working against it. John Cena wasn't on the card. Randy Orton wasn't on the card. American Alpha, the best tag team on the brand, weren't on the card. Going into the show, the pundits predicted (and were proven true) that the Blue Brand just didn't have a roster capable of delivering a full 3-hour show. On the positive side, there is plenty that can and will go right come October's No Mercy and beyond. John Cena returned to TV this week. Randy Orton should be back sooner than later. It is highly likely that there will be a call-up or two from NXT. The fall-out from both the Womens' Championship match and the Tag Team Championship tournament point to these divisions being built around not just one title-based storyline, but 2-3 potential rivalries. For example, while Nikki Bella and Carmella continue their feud, Becky Lynch is free to fend off challenges from Natalya or Naomi. Plus, at the top of the card, you now have what have become practically guaranteed Match of the Year Candidate-caliber performances out of your World Champion. If this show disappointed with its 2.75-out-of-5 score, future events at least a decent starting point to build from.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WWE SummerSlam 2016

WWE SummerSlam 2016

Brooklyn, New York - August 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Dean Ambrose is the reigning WWE World Champion, the New Day are the WWE World Tag Team Champions, The Miz holds the Intercontinental Title, while the United States Title is held by Rusev. Sasha Banks is the reigning WWE Womens' Champion and tonight will mark the unveiling of the vacant Universal Championship.

COMMENTARY: Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, and Corey Graves (RAW), David Otunga, JBL, and Mauro Ranallo (SmackDown)

SummerSlam 2016 officially began with Enzo and Big Cass taking on Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens, collectively known as JeriKO. As expected, Enzo delivered a pre-match promo that referenced several famous performers, specifically The Notorious B.I.G, Frank Sinatra, Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys. Like most of their matches thus far, Enzo took a beating for a lengthy stretch before Cass got the hot tag and cleaned house, leading up to Owens and Jericho having to regroup to get things back under control. JeriKO have great chemistry (in ring and out) and Enzo and Cass are a hot act, but this one was nothing to write home about, the crowd somewhat indifferent, and the outcome did nothing to highlight how Enzo and Cass have spent over 12 months together while Y2J and Owens haven’t spent 12 weeks together. Not a bad opening match, but nothing special. (2.5/5)

Charlotte challenged Sasha Banks for her WWE Womens’ Championship next in my pick for Match of the Night. Flair and Banks wrestled with urgency and intensity, determined to steal the show. The crowd wasn’t necessarily hot at the start, but they won them over within a few minutes, especially as the bigger high spots started getting busted out. Some have criticized the two for the risks they took (especially considering that, as we learned after, Banks came into the match hurt), but I’m gonna call “bullshit double standard” on that talking point. RAW GM Mick Foley became the beloved “Hardcore Legend” by busting out insane bumps when it was his time to shine. At SummerSlam 2013, John Cena came into his match with a grotesquely injured arm and was applauded for his willingness to “do what was best for business” and put over Daniel Bryan. There are dozens of other examples. Sure, Banks and Charlotte took risks they probably shouldn’t have taken – but they were sold properly, each “Did you see that?” moment given time to register with the crowd (who were enthralled) and put over as significant by the commentary team. The finish didn’t diminish either performer’s standing or make me feel like I’d seen everything they could do, either, a criticism that would spring to mind later in the show. The only match on the show that I’d be eager to rewatch. (4/5)

The Intercontinental Championship match followed, The Miz defending against relative newcomer Apollo Crews. The biggest takeaway from this was that The Skull-Crushing Finale is, based on this show, the most devastating, unbeatable finisher in the WWE. Forget the RKO, the Attitude Adjustment, or the F-5 – the Skull-Crushing Finale is the supreme, one-and-done match-ender of the industry. Conversely, Apollo Crews’ offense is void of any effect and Maryse has picked up the power of invisibility since her first run in the company. (1.5/5)

John Cena vs. AJ Styles was next, a controversial choice for the 4-slot as, in terms of crowd reaction, this match might have only been challenged by the proper main event for being the “hottest” match on the show. On his podcast, Steve Austin called it an “instant classic,” and while I usually agree with most everything the Rattlesnake dictates, I wasn’t nearly as impressed. Like Cena’s battles with Kevin Owens last year, an overuse of special moves and “finisher spamming” meant that, by the end, we had seen a remarkable number of maneuvers, but none that seemed any more devastating than any other. To make an analogy, it was a speech loaded with $1000 words, but it didn’t say anything until its final paragraph. Admittedly, I’ve praised certain matches of this ilk in the past – but the key phrase there is “in the past.” At this point, I may have had my fill of this type of action, where finishers are transitions moves 8 minutes in and finishers OFF THE TOP ROPE only lead to near falls. To call this match “below average” would be ludicrous because no match that pleased the live crowd so much, that featured such great execution, that did finally achieve an emotional impact in the last quarter (Cena’s facial expressions may not be subtle, but they were very effective) could ever be deemed just “okay”… but I’m not chomping at the bit to inspect this match again or even call it Styles’ best of the year (that nod might go to his match with Reigns months back). (3.5/5)

Next up, the WWE Tag Team Championships were on the line when The New Day took on Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Jon Stewart made his return to the WWE before the match, oddly choosing to come in his best Mick Foley costume – sweatpants, dirty tee-shirt, unshaven face. I really enjoyed Stewart’s involvement in the build-up to last year’s Rollins/Cena match and, to some degree, I even sort of liked how he “screwed” John Cena as a tribute to Ric Flair, but his involvement here was clunkier, the tie-in coming off as thrown together and trivial. The New Day, one of the hottest acts in the company a year ago, have been pushed past the brink of entertaining or relevant, tragically allowed to wither on the vine when they should have probably been split up soon after WrestleMania to capitalize on their popularity and propel them to the next level as singles performers. Meanwhile, Gallows and Anderson, a team that could’ve come in and run roughshod on the division, wrestling as mean-spirited, dominant heels have been made to look impotent after spending so much time chasing the titles but never winning them (or, as we saw at SummerSlam, even coming close to winning them). A “TV match” at best on a show that needed less matches period. (1.5/5)

Dean Ambrose defended his WWE World Championship against Dolph Ziggler in the next contest. Wikipedia says this one went 15 minutes, but I can only recall about 30 seconds or so (and I’m writing this minutes after the finish), Ambrose and Ziggler attempting to win back a fatigued crowd but coming up well short. These two pitted against each other is an awkward pairing – Ambrose not nearly as over as he was two years ago at this time (when he and Seth Rollins arguably stole the SummerSlam 2014 card with the best lumberjack match ever produced) and Ziggler such an established “also-ran” that there wasn’t a soul in Brooklyn who believed he would actually win. This was a good “TV match” in front of a crowd that would’ve reached for a remote control if they could. (2.5/5)

However, the most pleasant surprise of the evening followed, a textbook six-man pitting Becky Lynch, Naomi, and Carmella against Natayla, Alexa Bliss, and, substituting for Eva Marie (whose non-entrance “entrance” was wonderful), the returning Nikki Bella. For over-delivering and getting the basics right, this might’ve been my second favorite match on the show. Lynch carried the match in every one of her sequences and was over. Nikki showed little ring rust, got a huge response, and looks to be capable of continuing to work the way she was when she was maybe the most improved worker, male or female, in 2015. Naomi and Alexa Bliss exhibited the kind of spirited, personality-filled work that shows there is serious depth in the SmackDown womens’ division. As for Carmella…she’s green and has little business being on the main roster, but in her defense, she’s been wrestling for two years and her current gimmick makes little sense without the Enzo and Cass tie-in she benefitted from in NXT. Knowing this made her face-in-peril role completely natural; she got her ass beat down by Natalya because she should get her ass beat down by Natalya. For a “bathroom break” match, Lynch and company exceeded expectations by hitting their marks and decorating a basic match with quality, memorable sequences (Lynch’s hot tag, Naomi’s impressive, high energy, stepping, Alexa Bliss’ simple-but-effective striking, Nikki’s new TKO finish). Well-paced and worked in a way that made it seem like all the participants were fighting to win and not just show off their movesets. This one may not have earned many snowflakes from Dave Meltzer (who gave Cena/Styles 4.5 stars BTW), but it achieved its purpose more than almost any other match on the card. (3/5)

The brand new Coca-Cola inspired Universal Championship was up for grabs when Finn Balor took on Seth Rollins, delivering a contest that fell somewhere between the tedious Ambrose/Ziggler match and the overwrought Cena/Styles bout. Balor and Rollins started things off nicely, brawling on the outside and proceeded to go back and forth with innovative offense (including a sick small cradle driver out of Rollins), but they didn’t have the drained crowd’s attention until the match’s final third. While a rewatch might reveal a more nuanced story, the lack of heat was noticeable and somewhat easy to explain - Balor’s rapid rise from NXT star to SummerSlam main eventer hasn’t given the audience any time to invest in his character (that’s without even mentioning whether or not it was appropriate to bring the “Demon King” character out this early). Also, while I wasn’t craving a weapons-heavy, ultra-violent match out of these two, what was the point of the No DQ/No Countout stipulation? Rollins not using it to his advantage at any point in the match made little sense considering the stakes and Rollins’ win-at-all-costs drive. Again, no match with this kind of technical proficiency could ever be deemed just average, but this was hardly the epic battle it could’ve and should’ve been. (3.5/5)

Rusev vs. Reigns was scheduled next, but when the two brutes came to blows before the bell rang, the match was called off. I’m guessing this was the original plan based on the match they had on RAW days prior, not just a clever way of speeding up the show, but I’m not necessarily sure what the purpose of putting this non-match so late in the card was, especially considering the finish in the main event. A bait-and-switch that the crowd, predictably, disliked, but I’ll award a point for the stiff, physical brawling we did get, action that this show desperately needed a few hours earlier for variety’s sake. (1/5)

Main event time – Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Orton. Two years ago, I was as big a supporter of Lesnar as there could be, impressed immensely by his bout with CM Punk and the potential he had following his historic defeat of the Undertaker at WrestleMania XXX. A year ago, I was still a huge fan. His dominance of John Cena at SummerSlam 2014 was unlike anything I’d ever seen before and his match against Cena and Rollins at Royal Rumble 2015 was one of my favorites of the year. The past six months, though, have not been pretty. I described his Roadblock match as “the least consequential match of his second WWE run,” rating it lower even than his match against New Day from the Beast in the East special. His match against Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania was a major disappointment. The doping scandal surrounding his return to UFC spotlighted how little he appreciates or respects his own brand or his fans, arrogantly flouting the rules because of his name. Lesnar has never been a beloved figure, but there was a time when his heedless attitude towards pro-wrestling and “the business” could at least be excused because he was putting butts in seats and having the most outrageous, “must see” matches of the night. Sadly, “Suplex City” has made Lesnar’s matches repetitive and tiresome. As one could have predicted, Orton eventually got his own signature offense in via two RKOs, but it didn’t make a lick of sense and just further exposed how thin the action of this match was. The end came when Lesnar used his ground-and-pound technique to open up a brutal, stomach-churning gash on the Viper’s forehead, the main event of the company’s second or third biggest show of the year ending with a decisive victor, but not victory. Shane McMahon made his way to the ring, signaling a potential Lesnar/Shane match that will likely have me searching for new and exciting ways to rip apart a match (and may even challenge Taker/Shane for Worst Match of the Decade). Another disappointing appearance out of the Beast. (1/5)

When I think of how I’d rate SummerSlam 2016 numerically, its Kwang score of 2.40-out-of-5 seems generous. It implies that this was close to halfway good. It wasn’t. slog of a show with even the best matches on the card unable to lift up an exhausting event plagued with odd decisions in match order and booking. Why end the show with two non-finishes? Why place Cena/Styles underneath matches guaranteed to receive much less of a response like Ambrose/Ziggler? Who structured Miz/Crews? Was the goal of the entire event to make finishers meaningless? Maybe most importantly, did the WWE learn anything at all from WrestleMania’s marathon running time? For those keeping score at home, SummerSlam was the lowest rated WWE show I’ve reviewed all year, falling .03 points short of the forgettable Roadblock holdover show and a full point below the previous night’s Takeover special.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II

UPDATED RATING LEVELS: 

Curt Hennig Level – A “GOAT” Show

Watch It – A consistently strong show worth watching in its entirety

Watch It…With Remote in Hand – Imperfect, but fun, with at least a handful of great matches

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, salvaged by 1-2 awesome matches, for die-hards only

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, a chore to watch

NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II

Brooklyn, NY - August 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Samoa Joe is the reigning NXT Champion, Asuka holds the NXT Womens' Championship, and the NXT Tag Team Titles are held by The Revival, Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder.

COMMENTARY: Corey Graves and Tom Phillips

No Way Jose vs. Austin Aries kicks off the second annual NXT Takeover: Brooklyn. The crowd is fully behind Aries, typical of a “smart” city. Jose doesn’t let it bother him, though, taking the fight to Aries and eventually winning over a portion of the audience who start chanting “Si Se Puede” (my understanding is that this is essentially a “Yes” chant). Aries was able to ground Jose, though, cutting him off with back elbows and a snug headlock.  The crowd got distracted for a moment by the arrival of Ric Flair in the front row (not the first time this would happen, by the way), but got jolted back into the match by a sick Aries submission. Jose hit a nice-looking TKO and the match was back to being anyone’s game. Jose tried to lock in his finish but got run out of the ring, eating an Aries dive through the ropes and then a Rude Awakening in the ropes. The closing few minutes were tremendous, both guys dishing out punishing offense and selling damage, while teasing the expected finish. With a story-furthering post-match and a much-desired return and, one match in, I’m nearly ready to call this a Show of the Year-caliber event. Really strong start to the show. (3.5/5)

Billie Kay makes her way out to the ring for her match against the debuting Ember Moon. The crowd was respectful for this imperfect bout, supporting Moon and popping for her more impressive feats of agility. Kay was solid as well, but without a fully entrenched character, she wasn’t really drawing any heat. If this match had occurred 5 years ago, it would’ve been a big deal, but the women of the WWE (and NXT especially) have raised the bar so high that this one wasn’t much better than average. Bonus half-point for Ember Moon’s remarkable finisher, a springboard twisting neckbreaker. (2.5/5)

Glorious! Bobby Roode vs. Andrade Almas was next, Roode getting a hero’s welcome and one of the best entrances in recent memory, almost like what Ric Flair would’ve used had he debuted in 2012 and not 1972. From the start, Almas doesn’t let the lack of crowd support or Roode’s gloating get to him, hitting the more impressive offense of the two throughout the contest. Almas was penciled in for a big push according to some, but his uneven work didn’t seem to be helping. This, however, might have been his best showing yet, doing a nice job of serving as the smiling foil to Roode’s straightforward, intense, methodical heel. Unfortunately, Roode’s finisher was a total dud, leaving a bad taste after an otherwise solid outing. Not as strong as the opening contest, with certain sequences looking a bit disconnected. (2.5/5)

A video package for Sanity airs next. I haven’t heard or seen anything about what this act is going to be, but I’m intrigued.

The NXT Tag Team Championships were on the line next – Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa challenging The Revival. I’m a Gargano mark based on him being a Cleveland guy, so I almost got teary when he was featured so prominently in the pre-show video. That being said, this match was still undeniably terrific, a textbook tag team wrestling match in the best sense of those words. An extended face-in-peril stretch that built to a proper hot tag with a staggering variety of clever and interesting cut-offs, referee distractions, and heels doing dastardly thngs to get heat. Simple but effective storytelling with near falls that were dramatic and believable. The two teams involved are now significantly more over than when they went in. Gargano and Ciampa, in particular, came in without much of a gimmick or character, and left as scrappy fan favorites. The Revival, already an established act, look like the best tag team in the world, not just NXT. Some poorly telegraphed DDTs hurt this one just a touch for me, as did the finish (which should’ve happened in the center of the ring, not as close to the ropes as it did, but I’m not going to hesitate to call this the Match of the Night and probably the best WWE-produced tag team match of the year. If I believed in quarter stars, this one would likely get one. I look forward to seeing this match end up on many people’s Top Ten lists in December. (4/5)

Bayley challenged Asuka for her NXT Womens’ Championship in the next bout. Last year, Bayley and Sasha Banks stole the show and I’m not sure Bayley didn’t repeat that feat with her heartstring-tugging efforts here. Asuka is an unbeatable beast with nasty offense, but Bayley’s toughness is what stood out, taking at least a half dozen stiff kicks into the chest and head but still begging for more. Is there a better babyface, male or female, working than Bayley? Call it outright theft from Japan and its storied “fighting spirit” matches, but her determination and stubborn refusal to stay down came through perfectly, to the point that it was impossible not to get emotionally invested in her cause (which was made even more apparent by Banks and Becky Lynch, in the front row, marking out for the false finishes). The post-match hugs, tears, and “Thank You” chant may be an overused trope these days, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still raise goosebumps. I could see the argument that this was a better match than the Tag Team Championship one. (4/5)

Main event time and the goosebumps just won’t go down – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Samoa Joe for Joe’s NXT Championship. Talk about “big time fight” feel – Nakamura got a tremendous entrance, but Joe’s arrival wasn’t shabby either, the Samoan Submission Machine proving with his recent appearances how a champion can show dominance and confidence with simple facial expressions and minimal verbiage. After some “feeling out” time, the brutality began, Joe dishing out some harsh strikes and then applying a tight choke and a knee to the back submission, essentially trying to torture the challenger. We then saw him apply his patented powerbomb-into-a-crab, segueing it into an STF and then finally a crossface, his transitions being the thing that made me fall in love with him way back when I saw him watched a DVD of him taking on CM Punk in Ring of Honor. I criticized Nakamura’s inconsistent selling in his match against Finn Balor and, to be honest, I thought his match with Austin Aries some months back was a little flat - but Nakamura’s desperation and suffering came across in every fatigued strike on this night, the King of Strong Style having his best performance yet inside a WWE ring. While there were a handful of spots that almost seemed sloppy, in a match where both guys are delivering so many stiff shots, and where the submissions and grappling are properly executed to look like they’re taking energy out of both men, it added realism to me. This one felt like a genuine fight.. Another must-see main event out of NXT. (4/5)

With an average match rating of 3.42-out-of-5, NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II may not have been the best show the brand’s ever produced (I rated the Dallas special above it), but it might be the best template for what the upcoming Smackdown and RAW stand-alone shows should be aiming for. Even without a single stipulation match, a nice bit of a variety was offered, the NXT Championship match providing physicality while the opener and Bobby Roode’s debut tended to focus a bit more on clashing styles and character work. The Womens’ Championship match was fantastic, hitting all the notes it needed to in cementing Asuka as an unbeatable monster while sending off Bayley to the main roster without her seeming like she’ll have to start from the bottom again. As for the NXT Tag Team Championship match, it was a breath of fresh air to see two teams have a serious battle without any of the bells or whistles that the New Day or even Enzo and Cass decorate their matches and entrances with. It will be very difficult, but not necessarily impossible, for SummerSlam to top this.

FINAL RATING – Watch It