WWE WrestleMania XIX

I'm cheating on this one a little bit, readers (all two of you?), as I watched and reviewed WrestleMania XIX way back in 2014 but never published AND lost the original document (back when I was doing these on Word for my own amusement). Fortunately, the match ratings were included in my database, though, so here goes...

WrestleMania XIX

Seattle, Washington - March 2003

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Kurt Angle comes into the show as the reigning WWE Champion while Triple H holds the World Heavyweight Championship. Victoria is the Womens' Champion and the Cruiserweight Title is held by Matt Hardy. On the tag team side of things, Sean "Val Venis" Morley and Lane Storm hold the World Tag Team Championships and the team of Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas hold the WWE Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTATORS: Cole and Tazz (Smackdown), Ross and Lawler (RAW)



After Ashanti sings "America The Beautiful," Rey Mysterio Jr. challenges Matt Hardy for his WWE Cruiserweight Championship. I rated this one pretty highly - probably because, at this point in my viewing, I hadn't revisited much Mysterio and the Matt Hardy heel character was also really fresh to me (I wasn't a regular viewer during the Mattitude Era). At under 6 minutes, they worked a really quick pace and filled every second with action, which made the match seem much more epic than its runtime would suggest. (3.5/5)

Limp Bizkit perform a song next. In my database, I rated this as a 1-out-of-5, but I'm going to be a little bit nicer mathematically and just deduct a point from the show for featuring Bizkit who, in 2003, were well past their prime. Their 2000 album had sold 8 million copies...but a few months after this show, their follow-up (Results May Vary) petered out around just a million. Granted, that's a million albums sold more than any album I've ever been apart of, but I couldn't miss an opportunity to note how old hat (or would that be backwards cap) Limp Bizkit were by this point. (-1)

The next match has some backstory if I recall - The Undertaker was set to tag up with newcomer Nathan Jones, but by the time WrestleMania rolled around, Jones was still so green, they had him taken out of their match against Albert and Big Show on Heat (he does get involved later). I called Taker's match against Big Show at February's No Way Out one of the unexpected highlights of that show, but this one was well below average. (1.5/5)

The WWE Womens' Championship was on the line next, with champion Victoria defending the strap against Trish Stratus and Jazz in a triple threat. Victoria and Trish had a bunch of matches around this time that contradict the notion that, before the Diva Revolution of 2016, there was no good women's wrestling. While Stratus, Victoria, and Jazz certainly didn't produce Match of the Year caliber bouts with emotional peaks as high as Charlotte, Sasha, and Bayley do today, when they were "on," they were delivering matches well above what people remember. Look no further than this match for proof - it may not get crowd responses as spirited, but its a far better match (in terms of stiffness, high spots, and drama) than the match that come before it. I'm willing to guess I went at least a half-point too high on my rating two years ago, but I'm going to stick with it. (4/5)

Another triple-threat match followed, this one for the World Tag Team Championships - Rhyno and Chris Benoit and Los Guerreros challenging Team Angle/World's Greatest Tag Team, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin. I can't remember a single thing about this match but, based on how I rated it, I'm guessing there were at least a few good sequences between Eddie and Benoit and Rhyno probably got in a sick gore at some point and Haas and Benjamin probably did something cool too. Again, I'm sticking with my rating - this time because Dave Meltzer gave it the same one in the Observer. (3/5)

Speaking of Dave Meltzer, he gave the next match a pretty rare score of 4-and-a-Quarter stars - Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho. Here was a match that had been built up superbly over the previous 3-4 months, with Jericho and Michaels scoring personal victories (if not necessarily pinfalls) over each other dating as far back as November 2002's Survivor Series, at the Royal Rumble, and on episodes of RAW. Though the in-ring work is fantastic, the fact that there is an inimitable "big fight feel" for a midcard match just goes to show the power of investing in a storyline and letting two performers develop a final chapter through straightforward, hard-hitting action. Provided 20+ minutes, Jericho and HBK have the space needed to live up to what this match was all about - deciding whether Mr. WrestleMania still deserved that moniker. Throw in a post-match angle that helped define both men's careers in this specific moment (and even alludes to the rivalry they'd renew several years alter) and you have one of the best WrestleMania matches of all time. (5/5)

Oh shit, Limp Bizkit played again. I'll be nice and not deduct another point, though, I probably should because they played a song called "Crack Addict." 2003 was a rough year. 

Catfight segment, with Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson taking on Miller Lite models Tanya and Kitana. This was a thing in 2003? I guess I was too busy listening to Pig Lib to notice that these two women were a "thing." Or maybe I just didn't read enough Maxim. Whatever. Somehow this earned a point when I rated it in 2014. I'm guessing it has something to do with The Coach getting embarrassed and the segment not going for very long. (1/5)

Next up was one of the more controversial matches of the night - Triple H defending his World Heavyweight Championship against Booker T. When people reference Triple H's reign of terror in the 00s, this is one of those matches that always comes up. The borderline racist storyline pointed to Triple H finally getting his comeuppance here, but Booker T fell prey to predictable interference from Hunter's second, Ric Flair, and what should've been his crowning moment never materialized. What people forget is that this doesn't even stand as the most offensive time that Triple H buried him. In 2007, Triple H crushed King Booker in under 8 minutes for no reason beyond wanting to make his comeback at the expense of a hot, over heel. In a vacuum, though, its not a bad match - its actually quite good, with Booker T delivering a spirited performance and Triple H seemingly eager to help fans forget the subpar matches he had with Scott Steiner at the two previous pay-per-views. (3.5/5)

Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon followed, the old timers delivering a helluva "spectacle," but nothing resembling your typical wrestling match. Seeing Vince and Hogan lock up in a test of strength should be laughable, but it works here in large part due to Vince's impressive physique and a crowd that is fully engaged and eager to suspend their disbelief. Plus, they knew what would come soon enough - a trademark Vince McMahon bloodletting. By the end, Hogan is busted open too (as is announcer Hugo Savinovich) and all sorts of shenanigans ensue, including a huge table spot and an appearance from one unexpected guest star. What puts this match over the top, though, is the production. As the match goes on, you can almost imagine Vince and Pat Patterson sitting down and hammering out each detail, the Chairman grinning widely as he comes up with each successive "moment." Shane McMahon could learn something from his old man's best work - its not about the size of the bump, its about the story behind it. (4/5)

The second last match of the night - The Rock vs. Steve Austin - was going to be historic even if it wasn't going to be Austin's last match or, arguably, the Rock's last Great One (see what I did there?). But its impossible to watch this match with modern eyes and not see Austin's performance as nearly as character-defining as his historic clash with Bret Hart six years earlier. In that match, Austin showed his toughness by refusing to submit to the Hitman's Sharpshooter - here, he refuses to submit to his own failing body, willing himself through a far more physical match than he should've been able to have. The perfect send-off to the two greatest superstars in WWE history. (5/5)

Main event time - Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle. On any other card, this would be your Match of the Night and, from a "movez!1!" perspective, these two deliver action that not even Jericho and Michaels could provide, let alone a nearly-crippled Austin and a semi-retired Rock. What keeps them from stealing the show is emotion - Lesnar was at the peak of his popularity here, but was never beloved. Angle was a great smarmy heel and arguably the most naturally gifted talent in the history of the company, but he couldn't touch Michaels' showmanship, for example. Still, these are the slightest of knocks against what is a hellacious contest (and one that probably shouldn't have happened as Angle showed up in Seattle with his neck in even worse shape than Austin's) that features all sorts of nasty suplexes and clever counters. More than any other match on the card, this one pointed to what the WWE main event style would become in the post-Attitude Era. While Rock and Austin got tremendous mileage out of spit-takes, facial expressions, and comedy (The Rock decking himself out in Austin's vest in the last match, for example), Angle and Lesnar put their on the workrate pedal and dared others to keep up, ultimately leading to guys like Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero finding their place in the upper tier of the company as few others could keep up. Even John Cena's in-ring work is more easily comparable to what Lesnar made "the norm" in 03'-04' than what Austin and The Rock were doing in 98'-99'. And, just in case future generations wonder if pursuing this style had the potential of shortening careers, you get the finish - arguably the most gasp-inducing botches of all time. It is an ugly, ugly botch that looks like it should've ended Lesnar's career but somehow doesn't. Hell, it doesn't even end the match. Unbelievable stuff. (4.5/5)


With a (revised) Kwang score of 3.40-out-of-5, WrestleMania XIX falls just slightly below Curt Hennig Level. There may be no other show in history that offers as many "must watch" matches - but there's also one of the worst Undertaker bouts of his career, two (TWO!) Limp Bizkit performances, and a cat fight segment featuring two untrained beer models and two barely-trained bikini models. Still, fast-forwarding through these blemishes would take away the "2003ness" of the whole card, like skipping the dialogue-heavy exposition scenes from a Tarantino movie so you can get to the shootouts quicker. You'll need a break from the awesomeness too, so, when you hear Fred Durst speak, just use that time to grab another beer or hit the john knowing you're not going to miss anything. 

FINAL RATING - Watch It

WWE TLC 2016

WWE TLC 2016

Dallas, Texas - Decemer 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, AJ Styles is the WWE World Champion, Heath Slater and Rhyno hold the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, The Miz is the reigning Intercontinental Champion, and Becky Lynch holds the SmackDown Women's Championship.

COMMENTATORS: JBL, Mauro Ranallo, and David Otunga

Opening up tonight's show was one of the night's few "straight" matches - the SmackDown Tag Team Champions Rhyno and Heath Slater defending the straps against the unique alliance of Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt. Short but not necessarily sweet, this may have been one of the most "logical" matches I've ever seen, the multi-time WWE Champion Orton and near-main eventer Bray Wyatt essentially dominating their notably less accomplished opponents. Like it or not, Randy Orton shouldn't be selling Heath Slater offense too much and though we didn't see Road Warriors-esque no-selling from the heels, their dominance was established early and set the tone of the whole match. The right booking decisions don't always lead to a great match. (2/5)

Nikki Bella, sporting some MMA-influenced braids, took on arch-rival Carmella next in a hardcore match. As would be the case the whole night, the SmackDown production team did a fantastic job producing pre-match videos that showed just how long many of the storylines of the night had been going on, this specific bout dating all the way back to Nikki Bella's return at August's SummerSlam. In 2014-15, I gave somewhat glowing reviews to Nikki's matches during her run with the now-defunct Divas Championship, but even at her best she benefitted from working with more athletically-gifted peers (Charlotte, Naomi) or bigger in-ring personalities (Paige, AJ Lee) that could help her piece together sequences. Put in the ring general position and asked to carry a relative novice like Carmella, though, and Bella can no longer simply play to her strengths (for example, her strength). Nikki Bella is just not a Shawn Michaels-type worker capable of wrestling a moonwalking broomstick to a passable match and that's essentially what she's been asked to do for the past few months. Here's to this storyline coming to a close and a reshuffling of the deck as there is plenty of time to build to a Bella/Becky match (which I think could be excellent) and Naomi, Alexa Bliss, or Natalya would all make better in-ring foils to Nikki than Carmella right now. (1/5)

Mauro Ranallo called the next match the "final chapter" of the most heated rivalry in the WWE - Dolph Ziggler challenging The Miz (yet again) in a ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. A match of two distinct parts, the first half was rather ho-hum, Ziggler and Miz wrestling a bit in the ring, brawling on the outside, and using the ladder as a weapon, though nothing too innovative or outrageous. Though the crowd was engaged, I was disappointed with the lack of extreme spots - not because I demand career-threatening falls as much as the hype building into the match and the bar these two had set in previous encounters had me thinking we were going to see something special early on to set an ultra-violent, ultra-competitive tone. Instead, at least to me, it felt like Ziggler and Miz went through the motions a bit before transitioning to one of the best "back ends" I can recall. The twist happened when Miz finally revealed something resembling a gameplan, going after Dolph's knee with brutal ladder-assisted offense. Miz's targeted work took the match from meandering mediocrity to an intense, purposeful tone, culminating in an excellent figure spot. Though Ziggler wouldn't stay down for long, his selling through the rest of the match was terrific (as was Miz's) and the finish, though far from the big grandiose spot that I expected coming in, worked at a character level that is arguably more important in giving the fans' a lasting memory. The post-match promo added an extra bit of goodness to the match, raising my score just a touch. With a more riveting start, I could see this being a MOTY contender, but this wasn't the best match these two have had together in 2016. (3.5/5)

Things did improve, though, in the next contest - Kalisto vs. Baron Corbin in a Chairs match. I can't recall many "chairs matches" that I've found worth revisiting, so I can definitely see the argument that this was the best chairs match of all time (even if that is a dubious honor). I'd be even more willing to make that statement if the crowd cared as much for this as they did for, say, the Ambrose/Rollins Lumberjack Match at SummerSlam 2014 (which many do agree was the best of its kind). Loads of nasty spots and Kalisto, not necessarily the smoothest worker, was on-point here, every big splash, dropkick, and moonsault right on the money. Unlike the ladder match (or most TLC matches), the set-ups for each big spot didn't come off as overtly convoluted thanks to wise character development over the past few weeks - Corbin came into the match looking to cripple Kalisto, eager to use the chairs in increasingly dangerous ways to achieve his goal while Kalisto, due to the size and strength disparity, had to be equally inventive in using them to level the playing field. Though the finish was never really in doubt, Kalisto came out of this match looking ten times stronger than he did against Brian Kendrick at Survivor Series, proof positive that you get more mileage out of his character when you pair him up against interesting foils (as we saw in his somewhat underrated series with Ryback) than you do when you send him out with fellow cruisers and expect them to build drama out of nothing. An early contender for Match of the Night and maybe both men's best singles work in the company. (4/5)

...and the hits kept on coming with the next bout, Becky Lynch defending her SmackDown Women's Championship against Alexa Bliss. Again, the pre-match video (and post-match promo from Becky Lynch) were icing on a cake that was pretty damn good on its own. Considering Bliss was signed in 2013, I'd say she is a few years away from being a top tier talent - her facial expressions, jawing, and body language come off as naturally hateful, a skill that should seem easy, but isn't always a given (honestly, heel or face, Brie Bella, Stacy Keibler, Rosa Mendes, Camron, Eve Torres, etc. don't have a single performance in their collective history where I truly believed the emotion they were trying to convey as much as I believed in Bliss in her first showcase match here). Meanwhile, Becky Lynch, the more experienced grappler, has become one of my favorites - not only because I find her babyface work to be spirited and easy to root for, but because she wrestles with intent to win, not necessarily dazzle the crowd at the risk of having a career last beyond 2017 (take note, Sasha Banks and Seth Rollins). From the very start, these two were trying to win and save for a cool-looking Dis-Arm-Her through the leg of a table (at a point in the match where both men had finally decided to take a small break in trying to send the other through plywood and just hurt each other as much as possible), the intent-based sequences never ceased. Simple, straight-forward storytelling done right. The execution of every individual strike wasn't excellent (Bliss could do some work on making sure her punches land) and there were at least a couple spots where Lynch seemed to be guiding her opponent, but I found the finish terrific. This one was all about who was going to make a small mistake in a precarious position and that is exactly how the ending played out. While I wouldn't quite give it as high praise as the previous match (which featured a few more "holy shit" moments), in a lesser year, it'd have a real shot at being the WWE's Women's MOTY. (3.5/5)

Main event time - AJ Styles defending his WWE World Championship against longtime rival Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. In 2016, Styles has been the WWE's Most Valuable Player, consistently delivering main events worthy of being called "main events." Tonight was no different as this match was all about AJ and his masterful bumping, selling, and willingness to put his body into harm's way to pop the crowd. Ambrose had the lighter workload, no doubt, but also showed some tremendous restraint - though he dominated on offense, he didn't lay on his tedious signature moves (the rebound lariat, his sloppy suicide dive, his oft-criticized punches) too thick, using weapons and teasing big high spots to keep the violence coming. The best moments of the match made-up for the lack of "OMG" moments from Miz/Ziggler, who, in hindsight, wisely chose not to try to outdo what they knew AJ and the Lunatic Fringe would likely attempt - Phenomenal Forearms onto ladders, a 450 splash through a table, a variety of table spots. While Kalisto/Corbin exceeded expectations, Styles/Ambrose revitalized a feud that to many had run its course (a feat that Miz and Ziggler didn't quite achieve). Unfortunately, like several of Styles' matches this year, a controversial finish hurts this match (and it didn't help that Ambrose's wide-eyed expression was one of shock and sad acceptance rather than incapacitated from exhaustion and injury). (4/5)


With a very nice Kwang score of 3-out-of-5, TLC 2016 was arguably the best (non-NXT) WWE Network Special since the Money in the Bank show this summer. That card featured a roster ridiculously deeper in comparison, though; John Cena, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Charlotte, and Sheamus were all on hand. TLC made up for a thinner set of performers with excellent production choices, a very smart match order (look no further than the ratings of each individual match to see how the show built up drama and excitement leading to a tremendous main event), and stellar performances from both the usual suspects (AJ Styles, The Miz, Becky Lynch) and unexpected newcomers (Alexa Bliss, Baron Corbin). If you jettison the opening two matches, you'd have a show of the year contender...though, it'd be a noticeably short one.

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

WCW WrestleWar 89'

WCW WrestleWar 89': Music City Showdown
Nashville, Tennessee - May 1989

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Ricky Steamboat is the NWA World Champion, Lex Luger is the United States Champion, and Sting is the Television Champion. On the duo side of things, The Varsity Club's Steve Williams and Mike Rotunda are the NWA World Tag Team Champions while Rick Steiner and Eddie Gilbert hold the United States Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Bob Caudle

After we hear the National Anthem from the Oak Ridge Boys, we have our opening contest - The Great Muta taking on Doug Gilbert (who is replacing Junkyard Dog). To be honest, the replacement actually had me more excited for this match - JYD was a decent worker, but its much funner to see Muta take on someone that will actually leave their feet and try to keep up with the lightning quick Muta. Doug's older brother shows up to try to rally his sibling, but Muta is unfazed - nailing a dropkick and then a huge splash to the outside. Another good performance out of Muta, but I could've stood to see even more out of the martial artist, especially considering how much more worthwhile it is to watch his appearance at Clash VI. A half-point for each high spot that Muta nails. (1.5/5)

Classic Ric Flair promo next. Concise but still electric. (+1)

Butch Reed makes his way down the aisle next with some slick music. His opponent, accompanied to the ring by a color guard, is Ranger Ross, a relative newcomer to WCW at this point. Having watched a decent amount of Butch Reed work from the 80s at this point, I'm willing to stay he's a tad underrated - only because for so long I've heard and read how much he was the drizzling shits. Still, after 10 years in the business, Reed being just serviceable isn't a big compliment. Reed does a handful of good little things, but the best thing about this match is that they keep it relatively short. (1/5)

Dick Murdoch and "Cowboy" Bob Orton square off in a Bullrope Match. A fairly one-sided brawl with Murdoch dominating and (surprisingly) no color, the striking out of Murdoch looks pretty stiff and Orton is a good seller, but this is just too short to be worth seeking out. The post-match angle is hardcore and arguably more violent than most anything we see today, but considering the rivalry and the stipulation, I was expecting more. (1.5/5)

The Dynamic Dudes debut next, taking on Paul E. Dangerously's Samoan SWAT Team (aka the Headshrinkers). A solid 10-minutes of action with the Samoans doing the heavy lifting and Shane Douglas definitely looking like the more "dynamic" of the dudes. Johnny Laurenaitis' mullet is funny, but you can pretty much stop watching this after their entrance and not feel like you missed much. At one point, Dangerously grabs a microphone and starts berating the crowd, correctly surmising that, with the heat dwindling, he needed to step in to regain the crowd's interest. Another not to special match on this "supershow." (1/5)


Finally a legitimate match between stars - Lex Luger defending his United States Championship against Freebird Michael Hayes. Hayes is in great shape here and, as I haven't seen him work singles too many times, I'm genuinely surprised how natural he looks doing it - reminding me of that one Nasty Boys match from WCW where Jerry Sags has to essentially ward off Harlem Heat (I think) on his own and its actually pretty great. Luger was incredibly over here and, if Hayes in the best shape of his life, Luger is the best shape of anyone's life ever. Every big spot gets a huge pop (even the ones he repeats) and his poses get even bigger responses. Luger attempts a Torture Rack but ends up eating a DDT in a particularly great sequence, the referee getting knocked out soon after. This leads to a hot finish that I regretfully learned didn't make for a notable rematch when WCW really had the makings of a great months-long story on their hands. (3/5)

The Man Called Sting is backstage and he has some words of warning for his opponent tonight - The Iron Sheik. Man, Sting's original WCW theme was so damn excellent (maybe even better than Luger's ZZ Top rip-off song). The former WWF World Champion isn't even given an entrance, but is accompanied by Rip Morgan, so there's that. I didn't have too high of hopes for this match and nothing they do has me revise those thoughts. A total squash that makes the Sheik look like a complete jobber. Awful match with a half-point rewarded for simply including Sting's original theme. (0.5/5)

Main event time? For whatever reason, the next contest is not the final of the night - Ric Flair challenging Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat for his WCW World Championship. Flair's entrance is more glorious than anything Bobby Roode can imagine, while Steamboat's is less flashy but still manages to capture the essence of his character. Some have called this the greatest match of all time and most every 5-star match list one can consult (including the Wrestling Observer) and I hold the match in the same high regard. A masterpiece of intense, physical wrestling, Steamboat and Flair manage to take what was great about their Clash of the Champions VI 2-out-of-3 falls match and streamline it into a neater package. In my review of their previous bout, I wrote about how the first fall needed to be slower and almost less exciting in order to get over the urgency and suspense of the second and third falls. This match, being fought under traditional one fall-to-a-winner rules, is fast-paced and exciting from the very start, the "feeling out" grappling condensed to 6-7 minutes before the chest chops and armdrags come out. Steamboat dominates the opening stretch, taking the fight to Flair, but the Nature Boy shows his brilliance throughout - taking breathers outside of the ring, trying to slow the pace down, catching the Dragon with chops and kicks to the midsection, and working the ref to take unfair advantages (there's a brief moment in the ropes where Flair does the best heel business I've seen in years). By the time we get to minute 20, the drama has been built so well that each blow, whether it be a superplex, an elbow to the throat, or just another knife-edged chop hits with enough impact that the viewer feels it at home. Wrapped up with a finish that nods to Steamboat's most famous match without beating the audience over the head with it, there isn't a single minute in this match that isn't executed flawlessly, their chemistry just astronomical. The post-match is almost equally legendary, but I don't see enough credit going to Jim Ross's work on the audio side of things. Like the Austin/Hart double-turn at WrestleMania 13, through Flair's post-match comments and (more prominently) Jim Ross's commentary, the Nature Boy really comes off as a changed man following the match, having gone toe-to-toe, 1-on-1 in fair athletic competition without the aid of the Horsemen or using dirty tactics. The crowd may not be 100% on his side when the bell rings, but by the end of the post-match segment, he'd drawn enough sympathy to transition to his next historic feud. (5/5)

The Road Warriors vs. Varsity Club (Mike Rotunda and Steve Williams) for the NWA World Tag Team Championships followed and, as one might expect, the match is nowhere near as good as the previous bout. I'm not sure why Flair/Steamboat didn't close the show or why this match didn't wrap things up (rather than the bout that comes after), but the purpose of this one seems to be simply to progress a storyline rather than deliver a satisfying match. The Road Warriors had a reputation to no-sell during their heyday, but they treat their opponents as something at least resembling equals here. Still, this is a nothing match without a real ending. (0.5/5)

Last Match Time - I can't bear to call a Dan Spivey bout a "main event" - Kevin Sullivan and Dan Spivey (again of the Varsity Club) challenging Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner for their United States Tag Team Championships. Much more of a "match" than the Warriors/Varsity Club bout, what's interesting here is how much Gilbert and Sullivan get out in a sub-10 minute outing. Two of the best minds in the business, Hot Stuff and the Taskmaster obviously developed a gameplan that would allow each man to shine a bit - Spivey comes off as a monster, Gilbert is the sympathetic babyface, Sullivan is a bulldog barking outdoors but not afraid to get physical himself, and the Dog-faced Gremlin gets in enough stiff clothesline to make sure his toughness registers with the crowd. While not a "great" match (or even a good one), had this match occurred in the first half of the show, I may have even tacked on an extra half-point. Unfortunately, as the closing act of a 3-hour show, its actually below average. (2/5)


WrestleWar 89's Kwang Score of 1.89-out-of-5 is a bit misleading. Only a handful of shows have earned lower scores (WWE Rebellion 2002, Clash of the Champions XXXII, SuperBrawl V), but like Badd Blood 97' (which earned a slightly lower score of 1.83), it is salvaged by not just a great match, but maybe one of the top 10 matches of all-time, an absolute "must watch" masterpiece of a match. Unlike Badd Blood 97', though, which barely featured a single match aside from its main event worth watching, this show at least offers a fun Hayes/Luger title match and some cool promos along Flair/Steamboat. Still, as a whole, its a hard show to recommend, especially if you've seen the NWA World Title match on one of the pre-Network Flair DVDs.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver

WCW Clash of the Champions VI

WCW Clash of the Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun

New Orleans, Louisiana - April 1989

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Ricky Steamboat holds the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Lex Luger is the United States Champion, Sting holds the TV Title, and the Road Warriors hold the NWA World Tag Team Championships (though, surprising as it may sound, they'd lose the straps on this show in an untelevised match). Rick Steiner and Eddie Gilbert hold the United States Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Michael "P.S" Hayes

Before the show, we're treated to a very brief video showing how Ricky Steamboat became the NWA World Champion in February. Some more clips are aired and the national anthem plays while a very poor lighting/firework show happens. Commercial break.

The Samoan SWAT Team vs. The Midnight Express open the show in a lengthy contest. The SWAT Team consisted of Samu and Fatu (the future Rikishi) and were a heel group managed by Paul E. Dangerously, who was engaged in a war with the babyface Midnight Express and their manager, Jim Cornette. The most notable thing about this match might be its running time, the match running 20 minutes but feeling like it might be twice as long. Now, that's not to say all the work is terrible - at times, it's quite good - but without a stronger finish, it is hard to recommend to fans coming into the match cold (as I was). (2.5/5)

Ridiculously sick intro for The Great Muta and his manager Gary Hart. Less impressive is his opponent, Steven Casey, who looks like he stepped out of a misfunctioning Lex Luger Cloning Machine. Very cool match with The Great Muta doing an outstanding job of both defining his character and making even somewhat ordinary moves (by today's standards, for sure) pop off the screen thanks to little twists, spooky facial expressions, and body language. Jim Ross's commentary is effective, but even with the commentary turned off (which one might recommend for some of this show, based on Hayes' work), Muta is amazing, his "death-defying style" drawing huge reactions, but his subtle character embellishments being what made him a star. As an overall presentation, its better than just calling it a "predictable squash." (3/5)

The Junkyard Dog makes a big entrance to the ring, played out with a loud marching jazz band with the crowd's excitement adding even more noise. His opponent, Butch Reed, is accompanied by the more mild-mannered Hiro Matsuda. Like most of the JYD matches I've seen, the "wrestling" is not a selling point. Junkyard Dog's offense is about basic as it gets (though, his selling might be underrated by some), but he knew how to get mileage out of it, even against a guy like Butch Reed, who is solid here (maybe even slightly better than solid) but certainly not adding enough to make this a classic. (2/5)

Though Jim Ross said the next match would feature Bob Orton and Dick Murdoch, after a commercial break we get Kevin Sullivan and "Dangerous" Danny Spivey taking on the United States Tag Team Champions, "The First Family" of Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner. Spivey has impressive size, but he's not very smooth here, benefitting tremendously from the spirited selling of Hot Stuff. Rick Steiner comes in for the hot tag and slams Spivey around the ring, the crowd barking along. The finish and post-match lets us know this feud ain't over. Not very good. (1.5/5)

Main event time - Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat in a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Fortunately, Terry Funk has joined the commentary team, replacing the grating Michael Hayes. Modern fans may get a little bored with this, especially if they're expecting the same workrate and high spots that we get from guys like Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens in 2016, but this is a match that pays off your patience and has a much more genuine feel than what the WWE presents today, where a guy like Dolph Ziggler is happier knowing he "stole the show" above actually winning. Flair and Steamboat are trying to beat each other and they know there are no shortcuts to doing so based on their history. The first fall is all about wearing your opponent down and they unload a bevy of stiff chops to each other. Steamboat gets in some respectable suplexes and focuses on wearing down his challenger with headlocks, but knows that he needs to raise the stakes during the second fall. The urgency and viciousness grows exponentially after the first round - this is storytelling, with Steamboat eventually locking in Flair's own finisher, the figure four leglock and, when that doesn't work, transitioning right into a Boston Crab. If the first fall is a bit longwinded and repetitive (even maybe boring at times), the second fall is the exact opposite - every single move, facial expression, near fall is heated and purposeful. After hitting a superplex, Steamboat goes after Flair's injured back, the Champion willing to do whatever it takes, including targeting Flair's historically weakened back (JR plays this up on commentary by mentioning Naitch's plane crash in 1975) to hold onto his title. Minutes later, Flair is able to lock in a figure four, but Steamboat reaches the ropes and the match continues into its final act, both competitors stubbornly refusing to quit. In terms of psychology, there are some moments that defy logic (a complaint that could be lodged against many Flair matches when you consider his signature flops and tendency to go to the top rope despite never hitting a move from there), but the frenetic energy both guys show in the final minutes makes perfect sense if you factor in the adrenaline of knowing they are one fall away from becoming or remaining the NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The desperation is not only painted on their faces, it is driving their every move. Flair locks in a figure four, but Steamboat won't quit, screaming in agony and trading knife-edged slaps in resistance. Minutes later, Steamboat's legs give out on him and it appears the Champion is out of gas, but miraculously he stays alive, selling the damage to his knees all the while. A huge splash from the top gets 2 and nine-tenths, the crowd erupting in shock. Needing to create space between them, Flair tosses Steamboat to the outside, but nearly ends up victim of a sunset flip from the outside. Running out of options, Flair locks in a sleeper hold that Steamboat somehow survives with tremendous heroic effort, eventually using his momentum to ram Flair face first into the corner. Flair looks like he's prepping for another figure four, but Steamboat hits a heel kick at the 50-minute mark, the war raging on as Funk calls this the "match of the year." The Dragon's selling in these closing minutes (and JR's selling of it on commentary) is spectacular, his comeback so dramatic that Flair's cut-offs feel like he's kicking the audience in its groin. With the clock winding down, we get a clever finish that can be contested on multiple levels (ensuring yet another rematch at the next month's WrestleWar 89' pay-per-view). (4.5/5)


With a Kwang score of 2.7-out-of-5, the 6th Clash of the Champions is not an "all-time great" show, but its also hard to call it a dud or even a "high risk" watch when you know that, at the very least, you're in store for a captivating appearance by the then-relatively unknown Great Muta and a match that is consistently considered one of the greatest bouts in the history of televised wrestling. I didn't go all the way and give Steamboat/Flair the full 5 stars, but only because there are some slight logic problems and the finish, while very clever from a storytelling perspective, is hardly definitive. The fun, though, is watching this show and then diving right into WrestleWar 89', where Flair and Steamboat, just a month or so after this tremendous war, will have to lock up again to finally resolve their issue.

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

WWE No Way Out 2003

WWE No Way Out 2003

Montreal, Canada - February 2003

With the sound Evanescence's "Wake Me Up Inside" booming out of my TV's speakers - WWE No Way Out 2003 kicks off. My god this song. 2003 seems so long ago and yet this song remains almost just as inescapable today as it was back then (or it just feels that way because the horribleness of this tune has been ringing in my ears like white noise for 13 years). Maybe THE absolute worst "heavy metal" or "alternative rock" song ever and I'm not forgetting Jackyl or Nickelback or Puddle of Mudd. Still, a bonus point just for, in the span of a half second, contextualizing the ENTIRE promotion and what it stood for in February 2003. Even with a card this good on paper, I'm preparing myself for the worst here thanks to this song. (+1)

Our commentators tonight are Jerry Lawler and Jonathan Coachman, The Coach replacing Jim Ross, who had suffered a (storyline, I think) concussion on RAW a week prior. Coach is one of my least favorite commentators and, even as early as 03', Lawler was well beyond being a reliable "heel" color guy, his major function being to make crude remarks about whatever female was last seen on the screen.

Jeff Hardy takes on Chris Jericho in the night's opening contest, a far better match than I was necessarily expected. Jericho takes a great bump over the post and Hardy hits a corkscrew somersault off that ropes that's equally awesome. The Montreal crowd is pretty firmly in Jericho's corner, but Hardy has his fans and the Rainbow Warrior's sympathetic daredevil style is impossible to boo. We get a number of Walls of Jericho teases and spread throughout the match are high-impact, high risk spots (a huge hip toss off the top rope, a super vicious dropkick in the corner) and the kind of signature moves that the crowd adores and bites on hard (Hardy's Whisper in the Wind). A sloppy powerbomb from the top rope and the fact that, with his feud with Shawn Michaels obviously building towards a WrestleMania showdown, the winner was well-known ahead of the actual finish keep this match from being a real classic, but it is certainly not far from it. A match that, put on exactly the same way today, would probably garner some deserved "This is Awesome" chants. I actually prefer that one can enjoy the match without that unnecessary crowd validation. (3.5/5)

Kane and Rob Van Dam team up to challenge Storm and Regal for the WWE World Tag Team Championships in the next bout. Lawler and Coach play up the "odd couple" factor of Kane and Van Dam while RVD and Storm go through an incredibly athletic sequence in the ring. Regal comes in, after some exchanges with Van Dam, takes an awkward powerslam from Kane that seems like it may have concussed him. Storm comes in and gets press slammed for his troubles, the Big Red Machine dominating while Regal tries to regain his composure on the outside. The babyfaces get a ton more offense in before Storm is finally able to cut Van Dam off, tossing him from the top rope where he was preparng to hit his Frog Splash. Cutting the ring in half, the heels inflict some punishment, building towards a hot tag for Kane. There's a faint "We Want Regal" chant that breaks out, soon hushed by the more audible support for Van Dam playing face-in-peril. Kane comes in and obliterates, but Lance Storm cleverly blinds him with his own mask, leading to an unexpected twist finish. A slightly-above average bout with a cool ending. (3/5)

The Cruiserweight Championship Title match follows - Billy Kidman defending the strap against Matt Hardy (in his Version 1.0 gimmick). The story coming into this match was that Hardy worked frantically to lose weight in order to challenge for the title, the commentators doubting that he'll maintain that weight (and questioning whether, even in this match, he has sufficiently kept the weight off since a weigh-in on SmackDown). Weight issues aside, Kidman and Hardy have strong chemistry together, both working up to their reputations as solid technically-proficient workers (if not the most exciting to watch). Hardy controls a majority of the match, though Kidman does get in some good-looking offense himself (an on-point dropkick to the jaw, a plancha to the outside, some nice reversals). The finish is a touch "much" if you ask me, but its obvious that Hardy wanted to help keep Kidman strong in a losing effort instead of going over him with his "usual" finisher. If Kidman was more over and the crowd was more enthusiastic I can see this match being worthy of more respect, but as it is, I'm calling it average. (2.5/5)

Backstage, Edge has been attacked and Chris Benoit and Brock Lesnar don't know who did it and what this means for their 6-man tag match tonight.

A video package hypes the next match - The Undertaker vs. Big Show, a continuation of their months-long rivalry (Big Show injured Taker roughly 4 months later). Surprisingly, this is not the slow-paced slugfest I expected. Taker is arguably in the best shape of his career and Big Show is obviously driven not to stink up the joint for the Deadman's big return. They cut a decent pace (or at least as good as two super heavyweights are going to cut) and there's a surprising number of big spots, including a huge plancha to the outside from the Phenom and a respectable standing vertical suplex (not a move I've seen the Undertaker take the brunt of very often). The finish isn't great, especially considering that the WWE would have this program last all the way to WrestleMania but by exceeding my low expectations and actually staying engaging from bell to bell, I'm going to call it one of the better Taker/Show matches I've ever seen. (3/5)


If you stop watching this show after the next match, Lesnar and Benoit vs. Team Angle, you'd be making a wise choice. Designed to wrap up the Benoit/Angle feud and transition the focus of the WWE Championship scene onto Lesnar/Angle, the match serves it purpose while simultaneously delivering some very solid action. The crowd is hotter for Lesnar than anyone else that comes out the remainder of the night (save for Austin, 'natch), but are also supportive of Benoit and seem to delight in watching Haas and Benjamin get tossed around and tangled up. The exclusion of Edge surprisingly adds to the match - having him around would've made it too lopsided when, really, any team that includes a young Brock Lesnar is never going to be seen as underdogs. Not my pick for match of the night, but not far from it. (3/5)

The World Heavyweight Championship is on the line next in a rematch from January's Royal Rumble show - Scott Steiner challenging Triple H. That match has been decried as one of the worst main event title matches in WWE history, but this one is much more deserving of that dishonor. If their initial match could skate by on what appeared to be respectable effort from both men (Triple H especially) and the thrill of seeing Steiner dish out a half-dozen suplexes on the champ, this one doesn't even reach those unimpressive heights. Again, the heel is the babyface here, Triple H coming in bandaged up and Steiner targeting the injured area and, at least initially, punctuating his offense with sit-up exhibitions and taunts instead of, y'know, trying to score a pinfall. There are restholds here where there were strength spots a month earlier and the Montreal crowd, which certainly wasn't overly enthused in Boston, actively shits on the match with chants of "Steiner Sucks" and "Boring." There are noticeable times when signals are crossed and they stumble through the same repetitive actions (Steiner's offense is 90% clubbering forearms) but not all the blame can be placed at the feet of Big Poppa Pump (even if that is what Triple H wants you to believe with his pinballing). Mid-90s Shawn Michaels has been criticized for the same unnecessary and illogical bumping, garnering sympathy from an audience instead of making us want to see his comeuppance, so its not surprising Triple H would do the same here, essentially upstaging Steiner the way Michaels (then a heel) upstaged Razor Ramon and Kevin "Diesel" Nash at WrestleManias 10 and 11 respectively. Some friend, huh? Shocking as it may seem, while Steiner would not compete at WrestleMania, this does not mark his exit from the WWE - he actually stuck around the rest of the year and even competed in January 2004's Royal Rumble. The more you know. (0.5/5)

The triumphant return of Steve Austin was next, the Rattlesnake make his long-awaited return to face the man who had fired him from WCW almost ten years earlier, Eric Bischoff. If this was 1997, Bischoff would've gotten some offense in and maybe even won the match - but its 2003, WWE, and Bischoff is no Vinnie Mac, so this is as one-sided as it should realistically be. Austin seems to be having fun coming back to play the hits, but its a sadder experience to watch than even his infamous SummerSlam 97' match. Incapable of really performing in-ring, Austin was brought back by the WWE just to say "Hey, Austin's back." Unlike his wars with Vince McMahon, which led to some heated, intense, and wildly over matches (1999's Royal Rumble and their cage match at the following month's St. Valentine's Day Massacre shows come immediately to mind), this is a silly whooping that gave Austin an excuse to hit a couple stunners (he drops Bischoff with THREE) and pour some beers all over himself. For fans in attendance, it would've been a fun way to cap off an evening - in fact, I'm guessing they could've run this same exact contest every night for months on the house show circuit and left the crowd happy - but that doesn't make the segment interest or worthwhile viewing, especially when there are so many other highlights to enjoy in Stone Cold's career. Months later, thanks in part to a last-minute trip to a Seattle hospital, Austin would "do the honors" and end his career in a match against The Rock that defied his ailing physical condition and worked based on the size of the personalities involved and Austin's willingness to nearly cripple himself rather than go out on a bad match. That is the finale fans should revisit. (1/5)

Main event time - The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan in a rematch from WrestleMania XVIII. Reviewing that match several years ago, I wrote, "It's hard not to love this match...Even without the [hot] Toronto crowd, this one would be above average based on the size of the personalities and Hogan's respectable effort." While their first encounter won me (and many fans) over by delivering a near-perfect vision of big attraction "sports-entertainment," this one stumbles from the very second it starts and then, like the words of Hogan's original entrance music, "comes crashing down" to lower and lower levels of awfulness. Where to start on this trainwreck of a match? Maybe with The Rock, working one-legged because he had one foot kicking desperately into Hollywood. While the Rock and Hogan essentially switching their roles could have led to some fun sequences, The Rock doesn't bother to do much but jaw at the crowd and take a handful of bumps. Where are the facial expressions that made time stand still in Toronto? The Rock, inarguably one of the most larger-than-life characters the WWE ever produced, is noticeably "smaller" here, doing the same gimmick The Miz does now but less awesomely. If The Rock was trying to be "meta" in order to draw heat, he may have over-succeeded because he sucks in this match. Meanwhile, Hulk Hogan, who had somehow tricked father time and pulled out some passable matches against Triple H, Lesnar, and Undertaker six or so months prior is completely out of gas and looking every bit of his age here. While one can watch The Rock's performance and criticize him for half-assing it, with Hogan, you just have a guy that has no business being in the ring. Everything he does looks like it is happening in a vat of baby oil. The power of nostalgic crowds had willed his first comeback into being passable entertainment, but a year later, the magic had run out - and an uninspired Rock certainly wasn't going to make up for it. Even the finish of this match manages to pale in comparison to their first contest (the finish of that match being one of few major criticisms levied against it). Possibly explaining his less-than-stellar performance, the conclusion not only relinquishes any credibility The Rock had left after having to sell for a 50-year old man for ten minutes but also makes sure to cast him as Sylvan Grenier's equal when, ostensibly, this is the guy you're counting on to help sell your biggest show of the year in a month or two. Anyone who considers Goldberg/Lesnar from Survivor Series the worst rematch to ever headline a PPV needs to revisit this one and see just how bad things could've truly went. Goldberg/Lesnar may have felt like false advertising, but this one goes beyond that level of disappointment - The Rock's worst character work since his forgettable rookie year Blue Chipper paired with a staler-than-stale Hulk Hogan wrestling like he was 10 years older than he actually was. The wrestling equivalent of Jaws II. (0/5)


When the inclusion of an Evanesence song on the show is one of the bright spots, you kind of know that you've got a real dud on your hands. The opener is the Match of the Night and, from there, things just tend to get from passable to decent to worse and worse and worse. Still, No Way Out 2003 is an interesting show to talk about historically. When today's fans complain about how the company tends to revive old timers and sign big name free agents to short-term deals just to pad the WrestleMania line-up, this show (and the Mania that followed) proves this is nothing new. Looking at the roster the WWE had signed up and performing regularly at this time and the word "stacked" barely does it justice; Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, Triple H, Hulk Hogan, Rey Mysterio, Big Show, Ric Flair, Steiner, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho, and even Vince McMahon himself were all featured consistently on TV (not to mention Batista, Orton, Cena, Eddie Guerrero, Benoit, and Edge all waiting for their shot at the top). Lack of star power wasn't what was killing the WWE at the time and making shows like No Way Out so unbearable. No, it was plain old bad booking (the HHH/Steiner feud), unmotivated, burned out workers (The Rock), and a tendency to present cards that actually worked against what the fans, through their reactions, were pleading for (basically, the SmackDown storylines were over while the RAW ones weren't). Hmmm...sounds a bit like the same situation we're experiencing today, where an AJ Styles consistently gets the loudest response of the night, but RAW is still consistently presented as the "A" brand thanks, in no small part, to the idea that it consistently features the most stars from yesteryear (Goldberg, Lesnar, and Triple H spring to mind, but let's not forget that the Undertaker may have also made more appearances on RAW this year than SmackDown). No Way Out 2003 is fascinating in how misguided so much of it is, from casting the genuinely unlikeable Scott Steiner as a babyface to believing you could recapture lightning in a bottle for what would've been at least the fourth time by reheating the bandana-wearing Hulkster to trying to push the hideously hairy Albert as a legitimate heel, the ineptitude is just staggering. 


FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

WWE Survivor Series 2016

RATING SCALE: 

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 few great matches

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, salvaged by an awesome match or two, for die-hards only

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

WWE Survivor Series 2016

Toronto, Canada - November 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, the WWE World Champion is AJ Styles while the Universal Championship is held by Kevin Owens. The United States Champion is Roman Reigns of RAW, while The Miz holds the Intercontinental Championship on SmackDown. RAW's World Tag Team Champions are (still) The New Day. On SmackDown, the Tag Team Champions are Heath Slater and Rhyno. The Womens' Champions are Charlotte (RAW) and Becky Lynch (SmackDown). Finally, the recently restored Cruiserweight Championship is held by The Brian Kendrick. 

COMMENTARY: JBL, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo

In a somewhat unexpected move, the 2016 Survivor Series began with Bayley, Sasha Banks, Nia Jax, Charlotte, and Alicia Fox squaring off against SmackDown's Becky Lynch, Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Naomi, and Natalya (replacing Nikki Bella). I'm guessing the Natalya sub-in was done because the 'E expected her to get a huge response from the Canadian crowd (and maybe because Nikki Bella reaggravated her neck injury?), but the live audience seemed pretty indifferent to her inclusion. The two least polished workers of their respective teams, Carmella and Fox, started things off. The match picked up once the Four Horsewomen of NXT got their minutes in, but it was Nia Jax  who stole the match for me - her powerhouse offense drawing a deserved "Holy Shit" chant at one point. I'd personally be interested in seeing her square off with Nikki Bella, the only diva (save for maybe Charlotte) who has the size and strength to possibly take Jax off her feet. Alicia Fox's Scissors Kick continues to be one of my favorite moves in the WWE as, no matter how many times she delivers the thing, it almost always looks like her opponent is not expecting it and she's delivering it with utter recklessness - it is just beautiful in its sloppiness like a JBL clothesline. Less impressive? The elimination of the dominant Jax to an armbar Jax is not a good enough seller to sell. If there was to be a survivor in this match, it probably should've been her. Solid final stretch, but predictable and uninspired post-match, especially considering that, booked differently, the WWE had the opportunity to help establish Bayley's "I'm a Hugger" character and maybe tell a more nuanced story between her and Charlotte. (2/5)

The Intercontinental Championship was defended next, reigning titleholder The Miz of SmackDown getting challenged by RAW's Sami Zayn. The Miz has been having a hell of a 2016 and this match was yet another feather in his cap, the Awesome One doing everything possible to draw heat, acting as the perfect foil to the lovably scrappy Zayn. Not since his matches with Kevin Owens earlier this year have I found myself as engaged in a Sami Zayn outing and a lot of that credit should go to Miz who has finally raised his in-ring abilities to the level of his mic work. The story here was simple but effective - Miz targeted Zayn's legs while also taking the time to needle the fans through his mockery of longtime rival Daniel Bryan. Meanwhile, Zayn did what he does best, selling damage but digging deep to bust out some great babyface hope spots and dazzling offensive, including a somersault plancha to the outside and a Blue Thunder Bomb. The finish was brilliant and has me hoping that Zayn ditches RAW for SmackDown to prolong the feud. My biggest gripe was with the fans, though, as their incessant "10" chants distracted from what was a very good match. (3.5/5)

A 20-man tag followed, The New Day captaining a squadron that included Enzo and Cass, the Shining Stars, Cesaro and Sheamus, and Gallows and Anderson against The Usos, Breezango, The Hype Brothers, American Alpha, and Rhyno and Slater. Fandango and Breeze were cast out almost instantly following a comedy bit that I didn't get (probably because I haven't watched any of their matches), swiftly followed by The New Day, a team that is simultaneously over and stale. Mojo Riley's extended boogie into his corner splash is awful and drew an immediate "We Want Gable" chant. Gallows and Anderson got to deliver more than a couple Magic Killers, finally scoring pinfalls on a major show - too bad its been repeatedly established that they can't win the gold or else they'd make a decent pair of challengers for The New Day. Later, American Alpha delivered a Steinerizer, though, Jordan forgot he was the legal man, nearly botching the pinfall after. After a flurry of signature spots from the remaining participants, a Magic Killer led to the Alphas' exit, while Gallows fell victim to a Rhyno Gore. Enzo landed a Cass-assisted splash to eliminate the former ECW star before his team got eliminated as well, leaving us with a semi-awkward Cesaro/Sheamus vs. Usos final. After not getting many minutes in the "meat" of the match, Cesaro finally got his time, running around the ring like a man possessed and almost single-handedly taking out the Samoan twins. Cesaro's feats of strength and agility (his dropkick to a seated Uso on the top turnbuckle, for example) are marvelous no matter how many times one sees them, though, I do wish he'd drop the 619 from his arsenal - it's just not necessary. Thanks to a strong finish and wise booking that kept things moving, this one exceeded my admittedly low expectations. (3/5)

After a lengthy, lengthy, lengthy amount of downtime, the Cruiserweight Championship was on the line in the next contest - Brian Kendrick defending against Kalisto. Last December, at the 2015 TLC show, Kalisto performed a Salida Del Sol off a ladder and through another ladder and it seemed like a star was born. Then, at April's WrestleMania 32, Kalisto defeated Ryback on the Pre-Show to retain his United States Championship (now around the waist of Roman Reigns) and it seemed like the semi-strong push would continue. Since then, though, Kalisto hasn't been doing too much, this being his first Network special match since Extreme Rules in May. Eager to impress (and maybe help save the crashing cruisers division), Kalisto and Kendrick through a ton of nifty and risky high spots into this match, but they didn't amount to anything and some legitimately insane maneuvers were sold like transition moves (for example, Kalisto's Standing Spanish Fly to the outside of the ring would've been a CAREER ENDER in 1980s Jim Crockett NWA). The finish was a bit of a mercy killing as the crowd wasn't too into this match. As I've written a number of times in the past few months, I'm a fan of Kendrick and believed that he wasn't the worst pick to help build the cruisers division, but the WWE missed an important opportunity to hit the reset button here by putting the title on Kalisto and bringing the whole concept to SmackDown. With word that they'll be taping 205 Live after SmackDown, I'm guessing that is still the plan. (2/5)

One of the more divisive matches of the year followed - Chris Jericho, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Braun Strowman of RAW teaming up against SmackDown's AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Dean Ambrose, and Shane McMahon (with James Ellworth serving as "mascot"). Styles and Jericho were mega over, drawing huge cheers upon their respective arrival, while Roman Reigns got a very cool (as in, chilly) reception. While The Undertaker had claimed he would seek vengeance on SmackDown's representatives if they lost this match, those were the only real stakes and were barely mentioned by the commentators. The crowd was hot for the start of this but mellowed out until we got all ten men in the ring duking it out inside and outside of the ring. Speaking of outside of the ring, Strowman and Ambrose performed one of the absolute dumbest spots I've ever seen, the former Wyatt Family member carrying the ex-Shield member around the ring for no apparent reason just to get hit by an AJ splash. Fortunately, things turned around from that low-point, the next several minutes built entirely around Strowman, with the former strongman choke-tossing the WWE Champion over the top rope like a piece of human garbage and then going through the rest of the Blue Brand's roster, eventually eating an RKO and getting put through a table via a Shane McMahon signature elbow drop. The sequence culminated in a brilliant elimination and the big man sending the world's most famous jobber off the stage and through a table (and even more "Holy Shit!" chants). I'm expecting Strowman to get plenty of eliminations at January's Rumble and, based on his work in this match, he has some upside beyond just squashing no-names each week on RAW. Back in the ring, Chris Jericho fought through a bloody nose, but his list didn't survive nearly as well, eventually destroyed (purposely or not) by his best friend, Kevin Owens. Speaking of Owens, his elimination seemed a little silly considering the chaos that had been going on inside and outside of the ring for the 10 minutes prior and the crowd felt so too, audibly chanting "bullshit" at the ref's call. Soon after the match settled into a 2-on-4 situation with Rollins and Reigns up against Orton, Wyatt, and Shane. Here, the WWE gave us two of the greatest moments of the night - Shane McMahon getting hit with a huge spear on a Coast-to-Coast attempt and a really fun Shield reunion. The former was vicious and it looked like Shane might've legitimately suffered a broken rib or two while the latter provided a memorable, crowd-pleasing exit for AJ Styles. Unfortunately, with Styles and Shane out, the match fell to the four least over guys in the whole contest - Reigns and Rollins squaring off against Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton in a battle of brand supremacy. The finish was all about furthering the Wyatt/Orton alliance storyline and I'm curious what the endgame is for that particular thread - maybe they'll somehow flip roles and Wyatt will end up the babyface? Around minute 35 or so, I was ready to call it the best modern day Survivors match I'd ever seen - largely due to the insanity of certain spots, Braun Strowman's spotlight performance, the Jericho/Owens comedy, and the mini Shield reunion. The lackluster closing stretch, involving the four guys that I cared about least in the match, hurt this one for me, but all in all, a very fun match that featured more than enough fireworks to keep my eyes glued to the screen. (4/5)

Main event time - Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar. How should one rate a match like this - which was more of an "angle" than anything? Reviewing SummerSlam 2014, I gave the equally one-sided Cena/Lesnar match a glowing 4-star rating two years ago, but that bout went nearly 20 minutes and felt like something I'd never seen before. This match is different (and unworthy of equal praise) because it barely lasted 20 seconds. It also wasn't something "never seen before" - it was a squash not dissimilar to the Sheamus/Bryan title match at WrestleMania 28 or the squashes that made Goldberg famous in the first place way back in 1997. I can fully understand the knee-jerk reaction to call this the worst WWE main event in years (maybe even ever) - but there are things to enjoy about what we got. For starters, the pre-match introductions and "big fight" feel set the stage for an unforgettable match and, though there were less than 4 "moves" in the (very brief) match, all four got HUGE responses. Also, though he didn't have to do much, Lesnar was fantastic with his facial expressions (that smug smile after getting pushed down by Goldberg told the whole story of the match) and body language. As for Bill Goldberg, he did the three things he had to do here - 1. Look Good, 2. Spear Good, 3. Hit a Respectable Jackhammer. I often say that what separates a 4-star match from a 3.5-star match is the replay value, but while this one has plenty of replay value, it's basically a cool GIF. As a match, this one warrants maybe a 1, but as an angle, it was a spectacular, unforgettable event that, due to the whole build of the match being that Lesnar would underestimate his opponent, actually made more kayfabe sense than many critics are giving it. Rating it as just average seems like missing the point. (3/5)


With an overall Kwang score of 2.92-out-of-5, this year's Survivor Series earned an almost-identical score as last year's show despite vastly different cards (last year's show featured almost no Survivors matches and was sold primarily based on the return of the Brothers of Destruction and a mini-tournament for the vacant WWE World Championship). Booking-wise, Survivor Series was an imperfect show featuring a number of glaring holes - including the fact that a 50 year old man waltzed into the ring and promptly bested the most credible monster the WWE has on its roster. Ignoring the booking, though, there was plenty to love on the show. Miz/Zayn may eke its way onto my Top 10 Matches of the Year list, while the Team RAW/Team Smackdown match delivered at least a close to a dozen cool moments. Like the WCW pay-per-views of the late 90s, though, fans will probably remember this show most for its falsely-advertised main event, a "mega match" that ended before it began.

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

NXT Takeover: Toronto

RATING SCALE: 

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 few great matches

High Risk Maneuver – Mostly filler, salvaged by an awesome match or two, for die-hards only

DUDleyville – Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch

NXT Takeover: Toronto

Toronto, Canada - November 2016

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Shinsuke Nakamura holds the NXT Championship, Asuka is the reigning NXT Womens' Champion, and The Revival hold the NXT Tag Team Championships.

COMMENTARY: Tom Phillips and Corey Graves

The latest edition of NXT Takeover starts off with a glorious entrance for Bobby Roode, a full choir singing (or convincingly lip syncing) his theme song. His opponent, Tye Dillinger, doesn't get as special of a welcome, but the crowd is definitely supportive with "10" signs all over the arena. What I enjoy about Roode is how he takes his time, working a methodical style, filling out his matches with purposeful looks and broad gestures to bring the viewer in. I wouldn't call anything he does "subtle," but he's certainly not the type to beat you over the head with innovative offense (which may be why some fans consider him boring). As for Dillinger, he was his reliable self, but I've seen him compared to Tom "Z-Man" Zenk in the past and I think the comparison is rather apt. A solid hand with good size and a haircut that he'll be embarrassed of in 10 years. The match was good but no better than that, making the emotional send-off (if that is what it was) more annoying than cool. When these "special" goodbyes happen to every single call-up, they become less special. Save this sort of theatrics for the characters who really did make a difference on the show (Sasha, Bayley, your NXT Champions), not run-of-the-mill developmental league curtain jerkers. (3/5)

The finals of the second annual Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic followed - The Authors of Pain taking on TM61. A ridiculous senton spot in the early minutes pulled the crowd in and one could tell that the bookers wanted TM61 to come out of this looking strong, but it should've been all about the Authors and their destructive power. As fun as TM61 can be, if you want to establish the Authors as an unbeatable pair of monsters, they should be no selling practically everything the Aussies threw at them. Instead, you had an even match where the big, bad monster heels were taking suplexes from a pair of cruiserweights. There are worse matches out there, but I can't recall many with booking I felt more confused by. (2/5)

During SummerSlam weekend, The Revival and #DIY put on a Match of the Year candidate so I was anxious about their 2-out-of-3 falls match. Could they top it? Was part of the initial match's greatness based on the idea that, prior to it, both teams were still relatively "under the radar"? The pressure on these teams was immense. The first time around, they were expected to put on as good a match as possible, but this time, expectations were for a classic. To their credit, they stuck with the elements that made their first match so excellent - the heels cutting the ring in half, loads of sneaky misdirections, unfair double team advantages, and both teams staying driven with the singular purpose of winning the fall instead of showboating or playing to the crowd. Also like their last match, the MVPs were Johnny Gargano and Scott Dawson. If Dawson isn't the best tag team wrestler in the world, he's got to be the best in North America. Gargano, meanwhile, is such a naturally sympathetic babyface that he should be pegged for a singles run with the Cruiserweight Championship yesterday. I'm not convinced he couldn't salvage that entire sad division. This was an all-out war that managed to achieve some very difficult tasks, including offering three separate, believable finishes and delivering just enough "call backs" without getting too self-referential and aping their first match. Extra quarter-point for color too, as the cut added intensity to a match that was already as intensely competitive as any I've seen this year. Another Match of the Year Contender. (4.5/5)

Asuka vs. Mickie James for Asuka's NXT Womens' Championship was next. Some have criticized this match for giving James "too much" offense and presenting her as a bigger challenge to Asuka than Nia Jax or Bayley. I say you don't bring in a "special attraction" and multi-time Womens' Champion and make her not special by having her jobbed out in 4 minutes. Asuka doesn't need that much of a rub. In fact, having her actually challenged by her opponent and taken aback by the level of competition James brought was what made this match different than any of Asuka's previous bouts on NXT. Now, if James hadn't of brought her work boots, I might've been convinced she deserved to be put in her place, but she looked nearly as good here as she ever did, drawing great reactions and building a story without needlessly hurling her body into dangerous spots and taking mega-stiff strikes (something that shouldn't be lost on some of today's risk-taking performers). The post-match segment was great too, further cementing Asuka's gimmick as a lone, unsentimental wolf who doesn't care about anything except kicking ass and keeping her title. (3.5/5)

Main event time - Shinsuke Nakamura defending the NXT Championship against Samoa Joe in a rematch from the last Takeover special. Again, Nakamura gets an astounding entrance, adding to the match's "big fight" feel, while Joe shot him daggers from the outside of the ring. Easily the best Nakamura match since his debut against Sami Zayn. Samoa Joe looked and worked like he'd turned back the clock 10 years. From the very first minute, both guys brought the goods, but what really set this match apart for me was the way Nakamura earned sympathy, not just through his animated selling but by, at times, looking like he'd just forgotten to do his homework on Joe. All sorts of fun spots throughout too including a picture-perfect kinchasa, outside-of-the-ring action that actually felt dangerous and brutal, and a german suplex/dragon suplex/straightjacket suplex trio that blew my mind. Strong, legitimate finish to cap things off. Great match that has unnecessarily taken a hit by many critics who can't look past who the winner was. On most other shows, this would've been your Match of the Night. (4/5)


Last summer's NXT Takeover: Brooklyn II earned a Kwang Score of 3.42-out-of-5, edging out this edition's strong 3.4-out-of-5 score by a hair. In many ways the show mirrored eachother - both featured a masterpiece tag team match, an intriguing NXT Womens' Championship defense, and a great main event presented in atmospheres where the crowd was obviously passionate about what they were watching. What the Brooklyn show provided that this did not, though, was a look into the future of NXT, presenting a variety of debuting or "fresh" talent (Ember Moon, No Way Jose, Roode) to a broader audience than the typical NXT viewer. This show, on the other hand, was missing that element, trading in "new and exciting" for two rematches from the last Takeover and a one-off appearance by a talent who came up in a time when the WWE's developmental league was still based out of Kentucky. Still, with its easily digestible running time and at least two "must see" matches, NXT Takeover: Toronto is a more than worthy installment of the NXT Network special series.

FINAL RATING - Watch It