19 Preview

On Smackdown this week, the confusion behind Roman Reigns’ attacker continues, as does the returning King of the Ring tournament and other events. Live from the Raising Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, let’s preview tonight’s episode of Smackdown Live. The official preview for the show can be found on WWE.com.

The final two first-round King of the Ring tournament matches will take place tonight. In two matchups – those being Ali versus Buddy Murphy and Chad Gable versus Shelton Benjamin will give the wrestler’s the final spots in the round of eight, which also includes Elias and Andrade on the Smackdown side. The RAW side of the bracket is completed, with Samoa Joe versus Richochet and Cedric Alexander versus Baron Corbin set for the round.

Smackdown ended last week with another plot twist in the Roman Reigns conflict. For weeks now, Reigns has been searching for a mysterious attacker who tried to throw a backstage set on him and hit him with a car. Daniel Bryan and Rowan revealed the attacked last week, with the supposed perpetrator being a Rowan lookalike. This week we will hopefully get some answers to the questions which were made as the show went off air last week.

Last week, Bayley crashed Charlotte Flair’s guest appearance on “A Moment of Bliss,” hosted by Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross. The segment ended with Bayley pushing Flair out of her chair. Flair’s reaction to the situation has yet to be seen, but the preview hints at the storyline continuing on this show.

In the men’s title picture, WWE Champion Kofi Kingston attacked Randy Orton last week, giving him a Trouble in Paradise out of nowhere. The next step in the rivalry will likely be seen on TV tonight. Practical logic says they will face each other at Clash of the Champions.

Also promoted for the show is Drew McIntyre, Samoa Joe, Xavier Woods and Big E.

Smackdown Live 8/20/19 Preview

Smackdown Live heads to the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for this week’s episode. Along with some first-round matches in the King of the Ring tournament, a big reveal will come on the show when Daniel Bryan and Rowan will supposedly reveal the mystery attacker of Roman Reigns. Let’s look at what’s planned for this week’s episode of Smackdown.

As already mentioned, Daniel Bryan and Rowan will have a big reveal on the episode tonight. In recent episodes, Roman Reigns was attacked. In the first encounter, he was nearly squished by backstage equipment. In the second situation, Reigns was hit by a car in the parking lot of a venue. Upon interrogating Buddy Murphy, he was told that Rowan was the mystery attacker. Last week we found out that Murphy lied, and Rowan is actually innocent. The show ended on a cliffhanger last week, with Bryan and Rowan saying they did an investigation and said they will reveal who did it on this week’s episode.

The King of the Ring tournament will have it’s next series of matches tonight, with the first two of four Smackdown matches happening. On Monday, Cedric Alexander defeated Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe beat Cesaro to advance in the second round of the bracket. On this episode of Smackdown, it will be Kevin Owens versus Elias and Apollo Crews versus Andrade in first-round matches. Next week, Ali will face Buddy Murphy and Chad Gable will fight former tag team partner Shelton Benjamin on the Smackdown side of the bracket. Ricochet versus Drew McIntyre and The Miz versus Baron Corbin will also take place on RAW next week.

A faction started to form last night, with The Revival and Randy Orton beating up The New Day. Kingston and company are billed for the show, as well is Orton. This isn’t the first time that Orton has formed a trio with henchmen, as faction “Legacy” with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. forming in 2008. We’ll have to wait and see what happens on this episode as two trios are expected to continue their feud.

Also billed for the show is Bayley, Drew McIntyre and Samoa Joe. Their appearances aren’t guaranteed to be on TV. Also, as usual, 205 Live will be airing right after Smackdown on the WWE Network.

WWE RAW 8/19/19 Results and Review

Monday Night RAW was live from St. Paul, Minnesota this week. On the stage was a throne because King of the Ring starts this week. Jerry Lawler replaced Corey Graves on commentary for this show.

Roman Reigns vs. Dolph Ziggler

The program started with Roman Reigns coming to the ring. As a refresher, we were shown a video package about his struggles lately. Reigns has been targeted by someone recently, and he doesn’t know who it is. Buddy Murphy was pressured into telling Reigns that Rowan was the attacker, but on Smackdown last week we found that Murphy lied. Smackdown ended last week with Daniel Bryan saying he knows who did it, and that he’ll reveal who it is next week. When Dolph Ziggler’s music hit, we found out a singles match was going to start off the show. Ziggler called out Reigns earlier in the week on Twitter. Before the match, Ziggler got on the mic and said he doesn’t understand why Reigns gets attention while he doesn’t. Ziggler said “I know you almost got hit by a car, but do you know how it feels to be speared by Goldberg?” That line made me chuckle.

Ziggler continued to talk about his recent troubles. While talking to Reigns, Ziggler landed a superkick which caught him off guard. When the fight officially started, Reigns gave Ziggler a punch which knocked him out of the ring. Reigns jumped off the steel staircase, but Ziggler dodged him. Ziggler landed a ZigZag on the floor before we went to break. Back from the break, Ziggler had Reigns in a headlock. Reigns threw Ziggler outside the ring. Reigns hit a Drive By then put Ziggler back in the ring. Reigns started to gain momentum. After a few moves, Reigns tried for a Superman Punch but Ziggler reversed it into a roll-up. Reigns kicked out, and then was hit with a DDT for another two-count. Ziggler tried for a ZigZag but couldn’t get it. He tried for another roll-up but Reigns kicked out. Ziggler jumped up but was caught. He escaped, then threw Reigns into a cornerpost. He hit another ZigZag for a two count. Wow, the ZigZag must be a really weak move. Ziggler called for a Sweet Chin Music Superkick. He tried for one, but was caught and then hit with a Superman Punch. Ziggler kicked out at two. Reigns tried for a Spear, but Ziggler hit his Famouser move instead. Reigns kicked out at two. Ziggler tried for something after taunting for a long time, but was hit with a Spear for the win.

This match was really good, but should Ziggler really be giving Reigns a run for his money like this? Ziggler has been completely jobbing himself out recently, so kicking out of finishers of Reigns and nearly winning either makes it seem like he’s gotten way better in a week, or Reigns isn’t as good as we thought. But besides that, it was a fun match to watch.

The King’s Court featuring Sasha Banks

After Sasha Banks returned last week, in a segment where she attacked Natalya (don’t forget Natalya was at the time talking about her father who died a year ago) and Becky Lynch, she got interviewed by Jerry Lawler this week on The King’s Court. Before the segment, we saw a recap of last week, and then a promo from Becky Lynch.

Jerry Lawler was in the ring with two thrones. Before he brought out Banks, he talked about the King of the Ring tournament. The bracket was shown on the screen. Lawler kept talking, but was interrupted by ominous noises. He knew it was what introduced The Fiend (F.K.A Bray Wyatt), so he left the ring. He went to the stage, where The Fiend was behind him. When he turned around, The Fiend put a hand in his mouth and choked him out. Lawler’s speech about the King of the Ring was amazingly boring, so it was sort of nice that this happened. Cool that they’re keeping the appearances of The Fiend to a minimum while keeping him on TV. The commentary did a sad little update after the break, with Vic Joseph replacing Lawler for the rest of the night, and I don’t know. Is it possibly too picky to complain about how this felt similar to when Lawler was actually taken off TV due to a heart attack? It could totally be an unintentional move, but it very much reminded me of that.

Ricochet & The Miz vs. Drew McIntyre & Baron Corbin

In the next match, the four RAW wrestlers that are a part of the King of the Ring match who aren’t fighting tonight competed in a tag team match. The Miz did a baseball slide to the outside onto their opponents, and Ricochet did a moonsault off the top rope to the outside before the break. After the break, McIntyre gave Miz a belly-to-belly german suplex. While these two battled, the crowd became focused on something happening in the crowd. They were booing something that was happening. Miz hit a DDT to escape the long-lasting pressure from McIntyre. Ricochet got the hot tag against Corbin. Ricochet landed a standing moonsault for a two-count. McIntyre came in the ring and tossed Ricochet across the ring. He was setting up for a Claymore Kick, but was hit with a kick himself. The Miz gave McIUntyre a Skull Crushing Finale. It was just Ricochet and Corbin in the ring again. Corbin hit a Deep Six for a two count. Ricochet did a dropkick off the second rope and then jumped into a corner where Corbin dodged. Corbin charged into the corner but The Miz moved Ricochet out of the way. Ricochet hit the Recoil to end the match. Fun and quick matchup.

Braun Strowman vs. AJ Styles w/ Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson (WWE United States Championship Match)

After the break we saw Sasha Banks backstage. She was setting up for an interview which will happen later this week. Before the next match, Booker T Skyped in to the show to talk about King of the Ring. The next match was a US Title match, which AJ Styles challenged Braun Strowman to last week. Styles slapped Strowman. He was hit with a shoulder tackle then went outside the ring. Strowman chased Styles around the ring. With Strowman in-between the ropes, Styles threw some kicks. Strowman tried for a choke slam but Styles go out. Strowman did a back body drop where Styles fell somewhat awkward. Styles kicked Strowman when the big man charged into a corner. Styles went off the ropes but was hit with a slap. Strowman tried for a running powerslam, but Gallows and Anderson came in to intervene, and of course end the match via DQ. Seth Rollins did a run-in to save Strowman. He took out Gallows and Anderson. Rollins shook hands with Strowman in the ring. After the break, Rollins asked Strowman if they want to team up to face Gallows and Anderson for their titles later tonight. I was waiting for that, because I knew the biggest program on the show wouldn’t be just five or so minutes on the show.

Samoa Joe vs. Cesaro (King of the Ring First Round Match)

The first of eight first round King of the Ring matches was Samoa Joe versus Cesaro. At the very start of the match, Cesaro landed an uppercut which caught Joe off guard. Joe kicked out. Joe hit a few moves, and then Cesaro did a corkscrew off the ropes. Cesaro was thrown over the guardrail into the front row as we went to break. After the break, Cesaro was back in the ring and trading blows with Joe. Later on, Cesaro dodged a Senton and then landed uppercuts in the corner. He got a big boot for a two count. Cesaro did a crossbody off the top for a two count. Joe reversed with a uranage and then a senton. Cesaro did his famous Cesaro Swing, but did it for a very small amount of time before putting in a Sharpshooter. He transitioned into a crossface but couldn’t get it. Cesaro jumped off the ropes but was put in a Cohena Clutch to end the bout. These guys put on a fun one to be honest.

Elias’ Defends The US Championship

Elias did a performance in the ring. He had microphone issues throughout the performance. He said this was his last performance because he can’t risk being on the show live due to being the WWE 24/7 Champion. When he started playing the guitar, it was out of tune. He was thrown a new guitar. Elias asked the person to hand him the guitar. The lights went up, and it was R-Truth. He went for a roll-up, but couldn’t get it. He tried again, and Elias kicked out. He landed a move and failed with another pin attempt. R-Truth grabbed a guitar and swung it, but Elias got out of the ring. A funny touch to this segment was while R-Truth took off his outfit, a referee got in the ring and took off the same outfit.

Rey Mysterio Gets Interviewed

In a backstage segment, Rey Mysterio was interviewed by Charly Caruso. Mysterio talked about the issues he’s struggling with recently. He mentioned how Andrade ripped off his mask. He also talked about how his injuries have caught up to him. He started to choke up as he was teasing his retirement. Just as he was about to unmask himself, his son came into the shot and said he wants to partner with him and pleaded him not to retire. Mysterio seemed persuaded by this. While Mysterio had some pretty good acting in this scene, his son didn’t.

New Day (Big E & Xavier Woods) vs. The Revival (Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder)

The next match on the show was The New Day versus The Revival. We were told by commentary that The New Day have never beat their opponents. The Revival were wearing snake boots which were gifted to them by Orton. At first I was confused, because it sounded like a knock on Orton. After a break, Big E had a hot tag, giving both Revival members belly-to-belly suplexes. He did a standing frogsplash onto Dawson. He tried for a double team ove with Woods, although Dawson threw Woods off the top. As Big E was about to hit a move, Randy Orton came in the ring and gave Big E and RKO. Orton is seemingly forming a new trio where he has two henchmen. Kofi Kingston did a run-in and took out The Revival but was hit with an RKO for his troubles. Woods was given a triple team RKO. Orton made Kingston watch as The Revival did a double team move to Woods. Woods sold the move like a leg was torn off.

Sasha Banks Interview

Sasha Banks was interviewed next. She was backstage while the commentators were at their desk. Michael Cole asked her to explain her actions last week. While we expected her to talk about attacking Natalya and Becky Lynch, she talked about her hair colour change. Cole asked more specifically. but Banks walked off set. Okay, cool. It felt like this killed the momentum from last week, although I didn’t like the segment last week either.

Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville

In the next match, WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Cross got the win for her team with the Cross Neckbreaker.

Cedric Alexander vs. Sami Zayn (King of the Ring First Round Match)

In the final King of the Ring match of the night, Cedric Alexander fought Sami Zayn. Zayn started fast in the match, but couldn’t get a pinfall. Alexander did a dive to the outside later. He followed it up with a kick off the ropes and lumbar check to win the match. Zayn got pretty squashed in this match. Backstage we had the Street Profits comparing their brackets for King of the Ring. They hyped up some of the upcoming matches in the tournament.

Backstage we saw Natalya cutting a promo about Sasha Banks. She had an arm in a brace. While she was talking, she was jumped by Banks. After the beatdown she said “Go to hell Nattie, and tell your daddy I said hi.” Ew. Just like last week, I don’t like the references to her actual deceased father. Just makes the show look trashy.

Braun Strowman & Seth Rollins vs. Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson w/ AJ Styles (RAW Tag Team Championship Match)

In the main event of the evening, Braun Strowman and Seth Rollins challenged for the RAW Tag team Championships. Gallows and Strowman started off the match. Strowman got a shoulder tackle, and then did a double team move, tagging in Rollins. Rollins was isolated in his opposite corner, where Anderson was tagged in. Rollins gave Gallows a knee right after he tagged in which sent him outside the ring. Rollins also sent Anderson outside the ring. In not so wise of a move, Rollins tried beating up both of them outside of the ring, and because of the numbers game, got beat up. After the break, it was Anderson and Rollins in the ring. Rollins was given a spinebuster, stopping the momentum he was building up. Anderson put Rollins on the top rope. Rollins reversed a Superplex, knocking Anderson off the ropes. He hit a blockbuster but couldn’t get a hot tag as Gallows got tagged in and stopped it. Outside the ring, Strowman got distracted by Styles. Gallows threw Strowman into a ringpost, then got back in the ring where he was hit with a Superkick by Rollins. Anderson got tagged in, and was hit with a Swingblade. Rollins got Gallows out of the ring and did a dive. Back in the ring, Rollins gave Anderson a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Weird how Strowman getting hurt almost won Rollins the match. Rollins went to the top, but when the referee wasn’t looking, Styles knocked him off the top rope. Gallows and Anderson hit a double team move which Rollins kicked out of. They tried for another double team move, but Rollins fought out of this one. Anderson threw Rollins outside of the ring, where Styles was going to hurt Rollins. Strowman finally reappeared, taking out Styles and Gallows. Strowman got a hot tag against Anderson, hitting tons of shoulder tackles and other moves. Stroman gave Anderson a Running Powerslam while Rollins fended off Styles with a Curbstomp. Strowman got the pin, winning the belts for him and Rollins.

While this match was very good, man it made Gallows and Anderson look like idiots. They threw everything at the trio, but none of it worked. Strowman gave Rollins subtle stares throughout this show, obviously teasing that he’s gonna turn on him eventually. I mean, that’s obvious.

This was a good RAW. To be honest, this show pointed out the issues that WWE has. While this show produced many great matches, the logic and reasoning behind a lot of storytelling is odd or just doesn’t make sense. The best part of the show was probably the King of the Ring matches, which were both pretty good matchups.

WWE RAW 8/19/19 Preview

Tonight on RAW, the beginning of the King of the Ring tournament will make it’s return. Along with the tournament’s kick-off will be a championship match, the first official return of Sasha Banks and more. Taking place from the XCEL Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, let’s preview this week’s episode of Monday Night RAW.

The King of the Ring tournament will start on Monday with two matches. The tournament has usually operated in the past as a one-night event, but this year will take place over a longer amount of time. The tournament matches which will happen on Monday are Cedric Alexander versus Sami Zayn and Cesaro versus Samoa Joe. The 16-man tournament consists of eight RAW brand and eight Smackdown brand fighters, with the finals being RAW versus Smackdown. The two other RAW brand matches are Ricochet versus Drew McIntyre and The Miz versus Baron Corbin. On the Smackdown side is Kevin Owens versus Elias, Ali versus Buddy Murphy, Chad Gable versus Shelton Benjamin and Apollo Crews vs. Andrade.

While WWE searches for a new King, an old King in Jerry “The King” Lawler will return to programming. In an episode of “The King’s Court,” Lawler will interview Sasha Banks. Banks made her return to WWE television last week on RAW, attacking Natalya and then Becky Lynch, who came to aid Natalya. The last televised appearance of Banks prior to this was on an April 1st episode of RAW.

In the final segment of RAW last week, a match between AJ Styles and Seth Rollins was interrupted by Braun Strowman. Shortly after the confrontation, Styles challenged Stroman to a United States Championship match on the next episode in a WWE.com interview. The match has since been confirmed to take place on RAW this week.

Also billed for the show is Seth Rollins, Baron Corbin, Becky Lynch, Lacey Evans, Bray Wyatt, Ricochet, Natalya and Alexa Bliss. Some of their appearances may take place off-screen.

WWE Smackdown Live 8/13/19 Preview

This week’s episode of Smackdown Live will feature the fallout from Summerslam on Sunday. WWE.com published a preview for tonight’s show earlier today. Smackdown will take place at 8PM EST, live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The event will be the fourth and final appearance from the promotion in Toronto this week.

On Monday afternoon, Buddy Murphy challenged Roman Reigns to a match on Smackdown via Twitter. Later that day, Roman responded and of course accepted the challenge. The match is scheduled to be the in-ring debut for Murphy, who has limited himself to the Cruiserweight brand 205 Live before. Murphy was attacked by Erick Rowan on the Summerslam pre-show on Sunday. This attack happened because Murphy told Reigns that Rowan was the mystery identity who attacked him recently. After his Summerslam match was interrupted, Murphy claims the match tonight will be an opportunity to “show what I can do.”

In the highest profile Smackdown match on Sunday, Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton ended their WWE Championship bout with a double count-out. What happened after the bell became the most discussed, as Kingston teed off on Orton with a kendo stick after Orton stared down his family, who were sitting at ringside.

Kevin Owens got on Sunday in a grudge match against Shane McMahon, defeating him with the help of a low-blow when the ref was distracted and a stunner. It may be seen on TV this week whether Owens will continue to feud with Shane or if he will move onto another conflict.

Ember Moon will face Charlotte Flair on the show, which is ironic since Flair was a winner on Sunday while Moon wasn’t. Moon took a loss to Bayley in the Smackdown Women’s Championship at Summerslam, while Flair defeated WWE alumni Trish Stratus. Bayley is also expected to show up at the event.

Also promoted for the show is Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, Drew McIntyre, Xavier Woods, Big E and Rowan. Whether the appearances will occur on or off TV is not known.

WWE Smackdown Live 2/19/19 Results and Review

Smackdown came back on Tuesday after WWE Elimination Chamber took place on Sunday. Live from New Orleans, Louisiana, let’s look at this week’s Smackdown Live.

Smackdown Live started with Shane McMahon coming to the ring. As he made his way there, we were shown a video package about the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match. As Shane was talking about the show, The Miz came out. Miz said he had to get something off of his chest. He acted guilty about how they lost their tag belts on Sunday. Miz confessed that he used Shane. His speech eventually went into the idea of a rematch against The Usos. So it looks like The Miz is going to use him again. The Usos came out and trashed talked a little. Shane booked the rematch for Fastlane.

Aleister Black vs. Andrade w/ Zelina Vega

At RAW the night before there were many NXT wrestlers who got shown to the mainstream audience. It happened again this week but on Smackdown this time. The first match was between Aleister Black and Andrade. Andrade and Black were in a close battle for quite some time. Andrade tried for his Hammerlock DDT, but Black escaped and landed the Black Mass Kick to end the match. Not a bad match. Backstage we saw Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa being interviewed. Sheamus and Cesaro came over and told them to leave Smackdown. Gargano said that they are there to break the bar. This made Sheamus and Cesaro burst into laughter, and that was it. Kofi Kingston gave an olive branch that had pancakes on it to Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles as a way to apologize for being opponents on Sunday.

The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) vs. #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa)

The next NXT versus Smackdown Live was one between the previously mentioned Bar and #DIY. During this match Ciampa did a Sunset Flip off the second rope on Sheamus, but looked very scary. It looked like Ciampa nearly buckled his left knee with the move. It seemed to really scare the commentary team. Gargano put Cesaro in the “Gargano Escape” but Cesaro got out of it. Sheamus gave Gargano a knee off the top rope with help from Cesaro, but Ciampa broke up the pin attempt. Gargano was hit with a backbreaker from Sheamus for another two count. Sheamus was given a Superkick for a two count. Gargano tried for a roll-up and then tagged in Ciampa who did a roll-up to win the match. This caught Sheamus off guard because he was attacking Gargano in the corner at the time. An enjoyable match by all four. While I like these matches, I do feel that they can get sort of lame since they are basically special attraction matches.

Asuka vs. Mandy Rose w/ Sonya Deville

In the ring we saw Asuka get interviewed. She said that she’s ready for a challenge. Who answered her call? Mandy Rose. The match was made, but wasn’t for the title. Not even a minute into the match, Lacey Evans came out. She did he walk down the ramp, and then turn around and left. This actually distracted Asuka, giving Mandy an opening. She went for a pin attempt after putting Asuka into a corner, but wasn’t successful. Asuka landed a Shining Wizard later on for a two count. Rose faked a face injury to make Asuka let her guard down. She then shoved Asuka into a corner and then did a roll-up to win the match. Asuka was undefeated at one point in her career. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Ricochet vs. Eric Young w/ Killian Dain & Alexander Wolfe

Ricochet versus Eric Young in the next match. Ricochet landed his 630 Splash to end the match. Of course, Ricochet had a good showing.

Kofi Kingston, Jeff Hardy & AJ Styles w/ Big E & Xavier Woods vs. Samoa Joe, Randy Orton & Daniel Bryan w/ Erick Rowan

The main event was a tag match including all members of the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match. Daniel Bryan talked to the crowd on his way out. You could see huge welts on his chest from Sunday. Bryan says that his next opponent will be none of the men from the Chamber match since they’ve all been defeated. During this match Kofi had the crowd behind him (as he should to be honest). Kingston tried for a dive off the top rope but was shoved off by Bryan. Orton threw Kingston onto a commentary table, but it did not break. He did it again after a commercial break. Styles and Bryan were in the ring when Styles gave him a Calf Crusher. It was broken up by Samoa Joe, who was given a Twist of Fate. Orton slid Hardy out of the ring and then got clotheslined out by AJ. Bryan put AJ in an Labell Lock after a combination of moves. Bryan tried for a knee but got hit with a Pele Kick. Kingston got a hot tag but got dumped to the outside where many people were. Kofi came back in and did a dropkick off the top rope. He went to the top rope and did a dive to the outside onto Bryan and Rowan. Kingston landed a Trouble In Paradise to win the match. After the match Shane McMahon came out and booked Daniel Bryan versus Kofi Kingston for the Fastlane PPV.

Is this happening? Kingston is legitimately big with the crowd, and he’s getting some real wins. I’m ready to see this match. I don’t think that Kofi will legitimately win because this has all been so short term, but I’m excited to see what they can do in the next week weeks and in their match at the PPV.

This show felt somewhat lame. Like sure the NXT dudes are putting on good matches, but WWE needs more than just good matches to keep me interested. They need storylines that go along with them, which none of them really had. The main event was fun, and helped further build Kingston as a fan favourite.

WWE Elimination Chamber 2019 Results and Review

Tonight we look at Elimination Chamber, a PPV on WWE’s Road to Wrestlemania. The show had two matches that took place in the Elimination Chamber itself. The first one crowned the inaugural WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, and in the main event, a match that had the WWE Championship on the line. Let’s take a look at the show.

Akira Tozawa vs. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match)

The Youtube pre-show match was Akira Tozawa versus Buddy Murphy. It feels sort of odd that the one feud that took place exclusively on the Network is having it’s match on the pre-show. Some people who don’t watch 205 Live just wouldn’t care, right? Anyways, Tozawa did a dive to the outside early on, but was caught an given a suplex. Tozawa landed a Shining Wizard for a two count. Shortly after, Tozawa reversed a Powerbomb off the second rope into a Huricanrana for another two count. He did an Inverted Huricanarana off the corner, and then two dives to the outside head first. Murphy was dragged back into the ring but got up to avoid being landed on. Murphy got hurt on the ropes, and was given a Back Senton from Tozawa which looked painful. Coming off the ropes, Tozawa was hit with a running knee. Murphy escaped a submission move and landed Murphy’s Law to retain his belt. This was a spectacular match. I don’t know much about 205 Live currently, but when I see their matches on PPV’s then tend to deliver.

Carmella & Naomi vs. Liv Morgan & Sarah Logan vs. The Iiconics (Peyton Royce & Billie Kay) vs. Tamina & Nia Jax vs. Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley (Women’s Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match)

The first match on the PPV was the Women’s Tag Team Championship Elimination Chamber Match. The two tag teams that started this match were Sonya Deville & Mandy Rose and Sasha Banks & Bayley. Mandy Rose was given a good neckbreaker outside the ring from Bayley because she got her boot stuck on the cage. The first group to enter from a pod was Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan from the Riott Squad. The second team that entered was The Iiconics. They immediately tried pinning everyone in the ring since everyone was on the ground tired. After the Iiconics came Naomi and Carmella. Sidenote, but their names together work well as a team name since they’re both one-word names. Also they’re pretty good at mocking each other’s movements. Carmella was picked up by Billie Kay and almost Powerbombed off the cage and to the floor, but she reversed it into a Huricanrana. Naomi fought Mandy during this match because of their rivalry. Naomi was surprised by a roll-up pin from The Iiconics, who both pinned her. Naomi and Carmella became the first eliminations of the match. Right after, The Iiconics were surrounded by all of their opponents. Of course the final entrants were Nia Jax and Tamina.

Out of fear of the chaos, The Iiconics went back into their pod. Once Tamina and Jax realized this, they focused on The Iiconics. They were given duel Samoan Drops to be eliminated. They’re a seriously good comedy tag team. Morgan and Logan did duel Crossbodys off the top of a pod. Morgan was given a Samoan Drop off the second rope by Jax, and then Tamina did a Frogsplash onto both Riott Squad members to eliminate the team. Nia tried spearing Bayley but missed her and went through a pod. While Jax was out, Tamina was given an Elbow Drop off the top rope from Bayley. Everyone pinned and eliminated her. The final two teams were Deville & Rose, and Bayley and Banks. Banks did a Backstabber, and then Bayley did a Bayley-to-Belly onto Deville for a pin attempt. Rose came in to break up the pin. All four wrestlers went to the top of a pod. Deville was kicked off the pod, so was Bayley right after. Deville speared Bayley into a pod, but a metal bar in it, so it didn’t break. Rose drove Banks into a pod, and then did a move in the ring for a two count. Rose tried Spearing Banks, who was being held by Rose, but Sasha escaped, making Deville attack her own teammate. Banks put Deville in a Boss Statement to become the inaugural tag team champions with Bayley.

This match was pretty good. Up until the first pinfall it did feel a little slow, with a few minutes where it felt like nothing was happening at all. Also I don’t completely understand the gimmick of Banks doing nothing in tag matches on RAW the weeks before. Banks did a lot of the work in this match, so it didn’t make much sense to me. Banks and Bayley had an emotional speech afterwards.

The Miz & Shane McMahon vs. The Usos (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match)

Before the first match, The Miz came out. He brought out Maryse, who announced that they’re having another baby. To be honest this surprised me because I was expecting him to announce another episode of their reality TV show. Pretty sure this was the sole reason why the champions entered first. Like true best friends, The Miz and Shane wore matching shirts for this match. Early on in the match Shane was hit with a Superkick while trying for a Coast-to-Coast, and then a Frogsplash for a pin that The Miz broke up. He landed a Coast-to-Coast before his second one was countered. Shane did an elbow drop off the top rope and through a commentary table later. Miz did a Skull Crush Finale but it was reversed into a roll-up to end the match. The crowd loved this but it felt weird. The finish felt a little rushed. I was surprised that they were able to get the crowd back by the end of the match since they seemed tired from the match before. The Miz helped Shane McMahon to the back.

Bobby Lashley & Lio Rush vs. Finn Balor (WWE Intercontinental Championship Match)

This next match was an interesting one was Bobby Lashley’s belt was put on the line but defended by him and Lio Rush. Balor did a dive over the top rope to both Rush and Lashley. Balor gave Rush a Coup de Grace to win the match and become the new IC Champion. Out of pure anger, Lashley gave Rush a Chokeslam afterwards.

Ruby Riott vs. Ronda Rousey (WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match)

We were shown a clip from a house show last night where Becky Lynch came from the audience to attack Charlotte Flair. Flair then came out and was interviewed by Charly Caruso. She cut a promo and then took a seat at ringside for the next match. Ronda Rousey won her championship match in short time with an Armbar. Becky Lynch came from the crowd in crutches afterwards, coming to the ring with no security stopping her. After a long time of pretending she was hurt, she took her crutches and beat Charlotte with them. After a long build she beat Rousey with her crutches too. It didn’t feel believable how long Becky had until security arrived.

Baron Corbin vs. Braun Stroman (No DQ Match)

Baron Corbin and Braun Stroman fought each other in a No DQ match next. Corbin did a Running Powerslam through a table during this match. Right after, Drew McIntyre’s music hit and he came out with a chair. When he was focused on Corbin, Lashley came from behind and attacked with a chair. McIntyre and Lashley both picked on Stroman. The three guys gave Stroman a Triple Powerbomb through two tables to win the match.

Kofi Kingston vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniel Bryan (WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match)

The main event of the evening was the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship. Samoa Joe and Daniel Bryan started the match. During Bryan’s pre-match promo he got mad at the fact that Erick Rowan wasn’t allowed at ringside. Early on in this match, Bryan was cautious about Joe. He was waiting for another person to come into the match. Bryan fought with Joe until Kofi Kingston came in. Bryan climbed to the top of a pod and just sat down. Kofi hopped onto the pod and then chased Bryan onto the cage. Joe threw off Bryan, but Kofi avoided being taken down. Kofi jumped off the cage, landing back first onto Bryan and Joe. AJ Styles was the next person to enter the match. Joe was eliminated when AJ gave him a Phenomenal Forearm. Jeff Hardy came in next. Hardy did a unique Swanton Bomb off a pod and onto Styles, who was on the top turnbuckle. Bryan then gave Hardy a running knee strike to eliminate him. Randy Orton was the final person to enter. Orton landed an RKO on Styles to eliminate him. Kofi gave Orton a Trouble in Paradise to eliminate him.

The final two were Kofi Kingston and Daniel Bryan. Bryan and Kingston exchanged kicks. Kofi landed an SOS for a two count. The crowd was completely behind Kofi. Later on Bryan landed a running knee strike, but Kofi kicked out. Bryan tried for another but was hit with a Trouble in Paradise. Bryan turned a pin attempt into one of his own which Kofi escaped. Bryan put in the Labell Lock but Kofi made it to the ropes. They went onto a pod, where after exchanging blows, Bryan got knocked down. Kingston tried for a Frogsplash but Bryan dodged it. Bryan landed a his running knee strike to end the match. The crowd fell silent. I think this is a good example of how when you play up a fanbases dream but have no intention of actually fulfilling it, you make people feel unsatisifed. The crowd did a “thank you Kofi” chant after the match.

Smackdown Live 2/12/19 Results and Review

The show started with a rest in peace graphic for Pedro Morales, who passed away this week. After that we saw a recap of last night, where Vince McMahon announced that Becky Lynch would be replaced at Wrestlemania by Charlotte Flair. Charlotte came out right after and cut a promo. Nothing special happened. She isn’t the best in her division for promo work and it shows.

Carmella & Naomi vs Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville vs. The Iiconics (Peyton Royce & Billie Kay)

Similarly to what happened last night on RAW, three tag teams that will be in the Elimination Chamber Match for the Women’s Tag Team Championship faced off. Naomi won the match for her team by doing a Split Legged Moonsault on Mandy Rose. During the whole match Peyton Royce and Billie Kay didn’t get in the ring. They jumped Carmella and Naomi after the bell. Since Rose was pinned, her team will start the Elimination Chamber match against Bayley and Sasha Banks.

McMiz TV With The Usos

The next segment was Shane McMahon and The Miz’s talk show segment. Their guests on this episode were The Usos. The Usos did a “tag team test,” which is the questions of favourite food, colour and sports team. Shane and Miz got a pop when saying that their favourite minor league baseball team is the Toledo Mud Hens. The Usos started to act sour once Mandy Rose was brought up. It really struck a nerve. The segment ended with The Usos giving their opponents Superkicks.

Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe vs. AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton (Gauntlet Match)

New Day have been given an opportunity to have the last Elimination Chamber slot after Mustafa Ali lost his due to injury. The group selected Kofi Kingston as the entrant into the match. Kingston faced Daniel Bryan as part of a gauntlet match including all Elimination Chamber members. The winner of the match gets to enter last in the Chamber match. This went for a very long time. Big E and Xavier Woods fought Erick Rowan at ringside late into it. They were kicked out from ringside, yet Rowan got to stay. Rowan threw Kofi into the timekeepers area when the referee wasn’t looking. Instead of the match ending in DQ, Rowan was thrown out from ringside. Kofi gave Bryan a Trouble in Paradise for the pinfall. Jeff Hardy came out next. Kofi eliminated Hardy with an SOS. Kofi escaped a Kokena Clutch and turned it into a roll-up to eliminated Joe. Joe attacked Kofi right after, putting him in a Rear Naked Choke. AJ Styles came out next and attacked Samoa Joe. Styles waited until Kofi Kingston recovered before they started. Kofi was working very hard in this match for what is a very small prize. Styles put in a Calf Crusher, which made Kofi Kingston tap out. The final entrant was Randy Orton, who of course came out of nowhere and did an RKO.

This match had some good wrestling but was half of the show. This just felt like a night off for the writers. NOTHING moved forward on this show. All we had was previews which gave us the same information we already knew.

Smackdown Live 1/29/19 Results and Review

This week Smackdown Live started with a recap of Becky Lynch’s Royal Rumble win, and her confrontation with Ronda Rousey on Monday. When we went to the live arena we saw Becky Lynch come to the ring. The crowd had paper signs that said “The Man,” similar to last night. I think this is one of those things that the WWE production hands out to the crowd. After Becky did a short promo Charlotte Flair came out. Flair taunted her, saying that she finally made it off the kickoff show. I thought Charlotte didn’t come off as a believable heel in this scene. Just the way she delivered lines, I guess. After Charlotte finished talked she got punched in the face. Lynch walked away confidently but then got hit from behind on the ramp. They brawled until it was broken up. This was a good way to start the show. I wished that they had some sort of lead into what was happening in the next segment. Like when the brawl was being broken up they could have made someone have their entrance.

R-Truth vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (United States Championship Match)

After the break R-Truth and Carmella came out to the ring. R-Truth was angry about how his #30 Royal Rumble spot was robbed by Nia Jax. To make up for this, he was granted a United States Championship match. After a commercial break there was a confusion as R-Truth did a roll-up pin where Shinsuke kicked out but the ref counted three. There was a pause, and then R-Truth was declared the new champion. After that Rusev came out with Lana. Rusev challenged him to a match, whatever the reason was I didn’t catch cause my feed cut out for a minute. Carmella shoved Lana which made her fall over, and then my feed cut out again, and then after the break we came back to a match. My feed cut out again, and apparently R-Truth beat Rusev. That seems hard to believe, and if it was true seems sad. Rusev lost clean to R-Truth? Also, was Rusev the heel in this? Because he certainly wasn’t a heel on Sunday. Truth was jumped after the match by Nakamura and Rusev. Backstage we saw Becky Lynch leaving the venue. When asked why she wouldn’t let the doctors evaluate her, she said she’s done being sidelined.

Andrade Attacks Rey Mysterio

Rey Mysterio came out for a match. Before his opponent came out, Zelina Vega said that she knew Mysterio orchestrated her getting banned from ringside with the last match between Mysterio and Andrade. Andrade tried for a Three Amigos but Mysterio escaped the third one and tried for a 619. The 619 was blocked, with Andrade landing his Hammerlock DDT to finish off Mysterio. I hope that these two guys get built for a PPV match because they deserve that sort of a stage for this.

The Miz and Shane McMahon Celebrate Their Title Victory

The Miz and Shane McMahon came out to celebrate their tag team Championship victory. As a present for The Miz, Shane showed a video package on the team’s journey to becoming champions. Shane then brought out The Miz’s father. On a mic, Miz’s dad said he loves him and is proud of him. Backstage we saw Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose declare themselves for the Elimination Chamber Tag Team Championship match. So people on RAW have to win a match to qualify, and they just get the walk into it? Mandy Rose showed a clip from 2015 on the show Tough Enough, showing Naomi criticize Rose, which is apparently why Rose has held a grudge against her. This felt dumb since the Tough Enough clip at hand was people taking wrestling moves and having no reaction to them.

The Usos vs. The New Day vs. The Bar vs. Heavy Machinery (Elimination Tag Team Match)

We had a fatal-four-way elimination tag team match next with Heavy Machinery’s first match on Smackdown. They beat The Ascension last week on RAW. The two big guys in this match were Otis Dozivic and Big E, who faced off for some time in this match. The commentary team continued to talk about Mandy Rose minutes into the match. Kofi was the first elimination as Heavy Machinery gave them their double team move “The Compactor.” Before a commercial break The Usos were planning to do double dives to the outside, but only one of them dove since the other one was distracted that they got tagged out by Sheamus. Because of this, the one that dove got picked on outside the ring. Sheamus gave Tucker Knight a Brouge Kick to eliminate Heavy Machinery. Right after that Jimmy Uso gave both Sheamus and Cesaro a Superkick, dove to the outside to take out Cesaro, and then Jey did a Frogsplash to win the match.

Closing Segment

Daniel Bryan came out to the ring to cut a promo on his WWE Championship win on Sunday. He said that this win was a win for everyone. He then introduced Erick Rowan, his new henchman. Bryan talked about how he is a hypocrite for carrying around the WWE Championship. He talked about the cow that was killed to make the belt, calling it Daisy. He threw it in the garbage and then unveiled a new belt that was made of rocks, wood and hemp. While talking about the belt he was interrupted by AJ Styles. Randy Orton came out as we went to a commercial break. After the break all of the sudden Jeff Hardy is in the ring, and Mustafa Ali is coming to the ring. Samoa Joe came out right after, and everyone was talking trash to each other. After Joe mentioned Styles’ wife, everyone started brawling. As Bryan is on top of the announce table saying that he won’t let any of them fight him, Triple H appears on the big screen and says that Bryan will defend his belt in an Elimination Chamber match. This was such a poorly constructed ending to the show. There was explainable reason why so many people came out at the end.

WWE Royal Rumble 2019 Results and Review

It’s time to review what is easily my favourite show every year. Of course I am talking about the Royal Rumble. Along with the men’s and women’s Royal Rumble matches, the third biggest match on the show was Brock Lesnar versus Finn Balor, who is replacing Braun Stroman after Stroman angered Vince McMahon on RAW three weeks ago. On the Smackdown brand, AJ Styles was challenging for the WWE Championship against Daniel Bryan. Also, Asuka faced Becky Lynch for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Let’s start with the pre-show matches.

Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. Rezar w/ Drake Maverick & Scott Dawson

At the analyst desk for the Royal Rumble Kickoff was Johnathan Coachman, Beth Phoenix, Booker T and Jerry Lawler. After 45 minutes of the pre-show, we had our first match. The match that kicked off the show was an odd one. Since Akam, one-half of The Authors of Pain is injured, he teams with Scott Dawson from The Revival for a tag match. I can only assume this is to remind people that AoP exists. There was some sort of stipulation announced that if Rezar and Dawson won they would both get title shots for their teams or something. Early on there seemed to be issues with the team of Rezar and Dawson as Rezar gave a shocked expression when he was involuntarily tagged out. Roode was on a roll late in the match, hitting a Blockbuster. Dawson pulled the tights during a roll-up but it didn’t help him. Rezar got hit with Dawson’s move by accident and then was taken out of the ring by both Roode and Gable. With the help of Roode, Gable hit a Moonsault on Dawson to end the match. This was a dumb match. Why bring back Rezar while his partner is injured just to lose? The finish didn’t feel like it was proper, and the bad chemistry between Rezar and Dawson existed but wasn’t really shown enough, especially at the end.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev (WWE United States Championship Match)

The first championship match of the show was Nakamura versus current champion, Rusev. During this match Nakamura wore a very red outfit. Rusev was dominant early on, clotheslining Nakamura out of the ring after a couple of suplexes. He then threw Nakamura towards the steel stairs, but Nakamura dodged it and came back with a kick. He threw Rusev into a barricade and then kneed him in the chest. Back in the ring, Rusev got hit with a knee in the corner for a two count. Rusev got himself back together and got on a roll. He landed a Spin Kick off the ropes for a two count after a combo of moves. They must have cut to Lana 20 times during this match. Nakamura escaped an Accolade attempt and landed some kicks. Was there a “kicks only” stipulation for this match that I missed? Rusev landed a Matchka Kick and than a slam move which got turned into an Armbar by Nakamura. Shinsuke turned the Armbar into a Triangle Choke, and then a Guillotine when Rusev tried escaping. Rusev landed a Suplex to finally escape. The pin attempt following it got a very close count. Nakamura went to the turnbuckle after a near fall and took off a pad. Lana got on the apron and tried to let the ref know. Nakamura got in her face, and Rusev tried to attack him during this. Shinsuke dodged Rusev, and hit Lana instead. This distracted Rusev, letting Nakamura hit a Kinshasa to win the match. This match could have cooled down on the kicks. It’s hard to tell if the crowd is quiet or they are just hard to hear.

Kalisto vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Hideo Itami vs. Buddy Murphy (WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match)

The final pre-show match was a fatal-four-way for the Cruiserweight Championship. Early in the match there was a nice move where Tozawa dove to the outside and hit Kalisto, who Huricanrana’d Murphy. Later on Murphy did a dive onto all three opponents. Hanging off the second rope Murphy was hit with a Huricanrana and seemingly planted his head in the canvas. Murphy landed a Powerbomb onto Kalisto but Tozawa broke up the pin. Kalisto gave Itami a Salida del Sol for a two count. Murphy gave a good knee to Kalisto as he was coming off the ropes. After a combo of moves against Itami he hit Murphy’s Law for the win. This match had some good stuff in it, with a lot of impressive spots.

Becky Lynch vs. Asuka (WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship Match)

Opening the PPV was Becky Lynch versus Asuka. Early on in the match Asuka was kicked off the apron, landing flat on the floor. Outside the ring Lynch did a Beckslpoder onto the barricade. Lynch went off the second rope and was hit with a knee. Asuka landed a close count after a hit attack. Asuka went off the top rope but Lynch avoided her, and then hit a Rock Bottom for a two count. Lynch fell into an Armbar and almost escaped but then got put in an Asuka Lock. Lynch rolled to the ropes to get out. Back on the apron, Asuka gave Becky some sort of Suplex onto the floor. Becky made it back into the ring before the ten count. They traded slaps in the ring until Asuka landed a spinning kick for a two count. The fight found its way onto the top rope, where Lynch landed a Super-Becksploder for a two count. Asuka dodged a Leg Drop off the top rope into an Asuka Lock. Lynch did a Disarmer and then turned it into an Asuka Lock of her own. Asuka got out and then did a kick. After a chain of moves Asuka did a Chokehold to retain. I thought Lynch would win, but she didn’t. This match had good moments but felt like it wasn’t always entertaining. Like I mentioned before the crowd sounded dead, which didn’t help this match.

The Miz & Shane McMahon vs. Sheamus & Cesaro (The Bar) (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match)

The next match was for the Smackdown tag titles. Right off the bat Sheamus was caught off guard was Shane speared him. Outside the ring Cesaro was put on a commentary table for an Elbow drop but got out of it. Instead, Shane did an elbow drop to Sheamus, who was standing. Late in the match Shane got a hot tag and did a ton of moves, including his horrible punches. Shane was going to give both members of The Bar a Coast-To-Coast, but Cesaro caught him and did his spinning move. Shane put in a Triangle Choke which Sheamus broke up by going off the ropes. The Miz went after Sheamus but was given a Clothesline outside the ring. Sheamus got tagged in, and then the team did a Double Team move for a two count. Sheamus tried for a Brouge Kick but The Miz shoved Cesaro, letting him get hit with it. The Miz gave Sheamus a Skull Crushing Finale, and then Shane surprisingly hit a Shooting Star Press to win the match.

Sasha Banks vs. Ronda Rousey (WWE RAW Women’s Championship Match)

After the Smackdown Women’s Championship match started off the show, the RAW women’s title match was two matches later. Near the start the fight went to the outside where Ronda punched a ringpost because Sasha dodged a strike. Sasha landed a dive and then put Ronda back in the ring. After a Double Knees in the corner Sasha got a two count. After Ronda dodged another Double Knees she tried for a Pipers Pit which was turned into an Armbar. She turned it into a Banks Statement, which Rousey eventually got out of. Rousey landed a Pipers Pit. Rousey was really selling her injured arm from the ringpost spot. Rousey went to the top rope, and Banks went up to it as well. Banks landed a Superplex for a two count and then went right back into another arm move. Ronda did Judo Throws and then got thrown outside of the ring. Rousey put Banks in a move outside the ring after catching a dive. Banks tapped out of this but that didn’t matter since they were outside of the ring. Banks put Rousey in a Banks Statement and used part of her attire to choke Rousey. This was transitioned into an Armbar which Rousey escaped and turned into a Gutwrench Powerbomb. She then landed a Pipers Pit to win the match. This was a good match in my opinion. It’s wild to think that Rousey debuted at the Rumble a year ago and put on a match like this only a year after.

Women’s Royal Rumble Match

The first Royal Rumble match of the evening was the women’s one. Beth Phoenix was a guet commentator for this match. #1 Lacey Evans was the first entrant, starting against #2 Natalya. Evans did a promo before the match started. #3 Mandy Rose was the next entrant. Evans missed a Moonsault while Mandy was coming out. Natalya gave both of them a Sharpshooter. #4 Liv Morgan. Morgan charged at Natalya and was thrown out. Evans gave both Mandy and Natalya a Bronco Buster. #5 Mickie James. #6 Ember Moon. #7 Billie Kay. Kay refused to get in the ring once arriving. She told the English announcing team that she was waiting for Peyton Royce. #8 Nikki Cross. Cross attacked Kay at ringside and then did a Crossbody off the top onto everyone in the ring. #9 Peyton Royce. Royce went in and tried to aid Kay. They teamed up on Nikki Cross. #10 Tamina. Tamina gave Nikki Cross a Frogsplash.

#11 Xia Li. Mickie James was kicked off the apron and eliminated by Tamina. #12 Sarah Logan. Ember Moon resisted elimination by having her feet hung on the bottom ropes. Nikki Cross was taken out by The Iiconics. Cross came off as very weak in this match. #13 Charlotte Flair. Xia Li was taken out with a kick from Charlotte. #14 Kairi Sane. Sane gave Logan an InSane Elbow Drop. #15 Maria Kanellis. Kanellis was hit with a Spear from Charlotte after doing a dance or something. #16 Naomi. Naomi and Mandy fought early on since they are currently in that homewrecker story. On the apron Naomi kicked Rose and then shoved her to the floor. Naomi was almost taken out by Rose but got onto the barricade, and then jumped to the steel steps. Rose shoved her eventually, eliminating her anyways. Charlotte eliminated Lacey Evans. #17 Candice LeRae. #18 Alicia Fox. After Fox gave a few people dropkicks Maria Kanellis tried forming an alliance. This worked, as they both worked on Sane. Maria stomped on Alicia’s hat, which made her freak out. This was a comedy spot that fell flat. Maria was eliminated shortly after #19 Kacy Catanzaro. #20 Zelina Vega.

#21 Ruby Riott. Ruby Riott came out with Sarah Logan and Liv Morgan, who were eliminated previously. They pulled Charlotte out of the ring (still in the match) and then teamed up on her. They did the same thing to Fox. Vega went under the ring on the other side. Fox was thrown out of the ring by Ruby. Candice was Powerbombed into a barricade, brought back into the ring and then eliminated. #22 Dana Brooke. Kairi Sane was eliminated by Ruby Riott. They kept cutting to Vega who was smugly hiding under the ring. #23 Io Shirai. Shirai went after The Riott Squad immediately, who were beating up Sane at ringside. Shirai landed a Moonsault off the top rope to the trio. #24 Rhea Ripley. Catanzaro was given a Baseball Slide to the outside but did a Handstand to the corner and got back in the ring. This match felt like a Best of John Morrison and Kofi Kingston with all of these close call eliminations. She was eliminated only moments later. #25 Sonya Deville. Ripley kicked Brooke out of the ring. Vega poked her head out of the ring again but this time Hornswoggle came out as well. Hornswoggle chased Vega, making her get into the ring and get thrown out by Ripley. #26 Alexa Bliss. Up to until this point Charlotte felt like the only person who had a realistic chance of winning. Deville was eliminated after getting hit with a punch from Bliss. #27 Bayley. Bayley took out Ruby Riott and Rhea Ripley. Not sure where the rest of the Riott Squad went. #28 Lana. Lana was playing up her injury from Rusev’s match. She had to get checked by medical staff halfway down the walkway. #29 Nia Jax. On the way to the ring Nia Jax attacked Lana and her leg. Jax caught a Moonsault from Io Shirai and threw her out of the ring. Shirai sort of folded when hitting the floor. Natalya was thrown out shortly after. #30 Carmella.

Carmella earned her #30 sport because she won the second season of the Mixed Match Challenge. Becky Lynch came out and negotiated with Fitt Finlay, and replaced Lana in the match. Bliss and Ember battled on the apron for some time. Bliss did a leg sweep to take out Moon. Bayley and Carmella teamed up to eliminated Bliss, but got clotheslined by Nia Jax right after. Charlotte kicked Carmella off the apron, making it only four left. Jax picked up Bayley and the got kicked, making her drop Bayley out of the ring. The final three were Jax, Lynch and Charlotte. Charlotte lifted Nia Jax and then dropped her. Charlotte put Jax on the apron, and then Lynch pushed her off the apron since she was outside the ring. Lynch was pushed by Jax which made her fall and get hurt. Just before Charlotte’s hand was raised, Lynch came in and the match continued. Charlotte targeted the injured leg frequently. Charlotte went over the ropes after charging Lynch, and then was hit, making her fall the floor. Becky Lynch won the Women’s Royal Rumble.

I enjoyed this Rumble. I thought it was good that they laid off the legends since they were a big focus of the women’s Rumble last year. Instead they gave many spots to NXT wrestlers. I thought the stars or potential contenders for the Rumble were a little too stacked at the end of the list. In the first ⅔ of the Rumble, Charlotte was the only real big name that came out. Lynch was the right one to win, as she will most likely challenge Asuka.

Daniel Bryan vs. AJ Styles (WWE Championship Match)

The WWE Championship was in the unfortunate position of cool-down. In this match Styles started bleeding through his nose. Bryan got a close pin attempt after a good looking Dragon Suplex. Later on, Bryan stopped a Springboard 450 by putting his knees up, and then put on the Lebell Lock. During the match Erick Rowan came to the ring. The ref was taken out, which gave Rowan the opportunity to give Styles a Chokeslam. Bryan pinned Styles to win. This was very disappointing. For one, the match placement was horrible. Also, the match was way too long and the crowd didn’t like it.

Finn Balor vs. Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman (WWE Universal Championship Match)

Right off the bat Balor jumped Lesnar as he had his back to him. Balor eventually lost control of the match, with Lesnar throwing him around. Lesnar took apart a commentary table, but then was rammed into it by Balor. Balor did two dives to the outside at one point, with the second one looking really good. Back in the ring Finn tried for a Coup de Grace, landing it, but Lesnar kicked out. Lesnar put in a Kimura right after, with Balor tapping. After the match he beat up Balor further. This match also felt like it didn’t have a ton of hype behind it, but didn’t have the cold reaction that Bryan versus Styles got. This was okay, I guess. Lesnar won, which is predictable. They kept it short, which was nice.

Men’s Royal Rumble Match

The main event of the evening was the men’s Royal Rumble match. #1 Elias was the first entrant. He was going to perform for the crowd, but was interrupted by #2 Jeff Jarrett. Elias asked Jeff if he wanted to do a duet with him. Before it start Elias attacked Jeff, making the match start. Elias smashed his guitar on Jarrett’s back and then threw him over the ropes. #3 Shinsuke Nakamura. #4 Kurt Angle. Angle came out to a good reaction. #5 Big E. Nakamura kicked Angle on the ropes and took him out. #6 Johnny Gargano. #7 Jinder Mahal. Mahal was accompanied by the Singh Brothers. Mahal was eliminated very quickly by Gargano via kicks. #8 Samoa Joe. Big E was thrown out by Joe. #9 Curt Hawkins Hawkins came in and out of the ring making weak attacks. He got caught in a Cohena Clutch from Joe, but escaped it because of Elias. Hawkins went under the ring. #10 Seth Rollins. Elias was eliminated by Rollins because he was holding onto a corner post but then got his hands hit.

#11 Titus O’Neil. When running out to the ring Titus was cautious to avoid falling. O’Neil went under the ring because he saw Hawkins, and then chased Hawkins into the ring and then went over the ropes. Hawkins celebrated, but was thrown out right after. #12 Kofi Kingston. #13 Mustafa Ali. Ali dropkicked Nakamura off the top rope and to the outside. Ali was thrown into a corner by Joe brutally. #14 Dean Ambrose. Kofi got thrown to the outside but avoided elimination by keeping his feet on the apron and rolling to the stairs. Ambrose eliminated Johnny Gargano. #15 No Way Jose. No Way Jose came out with his big conga line. When coming in the ring he was eliminated immediately, possibly breaking the Santino record. He barely missed a beat, partying with the conga line to the back. #16 Drew McIntyre. McIntyre headbutted No Way Jose and threw around a few conga line members on the way to the ring. He took out everybody when entering the ring. #17 Xavier Woods. Kofi avoided elimination by giving Xavier a Sunset Flip but keeping one foot in the air. Xavier held on to Kofi, putting him on the stairs. Once entering the ring they were both taken out by Drew McIntyre. #18 Pete Dunne. Dunne had a good combo of moves on many guys when coming in. #19 Andrade. #20 Apollo Crews.

#21 Aleister Black. Black eliminated Ambrose with a kick. #22 Shelton Benjamin. Joe was thrown out by Ali after being hit with a very nice kick from Benjamin. #23 Baron Corbin. Crews was eliminated by Corbin. #24 Jeff Hardy. Corbin threw out Black, catching him off guard. Dunne almost did a finger breaking spot on Corbin but was hit with a kick from McIntyre. Drew threw out Dunne after. #25 Rey Mysterio. Corey Graves talked about how Rey has had a “career resurgence” as of late, as if Rey was in a slump recently. #26 Bobby Lashley. Bobby Lashley was accompanied by Lio Rush. Lashley was thrown out the match very quickly, and the took Seth out of the ring from the bottom rope. Rush and him took apart commentary tables. Seth was Chokeslammed through the English table. #27 Braun Stroman. Stroman took out Corbin since he costed him the title shot that he was supposed to have. He took out Benjamin shortly after. #28 Dolph Ziggler. Jeff Hardy was eliminated at Ziggler came out. Ziggler immediately eliminated McIntyre. #29 Randy Orton. There was a four man Superplex spot involving Rollins, Andrade, Stroman and Mysterio. #30 R-Truth.

While coming out Nia Jax attacked R-Truth. Nia Jax took R-Truth’s spot. Jax took out Mustafa Ali. She turned around and had a face off with Randy Orton. He tried for an RKO, but was shoved against the ropes by Jax. Jax told Rey to do a 619 but then caught him when running. When Rey was held by Jax she was Superkicked. She then was hit with a 619 and then an RKO. She was taken out shortly after. Orton gave Rey and RKO and then eliminated him. Andrade took out Orton right after. Ziggler and Andrade were duking it out until Stroman came back in the ring. Rollins gave Stroman a Frogsplash. Stroman took out Andrade, making the final three Stroman, Ziggler and Rollins. Stroman threw Rollins and Ziggler over the ropes but they hung on. Stroman charged at them, which eliminated Ziggler. Rollins tried flipping Stroman over but he escaped the perdicament after Chokeslamming Rollins. Both guy went over the top rope and fought on the apron. Stroman was shoved into the post, kicked him and then did a Curbstomp to eliminated Braun Stroman. Seth Rollins won the 2019 Men’s Royal Rumble Match.

This match was okay. I was hoping that there would maybe be one or two more surprise entrants that weren’t NXT wrestlers. One small production thing that ticked me off was how they never showed the entrance stage when someone’s music hit. They would only ever show the stage after someone appeared, like it was a WWE video game.

In general the Royal Rumble had a lot of good stuff. There were some matches that didn’t do as well as they could, with only some of that being their fault (match placement, etc). I know it most likely won’t change so there’s no point in complaining about it, but the show was just too long. Even if it’s great wrestling, more than five hours of it is asking for a lot of viewers.