Luke Harper, Sin Cara, and The Ascension Released from WWE

On Sunday, WWE announced the release of The Ascension (Viktor & Konnor), Luke Harper, and Sin Cara from the roster in a move that was somewhat surprising considering the current landscape of the industry. WWE has been scooping up any wrestler with name value, re-signing wrestlers to lucrative five-year extensions, and not granting releases to avoid supplying talent to the competition, All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

So, what changed? Is WWE merely cutting costs, or is there more than meets the eye?

Luke Harper publically asked for his release from WWE in April while Sin Cara expressed his desire to leave a few weeks ago. The Ascension was out of sight, out of mind on television. Unfortunately, they never showed the promise of their NXT run on the main roster due to the way they were booked from the jump.

Sin Cara is a character that never got over whether it was Lucha libre superstar Mistico, who the role was designed for or Jorge Arias, who took over the part when Mistico left the company in 2014. Luke Harper is the big missed opportunity of the four wrestlers that were released. Reportedly, Vince McMahon was never high on him, despite his talent. All four will be looking for work, however, where will they land?

When it comes to The Ascension, the word on the street is that Viktor is a tremendous worker but never got the chance to show it. Konnor is a big guy that is serviceable in the ring. Do they stay together as a team, or do they go their separate ways? While their tag-team act is their most viable commodity, NXT was a long time ago. Perhaps, Viktor decides to bet on himself and work the independent scene to build his name back up.

Jorge Arias will have to reinvent himself fundamentally. He’ll probably find work in Mexico; however, being able to charge a high price for his services in the states will be a challenging venture. Arias never had a viable name beforehand, and WWE owns the Sin Cara character.

Even if Arias comes up with a new gimmick, promoters will feel the need to market him as “formerly Sin Cara.” Honestly, fans might not even care for a wrestler who was so low on the totem pole. If Arias starts churning out five-star classics and becomes the belle of the indy ball, then he won’t need “Former WWE Superstar” etched under his name on an event poster.

Presumably, Luke Harper has the most to gain from his release. The soon to be rechristened Brodie Lee had an excellent reputation for putting on awesome matches before he signed with WWE and continued to do so as a member of the Wyatt Family.

AEW is his most anticipated landing spot because he’s a talented big man, and AEW could use more physical stature on their roster. New Japan Pro Wrestling wouldn’t surprise me either as Harper/Lee has a Bruiser Body look to him that could pay dividends.

The question remains, though, why did WWE cut these wrestlers after having a firm no release policy? This is pure speculation, however, maybe Vince McMahon no longer sees AEW as a threat. Of the ten weeks AEW Dynamite and NXT have gone head to head on Wednesdays, the ratings show AEW won eight of those meetings.

However, NXT won two of the last three weeks with only losing the previous week’s rating by only 1,400 viewers. While specific demographics have recently come into play when comparing ratings, NXT’s hold on people over 50 years old is strong while they are almost neck and neck with the more coveted demos that AEW previously dominated.

It is feasible that Vince McMahon believes he’s either winning the war against AEW, or he’ll win soon enough. If that’s the case, it’s easy to see why WWE has changed its release policy. Several wrestlers are still publically campaigning for their release, and with more cuts rumored to occur, those public requests could be granted.

It stinks getting fired at any time of the year, especially around the holidays. Even though two of the four wanted out, high paying indy gigs are not guaranteed. Besides, those only last so long before the wrestler is no longer a novelty and promoters begin to pay less. Best of luck to the four gentlemen as this new era of wrestling continues to be full of surprises.

New WWE Intercontinental Title Belt Revealed

A new look WWE Intercontinental Championship belt debuted on SmackDown last week as Sami Zayn presented it as a gift to current titlist Shinsuke Nakamura. This is the second title inside of the last two weeks to get a makeover with the Universal Championship getting a blue strap to match the motif of its new home, SmackDown.

This marks the fifth renovation of the IC title throughout its forty-year history. Cody Rhodes introduced the previous version of the belt in 2011 in an attempt to rebuild the prestige of the championship by reintroducing the classic style with an updated white strap.

The new design has a black strap and a center plate with gold and yellow trim brandishing the WWE logo. Two smaller plates are extending outward with a split illustration of the globe. For the first time, the IC title has interchange side plates allowing wrestlers to customize the belt with their name and logo.

While the old school fan in me wants to hate the new belt, I have to admit, it looks pretty cool. It’s very 2019 and speaks to the aesthetic of WWE’s current presentation. Visually, it’s the literal definition of the Intercontinental meaning travel between continents.

The classic version will always be my favorite, however, and it pains me to say this; it looked outdated compared to the other belts in circulation.

Shinsuke Nakamura joins Cody, as mentioned earlier, along with Tito Santana and The Rock as wrestlers who have ushered in a new era for Intercontinental Championship. As they say, out with the old, in with the new.

2019 WWE Survivor Series Results & Review

The thirty-third annual Survivor Series emanated from the All-State Arena in Chicago, Illinois, with a new caveat added to the event’s brand supremacy theme. For the first time, NXT competed against Raw and SmackDown. There were several Interbrand matches along with three title matches that made for one of the better WWE pay-per-views of 2019.

WWE didn’t make the wrestlers wear those color-coded brand-specific t-shirts, which were lame. Adam Cole is the big winner here as his matches throughout this pay-per-view cycle exuded superstardom. It will be interesting to see what is in store for him in the next six months.

The match I was looking forward to the most was the Triple Threat encounter between NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong, U.S. Champion AJ Styles, and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. In some ways, this match was behind the eight ball before it began since it was never going to live up to the impossible expectations fans had considering the talent involved.

While it never got to that fifth gear, it got close as all three wrestlers worked well together. Several big spots got the tough Chicago crowd to come alive. Roderick Strong got the win when Styles hit the phenomenal forearm on Nakamura and Strong ran in, threw Styles out of the ring, and pinned Nakamura.

Adam Cole defeated Pete Dunne to retain the NXT Championship in what is unquestionably match of the night. This was their most high profile match to date. This match could have very easily been a significant misstep considering Vince McMahon usually doesn’t book NXT style matches on major WWE shows. Vince deserves credit for letting NXT shine by allowing them to do what they do best. I’d recommend going out of your way to see this one.

Team SmackDown won the Men’s Survivor Series Triple Threat Elimination Match when Roman Reigns pinned NXT’s Keith Lee to emerge as the sole survivor. I was concerned that NXT would get lost in the shuffle of the main roster star power of Raw and SmackDown.

One point of contention occurred right of the bat when WWE U.K. Champion WALTER, representing Team NXT, was eliminated in four minutes. The crowd hated this, and fans online were equally as upset. WALTER shined against both Bruan Strowman and Drew McIntyre until McIntyre hit WALTER with the Claymore Kick for the elimination.

Looking at this from a promoter’s lens, this was the first time seeing WALTER for a large part of the audience. Booking WALTER to run roughshod over McIntyre and Strowman was done with the idea of getting him over with the uninitiated before he was eliminated. However, it wasn’t enough as all everyone remembers is how quickly WALTER was pinned.

Tomasso Ciampa pinning Kevin Owens with a draping DDT, in front of Randy Orton, was funny because it is a move out of Orton’s playbook. Also, Orton never beats anyone with that move while Ciampa sealed the deal.

Seth Rollins’ next t-shirt should read, “How the mighty have fallen.” The once-popular superstar is now a pariah due to several Twitter faux pas over the past few months. While he didn’t say anything offensive, his comments have made him come off as a company kiss ass while WWE has been pushing Rollins as the cool lead babyface on television.

Keith Lee came off like a superstar in the final frame with Roman Reigns. In defeat, Reigns offered a fist bump out of respect to Lee, which spoke volumes. Typically, fans would have rejected the idea of the top guy giving props to an already popular wrestler.

However, Reigns has only extended his fist to members of The Shield. Lee getting such praise came off as a nice moment that suggests big things are in store for the former Texas A&M defensive end. At 6′ 2″, 320 lbs. and moves like a cat, Lee has the makings of a superstar.

Brocks Lesnar matches at Survivor Series have become an event unto itself. The past two years he tore the house down with smaller opponents in AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan. This year he wrestled the smallest of the small in Rey Mysterio.

The NO DQ stipulation was used well as the mammoth Lesnar threw Mysterio around like a ping-pong ball. Rey found an opening and walloped Lesnar at will with a lead pipe. Rey’s son Dominick got involved and looked as if he was going to throw the towel in. The father and son duo delivered a double 619 to Lesnar, which was fantastic.

Each also delivered an Eddie Guerrero style frog splash to Lesnar. Dominick got some serious height with his splash. Lesnar caught Rey coming off the top rope with an F-5 for the win. While the match was short, it was fun while it lasted and told a great story.

In the main event, NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Bazler defeated Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch and SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley. The finish saw Bazler submit Bayley with a rear-naked choke, giving NXT the overall win for the evening with four wins, two wins for SmackDown, and one win for Raw.

NXT’s involvement this year made for one of the better Survivor Series shows in some time. They added a fresh element to the overproduced “brand supremacy” theme and greatly improved the match quality. WWE booking NXT as the heel invaders worked against them, inadvertently making them the babyface underdogs that no one wanted to lose.

It was important for NXT to shine on its biggest stage to date, and their win over Raw and SmackDown could give them the rub needed to beat AEW, in the ratings, consistently going forward. WWE produced a fun show that elevated their most popular asset. I’d say mission accomplished.

Survivor Series Quick Results:

Team NXT (Rhea Ripley, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, Candice LeRae, and Toni Storm) def. Team SmackDown (Sasha Banks [c], Dana Brooke, Carmella, Lacey Evans, and Nikki Cross) and Team Raw (Charlotte Flair [c], Natalya, Asuka, Kairi Sane, and Sarah Logan)
NXT North American Championship Roderick Strong defeated Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura and U.S. Champion AJ Styles
Adam Cole pinned Pete Dunne to retain the NXT Championship
“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt def. Daniel Bryan to retain the WWE Universal Championship
Team SmackDown (Roman Reigns, King Corbin, Shorty G, Mustafa Ali, and Braun Strowman) def. Team Raw (Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, Ricochet, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens) and Team NXT (Tommaso Ciampa, Matt Riddle, Keith Lee, Damian Priest, and WALTER)
Brock Lesnar defeated Rey Mysterio in a No Holds Barred, No Disqualification Match to retain the WWE Championship
NXT Women’s Champion Shayna Baszler defeated SmackDown Women’s Champion Bayley and Raw Women’s Champion Becky Lynch

Favorite Matches: Honorable Mentions

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been on a quest to pen love letters to my ten favorite wrestling matches. Nine of them have already been written, with one more to go. Professional wrestling, like any form of entertainment, is subjective.

What I like will be different from what someone else enjoys, and that’s ok. That is part of the reason why I wrote about each of these matches. To celebrate, not delineate or force my opinion upon anyone. As my good buddy Dave once told me, “Hey, you like what you like.” Continue reading “Favorite Matches: Honorable Mentions” →

New Japan Pro Wrestling of America Announced

PRO

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced yesterday a new U.S. based subsidiary called New Japan Pro Wrestling of America. The company will be based in California and begin operations in November. CEO Takami Ohbari presented the three phases of their expansion plan.

-Phase One: Discovering new wrestlers in markets outside Japan and developing talent through the LA Dojo.

-Phase Two: Run events in the US, including at Madison Square Garden and Dallas this year, both independently and with the assistance of other promotions.

-Phase Three: Establish a company within the US, and be ingrained in the everyday fabric when it comes to fans’ wrestling consciousness.

Phases one and two are already completed, and phase three is set as NJPW of America will be putting on twenty-seven live events across eighteen states in 2020. Arenas with twenty-five hundred seat capacity will be the targeted cites for the shows.

This is interesting considering WWE recently tried to purchase two wrestling promotions in Japan to create NXT Japan. Pro Wrestling NOAH and women’s promotion Stardom ultimately turned down their respective offers.

New Japan has made some promotional errors in the U.S., which can be chalked up to a difference in business culture. The opening night of the G1 Climax in Dallas only drew five thousand people. It should have drawn more; however, New Japan promoted the show like they usually do in Japan when they announced the card a few days before the show.

That kind of promotion won’t work with a U.S audience because we’re used to getting the lineup at least a month before the event. People need time to decide if they want to spend their money on event tickets, travel plans, and hotel accommodations.

New Japan also announced they’re staying on AXS TV for the foreseeable future. However, AXS is now owned by Anthem, the parent company of Impact Wrestling (Formerly TNA). Impact’s weekly television show debuts on AXS this evening. Odd are Impact will be the station’s priority, not New Japan.

While some feel New Japan is starting off its American expansion too slow, I think it’s just right. Slow and steady wins the race. NJPW of America needs time to adjust to the American way of promotion and marketing.

WWE is the industry leader. Their lackluster storytelling, however, has led to decreasing ratings, which has ultimately led to the emergence of All Elite Wrestling. Wrestling fans want quality matches and storytelling, and other companies are moving in to fill the void.

Arguably, New Japan has the best in-ring product in the game today. It will take more than suitable matches to get over in the U.S. on a mainstream level. I think New Japan realizes this and doesn’t mind moving slowly with its expansion while ensuring the product doesn’t take a single dip in the quality.

Ricochet Busted My Bracket

I believed my King of the Ring bracket should have been etched in stone. Well, Ricochet changed that when he defeated the tournament favorite, Drew McIntyre on Raw. Not only did they put on a really good match, but Ricochet went over clean. Baron Corbin toppled The Miz to ensure half of my Raw bracket was still intact.

Then, SmackDown happened. Ali defeated Buddy Murphy, which didn’t surprise me even though I picked Murphy to win. Chad Gable pinned Shelton Benjamin ensuring I ended the week 2-2. My tournament predictions had a back door of sorts since Murphy, in my mind, wasn’t a sure thing. Ricochet straight-up broke my bracket by beating the guy I picked to win the whole thing.

Now, I got to predict the rest of the tournament and pick a new winner…Thanks, Ricochet. 😡

This Monday on Raw will host the quarterfinal matchups. Samoa Joe vs. Ricochet is the hardest match to predict considering who’s involved. Samoa Joe is always a good bet to win a tournament or championship. However, Ricochet has been getting a push over the last few months. Samoa Joe is a strong enough performer to bounce back from a loss here. Ricochet has the spotlight on him right now and shouldn’t lose this soon in the tournament.

The second quarterfinal match on the Raw side features Baron Corbin taking on Cedric Alexander. If I had to bet, I’d pick Baron Corbin to win. While an Alexander vs. Ricochet semifinal would be fantastic, Vince McMahon likes newly featured babyfaces to conquer dastardly heels. Plus, Vince thinks Corbin is a star. However, since Paul Heyman is the booker, I believe he will produce an Alexander win to get the semifinal match everyone wants to see.

Elias tangos with Ali in the first SmackDown quaterfinal match. This is the easiest one to call. Elias has been making Kevin Owens’ life a living hell at the behest of Shane McMahon. Shane injected himself as the special guest referee; helping Elias beat Owens in the first round. It’s time for Owens to return the favor and cost Elias the match with Ali.

The second blue brand quarterfinal match will see Chad Gable taking on Andrade. Both wrestlers are super talented; however, WWE has done next to nothing with Gable. It’s s shame, too. Andrade seems to be someone the company has high hopes for. This should be a great match, but Andrade gets the W in this one.

Here we go. My new prediction bracket. I’m going all in on a Ricochet vs. Andrade final. Ricochet can afford a loss in the tournament finals. Andrade needs it more, and I think he’ll take the whole thing going forward. Still, though, no matter how it goes, the finals should make for a match of the year candidate!

Late to the Party King of the Ring Brackets

Welcome to my late to the party King of the Ring brackets. Since 1985, nineteen wrestlers have held the distinction of being King of the Ring. This year’s tournament will be the first in four years with sixteen wrestlers vying for the crown. The first, second, and third-round matches will occur on Raw and SmackDown. The finals will happen at Clash of Champions on September 15th.

As you can tell by the official bracket pictured above, I’m late to the game when it comes to predicting the field. Four matches have already taken place. I swear on my great grand pappy’s soul I predicted Samoa Joe and Cedric Alexander would win their first-round matches.

On the SmackDown side of the bracket, I predicted Elias and Andrade would advance to the second round. However, unlike the Raw matches, I have proof of my SmackDown picks I made before the show began.

King of the Ring has done a lot for wrestler’s careers. It helped launch Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H into superstardom, kept Bret Hart a hot commodity after losing his first WWF Title, and revitalized Booker T’s career as he became the most entertaining KOTR winner (All hail King Bookah!).

So, who will reign supreme in 2019? My complete bracket is posted below.

Buddy Murphy and Drew McIntyre are set to have a fantastic tournament. Murphy, representing SmackDown, got a massive win over Daniel Bryan last night. WWE is not going to squander all of the former cruiserweight champion’s momentum.

His first-round match with Ali will be a show-stealing affair. Kevin Owens will get his revenge on Elias and cost him the match against Murphy. Andrade and Murphy will tango in a SmackDown finale that will be nothing short of amazing.

Drew McIntyre will beat Ricochet in an explosive contest. In round two, “The Scottish Psychopath” will stop Samoa Joe in a hard-fought battle. McIntrye and Cedric Alexander will meet in the Raw finale in what will be a repeat performance of last week’s amazing match in Toronto.

Murphy is on fire right now; however, McIntyre has been the apple of WWE’s eye. He’s has everything going for him as a performer. Clash of Champions will be the time when they begin the main event ascension of Drew McIntyre by crowning him King of the Ring.

WWE Moves NXT to USA Network

WWE confirmed weeks of speculation this morning as NXT will air weekly on Wednesday night’s, live on USA Network at 8:00 pm EST beginning September 18. NXT will still emanate from Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. However, it will no longer serve as fist run programming for the WWE Network. This move was made in an attempt to get a two-week head start on All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) show on TNT, which will air live directly against NXT beginning October 2.

Wrestling insiders wondered not if but when Vince McMahon would respond to the emerging threat of AEW on television, and now we have our answer. Using NXT to cut off AEW at the pass and dilute their audience is a multifaceted, multimillion endeavor. Since 2010, NXT has been a developmental brand in main roster clothing. NXT can no longer be a prioritized training ground with the move from streaming to cable television. The fire of AEW can’t be fought with programming that isn’t on equal footing. To casual fans, developmental means minor league.

NXT will air two hours, live, every Wednesday, as opposed to filming multiple episodes once a month for a staggered release. NXT is the number one watched show on the WWE Network. Removing the show from its first run lineup could have a negative effect on the already low number of network subscribers. Every streaming service needs at least one linchpin program to succeed. Netflix has Stranger Things. Hulu has The Handmaid’s Tale. WWE Network now has…?

What is most interesting about this move is the landscape shift NXT will undertake. Vince McMahon is the primary shot caller for Raw and SmackDown while Triple H was the creative force behind the success of NXT. That was only the case because McMahon considers cable television more of a priority than streaming content. With this shift, there is no way Vince McMahon doesn’t take the creative reigns of the black and yellow brand.

Historically, McMahon doesn’t push wrestlers the physical stature of NXT Champion Adam Cole and the Undisputed Era. Popular character acts such as the talented and flamboyant Velveteen Dream go from being the belle of the ball to a second rate comedy act. The most important thing of all, NXT favors professional wrestling over sports entertainment. Storylines are engaging and straightforward. Talent means something. Wins and losses actually matter. That is the opposite of how Vince McMahon runs a television product. The NXT we used to know is gone.

Vince McMahon making presumed changes to NXT is even more of a head-scratcher considering who they are competing with. AEW is going to be a sports-orientated program where wins and losses matter. It’s precisely what diehard wrestling fans have been vigorously clamoring for ever since WWE has become a stale, homogenized version of the genre. The funny things is, NXT was WWE’s professional wrestling show tucked safely away from the prying eyes of a sports entertainment fanatic.

Having NXT’s wrestling centric product going up against AEW’s wrestling centric presentation would be the ultimate treat for wrestling enthusiasts. AEW is believed to have a better in-ring product, but NXT in its current form would have put that theory to the test. Instead of fighting fire with fire, Vince McMahon, presumably, is going to eliminate the hard-hitting wrestling aspect that makes NXT special, turn it into the same monotonous programming that has turned the audience away, and use that platform to combat the alternative program.

Change is coming to NXT in a significant way. Longer shows mean more wrestlers will be needed. Plus, with the brand jumping wild card rule in effect, big-name stars will undoubtedly appear on the show. Imagine The Miz vs. Adam Cole in a TakeOver main event for the NXT Championship? Yep, that is where things could very well be headed. Will there be an NXT draft where WWE Superstars pledge their allegiance to the new brand on the block?

If I could make one booking decision, I would get rid of 205 Live and move the cruiserweight division to NXT. It could be repackaged and hyped as something that will now only be seen on that show. It will be cool to see talents such as Matt Riddle, Johnny Gargano, and KUSHIDA performing on a bigger stage. Ultimately, NXT winning the upcoming Wednesday Night War wouldn’t be a surprise. After all, NXT is now a main roster brand of WWE.

WWE SummerSlam 2019 Review

SummerSlam | August 11, 2019, | Scotiabank Arena | Toronto, Ontario | WWE Network

WWE’s biggest party of the summer has a special place in my heart. SummerSlam 88 was my maiden voyage with professional wrestling and I’ve been a diehard enthusiast ever since. No Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, or Drew McIntyre on the lineup. While there are no must-see matches, this is the first pay-per-view of the Paul Heyman era.

-Pre-Show

Drew Gulak defeated Oney Lorcan to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship: Good effort by Gulak and Lorcan. It’s hard to get the fans to care about 205 Live when the brand’s biggest matches tend to open up the pre-show.

Buddy Murphy defeated Apollo Crews is Disqualification:

Murphy dropped Crews with a flying knee right out of the gate. Fast-paced action between the two until Rowan came out of nowhere and beat down Murphy. After power bombing Murphy against the ring post, Rowan yelled: “Keep my name out of your mouth” in response to Murphy dropping Rowan’s name to Roman Reigns on SmackDown.

Elias sang a melody scathing the city of Toronto until Edge made a surprise appearance. Edge claimed into the ring drilled Elias with a spear.

It’s the first time Edge has done anything physical since he retired several years ago due to injury.

Is Edge coming back?

Alex Bliss & Nikki Cross defeated The Iiconics to retain the Women’s Tag Team Titles: It was Meleficient versus Toy Story as far as the in-ring attire was concerned. Bliss took advantage of a hissy fit by Peyton Royce and hit Twisted Bliss for the win.

-Main Card

Becky Lynch defeated Natalya to retain the Raw Women’s Championship in a Submission Match:

The Canadian crowd respected Natalya, but they were firmly behind Becky Lynch. Becky went for an armbar early and transitioned into a triangle choke. Natalya went for the ropes, but there are no rope breaks in a submission match.

Natalya threw Becky between the ropes into the post and applied the Sharpshooter from the top rope. This resembled a street fight more than a submission match at times with some brawling outside the ring and Natalya trying to wear down Becky’s leg, which she injured on Raw.

Natalya hit Becky with a top rope superplex. Becky came back and locked Natalya in the Sharpshooter. The pro-Becky crowd booed this one a little bit until Natalya escaped. Natalya returned the favor and applied the Dis-Arm-Her.

Becky broke free but got caught in the Sharpshooter. Becky crawled under the rope and fell to the floor to escape. Natalya went for the Sharpshooter again, but Becky caught her in the disarmed Dis-Arm-Her. Natalya tried to fight it, but she eventually had no choice but to tap out.

I wasn’t sure if this was a good choice to open the show. I was wrong as both ladies set a great pace and told a fun story.

Goldberg pinned Dolph Ziggler:

Ziggler drilled Goldberg with two superkicks out of nowhere, but Goldberg kicked out both times at one. Goldberg came back with a vicious spear and followed up with a Jackhammer for the win in under two minutes.

A beaten Ziggler got the mic and said anyone can get lucky. Goldberg came back and speared Ziggler again. Ziggler said anyone can get lucky twice. Goldberg pretended he wasn’t going to spear Ziggler, only to run off the ropes and leveled him with a final spear.

This match was exactly what it should have been. Gave the fans what they wanted while giving us some post-match action to extend the time the affair without having a long match.

AJ Styles defeated Ricochet to retain the U.S. Title:

Anyone who thought they were going to get a New Japan style wrestling match here was sorely mistaken. Styles worked over Ricochet’s leg with some nice offense between the two. AJ got the win, and a post-match beatdown ensued with Gallows and Andreson hitting Ricochet with the Magic Killer.

Bayley pinned Embar Moon to retain the SmackDown Women’s Championship:

This was a good match that was hurt by a severe lack of crowd interest. Ember Moon hit a sweet Stormbreaker/Codebreaker combo for a near fall. Bayley came back with a nice Bayley to Belly off the middle rope for the three count.

Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon – Owens Quits if he Loses:

This match had all of the bells and whistles of a high stakes affair involving a McMahon. Elias was announced as the special guest enforcer by Shane. They teased Owens getting disqualified and counted out throughout the match. It was stated that Owens could not hit Elias because he was an officially licensed referee for the evening. Later on, Owens had enough and whipped out Elias and the referee with a cannonball off the apron. The finish came when Owens hit Shane with a top rope senton followed by a top rope frog splash for the pin.

Charlotte beat Trish Stratus vis submission:

This was much better than I anticipated. Trish more than held up her end. Trish tried to beat Charlotte with the figure four leg lock and figure eight. Charlotte ended up making Trish tap out to the figure eight and left the ring for Trish to get the ovation from the crowd in her final outing.

Bret Hart made a cameo appearance wishing Seth Rollins good luck in his match against Lesnar. This got a nice pop from the Canadian crowd. I thought it was funny since Hart has been critical of Rollins’ in-ring work over the years for injuring people.

WWE Championship – Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton went to a Double Count Out:

This match was worked at a deliberate pace that failed to draw heat from the crowd. There were dueling chants of “Kofi’s Stupid” and “Randy Sucks,” which was surprising. Orton tends to work slower-paced matches these days. In wrestling, the faster wrestler always works to the speed of the slower wrestler. Orton caught Kofi coming off the top rope for an RKO, which popped the crowd.

Orton, however, didn’t go for the pin and Kofi rolled out to the floor. Orton went outside the ring and started taunting Kofi’s family who was sitting in the front row. Both men were counted out as this unfolded. The commentary team ultimately failed this match because they didn’t mention and identify who it was Orton was mocking until after the fact.

Kofi snapped and beat Orton down with a Kendo stick repeatedly and finished him off with Trouble in Paradise. This was one of the more lackluster WWE Championship matches in recent history. It looks like the feud will continue, and hopefully do better next time.

“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt defeated Finn Balor:

They say you only have one chance to make a first impression. Well, Bray Wyatt proved them wrong as the spectacle of his new character was top notch. He came out with an eerie severed Bray Wyatt head lantern along with a new version of his theme music. The match was quick. Wyatt dominated. Balor missed the Coup de Grace and got caught in the mandible claw. The fans absolutely loved this.

Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar to regain the Universal Championship:

I’ll be the first to admit that I was wrong. I had no interest in this match, but they won me over. It was all action with big moves. Lot’s of near falls with Lesnar working over Rollins’s injured ribs with seven German suplexes. Lesnar swung Rollins around by the medical tape around his ribs, which made for a great visual. Rollins made a herculean comeback with a top rope splash onto Lesnar through a table. Rollins hit three curb stomps for the win. I didn’t believe putting the Superman cape on Rollins would, however, I was wrong. It came off well, and the crowd loved it.

Final Thoughts: Overall, SummerSlam 2019 was a thumbs in the middle show. Some of the matches that over-promised, under-delivered. On the flip side, some of the matches that under-promised, over-delivered. Rollins ended the show as the hero of the day, and hopefully, WWE can sustain this sentiment long term. Trish Stratus deserves props for the match she put on after being out of the ring (in singles action) for eight years. Bray Wyatt came off like a superstar. This was not the best SummerSlam show, but it was far from the worst.

Undertaker vs. Goldberg Set for WWE Super Showdown

WWE’s third venture to Saudi Arabia, Super Showdown, on Friday, June 7 will feature the first-ever clash between The Undertaker and Goldberg. The Attitude Era teenager inside of me is happy to see this match come to fruition. However, should it actually happen at all?

Goldberg only works well in short matches. Undertaker’s recent matches suggest his best days are behind him. The age factor looms over this legends outing like a sore thumb, and the event’s controversial locale will in all likelihood dilute any good will this offering can produce.

This is a giant payday for both wrestlers and its dream match that could be better late than never. While their elaborate entrances will be longer than the match itself, Undertaker’s ring psychology will be a crucial factor in getting around their physical limitations. It doesn’t need to be a five-star classic. It just needs to be a compelling story.

Super Showdown will also feature HHH vs. Randy Orton and a 50-Man Battle Royal because fifty wrestlers starting in the ring at the same time is not going to look weird at all.

Will Undertaker succumb to the Jackhammer? Will Goldberg fall victim to the Tombstone piledriver? Is this a one-time only encounter or the start or something more? We’ll all find out at Super Showdown on June 7^th. Here’s hoping this under promising affair will over deliver.