Survivor Series 2015: And... It's Over!

OUR SAVIOUR HAS RISEN ONCE MORE

Survivor Series 2015 will go down in history as one of the most uninspired, tepid and boring PPVs in modern history. In a time with Kevin Owens being in WWE, it's impossible not to look at it exponentially. Sure there are some (a lot of) injuries but that doesn't mean you have to set up a sixteen man tournament just so you can have two guys face eachother without losing their 'friendship'. The tournament damaged this show more than Rollins' injury, more than Orton's absence and even more than Cena's absence, combined.

Anyway, on with the review. Sadly.

ROMAN REIGNS vs. ALBERTO DEL RIO

FIRST SEMI-FINAL TOURNAMENT MATCH

Right, first match of the night, and it set a standard for the entire show.

The beginning was full of reversals, going way overboard with the back and forth, without actually having anything of merit causing it. Just random reversal after random reversal. It was plodding and boring and not just because Del Rio was involved. Which I think I've come to understand, Del Rio is much like Orton in the sense that everything they do is so fluid, and of a high standard, but they do fuck-all else, so there's nothing to see but immaculate nothingness in essence. This match was a good example of it; Del Rio had two possum spots that I didn't really expect, but they barely excited me at all. The pretend injury for the superkick reversal to the spear was alright but seemed so typical. And the baiting into the armbreaker was alright but it was reversed WAY too fast. It took away from the special-ness of both spots.

Reigns' corner clotheslines by the way are horrible on one camera angle but pretty good on another. They have to stop switching the fucking angles because the lower one works way, way, way better.

Ending of the match (which also set the tone for Reigns) was also shitty. As soon as Del Rio got to the top of the turnbuckle it was obvious what was happening, and how it would happen.

2.5 / 5

DEAN AMBROSE vs. KEVIN OWENS

SECOND SEMI-FINAL TOURNAMENT MATCH

Hey check it out! A Kevin Owens match, that'll be worth watching, and arguably the best match of the show considering this card. Right? Wrong. Another shitty match.

Absolutely NOTHING interesting happened for over ten fucking minutes, and even then, the only interesting thing was Owen's swinging fisherman suplex, which he does every big match anyway. And the fans chanted "this is awesome!" as well? It's like they've never seen Kevin Owens wrestle before. Or a good match. Because it fucking sucked.

I feel bad that Owens said "okie dokie" to the ending of the match too. Two superkicks in succession is bad enough. Two superkicks being no-sold immediately is possibly one of the worst flaw of wrestling logic that has happened in a wrestling match in quite a while. Oh and then Ambrose hits his finisher and wins, just like that. No kick out, nothing. Just... end.

2 / 5

RYBACK, THE LUCHA DRAGONS & THE USOS

vs.

THE NEW DAY, KING BARRETT & SHEAMUS

TRADITIONAL LET-US-DOWN ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH

Hoping for the NEW DAY to save the, uh, night? Well, too fucking bad. This also sucked.

Barrett gets pinned first, then Jimmy Uso is out, and Sin Cara gets dropped. Then Big E is pinned because of a bit of a dispute with Sheamus and the New Day leave. What happened in between? NOTHING WORTHWHILE. Unless you like Sin Cara, then he had a decent showing I suppose. Otherwise, NOTHING WORTHWHILE.

After that though it just got worse. Sheamus was left to fight three people by himself as a heel and he got violated, against tag team rules, by three faces. Great logical booking here. I guess they had to make him have a decisive, not-so-bad loss he could 'come back from' later on, though.

2 / 5

PAIGE vs. CHARLOTTE (c)

FOR THE DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP

Allow me to preface this match review by reviewing the vignette.

It was stupid. It was utterly, ridiculously, stupid. Not because of Paige, but because of Charlotte. What is with WWE trying to push these people who clearly aren't the best at what they do, and not even fucking close, as the best at what they do, when everyone can clearly see they aren't, and making them get the wrong reaction for it?

No one, I repeat, no one, believes Charlotte worked hard to get where she is. Especially when it has become glaringly obvious that she can't work a match do a decent standard when she's not in NXT, for some reason. I thought it might have been the Bellas, but when she faces Paige and does just as bad, even when given a decent timeslot, it's clear as fucking day.

This 'divas revolution' shit has went upside down solely because of how petty it seems all these girls arguing over who started it when nothing has even fucking begun. And it's only worse because of the plethora of other factors.

With the match however, it was just another example of Survivor Series 2015's standard of "slow, uninspired, boring, tepid" matches, as virtually nothing happened in this match until the big barricade spot, which looked absolutely horrible. Like Charlotte's spear went half of Edge's running hug. It looked like Charlotte was trying to stop Paige from hurting herself upon landing.

Then Charlotte rolls Paige right back into the ring, locks in her submission right next to the fucking ropes and Paige has to shimmy away from them to make it look like she can't reach. That's the ending to the BIG MATCH of the divas revolution, guys!

1.5 / 5

TYLER BREEZE vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

TYLER BREEZE vs. HIS FUTURE SELF

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Midlife Crisis Man tries the Sweet Chin Music.

Misses, hit by Unprettier.

Match is over.

I suggest people watch this match as Breeze wins just to hear Cole and JBL exclaim how a victory over the WWE's most well-renowned jobber is somehow important.

2 / 5

THE BROTHERS OF DESTRUCTION

vs.

BRAY WYATT & LUKE HARPER w/ BRAUN STROWMAN

Thank GOD I watched this after it aired live because if I hadn't fallen asleep by now I would've definitely done so during these entrances. Bray's isn't bad but it'd put you to sleep when you're tired. Taker's is horrible as always. Yes I hate it, what of it?

I guess a double chokeslam is the best way to get rid of Rowan and make it seem more fair. At least that happened instead of a clean win over three giants and a fat guy.

The only thing worth watching this match for, and I'm serious here, was Strowman just manhandling Kane and throwing him over the announcers table. And I mean manhandled. That was a brutal throw and Strowman is scary strong. Too bad he still can't wrestle though.

Everything else was pish. Truly subpar especially for a match with everyone's favourite grandfather, the Undertaker, and still-a-good-worker-kinda Luke Harper.

Wasn't a fan of a guy like Taker getting a hot tag, it seemed so uncaring to make a match with the Brothers of Destruction based around a fucking hot tag like it's a Smackdown tag match for no reason. And he isn't even good at it. At least Taker did one good thing, which was completely voided by it being a good saving of a botch, by dropping Harper into a DDT pretty seamlessly.

Though, after that botch-n-save, Taker could barely lift Harper up for the Tombstone. Harper isn't even that heavy, is he? Either way though, it's over, Taker. 25 years. Hang 'em up.

2.25 / 5

ROMAN REIGNS vs. DEAN AMBROSE

THE MOST OBVIOUS FINALS OF ANY TOURNAMENT IN WRESTLING HISTORY

I was hoping for a longer match, where these guys show some kind of reluctance towards beating the fuck out of eachother, after a couple of finisher kick-outs overall (but not too many).

Yet what we got was an immediate brawl, as if they hate eachother. Now I understand why they went with that, but I don't think it had the potential to make a quality match quite like the other archetype would've.

There was one part of the match where in a submission, Reigns and Ambrose were clearly talking shit to eachother, but commentary would NOT stop talking throughout. They basically spoke so much and so loudly that it covered what could've been a genuine integral part of the match, because they're so fucking obnoxious. Who knows, that could've been a really good part of the match. But it wasn't. And it wasn't even in the wrestlers' control, for fuck sake.

The best thing to come from this however was it was the only match in the entire show that didn't have a ridiculously uninspired slow start. It went right into action. But then to take from it, the match ended so abruptly, for little reason.

I can't even give it 3 stars, it really was better than the rest, but it also really wasn't even very good at all.

DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT DANIEL BRYAN DID IT

2.75 / 5

SHEAMUS vs. ROMAN REIGNS (c)

FOR THE WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

BROGUE, BROGUE, BROGUE. BY GOD A BROGUE KICK OUTTA NOWHERE.

Probably the match of the night here, but I think most people would question how a minute long match would be the MOTN. Probably because that one minute was more impactful and entertaining than any minute in any other match, honestly.

Sheamus not winning with a single kick was pretty expected, but Reigns dodging the second, going for the spear, only for Sheamus to dodge that, and respond with another kick, was the most intense three seconds of the whole fucking show.

New champion, well deserved, after three years of mid-card hopelessness, SHEAMUS.

3.25 / 5

OVERALL RATING:

3/10

WWE's Top 5 Most Impressive Wrestlers of 2015

BUT BIG VINCE DON'T GIVE A FUUUCK

There have been some great things this year and there have been some pretty bad things this year too. But what we can take from 2015, is that WWE has given a lot more attention to newer wrestlers this year. Maybe not "built stars" per-se, as The Shield were already considerably important guys in 2014.

However, they have certainly provided a strong group of mid-card talents who have only appeared in the last few years of WWE, and as we all know, Rome wasn't built in a day, and Roman Reigns trying to be built in a month backfired pretty heavily.

Overall, with all these relatively new talents getting some great exposure, there's bound to be some whose exposure has given them the chance to impress wrestling fans of all kinds. And this top five compiles the five most impressive wrestlers or groups of this year in my eyes.

#5. The New Day

Kofi Kingston, as a singles competitor for the majority of his career, faced adversity from hardcore wrestling fans for being the prototype "smiling, dancing babyface" we dearly hate. Paired with the fact he was the mid-card shoehorn - playing the role of a transitional champion multiple times in his career - it wouldn't be easy for Kofi Kingston to ever get these fans on his side.

Teaming with Big E, who had his own fair share of confused, awkward booking wherein he debuted and floundered with the short-lived pairing of Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee without any true explanation outside of him being "AJ's friend"; after which, he dropped into obscurity until being brought back into the mid-card light as a one time and disappointing Intercontinental Champion and a contender for Rusev's US Championship.

Despite past experience and exposure to wrestling fans in his TNA run, Xavier Woods both in NXT and on the main roster was aimless and many expected nothing special. Treated as a jobber as his horrid debut storyline with supposed mentor R-Truth and Tons of Funk failed to be interesting, Woods joined Big E and, to a lesser extent, Kofi, in being forgotten about, and rarely being on Raw.

Even when The New Day was first teased, they were taken off of the air for weeks.

Upon debut, they were met with negative reaction.

With solid booking and the freedom to "be themselves" (which is what many believed Big E and Xavier Woods needed to break out), the trio quickly became one of the most consistently entertaining acts on a dwindling Raw. Ultimately, with one wrestler no one expected to grow out of his stagnant character and position, and two relatively new-to-the-main-roster, but uninspired and aimless team-mates, greatness was not expected, but greatness was achieved, making them the only full group on this short list.

#4. Roman Reigns

Kofi Kingston's years of adversity have nothing on Roman Reigns' first half of 2015. It seemed obvious that Reigns was going to get such a strong push as numerous dirtsheets and even wrestlers in WWE, slated Reigns as the next big thing - and the booking surrounding him, mirrored what was said.

A combination of immense love for Daniel Bryan and immense hatred for rocket-strap pushes, predictable booking, and insulting expectations of the audience, proved to be a damaging concoction for Reigns' career. Although now in November, most of this damage has been undone with slightly more careful booking, lower cards, and better opportunities to prove himself.

It is a common argument that many fans did not or do not want Roman Reigns to take the spotlight as they feel he is not a good enough wrestler to warrant that position as the "next face of the company", over much more talented performers such as Bryan, Cesaro, and even Rollins despite his somewhat negative reception as champion.

However, beginning with the Fastlane main event match against Daniel Bryan, a fantastic showing against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania, and otherwise solid matches throughout the rest of the year, Reigns has proven many detractors that he is more talented than they give him credit for, and he may not be as bad a choice as many believe he would have been at the start of the year.

Whether the outcome of the WrestleMania main event was planned from the beginning or not is irrelevant, as Reigns has proven impressive since.

#3. Bayley

Long-time NXT viewers may remember Bayley being signed to WWE with a fairly large crop of talents. Being in such a group of people makes it hard to stand out, especially when you're not well known to any large portion of fans.

Since her televised debut in NXT in early 2013, Bayley has been consistently popular as she is accessible for kids, and cartoonishly fun even for people who strongly dislike such child-oriented characters. Her ability to put on a fairly decent match with other talented individuals made her a strong addition to NXT.

At the time when Paige and Emma were being touted as the next big things in womens' wrestling, Bayley as well as other divas were given a secondary position, as not even booking for women in NXT was as good as it is now. Though both Paige and Emma were promoted to the main roster in 2014, and Bayley herself had some decent showings in that same year, like her competitive match with Charlotte at NXT TakeOver: Fatal 4-Way, it wasn't until 2015 where she would break out.

Beginning with the first TakeOver event of the year, Bayley, along with Sasha Banks, Charlotte and Becky Lynch, had a stellar four-way match for the NXT Women's Championship. Unlike her singles match with then-champion Charlotte in late 2014, fans realised that it wasn't Charlotte who was the ultimate female competitor in NXT, carrying her opponent, and that all of the women were talented. That and, it was arguably a much better match overall.

With all the hype behind second generation wrestler Charlotte, former independent and well-traveled Becky Lynch, and prodigy Sasha Banks, Bayley was left out of the equation. Even being left behind in NXT as the other three climbed the ranks and debuted on Raw together. 

Bayley eventually being (storyline) injured during this time lead-up to her initial championship match with Sasha Banks at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn.

This championship match proved to be what is almost entirely in agreement, the best women's match of the year, and even agreed to be among the top, if not the best women's match in WWE history.

The rematch a few months later back in Full Sail at NXT TakeOver: Respect also proved to be a very good match in itself, giving Bayley three extremely good matches this year alone, and has solidified her position in the REAL Diva's Revolution.

#2. Rusev

Debuting at the 2014 Royal Rumble when everyone expected, well, someone else like Neville or Sami Zayn, had even NXT fans confused with what was going on. Most viewers who were unaware of NXT or Rusev himself expected someone different, and unfortunately for Rusev, his Royal Rumble debut wasn't very special. Being targeted by multiple main roster wrestlers as the new debutee from 'developmental' was strange booking, which left me personally more confused than believing he was to be taken as a threat, which was clearly intended, but nonetheless.

Together with Lana, Rusev managed to become a staple in the mid-card as the foreign heel, but many people believed such a gimmick with such a character was "outdated", leaving many people to be detractors of Rusev as well as his ability, which at the time, wasn't proven. Detractors also believed that such a gimmick would have a short shelf-life, and that he'd be "done" when losing his first match.

Much to the surprise of many people, Rusev got a clean victory over Sheamus who, at the time, was protected as one of WWE's "top faces", and won his first US Championship.

Ultimately going the rest of 2014 and the beginning of 2015 with average bouts, much of Rusev's true ability was left to the imagination of wrestling fans.

It wasn't until that dreaded WrestleMania match against John Cena where Rusev began REALLY showing his talent. Despite being thrusted into a horrendous storyline he'd never win and losing his championship, Rusev didn't succumb to expectations of expiry due to a limited shelf-life. Even injuring his foot shortly after didn't put a damper on his career.

As the 'Bulgarian Brute who lost it all' including his manager and apparent girlfriend Lana, Rusev managed to prove he wasn't just a simple power wrestler, but actually had some acting chops.

Appearing on Raw unshaven, with crutches, a foot in a cast, and a general unkempt look, Rusev stalked Lana comedically, began cutting his own promos with a plethora of different emotions, and managed to take a storyline that was supposed to empower Lana, and flip it around, and make him look worthy of our sympathy, despite supposedly being the bad guy.

Throughout his relatively short injury, Rusev proved himself a talented individual outside of the ring, and upon returning, reminded people that he is still a beast inside, coming back with a strong victory over Kevin Owens and Cesaro in an awesome, lengthy triple threat match for an opportunity at John Cena's US Championship. And then that match happened immediately afterward, with Rusev beaten down and exhausted, but still ready to defend himself against a fifteen time world champion who had been warming up for the last twenty minutes, and almost winning in the process.

Basically, in his first night back, he had a fantastic triple threat match, and then had a different kind of fantastic singles match with Cena.

And up until his recent injury, Rusev has continued to be a strong, solid upper-mid card guy who impressed with his unexpected versatility.

#1. Sasha Banks

Could anyone else take this position?

Signed in 2012, it took Sasha until late 2013 to get slight acknowledgement from NXT fans, and then until mid 2014 to be recognised as a seriously talented individual.

Despite bookings attempts to push Charlotte as the most impressive female from NXT, Sasha always managed to impress more when given the opportunity. It was always something obvious, but never tapped, as it seemed Charlotte being "the one" was purposely designed. Similarly to Roman Reigns' push on the main roster this year.

Akin to Bayley, Sasha's opportunity to prove herself to the NXT fans didn't come until late 2014, but didn't truly blossom until 2015. Sasha however, was given much better treatment than Bayley, as a storied enemy then friend then enemy again of Charlotte, and the heel to Charlotte's face, showed she was the rightful successor as NXT Women's Champion, putting her at the forefront of NXT as Charlotte was 'winding down' and readying for a main roster push (which seemed to be re-planned to accompany Sasha and Becky Lynch).

In 2015, Sasha had a very integral role in the Fatal 4-Way match between herself, Bayley, Charlotte and Becky Lynch, as she was essentially the storyline glue - the reason why everyone was so frantic, and the reason it became a four way match. Ultimately, Sasha won the match and began her reign as NXT Women's Champion, which involved her historic defences against Bayley at NXT TakeOver Brooklyn and Respect, which I covered with Bayley at #3 of this list.

Though Sasha is not as stellar on the microphone as she is in the ring, most divas are unfortunately lacking in this department anyway, and she's still arguably better than most divas too.

However, Sasha peaks all other wrestlers in this regard moreso due to her career only being slightly over five years at this point, paired with the amazing reception she garners from absolute star professional wrestlers like Stone Cold Steve Austin and Chris Jericho, as well as other professional wrestling entities such as Vince Russo, Paul Heyman and Good Ol' J.R.

Many Sasha Banks fans may have seemingly overhyped her in almost every way possible, but ultimately, it turns out most of it is truly warranted.

October 14, 2015 NXT: Tyler Breeze Overcomes

A 1 / 2.3 CHANCE OF WINNING

Expecting a good show the week after a TakeOver? Well, too fucking bad buddy. It's all mediocre throughout, with the most impressive part of the show being, depending on where your heart lies, a good promo from Alexa Bliss, or an even better, very short, backstage promo from the Perfect 10. Clearly my heart is with Mr. Dillinger here, as he is, a perfect guy.

A BAYLEY PROMO IN WHICH ALEXA BLISS INTERFERES

I think if we all get over apologising and defending our favourites we can all agree that Bayley's strong suit has never and probably never will be on the microphone. Obviously her "strong suit" is wrestling, but you know what I mean. At least she gets her point across and it's, err, child-friendly, because I'm fairly sure that's what her character is all about. Actually I'm entirely sure. As long as she puts on good matches, people who aren't a fan of the character shouldn't care about it. It works for her and it serves a purpose.

Alexa's promo, however, was actually impressive. I knew she wasn't exactly bad at talking but I'd never seen her do anything to write home about, and it's one of the two or three real highlights of this weeks episode. Going from the clean-cut look as if she's turning face, straight into all-out heel. It was pretty well done. I don't think anyone really fell for it but it was a testament to her acting at least.

Not gonna look forward to Bayley vs. Bliss though. Unless Bliss magically becomes a LOT better in the ring. I guess she's the one that deserves the chance the most though.

A FINN BALOR / SAMOA JOE PROMO IN WHICH REGAL DECIMATES JOE

Nothing worthwhile here at all. I guess Regal "asserting dominance" over talent was alright (and I never realised how tall he is... unless that was some kind of ~WRESTLING BACKSTAGE TRICK~ with the phonebook or whatever), and Joe saying 'with all due respect' to Regal to follow up with him demanding Regal listen to what he has to say was hilariously bad. But overall just a pointless backstage promo to make Finn even more cookie-cutter and make people know there's a battle royale. Cool.

BACKSTAGE PROMOS BY DILLINGER, CREWS AND RHYNO

Weird. What a trio. A jobber, the next big thing, and a worldwide known jobber. What was the point of that? I have a weird feeling that they recorded a bunch of promos and only aired the best three. But that'd make no sense because I am positive Enzo & Cass could put on a better one than Crews and Rhyno. Dillinger's was great for how short it was however, definitely worth being there. Too bad this was just another match for him to do nothing at all in. Keep impressing on house shows and carrying Finn Balor to a good match, Tye. I believe in you.

I'll throw in that Corbin one too. Nothing impressive or bad.

THE VAUDEVILLAINS vs. SAWYER FULTON & ANGELO DAWKINS

After going through about three or four different character and aesthetic changes, it looks like Fulton has finally found one that can stick and he can make look great. That is, if he does a couple of things. If I could, I would suggest getting his arm tattoo touched up so it's more visible and less... cliche; growing some chest hair and maybe putting on about another 10lbs primarily of muscle. Then he'd look like a legitimate badass.

As for the match, what immediately struck me was how Fulton got right in Aiden English' face while Dawkins was pandering to the crowd. Or taunting. I don't know which but it set an interesting contrast that was displayed in a promo post-match.

Absolutely nothing out of the ordinary happened in this match with the Vaudevillains. They did their usual thing, English doing his offensive shtick then getting beaten up for the hot tag to Simon who clears house into a tag team finish. They do it well, but it's going to wear thin quite soon if that's consistent.

Dawkins is fucking non-existent in almost every match though. His offence is nothing special and I'd argue he's one of the most pointless talents in NXT at this point. And I don't understand his stirring-the-pot(?) mannerism. Is it some American thing, or some Gridiron thing?

But if they split him and Fulton I'd love to see Fulton get a Corbin-esque push. He's alright in the ring, is a tall guy, and should get a singles opportunity before they try to release talent that might also involve him.

Bringing back that "freak" Fulton character would be the WORST thing by the way. I believe they are though, because commentary mentioned his 'needles in the boots' thing like they used to before putting him in the Shoot Nation group.

A MECHANICS DASH AND DAWSON BACKSTAGE PROMO ABOUT JAMOKES

RIP Devin Taylor.

Wow, Dash Wilder sounds a lot different than what I thought he would. I can't believe I didn't notice it. Maybe he wasn't talking AGGRESSIVELY in this promo so it wasn't coming off as a burly fella, but just himself, which is very... normal.

Great promo though. Easily the best part of the show, but not the most worth watching, because we should all know by now that Dawson is a good promo so it's nothing unusual for him to be entertaining in a backstage segment (yet again).

EVIE vs. NIA JAX

GOTDAMN a wrestler from New Zealand? Sign her immediately.

Did Full Sail boo her because they thought it was Eva with a slightly different name or something?

Nia FATS.

Obligatory music saying she's "not like most girls" because she's not a thin, fit, short to average height woman like literally every other female in the WWE right now.

Bad lock up. Bad obviously intentional lack of selling on the clothesline. Bad bearhug. Bad throw into turnbuckle. Okay hip bump in the corner. Bad hip attack. Nonsensical waste of ten seconds before that average finish.

But she's good, because she's a woman, right, typical NXT fan?

She is literally the same as Corbin was only a couple of months ago, when he was getting booed. And Corbin just put on a very respectable match at Respect, but he is STILL getting booed. But Nia Jax, a woman, who sucks, comes out, and gets cheered, and a good reception from the average fan. At least when Corbin debuted he had a really cool finisher. Nia Jax just has badly hidden rolls of fat and is a woman that's the only physical difference.

THE... 23...? MAN BATTLE ROYALE

Well this match was in shambles. I'd rather see a match with only ten or fifteen guys who have even a semblance of a shot at winning than see over twenty guys with absolutely no chance. Even though it was down to basically one of four guys, all of which were the last guys in the ring, it would've been nice to just not include guys who haven't won on TV before, like Elias Samson, even though I think he's a solid talent.

The MVP of the match in my opinion... Murphy. Obviously a short battle royale is going to be of pretty bad quality, but there's always at least one guy who looks better than the rest and that one guy was Murphy. For one reason and one reason only, and that was the way he came back into the ring every time he almost got thrown out. It was never something blatantly long, or blatantly close, but it was always fast. Nothing to make people get out of their seats for - even though they wouldn't because he's a heel and people don't like him apparently - but in the confines of kayfabe, the exact way you want to get back in the ring.

As for the rest of it, well, all of it, was completely skippable. The final four being Breeze, who gets eliminated by Joe, who then gets eliminated by a sour Breeze, leaving Corbin and Crews to face off, where lo and behold, the new guy from the independent scene wins. But, it's not really that bad, and I'll take this time to explain why.

The last four guys in this match were the only ones who would've been a logical choice to face Balor for the championship either on TV or at the next TakeOver.

Samoa Joe had already been teased enough as it is, and there would've been no reason for this match to even happen if he was going to be the contender anyway.

Baron Corbin just lost to Balor in a tag team match, which makes it look like Balor would easily overcome Corbin in a singles match - like he has in the past if I'm not mistaken?

Tyler Breeze is going through this now completely intentional losing streak where he gets kayfabe bad booking and feels cheated for it, taking it out on others.

Apollo Crews is basically the only singles wrestler other than these three guys who has had both wins in singles competition and would've had nothing else to do, seeing as he just beat Breeze, Breeze needs to face someone else, and that someone else would have to be a successful singles wrestler, and the only one that isn't champion or Crews, who he just lost to, is Joe.

Ultimately it's sensible. And I personally have my assumptions about how Crews' character is going to go, which I'm not going to reveal in case WWE IS MONITORING MY BLOG AND CHANGING THINGS BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE THEM!

Or... Just because I don't feel like it.


As for Breeze, it seems that him jobbing to guys was just what he was told to do for the first half or three-quarters of the last year and a bit, and for the last quarter or half, it has been a completely intentional tool to get him over as an underdog again. Which is wonderful, because Breeze needs another shot despite having lost his entire fucking character along the way - which is, as we all know, the only reason he still had a job at that point - and this is a good way to do it. Even if it is recycling yet another "I can't win big matches" underdog story.

NXT Respect: a fitting end to Full Sail

A COMPLETE LACK'A RESTECP

Personally I'm hoping this is the last special hosted at Full Sail. As we saw with Brooklyn, NXT can clearly hang in larger arenas, and if not one that fits 15,000+, then one that at least fits more than 500, or whatever minuscule number Full Sail does. I originally didn't want Full Sail to have this show, but I think with it being the conclusion of the Dusty Tag Tournament (which I maintain was a shitty tribute), it was fitting, as NXT in its "current" form was birthed there, and it all just made sense.

On a side note, I liked the Full Sail screen set up. New and exciting. Hopefully it sticks around for the weekly shows and maybe even for their traveling ones too. Maybe the ring was different as well, because it sounded more... upgraded... in the first match, but I'm not sure.

But anyway, on with the RATINGS.

FINN BALOR & SAMOA JOE vs. THE MECHANICS DASH 'N' DAWSON

SEMIFINALS of the DUSTY TAG TOURNAMENT

'alright'

***

So Balor is continuing that very heel-ish entrance with the cocky championship flashing and the oh-so rebellious leather jacket, yet plays face the entire night? I'm confused as to what the point is with this. And not the good kind of confused. Confused because it seems so mismanaged, not because it's intentionally confusing. Which is the good kind of confusing. Got it?

The most disappointing thing other than the completely obvious outcome was finding out that the name for Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson is no longer "The Mechanics", which was fantastic and gave them an inherent semblance of a character. Now it's just... Dash & Dawson. Because it worked very, very well for Blake & Murphy didn't it? Oh well, just remove a major part of talented workers and wonder why their reaction is middling at best. Typical NXT. It certainly doesn't help when their theme is awful and their entrance clips are just like your typical jobbers. Their names and some flashy lights. Nothing that sets them out at all. At least BAMs had annoying music, VERY flashy lights, and was all-out obnoxious as fuck.

Samoa Joe starts. Samoa Joe does strikes. Samoa Joe does bad strikes. Samoa Joe gets out-struck by anyone else. Seriously, his strikes are trash and commentary have to put them over ALL THE TIME. Scott Dawson was on the money with his elbow strikes throughout the match and his punches were infinitely better than Joe's. Even Dash had some good offense which was much, much better than Joe's strikes.

(Un)Surprisingly(?) Balor and Joe looked pretty damn bad in the ring against The MECHANICS Dash & Dawson. I'm pretty sure Dawson has been working as a tag team wrestler in NXT for at least 3/4 of the time he's been there. With one or two guys I don't remember, Rusev for a very short while, and now Dash, so obviously he knows what he's doing. And Dash continues to either impress or just be there, which when you're in a match with three guys everyone expects to be better than you, is impressive enough to me. As long as you don't fuck up, you're doing good in that situation. And if you do good, you're doing great. So he's between good and great.

I noticed two great examples of Dash in that match. The first was how quick he was to distract Joe and then ever-so-fluidly move into perfect position for the double team finisher, which unfortunately didn't get the job done.. Honestly I don't think I've seen something like that in a tag match since WWE had genuine and good actual tag teams facing eachother regularly. The other was the way he scrambled to try to prevent Balor tagging Joe. I don't know if he tripped over, but the frantic nature was perfect for that moment.

Sadly the finish to the match - not the outcome - left me, myself, scrambled. Dash just got dropped and pinned so quickly, while Joe was in the ring wondering if Balor was okay, well past the normal five count, but the referee stopped Dawson from entering the ring to stop the match? It seemed like really careless and reckless on-the-fly thinking by Joe and the referee especially. Let one guy stay in the ring but not the other? That's not FAIR! If anything, Joe should've immediately went to stop Dawson, even if it was a bit of a heel move, it's to solidify a win and Joe is not a stranger to doing sorta heel-ish things at all.

Overall a decent match, not without its flaws however.

JASON JORDAN & CHAD GABLE vs. RHYNO & BARON CORBIN

SEMIFINALS of the DUSTY TAG TOURNAMENT

'great'

****

Alright, maybe I am a bit of a mark but I think this match genuinely deserved a four star rating. It was my favourite match of the night (trumping Sasha vs. Bayley by a small but respectable margin), only in part because I, and not many people overall, really expected such a display from these four. An old, ex-ECW wrestler, plus a tall guy who "can't wrestle" against an amateur wrestler who has been in developmental for years but up until recently displayed nothing fantastic, and a very new debutee, who, despite being good, is still new. I mean naturally who the hell would expect something good out of this? I didn't expect anything like that and I think this match was better than what people who expected something good... err... expected...

It was good from the get-go, and the last few minutes were so hectic, but so enjoyable. The outcome sucked IMO, but honestly it didn't really bother me all that much until the excitement died down. Most of the time when there's a sucky ending to an entertaining match, it just immediately cuts off all enjoyment and I'm left either disappointed or mad. It took a couple of minutes for that to set in for me which really speaks volumes about how much I actually enjoyed this match.

The beginning with Jordan and Corbin was perfect. Jordan displayed his strength and athleticism to a great ovation to start the adrenaline, and Corbin managed to hold it back down with good timing with his strikes. The tag out to Rhyno was particularly well timed, as was the tag to Gable. It seems corny and weird to talk about it, but the timing of those tags were just really... good. It's so hard to explain, but it seemed like they did everything they wanted to do so well in the first few moments of the match that speeding through to the other guys was the only thing they had left to do, and so they did it.

Gable somehow being one of the most over guys on the roster is so damn impressive. And the fact he's not over based on his "SICK WRESTLING FROM THE INDIES/JAPAN!" or his name makes it so much better. Full Sail weren't just bearable, but actually decent for this match alone. Of course they ruined it later with the main event, but regardless, this match was perfect. Reminiscent of Daniel Bryan in PPV matches in late 2013, Gable was getting constant chants and no matter what happened, they'd start up again soon after. It was immense. INFINITELY better than "THIS IS WRESTLING" and all those other, awful ones we all know and love (to hate).

And DAMN is he a good face in peril. That entire match was a testament to not only Corbin, but Gable especially. If anyone had a 'display of the night' it was Gable. I knew the guy was good but this was just so good it was borderline unbelievable. I'd never have known he only signed in like 2013. I even remember the thread popping up and me thinking "buh who cares about another amateur wrestler!?". Boy was I wrong.

Enough about Gable (for now) though, as Corbin had a great showing as well. Another special event match another way to show he's better than the marks think. I expect he'll still be met with disdain for whatever reason despite being pretty good now, but hey, maybe people will realise that he did very well in this match. He didn't do much in the sense of big moves, or big spots, because he doesn't have to, he's Baron Corbin. The tall, intimidating wrestler with very long arms, who will punch you until you meet the END OF DAYS. That's the whole point. He doesn't need much to win, and he does well with those tools, and as long as he does well, then it's all you need to worry about. Of course we can argue that more moves = more tools and being good at more tools = being better, but that's for another day.

Gable managing the tag to Jordan nearing the end of the match, and Jordan coming FLYING in with that typical hot tag routine was exactly that - typical - but it was nice to see Jordan come in so dynamite. Especially better when it seemed they were just about to win and get it taken out from beneath them so quickly. That hot tag marked the best part of the match. Both Jordan and Gable frantically trying to get that last hit before Gable died from being crushed by two BEHEMOTHS, and Rhyno and Corbin both trying their damnedest to stop all momentum. Like I said, the outcome sucked, but the last few minutes of that match were so exciting that for the first time in a long time that ending didn't matter (for a while) because I was just so damn entertained and surprised. And tbh I do mark for the abundance of ways the End of Days can be hit. Sue me.

DANA BROOKE w/ EMMA vs. ASUKA

THE DEBUT OF WWE'S NEWEST ACQUISITION

'average'

** 1/2

I happily and CONTROVERSIALLY gave Apollo Crews' debut against Breeze a four star rating because it was a very well done debut. Which I personally believed should've been rated differently than a normal everyday match because it served a different purpose - to show the fans what the new wrestler is capable of. In this particular match, I wasn't sure what the purpose was. Obviously it's the first match for Kana... I mean Kanna... I mean Asuka in WWE, so it could be treated as a showcase, but it didn't really seem like a showcase of talent. Either way I'll treat it as neither 100%, more 50/50 as both, which gives it a pretty solid average rating.

Asuka was able to display some of her strengths but not the ins-and-outs or bread-and-butter of her physicality like Crews did, unless of course, that's all we're going to expect from her. And she faced Dana Brooke who would've been the best opponent considering how much of a bitch (and apparently a "talent") she is.

Some things were off. Some strikes looked weak and some completely missed, like the back-fist to Emma on the apron (and especially the post match back kick), but some looked effective and were good, like the repeated roundhouses to Dana which made her cower.

What I don't understand is how Dana was shown to be afraid of Asuka the week beforehand, and even during the match, only to come along and do that really awful head-pat thing in the middle of the match. Why would you do that, and what is the logic? You're scared. Don't antagonise someone when you're scared, because no one does that. Ever. EVER. So WHAT DA HAYELL?

TYLER BREEZE vs. APOLLO CREWS

'average'

** 1/2

Aight let's be fair. This match was pretty lacklustre. I expected more from both but I guess the guys don't really have the chemistry and Crews isn't really quite that good. Though, I firmly believe if Crews was part of the males singles main event scene he'd be having Finn Balor tier matches (which are most of the time just "good") given the time and booking priority, and getting away with it a lot easier.

Which reminds me. Crews seems to get a lacking reaction from the crowd in Full Sail. Why? Every other acquisition from other companies has entered and kept a strong reaction whereas Crews is... below them. I really don't understand. He hasn't done much different to all the other people, yet they still receive a good reaction. If Crews' reaction was dim in comparison because he's yet another similar talent, then shouldn't they be lower on Balor among others too? I don't see the sense in it.

At least Breeze's reception was better than it was against Balor only a while before RESPECT. I'll never really understand how this goddamn crowd works. They'd rather cheer the epitome of averageness in Balor than cheer a genuinely decent talent who worked for everything in NXT and has put on good matches for over two years now, because of what reason? I have no idea. Yet now they stop and cheer Breeze over a guy very similar to Balor.

ARE THEY JUST RACIST?

Nahhh...

...

There wasn't much I noticed in this match though honestly. It was a bit disappointing as I expected a fair bit more than just an average-ish match, but a decent one at least. What I noticed was commentary constantly putting Crews over in ways that seemed so intentionally manufactured, like he's supposed to be what the New Day was originally meant to be. A guy who is too positive, too "nice", and too good, to even like, because he's just so... fake. Or something. Hell I don't know what goes through the bookers' minds. Sometimes I don't think they do either.

The only other thing I noticed was Breeze's reversal to the Crews Combination. Grabbing the leg to stop the moonsault was a simple but effective way to prevent the completion. Instead of being a blatant, very elaborate reversal, it just stopped Crews. It didn't make the gorilla press look weak, it just made Breeze look desperate. Which is exactly what he is.

And I quite liked the new finisher, but if it was a sit-out powerbomb it'd be better. Less similar to recent NXT wrestler Kevin Owens, otherwise.

RHYNO & BARON CORBIN vs. SAMOA JOE & FINN BALOR

THE FINALS of the DUSTY TAG TOURNAMENT

'average'

** 1/2

This is as fair as I can be. There was nothing worth watching in this match, but it wasn't bad by any means. It was the definition of anti-climactic. To have Balor and Joe defeat Dash and Dawson, and Corbin and Rhyno to beat the favourites Jordan and Gable, as well as having Balor enter with a damaged leg, to have such an average match as the final match in a tournament dedicated to one of the greatest wrestlers and bookers to ever grace our gotdamn earth? Anti-climactic in every sense of the word... I think.

It was shit, okay? Not meaning it was bad, just not up to expectations in any way.

And with the ending, and the clear as fuck photo op, it made me believe that this was just a huge grab at publicity, for honouring a mans passing with such a travesty of a tournament. If it ended in a DUSTY FINISH, I could understand, but it was as clean as clean can be, and it fucking SUCKED.

Also Balor, the NXT Champion who is known by many as a "good wrestler", had absolutely no issue using his leg until he was booked to do so. He jumped over the ropes, did a step-up dropkick, etc, with no issue. And then he did a vault in the corner, landed, and THAT was painful? Give me a break of Balor already for god sake.

I really am just so disappointed nothing came from this tournament whatsoever. The only three things worth noting were;

The NXT bookers care so little about the tag division that not only did two singles guys randomly tagging together because they can, ended up winning, they defeated the most popular tag team in NXT history;

The former tag team champions in Blake & Murphy were knocked out of the tournament in the first round;

And the actual tag team champions lost in the second round.

Not to mention most of these weren't even bloody televised, and the tag team champions were absent from the special too. What. The. Fuck?

THE MAIN EVENT
SASHA BANKS vs. BAYLEY (c)

30-Minute Ironman Match for the NXT Women's Championship

'good-great'

*** 3/4

I hate that I went out, came back, and put this match on to hear "WOMEN'S WRESTLING" being chanted, as Stephanie McMahon looked on. It's great that this means so much to everyone at NXT, including the women wrestlers who made it happen, but it feels dirty knowing that this is so very clearly an attempt at good publicity by a McMahon. Steph and even Triple H are incredibly disingenuous. Nothing they do is for anyone but themselves. NXT is a prime example of this, even if we like it, the only reason they make it this way is to prove to themselves that they can make everyone happy one way or another.

Well, at least the match was good. Even with the horrendous chants which, if weren't so prevalent, might have helped redeem the Full Sail crowd of their absolute awfulness. Also on the list: the "THIS IS AWESOME" chant before anything happened, and "YOU DESERVE IT", which as we all know, they do deserve it, but neither Stephanie nor Triple H deserve to stroke their fat egos.

Overall, It has nothing on their previous match at Brooklyn though, sadly. That's still my personal MATCH OF THE YEAR so far.

For a thirty minute match with multiple falls, it really had its flaws. The first minute was a fine little walk-around that often happens in big matches. No problem. But for over three more minutes after that, both Sasha and Bayley wasted time with that very hateable string of near-fall pin attempts with things like schoolboys, backslides and Oklahoma rolls. May as well have just said it was a 27 minute match because that is an undeniable waste of time in every match it's in.

It picked up quickly after that, though. Bayley hit one of her signature arm-drags, and went for another, where Sasha landed a little badly on her neck/shoulder. Now, I assume that was a botched landing, but whether the effect of the landing was supposed to be sold the way it was, I'm unsure. But Sasha was either feeling or wrestling-feeling the damage from that for at least another two minutes, stalling the match out a little bit, looking concerned and being very convincing. If that was legitimate, it was good to see that take up some time in the match. If it was an act, then even better, because by GOD I was convinced.

Unfortunately for me I predicted a dirty pin as the first fall for Sasha, it seemed too obvious to me. And it happened. It wasn't anything special and normally a face would kick out of that tactic so early in a match, which is why I'm not such a huge fan of Ironman stipulations like a lot of others are. Things seem to come so cheaply in their matches, like the people in them have become half the wrestler they usually would be; taking pins they'd kick out of, being counted out when they'd normally jump back into the ring, etc.

On the flip-side, Bayley's first pinfall was awesome, except for it being so soon in the match. It was quick, unexpected, and executed really well at a great time to turn the tide.

Around the middle of the match was where most of the action happened outside of the ring. Sasha throwing Bayley around in front of her family and 'biggest fan' (that kid) gave me some flashbacks to some of the most classic heel/face matches in WWE, but at this point of the match it was wasted. Sasha wasn't in the lead so being cocky didn't have as much of an effect as it could've, and Sasha didn't take the opportunity to trash-talk anyone.

Only a few minutes later Sasha sure proved me wrong, pulling out the BIG (booked) GUNS by getting a count-out fall over Bayley and mocking her and her 'biggest fan' (that kid) whom I am CERTAIN is a plant, not because she's a huge fan, but because Sasha was able to mock her, and she cried. On TV. We're all being worked damn it.

So it was about fifteen-ish minutes into the match and Bayley couldn't manage to get back into the ring. There was a count-out fall only fifteen-ish minutes into a thirty minute long match, but it still turned around. Another thing I don't quite get about Ironmans.

It was between here and the end of the match where Bayley started to do some really aggressive things, and I'm not a big fan of that. I understand that people like faces that are more 'edgier' and less smiley, but they all have their places. I also know that Bayley has been booked to be more aggressive on purpose, but I still think that, after making it to the top, she could've toned it back down to play a perilous face and not a vindictive, angry face who is happy when she's not wrestling.

Bayley started being the definition of vindictive when she was bashing Sasha's hand on the steps. It's a heel tactic when a heel does it but it's face when a face does it for revenge? I don't think it works that way. All the while, doing it right in front of both her family and her 'biggest fan'. Before this, Bayley stuck Sasha up in the tree of woe, which is almost exclusively a heel tactic with very few exceptions. Past this, Bayley won the match by sticking Sasha in a submission and pulling her fingers back. Which is another thing exclusively for either heels or 'submission specialists', which Bayley is neither.

On the other hand though, through those fifteen minutes it was pretty entertaining. Sasha losing was a given but I did kinda mark when Bayley hit her HUGPLEX from the middle rope again, but Sasha rolled through to the ropes. What I liked most about it, though, is how it was treated ambiguously. Did Sasha realise what happened and roll herself over to the ropes for a rope-break, knowing she'd not have the energy to kick out? Or was it just pure luck that Bayley threw her down with such force that she rolled through because of the momentum? Who knows. Maybe it won't be answered. It would've been a good way to book Sasha somehow fluking the championship back, but it's fine that didn't happen.

Overall, like I said, it was a solid match, but it has nothing on the original special match at Brooklyn, like most rematches.



Stay tuned. I have an NXT Women's Championship idea I may post.

:-)

ORIGINAL PHILOSOPHY: What makes a match?

IT'S YER HOMEWORK

Some people say professional wrestling is subjective. In the sense that there are no 'wrong' or 'right' ways to do things, and that there's only 'entertaining' and 'not entertaining' ways. You're free to agree or disagree with that; I believe it holds merit in certain things, however I firmly believe that's mostly wrong. Wrestlers are trained for months or years, learn how to execute moves 'correctly' from veterans who have trained for upwards of decades themselves. I mean, there's a correct way to kick a football, there's a correct way to execute moves.

As there is a correct way to execute a character, right? Actors don't pop up out of nowhere, they don't earn acclaim by... not doing it right, do they? It's the same thing. Most of us can be in agreement that wrestlers are, at least in a sense, actors, therefore everything they do follows a standard which is considered correct. And I'm sure most of us if not all of us know this.

Allow me to explain the point of all of that.

The fact there are 'correct' ways to do things would, in a bit of a weird way, possibly imply there's somehow an archetype of a perfect wrestling match which would require an abundance of things (I'll try to list everything I can think of); like perfect execution of manoeuvres (not necessarily the complete lack of botches, sometimes they make it better); good booking and 'psychology' in the ring; a creative, well thought-out and performed story leading up to the match; a continuation of that story within the match; physical, emotional and verbal representation of characters; environment and atmosphere; and spots. You know, those things everyone loves... But only kinda?

A match I and many people consider an example of that archetype is the second Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match at WrestleMania. That match had it all. Anything you can believe makes a good match, it was there.

So why do we settle on matches that, are in their own right, good, but comparatively not close to perfect, and pull a Cornette/Meltzer and call the match "four stars" or even higher? To be not only content, but amazed, with the outcome of matches which not only have every aspect of a perfect match archetype, but also have an awkward imbalance of some of those aspects.

For a recent example, take the triple threat match at this years Royal Rumble between Seth Rollins, John Cena and Brock Lesnar. It's a highly rated match not only by regular folk, but well known posters here, as well as THE wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer, (who I believe gives it either a 4.5 or 4.75 out of 5 rating) yet it's exactly what I mentioned - lacking important things, as well as being imbalanced in things it has, too.

In what I'm considering objectivity, the match was lacking in an evolved story between all three competitors, as the story around it was Brock was among the most dominant champions ever, Seth can't prove his worth, and Cena's in the picture because he's Cena. That's a problem, and that alone, according to the archetype, would prevent it from a perfect mark. And of course, there were other issues, like formulaic and hindering triple threat booking, a reliance on big spots, etc.

So why is that match consistently rated on WWE MOTY contender lists?

What happened to ranking matches on everything other than big spots? Are they the most important parts of every match possible now? And when I say big spots, I don't mean the spot where X yells at Y, I mean those big spots which are woven in specifically for people to yell "Holy shit!", "this is wrestling!", etc.

Has psychology and character work within a match become something less important? Has wrestling speedily regressed from Shakespearean opera into a high budget, badly written action movie with huge explosions?

There are matches within WWE which are much closer to the archetype I mentioned at the beginning of the post that are often rated lower than big spot-heavy matches like the triple threat I mentioned, by a lot of posters as well as well-known journalists and important names in the business.

Is it bias?

Is it ignorance?

Maybe I'm overthinking it and things can be 'great' despite lacking a huge amount of things proven to be important in matches for years. Maybe those high budget, badly written action movies with huge explosions are just better in their own way, somehow, and rating a Smackdown cruiserweight match as significantly better than a world star match between two of the greatest wrestlers to ever live is valid, because they're... different?

NXT Brooklyn: OXITRON was (kinda) WRONG

I REITERATE, ONLY... KINDA

What was I wrong about? Well, nothing entirely. I expected this show to be underwhelming, but it wasn't as great as it could have been, and I stated that Bayley vs. Sasha had a pretty high chance of being average because their past matches were nothing special. So I guess two half-wrongs makes me 1 wrong?

JUSHIN "THUNDER" LIGER vs. TYLER BREEZE

'average'

**1/2

There was certainly nothing 'off' with the match apart from WWE concerning themselves with Liger when he turned 50, but there was nothing stellar whatsoever either. I fully expected some issues in the match where neither guy seemed to know what they were doing, because Liger working in WWE and Breeze working with a foreign guy kinda makes that inevitable, so I'm not going to be annoyed about some of the little mini-botches, but the match did suffer a fair bit because of it. Easily one of the most 'average' matches I've seen in a while, but again, completely expected. Anything better would've surprised me greatly.

THE VAUDEVILLAINS vs. BLAKE & MURPHY (c)

For the NXT Tag Team Championship

'good'

***1/2

Allow me to preface this by saying RIP DUBSTEP COWBOYS. YOU GOT THE MOST HEAT ON THE SHOW. I'M PROUD.

Also I'm not against the Vaudevillains being the champions like some people seem to be. I don't think they're a bad team at all. They're solid in the ring, they're solid out of the ring, they have decent characters, and hell if you don't like their characters, at least they fucking have characters.

They're fitting for NXT Tag Team Champions because they're a good team, who still need to stick around in developmental, and they're entertaining in the ring. I would've preferred BAM to win, but I'd be lying if I didn't say I marked at English posing when doing submissions and Gotch going crazy after getting the tag part way through. That roll into the cross-armbreaker was immense, holy hell.

Oh and I have to mention that NUCLEAR heat again. It's rare to see actual decent talent get booed these days, so that just makes BAM better than before.

The ending was alright. It was really awkward with Bliss being unable to do anything about a jobber I'm fairly sure she beat once before, as well as Blake just watching Murphy get decimated and pinned. I'm not sure if that last bit was intended though. Maybe it was, but it looked really weird if it wasn't.

Also I loved the subtle and likely unintentional jab at Enzo & Cass just being too stupid to beat BAM, as the Vaudevillains' manageress (who sucks btw) actually did something, and the team themselves constantly outsmarted BAM.

APOLLO CREWS DEBUTS vs. TYE DILLINGER

THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE. OHHHHH MYYYY.

'great'

****

Right, before you wonder why I rate a glorified squash match four stars, understand that it is a glorified squash match, and I'm rating it four stars because it did great at what it was supposed to do. There was no story, there wasn't meant to be one. There was no need for anything but a display of Apollo's offence and defence.

As for everything else, that entrance was incredible. It was unlike any entrance I have ever seen. Apollo seemed so humbled by the fact he was debuting in front of thousands and thousands of people who have actually been anticipating his debut, and a good portion of those people cheering just for him being there. I'm sure I wasn't the only person who could see the genuine nervousness and humbleness in his eyes and face when he came out and was walking down the ramp.

And that is yet another thing that just makes me want to believe Apollo Crews will be a huge star in WWE. Along with the reports (and commentary enlightening us) of him wanting to become good at promos so he is a truly well rounded wrestler, of course. It makes him seem like such a down to earth guy outside of wrestling and someone who is really dedicated to wrestling, not just there to think he's great because people chant his name, but because he wants to be great. If he goes on with this he'll be in that group of people like Bryan, Owens and Sasha (among others I can't think of right now) that fans realise their dedication and passion.

The ring work itself was fantastic. Not a single misstep on either part (unless they had to re-do that superkick spot from Tye) and both guys had a great showing. Tye was the perfect guy for Apollo to debut against without a doubt. And those jumps, flips, leading into a fucking military press and an incredible standing moonsault just cemented it for me. Though I would've loved to see more, I guess that's going to be kept for a later date.

Fantastic debut, great match for a display of his abilities.

BARON CORBIN vs. SAMOA JOE

'alright'

***

I expected shit. I expected Corbin doing virtually nothing out of the ordinary (which is maybe three things max) and Joe doing the same (which is maybe five things max). However I also expected Corbin would win. So I guess none of my expectations in this match were met, good or bad.

Corbin showed a decent offence. Nothing incredibly but a lot more than what people give him credit for. Most of it was very basic stuff, but the basic stuff he did was pretty well done. His striking is fantastic, especially when you compare it to Joe's absolutely abysmal striking the commentary try to put over, and I really think that if Joe was a bit more stiff or at least realistic with his striking, that little 20 seconds of a strike off in the middle of the match could have been a lot better.

Joe definitely let me down a lot more than Corbin did in this. The guy is touted as a sixteen year wrestling vet but constantly makes things look awkward as if he hasn't been wrestling longer than a few months, and his strikes suck as I just mentioned.

The ending was the only horrible part though. Corbin's big modified chokeslam getting treated like nothing even though it got that piped "OHHHHH" louder than anything else in the match, and then just falling asleep in the submission. Sure, it's a good submission and it's nice to see sleepers again, but THAT quick?

AND THAT REFEREE? Why was the arm not lifted three times? It looked really bad for that referee. Submissions like this have worked like that for years and years. I hope it's not only for the faces so they can get the little Hulk-up before the third drop.

BAYLEY vs. SASHA BANKS (c)

For the NXT Women's Championship

'stunning'

****3/4

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I really had low expectations for this match. Not because I believe the two are lacklustre talents (Sasha is amazing and Bayley is respectable at the least), but the two just never really meshed well in the past. Their matches were never bad, but never good either, just kind of 'there', and really felt like filler. The feud was always good and has been well storied, which made this pay-off absolutely incredible especially considering the pre-match vignette.

Which by the way was extremely well done. It's as if they KNOW a huge portion of NXT fans only started watching after Sasha and Bayley began, and a portion of them don't even know their history goes so far back. The explanation was quick and well done, and probably one of the best pre-match vignettes in recent NXT history.

The match itself, was all ups, and no downs. It got better after every minute, and the first minute started off on a high note with Sasha mocking Bayley like only Sasha can mock, along with Sasha laughing while on the offense for the next few minutes too.

The quick changes of offense were timed well, everything was so fluid, and it only took me about three minutes to realise I made a huge mistake almost completely writing this match off.

As it went along and Bayley hit some nice reversals I wouldn't have even thought about (especially the first counter in the corner) and some bigger ones (like throwing Sasha off the top rope to the outside) I was watching anticipating every move, and I don't think I even felt that way with Becky and Sasha, which prior to this was my favourite females match of the year.

Almost every movement meant something. After Sasha began targeting Bayley's injured hand, every movement meant something, and both women upstaged everyone in this match by selling everything through every part of their body.

Many arguments can be made that Bayley gave up selling her hand injury for certain parts of the match, but I always argue that historically, adrenaline, especially for faces, often takes over their injury. As long as they don't entirely forget about it, they're doing it right. It's okay to work through the (fake) pain for a couple of things, like axe handles and a single submission, as long as there's a limit and you remember to continue. Bayley did exactly that, and she did it very, very well.

Sasha working the hand was damn good too. The wedging between the steps, and especially the brutal flurry of stomps during the crossface. Which by the way, the reversal of Sasha's crossface into the same by Bayley was sort of awkward but still quick, so it was alright, and the match not ending in that situation was also a great decision.

Continuing the match at a slow pace thereafter really set up the adrenaline at the finish, and the lead up to the inevitable victory was fabulous. There are rare moments where knowing the end is coming is better than being caught off guard, and this was definitely one of them. Knowing that it was coming, hearing the crowd, and being certain in this situation, was the key ending for a great match.

I myself am a bit disappointed with the end. It's nice and all, but this 'four horsewomen' thing feels more forced week after week. And I know it makes a lot of sense considering the story behind the four of them (minus Summer Rae for some reason), but the fact NXT seems to do these 'showings of respect' over and over and over. Sasha and Charlotte did it earlier and I mentioned how I disliked it then because of how much they do it, and it feels bad to say I dislike they did it here, because all four of them were obviously emotional, especially Sasha because I'd say it means most to her, but because NXT want to waste handshakes after matches on shite like Balor and Neville or Zayn and Neville, it makes it seem so... disingenuous.

KEVIN OWENS vs. FINN BALOR (c)

For the NXT Championship

'alright'

***

Ladder matches. Lost arts, apparently. Some are boring, some are more boring, and few are decent. This was... borderline boring and decent to me. Everything Owens does is worth watching in honesty, and most of what Balor does is not, so this kinda balanced out if not leaned more towards probably being boring.

And it was borderline boring. What's the point of watching a match where we all know who's going to win, when it's the third match of a feud, just got inevitably outclassed by the match before it, and has only one worthwhile wrestler in it? People who need to see what makes it matter to the bookers, I guess.

I really hope Balor stops getting along on his goddamn name because he has done nothing interesting at all since debuting. Everything about him is boring or lacklustre, and his special entrance is overdone now. Maybe it's a good thing this is likely the last we'll see of Owens on NXT because then maybe Balor won't get entirely outclassed by his opponent all the time.

But hey, the match had some alright spots. Owens throwing Balor over the table and him tumbling into the corner was nice. And uhh... the reversal to the powerbomb where Owens landed on the, err, bendy thing of the ladder, was cool as well.

Yet they FUCKING RUIN THE ENDING by Owens teasing a suplex off the top of the ladder into the ladder laid out beneath, only to have Balor essentially nudge Owens off to land on his back. And then have Balor, instead of grabbing the title which was clearly in reach, dive off for his finisher on Owens who wasn't going to get up anyway, only to climb and grab the title again.

For a match that went so long there was a hell of a lot of pointless filler garbage, as it seems many Finn Balor matches are. Good thing Owens is done with him, the lazy, useless geek.