This is my continued look into the most profitable era in wrestling history for an extensive breakdown of what I am doing click here.
WWE RAW:
The show opens with Yokozuna in the ring and we quickly cut to Vince McMahon and "the King" Jerry Lawler. They discuss the upcoming interview with the Ultimate Warrior that is set for later tonight. Lawler shows us a beautiful portrait that he has personally drawn of the Ultimate Warrior and he will present it as a peace offering during the interview. Also tonight we get the Undertaker vs the British Bulldog in the main event. Owen Hart is making his way to the ring and we get a video package highlighting Owens 1994 King of the Ring victory and his Slammy win, that was supposed to go to Shawn Michaels, but was stolen by the King of Harts. 4 Stars This is how you open a show, great storyline building, great character development and great hype for what's coming up tonight. If Raw can keep up this kind of this kind of focus throughout the night, we are in for a treat.
Owen jumps Yokozuna before the bell and the opening match is underway. Yoko absorbs a ton of shots by Owen before an enzuguri finally knocks him off his feet. A missed elbow by the King of Harts followed by a couple ill advised head buts and Yoko is back in charge. Lawler questions how many kids in a Cantonese sweat shop would be needed to make a robe for Yoko's king coronation. Owen rolls to avoid the Banzai Drop and gets the pin with a little help from the ropes. 3 Stars Great heel work by Owen, impressive mobility and ring work by a a guy that weighs in at over 660 pounds. Add to that some fun commentary by Lawler and an entire match without a commercial break. This match well deserved the rating it got.
Video package highlighting the Attitude Adjustment tour live events takes us to commercial break. A quick video interview with Jake "the Snake" Roberts discussing how important his wife was during his drug use days and how he is on the road to redemption Brings us back. 2.5 Stars Great use of time and video packages to highlight not only the excitement of seeing the stars of the WWE live but also Jake Roberts redemption story. Raw is on a roll tonight.
Jake Roberts joins the broadcast booth as we head to our second match of the night. Skip from the Body Donnas squares off against The Wildman Mark Mero, with Sunny, in the final first round match of the King of the Ring tournament. Before Mero makes his entrance we cut to an interview with JR and Yokozuna. Yoku seems upset that he lost to Owen Hart and that he isn't himself. He tells us he needs to go for a while to find himself. The match starts at a uptempo pace with a lot of back and forth action before Skip takes control. We head to a commercial break with a really fun match taking place. Back from commercial and Skip is still in control as Mero is doing an excellent job of showing spurts of possibly coming back only to be cut down by skip again. The crowd and Sable get behind Mero as he delivers a flurry of offense. Skip ducks a cross body attempt that sends Mero crashing to the floor. Skip goes for a slingshot cross body over the top rope and misses crashing to the floor. This opens the door for Mero who hits a slingshot 360 to skip on the floor. Mero rolls Skip back into the ring and hits a slingshot body press for two. A top rope frankenstiener for the three count and Mero advances. 3 Stars Great in ring product, announcers focused on the action in the ring with very minimal discussion about politics and outside story lines and Jake Roberts doing what he could to keep focus on the ring and not on himself. What an excellent match. It loses a quarter star for the commercial break mid match but the performance by the two involved especially the way Skip interacted with the crowd keeps this a must watch.
Back from commercial we find Vince and Lawler in the ring to introduce the Ultimate Warrior. Jerry lets the Warrior know how hard it is to be a king and he presents the portrait to Warrior as a peace offering so they can cancel the upcoming match at the King of the Ring. A really confusing answer by the Warrior where he talks about kings and warriors and how he is going to kick Jerry's ass at the King of the Ring. Warrior turns his back on the King and gets the portrait smashed over the back of his head. Warrior chases the King to the back. 1 Star Lawler had some good slimy heel work but Warrior made this unwatchable.
British Bulldog vs the Undertaker is up next. A video package recapping the match from Beware of Dog where the double pin is causing the rematch at the King of the Ring against Shawn Michaels. As the Undertaker comes to the ring we see a replay of his interaction with Mankind at Beware of Dog and set up his match against Mankind at King of the Ring. As the two get prepared in the ring we catch up with Shawn Michaels who is hanging out in the back. Jim Cornette grabs a mic and asks Michaels about how he is favored by Gorilla Monson. Cornette lets us know that as compensation for the Clarence Mason lawsuit Cornette and Mason get to pick the special guest referee. Finally the bell rings and we are underway with the main event. Almost 3 minutes into the match before we have our first wrestling move which was a suplex by the Bulldog. A powerslam on the undertaker gets a two count and we head to commercial break. Back from break with Bulldog wearing out the Undertaker with a chin lock. We continue with the hard hits and lack of wrestling moves. Undertaker gets counted out and the Bulldog wins the match because Mankind was under the ring holding on to Undertaker's leg preventing him from getting back in the ring. Bulldog and Mankind team up to beat down the Undertaker as Jim Cornette calls back his guys leaving Mankind and the Undertaker alone in the ring. A pile driver from Mankind and security rushing the ring is how we end tonight's broadcast. 1.5 star match and 3 Stars for the overall production. The match itself was nothing special and at times boring with a commercial break in the middle. The announcers spent more time talking about Shawn Michaels and his special guest referee than what was happening in the ring. But in there defense outside of a lot of punches and kicks....not much happened in the ring. The appearance by Mankind help send this show home on a high note.
All in all this was an excellent production put on by the WWE. The focus was clearly in the ring and progressing as many story lines as possible. We also got some under used talent the spotlight. So far this has been my absolute favorite show from all three promotions starting off what is now our third week of reviews. 4 Stars
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Monday Night Wars from a fans perspective - ECW week of 6/3/1996
This is my continued look into the most profitable era in wrestling history for an extensive breakdown of what I am doing click here.
ECW: HARDCORE TV
Joey Styles welcomes us to the show and introduces Stevie Richards with the world champ Raven to the ring for a quick promo. Stevie announces he has found the skankiest most vile woman around and calls Divine Brown to the ring. Raven declares she hasn't been with enough people yet and leaves the ring. Intro rolls and we cut to Styles who announces what is coming up in tonight's show. He plugs the heat between RVD and Tazz before a commercial break. .5 Stars I am really not sure what I just saw but seems about what I would expect from someone that just had Beulah and Kimona turn on him.
After the Break we get a "shoot fight" between Jason Helton and Tazz. Helton gets choked out by the Tazzmission in just over two minutes while Alfonso blows that damn whistle nonstop. Tazz grabs the mic after the match and tells the fans he hates all of them and that he and Bill Alfonso can't find anyone to give him a real fight. Joey Styles enters the ring to let us know that Paul Varelans from the UFC has accepted the challenge. After Tazz says he will stretch Varelans out. Paul jumps the barricade and gets stopped by a guy that looks an awful like carrot top. Tazz continues to taunt Varelans as the 100 pound security guards keep him at bay and ushers him out of the arena. Varelans charges the ring a few times while Tazz verbally abuses him. We cut to commercial with Tazz still yelling at the camera. 3 Stars Tazz is one of the best wrestlers on the planet and here he showed his underrated mic skills as he drew amazing heat from the crowd and brought a ton of interest in a fight between him and Paul Varelans. I can't wait for that confrontation.
Joey Styles hypes up the match between Tazz and Varelans before we head to the ring for our feature match. Tommy Dreamer and the Pitbulls square off against Raven and his triangle of terror, the Bruise Brothers and Primetime Brian Lee, in a 6 man tag team elimination falls count anywhere match. The match starts while Styles is talking and we join the match as Pitbull #2 gets thrown through a table. Pitbull # 1 is the first elimination as the violence continues. Tommy dreamer gets two female fans to make out and Raven jumps him from behind. Lee makes his way to the top of the stage as the Bruise Brothers set up multiple tables next to it. Tommy gets choke slammed through the table stack as we cut to commercial. Dreamer miraculously recovers as the fans help him back to the ring. He hits a DDT, on one of the Bruise Brothers ringside, for the three count and we are suddenly in a two on two match. Lee gets set up on the table so the remaining Pitbull can power bomb Tommy off the top rope. The remaining Bruise Brother help Lee escape and Tommy goes through the table. Lee covers him for the count and Tommy is eliminated. Brian Lee sets up a chair behind the remaining PitBull so the remaining Bruise Brother can super kick him. The Pitbull ducks and Brian Lee takes the chair shot. Quick cover by the Pitbull and it is now a one on one match. Dreamer hits the remaining Bruise Brother with a DDT and Pitbull 2 gets the pin to become the soul survivor. Brian Lee puts the boots to Pitbull as Raven enters to declare that the title shot down the line is down the line right now. 4 Stars. I don't normally say this about matches that have 4 moves and a lot of chaos but this was really good.
Raven vs Pitbull #2 is happening now as Brian Lee and Raven stomp a helpless Pitbull in the ropes. Raven hits a pile driver on the table and Raven gets a count of two before the kick out. Pitbull mounts a comeback and opens up Raven with some closed fists.Raven hits a drop kick into a chair on a diving Pitbull then a DDT on to a chair. Raven kicks him in the back of the head and the world champ retains his title. 2 Stars
After the match we cut to Brian Lee discussing the choke slam and a hyping of tonight's matches by Joey Styles. He mocks Raw and Nitro while pumping up the fact that Brian Pillman will be here next week. We also get a rematch between the Dudley's and FBI announced for next week. Sabu is going one on one with Mickey Whipwreck and more news is coming about Hardcore Heaven 1996. We also are going to get an update on Tazz vs Paul Varelans. 5 Stars
This was hands down the best show of the week. While Raw and Nitro sent the same old same old, ECW brought something fresh and original. I really loved the hype for next week as well. This entire show was an easy 3 stars.
For those of you keeping track at home... the overall score on wins of the week is WCW with 1, WWE with 0, and ECW with 1. I can't wait to see who wins the crown from a fans perspective next week.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
ECW: HARDCORE TV
Joey Styles welcomes us to the show and introduces Stevie Richards with the world champ Raven to the ring for a quick promo. Stevie announces he has found the skankiest most vile woman around and calls Divine Brown to the ring. Raven declares she hasn't been with enough people yet and leaves the ring. Intro rolls and we cut to Styles who announces what is coming up in tonight's show. He plugs the heat between RVD and Tazz before a commercial break. .5 Stars I am really not sure what I just saw but seems about what I would expect from someone that just had Beulah and Kimona turn on him.
After the Break we get a "shoot fight" between Jason Helton and Tazz. Helton gets choked out by the Tazzmission in just over two minutes while Alfonso blows that damn whistle nonstop. Tazz grabs the mic after the match and tells the fans he hates all of them and that he and Bill Alfonso can't find anyone to give him a real fight. Joey Styles enters the ring to let us know that Paul Varelans from the UFC has accepted the challenge. After Tazz says he will stretch Varelans out. Paul jumps the barricade and gets stopped by a guy that looks an awful like carrot top. Tazz continues to taunt Varelans as the 100 pound security guards keep him at bay and ushers him out of the arena. Varelans charges the ring a few times while Tazz verbally abuses him. We cut to commercial with Tazz still yelling at the camera. 3 Stars Tazz is one of the best wrestlers on the planet and here he showed his underrated mic skills as he drew amazing heat from the crowd and brought a ton of interest in a fight between him and Paul Varelans. I can't wait for that confrontation.
Joey Styles hypes up the match between Tazz and Varelans before we head to the ring for our feature match. Tommy Dreamer and the Pitbulls square off against Raven and his triangle of terror, the Bruise Brothers and Primetime Brian Lee, in a 6 man tag team elimination falls count anywhere match. The match starts while Styles is talking and we join the match as Pitbull #2 gets thrown through a table. Pitbull # 1 is the first elimination as the violence continues. Tommy dreamer gets two female fans to make out and Raven jumps him from behind. Lee makes his way to the top of the stage as the Bruise Brothers set up multiple tables next to it. Tommy gets choke slammed through the table stack as we cut to commercial. Dreamer miraculously recovers as the fans help him back to the ring. He hits a DDT, on one of the Bruise Brothers ringside, for the three count and we are suddenly in a two on two match. Lee gets set up on the table so the remaining Pitbull can power bomb Tommy off the top rope. The remaining Bruise Brother help Lee escape and Tommy goes through the table. Lee covers him for the count and Tommy is eliminated. Brian Lee sets up a chair behind the remaining PitBull so the remaining Bruise Brother can super kick him. The Pitbull ducks and Brian Lee takes the chair shot. Quick cover by the Pitbull and it is now a one on one match. Dreamer hits the remaining Bruise Brother with a DDT and Pitbull 2 gets the pin to become the soul survivor. Brian Lee puts the boots to Pitbull as Raven enters to declare that the title shot down the line is down the line right now. 4 Stars. I don't normally say this about matches that have 4 moves and a lot of chaos but this was really good.
Raven vs Pitbull #2 is happening now as Brian Lee and Raven stomp a helpless Pitbull in the ropes. Raven hits a pile driver on the table and Raven gets a count of two before the kick out. Pitbull mounts a comeback and opens up Raven with some closed fists.Raven hits a drop kick into a chair on a diving Pitbull then a DDT on to a chair. Raven kicks him in the back of the head and the world champ retains his title. 2 Stars
After the match we cut to Brian Lee discussing the choke slam and a hyping of tonight's matches by Joey Styles. He mocks Raw and Nitro while pumping up the fact that Brian Pillman will be here next week. We also get a rematch between the Dudley's and FBI announced for next week. Sabu is going one on one with Mickey Whipwreck and more news is coming about Hardcore Heaven 1996. We also are going to get an update on Tazz vs Paul Varelans. 5 Stars
This was hands down the best show of the week. While Raw and Nitro sent the same old same old, ECW brought something fresh and original. I really loved the hype for next week as well. This entire show was an easy 3 stars.
For those of you keeping track at home... the overall score on wins of the week is WCW with 1, WWE with 0, and ECW with 1. I can't wait to see who wins the crown from a fans perspective next week.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Monday Night Wars from a fans perspective - WCW week of 6/3/1996
This is my continued look into the most profitable era in wrestling history for an extensive breakdown of what I am doing click here.
NITRO:
We begin the show with Tony Schiavoni and Larry Zybysko talking about the main event between Lugar and Sting vs Steiners and the Rock and Roll Express vs Flair and Arn Anderson with the revelation that Bobby Heenan is going to be the manager for the horsemen at Bash at the Beach. We get a recap of Shark getting his head shaved and we head to Mean Gene who is standing by to interview Shark. The interview talks about his embarrassment and that his name is not the Shark but John Tenta. this brings us to our first match. Tony and Larry did an excellent job of hyping the remainder of the show and giving us insight that flowed nicely. the interview by Tenta was ugh even with the greatness of Mean Gene setting him up. 2 Stars
Big Bubba Rodgers vs John Tenta starts with Tenta beating the hell out of Bubba. Tony takes the time to say that the advertised Vader and Johnny B Badd are no longer with the company and will not be here tonight. Back to the action where Bubba gets counted out trying to avoid Tenta who is chasing him around the ring with scissors. match cuts to a brief promo from Sting on Scott Steiner and Michael and Kevin Green letting us know we they are here tonight. We head to commercial. From a match perspective I am saying WTF just happened? From a storyline it was OK but nothing I am interested in. 1 Star
Back from commercial for High voltage (Ruckus and Chaos) vs the Faces of Fear (Meng and the Barbarian) High Voltage has an amazing look, Two huge chiseled guys that work really well together but ran into the unstoppable force. Belly to belly of the top rope by the barbarian leads to the double diving headbutt. Chaos tried to save his partner but Meng delivers a Mafia kick to Ruckus for the pin fall. This was a sprint of a match that accomplished two things. First it made the Faces of Fear look like world beaters and it introduced us to a really impressive new tag team. I'm looking forward to seeing how High Voltage improves in weeks to come. Considering all that this match accomplished I am thinking 2.5 stars is in order.
We head back stage for Mean Gene interviewing the tag team champs Sting and Luger. Gene needs to cut Luger off to get him back on track since he started the promo going in the wrong direction. Sting calls out Luger for instigating the brawl last week and Luger defends himself. Rick Steiner interrupts and they argue about what happened last week and pushing and shoving improves. Gene ends the interview by being disgusted with what just happened and vows to never interview any of them again if that's how they are going to act. SOOOOO much happened here that I am trying to wrap my head around it. Seeds being planted of dissension between Luger and Sting and the friendship with the Steiners. Mean Gene controlled the interview and kept things moving along which just shows how great he has been for the last couple decades. We also got excitement to build for the main event. Such a great segment that shows how good things like this can be done. 4 Stars
Disco inferno vs SGT. Craig Pittman with Teddy Long is up next. Disco hurts his hand trying to punch Pittman's head. Very short uneventful match with Pittman getting the submission win after trying to apply the Code Red and disco gives up before he can. Disco explains he gave up so quickly so he could continue to dance and if the move was applied it would have hurt him to much. Decent character work by disco but this match did nothing for either man involved. It cemented Disco as a comedy wrestler but did nothing to help out Pittman. 0 Stars
After the commercial break we come back to Tony and Larry discussing the backstage interview where Lord Steven Regal backhanded Sting on the Main Event. Regal is in the ring to square off against Hacksaw Jim Duggan. match is okay nothing to write home about outside of some great heel work from Regal. Squire Dave Taylor and Earl Robert Eaton come out to surround the ring. The Blue Bloods cause the distraction and Regal gets the roll up to score the pinfall. The match itself was uneventful and maybe 1.5 stars. The interview that followed didn't take the usual direction that Regal normally does. He was fined and told us that he paid double the fine and has credit so he can say what he wants now. He brings up that he wants Sting at his best and will do what he can to bring it out. This wasn't his best work, however the short but sweet promo got out what it needed too. the entire production was 2 Stars and only because of Regal's bicep pose at the end.
After break we come back to a promo package setting up the the upcoming falls count anywhere match between Kevin Sullivan and Chris Benoit at the Great American Bash. Sullivan heads to the ring against the Nitro debut of Prince Iaukea. Really short squash match that did nothing for Iaukea and the start to his career. This entire segment was a throw away. the only thing it made me want to do is watch the Benoit promos leading up to the Great American Bash. The clips that they showed before this match showed an intense and very underrated talker in Benoit at his best. Mean Gene is in the ring to interview Jimmy Hart and the Taskmaster. Jimmy is upset that Sullivan is forming a friendship with Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Sullivan explains that he is doing it because when Hogan is coming back and coming after them. He said like Pillman he is going to rid the horsemen of another "serpent". Sullivan should never have a mic in his hands ever. Another throw away segment that should only be watched for the Benoit promo's ahead of it. .5 stars
The legendary Rock and Roll Express makes their return to WCW and their debut on Nitro against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to bridge from the first to the second hour and we throw it mid match to Eric Bishoff and Bobby Heenan. Fireworks go off in the middle of the match to indicate the start of the second hour. Flair is at the top of his game and is an incredible heel. Four legends in the ring and all four announcers have spent way to much time talking about the upcoming match between the Horsemen and Steve McMichael and Kevin Green. Arn Anderson taking a time out was classic heel work and a double figure four by Morton and Gibson gets the crowd on their feet. Flair gets his usual referee pushing spot and sells the push back like he got shot in the face. Phenomenal heel work by the horsemen as we go to break, Heenan leaves the broadcast both to head to ringside to give advise to Woman and Miss Elizabeth. Hot tag to Robert Gibson who comes in like a house of fire. With the referee distracted by Ricky Morton, woman rakes the eyes of Gibson, AA hits the DDT and Flair gets the cover. Mean Gene talks to the horsemen and Arn is so smooth talking about how he is bigger than football players. Flair is going to have a stroke during an interview someday and Heenan adds an amazing heel manager promo. Four legends on the mic put on a must see promo. Heenan declares he will never manage again but he will coach the Horsemen at the Great American Bash. This match and promo was easily 4 stars. Flair and Anderson pull out all the classic heel tricks including the fake tag and the double team moves to really get the crowd going. This was a great pay per view quality match that was ruined by the announcers talking about every thing else, the pyro going of after the match had started, and the commercial break. WCW gets a -1 star for their lack of focus on what was a great segment.
Hogan video package promotes the return of Hogan at Hog Wild in August. We head to the ring for a Heavyweight title match pitting Icetrain vs the Giant.
The Giant makes quick work of Ice Train as he delivers a choke slam. Scott Norton comes to the ring to confront The Giant and gets a pair of choke slams for his trouble. Giant goes to ringside and complains about Hogan getting a video package when he is the champ. He runs down the list of guys he's beaten and calls out Lex Lugar at the Bash at the Beach. 0 Stars.
The next scheduled match is Scott Norton vs Hugh Morrus. Morrus comes out checks on Norton and delivers a leg drop and pins him with one finger. Norton kicks out and Morrus drops a few elbows before going up to hit The No Laughing Matter. Norton bats away the moonsault and punches him in the face a couple times which resulted in a pin. 0 Stars. This is probably the perfect example of how to bury a guy. Scott Norton is a tag team guy that was beaten down by the heavyweight champion. He over came a beating by a fresh Morrus to get the win. Morrus will never be taken seriously after that.
Cut to a package showing Kevin Greene and Steve McMichael training. The only thing that came out of it is that they want Randy Savage to be their coach. At least they progressed the story 1 Star.
Main event time between Sting and Lex Lugar vs The Steiner Brothers. During the entrances we get a review of the heat between the two teams in the ring and Bobby Heenan pandering for Savage to stay at home. Savage calls and accepts the offer to coach, Heenan begs Savage to stay home. We then head to a commercial break. Some good in ring performances results with Sting and Rick Steiner out on the floor. The Giant comes out and delivers one of the worst choke slams I have ever seen. Giant pulls down the top rope and low bridges Scott Steiner. Scott teams up with Sting and Lugar to clear the ring of the Giant. 3 Stars for the in ring product that happened before all the Giant shenanigans that took the overall grade of the match down to roughly 2 Stars
More Pandering by Heenan for Savage to stay at home as Razor Ramon saunters to the announce booth. He challenges Bishoff to continue the war and Sting comes out to confront Razor. A tooth pick to the face and a slap by Sting brings out security. Razor announces he has a big surprise for all of WCW next week. 5 Stars. So many questions and still no answers. Other that the announcement by Vince on Raw about Ramon and Deisel no longer being employed there is nothing that lets us know why Razor is on WCW TV. He states he is bringing the war to Bishoff but why? What is the surprise? Two weeks in a row with a great cliffhanger to end the show. If you could get through this show you were definitely treated to greatness at the end of it.
Two out of nine matches were good, one of which was per view quality. A great ending to the show with Razor Ramon's continued mystery and the inclusion of Sting as the face of WCW. The only two good matches were cut by commercial breaks and the commentators talked about every thing and anything other than what was happening in the ring. Badly miss timed production spots and bad wrestling made this a very hard show to watch. It was saved by the Horsemen and Razor Ramon. This entire show was only 2 Stars.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
NITRO:
We begin the show with Tony Schiavoni and Larry Zybysko talking about the main event between Lugar and Sting vs Steiners and the Rock and Roll Express vs Flair and Arn Anderson with the revelation that Bobby Heenan is going to be the manager for the horsemen at Bash at the Beach. We get a recap of Shark getting his head shaved and we head to Mean Gene who is standing by to interview Shark. The interview talks about his embarrassment and that his name is not the Shark but John Tenta. this brings us to our first match. Tony and Larry did an excellent job of hyping the remainder of the show and giving us insight that flowed nicely. the interview by Tenta was ugh even with the greatness of Mean Gene setting him up. 2 Stars
Big Bubba Rodgers vs John Tenta starts with Tenta beating the hell out of Bubba. Tony takes the time to say that the advertised Vader and Johnny B Badd are no longer with the company and will not be here tonight. Back to the action where Bubba gets counted out trying to avoid Tenta who is chasing him around the ring with scissors. match cuts to a brief promo from Sting on Scott Steiner and Michael and Kevin Green letting us know we they are here tonight. We head to commercial. From a match perspective I am saying WTF just happened? From a storyline it was OK but nothing I am interested in. 1 Star
Back from commercial for High voltage (Ruckus and Chaos) vs the Faces of Fear (Meng and the Barbarian) High Voltage has an amazing look, Two huge chiseled guys that work really well together but ran into the unstoppable force. Belly to belly of the top rope by the barbarian leads to the double diving headbutt. Chaos tried to save his partner but Meng delivers a Mafia kick to Ruckus for the pin fall. This was a sprint of a match that accomplished two things. First it made the Faces of Fear look like world beaters and it introduced us to a really impressive new tag team. I'm looking forward to seeing how High Voltage improves in weeks to come. Considering all that this match accomplished I am thinking 2.5 stars is in order.
We head back stage for Mean Gene interviewing the tag team champs Sting and Luger. Gene needs to cut Luger off to get him back on track since he started the promo going in the wrong direction. Sting calls out Luger for instigating the brawl last week and Luger defends himself. Rick Steiner interrupts and they argue about what happened last week and pushing and shoving improves. Gene ends the interview by being disgusted with what just happened and vows to never interview any of them again if that's how they are going to act. SOOOOO much happened here that I am trying to wrap my head around it. Seeds being planted of dissension between Luger and Sting and the friendship with the Steiners. Mean Gene controlled the interview and kept things moving along which just shows how great he has been for the last couple decades. We also got excitement to build for the main event. Such a great segment that shows how good things like this can be done. 4 Stars
Disco inferno vs SGT. Craig Pittman with Teddy Long is up next. Disco hurts his hand trying to punch Pittman's head. Very short uneventful match with Pittman getting the submission win after trying to apply the Code Red and disco gives up before he can. Disco explains he gave up so quickly so he could continue to dance and if the move was applied it would have hurt him to much. Decent character work by disco but this match did nothing for either man involved. It cemented Disco as a comedy wrestler but did nothing to help out Pittman. 0 Stars
After the commercial break we come back to Tony and Larry discussing the backstage interview where Lord Steven Regal backhanded Sting on the Main Event. Regal is in the ring to square off against Hacksaw Jim Duggan. match is okay nothing to write home about outside of some great heel work from Regal. Squire Dave Taylor and Earl Robert Eaton come out to surround the ring. The Blue Bloods cause the distraction and Regal gets the roll up to score the pinfall. The match itself was uneventful and maybe 1.5 stars. The interview that followed didn't take the usual direction that Regal normally does. He was fined and told us that he paid double the fine and has credit so he can say what he wants now. He brings up that he wants Sting at his best and will do what he can to bring it out. This wasn't his best work, however the short but sweet promo got out what it needed too. the entire production was 2 Stars and only because of Regal's bicep pose at the end.
After break we come back to a promo package setting up the the upcoming falls count anywhere match between Kevin Sullivan and Chris Benoit at the Great American Bash. Sullivan heads to the ring against the Nitro debut of Prince Iaukea. Really short squash match that did nothing for Iaukea and the start to his career. This entire segment was a throw away. the only thing it made me want to do is watch the Benoit promos leading up to the Great American Bash. The clips that they showed before this match showed an intense and very underrated talker in Benoit at his best. Mean Gene is in the ring to interview Jimmy Hart and the Taskmaster. Jimmy is upset that Sullivan is forming a friendship with Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Sullivan explains that he is doing it because when Hogan is coming back and coming after them. He said like Pillman he is going to rid the horsemen of another "serpent". Sullivan should never have a mic in his hands ever. Another throw away segment that should only be watched for the Benoit promo's ahead of it. .5 stars
The legendary Rock and Roll Express makes their return to WCW and their debut on Nitro against Ric Flair and Arn Anderson to bridge from the first to the second hour and we throw it mid match to Eric Bishoff and Bobby Heenan. Fireworks go off in the middle of the match to indicate the start of the second hour. Flair is at the top of his game and is an incredible heel. Four legends in the ring and all four announcers have spent way to much time talking about the upcoming match between the Horsemen and Steve McMichael and Kevin Green. Arn Anderson taking a time out was classic heel work and a double figure four by Morton and Gibson gets the crowd on their feet. Flair gets his usual referee pushing spot and sells the push back like he got shot in the face. Phenomenal heel work by the horsemen as we go to break, Heenan leaves the broadcast both to head to ringside to give advise to Woman and Miss Elizabeth. Hot tag to Robert Gibson who comes in like a house of fire. With the referee distracted by Ricky Morton, woman rakes the eyes of Gibson, AA hits the DDT and Flair gets the cover. Mean Gene talks to the horsemen and Arn is so smooth talking about how he is bigger than football players. Flair is going to have a stroke during an interview someday and Heenan adds an amazing heel manager promo. Four legends on the mic put on a must see promo. Heenan declares he will never manage again but he will coach the Horsemen at the Great American Bash. This match and promo was easily 4 stars. Flair and Anderson pull out all the classic heel tricks including the fake tag and the double team moves to really get the crowd going. This was a great pay per view quality match that was ruined by the announcers talking about every thing else, the pyro going of after the match had started, and the commercial break. WCW gets a -1 star for their lack of focus on what was a great segment.
Hogan video package promotes the return of Hogan at Hog Wild in August. We head to the ring for a Heavyweight title match pitting Icetrain vs the Giant.
The Giant makes quick work of Ice Train as he delivers a choke slam. Scott Norton comes to the ring to confront The Giant and gets a pair of choke slams for his trouble. Giant goes to ringside and complains about Hogan getting a video package when he is the champ. He runs down the list of guys he's beaten and calls out Lex Lugar at the Bash at the Beach. 0 Stars.
The next scheduled match is Scott Norton vs Hugh Morrus. Morrus comes out checks on Norton and delivers a leg drop and pins him with one finger. Norton kicks out and Morrus drops a few elbows before going up to hit The No Laughing Matter. Norton bats away the moonsault and punches him in the face a couple times which resulted in a pin. 0 Stars. This is probably the perfect example of how to bury a guy. Scott Norton is a tag team guy that was beaten down by the heavyweight champion. He over came a beating by a fresh Morrus to get the win. Morrus will never be taken seriously after that.
Cut to a package showing Kevin Greene and Steve McMichael training. The only thing that came out of it is that they want Randy Savage to be their coach. At least they progressed the story 1 Star.
Main event time between Sting and Lex Lugar vs The Steiner Brothers. During the entrances we get a review of the heat between the two teams in the ring and Bobby Heenan pandering for Savage to stay at home. Savage calls and accepts the offer to coach, Heenan begs Savage to stay home. We then head to a commercial break. Some good in ring performances results with Sting and Rick Steiner out on the floor. The Giant comes out and delivers one of the worst choke slams I have ever seen. Giant pulls down the top rope and low bridges Scott Steiner. Scott teams up with Sting and Lugar to clear the ring of the Giant. 3 Stars for the in ring product that happened before all the Giant shenanigans that took the overall grade of the match down to roughly 2 Stars
More Pandering by Heenan for Savage to stay at home as Razor Ramon saunters to the announce booth. He challenges Bishoff to continue the war and Sting comes out to confront Razor. A tooth pick to the face and a slap by Sting brings out security. Razor announces he has a big surprise for all of WCW next week. 5 Stars. So many questions and still no answers. Other that the announcement by Vince on Raw about Ramon and Deisel no longer being employed there is nothing that lets us know why Razor is on WCW TV. He states he is bringing the war to Bishoff but why? What is the surprise? Two weeks in a row with a great cliffhanger to end the show. If you could get through this show you were definitely treated to greatness at the end of it.
Two out of nine matches were good, one of which was per view quality. A great ending to the show with Razor Ramon's continued mystery and the inclusion of Sting as the face of WCW. The only two good matches were cut by commercial breaks and the commentators talked about every thing and anything other than what was happening in the ring. Badly miss timed production spots and bad wrestling made this a very hard show to watch. It was saved by the Horsemen and Razor Ramon. This entire show was only 2 Stars.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Thursday, June 20, 2019
The Wrestling Legacy of Eddie Guerrero
My Kingdom of Honor co-host and I are doing a new series exclusively for our Patreon subscribers called Wrecked with Rasslers. We are going to be choosing one wrestler and picking four matches or moments that we would want with us if we were stranded on a desert island. This series will focus on wrestling and wrestling only as the real-life stuff you can find else where. To listen to the series please check out our Patreon site here.
Coming from the Guerrero wrestling family, there was no doubt that Eddie was going to be a star. The business was in his blood and he was part of wrestling royalty. But Eddie didn't have things handed to him on a silver platter, he went out and busted his ass for everything he got. He was verse in many styles from Lucha Libre to chain wrestling and could adapt to perform with anyone. From his wars in New Japan and ECW to his time as the undeniable Latino Heat in WWE, Eddie had charisma in spades, an unmatched work ethic and the desire to turn every moment into gold. His life was unfortunately cut short but there is no denying that there is, was, and forever will be only one Eddie Guerrero. So lets take a look at the matches and moments that I personally feel represent Eddie best.
Ironically since we are limiting ourselves to only four matches, my absolute favorite versions of Eddie aren't being represented. After his heel turn in 1997, while with WCW, he showed us that undeniable charisma in every promo he did, every match he was in, and even when he sauntered down to the ring. The second period of time was when he teamed with Chavo in 2003. The los Guerrero's vignettes are some of the greatest things I have ever seen. Definitely take a look at that moment in time as it is one of the greatest moments I can remember. It speaks volumes to the catalog of matches Eddie had that my favorite Eddie periods can't even crack my top 4.
NJPW Super J-Cup 4/16/1994 vs Chris Benoit (Wild Pegasus)
Before ECW, before WCW and way before WWE Eddie wrestled as Black Tiger in NJPW. Before the match we get some pushing and a middle finger from Eddie right into Benoit's face. This one gave you a lot of the classic Eddie moves mixed with some great mat wrestling. Throw in some classic Benoit moves and some great heat between the two and you've got a match for the ages. There was a pop up huricanrana that was beautifully done by Eddie and a spring board huricanrana that had a chance to go south in a hurry but Eddie recovered his balance and performed it to perfection. A missed crossed body countered into an arm drag turned into a pin for Benoit and 25 years later this match still holds up as one of the greatest ever.
Raw 7/22/02 Vs the Rock
The match was brilliant, but paled in comparison to the promo that preceded it. Eddie stood toe to toe with the Rock in a verbal battle. The emotion that Eddie showed when he blamed the Rock for making his little girls cheer for someone other than their father was priceless. Jump forward to the main event and these two put on a fast passed match with a very fiery Eddie that proved what we all learned two years later. He is ready to hang with the heavyweights. Eddie countering the Rock Bottom into a roll up was a thing of beauty and the Rock looked like he was reeling for a good portion of the match. A Peoples Elbow and the Rock scoring the pinfall couldn't take away from the amazing performance that Eddie put on.
No way Out 2004 vs Brock Lesnar
The perfect redemption story for Eddie Guerrero came to a dramatic conclusion in this fantastic big man versus little man story. Eddie came in as the clear cut favorite and the fans were electric for him. Brock coming out to the ring first and letting the the challenger enter last helped build the suspense and made a rabid crowd even more energetic. Brock's speed and power vs Eddie's heart and resilience told such a beautiful David vs Goliath story that I could watch this match over and over again. The submissions moves that ate up a good portion of the second half of the match added to the drama and Eddie hitting the three amigos was impressive. Eddie misses the frog splash and eats an F-5 but the ref was down and couldn't count. Lesnar goes out to get the title belt, when he gets back in the ring, he gets hit with a spear by Goldberg. The crowd gets solidly behind Eddie who picks up the title belt and misses hitting Brock with it. He counters the F-5 into a DDT on the title belt, hits the frog splash for the pin and the crowd delivers one of the loudest pops I've ever heard.
ECW 8/7/95 vs Dean Malenko
Unfortunately the standoff to begin this match has been duplicated beyond all recognition of the greatness that was on display here, however, when Eddie and Dean did it, it was a thing of beauty. Some of the moves that Eddie pulled off showed unparalleled athleticism that made him look like Will Ospreay 20 years before there was Will Ospreay. This match was a technical masterpiece with just enough hard hits and fast paced action to make it an all time classic. Unlike their more famous and popular last match in ECW that ended with a double pin, this one ended up with a roll up and Eddie winning the TV title in the process.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Coming from the Guerrero wrestling family, there was no doubt that Eddie was going to be a star. The business was in his blood and he was part of wrestling royalty. But Eddie didn't have things handed to him on a silver platter, he went out and busted his ass for everything he got. He was verse in many styles from Lucha Libre to chain wrestling and could adapt to perform with anyone. From his wars in New Japan and ECW to his time as the undeniable Latino Heat in WWE, Eddie had charisma in spades, an unmatched work ethic and the desire to turn every moment into gold. His life was unfortunately cut short but there is no denying that there is, was, and forever will be only one Eddie Guerrero. So lets take a look at the matches and moments that I personally feel represent Eddie best.
Ironically since we are limiting ourselves to only four matches, my absolute favorite versions of Eddie aren't being represented. After his heel turn in 1997, while with WCW, he showed us that undeniable charisma in every promo he did, every match he was in, and even when he sauntered down to the ring. The second period of time was when he teamed with Chavo in 2003. The los Guerrero's vignettes are some of the greatest things I have ever seen. Definitely take a look at that moment in time as it is one of the greatest moments I can remember. It speaks volumes to the catalog of matches Eddie had that my favorite Eddie periods can't even crack my top 4.
NJPW Super J-Cup 4/16/1994 vs Chris Benoit (Wild Pegasus)
Before ECW, before WCW and way before WWE Eddie wrestled as Black Tiger in NJPW. Before the match we get some pushing and a middle finger from Eddie right into Benoit's face. This one gave you a lot of the classic Eddie moves mixed with some great mat wrestling. Throw in some classic Benoit moves and some great heat between the two and you've got a match for the ages. There was a pop up huricanrana that was beautifully done by Eddie and a spring board huricanrana that had a chance to go south in a hurry but Eddie recovered his balance and performed it to perfection. A missed crossed body countered into an arm drag turned into a pin for Benoit and 25 years later this match still holds up as one of the greatest ever.
Raw 7/22/02 Vs the Rock
The match was brilliant, but paled in comparison to the promo that preceded it. Eddie stood toe to toe with the Rock in a verbal battle. The emotion that Eddie showed when he blamed the Rock for making his little girls cheer for someone other than their father was priceless. Jump forward to the main event and these two put on a fast passed match with a very fiery Eddie that proved what we all learned two years later. He is ready to hang with the heavyweights. Eddie countering the Rock Bottom into a roll up was a thing of beauty and the Rock looked like he was reeling for a good portion of the match. A Peoples Elbow and the Rock scoring the pinfall couldn't take away from the amazing performance that Eddie put on.
No way Out 2004 vs Brock Lesnar
The perfect redemption story for Eddie Guerrero came to a dramatic conclusion in this fantastic big man versus little man story. Eddie came in as the clear cut favorite and the fans were electric for him. Brock coming out to the ring first and letting the the challenger enter last helped build the suspense and made a rabid crowd even more energetic. Brock's speed and power vs Eddie's heart and resilience told such a beautiful David vs Goliath story that I could watch this match over and over again. The submissions moves that ate up a good portion of the second half of the match added to the drama and Eddie hitting the three amigos was impressive. Eddie misses the frog splash and eats an F-5 but the ref was down and couldn't count. Lesnar goes out to get the title belt, when he gets back in the ring, he gets hit with a spear by Goldberg. The crowd gets solidly behind Eddie who picks up the title belt and misses hitting Brock with it. He counters the F-5 into a DDT on the title belt, hits the frog splash for the pin and the crowd delivers one of the loudest pops I've ever heard.
ECW 8/7/95 vs Dean Malenko
Unfortunately the standoff to begin this match has been duplicated beyond all recognition of the greatness that was on display here, however, when Eddie and Dean did it, it was a thing of beauty. Some of the moves that Eddie pulled off showed unparalleled athleticism that made him look like Will Ospreay 20 years before there was Will Ospreay. This match was a technical masterpiece with just enough hard hits and fast paced action to make it an all time classic. Unlike their more famous and popular last match in ECW that ended with a double pin, this one ended up with a roll up and Eddie winning the TV title in the process.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Thursday, June 6, 2019
The wrestling legacy of Chris Benoit
My Kingdom of Honor co-host and I are doing a new series exclusively for our Patreon subscribers called Wrecked with Rasslers. We are going to be choosing one wrestler and picking four matches or moments that we would want with us if we were stranded on a desert island. This series will focus on wrestling and wrestling only as the real-life stuff you can find else where. To listen to the series please check out our Patreon site here.
Before I announce my four matches and give a little description of why I would include them, I want to explain what it is about Chris Benoit that I enjoyed so much. From the first time I saw Benoit in WCW I was hooked. He had such a unique style and he was so technically gifted that I was just mesmerized by him. He was silent but stoic and an absolute beast inside the ring. Everything he did in the ring had such precision and aggression behind it that he almost seemed to jerk and twitch with every move he made. Watching him hit the three German suplexes was a thing of beauty. He had such a quick snap suplex and diving headbutt that he would bring people to their feet. As a member of the Four Horsemen he excelled at the utility spot that was previously held by Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham. And he was even better as the leader of the Radicalz.
Chris Benoit was one of those wrestlers that when you asked people, he was never their favorite. The reason being quite simply because he wasn't flashy and he didn't captivate people with his promos. However, he was that guy that would go out every night and put on such a wrestling clinic that people had to take notice. He was the performer who could keep people's eyes glued to that ring because every time he was in one he had a chance to steal the show and put on an instant masterpiece. He was the kind of guy that could have a great match with a broken broom and he elevated everyone's performance when he was in the ring against them.
I have chosen four matches from his career that meant the most to me. Not all of them are 5 star classics but everyone of them have stood the test of time.
The first match and probably my favorite one took place at Wrestlemania 16 when he competed in a two out of three falls triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. This match was not only for both the Intercontinental title and the European Championship, that were held at the time by Angle. But it was also the first Wrestlemania for all three men. The first fall was for the Intercontinental Championship which was won by Benoit and the second fall for the European title which was won by Jericho. This was a great match between three amazing performers that at the time were all heels with Jericho being the closest to a face this match had. Benoit tried to out heel the other two by jumping Angle outside the ring before the bell and was the aggressor for the majority of the match. All three guys were also able to hit their signature moves throughout it. I think my favorite part of this match was knowing that if I were to take four matches to a desert island for any of these three guys, this match would be among each of their sets. I absolutely loved the performance of all three men and loved watching Benoit show why he was the original mayor of suplex city.
My second match happened on the October 4th episode of Nitro in 1999. The significance of the match was that this was a tribute to Owen Hart as both his brother Bret and one of his best friends in Chris Benoit put on an instant classic. My favorite part of this match was how old school Hart dungeon it was. There were very few high spot in fact there were really only two. Benoit hit a dive through the second rope and a flying headbutt off the top rope. The rest of the match was just a series of perfect mat wrestling that told a fun story that wasn't about disdain or overcoming anything. It was just two technically perfect wrestlers trying to see who was better.
My Third match was Chris's final match in WCW at the Souled Out pay per view in 2000. There was a lot of strangeness in this match as Sid Vicious played a goofy face on the way to the ring. Benoit was vicious as he attacked the leg and the match had a very odd ending. Sid hit a chokeslam and the pinfall was waived off because Benoit's foot was under the rope. Benoit immediately puts Sid in the Crippler Crossface and Sid taps. However, Sid's foot was also under the rope which Tony Shiavoni tried to explain away stating that Sid tapped first. This was not even close to an epic classic but the match meant so much to me personally because it was a moment for Benoit that I had wanted to see since the first day I saw him in wrestle.
My fourth and final match that I would need to have with me on any desert island happened on May 24th in 2001 on an episode of Smackdown. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho faced of against three of the greatest tag teams in history when they participated in a tables ladders and chairs match against Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. Anytime Benoit was involved in a falls count anywhere or ladder match he seemed to be out of his element and this was no different. The match was a complete train wreck with some sick spots. Benoit went for a diving headbutt from the top rope on to Matt Hardy who was laying on a table outside the ring. Hardy moved and Benoit went through the table only to be wheeled to the back on a stretcher. After a few more insane spots including Christian being dumped off the top of a ladder all the way to the floor without hitting the ropes first. Benoit came limping out holding his ribs. He then took a con-chair-to to the ribs for his trouble. These eight guys created so much carnage and violence it was honestly hard to watch at times. Everyone took some insane bumps and the match ended with Benoit taking the titles down to retain the belts.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Before I announce my four matches and give a little description of why I would include them, I want to explain what it is about Chris Benoit that I enjoyed so much. From the first time I saw Benoit in WCW I was hooked. He had such a unique style and he was so technically gifted that I was just mesmerized by him. He was silent but stoic and an absolute beast inside the ring. Everything he did in the ring had such precision and aggression behind it that he almost seemed to jerk and twitch with every move he made. Watching him hit the three German suplexes was a thing of beauty. He had such a quick snap suplex and diving headbutt that he would bring people to their feet. As a member of the Four Horsemen he excelled at the utility spot that was previously held by Tully Blanchard and Barry Windham. And he was even better as the leader of the Radicalz.
Chris Benoit was one of those wrestlers that when you asked people, he was never their favorite. The reason being quite simply because he wasn't flashy and he didn't captivate people with his promos. However, he was that guy that would go out every night and put on such a wrestling clinic that people had to take notice. He was the performer who could keep people's eyes glued to that ring because every time he was in one he had a chance to steal the show and put on an instant masterpiece. He was the kind of guy that could have a great match with a broken broom and he elevated everyone's performance when he was in the ring against them.
I have chosen four matches from his career that meant the most to me. Not all of them are 5 star classics but everyone of them have stood the test of time.
The first match and probably my favorite one took place at Wrestlemania 16 when he competed in a two out of three falls triple threat match against Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho. This match was not only for both the Intercontinental title and the European Championship, that were held at the time by Angle. But it was also the first Wrestlemania for all three men. The first fall was for the Intercontinental Championship which was won by Benoit and the second fall for the European title which was won by Jericho. This was a great match between three amazing performers that at the time were all heels with Jericho being the closest to a face this match had. Benoit tried to out heel the other two by jumping Angle outside the ring before the bell and was the aggressor for the majority of the match. All three guys were also able to hit their signature moves throughout it. I think my favorite part of this match was knowing that if I were to take four matches to a desert island for any of these three guys, this match would be among each of their sets. I absolutely loved the performance of all three men and loved watching Benoit show why he was the original mayor of suplex city.
My second match happened on the October 4th episode of Nitro in 1999. The significance of the match was that this was a tribute to Owen Hart as both his brother Bret and one of his best friends in Chris Benoit put on an instant classic. My favorite part of this match was how old school Hart dungeon it was. There were very few high spot in fact there were really only two. Benoit hit a dive through the second rope and a flying headbutt off the top rope. The rest of the match was just a series of perfect mat wrestling that told a fun story that wasn't about disdain or overcoming anything. It was just two technically perfect wrestlers trying to see who was better.
My Third match was Chris's final match in WCW at the Souled Out pay per view in 2000. There was a lot of strangeness in this match as Sid Vicious played a goofy face on the way to the ring. Benoit was vicious as he attacked the leg and the match had a very odd ending. Sid hit a chokeslam and the pinfall was waived off because Benoit's foot was under the rope. Benoit immediately puts Sid in the Crippler Crossface and Sid taps. However, Sid's foot was also under the rope which Tony Shiavoni tried to explain away stating that Sid tapped first. This was not even close to an epic classic but the match meant so much to me personally because it was a moment for Benoit that I had wanted to see since the first day I saw him in wrestle.
My fourth and final match that I would need to have with me on any desert island happened on May 24th in 2001 on an episode of Smackdown. Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho faced of against three of the greatest tag teams in history when they participated in a tables ladders and chairs match against Edge and Christian, the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. Anytime Benoit was involved in a falls count anywhere or ladder match he seemed to be out of his element and this was no different. The match was a complete train wreck with some sick spots. Benoit went for a diving headbutt from the top rope on to Matt Hardy who was laying on a table outside the ring. Hardy moved and Benoit went through the table only to be wheeled to the back on a stretcher. After a few more insane spots including Christian being dumped off the top of a ladder all the way to the floor without hitting the ropes first. Benoit came limping out holding his ribs. He then took a con-chair-to to the ribs for his trouble. These eight guys created so much carnage and violence it was honestly hard to watch at times. Everyone took some insane bumps and the match ended with Benoit taking the titles down to retain the belts.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Sunday, June 2, 2019
nXt Takeover 25 - review
nXt has become the gold standard when it comes to WWE programming over the last five years and this last Saturday was a perfect example as to why. They continue to give what the fans want with a shorter show and quality wrestling. If you haven't seen this show yet I will tell you that it is a must watch as every match on the card was 4 stars or better.
The show started with the Original Bro Matt Riddle taking on Roderick Strong. This match progressed nicely with a lot of hard hits and good back and forth mat wrestling. The rolling side suplex that Riddle does is a thing of beauty and Roderick strong could be one of the best at picking a body part and targeting the back to set up his finisher the Strong hold. This match had me hooked until a couple of spots near the end, After Strong escaped a power bomb attempt when Riddle's back gave out. Strong backed into the ropes and caught a charging Riddle with a kick to the face and followed it up with an enziguri which knocked riddle back. A running V-trigger by strong followed up by three running forearms to the face and a front facing side suplex that planted Riddle on his face only got a 2. After that Riddle hits a ripcord v-trigger, a powerbomb, and the Final Flash that Strong kicked out of at 2. They were able to pull me back into the match with the amazing grit the two of them showed. Kudos to Matt Riddle for selling the back injury. 4 stars for a match that even though it faltered in the middle was able to hook me back in towards the end.
Next up we got four way tag team ladder match for the vacated tag team titles. The Street Profits vs Oney Lorkan and Danny Birch vs the Forgotten Sons vs the Undisputed Era. An amazing match with some crazy spots from Wesley Blake hitting a suicide dive into a ladder being carried by the Undisputed Era to a great spot where Lorkan and Birch duck the ladder shot to German Suplex the Forgotten Sons who were carrying the ladder. The ladder was launched onto Kyle O'Reilly in a spot that could only be O'Reilly in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Kyle O'Reilly took some ridiculous punishment in this match and I am honestly surprised he doesn't have a broken back. Everyone took some crazy hits with the ladder and the match was on it's way to 5 star territory until Jackson Ryker made his appearance and decimated the field. The UE took the fight to Ryker and they were joined by the Profits and Lorkan and Birch to deliver a good old fashioned horsemen stomp. Having all three teams do what they could to take out Ryker got this match back on track and told an incredible story. Lorkan and Birch used the ladders to give the Street Profits a Con-Chair-to. Every team had a chance to shine, to hit there spots and the violence (especially to O'Reilly) was ridiculous. Street Profits stand victorious at the end in a helluva match. 5 Stars all the way. They had a chance to WWE this and ruin the match but took it into a whole new direction that I didn't see coming. Fresh story telling is what launched this match as high as it did.
Tyler Breeze vs the Velveteen Dream is up next. They started the match trying to one up each other by showing who was the flashiest. Then the match got going and didn't quit. A very aggressive Breeze brought out a very aggressive Dream which made this feel like a very personal fight. After smashing Breeze's face into the table multiple times, Dream grabbed the belt and a phone to take a selfie with a dazed Breeze on the announcers table. This was a great match were Breeze played the plucky cagey veteran and Dream played the young emotional competitor that let his feelings lead him to make mistakes. The ending seemed rushed and really out of place considering what the entire match showed. Breeze got distracted and we got the Dream Valley Driver followed by the Purple Rain Maker for the pin. If the ending had been a little tighter this was a 5 star match unfortunately it was rushed and a little out of place so it was dropped down to a 4.5. However they got bonus points for the story leading in and the post match selfie. 5 Stars.
Shayna Baszler vs Io Shirai is up next and Io comes out to a completely drained audience that really has nothing left to give to her entrance. Baszler comes out alone as the remaining horsewomen stay in the back. A very aggressive Shirai actually looked at times like she might win this. False finishes all over the place until Baszler places her into the Coquina Clutch for the win. Io took a drained crowd and brought them back into a match that they had absolutely no energy for. Io Shirai snapped after the match and attacked Baszler with a kendo stick and a couple of moonsault's using a chair with the second. This was a solid 4.5 Stars especially considering what they needed to overcome with the crowds energy.
Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole is the main event and how can these two possibly top their performance from Takeover New York. The crowd is pumped for this match from the start as Gargano and Cole pace around the ring staring at each other to drag out the suspense. These two had a really good new take on the stand off to begin a match that has become so popular in today's wrestling when they sat on the floor staring at each other with disdain instead of mutual respect. Much like the Dream v Breeze match you can feel the hatred between these two. Fast paced, athletic, and had a good mix of high spots with just flat out fighting to get this crowd on their feet and keep them there. Reversals and counters and ducks highlighted a very personal match that showed how well these two know each other. Johnny sold his knee injury perfectly, unlike other people that have had injuries Gargano never one time forgot about his injury just to hit a high spot. A classic figure four spot was done brilliantly and the counters continued throughout the match. Gargano has continued to show that never say die attitude that has made him one of the best wrestlers in the world. Panama Sunrise followed by a Last Shot and I have a new front runner for match of the year. 5.75 Stars.
Wow what a match to end an unbelievably great show. The entire production was an easy 5 star and one of my favorite PPV's of all time. From the dominate presence of the Undisputed Era to the quality of matches, crowd energy and running time of the show. This one is going to be very hard to beat.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
The show started with the Original Bro Matt Riddle taking on Roderick Strong. This match progressed nicely with a lot of hard hits and good back and forth mat wrestling. The rolling side suplex that Riddle does is a thing of beauty and Roderick strong could be one of the best at picking a body part and targeting the back to set up his finisher the Strong hold. This match had me hooked until a couple of spots near the end, After Strong escaped a power bomb attempt when Riddle's back gave out. Strong backed into the ropes and caught a charging Riddle with a kick to the face and followed it up with an enziguri which knocked riddle back. A running V-trigger by strong followed up by three running forearms to the face and a front facing side suplex that planted Riddle on his face only got a 2. After that Riddle hits a ripcord v-trigger, a powerbomb, and the Final Flash that Strong kicked out of at 2. They were able to pull me back into the match with the amazing grit the two of them showed. Kudos to Matt Riddle for selling the back injury. 4 stars for a match that even though it faltered in the middle was able to hook me back in towards the end.
Next up we got four way tag team ladder match for the vacated tag team titles. The Street Profits vs Oney Lorkan and Danny Birch vs the Forgotten Sons vs the Undisputed Era. An amazing match with some crazy spots from Wesley Blake hitting a suicide dive into a ladder being carried by the Undisputed Era to a great spot where Lorkan and Birch duck the ladder shot to German Suplex the Forgotten Sons who were carrying the ladder. The ladder was launched onto Kyle O'Reilly in a spot that could only be O'Reilly in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Kyle O'Reilly took some ridiculous punishment in this match and I am honestly surprised he doesn't have a broken back. Everyone took some crazy hits with the ladder and the match was on it's way to 5 star territory until Jackson Ryker made his appearance and decimated the field. The UE took the fight to Ryker and they were joined by the Profits and Lorkan and Birch to deliver a good old fashioned horsemen stomp. Having all three teams do what they could to take out Ryker got this match back on track and told an incredible story. Lorkan and Birch used the ladders to give the Street Profits a Con-Chair-to. Every team had a chance to shine, to hit there spots and the violence (especially to O'Reilly) was ridiculous. Street Profits stand victorious at the end in a helluva match. 5 Stars all the way. They had a chance to WWE this and ruin the match but took it into a whole new direction that I didn't see coming. Fresh story telling is what launched this match as high as it did.
Tyler Breeze vs the Velveteen Dream is up next. They started the match trying to one up each other by showing who was the flashiest. Then the match got going and didn't quit. A very aggressive Breeze brought out a very aggressive Dream which made this feel like a very personal fight. After smashing Breeze's face into the table multiple times, Dream grabbed the belt and a phone to take a selfie with a dazed Breeze on the announcers table. This was a great match were Breeze played the plucky cagey veteran and Dream played the young emotional competitor that let his feelings lead him to make mistakes. The ending seemed rushed and really out of place considering what the entire match showed. Breeze got distracted and we got the Dream Valley Driver followed by the Purple Rain Maker for the pin. If the ending had been a little tighter this was a 5 star match unfortunately it was rushed and a little out of place so it was dropped down to a 4.5. However they got bonus points for the story leading in and the post match selfie. 5 Stars.
Shayna Baszler vs Io Shirai is up next and Io comes out to a completely drained audience that really has nothing left to give to her entrance. Baszler comes out alone as the remaining horsewomen stay in the back. A very aggressive Shirai actually looked at times like she might win this. False finishes all over the place until Baszler places her into the Coquina Clutch for the win. Io took a drained crowd and brought them back into a match that they had absolutely no energy for. Io Shirai snapped after the match and attacked Baszler with a kendo stick and a couple of moonsault's using a chair with the second. This was a solid 4.5 Stars especially considering what they needed to overcome with the crowds energy.
Johnny Gargano vs Adam Cole is the main event and how can these two possibly top their performance from Takeover New York. The crowd is pumped for this match from the start as Gargano and Cole pace around the ring staring at each other to drag out the suspense. These two had a really good new take on the stand off to begin a match that has become so popular in today's wrestling when they sat on the floor staring at each other with disdain instead of mutual respect. Much like the Dream v Breeze match you can feel the hatred between these two. Fast paced, athletic, and had a good mix of high spots with just flat out fighting to get this crowd on their feet and keep them there. Reversals and counters and ducks highlighted a very personal match that showed how well these two know each other. Johnny sold his knee injury perfectly, unlike other people that have had injuries Gargano never one time forgot about his injury just to hit a high spot. A classic figure four spot was done brilliantly and the counters continued throughout the match. Gargano has continued to show that never say die attitude that has made him one of the best wrestlers in the world. Panama Sunrise followed by a Last Shot and I have a new front runner for match of the year. 5.75 Stars.
Wow what a match to end an unbelievably great show. The entire production was an easy 5 star and one of my favorite PPV's of all time. From the dominate presence of the Undisputed Era to the quality of matches, crowd energy and running time of the show. This one is going to be very hard to beat.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
Friday, May 24, 2019
Monday Night Wars from a fans perspective - WWE week of 6/3/1996
This is my continued look into the most profitable era in wrestling history for an extensive breakdown of what I am doing click here.
RAW:
We open this week with a quick recap of the shenanigans to end last week. This segment is topped off with a naked Goldust using the Intercontinental belt to cover his naughty bits. He lets Ahmed Johnson know if he wants the belt to come and get it. 3.5 stars Goldust is easily one of the best characters on TV. He makes every angle, every interview and every match so much better.
Cut to Vince and the King to confirm that we will indeed get to see the intercontinental title match between Ahmed Johnson and Goldust at the King of the Ring. We head to the ring to see Spark Plug Bob Holly vs Stone Cold Steve Austin. Three minutes of talking about Ahmed Johnson vs Goldust and British Bulldog vs Shawn Michaels before we finally start talking about the match that is on our screen. Austin is in complete control of this match and the crowd is booing him. Austin seems to love it as he is smiling every chance he gets. Came back from commercial and heard Bob Holly had some offense. Holly starts to mount a comeback and brings the fight to Austin who out of nowhere slaps the million dollar dream on him for the win. Good showing by Austin but not a great match 2 stars.
Recap of last weeks interference by Lawler and the announcement that it'll be Warrior vs the King at King of the Ring. Jerry shows us a cover he has drawn for King Comics that shows Lawler pummeling the Warrior. We go to the ring for Barry Horowitz vs Mankind where Barry Horowitz is just completely over matched. Cool spot halfway through the beat down where Mankind hung Horowitz in the tree of wow and hit him with some weird elbow drop/ headbutt move. They move out to ringside where mankind starts pulling his own hair out. Vince screams that there is a chill and the Undertaker must be here as we head to commercial. Back from commercial with Horowitz mounting a little offense which quickly becomes a Mandible Claw for the win. JR heads to the ring to interview Mankind. Mankind pulls out more hair while calling out the Undertaker. He talks about his missing ear and missing teeth and that he has lost his mind. He ends the interview with a high pitched squeal. This was definitely a squash match used to make Mankind look deranged, unstable and unbeatable and it accomplished all three. He is such a creepy character with some of the creepiest music in wrestling history and he elevates every thing he is involved in. Barry Horowitz bumped like crazy and made Mankind look even more dangerous. The match was 2 stars at best but the overall presentation and character work definitely elevate this to 3.5 stars.
We then head to some rare live footage of the last pay per view, In Your House: Beware of Dog. After the highlights we come back to a naked Goldust and another recap of the Ahmed Johnson revival from last week. This leads to a Goldust interview where he discusses movie quotes, saving Ahmed's life and how chocolate feels in his mouth while eating a Crunch bar. After this there is no question in my mind that Goldust is the best character on TV. he's entertaining and so over the top that I can't look away and hang on every word. I was annoyed when I saw the footage from last week but Goldust delivered an amazing promo that knocked this entire segment out of the park. Solid 5 stars
We head back to the ring for a match between the Godwinns vs Techno Team 2000 with Sunny on commentary. Before the match starts we cut to a clip of the Bodydonnas that announced they are searching for a new manager. A ho hum match that is drawn out even more because of Sunny's grandstanding and the King's perversion. Thankfully this match went to commercial so I could get a break from it all. Henry it's the SlopDrop for the win. 1 Star
Cut to a phone interview from Clarence Mason where he is accusing Gorilla Monson for his injuries. 0 Stars
Back to the ring for a first round King of the Ring match up with Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Jake the Snake Roberts. Hunter is very smooth and is doing an amazing job playing the heel. Vince brings up that Razor Ramon and Diesel have left the WWF and they are portraying themselves as invaders when in fact they are under contract with a rival corporation. And yet another commercial break. Decent match that is interrupted by another commercial after an extended time talking about the Warrior vs the King. Shortly after we return Jake Roberts hits the DDT for the pin. Roberts teases shoving the snake down HHH's pants as we end the show. Two commercial breaks and the announcers talking about everything but what was happening in the ring really drug down what was a sub par match to begin with. HHH is very smooth and very talented but Jake Roberts is not only showing his age but is also showing that he can't stand toe to toe with the younger talent. The wrong guy won this match and advances in the King of the Ring tournament. 1 Star
For the second week in a row the WWE's presentation is littered with commercial breaks, unnecessary comedy and unfortunately this week also included some horrible skits and matches. The two best characters on TV saved this show by delivering the way they were supposed too. Goldust and Mankind continue to pave the way in the WWF. I can't in all honesty recommend this show but if anything you need to watch the Goldust and Mankind segments. As a whole presentation I honestly can't go higher than 2 stars.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
RAW:
We open this week with a quick recap of the shenanigans to end last week. This segment is topped off with a naked Goldust using the Intercontinental belt to cover his naughty bits. He lets Ahmed Johnson know if he wants the belt to come and get it. 3.5 stars Goldust is easily one of the best characters on TV. He makes every angle, every interview and every match so much better.
Cut to Vince and the King to confirm that we will indeed get to see the intercontinental title match between Ahmed Johnson and Goldust at the King of the Ring. We head to the ring to see Spark Plug Bob Holly vs Stone Cold Steve Austin. Three minutes of talking about Ahmed Johnson vs Goldust and British Bulldog vs Shawn Michaels before we finally start talking about the match that is on our screen. Austin is in complete control of this match and the crowd is booing him. Austin seems to love it as he is smiling every chance he gets. Came back from commercial and heard Bob Holly had some offense. Holly starts to mount a comeback and brings the fight to Austin who out of nowhere slaps the million dollar dream on him for the win. Good showing by Austin but not a great match 2 stars.
Recap of last weeks interference by Lawler and the announcement that it'll be Warrior vs the King at King of the Ring. Jerry shows us a cover he has drawn for King Comics that shows Lawler pummeling the Warrior. We go to the ring for Barry Horowitz vs Mankind where Barry Horowitz is just completely over matched. Cool spot halfway through the beat down where Mankind hung Horowitz in the tree of wow and hit him with some weird elbow drop/ headbutt move. They move out to ringside where mankind starts pulling his own hair out. Vince screams that there is a chill and the Undertaker must be here as we head to commercial. Back from commercial with Horowitz mounting a little offense which quickly becomes a Mandible Claw for the win. JR heads to the ring to interview Mankind. Mankind pulls out more hair while calling out the Undertaker. He talks about his missing ear and missing teeth and that he has lost his mind. He ends the interview with a high pitched squeal. This was definitely a squash match used to make Mankind look deranged, unstable and unbeatable and it accomplished all three. He is such a creepy character with some of the creepiest music in wrestling history and he elevates every thing he is involved in. Barry Horowitz bumped like crazy and made Mankind look even more dangerous. The match was 2 stars at best but the overall presentation and character work definitely elevate this to 3.5 stars.
We then head to some rare live footage of the last pay per view, In Your House: Beware of Dog. After the highlights we come back to a naked Goldust and another recap of the Ahmed Johnson revival from last week. This leads to a Goldust interview where he discusses movie quotes, saving Ahmed's life and how chocolate feels in his mouth while eating a Crunch bar. After this there is no question in my mind that Goldust is the best character on TV. he's entertaining and so over the top that I can't look away and hang on every word. I was annoyed when I saw the footage from last week but Goldust delivered an amazing promo that knocked this entire segment out of the park. Solid 5 stars
We head back to the ring for a match between the Godwinns vs Techno Team 2000 with Sunny on commentary. Before the match starts we cut to a clip of the Bodydonnas that announced they are searching for a new manager. A ho hum match that is drawn out even more because of Sunny's grandstanding and the King's perversion. Thankfully this match went to commercial so I could get a break from it all. Henry it's the SlopDrop for the win. 1 Star
Cut to a phone interview from Clarence Mason where he is accusing Gorilla Monson for his injuries. 0 Stars
Back to the ring for a first round King of the Ring match up with Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs Jake the Snake Roberts. Hunter is very smooth and is doing an amazing job playing the heel. Vince brings up that Razor Ramon and Diesel have left the WWF and they are portraying themselves as invaders when in fact they are under contract with a rival corporation. And yet another commercial break. Decent match that is interrupted by another commercial after an extended time talking about the Warrior vs the King. Shortly after we return Jake Roberts hits the DDT for the pin. Roberts teases shoving the snake down HHH's pants as we end the show. Two commercial breaks and the announcers talking about everything but what was happening in the ring really drug down what was a sub par match to begin with. HHH is very smooth and very talented but Jake Roberts is not only showing his age but is also showing that he can't stand toe to toe with the younger talent. The wrong guy won this match and advances in the King of the Ring tournament. 1 Star
For the second week in a row the WWE's presentation is littered with commercial breaks, unnecessary comedy and unfortunately this week also included some horrible skits and matches. The two best characters on TV saved this show by delivering the way they were supposed too. Goldust and Mankind continue to pave the way in the WWF. I can't in all honesty recommend this show but if anything you need to watch the Goldust and Mankind segments. As a whole presentation I honestly can't go higher than 2 stars.
Make sure you check out our show, Kingdom of Honor, for the latest in wrestling talk every Monday night on Lords of Pain Radio and find our archived shows with a lot of never before heard content on our Patreon page here. Also please leave a comment with your thoughts below or send your feedback to us directly at Kingdomofhonor123@gmail.com
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