WWE Monday Night RAW #1247 Review (Aired - 17th April 2017)

A week after the Superstar Shake-up and the sediment was beginning to settle on Monday Night RAW in the penultimate episode before Payback. This week's main event was a rematch of February colossal clash between Braun Strowman and The Big Show, whilst Chris Jericho, Jeff Hardy, The Miz, Cesaro and Samoa Joe were all featured across the three hours...but was it any good? 

Braun Strowman opened the show, popping the crowd with a list of things that he was proud of, which mainly included trying to kill Roman Reigns last week. The brief segment concluded with General Manager Kurt Angle booking Strowman v Reigns for Payback and The Monster Amongst Men being told to leave, despite a plea for more competition. 

Joe def. Jericho

A rematch from a March bout that ended in a Count Out, this week's opening contest bought two of the RAW brand's biggest names together for a solid opener that put Joe over strong, as he won clean with the Coquina Clutch, even after surviving a pinfall attempt. The two are strong enough that they could essentially walk through this contest and alongside a Colombus crowd that adored Jericho, that was enough to make this bout work. Two sequences that saw Jericho come close to victory stood out in particularly, firstly Y2J dodging a senton to hit a Lionsault for only the third time in history, before later being able to dodge an Enziguiri to earn a massive pop as he locked in the Walls of Jericho. Whilst the first part of the bout was pedestrian, the closing few minutes picked up, produced some sturdy near falls for the popular Jericho, before making Joe look like a world beater as he continues to run through the competition on RAW. The clean cut nature of the loss puts Jericho in an odd place heading into his United States Championship match with Kevin Owens at Payback, but that's more a symptom of the rushed nature of last week's shake up than anything else.

- Following the match, Joe cut a promo addressing Seth Rollins, who was on commentary, before The Kingslayer climbed onto the announce table to tell Joe that "Payback...is a bitch".

- Braun Strowman took out The Golden Truth as they were walking backstage, leading to Finlay, Joey Mercury and Adam Pearce running about in terror. 

- The lewd Mike Rome tried to interview Braun Strowman, who said he wasn't finished. 

- Gallows & Anderson issued an open challenge, because The Golden Truth were supposed to be their opponents, with Enzo & Cass answering the call. 

Gallows & Anderson def. Enzo & Cass 

Considering this was a thrown together match between two teams that have probably already faced off too many times over the last year, I found myself enjoying this standard issue tag bout. It wasn't anything special and didn't feature anything that would particularly stick in my memory if I hadn't been writing notes, but it filled it's screen time well and stuck to the performers strengths. Gallows & Anderson looked great, controlling Enzo and looking crafty in the finish, whilst both teams were over with the crowd, with Cass getting an especially big reaction when he tagged in for the hot tag. The finish was a cool departure from the norm, as Cass taking himself out by delivering a Cactus Big Boot that sent he and Gallows to the floor and with Enzo all alone, Anderson delivered a move that dropped the New Jersey native across the top turnbuckle for the victory. With The Revival out due to a Dash Wilder injury, it seems like the Tag division is getting a little jumbled up as WWE tries to work out it's next move. 

Ambrose appeared on "Miz TV" 

The Miz brought some of the fire and realism, that transformed him into a top star on SmackDown, to RAW as he wonderfully ripped into Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose during an episode of Miz TV. I get a feeling that some of the words coming out of Miz's mouth were a window onto how creative views Ambrose, as words like "wrassler" and "lazy and complacent" very well could have been coming from Vinny Mac himself (especially after some Dean's recent PPV efforts). The hometown audience for both men added some extra energy to proceeding, loudly supporting The Lunatic Fringe as he mocked Miz's maroon suit and reminded us how little he cares about images and other things. The closing moments saw both men attempt their finishers, before Miz escaped up the ramp with his wife, Maryse, in tow. The two have had a fair few matches on TV over the last three years, none of them have set the world a light, but I'm hopefully that with a little more fire behind them we may see the two put on something a little better when they next lock horns.

- Kalisto made his RAW return, by getting put in a dumpster by Braun Strowman, with The Big Show sort of making the save by shouting "Pick on someone your own size" like a big brother confronting a school bully. 

- Neville and Austin Aries came to ringside to watch the following match, for reasons that weren't quite clear. 

Perkins def. Gallagher 

After TJ Perkins and Jack Gallagher had ripped it up on 205 Live last week, I was hopeful that this rematch would receive a more appreciative audience, with the Colombus audience being hot for most of the show. However, whilst Ohio State University was much more interested in what Perkins and Gallagher had to offer, the match wasn't a patch on what the pair had done last week. In part this was because the focus was more on Neville and Austin Aries sitting at ringside, instead of what was going on in the ring. Gallagher's Mary Poppins dive to the outside is always fun and Perkins continually rolling to the outside was a nice classic heel tactic, but with the Cruiserweight Champion and #1 Contender at ringside, it all had the feeling of treading water. Of course, that was the case, as after Perkins threw Gallagher into Aries things broke down, allowing Perkins to nick a Detonation Kick victory. Nothing particularly wrong with anything here, but after seeing the 205 Live match it was a little disappointing. 

- Titus O'Neil propositioned newcomer Apollo Crews, by rhyming things with his name, it was weird and I don't want to see either a match between the two or a team, but at least we got to see Crews chatting with Akira Tozawa beforehand. 

- Cesaro & Sheamus interrupted the makeshift Mike Rome's interview with The Hardy Boyz, although they are still all good pals. 

Bliss def. Banks, James, Jax to become #1 contender to RAW Women's Championship

A well-booked four way here, that opens up an interesting clash between Alexa Bliss and RAW Women's Champion Bayley soon, whilst putting off bigger money matches with Sasha Banks and Nia Jax. Nia was the star of the show here, as despite an alliance with Bliss that was teased last week being completely no sold, Jax walked through her competition, hitting big slams, surviving a guillotine choke from Banks and hitting the move that would win the match. Jax time will come, but I like that she's been held away from having one on one title match just yet. It'll make her a bigger star when the time comes, especially if handled correctly. Outside of the Jax dominance, thinks were a little hit and miss, as whilst Bliss and Banks had a very good sequence of reversals based around the Banks Statement, a sequence with Bliss and James was sloppy. It was perhaps surprising to see the respected veteran James stand out as the weakest link in the match, but against women five to twelve years her junior she just didn't seem with it. 

- The upset Charly Caruso spoke to the Big Show, who was still angry about Strowman's antics. 

- Curt Hawkins cut a promo describing how he made The Big Show into a star last week, before challenging someone to face him.

- Finn Balor defeated Curt Hawkins in just over thirty seconds. 

- The big Mike Rome spoke with Chris Jericho, with Y2J saying there was no shame in losing to Samoa Joe, before chatting about his US title match with Owens. Elias Samson drifted into the background and eventually ended up on the list in a pretty entertaining interview segment. 

- Bray Wyatt made an appearance in his smoky lair, cutting a promo about the upcoming House of Horrors Match with SmackDown's Randy Orton. Filled with weird imagery, including a bloke with antlers (Moose?), it still did very little to clue us in on what the match will actually be. 

- Emma purposefully put a stop to Dana Brooke's friendship with Alicia Fox, recalling Brooke's poor jokes about Fox getting covered in powder on last week's 205 Live. 

J. Hardy def. Cesaro

Jeff Hardy's first RAW singles match since beating Dolph Ziggler in an Extreme Rules match in March 2009, bought us a fun, first-time ever clash with Cesaro. The Swiss Superman controlling the contest from the ad-break, nailing running uppercuts on the outside and dodging Hardy's hope spot Swanton Bomb, was certainly the best thing for the match, as even with the popularity of Cesaro, he was always going to come off second best to a Columbus audience getting to see Hardy live for the first time in four years. In the last few minutes the action began to pick up, with Cesaro blocking a Twist of Fate with an uppercut and then hitting a springboard corkscrew uppercut moments after Jeff blocked a Swing attempt. There was the feeling that in a different context (and maybe a few years ago) the pair could have torn the house down together. The clean as a whistle finish, with a Twist of Fate and Swanton Bomb, felt a little peculiar, doing very little for Cesaro & Sheamus title challenge. Some interference from Sheamus or perhaps anything that would've suggest friction or even the shock value of having Cesaro defeat Hardy clean himself, could've really built some interest into the upcoming RAW Tag Team title match at Payback and therefore this bout feels like real missed opportunity.

- The physical Mike Rome bumped into Heath Slater & Rhyno backstage, before Braun Strowman walked past and Rhyno dropped his crackers.

Strowman v Show ends in No Contest.

They broke the freakin' ring! For only the third time in WWE history and for the first time since Mark Henry v Big Show at Vengeance in 2011, the ring collapsed after a superplex spot. Whilst the whole spot had been signposted from the beginning of the show, by WWE using their old ring with no screen around the apron and classic ringposts, the spot got a huge reaction from the crowd. As well as the big deal they made of "re-enforcing" the ring during the build to their last match. Chances are, seeing how the previous two breaks happened in Orlando in 2003 and San Antonio in 2011, that this was the first time almost all of the crowd had seen such a spot live and in the flesh. The rest of the match was similar to their February bout, starting slow with weird spots like arm drags, before shunting into a series of near falls. The crowd was hot throughout even through dated spots like the battle to do a powerslam, but were positively molten when Strowman jumped off the middle rope and into a Knockout Punch. The build towards the superplex was handled well, with both superstars ending up on the top rope at various points, only for one to thwart the danger. It's Strowman v Reigns at Payback, so I wouldn't be surprised if we get a Strowman v Show again next week with a gimmick of some kind. 

Finally... 

ATPW Scale Rating - 5.17/10 

Another solid edition of Monday Night RAW, which considering the storylines are still trying to find places to settle following the shake up is pretty commendable stuff. The shift to have longer matches and only one lengthy talking segment (that was arguably the shows highlight) is certainly a positive, with almost every match on the card, at least, matching my expectations. The show isn't currently missing out on having it's top champion missing, because there's strong storylines and popular characters pulling their weight and with Bray Wyatt v Randy Orton scheduled for Payback the big show shouldn't suffer either. The show's still not batting for six, as certain booking decision were a little questionable, but RAW's still not out. 

Review - James Marston 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling 

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

WWE Monday Night RAW #1246 Review (Aired - 10th April 2017)

SUPERSTAR SHAKE-UP! The promise was that the Superstar would be well and truly shaken-up like a bottle of Apple and Raspberry J2O and that would surely make for a brilliant episode of Monday Night RAW, right? Let's take a look see.

A quick and pacy opening segment to kick things off, as The Miz (and his wife Maryse) and Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose were revealed as having been shaken-up to RAW. The segment cleverly introduced the episodes gimmick, starting off with two surprises, before a Dirty Deeds on John Cena shirt clad Miz put an exclamation point on things. 

The Sami Zayn sucks up to General Manager's angle continued backstage, before an interruption from The Miz would result in Kurt Angle placing them in a match later on. 

Match 1 - The Revival (Wilder/Dawson) def. New Day (Big E/Woods) [8:30]

The clash was an entertaining watch, with a couple of big spots, including the finish where Woods dived into a variation of The Shatter Machine, but the structure was pretty much you're basic tag matter. The only drag here was a weird sequence that saw Big E hit a Belly to Belly Suplex into the corner and then awkwardly have to position Dawson for a rope-walk elbow drop, where Woods slipped and didn't seem to get enough distance. A solid tag opener, although it's a shame to see this Revival v New Day feeling so rushed after two matches in a row on television. The angle with Kofi Kingston getting injured last week at the hands of Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson last week was a big angle and the two groups could have a killer lengthy feud with each other that could help to bring the spotlight even further onto RAW's blossoming tag division, but it seems that WWE isn't going in that direction as Wilder and Dawson picked up a clean and impressive win here. I have a feeling we'll be seeing the cereal peddlers on the blue brand heading out of the shake up.

A Charly Caruso interview with Cruiserweight Champion Neville broke down quickly, with TJ Perkins being a dick about something or another, whilst Neville hypothesised that the two weren't that different. The seeds for a Perkins heel turn were planted when Austin Aries turned up in his lovely jacket and then ate a banana. 

Curt Hawkins got drafted to RAW and then knocked out by The Big Show.

Match 2 - Perkins def. Aries [4:40]

The only Cruiserweight action on the show produced TJ Perkins first one on one victory since late-January and over the #1 contender no less. The match was a decent showcase of what the two could do, as they exchanged some quick holds and strikes. There wasn't much substance behind it, but the short bulk of the match was a good exhibition. It was a shame that the two weren't given more time here, with the match being cut-short by Neville leaving the commentary desk and a flash pin for TJP. The Cruiserweight division is only going to get over if they're allowed to do what they do best and produce exciting, fast-paced action with less complications, that make the division feel the same as everything else on WWE's TV menu. Perkins subsequently attacked Aries post-match, completing his much-needed heel turn. Why this had to be done at the expense of the current Number One contender I couldn't tell you. 

Angle revealed Rollins' fate

Despite it's strange and clunky title, this segment was actually pretty straight forward as Seth Rollins openly considered whether to jump to SmackDown, because of the potential repercussions of sending RAW Commissioner Stephanie McMahon through a table at WrestleMania. Rollins got a decent reaction as he explained he'd be staying, because he didn't want to take the easy way out, but it was new General Manager Kurt Angle who got the biggest reaction when he interrupted The Kingslayer. The interaction between the two was nice, with Angle putting over Rollins performance at Mania, with a cool comparison to his Olympic Gold Medal win with a "broken freakin' neck". This is where Angle will be at his strongest in the General Manager role, with his return popularity being able to put over talent, stronger than a fumbling Mick Foley could. The segment closed hot as Samoa Joe jumped Rollins, with the two brawling as Angle attempted to keep them apart. I'm not quite sure how things ended as I was too busy getting excited about Angle and Joe sharing a ring on Monday Night RAW and kind of hoping that they'd butt heads again.

In an interview with Charly Caruso, United States Champion Kevin Owens discussed having Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose on the brand, after initially calling himself the Number One champion on RAW.

Match 3 - Jax def. Flair [5:50]

After a sloppy opening, a couple of big spots towards the end of the contest managed to save the only Women's match on the card. The first few exchanges were clumsy, especially when Flair was on the offence, this wasn't helped by a crowd that wasn't sure how to take what was still a heel on heel contest even after Jax turned on Flair last week. It looked like Charlotte was struggling with having someone larger than her as an opponent and whether that's true or not it something didn't quite connect early doors. A decent near fall of Natural Selection and a brilliant sequence on the apron that concluded with Flair flying to the floor with a Moonsault saw the pair recovering for the early stumbles and pulled the Uniondale crowd back from an in-crowd distraction. Jax's quick rebound and subsequent victory following a Samoan Drop made her look like a real force, but it's also a shame that similar to the New Day and Revival feud that this story has been rushed through and hasn't received the time and attention that could have made it a hit. It would appear that Charlotte Flair will be heading to Tuesday nights.

Finn Balor's first singles match since last year's SummerSlam saw him go over Jinder Mahal in a brief, but surprisingly physical, match. Mahal appearing to be attempting to go straight through Balor's skull with his elbow was the most memorable moment, with the slow motion replay looking particularly nasty. Bray Wyatt appeared on screen following the match, signalling his move to RAW, with his WWE title match with Randy Orton being scheduled for RAW PPV Payback.

The Miz's return match to RAW after nine months, ended in defeat to Sami Zayn as the two connected well in a match that lacked TV time. The two produced a couple of nice sequences, including Zayn turning Miz's Yes Kicks into a Blue Thunder Bomb, before Zayn sneaked a roll-up win despite Maryse's interference. 

Strowman attacked Reigns

What appeared to be a fairly run of the mill sit-down interview, explaining Reigns' feeling after retiring The Undertaker, became one of the most over-the-top segments in recent memory. I'm not sure how to actually review Braun Strowman's huge assault on The Big Dog, but it was utterly ridiculous. I was fairly satisfied with the original spot that saw Strowman lob Reigns over a crate and through a table, as it was visually impressive and appeared painfully destructive. I'm not quite sure how I feel about each subsequent addition to the attack, at times I found myself laughing while watching because some of the stunts were ridiculous and made for surreal viewing. I could perhaps handle the pushing a stretcher off a ledge thing, but Strowman turning over an ambulance was maybe a step to far, but then again it certainly made the viewer sit up and take notice. The crowd reciting their now expected anti-Reigns chants produced an even weirder edge, but I'm sure WWE won't give a fuck because the audience was actively anticipating in the developments on screen. All that was really missing was Ron Burgundy (or at least Lance Catamaran) quipping "Well that escalated quickly" to close things off.
 The RAW Tag Team Champions and their #1 Contenders got a good exhibition as the Hardy Boyz, Cesaro & Sheamus picked up a win over The Club & The Shining Stars in a merry eight man tag outing. Both teams had the opportunity to shine with the #1 contenders getting the face shine, before The Hardy Boyz took the hot tag, including a cool variation of the Poetry in Motion double team to the outside.

It appeared that Emma and Dana Brooke are being moved into a feud, in a backstage segment that saw Brooke reading a book called "How to Be Your Own Protege"

Bliss and James confronted Bayley and Banks

The RAW Women's division got the shake-up treatment as Alexa Bliss (to a big pop) and Mickie James shifted to Monday' in a busy piece. It seemed that we'd get to see Sasha Banks turn on Bayley earlier on, as The Boss proclaimed that Bayley's "moment was over", only for Bliss to make her entrance seconds later. Bliss made the most of the opportunity, as she continues to impress on the mic, running down Bayley and Banks' friendship, whilst keeping the crowd where she wanted them. James' RAW return was less exciting, but mainly because it wasn't long before she was decked by Nia Jax. There was hints at an alliance between Jax and Bliss, with the Hybrid Athlete cleaning house with Bayley and Banks both falling to the one who isn't like most girls. The more I think about a potential partnership between Bliss and Jax, the more I think it'll be the best thing going. Both compliment each other, in terms of both character and abilities, but it'll potentially hinge on how the duo are booked if they do get paired.

Match  7 - Ambrose def. Owens [14:15]

Promoted as a "Champion v Champion" match, Dean Ambrose and Kevin Owens revisited their 2015/16 feud and produced a dynamic main event. The two created a physical clash, that included Owens throwing The Lunatic Fringe into the ringpost from a Fireman's Carry position, in the early goings, before transitioning into a series of high-pace reversals and finisher attempts. The first part of the match kept things interesting with a couple of well-placed big moves, like the ringpost assault and also Owens' Pumphandle Neckbreaker, as The Prizefighter controlled proceedings. Once the bout hit it's stride following an Ambrose comeback, that included him suicide diving into the crowd, the two worked together like you'd expect from competitors who've had 80+ matches with each other. The finishing sequence, alongside a great string of blocks and reversals moments earlier, capped things off the right way, with the returning Ambrose picking up a clean victory with Dirty Deeds. Things got worse for Owens as he took a Codebreaker from Chris Jericho post-match, making Owens another prime candidate to switch to SmackDown on Tuesday.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 5.10/10 

The score is probably a slight disservice to what was an entertaining show, with the Shake-Up gimmick providing plenty of noteworthy moments. The multiple debuts or returns were almost all cool surprises, with names that will help to create interesting television on Monday Nights. The wrestling was mostly inoffensive, with a string of average to good bouts, with the main event particularly impressing, but there also wasn't much that would be worth going out of your way to see either. I think I enjoyed Roman Reigns getting battered by Braun Strowman, but I'm still not quite sure how I feel, whilst I felt that the Women's segment was the strongest non-wrestling segment on the show with an impressive debut from Bliss and an intriguing shift with Nia Jax appearing to stand by her diminutive colleague. 

In a Sentence - I wouldn't watch it again, but I enjoyed watching it.

Review - James Marston 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling 

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

WWE Roadblock: End of the Line 2016 DVD Review

WWE's last PPV of 2016 is available on DVD now from all reputable home video stockists and we've got the full details of what's included in a snappy review! A RAW branded event , Roadblock: End of the Line 2016 saw the likes of Chris Jericho, Cesaro, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns in action, multiple titles changes hands and a 30 Minute Iron Man Match, but was it any good? Let's take a look.

The best match of the three hours comes first as The New Day's Big E & Kofi Kingston defend their record-breaking RAW Tag Team title run against Cesaro & Sheamus, with the five (incl. Xavier Woods on the outside) fitting a lot of exciting content and a barrel load of near fulls into just ten minutes. Sami Zayn attempting to last ten minutes with Braun Strowman is intriguing on paper, but doesn't quite come together in practice, despite a wonderfully melodramatic babyface performance from Zayn. Seth Rollins v Chris Jericho is a match that you would perhaps label as a show-stealer when looking at the line-up, but unfortunately the duos work here is uninspiring, lacking in tension and anything remotely interesting until the last few minutes. Of course, Rollins and Jericho are both premier technicians, so the wrestling doesn't really put a foot wrong, but there's definitely a sense of the two treading water for fifteen minutes before Kevin Owens makes his inevitable appearance. 

A three-way Cruiserweight title clash between champion Rich Swann and challengers The Brian Kendrick and TJ Perkins is patchy at best, with the three struggling to hit their marks, although it's worth sticking round post-match for the return of Neville. The RAW Women's Championship 30 Minute Iron Man match between Sasha Banks and Charlotte Flair is a rewarding experience for anyone willing to stay with the match after an unspectacular start. The second half of the match is brilliantly theatrical, with a pair of top draw performances that make it difficult not to be drawn in. The story twists and turns, keeping clear of a couple of cliches and feeling much more like a sports-based presentation than some of WWE's previous Iron Man efforts. It perhaps wasn't the strongest outing for Banks and Flair throughout the year, but it does cap off their feud rather well...for now. 

The show-closer comes in the shape of United States Champion Roman Reigns getting a shot at Kevin Owens' Universal Championship in a long-winded plodding encounter. The contest suffers in a similar way to Rollins v Jericho, seemingly waiting for the right moment to get going, without ever actually reaching that moment, producing just enough to hold your attention but rarely rewarding you for sticking out the 23 minutes. The finish is unacceptable for such a lengthy match, even if Chris Jericho and Seth Rollins' reappearance does end the event as a whole on a high. 

Special Feature 

The single special feature is the Kick-Off match, Big Cass v Rusev, which quite honestly might as well have been left off the release, it's a dull brawl with another shoddy finish. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 5.48/10 

One of the weaker PPVs of 2016, Roadblock: End of the Line 2016 is littered with hackneyed booking and lacklustre performances. The opener over the RAW Tag Team titles is the best match on display, closely followed by the Charlotte Flair and Sasha Banks' Iron Man Match. Looking at the card, it's difficult to argue against their being a degree of unfulfilled potential with the show, considering that Rollins v Jericho should have been a humdinger and Reigns and Owens had a much better match just a month later at Royal Rumble. 

Review - James Marston

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling 

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

TV Review: WWE 205 Live #6 - TJ Perkins v Neville 2

On 3rd January, WWE aired the first 205 Live episode of 2017, highlighted by "The King of the Cruiserweights" Neville taking on former Cruiserweight Champion TJ Perkins. The episode also featured Tajiri, Noam Dar, Jack Gallagher, Tony Nese and Mustafa Ali, but would that be enough to kick-start the brand's year? 

Neville continued to be featured prominently this week, defeating TJ Perkins to give him his 4th win in a row since returning at Roadblock: End of the Line. This was a very watchable outing, with the roles of each clearly defined, with Perkins attempting to use his speed, whilst Neville wrestled smart, taking his time and using his savvy to take control at numerous points throughout, whilst also always having his eye on hitting his new superplex finish. The two paced the action well across the twelve minutes, knowing when to turn up the heat and placing the more impressive spots (eg. Perkins' springboard Frankensteiner) at the right points to drive the contest forward. I would have liked to see more of the pair duking it out with strikes and reversals, like was when The Fil-Am Flash went for the TJP Clutch and got caught with a tasty German suplex, as the pair have the potential to produce something special in this style. The finish was handled well with Perkins selling a leaping enziguiri as if he'd been knocked out, leading up to a superplex where it seemed like Neville was having to heave a deadweight up and over, having clearly already earned the win. As enjoyable as this match was, it must be noted the pair could be having matches above this level together if given the right opportunity, making it a shame that WWE has already given them two bouts together, therefore devaluing any potential future clashes.

The shows only other notable match was Mustafa Ali pinning Noam Dar in a strong match that managed to grab the initial indifferent crowd. Both men deserve heavy praise for managing to win over the Jacksonville audience, having the confidence to weather the early storm and build something that was both engaging and exciting by the time of the final bell. Whilst it won't be in the discuss for Match of the Year, or even Match of the Month, being able to connect with audience through wrestling, especially one that seems to have decided it isn't interested, is a skill that should see both Dar and Ali well in their WWE runs. The contest was fairly simple in it's execution with The Scottish Supernova working a no-nonsense style early doors, focusing on Ali's arm, before a comeback (all with Ali selling wonderfully), a handful of near falls for each, before Ali picked up the upset win with a beautiful imploding 450 splash. The pair took their slim six minutes and work within the boundaries to create a match that benefited them both, you can't really complain about that!

Any Other Business...

• Tajiri defeated Sean Maluta – Jack Gallagher defeated Tony Nese via Disqualification after Ariya Daivari interfered. 

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 4.25/10

205 Live earns itself a relatively low rating because of the simple fact that it didn't make the most of it's 45 minutes. Despite two good matches, the rest of the show ended up coming across as a budget version of WWE's other weekly programming. Backstage segments, short matches or run-in finishes, it just doesn't feel like it's own entity yet. The brand needs to start using it's time on Monday Night RAW to build any stories it wants to tell, before utilising this time to create exciting and entertaining match ups that can create a buzz among the demographic that is mostly likely to be seeking it out online. Overall, my opinion on 205 Live is not bad, could do better.

Review - James Marston 

Find Us 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

Opinion: Every WWE Theme Ranked - Part 2 or How I Still Have Too Much Time On My Hands

Before we get back to the business of subjective list making, I want to throw out a challenge, if you disagreed with my rankings here, please make your own list and send it to me. I know that so many of you had complaints (especially about my placement of Mark Henry. I'm right by the way. It's not a good song) about this but here's the thing, the sheer joy of list making is that everyone's list is probably going to be different and even if it's the same, it might be the same for different reasons. This isn't my way of antagonistically saying 'if you're so smart, why don't you teach the class then', this is my way of saying, please if you disagree with me, take the time to think about this and tell me why you disagree. Also, if you are Mojo Rawley and you have an issue with Part 1, know that you are the problem. And with that, list ahoy:

25. Sasha Banks - Sky's The Limit by CFO$

Song - 8/10
Gimmick - 9/10

I want to like this theme more. The theme works so well, it’s much like Tye’s (which we’ll get to shortly) where it can be genuinely inspirational as a face and falsely egotistical as a heel but much like Sasha as a face, it can feel forced. The big chorus the more you listen to it seems cynical, like an attempt to craft a moment instead of one actually happening. The soaring melodies are really under-delivered with some thin guest vocals. I’m sure the song sounds a lot better coming out of the speakers of this Kubla-Khanian Pleasuredomes that the WWE perform in but from the home speaker system, it feels so close to the finished article but at the same time, lacking.

24. The Miz - I Came to Play by Downstait

Song - 8/10
Gimmick 9/10

 Awesome. Everything about the Miz is awesome. He wrestles awesome, he delivers awesome promos, his wife Maryse is awesome and his films are… most of the things about the Miz are awesome. His theme is nearly as awesome as he is. Now we can all sit around and just complain that his promo video for WrestleMania 27 gave him the perfect theme in Nas’ Hate Me Now but it’s for naught, The Miz will be stuck being awesome and that’s fine by me. Downstait have provided a lot of good theme work for WWE, it’s just a shame that a lot of their vocals aren’t quite as good as their instrumental.

23. Naomi: Amazing (Remix) by CFO$ ft. Naomi

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 8/10

Before we begin, can someone define 'The Glow' for me? Is Naomi buzz marketing for the upcoming series on the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling? Either way club banger rave shit works better for her than 'I have a bum'. Amazing (Remix) is definitely a banger, it could actually be heard on a Friday night at Snobs (nice little plug for you Birmingham club guys and gals out there) and not be out of place in a way that a lot of WWE style covers can be. But seriously, what the fuck is the Glow?

22. The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) - Southern Proud by CFO$

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 8/10

The Revival are a pair of top guys, that much is not up for dispute today. Appropriately, ths is a pretty top theme. It’s a big old school song full of Southern Pride. Funnily enough again, it’s a theme for a team who are all about old school revival. And it’s called Southern Pride. Anyway, this song also happens to be really goofy, the lyrics are very, very silly including such highlights including ‘we got fists made of fire, and our neck all red’. It would almost be a parody if it didn’t treat itself so seriously and when it wants to, boy does it go hard but for the one time mechanics, you wish it would go harder. Song 8/10 Gimmick 10/10

21. Samoa Joe - Destroyer by CFO$

Song - 8/10
Gimmick - 10/10

Joe is a monster with a theme worthy of Gojira and friends with it’s opening horns giving way to a giant roar. Luckily not then giving way to a weird funky little bassline but to even bigger fuzzier bass stomping forward like a murderous boombox. This is undeniably spectacular and certainly does its job in selling Joe as a monster in a way that not even Scott Steiner could do before it but it can’t help but get a little stale after more than a minute of listening.

20. Tye Dillinger - Ten by CFO$

Song - 8/10
Gimmick 10/10

He may be the perfect ten but he misses out on a perfect twenty here. Tye’s music has some grand synth horn work occasionally sounding almost like a brassier Muse and here’s the thing, the music works perfectly whether he’s Heel or Face, it’s either a big entrance for the most undervalued face on the roster or a grandiose entrance for the most braggadocious (Is that a word? Trump seems to think so. We said we weren’t discussing politics, Joe) person on the roster not named The Miz. Now, if only they could sort out the voiceover lady saying Ten to sound more fluidly worked into the mix because as it stands, it feels really separate. Picky, I know, but if he wants to be perfect…

19. Kevin Owens - Fight by CFO$

Song - 8/10
Gimmick - 10/10 

The prizefighter is possibly the best of the modern iterations of the 'big lad with a big theme' sub-genre with some lovely harmonics going on and a sound engineer who actually knows how to record drums which is a rare delight for the WWE. It also happens to be something that I’d imagine KO could make work for him should he turn face (Turn? Who am I Kidding? Team Kevin and Chris are this year’s biggest damn heroes). It's sadly another case of just needing something more to break that repetition to make it a classic which is something that ironically, I’m thinking is starting to get repetitive as a criticism.

18. Triple H: The Game by Motörhead

Song - 8/10
Gimmick - 10/10 

Crotch chops, water spray, joke about dichotomy between reputation of burying younger talent and also Dad of NXT raising a new generation, RIP Lemmy, something about Shawn Michaels, all that lovely stuff.

17. AJ Styles - Phenomenal by CFO$

Song - 8/10 
Gimmick - 10/10

A phenomenal theme for a wrestler who’s talents match up to his moniker as the phenomenal one. A lovely slice of DMX-esque Southern-fried rap with some unique organ work underpinning some surprisingly unembarrassing rap verses. It also befits AJ’s status that it can slot into whatever mood Styles’ entrance is trying to set. It’s just a shame that the MC is placed so oddly in the mix (possibly not to clash with entrance announcers?) that it’s almost a faint annoyance. It’s just a few tweaks away from being perfect.

16. No Way Josè - No Way by CFO$

Song - 8/10 
Gimmick - 10/10 

Big, bold, ridiculous and insanely catchy, Josè's theme may well be the single-most earworm-worthy track on this list with its summer club vibes playing well with NWJ's signature style. Much like Bayley's theme, the song does suffer from repetition over repeated listens. Seriously, I get that they mostly make two minute songs that loop (sometimes one minute loops) but honestly, would it kill them to write a four minute song? Would it?

15. Chris Jericho - Break Down The Walls/Break The Walls Down by Adam Morenoff

Song - 8/10
Gimmick - 10/10 

At this point, there is no argument that WWE is just waiting for Jericho to retire to give him his Hall of Fame ring. Luckily for us, Jericho seems to have at least a couple more years in him if for no other reason than his entrance theme is still a corker. Hailing from the era when every theme it seems had to sound like Linkin Park took an early pass at it but this one works where many others didn’t (sorry to generate controversy but the D Generation X theme is not good. Not good at all). The best and worst thing about his theme is it still sounds the same to me as when we first heard it. It has a nice nostalgia to it that despite character changes, his music remains the same but maybe given a hint of millennial polish, the song would sound less creaky.

14. Bayley: Turn It Up by CFO$

Song - 8/10 
Gimmick - 10/10 

This song just is Bayley: it’s fun, infectious and even if you don’t like it, you can’t deny you don’t forget it. The theme is one of the purest pieces of pop music that CFO$ have ever produced with a big chorus that can make even the most jaded smark feel like they’re Izzy. The problem is, it’s just the chorus. Not all WWE songs need to have two verses and a bridge but it feels like it’s just a like they wrote the first thirty seconds then coasted over the other three and a half. That said, when it hits at Wrestle<ania and the towering tube men burst out, I defy anyone not to smile.

13. Gran Metalik - Metalico by CFO$

Song - 9/10 
Gimmick - 9/10 

I'm breaking my own rules as Gran is still clearing up some commitments to CMLL before he signs with WWE full-time but his theme is so fantastic that I had to throw it in here. It only loses points for being slightly less incredible than his CWC theme. But he’s Lucha as fuck, he’s also hardcore as fuck, the theme is LuchaCore as fuck. A lovely big slice of thundering guitars and rousing brass, I have nothing else to add but fuck yeah. If we take anything from today, it's more MariachiCore please.

12. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper & Randy Orton) - Live in Fear by Mark Crozer

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 9/10

The Wyatt family’s theme is great. The Wyatt family’s entrance are great. Pretty much every member of the Wyatt family are great in the ring. So, why is it that I find myself unable to have this theme break the top 10? It’s not just that the New Orleans voodoo vibe loses some of its mystery and threat after seeing so many aimless ‘spoooky’ promos followed by losses for the team is it? I mean it would be really unfair of me to rate a theme lower just because they keep losing. Yet here we are, this is the laziest sentence I’m ever going to write but do you know why I’ve put The Wyatts here? Because I just don’t like their theme as much as the next eleven. That’s it, I can’t be bothered to explain further. Moving on.

11. Rich Swann: Around The World by CFO$

Song - 9/10 
Gimmick - 9/10 

- 'North, south, east and west, everybody know my name, and your daddy's gone but your momma's home, we can bring her we ain't got no shame'. 205 Live’s resident intergenerational family threesome expert has a bit of an old school funk vibe that says ‘we couldn’t pay for the rights to ‘All Night Long’ but we’re going to give you something good anyway’. And give him something good they did. The only major issue with his theme is that on recording it loses a little something that it gains from seeing Swann dance and lip sync it to the ring but still a good time had for all who can handle it.

10. TJ Perkins - Playing With Power by CFO$

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 9/10 

Hey did you hear? TJP likes video games. He really likes them. So much he even wears some glasses now that are pixel shaped. He loves them so much he has chiptune music for his entrance and awkwardly slots video game phrases into conversation. Overkill. As much as many of us may find The Pixelisation of TJ Perkins to be faintly annoying, you can’t argue that the actual work done on his theme is rather superb sounding like an Anamanaguchi retooling of Dr. Wily’s theme so good that even Kenny Omega is probably jealous and who does Omega have to be jealous of? Basically no one else. He’s a perfect human being. But enough about Kenny Omega, well done on hitting it out of the park with another genre CFO$. Now let’s work on toning down those video game references, TJ. We get it.

9. Seth Rollins: Second Coming by CFO$

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 9/10 

Seth Rollins is the new Shawn Michaels. Seth Rollins is the new Edge. Seth Rollins is the new CM Punk. Seth Rollins is the new everyone. Will anyone let Seth Rollins just be Seth freaking Rollins? At least his music doesn’t seem like an ‘ahem’ Second Coming of anyone else. The Architect’s music is a rollocking slice of hardcore brilliance with some deafening drums and guitars making for one of the most anthemic themes of the modern day. Mostly it’s let down by a lack of a personal touch, you could give this music to almost anyone on the roster and it would work for them. Not to say it isn’t great for Seth but it’s not as inseparable from him as some of the classics we’re about to get to.

8. Shane McMahon - Here Comes The Money by Naughty by Nature

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 10/10

Here comes the money, and with it, a bloody great slice of prep rap. Shane’s theme is the most superbly naff piece of rap in the ‘E outside of, well, his sisters but bloody hell, it works. Hot Dad Shane is the guy that comes to the ring in a suit and trainers, he’s probably the dad that overcompensates on birthdays and tries to play his kid’s music in the car and sing along. He probably practices dabbing with TJ Perkins. But that’s just who he is, he’s not cool but when he embraces and owns his image, he’s great. Plus he is pure money. I mean sure, you get the feeling he probably likes Vince Vaughan movies but nobody, and very few themes’, is perfect.

7. Asuka - The Future by CFO$

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 10/10

Bear with me here because if you don’t think this theme isn’t utter brilliance, you’re fucking wrong. Just before we continue, go and stick on some King Crimson, maybe start with 21^st Century Schizoid Man. Now listen to The Future again. DO you get it yet? Asuka is the Empress of Tomorrow powered by the prog swagger of King Crimson. Her song is an unstoppable beat of lurching guitar lines and convincing freakout solo work. In fact the only thing stopping this theme from making it further up the list is that it just fades out. I know that so many of the themes have just a fade out but such joyous guitar fuckery shouldn’t have to just fade away, it should burn out in an outro of such frivolous proportions that all who witness it makes grown men weep.

6. John Cena - The Time Is Now by John Cena & Tha Trademark

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 10/10

Love him or hate him, you can't deny everything about Cena has been so finely tuned that he is basically the master of his own iconography. Possibly because of the multiple Cena memes but this theme is as inseperable to Cena’s image as the hats that he loves to throw into the crowd. His theme also happens to be another one of those proper songs with a pop-rap vibe that many have tried to replicate but few have outdone with those massive rap horns laying over rarely bettered Jim Johnston breakbeat. Plus Cena can drop bars when he wants to.

5. The Brian Kendrick - Man With A Plan by Christ Goulstone ft. Nick Walker

Song - 9/10
Gimmick - 10/10

The man with a plan seems to have shown that step one of his plan is have one of the greatest theme of all, damn, time. This also not counting that ‘Hey You’ and London & Kendrick’s ‘New Rockers’ were no slouches either. Great themes match their superstar’s personality but also their motion and the cocky sway of this song fits perfectly with the paradoxically smooth yet jagged movements of Kendrick. Plus, in response to my criticism of Jericho’s theme, for his current run it’s been given what sounds like a clean lick of paint making it sound more vital than ever. Sadly it just misses out on the next spot because it’s very good, great even but you know what it’s not? It’s not…

4. Bobby Roode - Glorious Domination by CFO$

Song - 10/10
Gimmick - 9/10 

GLORIOUS. You knew it was coming eventually but there was no way that a piece of music as glorious as Glorious Domination wouldn’t…dominate. Look, we all know how good this one is, it’s stupidly good, it’s brilliant, it’s GLORIOUS. I’ve not got any other compliments for this, I  mean, how could you not? It’s a big dumb theme for a loveable babyface not the sound of acould tell you about how it expertly merges Muse pastiche choruses with speed metal bridges but all you really want is for me to keep typing GLORIOUS in capital letters. Now you may note a 9/10 up there, do you know why? It’s because you keep cheering for him, I dastardly heel, it’s impossible to boo the entrance of a man with that theme. That said, it’s a minor complaint for one of the crowning glories of humanity. Bobby Roode’s not bad either.

3. Finn Balor - Catch Your Breath by CFO$

Song - 10/10
Gimmick - 10/10

Here we are, the top three. I’m quite pleased to say that three songs have gained full marks from me and none had less than a 6/20. I think it says quite a bit to the positive of Johnston and CFO$ that so many pieces rank so highly and so few particularly low. Or maybe it just says I’m a nice person who doesn’t criticize too heavily. On that note, fuck Mojo Rawley. I digress, having been given time to Catch Your Breath (groan), let’s discuss the joyous surprise of Finn Balor. I know that Finn had a storied history in his Prince Devitt days but rarely have even in the Indie buyout world of modern NXT, have WWE managed to gather an essentially finished package as there is Balor and complimented by a theme to befit both Balor Club and the Demon. There’s a lot to be said for the link between music and movement in the WWE and when you hear the grandiose orchestral sorcery, you can begin to imagine the very movements of Balor. It’s impressive as well that without any lyrics, there is storytelling and progression in the music itself which unites itself with Balor, possibly the finest storyteller in the WWE. I feel that this theme could become iconic. Move over Bray Wyatt, I think it’s clear who the new Undertaker is. And not just because they both have ten minute entrances. Plus, I think the 10/10 makes this clear, it’s bloody mega song-craft on top of all that.

2. Sami Zayn: Worlds Apart by CFO$

Song - 10/10
Gimmick 10/10

I want you all to consider quite how perfect everything is about Sami Zayn’s theme. Zayn is known as "The Underdog from the Underground", he is someone that everything about his image is based on being undervalued. Now also consider that he enters to a classic slice of Ska Punk, Ska and Punk are traditional sounds of the rebels, the underground burnouts, the kids in the skate park going nowhere fast because they’re undervalued. Ska Punk itself is a tragically un-loved subgenre, especially in comparison to its pure Ska dad, but frankly if you can’t handle me at my Mighty Mighty Bosstones, you don’t deserve me at my Operation Ivy. It helps that Zayn is a self-confessed Skanatic but even if  Rami Sebei absolutely hated it, it makes perfect sense as a sonic representation of Zayn the character. It also helps that it is a great big face-wide smile, skanking till the break of dawn masterpiece of soaring ‘whoahs’, chugging horns and a lovely running bass line. It's not just good, not just great, it's 'Worlds Apart' from the rest (I'm so sorry, I swear I'll stop).

1. Shinsuke Nakamura - The Rising Sun by CFO$

Song - 10/10
Gimmick 10/10

I know, you're all shocked that this is number one but you know what, (just to link back to my very first article for ATPW) sometimes the most predictable finish can also be the most logical one. When WWE announced earlier this year they were bringing in Nakamura, many couldn't believe it would go aswell as it did in that he is so far from traditional WWE style. When people ask how does he pull off his finisher without just kneeing the guy in the head, the answer is he just knees the guy in the head. Hulk Hogan was not strong Style. But here's why his theme worked so well, Nakamura is nothing like anyone else in the 'E, not even fellow Japanese Wrestling imports like Itami, Asuka or Balor. His music is also like nothing else CFO$ have produced. Instead of adjusting to NXT, he's made the entire company step their game up for him. Step up, indeed they did. Creating a maelstrom of strings, scattering trip hop beats and just an undercurrent of jagged guitars, it's a beautiful symphony but also a brutal, destructive one. It's a royal march worthy of our ruling monarch of strong style. Long live the king. Yeaoh.

....

(Editor's Note - Admit it, you thought I wouldn't include the video to the #1 song... #YEAOH)

Words - Jozef Raczka (@NotJozefRaczka)

Media - James Marston (@IAmNotAlanDale)

Editor - James Marston

Find Us 

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling

Instagram - @ATPWrestling