Event Review: PROGRESS Chapter 38: When Men Throw Men at Men - Jimmy Havoc v Marty Scurll v Mark Haskins

On 30th October, PROGRESS Wrestling returned to the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, England for the first time since August. The card was headlined by former champions Marty Scurll and Jimmy Havoc (in his first match in PROGRESS match since September 2015) challenging for Mark Haskins' World Championship, whilst elsewhere Jinny and Pollyanna continued their feud and looked to move one step closer to being the first Women's Champion in the first round of Natural Progression Series IV and The Shirtlifters (Jack Sexsmith and Roy Johnson) went up against The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks) in a Tables Match as they attempted to end their feud. With the likes of Bad Bones, Atlas Champion Rampage Brown, Mark Andrews, Pastor William Eaver and Matt Cross on the undercard, would PROGRESS return to Camden with a bang? 

In the main event, Mark Haskins retained the World Championship, making Marty Scurll submit to the Sharpshooter, in a match that also included Jimmy Havoc. The battle was Havoc's first bout with the company since September 2015! This was a well paced 18 minute three way, that told a good story and featured slick and crisp action. Having Scurll control the early portion of the match, by hitting big moves to both Haskins and Havoc on the apron, allowed things to settle, with The Villain commanding the crowd as well as he was dominating the action. Scurll played the former champion desperate to recapture his prize role very well and after he immediately won the title back from Pastor William Eaver in July it had even more believablilty. There was strong wrestling to be seen as Haskins and Havoc both found their way back into the match, with a fire-up from The Star Attraction seeing him trap Scurll in a tree of woe before sending Havoc crashing on top of him with an overhead belly to belly suplex. Havoc and Haskins combined to create some more satisfying activity as both went for their finishes in a swift sequence, before a spot where all three hit roundhouse kicks gave the trio and the fans a breather, essentially concluding the contests first act with all three in the same place.

The second act took things up a notch, with all three attempting to hit their big moves or lock in their signature submission to grab the title, whilst the issues between Havoc and Scurll played a major part in the story also. Havoc took the biggest bump of the show, after taking a headbutt from Scurll from the middle rope to the outside, through a pair of seated chairs in a "Holy Shit" moment that was especially surprising because of it being Havoc's first match since February. The final stretch of the bout saw the momentum switching between all three men, with a number of convincing near falls, including Scurll locking the Crossface Chicken-Wing in on Havoc, with the latter able to shift his weight to get a two count, keeping the crowd completely hooked until the bitter end. The finish would see the Havoc and Scurll feud furthered as The Villain delivered a low blow, before Haskins was able to grip Scurll in the Sharpshooter to earn the submission victory. Whilst the bout lacked some of high drama of Chapter 36's triple threat (with Tommy End replacing Jimmy Havoc) this was still corker of a climax to the afternoon's graps feast. 

Match in a Sentence - Great three way with a well worked out structure, that built to a momentum swinging, near-fall laden crescendo

In the first Quarter Final of the 4th Natural Progression Series, Jinny advanced over Pollyanna in a firey encounter, with The Fashionista moving one step closer to being crowned the first ever Women's Champion. This wasn't always the crispest match, especailly in the early going, but it was carried by the passion and believable animosity that the two ladies showed towards each other. The opening brawl between the two got this across well with things being amplified as the contest went on, with each strike and move seeming to have a little bit more behind it. Both women told the rest of the story in their body language and all across their faces. The majority of the fans hate Jinny and love Pollyana, because of two years hard work from the performers and management, and that definitely afforded the pair the chance to slip up in places without losing the audience. One weird chant caused a slightly uncomfortable moment and lead to a spot that saw Jinny hit a sitout facebuster off the top rope not looking as good as it could have, but beyond that the audience was completely invested and created a wonderful atmospheric wrap for the action. 

The match flowed nicely towards a number of impressive and gripping false finishes, with both women coming close to getting the pin. As these went on, the Camden crowd got more and more pulled in and it seemed like every kick out was garnering a bigger reaction, peaking when Jinny hit a Style Clash after having cleverly teased the move earlier on. The finish was perhaps a bone of contention, as Pollyanna hit a cradle belly-to-back piledriver, but instead of going for the pin she raised to her feet and hit another and then instead of going for the pin again, she raised to her feet for another, only this time Jinny caught Pollyanna with a roll up into a jacknife cover, resulting in a three count. For me, to go for three was gratuitous and I actually ended up being slightly removed from the action because as soon as Pollyanna went for the third, I'd already worked out where it was going. Jinny sold well after the finish, but I still struggled to buy into her taking two piledrivers and then immediately getting the pin. I might be a stickler for details like that, but the whole sequence had the crowd going nuts non the less. There were questions raised when the popular rivarly was chosen to open the 4th NPS, however thanks to the quality of this contest and especially the strength of the near falls in final quarter, the NPS and by association the Women's Championship has come out the blocks hot and the rest of the tournament now has to up it's game. This will hopefully lead to even better matches as the series goes on.

Match in a Sentence - Very good women's match, that whilst untidy at points, was full of passion and some stupid false finishes.

The South Pacific Power Trip (TK Cooper & Travis Banks, accompanied by Dahlia Black) remained undeffeated with a victory over The Shirtlifters (Jack Sexsmith & "Body Guy" Roy Johnson) in a Tables Match, that concluded the first half. This match outdid my expections as the mix of amusing character portrayals, top drawer high-spots and some astute booking created a match that was a real joy to watch and got a wide range of emotional reactions from the eager congregation. The tussle featured a number of creative moments, that created the bigger story as The SPPT would attack from behind before the bell, thanks to Black distraction, the high energy opening assault from The Shirtlifters would end thanks to Black distraction, Sexsmith would get pushed off the stage onto the rows of chairs below, thanks to Black distraction...you get the picture! It would all culminate in Black distracting Johnson, whilst Cooper readied himself for a big punch...only this time Johnson ducked, meaning Cooper punched Black in the face, sending her off the apron and through a table. All involved played that moment perfectly and it lead to Banks blindsiding Body Guy and eliminating him in a great swerve. It was a shame that the table didn't break on the first attempt, as the timing of the spot was fantastic on all accounts. 

This was the best match that I've seen Sexsmith and Johnson compete in and they more then held their own, matching Cooper and Banks' aggression when neccesarry, but also credibly presenting themselves as sympathetic babyfaces, building upon the existing connection they have with the Electric Ballroom. Sexsmith supposedly being left alone following Johnson's elimination, after already having been thrown from the stage, produced a compelling comeback as he scrapped his way back into the match with a neckbreaker and DDT combination acting as the highlight. This lead to best example of the bouts mix of styles, with a Dudley Boyz parody seeing Johnson refuse to "Get the tables", before a 3D to Banks would level the scores at one a piece. With the energy behind the Shirtlifters, the conclusion was spot on for me, as the crowd gave one of the biggest pops of the evening for Sexsmith unveiling Mr. Cocko (Think Mr. Socko but sponsored by Durex) with Cooper the target, only for Banks to attack from behind and send Sexsmith crashing through a table with a big powerbomb. The victory set up The SPPT for a potential title challenge and garnered them even more heat as a group, but also elevated the Shirtlifters who showed a new side to their game, improving and growing their already popular act. 

Match in a Sentence - A cracking tornado tables match, full of character comedy with some big spots, where both teams will benefit from having taken part in it.   

A victory over Mark Andrews earned Matt Cross a shot at Mark Haskins' Smash Championship, in a clash that was blink and you miss it quick, at points. If you've seen Andrews in TNA or Cross as Son of Havoc (Not Jimmy) on Lucha Underground then you'll know what they are capable of. Up your expectations and then play them back at 1.5x speed and you'll be almost there. There was flips and dives and reversals and just general madness, Andrews and Cross managed to fit more into their thirteen minutes than most could fit into thirty and executed everything crisply. A section where Andrews worked the leg with a number of submissions felt a little out of place with the crowd having chanted for "Flippy shit" from almost the opening bell. If they wanted flippy shit, they definitely got it later on, as the pair had a number of back and forth sequences that were full of the stuff, from various dives to the outside to Cross landing on his feet from a poisoned frankensteiner attempt. By the time Cross had got the pin, I was left wanting more, which is always a good thing.

Match in a Sentence - Unbelievably flippy.

The opener saw The Hunter Brothers (Lee Hunter & Jim Hunter) pick up their first 2v2 success in PROGRESS with a flash pin over a debuting The New Nation (Alexander Henry & Jason Prime). With both teams being relatively unfamiliar to the audience and having never met in the ring before, the match took a while to find it's groove as the Fight Club: Pro and Target Wrestling regulars looked to both connect with the crowd and each other. Prime looked impressive when using his strength to take control, but I felt that having his offence look so much cooler than the initial Hunter Brothers face shine end up hurting the momentum, but understand he was looking to make an impression on the new crowd. The bout really picked up in the second portion though with Lee pulling out an exciting hot tag sequence, before things broke down into a series of nifty spots and near falls. I particularly enjoyed the number of creative ways to four had thought up toi break up pins. I would have liked to have seen New Nation heel things up a little more, with moments like Henry's moonsault to the outside standing out as slightly out of place and whilst I understand why it would have been included, I'd prefer to not have the supposed villains pulling out the most flashy move of the contest see. On the quality of this match, I'd suggest that both teams deserve to return for PROGRESS as they both proved they have a lot to offer and will help to add depth and diversty to the division

Match in a Sentence - Good tag opener, that despite a few personal niggles, set the pace for the rest of the show.

To start the 2nd half, Rampage Brown retained the Atlas Championship in his second Open Challenge, by defeating 2 time wXw Shotgun Champion Bad Bones. The two put on a real tough scrap of a match, in a style that has really began to shine in the Atlas division. Brawling around the ring, throwing meaty chops, hitting big hard suplexes and impressively fighting on the top rope, it was two tough men beating each other up. Despite it being Bones first appearance, the Electric Ballroom popped for his announcement and remained surprisingly split throughout, with Bones rewarding the faith by putting on a great show opposite the reliable Brown. The Westside Xtreme Wrestling star pulled out some impressive offence for a 230lber and quickly won over those who hadn't seen him before. The men used the short ten minutes allotted time to keep a brisk pace, with the beatings coming thick and fast and barely missing a step as they went through a run of near falls. Bones seemed to have the upperhand, getting a couple of two counts with a mid-rope spear and a lariat that caught Brown as he came off the top rope. This all built up to make Brown look like a real tough S.o.B. when he continued to kick out, before bringing Bones down to earth with thudding back superplex and then a piledriver for the three count.

Match in a Sentence - Strong and rapid heavyweight conflict, as Rampage Brown and the Atlas Championship continues to be built up.

Paul Robinson continued his strong run of form with a convincing victory of "Pastor" William Eaver, a former World Champion. This was a succinct bout, with the pair bringing plenty of energy and intensity to proceedings. The early references to Eaver legitmately injuring Sebastian in-ring at Chapter 36 were a little uncomfortable for me, but luckily the pair didn't make it the focus of the match, quickly moving on after addressing the elephant in the room. Eaver continues to grow and opposite the more experienced Robinson continued to impress with a good mix of power and agility. The bout was driven by Robinson though, with his persona able to get under the skin of the fans with ease, as he did anything he could to take control and goaded the crowd whilst doing it! The constant attempts from Robbo to hit his version for the Curb Stomp gave the bout an extra dimension, meaning that when he was finally able to hit the move it got a sweet reaction as fans realised that the dicksalad had managed to get the win. Whilst it was the most low-key match on the card, Eaver and Robinson still created a good outing in their spot and stated their case for higher positions on future shows.

Match in a Sentence - Nice intense scrap with a good through thread.

Any Other Business...

• In a surprising twist, Mark Haskins left the World Championship belt in the ring following the main event, with co-owner and ring announcer Jim Smallman chasing after him, resulting in one of the weirdest conclusions to a show I've ever seen!

• Sebastian made his return following the Paul Robinson and Pastor William Eaver contest, informing Eaver that if the Pastor didn't want him to press charges for the life-threatning injury from Chapter 36, Eaver would have to do anything he asked in a storyline twist that has more than a shade of John "Bradshaw" Layfield and Shawn Michaels' WWE storyline in 2008/09.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 7.55/10 

Show in a Sentence - A very good afternoon of wrestling, full of variety

Match of the Night - Havoc v Scurll v Haskins 

Facebook - facebook.com/acrossthepondwrestling

Twitter - @ATPWrestling
Instagram - @ATPWrestling 

Words - James Marston (Twitter - @IAmNotAlanDale)

Images Courtesy of PROGRESS Wrestling

TV Review: WWE Monday Night RAW #1185 (Daniel Bryan's Retirement)

Airing on the 8th February 2016, the 1185th episode of WWE's Monday Night RAW featured Daniel Bryan's retirement speech, Chris Jericho and AJ Styles on Miz TV and The Usos & The Dudley Boyz teaming up to take on The New Day and Mark Henry in an Eight Man Tag Team Tables match...but was it any good?

match card

1 - Singles - Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

2 - Singles - WWE Diva's Champion Charlotte w/Ric Flair vs. Alicia Fox

3 - Singles - Bray Wyatt w/The Wyatt Family vs. Ryback

4 - Singles - Titus O'Neil vs. Adam Rose w/The Social Outcasts

5 - Tag Team - The Lucha Dragons vs. League of Nations (Alberto Del Rio & Rusev) w/King Barrett

6 - Singles - Becky Lynch vs. Tamina w/Naomi

7 - Eight Man Tag Team Tables - WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day & Mark Henry vs. The Dudley Boyz & The Usos

fastlane main event contract signing 

A contract signing was a novel way to kick off the show this week, and despite loathing the cliche's that usually come with these types of segments, I thought this was a great example of how to do them right. Firstly, I feel that the segment benefited from not having three hours of hype and being in the main event slot, it meant that every entrance felt fresh and the Seattle crowd had a wonderful energy. Stephanie McMahon starting the show alone in the ring allowed the crowd to get out their frustrations as a loud "Daniel Bryan" chant rang out, before Stephanie was able to turn it straight into heat for her character, by talking out her husband and WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Triple H. The rest of the segment kept the energy coming with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and then Brock Lesnar (flanked by Paul Heyman) all interrupting Stephanie. Little touches like Ambrose's desperately wanting to fight Lesnar after he received an F5 last week and Stephanie cutting off Heyman as he went to say his catchphrase and getting a tonne of heat for it, made this a very entertaining watch indeed. With Lesnar managing to over power both Ambrose and Reigns and deliver another F5 to the Lunatic Fringe, the segment ended with a stare down with Triple H on the entrance ramp.

fast-forward...The commentary team spoke briefly about Daniel Bryan announcing his retirement via Twitter earlier in the day

dolph ziggler defeats kevin owens

For the third week in a row, Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler faced off on Monday Night RAW and this was arguably the best match of their series so far. Both guys have managed to take something from nothing and create a feud, based pretty much entirely off of in-ring work, which is something pretty special in WWE in 2016. Owens shouting "Hey Dolph, what's funnier than you?...EVERYTHING" whilst delivering a beat down to the former World Heavyweight Champion got a little chuckle out of me, but also added a little extra depth to the feud. After an impressive Ziggler comeback, done whilst selling a shoulder injury, the match became a much more back and forth affair with the two managing to reverse a number of each other signature holds to produce a couple of lovely near falls. Owens blocking Ziggler's big DDT attempt and hitting a picture picture superkick springs to mind as an example of this. The finish saw their storyline advance further as Ziggler evaded a cannonball from Owens and got the pin with his feet on the middle ropes. Could we be seeing the beginning of a double turn for both men? A heel turn for The Show Off would definitely freshen up his character, whilst Owens is popular enough that a babyface turn would be accepted almost instantly. 

fast-forward...The Dudley Boyz asked The Usos if they could join in on their Table Match with The New Day later on in the night, in an awkwardly scripted backstage segment...

divas champion charlotte defeats alicia fox

It was a shame that Alicia Fox was placed in the babyface role here, as the fans haven't been given a reason to cheer for her and therefore things were a little flat here. The action that the two produced was all good stuff, with the two seemingly connecting early in the ring, as they run through a series of nice moves. Alicia looked at her best in short bursts, her Bridging Northern Lights Suplex continues to look great every time she hits it. With a bit more time and thought into the action, it felt like the two could have produced a high quality match with each other. Charlotte regained some momentum after losing to Brie Bella last week, by picking up a clean submission victory with a Figure 8. 

chris jericho turns miz tv into the highlight reel 

I've been pretty vocal in my criticisms of Chris Jericho's on-mic performance since his return to WWE, however he managed to hit a home-run with this segment. Helped by a game The Miz who played his part perfectly, as Jericho turned an episode of Miz TV into the Highlight Reel (complete with set change and potted plant), as the A-Lister worked the crowd and managed to get some decent heat, with simple tricks like "When my hand goes up, your mouth goes shut". Having them both show each other clips from their matches with AJ Styles, managed to put the Phenomenal One over without him even being present, by having two recognisable WWE guys argue over who he hurt more. Styles interrupting Jericho as soon as he bought back his "Best in the World at what I do" catchphrase was a nice touch and them teaming up to take out Miz, before Jericho backed down from a fight, worked very well to set-up the Styles vs. Jericho rematch that will take place on this week's Thursday Night Smackdown. 

bray wyatt defeats ryback

I was pleasantly surprised by this bout, as both guys really bought it and put on a decent, if not entirely forgettable, TV bout. With Ryback sporting the new look he debuted on last week's Thursday Night Smackdown, dropping the Rob Van Dam style singlet for black trunks, I was impressed with the former WWE Intercontinental Champion's athleticism, especially on his comeback sequence, which was some of the crispest in-ring work I've seen out of the Las Vegas native. The crowd seemed to get into Ryback quickly, which produced a sweet finish, where Bray Wyatt silenced the "Feed Me More" chants by reversing a Meat Hook clothesline attempt with a Sister Abigail to pick up the victory. 

fast-forward... A backstage segment with The New Day "working a table" certainly raised a smile, as Renee Young found out that they'd still to choose a tag partner for their tables match later on...In another backstage segment we saw some storyline advancement as Dean Ambrose told Roman Reigns that he didn't want his help when calling out Brock Lesnar....

adam rose defeats titus o'neil

The thing I took away most from this match was that Adam Rose is some kind of mongoose. Because the rest of the match was the drizzling sloppy shits. Neither man seemed to be able to hit a move correctly and if they did the other guy didn't seem to know how to take it. Add to this the fact that the crowd literally couldn't have given less of a shit and you ended up with a pretty painful watch. Undoubtedly the weakest match on the entire card, as Rose picked up an upset victory with a roll up, as the haphazard booking of the Social Outcasts continued.

fast-forward...Throughout the night highlights from Daniel Bryan's WWE career aired, with his SummerSlam 2013 WWE Heavyweight Championship victory over John Cena getting the most coverage...

dean ambrose calls out brock lesnar

With Dean Ambrose promising to fight Brock Lesnar in numerous backstage segments throughout the show, he was out in the ring at the top of the 3rd hour. Ambrose's put in a superb character promo, as he tried everything he could to get Lesnar out to the ring. For me this promo and the beating that Lesnar dished out to Ambrose (who continued to get up and ask for more) turned The Lunatic Fringe from a third wheel in the Fastlane main event, to perhaps the bouts most important element. Yes, Lesnar beat the shit out of him, but Ambrose continuing to ask for more punishment, seemingly gives him an edge at Fastlane, especially when he doesn't necessarily have to do all the damage himself with Roman Reigns also in the bout. I did, however, not feel that Roman Reigns interuption was particularly necessary here, as he caused the distraction that allowed Ambrose to level the Beast Incarnate with a low blow (in scene reminscent of the Might Boosh episode, "Killeroo"), as I feel the low blow on it's own would have been more impactful and given the commentary team time to focus on the No DQ elements of a Triple Threat bout. 

fast-forward...Highlights of the previous Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns segment aired for reasons...

the league of nations defeats the lucha dragons

With Sin Cara returning to television for the first time since the end of December, he logically worked the Luchadore in peril role with Rusev and Alberto Del Rio of the League of Nations faction taking turns to work over the former NXT Tag Team Champion. Obviously, this also meant to we got a hot tag from the popular United States Champion, Kalisto, which was pleasure to watch as he hit a series of exciting flippy moves on his opponents. After what was a decent tag bout, it was a shame that the finish was slightly botched, as after an enziguiri to the back of the head by Del Rio, Kalisto fell from the top rope, rather than falling into the tree of woe position for The Essence of Excellence's Double Foot Stomp finisher. 

fast-forward...This week's Goldust and R-Truth segment failed to hit the spot as the two did a weird Jimi Hendrix skit that saw Goldust get arrested for breaking a guitar...

tamina defeats becky lynch

Thanks to Sasha Banks' brilliant turn at the commentary desk and lots of cool action on the outside, the second women's match on the show turned into an engaging contest. Sasha showed off a great understanding of her character and got over her current relationships with Becky Lynch and former Team B.A.D. partner effectively, managing to add to the upcoming tag team match between the four at Fastlane. The crowd was into Becky and the Lass Kicker got a reasonable couple of chants going, and got a big pop when hitting Naomi with a Lass-Plex on the outside to help out Sasha. Tamina pulling out the victory after catching Becky with a surprise Superkick, gives Team B.A.D. the momentum they need to look like anything other than roadblocks for Becky and Sasha on the road to WrestleMania at Fastlane. 

fast-forward...Mark Henry joined The New Day's side for the main event Tables match, because reasons...

the dudley boyz and the usos defeats mark henry and the new day in a tables match

So much happened here! Mark Henry quickly worked out on his new found New Day pals, because no one tells him what to do apparently. The crowd went nuts for the tables, there was a double Whazzaaap by the babyfaces, The Usos hit shit loads of superkicks, and the Dudley Boyz put Big E through a table with 3D to win the match. The bout itself was lots of fun, but the biggest talking point came after the bell had rung. The Dudley Boyz turned on The Usos, finishing off Uso #1 (or maybe #2) with a Powerbomb off the top rope through a table. The heel turn might be exactly what the Dudley Boyz needed to make them relevant for a while again, however the crowd cheered the turn and chanted "ECW", so how successful the execution of the turn was I'm not quite sure, perhaps a promo would have helped things out just a little.

fast-forward...An emotionally charged video detailing Daniel Bryan's career and it was almost time to grab for the tissues...

daniel bryan's retirement speech

How on earth am I supposed to go about reviewing this? Daniel Bryan's retirement speech was pretty much perfect. It was sad, it was funny, it was incredibly entertaining, sometimes all at once. The crowd hung onto his every word, as the 3 time WWE World Heavyweight Champion looked just as emotional as the fans in attendance as he explained the reasons for his retirement and told stories about his family. The story about his Dad watching the infamous Championship Ascension ceremony was particularly touching as Bryan struggled to recall the night at times. Thanking the fans for making him feel like a star, and allowing his Dad to see that reaction, just a few months before his death, was seemingly typical Bryan, as he humbly missed that it was his own performances that made the fans treat him like star and rightly so. 

I think what I found most touching about Bryan's speech was how much his love for pro wrestling came across in his words and mannerisms. It seemed like with every word that came out of his mouth his heart broke just a little bit more. It was relatable on a level that WWE rarely is anymore, if they could find a way to tap into this feeling, then perhaps WWE's ratings wouldn't be struggling so much. Of course, the show ended with Bryan looking to the future, conducting one last Yes chant with the entire arena, before sharing a moment with his wife, Brie Bella, as he moves onto the next chapter in his life. Best of luck with everything Bryan, thanks for giving us everything that you could. 

finally...

atpw scale rating - 6.02/10

This was the best episode of Monday Night RAW in 2016 so far, as the "treading water" feel that the show has had for the last two weeks had gone, as it felt like almost everyone stepped up their game to build toward the Fastlane PPV in two weeks. Obviously, Daniel Bryan's retirement speech to close the show was a highly emotional piece of television, and WWE should be commended for allowing Bryan the opportunity to talk on TV for almost 25 minutes. Whilst the sloppy Titus O'Neil vs. Adam Rose bout dragged the show back a little, but the two segments involving Brock Lesnar, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, Chris Jericho and AJ Styles on Miz TV (or The Miz and AJ Styles on the Highlight Reel) and the third match in Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler's series all provided more than enough entertainment to make up for it.

TV REVIEW: WWE Thursday Night Smackdown #856 (Ambrose/Neville vs. Sheamus/Owens)

The second Thursday Night Smackdown of 2016 presented us with Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose, Neville, Kevin Owens and Sheamus opening the show, Kalisto defending his newly won United States Championship in a rematch with Alberto Del Rio and Neville teaming with Dean Ambrose to clash with Kevin Owens & Sheamus in the main event...but was it any good?

fast-forward...
The commentary team of Mauro Raunallo, Jerry "The King" Lawler & Byron Saxton welcomed us to the show, before running down the card, pushing the idea of a "triple main-event"...Renee Young interviewed Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose as he arrived at the building and headed straight out the arena...

The opening segment was a waste of television time, with the bout it created already being advertised for the show on Monday Night RAW three days previous. The only real bit of storyline advancement can in the first minute or so when Dean Ambrose challenged Kevin Owens to a Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble with the Intercontinental title on the line. Whilst that was a mouth-watering prospect that could very well steal the show, the rest of the segment was paint by number, with Sheamus heading out to the arena, before being joined by Kevin Owens, before Neville came out to even the score. Sheamus struggled with his promo, stumbling over his words to point where I'm surprised that WWE didn't re-film it. If there had been no previous storyline between the four guys before this episode, then this segment would have been so bad, but seeing as Neville, Ambrose, Owens and Sheamus have criss-crossed rivalries for a few weeks now, this was a pretty pointless exercise. The time could easily have been given to other bouts to add more depth to other feuds. 


fast-forward...
The Wyatt Family's Luke Harper & Erick Rowan appearing in the ring directly behind the Dudley Boyz produced a pretty cool visual...The Dudley Boyz going over Luke Harper & Erick Rowan in a Tables Match was plenty of fun, but let down for being a couple of minutes too short...More good action followed up with Luke Harper, Erick Rowan and Braun Strowman getting revenge by putting Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley through tables with some impressive spots...Kalisto named dropped Eddie Guerrero & Rey Mysterio in a desperate promo in a backstage interview with Jo-Jo...The Social Outcasts (Adam Rose, Bo Dallas, Curtis Axel & Heath Slater), went over Damien Sandow, Goldust, Jack Swagger & Zack Ryder in another entertaining but brief encounter...A WWE Network trailer aired, promoting upcoming shows, Ride Along & Edge & Christian's Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness...We got a recap of the opening segment of Monday Night RAW #1181 featuring Mr. McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Roman Reigns and a large portion of the roster, as well as the One vs. All main event, that was mostly Reigns vs. Kevin Owens and the dominant return of Brock Lesnar...Kalisto came out first for his United States Championship defense against Alberto Del Rio...

The United States Championship match between champion Kalisto and challenger Alberto Del Rio took a while to get going for me, but once Del Rio had hit an armbreaker off the middle ropes and King Barrett had arrived at ringside we got a much more meaty contest. Kalisto excelled in the underdog role, selling his arm well and his move-set allows for some exciting hope spots, the most impressive being escaping Del Rio's Tree of Woe double stomp and reversing into a head scissors that sent the former World Heavyweight Champion crashing off the top, whilst a hurricanrana driver got a big reaction after a well-worked false finish. Barrett gave the match a different dimension, allowing Del Rio to stay in control for some time towards the end of the contest, whilst also stopping Kalisto from looking weak, with the Preston-native's most memorable involvement being when he moved Del Rio out of the line of fire when the King of Flight attempted a suicide dive variation. With the commentary team doing a solid job putting over both men, Kalisto had two lengthy spells in the Cross Armbreaker before eventually submitting, handing the United States Championship to Del Rio after less than four days of winning it (in TV land anyway, in reality it was less than 24 hours with the belt). I'd have like to have seen their two title matches happen on Smackdown with this bout happening next week, to give Kalisto a bit more time with the belt, and push the B show just that little bit more. It's frustrating to see the title switched so quickly, but Kalisto has been elevated hugely over the last two weeks or so and he's still got a rematch for the title, so overall I think the 29 year old has benefited from this programme, so far. Time will tell if it pays off for him in the long run.


Fast-Forward...
Kalisto's selling, whilst Alberto Del Rio celebrated with the United States Championship and King Barrett, was excellent, really putting over the injured arm and severity of Del Rio's finish...Sting's Hall of Fame induction vignette ran, you can see a full list of talking heads in our Monday Night RAW #1181 review...Renee Young interviewed Becky Lynch, which mainly worked as a way of showing a recap of her recent feud with Charlotte...Alicia Fox continues to accompany Brie Bella to the ring for the banter...Becky Lynch squashing Brie Bella was a bit of surprise, with Brie allowing Becky to look like a real bad-ass out there as she won by submission with the Disarmer in less than 3 minutes...Dean Ambrose, Neville, Kevin Owens and Sheamus all came out separately for the show's main event...

Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose & Neville battled Kevin Owens and Sheamus in a decent main event, that was let down by an unnecessary DQ finish. Neville worked well as the Geordie in peril, putting on a believable fight against the larger, Sheamus and Owens. In particular, The Man That Gravity Forgot and The Prize Fighter put on some quality action, weaving in some nice narrative around Neville attempting to hit a German Suplex, with the Breakout Star slammy winner managing to get the hot tag to Ambrose after finally hitting the move. The highlight of the contest came during Ambrose's flurry of action on Sheamus, when Owens interjecting himself to deliver a kick to the Lunatic Fringes' head as the IC Champ went for his signature Rebound Lariat. It was a shame then that when the bout was really looking to heat up with some brawling on the outside, we saw Owens cause the DQ by dropping the top of the announce table on Ambrose. The third non-finish in a row for Ambrose bouts on TV and this was the lamest of the bunch. I understand the need to keep both Owens and Ambrose looking good heading into the Last Man Standing bout, so why not really go for it and have Owens try to do some real harm to the Champion to give himself the advantage, not drop a flimsy announce table lid on him. A little bit more creativity would have gone a long way here.


fast-forward...
In typical WWE fashion, Neville managed to turn the tables with a moonsault plancha and the show closed with Dean Ambrose and Neville hitting their respective finishers on Kevin Owens in another piece of disappointingly unimaginative booking...

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 4.25/10 (Average)

This promising episode of Smackdown was let down by two things, a lack of creativity and a lack of time afforded certain storylines and matches. Alberto Del Rio winning back the United States Championship from Kalisto was the highlight of the show, with the duo putting on an enjoyable encounter. The top and tail stuff with Dean Ambrose, Neville, Kevin Owens and Sheamus had some interesting elements, but ultimately was a bit of a let down in it's execution, with the opening segment being surplus to requirements. Outside of the open, hour topper and main event, nothing was given enough time to really have much of an effect, with the supposed "main event" Tables match running way to short. A bit of extra attention for this would've afforded this show the depth that it needed to get a higher rating. 

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs 2014 DVD Review

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs 2014 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 23rd March, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. Broadcast live on Pay-per-View (and the WWE Network) from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on 14th December 2014, the show features Bray Wyatt taking on Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, John Cena battling Seth Rollins in a Tables match, Luke Harper defending the Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler in a Ladder match and five other matches. The special features include one other match, and two post-match interviews. The main feature goes 2 hours, 46 minutes, with 17 minutes of special features taking the disc to just over 3 hours long. 

Main Feature

The show kicks off with the customary video package, mentioning a point that will be burned into your brain by the end of the show, this is WWE's version of the Demolition Derby. With some pyro and ballyhoo, and the introduction of the Spanish commentary team it's time for our first match. A spirited effort from Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper, in what is a very watchable ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Some good spots are bolstered by a strong underdog from hometown story and a crowd that is completely wrapped up in the action. 

The Usos challenging The Miz and Damien Mizdow for the Tag Titles is a poor effort, helped only by how over Mizdow is in Cleveland. In an interview with Byron Saxton, Seth Rollins is on top form pulling out a strong heel promo, dedicating his match later on to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Big Show and Erick Rowan chuck big bits of metal at each other in the first ever Stairs match. 

Seth Rollins continues to repay the faith put in him by WWE with a strong performance opposite John Cena in a Tables match. The bout tell a sound story, with J&J Security providing shenanigans a plenty throughout the match, although the finish is a bit of a let down. Renee Young, Booker T and Alex Riley of the Kick-Off panel, provide some interesting insight into some of the previous matches, whilst also looking ahead to John Cena's clash with Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Byron Saxton's house of fun continues as he interviews The Bella Twins, in which Nikki talks about her breasts for a bit.

Nikki's Diva's Championship defense against AJ Lee has some good work put in, but it's never fully capitalised on, and the crowd couldn't give a shit anyway. Tom Phillips gets a run out to interview the returning Roman Reigns, who produces a truly awful promo. A chair match between Ryback and Kane is probably better than you'd imagine it to be, but the crowd is again utterly, utterly indifferent. A United States title confrontation between Rusev (accompanied by Lana) and Jack Swagger fails to reach the heights of their contest from SummerSlam earlier in the year. 

A TLC match between Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose closes the show, and doesn't feel like we quite see the best out of either man. Whilst their is a number of big spots, they are quite repetitive and don't quite stand out as better than the Ladder match that opened the show. The finish is weak also, with a silly deus ex machina that does very little for anyone. By no means a bad match and still watchable, but not as good as it could of, or should of been. 

Special Features

A tag bout featuring Big E & Kofi Kingston (accompanied by Xavier Woods) against Goldust and Stardust is passable fair from the Kick Off show, despite no one being over with the crowd. Byron Saxton interviews Dolph Ziggler after his match, with Ziggler a lot more reserved than we are used to. Surprisingly Nikki Bella's effort is actually much better, getting over what needed to be said well.

Finally...

The three big matches on the show are all good matches, with Cena and Rollins' effort probably being the better of the three, even if Wyatt and Ambrose fails to deliver on everything it promised to be. The undercard suffers from the crowds utter indifference towards anyone but Damien Mizdow, but no performer really looks to stand out and grab their attention either. Some questionable booking in places and a handful of dodgy finish mean this is a poor PPV overall, although the Best PPV Matches of 2014 DVD stopping at just October, means that this is currently your only way to own Ziggler vs. Harper, Cena vs. Rollins and Wyatt vs. Ambrose. 

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WWE TLC Tables, Ladders, Chairs...and Stairs 2014 Review

Rejoice internet, rejoice! Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt main evented a Pay-Per-View in 2014! It had to be awesome...right?

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match

Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt

 

 

 

I can't help but feeling that Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt's Tables, Ladders and Chairs match was a wasted opportunity for both men. This should have been the match where both men announced their arrival onto the main event scene with an awe-inspiring TLC match that would have people talking way into new year. Instead, what was produced was an overly long bout, that lacked any real drama or storytelling.

 

That isn't to say that this was a bad match, not by any stretch of the imagination. Both Ambrose and Wyatt formed some decent spots, that used the TLC gimmickry well with all weapons being used a number of times. Ambrose hitting multiple elbow drops off ladders of increasing sizes was impressive, but I would have much preferred seeing a bit more variety thrown into the mix here. The brawling style of the two suited the match well and this was highlighted early on, with the pair going into the crowd and Ambrose jumping off of the Kick Off show table, I would've like this brawl to have gone on for a little longer, as it was when the pair seemed to be at their strongest.

 

Whilst a lot of the spots (Wyatt's senton onto a ladder etc.) were recycled from previous match ups, the one spot that stood out here, for me, saw Wyatt place a kendo stick under the cover of the turnbuckle and send Ambrose directly into the stick, with the commentary team commenting that it seemed to have connected with Ambrose's eye. This would be the matches biggest missed opportunity, as as quickly as the injury developed it was forgotten about and never mentioned again. This could've given the match an interesting and unique story to play with, but instead it was left as another random spot with no real explanation to why the Kendo Stick was legal in the first place in a TLC match.

 

The finish, oh, the finish. A TV monitor from under the ring, that as far as I'm aware has never been seen before, exploded in Ambrose's face, because Ambrose is so crazy he refused to simply remove the wires from the monitor before attempting to twat Wyatt in the head with it. It was wrestling's answer to Dues ex machine, as Wyatt picked up the pinfall victory following a Sister Abigail, and boy was it silly. And I'm not talking good silly, like a slinky or TV's Bodger and Badger. Now, I can completely understand the reasoning for wanting to both Wyatt and Ambrose looking strong, I'd imagine both are pencilled in for major matches at WrestleMania in a few months, but I'm not sure this finish did either, Ambrose looked a bit dense, whilst Wyatt won because Ambrose's stupidity.

 

Tables Match

Seth Rollins vs. John Cena

 

 

 

This was your classic "against the odds" story, with John Cena playing the part of the dashing hero, against the remnants of the villainous Authority. It was a tale we've seen time and time again with Cena in a more than familiar role, however it still managed to hold my attention throughout the mostly enjoyable contest, perhaps down to the sound use of the tables match stipulation. Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble continue to prove their worth as on screen characters, looking good in their interactions with Cena throughout the bout and contributing to the story nicely.

It was important that Seth Rollins be allowed to look, at least half way competent within this narrative, to continue to allow the Money in the Bank holder to move towards his title victory. Luckily, for Rollins, and the audience, this did occur at a number of points throughout the contest, where it seemed Rollins could be about to seal the victory on his own. Rollins looked at his best in an exhilarating sequence that saw Rollins flip out of an Attitude Adjustment attempt, narrowly avoiding a table, before leaping over the table an connecting with an Enziguiri. More of this type of action and the match would have been even better.

Whilst the story was strong, the match also provided it's fair share of big spots, that were well placed and allowed the match to peak at the right times. Noble taking a suplex on a barricade, Rollins taking a Super Attitude Adjustment through a table and Rollins' suicide dive onto Cena whilst Cena was on the floor outside, were all enough pique the interest of the audience, whilst never threatening to look particularly innovative, however with the story driven nature of the tangle this wasn't much of a requirement.

Roman Reigns making his return in the closing stages to save Cena from an interfering Big Show was a good way to bring back Reigns, who looked great as he dismantled Show and allowed Cena to pick up the victory sending Rollins crashing through a table with another AA. Less exceptional was the strange spot that saw both Rollins and Cena crash through a table at the same time, leading to the match to be restarted, as this added very little to the match itself. It will be interesting to see if Rollins attempts to bring this up on Raw, but I can't see the benefit, to be honest, with Cena now nailed on to face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

 

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match

Dolph Ziggler vs. Luke Harper (C)

 

 

 

 

The strongest match of the evening came in the form of Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper's Ladder match over the Intercontinental Championship in the opening contest. As soon as Ziggler was finally announced as from Cleveland, Ohio (instead of Hollywood, Florida) his real hometown and the host city for the Pay-Per-View, the crowd was firmly behind their hometown hero, giving the match an extra edge and making it a much more enjoyable watch than it may have been otherwise.

 

This is down to how the match was structured, with Harper dominating for the majority of the bout, cutting Ziggler's comeback attempts short at almost every turn. This not only created a good story, but also suited each man down to the ground, with Harper allowed to show off a power, size, and even agility, hitting a love enziguiri that connected with a ladder and sent Ziggler off the top rope to the floor, whilst Ziggler was allowed to play the plucky underdog, a role that he seems to have really grown into as of late. Even Ziggler's habit of rushing sequences didn't rear it's head, as the former World Heavyweight Champion took his time and allowed the match to breath correctly.

 

Similar to Cena and Rollins' table match, the spots in this one weren't particularly innovative, but there was plenty of them and each one felt like it had a purpose and furthered the story of the bout. Both men took a number of big bumps during the match, with Ziggler taking a powerbomb onto a ladder set up in the corner and a catapult in the ropes using a ladder (that busted Ziggler open), whilst Harper was sent crashing onto a Ladder bridging the announce table and the ring apron.

 

Ziggler picked up the win with Shelton Benjamin-esque use of the ladder, before connecting with a Superkick to keep Harper down and scaling the final few rungs to retrieve the belt and become a four-time Intercontinental Champion. With the match being in Ziggler's hometown, this definitely seemed like the right end to the match, with the crowd reaction cementing this, for me. Hopefully, Ziggler gets more than a few months with the belt, as his matches over the belt over the last six months or so have helped to elevate the belt and make it seem like a prize that is worth winning. A big singles match at WrestleMania would surely complete the restoration of the title.

 

Stairs Match

Big Show vs. Erick Rowan

 

 

 

 

Two big guys twatting each other with big bits of metal. What's not to like? Honestly, when this match got announced I was looking forward to the next time I accidentally stand on a plug slightly more. Whilst this wasn't what I would describe as a "bad" match, it was certainly dull. The crowd gave about as many shits as I did, with one mild "Big Show Sucks" chant the only sound that could be heard from them for entire match.

 

The only notable moments of the match saw Rowan bodyslam Show onto the steps (or stairs, because it rhymes with chairs) and Show spearing Rowan through a deadly WALL OF STEPS! Show winning by slightly leaning on the steps whilst placing them across Rowan (despite having hit Rowan with a Chokeslam on the steps and a WMD) looked ridiculous as the steps were across Rowan's chest and not shoulders, surely a normal pin would have been much more effective? Expect Big Show to get squashed by Roman Reigns in the coming months, whilst personally I'd seen Rowan back to NXT until after WrestleMania to polish up his skills as a singles wrestler.

 

Chairs Match

Kane vs. Ryback

 

 

 

 

Two big guys twatting each other with smaller pieces of metal. Played out in front of dead crowd for everything but the finish, this match was marginally better than the Big Show and Erick Rowan clash, boasting a handful of decent spots, like a DDT from Kane on a chair and Ryback hitting a Spinebuster onto two chairs in a seated position. If I had any real reason to care about either competitor, this could have actually been a decent PPV match.

 

The pair seemed to have something, almost, resembling chemistry and did put together a number of decent sequences, including the finish, that saw Ryback escape a Tombstone Piledriver attempt to deliver a Meathook Clothesline and Shellshocked to pick up the pinfall victory, which was actually done very well. Ryback picking up a clean victory was what the character needed going forward, although I can't quite see where Ryback fits into the picture on the Road to WrestleMania.

 

Diva's Championship Match

AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella (C)

 

 

 

When one of your positives for a match is "surprisingly few botches" then it says a lot about how good the match actually was. There was a few decent moves thrown into this one, like AJ's Tornado DDT and Nikki's use of the ringpost to bend AJ almost in two, but there was no substance to the action and a distinct lack of selling throughout, in particular AJ after the aforementioned ring post spot. It's difficult not to compare this match to Charlotte and Sasha Bank's match from NXT Takeover: REvolution and wonder what exactly goes wrong between developmental and the main roster.

 

Tag Team Championship Match

The Usos vs. The Miz & Damien Mizdow (C)

 

 

 



 

This tag bout did very little for me at all and I think that may be because I'm losing patience with the Mizdow gimmick. Seemingly, I'm not alone as the act got a lot less of a crowd reaction here as it did at last months Survivor Series. The one spot that did stand out was Mizdown mimicking Miz whilst the Usos had Miz in a delayed vertical suplex. Jimmy Usos debuted a new submission hold, but with zero build towards it during the match it felt pretty inconsequential. The bout didn't flow particularly well and a disqualification ending didn't help either, these four guys could have done a ot better than this.

 

United States Championship Match

Rusev (C) vs. Jack Swagger

 

 

 

Essentially, this was a squash match to tie up the loose end of Rusev and Swagger's Summer feud, where Swagger refused to tap out to the Accolade at SummerSlam. Unfortunately, this match didn't come close to their SummerSlam bout, but I'm not sure it was ever supposed to be. The crowd were too busy watching something else for most of the match, but did at least get behind Swagger for a few minutes during the match. Rusev obviously needed something to tide him over to the Royal Rumble and keeping the title present on PPV was a good move. There isn't much more to say!

 

Finally...

 

The three big matches on the PPV were, at least, good matches, with Cena vs. Rollins and Ziggler vs. Harper both delivering on what I had expected from them. Ambrose and Wyatt didn't put on the show stealing match that they should have done, but it was still a decent match when viewed in isolation. Where this PPV falls apart is a piss poor undercard, that struggled to hold my interest for any real amount of time. WWE needs to get this sorted in the next few months, as with WrestleMania just over three months away there isn't much time to get all the major players in the right places.