TV Review: WWE Monday Night RAW #1216 - Roman Reigns v Kevin Owens 2

Aired - 12th September 2016

In the penultimate episode before Clash of Champions, Monday Night RAW featured a marquee bout between Roman Reigns and Universal Champion Kevin Owens, in which Reigns could earn a title match at the supercard, as well as Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods of Tag Team Champions The New Day having a SummerSlam rematch with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson as the two teams looked to put last week's "Old Day" segment behind them. Would RAW continue to build momentum with just two weeks until their first PPV in ten years?

The main event was a lengthy second encounter between Universal Champion Kevin Owens and Roman Reigns, as they had a rematch from an October 2015 episode of Thursday Night Smackdown, but this time with a little more on the line. Reigns had an opportunity to slot into the Universal title bout at Clash of Champions alongside Seth Rollins, if he could get a win over the champ. With so much on the line and a handful of different storylines involved, it was inevitable that the match would have a few shenanigans, as the company continued to build a card for a show that is now only 13 days away. The first twist in the tale would see Seth Rollins charge down the entrance ramp to attack an Owens who had only moments earlier thrown Reigns into the steel steps. The run in got a nice pop and Rollins got a good beatdown in on The Prizefighter. It would have been a disappointing conclusion to the battle, so luckily General Manager Mick Foley was out to restart the bout. That wasn't before Foley had verbally assaulted Rollins for the attack and after the pair had been involved in a handful of backstage segments earlier on, it will be intriguing to see exactly where they'll go with that. 

Outside of the storyline development, Owens and Reigns had a damn good match, combining their bruising styles to create a diverse and stimulating encounter. Watching K.O. control a match is usually good fun and this was no different, as he was constantly chatting away either to himself, Reigns or the audience, whilst his application of simple moves like chinlocks are kept entertaining by his verbals and superior utilsation of said moves. It felt like there was a purpose behind every motion, whether that was inflict damage on Reigns or just annoy the crowd a little bit and that makes all the difference when you're going over twenty minutes on live TV. There were a few similarities to the match that AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose had the night before, mostly in how the bouts were structured, as Owens dominated the contest and got a high number of near falls, but seemed unable to put his opponent away on his own. 

The finish would see the return of United States Champion "The Bulgarian Brute" Rusev to our screens after a few weeks off, as he appeared at ringside to cause a distraction that would result in Owens getting the win with a Pop-Up Powerbomb. A cute bit of booking as Rusev had been away just long enough that it felt like a bit of a surprise and got a decent pop, whilst not having the US Champ get physically involved meant that Owens got at least some of the rub that a victory over Reigns presents. Owens will also have a chance to brag about the victory on next week's go home episode. The show would conclude with Rusev decimating Reigns with the Accolade and having to prized away by a couple of referees. Of course, there's plenty of unfinished business between Reigns and Rusev, after their scheduled SummerSlam contest never began and whilst their feud hasn't quite reached the levels it could have, it probably still deserves a PPV match. With an extra bit of build next week, Reigns and Rusev should be able to have a strong semi-main or upper midcard battle on 25th September.

Tag Team Champions The New Day managed to bury last week's terrible Old Day segment, with some humorous banter, leading into a SummerSlam rematch with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston facing Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. Woods, Kingston and Big E didn't mess around as they ripped into the horrible piece of television from last week, talking about what the audience could have done instead during it's time on screen. Comparing Gallows and Anderson's skit to having put the audiences time "into a dumpster fire" was pretty accurate. It was really the only way that RAW could have got past the shambles of last week, because continuing in the same direction clearly wasn't going to do anyone any favours. Gallows and Anderson brought a much more serious edge to their reply and it suited their demeanours a hell of a lot better. Let's hope that we never see anything from the pair even resembling what we saw last week ever again. 

Slotting into the semi-main event, the match was a much better version of the contest that they had at SummerSlam, as it didn't include Jon Stewart and featured a much more satisfying conclusion. Kingston and Woods obviously bring a different dynamic to what we see regularly from Big E and Kingston and this was played upon well, with an early face shine from the highflyers, before Anderson and Gallows would dominate Kingston. It was some of the strongest in-ring work that Gallows and Anderson have done since jumping ship from New Japan Pro Wrestling, as they worked a style that suits them, cutting off the ring and just beating the shit into Kingston for a bit. They're two tough mean dudes and it was nice to see them presented like that! Woods hot tag sequence was another highlight as he continued to show why he's one of the more underrated in-ring talents that the company has right now, with a flurry of action that included near falls off the Honor Roll and a tightrope elbow drop. Anderson and Gallows picked up the win with The Magic Killer, to set them up for their Clash of Champions title bout, putting to rest the disappointing SummerSlam match and the hammy skits that we've seen over the last few months.

The evening began with an exciting in-ring segment that would see General Manager Mick Foley eventually book Bayley, Sasha Banks and Dana Brooke in a Triple Threat match, where the winner would get a shot at Charlotte's Women's Championship on 25th September. There was a lot going on here, with a number of moving parts and different character relationships, that managed to give the division some real depth, whilst Foley was able to keep a nice thread through the middle of things in his GM role. Whilst Banks and Bayley were putting their cases forward for getting a title shot, Charlotte was given the best material here as she got to look like a real dick with some brutal words for protege Brooke, whilst also getting the opportunity to not just insult Bayley and Banks but also try to drive a wedge between the pair. Whilst The Nature Girl's delivery wasn't always as good as it could have been and she stumbled on some odd dialogue about "WWE Camp", when given the chance she hit the right notes and hit them well. Without Charlotte upping the energy, the eventual booking of the triple threat and Brooke returning a slap to her (potentially former) mentor, wouldn't have had half the impact they did and would have got nowhere as strong a reaction from the crowd. 

The fifth match of Cesaro and "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus' Best of Seven Series may have been the best match of the series so far, thanks to the depth of story that the pair had to dip into. With the benefit of four previous matches, that have been heavily based on psychology anyway, the European grapplers added in call-backs to the finishes of most of those matches, building some quality near falls that had the crowd more involved than we've seen before. With the story continuing to revolve around Cesaro's injured back (that occurred in Match 2 during SummerSlam), we got to see a real selling master class from the Swiss Superman as he grabbed hold of the injury at every opportunity, including when hitting a diving crossbody! The bout would conclude with a series of near falls for Sheamus, after Cesaro had been unable to perform the giant swing correctly, only for King of Swing to take the series to 3-2 as he pinned Sheamus with his feet on the ropes. It was a divergent ending, that showed just how desperate Cesaro was to keep himself in the running. Judging on what we've seen from the pair so far, I'd expect this finish to play a big part in the final two matches.  

Sasha Banks earned herself a shot at Charlotte's Women's Championship at Clash of Champions, as she defeated Bayley and Dana Brooke in the first match on the show. With Bayley and Banks being booked to stay apart from each other, this meant that Brooke had a real chance to elevate herself with a strong performance. She handled herself well throughout, involved mostly with Bayley, but also showing some nice aggression during the ad break as she tripped Banks on the apron and threw her into the barricade. The final stretch that involved all three women was well done, with a series of strong spots, like Banks going for the double knees on both opponents and well-worked near falls including Bayley kicking Banks in the head moments before Brooke was about to tap to the Bridging Crossface and The Boss' last second save after Brooke had been nailed with a Bayley to Belly suplex. The conclusion appeared to be setting up a Triple Threat match for 25th September, as it looked like the former NXT Women's Champions had each other's shoulder pinned to the mat, although it was strangely ignored by the commentary.

"Y2J" Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn somehow managed to build a fierce feud, in around ten minutes as The Underdog From The Underground guested on an edition of The Highlight Reel. Jericho's character development has been a real joy to watch over the last six months or so and he continued to do great work here, easily manipulating the crowd into chanting "Ole" for Zayn and also seeming to get heat for just being around a microphone. Whilst the argument between the two had a lot to do with Universal Champion Kevin Owens (which can only uplift Owens and his title run), as the pair went back and forth about their opinions of the Prizefighter, it was when Zayn began to discuss how Y2J had inspired him when coming into the business that the fledgling rivalry began to take on a life of it's own. Zayn calling Jericho nothing more than "Kevin Owens' bitch" edged the segment nearer to it's crescendo, as The Man of 1004 Holds suckered Zayn in with the pretense of showing him a text from Owens, only to twat him in the face with his mobile phone and pull out a cheeky Codebreaker. We've seen Jericho and Zayn tangle on TV in April and July this year, but a rematch at Clash of Champions with more bite behind it should be their best effort yet. 

The Shining Stars seemed to have finally found their niche in a feud with Big Cass and Enzo Amore and whilst Amore's schtick continues to become even more poop based, the short bout between he and Epico was a decent watch. I've become a real mark for Epico's Trileda sequence, just because it's a damn cool twist on the three amigos, that probably doesn't belong in a mid-card tag feud in WWE! It was only a brief match, but the two lads in the ring and the two lads on the outside packed a lot into it, with both Amore and Epico hitting dives to the outside and Cass nailing a big boot on Primo in a fun section. The finish continued what's been an lightly entertaining feud so far, as Primo would aid Epico in victory by pulling Amore's legs from underneath him on a suplex attempt and holding them down from the outside to give his cousin his first television singles win since beating Evan Bourne on a December 2011 episode of Superstars. (Obviously not including his run as the surprisingly more successful Fernando).

Jinder Mahal debuted a new gimmick as he is now apparently "The Man Who Comes in Peace". To be honest, I'm not quite sure what that actually means, as his promo didn't really explain it all that well. He said "Namaste" and talked about his time off from WWE as the crowd lulled into a light sleep. Things weren't helped by Jack Swagger coming out as Mahal's opponent. I've got nothing against either guy in particular, it's just that neither excites me, especially at this point in their careers. I wanted to stay focused on the action, but there really wasn't that much to stay focused on. It was Jinder Mahal v Jack Swagger. Some moves happened. The crowd chanted USA. Some more moves happened. The crowd stopped chanting and went for a piss and probably missed Mahal picking up his first victory since beating Heath Slater for his RAW contract.

Nia Jax would get her biggest showcase since moving to RAW, as she decimated former Divas Champion Alicia Fox. The annihilation didn't result in a victory though, as this was all about showcasing the power of Jax, as destroyed Fox on the outside of the ring, in a revenge attack for a backstage outburst last week, throwing her opponent in the ring post and the barricade. The match evolved into more of an angle as Jax drove Fox through the barricade and into the timekeepers area, in one of the most impressive moments that the Women's division has produced in a long time. This is a spot that's usually reserved for big PPV matches and almost exclusively used by the male competitors, so it was a truly shocking moment to see Jax pull it out here. It made the Hawaii born performer look like a beast and built on the foundation that has been created with the various squash bouts that she's had since debuting. 

Best of the Rest 

• Moments prior to the main event, Kevin Owens gave Seth Rollins a verbal dressing down, whilst bragging about his new buddy Triple H, leading to Mick Foley warning Rollins to not get involved in Owens bout with Roman Reigns.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating - 6.08/10

This was the strongest Monday Night RAW episode since the post Battleground show, that saw Finn Balor earn a shot at the Universal title. The main event was a more than solid encounter, that easily could have headlined a PPV, had there not been all the shenanigans that you'd expect from a television main event! There were a couple of good matches elsewhere on the show as well with The Club v The New Day, the Women's Championship #1 Contenders Triple Threat and Cesaro v Sheamus all having their merits. Perhaps one of the biggest positives was that the Titus O'Neil and Darren Young feud was kept off the show!

Outside of the matches, Sami Zayn's appearance on The Highlight Reel was probably the best thing on the show, with Chris Jericho continuing his rich vein of form. The opening segment with Mick Foley, Charlotte, Dana Brooke, Sasha Banks and Bayley was also a decent watch.

Whilst there remains a couple of nagging issues, the only major segment that I actively disliked this week was the Jinder Mahal and Jack Swagger match, mainly because I don't think Mahal's gimmick is very well defined or different enough from what he was doing previously to warrant the switch, and also because it was a Jinder Mahal vs Jack Swagger match! 

With one episode left before Clash of Champions, and just four matches currently announced for the show, I'd expect next week's episode to struggle to match the quality on display here as we may see a bit of a scramble to get the rest of the line up in place.

All Content - James Marston

Banner Credit - Kai Stellar

Supercard Review: WWE Backlash 2016 - AJ Styles v Dean Ambrose 2

Backlash 2016 had the somewhat unenviable task of re-introducing single branded "PPV" events to the WWE Universe after a ten year hiatus. With a main event like AJ Styles v Dean Ambrose and a supporting cast including Becky Lynch, Natalya, Kane, Dolph Ziggler and Bray Wyatt, but notably without the likes of John Cena, Randy Orton and American Alpha in action, could the Smackdown Live crew pull a rabbit out of the hat?  

The main event would see Dean Ambrose's World Championship run come to an end after 84 days (the longest since Seth Rollins vacated the title in November 2015) as AJ Styles would win his first title in WWE in a slow burning 25 minute collision. I'm a big fan of a slow burner, the kind of match that you think isn't quite living up to expectations, but then a flurry of action in the final third with some cute call backs to earlier in the contest makes you wonder why you ever doubted two of the best wrestlers in the company. The one moment in particular that caught my attention was Styles managing to block a suicide dive in the earlier exchange by dropping The Lunatic Fringe throat first into the bottom rope, before Ambrose would be able to hit the move twenty or so minutes later in a satisfying bit of symtetry that would see the then World Champ finally kick into top gear and scrap with his challenger all over ringside. 

The match was packed with little pockets of story, that kept things varied and interesting, like Styles going after Ambrose's knee after driving it into the canvas in the corner of the ring. This was used to set-up a series of Calf Crusher attempts, including the first which was a well-worked spot that saw Ambrose's knee give out on a suplex attempt and Styles transition seamlessly into the hold. I'd have liked to have seen this continue to be a theme after the spot had been used, as it was a shame that it seemed to be dropped later in the match, as it could have made the closing sections even more interesting. However, they added an extra level of drama to the bout with both men selling those moments and the build up very well, whilst also playing into the two other on-going storylines the match had going. 

The bout was built around the basis that the veteran Georgia native was always one step ahead of the Champion, with a counter for almost all of Ambrose's offence, but was unable to put him away. This would become very clear in a sequence that would see Styles getting three near falls in quick succession, off a Ushigoroshi, a Rack Bomb and the Superman 450 splash. Personally, I think throwing in a move that Styles has regularly won matches with, like the Phenomenal Forearm, would have hammered the point home with a convincing near fall, but also could have ended up as a bit of overkill. All of this was building to the finish, as Styles took advantage of a ref bump, to kick Ambrose in the nuts (calling back to their testicle based antics on Smackdown Live over the last two weeks) before hitting an awkward Styles Clash for the win. It was supremely satisfying to see that narrative conclude in a logical way, that leaves the door open for a possible rematch at No Mercy next month and with the two perhaps holding back some of their top draw sequences, I've got a feeling that they could top this match next time out.

In what would become the show's semi-main event, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler battled over the Intercontinental Championship, in a match that far surpassed my expectations. That isn't to say that I don't think either Miz or Ziggler are talented or capable of having good matches, but it's not exactly the most inspiring fixture to see on the card, especially after Ziggler fumbled his big World title match at SummerSlam. However, the pair worked an especially clever match, chock-full of story and paced almost to perfection, that held my attention throughout it's admittedly lengthy 18 minute run-time. Ziggler and Miz have an odd chemistry within the ring, one that is perhaps a bit clinical, at times, there's an efficiency about it, without any real fire, however on this occasion that ended up suiting the setting and produced a very good match. 

The contest had my attention from the beginning, featuring some interesting amateur wrestling from Ziggler, as the commentary talked about his background and upcoming Hall of Fame induction at his University, before Miz would take advantage of a rope break to get the upperhand. It was sound psychology that played off the storyline going in, that Miz was a coward and Ziggler had something to prove. Then there were the touches from The A Lister as he mimicked General Manager Daniel Bryan, by pulling out a number of very un-Miz like submissions, as well as Bryan's signature corner drop kicks. I think this could have perhaps been expanded upon later in the match, as Miz's obsession with Bryan could have been used to create some convincing near falls. There were some strong close calls though for both men, like Miz locking in the Figure 4 Leg Lock after we'd seen The Show-Off struggling to hit a superkick, followed up a Superkick where Miz would manage to get his foot on the bottom rope. The finish was a satisfying one though, as we came back to Miz's cowardly ways as his wife, Maryse, sprayed perfume into the eyes of Ziggler and a Skull Crushing Finale allowed Miz to retain. If these lads are allowed a similar stage for a rematch then I'd look forward to it much more than I did for this match. 

Becky Lynch would become the brand's Women's Champion in a Six Pack Challenge, pinning Carmella last, after Nikki Bella, Natalya, Naomi and Alexa Bliss had already been eliminated. A little sloppiness aside, this was a cracking contest, that keep a number of storylines ticking over, whilst also making use of having six women in the ring, in what was a cleverly crafted encounter. The build towards the first elimination, gave each and every woman involved the opportunity to showcase themselves, with strong sequences between Naomi and Lynch, Bliss and Bella and Lynch and Bliss, as well as a sweet dives sequence and a tower of doom. Whilst the match seemed to be well thought out as it unfolded, I feel like the first woman eliminated was the one who impressed me the most here, as Bliss' performance throughout, whether that be trying to steal pin covers immediately after the Tower of Doom spot or scrapping with more experienced performers, she made the most of her time in the bout and looked great doing it. 

The pinfalls would come thick and fast after Bliss had left the match, with Natalya stealing an elimination on Naomi after a Bella forearm, Bella eliminated Natalya with a TKO and Carmella catching Bella off guard with a jackknife cover. It was the Bella and Carmella story that would be the most obvious story running throughout the bout, with their battles being strategically placed to get the best reaction. The showdown after Bella was eliminated could have been played a little better, but with it coming just before Lynch would tap out Carmella to win the bout, anything stronger would have effected the quality of The Irish LassKickers submission win. The match did a good job of raising the profile of talents like Carmella and Bliss, whilst placing Lynch right at the top of the women's division, which has shown it has a lot more potential than I'd previously given it credit for. 

As stories leaked earlier in the afternoon that Randy Orton had still not been cleared to compete after his TKO loss to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, it was clear that WWE would have to switch The Legend Killer out of his scheduled bout with Bray Wyatt on the PPV. It was a shame that WWE went down a fairly unimaginative route, having Wyatt assault Orton backstage before coming to the ring and celebrating a forfeit victory. It didn't really suit The Eater of World's gimmick and felt very weird seeing him involved in the backstage assault and even weirder seeing him basking in getting out of having a fight. With more than enough time to work out a creative decision on what to do with Orton (You'd have to think that a contingency plan should have been in place for if Orton hadn't been cleared by Sunday) I feel like the creative team should have been able to come up with a better angle than what was presented. 

Luckily, they managed to redeem themselves by actually giving us Wyatt match, that was another surprisingly good bout as he went up against Kane in an impromptu No Holds Barred bout. Wyatt and Kane really went at each other in satisfying big lads action, with the No DQ stip adding just what the bout needed to take it above what I can only imagine would have been a fairly dull contest otherwise. It wasn't the most violent display you'll ever see, but it was plenty of fun, that included a cracking running senton through the announce table spot from Wyatt. Apart from that spot it had a cool house show vibe about it  and considering the duo have had five or six Street Fight's opposite each other on the live event circuit this year, I'd guess that a lot of this match was going over what fans in Kalamazoo and Corpus Christi had got to witness earlier in 2016. Orton would manage to make it out for the finish, selling the knee that Wyatt had attacked like his life depended on it, before hitting an RKO that would gift The Big Red Machine the victory (following a Chokeslam of his own). It would be easy to moan about Wyatt putting Kane over, but the focus was all on the Wyatt and Orton feud which now has some extra fuel and hopefully the pair will get their bout in four week's at No Mercy in Sacramento, California. 

HEATH SLATER AND RHYNO WON THE TAG TEAM TITLES! Does anything else really matter in this world? It was Rhyno's first title victory in WWE since he defeated Tajiri at Unforgiven 2001 for the WCW United States title and Heath Slater's first win since teaming with Justin Gabriel, as part of The Corre, to beat John Cena and The Miz and win what is now the RAW Tag Team Championship on a February 2011 episode of Monday Night RAW! This is the Heath Slater who won ONE match out of 132 last year. The Heath Slater who hasn't won a PPV match since early 2011. Slater has managed to build on the connections he'd made consistently doing his best with whatever shite he was given [3MB and Social Outcasts] and whilst others have moaned, complained and been released, Heathy Baby just kept plugging away and ended up getting rewarded for his hard work. The free agent storyline has been one of the best things about wrestling in 2016. 

Okay, so that was me getting excited about the result, but that doesn't really matter if the match was a load of old shite, does it? However, it wasn't it was a good quality tag team bout that built well to it's finish and used the characters well to create a compelling bout. I've written barely any notes on this one, because I was so invested in the action, perhaps more than I've been in years for a WWE bout. The Usos were glorious as they turned up their heel meter up to cunt, doing dastardly things like suplexing Slater into the big ringpost. Slater put on a performance that made me like him even more, selling his beatdown wonderfully, whilst knowing his character and doing things like tagging himself back into the match moments after a Rhyno hot tag, because he was a man on a mission and that mission was to get Beulah a motherfucking double wide. And Rhyno, well Rhyno was just a bloody man beast and the moment when he dragged Slater into the cover after nailing a Gore on one of them Usos was pure wrestling perfection. HEATH SLATER AND RHYNO WON THE TAG TEAM TITLES!   

The Usos got to debut their new look and feel opposite The Hype Bros [Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder] in a match that was billed as a "Second Chance Challenge", after Jey & Jimmy had injured the previous Tag title Tournament finalists, American Alpha. This match outdid my expectations with the new gimmick for The Usos allowing Hype Bros to fit into the babyface role much better than previously, as Ryder scrambled against the cocksure Usos. In particular, the lengthier match allowed Rawley to shine, with a number of power spots, including running around the ring and nailing both Usos with a shoulder ram and sending them into the barricade. Plus Ryder was doing stupid moves like dropkicks off the apron and bumping like he wanted to cause himself somekind of bodily harm. The finish was especially busy, with Rawley ending up in same wall he pushed the Usos into and Ryder tapping out to an arm trap single leg Boston crab, cementing 2 time WWE Tag Team Champions as nasty heels and give them their match against Heath Slater and Rhyno. 

The Kick-Off match was a bonus bout between Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin as the pair put in a solid outing before the main show began. When they announced the bout in a cheesy backstage segment, I have to admit that I wasn't exactly chomping at the bit to see a rematch from NXT Takeover: London but the lads actually managed to put on a good little match in their spot. The bout was structured well and told a strong story, as both were presented as strong and powerful, with Crews having the advantage on speed and Corbin being a bit more ring savvy. Repeating the spot where Corbin runs out and straight back into the ring was a cool moment and this managed to propel the contest into an exciting close sequence. The crowd seemed to get into the action as soon as the match came back from the ad-break, meaning that when Corbin managed to pick up the victory with End of Days it felt like both men had made some kind of gains in getting over with the audience. 

The show started with a segment that can only be described as a time-filler, as Commissioner Shane McMahon and General Manager Daniel Bryan headed out to the ring and ran down the card for the evening. It was clear that the show was going to struggle to fill the three hour time slot, but this was a bit silly. McMahon and Bryan are always going to pop a crowd and keep them interested, because of their undoubted popularity, which is a good way to get the crowd warmed up at the start of the show, I suppose. However, on the actual PPV it stinks of desperation to fill space on a rushed event! 

Best of the Rest 

• Rhyno and Heath Slater went in hard during an interview with Tom Phillips in the Social Media Lounge, pulling out a series of above ground pool based references.

Finally...

ATPW Scale Rating -  6.63/10 

(6.57 with Kick-Off show)

Backlash 2016 was a good wrestling show, that didn't feature a single match that I'd consider below a good rating and entertained me throughout the majority of it's two and half hour run time. The main event was clearly the match of the night, with AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose producing a great World title clash, that was a gratifying watch. Having the World title change hands on the first of these new supercard events, instantly lends them some prestige that they perhaps didn't have going into the show and will hopefully make them feel more must-see events. 

Outside the main event there were a number of sleeper bouts, that outperformed my expectations, such as Dolph Ziggler and The Miz's semi main over the Intercontinental Championship and the bonus match between Bray Wyatt and Kane. The Six Woman bout was also much better than I'd felt it would have been after the six woman tag they had together on this week's Smackdown Live. The Tag Team tournament offered a feel good moment with Rhyno and Heath Slater winning the belts, as well as the debut of a new exciting look and gimmick for The Usos. Had it not been for the filler at the beginning of the show, then Backlash 2016 would have gotten an even higher rating! 

This was a great start to the new run of shows, taking a decent card and producing a PPV verging on being very good, that will hopefully make fans think twice before deciding to skip one. 

All content - James Marston 

Poster Credit - World Wrestling Entertainment

TV Review: WWE Smackdown Live #890 - Alexa Bliss, Carmella & Natalya v Becky Lynch, Naomi & Nikki Bella

In the last Smackdown Live before Backlash, Alexa Bliss, Carmella & Natalya teamed up to take on Becky Lynch, Naomi & Nikki Bella, got a chance to main event the episode, but would the blue brand be able to head into it's first PPV in almost ten years with momentum?

The main event, featuring the six women who will compete to become the brand's Women's Champion on Sunday, was a mixed bag as Alexa Bliss, Carmella & Natalya picked up a victory over Becky Lynch, Naomi & Nikki Bella. For the most part, the action was well performed and well put together, with the heel team dominating Naomi and then Lynch, working well as trio. Natalya performed a couple of double team moves with either Bliss or Carmella with David Otunga explaining the situation well, talking about how Natalya was attempting to form bonds ahead of the six pack challenge. Teaming Natalya with Carmella and Bliss will definitely be a help to the lesser experienced women, as they continue to grow and learn as in-ring talent. Lynch works well in the face in peril role, getting a couple of flash pin attempts kept things interesting and the crowd involved, however, I feel saving her for the full on hot tag would have gotten a stronger reaction, than Lynch tagging in Bella. 

The main problem for this match was the one that will cast the most doubt over how good their six way on Sunday will be, as the breakdown segment was more than a little bit sloppy. There seemed to be an issue with timing, as some of the women were unable to keep up with the others, leading to either rushed spots or a lot of fumbling. There were some nice ideas though, like Bella taking Bliss' Insult to Injury [Standing Moonsault Double Knee Drop] in the melee, before Carmella would lock in Code of Silence [Modified Figure-Four Headscissor] for the submission victory, playing on Bella's previously injured neck, whilst also continuing to build the feud between Bella and Carmella. However, seeing as Sunday will call for a lot of similar action, it wasn't the greatest advert for the PPV clash. Hopefully the booking will be able to cover up the short comings of some of the performers, otherwise the bout might struggle to keep up any real pace. 

In this week's opening match Intercontinental Champion The Miz picked up a victory over his SummerSlam opponent Apollo Crews in a decent contest, that featured Miz's BackLash challenger, Dolph Ziggler, on commentary. Miz and Crews might not have the best wrestling chemistry as was seen in an awkward hope spot for Crews involving sunset flips, but what both men can offer was on clear display here, as The One Man Nation got to display his agility and Miz's own brand of crafty cowardice was there as well. These two elements made for an interesting match, that whilst it was nothing to get too excited about, was entertaining from start to finish. That finish would see Miz get into an argument with Ziggler at ringside, before Crews would enter the conversation and then found himself sent into The Show-Off and then the ringpost before finally succumbing to The Skull Crush Finale [Full Nelson Facebuster]. Maryse having to retrieve the Intercontinental title belt from Ziggler, whilst Miz stood on the outside put the exclamation point in place and left their feud poised nicely for a 11th September showdown.

The conclusion of the show would be the go-home segment for AJ Styles v World Champion Dean Ambrose on Sunday as the pair dual on the microphone, after quickly sending interviewer Charly Carusso packing. I felt like both men did a better job selling this feud across these eight minutes of television, than has been managed across the previous two weeks of television. There were some parts, like Ambrose handing Styles his old bowling trophy, which initially seemed goofy, but would pay off come the end of the segment, that made this back and forth an especially rewarding watch. Both men brought some fire to their performances, as they threw clever barbs at each other, with The Phenomenal One keeping the fire burning with John Cena, with Ambrose reminding Styles that he wasn't Cena and they wouldn't be having a wrestling match on Sunday night. It was intense and entertaining, with Ambrose's final rant getting the crowd pretty excited about the upcoming tangle between the pair. We'd have to be reminded of the terrible angle from last week where Ambrose rocked Styles on the top rope, when Styles gained a modicum of revenge with a kick to the balls, but the smashing of the bowling trophy (which Ambrose had offered as a consolation of sorts for the upcoming "loss") over his knee was a nice touch that bought the show to a satisfying conclusion.

It was a big night for the Women, as they not only got to main event the show, but also featured in the opening segment that saw General Manager Daniel Bryan initially introduce Becky Lynch, before Natalya, Alexa Bliss, Carmella, Naomi and Nikki Bella would all get involved. This was the last opportunity to hear from the Women's division, I'm not sure that it delivered much at all. The initial promo from Lynch had fire and told a nice story of her trying to finally win a championship and live up to her potential, but Bryan awkwardly shilling Total Bellas in the middle of it hurt the flow and once Natalya had fully interrupted I felt like the segment struggled to find it's feet. The villainous trio of Natalya, Bliss and Carmella would end up bickering like school girls, before eventually looking to turn on Lynch and Naomi and Bella were out for the save. With the six woman tag only delivering in part, it was a shame that this segment didn't manage to sell the upcoming supercard all that well either.

The run of Heath Slater and Rhyno continued as they picked up a victory over The Hype Bros [Mojo Rawley and Zack Ryder] to advance to the final of the Tag Team Championship tournament. This was a fun match with a very captive crowd. The Slater and Rhyno act has caught fire over the last few weeks and this meant that the crowd were hooked, ferociously awaiting the hot tag to Rhyno and essentially turning Rawley & Ryder heel. The pop when The Man-Beast finally got into the ring was ridiculous! The relationship between Slater & Rhyno continued to build with The War Machine once again having to rescue Slater from a precarious position, this time Ryder's Broski Boot, before getting the pinfall for the team with a Gore. The Hype Bros performed their roles well, in a match that had more going for it than just the Slater & Rhyno bromance, with Rawley seeming to fit better into the spoiler role than his partner. Will Slater & Rhyno be able to ride their momentum all the way to the Tag Titles on 11th September? Maybe, just, maybe. 

Also in the Semi-Finals of the Tag Team Championship Tournament, American Alpha [Chad Gable & Jason Jordan] went over The Usos [Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso] in what was more of an angle than it was a match. The bout lasted less than thirty seconds after American Alpha turned the tide on a pre-match attack, sent Uso #2 to the outside and pinned Uso #1 with Grand Amplitude. It was a surprisingly short bout, but the real talking came directly after the contest as The Usos turned heel for the first time since 2011, attacking Gable & Jordan post-match and specifically assaulting Gable's leg. They pulled out a series of nasty looking holds, that were delivered completely differently to how the duo have been portrayed over the last five years or so. It was a brilliant angle that has been building for sometime between the four and will make any potential re-match between the pair miles bigger than it was at this point in their careers. 

Best of the Rest 

• In a weird turn of events, Kane chokeslammed Fandango and then did a bit of Fandangoing, all of this happened after Fandango claimed that a middle-aged woman's hips lied. 

Finally... 

ATPW Scale Rating - 5.07/10

Smackdown Live #890 was an average show, on a brand that has struggled to find it's identity since the Draft. The Women's Division got a chance to shine with a main event and an opening segment, gifting the females a huge portion of the air time and unfortunately I don't feel like anyone stood up and made the time their own, whilst the division as a collective didn't manage to do that either. The match was okay, with a sloppy closing stretch, the interview segment had promise but again fell apart towards the end. As an advert to a match involving everyone in the division it wasn't great. 

The strongest part of the show was probably Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles who used what was a fairly limited time slot to push a PPV World title bout and made the most of it, building an interesting story for their bout and adding extra layers within it. Outside of that, Miz continued to build on his character, even if his feud with Dolph Ziggler doesn't excite me and the Tag Team tournament continued to be entertaining, without any standout efforts, as The Usos and American Alpha bout was used an angle for a future feud. 

This was an alright episode of Smackdown Live, which isn't really what you want to be saying heading into the brands first PPV in almost ten years! 

Words - James Marston

Banner - Kai Stellar

Wrestle Ropes Ready for the Weekend: September 2016 Week 2 - Reckless Intent, NGW & ICW

This week's edition will see us not only travel to three different promotions but two countries as we head firstly to Livingston in Scotland on Saturday. Then it's to England's Hull before ending the weekend back north of the border in Glasgow, Scotland. Let's get Ready For The Weekend!

Saturday night sees the wrestling weekend start with Reckless Intent Wrestling holding their The Way It Is event at the Murieston Scout Hall in Livingston. 

While Reckless Intent continues to grow as a promotion, this Saturday will mark the end of either Chris Renfrew or Sean Mercer's time with the company when they face in a Loser Leaves Reckless Intent match. These two men were originally scheduled to compete in standard match until Renfrew caught Mercer bullying members of the roster at a recent event. Following the incident, Renfrew challenged Mercer to the match. These men don't like each other and after Saturday, they'll not be sharing a locker room in Reckless Intent anymore. 

Back in May, Massimo suffered an injury which lead to him being unable to defend the UK Championship. Now prior to this injury, DCT was due a championship match with Massimo. Obviously this wasn't able to take place. However, last month, Massimo returned from that injury and defeated the interim champion, Grado to reclaim the championship he never lost. Now he has to defend the UK Championship against the man who never got his chance, DCT. This is a match that has been waiting to happen for over 4 months. Massimo wants to keep the championship he has only just reclaimed and DCT wants to continue the roll he has been on while waiting for his opportunity. 

Saturday shall see the debut of “The Real Deal” Mark Coffey in Reckless Intent and he's aiming for the top of his first night as he'll be challenging Michael Chase for the Heavyweight Championship. Chase is the only four-time Heavyweight Champion with his latest reign beginning with a win over “The Beast Of Belfast” Big Damo. Coffey needs little to no introduction as one half of Polo Promotions and a multiple tag team and singles champion. Chase has faced all comers during his championship reigns and Coffey is as big as they will come and will be looking to add another championship to his impressive history.

Match Card

Singles Match for Heavyweight Championship

Michael Chase (c) vs “The Real Deal” Mark Coffey

Singles Match for UK Championship

Massimo (c) vs DCT

Singles Match

Theo Doros vs Jackie Polo

Singles Match where the Loser Leaves Reckless Intent

Chris Renfrew vs Sean Mercer

Singles Match

Rob Mills vs David Devlin

Singles Match

Delsin Dayre vs Darkside

Moving on to Saturday and New Generation Wrestling are at the Hull City Hall with Regeneration-X. 

The show will feature the first ladder match for the GenX Championship with the current champion Matt Myers, Bubblegum, Wild Boar and the winner of Martin Kirby vs Robbie X. Not only will the winner of this match walk away with the GenX Championship but an opportunity at the Undisputed Championship, as well. Myers finally won the championship from Bubblegum in July at 8th Anniversary Show and will look to keep the title as well as getting a step closer to the Undisputed Championship but the odds in this match are not in his favour. He'll need all the determination he used to win the championship to keep it this Saturday. 

“The Mexican Sensation” El Ligero has been in a long standing war with Dara Diablo in NGW which finally ended in a Last Man Standing match at 8th Anniversary Show. Ligero must have felt that the skies were clearing until Joseph Conners appeared. After attacking Ligero, “The Mexican Sensation” is after some retribution and a match  between the two has been signed for this Saturday. This is mostly likely the exact plan that Conners has in mind as he has a way of manipulating things to his own way. Ligero will be out for revenge but he must be aware of Conners' demanding offence, both physically and mentally. 

The main event this Saturday will see “The Showstealer” Nathan Cruz defend the Undisputed Championship against the Destiny Rumble winner, Doug Williams. While Cruz is one of the biggest stars not only in NGW but British Wrestling as a whole, Williams is a legend of British Wrestling. Having won championships on almost every continent, Williams still has his eyes on more championship gold. Notably, the gold around the waist of Cruz. While “The Showstealer” played a part in eliminating The Control from NGW and has fought every challenger put his way, he shall know that Williams' experience and skill is matched by very few. A main event where a pioneer of British Wrestling faces one of it's brightest stars with championship gold on the line.

Match Card

Singles Match for Undisputed Championship

“The Showstealer” Nathan Cruz (c) vs Doug Williams

Four-Way Ladder Match for GenX Championship

“The Amazing” Matt Myers (c) vs Bubblegum vs Wild Boar vs ???

Singles Match for Final Spot in Gen-X Championship Ladder Match

Martin Kirby vs Robbie X

Singles Match

“The Righteous” Joseph Conners vs “The Mexican Sensation” El Ligero

Singles Match

Screwface vs Liam Slater

Finally on Sunday we head back to Scotland for Insane Championship Wrestling's Fight Club TV taping in Glasgow. 

The event shall be the last for Noam Dar who will soon be joining WWE's RAW show as part of their Cruiserweight division. While Dar will be moving on to new things, his last match will be something of a step back into history as he faces Andy Wild. These two men have competed against each other for years. They started their journey in wrestling at the same time. Now for the time being they give us one last hurrah. Have no doubt that these two men are going to give the best performance they can together. There are no issues and no rivalries here, this is purely competition and a celebration of Noam Dar's time in ICW. 

While Noam Dar will be heading to WWE, Joe Coffey shall be facing a 4 time WWE World Champion on November 20th when he competes against Kurt Angle. Before he gets there though, he's got a match this Sunday against the current EVOLVE Champion, Timothy Thatcher. Coffey is known as a mighty wrestler and rightly so and his opponent, Thatcher, is known as being as pure a wrestler as you can get. Both men are genuine heavyweights and their styles should marry together very well. While Coffey will be focused on Angle on November 20th, he'll know that Thatcher is as much of a challenge and likewise Thatcher will know the reputation that Coffey holds. 

Back at BarraMania II in April, Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & Mark Coffey) won the Tag Team Championship, but then left the promotion. Not long after ICW began a tag team tournament to crown new champions with The Local Fire (Davey Boy & Joe Hendry) eventually winning at Shug's Hoose Party III in July. However, immediately following their win, Polo Promotions appeared with the original Tag Team Championship belts. This left a predicament as while Local Fire had won the tournament, Polo Promotions had never lost the championship. Therefore, this Sunday, Polo and Coffey of Polo Promotions will face Boy and Hendry of Local Fire in a ladder match with the winning team being named the Unified Tag Team Champions. Not only will the winning team be crowned the unified champions but they will also go on to Fear & Loathing IX on November 20th to face 6 time [WWE] World Tag Team Champions Team 3D's Bubba Ray & D-Von Dudley. It's all on the line this Sunday and only one team is walking away with it all.

Match Card

Singles Match for World Championship

Wolfgang (c) v Darkside

Tag Team Ladder Match for Undisputed Tag Team Championship

Polo Promotions (Jackie Polo & “The Real Deal” Mark Coffey) (c) vs The Local Fire (“Local Hero” Joe Hendry & Davey Boy) (c)

Singles Match

“The British Messiah” Timothy Thatcher vs “Iron Man” Joe Coffey

Singles Match

Noam Dar vs Andy Wild

Singles Match

Kenny Williams vs Kid Fite

Singles Match

Sha Samuels vs “Smashmouth” Chris Ridgeway

Singles Match

Wild Boar vs “The Beast Young Wrestler In The World” Lewis Girvan

Stevie Boy Hosts The Funeral Of The New Age Kliq

Trent Seven Confirmed To Appear

That wraps up this week's preview of the weekend's wrestling schedule. Of course, there are many more events taking place over the three days. To find out more about the shows we've highlighted here as well as all the others, check us out at www.wrestleropesuk.wordpress.com for the latest show and match announcements, British Wrestling event list, interviews, exclusive columns, reviews, reports and results!

Words - Andy Scotland
Editor & Images - James Marston
Image Source - Facebook.com

All images are property of their respective owners.

Opinion: The British Aren't Coming, They're Already Here

Source - aminoapps.com

It’s that time of month of again when ATPW grants me a column to write my thoughts down and present them to yourselves for you to read, to enjoy, to scorn at while you read on the couch, the train or sitting on the toilet hoping that you locked the door and no one knows what you're doing. So as I write this, the PWG Battle of Los Angeles has been won by Marty Scurll and already I look on social media there’s announcements of “The British is Coming”, ‘The UK is taking over” and “The UK rules wrestling!”. I have to ask really? 

I have no qualms about the success of UK wrestling across the world at the moment as well as the state of play of wrestling in the UK as a whole, it certainly seems to be hitting that golden era again. For years people have said I’m too positive about the UK and Ireland’s success in wrestling, but from my mind set regarding “The British is Coming”, this isn’t even the beginning of what the UK and Ireland has to offer, fans across the world are only just recognising tip of the talent from what the United Kingdom and Ireland presents. 

Earlier I mentioned PWG BOLA, Marty Scurll, the current PROGRESS Wrestling Champion was triumphant in his journey to the surprise and the delight of many. The tournament included the current Revolution Pro Wrestling British Cruiserweight Champion and New Japan Pro Wrestling Best of the Super Juniors Winner Will Ospreay as well. These two men who battled over the PROGRESS Championship last year have made 2016 theirs and the year isn’t even over yet. 

Over in World Wrestling Entertainment, the Cruiserweight Classic has included former BOLA Winner Zack Sabre Jr as well as Noam Dar, Jack Gallagher and in NXT Nikki Cross, it is easy to understand why fans are saying the British are coming when you look at the evidence in WWE this year alone. Some may say that the WWE doesn’t always equal success and while that is true in the past, fans can sense a difference in the treatment of the way the new arrivals have been given. Thanks to the CWC, they have been given almost free reign to play to their strengths and not repackaged in any way. The same goes for Cross in NXT, who many have dropped the Storm in the name, but in name only as personally I see the same attitude and excellence I witnessed in Fierce Females, Insane Championship Wrestling and Scottish Wrestling Alliance that she brought to the table.

Image Source - Snapmarenecks.com 

It doesn’t stop there, earlier this year Joe Coffey was in Evolve Wrestling and Full Impact Pro making his impact, while the team from Premier British Wrestling including Kid Fite and Saqib Ali was in Denmark at Dansk Pro Wrestling. While the latter may not be performing to the crowds of the size of WWE, to gain experience outside the UK is something incredible and on the subject of Fite, he has been continually wrestling all across Europe which is something you can tell not just in his wrestling but the experience he passes to the PBW Academy.

And when I say incredible I have not even written on the subject of the impact Kay Lee Ray, Viper have made in World Wonder Ring Stardom, Shine Wrestling and SHIMMER Women Athletes, while Courtney has made her name at Stardom in Japan. In Germany the incredible following that Pollyanna, Jamie Hayter and Saraya Knight have there is something that has to be witnessed to be believed also who can forget The Owen Twins in Spain at Revolution Championship Wrestling and the incredible matches Nixon Newell has been involved in this year alone across the world, she is her own one woman army. 

Now as I write that paragraph I digress for a moment, the names I mentioned there are amazing athletes and the matches they are involved in with multiple talents across the world are a shining examples of the reason why there shouldn’t be a separation in the term of Women’s Wrestling and Wrestling. I mean we don’t say Men’s Wrestling do we? But we say Women’s Wrestling, maybe if we broke things down into Divisions, Heavyweight Division, Cruiserweight Division and Women’s Division it would make things more logical to some people. But if you are under any impression that Women in the wrestling profession can’t match talents with their male counterparts I implore you to check out Kay Lee Ray versus Mikey Whiplash at ICW, Nixon Newell in Fight Club Pro, or even confront Saraya Knight with that opinion and you may have to bend over and kiss your own ass goodbye for the outcome of that. I say these things at the moment because even now there is still those who have the backward opinions that women in wrestling are there just to look good and that’s all, this I will continually argue against because it’s point because it’s something I strongly disagree with.

With that being said, as I reel back my original point of the impact of UK wrestlers are making across the world, in the next few months Chris Ridgeway, another excellent talent will be heading to Limitless Wrestling in Maine, USA and how could I not mention Mark Andrews, while fans are critical of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling for not recognising the jewel in the sand that is that man, he continually finds a way to steal every match he is involved in. And while on the subject of TNA, you have to mention Drew Galloway, I have already stated in another wrestling outlet about how much of an impact (pun intended) he has made since leaving WWE, he remains proof that with dedication, heart and desire there is life across the Independent scene without WWE.

Image Source - alchetron.com

You have to wonder one thing though, that with the exporting of wrestling talent that has occurred this year, does the world recognise the incredible market there is with UK fans? Of course they do.

This year, wrestling fans have seen tours from Chris Hero, Ethan Carter III, Kurt Angle, Jay Lethal, many more and soon to be seen like Cody Rhodes The plus side not just for the fans is that those stars have often hosted seminars for wrestling students to learn something different and gain a fresh perspective in how they are trained. Also not to mention the excellent work from the Inside The Ropes team who have brought, Paul Heyman, Eric Bischcoff and Scott Steiner to the fans to share stories and answer questions that the fans would never have had before.

Recently the deal between Preston City Wrestling and Ring Of Honor collapsed, a deal that they jointly host ‘Supershow of Honor', an event that was due for it’s third year in November however with ROH’s UK tour dates clashing with PCW dates it was inevitable that an issue would occur, the good thing is that there appears to be no bitterness on either side. What this means though is that other promotions have stepped in to fill the void left by ROH, those promotions being Beyond Wrestling from Massachusetts, USA, Combat Zone Wrestling from Delaware, USA and Westside Xtreme Wrestling from Nordrhein-Westfalen , Germany. Why have I included this piece of information in my article? Well, do think fans in CZW have heard of El Ligero? The same said for Beyond about Bubblegum? My point being that Ligero and Bubblegum have almost thirty years wrestling experience combined all over the UK, two of the best wrestlers the UK has to offer but they haven’t been seen on a grander stage yet. No justice in that. But they aren’t the only two UK talent’s that can gain more publicity thanks to this combination of promotions, many more can be seen thanks to this which is a great thing in my mind. No doubt with this exposure wrestlers from all promotions will be able to maximise their popularity to gain notoriety in all four fronts.

One issue that may occur in the future, and we have seen one issue of it already, is that out of shape run down wrestlers who used to be incredible in the Eighties and Nineties exploit the fans and promoters to get one more pay day hoping to suck the fans into a nostalgia trip of one match. My advice only as a fan of over thirty years, don’t let this happen, the UK and Ireland (I apologise I’ve not included enough from Ireland in this column) have a sensational amount of talent targeting the wrestling promotions across the world and already have a magnitude of wrestlers ready to take their place thanks to the respectable training schools all over the countries. My idea alone on this, is that if you desperately feel the need to pay over the odds for an import, you probably should look inward at the talent you already have and why you have haven’t pushed them or created the stories for them to connect them with the fans, because what happens when you that import you rely on can’t make it? The answer? Bad times. 

Image Source - wrestlinginc.com

So in closing, my point, if there was one at all, the British aren’t coming, the UK and Ireland have already arrived, you just never realised it yet and now your starting to see the results.

Words - Craig Hermit

Editor & Images - James Marston

Image Credits - David Wilson

All other images are the property of their respective owners