Official WWE/ECW/WCW/TNA talk, or whatever v2

[CaptainCrunch]

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn

Pretty clear on Logan Paul's entrance the WWE was piping in cheers. This was a match between two guys that have probably wrestled hundreds of times and they clearly trust each other because there were quite a few just devastating moves in this (Brain Buster on the Ring Apron, etc) from a technical standpoint, this was a really good match. From a story telling standpoint, it was dissapointing, I felt like this was just another match, we didn't get the emotion that I expected if the story line was KO trying to snap his friend back to reality. My gut is this whole thing was really set up to give Paul a stunner in the end.



3.5 out of 5

[SuperMatt18]

Okay that Brogue kick off the spring board moonsault was fantastic

[rubecube]

That was a really good match. Way better than I expected out of a Sheamus match.

[d_phaneuf]

That was really good, sheamus has been on such a roll for like 6 months

The moonsault brogue kick spot was cool

Riddle doing a jackhammer was peak trolling, f5 next please

They should keep this fued going, those two have great chemistry

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by KelVarnsen

That was a lot shorter than I expected

I think main event may go like 40 minutes

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by d_phaneuf

I think main event may go like 40 minutes

As it should. Edge has been waiting for this moment since that fateful night on Raw.

Bryan can go. Reigns has been doing great since he became the head of the family (never thought I'd say that). Give it 40 minutes. Make it the match it deserves to be.


Edit- as for Zayn and Owens. I could literally watch those two fight forever. It's the one time I feel like that chant is wholly appropriate.

[corporatejay]

Not sure if we got spoiled last night or what but tonight has been incredibly underwhelming by comparison

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Not sure if we got spoiled last night or what but tonight has been incredibly underwhelming by comparison

It’s weird. Last night the pacing felt much better and they were giving the matches more time to breath and build to a climax, tonight matches all feel more rushed like they would at a normal 7 hour Wrestlemania.

Feel like there were more commercials / longer breaks between matches tonight.

Looking at comparisons of match length on the card and tonight’s matches are getting less time.

Night 1 - Match 1: Lashley vs Drew - 18:20
Night 2 - Match 1: Orton vs Fiend - 5:50

Night 1 - Match 2: Women’s Tag Turmoil - 14:15
Night 2 - Match 2: Women’s Tag Title - 14:20

Night 1 - Match 3: Cesaro vs Rollins - 11:35
Night 2 - Match 3: Owens vs Zayn - 9:20

Night 1 - Match 4: Raw Tag Titles - 9:45
Night 2 - Match 4: Sheamus vs Riddle - 10:50

Night 1 - Match 5: Braun vs Shane - 11:25
Night 2 - Match 5: Crews vs Big E - 6:50

Also think the Fiend match falling so flat really took the fans out of the event.

Guess we will see how the last two matches go but the women’s tag match getting the most time on the card so far is not good pacing or booking for the event.

Last night Bad Bunny tag match got 15 minutes and Bel Air vs Banks got 17 minutes, so will be interesting to see what the final two matches tonight get for time.

Edit: 13:30 for Ripley vs Asuka and the ending felt a bit rushed.

[showtime]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Not sure if we got spoiled last night or what but tonight has been incredibly underwhelming by comparison

Tonight isn't even half as good as last night. Its not bad, just very average so far with a couple bad matches.

[KelVarnsen]

Poor Bayley

[SuperMatt18]

I kind of want Reigns to win here.

Edge winning feels too obvious.

Seems crazy that Bryan’s awesome Wrestlemania moment was already 7 years ago.

[CaptainCrunch]

United States Championship -- Riddle (c) vs. Sheamus (W)

I just really don't like Riddle all that much, that's not to say he isn't a decent technician in the ring and can do some neat things. Sheamus has been amazing for the last 6 months after coming off of a rumor of a career ending neck conditions. This match was hard hitting, had some nifty spots including a jackhammer to pin attempt. There were a couple of pretty clear blotches mainly because these guys were working at a high rate of speed. The finishing brogue kick pretty much knocked teeth out on Riddle. I like hard hitting matches where the competitors work smug, so I give high marks for intensity.


4 out of 5


Intercontinental Championship -- Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews (W) (Nigerian Drum Fight)


Ok, just because you call something a Nigerian Drum match doesn't make it a thing, kind of like a Punjabi Prison Match. I loved a few spots. Big E with the spear through the ropes, and the suplex from the apron to the stairs looked good. Its clear that this was a graduation ceremony for both. For Big E he needs to move to the upper card, for Apollo who's always been an under rated performer to carry the IC champion. Of cours they bought in Kato who we last saw in the ill fated Raw Underground. Overall this was a good match with a decent story line, and the right ending. Big E didn't lose, but Apollo did win


4 out of 5 Stars


Raw Women's Championship -- Asuka (c) vs. Rhea Ripley (W)


Without a doubt Rhea and Bianca are pretty much the future of the Woman's division which needs a lot of help right now and needs to be bought out of the woods. I liked this matchup because its two really physical workers. Rhea played the power house to a T. Asuka looked better then she has in a long time and we finally got to see her extended move set. However I was still left wanting more at the end of the match, especially from Asuka. It wasn't anywhere near to the level of the Sasha Bianca Match though. Decent, and acts as a palate cleanser before the main event, but not anything more then a solid match.


3.5 out of 5


Then we get a segment with Bayley and Hulk and Titus, that made me feel sorry for poor Bayley. She's been one of the best heels in the company for a while, but now it feels like they want to create Vicki Guerroro here with the Ding Dong catch phrase. Then they had the Bellas come out and kick the crap out of her. There's been a rumor of a Bella comeback for a while, and maybe after Vince watched the disaster of the woman's tag team division he hurredly signed them to a new contract.



No grade, just sad.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I kind of want Reigns to win here.

Edge winning feels too obvious.

Seems crazy that Bryan’s awesome Wrestlemania moment was already 7 years ago.

I'm still putting my money on Bryan since he's going to a part time role and this might be his send off.

[d_phaneuf]

The camera on Heyman during that yes lock was PERFECTION

[showtime]

Originally Posted by d_phaneuf

The camera on Heyman during that yes lock was PERFECTION

This match has what all the other matches tonight didn't have. A story being told within the match.

[TBone290]

Boooooooooo

[SuperMatt18]

Kind of wish they had Reigns go over more clean than that.

Didn’t need the interference from Uso right at the end.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Kind of wish they had Reigns go over more clean than that.

Didn’t need the interference from Uso right at the end.

Yeah that kind of ruined what was otherwise a pretty solid match.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Kind of wish they had Reigns go over more clean than that.

Didn’t need the interference from Uso right at the end.

Was kinda hoping jimmy was gonna return and nullify it to take out jey

[SuperMatt18]

Jericho is so egotistical.

Acting like The Elite / Bullet Club were unheard of and didn’t have name recognition to help AEW

The fact that this is so AEW focused is crazy though, unreal this is on WWE programming