What's up everyone,
It's the sequel to WWE Super Showdown as WWE presents the first ever Stomping Grounds event. Will this be an annual thing or go the way of "Great Balls of Fire?" We'll find out later. Anyways, stay here throughout the night if you are reading live (or keep reading if you are seeing this afterwards) as I am providing live thoughts of the show.
WWE Stomping Grounds
Tacoma, WA
June 23, 2019
Pre-Show
- A preview is shown of Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston in a Steel Cage Match. This doesn't feel like a WWE Championship match. Rather, it feels like a Raw 2011 mid-card match for the United States Championship. And worse at that. At least 2011 had Vickie Guerrero at ringside yelling "EXCUSE ME!"
- In a cool bit, Booker T is in the steel cage showing off the cage for the pre-show audience. That was a cool visual.
- Coach is so much better on the Kickoff Panel than he ever was behind the announce table. If WWE does get a Sportcenter like show or some weekly TV show on FS1 this fall, Coach should be the host of it.
- Baron Corbin still won't announce the referee for tonight's match. Can't blame him. And if you think about it, he's not really doing anything differently than Seth Rollins has done or would have done in the past. Just like Brock waiting on cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase. Seth Rollins is either written to be hypocritical or is just poorly written as a character. I'll let you be the judge of that.
- Is it me or did WWE edit out Bayley pinning Charlotte Flair on the hype package for the match with Bayley and Alexa Bliss? I know they want to protect Charlotte, but damn. They won't even show her getting pinned?!
- Ricochet was talking to the panel and is interrupted by Samoa Joe from backstage. Joe cuts a promo on Ricochet having a "bad" cup of coffee with WWE, and Ricochet will sleep well. It will not be his night. This is better than the usual Pre-Show nonsense.
- Daniel Bryan cuts an amazing promo backstage on the tag team division and how all the tag teams want to do is throw pancakes, swivel their hips, and have a good time. He cuts a scathing promo on the referees who were in the shot as the promo was getting started. (Since we keep giving talent TV time on both shows every week, we need Daniel Bryan to have more time on TV. Seriously, that promo is worth checking out alone on this pre-show. Go find it.)
- Drew McIntyre interrupts Shane McMahon to cut a promo on Roman Reigns. Shane loves it.
- The Cruiserweight Championship Match is up first tonight?! NO!!!! I NEEDED A BATHROOM BREAK DURING THE SHOW!
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Tony Nese (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
- Buddy Murphy is somewhere in catering wishing he was still Cruiserweight Champion. In WWE, it's sad how a promotion is basically a demotion once Vince McMahon actually sees you. "This guy was a champion, Paul?! Heh. Put him on Main Event in 3 weeks. Maybe we'll see him dress as a Disney mascot chasing R-Truth in a few weeks."
- I love how WWE apologists say how great is for WWE to feature Cruiserweights every month on their PPV programming. As if it meets the level of attention the Cruiserweights received in WCW.
- These guys are hitting some impressive moves like German suplexes and dives on the floor (Tozawa in this case). But what does it really matter when you are relegated back to a "couldn't give a damn" crowd in 2 days?
- Each of the three men get their opportunities to catch the others and take the advantage. Tozawa has the advantage. Then Nese. Then Gulak. Tozawa gets suplexed onto the back of Nese by Gulak. I'm not taking away from their athleticism. But again, it's just so hard to get invested when you know Vince really could give a damn. Therefore, you can't really give a damn either. This is like the small carrot that 205 Live is given every month to justify their existence.
- After a commercial break, Gulak gets the Dragon Sleeper/Gulock on Nese. But Tozawa dives on top of the submission with a Senton Splash off the top to save the match. Nese hits a nice double jump moonsault from the apron to the corner onto Gulak for a 2 count. Nice sequence of moves by the three men, including a superplex and a rollup drop. And Tozawa hits a running knee for another 2 count.
- Weak 205 chant by the crowd.
- Speaking of weak, Gulak missed his call to break up a pin by Nese on Tozawa, and Tozawa had to kick out weakly in order to save the match.
- Gulax hits the Torture Rack Neckbreaker on Tozawa to win the Cruiserweight Championship.
Winner: Drew Gulak (NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion)
Match Grade: B-. This wasn't nearly as awesome as the crowd tried to make it. The thing I hate about these matches is they never let the moves mean anything. That's a timing issue, for sure. But I'm not going to pretend I haven't seen others do the same or far better in the last month alone. Good for these guys to be on WWE TV though on something that actually matters. My question is how much longer will 205 Live even be a thing? And if it goes away, will the Cruiserweight Division even be a thing or relegated to R-Truth chasing duty?
Main Show
- If WWE paid as much attention on their mid-card and lower card talent as they do on their opening video production, they'd have a much better product.
- Michael Cole told us that "It's time to kick ass and take names." Which means it is anything but. Also, it's hard to believe that it has almost been 10 years since Heel Cole became a thing.
Raw Women's Championship
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans
- Does Lacey Evans have "heat" or "X-Pac/go-away heat?" (And please don't start the "any heat is good heat" nonsense.)
- Becky has her way with Lacey early on by taking the fight to her early. She chases her in and out of the ring. Becky takes Lacey from corner to corner to smash her head on the turnbuckles. Becky botches a jumping corner attack, and Lacey has to stand there while Becky tries it again.
= Becky goes into the table ribs first, and Lacey goes on the attack once Becky starts selling the injury. This includes a ring-post stretch against the ribs. Lacey goes for a armbar and starts kicking the ribs. Moments later, Lacey still continues to work the arm and ribs.
- Becky gets up and kicks Lacey in the face. Becky now starts mounting some offense, but the shoulder to the ribs stops Becky's momentum. Disarm-Her by Lynch. Lacey gets to the ropes using her long legs.
- A Headstand into a Bronco Buster by Evans in the corner gets a 2 count. Evans starts motioning and mocking the crowd with a title motion. Lacey takes a cloth, wipes herself with it, and throws it down on Becky. Becky stuffs the cloth in Lacey's mouth and starts really making her comeback.
- Lynch misses a big legdrop off the corner. Evans dives over the ropes into the knees of Lynch. Rollup for a 2. Evans hits several moves including a modified Stunner (or jawbreaker) for a 2 count. Disarm-Her by Lynch. Evans taps instantly.
Winner: Becky Lynch (STILL Raw Women's Champion)
Match Grade: B-. Thankfully, there was a bit of time to tell the story. Evans isn't the greatest worker in the entire world, but her character has room to grow. And any wrestling fan knows that character > talent in WWE. So, she's got a bright future. Glad to see Lynch's title reign continue as I was worried that it would be prematurely cut short here
- A commercial for ALI is shown. The way the video is cut is well done. It seems like they are getting ready to push Ali as a sort-of street hero character.
- Paul Heyman comes out of Baron Corbin's locker room. Paul says the two world champions are here. And there's an opportunity for Brock Lesnar to possibly cash in tonight. Baron Corbin comes out. He's chosen his referee and he'll be ready to deal with Brock Lesnar if needed.
Tag Team Match
The New Day (Xavier Woods and Big E) vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
- Owens superkicks Big E off the apron and goes immediately after Woods with multiple superkicks. Senton splash by Owens off the top. 2 count. Hot start. Another superkick and a Blue Thunder Bomb by Sami gets a 2. Frog Splash by Owens. 2 count only again.
- Sami and Kevin continue to double team Woods while mocking Big E who gets back on the corner.
- You remember that last line I just wrote above? Add a crossface and another 3-4 minutes to that line.
- Woods fights to try to tag Big E and knocks down Kevin Owens. Tag to Big E finally. Crowd pops loud for the gyrating Pancake Loving Big E. Suplexes for Sami. Big Splash on Sami. 2 count only.
- Sami goes for a Tornado DDT, but Big E just throws him off and back down onto the mat. 2 count. Woods is tagged in. Woods gets Big E on his shoulders and throws him down onto Sami. Owens stops a pin attempt by Woods. Up Up Down Down stopped by Owens and Sami. Helluva Kick on Woods followed by the Pop-Up Powerbomb. 2 count only as Big E stops the pin.
- "This is Awesome" chant by the crowd. Nope. Stop lying. All four men hit their opponents with something and fall down.
- Spear by Big E to Sami Zayn sends both to the floor. Woods is on the corner. He gets knocked off. STUNNER by Owens! 1-2-3!
Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Match Grade: B+. Best match of the show thus far, but it was hardly "awesome" as the crowd tried to make it. The effort was definitely there, but this never got to that "awesome" level. How about "very good?" I know that doesn't roll off the tongue like "awesome." But it's a lot more accurate. All four men did a good job with the match: Woods taking the beating for most of the match, Big E for getting the crowd going, and Owens and Zayn for being great heels in the match. Again a very good match on this show, but I doubt anyone will remember it in a week, let alone a month from now.
- Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss discuss the Bayley match tonight. Alexa plays up the loss of the tag team championships last week. Cross blames Bayley, and she can't wait for Bliss to win the title.
United States Championship
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Ricochet
- Great selling by Ricochet as Joe comes out. Determination and caution in one expression. Great job there.
- Joe dominates Ricochet for the opening few moments of the match. Every time Ricochet gets momentum, Joe is right there to knock him right back down in and out of the ring.
- Joe hits his signature moves, including the corner Rock Bottom and the back kick in the corner. Ricochet still has the crowd cheering for him even in a chinlock by Joe.
- I wonder if The Rock and his family will ever adopt Joe into the Samoan dynasty.
- Joe absolutely decks Ricochet with a shot to the side of the head with sweat flying. Did Joe watch UFC this weekend?
- Ricochet starts to fight back against Joe. Step-Up Enziguri followed by another Enziguri knocks Joe down. The replay shows Ricochet hitting Joe's ear on that kick. Leg Scissors Takedown by Ricochet. Flying Springboard Clothesline by Ricochet followed by a dive onto Joe on the floor. Springboard offense continues by Ricochet including a dropkick and a moonsault afterwards. 2 count only.
- Snap Slam by Joe gets a 2. Again, great facial expressions by Ricochet selling the attack by Joe.
- Moments later, Joe goes for the Clutch. Ricochet uses the ropes to hang Joe, breaking the hold. Codebreaker by Ricochet. 630!!! 1-2-3!!!
Winner: Ricochet (NEW WWE United States Champion)
Match Grade: B. There were some stumbles in this match, but it was very fun to see Ricochet and Joe's styles go at it. Ricochet gets a championship. One would hope that Ricochet will get a push as a result. As for Joe, I hope he doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
We see Ricochet going into Gorilla Position where he's embraced by WWE talent including Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Heavy Machinery. Even Triple H is there to hug him.
SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Daniel Bryan and Rowan (c) vs. Heavy Machinery
- I wonder why they showed that shot backstage. Seeing Charlotte Flair backstage (a heel) celebrating a face championship win is weird. I had the thought that this might be the sign of perhaps a NXT alumni group trying to take control of WWE. But I'm not sure that's a realistic thing.
- Good God Almighty. Daniel Bryan gets a HUGE reaction from the Tacoma crowd. This is a home state crowd reaction. Bryan asks for the tag when the crowd starts cheering for him. Bryan starts the match with Otis. Bryan is cheered wildly while Otis is booed by the Washington crowd.
- Otis takes the advantage and tags in Tucker who continues to work over Daniel Bryan much to the crowd's dismay. Rowan gets tagged in behind Tucker's back and wipes him out with a running crossbody.
- A "PLEASE RECYCLE" chant starts from the crowd.
- Bryan and Rowan continue to double team Tucker in the ring. The crowd refuses to boo their home-state hero. And thankfully, they aren't having Bryan stoop to the "I'm glad I'm leaving Washington" cheap heat tactic.
- "DRIVE A PRIUS" chants from the crowd.
- Tucker eventually gets away from Rowan and tags in Otis. Otis rolls over Bryan, and the crowd boos the hell out of him.
- Bryan hits the running attacks in the corner, but Otis catches him one too many times and powerbombs him. 2 count. Otis goes for the Vader Bomb, but he misses.
- Bryan does the "Yes" kicks, but Otis gets hulked up. He starts getting pumped up with each kick. He launches Bryan over his head and gets booed. Bryan falls down. Otis goes for the Caterpillar Elbow. It connects. Heavy Machinery hits a double team on Bryan, but Rowan breaks up the pin attempt.
- Tucker and Bryan are left in the ring. Tucker sells a knee worked on earlier tonight. Tucker goes for the moonsault. Bryan tries to move out of the way, but he does get Bryan coming down.
- Otis and Rowan get tagged in. Otis catches Rowan with a slam. Bryan gets a blind tag. He hits a flying knee on Otis. Tucker catches Bryan with a shot between the ropes. Tucker FLIES OFF THE CORNER onto Rowan on the floor. But he gets rolled up in the ring by Bryan for the 3 count.
Winners: Bryan and Rowan (STILL SmackDown Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: B+. This ties for best match of the show thus far. Heavy Machinery looked great in this match and lost nothing from the decision. This is how you book a young up-and-coming tag team to lose. As for Daniel Bryan and Rowan, they were quite excellent as well.
- I have to admit that this show has been MUCH better than I predicted so far.
SmackDown Women's Championship
Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (w/ Nikki Cross)
- One of Bayley's inflatable buddies refuses to inflate. I think Conrad Thompson and company may be able to recommend something for that. :)
- Alexa takes the attack to Bayley to start the match. Bayley fights her around the ring for a moment, but Bayley gets sent head-first into the second turnbuckle to turn the tide.
- The crowd's energy has helped this show so much. You can tell the wrestlers are feeding off the energy. And it's helping the in-ring product a lot.
- Alexa continues the attack on Bayley with repeated shots across her body and head. She slaps Bayley's mouth in the corner, but Bayley answers that with a clothesline.
- A Rolling Elbow Drop by Bayley. But Bayley gets HAMMERED with a shot to the face by Alexa Bliss. Moments later, Bayley hits a running knee to Ms. Bliss.
- Bayley and Bliss continue to go back and forth. Bayley's right shoulder gets smacked against the ring post. And Alexa continues to work on it in the ring.
- Belly to Back Suplex by Bayley gets Bliss off of her. Sunset Flip Bomb sends Alexa Bliss back of the head first into the corner. (Jesus. For a girl that has had MULTIPLE concussions, she shouldn't be taking that bump. Seriously, she needs to slow down on that stuff. As in stopping it.)
- Bayley hits Nikki Cross by accident with a running dive to the floor. Alexa takes advantage and attacks Bayley on the floor. She rolls Bayley in the ring. Bayley is down. She goes for Twisted Bliss, but Nikki rolls in wanting to get at Bayley. Alexa tells her to get out. Bayley is able to avoid the move and hit Bayley to Belly. 1-2-3.
Winner: Bayley (STILL SmackDown Women's Champion)
Match Grade: B. This was much more of a match than I was expecting from the two, especially given Alexa's health concerns. A very good match with that one scary bump by Alexa giving me some concern.
- I know I'm giving a lot of B's tonight. But the matches have all reached that level in my opinion. I stand by those reviews.
We get a replay of R-Truth's loss of the 24/7 Title at SmackDown to Drake Maverick. And we get a replay of the weekend's wedding title change.
- Ricochet is shown getting photographed with his United States Championship. The Good Brothers come in and take a photo with him. AJ Styles comes in and takes a photo with him as well. AJ says "I'll see you tomorrow night" with a heavy implication that AJ is coming for the title.
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
- My God. When you compare Drew McIntyre from 2013 to 2019, it is like seeing 2 completely different men. And here's the sad thing: He's one bad string of luck away from reforming 3MB. That's probably why I'm rooting so hard for Drew in this run. I don't want to see him fall back to that level again.
- Drew and Roman start fighting in the aisle and then get in the ring to start the match. Roman knocks Drew to the floor AND LAUNCHES (!!!) himself over the top to Drew on the floor, landing HARD! He chases Shane throughout the crowd. He jumps over the barricade only to get attacked by a waiting Drew McIntyre. Drew continues the attack in the ring.
- Drew (and Shane behind the referee's back) continues to work on Roman for a few moments. Punches, raking the face, choke holds... the works.
- Roman starts to fight back, but Shane hangs Roman's head on the rope, allowing Drew to reassert control. (Waiting for The Miz now).
- Crowd is a little muted compared to how it was the first two hours of this show.
- McIntyre continues to pummel Rowan with a clothesline and some work on the leg. A modified surfboard (?!) by Drew on the mat. Impressive.
- "The Big Dog" starts mounting a comeback. Clotheslines in the corner followed by a big boot by Roman. Superman Punch cocked and ready to unload. Shane gets it! Another one on the floor. Roman catches Drew on the floor. But Drew hits the reverse Alabama Slam on Roman, sending him face first into the announce table! The Spinning Rock Bottom in the ring gets a 2 count for McIntyre.
- Roman and Drew now fight on the corner. Superplex by McIntyre on Roman!!! 2 count. Kip Up by McIntyre. He motions for the Claymore Kick out of the corner. Roman avoids it but eats a Glasgow Kiss for his trouble. Drew dives off the corner, but he eats a Superman Punch for his troubles. 2 count.
- Roman motions for the spear. He connects! Shane drags the official out of the ring to avoid the pin going to a 3. He puts Roman in the corner and starts kicking. Shane goes up to the top for Coast to Coast, and IT CONNECTS! He drags Roman to the center of the ring. McIntyre covers. 2 count only!
(The crowd is cheering for Reigns.)
- McIntyre sets up Reigns again for a Claymore Kick. Superman Punch! Shane is thrown to the floor. Spear! 1-2-3.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Match Grade: B+. A MUCH better match than we got at WrestleMania, even with all the Shane McMahon interference. Glad to see Drew got a lot more offense in this time around and was able to show he could work a match with Roman given considerable time. Great effort by all three men in this match.
Cole puts this over as the definitive win over McIntyre and McMahon. So, it looks like Roman is moving on to another feud after this.
Steel Cage Match
WWE Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
- I just had the dark reality come into my mind: Baron Corbin is going to main event tonight's event. Bleep.
- Dolph demonstrates the different ways that he can win the match early on by trying to climb out and then walking out the door. Kofi follows suit by climbing up the cage seconds later.
- Kofi takes a HARD shot against the cage when he gets thrown over the ring post into the cage side. Kofi's face ges raked against the cage. I can hear Vince in the back: "Don't you bleed, pal! We'll lose Fruity Pebbles!"
- Dolph throws Kofi against the cage a couple more times and goes on the attack. The energy in the building has definitely diminished, as I feared. I hate to say this, but Dolph Ziggler is just damaged goods as a character. And beating him will mean nothing for Kofi.
- Kofi hits a middle rope dropkick. Kofi starts mounting some offense, but Kofi gets sent again into the cage wall. Kofi returns the favor seconds later. Dolph takes a hard face-first hit on the cage and flies backwards.
(Note: I just saw photos of the arena. It looks like half the building is curtained off. That's not a good sign and continues the narrative that WWE has been diminishing a lot lately.)
- Kofi and Dolph fight on the top rope. Kofi gets Dolph off the corner and hits a High Crossbody instead of climbing the cage. 2 count only.
- Dolph is climbing the cage moments later. Kofi climbs up after him. Both men start fighting on the top of the cage. Nothing comes of it.
- They start fighting again in the ring. S.O.S. gets a 2 count for Kofi. Kofi seems to jam his knee jumping around. Dolph goes to work on the knee of Kofi with a kneebar. Kofi gets to the ropes, but that doesn't count in a cage match. (You know, UNLESS SHANE MC(bleeping)MAHON is in it.)
- We get a door tease with Kofi going through the door, but Dolph stops him from going through. Kneebar is back on Kofi. Kofi gets Dolph off of him. Trouble in Paradise is stopped. Ankle Lock is now on Kofi. Dolph has it on deep, laying while having it applied on Kofi. Kofi reverses it into an Ankle Lock of his own. Dolph gets Kofi off of him. Zig Zag. 2 count. The crowd could care less.
- Kofi caught the superkick and went into a Front Chancery. Dolph crawls backwards and gets the door open. He tries to drag himself to the floor. Kofi stops him from going out. Ziggler almost gets out again, but Kofi grabs Dolph by the tights to pull him back in. A thumb to the eye and a kick by Dolph. Kofi is down. But HE DIVES THROUGH THE ROPES, OVER DOLPH, AND HITS THE GROUND FIRST! Kofi retains!
Winner: Kofi Kingston (STILL WWE Champion)
Match Grade: C-. Worst match of the night. Dolph Ziggler has no place being in this spot at this point in his career. That's not an athleticism problem. That's a booking problem. He's damaged goods as a character. And there's no reason to believe that he would beat Kofi. Good finish though.
Kofi is interviewed on the stage. He respects Dolph Ziggler, but he did say he would be walking out of Stomping Grounds still WWE Champion. And he is "baby!"
- Drew is irate backstage. He's interviewed backstage. He's irate. Shane makes the match for tomorrow night: Roman vs. Shane and Drew in a 2-1 Handicap Match.
WWE Universal Championship
Special Guest Referee
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin
- Baron Corbin is main-eventing a Pay Per View. Let me repeat that again: Baron Corbin is main eventing a Pay Per View. I don't care how many times I repeat it. It will never sound right.
- Corbin has the full intro complete with the long list of accolades. Seth comes out next. He threatens whomever comes down that he'll whack them with a steel chair if they try to take his title. Then we find out who the guest referee is: Lacey Evans. Wow. (Keep in mind that Becky and Seth are dating. So, this is a double shot by Baron Corbin. Lol. Good booking by the way.)
- Corbin jumps Seth from behind. He uses a chair against Seth. The match hasn't started yet. Lacey takes the chair gracefully from Baron. Lacey calls for the bell.
- Corbin throws Rollins around ringside. The fans at ringside are yelling "This is stupid." (Yeah it is. A show that has fallen off the rails thanks to its two main event "world championship" matches.)
- AEW chants by some in the crowd now.
- Daniel Bryan chants from the crowd now. CM Punk gets a loud chant as well. BORING chants now kick in.
- While the fans are either disinterested or chanting for anything else, Corbin continues to work over Rollins who is selling like Ric Flair in the ring.
- The crowd could give a damn less about this match. Jesus. When will Vince learn not to book this guy in the main event? I know. "HE'S GOT HEAT, PAL!"
- Rollins kicks Corbin down. Little to no reaction. Chops get some response. Sling Blade by Rollins.
(For the record, Seth Rollins said on Twitter that WWE had the best wrestling in the world. Tonight showed that it could if it wanted. But unfortunately, a lot of its talents aren't where they need to be.)
- Lacey does the slow 2 count to get some heat from the crowd. Loud "Becky" chants from the crowd.
- Rollins catches Corbin on the apron and powerbombs him through a table. The crowd comes alive finally. Rollins crawls in the ring and demands Lacey start the count. Lacey does it in the slowest way possible. Lacey gets to 8, and she declares the match to be "No Count-Outs." The crowd is finally awake.
- Rollins gets Baron in the ring. Burn it Down stomps, but Corbin avoids it. Corbin catches Rollins on the floor and chokeslams him on the apron and back in the ring. 2 count only.
- Now Baron and Lacey go for a Montreal Screwjob like finish, but Seth avoids the submission. Kick to the face of Corbin. Frog Splash by Rollins. 1... 2... Lacey's arm cramps up. (The arm that Becky Lynch hooked the Disarm-Her on.)
- Baron Corbin uses a chair on Rollins on the floor. Then he brings Rollins into the ring and uses the chair again repeatedly. Lacey finally "sees" the chair and tells him not to use it. Baron tells Lacey to tell the ring announcer that it is now a No DQ match. LOUD BECKY CHANTS.
- Falcon Arrow by Rollins on Corbin on the chair. Evans refuses to count again. Rollins gets in Lacey's face. Rollins can't hit her. She hits him though. Slap. Is that all she's got?! LOW BLOW! END OF DAYS! Becky Lynch comes in and attacks Lacey Evans! She throws her to the floor and starts attacking her. Becksploder into the barricade!!! A bunch of referees stop Becky from continuing the assault.
- The same official that was in the Super Showdown match is in the ring. Stomp by Rollins. 1-2-3. Rollins retains.
Winner: Seth Rollins (STILL WWE Universal Champion)
Match Grade: C+. The crowd warmed up to the match after Lacey started adding the No Countout/ NO DQ stipulations. But still, this felt like a glorified house show main event. It's never good for the live crowd to be cheering and chanting for things outside of your promotion in the main event, along with boring chants. It's not that I think Baron Corbin doesn't belong in the main event. It's that the mass WWE Universe doesn't want him in that spot.
Becky and Seth celebrate after the match and hug it out. Becky opens the ropes for Seth, who takes her up on the offer. They celebrate on the stage and walk to the back to end the show.
Show Grade: B-. The main events just killed this show. There's no other polite way to say it. No one bought either of the challengers, and the crowd energy seemed to just fade away. Still I'm giving credit to this show for a couple reasons. 1) WWE kept the event to 3 hours and change for the main show. That's something I want to see more often.
2) The matches other than the men's world title matches delivered on this show.
MVP Of This Show: Lacey Evans. She may not be the best "worker" in wrestling, but she did a great job helping to get that crowd back in the main event. While other wrestlers had better nights in the ring, her involvement will be something to remember long-term.
Match of the Night: (three-way tie) Heavy Machinery vs. Bryan/Rowan; New Day vs. Owens/Zayn; Roman vs. McIntyre
All three of these matches (along with Joe vs. Ricochet and the women's matches) made this show. They kept the crowd going during their times and elevated the show. So, this was a win for WWE's Women and Tag Team Divisions tonight. (Can I go ahead and call for the Owens/Zayn team as a permanent thing?)
Hope you enjoyed the review. I'll be back later this week with more reviews, including a review of ROH's Best in the World and AEW's Fyter Fest.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
It's the sequel to WWE Super Showdown as WWE presents the first ever Stomping Grounds event. Will this be an annual thing or go the way of "Great Balls of Fire?" We'll find out later. Anyways, stay here throughout the night if you are reading live (or keep reading if you are seeing this afterwards) as I am providing live thoughts of the show.
WWE Stomping Grounds
Tacoma, WA
June 23, 2019
Pre-Show
- A preview is shown of Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston in a Steel Cage Match. This doesn't feel like a WWE Championship match. Rather, it feels like a Raw 2011 mid-card match for the United States Championship. And worse at that. At least 2011 had Vickie Guerrero at ringside yelling "EXCUSE ME!"
- In a cool bit, Booker T is in the steel cage showing off the cage for the pre-show audience. That was a cool visual.
- Coach is so much better on the Kickoff Panel than he ever was behind the announce table. If WWE does get a Sportcenter like show or some weekly TV show on FS1 this fall, Coach should be the host of it.
- Baron Corbin still won't announce the referee for tonight's match. Can't blame him. And if you think about it, he's not really doing anything differently than Seth Rollins has done or would have done in the past. Just like Brock waiting on cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase. Seth Rollins is either written to be hypocritical or is just poorly written as a character. I'll let you be the judge of that.
- Is it me or did WWE edit out Bayley pinning Charlotte Flair on the hype package for the match with Bayley and Alexa Bliss? I know they want to protect Charlotte, but damn. They won't even show her getting pinned?!
- Ricochet was talking to the panel and is interrupted by Samoa Joe from backstage. Joe cuts a promo on Ricochet having a "bad" cup of coffee with WWE, and Ricochet will sleep well. It will not be his night. This is better than the usual Pre-Show nonsense.
- Daniel Bryan cuts an amazing promo backstage on the tag team division and how all the tag teams want to do is throw pancakes, swivel their hips, and have a good time. He cuts a scathing promo on the referees who were in the shot as the promo was getting started. (Since we keep giving talent TV time on both shows every week, we need Daniel Bryan to have more time on TV. Seriously, that promo is worth checking out alone on this pre-show. Go find it.)
- Drew McIntyre interrupts Shane McMahon to cut a promo on Roman Reigns. Shane loves it.
- The Cruiserweight Championship Match is up first tonight?! NO!!!! I NEEDED A BATHROOM BREAK DURING THE SHOW!
WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Tony Nese (c) vs. Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
- Buddy Murphy is somewhere in catering wishing he was still Cruiserweight Champion. In WWE, it's sad how a promotion is basically a demotion once Vince McMahon actually sees you. "This guy was a champion, Paul?! Heh. Put him on Main Event in 3 weeks. Maybe we'll see him dress as a Disney mascot chasing R-Truth in a few weeks."
- I love how WWE apologists say how great is for WWE to feature Cruiserweights every month on their PPV programming. As if it meets the level of attention the Cruiserweights received in WCW.
- These guys are hitting some impressive moves like German suplexes and dives on the floor (Tozawa in this case). But what does it really matter when you are relegated back to a "couldn't give a damn" crowd in 2 days?
- Each of the three men get their opportunities to catch the others and take the advantage. Tozawa has the advantage. Then Nese. Then Gulak. Tozawa gets suplexed onto the back of Nese by Gulak. I'm not taking away from their athleticism. But again, it's just so hard to get invested when you know Vince really could give a damn. Therefore, you can't really give a damn either. This is like the small carrot that 205 Live is given every month to justify their existence.
- After a commercial break, Gulak gets the Dragon Sleeper/Gulock on Nese. But Tozawa dives on top of the submission with a Senton Splash off the top to save the match. Nese hits a nice double jump moonsault from the apron to the corner onto Gulak for a 2 count. Nice sequence of moves by the three men, including a superplex and a rollup drop. And Tozawa hits a running knee for another 2 count.
- Weak 205 chant by the crowd.
- Speaking of weak, Gulak missed his call to break up a pin by Nese on Tozawa, and Tozawa had to kick out weakly in order to save the match.
- Gulax hits the Torture Rack Neckbreaker on Tozawa to win the Cruiserweight Championship.
Winner: Drew Gulak (NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion)
Match Grade: B-. This wasn't nearly as awesome as the crowd tried to make it. The thing I hate about these matches is they never let the moves mean anything. That's a timing issue, for sure. But I'm not going to pretend I haven't seen others do the same or far better in the last month alone. Good for these guys to be on WWE TV though on something that actually matters. My question is how much longer will 205 Live even be a thing? And if it goes away, will the Cruiserweight Division even be a thing or relegated to R-Truth chasing duty?
Main Show
- If WWE paid as much attention on their mid-card and lower card talent as they do on their opening video production, they'd have a much better product.
- Michael Cole told us that "It's time to kick ass and take names." Which means it is anything but. Also, it's hard to believe that it has almost been 10 years since Heel Cole became a thing.
Raw Women's Championship
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans
- Does Lacey Evans have "heat" or "X-Pac/go-away heat?" (And please don't start the "any heat is good heat" nonsense.)
- Becky has her way with Lacey early on by taking the fight to her early. She chases her in and out of the ring. Becky takes Lacey from corner to corner to smash her head on the turnbuckles. Becky botches a jumping corner attack, and Lacey has to stand there while Becky tries it again.
= Becky goes into the table ribs first, and Lacey goes on the attack once Becky starts selling the injury. This includes a ring-post stretch against the ribs. Lacey goes for a armbar and starts kicking the ribs. Moments later, Lacey still continues to work the arm and ribs.
- Becky gets up and kicks Lacey in the face. Becky now starts mounting some offense, but the shoulder to the ribs stops Becky's momentum. Disarm-Her by Lynch. Lacey gets to the ropes using her long legs.
- A Headstand into a Bronco Buster by Evans in the corner gets a 2 count. Evans starts motioning and mocking the crowd with a title motion. Lacey takes a cloth, wipes herself with it, and throws it down on Becky. Becky stuffs the cloth in Lacey's mouth and starts really making her comeback.
- Lynch misses a big legdrop off the corner. Evans dives over the ropes into the knees of Lynch. Rollup for a 2. Evans hits several moves including a modified Stunner (or jawbreaker) for a 2 count. Disarm-Her by Lynch. Evans taps instantly.
Winner: Becky Lynch (STILL Raw Women's Champion)
Match Grade: B-. Thankfully, there was a bit of time to tell the story. Evans isn't the greatest worker in the entire world, but her character has room to grow. And any wrestling fan knows that character > talent in WWE. So, she's got a bright future. Glad to see Lynch's title reign continue as I was worried that it would be prematurely cut short here
- A commercial for ALI is shown. The way the video is cut is well done. It seems like they are getting ready to push Ali as a sort-of street hero character.
- Paul Heyman comes out of Baron Corbin's locker room. Paul says the two world champions are here. And there's an opportunity for Brock Lesnar to possibly cash in tonight. Baron Corbin comes out. He's chosen his referee and he'll be ready to deal with Brock Lesnar if needed.
Tag Team Match
The New Day (Xavier Woods and Big E) vs. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens
- Owens superkicks Big E off the apron and goes immediately after Woods with multiple superkicks. Senton splash by Owens off the top. 2 count. Hot start. Another superkick and a Blue Thunder Bomb by Sami gets a 2. Frog Splash by Owens. 2 count only again.
- Sami and Kevin continue to double team Woods while mocking Big E who gets back on the corner.
- You remember that last line I just wrote above? Add a crossface and another 3-4 minutes to that line.
- Woods fights to try to tag Big E and knocks down Kevin Owens. Tag to Big E finally. Crowd pops loud for the gyrating Pancake Loving Big E. Suplexes for Sami. Big Splash on Sami. 2 count only.
- Sami goes for a Tornado DDT, but Big E just throws him off and back down onto the mat. 2 count. Woods is tagged in. Woods gets Big E on his shoulders and throws him down onto Sami. Owens stops a pin attempt by Woods. Up Up Down Down stopped by Owens and Sami. Helluva Kick on Woods followed by the Pop-Up Powerbomb. 2 count only as Big E stops the pin.
- "This is Awesome" chant by the crowd. Nope. Stop lying. All four men hit their opponents with something and fall down.
- Spear by Big E to Sami Zayn sends both to the floor. Woods is on the corner. He gets knocked off. STUNNER by Owens! 1-2-3!
Winners: Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn
Match Grade: B+. Best match of the show thus far, but it was hardly "awesome" as the crowd tried to make it. The effort was definitely there, but this never got to that "awesome" level. How about "very good?" I know that doesn't roll off the tongue like "awesome." But it's a lot more accurate. All four men did a good job with the match: Woods taking the beating for most of the match, Big E for getting the crowd going, and Owens and Zayn for being great heels in the match. Again a very good match on this show, but I doubt anyone will remember it in a week, let alone a month from now.
- Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss discuss the Bayley match tonight. Alexa plays up the loss of the tag team championships last week. Cross blames Bayley, and she can't wait for Bliss to win the title.
United States Championship
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Ricochet
- Great selling by Ricochet as Joe comes out. Determination and caution in one expression. Great job there.
- Joe dominates Ricochet for the opening few moments of the match. Every time Ricochet gets momentum, Joe is right there to knock him right back down in and out of the ring.
- Joe hits his signature moves, including the corner Rock Bottom and the back kick in the corner. Ricochet still has the crowd cheering for him even in a chinlock by Joe.
- I wonder if The Rock and his family will ever adopt Joe into the Samoan dynasty.
- Joe absolutely decks Ricochet with a shot to the side of the head with sweat flying. Did Joe watch UFC this weekend?
- Ricochet starts to fight back against Joe. Step-Up Enziguri followed by another Enziguri knocks Joe down. The replay shows Ricochet hitting Joe's ear on that kick. Leg Scissors Takedown by Ricochet. Flying Springboard Clothesline by Ricochet followed by a dive onto Joe on the floor. Springboard offense continues by Ricochet including a dropkick and a moonsault afterwards. 2 count only.
- Snap Slam by Joe gets a 2. Again, great facial expressions by Ricochet selling the attack by Joe.
- Moments later, Joe goes for the Clutch. Ricochet uses the ropes to hang Joe, breaking the hold. Codebreaker by Ricochet. 630!!! 1-2-3!!!
Winner: Ricochet (NEW WWE United States Champion)
Match Grade: B. There were some stumbles in this match, but it was very fun to see Ricochet and Joe's styles go at it. Ricochet gets a championship. One would hope that Ricochet will get a push as a result. As for Joe, I hope he doesn't get lost in the shuffle.
We see Ricochet going into Gorilla Position where he's embraced by WWE talent including Seth Rollins, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Heavy Machinery. Even Triple H is there to hug him.
SmackDown Tag Team Championships
Daniel Bryan and Rowan (c) vs. Heavy Machinery
- I wonder why they showed that shot backstage. Seeing Charlotte Flair backstage (a heel) celebrating a face championship win is weird. I had the thought that this might be the sign of perhaps a NXT alumni group trying to take control of WWE. But I'm not sure that's a realistic thing.
- Good God Almighty. Daniel Bryan gets a HUGE reaction from the Tacoma crowd. This is a home state crowd reaction. Bryan asks for the tag when the crowd starts cheering for him. Bryan starts the match with Otis. Bryan is cheered wildly while Otis is booed by the Washington crowd.
- Otis takes the advantage and tags in Tucker who continues to work over Daniel Bryan much to the crowd's dismay. Rowan gets tagged in behind Tucker's back and wipes him out with a running crossbody.
- A "PLEASE RECYCLE" chant starts from the crowd.
- Bryan and Rowan continue to double team Tucker in the ring. The crowd refuses to boo their home-state hero. And thankfully, they aren't having Bryan stoop to the "I'm glad I'm leaving Washington" cheap heat tactic.
- "DRIVE A PRIUS" chants from the crowd.
- Tucker eventually gets away from Rowan and tags in Otis. Otis rolls over Bryan, and the crowd boos the hell out of him.
- Bryan hits the running attacks in the corner, but Otis catches him one too many times and powerbombs him. 2 count. Otis goes for the Vader Bomb, but he misses.
- Bryan does the "Yes" kicks, but Otis gets hulked up. He starts getting pumped up with each kick. He launches Bryan over his head and gets booed. Bryan falls down. Otis goes for the Caterpillar Elbow. It connects. Heavy Machinery hits a double team on Bryan, but Rowan breaks up the pin attempt.
- Tucker and Bryan are left in the ring. Tucker sells a knee worked on earlier tonight. Tucker goes for the moonsault. Bryan tries to move out of the way, but he does get Bryan coming down.
- Otis and Rowan get tagged in. Otis catches Rowan with a slam. Bryan gets a blind tag. He hits a flying knee on Otis. Tucker catches Bryan with a shot between the ropes. Tucker FLIES OFF THE CORNER onto Rowan on the floor. But he gets rolled up in the ring by Bryan for the 3 count.
Winners: Bryan and Rowan (STILL SmackDown Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: B+. This ties for best match of the show thus far. Heavy Machinery looked great in this match and lost nothing from the decision. This is how you book a young up-and-coming tag team to lose. As for Daniel Bryan and Rowan, they were quite excellent as well.
- I have to admit that this show has been MUCH better than I predicted so far.
SmackDown Women's Championship
Bayley (c) vs. Alexa Bliss (w/ Nikki Cross)
- One of Bayley's inflatable buddies refuses to inflate. I think Conrad Thompson and company may be able to recommend something for that. :)
- Alexa takes the attack to Bayley to start the match. Bayley fights her around the ring for a moment, but Bayley gets sent head-first into the second turnbuckle to turn the tide.
- The crowd's energy has helped this show so much. You can tell the wrestlers are feeding off the energy. And it's helping the in-ring product a lot.
- Alexa continues the attack on Bayley with repeated shots across her body and head. She slaps Bayley's mouth in the corner, but Bayley answers that with a clothesline.
- A Rolling Elbow Drop by Bayley. But Bayley gets HAMMERED with a shot to the face by Alexa Bliss. Moments later, Bayley hits a running knee to Ms. Bliss.
- Bayley and Bliss continue to go back and forth. Bayley's right shoulder gets smacked against the ring post. And Alexa continues to work on it in the ring.
- Belly to Back Suplex by Bayley gets Bliss off of her. Sunset Flip Bomb sends Alexa Bliss back of the head first into the corner. (Jesus. For a girl that has had MULTIPLE concussions, she shouldn't be taking that bump. Seriously, she needs to slow down on that stuff. As in stopping it.)
- Bayley hits Nikki Cross by accident with a running dive to the floor. Alexa takes advantage and attacks Bayley on the floor. She rolls Bayley in the ring. Bayley is down. She goes for Twisted Bliss, but Nikki rolls in wanting to get at Bayley. Alexa tells her to get out. Bayley is able to avoid the move and hit Bayley to Belly. 1-2-3.
Winner: Bayley (STILL SmackDown Women's Champion)
Match Grade: B. This was much more of a match than I was expecting from the two, especially given Alexa's health concerns. A very good match with that one scary bump by Alexa giving me some concern.
- I know I'm giving a lot of B's tonight. But the matches have all reached that level in my opinion. I stand by those reviews.
We get a replay of R-Truth's loss of the 24/7 Title at SmackDown to Drake Maverick. And we get a replay of the weekend's wedding title change.
- Ricochet is shown getting photographed with his United States Championship. The Good Brothers come in and take a photo with him. AJ Styles comes in and takes a photo with him as well. AJ says "I'll see you tomorrow night" with a heavy implication that AJ is coming for the title.
Roman Reigns vs. Drew McIntyre
- My God. When you compare Drew McIntyre from 2013 to 2019, it is like seeing 2 completely different men. And here's the sad thing: He's one bad string of luck away from reforming 3MB. That's probably why I'm rooting so hard for Drew in this run. I don't want to see him fall back to that level again.
- Drew and Roman start fighting in the aisle and then get in the ring to start the match. Roman knocks Drew to the floor AND LAUNCHES (!!!) himself over the top to Drew on the floor, landing HARD! He chases Shane throughout the crowd. He jumps over the barricade only to get attacked by a waiting Drew McIntyre. Drew continues the attack in the ring.
- Drew (and Shane behind the referee's back) continues to work on Roman for a few moments. Punches, raking the face, choke holds... the works.
- Roman starts to fight back, but Shane hangs Roman's head on the rope, allowing Drew to reassert control. (Waiting for The Miz now).
- Crowd is a little muted compared to how it was the first two hours of this show.
- McIntyre continues to pummel Rowan with a clothesline and some work on the leg. A modified surfboard (?!) by Drew on the mat. Impressive.
- "The Big Dog" starts mounting a comeback. Clotheslines in the corner followed by a big boot by Roman. Superman Punch cocked and ready to unload. Shane gets it! Another one on the floor. Roman catches Drew on the floor. But Drew hits the reverse Alabama Slam on Roman, sending him face first into the announce table! The Spinning Rock Bottom in the ring gets a 2 count for McIntyre.
- Roman and Drew now fight on the corner. Superplex by McIntyre on Roman!!! 2 count. Kip Up by McIntyre. He motions for the Claymore Kick out of the corner. Roman avoids it but eats a Glasgow Kiss for his trouble. Drew dives off the corner, but he eats a Superman Punch for his troubles. 2 count.
- Roman motions for the spear. He connects! Shane drags the official out of the ring to avoid the pin going to a 3. He puts Roman in the corner and starts kicking. Shane goes up to the top for Coast to Coast, and IT CONNECTS! He drags Roman to the center of the ring. McIntyre covers. 2 count only!
(The crowd is cheering for Reigns.)
- McIntyre sets up Reigns again for a Claymore Kick. Superman Punch! Shane is thrown to the floor. Spear! 1-2-3.
Winner: Roman Reigns
Match Grade: B+. A MUCH better match than we got at WrestleMania, even with all the Shane McMahon interference. Glad to see Drew got a lot more offense in this time around and was able to show he could work a match with Roman given considerable time. Great effort by all three men in this match.
Cole puts this over as the definitive win over McIntyre and McMahon. So, it looks like Roman is moving on to another feud after this.
Steel Cage Match
WWE Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
- I just had the dark reality come into my mind: Baron Corbin is going to main event tonight's event. Bleep.
- Dolph demonstrates the different ways that he can win the match early on by trying to climb out and then walking out the door. Kofi follows suit by climbing up the cage seconds later.
- Kofi takes a HARD shot against the cage when he gets thrown over the ring post into the cage side. Kofi's face ges raked against the cage. I can hear Vince in the back: "Don't you bleed, pal! We'll lose Fruity Pebbles!"
- Dolph throws Kofi against the cage a couple more times and goes on the attack. The energy in the building has definitely diminished, as I feared. I hate to say this, but Dolph Ziggler is just damaged goods as a character. And beating him will mean nothing for Kofi.
- Kofi hits a middle rope dropkick. Kofi starts mounting some offense, but Kofi gets sent again into the cage wall. Kofi returns the favor seconds later. Dolph takes a hard face-first hit on the cage and flies backwards.
(Note: I just saw photos of the arena. It looks like half the building is curtained off. That's not a good sign and continues the narrative that WWE has been diminishing a lot lately.)
- Kofi and Dolph fight on the top rope. Kofi gets Dolph off the corner and hits a High Crossbody instead of climbing the cage. 2 count only.
- Dolph is climbing the cage moments later. Kofi climbs up after him. Both men start fighting on the top of the cage. Nothing comes of it.
- They start fighting again in the ring. S.O.S. gets a 2 count for Kofi. Kofi seems to jam his knee jumping around. Dolph goes to work on the knee of Kofi with a kneebar. Kofi gets to the ropes, but that doesn't count in a cage match. (You know, UNLESS SHANE MC(bleeping)MAHON is in it.)
- We get a door tease with Kofi going through the door, but Dolph stops him from going through. Kneebar is back on Kofi. Kofi gets Dolph off of him. Trouble in Paradise is stopped. Ankle Lock is now on Kofi. Dolph has it on deep, laying while having it applied on Kofi. Kofi reverses it into an Ankle Lock of his own. Dolph gets Kofi off of him. Zig Zag. 2 count. The crowd could care less.
- Kofi caught the superkick and went into a Front Chancery. Dolph crawls backwards and gets the door open. He tries to drag himself to the floor. Kofi stops him from going out. Ziggler almost gets out again, but Kofi grabs Dolph by the tights to pull him back in. A thumb to the eye and a kick by Dolph. Kofi is down. But HE DIVES THROUGH THE ROPES, OVER DOLPH, AND HITS THE GROUND FIRST! Kofi retains!
Winner: Kofi Kingston (STILL WWE Champion)
Match Grade: C-. Worst match of the night. Dolph Ziggler has no place being in this spot at this point in his career. That's not an athleticism problem. That's a booking problem. He's damaged goods as a character. And there's no reason to believe that he would beat Kofi. Good finish though.
Kofi is interviewed on the stage. He respects Dolph Ziggler, but he did say he would be walking out of Stomping Grounds still WWE Champion. And he is "baby!"
- Drew is irate backstage. He's interviewed backstage. He's irate. Shane makes the match for tomorrow night: Roman vs. Shane and Drew in a 2-1 Handicap Match.
WWE Universal Championship
Special Guest Referee
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin
- Baron Corbin is main-eventing a Pay Per View. Let me repeat that again: Baron Corbin is main eventing a Pay Per View. I don't care how many times I repeat it. It will never sound right.
- Corbin has the full intro complete with the long list of accolades. Seth comes out next. He threatens whomever comes down that he'll whack them with a steel chair if they try to take his title. Then we find out who the guest referee is: Lacey Evans. Wow. (Keep in mind that Becky and Seth are dating. So, this is a double shot by Baron Corbin. Lol. Good booking by the way.)
- Corbin jumps Seth from behind. He uses a chair against Seth. The match hasn't started yet. Lacey takes the chair gracefully from Baron. Lacey calls for the bell.
- Corbin throws Rollins around ringside. The fans at ringside are yelling "This is stupid." (Yeah it is. A show that has fallen off the rails thanks to its two main event "world championship" matches.)
- AEW chants by some in the crowd now.
- Daniel Bryan chants from the crowd now. CM Punk gets a loud chant as well. BORING chants now kick in.
- While the fans are either disinterested or chanting for anything else, Corbin continues to work over Rollins who is selling like Ric Flair in the ring.
- The crowd could give a damn less about this match. Jesus. When will Vince learn not to book this guy in the main event? I know. "HE'S GOT HEAT, PAL!"
- Rollins kicks Corbin down. Little to no reaction. Chops get some response. Sling Blade by Rollins.
(For the record, Seth Rollins said on Twitter that WWE had the best wrestling in the world. Tonight showed that it could if it wanted. But unfortunately, a lot of its talents aren't where they need to be.)
- Lacey does the slow 2 count to get some heat from the crowd. Loud "Becky" chants from the crowd.
- Rollins catches Corbin on the apron and powerbombs him through a table. The crowd comes alive finally. Rollins crawls in the ring and demands Lacey start the count. Lacey does it in the slowest way possible. Lacey gets to 8, and she declares the match to be "No Count-Outs." The crowd is finally awake.
- Rollins gets Baron in the ring. Burn it Down stomps, but Corbin avoids it. Corbin catches Rollins on the floor and chokeslams him on the apron and back in the ring. 2 count only.
- Now Baron and Lacey go for a Montreal Screwjob like finish, but Seth avoids the submission. Kick to the face of Corbin. Frog Splash by Rollins. 1... 2... Lacey's arm cramps up. (The arm that Becky Lynch hooked the Disarm-Her on.)
- Baron Corbin uses a chair on Rollins on the floor. Then he brings Rollins into the ring and uses the chair again repeatedly. Lacey finally "sees" the chair and tells him not to use it. Baron tells Lacey to tell the ring announcer that it is now a No DQ match. LOUD BECKY CHANTS.
- Falcon Arrow by Rollins on Corbin on the chair. Evans refuses to count again. Rollins gets in Lacey's face. Rollins can't hit her. She hits him though. Slap. Is that all she's got?! LOW BLOW! END OF DAYS! Becky Lynch comes in and attacks Lacey Evans! She throws her to the floor and starts attacking her. Becksploder into the barricade!!! A bunch of referees stop Becky from continuing the assault.
- The same official that was in the Super Showdown match is in the ring. Stomp by Rollins. 1-2-3. Rollins retains.
Winner: Seth Rollins (STILL WWE Universal Champion)
Match Grade: C+. The crowd warmed up to the match after Lacey started adding the No Countout/ NO DQ stipulations. But still, this felt like a glorified house show main event. It's never good for the live crowd to be cheering and chanting for things outside of your promotion in the main event, along with boring chants. It's not that I think Baron Corbin doesn't belong in the main event. It's that the mass WWE Universe doesn't want him in that spot.
Becky and Seth celebrate after the match and hug it out. Becky opens the ropes for Seth, who takes her up on the offer. They celebrate on the stage and walk to the back to end the show.
Show Grade: B-. The main events just killed this show. There's no other polite way to say it. No one bought either of the challengers, and the crowd energy seemed to just fade away. Still I'm giving credit to this show for a couple reasons. 1) WWE kept the event to 3 hours and change for the main show. That's something I want to see more often.
2) The matches other than the men's world title matches delivered on this show.
MVP Of This Show: Lacey Evans. She may not be the best "worker" in wrestling, but she did a great job helping to get that crowd back in the main event. While other wrestlers had better nights in the ring, her involvement will be something to remember long-term.
Match of the Night: (three-way tie) Heavy Machinery vs. Bryan/Rowan; New Day vs. Owens/Zayn; Roman vs. McIntyre
All three of these matches (along with Joe vs. Ricochet and the women's matches) made this show. They kept the crowd going during their times and elevated the show. So, this was a win for WWE's Women and Tag Team Divisions tonight. (Can I go ahead and call for the Owens/Zayn team as a permanent thing?)
Hope you enjoyed the review. I'll be back later this week with more reviews, including a review of ROH's Best in the World and AEW's Fyter Fest.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
Comments
Post a Comment