WWE WrestleMania 37 Night One

By Steve Ward

WWE finally welcomed fans back as the “Showcase of the Immortals” emanated from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida for the first evening of WrestleMania. While AEW has welcomed fans for several months in nearby Jacksonville, one must assume Vince McMahon simply couldn’t resist the opportunity to generate some additional income - especially after selling the U.S. portion of his WWE Network streaming service to Peacock. Nonetheless, Night One featured a relatively stacked card featuring seven matches and three titles contested with Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair battling for the Smackdown Women‘s Championship to close the show.

WWE Championship
Bobby Lashley (c) w/ MVP vs. Drew McIntyre
Winner: Bobby Lashley via submission

Following a 30+ minute weather delay, WrestleMania finally kicked off with the WWE Championship on the line. This evening McIntyre sought to regain the title he lost to The Miz who cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase at Elimination Chamber with the help of Lashley. As compensation for his assistance, Lashley received a title shot from a reluctant Miz on RAW and did not waste the opportunity as he attained his first WWE Championship. Fast forward to this evening where an enraged McIntyre was out for revenge and to regain his championship. The two combatants wasted no time coming to blows following the opening bell and showed zero respect for one another. Lashley withstood a trifecta of Future Shock DDTs from McInyre and avoided a Claymore Kick with the assistance of MVP late in the match. This opened the door for Lashley to cinch in the Hurt Lock which caused McIntyre to pass out solidifying the victory.

Women’s Tag Team Turmoil Match
Lana & Naomi vs. Carmella & Billie Kay vs. Riott Squad vs. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs. Natalya & Tamina
Winners: Natalya & Tamina

The stakes were high for this bout as the winners would earn a shot against Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler on Night Two of WrestleMania for the Women’s Tag Team Championship. This was essentially a gauntlet match as the teams of Lana & Naomi and Carmella & Billie Kay kicked things off with Carmella and Billie Kay making short work of their opponents. The next team to make their way to the ring was the Riott Squad (Ruby Riott and Liv Morgan). Ruby Riott secured another quick pinfall on Billie Kay which opened the way for the third team, Mandy Rose and Dana Brooke, to enter the match. The Riott Squad earned another quick elimination as Liv Morgan rolled up Dana Brooke for the pinfall. The final entrants were the formidable team of Natalya and Tamina. In the conclusion of a rather uneventful match, Tamina Snuka hit the Superfly Splash to secure the pinfall and book a title shot for Natalya and herself on WrestleMania Night Two.

Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro
Winner: Cesaro via pinfall

This match pit two main event caliber wrestlers without a main event spot against each other - Seth Rollins who has been reestablishing himself following paternity leave and Cesaro who finally has earned a WrestleMania singles match for the very first time in his 10-year run with WWE. Cesaro achieved arguably the biggest victory of his career as he executed the Cesaro Swing for an impressive 23 rotations before he put away Rollins with The Neutralizer for the 1-2-3.

RAW Tag Team Championships
The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) (c) vs. A.J. Styles & Omos
Winners: A.J. Styles & Omos via pinfall

A.J. Styles had the opportunity to add some WWE tag team gold to his illustrious resume as he teamed with his bodyguard, the towering Omos, who made his in-ring debut. A.J. Styles kicked off the bout and the New Day made their ultimate goal to keep Omos out of the match using a plethora of two-on-one tactics. This strategy was successful for a while but as soon as Omos finally entered the contest, it was all over. The seven foot three, 400 pound giant absolutely decimated the New Day and concluded the match by simply standing on the chest of Xavier Woods to score the pinfall.

Steel Cage Match
Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman
Winner: Braun Strowman via pinfall

Following weeks of ridicule from Shane McMahon, Braun Strowman finally got him cornered him this evening in a steel cage. In an attempt to even the odds, McMahon recruited the aid of Jaxson Ryker and Elias who ambushed Strowman while wielding steel chairs before he made his way into the cage. This appeared to work…for a couple minutes. Shane did have a few flashes of offense throughout the match, including his patented Coast to Coast, however, it was not nearly enough. Shane attempted to escape the cage late but instead was thrown back down to the ring from the top of the ominous steel structure. Strowman then finished McMahon off with the running powerslam for the victory.

John Morrison & The Miz vs. Damian Priest & Bad Bunny
Winners: Bad Bunny & Damian Priest via pinfall

After Bad Bunny declined The Miz’ offer to collaborate with him at the Royal Rumble, he appeared that he would be outmanned as the target of Miz and his cohort John Morrison until the recording artist recruited the assistance of Damian Priest. Miz and Morrison controlled the tempo of this match until Damian Priest finally made his entry and suddenly halted all of their momentum. This match reached it’s conclusion after Priest hoisted The Miz up on his shoulders allowing Bad Bunny to hit a Doomsday Device inspired cross-body splash and secure the pinfall victory.

Smackdown Women’s Championship
Sasha Banks (c) vs. Bianca Belair
Winner: Bianca Belair via pinfall

Bianca Belair found herself in the main event of Wrestlemania, following her victory in the women’s Royal Rumble match, against the Smackdown Women’s Champion Sasha Banks - someone who had never tasted victory in a Wrestlemania match. Bianca Belair’s power was on full display for the duration of this match as she had her way with The Boss and even withstood The Bank Statement. The match reached it’s conclusion as Belair executed the KOD to secure the pinfall.

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WWE Extreme Rules 2020

By Steve Ward

The latest pay-per-view installment of the “Quarantine Era” aired live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida as we were presented with Extreme Rules…correction…The Horror Show at Extreme Rules. Yes, you read that correctly…the WWE decided to rename the event by prefacing the normal Extreme Rules moniker with “The Horror Show.” While I understand this is likely tied to the main event where Bray Wyatt challenged Braun Strowman for the Universal Championship, this name certainly could open WWE up to some ridicule. For instance, if this show doesn’t deliver, well, it will be considered a “horror show” - just not for the reason WWE intended. After last night’s Impact Wrestling Slammiversary show saw the debuts/returns of Gallows & Anderson, Eric Young, EC3, Heath Slater, Alex Shelley, and Chris Sabin, WWE had a lot to live up to in the eyes of the less than casual fan. Tonight’s show featured six matches and was headlined with the aforementioned Wyatt Swamp Fight between Bray Wyatt and Universal Champion Braun Strowman.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship Tables Match

Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) (c)

Winners: Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura

An ongoing feud between these teams culminated this evening in a Tables Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. Following a rather pedestrian match, the ending came in spectacular fashion. Two tables were stacked on top of each other outside the ring as Cesaro found himself jockeying for position with Kofi on the top turnbuckle. As it appeared that Kofi was going to escape disaster, Nakamura met them on the ring apron and delivered a brutal kick to Kingston’s back. This allowed Cesaro to power bomb Kofi through both tables solidifying their victory.

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Nikki Cross vs. Bayley (c)

Winner: Bayley via pinfall

Riding the heels of a 282 day stretch as the Smackdown Women’s champion (and currently half of the Smackdown Women’s Tag Team Champions with Sasha Banks), Bayley put the title on the line against the underrated Nikki Cross this evening. Bayley was in dire straits late in the bout after she received a neck breaker to the arena floor. After the women returned to the ring, Banks handed her Boss ring off to Bayley who viciously punched Cross in the stomach and followed it up with a face plant to retain her title.

MVP was scheduled to challenge Apollo Crews for the United States Championship, however, Crews failed a “pre-match physical.” The announce team cited this was from an injury sustained a month ago at the hands of MVP’s cohort Bobby Lashley, however, one has to wonder if perhaps he entered the venue with a fever or other Coronavirus symptoms. Nonetheless, MVP proceeded to walk down to the ring, pick up the newly designed United States Championship, and proclaim himself the new champion by forfeit.

Eye for an Eye Match

Rey Mysterio vs. Seth Rollins
Winner: Seth Rollins

This had to be one of the most ridiculous stipulations I’ve ever heard of…at least when Abdullah the Butcher was “electrocuted” at the conclusion of the infamous Chamber of Horrors Match in WCW back in the early ‘90s, they made it appear somewhat realistic albeit comedic at the same time. Anyway, Rollins pressed Mysterio’s face into the corner of a ring stair allegedly inflicting an eye injury a few weeks back. That coupled with the ongoing inclusion of Rey’s son Dominic being targeted by the Monday Night Messiah, we have arrived at this match. The announce team actually said the winner would be declared by removing one of his opponent’s eyes - really??? This match was one of the worst I’ve ever seen. The two men spent the majority of the bout trying to puncture out the other’s eyes with various tools, pens, and edges of ring stairs. The conclusion finally came after Rollins pressed Mysterio’s eye into the edge of a ring stair until after the referee put it, it was hanging out. Following this I personally hope the rumors are true that Rey’s contract is up because it would be nice to see such a legendary competitor used in a promotion like AEW where his talent would be respected and he would be utilized as something more than a sideshow attraction.

RAW Women’s Championship

Asuka (c) w/ Kairi Sane vs. Sasha Banks w/ Bayley

Winner: No contest

In what was looking to be a nice recovery to the preceeding shit show of a match, a very competitive title bout ended in ludicrous fashion. As Banks stood with a title belt in hand poised to strike Asuka when she returned to her feet, Asuka sprung up and spewed the green mist - the only problem was Banks ducked and left the referee to receive the full brunt of it in his face. Bayley then proceeded to remove the referee’s shirt and put it on herself. After Banks took down Asuka and covered her, Bayley counted the pinfall and Sasha stole the title proclaiming herself champion.

WWE Championship

Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler

Winner: Drew McIntyre via pinfall

Ziggler found himself in this match after he promptly confronted the champ following his trade to RAW along with Bobby Roode for AJ Styles. Ziggler told McIntyre that he was owed a match based on their extensive history and that he would keep the stipulation for the contest a secret until the night of Extreme Rules. Before the bell rang, Ziggler announced that the match would be contested under extreme rules…for him only. Ziggler also stated that if McIntyre were disqualified or counted out, he would also relinquish the title. Ziggler put forth a solid effort despite the fact he stacked the deck against McIntyre, however, the defending champ took everything he had and finally closed the contest with a brutal Claymore kick to successfully retain his title.

Universal Championship Wyatt Swamp Fight

Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman (c)

Winner: Bray Wyatt???

After Wyatt’s attempts to awaken Strowman’s dark side from his early days as a member of the Wyatt family to no avail, Bray revived his original cult leader persona in the fashion of Waylon Mercy. This set the stage for another cinematic pay per view main event in the form of a Wyatt Swamp Fight. Sadly, this did not come anywhere close to reaching the bar established by the Undertaker vs. AJ Styles clash at Wrestlemania - in fact it was just plain bad. The conclusion found Wyatt and Strowman fighting on a pier as Braun kicked Bray into the water thinking the fight was over. Next, a hand emerged from the water, grabbed Strowman by the throat, and dragged him into the swampy abyss. After the two struggled for a few moments, the face of The Fiend emerged from the water as the broadcast ended. Apparently, there was no winner - at least not in the traditional sense.

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Wrestlemania 36 - Part One

By Steve Ward

In a time devoid of the vast majority of professional sports, the WWE (and AEW) have continued to satiate the desire for entertainment to their loyal fan bases as they have consistently aired all of their weekly programs absent of any fans. The “Showcase of the Immortals” began this evening with part one of Wrestlemania 36 from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida. This year’s event has been billed “Too Big For One Night” and hence the reason it has been divided into two evenings making it one of the most unique Wrestlemanias since Wrestlemania 2 - when some of you may recall the event emanated from The Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, The Rosemont Horizon in Rosemont, IL, and The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, CA with each venue having it’s very own main event.

One could deduce that this year’s show had been divided into two evenings because there is no NXT Takeover event being held and to limit the amount of personnel in the Performance Center but leave it to WWE and their publicity team to put a positive spin on the event. While I would not expect the superstars to put any less effort forward from a physical standpoint, the biggest question would be how they would react to the dynamic of no fans in attendance. Sure, many of the wrestlers have likely performed in a high school gymnasium in front of 15 people in the early stages of their careers, but to be someone who feeds of off crowd reaction and uses it drive their performance this could certainly be disconcerting - if not eerie.

Nonetheless, I still feel like a kid again when this weekend comes around each year and look forward to two great nights of live entertainment because I can only watch so many classic ballgames on MLB Network.

Kickoff Show

Cesaro vs. Drew Gulak
Winner: Cesaro via pinfall

Cesaro disposed of Daniel Bryan’s newfound running mate Drew Gulak as he executed a no-hands airplane spin to seal the pinfall victory.

Main Card

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross vs. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c)

Winners: Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross via pinfall

Bliss and Cross appeared to be in dire straits for the majority of this bout. Bliss was disposed of at ringside for a significant portion of the match allowing the Kabuki Warriors to have their way with her - even executing a modification of The Doomsday Device. Cross was able to stave off defeat long enough to turn the tides as late in the match she executed a spinning neck breaker on Sane as Bliss conveniently made her way back to the ring apron. Cross tagged Bliss back in as she scaled to the top turnbuckle and landed the Twisted Bliss to crown new champs.

King Corbin vs. Elias

Winner: Elias via pinfall

There was a great deal of speculation as to whether Elias would even participate in this match after Corbin had launched him off of a balcony one week ago on Friday Night Smackdown. Not only did he show up but rode the momentum of a Jeff Jarrett-esque guitar shot to Corbin’s head prior to the start of the match.

RAW Women’s Championship

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Shayna Baszler

Winner: Becky Lynch via pinfall

Following an absolutely dominant performance where she defeated five other women to become the number one contender at last month’s Elimination Chamber pay per view, the Queen of Spades went toe to toe this evening with The Man for her title. This was an extremely physical contest with an abundance of strikes thrown by each superstar. It appeared Baszler was about the fulfill the prediction of many and win the title as she cinched in the Kirifuda Clutch, however, Becky rolled over while Shayna’s shoulders were still pinned down and miraculously stole a pinfall to retain her title.

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Daniel Bryan w/ Drew Gulak vs. Sami Zayn (c) w/ Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura

Winner: Sami Zayn via pinfall

Cesaro and Nakamura proved to be the difference in this contest. Late in the bout, the two of them laid waste to Drew Gulak which prompted Daniel Bryan to take them out with a suicide dive. With Zayn still seemingly down for the count in the ring, Bryan climbed to the top turnbuckle but as he dove at Zayn he was unceremoniously met with a version of the Helluva Kick allowing Sami to retain his title.

Triple Threat Ladder Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship

Kofi Kingston vs. Jimmy Uso vs. John Morrison

Winner: John Morrison 

Yes, you read that correctly. This bout was for the tag team championship, however, only one member of each team participated after The Miz fell ill, and obviously with the current global climate, was not able to compete. As the closing moments of the match approached, all three competitors found themselves at the top of two ladders propped below the titles hanging in the balance. All three men had their hands on the titles as they were detached and as they struggled for possession, Morrison fell down onto another ladder that was propped up by the ring ropes and one of the ladders in the ring. By dumb luck, he fell with the titles in tow solidifying a successful defense.

Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins

Winner: Kevin Owens via pinfall

Following his open defiance of Seth Rollins and his collective of AOP and Buddy Murphy for several weeks, Kevin Owens finally earned his shot at redemption and his Wrestlemania Moment tonight. Rollins dominated the bout early but wasn’t able to put Owens away. Owens then caught Rollins with the Pop-Up Powerbomb but The Monday Night Messiah escaped the pinfall and rolled out of the ring. Rollins then made his way to the timekeeper’s area with Owens in tow, grabbed the ring bell, and struck KO with it leading to a disqualification. This outcome wasn’t acceptable to Owens who proceeded to call Rollins a bitch and challenged him to a no disqualification match which he readily accepted. This second match didn’t last long as Owens laid Rollins out across the announce table and ascended to the top of the Wrestlemania sign just behind it. Owens then jumped from the top of the sign and put Rollins through the table. The two then returned to the ring where Owens dropped Rollins again with the Stunner to earn the pinfall.

WWE Universal Championship

Goldberg (c) vs. Braun Strowman

Winner: Braun Strowman via pinfall

Following weeks of buildup of a title clash between Roman Reigns and Goldberg, The Big Dog was removed from the card due to health concerns stemming from his recent bout with leukemia. In stepped a formidable foe in “The Monster Among Men” Braun Strowman - a man who previously had no match scheduled on the card to much surprise. Goldberg slipped out of an early power slam attempt by Strowman and executed four spears in a row, however, when he attempted The Jackhammer, Braun reversed it with a power slam. Braun then executed two more power slams and finished things off with a running power slam to quite frankly provide the shock of the night as he pinned the Hall of Famer to earn his first ever Universal Championship.

Boneyard Match

The Undertaker vs. AJ Styles

Winner: The Undertaker

Following The Undertaker’s surprise appearance at WWE Crown Jewel in February where he cost Styles his victory in a gauntlet match, The Phenomenal One has made it a point to call out the Deadman time and time again until tonight’s match came to fruition. This match did not take place inside of the Performance Center, but rather at an undisclosed outdoor location made up to look like a graveyard. AJ Styles arrived in a hearse whereas The Undertaker tapped into his old American Badass persona from the early 2000s and rode in on a motorcycle. After Undertaker had dumped Styles into an open grave, Gallows and Anderson made their presence known as they arrived with several “druids.”

The Undertaker laid waste to all of the robed individuals and as he was gaining the upper hand on Gallows and Anderson, Styles reemerged to crack what appeared to be a piece of concrete over The Phenom’s head. Styles proceeded to verbally belittle The Undertaker for several minutes until he cracked a shovel over his back and threw him into the open grave. As AJ boarded a John Deere in order to bury him, a rejuvenated Undertaker emerged behind Styles and proceeded to lay waste to both him and his OC cohorts. Moments later, Styles also became the recipient of a vicious choke slam off the top of a shed/barn-like structure. Styles proceeded to beg for forgiveness until The Undertaker kicked him into the open grave and used the John Deere to bury him. Apparently this was a buried alive match (I say apparently because no stipulations were established beforehand) so with Styles put away, the Deadman jumped back on his motorcycle and rode off into the night to bring night number one to a close.

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WWE Fastlane Recap

By Steve Ward

The final stop on the Road to Wrestlemania landed this evening in Cleveland, OH as WWE presented Fastlane. The jam packed Quicken Loans Arena was treated to a nine match card that featured six titles being put on the line. This show certainly delivered and gave the WWE Universe a solid glimpse of the framework for how some feuds may develop and continue on over the next four weeks leading up to Wrestlemania in New Jersey.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship

The Usos (c) vs. The Miz & Shane McMahon

Winners: The Usos via pinfall

“The Best Tag Team in the World” sought to reclaim their tag team titles this evening after they dropped them to The Usos at last month’s Elimination Chamber event. The first "oh shit" moment of the match arrived when Shane McMahon was positioned on the top turnbuckle ready to deliver the Coast to Coast on one of the Usos, however, the other Uso brother climbed to the top of the opposite corner poised to deliver a splash to The Miz who was laid out in the center of the ring. Both men timed their jumps perfectly as Shane McMahon and the Uso collided in mid air! The conclusion of the match came as one of The Usos laid in the center of the ring and The Miz looked over to his father at ringside who gestured for him to ascend to the top rope, something The Miz is not known for. The Miz attempted a Frogsplash, however, he was greeted by a pair of knees from Jimmy or Jay Uso (I couldn’t tell which one it was and neither could the commentary team) and was rolled up for the 1-2-3. After the match, The Miz and Shane walked over to the The Miz’s father for a brief consolatory embrace. As Miz walked away, Shane McMahon clotheslined him from behind and proceeded to decimate him finally putting him to sleep with a guillotine choke in front of his father. In my anticipation, this will likely lead the two men straight into a head-to-head confrontation at Wrestlemania. 

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Asuka (c) vs. Mandy Rose

Winner: Asuka via pinfall

In my opinion, this match displayed how shallow the women’s division has become on Smackdown since Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch have migrated over to RAW. Don’t get me wrong, there are some very talented and promising women representing Smackdown, Mandy Rose included, but she wouldn’t at this stage exactly be who I’d expect to see compete in a pay-per-view title match. Just moments prior to the conclusion of the match, Sonya Deville lifted the ring apron as she attempted to locate a weapon beneath the ring, however, this action would prove to be costly for Rose. Shortly after the apron was left folded up onto the ring canvas, Asuka reversed an Irish whip attempt by Rose propelling her into the ropes. As Rose arrived at the ropes she slipped on the ring apron and stumbled right into a devastating round house kick delivered by The Empress of Tomorrow. The strike which dropped Rose like a sack of potatoes, allowed Asuka to easily cover her for the pinfall and to retain her title.

Handicap Match

The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus) vs. Kofi Kingston

Winners: The Bar via pinfall

After The New Day stormed Mr. McMahon’s office and demanded that Kofi be placed in the WWE Championship match, Kofi made his way to the ring as the match was announced to be for the WWE Championship. One of the ringside attendants then called for the ring announcer to come over to ringside. The announcer proceeded to proclaim that the triple threat match would take place later in the evening and Kofi was thrown into a handicap match with The Bar. The Bar engaged in a completely one-sided brutal assault as they relentlessly bludgeoned Kofi with a plethora of tandem offense. Big E and Xavier Woods attempted to come to the rescue only to have their actions thwarted by Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev. The Bar subsequently executed a double White Noise and finally put Kofi out of his misery with a pinfall.

RAW Tag Team Championship

The Revival (c) vs. Bobby Roode & Chad Gable vs. Ricochet & Aleister Black

Winners: The Revival via pinfall

The tempo of this match was frenetic to say the least. Ricochet was certainly a human highlight reel in this bout. One of the highlights saw Ricochet run from corner to corner and vault himself over the ring post as he took Bobby Roode out. As Ricochet propelled himself out of the ring, however, Chad Gable had the wherewithal to tag himself into the match. Gable was subsequently overwhelmed by both members of The Revival and with no salvation in sight, was finished with the Shatter Machine as Dash and Dawson retained their titles.

United States Championship Fatal Four Way Match

Samoa Joe (c) vs. R-Truth vs. Andrade w/ Zelina Vega vs. Rey Mysterio

Winner: Samoa Joe via submission

This match, added during the kickoff show, was a rematch from Tuesday night when Samoa Joe won the title. Samoa Joe was able to retain his title in impressive fashion and put the exclamation point on his performance as he rolled out the way of a springboard splash attempt by Rey Mysterio and quickly cinched in the Coquina Clutch for the victory.

Women’s Tag Team Titles

Boss n’ Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks) (c) vs. Nia Jax & Tamina

Winners: Boss n’ Hug Connection via pinfall

After imposing her will for much of the contest, Nia Jax took exception to being rolled up for the pinfall by Bayley and she and her partner proceeded to lay waste to Bayley and Banks. As the onslaught spilled to the outside, special commentator Beth Phoenix dropped Tamina after an intense staredown, but was quickly decimated by Nia Jax. As the assault returned to the ring, Natalya attempted to save The Glamazon but unfortunately suffered a similar fate. Could we see a return to the ring for the WWE Hall of Famer? Only time will tell…Perhaps as soon as tomorrow night on RAW.

WWE Championship Triple Threat Match

Daniel Bryan w/ Rowan vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Daniel Bryan

This match was originally supposed to be Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston until Mr. McMahon replaced Kingston with Kevin Owens fresh off the shelf from double knee surgery. The implication earlier in the evening was that Kofi would be placed in this match, however, Mustafa Ali was shockingly the third participant. Kevin Owens frustratingly witnessed several near pinfalls slip through his fingers. First, he rolled out of the way of an 054 attempt by Ali and answered with a Stunner only to have Bryan break up the pinfall attempt. Owens was even able to execute the Pop-Up Powerbomb on Bryan and Ali to no avail. KO was finally removed from the equation by Rowan who launched him into the timekeeper’s area leaving Ali and Bryan alone in the ring. Ali attempted a splash off the top rope only to be viciously struck with a pair of knees by Bryan who was able to capitalize and pin Ali to retain his title.

Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair

Winner: Becky Lynch via DQ

This match was created after Becky Lynch’s suspension was lifted on Monday night by Stephanie McMahon. The stipulation stated if Becky Lynch could come out victorious, she would be added to the RAW Women’s Championship at Wrestlemania with Flair and Ronda Rousey. The Man, still sporting a crutch for her “injured” knee, spent the first few minutes hopping around on one leg as she was taunted by Flair. Flair then took control of the contest as she proceeded to go to work on Becky’s knee. As Flair seemed to have the match won when she locked in the Figure Four, Ronda Rousey sprinted to the ring and struck Becky Lynch. This action caused Flair to be disqualified awarding the match to Becky Lynch and punching her ticket to Wrestlemania.

Following the match, Elias rewarded the crowd with his THIRD performance of the evening and, as he was sure to allude to, it went uninterrupted. That is until Lacey Evans’ music hit and she walked to and from the ring. As Elias was distracted, he was stunned with an RKO Outta Nowhere! As Orton admired his work, A.J. Styles launched himself into the ring and dropped The Legend Killer with a Phenomenal Forearm. It appears that we are on course to witness Styles vs. Orton at The Showcase of the Immortals.

The Shield vs. Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, & Baron Corbin

Winners: The Shield

This match not only marked Roman Reigns first match in six months since he announced that he would need to undergo treatment for his Leukemia that returned, but also the “final ride” for The Shield. Roman rallied the troops for this final union in the ring because WWE, quite surprisingly unless it’s a work, has reiterated the reports that have circulated online that Dean Ambrose will not renew his contract. The match started a bit on the slow side to be honest, but business quickly picked up as the carnage spilled to the outside of the ring. The highlights included a Shield Bomb (triple power bomb) delivered on Drew McIntyre as he was unceremoniously put through the Spanish announce table. The second Shield Bomb was executed on Baron Corbin in the center of the ring after which Roman Reigns scored the pinfall.

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WWE TLC 2018 Recap

By Steve Ward

WWE TLC-Table, Ladders, and Chairs, emanated from the SAP Center in San Jose, CA this evening. The loaded ten match card was highlighted by five title bouts, one of which also marked the landmark, first ever Women’s Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.

Mixed Match Challenge Finals

Jinder Mahal & Alicia Fox vs. R-Truth & Carmella

Winners: R-Truth & Carmella via submission

It was nice to see R-Truth make an appearance on a pay-per-view doing something other than comic relief or a dance break. The former TNA/Impact Wrestling heavyweight champion who’s never seemed to have a legitimate push in WWE teamed with Carmella to battle Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox in the finals of Mixed Match Challenge, WWE’s Facebook Live program, with the winners being awarded spots in their respective matches at January’s Royal Rumble. Carmella put an end to this contest as she trapped Alicia Fox in the Code of Silence for the submission victory. With the victory, R-Truth and Carmella will not only be entered in the Royal Rumble but will also enter at number 30.

Smackdown Live Tag Team Championship

The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods) vs. The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) vs. The Usos

Winners: Sheamus & Cesaro via pinfall

Sheamus delivered an abrupt end to this contest with a vicious Brogue Kick to the jaw of Xavier Woods to afford him the opportunity to capture the 1-2-3.

TLC Match

Braun Strowman vs. Baron Corbin

Winner: Braun Strowman via pinfall

There was a great deal on the line in this contest as Baron Corbin needed to win in order to become permanent General Manager of RAW, whereas, a shot at Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship was at stake for Strowman. Corbin expected to win by forfeit due to Strowman seemingly being out with an injury, however, as the official (who happened to be Heath Slater) began his ten count, Strowman‘s music hit and The Monster Among Men made his way to the ring in a sling. Strowman proceeded to grab a mic and remind Corbin that their match was a no disqualification match and anyone could help him. Shortly thereafter, accompanied by Bobby Roode, Chad Gable, Apollo Crews, Finn Balor, and Heath Slater, they proceeded to lay the smack down on the interim general manager. As Corbin attempted to flee the arena, Kurt Angle shocked the crowd and drove him back to the ring. After Corbin was victimized by those he had done wrong to on RAW, Strowman stood over him and pinned him with one foot. As a result, Corbin is no longer the GM of RAW and Strowman will face Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble for the Universal Championship.

Tables Match

Natalya vs. Ruby Riott

Winner: Natalya

Just as a refresher for you all, the only way to win a Tables Match is to put your opponent through a table, so no pinfalls or submissions. The odds were stacked as Ruby Riot had the rest of the Riot Squad in tow until Natalya put Liv Morgan and later Sara Logan through tables. Just when it appeared Ruby had the upper hand with Natalya seated on the top turnbuckle, Natalya blocked her attempt at a Frankensteiner and power bombed Riot through the table set beneath them for the victory.

Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor

Winner: Finn Balor via pinfall

McIntyre dominated the majority of this bout until the fight was taken outside. After McIntyre victimized Balor to the point where he easily threw his limp body back into the ring, his old running mate Dolph Ziggler emerged from the crowd to deliver a super kick to McIntyre. Dolph proceeded to obtain a steel chair, and as he attempted to strike him, McIntyre kicked him in the face. McIntyre then made his way back into the ring with the chair seeking to issue more punishment to Ziggler but lost sight of Balor who dropped him to the canvas and finished him with the Coup de Grace for the pinfall.

Chairs Match

Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton

Winner: Rey Mysterio via pinfall

The conclusion of this match arrived after Orton’s attempt at an RKO onto four chairs he lined up was thwarted. Mysterio knocked Orton onto the chairs and as he sat there in a daze, Rey rebounded off the ropes behind him and vaulted over The Viper into a unique rollup pin for the victory.

RAW Women’s Championship

Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Nia Jax

Winner:  Ronda Rousey via submission

This contest followed the narrative of the unstoppable force attempting to impose her will on the much smaller Rousey. Jax attempted to put away Rousey with a Samoan Drop from the middle turnbuckle only to have her reverse it into a power bomb and subsequently lock in the armbar submission to retain her title.

WWE Championship

A.J. Styles vs. Daniel Bryan (c)

Winner: Daniel Bryan via pinfall

This bout was a rematch of Bryan’s shocking victory over The Phenomenal One on the final episode of Smackdown Live leading into Survivor Series last month. It appeared late in this contest that Styles had finally turned the tides in his favor as he landed a springboard 450 splash on a prone Bryan, and subsequently engaged him in the Calf Crusher submission. Bryan was able to reach the bottom rope which prompted the ref to break the hold and he escaped the ring. Once Styles was finally able to get Bryan back into the ring, he rolled him into an inside cradle only to have Bryan shift his weight so Styles’ shoulders were pinned for the 1-2-3.

WWE Intercontinental Championship

Dean Ambrose vs. Seth Rollins (c)

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose’s betrayal of his Shield brethren came to a head this evening as he challenged Seth Rollins for the Intercontinental Championship. Aside from Seth Rollins’ execution of a top rope superplex that he rolled into a Falcon Arrow, this match was drawn out way too long with significantly less action than one would’ve expected from these two performers. At one point, the crowd even began a “This is boring” chant. In the end, Rollins became so frustrated with his inability to put away Ambrose that as he attempted to land a finishing blow, in the form of what appeared to be a stab at the Curb Stomp, Ambrose sprung to his feet and hit Rollins with the Dirty Deeds to win the title.

Smackdown Women’s Championship TLC Match

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka

Winner: Asuka

This match signified the first ever women’s TLC match earning itself the main event slot on the show. In order to win the match, one of the women needed to scale a ladder and retrieve the championship belt suspended above the ring. This bout finished in shocking fashion, as Charlotte and Asuka jockeyed for position at the top of the ladder directly below the hanging title belt, Becky returned to the ring with another ladder that she set up next to them just as Asuka was knocked off the ladder down to the canvas. Charlotte jumped over to the ladder Becky ascended in an attempt to halt her progress towards the belt. Just then, Ronda Rousey made her way to the ring and tipped over the ladder they were on and knocked them out of the ring. This allowed Asuka an open path up the lone standing ladder as she was able to retrieve the title and become the new Smackdown Women’s Champion!

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