WWE Summerslam 2026 Night Two

By Steve Ward

WWE Summerslam would continue with night number two from US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tonight’s card featured six matches with five titles contested and was headlined by Roman Reigns going toe to toe against Seth Rollins with the World Heavyweight Championship hanging in the balance. 

 

Undisputed WWE Championship #1 Contender’s Match

Finn Balor vs. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Kevin Owens via pinfall

 

This match was originally scheduled to be a one-on-one encounter between Balor and Zayn until newly reinstated Smackdown GM Nick Aldis made his way onto the stage. Aldis announced that he would be adding another competitor to the match as Gunther made his way out. Aldis then announced he never said he was only adding one competitor as everyone in US Bank Stadium was left in shock when Kevin Owens was introduced as the fourth competitor following a 17-month absence resulting from neck surgery. In the closing moments of this frenetically paced opening contest, Zayn appeared poised to capture victory as he hit the Blue Thunder Bomb on Owens and then had him squared up for the Helluva Kick. As Zayn attempted to kick Owens head off, KO countered with a superkick and then quickly followed up with a Stunner to claim the number one contender’s spot.

 

United States Championship 

Trick Williams (c) w/ Lil Yachty vs. Baron Corbin

Winner: Baron Corbin via pinfall

 

Following his shocking return recently on Smackdown, Corbin immediately set his sights on Trick Williams and the United States Championship. The repeated attacks on Williams by Corbin helped fuel tonight’s match coming to fruition. The closing moments of tonight’s encounter saw Corbin grab the title from ringside and start making his way back into the ring. As Corbin stood on the ring apron, he was confronted by Lil Yachty. Corbin and Yachty proceeded to fight over the belt as Trick ran into Corbin who subsequently bumped into Yachty knocking him from the apron and through a table that was set up at ringside earlier in the bout. With the referee distracted, Corbin proceeded to strike Trick in the head with the belt and followed up with the End of Days which allowed him to cover Williams for the pinfall. 

 

WWE Interim Women’s Championship Ladder Match

Jade Cargill vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green vs. Lash Legend vs. Charlotte Flair

Winner: Chelsea Green

 

With WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley out of action indefinitely due to a torn meniscus, the decision was made to crown an interim champion tonight in a five-way ladder match. The closing moments of this match saw three ladders set up in the middle of the ring. The center one with Green’s feet caught in between rungs as she was hanging upside down following an attack from B-Fab and Michin, another with Cargill and Flair jockeying for position, and the third with Stratton and Legend battling each other. First, Cargill climbed across the ladders to tip over the one with Stratton and Legend on it. Next, Jade and Charlotte took themselves out of the fight with their in-fighting. Finally, Green sat up with her feet still anchored on the ladder and ascended to the top where she retrieved the title.

 

Human Monies On A Pole Match

Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio 

Winner: Danhausen

 

Following weeks of Danhausen throwing curses at The Judgement Day after they attempted to collect money they believed he owed them, they finally decided to settle the core in a Human Monies On A Pole match.  As the match began to wind down, we saw JD McDonagh attempt to assist Dirty Dom until the Minihausens swarmed the ring. Once McDonagh dispatched them, Joe Hendry made his way down the ramp with a guitar in hand and proceeded to shatter it over his head. Dirty Dom then began to climb the the turnbuckles towards the bag of money when Danhausen cursed him and fireworks shot from the corner post knocking Mysterio off. This allowed Danhausen to climb up and retrieve the Human Monies.

 

WWE Intercontinental Championship 

Penta (c) vs. Chad Gable

Winner: Chad Gable via submission 

 

Chad Gable earned his opportunity at the Intercontinental Championship back on the July 13 episode of Monday Night Raw as he emerged victorious in a grueling gauntlet match and tonight would attempt to dethrone Penta who put his 153-day title reign on the line. In the final moments of the bout, Gable survived a brutal Mexican Destroyer on the ring apron to quickly recover in the middle of the squared circle. Gable then countered another Mexican Destroyer attempt in the ring with the ankle lock submission. Gable continued to battle to keep Penta away from the ropes and finally dropped to the canvas to cinch in the hold even deeper which immediately prompted a tap out by Penta.

 

WWE World Heavyweight Championship 

Roman Reigns (c) vs. Seth Rollins

Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall

 

This match symbolized the end of a chapter for both competitors. Seth who had never lost to Roman would attempt to put the shadow of The Shield in his rearview while Roman would seek to finally earn a victory over Rollins exorcising his demons in the process. After both competitors pulled out every stop in an attempt to conquer one another, the referee took an inadvertent spear from Roman Reigns that left him incapacitated outside the ring. Rollins then introduced a chair into the match. Reigns managed to get a hold of the chair and instead of putting it to use, he tossed it from the ring wanting to put Seth away on his own. In the final minutes, Seth attempted a top rope stomp only to miss and be put down with a spear. Roman then connected on two more spears in a row as the referee came to just in time to count the 1-2-3 as The OTC retained his title.

WWE Wrestlemania 39 Night One

By Steve Ward

World Wrestling Entertainment elected to go for the mega cash grab business model again for this year’s Showcase of the Immortals once again as they would emanate two nights in a row from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California - likely because they no longer generate revenue from pay-per-view buys and sold off the WWE Network to Peacock. Nonetheless, what would typically be a five to six hour mega event has now been split into two shows. Night One would feature eight matches with three titles contested and the main event pit The Usos against Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.

United States Championship

John Cena vs. Austin Theory (c)

Winner: Austin Theory via pinfall

The show surprisingly kicked off with the return of John Cena to a WWE ring following another prolonged absence as he answered the challenge of the brash Austin Theory. Cena made a solid showing in the ring with little evidence of ring rust, however, Theory prevailed in the end. Cena had Theory on his shoulders and inadvertently knocked the referee out. Cena proceeded to cinch in the STF prompting a tapout from Theory to no avail as the referee had still not recovered. As Cena attempted to revive the referee, Theory struck him with a low blow followed by the A-Town Down to retain his championship.

Wrestlemania Showcase Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Match

Ricochet & Braun Strowman vs. The Viking Raiders w/ Valhalla vs. Alpha Academy (Otis & Chad Gable) vs. The Street Profits (Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins)

Winners: The Street Profits via pinfall

This match not only allowed WWE to fit more Superstars onto the card but also would serve to designate who the next team in line for a tag team title opportunity would be. In the closing moments, Ricochet attempted the Shooting Star Press only to land on Angelo Dawkins’ raised knees and Montez Ford proceeded to dive from the top turnbuckle to drive Ricochet’s face into Dawkins’ knees again setting up the pinfall.

Seth Rollins vs. Logan Paul

Winner: Seth Rollins via pinfall

Logan Paul first eliminated Seth Rollins from the Royal Rumble Match, then cost him a victory in the Elimination Chamber, and has trolled him endlessly culminating in their encounter tonight at Wrestlemania. Seth Rollins withstood outside interference from KSI, the GTS, and a frog splash to turn around and hit the curb stomp to pull out the victory.

Becky Lynch, Lita, & Trish Stratus vs. Damage Ctrl (Bayley, Io Sky, & Dakota Kai)

Winners: Becky Lynch, Lita, & Trish Stratus via pinfall 

Following their shocking victory over Io Sky and Dakota Kai to claim the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles several weeks ago with the backing of Trish Stratus, a bitter rivalry has continued to fester leading us to tonight’s encounter. The crowd seemed disinterested in this match during the early going but in the closing moments they would become much more engaged as Lita executed a Litasault from the top turnbuckle and then Becky Lynch hit the Manhandle Slam from the second rope on Bayley to claim the pinfall victory for her team.

Rey Mysterio vs. Dominik Mysterio

Winner: Rey Mysterio via pinfall

After he abandoned his father to join The Judgement Day, Dominik Mysterio has continued to try everything in his power to goad his father into a match at Wrestlemania. Rey continuously rejected his son’s attempts until Dominik disrespected his mother at ringside recently on Smackdown. That leads us to their confrontation tonight following Rey’s induction into the WWE Hall of Fame last night in Los Angeles. Rey appeared to be in dire straits with the appearance of The Judgment Day at ringside but The Legado del Fantasma and Spanish announce table guest commentator Bad Bunny evened the odds. In the end, Rey hit the 619 and immediately followed up with the frog splash to seal the victory over his son.

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Winner: Rhea Ripley via pinfall

Following her victory in the Women’s Royal Rumble match, Rhea Ripley elected to challenge Charlottle Flair in an attempt to avenge her Wrestlemania loss in 2020. Neither of these competitors left anything in the ring as each exhausted their entire arsenals but in the end, Ripley executed the Riptide from the turnbuckle to finally put away Charlotte Flair to become the new Smackdown Women’s Champion.

The Miz vs. Pat McAfee

Winner: Pat McAfee via pinfall

The hosts of Wrestlemania, The Miz and Snoop Dogg, made their way to the ring to announce the attendance and The Miz proceeded to claim he made an open challenge that no one responded to. Pat McAfee then surprised the crowd to accept. With an assist from San Francisco 49er George Kittle, McAfee finished The Miz off with a punt to the head to claim victory.

WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championship

The Usos (c) vs. Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn

Winners: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn via pinfall

Following his dismissal from The Bloodline, Sami Zayn pled with Kevin Owens for weeks to team with him to gain revenge on The Bloodline finally wearing him down and bringing us to tonight’s contest for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship. In the closing moments of the match, Sami Zayn gained retribution on Jey Uso and The Bloodline as he executed three consecutive Helluva Kicks to allow him to cover Uso for the pinfall as new Undisputed Tag Team Champions were crowned.

WWE Hell In A Cell 2022

By Steve Ward

WWE Hell In A Cell emanated from the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois and would have a lot to live up to after AEW put forth an incredible show in Las Vegas last weekend with Double Or Nothing. This evening’s card featured only two title bouts and was headlined by Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins waging war inside the visceral Hell In A Cell, however, it was notable that many major names were not present on the card including, Roman Reigns, Drew McIntyre, Charlotte Flair, Ronda Rousey, and The Usos - to name a few.

RAW Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match

Asuka vs. Becky Lynch vs. Bianca Belair (c)

Winner: Bianca Belair via pinfall

Bianca Belair found herself in the crosshairs of not only the woman whose title she took at Wrestlemania, Becky Lynch, but also the returning Asuka. Belair was originally set to square of with the Empress of Tomorrow one on one until Lynch pinned Asuka recently on Monday Night RAW to insert herself into the bout. In a surprisingly fast-paced and entertaining opening contest, the closing moments saw Lynch execute the Manhandle Slam seemingly leaving her poised to win the title. Belair then reemerged from the arena floor and dragged Lynch from the ring stealing the pinfall on the stunned Asuka to retain her title.

2-on-1 Handicap Match

Bobby Lashley vs. Omos & MVP

Winner: Bobby Lashley via submission

Tonight offered a continuation in the ongoing rivalry between Lashley and Omos that began at Wrestlemania and was further ignited as MVP betrayed Lashley upon his return from injury.  In the closing moments of the contest, Cedric Alexander provided just enough of a distraction to allow Lashley to spear Omos leaving MVP alone with The Almighty who cinched in the Hurt Lock to earn the submission victory.

Ezekiel vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Kevin Owens via pinfall

Since the night following Wrestlemania, the wrestler once know as Elias,  has been monopolizing his time with convincing Kevin Owens that he is Elias’ younger brother Ezekiel - even though it’s clearly the same wrestler with no beard, no guitar, a haircut, and different ring attire. Ezekiel showed some flashes of offense early but a cannonball delivered to a vulnerable Ezekiel followed by the Stunner was too much for him to overcome as Owens easily pinned him for the three count.

A.J. Styles, Finn Balor, & Liv Morgan vs. The Judgement Day (Edge, Damian Priest, & Rhea Ripley)

Winners: The Judgement Day via pinfall

This bout held several underlying plot lines heading into this evening. Edge and Styles have had their ongoing rivalry since prior to Wrestlemania, Morgan and Ripley were former tag team partners, and Styles and Balor are both Bullet Club alumni from their time in New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor which brings us to the tag team affair tonight. In the final moments of the bout, Edge appeared to be in dire straits as Balor ascended to the top rope to attempt the Coup de Grace. Ripley then stood in his way thwarting the attempt and as Balor came back down to the canvas, he was greeted with a devastating spear from Edge to seal the victory for The Judgement Day.

No Hold Barred Match

Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss

Winner: Madcap Moss via pinfall

The rivalry between Moss and Corbin, one time friends turned bitter enemies, that was sparked out of jealousy following Moss’ win in the Andre The Giant Battle Royal and Corbin’s loss on The Showcase of the Immortals, continued this evening in a No Holds Barred match. In what essentially evolved into a watered down hardcore match, Moss finally earned a measure of revenge on Corbin as he wrapped a steel chair around his head and dropped the steel ring stairs on him before covering Happy for the pinfall

United States Championship

Austin Theory (c) vs. Mustafa Ali

Winner: Austin Theory via pinfall

The youngest United States Champion in history stood toe to toe with Chicago’s own Mustafa Ali with his championship gold on the line in a match that came to fruition on Monday night. Mr. McMahon had Adam Pearce establish the bout after Theory gave Ali a “title shot” following his match with Ciampa in the interest of fairness. Late in the match, Ali missed a 450 attempt that allowed Theory to capitalize and retain his title after he put Ali away with the A-Town Down.

Hell In A Cell Match

Cody Rhodes vs. Seth Rollins

Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall

Seth Rollins obsession over his loss to Cody Rhodes at Wrestlemania has continued to linger while seemingly plunging him deeper into self-manifested madness. Tonight could be the final chapter in this rivalry as the two stepped into the ominous Hell In A Cell. Prior to the match, it was reported that Cody had sustained a torn pectoral muscle while training earlier in the week and needless to say, it was accurate. After Cody removed his ring jacket, the crowd was left in utter silence as his right pectoral and bicep were grotesquely black and blue. To add to the drama of this encounter, Rollins elected to don black ring attire with yellow polka dots - a jab at Cody’s father, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Give Cody Rhodes a lot of credit as he was clearly limited in his arsenal tonight yet still managed to put forth the best match of the evening with Seth Rollins. In the closing moments, Rhodes executed multiple Cross Rhodes before he put Rollins down with a sledgehammer shot to the head.

Wrestlemania 38 Night One

By Steve Ward

WWE kicked off the “Showcase of the Immortals” with night one of a two night extravaganza from AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. Some may say two is better than one or that they had grown weary of how long Wrestlemania had become each year prior to COVID, however, the event which for over 30 years has equated itself to the Super Bowl of professional wrestling now feels as if it’s lost some of it’s luster. No longer is it the one day of the year that die-hard and casual fans alike would mark on their calendars but instead an opportunity for WWE to capitalize on two days of massive ticket gates and merchandise sales with an overproduced product. Nonetheless, that’s what we have and can only hope that two days worth of shows can produce one equivalent in entertainment value to AEW Revolution last month. Night one’s card featured seven matches with three titles contested and the main event segment would highlight the return of the legendary Stone Cold Steve Austin as the guest of Kevin Owens on the KO Show.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura & Rick Boogs vs. The Usos (c)

Winners: The Usos via pinfall

The night opened as The Usos put their 257-day title reign on the line against the duo of Nakamura and Boogs (who has replaced Elias as WWE’s resident guitar player - although I still wonder if he’s actually playing at times). As Nakamura and Boogs seemed to have all the momentum midway through the match, Boogs knee gave out as he attempted to carry both Usos on his shoulders effectively removing him from the match. The numbers game was too much for Nakamura as he finally succumbed to the 1D (The Usos version of the Dudley Death Drop) allowing Jimmy and Jey to retain their titles.

Drew McIntyre vs. Happy Corbin w/ Madcap Moss

Winner: Drew McIntyre via pinfall

In a rivalry that has seemingly been carried out for way too long, not only because of a lack of creative ideas but also to ensure both men had a spot on the Wrestlemania card, McIntyre and Corbin’s months long rivalry hopefully reach it’s conclusion tonight. In what should be the final chapter of this long running program between the two, McIntyre withstood Corbin’s End of Days in order to execute the Claymore Kick moments later to seal the victory.

Rey & Dominic Mysterio vs. The Miz & Logan Paul

Winners: The Miz & Logan Paul via pinfall

This bout came to fruition after The Miz ridiculed Dominic Mysterio for having a contract only because of his father (which is not completely false) and later introduced YouTuber and “boxer” Logan Paul as his tag team partner. It appeared that The Mysterios were poised for victory as The Miz was seemingly out of the picture. Logan Paul fell victim to a dual 619 and then back to back frog splashes. As Rey went for the pinfall attempt, Miz reemerged and dropped Dominic on top of Rey. Miz then executed the Skull Crushing Finale and pinned the elder Mysterio for the win. As The Miz and Logan Paul celebrated, Miz back-stabbed Paul and delivered another Skull Crushing Finale to his tag team partner to ensure he was the only one in the spotlight as the dust settled.

RAW Women’s Championship

Becky Lynch (c) vs. Bianca Belair

Winner: Bianca Belair via pinfall

Following the shocking return back at Summerslam by Becky Lynch where she took Belair’s title in 26 seconds, Belair finally finally found her way into a rematch with “Big Time” Becky Lynch on the grandest stage of them all. This match would have been significantly more entertaining if it was about five minutes shorter as it just seemed to drag on and on between a few highlights such as Lynch delivering a senton-like heel kick from the top rope and Belair executing a 450 splash from the middle rope. The conclusion arrived after Belair executed the KOD for the win as a new champion was crowned.

Seth Rollins vs. An Opponent of Mr. McMahon’s Choosing (Cody Rhodes)

Winner: Cody Rhodes via pinfall

After Seth Rollins missed out on every opportunity for securing a match at Wrestlemania, Mr. McMahon told him this past Monday night on RAW that he would indeed have a match - against an opponent of his choosing. This caused speculation to run wild…would it be Cody Rhodes? Shane McMahon? Or my guess Corey Graves? Seth would not know until he made his way to the ring. After a few minutes of suspense, Cody Rhodes was revealed as Rollins’ mystery opponent. Interestingly enough, Cody made his way to the ring with his identical AEW entrance theme song and a near identical entrance through the floor of the entrance stage. This was enough to make me wonder for a split second if Vince McMahon had opened the “forbidden door” again after he allowed Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James to compete in this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble Match. Seth Rollins seemed in prime position to spoil the return of Cody, however, he  was stopped dead in his tracks before attempting the curb stomp. Rhodes then countered with consecutive Cross Rhodes, The Bionic Elbow, and one final Cross Rhodes as he put away Seth Rollins in his return following a six year absence from the company.

Smackdown Women’s Championship

Charlotte Flair (c) vs. Ronda Rousey

Winner: Charlotte Flair via pinfall

Ronda Rousey not only made her shocking return to the WWE at the Royal Rumble but also won the match. Following her victory, she decided to challenge The Queen for her coveted title at Wrestlemania. Late in the match Ronda Rousey first executed the Piper’s Pit, however, Charlotte got her foot on the rope to break the pinfall attempt. Next, Rousey cinched in the armbar causing Charlotte to tap, however, referee Charles Robinson had been knocked out moments earlier. As Rousey attempted to stir him, Flair rolled up Ronda for the pinfall to retain her title.

Night one concluded with Kevin Owens hosting the KO Show with special guest, Stone Cold Steve Austin! After Austin made his way to the ring to the loudest pop of the entire show, Kevin Owens told Austin he didn’t bring him out to talk but rather to challenge him to a no holds barred match. Austin called for a referee and the fight was on!

Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Stone Cold Steve Austin via pinfall

Steve Austin looked like he never left a WWE ring as he beat Kevin Owens all over the stadium. In the closing moments, Owens was unable to capitalize on a Stunner he delivered to Austin as the Texas Rattlesnake rallied to deliver the real Stunner and pinned KO for the victory. This match was by and large the absolute highlight of the evening and arguably the most entertaining thing I’ve seen on WWE programming in years. If this was the last hurrah, it was fitting for one of, if not the, greatest of all time. Not only did Austin score the victory in his home state, but also had an epic beer celebration in the ring that featured a Stunner delivered to Byron Saxton and a beer shared with his brother.

WWE WrestleMania 37 Night Two

By Steve Ward

WWE returned to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida this evening for night number two of Wrestlemania 37. This also marked the second WWE pay per view exclusively offered on the Peacock streaming service and, while I’m a bit disgruntled by some of the edits they’ve made to classic content and the fact that the entire library is not yet available, I can say it was nice to watch an entire show without a pause for buffering (not as a result of my internet provider). This evening’s card arguably brought a greater level of star power with seven matches, five of which were contested for titles, and was headlined by the triple threat match for Roman Reigns’ Universal Championship.

Randy Orton vs. “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt w/ Alexa Bliss

Winner: Randy Orton via pinfall

Randy Orton believed he had finally put The Fiend to rest several months ago after he “set him on fire” only to find himself tormented by Alexa Bliss until last month’s Fastlane pay per view where a charred Wyatt made his return by busting through the bottom of the ring to attack Orton. That leads us to tonight where Orton sought once again to finally rid himself of The Fiend. I’ll be honest, I just didn’t care for this match at all. After Wyatt made his entrance out of a giant jack in the box at ringside, the ring was illuminated in red lights for the duration of the match in quite annoying fashion. This bout arrived at it’s merciful conclusion after Wyatt was distracted by Bliss sitting atop the jack in the box allowing Randy Orton the window of opportunity he needed to hit the RKO for the win.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Tamina & Natalya vs. Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax (c)

Winners: Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax via submission

After their win in the women’s tag team turmoil match last night, Tamina and Natalya earned their shot at the tag team titles this evening. This match quickly restored the momentum of the show as Tamina and Natalya put forth a spirited effort in their quest for tag team gold but sadly came up a little short. The closing moments saw Nia Jax in dire straits as Natalya seemed to have victory within reach, however, she did not see a blind tag by Baszler before Neidhart knocked her off the ring apron. Neidhart proceeded to lock in the Sharpshooter on Jax, however, unbeknownst to her, Baszler climbed back into the ring behind her and cinched in the Kirafuda Clutch. Natalya had nowhere to go and passed out crowning your winners, and still tag team champions, Baszler and Jax.

Sami Zayn w/ Logan Paul vs. Kevin Owens

Winner: Kevin Owens via pinfall

Sami Zayn has believed for several months now to be the victim of a conspiracy which prompted him to invite Logan Paul as his special guest to observe the said conspiracy unfold from ringside as he battled his former best friend Kevin Owens. Sami Zayn put forth a solid effort as he showcased the Michinoku Driver, Blue Thunder Bomb, and the Helluva Kick but these weren’t enough. Zayn saw the tide turn late as Owens reversed a top rope superplex attempt into a Fisherman’s Suplex which opened the door for the Stunner moments later. Following the match, Paul tried to congratulate Owens only to find himself also at the receiving end of a Stunner.

United States Championship

Riddle (c) vs. Sheamus

Winner: Sheamus via pinfall

This was a truly hard hitting affair that saw former UFC competitor Matt Riddle’s striking ability matched by the veteran Sheamus. The closing moments of the match saw Riddle attempt a middle rope moonsault only to be met with a Brogue Kick in mid flight. This allowed Sheamus to secure the pinfall as blood poured from Riddle’s mouth.

WWE Intercontinental Championship Nigerian Drum Fight

Big E (c) vs. Apollo Crews

Winner: Apollo Crews via pinfall

Apollo has continued to challenge Big E for the Intercontinental Title for several months and has continued to fail. In seemingly his final attempt at the title, Crews challenged Big E to a Nigerian Drum Fight. No one had a clue what this would entail until this evening when we discovered it was simply a hardcore match with kendo sticks, drums, a gong, and tables surrounding the ring. Big E was in control for the majority of this match and seemed poised to retain his title after Crews put himself through a table on a failed frog splash attempt foiled by Big E rolling out of harms way. Big E followed up with the Big Ending, however, a monstrous man emerged from nowhere to take him out allowing Crews to cover him for the pinfall crowning a new champion.

WWE RAW Women’s Championship

Asuka (c) vs. Rhea Ripley

Winner: Rhea Ripley via pinfall

Asuka’s continued quest for competition saw her challenge for this evening answered by “The Nightmare” Rhea Ripley - a woman who steamrolled the competition on NXT and made her Wrestlemania debut last year against Charlotte Flair. This was another fairly entertaining match as both competitors used a full array of strikes and submission holds, however, it had a rather anti-climatic conclusion. Asuka was poised to deliver the Asuka Kick only to be intercepted by Ripley who delivered the Riptide for a quick pinfall.

WWE Universal Championship                                                                                    

Roman Reigns (c) w/ Paul Heyman & Jey Uso vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan

Winner: Roman Reigns via pinfall

This was originally supposed to be a one-on-one affair between Reigns and Edge after The Rated-R Superstar’s triumphant win at the Royal Rumble, however, Daniel Bryan worked his way into the match after feeling slighted following his losses at the Elimination Chamber and again at Fastlane. This match essentially began as a tag team affair as Jey Uso quickly interjected himself into the fray until Edge restored order and executed a DDT to him planting his skull into the steel ring steps. In the closing moments, Edge seemed poised to become Universal Champion as he brutalized both of his opponents with a steel chair. This wasn’t enough for Edge as he then set up both men for a Conchairto. After Edge delivered the first to Daniel Bryan, Jey Uso reemerged to supply a distraction just long enough to allow Reigns to deliver a spear to Edge. Reigns then dragged Edge’s limp body and draped him over Daniel Bryan. Reigns covered both men simultaneously for the decisive pinfall to retain his title.

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WWE TLC 2020

By Steve Ward

WWE’s new home for the Thunderdome, Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay, Florida, was the site for this evening’s final Quarantine Era pay per view of 2020 - Tables, Ladders, and Chairs. One would have to wonder if WWE would step their game up amidst a continued decline in their RAW and Smackdown viewership, losses in the ratings by NXT for several Wednesdays to AEW Dynamite, and after AEW also unleashed a bombshell earlier this month in the signing of the legendary Sting. Nonetheless, this evening’s card featured six matches with five titles contested and featured two Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches.

WWE Championship TLC Match  

AJ Styles w/ Omos vs. Drew McIntyre (c)  

Winner: Drew McIntyre

The main card wasted no time getting off the ground this evening as “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles found himself in the middle of the title picture as he scored a shot at champion, Drew McIntyre. McIntyre has been riding a monumental wave of momentum for the duration of the year including a win in the Royal Rumble and two world title reigns. Halfway through the bout, McIntyre launched Styles out of the ring and through a table on the arena floor. As McIntyre ascended the ladder, an opening was created for The Miz as he made his way to the ring with John Morrison and cracked Drew in the back with a chair. The Miz proceeded to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase turning the bout into a triple threat match and then scaled the ladder, however, he was stopped by Omos who carried Miz to the edge of the ring and dropped him through a table set up on the floor. Morrison tried to avenge The Miz by striking Omos with a chair, however, the chair shattered leaving only it’s legs in Morrison’s hands. Omos proceeded to chase Morrison out of the arena leaving McIntyre, Styles, and now The Miz to vie for the title. In the closing moments, McIntyre shoved the The Miz and Styles off of the ladder as they battled each other to retrieve the title. Styles was propelled out of the ring and The Miz was soon eliminated from the picture as the recipient of a Claymore Kick. An easy opening manifested that allowed McIntyre to scale the ladder to retrieve and retain his title.

Smackdown Women’s Championship
Carmella w/ Reginald vs. Sasha Banks (c)
Winner: Sasha Banks via submission

Following a hiatus from television, Smackdown color commentator Corey Graves’ real life mistress Carmella made her return and found herself quickly in line for a title shot that culminated this evening. Sadly the time off didn’t improve Carmella’s wrestling skills much but luckily the WWE Universe wasn’t subjected to an excessively long match as Banks halted her title hopes with the Bank Statement to retain her title.

RAW Tag Team Championship
The Hurt Business (Shelton Benjamin & Cedric Alexander) w/ MVP vs. The New Day (Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods)
Winners: The Hurt Business via pinfall
MVP’s Hurt Business sought to add more gold to their ranks this evening as Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander challenged for the RAW Tag Team Championship. Following a frenetically paced match, Shelton Benjamin had Kofi squared up when Alexander blind-tagged his way into the match much to the displeasure of The Gold Standard. Alexander proceeded to execute the Lumbar Check on Kingston to earn the pinfall and crown new tag team champions. Another note of significance was this marked Benjamin’s first tag team title reign in 17 years since he last held the tag team gold with Charlie Haas as one half of The World’s Greatest Tag Team.

WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs. Asuka & Charlotte Flair
Winners: Asuka & Charlotte Flair via pinfall
Asuka was originally scheduled to tag with Lana until she was brutalized at the hands of the tag team champs on Monday Night RAW leaving the Empress of Tomorrow in search of a new partner. The virtual WWE Universe was stunned as Asuka’s mystery partner was revealed to be “The Queen” Charlotte Flair. A  much leaner Flair showed no signs of any ring rust as her full arsenal was on display - most notably a beautifully executed moonsault she delivered from the top turnbuckle to the arena floor. In the closing moments, Flair hit the Natural Selection on Baszler allowing her to capture the pinfall victory and crown new tag team champions.

Universal Championship TLC Match
Roman Reigns (c) w/ Paul Heyman vs. Kevin Owens
Winner: Roman Reigns
Following an extended period of title picture irrelevancy, Kevin Owens was put in a prime spot this evening as he challenged Roman Reigns in a sadistic TLC match for the Universal Championship. KO was able to get the jump on Reigns early as he emerged out of nowhere while Roman watched his title hoisted to the rafters. Owens was then able to dispose of Jey Uso who came to his cousin’s aid allowing him to maintain some early momentum. Owens momentum was short-lived as Uso returned again later in the match to distract KO’s attention away from Reigns. This advantage was seized by Reigns as me maintained control until the closing moments of the match. Roman attempted to spear KO on the arena floor, however, Owens moved at that last moment as Reigns launched himself through the ringside barrier. Owens again seemed in a prime position to become the new champion as he scaled the ladder in the ring only to be met again by Jey Uso. After Owens disposed of Uso yet again, Roman recovered and made his way up the ladder where he unceremoniously delivered a low blow to KO which created the opportunity for him to cinch in a guillotine choke. Reigns did not release the hold until Owens body went limp and fell to the canvas. Reigns then slowly removed the title from it’s hook above the ring to complete his retention. 

Firefly Inferno Match
“The Fiend” Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton
Winner: Randy Orton
This match marked the rekindling (pun intended) of the previous rivalry between these two combatants that stemmed back to Bray’s time at the head of the Wyatt Family. One may ask, what’s a Firefly Inferno Match? It’s simply an Inferno Match involving Bray Wyatt so the winner would be declared when one man sets any part of the other’s body on fire. In the closing moments of this match, which received a very negative response from the virtual crowd, The Fiend attacked Orton with the Mandible Claw. Orton was able to push Wyatt into the flames at ringside while his fingers were still shoved down his throat and then rolled him into the ring where he delivered an RKO. Orton then decided to douse The Fiend in gasoline and  dropped a lit match leaving Wyatt engulfed in flames to close the show (note it was rather evident that they swapped The Fiend out for a dummy).

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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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