Survivor Series 2021 Recap & Results

            Universal Champion Damien Priest and Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura kicked off Survivor Series 2021. I went into this match with my heart firmly set on Priest winning. I must also confess that I miss his Archer of Infamy entrance. While Damien is working some impressive joint manipulation, Rick Boogs is on the outside rifting on his guitar trying to invigorate Nakamura. It worked momentarily. As Priest regains control, Boogs strikes some chords once again irritating the Universal champ and giving control back to Shinsuke. Priest counters with a spinning heel kick to the guts of his opponent. This match went back and forth with several close 3 counts. However, the match would end in a disqualification for Priest when he used the guitar of Rick Boogs as a weapon. So far it is Raw 0 and SmackDown 1.

            The first match of the evening is another champion verses champion. It is Becky Lynch squaring up against Charlotte Flair. I was going to test my theory that I can predict who will win based on the competitors in ring gear but this one was too close to call. Charlotte came to the ring in solid black with devil horns on her shoulders. Becky Lynch comes to the ring wearing devil red latex gear with matching knee high boots. This is going to be a "hellish" match. A beautifully vicious contest with each women releasing their frustrations to the point that neither could sustain an offense. The highlight of the match for me was when Lynch locked in Flair's signature figure four leg lock. Charlotte countered into the figure eight until she was forced to break the hold when Becky reached the ropes. Turn around is fair play as moments later, Charlotte would have Becky in an arm bar. Make no mistake, this was a FIGHT from bell to bell. In the end, Becky Lynch "steals" the win as she pins Charlotte Flair while holding onto the ropes. The score is now Raw 1 and SmackDown 1.

            The men's 5-on-5 Elimination Tag Team match is next. The Raw line-up consists of team captain Bobby Lashley, Austin Theory, Finn Balor, Kevin Owens and Seth Rollins. Their SmackDown opponents are King Woods, Jeff Hardy, Sheamus, Happy Corbin and Drew McIntyre. I am personally rooting for team SmackDown. Kevin Owens fought to start this match but he didn't fight. As soon as the bell rings, he rolls out under the bottom rope and walks up the ramp allowing himself to be counted out. The second person to be eliminated is Happy Corbin compliments of Finn Balor. With a nasty spear followed by the Hurt Lock, Lashley sends King Woods back to the locker room. This lead to the inevitable match up of Bobby Lashley and Drew McIntyre showcasing their disdain for each other. Both athletes take their anger outside the ring and over the barricade resulting in a double count out. Finn Balor will be hitting the showers next as he is taken out by Sheamus. The Celtic Warrior would only survive for a couple more minutes as he is the next to be sent up the ramp by Austin Theory. We are now down to Raw's Austin Theory and Seth Rollins verses SmackDown's Jeff Hardy. The veteran Hardy quickly takes out Theory leaving Jeff to face Seth Rollins one on one. Rollins secures the win for team Raw and the title of sole survivor. It is now Raw 2 and SmackDown 1.

            Next is the 25 man Battle Royal. I have a couple of favorites in this bout. I would be happy with one of the Viking Raiders, Babatunde, aka, Commander Azeez, Jinder Mahal or Shanky picking up the win. Since you can only be eliminated by going over the top rope and both feet touching the floor, AJ Styles smartly goes under the bottom rope to remain fresh by staying out of the chaos. With more than half of the competitors out of the ring, Styles finally joins the battle. However, he is inadvertently eliminated by his tag partner Omos. Omos continued to dominate all the way to a win. Don't know how I feel about this. What I do know is that Raw is in the lead 3 to 1.

            The Usos are now set to face RK-Bro in a tag team match. Before the contest begins, it is important to highlight a great accomplishment. Tonight, Randy Orton sets the record for the most pay-per-view matches in WWE history. Orton would continue to pad his future hall of fame video package when he hits the RKO on Jey Uso who tried to take him out with an Uso Splash to pick up the win. Raw is up 4 to 1. 

            Before we get to the main event of the evening, the women are up in their 5-on-5 elimination match. Raw consists of captain Bianca Belair, Carmella, Zelina "Red Rooster" Vega, Liv Morgan and Rhea Ripley. Team SmackDown is captained by Sasha Banks. She is joined by Natalya, Shayna Baszler, Toni Storm and Shotzi Blackheart. The first women to be eliminated is Carmella. Quite some time later, Zelina Vega would be sent back to the locker room followed by Toni Storm. Liv Morgan would be the fourth athlete eliminated. Rhea Ripley is now out compliments of Shayna Baszler. This contest moved very fast once Vega was taken out eventually leaving Bianca Belair to duke it out against Shotzi Blackheart. Belair would end up winning earning her the title of sole survivor. Congrats to Raw for being the brand with the most wins at 5 to 1. 

            Now for the main event of Roman Reigns verses Big E. Traditional lock up to start the match. Roman would take control and go for the first pinfall. Reigns would continue to dominate the match when E went for a big splash only to miss. This allowed for the Tribal Chief to hit his challenger with a drive by. The assault continues back in the ring. The WWE Universe tried to encourage Ettore but Roman let loose a couple of boots to the face before going for yet another pin. This beat down reminds me of when Bobby Lashley just man handled Kofi Kingston at Money in the Bank 2021. Big E does get in a couple of moments of offense, including a stretch muffler on his opponent. But time and time again, Roman regains control. Despite a powerful spear in the center of the ring, E somehow preserves himself. He even hits the Big Ending but Reigns grabs the ropes which halted the 3 count. The Universal champion, Roman Reigns, would hit one final spear to pick up the win. He has now been the champ for 448 days and the final score of the evening is Raw 5 and SmackDown 2. 

            This was the last WWE pay-per-view of 2021. It was decent. It was also nice to see Vince McMahon make a cameo. As much as I would have loved to see Brock Lesner, I appreciated the lack of surprises because I have a feeling the company is going to ring in 2022 with a bang via their January 1 pay-per-view.  Until then.......

#BringBackBraun

Crown Jewel Recap and Results

            Crown Jewel wasted no time getting right into the action. The first match of the evening had Edge meeting Seth Rollins in Hell in a Cell match. Five tons of steel is the third opponent in this storyline ending contest. Edge wastes no times and pummels Seth into the corner. Shortly thereafter, chairs, tools, chains and other instruments were utilized by both athletes unforgivingly. Poetic justice would end the match as Edge delivers a final stomp to pick up the win. Now that this storyline appears to over, I am eager to see what's next for the Rated-R Superstar.

            Just like Bianca Belair and Sasha Banks made history at WrestleMania 37, Mustafa Ali and Mansoor are about to do the same. These two superstars are the first two Muslims squaring up at a pay-per-view. Mansoor has never lost at a pay-per-view that has been hosted in his home country of Saudi Arabia. I am going into this contest fully expecting to see his hand raised. And win he did. Despite camel clutches, tornado DDTs and verbal berating by Ali, Mansoor once again picks up a win in front of his countrymen. But hold on folks, there's more. After the bell, Ali attacks Mansoor and then music hits. WWE has just introduced us to Olympian silver medal winner Tareg Hamedi as he comes to the aid of Mansoor. 

            Next, we have the first championship match of the evening. AJ Styles and Omos will be facing RK-Bro in a standard match for the Raw Tag Team Championships. AJ and Omos are on a mission of vengeance to reclaim the gold from the odd coupling of Randy Orton and Matt Riddle. Before we get to the action, let's talk about the entrance. Matt comes to the ring on a camel while Randy walks alongside. I can't help but remember Bobby Heenan making his entrance at WrestleMania IX.

Oh, the memories. Now back to the action.

            This was a great match. The crowd was cheering all the way for the champs. Orton and Riddle retain the gold with the assist of a RKO and a Floating Bro off the top rope. 

            In addition to 4 championship matches tonight, we also have the final round of both Queen's Crown and King of the Ring. First up are the women. The first finalist is Zelina "Red Rooster" Vega. Her opponent is Piper Niven. The size difference between these two is hard not to notice. Tiny Vega tried repeatedly to pin the bigger Niven. It was her third attempt using her signature move, Code Red, that secured the crown for Zelina.  I'm not happy and I hope that it doesn't take a year before she is dethroned.

            I am really looking forward to this next match between Bobby Lashley and Bill Goldberg. It is a falls count anywhere, no holds barred match. Even though Goldberg is not known for having long matches, I am praying he gives us a little bit more tonight. And I'm thankful this is his third match in 2021 despite reports that Bill was only contracted for two. 

            As the match begins, Lashley pulls a chain out of his tights, wraps it around his fist and immediately assaults Goldberg. Then he retrieves a steel chair to continue his dominance. Next comes a table into the ring. It was meant for Bill, but Bobby's own momentum sends him through the table. Goldberg catches a second wind and spears the Almighty followed by a jackhammer. Instead of going for the win, he literally takes his gloves off and continues his quest to destroy Lashley. The Hall of Famer sends Bobby through the barricade on the outside. Viciousness continues as Goldberg repeatedly slammed Lashley into everything and anything. A trip up the ramp reveals the presence of Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander armed with kendo sticks. With Lashley's cohorts quickly dispatched, Goldberg spears Lashley off the ramp and through a table to pick up the win.

            Now it is time for the King of the Ring tournament final. Finn Balor or Xavier Woods would be a great king. But in the end, it would be Xavier Woods crowned King of the Ring.

            From one New Day member to another, it is now time for Big E's match against Drew McIntyre. These two bulls always give a great performance. As much I love both athletes, I must confess that I was rooting for Drew all the way. But not all prayers are meant to be answered in the affirmative. Congrats to Ettore for retaining his gold. And to Drew, don't quit before the miracle. You will have gold around your waist again. 

            Women are up again with a triple threat match between Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bianca Belair. I truly do not know who this match favors. This trio of alpha female athletes gave a fist flying and trash talking exceptional match. When all was said and done, Becky Lynch would retain her title. 

            The final match of the evening has to be the most anticipated match of the evening. The Beast Brock Lesner is facing the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns for the Universal title. I was all set for Brock to capture gold, as well as, a plot twist. While Paul Heyman came to the ring with Reigns, the question is: will he leave with Reigns? The other question that will be answered tonight is whether or not, Roman will wake up tomorrow morning as the Universal Champ for the 504th straight day. 

            As the bell rings, Brock goes right after the champ and executes a suplex within the first 5 minutes of the match. Roman catches his breath and takes the action outside the ring with a superman punch and a high flying takedown over the top rope to the arena floor. Back in the ring, Reigns hits his first spear against Lesner. The Beast is down but not for long. Roman goes for a third superman punch but instead kisses the ring post. This allows for Brock to hit two more suplexes and an F-5 leading into an unsuccessful pin attempt. Then comes the plot twist. Lesner goes for a F-5 and "inadvertently" sends Roman into referee Charles Robinson. Second plot twist comes when Paul Heyman throws the championship belt into the ring evenly between both superstars. Lesner get a hold of the belt only to have it knocked out of hi hand when he is super kicked by the Usos. This is followed by a strike to the skull of Brock by Roman while holding the championship belt. Then another ref runs down the ramp to count 1-2-3 resulting in Roman retaining his title. 

            Including the kick off show, it was a great 5 hours of entertainment. With Crown Jewel in the rear view, tomorrow night is the first night when all the draft picks go into effective. Bring on the new feuds and returning superstars. Prayers to all of WWE for a safe flight home. See you Friday night.

#BringBackBraun

Extreme Rules Recap and Results

            The kick off match was between Liv Morgan and Carmella. I have said many times that you can often tell who is going to win a WWE pay-per-view by what a superstar wears to the ring. Carmella wore wedding night gear while Liv came to the ring dressed as Marvel's newest super hero. In an earlier post, I predicted Liv winning and win she did. That was expected. What was not expected was Peacock running both English and Spanish commentary at the same time. Oh, wait, it's Peacock. I guess sub par streaming was expected. PEACOCK SUCKS!!!

              The audio issues continued when English and French commentary played simultaneously at the beginning of the 6 man match between the New Day v. AJ Styles, Omos and Bobby Lashley. It was a decent contest with the New Day going after Lashley, as well as, Omos dominating his opponents. It is also important to note Jimmy Smith and Corey Graves speculating whether or not Omos and AJ will be separated as a result of the upcoming draft. I think that would be a good idea. Omos is now well established and AJ doesn't need an insurance policy. Back in the ring, Big E pins Bobby Lashley to pick up the win for his team.

            The Street Profits squared up against the Usos. I predicted the Usos retaining because the Bloodline story hasn't reached its apex. Anyway, the match starts with a very visible bullseye on Montez Ford. His ribs are heavily taped because of the actions of Roman Reign and the Usos this past Friday night. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Smelling blood in the water, the Usos hit Ford with multiple forms of aggression to the ribs and pick up the win to retain their titles. With the draft looming on the horizon, I am interested in seeing if the Street Profits will be split up. Montez would be a great singles competitor. I don't know about Dawkins future. I wonder if the Street Profits will go the way of Heavy Machinery. 

            Playtime is next as Alexa Bliss takes on Charlotte Flair for the title. The evil pixie could not overcome all the veteran moves of Flair to become the new Raw Women's Champion. The queen retains her gold. Charlotte decided to celebrate her win by destroying both Alexa and her doll "Lilly". I think this feud is over and a new one is starting. Alexa seems to come mentally undone at the site of her ripped apart doll. It could have been a good sell if we all didn't see the Alka-Seltzer tablet on her tongue causing her to foam at the mouth.

            From evil to enigma, Jeff Hardy finds himself in a triple threat match against Damien Priest and Sheamus. As much as I love Hardy, he is only in this match as a momentary x-factor here and there within the true feud between Sheamus and Priest. It was while executing an Alabama Slam on Hardy that Sheamus lost his protective face mask. This allowed Damien to target the still healing broken nose of the Celtic Warrior. Marry that with Sheamus' showboating and the Archery of Infamy retains his title.

            Back to the women as Becky Lynch defends her title against Bianca Belair. Bianca was dressed ready to win while Becky looked washed out in all white gear. A literal and physical tug of war match with Bianca's long pony tail being used as a hazardous rope of sorts. Many times, each athlete had a hold of the champ's braided packs of hair. I am still praying for Belair to rock a new hairstyle come 2022. Until then,  it will be Becky Lynch retaining her gold thanks to the interference of Sasha Banks. Thank you Sasha and I love your new gear. 

            Now it is time for the main event of the evening. Finn Balor squares up against the Tribal Chief, and defending champion, Roman Reigns. I have to be honest, the first thought that came to mind when I saw Finn Balor dressed as his alter ego, The Demon, was Peacock's decision to omit the WrestleMania VI match between Roddy Piper and Bad News Brown. Peacock defended the decision to remove the match because they felt Roddy was in "blackface". However, no suit over at Peacock seemed to have a problem with Finn's look tonight. Peacock, you are consistently inconsistent. WWE, you need to take back your house and put back accurate wrestling history, warts and all, before the bird brains "white wash" away all the facts. Puns heavily intended. Readers, what do you think?

            Back to the match. It was insane and intense from bell to bell. We saw kendo sticks, chairs and bodies going through tables. We even saw Roman put on a mask while fighting amongst the WWE Universe but take it off when he was back in the ring. That was a little surprising. What was not surprising was the Usos getting involved in the match. But wait, another shocker is on tap. After Roman savagely spears Finn through the barricade, the lights go red and we hear the "heartbeat" of the Demon. The air was full of New Jack flavor as Finn's music plays during the closing moments of the match. While perched on the top rope for the Coup-de-Grace, the rope snaps, house lights go back to normal and Reigns defeats Balor. 

            A decent pay-per-view with no title changes. My prediction tally was 6-1. Over on Draft Kings, I got 6 out of 10 right regarding the Roman v Finn match. Now, I get to look forward to Crown Jewel on Oct 21, 2021.  

#BringBackBraun

SummerSlam Recap and Results

            WWE recently declared an announcer's contest on Tik Tok. Raine Cruz, the winner, introduced the participants for the kick off match. Big E will meet in the center of the ring against Baron Corbin. Last week on SmackDown, Corbin stole E's Money in the Bank contract. Ettore is intense from the bell. Then, he goes for a splash on the apron and misses. This turned things in Corbin's favor. He even tries to escape with the briefcase, but Big E stops him. Mr. Money in the Bank hits the Big Ending and is, once again, in possession of the briefcase. The downward spiral of Corbin continues.   

        

            The first match of the evening is a Raw tag team championship match. AJ Styles and Omos will defend their gold against the recently re-united RK-Bro. With 51,326 members of the WWE Universe watching, the odd couple teaming of Riddle and Orton frustrate the champs. After Omos does some damage to Riddle, he tags Styles in to take control. The Original Bro catches a glimpse of daylight and tags in the viper. Just when he is about to execute the RKO, Omos saves his partner. After some chaos, the action moves back in to the ring and Randy hits the RKO on Styles to become one half of the tag team champs.

        

            Up next is a match I really don't care about. Alexa Bliss squares off against Eva Marie. Eva physically has Piper Niven in her corner while Alexa has her doll Lilly in her corner. I have missed a lot of this storyline because it hasn't replayed on Hulu. One of the few times I am grateful that I am a streamer without live tv. Bliss snaps when Eva repeatedly slaps her doll. Within 10 minutes, Alexa picks up the win over Eva. So happy that this match was over quickly. The highlight was what happened afterwards. Piper gets on the mic and announces the loser of the match. She then puts on Eva Marie's robe and struts out of the stadium. 

            Another Raw championship match is up next and I'm totally invested in this one. I love both Sheamus and Damien Priest, but I am rooting for Priest all the way. The fella's had a great run and has done the belt proud but it is time for someone new to wear the gold. Nothing spectacular to start the match. Then, Priest flies over the top rope to take out the champ. It looked as if he also hurt himself in the lower back/hip area. Because of Damien's history of back problems, I'm convinced that he is trying to hide the pain. Back in the ring, Sheamus smartly focuses on the lower back of his opponent. This puts Priest into survival mode. He would have enough left in the tank to win this physically brutal contest and become the new United States Champion. 

 

            A second tag team championship is set and it's between the Mysterios and the Usos. Rey and Dom start the match looking to end things quickly. However, Jey would get control over Dominik and keep the young superstar separated from his dad and tag partner. A tag is eventually made by both teams and now it is Jimmy and Rey in action. Rey hits his signature 619 and then goes for a frog splash but comes into contact with Jimmy's knees. A tag to his twin and Jey flies off the top rope, pins Rey and retains the SmackDown tag championship belts along with his brother.

    

            Rick Boogs is in the ring and he is obnoxiously entertaining, although Pat McAfee is giving him a run for his money. Pat is once again jamming out to the entrance of King Nakamura. I was a little confused because the Shinsuke wasn't scheduled on the card tonight. Apparently, it was a filler moment while we prepare for a WrestleMania 37 rematch between the SmackDown champ Bianca Belair and the former title holder, Sasha Banks. 

        

            Back to her traditional high ponytail, Bianca makes her way to the ring looking like she is dressed in WWE pajamas. I was all set to see her go against Sasha, but then the ring announcer makes it known that Banks is unable to compete. Therefore, Belair will be defending her title against Carmella. WTF??? This is not even a contest. The Women's SmackDown champ gets on the mic and declares that she will take out her frustration out on Carmella. Then it happens and I swear I got goosebumps. BECKY LYNCH IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The roof not only came off of Allegiant Stadium but also off the homes of fans worldwide.

            Becky immediately disposes of Carmella. She then challenges Bianca to a championship match. Challenge is accepted and in 26 seconds flat, Lynch is wearing gold again. That is how you make a return after 16 months. Welcome back champ!!! 

            From one great match to another, it is now time for Jinder Mahal to face Drew McIntyre. Drew wastes no time. He takes it to Jinder with full force. With a kick to the temple, Mahal turns things around. Back and forth it goes until the Scottish Warrior plants a Claymore to the jaw of the modern day maharaja and wins the match.

            I didn't pick a winner for the Women's Raw Championship match. I can see many plausible outcomes in this triple threat competition. In the end, the queen's winning streak would continue as she taps out Nikki Cross to become the new title holder.

            Seven years in the making, Seth Rollins will try to pick up a W over the Rated R Superstar, Edge. I have said in the past that you can sometimes predict who will win a pay-per-view match by the gear they wear to the ring. Seth looks like he is the leader of the local marching band. Edge, on the other hand, went back in time and brought back the flavor of the Brood with his entrance which he then punctuated with his traditional entrance music. 

            When the match begins, Rollins keeps his promise and repeatedly goes after the surgically repaired neck of the hall of famer. Edge gets in a couple of good shots including Edge a neck breaker off the top rope. Edge is rolling and Seth is reeling. Shortly after becoming a victim of the Edge-ecution,  Rollins goes for the stomp but Edge counters with the move made famous by his wife - the Glam Slam. Soon after, Edge sends the face of Seth into the LED apron causing it to black out. Did I just see a harbinger? Yep. With a cross face sleeper, Edge picks up the win.

            We go from quite a high to quite the low. The Miz and John Morrison are in the ring saying "moist" one too many times. They attempt to introduce the Drip Stick 2000. However, it would be a slick haired Xavier Woods debuting a 5 gallon water back pack equipped with a powerful nerf gun. It was a rewarding scene to see Mike and John get "moistly" assaulted.

            One of the main event bouts is up next. The hall of famer Bill Goldberg will be squaring up against the men's Raw champion Bobby Lashley for the title. I love Goldberg but I know that he is not an iron man so I am expecting a quick decision. Both men are pacing like lions in the squared circle. The bell rings and a 54 year old Goldberg is in control. A younger Lashley fights back and unleashes fury on the veteran. MVP interferes and assaults Goldberg with a cane shot to the back of the knee. The Almighty creates multiple painful thuds when he slams Bill into the ring post. Back in the ring, Goldberg is unable to stand which forces the ref to call the match in favor of Lashley. The champ continues the assault with a steel chair. A 15 year old Gage Goldberg comes to the aid of his father. This results in the teenager finding himself, momentarily, in the the Hurt Lock and a protective daddy Goldberg vowing to seek revenge. 

            The final event of the evening is for the SmackDown Universal Championship. Roman Reigns has been champ since August 30, 2020 when he defeated both The Fiend and Braun Strowman at Payback. I am fully expecting him to retain. For the first time in over 500 days, Cena is back in the ring. He tries multiple times to steal a win but the Head of the Table showcases just why he is the title holder. With dominance personified, and a spear, Roman retains. But that is not how the night would end.

            BROCK IS BACK!!! Poor Paul Heyman is cowering in the corner of the ring like he's just seen a ghost. Reigns better cherish his final days with his belt because it will be going bye-bye real soon. The Beast is Back!

            Thank you WWE for over 5 hours of action and jaw dropping surprises. Now, you have just one more thing to get right........

#BringBackBraun  

            

             

            

            

             

SummerSlam 2021 Predictions

             As sure as my eyes are blue, I enjoy my tradition of viewing every pay-per-view leading up to the current pay-per-view event. Tonight is SummerSlam 2021 and I have re-watched every SummerSlam since 1988. It was both nostalgic and bittersweet. The first ever "party of the summer" took place at Madison Square Garden with 30,000 fans in attendance. The very first match was the Rougeau Brothers verses Dynamite Kid (1958-2018) and Davey Boy Smith (1962-2002) aka, the British Bulldogs, accompanied by their four legged mascot Matilda. Referee Joey Marella (1963-1994) had no choice but to declare the match a draw because of an expired time limit. I can't remember when WWE got rid of time limits but thank goodness they did. Also, I don't know that I necessarily miss the days when wrestlers would come to the ring with a "pet", but it was definitely a staple of the 1980. Remember Coco B. Ware and his parrot Frankie? How about Jake "The Snake" Roberts and his snake Damien?  

            What's bittersweet about revisiting the moments that defined my childhood was seeing and hearing icons that have since passed away. Gorilla Monsoon (1937-1999) was a phenominal commentator. A former wrestler himself, he would speak like the Audible version of Grey's Anatomy. He was also the best straight man for his future sidekick at the announce table, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (1944-2017). They, in my opinion, were the best commentators ever.

            Focusing further on SummerSlam '88, the third match of the evening was Ravishing Rick Rude (1958-1999) squaring up against the Junkyard Dog (1952-1998). Rude is accompanied to the ring by his manager Bobby Heenan. In addition to time limits, WWE has also gotten rid of managers. Gone are the days of Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart, Mr. Fuji (1934-2016), Paul Bearer (1954-2013), Miss Elizabeth (1960-2003), etc.

            Before I get to my thoughts and predictions for SummerSlam '21, I just want to highlight the main event of the very first SummerSlam. In 1988, the highlight of the evening saw Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage (1952-2011), aka, the Mega Powers squaring up against the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Andre the Giant (1946-1993), aka, the Mega Bucks. Miss Elizabeth was in the corner of Randy and Hulk, while Bobby Heenan occupied the corner of Ted and Andre. The special referee was Jesse "The Body" Ventura. Who on earth could have ever predicted that the future governor of Minnesota would be calling a match in the world of sports entertainment involving a giant and future hall of famers? The Mega Powers would win the match with the help of Miss Elizabeth who takes off her skirt for a distraction. 

            It was such a great feeling re-living memories of yesterday. Now the time has come to add to those moments. Here are my predictions for tonight's SummerSlam.

• Roman Reigns (C) v. John Cena (championship): Roman retains. Cena's just stopping by. 
• Nikki Cross (C) v. Rhea Ripley v. Charlotte Flair (championship): I don't know
  
  
  
• Goldberg v. Lashley (C)  (championship): Lashley retains. Goldberg is just stopping by.
• Bianca Belair (C)  v. Sasha Banks (championship): Banks wins.
• Edge v. Seth Rollins: Edge wins.
• Usos (C) v. The Mysterios (championship): Usos retain
• Sheamus (C) v. Damien Priest (championship): Priest wins.
  
  
  
• Drew McIntyre v. Jinder Mahal: I LOVE both men but I'm choosing McIntyre. 
  
  
  
• AJ Styles and Omos (C) v. Randy Orton and Matt Riddle (championship): Randy and Matt win
• Alexa Bliss v. Eva Marie: I don't care. Just make it a short match.

#BringBackBraun

Money in the Bank Results and Reactions

            I want today's post to end on a positive note, so let's start with the worst that WWE fed us last night.  

            PEACOCK SUCKS! PEACOCK SUCKS! PEACOCK SUCKS! Ever since WWE "leased" exclusive streaming rights to NBC Universal, there have been consistent hosting issues. NBC is still going through thousands of hours of WWE content and literally editing out wrestling history. Anytime there is a live pay-per-view, their stream always pixelates and then they go to black whenever something they deem "offensive" in real time happens. It was especially horrible last night right before the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match and Twitter was angry. The "glitch" lasted for at least 20 minutes. I suggested that WWE get a refund on their deal and then send someone over to NBC to choke slam a suit on behalf of the fans. Even Mark Henry was willing to kick someone's ass for the nonsense.

            WWE needs to have their lawyers go through their agreement with NBC with a fine tooth comb and find the loop hole that lets them out of this deal. 

Re-establish WWE Network in North America and put back all the content that NBC removed for arbitrary reasons and let wrestling history stand in its original state - warts and all. We are grown folks who can make decisions about what we want to view with our money on a paid streaming service. It pains me that I give money to such an inferior product and I want a credit on my account for the foreseeable future. This is unacceptable Peacock and I Stone Cold salute you. 

            The main event of the night was Edge v. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship. It was a slow burn of a match to start then the intensity began. A slugfest of blows from both athletes eventually led to Edge getting the cross face on Roman. Edge also gets in the first spear and sends the champ exploding through the barricade. The Rated R Superstar then carries Roman back into the ring for an unsuccessful cover. A Super Man punch sends the challenger into the ref. It was a weak sell but I understood the set-up. Sans a ref, the Usos try to interfere in the match but their efforts are thwarted by Dominik and Rey Mysterio. Then comes Seth Rollins out of nowhere and kicks Edge in the head which costs him a win over Roman. I am happy to see that this means Edge will be around for a little while longer in a feud with Rollins. What I am not happy with is what happened next.

            It was highly speculated that Goldberg would appear last night. Although he didn't, he will in the future per his contract. Instead, John Cena came out at the end of the final match and locked eyes with Roman. 

            WWE fans don't need Cena. We need Braun Strowman, Keith Lee, Randy Orton, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, Brock Lesner, CM Punk, The Rock, Bray Wyatt, etc. I'd even take Doink at this point.

            Another championship match was between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. Before any action begins, Charlotte gives the middle finger to the crowd as they chant "We want Becky". Peacock fades to black for a few seconds because of this. If you can't shield the live crowd from such a moment, don't do it to us paying customers at home. PEACOCK SUCKS!

            Great action and counters in this bout. Charlotte focused on the left knee of the champ. At one point she wedges it between the ring post and steel steps before attacking it. How is this not a disqualification? Rhea Ripley is right when she says she is held to a different set of rules. The Queen is able to get the figure 8 leg lock on Ripley to win the gold via a tap out. Where are you going with this WWE?

            There was one other title change last night and it happened during the kick-off show. Rey and Dominik Mysterio defended their tag titles against The Usos. Jimmy and Dominik start the match with a collar and elbow lock up. Dom does a great job for his first pay per view in front of a live audience. At one point, he goes for a cross body off the top rope but gets caught by the twins who proceed to slam him into the barricade. Dom catches his breath and tags in his father. Super kicks, 619s and high flying action has the crowd chanting "This is awesome". My heart so wanted the Mysterios to retain but I said in a previous post that the the Usos were going to win the gold. Jimmy and Jey are known for dancing the line of disqualification and that is how they stole the gold last night. 

            Jimmy pins Rey in the corner and is able to keep him pinned with leverage of his brother's feet to his back out of sight of the ref. 

            Just two more feuds before I get to the ladder matches. The first has The Viking Raiders squaring up against AJ Styles and Omos for the Raw Tag Team Championship belts. 

            Omos executes pain on both Vikings to start. Both teams are equally matched and the WWE Universe showed equal appreciation. In the end, the champs would retain.

            The next match was between Kofi Kingston and Bobby Lashley. This was a very uncomfortable match to match. Lashley just absolutely discards and dominates Kingston like a rag doll. Despite the mauling from the champ, I kept waiting for that magical moment when Kofi would catch his second wind. Sadly, it never came. Bobby ruthlessly retains his title via a submission. Will Kofi-Mania 2.0 ever happen?

            Now for the two namesake battles. First up are the ladies. It is Asuka, Liv Morgan, Zelina Vega, Nikki Cross, Nattie, Taminia, Alexa Bliss and Naomi. Eight women vying for the briefcase that can change the course of your career. Before I get to the action, I want to visit the entrances and ring gear. 

            I heard crickets for the introductions of Nikki, Zelina and Tamina. Naomi had the biggest positive reaction of all the competitors. She also had the best outfit. The worst in ring gear goes to Liv Morgan. Those nipple chains ruined what could have been a decent look. 

            All women immediately go for a ladder except Alexa. She stays in the ring and tries to use "mystical powers" to bring the briefcase down to her. Is this getting over with anyone? She can hypnotize people to do what she wants them to do but can't get herself out from under a pile of ladders. 

            With Bliss out if the picture, 6 of the 7 other competitors climb the three side by side ladders in the ring. Six women are duking it out when Nikki scurries up the center ladder to claim the contract in the briefcase. Within my June 30, 2021 post, I said that I hoped that the metamorphosis Nikki was going through would all be worth it. Time will tell. I personally don't agree with the outcome of the match. Asuka should have won in order to set up a full circle moment with Becky Lynch. Oh well, not all wishes come true.

            The men's ladder match was my favorite of the night. I said yesterday that my heart wanted either Drew McIntyre or Big E to win but I was worried WWE would give the opportunity to Rollins. I should have gone with my heart on Draft Kings because then I would have gotten 7 of my 8 picks correct. 

            I re-watched this match today because I missed so much of the beginning due to Peacock's seizure last night. I loved seeing Ettore and Drew throw down something fierce. I love watching two bulls go at it especially when I love both individuals. I never know who to root for but I am very much glued to my screen. 

                                            

            The other moment that I appreciated was Jinder Mahal, Veer and Shanky getting involved and literally dragging McIntyre out of the arena. I am going to love this feud. 

            But the highlight of the evening was definitely Big E successfully getting his hands on the briefcase. With a Big Ending on Rollins from the top of the ladder, Ettore gets his long overdue push and recognition.

Maybe Goldberg comes back to fight E for one night? That would be enjoyable.

            Great job WWE!     

#BringBackBraun

               

Hell in the Cell Recap & Results

            It was a great night for the last pay-per-view in the ThunderDome despite many fans having viewing issues with Peacock.

            The night kicked off with a pre-show match between Natayla and Mandy Rose. Mandy's past accomplishments include being a fitness and bikini model. Nattie's past accomplishments include being a graduate of the Hart Dungeon. Adorable storyline but does anyone really think Ms. Rose could ever beat a Hart? Mandy did display evidence that she has been training and showed off some moves, including a dropkick off the top rope. She also tried multiple pin attempts to throw Nattie off her game. Nice effort but in the end, it was fruitless. Nattie picks up the win with a signature sharp shooter.

            Now for the main event matches. Hell in the cell began with a championship match. Current SmackDown Women's champ Bianca Belair successfully defended her title against former champ Bayley. I don't understand why but my brain goes Freudian whenever these two fight each other. Last month at WrestleMania BackLash, I said that Bianca came dressed to win in her azure and gold gear. Bayley on the other hand had on what I initially thought was a picture of a ferengi on her shirt. It wasn't until the camera tightened in that I saw it a three headed Picasso like drawing.

            Well, Freud would have a field day with these two because once again Ms. Belair came dressed with confidence while Bayley seemed more focused on making a questionable fashion statement. Bianca came dressed in white gear accented with flames and Bayley wore that same Picasso like shirt. I don't know what subliminal message she's sending us but someone should tell her that shirt is unlucky. But that's not what I tuned in for so let's get to the action. 

            It was brutal. Bianca gave as good as she took in her inaugural hell in a cell. At one point it was a "hair v chair" match. That braid of Bianca's is both a weapon and a hazard and needs to go. Then Bayley ties her opponent's hair to the bottom rope. At another point, Bianca purposefully ties her braid to Bayley's wrist for an attempt at a strap match. An intense match with one low point. Bayley bites Bianca. I don't get it. Tyson v Holyfield, Shayna Bazsler v Becky Lynch and now Bayley v Bianca Belair. The squared circle is not the name of a buffet! Biting an opponent undoes years of hard work, skill and credibility. 

            Continuing with the ladies, the match between Shayna Baszler and Alexa reminded me of a quote from Sun Tzu: "The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." That seemed to be the Mistress of Mind Games' strategy. The prolonged maniacal stares of Alexa appeared to put Shayna and her corner colleagues under a controlling spell. At one point, she had Nia in a trance resulting in Reggie receiving a slap from the irresistible force. In the end, Ms. Bliss picks up the win. 

            The last women's match was for the Raw Championship title. Of the thousands who participated in the Draft Kings pool, 59.74 % picked Rhea to win and 40.26 % chose Charlotte. Participants also had a chance to speculate as to how the match would be won. 58.87 % selected pinfall, 24.64 % chose submission and 16.49 % guessed disqualification. The least predicted winning move rose to the top. 

            The match began with Charlotte going for an immediate pin attempt. Rhea then turns things around with her trademark brutality. Ripley shines on offense and Charlotte can be equally cruel. The wicked queen helped Rhea become familiar with the turnbuckles. However, it was the action outside the ring from these two superstars that caused a perplexing ending. How many times have we seen wrestlers use the apron from the announce desk as a weapon? So, it was a little jaw dropping when Rhea did the same thing only to have the ref call for the bell and rule the match a disqualification. I'm just happy that Ripley retained.

            Next was Cesaro v Seth Rollins. I was team Cesaro all the way. A sneak attack by Rollins before the bell is how it all began. Cesaro's strength was on full display last night. He powers out of Seth's Falcon Arrow and swings him at least 15 times. Despite all his efforts, Rollins rolls up Cesaro into a small package to pick up the win. 

             The showdown between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn didn't go the way I predicted yesterday. Sami won. The color commentary really played up the Nigerian Nail attack from 48 hours ago to explain why KO wasn't at peak performance. After the match, KO took to Twitter to issue the following statement: "I fought like hell. Now, I need a little break. I'll be back soon. Thank you, guys." Does this now open the door for a Sami Zayn v Apollo Crews storyline? Time will tell.

            Now for the main event. It's Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley inside the sadistic structure of the menacing red steel cage. This was the other match that Draft Kings participants had the opportunity to weigh in on. Lashley was favored to win with 60.19 % of the votes and Drew garnered 39.85 %. One of the other questions was as to how the match would be won. 73.72 % of fans said pinfall and 26.28 % selected submission.

            This match was vicious from bell to bell. Drew is one of the few that can match power with Bobby. One prime example is when McIntyre launches Lashley across the ring with a belly to belly. Hellacious beatings back and forth between the competitors. By the end, both men's bodies wore the battle scars of war but only one walked out the winner.

            Before I get to the outcome, I would like to share a common experience I often have with people who give me grief for being a lifelong wrestling fan. Here is how the conversation usually goes with a non-fan:

            Me: I like to watch wrestling. 

            Random Human: You like that crap?! You know it's fake right?

            Me: Okay boss, what do you like to watch?

            Random Human: Walking Dead.

            Me: You know it's fake, right? Totally scripted.

Random human is stunned silent. There are no stunt doubles in wrestling. Their skin is really ripped open, bruised and bleeding. Broken noses and neck surgeries are also real.

 O.K., jumping off my soapbox now. Time to get back to Drew and Bobby.

            It is with an interference assist from MVP, that Bobby Lashley retains his title. I accurately predicted this outcome yesterday. My forecast went on to envision Lashley losing his title at SummerSlam. This, I think, would open the door for McIntyre to go after the gold again in front of a live crowd. I would love to see the current champ drop the belt to either Damien Priest or Jinder Mahal.

            No matter who steps up next, I still miss Adam Scherr, aka Braun Strowman. Adam recently posted a video to his story on Instagram that gives me some hope. He recently stated how much fun he had in the Carolinas and was now on his way to Orlando. That's the same town as the WWE Performance Center!!! Are the suits correcting another mistake? 

            #BringBackBraun

WrestleMania BackLash Results

            WrestleMania BackLash kickoff included great commentary and an open challenge by Sheamus.

            I was hoping that Humberto was going to answer the call. However, it appears that he is still on the injured list so Ricochet stepped up to the plate. Ricochet is a former United States champ himself and gave Sheamus a run for his money. It was a non-title, action packed match with Sheamus ultimately capitalizing on the win. However, Ricochet wasn't finished. He attacked Sheamus during his post match speech effectively robbing, and then wearing, Sheamus' coat and fedora.

            The main show started off with the Women's Tag Match. Charlotte channeled Cruella DeVille with her in ring gear. Her dark make-up and attitude has truly turned her into an icon of evil. Asuka and Rhea Ripley rounded out this triple threat match. Asuka fought like she wanted the win. Charlotte was cold and calculating and Rhea seemed to be an after thought. I think she does better one on one. As predicted, Rhea retained the title.

            History was the theme of the next title match. Dolph and Roode attempted to skew the night's event in their favor by attacking Dominik during the pre-show event. Rey took on the Dirty Dawgs solo for the majority of the match. He did an outstanding  job dressed in his Adam West inspired Batman gear when Dom came down the ramp holding his side and grimacing. Now the dynamic duo was fighting hard together to capture the tag titles. Dominik flew off the top rope with a frog splash to cover Roode and make history with his father as the first ever father/son tag team champions.

            I was not happy with the bout featuring Damian Priest and The Miz. I understand the cross promotional aspect of the business but having zombies as the lumberjacks destroyed any joy I would have experienced seeing Miz get pummeled by Priest. I couldn't watch it. I listened to the color commentary and I'm happy that Priest came out the victor.

            For the next match, fans on DraftKings had the odds almost split evenly. Bianca convinced 51.51% of fans that she would retain and 48.49% believed the title would change hands to Bayley. However, I want to first touch on the in ring gear of these superstars.

             Bayley came out first and she wasn't dressed like she was going to hold up the belt in the end. I initially thought she had a picture of a ferengi on her shirt. It wasn't until the camera tightened in that I saw it a three headed Picasso like drawing. Still didn't make sense. Now Bianca Belair's azure and gold gear identified her as a winner ready to defend. An excellent match with displays of power ala British Bulldog from Bianca. My one and only consistent gripe is her hair. Far too many packs of hair braided into both a weapon and a hazard. As a fan, my wish is for it to be gone by year's end and have Bianca start 2022 off with a wavy high pony tail. I'm thinking J-Lo during her fly girl days.

            The battle of the titans was my favorite match of the night. Before I get to the highlights, let's check out the odds as reported by DraftKings. Bobby led with 38.33 % of the votes followed by Drew with 36.03% and 25.64% for Braun. 

            Three insane athletes totaling at least 900 pounds gave their all. The triple threat match was brutal and intense from bell to bell accented with jaw dropping moments. One prime example was when Drew sent Bobby sailing through a LED board creating sparks. This allowed for action between Braun and Drew. There were pinfall attempts between Braun and Drew when out of nowhere, Bobby re-emerges ending the match by pinning Braun and walking out the reigning champ.

           Roman Reigns and Cesaro capped off the evening. Cesaro came down the ramp first smiling confidently ready to walk out victorious. Roman's entrance had a Conan the Barbarian feel to it primarily because of his new entrance music which he debuted last month. 

            The match started off with the competitors feeling each other out and then into a clinic before the champ zeroed in on Cesaro's right arm. The challenger definitely gave 110%. kicking out of multiple pinfall attempts at a one count. Twice Cesaro powered out of guillotines. Yet, and once again, Roman walked out the winner when a purple faced Cesaro could not get out of the third guillotine.

            The action didn't stop there. First, Jey Uso came out to adorn Roman with a red ceremonial lei and then focused his attention on inflicting further damage to Cesaro. Next, Seth Rollins came out looking like he was just thrown up on by Dutch Boy. He also went after Cesaro.

            I was really hoping that Cesaro would win. Recently I re-watched the first ever Broken Skull Session where Steve Austin interviewed Vince McMahon. Part of their conversation focused on Cesaro. I also re-listened to After the Bell on Spotify where Cesaro was interviewed by Corey Graves. Both were interesting to experience again. Cesaro should have won so that Daniel Bryan could come back at some point for a fair title opportunity.