WrestleHero Rebelz is a blog designed to discuss topics such as Professional Wrestling, Superhero television shows and movies, as well as a host of other aspects.
Primarily discussing and reviewing World Wrestling Entertainment, DC and Marvel content.
Mike: What a war! This one was brutality personified from beginning to end. Batista & Undertaker took each other to the very limit. And blood in this one n all, that’s not something you see a lot of in this day and age of WWE programming.
The rivalry was hitting its crescendo too with Batista and Undertaker both scoring a victory against one another and being tied going into this encounter. Undertaker on the cusp of capturing the World Heavyweight Championship was thwarted once again by the Rated R Superstar, Edge.
Edge getting involved furthered the storyline and kept it alive in a way, even if he gave Batista the victory in the rubber match.
Rating: 3.5/5
Dalen: I’ve never been the biggest fan of this rivalry between Batista and Undertaker. Their series of matches is 90% strikes and 10% spots that elicit several crowd responses but never anything consistent. The very same can actually be said for 3/4s of this Hell In A Cell match too.
It wasn’t a complete dud though. The constant use of the steel steps throughout was pretty brutal and entertaining. The last quarter of this match was where things really kicked into a new gear. Both Batista and Undertaker became relentless in trying to put each other down once Batista grabbed the table from underneath the ring. I could’ve watched that entire back & forth alone for 30 minutes easily!
Edge returning to cost Undertaker the match and immediately interjecting himself into the World Heavyweight Championship picture was brilliant. The 9 months that followed this were some of my favourite months watching Edge. He could do no wrong within that timeframe and that’s a reason why this HIAC match deserves a revisit – because of what came after.
Kurt Angle (c) vs Rikishi vs The Undertaker vs The Rock vs Triple H vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Mike: This is one of those rare matches in wrestling history to be fair. And one of the more underrated Hell In A Cell matches. This delivered and then some, and by Angle walking and leaving as WWF Champion he really was a made man from the events of the year 2000 that he was involved in.
The sheer level of chaos in this match was unprecedented! There was nowhere off limits to be perfectly honest and it’s what made this match great. From inside the cell to outside it, to the chaos that ensued up at the top of the stage by the cars and as well to on top of the cell itself, there really wasn’t anywhere else these competitors could go.
Mick Foley stopping Vince from tearing down the cell entirely made for an interesting segment within the confines of this match, although the cell door being ripped off gave the six participants an escape from the cell.
Rikishi being launched off the top of the cell onto that truck is one of the iconic moments from this match, if not the most iconic moment.
Rating: 4.5/5
Dalen: Where to start with this one. This was full of entertaining chaos! From the moment the bell rang, the cell could barely contain these competitors. Triple H surely took the most punishment here, being the first one to bleed and Austin dragging his face all around the cell. Vince setting up the tow truck for the spot that came later was included realistically enough. It wasn’t just there for the sake of being there to begin with and led to a great moment of Vince being taken away by the police, which the crowd loved!
I couldn’t contain my own hysteria when everything spilled out on to the stage. This made for great viewing. I will say that all the brawling out there lasted too long though. I was ready for everyone to get back to the ring long before anyone actually did. Austin and Triple H were the best of this part.
Just when I didn’t think the action could be knocked up another notch, it was all brought to the top of the cell! There’s always a feeling of unease when matches get active up there. It was worth it for the iconic moment of Undertaker throwing Rikishi off.
Everything came to an appropriate end involving finishers and a smart victory from Angle pinning Rock after a Stunner. There was barely a dull moment. It’s better to work with the chaos in cases like this than work against it.
John Cena (c) vs Edge vs Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels
Mike: A solid match and with the talent involved it isn’t difficult to see why. This period is where Cena was at his finest and going up against three other former World Champions and coming out still with his Championship proves that abundantly.
The flow of the match was nicely done with the setup. The fans clearly wanted Cena and Michaels to go at it and did, at least until they were interrupted. That would be the theme throughout as like any classic multi-person match, which made the match that much better overall.
The finish with the collection of finishers and ending with an exhausted Michaels Super-Kicking Cena and Cena falling on Orton for the win was genius!
Rating: 4/5
Dalen: A classic Fatal 4-Way. Easily one of my favourites for how simple it is. There was some standard action to get the ball rolling. Orton was hitting some great clotheslines here!
The motions of constantly throwing one another out of the ring like a WWE video game, the team-ups and the betrayals were never boring. Having a high level of star power prevented that. The comebacks of Cena and Michaels kicked it up a notch, especially that of Michaels. Scoop slam & elbow drop after scoop slam & elbow drop before being stopped, I was as exhausted as I was entertained watching Michaels keep going like that!
I also liked the lack of finishers throughout. It not only made the breaking up of Orton’s pin after hitting the RKO mean that much more, but it led to a wonderful finish that would’ve felt watered down had finishers been hit left, right and centre. The ring placement for Cena to fall on top of Orton the way he did after being hit by Sweet Chin Music was perfect. Cena could’ve easily fallen short of that pinfall. The entire sequence deserved all those replays. It was a brilliant way to end an entertaining WWE Championship match!
This game had me on the edge of my seat for sure. The usual nervy watching of a Manchester United game.
The game started out so well with the lads on the front foot with a few decent chances overall, but then the inability once again to clear the ball or to do some proper defending reared its ugly head. You could say Fred gave a poor pass to McTominay or that McTominay should’ve done better with getting it away, or even that Lindelof should’ve defended better for the goal conceded. In hindsight it wasn’t down to any one individual, as a collective it was just really poor defending for that opening goal and it’s frustrating when that is the case to be fair. Overall it wasn’t a good 1st half by any stretch and work needed to be done after the break.
But to the credit of the lads they came back out in the second half and delivered big time! With anything you need a bit of luck and the penalty secured that. Bruno was never going to miss it with his record and what a sublime penalty it was. Aguero should take a pen and paper, and study Bruno taking penalties. Thus we were back in the game and as ‘Second Half FC’ we were well on our way to turning this around.
And true to that point not long later and we were in front once again. Greenwood popping up with another goal, which incidentally made him the highest goalscoring teenager in the history books at Manchester United. And what a talent the young lad is, to be fair. And the fact that he’s only going to get better is an intriguing prospect all the same. Great goal by the lad.
We had the bit between our teeth and would then unleash the legend himself. Cavani coming off the bench to wrap things up and put a bow on that sublime second half performance with a goal of his own was almost written in the stars. The graft and fortitude the man puts in each game is inspiring to witness to be perfectly honest. And it’s incredible that he’s doing so at this late stage of his career. He’s a legend in every sense and meaning of the word for me and the fact that we got him on a free is insane. I pray that he signs on for another year!
Other incidents in the game like Villa having their own shout for a penalty, which to be fair was never a penalty and VAR surprisingly got one right there. Maguire getting injured will be a big loss for us and especially with a Europa League Final coming up. And the Watkins dive was his own fault to be fair and he can only blame himself for getting sent off.
Cometh The Superman: Cesaro had a huge role to play on this throwback edition of WWE Smackdown, and he was made to look like an absolute beast when all things were said and done. Him paying homage to Daniel Bryan plays him up even more as the sympathetic and respectful babyface heading into a battle with the almost unbeatable Champion.
Kicking off the show with the return of Jimmy Uso and then the subsequent lead-in to a colossal opener between Ceasro and Rollins in a Wrestlemania Rematch was one hell of a way to kick off the show!
Both Cesaro and Rollins put on another classic here too. More seeds were planted for the eventual Reigns vs Rollins showdown, which if I were a betting man (And I am) would be ideal for the Summerslam main event for the Universal Championship. Rollins having issues with Jey and Jimmy interjecting himself, which then leads to Cesaro being crowned the next contender for a match with Reigns for the Universal Championship next week at Wrestlemania Backlash was done perfectly. There’s so many moving pieces to this story now that truly anything could happen and it gives Reigns his path for the next few months in rivalries with Cesaro, Jimmy and Rollins. And that’s not even counting a possible Edge return at Money In The Bank either with possibly winning the briefcase and looming with a cash-in.
The story throughout the show of where Jimmy’s allegiances lie was done masterfully also. The conflicting emotions for all involved and how Cesaro takes advantage of all of that by laying every member of the family out was enthralling to witness.
And the rest:
Return Of The Fist: What most people tuned in for I feel was to see if WWE would bring back the iconic giant fist from years gone by. And they did in a way, even if it was digitally, rather than a physical set. I as most fans I assume would’ve preferred a better layout with either the physical set including the fist or at least go back to the ’99 set, but they didn’t seem to want to do either it seems. All in all there was some nostalgia, but creative really missed the both here. The introduction of Teddy Long on this show for retro fans like myself was a big plus though!
Reginald ‘The Acrobat‘: This match felt like more of a segment to just promote the Women’s Tag Team Titles match that is set to take place next week. Even that is dumb because you’ve got a PPV to do it on next week but you choose 2 days before on Smackdown. Now I get they probably want to make Smackdown unique and all the rest, and adding this match will sort of sell the show around it, but again another thing creative has got wrong. Reginald however proves to be extremely athletic, some of those flips are entertaining to see. I still maintain they missed the boat on Tamina’s moment at Wrestlemania and trying to make up for it now, it just feels forced.
10 Man Chaos: Not going to knock this one as it was a compelling Ten-Man Tag match. The promos before this were great, especially the babyfaces one where they acknowledge Owens’ birthday and Nakamura shouting they want the smoke, as that was hilarious. But for all that they still had Corbin pin Nakamura, which seems off. Either Nakamura is leaving soon and it’s the usual number of losses on his way out the door or they just don’t give a shit about him anymore. If this leads to a Nakamura vs Corbin feud with Nakamura going over I’d be okay with that, but Nakamura needs some victories and he needs a push.
The Son Replaces The Father: Dominik replacing Rey here wasn’t all bad, I would’ve preferred to see Rey and Dolph tear the house down ala 2009, but giving Dominik the chance to prove himself against world class veterans is an intriguing and valid way to go. I don’t see them capturing the Tag Titles next week as that seems too obvious, but building up to getting there this year is solid booking.
Flawless In Victory/The Role Model’s Wrath: Carmella and Ruby Riott was a good short match for what it was. It definitely had its moments and proved that not everything needs to be centered around a Championship, that women can go out and just have a good match. Carmella coming out with the victory may be a sign that she could be next in line for a shot at the Championship however after Bayley. Which Bianca needs a good set of challengers to compete against if she’s going to have a successful reign. Throw in a rematch with Sasha at Summerslam too, as you feel that’s got to be on the cards at some point down the line.
Speaking of Bayley she shined her in segment with Bianca and to be fair Bayley is on another level as a top main event heel at the moment. She’s so entertaining to watch and the perfect foil for the uber babyface Bianca. Bayley naming out legends of the Women’s Division and then lead-in to Bianca was executed perfectly. I definitely think Bayley’s laugh is better than Sasha’s laugh as at least the latter doesn’t want me to rip my ears off my head. Bayley getting the better of Bianca in this exchange/brawl too was paramount to the success of this rivalry, as you’ve got to have the babyface Champion in jeopardy at times too to really sell the fact that she could lose the Championship only to then overcome the odds.
Dalen: What a merciless match! Orton took so much punishment throughout! All the barbed wire spots quickly became hard to watch but I enjoyed it all at the same time. It didn’t take long for that barbed wire board to ruin Foley. The amount of tacks that punctured Orton was unbelievable. I cringed at the sight of almost every use of barbed wire and the tacks.
Foley had the crowd in the palm of his hands. When he went mental, so did the crowd and decking two refs to jump off the stage on to Orton after he threw him off was him going mental! It’s incredibly obvious why this successful title defense for Orton is his most iconic victory. He rolled with the barbed wire shots and came out on top to disappoint the hot crowd who wanted Foley to win in blood-filled fashion.
I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to call this the most brutal Intercontinental Championship match in WWE history.
Rating: 4.5/5
Mike: I remember this one well from seventeen years ago. Hard to believe it was that long ago, feels like only yesterday!
The brutal nature of this match was on full display from the outset with Foley going after Orton with “Barbie” aka the barbed wire baseball bat. There wasn’t anything off limits in this one, although I do feel having Bischoff come out and admonish Foley was a bit dumb storywise, especially seeing as Foley obeyed him.
This was the coming of age match-up for Orton definitely. And him coming out victorious against a legend like Foley in this setting was genius in booking and one of the few times the creative team got it right. Orton really stepped up to the plate here and proved himself in more ways than one.
Side note: not all segments that took place have been mentioned
Ilya Dragunov vs Dave Mastiff
This match could’ve been good from how it started, but we’ll never know. The injury Mastiff sustained pretty quickly at the hands of dragunov was enough to stop the match and for the ref to put up the dreaded ‘X’. I tweeted that Dragunov’s forearm did the damage while one could argue it was his elbow, but you get the idea – Dragunov struck and Mastiff couldn’t continue. Unexpected start. Moving on.
You just know someone has the potential to become a big star if they’re utilised properly. That’s the vibe I got from the Stevie Turner vignette. I liked her performance against Aoife Valkyrie last month. Also, I believe she comes across as someone who could be both a great face and a great heel and is as charming as the likes of Candice LeRae and Liv Morgan. Of course, time will tell.
Where there’s a week of not much for Noam Dar to do, give him a Supernova Sessions segment with whoever and it won’t take long for something to come of it. It was fine for giving Nathan Frazer’s name change some backstory, Sha Samuels some TV time and setting up Dar vs Frazer under Heritage Cup Rules next week. Nothing to complain about.
Trent Seven vs Saxton Huxley
I’m surprised when this match ended that I was thinking this could’ve gone on for another 5 minutes at least without overdoing it. I liked this action between Huxley and Seven. I often forget Huxley’s capable of working like this. It looks as though he gets built up to put over the bigger stars on this brand, which is fine for now. He’s doing good with what he’s given. Seven continues the momentum he recently reignited.
No doubt the women’s vignettes hyping up next week’s Gauntlet Match were always planned, but I couldn’t help but feel having them and a bunch of those other segments one after the other throughout the evening were just filling time after Dragunov vs Mastiff was cut so short. These episodes were taped. Another match could’ve been thrown in here easily. I think things could’ve been done better.
Falls Count Anywhere Loser Leaves NXT UK Match
Kenny Williams vs Amir Jordan
Not as brutal as something you’d find on NXT, but still an engaging, hard-hitting affair! Definitely main event worthy. These two did great with what they had to work with.
I’m still not completely sold on Jordan. He could surprise me for all I know. Right now, it made sense for him to lose this match. I don’t think he would’ve climbed any higher. Williams, on the other hand, I’ve been impressed with since his heel tendencies. He’d fit right into the Heritage Cup picture.
Dalen: A pretty good match to get viewers in the mood for what was to come – exactly what a pre-show match should do. Being invested in both Storm and Stark, it was hard not to enjoy it for what it was. This puts the main roster’s Kickoff Show matches to shame. Those are piss poor at the best of times.
Rating: 3/5
Mike: I enjoyed this match for the most part. It achieved its goal of getting a newer star over. Stark really solidified her presence on the roster with this win and overall it isn’t going to hurt Storm all that much taking the loss here.
Rating: 2.5/5
Pete Dunne vs Kushida
Dalen: I was expecting these two to get more time, but that mightn’t have been an option due to this airing on TV as well as the Network, so time constraints were definitely a factor. They made the best of the 10 minutes or so they were given. A competitor who likes targeting arms vs a competitor who likes targeting fingers delivered from an entertainment standpoint as much as it did from a technical one.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mike: This one was a technical masterclass of sorts. With the talent in this, this match couldn’t really have disappointed like and it didn’t. It wasn’t the longest match, but that didn’t hinder it either as both men made perfect use of the time they were given. Kushida is coming into his own on NXT lately and Dunne has been a staple of the brand for years now, and is really proving he has what it takes to be a true main event player on NXT. And giving him the moniker of “Best Technical Wrestler” fits him like a glove. The PPV couldn’t have kicked off any better if you ask me.
Rating: 4/5
No. 1 Contenders Match for North American Championship
6-Man Gauntlet Eliminator
Leon Ruff vs Isaiah ‘Swerve’ Scott vs Bronson Reed vs Cameron Grimes vs Dexter Lumis vs LA Knight
Dalen: This Gauntlet Eliminator surprised me in many ways. Swerve being eliminated last by Reed caught me off guard. I honestly completely overlooked him. From his heated back-and-forth against Ruff and teaming up with Grimes to trying to bring Reed to his limit, he put on a wonderful performance!
I thought Knight and Lumis being eliminated when they did was a bit premature. I’m still looking forward to seeing more from Knight. His feud with Lumis that this match started should be pretty good. Grimes always carries a good quality of entertainment with him and was great as always. He’s one comedy character who shouldn’t be underestimated.
Overall, everyone involved did pretty damn great.
Rating: 4/5
Mike: This one was a lot better than I expected it to be, but the talent involved pulled off a great match overall I felt. I fully expected this to be Lumis’ breakout performance and for him to come out victorious, but I was proven wrong and I’m not even mad.
Reed was a good choice here as he’s definitely going to be a major player in the future of the brand, so too can be said for all involved. The abundance of talent was on full display for everyone to see. Swerve as a heel is much better than Swerve as a babyface it must be said. This was sort of a breakout moment for him.
Rating: 3.5/5
NXT UK Championship
Walter(c) vs Tommaso Ciampa
Dalen: My Match Of The Night! This was fantastic. Walter’s chops are a spectacle in their own right. Only he can really get away with finishing a match with one as they are devastating! He constantly uses his wider moveset too, not limiting himself to a single move and really having hard-hitting fights like he did here.
Ciampa also brought his A-game with countless clotheslines and doing noticeable damage to Walter’s chest, which is usually Walter’s forté!
I definitely could’ve watched this go on forever, although it’s always satisfying watching Walter wreck his opponents for the 3-count in the end!
Rating: 4.5/5
Mike: This match! My god, this f****** match!!
From start to finish this one was insane. As hard-hitting a bout as you’re going to see anywhere in the world. And for me probably the best match of Ciampa’s career so far, even though he’s had a few classics already at Takeovers in the past. Those Walter chops are not for the faint-hearted either, dear lord!
Rating: 4.5/5
Vacant NXT Tag Team Championship
Triple Threat Tag Team Match
MSK vs Grizzled Young Veterans vs Legado Del Fantasma
Dalen: Excellent tag team action! All three teams truly got time to shine by isolating one team and getting convincing near falls. The feud between MSK and GYV was capitalised on so well. It really felt like all hell was breaking loose when LDF was taken out. Consistent intensity along with more odds to overcome never fails to create more fun.
Rating: 4.5/5
Mike: All in all a great tag team match, but for me I felt it went on a bit too long. I’d have cut it by about five minutes. But again the action in this one was sublime.
And having MSK was a nice touch. GYV are due a run though and it’s who I would’ve gone with, but MSK is a good choice for now.
Rating: 3/5
NXT Women’s Championship
Io Shirai(c) vs Raquel González
Dalen: My first sentence about the opener also applies here. I was expecting more time for these two given it was a highly anticipated and well built championship match. Alas, TV time constraints played a role in hampering it. Shirai and González did great with the near 13 minutes they had though.
González had an innovative move or two thrown in while she was in control. It was a nice, subtle way of stepping up for a title match to mix that in with her usual dominance. Shirai had another incredible moment of jumping off something when she jumped off the skull on the stage!
I liked how it all ended. A battered Shirai tried to show she still had some gas left in the tank after her moonsault surpisingly didn’t end things and was finished off for it. A commanding win for González. As much as I wish this main event was given more time, it was pretty great regardless.
Rating: 4/5
Mike: This was an exciting Main Event and delighted these ladies got given the time to showcase what they could do. Io Shirai has almost been untouchable in her reign as NXT Women’s Champion and one could’ve argued that she should’ve retained here, but having González go over makes her an even bigger star by dethroning Shirai.
That dive off the skull was insane!
I do feel like there could’ve been more to the ending and it kind of just happened in a way, but you don’t want to run it too long either. All in all a solid Main Event with a new era ushered in. Can’t go wrong with that outcome.
Rating: 4/5
Night 1 Ratings:
Dalen: 9/10
Mike: 8.5/10
Night 2
Pre-Show Match
No. 1 Contenders Match for NXT Tag Team Championships
Breezango vs Killian Dain & Drake Maverick
Dalen: I liked this more than I thought I would. The standard Pre-Show match in NXT is consistently better than the standard Kickoff Show match on the main roster. Just what was needed to get more hyped for the main card.
Rating: 3/5
Mike: Not the worst match overall and good for a Kick-off Show match in all honesty.
Rating: 2/5
Undisputed NXT Cruiserweight Championship
Ladder Match
Santos Escobar(c) vs Jordan Devlin(c)
Dalen: This was one hell of a way to kick off Night 2. Wonderful Ladder Match! 205 Live has fallen behind by a considerable amount since the Cruiserweight Division integrated with NXT, but it was never must-see TV to begin with. This opener proves just how far the division has come, having talent like Devlin and Escobar go on to have above average reigns and make the championship prestigious.
Rating: 4/5
Mike: This is one of those Ladder matches that will be remembered for quite some time and displayed how unbelievably talented both men are. A true credit to the Cruiserweight division and how if booked correctly how prestigious and important the division can be made to look.
Thoroughly enjoyed it for what it was. A bit bummed that Devlin lost, but neither participant was a loser here in my book.
Rating: 4/5
NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship
Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart(c) vs The Way (Candice LeRae & Indi Heartwell)
Dalen: Comparable to the Pre-Show’s Tag Team match and was able to kick into an extra gear and add some more excitement with it being a championship match. I’m a bit bummed Candice & Indi didn’t get the win, but the quality overall speaks for itself. Also, it was good to see Shotzi didn’t injure herself after that dive!
Rating: 3.5/5
Mike: That dive from Shotzi to the outside and nearly impaling herself was what I remember most about this one, could’ve went so wrong like. But overall a good display of talent in this one and solid match to boot. Shotzi and Ember go from strength to strength as a team.
Rating: 3/5
NXT North American Championship
Johnny Gargano(c) vs Bronson Reed
Dalen: I’m very mixed about this match. Some sequences flowed smoothly, while there was a struggle to keep that smoothness going in others. They clearly put in the effort that’s normally seen in 4+ star matches, but I couldn’t completely feel that way. It had a pretty good finish though. I’ll settle on saying how this North American Title match turned out overall was pretty good.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mike: Solid Championship bout between both these lads. Gargano the more experienced of the two definitely led this in the direction it needed to go. Reed had an impressive showing too all things considered. Not quite near the level of a usual Gargano Takeover outing but it delivered I thought.
Rating: 3/5
NXT Championship
Finn Bálor(c) vs Karrion Kross
Dalen: An NXT Championship match that was well worth the wait! The pre-match presentation also really helped in making this a bigger deal than it was already built up to be. I was very much into Bálor building momentum throughout and dreaded every time Kross took control. I was pretty invested in this match. The energy came to a standstill when Kross destroyed Bálor in the end rather than make the win feel dramatic, but it was a good finish nonetheless.
Rating: 4/5
Mike: A dream match of sorts here and it certainly lived up to the hype. Both these guys brought it and then some. It says it all when they could’ve gone longer and I don’t think anyone would’ve minded all that much honestly.
Bálor using mind games with Kross was an entertaining element too, which was great to witness.
Kross ultimately coming out on top albeit inevitably the way they were always going to go was still nice to see him get his due and not all that miffed about Bálor losing here as he did the honours the correct way and had an impressive reign as NXT Champion.
Rating: 4.5/5
Adam Cole vs Kyle O’Reilly
Dalen: A great main event to close out Night 1. I was somewhat expecting there to be a lack of pinfall attempts due to all the animosity Cole and O’Reilly had to work with. Treating it like a regular No DQ match in that respect didn’t take me out of it though. They still brutalised one another in every way they could! The callbacks near the end from previous points in the match and the constant use of the chain was all brilliant storytelling. This definitely felt like it ended the feud.
Having said that, this just wasn’t the 5-star classic a lot of other fans saw it to be. In fact, I find it baffling that fans thought 35 minutes was too long for the Last Man Standing match between Edge and Orton at last year’s WrestleMania, but 40 minutes was perfect for this. Personally, I would’ve shaved at least 10 minutes off this. Those last 10 minutes or so were complete overkill. Cole putting O’Reilly through the stage, hitting him with a brainbuster on the steel steps and O’Reilly just barely getting his shoulder up should’ve led to the finish. Instead, O’Reilly was running around for another few sequences. Not only did he win the match, he walked out on his own two feet while Cole, who took significantly less damage than O’Reilly, was stretchered out. That was just too ridiculous.
I can’t knock this match entirely because these two worked so damn hard to put it all out there for the fans. I was just pretty thankful it finally ended.
Rating: 4/5
Mike: This match brought with it a lot of brutality and which was needed for this rivalry. The bitterness that these two had for one another was well sold here to everyone in attendance and everyone watching at home all over the world. This was sort of the coming of age story for O Reilly in a way, as performances like this will always elevate him to that Superstardom level that he aspires to be at.
The different sequence of violent spots towards the end and throughout the match were stellar to be fair. I wouldn’t mind seeing another match between the two down the line.
‘The Power Trip’ Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) & Triple H (c) vs ‘The Brothers Of Destruction’ Undertaker (c) & Kane(c)
Dalen: There certainly was a lot going on in this match! The start after the Triple H & Austin were done stalling was nearly all strikes and in this circumstance, it worked nicely. The different ways they were implemented, such as being used in the corner and preventing sneak attacks, kept it from being boring. The referee constantly being distracted to allow Austin to constantly assault Undertaker was also a nice tough. I really liked those intricacies.
It became a standard tag team match with Kane’s arm being targeted from there, which didn’t add to the bout in any way. Triple H’s Pedigree on Kane couldn’t have been more out of place. And he didn’t make the cover either. I didn’t see the sense in that.
The finish was simple enough. Just Triple H hitting Kane with a couple of sledgehammer shots after Kane booted Stephanie. Nothing flashy and that was fine.
I’m surprised this didn’t end by DQ on numerous occasions. I also couldn’t keep track of who was legal for a good chunk of the match. The referee legitimately had no control of everything that was going on, which had both positive and negative impacts. Parts were seriously good and parts were pretty messy. There was a lot to take in.
Rating: 3.5/5
Mike: The atmosphere back in this era was something else, as evidenced from the fan reactions for each of the entrances. Such a different time for sure! Wrestling hasn’t been as hot since.
The hype was so real for this match and the heels (Austin and Triple H) played the start to the match to perfection in true heel fashion with not wanting to fight Undertaker and Kane. The slow burn and having the babyfaces finally get their hands on their adversaries was done very well.
The story also with this one was Undertaker not wanting to tag in Kane due to the injured arm, so effectively going it alone for a good chunk of the match itself. Kane would eventually tag himself in however. Kane being double-teamed by Austin and Triple H was a story well told too psychologically.
Earl Hebner shoving Stephanie McMahon too got a huge pop! It just goes to show how universally hated Stephanie was back in the day by the audience, or how over Hebner himself was, either or it was a moment that got a great pop from the crowd. That pop would lead to Hebner being taken out not once but twice inadvertently though, which would prove pivotal in the match.
The finish epitomised the heel victories in this era with utter chaos. Undertaker would wage war with Austin throughout the crowd, which would lead to Stephanie getting a big boot from Kane. Cue the introduction of Vince with the sledgehammer, and Triple H using that same sledgehammer to the injured arm of Kane to secure victory and take all the winnings for himself and Austin as they were thus crowned the New WWF Tag Team Champions! The heels holding up all four Championships is an iconic moment for this PPV for sure.
All in all this was an all out brawl between four of the very best for all the glory and it delivered!
The big story this week centred again around Cesaro looking to challenge for the Universal Championship. Cue the interjection of Daniel Bryan and the Internet goes wild!!!
Rollins interrupting Cesaro and it ultimately leading to a tag team opener certainly feels like a Smackdown opening from years gone by, although it was missing Teddy Long for sure. Although the whole Reigns coming out to cut a promo and to leave again felt a bit nonsensical. Still though a solid tag team match that took up the majority of the first hour, I don’t think there can be any complaints about the quality of the match or the participants involved. Rollins walking out on Jey and leaving him to fend for himself is the typical heel move, but sprinkles in a bit of intrigue with how they might book Rollins going forward. Rollins is definitely a top calibre talent to face off against Reigns at a future pay per view. Reigns vs Rollins could sell SummerSlam by itself.
Bryan as a cheerleader for the whole show seemed weird it must be said. They’re really going all in with trying to get Cesaro over but there’s better ways to get it done I feel. And then to turn it around at the end to give Bryan the Title opportunity made no sense either. Now albeit it’s a way to tie-in with Bryan leaving WWE with his contract being up soon and using that as a way to put nuclear heat on Reigns is a smart move.
And the rest:
The Dragon: The return of Aleister Black will be a great addition to the show and the promo itself was intriguing to say the least. Building Black up as “The Dragon” going forward and giving him the required push up the roster is more than he deserves. Black is a main event level star in every sense of the word, he just needs the machine to get behind him.
The Forgettables: This title is exactly how I feel about this angle for the Women’s Tag Titles. The trigger should’ve been pulled at Wrestlemania to give Tamina her well earned moment. But the ship sailed on that and now it’s just meh to be perfectly honest with all due respect to all involved.
Father And Son: Rey and Dominik picking up significant wins the last two weeks is certainly going to help them when they eventually capture the Smackdown Tag Titles. And it seems to be the direction that this whole angle is going. Rey and Dominik vs The Street Profits could be a legendary rivalry for the Tag Titles, much the same way The Usos vs The New Day was.
Apollo ’21: This certainly feels like it could be a great year for Apollo Crews,especially with a bodyguard now in tow and that accent has certainly propelled him to stardom. Picking up significant wins against the likes of Big E and Kevin Owens will certainly help him along the way. Throwing all three along with Zayn into a rivalry for the IC Title over the Summer will make for some stellar matches.
Step Up To The Role: The announcement before the show of Bayley being the first one to step up to challenge Bianca felt like something they could’ve played into a promo in the ring on the actual show. All the same the match is now official and Bayley is a solid choice. Bayley trash-talking Bianca and then seemingly backing down when confronted was a great heel move,although she came back and laughed which played it off well. The mock appreciation was pulled off fantastically here. The match itself is sure to be a show-stealer but the lead-up and promos are going to raise Bianca to a whole other level too as Champion.
Wrestle-Hero Rebelz 