Category: WWE News

NXT on fire with multiple sellouts

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The April 1st NXT Takeover show in Dallas is now officially sold out.

Pre-sale tickets went quickly on Friday and the held back tickets for the public sale went in 15 minutes when they were put on sale this morning for the show at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

At this point every NXT show outside of Florida that had tickets put on sale for early next year but one has sold out.

Tickets for Chicago, Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Royal Oak, MI are limited even on the secondary market.  In Chicago, the bottom price right is $165, which is the most expensive bottom price.

There are less than 125 tickets on Stubhub for Dallas, with a low price of $50 but very few at that price and almost but a handful at $80 or more, and most closer to $150 and up.

The Dallas show will be run in association with WrestleMania 32 weekend.  WWE’s biggest show of the year, which airs on April 3rd from the AT&T Arena, will likely be the biggest WrestleMania of all time based on the size of the building, ticket and merchandise sales, pay-per-view revenue, Network buys, etc.

WWE Los Angeles, CA results: Brock Lesnar battles Alberto Del Rio for the U.S. title

Posted on by F4W Staff

By Guy Bogard

Dolph Ziggler pinned the Miz.

Charlotte, Becky Lynch and Brie Bella beat team bad. All the girls came out with Santa hats on.

Ryback pinned Rusev with the shellshock.  An older guy was the special ring announcer because he won it by donating at a charity event. First thing he did was grab the mic and yell “WHOOOO!” He then announced like a 70’s or 80’s ring announcer and was pretty good. After the match he was shaking hands with fans and did the Flair deal where you pull your hand away and run it through your hair.

Brock Lesnar beat Del Rio via DQ when Rusev ran in. A short match with Lesnar hitting multiple german suplexes and Del Rio kept going for the armbar. Nothing special really. After the match he F’5d both guys. Lesnar was the biggest star on the show.

Kane, Dreamer and Dudleys beat the Wyatts after Kane chokeslammed Rowan. Ok match.

Ambrose pinned Owens to retain IC title. Very good match. Very light PWG chant for Owens.

Reigns pinned Sheamus to retain the WWE World Title. Reigns was pretty much cheered coming out but during the match there was the dueling “Lets go Roman!” and “Roman sucks!” chants just like Cena with women and kids cheering and adult males booing. Not as fervent though. Good match. After Roman mentioned it was his first title defense and wished everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

WWE NXT tickets remain white-hot with multiple pre-sale sellouts

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

1500 tickets for a 1/16 NXT house show in Chicago at the Portage Theater, the group’s debut in the market, sold out in one minute today.

At this writing, there are 48 tickets left on Stubhub with a cheapest ticket price at $145.  There are also tickets available in other secondary market sites and through area ticket brokers, but are for well above face value and there are not a great deal of them available.

Tickets for a 1/30 NXT show in Royal Oak, MI, just outside of Detroit, sold out their pre-sale allotment on the first day as well.

Also, it appears as if the entire pre-sale allotment for the NXT event on April 1st in Dallas, TX, is also sold out. The show, set for the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, seats about 7,000. A public on-sale is scheduled for Saturday, but it’s likely only a small amount of tickets will be made available which is usually the case in these situations.

WWE Smackdown results: Roman Reigns Speaks, Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

Posted on by Steve Khan

WWE Smackdown results (12/17): Roman Reigns Speaks, Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler

Air Date: December 17, 2015 – Location: Prudential Center in Newark, NJ

The Big News:

Watch Raw next Monday if you would like a follow-up to Raw last Monday.

Show Recap:

Smackdown opened with a recap of the Roman Reigns story from Raw, including Stephanie McMahon slapping the crap out of him. They also included a shot of The Usos and Dean Ambrose jumping in to celebrate after Reigns won.

Reigns came out through the crowd, WWE title belt on his shoulder. He said winning the championship felt good, but doing it on his daughter’s birthday was so much better. Reigns figured he doesn’t have much time left in the company after spearing Triple H and punching Vince McMahon. The line about punching Vince got a big reaction.

He advised the people at home not to punch their bosses. Reigns said he’d face his repercussions on Monday, but tonight isn’t Raw, it’s Smackdown (and no one is in charge I guess). Reigns added that we haven’t seen Triple H since TLC. I guess they forgot Smackdown airs after NXT Takeover.

Sheamus came out and said he wants Reigns to enjoy every moment with the title because it won’t be long before he has it again. Reigns was ready to fight now, but of course Sheamus wasn’t going to. Sheamus said the Authority has launched an investigation against Reigns, which means he can’t be on Smackdown tonight.

Reigns told Sheamus he could make him leave. Sheamus put over Reigns’ fighting spirit, but Stephanie told him if Reigns didn’t leave voluntarily they’d take alternative measures, and about 10 security guards came out on stage. Reigns didn’t budge so security went after him. Most of them were tiny, so Reigns took them out easily. The best spot was after one security guard couldn’t get over the top rope, Reigns shoved him out violently and the guy splatted on the mats.

There was one larger security guard left and Reigns took him out with a superman punch. Reigns posed with the title and Sheamus frowned. Reigns was universally cheered in this segment but I wouldn’t call it a huge reaction. Of course, that could have something to do with the number of people in attendance. Nobody was booing, anyway.

Non-Title: U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio beat Ryback via submission

They explained that Ryback requested this match. Before it started, Ryback said Del Rio is going to wish he never came back, and he’s going to eat the League of Nations (or something). Somebody in the crowd had a Mexican flag and Del Rio held it up for a moment during his entrance.

They messed up a spot where Ryback went for the Lou Thesz press but Del Rio didn’t go down, so Ryback just punched him until he did. Ryback made his comeback which actually included a missile dropkick. Ryback hit a meat-hook clothesline and went for Shellshocked but Sheamus, Rusev and Wade Barrett all ran out to the League of Nations music.

Ryback shoved Del Rio away for some reason, and the distraction allowed Del Rio to lock in the armbar. Ryback tried to fight out but eventually tapped. Afterwards, the League beat up Ryback, and Rusev applied the Accolade. The match was no good and I have no idea why Roman Reigns didn’t come out here.

Backstage, Tyler Breeze told Summer Rae that Titus O’Neil was an uggo. Goldust randomly appeared behind them and made weird noises. Summer sprayed hairspray in his face and he eventually left. Okay then.

They plugged a WWE house show at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday featuring Brock Lesnar. It was just a quick plug by the announcers, not a commercial.

Titus O’Neil beat Tyler Breeze (w/Summer Rae) via pinfall

No Darren Young at ringside. Goldust came out in the middle of the match and sat next to Summer in the VIP section. O’Neil made his comeback as this was happening. Goldust grabbed the selfie stick and took a selfie with Jerry Lawler. He also tried taking one with Breeze as Breeze yelled at him. The distraction allowed Titus to hit a sitout powerbomb for the win. Two straight distraction finishes.

Backstage, Dean Ambrose told Renee Young that Kevin Owens’ mind games won’t work. Ambrose said he won’t go away, and if Owens wants him all he has to do is ask. Ambrose said he puts it all on the line every night and that’s how he won the title. Ambrose wished Owens luck if his plan is to drive him crazy.

In his dark room backstage, Bray Wyatt said being extreme wasn’t enough. Each member of the Wyatt family added a stupid line. Strowman said he enjoys the feeling of someone taking their last breath in his arms. Ok.

Non-Title: Lucha Dragons beat WWE Tag-Team Champions Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods (w/Big E) via pinfall

Xavier Woods said the Lucha Dragons and Usos didn’t accept their gratitude on Monday because they’re jealous, just like everyone else. Kofi Kingston plugged their unicorn horns, which light up. Woods said when they dance, it’s not for the fans, but for themselves. They chanted New Day rocks. This was not good.

The announcers put over how great the ladder match was at TLC. (They also did this for the tables match earlier.) Like last week, Big E tried and failed to play the trombone. They had the heat on Kalisto forever. He tried to make a tag but Big E yanked Sin Cara off the apron and Kingston clotheslined Kalisto from behind.

New Day danced, very proud of themselves. As they danced, Sin Cara jumped in the ring and did a crazy dive which knocked Woods off the apron and took out Big E at the same time. With Kingston standing on the middle rope, Kalisto did a powerbomb into a pin for the victory. Crowd did the Lucha dance after the win. Not much of a match but I liked the finish.

Backstage, Renee asked Dolph Ziggler what it was like being collateral damage. Ziggler was tired of being called collateral damage and said the Intercontinental Title means more to him than anyone. He admitted that maybe he has become an afterthought and that was his own fault for not winning the big one [after just saying he was a former IC champion (also, he was World Champion twice)]. Ziggler said he worked hard and never calls in sick and never lost his smile. He dared Owens to top him tonight. Maybe this read well on the script, but this was stupid and Ziggler comes off so insincere.

Becky Lynch beat Brie Bella via submission

Before Lynch came out, Team B.A.D. were in the first row and their music played as Brie waited in the ring. Why was their music playing if they’re just spectating? And why do they have tickets if they work there?

The crowd chanted “We want Sasha” as soon as the match started. If Team B.A.D. being in the crowd wasn’t enough, Charlotte came out during the match to her music. The distraction allowed Lynch to make a comeback. Brie countered with a missile dropkick and running knee. Lynch followed with an Exploder suplex.

Lynch pushed Brie into the ropes and the referee was somehow distracted, allowing Charlotte to trip Brie. Lynch saw what happened, but applied the Disarmer anyway for the win. I didn’t mind Charlotte interfering since it plays into the story, but it would be nice if they eliminate the number of crappy finishes elsewhere on the show.

Backstage, Charlotte and Lynch argued. Lynch said they won on Raw because Ric Flair interfered, and she won tonight because Charlotte interfered. Charlotte said she just wanted Lynch to win. Lynch said she wants to do it on her own, which is why she accepted Brie’s challenge. Charlotte said she didn’t want Lynch to lose. Lynch was offended that Charlotte thought she couldn’t win on their own and she stormed off.

Elsewhere, Kevin Owens told Jo-Jo that it doesn’t matter what Dolph Ziggler wants, this was about Owens getting his IC title back from the cockroach Dean Ambrose. Jo-Jo again asked Owens about Ziggler. Owen gets that Ziggler wants revenge, but now he’s going to end up in a hospital.

They announced New Day will defend their tag titles against the Lucha Dragons on the live Smackdown on Tuesday.

Dolph Ziggler beat Kevin Owens via DQ

Ziggler tuned up the band and went for a superkick but Owens caught him and hit a belly-to-belly suplex. Owens also used a German suplex. Ziggler countered a pop-up powerbomb into a superkick for a nearfall.

Owens back body dropped Ziggler to the outside and they tried to sell it like he hurt his neck or shoulder. Owens went after him and clubbed away. The referee warned Owens to get back in the ring, but Owens tossed Ziggler over the announce table for a lame DQ. Ziggler miraculously recovered and jumped off the table onto Owens, but Owens just pushed him into the steel steps like he was nothing.

Dean Ambrose ran out to make the save. He went for Dirty Deeds but Owens bailed. Owens superkicked Ziggler as he was being helped out by referees, so Ambrose chased him off. Ambrose went to check on Ziggler but Ziggler superkicked him. The announcers debated whether Ziggler thought Ambrose was actually Owens.

Final Thoughts:

They basically told you in the opening segment that this show would be a placeholder since the main story won’t be followed up until Monday, and that was definitely the case. Besides Reigns beating up ten security guards, the opening segment was basically pointless. The Authority wanted him banned from the building, but he refused. After refusing to leave, he never showed up again anyway – even after the League of Nations attacked Ryback in the very next segment.

Also, this show featured two distraction finishes, a win by interference, and a DQ in the main event.

NXT TakeOver London feedback, updated

Posted on by Dan Velten

MORE NXT TAKEOVER FEEDBACK

Thumbs way up
Best Match: Balor vs Joe
Worst Match: None

Was finally able to watch the event On Demand tonight after avoiding spoilers (is this Star Wars?). Wish I left work to watch live. TakeOvers continue to just hit it out of the park and really renew being a wrestling FAN for me.  A much better show than TLC. Asuka vs. Emma could have been my pick for best match.  It was close. Though Asuka is always amazing, I was very impressed by Emma. 

Wish they could bottle up crowds like this and uncork them at every arena as it added just that much more to a great show. I think the roof would have blown off if Enzo and Cassady won the belts. I like that we can have real winners here and know that a guy like Crews isn’t damaged by losing a close tough battle. Just good stuff all around!

Michael O’Brien

Hey Dave,

Overall: The consistent NXT vibe was alive and well, tinged with an evident London flavor. I can’t express how nice it is to see classic time tested wrestling fixtures play out in front of a receptive crowd in the 21st century. Every match contained a clearly defined villain and a crowd supported hero. The heels were dastardly and the baby faces were heroic. The contrast between the protagonist and the antagonist created the needed atmosphere for the fans to not just applaud the action, but to cheer for the competitor they wanted to be victorious and boo the competitor they wished would fall. The finishes were not over complicated, and they were all effective. Each match was unique and the main event was a fitting capstone to another NXT homerun.

Best Match: Everything was good, Joe vs. Balor was great.

Worst Match: Nothing

1. Asuka vs. Emma. Takeover started with a women’s match and it was a hot and fitting opener. Good technical wrestling and a physical contest from start to finish. Emma was up to the task and Asuka continued to display her unique style. They did not succumb to the cheap tainted finish and instead provided a climatic, clean and satisfying victory for Asuka. ***

2. NXT Tag Title Match: Enzo and Cassidy vs. Dash and Dawson. Enzo and Cassidy have found a way to maintain their act and add some needed seriousness. Their aggressive style is not limited to a promo, it translates to their ring work. Very solid old school tag match aided by a white hot crowd.  Perfect finish for a heel tag team on the rise. ***1/2

3. Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin. A singles match that meant something. In fact, it felt like it meant a lot. The fact that Corbin can wrestle a competitive match with Crews and not look outclassed says a lot about his development. The match itself was not spectacular, but it was perfectly acceptable. **1/2

4. NXT Women’s Title Match: Nia Jax vs. Bailey. The classic David vs. Goliath story told at an Ernest Hemingway level. Jax channeled a Vader like level of dominance. Bailey’s presentation was heroic to say the least. From an athletic standpoint, it was not what other NXT women’s title matches have been. However, from a story telling perspective it was on par with all of the TakeOver standout matches involving women wrestlers. ***

5. NXT Title Match: Samoa Joe vs. Fin Balor. A more than fitting capstone to another NXT homerun. Joe was at his most vicious. The Demon act is not just a paint job, it is a transformation in Balor’s character. The match was an outstanding hybrid of NJPW style and WWE main event style. A few of the sequences were not perfect, but in the grand scale, it did not halt or slow the momentum or the drama of the contest. Great match. ****

Thanks, Derrick Hubbard

Thumbs up– Possibly my favorite WWE show of 2015.

Best match- Asuka v. Emma

I don’t know what my “wow” count was, but this match made me amazed by little moves and the progression to the finish.  I think Asuka can elevate any match that she’s put in.  But when she’s paired with an already talented Emma, things really shine.  NXT did a masterful job of teasing interference, foreign object use, and ref bump finishes without telegraphing the ending into a stale finish.  I do not trust RAW to pull this off. When done right, this is a thing of beauty.

Worst match- Crews v. Corbin

Good match.  This would be a #1 match on a typical NXT show.  But it had the misfortune of following matches that were doing something really ambitious. I’m glad this wasn’t an instance of kicking out of finishers. Pushing that End of Days finisher from Corbin keeps him a threat to anyone he’s paired with.

Other notes-

-Great to see Bayley’s move set incorporate submissions. Bayley is a very effective face, but arm drags and shoulder blocks made me doubt whether things would get stale in the ring for her.  Adding the threat of a submission will open up a whole new world of options for her matches.

-Lots of old school match flourishes that were being done right.  Foreign objects?  Ref bumps?  Using a valet as a shield?  I’m watching WWE Network Vault content now and this show tapped into a lot of those lost arts.

-Even more great video packages out of NXT.  I have no idea why the main roster can’t produce something that looks like the Bayley package.

-Very hopeful about the tag team division.  Dawson and Dash are a real talent. HHH’s conference call this week described them as spearheading a revolution in the tag division.  They’re really building matches that highlight the importance of having a dedicated tag partner. Hopefully NXT can build from this so we don’t hear chants from fans to get their favorite member of each team in the ring.  

Nick Garcia @foothands

Columbus, OH

Thumbs Up
Best Match – Finn Balor vs Samoa Joe
Worst Match – Baron Corbin vs Apollo Crews

This was definitely worth leaving work early to catch. An unbelievable show. From the amazing crowd all night long (especially the innovative chants during the Bayley vs Nia Jax match), to the great main event. Nia Jax, even in her infancy, showed that she could hang with the best given the right circumstances. Multiple times during their match I literally thought it was over and jumped from my couch like I was there live at the show. Not sure why Baron and Apollo didn’t connect, but something was just missing from their match. That main event was just quality and made me happy to be a fan of this business. And of course, the opener was hot and Emma has come a long way from being clumsy and unwatchable to being able to have a good match with the right opponent. Asuka is light years ahead of 98% of everything else on both rosters, both male and female, and I look forward to a program with her and Bayley in 2016

Roy Lucier

How you doin’ Dave,

Thumbs Up

Asuka vs. Emma ***1/2

Thought it was a good solid match that was well-paced and built well. Not quite as fluid as some of Asuka’s other matches, and their chemistry was a little off with some of the counter/chain stuff and Emma had issues feeding Asuka, also Asuka’s method of firing up didn’t really translate, but none the less good stuff with lots of nice spots at the back end.

Enzo & Cass vs. Dash & Dawson **3/4

Felt it was a solid match that was well-paced, although I would’ve liked a little more sizzle and a little less steak – i.e. thought they stayed in the heat too long and then Cass’ comeback was short-lived with the chop block transition move coming fairly quickly, also the leg submission wasn’t taken seriously as a potential finish which detracted a little. Big fan of Dash & Dawson, very deliberate, aggressive and solid, Cass still looks very green and Enzo although not a great worker or anything, I feel has improved a great deal this year. Would’ve liked it to be a little more spotty, but hey, they were out there to have a solid match and that’s what they did.

Worst Match: Corbin vs. Crews **3/4

Thought it was another solid match for the most part, although a little fragmented at times, really good transition move going into the heat, perhaps would’ve liked a few hope spots, Crews’ fire could’ve been better on the comeback but his fluidity and athleticism in the match was fantastic, counter-spot out of the end of days was really good, Corbin seems much more at home as a heel and carries himself really well as one, he’s not too adventurous with his spots but his solidity is improving, really benefitted from working with Balor and Joe, I feel. Nothing too spectacular but a decent match. Very surprised by the finish.

Nia Jax vs. Bayley ***

The crowd meant well, but I thought the nature of the chants detracted from the match a little as they didn’t really embrace the drama within the match. I thought Bayley worked ever so hard making Jax look good and her selling was at a high level, Jax was fine technically, I felt, but she lacked aggression and didn’t really carry herself like a monster nor was she was particulary expressive, most of which is down to her experience and level of confidence. I thought the timing, drama and emphasis could’ve been better with some little gestures and bigger gaps between certain things, but I thought it was a good effort.

Best Match: Joe vs. Balor ****

Thought technically, timing wise, emphasis and spots wise it was great, pace was wonderful early on, would’ve liked them to pick it up a tiny bit at times, and also would’ve liked a little more aggresssion and wildness for lack of a better word, but felt it was really, really good and a great effort.

Thanks Dave,

Tom Griffiths

Hey Dave, 

Overall: Double Thumbs up

Best match: Asuka vs Emma due to the heat and the teased finishes. Crowd were on the edge of their seat. (close second; the main event and the tag team match)

Worst match: Corbin vs Crews (wasn’t a bad match, but we weren’t into it as much as the others)

MOST OVER: JASON JORDAN AND GABLE – The crowd loved them so much, especially Gable. First time i’ve ever seen Jordan – he’s a great wrestler/ he received a huge pop when he suplexed everyone – massive suplex city chant broke out

Cheers,

Saul Hill

Hi Dave

Thumbs way up for this show

Asuka Vs Emma: Great match, they worked really hard and it showed.  Along with everyone else in the crowd I was dreading the idea of the match being possibly ruined by a ref bump and was incredibly thankful when it didn’t happen.

Tag Title match: Another great match, crowd really were convinced that Enzo & Cass would win and despised Dash & Dawson all through the match.

Crews Vs Corbin: Fairly disappointing match, crowd didn’t seem that into it and only wanted to hurl insults at Corbin.
Definitely the weakest match of the Takeover portion of the show.

Bayley Vs Nia Jax: Really good match, the crowd adored Bayley throughout. My only issue is the crowd singing through half the match, it felt a little disrespectful and they could’ve toned it down a bit.

Balór Vs Joe: Fantastic match from a live perspective, crowd was split throughout and most people (including myself) were thinking/hoping for Joe to win so we can see a big title change for once. They worked really hard and it showed, one of the best matches I’ve ever seen in person.

Overall it was a fantastic show with an incredible atmosphere, great wrestling and some really ridiculous chants that you can only expect from a UK crowd.

NXT TakeOver London TV taping results: Sami Zayn, Chad Gable & Jason Jordan

Posted on by F4W Staff

Submitted by Seb Major

These matches were taped for next week’s NXT TV show.

Jason Jordan and Chad Gable vs The Hype Bros vs. The Vaudevillians vs Blake and Murphy (w/ Alexa Bliss) 

Jordan and Gable might be more over than anyone in the entire company right now, at least in the UK. They came out to a humongous pop with chants from the crowd the whole way through the match. Typical overbooked opener, everyone got their spots in. Jordan was incredibly pumped up from the crowd reaction and played to the crowd alot. The other teams were booed incessantly. Vaudevillians worked over Gable for most of the match. The hot tag to Jordan got another crazy pop and he hit a number of incredible suplexes, getting a suplex city chant at one point. The finish came after Jordan his an absolutely ridiculous belly to belly over the top rope onto the other teams on the outside, spot of the match, if not the night. Jordan and Gable hit their double finisher for the win. Really really good.

Elias Sampson vs Bull Dempsey

A pretty nothing match. No one really cared about Sampson. Not much happened. This was basically a comedy match. Bull did jumping jacks which Sampson watched from the corner. A fairly botchy match at times. Sampson got “You’re just a poo poo Seth Rollins” and “You’re a hipster” chants. Sampson wins out of basically nowhere after a few minutes. Basically nothing. 

After the match, “Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, and now we have for you a special BONUS MATCH!” which led to immediate Ole chants.

Sami Zayn vs. Tye Dillinger

Tye Dillinger comes out first, and was very over with his 10 gimmick (10 signs were probably the most common ones I saw; there weren’t that many overall). He would’ve been a face except out comes his opponent. The crowd goes insane for Sami. He goes up the stairs and does his arm-ruining waves. Sami was incredibly over, but they’re going to have to cut this down if they show it because about half the match was them reacting to the chants, all the usual stuff you’d expect, “Welcome Back” and Oles and everything. Tye gets “poo poo Hair, No Fans” and “Topknot Wanker” chants. A good match. Sami teases his arm injury and Tye works that arm a bit, but nothing to make you worried. Great Blue Thunder Bomb out of nowhere gets a 2, and a Helluva Kick for the win.

Sami stays in the ring with a mic. Huge amount of chants; he gives up speaking a couple of times because it’s so loud. Basically just imagine every line here interspersed with one chant or another for him. He says it’s great to be back, that every time he’s on a high, like winning the title or going on Raw to fight John Cena (boos), it seems like things take a nosedive for him, but today, that trend is reversed. He talks about the tour up until this point and is hilariously dumbfounded that we boo the hell out of all the other towns he brings up, “is this some British heat thing?”. Big things are coming for NXT in 2016, and for him, he says, and makes to leave – but then comes back into the ring, because ever since Triple H got to say it, he’s wanted to. “We are NXT!” Super babyface stuff, basically, but he was beloved for it. 

WWE Breaking Ground episode 7 recap: Of pumpkins, eating dinner, and being human

Posted on by F4W Staff

Photo: Bayley’s Instagram

By Ryan Pike for WrestlingObserver.com

Key Takeaway:

The focus shifts somewhat from the established NXT stars towards the newcomers in an episode that suffers due to being a bit all over the place narratively, in the sense that nothing really happens.

Show Recap:

As mentioned, this week was a bit all over the place narratively, so let’s break it down.

Carmella got kicked in the head last week by Eva Marie and got a stinger. She manages to avoid a concussion and basically frets about not being to wrestle for a week. She and Big Cass, her boyfriend, carve pumpkins and are generally adorable. After her week is up, she goes through the in-ring workout for NXT’s trainer, Tina, and gets the all-clear. Eva Marie is seen once but never mentioned, so presumably they don’t want to bury the poor girl. The most entertaining part of the episode in in this storyline, where Enzo Amore and Carmella bond (at a dinner after a show with Bayley and Cass) about how loud Cass is at night – he wakes them up at home or on the road by snoring or making too much noise in the bathroom.

Bayley, Carmella’s best friend, has a performance evaluation with Sara Amato. It goes really well and Amato praises her mentorship abilities, which Bayley says are a product of having Charlotte and Paige mentor her when she was coming in. She and Carmella take Sara Lee, from Tough Enough, on the road with them and begin to mentor her. The big cliffhanger of this episode is Triple H calling a meeting with Bayley and Sasha Banks and teasing a big announcement, which is presumably the Iron Man Match from Takeover (because this show plays fast and loose with timelines).

ZZ complains about a knee injury but notes he’s down in weight because he’s eating broccoli now. Matt Bloom jokingly praises him for “learning what vegetables are.” Later, ZZ goes to an alligator camp and helps move an alligator.

The new wrestler from India, Lovepreet Singh, has some growing pains in training because he’s bringing some bad habits – like using punches below the belt to get guys over the top rope in practices – that he needs to unlearn. But he seems coachable and performances well enough in the “internal matches” that they have at the Performance Center to get a spot in a battle royal on a house show. He also has Robbie Brookside over for a traditional Indian dinner and seems eager to pick his brain about the business.

Tino Sabbatelli also performs well in the internal matches, with Tye Dillinger praising his ability to be a natural heel because he’s so physically gifted. Dillinger gives him some advice about his in-ring persona and playing up his physique a bit. Nhooph continues to develop her in-ring persona for her Aliyah character, working a bit with William Regal on her entrance. Regal notes: “I think the audience has made their mind up by about a third of the way down the ramp whether they’re going to care.” However, Nhooph bombs with her entrance and promo at the internal matches, with Regal criticizing her lack of urgency and the crowd (made up of wrestlers from the Performance Center) jeering her throughout. She’s got some work to do.

Final Thoughts:

There were some interesting moments in the show, but nothing really happened. Bayley watched a wrestling match with her boyfriend. Lovepreet ate dinner. Carmella carved pumpkins. But nothing noteworthy really occurred and the show continued jumping around too much for us as an audience to really build a relationship with any of the wrestlers in this episode. This was a pretty flat episode of Breaking Ground overall.

WWE Smackdown spoilers 12-15: Dolph Ziggler vs Kevin Owens

Posted on by F4W Staff

Submitted by Mike Omansky from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ

– The show opened with a Roman Reigns interview talking about winning the title on his daughter’s birthday.  He figured his days were numbered in the company.  Sheamus came out and congratulated him on holding the title longer than 5:15.  Sheamus said he’d be winning it back. Sheamus announced there is an internal investigation going on regarding Reigns and he is not allowed in the building.  Reigns told Sheamus to make him leave.  Security guards came out to remove him but he destroyed all of them.

– U.S. Champion Alberto Del Rio beat Ryback with the armbar. Good match dominated by Del Rio. Ryback makes the comeback and is about to finish him off, but the full League of Nations comes out. Ryback is distracted; Del Rio takes him down and clamps on thearmbar for the win.

– They did a backstage segment where Tyler Breeze and Summer Rae, the former of which is about to wrestle Titus O’Neil. Goldust walked in, Rae sprayed hair spray in his mouth, and thus, Breeze is feuding with Tyler Breeze.

– Titus O’Neil beat Tyler Breeze. Goldust was out, sat next to Rae, and distracted Breeze by taking selfies with Breeze’s selfie stick.

– Backstage, Dean Ambrose did an interview where he said he’s ready to defend the I-C title against Kevin Owens or anyone.

– Wyatts vignette aired. 

– Lucha Dragons beat WWE Tag Team Champions The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) in a non-title match when Kalisto pinned Kingston.mIt is announced later that there will be a rematch next Tuesday, live on Smackdown, for the tag titles.

– Dolph Ziggler backstage interview, talking about Owens.

– Becky Lynch beat Brie Bella by submission after Charlotte tripped Brie and Becky locked on an armbar submission. Team BAD were also out at ringside.

– Backstage, Becky and Charlotte argued about why Charlotte interfered for her. Becky wants to win on her own.

– Backstage, Owens said he wants his I-C title back.

– Dolph Ziggler beat Kevin Owens via DQ for throwing him into the ring steps. Ambrose made the save and chased Owens off.  Ambrose then checked on Ziggler, and Ziggler superkicked him.

Notes:

– In the dark match segment, the League of Nations ran out to attack Ambrose and Ziggler. The Usos race in and get beaten down. Enter Roman Reigns who runs into to clean house. The other faces recover and the heels retreat.  This was apparently in lieu of the “massive” 6 man tag main event that had been advertised for weeks.

– WWE will return to the building on May 22nd for Payback. Pre-sale tickets can be had by using ‘Payback’.

NXT Cardiff, Wales, results: Finn Balor vs. Sami Zayn vs. Samoa Joe

Posted on by F4W Staff

Submitted by James Witcombe 

– Greg Hamilton came out to introduce a Finn Balor video, then a HHH video to start the show. Loud NXT chants. 

– Team Sawft vs. Blake and Murphy 

No girls as they are both wrestling later. Enzo and Cass get a big reaction. The crowd say his catchphrases along with him. Started with some fun as Enzo was dancing. He started dancing on the apron too. BAM weren’t happy with this. We want dancing chant. Enzo won with the splash off the top. Blake and Murphy were good here. Fun opener. 

– Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss 

Asuka’s gonna kill you chant early. She chased Alexa around the ring while Alexa screamed stop chasing me. Alexa got the heat by draping Asuka’s arm across the bottom rope. Asuka won after a missed standing moonsault then kicks. She got Bliss in the chicken wing. Good match. Bliss wasn’t bad. 

– Tye Dillinger vs. Bull Dempsey

Comedy match. Big 10 chants when Tye came out. He has a laminated 10 card. Bull ran the types during his entrance and gassed. Then did it again. Bull fit and Bull is beautiful chants early. Bull got a cheer for taking his shirt off. Bull got 10 chants with a bad cartwheel. Bull got the win with a splash. 

– Nia Jax vs. Carmella 

Pretty quick squash. Carmella got some offense and did the moonwalk. Nia won with the spinebuster and leg drop. Nia is a good monster. 

– Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin 

Duelling chants early. Let’s go Corbin, Corbin sucks too. Long heat by Corbin. Basic match. Some hope spots then Crews got the win with the standing moonsault. Typical house show match I thought. 

Intermission

– Jordan and Gable V Dash and Dawson for the NXT Tag Team Championship 

Gable, Gable, Gable – Jordan, Jordan, Jordan chants throughout. They were over. Heat after Gable caught a Dash lariat outside the ring. Count out tease. Jordan’s hot tag is great. Dash and Dawson win after Gable is tripped attempting a suplex into the ring. Foot held for the 3. Jordan and Gable given the applause spot after. Hot match. 

– Emma vs. Bayley for the NXT Women’s Championship

Dana Brooke out with Emma. First 5 minutes chants for Bayley. To the Hey Baby will you be my girl song. Emma tried walking off with the belt. Dana protects her then gets an elbow. Dana sent to the back. Bayley won with the Bayley to belly. Decent match. 

Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor for the NXT Championship

All 3 guys received well. Lots of Joe running early. Joe got a few cheap shots in. After a dropkick through the ropes  Joe went to walk out. Stopped by both guts. Zayn and Finn put on each other’s jackets and started doing the other’s mannerisms. Funny spot. Joe got a pop for breaking this up.  Zayn with a dive then blue thunder bomb for near fall. All guys out then Joe and Zayn got up and Finn did the Undertaker sit up and facial from Mania. Funny. They all landed kicks and this is awesome chants. Japanese elbow spot between Finn and Joe then the corner drop kick by Finn. Coup De Grace attempt then muscle buster attempt blocked. Joe with Kokina clutch on Zayn. Zayn is on top of Joe and Balor gives him the Coup De Grace which took out both.  Finn pinned Sami for the win. Very good match.

Great show. Everyone seemed to be sent home happy.  

The positives and negatives of Monday’s Raw ratings

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

The Good:

Hour 1 was the first hour of Monday Night RAW to do over 4 million viewers since Hour 2 of the July 20th show earlier this year. This was the first show to open at over 4 million viewers since June 15th. Hour 3’s 3,825,000 viewers were the highest since 3,830,000 on August 31st. The average viewership was the highest since that same August 31st show. That show featured the return of Sting.

RAW’s viewership average was 10.67% higher than the 2014 post-TLC show, which averaged 3,510,000  viewers. This was just the 3rd week in the last 52 that RAW showed an increase in viewers from the same  week the previous year. One of those was the post-Mania show, which aired a week earlier this year. 

The Bad:

November’s weekly average viewers for RAW was 3,168,000 viewers, down almost 18% from the November 2014 average of 3,988,000. That was the 12th straight month that RAW showed a decreased number of viewers from the same month a year prior. Even with the impressive number on Monday, RAW is averaging just 3,469,000 in December, down from 3,628,000 in 2014. The show would need to average about 3.8 million viewers over the next two weeks to stop the streak at 12 months of declining ratings. And it would take an extended ratings turnaround for RAW to hit the pre-Mania numbers of 4.035 million (January), 4,013,000 (February) and 4,228,000 (March) of 2015 even with no competition from Monday night football. 

Thoughts:

Obviously the buzz surrounding the closing angle of TLC the night before piqued curiosity in this show, leading to the very strong first hour. RAW managed to maintain most of that audience throughout the show. Theoretically the numbers should’ve increased in the third hour leading to the championship match but perhaps fans felt that WWE wouldn’t deliver on a decisive finish and title change. The fact that they did could bring back fan confidence that they have turned things around heading into the Royal Rumble-Wrestlemania season.

William Regal sent home from UK over neck surgery issues

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

William Regal has flown home from the NXT tour and will not be appearing on the final two events due to issues related to his recent neck surgery.

Regal wrote on Twitter today, “I’m incredibly sorry, but I have to return to the U.S. to take care of some final details of my recent neck surgery that couldn’t be avoided any longer.  Again, I’m sorry that I cannot continue with the current tour, but I’ll be back in 2016 to @WWENXT.”

The two has two shows left, an event tonight in Cardiff, Wales, and the live Takeover special on the WWE Network tomorrow at 3 p.m. Eastern from London’s SSE Wembley Arena.

Regal was also scheduled for a talk show on Thursday in Nottingham, that has been canceled.

WWE Raw ratings way up with Vince McMahon return

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

After a fall season where ratings were at an all-time low, the return of Vince McMahon and the Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns title vs. being fired match led to an increase for the Monday, December 14th edition of WWE RAW to 848,000 viewers over last week — a whopping 27 percent.

The show did 3.87 million viewers, but the key is that the first hour did 4.04 million viewers. They were way up early, which has to do with curiosity coming off the post-match attack by Reigns on HHH at the close of the TLC ppv. The announcement that Vince would be there also came in the first 15 minutes of the show, and after more than a year off the show, the return of Vince should have helped.

The second hour, which included McMahon’s first interview, did 3.79 million viewers. The third hour, with the Reigns vs. Sheamus title change, did 3.83 million viewers. Not only did they have far higher viewership to start the show than in months, but they kept most of the viewers for the three hours, which they haven’t been able to do in months.

Last night’s Wrestling Observer Radio show for subscribers has a full rundown and analysis of the show, Vince’s return and Roman Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight Title win.

NXT TakeOver preview & predictions: Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe in London

Posted on by Arya Witner

2015 has been an amazing year for NXT. The little brand that could got hit first with the injury bug to Sami Zayn and Hideo Itami, but also saw eight talents called up to the main WWE roster. While you can argue the successes of Kevin Owens, Neville, Tyler Breeze, Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, and the Lucha Dragons in WWE, they left quite the hole in NXT.

When WWE lost John Cena, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Cesaro all in a few weeks of each other, they replied by changing very little other than Sheamus winning the World title for a little over a month. By comparision, look at NXT. When they lost the Lucha Dragons, they responded by pushing Dash & Dawson, Blake & Murphy, and Jordan & Gable. When NXT lost Sasha, Becky, and Charlotte, they began pushing Asuka, Nia Jax and yes, even Eva Marie. When Owens got super over in his feud with Cena, NXT started the slow burn to Samoa Joe’s heel turn to replace him. When Neville and his cool moves went to Raw, we got Apollo Crews and his cool moves. When Itami got injured, Finn Balor not only got Itami’s title shot, he got his entire title reign.

So with that, we come to NXT TakeOver: London, the second Takeover outside of Full Sail and the first outside of the United States. What can the average WWE fan look forward to on this show?

Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe for the NXT Championship

The winners of the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic explode! Joe had asked Balor for a title shot after they won the Dusty Classic. While Balor had said yes, he stood by and allowed William Regal to make a battle royal for the title shot. Joe, feeling betrayed, turned his back on Balor and laid him out, turning on his friend and occasional tag team partner.

This match is going to have every opportunity in the world to be the classic bout that happens at every TakeOver as both men can be counted on to come through in the clutch. If he wins the championship, Joe will become the first man to win a title in both TNA and NXT. Both men have numerous challengers in 2016 regardless of who wins as Crews has told Balor that they still have unfinished business. Plus, you have Baron Corbin and a returning Sami Zayn waiting in the wings.

Prediction: Finn Balor retains here and in a rematch in January

Apollo Crews vs. Baron Corbin

Corbin has come a long way since he started being pushed in September 2014. At first, the fans loved him for winning every match in 30 seconds and then turned on him when his matches went two minutes with Corbin not allowing them to count how long his matches go.

Crews already has the storyline where he has unfinished business with Balor, and Corbin is at least six months away from being ready for main events. Corbin has had excellent TakeOver matches with both Rhyno and Samoa Joe this year and this should be no exception. With each successive match, Corbin is showing more and more and has developed into a pretty good worker.

Prediction: Apollo Crews wins

Bayley vs. Nia Jax for the NXT Women’s Championship

This match WILL NOT BE A 5 STAR CLASSIC! With Charlotte, Becky and Sasha now on the main roster, NXT has to restock itself on women’s wrestlers, so we have Alexa Bliss, Carmella and a half dozen brand new girls most people don’t remember the names of. Bayley is the hero to the masses, coming off back to back ****+ matches with Banks and a shockingly acceptable match with Eva Marie, she is now going to battle Nia Jax. Jax, a cousin of The Rock, debuted on TV the week after TakeOver: Respect and immediately became a force in the division. This match will be so different than every other women’s title match that chances are most people will hate it.

Just remember, it could be Eva Marie getting the title.

Prediction: Nia Jax wins the title to set up the next title feud.

Asuka vs. Emma

Speaking of the next women’s title feud, Asuka debuted shortly after TakeOver: Brooklyn and began a long rivalry with Dana Brooke and Emma. Dana got her head knocked from here to Port St. Lucie in her debut so now, in complete denial, here comes Emma. This is arguably Emma’s biggest opportunity since returning to NXT after her failed call-up last year. The story is that the #DivasRevolution that everyone is enjoying in WWE started with her on NXT. Can Emma prove that she still belongs in the top tier of women’s wrestlers? This is her chance to prove it as long as Asuka doesn’t send her head into the back row.

Prediction: Asuka wins and moves onto Nia Jax.

Dash & Dawson vs Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady for the NXT tag team titles

This is a weird situation. Back in October, Enzo & Colin defeated Dash & Dawson to become the new no. 1 contenders. However, Dash & Dawson injured the Jersey Duo, took their title shot and took the championship. Enzo and Cass came back from their injury angle and cut a serious promo, all but guaranteeing they would win the belts. They have been teaming for almost 3 years and have never won the titles, despite being close to winning them earlier this year.

Two problems with the titles changing hands:

1) Dash & Dawson just won the belts last month. With the exception of title changes being caused by injuries, the shortest title reign was Sami Zayn’s nine-week long NXT title reign. Most title reigns last a minimum of three months, and these two just started getting a serious push after a year of being jobbers.

2) Jason Jordan & Chad Gable are the new, hot babyface team. They already have the angle that they are beating as many former NXT Tag Team Champions as possible, so they are probably next in line for the belts.

Prediction: Dash & Dawson retain.

Overall Thoughts:

Only one guaranteed great match out of five this time makes this the weakest NXT TakeOver card on paper. However, you have two more matches that be very good and the other two should at least have very interesting results. It has become a running joke that NXT has constantly had their shows around the same time as a bad, poorly built WWE PPV. However, this time they are coming after a pretty good (but poorly built) WWE PPV and have to top it with a weaker card than usual.

If history has taught us anything, it is to not take the guys and girls from NXT for granted. We should believe that the show has a chance to be great given the fact that they have consistently delivered. However this time, they have their work cut out for them.

WWE Slammy Award voting starts tonight

Posted on by Dave Meltzer

The WWE announced that Slammy Award voting will begin tonight with the awards show next Monday, December 21st, part of ‘WWE Week’ on USA Network. 

Monday’s Slammy-riffic RAW will be followed up by a live Smackdown on Tuesday, and the taped Tribute To The Troops on Wednesday.

WWE announced voting will take place exclusively on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, bypassing their website completely. The winners of these categories, except for Superstar of the Year, will be announced prior to Raw.

The main categories are:

  • Superstar of the Year
  • Tag Team of the Year
  • Hashtag of the Year
  • Celebrity Moment of the Year
  • “Tell Me You Just Didn’t Say That” Moment of the Year
  • Best John Cena U.S. Open challenge match
  • Rivalry of the Year
  • Double Cross of the Year
  • Surprise Return of the Year
  • Best Original WWE Network Show (So much for voting up any of that old footage.)

On RAW, there will be eight additional categories that will voted on via the WWE app live during the show. These winners, and Superstar of the Year, will be announced during Raw.

  • Match of the Year
  • Diva of the Year
  • Breakout Star of the Year
  • LOL Moment of the Year
  • Extreme Moment of the Year
  • “This is Awesome” Moment of the Year
  • The OMG Most Shocking Moment of the Year
  • The Hero Award presented by Coca Cola

WWE RAW live results: Roman Reigns beats Sheamus for WWE title, Vince returns

Posted on by Josh Hamlin

The Big Takeaway: 

Roman Reigns is the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion on a program that featured the return of Vince McMahon in an on-screen role for the first time in over a year. Reings got a very positive response all night and defeated Sheamus in a match he had to win, or else get fired. 

Show Recap: 

Stephanie McMahon started the show. Michael Cole announced that HHH was in a hospital nursing injuries. It sounded like the crowd noise was artificial,  even though the show was live. Which shows how much faith the fans in Philadelphia had in regards to cheering the people the company wants cheered. She said Roman Reigns had attacked not only HHH, but the COO and his boss.

Reigns came out. There was a small “Thank you, Roman” chant. Reigns said he was a father and today was his daughter’s birthday. But he didn’t feel bad at all about whipping HHH’s ass. They teased Roman was going to get fired. Stephanie brought up Reigns losing another chance at the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, called him a failure and a disgrace. Reigns said Stephanie was the disgrace, so was HHH and their whole family. 

Stephanie slapped him repeatedly. She said she wasn’t going to fire Reigns because her husband asked her not to. She said someone wanted to see Reigns tonight, and that was her father. So Vince McMahon makes his way back to TV tonight.

You might be reading this and wondering since Stephanie slapped Reigns about eight times, how did Reigns get his comeback? The answer is there was none. At this point, I’m wondering who Stephanie is going to wrestle when she headlines WrestleMania because she’s more protected than Reigns is. I can’t believe they castrated him like that after last night. 

Dean Ambrose (C) and Dolph Ziggler went to a no contest in a nontitle match (12:20)

Kevin Owens came out and attacked Dolph Ziggler, then gave Dean Ambrose a Pop-Up Power Bomb. Owens gave Ambrose another Pop-Up Powerbomb. When Ziggler went for a comeback, Owens gave him a Pop-Up Powerbomb, as well. They were in the midst of a good match where Ziggler gave Ambrose a Superkick, but Ambrose bounced off the ropes and gave Ziggler a clothesline. Looks like a tease of a three-way match down the line. 

Owens was interviewed by Jo Jo backstage. He was almost in a catatonic state and vowed to put Ambrose in an actual asylum until he gets his Intercontiental Championship back. 

The Dudley Boyz, Tommy Dreamer and Rhyno were backstage. They challenged the Wyatt Family to a match tonight in a rally around the ECW banner interview to get the natural Philadelphia response. 

Bo Dallas and R-Truth went to a no contest (3:25) 

Just went you thought an episode of WWE Superstars had broken out, the whole matchup was a backdrop to Vince McMahon coming into the building.They got a couple of spots into the match when Vince showed up in a limo. Stephanie wanted to join Vince, but he insisted she go back to Connecticut and nurse HHH back to health. 

Vince then did the routine he did years ago when he stopped a house show match with Taijiri and Rhyno in progress, as he walked into the ring and ordered R-Truth and Bo Dallas out. Vince came out and said that Reigns had to be cowering backstage in fear of what Vince was going to say to him. After a commercial where Vince sat in a chair at ringside long enough to let the second hour arrive, he ordered Reigns to come out. 

Vince ordered Reigns to apologize. Reigns just shook his head. Then Vince ordered Reigns to get down on his hands and knees to apologize. Nothing doing. Vince said there was a time where he would beat an apology out of him.  When Reigns just smirked at him, Vince teased squaring off with him. He took off his coat. 

Then Sheamus stepped out and said he wanted to beat an apology out of Reigns himself. He wanted to challenge Reigns tonight. Sheamus talked about putting the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on the line. Then we got the typical McMahon swerve where Vince asked the crowd if they wanted the match, then shot them down. Reigns asked why not, and siad Vince once had big grapefruits, but now they’ve become shriveled up prunes now. He said McMahon was 70 years old and time was passing him by. 

McMahon was so incensed, he granted Reigns the match. But if Reigns didn’t win the title tonight, he was fired. Then Vince kicked Reigns in the balls and walked off. It really says something about the power of your champion when the crowd was more fired up for the tease of a McMahon-Reigns match than another bout with Reigns. The stipulation practically guarantees a title switch tonight. 

Alberto Del Rio and Rusev defeated Jack Swagger and Ryback (6:30)

Rusev and Alberto Del Rio each hit separate thrust kicks on Jack Swagger and Rusev scored the pin. Match came and went. Swagger gets a reaction for someone who has barely been on TV over the past year. 

We got our third installment of the Rosebush. Adam Rose talked about Charlotte cheating against Paige to win at TLC, and how Becky Lynch was worried Charlotte was becoming too much like her father. Rose told Lynch not to worry because Charlotte would still need 16 world titles, 4 marriages, 4 divorces and multiple fortunes to win and lose to become too much like her father. Well, Charlotte is following in her father’s footsteps in several of those areas, too. 

Want worse? The Rosebush preempted Tyler Breeze’s ring entrance. I know I’m becoming a broken record regarding not showing Bree’e entrance, it show some proper priorities for the love of God. 

Neville defeated Tyler Breeze (4:56) 

The Miz came out and started shouting instructions to Neville. Then Miz started leading cheers for Neville in his usual obnoxious way, which got Summer Rae mad at him. After a Superkick, Neville won with the Red Arrow. Neville started rolling his eyes at Miz when he started taking credit for Neville’s win. WCW’s booking committee would be proud of how quickly the WWE has made Breeze a midcarder in record time. 

Miz talked with Neville backstage. Miz said he could pull enough strings to get Neville cast in the 8th Star Wars movie. But in exchange, Miz wanted Neville’s British accent because he wanted to be the next James Bone. Miz proclaimed he could make Neville into the next Daniel Bryan. Neville warned Miz that if he ever tried what he pulled tonight again, he would stick a light saber where the sun doesn’t shine. But didn’t Neville win? 

The Wyatt Family did an interview backstage. Luke Harper said they were the way into the see of woe. Eric Rowan said they were the way into eternal pain. Braun Strowman said they were the way to go among the lost. Bray Wyatt said they were the Angels of the dirt, and they would bury Team Extreme in the same city they were born. 

The Wyatt Family defeated Tommy Dreamer, Rhyno and the Dudley Boyz in an Extreme Rules match (15:29)

A wild brawl as you would expect. The unsung hero was Luke Harper, who channeled his inner-Dreamer by taking lots of crazy bumps. That included a Superplex off the top rope onto a chair. Later, Dreamer gave Harper a Death Valley Driver off the ramp through two tables. Strowman took his monthly push into the announcer’s table fall. The Dudleyz hit Harper with the 3-D, which everyone thought was the finish. They brawled all over the arena. Wyatt pulled Ray out of the ring. It ended when Rowan gave Rhyno a splash through the table for the pin. Very entertaining because it was something different from what we usually get on Raw, as opposed to Impact, where they had four matches a month like this one. 

The New Day came out in a somber tone showing still-frame highlights from last night’s TLC match with Lucha Dragons and the Usos. Kofi Kingston talked about how he felt like he got hit with a Mack Truck. Big E. Says matches like last night’s change your perspective, so he called out the Usos. New Day acted like they wanted to bury the hatchet and call a truce. Big E. Wanted Lucha Dragons to join them. Kofi pinned over Sin Cara and said the Dragons were his son’s favorite tag team. 

Kalisto brought up Xavier Woods throwing his trombone against his back. Woods admitted it was brash but he apologized. Jey Uso said he heard a better apology from his 3-year-old. Woods said they all took the tag team division to the next level, and the match was for the fans. The New Day wanted to shake hands, and they all shook hands. After the Usos and Dragons left, the New Day fell into their standard routine screaming at the top of their lungs how they were the tag team champions, which included Woods doing a reverse worm. Dragons and Usos ran back in the ring and cleared the ring of the New Day. 

Lynch and Charlotte were backstage laughing with Flair. What did I miss here? 

Charlotte and Becky Lynch defeated Alicia Fox and Brie Bella via submission (3:24)

Charlotte has apparently stolen Stephanie’s gimmick of turning babyface and heel over 24-hour periods. Finish was Flair tripping Alicia Fox, which Lynch didn’t see. Lynch got the submission on Fox with the Disarm-Her. Lynch acted like everything was great and they had won fairly, not realizing how they won.

Titus O’Neal and Darren Young were trying to hawk merchandise from WWE.Com, which are 25% off. Titus could have a future as a Michael Strahan-type host after his wrestling days are over. 

Roman Reigns defeated Sheamus (C) to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (16:54)

These last two night have done wonders for Regins’ career. The same Philly fans that booed him out of the building in January for winning the Royal Rumble went nuts for this title switch. It was also well booked. Vince was at ringside, living and dying with every near fall. At around the 11:00 mark, Reigns hit a head butt that busted him up hardway. But it came right at the finishing sequence, so they couldn’t stop it or else it would have killed the momentum. Reigns hit a spear, it Vince pulled the referee out of the ring. Sheamus came back to hit White Noise, but Reigns kicked out. 

Vince talked to the referee on the apron. As he did so, Del Rio and Rusev ran out to attack Reigns, who responded by giving them both Superman Punches, and then he hit Vince with a Superman Punch. Vince sold it like he was dead. He didn’t move for the rest of the show. Sheamus responded by hitting the Brogue Kick, but Reigns kicked out. Sheamus set up for another Brogue Kick, but Reigns hit the spear and the pin for the title switch. 

It was a good world title celebration with Regins dumping Vince’s body off the apron. No boos at all for Reigns as he posed with a big smile on his face. You could almost feel the redemption inside him in a year where’s he come full circle. 

SUMMARY: 

These are the nights where you get so frustrated with WWE booking because this show was booked so well, you wonder why they can’t put shows together like this more often. They pressed the right buttons with Reigns over the last two nights, figuring the best way to win over the fan base is to beat up two of its biggest targets: Vince and HHH. Plus, it was wise to get the belt to Reigns on this night, because the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania are crowds most likely to hijack shows and boo Reigns. A win all around and a good show.