411’s WWE LFG Season Three Report: Episode Twenty-Two

-I finally decided to use my Retro Reviews to create an electronic book (now available in paperback form as well) that you can now purchase through Amazon. I figured 1996 was the best year to start. Thanks in advance for any purchases or sharing or just getting the word out. If you have purchased a copy and can leave a review on Amazon that would be great. I am so very appreciative for anyone that has read what I have had to say about this pro-wrestling thing we all love.

Leighty’s Retro Wrestling PPV Reviews: 1996 WWF and WCW

-Written: 9.06.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 1 Hour (w/ commercials)

-Plugs: Episode Twenty-One; Clash of The Champions: Nov 1994
-Two episodes tonight to wrap up Season Three. This week several people who have been part of LFG were released. It sucks anytime that happens, but hopefully they can find other avenues to continue their wrestling dream or find something else that fulfills them.

-Joe Tessitore is our narrator.

-Kevin Owens, Booker T, Nattie, and Bubba Ray Dudley are our Legends. Matt Bloom is the head trainer at The PC and Shawn Michaels is in charge of NXT.

-Vic Joseph and Jeremy Borash handle commentary.

-Then! Now! Forever! Together!

-Matt Bloom recaps that they are looking to send four LFG members to Vegas as part of WWE World for WrestleMania. Nikkita Lyons earned the first spot and Harlem Lewis grabbed the second one. I assume that means one more man and one more woman will get the nod.

-Matt Bloom is at the table with the guys this week. So now Nattie, but we have Bubba, Booker T and Kevin Owens.

-First Match: Bubba gets Romeo Moreno vs. Harley Riggins. Bloom calls Harley a stud, who tends to get goofy and that’s not what Shawn wants.

-Second Match: Booker gets Dorian Van Dux vs. Kam Hendrix. Booker notes it has been three years for Kam and they don’t have a lot of time to be wasting. Bloom thinks he has potential and doesn’t want to waste it.

-Main Event: Kevin Owens gets a mixed tag, which is the first for this season. It’s Myka Lockwood and Tristan Angels vs. Kali Armstong and Tate Wilder. You could put that as a Main Event on Evolve! I should have seen a mixed tag was coming ever since Myka and Tristan started being paired together.

-Harley feels he is the show and entertainment and should be in Vegas. He goes over that he came in as part of a team, but his partner (Jax Presley) is out with a torn pec. Bubba wants to see heat, sell, and blow a comeback. He doesn’t want any shine in this match. Romeo calls it the simplest match in the world. Harley notes that Bubba has wanted him to be serious so no tongue out or humping. He needs to be a bad ass and he did that as a football player, so he can do it here.

-Commercials!

Romeo Moreno vs. Harley Riggins

-Harley with a big boot to the face as the bells sounds. He fires off a chop in the corner and delivers shoulders in the corner. He tosses Moreno with a backdrop and hits a basement dropkick for two. Heavy forearm to the back. A second misses and Romeo returns fire, but one shot cuts off his comeback. Tilt-a-whirl Slam from Harley and he floats off the middle ropes with a twisting senton. Bubba tells Booker there is something about Harley and Booker agrees as he wants guys like that in ROW. Harley goes for a football tackle, but Romeo gets an elbow up to block. He kicks Harley back and follows with a shotgun dropkick. Chops from Romeo! He ducks a clothesline and hits one of his own and then a head kick in the corner. Enziguiri in the other corner followed by a springboard missile dropkick. Another one and he heads up top, but music starts playing and wow, it’s Jax Presly. He jumps on the apron which knocks Romeo off balance and Harley takes advantages with a superplex for the pin at 4:17.

Winner: Harley Riggins via pin at 4:17
-Nice to see Jax back though he hasn’t returned to Evolve yet. Perhaps they were waiting for this episode to air. Match was fine as it was simple like they planned. **

-Harley and Dax shake hands and hug after the match. Interesting!

-Commercials!

-Bubba meets with them and Romeo was happy with it and loved the intensity. They enjoyed working with each other. Romeo loved playing off Harley’s aggression. Bubba liked that Romeo sold well and kept his head up so people could see his face. All he can ask for is baby steps and he got those tonight.

-Jax says he got a text telling him to get to The PC as they have something for him. Bloom busts Jax balls about the lack of a tan. Make your own Sting/Starrcade joke. He likes the chemistry between Romeo and Harley and thinks they have something. He welcomes Jax back again.

-Booker is with Kam and DVD. Kam is going over everything he wants to do and Booker tells him it is too much. He tells him it’s a WrestleMania worth of stuff and they don’t need that. Kam thinks this is his last chance as he has been part of all three seasons of LFG. DVD says Booker is cool and the more they work together, they more he learns and enjoys it.

-Commercials!

Dorian Van Dux vs. Kam Hendrix

-DVD was part of the LFG Match of the Year this season, and I don’t see anything topping it at this point. Kam starts by working the arm, but DVD bounces off the ropes to escape. He hits a springboard dropkick from the inside out to knock Kam to the floor. DVD puts him back in the ring and goes to ground and pound for a two count. DVD goes for another springboard, but Kam grabs him and drops him on the top rope. Kam gets some ground and pound before laying in the boots. DVD gets a boot up to block, but misses coming off the ropes and Kam gets an abdominal stretch. DVD escapes and gets a roll-up for two. Clothesline sends both men over the top and to the floor. They fight out there and DVD gets sent into the stairs. Back in Kam gets a two count. They start trading blows to get the Boo/Yay deal going. DVD throws knees to the ribs, but Kam punches back and they collide going for a cross-body. DVD with a springboard cross-body and follows with a clothesline for two. DVD tries a springboard moonsault but gets caught on the way down with a Showtime Kick. Nice! That only gets two, but Lights Camera Action finishes at 4:56.

Winner: Kam Hendrix via pin at 4:56
-Solid little match where they hit each other hard and got a strong near fall. Weird though it just ended right after as Kam hit his finisher. I was thinking we might one more flurry from DVD before the ending. **1/2

-Commercials!

-Booker thinks they did a good job and calls it Kam’s coming out party. Booker calls DVD impressive and a good listener. “The best listeners are the best workers.”

-Bloom goes over DVD’s lack of selling and says if he can’t get better, Shawn won’t put him in the ring. He is a great athlete but needs to work on story telling and selling. He tells Kam he is proud of him and that Shawn has noticed him the most this season. Kam is told he is getting one of the Vegas spots.

-Kevin Owens is watching the four people in our Mix Tag work in the ring. Kali understands why she is paired with Tate and why Tristan and Myka are together. Tristan says his back is killing him from caring Season Three of LFG. Awesome! The mixed tag match was his idea and he says someone who fights in their underwear has to be nuts. This is making it so I want the Mixed Match Challenge back.

-KO suggested a few minor changes but gives credits to the four of them for putting it together. “I had an easy day today.”

-Commercials!

Tate Wilder and Kali Armstrong vs. Tristan Angels and Myka Lockwood

-This is our Main Event as as always, that means they get the full NXT Arena treatment with a full crowd. Myka carries Tristan to the ring on her shoulders like Beth Phoenix used to do with Santino. vs. Men and Women vs. Women in this one. Myka and Kali start and Myka works the arm to take her to the ground. The crowd is behind Kali! Myka runs her over with a shoulder tackle. Kali tries to leap over but gets caught. She is able to counter into a rana. Tristan with the tag from behind and he cuts off Kali. Wilder in and he shoves Tristan who trips over Kali, who was kneeling down. Tate with a dropkick that sends Tristan to the floor. He goes to dive, but Myka stands in the way. Tristan sneaks up from behind but misses and nearly collides into Myka. Tate with a roll-up, but as he gets kicked off he goes flying into Myka. Angels takes advantage and sends Wilder to the floor. Myka with a slam on the floor as the ref is trying to get Kali back out of the ring. Tristan gets a two count. He works the back and gets a belly-to-back suplex. Angels up top and Myka sends him flying with a Rocket Launcher, but Tate moves. Tag to Kali and that means Myka is back in. Kali tries a clothesline and another, but Myka just stares her down. They start trading blows and Kali catches Myka with a powerslam. Nice! Shoulder tackle in the corner followed by a spinebuster, but Angels pulls her off the cover. Everyone in the ring! We get some dosey-do action and Myka and Tristan end up running into each other. Kali with a springboard cross-body on both and Wilder flies off with a moonsault on Angels. Myka goozles Tate, but Kali saves and hits The Kali Connection for the pin at 5:58. KO is pumped as he calls it awesome!

Winners: Tate Wilder and Kali Armstrong via pin at 5:58
-This was a lot of fun and they had the crowd rocking. They did some fun spots using the mixed tag dynamic and just clicked. Kali is a beast and everyone did what was needed. This was a blast. ***1/4

-Shawn tells them it was tremendous and fun to watch. We see Shawn pop off Myka’s bump for the Kali Connection.

-Bloom says they proved him wrong as the match was entertaining and they rocked it. KO says the same and says it was his favorite match of the whole season. I still go with DVD vs. Elio, but I feel good saying this was the second best.

-KO tells Angels he was the glue that held the match together. Angels notes he had been pitching for this so it would have been his head if it didn’t work. He likes to think they will revisit the story with Myka down the line.

-Shawn tells Kali she will be heading to Vegas and WWE World. Not a shock there. We have our four. We will see what they do next time.

-This was a lot of fun and a big part of that was the mixed tag match. I though the other two matches were solid as well and everyone seemed to be on point this week. We have one episode left and it will be more about what happens in Vegas so this one kind of ends the regular LFG format for this season. I loved this format so I hope it comes back if there is a Season Four. I will give more final thoughts after the next episode. Thanks for reading and if you can, buy a copy of my book!