411’s WWE LFG Season Three Report: Episode Twenty

-I finally decided to use my Retro Reviews to create an electronic book that you can now purchase through Amazon. I figured 1996 was the best year to start. The book will also be available as a paperback starting in the next few days. 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 WWWF and WCW

-Written: 8.30.26
-Source: A&E
-Run Time: 1 Hour (w/ commercials)

-Plugs: WCW Fall Brawl 94; Nevermore: The Raven Effect

-Another double episode tonight and I will have the second one posted tomorrow.

-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!

-No cold opening this week as we go right to the show opening.

-Matt Bloom is at the table and Nattie is back with KO and Bubba, so no Booker this week. This week they are apparently looking to pick four talent to represent LFG in Vegas during WrestleMania week. Ah, there’s what they fighting for this season.

-Match 1: Bubba gets Serena Linton vs. Carlee Bright. They are both coming off injuries and Bloom wants them to keep it simple this week. Bubba: “Who is Carlee Bright?” Bubba says he will do his best to keep it simple and have both women take a step forward.

-Match 2: Nattie gets Chris Island vs. Shady Elnahas. He wants to see consistency from both men. Nattie wants to see both of their levels of aggression during the match. KO notes both men have a legit background and can make a claim to be the most dangerous man at The PC, but they don’t show that in the ring.

-Main Event: KO gets Nikkita Lyons vs. Masyn Holiday. Bloom calls Lyons a ring general and she should be called up to NXT soon. They want Masyn to work as a heel.

-Bloom says at least one of these talents will represent WWE in Vegas.

-Bubba meets up with Sirena and Carlee and he needs to learn about Carlee. She talks about her lower back injury and how she couldn’t put weight on her left leg. The return kept getting pushed back and she is over the moon that she is allowed back. For Sirena she had an emergency appendectomy. Oh, I forgot to mention that both of these women were unfortunately released during the post Mania cuts.

-Bubba wants Carlee to reintroduce herself since it’s her first match back and the plan is for Siren to deck her to get heat. SPOILERS! Carlee talks about the nerves and Sirena notes they each have that fire inside.

-Commercials!

Sirena Linton vs. Carlee Bright

-Carlee cuts her babyface promo where she thanks the fans and is so happy to be back. Sirena decks her and yells, “it’s my first match back too, bitch.” Good stuff! Sirena works over Carlee in the corner and sends her to the opposite corner to work over the back. Another whip followed by a handspring elbow. That move was mind blowing in the 80s when Muta did and now we have LFG kids doing it. Carlee with a sunset flip for two, but gets yanked down by the hair. Sirena stands on her hair and then hits a flip leg drop for two. Kick to the back and she hooks a reverse chinlock. Carlee escapes and snaps off a Code Breaker to create space. She avoids the handspring elbow and hits a reverse neckbreaker. Linton gets an elbow up ib the corner and comes off the top with a flip but Carlee avoids. Sirena rolls through but Carlee off the top with a crossbody for the pin at 3:22.

Winner: Carlee Bright via pin at 3:22
-As expected they kept it simple and short as both ladies were getting back into the ring for the first time in months. What they did worked and was fine. Good first step back even if just baby steps. *1/2

-Commercials!

-Bubba meets with both ladies and they had fun. Sirena felt super vicious and felt a little bad for Carlee and apologized after. Bubba liked the physicality and thinks they did well.

-Bloom thinks they sold well during the match, but wasn’t a fan of the finish. They have to make sure there are beats to sell and need to make sure they have a complete match. He is happy to have them both back.

-Nattie is working with Shady and Chris. Should note again that Chris was also one of the post Mania releases. Chris and Shady both talk about what it would mean to work in Vegas during Mania week. Nattie had fun putting the match together and found it easy to work with both. Chris says Nattie was the best Legend she worked with in three seasons. Nattie starts working in the ring with them and Chris calls her a threat. We see her throwing blows as she works ground and pound with Chris. Shady thinks she gets him the best due to her background. This is good stuff! We needed more Nattie on this show!

-Commercials!

Shady Elnahas vs. Chris Island

-Lockup and they jockey for position. Nattie and Bubba are watching along in the back. No advantage for either so they start jawing at each other. Island shoves Shady in the face and that gets him going. He gets an arm-drag and starts throwing punches, but Island ducks between the ropes. Island uses his amateur background to take Shady to the mat. Shady goes to his background, but gets yanked head first into the middle buckle. They fight on the floor where Shady takes a backdrop. Island is a little fired up here as she gets into it with a fan in the front row. Back in the ring he throws a knee and gets a two count. Backbreaker gets another two count. Suplex gets another two count and another one as Island keeps going for the pin. He hooks a revere chinlock and wraps the legs around for good measure. Shady spins out and gets an ankle lock. Island counters that and they keep trading counters. Island throws body shots in the corner, but misses a charge. Shady with a Sling blade and a series of clotheslines. Bubba and Nattie are happy with what they are doing. Island shoves Shady into the ref, but he puts on the brakes. Island tries another suplex to take advantage but Shady lands on his feet and gets a roll-up for the pin at 4:55.

Winner: Shady Elnahas via pin at 4:55
-Solid little match where they did lots of counters and transitions. Shady gets the last one and gets the win. This was fine. **1/4

-Commercials!

-Nattie tells both guys that she is proud of them. They took everything they worked on and did it out there. They both did seem to respond to Nattie’s coaching.

-Bloom was not a fan and tells them it was klunky. He felt the match got dangerous at times and isn’t sure if it was timing or spacing. Shady says everything felt safe, but knows they need to do what the boss wants. I never saw anything dangerous. Bloom thinks they rushed and tells them to take a beat between some of the moves to let it register. That has very much been a thing harped on during this show. They both understand and Island says he feels the best he has this season. All he can see is NXT. It’s sad hearing that knowing he was released before he got there.

-KO is next and is watching Lyons and Holiday work in the ring. As we have noted previously, Lyons is the current Evolve Women’s Champion and Holiday decided to walk away from WWE a few months ago. KO thinks Lyons has the it factor and people care one way or the other when she is on the screen.
-Commercials!

Nikkita Lyons vs. Masyn Holiday

-They each dance to start to mock the other. Lockup and nothing doing. The NXT crowd is into this one. To the corner and Holiday lands a slap. Lyons throws a hook and then a kick but both miss and Holiday hides in the corner to get the ref to back Lyons up. Lyons with a series of arm-drags and throws shoulders to the stomach in the corner. Head scissors from Lyons but Holiday rolls to the floor to avoid a cover. Holiday with a cool counter to Lyons trying to land a shoulder between the ropes. She jumps and lands all her weight on Kita’s back. Splash from Holiday gets a two count. She chokes on the ropes and sends Lyons to the corner. She hits a back splash and lands a back elbow. Suplex gets a two count. Earthquake Splash but it looked kind of weak and even Howard notes she didn’t get all of it. Lyons avoids another move and they start trading strikes. Lyons with a clothesline and then a kick that I think connected based on the view we had. Suplex and Lyons with a kip up to pop the crowd. She hits a running forearm in the corner and then a reverse Bronco Buster to pop the crowd. Powerbomb is escaped by Holiday. She charges, but Lyons floats over and hits her spin kick. Tiger Driver finishes at 5:00.

Winner: Nikkita Lyons via pin at 5:00
-Another solid match and I will give this one the nod for Match of The Night. Lyons has all the character and personality and is putting things together in the ring. **1/2

-They head to the back and both shake Shawn’s hands.

-KO puts over Masyn looking annoyed during Kita’s entrance and she needs to never lose that. He liked the selling from both. He tells them they should be really proud. He tells us that the match they had, he would think they had been wrestling for 10 years.

-Masyn can’t wait for the next time she is out there in front of a crowd like that. She’s ready!

-KO tells Lyons that she will be heading to Vegas at WWE World to have matches for the fans. That makes all the sense in the world. She gets emotional talking to the camera and says it has been a long time since she has heard a reaction like tonight. She talks about being hurt over and over and how she was worried people lost faith in her. This is why I was so happy to see her win The Evolve Women’s Championship.

-Another good episode as it was nice to have Nattie back. I liked that they gave her the men to work with this week because she has no problem getting in the ring with them and showing them what she wants. They work she did with her match is some of best stuff we have seen all season.

-I also appreciate that we have a goal for the kids now as the four spots at WWE World were announced and that’s a good direction to go. It ties in with the main roster pushing to get to WrestleMania. I will be back tomorrow with the other episode and then I believe we wrap this season up next week with the final two episodes. Thanks for reading!