Csonka’s Reviews Free WWE Matches With Kevin Owens, John Cena, & More

Csonka’s Reviews Free Matches With Kevin Owens, John Cena, & More

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– From WWE Elimination Chamber 2017: Natalya vs. Nikki Bella went to a double countout @ 13:30 [**]
– From WWE Elimination Chamber 2017: Champions American Alpha defeated The Usos, Heath Slater & Rhyno, FaBreeze, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains @ 15:20 via pin [**½]
– From WWE Elimination Chamber 2015: Kevin Owens defeated John Cena @ 20:50 via pin [****½]

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Natalya vs. Nikki Bella: So they have been viciously attacking each other, and Natalya has been making this personal and saying very bad things. So they basically work a back and forth grappling battle. Natalya finally slams her down, repeatedly, and lays in some kicks. Nikki then rolls into a knee bar, I get that Nikki wants to prove herself as a wrestler, but there is no real aggression to reflect the set up to the match. Nikki hits a clothesline off the apron, Natalya begs off and Nikki is stupid enough to stop and gets posted. Natalya takes control back in the ring, laying the boots to Nikki in the corner. Natalya works a slow and bland heat, yelling “you like Nikki?” a lot. Natalya follows with John Cena taunts, allowing Nikki to roll her up for 2. Natalya then works the leg, Nikki escaped into her STF/fearless lock. She followed with a shoulder lock and a face buster. Natalya cut off the forearm, hit a Michinoku driver, but only got 2. Natalya survived the Nikki forearm, but escaped the rack attack 2.0. Nikki hot a spinebuster, hit the disaster kick and got a near fall. Nikki up top, cut off by Natalya, who hits a superplex for the double down. Natalya looks for the sharp shooter, locks it in and pulls Nikki back center ring. Nikki counters out into the fearless lock. Natalya fights and gets the ropes. They spill to the floor, Natalya slams her to the barricade and they brawl back and forth. Natalya stops Nikki from getting back in, double countout. Natalya attacks post match, lays Nikki out and leaves. Nikki then attacks on the ramp, spearing Natalya; Natalya then runs away. This feud must continue. Natalya vs. Nikki Bella went to a double countout @ 13:30 [**] I have no clue why this feud has to continue, judging by the match they had here, I can’t imagine they have a big blow off planned. Or maybe they do but they have their hopes set too high. Natalya continues to feel miscast as a heel, and considering the attacks before we got here and the fact that they made this “so personal,” this lacked heat, aggression and any sense of urgency (until the final 10-seconds or so). It the context of the feud, this was a disappointing match on an overall disappointing PPV. Considering the build, the finish was not satisfying at all.

SmackDown Tag Team Championship Turmoil Match: American Alpha vs. The Usos vs. Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. FaBreeze vs. The Ascension vs. The Vaudevillains: Heath Slater & Rhyno vs. FaBreeze started off the match. Slater and Rhyno controlled early, Rhyno took control, working over Breeze. Slater in, and he’s immediately cut off by a Fandango trip. FaBreeze work double teams, and keep control. Fandango then gave Slater tickets for fashion violations; Breeze makes a save as does Rhyno. Tag to Rhyno, GORRE to Fandango and FaBreeze are gone at 4:30. The vaudevillians enter the match, attach Rhyno but are taken out by Slater. English cuts off Slater and work him over in their corner. Rhyno in and gores Gotch, allowing Slater to hit the DDT on English for the elimination at 6:55. The Usos are in next. They go after Slater, but he fights back and tags in Rhyno. Rhyno is quickly cut off; Slater tags on to make the save but runs into the pop up Samoan drop. Rhyno is tossed; a blind tag and a superkick finish Slater at 9:45. American Alpha is next. They brawl on the floor, and in the ring Alpha hits suplexes and Jimmy is sent to the floor. Gable hits the high cross on Jey, but the Usos quickly take control and work the heat on Gable. They work him over with double teams in their corner. Gable fights back, looks for the tag but got cut off. We get a double down; Jordan gets the hot tag and runs wild. Dropkicks and tosses for both Usos. Alpha looks for the doomsday bulldog, countered but Gable in for the roll up and the Usos are gone at 15:30. The Usos then beat down alpha after their elimination, slamming Gable to the steps. They then hit the top rope splash on Jordan, and the champions were both down. The Ascension were the final team scheduled and made their entrance. They hit fall of man on Jordan, but gable dives in for the save. Gable is quickly tossed to the floor as the Ascension lay the boots to Jordan, work double teams but Jordan survives. Jordan avoids a corner splash, hits an overhead suplex. Jordan sidesteps Konnor to the floor, grad amplitude hits and Alpha retains. Champions American Alpha defeated The Usos, Heath Slater & Rhyno, FaBreeze, The Ascension and The Vaudevillains @ 15:20 via pin [**½] This was a desperate attempt to get some attention on the division, which has been largely ignored since the Wyatts left the scene. The issue is that none of the teams, including the champions are over. They tried to paint the champions as the guys who could overcome the odds and retain, which is not bad in theory, but the match was largely a mess; it had no sense of flow, no real drama outside of a few minutes towards the end, and I don’t feel that it did anything to really help get Alpha over as the champions. If you weren’t going to have then start and run through the teams to create some real dominance, you would have been better off just having Alpha and the Usos go out there and have a good match in this time given. This was an average at best match, that felt way too long.

John Cena vs. Kevin Owens: No titles on the line here, in what is the biggest moment of Owens’ career. Owens worked a measured and methodical attack, simply beating down Cena with simplistic violence, which works for him so well. Owens dominated the match early, with Cena selling the beating well and giving a lot to Owens, which they need to do here. Owens and his constant mocking of Cena was also good, reinforcing that Owens wants to prove that he belongs. Cena would counter the lights out powerbomb, and run through the five moves, but then ran into the lights out for a great near fall. For a near fall it worked well, but on the other hand I feel that hurts the guy’s finish in his first match. Owens missed the old Marc Mero hop up moonsault, and ate an AA but then kicked out. They got a great reaction from the fans on that one. Owens was doing all of the little things here, the stuff in between the moves is just as important, and he knows that. Things like using the AA to try and beat Cena was also a nice touch. They completely turned around an at best Luke warm crowd, with Cena opening the bag of tricks and Owens continuing to survive. Owens used a modified package piledriver for a near fall, so that answers if he would use it or not (he kinda will). Owens won clean as a sheet with a pop up powerbomb. Kevin Owens defeated John Cena @ 20:50 via pin [****½] This was the definition on the “WrestleMania” style match, as both guys did everything and kicked out of everything. You can’t do it all the time, but in a way I felt that they needed to here as Owens won clean with the pop up powerbomb. If you want to make Owens a star, he has to not only beat Cena, but also had to do so in an epic, star making match. Now Owens is already a star to many, but on the main roster he is a new guy. The way he won, surviving all Cena had and then hitting his finish for the win was perfect. I have said before, Cena has so much equity to give and did so here in a performance that was done without ego. He again stepped up on a big stage. As for Owens, he served notice here to all of the people that said he’d work in front of 200 fans for his entire life. Cena is the old warhorse trying to remain the champion, but fell to the WWE newcomer. This was a star making performance by Owens, and an awesome effort by both men.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”