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Csonka’s WWE Super Show-Down 2018 Review
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Csonka’s WWE Super Show-Down 2018 Review
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Champions The New Day defeated The Bar @ 9:35 via pin [***]
– Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Charlotte defeated Champion Becky Lynch @ 10:45 via DQ [**¾]
– John Cena & Bobby Lashley defeated Elias & Kevin Owens @ 10:00 via pin [**]
– The IIconics defeated Asuka & Naomi @ 5:40 via pin [*]
– WWE Championship No Countout, No Disqualification Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Samoa Joe @ 24:25 via submission [****]
– The Bella Twins and Ronda Rousey defeated The Riott Squad @ 9:44 via submission [**¼]
– WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Buddy Murphy defeated Champion Cedric Alexander @ 10:35 via pin [****¼]
– The Shield defeated The Dogs of War @ 21:30 via pin [***½]
– #1 Contender’s Match: Daniel Bryan defeated The Miz @ 2:27 via pin [NR]
– No DQ Match: HHH defeated The Undertaker @ 27:33 via pin [DUD]
– Michael Cole, Corey Graves, & Renee Young are on commentary (and are there live).
– They are claiming 70,000 fans in attendance; the stadium looks cool.
Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: Champions The New Day (Kofi & Woods) w/Big E vs. The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus): Kofi and Cesaro start off, Kofi takes control and Woods hits an elbow drop for 2 as new Day runs wild early on. The Bar quickly cuts them off and isolates Kofi, working double teams and Sheamus grounds the action. Cesaro tags in and he maintains control and tags back in Sheamus. He follows with clubbing strikes in the ropes, and Cesaro tags in for double teams and a cover for 2. Kofi starts to fire back, hits a desperation jawbreaker but Sheamus tags in and knocks Woods to the floor. The challengers follow with more double teams, picking up another near fall. Kofi fights them off, dumps Cesaro and we get wholesale changes to Woods and Sheamus. Woods runs wild, and hits a sliding flatliner on Sheamus for 2. The enziguri follows but Sheamus cuts him off with a back breaker for 2. Sheamus sets for a brogue kick, misses and Woods cradles him for 2. Cesaro tags in and lands an uppercut for 2. The swing follows and then the sharpshooter. Sheamus cuts off Kofi momentarily but Kofi ends up making the save and dumps Sheamus. Woods cradles Cesaro for 2. Kofi hits trouble in paradise on the floor, tags in and Woods hits a backstabber and Kofi flies in with a double stomp for the win. Champions The New Day defeated The Bar @ 9:35 via pin [***] This was a good and action packed opening match to kick things off.
Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Champion Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair: Becky attacks right away, laying in strikes and elbows and attacking the knee of Charlotte. Charlotte fires back, but Becky takes her down and drags her to the floor. She posts Charlotte and rolls her back in and covers for 2. She then chokes her out in the ropes, but Charlotte gets a roll up for 2. Becky fights back with la mistica into the arm bar. Becky starts ripping at the fingers as well, but Charlotte gets to her feet and escapes with a side slam and a belly to back suplex. Becky lays in uppercuts, but Charlotte takes out her knee and lays in chops. Charlotte misses a charge and Becky looks for an XPLODER, but Charlotte counters into a throw. Becky cuts her off and hits a flying forearm of the ropes for 2. Becky looks for disarmher, but Charlotte counters and hits a big boot for 2. They trade strikes now, Becky now hits a flurry of strikes but Charlotte cuts that off with a spear for 2. Charlotte now heads up top and the moonsault eats knees and Becky cradles her for 2. The enziguri follows and Becky heads up top and she misses the leg drop. Charlotte locks on a crab, but Becky makes the ropes. Becky powders and teases leaving. Charlotte cuts her off and rolls her back in. Charlotte hits another spear back in and locks on the figure four, Becky grabs the title and hits Charlotte for the DQ. Charlotte defeated Champion Becky Lynch @ 10:45 via DQ [**¾] This was a pretty good match with Becky showing a more vicious side, but the crowd was still behind her, even with the heel house show finish. The finish, while flat, made sense to get us to a rematch at Evolution.
– Charlotte attacks post match, but Becky hits an XPLODER on the floor.
– Elias & Kevin Owens are here. They heel on Australia, and Kevin says the show should have been in Canada. Lashley, without Lio Rush, interrupts. John Cena’s weird hair and new merch arrive.
John Cena & Bobby Lashley vs. Elias & Kevin Owens: Kevin and Lashley to begin. Nope, Kevin tags out to Elias. They lock up and Lashley takes control, working the arm. Lashley lays in clubbing strikes and hits a shoulder tackle. They have a miscommunication on a leapfrog spot, but redo it and Lashley hits a powerslam for 2. Kevin tags in, lays in strikes on Lashley, but his shoulder tackles fail as Lashley hits a neck breaker. Lashley hits a corner spear and follows with mounted strikes, Elias in and Lashley fights them off with ease. Elias knocks Cena to the floor, and the double teams cut off Lashley. They work over Lashley in their corner, Elias hits a slam and elbow drops for 2. Kevin tags back in and they continue to isolate Lashley. Kevin grounds Lashley, and then hits a DDT for 2. Elias tags back in and hits a side back breaker for 2. The heels continue with quick tags, Lashley fires up with strikes, and then misses a spear and flies to the floor. Elias posts Lashley, rolls him back in and Kevin hits the frog splash for 2. Kevin grounds things again, but Lashley hits a desperation spinebuster. Hot tag to Cena. He runs wild, playing the hits with shoulder tackles and a proto bomb, The 5 knuckle shuffle follows, and then the AA connects. Cena hits his wacky marital arts punch for the win. John Cena & Bobby Lashley defeated Elias & Kevin Owens @ 10:00 via pin [**] This was a complete house show match, with them doing the bare minimum. The heat on Lashley was long and lacked heat and Cena just played the hits. It was ok.
– Post match, Cena thanks the fans and says he doesn’t know what his future holds.
– The IIconics get some promo time, babyfacing to the home country crowd.
Asuka & Naomi vs. Billie Kay & Peyton Royce: Naomi and Royce to begin. They lock up and work to the ropes. Kay tags in for double teams. Naomi cuts off Kay and tags in Asuka. They work double teams and Asuka then shakes her ass at Kay but Royce tags in. They all face off, and the babyfaces clear the ring. Asuka chases Royce and rolls her back in, but Kay in and hits a kick and that allows Royce to cover for 2. The IIconics work double teams and then ground Asuka. Asuka fights them off, and gets the German on Kay. Wholesale changes to Royce & Naomi. Naomi runs wild, hits the disaster kick and split legged moonsault as Kay makes the save. Asuka takes out Kay and Naomi follows with a plancha. Kay cuts her off on the floor, and then Asuka. Back in and the knee strike finishes Naomi. The IIconics defeated Asuka & Naomi @ 5:40 via pin [*½] This was short, bad, and it had very little heat. Also, some moves that looked as if they missed badly.
WWE Championship No Countout, No Disqualification Match: Samoa Joe vs. Champion AJ Styles: Styles rushes the ring and they start off brawling on the floor. In the ring they go and Styles lays in strikes on Joe, but Joe fires back with jabs and takes control until Styles fires back but Joe dumps him and they work to the floor. Joe tosses Styles over the announce table but he lands on his feet and back in, Styles works over Joe in the corner and then lays in kicks. Joe fires back with chops to cut him off, and pummels Styles in the corner. Joe lays in head butts and jabs, and then kicks Styles to the floor. The elbow suicida follows. Joe then slams Styles into the steps, and then to the barricade. Joe follows with a snap suplex, and back in, Joe grounds the action. Styles fights to his feet and Joe immediately runs him over with a running back elbow and covers for 2. Joe again grounds things. Styles to his feet, lays in chops and strikes, but Joe cuts him off with an enziguri for 2. Joe sends Styles to the floor. Styles to the apron, fights of a suplex, and is back in and delivers a flurry of strikes and kicks. Styles hits a corner forearm strike, back elbow and asai DDT for 2. Styles looks for the clash, but Joe escapes and hits a huge lariat for 2. Styles hits a desperation enziguri and then runs into a snap slam for 2. Joe counters the second asai DDT into an island driver for 2. Joe to the floor and gets a chair. Back in and Styles dropkicks the chair into Joe’s face. Styles gets the chair and lays into Joe with chair shots. Styles sets up the chair, and run off of it but into an STJOE onto the chair; Joe covers for 2. Joe now gets a table, beats on Styles with the chair, and then sets up the table. Styles is bleeding from the mouth. Joe takes Styles up top and Styles slips out and hits a rough looking slam through the table and Joe is clutching at his knee. Joe tells the ref his “knee popped,” and Styles attacks the knee and beats down Joe. Styles talks shit to Joe, and locks on a calf crusher but Joe transitions into the clutch. Styles makes the ropes, but Joe doesn’t have to break. Styles escapes to the floor, but the springboard is cut off. Styles stuns Joe off the ropes and the springboard 450 connects to Joe’s knee. Joe rolls to the floor and Styles follows. He lays in leg kicks, follows with strikes and Joe now fires back with chops but Styles leaps off the barricade with the flying forearm. Styles drags him back in and the springboard is countered into the clutch by Joe, Styles fights and Joe hits a clutch suplex and covers for 2. Joe takes Styles to the corner, sets him up top, and teases the muscle buster, but Styles slips out as Joe’s knee gave out, Styles gets a cradle but Joe transitions into the clutch and they tease the HIAC finish as Styles transitions to the calf crusher and Joe taps. Champion AJ Styles defeated Samoa Joe @ 24:25 via submission [****] While maybe a bit too long, I thought that this was another great match between these two, with really good callbacks, a great story, and overall psychology. Styles defeated the bully and made him tap clean to presumably put an end to the feud.
The Bella Twins and Ronda Rousey vs. The Riott Squad: Nikki and Rousey argue over who will start, allowing Ruby to attack Nikki. Nikki fights back, hits a shoulder tackle and spinebuster for 2. Rousey wants the tag, but Nikki tags in Brie and Ruby cuts her off and hits the flatliner for 2. Liv tags in and hits a basement dropkick for 2. Liv talks shit, and lays in rights until Brie hits a dropkick and running knee strike for 2. Nikki tags back in as Rousey looks frustrated. The Bellas work double teams and Nikki covers for 2. Liv cuts off Nikki and Logan tags in and hits a running knee strike for 2. Logan grounds things, and then works double teams with Liv, who covers for 2. Ruby tags back in and grounds things. Logan tags back in and she grounds things, working a cobra clutch. Nikki gets a cradle for 2, but Logan cuts off the tag and maintains control. Nikki slowly fights back, takes out Ruby and hits the disaster kick. Ruby & Liv take out Brie & Rousey, but Rousey is back up and finally gets the tag. She tosses fools around, and lays in strikes on Logan. The spinning slam follows, the Bellas fight of the others, but Liv sends Brie to the step. Liv saves Logan from the arm bar and they look to work over Rousey, but Rousey fires up and makes her mean face and arm bars both for the win. The Bella Twins and Ronda Rousey defeated The Riott Squad @ 9:44 via submission [**¼] Surprisingly, no post match angle with Nikki & Ronda, which they were teasing in the match. Seems to kill the entire point of the match. It was rough early, but the Riott Squad worked hard and the crowd got into Rousey’s big closing stretch.
– 70,309 is the announced attendance.
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match: Buddy Murphy vs. Champion Cedric Alexander: Buddy attacks with a knee strike and gets an immediate near fall. Alexander powders and Buddy follows with a tope. Back in and Buddy up top and hits meteora for 2. SHOCK & AWE MURPHY! Buddy follows with kicks and covers for 2. Alexander fires back with uppercuts, kicks, and has Buddy rocked. Buddy stops that with a sleeper, but Alexander fights out and gets slammed to the buckles. Alexander hits a desperation superkick, but Buddy fights back, takes him up top, and Alexander shoves him off, Buddy pops back up and Alexander hits a super Michinoku driver for a great near fall. Alexander hits an enziguri and slingshot flatliner and Buddy powders. Alexander follows with a tope. Back in and Alexander leaps in, caught but escapes and hits the back handspring kick for 2. Alexander drags Buddy to his feet, but Buddy cuts him off and they work up top. Alexander is frustrated as the crowd rallies for Buddy. They battle up top and Buddy hits Cheeky Nandos and a sitout powerbomb for 2. Alexander fires back with an enziguri, but Buddy hits a jumping knee strike but Alexander counters into a cradle for 2. The Spanish fly gets 2. Alexander hits lumbar check but Buddy kicks out! Alexander looks for a springboard, but flies into s knee strike, Murphy’s Law follows and we have a new champion! Buddy Murphy defeated Champion Cedric Alexander @ 10:35 via pin [****¼] This was an absolutely great sprint right here, and the culmination of a truly awesome comeback story for Murphy who was all but left or dead in NXT. These two guys work extremely well together, and while not quite as excellent as their previous match, they delivered here with just a great effort. They knew they didn’t have a ton of time and made the absolute most of it with dynamic and entertaining offense, throwing everything at each other, in front of a hot crowd that wanted their guy to win and it led to a really great moment for Murphy.
The Shield (Rollins, Reigns, & Ambrose) vs. The Dogs of War (Strowman, Ziggler, & McIntyre): We start with the big brawl and the Shield clearing the ring. The action spills to the floor and we get a Shield bomb tease, but the heels make the comeback. Back in and Dolph hits a DDT on Rollins for 2. Drew in and the suplex gets 2. Braun in and they continue to isolate Rollins. Dolph back in and hits an elbow drop for 2. He grounds the action, and then tags in Drew, who beats on Rollins and mocks him while doing so. Dolph back in and they cut of the ring as they continue the heat. Dolph talks shit, Rollins fights back, but Dolph gets a sleeper. Rollins escapes, Drew tags in and Rollins hits sling blade. Braun in and cuts off the tag. Dolph in and talks a lot, doing nothing. Rollins fires up and hits the buckle bomb. Drew in and Rollins hits a RANA. Braun tags in and just runs over Rollins and then hits a corner splash. Rollins is down. Braun now… heads up top? Yup. He misses an ugly looking splash; flying bus. Rollins crawls and tags in Ambrose. He hits s fall away slam, takes out Drew and then hits a double chicken wing slam for 2. Ambrose up top and Dolph pops up with him, knocked off and Ambrose hits the elbow drop press, but Dolph rolls through and covers for 2. They work into a double down, and Drew tags in, Ambrose hits a neck breaker, and Reigns finally tags in. He lays in rights on drew, follows with clotheslines and dumps Drew. The drive by follows. Back in and Reigns hits a DDT for 2. Reigns now sets, Dolph distracts him Drew moves, and reigns accidentally superman punches Ambrose. Reigns hits the sitout powerbomb on Drew as Dolph makes the save. It breaks down, Braun posts himself, superman punch by reigns on Drew and that gets 2. The crowd has died here. Braun & crew surround Reigns and Rollins, Ambrose is back up and they tease that he’s turning but makes the save and hits a suicide dive. The Shield pummels Drew and the Shield bomb is broken up by Braun. He dumps Reigns and then Rollins. Braun to the floor and runs over Reigns and then Rollins. Back in and the zigzag gets 2 on Ambrose. They dump Ambrose and Braun charges and Reigns saves Ambrose by spearing Braun through the barricade. Dolph superkicks Ambrose and back in, the claymore/zigzag is broken up by Rollins and dirty deeds finishes Dolph. The Shield defeated The Dogs of War @ 21:30 via pin [***½] They did a nice job of teasing the Ambrose heel turn, and was an overall very good brawl style match. It didn’t have the heat or highs of the really great Shield trios matches, but was very good and entertaining.
#1 Contenders Match: The Miz vs. Daniel Bryan: Miz attacks at the bell, working over the ribs of Bryan, which were injured on Smackdown. Miz mocks Bryan, but runs into a head kick from Bryan. Bryan fires up and lays in YES kicks, misses the busaiku knee and Miz hits one and covers for 2. Bryan counters the skull-crushing finale into a cradle for the win. Daniel Bryan defeated The Miz @ 2:27 via pin [NR] Bryan gets some sweet revenge and a WWE Title shot at WWE Sweet Saudi Money II. I really love the flash pin/surprise finish as they don’t do it often so it actually comes off as a real shock. Some will call it a fluke finish, but I see it as Bryan out wrestling Miz and the return of Mr. Small Package. I’m not sure it’s the best for the overall story, but I will not complain about Bryan vs. AJ.
IT'S OFFICIAL: @WWEDanielBryan will battle @AJStylesOrg for the #WWEChampionship at #WWECrownJewel in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia! pic.twitter.com/DYQI42tnSS
— WWE (@WWE) October 6, 2018
– Charlotte & Becky will rematch on Tuesday’s Smackdown.
No DQ Match: Triple H w/Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker w/Kane: From dong to apron, Taker’s entrance was 3:36, if you took the under, you won. This is now a no DQ match. Taker stalks HHH, but HHH plays keep away. HHH now lays in strikes, and walks away, mocking Taker. Taker now attacks, works the arm and looks for old school but HHH cuts him off. HHH now works the arm and he teases old school but Taker cuts him off and lays in strikes. Taker finally hits old school. He follows with strikes in the corner, and follows with snake eyes, but HHH rebounds with a knee strike. He dumps Taker to the floor, and HBK posts Taker. HHH to the floor and whips Taker to the barricade. HBK sets up a table, Kane tries to stop him but just walks away. Taker then backdrops HHH on the floor and slams him to the steps. Back in and HHH hits a neck breaker for 2. He follows with rights, and then a face buster for 2. This is moving at a glacial pace. HHH off the ropes, cut off and dumped to the floor. Taker follows, dismantles the announce table, and tosses HHH into the crowd and Taker chokes out HHH with a cable. Taker fights of a pedigree and HHH just falls down. After what felt like an eternity they come back to ringside, Taker lays out HBK, and gets a chair. Back in and Taker hits a big boot. He follows with chair shots and HHH spills to the floor. Taker follows and hits more chair shots. Taker lays HHH on the table and heads to the ropes but HBK distracts him an is taken out. Taker teases the big dive (he needs Saudi money for that) but HHH cuts him off with a chair shot. Kane attacks, HBK superkicks him and HHH elbow drops him through the table. Back in and Taker cuts off HHH with a choke slam. The tombstone follows for 2. We get a ref bump, Taker looks like he’s about to pass out and grabs a chair. He drops it and talks shit to HBK as he lays in the boots on HHH. He follows with chair shots, and now looks to Pillmanize HHH’s neck. HBK begs off for HHH, but Taker doesn’t care. HBK in and Taker attacks. HHH hits a desperation spinebuster, and pedigree. The cover gets 2 as we have a new ref. HHH to the second rope and Pillmanizes Taker’s neck for 2 as Kane pulls out the ref. HBK slides in a sledgehammer to his pal, Kane gives Taker a chair. HHH hits the chair into Taker’s face with the sledgehammer, but there’s no ref. Taker now locks on hell’s gate, but there’s no ref. HHH gets the sledgehammer and uses it to choke out Taker and escape. HBK in and grabs the sledgehammer, Kane in and HBK low blow him. Taker dumps HBK, gets the hammer, but then hits a sloppy chokeslam on HHH. HBK in, superkick, another is blocked and HHH hits Taker with the hammer. Superkick, pedigree, finish. HHH defeated The Undertaker @ 27:33 via pin [DUD] To not be entirely negative, if the goal is to build to HBK’s return match and a tag with these four, they did a fine job of that. The bad news is that this was an absolutely atrocious professional wrestling match, bordering on embarrassing. This was a HHH vanity match, it had all the bells and whistles, and even that couldn’t save it. In 2018, there is no way, under any circumstances, that these two should be going anywhere 28-minutes. It was slow, they were falling all over themselves at times, and Taker looked like he was about to have a heart attack while HHH wasn’t much better. I feel like I aged years watching this.
– Post match, Taker & HHH hug and all four stand tall together. Taker and Kane then kick their asses and Taker tombstones HHH. HBK then gets chokeslammed through the announce table.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
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