Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for January 12 to January 18

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of January 12th to January 18th.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):
WWE
NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II (Jan. 12)
* Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis – 2.5
* NXT UK Women’s Championship – Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven vs. Kay Lee Ray (c) – 3.5
* Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin – 4.5
* NXT UK Tag Team Championship Ladder match – Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster vs. Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Imperium vs. Gallus (c) – 3.5
* WWE United Kingdom Championship – Joe Coffey vs. WALTER (c) – 3.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Bate vs. Devlin match. Worst – Trent Seven vs. Eddie Dennis match.
Show Notes – Seven vs. Dennis was decent although felt more like a TV match than TakeOver quality match. Women’s title match was very good overall. Bate vs. Devlin match was amazing and the best NXT UK match since WALTER vs. Bate. Tag Team title ladder match was good despite it dragging on a bit too long. WALTER vs. Coffey was good but dragged down due to its booking. Still don’t get NXT UK’s fascination with Gallus as major stars. Undisputed Era’s surprise appearance was both cool and a bit dumb considering WWE used a NXT UK TakeOver just to give regular NXT the big moment rub. TakeOver itself was pretty good overall although not at usual NXT TakeOver level of greatness.

WWE RAW (Jan. 13)
* Randy Orton vs. AJ Styles vs. Drew McIntyre – 3.0
* Ricochet vs. MoJo Rawley – 2.0 (Squash)
* Charlotte Flair vs. Sarah Logan – 1.0
* Bobby Lashley vs. Rusev – 2.5
* The Viking Raiders vs. The Singh Bros – 1.0 (Squash)
* Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy – 3.5
* Erick Rowan vs. some jobber – 1.0 (Squash)
* Fist Fight – Big Show, Kevin Owens, & Samoa Joe vs. Seth Rollins & AOP – 2.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – The Paul Heymen, Brock Lesnar, & R-Truth promo segment. Worst – Charlotte Flair vs. Sarah Logan match.
Show Notes – Opening promo was the usual WWE lazy setup for a random match afterwards. Orton vs. Styles vs. McIntyre match was good overall. Ricochet vs. Rawley match was somewhat boring. Charlotte vs. Logan match was bad. The Paul Heyman and R-Truth promo segment was great. Lashley vs. Rusev was average at best. RAW Women’s title contract signing and Becky’s promo were pretty good overall. Black vs. Murphy was very good overall despite the ref botching the ending. Rowan’s squash matches and mystery cage storyline has become a waste of time on RAW. Fist Fight match was dumb with the only redeeming parts being Murphy joining Rollins and Owens’ parkour spot. RAW itself was average at best.

NXT (Jan. 15)
* Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic 1st Round match – Matt Riddle & Pete Dunne vs. Mark Andrews & Flash Morgan Webster – 4.0
* Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic 1st Round match – Time Splitters vs. Grizzled Young Veterans – 3.0
* Qualifier for Cruiserweight Championship match at Worlds Collide Triple Threat match – Tyler Breeze vs. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Lio Rush – 3.5
* #1 Contender for NXT Women’s Championship Battle Royal – 3.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – Riddle & Dunne vs. Andrews & Morgan tag team match. Worst – The slow paced start to the Women’s Battle Royal.
Show Notes – Keith Lee’s promo was pretty good overall. Riddle & Dunne vs. Andrews & Morgan match was great. Time Splitters vs. Grizzled Young Veterans match was good although a bit dumb to hype up a Time Splitters reunion just to have them lose in their first match. This week’s set of Dusty tag matches was more entertaining than last week’s set. Cruiserweight triple threat match was very good overall. DIY reunion done in a throwaway moment was a bit dumb. Women’s Battle Royal was very good overall despite the lack of real action early on. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall.

NXT UK (Jan. 16)
* A-Kid vs. Joseph Conners – 2.5
* Kassius Ohno vs. Dave Mastiff – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Ohno vs. Mastiff match. Worst – A-Kid vs. Conners match.
Show Notes – Ohno vs. Mastiff match was good but the rest of this week’s episode was mostly skippable.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (Jan. 17)
* Big E vs. John Morrison – 3.5
* The Usos vs. The Revival – 3.0
* Bayley vs. Lacey Evans – 2.5
* Sonya Deville vs. Alexa Bliss – 1.5
* Tables match – Roman Reigns vs. Robert Roode – 2.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Big E vs. Morrison match. Worst – Deville vs. Bliss match.
Show Notes – Opening segment between Bray and Kane was decent although it did make the Fiend look dumb in the end. Big E vs. Morrison match was very good overall. Usos vs. Revival tag team match was good. Backstage segment between Lacey, Bayley, and Sasha wasn’t good. Bayley vs. Evans match was decent although it did drag on too long. Elias’ segment with Sami Zayn & Pals was pretty good. The Rocky Johnson tribute video was wonderful. Otis getting a bit too excited after saving Mandy was the only good thing about the Deville vs. Bliss match. Tables match was decent overall despite it going overboard with the shenanigans and overcoming the odds booking. Smackdown itself was good overall.

AEW
AEW Dark (Jan. 14)
* Brandon Cutler vs. Darby Allin – 2.5
* Nyla Rose vs. Shanna – No Rating
* The Gunn Club vs. Shawn Spears & Peter Avalon – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Memphis Legends tribute. Worst – Gunn Club vs. Spears & Avalon match.
Show Notes – The Memphis Legends tribute segment was very good. Cutler vs. Allin match was decent overall. Rose and Shanna non-match brawl was pretty good. Gunn Club vs. Spears & Avalin match was decent at best. Dave Brown on commentary was pretty good during the show. AEW Dark’s episode was decent but also very skippable in terms of match quality.

AEW Dynamite (Jan. 15)
* #1 Contender for AEW World Tag Team Championship 4-Way match – “Hangman Adam Page & Kenny Omega vs. Santana & Ortiz vs. Best Friends vs. The Young Bucks – 4.0
* Nightmare Collective (Brandi Rhodes & Mel) vs. Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida – 2.0
* Sammy Guevara vs. Jon Moxley – 3.5
* The Butcher & The Blade & MJF vs. QT Marshall, Dustin Rhodes, & Diamond Dallas Page – 3.5
* PAC vs. Darby Allin – 3.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – Four-Way tag team match. Worst – Nightmare Collective vs. Statlander & Shida match.
Show Notes – Bash at the Beach set looked pretty cool. Four-way tag team match was great. Cody’s promo was good overall. Joey Janela’s promo wasn’t that good overall. Women’s tag match was decent at best but Mel was terrible during it. Sammy vs. Moxley match was very good and same for the post-match beatdown spot. Six-man tag team match was very good overall. PAC vs Darby match was also very good overall. This week’s episode was a lot better quality-wise than last week’s show.

Week awards:

• Best match of the week – Tyler Bate vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT UK TakeOver: Blackpool II)
• Worst match of the week – Charlotte Flair vs. Sarah Logan (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – WWE NXT
• Worst show of the week – NXT UK

TPWW community, post your comments below on what was your favorite and least favorite match this past week and the same goes for wrestling shows.