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

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

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):
WWE
WWE RAW (Apr. 13)
* Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match Qualifier – Asuka vs. Ruby Riott – 2.5
* Aleister Black vs. Oney Lorcan – 3.0
* Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match Qualifier – Sarah Logan vs. Shayna Baszler – 1.0 (Squash)
* Akira Tozawa vs. Austin Theory – 2.5
* Angel Garza vs. Tehuti Miles – 1.5 (Squash)
* Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match Qualifier – Kairi Sane vs. Nia Jax – 1.0 (Squash)
* Bobby Lashley vs. No Way Jose – 1.0 (Squash)
* Cedric Alexander & Ricochet vs. The Viking Raiders – 3.5
* Andrade vs. Drew McIntyre – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Alexander & Ricochet vs. The Viking Raiders match.
Worst – Logan vs. Baszler match.
Show Notes – Opening promo segment was decent. Black vs. Lorcan was a very nice hard-hitting match. Logan vs. Baszler was terrible and made worse by the ring announcer’s botch. Lashley and Lana’s failing marriage angle is somehow worse than the infidelity angle. Alexander & Ricochet vs. Viking Raiders was very good. Andrdade vs. McIntrye and post-match attack were pretty good. This week’s episode was mostly decent overall.

NXT (Apr. 15)
* Finn Balor vs. Fabian Aichner – 3.0
* Aliyah vs. Xia Li – 2.0
* Interim NXT Cruiserweight Championship tournament B Block – Isaiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Akira Tozawa – 3.0
* Tegan Nox vs. Raquel Gonzalez – 1.5
* Dexter Lumis vs. Tehuti Miles – 1.5 (Squash)
* NXT Tag Team Championship – Undisputed Era vs. Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher (c) – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – The El Hijo del Fantasma and Keith Lee video packages.
Worst – Nox vs. Gonzlez match.
Show Notes – Opening match between Balor and Aichner was pretty good. Opening match of the Interim Cruiserweight tournament was also pretty good. El Hijo del Fantasma vinegette was great. Nox vs. Gonzlez was a badly booked match. Keith Lee video package was fantastic. NXT Tag Team title match was very good. Thatcher and Killer Kross’ debuts were also very good. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall.

NXT UK “Talent’s Favorite Matches” Special (Apr. 16)
Overall – 3.0
Show Notes – An enjoyable episode overall looking back at several favorite matches picked by NXT UK’s talent, including one from the early 1980s in WWE history.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (Apr. 17)
* Sasha Banks vs. Tamina – 2.0
* Sheamus vs. Denzel Dejournette – 1.0 (Squash)
* Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match Qualifier – Naomi vs. Dana Brooke – 2.5
* Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match Qualifier – Cesaro vs. Daniel Bryan – 3.0
* SmackDown Tag Team Championship Triple Threat match – Big E vs. Jey Uso vs. The Miz (c) – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Howard Finkel tribute video.
Worst – SmackDown’s tag title changing hands from a singles match.
Show Notes – Moment of Bliss opening segment with Braun Strowman was decent. Banks vs. Tamina was decent at best despite the ending being a mess. Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose promo segment was great. The Howard Finkel tribute video was amazing. Cesaro vs. Bryan was pretty good. SmackDown tag title match was pretty good but stupid to do a title change from a singles match. This week’s episode was average overall but not “essential business” worthy.

AEW
AEW Dark (Apr. 14)
* Billy vs. Shawn Spears – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Dark focusing on quality over quantity for a short show.
Worst – Commentary being a bit too low energy at times.
Show Notes – This week’s one-match short length show was somewhat enjoyable overall.

AEW Dynamite (Apr. 15)
* TNT Championship tournament First Round match – Colt Cabana vs. Lance Archer – 3.0
* Cassandra Golden vs. Britt Baker – 1.5 (Squash)
* Suge D vs. Sammy Guevara – 3.0
* Kip Sabian vs. Chuck Taylor – 3.0
* Justin Law vs. Shawn Spears – 1.5 (Squash)
* AEW World Championship – Jake Hager vs. Jon Moxley (c) – 2.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – The hype videos for the Hager vs. Moxley match.
Worst – AEW going ahead with Double or Nothing in May despite the lack of crowds for shows and other issues.
Show Notes – Another great promo by Jake Roberts. Cabana vs. Archer was pretty good. Baker’s promo was decent. The Bubbly Bunch segment was funny. Sabian vs. Taylor was pretty good despite the ending being a bit of a mess. The use of prediction videos throughout the show for Hager vs. Moxley was done very well. Hager vs. Moxley was decent at best but also dragged on way too long. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall.

Other
Viceland’s Dark Side of the Ring – Jimmy Snuka and the Death of Nancy Argentino Episode (Apr. 14)
Overall – 4.0
Show Notes – Great episode overall looking back on the troubled relationship between Snuka and Argentino and the circumstances involving Argentino’s death and Snuka’s investigation.

Week awards:

• Best match of the week – NXT Tag Team Championship – Undisputed Era vs. Matt Riddle & Timothy Thatcher (c) (WWE NXT)
• Worst match of the week – Last Man Standing match – Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match Qualifier – Sarah Logan vs. Shayna Baszler (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – Viceland’s Dark Side of the Ring
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW