Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for September 6 to September 12

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of September 6th to September 12th.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE RAW (September 7)
* Apollo Crews, Ricochet, Cedric Alexander vs. Hurt Business (Shelton Benjamin, MVP, & Bobby Lashley) – 2.0
* Street Profits vs. Angel Garza & Andrade – 1.5 (Squash)
* Peyton Royce vs. Billie Kay – 1.0 (Squash)
* Asuka & Mickie James vs. Lana & Natalya – 2.0
* Hurt Business & Cedric Alexander vs. Apollo Crews, Ricochet, & Viking Raiders – 3.0
* Randy Orton vs. Keith Lee – 2.0
* 2-on-1 Handicap match – Shayna Baszler vs. Riott Squad – 1.0
* 2-on-1 Handicap match – Nia Jax vs. Riott Squad – 1.0
* Street Fight – Dominik Mysterio vs. Murphy – 3.0
Overall – 2.0
Best – Cedric Alexander’s heel turn.
Worst – Both handicap matches and the new generic themes for Royce and Kay.
Show Notes – Opening promo by Orton was dull. 6-man match was okay but Alexander’s heel turn was the best part about it. Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamuara’s surprise appearance was cool. Royce and Kay’s new entrance themes sound terrible. Mysterio Family and Murphy promo segment was flat. 8-man tag match was pretty good despite the ref botching the finish. Orton vs. Lee was the dullest match Lee has had in WWE. Both handicap matches were terrible and same for Retribution’s lame involvement. Kevin Owens vs. Aleister Black ending in a no contest on RAW Underground after all the time it got was lame. Street Fight was pretty good. This week’s episode was somewhat boring overall.

NXT (September 8)
* NXT Championship – Finn Balor vs. Adam Cole – 3.5
* Velveteen Dream vs. Ashante “Thee” Adonis – 1.0 (Squash)
* Bronson Reed vs. Austin Theory – 3.0
* Roderick Strong vs. Killian Dain – 2.0
* Steel Cage match – Mercedes Martinez vs. Rhea Ripley – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – KUSHIDA snapping and becoming a badass submission machine.
Worst – Dream vs. Adonis match.
Show Notes – Opening NXT title match was very good despite it being too long. Robert Stone interview and failed ambush segment was weak. Timothy Thatcher’s Thatch-as-Thatch-Can segment was fine. KUSHIDA’s surprise appearance and destruction of Dream was amazing. Breezango and Imperium vignette was pretty good. Reed vs. Theory was pretty good despite dragging a bit at times. Strong vs. Dain and post-match attack was decent at best. Gargano Family segments with Tegan Nox were somewhat decent overall. Damian Priest interview segment was okay. Cage match was very good. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall and the best of NXT’s recent set of unopposed shows.

Friday Night SmackDown (September 11)
* Intercontinental Championship – AJ Styles vs. Jeff Hardy (c) – 2.5
* Lucha House Party (Kalisto & Gran Metalik) vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura – 3.0
* Fatal Four-way – Nikki Cross vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Lacey Evans vs. Tamina – 1.5
* Otis vs. John Morrison – 2.0
* Baron Corbin & Sheamus vs. Jey Uso & Roman Reigns – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Alexa Bliss’ Sister Abigail spot to Nikki Cross
Worst – The Jeff Hardy post-match sudden collapse spot since it reeked of being a cheap tasteless dig at AEW’s Matt Hardy injury controversy.
Show Notes – Opening Paul Heyman, Reigns, and Uso promo segment was going well until buzzkill Corbin appeared. Intercontinental title match was decent despite the non-finish. The Hardy collapse spot after the match was stupid. Lucha House Party vs. Cesaro & Nakamura was pretty good despite the lame distraction finish. Evil Bayley vignette was amazing and Bayley’s promo afterwards was okay. Bliss’ Sister Abigail spot was the only good thing about the women’s match. Otis having multiple lunchboxes as a decoy for his MitB contract was a bit funny. Firefly Fun House segment was somewhat enjoyable. Main event tag match was decent at best. This week’s episode was mostly decent overall.

---

AEW

AEW Dark (September 8)
* Sean Legacy vs. Will Hobbs – 2.0 (Squash)
* Tony Donati vs. Brian Cage – 1.5 (Squash)
* Griff Garrison vs. Angelico – 2.5
* Skyler Moore vs. Anna Jay – 2.0
* Lee Johnson vs. Eddie Kingston – 2.0
* Serpentico vs. Sonny Kiss – 2.5
* Ben Carter vs. Ricky Starks – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Ben Carter vs. Ricky Starks match.
Worst – Tony Donati vs. Brian Cage match.
Show Notes – Hobbs picking up his first AEW win after a very good showing at All Out was nice to see. Carter vs. Starks was pretty good and one of the better main events in recent months for AEW Dark. This week’s episode was average but entertaining overall.

AEW Dynamite (September 8)
* Jurassic Express vs. Lucha Bros – 3.0
* Angelico vs. Orange Cassidy – 2.0 (Squash)
* No Disqualification match – Jake Hager vs. Chris Jericho vs. Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela – 3.0
* Tay Conti vs. Nyla Rose – 2.0
* TNT Championship – Dustin Rhodes vs. Brodie Lee (c) – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Miro’s debut and the heavy focus on multiple storybuilding throughout the show.
Worst – First half of Kip Sabian’s segment.
Show Notes – Opening segment with Jericho and MJF was fantastic. Jurassic Express vs. Lucha Bros was pretty good despite some sloppiness Matt Hardy’s speech felt very genuine despite not being at fault for his injury controversy. Young Bucks teasing more of their heel turn was nice. Miro’s surprise debut was amazing. Hangman Adam Page interview was okay. Hager & Jericho vs. Kiss & Janela was pretty good. MJF campaign segment was fantastic. Jon Moxley promo segment was good. FTR celebration segment was decent. Ricky Starks promo was wonderful. Kenny Omega interview segment was good. TNT title match was very good despite the abrupt ending. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall.

---

NJPW & OTHER

GCW Bring ‘Em Out (September 6)
* Jordan Oliver vs. Benjamin Carter – 3.0
* Alex Colon vs. Chris Dickinson – 3.0
* Tony Deppen vs. Calvin Tankman – 2.5
* Lee Moriarty & Tre Lamar vs. Ironbeast (KTB & Shane Mercer) – 3.0
* Ethan Page vs. Allie Kat – 2.0
* Mance Warner vs. AJ Gray – 2.5
* Six-Way Scramble match – Jimmy Lloyd vs. Cole Radrick vs. Ace Austin vs. Dyln McKay vs. “Spyder” Nate Webb vs. Atticus Cogar – 3.5
* Effy vs. Joey Janela – 3.0
* Matthew Justice vs. Rickey Shane Page – N/A
* ACH vs. Blake Christian – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Six-Way Scramble match.
Worst – The feed to the show going out during the Justice vs. Page match.
Show Notes – Opening Oliver vs. Carter match was pretty good. Colon vs. Dickinson was also pretty good despite its slow paced action. Deppen vs. Tankman was decent. Moriarty & Lamar vs. Ironbeast was pretty good. Warner vs. Gray was a decent hard hitting bout. Scramble match was very entertaining. Effy vs. Janela was pretty good despite being a bit too long. No rating for Justice vs. Page due to issues with the show’s feed during the match. ACH vs. Christian was pretty good overall. GCW Bring ‘Em Out was an enjoyable show overall.

NJPW Strong (September 11)
* Adrian Quest & Logan Riegel vs. ACH & TJP – 3.0
* Danny Limelight vs. Rocky Romero – 2.5
* Guerrillas of Destiny vs. PJ Black & David Finlay – 3.0
* IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Right to Challenge Contract match – Jeff Cobb vs. KENTA (rights holder) – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Adrian Quest & Logan Riegel vs. ACH & TJP match.
Worst – Danny Limelight vs. Rocky Romero match.
Show Notes – Opening Quest & Riegel vs. ACH & TJP match was pretty good. Limelight vs. Romero was decent despite being a bit too long. Guerrillas of Destiny vs. Black & Finlay was pretty good. Pre-match hype video for Cobb vs. KENTA was good while the match itself was decent despite its plodding pace. This week’s episode was enjoyable overall.

---

Week awards:

• Best match of the week – Steel Cage match – Mercedes Martinez vs. Rhea Ripley (WWE NXT)
• Worst match of the week – 2-on-1 Handicap match – Nia Jax vs. Riott Squad (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – AEW Dynamite
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW