Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for September 23 to October 3

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of September 23rd to October 3rd.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE Clash of Champions (September 27)
* Pre-show: SmackDown Tag Team Championship – Lucha House Party vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura (c) – 3.0
* Winner Take All Intercontinental Championship Ladder match – AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn vs. Jeff Hardy – 3.5
* RAW Women’s Championship – Zelina Vega vs. Asuka (c) – 2.0
* United States Championship – Apollo Crews vs. Bobby Lashley (c) – 2.5
* RAW Tag Team Championship – Angel Garza & Andrade vs. Street Profits (c) – 2.5
* SmackDown Women’s Championship – Asuka vs. Bayley (c) – 1.5
* WWE Championship Ambulance match – Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre (c) – 3.0
* Universal Championship – Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns (c) – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Intercontinental Championship Ladder match.
Worst – SmackDown Women’s Championship match.
Show Notes – Opening intro video with John Cena’s narration was pretty good. Intercontinental title Ladder match was very good, especially the finish sequence. 24/7 title backstage segment was hilarious. RAW Women’s title match and US title match were mostly decent. RAW Tag title match was decent despite Garza’s injury and ref botch finish. SmackDown Women’s title match was a big waste of time and Asuka’s usage. WWE title match was pretty good despite the booking making McIntyre look a bit weak by needing a lot of help just to beat Orton. Universal title match was very good overall despite being a bit long and heavy in story filler. Clash of Champions was enjoyable overall.

WWE RAW (September 28)
* RAW Women’s Championship – Zelina Vega vs. Asuka – 2.0
* Andrade vs. Keith Lee – 2.0
* Lana & Natalya vs. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke – 1.5
* Kevin Owens vs. Aleister Black – 3.0
* 24/7 Championship Triple Threat – Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak vs. R-Truth – 1.5
* Murphy vs. Dominik Mysterio – 2.5
* Hurt Business (Shelton Benjamin, MVP, & Bobby Lashley) vs. Ricochet, Apollo Crews, & Mustafa Ali – 3.0
* WWE Championship Open Challenge match – Robert Roode vs. Drew McIntrye (c) – 3.0
Overall – 1.5
Best – WWE Championship Open Challenge match.
Worst – The on-going Rollins and Mysterio Family storyline.
Show Notes – Opening McIntyre and WWE Legends promo segment was decent at best. The Vega vs. Asuka feud hasn’t been interesting at all. The 24/7 title segment was funny. King’s Court segment with Mysterio Family and Seth Rollins was terrible. Aleister Black’s new theme is horrible. Owens vs. Black was pretty good despite the lame DQ ending. Murphy vs. Mysterio was doing well until the lame ending. 6-man tag match was pretty good. Retribution vignette did nothing to change their status from being the lamest invaders in WWE history. WWE title match was pretty good. Randy Orton’s sneak attack was a lot more funnier than it should have been. This week’s episode was mostly dull overall.

NXT (September 30)
* Shotzi Blackheart vs. Dakota Kai – 3.0
* Cameron Grimes Invitational Stepping Tones To The Moon match – Cameron Grimes vs. Joey Pistachio – 1.0 (Squash)
* Cameron Grimes Invitational Stepping Tones To The Moon match – Cameron Grimes vs. Ridge Holland – 1.0 (Squash)
* KUSHIDA vs. Tony Nese – 1.5 (Squash)
* Adam Cole vs. Austin Theory – 3.5
* Kayden Carter vs. Xia Li – 2.5
* Johnny Gargano & Candice LeRae vs. Damian Priest & Io Shirai – 3.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Kyle O’Reilly Prime Target video package and NXT title sitdown segments.
Worst – Cameron Grimes Invitational Stepping Tones To The Moon segment.
Show Notes – Opening Blackheart vs. Kai match was pretty good although yikes at the botched Slice Bread spot by Blackheart. Santos Escobar and Isiah Scott interview segment was okay. Kyle O’Reilly’s Prime Target video segment was fantastic. Gargano Family interview segment was decent. Austin Theory promo segment was nothing special. Adam Cole promo segment was decent. Cole vs. Theory was very good. O’Reilly and Finn Balor NXT title sitdown segment was great despite HBK no selling the effects of his attack on RAW. Mixed tag match was pretty good despite the WWE style finish and post-match ending. This week’s TakeOver go-home episode was very good overall.

Friday Night SmackDown (October 2)
* Jey Uso vs. AJ Styles – 3.0
* John Morrison vs. Otis – 1.5 (Squash)
* Shorty G vs. Sheamus – 1.5 (Squash)
* King Corbin, Cesaro, & Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Lucha House Party (Lince Dorado & Gran Metalik) & Matt Riddle – 3.0
* Intercontinental Championship – Jeff Hardy vs. Sami Zayn (c) – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Roman Reigns and Jey Uso promo segment.
Worst – John Morrison vs. Otis match.
Show Notes – Roman Reigns “Show Up & Win” shirt looked cool and his new shirts since returning have been a nice addition to his new heel persona. Opening Reigns and Uso promo segment was wonderful. Uso vs. Styles match was pretty good. Zayn promo segment was good. KO Show segment with Alexa Bliss and Fiend was decent. 6-man tag match was pretty good despite WWE going overboard with the fake crowd audio. Bayley and Sasha Banks feud vignette was okay. Carmela’s promo vignette was nothing special. Banks promo segment was okay. Intercontinental title match was pretty good. This week’s episode was mostly enjoyable overall.

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AEW

AEW Dark (September 29)
* Ray Rosas & Ryzin vs. SCU – 2.5
* Alex Gracia vs. Penelope Ford – 1.0 (Squash)
* M’Badu & Bshp King vs. Best Friends – 2.5
* Dark Order (5 & 10) vs. Jurassic Express – 3.0
* Shawn Dean & Cezar Bononi vs. Gunn Club – 2.5
* Red Velvet vs. Tay Conti – 2.0
* Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr. vs. Chaos Project (Luther & Serpentico) – 2.5
* Rache Chanel vs. Nyla Rose – 1.5 (Squash)
* Dark Order (Colt Cabana & John Silver) vs. Natural Nightmares – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Dark Order vs. Jurassic Express match.
Worst – Alex Gracia vs. Penelope Ford match.
Show Notes – Opening Rosas & Ryzin vs. SCU match was decent. Silver and Evil Uno backstage segment was decent. Brandon Cutler’s promo segment was flat. Dark Order vs. Jurassic Express was pretty good. Luther and Serpentico promo segment was okay. Ricky Starks’ mocking reaction to Billy Gunn having multiple kids was hilarious. Natural Nightmares and Brandi Rhodes promo segment was decent at best. This week’s extra stuffed episode was average but mostly enjoyable overall.

AEW Dynamite (September 30)
* Ricky Starks vs. Darby Allin – 3.5
* AEW World Tag Team Championship – SCU vs. FTR (c) – 3.0
* Isiah Kassidy vs. Chris Jericho – 3.5
* Orange Cassidy vs. 10 – 2.0 (Squash)
* Britt Baker vs. Red Velvet – 2.5 (Squash)
* AEW World Championship – The Butcher vs. Jon Moxley (c) – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – MJF and Chris Jericho lounge segment.
Worst – Excalibur’s mic issues throughout the show.
Show Notes – Opening Starks vs. Allin match was very good and a much better opener than last week’s show. Cody’s promo was decent despite being too long but the big brawl afterwards was good. FTR interview segment was okay. Tag title match got very good near the end despite the abrupt finish. Upcoming AEW title #1 contender tournament should be very good. Luther randomly attacking Jericho during the Kassidy vs. Jericho match was interesting. Miro and Kip Sabian’s party segment was okay. MJF and Jericho segment was fantastic. Baker vs. Velvet match was a good outing by Baker for her in-ring return. Eddie Kingston’s promo was great. AEW title match was very good. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall.

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NJPW & OTHER

NJPW G1 Climax 2020 Night 5 (September 27)
* Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Yujiro Takahashi vs. Taichi – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Jeff Cobb vs. Minoru Suzuki – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kota Ibushi – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay – 4.5
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay match.
Worst – The necks of Ishii and Ibushi after the beating both took.
Show Notes – Opening Young Lions match was a nice entertaining bout. Taichi vs. Takahashi was one of Takahshi’s better matches in recent times. Cobb’s been having a much better showing with this year’s tournament so far than he did last year. Ishii vs. Ibushi was an amazing bout featuring some brutal looking stiff spots. Takagi vs. Ospreay was great and a contender for best match of this year’s G1 tournament. White vs. Okada was great and was a bit surprised White won. Night 5 of G1 Climax 2020 was very entertaining overall.

NJPW G1 Climax 2020 Night 6 (September 29)
* Gabriel Kidd vs. Yuya Uemura – 2.5
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – SANADA vs. YOSHI-HASHI – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – Zack Sabre Jr. vs. KENTA – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – Juice Robinson vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – EVIL vs. Toru Yano – 2.5
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – Hirooki Goto vs. Tetsuya Naito – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Hirooki Goto vs. Tetsuya Naito match.
Worst – SANADA’s current chances of winning a B Block match.
Show Notes – Opening Young Lions match was decent. SANADA vs. YOSHI-HASHI was pretty good. Wonder who SANADA recently upset backstage to get the winless treatment so far. Sabre Jr. vs. KENTA was a very good back-and-forth style match. Robinson vs. Tanahashi was also very good. EVIL vs. Yano was a decent but entertaining match to watch in terms of hijinks. Goto vs. Naito was very good. Night 6 of G1 Climax 2020 was enjoyable overall.

NJPW G1 Climax 2020 Night 7 (September 30)
* Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Minoru Suzuki vs. Yujiro Takahashi – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Jeff Cobb vs. Kota Ibushi – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Jay White vs. Will Ospreay – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii – 4.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii match.
Worst – Okada still not dumping the Cobra Clutch as his finsiher.
Show Notes – Opening Young Lions match was pretty good. Suzuki vs. Takahashi was a pretty good hard hitting brawl. Cobb vs. Ibushi was very good and another good outing by Cobb in this tournament. Okada vs. Taichi was very good despite still not being a fan of Okada’s Cobra Clutch finisher. White’s constant trolling of the crowd with his clapping antics has been one of the best things about this year’s tournament. White vs. Ospreay was fantastic. Takagi vs. Ishii was amazing. Night 7 of the G1 Climax 2020 was very enjoyable overall.

NJPW G1 Climax 2020 Night 8 (October 1)
* Gabriel Kidd vs. Yota Tsuji – 3.5
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – Toru Yano vs. Juice Robinson – 2.5
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – Hirooki Goto vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – 4.0
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – EVIL vs. KENTA – 3.0
* G1 Climax 2020 B Block match – SANADA vs. Tetsuya Naito – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – SANADA vs. Tetsuya Naito match.
Worst – The demise of Yano’s undefeated streak.
Show Notes – Opening Young Lions match was the best one of the G1 tournament so far. Yano vs. Robinson was an entertaining comedic style match. Goto vs. Sabre Jr. was pretty good. YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tanahashi was a great bout. The battle of the Bullet Club top guys was mostly good. SANADA vs. Naito was fantastic. Night 8 of G1 Climax 2020 was a very good show overall.

NJPW Strong (October 2)
* Lion’s Break Crown tournament Semi-final – Logan Riegel vs. Clark Connors – 2.5
* Lion’s Break Crown tournament Semi-final – Blake Christian vs. Danny Limelight – 3.0
* Brody King & Flip Gordon vs. TJP & Karl Fredericks – 3.0
* Bullet Club (Hikuleo, Chase Owens, KENTA, & Jay White) vs. Misterioso, Rocky Romero, Jeff Cobb, & David Finlay – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Brody King & Flip Gordon vs. TJP & Karl Fredericks match.
Worst – Logan Riegel vs. Clark Connors match.
Show Notes – Opening Riegel vs. Connors match was decent. Christian interview segment was okay. Christian vs. Limelight was pretty good. King & Gordon vs. TJP & Fredericks was also pretty good. 8-man tag match was fine. This week’s episode was pretty good overall.

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Week awards:

• Best match of the week – G1 Climax 2020 A Block match – Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW G1 Climax 2020 Night 7)
• Worst match of the week – Alex Gracia vs. Penelope Ford (AEW Dark)
• Best show of the week – NJPW G1 Climax 2020 Night 5
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW