Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for October 25 to October 31

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of October 25th to October 31st.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

Hell in a Cell 2020 (October 25)
* Pre-show – 24/7 Championship – Drew Gulak vs. R-Truth (c) – 2.0
* Universal Championship Hell in a Cell I Quit match – Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns (c) – 3.0
* Elias vs. Jeff Hardy – 2.0
* Rights to the Money in the Bank Briefcase match – The Miz vs. Otis (rights holder) – 3.0
* SmackDown Women’s Championship Hell in a Cell match – Sasha Banks vs. Bayley (c) – 4.0
* United States Championship – Slapjack vs. Bobby Lashley (c) – 2.5
* WWE Championship Hell in a Cell match – Randy Orton vs. Drew McIntyre (c) – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – SmackDown Women’s Championship Hell in a Cell match.
Worst – Way too much filler and sluggish pacing in the Universal title match.
Show Notes – Intro hype video package was decent. Pre-match hype video was fantastic although the Universal title match itself was pretty good at best. WWE went way too overboard with the melodramatics and filler for that match. Elias vs. Hardy was decent at best despite the lame DQ ending. Otis’ new theme has some good Dusty Rhodes-like vibes. Miz vs. Otis was pretty good, especially the surprise heel turn by Tucker. Miz and Tucker’s backstage interviews were fine. Banks vs. Bayley was great and a ton better than the opener Cell match. US title match was decent but Retribution still stink of lameness as a group. WWE title match was very good and a bit surprised Orton won. Hell in a Cell was a mostly enjoyable show overall.

WWE RAW (October 26)
* Survivor Series Team RAW Qualifier match – AJ Syles vs. Jeff Hardy – 3.0
* Drew Gulak & Akira Tozawa vs. Lucha House Party – 1.0
* Survivor Series Team RAW Qualifier match – Elias vs. Keith Lee – 2.5
* 8-Man Elimination Tag Team match – Hurt Business vs. Retribution – 1.0
* Drew McIntyre vs. The Miz – 2.5
* Survivor Series Team RAW Women’s Qualifier Fatal Four-way match – Lana vs. Lacey Evans vs. Peyton Royce vs. Nikki Cross – 1.5
* Survivor Series Team RAW Qualifier match – Matt Riddle vs. Sheamus – 3.0
Overall – 1.5
Best – Show closing Moment of Bliss segment.
Worst – 8-Man Elimination Tag Team match.
Show Notes – Opening McIntyre, Miz, and John Morrison promo segment was okay. Styles vs. Hardy was pretty good. The combo 24/7 title and tag matches were terrible and barely made sense even by WWE’s low standards. Firefly Fun House segment was enjoyable. Lee needing distraction help just to beat Elias was dumb. 8-Man tag match was one of the worst booked WWE matches this year. Retribution is unsalvageable. NXT not being involved in this year’s Survivor Series event is very interesting. Lana’s running gag of getting put through a table was the only good thing about the Women’s qualifier match. Riddle vs. Sheamus was pretty good. Moment of Bliss segment with Bliss’ sinister persona and brawl afterwards was good. This week’s show was mostly a dull overall.

NXT Halloween Havoc (October 28)
* NXT North American Championship Devil’s Playground match – Johnny Gargano vs. Damian Priest (c) – 3.0
* Jake Atlas vs. Santos Escobar – 2.5
* Haunted House of Terror match – Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis – 3.5
* Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Gonzalez – 3.5
* NXT Women’s Championship Tables, Laddres, & Scares match – Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai (c) – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – NXT Women’s Championship Tables, Laddres, & Scares match.
Worst – Finish to the NXT North American title match.
Show Notes – While lacking the classic Halloween Havoc feel, NXT put more effort with the set than they for Great American Bash. North American title match was pretty good despite not being a fan of Priest’s title reign ending that quickly. Pat McAfee promo and Pete Dunne sudden heel turn were fantastic. Grimes and William Regal backstage segments were funny. Escobar’s classic WCW Rey Mysterio tribute gear was great. Ember Moon vignette was decent. Ripley vs. Gonzalez was very good. Haunted House of Terror was easily the best of NXT’s trio of cinematic matches. Drake Maverick & Killian Dain segment was dumb. Tommaso Ciampa promo was okay. Shirai’s special entrance and NXT Women’s title match were amazing. This week’s episode was one of NXT’s best shows this year.

NXT UK (October 29)
* Aoife Valkyrie vs. Dani Luna – 2.5
* Jordan Devlin vs. Levi Muir – 1.0 (Squash)
* NXT United Kingdom Championship – Ilja Dragunov vs. WALTER (c) – 4.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – NXT United Kingdom Championship match.
Worst – Jordan Devlin vs. Levi Muir match.
Show Notes – Not a fan of NXT UK’s new bland-looking arena compared to the Royal Albert Hall. Heritage Cup recap video and Rampage Brown vignette were pretty good. Mark Andrews, Flash Morgan Webster, & Eddie Denis promo and Hunt attack segment was decent. Piper Niven interview segment was also decent. The hype video packages for the NXT United Kingdom title match were fantastic. NXT United Kingdom title match was an amazing brutal hard hitting brawl and a very strong contender for Match of the Year in WWE. Also yikes at Dragunov’s bruised chest during that match. This week’s episode was enjoyable overall.

Friday Night SmackDown (October 30)
* Survivor Series Team SmackDown Qualifier match – Kevin Owens vs. Dolph Ziggler – 3.0
* Survivor Series Team SmackDown Women’s Qualifier match – Bianca Belair vs. Billie Kay vs. Natayla – 1.5
* Street Profits vs. Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura – 3.0
* Survivor Series Team SmackDown Qualifier match – Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Daniel Bryan vs. Jey Uso match and Uso’s post-match heel turn.
Worst – Survivor Series Team SmackDown Women’s Qualifier match.
Show Notes – Opening promo segment between Roman Reigns and Uso was very good despite Uso acting more like a little kid who got punished by his parents. Owens vs. Ziggler was pretty good. Women’s backstage segment and Lars Sullivan interview segments were somewhat decent. Women’s match entrances getting interrupted for Rollins vs. Mysterio Family feud stuff was stupid. Carmella vignette was nothing special. Myysterio Family telenovela still a strong contender for worst WWE storyline this year. Street Profits vs. Cesaro & Nakamura was pretty good. Sami Zayn promo segment was fine. Sasha Banks and Bayley promo segment was good. Bryan vs. Uso was very good and same for Uso’s post-match heel turn. This week’s episode was enjoyable overall.

---

AEW

AEW Dark (October 27)
* Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) vs. Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Evil Uno) – 3.0
* VSK vs. Ricky Starks – 2.0 (Squash)
* Lee Johnson vs. Matt Sydal – 3.0
* Leyla Hirsch vs. Hikaru Shida – 3.5
* Jersey Muscle & Danny Limelight vs. Jurassic Express – 3.0
* The Hybrid2 vs. SCU – 2.5
* Katalina Perez vs. Anna Jay – 1.5 (Squash)
* No Countout, No Disqualification match – Peter Avalon vs.Brandon Cutler – 3.0
* Best Friends vs. Anthony Bowens & Max Caster – 2.5
* Fuego Del Sol vs. Brian Cage – 2.0 (Squash)
* Sean Maluta vs. 10 – 1.5 (Squash)
* KiLynn King & Savannah Evans vs. Ivelisse & Diamante – 2.5
* Aaron Solow vs. Sonny Kiss – 2.0
* Nick Comoroto vs. Will Hobbs – 1.5 (Squash)
* Alex Chamberlain vs. Darby Allin – 2.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Leyla Hirsch vs. Hikaru Shida match.
Worst – This week’s episode reaching near WWE RAW tier for length.
Show Notes – Opening Top Flight vs. Dark Order match was pretty good. Eddie Kingston and Allie segment was decent. Johnson vs. Sydal was a good back-and-forth type match. Hirsch vs. Shida was very good. QT Marshall & Dustin Rhodes promo segment was decent. Trios tag match was pretty good. Avalon vs. Cutler was good and a satisfying conclusion to their biggest AEW loser feud. Scorpio Sky’s trashed room segment was interesting. Jake Roberts & Lance Archer promo segemnt was decent. Show closing brawl between Starks & Cage and Allin & Hobbs was good. This week’s extra stuffed episode was one of Dark’s best shows this year despite also being way too long in runtime.

AEW Dynamite (October 27)
* AEW World Championship Eliminator tournament Semifinals match – Wardlow vs. Hangman Adam Page – 3.5
* Eddie Kingston vs. Matt Sydal – 3.0
* TNT Championship Lumberjack match – Orange Cassidy vs. Cody (c) – 3.5
* NWA World Women’s Championship – Leyla Hirsch vs. Serena Deeb (c) – 3.0
* Shawn Spears vs. VSK – 1.0 (Squash)
* AEW World Championship Eliminator tournament Semifinals match – Penta El Zero M vs. Kenny Omega – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Penta El Zero M vs. Kenny Omega match.
Worst – FTR and Young Bucks AEW Tag Team Championship interview segment.
Show Notes – Opening MJF and Sammy Guevara promo segment was okay. Wardlow vs. Page was very good and possibly Wardlow’s best match in AEW so far. Kingston vs. Sydal was pretty good. FTR and Young Bucks interview segment was decent. MJF and Chris Jericho Town Hall Meeting segment was pretty good. Will Hobbs vignette was nice. TNT title match was very good despite its shenanigans-filled ending. Best Friends and Miro & Sabian segment was decent. Deeb botching the name of her title belt was funny. NWA Women’s title match was pretty good. Hikaru Shida interview segment was decent. Omega’s new entrance routine is amazing. Penta vs. Omega was amazing and one of Penta’s best matches in AEW. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

---

NJPW & OTHER

NJPW Strong (October 30)
* Riegel Twins (Logan & Sterling Riegel) vs. The DKC & Clark Connors – 3.0
* Blake Christian vs. Karl Fredericks – 2.5
* Hikuleo, Guerillas of Destiny (Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga), & KENTA vs. Misterioso, Alex Zayne, PJ Black, & David Finlay – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Riegel Twins vs. The DKC & Clark Connors match.
Worst – Blake Christian vs. Karl Fredericks match.
Show Notes – Opening Riegel Twins vs. DKC & Connors match was pretty good. Christian vs. Fredericks was decent. 8-man tag match was pretty good. This week’s episode was entertaining overall.

---

Week awards:

• Best match of the week – NXT United Kingdom Championship – Ilja Dragunov vs. WALTER (c) (WWE NXT UK)
• Worst match of the week – 8-Man Elimination Tag Team match – Hurt Business vs. Retribution (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – WWE NXT
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW