Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for December 13 to December 19

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of December 13th to December 19th.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE RAW (December 14)
* AJ Styles vs. Sheamus – 3.0
* Jeff Hardy & The New Day vs. Hurt Business (Shelton Benjamin, Cedric Alexander, & Bobby Lashley) – 3.0
* Lana vs. Nia Jax – 1.5
* 2-on-1 Handicap match – Keith Lee vs. The Miz & John Morrison – 2.5
* Mace vs. Ricochet – 2.0
* Shayna Baszler vs. Dana Brooke – 1.5
* MVP vs. Riddle – 2.0 (Squash)
Overall – 2.0
Best – Drew McIntyre & AJ Styles WWE title promo segment and post-segment ambush stuff.
Worst – Firefly Fun House segment.
Show Notes – Opening Dirt Sheet segment with Styles and Sheamus was a bit dull. Styles vs. Sheamus was good despite dragging a bit too long. Hurt Business’ interview segments was okay. 6-man tag match was pretty good. The booking of the Women’s Tag title feud has been terrible. WWE bringing back Jaxson Ryker is a big blunder on their end. Handicap match was decent at best but laughed at Miz & Morrison beating Lee clean. Firefly Fun House segment was channel changing inducing bad. Retribution winning a match was a surprise even if it was nothing special. Riddle being nothing more than a lame goof backstage has been horrible. Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt brawl segment was somewhat entertaining. WWE title promo segment was fantastic. This week’s TLC go-home show was a very mixed bag overall with a good first half and a mostly abysmal second half.

NXT (December 16)
* Leon Ruff & KUSHIDA vs. Austin Theory & Johnny Gargano – 3.0
* Tyler Rust vs. Tommaso Ciampa – 3.0
* #1 Contender’s for NXT Championship – Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne – 4.5
* Shotzi Blackheart vs. Indi Hartwell – 1.5
* Desmond Troy vs. Karrion Kross – 1.5 (Squash)
* Toni Storm vs. Rhea Ripley – 3.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – #1 Contender’s for NXT Championship match.
Worst – Ever-Rise interview segment.
Show Notes – Opening Ruff & KUSHIDA vs. Theory & Gargano match was solid. Toni Storm and Legado Del Fantasma vignettes were fine. Blackheart interview segment was bland. Rust vs. Ciampa was pretty good. Grizzled Young Veterans and Kross vignettes were decent. O’Reilly vs. Dunne was amazing and easily one of the best NXT matches this year. Rhea Ripley interview segment was decent. Xia Li & Boa segment was odd as usual. Blackheart vs. Hartwell was dull and made worse by its lame DQ finish. Bronson Reed vignette was cool. Isaiah “Swerve” Scott interview segment was okay. Ever-Rise interview segment was very lame. Dexter Lumis being the host of New Year’s Evil is interesting. Finn Balor promo segment was decent. Storm vs. Ripley was very good and a bit surprised Ripley lost. This week’s episode was very entertaining overall.

Friday Night SmackDown (December 18)
* SmackDown Tag Team Championship – Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode vs. The Street Profits (c) – 3.0
* Riott Squad vs. Billie Kay & Tamina – 2.0
* Otis vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – 2.0
* Bianca Belair vs. Bayley – 3.0
Overall – 2.0
Best – The Sami Awards segment with Sami Zayn and Big E.
Worst – This week’s show in general feeling mostly throw away in quality.
Show Notes – Opening Kevin Owens, Paul Heyman, & Roman Reigns promo and ambush segment was fine. Reigns and Jey Uso backstage segment was okay. Tag title match was pretty good but laughed at Street Profits having to cheat to win and ref Charles Robinson’s post-match tirade. Bianca Belair interview segment was decent. Carmella’s promo & brawl with Sasha Banks segment was boring. Owens and Uso backstage brawl segments were good overall. Otis wrestles more dull now ever since Vince’s edict for WWE’s big man style wrestlers. The Sami Awards segment was hilarious. Belair vs. Bayley was pretty good. Reigns, Uso, & Owens brawl segment was okay but a bit of an overkill tonight with the trio. This week’s episode was mostly average at best in quality but also dull as a go-home type show for TLC.

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AEW

AEW Dark (December 15)
* Sotheara Chhun vs. Ricky Starks – 2.0 (Squash)
* Baron Black vs. Brandon Cutler – 1.5 (Squash)
* Kilynn King vs. Hikaru Shida – 2.5
* Shawn Dean & Fuego Del Sol vs. Jurassic Express – 2.5
* Skyler Moore vs. Leva Bates – 2.0
* VSK vs. Brian Cage – 3.0
* Louie Valle & Mike Magnum vs. The Acclaimed – 2.5
* Dani Jordyn vs. Anna Jay – 2.0
* Bear Country (Bear Boulder & Bear Bronson) vs. Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Evil Uno) – 3.0
* Ryzin & Sean Maluta vs. Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela – 2.0
* Freya “The Slaya” States vs. Tay Conti – 2.0
* Danny Limelight vs. Matt Sydal – 3.0
* Kaci Lennox vs. Ivelisse – 2.0
* Chaos Project vs. Best Friends – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Bear Country vs. Dark Order match.
Worst – Baron Black vs. Brandon Cutler match.
Show Notes – Chhun vs. Starks was a solid opener squash match. Abadon’s post-match attack to Shida was decent. Scorpio Sky chucking Shawn Spears through a wall during The Waiting Room segment and Rebel & Britt Baker’s reactions afterwards were funny. VSK vs. Cage was a pretty good small guy vs. big guy style bout. Max Caster’s pre-match rap was nice. Taz’s “retired gym teacher” digs at Colt Cabana’s clothing was funny. Bear Country vs. Dark Order was a nice back-and-forth power style bout. Limelight vs. Sydal was pretty good. The post-match Miro and Best Friends & Orange Cassidy confrontation stuff was okay. This week’s lengthy episode was mostly enjoyable overall.

AEW Dynamite (December 16)
* Hangman Page & Dark Order (Alex Reynolds & John Silver) vs. Matt Hardy & Private Party – 3.0
* Cody Rhodes vs. Angelico – 3.0
* 12-Man Tag Team match – Best Friends, Top Flight, & Varsity Blondes vs. Inner Circle – 3.5
* SCU vs. The Acclaimed – 3.0
* Ivelisse & Diamante vs. Big Swole & Serena Deeb – 2.5
* No Disqualification AEW World Championship Eliminator match – Joey Janela vs. Kenny Omega – 3.0 (Squash)
Overall – 3.5
Best – Don Callis & Omega’s antics during the main event and PAC’s & Callis post-match stuff.
Worst – Max Caster’s post-match insults being very cringey and a big swing and miss effort by him.
Show Notes – Reynolds & Silver’s Dark Order cowboys gear was funny and was a bit surprised Hangman & Dark Order lost. Inner Circle interview segment was fine. Rhodes vs. Angelico was pretty good. Team Taz promo & Sting appearance segment was fine. Miro interview segment was a bit funny. Eddie Kingston, Lance Archer, and others big brawl was wonderful. 12-man tag match was very entertaining. Thunder Rosa interview & Britt Baker ambush segment was wonderful. Max Caster & Frankie Kazarian pre-match rap battle was surprisingly good. Top Flight interview segment was decent. Women’s tag match was decent. FTR promo was good. Janela vs. Omega was a very fun mostly squash style match, especially Don Callis’ antics. PAC and Callis post-match promo was great. This week’s episode was very enjoyable overall but also was weaker in quality than the previous two shows.

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NJPW & Others

Impact Wrestling Impact! (December 15)
* Tenille Dashwood vs. Alisha – 2.5
* Chris Bey vs. Manik – 3.0
* Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship Semi-Finals – Kiera Hogan & Tasha Steelz vs. Taya Valkyrie & Rosemary – 3.0
* Josh Alexander vs. Brian Myers – 2.5
* Karl Anderson vs. Chris Sabin – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Eric Young cult leader style vignettes and Kenny Omega forming a mini-Bullet Club group.
Worst – Impact’s commentary team’s mostly flat energy throughout the show.
Show Notes – Opening Dashwood vs. Alisha match was decent. Post-match Sami Callihan hacker segment was a bit boring. Motor City Machine Guns interview segment was fine. Madison Rayne calling Moose “Mooth” during the Moose & Willie Mack promo segment was funny. The AEW “paid commercial” spot was hilarious. Bey vs. Manik was pretty good despite the flat DQ ending. The North & Myers backstage segment was decent. Don Callis, Omega, & Anderson bus segments were entertaining overall. Women’s Tag title tournament match was pretty good. Hogan, Steelz, & Johnny Swinger segment was fine. Eric Young’s cult leader style vignettes were fantastic. Anderson vs. Sabin was pretty good despite the abrupt finish. The backstage brawl and Omega forming a mini-Bullet Club group was great. This week’s episode was mostly average overall.

NJPW Strong (December 18)
* Danny Limelight vs. Rocky Romero – 3.0
* Rust Taylor vs. Jeff Cobb – 2.5
* Team Filthy (JR Kratos & “Filthy” Tom Lawlor) vs. Fred Rosser & PJ Black – 3.0
* IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Right to Challenge Contract match – Brody King vs. KENTA (rights holder) – 2.5
Overall – 2.5
Best – Danny Limelight vs. Rocky Romero match.
Worst – Rust Taylor vs. Jeff Cobbb match.
Show Notes – Limelight vs. Romero was a pretty good action-packed opening bout. Taylor vs. Cobb was decent despite dragging at times. Team Filthy vs. Rosser & Black was pretty good. King vs. KENTA pre-match video was nice. King vs. KENTA was decent despite the very worn out Bullet Club style shenanigans. This week’s show was average but enjoyable overall.

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Week awards:

• Best match of the week – #1 Contender’s for NXT Championship – Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne (WWE NXT)
• Worst match of the week – Lana vs. Nia Jax (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – WWE NXT
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW