Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for April 4 to April 10

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of April 4th to April 10th.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE RAW (April 5)
* Xaiver Woods vs. AJ Styles – 1.0
* 2-on-1 Handicap match – Braun Strowman vs. Elias & Jaxson Ryker – 1.5
* Asuka & Rhea Ripley vs. Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax – 2.0
* Bobby Lashley vs. Cedric Alexander – 2.5
* Riddle vs. Mustafa Ali – 3.0
* Drew McIntyre vs. King Corbin – 2.0
Overall – 1.5
Best – Riddle vs. Mustafa Ali match.
Worst – Xavier Woods vs. AJ Style match.
Show Notes – Opening McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, MVP, & Corbin promo segment was fine minus Corbin’s part. Riddle & New Day segment stunk. Kofi Kingston chucking a mic at Omos was funny but Woods vs. Styles was a big nothing of a match. Strowman & Shane McMahon promo segemnt was decent at best but also goofy. The Miz & John Morrison interview segment was decent but the watercolors paint prank on Bad Bunny’s car was lame. Women’s tag match was mostly dull with a lame shenanigans finish as the cherry on top. MVP, Alexander, & Shelton Benjamin segment was fine. Women’s Tag division backstage segment was nothing special. Lashley vs. Alexander was a mostly decent despite dragging a bit too long. Damian Priest & Bad Bunny promo segment was rough, more so due to Bad Bunny’s promo being way too long. Ali’s new entrance theme is very generic. Riddle vs. Ali was a pretty good back-and-forth action style bout. McIntyre vs. Corbin was boring and no clue why WWE booked McIntyre’s win to feel like a fluke. This week’s Mania go-home show was in all-time worst go-home show tier.

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 1 (April 7)
* Pre-show: Toni Storm vs. Zoey Stark – 3.0
* Pete Dunne vs. KUSHIDA – 3.5
* #1 Contender’s NXT North American Championship Gauntlet Eliminator match – Leon Ruff vs. Isiah “Swerve” Scott vs. Bronson Reed vs. Cameron Grimes vs. Dexter Lumis vs. LA Knight – 3.0
* NXT United Kingdom Championship – Tommaso Ciampa vs. WALTER (c) – 4.0
* NXT Tag Team Championship – MSK vs. Legado del Fantasma (Joaquin Wilde & Raul Mendoza) vs. Grizzled Young Veterans – 4.0
* NXT Women’s Championship – Raquel Gonzalez vs. Io Shirai (c) – 3.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – NXT United Kingdom Championship match.
Worst – Some of the questionable booking decisions for the Gauntlet match.
Show Notes – Storm vs. Stark pre-show match was pretty good despite the abrupt finish. Opening Dunne vs. KUSHIDA was a very good back-and-forth grapple heavy bout. Lumis being eliminated despite him being the one who’s actually been feuding with Gargano was dumb. #1 Contender Gauntlet Eliminator match was mostly good despite some questionable booking decisions. WALTER breaking part of the announcer table with his chop was awesome. NXT UK title match was a fantastic hard hitting slugfest. Franky Monet’s vignette was adorable, more so due to the cute little dog. NXT Tag title match was a terrific action packed bout although not sure why MSK didn’t get the televised entrance if they were going to be the winners. Shirai jumping off the giant Skull was cool. NXT Women’s title match was very good despite some odd booking with Gonzalez being more as “face in peril” role than monster heel she had been booked as going in. Night 1 of TakeOver: Stand & Deliver was amazing overall.

NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 2 (April 8)
* Pre-show: #1 Contender’s NXT Tag Team Championship match – Breezango vs. Drake Maverick & Killian Dane – 2.5
* NXT Cruiserweight Championship Unification Ladder match – Santos Escobar (Interim Cruiserweight) vs. Jordan Devlin (NXT Cruiserweight) – 3.5
* NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship – The Way (Candice LaRae & Indi Hartwell) vs. Ember Moon & Shotzi Blackheart – 3.0
* NXT North American Championship – Bronson Reed vs. Johnny Gargano (c) – 3.5
* NXT Championship – Karrion Kross vs. Finn Balor (c) – 3.5
* Unsanctioned match – Kyle O’Reilly vs. Adam Cole – 3.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – NXT Championship match.
Worst – Unsanctioned match dragged on way too long.
Show Notes – Opening NXT Cruiserweight title Ladder match was very good despite dragging a bit near the end. MSK interview segment was a bit lame. Yikes at Blackheart almost spiked her head with her suicide dive to the outside spot. NXT Women’s Tag title match was pretty good despite being a bit sloppy at times. NXT North American title match was very good despite being a bit too sluggish in action. I’d put it more in the lower half of Gargano TakeOver matches in terms of entertainment. NXT title match was very good, especially the brutal looking ending sequence. Escobar interview segment was all right. Adam Cole’s new theme sounds like a bootleg Undisputed Era theme and generic song badly mashed together. O’Reilly running full steam into a stretch out chain rope was both crazy and stupid as hell. The ramp breaking spot was cool. Unsanctioned match was mostly good despite being way too long and not really feeling blood feud worthy until the final stretch. Night 2 of TakeOver was very entertaining but the weaker of the two nights.

Friday Night SmackDown (April 9)
* SmackDown Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-way match – 3.0
* Nia Jax vs. Tamina – 1.5
* 2021 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Daniel Bryan and Edge’s promo segments.
Worst – Finish to Nia Jax vs. Tamina match and Sasha Banks interview segment.
Show Notes – Opening Daniel Bryan promo segment was outstanding. Street Profits pre-match interview segment and mass brawl was all right. The height Montez Ford got on his Frog Splash was amazing. SmackDown Tag title match was pretty good despite the anti-climatic finish. Bianca Belair interview segment was fine. Big E hometown vignette was superb. Jax vs. Tamina was nothing special topped with a lame DQ finish. Women’s tag contenders backstage segment was decent at best. Seth Rollins political ad inspired video segment was amazing. Edge promo segment was pure gold in quality. Sasha Banks interview segment was cringey. Sami Zayn, Paul Brothers, and Kevin Owens segment was all right. Mustafa Ali eliminating both of the big guys from Retribution was comical since the group still remains completely useless in WWE. Andre the Giant Battle Royal was entertaining despite the weak finish and surprised Jey Uso won. Roman Reigns promo segment was fine despite dragging a bit long. This week’s WrestleMania go-home show was entertaining overall.

WWE WrestleMania 37 Night 1 (April 10)
* WWE Championship – Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley (c) – 3.5
* #1 Contender for WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Tag Team Turmoil match – Lana & Naomi vs. Billie Kay & Carmella vs. Riott Squad vs. Mandy Rose & Dana Brooke vs. Tamina & Natalya – 1.5
* Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro – 4.0
* RAW Tag Team Championship – Omos & AJ Styles vs. New Day (c) – 2.5
* Steel Cage match – Shane McMahon vs. Braun Strowman – 2.5
* The Miz & John Morrison vs. Damian Priest & Bad Bunny – 3.5
* SmackDown Women’s Championship – Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks (c) – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro match and Bianca Belair’s SmackDown Women’s Championship victory moment.
Worst – Women’s Tag Team Turmoil match and Michael Cole’s botched ending call for the SmackDown Women’s Championship match.
Show Notes – Mania starting off with a lengthy rain delay was a downer although the impromptu interview segments during the delay were mostly very good. Titus O’Neil and not Hulk Hogan getting the special first entrance with fans back treatment was a surprise. WWE title match was very good hard hitting bout and surprised Lashley retained. Women’s Tag Turmoil match was mostly sloppy and terrible with even the ring announcer botching things. Rollins’ new entrance theme is all right. Rollins vs. Cesaro was awesome and same for Cesaro winning. RAW Tag title match was mostly decent but weirdly booked for how Styles and New Day were handled. Omos’ debut performance was a great showcase for him. The cage breaking spot and Shane getting chokeslam from the top of the cage spot were cool. Steel Cage match was better than I had expected. Bad Bunny’s Canadian Destroyer spot was cool. Miz & Morison vs. Bad Bunny & Priest was very entertaining. SmackDown Women’s title match was great despite Michael Cole big screw up of the title winning ending call. Night 1 of WrestleMania 37 was very enjoyable overall.

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AEW

AEW Dark Elevation (April 5)
* Hangman Adam Page vs. Bill Collier – 2.5
* Dean Alexander & Carlie Bravo vs. Varsity Blonds – 2.5
* Alex Gracia vs. Britt Baker – 1.0 (Squash)
* Danny Limelight vs. 10 – 2.5
* Big Swole vs. Jazmin Allure – 2.0 (Squash)
* Michael Nakazawa vs. Vary Morales – 1.5
* Lance Archer vs. Baron Black – 2.0 (Squash)
* Tesha Price vs. Ryo Mizunami – 3.0
* Colt Cabana vs. Max Caster – 3.0
* 8-Man Tag Team match – Private Party, The Butcher, & The Blade vs. Adam Priest, Ryzin, D3, & Fuego del Sol – 2.0 (Squash)
* Matt Hardy vs. Alan “5” Angels – 2.5
* “All Ego” Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky vs. Matt & Mike Sydal – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky vs. Matt & Mike Sydal match.
Worst – Michael Nakazawa vs. Vary Morales match.
Show Notes – Page vs. Collider opener was a decent back-and-forth style bout. Baker’s pre-match promo mocking Gracia was all right. Sydal Bros. interview segment was okay. Paul Wight blurting out “Hentai Slide” for Nakazawa’s top rope crotch slide move was funny and the only good part about a very forgettable Nakazawa vs. Morales match. Jake Roberts’ & Archer post-match promo on their issues with Sting was superb. Price vs. Mizunami was a good back-and-forth action bout. Caster’s pre-match rap mocking Dark Order and Cabana’s podcast was terrific. Cabana vs. Caster was pretty good despite the shenanigans ending. Paul Wight’s Showcase segment with John Silver was splendid and similar in tone to Cody’s sit-down interviews from the early era of Dark. Hardy’s post-match promo was all right. Page & Sky vs. Sydal Bros. was pretty good. This week’s show was mostly average overall.

AEW Dark (April 6)
* Dark Order (Stu Grayson, Evil Uno, & Alex Reynolds) vs. Jake St. Patrick, Sage Scott, & Chandler Hopkins – 2.5 (Squash)
* Team Taz (Brian Cage, Powerhouse Hobbs, & Ricky Starks) vs. Brick Aldridge, Justin Law, & Hayden Backlund – 2.5
* Jurassic Express vs. Rex Lawless & Dean Alexander – 2.0 (Squash)
* Fuego Del Sol vs. “Hollywood Hunk” Ryan Nemeth – 2.5
* The Butcher vs. Jon Cruz – 1.5 (Squash)
* Sea Stars (Ashley Vox & Delmi Exo) vs. Vertvixen & Jazmin Allure – 2.5
* Madi Wrenkowski & Vipress vs. Red Velvet & KiLynn King – 3.0
* JD Drake vs. Baron Black – 3.0
* Sonny Kiss & Joey Janela vs. KC Navarro & Aaron Frye – 2.0 (Squash)
* Matt Sydal vs. Mike Magnum – 1.0 (Squash)
* Matt Hardy vs. Vary Morales – 2.0 (Squash)
* The Hybrid2 vs. Bear Country – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – The Butcher’s killer stare before his match and The Hybrid2 vs. Bear Country match.
Worst – Matt Sydal vs. Mike Magnum match.
Show Notes – Opening Dark Order vs. St. Patrick, Scott, & Hopkins was an entertaining squash match. Cezar Bononi, Ryan Nemeth, & Drake backstage segment was all right. Starks doing his dance routine on the ramp while the rest of Team Taz was in the ring was a bit funny. Del Sol vs. Nemeth was a decent back-and-forth style bout. Butcher had a very intimating killer stare during his entrance. Taz suggesting for the Sea Stars to come out in a tugboat for their entrance was funny. Sea Stars getting their first ever win in AEW was interesting. Max Caster’s rap dissing Hangman Page segment was decent. Wrenkowski & Vipress vs. Red Velvet & King was pretty good despite Wrenkowski & Vipress being a bit sloppy at times. Ouch at Drake’s chest getting busted open from Black’s chops. Hardy’s post-match promo to Darby Allin was somewhat decent. Hybrid2 vs. Bear Country was quite good. This week’s episode was enjoyable overall.

AEW Dynamite (April 7)
* Hangman Adam Page vs. Max Caster – 3.0
* Jurassic Express vs. Bear Country – 3.0
* TNT Championship – JD Drake vs. Darby Allin (c) – 3.5
* The Bunny vs. Tay Conti – 3.0
* Trios Tag Team match – Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & Kenny Omega vs. Young Bucks & Jon Moxley – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Chris Jericho promo segment.
Worst – The Young Bucks poorly performed melodramatic antics during the main event match.
Show Notes – Caster’s pre-match rap was all right. Opening Page vs. Caster bout was pretty good despite Caster being a bit sloppy at times. Death Triangle and Best Friends & Orange Cassidy segment referencing their past encounters in AEW was all right. Chris Jericho promo segment and “Blood & Guts” announcement was great. Taz offering a spot on Team Taz to Christian Cage was interesting. Jurassic Express vs. Bear Country was pretty good despite Luchasaurus being a bit sloppy at times. QT Marshall & Anthony Ogogo promo segment was superb. Jake Roberts & Lance Archer interrupting another Sting interview was funny. TNT title match was very good, especially the latter half. Everything about the Pinnacle beatdown of Jericho and Mike Tyson randomly showing up was both awesome and a bit over the top in terms of goofiness. Britt Baker’s promo mocking AEW’s Ranking System was splendid. Bunny vs. Conti was quite good. Trios match was going on very well until the Young Bucks’ melodramatic antics happened. This week’s episode was very entertaining overall but also one of AEW’s weaker shows in a while.

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NJPW, Impact, & Other Wrestling

NJPW Sakura Genesis 2021 (April 4)
* DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr., & Taichi vs. Jado & Guerillas of Destiny (Tanga Loa & Tama Tonga) – 3.0
* Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, KENTA, & EVIL vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, & Kazuchika Okada – 2.5
* United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, & Aaron Henare) vs. Shingo Takagi, SANADA, & Tetsuya Naito – 3.0
* Bad Luck Fale & Jay White vs. Satoshi Kojima & Hiroshi Tanahashi – 3.0
* IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship – Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado (c) – 3.5
* IWGP World Heavyweight Championship – Will Ospreay vs. Kota Ibushi (c) – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match.
Worst – Gedo might have finally gone off the deep end with his booking decisions since NJPW’s return from their coronavirus pandemic break.
Show Notes – Hiromu Takahashi surprise appearance and monologue to kick off the show was cool. Suzuki-Gun vs. Bullet Club 6-Man tag match was entertaining. NJPW’s Chairman taking away Taichi’s Iron Claw after the match is interesting. Bullet Club vs. CHAOS 10-Man tag match was decent despite going overboard with the shenanigans. Yano putting a hood over Togo’s head to blind him for the finish was funny. Toa Henare being the newest member of the United Empire is interesting but him as the big surprise felt very flat though. United Empire vs. LIJ 6-Man tag match was quite good. Bad Luck Fale & White vs. Kojima & Tanahashi was pretty good. Tanahashi mocking White by renaming his Texas Cloverleaf the JTO (Jay Tapped Out) was wonderful. Roppongi 3K’s new entrance theme is okay but their previous theme was better. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag title match was very good, especially the final few minutes. Ospreay’s Shooting Star Press Guillotine to Ibushi was sweet. IWGP World Heavyweight title match was great and legit surprised at Ospreay winning the belt. Sakura Genesis 2021 was very enjoyable overall.

NJPW Strong New Japan Cup USA 2021 Night 1 (April 9)
* New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament First Round – Clark Connors vs. Lio Rush – 3.5
* New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament First Round – “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Ren Narita – 4.0
* New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament First Round – Hikuleo vs. Fred Rosser – 3.5
* New Japan Cup USA 2021 tournament First Round – Chris Dickinson vs. Brody King – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Ren Narita match.
Worst – Hikuelo’s post-match promo.
Show Notes – Connors vs. Rush opener was a very entertaining bout. Lawlor vs. Nartia was an excellent hard hitting action packed bout and the best performance by both guys in NJPW Strong so far. Hikuleo and Rosser’s pre-match brawl at ringside was awesome. Hikuleo vs. Rosser was a very good all out slugfest and bit surprised Hikuleo won. Hikuleo’s post-match promo was decent. Dickinson vs. King was a very good back-and-forth hard hitting bout. Night 1 of New Japan Cup USA 2021 was one of the best episode of NJPW Strong since its debut.

Impact Wrestling Impact! (April 8)
* Six-Knockouts Tag Team match – Alisha, Nevaeh, & Tenille Dashwood vs Rosemary, Jordynne Grace, & Havok – 3.0
* Matt Cardona vs. Jake Something – 2.5
* XXXL (Acey Romero & Larry D) vs. Sami Callihan & Trey Miguel – 3.0
* Chris Sabin vs. Deaner – 2.5
* 6-Man Tag Team match – Willie Mack, Eddie Edwards, & Rich Swann vs. Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) & Kenny Omega – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Willie Mack, Eddie Edwards, & Rich Swann vs. Good Brothers & Kenny Omega match.
Worst – The finish to the Matt Cardona vs. Jake Something match.
Show Notes – Six-Women tag opener bout was quite good and same for the table spot with Havok & Nevaeh. Cardona interview segment was decent. Taylor Wilde “coming soon” vignette was all right. Deonna Purrazzo & Susan doctor’s office segment was odd. Cardona vs. Something was mostly decent despite the non-finish. Miguel & XXXL backstage segment was okay. Violent By Design vignette segment was superb. XXXL vs. Callihan & Miguel was pretty good. Swinger’s Palace segment was fine. Violent By Design ambush on Sabin, James Storm, and Chris Harris was quite good. Ace Austin, Josh Alexander, TJP, & Tommy Dreamer segment was fine. Dreamer booking a Team Dreamer vs. Violent By Design match for Hardcore Justice sounded interesting. Jazz vignette was excellent. Purrazzo interview segment was okay. Brian Myers’ reaction to Dreamer’s “BlindGames” match idea was funny. Don Callis’ entering to a wedding style song is still funny. 6-Man Tag match was very good. This week’s Hardcore Justice go-home show was entertaining.

Game Changer Wrestling Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 6 (April 8)
* Janai Kai vs. “KZT” Karen Tran – 3.0
* Matt Makowski vs. Heddi Karaoui – 3.0
* Victor Benjamin vs. Big Bad Tito – 2.5
* Simon Grimm vs. Alexander James – 2.5
* Royce Isaacs vs. Alex Coughlin – 3.5
* Super Beast vs. SHLAK – 2.5
* Masha Slamovich vs. Allysin Kay – 3.0
* Yoya vs. Lio Rush – 3.5
* KTB vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. – 3.0
* Rocky Romero vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. – 3.5
* Shane Mercer vs. Chris Dickinson – 3.5
* Jon Moxley vs. Josh Barnett – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – Jon Moxley vs. Josh Barnett match.
Worst – The show’s audio having quality issues at times.
Show Notes – The opening parade of fighters ceremony was spectacular. Kai vs. Taren was a good grapple heavy bout. Makowski vs. Karaoui was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. Benjamin vs. Tito was mostly decent albeit it dragging a bit. Grimm vs. James was a decent back-and-forth bout. Isaacs vs. Coughlin was a very good hard hitting bout. SHLAK biting Super Beast’s foot was funny but their bout ending via DQ was lame. Slamovich vs. Kay was pretty good. Yoya vs. Rush was very good action packed bout despite dragging a bit long. Smith Jr. was a beast against KTB and closest to a squash match in Bloodsport series history. Romero vs. Guerrero Jr. was a very good mat based bout. Mercer vs. Dickinson was a very good mix of grapple and power style bout. Barnett and Moxley getting busted open the hard way and oozing blood during the bout was crazy. Moxley vs. Barnett was an amazing stiff hitting bloody war. Moxley’s post-match promo was magnificent. Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 6 show was fantastic overall.

Game Changer Wrestling rSpring Break (April 9)
* Starboy Charlie vs. Billie Starkz – 3.0
* Eric Ryan & Bobby Beverly vs. Ironbeast – 3.0
* 6-Man Tag Team match – Gringo Loco, Black Taurus, & Arez vs. Laredo Kid, Dragon Bane, & Aramis – 4.0
* Jordan Oliver vs. “Blackheart” Lio Rush – 3.5
* Deathmatch – Atticus Cogar vs. Masada – 3.5
* Rich Swann vs. Lee Moriarty – 3.0
* Chris Dickinson vs. Joey Janela – 3.5
* Brunch vs. Bitch match – Gregory Irons vs. EFFY – 2.5
* GCW World Championship – Nick Gage vs. Rickey Shane Page (c) – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – Jon Moxley’s surprise appearance and setup of a future Moxley vs. Nick Gage match at the end of the show.
Worst – Gregory Irons vs. EFFY match.
Show Notes – Charlie vs. Starkz opener was a fine young talent showcase bout. 44OH vs. Ironbeast was pretty good. 6-Man Tag match was a fantastic fast paced action packed lucha bout and easily one of the best matches ever in GCW Spring Break history. Oliver vs. Rush pre-match vignette was wonderful. Oliver vs. Rush was a very good competitive bout despite dragging in pacing at times. Cogar vs. Masada was a very good brutal and bloody deathmatch. Swann vs. Moriarty was pretty good. Dickinson pre-match vignette was fantastic. Janela’s Bam Bam Bigelow tribute gear is cool. Yikes at both Janela and Dickinson wearing crimson masks. Dickinson vs. Janela was a very good brutal bloody bout. Virgil’s surprise appearance was cool. Irons vs. EFFY was entertaining. Yikes at Page being a bloody mess early into the GCW title match. Gage’s rough landing through a glass table on the outside was scary. GCW title match was an insane bloody deathmatch. Jon Moxley surprise post-match appearance and brawl with Gage was awesome. GCW rSpring Break was one of the best shows in the Spring Break series.

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Weekly Awards:

• Best match of the week – Jon Moxley vs. Josh Barnett (GCW Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport 6)
• Worst match of the week – Xavier Woods vs. AJ Styles (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver Night 1
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW