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

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

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

NXT TakeOver: In Your House 2021 (June 13)
* Winner Takes All NXT Tag Team & NXT North American Championships 6-Man Tag Team match – Legado del Fantasma vs. MSK (c) & Bronson Reed (c) – 3.0
* Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li – 2.5
* Million Dollar Championship Ladder match – LA Knight vs. Cameron Grimes – 3.5
* NXT Women’s Championship – Ember Moon vs. Raquel Gonzalez (c) – 3.0
* NXT Championship Fatal 5-Way match – Johnny Gargano vs. Kyle O’Reilly vs. Pete Dunne vs. Adam Cole vs. Karrion Kross (c) – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Million Dollar Championship Ladder match.
Worst – Mercedes Martinez vs. Xia Li match.
Show Notes – The retro style WWF In Your House intro video for TakeOver was cool. Reed obliterating both Santos Escobar and part of the plexiglass guard rail from his running splash was awesome. Legado del Fantasma vs. MSK & Reed opener was a pretty good back-and-forth style match. Ouch at Li’s leg after that loud thud from her kick to the ring post. Martinez vs. Li was decent at best despite the flat ending. The Martinez & Tian Sha post-match stuff was way more goofy than it should have been. Knight’s neckbreaker to Grimes spot on the ladder looked legit painful for both guys. Yikes at Grimes’ rough looking fall onto a ladder on the outside. Million Dollar title Ladder match was a very good physical match and Knight’s best match in NXT so far. Ouch at Gonzalez’s head after Moon’s tornado DDT onto the ramp. NXT Women’s match was pretty good despite the flat finish and going overboard with the shenanigans. Todd Pettengill’s backstage segments were funny overall. Ouch at Kross’ back after getting powerbombed on a table that didn’t break. NXT title match was a very entertaining action filled match despite the anti-climatic finish and not really hitting that final gear TakeOver main events usually have. William Regal “quitting” NXT is interesting. TakeOver: In Your House was a mostly enjoyable show overall but would put it in lower tier for TakeOver history.

WWE RAW (June 14)
* Nikki Cross vs. Charlotte Flair – 2.0
* John Morrison vs. Jeff Hardy – 2.0
* Jeff Hardy vs. Cedric Alexander – 2.0
* Naomi vs. Piper Niven – 1.5 (Squash)
* New Day vs. RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle) – 3.5
* Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley – 3.0
* Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax – 1.0
* Elias vs. Jaxson Ryker – 1.0
* Drew McIntyre vs. AJ Styles – 3.0
* Drew McIntrye & Viking Raiders vs. AJ Styles, Omos, & Bobby Lashley – 2.5
Overall – 1.5
Best – New Day vs. RK-Bro match.
Worst – The back-to-back matches of Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax and Elias vs. Jaxson Ryker.
Show Notes – WWE opening the show with a recap of last week’s atrocious ending and a Bliss & Jax promo segment was awful. Cross vs. Flair was decent at best despite the countout finish making Flair look like a huge moron. Hardy & Orton advice to Riddle backstage segment was okay. Alexander’s post-promo was the only good part about a very forgettable Morrison vs. Hardy match. McIntyre vs. Lashley match hype video package was superb. Piper Niven being Eva Marie’s “muscle” is interesting. Mandy Rose, Dana Brooke, Natayla, & Tamina backstage segment was dull. McIntyre’s “Scottish history lesson” interview segment was odd. New Day vs. RK-Bro was a very entertaining action filled match. RK-Bro and their feud with New Day has been one of the very few good things about RAW in recent months. Production botching a replay during the Asuka vs. Ripley match was a bit funny. Asuka vs. Ripley was pretty good. Ripley & shoeless Flair post-match brawl was all right. Bliss vs. Jax was a boring match topped with a lame DQ finish by Reginald. Bliss’ Fiend-like supernatural powers has gotten more lamer over time. MVP & New Day backstage segment was all right. McIntyre vs. Styles was quite good despite the DQ finish by Lashley. 6-Man tag match was mostly decent despite the abrupt finish. This week’s Hell in a Cell go-home show was very phoned in and one of the dullest go-home shows in RAW history.

NXT (June 15)
* Imperium (Marcel Barthel & Fabian Aichner) vs. Breezango – 3.0
* NXT Cruiserweight Championship Open Challenge match – Trey Baxter vs. KUSHIDA (c) – 3.0
* Dakota Kai & Raquel Gonzalez vs. Kayden Carter vs. Kacy Catanzaro – 3.0
* Tornado Tag Team match – Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher vs. Grizzled Young Veterans – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Tornado Tag Team match.
Worst – LA Knight’s mumbling his lines and rambling a lot during the Million Dollar Championship coronation segment.
Show Notes – Opening William Regal’s emotional speech, Karrion Kross response, & Samoa Joe’s surprise NXT return segment was excellent. Joe turning down Regal’s offer to be NXT’s next GM and wanting to be his enforcer instead is interesting. Yikes at the loud thud sound after Tyler Breeze’s missed dive to the outside. Imperium vs. Breezango was a pretty good back-and-forth match. Joe choking out Cole during the Cole & O’Reilly backstage brawl was cool. Santos Escobar promo segment on wanting revenge against Bronson Reed was decent. Baxter’s standing Spanish Fly & 450 Splash combo to KUSHIDA was cool. NXT Cruiser title match was a quite good action filled match. Franky Monet & Robert Stone Brand backstage segment was a bit weird. Mercedes Martinez promo segment was weak. LA Knight attacking Ted DiBiase & Grimes brawl salvaged a mostly dull Million Dollar title coronation promo segment. Women’s tag match was an entertaining competitive bout. Ever-Rise promo segment on Hit Row was lame. Io Shirai & Candice LeRae promo & brawl with Indi Hartwell & Zoey Stark was okay. The mysterious Diamond Mine debuting next week is interesting. Regal, Joe, Gargano, & Theory office segment was goofy. GYV’s diving Doomsday Device to Ciampa on the outside spot was cool. Tornado Tag was an amazing hard hitting slugfest. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

Friday Night SmackDown (June 18)
* Commander Azeez & Apollo Crews vs. Big E & Kevin Owens – 2.5
* Battle for the Crown match – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. King Corbin – 2.5
* Otis vs. Angelo Dawkins – N/A
* Universal Championship Hell in a Cell match – Rey Mysterio vs. Roman Reigns (c) – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Universal Championship Hell in a Cell match.
Worst – The multiple commercial breaks interruptions and anti-climatic finish to the Universal title Hell in a Cell match.
Show Notes – Opening Mysterio emotional promo on wanting revenge for Reigns’ attack on his son Dominik & Reigns’ response segment was excellent. Azzez pre-match vignette was decent. Owens & Big E pre-match interview segment was okay. Azzez & Crews vs. Big E & Owens was a solid back-and-forth style match despite the shenanigans-based flat ending. Sami Zayn relishing in Owens misery was swell. Sonya Deville, Adam Pearce, & Owens office segment was decent but probably not a good idea for Owens to be coughing a lot with his mouth open and spreading germs during a pandemic. Nakamura vs. Corbin was a decent competitive match and a bit surprised Nakamura won and Corbin no longer has his king persona. Bianca Belair’s promo on Bayley and overcoming bullies was one of her better promos on the main roster. Belair & Bayley brawl was okay. Reigns & Jey Uso backstage segment was all right. Otis really needs to grow his beard back. Cesaro & Seth Rollins face-to-face sitdown segment about Rollins lack of respect for Cesaro and Cesaro respecting him was wonderful. Mysterio clotheslining Reigns with a tool box spot was cool. Reigns’ powerbomb toss of Mysterio from the ring to the cage wall was awesome. Universal title Hell in a Cell match was quite good despite the very anti-climatic finish. This week’s show was entertaining overall.

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AEW

AEW Dark Elevation (June 14)
* Wardlow vs. Jason Hotch – 1.5 (Squash)
* Dustin Rhodes & Lee Johnson vs. VSK & Travis Titan – 2.0
* Mike Sydal vs. Angelico – 2.5
* Shawn Spears vs. Falco – 2.0 (Squash)
* Private Party vs. Dean Alexander & Carlie Bravo – 2.0 (Squash)
* Nyla Rose vs. Megan Bayne – 1.0 (Squash)
* Orange Cassidy vs. Cameron Cole – 2.0 (Squash)
* Penta El Zero Miedo & Eddie Kingston vs. Arik Cannon & Kevin Blackwood – 2.5
* Julia Hart vs. Dani Jordyn – 2.5
* QT Marshall & Aaron Solow vs. Deonn Rusman & Joe Keys – 2.5
* Scorpio Sky vs. Alex Reynolds – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Scorpio Sky vs. Alex Reynolds match.
Worst – Carlie Bravo’s ugly looking modified shoulder jawbreaker to Marq Quen during the Private Party vs. Dean Alexander & Bravo match.
Show Notes – Opening Wardlow interview segment about his delivery of pain plans for the week was nice. Hotch’s limped body KO sell of Wardlow’s finisher was awesome. Sydal vs. Angelico was a solid match. The Wingmen backstage promo segment offering Orange Cassidy a spot in their group was all right. Bravo’s modified shoulder jawbreaker spot to Marq Quen looked really terrible and/or botched big time. First half of this week’s show was very heavy on the squash and near-squash style matches. Ouch at Cassidy getting spiked on the head from Cole’s DDT spot. Penta & Kingston vs. Cannon & Blackwood was a solid somewhat competitive bout. Hart vs. Jordyn was a splendid competitive bout. Sky vs. Reynolds was a pretty good back-and-forth style match. The Among Us style animated AEW Dark Elevation music video was cool. This week’s show was mostly average overall.

AEW Dark (June 15)
* Danny Limelight vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page – 2.5
* Dante Martin vs. Sonny Kiss – 3.0
* Nyla Rose vs. Charlette Renegade – 1.5 (Squash)
* Dark Order (Stu Grayson & Evil Uno) vs. Shane Mercer & KTB – 3.0
* Wardlow vs. Chandler Hopkins – 2.0 (Squash)
* Cezar Bononi vs. Dillon McQueen – 1.5 (Squash)
* Frankie Kazarian vs. Jake Tucker – 2.5
* KiLynn King vs. Valentina Rossi – 2.5
* Chaos Project vs. Gunn Club (Colten & Billy Gunn) – 2.5
* Tay Conti vs. Willow Nightingale – 2.5
* Dark Order (Alan “5” Angels & Colt Cabana) vs. The Acclaimed – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Dark Order vs. Shane Mercer & KTB match.
Worst – Nyla Rose vs. Charlette Renegade match.
Show Notes – Limelight vs. Page was a solid opening match. Kiss’ Scott Hall-like sell of Martin’s flipover Stunner finisher was amazing. Martin vs. Kiss was a pretty good back-and-forth action match. Ironbeast (Mercer & KTB) making their AEW debut was cool since they have been a fun team to watch in GCW. Dark Order vs. Mercer & KTB was an entertaining competitive bout. Wardlow’s wind-up clotheline spot to Hopkins looked nice and a unique way of doing that move. Wingmen giving McQueen a makeover during his match was a bit funny. Rossi doing Italian style finger gestures during her match was a bit funny. King vs. Rossi was a decent back-and-forth style match. Joey Janela running gag of bringing Alex Marvez to go-go bars after his interview segments has been funny. Kiss finally splitting from Janela is interesting. Conti’s curb stomps to Nightingale looked brutal. Max Caster’s pre-match rap was all right and a bit funny with the diss line at Cabana’s new podcast show at the end. Dark Order vs. The Acclaimed was pretty good. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

AEW Dynamite (June 18)
* MMA Rules Steel Cage match – Wardlow vs. Jake Hager – 3.0
* 2-on-1 Handicap match – Men of the Year (“All Ego” Ethan Page & Scorpio Sky) vs. Darby Allin – 3.0
* Orange Cassidy vs. Cezar Bononi – 2.5
* Cody Rhodes & Brock Anderson vs. The Factory (QT Marshall & Aaron Solow) – 3.0
* Penelope Ford vs. Julia Hart – 2.5
* Trios match – Penta El Zero Miedo, Frankie Kazarian, & Eddie Kingston vs. The Good Brothers & Matt Jackson – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Trios tag team match.
Worst – AEW going overboard with the constant shenanigans in Young Bucks & Elite matches in recent times.
Show Notes – The MMA style intros for the Steel Cage match was a cool touch. Wardlow vs. Hager “MMA fight” was mostly entertaining despite both guys being gassed mid-way into it. Post-match brawl with Shawn Spears, Jericho, MJF, Dean Malenko, & Sammy Guevara was okay. Penta, Kingston, & Kazarian backstage promo on the Elite was all right. Team Taz backstage segment was decent. Allin zip tying Page’s boots together was a bit funny. Handicap match was a very good back-and-forth style bout. The Wingmen giving Cassidy a makeover during his match was a bit funny. Cassidy got some really great air with his Best Friends assisted Swanton Splash. Cassidy vs. Bononi was a fun comedic style bout. Jungle Boy and Omega & Pals backstage interview & brawl segment was both funny and goofy. Rhodes & Anderson vs. The Factory was quite good and an impressive AEW debut performance by Anderson. Andrade El Idolo interview segment about his AEW plans was marvelous. Hangman Adam Page & Dark Order interview segment was all right. Ford vs. Hart post-match promo by Miro on Ford & Kip Sabian & brawl with Varsity Blonds was splendid. Britt Baker & Vickie Guerrero backstage segment was okay. FTR and Santana & Ortiz feud vignette was excellent. Trios tag match was very good action filled bout despite the shenanigans ending. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

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NJPW, Impact, & Other Wrestling

Impact Wrestling Impact! (June 17)
* TJP vs. Black Taurus – 3.0
* Madman Fulton vs. Josh Alexander – 2.5
* Steve Maclin vs. Jason Page – 2.0 (Squash)
* Tenille Dashwood vs. Rachael Ellering – 2.0
* Rhino vs. Satoshi Kojima – 3.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – The show closing promo segment with Don Callis, Scott D’Amore, & Tommy Dream involving Anthem’s mystery rep person reveal and Callis’ firing.
Worst – Tenille Dashwood vs. Rachael Ellering match.
Show Notes – Opening Moose & Scott D’Amore backstage segment was okay but Anthem sending a rep to fix the mess Don Callis made at Against All Odds is very interesting. TJP vs. Taurus was pretty good. Moose’s post-match ambush of TJP & angry promo and brawl with Chris Sabin was fine. Chris Sabin interview segemnt on wanting revenge against Moose was fine. Fulton vs. Alexander post-match mass brawl with Ace Austin, Petey Williams, Rohit Raju, Trey Miguel, & Shera was entertaining. Deonna Purrazzo dumping Kimber Lee & Susan as pals was interesting. W. Morrissey interview segment was all right. Maclin’s debut match was a decent squash style showcase. Callis interview segment on the differences between him and D’Amore as EVPs was superb. Dashwood vs. Ellering was decent at best despite it dragging at times. Fire N’Flava backstage questions segment with Impact’s janitors & Kiera Hogan getting tossed into the trash bin by Rosemary & Havok was hilarious. The “Mickie” labeled trash bag was also a bit funny and a nice tease of a potential future appearance by Mickie James. Rhino vs. Kojima was a quite good competitive match. Sami Callihan, D’Amore, Callis bickering over what happened at Against All Odds was all right. Tommy Dreamer being the mysterious rep from Anthem was an anti-climatic surprise but Callis being fired and his reaction afterwards was wonderful. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

NJPW Strong Ignition Night 1 (June 18)
* Alex Coughlin Challenge Match Series – Alex Coughlin vs. Josh Alexander – 3.5
* Barrett Brown & Bateman vs. Adrian Quest & Fred Rosser – 3.0
* JR Kratos vs. Satoshi Kojima – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Alex Coughlin vs. Josh Alexander match.
Worst – Coughlin and Alexander’s chests after their chop fest routine.
Show Notes – Coughlin & Alexander’s stiff chop fest spot was awesome. Coughlin vs. Alexander was a very entertaining hard hitting slugfest. Brown & Bateman vs. Quest & Rosser was a pretty good back-and-forth style bout. Brown & Bateman post-match promo was all right. Kratos vs. Kojima was a very good hard hitting match. This week’s show was very entertaining overall.

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Weekly Awards:

• Best match of the week – Tornado Tag Team match – Tommaso Ciampa & Timothy Thatcher vs. Grizzled Young Veterans (WWE NXT)
• Worst match of the week – Alexa Bliss vs. Nia Jax (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – AEW Dynamite
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW