Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for November 14 to November 20, 2021

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of November 14th to November 20th, 2021.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE RAW (Nov. 15)
* Big E & Riddle vs. The Usos – 2.0
* Big E & RK-Bro vs. The Usos & Seth Rollins – 2.5
* Bianca Belair vs. Tamina – 2.0
* Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy (Chad Gable & Otis) – 3.0
* Nikki A.S.H. vs. Queen Zelina – 2.0
* Rhea Ripley vs. Carmella – 2.5
* Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens – 3.5
* AJ Styles & Omos vs. Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode) – 1.5 (Squash)
* Rey Mysterio vs. Bobby Lashley – 2.5
Overall – 2.0
Best – Finn Balor vs. Kevin Owens match.
Worst – WWE’s very uninspired booking on the RAW side for the build of this year’s Survivor Series show.
Show Notes – Opening Big E promo about his bad blood issues with Roman Reigns & Owens, Owens’ “bad guy” response, & brawl with Usos & Riddle was all right. Big E & Riddle vs. Usos was decent at best despite the buzzkill DQ ending by Rollins. 6-Man Tag was a solid match despite the flat ending. Becky Lynch promo about her bad blood with Charlotte Flair & upcoming match, interruption by Liv Morgan about her issues with Lynch, Lynch retort, & mini-brawl was all right. RK-Bro backstage segment about Orton’s issues with Riddle getting involved in others’ problems & their RAW Tag titles was fine. Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy was a pretty good back-and-forth action match. Pearce & Mysterio backstage segment about Dominik getting kicked off Team RAW was okay. Nikki vs. Zelina was mostly nothing while Ripley vs. Carmella was a solid match. Zelina’s post-match promo about Nikki & Ripley stunk. Rollins’ backstage interview about leading Team RAW & WWE title plans was okay. Owens’ spinning suplex to Balor was cool. Owens’ swinging Air Raid Crash to Balor was cool. Ouch at Owens’ back after Balor’s back body drop counter onto the apron. Balor vs. Owens was a very good back-and-forth action match. Omos & Styles backstage interview about Dirty Dawgs & other teams was a bit funny. Dirty Dawgs response promo was corny though. Lashley’s catch counter of Mysterio’s dive & Mysterio’s head scissors counter afterwards to the post was rough. Lashley & Mysterio botching the cam location for the 1st 619 spot was funny. Mysterio vs. Lashley was a mostly decent match. Pearce kicking Mysterio off Team RAW & replacing him with Austin Theory was lame. This week’s Survivor Series go-home show was mostly average overall but also somewhat dull.

NXT (Nov. 16)
* Tony D’Angelo vs. Dexter Lumis – 2.5
* 6-Man Tag Team match – Diamond Mine (Roderick Strong & Creed Brothers) vs. Jacket Time (KUSHIDA & Ikemen Jiro) & Odyssey Jones – 3.0
* Andre Chase vs. Xyon Quinn – 2.0
* Josh Briggs & Brooks Jensen vs. Von Wagner & Kyle O’Reilly – 3.0
* 2-on-1 Handicap match – Persia Pirotta vs. Gabby Stephens and Jenna Levvy – 2.0 (Squash)
* Raquel Gonzalez vs. Dakota Kai – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Tommaso Ciampa & Bron Breakker promo segment featuring the Steiner Math callback.
Worst – Poker Showdown segment.
Show Notes – Lumis’ reveal of his “Tony sleeps with the fishes” artwork during his entrance was cool. D’Angelo vs. Lumis opener was mostly solid despite the ending shenanigans. Post-match ambush attack by Williams & Hayes to Lumis was okay. Gargano, Pete Dunne, Williams, & Hayes rambling promo segment about their bad blood & NA title match setup was fine. Malcolm Bivens & Joe Gacy backstage segment about Gacy potentially joining Diamond Mine was decent. LA Knight promo video about his issues with Grayson Waller was all right. Strong’s Olympic Slam to Jones was impressive. Diamond Mine vs. Jacket Time & Jones was an entertaining match. Legado’s ambush attack on Quinn was fine but Elektra Lopez’s long seductive stare to Quinn afterwards was awkward. Poker Showdown segment with Grimes & Hudson was a strong contender for dumbest and/or worst WWE segment of the year & Hudson’s pro poker player gimmick has stunk so far. Jensen & Briggs vs. Wagner & O’Reilly was a pretty good back-and-forth style match. Lashing Out talk show segment with Waller mocking Knight & old NXT & random heel turn was a bit odd. Pirotta’s double Samoan Drop to Stephens & Levvy at the same time was impressive. Handicap match was a decent squash style bout. Catanzaro & Carter’s new ravers gimmick feels like a bust in the making. Ciampa’s ranting promo about Hayes & Waller and Bron Breakker’s Steiner-esque response was superb, especially Ciampa invoking Steiner Math. Gonzalez’s spinning toss counter of Kai’s Stretch Muffler was cool. Gonzalez vs. Kai was going on well until the lame DQ ending by Toxic Attraction. Post-match brawl with Io Shirai & Cora Jade was rough. This week’s show was average overall.

Friday Night SmackDown (Nov. 19)
* Winner Added to Team SmackDown Fatal Four-Way match – Sheamus vs. Jinder Mahal vs. Cesaro vs. Ricochet – 3.0
* Aliyah & Naomi vs. Shayna Baszler & Natayla – 1.5
* Jeff Hardy vs. Madcap Moss – 2.0 (Squash)
* Rick Boogs & Shinsuke Nakamua vs. Los Lotharios (Angel & Humberto) – 2.0
* Sasha Banks vs. Shotzi – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – Fatal 4-Way match and the Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair match hype video.
Worst – The lame ref fast count screwjob finish to the Aliyah & Naomi vs. Shayna Baszler & Natayla match.
Show Notes – Opening Reigns “coronation” segment about Reigns mocking the KotR crown, response by Woods, & Bloodline’s destruction of Woods’ king stuff was all right despite it dragging long. Ricochet’s spinning head scissors to Cesaro sending him to the outside & Swanton dive to Cesaro, Mahal, & Sheamus on the outside was cool. Sheamus’ Broque Kick to Ricochet sending him spinning to the ground was cool. Fatal 4-Way was a quite good action filled match, especially the latter half, despite the shenanigans ending by Ridge Holland. Hardy backstage interview about Team SD was decent but Moss’ Hardy facepaint joke was lame. Sheamus & Holland backstage interview about Sheamus joining Team SD & Holland’s help was all right. Flair vs. Lynch match hype video was splendid. Women’s tag match was nothing special, topped with a lame ref screwjob finish. Sami Zayn & Deville backstage segment about 25-Man Battle Royale match at Survivor Series & Deville pretending to have no association with the screwy finish for the women’s tag match was all right. Heyman’s loud startled reaction to Kayla Braxton’s surprise interview was funny. Shozti & Banks pre-match backstage promo about their bad blood was decent. The ref randomly breaking the count despite Banks still being on the outside was weird. Banks’ using her legs as extra leverage for her crossface finisher to Shotzi was nice. Banks vs. Shotzi was pretty good. Xia Li animated vignette about her”Protector” origins was cool. Toni Storm backstage interview about joining Team SD Women & issues with Flair and response by Flair was decent. The show closing Big E, Wood, & Bloodline brawl was sweet. This week’s Survivor Series go-home show was average overall.

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AEW

AEW Dark Elevation (Nov. 15)
* Gunn Club (Colten, Austin, & Billy Gunn) vs. Nasty Russ, Shawn Cook, & T-Money – 2.0 (Squash)
* Emi Sakura, The Bunny, & Nyla Rose vs. Skye Blue, Ryo Mizunami, & Riho – 3.0
* Hardy Family Office (Isiah Cassidy, The Blade, & Matt Hardy) vs. Dark Order (Evil Uno, Stu Grayson, & Alan “5” Angels) – 3.0
* Andrade El Idolo vs. Lord Crewe – 2.0 (Squash)
* Ruby Soho vs. Carlie Kruel – 2.0 (Squash)
* QT Marshall vs. John Silver – 2.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Hardy Family Office vs. Dark Order match.
Worst – N/A
Show Notes – Gunn Club vs. Russ, Cook, & T-Money was a decent opening squash style match. Riho’s top rope splash to Rose via Blue & Mizunami assist was nice. Sakura’s underhook backbreaker to Riho was nice. Mizunami’s spear to Bunny bending her in half was cool. Rose’s catch & Beast Bomb finisher counter of Blue’s hurricanrana was sweet. Women’s Trios tag was a pretty good back-and-forth action match. Cassidy’s little yell while getting bodyslammed by Uno was a bit funny. Ouch at Grayson’s nether regions after getting yanked from behind into the post by Hardy & Cassidy. Grayson’s dropkick counter of Hardy’s The Leech was cool. Angels Standing Slice Bread to Blade in the ring & leaping Uranage to Cassidy on the apron was cool. HFO vs. Dark Order was a good competitive action filled match. El Idolo vs. Crewe was a decent squash style match but El Idolo ripping his pants by the end of it was a bit funny. Soho’s Saito Suplex to Kruel bending her in half was nice. Soho vs. Kruel was a decent mostly squash match. Marshall’s catch & swinging backbreaker of top rope crossbody was nice. Silver’s sitdown powerbomb counter of Marshall’s leap attempt was cool. Marshall vs. Silver was a solid back-and-forth style match. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

AEW Dark (Nov. 16)
* Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jaysin Strife – 2.0 (Squash)
* Andrade El Idolo vs. Jah C – 2.0 (Squash)
* The Pinnacle (Shawn Spears vs. Wardlow) vs. Renny D & Arik Cannon – 2.5 (Squash)
* Ruby Soho vs. Hyan – 1.5 (Squash)
* Too Fast Too Fuego vs. Brandon Gore & Kit Sackett – 2.5
* Dark Order (Alan “5” Angels & Colt Cabana) vs. The Acclaimed – 3.5
* Emi Sakura, The Bunny, & Nyla Rose vs. Riho, Kris Statlander, & Ryo Mizunami – 3.0
* The Wingmen (JD Drake & Ryan Nemeth) & The Factory (Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto) vs. Varsity Blondes (Griff Garrison & Brian Pillman Jr.), Brock Anderson, & Lee Johnson – 3.0
* “Pretty” Peter Avalon vs. John Silver – 2.5
* Sonny Kiss vs. Adam Grace – 2.0 (Squash)
* 10 vs. Mikey Wild – 1.5 (Squash)
* Scorpio Sky vs. Craven Knyte – 2.0 (Squash)
Overall – 3.0
Best – Dark Order vs. The Acclaimed match.
Worst – This week’s show dragging in quality & padded runtime near the end.
Show Notes – Hobbs vs. Strife opener was a decent squash style match. Spears’ backdrop to Renny D onto the apron was nice. Wardlow shrugging off Cannon’s chops & giving him a stiff clothesline in return was cool. Pinnacle vs. Renny D & Cannon was a fun squash match. Taz’s awful singing of Soho’s theme was funny. Soho vs. Hyan was a mostly decent squash match despite being a bit rough. Del Sol’s leaping hurricanrana to Gore via Fuego Dos assist was nice. Del Sol’s step-up double stomp to the back of Gore’s head was cool. Too Fast Too Fuego vs. Gore & Sackett was a solid match. Max Caster’s pre-match rap mocking Minnesota, Prince, & Dark Order was one of his better dissing efforts. Cabana & Caster’s comedic back-and-forth wristlocks & Irish Whips routine was funny. The Acclaimed’s neckbreaker & back stabber combo to Angels was cool. Cabana’s moonsault to the Acclaimed was nice. Dark Order vs. Acclaimed was a really good back-and-forth action match despite the ending shenanigans. Ouch at Riho’s head bouncing off the mat from Sakura’s hard hair whip toss. Taz corpsing on commentary after Sakura shoved Lulu Pencil off her cam shot in the corner was funny. Women’s Trios tag was a good back-and-forth match. Johnson’s spinning Blue Thunder Bomb to Solo was cool. Nemeth’s Pendulum DDT to Nemeth was nice. Ouch at Pillman Jr’s head after Comoroto’s botched catch & slam of Pillman Jr’s dive to the outside. 8-Man tag was an entertaining back-and-forth action match, especially the latter half. Avalon’s facial reaction to Silver’s tosses across the ring was funny. Silver’s Liger Bomb counter of Avalon’s leap attempt was nice. Avalon vs. Silver was a solid back-and-forth action match. This week’s show was enjoyable despite the padded runtime near the end.

AEW Dynamite (Nov. 17)
* Bryan Danielson vs. Evil Uno – 3.0
* The Butcher & The Blade vs. Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii – 3.5
* TBS Championship tournament Quarter-final match – Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida – 3.0
* Dante Martin & Lio Rush vs. The Acclaimed – 3.5
* TNT Championship – Jay Lethal vs. Sammy Guevara (c) – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – Hangman Adam Page & Bryan Danielson promo segment and the TNT Championship match.
Worst – The early half of the Nyla Rose vs. Hikaru Shida match dragging a bit in pacing.
Show Notes – Opening Omega & Elite backstage promo about Omega taking a break was all right. National Cowboy Shit Day celebration segment with Dark Order, Hangman Page, & Danielson about Page vs. Danielson match & Danielson heeling it up with his trashing of Page was awesome. Danielson vs. Uno was a good hard hitting match. MJF taped angry promo about his match with Allin & AEW title plans was superb. Ishii shrugging off Butcher’s stiff chops was cool. Ishii & Butcher hoss fight portion of their tag match was sweet. Ishii’s stiff lariat to Blade was cool. Butcher & Blade vs. Cassidy & Ishii was a very entertaining hard hitting match. Tay Conti vignette was splendid. Ouch at Rose’s back after her missed cannonball to Shida onto a chair. Rose’s standing Stretch Muffler to Shida was cool. Rose vs. Shida was a good competitive match, especially the latter half. MJF promo about nobody in AEW being better than him & CM Punk staredown response was wonderful. Allin vs. Gunn Club feud is interesting & Austin Gunn’s “I Like Turtles” meme reference was funny. Rush’s step-up hurricanrana to Caster via Bowens assist was cool. Martin got some amazing air with his springboard dropkick to Bowens. Martin & Rush vs. Acclaimed was a very good action filled match. Team Taz post-match promo offering another invitation to Martin was fine. Red Velvet vs. Cargill match hype video was all right. Sammy’s corkscrew dive to Lethal on the outside was cool. Lethal got some sweet air with his sky toss of Sammy. Sammy’s brainbuster to Lethal on the outside was cool. Ouch at Sammy’s back after his missed Swanton through a table on the outside. Sammy’s running knee to Lethal sending him spinning was nice. TNT title was a great hard fought action filled bout. This week’s show was mostly great overall.

AEW Rampage (Nov. 19)
* Darby Allin vs. Billy Gunn – 3.0
* TBS Championship tournament Quarter-final match – Jade Cargill vs. Red Velvet – 3.0
* Bobby Fish & Adam Cole vs. Jurassic Express – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Bobby Fish & Adam Cole vs. Jurassic Express
Worst – QT Marshall’s somewhat dull backstage promo about CM Punk.
Show Notes – Gunn managed to get some amazing height with his backdrop counter of Allin’s run off the ropes. Ouch at Allin’s back after his rough landing from Gunn’s hard yank from the outside & same for his hard crash into the guard rail afterwards. Allin’s Coffin Drop to Colton & Austin Gunn on the outside was cool. Allin’s Slumdog Millionaire stunner to Gunn was nice. Allin’s Code Red to Gunn looked roughed. Allin vs. Gunn opener was a quite good physical match. Post-match brawl with Gunn Club & Sting was all right. QT Marshall backstage interview about his upcoming match against CM Punk was somewhat dull. Men of the Year backstage promo about their loss to Inner Circle was okay. Cargill’s standing Fallaway Slam counter of Velvet’s crossbody was nice. Cargill’s strike counter of Velvet’s suicide dive sending her caught up the ropes looked brutal & same for her Uranage to Velvet onto the apron. Cargill vs. Velvet was a pretty good back-and-forth style match. Thunder Rosa backstage promo about Jamie Hayter was all right. Punk backstage interview about QT Marshall was all right. Cole & Fish and Jurassic Express split-screen backstage pre-match interview was splendid. Jungle’s Senton over Luchasaurus onto Fish was cool. Cole’ Ushigoroshi to Jungle looked brutal. Jungle’s rebound lariat to Fish bending him in half was cool. Cole & Fish’s kick & Ushigoroshi combo to Jungle was nice. Cole’s superkick counter of Jungle’s springboard DDT attempt was nice. Jungle’s lift & Luchasaurus’ powerbomb combo of Cole’s Panama Sunrise was sweet. Jungle’s overhead suplex counter of Fish’s running attack into the corner looked brutal. Fish & Cole vs. Jurassic Express was a very entertaining action packed match. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

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NJPW, Impact, & Other Wrestling

NJPW World Tag League 2021 Night 1 (Nov. 14)
* Kosei Fujita vs. Yuto Nakashima – 2.5
* World Tag League 2021 match – Minoru Suzuki & Taka Michinoku vs. Dangerous Tekkers – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. TenCozy – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Great Bash Heel (Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe) vs. Guerillas of Destiny – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare – 2.5
* World Tag League 2021 match – EVIL & Yujio Takahashi vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA
Worst – Night 1 of World Tag League being one of the weaker Night 1s for a NJPW tournament in terms of big event feel in recent years.
Show Notes – Fujita vs. Nakashima opener was a solid hard hitting bout. Sabre Jr’s stiff uppercuts, snapmare, & neck twist combo to Taka was nice. Suzuki refusing Taka’s first tag attempt because he was displeased with Taka’s lack of beating up Dangerous Tekkers was interesting. Suzuki’s elbows & Taichi’s kicks exchange was nice. Taichi’s wrenching Dragon Sleeper to Taka looked brutal. Michinoku & Suzuki vs. Dangerous Tekkers was a good hard hitting bout & the KO ending with Taka was a nice unique match ending in NJPW. Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. TenCozy was a pretty good back-and-forth NJPW Dads style match. Ouch at Homna’s neck after Tanga Loa’s hard toss into the ropes. Honma’s DDT to Tama Tonga & Flatliner to Loa at the same time was cool. Tama’s Tongan Twist to Honma was nice. Great Bash Heel vs. GoD was a pretty good back-and-forth action match. Bullet Club vs. United Empire was a solid bout. Yano & Tanahashi’s black coats & slicked hair stereotypical 80s Japanese school gang look entrance was cool. Yano & Tanahashi’s stereo Dragon Screw counters to Yujiro & EVIL via turnbuckle pads assist was nice. Yano & Tanahashi’s low blow fest to Yujiro, EVIL, & Dick Togo was funny. EVIL & Takahashi vs. Yano & Tanahashi was a pretty good bout that had some nice comedic moments. Goto & YOSHI’s Russian Leg Sweep & swinging neckbreaker combo to Naito was nice. Naito’s spiked Tornado DDT to YOSHI via ropes assist looked brutal. YOSHI & Goto’s superkick & Ushigoroshi combo to Naito was cool. SANADA’s Backdrop Driver & Naito’s Jackknife pin attempt combo to YOSHI was cool. Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. SANADA & Naito was a very good back-and-forth action filled bout. World Tag League 2021 Night 1 was enjoyable overall.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2021 Night 2 (Nov. 15)
* Kosei Fujita vs. Ryohei Oiwa – 2.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – DOUKI vs. YOH – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – BUSHI vs. Ryusuke Taguchi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – Master Wato vs. Robbie Eagles – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – El Phantasmo vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – SHO vs. Hiromu Takahashi – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – Taiji Ishimori vs. El Desperado – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Taiji Ishimori vs. El Desperado match.
Worst – The buzzkill House of Torture interference ending to the SHO vs. Hiromu Takahashi match.
Show Notes – Oiwa vs. Fujita opener was solid. YOH’s Falcon Arrow counter of DOUKI’s Triangle Choke was cool. DOUKI’s Daybreaker (slingshot DDT) to YOH was nice. DOUKI vs. YOH was a good back-and-forth action bout & legit surprised at DOUKI remaining undefeated. BUSHI crotching Taguchi on the ropes & shaking and kicking it and doing the same afterwards on the guard rail was a bit funny. Taguchi’s Ankle Lock counter of BUSHI’s Codebreaker was nice. BUSHI vs. Taguchi was a pretty good bout with some nice comedic moments. Wato & Eagles stiff kicks & slaps exchange was cool. Wato’s corkscrew dive to Eagles on the outside was cool but ouch at Wato’s legs hitting the guard rail. Eagles & Wato kicks & counters sequence into Wato’s spinning heel kick to Eagles bending him in half was sweet. Wato vs. Eagles was a very good hard hitting action filled match. Kanemaru & Phantasmo’s counters exchange into Kanemaru’s low dropkick to Phantasmo spiking him was cool. Phantasmo’s Torture Rack into a Facebuster to Kanemaru was cool. Phantasmo vs. Kanemaru was a quite good match. SHO’s feet choke & armbar counter of Hiromu’s Sunset Bomb was nice. Hiromu’s DVD to SHO onto the apron was nice. SHO’s powerbomb counter of Hiromu’s hurricanrana was nice. Hiromu’s DDT counter of SHO’s brainbuster was cool. SHO vs. Takahashi was a mostly really good match despite the buzzkill shenanigans ending by House of Torture. Despy’s Knee Crusher & Leg Screw combo to Ishimori was cool. Ishimori’s sliding German suplex to Despy was nice. Despy’s spinebuster & Blue Thunder Bomb combo to Ishimori was sweet. Ishimori vs. Desperado was a great hard fought action packed bout. Best of the Super Jrs. 2021 Night 2 was a mostly very enjoyable show overall.

NJPW XTRA (Nov. 15)
* Yuya Uemura vs. David Finlay – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Show Notes – The week in NJPW and NJPW Strong New Japan Showdown Night 2 show highlights were all right. Another week in a row where NJPW didn’t mix the audio levels well for the start of the show’s featured match. Uemira’s hip toss to Finlay sending him to the outside was nice. Finlay & Uemura’s European Uppercuts exchange was cool. Uemura’s vicious swinging armbreaker to Finlay was nice. Finlay’s bodyslam to Uemura onto the corner looked painful. Uemura’s armdrag counter of Finlay’s Uranage was cool. Finlay’s Uranage style backbreaker to Uemura was sweet. Finlay’s brainbuster finisher to Uemura was cool. Uemura vs. Finlay was a quite good back-and-forth action filled match. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

NJPW World Tag League 2021 Night 2 (Nov. 17)
* Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yuto Nakashima – 2.5
* World Tag League 2021 match – Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. Guerillas of Destiny – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. TenCozy – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Great Bash Heel vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toru Yano – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – EVIL & Yujio Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Minoru Suzuki & Taka Michinoku vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA – 3.0
* World Tag League 2021 match – Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens vs. Dangerous Tekkers – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens vs. Dangerous Tekkers match.
Worst – The shenanigans-filled ending to the EVIL & Yujio Takahashi vs. Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare match.
Show Notes – Oiwa vs. Nakashima opener was a solid showcase style bout. Nagata’s Irish Whip & Overhead suplex combo to Tama Tonga was nice. Nagata & Tiger Mask vs. GoD was a pretty good back-and-forth style match. Ouch at Goto’s nuts after Kojima accidentally nailed it with his top rope elbow drop. Goto & YOSHI’s Shoto team finisher to Tenzan was cool. Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. TenCozy was a good hard hitting bout. Honma’s DDT to Yano & Flatliner to Tanahashi at the same time was nice. Makabe’s stiff lariat to Tanahashi was nice. Honma’s Sleeper Buster to Tanahashi was cool. Great Bash Heel vs. Tanahashi & Yano was a quite good back-and-forth action filled bout. Poor NJPW ring announcer, EVIL remembered he forgot to do his guard rail crashing antics to his table last time. EVIL’s Fisherman’s Suplex & Yuijro’s running dropkick to Henare was nice. Henare & Khan’s Fireman’s Carry & neckbreaker combo finisher to Yujiro was cool. House of Torture vs. United Empire was mostly good despite the shenanigans-filled ending. Ouch at Suzuki’s nose getting busted open after Naito’s swing dropkick from the corner. Naito’s head scissors to Taka was nice. SANADA’s Skull End finisher managed to look brutal for once. Suzuki-Gun vs. LIJ was a really good back-and-forth action filled bout. Taichi’s sumo throw to Fale was cool. Sabre Jr’s hard arm yank to Owens sending him crashing to the mat looked brutal. Owens’ Uranage to Sabre Jr. onto Taichi was cool. Taichi & Sabre Jr’s chokeslam & Back Drop Driver combo to Owens was cool. Owens & Fale vs. Dangerous Tekkers was a very good back-and-forth action packed bout, especially the latter half. World Tag League 2021 Night 2 was an enjoyable show overall.

NJPW Best of the Super Juniors 2021 Night 3 (Nov. 18)
* Yuto Nakashima vs. Kosei Fujita – N/A
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – El Phantasmo VS. DOUKI – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – BUSHI vs. YOH – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – Ryusuke Taguchi vs. SHO – 3.0
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – Taiji Ishimori vs. Robbie Eagles – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Hiromu Takahashi – 3.5
* Best of the Super Juniors 2021 match – Master Wato vs. El Desperado – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Taiji Ishimori vs. Robbie Eagles match.
Worst – New Japan being lazy with the lack of commentary for the show.
Show Notes – The lack of commentary on the show is going to make it a tough watch. DOUKI’s overhead brigding German suplex pin attempt to Phantasmo was nice. Phantasmo’s spinning neckbreaker to DOUKI was sweet. Phantasmo vs. DOUKI was a pretty good back-and-forth style bout. BUSHI’s DDT counter of YOU’s discuss lariat was nice. YOH’s Dragon Screw counter of BUSHI’s Codebreaker was nice. BUSHI vs. YOH was a good back-and-forth action match. Taguchi rubbing his butt all over a downed SHO on the ropes was funny. SHO timing his chops to Taguchi on the outside to the ref’s count was a bit funny. SHO’s deadlift German counter of Taguchi’s lunging rear end attack was nice. Taguchi vs. SHO was pretty good despite the ending shenanigans. Ishimori’s snapmare & neck twist counter of Eagles’ springboard armdrag was nice. Eagles’ cannonball dive to Ishimori through the ropes onto the outside was cool. Ishimori’s sliding German suplex to Eagles was nice. Eagles standing Slice Bread to Ishimori was nice. Ishimori’s tilt-a-whirl & Bone Lock finisher combo to Eagles was cool. Ishimori vs. Eagles was a very good back-and-forth action filled match. Hiromu’s shotgun dropkick from the apron to Kanemaru was nice. Hiromu’s running DVD to Kanemaru into the corner was nice. Kanemaru’s powerbomb counter of Hiromu’s hurricanrana was cool. Kanemaru’s brainbuster to Hiromu was nice. Kanemaru vs. Takahashi was a very good hard fought action filled match. Despy’s loud stiff chop to Wato in the corner was sweet. Wato’s tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Despy & Swanton dive to Despy on the outside afterwards was cool. Wato vs. El Desperado was a really good back-and-forth action & grapple heavy bout despite taking a bit too long to hit its next level or gear. NJPW Best of the Super Jrs. Night 3 was an enjoyable show overall.

NJPW Strong New Japan Showdown Night 3 (Nov. 20)
* Kevin Knight & The DKC vs. FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) – 3.5
* Chris Bey & El Phantasmo vs. Lio Rush & Ariya Daivari – 3.0
* TJP vs. Clark Connors – 3.5
Overall – 3.5
Best – Kevin Knight & The DKC vs. FinJuice match.
Worst – N/A
Show Notes – Robinson’s standing senton to Knight splatting him on the mat was nice. Robinson’s wide eyes reaction to Knight’s stiff chop was a bit funny. Robinson’s Boston Crab spot save after his botched catch counter of Knight’s hurricanrana was nice. Finlay flip counter of Uemura’s backdrop into Uemura flip counter of Finlay’s back drop into Uemura’s belly-to-back suplex to Finlay sequence was ni Knight & Uemura vs. FinJuice opener was a very good hard hitting back-and-forth action match. Rush & Bey’s speedy exchange of escapes & counters into an enziguri by Rush sequence was cool. Phantsamo’s Frog Splash fake out into just a regular back rake to Daivari as a troll move was nice. Bey & Phantasmo’s comedic back rake to Daivari’s magic carpet was a bit funny. Rush’s spinning Unprettier & Falcon Arrow to Phantasmo was nice. Bey’s top rope knee strike & Phantasmo’s spinning neckberaker to Rush was cool. Rush’s moonsault to Bey & Daivari’s magic carpet splash to Bey & Phantasmo afterwards on the outside was nice. Bullet Club vs. Rush & Diavari was a quite good back-and-forth action filled match. TJP’s Dragon Screw to Connors on the ropes was nice. TJP’s arm & leg breaker combo to Connors was nice. Connors’ spear to TJP onto the ropes sending him tumbling to the floor was cool. TJP’s torqued Boston Crab to Connors on the turnbuckle was nice. Connors’ gutbuster counter of TJP’s submission was nice. TJP’s Tornado DDT to Connors was nice. Connors vs. TJP was a very good hard fought action filled bout. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

Impact Wrestling Impact! (Nov. 18)
* Steve Maclin vs. Laredo Kid – 3.0
* Undead Bridesmaids (Brandi Lauren & Kimber Lee) vs. The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay) – 2.0
* Hikuleo vs. Doc Gallows – 3.0
* 6-Man Tag Team match – Hernandez, Fallah Bahh, & Johnny Swinger vs. Decay (Black Taurus & Crazzy Steve) & The Demon – 2.0
* Minoru Suzuki vs. Josh Alexander – 3.5
Overall – 3.0
Best – Minoru Suzuki vs. Josh Alexander match.
Worst – Undead Bridesmaids vs. The IInspiration match.
Show Notes – Maclin’s suicide dive to Kid’s neck on the outside looked brutal. Kid’s top rope step-up Swanton to Maclin on the outside was cool. Kid’s cartwheel DDT to Maclin was nice. Maclin’s clothesline to Kid bending him in half was nice. Kid’s Poison Rana to Maclin was sweet. Maclin vs. Kid opener was a quite good action packed match. Trey Miguel backstage promo about Maclin being added to his X-Division title match was all right. Ace Austin & Chris Sabin backstage segment about their issues & match setup and brawl with Fulton was fine. Undead Bridesmaids vs. IInspiration was decent at best. Decay’s spooky post-match confrontation to IInspiration was okay. Edwards’s brief backstage interview & brawl with Moose was splendid and ouch at Edwards’ back after Moose’s Uranage onto the apron. Mercedes Martinez’s backstage promo about Mickie James & Knockouts title match was all right. Hikuleo vs. Gallows was a pretty good hard hitting hoss style match. Purrazzo sitdown interview about her recent absence & Impact plans was nothing special. Violent By Design promo video about consequences for Rhino leaving the group & their tag match at Turning Point was superb. Swinger’s matador antics with Taurus was a bit funny. 6-Man Tag match was decent at best. John E. Bravo & Decay backstage segment about Decay’s creepy offer to Bravo to make Swinger happy again was weird. James backstage response to Mercedes and their upcoming match was all right. The ring crew guy’s jumping KO sell of Suzuki’s punch was funny. Alexander & Suzuki’s stiff chops & forearms exchange was sweet. Alexander’s stiff elbow strikes & C4 Spike finisher combo to Suzuki was nice. Suzuki vs. Alexander was a very good physical bout. This week’s Turning Point 2021 go-home show was enjoyable overall.

Impact Wrestling Turning Point 2021 (Nov. 20)
* Pre-show: FinJuice (David Finlay & Juice Robinson) vs. Rohit Raju & Raj Singh – 3.0
* Pre-show: Impact Digital Media Championship – Chelsea Green vs. Jordynne Grace (c) – 3.0
* Ace Austin vs. Chris Sabin – 3.5
* Violent By Design (Joe Doering & Eric Young) vs. Heath & Rhino – 2.5
* VSK vs. Rich Swann – 3.0
* W. Morrissey vs. Matt Cardona – 3.0
* Impact Knockouts Tag Team Championship – Deacy (Havok & Rosemary) vs. The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessie McKay) (c) – 2.5
* X-Division Championship Three-way match – Steve Maclin vs. Laredo Kid vs. Trey Miguel (c) – 3.5
* Impact Knockouts Championship – Mercedes Martinez vs. Mickie James (c) – 3.0
* Impact World Tag Team Championship – Bullet Club (Chris Bey & Hikuleo) vs. The Good Brothers (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) – 3.0
* Impact World Championship Full Metal Mayhem match – Eddie Edwards vs. Moose (c) – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Impact World Championship Full Metal Mayhem match.
Worst – The Russo-style booked flat ending to the X-Division title match.
Show Notes – Sabin’s Tornado DDT counter of Austin’s leaping Frankensteiner was cool. Austin vs. Sabin opener was a very good action filled match. VBD vs. Heath & Rhino was solid despite the ending shenanigans. VSK’s tilt-a-whirl backbreaker to Swann was nice. VSK’s modified head scissors DDT to Swann via ropes assist was cool. VSK vs. Swann was a good back-and-forth action bout. Morrissey vs. Cardona was a good hard hitting match despite the ending shenanigans by Moose. Knockouts Tag title match was decent despite it dragging a bit. Kid’s 450 Splash onto Maclin from the apron was cool. Maclin’s delayed Uranage counter of Miguel’s leaping attack was cool. Maclin’s powerbomb counter of Kid’s hurricanrana dive to the apron was sweet. Maclin’s running powerslam of Kid onto Miguel into the corner as nice. Kid’s Laredo Fly to Miguel was cool. X-Division title was a very entertaining action packed match despite the messy double pin ending. Knockouts title was a pretty good back-and-forth style bout. Impact Tag title match was mostly good. Josh Alexander angry promo about Moose & JONAH surprise debut and destruction attack to Alexander was superb. Edwards’ back body drop to Moose to the outside onto a table obliterating it was cool. Moose’s Jackknife powerbomb to Edwards onto the ramp was brutal. Yikes at Moose’s spine after Edwards’ DVD onto the apron. Moose’s powerbomb to Edwards onto the apron was brutal. Holy crap at Edwards’ sunset powerbomb to Moose from the top of a ladder onto another prone ladder that didn’t break & yikes at Edwards’ leg getting tangled up. Moose’s powerbomb counter to Edwards onto a ladder was brutal. Moose’s Uranage to Edwards onto the mat’s exposed wood looked legit painful. Impact title was an awesome physical hardcore style bout. Turning Point 2021 was a mostly very enjoyable show overall.

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Weekly Awards:

• Best match of the week – Impact World Championship Full Metal Mayhem match – Eddie Edwards vs. Moose (c) (Impact Wrestling Turning Point 2021)
• Best match of the week runner-up – TNT Championship – Jay Lethal vs. Sammy Guevara (c) (AEW Dynamite)
• Worst match of the week – AJ Styles & Omos vs. Dirty Dawgs (Dolph Ziggler & Robert Roode) (WWE RAW)
• Worst match of the week runner-up – Ruby Soho vs. Hyan (AEW Dark)
• Best show of the week – AEW Dynamite
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW