Opinion: Match & Show Ratings for May 8 to May 14, 2022

Welcome to TPWW’s Emperor Smeat’s Match and Show Ratings for the week of May 8th to May 14th, 2022.

Match and show star ratings (out of 5):

WWE

WWE WrestleMania Backlash 2022 (May 8)
* Seth Rollins vs. Cody Rhodes – 3.5
* Omos vs. Bobby Lashley – 2.0
* Edge vs. AJ Styles – 3.0
* SmackDown Women’s Championship I Quit match – Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair (c) – 3.0
* Happy Corbin vs. Madcap Moss – 2.0
* Six-Man Tag Team match – Drew McIntyre & RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle) vs. The Bloodline (Roman Reigns & The Usos (Jey & Jimmy Uso)) – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – Six-Man Tag Team match.
Worst – Omos vs. Bobby Lashley match and the amount of padded filler time throughout the show.
Show Notes – Rollins vs. Rhodes opener notable moments: Rollins’ clothesline to Rhodes on the outside spinning him onto the floor. Rhodes’ delayed suplex & Disaster Kick combo to Rollins. Rhodes’ superplex to Rollins. Rhodes’ Cody Cutter to Rollins. Rollins’ forearm strikes & Falcon Arrow to Rhodes. Rollins’ Buckle Bomb & Frog Splash combo counter of Rhodes’ springboard attack. Rhodes’ dodge & superkick counter of Rollins’ Phoenix Splash. Rollins’ leap-up superplex to Rhodes into Rhodes’ Cross Rhodes counter of Rollins’ Falcon Arrow. Rollins’ dodge & Pedigree counter of Rhodes’ moonsault. Match itself was a very good back-and-forth action filled bout despite the ending shenanigans. Omos vs. Lashley was a mostly plodding match topped by the ending shenanigans by MVP. Edge vs. Styles notable moments: Ouch at Edge after getting splatted hard from Styles’ Asai moonsault to the outside. Edge’s slingshot to Styles onto the steel steps & post. Edge & Styles’ double running crossbody to each other. Edge’s shoulder breaker & crossface combo to Styles into Styles’ Calf Crusher counter. Styles’ toss onto the ropes & Styles Clash combo to Edge. Match itself was mostly good despite dragging at times & the ending shenanigans by Priest, Balor, & mystery masked person. Rhea Ripley being revealed afterwards as the mystery masked person was cool. SD Women’s title match notable moments: Flair’s German suplex bending Rousey in half. Flair & Rousey’s kendo stick duel into Rousey’s stick catch, monkey flip, & kendo strikes fest to Flair. Flair chucking a WWE camera at Rousey & Rousey deflecting it with a kendo stick. Rousey & Flair’s brawl in the crowd. Flair’s powerbomb to Rousey onto the barricade. Rousey’s yank off the top rope & armbar on the post counter of Flair’s moonsault attempt. Flair’s Natural Selection to Rousey onto a chair. Rousey’s arm grab through a chair, armbar, & extended armbar finisher combo to Flair. Match itself was a good back-and-forth hard hitting bout. Hopefully that’s the end of their feud since it was mostly bad overall, especially on the promos side. Rhodes’ Money in the Bank promo ad video mentioning the winner of this year’s MitB case gets to main event next year’s Mania is interesting. Corbin vs. Moss was mostly decent despite dragging way too long & flat ending. 6-Man Tag notable moments: McIntyre’s stiff chops & deadlift suplex combo to Jimmy. Reigns got some nice height with his Uranage to Riddle. Reigns & McIntyre’s slugfest exchange into McIntyre’s clothesline, overhead suplex, & neckbreaker combo. McIntyre’s Claymore Kick to Reigns via Orton distraction assist. Orton’s powerslams to the Usos & draping DDT to Jimmy combo. Orton’s RKO counter of Reigns running attack into Jimmy’s superkick into Orton’s RKO to Jimmy. Jey’s superkick counter of McIntyre’s Claymore into Usos double superkick. Riddle’s Fisherman Suplex & Floating Bro combo to Jey. Jey’s pop-up neckbreaker to Riddle. Reigns’ Uranage to McIntyre through the announcer’s table into Riddle’s crossbody to Jimmy & Reigns on the outside to Jey’s dive to Riddle on the outside. Riddle’s super cutter to Jey into Reigns’ spear finisher to Riddle. Match itself was a great back-and-forth action packed bout, especially the latter half. WrestleMania Backlash 2022 was a very enjoyable show overall.

WWE RAW (May 9)
* RAW Tag Team Championship – Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. RK-Bro (Randy Orton & Riddle) – 3.0
* Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan – 2.5
* Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor – 1.5
* Sonya Deville vs. Alex Bliss – 1.0 (Squash)
* Ezekiel vs. Ken Owens – N/A
* Veer Mahan vs. Frank Loman – 2.0 (Squash)
* United States Championship – Cody Rhodes vs. Theory (c) – 3.0
* Naomi & Sasha Banks vs. Doudrop & Nikki A.S.H. – 2.0
* Special Guest Referee match – Mustafa Ali vs. Ciampa – 2.0
* RAW Women’s Championship Contender’s match – Asuka vs. Bianca Belair – 2.0
Overall – 2.0
Best – The ending sequence to the RAW Tag Team Championship match and the “Ken” Owens/Kevin Owens & Ezekiel non-match in-ring promo segment.
Worst – WWE going overboard with the amount of DQ finishes & shenanigan endings for matches on the show.
Show Notes – Opening RK-Bro promo about their Bloodline feud, tag titles unifying goal, Street Profits’ interruption about them winning the tag titles instead, & “baked” dig insult by Riddle was all right. RAW Tag titles match notable moments: Ford’s sunset dive to Riddle on the outside. Riddle’s Floating Bro to Orton on the outside via Ford’s dodge counter. Riddle’s RKO OUTTA NOWHERE finisher counter of Ford’s Frog Splash was cool. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. Theory’s interview about Rhodes & upcoming US title match was corny. Edge & Pals promo about Edge bashing the fans & Hartford folk, Ripley’s reasons for joining the group, & Ripley and Edge bashing Morgan was decent. Ripley vs. Morgan was solid. Balor & Styles coming out during Ripley’s post-match attack on Morgan just doing their poses instead of saving Morgan was weird. Priest vs. Balor was a mostly dull match topped with a lame DQ ending by Edge. Alpha Academy & Owens backstage segment about their “Ezekiel is Elias” conspiracy theory, Gable’s DNA test plan to out Ezekiel, & Owens’ “older bro Ken” showing up to beat up Ezekiel was a bit funny. Deville getting fired from her WWE official job via a quick announcement by Pearce was a bit of an anti-climatic ending to her power abuse storyline. Owens’ “Ken Owens” disguise and coming out to Kevin’s theme, promo banter with Ezekiel, & brawl with A.A. was splendid. Pearce, Asuka, & Lynch backstage segment about Lynch’s angry grievances over Asuka getting a potential RAW Women’s title shot & Asuka mocking Lynch for acting like a baby was a bit funny. US title match notable moments: Rhodes’ twisting front suplex & dropkick combo counter of Theory’s suplex. Theory’s elbow strike & Fisherman Buster kneebreaker to Rhodes. Rhodes’ Disaster Kick & Cody Cutter to Theory. Match itself was going on well until the lame DQ ending by Rollins. Rollins’ post-match attack on Rhodes was all right. Women’s Tag was mostly solid but Nikki & Doudrop already not getting along as a team just a week into their pairing was dumb. Ali vs. Ciampa was mostly decent despite the ending shenanigans by ref Miz. Asuka vs. Belair was going on decent;y for the very short time it was given until the lame DQ ending by Lynch. This week’s show was average at best overall & dragged at times.

WWE NXT (May 10)
* NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship – Roxanne Perez & Wendy Choo vs. Toxic Attraction (Jacy Jayne & Gigi Dolin) (c) – 3.0
* NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament First Round match – Sloane Jacobs vs. Fallon Henley – 2.5
* Amari Miller vs. Alba Fyre – 2.5
* Mixed Tag Team match – Tiffany Stratton & Grayson Waller vs. Sarray & Andre Chase – 3.0
* NXT Women’s Breakout Tournament First Round match – Nikkita Lyons vs. Arianna Grace – 2.0
* Cora Jade vs. Natayla – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – The Santos Escobar & Legado and Tony D’Angelo & lackeys mafia war segments and Bodhi Hayward’s comedic school girl transformation after stepping through Sarray’s magical smoke entrance.
Worst – The shenanigans ending to the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championship match and Natayla pulling a Big Show with her random face turn moment to close out the show.
Show Notes – NXT Women’s Tag title match opener notable moments: Choo’s top rope crossbody to T.A. during her entrance. Jayne’s running neckbreaker to Perez. Choo’s whip into the ropes & overhead suplex to Jayne. Perez’s suicide clothesline dive to T.A. via Choo’s ropes pull assist. Perez’s tilt-a-whirl Russian Leg Sweep to Dolin. Match itself was pretty good despite the ending shenanigans by Mandy Rose. Post-match brawl by Choo & T.A. was rough. Diamond Mine’s backstage segment about Creed Bros issues with Strong tainting their win last week & Strong introducing Damon Kemp as newest member was decent. Joe Gacy’s promo about his & his druids post-show attack to Breakker last week, his two mystery druids, & threatening pain for those who resist his “change” was decent. Escobar’s backstage interview about his lack of respect for D’Angelo & kidnapping his consigliere was all right. D’Angelo & lackeys parking lot attack & revenge kidnapping of Cruz was interesting. Fyre’s new smokey & Witcher style entrance and theme was pretty cool. Miller vs. Fyre was a solid match. Legado’s parking lot segment about Escobar calling D’Angelo about Cruz’s whereabouts & D’Angelo asking the same about his consigliere and threatening violence was splendid. Bodhi Hayward walking thorough Sarray’s magical entrance smoke & transforming into a taller Sarray school girl look was funny. Mixed Tag notable moments: Sarray’s Mutoh Lock to Stratton. Stratton’s standing moonsault to Chase via Waller lift assist. Chase’s leg swipe and head hold & Sarray’s running dropkick combo to Waller on the ropes. Stratton’s splash splatting Hayward on the outside. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout despite the ending shenanigans by Hayward. Toxic Attraction & Indi Hartwell backstage segment about T.A. mocking Hartwell for Lumis leaving her was cringey. Jade vs. Natayla notable moments: Jade’s running knee & Tornado DDT combo to Natayla. Natalya’s discus lariat flooring Jade. Natalya’s snap suplex to Jade onto the ropes. Natalya’s leg whips to Jade onto the post. Jade’s Sharpshooter to Natayla. Natalya’s leg catch & Sharpshooter counter of Jade’s Flying Nothing. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action bout. Natalya’s post-match random face turn consoling Jade was weird. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown (May 13)
* Riddle vs. Sami Zayn – 3.0
* SmackDown Women’s Championship Open Challenge match – Raquel Rodriguez vs. Ronda Rousey (c) – 2.5
* WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship – Shayna Baszler & Natayla vs. Naomi & Sasha Banks (c) – 3.0
* Kofi Kingston vs. Butch – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Riddle vs. Sami Zayn match.
Worst – Shotzi and Aliyah’s bickering backstage promo segment.
Show Notes – RK-Bro opening promo bashing the Usos for only doing whatever Reigns’ tells them to do and Tag titles unification match demands, Zayn’s interruption speaking on behalf of Reigns rejecting RK-Bro’s demands, & banter and Riddle vs. Zayn match setup was all right. Riddle vs. Zayn notable moments: Riddle’s Fisherman suplex to Zayn. Zayn’s knees counter of Riddle’s standing moonsault. Riddle’s knee strike counter of Zayn’s Flying Nothing. Zayn’s spiked Michinoku Driver to Riddle. Riddle’s backdrop counter of Zayn’s draping DDT into apron kick, & moonsault combo to Zayn on the outside. Riddle’s Bro Derrick finisher to Zayn. Match itself was a really good back-and-forth action filled bout. Rousey’s promo about her SD Women’s title win & Open Challenge stip was decent at best but also very bland. SD Women’s title match notable moments: Rodriguez’s suplex counter of Rousey’s guillotine choke. Rousey’s roll-up pin finisher counter of Rodriguez’s powerbomb. Match itself was mostly solid despite being sloppy at times & abrupt ending. Pearce, Shozti, & Aliyah backstage segment about Shotzi & Aliyah bickering over missing out on a SD Women’s title shot was cringey. Madcap Moss interview about him mocking Corbin’s ugly looks, win over Corbin, and WWE career goals & ambush attack by Corbin was decent. Women’s Tag title match notable moments: Naomi’s apron crossbody to Baszler on the outside. Natalya’s escape counter of Naomi’s Full Nelson hold & Uranage to Banks. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. Drew Gulak & Ricochet’s backstage segment about Ricochet’s advice for Gulak’s issues with Gunther & Gunther’s shirt rip and stiff chop response was all right. Kingston vs. Butch notable moments: Kingston’s SOS counter of Butch’s punch. Butch’s leaping punch counter of Kingston’s Flying Nothing. Kingston’s leaping double foot stomp to Butch. Match itself was a pretty good despite the ending shenanigans by Sheamus & Holland. Reigns’ promo about him smashing everyone during his title reign, RK-Bro’s interruption demanding a Tag titles unification match while mocking the Usos, Usos’ accepting the challenge, & Riddle’s sneak attack to Reigns was fine. This week’s show was mostly enjoyable overall.

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AEW

AEW Dark Elevation (May 9)
* Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, Alan “5” Angels, & 10) vs. Ryan Mooney, Diego, Jose Fuller, and Brandon Scott – 2.0 (Squash)
* Emi Sakura vs. Abadon – 2.5
* “Pretty” Peter Avalon vs. Sonny Kiss – 2.5
* John Silver vs. Tony Deppen – 2.0 (Squash)
* The Factory (QT Marshall & Nick Comoroto) vs. Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – The Factory vs. Keith Lee & Swerve Strickland match.
Worst – N/A
Show Notes – 8-Man Tag opener notable moments: Reynolds’ extra stiff chop to Fuller causing his elbow pad to fly off into the crowd. Uno’s big boot flooring Mooney. 10’s delayed vertical suplex to Diego & spinebuster to Mooney. Match itself was a decent extended squash style bout. Sakura vs. Abadon notable moments: Sakura’s vicious looking hair whip toss to Abadon. Abadon’s apron cannonball to Sakura on the outside. Sakura’s brutal looking underhook backbreaker to Abadon. Abadon’s neck chomp counter of Sakura’s underhook suplex. Abadon’s elbow strikes, running cutter, & standing senton combo to Sakura. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth action bout. Avalon vs. Kiss notable moments: Kiss’ Press Slam to Avalon off the top rope. Avalon’s catch, leg yank, & superkick combo counter of Kiss’ kick. Kiss’ backflip dropkick to Avalon. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth bout. Silver vs. Deppen notable moments: Silver’s running swift spinning uppercut to Deppen. Deppen’s running knee drop to Silver’s head. Silver’s lawn dart into the corner, running knee, & Spin Doctor finisher combo to Deppen. Match itself was a decent mostly squash style brief bout. Factory vs. Lee & Strickland notable moments: Lee’s one-arm lift to Marshall. Marshall’s chop to Lee into Lee’s double overhead stiff chop flooring Marshall. Marshall & Comoroto’s double team Flapjack to Lee. Lee’s overhead suplex to Comoroto. Strickland’s leaping Flatliner to Comoroto. Marshall’s superkick & Comoroto’s spear combo to Lee. Strickland’s deadlift release German & Lee’s Big Bang Catastrophe finisher combo to Comoroto. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth action bout. This week’s show was average but enjoyable overall.

AEW Dark (May 10)
* Jay Lethal vs. Jake Something – 2.5
* Alex Reynolds vs. Jake Manning – 2.0
* Gunn Club (Austin & Colten Gunn) vs. Fly Def (Warren J & Zack Zilla) – 2.5
* Serpentico vs. “Captain” Shawn Dean – 2.5
* Lee Johnson & Brock Anderson vs. Brick City Boyz (Julio Cruz & Victor Chase) – 2.5
* Abadon vs. Vicky Dreamboat – 2.0 (Squash)
* Jora Johl vs. Trip Jordy – 2.0 (Squash)
* Skye Blue vs. Kiera Hogan – 2.5
* LA Dojo (Kevin Knight & The DKC) vs. The Factory (Aaron Solo & Nick Comoroto) – 3.0
* Rohit Raju vs. Adam Priest – 2.0 (Squash)
* Tiger Ruas & Cezar Bononi vs. Dark Order (Evil Uno & 10) – 3.0
Overall – 2.5
Best – LA Dojo vs. The Factory match.
Worst – The ending shenanigans to the Skye Blue vs. Kiera Hogan match.
Show Notes – Lethal vs. Something opener notable moments: Something’s top rope dive to Lethal on the outside. Lethal’s kneebreaker & Flatliner combo to Something. Lethal’s elbow drops & Lethal Injection finisher combo to Something. Match itself was solid despite dragging near the end. Reynolds vs. Manning notable moments: Manning & Reynolds’ booking reading antics during their match was a bit funny. Match itself was mostly decent with some nice comedic moments. Johl’s backstage promo about his issues with Matt Hardy & expecting better under Andrade was decent. Seperntico vs. Dean notable moments: Luther’s ref distracted leg yank & crotching onto the bottom post to Dean. Dean & Serpetico’s moves & counters sequence into Dean’s The Deal finisher to Serpentico. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth bout. Blue vs. Hogan notable moments: Blue’s shotgun dropkick to Hogan into the corner. Hogan’s thrust kick & neckbreaker combo to Blue onto the ropes. Hogan’s modified lungblower to Blue. Hogan’s superkick counter of Blue’s Flying Nothing. Match itself was a solid back-and-forth bout despite the ending shenanigans by Red Velvet. LA Dojo vs. The Factory notable moments: Knight’s arm drag & standing twisting splash combo to Solo. Comoroto’s shoulder tackle counter of Knight’s springboard attack. DKC’s karate chops fest to Solo. Comoroto’s suplex counter of DKC & Knight’s double team suplex. DKC’s guillotine drop, Knight’s dropkick, & DKC’s missile dropkick combo to Comoroto. Solo’s corkscrew kick & Comoroto’s brutal looking spear finisher combo to Knight. Match itself was a good back-and-forth hard hitting bout. Post-match QT Marshall promo offering DKC & Knight a spot in the Factory, DKC & Knight rejecting the offer, & brawl with Factory & LA Dojo was splendid. Raju vs. Priest was a decent mostly squash match. Raju getting his first ever AEW win is interesting. Tiger Ruas & Cezar Bononi vs. Dark Order notable moments: Ruas’ drop toe hold & Bononi’s top rope stomp combo to Uno. 10’s spinebuster & Uno’s top rope Senton combo to Ruas. Bononi’s catapult & Ruas’ corkscrew kick combo to 10. 10’s discus lariat & Full Nelson finisher combo to Ruas. Match itself was a pretty good back-and-forth bout. This week’s show was average overall.

AEW Dynamite (May 11)
* Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-finals match – Adam Cole vs. Dax Harwood – 3.5
* CM Punk vs. John Silver – 3.0
* Danhausen vs. Tony Nese – 2.0 (Squash)
* FTW Championship – Jungle Boy vs. Ricky Starks (c) – 3.0
* Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarter-finals match – Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm – 3.0
* Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament Quarter-finals Anything Goes match – Jeff Hardy vs. Darby Allin – 3.5
Overall – 4.0
Best – Adam Cole vs. Dax Harwood match and the MJF & Wardlow match contract signing segment.
Worst – The ending shenanigans to the FTW Championship match.
Show Notes – Cole vs. Harwood opener notable moments: Harwood’s high angle German suplexes to Cole into Cole’s German suplex counter into Harwood’s high angle suplex counter. Harwood’s pop-up slingshot powerbomb to Cole. Cole’s brutal looking Ushigoroshi to Harwood. Cole’s superkick counter of Harwood’s springboard crossbody. Harwood’s escape & piledriver counter of Cole’s Panama Sunrise. Harwood’s Sharpshooter to Cole. Cole’s Sharpshooter finisher to Harwood. Match itself was a very good hard fought action filled bout. Punk vs. Silver was a good back-and-forth action bout. Danhausen vs. Nese being just a very quick squash in favor of Nese was a surprise. Post-match promo by Mark Sterling bashing Danhausen & issues with AEW’s lack of respect for Nese, Nese’s attacks to Danhasuen, & HOOK’s run-in and handshake moment with Danhausen was awesome. MJF & Wardlow contract signing segment with the Jericho narrated Dark Side of the Ring parody about Wardlow, MJF boasting about himself & Long Island, crowd’s loud booing Wardlow’s turn to speak, MJF trashing Wardlow and stip of Wardlow not getting to sign another AEW deal if he loses, & Wardlow’s destruction of security & MJF’s lackeys was awesome. FTW title match was a quite good back-and-forth action bout despite the ending shenanigans by Swerve Strickland. JAS’ town hall victory speech about Jericho bashing Long Island and Kingston & Pals and dig at Kingston’s wife, & interruption brawl with BCC and Kingston & Pals was splendid. Deeb vs. Rosa match hype video was all right. Hayter vs. Storm notable moments: Storm’s hip attack & Tornado DDT combo to Hayter. Hayter’s Uranage to Storm on the apron. Storm’s Storm Zero finisher counter of Hayer’s backslide pin attempt. Match itself was a really good back-and-forth hard hitting bout. Hardy vs. Allin notable moments: Hardy’s Flapjack to Allin onto the steel steps. Allin’s leg yank to Hardy off the ladder onto the ropes. Allin’s Swanton dive off the ladder to Hardy onto a pile of chairs on the outside was crazy. Yikes at Allin’s back after his missed Coffin Drop to Hardy on the apron. Yikes at Hardy’s back after his missed Swanton onto steel steps. Allin’s Coffin Drop splatting Hardy into Hardy’s roll-up pin finisher counter. Match itself was a very entertaining crazy hardcore style bout despite the abrupt ending. This week’s show was great overall.

AEW Rampage (May 13)
* Trios match – Death Triangle (Pac, Penta Obscuro, & Rey Fenix) vs. AFO (The Butcher, The Blade, & Marq Quen) – 3.5
* Shawn Spears vs. Bear Boulder – 2.0 (Squash)
* Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament Quarterfinal match – Riho vs. Ruby Soho – 3.0
* TNT Championship – Frankie Kazarian vs. Scorpio Sky (c) – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Death Triangle vs. AFO match.
Worst – The flat ending & ending shenanigans to the TNT Championship match.
Show Notes – Death Triangle vs. AFO opener notable moments: Penta’s top rope double foot stomp to Blade’s family Jewels. Butcher & Blade’s double team leg drop & Quen’s 450 Splash combo to Fenix. Quen’s sunset dive to Penta & PAC on the outside. Butcher’s lift toss, Blade’s knee strike, & Butcher’s lariat combo to Fenix. Penta’s cazadora to Quen into a spiked DDT to Butcher. PAC’s snap German bending Quen in half. Fenix & Penta’s Fear Factor & PAC’s Black Arrow finisher combo to Quen. Match itself was a very entertaining action filled bout. Post-match House of Black lights out mind games confrontation with Death Triangle was okay. Spears vs. Boulder notable moments: Spears’ C4 finisher to Boulder was impressive. Match itself was a decent mostly squash bout. Tony Nese & Sterling backstage interview about their match against Danhausen & Hook was okay. Riho vs. Soho notable moments: Riho’s head scissors, cazadora, & double foot stomp combo to Riho. Riho’s Single Leg Crab counter of Soho’s No Future Kick. Riho’s Crucifix Bomb counter of Soho’s Bladerunner. Soho’s brutal looking Back Drop Driver bending Riho in half. Soho’s Bladerunner finisher to Riho. Match itself was a quite good back-and-forth action bout. Acclaimed & Gunn Club backstage locker room segment about them coming up with new group hand gesture & catch phrase was goofy but also a bit funny. Jade Cargill & The Baddies interview segment about Shida being removed from the Women’s Owen Hart Cup & Kris Statlander as Shida replacement for Red Velvet’s opponent was all right. Sky & Pals and Kazarian split-screen pre-match backstage interview was all right. TNT title match notable moments: Kazarian’s punches & Fisherman suplex to Sky. Ouch at Kazrian’s head after getting nailed hard from Sky’s sunset dive to the outside. Kazarian’s body slam & springboard leg drop combo to Sky. Sky’s Jawbreaker counter of Kazarian’s Chicken Wing. Kazarian’s slingshot spiked cutter to Sky was cool. Sky’s TKO outta nowhere finisher to Kazarian. Match itself was a good back-and-forth bout despite the flat ending sequence & shenanigans by Lambert & Ethan Page. Sky’s post-match face turn fakeout attack on Kazarian & Lambert’s insults dig at Guevara & Conti was all right. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

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NJPW, Impact, & Other Wrestling

Impact Wrestling Impact! (May 12)
* Ultimate X Qualifying match – Kenny King vs. Chris Bey – 3.0
* Impact Knockouts World Tag Team Championship – Alisha & Gisele Shaw vs. The Influence (Madison Rayne & Tenille Dashwood) (c) – 2.5
* Bullet Club (El Phantasmo & Jay White) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Josh Alexander – 3.0
* #1 Contender for Impact World Championship Gauntlet for the Gold match – Chris Sabin vs. Alex Shelley vs. Eddie Edwards vs. Vincent vs. Steve Maclin vs. Shark Boy vs. Trey Miguel vs. Raj Singh vs. Bhupinder Gujjar vs. Shera vs. W. Morrissey vs. Eric Young vs. Johnny Swinger vs. Black Taurus vs. Rhino vs. Heath vs. Moose vs. Rich Swann vs. Matthew Rehwoldt vs. PCO – 3.0
Overall – 3.0
Best – Bullet Club vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Josh Alexander match.
Worst – The shenanigans ending to the Kenny King vs. Chris Bey match.
Show Notes – Opening Gauntlet for the Gold match hype video package was all right. King vs. Bey notable moments: Bey’s sunset dive to King on the outside. King’s leg yank counter off the top rope onto the turnbuckle counter of Bey’s top rope attack. Bey’s Torture Rack style neckbreaker to King. King’s Chin Checker, kick, & Tiger Driver combo to Bey. Bey’s rolling Slice read to King. King’s kick & Royal Flush finisher counter of Bey’s top rope attack. Match itself was a good back-and-forth action filled bout despite the ending shenanigans by Maria Kanellis. Impact Knockouts Tag title match was a solid back-and-forth bout. Young & Violent By Design backstage creepy promo about “power & control” and wanting to take all of Impact’s gold was splendid. Gail Kim’s announcement of Impact holding their first ever Queen of the Mountain match was cool. Tasha Steelz’s interruption and heated banter with Kim, Mia Yim being revealed as the final 5th competitor, & brawl with Savannah Evans, Yim, Purrazzo, Grace, & Valkyrie was all right. BC vs. Ishii & Alexander notable moments: White’s spiked DDT to Ishii. ELP & White’s back rake antics to Ishii was a bit funny. Alexander’s ankle lock counter of ELP’s German suplex. Alexander’s C4 Spike counter of White’s Bladerunner. Ishii’s German suplex counter of ELP’s suplex. Ishii & Alexander’s strikes, Alexander’s spin toss, & Ishii’s sliding lariat & brainbuster finisher combo to ELP. Match itself was a quite good back-and-forth hard hitting action bout. Briscoes backstage promo about VBD & Tag title match was all right. Gauntlet match notable moments: Maclin’s Tree of Woe style running spear to MCMG in the corner. Maclin’s The Rock style bounce sell of Shark Boy’s Stunner. Shark Boy’s double stunner to Vincent & Edwards. Morrissey got some sweet air with his chokeslam to Maclin. Morrissey’s Bossman Slam to Vincent. Young’s mask weapon strike & piledriver to Morrissey. Swinger’s mobile mini-ring entrance & Bushwhackers Rumble style elimination was funny. Maclin’s catch & toss over the ropes counter of Miguel’s Meteora. Swann’s spiked springboard cutter to Moose. Young’s smooth looking top rope elbow drop to Sabin. Young’s eye rake & piledriver finisher combo counter of Sabin’s Cradle Shock. Match itself was entertaining. This week’s show was enjoyable overall.

NJPW Strong Mutiny Night 1 (May 13)
* Team Filthy (Danny Limelight, JR Kratos, & Black Tiger) vs. Rocky Romero, Adrian Quest, & Alex Coughlin – 3.5
* 2-on-1 Handicap match- West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) vs. Fred Rosser – 3.0
* U-S-of-Jay Open Challenge match – Hikuleo vs. Jay White – 4.0
Overall – 3.5
Best – U-S-of-Jay Open Challenge match.
Worst – N/A
Show Notes – Team Filthy vs. Romero, Quest, & Coughlin 6-Man Tag opener notable moments: Black Tiger & Limelight double team Reverse U-Crusher to Romero. Kratos’s middle finger salute to the crowd & delayed body slam to Romero. Limelight & Romero’s slugfest exchange into a swift slap flooring Limelight. Coughlin & Kratos’ strikes & stiff chops fest exchange. Kratos’ deadlift suplex to Coughlin. Quest’s sommersault dive to Kratos & Limielight on the outside. Coughlin’s bridging fall-away slam to Kratos. Coughlin’s stiff lariat counter of Limelight’s running attack. Coughlin’s deadlift German suplex finisher to Limelight. Match itself was a very entertaining action filled bout. Post-match sneak attack by Kratos to Coughlin & Quest was all right. Chris Dickinson’s promo video about his upcoming match against Ren Narita was all right. Handicap match notable moments: Rosser’s back drop to Nelson onto the apron. Rosser’s running DVD to Nelson. Rosser’s double lariat counter of WCWC’s whip & doulbe team clothesline. WCWC’s slingshot & body slam combo to Rosser onto the floor. Nelson’s spinebuster & Isaacs German suplex combo to Rosser. WCWC’s running kick & brainbuster finisher combo to Rosser. Match itself was a pretty good hard hitting bout. Post-match promo by Tom Lawlor mocking Rosser, offering Rosser one final Openweight title shot if he shaved his head, Rosser shaving his head, & Lawlor changing it to a title vs. NJPW Strong career bout was great. Hikuleo vs. White notable moments: Hikuleo chucking White throat first into the guard rail. White’s chop block & leg whips into the post combo to Hikuleo. White’s apron neckbreaker to Hikuleo onto the floor. Hikuleo’s vicious whip counter of White’s whip into the corner. White’s Flatliner counter of Hikuelo’s punch. White’s Saito suplex bending Hikuleo in half. Hikuleo’s powerbomb counter of White’s punches in the corner. White’s Dragon Screw & draping DDT combo to Hikuleo on the ropes. White’s stiff chops fest into Hikuleo’s catch & stiff ripcord lariat. Hikuleo’s stiff chop flooring White. Hikuleo’s sweet snap powerslam counter of White’s running attack. White’s Bladerunner finisher counter of Hikuleo’s chokeslam. Match itself was a great physical action filled bout. This week’s show was very enjoyable overall.

NJPW Capital Collision (May 14)
* Ren Narita vs. Karl Fredericks – 3.5
* Fred Rosser, David Finlay, Tanga Loa, Yuya Uemura, & The DKC vs. Team Filthy (“Filthy” Tom Lawlor, West Coast Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson), JR Kratos, & Danny Limelight) – 3.0
* Great-O-Khan vs. Chase Owens – 3.0
* TMDK (JONAH, Shane Haste, & Mickey Nicholls) & Bad Dude Tito vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare, Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis), & Jeff Cobb) – 3.0
* Brody King vs. Minoru Suzuki – 3.5
* Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii – 4.0
* Jay White & Hikuleo vs. Kazuchika Okada & Rocky Romero – 3.5
* IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Four-way match – Juice Robinson vs. Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) – 4.0
Overall – 4.0
Best – Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii match.
Worst – NJPW production crew’s wonky camera work during the main event’s IWGP United States title match.
Show Notes – Narita vs. Fredericks opener was a very good back-and-forth action filled bout. 10-Man Tag was a really good hard hitting action bout. Great-O-Khan vs. Owens was a pretty good match. TMDK & Tito vs. United Empire 8-Man Tag notable moments: JONAH’s standing splash splatting Henare. Tito’s T-Bone suplex to Henare. Haste & Henare’s stiff kicks fest exchange. Cobb & JONAH’s hoss battle into Cobb’s dropkick into JONAH’s spear. TMDK’s Total Elimination to Davis & Thunder Valley finisher to Fletcher. Match itself was a quite good hard hitting action bout. King vs. Suzuki notable moments: King’s loud stiff chops to Suzuki at ringside. Suzuki’s fingers bend hold into the Kimura Lock to King. King’s running splash & cannonball combo to Suzuki in the corner. King & Suzuki’s stiff chops fest exchange. Suzuki & King’s forearms fest exchange into King’s German counter of Suzuki’s running boot. King’s swift lariats & brutal looking Gonzo Bomb finisher to Suzuki. Match itself was a very good hard fought action bout. Kingston vs. Ishii notable moments: Kingston & Ishii’s loud stiff chops duel. Kingston’s Flatliner counter of Ishii’s forearm strike. Kingston’s machine gun chops to Ishii in the corner. Ishii’s Saito suplex counter of Kingston’s lariat. Ishii & Kingston’s open hand slaps fest exchange into Kingston’s suplex into Ishii’s suplex in return. Kingston’s Uranage to Ishii. Kingston’s Half Dragon suplex to Ishii. Kingston’s Uraken into Ishii’s head butt into Kingston’s Uraken flooring Ishii. Ishii’s stiff lariat & spiked brainbuster finisher combo to Kingston. Match itself was a great physical action filled battle. Liio Rush’s surprise appearance was cool. Bullet Club vs. CHAOS notable moments: Hikuleo’s stiff chop flooirng Romero. Hikuleo chucking Romero hard into the corner. Romero’s Tornado DDT counter of Hikuleo’s powerslam. Hikuelo’s big boot to Okada. Okada’s modified Air Raid Crash to White. Romero’s running lariat to White in the corner & suicide dive to Hikuleo. White’s dodge & Bladerunner finisher counter of Romero’s Slice Bread. Match itself was a very good back-and-forth action bout. IWGP US title notable moments: Juice’s new Bullet Club-based entrance theme & gear is cool. Moxley’s back drop counter of Ospreay’s piledriver on the stage. Juice’s cannonball to Tanahashi into the barricade. Ospreay’s chops & spinning backbreaker to Moxley. Moxley’s Half Dragon suplexes to Ospreay. Juice’s ref distracted chair shot counter of Ospreay’s handspring attack. Tanahashi’s Dragon Suplex to Juice & Ospreay. Ospreay’s 450 Splash to Tanahashi. Moxley’s piledriver counter of Ospreay’s Stormbreaker was cool. Tanahashi’s High Fly Flow to Moxley into Juice’s Pulp Friction to Tanahashi into Ospreay’s Oscutter to Juice into Moxley’s Death Rider to Ospreay. Tanahashi’s High Fly Flow to Moxley breaking up his sleeper choke on Ospreay. Ouch at Juice after splatting hard onthe floor from Moxley’s shotgun dropkick from the apron. Tanahashi’s Slingblade to Moxley on the apron. Ouch at Tanahashi whacking his face on the floor from his High Fly Flow to Moxley onto a table on the outside. Juice’s nut shot & HHB finisher counter of Ospreay’s Hidden Blade. Match itself was a mostly great action packed match despite the buzzkill shenanigans ending. Ospreay getting screwed again by ref pin count issues was funny though. Capital Collision was a great show overall.

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Weekly Awards:

• Best match of the week – Eddie Kingston vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW Capital Collision)
• Best match of the week runner-up – IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Four-way match – Juice Robinson vs. Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) (NJPW Capital Collision)
• Worst match of the week – Sonya Deville vs. Alex Bliss (WWE RAW)
• Worst match of the week runner-up – Damian Priest vs. Finn Balor (WWE RAW)
• Best show of the week – NJPW Capital Collision
• Worst show of the week – WWE RAW