Tag Team Battle Royal
Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler win
5/10
- This is the best they could do for The Revival, The OC, and a bunch of others.
- This is a terrible mess. Forgotten Sons out first, Lucha House Party next.
- Roode tackles Imperium's Aichner out of the match.
- Revival get double dropkicked out by Street Profits.
- It comes down to Street Profits, Ziggler and Roode.
- Roode pushes Ford off the top to the apron. Roode tosses out Ford to win the match
- Smackdown is up 1-0-0
NXT Cruiserweight Championship
Lio Rush (c) defeated Kalisto and Akira Tozawa
5.5/10
- A great Spanish Fly hits early.
- Tozawa helps Kalisto hit a Salida Del Sol on Lio Rush, but cracks Kalisto with a knee after.
- Lio is almost pinned, but Kalisto breaks it up after a Tozawa senton.
- Lio wins with the Final Hour on Kalisto, right after Kalisto got Tozawa with an SDS
- This was a sprint, as it should have been
- NXT is tied with Smackdown 1-1, Raw has 0 wins.
Tag Champ Showcase
Viking Raiders defeated Undisputed Era and New Day
6.25/10
- It's weird to see any of these guys on the Kickoff show, because they're all over.
- As will be the case in any of these matches tonight, the action is very fast.
- Erick suplexes Fish in filthy fashion into O'Reilly. I love that that counts as an official tag.
- Ivar DRILLED Big E with a spin kick. Big E suplexes Undisputed Era.
- Kofi Kingston being WWE Champion, much less one of the stronger booked ones in recent memory, feels like it's never mentioned on TV.
- Super Mushroom stomp for New Day, but the pin is broken up.
- German Suplex/springboard clothesline gets Big E. Ivar sells his knee after, and is taken out quickly after.
- Viking Raiders do the Viking Experience on Undisputed Era sandwich-style and win.
- All are tied 1-1-1
Team NXT defeated Raw and Smackdown
Rhea Ripley, Canidce LeRae and Io Shirai survive
5.5/10
- Toni, Logan and Lacey start off. I'm glad they don't have these women wrestling in their shirts, but most have color-coded gear.
- Logan doesn't go for a pin for some reason.
- Carmella, Io and Kairi are in, and Carmella can't get their attention.
- Dana Brooke joins the fold, and has some newish gear. It's clear this was set up to help Dana and Sarah get a little shine.
- A whole lot of nearfalls, but nothing solid.
- Rhea Ripley gets an insane ovation. She's armbarred by Asuka, but Bianca break it up.
- A series of signature moves unfold.
- Io Shirai and Candice are carried out of the match.
- Bianca pins Nikki Cross by putting her feet on the ropes. Charlotte had avoided a face off before.
- Dana Brooke and Sarah Logan maximizing their shine in their minutes and I'm glad. Logan gets a great flying knee to the outside.
- Belair eliminates Logan with a 450.
- So many of these face-offs feel special. It's why I want to see some "first time only" matchups on PPV instead of them always being used up on hour 2 of Raw.
- Carmella super huracanranas Charlotte onto Bianca. Natural Selection pins Carmella.
- Sasha pins Kairi Sane with a Meteora, and Asuka beats Dana Brooke with a head kick.
- Asuka and Charlotte Flair go at it and there's DISSENSION.
- Asuka spits Charlotte Flair with the mist, and leaves. Lacey Evans beats Charlotte with a Women's Right.
- That leaves Natalya, who had been getting a push, then had her team split without a reason, then lost to Asuka in under five minutes on Raw. She pins Lacey.
- Natalya and Sasha double submit Toni Storm. They hit a Hart attack on Bianca Belair to beat her.
- Sasha turns on Natalya and beats her. It's down to Rhea and Sasha Banks.
- They have a great exchange. Sasha does a great Meteora.
- Hanging Cloverleaf from Ripley turned into a Banks Statement.
- Candice LeRae and Io Shirai come help Ripley. In that case, Asuka should still be in the match, yeah?
- Io hits a dropkick and Rhea gets Riptide for the win.
- They need to make some sense of these tags and pin break ups. No dq, why tag?
- Main roster shows have a way of not making sense, or making you wonder if they actually do make sense, just nobody cared to explain what was happening and if it was legal
- A 15 woman elimination match was always going to be overbooked, but why not just make it 3 vs. 3 vs. 3?
- This went from good to overbooked fast.
- NXT IS UP 2-1-1
MID-CARD TITLE SHOWCASE
Roderick Strong defeated Shinsuke Nakamura (w/ Sami Zayn) and AJ Styles
6/10
- Sami Zayn dancing in the strobe light to Nakamura's theme is great.
- This is strike heavy, and good at that.
- Styles hits his moonsault reverse DDT and an Ushigoroshi.
- In the ring right now -- former Royal Rumble winners, IWGP Champs, Wrestle Kingdom headliners, ROH Champs, TNA Champs, NWA Champs, WWE Champs.
- There's a stupid ass Doomsday Kick spot, and Nakamura lands on Strong's knee.
- Strong plays possum and cracks Nakamura with a knee after Zayn attacks AJ.
- CM Punk chants. Not one you'd expect for this match.
- Styles jumps over Strong to hit a Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura.
- Nakamura suplexes Roddy onto Styles' FACE, but Styles breaks up the pin.
- Phenomenal Forearm on Nakamura, but Roddy steals the pin!
- NXT leads 3-1-1
NXT Championship
Adam Cole (c) defeated Pete Dunne
8/10
- Dunne works the fingers of Adam Cole early, including a NASTY stomp of Cole's elbow.
- Cole goes after Dunne's knee.
- Dunne is able to get a Bitter End, but Cole kicks out.
- Spot of the show so far -- Cole's superkick to Dunne during a moonsault.
- Dunne can't win with a Pearl River Plunge.
- Panama Sunrise on the apron!
- Dunne is back in, but another Panama Sunrise hits out of a Bitter End. Last Shot and Cole wins!
WWE Universal Championship
The Fiend (c) defeated Daniel Bryan
6.75/10
- This dumbass red light.
- Fiend is destroying Bryan. Clotheslines, tackles, throwing suplexes.
- Bryan fights back with a knee off the apron. Bryan dives from the top to the outside.
- Bryan gets great offense and is beating the brakes off Bray with strikes.
- Yes chants galore, Bryan hits a knee, but Fiend kicks out.
- The crowd is ALL about this match and all about Daniel Bryan. This is great.
- Fiend catches Bryan with a Mandible Claw midair.
- This was really good.
Survivor Series Match
Team Smackdown defeated Team NXT and Team Raw
SOLE SURVIVOR ROMAN REIGNS
7.75/10
- The crowd loves WALTER. Him posing after cleaning house is stupid, though.
- My god, they beat Walter in like three minutes with a Claymore. Wow.
- Cody Rhodes trademarked Bash at the Beach so WWE went and trademarked that Stardust outfit and gave it to Ricochet, I see.
- Give me five solid minutes of Gable and Matt Riddle chain wrestling and a hose to cool myself off cause I'LL BE SWEATIN.
- Owens pins Gable with a Frog Splash.
- Tommaso Ciampa DDTs Owens and pins him.
- RKO on Ciampa and Priest, and Priest is pinned.
- Riddle rolls up Randy Orton and pins him. Orton gets pissy and RKOs him. Corbin mops up and pins.
- Keith Lee and Strowman mow each other down, then McIntyre hits a Claymore to get Braun counted out.
- Ricochet is incredible and takes out everyone in amazing fashion. He walks right into an End Of Days and gets pinned.
- Baron Corbin has the most protected finisher in WWE and keeps making it better.
- A GREAT assisted facebuster from Ali and Seth Rollins.
- Corbin argues with Ali and gets him Stomped and beaten. Corbin doesn't try to help him.
- Team Smackdown is imploding.
- Rollins' suicide PUSH is weak.
- Reigns spears Drew and HE GONE.
- Reigns Spears Corbin and Ciampa pins him.
- Rollins and Reigns team up and Keith Lee stops a Shield Powerbomb on Ciampa.
- Ciampa powerbomb backbreakers Rollins, but it's a two count. Rollins Stomps him and pins him.
- A Frog Splash can't beat Lee, and he Death Valley Hammers Rollins! KEITH LEE PINS ROLLINS!
- They just MADE Keith Lee!
- Lee kicks out of two Superman Punches!
- Lee ALMOST beats Reigns with a seated Last Ride. Reigns is the master of the 2.9
- Spear and a win. Outstanding.
- Graves said "it's a matter of time before we catch NXT and eclipse them for the night"
- HOW? You all gonna book bonus matches?
- Keith Lee bows to Reigns and Reigns fist bumps him.
WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar (c) (w/ Paul Heyman) defeated Rey Mysterio
6.25/10
- IT IS TIME. Stem Cell Rey vs. No USADA Brock. I am so ready.
- Mysterio grabs a pipe, but it's no good, cause he gets suplexed all around outside.
- Lesnar stomps a board onto Rey. He suplexes Mysterio onto a pipe.
- Dominic comes out to throw in the towel for Rey.
- Rey and Dom beat the shit out of Lesnar with chairs and weapons.
- TWO FROG SPLASHES! I AM EMOTIONAL
- Oh, Brock hits an F5 and wins.
- Good shit anyway.
Women's Championship Showcase
Shayna Baszler defeated Bayley and Sasha Banks
5.75/10
- Baszler methodically works over which is in the ring.
- This is a significantly slower pace than we've seen all night. The crowd is having a tough time adjusting.
- Disarmher applied on Bayley, but Baszler breaks it up, and follows with her gutwrench slam.
- Becky Lynch breaks up a slam with a top rope dropkick.
- Bayley is running the apron and gets caught in a Kirafuda Clutch, but Becky breaks it up with a powerbomb.
- Disarmher applied, then countered into the Kirafuda, and Bayley is disposed of along the way. It doesn't stop her, though.
- Becky is sent into the announce table by Baszler.
- Bayley placed in a Kirafuda, but does the Bayley 2 Back. She falls right back into it during a flying elbow drop.
- Shayna Baszler gets the tap!
- The crowd wasn't as into this, but it was still good.
- NXT Wins 4, to Smackdown's 2, to Raw's 1.
- Becky Lynch attacks Baszler after the match and leg drops her though the table.
- She says "THIS IS MY FUCKIN' SHOW"
Rating guide
10- Perfect, 9- MOTY Territory, 8- Excellent, 7- Great, 6- Good, 5- Average to above average, 4- Slightly below average, 3 or below: Poor
Each match starts at a 5 and slides up and down based on entertainment, execution, time, environment, reaction and stakes. The ratings are in no way an indication of a "star rating," which is a completely different system. A standard, non-offensive "TV match" lands at a 5. The gap between 5.75-6 is generally the largest, with anything reaching 6 being recommended viewing.
These are opinions, and incredibly inconsistent ones that may change upon a second viewing, or sitting on the match for a period of time. Don't take them too seriously, and have (and share) your own!
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