SmarKdown's Blog

WWF RAW October 18 1993 Review (The Savage & Crush Summit)

Randy Savage Crush Summit RAW October 18 1993 Review Custom Poster

October 18, 1993
Location: Poughkeepsie, New York, USA (Mid-Hudson Civic Center)
Announced attendance: unknown
TV rating: 3.0 [up 3.5% from the previous week’s 2.9 rating]

Hey there everyone. Welcome to another RAW review. After Razor Ramon’s Intercontinental Title win last week, RAW continues its run of stacked shows in October. This week, we have the highly anticipated confrontation between Randy Savage and the returning Crush. Plus, we have The Steiners, Bam Bam Bigelow, Tatanka and more in action.

Here is the list of WWF champions heading into this episode:

WWF Champion: Yokozuna [127^th day of his 2^nd reign] – previous champion: Hulk Hogan
WWF Intercontinental Champion: Razor Ramon [7^th day of his 1^st reign] – previous champion: Shawn Michaels, before it was vacated
WWF Tag Team Champions: The Quebecers (Jacques & Pierre) [35^th day of their 1^st reign as a team (Jacques’ 1^st individual reign & Pierre’s 1^st individual reign] – previous champions: The Steiners (Rick & Scott Steiner)

Note: in title matches, the defending champions are underlined

Enjoy the review!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Randy Savage

Advertisements

The broadcast begins with an over-the-top video package narrated by Vince McMahon comparing recent WWF events (including this week’s Savage/Crush summit) to historic summits like Reagan/Gorbachev. You can feel the energy in Vince’s voice doing these packages!

RAW’s intro plays and the announcers discuss tonight’s show.

The Steiners (Rick & Scott Steiner) vs. Tony DeVito & PJ Walker

Scott overpowers DeVito rather easily to start. Scott with a dragon suplex and he forces to tag to Walker. Rick comes in for The Steiners as well, and he hits a just incredible powerslam to Walker. Scott destroys poor Walker with the Steiner Screwdriver before bringing DeVito back in. Scott continues to have fun with a tilt-a-whirl slam. The Steiners finally put DeVito away with the Doomsday Bulldog at 3:08.

Winners: The Steiners

Rating: Energetic squash from The Steiners as always. 3/4*

Meanwhile, the WWF hosts a voting on whether Shawn Michaels should be reinstated or not. Diesel gives us the reasons why we should vote “yes” while Mr. Perfect encourages us to do the opposite.

Irwin R. Schyster vs. Scott Taylor

The announcers tells us Crush is close to the arena and as soon as he arrives we’ll see the summit. IRS hits a suplex early into the match. Taylor nearly steals the win with a sunset flip, but IRS is back in control with a chinlock. IRS releases the hold due to the ‘Irwin’ chants and he applies an abdominal stretch instead. The referee catches him cheating on the ropes, and IRS immediately puts Taylor away with the Write-Off clothesline at 3:30.

Winner: IRS

Rating: This was quite boring, especially after the explosive squash from The Steiners. 1/4*

We see the first WWF RAW vignette of the debuting Jeff Jarrett. Wrestling comes easy because he was born in the business, but his real love is actually country music. He plans on using the WWF to become a successful musician.

Tatanka vs. Iron Mike Sharpe

Tatanka is still undefeated. They show up a clip of Tatanka’s confrontation with Ludvig Borga this past weekend. Iron Mike Sharpe pisses the fans off before the match begins. Tatanka outwrestles Sharpe, who grabs the ropes to break. Meanwhile, Randy Savage talks about hoping his friendship with Crush doesn’t go south like his friendship with that “backstabber” Hulk Hogan did. Anyway, back to the match. Sharpe with a few shots, Tatanka GOES ON THE WARPATH, makes the comeback and finishes with the Not Samoan Drop at 3:00.

Winner: Tatanka

Rating: The highlight was Randy Savage talking about Crush and Hulk Hogan. This match was really just there while that happened, to be frank. Tatanka’s undefeated run had lost its appeal at this point. 1/4*

Survivor Series Report w/ Joe Fowler

Fowler explains the rules of Survivor Series
He announces the main event of the PPV – All Americans (team captain Lex Luger, The Steiners & Tatanka) vs. Foreign Fanatics (team captain WWF Champion Yokozuna, WWF Tag Team Champions The Quebecers & Ludvig Borga)
In the co-main event, The Hart Family (Bret, Owen, Bruce & Keith with Stu Hart in their corner) vs. Jerry Lawler & His Knights

Meanwhile, Crush has arrived and he’s with Bobby Heenan. Nothing screams heel turn more than that!

Main Event

Advertisements

Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Luna Vachon) vs. Dennis Diamond

Just as the match begins, Bobby Heenan comes back to ringside and the announcers talk about Crush the whole time. Bigelow drops Diamond with a suplex. Bigelow beats him up some more while Vince McMahon announces 65% of the fans don’t want Shawn Michaels’ suspension to be lifted. Bam Bam hits an enziguiri followed by a corner dropkick. Bam Bam’s slingshot splash finishes Diamond at 3:01.

Winner: Bam Bam Bigelow

Rating: Another meaningless squash while the announcers talked about everything but the in-ring action. 1/4*

Diesel pleads with the fans to vote “yes” whether they want to see Shawn Michaels back or not.

Crush comes to the ring for the summit accompanied by Mr. Fuji. Macho Man can’t believe it when he sees it.

Randy Savage/Crush summit

Advertisements

Bobby Heenan is interviewing Crush in the ring while Savage is on the announce table at ringside. Crush starts by saying they were great friends and he listened to Savage word for word. When the student passed the teacher, Savage couldn’t handle it. People like Heenan and Master (not Mister) Fuji made Crush see the light. Crush says Savage encouraged Crush to get into the ring with Yokozuna and promised to be there if anyone interfered. There was outside interference in that match and Savage did nothing despite being on commentary that night. Yokozuna delivered several Banzai Drops on the injured Crush, and still Savage did nothing.

READ & WATCH: Yokozuna Vs. Crush (WWF RAW, July 12, 1993, Review)

Advertisements

When Crush was injured, Master Fuji made him see the light and now he realizes Savage wanted Crush out of the WWF for good. Savage finally gets up and enters the ring to confront Crush. Macho Man says Crush is making a mistake and he wants to talk about this somewhere else without the “two goofs” around. Savage offers a handshake and they milk the hell out of it. When Heenan tells Crush not to do it, Crush shoves Heenan and tells him to shut up, which gets a pop from the crowd. Crush finally shakes Savage’s hand and Savage’s theme song starts playing. Bobby Heenan joins the announce table and immediately starts insulting Crush right away! Crush raises Savage’s hand at ringside and… Crush clotheslines Savage.

The heel turn is official now. Crush delivers a gorilla press slam onto the railing. Meanwhile, Yokozuna & Jim Cornette come down to the ring. Crush continues the beatdown all over ringside as Savage bleeds from the mouth. Then, Crush drags Savage into the corner so Yokozuna can destroy him with the Banzai Drops, much like it’d happened to Crush a few months earlier.

Advertisements

McMahon announces the results of the voteline: 64% of the fans don’t want Shawn Michaels reinstated.

Next week: Marty Jannetty vs. The 1-2-3 Kid (that will probably be great), Diesel, Ludvig Borga and Crush will all be in action as well.

Finally, McMahon announces Savage suffered a tongue laceration. Heenan makes fun of it as we go off the air.

END OF THE SHOW

Final thoughts: This episode was all about the summit, and that segment did deliver. With that said, though, the squash matches on this program were sacrificed since the announcers talked about nothing but the summit as well as the Shawn Michaels voteline. Still, the summit was well done and Crush’s heel turn moments after shaking Savage’s hand caught the people off guard. Overall, this was a decent episode of Raw that could’ve been better with more intense squashes such as The Steiners’. 6/10

POINT SYSTEM

Click here to know more about the point system and how it works.

Wrestler	Result	Rating	Main eventing	Extras	Total
Scott Steiner	1	0.75	0	0.5	2.25
Bam Bam Bigelow	1	0.25	1	0	2.25
Rick Steiner	1	0.75	0	0	1.75
IRS	1	0.25	0	0	1.25
Tatanka	1	0.25	0	0	1.25

Advertisements

That’s all from today’s post. Make sure you don’t miss the WCW Halloween Havoc 1993 review, which is coming up next here on the blog. Also, don’t miss any of the Raw reviews coming up soon. Thank you all for reading. See you next time!

Written by:

Tomás Cunha

The Top 10 Matches Of Sid Eudy

On 26 August 2024, the wrestling world lost another great legend of the sport. Sid Eudy AKA Sid Justice, Sycho Sid and Sid Vicious was an almighty titan, famed for his ferocity, brutish strength, intimidating facial expressions and memorable promos. With such presence and charisma, Sid was hugely popular with audiences around the globe.

We at SmarkDown pay tribute to the legacy and memory of Sid Eudy. And are the Top 10 matches of Sid’s career.

Advertisements

10) Sycho Sid Vs. The Undertaker – WWE Championship Match (WrestleMania 13)

Admittedly, this WrestleMania main-event is ranked very low in the history of WrestleMania main-events. And it did suffer from an appalling lack of build-up, due to the originally-booked rematch between Shawn Michaels & Bret Hart falling through.

Advertisements

But despite the lack of a proper storyline – other than The Undertaker’s quest to become WWE Champion again after over five years – it remains one of the biggest matches of Sid’s career and his second & final WrestleMania main-event. The bout itself is worth watching for the sheer physicality between the two seven-foot-tall, three-hundred-pound titans, and The Undertaker finally getting his long-awaited return to the throne.

9) Sycho Sid Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match (WWE Raw – 11.09.1995)

Sid was one of Shawn Michaels’ most personal rivalries in the nineties, and it all started when Sid returned to the WWE in February 1995, becoming the new-bodyguard of The Heartbreak Kid. After Michaels’ failure to become WWE Champion at WrestleMania 11, Sid went Sycho on his boss, resigning with THREE brutal powerbombs on Michaels.

Fast-forward to the 11th September, 1995 episode of Raw, Shawn was again the Intercontinental Champion, and now had to defend his title against his ex-bodyguard. The two would have better matches together in the future, but this was a very good David-&-Goliath TV bout, with Shawn managing to prevail with Sweet Chin Music for the hard-fought victory.

8) Sycho Sid Vs. Mankind – WWE Championship Match (WWE Raw Is War – 03.03.1997)

After Sid won his second WWE Championship in February 1997, The Master & Ruler Of The World took on all-comers week-after-week leading up to WrestleMania 13. One of these challengers was the deranged & dangerous Mankind, who had a title shot in Berlin, Germany.

Advertisements

As soon as the bell-rang, the two vicious wrestlers engaged in a ferocious brawl, with Sid hammering down on Mankind with thunderous blows and uncanny speed, and Mick Foley retaliating with vicious offence and the Mandible Claw. This bout is noteworthy for being such a rare-meeting between two legends, and Mankind again proving a legitimate threat to the WWE Title. Sid retained with the Powerbomb in a great brawl indeed.

7) Bret “Hitman” Hart Vs. Sycho Sid – WWE Championship Match (WWE Raw Is War – 17.02.1997)

IMG Credit: WWE/YouTube/Immortal Classics

In the chaotic run-up to WrestleMania 13, Shawn Michaels was forced to vacate the WWE Championship due to injury. Bret Hart was subsequently able to win his fourth WWE Championship at In Your House: Final Four, but had to defend the belt the next night on Raw against Sycho Sid, who was owed his rematch from losing the belt at the 1997 Royal Rumble.

It was very hard for The Hitman to have bad matches with anyone, and Sid put in a very good performance against Bret. After a back-and-forth tussle, The Hitman seemed poised for victory after trapping Sid in the Sharpshooter, but a wild chair-shot from Bret’s arch-nemesis Steve Austin turned the tide in Sid’s favour, allowing him to Powerbomb Hart and win his second WWE Championship.

6) Sycho Sid Vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart – Steel Cage Match For The WWE Championship (WWE Raw Is War – 17.03.1997)

The situation going into WrestleMania 13 became all-the-more-volatile upon Bret Hart losing the WWE Championship to Sycho Sid twenty-fours after winning it at In Your House. On the final Raw before WrestleMania 13, Bret would get his rematch against Sid for the WWE Title in a steel cage.

If the stakes weren’t high enough, both Bret and Sid were already booked to wrestle against Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker respectively. This brutal cage match became wilder as both Austin and the Phenom interfered on behalf of their respective opponents to try and secure a WWE Championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Eventually, Sid was able to prevail against Bret thanks to The Undertaker. And a furious Hitman cut a scathing promo afterwards, inciting a massive brawl between all four wrestlers.

Advertisements

5) Sid Vicious Vs. Goldberg – WCW United States Championship (WCW Halloween Havoc 1999)

IMG Credit: WWE/Tape Machines Are Rolling

When Sid returned to WCW in 1999, he was determined to leave a trail of destruction in his wake. Capturing the United States Championship at Fall Brawl, Sid Vicious seemed unstoppable heading into the new millennium. Alas, the self-appointed Millennium Man hadn’t reckoned without Goldberg.

The one wrestler who could threaten and demolish Sid made for an exciting match on paper, and their US Title showdown at Halloween Havoc was a bloody, violent affair. With Sid having already been busted open earlier on in the night by Goldberg during a backstage brawl, the US Champion fought valiantly against the relentless Goldberg. Ultimately, Referee Mickie Henson was forced to stop the match when Sid was unable to continue, and award Goldberg his second US Title.

4) Sycho Sid Vs. Shawn Michaels – WWE Championship Match (Royal Rumble 1997)

The feud between Sycho Sid and Shawn Michaels had become beyond personal in 1996 when Sid attack Shawn’s mentor/trainer Jose Lothario at the Survivor Series, then hit Shawn with a TV camera before finally powerbombing The Heartbreak Kid to take the WWE Championship. In this highly-anticipated rematch at Royal Rumble 1997, Shawn at last had his chance for revenge.

Advertisements

In this wild & chaotic showdown, Sycho Sid dominated the challenger throughout most of the bout. But The Heartbreak Kid refused to cave in. Eventually, after multiple referees being incapacitated by Sid, Michaels finally returned the favour by hitting the champion with a TV camera. Then he nailed Sweet Chin Music to reclaim the WWE Title and avenge his mentor in front of 60,477 of his proud, fellow Texans in Shawn’s hometown of San Antonio.

3) Sycho Sid Vs. Bret “Hitman” Hart – WWE Championship Match (In Your House: It’s Time)

Sid’s first WWE Title defence on pay-per-view since winning the belt at Survivor Series 1996 came a month later at In Your House. His opponent was none other than Bret Hart, who had earned the right to face the WWE Champion after triumphing over Stone Cold Steve Austin at the same event where Sycho Sid had won the championship.

As has been chronicled in numerous entries on this list, Sid and Bret would wrestle each other many times over the WWE Championship, but their best match together was definitely at It’s Time. In a back-and-forth match, The Hitman seemed poised for victory, and may have actually recaptured the gold if Austin and Shawn Michaels hadn’t interfered. Sid cemented his dominance over Bret with a Powerbomb, and would continue to do so over the next few months.

2) Sid Vicious Vs. Chris Benoit – WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match (WCW Souled Out 2000)

IMG Credit: WWE/Classic Wrestling Review

Obviously, this match isn’t discussed much nowadays because of the inexcusable Benoit Tragedy. But this bout for the vacant WCW World Title still remains a terrific match that is easily Sid’s best match throughout his whole WCW tenure.

With Benoit at the height of his technical prowess, and Sid again being a dominant, terrifying force, the two produced a masterful bout. After nearly fifteen-minutes, Benoit was able to catch Sid Vicious in the Crippler Crossface to win his only WCW World Heavyweight Title. However, Benoit would walk out of WCW twenty-four hours later with Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero and Perry Saturn for the WWE, and the WCW World Title was vacated once again.

Advertisements

1) Shawn Michaels Vs. Sycho Sid – WWE Championship Match (Survivor Series 1996)

It was undoubtedly Sid’s finest hour. In Madison Square Garden, Sycho Sid had a one-on-one opportunity against WWE Champion Shawn Michaels. Ever since winning the title at WrestleMania 12, Shawn had turned back all challengers and was unquestionably the Wrestler of 1996.

But in the match of his life, Sid was finally able to take his place in history. With the MSG crowd firmly on his side (despite him being the heel), Sycho Sid became WWE Champion after an epic twenty-minutes, destroying both Shawn and his mentor Jose Lothario, and with the fans unanimously declaring him The Man, The Master And The Ruler Of The World.

What were YOUR favourite matches of Sid Justice/Sycho Sid/Sid Vicious? Please share with us in the comments below.

All of us here at SmarkDown pay our deepest respects and condolences to Sid Eudy’s family and loved ones.

REST IN PEACE, SID EUDY. 1960-2024

Advertisements

ROH Death Before Dishonor 2024 Review

Athena and Billie Starkz were imposed with a duo of Queen Aminata and Red Velvet for their respective championships, Mark Briscoe and Roderick Strong revisited history with the ROH World Championship on the line, and Atlantis Jr. was met with a plethora of threats for the ROH Television Championship. Much more happened in ROH’s latest pay-per-view from E-Sports Stadium in Arlington, Texas and everything will be reviewed in this article.

Singles Match: Komander w/Alex Abrahantes vs. The Beast Mortos

.@KomandercrMX & @Taurusoriginal pushed each other to the limit in the opening match for Death Before Dishonor!

Watch #ROHDBD on demand exclusively on #HonorClub! Sign up today at https://t.co/8dcdtxr3sN pic.twitter.com/mUzbeyjKIS
— ROH – Ring of Honor Wrestling (@ringofhonor) July 27, 2024

Credits: Ring of Honor

The Beast Mortos def. Komander by pinfall in 13:31

The chemistry was great between these luchadors, but there was a mild feeling of holding back from going even crazier. Maybe I’m typecasted to lucha wrestling a lot, but both men have the potential to show out better than what was done here. As much as I enjoy the work of Komander all over AEW & ROH, Beast Mortos needed this win more as the freshly brewed beast of the roster.

Rating: 3.5/5

ROH World Tag Team Championships Match: The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) [C] vs. The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly & Tomohiro Ishii)

The Undisputed Kingdom (Mike Bennett def. Kyle O’Reilly by pinfall) retained the titles in 19:41

As light-headed as the storyline’s impact was, the in-ring performance saved this match from being another lame attempt to put the tag champions in the PPV. Kyle & Ishii worked excellently as a duo and inflicted an intense dose of offense on the heels. On the other hand, Kingdom worked its way to shine the brightest in a while until the dusty finish. I’m not sure of the next steps in this brewing enmity between the Don Callis Family/The Conglomeration that ruined the ending of an otherwise awesome match.

Rating: 4/5

Texas Death Match: “Legit” Leyla Hirsch vs. Diamanté

Leyla Hirsch knocked out Diamanté in 15:41

This was a great encounter that worked as a proving ground for both women to scale up in the roster. From the start, the treatment of two badass women reaching the high district of hardcore action suited their caliber and elevated them to a more formidable stature than before. Even though the execution of spots took time, it was a wild collection of weapons and crazy moments that encapsulated the stipulation’s ideology.

Rating: 3.75/5

Pure Rules Match for the ROH Pure Wrestling Championship: Wheeler Yuta [C] vs. Lee Moriarty

Lee Moriarty won the title by pinning Wheeler Yuta in 19:56

Finally, the Pure Wrestling division met a hard reset with a brand-new champion! No disrespect to Yuta and his work as the champ, but his injuries fared the worst out of this reign by barely making it to any show of ROH for the past six months. Nonetheless, the quality was never in doubt as both men proved time after time that they’re some of the best budding technicians in the field currently. The utilization of Pure Rules was masterfully done, especially during the finishing stretch that suited Moriarty’s edginess to win the title and bolster his standard as a prominent figure in the brand.

Rating: 4.5/5

ROH Women’s World Television Championship Match: Billie Starkz [C] vs. Red Velvet

Red Velvet pinned Billie Starkz to win the title in 14:56

Probably, this was the best match of Velvet’s career and the credit goes to her time spent in ROH to evolve both as an in-ring talent and as a character. The same can be said for Billie after doing the same but more quickly and attractively. Coming off the coattails of the hottest act of ROH, the ladies weren’t ready to take a step back for the hugely pictured story. Their chemistry was great making this match a treat of rising stars proving who’s the better of both. With the neck injury fakeout, I’m glad that Velvet was presented as a smart babyface to not buy into the action which made her victory more convincing. For someone who’s been hustling so long, this was a well-deserved podium finish for Velvet so that Billie could be upscaled to a newer and bigger stage.

Rating: 4/5

ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championships Eliminator Match: Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich & Ross Von Erich) vs. The Dark Order (Evil Uno, John Silver & Alex Reynolds)

Dustin Rhodes pinned Alex Reynolds for the victory in 14:24

For a story that was worked at the last minute, this was a fun way of including nostalgic plug-ins to the show. Dustin and Uno are severely undermined in AEW’s deep roster, and utilizing them in a platform like ROH fares the better for both. Adding in the younger generation of the Von Erich bloodline was a nice way to polish them for the bigger picture despite having a lot of areas to construct and refine. Dark Order was a rad group of sick heels that were psychotic and worked well in seeking huge levels of heat. Considering the opponents in line for the gold, Dustin & Von Erichs’ win made sense, but I would’ve loved to see Dark Order reaping benefits for their work so far.

Rating: 3/5

Survival Of The Fittest Match for the ROH World Television Championship: Atlantis Jr. [C] vs. Brian Cage vs. Lio Rush vs. Shane Taylor vs. Lee Johnson vs. Johnny TV

Atlantis Jr. survived last to retain the title in 19:11

I don’t get the reason why Fletcher was made to drop the TV Title on a sudden CMLL show when this show was around the corner to make that alliance stronger. To add, I’m not as interested in Atlantis Jr. even though the name is historically high in the Mexican wrestling scene. Following the build of the competitors ahead of this battle, my money was on Shane Taylor so that STP could be reformed as a force to reckon with, but there were different plans in store. The clear favorites being eliminated too early hurt this match on a major scale as they brought the best for a strong core to lead a lackluster final stretch. No disrespect to the caliber, but John and Cage were treated as canon fodder to the more important names and Atlantis didn’t feel like one.

Rating: 3.75/5 (only because of the exciting first half)

ROH Women’s World Championship Match: Athena [C] vs. Queen Aminata

Athena pinned Queen Aminata to retain the title in 20:15

Similar to Velvet, this is the best showcase of Aminata in her short rise to prominence in the roster. The major credit goes to the champion herself, Athena for lighting a fire in the challenger’s heart to flesh out as a hungry prospect who proved to be ready for the step-up. Since it was a slow burn, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea but the action was stiff and gruesome. Athena as the homecoming lass emitted the opposite reaction to her work on Aminata, opening a shadow of nervousness in Aminata’s retaliation phase. The finish didn’t sit well initially, but after sinking the teeth in, it feels like a poetic work between Athena and Billie is in the making.

Rating: 4.25/5

ROH World Championship Match: Mark Briscoe [C] vs. Roderick Strong

Mark Briscoe pinned Roderick Strong to retain the title at 19:31

Despite receiving a short time and attention in the mainstream broadcast, this rivalry crunched in a lot of history between these two and their journey to where they are currently. Harkening back to the nostalgic significance, this match had a wild atmosphere, unlike the rest of the card from the get-go. Both men fought tooth and nail, blistered heavy strikes, and even led to a crimson mask endorsed by the champion. Strong thrived and delivered his best showing in a long time while Briscoe’s adored character played so well in eyeing him as a fantabulous underdog. Even though the interferences were a bit much, it didn’t shy away from the fact that it’s far from over.

Rating: 4.25/5

Overall Match Rating: 3.75/5
Overall Show Rating: 8/10

Match of the Night: Wheeler Yuta vs. Lee Moriarty
Highlight of the Night: Classic main event
Weak Link of the Night: N/A

Overall Thoughts

This was another successful PPV under the banner of Ring of Honor, which has been a recurring theme even though the weekly show on HonorClub is barely prominent. The answers to some of the major questions in AEW’s booking decisions are right here, especially cementing the primary champions as strong frontrunners for wrestling fans to sink their teeth and follow up constantly. Even, the structure and the pacing served better for the PPV and the more compact atmosphere was the cherry on the cake’s top. If this momentum was maintained and somehow factored in its way to enhance the flaws in AEW, ROH would become its old self of being sought after by all generations of fans.

What are your thoughts on this pay-per-view? Leave a rating and chime your thoughts in the comments section below.

Until next time, enjoy wrestling and life!

WWF RAW October 11 1993 Review (Razor Ramon Vs. Rick Martel)

Custom poster for WWF WWE RAW October 11 1993

October 11, 1993 Taped show (on September 27, 1993)
Location: New Haven, Connecticut, USA (New Haven Coliseum)
Announced attendance: ca 5,500
TV rating: 2.9 (USA Network) [same as the previous week’s rating]

In the fallout of last week’s 20-man battle royal, Razor Ramon and Rick Martel battle over the vacant Intercontinental Championship on RAW. Plus, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express and more in action.

Here is the list of champions in WWF heading into this episode: (considering the air date)

WWF Champion: Yokozuna [120^th day of his 2^nd reign] – previous champion: Hulk Hogan
WWF Intercontinental Champion: vacated [for 14 days] – previous champion: Shawn Michaels
WWF Tag Team Champions: The Quebecers (Jacques & Pierre) [28^th day of their 1^st reign as a team (individually: Jacques’ 1^st reign & Pierre’s 1^st reign] – previous champions: The Steiners (Rick & Scott Steiner)

Note: in title matches, the defending champions appear underlined

Enjoy the review!

Your hosts are Vince McMahon, Bobby Heenan & Randy Savage

The episode begins with a spectacular video package narrated by Vince McMahon promoting tonight’s Intercontinental Championship match.

RAW’s intro plays immediately after that package.

The announcers talk about the upcoming title match. Heenan picks Martel while Savage thinks Ramon will win. The referee is in the ring with the championship belt in hand and we’re ready for action.

Razor Ramon vs. Rick Martel

WWF Intercontinental Championship

Martel gets in Razor’s face and he gets the toothpick in his face in return. They lockup, Martel wrestles Razor down and bitchslaps him in the back of the head. Razor overpowers Martel and pounds away in the corner. Martel brings it to Razor as well, but he gets caught as Razor hits the fallaway slam. Martel bails for a while. Back in, Martel takes over with a headlock but Razor uses his power and places Martel on the apron. The referee asks for a break, Razor blocks Martel’s cheapshot attempt and slams Martel back inside the ring the hard way. Razor stays on top with big shoulderblocks while going after Martel’s arm. Ramon with an aggressive armbar, but Martel escapes the hold and we take a break.

Commercial break

We return with Martel ramming Ramon backfirst into the edge of the ring apron. Bodyslam on the floor and Martel takes a second to taunt the fans back inside the ring. He’s still selling the arm in his celebration, which is a great detail. Martel whips Ramon into the turnbuckle a number of times and delivers a backdrop suplex. Martel covers with his feet on the ropes but gets caught by Earl Hebner. Martel stays in control, driving his knees into Ramon’s back which sends Ramon into the turnbuckle. Boston Crab by Martel, but Razor makes it to the ropes to escape. Sidewalk slam by Martel and he applies the Boston Crab in the middle of the ring. Great counter by Ramon who explodes right into a pinning position for two. Martel rolls over into his own pin for two, and Martel hits a dropkick for another nearfall. The crowd is very much into it. Ramon blocks a kick by Martel and takes him over to the corner for a backdrop superplex, but Martel elbows him off. Martel comes down with a high crossbody, but Ramon lands on top for two. A clothesline takes Razor down and Martel gets two. Razor avoids a backdrop with a knee smash. He’s thinking Razor’s Edge, Martel tries to fight it but Ramon eventually hits it (to a gigantic pop!) and wins the IC Title at 10:42.

Winner & new Intercontinental Champion: Razor Ramon

Rating: We could be talking about how good of a match this was – because it was really good – but the awesome crowd reaction and Ramon winning the title are what elevate this to the next level. It was one of the best moments of the first year of RAW’s history. Like I said, the match itself was great too. There was good psychology with Martel targeting Ramon’s back throughout the bout, while Ramon went after Martel’s arm. Ramon’s strength also came into play multiple times here, and it proved to be the deciding factor as he muscled Martel up for the Razor’s Edge while Martel desperately tried to avoid it. This felt like a struggle and it was a tremendous title match on free TV. ***3/4

After the match, Ramon celebrates his first title win with the fans still going crazy. Razor Ramon wants us to “say hello to the new Intercontinental Champion”! This was a great title win and a very special moment that the crowd loved to see.

The Headshrinkers (Fatu & Samu) (w/ Afa) vs. Sid Curtis & Tommy Morrison

The match begins with Samu unloading on both jobbers. Gutwrench suplex by Samu. Fatu comes in with a superkick and a headbutt. He throws Curtis outside for a slam by Samu on the floor while Fatu distracts the referee. Back in, The Headshrinkers destroy the poor guy some more. They hit a double clothesline before forcing the tag so they can destroy the other guy as well. They beat up Morrison and Fatu finishes with the Flying Splash at 3:49.

Winners: The Headshrinkers

Rating: A regular squash with The Headshrinkers destroying both guys quite easily. 1/2*

Owen Hart vs. Scott King

It’s been a while since Owen last had a singles match here on RAW. Owen works on the arm to start before throwing a clothesline. Owen with a hammerlock, which Scott King escapes with an elbow smash to the face followed by a shoulderblock. Owen quickly turns things around and hits a dropkick. Suplex by Owen as he’s in full control now. Gutwrench suplex followed by a delayed vertical suplex. Owen goes up top and hits a flying elbowdrop. He hits the chinlock for a while before delivering an overhead suplex. Owen follows it up with a missile dropkick and finishes King with a northern lights suplex at 3:38.

Winner: Owen Hart

Rating: Another decent squash here. Nice to see Owen showing off his skills on RAW. 3/4*

Ludvig Borga interview

Vince McMahon is in the ring to conduct this interview. Borga cuts your foreign heel promo as he calls Lex Luger a loser who already got his chance at SummerSlam. Lex Luger comes out to confront Borga and he gets a pretty big pop. Luger is tired of Borga’s anti-American comments while he collects a paycheck in America. Luger is ready to go now and teach Borga some respect, but Borga says he only fights when it’s worth it and he walks away. This segment was nothing crazy but the crowd absolutely loved Luger and elevated it.

Adam Bomb (w/ Harvey Wippleman) vs. Russ Greenberg

Adam Bomb is now managed by Harvey Wippleman after only a few months with Johnny Polo. Bomb chokes away in the corner as Savage claims he’s an “obvious contender” to the new IC Champion Razor Ramon. Not really, but okay. Bomb on the attack and he hits a dropkick. Slingshot clothesline. Greenberg shows some life with a few weak punches, and Bomb puts him back down with a backdrop suplex. The Adam Smasher powerbomb puts Greenberg away at 2:34.

Winner: Adam Bomb

Rating: Fine squash. 1/4*

Main Event

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs. Duane Gill & Barry Hardy

Morton & Gibson come out with the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Championship belts. This is their debut match on Raw. There’s a small “rock and roll” chant at the start of the match. Gibson takes Hardy down with an enziguiri. Running kneelift by Morton. Duane Gill gets tagged in and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express hit a variation of the Hart Attack on him. Hardy breaks up the pin at two. Hardy goes after Morton from there and Earl Hebner does nothing, apparently forgetting the rules of tag team wrestling. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express comeback with some double-team moves and a double dropkick finishes Hardy, with Gibson getting the pin at 2:18.

Winners: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express

Rating: A fine way to introduce Morton & Gibson. It could’ve been better, but it was just a two-minute squash after all. 1/4*

We see a recap of Razor Ramon’s title win earlier tonight.

Next week: the still undefeated Tatanka, IRS, The Steiners and Crush’s return.

END OF THE SHOW

Final thoughts: This episode was all about the Intercontinental Title match between Rick Martel and Razor Ramon. Their match was fantastic and ate up most of the episode, so it has to be considered a good show. The rest of the show was filled with the usual squashes, which were fine. The confrontation between Lex Luger and Ludvig Borga was basic, but the crowd reaction elevated it. Fun episode of RAW with a very good Intercontinental Championship bout. 7/10

POINT SYSTEM

Find out how the point system works by clicking here.

Wrestler	Result	Star rating	Main eventing	Extras	Total
Razor Ramon	1	3.75	0	2	6.75
Rick Martel	-1	3.75	0	0	2.75
Robert Gibson	1	0.25	1	0.5	2.75
Ricky Morton	1	0.25	1	0	2.25
Fatu	1	0.5	0	0.5	2
Owen Hart	1	0.75	0	0	1.75
Samu	1	0.5	0	0	1.5
Adam Bomb	1	0.25	0	0	1.25

That’s all from me today. Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Make sure you don’t miss any of the upcoming reviews here on the blog. Until next time, everyone!

TNA Slammiversary 2024 Review

Moose’s odds of retaining the TNA World Championship were put in doubt, Ash by Elegance faced her biggest test in the Knockouts Champion, Jordynne Grace, and the hometown hero, Mike Bailey challenged Mustafa Ali for the X-Division Championship. More happened in what was billed as a historic night for TNA in years as Slammiversary concluded from the Verdon Auditorium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The Countdown

Four Way Match: Xia Brookside vs. Tasha Steelz vs. Gisele Shaw vs. Faby Apache

Tasha Steelz pinned Xia Brookside to win in 6:38

This was a fun sprint that could’ve gone either way considering the talent involved. After going through a commendable transformation as a character, I had my money on Gisele Shaw to come out victorious but Tasha’s cagey instincts suited her demeanor to steal the win. Apache had a pretty good showing for the time given, and it would be great to see her often in TNA.

Rating: 3/5

Singles Match: KUSHIDA vs. Rich Swann (replacing Jonathan Gresham)

KUSHIDA def. Rich Swann by Submission at 6:45

Firstly, kudos to KUSHIDA for paying homage to Hakushi through a change in appearance. It would’ve meant more if Gresham still made it to the PPV, but for a last-minute fill-in, Swann did a great job. Their chemistry was very good and reminded me of WWE’s cruiserweight division in 2016 – nicely paced, back-and-forth bolts of action. If it was Gresham, the result could’ve gone either way to cement the characters but KUSHIDA’s win here added momentum to progress his change of skin.

Rating: 3/5

TNA Knockouts World Tag Team Championships Match: Masha Slamovich & Alisha Edwards [C] vs. Spitfire (Dani Luna & Jody Threat)

Alisha Edwards pinned Jody Threat to retain the titles in 8:46

After a while, this rivalry felt meaningful even though the division was slim. It feels like the titles are holding a place for the crossover with NXT to work better, and having an unlikely yet formidable duo like Slamovich & Alisha feels sensible. I hope that this case is resolved sooner so that Slamovich can be pushed up to singles stardom again.

Rating: 3/5

To wrap it up, Santino Marella appeared as the Director of Authority and hyped the crowd ahead of the PPV. Then, he announced a surprise match to happen and one of the competitors was…

.@TheEricYoung is in Montreal for his 10th #TNASlammiversary!

WATCH the Countdown To #TNASlammiversary NOW on TNA+: https://t.co/C3XHeq5v6c pic.twitter.com/hUWzzifpn4
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) July 20, 2024

Credits: TNA Wrestling

Canada’s own, Eric Young!

Singles Match: Eric Young vs. Hammerstone

.@alexhammerstone is BACK!

WATCH the Countdown To #TNASlammiversary NOW on TNA+: https://t.co/C3XHeq5v6c pic.twitter.com/lTVdowiMSO
— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) July 20, 2024

Credits: TNA Wrestling

Eric Young def. Hammerstone by Pinfall in 5:27

It was a safe way to rope in another hometown hero in EY through a surprise match, but having Hammerstone as his opponent was questionable initially. After sinking the teeth at the result, it was a fine way to elevate Hammerstone as the next monstrous villain.

Rating: 2.5/5

The Main Show

Singles Match: Matt Hardy vs. JDC

Matt Hardy def. JDC by Pinfall in 4:37

This match was expected to be a short, uncomfortable match because of Matt’s conditioning. JDC’s heat segments carried a good chunk of the match and the finishing stretch made sense after what happened to Jeff and Reby in the previous weeks.

Rating: 1.5/5

TNA World Tag Team Championships Match: The System (Eddie Edwards & Brian Myers) [C] w/Alisha Edwards vs. ABC (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)

Ace Austin pinned Brian Myers to win in 16:42

The energy was sky-high and in favor of the challengers, even though The System controlled most of the match by cornering Austin. ABC’s lightning offense, The System’s calculative and varied defense, and Alisha’s constant interferences blended for an old-school classic. ABC needed this win more than The System not only to bring a reset to the division but also to create a magical possibility with a crossover match with NXT as part of the alliance.

Rating: 4/5

Singles Match: Mike Santana vs. Jake Something

Mike Santana def. Jake Something by Pinfall at 11:34

This was a great exhibition match between these two that were off the track from the World Title qualifiers. I’ve been a huge follower of Jake’s work and he never fails to impress, but Santana’s potential to put on a blast in a singles environment is surprising. Nonetheless, he deserves to shine in a prominent stage like TNA after what he went through. The action was stiff and frenzy, giving a feel of a battle of bulls that suited both men’s styles. Santana’s win boosts his momentum to the next level, and the future is bright for the former stalwart of LAX.

Rating: 3.5/5

Six-Man Tag Team Match: The Rascalz (Wes Lee, Zachary Wentz & Trey Miguel) vs. No Quarter Catch Crew (Charlie Dempsey, Myles Borne & Tavion Heights)

Zachary Wentz pinned Tavion Heights for the win at 14:05

It felt wholesome to see The Rascalz back together in TNA, and it looked like they never missed a step. Dempsey and his crew were great as the technical maniacs that carry huge potential to be a marquee trio in NXT. Their control segments added more mileage to the ‘sympathy’ scale for Rascalz, and the homecoming trio’s comeback was exciting as usual. I hope that this isn’t a ‘one night only’ reunion and stays for a distinct length.

Rating: 3.75/5

Montreal Street Fight for the TNA Digital Media Championship & International Heavyweight Wrestling Championship: AJ Francis [C] w/Rich Swann, Smoke DZA & Josh Bishop vs. PCO

PCO def. AJ Francis by Pinfall at 13:50

Until a few hours before the PPV, I had fewer hopes for this match and thought it could be a stinker. But the stipulation change fared the better of both men to go wild in front of a raucous crowd. PCO as the homecoming hero did his usual crazy selling, while Francis showed his betterment for the most even though there were a few hiccups. The excessive interferences from Francis’ valets and Sami Callihan & Rhino’s counterstrikes were nicely done to seek a great pop from Montreal. Story-wise, PCO’s win was deserving after Francis bought the IHW Championship that alluded to PCO so much, and Steph De Lander’s post-match proposal to PCO was ridiculously entertaining.

Rating: 3.5/5

TNA Knockouts World Championship Match: Jordynne Grace [C] vs. Ash By Elegance w/George Iceman

Jordynne Grace def. Ash By Elegance by Pinfall in 12:16

Despite the lukewarm build to the storyline, this was Ash’s best match including her run in WWE. She needed some time to breathe in and show what was in her arsenal, but when the footing was found, it was game on for the formerly known Dana Brooke to showcase a competent style of action. On the other hand, Grace was the dominant champion who shattered Ash’s chances of pulling off the upset through her insane display of power. As much as there’s a chance for the rivalry to continue, it’s slowly starting to realize that a bigger or more powerful name has to step up and impose a genuine threat to Grace and I’m curious to see who it’ll be.

Rating: 3.25/5

TNA X-Division Championship Match: Mustafa Ali [C] w/Campaign Singh vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey

Mike Bailey def. Mustafa Ali by Submission in 20:22

This was a fantastic showcase of high-octane action which has been the theme of the X-Division all these years. Ali’s run as the President of Pro Wrestling reached its peak form by bringing a sadistic edge throughout this rivalry, and Bailey was genuinely excellent as a sympathetic babyface. In-ring wise, there wasn’t any doubt in these lads to disappoint, but the final stretch that was an ode to The Montreal Screwjob felt wild to see. Of course, the stars involved had no direct connection to history, but the characters and the crowd worked amazingly. Honestly, I didn’t expect Ali to lose, but since the division has enriched with fresh talent and the initiation of the NXT crossover, things are bound to be even more amazing.

Rating: 4.5/5

Six-Way Elimination Match for the TNA World Championship: Moose [C] vs. Joe Hendry vs. Steve Maclin vs. Josh Alexander vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Nic Nemeth

Nic Nemeth eliminated Frankie Kazarian last to win the title in 30:52

Firstly, kudos to TNA and the stars involved for piecing together the puzzle board into a scintillating main event. It was skeptical initially to see how it would boil down, but the consistent switch between talents in the spotlight gave an unpredictable feeling of being anyone’s ball game. Once the eliminations started to kick in, there were huge surprises in Hendry eliminating Moose and Alexander turning heel by ditching Hendry’s chances with a dirty tactic. The latter surprised the most, but it made the most sense from Alexander’s perspective as he hadn’t lost the World Title properly when he was the champion. Another huge yet positive curveball is offering Nemeth the victory. After being in the circuit for months, it was a well-earned payoff for the formerly known Dolph Ziggler to rejuvenate as a prominent main eventer in the American wrestling scene. If it wasn’t for Hendry’s game-changing momentum, I would’ve rooted for Nemeth so I’m happy for him!

Rating: 4.5/5

Overall Match Rating: 3.25/5
Overall Show Rating: 8/10

Match of the Night: Mustafa Ali vs. Mike Bailey
The Highlight of the Night: The wild climax of the main event
Weak Link of the Night: N/A

Overall Thoughts

It’s been a minute since TNA has attracted this level of buzz since the rebranding and well-deserved is an understatement for the promotion. Every division had a cohesive story to get engaged and root for, resulting in a fabulous card of matches that ranged from being good to excellent. Every theme was touched upon – let it be a ridiculously booked brawl, a fascinating homecoming, or a roller-coaster ride of a main event. To top it all, the sold-out Montreal crowd was ecstatic which was a rare sight for TNA’s shows in years as advertised. The slate is cleansed with almost a fresh lineage of champions and I’m more than curious to see their next rivalries/stories.

What do you think of this PPV? Did you enjoy it as much as I did or are there any interesting perspectives you have in mind? Chime those thoughts in the comments section below.

Until next time, enjoy wrestling and life!

Best Championship Matches of John Cena Ahead Of His Retirement

As we are familiar with the buzzing topic of the industry, John Cena has announced his official retirement from professional wrestling by the end of 2025. We’re still unaware of the journey, his possible opponents, or even championship pursuits. It’s an open book left by the legend himself and in this article, we’re bound to discuss the best matches that Cena had with every championship he has held in WWE. Now, this is completely my opinion and it is subjective to every viewer. Hence, a healthy discussion towards the end is most welcome.

Throughout his lustrous career, Cena has held almost every championship in WWE except the Intercontinental Championship. The following table illustrates the titles and the number of reigns under Cena’s resumé:

Championship	Number of reigns
WWE Championship	13
World Heavyweight Championship	3
United States Championship	5
WWE/World Tag Team Championships	2/2 (4)

Credits: Wikipedia and Cagematch

World Tag Team Championships: w/ Shawn Michaels vs. Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) – Monday Night Raw, 26/02/2007

Cena has held both the WWE and World Tag Team titles on four different occasions, and this reign was the most memorable despite falling under the “can opponents co-exist” storyline. The same happened in two of the reigns with Batista in 2008 and The Miz in 2011. The remaining was a story-driven hotshot with David Otunga as part of the Nexus storyline in 2010. Tracing back to this match, Michaels became the new #1 Contender for the WWE Championship after coming up short in the 2007 Royal Rumble by defeating Edge and Orton on the February 5th episode of Raw. Even though Rated-RKO were hungry to challenge for Monday night’s mainstream championship, Michaels saved Cena from their antics and ended up in an unusual alliance formed between them.

This was a very standard main event with all the top stars pitched in for an entertaining affair. Unlike nowadays, the tag titles were either held by teams with limited defenses or became placeholders for bigger storylines. In this match, the second case was suited but in a great way. Rated-RKO’s work was fairly good as heels while the major tease of Michaels almost misfiring the Sweet Chin Music towards Cena was buzzworthy. In the final stretch, Michaels played a smart move and made Edge fall into his trap of Orton firing his shot of betrayal, leading to the dissension of their alliance.

World Heavyweight Championship: vs. Edge – Last Man Standing Match – WWE Backlash 2009

Combining all of his reigns, the most memorable period was the build to WrestleMania 25 where Edge assaulted Kingston to win the title at No Way Out just to lose the title to Cena on WWE’s magnum opus. This was a contractual rematch by Edge and considering the hostile tension between them and the romantic angle between Edge and Vickie Guerrero, the last man standing stipulation was tied in.

This was a fantastic brawl that highlighted the great chemistry developed by them for so many years. It had the traditional first phase of a usual Last Man Standing match where every move was considered a threat to wrap it up, but once the steel steps got involved, that’s when the speed kicked in. From the moment Cena launched Edge onto a moshpit of fans with an AA, the exhilaration was wild. The finish wasn’t the best way to conclude this exceptional rivalry, but it doesn’t take anything away from the execution of such an uber-cool finish. To conclude, this would’ve been my pick for the best match of this rivalry hadn’t their classic at Unforgiven ’06 happened.

United States Championship: vs. Cesaro – Monday Night Raw, 06/07/2015

One of the finest years in Cena’s career was the period when he was the United States Champion and issued an open challenge every Monday on Raw. Some of the best moments happened during this tenure, including the main roster debuts of Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The latter’s debut became more memorable because of Owens’ demeanor as a young, brash upstart trying to kick up a notch against the veteran. Ahead of their trilogy at Battleground, this match was close to being snatched from the Swiss sensation by Owens again. But, the short yet impactful pre-match promo from Cesaro made the most sense and resulted in this exceptional battle.

This is one of the prime examples of why Cesaro was underutilized during his run in WWE. As a character, he was getting better but the in-ring performance wasn’t left in doubt on any occasion. The fact that he pushed Cena to exercise a variation in his offense proved the deepest that Cesaro must’ve had a secondary title run at least, but there’s nothing in power to change the past. Nonetheless, it was an exciting rematch from the week before because of a more focused build to the exhilarating, clean finish.

WWE Championship: vs. AJ Styles – WWE Royal Rumble 2017

After successfully defending the WWE Championship against Dean Ambrose in TLC, the new contender’s hunt was fresh and racy leading to Ziggler and Corbin quarreling for that spot. Styles’ overconfidence resulted in a three-way to cap off 2016 in style. Before that match, Cena returned after almost three months to challenge the champion at Royal Rumble. It was Styles who came out the victor of that triple threat and the stars were aligned to complete one of the most beautiful rivalries with a compelling trilogy.

There are numerous matches where Cena won the WWE Title and defended the same against some of the best, but most of them were either at his ‘rising star’ phase or as the face of the brand. In this match, he didn’t necessarily need to take the steering wheel again considering how rich the roster was, but this man stepped up and delivered another hallmark performance against one of his best rivals, AJ Styles. Again, their rivalry was all about proving who’s the better of both. In their previous encounters, Styles was cocky since he was the new shining toy, but the championship pushed both men to their limits. Honestly, I haven’t witnessed Cena that hungry and focused since 2005-09. Hence, this match and the humongous reasons behind it made it extremely special, especially when the final bell rang in favor of Cena for his 16th World Championship victory. Truly, an iconic moment in wrestling history!

What do you think of this list of matches? Do you agree that these are Cena’s best championship battles or is there a different list in your mind? Let us know in the comments section below.

Until next time, enjoy wrestling and life!

10 Dream Matches For John Cena Before He Retires In 2025

It’s been almost two weeks since John Cena announced that he’s officially retiring from in-ring competition by the end of 2025. A humongous cloud of emotions circled around the iconic star’s decision as he became an idol to a majority of the current base of fans. In this article, my perspective of the ten viable opponents whom Cena could face on his farewell tour is shared to pen a full stop to some of his stories and create new sensations that could become the faces of the industry.

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn is one of the beloved heroes in WWE’s deep roster who has naturally escalated to the position he is in right now. Of course, he had some of his best moments as a heel, especially with The Bloodline, but his real-life history and the natural ability to empathize with the fans resonated with him better as a face. Even, Cena acknowledged Zayn’s dedication to making things work and reaping the benefits at the right time (Source: TheSportster). Despite facing off a few times, the fans still adore the moment when Zayn accepted Cena’s open challenge for the United States Championship back in 2015, and squaring up once again would be a fabulous asset for Zayn to become a bonafide main eventer.

The Miz

The Miz is one of the most important rivals of Cena as he became the master to teach The A-Lister how tough it is to be in the main event picture and keep up the image. After all these years without an applaudable record of wins and losses, The Miz is still recognized as one of the formidable stars who could fill in as a fantastic villain to any other babyface. Miz expressed his gratitude to Cena for being a mentor all these years and admitted that he ‘selfishly’ wants to be a part of Cena’s farewell tour as one of his opponents (Source: CBS Sports). Despite this level of respect for each other, seeing The Miz decimate Cena one more time is a wish every fan, especially from the 2010s, would manifest and I’m one of them because it would be a great wake-up call to the current crop of fans to realize the amazing work that The Miz could bring.

Drew McIntyre

In a fair argument, most wrestling fans would come to terms that Drew McIntyre’s current run is the best of his career since his dominant return to the promotion as a mainstay in NXT. Since then, his interactions with Cena have been very limited, either in a Royal Rumble or multi-man battles. Never has been an occasion or a storyline built around these two that could’ve boiled down to an exhilarating one-on-one encounter. When Drew was the WWE Champion in 2020, he expressed his desire to face Cena stating that there was no bigger match in his mind (Source: WrestleTalk). With the current iteration of Drew as a diabolical villain and Cena’s adoration with the fans, it would be magical to see these two lock horns in the ring and through the mic.

LA Knight

LA Knight is one of the hottest acts of WWE in recent memory and despite not having many accomplishments under his resumé, his ability to connect with the fans through his promos with a strong and competent in-ring style has made him the star he is. Even though his work with Cena was short-lived, Cena studied Knight so much that it felt as if Cena was looking at a similar version of himself that grew authentically (Source: TJR Wrestling). Of course, the in-ring quality may not be the greatest, but the promos and character work ahead of the match would be amazing to not miss when there’s a chance to let these lads go and create wonders.

Bron Breakker

Out of the recent NXT call-ups in the main roster, Bron Breakker has shown the highest potential and achieved immense success so far as a vicious contender for the Intercontinental Championship. Even before debuting in the big leagues, Bron’s run in NXT cemented him as the future of the company by many legends in the business, including Hulk Hogan (Source: TheSportster). Despite having a singular confrontation during his NXT days, the potential to have a rivalry with Cena is still evident and it would be excellent for the 16-time World Champion to step out and put the successor of the Steiner family on the top of the map.

Logan Paul

Logan Paul has proved meticulously that he belongs in the wrestling world despite earning a contradictory reputation in his career as an influencer. From the incredible match quality to the supremely reactive character work, Logan’s work is nothing but commendable and to articulate this level of work in such a short time is wild. John Cena also acknowledged how impressive Logan has been within the confines of WWE, stating that his old self would’ve hated him embracing the scene. Even, both men connected on a very rooted level in one of Logan’s recent episodes of the Impaulsive podcast (Source: Fightful). Looking at the structure of both men’s characters and in-ring style, this match has all the potential to be another exceptional showing for Logan and a great way to seek more eyes of the younger generation that roots Logan’s work outside of WWE.

GUNTHER

From his dominant run as NXT UK’s primary champion to his most recent reign as Intercontinental Champion, GUNTHER has proved that he is one of the last resorts of being a pure mastermind of grounded wrestling. Also, it doesn’t hinder the improvements he’s shown as a player on the mic through recent promos on Raw. When it comes to Cena and GUNTHER squaring off, it could be a magician’s paradise to see how a story is developed between these two, but the respect that both carry for each other, especially GUNTHER who acknowledges Cena as a legend of this business is valid enough to cement The Ring General as one of the biggest stars in the main event picture for the foreseeable future.

Cody Rhodes

Undeniably, Cody Rhodes is the face of the current era of WWE because of the way he rebuilt himself after his exit from the company in 2014 and contributed as the protagonist to one of the best storylines in the last few years alongside Roman Reigns. Just like he said, he had to finish his story and the reach of that story was magnanimous and led to several legends playing their part, including Cena himself. Cody has expressed his gratitude to Cena for being an immaculate mentor in understanding this industry and evolving as a great human being (Source: Ringside News). To upscale the fact that Cody has become the face of the company, a rivalry with Cena possibly for the WWE Championship could be the perfect way to elevate the former AEW mainstay to an iconic stature.

CM Punk

It’s hard to find a soulmate in general and it’s the same in the wrestling world as well. When it comes to Cena’s rivals, one of the best to date is arguably CM Punk. It dates back to 2011 in Chicago and that’s where one of the best rivalries in the promotion’s history began. Let it be a titular championship match at a Pay Per View or a highly staked match on Monday Night Raw, both men’s chemistry in the ring is magnificent and to prove this, Punk expressed that he ended up in a ‘marriage’ with Cena (Source: WrestleTalk). The final encounter between these legendary stars happened on an episode of Raw in 2013, and Cena promised to be a part of Raw’s debut on Netflix. Do I smell deja vu?

Randy Orton

As fans, it’s understandable that the previous opponents have a valid background to face Cena, but it is destined for his greatest rival, Randy Orton to face him on this journey at a vital point. With or without a championship, being or not being in the main event, being overlooked or overexposed as poster stars – these two barely failed to amaze the crowd in both ways and play an important part in each other’s careers. Harkening back to this rivalry, there has never been an occasion where these lads locked horns for a title at WrestleMania, the biggest stage of wrestling! Even, Orton expressed his desire to have that match which is a ‘dream scenario’ not only for him but also for most fans (Source: Fightful). If the foundation is carefully built, it’ll be a picture-perfect finish to Cena’s career and possibly Orton’s by delivering a nostalgic closure to this epic rivalry.

What do you think of this list? Do you agree with these stars becoming potential opponents for Cena in his final year? Let your thoughts know in the comments section below.

Until next time, enjoy wrestling and life!

WWE NXT Heatwave 2024 Review

Trick Williams met his toughest challenge as the NXT Champion, Oba Femi & Wes Lee were poised to curb their tension, and Lola Vice stepped into Scotiabank Arena with a focused goal of dethroning Roxanne Perez for the Women’s Championship. All of this and more ensued in this Premium Live Event from Toronto, Canada.

The Countdown

Tag Team Match: Karmen Petrovic & Arianna Grace vs. Jacy Jayne & Jazmyn Nyx

Petrovic and Grace won (Petrovic pinned Jazmyn) in 7:40

It was nice to see the hometown heroine, Grace pick up a win alongside Karmen. Even though it wasn’t the most engaging storyline, the in-ring work was crisp and on point to warm up the crowd. Jacy has outdone herself as a snarky villain, and despite eating a surprising loss, it was cool to see her stay prominent. The same could be said for Karmen as she’s stepped up to a commendable level in a short time. Grace and Jazmyn did their part well enough and the crowd was sound enough to acknowledge their efforts.

Rating: 2.5/5

The Main Show

NXT North American Championship Match: Oba Femi [C] vs. Wes Lee

Oba Femi pinned Wes Lee to retain in 16:19

It’s another day for Mr. Femi to show his dominance and climb up the rankings of the division, and to show this kind of upscale at this stage is wild. With that being said, Wes Lee must be appreciated a lot because of his gifted athleticism and expressive nature. His evolution as a top-class solo prospect has been amazing to watch, and I’m confident that he will thrive in the big leagues one day. This match was expected to work under the David vs. Goliath formula which was done magnificently by these lads. As much as I would’ve loved another underdog triumph, Oba’s stature is too risky to break at this point. I’m curious to see where Wes will be headed and who will step up to impose Oba.

Rating: 4/5

NXT Women’s North American Championship Match: Kelani Jordan [C] vs. Sol Ruca

Kelani Jordan pinned Sol Ruca to retain in 11:37

I have to take back my doubts off Kelani ever since she won the title at Battleground because she outshined someone who was majorly considered as the inaugural champion-to-be at the said event. Coming with a gymnastics background, Kelani was outstanding and never gave away the feeling of being nervous in her first singles match at a PLE, and the same can be said for Ruca who has shown tremendous progress in her work. It reminded me of a classic Black And Gold match considering its treatment where both women tried to ace up their sleeves by pulling something better than the previous move. As much as this match deserved to crown Ruca, Kelani thwarted the doubts and cemented her stance firmly as the underdog on the mountaintop.

Rating: 4/5

NXT Tag Team Championships Match: Axiom & Nathan Frazer [C] vs. Chase U (Andre Chase & Duke Hudson)

Axiom pinned Andre Chase for the team to retain in 16:49

This is probably the best match for both teams and for the titles in a long time. The main issue of Axiom doubting Frazer’s plans of accomplishing as a singles star rather than a tag champion was nicely addressed as the duo regained composure and went ballistic as usual despite meeting a halt with Frazer’s accidental superkick to Axiom. That doesn’t mean disrespect to Chase U as they replied in the most frenzied way possible, melting the audience to a raucous applause. I’m glad that Chase U never lost an ounce of momentum and still prevails as one of the hottest acts of the brand. The works for a dissension between the champs have begun, but tonight wasn’t the first step.

Rating: 4.25/5

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Roxanne Perez [C] vs. Lola Vice

Roxanne targeting Lola’s arm to avoid being wrecked by the latter’s spinning back fist was a great way to let the crowd sympathize with Lola and root for her. Both women worked their way to deliver a great back-and-forth encounter which went out of control towards the end, cementing Roxanne’s character deeper as an emotional wreck. Even the miscued Pop Rox in the final sequence suited her wackiness, and as curious as I feel to see her next challenger, there’s a mild feeling that the story between these two is far from over.

Rating: 3.75/5

Fatal Four Way Match for the NXT Championship: Trick Williams [C] vs. Ethan Page vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Shawn Spears

Ethan Page pinned Je’Von Evans to win the title in 17:24

After such a fantastic showing, every single individual in this match deserves to stay in the main event for the foreseeable future. Especially, to see a bright upstart like Je’Von at the age of 20 step up and outshine the rest was incredible. Keeping his performance aside, the remaining three stars evolved to superstardom by holding their respective forts and delivering exceptional performances. The thin lines of Trick & Ethan’s unsettled tension and Spears’ underestimation of Je’Von were played coyly, but the bigger story is Ethan escaping out of Toronto with the title! I’m happy that they pulled the trigger on his turf in the most surprising way and I’m extremely curious to see the repercussions in this title picture.

Rating: 4.5/5

Overall Match Rating: 4/5
Overall Show Rating: 10/10

Match of the Night: Fatal Four Way for the NXT Championship
Highlight of the Night: Massive tease from Joe Hendry
Weak Link of the Night: N/A

Overall Thoughts

Call me a crazy fellow, but this show reminded everyone how magnificent NXT has been recently considering the number of people that undermined after the repackage. From the radical opener to the ballistic main event, all the matches were incredibly done with the right winners leaving Toronto with the respective championships. The biggest surprise is Ethan Page pulling off a sub-consciously smart way to win the main title followed by a clueless yet crazy tease from TNA’s Joe Hendry. There were zero disappointments out of this PLE and, to be frank, NXT smoked the main roster after a while by delivering an all-timer!

What are your thoughts on this Premium Live Event? Chime in your opinions in the comments section below.

Until the next write-up, enjoy wrestling and life!

WWE Money In The Bank 2024 Review

The Money in the Bank briefcases met new prize holders, Damian Priest faced his most tedious challenger in Seth Rollins, and The Bloodline cemented their dominance in the gnarliest way possible in the freshly wrapped up spectacle from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Ladder Match for the Men’s Money in the Bank Contract: Jey Uso vs. Drew McIntyre vs. LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Andrade vs. Chad Gable

Drew McIntyre won the contract in 16:30

From the start, this match expressed a feeling of unpredictability as every star had the right reasons to win the contract which is unusual as a clear winner would’ve been depicted before the match even happened. In terms of in-ring action, it was never in doubt as all men brought their best, worked at a breakneck pace, and delivered another fluidic war. McIntyre was my pick since he needed this to steer his story forward and fingers crossed to see if it actually worked!

Rating: 3.75/5

Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn [C] vs. Bron Breakker

Sami Zayn def. Bron Breakker by pinfall in 13:14

This was a casual day for Sami as he was in his comfort zone working from under against a beastly prospect in Bron. The Toronto crowd was amazing as anticipated for their hero, but it didn’t favor majorly in this one-sided affair. Bron’s dominant stature was in full effect and when the three-count occurred to close out, it felt like Sami barely survived. As much as I love the underdog from the underground, this moment fell in place for the iconic successor of the Steiner family and it looks like this enmity is far from over.

Rating: 3.5/5

To everyone’s surprise, John Cena appears to announce that he’s officially retiring next year! For the last time, he thanks Canada in collective for making him feel special and pushing WWE to their best by staying loyal. The rumors highlighted Cena’s presence around Toronto, but I never expected him to announce his retirement tour like this! To witness one of, if not, the greatest ever step in that squared circle go through his swansong is a bittersweet yet iconic journey to embark on.

BREAKING NEWS: John Cena announced at #MITB he will retire from in-ring competition in 2025.#ThankYouCena pic.twitter.com/6TPnYI5iU2
— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2024

Credits: WWE

Thank you, Cena!

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest [C] vs. Seth Rollins

Damian Priest pinned Drew McIntyre (cashed-in mid-match) to retain in 15:47

McIntyre winning the contract and tying it in with this match just to get swerved by Punk was a divisive opinion for a majority of the fans. For me, it felt like the perfect way to utilize this year’s briefcase rather than another long, slow-burn build to a future contender. Even before that segment, the match itself was objectively very good. The pacing was great and filled with nicely executed high spots that amped up the crowd perfectly to the masterful crescendo. There was a visible hiccup on Priest’s cue during the pinfall, but they recovered easily. I can’t wait to see the Drew/Punk saga elevate to the stage of a brutal war.

Rating: 3.75/5

Ladder Match for the Women’s Money In The Bank Contract: Lyra Valkyria vs. Iyo Sky vs. Naomi vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Chelsea Green vs. Zoey Stark

Tiffany Stratton won the contract in 16:50

It wasn’t the smoothest, but it was definitely the most dangerous women’s match I’ve seen in a while. The stipulation and the execution of all the high spots were insane despite having a few hiccups here and there. Apart from the hometown heroine in Chelsea, Tiffany makes the most sense in winning considering the stardom she has achieved on short notice and that doesn’t mean anything bad for the rest as they knocked it out of the park through their performances, especially Iyo as a rampaging acrobat and Naomi as a crafty veteran.

Rating: 4/5

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton & Kevin Owens vs. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Jacob Fatu) w/Tonga Loa

The Bloodline won (Solo Sikoa pinned Cody Rhodes) in 24:38

Firstly, my condolences to Owens’ mother for fighting her battles in health and staying alive and kicking. This was the night of Owens by the storyline and by emotions and he aced it. Meanwhile, Jacob Fatu was fantastic in his debut as advertised – being a mean monster! The Bloodline worked with Owens excellently to generate immense heat towards the restructured faction that was much needed for weeks. Cody & Randy did their usual power-packed moves with ease and the lead-up to a chaotic final stretch was cool, but it would’ve meant more had the match served with a stipulation before or similar to a switch in Backlash. Even though Loa’s interaction was forgettable, the villains overcame that hurdle and stood tall in the best way possible.

Rating: 4/5

Overall Match Rating: 3.75/5
Overall Show Rating: 8/10

Match of the Night: Women’s Ladder Match
Highlight of the Night: Incredible upscale of the Punk/Drew saga
Weak Link of the Night: Questionable ending between Zayn/Breakker

Overall Thoughts

Another PLE, another success for the new era’s calendar! Despite having a division of opinions on certain endings and moments, the baseline is that the event was unforgettable in different ways. The women took huge leaps forward this year for the MITB contract whereas the men’s match took a backseat, diverted to an immediate yet safe route, and served the best layer of buildup before the beginning of the actual physicality. Sami’s victory was mildly expected to happen considering his opponent’s stature, but I’m still curious to see how it’ll be taken forward. The Bloodline became the most imposing crew if they weren’t before, thanks to the amazing debut of Jacob Fatu. Overall, a divisive string of results completed the event on a high note nonetheless.

What are your thoughts on this Premium Live Event? Chime in your opinions in the comments section below.

Until the next write-up, enjoy wrestling and life!

WWE Clash At The Castle 2024 Review

Drew McIntyre comes home to reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship off the shoulders of Damian Priest, Cody Rhodes & AJ Styles push each other to the extreme in an I Quit match, and more incidents that unfolded at Glasgow will be covered in this joint review by myself, Prince Osborne and fellow team member, Ben Boorman.

“I Quit” Match for the Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes [C] vs. AJ Styles

Cody Rhodes made AJ Styles quit at 27:46

Prince Osborne: These men built excellent chemistry as rivals, and this match stood out with a distinct difference from their French encounter. The action was very old-school, the intensity was on a skyrocketed level, and most notably, the Scottish crowd was blazing! The introduction of a crimson mask did add more weight to the personal wedge that’s been built around and to top that off, Rhodes’ mother had a great interaction with Styles. Albeit the textbook ending, this fight kicked off the show on a magnificent note.

Rating: 4.5/5

Ben Boorman: It was brilliant to see double blood spots from both guys which have been unheard of in WWE over the last 15 years. The crowd was into everything both guys did, especially the heat segments by AJ were insane. Cody continues to deliver mega matches in his title run and even teased a bit of “Homelander” Cody with the ending that was perfectly delivered. The scene after the match with Cody & Solo suggests something in the works between those two or maybe a 6-Man Tag with Tonga Brothers and Randy/KO, creating lots of different directions for Cody’s title run to go now.

Rating: 5/5

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships: Bianca Belair & Jade Cargill [C] vs. Shayna Baszler & Zoey Stark vs. Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn

Isla Dawn pinned Shayna Baszler to win the titles in 12:16

Prince Osborne: These women were building onto something that looked like a wild sprint, and that feeling was created because of treating this as an actual triple-threat match so kudos on that detail. Jade’s slip-ups had a nice recovery but it made things worse to give off an upsetting yet beautiful homecoming victory for Alba & Isla. The Scottish duo deserves this platform to show their capabilities and this reign could work wonders for them, possibly continuing this story in a different style.

Rating: 3/5

Ben Boorman: A decent showing from everyone involved, good action all-round, great back and forth and everyone intercepting everyone’s pinfall attempts, and a genuine surprise and great moment when Alba & Isla won. A celebration that got everyone choked up with Alba losing her mother in a car accident a month ago, it was beautiful to see everyone happy for a great team to win the tag titles.

Rating: 3.25/5

Intercontinental Championship Match: Sami Zayn [C] vs. Chad Gable

Sami Zayn pinned Chad Gable to retain in 22:16

Prince Osborne: It was a slow burn in terms of in-ring competence, but the story of Gable’s manipulative mind in dealing with Alpha Academy reached its peak here. The emotions were excellently expressed by all, especially Otis who’s prepping up for the big breakout. You can’t doubt both of these lads’ potential to deliver a miraculous mat classic, but they let the story breathe in to generate the needed buzz from the audience, and it was a huge success! I can’t wait for the huge payoff and the final nails to be punched in the coffin.

Rating: 4.75/5

Ben Boorman: This was amazing! Sami is the perfect underdog champion fighting underneath and Gable is on the run of his life. The story with Gable and Otis is the hottest thing going on in WWE right now. Gable using both the cross-face and the diving headbutt definitely reminded fans of someone from the past and the exchanges of wrestling are just gold. These two could feud forever and I wouldn’t get tired of the matches. The ending furthers the eventual split with Otis and Maxine leaving at the end and Sami hitting the Helluva Kick for the win. The death stare from Gable afterward suggests hell is coming Otis’ way on Monday night.

Rating: 5/5

WWE Women’s Championship Match: Bayley [C] vs. Piper Niven

Bayley pinned Niven to retain in 13:34

Prince Osborne: Bayley’s workhorse run as the blue brand’s empress continued as she fought another great battle against the hometown heroine in Piper. As much as I loved Bayley’s performance, it was Piper who outshined the champ for a brief moment which gave room to dwell a feeling of taking the victory. Chelsea as the valet was phenomenal, bringing great moments of relief from the tensely built matchup. As surprising as the finish looked, it made the most sense to have a competitor like Piper take a tainted loss rather than a standard decisive loss.

Rating: 3.75/5

Ben Boorman: Bayley is the MVP of Women’s wrestling right now and delivered with every opponent; great to see Piper given a PLE match to show how great she is in the ring, brilliant work, great back and forth showing Bayley using unorthodox moves to try and beat Niven, Chelsea Green hilarity is brilliant on the outside the whole time and her running back with the mask on is great comedy moments. Also afterwards the fact Bayley acknowledged Piper gives Piper some genuine credibility and shows she should be featured more heavily on TV in the future.

Rating: 3.75/5

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Damian Priest [C] vs. Drew McIntyre

Damian Priest pinned Drew McIntyre to retain in 20:16

Prince Osborne: This was a fever-pitch moment for Glasgow where their hero was set to lock horns against a champion who was in dire need of a statement victory to thwart the “paper champ” doubts, and they delivered certainly what was requested! Even though there was a scary incident that repercussed Priest’s physique, Drew played his part flamboyantly to recover from that and progress the scale to a seething fight. It was a tooth-and-nail collision that could’ve gone either way even before the dramatic ending. Speaking of something dramatic, the excitement scale was officially broken for me when Punk popped in as the guest referee to ruin Drew’s plan all over again. I can’t wait to see how the final payoff will be led even though the Scottish audience left the Hydro on a livid note.

Rating: 4.5/5

Ben Boorman: They survived a big scare early when Priest went for a dive and got caught in the ropes. Both managed to work around and got through but Priest was hobbling on his ankle for the rest of the match. It was a big fight with lots of strikes, where eventually, the ref went down and Drew hit the Claymore, no ref until another “ref” arrived, counted to 2 but stopped because it was actually… CM Punk. With a smirk, he low blows Drew and allows Priest to beat Drew again just like at WrestleMania. A bold call but ultimately Drew/Punk is a hot enough feud that it doesn’t need the World Title and Priest needs more victories to legitimize his run as Champion.

Rating: 4.25/5

Overall Match Rating
Prince Osborne: 4/5
Ben Boorman: 4.25/5

Overall Show Rating
Prince Osborne: 9.5/10
Ben Boorman: 9/10

Match of the Night: Sami Zayn vs. Chad Gable
Highlight of the Night: Alba Fyre & Isla Dawn’s beautiful Homecoming victory
Weak Link of the Night: Jade Cargill’s unfortunate slip-ups

Overall Thoughts

Prince Osborne: Just like the Wales edition, this event was encapsulated with an ample amount of matches that meant the most to take place and every match’s purpose and story was presented magnificently. Starting from the wild rematch between Rhodes and Styles to the emotionally superlative main event, every matchup had valid reasons to receive the time it had and convey what has to be. To top it all, Glasgow was wonderful enough to elevate the energy to an elite scale. There are a lot of pathways created and unfinished with new twists, and as a fan, I can’t wait to see the road to SummerSlam emanate crazily.

Ben Boorman: An excellent show all around with brilliant matches that furthered every storyline ongoing and we should be crescendoing towards a massive payoff at SummerSlam and beyond. Sami/Gable stole the show, Cody/AJ was amazing, Isla/Alba winning was a great moment, and Punk costing Drew again furthers the program between them which will be godly to see. Everything that happened made sense, kept the storyline continuity intact, and furthered the eventual endings of these feuds coming soon that will lead to the next chapters post SummerSlam.

What are your thoughts on this Premium Live Event? Chime in your opinions in the comments section below.

Until the next write-up, enjoy wrestling and life!