Ruthless Aggression Era Project: WWE Velocity Review - August 3rd, 2002

WWE Velocity
August 3rd, 2002

Commentators: Michael Cole & Marc Lloyd

I haven't taken the time to watch many episodes of Velocity & Sunday Night Heat during this project, but fuck it lets go.

1) Hardcore Holly vs. Albert

Not much happening here. Most notable moment is Holly somehow hitting the Alabama slam on Albert which got a huge pop. Holly uses that to pick up the win after a few minutes to open the show.

Match rating - *1/2

Post-match, Holly slaps Marc Lloyd across the face and no one knows why. Cole follows it up with "cat got your tongue, Marc? Or does Holly?"

2) Mike Awesome vs. Farooq

Won't even lie, seeing Mike Awesome on this card made me motivated to give this a watch. He's fresh off knee surgery and just returned last week on Velocity. Farooq is a perfect opponent for Awesome, I wish they had gotten more time. But it's still enjoyable for what it is, albeit nothing special. Farooq wins.

Match rating - *3/4

3) Billy Kidman vs. Funaki

This was actually pretty focused. Funaki works the arm. Kidman finds a way out, but can't do much because of the arm. DDT from Funaki for a two count. Funaki scales the top rope, Kidman follows him up for a frankensteiner off the top for a two. Kidman then proceeds to counter out of a powerbomb attempt with a facebuster followed by a shooting star press for the win.

Match rating - **

Hurricane gives Shannon Moore a pep talk heading into their rematch with Billy & Chuck.

4) Billy & Chuck (w/ Rico) vs. The Hurricane & Shannon Moore

Ok this was random, but so sick. Moore & Hurricane fly around like crazy and push Billy & Chuck to their limits despite them having the power advantage. They play off the pre-match pep talk and don't allow Rico to cost them the match and in fact, do the opposite by taking him out with dives in the final stretch. Moore gets the hot tag and it rules. Lots of good shit packed in here, simple tag formula that built off their previous match. Billy & Chuck best the cruserweights when all is said and done, very fun.

Match rating - **3/4

Ruthless Aggression Era Project: WWE Smackdown Review - August 1st, 2002

WWE Smackdown
August 1st, 2002
Charlotte, North Carolina

1) Rey Mysterio vs. Tajiri 

YES. Another great showing for Rey following his debut against Chavo last week. Lots of good exchanges here as Tajiri can more than hold his own with someone like Mysterio. He finds a way out of the west coast pop hurricanrana forcing Mysterio to re-think and hit it from the top turnbuckle for the victory. Fiery start to Smackdown!

Match rating - ***1/4

Kurt Angle comes out and says he wants Brock Lesnar tonight. This brings out Hollywood Hulk Hogan who also has a bone to pick with Lesnar. Good segment with Steph coming out and making a match between the two for later with the winner facing Brock next week.

2) Brock Lesnar vs. Mark Henry

Ruthless Aggression Era Project: WWE Raw Review - July 29th, 2002

WWE Monday Night Raw
July 29th, 2002
Greensboro, NC

Eric Bischoff hits the ring to announce who he drove off with from Smackdown last week. It's Raw's newest acquistion - Christian, Lance Storm, and Test (The Un-Americans). They go nuts insulting NC and America. Christian says american teens do nothing but scarf down Big Macs and download porn. MY GOD. Shawn Michaels ends up coming out and pulls the Bret Hart insult card against the Canadians. Gross, fuck this.

1) Booker T vs. Eddie Guerrero

Book & Eddie both rule so this wasn't bad, but also nothing to write home about. Harmless five minute match with Book winning with the scissors kick.

Match rating - **1/4

Bischoff heard a woman showed up in a limo. He thinks it's Stephanie and snatches the door open to find... Mae Young and Moolah. Nice.

HBK is on a hunt for Triple H backstage and runs into BOOKER T. Book lays some vicious words on him, but Shawn doesn't care. Shame.

2) Trish Stratus & Bubba Ray Dudley vs. Molly Holly & Big Show

Molly was supposed to team with William Regal, but Big Show is his replacement. This is some more pointless shit. Bubba & Trish win yeehaw!

Match rating - *

Backstage, Shawn runs into Big Show, blowing him off in his hunt for H, also. Show is angry.

Ric Flair tells Jeff Hardy not to destroy himself to give Bischoff retains. Bischoff doesn't give a damn and can't wait to see Hardy in his hardcore title match with Bradshaw in a little bit.

3) Jeff Hardy vs. Bradshaw (c) - Hardcore Title Match

WWE: 205 Live Review - March 20th, 2020

WWE 205 Live Review 

March 20th, 2020 

Last week, Team NXT Cruserweights defeated the 205 Live Originals in a 10 man elimination match. What's next? 

1) Danny Burch vs. Joquain Wilde 

Burch was eliminated first last week so he's a little disgruntled. Side note: I love his theme music. ANYWAY these two put in a pretty decent showing here. Cool spot with Wilde diving off the railing in the "crowd" onto Burch. Other than that, this was pretty routine. Burch gets a singles win which is surprising but I guess it was needed coming off being eliminated first last week. 

Match rating - **1/4

They take a look back at the 5 on 5 elimination match from last week and run down what all happened. And then cut to the tech truck where JOHN CENA was watching live last week!! Epic. 

2) Isaiah Swerve Scott vs. Oney Lorcan 

Between these two, they hold claim to four of the eliminations last week so this almost a clash of the alphas. Lorcan took a different approach than normal and tried to wear down & ground Swerve with holds, particularly targeting the leg. Swerve fought from underneath and was finally able to get a break with an insane lariat that turned Lorcan inside out. This allowed Swerve to start flying around and doing what he does best and it ends up leading him to victory. This wasn't bad but had no real fire behind it. It was almost like the most basic run through of how to work this style of match. Swerves double stomp at the end looked great though. 

Match rating - ** 

WWE: 205 Live Review - March 13th, 2020

WWE 205 Live 

March 13th, 2020 

Orlando, FL 

205 Live Originals vs. NXT Cruserweights 

1) Tony Nese, Brian Kendrick, Jack Gallagher, Ariya Davari, & Mike Kanellis vs. KUSHIDA, Tyler Breeze, Oney Lorcan, Danny Burch & Isaiah Swerve Scott 

This entire show is devoted to a story that could have been so much bigger if it had been promoted on a larger platform. Recently, William Regal decided to spread the Cruiserweight Title to NXT thus adding outsiders to the originally 205 Live exclusive division which leads us to this. A match where the 205 Live Originals fight for their supremacy against the new NXT Cruserweights. Tony Nese and Lio Rush are the team captains, but Jack Gallagher took out Lio Rush in an attack so Team NXT has a hole to fill. The other four men come out and their mystery partner is .. ... KUSHIDAAAAAAA. Awesome surprise. This is real fun from the jump. Danny Burch is first out after shit breaks down into an all out brawl and the Singh Brothers toss Nese a camera and he hits him with it behind the refs back for the pin. Next out is Tyler Breeze via a pinning combination by Jack Gallagher. Team NXT is down 2 until 205 team leader Tony Nese gets eliminated thanks to dissension between he & Jack Gallagher. This also costs them the elimination of Mike Kanellis as Gallagher head-butted his own partner Nese AND Kanellis out of frustration. It's now 3 on 3 with Kendrick/Davari/Gallagher against KUSHIDA/Lorcan/Swerve. Swerve gets tagged in and manages to eliminate both Kendrick & Davari with a roll up. They assault KUSHIDA and Lorcan before leaving to try to help Gallagher who is now left on his own. He goes ape shit and throws Swerve over the announce table and eliminates Lorcan with a stiff elbow shot to the jaw. However, the numbers are too much and KUSHIDA & Swerve team up and take Gallagher down. Fucking great finish with Swerve popping Gallagher's arm and throwing him into KUSHIDA's signature arm bar which Gallagher taps to immediately. This was real solid despite having no audience. KUSHIDA and Swerve stare down to close the show as they know they will have to clash eventually. 

Match rating - ***1/4 

WWE Main Event Review - March 12th, 2020

WWE Main Event

March 12th, 2020 

Wow. I don't think I've ever reviewed an episode of main event??? But I saw Ricochet on the thumbnail and an advertised Shelton/Humberto match so let's goooo. 

Byron Saxton and... Wow Mickie James on commentary. I think my crush on her continues to last through the years.

1) Ricochet vs. Eric Young 

Eric Young comes out to no reaction. Poor guy.. he's a good base for Ricochet here though who's been reduced to Main Event after getting squashed by Brock at Super Showdown :-/ this is a fun Ricochet exhibition though. He runs through his stuff and gets the win with the 630. 

Match rating - **1/4

Raw replays begin. Becky's promo on Shayna airs. 

A McIntyre/Town clip slash beatdown slash match thing airs from Raw? This format is weird. I'm fast forwarding. 

Humberto Carrillo is out next to face Shelton in the main event of main event? 

2) Shelton Benjamin vs. Humberto Carrillo 

Pretty fun and creative match. Could've been a lot more if it went longer but they still made due with what they had. Carrillo defeats, as Mickie says, the self proclaimed main event champion. 

Match rating - **1/2 

Smackdown replays blah blah. The actual show is over goodbye. 

WWE NXT Review - April 15th, 2020

WWE NXT Review
Orlando, FL
April 15th, 2020

Today has been a crazy day in WWE history, as has this whole week. On top of returning to live, albeit empty arena, shows - WWE began making numerous cuts to their roster due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Included in those cuts is Drake Maverick, a talent who will be finishing out his WWE run in the round robin cruserweight title tournament that begins tonight. A heartfelt video from him talking about this on Twitter is honestly what led me to want to watch this show live.

1) Finn Balor vs. Fabian Aichner

This stems out of Balor's quest to face NXT UK Champion Walter whom is the leader of the Imperium stable which Archer is a part of. Balor has been so much more intense since returning to NXT, so this was good, even without an audience to boot. Archer gave Balor a hell of a fight, giving some nasty looking marks on his back, but Balor would retaliate with a running dropkick through the railing followed by the Coupe De Grace and the bloody sunday for the win.

Match rating - ***1/4

TONIGHT: Adam Cole and Velveteen Dream confrontation

UP NEXT: NXT Champion Charlotte speaks

Charlotte pre-taped video package airs and she wants MIA YIM as her first challenger. Hell yes ! ! !!

2) Aliyah vs. Xia Li

Li accidentally broke Aliyah's nose in a prior match so here we are. Li starts pounding away but Aliyah won't back down. Valiant effort from Aliyah, but Li puts her down after a few minutes. Both ladies killed it, though. Perfect for what it was!

Match rating - **3/4

REGAL CRUSERWEIGHT TITLE TOURNAMENT VIDEO PACKAGE. FINALLY YES. And kicking it off up next is TOZAWA VS SCOTT. Perfect pairing to match my taste's.

Matt Riddle is on the phone with Pete Dunne trying to get him to tell him who his tag team partner is..

3) Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs. Akira Tozawa - Cruserweight Title Tournament Match