WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs (December 15, 2019) predictions

Here are my predictions for tonights WWE ppv TLC:

1. Ladder Match: SmackDown Tag Team Champions the New Day vs. the Revival

Pick: For the third time in a month, The New Day and The Revival will stand opposite each other in the ring. Thankfully, this time it will be for a ladder match, which spices things up.
With their talent and track record of quality performances, WWE can trust these teams to have a great match. However, this reeks of being a backup plan and not what was originally intended for TLC.
It seems the plan was for Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler to fight for the tag titles, but Roode's Wellness Policy violation derailed that idea. WWE put in The Revival as an easy replacement, figured it was good enough and promptly moved along.

This was made even more obvious on Friday's SmackDown, as The New Day interacted more with King Corbin and Ziggler than The Revival. Had the original idea remained in play, we probably would have seen Kofi Kingston, Big E and Roman Reigns in a six-man tag team match against Corbin, Roode and Ziggler on SmackDown.

With this being plan-B, don't expect a title change. There's no reason WWE would go in a completely different direction by putting the belts on The Revival if they weren't supposed to be in the match.
               
Prediction: The New Day wins.

2. Aleister Black vs. Buddy Murphy

Pick: For a few months, Aleister Black has been asking people to knock on his door and to pick a fight with him. Strangely, after Buddy Murphy stepped up to the plate, WWE decided it would be best to separate the two.

That has made Black look weak to anyone looking at this angle with any attentiveness.
Murphy comes off as the courageous volunteer and a man who is willing to do what others aren't. The longer Black doesn't go straight to fighting Murphy, the more it seems he's second-guessing that open challenge.

Hopefully WWE understands the flaw in this storyline and corrects it by giving Black a victory, but not an easy one. Murphy still has to put up a good enough fight to justify why he challenged Black in the first place.
             
Prediction: Black wins.

3. The Viking Raiders vs. TBA



Pick:  The Raw tag team titles will be on the line as The Viking Raiders have issued an open challenge. Keeping their challengers a mystery is WWE's attempt to play fans like a fiddle. By giving the audience the option to speculate, their imaginations run wild with potential scenarios that could be big deals. Some will undoubtedly think The Hardy Boyz will be back in action or an indy darling duo will debut. However, they will be disappointed.

The intrigue of the unknown is more of a selling point to lure you in while WWE most likely just makes the challengers The O.C. After all, they said they were gunning for the tag titles Monday, so that shouldn't be a surprise. In that case, The Viking Raiders will retain, and there won't be much to this segment other than underwhelming anyone who got their hopes up for more. However, there's a chance AOP answers the challenge. Then, new champions could be crowned.
Or, as Seth Rollins vs. Kevin Owens is not on this card, WWE's plan could be to have those two get involved as well, leading to a no-contest with all six men brawling. That way, this program can be stretched out over the next month.

When in doubt, it's smarter to go with the simpler, less grandiose option, so Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows will probably take a pinfall loss.
         
Prediction: The Viking Raiders retain the titles against The OC, but will lose the titles against AOP.

4. Tables Match: Rusev vs. Bobby Lashley

Pick: For someone who claims to not want Lana anymore, Rusev is oddly fixated with fighting Bobby Lashley, isn't he? Anyone who is over their ex doesn't harbor that much anger, but since this is a WWE storyline, logic doesn't apply. Then again, neither does quality acting; this storyline has seen the worst elements of sports entertainment and soap opera drama fused together.
Someone in Creative—likely Vince McMahon and Paul Heyman—clearly loves it, though, which means this feud probably won't end at this event.

In order to stretch it out over however many more weeks this will continue, Lashley has to win. Otherwise, Rusev will have gotten rid of his ex-wife he claims to not want around him anymore and beaten up her new boyfriend, so there wouldn't be a goals left for him.
Watch out for Lana's involvement to be the cause for one of the men to fall through a table, even if, by some chance, Rusev does wind up victorious.
                 
Prediction: Lashley wins.

5. Women's Tag Team Champions Kabuki Warriors vs. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair


 Pick: After trying to deal with The Kabuki Warriors on their own and coming up short, Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair will put aside their differences to battle Asuka and Kairi Sane in a TLC match for the Women's Tag Team Championships on Sunday.

How this match plays out is dependent upon WWE's plans for Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, which we're not privy to. There aren't any viable challengers for Lynch's Raw Women's Championship, so this is happening to get her on the card and to eat up time before the build to January's Royal Rumble kicks into gear. If there are any plans in motion, like having Rhea Ripley beat Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women's Championship to allow the Queen of Spades to move up to Raw and challenge Lynch, then The Kabuki Warriors will retain these belts.

But WWE loves repeating things and may just want to do The Man vs. The Queen at WrestleMania again, even if nobody is asking for it. In that case, making them champions will partner them up so they don't face off until they drop the titles a few months from now. It's effectively another way to do very little over the course of four months.
Since Lynch and Flair can lose this without taking a pinfall or submission, let's hope WWE has something else in mind for the tag team titles and the current champions.
               
Prediction: The Kabuki Warriors win.

6. Bray Wyatt vs. The Miz

Pick: Somehow, WWE decided that the best way to continue the feud between Bray Wyatt and Daniel Bryan was to book The Miz in a non-title match at TLC.
There is a good chance this has no justification to it. WWE has had plenty lapses in judgment with creative decisions in the past, and this could just be another silly thing fans scratch their heads about for ages. But there may also be a reason why this has been set up in such an odd way.
Typically, non-title matches happen because WWE wants the challenger to beat the champion without winning the belt. Perhaps The Miz is facing the sweater-wearing Wyatt and not The Fiend because he will beat him.

That way, The Fiend will be protected as the more powerful persona of the two, the title won't change hands and a win over the champion will be grounds for The Miz to be in the title picture for Royal Rumble. Then, Bryan can return to action for a Triple Threat that also features The Miz and The Fiend. That's the most logical way to look at this, which may mean nothing given how nonsensical WWE booking can be. This could just as easily go a thousand ways nobody could predict.
                     
Prediction: The Miz wins.

7.  TLC Match: Roman Reigns vs. King Corbin


 Pick: With Roode suspended for 30 days, King Corbin has one less person on his side to help him fight off Roman Reigns. Even with Ziggler and his other partners in crime, they can't be favored to beat The Big Dog. Reigns has taken more losses recently than one would expect given his status on the roster. Perhaps that is WWE's attempt to soften the crowd's response to him in preparation for a Royal Rumble victory and a title win against The Fiend at WrestleMania. In order to get that far, though, Reigns needs to get back on track, and a loss here would derail him even further rather than allowing him to end this feud and stand tall.

There is a chance WWE wants to start a new feud here, though. Someone like Sheamus could get involved to cost Reigns the match and give him someone else to fight ahead of the Royal Rumble.
Without the numbers game and plenty of interference, though, Corbin is walking into a guaranteed loss where he will get his comeuppance for pouring dog food all over Reigns.
             
Prediction: Reigns wins.



possible other matches: 

US Title: Rey Mysterio (c) vs AJ Styles vs Randy Orton
Seth Rollins vs Kevin Owens
Bayley (c) vs Lacey Evans
KO: Andrade vs Humberto Carrillo




pics (c) by WWE
text (c) by MK

WWE Survivor Series 2019 predictions

Here are my predictions for tonights WWE Survivor Series:

Brock Lesnar vs. Rey Mysterio
-> This is a match I’m looking forward to. Rey is one of the greatest and Brock has better matches against smaller dudes. Rey will take a beating but fight back and probably give us one strong false finish. And with the no DQ stip, he can deliver offense that looks believable with weapons. That being said, the outcome is in little doubt. Brock isn’t losing the title this quickly.
Pick: Brock Lesnar retains

Bray Wyatt vs. Daniel Bryan
-> I’m excited for this title match too. They haven’t had a ton of time, but both are great storytellers. I expect this feud to go a bit longer. I also don’t think the Fiend is losing his championship any time soon. And most importantly, I pray to the heavens there’s no red light.
Pick: Bray Wyatt retains

Becky Lynch vs. Bayley vs. Shayna Baszler
-> A triple threat match allows for some wiggle room and it wouldn’t hurt Becky or Shayna to take a loss here. At first I was worried she would be overshadowed by the ferocity of the other two, but Bayley - weird haircut or no - has proven that she isn’t going to be an after thought. Even if she has to show up at NXT to prove it! She has been doing a good job of differentiating herself from her former hugging persona, but a win over The Man and The Submission Magician would be the elevation of herself and of SmackDown that she so desperately wants.
Pick: Bayley wins

AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Roderick Strong
-> All these guys have back up. AJ has the OC. Roderick has the Undisputed ERA. Nakamura has Sami Zayn and Cesaro. Honestly, Shinsuke could probably use the win the most and it would allow Zayn to keep claiming he can help guys win. Plus, he has a new designed title.
Pick: Shinsuke Nakamura wins

The Viking Raiders vs. The New Day vs. The Undisputed Era
-> NXT has to win something right? RAW doesn’t care about their tag team division - like AT ALL - and The New Day don’t need any more accolades. Undisputed ERA could easily pick up this win. Regardless, this match is gonna be a banger!
Pick: Undisputed ERA wins

 

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT (Men’s Elimination Match)
-> So this is coming down to my picks prior and how I think the night will shake out. I think Raw does the worst, only winning one match. I think SmackDown and NXT split 2 and 2. I’m giving the men’s match to SmackDown as they’ve got the Big Dog, who despite not winning all the time, I still have a tough time picking against.
Pick: Team SmackDown wins

Team Raw vs. Team SmackDown vs. Team NXT (Women’s Elimination Match)
-> NXT’s women’s division is their strength, and they may have the strongest depth wise of all of the other brands. That’s also the thing they really have going over AEW and I could see WWE wanting to showcase NXT’s biggest strength on a bigger stage.
Pick: Team NXT wins

 
Adam Cole vs Pete Dunne
Adam Cole has carried the WWE on his back throughout the month of November. He beat Daniel Bryan cleanly, he stood tall against Seth Rollins before his match was interfered with, he had a great ladder match this past Wednesday on NXT with Dominik Dijakovic, he competed on SmackDown on Friday, and he took an Air Raid Crash from Tommaso Ciampa off the top of the cage at WarGames last night. The fact that Adam Cole can even walk to the ring tonight is an accomplishment. Hopefully Cole is healthy enough to put on the performance he's capable of, but everyone should understand if he can't. In any other scenario, Cole would be the easy pick to win here but Cole is vulnerable after all this punishment.

His buddies in Undisputed Era will likely be occupied with their own matches, so Cole will be even more vulnerable. It certainly doesn't help Adam Cole that Pete Dunne's best performances have been in Chicago and the city has embraced Dunne as a hero. The Bruiserweight from the UK had his breakout performance at NXT TakeOver: Chicago in 2017 and his star has risen fast since. Dunne held the NXT UK championship for 685 days in the longest championship reign this decade in wrestling. If Dunne is to become the NXT Champion, Chicago is the place to crown him. Pray for Adam Cole's fingers.
Pick: Pete Dunne via submission

pics (c) by WWE
text (c) by MK

NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 Results

Here are the results of last nights NXT ppv:



Isaiah "Swerve" Scott vs. Angel Garza

They go at it to start, trading counters. They show each other up and trade slaps. Scott sends Garza to the floor for a takedown. Scott brings it back in the ring for a 2 count. Scott with a big chop, and another. Scott slams Garza face-first into the mat. Scott keeps control for another 2 count.
Scott mounts offense as a "Swerve!" chant starts. Scott goes to the top and flies but Garza rolls through and launches him into the turnbuckles. Garza rips off his pants for a pop from the crowd, then tosses them at Scott and hits a superkick off the distraction. Garza with a close 2 count. Garza with an inverted springboard suplex and another superkick but Scott keeps kicking out. Garza taunts Scott and keeps him down now. Garza gets rocked going into the corner. Garza turns it around and hits a big dropkick in the corner for a 2 count.

Garza goes to the middle for a moonsault but misses and Scott levels him. Scott with a double underhook into another suplex for a 2 count. More back and forth now. They trade big shots in the middle of the ring. Garza ends up taking Scott down with a big sitdown powerbomb for a close 2 count. Garza beats on Scott and keeps him down. Garza goes to the top but Scott leaps up with him. Garza jumps into a Fireman's Carry on the apron. Scott with a big Death Valley Driver on the apron. Garza falls to the floor and Scott follows up with a big stomp to the chest. Fans pop and chant "you got swerved!" now.

Scott brings it back in and plays to the crowd. Scott goes to put Garza away in the middle of the ring but Garza kicks out. Scott gets pushed back into the referee. Scott blocks a low blow kick. Garza then catches a kick from Scott. This leads to Garza hitting the Wing Clipper in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Angel Garza


Women's WarGames: Captain Rhea Ripley, Tegan Nox, Dakota Kai, Candice LeRae vs. NXT Women's Champion Captain Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray
We go to the double-ring setup as the steel cages lower down while sirens go off. Alicia Taylor goes over the rules of the first-ever women's WarGames match. Out first comes Team Captain Rhea Ripley to a pop. She stands by one of the large cages on the stage, which has a referee standing by it. Bianca Belair is out next representing Team Baszler, which has the order of entry advantage for the match. Bianca also stands next to one of the cage pods. Candice LeRae is out next and she also stands next to the cage with Ripley. NXT UK Women's Champion Kay Lee Ray is out next. She joins Belair by their cage. Tegan Nox is out next. She stares down Ray and then stands by the cage. Io Shirai is out next. She joins the cage with the other Team Baszler members. Out next comes Dakota Kai. Team Captain and NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler is out last. The two teams talk and Shirai is sent to the cages first. LeRae is also sent down by her teams.

They enter the cages and the door is locked. They lock up and start brawling. LeRae with a headscissors takedown but Shirai lands on her feet. Shirai goes on as fans do dueling chants. Candice counters and slams Shirai on her face. LeRae goes to leap to the other ring with a forearm but Shirai decks her.

More back and forth now. Shirai hits a big missile dropkick from the ropes that meet in the middle of the ring. Shirai goes on and nails a dropkick in the corner. Fans do more dueling chants as they tangle in between the two rings. They go down on the steel plate in between the two rings with Shirai taking her face-down. Shirai smashes LeRae's face into the wall of the cage. Shirai unloads in the corner now. LeRae breaks free with a jawbreaker. LeRae looks for an opening but Shirai nails a suplex. Shirai mounts LeRae in the middle of the ring and keeps her down. LeRae fights back as the counter goes off. Belair is out next.

Belair unloads and hits a standing Shooting Star Press. LeRae drops Belair and goes back to Shirai in the corner. LeRae gets them both in the corner and hits them with a bunch of strikes at the same time. Belair fights out and hits two big powerbombs on LeRae for a pop. She holds for a third powerbomb but launches LeRae into the wall of the cage instead. Belair gets hyped up as the crowd chants "NXT!" and for her.

Belair and Shirai take turns on LeRae now. Shirai runs the ropes about a dozen times as fans start building with her, while Belair holds LeRae in a Camel Clutch. Shirai keeps running and then hits Candice with a big shot to the face. Fans go wild. The timer counts down and the next person in the match is Ripley.

Ripley hit the cages with trash cans and other weapons, dropping opponents. She starts filling the ring up with kendo sticks, chairs and other weapons. Fans chant for tables. Ripley enters to boos for no tables. Ripley ducks Belair and launches her face-first into a trash can. Ripley stands a chair up and goes back to work on Belair while she's down. Candice puts chairs up next to the one Ripley set up. They both go for Belair and try to double suplex her on the chairs but Shirai makes the save. Shirai beats down LeRae while Belair unloads on Ripley. The timer counts down and the next person let out is Ray.

Ray goes under the ring for weapons but she comes in empty-handed instead, picking up a chair to unload on LeRae with it. Ray with a big tornado DDT onto a chair to Ripley. Ray knocks Ripley onto the chairs that were set up earlier. LeRae stops Belair from splashing Ripley on the chairs. There's chaos in the corner now. Ray unfolds all the set up chairs and fans boo her for putting the chairs out of commission. Ray was stopping a Belair superplex onto the chairs. Everyone is still stacked up in the corner. Ripley finally comes over and finishes the Tower of Doom, dropping everyone but Belair on the pile of chairs. Belair comes flying next, splashing everyone on the chairs. The timer counts and the next person out is Kai. Kai leaves the cage but stops and turns around, dropping Nox in the cage. Kai unloads on Nox and destroys her inside the cage. The others look on from WarGames. Fans chant "holy s--t!" now. Baszler laughs as Kai continues to destroy Nox and slam the cage door on her injured knees over and over.

NXT General Manager William Regal tries to stop Kai but she puts hands on him. Regal and officials finally gets Kai to leave. Baszler laughs some more. Kai comes running back over to attack Nox again while she's down. Fans boo Kai as she looks down at the cages. Referees and Regal order her to the back. Ripley is furious in the ring now. Baszler points and laughs, ready to come out of the cage. The counter goes off again and here comes the final member, Baszler. Baszler mocks and taunts her opponents as she looks over at officials tending to Kai. Kai slowly makes her way to the cages as Belair and Ray double team Ripley.

Baszler comes in and Ripley brawls with her. Ripley gets double teamed and Baszler kicks her while she's held. Mauro confirms that the match is now officially underway as Nox cannot compete. Pinfalls and submissions are legal now. Baszler has handcuffs and looks to limit her opponents but they fight back. Ripley and Baszler brawl. Belair makes the save. Ray saves Shirai from LeRae. Ripley dropkicks Ray. Ripley blocks a Ray DDT and slams her back into the wall of the cage for a pop. Baszler ends up applying a Kirifuda Clutch to LeRae while she hangs from the corner. She breaks free and ends up launching LeRae across the ring. LeRae with a moonsault on Baszler but Belair hits her in the face with a trash can to make the save.

Belair presses LeRae high in the air and over onto Ripley in the other ring. Ray with a Gory Bomb to LeRae. Shirai hits a moonsault on LeRae but it's broken. Ray sends Ripley into the cage but she drops her. Belair takes her hair and whips away on Ripley. Candice makes the save with tons of kendo stick shots to Belair. Shirai ends up climbing to the top of the cage as fans go wild. LeRae climbs up with her and tries to stop her. Ray stops LeRae but LeRae brings her to the mat with a huge super hurricanrana from the top of the cage, for a close 2 count as Belair breaks the pin up. Fans go wild with another big "NXT!" and "Mamma Mia!" chant after a big multi-woman spot from the rings.
Baszler gets slapped and beat on with a steel chair from Ripley now. Ripley places a trash can on two chairs set up. Ray ends up taking the trash can to the face. Baszler with the Kirifuda Clutch to Ripley in the middle of the ring. Ripley tries to break it but Baszler manhandles her. Ripley handcuffs herself to Baszler now. They tangle a bit. Ripley lifts Baszler and slams her over the two chairs standing up still, while cuffed. Ripley goes right into the pin to get the win.
Winner: Team Ripley


#1 Contender's Triple Threat: Pete Dunne vs. Killian Dain vs. Damian Priest

Back and forth between all three to start for the first few minutes. Dain clotheslines Priest to the floor but he lands on his feet. Dunne brings Dain down by his fingers now and stomps on them. Priest runs in and decks Dunne with a big fist. Priest goes to run and leap to Dain on the floor but Dunne decks him in mid-air. Priest goes on for the Razor's Edge on Dunne but Dain stops that. Dain with a big Michinoku Driver, slamming Dunne onto Priest's face. Priest kicks out at 2. Dunne kicks out at 2.
Dain slams Priest into the steel ring steps over and over. Dunne charges while Dain is carrying Priest. Dain catches them both and hits a big double fall-away slam on the floor for a pop. Dain has Dunne by himself in the ring now, launching him into the corner. Dunne hits hard and goes down. Fans look to rally for Dunne now. He fights back but Dain knees him. Dunne slides out of a move and unloads with big chops. Priest nails Dain in the corner after Dunne moves. Dunne ends up nailing a big kick to Priest's face. Dunne hits a snap suplex on Dain and then stomps his hand, then delivers a stiff kick for a big pop. Dunne drops Priest into the leaping cross armbreaker as he approaches.

Dain and Priest with a double team powerbomb to Dunne now, fighting off a submission from the mat. Fans boo Dain and Priest as they size each other up. Priest slaps Dain. Dain fights back and they go at it. Dain keeps fighting but Priest rocks him with knee strikes. Dunne gets involved now as fans cheer him on. Dunne unloads on both opponents. All three start throwing big strikes in the middle of the ring now. Dain drops Priest but Dunne drops Dain, then stomps on his hand. The big strikes continue between all three competitors. They all collide once again in the middle of the ring but this time they all go down. Fans clap and chant "NXT!" now.

Dain and Dunne go at it. Priest flies from the top and takes both down. Priest with a Broken Arrow to Dunne. Priest goes on and drops Dunne for a close 2 count while Dain is down on the outside. Priest sends Dunne to the floor now. Priest with the Razor's Edge onto the Spanish announce table to Dunne. Fans and Priest go wild. Dain runs the ropes and leaps out, taking Priest down with a dive. Dain follows up with a big cannonball on Priest on the floor. Fans chant "NXT!" and "holy s--t!" now at the ringside carnage.

Dain brings Priest into the ring for a close 2 count. Priest fights to his feet but Dain slams him and hits a senton. Dain goes to the top for a Vader Bomb but Priest gets up and delivers a kick. Priest goes fort he Razor's Edge and hits it in the middle of the ring now. Dunne breaks the pin up at 2, just in time. Dunne unloads with bots to Priest, while he's standing and then while he's down. Dunne with a big running forearm to Priest in the corner. Priest follows up with a jumping elbow to the face of his own. Priest runs and leaps out, taking Dain back down on the floor. Dunne goes to the top and nails a big moonsault to the floor, taking Dain and Priest out at the same time.

Dunne gets in the ring first, followed by Priest. Priest gets up first and tells Dunne to bring it. Priest unloads on Priest. Dunne unloads with chops. Priest with a huge clothesline. Dunne blocks The Reckoning from Priest. More back and forth from the two. Dunne counters Priest into an armbreaker and pulls it back. Dain breaks it up with a huge kick to the face of Dunne. Dain takes Priest up in the Electric Chair and drives him into the mat for a close 2 count. Dain turns Dunne upside down in the corner and launches Priest at him. Dain charges again with a big cannonball to both competitors. Dain with a Vader Bomb over Priest's back. Dain with a 2 count but Dunne breaks it up with a moonsault. Dain with the Bitter End on Dain for the close 2 count as Priest breaks it up with a kick to the jaw.
Dunne rocks Priest when he gets up. Dunne goes to the top but Priest nails a Cyclone Kick. Priest goes up and launches Dunne into Dain with a super Frankensteiner. Priest with more big shots to both opponents. Priest hits The Reckoning on Dunne but Dain breaks it up once again. Dain takes out Dunne's knee with a chop block. Dain dropkicks Priest off the apron to the floor. Dain goes to the top but Dunne jumps up and kicks him. Dain is sitting on the top now. Dunne climbs up but here comes Priest also. Priest climbs up with them. Dunne snaps Priest's fingers and he falls to the apron, then the floor. Dunne with a superplex to Dain. Priest comes in but Dunne hits him with a Bitter End for a 2 count as Dain breaks it with a senton.

Dain puts Dunne in the Electric Chair again but Dunne brings him down with a Sleeper on top of Priest. Dunne takes advantage and hooks Priest's leg as Dain swings but not in time as Dunne pins Priest to earn the title shot.
Winner and New #1 Contender to NXT Champion Adam Cole: Pete Dunne


Finn Balor vs. Matt Riddle

Riddle charges first for a takedown but they go into the ropes. Balor laughs Riddle off. They lock back up and Riddle goes for a quick submission. That goes into a 2 count after they tangle. More back and forth on the mat now. They get up and Balor ducks a kick. They face off again for some cheers. They lock up again and Balor keeps control on the mat. They fight back up and Riddle hits the big gutwrench slam, and another. Riddle misses another slam and Balor rolls him for a 2 count. Riddle catches a kick and drops Balor with a right.

More back and forth. Balor with a basement dropkick for a 2 count. Balor keeps Riddle grounded again. Balor rocks Riddle for a 2 count. They go to the corner and Balor delivers strikes. Balor beats Riddle down in the corner and stomps away. Balor charges and hits a big Hesitation dropkick in the corner. Riddle kicks out at 2. Riddle keeps Balor grounded in the middle of the ring and works him over on the neck and head now.
Riddle gets sent to the floor. Balor launches himself out, taking Riddle down on the floor with a kick to the jaw. Balor slams Riddle's face into the apron over and over. Balor comes back in for a 2 count. Balor keeps Riddle down with boots now, mostly to the face. Balor is taking his time with beating Riddle around the ring.

They get up and Riddle unloads with quick strikes. A roundhouse drops Balor. Riddle keeps going in the corner and hits an Exploder suplex. Riddle with more signature offense and the Bro-ton for a close 2 count. Riddle with kicks into the corner. Riddle charges in the corner with a big running forearm. He tries again but Balor rocks him. Balor comes back with a flying forearm of his own. Riddle blocks the Slingblade. They tangle and Riddle catches the overhead kick. Riddle keeps the leg locked and applies the ankle lock but Balor is still resisting it. Balor finally gets the bottom rope to break the hold. Riddle kicks Balor while breaking and some fans boo him.
Riddle goes for a second rope German but Balor hangs on. Balor looks to fight back but Riddle keeps rocking him with kicks. Balor runs the ropes but his ankle goes out as he's hurting. Balor ends up exploding with a huge dropkick out of nowhere. Balor with a big German now. Riddle hops right back up, yells at Balor and drops him with a knee. Riddle with a German into a bridge for a close 2 count.

More back and forth now. Balor with a double Stomp and a Slingblade for a loud mixed reaction. Balor charges again but Riddle catches him out of nowhere with a big Spear. Riddle brings Balor to the middle of the ring and hits the big Jackhammer for a close 2 count. Riddle scoops Balor for a Tombstone but it's blocked. Balor keeps fighting off Riddle's holds, then hits the 1916 in the middle of the ring. Riddle still kicks out at 2. Balor stomps away on Riddle out of frustration now. Riddle scoops Balor and hits the big Bro 2 Sleep.

Riddle takes his time but goes to the top as fans pop. He goes for the Floating Bro but Balor gets his knees up and Riddle lands bad. Balor follows up with a big dropkick in the corner. Balor goes for the Coup de Grace but he lands bad due to the ankle injury. Riddle pulls Balor into the Bro-mission. They tangle on the mat now. Riddle lands a huge kick. They get up to keep fighting again but Balor counters and hits a bigger 1916 in the middle of the ring for the pin to win.
Winner: Finn Balor


Men's WarGames: The Undisputed Era (NXT Champion Captain Adam Cole, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong, NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly) vs. Captain Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic, Final Partner TBA
We go to the WarGames structure as Alicia goes over the rules. The music of The Undisputed Era hits first and out comes NXT Champion Captain Adam Cole, NXT North American Champion Roderick Strong, NXT Tag Team Champions Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly. They all pose together and then stand in front of their mini-cage. Keith Lee is out first for Team Ciampa. Dominik Dijakovic is out next, followed by. Tommaso Ciampa is out next to a big pop. Ciampa is wearing a mask and carrying the crutch. He marches to the ring and enters WarGames. The fourth partner has not been revealed yet.

Strong steps up for his team and gets ready for a fight. Strong enters the cage and taunts Ciampa, taking the crutch and throwing it away saying he doesn't need it to beat Ciampa. Ciampa attacks and they go at it. Ciampa with a big kick and strikes to send Strong in the corner. Ciampa with a big clothesline, and another. Both are fired up and going at it aggressively. Ciampa misses a big boot into the ropes and Strong drops him. Strong beats Ciampa into the other ring and works him over.
More back and forth into the opposite corners. Ciampa mounts Strong in one corner and rocks him as fans count along. Ciampa unloads and nails a running knee to the face for a pop. Strong beats Ciampa around the rings and then mounts him with punches as fans also count along. Ciampa gets down and hits a big running low kick. Strong avoids a DDT and they fight it out in the middle of the two rings now. Ciampa clotheslines Strong over into a ring. Strong counters a move and drops Ciampa over his knees with a Gutbuster. They trade shots on their feet now. The counter goes down and in comes O'Reilly.

O'Reilly hits the ring and helps Strong with the double team. They take turns on Ciampa, hitting him with strikes of all kind. Strong ends up running and nailing a bunch of forearms to the face of Ciampa. Strong with a backbreaker to Ciampa, allowing O'Reilly to connect with a flying knee on Ciampa. Dominik Dijakovic comes in next. He unloads on Strong and O'Reilly. Dijakovic with power moves to O'Reilly, including a superkick and a huge clothesline for a pop. Dijakovic rocks O'Reilly in the corner. Strong charges but Dijakovic drops him. Dijakovic launches O'Reilly onto Strong. Dijakovic and Strong go at it now. Dijakovic launches Strong into the cage walls a few times. Dijakovic continues to manhandle everyone until he's left standing, to help Ciampa back to his feet.
Ciampa fights Strong while Dijakovic works O'Reilly over. Dijakovic with a bunch of strikes to drop O'Reilly on the middle plate between the rings. The next man is Fish. Fish hits the ring and goes to work. Fish takes out Dijakovic early on, then unloads on Ciampa with strikes. The tag team champions double team Dijakovic with a Total Elimination now. Strong with a big backbreaker to Ciampa. The Undisputed Era continues to dominate the action. They all take turns on Dijakovic against the wall of the cage. They then take turns with big running strikes on Ciampa.

The Undisputed Era stands tall and wastes some time, talking trash and playing to the crowd. They go back to work on their opponents. The counter goes down and the next man in is Lee. He runs to the cages and goes right to work on Strong. Lee runs over everyone else now. Lee leapfrogs the tag champs and then takes them both down with a double crossbody for a big pop. Lee takes the tag team champions down with another impressive launch over the top rope. Fans continue to chant for Lee. O'Reilly saves Fish from a powerbomb by Lee. Strong, O'Reilly and Fish all team up to finally bring Lee down. They triple team him until Ciampa makes the save. Ciampa goes down next. Dijakovic tosses O'Reilly to the other ring. Dijakovic beats Strong to the mat now. Fish with a Sleeper attempt on Lee. The timer counts down and the next man in is the NXT Champion, Captain Cole.
Cole rushes the ring for a pop. He stops and brings a table out as the crowd goes wild. Cole leans one table against the barrier. Cole slides another table in to Strong. Cole brings another table into the ring, and another. O'Reilly stomps on Dijakovic. Cole continues to bring tables from under the ring. Cole steps in but Ciampa rocks him. Ciampa shoves Cole from the apron through a table leaning against the barrier. Cole crashes hard through the table as it splinters.

The referee closes the cage at 4-3. One team stands in one ring, the others in the second ring. The two teams stare each other down. Team Ciampa enters the other ring and approaches their opponents. A big brawl breaks out as the fans pop and chant "NXT!" now. Lee scoops O'Reilly but Fish brings him down with a huge low blow. Fans boo and there are no DQs. The clock counts down and everyone stops to see who might come out. Fish and O'Reilly laugh about how Ciampa has no one. The music hits and out comes Kevin Owens to a huge pop.

Cole looks shocked as Owens charges the cage. Owens unloads on The Undisputed Era as the crowd pops. Fish takes a Pop-Up Powerbomb. Owens continues to dominate as the others watch. Mauro says Owens is getting payback for RAW. Cole stares Owens down as Owens has his back turned. Fans chant "welcome back!" to Owens. Owens throws a "suck it!" crotch chop to Cole. Cole and Owens brawl now. Owens nails the Stunner on Cole but Strong breaks the pin up.

Lee and Dijakovic launch Strong from one ring to the other, onto his partners. Owens climbs the cage and shakes the steel, getting the crowd to pop. Team Ciampa keeps their opponents down and control the match. Ciampa with a DDT to O'Reilly. They have a few tables stood up now. Cole and Owens go at it while Strong and Dijakovic go at it now. Fish drops Lee. Cole launches Ciampa into the steel of the cage. Lee climbs the cage and flies, taking down a group of NXT Superstars. O'Reilly climbs up with a big knee drop on Lee. O'Reilly with the leg submission on Lee now. Dijakovic with a springboard moonsault on O'Reilly but Fish breaks it up at 2. Ciampa slams Fish and Owens follows up with a Swanton. Ciampa covers but Cole superkicks him to break it up. Cole ends up top with Lee stopping him. Strong hits Lee from behind. Strong with a super Strong Slam on Lee from up high. Strong and O'Reilly double team Lee for a close 2 count as Dijakovic makes the save. Fans chant "this is awesome!" now.

Owens superkicks O'Reilly and backdrops Strong into the cage. Owens drops O'Reilly again. Owens grabs Cole in the middle part between the rings and they trade suplex attempts. They trade counters and strikes. Owens rocks but Cole superkicks him. Cole climbs to the second rope but a Panama Sunrise but it's blocked but Owens. Cole counters a backdrop attempt and hits the Panama Sunrise on the steel anyway. Fans chant "holy s--t!" at the sound of Owens hitting the steel partition. We get a replay and a "Mamma Mia!" chant. Everyone is down for a minute as fans go wild. Fish and Strong stand up two tables and go to put Ciampa on them but he fights off. Ciampa with knees to the back of O'Reilly. Ciampa runs wild on everyone else until Cole superkicks him in the face. Ciampa sends Cole into the cage. Ciampa with a running knee to the face, sending Cole's face into the steel. Ciampa with four or five more knees like that for a pop. There are bodies down everywhere once again.

Ciampa takes Cole to the top but Cole fights. Cole fights back and looks to go for a Sunrise through a table but Ciampa resists. Ciampa slams Cole's head into the steel. Cole slams Ciampa's face into the steel, using his beard for leverage. O'Reilly and Fish rock Lee up top now. Cole climbs to the top of the cage as Ciampa follows. The tag champs have Lee up top now. Dijakovic comes over and puts Strong through a table. Dijakovic counters O'Reilly but gets pulled into a submission. Dijakovic powers up and places O'Reilly on a table. Owens goes to the top and puts O'Reilly through the table with a Frogsplash. Lee powerbombs Fish through the other table that was left standing. We see Cole and Ciampa trading shots at the very top of the cage now.

Ciampa scoops Cole on his shoulders on top of the WarGames structure. Ciampa positions Cole on his back while standing on the very top of the cage. Ciampa drops down and puts Cole through the table on his back. The referee immediately counts and Ciampa gets the win.
Winners: Team Ciampa


pic (c) by WWE / NXT
text (c) by MK

NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2019 / TakeOver Chicago III predictions

Here are my predictions for tonights NXT TakeOver ppv:

WarGames Match
Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair & Kay Lee Ray vs. Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox & Mia Yim
-> This event will feature the first-ever Women’s WarGames match. The teams are Rhea Ripley, Candice LeRae, Tegan Nox, and Mia Yim vs Shayna Baszler, Io Shirai, Bianca Belair, and Kay Lee Ray. It is pretty awesome that the Women’s division is getting a WarGames match this year. There is plenty of talent on the roster and it is cool to see them get a chance to shine. My guess is that it ends up being a fun match. I think that the babyface team will win, which will help set up Rhea Ripley vs Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s Title at the next Takeover.
Winner Prediction: Rhea Ripley’s Team

WarGames Match
Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) vs. Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominik Dijakovic & ???
->  Triple H has been teasing an “epic” surprise at NXT Takeover: WarGames. Specifically, this surprise will be for the final member of Team Ciampa. I think that it is going to be John Morrison. It was rumored a few months ago that he signed with WWE and this would fit the criteria of an “epic” surprise.

A 4-on-4 WarGames match has been officially confirmed for the event. It will be The Undisputed Era vs Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, Dominic Dijakovic, and a mystery partner. As noted prior, my prediction for the mystery partner is John Morrison. He would join Tommaso Ciampa, Keith Lee, and Dominic Dijakovic. I am excited about another WarGames match involving The Undisputed Era. They always seem to kill it in these types of matches. My guess is that this year will be no different with all of the talent involved on Team Ciampa.

I think that Ciampa’s team will be winning this match. This would set up Ciampa vs Cole and Morrison vs Strong for the next Takeover event. It would also potentially set up Dijakovic and Lee vs O’Reilly and Fish for the NXT Tag Team Titles.
Winner Prediction: Tommaso Ciampa’s Team

Singles Match: Finn Balor vs. Matt Riddle
->  Johnny Gargano is currently injured, which means that he can’t face Finn Balor at WarGames. Instead, Finn will be facing off against Matt Riddle at the event. I was really excited about Balor vs Gargano but I am not going to complain about this match either. My guess is that this ends up being a really fun match. WWE has done a good job of building up this feud in only a few short weeks. As for the winner, I am going with Finn Balor. There seem to be some big plans for him in NXT and I don’t see him losing here. This is also Balor’s first Takeover since they turned him heel and it seems silly to have him lose already.
Winner Prediction: Finn Balor

Number One Contenders Match: Pete Dunne vs. Damian Priest vs. Killian Dain
->  WWE has officially confirmed a triple threat match at Takeover. That match will be Pete Dunne vs Killian Dain vs Damian Priest. The winner will face off against Adam Cole at Survivor Series for the NXT Championship. This should be a fun match for the card. It will be nice to see Dain and Priest get showcased on a Takeover.

As for the winner, I am going with Dunne. I like both Dain and Priest but I think Adam Cole vs Pete Dunne has the chance to be the best match of the three options. Survivor Series will be a great showcase for NXT, so WWE will likely want to put on the best match possible. Plus, Dunne is the only babyface, so it would make sense for him to be the one who faces Cole.
Winner Prediction: Pete Dunne

Kickoff-Pre-Show
Singles Match: Isaiah Swerve Scott vs. Angel Garza
->   This match was announced one night before the WarGames event shortly after SmackDown went off the air, and without a doubt, this should be a great one. It should also give us a better understanding of who may challenge Lio Rush next for the NXT cruiserweight championship.

This match will get the Chicago crowd hot early. Expect fast-paced action between these young stars. Scott is slightly taller than Garza and has a little bit more name recognition as the former "Killshot" in Lucha Underground. Scott will pick up the victory in a close battle that will definitely feature the charismatic heel, Garza. Garza has tons of potential to be over in Chicago, a town that is known for appreciating great heels.

Winner Prediction: Isaiah "Swerve" Scott via pinfall 


pics (c) by NXT / WWE
text (c) by MK

WWE Crown Jewel 2019 results

Here are the result of the latest Saudi wrestling show:

pic (c) by WWE

Humberto Carrillo won the 20-Man Battle Royal.

Brock Lesnar defeated Cain Velasquez by submission to retain the WWE Championship.

The O.C. won the World Cup Tag Team Turmoil match.

Mansoor defeated Cesaro by pinfall.

Tyson Fury defeated Braun Strowman by count-out.

AJ Styles defeated Humberto Carrillo by pinfall to retain the United States Championship.

Natalya defeated Lacey Evans by submission.

Team Hogan defeated Team Flair.

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Bray Wyatt defeated Seth Rollins by pinfall to win the Universal Championship.


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WWE Hell in a Cell 2019 results

Here are the disturbing results of last nights Hell in a Cell ppv:

pic (c) by WWE

Natalya defeated Lacey Evans by submission.

Hell in a Cell Match: Becky Lynch defeated Sasha Banks by submission to retain the Raw Women's Championship.

Tornado Tag Team Match: Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns defeated Erick Rowan and Luke Harper by pinfall.

Randy Orton defeated Ali by pinfall.

The Kabuki Warriors defeated Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross by pinfall to win the Women's Tag Team Championship.

The Viking Raiders and Braun Strowman defeated The O.C. by disqualification.

Tamina won the 24/7 Championship from Carmella in a backstage segment.

Chad Gable defeated King Corbin by pinfall.

R-Truth pinned Tamina to win the 24/7 Championship.

Charlotte Flair defeated Bayley by submission to win the SmackDown Women's Championship.

Hell in a Cell Match: Bray Wyatt defeated Seth Rollins by disqualification.


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WWE Clash of Champions 2019 results

Here are the results of last nights WWE Clash of Champions: 

pic (c) by WWE

WWE Clash Of Champions Kickoff Show:
1. Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak (c) defeated Lince Dorado and Humberto Carrillo. Carrillo hit the Aztec Press on Dorado, but Gulak tossed him into the ring post and stole the pin to win the match and retain the Cruiserweight Championship.

2. United States Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) defeated Cedric Alexander. Styles retained after a Phenomenal Forearm and the Styles Clash. After the match, The O.C. beat down Alexander 3-on-1.

WWE Clash Of Champions Results:
1. Raw Tag Team Championship Match: Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode defeated Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman (c). Strowman inadvertently shoulder-checked Roode into Rollins and was dumped out of the ring by Ziggler, allowing Roode to hit the Glorious DDT on Rollins and win the Raw Tag Team Championship.

2. Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) defeated Charlotte Flair. Bayley removed the turnbuckle pad on the bottom rope and pulled Flair down into the exposed turnbuckle, knocking Flair out long enough for Bayley to win the match.

3. Smackdown Tag Team Championship Match: The Revival defeated The New Day (c). Scott Dawson tapped out Xavier Woods with an inverted figure-four leg lock to win the match and the Smackdown Tag Team Championship. After the match, The Revival cut a promo on the crowd.

4. Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (c) defeated Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Cross pinned Rose with a rope-assisted neckbreaker to retain the championship. During the match, R-Truth ran into the ring trying to escape the 24/7 division and almost got pinned by Bliss, but was able to escape into the crowd.

5. Intercontinental Championship Match: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) defeated The Miz. Miz had the match won with a Skull-crushing Finale, but Sami Zayn distracted the referee. Miz chased Zayn around the ring, allowing Nakamura to hit a surprise kick and a Kinshasa to win the match.

6. Raw Women’s Championship Match: Sasha Banks defeated Becky Lynch (c) by disqualification. Banks repeatedly tried to use a steel chair behind the referee’s back. Lynch grabbed the chair and tried to hit Banks, but accidentally hit the referee, knocking him out and getting herself disqualified. Lynch and Banks fought around the arena until they were back in the ring, where Lynch put a chair-assisted Disarmer on Banks.

7. WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Randy Orton. Kingston avoided a Punt and countered with Trouble in Paradise to retain the championship.

– The Street Profits ran into King Booker backstage. Angelo Dawkins wanted to be knighted, but Booker refused.

8. No Disqualification Match: Erick Rowan defeated Roman Reigns. Reigns appeared to have the match in hand until Luke Harper made a surprise return and attacked him. The former Bludgeon Brothers teamed up on Reigns, and Rowan pinned Reigns after an Iron Claw (slam).

9. Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) defeated Braun Strowman. Strowman kicked out of three Stomps. Rollins was finally able to put him down after a Pedigree, followed by a fourth Stomp. After the match, The Fiend attacked Rollins on the stage, hitting Sister Abigail and choking him out with a mandible claw.

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WWE SummerSlam 2019 results

Here are the results of the hottest party of the summer - WWE SummerSlam

pic (c) by WWE

WWE SummerSlam Kickoff Show Results:
1. Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak (c) defeated Oney Lorcan. Gulak hit a cheap shot to Lorcan’s throat, then hit the Cyclone Crash to retain the championship.

2. Buddy Murphy defeated Apollo Crews by disqualification when Rowan attacked Murphy for ratting him out to Roman Reigns on Smackdown. Rowan beat Murphy down and powerbombed him into the ring post.

3. Women’s Tag Team Championship Match: Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross (c) defeated The IIconics. Bliss had Buzz Lightyear-themed gear and won the match for her team with Twisted Bliss on Peyton Royce.

WWE SummerSlam 2019 Results:
1. Submission Match for the Raw Women’s Championship: Becky Lynch (c) defeated Natalya. Lynch won the match by submission, of course, with the Disarmer.

2. Goldberg defeated Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler hit two superkicks, but Goldberg countered a third with a spear and a Jackhammer to win the match. Ziggler continued challenging Goldberg to get back into the ring, and kept getting speared.

3. United States Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) defeated Ricochet. Styles countered a Phoenix Splash into the Styles Clash (like in his New Japan classic with Kota Ibushi) to win the match. Afterward, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson hit Ricochet with the Magic Killer.

4. Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Bayley (c) defeated Ember Moon. Bayley retained the championship with a Bayley-to-Belly suplex from the top rope.

5. Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon. Owens’ WWE career was on the line in the match. McMahon made Elias a special enforcer, and Elias interfered throughout the match. The referee was bumped, so Owens attacked Elias with a chair. He teased hitting McMahon with a chair, but the original referee recovered. As the ref was removing the chair, Owens kicked McMahon in the groin, then hit a Stunner to win the match.

6. Charlotte Flair defeated Trish Stratus by submission with the Figure Eight. After the match, the crowd gave Stratus a standing ovation and she took a bow.

7. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton ended in a double count-out. Orton hit an RKO on Kingston, who rolled out of the ring. Orton followed him out and taunted Kingston’s family. Kofi came alive and attacked Orton with a kendo stick, but the referee counted them both out and rang the bell. The crowd chanted, “bullshit.”

8. ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt defeated Finn Bálor. Wyatt has an incredible new entrance. He was able to counter Coup de Grace with a Mandible Claw to win the match.

9. Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar (c). Rollins countered an F-5, hit a superkick, and connected with The Stomp — the third of the match — to win the match and the Universal Championship.

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WWE SummerSlam 2019 predictions

Here are my predictions for tonights WWE SummerSlam:


WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Randy Orton

The Viper pinned Kingston on SmackDown and was one of the people vying for a title shot, and they followed it up with a great promo on their history together and Orton using his influence to hold Kingston down from the main event. Big fan of this. Very much looking forward to this match, too.

PREDICTION: Kofi Kingston retains the title.

Universal Championship Match: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Seth Rollins

Rah rah. Rollins can TOTALLY win the title back, guys! Look! He even beat Brock up on Raw or something! Remember WrestleMania?

And then he loses, probably in a quick match, probably that consists of nothing but German suplexes and maybe even just one F-5, but if they want to throw him a bone, the whole "it took multiple F-5s" deal we've AGAIN seen multiple times. Same shit, rinse and repeat, every single time with Lesnar.

PREDICTION: Brock Lesnar 100% retains the title.


Raw Women's Championship Submission Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Natalya

I actually thought they would go with Ronda Rousey, as I forgot that this was in Canada. As far as July 15th when this match was made, I'm hoping they actively build Nattie up over the course of the next few weeks, because she needs it. I don't buy ONE BIT that she'll be the one to beat Becky for the title, so they need to convince me otherwise and not make me go into SummerSlam thinking she only has this match because she's Canadian.

We'll see on that. Ultimately, the end result is still the same.

PREDICTION: Becky Lynch retains the title.


SmackDown Women's Championship Match: Bayley (c) vs. Ember Moon

Hey, at least they're trying something different, right? It might have come out of the blue and I might not believe in the slightest bit that Ember Moon has a chance at winning this title, but I'll give credit where it's due that it at least isn't another Charlotte Flair match or something.

PREDICTION: Bayley retains the title.

Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon

If Owens loses this match, his career is over. That means he obviously won't lose the match (or if he does, they'll just ignore the stipulation).

PREDICTION: Kevin Owens wins.


Bray Wyatt vs. Finn Balor

Remember how these two couldn't really get their feud off to the start that they wanted to before, because WWE wanted to stall and drag it out, and then an injury got in the way? Well, let's hope this time around, they go with Demon Balor right out of the gate instead of normal Balor.

PREDICTION: Bray Wyatt wins, unless Balor is in demon mode...unless they really want to put Wyatt over by having him beat Demon Balor, which would be neat.

United States Championship Match: AJ Styles (c) vs. Ricochet

Remember that automatic rematch clause not being a thing? The past few months have proven that WWE desperately wants that, because it's easy, but that the directive is just "do something else for that person to earn a title shot."

I can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by these two's matches together so far, knowing how tremendous they are in the ring and how their potential hasn't been tapped into yet. Hopefully, this is better than the previous three or four matches combined, especially because by now, there's no hook for me to want to watch it. I've seen it, I haven't thought it was a match of the year candidate that I can't wait to see again, I don't anticipate a title change, there's no gimmick attached and this feels more like it's just wrapping up Ricochet and pushing him out of the title scene to have an easy SummerSlam match that requires little effort to write for than anything that I should be excited about.

PREDICTION: AJ Styles retains the title.




Goldberg vs. Dolph Ziggler

I expect this to be EXTREMELY fast. But maybe I'm wrong, and Goldberg specifically wanted a match with Ziggler because he thinks they can wrestle for 5 minutes if Ziggler carries him.

PREDICTION: Goldberg wins.

Charlotte Flair vs. Trish Stratus

Once the idea of Flair having a big opponent was mentioned, Trish Stratus was the obvious answer. On paper, this is great. Stratus is a legend and Hall of Famer, and Flair is the preeminent female superstar in WWE. Whether or not they're able to execute it in a good enough way to live up to the potential is another thing we'll have to see.

PREDICTION: Charlotte Flair wins.

Cruiserweight Championship Match: Drew Gulak (c) vs. Oney Lorcan

It's a shame they didn't announce this further in advance to actually try to build something between Lorcan and Gulak more than a stare down at the end of the go-home episode of 205 Live.

PREDICTION: Drew Gulak retains the title.

 

Roman Reigns vs. TBA

So Rowan was responsible for the attack, and yet, as far as SmackDown's end, they didn't make a Reigns/Rowan or Reigns/Bryan match official.

PREDICTION: Roman Reigns wins.        

NXT TakeOver Toronto 2019 results and review

(c) WWE / NXT

Here are the results and my review of last nights NXT ppv:



Tag Team Championship -- The Street Profits (c) def. Undisputed Era via pinfall to retain the titles: Fueled by a late rally and a spectacular series of high spots from Montez Ford, the Street Profits defended their titles in this high-energy opener. The booking proved somewhat surprising considering Ford and Angelo Dawkins' new weekly role as backstage provocateurs on Raw. After working from underneath for most of the match, a hot tag to Dawkins welcomed the chaos. Ford hit a top-rope blockbuster on Bobby Fish, which forced Kyle O'Reilly to dive in and break the pin. But after a late tope con hilo from Ford took out both of the heels outside the ring, Dawkins used consecutive spears to floor both of them inside of it. Ford followed with a frog splash on O'Reilly for the 1-2-3. -> great opener for 8 of 10 points.


Io Shirai def. Candice LeRae via submission: In nothing short of an instant classic, this non-title women's match showcased equally the crossover star potential of both competitors. This one not only had the foundation of a great story thanks to Shirai's surprise heel turn, it was overflowing with intensity, high spots and non-stop drama from shortly after the opening bell when Shirai suplexed LeRae onto the announce table. Despite her relatively short time in NXT, it wouldn't be hyperbole to call Shirai a frontrunner for best women's wrestler in the world after this match, especially with the added swagger and viciousness she showed as a heel. But LeRae turned out to be the perfect dance partner in this one to consistently sell so many spectacular moves before rallying back. The spot of the match came when Shirai hit an insane Avalanche Spanish Fly from the top rope but could only get two. A pair of additional dramatic near falls followed until Shirai applied the Koji Clutch head scissors to put LeRae to sleep. -> what a match. Really like the heel IO and the chemistry between both woman. 9 of 10 points.


North American Championship -- Velveteen Dream (c) def. Pete Dunne (via pinfall) and Roderick Strong to retain the title: Sometimes it's the tiny details that matter most. This one had all of them in a chaotic yet expertly booked match. Littered with fun sequences and dramatic pinfall saves, all three came tantalizingly close to winning the match multiple times. Strong was the in-ring workhorse in this one, including his applying of a creative double Strong Hold. But Dunne came the closest to breaking through when he hit his Bitter End finisher on Strong late in the match only to have Dream distract the referee before diving in to prevent the count of three from happening in this no-disqualification affair. The finish was creative as Dream hit his Dream Valley Driver on Dunne only to be thrown over the top rope by Strong. Dream would get the last laugh, however, as he jumped back into the ring from the top rope with a Purple Rainmaker to prevent Strong's pin before scoring his own on Dunne. -> Surprisingly DREAM retain his title for 8 of 10 points.


Women's Championship -- Shayna Baszler (c) def. Mia Yim via submission: This is how you tell a story. For whatever Yim appeared to lack in terms of star power or legitimacy in comparison to Baszler's recent title opponents, she more than made up for with guile and dastardly ways. Yim had the champion on the ropes for the majority of this match mostly because her character was determined to play dirtier than the brand's top female heel. Yim used the ring stairs to work over Baszler's arm, constantly pulled hair and even gouged an eye. She also came within a second of winning the title after hitting an impressive Avalanche Code Blue from the top rope. Baszler ultimately gutted out the victory by reversing an armbar into her Kirifuda Clutch finisher before transitioning into a triangle choke with her legs to force the tap. -> Worst match of the evening and for me of all Takeover matches in general. Sadly Baszler still the champ. 5 of 10 points.


NXT Championship --  Adam Cole (c) def. Johnny Gargano 2-1 to retain the title (2-out-of-3 Falls Match):
Fall 1 -- Cole (c) def. Gargano via disqualification in a wrestling match: The stipulation produced a lengthy opening fall filled with dramatic near falls. It also produced a surprising ending as Gargano eschewed referee's warnings by using a chair on Cole to purposely lose the opening fall in order to gain a potential advantage for the remainder of the match. Cole, who sold an injured right knee throughout, nearly had the match won late when he initially grabbed the chair but used the distraction of the referee taking it from him to hit Gargano with a low blow but could only get two. His subsequent argument with the referee set up the finish as Cole turned around and walked into a superkick before Gargano began to beat him down with the chair. Cole leads 1-0

Fall 2 -- Gargano def. Cole (c) via submission in a street fight: This street fight stipulation, chosen by Gargano, turned out to be the perfect setting for the spectacular spots it created. Gargano followed up his chair attacks by beating Cole up through the crowd before placing him a chair and pushing him into the arena soundboard. Gargano continued the beating by splashing Cole through the timekeeper's wall before backdropping him through the announce table. Despite a rally and a near fall from Cole via a Shining Wizard and ushigoroshi onto a chair, Gargano tossed Cole like a lawn dart into a chair that was pinned in the corner. A Gargano Escape attempt followed, which produced a tap out to even the match. Gargano ties Cole 1-1

Fall 3 -- Cole (c) def. Gargano via pinfall in a steel cage weapons match: It was announced that only pinfall or submission could decide the match, not escape. After a cage was lowered with a gluttony of weapons attached to the wall for the third fall, nothing short of mayhem was promised. Boy, did it ultimately deliver. Tasked with an almost impossible mission of maintaining the match quality of their first two TakeOver bouts while authoring something new and memorable, Cole and Gargano were willing to sacrifice their bodies to make sure this five-month rivalry enters the pantheon of greatest rivalries of the modern era. The third fall was filled with violence and fireworks, prompting "this is awesome" and "fight forever" chants from the crowd just minutes in. Gargano took advantage of everything from chairs and a sledgehammer to a fire extinguisher, which he used to blind Cole before hitting a tornado DDT from the second rope onto a chair for a dramatic nearfall. Cole landed a pair of insane Panama Sunrises -- one from the second rope and a second from atop a ladder -- but couldn't put Gargano away.
This third fall succeeded in delivering an unforgettable final image to this feud with the finishing sequence as both competitors fought over a piece of barbed wire atop the cage before falling through a pair of tables inside the ring. Cole had enough wherewithal to fling his arm atop Gargano to record the pin to retain his title. Cole was carried out of the cage by his Undisputed Era brethren and finished the night as the lone faction member with a world title, which suggests a call-up isn't likely. While this trilogy bout likely didn't top their all-time great first meeting at NXT TakeOver: New York over WrestleMania weekend in April, it came astonishingly close for how varied each fall was and how spectacular the final moments played out. Cole wins 2-1 to retain the title 


-> Awesome mainevent and the right winner with Adam Cole. Maybe Pete Dunne up next for the challenger role. 9 of 10 points.  

 

NXT TakeOver Toronto 2019 Predictions

 Here are my predictions for tonights NXT ppv:

NXT Championship 2-out-of-3 Falls Match: Adam Cole (c) vs. Johnny Gargano
-> For everything to look like it's on the side of The Undisputed ERA, they have to have all the belts by the end of the night. Thus, Gargano can't win. Plus, Matt Riddle and Velveteen Dream can get a future match with Cole at the next TakeOver events, whereas who will be the next in line if Gargano were to be champion again?

I dig the whole angle of Cole and Gargano getting to pick a stipulation a piece for their falls, with Regal picking the third. That's essentially a variation of Three Stages of Hell. Very cool!

PREDICTIONS: Adam Cole retains the title.

NXT Women’s Championship Match: Shayna Baszler (c) vs. Mia Yim
-> Yim beat Bianca Belair twice. She's a babyface. She and Candice LeRae are the two best suited to get a title shot, and I think Yim will be more of the stepping stone between the two. Plus, LeRae is now in a feud with Io Shirai, so that will keep her busy.

PREDICTIONS: Shayna Baszler retains the title.
 

 NXT North American Championship Triple Threat Match: Velveteen Dream (c) vs. Roderick Strong vs. Pete Dunne
-> New champion. Prophecy fulfilled. I don't like the idea of randomly inserting Pete Dunne into this. It feels like that's done just to have him on the card, and not for any storyline purposes or anything. Granted, he'll improve the match, but it's still just coming off very...I don't know...shallow?

PREDICTIONS: Roderick Strong wins the title.

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: The Street Profits (c) vs. The Undisputed ERA (Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly)
-> They’ve already got a plum spot on Raw, but they’ll get more ring time if they stay here, too. Not sure I’m convinced they will drape the ERA in gold, either. It’s Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish’s turn to get passive aggressively disrespected by the Panama City Playboy.

PREDICTIONS: SP retain



NXT Breakout Tournament Final: Jordan Myles vs. Cameron Grimes
-> Big fan of them introducing these 8 new wrestlers and making a thing out of it. Myles and Grimes wouldn't have been the go-to finals in my mind, though. I would have probably gone with Myles against Angel Garza or Dexter Lumis, probably. But hey, I can't complain about them trying to make new stars.

PREDICTIONS: I'll go with Jordan Myles for the win.

Candice LeRae vs. Io Shirai
-> This here is probably the toughest to pick. Candice really needs a marquee win in NXT. And if Shayna does retain her title, a win here could put Candice in position to try to take it at the fall TakeOver. But do they really have Io Shirai lose her first real match as a heel? Both need to win but both can’t. They’ll probably go the route where Shirai officially wins, but it’s in a way that attempts not to weaken Candice too much, even though it probably will.

PREDICTIONS: Io Shirai wins.




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