Opinion
Top 5: Matches Of The Week (Ending 11/19)
Last week, we had a much easier Top 5 list, and it showed since the votes were pretty close among 3 of the matches. The winner is no surprise, but was by no means a runaway; AJ Styles vs Jinder Mahal @ Smackdown won the week.
Most of this week’s Top 5 will be dominated by WWE programming thanks to the fact there was Survivor Series and War Games this weekend. Hey, good thing about that is they’re easy matches to find.
5. WWE: Survivor Series: Charlotte Flair vs Alexa Bliss
Now if this isn’t a testament to her improvement, than I don’t know what is. Alexa Bliss went from being a great female heel, but garbage in the ring, to actually pretty solid with her wrestling skills. I like to think the fact she stopped doing that terrible Sparkle Splash and started using a DDT as a finisher helps to make her in ring work look smoother.
As for the match, this told a good story. Alexa has beaten every other member of The Four Horsewomen, so she wanted to cross off Charlotte. Early in the match she pulled Charlotte off the apron to injure her ribs and that played a part through the entire match.
This was very back and forth, Charlotte tapped into a different side of herself at some point when she was trying to regain the momentum and it’s a little more malicious. I don’t know if this is a precursor to a heel turn, or a new rougher Charlotte, but it was very effective. After trading a few signature moves, Charlotte finally manages to put Alexa down with a Figure Eight.
Alexa held her own nicely, both of their personalities were on full display through the match and it had the face going over; what more can you ask for?
Ranking: Gold IV
4. Impact: Global Championship Match: Eli Drake vs Petey Williams
For people who dismiss Impact’s overall product, you are missing some solid matches that may never be seen again. The match was set up like a New Japan match where the Eli is cutting a promo and Petey presents himself as a possible challenger, then Eli accepts. Kind of nice to see the gauntlet mentality instead of needing a long running storyline at all times.
During this entire match the announce team reiterated the fact that no one has ever kicked out of a Petey Williams Canadian Destroyer, so if he hits it, he’s champ. So the story of the entire match was Petey trying to hit his move, and Eli trying to avoid it.
There were some great sequences, good psychology with the use of Chris Adonis (interfered just enough to not ruin the match) and Eli did a couple more springboard moves than usual. The big moment was when Petey finally hit the Destroyer after teasing it about 7 times, but Eli kicks out. Noticeably rattled since no one’s done that before, Petey keeps trying to hit it one more time. Just when it looks like he might do it, Drake wins by countering the Canadian Destroyer into Gravy train.
Eli keeps adding little things to his repertoire in the ring, as to not be stale, and also get across that being the champion is improving his ability. As an overall product, Impact still feels like WCW 2000, BUT, when they have good matches, they easily rival anything ROH, PWG and WWE are doing.
Ranking: Gold III
3. NXT Takeover War Games: War Games Match: Undisputed Era vs SanitY vs Authors of Pain & Roderick Strong
Even though the tweaks to the rules were odd and not totally necessary, it didn’t detract from the enjoyment factor, but felt more like a TNA Lethal Lockdown, instead of a War Games match.
As for the match itself, when you throw 9 guys in two caged rings, you’re gonna get a lot of spots. SanitY introduced tables and an assortment of weapons into the match, and Killian Dain was truly the MVP. Big bumps, big spots, and the guys played to the crowd nicely so they stayed hot through most of the match.
The finish was a little lackluster and a few of the clump up and bump spots just looked too coordinated, but the match was still very entertaining. Felt more like a WWE match than an “Indy” match. Plus with Undisputed Era going over in this match, it helps to elongate the feud between all three factions, so more of these guys…seems like a good thing
Ranking: Platinum V
2. WWE: Survivor Series: The Usos vs The Bar
Well, this match solidifies The Usos as the best tag team in WWE currently. Basing this off the fact that New Day faced The Shield earlier, and even though the match was alright, it wasn’t close to this quality.
This match started off slowly, but had a great and logical build. Numerous near falls, tandem offense and show boating helped to get across the personality of both teams. The ending sequence was a superkick party (I wonder if the Young Bucks will send WWE a cease and desist now), into the Uce Splash.
No amount of me mentioning spots will do this match justice. This was just another match to pad The Usos resume as Tag Team of 2017.
Ranking: Platinum IV
1. NXT Takeover War Games: Velveteen Dream vs Aleister Black
In what was easily the best storyline leading into War Games, this match lived up nicely to the build, and did nicely to make sure both men stayed over.
This match started off slowly with Black wrestling a more technical style, almost like he was toying with Dream. After Dream managed to get some space and land a desperation super kick, it staggered Black enough for the match to start getting competitive. Velveteen Dream really did his best Rick Rude impression through a lot of this match, having Aleister’s and his own face airbrushed on his tights, and even pulling out a Rude Awakening at some point.
We saw a great build and there was even a nice mind game spot about halfway through, which helped to build the tension instead of looking like a rest moment. Both wrestlers had their finishing moves countered at different points in the match, and it really got across the struggle from both of them. Dream demanded respect and Black was trying to prove why he’s the most dangerous man in NXT.
Even though the match ends with Aleister hitting his Black Mass for the pinfall, there was a nice moment afterwards. Black acknowledged Dream and said his name before exiting the ring, which technically means both men achieved what they wanted, and the crowd was on fire for this entire match and the end segment.
If Aleister isn’t at the top of the list to challenge Andrade for the NXT title…than I really don’t know who else should go ahead of him.
Ranking: Platinum I
So when it comes down to our wonderful Yes! Wrestling personalities adding their votes, the 80% WWE product makes life easier. My choice for match of the week falls in line with how I ranked them, Velveteen Dream vs Aleister Black @ War Games, was a beautifully put together match. I’ve got nothing more to say, Survivor Series and War Games were both enjoyable shows, so get your free month of the WWE Network and click these shows.
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Opinion
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS: WWE Bash In Berlin Immediate Reactions
Join DJ and Tunney for their immediate reactions to WWE Bash in Berlin. For the latest, greatest and up to datest, ALWAYS #UseYourHead and visit THECHAIRSHOT.COM
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About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
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About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
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Opinion
AJ’s Top 3 Favorite SummerSlams
AJ is back with his annual opinion article, and this time the SummerSlam buzz got him wondering about his personal Top 3.
It’s been a while since I have done any form of writing and SummerSlam is this Saturday. Of all the SummerSlams I’ve seen over the years; which ones are my favorites? While it’s not a revolutionary idea, I figured everyone loves to debate favorites of well, anything. Don’t worry though because this isn’t just going to be pure recency bias. I’ve watched the majority of them so with the ones I put on the list, it hit me more in some way shape or form whether it was story, a really good match or it just felt like a solid event.
At least this proves WWE is trending in a good direction for me, when it gets the ol’ brain juices flowing just because a show is around the corner!
#3: 2022 (Ol’ Brock Lesnar Has A Farm)
Starting off the show, we get Bianca looking for a rematch against Becky from last years SummerSlam and it was better than the 21 second affair that everyone claims was a squash. This time Bianca holds her own and beats the Man in a fairly decent match, good way to get the event started. Next up is the heat seeking missile, Logan Paul against the former heat seeking missile because, well he wasn’t cut out for it and wasn’t a guy in everyone’s eyes, The Miz. After they had their blow off at Mania with Logan coming out on top which… isn’t awful, I just don’t like Logan Paul because he has that dude bro aura and swagger to make him more hateable than any other person on the card. Which I suppose is his gimmick…so…kudos?
First Championship match is for the US Championship and it’s as expected that in Theory, he should never beat someone to the caliber of Bobby Lashley which is no surprise. Dominik and Rey still back when Dom wanted the good fight against the Judgement Day before joining them later. The former Colts players, which they hammered it dahn in this match up showed that the canal swimming, trash talkin’, podcastin’, current RAW Color Commentatin’ goofball we all love, Pat McAfee came out on top again Bum Ass Corbin.
Usos putting the Street Profits on lockdown in the penitentiary since I believe this was peak Bloodline with the belt collecting and running all of WWE. Liv beat Ronda Rousey which isn’t astonishing but it’s not something people had on their bingo cards for anything with WWE so it was a nice little shock factor. The most memorable part of the night is obviously the Main Event, Lesnar brings the tractor, Roman catching the Microphone and Brock stands on top of the vehicle. Damn good match that showed off what they do in the ring since Roman caught his stride as the main bad guy and Brock… liked people after all of this? That is still a weird statement in my head. Brock being a good guy people person. If Liv wasn’t on bingo cards for wrestling, that is not on bingo cards in any aspect of life really.
That is more of the event that had solid matches and story going for it. No weird double count out, multiple people involved, 5 tag matches on the card. Things made sense and weren’t convoluted, had shocking moments that were great to see like Liv actually getting a title defense and there were the results we all expected at the time like Theory losing in 4 minutes to Bobby Lashley.
#2: 2009 (Are You Ready for The Return?)
This event wasn’t that strong. It was strong with the star power involved in 2009 with guys like Rey Mysterio as Intercontinental Champion, Orton and Cena for the WWE Championship as it was becoming as stale as month old chips and CM Punk was facing Jeff Hardy before he ultimately returned to TNA at the beginning of 2010 after this PPV. For me, it’s not so much of the show itself, it was more of the memories because the Balai as our friends Chris Platt and Rey Cash like to call my brother and I, we were just coming back into wrestling and we were TNA Fans. We didn’t watch WWE that much really, it was just what came on after another channel had old ROH shows before they moved to three hours and swallowed the 8pm Eastern Slot. No, the reason why this has so many memories for me is three main reasons. First, Orton and Cena. They have had their rivalry since the beginning it seems, being each others foils like Hogan and Piper before them and there had to be a stipulation where if Randy was Counted Out or DQ’d, he’d lose the championship regardless. This was prime Viper Randy and the obvious joke we had of Super Cena where he very rarely lost, unless it was SummerSlam surprisingly enough.
Number two reason was CM Punk and Jeff Hardy. Hardys known for the Ladder and TLC matches in the past and this being the penultimate match for this feud and it was a banger of a match. If you didn’t know Punk before, it was a great introduction to his wrestling. I used to like Punk a lot because of this match because he could talk, wrestle… and not insanely personal with things in wrestling. In all seriousness, this was a great match. Ultimate risks, high reward for Punk grabbing the World Heavyweight Championship and he was given his next feud because of the final boss of SmackDown at that time. Thanks, Teddy Long.
The main and final reason though why this match gave me the memories flowing back is more of the fact that one of my closest and longest termed friends of 23 years, also loves wrestling. Back when we were younger, he’d do MoCap videos on YouTube with his figures. We’d have friends come over for parties at his house and we’d do the one thing WWE always told us not to do and that was try it at home. He was always stronger than me, I was always more charismatic. He had the power aspect and did things with brute force, I could talk my way out of trouble with parents if we did something wrong. There was always one thing that our respective mother’s always called us though… it’s on the tip of my tongue… oh right, ‘Degenerates’.
As soon as we were called that, we kind of parodied the DX line. I was limber enough to do the HBK pose and do a Superkick before it became the new DDT and he would just Spinebuster people and knew how to do the water spit. So what do you think was the main reason we even ordered this PPV for his 13th Birthday? I think the two guys we were pretending to be were set to return on a tank and toss out some glow sticks. The return of DX, Shawn Michaels coming back after Mania with Triple H to deal with the Legacy problem was an amazing return for them and made everything so much fun.
So we have the solid card and this one has a personal story… what’s my number one SummerSlam? Is it personal? Well yes but not going into that. Is it a good card? To me, it was a phenomenal card! Is it memorable? Seeing how wrestling fans still mention at least three matches to this day.
#1: 2005 (Octopus in the Washer, Lover’s Quarrel and Where the F%#$ is Vickie?)
Quite possibly some of the best matches I’ve seen and one that was just the most hilarious moments of overselling in wrestling history, I know why I love this SummerSlam but it’s also a really good card at the same time. Redacted beats Orlando Jordan in 25 seconds for the US Title and they made jokes about it like, he can make a coffee faster than he beat Orlando and stuff like that, it’s pretty funny. Angle getting sick of Eugene’s antics for his Gold Medal was also a great bit they had play up, the Year long feud of Randy Orton and Undertaker was still going on where Orton comes out on top this time around to get the win back from Mania, Jericho returning for the match with Cena in a whole promotional thing for each other’s groups, Fozzy for Jericho and the Chain Gang doing Bad, Bad Man for Cena leading up to a match for the WWE Championship. JBL won a 20 man battle royal on SmackDown to win the Championship…… Opportunity to face the newest member of SmackDown, Batista but the three main matches that a lot of people talk about to this day; Edge vs Matt Hardy, Rey vs Eddie for Dominik and Hogan vs HBK in the Main Event.
I have reasons to enjoy the Hardy/Edge match but it looked like a real fight, it really made us believe that Matt Hardy was going to kill Edge because real names were dropped during this tirade from Hardy. It wasn’t Edge and Lita, it was Adam and Amy. Matt was so dead set on beating the hell out of Edge that they made a situation into gold and it was a great moment for this match to happen, I believe it was also an Unsanctioned Match too which added the intensity until matt got concussed and knocked senseless that it looked like he couldn’t fight for anything but the build up was what made it seem like a marque match. It made it feel real, it made it feel awesome and it made it feel personal.
Eddie kept tormenting Rey Mysterio about Dominik not being Rey’s but Eddie’s for the summer. That’s all you heard from Eddie being the weasel he was is hanging out with Dominik, making the world believe it’s his son and what not (Let’s not do a fast forward to today where he has the mullet, mustache and everything like Eddie) but they settle this in a Ladder Match where the top of it is a document for the custody of Dominik and my god, this match is better than it should have been. I expect nothing else from Eddie because the man hated having a bad match, Dom got involved and stopped Eddie, Vickie was late and stopped Eddie. The whole match was good it was just very weird with the premise but was a great match. I wonder if Rey regrets his decision to win the match now…
Octopus in a Washing Machine… those five words have resonated with Shawn Michaels’ performance in this match, forever. It was supposed to be an amazing match up between Hogan and Michaels, Icon vs Icon it said and suddenly Hogan’s back gives out, can’t do a trilogy of matches so we can only do the one and then pull out of everything after. This match was set up to be a classic and instead turned into the most unbelievable sell fest ever. A Hogan big boot caused Shawn to tumble 3 or 4 times, getting crotched on the ropes had HBK bouncing higher than he should have, being tossed out of the ring made it look like Shawn never broke his back in 1998 from how much he flopped and flipped around like crazy. It’s bad… or maybe even good that a lot of current wrestlers watched this match that went, “I can sell like that, I want to be a wrestler” and did. So good or bad, I don’t know but for some reason this PPV has always had a place in my heart for how memorable it was.
Those are my top three SummerSlams so far but who knows, 2024 has potential to maybe bump something or at least get me to consider a shift. Should be fun to see how the show plays out! What are some of your favorite SummerSlams?
About Chairshot Radio Network
Launched in 2017, the Chairshot Radio Network presents you with the best in sports, entertainment, and sports entertainment. Wrestling and wrestling crossover podcasts + the most interesting content + the most engaging hosts = the most entertaining podcasts you’ll find!
MONDAY - Bandwagon Nerds (entertainment & popular culture)
TUESDAY - Musical Chairs (music) / Hockey Talk (NHL)
WEDNESDAY - The Greg DeMarco Show (wrestling)
THURSDAY - Keeping the news ridiculous... The Oddity / Chairshot NFL (NFL)
FRIDAY - DWI Podcast (Drunk Wrestling Intellect)
SATURDAY - The Mindless Wrestling Podcast
SUNDAY - The Front and Center Sports Podcast
CHAIRSHOT RADIO NETWORK PODCAST SPECIALS
Attitude Of Aggression Podcast & The Big Five Project (chronologically exploring WWE's PPV/PLE history)
TheChairshot.com PRESENTS...IMMEDIATE POST WWE PLE REACTIONS w/ DJ(Mindless), Tunney(DWI) & Friends
Patrick O'Dowd's 5X5
Classic POD is WAR
Chairshot Radio Network Your home for the hardest hitting podcasts... Sports, Entertainment and Sports Entertainment!
Powered by RedCircle
Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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