Table for 3 - Show Stealers

This has Shane McMahon, AJ Styles, and Kurt Angle - so two of the best of all-time alongside Shane, who has in fact worked with them in memorable matches. They start off talking about Shane getting winded at WM against AJ before Kurt talks about his great matches with AJ in TNA. In a still-surreal bit, we get clips of Hard Justice 2008 with GWN graphics on it and that horrible forced 16:9 cropping.

Shane talks about AJ working stiff before Kurt buries him for slicing him open on a jab at KOTR '01. That was a truly insane match. We get more clips of TNA with them talking about Kurt taking a suplex on the stage before going through how insane Shane vs. Kurt was, and we see Shane take that nasty belly to belly bump off the glass to the floor. Then he suplexes him through the glass, goes to the other side, does it again - but the glass doesn't break and Shane just thuds again. Goddamn this match had to take years off his life before Shane just gets chucked through it.

 

Shane talks about that match being a great achievement for him. They got a big ovation from the boys and then he saw his wife in tears. Vince apparently almost stopped it three times. Kurt says they aren't young anymore and wonders what they do to train. Shane says he chases his kids. AJ says he's learned what his body can and can't do and we get clips of him with DDP Yoga. Kurt says he's doing yoga and stretching now and it's the only thing that works for him now. AJ says he loves burpees and Shane buries him for not lifting weights.

AJ says he's never seek Kurt blow up ever and he always wore him down. Kurt says AJ isn't the only one who complained about him being too intense. Everyone compares kid stories, and Kurt has a 15 year old and it scares him because he'll be 70 when his 1 year old graduates high school. AJ loves having a daughter now and how they make you think before they do something and point out how stupid you are. Shane says he came back in part for his kids to see him live and then Vince called him. Shane says that 10 minutes before his return match at Mania, he told his kids to come out with him and how they just started doing his dane and stealing the show.

Kurt calls AJ the best in the world right now and Shane agrees. AJ gives credit to Kurt for making him better. He enjoys finding new ways to still be great even with father time working against him a bit now. Kurt says AJ is teachable and a lot of people aren't - he's open to learning what can make him better. AJ credits Kurt for being the same way and Kurt says he was wrestling main events within his second month. Kurt first took a bump in November '98, debuted in October (actually November, but his vignettes were October) and won the title by October of '00.

Kurt says he had no idea what he was doing as champion. Kurt says that he was beloved in Pittsburgh and he probably wouldn't get booed - so then they booed him. Kurt says that night was a big key to his character becoming what it did. Kurt says he preferred to work heel and likes making an ass out of himself. AJ says now he prefers being a babyface - and with him being a fighting underdog character, it's better for him throughout his career. Shane says he likes being an instigator more so he prefers being a heel. AJ thanks them both for great experiences over the years and Shane teases a triple threat. AJ says they'll just toss him around.

WWE Backlash 2018

  

 The pre-show starts with talking heads then we get a great Roman vs. Joe video with Joe choking him out constantly. A WWE 24 doc is being made on Ronda Rousey. Miz vs. Bryan is hyped up, and oh yeah, he's facing Cass - so Miz is costing Bryan the match. Miztourage reunites backstage. He wants their help tonight agaisnt Seth, but Bo says they're done with him. A Charlotte-Carmella video airs and the Iiconics are out to be wacky. Bayley and Sasha have a terribly-acted skit.Nia vs. Alexa is hyped with a NIA JAX SOCIAL MEDIA BARRAGE video. Bayley comes out and is over again by some miracle.

Bayley and Ruby have a solid little match. Bayley gets a bunch of cradles for 2, but Riott dominates before throwing her outside and then menacing before her goons show up to be silly. Ruby hits a flatliner and does the logical thing afterwards - a silly armbar. WTF? Ruby hits her wacky double knees spot. Bayley hits Sarah with an awkward baseball slide rana. Roitt kick ends it. This was darn good overall.

 

 This is Miz's best look ever - something about this red and gold getup just works. Miz dominates after a nice head-dropping DDT. Seth hits an X factor and Miz gets a brief edge by bonking Seth's head on the apron. Seth carries him around and hits a sidewinding uranage for 2. High Fly Flow hits for 2 and gets a billion replays because it looks so great. They fight on the apron and Seth goes for the ripcord knee, but Miz ducks and Seth's knee hits the post. Miz gets a long figure four, but Seth escapes. Seth hits an awesome high kick, but Miz hits the finale for 2.9. Seth hits the superplex and Miz counters the falcon arrow into hte finale for 2.9999! Woah - that was a perfect false finish. Seth avoids a super Finale, but Miz avoids a super curb stomp and gets 2 off a cradle, but Seth HITS THE CURB STOMP TO WIN. This was easily the best singles match of Miz's career.

Alexa is out and she just has IT. She didn't come off with that vibe in NXT, but has become a dominant act despite being so small just due to her presence. They start things off with some awkwardness as Alexa just kind of stands around a bit while Nia wonders what to do. Nia steamrolls her. Nia gets dumped to the floor off a Vader bomb attempt. Nia almsot gets sunset bombed, but Alexa kicks her legs nad she bumps on her ass. Coach then says that ALEXA WINNING WOULD BE ONE OF THE GREATEST WINS IN THE HISTORY OF THE TITLE. Holy shit. Nia catches her off twisted bliss and Samoan drops her to win after nine decades. Nia cuts a generic empowering promo about being extraordinary and unique using every possible cliche in a single promo. NIA JAX ECHOING THE SENTIMENT OF WWE'S BE A STAR MOVEMENT, AND SINCE 2011, BE A STAR HAS HELPED THOUSANDS. Just human beings talking as they do.

The Roman vs. Brock stuff is recapped before Joe is intervewed by a generic human about Roman. Orton comes out and then Jeff does, with Orton bopping his arms to Jeff's theme. Jeff has a new all-shiny top look that's both neat and odd - I prefer the sleeves being colorful. We get a legends reunion version of every match they've ever had. Jeff goes for a springboard, but Orton dropkicks him to the floor. Orton back suplexes him three times on the barricade. Jeff jumps up and flies forward with...what I guess was supposed to be a lariat and gets the atomic drop>legdrop for 2. Whisper in the Wind gets 2 and Orton gets a powerslam for 2. Jeff misses Hardyac arrest. Twist and a swanton end it. That was a match.

Elias comes out and plays a tribute to Springsteen. Elias gets a boo/yay spot off of TEASING LEAVING. Then New Day sadly comes in and Elias says he knows they're intimidated being in the building with the biggest musical act on Earth - but it isn't time for autographs. And then Aiden shows up for Rusev Day. Then Jose, Titus Worldwide, and Breezango are out. Elias is Oliver Douglas in the world of Hooterville. AND THEN BOBBY ROODE JUMPS HIM TO END IT. Hey, this was unbearable at times - but it served a storyline purpose sorta. Roode dances to Jose's theme in his robe and looks very white.

Bryan is a third-match guy on a B-show. Yowza. Cass is a less-charismatic and less-impressive version of Test. Bryan kicks the leg. Cass has found a way to somehow try to hide his body while still wearing trunks. Between the giant trucks and enormous kneepads, why not just wear long tights? Bryan gets the missile dropkick. Yes kicks are met with a big spinebuster. Okay, so Bryan will probably win - but it'll be a fluke. They're telling too much of a story with Cass being arrogant. Cass is doing a fine job of raising his arm in the air. Cass eats some crossfaces and the Yes Lock ends it. Glad to see Bryan win clean here. Pleasantly surprised by the booking there. They actually did a nice job telling a story that can lead to Cass and Bryan being a team - which wouldn't be the worst thing for Cass. Cass jumps him after the match tho. Cass tosses him around post-match and big boots him.

Charlotte and Carmella have an astonishingly boring match. Lots of chinlocks and iffy-looking offense throughout. Charlotte counters a sleeper with a backpack stunner. Carmella gets the Code of Silence, but Charlotte escapes. Damn. I was hoping Carmella was being DQed for hitting her with the Cone of Silence from Get Smart - then this would be over. Moonsault is met with a knee clip and a win for Carmella.

AJ-Nakamura is up. "I hear Nakamura went to a children's basketball game and punctured all the balls!" Corey with a great line there. Nakamura bails to start. They brawl and AJ eats the apron kneedrop with a bit of a run up the steps to get 2. Super Kinshasa gets 2, as does a Landslide. AJ avoids a kinshasa with a tossing chair shot - but the chair kicks back and slices his cheek. AJ gets the calf crusher, but AJ eats a triangle choke. Ushigoroshi into a backbreaker lands after a bullet forearm to the neck. BACK TO BACK LOW BLOWS and then a double boot low blow to one another leads to ANOTHER DOUBLE DOWN. So this teases a double countout for a match MATCH TO SETTLE A DOUBLE COUNTOUT.

Braun and Lashley vs. KO and Sami is up, with them bringing up that Braun took Lashley out of the Rumble. Lashley tosses guys around. Braun comes in, bowls over everyone, wins. Then they beat up KO more and powerslam Sami. Also, Lashley was here. The Roman-Joe video hypes up how Roman should've won, but Vince didn't smarten him up before WM. "ROMAN REIGNS IS A FAILURE. END OF STORY. PERIOD! Thank you Joe. TU-BA TU-BA TU-BA! Joe gets a huge Joe chant coming out, and it's mind-boggling that he won't be winning. Roman is ricking perriwinkle tonight. How can anyone boo this man!?

 Joe starts things off fast and lands a snap jab before kneeing him in the ribs a ton. Then they fight on the floor and Joe just chucks him through an announce table. He tosses him over all the other ones.  We need at least another dozen announce tables set up for Joe to toss Roman through. Then we get a long chinlock and the match dies until Roman recovers, then the fans boo. Elbow suicida to the floor. Then Joe slows things down with a long, long, super-long armlock. They brawl and Roman gets the drive by. Another drive by is countered by THE CHOKE! Roman escapes and gets a Superman punch gets 2. A spear meets a boot and then a spear gets 2 before Joe gets the rope. Choke again. Cradle again, 2. Coquina clutch is on! Roman gets the rope and a ton of boos. Roman hits another spear to win. BOOOOO!

Impact Wrestling and Wrestling Revolver - PENTA DOES IOWA

So this is a neat little surprise show. It's a bit out of nowhere, and they apparently had a wacky Twitch stream thing before the show. Jason Cade hits a codebreaker for 2. APRON DVD BY SHANE STRICKLAND. Swerve stomp hits on the floor leads to an Ibushi knee strike for 2. Famous B distracts Strickland, who eats a super Celtic Cross and then Black Magic ends it. Josh hypes up a triple threat tag next. The Dirty, Zero Gravity, and the Night Ryderz are out. They look like a dime store version of War Machine, and Josh says they should win since he likes the beginning of their theme. The teams get name graphics, but not the individuals. Sonjay marks out over every single thing the Night Ryderz do. This is a match of a billion moves. Snap German sets up a double stomp from the Ryderz for 2.5 and the Dirty wins it.

Taya vs. Jessicka Havok is up, and Josh says people don't think Taya could just be a future Knockouts champion - but a future multi-time champion. So apparently, her biggest fans can't imagine her going on a winning streak. Now, Josh and Sonjay are talking off-mic, but can still be heard complaining about the audio. Havok and Taya have a really sloppy match - with Havok missing a corner hip attack by a mile before Taya lands the shotgun knees. Havok chops her on the post before missing one, giving Taya a chance to rebound. Apron slapfest leads to a double big boot. Taya gets set up top and eats a Final Cut before a face wash hits. Taya schoolgirls her to counter a tombstone and wins.

The Open Invite Title is on the line and Gringo Loco is out along with a billion guys - and Rich Swann. "All Night Long" is played briefly before they just opt to have Rich sing it. And then the stream dies. Swann wins with a phoenix splash and wins the Open Scramble title. Intermission leads to an Impact recap video. Sonjay and Josh talk for a while.

The Manscout Jake Manning is out to face Tommy Dreamer in 2018. Josh says that Tommy told him to tell people he's 47 and he loves wrestling as much as he can now. Jake says that unfortunately, he hasn't signed for a House of Hardcore match. He signed for a regular match and it's just a mistake - like when Paul Heyman didn't sign your checks in ECW! Ha! Tommy says it's great the scouts are letting women like him in - even if he's the ugliest woman Balls ever had sex with.

TOMMY OUTWRESTLES JAKE MANNING! A woman, kid, and another kid chop Manning on the floor. Cutter outtanowhere for 2 for Tommy. ECW baseball slide dropkick is turned into the HOH dropkick. Dreamer's DDT gets 2. Tommy goes into the ladder and a double arm DDT gets 2. Manning does a trust fall off the ladder for 2. Jake brings a temt in the ring and a "let's go camping!" chant breaks out before he kendo sticks the knees. SPICOLLI DRIVER INTO THE TENT WINS IT!

Clayton Gains comes out to face Eli Drake and drink protein shakes. Stream goes wonky and Eli wins and Eli cuts a promo on Penta. OVE is out to face The Rascalz and Sydal. Topes and lopes for everyone! Tower of doom! X19 to Sami Sami hits a pedigree shoulderbreaker to Xavier, but eats a super meteora from Sydal! Triple tombstone leads to 2.5. Xavier hits a double backflip Pele! Super cutter in mid-air hits and wins it! Sami the Promoter then cuts a promo undercutting the heel act saying it's an honor to share the ring with Sydal and the Rascalz are the youngest, hungriest team out there.

Penta faces Jimmy Jacobs for the Impact World Title. Jimmy Jacobs is in a wacky zombie princess getup. They have a giant walk and brawl for a few decades. A board and a billion chairs are used. A gaint platform with chairs is set up and PENTA piledrives him through it to retain.