WWE Clash of Champions 2020 - GOLD RUSH

 

The card is all shaken up due to folks not getting medically cleared. Nia, Shayna, and Nikki Cross are off - with Shayna apparently being pregnant as per Nia. SD Tag Champs retain after Cesaro THROWS HIM INTO THE VIRTUAL WWE UNIVERSE for a swing/Kinshasa combo. A Cena-narrated video package talks about titles as something important. IC Title triple threat starts off and in a nice touch, they show each guy doing well in ladder matches. I'll give WWE credit - the video packages showing guys excelling at ladder matches is a good idea that helps strengthen the stip. Jeff going for a grounded...chinlock ish thing in a ladder match? Oh, it's to do a wacky bulldog/lariat combo to both guys. Okay.

Sami takes six months worth of bumps in one match here. Sami takes more crazy bumps and Jeff gets helluva kicked into the VIRTUAL WWE UNIVERSE. AJ javelins a ladder into Sami and Jeff climbs up and then gets dropped to the floor after a weird inverted walk down it before Sami shoves it down. SWANTON OFF THE TOP OF A LADDER TO SAMI ON THE FLOOR! AJ CLIMBS AND JEFF SHOVES HIM DOWN! Sami pulls two pairs of cuffs out of his jacket  Sami loops one through Jeff's ear piercing. Sami cuffs himself to AJ and then frees himself with a key and cuffs AJ to the ladder. SAMI WINS IT! They killed themselves in this and it was...decent? Sami says he didn't recapture the title - HE RETAINED HIS TITLE. 

A recap airs of Truth on the pre-show in disguise and now he's walking backstage in the ref's room. Drew does Backlund steps backstage and schoolboys him to win the 24/7 Title. Drew winning the 24/7 Title via BACKLUND STEPS backstage is something else. Actually, Backlund should win it while walking to the THUNDERDOME one day and happening upon the champ. Zelina and Asuka are up. Zelina gets 2 off a schoolboy, but a cradle and then Asuka getting the Kana Lock out of the cradle ends it. Zelina won't shake and bows and then beats her up. 

Crews vs. Lashley is up and THIS BELT LOOKS SO GOOD ON LASHLEY! Lashley takes a flying...something in the rope and has a delayed sell. Crews gets a standing SSP and a frog splash gets 2. Yokosuka cutter hits and THE HURT LOCK ends it. THE HURT LOCK is somehow a worse name than THE FULL-LASHLEY!

Andrade and Garza are out for match 5,000 with the Street Profits. Tom hypes the match up BY SAYING IT'S STALE AND THEY'VE BEEN FEUDING SINCE BEFORE MANIA. Jesus. They at least sell it as the heels getting along now without Zelina stirring the pot. Okay, I dig that - solid storytelling there. SHOTGUN KNEES miss in the corner for Andrade. SPANISH FLY TO FORD BY GARZA GETS 2! DISTRACTION SCHOOLBOY GETS 2 FOR THE HEELS! SHOTGUN KNEES TO FORD AFTER HE TAKES OUT DAWKINS FOR 2! Annointment hits for 2..3...okay 3. WHY THE FUCK IS ROMAN STILL IN THESE PSAS!?

Drew dedicates his title win to Tozawa, who was eaten by a shark. Truth jumps him and pins him. Bayley wants a forfeit win BUT ASUKA IS OUT TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE - so she could be a double champ here. Asuka kicks her ass but Bayley uses a chair for a DQ and then Sasha hits Bayley with a chair. WWE Title match is up. Show pulls on Orton's leg and CHOKESLAMS HIM THROUGH AN ANNOUNCE TABLE! WILL BIG SHOW TURN HEEL TONIGHT!? CHRISTIAN JUMPS RANDY ORTON AND GETS PHYSICAL! Orton rakes the eye and slams Drew on the windshield! They fight on the roof and Drew's back is all sliced up - and it looks cool. Kneeling by Drew leads to a knee to the jaw by Orton. HBK returns with a superkick and sends Orton off the roof. Drew goes to fireman's carry him in, but Orton escapes and RKOs him. Orton SHUTS A DOOR, but Orton's cocky and leaves himself open. Drew does the casket closing door spot and goes to the eyes like Orton did earlier. CLAYMORE HITS! Drew could win BUT HE WANTS A PUNT! Okay, the Punt as the finish was great. This greatly exceeded expectations.

Roman's out with his usual pants but without the top and looks great. Roman talks tons of shit and JEY LANDS A SUPERKICK PARTY FOR 2. Somehow, we get a rocking Thunderdome with claps. Roman avoids the splash and Roman hits a Ruff Ryder for 2. SUPERKICK AND THE BIG SPLASH IHTS FOR 2.9! Jey...somehow got low blowed hard and a replay shows Roman low-blowing him off the cover. Big spear hits for Roman and he gets up and shakes his fist. Roman says Jey brought The Chief out here and he wants him to call him Chief. Jey won't do it and Roman tells him to do it and he spears him again. Heyman shows mercy and says that Roman is HIS chief - but Roman only wants Jey to say it and lays down the lumber in a ground and pound. Roman goes all Brock-ish elbow on him and WANTS HIM TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIM!

Jimmy comes out to throw in the towel and Jey tells him to not tell him he's the chief. Jey can take the ass whooping - but can't live with Roman winning like "that". Roman rains more shots down and Jimmy throws it in. Jimmy says he's the chief - just leave him alone. Oh, and they made Jey a main event-level act in ONE FUCKING MATCH HERE. Maybe Jimmy too, and Roman is just THE BIGGEST ASSHOLE ON EARTH. Heyman's egging him on too...all of this was fantastic and a great use of time.

AEW Dynamite 9-23-20 - MOX vs King for the AEW World Title

 

Due to Lance Archer being out of action as a result of COVID-19, AEW pivoted and played off of Kingston stating that he wasn't eliminated in the battle royal to give him a title shot tonight. An Animal tribute starts things off before Kip and THE BEST MAN MIRO are out for a tag match. Miro is ungodly ripped and Joey warns Kip about trying to marry Penelope and says that they're on the express lane to victory before cackling like an asshole. I now want Miro to massacre him.

Sonny gets 2 off a standing moonsault and Miro boots him down. Janela gets spinning spike slammed! Big European uppercut to Kiss gets 2. Kip goes for a suplex, but Sonny gets a small package out of it for 2. SPLIT BITCH SLAP BY SONNY! Miro gets low bridged and comes up with a hurt ankle before Joey...does some goofy shit for a bit. Kip gets tossed onto Joey beyond the railing, but Joey...avoids it or something and Kip just splats and it isn't even on camera. Superkick to Kip by Joey before Miro comes in to massacre him with a big kick. Sonny kicks Kip in the face off a springboard and a pop-up lungblower gets 2! Machka kick and the camel clutch ends it now called GAME OVER and JR says he'll get an accolade for the game being over. Good save.

Kingston comes down and tells them to leave the hard cam on and he says you need to check social media because he's facing Mox for the World title. He was never taken out of the battle royal and he's getting that shot and 18 years says he deserves this shot. He and Mox were cut from the same cloth, but Mox sold out while he stayed with the outlaws! He calls out Mox and he comes out and they get separated. 

Kenny comes out and Ex tells us that Kenny has asked the ranking committee to take he and Page off the rankings as he does commentary. Colt's evil BOOM BOOM gear is tremendous. Evil Uno is out to face Page. Kenny says the tag team part of him is dead and Page gets a "Apprently Sticking With the Long Pants" graphic. Wasteland gutbuster hits for Page. He gets a Penta drive-style fallaway slam hold for 2. 

Knox grabs the boot of Page and Uno snaps a flying neckbreaker off. The Dark Order threatens Page and Kenny says he wants to help him...but just can't. APRON SIDE SLAM BY PAGE! Fallaway slam and then a standing SSP gets 2. Page gets 2 corner lariats, but eats a pump kick. Flying swanton hits for 2 for Uno! Standing SSP meets the knees and a small package for 2. Forearm, discus elbow, and a pop-up stacked powerbomb gets 2 for Page. BUCKSHOT ENDS IT!

Tony interviews the Bucks backstage with Matt saying they've been out of line. They shouldn't have superkicked that Alex guy and that jockey-looking ref. Matt won't talk about FTR, so Tony brings them up again. Matt asks if he has his phone and smashes it before just throwing cash at him like he's a stripper.

We get a great establishing shot of the ring and Tony says everything was backed up on the cloud and he'll use the money thrown at him for a new phone. Brodie comes out and JR says it only took him three minutes to take out and humiliate Cody and take out the Nightmare Family. Orange puts his shades on Anna before Brodie removes them and throat thrusts OC off the pockets bit. Brodie gets the Black Hole Slam as the Bossman Slam called by Ex for 2 and a break. LOL @ Brodie shoving John Silver down while holding the TNT Title up on the apron.

 Brodie gets a throat slingshot on the rope of OC. TWO HALF AND HALF SUPLEXES BY BRODIE! OC stays down and Ex says this could all be a ploy. Brodie can't do anything because OC KEEPS FALLING DOWN! Cassidy gets an elbow suicida after sending Brodie into the buckles twice by defense and to the floor off a fakeout. ORANGE PUNCH TO A GOOBER! Corkscrew DDT is turned into a stunner-ish thing by OC! SECOND ROPE DIVING DDT HITS FOR ORANGE! BEACH BREAK/Air Raid Crash hits for 2! Brodie powerbombs him and hits the discus to end it. THIS RULED!

THE EPIC PRELUDE HITS! CODY RETURNS IN BLACK AND WITH BLACK HAIR AND BEATS THE SHIT OUT OF THE GOONS! FIGURE 4 GETS A TAP! Brodie Lee cuts a promo on him for returning WHEN HE'S BEEN DOING THE WORK! He says that Cody can run, but he will cut him down and he will take this dog collar and wrap it around his GOD-FORSAKEN TATTOO AND GIVE HIM NOWHERE TO RUN! He gives him one week to answer a challenge for a dog collar match.

Matt and Private Party come down and Matt talks about his day last week before he was attacked. All he saw was a mask or face covering, and he was hit with steel of some kind. And then Jericho comes in brandishing a bat. Matt fucks up words for a bit before calling Jericho an asshole. Jericho talks shit about Matt taking out Sammy. Marc Quen asks Matt to not fight before he's ready - because HE'S CLEARED! Kassidy cuts a promo on Jericho and says he almost beat him TWICE! AEW is getting mileage out of NEARFALLS IN A TAG MATCH. Tremendous to see in 2020. Kassidy wants Jericho next week. 

FTR is mid-ring with Tony and EXECUTIVE CONSULTANT Tully Blanchard. Tully changes the TV rules from being 60 minute time limits on TV to 20 - so the fans get a 20 minute brush with greatness, and they pick their foes for next week. They'll face SCU next week. Loving the 20 minute brush with greatness. And ala the TV Title, the challengers have to win in that time or the champs get the win. BEST FRIENDS ARE HERE to fight the notion of them being backyard wrestlers. They want a brush with greatness tonight and Dax wants to okay it with Tully. Cash says they're fighting champions...BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE BEST FRIENDS. They should rest themselves up. Top Guys out!

Ivie and Diamante are out to face Rusa and Shida. Rosa is out in Animal-style paint and looks like the biggest female star in the company. Nice forearm shot by Ivie on the ground before SHOOT-STYLE BACK CLUBS! Ivie flatlines Rosa and ducks a knee that Shida eats. Double team sliced bread gets 2 thanks to a Rosa save. Rosa hits the DVD and Shida gets the Michinoku driver for 2 and the tamashi knee ends it! This was a lot of fun.

Backstage, Dasha meets with Jericho and he says Isaih is showing some balls - but while he'll be a big star someday, it won't be next week. Maxweel meets with Christopher while they exchange backhanded compliments. MJF and Chris should be wacky partners instead of Jericho and Hager, who have no chemistry. They each call the other out for the LOSER line. TREMENDOUS! MJF says he was calling the limo drivers losers for almost hurting them! And Jericho was calling Tony Schiavone a loser! The October 7 show is 30 years of Jericho! 

KING IS HERE and Ex talks about Kingston wearing the colors of Kawada, one of the four pillars of heaven. WE GET SOME WRESTLING. AND SLAPS. AND CHOPS! They brawl on the floor before we come back from a break with a stretch plum! Running Yakuza kick by King meets A SHORT LARIAT BY MOX! PILEDRIVER HTIS FOR MOX AND GETS 2 due to the ropes! STACK POWERBOMB GETS 2 FOR KING! RNC into the Bulldog choke ends it!

Lucha bros attack before Hobbs is in. So in one match, they keep Mox strong, make Kingston strong, and use the post-match to get Hobbs and the Lucha Bros over. Tremendous use of time. DARBY IS OUT AND THEN RICKY STARKS JUMPS HIM WITH A SPEAR! Starks chokes Darby out with his own skateboard and he hits the Roshambo on Darby!

WCW Beach Blast 1992

 

It's the first F4W Board watchalong in a bit, and it's one of my favorite WCW shows ever - Beach Blast 1992. THE WCW BEACH BLAST. Real shame Bret didn't debut on this show. Tony hypes up the show and we get a COWBOY BILL WATTS promo. He bans Madusa and Paul E from ringside during the iron man match and my God is Tony's hair spectacular. Jesse comes down with bikini babes.

Scott Flamingo is out to get a shot at Pillman's light heavyweight title. Jesse says Pillman has the edge when it comes to moves, but Scotty's meaner. Pillman avoids an elbow to the jaw in the corner, but Scott gets one in the gut. Scotty gets locked in a short-arm scissor and Jesse talks about how that takes away your circulation and we get a 5 minute time cue. Scotty gets stuck foot-first in the ropes and takes him off so he bumps down. Okay, someone needs to steal that ASAP. Pillman goes up, but SINCE HE'LL BE DQED, he can't jump - so Scotty slams him off for 2. 

Scotty hits a pescado to Pillman on the foor OVER THE TOP and Jesse talks about how THERE'S NO MATS OUT THERE and Ross says IT'S OUR TRADEMARK and Jesse calls it THE REAL DEAL. Crossbody gets 2 for Pillman and then Scotty gets a 205 Live chinlock and a series of chokes. Brian gets his rebound dropkick and a spin wheel kick. Scotty gets a corner boot counter and a powerslam with the tights gets 2. JESUS there was like no margin for error on that second rope belly to backdrop driver. Corner Bret bump from Scotty and a rabbit lariat by Pillman. Brian misses a dive on the ramp and eats a knee and SCOTTY WINS!?

Jesse complains about Johnny B Badd emceeing the bikini contest. Johnny at least looks a star and talks about the three competitions being evening gown, swimsuit, and bikinis. We get awkward...I guess posing from them. This is a thing alright. Well that's over thank God, for now. Tony fills time AFTER ONE MATCH recapping what we've seen. And let's not show RON SIMMONS GETTING THE KEY TO THE CITY. Might make him seem like a star or something.

Tremendous sexy jazz music for Ron Simmons here as Terry Taylor is out as the Wish version of the Million Dollar Man. Ron and Taylor fight to the ramp and Taylor gets run into the ropes and pressed on the ramp and into the ring. Long bearhug by Ron. Taylor stomps away on the ramp and jacks his jaw before GETTING A CHINLOCK. Simmons chokes him as a prelude to the tree slam. Giant powerslam ends it. Ron Simmons talks about BEATING THE ODDS no matter what color you are.

 

Bagwell is out in solid gear while Greg Valentine is out to music that wouldn't be out of place in Saturday Night Slam Masters. Valentine is aided by looking 55 for the last 30 years here. Buff drops down and Greg just swings down and elbows him. Now that's a great move that needs to be brought back. Valentine just clubs him down on the chest and then gets a backbreaker stretch. Valentine does...what we've call generously a ropewalk second rope ellbow, but Buff moves. Greg works on the legs and then chops the shit out of him. Bagwell gets a backdrop, but the figure four ends it. This was glacial, but enjoyable.

Cactus-Hammer recap leads to Jesse hoping they have a good camera crew. Sting vs. Cactus is up! This Cactus Jack theme wouldn't be out of place for Mankind in '96. It's so much better than Mr. Bang Bang. FANTASTIC shot to start the match off. Big backdrop and bulldog on Jack on the ramp! CACTUS ELBOW ON THE BARE FLOOR and I'm sure his hips loved that. Ross talks about how hard he smacked his knee on it.

Sting backdrops him into the crowd. SUPLEX ON THE CONCRETE. Jesus it only gets 2. Sting catches the leg, but Jack spins into a lariat. CACTUS JACK WITH A BODYSCISSOR! CACTUS CLOTHESLINE TO THE FLOOR! I like Jesse putting Jack over by saying that while he can't beat Sting for the title tonight, he can beat him up so severely that a title loss is inevitable. Chair to the back of Sting! BELLY TO BACK ON THE FLOOR TO JACK!

They punch each other down and Jack falls on him for 2. STINGER SPLASH ON THE FLOOR leads to a stun gun on the barricade and Jack's back hitting an upright chair. Sting gets his karate chop action and goes for the scorpion after some chairs to the back, but Jack escapes and gets the double arm DDT for 2. Sting gets the flying lariat off the top to the ramp and we closed the match with a great shot that's almost as good as the openening shot for it. Tremendous match.

Tony and Eric chat for a bit and hype up the iron man match. Biscoff talks about Rude having a 19 pound weight advantage and that giving Steamboat the edge here. Rude's out with his belt over his robe and he made this look work, somehow. AND HE'S GOT A WORD FOR ALL YOU FAT, OUT OF SHAPE BEACH-LOVING BOZOS.

 

Steamboat's out with his family and that goofiness aside, his gear rules.  Rude jumps him, but Steamboat hits a gutbuster to hurt him early on. I LOVE IT. Bearhug and a vertical bow and arrow are locked on by Steamboat - so the ribs are the point of impact here. Look at all they've gotten about of a GUT BUSTER. This is what can happen when your framework is that it's a sporting event instead of HEY EVERYONE THE CARNIVAL IS IN TOWN. ELEVATED CRAB BY STEAMBOAT! Rude cries out about his ribs and he gets the rope. 

Jesse compares Steamboat to Dr. No and Goldfinger for working on the ribs. Steamboat gets a splash and a cover for 2. Rude gets a knee out of the corner and sends him down for a quick pinfall! Jesse gets an apt comparison saying it's like hockey with one team getting a dozen shots on goal and not getting it in and another team gets one shot on the goal and gets it. RUDE AWAKENING HITS FOR 3. Rude gets a backbreaker and he goes up top and is willing to lose a fall to gain 2 and he gets DQed. Rude gets a fall off that. Rude MAKING THE TOP ROPE RULE count there. You lose a fall, okay, but you do long-term damage off one move and you stand to gain more than just one fall off it easily. 

Rude snapmares him into a camel clutch, but Ricky hoists him up and Rude makes a variety of wacky faces and tries to...swim? his way out of that. Electric chair hits for Ricky. Rude goes for a tombstone, but Ricky body-walks him and GETS A TOMBSTONE AND GETS A FALL! Rude goes up and Steamboat catches him and superplexes him and it's not a DQ because both men are up top...because sure that makes sense. Steamboat gets a backslide with a wide base to get ANOTHER FALL, it's 3 each! They go for anything for falls and Rude gets out at 2 for a crossbody.

Ref gives a standing 10 count. Ross and Jesse say he's counting out of habit. What? If you have a standing 10 count, you need to count both men down in the event that one gets up before the other. Rude poses WITH ONE ARM BECAUSE HIS LEFT ARM IS HURT. Rude goes for a Rude Awakening, BUT STEAMBOAT GETS IT AND GETS 2 when Rude gets the rope. Rude gets a sleeper on the shoulders, but Rude gets sent into the buckle. Jesse adds in that this could take Steamboat out and thus give him the win easily for the last three minutes. Long sleeper and RUDE KICKS THE ARM AWAY when he tries to grab the rope. Tremendous. STEAMBOAT GETS THE ARM UP AT 2.5! STEAMBOAT PUSHES BACK AND HITS THE RIBS TO GET A PIN WITH 30 SECONDS LEFT. Rude goes for anything and can't do it! It's great. Rude did EVERYTHING, but in the end, Steamboat's FIRST MOVE ended up getting him the win.

Madusa's out in a giant swimsuit and Missy's in a bikini...in the non-bikini portion? Whatever. We get a shot of Tony Gillum and MY GOD HE'S SUCH A GOOBER. Ole is in the ring as the senior official with the Dangerous Alliance facing Barry, Dustin, and Nikita. Steve covers up a six man tag title as TV Champion since the new belt wasn't finished yet. Bobby works great with everyone, even Nikita who is just mentally checked out. Arn thumbs Barry and clubs him off the second rope. 

Steve and Dustin go at it with a mini-slugfest. Ole shoves Steve back. Ole no doubt lecturing Steve on wearing neon on his gear and not being a draw until he knocks that shit off and becomes a black trunks, black boots kinda guy. WHAT A SHORTARM CLOTHESLINE BY BOBBY! Steve comes in and gets a 360 sell off a lariat to Dustin for 2.5 that sounds like 3 due to Ole's cadence. Arn locks an armbar on Dustin before he tags in Barry and he runs wild. TRADEMARK ARN KNEELING DOUBLE SLEDGEHAMMER gets a DQ due to the top rope rule as Ross talks about this proving Ole is impartial.

Bischoff and Steamboat meet on THE WWF SUPERSTARS INTERVIEW PLATFORM. Subtle there WCW. Steamboat cuts a hell of a promo and Paul E says he's gotten HIS LAST US TITLE SHOT. CACTUS JACK JUMPS HIM! Johnny's out in yet another new outfit and he and Jesse are out for the bikini portion of things. Madusa comes out in chaps and then Missy's bikini is stolen, so she steals Jesse's doorag.

DOC AND GORDY FACE THE STEINERS! Gordy and Doc are in wacky wrestling robes. Scott and Gordy exchange holds on the mat. Scott rides him to the rope. Doc comes in for some more RASSLIN. Side headlock takeover for Scotty. Rick's in and he struggles to get an overhead belly to belly on Doc. I love how important EVERY PRO WRESTLING move is here - the amateur-style stuff is being used as a link in the chain to do them. DOC AND RICK SLUGFEST SENDS RICK TO THE RAMP! Rick goes for a sunset flip and Scotty slugs Doc into i for 2. Gordy gets a slick elevated half crab before transitioning into a kneebar.

 Doc and Scotty go at it and Doc struggles to get him in the rope before Gordy comes in for a partial STF on Scotty. Scott gets up but eats a lariat for 2. Doc misses a corner charge, but gets his own elevated half crab. This feels like a strange strong style vs. king's road style and it's not exactly clicking, but is technically great. ELEVATED CRAB BY DOC. Okay, this is all wearing a bit thin. Rick comes in and gets a powerslam for 2. POWERSLAM OFF THE TOP BY GORDY, but he's illegal, so they lose time and Doc gets 2. OH THANK GOD THERE'S ONLY FIVE MINUTES LEFT IN THIS MATCH is not the reaction I expected to have going into it. Doc gets a long chinlock. There's just zero sense of urgency here. Doctor bomb gets 2. STAMPEDE INTO THE BUCKLE, but Rick escapes the powerslams and GETS A STEINERLINE. CORNER COUNTER STEINERLINE GOES THWACK! SCOTT GETS A TAG AND SLAMS DUDES! TIGER DRIVER BUT HE'S HOT DOGGING AND DOESN'T WIN. Obviously becuase they took too much time. They run down tonight's events and that's it.