Well, I wasn't expecting to be able to cover this show - but since it's on a Saturday and I'm off, okay. Pre-show is a bunch of nothing beyond a killer Lashley group video and SAMI VS. JD. Sami is such a remarkable babyface and so over in SA, while JD getting Generic Superstar 42 theme music is perfect for him. The crowd is PR-level rabid for Sami here and JD takes a wonky bump off a monkey flip, landing on his necks on the rope. Helluva kick and the blue thunder bomb win it!
World Title match opens the show - NOW it feels like the Alberto/Sheamus era of the World Title. Killer shot of Drew and Seth on-screen with the gold. Barrett brings up Ronaldo when Drew does his pose. Seth his the Cena nose-breaking knee before a Lionsault gets 2. Roaring elbow hits and stuns Drew before the superplex>Falcon arrow is countered into a Drew brainbuster before the Falcon arrow! Drew transforms into Roderick Strong for a very slow pendulum backbreaker on the apron.
Seth gets the stomp for 2.5 and Drew's claymore hits for a genuinely-great 2.9 count! Seth hits a shitty pedigree and gets the stomp again for a very anti-climactic win. Priest teases a cash-in before Sami jumps him - so no one really gains anything here. Rhea looks at Drew backstage in an amusing manner before the fatal five-way gets hyped up. I love that THE HEEL RHEA RIPLEY'S logic is that this match lets her show she's the best champion in the world beating the four best challengers in one match.
Raquel's whole act is her back pose and she can't do that here. I like Shayna going with the gi while Zoey Stark goes for a badass VF 4 Evo Vanessa Lewis getup. A large group of men come out to music before RHEA COMES OUT AND JUST STEALS THE SPOTLIGHT SHE IS HIM! What a megastar - holy shit. Ripley and Rodriguez hit each other with a dropkick before Stark comes in and double-jump dives onto the pile on the floor! Between the gear and her moves, Zoey is making sure you remember her today. Good - more people need to recognize that any match CAN make them stand out on a big stage. Tahara bomb out of the corner to Jax gets 2. Super Riptide to Zoey onto a Shayna and Raquel pile leads to her pinning Shayna.
Cena vs. Solo gets a nice hype video and even just playing the hits with a Cena vs. Umaga template should be good. Cena's doing a lot more, slower, matwork to start and working on the arm. Nice babyface in peril off a banzai drop before a superkick after Solo escapes an AA. Cena avoids a spike and turns it into a crossface...that looks like a headlock. ASSALANCHE IN THE CORNER BY SOLO! Solo avoids another AA and gets 2 off a Samoan drop. Another AA is avoided and an elevated Spike is turned into a KNEE-FALLING CHOKESLAM FOR 2!? Spinning Solo gets 2 befoer Cena gets the STF and a break in the rope. SPIKE HITS but the damage to the hand prevents a pin! A SECOND ONE HITS! A third one hits before he chats to the ref for a bit. A FOURTH SPIKE! Then he hits a billion of them in a seated position - well good because that would have killed the move without a win. Cena looks sad after the loss - good. They're playing up the heartbreak here - it isn't just Cena doing "hey, titles come and go!"
Miz brings out an SA comedian for Miz TV. Okay, Buncha nothing. WALLER'S OUT oh joy. They beat up Waller and Ibrihim does a people's elbow - honestly, he looked okay in the physical stuff. Logan Paul vs. Rey is hyped up with a desert video package of Paul training and doing cool shit in a car. Logan Paul drives into the building with his cool car and he looks like a megastar. BOY I LOVE REY'S ODDS HERE! Rey eats a lionsault for 2. Tilt a whirl backbreaker gets 2.5.
ULTIMATE WARRIOR PRESS SLAM AND SPLASH GET 2! Paul gets a bodybreaker and a bearhug before strolling around. BUCKSHOT LARIAT HITS FOR 2! LA MISTICA CROSSFACE BY REY! Logan saves Rey with a Davey Boy powerslam off a moonsault that would have been a headplant gets 2. Moonsault fallaway slam off the top by Paul gets 2. SUNSET BOMB OFF THE TOP BY REY! Code Red gets 2! Logan uses knucks during the senton and gets the win and the title. Logan Paul is unreal!
Bianca cuts a promo on Iyo and Damage CTRL before IYO'S KILLER THEME HITS! Some impressive dives here between Iyo's springboard dropkicks and moonsault to the floor. Nice glam slam by Belair before she divs onto Bayley. KAIRI COMES BACK and somehow the ref doesn't see her, the flying forearm into the post or anything and now she'll be with Iyo. Nice finish with Bianca rushing into beat the count right into the moonsault - that's a new one.
Cody vs. Priest time with Priest jumping him, but then eating a side effect. Disaster kick gets 2. Dom comes out and MAIN EVENT JEY runs wild with superkicks. Cody cutter and a bionic elbow gets 2. SUPER CODY CUTTER OFF THE TOP gets 2. Cross Rhodes ends after seemingly 25 years. More Saudi propaganda about team stuff with gaming before the hype for Knight vs. Reigns.
Long restholds and a uranage hit to get 2. Superman punch hits for 2. Corner spear misses after a leapfrog and Knight gets corner punches for some YEAHs. Leapfrog superplex hits and then the YEAH elbow gets 2. Spear hits for a 2.9! BFT and Jimmy puts the foot on the rope for 2.9. Spear ends it - well, the second half of the show was just a show, but the first half was great.
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