US Title: AJ Styles (C) vs. Kevin Owens
With Jinder Mahal as WWE Champion, the feud between AJ and Kevin Owens has felt like the real WWE Championship feud. Match starts with a tie up and Kevin Owens gets a quick high elbow and goes for a quick cover. Another lockup and AJ pushes Owens asides and looks for the dropkick but KO stays on the ropes and AJ falls. KO clubs AJ from behind and continues with another clothesline on the outside. We come back from commercial and we find KO with a big boot to AJ and some stomps for two. KO goes back but gets met with the high dropkick from AJ. AJ with some kicks to the gut, a couple of knife edge chops and a kick to the back, followed by with the high knee drop, but KO is near the ropes. AJ and KO slug away at each other in the corner, but AJ gets the vertical suplex which gets a 1 count. These two sure are taking their time out there. KO gets a knife edge chop but AJ comes back with stomps in the corner. KO goes for a strike, but AJ gets out of it. Styles goes for the Phenomenal Forearm, but KO is able to get out of the right. However, persistence pays off for AJ as he gets a forearm to the outside. Is that considered the same as his regular forearm as a finisher?
AJ looks to continue the assault on the outside, but KO reverses AJ’s momentum into the barricade and KO finishes with a cannonball right to the face. We go to another commercial, but fortunately, we get a split screen shot of the action this time. Wonder why RAW doesn’t do that. Owens covers for two, and Owens follows that with a senton for two. KO then goes back to his vintage headlock of death. AJ comes back with his vintage strikes and gets another variation of his forearm onto the pavement. Aj gets a forearm shot to the corner and the Fireman’s Carry into the knee to the back of the neck for two. Styles goes for the Styles Clash, but Owens gets the back body drop. AJ is in the position outside for the Phenomenal Forearm, but KO gets out of it again and reverses into a superkick for a two count. KO goes for the Pop Up Powerbomb, but AJ reverses into the Calf Crusher. Ko slams AJ’s head to the mat in desperation to get out of it. KO then goes for the power slam, but AJ reverses into the Pele Kick. KO with a strike, but AJ reverses back into the Calf Crusher, and KO teases tapping out for a good while before getting to the ropes. Great little tease there. KO then gets two superkicks back to back, and KO goes for another punch, but the ref somehow gets knocked out. Give me a freaking break.
KO gets another superkick and goes for the pop-up powerbomb, but AJ reverses into a pin and retains the title at 16:47. Clearly, they played up Battleground’s botched finish, but they really couldn’t come up with a definitive finish? KO’s shoulder was also apparently up, so clearly this feud must continue. Match had a much better flow than their Battleground match, but I can’t help but be left wanting. Please don’t tell me this feud will continue. Can we just move on already? ***1/2
Backstage, we have the ref apparently apparent recovering from that supposed stuff shot to the face. Come on now. How many more vicious bumps has Mike taken? A typical punch is enough to do him in now? KO then comes back and he is heated and that finish. KO shoves the referee and claims that he was screwed in the match. Shane McMahon tells KO to calm down and that while he shouldn’t put his hands on a referee, he will get a rematch for the US Title at Summerslam. Oh, goodie. KO requests that he gets a referee that isn’t a complete p***y and Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan agree that the special guest referee will be Shane McMahon. Shane says KO needs to cool off and KO does the exact opposite by flipping over a table.
Back from commercial, we come out to the New Day, but we’ve been fooled, it’s The Usos. Okay, that was friggin hilarious. Sounded exactly like Big E. The Usos come out to mock The New Day and lay out a rap dissing The Usos, referencing their lame catchphrases, trombones and their…..popsicles. Good heel promo playing off the events of last week and setting up a rematch between the two teams, probably at Summerslam.
We get another Fashion Files segment. I didn’t even know what was going on, but all I could tell you was that I felt like I was on acid watching whatever that was.
Sami Zayn vs. Aiden English
English came out and sung about….something. Sami’s face during the segment told the entire story for me. Well, at least it’s…..unique, I guess? They start with a lockup and English gets the shoulder block. English gets an arm lock and forces Sami to the mat. Zayn fights back and reverses into an arm hold of his own and into the Kevin Owens-esque headlock. Zayn flops away from English and gets his trio of arm drags back into an arm lock. English reverses and gets the fluke pin at 1:57. Sami’s losing to Mike Kanellis and Aiden English now? English is on a roll, but did it have to come at the expense of Zayn? Wrestling was pretty solid, but the abrupt finish kinda ruins it for me. *1/2
Becky Lynch and Naomi vs. Carmella and Natayla
Natayla looks like she’s on acid in that match card graphic. Natayla and Lynch have a roll-up sequence that ends up with Becky going on top. Becky gets a kick to the gut into a front facelock. Naomi goes up top for the sunset flip and Becky comes with a kick and Naomi gets a jumping leg drop for two. Carmella gets the tag and Naomi gets a couple of kicks in. Naomi goes for a third, but Carmella counters with a slap to the face, to which Naomi responds with a slap of her own. Naomi gets the Fireman’s Carry which Carmella reverses, but she gets the knee lift. Naomi fights off Natayla but Carmella slams her down from behind, and the two tag team her for two. Naomi looks for the tag, but Natayla slams her down and takes out Becky. Then Natayla goes for the Sharpshooter that she gets in the middle of the ring. That is one ugly looking Sharpshooter. Natayla drags her to the middle of the ring and Naomi looks to fight it and she does by getting to the ropes. Carmella gets the tag and orders Natayla out of the ring and she gets her butt submission of doom.
Naomi reverses into her own submission and Becky gets the Becksploder onto Natayla and Carmella has to tap at 5:01. Some basic TV stuff. Nothing bad here, and a decent build for Naomi and Natayla’s match. Carmella needs to work on her ring awareness though. *1/2
Backstage, we have Renee Young interviewing Jinder Mahal and the Singh Brothers. We also see one of the Singh brothers have a neck brace on. Jinder claims that no matter if it’s the Japanese person or the American person, he’ll walk out of Summerslam as WWE Champion. Jinder also makes a political statement, as he claims he sees xenophobia wherever he goes, but it only makes him stronger. He ends by claiming the reign of the Modern Day Mahajara will never end. It sort of just hit me that John Cena and Shinsuke Nakamura are going to tear each other apart for the chance to fight…Jinder Mahal. Ain’t that something?
Rusev vs. Chad Gable
Chad goes for a waist hold but Rusev just shoves him aside a couple of times. Chad then goes for the leg, but that works out as well as you’d expect it. Chad gets Rusev in the corner, but doesn’t amount to much. Chad gets another waist hold but Rusev retreats to the ropes yet again. Chad goes for the legs again, and this time, Rusev tosses Gable outside the ring. Gable goes for the legs yet again, but this time, he has Rusev grounded to the canvas and starts taking shots to the left leg. Well, it’s psychology at least. Chad gets a leg lock in before working the knee over again. Rusev responds with a big right knee, however, and gets a huge overhead suplex. Rusev goes for the cover, but Gable kicks out and we head to commercial. Oh dear, my bladder calls. I’ll be back. Back from commercial, Gable gets a series of belly to belly suplexes on Rusev. Gable goes for a thurd, but Rusev slugs him down but Gable gets a German and that gets two. That was pretty damn impressive. Rusev looks to attack Gable, but he kicks him away and reverses him into the corner. Gable gets the moonsault and that gets a near two count. That moonsault was picture perfect.
Gable goes for a roll and a German suplex, but Rusev reverses with a right kick to the face, and that gets a two count. Totally thought that was the finish there. Rusev claims Rusev matchka or whatever, but Gable gets out of it, and goes for the ankle lock, which he gets. He has it locked in, but Rusev is able to get him out. Rusev gets a big kick with Gable coming back into the ring, and Rusev gets the Accolade for the submission victory at 9:25. For a TV match, that was pretty damn entertaining. The right man went over, but I also liked the extra exposure Gable got here. They complimented their styles pretty well to boot. I’d rather have Gable pass out as opposed to tap out quickly, but I sense something on the horizon for him. ***1/4
Post match, Rusev claims that he has no competition and that no one could beat him even though he lost at Battleground. Rusev says he beats everybody even though he lost at Battleground. Rusev’s music then plays and he looks kinda shocked that his music is playing too. Rusev ends his promo and out comes Randy Orton, recovering from his loss to Jinder Mahal. Rusev then presumably talks trash in Russian and looks to strike Orton but gets the RKO and it looks like we have another match set for Summerslam.
Back from commercial, we got a recap of the Owens/Styles controversy, and Styles/Owens and Rusev/Orton is made official for Summerslam.
MAIN EVENT TIME!
John Cena vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Damn, thought this would get 20 minutes. The match starts with a game of taunts as each man smile at each other’s hijinks. We get a lockup and Nakamura gets Cena in the corner. Cena looks freaked out by Shinsuke’s drunken act. Cena gets an arm lock and forces Shinsuke to the ground, but Nakamura escapes and gets a headlock. The two dodge each other and Shinsuke tells Cena to come on. Nakamura responds with a low kick and an enziguri which forces Cena to the corner. Nakamura then gets his face wash and Cena goes for a charge, but Nakamura reverses and goes for another face wash. However, Cena won’t have it twice and gets a suplex for two right into the headlock. Back from commercial, we see Cena and Nakamura slugging at each other until Nakamura gets the high left kick. Nakamurara gets some kicks to the chest and the final one is able to get him down. Cena gets Irish whipped into the corner, a clubbing forearm connects and Nkamaura finishes the onslaught with a knee to the ribs of Cena and that gets two.
Cena responds with his comeback and Cena tells his opponent he’s blind, but Nakamura reverses into an armbar. Cena has his arm locked and is trying to fight him off. Nakamura then transitions into the triangle choke. Tom Phillips questions if Cena will tap out on Smackdown LIVE. When hell freezes over. Cena looks for the AA, but Nakamura responds with a facebuster. Shinsuke looks to set up or the Kinsasha, but Cena reverses into the STF. I don’t think Cena has ever locked in the STF properly. Shinsuke reverses into the armbar, but Cena turns it into a pin for two and Cena gets a desperation clothesline. Shinsuke gets the forearm and the Shining Wizard and Nakamura can feel the Kinsasha, but Cena reverses in kind with an AA for a two count. With only four minutes left, that could have been your finish right there. Cena goes for another AA, but Nakamura reverses that into the Guillotine. Cena reverses that into an AA, and rolls over Nakamura goes for another one, but Nakamura no sells and gets the Exploder Suplex to which Cena landed pretty nasty and finally gets the Kinsasha and that finishes Cena off at 13:23. Give those two five to ten more minutes and that’s your match of the year. Wished they would have gotten extra time, and I also wished they would have saved that dream match for a PPV like Summerslam, because the momentum was sort of mired by commercials but that was still a pretty awesome main event to see. But I think we both know both these men have another gear they can get into. Wonder where Cena goes from here, and hopefully there’s a rematch down the line. ****
Conclusion
A pretty damn good showing from the blue brand this week, with some good build towards Summerslam. Far better than Battleground, to which I still haven’t recovered. Let’s hope the momentum continues into next week.
