Deeb/Kay
This is the best women's match on the show, easily. This was the first time I ever saw Kay and her amazing wrestling boots. The match was fun, energetic, brawl-y, and started the show off just fine. Thunder Rosa showed up to remind Deeb she's not gonna be champion forever.
Hangman/Omega
I was surprised to see this opening the show, but I think it worked just fine. I just wanted more time to emotionally prepare. They spent most of the match just reversing everything the other was throwing. OWA, Buckshots, everything. There was one point where Hangman was blasting Omega into the barricades over and over, and Omega jumped up ONTO THE RAILING and then did a moonsault back onto Hangman. I've never seen that before. Omega hit like 4 V-TRIGGERS on Hangman to get him up and down with the OWA.
The match, all things considered, wasn't exactly a barn-burner but they both wanted it. I think, irl, they were probably holding some things back for a rematch in the future with higher stakes. Omega is going to right to Moxley, and this match was more of a story about his rise back to singles power than it was a story of Omega/Hangman settling their differences.
Cassidy/Silver
This match was just about what I wanted it to be. John Silver got actual heat from the audience by tearing out OC's pockets from his pants. That's how much people like OC. He then pretended to eat them lmao.
Silver, if you've never watched some of his independent matches (Watch his title match with WARHORSE), is a real powerhouse. He had Cassidy up in the air with one hand at one point tonight. He's going to be a big deal soon.
The match wasn't as funny as I hoped, but Cassidy looked good. John lost because he tried to do Brodie's lariat and missed.
Cody/Darby
They juked us with the "Probably won't use Rhodes for my wrestling career" thing from earlier this week. Our DAPPER YAPPER did Cody's usual way too fuckin' long title and nicknames deal before dropping a casual, low key "cody". Following it, with a huge pop, of "RHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHODES!". If you watch the clip you can see Cody get excited for it as its about to happen. Imagine having to fight a legal battle to use your real name.
As far as Cody and Darby's length match history goes, this is probably not the best one, I think that probably goes to 2. This was good, however, with Cody coming closer than ever to just being the heel he is in his heart. I've heard Cody described as "A heel pretending to be a face" as a character, and I think that's the most accurate way I've heard it yet. He did the pushups which always make Arn lose his shit, which I love so dearly.
Cody did a cross-rhodes off the top rope with Darby and I was pissed because, yeah, that's hit, but Darby rolled so close to the ropes on the other side that he was able to get his foot under it and get freed from the pin by being out of bounds.
After this, during a roll-up battle, he got the best of Cody just barely, and got the belt. What a moment for him, really. I'm so glad to see someone finally take that belt off of Cody, especially someone like Darby who wants it so bad.
Afterwards, Team Taz came out to kill Darby and break his arm, but they got scared off by Hobbs. Really hope we get to see more Darby/Hobbs team ups. I love Will. I love Darby. Make them be friends.
Shida/Rose
TBH I was expecting Nyla to get this belt back here, but she kind of went out like a sucker. This was one of her weakest matches ever. Despite Vickie blowing up Shida's knee with the kendo stick, Shida still got her offence in and won the match. Afterwards, Vickie slapped the shit out of Nyla. If this is part of an eventual face turn for Nyla, I'm in. Just give us something for these women, you know?
FTR/Bucks
This match was basically structured as a "Tag teams throughout history" match, with each team using finishers and special moves from teams they both loved.
There was... way too much to this match to summarize. Matt fought for his life for about 15 minutes, stranded from Nick and getting his ass kicked and his leg worked so hard. FTR finally looked like real wrestlers instead of shitty heels. If they were always this good I would like them more.
It came down, at the end. Dax hit Matt with a superkick, everyone else was dead. Dax looked at him, knowing he could get the pin, but... maybe if he just... beat them their way. He went for a big 450 flip and belly flopped, missing completely. Matt was able to come back and get the pin because of it.
The story was spectacular, the win good, the ring work was impossibly good.
This was aces. Match of the night.
The Elite Deletion: Matt/Sammy
You love these kinds of things or you despise them with your whole being. I happen to be the kind of person who loves them.
Matt had a monster truck. There was the finish of a storyline Matt started in WWE like 2 years ago. Gangrel was there. MATT KILLED SAMMY. ROMAN CANDLE FIGHT.
I truly don't know what you want from wrestling if this doesn't appeal to you. I loved this.
Jericho/MJF
As the story suggested, MJF couldn't outwrestle Jericho, but that wasn't the point. He needed to outheel him. He pulled an Eddie Guerrero move and feinted being hit with Jericho's bat, resulting in a chance for him to get a surprise roll up. MJF wins.
Jericho is putting on worse and worse matches recently, like he's just not really putting in any effort anymore, but I mean, the man is 50+. In terms of story, yeah, it worked well, but I think they need to consider pulling back some on using him in the ring unless it really needs to happen. Not just, every PPV because Jericho.
Mox/Eddie
A semi-hardcore match with lots of barbed wire, chairs, tacks, and absolute sadism with Eddie pouring rubbing alcohol on Mox's wounds. The whole time, Mox has been saying Eddie might have a lot of talk, but he can't outwrestle Mox. And he couldn't. Even with all the advantages in the world, he was still too loud, too weak. Eddie pulled barbed wire off Mox's bat and used it to cut Moxx up, but Mox wrapped it around his arm and gave him the bulldog choke. It was too much for Eddie, and he said it. "I quit". Eyes full of tears. There was nothing he could do.
Whether this is a hit to Eddie's ego or it sends him further off the deep end is anybody's guess. I don't think it's gonna make him do anything but fight harder. We'll see.
Pros
Cons
Overall:
A+
I probably liked Revolution more, but if this had a crowd like that show did, I'm almost positive it would be #1 for the year.