Loved the set. Really spent the whole show wondering why that can’t just be the set all the time. Everyone coming out looked like a bigger star with the camera closely following them to the ring while they pass nearby the fans. The lights in the background too.
1. WWE Tag Team Title: The New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston) w/ Xavier Woods [c] vs. Sheamus & King Barrett w/ Rusev
The New Day got the show off to a hot start. Watching the Booty-O’s promo made me reflect on how amazing the three guys’ in New Day’s life has to be right now. The match was really fun too. Thought it was a sign of things to come, as they were working their match like the camera wasn’t even there. It didn’t quite end up that way, but there was plenty of good wrestling.
New Day is treading territory where they are just as good inside the ring as they are out. Sheamus & Wade coming out made me love the entrance ramp more, as they looked like bigger stars than they have in years. Fun tag team wrestling with a really hot finish, along with all the New Day tricks. Good stuff. ***1/4
2. Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho
Jericho definitely tried his hardest to get the Swagger match over, and he succeeded until the match actually began. Jericho getting “Asshole” chants in Canada = money. But a match like this showed the cons of this being a house show, in that the roster is depleted and you get a competent but heatless match between a freshly turned heel from Canada wrestling in Canada against a babyface people have started to forget about who is basically Mr. USA. **
3. NXT Tag Team Title: The Revival [c] vs. Enzo Amore & Colin Cassady w/ Carmella
Revival vs. Enzo & Cass was fun. Not quite the level of their London match, but a good version of their match in front of a WWE audience. Revival is rocking it right now. Enzo & Cas I don’t think will ever be the best wrestlers, but they’re gonna have a fun run. ***
4. WWE Divas Title: Charlotte [c] w/ Ric Flair vs. Natalya
Charlotte vs. Natalya was my favorite match on their show. There were times I felt like they were just repeating their match from the first NXT TakeOver and that match ruled. This felt like the most legit fight and struggle on the card, and Brock Lesnar was working this show. Sharpshooter near fall was tremendous too. Loved it. ***1/2
5. Handicap Match: Brock Lesnar w/ Paul Heyman vs. Bray Wyatt & Luke Harper
The Wyatt/Harper vs. Brock Lesnar match was weird. A bait-and-switch to a Handicap Match and then Wyatt never gets in the ring. I was disappointed we weren’t getting Brock/Harper as was originally advertised to this show, so when we got it I was all for it, but with Wyatt lurking on the outside and not participating this never really felt like it actually got started. It was lots of German suplexes and had a great presence about it. But I dunno. This is all Roman Reigns’ fault somehow. **1/4
6. Sami Zayn vs. Stardust
Sami Zayn vs. Stardust was a very by the books WWE match. Welcome to your new overloads Sami Zayn. Zayn sold great – and I love his alternating fists 10-punch count – but parts of this were really slow and it just had the aura of a Superstars match – technically solid but no tension or reason. Not Zayn’s best outing. And this week after listening to Cody Rhodes and Xavier Woods on Talk is Jericho I was not in the mood to say Cody Rhodes could do any wrong either. But here you go. **1/4
7. WWE Title: Triple H [c] vs. Dean Ambrose
The main event – Triple H defending the WWE Title against Dean Ambrose – was really good. It’s fun when Triple H works a straight wrestling match (i.e.: not anything he did with Undertaker or Lesnar). It’s rare, and parts are formulaic, but it’s WWE main event style wrestling with some actual pro wrestling mixed in and that’s OK by me. Lots of great character moments for Ambrose here, highlighted by the Suck It chop which made everything worth it. The Ambrose false finish was not filmed well and tough for the crowd to buy into. Other than that, enjoyed it. ***1/2
This was very much a house show on pay-per-view, and with that came some good and some bad. The enhancement-type matches were pretty trash, but both Tag Titles matches, Charlotte/Natalya, and Triple H/Ambrose were good stuff. Extra points for the unique presentation. 6/10
