Welcome to checks notes … WWE Starrcade?
Tom Phillips informs the viewer that this is the first televised Starrcade in 18 years and that is just wild. Last year’s WWE-produced Starrcade was the first one – period – in 17 years. Wrestling history before our very eyes, man.
Considering this was purely for the live crowd and the footage is a bonus, this is more comments than anything resembling a review, though you’re god damn right I’m tagging a star rating at the end.
Elias and Ric Flair bantering to start the show was nice, both as a tribute to the history of Starrcade and a tribute to the fact that Elias is a superstar. I enjoyed the crowd’s slow realization that it was Nia Jax interrupting them followed by their vocal disgust. Foxy fooling around in house show mode here was fun – this is a wrestling veteran, she can do whatever she damn well pleases.
1. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Ember Moon & Dana Brooke vs. Nia Jax, Mickie James, Alicia Fox & Tamina
This was basic stuff with no surprises but it was more high energy than what’s usually on RAW and the finish was a good time. Just good old-fashioned professional wrestling. **1/2
MizTV w/ Rey Mysterio and Shinsuke Nakamura
This was alright. Rey and Nakamura aren’t mic guys, but Miz was there to carry the show. Sometimes Nakamura nails the timing of his dick character, sometimes it feels so off. This was the latter.
2. WWE U.S. Title: Shinsuke Nakamura [c] vs. Rey Mysterio
Rey and Nakamura did their signature stuff before The Miz interfered which setup a Rusev run-in and got us a tag match. Nice pop for Rusev. Remember Aiden English?
3. Rey Mysterio & Rusev w/ Lana vs. The Miz & Shinsuke Nakamura
This match is proof how stacked the SmackDown roster is – AJ and Joe are about to wrestle, plus Almas, Orton, The Usos, New Day, and WWE Champion Daniel Bryan aren’t even here. This was another basic match but I dug it – Rey took heat, Miz and Nakamura took a double 6-1-9, Miz did the J-O-B. Rey Mysterio jumping into a bigger fella’s arms after they have won a tag match is one of my favorite things. **1/2
4. Steel Cage Match: AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe
Look at that, Samoa Joe and AJ Styles just casually working a steel cage house show main event. These guys ran through their stuff but it’s good stuff that is all physical and impressive. Joe is one intense sonofabitch, let me tell you. AJ bumped around, they fired off some sweet spots like the backflip reverse DDT and a big time belly-to-back suplex, and AJ kicked at Joe’s leg before tapping him with the Calf Crusher. ***1/4
I appreciate footage like this being on the WWE Network so all I will say is that this was fine. 5/10
