Mainstream 65 - 4/25 - Review
Apr 26, 2021 2:33:34 GMT -5
Post by Biggs on Apr 26, 2021 2:33:34 GMT -5
Mainstream 65 – 4/25/2021 – Orlando, Florida
-The opening segment was a great moment highlighting all the women currently holding titles. While I would have liked to have heard from Euphoric and Juliana DiMaria as well, there was great heel work from Skye Healy here. A heel should always believe they're right, even when they know they're wrong, and Healy nails this with her snooty, self congratulatory promo taking credit for everyone's success. Cartier continues to shine with her unique voice on the mic, and this segment teased a potential Skye Healy vs Juliana DiMaria feud, while also planting seeds for a potential Cartier vs. DiMaria feud as well.
-I loved how descriptive Eli's promos are. They really bring Hotel California to life. There's also a great balance of menace and humor. Great selling of the upcoming War Games match, telling exactly why IA is coming after The Franchise, and hitting up on Juliana's role in the match. The Little Guy is also a hoot, and I love the resolution to the question of the missing janitor. I can't say enough good things about how Eli makes a supernatural gimmick just sing. I've seen a ton of them in my efedding days, and the Immortal Atrocities are the ones that have made the most sense in to how they fit in with the rest of the program. A lot of credit has to go to Eli for not only creating such a well developed lore, but also for allowing others to collaborate with him on his vision and making it so real. Great stuff.
-We have our third promo in a row, which is a lot to start out the show with before we get to the action, but you all know I'm never going to complain about a Manny promo. The big thing with this is that it confirmed three of the participants of the Emerald City Classic, while introducing a new character to the mix in Tara Fenix. First impressions of Fenix are that she's an overconfident heel, but I do look forward to seeing what she brings to the table in the future. As for Manny, he was classy as always, and it's good to see Trixie back as well. Not a kind of promo that's going to rock your socks, but it did set up some intrigue heading into the next big event after War Games.
-Jason Cashe vs Biggs – Falls Count Anywhere: I hope folks enjoyed the Falls Count Anywhere match. One detail that we missed was Biggs was supposed to lose his face mask at some point, but c'est la vie. Jason is my best friend in fedding, so I ain't ever gonna complain about working with him.
-I'll be honest, Thaddeus and Joe didn't work out as well as I had hoped when I added them to Biggs' act. That's the good thing about this game, though, is that if something just isn't working, we can pretty much find a way to drop it and move on.
-Eon Sparxx vs Cyrus Riddle: Hard hitting affair with one big hope spot for Eon. I do think there's legs to her character once she comes to the main roster, but this is exactly what it should have been, a brutal beat down from Cyrus Riddle. Ever since his promo a few shows back, he's been absolutely heartless in the ring, and it was a good sell by the announce team talking about how it was to watch Cyrus just destroy Eon in the closing moments of the match. Whether JC Keeton paid the pyro guys or not, I do like the fact that he cut off Cyrus, because both characters are in need of a solid direction right now, and a feud between the two accomplishes just that. The grizzled veteran versus the cocky upstart is always a good story if done properly, so I'm eager to see it if it plays out!
-Hot damn did JC Keeton impress me with his promo! This is what I'm talking about. He laid out clear his character's motivations, his intentions, and gave us some back story so we can now answer the question “Who is JC Keeton?” I also loved how he contrasted himself with Robert Zodiac, and especially loved the line about fighting over the last Sudafed. It talked up Zodiac while also showing how much of a dick Keeton is. Talking up your opponent in a promo makes it matter more if and when you beat them, and Keeton did so in a way that doesn't discount Zodiac's toughness, but also gets his own character over. I don't think it's an overstatement to say that JC Keeton really established himself with this promo as a guy to watch moving forward.
-Robert Zodiac vs JC Keeton: The first thing I want to say about this match is I love how rough and tumble it was. Zodiac and Keeton wrote a very strong match where I couldn't tell who wrote what parts. The exchanging of headbutts was a fun spot, and I popped when Zodiac grabbed the ref. That seems incredibly in character for him, and it's playing into those character details during a match that makes a match come alive. The sprint towards the finish was a nice build up of chaos, and that punt setup was almost oh so brutal, but Keeton earning the win after avoiding near catastrophe protects Zodiac, even in a loss. I know Zodiac doesn't do very many promos, but I wanted to lift him up for how well he conveys his character in the ring. He's a man of a few words that lets his actions do the talking, and yet, we still know exactly who he is, because Robert does such a good job of showing who he is during the matches.
The post match attack from Cyrus Riddle sets up not just a feud with JC Keeton, but maybe a three-way tiff with Zodiac involved as well! My mind is racing thinking of how vicious a match with both Robert Zodiac and Cyrus Riddle could be, and having the dynamic offense of JC Keeton as well? Be still my heart!
-For what it's worth in the feud between Byran Ford and Echo Layne, I'm #TeamEcho. I do like how they've built their feud with Ford being so unreasonable that it hurt their friendship. Short and sweet promo, which it acknowledged at the end as well! Meta!
-You can hear the pain in Ford's voice as you read his promo. The fact that he can't trust his own “bestie” is heartbreaking when you think about it. This promo did a lot of heavy lifting for as to why Ford has been acting unreasonable as he has been, as at every step of the way (save for the match with Desmond Creed) Echo's actions were to try to help Ford. Yeah, they backfired, but her intentions were pure. Ford wants to hold back because he doesn't want to hurt Echo, but he also knows that he can't hold back. Sad stuff, but well done.
-Echo Layne vs. Bryan Ford: Just a really fantastic match that told a story informed by the build. I do like how athletic they both were in the beginning, and I also liked the fact that Echo's offense throughout was appropriate for somebody her size. She wasn't throwing Powerbombs out there, so that helped with the suspension of disbelief. I know leading up to the match, Ford wanted a hardcore match or a street fight, so the ref bump into the Kendo stick fight scratched that itch, though personally, I would have liked that spot to be closer to the end of the match than the middle. Still a great spot, I just feel like it would have had a more emotional impact had it been Ford “breaking” near the end to try to put her away, instead of just another spot in the match. But lets be honest, that's just nitpicking on my part, because this whole match was beautifully done and fit the feud like a glove.
-Even in a short promo, Skye sells her character's inferiority complex incredibly well. Yes, Skye Healy OOC is just fantastic, but in character, she does come off as somebody who has to puff herself up even if she is validated by being a champion. I'm convinced Skye could hold every title in Mainstream and still find a reason to moan and complain about not being respected. It plays up to the character's insecurities so well.
-Not much to AJ's promo in word count, but it spoke volumes of how important War Games is to AJ. For a man who's normally so verbose, keeping it that short shows exactly how focused he is.
-AJ Knight vs. Rebekah Stevenson: This seemed a lot shorter than I would have expected. Not sure if real life issues came into play, as I haven't heard from Bekah/Leytrix in a while, and this was an out and out squash. The Knightfall continues to be one of the most protected moves in Mainstream Wrestling, and it would be a huge deal for somebody to kick out of it. What's there was well written, but it's hard to not be disappointed with the brevity of the match.
-Juliana is a reliable promo. She always has great content, and draws from her character's past. I feel like a broken record at this point, but she did a great job of using her history, even though it was only tangental to Coral Rose in order to sell the match tonight.
-I have a name, Coral Rose.
All kidding aside, this was a rock solid promo for Coral Rose, strongly establishing who she is to people who may be unfamiliar with her, and using history just like Juliana did. While I disagree that Juliana has lost her edge, it makes sense that Coral would view things that way. Also, Coral's whole bit about winning and vacating the title, or winning the title and staying, or whatever was the right kind of wishy washy that showed how vain she is as a character, and I thought it was a really nice touch. Good dichotomy in the two World Title Match promos.
-Juliana DiMaria vs. Coral Rose – World Heavyweight Championship Match: Despite two strong promos heading in, I can't shake the feeling that this match should have had more heat throughout. While not a bad match by any stretch of the imagination, there weren't enough believable near falls for Coral Rose to really build the drama. There wasn't any point where I felt Juliana was in trouble of losing her title, because Coral didn't really sustain her offense for more than a move or two at a time. This felt like a showcase match for Juliana, and if that was the intent, mission accomplished. But there wasn't enough sizzle on Coral Rose to elevate this match above well written. I did like the show of sportsmanship at the end, and it did leave the door open for Coral to return to Mainstream at any time.
-I'd been promising Echo a segment for months now, and I'm glad we got to do one before she focused completely on UWL. Also, nice touch by Robb for actually looking up what the local medical facility nearest the Amway Center was, because when I turned it in, it just said “At the local medical facility...”
-James Edwards vs. Jack Gibson: While I'm glad that Gibson got some offense in, as I do really like the character, we all knew going in that Edwards was going to kill him. That's Edward's schtick for now, and I hope we'll get some direction for him soon, because these squashes can only continue for so long.
-Ask and you shall receive! While I am not familiar with Mark Storm's prior work, I instantly liked him, and can tell that as a writer, he knows what he's doing. I particularly liked the line about picking on somebody his own size, than contrasting how much bigger Storm is than Edwards. Nice touch. In one short promo, we have another Main Event level match for Conflict, and I'm excited to read it!
-I really liked how Chris Madison framed this promo by not looking into the camera until the end. Made it hit that much harder. As always, great content from Madison, as he sells the grizzled veteran who wants to earn everything and prove himself with such ease. Skye Healy vs. Chris Madison has been an excellent feud, and this promo served well for the trilogy fight.
-Skye Healy vs. Chris Madison – No Holds Barred for the United States Championship: I love love love how intense this was from the outset! Madison bumrushing Healy and having the sustained opening was thrilling, and showed how much regaining the United States Championship meant to him. Not to be outdone, Healy showed great fire in repeated kick outs at one, showing how much the title meant to her, while also conveying that Madison would not get her to go quietly into the night without the fight of his life. This was a wild brawl, and it was smart to have the Falls Count Anywhere match open the show and have this close the show so both match could breath. This had great drama, and great nearfalls, and even though Madison dominated the match, Skye Healy looked great. This was a statement win for her, because it showed how much she could take and still come on top. The Gareth Pritchard stuff was a misdirect, because I thought for sure he'd cost Madison the match.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that both “hardcore” matches had a submission hold broken by biting, but both handled it in completely different ways, and the bite in this match was that much more vicious and brutal and led to the finish. It adds a sadistic streak to Healy's already delusional persona, and makes her that much more dangerous to the next challenger that steps up to face her. Both competitors came out of this match looking like a bigger star than they did when they entered, and I loved how commentary apologized for the graphic nature of the finger bite. Mainstream Wrestling certainly kept the Orlando Health Medical Pavilion busy with tonight's show! Still, this match delivered in spades!
Match of the Night: Up until the Main Event, I was going to say JC Keeton vs. Robert Zodiac as that match did a great job showing both characters. But Chris Madison and Skye Healy brought it and showed why they were in the Main Event slot tonight! Absolutely captivating, thrilling throughout, standing ovation for what they put together. War Games has a tough act to follow after that!
Promo of the Night: As much as I loved Mark Storm's reintroduction, I have to give this to JC Keeton. I had given the criticism that we didn't really know JC a few shows back, and his promo tonight corrected that. He also did a great job of upselling his opponent, which made his win over Zodiac mean more. This was a jump up in quality from what I've seen from him, and I'm excited to see more from JC Keeton moving forward.
Overall Thoughts: This was such a rock solid episode of Mainstream Wrestling. While I was let down a bit by the War Games Advantage match, and the World Heavyweight Title Match didn't quite kick up to that extra gear, merely being very good and not reaching great, there wasn't a bad match on the card. As I've said before, in-ring, Mainstream has a consistent level of in-ring quality to where there aren't any stinkers to be found. Not to toot mine and Cashe's horn, but I felt like the Falls Count Anywhere match set the tone for how violent and vicious Mainstream 65 was going to be, with JC Keeton vs. Robert Zodiac, Bryan Ford vs. Echo Layne, and the Main Event all reaching high levels of brutality. The body count should only be higher next week, as not only do we have Edwards vs. Storm to look forward to, but also War Games.
Speaking of War Games, I was a bit frustrated by the lack of build. Outside of Eli's promo, AJ's quick hitter, and the squash match, we didn't hear much from the participants. I know Juliana had to deal with Coral Rose, but not hearing from Billy Danielson, Jimmy Pagan, Penelope, or Bekah/Leytrix was disappointing. Also, some kind of tease as to whom the fourth person for Team Franchise could be would have been nice. We got a brief taste of that with asking if Edwards was the fourth man, but I wanted more. Honestly, we can probably chalk this up to them focusing on writing War Games because of the one week turnaround, but this puts more pressure on the match itself to deliver.
Still, despite this gripe, what was here was a really darn good episode of Mainstream Wrestling that was an enjoyable read.
Final Grade: A-
-The opening segment was a great moment highlighting all the women currently holding titles. While I would have liked to have heard from Euphoric and Juliana DiMaria as well, there was great heel work from Skye Healy here. A heel should always believe they're right, even when they know they're wrong, and Healy nails this with her snooty, self congratulatory promo taking credit for everyone's success. Cartier continues to shine with her unique voice on the mic, and this segment teased a potential Skye Healy vs Juliana DiMaria feud, while also planting seeds for a potential Cartier vs. DiMaria feud as well.
-I loved how descriptive Eli's promos are. They really bring Hotel California to life. There's also a great balance of menace and humor. Great selling of the upcoming War Games match, telling exactly why IA is coming after The Franchise, and hitting up on Juliana's role in the match. The Little Guy is also a hoot, and I love the resolution to the question of the missing janitor. I can't say enough good things about how Eli makes a supernatural gimmick just sing. I've seen a ton of them in my efedding days, and the Immortal Atrocities are the ones that have made the most sense in to how they fit in with the rest of the program. A lot of credit has to go to Eli for not only creating such a well developed lore, but also for allowing others to collaborate with him on his vision and making it so real. Great stuff.
-We have our third promo in a row, which is a lot to start out the show with before we get to the action, but you all know I'm never going to complain about a Manny promo. The big thing with this is that it confirmed three of the participants of the Emerald City Classic, while introducing a new character to the mix in Tara Fenix. First impressions of Fenix are that she's an overconfident heel, but I do look forward to seeing what she brings to the table in the future. As for Manny, he was classy as always, and it's good to see Trixie back as well. Not a kind of promo that's going to rock your socks, but it did set up some intrigue heading into the next big event after War Games.
-Jason Cashe vs Biggs – Falls Count Anywhere: I hope folks enjoyed the Falls Count Anywhere match. One detail that we missed was Biggs was supposed to lose his face mask at some point, but c'est la vie. Jason is my best friend in fedding, so I ain't ever gonna complain about working with him.
-I'll be honest, Thaddeus and Joe didn't work out as well as I had hoped when I added them to Biggs' act. That's the good thing about this game, though, is that if something just isn't working, we can pretty much find a way to drop it and move on.
-Eon Sparxx vs Cyrus Riddle: Hard hitting affair with one big hope spot for Eon. I do think there's legs to her character once she comes to the main roster, but this is exactly what it should have been, a brutal beat down from Cyrus Riddle. Ever since his promo a few shows back, he's been absolutely heartless in the ring, and it was a good sell by the announce team talking about how it was to watch Cyrus just destroy Eon in the closing moments of the match. Whether JC Keeton paid the pyro guys or not, I do like the fact that he cut off Cyrus, because both characters are in need of a solid direction right now, and a feud between the two accomplishes just that. The grizzled veteran versus the cocky upstart is always a good story if done properly, so I'm eager to see it if it plays out!
-Hot damn did JC Keeton impress me with his promo! This is what I'm talking about. He laid out clear his character's motivations, his intentions, and gave us some back story so we can now answer the question “Who is JC Keeton?” I also loved how he contrasted himself with Robert Zodiac, and especially loved the line about fighting over the last Sudafed. It talked up Zodiac while also showing how much of a dick Keeton is. Talking up your opponent in a promo makes it matter more if and when you beat them, and Keeton did so in a way that doesn't discount Zodiac's toughness, but also gets his own character over. I don't think it's an overstatement to say that JC Keeton really established himself with this promo as a guy to watch moving forward.
-Robert Zodiac vs JC Keeton: The first thing I want to say about this match is I love how rough and tumble it was. Zodiac and Keeton wrote a very strong match where I couldn't tell who wrote what parts. The exchanging of headbutts was a fun spot, and I popped when Zodiac grabbed the ref. That seems incredibly in character for him, and it's playing into those character details during a match that makes a match come alive. The sprint towards the finish was a nice build up of chaos, and that punt setup was almost oh so brutal, but Keeton earning the win after avoiding near catastrophe protects Zodiac, even in a loss. I know Zodiac doesn't do very many promos, but I wanted to lift him up for how well he conveys his character in the ring. He's a man of a few words that lets his actions do the talking, and yet, we still know exactly who he is, because Robert does such a good job of showing who he is during the matches.
The post match attack from Cyrus Riddle sets up not just a feud with JC Keeton, but maybe a three-way tiff with Zodiac involved as well! My mind is racing thinking of how vicious a match with both Robert Zodiac and Cyrus Riddle could be, and having the dynamic offense of JC Keeton as well? Be still my heart!
-For what it's worth in the feud between Byran Ford and Echo Layne, I'm #TeamEcho. I do like how they've built their feud with Ford being so unreasonable that it hurt their friendship. Short and sweet promo, which it acknowledged at the end as well! Meta!
-You can hear the pain in Ford's voice as you read his promo. The fact that he can't trust his own “bestie” is heartbreaking when you think about it. This promo did a lot of heavy lifting for as to why Ford has been acting unreasonable as he has been, as at every step of the way (save for the match with Desmond Creed) Echo's actions were to try to help Ford. Yeah, they backfired, but her intentions were pure. Ford wants to hold back because he doesn't want to hurt Echo, but he also knows that he can't hold back. Sad stuff, but well done.
-Echo Layne vs. Bryan Ford: Just a really fantastic match that told a story informed by the build. I do like how athletic they both were in the beginning, and I also liked the fact that Echo's offense throughout was appropriate for somebody her size. She wasn't throwing Powerbombs out there, so that helped with the suspension of disbelief. I know leading up to the match, Ford wanted a hardcore match or a street fight, so the ref bump into the Kendo stick fight scratched that itch, though personally, I would have liked that spot to be closer to the end of the match than the middle. Still a great spot, I just feel like it would have had a more emotional impact had it been Ford “breaking” near the end to try to put her away, instead of just another spot in the match. But lets be honest, that's just nitpicking on my part, because this whole match was beautifully done and fit the feud like a glove.
-Even in a short promo, Skye sells her character's inferiority complex incredibly well. Yes, Skye Healy OOC is just fantastic, but in character, she does come off as somebody who has to puff herself up even if she is validated by being a champion. I'm convinced Skye could hold every title in Mainstream and still find a reason to moan and complain about not being respected. It plays up to the character's insecurities so well.
-Not much to AJ's promo in word count, but it spoke volumes of how important War Games is to AJ. For a man who's normally so verbose, keeping it that short shows exactly how focused he is.
-AJ Knight vs. Rebekah Stevenson: This seemed a lot shorter than I would have expected. Not sure if real life issues came into play, as I haven't heard from Bekah/Leytrix in a while, and this was an out and out squash. The Knightfall continues to be one of the most protected moves in Mainstream Wrestling, and it would be a huge deal for somebody to kick out of it. What's there was well written, but it's hard to not be disappointed with the brevity of the match.
-Juliana is a reliable promo. She always has great content, and draws from her character's past. I feel like a broken record at this point, but she did a great job of using her history, even though it was only tangental to Coral Rose in order to sell the match tonight.
-I have a name, Coral Rose.
All kidding aside, this was a rock solid promo for Coral Rose, strongly establishing who she is to people who may be unfamiliar with her, and using history just like Juliana did. While I disagree that Juliana has lost her edge, it makes sense that Coral would view things that way. Also, Coral's whole bit about winning and vacating the title, or winning the title and staying, or whatever was the right kind of wishy washy that showed how vain she is as a character, and I thought it was a really nice touch. Good dichotomy in the two World Title Match promos.-Juliana DiMaria vs. Coral Rose – World Heavyweight Championship Match: Despite two strong promos heading in, I can't shake the feeling that this match should have had more heat throughout. While not a bad match by any stretch of the imagination, there weren't enough believable near falls for Coral Rose to really build the drama. There wasn't any point where I felt Juliana was in trouble of losing her title, because Coral didn't really sustain her offense for more than a move or two at a time. This felt like a showcase match for Juliana, and if that was the intent, mission accomplished. But there wasn't enough sizzle on Coral Rose to elevate this match above well written. I did like the show of sportsmanship at the end, and it did leave the door open for Coral to return to Mainstream at any time.
-I'd been promising Echo a segment for months now, and I'm glad we got to do one before she focused completely on UWL. Also, nice touch by Robb for actually looking up what the local medical facility nearest the Amway Center was, because when I turned it in, it just said “At the local medical facility...”
-James Edwards vs. Jack Gibson: While I'm glad that Gibson got some offense in, as I do really like the character, we all knew going in that Edwards was going to kill him. That's Edward's schtick for now, and I hope we'll get some direction for him soon, because these squashes can only continue for so long.
-Ask and you shall receive! While I am not familiar with Mark Storm's prior work, I instantly liked him, and can tell that as a writer, he knows what he's doing. I particularly liked the line about picking on somebody his own size, than contrasting how much bigger Storm is than Edwards. Nice touch. In one short promo, we have another Main Event level match for Conflict, and I'm excited to read it!
-I really liked how Chris Madison framed this promo by not looking into the camera until the end. Made it hit that much harder. As always, great content from Madison, as he sells the grizzled veteran who wants to earn everything and prove himself with such ease. Skye Healy vs. Chris Madison has been an excellent feud, and this promo served well for the trilogy fight.
-Skye Healy vs. Chris Madison – No Holds Barred for the United States Championship: I love love love how intense this was from the outset! Madison bumrushing Healy and having the sustained opening was thrilling, and showed how much regaining the United States Championship meant to him. Not to be outdone, Healy showed great fire in repeated kick outs at one, showing how much the title meant to her, while also conveying that Madison would not get her to go quietly into the night without the fight of his life. This was a wild brawl, and it was smart to have the Falls Count Anywhere match open the show and have this close the show so both match could breath. This had great drama, and great nearfalls, and even though Madison dominated the match, Skye Healy looked great. This was a statement win for her, because it showed how much she could take and still come on top. The Gareth Pritchard stuff was a misdirect, because I thought for sure he'd cost Madison the match.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the fact that both “hardcore” matches had a submission hold broken by biting, but both handled it in completely different ways, and the bite in this match was that much more vicious and brutal and led to the finish. It adds a sadistic streak to Healy's already delusional persona, and makes her that much more dangerous to the next challenger that steps up to face her. Both competitors came out of this match looking like a bigger star than they did when they entered, and I loved how commentary apologized for the graphic nature of the finger bite. Mainstream Wrestling certainly kept the Orlando Health Medical Pavilion busy with tonight's show! Still, this match delivered in spades!
Match of the Night: Up until the Main Event, I was going to say JC Keeton vs. Robert Zodiac as that match did a great job showing both characters. But Chris Madison and Skye Healy brought it and showed why they were in the Main Event slot tonight! Absolutely captivating, thrilling throughout, standing ovation for what they put together. War Games has a tough act to follow after that!
Promo of the Night: As much as I loved Mark Storm's reintroduction, I have to give this to JC Keeton. I had given the criticism that we didn't really know JC a few shows back, and his promo tonight corrected that. He also did a great job of upselling his opponent, which made his win over Zodiac mean more. This was a jump up in quality from what I've seen from him, and I'm excited to see more from JC Keeton moving forward.
Overall Thoughts: This was such a rock solid episode of Mainstream Wrestling. While I was let down a bit by the War Games Advantage match, and the World Heavyweight Title Match didn't quite kick up to that extra gear, merely being very good and not reaching great, there wasn't a bad match on the card. As I've said before, in-ring, Mainstream has a consistent level of in-ring quality to where there aren't any stinkers to be found. Not to toot mine and Cashe's horn, but I felt like the Falls Count Anywhere match set the tone for how violent and vicious Mainstream 65 was going to be, with JC Keeton vs. Robert Zodiac, Bryan Ford vs. Echo Layne, and the Main Event all reaching high levels of brutality. The body count should only be higher next week, as not only do we have Edwards vs. Storm to look forward to, but also War Games.
Speaking of War Games, I was a bit frustrated by the lack of build. Outside of Eli's promo, AJ's quick hitter, and the squash match, we didn't hear much from the participants. I know Juliana had to deal with Coral Rose, but not hearing from Billy Danielson, Jimmy Pagan, Penelope, or Bekah/Leytrix was disappointing. Also, some kind of tease as to whom the fourth person for Team Franchise could be would have been nice. We got a brief taste of that with asking if Edwards was the fourth man, but I wanted more. Honestly, we can probably chalk this up to them focusing on writing War Games because of the one week turnaround, but this puts more pressure on the match itself to deliver.
Still, despite this gripe, what was here was a really darn good episode of Mainstream Wrestling that was an enjoyable read.
Final Grade: A-
