Year: 2020

AEW Full Gear 2020: Every Match Ranked

Full Gear is in the rear-view mirror and…what a show.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that this was easily my favourite wrestling show of the entire year. Four of the nine matches on the show are must-watch material, and the other five are all worth your time too. I had such a good time watching Full Gear, and I just want to jump straight into talking about the matches.

9 – Serena Deeb(c) def. Allysin Kay
(NWA Women’s World Championship)
(Buy-In)

This is one of those situations where I have to clarify that ‘last’ doesn’t mean ‘bad’.

Admittedly, it’s noticeably lower in quality than everything else on the show, but I still got enjoyment out of watching it. The pre-show curse seems to prevail no matter what company it is, and this match felt like it lacked a little extra spice throughout. The thing is, knowing as little as I do about these two women, it’s hard to know whether this is actually just the best they could do, but I got the impression they didn’t give it their all.

That said, there were still things to enjoy. If you’re someone who doesn’t watch Dynamite, then this was definitely a good match for getting to know what Serena Deeb is like, and why she was able to beat someone on the level of Thunder Rosa. Also, if Allysin Kay is going to stick around in AEW, this was a nice place to get in on the ground floor for her character.

So, nothing special, but a lot of good.

8 – Orange Cassidy def. John Silver

A great match, I just didn’t care about the story.

Between this and his match last month against Jericho, we’re starting to see the potential of what Cassidy can offer outside of a comedy wrestler. Yes, his comedy stuff is still unique and funny, but now he’s showing his greater wrestling prowess more frequently, I can really see him as a world-championship level performer. I don’t see any titles in Cassidy’s foreseeable future, but whenever the time comes, I’ll be ready to get behind it.

It also did well for John Silver. Commentary really put him over as the breakout singles star of the Dark Order, and I’ve got say that there’s legitimacy to that claim based on what I saw last night. He played off of Cassidy’s antics really well and got the opportunity to show a lot more of his athletic ability than what we usually see in Dark Order segments. It’s matches like this that will give the members of the Dark Order long and fruitful singles careers whenever the faction inevitably disbands.

7 – MJF def. Chris Jericho
(If MJF wins, he joins The Inner Circle)

This is a match where the story made it enjoyable. If I’m being entirely honest, I don’t think the action was all that great. I know this is a hypocritical thing to say, as Jericho is still fitter than I’ll ever be in my entire life, but every month it seems like he gets more and more out of shape. Thankfully, he’s still Chris Jericho, so it’s not like he’s ever going to be bad, but I think this match definitely lacked something I was expecting.

However, I still really liked it thanks to the story being told. As great as Jericho is as a heel, it was fun to see him wrestling as a face in this match. He got to show off some of the greatest hits we haven’t seen very often during his AEW run, like the Lionsault. MJF was brilliant at controlling the direction of the match too, we all knew both men would inevitably try to cheat, but I didn’t expect it to go so well, and make MJF look like a galaxy-brain genius.

When you’ve got two characters like this, MJF outsmarting Jericho to get the win like that is precisely how it should finish, and just highlights what a perfect fit he’ll be for The Inner Circle. As I said in my prediction, this is a land full of rich storyline opportunities, and I can’t wait to see where it goes.

6 – Hikaru Shida(c) def. Nyla Rose
(AEW Women’s World Championship)

Clearly, these two women just know how to wrestle each other.

Their match at Double or Nothing was one of the best of the year, and while this wasn’t quite as good, it built off of the story that match told and added a satisfying new chapter. The idea of Shida’s victory over Nyla being a bit of a fluke or upset wasn’t one that I bought going into the match, especially after how dominant Shida has been as champion, but they sold it well during the opening sections. While Nyla didn’t necessarily dominate it, you definitely got the sense that she was determining the pace of the match, and Shida was fighting from underneath, especially with Vickie skulking around.

They touched on the brutality that their Double or Nothing match contained, but adapted it interestingly to the confines of a regular match. Pretty much anything that happened outside of the ring gave the increased intensity and levels of violence that the match needed to really engross me in the action. The spot where Nyla wrapped Shida’s leg around the underside of the ring was especially great-looking.

As the match moved towards the ending, they played up just how much the two women hated each other, and the story finally felt like it was wrapping up satisfyingly. The mirroring of both Nyla & Shida pulling the other up from the cover to exact more brutality was brilliant, and it gave the finish that enjoyable exhale of relief once it was all over. Going into it, I thought Nyla should win, but as it turned out, I think Shida winning to close the book on their story was the better way to go.

5 – Matt Hardy def. Sammy Guevara
(Elite Deletion)

Alright…let’s go through this because there’s a lot.

When it comes to pre-recorded matches in 2020, I think that the rankings of quality are quite clear. WWE main roster does it the best, AEW is a close second, and NXT is shit at it; and I think this match held true to those rankings.

Going through the match section by section, I wasn’t into it during the opening. The golf cart getting crushed by the monster truck was a fun visual, but Matt coming out and using the word “orgasmic” wasn’t funny and just seemed like a deliberate attempt to create a meme, same with the “squash” joke. Once the action got underway properly, things picked up. As soon as Ortiz & Santana got involved, I knew we were in for a clusterfuck, which is what I was hoping for.

While I was worried it wasn’t going to be silly enough, once Matt got out the fireworks, I knew we were going to be ok. It was a bit weird how he just fired them into the air, and everyone acted like they were covering from an air-strike, but as soon as Sammy picked up his own tube, it got a lot better. From there, the comedy got into full-swing, and I actually found it all funny this time. Gangrel’s appearance was an unexpected piece of brilliance, along with the exchange between Matt & Shane Helms immediately afterwards, especially Matt’s quip about “long-term storytelling”.

Where I think the match was inarguably at its best though, was once they entered the warehouse for the finale. The brief back-and-forth gave us some good action, but the big spots are what we all remember the most. Sammy’s dive off the ladder through the table was great but got overshadowed entirely by the brutal-looking spear through the tables on the outside. The blood on the concrete (assuming it was deliberate) was a great callback to Matt’s injury at All Out and made the story feel eery and uncomfortable in the way I think they were going for.

I couldn’t help but feel like Matt’s actions were quite heelish at the end, so I wonder if that’s how it’s going to be played going forwards, it’s certainly how commentary played it in the moment. I don’t know how this is going to affect Sammy’s character, but it definitely has to be something big. It could be something like a substantial humbling, or maybe it will affect his relationship with Jericho, tieing into the storyline with MJF. I honestly have no idea which way they’re going to go with it, but Sammy is absolutely going to be one to watch going forwards.

4 – Jon Moxley(c) def. Eddie Kingston
(AEW World Championship)
(I Quit)

This was one of those matches that is relatively slow, but just built and built and built.

Do you remember the build to Wrestlemania 32? Moxley (then Dean Ambrose) was going to face Brock Lesnar, and WWE was heavily teasing that it would be a super hardcore match, then the match happened, and it was a fifteen-minute snooze fest. Well, this match with Kingston was essentially the match we were all hoping to see at Wrestlemania that year.

It was hard to watch, but in exactly the way you want. Things started out highly emotional, but the action set the scene perfectly for what was to come. The way both men just hit each other as hard as they could. No wrestling manoeuvres, nothing fancy, just absolutely leathering each other with chops & strikes, it was a fantastic way to set the tone. From there, things slowly got more and more violent, and every new spot/weapon felt earned.

As Kingston wrapped his hand in barbed wire, it was the kind of thing that makes you cringe as you watch, and yet you can’t look away. Then he digs it into Moxley’s already bleeding skull, and you can feel the desperation and hatred in what each man is doing to the other. I’ve never seen such violence used in such a purposeful way. It didn’t just give us some spectacle to watch, it helped to tell us the story, which I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a hardcore match like this do.

3 – Kenny Omega def. Hangman Adam Page
(Winner becomes #1 contender for the AEW World Championship)

I want to clarify that, from here onwards, I wish I could put every match in the number 1 spot, they’re just so good.

Here’s a match that understood precisely the role it played in the story it’s telling, because the fact is, this isn’t the end of the story between Omega & Page, it’s the mid-point. It was the perfect distillation of all the aspects in this feud so far: How well the two men know each other, both in the ring and generally; how Page has an inferiority complex when comparing himself to Omega, and how deeply that affects him; how Omega, while somewhat sympathetic to what Page is going through, doesn’t care enough to hold his own career back for Page’s sake. The line as to who’s really the bad guy here is so blurred because both of them have apparent and understandable motives, and I sympathise with both men’s perspectives.

The action in the match was absolutely superb. The strength with which Page hit Omega was genuinely impressive, and it put the extra notch of emotion into the match. Similarly, Omega’s way to wrestle quite reactively, yet still control the pace of the match is the kind of thing only he knows how to do. He seemed to be lying in wait for Page to make his move, and then find a way to turn it around on Page at every opportunity. It was only once the match broke down towards the end that Page got more sloppy, and Omega actually implemented a proactive strategy.

It’s the kind of match that, when these two inevitably wrestle again for the title in a year or so, they will be able to build from to tell a story and give us a match that will live in the memory forever.

2 – Darby Allin def. Cody Rhodes(c)
(TNT Championship)

I give Cody shit sometimes, but he really is a masterful in-ring storyteller.

I don’t think I’d be wrong in saying that most people wanted to see Allin win this match, and Cody wrestled like he knew that. It’s been a pretty consistent factor in AEW’s stories that Cody has a bit of an ego, even as a face. To be fair, I’d have an ego too if I helped start a brand new wrestling company that was seeing huge success, but that’s not the point. The point is, here is where we see that ego fully manifest itself as the critical weakness that Cody’s opponents can exploit.

Everything about Cody’s performance in both the build and the match itself said that he knew he was going to beat Allin. He’d just taken down his most formidable opponent in the form of Brodie Lee, and he felt untouchable, but that’s why Allin seemed like a believable opponent. Every time they’ve wrestled, it’s felt like Allin had all the tools to beat Cody, he just made one or two key mistakes that cost him. Here, Allin had learned, and now it was Cody’s turn to make the mistakes.

The small touches here and there was all that was needed to make the story work. Things like Cody getting scolded by Arn Anderson for doing press-ups in the ring, or Cody’s bodyslams on Allin with a bit of extra stank on them. In essence, it’s a straightforward story, but when it’s told so well, you forget that and see deeper into what is happening between the two characters. I want to clarify that it wasn’t just the story either, the action was great too, as much as Allin wasn’t in control for the majority of the match, we still got to see all of the talent and ability that will make him a brilliant champion.

It was a match that analysed and understood the flaws of the characters involved and exploited them to tell the best story possible. What’s so great about it is how it can serve as both a self-contained story and one that can develop in the future. It seems like Cage & Starks are in Allin’s immediate future, but the door is definitely open for Cody to come at Allin again later down the line.

1 – The Young Bucks def. FTR(c)
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)
(If The Young Bucks lose, they can never challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championships again)

It may not have been the greatest tag team match ever, but it was most certainly top 3. Which, given that both teams are in one of the other two, is quite the accomplishment.

This match was not only a brilliant tag team match in and of itself but a celebration of the history of tag team wrestling. I could sit around all day talking about the mindblowing action this match gave us. Sure, it wasn’t the flashiest affair ever, but it flowed so perfectly that every moment felt important. The opening was slow but meaningful, and the match slowly accelerated to a fever-pitch that gave us all the action we could ever have hoped for.

The thread of Matt’s injured leg was central to this match, but it didn’t overbear on the whole thing. When people complain that the Bucks don’t sell properly, this is the kind of match that proves that point wrong. Yes, he still did a bunch of leg-based offence, but he made sure to show the consequences of every time he did it in the slow deterioration of his movements throughout the match. As it goes on, he gets slower and less stable on it, and yes, he can still dropkick people, but it comes back to bite him moments later.

FTR did what they do best, and that is work smarter than any wrestlers have ever worked. How they divided, separated and prevented the Bucks from making a break at every turn was absolutely masterful and made the story of the match so incredibly compelling. In both teams, you truly felt the unspoken bond they share with their partners, there was no hesitation, no miscommunication at any point. Both teams always knew exactly where their partner was and what they needed to do to help out the team. It made the whole thing feel like it genuinely was the two best teams in the world, having the best match they possibly can. Which to be fair, it was.

They even included all of the callbacks, not just to tag team wrestling’s past, but to the personal history of both teams. Yes, it was cool to see the Bucks do the Dudley Death Drop or the Twist of Fate/Swanton Bomb combo, but nothing – and I mean NOTHING – made me pop bigger than FTR doing DIY’s finisher. Where WWE refuses the acknowledge the history their wrestlers have in other companies, AEW understands that embracing that and using it in your stories makes for the best possible version of those stories. A wrestler is everything they’ve ever done, not just what they’ve done in your company.

AEW have said they intended to make tag team wrestling main-event worthy for ages now, but it’s matches like this that put action to those words. Utterly incredible.

So there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Please, let me know what you thought of Full Gear, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo. Finally, make sure to come back this time next Saturday, where I’ll be ranking every Raw & Smackdown Women’s Champion!

AEW Full Gear 2020: Predictions & Analysis

I hope you like wrestling because we’ve got a lot of it to talk about over the next month.

I don’t think I’m alone in believing that AEW produces the best weekly wrestling TV show out there right now. It’s miles better than Raw & Smackdown, and while NXT did have an excellent Halloween Havoc show a couple of weeks, ago AEW’s consistency is what puts it on top for me. As it stands, this actually makes Full Gear a very highly anticipated show for me, which is something I don’t often feel for WWE shows these days. Both companies have an exceptional depth of talent in their roster, but when you look at a show like this compared to Hell in a Cell, it’s clear which company is currently better at making use of all that talent.

Anyway, enough rambling, let’s predict some matches.

Serena Deeb(c) vs Allysin Kay
(NWA Women’s World Championship)
(Buy-In)

While I get that NWA have a working relationship with AEW, and NWA don’t have anything on TV right now, I find it a little odd that they’d allow their title to go on an AEW contracted talent like this. I’m not saying I dislike it, I never thought we’d see any wrestling companies playing nice like this, I’m just not used to it is all.

Either way, I think this is an excellent opportunity to showcase a bit more depth on AEW’s women’s division, which it is still sorely lacking despite how hard fans are trying to push for more. I had no idea who Serena Deeb was before she won that title, but I like what I’ve seen so far. As for Allysin Kay, she’s precisely the kind of talent the women’s mid-card could use in AEW to create some really compelling stories, with or without a title involved. I know she’s not signed any contract yet, but I really hope we get to see more of her on AEW soon.

As for the result, I think Serena Deeb is going to retain. For one thing, she’s only just won the title, and it seems like AEW/NWA are wanting to build her pretty big. For another, Allysin Kay has already had a pretty substantial run with that title, and I don’t think she needs another. Then, even if there is some sort of handshake agreement, I doubt either company would want to put the title on her before she’s signed anywhere. They’ve already lost one champion to NXT, they’re not going to risk another.

Orange Cassidy vs John Silver

I’m not entirely sure how deep Cassidy’s feud with the Dark Order is going to go, but I’m not sure the characters are going to be a good fit for one another. I love how Cassidy has been broadening his scope as a wrestler, but his character in promos and the like has still remained largely unchanged, and I don’t see it working against such a serious gimmick. Of course, if anyone can prove me wrong on that, it’s Cassidy & Brodie Lee, but that remains to be seen.

As for this match, I’m not expecting much, but it should be good while it lasts. Personally, I would’ve put this match on the pre-show instead of the NWA women’s title match, but given that they’re still trying to build Cassidy up as a star, I can see the reasoning behind it. Speaking of building Cassidy up as a star, Orange Cassidy is definitely winning this match. I know the Dark Order need to regain some momentum after the weird booking in the Cody feud, but you can’t have Cassidy beat Jericho and then take a loss like this. I don’t know what the plans are for Cassidy going forward, but a loss here would be a big blow.

Matt Hardy vs Sammy Guevara
(Elite Deletion Match)

I’ve had enough of this feud, but I don’t blame them for wanting to restage the match following the disaster at All Out.

Since All Out, they seemed to have upped the brutality of the feud rather than the weirdness, so I’d imagine we’re going to get a weapons-focused match rather than a cinematic one. As long as they don’t do anything as obviously risky as they did last time, this should be fine. I’m sure there will still be some shenanigans from the broken universe involved, it is Matt Hardy after all, but I’m expecting an overall more grounded affair.

I don’t really know who should be the winner here. Wrestling logic would determine it should be the younger star, but that just doesn’t feel like it works in this context. Sammy seems to be a wrestler who loses when it doesn’t feel like he should, but it’s ok because he’s got Chris Jericho around to bring him back up. Plus, there’s the element of Guevara going into Hardy’s world unprepared. I’m not confident here, but I’m picking Matt Hardy to take the win in this one.

Chris Jericho vs MJF
(If MJF wins, he join the Inner Circle)

There’s a lot unpack here.

This feud has just been Jericho and MJF flexing their creative muscles in just about any way they can possibly imagine. I know the “Me and My Shadow” segment divided people, but I enjoyed it for what it was, and the town hall segment the week later was brilliant. I think it really shows the strength of the character that MJF has created that he can hang with Jericho like he’s been doing it for years.

The match will hopefully be fantastic too. MJF has shown countless times now that he can hang with the very best, and they don’t get much better than Jericho, so we should be in for a treat. I’m expecting some shenanigans here and there, but I don’t think they’ll overwhelm the match.

For the story going forward, there are a couple of routes they could take. If MJF were to lose, he could mope around for a while and resort to violence rather than words to get himself into the Inner Circle. However, the far better option is MJF winning, clean or not, and having him continually butting heads with all the other members of the Inner Circle. He’s the kind of character that will absolutely hate not being the leader of the group and we’ll get all kinds of great segments out of the conflict between him and Jericho. Maybe he could even get on the good side of a couple of them and attempt to stage a coup. All kinds of entertaining things could come from it, which is why I’m picking MJF to win.

Hikaru Shida(c) vs Nyla Rose
(AEW Women’s World Championship)

As great as this match was the last time we saw it, I really think this just goes to show how little investment AEW has really put in their women’s division, as Rose feels like the only challenger still on her level.

Nyla alongside Vickie Guerrero has been a good pairing, and definitely gives Rose the credibility she needed to rechallenge Shida. The problem is that Shida is starting to feel like a bit of generic babyface champion. She still has an edge to her, but the way she gladly accepts any and every challenge is getting a bit dull and generic. On top of that, she’s so easily comparable to Io Shirai on NXT that she’s starting to slip into the territory of being an inferior version.

That said, I’m confident this will still be a great match. Their match at Double or Nothing is one of the best AEW has produced so far this year, and I’m expecting them to recapture some of that magic. Hopefully, Rose is going to come at this with a new fire under her, and instead of Shida fighting as the underdog, it will just be the story of two women who really don’t like each other beating the piss out of each other.

Looking at the winner though, as much as I hate to say it, it’s time for Shida’s reign to end. I still really like her as a wrestler, but she’s definitely lost something over this reign. I don’t think that’s Shida’s fault though, I’ve said it already in this article, but I will keep saying it until it changes; AEW really aren’t good at booking their women’s division, and it’s starting to show more than ever. Either way, I think putting the title back on Nyla Rose is the money move here. It’ll give the division a new dynamic with a heel at the top and hopefully bring it some greater prominence.

Kenny Omega vs Hangman Adam Page
(Winner becomes #1 Contender for the AEW World Championship)

AEW can make jokes about it all they want, but that tournament was quite the predictable affair. However, sometimes things are predictable for a good reason, and that reason is so we can finally watch these two go at it.

This story has been flaring and smouldering for large portions of the year, and this match promises to be where it will finally go off with a bang. While many people have criticised Omega’s more muted persona in AEW, I think he performs the role very well. I don’t want to see him be this way forever, but when he’s up against a character that’s coming out of his shell in a brand new way like Page, having Omega play the moderate straight-man is the best way to tell that story. Maybe I’m just used to how tactless WWE can be, but I think they’ve handled the ‘alcoholic’ plot thread quite well. They draw attention to Page’s drinking, but not so much as to glorify it, while Page can portray someone who’s mildly drunk in interviews quite convincingly. His interview with JR on Wednesday is the perfect example, it felt uncomfortable in precisely the way it should.

When we talk about action, I think this has all the potential to be the best singles match AEW has ever produced. We already know the kind of incredible matches Omega is capable of putting on, and if the pair’s run as tag champs proved nothing else, it’s that Page is more than capable of keeping up with him. This is one of those matches that has got such a perfect mix of wrestling talent and worthwhile storytelling that there’s almost no way it can’t be incredible.

This is one of the most challenging matches on the card to predict for me because there are legitimate explanations for both wrestlers to win; in terms of both booking and narrative. If Omega were to win, he could go on to face Moxley (spoilers), who he already had a long history with, and let’s be honest, Omega really should be sniffing around that title by now. I get wanting to put other people over, but leave a piece of the pie for yourself. It would also allow Page to continue the story of his downward spiral, potentially paving the way to an amazing redemption story a year or so down the line.

However, I’m going with Hangman Adam Page to win instead. I’m pretty confident that Page is going to be the next AEW champion, and beating Omega will give him a significant notch on his belt going forward. I see a future where he wins the title as a heel, only to eventually transition to a beloved face by the end of his reign, and it looks like a magical future. I think if AEW puts all their chips down on Page, they’re going to have lightning in a bottle, so he should win here.

Cody vs Darby Allin
(TNT Championship)

I must admit, I was a bit perturbed following the feud between Cody & Brodie Lee. The matches were good, and I definitely felt like the story was with Lee winning the title and going on a tear before Cody eventually gets it back, but it happened way too quickly. I see the value in Cody holding that title for a while, but it definitely didn’t feel like they got anywhere near the full potential out of Lee holding the title.

Still, that doesn’t change the fact that we’re here now, and Darby Allin is lining up to take Cody down. I’ve been picking Allin to make some kind of breakthrough in AEW in every Pay-Per-View on which he’s appeared, and I’ve never been right about it. Ever since his very first match with Cody, he seems to be waiting in the wings for the chance to be a star, and another match with Cody seems like the perfect chance to finally make that into a reality.

I’m not sure what kind of story they’re going to tell with this match, but my hopes are high. As I said, their previous encounter was fantastic, and I expect that to build off of what happened there. Naturally, building off of their previous work would imply that Darby Allin is going to win, so that’s who I’m picking. Maybe it’s a bit foolish, and Cody may hold onto the title for ages, but if Allin is going to make it, he needs something soon before he gets stale, and this is the perfect opportunity to make something of him.

FTR(c) vs The Young Bucks
(AEW World Tag Team Championships)
(If The Young Bucks lose, they can never challenge for the championships again)

As far as matches I’m excited about goes, this one is right at the top of the list.

I’ve talked about my love for FTR plenty of times before. Their run as The Revival in NXT is the best tag team run of the modern era, and since they’ve come to AEW, they’ve been absolutely fantastic. They’re nothing flashy, just men who stay true to their ideals and maybe do things a bit dirty here and there to get their way. On top of that, they wrestle great matches. Their match against Page & Omega was fantastic, but this is the one we’ve all been waiting to see.

The build has been great, it’s the kind of thing where we know where it’s heading, but they wanted to wait a bit to get there. Ever since the match has been official, the hype has been real though, I can’t wait to see how this one plays out. While I don’t have any specific spots in mind, I can definitely see how these styles are going to mesh well. The mix of classic tag team psychology mixed in with the craziness of The Young Buck’s matches should be quite the sight to behold.

I flip-flopped on the winner a few times too. The thing is, I feel pretty confident that this is going to be a multi-match feud. Initially, I thought that it would be similar to the story with The Revival vs #DIY, where the Bucks have to fail once or twice first before finally getting the big win and the titles. However, then they added the stipulation that if the Bucks lose, they’re done, and that changes things. Now, I think it’s going to go the opposite way, where the two teams trade the titles a couple of times before determining a final winner, much like with Young Bucks vs Lucha Bros last year. So I’m going with The Young Bucks.

Jon Moxley(c) vs Eddie Kingston
(AEW World Championship)
(I Quit)

As is the pattern with most new people who AEW bring in, I knew basically nothing about Eddie Kingston before he appeared in AEW, but now he’s here, I want more and more and more.

The man is absolute fire on the microphone. He speaks with a level of heightened brutality that I don’t see from anyone else at the moment. His passion is captured so beautifully in his words, but also in the way he carries himself. His segment where he talked off against Moxley on Wednesday was the perfect example of this. Moxley was also great in that segment, but Kingston’s performance, while talking and being talked to, is what made it into something special.

Speaking of making things special, it’s matches and feuds like this that have made Moxley’s run as champion so great. The I Quit stipulation was such a great one because I genuinely can’t see either man saying those words, and imagine the match is going to get so brutal, that even the loser won’t seem that weak. Honestly, I never thought I’d be hoping for a match with loads of weapon-based violence in it, but here we are, the year where anything can happen.

As much as I said I can’t see either man saying “I Quit”, I’m confident that Jon Moxley is going to win. I think there’s a world of potential in Kingston winning the title, I just don’t see it happening. Moxley has been such a dominant champion, that I think the story where he loses needs to be a bit grander in scope. It’ll be a proper passing of the torch moment, and I think a younger guy needs to be the one to pick it up.

And there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this post. Please, let me know what you think is going to happen on Saturday, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo! Finally, make sure to come back this time on Sunday, where I’ll be giving you my review of the show!

The 10 Best Treehouse of Horror Episodes of The Simpsons

A couple of weeks ago, I dived into the sewer containing the worst of what a Simpsons’ Halloween had to offer, but now the spookiest night of the year has arrived, I think it’s time to take a look at the best. These episodes capture the height of the writing team’s creativity and hilarity. Even standing up as some of the best Simpsons episodes out there, Halloween or otherwise.

10 – Treehouse of Horror XIII

Original Airdate: 3rd November 2002
Segments: Send in the Clones; The Fright to Creep and Scare Harms; The Island of Dr Hibbert

Send in the Clones is an absolute classic. I never thought that watching Homer interact with himself could be so fun to watch, but it’s absolutely perfect for this segment. Homer hits the right level of stupid here, still feeling competent enough to make some of the more complex jokes work. The supporting cast does a great job at framing the problem and gives Homer more to bounce off of so his star shines all the brighter.

The Fright to Creep and Scare Harms is the least interesting of the bunch, but it’s not bad by any stretch. It focuses quite heavily on the plot, which means that there aren’t many grand jokes or parodies. Speaking of, as this isn’t a parody of anything, most of the jokes are quite simple, but a handful of them still got a giggle out of me. It’s certainly not making any remarkable satirical statements about gun violence, but I don’t think it needed to either, The Simpsons’ has covered that topic far better elsewhere.

The Island of Dr Hibbert is one of those segments that always stuck out in my mind growing up, but no-one else seemed to remember all that fondly. What I find funniest about this is how deliberately oblivious they play all of the characters, especially Homer. It might be pretty obvious writing, but I still find it funny that all of this clearly suspicious stuff is going on around then and Homer seems to meet it with willful ignorance, asking instead about timeshares. The animal thing is a bit of a weird gimmick, but they get some good jokes out of it and know when to call it quits. It rounds out an episode that might not be totally incredible but is definitely worth a rewatch.

9 – Treehouse of Horror VIII

Original Airdate: 26th October 1997
Segments: The HΩmega Man; Fly vs Fly; Easy-Bake Coven

The HΩmega Man is definitely the best segment of this episode. The set-up is dumb, but they throw in enough good jokes along the way that I’m willing to overlook the problems. Sure, Homer becomes a selfish arsehole the moment he realised he’s the last man alive, but let’s be honest here, you would, wouldn’t you? I know I would. They even managed to make Homer grieving over his family funny with the baseball bat joke. Overall, a super memorable segment that you should definitely seek out.

Fly vs Fly is just as funny, if a little less memorable. The yard-sale at the start was a good way to cram some quickfire jokes into minimal space, all of which land. I’d even argue this is the funniest Professor Frink has ever been. The transporter opens the door for another round of quickfire jokes which are even funnier than the first set. Marge telling Homer off for using it to pee will always make me giggle. The stuff with Bart and the fly is the weakest part of it, but even that has some good jokes, leading up to the final joke of Homer chasing Bart with the axe, which I think may be the funniest joke in the whole thing.

Easy-Bake Coven is a lot weaker in my eyes, but the strength of the other two segments is what keeps the episode on the list. There are some funny jokes at the start about the Salem witch trials, but it loses me after that. It’s not a bad segment by any stretch of the imagination, I just don’t think the ‘candy instead of children’ punchline is all that interesting. You should still go back and watch this episode, but maybe skip this last segment if you’re short on time.

8 – Treehouse of Horror I

Original Airdate: 25th October 1990
Segments: Bad Dream House; Hungry are the Damned; The Raven

Bad Dream House is a segment that seems to have been largely forgotten compared to the other two, but it’s definitely still a very good segment. It has fewer out-right jokes than we’re used to in these episodes, instead choosing some subtle warpings of the ‘haunted house’ formula to bring the laughs, something it does to great success. Something like Marge scolding the house like it was a misbehaving child is just a really funny joke that plays to the strength of the characters.

Hungry are the Damned is far and away the funniest segment of the episode, with a whole bunch of iconic jokes thrown in there. Homer needing two tractor beams to pull him up, the ominous double-talk of the aliens, the bit with the space dust on the ‘How to Cook Humans’ book, all of them are hilarious jokes that don’t lose any of their sting on a rewatch. Given that after this, the aliens would be mostly relegated to cameo roles, this is a solid segment to introduce them in. It understands the stereotypes and how to subvert them perfectly to great comedic effect.

The Raven is an odd one. I wouldn’t say it’s at all funny, which is what I want from a Treehouse of Horror episode, but it’s undeniably iconic. Sure, it’s essentially just an animatic of an Edgar Alan Poe poem, but A) It’s the only reason I ever learnt of the poem in the first place and B) It’s really good. While it does throw in comedic tones with Bart complaining about how unscary it seems in the modern-day, the animation used to tell the story is quite beautiful. It’s able to capture the dark and ominous mood of the poem, while still throwing in some comedic beats with how Homer and the raven move and act. It’s an oddity compared to everything else in this series, but it’s quite a pleasant one.

7 – Treehouse of Horror IX

Original Airdate: 29th October 1998
Segments: Hell Toupée; The Terror of Tiny Toon; Starship Poopers

Hell Toupée is the kind of segment that I never remember, but always enjoy whenever I see it. Snake is a character with so much untapped comedic potential. Even his spotlight episode(s) don’t really make the most of what this character has to offer, and I think this is the closest her ever got. We get some classic Chief Wiggum jokes right at the start, alongside the world’s double-standard when it comes to smoking. From there it’s a lot of murder-humour and visual gags, which aren’t my favourite, but I still find them funny here. I don’t know why it doesn’t stick in my mind very much, but it’s still worth seeking out.

The Terror of Tiny Toon, to the contrary, is one of the most memorable segments the show has ever done. Despite being a cartoon, The Simpsons odes it’s best to stick to fairly realistic rules (at least during this era of the show), so removing those restraints was a great move. The writers have used Itchy & Scratchy to take the piss out of kids cartoons before, but this was a step up. Actually taking us into that world, we see not only a deep understanding of what made cartoons like Tom & Jerry funny, but also a clear love from the animators for their style. It comes across as a love letter to those old cartoons, and it really funny to boot.

Starship Poopers is a bit of weird segment because, by all rights, I feel like it shouldn’t work, but it just does. Homer is what makes it to me. The alien stuff is funny, but it’s been done better before or since. Homer’s initial obliviousness to the situations (“Maggie lost her baby legs!”) followed by his righteous indignation is excellent stuff. The Jerry Springer scene is definitely the highlight, he plays a ridiculous kind of straight man that gives a good parody of those types of shows. You could argue those jokes have long since been played out, but I still get something out of them.

6 – Treehouse of Horror XX

Original Airdate: 18th October 2009
Segments: Dial ‘M’ for Murder or Press ‘#’ to Return to Main Menu; Don’t Have a Cow, Mankind; There’s No Business Like Moe Business

As the most recent entry on this list, it’s rare to see such brilliant episodes come out of the later seasons. Yet, for this one, they managed to nail it.

Dial ‘M’ for Murder or Press’#’ to Return to Main Menu, is an excellent parody of Hitchcock films (even if I don’t know a huge amount about them) while still standing up as a funny segment, even if you don’t know anything about the source material. The “Criss-Cross” joke might be a bit simplistic, but it gets a giggle out of me every time. The tenseness in the music compared to the juvenile actions on the screen give the whole thing a wonderfully comedic tone, and even the way Lisa ends up killing Bart is funny.

Don’t Have a Cow, Mankind, is a segment that has remained fresh in my mind ever since I first saw, and I’m not entirely sure why. The Simpsons have done zombie parodies before, but they made sure to do this one differently to before. It feels like they’re breaking out to tread new ground rather than imitating their greatest hits. The idea of the burger-squared is so stupid that I can’t help but laugh, and there’s something ironically funny about what it does to people. It’s definitely not very smart humour, but it’s still done in a way that I find funny. Just about everything Apu does, for example, gets a giggle out of me, even though they are fairly obvious jokes.

There’s No Business Like Moe Business is utter genius writing. Not only does it have a strong sense of plot where jokes are crammed in at every opportunity, but it expands the scope to that of a stage play, and makes a bunch of meta-jokes about theatre, all of which are brilliant. Stuff like Homer’s makeup not being ready in time, so Moe has to stall; the set being incredibly janky or anything any of the audience members had to say was laugh-out-loud funny. Then, of course, there are the musical pieces which give the whole thing a fun tone that translates so well with the jokes being told. It’s one of those segments that I firmly believe that had it been in one of the early seasons, would be seen today as an all-time classic.

5 – Treehouse of Horror VI

Original Airdate: 29th October 1995
Segments: Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores; Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace; Homer³

Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores is one of the weaker segments on this list. It’s very plot-heavy, and many of the jokes are visual gags of the monsters destroying stuff, which is fine, but it’s not really for me. There is still a bunch of funny stuff in there though. Homer’s non-reaction to the whole situation is out of character for him in one of the funniest ways possible. At the same time, the solution of creating a catchy jingle is a surprisingly intelligent and accurate takedown of the advertisement industry. This is a good segment, but it’s definitely not the main reason to watch this one.

Nightmare on Evergreen Terrace is most certainly one of the main reasons to watch this episode. As easily one of the show’s most easily comedic characters, Willie is a great villain in this one. He’s violent and savage-looking enough for it to be believable, while his character comes with an inherent patheticness that makes so many of his jokes work. The backstory scene is easily the highlight here. We’ve got “Do not touch Willie”, the Smarch joke and the taking turns to speak joke. The fight at the end isn’t all that interesting, but they still throw in a bunch of jokes to keep us going until the end, even managing to take the piss out of the ‘killer isn’t actually dead’ trope of horror films.

Homer³ is easily the most memorable segment on this list, purely because of how different it looks. Even before the 3D stuff happens, we get some brilliant jokes as Homer make a mad dash to find a hiding spot. Then, we get to the 3D world and hilarity ensues. Homer’s reaction to seeing his ass in 3D for the first time is brilliant, and the meta-joke about how expensive the 3D area is one of my favourites. We get a quick cascade of secondary characters in to try and solve the problem, and finally, we top the whole thing off with a trip to the real world. It’s got plenty of amusing moments throughout, along with being a genuinely iconic moment in Simpsons’ history.

4 – Treehouse of Horror IV

Original Airdate: 28th October 1993
Segments: The Devil and Homer Simpson; Terror at 5 & 1/2 Feet; Bart Simpson’s Dracula

The Devil and Homer Simpson is one of the all-time great segments. Flanders as a cheery version of the devil is utterly hilarious, and Homer’s interaction with him is perfect. It’s the kind of segment where all I can really do to describe it’s greatness is list jokes. Jokes such as: Homer claiming to be smarter than the devil; Homer eating all the doughnuts in the world; THE TRIAL SCENE. It’s a Treehouse of Horror segment with Lionel Hutz in it for God sake, it’s just brilliant. It doesn’t try to do anything overcomplicated, it just creates a simple premise and stuffs it to the brim with hilarious jokes.

Terror at 5 & 1/2 Feet, on the other hand, is one of those segments I never really got. There still some great jokes in there, don’t get me wrong, pretty much anything Skinner has to say is worth watching the whole thing, but other than that, I just find it a bit uncomfortable. I don’t know why, because I’ve never been in this situation, but the idea of desperately pleading with someone to believe you, only for everyone to think you’re crazy is just quite distressing to me. I still enjoy this segment, but it comes with a bit of baggage I can never cast from my mind.

Bart Simpson’s Dracula is another one of the greats. Burns being evil is always comedy gold, and now we get to throw some vampire humour over the top of it. Once again, the family’s complete obliviousness of the danger of the situation is an extremely fertile ground for jokes, and it’s used to its full potential. Other than that, once again, it’s just a list of hilarious jokes. Grampa wanting to kill the boy; the super happy fun slide, and the fact that the whole thing ends on a Christmas carol. I know they’d pull this joke out too many times in the later seasons, but this was the first time they did it, and it was still funny.

3 – Treehouse of Horror VII

Original Airdate: 27th October 1996
Segments: The Thing and I; The Genesis Tub; Citizen Kang

The Thing and I is prime Simpsons’ Halloween material. It gives us an actual mystery that feels like it pays off, before turning into a tense action scene and shoving as many funny jokes as possible along the way. Homer & Marge’s suspicious acting is ripe for comedy and the kid’s insistence on knowing what’s going on plays of it great. The over-curiousness that we all know children can have is played for laughs in an amusing way that still serves the further the mystery. The resolution & ending is classic stuff too. The “left twin” always being evil, the revelation that it was actually Bart the whole time, and then the flipping of the scenario to end things off. It’s tense, it’s funny, and it’s an absolute classic.

The Genesis Tub was the segment I always remember liking the most as a kid. I don’t know why, but something about the premise really appealed to my child-self. We get plenty of funny interactions between Bart & Lisa, with Lisa eventually having the kind of funny moments we don’t often get from her. Her delight at creating Lutherans, or the indignation with which she treats Bart. They even manage to squeeze in a completely irrelevant joke about a waffle iron and make it hilarious. Lisa very rarely gets a chance to shine in the Halloween segments, her character doesn’t really fit with their tone, but this was the perfect way to make use of her.

Citizen Kang is another all-time classic. Homer rules the roost in this one, and he shines like you wouldn’t believe. His determined, but utterly incompetent, drive to stop the aliens makes for all kinds of hilarious moments, and this is where the aliens get all the chance in the world to shine. Their misunderstanding of Earth culture and the ease with which they sway the masses is funny in a way that feels oddly more relevant in the modern-day. Then, the final gag about it being a two-party system is some really on-the-nose satire that is as funny as it is depressing. Then, of course, we cap things off with the iconic line “Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos,” which sums up politics better than years of satirical cartoons ever could.

2 – Treehouse of Horror III

Original Airdate: 29th October 1992
Segments: Clown Without Pity; King Homer; Dial ‘Z’ for Zombie

Clown Without Pity brings the laughs in all the right places. Homer at the evil store is a hilarious scene, featuring the “That’s good, that’s bad” bit, which is genuinely one of the most well-structured jokes I’ve ever heard. The rest of the segment isn’t quite as funny, but they still get a lot of good jokes from the doll trying to kill Homer, and Homer trying not to die. Then, the thing wraps up in another great joke with the doll’s switch being set to evil.

King Homer is the second-best film parody the show has ever done. As where the Godzilla parody that I talked about in the ‘worst’ list took the easy way out with its jokes – taking some outdated shots about Japanese films & then swerving into a Hollywood satire – this one is a lot more clever with what it does. For one thing, it’s a lot more faithful to the source material and actually commits to the bit. For another, instead of making wide-stretching jokes about the film industry, it relies on the characters to do the heavy lifting. Things like Smithers saying that “women and sea-men don’t mix” or Marge finding King Homer’s oafishness weirdly attractive is the kind of character-based humour that the show is brilliant at and should always be at the core of the writing.

Dial ‘Z’ for Zombie is just a 7-minute long list of great jokes. There’s technically a plot, but after about 2 minutes it ceases to matter and is just a vehicle to get the characters to places where we can make jokes. Sure, it’s not a super-strong segment, but when you’ve got jokes like Homer shooting Flanders, Zombie Shakespear and anything Bart does, who cares? It’s hilarious, and that’s all that matters.

1 – Treehouse of Horror V

Original Airdate: 30th October 1994
Segments: The Shinning; Time and Punishment; Nightmare Cafeteria

Let’s be honest, there was never any question as to number 1.

The Shinning is not only the single best Treehouse of Horror segment, but it may also be the best thing The Simpsons have ever produced. For one thing, I really like The Shining, and this absolutely nails the parody aspects. So many of the jokes in this are absolutely iconic. The “all work and no play” bit, the “urge to kill bit” and anything Burns & Smithers have to say to one another. Ultimately, Homer is the star of the show in this one, and he’s perfect as the Nicholson character that slowly goes crazy, with just the right amount of Homer oafishness mixed in. However, the other characters are on great form too. Marge, Burns, Smithers, Willie, even Chief Wiggum all have some of their best jokes in this segment. It really is an all-time classic.

Time and Punishment takes us from the best segment of all time to the second-best. Homer once again dominates the segment and brings an endless string of laughs. The pacing is excellent and makes the 7-minute long segment feel like a fully fleshed out episode of the show. Homer’s visits to the past serve not only to break up the action but also give us a brief insight into Homer’s deteriorating mental state. Then, the alternate dimensions that Homer visits all have something hilarious to offer us. The longer sections like the Flanders’ universe and the perfect universe are broken up by quick little looks into ones like the giant universe, or the one where Willie knows. It makes the most of its concept and packs it with as many jokes as possible, leaving it to stick in the mind forever.

Nightmare Cafeteria is the weakest segment of this episode, but it’s still top 5 of all-time levels. Firstly, it’s genuinely quite creepy. The glee with which the teachers seem to consume the segments is disturbing, especially when combined with how weird they look as fat-slobs. While this is technically a segment about the kids, Skinner is undoubtedly the MVP when it comes to bringing the funny, with how calmly he tells the teacher about cooking Jimbo, or the big rant about Uter. Outside of that, we get the payoff to the running joke of all three segments, with Willie failing to save the day. Then the whole episode wraps up with that inside-out gas segment which I find really uncomfortable to watch, but it’s still funny in that kind of way.

To put it simply, Treehouse of Horror V is the only instalment in the series that I think is flawless and easily ranks as one of the best Simpsons episodes of all time.

And there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Please, let me know what your favourite Treehouse of Horror episodes/segments are, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo. Finally, make sure you come back here this time next Friday, where I’ll be covering AEW’s Full Gear Pay-Per-View!

WWE Hell in a Cell 2020: Every Match Ranked

We’re out the other side of hell and…it was alright, wasn’t it? The three cell matches were all very enjoyable, but the undercard lacked any real spice or intrigue. It’s the kind of show where people will remember key moments, but the majority of it will be lost to time.

I really don’t have anything else to say here, so let’s rank the matches!

7 – Elias def. Jeff Hardy via Disqualification

If the reports are accurate that Vince sees Elias as a future top star on Raw, he’s got a funny way of showing it.

There was very little substance to this match. It was 7 minutes long, but it may as well have been 30 seconds for all the noteworthy things that happened during it. The action the two men produced was fine, but you could tell neither of them was trying very hard, and I can’t say I blame them given the crap finish they were working towards. As for the DQ finish, what can I say? It’s your standard WWE non-finish to needlessly extend the feud to pay off on Raw in a few weeks because Pay-Per-Views just build to TV rematches these days.

It also makes Hardy look like a jerk. I know Elias got the guitar out and was going to use it, but for Hardy to use it as a foreign object in plain view of the referee is just a heelish thing to do. The commentators loosely tried to justify it, but I couldn’t help but agree with the heels in that scenario.

6 – R-Truth(c) def. Drew Gulak
(24/7 Championship)
(Kickoff Show)

There was a 24/7 championship match on this show, but not a Raw women’s championship one…think about that.

Sure, this was a throwaway 5-minute match, but at least we got some fun character stuff at the start. The inconsistency with which R-Truth remembers Lil’ Jimmy is a thing is quite startling these days, but it gave us a fun opening to this match. Bless Drew Gulak for always giving angles like this his all, I honestly think he could be a fantastic comedy wrestler if he was given the time to flourish. Sadly, I can’t help but sit here and remember the start of the year where it looked like he was going to big places with Daniel Bryan.

Now he’s taking rollup losses for the joke belt on the preshow, and then making a joke about how John Cena sucks. Which is fine, I guess, but he should have better.

5 – Bobby Lashley(c) def. Slapjack
(United States Championship)

Well, it was nice thinking Retribution might be going somewhere while it lasted.

Seriously, did Ali spit in Vince McMahon’s face or something? Every storyline with any big potential he’s had immediately goes to shit and gets tossed to the side. I’m not ready to write Retribution off just yet, there’s still time to turn this around, but I’m already starting to give far less of a shit than I did a month ago. I don’t understand why they’re losing and being put on the run so often this early into their time. To protect the Hurt Business? Why? What plans do you have for them? It’s not like you’re going to push anyone other than Lashley as a top star from that group and he can recover from a few quick losses.

Better yet, if you’re so desperate to have Lashley protected, just don’t put Retribution in a match with him. That is an option, there are so many other people they could fight, hell, even within the Hurt Business there are three other guys that you’re always keen to hand losses too. There were just so many other ways out of this situation that it makes the whole thing like a deliberate effort to make Retribution look like chumps.

4 – The Miz def. Otis
(Otis’ Money in the Bank contract is on the line)

Small note, why did commentary keep saying the match was “for the Mr Money in the Bank”? That’s got to be the worst possible way you could’ve phrased that.

This may have been ranked as the fourth-best match of the show, but don’t let that fool you into thinking I liked it. As I said in my predictions, there was no chemistry here. These two have particular wrestling styles, and they didn’t work when pushed together in the ring. The only reason this match ranked this high is that it’s the first one that felt like an actual match, and we got two significant status-quo changes out of it.

First of all, Tucker’s betrayal, it’s ok, I guess. I like that they clarified that he didn’t do it for Miz’s benefit, he just did it cos he’s sick of Otis’ shit, which, yeah…I’d probably get tired of him after a while too. It’s something interesting for both guys to do, but I’m not optimistic that it’ll go anywhere interesting. As for Miz with Money in the Bank, it’s hard to see where he’ll slot in. Unless he’s going to lose it to someone of higher status, I highly doubt he’s winning a world title anytime soon.

The only scenario I can see it happening, is if Edge wins the title from Orton at Mania, and Miz comes in to ruin the moment the next night on Raw, but that’s a stretch. Ultimately, I think it’s just going to go down as another waste of the briefcase, as there hasn’t been a fair use of it since 2016.

3 – Randy Orton def. Drew McIntyre(c)
(WWE Championship)
(Hell in a Cell)

It was a slow-paced, Randy Orton Hell in a Cell match that relied on slow builds to big spots, and I didn’t hate it. This is a miracle.

Now, it wasn’t incredible, and it was definitely my least favourite of the matches these two have had, but I was never really bored during the half an hour runtime of the thing. Maybe the build of this feud has just been good enough to keep me interested, or maybe my tastes have changed over the past year, who can say? All I know is I was engaged the whole time.

The match definitely had the aura of brutality I think it needed. It can be hard in the modern era to make a Hell in a Cell match feel truly horrible without blood, but heaviness with which these two men attacked each other did the job for me. The stuff on top of the cell made the whole thing quite tense, and there was definitely a tremendous sense of intrigue thanks to the fact that I genuinely had no idea who was going to win.

While I would’ve preferred Drew to keep the title, I don’t think he’s in any way been damaged by losing Orton here. For one thing, it was a violent match where he looked like a badass and took one hell of a beating. However, he’s beaten Orton twice already, he’s still got plenty of legitimate claims to come back into the world title scene eventually. As for the immediate future, I’m not sure, I think another Pay-Per-View match would be a bad idea, but I could potentially see a rematch on Raw that gets interrupted by Drew’s next big feud. Hell, if they’re basing Survivor Series around The Undertaker, it could even be the deadman himself.

The problem is that I don’t see who else on Raw could challenge Orton. The Fiend seems like the obvious choice, but given that Orton is definitely holding that title until Mania, I’m not sure that would be such a good idea. Kevin Owens wouldn’t be a bad idea, but I’m sure he’s been built up enough for that kind of feud right now, especially not for a big 4 show. That pretty much just leaves Keith Lee, unless AJ Styles is planning on turning face, which he isn’t.

2 – Sasha Banks def. Bayley(c)
(Smackdown Women’s Championship)
(Hell in a Cell)

As expected, this match was incredible. Honestly, if you said to me that this was your number 1, I wouldn’t argue with you in the slightest, it’s mostly just down to personal preference as to why this is number 2.

When it comes to action, this match is the highlight of the night. There were some concerns that the match hadn’t been built quite as well as it could’ve, but you wouldn’t know that from the final product. These two women were able to perfectly capture the sense of betrayal and hatred that exists between the two of them in just a few choice moments. The way Sasha punted Bayley’s chair out of the ring as the cell lowered was all that was needed to establish the tone, and they ran with it from there as far as they possibly could.

The action was great, Sasha carried that chip on her shoulder to give every move she made a little extra sting, and it felt a lot heavier because of it. Bayley meanwhile balanced her cowardly heel side, and vindictive predator side well, responding to Sasha’s offence with pathetic whimpering, but relishing the times where she took control. It made sure the flow of the match was near-perfect and made the most of all the factors they had in play.

I didn’t think Sasha would win the title straight away like this, but I’m very glad it did, it made the match feel like a complete story, rather than chapter 1. They’re definitely going to be having a rematch sometime soon, but I’m not sure if that will involve some more trading of the belt. It’s one of those feuds that’s hard to speculate on, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

1 – Roman Reigns(c) def. Jey Uso
(Universal Championship)
(Hell in a Cell)
(I Quit)

This was a masterpiece of storytelling.

I loved the match at Clash of Champions, and I wasn’t sure telling the same story again would be as effective, but man, they blew my expectations out of the water, this was beautiful.

It was a little light on action. There was some fun back-and-forth stuff in the first half, but the headline here is the second half of the match, where the action took a backseat to this fantastic story. We’ve seen the bond The Usos have with Roman over the years, they’ve worked together plenty of times before, and this story really impressed the importance of family in their culture. I felt the bond between these three men, even though they were beating the piss out of each other, the whole story felt real because we know that the familial bond is real.

Reigns’ acting was world-class. The way in which he ran through disappointment, frustration and remorse as he tried harder and harder to put Jey away. What was brilliant about it is that you could tell it wasn’t remorse over beating Jey senseless, it was remorse over the fact he knew he wasn’t going to stop beating Jey. Heyman’s small contributions were perfect too, the expressions on his face as things got more and more heartbreaking, the way he told Adam Pierce “He won’t listen to me!” as the violence reached its peak sold that moment so entirely.

Then there was the climax of the match. The way Roman broke down into tears as Jimmy laid over the unconscious body of his brother, what an image that was. Then there was the touch of Jimmy using his real name to try and get through to Roman, just that line of him saying “It’s Josh” is so powerful, and made the whole thing hit an emotional peak. Then, Roman put the final nail in the coffin, proving once and for all that he’s gone past the point of no return and has no intension of looking back, as he reveals his tears were all a ruse to drop Jimmy’s guard and get the result he wants.

The image of Roman flanked by Afa and Sika, holding the title aloft is the most powerful image of them all. Knowing all the hurt and heartbreak that Roman caused, and the dirty way in which he pulled it off, this is the best Roman Reigns has ever been (even better than his time in The Shield), and I can’t wait to see more of it.

And there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Please, let me know what you thought of the show, either in the comment below or on Twitter @10ryawoo. Finally, make sure to come back here this time on Saturday, where I’ll be running down the best Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simspsons!

WWE Hell in a Cell 2020: Predictions & Analysis

It’s October, so you know what that means…It means it’s time for everyone to get hardcore for no apparent reason, to varying degrees of success.

This is WWE’s one show a year where they either don’t bother or forget to announce more than a few matches, and we’re all left wondering what the hell’s going on. Currently, we’ve only got 5 matches announced, and I can only assume that they’ll hastily add 3 more Sunday morning.

Let’s do some predicting, shall we?

Jeff Hardy vs Elias

On the surface, this seems like a logical feud given past events, but when you take the time to think about it, you realise the whole thing’s bollocks.

I can see the logic behind Elias wanting to get revenge on Hardy for hitting him with a car…except for the fact that everyone knows it wasn’t Hardy who did it. There’s even footage of Sheamus admitting it and saying he framed Hardy. This means either Elias didn’t watch any WWE programming while he was out injured or he’s just a moron; your pick. On top of that, if Hardy’s trying to prove he didn’t hit Elias, ambushing him from behind isn’t exactly the best way to go about that, is it? Even if Elias is mistaken, he’s still technically just trying to get revenge on someone who wronged him, and Jeff’s being a bit of a prick about it.

I really don’t know if this match will be any good. Both men are definitely capable of putting on a great match, it’s just a matter of whether their styles will mesh adequately, and whether they’ll get a decent amount of time. I’m not sure who will win either. WWE hasn’t ever shown a great deal of interest in building Elias up, combine that with the fact that this just feels like a short feud to tie up some loose ends and I think Jeff Hardy is going to come out of this one with a quick and easy win.

Otis vs The Miz
(Otis’ Money in the Bank Briefcase is on the line)

When Otis won the Money in the Bank briefcase, I was cautiously optimistic. I didn’t believe he was ever going to actually win a world title, but the potential was there for him to do something fun/memorable. Then he disappeared from TV for ages. Since he’s come back, he’s been far less interesting than before he left and it made me realise that maybe it was actually just the Mandy Rose storyline that was making me like him. He’s still had sparks of good comedy here and there, but for the most part, I’ve not been interested in the man’s work at all.

If I’m being honest here, I feel the same way about The Miz too. A couple of years ago I was begging for Miz to be given another shot with a world title, but now I don’t really care. Rejoining with John Morrison was a highlight at first, but they lost their steam almost immediately, and now this vague bullying angle he’s taken with Otis isn’t holding my interest. On top of that, these are two men who’s styles don’t mesh well at all. I can’t see this match being any kind of great, the whole thing just doesn’t feel like it works.

Now, on the face of it, it seems like moving the briefcase from Otis to Miz would be a good idea, but the problem is, if Miz wins, what on Earth is he going to do with it? Roman Reigns isn’t losing that title until at least Wrestlemania, and it’s damn sure not going to be to The Miz of all people. I guess there’s a possibility that he could cash-in on whoever beats Reigns (fingers crossed that’s Big E), but that’s a very small window, and I doubt he’ll win. Even if Miz isn’t a great candidate, I don’t think anyone on the decision-making level of WWE care, they’ve just decided they don’t want it on Otis anymore and are taking it off of him. So The Miz is going to win, and probably spectacularly lose his cash-in whenever it happens.

Drew McIntyre(c) vs Randy Orton
(WWE Championship)
(Hell in a Cell)

After Clash of Champions, I really thought we were done with this. Not only has Drew beaten Randy twice now, but the Clash of Champions match pulled in all the elements of Randy’s story over 2020 and tied them all up in a neat little bow. I even said at the time that it felt like the finale in this series. Yet, here we are a month later, and the match is happening again.

I’m still enjoying the story, although it’s become a little bit stale by this point. Drew & Randy are still great at going at each other on the mic, and both men continue to feel like massive stars. While none of their matches blew me away, I’ve still enjoyed all of them, and I wouldn’t mind seeing what they make of a more brutal match like Hell in a Cell. There’s some potential for some suitably nasty stuff to go down, and it might be a nice way to end things.

However, I still have to pick a winner. For both their Summerslam and Clash of Champions match, I picked Drew despite my gut telling me Randy was going to win, and both times I was right. However, this time around, from pretty much the second the match was announced, I’ve been sure Randy’s winning. It’s the only possible reason I can think of as to why they’re still continuing this feud. Maybe they were initially hoping Drew could keep the title until crowds were back in arenas, but it’s become painfully clear that day isn’t even in sight yet. Plus, if the rumours true that WWE still want Randy vs Edge as the Wrestlemania main event next year, I can’t see any other outcome.

As much as I would prefer to see Drew keep the title, he’s definitely had a remarkable reign, and he’ll still be able to say he beat Randy twice, which isn’t nothing. I hate to do it, but I’m going against my heart here and picking Randy Orton to finally hold the title once more.

Roman Reigns(c) vs Jey Uso
(Universal Championship)
(Hell in a Cell)
(I Quit)

If all of the dirt sheets are to be believed, there were never plans for a rematch between these two, but I’m delighted we’re getting one. I adored the Clash of Champions match, and it definitely left room for the story to continue, and continue it has. The weekly TV for this feud hasn’t been as strong as it was last month, but I’ve still really enjoyed it. Now Uso feels a little more desperate to prove himself after getting his arse kicked at Clash, and the tensions between Uso & Roman are far closer to the surface than they were before.

The choice of an I Quit match is a brilliant one that plays perfectly of off the finish to their previous match, putting the decision to quit in Jey’s hands, not his brother’s. The addition of the Hell in a Cell is fine, I guess. It’s perhaps the most transparent case on the show of the cell being added purely because it’s the gimmick of the PPV, not because the feud actually needs it. That said, it definitely doesn’t detract from the match, so I can’t complain too much.

Once again, though, Roman Reigns is retaining, there’s no question. Nevermind how there’s no way Jey Uso could possibly win a world title right now, but there’s just no chance in hell that this new badass version of Roman Reigns could possibly say “I Quit”. It’s a case where the predictability of the outcome doesn’t really matter, though, because the match and story told within it is what makes this match an exciting prospect.

Bayley(c) vs Sasha Banks
(Smackdown Women’s Championship)
(Hell in a Cell)

Finally!

It took a hell of a long time to get here, but Bayley vs Sasha is finally happening on the main roster, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’ve sung the praises of both women’s work over this past year, and that hasn’t changed now they’re fighting each other. The heat, the intensity and the excitement are all still there in spades, and I’m more than ready for the first landmark match in their feud.

I don’t think this will quite live up to their NXT matches, but that’s only because those matches are so untouchably amazing. In my opinion, Bayley vs Sasha from Takeover: Brooklyn is the single best women’s match of all time, and maybe even the best NXT Takeover match of all time, which is perhaps the highest bar there is to clear. Either way, I still think we’re in for a match of the year contender, these women have incredible chemistry in the ring, and the story is so hot that I’ll pop for just about anything.

There’s this little matter of picking the winner though, which is a tricky task. This feud is going to end with Sasha holding the title, that’s the only possible outcome of this whole endeavour, but I really don’t think they’d pull the trigger on it this quickly. Unless they’re planning on replicating the Sasha vs Charlotte feud from 2016, where they trade the belt about 8 times, it just doesn’t make sense for Sasha to get the big win so soon. It’ll probably be by dirty means (although, that might be a bit difficult given the stipulation) but I think Bayley is going to walk out with the title.

So there you have it! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this. Please, let me know what you think is going to happen on Sunday, either in the comments below or on Twitter @10ryawoo. Finally, make sure to come back here on Monday where I’ll be reviewing the show, and this time on Saturday where I’ll be running down the best Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes!