WWE’s Super Showdown event is taking place from the King Abdullah International Stadium today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Tonight, Wai Ting and I will have a show following the event and it will be a free show broadcast on our POST Wrestling YouTube channel and available later that night in audio form, as well. On the show tonight, we will be speaking with journalist Karim Zidan of Bloody Elbow, as well as Fighting Spirit Magazine’s Will Cooling. We will also be taking calls throughout the show.
QUICK RESULTS:
*The Usos over The Revival in 7:10
*Seth Rollins over Baron Corbin to retain the Universal title in 11:13
*Finn Balor over Andrade in 11:25 to retain the Intercontinental title
*Shane McMahon over Roman Reigns in 9:14
*Lars Sullivan over Lucha House Party by DQ at 5:14
*Randy Orton over Triple H in 25:38
*Braun Strowman over Bobby Lashley at 8:22
*Kofi Kingston over Dolph Ziggler in 10:12 to retain the WWE title
*Mansoor won the 50-man battle royal in 17:52
*The Undertaker over Bill Goldberg in 8:31
Charly Caruso, David Otunga & Beth Phoenix doing kickoff from Stamford, Connecticut.
Paul Heyman did a taped promo to make sense why Brock Lesnar didn’t cash-in the Money in the Bank briefcase on Monday. He got revenge on Seth Rollins for WrestleMania, he paid a price and now he will pay another price. Lesnar will cash in the briefcase and take the title from Rollins.
Byron Saxton interviewed Seth Rollins, who had his ribs taped from the attack by Lesnar.
They promoted that immediately following Super Showdown there would be a special encore of the Ronda Rousey special.
They aired promos throughout the kickoff with participants in the battle royal including Ricochet, Bobby Roode, Heavy Machinery, and Rusev.
Michael Cole is calling the event alongside Renee Young and Corey Graves. They said off the top that the temperature is 94 degrees in the building and will be escalating.
THE USOS VS THE REVIVAL
The Revival double-teamed Jimmy Uso after attacking him in their corner. The audience was chanting for The Usos.
Jey received the tag and hit a running hip attack onto Dawson in the corner.
Cole noted, “this is a crucial matchup because all the tag teams are jockeying for position to face Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder.” For context, Hawkins and Ryder are the Raw tag champions.
Jey used an inside cradle but Wilder distracted the referee and led to Dawson getting up and hitting a spine buster.
The Uso did double superkicks to both and ended with Jimmy pinning Wilder.
WINNERS: The Usos at 7:10
The audience was loud for The Usos. This was the level you would expect from the two for a television match and a fine kickoff opener.
SETH ROLLINS VS BARON CORBIN FOR THE UNIVERSAL TITLE
Corbin slaps and knees Rollins in the ribs in the first minute. He knocked Rollins off balance and dropped him onto the top rope. Rollins fought back while clutching his ribs. Corbin applied a waist lock to wear down Rollins on the mat.
Rollins fought free and hit a sling blade, sent Corbin to the floor and hit a suicide dive. Corbin rolled to the other side of the ring and Rollins landed another dive. On the third attempt, he was stopped and hit with a spinning slam off Corbin’s shoulders and Rollins kicked out. Rollins missed the stomp and kicked out of the Deep Six.
Corbin grabbed a chair, was warned by the referee and tossed it onto the floor. He began yelling at the referee, the referee yelled back and backed Corbin up into a roll-up by Rollins for the pin.
WINNER: Seth Rollins at 11:13 to retain the Universal title
After the match, Corbin hit Rollins with End of Days. Brock Lesnar came out with Paul Heyman holding the briefcase.
Lesnar was holding a chair, Heyman tripped entering the ring and dropped the briefcase, allowing Rollins to hit Lesnar low and attack him with the chair repeatedly. It ended with Rollins stomping Lesnar’s head onto the briefcase.
FINN BALOR VS ANDRADE FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE
Balor entered as The Demon with others dressed up as miniature demons on stage. Andrade, obviously, was not accompanied by Zelina Vega.
Balor sent Andrade to the floor and connected with a tope con giro. In the ring, he hit the reverse 1916/Blood Sunday and Andrade and kicked out. The audience was not responding to much in the match.
Andrade hit the spinning elbow and a cartwheel into an overhead kick. The double moonsault failed for Andrade landing on his feet and then the knees of Balor. Balor blocked a sunset bomb to the floor and hit a double foot stomp onto the back.
Andrade hit the hammerlock DDT, which Balor kicked out from and barely elicited a reaction. Moments later, a brief chant of ‘this is awesome’ began but quickly ended.
They fought on the top, Balor hit a top rope DDT and coup de grace to win.
WINNER: Finn Balor at 11:25 to retain the Intercontinental title
They worked a good match but was hurt throughout by the lack of reaction. I’ve seen these two have better matches overall, although several spots were above your typical television match presentation.
The Miz and Jinder Mahal cut promos for the 50-man battle royal. Mahal said he would win the 24/7 title back after losing it on the flight to Saudi Arabia.
ROMAN REIGNS VS SHANE McMAHON
McMahon had a big entrance with fake bills flying into the audience with his face on them. Drew McIntyre received his own entrance. Reigns had an enormous firework display when he entered.
McIntyre distracted Reigns allowing McMahon to jump when the bell rung. Reigns’ shoulder was sent into the post in the corner. Reigns fought back and dropped McMahon with a running boot. McMahon blocked the Superman punch and clipped Reigns’ knee and went for the inverted triangle. Reigns lifted McMahon and slammed out of it.
McIntyre attacked Reigns on the floor, he fought off McIntyre and McMahon kicked the middle rope as Reigns entered. McMahon hit a spear and Reigns kicked out. McMahon climbed to the top, was hit with a Superman punch and McMahon kicked out. The audience lightly chanted ‘CM Punk’.
Reigns called for the spear, was kicked in the face, Reigns struck Shane in response and he took down the referee. McIntyre ran in and hit the Claymore and McMahon jumped on top to pin Reigns.
WINNER: Shane McMahon at 9:14
The finish was designed to credit McInytre for costing Reigns the match and builds to their match at Stomping Grounds. This was an average match, which is below the usual level Reigns has and built it around several near falls and the McIntyre involvement. It should ultimately end with a big stipulation match involving Reigns defeating McMahon.
Saxton interviewed Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, they discussed Kingston’s trip to Ghana and is fighting with a purpose. He fights for anyone that had a dream and believed in themselves. Dolph Ziggler has obsessed about his career and will give him another moment to obsess over tonight when he beats him.
LARS SULLIVAN VS LUCHA HOUSE PARTY
Sullivan dumped Lince Dorado to the floor and ran through him with a shoulder tackle inside the ring. Sullivan was bleeding from the mouth early on.
Kalisto got in some offense before leaping into an Avalanche. Sullivan was knocked off his feet on the floor. Sullivan regained control, climbed to the top, and knocked down by Gran Metalik and Dorado. They stomped Sullivan and attacked him 3-on-1 as the bell was called.
WINNER: Lars Sullivan by DQ at 5:14
They continued the attack, hit a top rope elbow and left Sullivan selling in the ring. He came back and attacked Lucha House Party on the ramp.
What the hell was this?
RANDY ORTON VS TRIPLE H
Hunter had his WrestleMania style entrance coming out on a gigantic motorbike and received a big reaction. Cole said this is their first match since March 2010.
Hunter attempted the pedigree and Orton the RKO, both were blocked.
Orton was selling his arm and was able to stop Hunter on the floor and slam him onto the desk.
Orton took over in the ring with a long rear chin lock, the audience wasn’t reacting to anything.
Cole asked Graves if this was the type of match he expected, and Graves answered ‘absolutely’ noting it was slow and methodical with both knowing what works and what doesn’t work for them.
Orton dropkicked him on the edge of the apron. Hunter returned and built up to a crotch chop that the audience did react to.
Orton set up for the RKO, Hunter blocked and hit him with a spine buster for a two-count. Hunter applied a crossface and Orton made his way to the rope.
Orton countered the pedigree, hit the RKO and Hunter kicked out and audience awoke. Orton set up for the punt kick, Hunter caught the kick, hit the pedigree and Orton kicked out.
They went to the floor, Hunter slammed Orton onto the announcer’s desk four times. Hunter ran at Orton out of the corner and right into an RKO and Orton pinned him clean.
WINNER: Triple H at 25:38
This was way too long. The audience popped for the two kick outs from the RKO and pedigree and the announcers pushed it as this amazing match, which it wasn’t. It was slow for too long a time and the atmosphere didn’t help it at all.
They recapped R-Truth pinning Jinder Mahal and hiding on the airplane with the 24/7 title.
Baron Corbin complained to Byron Saxton about the referee costing him the biggest match of his career and “heads are going to roll”.
Bobby Lashley vs. Braun Strowman
Lashley was on a posing platform with a large pyro display for his entrance. Strowman tossed the platform away when he came out.
The story was you had the two unstoppable monsters going at it. Strowman gained the advantage with several shoulder tackles and Lashley rolled to the floor where he was hit with two more. Strowman lifted up Lashley for a powerslam and Lashley kicked out, but no one cared.
Lashley tackled Strowman into the barricade and suplexed him onto the ramp. Strowman knocked Lashley off the top turnbuckle and followed with another powerslam to win.
WINNER: Braun Strowman at 8:22
Nothing to this and another bad match. The audience did not care. This show is the comedown effect from a month of great shows.
Ali and Samoa Joe explained why they would win the battle royal.
KOFI KINGSTON VS DOLPH ZIGGLER FOR THE WWE TITLE
Kingston hit the Boom Drop and teased the Trouble in Paradise, which Ziggler avoided and hit a jumping DDT.
Kingston connected with a high cross and each tried to stack the other for a cover.
Kingston landed the S.O.S. for a near fall. Ziggler was sent to the floor and Kingston hit a trust fall off the top as Woods played the trombone. The audience was barely reacting to anything.
Kingston sent Ziggler into the ropes, was hit with an enzuigiri from Woods and turned around into Trouble in Paradise with Kingston pinning him.
WINNER: Kofi Kingston at 10:12 to retain the WWE title
Graves thanked the fans, for being engaged with every pinfall attempt and Renee added that despite the heat the audience still has a lot of energy with tongues planted firmly in cheek.
Ziggler was interviewed backstage, he thought Kingston earned everything and tonight proved he was a coward. He outperformed Kingston and got by because he had a buddy watching his back and he should be WWE champion. He demands another rematch without any friends involved in a steel cage match.
50-MAN BATTLE ROYAL
Participants: Rusev, Mojo Rawley, Jinder Mahal, Cedric Alexander, The Singhs, Buddy Murphy, The AOP, The Miz, The Usos, Humberto Carrillo, Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins, Ali, Shinsuke Nakamura, Matt Hardy, No Way Jose, The Revival, The B Team, Aiden English, Heavy Machinery, Xavier Woods, Viking Raiders, Heath Slater, Rowan, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Eric Young, Tozawa, Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Roode, Mansoor, Chad Gable, Drew Gulak, Brian Kendrick, Sin Cara, Tony Nese, and Apollo Crews.
The Miz, Samoa Joe, Cesaro, Titus O’Neil, and Elias got their own entrances.
This was a mess with people just being tossed out left and right when it began. Nese, the Cruiserweight champion, was just thrown out like nothing.
Viking Raiders eliminated AOP. Titus was hiding under the ring, returned and eliminated the Viking Raiders. Benjamin eliminated Titus with a flying knee strike.
The audience was chanting for Mansoor.
Joe eliminated Ryder and Hawkins.
After ten minutes, Graves asked when the sun comes up in Jeddah and if there would be a winner by then.
Sin Cara eliminated Nakamura with an enzuigiri in the corner.
Elias eliminated The Miz with a flying knee.
It is down to Ricochet, Ali, Joe, Mansoor, Cesaro, and Elias.
Ali and Ricochet double-teamed Joe and suplexed him to the floor for a pop. Cesaro knocked both off the apron, followed by Mansoor eliminating Cesaro.
Mansoor was left with Elias as the final two. Mansoor landed a superkick, Mansoor hung onto the rope when Elias tossed him and then back body dropped Elias to the floor.
WINNER: Mansoor at 17:52
Mansoor got a massive reaction for the victory and probably the biggest of the show.
The match was terrible, even by battle royal standards with too many people but they’ll only remember the finish and the pop it received.
Saxton interviewed him in the ring, he was born in Riyadh and said last year at the Greatest Royal Rumble was a prospect with a dream. He wanted to represent his country around the world and led to a chant of ‘you deserve it’. He said he won the most historic battle royal in WWE history and his dream came true.
They confirmed Kingston vs. Ziggler in a steel cage match for Stomping Grounds on June 23rd.
THE UNDERTAKER VS BILL GOLDBERG
Undertaker had an entrance as large as any WrestleMania-level introduction with druids and fire on the stage.
Goldberg hit a spear immediately, set up for a second and hit it but Undertaker kicked out. ‘Taker sat up, ducked a clothesline and tried for a chokeslam, which Goldberg stopped and swept him into a kneebar.
Goldberg ran into the corner and busted himself open.
‘Taker hit Old School, hit a chokeslam, lifted him for the tombstone and hit it, but Goldberg kicked out. It didn’t get anywhere near the level of reaction you would have expected, and Renee called it ‘eerily quiet’.
‘Taker hit snake eyes and went for a running boot but was stopped by a third spear. He went for the jackhammer but lost ‘Taker mid-move and ‘Taker kicked out.
Goldberg lifted him, ‘Taker went to reverse for a tombstone and Goldberg fell, ‘Taker hit a weak chokeslam and pinned him.
WINNER: The Undertaker at 8:31
