Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of the WWE Clash of Champions card from the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
I’ll have coverage throughout the show and then tune into our Clash of Champions POST Show immediately after the main event. Wai Ting and I will be LIVE for Double Double, Iced Capp, and Espresso members of the POST Wrestling Café.
RESULTS:
*Drew Gulak over Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado in 10:04 to retain the Cruiserweight title
*AJ Styles over Cedric Alexander in 4:55 to retain the United States title
*Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler over Seth Rollins & Braun Strowman in 9:36 to win the Raw tag titles
*Bayley over Charlotte Flair in 3:44 to retain the SmackDown women’s title
*The Revival over Big E. & Xavier Woods in 10:02 to win the SmackDown tag titles
*Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross over Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville in 8:06 o retain the WWE women’s tag titles
*Shinsuke Nakamura over The Miz in 9:33 to retain the Intercontinental title
*Sasha Banks over Becky Lynch by disqualification
*Kofi Kingston over Randy Orton in 20:49 to retain the WWE title
*Erick Rowan over Roman Reigns in 17:24
*Seth Rollins over Braun Strowman in 10:54 to retain the Universal title
The kickoff featured Jonathan Coachman, Charly Caruso, Booker T., and David Otunga on the panel.
The two kickoff matches will be AJ Styles vs. Cedric Alexander for the United States title and Drew Gulak vs. Humberto Carrillo vs. Lince Dorado for the Cruiserweight title.
Kofi Kingston and Big E. were interviewed and revealed that Xavier Woods was here. This was treated as a big surprise despite being advertised all along for tonight’s match with The Revival.
DREW GULAK VS HUMBERTO CARRILLO VS LINCE DORADO FOR THE CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE
Vic Joseph, Aiden English, and Dio Maddin are on commentary for the match. Maddin was added to the team this past week in place of Nigel McGuinness.
Dorado hit a springboard crossbody to the floor and huracanrana off the desk to Carrillo.
Dorado hit a handspring backflip and kicked Gulak. Carrillo hit a rolling standing moonsault and then a rolling armbar to Gulak. It led to a big spot where Dorado was on Gulak’s shoulders on the floor and Carrillo dove over the top and took both down.
Carrillo locked on a leg submission to Gulak while Dorado applied a crucifix armbar to Carrillo and all broke free.
Gulak pressed Dorado in the air, who dropkicked Carrillo on top. Dorado followed with a top rope huracanrana and followed by missing a shooting star press. Carrillo hit an enzuigiri off the rope and Aztec Press but Gulak tossed Carrillo into the post and bridged Dorado to steal the cover.
WINNER: Drew Gulak at 10:04 to retain the Cruiserweight title
It was a good opener and had some energy from the audience this early. The match revolved around Carrillo, who appears to be the main opponent for Gulak coming out of this show with the story he had the match won when Gulak stole it.
AJ STYLES VS CEDRIC ALEXANDER FOR THE UNITED STATES TITLE
Styles sent Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows to the back.
Styles ran into a Michinoku Driver and Alexander got a near fall. He hit a tope con giro and handspring enzuigiri for another two-count. Alexander was stopped after being knocked off balance going for a springboard and being dropped on the edge of the apron.
Styles hit the Styles Clash on the floor. He lifted Alexander on the cover and hit an Ushigoroshi. Styles kicked at the legs after a rope break stopped the calf crusher.
Styles hit the Phenomenal Forearm and Styles Clash to win the match.
WINNER: AJ Styles at 4:55 to retain the United States title
This was closer to a match you would see on Raw, although a high-level one despite the brief time they had. Both were great with the time given but I was disappointed this wasn’t given a bigger platform given it was one of the matches that looked excellent on paper. It brought Alexander back down to Earth after the pin on Styles this past week.
After the match, the OC stomped down Alexander to put the exclamation point on the loss.
The main show began with the Raw tag title match.
SETH ROLLINS & BRAUN STROWMAN VS DOLPH ZIGGLER & ROBERT ROODE FOR THE RAW TAG TITLES
Rollins and Strowman worked together against Ziggler and had the audience behind them. Ziggler hit Rollins with a jumping DDT on the floor to take over.
Ziggler hit the famouser and Rollins kicked out. Rollins knocked Ziggler off the apron and hit Roode with a blockbuster. Ziggler prevented a tag by applying a sleeper. He hit a Falcon Arrow and tagged Strowman.
Strowman ran into the post with his shoulder but he avoided the Glorious DDT. Rollins was tagged back in, hit Roode with a superkick but the stomp was stopped by Ziggler on the floor. Rollins was caught by a spine buster.
Strowman’s shoulder tackle knocked Roode into Rollins, Strowman took Ziggler to the floor and allowed Roode to capitalize and hit the Glorious DDT and pin Rollins.
WINNERS: Robert Roode & Dolph Ziggler at 9:36 to win the Raw tag titles
The match consisted of Rollins’ selling and building to Strowman’s tag and the key was the finish that Rollins can blame Strowman for.
Rollins gave a look to Strowman with both frustrated.
This was a fine tag match, it never reached a high level but told the story they needed and get the necessary title switch to a team that is staying together.
Strowman was interviewed by Charly and said Rollins lost the titles, is on a losing streak and he will keep it that way tonight.
BAYLEY VS CHARLOTTE FLAIR FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
Flair immediately hit a running boot for a two-count and Bayley retreated to the floor. Saxton mentions Flair’s pay-per-view record.
Flair ran her into the barricade several times and then attacked the left knee. Bayley was selling in the corner and removed the turnbuckle pad, drew in Flair and ran her into the buckle and got the fall out of nowhere.
WINNER: BAYLEY IN 3:44 TO RETAIN THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
This was nothing and highly disappointing. If you’re a wrestler coming up, your best option is to adopt a C-level city as your hometown that they’ll never run a pay-per-view or TV taping in.
BIG E. & XAVIER WOODS VS THE REVIVAL FOR THE SMACKDOWN TAG TITLES
Woods is wearing a brace on the left knee.
The Revival had the advantage on Big E. with double team maneuvers and cutting off the ring. Woods was down on the floor from an attack. Big E. fought to the corner and made the tag.
Woods hit a tornado DDT on Dawson and Wilder kicked his bad knee. The Revival double-teamed Big E. on the floor and hit the Shatter Machine. They returned to the ring and chopped blocked Woods’ knee.
A Shatter Machine was delivered to Woods but instead of covering them, they removed his knee pad and tore his tights. Dawson applied an Indian Deathlock and he had to tap out.
WINNER: The Revival at 10:02 to win the SmackDown tag titles
The match had the story of the injured knee Woods came into the match with. This has been a hell of a night for the babyfaces.
It was technically good, although the audience was overly heated for it.
Dawson cut a promo on the ramp, he said the titles are no longer covered in proverbial pancake batter and the people are “revived”. Wilder said no more trombones or hip swivels and “the old school has quieted the new noise”. Dawson said Randy Orton will win the WWE title tonight from Kofi Kingston.
Charly interviewed Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross and was stopped with a boom microphone landing in the shot. It was held by R-Truth with Carmella and Bliss announces that R-Truth is on the set to alert all the guys to chase after him for the 24/7 title.
ALEXA BLISS & NIKKI CROSS VS MANDY ROSE & SONYA DEVILLE FOR THE WWE WOMEN’S TAG TITLES
Bliss had her Harley Quinn look.
Cross knocked down Rose and did her mannerisms.
Bliss slapped Rose in the corner and then hit her with more.
The 24/7 crew ran down with R-Truth in the ring and Bliss rolled up Truth for a two-count. Truth left through the crowd with Carmella on his back.
They double-teamed Bliss and kept her away from Cross. It just feels like a tired pattern for tag matches with the third version of this match already.
Rose and Bliss each landed right hands and went down simultaneously. Cross was tagged in with Deville and hit her with an awkward back suplex.
Rose and Deville hit their high-low with the flying knee from Rose and leg sweep by Deville on Bliss. Cross returned and sent Deville to the floor and a swinging neck breaker to Rose off the top rope for the win.
WINNERS: Nikki Cross & Alexa Bliss in 8:06 to retain the WWE women’s tag titles
I thought the match was good considering my expectations were low. Nikki Cross received a better reaction than most on the show and got into her comeback spots.
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS THE MIZ FOR THE INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE
Sami Zayn was wearing a neck brace from The Undertaker’s chokeslam and said he was disrespected on Tuesday.
Zayn has a hot microphone as the match began running down The Miz and North Carolina. His microphone was cut after a minute. Miz took the microphone and threw it away.
Through Zayn’s distraction, Miz was knocked down off the apron with a kick and attacked the neck of Miz.
Miz came back and attempted a figure-four that was countered into an armbar. Miz got out and hit a DDT while selling his arm.
Miz started hitting the IT kicks as there was a light chant of “Let’s go, Miz” and it felt like the Twilight Zone if this visual were to enter your orbit in 2014.
Miz avoided the Kinshasa, snapped the leg and applied the figure-four. Nakamura escaped as Zayn distracted Miz and allowed Nakamura to hit a Kinshasa from behind for a two-count. He set up for another Kinshasa but it was countered into the Skull Crushing Finale but Zayn distracted the referee and was heated.
Miz chased after Zayn and ran into a kick from Nakamura that knocked him into the post. In the ring, Nakamura hit the Kinshasa and won the match.
WINNER: Shinsuke Nakamura at 9:33 to retain the Intercontinental title
Sami Zayn became the focus of the match and to their credit, the audience reacted to Miz being screwed and chanted for him. I didn’t think the match was anything special and feels like an undercard feud.
BECKY LYNCH VS SASHA BANKS FOR THE RAW WOMEN’S TITLE
Banks escaped the Disarmer early on. Banks took over and it was the loudest the audience has been all night.
Banks leaped off the turnbuckle and was dropkicked coming down.
Banks caught her with the Bank Statement and Lynch fought it and escaped to hit a Bexploder. Banks was seated on the top and hit Lynch with a Meteora.
Lynch applied the Disarmer and Banks got her foot onto the rope. Banks then hit a backstabber off the turnbuckle, hit another and applied the Bank Statement but Lynch moved to her shoulders for a cover and was broken at the ropes.
Banks grabbed a chair to distract the referee, pulled another from under the ring and hit Lynch with hit and a shining wizard for a big near fall. She got the chair again and the referee took it away.
Lynch grabbed the chair, swung and missed Banks and hit the referee, who went down. Lynch attacked Banks with the chair and chased Banks into the audience. Lynch applied the Disarmer through the railing and Banks tapped. They fought into the concourse and the referee is still down from a chair shot to the shoulder.
They fought back ringside, and the announcers explained that the match has been stopped after Lynch was disqualified for hitting the referee.
Lynch used the chair on Banks and applied the Disarmer through it and Banks tapped. The officials separated them.
WINNER: Sasha Banks by disqualification
This was the best match of the show, so far and got over strong with the crowd. It seems like a clear build for the two to have a Hell in a Cell match given the nature of this finish.
KOFI KINGSTON VS RANDY ORTON FOR THE WWE TITLE
The match is presented by the GEAR 5 video game featuring Dave Bautista, which they ran an ad for.
Orton used an elbow strike to get the advantage early. He snapped Kingston’s neck on the top rope and drove him onto the barricade. Orton hit a vertical suplex on the floor and dropped him onto the announcer’s desk twice.
Kingston got a reprieve with a dropkick to Orton’s shoulder. He sent Kingston shoulder first into the post and into the steps. The audience started to chant for “Kofi” and Orton milked it, so it grew.
Kingston fought back but the Trouble in Paradise was blocked with a backbreaker. Kingston sent him to the floor, and he grabbed his ankle as Orton hit the trust fall.
Orton blocked the S.O.S. and dropkicked Kingston. There was an eye poke from Orton and then Kingston hit the S.O.S. for a two-count but the audience isn’t very hot for it.
Orton with a power slam and draping DDT and set up for the RKO and Kingston rolled up Orton for a two-count. Kingston was staggering and walked into an RKO but got his foot onto the bottom rope.
Orton teased the punt kick and Kingston moved. Kingston ducked and hit the Trouble in Paradise to win.
WINNER: Kofi Kingston at 20:49 to retain the WWE title
The match was almost exclusively Kingston selling and it went too long. The audience was taken out of it for a long portion and didn’t pick up until the RKO kick out and the finish.
It didn’t leave this feud with any appeal for a third match and I just didn’t think this match worked for the position it was in as a major championship match on a big show.
The highlight was Tom Phillips’ call of “who’s stupid now?” after Kingston won.
The Street Profits reacted to the show and amazingly, they have loved this show. They promoted the King of the Ring final on Raw tomorrow. Montez Ford sang the song from “Lion King” and referred to Rafiki as Rikishi and was corrected. King Booker walked in and did his old character. Angelo Dawkins wanted to be knighted to hit on women. Booker did his catchphrase and ended the segment.
ROMAN REIGNS VS ERICK ROWAN IN A NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH
Phillips repeated that Rowan is a “mastermind and a schemer”.
They fought around the ring with Rowan charging into the steps when Reigns moved. Rowan stopped Reigns by driving the steps into him and attacking with a kendo stick. Rowan used a garbage can on Reigns before they returned ringside.
Rowan was in control in the ring and the audience was checked out with Rowan’s offense. Rowan removed the panel over the LED board on the side of the ring to drive Reigns face first on it.
Reigns hit a Samoan drop and used the steps to attack Rowan and hit a Superman Punch for a two-count. Reigns was caught on the floor and put through the announcer’s desk with a powerbomb, he rolled Reigns into the ring he kicked out.
Rowan attacked him with the timekeeper’s bell, they fought into the crowd and Reigns was put through a table with the claw slam. He placed Reigns onto the stage and went to grab the jib camera, but Reigns lifted pipe and nailed Rowan with it and swung the jib camera at him. Reigns leaped and hit a Superman Punch and ran down the ramp for a spear when Luke Harper appeared and dropped Reigns with a boot.
They double-teamed Reigns and Rowan hit the Iron Claw to pin Reigns.
WINNER: Erick Rowan at 17:24
The ending featured a legitimate surprise with Harper’s return, and it played into the match stipulation.
When Rowan was in control the match was slow and it got boring. Reigns would bring fire to his comebacks and got the audience going.
For the length of time, Rowan did enough to justify his place in a high-level program. Rowan does have something, and they can squeeze another match out of this program. Harper and Reigns have the potential to be very good together.
Charly spoke with Seth Rollins, who said both he and Braun Strowman lost the tag titles. He respects Strowman and even considers him a friend.
SETH ROLLINS VS BRAUN STROWMAN FOR THE UNIVERSAL TITLE
It started intensely with Rollins attacking Strowman with kicks and a frog splash but didn’t even get a one count.
Rollins hits a pair of springboard knees, he leaped off the top and got caught and driven to the mat. On the floor, Strowman charged at Rollins, who sends him crashing through the announcer’s desk and Rollins hit two suicide dives.
Strowman was superkicked onto the Spanish desk, Rollins climbed to the top and Strowman stopped him. Rollins was shoved down, Strowman hit a splash off the top and grabbed his left knee after landing and got a two-count.
Rollins got flipped over and hit the stomp, which Strowman kicked out from at one. Rollins hit a second stomp and Strowman kicked out at two. Rollins hit a third stomp and Strowman kicked out again. They pointed out the stomp beat Brock Lesnar but not Strowman.
Strowman caught him for the powerslam but his knee gave out. Rollins hit a pedigree and a fourth stomp to pin Strowman.
WINNER: Seth Rollins at 10:54 to retain the Universal title
This turned into a very good match and they didn’t get ambitious by feeling it necessary to go longer than needed. The ending protected Strowman in a big way with the multiple kick-outs from the stomp and a lasting visual with Strowman’s top rope splash.
I thought the main event worked well and was one of the bright spots on a largely forgettable show.
The signature came up to close the show when the lights went out and The Fiend appeared and hit Sister Abigail on Rollins and applied the mandible claw to end the show.
