1 week Ago By RobertLeightyJr
-Welcome to episode 9 off LFG and this week it’s all about Tag Teams. Quick plug for my review of the Peacock/WWE documentary looking back at WrestleMania IX. Also a reminder that I will have live Hall of Fame coverage this week, which starts at 1 AM Eastern so, yeah.
Let’s get to it! -Here is a reminder of the teams: -Team Bubba Ray: Zena Sterling, Drake Moreaux, Tatyanna Dumas, Cutler James -Team Mickie James: Chris Island, Troy Yearwood, Dani Sekelsky, Sirena Linton -Team Booker T: Anthony Luke, Penina Tuilaepa, Jasper Troy, Leigh Laurel -Team Undertaker: Tyra Mae Steele, Shiloh Hill, Bayley Humphrey, Elijah Holyfield -Another reminder that Joe Tessitore is our narrator! -Scoreboard: Team Taker: 5, Team Booker 5, Team Mickie 3, Team Bubba 1 -Bubba is outside the PC and is waiting on D-Von as he is here to help the kids with the art of tag team wrestling. Bubba: “Heads up, Booker is here!” D-Von: “Ugh, you couldn’t tell me that on the phone before I got here.” -Show opening! -Shawn Michaels addresses the Future Greats and they note one coach is missing.
Obviously that is Bubba as he gets brought in by Shawn with D-Von. We get a quick video package on The Dudley Boys. -Bubba introduces D-Von and notes they are 24 time tag team Champions and D-Von says greatest of all time, which gets a reaction from Booker.
Weird, we never got a Harlem Heat vs. Dudley Boyz match somewhere. Booker says he gives the the Dudley boys their props, but says the ECW Tag Titles were regional and not World Titles.
Shots Fired! -Bubba says they didn’t have the muscles of the Road Warriors, looks of The Rock N Roll Express, and couldn’t work like Arn and Tully, but they had chemistry and had the one thing that set them apart from every other team: Their Finish! -Shawn announces our matches: Penina and Leigh (Team Booker) vs. Dani and Siren (Team Mickie); Zena and Tatyanna (Team Bubba) vs. Tasha and Bayley (Team Taker); Drake and Cutler (Team Bubba) vs Troy and Chris (Team Mickie); Shiloh and Elijah (Team Taker) vs.
Troy and Luke (Team Booker). Cool! D-Von gets to give 1 point to best male and lady tag team. Shawn tells D-Von he has to call it down the middle and Booker seems pissed.
-Bubba is working with Cutler and Drake on their tag team finish. As they are talking, BJ walks in with papers saying he is cleared. He wants to get points for the teams, but Cutler yells for him to hit the door as he is done.
Bubba asks Cutler what he would do if he had to team with BJ. “I guess I would do it.” Bubba: “There is no guess.
You would do it.” Bubba mentions he has been in the ring with countless people he never wants to see again and that’s called doing business. Bubba then tells Drake he is not in the match and will make it up to him.
He says it will be BJ teaming with Cutler and then yells at BJ to wipe the smile off his face. Bubba makes them shakes hands as we hear Cutler call Bubba an asshole on confessional. -Commercials! -Back to the drama between BJ and Cutler.
They are working on the match with Troy and Chris. Bubba wants to see a double kip up spot from Troy and Chris and they nail it and then hit a double team elbow drop with some flare on it. Bubba is impressed! Cutler and BJ seem to be on the same page and Bubba is happy to see it.
Cutler James and BJ Ray (Team Bubba) vs. Chris Island and Troy Yearwood (Team Mickie) -Vic Joseph and Jeremy Borash on commentary and these matches are taking place in Capitol Wrestler Center with a full crowd. The judges are watching at a table on monitors in the back.
Cutler starts with Tory and then BJ quickly tags in behind Cutler’s back. Bubba is confused. I assume they are working Bubba here.
Double suplex from Chris and Troy and they hit the kip up into the double elbow drop. BJ shows off some his amateur background and gets a cover for two as Cutler is begging for a tag. Bulldog by BJ and then he talks trash to Troy.
Cutler in and he decks BJ from behind and walks out on the match. He is SHOOTING! BJ gets a roll-up out of nowhere for the pin at 2:53. Winners: Cutler James and BJ Ray via pin at 2:53 -Um, what was this? DUD -This was dumb as they are working some angle on a show that’s supposed to be legit in showing how a worked sport operates.
It’s making my head hurt. Also, why would Chris and Troy work them to have a dumb match like this unless it was part of the show. Then again, this is WWE and everything we see is what they want us to see, 99.
9% of the time. -Bubba meets BJ backstage and tells him to take a walk outside. -Commercials! -Chris says he is speechless and Troy is yelling at him.
Mickie thinks that was the finish. What is this? Backstage Mickie asks if they are okay, and they say they don’t know. Chris wants to know why “they are playing around with his career like this?” -Bubba, Mickie, and D-Von go outside to meet BJ.
Mickie yells at him and BJ says the crowd was chanting his name, so he mixed things up a bit. He went into business for himself and Bubba goes over everything that happened. Bubba asks why he did what he did as he put every person in the ring in jeopardy.
BJ says he was entertaining the fans. If this was real, I assume Bubba would have decked him by now. Mickie drops an F bomb and Bubba continues to rant as he says this was the most unprofessional thing he has seen in his life.
Bubba tells BJ he is his own worst enemy and doesn’t accept his apology as he knows he is not sorry. He calls BJ a liar and manipulator. -Bubba says two wrongs don’t make a right and he goes to talk to Chris and Troy.
He apologizes to both of them as he says he is the one that let BJ back into the ring. BJ says he has nothing against Troy and Chris, but he wanted to show everyone how weak Cutler is. “Got you Cutler.
” Cutler says he is not proud of what he did, but BJ had it coming. This is just weird and not what I was really wanting from this show. -Commercials! -Dani talks about her hip injury that has kept her out of the ring, but she has been cleared.
Sirena says she stands out without really trying and doesn’t feel any pressure. They work on their match with P-Nasty and Leigh. P-Nasty is sporting an nWo shirt and they tell Booker they have something special planned.
Leigh Laurel and Penina Tuilaepa (Team Booker) vs. Dani Sekelsky and Sirena Linton (Team Mickie) -Leigh starts with Dani and they work a wristlock and Dani shows off her gymnastics background. Tag to Sirena who takes a side headlock to the mat as Booker wants them to slow things down.
Bronco Buster from Sirena in the corner as her ass is hanging out and I am waiting for Mickie to yell at her for that. Double team offense from Team Mickie and Dani follows with a flip into a splash for two. P-Nasty in the ring to turn the tide.
Leigh gets a slam followed by a nice backbreaker. She throws shoulders in the corner and makes the tag to P-Nasty! She comes off the middle ropes with a forearm to the back. Linton saves her partner from taking a splash in the corner.
Double elbow drop that pretty much misses and Booker isn’t thrilled. He told them before the match to make sure they lay things in. Weak kicks from P-Nasty.
Dani makes the tag and Linton gets a cross-body from the top. Shoulder block from Linton. This is all so rough and I mean that even more that what you would expect from this show.
D-Von: “They are falling apart.” Leigh ends up in the ring and hits a slam for the pin to end this at 5:30. Winners: Leig Laurel and Penina Tuilaepa via pin at 5:30 -I’ll use Mickie’s words after the match: “Way too much in there.
Too much and too green.” This was really bad. DUD -The girls come backstage and Mickie tells confessional she doesn’t think it was on her girls.
Booker tells his team team he didn’t want to see any air or space. We see the missed elbow again. He tells them have a lot of work to do and they were thinking too much out there.
Leigh says the match was over complicated and she feels she needs to apologize. -Commercials! -Undertaker is working with the four guys in the next match. We get a heated moment between Elijah and Jasper for some reason.
Taker separates them and tells them the moves don’t matter and it’s more about the art. -D-Von is here to talk hot tag and we get an explanation of the hot tag. So watch any Rock N Roll Express Match and you’ll understand.
Jasper says the story of their match is to build to the hot tag. Taker is excited to see this as he thinks they can deliver. Anthony says he will carry the team on his back if he has to.
Elijah Holyfield and Shiloh Hill (Team Taker) vs. Anthony Luke and Jasper Troy (Team Booker) -Of the four matches I had the most hope for this one. Booker is trying to butter up D-Von in the back which makes sense for Booker.
The man wants to win! Jasper starts with Elijah and chokes him in the corner. Luke in and hits a shoulder tackle. Elijah with one of his own for two.
Tag to Shiloh and we get a double shoulder. DDT gets two for Shiloh! Jasper back in and Shiloh goes to the back. He tries a German, but Try elbows out and we get a sweet double team move with a dropkick into a powerslam.
This is already a thousand times better than the previous two matches. Head-butt from Troy as Shiloh is selling like a champ, which Taker notes. Luke cheats behind the ref’s back which is nice to see.
Luke back in and gets an elbow for a two count. He knocks Holyfield off the apron and then gets another two count on Hill. He hooks an armbar, but Hill breaks, but nobody is there to tag.
Troy in and gets a Boss Man Slam for two. Troy misses a Vader Bomb and the hot tag is made to Elijah. Flying shoulder to Luke followed by a shoulder in the corner.
Bulldog gets two as he lets off the cover and Troy splashes his own partner. Double clothesline sends Troy to the floor and Luke is toast as they hit their finish: Hill off the top with a clothesline as Shiloh has him up for a spinebuster. Cool! That gets the pin at 5:03.
Winners: Elijah Holyfield and Shiloh Hill via pin at 5:03 -This was an actual good match that would worked on Level Up or even Main Event with some of the stuff I have seen on there over the years. For their experience and time they were given that is probably the best they could have done. Props to all four of them.
**3/4 -Booker and Taker are pleased and give credit to all four men. They meet up with the kids and congratulate all of them. Cool moment! -Taker says you get invested in the kids and it was the first time he saw a match where everyone excelled.
He calls it the best match of the season and I totally agree! -Commercials! -Bayley wants to break out a new finish and says she just learned it a few days prior. -Tatyanna says putting the match together was horrible and seems to be having issues with Tyra. Over to Tyra who doesn’t want to do the double team move they have planned as it involves dancing.
Fit Finlay comes over and says that is the wrong place and wrong person to do that move. Tatyanna calls Tyra unbearable and all she has to show for it is the Olympic Gold Medal. Tyra is pissed and says she is coming for Tatyanna.
Zena seems to be on the side of Tyra here as she notes Tyra has more experience and is just trying to help. Bayley Humphrey and Tyra Mae Steele (Team Taker) vs. Zena Sterling and Tatyanna Dumas -Taker tells D-Von that Zena has grown more than anyone on the women’s side and notes she is different.
Oh wait, commercials first! -Commercials! -Now we get an opening bell and Tyra starts with Tatyanna. Dumas gets a slam that looked a little weird at first. She goes aftter the arm and makes the tag to Zena.
Double arm wringer and Zena gets a roll into a pin for two that Bubba and Taker both note looked awesome. Dumas back in as she comes off the top with a shot to the arm. Tyra dumps Dumas on the top rope and lays in the boots.
She goes to the ground and starts stretching Dumas. She transitions to a headlock as Bubba is pumped at Zena stomping on the steps to get the crowd into the match. She does seem to get some of the smaller things that a lot on this show don’t.
Bayley in and she hits a World’s Strongest Slam! She hits shoulders in the corner and tag made to Tyra. She lays in some heavy forearms as Zena is back to getting the crowd behind her partner. Tyra misses a charge in the corner and nearly tripped on Dumas.
We get a hot tag to Zena and she runs wild with clothesline and then hits Bayley on the apron. Suplex gets two as Bayley breaks it up and everyone is in the ring. Dumas gets run over on the floor by Bayley.
Tyra clips the knee of Zena and makes the tag to Bayley. She breaks out the new finisher and it’s rather impressive as it’s a powerbomb, but she continues with it and turns it into a powerslam for the pin at 5:38. They hit that clean! Bubba and Taker are impressed! That was pretty sweet.
The crowd reactions were great too as some people came out of their seat and had their jaws drop. Winners: Bayley Humphrey and Tyra Mae Steele via pin at 5:38 -This was solid and that finish was great. ** -Tatyanna is not happy and yells that Tyra missed her spots and it caused her to get injured.
She calls Tyra unsafe and unprofessional. Tyra: “you’re one to talk.” Tyra notes she could have made Tatyanna look like an idiot out there if she wanted.
-Commercials! -Shawn notes there was a lot of ugly out there in the tag matches and the crap he saw lost the crowd. Tatyanna says it was a team effort, but says there was a weak link out there. Sirena notes everyone has gotten comfortable and Shawn says that does need to change.
-D-Von tells them if they don’t feel the urge to do this 24/7 they don’t need to be here. He gives Team Bubba the point for the women and Tatyanna says it is worth everything she went through. D-Von says they were a cohesive unit and showed was tag wrestling is all about.
-D-Von gives a point to Team Taker for the men and Team Taker shakes hands with Team Booker in a nice moment as they all killed it. Anthony Luke says his team deserved that point and he will do whatever he can to lead his team to victory. -Tyra says she moves past things as God has her and she can handle anything that comes her way.
-Scoreboard: Team Taker: 6, Team Booker 5, Team Mickie 3, Team Bubba 2 -Booker is not pleased as he feels Luke and Jasper deserved the point. Taker goes back to when GUNTHER gave Shiloh a point Taker didn’t think he deserved, but this one he did. He thinks it will help Shiloh’s confidence.
-Next time it’s BJ vs. Cutler and one stays and one goes. Yep! -Obviously the BJ/Cutler thing is a work which is weird as I wasn’t expecting something like that on a show that is pulling back the curtain.
As we know though even when the curtain is pulled back they are still showing us what they want us to see. For the matches we had two awful matches for different reasons and then the LFG Match of the Year and a solid tag match with an awesome finish. Definitely a mixed bag, and the show recovered after that first half train wreck.
Thanks for reading!.
