WWE Live from Madison Square Garden (October 2015)

Original Airdate: October 3, 2015

From New York, New York; Your Hosts are Rich Brennan, Byron Saxton, and John Bradshaw Layfield

Opening Match: Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler v Sheamus and Rusev: I'd half forgotten that weird period where Rusev was managed by Summer Rae. Orton and Sheamus start, and pale chicken unloads, but runs into a clothesline when Randy rebounds out of a cross corner whip. Orton with a ten-punch, so Sheamus tries an inverted atomic drop, but Randy recovers with a dropkick for two. Sheamus passes to Rusev, and he has a little more luck against Randy, so Orton tags Dolph. Ziggler takes Rusev down with a neckbreaker and adds an elbowdrop for two, but the Zig Zag misses, and Dolph takes a swinging scrapbuster for two. That allows Sheamus to tag in for a suplex-slam, and he grounds Ziggler in an inverted headlock. Dolph slugs free and throws a dropkick, but Sheamus dodges, and Rusev tags in to hit a headbutt drop for two. They continue to work Ziggler over, but Dolph is able to reverse bodyslam attempts from both heels, and that's enough for the tag to Randy! Orton comes in hot, and the RKO looks to finish Sheamus, but Rusev attacks. Dolph dispatches him with a superkick, but the distraction allows Sheamus to recover. He goes for the Brogue Kick, but Orton dodges, and Sheamus runs right into a superkick from Ziggler - which knocks him right into an RKO from Orton at 8:40. Nothing memorable, but perfectly acceptable. **

Neville v Stardust: Feeling out process to start, which Stardust gets the better of. He stops to mess with Neville's cape, however, allowing Neville to schoolboy him for two. Stardust scrambles to keep control, and he grounds Neville in a cravat, but Neville slugs free, so Stardust puts the boots to him. He grounds Neville again, this time with a crossface, but Neville again fights free, and this time strikes back with a chincrusher. Stardust bails to the outside and sweeps Neville to try ramming his crotch into the post, but Neville rears back, and Stardust eats the steel instead. That leaves him loopy, and Neville is able to dodge a springboard, and send Stardust back to the outside with a dropkick. Neville dives after him with a springboard moonsault press out there, but Stardust recovers as they head back in, causing Neville to abandon the Red Arrow. Stardust hits him with a sitout uranage for two, but he wastes time playing around with Neville's cape again, and misses a dive off the top. That allows Neville to superkick him, and the Red Arrow finishes at 7:27. Pretty lame overall, but watchable. *

Six-Woman Tag Team Match: Charlotte, Paige, and Becky Lynch v Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, and Alicia Fox: It's honestly hard to believe this took place less than three years ago. I mean, Paige looks so much younger and healthier here, it's almost unnerving. She looks like she's aged ten years over the last three. Charlotte also looks positively fresh-faced at this point. It's not the years, but the mileage, I guess. Becky and Alicia start, and Lynch dominates her. Bodyslam sets up a series of three legdrops, and Paige tags in to abuse Fox in the corner. Kick to the head gets her two, but Fox swipes at her, so Paige passes back to Becky. Alicia manages to force Becky into the heel corner for some abuse, and Brie tags in for a kick, but Becky catches the leg, and suplexes her. Brie suckers her into a chase that allows Nikki to clobber her, and the heels cut the ring in half on Lynch. Becky manages to fight off a showboating Nikki for the tag to Charlotte, and the Diva's Champion comes in hot. Figure Four looks to finish Nikki, but Paige comes in to object, and ends up getting clobbered by Bella. The heels capitalize by cutting the ring in half on Paige, as this match continues to drag on well past its expiration date. Paige fights Nikki off and goes for the tag, but her partners refuse to tag in as punishment for her earlier behavior, and Nikki sneaks up with the Rack Attack at 8:25. This sucked. DUD

WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Kevin Owens v Chris Jericho: Jericho is celebrating the 25^th anniversary of his career here, and he's got Lance Storm and Don Callis in the front row, name checking them both out as he gives a nice speech to mark the occasion. Owens pounds him in the corner right away, but runs into a dropkick, and a springboard dropkick sends Owens to the outside. Chris forces him back in, but gets nailed on the way, and Owens hits a kneesmash for two. Chris tries fighting back with another dropkick, but Owens dodges it this time, and squashes him with a senton splash for two. Chinlock, but Jericho fights free, and starts cracking Kevin with chops. Owens tries tossing him over the top, but Jericho lands on the apron, and runs to the top for a flying axehandle. Walls of Jericho, but Owens blocks, so Chris throws an enzuigiri instead, for two. Owens fires back with a clothesline for two, but Jericho blocks the Pop-Up Powerbomb. He tries for the Codebreaker, but Owens blocks that, and drops him with a package powerbomb for two.  Owens tries a charge, but hits elbow, allowing Jericho to bulldog him. He goes for the Lionsault, but Owens lifts his knees to block, and hits the Cannonball in the corner. That sets up a flying somersault senton splash, but Jericho now lifts HIS knees to block, and the Walls look to finish, but Owens makes the ropes. Frustrated, Chris charges, but Owens sidesteps, and schoolboys his challenger for two. Chris manages to pop off the Codebreaker for a dramatic two, but gets frustrated again, and dropped with a superkick. Pop-Up Powerbomb, but Jericho counters with a rana into the Walls - only to have Owens counter back with a small package to retain at 8:09. Didn't really get to that next level, but solid action here. ** ½

WWE Tag Team Title Match: The New Day v The Dudley Boyz: Kofi Kingston and D-Von Dudley start, feeling each other out. D-Von dominates, so Kofi passes to Big E, and D-Von takes him down with a jumping shoulderblock. Over to Bubba Ray Dudley for a little double teaming, and Bubba side suplexes Big E. Back to Kofi, but he runs into a hiptoss as he charges, and Bubba big boots him for D-Von to hit with a headbutt drop for two. They try cutting the ring in half, but Kofi gets away from Bubba long enough to tag, and Big E bodyslams him to set up a splash, but takes too long setting it up, and nearly runs into the Wassup Drop before Xavier Woods shoves D-Von off the top rope to save. That allows the champs to go to work on Bubba, which feels dangerously close to a hate crime given the racial makeup of this match. Big E misses the splash again to allow the hot tag to D-Von, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! 3D nearly crowns new champions, but Woods runs in to break the count, and intentionally cause a DQ at 6:34. Pretty boring for the most part, but not entirely terrible. This was all supposed to lead to the Dudley's getting the belts at Hell in a Cell a couple of weeks later, before the finish was changed at the last minute. ¾*

Brock Lesnar v Big Show: Brock goes right at him at the bell, but fails to take Show down, and ends up getting dumped over the top like garbage. Lesnar shrugs it off and heads back in, where Show wants to trade fists, but Brock decides to try and shoot for the legs instead. Show is able to fight him off, and he unloads on Lesnar in the corner, but Brock is able to turn the tables. He tries for the German suplex, but Show fights him off, and hits a Chokeslam. Brock staggers right up, so Show gives him a second one, but Brock gets up again, so Show plants him with a third, for two. He goes for a big knockout punch, but Lesnar counters with a German suplex. And then two more, since that's what Brock does. F5, but he seems to have trouble executing it, and ends up dropping Show in a fireman's carry slam instead. He goes back to the German suplex again, and manages the F5 at 4:08. Well, they're not paying him by the hour. *

Main Event: WWE United States Title Cage Match: John Cena v Seth Rollins: Seth's WWE World Heavyweight Title is not on the line here, which is one of the few times I can recall where only the lower ranked belt is on the line in a champion versus champion match. That should give you a pretty clear idea of where this one is going. Feeling out process to start, until Seth tosses him into the cage, and starts going to work. Rollins goes for the door, but Cena pulls him back, so Seth kicks him in the brain and starts climbing, but John follows, and brings Rollins off the top rope with a one-handed bulldog for two. That allows Cena to climb, but Rollins knocks him off, and dives off the top rope with a flying high knee for two. Seth climbs, but he spots Cena going for the door, and has to abandon his attempt to pull the champion back. John fights back with a standing dropkick, but Seth pulls him off the ropes as he starts to climb, and puts Cena down with a sling blade for two. He grates John's face into the mesh before climbing, but Cena brings him down with an electric facebuster for two. I have no issues with pinfall rules, and I don't dislike escape rules, but I detest cage matches that can't pick a side. John dives off the top rope with a flying rocker dropper, but Seth catches him in a sitout powerbomb for two, then tosses him into the side of the cage. Again, but Cena manages to reverse, and he starts mounting a comeback, but Seth blocks the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He goes for the door, but Cena pulls him back, so Seth throws an enzuigiri at him for two. He goes in for the kill, but Cena counters with the Shuffle. FU, but Seth grabs the cage and starts climbing to avoid the move, then dives with another flying high knee, but Cena catches him in the STF! Great sequence there! Seth decides to pull himself towards the door while in the hold, which forces Cena to let off, and they fight for the escape - ending in Rollins slamming the door back into Cena's head for two. Pedigree, but Cena counters with a catapult into the corner - only for Rollins to land on the middle rope, and immediately start climbing! Cena races after him to make the save, and John pulls himself over the top of the cage, but Rollins drags him back for a vertical superplex into a falcon arrow for two! If he'd managed to do that off the top of the cage, it would have been an all timer. Seth climbs, and makes it over the top this time, before Cena races after him to pull the challenger back by his hair. That leaves them both seated at the top of the cage for a slugfest, and Cena manages to knock him down, then dive off the top rope with a flying tornado DDT! These guys are bringing it! John goes for the door, so Seth springboards off of him to get over the top of the cage, and uses his dangling leg to bash the door into Cena's face! Rollins starts climbing down the outside, but Cena pulls him in from the door for the AA, but Seth counters with a sidekick and a superkick for two! Another great sequence there! Pedigree, but Cena counters to the STF - only to have Rollins counter to a crippler crossface! Cena powers to a vertical base for the AA, but Seth drills him in the balls to block that, as the arena lighting keeps half dying and coming back. Rollins stays focused and gets to the top of the cage, when suddenly Kane comes out (with full music and video), and stands at the bottom of the cage to keep Seth from climbing out. Trapped, Rollins decides to dive back in with a flying frogsplash from the top of the cage, but John moves, and the AA retains at 22:44. Awesome match, marred only by a terrible finish. *** ¾

BUExperience: The main event is pretty great, but there’s nothing else here really worth going out of your way to see. It’s not terrible, though.

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