WWE Super ShowDown (June 2019)

 

Original Airdate: June 7, 2019

From Jeddah, Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Your Hosts are Michael Cole, Renee Young, and Corey Graves

Opening WWE Universal Title Match: Seth Rollins v Baron Corbin: Seth is sporting taped up ribs here, so Corbin makes a lame attempt to go after them in the corner, but promptly gets destroyed. Rollins puts him down with a dropkick, but an attempt to springboard ends badly, and Corbin drops him front-first across the top rope to target the ribs. Corbin works the part until Seth throws an enzuigiri to buy himself time, and manages to dodge a charge to give himself room for a sling blade. Corbin bails, so Seth dives after him with a tope, but Baron refuses to go back in. Seth responds with a second tope, and a sunset flip gets two on the way back in. Superkick is worth two, so Corbin bails again, and manages to block the tope this time. He slams Seth on his ribs for two, and the Deep Six gets two. End of Days, but Seth blocks, and knocks Corbin to the outside to buy time. It backfires when Baron returns with a chair, but the referee is able to step in, and Seth schoolboys the distracted challenger at 11:13. Solid psychology, but pretty paint-by-numbers stuff, and the finish sucked. Not to mention Seth's spotty selling of the ribs. Afterwards, Brock Lesnar shows up to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase, but Paul Heyman drops it before he can officially do so, and Rollins beats on Lesnar with a chair until he doesn't want to anymore. *

WWE Intercontinental Title Match: Finn Balor v Andrade: I really wish he kept the last name, because typing 'Almas' multiple times per match is so much easier than 'Andrade.' Andrade tries to grab a hold early, but Finn is too slippery (probably all that paint), and gets his challenger in a front-facelock. Andrade escapes, leading to a reversal sequence that ends in Balor hitting a seated dropkick, and he adds a double stomp. Andrade tries a charge, but ends up taking a spill to the outside when he misses, and Finn baseball slides into him. He tries a dive off of the apron, but Andrade sweeps the leg to block, and hits a springboard flying dropkick for two on the way back inside. Three-alarm rolling vertical suplex gets two (with Finn unsuccessfully trying to counter the third alarm into the 1916), and Andrade works a bow-and-arrow. Finn fights free, so Andrade plants him with a tornado inverted DDT for two. Chinlock, but Balor shakes him off, and throws a dropkick to buy time. Clothesline sends Andrade over the top, and Finn dives with a somersault suicida out there. Funny bit, as they try to show a replay of the dive, but end up with a still image of Balor sitting on Andrade's face instead. Maybe it's social commentary? Inside, Balor goes for the kill with the 1916, but it only gets two. Balor with a sling blade to set up the running dropkick, but Andrade blocks with a big boot. Balor no-sells, so Andrade tries a gymnastics pele kick to set up a running kneesmash in the corner, but it only gets two. Flying moonsault, but Balor dodges, so Andrade tries a sunset bomb to the outside, but Balor counters with a double stomp on the apron. Flying version gets two on the way back in, but Andrade fights off the follow-up, and hits the hammerlock-DDT for two. Powerbomb, but Balor reverses, and that's enough to allow him to land the running dropkick. Flying double stomp, but Andrade meets him at the top before he can dive - only to have his superplex countered with a gourdbuster off the top! That should really be it, but instead it just sets up the flying double stomp at 11:24. Solid action here, though it dragged a bit at points. ** ½

Roman Reigns v Shane McMahon: Shane uses a distraction from Drew McIntyre to blitz Reigns at the bell, and he unloads on him in the corner. Shane tosses Roman into the post to put Reigns on the outside, where Drew is quick to pop off some abuse on behalf of his boss. Inside, Shane hits a Russian legsweep for two, but makes the mistake of trying to trade fists with the Big Dog, and gets hammered. Shane manages to hit a jumping backelbow for two during a criss cross to settle Reigns down, and he works a chinlock. Reigns fights free and throws a big boot, but Shane clips the knee to block the Superman Punch, and he covers for two. He slaps on a triangle choke from there, but Roman powers to a vertical base, and powerbombs him down for two. Shane bails, allowing Drew to attack when Roman follows to the outside, but Reigns fights off the double team. Shane still manages to spear him for two on the way back in anyway, and it's Coast to Coast time, but Reigns knocks him off the top with a Superman for two. Reigns tries his own spear, but Shane blocks. Reigns tries a punch, but the blow knocks Shane into the referee. That allows Drew to sneak in with the Claymore Kick, and McMahon quickly covers at 9:16. Really tedious, but all four parties had perfect timing for that finish. ½*

Handicap Match: Lars Sullivan v Kalisto, Gran Metalik, and Lince Dorado: Kalisto starts, and gets destroyed in the corner until Lars gets sick of him, and makes him tag Lince. Dorado tries to stick and move, but also gets quickly destroyed - including Sullivan taunting the others by casually beating Dorado up in his own home corner. Metalik comes in to pepper Lars with kicks, setting up a springboard dive from Kalisto, but Lars catches him. So much for that. The Lucha guys finally just abandon all pretense at working a match, and just start blatantly triple teaming Sullivan until the referee calls for the DQ at 5:12. Very mechanical, with a dumb finish. DUD

Randy Orton v Triple H: Oh God, I am not looking forward to this one. Some people pray for wealth. Others pray for world peace. I simply pray that HHH doesn't go over ten. Of all the problems with these overlong PPVs, perhaps the worst is that it affords HHH all the time in the world to try and force 'epics.' Like Rick Harrison's saying that just because something is old doesn't mean it's worth money, just because a match is long doesn't mean it's epic. Feeling out process to start, and both guys try for their finishers during a criss cross, but it goes nowhere. HHH tries working the arm, but Orton goes to the eyes, and stomps on him in the corner. Charge, but HHH sidesteps, and goes back to the arm. To the outside, HHH bashes the arm into the barricade, steps, post, apron, and anything else he can think of. He tries to use the announce table, but Orton slams him onto it to block, and leaves Hunter out there to take the count. He seems to have it won by countout, but then decides to break the count to go drag him inside instead. FUCK YOU, RANDY! Orton puts the boots to him ahead of a kneedrop for two, and it's chinlock time to really kick things into gear. Clothesline gets two, and it's back to the chinlock. The offense here is straight out of 1984. I expect an airplane spin momentarily. And I'm not a high spot focused guy, but it's not like they're telling some great story in there with this basic shit, or something. HHH fights out of the hold and throws a high knee, following by a kneeling facebuster. Hey, at least that moves us into the 90s. Pedigree, but Orton counters with a catapult into the corner - only to have the follow-up blocked with a clothesline for two. Pedigree, but Orton backdrops him onto the apron to block again, and pulls him back for the rope-hung DDT, but HHH blocks. Orton responds with a dropkick that looks like it barely grazed HHH, but luckily the camera cuts away before we can get a good look. Superplex, but HHH blocks, so Orton tries for the RKO, but Hunter blocks that as well. He tries his own charge, but Orton is ready with a powerslam for two, as the announcers try to put this over as some sort of psychological masterpiece that it just isn't. Rope-hung DDT sets up the RKO, and I can't tell if the crowd is genuinely into these guys' taunts, or if they're doing it ironically. Anyway, Randy goes for the move, but HHH counters with a spinebuster for two, and grabs a crippler crossface. Orton makes the ropes, and a reversal sequence ends in him landing the RKO, but it only gets two. Punt, but HHH catches the foot to block, and turns it into a Pedigree for two. Well, you knew neither guys first successful finisher would actually finish. This isn't 1999, we're not surprised anymore. Actually, I'd love to see them flip that cliché on its head, and actually have the first finisher finish again. It would just be so unexpected that it would probably get over pretty huge. Anyway, HHH takes him to the outside and starts slamming him on the announce table a bunch of times, but gets caught in the RKO on the way back in at 25:38. My prayers didn't get answered today, I guess. It's not like it was terrible, but it certainly wasn't anything that needed nearly a full half hour. * ½

Bobby Lashley v Braun Strowman: They announce (via an onscreen graphic) that it feels like 100 degrees inside of the open air stadium right now. I'm assuming they posted this now so HHH can blame his boring match on the heat. They measure each other to start, ending in a nice criss cross with Braun hitting a shoulderblock. He goes to work in the corner, but misses a charge, and Lashley capitalizes with a running powerslam for two. Bobby hammers him for a while ahead of a lengthy chinlock, but Braun powers out, and lands a spinebuster. He starts making a comeback, so Bobby bails to the outside, but Strowman is on him with a running shoulderblock out there. He keeps running around the ring for a second one, and an avalanche on the way back in leads to a front-powerslam for two. Another charge in the corner ends badly when Bobby sidesteps, however, and Braun takes a spill to the outside. Lashley follows with his own running shoulderblock into the barricade, and he decides to give Strowman a suplex on the ramp while out there. Back in, that gets him two, so he tries a dive off the top, but Strowman slams him off. He adds a front-powerslam, then immediately scoops Bobby up for another one, and that's it at 7:59. They weren't being lazy, it just wasn't especially good. ½*

WWE Title Match: Kofi Kingston v Dolph Ziggler: Big criss cross ends on Kofi landing a jumping backelbow, but a stinger splash misses, and Dolph throws a dropkick for one. Ziggler with a neckbreaker for two, and an elbowdrop for one. Man, Kofi ain't givin' him shit here. Dolph grounds the champion in a chinlock/bodyscissors combo, but Kofi powers to a vertical base, so Ziggler matslams him back down. Cradle gets two, so Dolph starts gouging the eyes, and putting the boots to the champion. Snapmare sets up another elbowdrop for two, and Ziggler works a bodyscissors. Corner whip, but Kingston reverses, so Dolph tries the Zig Zag, but Kingston blocks. Kofi starts making a comeback, but Ziggler heads to the apron to dodge Trouble in Paradise, and he drops Kingston with a DDT for two after breaking the momentum. Upstairs for a superplex, but Kingston headbutts him off, and dives with a flying bodypress - rolled through by Ziggler for two. Rocker dropper, but Kofi blocks, triggering a reversal sequence that ends in Kingston delivering the SOS for two. Dolph tries a charge, but ends up taking a spill to the outside, and Kingston dives off the top at him. The move 'hit,' but the landing was so off that it would be much worse for Kofi in kayfabe. Ziggler shoves him into the steps on the way back in, and a rollup gets him two - the kick out knocking Dolph into a cheap shot from Xavier Woods (a receipt from an attack while they were on the outside), and Trouble retains at 10:13. Underwhelming, but not bad. The HHH/Orton match at this length would have been so much better. * ¾

51-Man Battle Royal: Originally advertised as fifty guys. But that isn't big ENOUGH, I guess. We've got: Akam, Akira Tozawa, Ali, Apollo Crews, Bo Dallas, Brian Kendrick, Buddy Murphy, Cedric Alexander, Cesaro, Chad Gable, Curt Hawkins, Curtis Axel, Dash Wilder, Drew Gulak, EC3, Eric Young, Erik, Heath Slater, Humberto Carrillo, Ivar, Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Jinder Mahal, Karl Anderson, Luke Gallows, Mansoor, Matt Hardy, Mike Kanellis, Miz, Mojo Rawley, No Way Jose, Oney Lorcan, Otis, Rezar, Ricochet, Robert Roode, Rowan, Rusev, Samir Singh, Samoa Joe, Scott Dawson, Shelton Benjamin, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sin Cara, Sunil Singh, Titus O'Neil, Tony Nese, Tucker, Xavier Woods, and Zack Ryder. Okay, if you think I'm actually going to bother with play-by-play in a battle royal where the ring is so jam-packed that guys can barely move (and in 100 degree weather, no less), you've got another thing coming. I mean, battle royals are shitty to try and do play-by-play on in the best of circumstances, and I think we can all agree this isn't one of those times. Anyway, Mansoor (a local talent who is signed to WWE as part of NXT) backdrops Elias out for the win at 17:50. Eighteen minutes is a long time for a battle royal in general, but especially at the three hour mark of a show taking place outdoors in 100 degree heat. DUD

Main Event: Goldberg v Undertaker: It's pretty cool seeing a stadium full of people in Saudi Arabia chanting 'Goldberg.' Despite being less than two years apart in age, Undertaker looks like he could be Goldberg's father. Goldberg with the spear right away, and he quickly adds a second one for two. It would have been hilarious if that was actually the finish. Undertaker comes back with a choke, so Goldberg takes him down in a grapevine, but Undertaker has the ropes. Goldberg goes after the leg, but misses another spear attempt, and wipes out in the corner, busting himself open. Looks like that was hardway, like he went through the buckles, and grated his forehead across one of the metal pieces connecting the turnbuckle pad to the post. It's a pretty gnarly cut, too. Undertaker starts pounding him (not on the cut, which is another clue that it's probably hardway), and the ropewalk forearm hits. Chokeslam follows, Tombstone looks to finish, but only gets two. Really poor execution all around there. Goldberg also looks really groggy. And not just 'selling groggy,' he looks legitimately messed up. Criss cross ends in a double knockout spot, resulting in a slugfest as they stagger to their feet, won by Undertaker. He uses a corner whip to set up a corner clothesline, and a snake-eyes looks to set up a running big boot, but Goldberg blocks with a spear. Jackhammer, but he fails to properly execute it, and ends up basically dropping Undertaker on his neck in a kinda brainbuster for two. That could have ended very badly. Goldberg tries his own Tombstone, but can't even muster the necessary strength, and drops 'Taker before he can finish the move. Both guys dust themselves off, and Undertaker hits a weak looking chokeslam for the pin at 8:32. Hey, at least it was quick. This was embarrassingly bad. I mean, these guys have a combined age of over 100, and shouldn't be headlining shows any longer. Especially against each other, as opposed to a younger worker that can do the heavy lifting. And especially especially in extreme weather situations. It's a recipe for disaster, and that's exactly what it was. At least no one got seriously injured here, because there was a couple of spots that could have easily resulted in a major injury when they went sideways. It's also kind of sad watching two guys in the 'play the hits' stage of their careers, when they can't even properly do their spots anymore. At least ten years ago those guys were limited to small indie shows in high school gyms. Putting them out there to headline in a stadium is borderline exploitation. –¼*

BUExperience: I’m pretty forgiving of these shows, but this was easily the worst one yet. No intrigue, no major happenings, and the big comebacks/dream matches all fell completely flat.

DUD