The SmarK Rant for WWE Network Hidden Gems–08.16.18

The SmarK Rant for WWE Network Hidden Gems – 08.16.18

This week’s theme is “Summerslam 2018 main eventers”, so we get unseen matches from Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe! Pitter patter, let’s get at ‘er.

Dream Killer (04.25.01)

UPW title: Samoa Joe v. Tommy Dreamer

This would be shortly before Tommy showed up as a part of the Invasion angle. Joe hits him with shoulderblocks in the corner, but Tommy gets a neckbreaker and takes him down with a crossface. Dreamer takes him to the floor with a Cactus clothesline as the announcers are what I’d call “distractingly terrible at their job.” Maybe it was like developmental announcing too? Tommy slingshots back into the ring with a splash, but brings in a chair and accidentally drops an elbow onto it. Joe runs him into the post and goes to work on the arm. Just to further my complaints about the announcing, the heel one in particular sounds like a college student doing a Jesse Ventura impression. Dreamer comes back with a Russian legsweep, but Joe gets a spinebuster for two. Tommy with a sunset flip for two, but Joe gets an enzuigiri for two. Drop toehold into the chair gets two, but Tommy uses the chair to fight back, so Joe slams him onto the chair. Senton misses and hits the chair. This chair is carrying the match. Tommy hangs him in the Tree of Woe and dropkicks the chair on his face, and grabs a table now. They trade suplex attempts and Joe puts him through the table with an exploder for two. Dreamer with a DDT for two, but Joe finishes with the Emerald Frosion at 8:44 to retain. They worked reasonably hard, but Joe was super-green and it just turned into the guys doing a bunch of moves with no real transitions. Still, good enough for a point. 1 for 1.

Before Reigning on RAW (11.20.11)

Corey Graves v. Leakee

From FCW in 2011, and Graves is looking SHREDDED here. He dropped a bunch of muscle mass once it changed to NXT. Say what you will, but “Roman Reigns” is a billion times better as a wrestling name than “Leakee”. Leakee takes Graves down and chases him out of the ring, but Corey rakes the eyes on the way back into the ring while his manager takes the ref. Leakee fights back, but Graves gets a clothesline for two. One thing I haven’t mentioned about FCW: I really like having the banners showing the former champions up in the arena. Really gives everything a sense of history and importance. Graves takes him down for two while Dusty goes on an epic Dusty Rant about nothing, and Graves with the abdominal stretch. Leakee fights out and hits the tornado bulldog for two, and that’s a move he should bring back. According to the WWE Champions game, that’s called “Checkmate”, by the way. Superman punch and samoan drop finish at 4:29. #LeakeeWinsLOL 1 for 2.

A Real International Incident (10.09.03)

WWE title: Brock Lesnar v. Undertaker

So this is from a WWE house show in Finland, nearing the end of the American Badass / Big Evil / Booger Red phase of Undertaker’s career. I’m assuming that Brock is the mega-babyface here given his resemblance to Tony Halme and general Scandinavian heritage, but the fans are on his case about tapping out to Angle, so who knows. Brock runs away to start and stalls for a bit, and finally heads back in for a headlock before Taker chases him out of the ring again. So we get more stalling as Brock yells at fans and tears up signs. Back in, Brock stomps him down in the corner, but misses a charge and Taker gets two. Brock works him over in the corner and they out to the floor again and Brock sends him into the stairs, and back in for two. Brock goes to work on the leg with a lengthy leglock on the mat, despite Undertaker literally having a giant bionic arm brace that would make far more sense to target. Taker fights back as this match plods along, and Brock takes him down with a double leg for two. And back to the leglock on the mat. Taker fights out, but Brock gets the F5 for two. He goes to grab a chair for some reason, but Taker kicks it back in his face and follows with Snake Eyes and the big boot, for two. Brock bails to stall again, and back in the ref is bumped as Taker gets the chokeslam for two. The ref is bumped AGAIN, as Taker gets the Last Ride, but Brock recovers and beats him down with the chair to retain at 14:55. Match was really böring and it needed a better Finnish. 1 for 3.

Unseen Styles (07.09.01)

AJ Styles v. Rick Michaels

This is a dark match debut for AJ before RAW, complete with timecode on the hard camera. Michaels gets a hiptoss off an AJ headlock and follows with a dropkick. AJ comes back with armdrags and his own dropkick for two. AJ rolls him up for two, but Michaels comes back with a backdrop suplex and goes up, but lands on AJ’s foot. Styles Clash and shooting star press finish at 4:27. Man, AJ got over big with the finish. Not much to the match, but it was OK. 2 for 4.

Hit or miss crop this week, as usual.