WWE
Super Show-Down 2018 Final Results and Grades
Well, aside from having to be up before dawn to watch, Super Show-Down 2018 was a fairly good show. It may have been better than some people originally expected.
(SmackDown Tag Team Championships) The New Day def. The Bar via pinfall to retain
Final Grade: B+
The New Day never seem to have a bad match in 2018. The Bar, as random as their pairing originally seemed, always do well when it comes to teamwork.
Kofi and Xavier are insanely agile. Their skills are put on display throughout this match. Luckily for them, speed and agility managed to outplay The Bar’s strength and toughness. All in all, a very good way to start out Super Show-Down 2018.
(SmackDown Women’s Championship) Charlotte Flair def. Becky Lynch via disqualification. Becky remains champion.
Final Grade: B
Not the duo’s best match with each other. The DQ finish seemed out of character for the new “badass” Becky Lynch. Both women attempted their submissions. They even traded offense from the top rope. But the ending came when Becky attacked Charlotte with the championship.
The match may have gotten a B+, maybe even an A-, if it hadn’t ended in a disqualification.
John Cena & Bobby Lashley def. Kevin Owens & Elias
Final Grade: C+
John Cena has risen to a status in WWE where he doesn’t need to put on a fifteen-minute match and still be entertaining. He performed six moves at the most (including his brand new “6th Move of Doom”) before pinning Elias. The match was pretty one-sided until Cena made the heroic save and beat Elias.
The IIconics def. Asuka & Naomi via pinfall
Final Grade: C+
Billie and Peyton were the hometown girls coming into this match. Asuka best moment came during her entrance when she danced along with Naomi’s music. Aside from that, the match performed a lot better than I was anticipating. Didn’t think the IIconics would win, but they did. Everyone got their licks in, but Billie and Peyton pulled of the victory in the end.
(WWE Championship) No Holds Barred: AJ Styles def. Samoa Joe via submission to retain
Final Grade: A-
I completely forgot this was a No DQ match until Joe went for a chair. That’s how good these two are in the ring. They did as much as they possibly could with their offense without weapons. Then, before the match dragged on longer than it should, they introduced foreign objects. Sickening chair shots and an odd table break kept the crowd engaged.
Styles won via Calf Crusher after working Joe’s knee for most of the match.
Ronda Rousey & The Bella Twins def. The Riott Squad via submission
Final Grade: C+
I’ll give credit where credit’s due: The Bellas did well in this match. A lot better than I thought they would. That may have been because their opponents worked hard to make them seem like viable threats. But it’s a two-person team.
The Riott Squad are the workhorses of the match. They each made the Bellas and Ronda look like monsters. Ronda, of course, is actually a monster in the ring.
A double Armbar applied on Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan sealed the victory.
(WWE Cruiserweight Championship) Buddy Murphy def. Cedric Alexander via pinfall to win the championship
Final Grade: A
Match of the night. There’s no debate. 205 Live doesn’t get the love it deserves for putting on such great matches. Though it’s not the best we’ve seen from either man, it was still outstanding.
Murphy kicked out of the Lumbar Check, which should’ve been the end of the match. The true end came when Murphy’s Law was hit in the middle of the ring. Murphy won his first singles title in front of his home country.
The SHIELD def. Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler via pinfall
Final Grade: C
The final sequence saved this match from a D grade. This just felt like same old Monday Night RAW tag team action. And they teased a Dean Ambrose heel turn AGAIN. The ending was great, but not pay-per-view worthy everywhere else.
WWE Championship Number One Contender’s Match: Daniel Bryan def. The Miz
Final Grade: D
Not much can be said about a match that went shorter than Undertaker’s entrance. Miz hit Bryan’s flying knee. Bryan rolled Miz up after Miz went for the Skull Crushing Finale.
No Holds Barred: Triple H def. The Undertaker
Final Grade: A
Using his power as COO of WWE, Triple H made this match No Holds Barred.
This felt like a strong dose of nostalgia. The Attitude Era seemed to come alive with this. Mike Chioda was the referee. Triple H, during the early moments, acted like a 90’s version of himself; Mocking the Undertaker and not taking the match seriously. Undertaker hit old school. They fought through the crowd. Kane went through a table. Triple H brought out a sledgehammer. In the end, via Sweet Chin Music/Pedigree combo, Triple H picked up the victory.
Overall Super Show-Down 2018 Grade: B
Not too bad for a glorified house show. Some people may disagree with certain outcomes, but the card did not disappoint. With the exception of maybe Miz and Daniel Bryan.
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