Here’s my final thoughts on Raw and SmackDown Live’s WWE Super ShowDown 2019!
The Usos (Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso) vs The Revival (Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder)
Reactions: While not up to par with the first meeting between both teams, this was still a solid contest. You can never truly go wrong with a match between two of the best tag teams in WWE today. The action here was akin to the the type of contest you’d catch at your local WWE house show. It was straight to the point and inoffensive, but was lacking the extra time and crowd popping hot streak a great tag team match is known for. Let’s all hope that the tie breaker between these teams is a massive step up from this one.
Rating: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Baron Corbin (WWE Universal Championship)
Reactions: This went about as well as I expected it to go, which is to say it didn’t go very well at all. You all probably know how this went before even seeing it – Corbin was a complete bore on offense and Rollins was the main one adding some much needed excitement to the whole affair. Factor in the silly ending and this match seems even more worthless in the long run. At least Rollins’ post-match steel chair assault on Lesnar was fun.
Rating: 1 & a Half out of 5 Stars
“The Demon” Finn Bálor (c) vs. Andrade (WWE Intercontinental Championship)
Reactions: Now THIS is the match that should have started the show! This IC Championship contest evoked memories of the workhorse days tied to the title at hand – both men definitely brought their A-game here. Finn’s demonic alter-ego always results in him delivering an even more spirited matchup than usual.
And Andrade’s always a special treat to watch in the ring. This match got the time it needed (and rightfully deserved) to grab everyone’s attention. The crowd even broke out into a “THIS IS AWESOME!” chant the more it went on. The back and forth offense, the slick counters, the climactic near-falls and big finishers combined together to result in a truly exciting matchup.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Roman Reigns vs. Shane McMahon
Reactions: Shane won? Huh? Well, okay. Seems like Shane ‘O Mac is going for an Undertaker-like WrestleMania streak at these Saudi Arabia shows. The dude just might be the “Best in the World.” As for the match itself, it was pretty slow and plodding. There weren’t any truly memorable moments to speak of here – it was the type of match that’d be better served as the main event on an episode of Raw. Drew McIntyre’s outside interference made this a tad bit worthwhile, but it wasn’t enough to breathe some much needed life into the match as a whole. Roman losing here is a definite head-scratcher…
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Lucha House Party (Kalisto, Gran Metalik and Lince Dorado) vs. Lars Sullivan (Handicap Match)
Reactions: This was totally unnecessary. The crowd clearly didn’t care since you could hear a rat pissing on cotton as it wore on. You could even make out a smattering of boring chants, too. This supposed feud-ender would have been far more enjoyable if it was handled within the 50-man battle royal. The post-match beatdown antics by the Lucha House Party and the proceeding beatdown by Lars tried to save this, but their efforts ultimately failed.
Rating: We got a disqualification…
Triple H vs. Randy Orton
Reactions: Orton actually got the W! Color me surprised. I figured HHH’s “I’m going to beat up my Evolution buddies” tour would continue with a win over his former stablemate. But in the end, Orton managed to overcome one of his fiercest rivals. I gotta be honest here, though – this was pretty hard to sit through. Both men stick to a slower, more methodical pace that doesn’t truly mesh well with each other.
The beginning and middle portions of this match moved at a snail’s pace, especially with the implementation of overly long submission holds. Once both men started dishing out their finishers, the match got a little bit more interesting. The long run time was obviously put in place to make this seem more epic than it really was. That approach didn’t really work, in my opinion. At least the closing stretch was halfway decent. Truth be told though, I can live without having to sit through another match between these two.
Rating: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Braun Strowman vs. Bobby Lashley
Reactions: This was better than I originally thought it would be. My expectations were low since I couldn’t see these super heavyweights producing a watchable match. But it ended up being worth the watch. Even though Strowman and Lashley are living behemoths, they happen to be shockingly agile considering their stature. They put their quickness on display throughout this bout, which looked good in addition to all the powerhouse offense both men dished out. Running Powerslam’s were dealt out aplenty, both men turned into battering ram’s outside the ring, and the action never slowed to a sleep inducing crawl. All in all, this was shockingly good.
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler (WWE Championship)
Reactions: As someone who enjoyed the series of matches put on between these two back in 2009 and 2010, I knew this title bout would be a fun watch. Thankfully, I was right. Kingston and Ziggler worked a clean, fast-paced barn burner of a match – they incorporated every move within their arsenal and then some. Ziggler may not be as hot as he used to be, but his in-ring excellence is still second to none. This was what I predicted it to be – an entertaining title matchup that maintained the crowd’s interest due to both men’s agility and daredevil nature. I’m open to seeing the just announced Steel Cage matchup between these two in the near future.
Rating: 3 & a Half out of 5 Stars
50-Man Battle Royal
Reactions: TITUS DIDN’T SLIP! HORAY! I knew they were going to bring up his Greatest Royal Rumble tumble here and I’m glad they did. But let’s get to the main topic at hand here – all the congratulations in the world goes to Mansoor! Nice of WWE to do the unthinkable and actually allow the hometown countryman to win a match for once.
I’m usually not all that enthralled by battle royal’s, but I got a kick out of watching this one unfold. The big hoss tag teams showdown, Ricochet and Ali’s elimination of Samoa Joe, Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura’s interactions with Sin Cara and Mansoor’s shocking victory were definite highlights. This was definitely an easy watch. Mansoor certainly has a bright future ahead of him!
Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
The Undertaker vs. Goldberg
Reactions: Man…this was kinda hard to watch. While this “dream match” got off to a fun start, it gradually slowed to a disappointing crawl. I was scared for both men’s safety at points as it neared its end and I had every reason to be. Goldberg’s blood loss and botched Jackhammer (which was a great Brainbuster, by the way) were both wince inducing. The closing moments were uncomfortable to watch, sadly. This should have followed the 7-minutes or less template established by Goldberg’s previous bouts with Brock Lesnar. The extended time this match got ended up hurting it in the end.
Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars
Match of the Night
“The Demon” Finn Bálor vs. Andrade!
Final Verdict
WWE’s Saudi Arabia events have produced some of the worst shows in recent memory. Super ShowDown 2019 was a sad reminder of just how lackluster these international showcases still are. The super dream match was nothing to write home about and much of the card was filled with average contests.
The only standout matches here featured the usual suspects – Finn Bálor, Andrade, Kofi Kingston and Dolph Ziggler. The Battle Royal was also worth a watch. Plus Braun Strowman and Bobby Lashley surprisingly delivered a good match as well. However, the show as a whole was a huge step down from the previous month’s Money in the Bank. It was the best Saudi Arabia special thus far, but that’s not really saying much.
Final Score: 2 & a Half out of 5 Stars
Click here to see if our Super ShowDown 2019 predictions came true!