By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Clash of Champions
Aired live September 15, 2019 live on WWE Network and pay-per-view
Charlotte, North Carolina at Spectrum Center
Kickoff Show results: Drew Gulak defeated Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, and AJ Styles beat Cedric Alexander to retain the U.S. Championship…
The Clash of Champions main show opened with a video package…
1. Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman vs. Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler for the Raw Tag Titles. The Raw broadcast team of Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Renee Young were on the call. The Spanish and German teams checked in during the heel entrances (Tim Haber and his bowtie haunt my dreams). Mike Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the title match.
Strowman beat up both heels to start (presumably because he hates Ziggler’s entrance music too). Rollins tagged in and he and Strowman worked together. Rollins ended up being isolated by the heels for a stretch. Strowman took a hot tag at 7:00 and plowed over Roode and Ziggler, including hitting each with running shoulder blocks at ringside.
Strowman hoisted up Ziggler for his finisher, but Ziggler raked the eyes. Strowman charged at Ziggler in the corner, but Ziggler moved and Strowman went through the ropes and into the ring post. Strowman tagged in Rollins, who had Roode set up for his finisher when Ziggler grabbed his leg from ringside. Rollins took out Ziggler with a suicide dive.
Roode put Rollins down with a spinebuster and covered him for a two count. Roode set up for his finisher, but Strowman shoulder blocked him and sent him crashing into Rollins. Strowman charged at Ziggler, who ducked and pulled down the top rope, causing Strowman to tumble to ringside. Roode hit the Glorious DDT on Rollins and pinned him…
Robert Roode and Dolph Ziggler defeated Seth Rollins and Braun Strowman in 9:40 to win the Raw Tag Titles.
Powell’s POV: Let the record show that Robert Roode just pinned the WWE Universal Champion. The finish made Strowman look like an oaf more than it left me excited to see him and Rollins meet for the Universal Championship match later tonight.
Backstage, Caruso asked Strowman how he plans to stay focused on winning the Universal Championship when he just lost the Raw Tag Titles. Strowman said Rollins lost the titles, not him. He said Rollins is on a losing streak and he’ll keep it that way later in the night…
An NXT ad aired for Wednesday’s premiere on USA Network (join Join Moore for his NXT live reviews every Wednesday night here at ProWrestling.net)…
Kayla Braxton interviewed Becky Lynch, who said she disagrees with Strowman because she and Rollins will both remain champions at the end of the night. Braxton asked Lynch about facing Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship. Lynch questioned whether Banks has what it takes to be great. Lynch said she’s already answered her critics by having the best 11-month run to date…
The Smackdown broadcast team of Tom Phillips, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton checked in for the first time and set up a video package on the Smackdown Women’s Championship match…
2. Bayley vs. Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women’s Championship. Phillips noted that Flair had a chance to become the first woman in WWE history to win ten championships. Greg Hamilton delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Flair caught Bayley with a big boot when the bell rang and covered her for a quick two count.
Flair was dominant early and went for her finisher, but Bayley countered into a schoolgirl rollup for a two count. Both women got to their feet and Flair blasted Bayley with another big boot. Bayley crawled to the corner. Flair kicked her until the referee pulled her off. Meanwhile, Bayley pulled the bottom turnbuckle pad off. When Flair approached, Bayley pulled her face first into the exposed turnbuckle and scored the pin. Bayley grabbed her belt and ran backstage afterward…
Bayley defeated Charlotte Flair in 3:45 to retain the Smackdown Women’s Championship.
Powell’s POV: It’s not a good night for the hometown heroes with Flair losing this match and Cedric Alexander losing on the Kickoff Show. I guess there’s still The Revival. Anyway, the way Bayley won is sure to set up a rematch, and I got a big kick out of her grabbing the title belt and running backstage after stealing the pin.
3. Big E and Xavier Woods vs. “The Revival” Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder for the Smackdown Tag Titles. The Smackdown broadcast team was on the call. The Revival hit Big E with a Shatter Machine at ringside. The duo targeted the bad knee of Woods and hit him with a late Shatter Machine. Graves scolded them when Dawson tore the tights on the leg of Woods and then put him in a submission hold because they could have had the pin, but Dawson got the submission win instead…
The Revival defeated Big E and Xavier Woods in 10:15 to win the Smackdown Tag Titles.
After the match, The Revival cut a gloating promo about their win on the stage. Dawson also said the fans will see a new WWE Champion later in the night when Randy Orton beats Kofi Kingston…
Powell’s POV: We finally get to find out what happens when a Raw tag team wins the Smackdown Tag Titles! Wait, The Revival are Raw wrestlers, right? I have no idea and it clearly doesn’t matter anymore. It’s nice to see The Revival get a meaningful win.
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross were interviewed by Charly Caruso on the backstage interview set. Someone lowered the boom mic in their faces. The camera pulled back to show R-Truth operating the mic while Carmella held some cable. Bliss grabbed the mic and announced that R-Truth was on the set and said if anyone wanted the WWE 24/7 Title they should come find him. A group of the usual suspects chased after R-Truth…
An ad aired for the WWE Hell in a Cell event on October 6…
4. Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross vs. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles. The Raw broadcast team called the match and mentioned that John Cena scored a part in the next Suicide Squad movie. Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the title match.
Less than three minutes into the match, Truth, Camrella, and the usual challenger suspects ended up in the ring. Bliss rolled up Truth for a near fall, then the WWE 24/7 Title crew left the ring and ran out of the arena bowl. At 6:00, Cross took a hot tag and worked over Deville. Cross cleared Rose from the ring and then performed a cross body block from the top rope onto Deville, which led to a two count. Bliss tagged in and went to the top rope, but Deville pushed Cross into the ropes, leading to Bliss being crotched.
The challengers hit their high/low finisher on Bliss and had the pin, but Cross raced to break the cover. A short time later, Cross avoided Rose’s running knee in the corner, then followed up with a neckbreaker and scored the clean pin…
Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross beat Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in 9:05 to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Titles.
Powell’s POV: Good effort from everyone involved. I really like Rose and Deville as a team, the champions continue to be entertaining together.
Phillips touted the Connor’s Cure charity fundraiser and then recapped the Kickoff Show…
5. Shinsuke Nakamura (w/Sami Zayn) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship. The international broadcast teams were introduced in between the ring entrances and the Smackdown crew called the match. Zayn came out wearing a neckbrace to sell the Undertaker’s beatdown. Zayn pulled a Lio Rush by talking over the house mic throughout the match. He mocked the Carolina fans by saying Miz looked as good as the Panthers did on Thursday night (they lost to the Buccaneers).
Miz got the better of Nakamura and both men ended up at ringside. Miz took Zayn’s mic and threw it up to the stage area. Back inside the ring, Nakamura countered out of Miz’s figure four attempt and put him in an armbar. Miz rolled onto Nakamura to cover him to break the hold, then performed a DDT and covered Nakamura for a near fall.
Nakamura came back with his snap German suplex while Zayn laughed at ringside. Nakamura set up for his finisher, but Miz side stepped him and sent Nakamura crashing into the corner. Miz quickly applied the figure four. Nakamura reached the ropes to break the hold.
A short time later, Nakamura went for a Kinshasa, but Miz avoided it and hit the Skull Crushing Finale. Miz had the pin, but the referee was tied up with Zayn. Miz glared at Zayn and then chased him around the ring until Nakamura blasted him with a kick to the head. Back inside the ring, Nakamura hit the Kinshasa and scored the pin…
Shinsuke Nakamura defeated The Miz in 9:35 to retain the Intercontinental Championship.
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match. I wasn’t into the feud going in, but they did good job of keeping this interesting from bell to bell. I’m not big on the talking over the mic during the match bit, but Zayn is really fun as Nakamura’s manager type.
A video package recapped the Raw Women’s Championship feud…
6. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks for the Raw Women’s Championship. Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the latest title match. Banks jawed at the fans and Lynch, who slapped her across the face to start the match. At 7:00, Banks went for her Bank Statement finisher, but Lynch powered into an exploder suplex. There was a loud “Becky” chant before she performed her leg drop from the middle rope.
Banks came back with a meteora from the second rope for a near fall. A short time later, Lynch went for her Disarmer finisher. Banks rolled onto her for a two count, but Lynch immediately applied the hold. Banks reached the ropes to break it. Lynch performed a missile dropkick for a near fall. Banks rallied with a pair of Backstabbers and applied the Bank Statement. Lynch struggled to reach the ropes, but Banks blocked it. Lynch rolled Banks into a pin to break the hold at 12:15.
Banks went to ringside, grabbed a chair, and slid it inside the ring. Banks jabbed Lynch with a second chair while the referee was clearing the first chair, then Banks blasted Lynch with a knee to the head and covered her and got a two count. Lynch went to ringside and grabbed the first chair and tried to use it as a weapon, but the referee took it from her.
Lynch picked up the chair and swung it at Banks, who ducked, leading to the referee taking the chair shot. Lynch and Banks fought into the crowd. Lynch applied her finisher around a handrail. Banks tapped (it didn’t count). The women fought into the concourse and the cameras followed. Lynch poured some mustard onto the back of Banks, then dragged her back into the arena.
Once they returned to the ring, Lynch caught Banks with a kick to the gut to stop her from swinging a chair. Lynch took the chair and hit Banks with it Lynch set up the chair and slammed Banks’s face into the seat portion repeatedly. Lynch put Banks’s arm through the chair and applied the Disarmer. Two referees and a producer talked her down while a “let them fight” chant broke out. Rome announced Banks as the winner because of Lynch hitting the referee with a chair. Lynch shrugged off the official ruling…
Sasha Banks beat Becky Lynch by DQ in roughly 20:00.
Powell’s POV: The best match of the night thus far. There was good intensity between the two and I’m fine with the DQ finish setting up the need for more. I was surprised that Banks was basically left lying, but she can always avenge this with a beatdown angle. By the way, we’re eight title matches deep (counting the Kickoff Show) and this is honestly the first time that I felt something other than indifference for a title. That’s subjective so some of you will feel differently, but I’ve become numb to most of the secondary title belts. Hopefully a real brand split will make some of these titles mean more.
A video package set up the WWE Championship match…
7. Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship. Kingston is still throwing out pancakes and Hamilton is still giving in-ring introductions for title matches. Saxton noted that Kingston told his family to go on vacation because he didn’t want them to see what he does to Orton (I’d ask my family to do the same if Kirk Cousins was in my living room right now).
A few minutes into the match, Kingston performed a leaping punch on Orton in the corner. Orton rolled to ringside and sold the punch. Orton rallied and dropped Kingston onto one of the broadcast tables twice, then rolled him back inside the ring and covered him for a two count. At 9:00, Kingston and Orton fought at ringside. Orton got the better of it and slammed Kingston’s face onto the ring steps. Orton rolled Kingston back inside the ring and covered him for a two count.
Kington hit Orton with the SOS and covered him for a two count at 14:55. Orton came back with a snap powerslam for a near fall at 17:00. Orton followed with a draping DDT. Orton took his sweet time and then struck the Viper’s Pose (Graves didn’t scold him for wasting time rather than going for a pin). Orton went for an RKO, but Kingston countered into a rollup for a two count. Kingston caught a charging Orton with a kick.
Orton dropped Kingston with an RKO out of nowhere and went for a cover, but Kingston put his foot on the bottom rope. Graves said the lights were beginning to fade on KofiMania. Orton backed up and went for a punt kick, but Kingston moved and caught him with a Trouble in Paradise kick and scored the pin. “Who’s stupid now?” Phillips growled…
Kofi Kingston defeated Randy Orton in 20:50 to retain the WWE Championship.
Powell’s POV: A decent match that felt like it went longer than it needed to or they just didn’t fill the time as well as they could have. I am surprised to see Kingston win clean since I assume these two are headed to Hell in a Cell. If that’s still the plan then I assume we’ll see another big heat seeking angle for Orton on Smackdown.
The Street Profits talked about Raw backstage. They spoke about the King of the Ring finals between Baron Corbin and Chad Gable. Booker T showed up dressed in his King Booker outfit. Booker said it was a grand day because they were on the eve of the KOTR finals. Booker was about to give his “royal declaration” regarding who would win. Angelo Dawkins interrupted and asked Booker to knight him. Dawkins said then he could tell the ladies to call him Dark Knight. Booker told them to get their minds right and walked off. Montez Ford told Dawkins to think before he speaks. Booker returned and did the “now can you dig that, sucka” routine…
The broadcast team set up a video package on the Roman Reigns whodunnit…
8. Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan in a No DQ match. There were no in-ring introductions because it’s the only non-title match of the night! Reigns was introduced first and he went to ringside and fought with Rowan during his introduction. Rowan wore new pants and a concert t-shirt. The referee called for the bell once they were in the ring. They went to ringside. Reigns pulled out a kendo stick, but Rowan hit him with a piece of the ring steps. Rowan took the fight into the crowd and fought with Reigns along the main floor wall.
Reigns won the battle and brought Rowan back to ringside where he knocked him down with a Drive By Kick. Reigns tore the middle broadcast table apart, but Rowan raced back into the picture and knocked him down with a running forearm. Rowan brought Reigns back inside the ring and performed a running splash.
Rowan leapt from the middle rope and knocked Reigns down with an elbow and covered him for another two count. Rowan performed a uranage slam for a near fall. At 8:00, Reigns ducked a clothesline and then clotheslined Rowan to ringside. Rowan pulled Reigns to the floor and ran him into the ring post. Rowan pulled a protective piece that overs the LED board on the apron, then dropped Reigns face first onto it (Phillips was more concerned about that section being exposed than anyone in the crowd was).
Rowan threw a piece of the ring steps into the ring and set it on its side. Rowan banged on it a couple times, then picked it up and ran toward Reigns, who powered him onto his shoulders and executed a Samoan Drop and hooked his leg for a two count. Reigns hit Rowan with the ring steps and followed up with a Superman Punch and covered him for a two count at 11:00.
Both men ended up at ringside. Reigns went for a Superman Punch from the ring steps, but Rowan caught him and powerbombed him through a broadcast table. Rowan brought Reigns back to the ring and covered him for a good near fall. Rowan tossed Reigns into the timekeepers area, followed him, and then hit him from behind with the ring bell. They fought into the crowd and over to the production area where Reigns hit Rowan with a small microphone stand.
At 14:10, Rowan performed his claw slam on Reigns and drove him through a production table. Rowan put Reigns on his shoulders and carried him to the stage. Rowan grabbed the crane camera, but Reigns picked up a weapon of some kind and hit Rowan with it. Reigns swung the crane camera into Rowan a couple times. Reigns knocked Rowan down the entrance ramp with a Superman punch.
Reigns let out a war cry n the stage and then charged toward Rowan, but Luke Harper showed up wearing pants that matches Rowan’s wants and he caught Reigns with a boot to the head. In the ring, Harper whipped Rowan into Reigns, who then whipped Reigns at Harper, who knocked him down with a discus clothesline. Rowan performed a claw slam and pinned Reigns…
Erick Rowan defeated Roman Reigns in 17:25.
Powell’s POV: A spirited brawl with both men working hard. I don’t think anyone believed Rowan had a chance to win until Harper showed up, so most of his near falls felt flat, but I love the idea of giving him the win thanks to the returning Harper. Are they a unit? Is this another step toward the Wyatt Family reuniting with a new twist? Where does Daniel Bryan fit into all of this? I’m intrigued.
Charly Caruso interviewed Seth Rollins backstage and informed him that Braun Strowman blamed him for losing the Raw Tag Titles. Rollins said he didn’t give a damn, but then blamed Strowman for losing the tag titles. Rollins said he likes Strowman and might even call him a friend, but he said it’s not Strowman’s night and he plans to add a monster to his collection…
The broadcast team recapped the Raw Tag Title change…
9. Seth Rollins vs. Braun Strowman for the WWE Universal Championship. Strowman received a flat reaction for his second entrance of the night. The crowd was better for Rollins. Rome delivered in-ring introductions for the final title match. The bell rang and Strowman knocked Rollins down with a shoulder block. Strowman was the early aggressor, but Rollins fired back with three superkicks and a top rope frog splash. Rollins covered Strowman, who immediately kicked out.
Strowman charged at Rollins at ringside. Rollins performed a drop toehold that sent Strowman crashing over the German broadcast table. Rollins waited for Strowman to get up and then knocked him back into the table with a suicide dive. Rollins repeated the move and the broadcast table collapsed. At 6:00, Rollins went for a third suicide dive, but Strowman caught him. Rollins slipped away and shoved Strowman into the ring post, then superkicked him onto the Spanish broadcast table.
Rollins went up top, but Strowman raced up the steps and shoved him down. Rollins ran back up the ropes. Rollins went for a superplex, but Strowman shoved him off the ropes. Strowman, who had a bloody nose, sat on the ropes and looked at the crowd, then performed a top rope splash. Strowman eventually covered Rollins for a two count. Graves played up Strowman suffering a knee injury while performing the splash, and Strowman limped when he got back to his feet.
Rollins put Strowman in a sleeper. Strowman escaped the hold. Rollins hit Strowman with The Stomp and went for a cover, but Strowman kicked out at the referee’s one count. Rollins hit The Stomp again and got a two count. Rollins hit The Stomp a third time and covered Strowman for a near fall. Rollins looked at the referee and expressed frustration and surprise. Rollins went for a fourth Stomp, but Strowman caught him and went for a running powerslam, but his bad knee gave out. Rollins hit a Pedigree and another Stomp and then scored the pin…
Seth Rollins beat Braun Strowman in 11:00 to retain the WWE Universal Championship.
The broadcast team recapped the main event. Cole said Rollins could be called the Beast Slayer and the Monster Slayer (sigh). Rollins went to the stage to celebrate his win. The lights went out and “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt appeared. Wyatt put Rollins down with Sister Abigail, then applied the Mandible Claw. Wyatt laughed and yelled maniacally and released the hold. The lights went out and Wyatt’s laughter could be heard as the show went off the air…
Powell’s POV: A very good finish to the match and the show. I liked the match finish because it was a clean finish and yet also protected Strowman due to the story of his knee injury. The Wyatt angle was well done and sets the stage for Rollins vs. Wyatt at Hell in a Cell. There were a few boo birds when Rollins went over and it could get worse when he faces the popular Fiend if WWE’s not careful.
Overall, a good show that built nicely to the bigger matches. I will have more to say in the members’ audio review coming up shortly. Thanks for watching along with me tonight and be sure to vote for the best match and grade the overall show in our post event polls on the main page.
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