By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Roman Reigns def. Kane by Count-out

I think I speak for the majority when I say that the Reigns vs. Kane and Reigns vs. Show matches have grown tiresome and need to end. Granted, Reigns got a good match out of Show on Sunday at Extreme Rules, but he couldn't pull off that same magic with Kane here. It was a decent match, but we've seen it enough times that it wasn't anything new or interesting. Plus, there's no worth in "protecting" Kane, so the count-out finish was pointless. Kane couldn't turn babyface any sooner, just so we won't have to see him face Reigns anymore.


Damien Sandow def. Curtis Axel

Well, we all feared the worst when Mizdow/Sandow broke away from The Miz, and it looks like our concerns were confirmed to be accurate. Sandow is basically back to being Sandow, which is great, but the mimicking shtick has got to go. It's only been a few days and it's already annoying. Why can't they just let this guy be himself? The match didn't showcase his skills like I thought it should have, but it was a nice win for him. Again, though, WWE has to realize that the mocking thing is not going to get him over; if anything, it will kill any popularity he has left.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Fenix def. Killshot

We haven't such of Killshot in action since he arrived in Lucha Underground (I believe he's had all of two or three matches so far), so it was cool to see his skills showcased against a credible competitor in Fenix. He's extremely agile and showed a ton of potential in this match for when he officially breaks out on his own (unless he already has?). Likewise, it was a nice win for Fenix who has seemingly cooled off as of late. The match was something different and it kicked off the show nicely.


Argenis vs. Famous B vs. Ricky Mandell vs. Vinny Massaro in a Fatal 4-Way Ended in a No Contest

The only connection these four no-namers had was that they were all attacked and put on the shelf by Pentagon Jr., so it would have been fitting if the winner was granted a rematch against him. Thankfully, it was less than a minute before Texano interfered and took them all out with ease. He's another guy who hasn't stood out much since his rivalry with Alberto El Patron ended and this was an effective way of putting heat back on him. Based off his promo, it appears Daivari will be Lucha Underground bound soon to feud with Texano.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn Was Made Official For NXT TakeOver

From Owens to Zayn to even William Regal, everyone involved in this segment was excellent. Regal is so effective as an authority figure because he's not all over the show and when he does show up, it feels special. Owens knows his character like the back of his hand and plays it perfection. Zayn continues to be a great underdog, beloved by the audience and showing fire in his exchange with Owens. It was good to see their championship match confirmed one month out and as much as I'm looking forward to it, it'd be even cooler if a stipulation of some kind was added.


Enzo Amore and Colin Cassady def. NXT Tag Team Champions Blake and Murphy (Non-title)

It never ceases to amaze me just how over Amore and Cassdy are right now, and there's no doubt in my mind that the NXT Tag Team titles should be put on them at the special next month. The match was fun while it lasted, but only due to the crowd being hot for Amore and Cassady Blake and Murphy are a very good tandem, and their character development is coming along, but their entrance must be changed as soon as possible. I assume they were holding back a bit for their upcoming title encounter. I thought this was their way of giving Amore and Cassady a title shot, but they were already the No. 1 Contenders, so why bother beating the champs in non-title action?

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Prime Time Players def. The Ascension

You would never know these two teams existed (aside from the short Prime Time Players promos that air on Raw mocking other tandems) because they're never on TV, or at least anymore. The Ascension have flopped hard since losing their first match several months ago and WWE hasn't seen anything in them since. Meanwhile, The Prime Time Players have yet to be given a chance to shine because they've sparingly been on TV since they reformed. It's a shame because I think both teams have something to offer. They worked a decent match, but it was hardly anything out of the ordinary. I know this is wishful thinking, but I would love to see The Prime Time Players build up momentum and enter the chase for the WWE Tag Team Championship.


Stardust def. Jack Swagger

On a show filled with recaps and replays, why wasn't this match allowed to go longer? It was taped either before or after a long night of matches including SmackDown and the King of the Ring tournament, so that might be the reason. Still, it didn't help the match any and it felt rushed down the stretch, but they made the most of it and contested an average match. They could go out there and really rip it up with enough time, but that sadly wasn't in the cards on this show. Also, how could Stardust lose to R-Truth on Raw yet beat Swagger on Main Event? WWE logic, I suppose.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Neville def. Sheamus in a King of the Ring Semifinals Match

I enjoyed their encounter on SmackDown slightly more, if only because you knew Dolph Ziggler's distraction was coming here. Why didn't he cost him the win in the first round instead of helping him advance to the next round? That aside, Neville and Sheamus worked a good match and it's great to see Neville's sensational skillset continued to being showcased, especially against notable names. It was a big win for Neville and the feud between Sheamus and Ziggler was effectively furthered, but this should have taken place after the next tournament match as it made the finals predictable.


Bad News Barrett def. R-Truth in a King of the Ring Semifinals Match

Please, somebody, anybody, give me one good reason why R-Truth was in this tournament, much less made it to the semifinals. As previously noted, his presence in the semifinals made this match extremely predictable, and they it was a decent bout, but as I say constantly, it's incredibly difficult to care about anything involving Truth. The pre-match promo about spiders gave me a headache. Is they're going back to his 2011 "scared of spiders and heights" shtick, why not just go all out and turn him heel again? At least it'd make him slightly more interesting.

Bad News Barrett def. Neville to Become the 2015 King of the Ring

Similar to Sheamus vs. Neville, I thought Neville and Barrett had a better bout on the Extreme Rules Kickoff Show, but this was still quite good. Barrett, for as badly as he's been booked for months on end, is a great worker and Neville provides something new and innovative every time he's in the ring. As I mentioned in my Extreme Rules review, I'd love to see more from these two down the line as they work extraordinarily well together. I was very happy to see Barrett win the King of the Ring and his gimmick is perfectly fitting of the crown, but the focus is on the aftermath. Sheamus embarked on a losing streak after becoming "King Sheamus" in 2010, and Barrett couldn't be devalued any more than he already is, so hopefully this means they're finally pushing him at the level he deserves to be at.


Overall Show

I realize WWE has done the King of the Ring tournament all in one night before, but it would have nice if they stretched this out for a few weeks, possibly leading to the finals being held at the Payback pay-per-view. Regardless, I love the tournament being WWE Network exclusive and I hope we can get more of this kind of content in the future. The three matches were all good to great and the pre- and post-match promos were all excellent, making the tournament mean more than anything else WWE did prior to this point. Fingers crossed this is back as an annual event on the Network and won't be put back into retirement for another five years.