Originally published at WWE Super ShowDown: Bill Goldberg wins the Universal title
Welcome to POST Wrestling’s coverage of WWE’s Super ShowDown event from the Mohammed Abdu Arena on The Boulevard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
We will have a special Thursday night edition of the Café Hangout LIVE at 9 pm Eastern tonight for all members of the POST Wrestling Café with a rundown of the show.
The pre-show panel was in Stamford with Scott Stanford, Charly Caruso, and David Otunga.
Michael Cole, Corey Graves, and Byron Saxton are in Riyadh to call the show.
RESULTS:
*Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows over Viking Raiders in 9:56
*The Undertaker wins the Tuwaiq Trophy Gauntlet
*The Miz & John Morrison over Kofi Kingston & Big E. in 12:58 to win the SmackDown tag titles
*Angel Garza over Humberto Carrillo in 9:05
*Seth Rollins & Murphy over The Street Profits in 10:38 to retain the Raw tag titles
*Mansoor over Dolph Ziggler in 9:18
*Brock Lesnar over Ricochet in 1:29 to retain the WWE title
*Roman Reigns over King Corbin in 12:50 in a Steel Cage match
*Bayley over Naomi in 11:30 to retain the SmackDown women’s title
*Bill Goldberg over The Fiend in 3:00 to win the Universal title
KARL ANDERSON & LUKE GALLOWS VS THE VIKING RAIDERS
Ivar used his beard to rub in the face of Anderson. Ivar received a hot tag mid-way into the match and got the audience into the comeback. Ivar hit a handspring double back elbow to Anderson & Gallows. Ivar missed a moonsault off the top allowing The OC to hit the Magic Killer and win the match.
WINNER: Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows at 9:56
This was a basic tag match with minimal heat from the crowd that was reserved for Ivar’s comeback and moonsault from the top.
The main show kicked off with an enormous pyro display.
TUWAIQ TROPHY GAUNTLET MATCH
R-Truth vs. Bobby Lashley
The audience was into Truth and chanting his name as the first entrant out.
Lana walked out with Lashley on the stage and then returned to the back, which is a hell of a trip to make for ten seconds.
Graves said this match could go all night long because it’s a gauntlet match. It won’t.
Truth hit the five-knuckle shuffle, Lashley stopped the AA and hit Truth with a flatliner. Lashley missed a spear into the corner, tripped over Truth and was pinned by Truth at 5:36.
Lashley attacked Truth on the floor and ran him into the post and speared him inside the ring. Truth was bleeding from the attack with a cut to his left cheek.
R-Truth vs. Andrade
Andrade came out without Zelina Vega. He went after the left arm of Truth.
Andrade set up for the discus elbow and the two cracked heads with Truth just falling down on top of Andrade the referee counted three at 4:50. They aired several replays and blamed the head injury for Andrade’s loss.
The ending was a mess and there was no heat for this one.
R-Truth vs. Erick Rowan
Truth landed a pescado to the floor as he falls apart physically from the first two matches. Rowan dropkicked Truth into the steps and Rowan’s cage fell to the floor. Rowan attacked Truth with the steps and was disqualified at 2:25. He hit Truth with a Claw Slam after the match but there is no reaction for anything.
This match has been horrendous, so far.
R-Truth vs. AJ Styles
The audience woke up for Styles’ entrance as they clearly saw him as a star chanting his name as the match began.
Styles did some of this era’s worst dancing techniques to mock Truth. Styles applied the calf crusher and Truth tapped in 2:36.
Mysterio’s music played but he didn’t come out. Backstage, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows attacked Mysterio and left him laying. This led to a chant for The Undertaker.
Styles declared himself the winner by forfeit. The referee wouldn’t raise his hand and Styles called him the worst ref in the business. Mike Rome announced there will be a ten count for his opponent to make it to the ring or Styles wins by forfeit.
Backstage, Gallows and Anderson were attacked by The Undertaker and he entered the arena.
AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker
Styles took a chokeslam and Undertaker pinned him in 0:19 seconds.
WINNER: The Undertaker
The Gauntlet was brutally bad as in, among the worst consecutive matches on a WWE pay-per-view in years. It sets up The Undertaker and AJ Styles for WrestleMania, which was the intended purpose, although I can’t say this was the best way by pinning Styles in 19 seconds. The hook should be that people want to see the two have a match and this was hardly that with ‘Mania being the ‘real’ match.
Kofi Kingston and Big E. cut a promo about the lyrics ‘I came to play’ in The Miz’s theme and this isn’t a game tonight.
KOFI KINGSTON & BIG E. VS THE MIZ & JOHN MORRISON FOR THE SMACKDOWN TAG TITLES
Miz and Morrison had the advantage on Big E. until Morrison was sent to the floor and Miz was hit with the uranage allowing Kingston to be tagged.
Morrison hit Kingston with a flapjack followed by a shining wizard. There was a chant of ‘Hey Hey, Ho Ho, Miz and Morrison’ that was started last week.
Kingston came off the top with a double foot stomp to Morrison off the shoulders of Big E. into a powerbomb for a two-count. The crowd facing the hard camera got into The Miz in a big way. Morrison missed with Starship Pain on Big E.
New Day hit the Midnight Hour on Morrison but the Kingston dove to the floor with the trust fall and Kingston missed crashing on the floor. Miz ran in and hit the Skull Crushing Finale and Big E. kicked out.
Kingston was sent into the ropes where Morrison hit him with a chair and Miz rolled up Kingston holding the trunks.
WINNERS: The Miz & John Morrison at 12:58 to win the SmackDown tag titles
It struggled with crowd engagement, although there was a pocket that chanting like crazy for Miz & Morrison. This was a good match and a frightening bump from Kingston to the floor. It would seem like a multi-man match would be the direction for WrestleMania including The Usos, who are in the picture.
Byron Saxton interviewed Seth Rollins and Murphy and Rollins said the moral compass of The Street Profits is off and must be dealt with.
ANGEL GARZA VS HUMBERTO CARRILLO
Garza tore off the pants and applied a camel clutch while yelling ‘shut up’, which is the last thing I would encourage this crowd to do given the lack of reaction.
Carrillo came off the top with a high cross and was hit with a dropkick in mid-air. Carrillo countered the Wing Clipper before Garza hit a superkick. Carrillo hit an ugly-looking Canadian Destroyer. Garza was bleeding from the mouth or nose.
Carrillo went for a sunset flip and Garza grabbed the legs to block and pinned Carrillo.
WINNER: Angel Garza at 9:05
The crowd hurt this match and they also had some sloppy spots as this was a far cry from their match on Monday.
Saxton interviewed Bayley and asked her about making history defending her title in Saudi Arabia. She will continue to prove she is the most dominant champion SmackDown has ever seen.
SETH ROLLINS & MURPHY VS THE STREET PROFITS FOR THE RAW TAG TITLES
Rollins and Murphy beat down on Ford including a buckle bomb into a kick from Murphy on the apron that The Young Bucks use.
Dawkins received the tag hitting dropkicks and spinning splashes to each in the corner. A double pedigree spot was stopped as Ford and Dawkins hit double DDTs. Ford hit his massive frog splash on Rollins.
On the floor, Ford was driven in the barricade by Rollins and Murphy after they caught him on a tope con giro attempt.
The referee was dealing with Murphy inside the ring when Rollins hit the stomp on Dawkins on the edge of the apron as Murphy was able to pin Dawkins.
WINNERS: Seth Rollins & Murphy at 10:38 to retain the Raw tag titles
Nothing wrong with the match but the atmosphere is a big negative for the show, so far.
DOLPH ZIGGLER VS MANSOOR
Robert Roode was in Ziggler’s corner. Roode was dropkicked by Mansoor when he tried to attack him. The referee ejected Roode.
Ziggler took control in the early portion and played to the crowd as the cocky heel.
Mansoor avoided a famouser and came back with a slingshot neck breaker and a slam off the shoulders for two.
Mansoor came out of the corner and was hit with the Zig Zag that Mansoor kicked out from. This was structured for a massive pop and didn’t get it. Mansoor hit an inverted sliced bread ending with a DDT and a top rope moonsault that nearly killed Ziggler as he landed with his knees and got the win.
WINNER: Mansoor at 9:18
I thought this would be the match where the audience came alive much as they did in October for Mansoor’s match with Cesaro, they did not. There were some messed up moments in the final two minutes and the near falls didn’t get the desired reaction nor did the finish that seemed like a slam dunk given Mansoor being the victor.
Saxton interviewed him in the ring and the audience chanted ‘Mansoor’ as he told them the fans lifted him up and proved to the world that the WWE was ready for its first star from Saudi Arabia. He has a very strong delivery.
BROCK LESNAR VS RICOCHET FOR THE UNIVERSAL TITLE
Paul Heyman did the introduction for Lesnar and gave the spoiler that Lesnar would win.
Ricochet comes out of the gate charging Lesnar and gets thrown down. There was a German suplex and then Lesnar dead-lifted Ricochet to his shoulders and hit the F-5 to win.
WINNER: Brock Lesnar in 1:29 to retain the WWE title
There was nothing given to Ricochet, which I at least expected something offensive flurry. This was rough for Ricochet who was given nothing in the build-up, the story was he had no chance and in the end, he didn’t.
KING CORBIN VS ROMAN REIGNS IN A STEEL CAGE MATCH
Reigns walked down to the wing a chain like Quinton Jackson. Corbin jumped him from behind to start the match.
Corbin stopped the Superman Punch and dumped Reigns to the mat with the Deep Six. Corbin revealed he had the key to open the door. Reigns stopped him and later, shut the door on Corbin’s head. Reigns’ next attempt at the Superman Punch was stopped with a chokeslam.
Corbin wrapped the chain around his fist and signaled for his own Superman Punch, but Reigns hit him with his version.
They made their way on top of the cage trading punches. Corbin came down on the top rope and was hit with Superman punches and Reigns got the chain. He hit the Superman Punch with the chain wrapped around his fist for the win.
WINNER: Roman Reigns at 12:50
It’s a broken record but nothing is getting heat on this show. It was a simple formula based around the chain. Corbin having the key and trying to get out the door was a bit confusing as the referee just left the door opened and the announcers said he could escape.
BAYLEY VS NAOMI FOR THE SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S TITLE
It was the same presentation as Natalya and Lacey Evans with their bodies covered with different gear.
Naomi hit her leg slicer for a two-count as he came off the ropes. She hit a twisting pescado on Bayley on the floor. This generated a small ‘this is awesome’ chant. Then, Bayley took control and tossed Naomi into the barricade.
Naomi fought back and went for a springboard clothesline but caught Bayley with a knee as she stumbled off the top rope. Naomi went for her own version of the Brutalizer and Bayley reached the rope. Bayley got up and caught her with the Bayley-to-belly and Naomi kicked out.
Bayley landed a knee into the corner and then tied up Naomi’s legs and hooked them underneath Naomi’s shirt before driving Naomi into the mat for the win.
WINNER: Bayley at 11:30 to retain the SmackDown women’s title
While there were several spots that were off, Bayley worked pretty effectively as the heel and the finish was clever and different. It’s a low bar, but this match seemed to get a better reaction than most on the show.
THE FIEND VS BILL GOLDBERG FOR THE UNIVERSAL TITLE
There was a faceoff and Goldberg speared him with a two-count in the first minute. The Fiend applied the mandible claw and he shoved The Fiend into the corner and hit another spear.
Goldberg set up and hit a third and fourth spear for another two-count. The Fiend rose up and re-applied the claw and Goldberg used head butts and knees to break free and hit the jackhammer.
WINNER: Bill Goldberg at 3:00 to win the Universal title
The Fiend stood up, the light went out and he disappeared as Goldberg was left alone with the title in the ring.