Chris Jericho vs. Neville
What Happened? Making a rare televised appearance, Chris Jericho returned to the country that gave him his first big break with a well-earned victory over the incredibly game Neville. Still able to hang with his young opponent at the age of 44, Jericho constantly found the perfect responses for the Brit’s speed and aerial moves, eventually picking up the win after countering a Red Arrow attempt and forcing the tap with a excellently executed Liontamer.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Thoughts: A pleasing blend of wrestling styles old and new, this was a solid opening bout...for those watching at home at least! Jericho might be well into his 40’s these days, but he proved once again that he hasn’t lost a step since retiring from full-time competition. One of the best when it comes to putting young talent over, Jericho may have gotten the victory, but his performance still succeeded in making Neville look exceptionally strong. The future looks bright for the Newcastle-born superstar, regardless of the loss.
★★★☆☆
Triple Threat match for the Divas Championship
Nikki Bella © vs. Paige vs. Tamina
Winner: Chris Jericho
Thoughts: A pleasing blend of wrestling styles old and new, this was a solid opening bout...for those watching at home at least! Jericho might be well into his 40’s these days, but he proved once again that he hasn’t lost a step since retiring from full-time competition. One of the best when it comes to putting young talent over, Jericho may have gotten the victory, but his performance still succeeded in making Neville look exceptionally strong. The future looks bright for the Newcastle-born superstar, regardless of the loss.
★★★☆☆
Triple Threat match for the Divas Championship
Nikki Bella © vs. Paige vs. Tamina
What Happened? The ‘Road to 300’ is still alive for reigning Divas Champion Nikki Bella after she successfully overcame her two latest challengers. Initially dominated by Tamina, Nikki fought back and even teamed with title rival Paige to subdue the Snuka family member. The brief tandem between the two soon came to a violent end, but the champion eventually prevailed after avoiding a Superfly Splash from Tamina and connecting with a forearm smash to the face.
Winner and STILL champion: Nikki Bella
Thoughts: Still struggling to accrue more than a slither of airtime, the Divas continue to be an afterthought despite the acclaim of their NXT counterparts. Nothing wrong with the performances of these three women (Nikki and Paige were particularly good on the night as usual), but the booking was poor and the lame finish didn’t do anything but hurt the tough aura of Tamina. Desperately in need of renewed focus, the WWE is really missing a step with this division, especially with the women’s World Cup and figures like Ronda Rousey dominating headlines in 2015.
★★☆☆☆
Kofi Kingston vs. Brock Lesnar
Winner and STILL champion: Nikki Bella
Thoughts: Still struggling to accrue more than a slither of airtime, the Divas continue to be an afterthought despite the acclaim of their NXT counterparts. Nothing wrong with the performances of these three women (Nikki and Paige were particularly good on the night as usual), but the booking was poor and the lame finish didn’t do anything but hurt the tough aura of Tamina. Desperately in need of renewed focus, the WWE is really missing a step with this division, especially with the women’s World Cup and figures like Ronda Rousey dominating headlines in 2015.
★★☆☆☆
Kofi Kingston vs. Brock Lesnar
What Happened? Competing in his first official match after losing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania, ‘The Beast’ returned in emphatic fashion as he crushed the hopelessly outmatched Kofi Kingston in less than three minutes. Hoping to utilise an elusive, speed heavy offense, Kingston’s futile efforts were quickly undone after a series of suplexes and a crushing F5 for the quick victory.
Winner: Brock Lesnar
Thoughts: Less a match and more of a statement of intent, I wasn’t sure that the WWE could book Lesnar to look any stronger...boy was I wrong. Almost completely no-selling the same offense that would hurt 99% of the roster, Lesnar’s squash victory was used to build him back up as the organisation’s unstoppable title contender. It was quick, it was impressive, and it succeeded in further heightening the already considerable anticipation for his Battleground showdown with Seth Rollins.
★★★☆☆
NXT Championship
Kevin Owens © vs. Finn Bálor
What Happened? Unleashing ‘The Demon’ in his first visit to Japan since leaving for WWE, Finn Bálor finally brought an end to Kevin Owens’ reign as NXT Champion. Weathering the brutal offense of the former champion, which even included some of John Cena’s traditional moves, Bálor rallied and eventually used Owens’ overconfidence against him. A series of stiff drop kicks and a fatal second Coup de Grâce sealed Bálor’s dream victory; a champion once again in his adopted homeland.
Winner and NEW champion: Finn Bálor
Thoughts: We expected an instant classic, and that’s just what we got. An indy fan’s dream match pitting the former NJPW and ROH champions, Owens and Bálor’s match felt like a perfect arrangement of the two organisation’s styles...all with the obligatory side helping of ‘sports entertainment’. Never feeling rushed or over-booked, the match crescendoed perfectly before Bálor’s well-deserved moment in front of his Japanese fans. A sure-fire match of the year contender...an award category that these two superstars will surely dominate come the end of the year.
★★★★☆
King Barrett & Kane vs. Dolph Ziggler & John Cena
What Happened? An unusually strong effort from the King of the Ring and the Authority’s Director of Operations was still not enough to defeat the tandem of Dolph Ziggler and John Cena, as the team battled back to secure a hard-fought victory. Employing the oft-used isolation tactics to keep Cena from his corner, the 15-time world champion would soon spark a successful comeback, eventually pinning Barrett after a Superkick/Attitude Adjustment combination.
Winners: John Cena & Dolph Ziggler
Thoughts: Incorrectly placed on the card, slow, generic and excruciatingly long, this tag team match bore more semblance to a hastily-assembled SmackDown main event than a one-time special attraction match. At no point did Cena and Ziggler look like they were going to lose, even against a bizarrely strong pairing of Barrett and Kane, the latter more closely resembling the same near-indestructible monster from over a decade ago. Cena may still be the poster boy for the WWE, but the future needs to come soon, and the fast rising Owens and Bálor more than deserved to close the show.
★☆☆☆☆
Overall: Relatively strong right up until the disappointing final segment, The Beast in the East was a pleasing and unique distraction from the usual product, let down slightly by the main event and a poor match arrangement. The Japanese crowd and Ryougoku Sumo Hall setting helped create an atmosphere completely different to anything the WWE has produced since their ECW shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom, and the end result was a show well worth staying up/waking early for. Establishing a presence in the lucrative, but tough Asian market is surely a long-term objective for the WWE, and based on their efforts here it looks like they could experience a great deal of success moving forward.
Moment of the Event: Chris Jericho catches the flying Neville with a Codebreaker. Always a jaw-dropping sight to behold.
Event MVP: Finn Bálor
Show Rating: ★★★☆☆
What did you think of WWE The Beast in the East? Leave your comments below!
All images courtesy of WWE.com
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