Jonathon Gresham def. Flip GordonGordon signed a full-time deal with Ring of Honor just recently and he's the perfect fit for the company. He's one of the most amazing athletes on the independent scene today and it's great he's on a bigger platform where he can shine. Gresham is a good hand in the ring as well, and thus this was a fun opening match. Granted, it didn't serve any significant purpose (though it did appear as if Alex Shelley was attempting to recruit Gordon into Search & Destroy afterward), but they were given plenty of time and it was an entertaining way of kicking off the show. Ian Riccaboni Interviewed Josh "The Goods" WoodsWoods definitely has all the makings of a future star, and for someone still early on in his development, this was a decent promo from him. I liked how he established his ultimate goal of eventually challenging for the ROH World Television Championship and noted how the current champion Kushida is over in Japan at the moment. For now, he'll settle for calling out Jay Briscoe. Do all ROH newcomers set their sights on Briscoe upon their arrival?
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Gentleman Jack Gallagher def. The Brian Kendrick by DisqualificationKendrick has been kept off WWE TV since his loss to Akira Tozawa late last month, so I'm glad he's back and immediately has found direction again. It's way better than putting Gallagher in a long-term feud with Tony Nese who I couldn't care less about to be honest with you. The match wasn't anything special, though I'm sure they'll have many more matches down the road. I could have done without Kendrick dressing up as Gallagher here, but I'm content with the idea of a feud between them. Mustafa Ali def. Drew GulakAli vs. Gulak started off as a feud I had very little interest in, but it's become a fun little staple on 205 Live each week (I'm still surprised it hasn't received any exposure on Raw). Gulak has really come into his character of being anti-high-fliers and the pre-match interview they did played into the match perfectly. Ali said Gulak couldn't fly at all, which led to Gulak attempting to do a splash off the top rope before being rolled up by Ali. The match in general was decent, but the finish was really clever.
SmackDown Live General Manager Daniel Bryan Had James Ellsworth Banned From the ArenaMan, I can't stress enough how great it is to have Bryan back on SmackDown Live. Shane McMahon is an awesome authority figure as well, but he just doesn't bring the same energy that Bryan does. This segment was similar to what Bryan had to say last week, but it was effective in hyping up the women's Money in the Bank Ladder rematch for later in the evening. Despite still lacking in the ring, Carmella continues to make up for that on the mic and her act is improving as a result. SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos def. The Hype Bros (Non-title)I was hoping The Hype Bros would automatically receive a title shot immediately upon their return considering they originally earned one the night Zack Ryder got hurt back in December, but I understand wanting to have them earn it again considering how much the landscape of the tag team division has changed since then. It was a decent enough match that led to a decisive win for The Usos to allow them to reset their sights on The New Day. There wasn't any focus on Zack Ryder and Mojo Rawley after the loss, but a heel turn from either one of them is inevitable. As I've said before, it would be best for WWE to hold off until at least SummerSlam to put the tag titles on New Day given how hot The Usos are right now as champions.
Kurt Angle def. John CenaThis is how you make a star. Yes, there are various ways it can be accomplished (such as when Finn Balor beat Roman Reigns clean in his Raw debut last year), but unlike Balor, Cena entered WWE as a complete unknown to the masses and made an incredible impression in his initial outing. The match wasn't a technical masterpiece, but it was very well-wrestled in the five minutes it lasted and Cena scored an ample amount of offense against Angle. Even the post-match stuff with Cena begging Angle for more before being endorsed by various notable names (including The Undertaker) backstage were terrific touches. And look where Cena is today. WWE Tag Team Champions Billy and Chuck def. Hardcore Holly and Val VenisFor those curious, Holly and Venis were not a regular pairing coming into this contest. Despite that, they showed some decent chemistry as a duo in this brief bout. The match wasn't too memorable at only four minutes long, but it wasn't terrible, either, and actually made me want to see more of Holly and Venis as a unit. Meanwhile, Billy and Chuck continued to play their roles well as the heels who could constantly escape with their titles intact.
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