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Well that was quite the painful show to watch on a Friday.
We had another of the ongoing controversial shows in Saudi Arabia. “WWE Super ShowDown” was a very boring and predictable show. I believe most WWE fans had very low expectations for this show. I personally just hoped Goldberg and Undertaker would make it through the match without hurting themselves. That wish was not granted.
The rest of the show was uneventful and filled with some bad wrestling. Maybe the 100 degree heat really got to the talent during the four hour show. They and the fans truly deserve better then what was seen on Friday night.
As I am still figuring out if Goldberg and Undertaker are truly ok after all of that, I will try to distract myself and present my list of the top five most surprising moments of WWE Super ShowDown 2019:
#5 No Title Changes
The Saudi Arabia shows always feel like a house show with some good fireworks. Super ShowDown did very little to change that view by having very few surprises during the night. The matches were slow and predictable. The female wrestlers were excluded yet again.
The Intercontinental, WWE and Universal Championships were on the line and never seemed like they were in any real danger of changing hands. Even Brock Lesnar’s botched Money in the Bank cash-in seemed the predictable route to take for this show.
Some critics of the Saudi shows called them nothing more than glorified cash grabs. If you don’t provide anything more than very predictable results, then that view won’t change any time soon. WWE fans deserve better.
#4 Shane McMahon Beats Roman Reigns
I wish I was the son of Vince McMahon.
Shane McMahon, the 49 year old non-wrestler, is one of the best protected heels in the WWE today. In reality a trained professional wrestler like Roman Reigns has no business selling any offense from someone like Shane McMahon for over nine minutes. I mean does anyone throw worse punches than Shane? It is tough to watch at times.
So it was still surprising to see Drew McIntyre cheat and allow Shane McMahon to beat one of the most popular and successful stars in the WWE. You have built Roman Reigns up for years just to lose to the son of the owner? I doubt many WWE fans are excited about Shane McMahon continuing to be involved in any long-term wrestling feuds in 2019. It should be a painful summer to watch for sure.
#3 Xavier Woods Cheats to Help Kofi Kingston
I doubt anyone really truly expected Dolph Ziggler to beat Kofi Kingston to win the WWE Championship. The match was sadly below average for what two competitors of their caliber could accomplish. Maybe the heat affected them, but none of the pin falls seemed like an actual finish.
The match ended in a very surprising way. Xavier Woods kicked Ziggler in the head and allowed Kingston to hit his Trouble in Paradise finisher to retain. Ziggler was rightfully upset that the “good guys” cheated to retain the title for Kingston. It seemed the faces cheated for no other real reason then to set-up a Steel Cage match between Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston at WWE Stomping Grounds in a few weeks. It is doubtful any WWE fan is excited about a rematch at this point.
#2 Mansoor Wins the 50 Man Battle Royal
This was one of those rare times that the “hometown hero” actually won in his home country.
The 50 Man Battle Royal wasn’t the best idea. It was extremely difficult to tell who was in the match and who was eliminated. The announcers didn’t even tell us who was in and out of the match. It got a little better when we got down to a handful of competitors.
We had some expected favorites like Samoa Joe, Cesaro, Richochet, Ali and Elias. The surprise was the sixth man, Mansoor. He is a Saudi Arabian NXT wrestler who hasn’t even been on television yet.
As we got down to Mansoor versus Elias it seemed real possible that the first Saudi Arabian wrestler in the WWE could get the major victory. The crowd loved seeing Mansoor win and he gave an impassioned speech to his home country crowd. Hopefully it will lead to more opportunities for Middle Eastern wrestlers going forward.
#1 Goldberg and The Undertaker Produce A Horrible Main Event For The Ages
Maybe having a 52 year old and a 54 year old fighting a high-profile match wasn’t the best idea.
Most wrestling fans should have tremendous respect for the careers of Goldberg and the Undertaker. This match is arguably a dream match for wrestling fans. Or at least it would have been twenty years ago. I joked before the match it would be a success to me if both got through it without getting hurt. It might be time for both legends to retire.
The match started decent enough, but then Goldberg hit the ring post and began bleeding. It quickly began a disaster from that point on. It was slow, and worst of all, very dangerous for the wrestler's safety.
When Undertaker dropped Goldberg on his head during the Tombstone, it was upsetting. When Goldberg dropped Taker on his neck during a botched Jackhammer, it was scary. After a few more botches, it was mercifully over.
Undertaker looked upset after the match, and with good reason. It was the worst Taker match I have ever seen. Hopefully, the two legends in the match and the WWE recognize it is time to focus on younger talent. It is beyond time at this point.
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