Earlier today on the WWE Network, the Superstar Spectacle aired. Here is my recap of the show, which i hope you enjoy reading about, as much i enjoyed writing about it!
The show kicks off with a video package, narrated by Triple H. He talks about the relationship between India and the WWE, as footage of the people of India interacting with various WWE superstars is shown. Charlotte Flair, Sheamus, John Cena, and Roman Reigns share their thoughts on the culture, as Triple H talks about the “proud heritage” India has. The video package introduces us to Guru Raaj, Indus Sher, and other superstars we will see on the show, and closes with HHH talking about the “vibrant and rich culture”.
Back in the ThunderDome, Michael Cole welcomes us to the show, alongside Corey Graves and Shohraz Ali. Out first is NXT Champion Finn Balor, and he’s in the first match of the night. Balor will be taking on “the first Indian born high flyer” Guru Raaj.
Finn Balor vs Guru Raaj
The bell rings, and they both tie it up in the middle of the ring. Balor applies a hold, but Raaj reverses the pressure, and applies a hold of his own. Balor works his way up, and takes both of them down to the mat with a hold. Raaj works his way up, and they have a stare down, before vriend it up again. Balor runs the ropes, and takes Raaj down with a shoulder tackle, followed by a submission hold on the mat. Balor runs the ropes again, and gets hit with a drop kick, before Raaj locks in a hold. Raaj works over the neck of Balor, until Balor fights out briefly. Raaj keeps the side headlock on, and does a sunset flip, before getting caught with a kick from Balor. After a break, Raaj is in control, delivering multiple chops, and a senton. Raaj take to much time to celebrate, and Balor goes to work on Guru. Balor chops Raaj from post to post, and hits the slingblade. Balor takes to mix he time setting up for the next move, and Raaj almost scores a surprise victory. Balor kicks out, and they exchange kicks, but Guru has the more powerful kicks. Balor goes down, and Guru goes to the top rope, before hitting a cross body. Balor kicks out of a pin attempt, and both guys look tired. Raaj attempts a slam, but Balor catches him with an elbow. Balor hits a shotgun drop-kick in the corner, then heads to the top rope, and connects with the Coup de grace. Balor follows up with 1916, and finishes off Raaj with the 1-2-3. Both superstars shake hands after the match, and Balor nods in approval of Raaj’s efforts.
After the match, Michael Cole hypes tonights 6-Man tag team main event, and Corey hypes the woman’s division Tag Team match. Cole begins to talk about Giant Zanjeer, and a video package plays. Zanjeer is a mountain of a man, weighing 340 pounds, and he’s inspired by The Great Khali. Zanjeer will be in the next match. Also competing in the match is another giant man, Dilsher Shanky, who stands over 7 feet tall. Both men were trained by The Great Khali.
Rey Mysterio, Ricochet, Dilsher Shanky, Giant Zanjeer vs King Corbin, Cesaro, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Dolph Ziggler
Shanky and Ziggler start off the match, and Shanky over powers ziggler, before connecting with a big boot. Nakamura attacks from behind, and Shanky hits a big splash on both. Giant Zanjeer tags in, and he hits a splash of his own. The heels run away, and the show goes to a break. Back from the break, the heels are in control of the match. Shinsuke tries a pin, and the heels work over Rey Mysterio in their corner. Corbin tags in, and quickly tags out, as the heels keep the advantage. Rey fights out, and tries to make a tag, but Ziggler cuts him off. The heels knock the face team off of the apron, and this allows Rey to pick up the pace. Rey tags in Ricochet, who takes down Ziggler with a standing tilt-o-whirl take down, and follows up by dropping Ziggler on his head. Ricochet hits a standing shooting star press, and tries a pin, but Ziggler kicks out. Ziggler gets up and hits a zig zag, then tags in Cesaro. Ricochet fights to make a tag, and brings in the Giant, who tags in Shanky. Shanky hit a massive standing elbow drop on Ziggler, and Giant Zanjeer takes out the other heels. Shanky then tosses Ricochet over the top rope, and out onto the heel team. Shanky tags in Mysterio, who leaps off of Shanky shoulders, and pins Cesaro for the 1-2-3.
After a video package for Girlup.Org, AJ Styles, accompanied by Omos, makes his way into the Thunderdome. AJ will be taking on Jeet Rama, who has a past win over Chad Gable. The show heads to a break, and comes back with a promo from Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns. Roman says he has to “put food on the table” for all WWE superstars, and that comes “with a price”. Heyman wishes a Happy Republic Day, and it’s time to start the match.
AJ Styles vs Jeet Rama
The match starts off with a tie up, and Rama backs AJ into the corner. After a brief separation, they tie up, and AJ locks on a headlock. Rama scores a takedown, and locks in an arm-bar. They both work into the corner, and AJ starts to take control. Styles gets a roll up, but Rama kicks out, and starts to fire up. AJ hits a few shoulders into the abdomen of Styles in the corner, and locks on a second arm-bar. Rama continues the hold, and Styles forces his way out. Rama answers with some big right hands, and knocks AJ to the outside. Rama follows him, and AJ hits a big right hand of his own, before a commercial break. Back from the break, AJ is in control of things, working over the neck of Rama. Rama tries to fight out, but gets caught with an elbow. Rama starts to feel himself, and fires up on AJ, before throwing him across the ring. Rama lines up for the next move, but AJ catches him. Rama hits a release German suplex, and tries a pin, but AJ gets his foot on the ropes. Rama takes a second to be proud of himself, before going back to work on AJ. They go to the top rope, but AJ slips out, and rips Rama’s feet out from under him. Rama hits his face on the way down, and then gets caught with a drop toe hold onto the other post. AJ tries a pin, but Rama kicks out once again. AJ goes for the Styles Clash, but Rama overpowers him into the corner. AJ escapes, and locks on the Calf Crusher. Rama refuses to tap out, and fights back by slamming Styles head into the mat. Styles let’s go of the hold, and both men are tired. Rama tries a kick, but gets caught by Styles. Rama reverses an attempt, and throws Styles a second time. They go to the top rope again, and Rama tries to hit a big move, but Omos saves Styles. Rama flings himself across the ring, and Styles sets up for the Phenomenal Forearm. Styles lands the move, and covers Rama for the 1-2-3. After the match, AJ claps for Jeet Rama, and shows a bit of respect.
Once that match is finished, a video package for Indus Sher is played. Both members talk about how they got to WWE, as footage from the teams time in NXT is shown. After the video package, The New Day comes out to the ring, and I’m not sure why. The show heads to another break.
When the show returns from the break, Big E and Xavier Woods talk about how happy they are to be here. E says “the greatest talent from around the world” have competed today, and they introduce us to... The Street Profits interrupt, who cut the New Day off, so they can help introduce... a group of street performers. After a colorful display, they turn it over to a group of women in the ring. The group busts a move together, and dances to some hip Bollywood style music. We’re then taken to the back, where The Great Khali has a message for everyone, in the native language. Charlotte Flair makes her way into the ThunderDome, and she’s joined by Sareena Sandhu. Sandhu is a “first generation Indian-American”, and she’s trained by the same person as Bayley, who she will face tonight.
Charlotte Flair and Sareena Sandhu vs Natalya and Bayley
Natalya starts off against Charlotte Flair, and they exchange a few arm holds. Natalya hits a snap-mare, and runs the ropes, but Charlotte kips up. Bayley tags in, and Charlotte goes to work on her, as well as Natalya. Charlotte tags in Sareena, and she takes out both heels. Charlotte follows up with a baseball slide, and she dances with Sareena. Back from the break, Charlotte remains in control, throwing Bayley across the ring. Charlotte misses a running attempt on the corner, and Sareena tags herself in. After going back and fourth with Bayley, Sareena hits a big slam, and tries a pin. Bayley fights to her feet, and tags in Natalya, but Sareena hits a neck breaker on her. Sareena goes to the top rope, but Bayley stops her, which allows Natalya to take control. Bayley hits a chop block to the knee of Sareena, and tosses her to Natalya, who tries a pin. Sareena kicks out, and the heels work together briefly, before Natalya locks in a leg lock. Sareena reverses the pressure, and then tries to tag in Flair. Bayley blasts Charlotte off of the apron, and Natalya continues to work on Sareena, until Charlotte hits a boot on Bayley from out of nowhere to follow up the cheap shot. This all allows Natalya to lock a sharpshooter on Sareena, and Flair hits Natural Selection on Natalya to break the submission hold. The move allows Sandhu to try a pin, and she covers Natalya for the 1-2-3. Wow, what a win for the newcomer! The show then heads to a commercial break, as “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair makes his way to the ring. During the break, we here from former Mae Young Classic competitor Kavita Devi. Once the break is over, Flair is in the ring, and wishes everyone “a very happy Republic Day”.
Indus Sher and Drew McIntyre vs Jinder Mahal and The Bollywood Boys
Before the match, Jinder says we should be celebrating “the return of The Modern Day Maharaja”. He continues to talk, but he’s then cut off by the face team. WWE Champion Drew McIntyre tells Jinder not to interrupt “Flair when he is talking”, and follows up by telling him “this is about India”.
Mahal and McIntyre start off the match, but Jinder tags in Sunil Singh. Singh tries a chop, to no affect on McIntyre. They fight into the corner, and Drew hits a chop of his own. Drew tags in Rinku, who displays some impressive power, before hitting a standing elbow drop. Singh tags in his brother, while Rinku tags in Saurav, and he tires a pin, after a big power slam. Rinku comes back in, and they hit a double team move on Sunil. Samir comes from behind to attack Indus Sher, but they don’t budge. McIntyre then tosses Samir from the ring, and onto the rest of his own team on the floor. After a commercial break, Indus Sher works over one half of the Bollywood Boys. Samir tries to bring the fight to Rinku, and begins to pick up the pace. Jinder Mahal tags in, and works over Rinku in the corner. After a brief separation, Jinder tags in Sunil, as Samir hits an elbow drop. Sunil hits an elbow drop of his own, and tries a cover, but Rinku kicks out. The Bollywood Boyz work over Rinku together, until Rinku powers out, and starts to go to work. Jinder quickly tags himself in, and works on the arm of Rinku. They both work back to their feet, and Mahal takes a minute to gloat, but Rinku catches him with a slam. McIntyre then tags in, and fires up on everyone. Drew sends Mahal across the ring, and hits a neck breaker, before attempting the Claymore. Jinder reverses, catching McIntyre with a knee, who tags in the Bollywood Boys. Saurav looks unstoppable as he hits move after move on the boys, until Mcintyre hits a Claymore on Mahal. Indus Sher then hits a double team move on Samir, and finishes him off for the 1-2-3.
Thats all for the Superstar Spectacle Recap. Hopefully there will be more shows like this! As always, thanks for stopping by the recap, and have a great rest of your day!
