Madison Rayne defeated Brooke Tessmacher
The first of the World Title Series matches begin with two athletic knockouts. Rayne and Tessmacher, similar in offensive styles, clicked tonight in the ring. They started with a simple wristlock and a headlock combination, with some hip tosses. Rayne hits a dropkick onto Brooke, knocking her off of the second rope. She connects with a flying elbow, but Rayne is able to recover and connect with a Rayne Check to pick up the win.
I give credit to both women tonight. It was a smooth match with little missteps. There were minimal flaws and not many timing issues. There was no “big” moment, more of a traditional wrestling match with a focus on their execution. Solid contest to start the night.
Bram defeated Rockstar Spud
Bram starts the offensive early on, working on the neck of Spud. Spud fires back with some punches and a dropkick, but Bram makes sure he gets aggressive. He throws Spud into the steel steps. He follows it with a big boot. Spud hits a few forearm shots, a spinning heel kick and then tries to finish off Bram quickly. Bram stops him in his tracks with the Brighter Side of Suffering for the win.
Another solid match, with a booking that was predictable yet effective. Bram is so much better in every sense than Spud. He looks like a potential champion and I love how every match shows some sort of his rugged aggression. Whether it is an illegal choke or throwing his opponent into steps, writers always make sure that he is used correctly. Good match and good storytelling from both men, two completely different skill sets.
