11 Ups & 4 Downs From ALL IN 2018

7. Black Machismo Rides Again

Flip Gordon earned a Ring Of Honor Title shot by winning the Zero Hour battle royal, having disguised himself as Being The Elite banter boy Chico El Luchador, before removing his mask and eliminating a stunned Bully Ray. BTE storylines meant this was always likely, but it still hit the mark.

He then delivered a perfectly solid clash with Jay Lethal, who was in full on showman mode himself. Accompanied by Lanny Poffo, he channeled his old Black Machismo character, busting out his pitch perfect Randy Savage tribute act for the first time in years. Brandi Rhodes tapped him out of it midway through. From there, the bout was significantly less interesting, but both men worked hard regardless.

Hopes of a Gordon upset were dashed when Lethal nailed his opponent with a top rope Cutter, then the Lethal Injection for the victory. Still, getting on the main card was enough for Flip. BTE had been building to this for months, and while he never looked like stealing the show, Gordon likely had boatloads of fun in what was comfortably the biggest match of his career to date.

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Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.