What looked like a blood feud might have been a good feud, and perhaps that was one of the problems with the layout of this disappointing and overlong affair.
Sabu was a late inclusion in proceedings as a device for dealing with the obvious numbers disadvantage between respective associates The JAS and Roderick Strong, but after the 'Suicidal, Homicidal, Genocidal' maniac used a chair and a table (!) to unleash his brand of destruction, the contest felt stilted and disjointed.
At 17 minutes, it was far from the longest match on the card, but you'd be forgiven for thinking otherwise. A handcuff chain was a nice callback to the flashpoint moment of their programme, but the makeshift dog collar portion dragged like just about everything else and assisted spots with it failed to connect live.
This was laid bare at the finish. After everything peaked with Britt Baker and Saraya's kendo stick war, Cole blackened Jericho's eye and won via stoppage. Las Vegas - already miffed with an under-delivery of a show - hated it, and the series might have felt doomed had it not been for an upcoming mixed tag booking and Jericho fireballing a poor backstage staffer.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
