How To Watch The WWE In A Fun, Focused Manner 16: The Expedition For Gold

2017 was an excellent year in wrestling. WWE went really experimental pushing their first ever all UK tournament, its first successful all-women tournament in this century, and booking NXT storylines that surpassed their normal Raw and Smackdown roster. Impact was trying desperately to pull up out of the tailspin they'd been in for a couple of years, and while they didn't exactly have a banner year, they did look better at the end of 2017 than they did at the beginning. And ROH's relationship with New Japan helped their production finally level up to the talent of their wrestlers. 

This and next season are the most tournament-centric of all-time, and they're mostly a blast. We also have some killer title runs and feuds. In particular, The Expedition For Gold that finds The Hardy Boyz reuniting in Impact, winning the titles, then taking going after the title in a variety of indie promotions in a quest to be The Tag Team Champions Of All Space And Time. They pop up in ROH to take the titles, and the day after they drop the ROH titles, they show up in the WWE in yet another title match, It is still an unprecedented feat. 

Since the days of Hulkamania, it's been pretty rare that a champion reigns over an entire season of this curated watchthrough. That said, there are three champs who walk into this season with the title and make it until at least the final episode with the titles around their waists.

Season 16:
​The Expedition For Gold

Starring: Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, The Young Bucks, Kevin Owens, AJ Styles, Asuka, Bobby Roode, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, Samoa Joe, Shinsuke Nakamura, Mickie James, Alexa Bliss, The Authors Of Pain, ​John Cena, Marty Scurrl, Tyler Bate, Will Ospreay, Ember Moon, Jay Lethal, John Cena, Gail Kim, Decay,  DIY

1601. UK Memorial Tournament, 2017

​A full story in one episode, as we see the formation of what will become NXT UK's men's divison, as well as a non-tournament match between the future Pac and the future Aleister Black. Many, unfortunately, we won't see again, which is a shame because there are some great matches here.

Announcers: Michael Cole, Nigel McGuinness, Andy Shepherd

1. Trent Seven vs HC Dyer
2. Wolfgang vs Tyson T-Bone
3. Mark Andrews vs Dan Moloney
4. Tyler Bate vs Tucker
5. Pete Dunne vs Sam Gradwell 
6. Mark Andrews vs Joseph Conners
7. Wolfgang vs Trent Seven 
8. Tyler Bate vs Jordan Devlin 
9. Pete Dunne vs Mark Andrews 
10. Tyler Bate vs Wolfgang
11. Pac (as Neville) vs Aleister Black (as Tommy End)
12. Tyler Bate vs Pete Dunne

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1602. Despite All My Rage I'm Still Just A Rat In A Cage Maaaaaaan, 2017

Announcers: Jerry Lawler, JBL, Mauro Ranallo, David Otunga, Tom Phillips, Michael Cole, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Austin Aries, Jojo, Greg Hamilton

The Best Friends continue to deal with former SHIELD members, John Cena renews his feud with AJ Styles, we get a killer cruiserweight match, and a rumble to set up the rest of the season's storylines.

1. Kevin Owens (WWE Universal Champ) vs Roman Reigns
2. Rich Swann (WWE Cruserweight Champ) vs Pac
3. AJ Styles (WWE Champ) vs John Cena
4. Royal Rumble
Big Cass, Chris Jericho, Kalisto, Mojo Rawley, Jack Gallagher, Mark Henry, Braun Strowman, Sami Zayn, Big Show, Tye Dillinger, James Ellsworth, Dean Ambrose, Baron Corbin, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Sheamus, Big E, Rusev, Cesaro, Xavier Woods, Bray Wyatt, Apollo Crews, Randy Orton, Dolph Ziggler, Brody Lee, Brock Lesnar, Enzo Amore, Goldberg, The Undertaker, Roman Reigns

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1603. The Festival Of Friendship, 2017

Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens celebrate their reign of terror as best friends and then it all falls apart. Mickie James returns to the WWE and has a killer match with Becky Lynch, we crown a new WWE champ in the elimination chamber, a women's title match, and then audience footage of a Cruiserweight title match just for something different. And in the end, Goldberg tries for his first title in over a decade when he battles Chris Jericho's former best friend.

Announcers: Michael Cole, JBL, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Mauro Ranallo, David Otunga, Tom Phillips, Jojo, Greg Hamilton

1. Mickie James vs Becky Lynch
2. Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship
John Cena (WWE Champ) vs Bray Wyatt, AJ Styles, The Miz, Dean Ambrose & Baron Corbin


3. Charlotte Flair (WWE Womens Champ) vs Bayley
​4. Pac  (as Neville) (WWE Cruiserweight Champ) vs Austin Aries
​5. Kevin Owens (WWE Universal Champ) vs Goldberg

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1604. Anything Goes, 2016

When ROH was in its earliest days, they tried to create a faction that went against their Honor Protocols. It was stupid, and seemed like a waste of the talents of Christopher Daniels and Samoa Joe. Fourteen years later, though, and a DX/NWO style faction bumping up against management seems realistic. Particularly when the management doesn't hog the limelight, and the faction creating havoc is Bullet Club. There are some excellent matches here, including our chronology's debut of Dragon Lee.

Announcers: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness, Matt Taven, Bobby Cruise
​
1. Adam Page vs Jay Briscoe in an Anything Goes Match
2. The Addiction vs Hiroshi Tanahashi & Michael Elgin & Los Ingobernables de Japón
3. Jay Lethal (ROH Champ) vs Adam Cole
4. Dragon Lee vs Kamaitachi
5. The Addiction (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Young Bucks vs Motor City Machine Guns in a Ladder Match

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1605. Glorious, 2017

Just a class episode of strong style wrestling.

Announcers: Corey Graves, Nigel McGuinness, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, Mike Rome 

1. Andrade vs Roderick Strong
2. DIY (NXT Tag Team Champs) vs Authors Of Pain
3. Shinsuke Nakamura (NXT Champ) vs Bobby Roode
4. Authors Of Pain (NXT Tag Team Champs) vs DIY vs FTR
5. Asuka (NXT Womens' Champ) vs Ember Moon
​6. Bobby Roode (NXT Champ) vs Shinsuke Nakamura

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1606. Bound For Gold

The Expedition For Gold begins as The Broken Hardys journey to several wrestling promotions to win every tag team title in space and time. It's a weird and very fun little storyarc. We also sort of see Global Force Wrestling (the post-TNA/Impact Jeff Jarret promotion) unify with Impact in a match between an underrated WWE superstar, Bobby Lashley, and an overrated WWE wrestler, Alberto Del Rio. 

Announcers: Don West, Josh Matthews, The Pope, Robert Flores, Jeremy Borash, Christy Hemme, McKenzie Mitchell

1. Joaquin Wilde (Impact X Division Champ) vs Trevor Lee
2. Bound For Gold Gauntlet Match
(Jesse Godderz, Drake Maverick, The Blade, LA Knight, Mr Stone, Baron Dax, Grado, Sylvester Lefort, Tyrus, Shera)

3. Decay (Impact Tag Team Champs) vs Hardy Boyz
4. Maria (Impact Knockout Champs) vs Gail Kim
5. Hardy Boyz (Space & Time Tag Team Champs) vs Mexicools (Crash Tag Team Champs)

6. James Storm vs EC3 in a Strap Match
7. Bobby Lashley (Impact Heavyweight Champ) vs Alberto Del Rio (as Albert el Patron) (GFW Champ)

8. Hardy Boyz (Space & Time Tag Team Champs) vs Dirty Money (MCW Tag Team Champs)

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1607. Undisputed Legacy 2016, 2017

This episode is practically a teaser for AEW but it also includes the stealth continuation of The Expedition For Gold, as The Hardy Boyz set their sights on the ROH title.

Announcers: Kevin Kelley, Matt Taven, Ian Riccaboni, Bobby Cruise

1. Cody Rhodes vs Jay Lethal
2. Marty Scurrl (ROH TV Champ) vs Dragon Lee vs Will Ospreay
3. Young Bucks (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Briscoes
4. Adam Cole (ROH Champ) vs Kyle O'Reilly in a No DQ Match
5. Young Bucks vs Lio Rush & Jay White

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1608. 15th Anniversary Show, 2017

Does the Expedition For Gold end with a Superkick Party? Maybe? Also, New Japan's future stars are in ROH absolutely tearing things up on their respective ways to AEW and the WWE.

​Kevin Kelley, Colt Cabana, Ian Riccaboni, Bobby Cruise

1. Bobby Fish vs Jay Lethal
2. Marty Scurrl (ROH TV Champ) vs Lio Rush
3. The Hardy Boyz (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Young Bucks vs Roppongi Vice in a Street Fight
​
4. Dragon Lee & Jay White vs Volador Jr & Will Ospreay
5. The Hardy Boyz (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Young Bucks
6. Will Ospreay vs Jay White
7. Young Bucks (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Los Ingobernobles De Japon 

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1609. Raising The Bar

We reach the end of the Jericho/Owens story (for our purposes) and also see the surprising finish of the Hardy Brothers' Expedition For Gold.

Announcers: Michael Cole, JBL, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, David Otunga, Greg Hamilton, Jojo

1. The Good Brothers vs The Bar vs The Hardy Boyz vs Enzo & Cass
2. AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon
3. Seth Rollins vs Samoa Joe
4. Bayley (WWE Womens' Champ) vs Alexa Bliss
5. Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins vs The Miz in a No DQ Match (Raw 5/1/17)
6. Kevin Owens (US Champ) vs Chris Jericho

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1610. 205 Live

Announcers: Jim Ross , 

1. Tony Nese vs. Brian Kendrick vs. TJ Perkins vs. Austin Aries vs. Akira Tozawa
2. Pac (as Neville) vs Mustafa Ali
3. Pete Dunne vs Trent Seven
4. Tyler Bate (NXT UK Champ) vs Mark Andrews 
5. Brian Kendrick vs. Akira Tozawa in a Hardcore Match
​6. Drew Gulak vs Mustafa Ali in a 2/3 Falls Match

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1611. Hardcore Stipulations, 2017 

It's the end ... for now ... of the nostalgic reign of The Hardy Boyz across multiple organizations. We also see a killer ambulance match, and the beginning of a different Money In The Bank storyline than we've grown accustomed to.

Announcers: Michael Cole, JBL, Booker T, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Greg Hamilton, Jojo

1. The Hardy Boyz (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Bar in a Steel Cage Match
2. Finn Balor vs Bray Wyatt vs Seth Rollins vs Samoa Joe vs Roman Reigns in a Hardore Match

3. AJ Styles vs Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn vs Shinsuke Nakamura vs Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin in a Money In The Bank Ladder Match

4. Braun Stroman vs Roman Reigns in an Ambulance Match
5. Heath Slater vs Curt Hawkins
6. John Cena vs Shinsuke Nakamura

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1612. Four On The Floor, 2017

A smorgasbord of talent goes many heads to many heads in this all title match episode. Reunions, rematches, and the domination of Brrrrrrrrrrrrock Lesnar continues.

Announcers: Michael Cole, JBL, Booker T, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Greg Hamilton, Jojo

1. Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champ) vs Samoa Joe
2. Jinder Mahal (WWE Champ) vs John Cena
3. New Day (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Usos
4. Naomi (WWE Smackdown Womens Champ) vs Natalya
5. Alexa Bliss (WWE Raw Womens Champ) vs Sasha Banks
6. The Bar (WWE Raw Tag Team Champs) vs SHIELD
7. AJ Styles (WWE US Champ) vs Kevin Owens
8. Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champ) vs Roman Reigns vs Samoa Joe vs Braun Stroman in a Fatal 4-Way

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1613. Knockouts Knockdown, 2013-6

It's very important to note that Impact Wrestling went all-in on womens' wrestling years before Stephanie McMahon's "Evolution" movement. And, to some degree, they did it well. BUT, none of the events during this era of Impact were very good. The final year's event was written and produced by Billy Corgan and the writing and some of the wrestling is less convincing than a Kindergarten holiday play. It's flushed somewhere in the sewer around late Vince Russo WCW. I don't want to watch it, BUT there are enough good matches over the four years of the tournament to make one decent episode. And, honestly, the men of Impact weren't doing much better. 

Announcers: Mike Tenay, Taz,  Jeremy Borash, Josh Matthews, Christy Hemme, Mike Bennet, Maria

1. Serena Deeb vs Mickie James
2. Gail Kim vs Veda Scott
3. Madison Rayne vs Jessicka Havok
4. Karlee Perez vs Taryn Terrell
5. Brittany vs Mia Yim
6. Gail Kim vs Jessicka Havok vs Taryn Terrell
7. Allysin Kin vs Gail Kim
8. Mia Yim (as Jade) vs Leva Bates
9. Rosemary vs Veda Scott

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1614. Mae Young Classic, 2017

Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah were the o.g. female division in the WWE. During the Rock & Wrestling and New Generation, Alundra Blayze, The Jumping Bomb Angels, Bull Nakano, and Bertha Faye were the entire division. The Attitude Era brought dozens of talented women, and while they often were put in stupid pillowcase or pudding matches, the likes of Chyna, Lita, Trish Stratus, Mickie James, Ivory, Jazz, and more were given the occasional moment to shine as athletes. Then, a couple of seasons ago we introduced NXT, and The Four Horsewomen, Natalya, Asuka, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Nia Jax, Ember Moon and more started being taken seriously and putting on banger matches. Well, welcome to Gen 5 of WWE's womens' division. Almost all of these names are future main eventers in WWE, Impact, NWA, and AEW.

Announcers: Jim Ross, Lita, Charly Caruso, Lillian Garcia

1. Jazzy Gabert vs Abbey Laith
2. Mia Yim vs Sarah Logan
3. Santana Garrett vs Piper Niven
4. Tessa Blanchard vs Kairi Sane
5. Rachel Evers vs Abbey Laith
6. Serena Deeb vs Piper Niven
7. Kairi Sane vs Bianca Belair
8. Mia Yim vs Shayna Baszler
9. Rhea Ripley vs Dakota Kai
10. Toni Storm vs. Piper Niven
11. Dakota Kai vs Kairi Sane
12. Shayna Baszler vs Mercedes Martinez
13. Toni Storm vs Kairi Sane
14. Kari Sane vs Shayna Baszler

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1615. Pandermania, 2017

A night of matches where wrestlers begged their way into existing feuds, and we get yet another another McMahon family storyline but this one is brief and features a fantastic match with Kevin Owens. 

Announcers: Michael Cole, Booker T, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Greg Hamilton, Jojo

1. The SHIELD (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Bar
2. Alexa Bliss (WWE Raw Womens Champ)  vs Bayley vs Emma vs Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks
3. New Day (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Usos in Hell In A Cell
4. AJ Styles (WWE US Champ) vs Tye Dillinger vs Baron Corbin
5. Kevin Owens vs Shane McMahon in Hell In A Cell Falls Count Anywhere Match

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1616. No One's AMPed For GFW, 2017
​
Global Force wrestling was nobody's favorite wrestling company. Jeff Jarret's desperate attempt to get back into the biz after losing TNA/Impact was filled with some really talented wrestlers but never seemed to have interesting enough storylines, and their announcers were out of their depths. So here we have a couple of GFW matches, and also some matches where their titles were folded into Impact. Sadly, this will be the only episode where we'll see Virgil Flynn III.

Announcers: Josh Matthews, The Pope, Chael Sonnen, Cyrus Fees, Jeremy Borash

1. LAX (Impact Tag Team Champs) vs Drago & El Hijo del Fantasma vs Angel Garza & Laredo Kid vs  Naomichi Marufuji & Taiji Ishimori

2. Sonjay Dutt (Impact X Division Champ) vs Low-Ki in a 2/3 Falls Match
3. Sienna (GFW Womens Champ) vs Rosemary (Impact Knockout Champ)
4. KUSHIDA vs Virgil Flynn
5. Eddie Edwards vs LA Knight (as Eli Drake)
6. PJ Black vs Jigsaw vs Virgil Flynn vs TJ Perkins for Inaugural GFW Nextgen Title

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1617. The Demon Returns, 2017

I've mentioned many times in this chronology that the womens' division keeps improving because they allow them to be athletes over sex symbols. But they also give them stories on par with the mens' division. Usually, that's not great. WWE creative is....inconsistent. But sometimes they can make a story real simple. The young upstart champ, after an incredible match says there's no competition left, and when it's pointed out that there's a six time champion she's never faced, Alexa Bliss says she won't fight an old lady. Sometimes, a story can be that basic and be intriguing. We also see Kurt Angle in his first WWE match in over a decade as he subs in for an ill Roman Reigns in a SHIELD match. Oh, and as the title suggests, Finn Balor paints himself for another run as The Demon.

Announcers: Michael Cole, Booker T, Byron Saxton, Corey Graves, Tom Phillips, Mike Rome, Greg Hamilton, Jojo

1. Alexa Bliss (WWE Womens Raw Champ) vs Mickey James
2. Finn Balor vs AJ Styles 
3. The Usos (WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champs) vs New Day vs Chad Gable & Shelton Benjamin vs Rusev &Aiden English

4. Brock Lesnar (WWE Universal Champ) vs AJ Styles
5. The SHIELD vs  Braun Strowman, The Miz, Kane, and The Bar in a TLC Match

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1618. Death Before Final Battle, 2017

It's Bulletclubmania as Marty Scurrl, the Young Bucks, and Kenny Omega just own this episode. we get to see KUSHIDA in action on a bigger stage than GFW, we get our first glimpse of the future Viking Raiders, Will Ospreay and Flip Gordon put on a flippy flippy clinic, and then every finisher in ROH interrupts the Kenny Omega match. It's chaotic awesome.

1. KUSHIDA (ROH TV Champ) vs Marty Scurll
2. Young Bucks (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Best Friends vs War Machine in a Tornado Tag
3. KUSHIDA (ROH TV Champ) vs Kenny King
4. Jay Lethal vs Silas Young in a Last Man Standing Match
5. Young Bucks (ROH Tag Team Champs) vs Motor City Machine Guns
6. Will Ospreay vs Flip Gordon
7. Kenny Omega (IWGP US Champ) vs YOSHI-HASHI

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​1619.  Takeover Takeover

Announcers: Jim Ross, Nigel McGuinness, Mauro Ranallo, Tom Phillips, Percy Watson, Mike Rome

1. Tyler Bate (NXT UK Champ) vs Pete Dunn
2. Bobby Roode (NXT Champ) vs Kenta (as Hideo Itami)
3. Asuka (NXT Womens Champ) vs Nikki Cross in a Last Man Standing Match
4. Malakai Black (as Aleister Black) vs Kenta (as Hideo Itami)
5. Asuka (NXT Womens Champ) vs Ember Moon
6. Authors Of Pain (NXT Tag Team Champs) vs DIY

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1620. Takeover War Games

The end of the Tyler Bates/Pete Dunne UK title trilogy is just one of the highlights of this killer episode where Andrade ascends to the top of NXT, and Adam Cole bay bay arrives to begin The Undisputed Era.

1. Andrade vs Johnny Gargano
2. Bobby Roode (NXT Champ) vs Drew McIntyre
3. Malakai Black (as Aleister Black) vs Velveteen Dream
4. Drew McIntyre (NXT Champ) vs Andrade
5. Pete Dunne (NXT UK Champ) vs Tyler Bate
6. Adam Cole & reDRagon (as Undisputed Era) vs Sanity vs Authors of Pain in a War Games Match