Monday, May 30, 2011

5/30/11 RAW

Ratings:
Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston: **1/2

Kelly Kelly & Eve Torres vs. Brie Bella & Nikki Bella: 3/4*

CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio: **3/4

Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger: *

R-Truth vs. John Cena: DUD
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Reviews/Thoughts:
And we open with a Memorial Day video package, of course.

Woohoo R-Truth by the merchandise stand. I think he's much better on the mic as a heel. To me, he's just way more entertaining that way.

Great match between Ziggler and Kingston. The right guy won here. Dolph needs to get pushed again. Screw the black hair, I'm glad he went back to blonde.

Decent promo with Del Rio and Ricardo. Feuding with Kane perhaps?

Average divas match in this one. Better than most of the divas matches I've seen lately, so that's a plus. Looking forward to this Kharma interview later in the night.

And now Cole's segment with Riley. Cole of course takes Miz's side. Riley comes out to new theme music...it sounds OK to me. I like the opening to the theme for sure.

Cole of course forgets about Virgil attacking DiBiase in a similar manner, calling this the worst form of backstabbing and treachery in WWE history. Well, I guess that's true in a sense because the Virgil stuff was back in WWF days and we were actually allowed to say "wrestling" on the show. I like how WWE is using Alex Riley. Riley is getting lots of pops from the crowd because Miz and Cole are so good at generating heel heat.

Wait, they're allowed to say "bastard" on WWE programming? Huh?! Sure. Nice brawl for Riley and Miz.

Whoa, another great match? But it was between Rey and Punk. No surprise there.

It's Kharma promo time. I absolutely loved it. It was honest, it was serious, and it capitalized on Kharma's potential as a face. Kharma is pregnant and will be back in about a year. Bellas come out to get heel heat. So wait a minute, could we really have a divas feud planned for a year from now? What is going on here? WWE is actually doing something with the divas that I'm interested in -- big time.

Yeah, that main event was lame. At least it had a purpose to get R-Truth a win and mega heel heat.

5/30/11 Tough Enough

Reviews/Thoughts:
We're down to three!

The TE contestants are gonna take everything they learned. And they're looking good. Trainers are loving it. And then Andy botches a bit and the trainers are all over it. One little mistake can send you home man. More screwups from the other two.

THE MIZ! Woohoo! Photo shoot time pretending you're the WWE champion! Andy definitely out of his element, but loosened up at the end. Luke, on the other hand, looks very comfortable.Jeremiah with no teeth! Shocked Miz, and I like it.

More in-ring training. Andy looking real good. Hell, they all look good in the ring now.

WWE likes to give back to the fans. Visiting the Children's Hospital. Very cool.

Last bit of training. Sequence of moves. Andy came to the dance on this one. Luke has the confidence, that swagger that I like. Jeremiah is an athlete, and also shows he can still have that occasional mess-up.

It's time for all three to pack their bags and find out who's eliminated.

Friday, May 27, 2011

5/27/11 Smackdown

Ratings:
Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero: *3/4

Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan: **1/4

Ezekiel Jackson vs. Heath Slater: 1/4*

Kane vs. The Great Khali: DUD

Alicia Fox & Tamina vs. AJ & Kaitlyn: N/A (too short)

Sheamus vs. Christian vs. Mark Henry: ***
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Reviews/Thoughts:
I like Sheamus and Mark Henry stepping up to the plate. At least both are not getting lost in the shuffle here. Well, at least not yet.

Another Sin Cara match that wasn't too shabby. Again though, it was basically a 5-minute spot monkey match for Sin Cara.

Very good match between Daniel Bryan and Cody Rhodes. Great spot with DB doing his flip off the ropes but then eats a Beautiful Disaster from Cody. I like the post-match beatdown from Rhodes as well. We got a program for DB! Woohoo! Vintage heel Cole!

I've said this before, but the Ezekiel Jackson multiple bodyslams have to be the lamest face comeback move ever. I do like the torture rack finisher, though.

Kane/Khali should never be done again. And thus starts the Khali heel turn! Finally.

Big Show has been written off TV. Sucks.

Booker calls out Michael Cole! Best line of the night...Josh Mathews calling Michael Cole a pompous ass.

Hey, finally those NXT rookie divas from Season 3 get air time! Vintage split screen segment to air a taped promo of sorts! I won't rate this one because it was just too short. Unfortunate that AJ and Kaitlyn had to lose.

Savage tribute time. Awesome.

Very good triple threat match. Liked the Orton interference because it can easily be used as ammo for a Christian heel turn. I also like Sheamus getting the title shot so Orton can have some fresh blood to feast on. Next week, we got Orton/Sheamus for the title!

5/26/11 Superstars

Ratings:
Santino Marella vs. Zack Ryder: *1/4

Curt Hawkins vs. JTG: **1/2

Tyson Kidd vs. Trent Barreta: ***
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Reviews/Thoughts:
I loved Santino's Cobra to both of Zack Ryder's legs. However, Santino having his "second thoughts" when trying a top-rope move looked weird.

Hawkins and JTG got a lot of time. See? A good match was the result.

Armando Estrada is the new manager of Tyson Kidd. I wish he kept the rolling "R" dealie like he had with Umaga. But sure, he can be a businessman. I like what Striker mentioned about Kidd needing a businessman more than a coach or manager. It puts over Kidd's in-ring abilities a lot better.

Look at that: Hawkins and Kidd both using the top-rope elbow. Has Randy Savage influenced people or what?

Thursday, May 26, 2011

5/26/11 Impact

Ratings:
AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels vs. Bully Ray & Tommy Dreamer (Street Fight): *1/4

Jeff Jarrett vs. Matt Morgan: 3/4*

Mickie James vs. Winter: DUD

Abyss vs. Brian Kendrick (X-Division Title): 1/4*

Eric Young vs. Gunner (TV Title): N/A

Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam: *1/2
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Impact also did a Randy Savage graphic acknowledging his death. And yes, I do love the opening to the show better than when it was TNA.

Yay! We start off with WRESTLING and not with a 15-minute promo! It was a physical street fight, but nothing real special to me. At least the crowd enjoyed it.

A Scorpion Sitdown? Sure, because it's Mr. Anderson in vintage Sting attire! YES! DISCO INFERNO! But dammit! I wanted his old disco inferno music!

Velvet Sky and ODB promo. ODB blames Velvet for ODB getting fired. Wonder where this goes. Actually, I don't care much right now.

Jarrett/Morgan was your typical match where the face gets screwed. At least here, there was a false finish of sorts...otherwise the rating would have been even lower.

Knockouts match was boring. Angelina Love attacking Mickie got some heat, but not a lot. Guess a bunch of people were at the restroom.

That X-Division title match sucked.

The TV Title match was an absolute joke. Good grief.

Angle/RVD was the best of the night, but that was expected, right? The problem was this match was also pretty bad overall.

This show absolutely stunk.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

5/24/11 NXT

Ratings:
Tyson Kidd & Lucky Cannon vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Byron Saxton: *3/4

Conan O'Brian vs. JTG: *

Titus O'Neil vs. Darren Young (No DQ): *3/4
______________

Statistics:
Here are the official NXT rookie's records as of 5/24/11:
Titus O'Neil: 7-2
Lucky Cannon: 6-3
Conor O'Brian: 4-4
Darren Young: 4-7
Jacob Novak: 2-5
Byron Saxton: 2-7
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Reviews/Thoughts:
I think they decided to get rid of Redemption Point challenges, which is the best thing I've seen this season.

Three pretty average to slightly above-average matches. The No DQ match was fine, but like the tag match. there were a bunch of slow points. The finish was nice.

Next week...another elimination! Yeah! Make the season go by faster!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

5/23/11 Tough Enough

Reviews/Thoughts:
Christina was injured at the end of the last episode, but it's just a sprain and she's still in the game.

Charisma is the theme this week. Five left, sink or swim time!

And they are wrestling. Double drop toehold...that's just wrong in a bad way. Austin's been in the biz since 1989 and never seen that. I've certainly never seen that. Jeremiah did not do well in this one.Andy and Luke got props from Bill.

Double-decker bus! Hollywood! James Roday from Psych! Assignment is conducting 10-minute tour of Hollywood Walk of Fame. AJ was was up first, and he didn't perform well at all. Same with Luke. Christina is next and performed even worse. Andy messed up on the trivia and was also pretty bad...turn around and face the people! Jeremiah showing some glimmer of hope here! Jeremiah pretty much won by default.

THE ROCK! YEAH! Easily the most charismatic character I've ever seen. Rock looks awesome in the ring. Christina is definitely bummed she can't have a turn to wrestle with Rock.

Promo time with Bill! Jeremiah did good. Two minutes. I thought Luke was also pretty decent. Christina was indeed timid (as Rock put it) and needed to give me more. Andy was not good at all, didn't bring it. AJ had THE best promo of the day. That's how you do it.

And then Rock did his VINTAGE promo!

Bottom three: Christina, AJ, and Andy. Andy stays, and Christina and AJ go home. I guess AJ's good day wasn't enough....

Next week: MIZ! VIP TREATMENT! Woohoo!

Monday, May 23, 2011

5/23/11 RAW

Ratings:
Michael McGillicutty & David Otunga vs. The Big Show & Kane (Tag Team Titles): *1/2

Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne: *

Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Eve Torres, & Gail Kim vs. Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Maryse, & Melina: N/A

Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre: *

John Cena & Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk & R-Truth: **1/4
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Yes, WWE was in Portland, Oregon, tonight. I couldn't go due to work. Looks like I missed seeing Bret Hart live. And Josh Mathews still says "Or-eh-gone." R-Truth with the heel interruption promo. Good for R-Truth, he needs the heel heat. He still has that charisma to entertain, just in a heel-ish way now. Always nice to see.

Punk on commentary was awesome -- better than the tag match.

Hmm...Big Show injury angle? Um...OK, sure.

Poor Evan Bourne. At least Swagger re-introduced his Swagger Bomb as a finisher. Oh wait, then Bourne got a piece of Swagger after the match. Feud maybe?

Cole apologizes, Lawler shows the awesome photos of last night. Good, hopefully that feud is over.

Miz promo time. Of course, he blames Alex Riley for the loss again. Woohoo, Riley and Miz fight! Maybe it's time for Alex Riley to shine now? The crowd was really popping for Riley here.

The divas match lasted all of 10 seconds and then enter Kharma! Divas circle around her, not backing down this time. And Kharma...drops to her knees and cries?! WTF.

Kofi/Drew didn't really matter to me. Hey! Dolph Ziggler has blonde hair again!

Finally, something meaningful: the Randy Savage tribute video. Awesome as usual. He was definitely one of my favorites growing up, watching his feuds with Hogan and Warrior. And who can ever forget his epic match with Steamboat? I got goosebumps seeing the Macho Man/Miss Elizabeth wedding storylines. He'll be missed. RIP Macho Man Randy Savage....

Good main event. Bret Sharpshooter was awesome. Punk was even rocking some vintage Randy Savage gear tonight. I love it.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

5/22/11 Over the Limit

Ratings/Analysis:
R-Truth vs. Rey Mysterio: I love R-Truth's entrance...no music, just "The Truth shall set you free!" A pretty normal match to start. Nice offense from Mysterio on the comeback; started with a nice bulldog from the top. Rey kicks out of that Lie Detector, so I guess it's just a signature move now. I felt the end was a bit anticlimactic, but it works. R-Truth needed to win this one. I also liked the water bit at the end from R-Truth, with Cole letting us know how this heel turn started. **1/4

Nice Miz promo.

Ezekiel Jackson vs. Wade Barrett (IC Title): Really just a slow, average match in the beginning. Jackson's consecutive bodyslams are the lamest face comeback move ever. And basically, that's the end of that. I can't believe the crowd actually was waking up when Jackson delivered those slams. This isn't 1985, dammit. And DQ finishes are still lame. 3/4*

Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero: Sin Cara already with a PPV match, yay. I feel like I'm gonna like this feud. I still don't get why Sin Cara's entrance lights remain the way they are during the match. Vintage Sin Cara being a spot monkey! Not a bad match here. Although it was slow at times, there were a bunch of high-flying spots to make up for it. Some good lucha libre spots too, but the finish was botched. *1/2

The Big Show & Kane vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan (Tag Team Titles): Average match here to me. Yeah, we all knew New Nexus wasn't winning, right? *1/2

Brie Bella vs. Kelly Kelly (Divas Title): WTF, did Kelly Kelly just do a "stinkface" on Brie? I liked Kelly's aggression in this one. Vintage twin magic and it's pretty much over. I was honestly hoping for Kharma to interfere in the match and nuke everyone. 3/4*

Randy Orton vs. Christian (World Heavyweight Title): And we have title match introductions after the two enter the ring, so it looks like we have foreshadowing of a good match. Nice back-and-forth action. Vintage headbutt from Christian, reminds me of some deceased wrestler that people will leave nameless. Lots of near falls, great stuff. BILLY GOAT'S CURSE FROM ORTON! WTF? I marked out right there. Amazing counters. They're still going at it! Big move after big move. Wow. Spear? No, into an Orton powerslam! Near fall! This is outstanding. Punt? No...SPEAR! NEAR FALL! WTF? It's coming down to the finishers. Counter! Counter! RKO! Match of the night. Period. Christian is frustrated...still shakes Orton's hand. I'm liking this. Keep the heel turn slow; it'll eventually happen. ****1/2

Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole (Kiss My Foot): There's no way Lawler would lose this, right? I laughed so hard when the ref tore up Cole's doctor's note. And Cole's pants are ripped 15 seconds in! Cole's foot is nasty. And the Cole Mine is dead after Lawler threw Cole into it! Effective, short match. Nice. *1/4

Eve comes out. Moonsault to Cole! Lawler removes the boot, but wait...there's more. Jim Ross! BBQ sauce! Hoping it's the hot sauce! Cole runs off. WTF, IT'S BRET HART?! Markout moment #2! Sharpshooter! Lawler's foot in Cole's mouth! Yeah!

The Miz vs. John Cena (I Quit; WWE Title): Again, championship match introductions (intros after both combatants enter the ring). Good move by Miz to utilize Alex Riley early for mind games. Cena got some offense in, and then basically got his ass kicked for a long time. Miz and Riley used a bunch of weapons. Cena trying to be SuperCena and getting cut off. Ref bump...but does it really matter too much? I actually kinda wished Miz asked "Miz Girl" about Cena instead of some random dude wearing a Cena shirt.

Then they did the ol' Rock/Mankind segment where Cena said "I quit" -- from the promo on RAW. But ha, they used Riley's cell phone. And of course Riley had to fuck up! No dice for Miz. Ref restarts the match. And here comes SuperCena. And Miz can't even last ten seconds in the STF. This was absolute crap, I'm sorry. Perhaps if Miz had actually been able to leave the PPVwith the belt, I would have given it a higher rating. But seriously, I feel like I watched some bullcrap hulking up segment from circa 1987 where the face gets methodically beaten down for 20 minutes, then the face gets a chance to come back -- and the heel loses in about two minutes. It makes zero sense to me. A waste of my damn time...at least 20 minutes I'll never get back. DUD
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Final Thoughts:
First thing I noticed was no Randy Savage video tribute before the PPV started (but they did at least acknowledge his death). I guess they are waiting until the final toxicology reports come back to see what really happened (autopsy on Savage was inconclusive).

The card was mainly average to slightly above-average. And then we got Orton/Christian in an epic match. Simply awesome. As you can see from above, I was into that one big time.

The match between Lawler and Cole may not have been the best, but it had nice crowd reaction and a very memorable post-match segment -- in a good way.

I've already said what I wanted to say about Cena/Miz.

Capitol Punishment is the name of WWE's June PPV, and it fittingly takes place in Washington, D.C. I do wonder if Batista will be around at least visiting friends backstage or something. **1/4 (thank you, Orton and Christian)

Friday, May 20, 2011

5/20/11 Smackdown

Ratings:
Christian vs. Sheamus: ***1/2

Brie Bella vs. Natalya: *

Kane, The Big Show, & Ezekiel Jackson vs. Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, & Justin Gabriel: *3/4

Daniel Bryan vs. Chavo Guerrero: *3/4

Ted DiBiase vs. Trent Barreta: N/A (squash)

The Great Khali vs. Jey Uso: DUD

Randy Orton vs. Mark Henry: *1/2
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Sheamus with a vintage pre-match taped promo! Terrific opening match here with Christian. Back-and-forth action, lots of near falls and great crowd reaction.

Frankly, I fast-forwarded through much of the promo with the Bellas. Average divas match here.

Ezekiel Jackson's promo skills are OK, not great.

Six-man tag match: Big Show is just so agile for a huge man. Damn. But Big Zeke needs to do more than that if he wants the hot tag. Seeing him do multiple slams doesn't work for me...it's too slow and uninteresting. But I like the torture rack finisher. At least the segment made him look somewhat strong.

I like Sin Cara being paired with Chavo for a feud. We should see some good stuff between the two; WWE management have given their work rave reviews. Nice match between Chavo and Daniel Bryan. It definitely got exciting at the end and I was a little shocked Bryan kicked out of that frog splash.

Sin Cara already has a T-shirt? WWE really better be pushing him good if the company is doing that.

Vintage Legacy! It's pretty clear who's the one in control here. Squash match occurred.

Khali sucks as an in-ring performer, but I like Jinder Mahal's role in all this.

Average main event, especially with Sheamus' interference.A little awkward near the end. Christian knocked Sheamus out, and Mark Henry looked like he could have at least taken a swat at Christian, but didn't. Instad, Henry charges at Orton and eats turnbuckle. Orton's got some height on his celebratory jump after his RKO to Henry.

5/19/11 Impact

Ratings:
Mickie James, Tara, & Miss Tessmacher vs. Madison Rayne, Sarita, & Rosita: 1/2*

Abyss vs. Kazarian (X-Division Title): *1/2

Samoa Joe vs. Amazing Red: N/A (squash)

Matt Hardy & Eric Bischoff vs. Max Buck & Jeremy Buck: 3/4*

Velvet Sky vs. Winter & Angelina Love: DUD
_________________

Reviews/Thoughts:
I do like the new intro and the new bluish tone to the set. But really, Jeff Hardy can still be seen in the intros. Did Impact Wrestling (the former TNA) really need a person with drug issues and a court case with several continuances to be affiliated in any way with the program?

I liked the brawl in the opening part to the show. The crowd really got into it, and at least the X-Division has a pretty prominent role right now.

Tenay and Tazz really got on opposite sides regarding the X-Division. I personally love the X-Division because, like Tenay, I've been around to watch Impact when it was in its infancy (weekly PPVs). Those matches were gold.

Regarding the six-Knockout tag match, why did Madison come out first, then her three opponents, and then Madison's two tag partners after that? Really? So Madison makes Rosita take the bullet against Tara. Fitting.

X-Division title match was OK for what it was.

Poor Amazing Red. Go back to being Sangriento already.

Good promos between Tommy Dreamer and AJ Styles.

Angle vs. Jarrett at Slammiversary with Angle's gold medal on the line? I like it. This should be the final match between the two in the series -- and at the biggest Impact PPV of the year. Nice pop for Velvet Sky pushing Karen Angle (in wheelchair) down the ramp.

I don't think the X-Division is not necessarily getting buried -- at least not yet -- but man, it's just sad to watch these matches. Kazarian lost his title in a few minutes, Red got squashed, and Eric Bischoff, of all people, pinned Max Buck.

Knockouts handicap match is the last match of the night? Um, sure. And ODB is back again? What's up with this? She leaves, comes back for one match (I believe against Madison Rayne a few months back), disappears again, and now beats up Velvet Sky. Yeah, love the logic in all this....

I laughed seeing Mr. Anderson come out in vintage 90s Sting gear to close the show.

The show overall was not that great, I'll say that. The matches were largely squash matches. The best part for me was  the Angle/Jarrett promos.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

5/19/11 Superstars

Ratings:
Tyson Kidd vs. Yoshi Tatsu: ***1/2

Sanitno Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs. Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins: **

Drew McIntyre vs. Evan Bourne: **3/4
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Another fantastic match between Kidd and Yoshi. Tough love from Michael Hayes post-match? I hope that's not the end of that relationship. Kidd needs a manager right now if he is to be pushed.

Tag match was also decent; lots of nice crowd reaction.

Was McIntyre doing the watch gesture like Stone Cold used to do? Another terrific match here too, especially when Bourne was on offense.

Superstars was awesome this week.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

5/15/11 Sacrifice

Ratings/Analysis:
Hernandez & Anarquia vs. Shannon Moore & Jesse Neal: It was your regular typical tag match, and then finally Shannon Moore got to his high-flying moves on Anarquia. I liked Sarita's and Rosita's involvement to build up the heel heat -- or well, at least they tried. Hernandez with the Dominator, huh? Cool. A pretty decent match here. **1/4

Brian Kendrick vs. Robbie E.: Kendrick kept wearing his robe throughout the match and played his weird gimmick pretty well. Match was going OK, and then Kendrick just hits what is basically a dropkick for the win? Well that was fun. *1/2

Mickie James vs. Madison Rayne (Knockouts Title): So if Mickie wins, Tara's contract to Madison is null and void. Ref took a couple of bumps here. Couple of spots in the match where it could have probably ended if it were a regular Knockouts match on Impact. Good job by Mickie, Madison, and Tara to build up the fan reaction for the end. *1/2

Kazarian vs. Max Buck (X-Division Title): Kazarian rockin' the pants instead of shorts in this one. Good chain wrestling in the beginning. Now this is a nice match. 450 splash for a near fall. Great chemistry between the two. I cringed on the powerbomb where Max's head basically bounced off the concrete...and I can't believe Max kicked out. Seriously, how is Max not dead? Nice "This is wrestling!" chants. Very nice here folks...lots of counters and the Shining Wizard for the win. ***1/4

Crimson vs. Abyss: I thought this would be some match to allow the crowd to recover from a great match prior, but it was actually not too bad. It was a pretty slow match, yes (given the size of the two guys), but it had more near falls than I thought. Pretty good for what it was, and I'm actually a bit shocked by that. *3/4

James Storm & Robert Roode vs. Matt Hardy & Chris Harris (Tag Team Titles): I was interested to see how Chris Harris did in this one. Harris wearing the AMW tights...perhaps for mind games? Match was great, but Harris was rusty in this one. Loved the Death Sentence finish by Beer Money. **3/4

AJ Styles vs. Tommy Dreamer (No DQ): Yeah you knew this was going to the crowd. Styles bleeding from the temple just a little. I liked Styles using the table to send that message to Bully Ray. Crowd definitely into this one. Fork comes into play! Bully Ray interference was predictable. Nice finish with the piledriver on the table. ***

Kurt Angle & Chyna vs. Jeff Jarrett & Karen Jarrett: So the Jarretts try the ol' "I suffered an injury at the last minute deal," and of course that didn't work out too well. Leave it to Foley to attempt to bring wrestling to the forefront. Chyna with the red, white, and blue gear in this one, and she's looking good. Loved the "Chyna's gonna kill you!" chants. Chyna really is doing nothing as the match hits the midway point, and the crowd is popping big time for her. Angle and Jeff go at it more, then Chyna gets in and does a horrible bodyslam, follows it with a decent suplex. It's Karen's turn! Double ankle locks! Sweet. Obviously, Angle and Jeff did the grunt work, but it was fun to watch. **3/4

Sting vs. Rob Van Dam (World Title): Mr. Anderson on commentary here. Not too bad to start, and then it spills to the crowd. Was that a kid chanting "holy shit" in the crowd when Sting and RVD were nearby? The two just nuked each other in the crowd, and Anderson is loving it. The first Scorpion Death Drop attempt was botched, so they did it again. Match was not the best, but it was not horrible. **1/4
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Final Reviews/Thoughts:
This was not a horrible PPV, but unfortunately, no match really stood out as epic. I'm at least happy that the matches were fairly consistent in quality. The X-Division match was the best on the card, but again, I just feel like the PPV ended with a whimper. My friend was right, I may not have seen it Sunday evening, but I didn't miss a lot. **1/2

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

5/17/11 NXT

Ratings:
Darren Young vs. Titus O'Neil: 3/4*

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Byron Saxton: *

Vladimir Kozlov vs. JTG: *1/2
______________

Statistics:
Here are the official NXT rookie's records as of 5/17/11:
Titus O'Neil: 6-2
Lucky Cannon: 5-3
Darren Young: 4-6
Conor O'Brian: 3-4
Jacob Novak: 2-5
Byron Saxton: 2-6
______________

Reviews/Thoughts:
Yay for continuity on the Chavo/Hornswoggle hatred for one another!

I have no idea what the deal is on the "wager" between Kozlov and JTG on molding their pro to their own likeness. I dozed off during JTG/Novak segment, but that Kozlov/O'Brian dance was entertaining. My feed kept on freezing though...sucks.

Do the Redemption Points even matter? There was no mention of it tonight.

Jacob Novak is eliminated with a record of 2-5 . Yeah, I didn't care for him, but I still wanted Lucky Cannon gone.

Monday, May 16, 2011

5/16/11 RAW

Ratings:
CM Punk vs. Kofi Kingston: *1/4

Kelly Kelly vs. Brie Bella: DUD

Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio: **

David Otunga & Michael McGillicutty vs. Kane & The Big Show: *1/4

John Cena vs. Jack Swagger (No Holds Barred): **1/4
_________________

Reviews/Thoughts:
Wow, Punk finally won a match for the first time in what seems like forever.

I didn't care about the divas match. I came to watch Kharma continue to nuke divas. One Bella nuked, and basically a message sent to Kelly Kelly (I think).

I liked the match between Rey and Alberto Del Rio. Of course, the real story was R-Truth's role in all this. Good job by WWE to have R-Truth keep making cameos without music. I think WWE is waiting for the right time to give R-Truth new music. No more of this "What's up?" music...it'll hopefully be something good.

Rey and R-Truth will be feuding while John Morrison recovers from minor neck surgery. Morrison should hopefully be back for SummerSlam.

Nice job on the Lawler/Cole feud. I'm seriously looking forward to that match -- even if it might be a stinker (pun intended).

New Nexus has momentum! It's about damn time.

Cena wins again. Yawn.

5/16/11 Tough Enough

This week's lesson: creativity. Don't be timid in that ring! Fireman's carry takedowns today. So much for creativity. The contestants are not making the trainers happy right now. Then Andy was just real stiff on Luke, hitting him legit in the nose and then throwing Luke over the top rope nearly on his head. Not the way to do it man....

Bellas, Eve, and Kelly Kelly come to the house. Christina gets a pep talk from Kelly Kelly. I think Christina can go far in the competition if she really gets it going.

Time to get creative with the THQ people and create your own superstar in WWE All-Stars! Jeremiah is "The Natural." Christina is "Mikayla." A.J. is "Jaxon Crash." Luke is "The Future Legend." Andy is "Silent Rage." Martin is "BetterThanU." Looks like fun, but yeah, that game is too cartoony and "arcady" for me. Luke won for most creative. OK, moving on....

Night training session with Booker, two hours. Martin goes down with an injury to his left foot and can't even stand on his foot. Meanwhile, Luke is looking pretty good.

Martin gets bad news: a fractured foot. Doctors are not letting him continue. It's a shame because he really was doing well. I hope he battles back from this setback and makes it to the big time. I'm very happy Austin told Martin he is tough enough. Everyone gave Martin a standing ovation. Now that's a huge compliment man.

Last challenge of the episode. Two minutes, must perform one move from the top rope. Oh man, Christina now down with an injury to her left foot. What the hell is going on here? Austin calls it. No elimination, Austin says, because it looks like Christina is out too.

That episode was just depressing.

But at least I'll end this episode on a high note. Next time, THE ROCK! Woohoo!

Friday, May 13, 2011

5/13/11 Smackdown

Ratings:
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan: ***

Wade Barrett vs. Kane: *3/4

Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase: *

Sheamus & Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton & Christian: **1/2
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan must have really sent the IWC into a frenzy. I loved it. More from them please!

Great job in making Kharma look good. Layla gets taken out and the whole world wanted to see Cole get his ass kicked. I was marking out hoping for the latter to happen.

Decent match between Barrett and Kane. Ezekiel Jackson is now a face, and I thought it was a nice way to start that off. Jackson gets to look strong for a bit, but Corre also looks strong by getting the last laugh tonight.

Khali Kiss Cam! And yes, with Jinder Mahal showing up later, we’re definitely starting to see the seeds planted for what may be a Khali heel turn. How to get to that conclusion? Khali’s face act has long been stale. The point here is to keep pushing the envelope so that more and more people want to see Khali take Mahal’s head off (much like how WWE has done with Lawler and Cole). However, it’s best for Khali to side with Jinder because Khali has no mic skills (Mahal can be more of the mouthpiece and the wrestler, with Khali being just a guy who takes people out like a monster).

Cody Rhodes is doing a great job with his heel character. The paper bags are a nice touch. And now look at what happens over a couple years: Cody with a promising heel character and push, while DiBiase is really going nowhere.

Interesting conversation between Booker T, Josh Mathews, & Michael Cole regarding Christian defending the World Heavyweight Title a few days after Christian won the belt. Booker defends Christian, while Cole and Mathews side with Teddy Long and Randy Orton. Interesting how Cole, in usually playing the heel role, sides with a face GM, the top Smackdown face (Orton), and the wishes of the WWE Universe to see that title match.

5/12/11 Superstars

Ratings:
Tyson Kidd vs. Trent Barreta: ***1/2

Vladimir Kozlov vs. Zack Ryder: *1/4

Chris Masters vs. Drew McIntyre: **3/4
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Michael Hayes accompanies Tyson Kidd to the ring. Looks like Hayes is a manager (or advisor) now. I’ve read how WWE has wanted to revive the manager’s role to help elevate talent who are not able to speak on the main event level yet. This will be a great way to boost Tyson’s career, and I look forward to seeing what WWE does here.

I loved the Kidd/Barreta match. Looks like Barreta now also uses Jeff Hardy’s Whisper in the Wind.

Curt Hawkins helped out Zack Ryder? YES! Maybe there is a reunion for this tag team, please? Otherwise, both go nowhere.

McIntyre with the figure four around the ring post! Yes! Great main event.

This was a great episode of WWE Superstars. Very enjoyable.

5/12/11 Impact

Ratings:
Mickie James & Miss Tessmacher vs. Madison Rayna & Tara: 1/4*

Sangriento vs. Suicide: *1/2

Crimson vs. Abyss vs. Samoa Joe: *1/2

Battle Royal: **1/4
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Personally, I think the acquisition of Chyna and the return of Mick Foley will help Impact in the ratings. Impact (yes, not TNA anymore) is off to a good start, in my book, with rebranding the product. The battle royal to finish the show off was given a lot of time, and while it wasn’t the best battle royal ever, it was still nice to see any free TV match get a lot of time.

Chris Harris back on Impact is also huge. I like how he’s already inserted into the feud alongside Matt Hardy to face Beer Money. America’s Most Wanted flashbacks FTW!

I’m not sure how long this thing will go on between Sangriento and Suicide, but at least it was a pretty entertaining match for the short time it got. I’m a little interested in the storyline between Tara and Madison Rayne, but other than that, I’ll pass.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

5/10/11 NXT

Ratings:
Darren Young vs. Titus O'Neil: *

Byron Saxton vs. Conan O'Brian: *1/4

William Regal vs. Jacob Novak: *3/4
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Statistics:
Here are the official NXT rookie's records as of 5/10/11:
Titus O'Neil: 6-1
Lucky Cannon: 5-3
Conor O'Brian: 3-4
Darren Young: 3-6
Byron Saxton: 2-5
Jacob Novak: 2-5

WWE Redemption Points:
Titus O'Neil: 19 (Talk the Talk; Keg Carry; Arm Wrestling, Power of the Punch, King of the Hill)
Darren Young: 7 (Obstacle Course; Battle of the Mic)
Jacob Novak: 6 (Pull Through; Know Your Pro)
Byron Saxton: 4 (Trivia)
Conor O'Brian: 0
Lucky Cannon: 0

This Week's Challenge: King of the Hill Challenge (6 points)
This is basically a shortened, tweaked version of the challenge Naomi dominated in Season 3. Titus O'Neil won...very short and sweet here.
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Happy Birthday, William Regal! 43 years old today!

Average match between Darren and Titus. Nothing really noteworthy. Matches got better as the show went on. I do like how Saxton is going on his own and playing the heel.

Someone's getting eliminated next week! Personally, I want Lucky Cannon gone, although I wouldn't be surprised to see Novak gone, either.

5/9/11 RAW

Ratings:
Brie Bella & Nikki Bella vs. Eve Torres & Kelly Kelly: 1/2*

Mason Ryan vs. Kane: 1/2*

Dolph Ziggler vs. Santino Marella: 1/4*

John Cena vs. Alex Riley: 1/2*

Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger (U.S. Title): *3/4

The Miz vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio: ***1/4
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Reviews/Thoughts:
Was that Nunzio refereeing the divas match? Cool. Divas match was short. The whole point...Kharma destruction again! Poor Eve gets taken out this time.

Yawn...a short Kane/Mason Ryan match. Best part was Punk's involvement and then getting nuked with Big Show's WMD.

Another short match followed...Dolph and Santino this time. This is not impressing me at all.

I have to say, the Cole/Lawler segment was good again. WWE is really capitalizing on how good Cole is at playing his heel character. Sure, I can't stand Michael Cole on commentary, but the feud overall has been a success, in my book. I've been getting antsy wanting Lawler to just absolutely nuke Michael Cole without any controversial finish. But you know, I'll settle for Lawler grabbing Cole's tie and smashing Cole's face into the Cole Mine. That was good.

So, because of Swagger "accepting" on behalf of Cole, it's on: Cole/Lawler in another match, and Cole is pissed. If Cole wins this time, Lawler will induct Cole into the WWE Hall of Fame and give Cole his Hall of Fame ring. I would guess Lawler wins this time.

Main event was very good. Lots of action, nice flow to the match.

Oh great. Cena vs. Miz at Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match. Guess Cena's winning. Again. Unless they pull a Rock/Mankind in that one.

As for R-Truth, his feud with John Morrison will likely still continue. Morrison only has a pinched nerve in his neck, so he's out 4-6 weeks -- instead of what I feared (major neck surgery can put people on the shelf over one year). Hope Morrison heals fast.

5/9/11 Tough Enough

Reviews/Thoughts:
Christina and Ivelisse continue to have their little feud on one another. I like the competitiveness, but there are times where I think...just move on with your lives, people.

Man, Jeremiah spit up blood and still kept going. Kudos.

The contestants did bodyslams to a weighted dummy bag and then did some elbow drops from the second rope. There were some pretty good ones in there. I chuckled a bit when Jeremiah basically overshot the bag. Ivelisse has heart, that's for sure. Booker doesn't like Ivelisse showing she's injured, which I do agree with. WWE superstars and divas, when playing their characters in the ring, suck it up and go full throttle. Christina was having fun in the ring...love that!

Woohoo, John Morrison guest appearance today! And they showed a highlight of him actually hitting Starship Pain! Ropes course time! It looked pretty fun, actually -- especially that last part down the zipline. Why am I not surprised Eric had trouble with the course?

Skills challenge...doing squats and holding a squat on the top rope? Wow, that'd be too much for me. Jeremiah did well until the finals. Luke did extremely well...excellent job!

Ivelisse is basically gone because of her leg. But Eric is also gone because he was just not good enough. I'm personally glad Eric is gone...he had way more low moments than high moments on the show.

Next week, the WWE divas make an appearance!

Friday, May 6, 2011

5/6/11 Smackdown

Ratings:
Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan: **

Ezekiel Jackson vs. The Big Show: *

Layla vs. Alicia Fox: N/A

Sin Cara vs. Tyson Kidd: *1/2

Randy Orton vs. Christian (World Heavyweight Title): ***1/4
_________________

Reviews/Thoughts:
Mark Henry challenging Christian is a nice boost to Henry's career, and I guess I could believe that. But Khali?! Really?! I would cringe if Khali contending for the title again actually becomes reality. I wish Khali never became World Heavyweight Champion...seriously.

Orton is sporting a bit of facial hair tonight. He's also growing his hair out a little instead of sporting a shaved head. I think this new look could be good for him -- especially if he turns heel (see below).

Jinder Mahal is an intriguing character. I'm certainly interested in how WWE will use him in the storyline with Ranjin Singh and Khali. I definitely see Singh caught in the middle of a power struggle. Mahal may use a lot of persuasion and mind games, perhaps getting Singh to join him and leave Khali. It may be an acceptable feud for Mahal to get introduced to WWE fans, we'll see.

Good six-minute match between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan. A nice flow to the match, with lots of action and impactful moves.

Good promo from Cody Rhodes. WWE might try to keep the feud going between Rhodes and Mysterio. I know I want WWE to continue the feud, anyway.

Not a bad match between Ezekiel Jackson and the Big Show. Obviously it was going to be a power match. Zeke made a big statement with his showing.

Layla has inherited Michelle McCool's entrance theme (complete with new titantron)! Well, at least for now perhaps. Not sure if Layla will keep the entrance theme or just get new music later. In any event, Michael Cole, the heel commentator that he is, blames Layla for McCool leaving WWE.

The divas match was just real short, so I'm not rating it.

Kharma came out again for destruction. I did like Michael Cole's description of the divas' reactions to Kharma: almost as if Kharma hypnotizes the ladies into fear. And of course, Alicia Fox should have been a blonde because she made a very egregious move in trying to assault Kharma. Unfortunately, Alicia Fox suffered a legit right shoulder injury in the assault due to Kharma's stiff clothesline (you could see Alicia landing hard on her shoulder). Hopefully that won't affect Kharma's standing in the company too much. Kharma has to learn to work "WWE style" now. Triple H was the one who brought Kharma in, and he's probably pretty nervous about this acquisition -- and probably nervous with Sin Cara as well. The "One more time!" chants from the crowd...I liked that. It shows Kharma's buildup is working very well.

And the Corre has disintegrated again. Why excommunicate an imposing figure like Ezekiel Jackson? Oh, that's right, WWE doesn't care much for stables anymore.

Oh, and speaking of Sin Cara, another nice showing, this time against Tyson Kidd. Unfortunately, it was just too short to get a real high rating.

I found it interesting Chavo Guerrero came out for commentary. We may have a feud in the future between Sin Cara and Chavo. I still have no clue why Sin Cara's entrance lighting stays the way it does during the actual match. Chavo is right in one respect...Sin Cara is one-dimensional right now. I think Sin Cara is too much a high-flyer and risk-taker. Sin Cara is a spot monkey right now.

Christian dropping the title this early? WTF? OK, I know this was meant to be a fairy tale-like ending for Christian -- especially with Edge's retirement -- but to only let him have a two-day reign (Smackdown is taped on Tuesdays) is bloody ridiculous. Perhaps Christian's reign was doomed from the start when he cut the sappy promo at the beginning of the show.

Maybe Orton is meant to turn heel on Smackdown? He was complaining to the ref a little more than usual in the title match. Ever since I got the "no more Mr. Nice Guy" talk from Orton a few months back, I've been theorizing (probably along with many others) that a slow heel turn is imminent. Also, an Orton heel turn allows Christian to stay as a main eventer.

Or could Christian be the one turning heel? He cut a sappy promo at the beginning of the show. Then, Orton celebrated with the title and left the ring early, leaving WWE to cut to Christian's stunned reaction. WWE continued to show Christian as he walked up the entrance ramp to the back. R-Truth did something similar in his heel turn, although R-Truth's turn was more immediate (attacking Morrison right after the match) and involved more bad-guy factors (smoking and taking heelish breaks). Regardless, one of Orton or Christian is probably turning heel. Orton's new look may cut against a Christian heel turn occurring, but I can't ignore the dejected Christian reaction that was played on TV. We'll see what happens.