The opening montage is all the different RAW openings from the past 20 years. Nice nostalgia moment.
Three-man announce team tonight: Cole, Lawler, JBL. Twitter hashtag was #RAW20, and many past and current WWE talent tweeted their favorite RAW moments throughout the show.
Vince McMahon in the ring to start the show. Nice pop from the crowd. Yes, we've seen entertainment throughout the years. Over 4 billion viewers in the U.S. have enjoyed RAW in 20 years. Gotta stroke the ego. Vince says the following are up tonight: Ziggler and Cena in a cage, plus Rock concert. Big Show comes out. Show wants to address the World Title situation and Vince basically doesn't want to hear it. We see the finish to the LMS match on Smackdown. Show reminds us of his ironclad contract and wants Vince to strip Del Rio of the title. ADR's music plays. Ricardo comes out and does his vintage ADR intro. Del Rio comes out in his wrestling gear. Attire has the Mexican colors, so I guess he's gone full babyface now. ADR calls Show the World's Largest Crybaby. ADR offers to give Show a rematch for the title tonight. "SI SI SI!" chants. Show refuses. ADR tells Show to grow a set. Show says he wants his rematch at the Royal Rumble. Predictable, right? ADR with more Spanish, calling Show a "fat jackass." ADR and Ricardo have a present for Big Show -- inside a bucket with the Mexican colors. Ricardo tosses Mexican-colored confetti on Show. Show's pissed. ADR and Ricardo work together to get Show retreating.
First RAW flashback: Bob Barker is the guest host. Many crappy guest hosts during this time, but most agree Barker was one of the best. Classic moment with Jericho.
Wade Barrett vs. Randy Orton: Aggressive from the start. Orton back suplexes Barrett on the barricade, uncommon move there. Barrett took control during the commercial break, countering an Orton hangman's DDT. RKO countered, and Barrett tosses Orton into the ringpost. Barrett rolls up the elbow pad. If you see red, it's Bullhammer time. Finisher hits, and Barrett wins. Good clean win for the IC champ. Not often that Orton loses clean. I've read that this will lead to Orton's personal time off and eventual heel turn when he comes back. **
Fun RAW fact: When RAW's first episode aired on 1/11/93, Kofi Kingston was 11 years old, Cody Rhodes was 7, and AJ Lee was 5. And I was 9. Yay. In other words, I couldn't care less.
Booker tells Eve that if she even thinks about getting counted out or DQ'd in her Divas Title match against Kaitlyn tonight, Eve will be stripped of the title and it will belong to Kaitlyn. For those that don't know, Eve really is leaving the company. It's a shame, because Eve was one of the very few bright spots of the damn division. Then again, a lot of people probably hated it when Beth Phoenix left a few months ago. Divas division has been clinically dead for a long time. It's just supposedly alive because there's a title floating around and there are women who get pitiful segments just to satisfy the generally accepted rule of "at least one divas segment per show."
Team Hell No has their Anger Management followup evaluation. Plan is to lie. Group hug with Dr. Shelby! Asking DB what the best part is about Kane? Tall, can set things on fire, and a good dancer. Asking Kane what the best traits are in DB: agile in the ring, great beard...and sometimes he wears women's clothing. LOL. Surprise, Team Rhodes Scholars! Shelby says exposure therapy, but Sandow says it's system desensitization (Pavlov stuff). Rhodes Scholars antagonizes Dr. Shelby instead by mentioning "Dr. Phil." Vintage angry Dr. Shelby! Team Hell No attacks Team Rhodes Scholars. Team Hell No and Dr. Shelby with a lot of "YES" to end it. YES! That was freakin' awesome. Pure awesome.
Kane vs. Damien Sandow: Singles action tonight. Basic match here, Kane wins with the chokeslam in about two minutes. N/A
Mick Foley introduced as the first inductee for the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2013. Foley comes out to a big pop. Shield comes down through the crowd and circles the ring. Ryback comes down, then Orton and Sheamus. Shellshocked to Ambrose. Shield retreats. Ryback wants the Shield. Thank you. Now Ryback has a reason to stay out of the WWE Title picture for a while.
Most outrageous gimmicks video package. Goldust and Gillberg FTW. Oh, and Regal's a real man's man. You're welcome.
Kaitlyn vs. Eve Torres (Divas Title): Again, Eve loses the title if she gets counted out or DQ'd. Kaitlyn's got the Texas shirt on in her hometown of Houston. Basically similar feel to when Miss Tessmacher won her first TNA Knockouts Title last year. JBL wins again for calling Teddy Long a "George Jefferson peanut head." Eve gets the head scissors-style choke on Kaitlyn, but Kaitlyn to the ropes. Shoulder tackles from Kaitlyn and reverse DDT for two. Crowd thought it was done because Kaitlyn has used that for a finisher in the past. Eve hits her swinging neckbreaker but only two! Eve rips Kaitlyn's Texas shirt. No wardrobe malfunction. Kaitlyn hits her gutbuster finisher but Eve rolls out of the ring. Kaitlyn goes out after her, a questionable move since Eve can lose the title on a countout. Eve tosses Kaitlyn into the barricade. Kaitlyn manages to get back in the ring and Eve doesn't realize it. Kaitlyn hits the spear on Eve and we have a new champ! I like the spear finisher for Kaitlyn because she's got a more muscular build than most divas. **1/4
Didn't think it was as good as Beth Phoenix's last WWE match, but another good divas match, especially for WWE standards. Kudos to Kaitlyn; she's come a very long way since NXT.
Josh Mathews interviews Brodus Clay about the CM Punk pipebomb last week. Brodus gonna get his hands on Punk tonight.
RAW flashback: 2007 contract signing with Trump and Vince. Trump shoves Vince on his ass. Yay.
CM Punk vs. Brodus Clay: This is Punk's 421st consecutive day as WWE champ. Brodus aggressive early. Straightforward match. Punk hits the Randy Savage elbow and slaps on the Anaconda Vice. Brodus taps. Brodus still didn't impress me, even against a worker like Punk. *1/2
Punk promo afterward. He lists all the facts he's accomplished. He says the people are entitled to their opinion on if Rock's entertaining. Punk vows to defeat Rock at the Rumble to cement his legacy as the best in the world. Another great promo, as always.
More wacky moments from RAW's 20 years involving cars, trucks, ambulances, zambonis, etc. Oh, and swimming in beer. Ah yes, the days of the Cryme Tyme Cenation. Shad got interviewed on that several weeks ago; the CTC reportedly got phased out because of Cena. I guess Cena's had to step on a bunch of people to get to where he is today.
Rock and Foley backstage segment. Rock 'n Sock Connection has come back to Houston! Vickie interrupts and tells Foley and Rock to shut up. Rock has no words for Vickie?! Oh, watch the Rock concert later? Sounds good.
Sheamus vs. 3MB: Handicap match where you have to eliminate people by tossing them over the top with both feet hitting the floor. JBL still with the jabs on 3MB. After a few minutes that people could just skip, Sheamus eliminates Jinder and McIntyre in a 10-second span. Sheamus goes for the Brogue Kick and ends up over the top rope to the apron. Jinder and McIntyre pull Sheamus to the floor and 3MB wins. Sheamus is pissed and nukes all three guys after the match. So 3MB basically loses even though they won. Sounds about right. *1/4
For the Royal Rumble match, Cole noted that participants will enter
every 90 seconds again. 30 participants. So Mysterio's record time (over
62 minutes) is basically safe for another year.
Cena backstage promo. Nice Braden Walker reference.
Miz TV is next. Guest will be a Hall of Famer. Miz gives a hint: "WOOOOOO!" plus the struts. Yay, it's Flair! Only two-time WWE Hall of Famer (as an individual and as part of the Four Horsemen). Miz asks what Flair's favorite RAW moment was. For Flair, it was the sendoff he got on RAW after HBK sent him into retirement. We got a wooo-off! Video package on a bunch of signature catchphrases throughout the years. Hey, Spirit Squad in there! Miz gets Flair to do his "limosuine-ridin', jet-flyin', kiss-stealin'" catchphrase, and Cesaro interrupts. Cesaro wears American tights and holds the U.S. flag. Cesaro probably just came from the gym, because he looks even more ripped than usual. Crowd chants "USA." Insults Miz and Flair. Flair chops and Miz with the SCF to Cesaro. Flair tells Miz to put the figure-four on Cesaro! So now perhaps Miz acquired a new move? Win.
RAW flashback from January 1998. Vince introduces Mike Tyson, Austin interrupts, and we got a fight.
Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan: Lawler calls Cody's mustache an "anorexic caterpillar." Ouch. DB catches Rhodes in the NO lock and Cody taps. Or is it the YES lock again? Match took about 75 seconds. Um, OK. N/A
Cole said during the Rhodes/Bryan match that there was huge breaking news concerning Eve. Eve's last promo on the WWE Active app. Yeah, Eve quits. Old news to many people. In all seriousness, though, I wish her well. She was a lot better as a heel act. Eve's engaged to Rener Gracie, so she'll be getting married and then leading the Gracie "Women Empowered" self-defense program. Pretty exciting stuff for Eve.
AJ Lee and Big E Langston next. Oh crap. We get to revisit past WWE weddings! AJ flubs some words but introduces the first two moments. First up, Edge and Lita in 2005 (Kane tombstones a priest). Next, Steph and HHH renew wedding vows in 2002 (HHH Pedigrees Vince and leaves Steph at the altar). Langston speaks and didn't screw up this time. Video of the AJ/Daniel Bryan wedding from RAW #1000 (AJ leaves DB at the altar to become RAW GM). AJ crying because she says Cena cost her the GM job. Ziggler comes in and says he's gonna beat down Cena tonight.
Jim Ross comes down to call Cena/Ziggler cage match. Four-man announce crew for this one.
Dolph Ziggler vs. John Cena (Cage): Win by pinfall, submission, or escape cage. Ziggler tries to escape and Cena catches him, so they fight when on the top rope. Cena falls off and Ziggler gets crotched. Double ouch. Never really was a fan of people trying to escape the cage, prefer people to use the cage a lot for a pinfall or submission. Ziggler with another awesome dropkick when both are on the top rope. Langston "holds Cena up" and prevents Cena from winning during the commercial break. Typical Cena comeback moves. Cena goes for AA, Ziggler tries to escape up the cage. We get the partial moon shot. Thanks, WWE. AA countered again, and Ziggler superkick gets two. Ziggler becomes a human tug-of-war rope between Langston and Cena. Ouch again. Cena pulls Ziggler in for the STF, but Ziggler with a sweet counter into the sleeper. Cena climbs to the top with Ziggler on his back, then falls off to break the sleeper. Cena tries to escape through the door and Langston smashes the door in Cena's face. Ziggler covers for two. Cena tries to go over the top and kicks the cage door back in Ziggler's face. Langston wields a chair to get Cena back up the cage and in the ring. Ziggler with a Zigzag for two. OK, this is ridiculous. Cena on the top again. Ziggler hits a super DDT on Cena -- and TWO AGAIN. WTF. Ziggler's hitting everything and Cena just kicks out. Nothing new there, fellas, but still makes me shake my head. AJ goes ballistic and scales the cage. Langston gets in the cage to go after Cena. Ziggler tosses the MITB briefcase but decks Langston. AA to Ziggler and Cena gets three. ***1/2
I'm basically rating that match as such because of Ziggler's performance. I was really hoping Ziggler could be booked to win as clean as possible in a Cena match -- basically meaning it'll still be a screwy finish because Cena almost never loses clean (just stating a fact). A clean win over Cena will probably only happen when the guy is ready to retire. Rock doesn't count because he was already destined for the Hall of Fame before last year's WM match.
Frankly, it's another crushing loss for Ziggler. He remains in a main-event storyline but the proverbial glass ceiling is back in effect. Even in a storyline where no titles are actually at stake, Dolph is seemingly not allowed to get a clean win. Ziggler had to put his MITB briefcase on the line against Cena at TLC last month? Still don't see the additional short-term benefit Ziggler got from that. People realize putting the briefcase on Cena would be stupid because the guy doesn't need it. I'm sorry kids, but your superhero Cena has to lose clean one day. Why can't it be Ziggler that gets the nod? I for one have no clue what else he needs to do.
Last year was a perfect example of how Cena doesn't need to win the big matches to stay relevant. He lost to Rock, lost to Punk multiple times, got injured late in the year, and got stuck in the whole "People Power" crap with Laurinaitis -- yet Cena merchandise still flew off the shelves. Cena's main event spot is forever safe, without need for MITB briefcases or constant title shots. Ziggler's earned his stripes and then some. Give the Show-Off his due.
For the record, I'm really not a Cena hater. Cena deserves his spot because he's had great feuds with other great superstars (i.e., CM Punk). He still cuts good promos that can at times be excellent. I've simply become a fan of Ziggler's work. I still don't care for the atrocious name he got stuck with, but whatever works, I guess.
Sure, it's still January, but this was a big non-PPV match for the storyline. I'd have preferred AJ and Langston get ejected for whatever reason (make one up, who cares) and it leads to a Ziggler cage win. I don't care if it takes 17 Zigzags and 15 superkicks. Give Ziggler the damn win.
Show ends with the Rock concert. He pokes fun at how he looked on his first RAW appearance. Escaped mental patient getting ready to audition for the Backstreet Boys? Sounds about right. OK, now to the concert. Rock's first number is to Paul Heyman. ZZ Top in the house! Next song for Vickie Guerrero! Rock wants Vickie to come on out, so she does. And Rock wins the internet for that song. Look it up online somewhere because it had me rolling.
Finally, Rock calls Punk out. Rock says he promises to beat Punk in 13 days for the WWE Title. Oh, and Heyman's got Twinkie Tits. Punk sprints to the ring and the fight's on. Four refs try to separate the two guys as the show ends.
One final thing: Stone Cold and Shawn Michaels both had prior commitments in Vegas and couldn't be at RAW. Some people apparently didn't like that the two HOFers weren't there because this historic RAW happened to be in Texas. Cue facepalm.
It was a much more "normal" show than the 1000th RAW episode last year. Legends didn't pop up left and right, and any "appearances" were really limited to the video packages.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
1/13/13 Genesis
TNA is down to four live PPVs a year now. Makes my life a heck of a lot easier. Yay. I'm very impressed with Todd Keneley's chemistry with Tenay and Taz on the announcing duties. Initially, I wasn't sure of the abrupt introduction to Todd's work late last year, but he's grown on me.
Tag Title match starts the show. Woulda thought the X-Division tournament finals would, frankly.
Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez vs. Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan (Tag Team Titles): Champs Guerrero and Hernandez with solid, aggressive tag wrestling to start. Poor Joey got tossed around for a few minutes at the start. Morgan, who has grown a huge thick beard, booked strong again. Chavo gets the hot tag. Hernandez with a sick-looking powerbomb to Joey. Mr. Sleazy landed hard on his neck. Chavo frog splash gets three and the champs retain. Hoped to see Joey and Morgan get the titles here, but they should get it soon enough. **
Mr. Anderson vs. Samoa Joe: Sucks that Anderson's Green Bay Packers lost on Saturday to the 49ers in the NFL playoffs. Joe talking trash and nuking Anderson early on. Anderson does get his moves in, focusing on Joe's left knee. Joe still does his suicide dive even after all that. Joe's choke countered with a jawbreaker. Joe goes for Muscle Buster on Anderson. The yet-to-be-named Aces & Eights member (Mike Knox) shows up to distract Joe. Anderson capitalizes and hits the Mic Check for three. **
Christian York vs. Kenny King: Finals of the X-Division Tournament. King, in a promo right before the match, is confident he'll be the next champ. Quick pace to start, trading counters. No denying King's athleticism, but York continues to impress me with his agility and vast moveset, even in his mid-30s. Fast forward to last few minutes of match. York double stomp off the top for a close two. King fights back and hits a swinging uranagi for two. York crossbody, King rolls through and tries to use the ropes, but ref catches it. York with a standing switch into a half-nelson suplex, but misses the somersault splash in the corner. Double knees from King get two. King looking for a cradle rollup but York counters into a pin for three. Loved this one. ***1/2
King is pissed and delivers a Burning Hammer to York, then walks away. RVD's music plays. WTF, no break for York? Thought that was a crappy booking move, but whatever.
Rob Van Dam vs. Christian York (X-Division Title): RVD checks on York to see if he wants to go. York responds with a right hand, so the ref starts the match. Strikes and kicks from RVD, then Rolling Thunder. Surfboard from RVD, looks like champ's shoulders are also down but impressive strength nonetheless. Somehow, York landed a couple of knees to RVD. RVD comes back and showboats, so York rolls RVD up for two. RVD misses the five-star frog splash and York with another rollup for a close near fall. York crotched on the top and RVD with another thrust kick. Five-star hits and RVD retains. A much more competitive match than I woulda imagined, but still wanted York to get a little rest before the title match. If anything, it shows York is in amazing shape. *3/4
Devon vs. Joseph Park: Still not solidly behind this Joseph Park attorney gimmick, but it's fun to see him do Abyss moves. Now Park even has a generic regal-sounding entrance theme and a simple lawyer-like entrance video. Split chants from the crowd. Mostly a basic wrestling match. Crowd erupts whenever Park gets any type of offense in. Not bad, but really now, it's simple moves. Devon removes the turnbuckle pad. Devon eventually knocks Park into the exposed buckle and Park's nose bloodies. Transformation time! Park goes for a chokeslam and all of a sudden the transformation wears off. Park in a confused state, so Devon rolls him up for three. Well, that's just lovely. Didn't really care for this one. Devon gets another cheap shot in after the match. *
Knockouts Gauntlet Match: This is to determine the #1 contender for the Knockouts Title. Gail Kim starts against Tessmacher. Nice of Tenay to remind us that Gail became the first Knockouts champ at BFG 2007 by winning a gauntlet match. After about two and a half minutes, Gail pins Tessmacher with Eat Defeat. ODB is next for Gail. Gail runs up the ramp and gets hurt from ODB's...chest. Oh, that's just fun. ODB with her usual gyrations and slaps. Gail knocks ODB off the second rope and pins her using the bloomers. That one probably rook another three minutes. Mickie James is next. Tenay notes that Mickie's also won a gauntlet match before. Can always count on Gail and Mickie to pull off some entertaining wrestling segments. Gail did some of the same moves from earlier in the gauntlet match, with Mickie countering to address the "scouting your opponent" aspect. Mickie with the rollup on Gail, but Gail counters into a rollup of her own. Gail looks like she had the tights and Mickie's foot appeared to be on the ropes. Taryn Terrell didn't care about either one. Velvet Sky comes out last in a bunch of makeup and a catsuit. Gail again with the veteran heel sneak attack to seize control at the start. Gail more relaxed in this one. Gail tries to cheat on a rollup again...oh, Taryn noticed this time! How appropriate. Gail has words with the ref. Velvet with In Yo Face (facebuster). Gail appears to get her foot under the bottom rope (which should stop the count), but ref counts three anyway. Gail clearly the MVP of the gauntlet match; she's a true workhorse. Based on the finish to the match, I'd consider triple threat between Tara, Velvet, and Gail next. *3/4
Writers may have felt compelled to book the Gauntlet Match this way with four babyface Knockouts, but it was probably one of the best choices. Knockouts roster is very thin, but a great move to have two of the veterans (Gail and Tara) as heels.
Christopher Daniels vs. James Storm: Daniels finishes off his low-calorie apple-tini before facing Storm. Storm on fire in the early stages of the match. Not long before Kaz gets involved. Daniels focuses on Storm's left arm. Last few minutes of the match predictably competitive. Storm with Closing Time to set up Last Call. Last Call misses. Angel's Wings from Daniels! Haven't seen that in a while...only two?!?! BME misses. Backstabber and Closing Time from Storm. Kaz hops on the apron and he eats the Last Call. Daniels takes advantage and gets three with the feet on the ropes. It's pretty much what I expected from stars of this caliber. If given more time in a true one-on-one setting, the match could easily eclipse four stars. ***
After we get the Bully video recap from Impact, Bully Ray comes down with Brooke Hogan. I seriously haven't seen Bully smile so much before. Yes, the wedding is in a few days and we're all invited. Bully records a video of the crowd. Short promo, to the point.
Sting vs. Doc: Sting looks for revenge on A&E after the attack many weeks ago. Fighting on the outside to start. They go into the crowd, but then two A&E guys attack Sting. Hebner basically shoos them off because he didn't ring the bell yet. Doc wears Sting down for a bit, then Sting attacks the legs. Stinger Splash and Scorpion Death Drop get three. Wasn't the best match, but you'd figure Sting would get the win here to get some revenge. *
A&E surrounds the ring and Bully Ray comes down to scare them off. The Bully storyline continues in trying to win Hulk Hogan's trust. Might as well make friends with one of Hogan's best pals.
Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode (Elimination; World Title): Main event intros. Match should get at least 20 minutes because it's an elimination match. Aries and Roode gang up on Hardy to start. Hardy tries to divide and conquer, with some success. Roode and Aries take turns teeing off on Hardy for several minutes. Hardy drops both guys and goes for the Swanton, but Roode knocks Hardy off the top. More 2-on-1 stuff. Roode picks Aries up so AA can do a superplex/Tower of Doom spot, but Hardy with Whisper in the Wind to Aries in a cool spot. Roode then holds Hardy for Aries' suicide dive -- and Hardy moves so AA crashes into RR. Hardy setting up RR for Swanton. AA stops that, but Hardy suplexes AA onto RR. I sense a recurring theme here. Poetry in Motion attempt again, but RR uses AA as a launching pad to spear Hardy. RR holds Hardy's legs in the corner. AA with the running dropkick and brainbuster, and ONLY TWO?! Aries and Roode in disbelief. Aries tries the the 450 and misses. Hardy appeared to pull him and Roode out of the area. RR with a fisherman's to AA for two. Collusion's over! AA with a discus forearm to RR for two. RR goes for the spear and AA counters into Last Chancery. RR rakes the eyes to get out. RR with crossface to AA. AA counters into a rollup for two. Aries missile dropkick to Roode. Dropkick in corner. AA brainbuster countered, but AA gets a backslide on RR. Hardy pins the legs and RR is eliminated. Real great spot there. Took about 18 minutes just to get one elimination. Ref telling Aries he didn't get credit for the pin (because of how the ref positioned himself). Aries going on an ego trip and Hardy takes advantage. Twist of Fate to Aries on the ropes! Hung Aries out to dry there, real cool variation on the finisher. I don't think I've seen that one before. Swanton to Aries and Hardy retains. A fine title match to end the show. ***3/4
___________________
Aaron's Ramblings:
The PPV was pretty much what I thought it'd be. I'd give it around **1/2.
The X-Division tournament finals and the World Title match stood out from the rest. I have high hopes for the X-Division. I didn't like that Christian York had to work back-to-back matches with virtually zero downtime. On the positive side, the two matches still made him look like a star ready to wear the strap. York is full of resilience, and I enjoy his moveset. York and Kenny King should each hold the X-Division Title by the end of 2013.
As I noted above, Gail Kim also deserves a lot of credit for going the entire way in the Knockouts Gauntlet Match. Gail brought something different in each match she had with the other four Knockouts. I personally enjoyed the sneak attack on Velvet. Simple, yes, but shows the heel experience factor. The whole foot-under-the-ropes finish should eventually land Gail a spot in a future title match. Still thinking triple threat is logical. Gail's had on-screen words for Tara in the past about wanting the gold.
It sucks not having Kurt Angle or AJ Styles on the PPV, but I understand they probably wanted or needed time off. Angle also recently became a father again, so why not spend time at home? If there are any two wrestlers in the company that I really have major respect for, Angle and Styles would be at the top of that list.
Good energy from the crowd on this PPV. Always a positive.
This whole Bully Ray/Hogan storyline irks me just a tad just because of the whole wedding fiasco. History of wedding ceremonies has shown things generally aren't straightforward anyway. While people are also complaining that the product focuses too much on the Hogans (two people who can't wrestle -- Hulk's back is royally messed up), the long-term effect is likely to give more credibility to Aces & Eights.
I'm hoping that somewhere down the line, Brooke Hogan ends up as an A&E member. Shouldn't be right away; let things stay dormant for a while. I'd book it for Lockdown in March. Hulk's gonna go ballistic, Bully Ray -- still a face -- is gonna be in disbelief. Hulk will naturally blame Bully for all this, but over time, could still ultimately win over Hulk's trust by continuing to feud with A&E members. A&E would have tremendous clout with a Hogan in the stable. If you've thought of this already, awesome.
Next TNA PPV is Lockdown on March 10 in San Antonio. I'm glad TNA finally realized that doing 12 live PPVs a year was not gonna bring them a lot of money. They weren't selling out every show and literally had to give away tickets in just about every situation. Heck, I think they still do that for Impact shows. This move should also cut a lot of costs. There will be taped PPV-caliber events as well, but I don't remember if they will be on PPV or free TV. Frankly, just put it on free TV. Taped PPVs don't usually work out well with people able to post spoilers on the internet.
Tag Title match starts the show. Woulda thought the X-Division tournament finals would, frankly.
Chavo Guerrero & Hernandez vs. Joey Ryan & Matt Morgan (Tag Team Titles): Champs Guerrero and Hernandez with solid, aggressive tag wrestling to start. Poor Joey got tossed around for a few minutes at the start. Morgan, who has grown a huge thick beard, booked strong again. Chavo gets the hot tag. Hernandez with a sick-looking powerbomb to Joey. Mr. Sleazy landed hard on his neck. Chavo frog splash gets three and the champs retain. Hoped to see Joey and Morgan get the titles here, but they should get it soon enough. **
Mr. Anderson vs. Samoa Joe: Sucks that Anderson's Green Bay Packers lost on Saturday to the 49ers in the NFL playoffs. Joe talking trash and nuking Anderson early on. Anderson does get his moves in, focusing on Joe's left knee. Joe still does his suicide dive even after all that. Joe's choke countered with a jawbreaker. Joe goes for Muscle Buster on Anderson. The yet-to-be-named Aces & Eights member (Mike Knox) shows up to distract Joe. Anderson capitalizes and hits the Mic Check for three. **
Christian York vs. Kenny King: Finals of the X-Division Tournament. King, in a promo right before the match, is confident he'll be the next champ. Quick pace to start, trading counters. No denying King's athleticism, but York continues to impress me with his agility and vast moveset, even in his mid-30s. Fast forward to last few minutes of match. York double stomp off the top for a close two. King fights back and hits a swinging uranagi for two. York crossbody, King rolls through and tries to use the ropes, but ref catches it. York with a standing switch into a half-nelson suplex, but misses the somersault splash in the corner. Double knees from King get two. King looking for a cradle rollup but York counters into a pin for three. Loved this one. ***1/2
King is pissed and delivers a Burning Hammer to York, then walks away. RVD's music plays. WTF, no break for York? Thought that was a crappy booking move, but whatever.
Rob Van Dam vs. Christian York (X-Division Title): RVD checks on York to see if he wants to go. York responds with a right hand, so the ref starts the match. Strikes and kicks from RVD, then Rolling Thunder. Surfboard from RVD, looks like champ's shoulders are also down but impressive strength nonetheless. Somehow, York landed a couple of knees to RVD. RVD comes back and showboats, so York rolls RVD up for two. RVD misses the five-star frog splash and York with another rollup for a close near fall. York crotched on the top and RVD with another thrust kick. Five-star hits and RVD retains. A much more competitive match than I woulda imagined, but still wanted York to get a little rest before the title match. If anything, it shows York is in amazing shape. *3/4
Devon vs. Joseph Park: Still not solidly behind this Joseph Park attorney gimmick, but it's fun to see him do Abyss moves. Now Park even has a generic regal-sounding entrance theme and a simple lawyer-like entrance video. Split chants from the crowd. Mostly a basic wrestling match. Crowd erupts whenever Park gets any type of offense in. Not bad, but really now, it's simple moves. Devon removes the turnbuckle pad. Devon eventually knocks Park into the exposed buckle and Park's nose bloodies. Transformation time! Park goes for a chokeslam and all of a sudden the transformation wears off. Park in a confused state, so Devon rolls him up for three. Well, that's just lovely. Didn't really care for this one. Devon gets another cheap shot in after the match. *
Knockouts Gauntlet Match: This is to determine the #1 contender for the Knockouts Title. Gail Kim starts against Tessmacher. Nice of Tenay to remind us that Gail became the first Knockouts champ at BFG 2007 by winning a gauntlet match. After about two and a half minutes, Gail pins Tessmacher with Eat Defeat. ODB is next for Gail. Gail runs up the ramp and gets hurt from ODB's...chest. Oh, that's just fun. ODB with her usual gyrations and slaps. Gail knocks ODB off the second rope and pins her using the bloomers. That one probably rook another three minutes. Mickie James is next. Tenay notes that Mickie's also won a gauntlet match before. Can always count on Gail and Mickie to pull off some entertaining wrestling segments. Gail did some of the same moves from earlier in the gauntlet match, with Mickie countering to address the "scouting your opponent" aspect. Mickie with the rollup on Gail, but Gail counters into a rollup of her own. Gail looks like she had the tights and Mickie's foot appeared to be on the ropes. Taryn Terrell didn't care about either one. Velvet Sky comes out last in a bunch of makeup and a catsuit. Gail again with the veteran heel sneak attack to seize control at the start. Gail more relaxed in this one. Gail tries to cheat on a rollup again...oh, Taryn noticed this time! How appropriate. Gail has words with the ref. Velvet with In Yo Face (facebuster). Gail appears to get her foot under the bottom rope (which should stop the count), but ref counts three anyway. Gail clearly the MVP of the gauntlet match; she's a true workhorse. Based on the finish to the match, I'd consider triple threat between Tara, Velvet, and Gail next. *3/4
Writers may have felt compelled to book the Gauntlet Match this way with four babyface Knockouts, but it was probably one of the best choices. Knockouts roster is very thin, but a great move to have two of the veterans (Gail and Tara) as heels.
Christopher Daniels vs. James Storm: Daniels finishes off his low-calorie apple-tini before facing Storm. Storm on fire in the early stages of the match. Not long before Kaz gets involved. Daniels focuses on Storm's left arm. Last few minutes of the match predictably competitive. Storm with Closing Time to set up Last Call. Last Call misses. Angel's Wings from Daniels! Haven't seen that in a while...only two?!?! BME misses. Backstabber and Closing Time from Storm. Kaz hops on the apron and he eats the Last Call. Daniels takes advantage and gets three with the feet on the ropes. It's pretty much what I expected from stars of this caliber. If given more time in a true one-on-one setting, the match could easily eclipse four stars. ***
After we get the Bully video recap from Impact, Bully Ray comes down with Brooke Hogan. I seriously haven't seen Bully smile so much before. Yes, the wedding is in a few days and we're all invited. Bully records a video of the crowd. Short promo, to the point.
Sting vs. Doc: Sting looks for revenge on A&E after the attack many weeks ago. Fighting on the outside to start. They go into the crowd, but then two A&E guys attack Sting. Hebner basically shoos them off because he didn't ring the bell yet. Doc wears Sting down for a bit, then Sting attacks the legs. Stinger Splash and Scorpion Death Drop get three. Wasn't the best match, but you'd figure Sting would get the win here to get some revenge. *
A&E surrounds the ring and Bully Ray comes down to scare them off. The Bully storyline continues in trying to win Hulk Hogan's trust. Might as well make friends with one of Hogan's best pals.
Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries vs. Bobby Roode (Elimination; World Title): Main event intros. Match should get at least 20 minutes because it's an elimination match. Aries and Roode gang up on Hardy to start. Hardy tries to divide and conquer, with some success. Roode and Aries take turns teeing off on Hardy for several minutes. Hardy drops both guys and goes for the Swanton, but Roode knocks Hardy off the top. More 2-on-1 stuff. Roode picks Aries up so AA can do a superplex/Tower of Doom spot, but Hardy with Whisper in the Wind to Aries in a cool spot. Roode then holds Hardy for Aries' suicide dive -- and Hardy moves so AA crashes into RR. Hardy setting up RR for Swanton. AA stops that, but Hardy suplexes AA onto RR. I sense a recurring theme here. Poetry in Motion attempt again, but RR uses AA as a launching pad to spear Hardy. RR holds Hardy's legs in the corner. AA with the running dropkick and brainbuster, and ONLY TWO?! Aries and Roode in disbelief. Aries tries the the 450 and misses. Hardy appeared to pull him and Roode out of the area. RR with a fisherman's to AA for two. Collusion's over! AA with a discus forearm to RR for two. RR goes for the spear and AA counters into Last Chancery. RR rakes the eyes to get out. RR with crossface to AA. AA counters into a rollup for two. Aries missile dropkick to Roode. Dropkick in corner. AA brainbuster countered, but AA gets a backslide on RR. Hardy pins the legs and RR is eliminated. Real great spot there. Took about 18 minutes just to get one elimination. Ref telling Aries he didn't get credit for the pin (because of how the ref positioned himself). Aries going on an ego trip and Hardy takes advantage. Twist of Fate to Aries on the ropes! Hung Aries out to dry there, real cool variation on the finisher. I don't think I've seen that one before. Swanton to Aries and Hardy retains. A fine title match to end the show. ***3/4
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Aaron's Ramblings:
The PPV was pretty much what I thought it'd be. I'd give it around **1/2.
The X-Division tournament finals and the World Title match stood out from the rest. I have high hopes for the X-Division. I didn't like that Christian York had to work back-to-back matches with virtually zero downtime. On the positive side, the two matches still made him look like a star ready to wear the strap. York is full of resilience, and I enjoy his moveset. York and Kenny King should each hold the X-Division Title by the end of 2013.
As I noted above, Gail Kim also deserves a lot of credit for going the entire way in the Knockouts Gauntlet Match. Gail brought something different in each match she had with the other four Knockouts. I personally enjoyed the sneak attack on Velvet. Simple, yes, but shows the heel experience factor. The whole foot-under-the-ropes finish should eventually land Gail a spot in a future title match. Still thinking triple threat is logical. Gail's had on-screen words for Tara in the past about wanting the gold.
It sucks not having Kurt Angle or AJ Styles on the PPV, but I understand they probably wanted or needed time off. Angle also recently became a father again, so why not spend time at home? If there are any two wrestlers in the company that I really have major respect for, Angle and Styles would be at the top of that list.
Good energy from the crowd on this PPV. Always a positive.
This whole Bully Ray/Hogan storyline irks me just a tad just because of the whole wedding fiasco. History of wedding ceremonies has shown things generally aren't straightforward anyway. While people are also complaining that the product focuses too much on the Hogans (two people who can't wrestle -- Hulk's back is royally messed up), the long-term effect is likely to give more credibility to Aces & Eights.
I'm hoping that somewhere down the line, Brooke Hogan ends up as an A&E member. Shouldn't be right away; let things stay dormant for a while. I'd book it for Lockdown in March. Hulk's gonna go ballistic, Bully Ray -- still a face -- is gonna be in disbelief. Hulk will naturally blame Bully for all this, but over time, could still ultimately win over Hulk's trust by continuing to feud with A&E members. A&E would have tremendous clout with a Hogan in the stable. If you've thought of this already, awesome.
Next TNA PPV is Lockdown on March 10 in San Antonio. I'm glad TNA finally realized that doing 12 live PPVs a year was not gonna bring them a lot of money. They weren't selling out every show and literally had to give away tickets in just about every situation. Heck, I think they still do that for Impact shows. This move should also cut a lot of costs. There will be taped PPV-caliber events as well, but I don't remember if they will be on PPV or free TV. Frankly, just put it on free TV. Taped PPVs don't usually work out well with people able to post spoilers on the internet.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
1/11/13 Smackdown
Booker T starts the show in the ring. He makes some matches for tonight, promoting Cesaro vs. Orton. Booker also says Rock's in the building. Finally, a Last Man Standing match for the World Heavyweight Title between Del Rio and Big Show. Show to the ring and pissed off. And the Latino card comes into play. How funny that Show uses the "he's beneath me" line on Del Rio, something ADR's said for a long time. Show lays his hands on Booker to make Booker change his mind. ADR sprints to the ring and knocks Show to the outside.
Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro: Cesaro has to be one of the strongest guys in the locker room, pound-for-pound. Cesaro added another move, the Michinoku Driver II, to his WWE moveset. Orton comes back for a bit but then Orton's tossed up and eats the Euro uppercut for two. Orton with a backbreaker and hangman's DDT. Shield interferes (of course) and the ref tosses the match out. Shield with the triple powerbomb to Orton. **
3MB all entering the Royal Rumble. Hey JBL, do you think 3MB has a chance to win the Royal Rumble? "No." Thank you, JBL.
Punk at the University of Miami's football field and home of WM 28 last year. Punk has a 94 jersey that Rock wore for college football. Yup, the Orange Bowl field is gone, and Punk reminds Rock of that. Rock can go back to Miami but can never go home. Love it.
Great Khali & Natalya vs. Dolph Ziggler & AJ Lee: Mixed tag match because Khali somehow has to keep active as an in-ring performer. Khali moves so damn slow in the ring and has maybe two moves that are believable. They left the AJ "wardrobe malfunction" in, which in the PG era means AJ's shirt got pulled up and we see her black bra. AJ bites Natalya to get out of a potential Sharpshooter. AJ now bites Natalya's ear. We have a female Mike Tyson on our hands (or "Michelle Tyson," according to JBL). Sliced Bread #2 from AJ and we get three. And that was a waste of my time. DUD
Big E Langston and Ziggler take Khali out after the match. Hornswoggle comes in at the wrong time and Langston plants him with his finisher. Complete with Langston literally licking his fingers in delight. Big E definitely fits in the group now.
Another Punk promo. Punk's made a career out of stomping people's dreams. It doesn't matter what Rock's vision is. Punk takes off the 94 Miami jersey and drops it on the turf.
And here comes Rock for his promo. Huge pop made bigger because he's in his hometown. Rock's got the orange-soled shoes. Finally, the Rock has come back...home. Flo Rida is in the building. He mentions all the college football days and the big-name NFL players he played with.
Rhodes Scholars interrupts Rock. They're out to help and correct him. RS will become tag champs and Rock doesn't deserve the ring time. Dead caterpillar on Cody's lip. That'll be trending now. Cody's an adult, dammit! Sandow wants to see if Rock can answer his three questions. Answer them all correctly, Rock stays. If not, Rock leaves. Just bring it! Rock knows 19th-century Presidents and compares Sandow's face equals Abe Lincoln getting busy with a gremlin. Rock gets the second question right and we get more caterpillar stuff. Rock with one question for a great prize: combine a geological aggregate with its lowest form. Rock Bottom! Correct! Spinebuster and People's Elbow to Cody. And Rock layeth the smacketh down on Rhodes Scholars. Loved the segment.
Sheamus vs. 3MB: Yeah, it's a 1-on-3 handicap match. Shemaus quickly dispatches Slater with a Brogue Kick and gets three. Josh Mathews and JBL missed the call live and on the replay. Oops. N/A
Team Hell No vs. Primetime Players: Announcers mention DB tweaking his knee in the RAW tag match against Rhodes Scholars. Basic tag here. DB comes off the top with a double knee to PTPs. Kane chokeslams D-Young and it's over. *1/4
Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show (Last Man Standing; World Heavyweight Title): Lots of time given to this one. ADR comes out to a good pop. Main event intros, and Ricardo introduces Del Rio. Doesn't take long for the weapons to arrive. Show sets up a table on the outside and slams ADR through it. ADR still gets up at six. ADR gets a chair and tees off on Show. ADR cross armbreaker on Show in the ropes and Show has to use power and the ring apron to get out. Show sets a table up in the corner of the ring; ADR dropkicks Show through that one, but Show gets up. Sleeper on Show works only temporarily. Big Show chokeslam hits and ADR up at eight. Back to the outside and Show spears ADR through the barricade. ADR still gets up at nine. Back in the ring, KO punch to ADR. ADR slides out of the ring onto his feet to stop the count at 8. Nice move. Technicalities! Show with the steel steps now, but he misses ADR and the steps go back into Show's head. Show's dazed. ADR with the steps three times to Show's bad left shoulder. Show's down by the announce table! ADR rolls the announce table on Show and collapses. Ref counts. ADR gets up at 7 or 8. Ref counts Show down and new champ! Crowd goes nuts. ADR and Ricardo celebrate in the crowd. Well played. ***1/2
Was expecting Ziggler to crash the party with the MITB briefcase, but I guess WWE wanted the crowd to go home happy.
Regarding the 20th anniversary of RAW next Monday, now I'm reading the show may not be stacked with legends as originally planned. We'll see what happens.
Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro: Cesaro has to be one of the strongest guys in the locker room, pound-for-pound. Cesaro added another move, the Michinoku Driver II, to his WWE moveset. Orton comes back for a bit but then Orton's tossed up and eats the Euro uppercut for two. Orton with a backbreaker and hangman's DDT. Shield interferes (of course) and the ref tosses the match out. Shield with the triple powerbomb to Orton. **
3MB all entering the Royal Rumble. Hey JBL, do you think 3MB has a chance to win the Royal Rumble? "No." Thank you, JBL.
Punk at the University of Miami's football field and home of WM 28 last year. Punk has a 94 jersey that Rock wore for college football. Yup, the Orange Bowl field is gone, and Punk reminds Rock of that. Rock can go back to Miami but can never go home. Love it.
Great Khali & Natalya vs. Dolph Ziggler & AJ Lee: Mixed tag match because Khali somehow has to keep active as an in-ring performer. Khali moves so damn slow in the ring and has maybe two moves that are believable. They left the AJ "wardrobe malfunction" in, which in the PG era means AJ's shirt got pulled up and we see her black bra. AJ bites Natalya to get out of a potential Sharpshooter. AJ now bites Natalya's ear. We have a female Mike Tyson on our hands (or "Michelle Tyson," according to JBL). Sliced Bread #2 from AJ and we get three. And that was a waste of my time. DUD
Big E Langston and Ziggler take Khali out after the match. Hornswoggle comes in at the wrong time and Langston plants him with his finisher. Complete with Langston literally licking his fingers in delight. Big E definitely fits in the group now.
Another Punk promo. Punk's made a career out of stomping people's dreams. It doesn't matter what Rock's vision is. Punk takes off the 94 Miami jersey and drops it on the turf.
And here comes Rock for his promo. Huge pop made bigger because he's in his hometown. Rock's got the orange-soled shoes. Finally, the Rock has come back...home. Flo Rida is in the building. He mentions all the college football days and the big-name NFL players he played with.
Rhodes Scholars interrupts Rock. They're out to help and correct him. RS will become tag champs and Rock doesn't deserve the ring time. Dead caterpillar on Cody's lip. That'll be trending now. Cody's an adult, dammit! Sandow wants to see if Rock can answer his three questions. Answer them all correctly, Rock stays. If not, Rock leaves. Just bring it! Rock knows 19th-century Presidents and compares Sandow's face equals Abe Lincoln getting busy with a gremlin. Rock gets the second question right and we get more caterpillar stuff. Rock with one question for a great prize: combine a geological aggregate with its lowest form. Rock Bottom! Correct! Spinebuster and People's Elbow to Cody. And Rock layeth the smacketh down on Rhodes Scholars. Loved the segment.
Sheamus vs. 3MB: Yeah, it's a 1-on-3 handicap match. Shemaus quickly dispatches Slater with a Brogue Kick and gets three. Josh Mathews and JBL missed the call live and on the replay. Oops. N/A
Team Hell No vs. Primetime Players: Announcers mention DB tweaking his knee in the RAW tag match against Rhodes Scholars. Basic tag here. DB comes off the top with a double knee to PTPs. Kane chokeslams D-Young and it's over. *1/4
Alberto Del Rio vs. Big Show (Last Man Standing; World Heavyweight Title): Lots of time given to this one. ADR comes out to a good pop. Main event intros, and Ricardo introduces Del Rio. Doesn't take long for the weapons to arrive. Show sets up a table on the outside and slams ADR through it. ADR still gets up at six. ADR gets a chair and tees off on Show. ADR cross armbreaker on Show in the ropes and Show has to use power and the ring apron to get out. Show sets a table up in the corner of the ring; ADR dropkicks Show through that one, but Show gets up. Sleeper on Show works only temporarily. Big Show chokeslam hits and ADR up at eight. Back to the outside and Show spears ADR through the barricade. ADR still gets up at nine. Back in the ring, KO punch to ADR. ADR slides out of the ring onto his feet to stop the count at 8. Nice move. Technicalities! Show with the steel steps now, but he misses ADR and the steps go back into Show's head. Show's dazed. ADR with the steps three times to Show's bad left shoulder. Show's down by the announce table! ADR rolls the announce table on Show and collapses. Ref counts. ADR gets up at 7 or 8. Ref counts Show down and new champ! Crowd goes nuts. ADR and Ricardo celebrate in the crowd. Well played. ***1/2
Was expecting Ziggler to crash the party with the MITB briefcase, but I guess WWE wanted the crowd to go home happy.
Regarding the 20th anniversary of RAW next Monday, now I'm reading the show may not be stacked with legends as originally planned. We'll see what happens.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
1/11/13 Superstars
Miz vs. Tensai: Miz comes out to a nice pop. Poor Tensai lost his push a while ago and probably just hopes now that he doesn't get cut from the roster. Frankly, Tensai might be better off back in Japan anyway. Miz gets Tensai reeling with a few kicks and hits the SCF on Tensai for three. *1/4
Highlights from RAW: Cena/Ziggler and Punk/Ryback TLC matches.
Brodus Clay & Zack Ryder vs. Primetime Players: Well, Zack Ryder gets to team with a big guy who thinks he's part dinosaur. Ryder got his Broski Boot on Titus, but D-Young clothesline stops that momentum. Good neckbreaker counter by Ryder and hot tag to Brodus. Rough Ryder to Titus. Big splash to D-Young for three. Simple match. *1/4
Superstars ends with the Rock/Punk promos that ended RAW. If you haven't watched it, please do. Otherwise, it was not really much of a show.
Highlights from RAW: Cena/Ziggler and Punk/Ryback TLC matches.
Brodus Clay & Zack Ryder vs. Primetime Players: Well, Zack Ryder gets to team with a big guy who thinks he's part dinosaur. Ryder got his Broski Boot on Titus, but D-Young clothesline stops that momentum. Good neckbreaker counter by Ryder and hot tag to Brodus. Rough Ryder to Titus. Big splash to D-Young for three. Simple match. *1/4
Superstars ends with the Rock/Punk promos that ended RAW. If you haven't watched it, please do. Otherwise, it was not really much of a show.
Friday, January 11, 2013
1/10/13 Impact
Before recapping the show, I just wanted to say I am very happy that TNA decided to cut down to just four live PPVs a year. Should save them a ton of money. They're not in WWE's league, and frankly, I doubt there will be any promotion that will get to that level. I still say TNA shoulda stuck with highlighting more of that X-Division style. It doesn't have to be the only thing, but it should have a prominent spot. Having Knockouts with wrestling experience (and the time to put on decent matches here and there) is also a good thing.
Sting, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe to the ring, and the fans respond favorably. Sting calls Angle "shooter" and Joe "killer." And we can't forget the black bat. Angle also wants to expose someone else. I didn't even notice Anderson WAS out there last week; he just did nothing. Angle wants to know which side Anderson's on. Anderson lists a couple times he got backstabbed or thrown to the side in favor of someone else. Angle says Anderson's either with them or not. Anderson said he never liked Angle, so Angle takes that as a no. Best for Anderson if he joins Aces & Eights because he's probably getting lost in the shuffle again otherwise.
More than one Gut Check contestant tonight. We first see Jay Bradley. From Chicago, says he is a hard worker and saw a bunch of people he trained with become the best.
Brooke Hogan's in the building to talk with her dad on national TV. Cue facepalm.
Kenny King vs. Zema Ion: This is the second semifinal to see who faces Christian York in the finals at Genesis. The winner of the finals faces RVD later in the PPV. These two are really heels but it doesn't matter to me when they do the acrobatic stuff. King's Royal Flush countered into a rollup for two. Ion with a suplex that puts King on his head. OW. Still only two. King finally hits the Royal Flush for three. Fairly short match here. King immediately on the mic to say he'll be the next X-Division champ. *3/4
Robbie E continues to strike out. Mixed tag with Jesse and Tara, so Robbie needs a Knockout to tag with. Tessmacher says no, but will agree if Rob Terry is her partner. Must be good to be the sidekick/bouncer.
Joseph Park's training is complete and he's out of breath just walking to the arena. He'll be talking with Hulk Hogan tonight to compete as a wrestler. Door's locked. Oops.
Rob Terry & Miss Tessmacher vs. Jesse & Tara: And Robbie E is out of luck again. Rob Terry really won the internet on that Bro-Off. Jesse is not a small man, and he looks like a shrimp next to Terry. Terry with a giant powerbomb on Jesse and it's over. 1/2*
It's time for Rob Terry to entertain! Dirty Dancing segment with Tessmacher. Sealed with a kiss. Fans loved it. I think Mr. Terry has landed a more permanent on-screen role. Sucks to be Robbie E. Bro.
Second Gut Check contestant is Brian Cage. From California. Wrestling's all he wants to do, and he wants to prove he's gonna get it done. So we learn that he and Jay Bradley will square off. The winner doesn't necessarily get a contract; they BOTH go in front of the judges next week and maybe a contract gets awarded.
Jay Bradley vs. Brian Cage: Borash with the quick intros and we're off. Both are good-sized, usually the standard model for a pro wrestler. Mostly basic moves between the two. Fans still into it, though. Cage stands on the second rope and suplexes Bradley from the apron back in the ring. Nice move to show strength, don't really see anyone doing that one. Cage with a good diving elbow off the top for two. Bradley manages to hit his Boomstick lariat to get three. Still looked to me like Cage had the better showing, but we'll see what the judges think next week. *1/2
Anderson's pissed and wants to talk with Aces & Eights. VP first addresses that Mike Knox (who got unmasked last week) must earn his spot back tonight like Doc did weeks ago.
Joseph Park promo in the ring. Yeah, passing the bar exam is difficult, I know. Can't imagine what wrestling training is like. Hulk Hogan to the ring. Park gets his wish and gets a match with Aces & Eights. Park's elated, like he passed another bar exam.
Now it's the matter between the Hogan family. Let's air grievances again in public! Brooke just wants to know if Mark (Bully Ray) will be reinstated. Fans want Bully. Hulk's quick answer is no. Cue the waterworks.
Austin Aries & Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy & James Storm: Aries and Roode are trying to one-up each other even on ring attire. Hell, it took five minutes just for all four guys to get to the damn ring. Tension early on the heel side. Nice tights, Austin. Hardy and Storm in control early. Hardy beaten down but Storm gets the hot tag. Storm neckbreaker on Roode; Aries breaks up the pin but elbow drops Roode instead. Codebreaker (Closing Time) to Aries. Daniels and Kaz distraction. Storm sends Kaz into the steps. Storm and Daniels brawl on outside. Hardy Twist of Fate stunner to Roode. Aries decks Hardy with the title and the ref finally calls for the DQ. Hardy brought both of his title belts to the ring so Aries and Roode fight over hoisting those. **1/2
Brooke on the phone with Bully Ray. Bully seems like he wants to come to the arena anyway. Not a good idea...
Chavo/Hernandez and Joey/Morgan are brawling in the locker room. Tag title match this Sunday.
Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson: Anderson's stubble reminds me of HBK during the "lost smile" stuff. Angle isn't in the mood for games and orders Anderson in. Mike Knox comes through the crowd and hits Angle with that ball-peen hammer a couple times to the back. Anderson just looks on. Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco come down a bit too late. Angle twitching to really sell a bad back injury. Angle's carted off on a stretcher. N/A
Sting's in the ring and wants A&E. Mike Knox gets in the ring and we have a match.
Sting vs. Mike Knox: Announcers don't refer to him as Mike Knox, but I will. It stays physical throughout. Knox hard into the ring steps twice. Sting no-sells a splash in the corner and hulks up. Scorpion Death Drop gets three. *1/2
One hammer shot from Sting to Knox. Devon on the mic. A&E has Brooke Hogan. Devon tells Sting to stay there of they will hurt Brooke. Bully rushes down the ramp with his chain and saves Brooke. Hulk to the ring and he is still pissed at Bully. Hulk basically blames Bully for putting Brooke in harm's way. Bully says Hulk's crazy and now talking BS to Sting. Bully says he thought he'd never love anything more than pro wrestling until he met Brooke.
AND WE HAVE THE OL' WEDDING PROPOSAL! Hulk's stunned and pissed at the same time. Brooke says yes. Wedding ceremony next week on Impact. How's that for an Impact coming off a PPV?
As a note, these wedding ceremonies almost always never turn out good. Could be A&E crashing the party, Hulk can crash the party. Both can happen. We'll see.
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Quick predictions for Sunday's Genesis PPV -- and I'll likely be wrong on at least half:
There's a Knockouts Gauntlet match between Gail Kim, ODB, Tessmacher, Mickie James, and Velvet Sky. Could be a way for Velvet to finally get her title shot.
The X-Division finals could seriously go either way, but I'd pick Christian York to face RVD. It's a good way for York or King to get a title reign because RVD doesn't need the title. RVD's a great person to work with, though, so the title match should be great regardless.
Joseph Park should win over Devon. If A&E gets involved, I'd look for Angle, Joe, and Sting to be lurking.
I think Daniels will probably win over Storm by cheating
Sting probably wins over Doc
I think Hardy should retain in the triple threat, especially with Aries and Roode bickering all the time. I have no clue how well an Aries and Roode feud does for TV ratings, but at least TNA won't have to deal with as many PPVs.
Sting, Kurt Angle, and Samoa Joe to the ring, and the fans respond favorably. Sting calls Angle "shooter" and Joe "killer." And we can't forget the black bat. Angle also wants to expose someone else. I didn't even notice Anderson WAS out there last week; he just did nothing. Angle wants to know which side Anderson's on. Anderson lists a couple times he got backstabbed or thrown to the side in favor of someone else. Angle says Anderson's either with them or not. Anderson said he never liked Angle, so Angle takes that as a no. Best for Anderson if he joins Aces & Eights because he's probably getting lost in the shuffle again otherwise.
More than one Gut Check contestant tonight. We first see Jay Bradley. From Chicago, says he is a hard worker and saw a bunch of people he trained with become the best.
Brooke Hogan's in the building to talk with her dad on national TV. Cue facepalm.
Kenny King vs. Zema Ion: This is the second semifinal to see who faces Christian York in the finals at Genesis. The winner of the finals faces RVD later in the PPV. These two are really heels but it doesn't matter to me when they do the acrobatic stuff. King's Royal Flush countered into a rollup for two. Ion with a suplex that puts King on his head. OW. Still only two. King finally hits the Royal Flush for three. Fairly short match here. King immediately on the mic to say he'll be the next X-Division champ. *3/4
Robbie E continues to strike out. Mixed tag with Jesse and Tara, so Robbie needs a Knockout to tag with. Tessmacher says no, but will agree if Rob Terry is her partner. Must be good to be the sidekick/bouncer.
Joseph Park's training is complete and he's out of breath just walking to the arena. He'll be talking with Hulk Hogan tonight to compete as a wrestler. Door's locked. Oops.
Rob Terry & Miss Tessmacher vs. Jesse & Tara: And Robbie E is out of luck again. Rob Terry really won the internet on that Bro-Off. Jesse is not a small man, and he looks like a shrimp next to Terry. Terry with a giant powerbomb on Jesse and it's over. 1/2*
It's time for Rob Terry to entertain! Dirty Dancing segment with Tessmacher. Sealed with a kiss. Fans loved it. I think Mr. Terry has landed a more permanent on-screen role. Sucks to be Robbie E. Bro.
Second Gut Check contestant is Brian Cage. From California. Wrestling's all he wants to do, and he wants to prove he's gonna get it done. So we learn that he and Jay Bradley will square off. The winner doesn't necessarily get a contract; they BOTH go in front of the judges next week and maybe a contract gets awarded.
Jay Bradley vs. Brian Cage: Borash with the quick intros and we're off. Both are good-sized, usually the standard model for a pro wrestler. Mostly basic moves between the two. Fans still into it, though. Cage stands on the second rope and suplexes Bradley from the apron back in the ring. Nice move to show strength, don't really see anyone doing that one. Cage with a good diving elbow off the top for two. Bradley manages to hit his Boomstick lariat to get three. Still looked to me like Cage had the better showing, but we'll see what the judges think next week. *1/2
Anderson's pissed and wants to talk with Aces & Eights. VP first addresses that Mike Knox (who got unmasked last week) must earn his spot back tonight like Doc did weeks ago.
Joseph Park promo in the ring. Yeah, passing the bar exam is difficult, I know. Can't imagine what wrestling training is like. Hulk Hogan to the ring. Park gets his wish and gets a match with Aces & Eights. Park's elated, like he passed another bar exam.
Now it's the matter between the Hogan family. Let's air grievances again in public! Brooke just wants to know if Mark (Bully Ray) will be reinstated. Fans want Bully. Hulk's quick answer is no. Cue the waterworks.
Austin Aries & Bobby Roode vs. Jeff Hardy & James Storm: Aries and Roode are trying to one-up each other even on ring attire. Hell, it took five minutes just for all four guys to get to the damn ring. Tension early on the heel side. Nice tights, Austin. Hardy and Storm in control early. Hardy beaten down but Storm gets the hot tag. Storm neckbreaker on Roode; Aries breaks up the pin but elbow drops Roode instead. Codebreaker (Closing Time) to Aries. Daniels and Kaz distraction. Storm sends Kaz into the steps. Storm and Daniels brawl on outside. Hardy Twist of Fate stunner to Roode. Aries decks Hardy with the title and the ref finally calls for the DQ. Hardy brought both of his title belts to the ring so Aries and Roode fight over hoisting those. **1/2
Brooke on the phone with Bully Ray. Bully seems like he wants to come to the arena anyway. Not a good idea...
Chavo/Hernandez and Joey/Morgan are brawling in the locker room. Tag title match this Sunday.
Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson: Anderson's stubble reminds me of HBK during the "lost smile" stuff. Angle isn't in the mood for games and orders Anderson in. Mike Knox comes through the crowd and hits Angle with that ball-peen hammer a couple times to the back. Anderson just looks on. Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco come down a bit too late. Angle twitching to really sell a bad back injury. Angle's carted off on a stretcher. N/A
Sting's in the ring and wants A&E. Mike Knox gets in the ring and we have a match.
Sting vs. Mike Knox: Announcers don't refer to him as Mike Knox, but I will. It stays physical throughout. Knox hard into the ring steps twice. Sting no-sells a splash in the corner and hulks up. Scorpion Death Drop gets three. *1/2
One hammer shot from Sting to Knox. Devon on the mic. A&E has Brooke Hogan. Devon tells Sting to stay there of they will hurt Brooke. Bully rushes down the ramp with his chain and saves Brooke. Hulk to the ring and he is still pissed at Bully. Hulk basically blames Bully for putting Brooke in harm's way. Bully says Hulk's crazy and now talking BS to Sting. Bully says he thought he'd never love anything more than pro wrestling until he met Brooke.
AND WE HAVE THE OL' WEDDING PROPOSAL! Hulk's stunned and pissed at the same time. Brooke says yes. Wedding ceremony next week on Impact. How's that for an Impact coming off a PPV?
As a note, these wedding ceremonies almost always never turn out good. Could be A&E crashing the party, Hulk can crash the party. Both can happen. We'll see.
_________________
Quick predictions for Sunday's Genesis PPV -- and I'll likely be wrong on at least half:
There's a Knockouts Gauntlet match between Gail Kim, ODB, Tessmacher, Mickie James, and Velvet Sky. Could be a way for Velvet to finally get her title shot.
The X-Division finals could seriously go either way, but I'd pick Christian York to face RVD. It's a good way for York or King to get a title reign because RVD doesn't need the title. RVD's a great person to work with, though, so the title match should be great regardless.
Joseph Park should win over Devon. If A&E gets involved, I'd look for Angle, Joe, and Sting to be lurking.
I think Daniels will probably win over Storm by cheating
Sting probably wins over Doc
I think Hardy should retain in the triple threat, especially with Aries and Roode bickering all the time. I have no clue how well an Aries and Roode feud does for TV ratings, but at least TNA won't have to deal with as many PPVs.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
1/9/13 Main Event
Cole and Miz announcing. Featured match tonight is Sheamus and Ziggler. Promos and video packages for both guys to hype things. Langston FAILS at getting the words out but Josh Mathews runs away anyway. Ziggler and AJ Lee approve. So that'll be Langston's gimmick: A tough guy who stutters a lot but it's OK because if you actually call him out on it to his face, you'll be put six feet under.
Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler: Have I mentioned how jealous I am of Ziggler because he gets to make out with AJ Lee? Simply put, the match was awesome. Back-and-forth action; lots of counters and high-impact moves. Sheamus with his signature moves but Ziggler still with some kickass counters. Sheamus battering ram countered into a facebuster. Cloverleaf on Ziggler, but Ziggler to the ropes. Great spot late in the match with Sheamus skinning the cat to the top for his battering ram, but Ziggler scales the ropes and hits a DDT. Rocker dropper countered, battering ram from Sheamus gets two. AJ seriously concerned. Brogue Kick signaled and crowd really popping. Brogue Kick misses, but Sheamus ducks a Ziggler superkick and counters with the Brogue! Ziggler rolls out of the ring, though. Ref's counting and doesn't break the count when Sheamus rolls out. Langston slowly comes over. Sheamus gets back in the ring at the last second and is the winner by countout. Match went about 23 minutes. If they ended with a solid pinfall or submission finish, I'd have given it at least four stars. ***3/4
Sheamus wants Langston to get in the ring. Langston teases it, then backs off.
Most Facebook "likes" for WWE superstars. Not surprisingly, Cena also tops that list at over 14 million, nearly doubling second place (held by The Rock). Mysterio, Undertaker, and HHH round out the top five. HHH has 5.4 million "likes." Zack Ryder won't be able to complain here; he only has about 406,500 "likes" as of the morning of January 10.
We see the Punk/Rock segment that ended RAW. Gave WWE immediate good news (first time WWE had a stronger third hour than the first two hours) and should result in some lucrative months for the company. Still love the Punk pipebombs every time.
Wade Barrett vs. Zack Ryder: Are you serious, bro? Miz says Ryder made a music video called "Ho-ski" (a "tribute" to Eve Torres). Cole has to remind us he "won" a dance contest in WWE. Barrett controls most of the match. Barrett lures Ryder into a Bossman slam for two. Ryder neckbreaker actually got a close near fall. Broski Boot gets two. Rough Ryder countered. Barrett rolls up the elbow pad to expose the red pad underneath. Bullhammer time! It hits and Barrett wins. Frankly, it was a better match than Zack will probably get if he stays a face. **
Featured match next week is Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro. Loved Main Event this week. Check it out if you can.
Sheamus vs. Dolph Ziggler: Have I mentioned how jealous I am of Ziggler because he gets to make out with AJ Lee? Simply put, the match was awesome. Back-and-forth action; lots of counters and high-impact moves. Sheamus with his signature moves but Ziggler still with some kickass counters. Sheamus battering ram countered into a facebuster. Cloverleaf on Ziggler, but Ziggler to the ropes. Great spot late in the match with Sheamus skinning the cat to the top for his battering ram, but Ziggler scales the ropes and hits a DDT. Rocker dropper countered, battering ram from Sheamus gets two. AJ seriously concerned. Brogue Kick signaled and crowd really popping. Brogue Kick misses, but Sheamus ducks a Ziggler superkick and counters with the Brogue! Ziggler rolls out of the ring, though. Ref's counting and doesn't break the count when Sheamus rolls out. Langston slowly comes over. Sheamus gets back in the ring at the last second and is the winner by countout. Match went about 23 minutes. If they ended with a solid pinfall or submission finish, I'd have given it at least four stars. ***3/4
Sheamus wants Langston to get in the ring. Langston teases it, then backs off.
Most Facebook "likes" for WWE superstars. Not surprisingly, Cena also tops that list at over 14 million, nearly doubling second place (held by The Rock). Mysterio, Undertaker, and HHH round out the top five. HHH has 5.4 million "likes." Zack Ryder won't be able to complain here; he only has about 406,500 "likes" as of the morning of January 10.
We see the Punk/Rock segment that ended RAW. Gave WWE immediate good news (first time WWE had a stronger third hour than the first two hours) and should result in some lucrative months for the company. Still love the Punk pipebombs every time.
Wade Barrett vs. Zack Ryder: Are you serious, bro? Miz says Ryder made a music video called "Ho-ski" (a "tribute" to Eve Torres). Cole has to remind us he "won" a dance contest in WWE. Barrett controls most of the match. Barrett lures Ryder into a Bossman slam for two. Ryder neckbreaker actually got a close near fall. Broski Boot gets two. Rough Ryder countered. Barrett rolls up the elbow pad to expose the red pad underneath. Bullhammer time! It hits and Barrett wins. Frankly, it was a better match than Zack will probably get if he stays a face. **
Featured match next week is Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro. Loved Main Event this week. Check it out if you can.
1/9/13 NXT
Tom Phillips and William Regal doing the announcing this week. Jim Ross joins for the main event.
Luke Harper & Erick Rowan vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Percy Watson: Yes, Yoshi Tatsu and Percy Watson are still employed. Bray Wyatt tells his two big bearded guys into battle and goes to sit in a rocking chair. Rowan's the redbeard and Harper the blackbeard. Reminds me when Drew Hankinson (Luke Gallows) had the Festus gimmick. Yoshi hits his big kick but misses the spinning wheel kick from the top. Big splash by Harper and a discus clothesline get three. Wyatt is pleased. *1/4
Paige vs. Emma: Two international divas without first names. Emma is from Australia and does some weird stuff with her hands coming to the ring. What kind of dance is that?! Paige (from England) is over with the crowd; still waiting to see her called up to the main roster. Emma works on Paige's knee. Match was short as usual, but probably better than most of the divas matches you'd see on RAW or Smackdown. "Paige Turner" finisher abruptly gets three. 3/4*
Bo Dallas & Michael McGillicutty vs. Primo & Epico: Pairing Bo and McGillicutty could work out for MM, if only to get him some in-ring action and show the world what he can really do. Bo gets beaten down before MM gets the tag. Good tag work from the Puerto Rican tandem throughout the match. Primo hits the Backstabber on MM to get three. **
Big E Langston vs. Seth Rollins (No DQ; NXT Title): Rollins now fully in Shield gimmick. Woohoo, Langston doesn't talk here! Saxton does the main event intros. Rollins attempts to ground Langston, probably the best strategy. Took only two minutes for Ambrose and Reigns to show up. Langston still with the comeback against Rollins with big knees and an avalanche. Gang attack on Langston, so the entire NXT locker room comes down to get Ambrose and Reigns outta there. Looks like 15-on-2. Dusty Rhodes probably sent them. Rollins is beside himself. Blockbuster on Langston for two. Rollins tries again, but Langston with a nice counter into his modified cutter finisher for three. New champ! Langston with the most emotion he's ever shown on WWE TV. The locker room empties to celebrate with Langston. So apparently the guy does have feelings. Good for Big E. The title looks good around his waist. **
I think at this time, I have mixed feelings on WWE giving Langston the title. On the plus side, he's over with the NXT crowd and has the look. But the guy can't cut a promo on his own. I dunno if that's actually a fact or if he's just booked that way. Having someone speak for him could work. Otherwise, I hope it's a lot of physical statements made and not a lot of talking.
Luke Harper & Erick Rowan vs. Yoshi Tatsu & Percy Watson: Yes, Yoshi Tatsu and Percy Watson are still employed. Bray Wyatt tells his two big bearded guys into battle and goes to sit in a rocking chair. Rowan's the redbeard and Harper the blackbeard. Reminds me when Drew Hankinson (Luke Gallows) had the Festus gimmick. Yoshi hits his big kick but misses the spinning wheel kick from the top. Big splash by Harper and a discus clothesline get three. Wyatt is pleased. *1/4
Paige vs. Emma: Two international divas without first names. Emma is from Australia and does some weird stuff with her hands coming to the ring. What kind of dance is that?! Paige (from England) is over with the crowd; still waiting to see her called up to the main roster. Emma works on Paige's knee. Match was short as usual, but probably better than most of the divas matches you'd see on RAW or Smackdown. "Paige Turner" finisher abruptly gets three. 3/4*
Bo Dallas & Michael McGillicutty vs. Primo & Epico: Pairing Bo and McGillicutty could work out for MM, if only to get him some in-ring action and show the world what he can really do. Bo gets beaten down before MM gets the tag. Good tag work from the Puerto Rican tandem throughout the match. Primo hits the Backstabber on MM to get three. **
Big E Langston vs. Seth Rollins (No DQ; NXT Title): Rollins now fully in Shield gimmick. Woohoo, Langston doesn't talk here! Saxton does the main event intros. Rollins attempts to ground Langston, probably the best strategy. Took only two minutes for Ambrose and Reigns to show up. Langston still with the comeback against Rollins with big knees and an avalanche. Gang attack on Langston, so the entire NXT locker room comes down to get Ambrose and Reigns outta there. Looks like 15-on-2. Dusty Rhodes probably sent them. Rollins is beside himself. Blockbuster on Langston for two. Rollins tries again, but Langston with a nice counter into his modified cutter finisher for three. New champ! Langston with the most emotion he's ever shown on WWE TV. The locker room empties to celebrate with Langston. So apparently the guy does have feelings. Good for Big E. The title looks good around his waist. **
I think at this time, I have mixed feelings on WWE giving Langston the title. On the plus side, he's over with the NXT crowd and has the look. But the guy can't cut a promo on his own. I dunno if that's actually a fact or if he's just booked that way. Having someone speak for him could work. Otherwise, I hope it's a lot of physical statements made and not a lot of talking.
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