They're finally back in the Impact Zone after several weeks of tapings in the UK.
Taz isn't at the announcing booth because Bully is pissed at Aces & Eights. Bully Ray to the ring. Bully especially wants to get his hands on Devon. He introduces Jeff Hardy, who didn't make the UK trip to sell the A&E attack (but I'm assuming he couldn't leave the country due to possible ongoing legal issues). Bully wants his shot at the title and calls the TNA Title the most prestigious singles title in pro wrestling today (really?!). Bully plays the humble man and says he doesn't just want the title shot because of nepotism. Kaz and Daniels to the ring to protest. Thunderlips Hulk Hogan reference! Bully Raymond and Jefferson! Daniels' excuse: allergic reaction to Hardy's face paint. Appletini back in Daniels' face. Bully and Hardy send Bad Influence scurrying to the back. Tag match later tonight.
Magnus said Sting's been there to mentor him and now wants to give back. How nice of him.
Gail Kim on commentary. She faces the winner of the upcoming Knockouts Title match.
Velvet Sky vs. Tara (Knockouts Title): Gail accuses Taryn Terrell of being part of a conspiracy to help Velvet Sky. It's a blonde thing? Oh, and also the jealousy card again. Jesse gets involved right in front of the ref and Taryn ejects him from ringside. You know, she coulda called for the bell right there too. Velvet hits In Yo Face for three. Gail protests that there's a fast count, but Tara looks like she woulda been down for 30. *
Aries on the phone more worried about photo shoots. He says he can beat anyone, so Chavo says Aries will face Hernandez tonight.
Rob Van Dam gives Kenny King yet another shot at the X-Division Title even though Kenny's failed twice in title matches in the past. That simple? Can I get a title shot next? Stipulation is if Kenny loses, no more X-Division, no more title shots against RVD. So Kenny's finally winning so we can move on from all this.
Austin Aries vs. Hernandez: Taz is back on commentary after having business to take care of. Hernandez controls things early, then Aries pulls Hernandez to the outside. Suicide dive from AA. Always impressive to see Hernandez skin the cat and do that slingshot shoulder tackle. Aries tries to leave with his tag title Hernandez grabs Aries and tosses him back in the ring. Hernandez takes the title away. Ref tries to get the title out of the ring. Aries looks like he uses a chain to KO Hernandez and get three. *3/4
Joseph Park eats some delicious ribs in Sting's office. Yup, Park knows what a rib is now. Park wants to be part of Sting's team. Sting says he'll think about it.
Sting gives Matt Morgan a shot to be on Team TNA. Morgan basically says no because Sting and Hulk Hogan are friends. Guilty by association. In other words, Matt Morgan's gonna be stuck in midcard for a while -- if he's even on TV.
Kenny King vs. Rob Van Dam (X-Division Title): Taz likes Kenny King's persistence on going after the title. I at least can understand that take on the situation, but I otherwise call it unoriginal, crappy booking because the talent pool should be a lot deeper. Where's Christian York and Zema Ion in all this? Sucks that Kid Kash left the company. RVD schools KK early on. Kenny misses the slingshot corkscrew to the outside and RVD hits a back kick. RVD twisting legdrop on the barricade. KK gets physical on offense. RVD with the monkey flip but KK lands on his feet -- then gets nuked with an RVD spin kick. Rolling Thunder hits. RVD calls an audible but misses the 450 splash. KK rolls RVD up for an awkward two count. Hebner stopped because RVD's shoulders rolled off the mat, but looked weird since there was no actual kickout. They stagger back to their feet and King hits probably the worst-looking Royal Flush ever for three and the title. Just a horrible-looking last few seconds to an otherwise-decent match. **
Sting shows Kurt Angle the list of participants for Team TNA in Lethal Lockdown. Angle's surprised in particular at one of the picks not mentioned by name. Sting seems to imply that he's picking Joseph Park, but we'll see.
Hulk Hogan has another surgery. Twitter photo of Hulk's knee post-surgery.
A&E to the ring. Devon introduces Team A&E for Lethal Lockdown: Devon, Anderson, Knox, DOC, and Garett Bischoff. Good lineup. I also like that Angle's facing Wes Brisco in a singles match; a chance for the new guy to get over.
Sting to the entrance ramp. He introduces his team: Sting, Samoa Joe, James Storm, Magnus, and...Showtime? ERIC YOUNG'S BACK! Ten guys brawl in the ring and A&E gets sent packing. You know, I love the pick. There may still be a shot that Joseph Park gets involved.
Gut Check this week! TNA is sticking with the format of two contestants compete against each other in a match, then three judges make their decision the following week and decide whether that chosen contestant gets a TNA contract. Here are the participants:
Ivelisse Velez (TNA spells it "Ivelise Felez"). She now has brown-reddish hair. Velez goes into her strained relationship with her mother that's only now starting to get patched back up. Yeah, that's the former Sofia Cortez in WWE. Velez got released from WWE in August 2012 and then competed in Mexico for the AAA promotion. Might be a blessing for her should she get a TNA contract.
Facing Ivelisse tonight is Lei'D Tapa (first name pronounced "lady"). As you can imagine, she's Polynesian (Tongan). Second-generation star. Her uncle used to wrestle in WWE as the Barbarian. I remember him!
Ivelisse Velez vs. Lei'D Tapa: Todd Keneley notes Tapa's size advantage. Velez counters with several submissions, first a guillotine choke and then a sleeper. Tapa gets out of both with her strength and hits a nice kick. velez uses her quickness to avoid Tapa and hit a tornado DDT. Nice hurricanrana from Velez, but Tapa comes right back with a Samoan Drop for two. Or is it a Tongan Drop? Velez gets the guillotine choke on again, with body scissors. Tapa struggles for a bit, then taps. Very nice Gut Check match here, both with impressive debut showings. *3/4
Aries is pulling for Jeff Hardy tonight because Aries believes Bully is now the golden child after "marrying into" the Hogan family.
AJ Styles update starts with wife Wendy and friend Jay Oliver. AJ Styles comes in, and he's grown facial hair. He tells the camera "you just don't get it" and speeds off on a motorcycle. Looks like a heel makeover for AJ's character.
Video package showing the tension that's developed between Robbie E and Rob Terry. All started with that Open Bro Night and really took off from there. He says he's come to the realization that there's a bigger bro out there and calls Rob Terry to the ring. Robbie E wants one more Bro-Off but Terry doesn't want to do it. Robbie E goes and dances like a weirdo. Terry eventually relents and starts his dance, but Robbie comes back in and hits Terry with that VIP sign. Duh. Robbie celebrates like an idiot and Terry has the best pissed-off face ever. I think Robbie pissed his pants on that one.
Austin Aries tries to butter up to Bully Ray but Bully has none of it. Bully win.
Angle's still on the hunt for A&E.
Jeff Hardy & Bully Ray vs. Christopher Daniels & Kazarian: Bad Influence still loves Gangnam Style dancing, so Bully busts it out as well. Hardy also likes to dance. Good grief. Yeah, there was actually wrestling here too. Good teamwork from Bully and Hardy. Hardy isolated. Bully with the hot tag and he goes nuts on both Bad Influence members. Hardy gets the tag; he goes for the Swanton but Kaz prevents that. STO to Hardy gets two. Bully with a boot to Kaz and a loud slap to Daniels' back. Bully with the electric chair drop and Hardy hits the Swanton for three. **1/4
Back to Kurt Angle. He raids the clubhouse and takes Anderson and Devon out. He then goes after the masked VP of the club. Glass to the face. Angle unmasks the VP and is stunned who it is. We don't see who the VP really is. In that sense of Angle being pissed, it's a take on the whole "higher power" storyline between Vince and Austin many years ago (although it was Vince who revealed himself to Austin). The other A&E guys attack Angle to end the show.
It seems clear to me -- at least initially -- that the VP is Joseph Park. Big dude, deep voice to disguise. I absolutely love the cliffhanger. It will be interesting to see if the VP identity is revealed before the PPV. With two Sundays to go before the PPV, TNA can hold off the identity until the Lethal Lockdown match. Given that the VP is Joseph Park (I don't know right now), it's a perfect way for Park to screw Team TNA at Lethal Lockdown.
Think about this scenario: No mention of the VP identity next week on Impact. Angle can be held off the show to sell A&E beatdown injuries. A guy like Eric Young gets taken out again before the Lethal Lockdown match. Park offers his services to Sting. Sting allows it. With LL basically being War Games rules, Park ends up being the absolute last guy to enter the match. Sting could be one guy standing while Park gets all riled up. A&E acts scared as hell. Then Park levels Sting and the gang beatdown begins. A&E ends up pinning Sting and it's over. Would be an excellent finish, in my opinion. Keeps Aces & Eights momentum going.
And again, I don't read spoilers, so if it's someone different, it'll probably be fine with me.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
2/27/13 NXT
Dusty Rhodes is with Bo Dallas. Yeah, remember when we thought Bo was gonna be on the main roster full-time against Wade Barrett? What happened with that? Corey Graves comes in. He hands back the NXT Title he took from Langston last week. Dusty makes a triple threat main event tonight: Bo vs. Graves vs. Conor O'Brian.
Justin Gabriel vs. Leo Kruger: Battle of South Africans tonight! Tyson Kidd also at ringside in Gabriel's corner. A bunch of chain wrestling and rest holds to start. Kruger targets JG's left arm. JG with some comeback moves. Kruger again thwarts that. Big lariat from Kruger gets two. Sunset flip powerbomb and then the 450 from JG win it. Slow start, nice finish. Kruger takes Kidd's crutches away and jabs JG with it after the match. **
Emma vs. Aksana: I still don't get this disoriented Australian dancing Emma does to the ring. Am I supposed to think it's gonna catch on like the Bushwhackers march? Emma struggles to get in the ring. OK, did she have six beers before her match? Emma somehow gets some offense in, then stumbles and hits her face on the bottom turnbuckle. She's still able to get a couple of near falls. Emma again goes all disoriented and Aksana hits an impressive spinebuster for three. This went five minutes and probably was about four minutes too long. No. I do not want to see this again. DUD
Bo Dallas has been "knocked out" in the back. This another way of saying he's not really gonna be much of a factor in NXT anymore? It's down to two guys tonight in the #1 contenders match.
Conor O'Brian vs. Corey Graves: #1 contenders match and no Bo Dallas. Conor moves decent for a guy his size and controls things early. Graves attacks Conor's left leg to set up for that 13th Step. Graves with an ankle scissors and a few shots to the knee. Conor breaks that with a body scissors and seated full nelson bombs. More rest holds from Graves. This one is a flat out snoozer right now. Conor starts the comeback again and the lights go out. SHIELD'S HERE! Ref throws the match out. *
Shield promo about how things will get better, but before that, it must get worse. No Tony, that was NOT an unbelievable match. Go watch Cena and Punk on RAW.
Justin Gabriel vs. Leo Kruger: Battle of South Africans tonight! Tyson Kidd also at ringside in Gabriel's corner. A bunch of chain wrestling and rest holds to start. Kruger targets JG's left arm. JG with some comeback moves. Kruger again thwarts that. Big lariat from Kruger gets two. Sunset flip powerbomb and then the 450 from JG win it. Slow start, nice finish. Kruger takes Kidd's crutches away and jabs JG with it after the match. **
Emma vs. Aksana: I still don't get this disoriented Australian dancing Emma does to the ring. Am I supposed to think it's gonna catch on like the Bushwhackers march? Emma struggles to get in the ring. OK, did she have six beers before her match? Emma somehow gets some offense in, then stumbles and hits her face on the bottom turnbuckle. She's still able to get a couple of near falls. Emma again goes all disoriented and Aksana hits an impressive spinebuster for three. This went five minutes and probably was about four minutes too long. No. I do not want to see this again. DUD
Bo Dallas has been "knocked out" in the back. This another way of saying he's not really gonna be much of a factor in NXT anymore? It's down to two guys tonight in the #1 contenders match.
Conor O'Brian vs. Corey Graves: #1 contenders match and no Bo Dallas. Conor moves decent for a guy his size and controls things early. Graves attacks Conor's left leg to set up for that 13th Step. Graves with an ankle scissors and a few shots to the knee. Conor breaks that with a body scissors and seated full nelson bombs. More rest holds from Graves. This one is a flat out snoozer right now. Conor starts the comeback again and the lights go out. SHIELD'S HERE! Ref throws the match out. *
Shield promo about how things will get better, but before that, it must get worse. No Tony, that was NOT an unbelievable match. Go watch Cena and Punk on RAW.
2/27/13 Main Event
Kaitlyn's walking through the backstage halls and runs into Cody Rhodes again. The love-stache strikes again! Kaitlyn is uncomfortable and doesn't appear interested. Sheamus comes in for more love-stache jokes. We got a match for Main Event!
We're in Oklahoma City for Main Event. Jerry Lawler joins Michael Cole this week.
Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes: Sheamus in control early, then Cody takes over. Sheamus catches Cody with the Irish Curse to start that comeback. Cody skins the cat on the ropes but then Sheamus with the clubbing blows. Battering Ram for two. Sheamus' shoulder into the ring post. Cody moonsault for two. Crowd gets behind Sheamus now. Cody counters the Cloverleaf and hits a running knee for two. Cross Rhodes countered. Sheamus White Noise countered. Brogue Kick avoided. Cody misses a Disaster Kick. Sheamus Brogue Kick gets three. Nice end sequence. **3/4
We see some footage from RAW where Mark Henry beat Great Khali. Luckily that was short.
Mark Henry vs. Justin Gabriel: OK, who really thinks Gabriel's winning this? Thought so. Just a methodical beatdown of JG tonight. Squash! N/A
The show basically ends with the Vince/Heyman "fight" from RAW (a.k.a. setup for Lesnar and HHH storyline for WM 29), then the epic match between John Cena and CM Punk.
We're in Oklahoma City for Main Event. Jerry Lawler joins Michael Cole this week.
Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes: Sheamus in control early, then Cody takes over. Sheamus catches Cody with the Irish Curse to start that comeback. Cody skins the cat on the ropes but then Sheamus with the clubbing blows. Battering Ram for two. Sheamus' shoulder into the ring post. Cody moonsault for two. Crowd gets behind Sheamus now. Cody counters the Cloverleaf and hits a running knee for two. Cross Rhodes countered. Sheamus White Noise countered. Brogue Kick avoided. Cody misses a Disaster Kick. Sheamus Brogue Kick gets three. Nice end sequence. **3/4
We see some footage from RAW where Mark Henry beat Great Khali. Luckily that was short.
Mark Henry vs. Justin Gabriel: OK, who really thinks Gabriel's winning this? Thought so. Just a methodical beatdown of JG tonight. Squash! N/A
The show basically ends with the Vince/Heyman "fight" from RAW (a.k.a. setup for Lesnar and HHH storyline for WM 29), then the epic match between John Cena and CM Punk.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
2/25/13 RAW (Cena vs. Punk)
Gotta love the crowd in Dallas, TX! King and Cole on commentary.
Vince McMahon starts the show and he's still on crutches. He calls Paul Heyman out. Heyman comes out in workout gear and gets the cheap heat with a Cowboys/Romo joke. Heyman abruptly tackles Vince and targets the hip. Vince takes the crutch away and gets two crutch shots on Heyman.
And here comes Brock Lesnar. He stares Vince down. And then HHH arrives sporting a new shirt. Was there really any doubt that these two would show up? HHH and Lesnar brawl around ringside. Lesnar shoved into the ringpost and he's really cut badly. Lesnar battles back and F-5s HHH on the announce table. Now that was awesome. Been a long time since I've seen a guy in WWE have a wound that bad on TV. Might as well be Lesnar who takes it. you can see Lesnar's blood on the silver ringpost. HHH tossed into the ring, and Lesnar takes a chair with him. HHH with a spinebuster to Lesnar and a loud chair shot. Lesnar retreats but still smiles. Lesnar and HHH set in stone for WM 29. Yeah, I'd pay to see them beat each other up for 20+ minutes.
Ryback vs. Dolph Ziggler: Looks like Ryback's back on his own, and that's the way it should be. Ryback dominant early on, as expected. Langston runs over Ryback on the outside so Ziggler can get on offense. Ryback runs into the ringpost and Ziggler with a spike DDT for two. Ryback in the sleeper but breaks that with a stunner-like jawjacker. AJ and Langston try to interfere, to no avail. Ziggler gets Shellshocked and Ryback wins. At least Ziggler bumps like a champ. This felt more like a glorified squash. Ziggler got in his moves, but Ryback was just booked overwhelmingly strong. *3/4
CM Punk promo. He says tonight is not about Cena, Rock, the people, or even WM 29. Tonight isn't even about the WWE Title. Tonight is about CM Punk. "CM Punk is God." Yes, he is, and that sentence even trended on Twitter. Take that, JBL!
Add Donald Trump to the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. Hey, I think he's at least more deserving than Drew Carey. I mean, Trump literally let it rain real money on RAW. Still won't forget Trump shaving Vince's head at WM 23. RIP Umaga.
Mark Henry vs. Great Khali: DAMMIT, not again! Overhand chop to Henry but that doesn't do too much damage. World's Strongest Slam ends things rather quickly. N/A
The Marine 3 (starring Miz) is going straight to DVD. Sounds normal to me when WWE stars (at least other than Rock) are involved.
Fitting that this leads to Miz TV. Guests are Jack Swagger, Zeb Colter, Alberto Del Rio, and Ricardo Rodriguez. Miz gives Colter the chance to say what's on his mind, and Zeb goes into a rant on illegal immigrants (a.k.a. undocumented workers). Colter with the quick jab to Glenn Beck rejecting WWE's offer to appear on the show. WWE is educational! 10 years to become a citizen of Mexico, and foreigners can't own property there. Colter says ADR represents the American dream. Colter calls those illegal immigrants "criminals." ADR says America is for everyone and that anything is possible if you work hard enough. ADR challenges Swagger to bring it on. Swagger says he'll see ADR at WM. Yup. Another solid advancement of storyline. So it looks like Swagger's push wasn't affected too much, although I'm not too sure WWE will put the title on him now. Before the DUI and weed arrest, Swagger was penciled to win the title at WM.
During the break, Swagger attacks Miz from behind, so I assume there will be a match later on between these two.
Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro: Cesaro in control early, then the usual comeback moves from Orton. Cesaro to the second rope for what I believe would be a flying Euro uppercut, and Orton hits the RKO out of nowhere for three. *1/2
Daniel Bryan and Kane arguing again. Match against the Primetime Players. DB says he can beat PTPs blindfolded. Kane says he can do it with one arm behind his back. Enter Team Brickie to actually make that happen. Brad Maddox already assuming the role of power-hungry, ego-driven assistant.
We see the WM 21 military courtroom promo between John Cena and JBL. Cena won the title from JBL that year and that pretty much started Cena's dominant ride at the top of the company.
Sheamus in a tux?! Well, that's a new one on me. No, I didn't bother to watch the Oscars. He says the greatest actor of the 21st century is...Wade Barrett! I guess we know where this is going. We again see the movie trailer for Dead Man Down (where Barrett has a supporting role) and Sheamus with more quips that really fall flat. Barrett comes to the ring and he basks in his movie-star glory. Ooh, attending a worldwide premiere! That'll be cool. Barrett misses a clothesline and avoids the Brogue Kick. Gotta look good for the cameras, no broken nose needed. Didn't like this segment at all, frankly.
R-Truth vs. Cody Rhodes: Damien Sandow on commentary. Can we keep him there permanently? Cody tries to ground Truth during the match. Cody bounces off the ropes and Truth hits Little Jimmy for three. Short match, nothing real special. Sandow unsuccessful on the post-match assault.
More Swagger/Colter YouTube videos. Swagger had to work at age 14 to support his family because his dad got laid off. That sucks, but it happens in life.
Team Hell No vs. Primetime Players: I've read that Darren Young has a knee injury, but he looked OK to me. DB gets to wear the black hood and Kane's left arm is tied behind his back. DB still tells Kane to get out. We get the "blindfolded guy goes after the ref" spot. Kane tags himself in and does the dirty work. Chokeslam to D-Young and it's over. Another comedy match. Can we have fewer of these? 1/2*
Shield promo. They dare WWE to make another All-Star team to defeat. Sheamus appears on the stage and dares Shield to get him. Ambrose and Reigns do so. Randy Orton comes through the crowd, slithers in the ring, and an RKO to Rollins. Hit and run! Guess there's your next team.
Jack Swagger vs. Miz: As expected, here's that singles match. Miz no longer has the tape on the left shoulder. Miz runs on adrenaline but Swagger catches Miz with a belly-to-belly suplex on the outside. ADR and Ricardo watching in the back locker room. Hmm, no more expensive cars and luxury boxes, eh? Swagger keeps Miz from mounting the comeback. Miz hits his signature moves in spurts, then gets his left leg caught in the ropes as planned. Opening for Swagger to target the leg and slap on the Patriot Lock. Miz taps. Safe to say for now that WWE is still going with Swagger and ADR for WM 29. *3/4
Lawler and Cole doing some promoting for Sonic. Hey Lawler, too much fried food is bad for you. I don't want you to have another heart attack.
Cena backstage promo. Cena wanted his match with Punk to prove Punk wrong. The better man goes to WM 29. No excuses, no second place. Step up, or step aside. Solid, serious promo.
WWE shares via Tout that Undertaker made a surprise return at the live event in Waco this past weekend. Taker now has a noticeable belly. Too banged up to exercise, I suppose. Food must be awesome in Texas.
John Cena vs. CM Punk: A hyped match (one week) for WWE standards. Winner faces Rock at WM 29. Justin Roberts with the main event intros. Chain wrestling to start, which generally signals a long match. Back and forth from the start. Punk keeps countering each of Cena's "five moves of doom." Roll-through on Cena's slam into the Anaconda Vice. Great counter from the STF to the Vice -- then back to the STF so Punk rolls Cena on his shoulders for another two-count. Any wrestling fan has gotta appreciate that. Even MORE counters on Cena's moves of doom. A simple kick on the "You Can't See Me" taunt. GTS countered into a sunset flip but Punk drops down and hooks Cena up for two. AA countered. GTS countered. Cena with a POWER BOMB?! That gets two. Cena to the top and he gets caught. Cena headbutts?! Cena top-rope legdrop for two! If that match ended right there, it still would get at least three and a half stars. Roundhouse kick from Punk. Punk running knee. Cena ducks short clothesline and hits AA for two! Wow. Rarely see this type of match on free TV. Punk to the outside. Cena shoved into the same post that made Lesnar all bloody earlier. Cena with the miracle dive back into the ring to beat the countout. The crowd's been on their feet for the last several minutes. Punk with the GTS, and ONLY TWO! Punk picks Cena back up. GTS blocked! Cena grabs the knee and STF! Punk milks the hold for all its worth and with one final push gets to the ropes. Punk kicks Cena's knee. PILEDRIVER TO CENA WTF ONLY TWO. Talk about going to the unofficial "banned" move list. Punk misses the top-rope elbow. CENA WITH A HURRICANRANA! Who the hell is this guy?! AA for three. Incredible. Best free TV match I've seen in a LONG time, probably ever. I'd probably have to go back to the 4/23/07 RAW main event (Cena and HBK) for another such memorable match. Kudos for the clean finish. ****3/4
Yes, I went that high on a free TV match, and I honestly can't . Amazing chemistry that Punk and Cena have in a rivalry that's spanned about two years. The numerous Punk counters on each of Cena's signature moves were excellent and made this match that much better. Extremely smart to have each counter have its own separate spot. Counters ranged from simple to more complex, but all were effective. Still got goosebumps on all those false finishes. A lot of tweets from current and former WWE talent giving high praise. Love it.
I marked HUGE for the Punk piledriver and the Cena hurricanrana. The piledriver is again on the "banned" list in WWE for safety reasons; note that even Jerry Lawler stopped using it in the matches before his heart attack. (NOTE: Vince was reportedly furious after Punk did the piledriver, but took no disciplinary action because it involved Punk and Cena) No interference at all. Just two guys at the top of their respective games, doing whatever it takes to win.
No Jericho this week because he's with Fozzy. No Rock because he's probably promoting his movies. No Taker because WWE probably doesn't want to show a pot-bellied Deadman. Show still amazing thanks to Cena and Punk epic main event. Greatness vs. Redemption at WM 29.
Next week's RAW is an "Old School RAW." Should be fun.
Oh, and Tensai debuts new ring gear when teaming with Brodus Clay in his Superstars tag match against Primo and Epico.
Vince McMahon starts the show and he's still on crutches. He calls Paul Heyman out. Heyman comes out in workout gear and gets the cheap heat with a Cowboys/Romo joke. Heyman abruptly tackles Vince and targets the hip. Vince takes the crutch away and gets two crutch shots on Heyman.
And here comes Brock Lesnar. He stares Vince down. And then HHH arrives sporting a new shirt. Was there really any doubt that these two would show up? HHH and Lesnar brawl around ringside. Lesnar shoved into the ringpost and he's really cut badly. Lesnar battles back and F-5s HHH on the announce table. Now that was awesome. Been a long time since I've seen a guy in WWE have a wound that bad on TV. Might as well be Lesnar who takes it. you can see Lesnar's blood on the silver ringpost. HHH tossed into the ring, and Lesnar takes a chair with him. HHH with a spinebuster to Lesnar and a loud chair shot. Lesnar retreats but still smiles. Lesnar and HHH set in stone for WM 29. Yeah, I'd pay to see them beat each other up for 20+ minutes.
Ryback vs. Dolph Ziggler: Looks like Ryback's back on his own, and that's the way it should be. Ryback dominant early on, as expected. Langston runs over Ryback on the outside so Ziggler can get on offense. Ryback runs into the ringpost and Ziggler with a spike DDT for two. Ryback in the sleeper but breaks that with a stunner-like jawjacker. AJ and Langston try to interfere, to no avail. Ziggler gets Shellshocked and Ryback wins. At least Ziggler bumps like a champ. This felt more like a glorified squash. Ziggler got in his moves, but Ryback was just booked overwhelmingly strong. *3/4
CM Punk promo. He says tonight is not about Cena, Rock, the people, or even WM 29. Tonight isn't even about the WWE Title. Tonight is about CM Punk. "CM Punk is God." Yes, he is, and that sentence even trended on Twitter. Take that, JBL!
Add Donald Trump to the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame. Hey, I think he's at least more deserving than Drew Carey. I mean, Trump literally let it rain real money on RAW. Still won't forget Trump shaving Vince's head at WM 23. RIP Umaga.
Mark Henry vs. Great Khali: DAMMIT, not again! Overhand chop to Henry but that doesn't do too much damage. World's Strongest Slam ends things rather quickly. N/A
The Marine 3 (starring Miz) is going straight to DVD. Sounds normal to me when WWE stars (at least other than Rock) are involved.
Fitting that this leads to Miz TV. Guests are Jack Swagger, Zeb Colter, Alberto Del Rio, and Ricardo Rodriguez. Miz gives Colter the chance to say what's on his mind, and Zeb goes into a rant on illegal immigrants (a.k.a. undocumented workers). Colter with the quick jab to Glenn Beck rejecting WWE's offer to appear on the show. WWE is educational! 10 years to become a citizen of Mexico, and foreigners can't own property there. Colter says ADR represents the American dream. Colter calls those illegal immigrants "criminals." ADR says America is for everyone and that anything is possible if you work hard enough. ADR challenges Swagger to bring it on. Swagger says he'll see ADR at WM. Yup. Another solid advancement of storyline. So it looks like Swagger's push wasn't affected too much, although I'm not too sure WWE will put the title on him now. Before the DUI and weed arrest, Swagger was penciled to win the title at WM.
During the break, Swagger attacks Miz from behind, so I assume there will be a match later on between these two.
Randy Orton vs. Antonio Cesaro: Cesaro in control early, then the usual comeback moves from Orton. Cesaro to the second rope for what I believe would be a flying Euro uppercut, and Orton hits the RKO out of nowhere for three. *1/2
Daniel Bryan and Kane arguing again. Match against the Primetime Players. DB says he can beat PTPs blindfolded. Kane says he can do it with one arm behind his back. Enter Team Brickie to actually make that happen. Brad Maddox already assuming the role of power-hungry, ego-driven assistant.
We see the WM 21 military courtroom promo between John Cena and JBL. Cena won the title from JBL that year and that pretty much started Cena's dominant ride at the top of the company.
Sheamus in a tux?! Well, that's a new one on me. No, I didn't bother to watch the Oscars. He says the greatest actor of the 21st century is...Wade Barrett! I guess we know where this is going. We again see the movie trailer for Dead Man Down (where Barrett has a supporting role) and Sheamus with more quips that really fall flat. Barrett comes to the ring and he basks in his movie-star glory. Ooh, attending a worldwide premiere! That'll be cool. Barrett misses a clothesline and avoids the Brogue Kick. Gotta look good for the cameras, no broken nose needed. Didn't like this segment at all, frankly.
R-Truth vs. Cody Rhodes: Damien Sandow on commentary. Can we keep him there permanently? Cody tries to ground Truth during the match. Cody bounces off the ropes and Truth hits Little Jimmy for three. Short match, nothing real special. Sandow unsuccessful on the post-match assault.
More Swagger/Colter YouTube videos. Swagger had to work at age 14 to support his family because his dad got laid off. That sucks, but it happens in life.
Team Hell No vs. Primetime Players: I've read that Darren Young has a knee injury, but he looked OK to me. DB gets to wear the black hood and Kane's left arm is tied behind his back. DB still tells Kane to get out. We get the "blindfolded guy goes after the ref" spot. Kane tags himself in and does the dirty work. Chokeslam to D-Young and it's over. Another comedy match. Can we have fewer of these? 1/2*
Shield promo. They dare WWE to make another All-Star team to defeat. Sheamus appears on the stage and dares Shield to get him. Ambrose and Reigns do so. Randy Orton comes through the crowd, slithers in the ring, and an RKO to Rollins. Hit and run! Guess there's your next team.
Jack Swagger vs. Miz: As expected, here's that singles match. Miz no longer has the tape on the left shoulder. Miz runs on adrenaline but Swagger catches Miz with a belly-to-belly suplex on the outside. ADR and Ricardo watching in the back locker room. Hmm, no more expensive cars and luxury boxes, eh? Swagger keeps Miz from mounting the comeback. Miz hits his signature moves in spurts, then gets his left leg caught in the ropes as planned. Opening for Swagger to target the leg and slap on the Patriot Lock. Miz taps. Safe to say for now that WWE is still going with Swagger and ADR for WM 29. *3/4
Lawler and Cole doing some promoting for Sonic. Hey Lawler, too much fried food is bad for you. I don't want you to have another heart attack.
Cena backstage promo. Cena wanted his match with Punk to prove Punk wrong. The better man goes to WM 29. No excuses, no second place. Step up, or step aside. Solid, serious promo.
WWE shares via Tout that Undertaker made a surprise return at the live event in Waco this past weekend. Taker now has a noticeable belly. Too banged up to exercise, I suppose. Food must be awesome in Texas.
John Cena vs. CM Punk: A hyped match (one week) for WWE standards. Winner faces Rock at WM 29. Justin Roberts with the main event intros. Chain wrestling to start, which generally signals a long match. Back and forth from the start. Punk keeps countering each of Cena's "five moves of doom." Roll-through on Cena's slam into the Anaconda Vice. Great counter from the STF to the Vice -- then back to the STF so Punk rolls Cena on his shoulders for another two-count. Any wrestling fan has gotta appreciate that. Even MORE counters on Cena's moves of doom. A simple kick on the "You Can't See Me" taunt. GTS countered into a sunset flip but Punk drops down and hooks Cena up for two. AA countered. GTS countered. Cena with a POWER BOMB?! That gets two. Cena to the top and he gets caught. Cena headbutts?! Cena top-rope legdrop for two! If that match ended right there, it still would get at least three and a half stars. Roundhouse kick from Punk. Punk running knee. Cena ducks short clothesline and hits AA for two! Wow. Rarely see this type of match on free TV. Punk to the outside. Cena shoved into the same post that made Lesnar all bloody earlier. Cena with the miracle dive back into the ring to beat the countout. The crowd's been on their feet for the last several minutes. Punk with the GTS, and ONLY TWO! Punk picks Cena back up. GTS blocked! Cena grabs the knee and STF! Punk milks the hold for all its worth and with one final push gets to the ropes. Punk kicks Cena's knee. PILEDRIVER TO CENA WTF ONLY TWO. Talk about going to the unofficial "banned" move list. Punk misses the top-rope elbow. CENA WITH A HURRICANRANA! Who the hell is this guy?! AA for three. Incredible. Best free TV match I've seen in a LONG time, probably ever. I'd probably have to go back to the 4/23/07 RAW main event (Cena and HBK) for another such memorable match. Kudos for the clean finish. ****3/4
Yes, I went that high on a free TV match, and I honestly can't . Amazing chemistry that Punk and Cena have in a rivalry that's spanned about two years. The numerous Punk counters on each of Cena's signature moves were excellent and made this match that much better. Extremely smart to have each counter have its own separate spot. Counters ranged from simple to more complex, but all were effective. Still got goosebumps on all those false finishes. A lot of tweets from current and former WWE talent giving high praise. Love it.
I marked HUGE for the Punk piledriver and the Cena hurricanrana. The piledriver is again on the "banned" list in WWE for safety reasons; note that even Jerry Lawler stopped using it in the matches before his heart attack. (NOTE: Vince was reportedly furious after Punk did the piledriver, but took no disciplinary action because it involved Punk and Cena) No interference at all. Just two guys at the top of their respective games, doing whatever it takes to win.
No Jericho this week because he's with Fozzy. No Rock because he's probably promoting his movies. No Taker because WWE probably doesn't want to show a pot-bellied Deadman. Show still amazing thanks to Cena and Punk epic main event. Greatness vs. Redemption at WM 29.
Next week's RAW is an "Old School RAW." Should be fun.
Oh, and Tensai debuts new ring gear when teaming with Brodus Clay in his Superstars tag match against Primo and Epico.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
2/22/13 Smackdown
Alberto Del Rio starts the show with a promo. JBL still needs to get someone like Ricardo Rodriguez. ADR goes into a promo about how getting the title is a culmination of an immigrant achieving the American dream. And now Swagger gets slapped with the jackass monicker. As we'd find out after the Smackdown tapings, he'd be a jackass in more ways than one. Randy Orton to the ring. He wants Swagger tonight. Booker to the ring to confirm that, plus Del Rio faces IC champ Wade Barrett in a champion vs. champion match.
Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow: Sandow calls Sheamus a false idol. You're welcome. Sheamus with a couple of vicious clotheslines early. Sandow into the barricade. Sandow in trouble early but retreats to break the momentum. Sandow gets his offense. Competitive match in the last couple minutes with some near falls and a bunch of counters. Sheamus manages to finally hit White Noise and the Brogue Kick for three. Good effort from Sandow as well. **1/2
WM 30 to be held in New Orleans next year. Probably yet another badly kept secret.
Video package of Shield's two wins in a 24-hour span: first over Cena/Sheamus/Ryback, then Jericho/Sheamus/Ryback.
Kaitlyn & Layla vs. Tamina Snuka & Aksana: Layla's offense has turned more and more into joke moves, and I personally despise it. I think the crowd reaction's getting piped in during this match because the crowd doesn't seem to be caring -- plus a huge reliance on non-hard camera angles. Tamina's not impressed with any of this stuff, either. Blind tag to Kaitlyn and she spears Tamina for the win. Probably the best part of the match right there. 1/2*
WWE Active segment shown just before the divas tag match featured an awkward conversation of sorts between Cody Rhodes and Kaitlyn. Vintage "love-stache!"New on-screen couple forming? Kinda makes me want Cody to do his "Dashing" thing again just for fun.
A big chunk of time to show the entire Rock championship celebration from RAW again. Really? Coulda easily had one more good match in there. Tell people to go watch RAW to see the entire damn thing. Or make it a 2-minute video package.
Interesting exchange between Wade Barrett and Zeb Colter. Barrett was praising Colter and Swagger, but Colter wants none of it, declaring Barrett (from England) part of the problem because he's "stealing a job from an American." I'm not ready to turn Barrett face just yet, but I could easily see him in that role down the line. A very intriguing future storyline, in my opinion.
Jack Swagger vs. Randy Orton: Swagger even has a new Titantron with "We the People" on it. Seriously, Jack?! You had to get a damn DUI and get caught with marijuana? At least from the mugshot, we can now confirm Swagger's a legit 6'6" (well, not sure if he was taking that mugshot barefoot). Anyway, this was a great match; these two were given a solid amount of time. Very competitive match as both guys attacked the other's legs. Orton's shoulder into the steel steps and I'm sure people wondered if he coulda separated that thing again. Orton comes back and back suplexes Swagger on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Swagger pops up and takes Orton's knee out again. Orton still gets his signature moves in. Swagger Bomb avoided and Orton kicks Jack in the gut. Leads to Orton backbreaker and hangman's DDT. Colter finally gets involved slightly, pulling Swagger to the apron. Swagger hangs Orton on the top and gets the rollup for three. Loved this for the prized-heavyweight fight feel, even though there weren't a lot of the close near falls. Unfortunately, I fear the subsequent arrest Swagger got will crush his new push. **3/4
Heard that Darren Young is out for about eight months with a knee injury. Really feel bad for him because he had a solid tag team role with Titus O'Neil. I also feel bad for Tyson Kidd. I personally know that knee injuries of any type just plain suck.
I saw at least one guy online mentioning JTG should pair up with Titus for the "Cryme Tyme Players." HA. Yes, JTG's still employed with WWE as of this blog post.
More video packages of Brock Lesnar taking Vince out a few weeks back. Vickie then announces Brad Maddox as her new assistant on RAW. Vince then challenges Heyman to a fight next week Monday. Might be safe to say that Brock Lesnar and/or HHH will be in the building.
Cody Rhodes vs. Miz: Miz still bandaged up because of the Cesaro attack. Yeah, continuing to wrestle doesn't help treat that. Meanwhile, seems like Cody's channeling a bit of Ravishing Rick Rude each day with the love-stache. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that Cody goes after Miz's injured shoulder. Cody goes for the Alabama Slam but Miz counters and locks in the Figure Four for the submission win. *1/4
Alberto Del Rio vs. Wade Barrett: Swagger and Colter watch the match from the stage. Ricardo mocks Barrett getting hurt in the first minute, so Barrett chases after him. ADR stops that with the dropkick. Barrett takes control by tossing ADR from the second rope to the floor. Barrett continues the onslaught with a few more impactful moves. ADR comeback: clotheslines, backbreaker, superkick for two. Barrett catches ADR with Winds of Change for two. ADR kidney punches and backstabber for two. Swagger distracts ADR. Barrett rollup with tights only two. Barrett misses the Bullhammer and ADR locks in the cross armbreaker for the submission win. ***
Solid episode of Smackdown this week. I love this time of year because it generally tends to give us the best free TV matches.
Sheamus vs. Damien Sandow: Sandow calls Sheamus a false idol. You're welcome. Sheamus with a couple of vicious clotheslines early. Sandow into the barricade. Sandow in trouble early but retreats to break the momentum. Sandow gets his offense. Competitive match in the last couple minutes with some near falls and a bunch of counters. Sheamus manages to finally hit White Noise and the Brogue Kick for three. Good effort from Sandow as well. **1/2
WM 30 to be held in New Orleans next year. Probably yet another badly kept secret.
Video package of Shield's two wins in a 24-hour span: first over Cena/Sheamus/Ryback, then Jericho/Sheamus/Ryback.
Kaitlyn & Layla vs. Tamina Snuka & Aksana: Layla's offense has turned more and more into joke moves, and I personally despise it. I think the crowd reaction's getting piped in during this match because the crowd doesn't seem to be caring -- plus a huge reliance on non-hard camera angles. Tamina's not impressed with any of this stuff, either. Blind tag to Kaitlyn and she spears Tamina for the win. Probably the best part of the match right there. 1/2*
WWE Active segment shown just before the divas tag match featured an awkward conversation of sorts between Cody Rhodes and Kaitlyn. Vintage "love-stache!"New on-screen couple forming? Kinda makes me want Cody to do his "Dashing" thing again just for fun.
A big chunk of time to show the entire Rock championship celebration from RAW again. Really? Coulda easily had one more good match in there. Tell people to go watch RAW to see the entire damn thing. Or make it a 2-minute video package.
Interesting exchange between Wade Barrett and Zeb Colter. Barrett was praising Colter and Swagger, but Colter wants none of it, declaring Barrett (from England) part of the problem because he's "stealing a job from an American." I'm not ready to turn Barrett face just yet, but I could easily see him in that role down the line. A very intriguing future storyline, in my opinion.
Jack Swagger vs. Randy Orton: Swagger even has a new Titantron with "We the People" on it. Seriously, Jack?! You had to get a damn DUI and get caught with marijuana? At least from the mugshot, we can now confirm Swagger's a legit 6'6" (well, not sure if he was taking that mugshot barefoot). Anyway, this was a great match; these two were given a solid amount of time. Very competitive match as both guys attacked the other's legs. Orton's shoulder into the steel steps and I'm sure people wondered if he coulda separated that thing again. Orton comes back and back suplexes Swagger on the guardrail. Back in the ring, Swagger pops up and takes Orton's knee out again. Orton still gets his signature moves in. Swagger Bomb avoided and Orton kicks Jack in the gut. Leads to Orton backbreaker and hangman's DDT. Colter finally gets involved slightly, pulling Swagger to the apron. Swagger hangs Orton on the top and gets the rollup for three. Loved this for the prized-heavyweight fight feel, even though there weren't a lot of the close near falls. Unfortunately, I fear the subsequent arrest Swagger got will crush his new push. **3/4
Heard that Darren Young is out for about eight months with a knee injury. Really feel bad for him because he had a solid tag team role with Titus O'Neil. I also feel bad for Tyson Kidd. I personally know that knee injuries of any type just plain suck.
I saw at least one guy online mentioning JTG should pair up with Titus for the "Cryme Tyme Players." HA. Yes, JTG's still employed with WWE as of this blog post.
More video packages of Brock Lesnar taking Vince out a few weeks back. Vickie then announces Brad Maddox as her new assistant on RAW. Vince then challenges Heyman to a fight next week Monday. Might be safe to say that Brock Lesnar and/or HHH will be in the building.
Cody Rhodes vs. Miz: Miz still bandaged up because of the Cesaro attack. Yeah, continuing to wrestle doesn't help treat that. Meanwhile, seems like Cody's channeling a bit of Ravishing Rick Rude each day with the love-stache. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that Cody goes after Miz's injured shoulder. Cody goes for the Alabama Slam but Miz counters and locks in the Figure Four for the submission win. *1/4
Alberto Del Rio vs. Wade Barrett: Swagger and Colter watch the match from the stage. Ricardo mocks Barrett getting hurt in the first minute, so Barrett chases after him. ADR stops that with the dropkick. Barrett takes control by tossing ADR from the second rope to the floor. Barrett continues the onslaught with a few more impactful moves. ADR comeback: clotheslines, backbreaker, superkick for two. Barrett catches ADR with Winds of Change for two. ADR kidney punches and backstabber for two. Swagger distracts ADR. Barrett rollup with tights only two. Barrett misses the Bullhammer and ADR locks in the cross armbreaker for the submission win. ***
Solid episode of Smackdown this week. I love this time of year because it generally tends to give us the best free TV matches.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
2/22/13 Superstars
Sin Cara vs. Drew McIntyre: Sin Cara's been banged up a lot, and then on the other side, we got three guys who love playing air guitar. Still don't understand the Sin Cara lights these days. Wheelbarrow roll-through looked botched. Heel tactics allow Drew to gain the upper hand. McIntyre honestly deserves better than this permanent midcard gimmick; you can see the talent this guy really has when he needs to pull off a counter or a big move. Sin Cara did his job to electrify the crowd with the lucha stuff. Slater and McIntyre catch Sin Cara and the ref lets the match continue. Yay for that! Jinder and Slater then have a beef with the ref, so the ref ejects both guys. Sin Cara with air guitar! So he does have a personality. Sin Cara dropkicks Drew to his knees. WTF, looks like a headscissors version of a DDT. Great whiplash effect, Drew's head slammed on the canvas! That's a kickass finisher. Sin Cara picks up the win. **3/4
Cena and Punk promo from RAW. Yeah, Cena and Punk square off next week and Cena's probably winning. Still no official word on Taker's status for WM 29, at least from what I've seen.
Then, we see a replay of the RAW segment introducing Brad Maddox as Vickie Guerrero's assistant and Vince challenging Paul Heyman to a fight on next week's show. Geez, coulda easily had two more matches in there, but nope, we gotta see this crap all over again just for people who might have missed RAW!
Naomi & Cameron vs. Natalya & Alicia Fox: WWE is finally letting Naomi shine by giving her more matches. Brodus still loves the Gangnam Style dance moves. Love the chain wrestling between Cameron and Natalya to start. Brodus with pompoms is just...weird. Natalya and Alicia isolate Cameron well, but that's so Naomi can get the hot tag. I'd consider paying to see a five or six-minute match between Naomi and Alicia Fox after seeing the 30 or so seconds they got at the end. Naomi with the springboard crossbody for the win. Agility FTW. Great stuff, especially for a divas match. **
Show ends with Rock's Championship Celebration (new WWE Title). Cena comes out to the stage and Punk KOs Cena from behind.
Cena and Punk promo from RAW. Yeah, Cena and Punk square off next week and Cena's probably winning. Still no official word on Taker's status for WM 29, at least from what I've seen.
Then, we see a replay of the RAW segment introducing Brad Maddox as Vickie Guerrero's assistant and Vince challenging Paul Heyman to a fight on next week's show. Geez, coulda easily had two more matches in there, but nope, we gotta see this crap all over again just for people who might have missed RAW!
Naomi & Cameron vs. Natalya & Alicia Fox: WWE is finally letting Naomi shine by giving her more matches. Brodus still loves the Gangnam Style dance moves. Love the chain wrestling between Cameron and Natalya to start. Brodus with pompoms is just...weird. Natalya and Alicia isolate Cameron well, but that's so Naomi can get the hot tag. I'd consider paying to see a five or six-minute match between Naomi and Alicia Fox after seeing the 30 or so seconds they got at the end. Naomi with the springboard crossbody for the win. Agility FTW. Great stuff, especially for a divas match. **
Show ends with Rock's Championship Celebration (new WWE Title). Cena comes out to the stage and Punk KOs Cena from behind.
Friday, February 22, 2013
2/21/13 Impact
We're in the UK again, and no surprise, Hulk Hogan starts the show. He names Bully Ray the #1 contender after seeing Bully's actions at the end of Impact last week. HH says Bully is the toughest guy in the company. Bully plays the humble guy here. Bully proposes a six-man tag: three guys of Aces & Eights against Bully, Sting, and Hulk. Hulk accepts and the fans go nuts. Don't hold your breath on Hulk doing much of anything.
Daniels, Kaz, Aries, and Roode are partners in an 8-man tag. Major ego trip!
Chavo Guerrero, Hernandez, James Storm, & Joseph Park vs. Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Austin Aries, & Bobby Roode: Loaded with superstar power here. Park somehow got his politicking to work. Lots of action from the start. A bit of comedy mixed in doesn't hurt (i.e. Kaz crossbody backfiring and having no effect on Park). Aries and Roode bicker again during the Park beatdown, so Daniels and Kaz try to do the work themselves. All the heels try to tag themselves in, vintage ego war! Aries and Roode leave their partners high and dry. Kaz eats three different finishers, capped with a Park second-rope splash. **
Tenay announced during the 8-man tag that Bully Ray faces Jeff Hardy for the World Title in a steel cage at Lockdown. A&E probably still a lock to get involved (no pun intended).
TNA keeps mentioning a bunch about King Mo being the two-sport star between MMA and pro wrestling. Remember when they hyped Bobby Lashley that way? Wonder whatever became of him....
Rockstar Spud vs. Robbie E: Spud's first match in TNA, and it's in front of his home country. Robbie of course has the "experience" factor and works on Spud early on. Spud misses a top-rope legdrop. Robbie wants the clipboard but Rob Terry won't give it to him. Spud rolls Robbie up for three. Yup. Good showing from Spud, hope to see more of this guy. *1/2
Robbie's pissed at Terry. OH THERE'S THE SLAP! Terry's pissed and scares Robbie away. Robbie probably made the list for "top things to not do in real life."
Velvet Sky vs. Tara vs. Gail Kim vs. Miss Tessmacher (Elimination; Knockouts Title): Been a tough last few weeks for Tara. It's a Fatal Four Way Elimination, so lots of action throughout. Jesse gets ejected from ringside before the match starts. Brooke Hogan acts as the special enforcer. Several quick pin attempts early. I never understood why people break pins up in elimination matches. Velvet hits her finisher on Tara. Gail steals the pin for the glory. Tara's eliminated so we'll have a new Knockouts champ. Tower of Doom spot! YES! Velvet reverses a rollup and pins Tessmacher, so we're down to two. Gail holds onto the ropes to prevent the sunset flip and Taryn Terrell won't have any of that. In Yo Face again from Velvet and we have a new champ. See what happens when you give the ladies time to do stuff? **1/4
Update on AJ Styles next week. If there was anyone in the company that deserved time off, I'd pick Styles.
Video package on Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco joining A&E and backstabbing Kurt Angle.
Samoa Joe vs. Garett Bischoff: Bischoff plays keepaway early on, then tries to take out Joe's legs. Joe with the comeback. Muscle Buster attempt thwarted as Wes Brisco interferes. Ref tosses the match out. Numbers game on Joe, then Angle makes the save. *3/4
Angle issues the challenge for Lockdown: Angle vs. Wes Brisco in a steel cage. Ouch.
Lethal Lockdown this year will pit members of Aces & Eights against people on the TNA roster. Much like a WCW War Games setup, and I love the concept.
Rob Van Dam vs. Kenny King (X-Division Title): Another title shot for Kenny King. KK with the upper hand early. Good offense from Kenny to wear RVD down, then the usual RVD comeback. KK with the double knees and a semi-botched Royal Flush only gets two. Can say bye to KK's chances now. RVD with the rolling thunder and frog splash to retain. **
Devon, DOC, & Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray, Sting,& Hulk Hogan: And in what was probably the most predictable segment of the night, no Hulk Hogan for the match! Bully's quad is also still bothering him. Bully gets worn down as A&E keeps the fresh guy in. Sting gets the tag and unleashes a few moves. Bully set to headbutt Anderson's nuts. Garett and the A&E masked VP come out holding Brooke Hogan. Hulk Hogan shown with a torn shirt and complaining about a knee injury. Sting left alone in the ring as Bully chases the other A&E guys. DOC with a big boot to Sting's face and that gets three. *3/4
Bully tends to Hulk as A&E continue the attack on Sting after the match to end the show. Good booking of A&E again this week.
Daniels, Kaz, Aries, and Roode are partners in an 8-man tag. Major ego trip!
Chavo Guerrero, Hernandez, James Storm, & Joseph Park vs. Christopher Daniels, Kazarian, Austin Aries, & Bobby Roode: Loaded with superstar power here. Park somehow got his politicking to work. Lots of action from the start. A bit of comedy mixed in doesn't hurt (i.e. Kaz crossbody backfiring and having no effect on Park). Aries and Roode bicker again during the Park beatdown, so Daniels and Kaz try to do the work themselves. All the heels try to tag themselves in, vintage ego war! Aries and Roode leave their partners high and dry. Kaz eats three different finishers, capped with a Park second-rope splash. **
Tenay announced during the 8-man tag that Bully Ray faces Jeff Hardy for the World Title in a steel cage at Lockdown. A&E probably still a lock to get involved (no pun intended).
TNA keeps mentioning a bunch about King Mo being the two-sport star between MMA and pro wrestling. Remember when they hyped Bobby Lashley that way? Wonder whatever became of him....
Rockstar Spud vs. Robbie E: Spud's first match in TNA, and it's in front of his home country. Robbie of course has the "experience" factor and works on Spud early on. Spud misses a top-rope legdrop. Robbie wants the clipboard but Rob Terry won't give it to him. Spud rolls Robbie up for three. Yup. Good showing from Spud, hope to see more of this guy. *1/2
Robbie's pissed at Terry. OH THERE'S THE SLAP! Terry's pissed and scares Robbie away. Robbie probably made the list for "top things to not do in real life."
Velvet Sky vs. Tara vs. Gail Kim vs. Miss Tessmacher (Elimination; Knockouts Title): Been a tough last few weeks for Tara. It's a Fatal Four Way Elimination, so lots of action throughout. Jesse gets ejected from ringside before the match starts. Brooke Hogan acts as the special enforcer. Several quick pin attempts early. I never understood why people break pins up in elimination matches. Velvet hits her finisher on Tara. Gail steals the pin for the glory. Tara's eliminated so we'll have a new Knockouts champ. Tower of Doom spot! YES! Velvet reverses a rollup and pins Tessmacher, so we're down to two. Gail holds onto the ropes to prevent the sunset flip and Taryn Terrell won't have any of that. In Yo Face again from Velvet and we have a new champ. See what happens when you give the ladies time to do stuff? **1/4
Update on AJ Styles next week. If there was anyone in the company that deserved time off, I'd pick Styles.
Video package on Garett Bischoff and Wes Brisco joining A&E and backstabbing Kurt Angle.
Samoa Joe vs. Garett Bischoff: Bischoff plays keepaway early on, then tries to take out Joe's legs. Joe with the comeback. Muscle Buster attempt thwarted as Wes Brisco interferes. Ref tosses the match out. Numbers game on Joe, then Angle makes the save. *3/4
Angle issues the challenge for Lockdown: Angle vs. Wes Brisco in a steel cage. Ouch.
Lethal Lockdown this year will pit members of Aces & Eights against people on the TNA roster. Much like a WCW War Games setup, and I love the concept.
Rob Van Dam vs. Kenny King (X-Division Title): Another title shot for Kenny King. KK with the upper hand early. Good offense from Kenny to wear RVD down, then the usual RVD comeback. KK with the double knees and a semi-botched Royal Flush only gets two. Can say bye to KK's chances now. RVD with the rolling thunder and frog splash to retain. **
Devon, DOC, & Mr. Anderson vs. Bully Ray, Sting,
Bully tends to Hulk as A&E continue the attack on Sting after the match to end the show. Good booking of A&E again this week.
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