My WWE Raw, February 28th 2012 Recap

CM Punk and Chris Jericho started things off. Jericho actually complimented Punk, calling him one of his favourite performers going today, but added that he still wasn't as good as him. Jericho also called himself a "dying breed of performers," which to be fair is true. In WWE today most of their talent come straight form their own developmental system, rather then the rare few like Y2J and Daniel Bryan who have actually travelled to various countries, honing their in-ring craft. And taking what they were given and being grateful for it. It was a good speech form Jericho, whose words were truly believable.    

CM Punk was also again accused by Chris of being a "Chris Jericho wannabe." Punk retorted by saying that he's his own person and that it's not like everything that Jericho says or does is completely original. Jericho answered back with "but I am not just telling you, I am proving to you with all the evidence that's standing right in front of you is the literal, undeserved, undoubtful, best in the World at everything I do."Quite a mouthful, eh?

CM Punk theorised that Jericho's mannerisms suggest that he actually has an inferiority complex, and asked who he was trying to prove to that he's the best in the world. Punk carried on to say that although they both came form the same shadows, he has surpassed Jericho, that he has now become "the man" that he never was. That while Jericho is writing books and participating on game shows, he's still "swimming with the sharks" in the WWE. This was a little reminiscent of Cena's rant towards The Rock last week.

Punk added that they didn't need the bright lights, the pyros, the big stage but simply a wrestling ring on April 1st at WrestleMania to put on what could be the greatest wrestling match in the pay-per-views history. And he simply ended the segment by saying that after he's victorious in the championship match "It won't be the end of theWorld, it'll just be the end of yours." It was an intriguing promo to start the show, and I quite enjoyed it myself. I'm just wondering how long they can keep carrying this 'Best in the World versus Best in the World' slogan before people start getting tired of it.

CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan ended in a no contest after John Laurinaitis' ruling due to Sheamus throwing future opponent Daniel Bryan back into the ring and straight into a GTS from Punk. The match up until the messy finish was a solid and entertaining bout, with crisp back and fourth action between the two. There were unfortunately too many interferences for my liking, which marred it a bit for me. First Laurinaitis distracted Punk on the apron before the bell, then Otunga and Santino Marella also jumped up on the apron to cause distractions. AJ also prevented Punk from performing a diving attack to Bryan on the outside. It was just all a bit much for a match with this talent which could have been even better.

Afterwards Laurinaitis and Punk argued until Teddy Long entered the ring and pushed the Raw Interim GM over. As they continued to argue Chris Jericho attacked Punk form behind and scoop slammed him onto the stage floor, and also applied the Walls of Jericho. CM Punk supposedly had to be helped to the trainers room after the attack.   

Kelly Kelly defeated Nikki Bella in a forgettable and mediocre Divas bout. Not much else to add, except why isn't the Divas Champion (and one of the few standout and capable female wrestlers in the company) Beth Phoenix not in regular action instead? 

Before he faced Cena, The Miz had to get a few grievances off his chest, including the fact that he is tired of the way he's been treated recently, which I totally agree with. Miz worked damn hard to improve his overall abilities in pro wrestling, which should prove an inspiration to the average wrestlers appearing on Superstars and NXT every week who moan about getting underutilised when they can't be asked to even work to improve themselves. Since his title reign he's been treated as a joke, rather then pushed still like he should've been. He carried on "In the past year, no one has worked harder then me!" Which is actually a pretty fair comment when you think about it.

He finished the speech by adding that he would prove his WrestleMania-worthy by defeating the man he beat at last years. It was a well performed promo and one that spoke a lot of truth, The Miz does deserve better treatment then he's received. All the while it was going on Cena just had a goofy grin on his face, treating Miz as a joke. Which only served to diminish the promo.

John Cena defeated The Miz in an average bout, which was actually better then I was expecting. Despite a strong enough start it went downhill a bit after Cena performed his signature finishing routine and forced Miz to tap to the STF. Just too predictable and boring. 

Epico and Primo (c) defeated the team of Kofi Kingston and R-Truth and the team of Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler in a triple threat tag team match to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles. It was an action packed and exciting match up, and definitely one of the best tag team title matches I've seen in WWE for a long while. All men gave a good effort in the well-constructed tag bout. Epico grabbed the win after throwing Kingston out of the ring and pinning Swagger.   

After the match Kane came out and took out all the participants, it was only R-Truth who put up a bit of a fight.  This is the Kane that I enjoy, the one who just wreaks havoc on everyone.

Teddy Long stormed into John Laurinatis's office and they began arguing once again, this time though it was revealed that there was a rumour that Laurinaitis wouldn't be in charge of Raw next week by Long. And Laurinatis revealed another rumour that Teddy wouldn't be in charge of the blue brand any longer. Long ended the argument by calling Laurinaitis a "horse's ass."

Eve tried to explain her actions (using Zack Ryder to get noticed in the company and then Cena) by saying how hard it is for a woman to live in a "man's world." She added that she couldn't help that men fall prey to her good looks, and that they should blame themselves for their weaknesses. In this promo she showed more character and gained more reaction from the crowd then she ever has before. This was a smart move turning her heel in this fashion. 

Before the following tag team match, Cody Rhodes once again presented a VT of another embarrassing WrestleMania moment for Big Show. This time from his contest with Floyd Mayweather at WrestleMania XXIV. 

Sheamus and Big Show defeated Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes in a short and simple match which only served to build up the Big Show and Rhodes feud and Royal Rumble winner Sheamus.

Finally The Rock entered the ring to a huge ovation. After a fair share of chanting The Rock admitted that he doesn't appear ever week, and also that without WWE and the fans "The Rock would never exist." He explained that when he said he was never leaving the company he didn't mean that he would literally be on every Raw and actually stick around. Erm, okay. He carried on to explain that what he meant was that the WWE would always be a part of him.

Rocky then said that he no longer sees Cena as a phoney, the guy who graduated from private school and became the 'Doctor of Thuganomics', but the real deal. He went on to say that he now sees him as a "kung pow bitch." Catchy line, and one that I'm sure achieved the desired reaction from the audience.

The Rock also claimed that last week when Cena said that he was fighting for everyone in the locker room in their upcoming match, it resided with 'The Great One'. He said that no one has fought for the biggest wrestlers such as Austin and Triple H, but the wrestlers themselves. He added that he instead was fighting for the people, the same people who are "so sick and tired of having a kung pow bitch shoved down their throats every single night." He went on to take credit for actually making Cena more interesting this year, saying that the only interesting thing he's done on his own is change his 1990's jean shorts to camo shorts.

This was when Mr. Cena joined Rocky. Cena explained that he was also once a fan of The Rock too, until he met Dwayne Johnson, who according to him is egotistical and self centred, he then left. The Rock told Cena that The Rock and Dwayne Johnson are one and the same person, and that at WrestleMania he will kick Cena's ass. 

It was a charismatic, confident and memorable promo, which is pretty much what you expect from 'The People's Champ'. Overall Raw ranged from average to very entertaining. With the highlights being the Tag Team Title match, Bryan versus CM Punk and The Rock's promo. 

My Impact Wrestling, February 23rd 2012 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode announced that Sting was finished with TNA after a message on Twitter from 'The Stinger' which simply read "I'm done."Roode went on to brag that forcing Sting to retire from pro wrestling was the highlight of "not only my career, but my life." Roode certainly received plenty of heat in this opening segment. Job done. 

Samoa Joe and Magnus (c) defeated Matt Morgan and Crimson to retain the TNA Tag Team Championships. The tag bout was solid enough, with the action coming fast and rarely letting up. I imagine Crimson and Morgan will now feud after blaming each other for the losses in their title matches, as for Joe and Magnus I'm not too sure at the moment. TNA's tag team division definitely hasn't got the depth it once had. 

Brandon Jacobs (of the New York Giants) called out Bully Ray after their confrontation at ringside on last weeks Impact Wrestling. Ray answered Jacob's call but refused to enter the ring with him since had an important tag team match later on that night. Brandon decided to give chase to Ray which led backstage until James Stormwhispered something in his ear to stop him in his tracks. 

Zema Ion defeated Alex Shelley in an entertaining X Division match up. It was the usual mix of fast pace and impressive maneuvers from the division. Ion won after spraying hair spray into Shelley's face when the referee had his back turned and applying his signature back suplex flipped into a lifted knee strike (still unsure of the actual name as you may have guessed). Austin Aries was also watching the match with a glass of wine and some popcorn in hand. 

Gail Kim defeated ODB in an average Knockouts bout. Afterwards Kim's tag partnerMadison Rayne attempted to reconcile with her but the Knockouts champ wasn't having any of it.

AJ Styles won via disqualification versus Robbie E in the Television Title Matchwhen Kazarian (accompanied by Christopher Daniels) came down to ringside and slung AJ into a ringpost. Up until that point the match had been quite a fun one, with Styles on good form in between the ropes. Even Robbie E (who's been improving in my eyes over the last few months) looked all right.   

Before the tag team main event, James Storm revealed that his good friend Brandon Jacobs will be joining them at ringside, much to the displeasure of Bully Ray. 

James Storm and Jeff Hardy defeated Kurt Angle and Bully Ray in an intense and entertaining main event tag team match. It's great to see Angle back in regular action once again, he's without a doubt the best talent on the roster. 'The Cowboy' grabbed the winning pin after Brandon Jacobs chokeslammed Bully Ray through a table for very well received finish. The chokeslam didn't look bad either. 

Sting admitted on the mic that Bobby Roode had pushed him over the edge and confirmed that he was "done," once again. This gave Roode enough reason to come out and gloat about the fact he was the one causing Sting to leave once again. Sting retorted by revealing that Bobby had in fact made him feel "more alive" then he had done for a while and reverted back to his 'Joker' persona while putting on some signature face paint.  

'The Stinger' explained that he was going to put on his boots, his tights and at Victory Road "kick the living crap out of" Roode. Bobby then attempted to low blow Sting after hearing the news, but he caught his foot and instead low blowed Roode himself. 

My WWE SmackDown, February 21st 2012 Recap

The World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan started things off by accusing all the fans of doubting his chances of ever main eventing WrestleMania. He then went on to claim that he'll spoil Sheamus's WrestleMania moment when he defeats him on the big stage, along with CM Punk that night.

Former NXT Pro to Bryan The Miz then joined the champ and confessed to allegedly always believing that he would one day be a World Title holder. He added that they should at some point even form a tag team, but The Miz was then interrupted by the Royal Rumble winner Sheamus. 'The Great White' congratulated Bryan also, but for being an "arse" instead. He also added that after Mania people wil no longer be congratulating him, but saying that he got exactly what he deserved. Bryan retaliated by hitting him with a cheap shot and legging it. This left Miz and Sheamus to brawl, which then led to a match up between the two.

Sheamus defeated The Miz in an average bout, not terrible but pretty forgettable really. On commentary they spoke about Miz not having a place at WrestleMania yet, and to be honest I'm struggling to figure out where he'll feature at the moment.       

Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger defeated Kofi Kingston and R-Truth in an entertaining tag match, with the action rarely letting up. Ziggler grabbed the winning pin after poking Kingston in the eyes when the referee wasn't looking and then applying the Zig Zag. I can see all four of these men in the Money in the Bank Match at Mania.  

The Great Khali defeated Drew McIntyre in a worthless squash match. I'm just waiting for the awful Khali to once again disappear from WWE television.  

Mark Henry won via count out versus Big Show after Show gave chase to Cody Rhodes during the bout. Up until that point the match had been the usual mediocre, boring and slow-paced match up these two provide us with. Just like we had to endure last year. The only relatively entertaining part was when Rhodes made his way out and mocked Big Show for his Mania record and presented a VT of when he lost at WrestleMania 21 against Akebono in a Sumo Match.  

I'm quite surprised they're going with a Rhodes vs Big Show feud which will predictably lead to a match on the big stage. I really thought they'd go with a Goldust versus Cody bout, it'd certainly be a better match and have a better build up.

David Otunga defeated Ezekiel Jackson in another average contest between the two. Although I'll give Otunga some credit he has looked fairly more competent in the ring over the last few months. I'm guessing both wrestlers will probably both be involved in a Teddy Long versus John Laurinaitis match at WrestleMania.  

CM Punk defeated Daniel Bryan in another awesome and technically sound match up, where Bryan methodically worked on Punk's arm. It's quite a rare thing to see in WWE when a wrestler will work down a body part in a match. As Bryan decided he'd had enough and wanted to leave during the bout, his forthcoming opponent Sheamus decided to throw him back into the ring where Punk then got the one-two-three. But then Laurinaitis showed up and demanded that the match be restarted after Sheamus's interference.   

Daniel Bryan then defeated CM Punk after pinning him while holding onto the ropes, which Laurinaitis at ringside had no quarrel with. Teddy Long then arrived and demanded that the match be restarted once again. 

Finally, CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan ended in a no contest after both men had each other down for the three count. It was a blistering back and fourth contest between them and although the three endings may seem a little TNA-esque, at least it didn't put down any of the two deserving World Champions. 

Overall SmackDown wasn't anything special really, with mostly average to drab match ups on the card. The only real saviour of the show was the brilliant three main events between the champs. 

Wade Barret injured during Raw

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Wade Barrett has apparently suffered a dislocated elbow. Barrett was taken to a Minneapolis hospital after the main event on Raw.

My WWE Raw, February 20th 2012 Recap

Backstage Eve told the Bellas how she'd just used Zach Ryder to get people talking about her. She also claimed how she was going to do the same to John Cena, but unfortunately for her he'd overheard the whole thing. 

Eve tried to explain herself in the ring to Cena, claiming she was just "joking around,"and that she never meant what she said. Cena then told her that she should wait forThe Rock instead since they're both "disingenuous, egomaniacal," and  "scandalous bitches." Which certainly got a reaction from the crowd in attendance, I thought it was an awesome line too. Eve attempted to kiss Cena who rejected her, just before he left he added that "I'm disease free and I'd like to keep it that way." Wow, this is certainly a Cena I'm enjoying a lot more in this promo. The Cena with some attitude once again.  

Sheamus defeated Mark Henry in a passable match up, which is always an achievement with Henry involved. Now I'll admit that I was a little unsure at first about the World Heavyweight Championship Match at WrestleMania between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, but I'm definitely coming around to the idea. And the push Sheamus has been receiving the last couple of months has been a very smart move on WWE's part. They need to encourage the fans to get into the up and coming talent.   

Backstage Teddy Long and John Laurinaitis argued once again over which man would be better to run both Raw and SmackDown. I can see this leading to a tag team match at Mania involving Christian, Mark Henry and Alberto Del Rio taking on a team of Long's choosing to determine the new GM of both brands. Teddy Long also claimed that David Otunga couldn't beat anyone on the SmackDown roster, so they set up a match for Otunga to face Long's choice of wrestler from the blue brand.    

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Epico and Primo in a decent enough tag team bout, although not as good as the Tag Team Champions usual match ups. As much as I like to see Kofi being pushed more (with his talents he thoroughly deserves it) I would've like to have seen the champions grab a win here on a rare Raw appearance. It would've really helped solidify their status as champions that bit more.

Ron Simmons was announced as the next inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame. I'm guessing 'The Macho Man' Randy Savage will also be quite soon.

David Otunga defeated Ezekiel Jackson in an average match up. What else did you expect? 

The Undertaker entered the ring and admitted that it had been a "living hell" relieving the beating he'd received from Triple H at last years WrestleMania. He added that he wanted to end the uncertainty and that's why he challenged 'The Game' to another match at Mania, but was shocked when he turned him down. He also claimed that the Apocalypse of their era of pro wrestling was coming, that it was far bigger then either of them.

Triple H joined Taker but was quickly cut off by 'The Dead Man' who said it was "pitiful"all the excuses the COO had come up with to not have a rematch at WrestleMania. Triple H again explained that it would be bad for business if Undertaker was gone, but Taker then asked if he was worried if he'd be gone after the match, or if Triple H would be. 'The Game' claimed that in order to defeat Taker he would have to take him out and end him, and suggested that this was what Undertaker really was after. As Triple H went o leave Undertaker said that "You can put any spin you want on this, but at the end of the day when you look in the mirror, all you'll see is a coward." But 'The Cerebral Assassin' didn't fall into Undertaker's lure.  

As Triple went to once again leave, 'The Dead Man' theorised that he didn't want to face him again because he knows he can't do what his good friend Shawn Michaels also couldn't do, because he knows Shawn was always better then him. Triple H, now at boiling point, said it was nothing to do with Michaels, that he can do what HBK couldn't and end The Undertaker once and for all. So Triple then accepted the match offer at WrestleMania, but under the condition that they compete in a Hell in a Cell Match. Taker accepted.

The segment involving these two was once again solid, and a very surprising announcement with Hell in a Cell. I for one really enjoyed their match at Mania last year anyway and was happy for a rematch, unlike a lot of fans, so hopefully this awesome announcement will bring them around too. Should be a brilliant match up.

Daniel Bryan once again called himself the fans "role model" after yet another title defence at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view before his match with Marella.

Daniel Bryan defeated Santino Marella in a surprisingly short match where Bryan forced Marella to tap to the LeBell Lock. After the reaction Marella received in the Chamber match, and even getting down to the last two in it, I'm confused as to why he'd suddenly be put down like this already. At least it was to Bryan who's going into a World Title match at WrestleMania.    

The Bella Twins defeated Kelly Kelly and Aksana in a drab and forgettable Divas bout, where was the actual champ Beth Phoenix who could really make use of the air time leading into Mania?

John Cena announced that The Rock will be addressing him on next weeks Raw. He also went on to have a pop at 'The People's Champ', claiming that he has his own little entourage of goons, that he's no longer a champion of the people since going into movies. He added "This is the part where I'm supposed to say that I look forward to WrestleMania because I personally respect The Rock. I don't." An honest Cena who doesn't suck up to everyone? I'm much preferring this. He went on to say that after The Rock's done next week he should "kick it back to Hollywood," since that's what he'll be doing anyway. 

Cena also stated that the thing that helps him sleep at night is that, unlike The Rock, he never left the WWE and the fans and that the only reason Rocky came back was to promote Fast Five and his Twitter account. He also stated that the best part about their match will be the Monday after when The Rock's back on a movie set laughing at his stunt double.

This was for me without a doubt one of the best promos of Cena's career. The raw honesty and blistering attack on The Rock was executed perfectly by him. You can tell it's something he believes in too which only made it stronger. Why can't we have this much, much more entertaining Cena around more often?     

Chris Jericho predictably won the Battle Royal to determine the number one contender to CM Punk's WWE Championship at WrestleMania. The actual match itself was okay, Santino managed to eliminate both Wade Barrett and R-Truth in quick succesion causing a big cheer for him. So is he being pushed or not? I'm confused. Unfortunately Barrett landed on his arm awkwardly afte he went out, The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Wade Barrett is believed to have suffered a dislocated elbow. Barrett was taken to a Minneapolis hospital after the RAW main event. 

After the match CM Punk, who'd been providing commentary (which is always worth a listen) entered the ring and extended his hand to Jericho. But Y2J turned him down and left the ring. This should be an interesting build up to their match on the big stage.

Overall Raw was a quite entertaining show, but more for the promos and build up to WrestleMania matches then the actual action inside the ring. I imagine tomorrow night on the live SmackDown we'll have the reverse, especially with CM Punk versus Daniel Bryan in the main event, which should be another superb contest between the two World champions.  

My WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 recap

CM Punk (c) won the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match to retain his title. The Chamber match started off a little drab and sloppy but definitely ended strongly with an exciting second half. R-Truth was first eliminated after a big elbow drop from Punk. Next was Dolph Ziggler after a Codebreaker from Jericho, then Jericho also eliminated Kofi Kingston via submission after applying the Walls Of Jericho.

Chris Jericho himself was next eliminated after a kick from CM Punk which sent him flying through the Chamber door after it was still open for Kingston's exit. Jericho went tumbling, tripped up and landed head first onto an item of machinery on the floor which supposedly knocked him out. There was a fairly long period as EMTs and such checked on him, which left CM Punk to then eliminate The Miz after a GTS and retain his championship. This was definitely the match of the night.

As I said it started of sloppy at places but definitely got more intense with the entrance of Jericho, who had nice back and fourth action with Punk. Kingston also provided that"Holy shit" moment when he managed to dive off of the chamber and perform a tornado DDT (which almost went wrong) on Dolph Ziggler.

We were then shown another nice VT with John Cena where he spoke about his training and the gym he trains he trains at. Where he not only works out but also helps out younger up and coming wrestlers from the developmental system, who when interviewed said hoe approachable and down to Earth a guy Cena is, which to be fair he does come across as. 

Beth Phoenix (c) defeated Tamina to retain her WWE Divas Championship in a solid, if a little drab at times match up. Beth gained the one-two-three after applying a Glam Slam. 

John Laurinaitis made his way out to make his big announcement, but was shortly interrupted by the returning Alberto Del Rio, who suggested that Laurinaitis should not only become the permanent General Manager of Raw, but of SmackDown too. Mark Henry also joined them and called Teddy Long a "bully" and complained about his suspension. He also agreed with Del Rio that Laurinaitis should be GM of both brands.Christian also made his comeback to a good reception, and also complained about Teddy Long forcing him to compete when he was injured and echoed Henry and Del Rio's words.

Daniel Bryan (c) won the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match to retain his title. The Great Khali was first eliminated after a fortunately very short spell when Big Show speared him. In a clever moment Big Show managed to break into Daniel Bryan's unopened pod after breaking off the chains above which got a big reaction from the fans.   

Big Show was then eliminated after a series of attacks and an elbow drop from Barrett.Cody Rhodes was next out after a roll up pin from Marella, who then also eliminatedWade Barrett in a surprising moment after a diving headbutt from Bryan. The last part of the match with the teasing of a previously unthinkable Santino Marella World Title win was brilliantly done and provided some nice drama for the finish before Bryan forced him to tap to the LeBell Lock. After the match Sheamus made his way into the Chamber, taking out the World Champion and making his choice for WrestleMania quite clear.

Jack Swagger (c) defeated Justin Gabriel to retain his United States Championship in a rather average and brief bout. Nothing particularly memorable to take away from it. Swagger won via submission using the anklelock.         

John Cena defeated Kane in an Ambulance Match. It was actually quite a heated contest, with some nice use of their surrounding environments. Cena managed to apply the Attitude Adjustment to Kane form the top of the ambulance and chuck him into the vehicle for a memorable finish (although it did bear a strong resemblance to the ending to his match with Batista from the 2010 Over The Limit PPV). Unfortunately for a lot of the bout it was fairly unremarkable, with the usual routine from Cena.     

Overall Elimination Chamber felt like a bit of a roller coaster of a pay-per-view, with the odd memorable moments and entertaining Chamber matches (especially the WWE Championship one, which should have been the main event) to help save it, but also forgettable parts like the US and Divas title matches. 

My WWE SmackDown, February 17th 2012 Recap

SmackDown started off with Teddy Long informing Randy Orton that due to a concussion he had suffered he would be unable to compete on the show that night and at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. It's a big blow considering what a constantly solid performer Orton has been over the last year. 

Big Show and The Great Khali defeated Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett in an average and forgettable tag team bout, which is a little worrying considering all four will be working together in the Elimination Chamber on Sunday. 

In Teddy Long's office an angry Big Show knocked out Mark Henry, then carried on to trash the entire office. Long then called for security to find Show and escort him away from the arena.

Hunico defeated Ted DiBiasse in a decent enough match up that was just a little too brief for my liking. If it were up to me I'd have DiBiasse replace Orton in the Chamber Match, I feel he deserves to move up to that next level.

Epico and Primo defeated Jimmy and Jay Uso in a solid tag team match with some exciting action in between the ropes. Although with the Tag Team Champions defeating one of their only real competitors in the Usos, who's left to challenge them for the titles right now? I wouldn't mind seeing Tyson Kidd and Trent Beretta possibly team up, which has been teased lately.

World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan claimed that the reason Orton and Big Show weren't facing him in the ring was because they were afraid of him, along with the rest of the locker room. He also said that he had proven all his nay sayers wrong, including the fans by winning the World Title and that he would do the same again at the Elimination Chamber. He then asked Lillian Garcia to announce him the winner of his match against Randy Orton due to forfeit, which she did. But as he was celebrating (in his usual over the top fashion, which I think is a superb touch for his persona) Teddy Long informed him that he was booked in a new match against Sheamus.  

Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Sheamus after taunting him to continually assault him in the corner. It was a pretty enjoyable match up, although strange considering they'll both most likely be involved in a World Title match of some kind at WrestleMania, I would've thought the bookers would want to keep them separate until then. 

Jinder Mahal defeated Ezekiel Jackson in a sloppy and drab match. At least on the plus side Mahal won, and via submission may I add, which is quite rare with 'Big Zeke'. I believe Mahal has more to offer then Jackson.

Tamina and Alicia Fox defeated Beth Phoenix and Natalya in a tag team match that had it's moments, mainly thanks to the underutilised Natalya who showed charisma and skill in the ring. Once again Natalya had to go through her new farting gimmick, this time causing the referee to turn away when she had Alicia Fox tapping to the Sharpshooter.    

Santino Marella shockingly won the Wild Card Battle Royal to qualify for the Elimination Chamber Match on Sunday. While I feel other wrestlers are more worthy of the spot, and could gain a lot more from it, Marella's win certainly proved popular with the fans and his participation should be interesting on the pay-per-view.   

My Impact Wrestling, February 16th 2012 Recap

TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode bragged about his title defence atAgainst All Odds against Bully Ray, Jeff Hardy and James Storm. He also went on to say that Sting should take a long, hard look at himself after counting Roode's winning pin in the Fatal Four Way Match.

'The Stinger' joined the champ and admitted he had managed to get under his skin. But he also added that Hardy had once again been screwed (what about Bully Ray's pin that failed to be counted also?) so he booked a no disqualification match for right there and then between Roode and Hardy with the World Title on the line. Sting was on brilliant form here as he delivered the news. Like I've said before he's brilliant in this management role as far as I'm concerned.

Bobby Roode (c) defeated Jeff Hardy to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in an exciting No DQ match up. Both men gave a good effort as they travelled all around the outside of the ring, providing some nice action. For the finish Kurt Angle attacked Hardy from behind and left him to be speared by Roode, who then gained the one-two-three.    

We were then presented with footage of Jesse Sorensen's neck injury that he suffered at Against All Odds where Zema Ion accidentally landed on his head. Fortunately Mike Tenay explained that he is recovering well and beginning to get the feeling back in his body. Best of luck to Sorensen.

Zema Ion and Austin Aries defeated Alex Shelley and Shannon Moore in a fast paced and decent enough tag team bout. It certainly wasn't the greatest match involving any of these wrestlers. The number one contender to the X Division Title Zema Ion grabbed a surprise roll up pin on Shelley for the win.  

Madison Rayne won a mediocre Knockouts Battle Royal to become number one contender to her partner Gail Kim's Knockouts Championship. I was just waiting for this match to end to be honest. There's a few female wrestlers TNA wouldn't miss if they offloaded them in my opinion.

Eric Bischoff, accompanied by Ric Flair, Gunner and Chelsea, came out to celebrate ending his son Garrett's dreams of becoming a professional wrestler. He also warned his son to never, ever "step foot in my business again."   

James Storm defeated Bully Ray to become number one contender to the World Title in a bit of a drab match up. Ray was working on Storm's injured leg for the majority of the bout, but 'The Cowboy' managed to pull out a Last Call Superkick for the win.  Afterwards Bully Ray got into an altercation with New York Giants own Brandon Jacobs, where Ray spat beer in his face. In retaliation Jacobs pushed over Bully, I guess this will all lead to a poor match involving both men at some point then. 

Sting invited Bobby Roode to the ring, where he informed him that at Lockdown he will be defending the World Heavyweight Title in a Steel Cage Match against James Storm. Upon hearing the news, Roode low blowed Sting a couple of times and proceeded to pummel him in the head. Guess he wasn't that happy about it then? On paper the Cage Match should be a very solid and entertaining one and I'm very much looking forward to it.

Overall Impact Wrestling wasn't great, mainly average bar the World Title match. Hopefully we get some interesting matches built up for Lockdown in the coming weeks.

Vince Russo parts ways with TNA

The news of Russo's departure was initially kept quiet from the talent until the official announcement on the 14/2 television taping. Apparently he was unhappy with amount of power he was loosing within the creative department. 
About. Bloody. Time. I have been waiting to hear this news for years now. Hopefully the company, which was at one point even more entertaining than WWE, can once again begin to reach the potential it's capable of. It's clear to us all that it has the talent, it's just the poor booking and nonsensical story lines that have really let it down and put people off. Along with the occasional ex-WWE talent making their way in and instantly gaining a more prominent spot. 
Now I'm not putting the blame entirely on Russo, but I think it's quite clear the promotion was in a far better place quality wise before he came along. Here's hoping TNA, and Carter, learn from their mistakes and move forward.    

WrestleMania 29 logo revealed

WWE has released the official logo for WrestleMania 29 in New York/New Jersey which will take place on April 7, 2013. The logo features the Empire state building towering above WrestleMania logo. I imagine the logo will be altered to feature the traditional roman numerals or the actual number ‘29’.

My WWE Raw, February 13th 2012 Recap

Raw began with a debate with all six participants in the forthcoming WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match. Which included CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, R-Truth, Chris Jericho and Kofi Kingston. But before it could begin John Laurinaitiscame out and thanked the WWE Board of Directors for letting him keep his job.

CM Punk simply stated that he would win the Chamber match because he is, you guessed it! The "best wrestler in the world." Dolph Ziggler bragged about how talented he is and claimed that R-Truth wasn't even aware of what State they were in. R-Truth, in his confused mental state believed they were running for Office and even called the host of the debate Jerry Lawler "Your Honour."

The Miz bragged about retaining the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania last year not once, but twice. He also carried on to put down all five of the other men, especially Jericho who he went on a nice little rant about. A Miz versus Jericho feud in the future could be, as Miz would say, Awwwweeeesoooome. I'm sorry I had to. Kofi Kingston claimed that it would be an advantage being considered an"afterthought" as Miz had described him, since he'll be overlooked. He added that in one night everything could change he could very well walk out the champ.

Chris Jericho claimed to have more success then all five of the other men combined, and reminded us that the last time he was in an EC Match he walked out with the World Heavyweight championship. He also told Punk that "the master has returned" and he might as well hand over the title to him now. He then pushed Kofi out of his way and made his way over to CM Punk where he began shouting abuse at him, only to turn and receive a Trouble In Paradise kick to the face from Kofi, right before their match up.

Chris Jericho defeated Kofi Kingston in an enjoyable bout, with solid ring work and the action very rarely letting up. These two have always seemed to work well together in the ring. If I were booking right now I'd start planning for Kingston to win the Money In The Bank Match at Mania, he's more then proven his talent in the ring in my opinion. Plus he can deliver on the mic when he has to, he may not be the best but he can only improve.    

Big Show versus Randy Orton ended in a disqualification after Daniel Bryan ran in and struck both with his World Heavyweight Championship belt. Up until that point the match had been okay, nothing special. The highlight being a Hangman DDT to Big Show from Orton as Show was leaning over the top rope.   

Hall of Famer, the icon, 'Mr. WrestleMania', HBK himself Shawn Michaels made his way to the ring and confessed to being shocked last week when good friend Triple H turned down The Undertaker's offer of a rematch at WrestleMania. But he then claimed to have figured out why 'The Game' turned it down, to bait The Undertaker, to draw him into the match. So Michaels brought out Triple H to admit it to everyone else right there. But Triple H once again announced that he had no intention of facing Taker again on the big stage after what he put him through last year. A confused HBK then asked Triple H if the suit he wore had changed him, if he had now "married that chick and became one of them?" 

Triple H claimed that Shawn wouldn't understand what it's like being in his shoes. Michaels confessed that was true but added that when a man challenges you to a fight and you back down, that makes you "a coward." Triple H then explained to him that one day all of the company will be his, and due to that he know longer looks at Undertaker like an opponent but as "a brand," and ending that brand would be bad for business. 'The Game' also added that he wasn't going to face Taker just so Michaels could live through him and accomplish what he never could. Shawn then asked him to look him in the eyes and tell him that he doesn't want to end The Undertaker's streak, and Triple H did. To end the segment another VT played featuring Taker going over their WrestleMania 27 match up, but this time he began cutting off his hair at the end. So this is how they're going to get around Undertaker's shaven head.

It was an awesome segment from start to finish. With a tremendous interaction between Triple H and Shawn Michaels that even exceeded what I had anticipated. I'm still hoping that Michaels is brought in to possibly referee to bout.

R-Truth defeated Dolph Ziggler in a match that never had the chance to get going unfortunately. Truth managed to score a roll up pin as Ziggler was applying some sit ups using his body. 

Tamina defeated Brie Bella in an average and forgettable Divas bout. Although I'll give Tamina credit she has certainly looked more competent in the ring lately. She'll face Beth Phoenix for the WWE Divas Championship this sunday at Elimination Chamber, I can only see Beth winning that one.

Backstage Kane attempted to kidnap Eve in the back of an ambulance, but fortunately for her John Cena managed to come to the rescue. Afterwards they shared a brief kiss, which of course Zach Ryder (who's infatuated with Eve, boy this is like writing a soap opera) saw all of. As Zach stormed off Eve tried to apologise and said that she still wants to be friends with him, which hilariously drew a massive boo from the crowd. 'Poor Zach' was even trending on Twitter afterwards. Could this possibly mean a turn for Ryder? I certainly don't think that'd be the right move at the moment. 

CM Punk defeated The Miz in an acceptable match up, albeit a bit bland to start off with. Punk managed to force Miz to tap out to the Anaconda Vice. 

John Cena attempted to publicly appologise to Zach Ryder for his kiss with Eve. He also admitted that this must have been Kane's plan all along, to turn his friends and the WWE fans against him (that happened a while back John). But Cena explained that he was proud of who he was, and that no amount of hate will change that.

Zach Ryder then slowly made his way out on his crutches and knocked the microphone out of Cena's hand, then slapped him in the face and left. Kane appeared on the tron and congratulated Cena on finally embracing the hate after taking away his friend's"true love." As Cena went to grab a mic Kane appeared and pushed Ryder off of the stage. Cena raced to his aid and the show ended as him and Eve watched Ryder being stretchered off.       

My TNA Against All Odds 2012 Recap

Zema Ion defeated Jesse Sorensen via count out after Sorensen was genuinely knocked out at ringside after a flip from Ion landed awkwardly on his head. Up until that point the bout had been fairly entertaining at parts. Just a shame it had to end that way, never nice seeing that kind of thing happen to a professional wrestler.

Robbie E introduced the 'Robbie E Invitational' which was open to anyone at all, so Shannon Moore accepted. 

Robbie E defeated Shannon Moore in a solid contest, which certainly gained my interest more than I'd expected it would. This was certainly one of the better matches I've seen the Television Champ Robbie E involved in, and a step up from his series of matches with Eric Young. Robbie grabbed the one-two-three after Robbie T struck Moore from the apron while the referee was distracted.

Gail Kim (c) defeated Tara to retain her TNA Knockouts Championship. The match up itself was highly enjoyable and nicely paced, which you come to expect from two female performers who take real pride in their work. Bringing back Gail Kim and having her feud with talent like Mickie James and Tara has really upped the standard of the Knockouts division. It's becoming one of the highlights of TNA for me once again.

Samoa Joe and Magnus defeated Matt Morgan and Crimson (c) to win the TNA Tag Team Championships. The match, considering it involved Crimson and Morgan, wasn't actually a bad effort and even fairly enjoyable at parts. Although the best part was the ending of Morgan and Crimson's mediocre title reign. I can see Joe and Magnus having a lot more success together with their talent and chemistry. Who else would love to see a Motor City Machine Guns feud with them over the titles when Chris Sabin returns?   

Austin Aries (c) defeated Alex Shelley to retain the X Division Championship in a thrilling title match. Both men gave it their all and really delivered, much to the delight of the crowd in attendance. I certainly wouldn't object to this feud continuing.   

Kazarian defeated AJ Styles in a bout that surprisingly started off quite slowly paced but picked up towards the final third of it for a highly enjoyable finish. It was a nicely executed match up with crisp action. The finish came after AJ decided to moonsaultChristopher Daniels on the outside, Kazarian then performed his Fade To Black finisher (a backwards piledriver) for the pin.    

Gunner defeated Garrett Bischoff in a mediocre bout. In my opinion Garrett looked out of his depth here and pretty sloppy at times too. After all the building up of Garrett's training with Hulk Hogan and he looses in his first pay-per-view match? What was the point? Typical TNA booking right there.      

Before the main event we were shown a nicely presented VT which included interviews with all four men participating in the Fatal Four Way. Nice job, also probably better then any VT promoting a match from WWE recently.

Bobby Roode (c) defeated Jeff Hardy, Bully Ray and James Storm to retain his TNA World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four Way. The match itself was a very solid and entertaining contest (bar a weak finish and the ref getting KO'd too many times but I'll get to that) and although you could see Roode retaining there were some nice near falls. I have to admit here too, I've become a big fan of Bully Rays as of late. I think the guy is doing a terrific job as his current persona and has really adapted to singles wrestling well.  

The finish came after Sting (the special enforcer for the match) accidentally struck Hardy with the title belt as he was going for Roode, who'd been taunting 'The Stinger'. Sting was then forced to count to three and announce Roode the victor. However, earlier on in the match when the referee had been accidentally knocked out Sting didn't bother jumping in and making the count for either Hardy or Bully Ray. So why would he for Roode? It's a shame since the match up had been a lot of fun up until the absurd finish, and the ref getting knocked out not once but twice, which is overkill really.  

Overall Against All Odds was a largely entertaining pay-per-view, excusing a few niggles here and there it was a success compared to TNA's usual standards.  

My WWE SmackDown, February 10th 2012 Recap

Royal Rumble winner Sheamus started off SmackDown by reminding us of his right to now main event WrestleMania. He also mentioned that other wrestlers have been trying to push him to choose which World title he'll fight for now, but he said he doesn't like being pushed around. And admitted that as a child he was bullied, which caused him to learn to fight back, which eventually led to him arriving in WWE.

Wade Barrett joined Sheamus and advised him to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania, since he was going to win the World Heavyweight Championship in the Elimination Chamber match up. Cody Rhodes also arrived and gave his reasons as to why he'll win the Chamber bout. Big Show then came out and claimed that him versus Sheamus is a worthy WrestleMania main event, really? Rhodes and Barrett then ridiculed Big Show's record at WrestleMania, which included cody calling him the"reverse Undertaker, who's he going to lose to this year?" Which I found quite amusing. Show and Sheamus then decided they'd had enough and chased the other two off.         

The Great Khali defeated Jinder Mahal in a short and acceptable match up, considering it involved Khali. 

Beth Phoenix defeated Alicia Fox in another brief but this time quite enjoyable bout. To be honest I wasn't really expecting much going into it. Afterwards Tamina came to the ring and faced off with Phoenix, who seemed to welcome this new challenge. I guess Tamina will keep Beth busy until Kharma returns to hopefully face her at WrestleMania for the Divas title.  

Big Show and Sheamus defeated Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett in a decent tag match. The most entertaining parts being when 'The Great White' was in the ring, who really has the fans solidly behind him right now. Giving him the Royal Rumbe win was a smart move.

Michael Cole held an interview with Daniel Bryan's girlfriend AJ, where he asked her if she blamed Big Show for her neck injury. She said that she did not, and that it was clear he would never do anything like that on purpose (he accidentally barged into during a match on SmackDown last month, in case you didn't know). She carried on to claim that Cole had done even more damage then Show due to his insults towards Daniel Bryan, her and the entire Divas division, and called him a "biased, obnoxious jerk." She wasn't done. She ended it by saying that the entire WWE would be better off if he just shut his mouth. The crowd loved it.

Cole retaliated by saying that there were rumours that Daniel Bryan had set AJ up to get barged by the Big Show, and that she has no "self respect." Shortly after Bryan made his way out and warned Cole not to say another word. He went on to once again proclaim himself a "role model" to everyone, due to his vegan beliefs and his caring for the environment. To be fair I agreed with him about the recycling aspects of this speech. Also due to the hospitality of the audience towards AJ, he then decided to take her out of the arena. But on their way out Teddy Long explained that he was more then happy to arrange transport for AJ, but if Bryan left before his match with Randy Orton then he'd be stripped of the World Title. 

Ted DiBiasse defeated Hunico in another solid contest between the two, although maybe not as exciting as previous encounters. DiBiasse was having to work with an injured wrist in a cast during it, so considering this they both put in a very good effort I thought. I'm personally a fan of both these men and definitely believe they deserve to be given bigger pushes right now, they both certainly deserve a place in the Elimination Chamber much more then the worthless Khali.         

Daniel Bryan won via disqualification versus Randy Orton in a superb and intense main event. Both men went back and fourth with some really nicely executed, crisp action in the ring. I'm sure at some point we'll see them fight over a World Title on pay-per-view and I cannot wait. A potential Orton Bryan feud could be absolutely brilliant. The finish came after pit his hand on Big Show who'd been commentating on the bout, forcing Show to attack the World Champion.

A furious Orton confronted big Show about it, claiming Bryan was his. This led to a brawl breaking out between the two, which left a smirking Daniel Bryan free to leave. It was a nice touch having him smile like that as he snuck away.

Overall SmackDown was a decent enough broadcast, maybe the action could've been given a bit more time here and there but the main event more then made up for that. It's just unfortunate that we have to endure the Great Khali in the lead up to the Elimination Chamber. Oh well.     

My Impact Wrestling, February 9th 2012 Recap

Bully Ray started off Impact by calling out his "pal" the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Bobby Roode. Once Roode had joined him Ray immediately began firing questions in his direction, asking why he hadn't been covering his back when he foughtJames Storm last week like he'd been covering his. Roode tried to calm Bully down and explain that his problem wasn't with him, but with the thorn in both their sides Sting. Who at that very moment made his way out to the ring.

'The Stinger' announced himself as the special enforcer for the World Title Fatal Four Way Match at Against All Odds on Sunday. He also booked a tag team match pitting himself and James Storm against Bobby Roode and Bully Ray. It wasn't the greatest segment but at least they kept it short, Ray is doing a very credible job in his role at the moment. You can tell how hard he's been working to improve his singles career. Same goes to James Storm also.   

Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles in a solid enough contest, although certainly not their best. The London crowd were thoroughly into it and created a great atmosphere. Daniels grabbed the one-two-three after a reluctant Frankie Kazarian handed him a pair of brass knucks which 'The Fallen Angel' used to strike AJ in the head.

Magnus, accompanied by tag partner Samoa Joe, claimed that they were no longer in the "UK" or "her majesty's United Kingdom. Tonight, this. Is. England!" To an understandably big pop. He went on to say that he he'd proven the theory wrong that him and Joe wouldn't work as a unit. He also stated that they were a well oiled machine, the team on everyone's lips (maybe a slight exaggeration there) and that's why at the Against All Odds pay-per-view him and Joe will win the TNA Tag Team Championships.

This of course cued the current Tag Team Champs to make their way out, Crimson andMatt Morgan. Morgan stated that the "talking is done" and they all began to brawl once again, chasing off the number one contenders.

Alex Shelley defeated Austin Aries and Douglas Williams in an exciting and nicely executed Triple Threat bout. For me personally I would've like to have seen it allocated a bit more time, but that's my only complaint. Shelley got the pin on X Division Champion Aries after applying a Sliced Bread.

Just outside the Wembley Arena Knockout Champ Gail Kim attacked Tara, dragging her inside and taking her out. 

Hulk Hogan and Garrett Bischoff made their way to the ring, Hogan receiving a big ovation. 'The Hulkster' requested that the fans give all their passion that they give to him, and pass it over to Garrett. Soon Eric Bischoff, accompanied by Gunner, joined them as Eric asked Hulk "Just who in the hell do you think you are?!" And questioned his involvement with his family business. He went on to say that Hogan's day has passed (it has) and he'll deal with his son his own way. 

Hulk then announced a match for Sunday, Garrett versus Gunner. Straight after Gunner and Eric began attacking Hogan and Garrett. This was of course until Hogan decided to (as usual) take over and be the big hero as he threw Gunner out of the ring and helped Garrett take out his Dad.  

Velvet Sky defeated Mickie James in an average Knockouts match up. No offence to Sky but she is no Gail Kim in the ring, and it's hard to get back to the standard of title bouts James and Kim had recently. After the match Mickie looked quite peeved about the loss (Velvet scored the win via a quick roll up pin) perhaps a heel turn is in her future?   

Sting and James Storm defeated Bobby Roode and Bully Ray in an exciting and fun main event. From start to finish I was really enjoying the bout, all men put in a solid effort here and it was a nice end to TNA's two tapings in England. Sting forced Roode to tap with the Scorpion Deathlock as Ray just looked on at the champ with Roode's World Title in his hands. 

My WWE Raw, February 6th 2012 recap

Triple H kicked off Raw by confirming that last week he had indeed come out to fireJohn Laurinaitis. He also revealed that the WWE Board were going over a proposal from Laurinaitis himself, so while they were discussing that 'The Game' was unable to terminate him just yet. He then discussed the return of The Undertaker last week, and admitted that whenever he has entered the ring with him he has been "truly humbled"by his presence. But last week he said that there was "no rush up my spine, there was no butterflies in my stomach. I wasn't in awe, and I wasn't humbled to stand in front of him." And added that he felt sorry and bad for Taker, after what he put him through in their great match at WrestleMania last year he didn't want to put him through that again. He said that he wanted to remember  Undertaker in a different light and presented a highlight reel of some of 'The Deadman's' greatest moments.
Triple H carried on to explain that he was declining Taker's challenge of a WrestleMania rematch because he wanted him to remembered as a dominant force, not someone being stretchered out and weakened. As he was about to then leave, the lights darkened and a VT of The Undertaker sitting on a throne, watching back their match from WrestleMania 27 played. Taker explained that he didn't want to be remembered that way, and that the win meant nothing. He needs the rematch for "vengeance." It was a brilliantly executed segment, especially the superb VT with Undertaker. I realise that their match wasn't exactly well received by everyone, but I for one loved it and will very much welcome their inevitable rematch in Miami on April 1st.  
Big Show defeated Daniel Bryan via count out in an average and forgettable match, which was predictably a big step down from Bryan's awesome contest with CM Punk on last week's Raw. The finish came after Big Show almost collided with Bryan's girlfriend AJ once again on the outside, but managed to halt himself in time. A distraught Daniel Bryan then dragged AJ away with him for safety.
On the mic the World Heavyweight Champion then once again berated the Big Show, questioning his manhood and calling him a "freak," and added that this was proof that Show's run into AJ on SmackDown was on purpose. He also claimed that nothing would change and that he would still be the World champion after their Elimination Chamber match.    
David Otunga praised his current boss John Laurinaitis and pleaded to the Board of Directors to not fire him. Shortly after, via message from COO Triple H, Otunga was booked in a match with Sheamus.
Sheamus defeated David Otunga in a mediocre bout, which was understandably dominated for the most part by the Royal Rumble winner Sheamus.
Chris Jericho entered the ring and claimed that since his return he has made every other wrestler in the company "obsolete" since every other man and woman on the show is just a "Chris Jericho wannabe." He also congratulated himself on manipulating everyone without even uttering a single word, and claimed to have "trolled all of you."That was a nice line I thought. He went on to explain that The Miz had stolen his suited up look and his talking slowly routine form him, and Kofi Kingston with his impressive moves, R-Truth with his "What's up?" Being a copy of Jericho's old catchphrase "Shut the hell up!" Dolph Ziggler being accompanied by Vickie Guerrero, just like he was accompanied by Stephanie McMahon at WrestleMania 18.
Then he got to the WWE Champion, CM Punk. Who he claimed was the worst of them all. Who was, in Jericho's opinion, unoriginal and a liar claiming to be the best in the World when he "certainly is not." Y2J explained that it was his legacy to be the very best at everything he does, and that he'd come back to reclaim what is his.
Then, sure enough CM Punk interrupted Jericho but simply dropped the mic from his hand and held up the WWE Championship and left. It was a nice segment involving Punk and Jericho, and has only got me even more excited about a match between the two at Mania.
The Great Khali and Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett in an moderate tag team match, unfortunately let down by the practically worthless Khali. Who I'm personally quite gutted to see back in the company, taking away valuable time from real up and coming talent. After the bout Orton RKO'd Khali after there were some words exchanged between the two due to forced tags during the match.    
Tamina, Kelly Kelly, Eve and Alicia Fox defeated Natalya, the Bella Twins and Beth Phoenix in the usual forgettable Divas tag team match up. Tamina pinned one of the Bellas (I can't be asked to remember who) for the victory after a Superfly Splash. Looks like she'll be challenging Beth for the title next. Then hopefully Kharma at WrestleMania perhaps? 
Backstage John Laurinaitis informed Triple H that Shawn Michaels will be on Raw next week, and also suggested an Ambulance Match between John Cena and Kane at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Triple H liked the idea and booked the match up. 
Chris Jericho bested CM Punk, The Miz, R-Truth, Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingstonin an entertaining Six-Pack Challenge to earn the very last entrance in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber bout. The match up started a little all over the place but once the action was concentrated on a smaller number of individuals in the ring the quality really picked up. At least there was one exciting match on the show. Jericho dragged CM Punk out of the ring after he had GTS'd Ziggler and then grabbed the one-two-three for himself.  
During the match up R-Truth also landed badly on the back of his head after a flipping frontward dive from the tope rope to the outside. The latest word from Joey Styles on Twitter is that he's fine thankfully. 
Backstage Kane admitted to a terrified Eve of being afraid of himself for the first time, being in the state of mind that he's in.   

My Impact Wrestling, February 2nd 2012 Recap

Impact Wrestling, taped for the first time in Wembley Arena kicked off with Bully Ray and TNA World Heavyweight Champion Bobby Roode. Ray first informed the fans in London that Jeff Hardy would not be there that night because him and Roode on the previous weeks Impact had "made sure you wouldn't see Jeff Hardy tonight!" Bit mean, eh? Roode also went on to mistake England for Ireland and added that they weren't completely finished by just taking out just Hardy, so he called out James Storm. Who sure enough made his way out, along with Sting. 'The Stinger' announced a Fatal Four Way for the Against All Odds pay-per-view between Storm, Roode, Ray and Jeff Hardy for the World Title. He also added that James Storm would get to face both Roode and Bully Ray on that very Impact.

Before we had the Buckingham Brawl (I have no idea either) match up between Samoa Joe and Magnus (who understandably got a great ovation on the way out) versus Crimson and Matt Morgan, there was a coin toss to determine which team would get a one man advantage in the ring all the time (like a handicap match basically) which Joe and Magnus won. 

Samoa Joe and Magnus defeated Matt Morgan and Crimson in a pretty average contest. Although the crowd were superb during it, thoroughly behind fellow countryman Magnus and partner Joe. 

Eric Bischoff entered the ring and called out his son Garrett, who he said needed a "good shot of reality." Garrett sure enough joined his Dad, who warned him that his new mystery trainer is a poor choice and will never be there for him. Garrett told his Dad that he should take it up with him, which Bischoff scoffed at and claimed that he would never come all the way to England for him. Garrett had to then stop his Dad for a moment as he answered his phone, it was the trainer calling him to let him know that he was in the building and would like to see Eric later on that night.  

Austin Aries defeated hometown prospect Mark Haskins in an enjoyable and fast paced X Division bout. Both wrestlers put in a good effort and the action never really let up, which included a dangerous Shooting Star Press from Haskins where he seemed to land a little awkwardly on his head. As usual, X Division Champion Aries was on great technical form.

Bobby Roode defeated James Storm in an intense match that gained momentum towards the final third of it. It began a little slow but once the signature moves and near falls began commencing the crowd were loving it, as was I. Bobby Roode pinned Storm with a Spear after Bully Ray had snuck to ringside and pulled on Storm's foot as he was preparing for a Last Call Superkick. Afterwards Bully Ray slammed Storm onto the World Title belt, with Sting racing in to 'The Cowboy's' aid.

Tara defeated Knockout Champion Gail Kim in a bout that started off slightly disappointingly and sloppy but at least picked up in terms of the quality of the action towards the end. For the finish Madison Rayne ran in to help the champ but accidentally struck her in the head instead, so Tara threw her out and applied the Widows Peak to Kim for the one-two-three.  

Garrett Bischoff thanked the fans for their support and was about to introduce his mystery trainer until his Dad, accompanied by Gunner interrupted him. Eric tried to convince him to give it up, but then the trainer was revealed, Hulk Hogan. Shocker, right? Together him and Garrett took out Gunner, and were about to do the same to Bischoff until he was saved by Gunner.       

James Storm defeated Bully Ray in a solid enough main event, though not as entertaining as the previous Roode versus Storm match from earlier on the show. Bully dominated the 'injured' Storm for the majority of the match until 'The Cowboy' made a valiant comeback and eventually pinned Ray after a Last Call.