Friday 28 September 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 28th September 2012 Recap


Big Show came out and expressed how frustrated he was when he only held the World title for around forty-seconds last year and then had to witness the man who'd won it from him, Daniel Bryan, loose it in eighteen-seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII. As Show went on to explain how he'd defeat the current champ Sheamus, Randy Orton joined him and claimed that the giant will not stand in his way of winning his tenth World title at Hell in a Cell (their match later on was a World Heavyweight Championship number one contendership one).    
Alberto Del Rio also arrived and once again complained that he'd somehow been screwed out of the World title, and told both men that he deserves the next shot ahead of them. This was met with a swift RKO from Orton, who then left the ring. Quite a pedestrian segment to start the show, especially compared to Daniel Bryan, Kane and Edge's brilliant one from last week. 
Antonio Cesaro defeated Santino Marella in a fair match up. In their strongest outing to date both men put in worthy efforts, even Santino who seemed to add some new moves to his repotur. I'm hoping this is the end of their contests, it's become quite tiresome now. Cesaro needs to move on to better competition to advance up the ranks.
Beth Phoenix beat Natalya in a decent bout, and the best Divas match I've seen for a long, long while. Both women went back and fourth in a heated contest, with Phoenix grabbing the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin. Seeing this standard of women's match makes it even more frustrating knowing that Beth is on her way out of the company, although I don't blame her. Afterwards Eve announced that Beth was "indefinitely suspended" as she was a suspect in the mysterious attack on Kaitlyn at Night of Champions. It's a daft storyline.
Backstage Booker T reversed Eve's decision and reinstated Phoenix. Eve then tried to put the blame on Teddy Long, claiming that he told her to do it. A confused Booker asked both of them to leave to let him think things over. 
Wade Barrett defeated Zack Ryder in a passable contest, with a few enjoyable moments here and there. Unfortunately the match wasn't given much time so it couldn't produce anything of any real substance. I'm really not sure where the writers are going with Barrett right now, and maybe they aren't either.   
World Champion Sheamus joined The Miz on his talk show 'Miz TV', and ended up taking over and asking the host all the questions instead, claiming that it was so all the fans did't have to just listen to the Intercontinental Champion. Sheamus also mocked Miz for his loss to Ryback on Raw, so Miz retorted by claiming that for him to excel at anything people have to pay, it's not for free. He also stated how surprised he was that Sheamus was in a jokey mood considering he'll be facing Big Show or Orton at HIAC and most likely loose his title. 'The Great White' reminded Miz of how hard he trains and how seriously he takes the World title,  and what a privilege it is to hold. 
MITB contract holder Dolph Ziggler then joined them and warned Sheamus that the man he should worry about is him, since he plans on cashing in after the Hell in a Cell match. So by announcing that we can all asume that Ziggler will not have a successful cash in at HIAC. In retaliation Sheamus then took out both Miz and 'The Show Off', chucking them both out of the ring and standing tall. 
The Rhodes Scholars defeated The Usos in the first round of the WWE Tag Team number one contenders tournament. It was a decent enough contest with the action condensed due to the time allocated, which actually helped keep the interest up throughout. It was a worthy display from all wrestlers involved. 
Ryback beat Tensai in a standard powerhouse vs powerhouse match up, with both big men going toe to toe with their powerful maneuvers. It was okay, you wouldn't miss much by passing on it. 
Before the main event Del Rio took out Orton with an attack from behind, taking him out. He then came out to Orton's music and announced himself to be taking Orton's spot in the match, but 'The Viper' made a return and struck Del Rio from behind.
Big Show defeated Randy Orton to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight title in a match that ranged from rather drab to enjoyable. The first half wasn't much to shout about, with slow methodical offense from Show on the injured Orton. Fortunately it managed to pick up and grab your attention once Orton started to make his comeback, even applying an RKO for a very nice near fall. But it wasn't to be for 'The Viper' as Show delivered two Choke Slams for the victory.
Afterwards he also KO'd Orton with a WMD punch and warned Sheamus that he'll be seeing him at Hell in a Cell. I'm not expecting much from that match, but hopefully I'll be proven wrong and they smartly work to both mens strengths and carefully plan it out. At least this also means the end of Del Rio challenging once again, his feud with Sheamus had grown pretty tiresome.  
Overall it felt like the show had taken a big step back after last weeks very entertaining broadcast. The matches were okay and the segments weren't anything outstanding, so it's back to normal on the blue brand I guess. They really need to include the Tag Team Champions on the show next week, even just a couple of segments or a match will add some needed interest and excitement. 

My Impact Wrestling, 27th September 2012 Recap


Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan kicked things off by announcing a Television title match to determine a champion for the vacant belt, and also explained his disappointment at the former Television Champion Devon's departure from the company and hoped to have him back soon. He also booked Storm versus Roode at Bound for Glory in a Street Fight to finally settle their feud, with MMA Fighter King Mo (yeah, I had to look him up too). Finally he also reminded us of his trip to Aces & Eights clubhouse later on in the show, which cued Sting to come out and confirm that he would be backing 'The Hulkster' up when he visits.
Christopher Daniels defeated Chavo Guerrero and Kurt Angle in a decent enough Triple Threat. Surprisingly there were a few sloppy moments here and there which spoilt the bout a bit, which is something very out of character for these three wrestlers. I was personally expecting more here considering the talent involved, but it was certainly watchable. 
Tara beat ODB in an average Knockouts bout. The match was quite pedestrian from the start and never really engaged me at all. Tara grabbed the one-two-three after pretending that she'd injured her knee (which no one was buying for a second as she was booed in the ring) and catching her opponent out with a roll up pin. As a part of this win Tara became the number one contender to the Knockouts title at BFG.
Samoa Joe defeated Mr. Anderson to win the vacant TNA Television Championship. The match itself ranged from fair to quite drab, the efforts from both men were okay but nothing outstanding and certainly nowhere near the best we've seen from either of them. It just felt very underwhelming considering it was a title match.
Backstage Sting and Hogan were sprayed in the faces with an unknown substance by a mysterious woman and then chucked into the back of a van by members of Aces & Eights. The plot thickens.
As part of the Gut Check challenge, eighteen-year old Evan Markopolous was voted two no's to one yes which means he doesn't receive a TNA contract. I thought he looked okay last week, and the crowd seemed behind him but I agree with the decision not to take him on right now.
Sting and Hogan agreed on a deal with the Aces & Eights leader in their clubhouse that at Bound for Glory they will each pick two men to face each other in a tag match, with the stipulations that if Aces & Eights win then they have free reign of TNA and if Hogan's team is victorious then Aces & Eights will leave forever. Well I certainly can't see the gang leaving just yet so they're going to win, and we should get the first reveal of some of their identities in Phoenix too I reckon. 
Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode and Bully Ray in an enjoyable main event tag contest, and best match of the night. The pace was kept to a nice speed and all four men gave solid displays. The crowd were also eating it up, which is hardly surprising considering the quality of the bout before them. After Hardy tagged himself in and grabbed the win with a Swanton, Aries confronted him about it. This feud needs a bit more hostility to get it going a bit.  
Overall it felt like a sub standard Impact compared to recent broadcasts for me. The standard of action in the ring wasn't as consistent, although fortunately the main event saved it a bit. The storylines progressed okay, but I was never as interested as I have been recently in any of the Aces & Eights segments. Not a bad show but nothing special.  

Tuesday 25 September 2012

My WWE Raw, 24th September 2012 Recap


Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman, on behalf of WWE Champion CM Punk (who was also in the ring) demanded that referee Brad Maddox (what kind of fake name is that?) come out and apologise for making the wrong call last after missing Punk's leg on the ropes and counting his shoulders down for the three count. Brad sure enough came out and apologised for making the error, but refused to resign. A furious CM Punk finally leapt out of his chair and berated the official for making the wrong call. Soon GM AJ Lee then also joined them and said that Maddox could leave.   
AJ asked Heyman and Punk who they thought they were after holding the show hostage until they get their way. CM Punk claimed that the reason AJ was so hostile towards him was because he turned down her proposal of marriage two months ago. He went on to threaten to reveal all the text messages and voicemails that AJ had left him "that are not fit to air here on the USA Network" and how "intimate we were behind closed doors." Mocking the GM even further, Heyman went down on one knee and proposed to her. AJ answered back with a simple slap to the face. It was a solid segment to start the show, with good mic work all round.
Backstage a deranged AJ warned Maddox that if he screws up again, she will personally see to it that he never works in the business again after embarrassing her. 
After taunting the imaginary 'Little Jimmy', Vickie Guerrero accidentally had some drink poured on her by R-Truth. As the argument escalated the referee banned both from ringside for the following bout.
Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent match up. Both men put in fair efforts, and made up for an average first half (a few sloppy moments marred it a bit) with a solid and exciting second. Ziggler was the only choice to win here, but he still needs bigger victories to make him a believable contender to the World title, which I can see him cashing in on at Hell in a Cell.
In another priceless segment involving the Tag Team Champions, Kane posed in a diner as a waiter named 'Gerald' and had to take Daniel Bryan's order as part of an exercise by Doctor Shelby to help them both bond. Bryan taunted his partner, and Kane in turn threatened Bryan by claiming that he would throw his 'Goat face' into the deep fat fryer and serve the remains of his beard on all the food he served, which understandably disturbed the customers. I just can't get enough of these two, it's like they can do no wrong. 
Titus O'Neil and Darren Young beat Santino Marella and Zack Ryder in an average and quite forgettable tab contest. The period between Young and Ryder was okay, Marella just performed his usual routine. To be honest they didn't have enough time to really produce anything of any worth here.
Special guest Mick Foley questioned what change CM Punk had really brought since his classic June 27th promo of last year. Punk soon joined Foley and mocked him for possible trying to flog another book and called the 'Hardcore Legend' no longer relevant. Foley reminded the champ of the fact that he text him back last year after he memorably won the World title at Money in the Bank, even though he probably received tons of congratulatory messages, so he must mean something to him.
He continued to warn Punk that as one of the best talkers the business has ever seen, he doesn't need Paul Heyman as a talking mouth piece to steer him in the wrong direction. After claiming that he should face Cena in a HIAC match, Punk told Foley that it was all just the same speech that he's heard recently from Bret Hart and Cena himself, and said that he won't attack Foley because he is "beneath me." Foley retorted that stating that in years gone by fans don't remember statistics such as how long Punk's been champion, but moments like when he fell off the Hell in a Cell fourteen years ago (I know, it was that long ago). On behalf of the GM he also informed CM Punk that he would have the choice if he wanted to face Cena at HIAC for the title. It was a highly engaging segment, with both men on tremendous form and one of he best promos I've seen from Foley in a long time.
Ryback defeated The Miz in a largely mediocre bout. The action was okay, but never gripped you at any point. Unfortunately the most interesting part came when some idiot fan came running into the ring, which caused a lot of the crowd to turn and check that out rather than the match itself.
In a replication of the famous cafe scene from When Harry Met Sally, Daniel Bryan and Kane excitedly spoke about their destruction of other tag teams on last weeks SmackDown, with Hall of Famer Mae Young asking to "have what they're having."
In a rather big mood swing from earlier, AJ informed the referees in her office that they all make mistakes and to have a great show. She also told Alberto Del Rio, Otunga and Ricardo Rodriguez that they'll be in a Six-Man Tag match that night. Ricardo's positive attitude to this news was brilliant, he really is an underrated talent for me.  
Wade Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd in a surprisingly fair match up. I wasn't really expecting much here, but thanks to Kidd being allowed a decent amount of offense it turned out to be a rather enjoyable outing and a good display from both men.
Live via satellite Jerry Lawler received an expectantly warm reception from the fans in attendance. Lawler recalled the events just before and after the heart attack he suffered two weeks ago, and thanked all the people who'd sent him well wishes since. When asked when he might be returning 'The King' said it was up to his doctors. You can bet he'll receive an even bigger ovation when he does.
Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio and Sheamus defeated Ricardo Rodriguez, Alberto Del Rio and David Otunga in a match that ranged from solid to sub par. The periods involving Mysterio were the high point, with a very good display from him. However some parts just felt too busy for me and spoilt it a bit, that and Otunga and Sin Cara's average contributions. Ricardo performed his comedy part well enough and was predictably the fall guy for his team. Given the choice I'd rather have just seen Sheamus and Mysterio versis Ricardo and Del Rio to be honest.   
Back at the diner, Doctor Shelby asked both Bryan and Kane to taste each other's dishes to experience what it's like to be the other one. After trying Bryan's salad Kane burped at Shelby, whilst after trying Kane's meatballs (not a euphemism, grow up!) Bryan threw up on the doctor. 'The Big Red Monster' ended the segment by asking for the cheque. 
Via a poll on Twitter, it was revealed that Bryan and Kane's tag team name would be 'Team Hell No'. After hearing this Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes jumped the champions from behind and revealed that they had formed an alliance known as 'Rhodes Scholars'. This is a very smart move, as entertaining as Kane and Bryan are they still need real competition to keep them interesting in the ring and on pay-per-views in title defences. Rhodes Scholars could be an interesting duo.
Eve and Beth Phoenix beat Alicia Fox and Layla in a drab match, you won't miss much by skipping it. Afterwards the injured Kaitlyn revealed that she was attacked at Night of Champions by a masked woman with blonde hair. After believing it to be Phoenix, Eve took out 'The Glamazon'. Boy she must be glad she's leaving this sinking ship of a Divas division. My guess is either it was Kelly Kelly who's turned heel (which could actually work) or most likely Eve was wearing a blonde wig.
Brodus Clay versus Tensai was fortunately ended early as Big Show made his return to a fair reception and KO'd both big men with his WMD punch. Jim Ross' (who'd been providing guest commentary for the night) feigned awe at Big Show's first punch was pretty terrible.
John Cena came out and first thanked all the WWE fans for their overwhelming support for the Cure charity he's been highlighting on his latest attire. Unfortunately there was still some unnecessary booing from scattered fans at Cena. Really? Even when he's promoting a worthwhile charity cause? Anyway, he went on to also state that whatever happens, despite his arm injury he will be walking into Hell in a Cell to challenge CM Punk for the title.
The WWE Champion himself, along with Heyman, then joined Cena and claimed that he's not only refusing to face Cena at HIAC because he receives a far too generous amount of title shots over deserving talent in the back (which I completely agree with) but also because Cena won't be medically cleared anyway. Punk also called into question Cena's intelligence for threatening the most "dangerous man" in the company and gave him till the count of five to leave his ring while his back was turned. As Punk turned around he discovered Cena had been concealing a led pipe, which he used to strike the champ in the stomach with, causing CM Punk to leave.      
Backstage a frustrated Punk kicked Foley in the gut, taking him out. As he then turned around he had a look of fear on his face, and as the camera panned around it was revealed to be Ryback causing the fear. Could Ryback be next in line to challenge Punk if Cena's not fit for HIAC? I personally feel there are other far more suitable choices, but at least WWE seem to be building up an up and coming talent. I'm also suspecting that Foley could well be a special guest referee for the WWE Championship match. We shall see.
Overall I enjoyed the majority of the show, with all of CM Punk's and the Tag Team Champion's segments being highly enjoyable, especially Foley and Punk's. Unfortunately the action in the ring was yet again just too inconsistent on the red brand, with no particularly outstanding matches to speak of. 

Friday 21 September 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 21st September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com 

WWE Hall of Famer Edge kicked off the show by explaining that he now watches the WWE product as a fan, not a performer. He then showed a VT of Kane and Daniel Bryan hugging it out and then arguing on last Monday's Raw. 'The Rated R Superstar' said that he'd never seen anything like it and was perplexed by it all. Daniel Bryan himself then came out and claimed that Doctor Shelby had helped him find inner peace, this was short live though as Edge began having fun by winding him up with chants of "Yes!" and "No!" Kane then also joined them and began arguing with his tag partner.
A confused and frustrated Edge then began screaming at Kane, asking what had happened to the once 'Big Red Machine', also reminding him of all that they'd put each other through. Kane amusingly offered Edge a hug to make amends, so he accepted and even offered a left out Bryan a chance to get in on it. But instead Damien Sandow interrupted them and claimed that this kind of behaviour was ruining the company. Edge decided to settle things by setting up a match (that GM Booker T agreed to) between Sandow and Kane. It was one of the best opening segments to a pro wrestling show I've seen in a while. All four men were on form, especially the three in the ring. Bryan and Kane are the most consistently entertaining act in WWE right now for me.  
Damien Sandow defeated Kane in a fair match up that never really went beyond decent. Sandow is competent in the ring but he's still not quite there yet and has work to do. 'The Intellectual Saviour' picked up the one-two-three after Bryan distracted his tag partner at ringside, allowing Sandow to apply a Straight Jacket Neckbreaker. It's a big win for Sandow pinning Kane like that, a good sign for him.
Backstage an angered Kane hunted down Bryan, but instead came across Doctor Shelby. Bryan shortly popped up from a bin behind (which looked hilarious) and after both Tag Team Champions were calmed down by Shelby they agreed to make amends. Doctor Shelby also suggested getting Bryan a match to make up for causing Kane to loose, which he liked. It was another superb segment between them.   
Sheamus and Randy Orton beat Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio in an enjoyable tag team bout. All four men put in standard solid displays (typical for all of them really) and provided an entertaining contest, superior to the average tag team ones we get in WWE and the rather lacklustre main event of this weeks Raw.   
Cody Rhodes defeated Daniel Bryan in a passable match that never got the chance to get going. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time, could've been much better I reckon. Rhodes grabbed the winning pin after Kane had a little payback and distracted Bryan with his pyros, giving Rhodes the chance to apply the Cross Rhodes for the victory.
Backstage after the tag champs once again argued over who was better, but soon noticed Sandow and Rhodes laughing at them. Rhodes stated that they were a "spectacle" and a poor unit. Kane and Bryan defended themselves by challenging both men to a tag team match, causing them to walk away in separate directions.     
Brodus Clay won via disqualification versus Heath Slater in a rather nothing bout. The actual wrestling wasn't anything special, it was what happened after that was interesting. As the match was taking place Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal ran in and helped take out Clay with Slater. Hopefully this is the start of a new faction that are tired of being underutilised in the company and are taking action, giving these talents some much needed relevance and creating a hopefully interesting group. I'll be very disappointed if they drop the ball with this one.
Santino Marella beat Antonio Cesaro in comedy match for the most part, it was quite mediocre to be honest. Marella's cobra was once again distracted by Aksana, but this time she was accidentally pulled into the ring and damaged her foot. This caused the referee to be distracted and Marella to grab a quick pinfall win. Afterwards an angered Cesaro dumped the hurt Aksana. Hopefully this means the end of the awful acting skills of Aksana on our screens.  
Daniel Bryan and Kane won via DQ versus Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a fair tag contest. The match never really excelled at anything, but the entertaining part came after the bell rung. Bryan came to his partner's aid by snatching the steel chair that Rhodes had used on Kane (which caused the DQ) and him and his tag partner began taking out their opponents and various other teams that had been watching the bout, all the while with big smiles on their faces. It was a glorious end to the show as both men stood tall over the seas of bodies.
Overall it was a very enjoyable show, thanks mainly to the inspired duo of Kane and Daniel Bryan. Edge's surprise appearance was a pleasant surprise too and his segment with the tag champs was fun. We also had a solid outing involving Sheamus, Orton, Del Rio and Ziggler. Compared to most SmackDown's recently I'd call it a big success.    

My Impact Wrestling, 20th September 2012 Recap


Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Before the show had begun Shaquille O'Neil informed Hulk Hogan that he would be near the arena if he needed him and had his back regarding Aces & Eights. That was the only appearance he made.
As part of the Open Fight Night Kurt Angle and AJ Styles challenged Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to a match to determine who deserves the next shot at the TNA Tag titles.  Angle and Styles predictably received a good reception.
Kurt Angle and AJ Styles versus Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez ended in a no contest as Christopher Daniels and Kazarian ran in and attacked Chavo and Styles. The match itself had been an entertaining one, with all four men providing good displays throughout with solid back and fourth action. 
Douglas Williams beat Gut Check challenger Evan Markopoulus in a pretty average bout. Williams as usual was on good technical form as he largely dominated Markopoulus. Unfortunately Evan didn't really look like anything special, but saying that I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more offense from the rookie to get a better idea of what he's capable of. I can't see him being kept on.
James Storm called out Roode for a straight up fight, stating that their feud had moved beyond personal and now he just wanted to see him hurt. Bobby Roode came out and announced that he wouldn't fight 'The Cowboy' as he was superior to Storm and that as long as he was around he wouldn't become World Champion again, and left. But unfortunately for Roode Hogan warned him backstage that if he refuses the match (as part of the Open Fight Night you must accept any challenge) then he'll be fired, so the 'It Factor' made his way out gingerly to face Storm. 
James Storm versus Bobby Roode ended in a no contest (two in one night? Is Russo back?) after the referee Brian Hebner realised that he couldn't control the two wrestlers. It wasn't so much a wrestling match as a brawl outside the ring for the majority of the fight, which was enjoyable enough and made sense considering their personal rivalry. The crowd seemed to also be up for it and were firmly lending their support to Storm. The battle continued through the fans and into the back.
Austin Aries explained to Jeff Hardy backstage that although Hardy was after his World title at Bound for Glory he was also after Hardy's admiration and respect that he gets from his fans, along with all his accomplished in his career so far and the only way to get that is by defeating him at BFG. Aries once again came off quit heelish here as he called Hardy's fans "mindless sheep." Not really appropriate for one of the top faces in TNA right now.
Tara claimed that the reason she turned on Tessmacher last week was because she was tired of being all pally pally with her and was reminded from her new, apparently top Hollywood star boyfriend that she is the top female wrestler in the World. She also accused the fans of just chanting for her for her looks. Tara went on to challenge announcer Christy Hemme to a match up. As Tara began getting physical with Hemme, Brooke Tessmacher raced to her aid and chased off her former mentor.
Hulk Hogan decided to make a deal with Aces & Eights that they let the kidnapped Joseph Parks go and he'll go into their clubhouse. The gang's leader appeared on screen and agreed to the deal, he also had a fellow member of the group destroy Park's laptop and crack the lawyer in the head with a hammer. The 'Hulkster' did not look amused.
After a video package for Jeff Hardy played, Aries thanked the producers for playing it right before he made his way out sarcastically, explaining that that kind of attention Hardy receives is exactly what he's after. He also claimed Hardy wasn't the hunter but "the hunted" and wanted to prove that whatever Jeff could do he could do better and called out Bully Ray for a match. Bully said that AA had a lot of nerve calling him out, but was eventually cut off as the World Champion came flying over the top rope at him to start the bout in an impressive fashion.
Bully Ray defeated Austin Aries in a decent enough main event. Bully dominated for the most part, with Aries making a brief comeback towards the end. It wasn't a particularly memorable contest but it was watchable, and both men put in fair efforts. After referee Earl Hebner was struck accidentally, Bully took full advantage and walloped AA with his signature chains to score the winning pin. Afterwards Bully wanted to finish the job and attack Aries with his own title belt, but was chased off as Hardy came to his aid. Could they maybe be setting up a Triple Threat for the World title at BFG?
Overall it felt like a mostly average show, nothing that special to speak of really. Which is disappointing considering the quality of most Impacts recently. 

Monday 17 September 2012

My WWE Night of Champions 2012 Recap



It was revealed that John Bradshaw Layfield would be taking Jerry Lawler's place on commentary for the show. He received a healthy reception from the Boston crowd and as usual did a good job behind the desk.
The Miz (c) bested Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a Fatal Four Way. In the decent opener Miz, after having a Sin Cara mask put on his face by the man himself, applied the Skull Crushing Finale to Rhodes by accident and gained the one-two-three.
The match started off rather messily, with quite a few slip ups here and there and the action not so solid, with disappointing wrestling between the first collision of Mysterio and Sin Cara who are rumoured to be facing each other at next years WrestleMania. But fortunately it picked up for the final third and the match became very enjoyable with well placed sequences. Good start to get the fans going.
Backstage Kaitlyn was revealed to have been taken out from  behind by a masked person and was unable to put pressure on her leg, thereby eliminating her from her title match. It was some pretty bad acting on her behalf. I wonder who could have taken her out? It has to be the supposedly reformed Eve
Daniel Bryan and Kane defeated Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (c) to win the WWE Tag team title in an entertaining match up. As usual the charismatic duo of Kane and Bryan worked very well, and the action from all four men was solid too. It's hard to really fault the bout, except it made Kingston and Truth look weak as a unit considering they were against a couple of guys who can't stand each other.
As expected Kane and Bryan started off rather uneasily as a team but had the backing of the crowd who chanted "Hug it out" which seemed to work as the two did indeed hug it out and reconcile, until towards the end where Bryan threw Kane off of the top rope and caused him to body splash Kingston, thereby gaining the winning pin. The fans in attendance were also firmly behind the Bryan Kane pairing and booed the faces Kingston and Truth, I imagine like me they were far more interested in the unorthodox challengers. Looks like the tag team division got some much needed interest.
Backstage GM Booker T predictably chose Eve to replace Kaitlyn in the Divas Championship match. The new number one contender's feigned surprise at the choice fooled no one.
Antonio Cesaro (c) beat Zack Ryder to retain the United States Championship in a fun contest. Both men put in worthy efforts and provided an enjoyable match from start to finish. Ryder managed to rally back a bit towards the end after Cesaro had dominated most of the title bout but it wasn't to be for the 'WWW Kid' as the champ managed to quickly apply his finisher after a distraction from Aksana at ringside for the victory. The bout was also far superior to anything Cesaro did with Santino and a step forward for him, hopefully he'll become a regular presence on PPV's now.
Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler in a solid bout, and best of the night up to that point. In the intense back and fourth battle both men went toe to toe in an even fight, with the fans largely behind the 'Show Off'. The action was well executed and the set up worked fine. Considering how many times we've seen this match it's a real testament to these two talents that they can still keep fans engaged and excited during them. Orton gained the winning pin after an impressive RKO after throwing Ziggler into the air.
My only issue with it was the result. I have nothing against Orton (in fact I'm a fan, his character is a little stale right now but he's still one of the most consistent performers in the company) but Ziggler had a whole lot more to gain from a win here than he did. As the Money in the Bank contract holder the bookers and writers should be doing absolutely everything they can to build him up as the next World Champion, not loosing cleanly so often. Even a fluke win would've benefitted him a bit here, this just did him no favours and he deserves better.    
Eve beat Layla (c) for the WWE Divas title in a passable, if a bit drab and forgettable match. Both performers did a decent enough job, I just struggled to really find the interest. 
Before the following World title match Booker T declared that the formerly banned Brogue Kick maneuver of Sheamus had now been reinstated. 
Backstage Daniel Bryan and Kane were still arguing over who was the real tag team champion. But Doctor Shelby once again calmed the two down and Bryan congratulated Kane. 'The Big Red Monster' left without saying anything, then suddenly poured cold water over his tag partner and hilariously exclaimed that he would now be "going to Disneyland!" to celebrate. I love this team. 
Sheamus (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a bout that picked up once it hit it's stride. After the announcement Sheamus immediately attempted the Brogue Kick on Del Rio (to tease a similar result to his WrestleMania match with Bryan) but he dodged it and 'The Great White' struck David Otunga on the apron instead, causing him to have to leave for the rest of the bout.
The start of the contest wasn't terrific, it didn't really feel like a major World title match. Fortunately the pace picked up and Del Rio began to smartly target Sheamus' arm and attempted the arm breaker a few times for some effective close calls. The World Champion also attempted his Brogue Kick a few times, eventually hitting it out of nowhere for a well received title defense. Overall the final third of the match made up for the rest and it was enjoyable enough. I think they've gotten everything they can out of their feud now but I envisage a rematch in a Hell in a Cell next month.  
CM Punk (c) versus John Cena for the WWE Championship ended in a draw, resulting in the champion retaining. In the match of the night both men put in tremendous efforts and provided a highly dramatic title match. The start of the match was decent enough, with Punk controlling it, but it was the second half of the bout where the intensity really went up. There were nice submission attempts and edge of your seat near falls as both men applied their signature finishers at least twice, with Punk even using the Rock Bottom (hint at his probable match with 'The Great One'?).  
The draw came after Cena applied an out of character German suplex from the middle rope and the referee counted both men's shoulders down for the three-count. Cena celebrated as he thought he was the victor and new World champ, but the referee corrected him and as Cena argued with the official CM Punk cracked him over the head with the title belt from behind. Like the other World title bout I imagine we'll be seeing another rematch here in a Hell in a Cell next month. 
Overall I felt Night of Champions was an enjoyable pay-per-view, with most matches being solid outings (bar the Divas title one, which wasn't bad just nothing special). The two World title matches also exceeded my expectations (I was just expecting an okay World Heavyweight match after all the amount of bouts they've had recently) especially the main event which was tremendous. Successful card in my opinion.  

Friday 14 September 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 14th September 2012 Recap


Alberto Del Rio, David Otunga and Ricardo Rodriguez once again kicked off the show. Del Rio congratulated Booker T on banning the Brogue Kick while it's under investigation. Otunga, also amusingly sporting a neck brace like Ricardo, then complained that Raw GM AJ Lee's booking of him against 'The Great White' last Monday were the actions of a mentally unstable person. 
Otunga next interviewed Christian via satellite and asked him about the effects of the Brogue Kick after being a victim of it last year. Strangely Christian admitted that he hadn't been the same since and that the move should be banned. He did also mock Del Rio and act as a face, which is why I find it strange that they chose 'Captain Charisma' to do this segment and not another active heel who's also felt Sheamus' finisher. Christian was using an injured elbow as the reason for his absence, although the truth is it's actually because WWE struck a deal with TNA so they could use Ric Flair at this years Hall of Fame ceremony and TNA could use Christian at theirs to induct Sting.    
Daniel Bryan also joined the trio and thanked them for bringing the issue to light and Booker T for allocating him a WrestleMania rematch against Sheamus that night, claiming that if the Brogue Kick had been illegal back then he would've won on April 1st. The World Heavyweight Champion himself Sheamus decided to come out and said Bryan was wrong, cracked a lame joke and warned both Bryan and Del Rio that those who forget history "are doomed to repeat it" regarding their upcoming bouts with him.  Before he left he also ripped off Otunga's neck brace with a big grin.
Sin Cara defeated The Miz in a fair match up. It wasn't anything that special but the action was solid enough and both men gave good efforts. In a poor ending Sin Cara messed up his roll up finish which looked too fake for the one-two-three.  
After some exchanged words between Miz, Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio and, well, okay Sin Cara didn't talk but he pointed (which Rhodes amusingly pointed out didn't get people anything) backstage afterwards Teddy Long on behalf of Booker T booked a Fatal Four Way between them all at Night of Champions for the Intercontinental title. I said a couple of weeks back that I hoped they'd put on that match, should be good I reckon. 
In another brilliant anger management segment between Kane, Daniel Bryan and Doctor Shelby the newest tag team in WWE discovered how soothing squeezing stress-relief balls was. After reflecting on what they were doing, they stopped and Kane remarked "Mine's bigger than yours." Their segments have been some of the if not the best currently in WWE. I'm really hoping they win the tag titles on Sunday, they're far more interesting than the current title holders.
Kane beat Kofi Kingston in an enjoyable contest that exceeded my expectations. I was predicting a bit of a dull, if passable match but it was livelier than expected and had decent displays from both men. A disappointed Doctor Shelby appeared on the ramp after the bell rung which forced Kane to hug his fallen opponent, Kofi's scared face was hilarious.   
Randy Orton defeated Tensai in a passable bout. Though the start was quite drab the rest of the match was decent enough, Orton was on his usual solid form in the ring. He really is one of the most consistent performers in the company today. Afterwards Vickie Guerrero attempted to distract 'The Viper' but he caught on and scared off Dolph Ziggler who was attempting to attack Orton from behind.  
Antonio Cesaro complained that the number one contender for his United States Championship would be determined in a Battle Royal on Sunday and that it wasn't worthy enough for his prestigious title. Tyson Kidd then joined him and warned the champ that he's going to loose the title come NOC. Cesaro took exception to this and threw Kidd out of the ring. Brodus Clay then joined Cesaro and with the help of Tyson took him out. Cesaro's mic work was okay here, good to see him getting more air time of the blue and red brands lately. 
Wade Barrett warned that after announcing that his services were open for business last week, next week someone will "get to sample the product." Rather ominous, eh? It's good to have him back on SmackDown, it certainly needs all the main event level talent it can get.
Kaitlyn defeated Beth Phoenix in a largely average match up. Although Kaitlyn was given a clean win over Phoenix, which is a step forward for her and also means someone in the back must be keen.
Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan in a highly entertaining back and fourth main event. As usual these two put on a very good match together and in turn received a healthy response from the fans. The action was sound and the pace kept you engaged from start to finish. Sheamus grabbed the win after forcing Bryan to tap to the Texas Cloverleaf. 
Overall I felt in-ring content wise this weeks SmackDown was an improvement on last weeks. Although I'm still not that hyped for Sheamus versus Del Rio on Sunday, I'm hoping their feud is coming to an end soon. There's only so long you can keep pitting the same two men against each other on PPV. 

My Impact Wrestling, 13th September 2012 Recap


TNA World Heavyweight Champion Austin Aries started the show off by explaining just how important his World title was, and how it's significance is why he was targeted by Aces & Eights recently. He added that although they came after him he managed to take out one of their members at No Surrender. He then called out his opponent at Bound for GloryJeff Hardy. AA first congratulated his future opponent for getting through both Samoa Joe and Bully Ray in one night, and with a storyline shoulder injury.
Bully Ray shortly interrupted Aries and called both men lucky. AA because he won't have to face him at BFG and Hardy because he supposedly only won because Bully felt sorry for him. The World Champion decided to make Ray put his money where his mouth is and challenged him to face Hardy that night, but Bully backed out.
Zema Ion (c) defeated Sonjay Dutt to retain the X Division title in an enjoyable enough bout. Dutt was once again on solid form with his crisp and impressive maneuvers, unfortunately Ion looked quite average again. I was hoping Ion would grow into the role of the X strap holder and up his game when given the chance, but it just hasn't really happened. I hope I'm proven wrong and that he does improve in the future, he has shown glimpses of becoming more engrossing. Zema retained after grabbing the ropes for a cheeky pinfall win.     
Bobby Roode came out and explained that he smashed a beer bottle over Storm's head at No Surrender (thereby costing him the match in the BFG Series) because he felt that 'The Cowboy', who he accused of riding his coattails when they were a tag team, didn't deserve a chance at the World title that he'd once held. James Storm inevitably came out and the two once again began brawling, with Storm gaining the upper hand and dragging Roode outside.   
AJ Styles beat Kazarian in an decent, if a little disjointed at times match up. While the action came fast and for the most part well, there were a few little mistakes here and there. But like I said they were only little and it failed to really spoil the contest. The crowd were also really into and thoroughly behind the face Styles. As per the stipulation put in by Hulk Hogan, AJ and Kurt Angle will receive a shot at the TNA Tag Team titles sometime in the future as a result of Style's win.  
Joseph Parks informed Hulk Hogan in his office that he was very close to "one key piece of evidence" regarding the Aces & Eights case that will be revealed on next weeks Impact. I'm liking Parks in this role, he suits it.
Bully Ray challenged Hardy backstage to put his spot as number one contender at BFG on the line in their match later on, claiming that he didn't have the "balls" to do it. Hardy accepted, as all good guys should.
Hogan stated that the Impact Zone would always be in lockdown mode from here on out  to help capture Aces & Eights. Right on cue members of the gang itself appeared on the big screen and warned Hogan that he'd now locked in all the members with him and he has no way of knowing who they are backstage. 'The Hulkster' looked rather concerned at his plan backfiring.   
Chavo Guerrero defeated Christopher Daniels in a great contest. In Chavo's best match since joining TNA so far both men went back and fourth with perfectly executed moves and at a nice pace. For the finish Guerrero managed to avoid an attempt from Daniels to strike him with his title belt and applied his signature Three Amigos and Frog Splash to have his hand raised.
Tara wanted to officially congratulate her good friend Brooke Tessmacher on toppling her last Sunday and offered to present the Knockouts Championship to her to signify that she was now the top woman in TNA. The divvy Taz piped in with an inappropriate "What are we watching Oprah here?" Granted it maybe was a little too sweet for pro wrestling but he should've just kept quiet, like most of the time. After wrapping the belt on the champ, Tara predictably turned on her and took her out with a Widows Peak. The attack pleased the crowd. It was just a bit too obvious, I personally think the heel turn should've happened slowly in the build up to BFG and then occurred there.
Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray in an intense main event to retain his place as number one contender. In a bout superior to their outing last Sunday, both men gave a solid effort to be proud of and had an electric crowd behind them. It was an enjoyable match from start to finish and a good way to end the show. Although I'm not sure where any of this leaves Bully as far as BFG goes?
Overall it was a solid show with matches that were at the worst decent, which is always a good sign. The advancements in the storylines also made sense (still feel Tara's heel turn was a little early but still) and didn't feel rushed or over the top. TNA is on form right now, I recommend checking it out if you don't normally.

Tuesday 11 September 2012

My WWE Raw, 10th September 2012 Recap


Bret Hart kicked off the show with a heroes welcome in Montreal Canada. Once he finally got a chance to talk he thanked all the Canadian fans for their support over the years and for helping him through his darker days. WWE Champion CM Punk then joined 'The Hitman' and explained that if he would be "egotistical" enough to write an autobiography then he'd call it "What if?" As in what if he'd faced Bret Hart back at the '97 Survivor Series, where he claims he would've beaten Bret without Vince McMahon's help. Therefore killing the attitude era (and WWE) and jumping ship to WCW.
After going over what happened last week when Punk attacked Cena and left with Paul Heyman, the champ claimed that when he beats Cena at Night of Champions he will solidify himself as the greatest WWE Champion ever. He also claimed that as champion he should receive an ovation like Bret's the World over and that like his future opponent on Sunday, Hart is overhyped and overrated. It was a solid enough start to the show, with nice mic work by Punk.
Kofi Kingston and R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro and The Miz in a fair tag team match. It wasn't anything outstanding or memorable to be honest, but passable for most of WWE's current tag division. I was really hoping that I'd eventually take to Kingston and Truth as a team but I just can't, I'd much rather see them loose the titles and go back into singles action. Or better yet have Truth turn on Kofi, he was a lot more effective as a deranged heel.
We then witnessed the recorded court deposition between Sheamus and Ricardo Rodriguez and his lawyer David Otunga. Rodriguez was attempting to take legal action and ban the Brogue Kick after the World Champion had struck him with it on last weeks Raw. After a series of questions from Otunga, Sheamus had enough and decided to show off the power of his Brogue Kick and smash the camera. It was a decent enough segment, with a few amusing parts from 'The Great White'. 
Eve, Layla and Kaitlyn beat Alicia Fox, Natalya and Beth Phoenix in a largely lacklustre tag bout. I wouldn't blame you if you skipped this to be honest, you won't miss much. Eve grabbed the one-two-three after tagging herself in and stealing the win from Layla. It achieved its goals in building up Eve as an obviously fake face, but did nothing at all to hype the actual Divas title match between Layla and Kaitlyn on Sunday.
Randy Orton won via disqualification versus CM Punk in a solid enough contest. Both men put in a good display as they battled back and fourth, the fans in attendance were also certainly into it as their loud support was split. The DQ came when Dolph Ziggler ran in to attack Orton, so as both he and Punk began taking 'The Viper' out Jerry Lawler ran in to his aid which led to an impromptu tag team match. 
Orton was voted in to face Punk as part of the regular Tweet polling online, and we're lucky he was considering it was between 'The Viper', Jerry Lawler and Brodus Clay. Hopefully Clay's low vote count (he came last with 12 per cent) and the lack of reaction from crowds will convince the writers to do something new with his persona, he really needs it.  
Randy Orton and Jerry Lawler defeated Dolph Ziggler and CM Punk in a pedestrian tag match. There really wasn't anything that special about the actual wrestling itself, but it at least got a bit interesting when Paul Heyman walked out and began talking to Punk and they both walked away as the match finished up. Afterwards the goofy Matt Striker asked what the working relationship between the two was, so the WWE Champion simply answered "I'm a Paul Heyman guy." The possibilities of these two working together is tremendous. I can't wait.
Backstage AJ informed Daniel Bryan and Kane that she'd asked their former anger management teacher Doctor Shelby to come in to help them finally make amends. I'm still loving these segments with Kane and Bryan, they have great chemistry.
Ryback beat Heath Slater in an average bout. While Slater managed to get in a little bit of offense, he was no match for Ryback who dominated most of the short match up. 
Daniel Bryan and Kane defeated the Prime Time Players to become number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team titles at Night of Champions. The match itself was passable, although for the most part it was just playing on the uneasy alliance between Kane and Bryan understandably. For the finish an aggravated Kane Choke Slammed Bryan onto Darren Young, which led to an inadvertent pinfall victory.
I'm personally quite pleased with the result. The combination of Kane and Bryan is a lot more interesting and entertaining than Titus O'Neil and Young. I can see them winning on Sunday too.
Alberto Del Rio defeated Tyson Kidd in an enjoyable enough contest. As usual both men looked solid in the ring and Kidd was even made to look fairly competitive as he locked on the popular Sharpshooter for a short while until Del Rio reached the ropes. Del Rio won via his signature arm breaker and bragged after the match that Sheamus has already lost the Brogue Kick and will loose the World title to him at NOC.   
A distraught Michael Cole informed us that Jerry Lawler had collapsed and had to be stretchered out back. He went on to confirm that it was not a part of the nights entertainment and was unfortunately very real. 
Sheamus beat David Otunga in a rather brief squash match. Afterwards 'The Great White' decided to apply the Brogue Kick for good measure. SmackDown GM Booker T then came out and warned the World Champion that if he uses the kick again then he'll be stripped of his title. 
Backstage Doctor Shelby congratulated Kane and Daniel Bryan on their win and on working together. Of course a nice moment once again turned into an argument between the two tag partners.
Cody Rhodes defeated Rey Mysterio in a decent bout. As usual the consistent Mysterio managed to bring the best out of his opponent and both guys put in a worthy effort. Rhodes picked up the win after The Miz distracted Mysterio at ringside and he applied the Cross Rhodes. As Miz went to further attack Rey, Cody also latched on his finisher to the Intercontinental Champion to presumably set up a Triple Threat or Fatal Four Way (with Sin Cara) for the title at NOC.
Bret Hart began interviewing John Cena and compared his rivalry with Punk to his and Shawn Michaels many years ago. The unpopular Cena was honoured to even be mentioned in the same category, but honestly said that he had much work to do before he reaches their level. CM Punk also joined them, stating that he'd come out to stop the besmirching of his name. He went on to claim that he was superior to Hart, HBK, The Rock and Steve Austin.
Cena had soon had enough and called Punk a fraud after claiming last year in his classic June 27th promo that he wanted change, but all he really wanted was for himself to be the star. He carried on to also put CM Punk down in French (which went down very well) and rather out of character called him an "ignorant son of a bitch!" It was a strong promo from both men, and even got a lot of the Canadian fans on Cena's side it was so effective. It has also certainly gotten me more interested in their title bout on Sunday. A stunned WWE Champion attempted to punch Bret Hart but was halted by Cena and then punched and scared out of the ring by 'The Hitman' himself. It was a solid end to the show.  
Michael Cole then informed us that Lawler was stable and that they'd have updates on the site. It has since been revealed that Lawler suffered a heart attack, although I'm too sure of his condition right now. Now I know I've bashed Lawler's commentary a fair bit, but it's obviously never been personal and I hope he recovers fully soon.

Monday 10 September 2012

My TNA No Surrender 2012 Recap


Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe to advance in the Bound For Glory Series Final in a solid opener to the show. The pace of the match varied as Samoa Joe would control Hardy slowly in the first half and quicken as there were nice near falls and submission attempts towards the end, and it worked with these two contrasting wrestlers. The quality of the bout was hardly surprising considering the two talents involved, smart choice to start the show and get the crowd going too.  
Bully Ray beat James Storm to advance to the BFG Series Final in a fair match up that was unfortunately tarnished a bit by unnecessary 90s-esque referee bumps. The contest started off fairly uneventful, with Bully building heat by leaving the ring and complaining to the ref constantly. It then hit it's stride as both men went back and fourth and became enjoyable.
Unfortunately we then witnesses three referee bumps in the space of five minutes, which was just overkill and unneeded as Bobby Roode then made his return and cracked a beer bottle over Storm's head and covered him with Bully for the finish. I can obviously understand one referee KO was needed but not three, it just ruined the match a bit for me.   
Brooke Tessmacher (c) defeated Tara to retain the TNA Knockouts title in a largely pedestrian outing. The action wasn't bad, but it did often feel like it was dragging a bit and I don't believe it should have been allocated so much time. It probably would've benefitted more from keeping the decent bits of wrestling condensed. Tara was angered after Brooke caught her with a roll up pin for the victory and abruptly left without congratulating her former student. I'm guessing we'll be seeing a rematch of some kind at Bound for Glory
Backstage we had a nice brawl between an arrested Roode and Storm until Hulk Hogan split them up along with more members of security. More pull apart fights should be like this in pro wrestling, where you can really believe in the hatred and heat between the two foes. 
Before his following match Austin Aries explained that there would be no referee and no rules, just a straight up fight between him and the Aces & Eights member who broke his arm. The member eventually arrived and the two began exchanging blows. After a bit of a tedious period in which the Aces & Eights member controlled Aries, the World Champion managed to make a comeback by pouring white powder into the goon's face and upped the pace and managed the gain back the crowd's interest.   
As AA was about to unmask his adversary other gang members made their way out which led to another brawl between both them and members of the TNA roster, who eventually chased off Aces & Eights. Hogan joined everyone and ordered the building to be locked down so they couldn't get away. Bully Ray also informed him that Hardy had been attacked and was badly hurt.
Zema Ion (c) defeated Sonjay Dutt to retain the X Division Championship in a very enjoyable contest once it got going. The action started to really flow in the final third with nice near falls and exciting moves, unfortunately the crowd weren't particularly responsive. I guess they were going to struggle to be after the gang fight and BFG Series matches they've just witnessed.
The only downfall of the match for me was that it really highlighted the champ's shortcomings compared to a superior talent in Dutt. Not that Ion's bad but as X Division Champion (especially following Aries) he needs to just up his game that bit more.  
Out in the parking lot we witnessed Hogan ridiculously ordering around the cops that had arrived at the arena. Even demanding that they bring more. Sorry, are we honestly expected to believe that the police force would have this situation on such high priority that they'd send out this many cops because a retired pro wrestler told them to? Who exactly does Hogan think he is? Even for a storyline it just came off as moronic.  
Rob Van Dam beat Magnus in a passable, if quite pedestrian bout. It was watchable, I just never felt myself getting engaged much at any point. RVD did his usual TNA routine while Magnus looked decent enough, not terrible but quite uneventful overall. 
Before their title defense Daniels and Kazarian gave an enjoyable promo about the hardships that Hogan as GM has thrown their way and how they deserve better treatment. At least TNA have these two keeping the tag team division relevant. Obviously nothing against the superb talents that are Angle and Styles but they're not exactly a regular solidified team. 
Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (c) defeated AJ Styles and Kurt Angle to retain the TNA Tag Team titles in a terrific match up. For the majority it was a thoroughly enjoyable match with blistering action and effective near falls. All four men gave a display to be very proud of. If I had one little niggle (and it's only a minor one) it's that the bout didn't maybe have to be quite so long. There were a few periods where the fans were loosing a bit of interest while the pace slowed down which was a shame, but otherwise it's well worth checking out if you weren't going planning to watch the PPV.  
Before the BFG Series Final Bully Ray gave a nice speech on the events of the evening and his rise in the singles division over the last year and a half. He went on to claim that while others were "Bound for Glory. I am destined for greatness." And stated that while you may not like him, you have to respect the transition he's made in his career. Which I very much agree with. I'll admit that I never thought his singles career would amount to very much, maybe mid card at the most. But he's become one of my favourite acts in pro wrestling today and a superb singles heel.   
As Bully awaited the injured Jeff Hardy, Hogan instead joined him and asked that if Bully Ray really feels as strongly as he states then he should wait until the next Impact when Hardy's in better condition. This idea understandable irked the fans in attendance who wanted a BFG Series Final match as advertised. Hardy's music then hit once again and he made his way out, clearly still feeling the effects of his attack. 
Jeff Hardy beat Bully Ray in a fair match to win the BFG Series Final. Unfortunately the main event was unable to live up to some of the previous bouts of the night but it was still decent enough and had a surprise win that I imagined pleased a lot of fans. Although I was personally rooting for Bully, thought it'd make a lot more sense. Hardy fought back through his shoulder injury like a true heroic face and managed to get through Bully's offense and hit the Swanton Bomb for the one-two-three. The crowd in attendance were very happy with the result.
Overall No Surrender was yet another largely enjoyable and solid pay-per-view from TNA. With engaging matches and relevant story line advancements. And next up is the biggest event for the company of the year, Bound for Glory. If the last few PPV's are anything to go by then it should be a fantastic event.

Friday 7 September 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 7th September 2012 Recap


Alberto Del Rio, accompanied by the injured Ricardo Rodriguez and his attorney David Otunga started off the show by claiming that Sheamus' Brogue Kick is far too dangerous ('The Great White' accidentally injured Rodriguez with it) and should be illegal. An angered General Manager Booker T soon joined them and warned that their meeting about the Brogue Kick before the show was meant to be kept confidential. But since they decided to bring it to the people, Booker asked the fans what they thought and decided to not ban the Brogue Kick maneuver. 
Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated The Miz and Cody Rhodes in a decent tag match. The action remained solid throughout and I can't fault the efforts of any of the wrestlers involved, although it wasn't the greatest tag team bout you're ever going to see. It felt like it was lacking that little something. I actually wouldn't mind seeing a Fatal Four Way between these men for the Intercontinental title at Night of Champions, would be a good match I reckon.
Zack Ryder won versus Daniel Bryan after the decision was reversed by the referee when Bryan refused to let go of his No Lock after forcing Ryder to tap. The actual bout itself had been fair, nothing special. Once again Bryan was thrown into a rage and started kicking off. Not too sure where they're headed with his anger issues now, I can't see what else they could do with it that'll enhance the brilliant Bryan character.
Before his following match Damien Sandow complained that he had been given insufficient time to prepare. He also went on to have a go at social media sites and the abuse he receives on them, stating that their users should do some more reading rather then going online. Which I actually agree with. Randy Orton then joined Sandow, informing him that through Booker T he'd decided to swap his original opponent for the night with Sandow.   
Randy Orton won via count out versus Damien Sandow in a mostly enjoyable contest. Both men put in fair efforts, although the charismatic Sandow still has to advance and become a little more interesting between the ropes. For the second week in row Sandow decided he'd had enough and legged it to the back. As Ziggler mocked Orton at ringside (as he had been on guest commentary also) Orton threw him into the ring and prepared for the RKO until Sandow made a return so he RKO'd him instead, allowing Ziggler to make a getaway. 
Titus O'Neil and Darren Young defeated The Usos and Epico and Primo in a Triple Threat tag match to become number one contenders to the WWE Tag Team titles. I was expecting a decent enough match here, but it turned out a lot better than I predicted. The pace was nice and quick and there was exciting action for the majority. The Usos especially looked good here I thought, it's about time they took that next step up. Solid tag contest.
Wade Barrett beat Yoshi Tatsu in a fairly short squash match. He appears to have adopted more of the 'Fight Club' style from the vignettes that promoted his return with his fighting style in the ring. After the bout he stated that he was tired of meaningless matches like this and declared himself "open for business." Not sure why he worded it like that but I definitely welcome his return, his new look and theme music also suit his slight change in persona.
Sheamus defeated David Otunga in an average main event. To be fair it was passable for a match involving Otunga, the action was satisfactory at least. As the World Champion set up the Brogue Kick Booker T informed him that he's decided to not risk having a lawsuit on his hands and banned the finisher. Why would he have told him during the match and not before? Pro wrestling logic I guess. So instead 'The Great White' forced Otunga to tap to the Texas Cloverleaf as Del Rio watched on from ringside.  

My Impact Wrestling, 6th September 2012 Recap


Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe in a solid Bound for Glory Series match up. While it wasn't either man's top performance it was a very enjoyable contest with the crowd understandable electrified throughout. Both men gave a display to be proud of. Hardy surprisingly won by forcing Joe to tap out to a headlock/armlock submission hold.
As Joe was being interviewed about the loss after, his former tag partner Magnus interrupted and forgave Joe for his ego and selfishness during their time as a team. He then also attacked Joe's damaged arm from behind after he'd went to walk away. I'm guessing these two could very well battle at Bound for Glory then.
Tara beat Gail Kim in a fair Knockouts bout. Both women provided decent action, especially the almost always on form Kim. It was also more engaging then the lacklustre matches we normally receive from the Divas in WWE right now, and to think these were both former talents there. 
Al Snow called out former Gut Check contender Joey Ryan to the ring and offered him one last shot at getting a TNA contract after months of interrupting the shows as a member of the crowd (with a megaphone, throwing water and punching the Gut Check judges). Snow explained to Ryan that he would have to beat him in a match to earn the contract and slapped him, a shocked Ryan abruptly left the ring and threatened to sue. 
Bully Ray defeated Rob Van Dam in a BFG Series match to qualify for the final four at No Surrender. It was a enjoyable enough outing once it got going. The start was a little drab but both men pulled it out for the final third where the pace and action went up a notch  Bully applied his signature Bubba Cutter as RVD came down for the Five Star Frog Splash to gain the one-two-three. 
As Austin Aries was interrogating an Aces & Eights member backstage, Hulk Hogan (who'd given him permission to do so) received a call from the gang's leader and settled a deal where they would return the member in exchange for a match at No Surrender between Aries and the man who broke his hand. The gang leader agreed to the terms. 
James Storm came to the ring and spoke about his return to TNA after a brief hiatus a few months ago and his quest to reclaim the TNA World title in the BFG Series. He went on to also call out his three possible opponents for the final of the series at No Surrender (as the wrestler who finished first he has the pick of opponent). He chose Bully Ray to face on Sunday (leaving Samoa Joe versus Hardy in the other semi final) after his accusations of 'The Cowboy' being a member of Aces & Eights and after he beat him in last years BFG Series. No Surrender should be a decent event I reckon.
After a series of backstage eliminations, Hogan chose the team of Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to fight for the TNA Tag Team titles on the show. It's not a good sign for the once flourishing tag team division of TNA when all three of the teams up for contention have barely ever teamed together. 
Christopher Daniels and Kazarian (c) defeated Hernandez and Chavo Guerrero to retain the TNA Tag Team Championship. While the first half was quite mediocre, the second managed to pick up the excitement and quality and provide a decent enough ending to the title bout. Unfortunately a big let down were the number of sloppy or just strange moments throughout. There were times when Hernandez and Chavo didn't even look like they knew what they were doing next, not exactly the team to be challenging for the titles eh?  
Hogan announced afterwards that at No Surrender Daniels and Kaz would be defending the titles against AJ Styles and Kurt Angle. I know we've already had this bout before but I'm certainly not complaining, should be very good.
Aries dragged his Aces & Eights captive to the ring and called out the gang to come and collect him. After they no showed he began threatening the member again and as he was about to talk Arie's proposed opponent came out and they began brawling as the show went off the air. 
Overall it was an okay Impact, not as entertaining as the last two weeks for me but not a bad show. Quite looking forward to No Surrender on Sunday, if the card and the last two PPV's they've put on are anything to go by then it should be worth watching.