My WWE SmackDown, 30th November 2012 Recap

John Cena kicked off the show by explaining that he was make a rare appearance on the blue brand because he wanted to see his current foe Ziggler take on Sheamus up close. Alberto Del Rio then joined him and warned Cena that he was on his show. After some more bragging Del Rio inevitably landed himself in a match with Cena right there and then. It wasn't a great segment to start the show, but could've been worse. 

John Cena defeated Alberto Del Rio in a bout that ranged from average to decent enough. For the most part it was pretty pedestrian, with the usual Cena routine of rising from a state of almost out to suddenly full of life to thwart Del Rio, who fortunately managed to save it a bit with a worthy display. But on the whole it was pretty forgettable. Afterwards Ziggler decided to show up and clobbered Cena with his MITB briefcase from behind. 

The Great Khali beat David Otunga in a nothing squash match. It was honestly a waste of time.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston defeated The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a decent six-man tag contest. From start to finish the action was solid, and most importantly it was a fun watch. Kane and Bryan seem to also be on the same side now after their attack from The Shield on this Monday's Raw.

Damien Sandow announced that after failing to impart his wisdom onto the WWE fan base, he was now going to instead pick out members of the crowd and teach them individually. So he asked a fan in attendance three questions, and if answered correctly (which they weren't) then the person in question would become Sandow's apprentice. It was an amusing segment, Sandow as usual oozed charisma and humour on the mic. I wouldn't object to this becoming a regular occurrence. 

Damien Sandow bested Tyson Kidd in a brief but enjoyable enough outing. Both men gave solid displays. Nothing to complain about here really, except more time would've been nice.

3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Jimmy & Jay Uso in a fair tag contest. A watchable match but pretty pedestrian, Mahal edged it as the best performer.

Sheamus won via DQ versus Dolph Ziggler in a solid main event, which is hardly a surprise with both men being on very good form at the moment. While I feel they could work even better together, I feel petty typing it as it was an enjoyable match and a worthy main event. The DQ came when Big Show intervened and began attacking his TLC opponent Sheamus, but this was short lived as Cena came to the Irishman's aid and helped get rid of both Show and Ziggler. This will presumably set up a tag team match involving the four, which should be decent. 

It was an enjoyable enough SmackDown on the whole. There were a few duds here and there (Khali's match was a waste of time, Cena versus Del Rio and the 3MB bouts weren't anything that special). But the six-man tag contest, Sandow versus Kidd encounter and the main event were all a fun watch. Speaking of Sandow, his new segment was also very amusing and I'm always happy to see him on the mic, I hope it sticks around. 

My Impact Wrestling, 29th November 2012 Recap

Hulk Hogan demanded that Bully come out and explain to him what's going on between him and his daughter Brooke. Sure enough Bully Ray did, and stated that he was the "number one man" in his daughter's life. Brooke Hogan also joined them and was warned by her father that he never wanted to see her involved with a pro wrestler "especially him." Austin Aries of course couldn't resist getting involved and berated Hogan on the big screen for dealing with family issues in public rather then managing the show.

Mickie James defeated Gail Kim in a largely solid encounter. Comparing the standard of wrestling here to anything the current female performers in WWE have to offer is really quite startling. And the frustrating thing is that there's no excuse for WWE not to bring in some far more talented wrestlers for the Divas division, they had both these women under contract at one point.

Bobby Roode claimed that Hardy failed to impress him after barely beating Gut Check winner Christian York last week. York himself then joined 'The It Factor' and gave him a slap for disrespecting him, followed by a challenge of a match which Roode accepted.

Bobby Roode bested Christian York in a highly enjoyable contest. Both men put in great efforts here and provided an engaging watch from start to finish. I actually enjoyed this more than York's bout with Hardy last week, he's looking better each time we see him. For the finish York almost caught Roode out with a nice near fall from a roll up, but then had the crossface applied and was forced to tap.

Afterwards as 'The It Factor' was about to strike York with a steel chair, his Final Resolution opponent Jeff Hardy raced out and chased him off. They should have an entertaining World Title match next Sunday, although I still personally would've rather seen Storm face Hardy.

James Storm and AJ Styles beat Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in a tremendous tag match. All four men gave top displays here, with crisp action at a healthy pace. For me Daniels and Kaz are the most consistent tag team in the ring going today, plus their promos are always entertaining. Afterwards Storm warned AJ about loosing his head during the match and being a bit sloppy, could a heel turn be on the cards for Styles?

Matt Morgan bested Douglas Williams in a drab squash match. Morgan was also cheered on at ringside by tag partner Joey Ryan, who gave a decent introduction to 'The Blueprint' beforehand. 

After receiving two "Yes" votes Wes Brisco was handed a TNA contract. An emotional Brisco celebrated with Kurt Angle and Garett Bischoff after, it seemed genuine, although it seems too obvious that both him and D'Lo (who stood in for Al Snow after he mysteriously disappeared and never turned up to the show) are members of Aces & 8s. If that's the case then it was a good bit of acting of Brisco's part.

Austin Aries versus Rob Van Dam (c) for the X Division Championship ended in a disqualification. The bout itself had been good for the most part, with some nice sequences between RVD and Aries. Unfortunately a few sloppy moments let it down a little, but otherwise it was fine, and one of RVD's best matches in a while. The DQ came after Bully Ray ran in and began attacking AA, which then led to a stare down between him and Hogan. 

Overall it was a solid Impact, and the best wrestling broadcast this week. Based on match quality alone it was very good, with only the drab Morgan versus Williams bout letting it down. Unfortunately we didn't receive any answers or development in the Bully Ray/Brooke/Hulk storyline, but I'm enjoying the slow breakdown of Styles, and as usual Daniels and Kazarian were great on the mic. Highlight of the show was definitely the terrific tag team match, great action throughout. Big step up from last weeks average broadcast.

My WWE Raw, 26th November 2012 Recap

The (newly-named) Shield take out one of their latest victims. Photo credit: WWE.com 

Ryback defeated Titus O'Neil in an average match up, although that was more than I was expecting. Surprisingly to me O'Neil was made to look fairly competitive here, which should minimise the damage done to him a bit.

Afterwards Ryback refused to leave the ring until CM Punk or his three attackers last week and at Survivor Series come out. But of course they didn't, instead Vickie Guerrero sent out a security team to subdue him, which failed. After pleading with him Ryback told Vickie to "Shut up!" (which went down well) and demanded a TLC match with Punk at the same-titled PPV next month. She agreed to his terms. I'm glad we're having Ryback talking more, it's finally advancing his character a bit.

Alberto Del Rio beat The Great Khali in a mediocre bout. Del Rio gave a fair effort here, considering the limitations of his opponent. Once again in a Khali match there was a Hornswaggle related distraction at ringside, which this time led to Del Rio locking on an armbreaker for the submission victory.

We were shown a pre-taped interview conducted by Michael Cole with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, where it was revealed that they were not working with CM Punk and that they'd attacked Ryback because they felt it was wrong that it was the most popular wrestlers getting title opportunities, wrestlers like Cena and Ryback who'd already had a shot at Punk's strap and lost previously.

Ambrose also went on to claim that they weren't like NWO or Nexus, that they stood for principals and honour where it no longer exists, and announced themselves as 'The Shield'. It was an intriguing segment, that actually felt a bit different from most we've received from factions in the past, with Ambrose's work being the highlight. If booked right this trio could really be something special I reckon, and something refreshingly different in todays pro wrestling.     

Tamina bested Alicia Fox in a rather forgettable and pedestrian contest. Looks like Tamina is the latest female performer to get a push in the divas division, wonder how long it will actually last though.

As John Cena began describing his kiss with AJ last week, Vickie Guerrero interrupted him and claimed that his relationship will eventually implode with AJ, just like it has with every other man she's been with in WWE. Of course AJ Lee herself had enough of this and thanked Vickie for getting her fired as Raw GM, because now she was free to date whomever she pleased without scrutiny. Dolph Ziggler also showed up and theorised that when AJ kissed Cena last week, she was thinking of him instead "the entire time." To settle things Vickie then booked a match between Cena and 'The Show Off' for that night. As usual with this storyline it was a pretty weak segment, thankfully Ziggler's charisma and mic skills helped salvage it a bit.

Kofi Kingston defeated Tensai in a fair match up. While it wasn't anything that inspiring both men put in good displays, with Tensai actually having one of his finest singles match since returning to the company.

After loosing out to Kane in an online poll to determine who will face CM Punk later on, the always entertaining Daniel Bryan was informed that he would still be in action but against Rey Mysterio instead. 

Rey Mysterio defeated Daniel Bryan in an exciting contest, and match of the night. Now this is a bout I've wanted to see for a long while, and it didn't disappoint. Both men were technically solid in the ring and kept the action fast and smooth throughout. I presume this was also another step in setting up a tag team title match between Team Hell No and the combo of Mysterio and Sin Cara for TLC.

John Cena beat Dolph Ziggler in a decent bout. Not either man's finest but it was still a fun outing to watch. For the finish Cena had to leave the ring due to his knee injury playing up, this cued AJ to run down and stop Ziggler from undoing a turnbuckle pad, which led to Cena applying an Attitude Adjustment for the one-two-three. Afterwards AJ and Cena once again shared a snog.

I really feel that a Ziggler win here, no matter how cheap, would've made far more sense and not just because I prefer him. Considering his recent successful run they could've kept that going, and a heel-like victory would've given them an excuse to have a rematch (perhaps a table match) at TLC. A loss here really wouldn't have damaged Cena much would it? I'm hoping that they still have another match at TLC and that Ziggler is somehow victorious. 

Sheamus defeated Antonio Cesaro via count out after applying a Brogue Kick and sending the Swiss out of the ring. The match itself had a solid enough second half, but fairly drab first. Once it going and the quality and excitement picked up the two had some nice exchanges in the close fought battle. The fact that Sheamus didn't pin Cesaro was also a very good sign for the US Champion, he must have some important names in the back predicting big things for him.  

Afterwards Big Show came out with a steel chair in hand, but as he went to then walk off 'The Great White' called him back and warned him that he will truly see the barbaric side of him come TLC in their chairs match. The World Champion retorted by breaking apart the chair in hand. This wasn't one of their strongest promos with each other.

Damien Sandow bested Zack Ryder in a passable outing. The action was fairly average for the most part (which was expected really) but it wasn't a bad display by either man. Ryder was also sporting new trunks and knee pads with his own take on the Ghostbusters logo, as a huge fan as a kid I can appreciate the design. 

CM Punk defeated Kane in a worthy enough effort by both wrestlers. The match wasn't anything special, but there was also no aspect of it that I can call bad to be honest. It was just quite uninspiring for the most part until the end for me. For the finish The Shield made their way down to the ring, distracting Kane and allowing Punk to apply a GTS for the win. The trio then took out Kane, along with Daniel Bryan who came to his aid. Finally Ryback also appeared and almost had the upper hand until the WWE Champion began brawling on him, allowing The Shield to powerbomb the number one contender in the ring. Not a bad end to the show, if maybe too familiar to the last couple of weeks with Survivor Series and Raw.

Overall it was a decent enough Raw, with a good second half managing to salvage it from a woeful start. Mysterio versus Bryan and The Shield interview were the highlights for myself, with most other match ups (bar the divas contest, Del Rio Khali match and Ryback versus O'Neil bout) were also all passable outings. The low point was once again the tedious AJ Lee/Cena/Vickie/Ziggler storyline, Dolph did what he could but even he couldn't save the drab segment.  

My WWE SmackDown, 23rd November 2012 Recap

The Miz called out his guest for the latest 'Miz TV' John Cena, and asked him what the situation was now between himself and AJ Lee after their kiss on Raw this week. So Cena claimed that it was just to stop the controversy between them, but also admitted that it was a pretty enjoyable snog. AJ Lee herself then joined them, and was subjected to a bit of harmless teasing from Miz.  

Dolph Ziggler also then came out and warned Cena that AJ had caused him nothing but trouble and wasn't worth it. Vickie Guerrero decided to also get in a few jibes at Cena and AJ' expense. But of course Cena got in the last words as he claimed that while Vickie likes to eat nuts, Dolph still needs to find his. It was an okay segment to start the show, and probably the best 'Miz TV' we've had so far. 

Ryback beat Darren Young in a passable squash match. Afterwards Young's tag partner Titus O'Neil asked what was wrong with Ryback, and received a Shell Shock for asking.

R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough, if a bit of a brief contest. Although it wasn't as strong as their outing at Survivor Series, you can't fault either man's efforts here. I guess their building to one more title clash between them, where I'm hoping Cesaro retains and then moves onto bigger competition.

Backstage GM Booker T informed Sheamus that after his recent aggressive attacks towards Big Show he was not to compete on the show that night, but was free to watch from his box in the arena. He also announced that it would predictably be Sheamus versus Show in a Chairs match at TLC over the World Title.

Alberto Del Rio bested Sin Cara in a worthy display from both wrestlers. As one of the few men Sin Cara is actually compatible with in the company, him and Del Rio do tend to put on fair match ups. 

Backstage a grumpy Kane admitted that he was upset that Daniel Bryan hadn't invited him round for thanksgiving. So to make amends Bryan agreed to invite him to Christmas if they win their match that night, so Kane agreed, but only if if he could "beat up Santa." As usual it was an amusingly silly segment between the endearing duo. 

Big Show beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) in a mixed bag of a Handicap match. The first third with Show dominating Bryan was dull, but fortunately the second half picked up and we got some solid action. The finish came when Kane stormed off and left Bryan after he'd once again tagged himself in, leaving his tag partner to be chokeslammed and pinned by the World Title holder. Afterwards Kane went back and began tangling with Show, with Bryan aiding 'The Big Red Monster' and causing Show to exit the ring after a big boot.

Big Show then grabbed a mic and reminded Sheamus that at TLC, this time he'll also have a chance to attack with a steel chair in hand. 'The Great White' seemed to be raring to go up in the box.

Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Damien Sandow to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a fair title contest. Both men gave above average displays, but the whole bout just felt rather uninspiring. And I'm still a little confused as to what Sandow had done to earn a IC Title shot. Afterwards Wade Barett (who'd provided guest commentary) warned Kingston with a cliche challenger promo that when he defends the strap against him then he won't be successful. 

Dolph Ziggler beat Randy Orton in a solid main event. As is standard with these two they put on an enjoyable enough bout with smooth action. My only gripe (and really I should just be grateful enough that Ziggler won at all) is that Dolph still wasn't allowed to defeat Orton cleanly and instead won with a cheap roll up pin. But like I said I should be grateful that he rightfully beat Orton here at all, he needed the win to keep his current momentum going after a very good week for 'The Show Off'.  

Afterwards Ricardo Rodriguez raced in and was quickly RKO'd by 'The Viper', which startled Del Rio who decided to leave Orton for now and left. I was hoping this tedious feud of theirs was over now, Orton deserves (and needs) fresh opposition to hopefully revive him a bit. Cena also caught Ziggler with an awkwardly applied STF on the stage. 

Overall it was a mostly enjoyable show, with most matches providing decent action and at the least still passable. No storylines may have progressed massively but they progressed nicely nonetheless, and logically at that. I also feel that having no Diva-related segments or matches didn't really harm the show either. So for me it was a pretty successful SmackDown.

My Impact Wrestling, 22nd November 2012 Recap

AJ applies the always impressive Pelé Kick for the win. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Wes Brisco defeated Garett Bischoff in a Gut Check Challenge match up. The bout itself was mediocre for the most part really, and quite drab. Both men looked okay in the ring, but nothing inspiring. But despite all of the negatives the crowd at least seemed to be into it, mainly based on the surname value of Wes I'd guess. After Wes grabbed the win an elated Kurt Angle ran into the ring to celebrate with him.

Joey Ryan challenged one half of the tag team champions Chavo Guerrero to a match as part of Open Fight Night. He explained that it was to earn himself and Matt Morgan a shot at the tag straps, so Hogan couldn't split them up. 

Chavo Guerrero won via disqualification versus Joey Ryan in a largely pedestrian contest. Again it was a match that just wasn't that engaging. Chavo put in a decent enough display but Ryan is still looking pretty average for the most part, not bad, just average. 

Former Gut Check winner Sam Shaw (who I honestly can't even remember, which is not a good sign for any wrestler) challenged the first ever GC winner Alex Silva, who showed a bit more attitude and character as he came down to the ring.   

Sam Shaw bested Alex Silva in a bout that didn't pick up until the final couple of minutes. Like I mentioned, Silva showed more character here during the contest as he beat on Shaw, but the action wasn't anything special. And on the flip side while Sam didn't show much charisma, he did look good as he made a comeback and planted a top rope leg drop to Silva for the one-two-three.

In a popular decision Christian York called out a man he admired, Jeff Hardy to a match up.

Jeff Hardy defeated Christian York in an enjoyable encounter. I have to be honest, I didn't really get what the fuss was about with York back in his Gut Check match, but here he looked decent and was able to look genuinely competitive against Hardy, so I give him credit. In a smart booking move York controlled most of the contest, with the World Champion obviously gaining the win after making a late comeback. Paul Heyman once said that a successful match will push both wrestlers involved, and that's what happened here.

Afterwards the number on contender to Hardy's title Bobby Roode snuck out and spinebustered York and speared Hardy to send a message to his future opponent.

Tara beat Taeler Hendrix in a mostly sub par bout after Hendrix challenged the Knockouts Title holder. Unfortunately while Taeler has the likable personality she's still unpolished in the ring and has work to do, but the potential is certainly there for her. The action here was just average and never went beyond that.

Eric Young pinned Jesse in a Triple Threat involving Robbie E also. The comedy match was okay for what it was, and I never expected much from it anyway. As per the stipulation a grumpy Jesse had to wear the annual turkey costume as part of the Thanksgiving theme. Afterwards however the amusement stopped as Aces & 8s took out Eric Young as a handcuffed ODB was forced to look on. Hopefully this will mean the return of a more serious EY, I always preferred him like that.

The always entertaining duo of Christopher Daniels and Kazarian explained that Daniels had challenged AJ Styles to a match at Final Resolution so he could be there for a 'friend'. Kaz then went on to challenge Styles to a match that night. 

AJ Styles defeated Kazarian in the match of the night. It's hardly surprising considering the talent that this was a solid outing from the get go, although I've seen more exciting bouts involving these two. Nevertheless it was a fun enough watch.

Austin Aries claimed that the management in the back and certain influences in TNA had been holding him back and stacking the deck against him. And for this he blamed Hogan, more specifically, Brooke Hogan, who he then called out as part of Open Fight Night. Aries went on to expose a supposed secret relationship between her and Bully Ray, and amusingly added that she didn't "have to settle for a turkey" when he had "all the stuffing you need." This prompted an angry Hogan and Bully Ray to come out to Brooke's defence, and then give each other puzzled looks to end the show.     

Overall it was a pretty mediocre Impact, and one of the poorest for a long while. Most matches were average at best, with the exception of Styles versus Kazarian and Hardy versus York, and no storylines made much significant progress either. At least the always on form Aries and Daniels managed to provide entertaining promos. 

My WWE Raw, 19th November 2012 Recap

A proud CM Punk looks upon the fallen Ryback. Photo credit: WWE.com

A furious Ryback demanded that CM Punk and his three attackers from Survivor Series come out so he could exact his revenge, or else he'd tear the place apart. Vickie Guerrero instead came out and warned Ryback that if he destroyed anything or attacked Punk then he'd be fined or suspended, but admitted her admiration of his destruction in the ring so booked him against Tensai. Ryback did okay on the mic here, he needs to start evolving his persona and that's the way to do it.

Ryback beat Tensai in a passable, if pretty unmemorable a match. Both men looked okay, it was just quite average for the most part with nothing exceptional about the bout.

Wade Barrett defeated Kofi Kingston in a largely solid contest, with worthy efforts from both men. For a refreshing change an eye injury that Barrett caused Kofi earlier in the match up actually stuck through most of it, and came back into play at the end when Wade rubbed the IC Champion's face on the top rope and applied the Bull Hammer for the one-two-three.

Kaitlyn bested Aksana in a mediocre bout. Just average displays from both participants.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Brodus Clay in a mostly pedestrian and forgettable match  up. Fortunately Cesaro applied a nicely executed uppercut to Clay and a Neutralizer for a decent looking finish. 

Vickie Guerrero presented two eye witnesses who had apparently seen Cena and AJ acting rather intimately together at a restaurant and spending a prolonged amount of time together in a parked car. AJ Lee herself then interrupted them and accused the man and woman of being frauds, and told Vickie to "shut the hell up" or fire her. As Vickie then went to present apparent photos of them in the car together, John Cena came out and told Guerrero to stop and gave her something for people to talk about as he then kissed AJ. This gave Dolph Ziggler a chance to attack Cena form behind, but this was short lived as Cena soon chased him off. Hopefully this is the end of the awful scandal storyline. 

Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio in a two out of three falls match. Both men put on a great contest here, with solid action throughout and a well told story. Just goes to prove that there's no excuse not to regularly have high quality match ups on television. Orton grabbed the first fall via DQ after Del Rio refused to stop attacking his arm in the corner, then Del Rio grabbed the second fall via submission from his signature cross armbreaker and finally Orton grabbed the winning pinfall after applying an RKO.  

The Great Khali beat Epico and Primo in a nothing Handicap match. During which Hornswaggle made an unwelcome return and pretended to give flowers to Rosa Mendes but instead squirted water from them. Do the writers of this material really believe that it's entertaining in any way? 

The Miz defeated David Otunga in a bit of a drab contest. In a strange booking decision Otunga was also made to control most of the match up. Surely as a newly turned face Miz should be made to look as strong as possible right now?  

Sheamus spoke about how Big Show had made their rivalry personal after attacking William Regal and then pulling the referee in front of him to aid his victory at Survivor Series against the Irishman. 'The Great White' then stated that his usual smile had disappeared, and challenged the World Champion to come out and face him. Big Show sure enough came out, but called Sheamus "barbaric" after his attack with a steel chair the previous night on him and claimed that he doesn't deserve to be World Champion. As Sheamus went to respond, his opponent for the night Damien Sandow joined him. This segment had some terrific mic work from Big Show.

Sheamus beat Damien Sandow in a decent enough bout. While it wasn't the most engaging fight, it was fun enough to watch.

Backstage an an upset AJ Lee asked Vickie Guerrero what she was going to do about Cena's injury after Ziggler's attack, to which the managing supervisor of Raw replied "nothing." So AJ took matters into her own hands and barged into the WWE locker room and confronted Dolph herself. But the 'Show Off' had a few choice words for her, as he called her pathetic for latching onto anyone that gives her even the slightest bit of attention, and girls like her are "a dime a dozen." It was a very nicely executed promo from Ziggler, one of his finest I'd say.

So AJ responded with a series of slaps until Cena pulled her away, which gave Dolph the chance to once again attack Cena's injured leg, and then tackled him through a toilet cubicle. It was a nice spot, and one that should certainly elevate Dolph. It's not often someone gets to take out Cena like that.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) versus Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio ended in a no contest after Titus O'Neil and Darren Young (who'd provided so bad it was funny commentary at ringside, so much so that King and Cole felt compelled to amusingly mock them for it) ran in and attacked them, although this didn't last long as the opposing two teams then took out the Prime Time Players. The actual match itself had been an enjoyable one for the majority, with decent displays from all four men.

Paul Heyman came out to start the celebration for CM Punk's momentous year-long title reign, but first accused the fans that cry out for the Attitude Era again that it's not really what they want after all the complaints about his and Punk's (highly entertaining)  promo on Jerry Lawler last week. Soon enough Heyman then introduced the man of the hour (or rather whole company) CM Punk. Punk went on to present a nice VT of highlights from his lengthy title run, with Heyman then listing off some of the all-time greats of the business and claiming that they would be unable to defeated Punk on their very best day.

Ryback decided to then crash the celebration, but was stopped once again by the trio of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The three also once more planted Ryback through the announce table. A confused looking CM Punk then approached the fallen Ryback, and proudly stood tall over him with the title held high. I'm a little disappointed we didn't get an explanation of any kind from the attackers, but hopefully we will next week.

For the most part it was a pretty average Raw, with most bouts being average at best. But fortunately the locker room segment involving Ziggler, AJ and Cena, the celebration at the end, the Sheamus Big Show confrontation and the Orton versus Del Rio contest helped make it a show worth watching. So overall I felt it was a decent enough broadcast. 

My WWE Survivor Series 2012 Recap

Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns make their mark. Photo credit: WWE.com  

Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel, Tyson Kidd and Brodus Clay defeated the Prime Time Players, Epico, Primo and Tensai in a traditional Survivor Series elimination match. It was an enjoyable start to the show, with largely decent action to get the crowd going. Unfortunately the period between Tensai and Clay was rather sloppy, but the other members of the teams involved gave worthy efforts, especially Kidd and Mysterio. 

The eliminations went as follows: Brodus Clay was first taken out by Tensai, then Tensai by Justin Gabriel with a quick roll up, next was Titus O'Neil by Tyson Kidd, Epico by Kidd via submission from the sharpshooter, Primo by Mysterio, and finally Darren Young by Mysterio after the remaining four members of his team all applied high flying moves for an exciting finish. 

On the way out to her match backstage, Kaitlyn was attacked by a hooded assailant  just like at Night of Champions. only this time she discovered that it was Aksana wearing a fake blonde wig. Eve quickly ran up to her and feigned concern, but the challenger to her title was onto her.

Eve (c) bested Kaitlyn to retain the Divas Championship in a fair effort by both women. As expected it wasn't anything terrific or that exciting, but it wasn't bad and I'll take that from the current Divas division. And as the current top talent in said division Eve was the right person to win here.

Antonio Cesaro (c) beat R-Truth to retain the United States Title in a decent contest.  Cesaro was on his usual solid form, with Truth also providing a worthy display. Not necessarily the most gripping bout but still a fun watch. Giving Cesaro the US strap was certainly the right move, it hasn't been this relevant or entertaining since the (then) red hot Ryder won it last year.

AJ Lee came out and presented a series of fake images to Vickie Guerrero with her on various dates with JR, Ricardo Rodriguez and Brodus Clay as payback for the treatment she's received from the managing supervisor of Raw every week in their tedious scandal storyline. She also revealed that the WWE Board of Directors will fire Vickie if she lays a finger on her. Tamina then ran in and took out AJ for Guerrero, applying a Superfly Splash to finish her off. It wasn't a great segment, and like I've already typed I hope this feud between Vickie and AJ is resolved soon.

Sheamus won via disqualification versus Big Show (c), therefore Show retained the World Heavyweight Title. Once again these two put on an intense World Championship battle, with plenty of exciting moments. 'The Great White' dominated the start, but Show soon took over after applying a spear as Sheamus came off the top rope. The Irishman later on applied an impressive electric chair drop to the champ to even the odds. For the finish Big Show pulled the referee into the way of an oncoming Brogue Kick, then applied a KO punch for the on-two-three when Sheamus was distracted by the condition of the official.

But after reviewing the footage the referee in charge then disqualified Show for pulling the official in the way. As the furious champion argued over the decision, Sheamus came to and began attacking him with a steel chair to presumably set up some kind of stipulation match for TLC next month. Show begged for forgiveness after many strikes, but instead Sheamus applied a Brogue Kick to the giant and left. It was a nice way to prolong their feud. And I have to admit when I'm wrong, I didn't think their rivalry would be worthwhile, but it's actually provided some engaging contests and had decent build ups and segments. I'm quite looking forward their next match at TLC.

Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow and David Otunga) defeated Team Foley (Randy Orton, The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Kane and Kofi Kingston) in a tradition Survivor Series elimination match. And this was yet another fine team match for the night. Every man put in a good display (bar Otunga, who looked rather ropey as usual) and the pace was kept nice and fast to keep the fans engaged and the excitement going.

It's hard to pick out any particular performances to mention, like I said it was a solid effort by most involved, but if I had to I'd say Ziggler and Orton. For the finish Orton went a little old-school as he attempted a punt kick on Ziggler, but failed as Dolph managed to get in a nice superkick for the winning pin. The exact right man was the sole survivor here, Ziggler needed this win in a big way. I wouldn't mind seeing him now feud with Foley if the rumours are true about Mick jumping into the ring again for TLC. 

The eliminations went as follows: Damien Sandow by Kane after a Choke Slam, Kane quickly followed by Ziggler after arguing with (who else?) Bryan, Otunga via submission via the No Lock by Bryan, Kingston by Barrett, Bryan by Del Rio (which the fans were not pleased with), Barrett by Miz, Miz by Del Rio, Del Rio by Orton and finally Orton by Ziggler.

CM Punk (c) bested John Cena and Ryback in a Triple Threat to retain the WWE Championship, and it was an...interesting main event. The match itself varied in quality, and on the whole was decent enough but nothing spectacular. Not up to the quality you expect for a WWE Title bout anyway.

But fortunately a very nice twist at the end turned the match into something far more interesting, and has got many fans already buzzing. During the end as Ryback went to pin Cena after applying a Shell Shock, three men posing as workers at ringside dragged him out of the ring and powerbombed him through the Spanish announce table, allowing Punk to cover Cena and retain his strap.

These three men were Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins of NXT. If you haven't heard of Rollins or Ambrose (and really, you should have) then look them up, because if WWE book this angle correctly they should become big names and fast in the company. I'm certainly excited by the ending, with the current ratings drop for Raw they knew they had to bring in some fresh talent and they made some smart choices. And most importantly this actually has me greatly anticipating Raw tomorrow night.

Overall Survivor Series was a pretty successful pay-per-view, with no bad matches on the card and a very strong ending. The Team Foley versus Team Ziggler match and World Heavyweight Championship collision were the highlights for me, and of course the debut of Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns. My only real gripe with the event was the main event, while it wasn't bad by any means it wasn't that strong and certainly not up to the standard of a main event of one of the big four PPV's. Otherwise I quite enjoyed it. 

My WWE Survivor Series 2012 Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Divas Championship Match - Eve Torres (c) versus Kaitlyn:

Hopefully this will end their feud, and Eve can move on to more interesting (although not better in the ring) competition in AJ Lee. Should be a pretty average contest, as with most Diva ones right now. Trust me, I don't enjoy ripping on the division but it really does need a serious shake up.

Winner: Eve

United States Championship Match - Antonio Cesaro (c) versus R-Truth:

My prediction for opener of the event. Should be a decent enough encounter, not expecting anything that spectacular. Cesaro to retain cleanly.

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

Survivor Series Match - Team Foley (The Miz, Daniel Bryan, Kane, Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton) versus Team Ziggler (Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes):

I'm quite optimistic about this bout, the talent is there and they have no excuses not to provide a solid traditional Survivor Series team match. With Team Hell No and Ziggler especially (who are all on good form at the moment) I'm looking forward to it. Ziggler needs the win here far more than anyone else (I feel like I've been saying that a lot over the last few months) so I'm hoping he gets the win for his team after an implosion of some kind from Team Foley.

Winner: Team Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championship Match - The Big Show (c) versus Sheamus:

With their surprisingly decent World Title match from HIAC I'm expecting an enjoyable rematch here. I also feel that their match has had the best build up out of the entire card tonight, so hopefully it lives up to it. I'm expecting Big Show to retain, but after dubious circumstances of some kind (maybe involving the ref?) to set up a stipulation rematch of some kind for TLC next month.

Winner: Big Show

WWE Championship Triple Threat Match - CM Punk (c) versus John Cena versus Ryback: 

In all honesty I'm really split on the quality of this match and how it'll turn out. While I think it will be fairly exciting, with the first ever physical confrontation between Cena and Ryback and Punk on brilliant form, I can't see it being a tremendous main event. Hopefully I'm wrong and it turns out well. Oh, and CM Punk to retain and hold onto the title for a whole year, he deserves it as the most entertaining thing about the company today.

Winner: CM Punk 

My WWE SmackDown, 16th November 2012 Recap

The Miz opened up the show with 'Miz TV', and received a healthy reaction from the fans in his hometown of Cleveland. Miz soon introduced his guest Mick Foley, who asked whether he would get the former WWE Champion Miz or the movie star bragging Miz at Survivor Series for his team. Miz assured Foley that he didn't even need to ask that question. Foley also went on to bring out the rest of the team for a meeting, which didn't go well as all of the members began arguing and admitting their dislike for each other. 

Dolph Ziggler and his SS team then also came out, and after bragging about their unity the 'Show Off' began arguing with Alberto Del Rio, who believed that he should be the captain of the team instead. Foley then interrupted them and under a agreement with Ziggler and the GM Booker T, booked three matches for the night pitting members of each team against each other. It was an enjoyable segment to start the show, with Daniel Bryan and Kane's interactions being the highlight.

Damien Sandow defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent enough contest. Not the greatest match you'll see by any means but there were worthy efforts on both parts. Certainly watchable.

Kaitlyn, Layla and Natalya beat Alicia Fox, Eve and Aksana in a passable Divas tag bout. I wasn't expecting much here to be honest, but it was okay at times.

As Sheamus awaited Big Show's arrival in the parking lot Booker T, warned him to wait until Survivor Series to get his hands on him, or there would be serious repercussions. Sheamus agreed and left.

The Miz and Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler in a solid tag match. From start to finish the action was well executed from all four wrestlers, and overall it was simply a fun watch. Miz made a cheeky tag near the end to apply a Skull Crushing Finale to Del Rio to obtain the one-two-three for himself. This didn't best please Orton who in turn applied an RKO to Miz.

The Miz also received a strong reaction from the fans here, granted it was in his hometown but I'm still quite surprised at how quickly his face turn has been well received by fans. And he's already more interesting than he was a month ago, seems like they made a smart choice with the turn.

Sheamus called Big Show out to the ring for a straight up fight after he'd attacked both himself and William Regal from behind recently. Big Show sure enough came out, but refused a brawl due to his concern for 'The Great White's' well being if they did tangle. As an angered Sheamus made his way towards his future opponent Booker T stopped him and ordered that he leave the building before things escalated. Shortly after Booker also informed a happy Show backstage that he'll be in the main event against an unknown foe. 

Shortly into the Wade Barrett versus Kane bout, other members of Ziggler's team joined the Englishman in taking out 'The Big Red Monster'. But the attack was short lived as Foley's team (bar Miz) managed to take out and chase away their Survivor Series opposition. The Miz then made an appearance and simply glared at Orton, will he be on his side come Sunday? Probably, but I'm guessing the team will implode somehow and Ziggler's unit will be victorious. 

Antonio Cesar defeated Sin Cara in an enjoyable match up. In one of his finest performances I can remember Sin Cara looked crisp and worked well with Cesaro here. This bout really was a pleasant surprise, I thought it'd be okay but both men gave very good displays here.

Big Show bested The Great Khali in a mediocre main event, which was understandably slow paced. At least on the plus side it was kept brief, and for Khali's standards he sold the KO punch well enough. 

Afterwards Sheamus' music hit but there was no sign of the former World champ, so a cautious Big Show left for the parking lot. Of course Sheamus was waiting for him and pounced on the giant as he entered his coach. They then had a nice brawl across the parking lot, with a few broken car windows along the way. Eventually the Irishman got the upper hand as he continuously slammed the champ's head against a bonnet until security pulled him back. It was a strong ending to the show and a nice set up for the pay-per-view on Sunday.

Overall I thought it was an enjoyable enough show for the most part. Most matches were worthy efforts (bar the main event and the Kane Barrett encounter, but that's obviously excusable) and the bouts for Survivor Series were built up nicely. And most importantly for a show just before a PPV it had a strong ending. Not many fans seem that hyped for Survivor Series, but I think it could be a pretty enjoyable show myself, we shall see.

My Impact Wrestling, 15th November 2012 Recap

Wallop! Storm applies an impressive kick to Roode in a solid main event. 

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

James Storm thanked all his friends, family, fans and people that didn't think he could do it for spurring him on to become number one contender to the World Title at Turning Point. Soon after Booby Roode joined 'The Cowboy' and toasted to his victory with a couple of beers and thanked him for beating AJ Styles last Sunday (the wrestler pinned or made to submit in the bout doesn't receive a World Title shot until Bound for Glory next year due to the stipulations).

He also went on to claim that Storm won the match off of his own hard work, and that he's going to fail miserably against Hardy in their title match. Storm simply retorted with a few punches and chased off 'The It Factor'. Storm challenged Roode to a match, but Roode would only accept only if he put his number one contendership on the line, so a furious Storm agreed.

Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Kid Kash to retain the X Division Championship in quite a sloppy encounter. There were decent moments here and there provided from Kash for the most part, including a nicely executed hurricanrana to the outside. 

Jesse beat Eric Young in a passable, if pretty unmemorable a match up. Jesse actually looked okay here as he gave his best display to date. He looks as though he's actually been working hard to improve himself, although there's still a fair way to go for him. Jesse grabbed the win after a distraction from Tara and ODB when they began brawling on the outside. 

Joseph Parks begged Hulk Hogan for another chance at Aces & 8s, but Hogan was adamant that he shouldn't ever be stepping in the ring again. In response Parks announced that he was going to leave to be trained properly in the ring and return ready for action.  

Before his following Television Title match Magnus was taken out by members of Aces & 8s, including Doc who once again attacked his victim using a hammer. Before Devon could strike with a baseball bat Bully Ray raced out and chased off the gang members. It seemed silly that it would take so long for anyone to come to Magnus' aid, they beat him down for a while here. To his credit Magnus did sell the attack quite well. 

Backstage Austin Aries encountered his former opponent Jeff Hardy and admitted that he put on a great performance against him in their Ladder match, but that he was forced to to beat a top wrestler such as himself. He also claimed that he raises the performance of any man he steps in the ring with, which is actually true for the most part. We then heard a strange inner monologue from Hardy after AA left, I'm still not sure how I feel about these. It just felt a bit out of place and too unreal for this particular segment, especially after quite an honest speech from Aries. 

Kurt Angle and Garett Bischoff bested Devon and a unknown member of Aces & 8s in a fair to average tag bout. Angle as usual was on good form, but most of the match just wasn't anything that special and felt more like filler for me, plus all the distractions hindered it a bit. Angle grabbed the win with a quick schoolboy after Wes Brisco ran down and went for Doc at ringside.

Mickie James bested Gail Kim, ODB, Madison Rayne and Brooke Tesmacher to win a Knockouts Battle Royal to earn a Knockouts Championship match. It was a decent effort from most involved, and it was especially nice to see the talented Kim and James in action again, it feels like it's been too long.

Aces & 8s informed Doc that he was out of the gang after some deliberation. But this turned out to be a joke as they handed him back his leather waistcoat at the door. It was a strange storyline this, and I'm not sure what it was meant to gain exactly.

A sour AJ Styles came out and spoke about all the bad luck he'd had over the last year, including being accused of being a father to a "crackhead's" child, loosing in the Triple Threat last Sunday and coming close to winning the BFG Series but just missing out. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian then joined him and claimed that all his issues this year were his very own fault, and called him a "complete and utter failure."

Styles responded by challenging Daniels to a match. Daniels accepted, stating that now was the perfect time to face AJ. It was a decent segment, and more proof that Daniels and Kaz are one of the best acts going in the company today.

Bobby Roode defeated James Storm to earn number one contendership for the World Title in an enjoyable main event. Both men put in solid efforts and provided a worthy main event calibre match up as they battled back and fourth. Earlier in the contest Roode exposed the top turnbuckle in the ring, which later came into play as he slammed Storm's head into it and scored the one-two-three with a quick roll up. I think the crowd were as surprised as I was as they went pretty quiet after Roode won. An unexpected win, especially considering Storm's current momentum. Roode versus Hardy should still be a good bout anyway.  

Overall it was a mostly watchable show, with a few unmemorable bouts but a solid main event and entertaining segment between Styles, Daniels and Kaz. Unfortunately a lot of what happened also felt more like filler to me, what was the point of Doc having his membership up for debate? I would've rather had another match in that time. 

My WWE Raw, 12th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler in a passable, if unmemorable match up. The action was solid enough, just not up to the standard we've had form these two together before. For the finish Alberto Del Rio distracted Orton at ringside, which gave Ziggler the upper hand for a few seconds until 'The Viper' managed to get in a quick roll up for the one-two-three. Considering Ziggler is actually the captain of his Survivor Series team and the fact that Del Rio distracted Orton, he really should've gotten the win here instead. He had more to gain and desperately needs it at the moment. 

Afterwards Del Rio and Ziggler continued the attack on Orton until Kofi kingston came racing out to his SS teammate's aid. This prompted Teddy Long to book a tag team match between them under orders from Booker T.

Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler beat Kofi Kingston and Randy Orton in a mostly decent tag bout. Again the wrestling can't really be faulted, but the match just wasn't that memorable. It felt like most tag bouts featuring Del Rio and Orton together. Del Rio grabbed the win after applying an step up enzuigiri to Kofi on the corner ropes. 

Ziggler tediously presented all of the evidence we've had to watch for the last two weeks straight involved in the Cena and AJ scandal. Vickie Guerrero then asked AJ Lee to come out and have one last chance to explain herself. So AJ joined them, and after being pushed by Vickie she once again admitted the fact that her and Cena were just friends, no more. She also went on to claim that all of this was retribution from Guerrero for her receiving the role of General Manager at Raw 1000 from Vince McMahon personally over her.

Vickie in response played some voice mail messages with AJ's voice, with her supposedly admitting her feelings for Cena. A confused AJ asked Vickie how she'd faked the messages, claiming that she'd never said those things. As Ziggler then pushed AJ a little further, John Cena came out and punched Ziggler, along with a slap from AJ for 'The Show Off'. AJ's work on the mic here was solid enough, but that was about it. This storyline is just getting tiresome and needs to be resolved fast or have a half decent advancement.    

Big Show bested William Regal in an average and pretty drab outing. Big Show predictably dominated for the most part, while Regal managed to get in a few minor shots. 

Kaitlyn beat Layla in a sub par contest. I can't honestly say that I was ever that engaged or excited at all during the match up, and the action was average for the most part. Kaitlyn will go on to face Eve for the Divas Title at Survivor Series, not expecting much from that bout either really. I'm starting to feel a little bad bashing the female wrestlers in WWE week in and week out, but the fact is that the division seriously needs a big shake up and an injection of new and actually interesting blood. 

Michael Cole and JR introduced the returning Jerry Lawler. It was a genuinely touching moment seeing the emotional King make his way into the ring and embrace the two men, and as expected the response was tremendous from the fans. Lawler went on to compare his life over the last month to the film 'That's a wonderful life', claiming that he had no idea how many fans he had out there until he saw the response after his heart attack.

WWE Champion CM Punk then interrupted Lawler, and warned him that he's lucky he left the ring when he did because "I would've beat you to death." He then went on to talk about the disrespect shown from King after he tried to step into the ring months ago and compete with the 'Best in the World'. But he also added that he's glad he's back to commentate on his title match on Sunday, but told him to try "not to croak" before then. Lawler retorted by claiming that his title run will be over that night. 

Paul Heyman then faked a heart attack in the ring, laughing with CM Punk afterwards at the prank. This cued Mick Foley to come out and announce that he would be letting the fans decide the final member for his Survivor Series team, then told Punk to "Shut up!" and admitted his annoyance when he was told that it would no longer be his team versus Punk's, since he was looking forward to teaching the champ a lesson in respect. But luckily for Foley he informed Punk that he would be the special enforcer for his tangle with Cena later that night. As usual it was brilliant promo work from the WWE Champion, and an entertaining segment. 

Rey Mysterio, Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd defeated Darren Young, Titus O'Neil, Epico and Primo in an exciting tag bout. In the match of the night at that point all eight men put in worthy performances, especially the consistent Mysterio. The blistering finishing sequence was also very well executed. Definitely worth a watch this one.

Backstage Ziggler asked The Miz if he wants to be on his team since he knew he'd come begging eventually. Miz turned down the offer, reminding Ziggler of his loss to Orton earlier in the show. Foley then also turned up and challenged Ziggler to a match pitting four of their team members against each other in a tag match, so 'The Show Off' accepted. Miz then asked Foley to be a part of his team to get pay back on Ziggler, so Mick agreed to put him in the online poll for a chance. 

Before R-Truth's match up, US Champion Antonio Cesaro claimed that his opponent at SS has an imaginary friend because he's become a joke and a shadow of his prouder self, much like the US itself. 

R-Truth beat Tensai in a fair effort. I can't complain about the match, it wasn't anything that special but it was definitely watchable. 

Before Brad Maddox's confrontation with Ryback, an ambulance amusingly pulled up on his way out, along with a few EMT's with a stretcher. I thought this was a nice touch.

Ryback beat Brad Maddox in a passable squash match. I was actually surprised at the result here. I figured it was too obvious, and with Maddox earlier in the night talking to Heyman backstage I thought that he'd have some outside help to get a lucky win and the million dollar contract. Ryback also wasn't done after the bout, as he continued to assault Maddox and literally threw him into the ambulance. 

Sheamus defeated David Otunga in a brief one-sided match. Sheamus didn't waste any time as he took out Otunga in an average affair. Afterwards 'The Great White' warned Big Show that he's going to apply the match-finishing Brogue Kick to him come Sunday in their World Title clash. In response Show applied a KO punch to Regal, also warning Sheamus that he's going to end the match with his finishing maneuver. 

In another one of their entertaining segments, Daniel Bryan told Kane how upset he was that he was teaming with somebody else instead of him, and that if it'd been the other way around he would've refused. But by the end of the speech Kane had already had enough and left. It was then revealed that Miz had won the online vote and would be a part of Team Foley at Survivor Series.

Kane and The Miz bested Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow) in an enjoyable tag contest. The Miz received a healthy response from the fans after his new face turn, and I agree with the decision. Miz's persona needed a bit of revitalising and I think he can pull it off. The wrestling itself was also solid enough for the most part. A jealous Bryan during the bout attempted to attack Miz but missed, he also went to celebrate with Kane and Miz afterwards but had his loyalty questioned.    

John Cena defeated CM Punk in a largely solid and fun main event, and match of the night. Both wrestlers gave  good displays here and as usual worked well together. During the contest Punk had enough and attempted to leave, but Ryback was blocking his path so Cena dragged him back to the ring and applied an Attitude Adjustment for the winning pinfall. So at least the champ didn't loose fairly.

After the bell had rung Cena and Ryback once again faced off as they both picked up Punk's WWE Title belt. I'm expecting a fairly decent Triple Threat come Sunday, but hopefully it'll be better than I'm predicting. We'll see.

Overall it was a fair show, with a few enjoyable match ups including a solid eight-man tag and main event. CM Punk's promo on Lawler was the highlight for me, superb work as usual on the mic there. Unfortunately the flawed scandal storyline is still being rammed down our throats, hopefully it'll conclude soon enough.  

My TNA Turning Point 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Taz spoke about how proud he was of TNA's support for everyone suffering at the hands of Hurricane Sandy in New York and then introduced radio host 'Buckethead' (no idea who he is either) and Bully Ray. Buckethead urged all the fans to break a Guinness world record for the most simultaneous texts to donate for the  aforementioned cause. He actually did a good job getting the crowd going.

Samoa Joe (c) defeated Magnus to retain the TNA Television Title in a decent match up. Both men gave worthy efforts here, with Magnus giving one of his best (if not the best) displays to date as he went toe to toe with his opponent. There were just a few little moments here and there that spoilt the contest a bit for me, such as the referee not counting when Magnus grabbed the ropes during a submission, and also not disqualifying the challenger when he clearly threw a chair into Joe's head. There was no need for this. Otherwise it was enjoyable enough, but could've been better.

ODB and Eric Young beat Jesse and Tara in an average tag bout. For the most part it was a comedy match understandably, while the action itself was passable, but nothing special. This should lead on to ODB receiving a Knockouts Championship shot. 

Rob Van Dam (c) bested Joey Ryan to retain the X Division Championship in a fair outing. Ryan looked competent for the most part here, although he did mount up a few minor errors. Van Dam looked all right with his standard TNA performance. To be honest I was expecting Ryan to win here, not cleanly but possibly with aid from Matt Morgan at some point. The X Division strap should help enhance up and coming talent, not guys at RVD's level in my opinion. I expect Ryan will obtain it in the near future.  

Doc beat Joseph Parks in a fun at parts match up. While Parks is obviously meant to be constraint in his ring skills due to his attorney persona, he did a good job here anyway and has become one of the most endearing wrestlers in the company. They also planned the match out well and the sequencing made sense. There was a brief period where Parks also managed to tap into another side of himself (namely Abyss, which the goofy Taz accidentally called Parks during the bout) and Black Hole Smalled his foe. But it wasn't to be as Doc applied a Choke Slam later on for the one-two-three.

Afterwards Doc attempted to take out Parks, but Bully Ray came to his former rival's aid and lifted his arm.

Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) defeated Christopher Daniels and Kazarian to retain the TNA Tag Team Titles in a solid contest. The first third was enjoyable but it was the rest of the match where the pace picked up and we got some great blistering and crisp wrestling. I was expecting a good title clash here but it exceeded my predictions, nice stuff.

James Storm bested AJ Styles and Bobby Roode in a terrific Triple Threat, and match of the night to earn a World Title match in the future. From start to finish all three men gave great efforts and clearly wanted to do everything they could to steal the show in this intense fight. The action came thick and fast and had its fair share of effective near falls too. Unfortunately for Styles as the man who was pinned he will not receive a World Championship opportunity until at least Bound for Glory next year. I still don't feel that this stipulation was necessary. 

Kurt Angle beat Devon in a match that ranged from decent to a bit drab. Unfortunately a few sloppy moments (which is very out of character for an Angle bout) and a bit of a dull start marred an otherwise fine match up. Don't worry if you miss it.

Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Austin Aries in a Ladder match to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. On the whole this heated match up was enjoyable, with impressive stunts and worthy displays from both men. There were a few sloppy moments and clear mistakes, but I could forgive them as it was a fun watch anyway. 

Overall Turning Point was a decent enough PPV, although not up to the standard of TNA's recent efforts. I didn't get the sense that any storylines or feuds made any real progression, or gained more interest. Without any titles changing hands you also couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. But the Triple Threat, Tag Team Title and main event bouts were all worth a watch, and if an event has at least three solid match ups then I deem it a success.