General Discussions > General Media
The Official Wrestling Thread (now with more news and stuff)
Arcademan:
WWE Superstars Results: 6-16-11
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 -- ZACK RYDER vs. PRIMO
Ryder dominated early on as the crowd continued to react for Ryder. "Let's Go Ryder" chant after they came to a standstill. Primo then slapped Ryder around, drawing a series of clotheslines from Ryder. Ryder followed with a high back-body drop before clotheslining Primo over the top rope to the floor. Ryder followed with a plancha before playing to the crowd. Back in the ring, Primo cut off Ryder, but missed with a corner attack and Ryder assaulted the mid-section. Ryder was admonished by the ref in the corner, allowing Primo to ram him into the ringpost. Ryder fell to the floor and they cut to break.
Back from break, Primo was working over Ryder as the crowd continued to chant for Ryder. Very odd seeing Ryder working face and trying to mount a comeback here. Before Ryder made his comeback, they had a double knock-down center ring. Ryder was first to his feet and landed successive offense before he called for the end. Ryder dropped a leg, but Primo kicked out in time. Ryder followed with the Broski Boot in the corner and made a cover, but Primo kicked out again, drawing an exasperated sigh from the crowd. Primo then tried the backstabber, but Ryder held onto the ropes and hit the Rough Ryder. Pin and the win for Ryder, who received another strong reaction from the crowd. After a replay of the finish, they stayed with Ryder's post-match celebration for a bit before the announcers fed to a fake Obama press conference.
WINNER: Ryder at 9:13. Nice TV match. It came across like one-time heavy focus on Ryder, but it makes you wonder if his act could play elsewhere besides Long Island. He's likely back to the same lower-card heel after this, but it would be worth a shot giving him a chance to sink or swim in a higher-profile role. (**)
2 -- DREW MCINTYRE vs. KOZLOV
Josh Mathews noted Kozlov was born in Moscow, Russia, but he recently became an American citizen. Kozlov quickly tried to defend the honor of the U.S., but Mac cut him off and landed a swift kick strike. McIntyre followed with multiple strikes in the corner before wrapping Kozlov's shoulder around the ringpost. Mathews referenced Vince McMahon labeling McIntyre the chosen one oh so many moons ago as Mac continued to work on Kozlov. Kozlov never made a comeback, as Mac eventually hit the Future Shock DDT for the pin and the win.
WINNER: McIntyre at 3:53. Surprisingly decisive victory for McIntyre, who dominated for three-and-a-half minutes. He hasn't made it on Raw in weeks, but this was a good start for a potential reset. (*)
3 -- YOSHI TATSU vs. CHAVO GUERRERO
Korpela noted it's a virtual re-match from NXT two nights ago when Chavo's Rookie, Darren Young, defeated Yoshi (thanks to interference from Chavo). Basic exchange to start as Korpela recapped the origins of the Guerrero Family in pro wrestling. Korpela even slipped in a few "wrestling" references. After Chavo scored some close nearfalls, Yoshi landed successive offense before missing with a top rope move. Chavo then did an Eddie shake and set up for the Three Amigos suplexes, but Yoshi blocked #3. Yoshi then avoided a corner attack and nailed his lightning kick to the head. Chavo tipped over like a tree in the woods and Yoshi scored the pin for the win.
WINNER: Yoshi at 4:13. Solid four-minute match with some good athleticism. (*1/2)
4 -- KANE vs. TYSON KIDD (w/JTG)
Kane quickly threw Kidd to the corner, prompting JTG to shout some instructions to Kidd. Korpela noted Del Rio took apart Kane's arm on Raw, which is something Kidd should exploit. Kidd found himself on the floor, but yanked Kane's injured shoulder across the top rope. Kidd tried to slow things down working on Kane's shoulder, which gave him some room to operate and cut off Kane's comebacks. Kane eventually built some momentum and nailed a top-rope clothesline. Kane then called for the chokeslam and delivered it center-ring. Kane with the pin as JTG could only look on.
Post-match: Kane watched as Kidd rolled out of the ring and the announcers noted JTG's managerial efforts proved futile. Kane had a good laugh watching JTG slowly walk behind Kidd after the loss. Korpela signed off with a final look at Kane in the ring.
WINNER: Kane at 4:21. A mild advancement of Kidd's managerial search storyline, but this was essentially a chance for Kane to pick up a decisive victory and make JTG's character look foolish outside of Tuesday nights on NXT. (*)
Arcademan:
TNA Impact Wrestling Results: 6-16-11
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results and the Angle/Jarrett street fight.
1 -- DEVON vs. HERNANDEZ (w/Rosita, Sarita, Anarquia)
Devon acknowledged his family at ringside as he walked past them. Devon took early advantage with a diving shoulder tackle and then a flying clothesline for a two count. Taz said Devon has lost about 25 pounds and looks to be in great condition. He does look better. The Pope walked out as Devon splashed Hernandez in the corner. Devon's sons shook hands with The Pope. Devon hated seeing that and called out to ask what they were doing. Hernandez schoolboyed Devon from behind for a near fall. Devon fired back with a Thesz Press and a mount with punches. The rest of Mexican America attacked Hernandez to prompt a DQ.
WINNER: Devon via DQ in 2:00.
-Afterward, at the prompting of Devon's sons, The Pope charged into the ring and made the save. The heels fled the ring. Devon then got in Pope's face and implored him to stay away from his kids, clearly thinking he's a bad influence. Pope just stood there and seemed to both accept and resent Devon's attitude toward him. The Pope didn't respect what Devon said. Once Devon returned to the back, Pope went right back to ringside to covert with his family, who still shook hands with him.
2 -- KID KASH vs. JIMMY RAVE vs. AUSTIN ARIES
Tenay talked about Kash wrestling TNA starting back in 2002. They showed clips. Those clips showed how far the TNA Impact Zone has gone in terms of the strategic layout of the stands and the overall lighting and production values. Rave came out doing his phony rock star persona. Tenay said Aries is a bit of a hybrid who was last in TNA from 2006-2008. Taz said he's a fan of his. Aries ticked off Rave and Kash in the opening seconds, so they turned to attack Aries and knock him out of the ring. Aries came back at 1:00 and took over on Rave. Aries really stood out here with flashy moves and then, even more impressively, flashy execution of basic moves. He did a spear dive through the ropes onto both Rave and Kash. Kash flip dove onto Aries and Rave at ringside a minute later. Aries broke up a pin attempt by Rave on Kash, then he gave Rave a brainbuster suplex for the win. Taz said it was like a videogame. What he meant to say is videogame action is based on what guys like this have been doing in the ring before there were videogames. Aries looked like a star out there, not just his moves, but how he carried himself.
WINNER: Aries in 5:00 to advance toward a TNA contract at Destination X.
3 -- SARITA & ROSITA vs. MISS TESSMACHER & VELVET SKY -- Knockout Tag Team Title Match
The ref kicked Hernandez and Anarquia to the back before the match. At 3:00 ODB walked through the crowd and distracted Sky. That helped Rosita get the pin on Tessmacher. Tessmacher was upset with Sky for turning her attention to ODB. She stormed out of the ring as Sky tried to explain herself.
WINNERS: Sarita & Rosita in 3:00.
-Afterward Jackie returned and joined ODB in attacking Sky. The bell rang frantically. Security ran in, but ODB and Jackie beat them up with low blows. I like the energy and variety of personality that ODB and Jackie bring to the Knockouts Division.
4 -- ROB VAN DAM vs. SAMOA JOE -- Bound for Glory Series
Straight up PPV style match, paced for going a longer distance than average for TV. RVD showboated at 7:00 and Joe recovered enough to one-arm slam RVD, then set him on the top rope. RVD punched his way free and hit a Five-Star for the win.
WINNER: RVD in 8:00.
STAR RATING: **1/2 -- Well on its way to being a true buzzworthy match. Eight minutes is a marathon these days for a non-main event TV match, but not really long enough to be more than a teaser of what these two could do if the setting was right and they had 15-25 minutes to really tell a story. The backstory provided for this was just the Bound for Glory Series; otherwise no promos or video packages or anything. Tenay called it a "dream match," although in TNA's world, there's nothing about it that makes it a dream match. In general, I like the idea of the Bound for Glory Series giving meaning to these matches since every win, and the type of win, counts in the standings. I hope TNA does a thorough job keeping fans up to date on all of the participants matches and really lets fans follow along legit tallying of the wins for each of the 12 participants.
5 -- MR. ANDERSON vs. GUNNER
This began 41 minutes into the second hour. Taz said Gunner is Immortal's Blue Chipper. It's still tough to tell whether we're supposed to be more inclined to root for Anderson or Gunner. There's not really a sympathetic, likable figure here, and that's a problem. Anderson doesn't look like a World Champion, so TNA needs to take steps to establish why fans are supposed to take him seriously out there as the top fighter in the company. He's kinda flabby, not that tall, not particularly physically intimidating in any way, and his offense is conventional enough that it doesn't really make up for those cosmetic shortcomings. In the context of TNA, he looks like a regular guy, so they really need to figure out what makes him the Best of the Best in TNA and accentuate that. In other words, give those who want to believe something to believe in. At 3:00 Anderson missed a top rope cannonball. Gunner landed an elbowdrop for a near fall. He scored another two count after a short-arm clothesline. Anderson rallied and scored a near fall and then mounted Gunner and threw a barrage of punches. Anderson then got cocky and asked for the mic to drop from the ceiling. He announced himself as the World Champion and bragged himself up. Gunner recovered during this time and surprised Anderson with his finisher for the win. "He did it again!" shouted Tenay. "The second week in a row he beat the World Heavyweight Champion." The crowd popped.
WINNER: Gunner in 8:00.
-Bischoff walked out applauding slowly and arrogantly. He raised Gunner's hand. Again, how are we supposed to feel about Gunner's success and Anderson's loss? It's like two sports teams I don't like just played a game. It doesn't really resonate much with a viewer without that person to root for. It's just passively interesting in the sense that you wonder how Anderson will react and you wonder if Gunner is really this good. Not really tapping emotions, though.
-Out at the parking lot, it was time for Jarrett vs. Angle. The locker room cleared out and surrounded them and cheered them on. Angle wrestled Jarrett to the pavement and applied a submission from behind early. Jarrett tried to punch himself free from underneath, but Angle drew blood and remained on top, again going for a chokeout when Jarrett gave him his back. Angle let Jarrett up, but then slammed him hard to the pavement. The wrestlers cheered them on like a prison fight was going on. Jarrett came back and shoved Angle head-first into the trunk of a car. Ray shoved Jarrett back toward Angle and told him to stay on him. Jarrett told Angle to go train for the Olympics and get the hell out of his life. Jarrett said he'll never leave TNA because he founded the company. As Jarrett began to walk away, Angle stood and said they're not done yet. Jarrett charged Angle, who lifted him and turned and slammed him onto the pavement. He then pounded away at his face and suplexed him onto the hood of a car. Angle then choked Jarrett from behind with a shirt. Angle told Jarrett to say "adios." Jarrett did. Angle dropped him and walked away. Jarrett, gasping to catch his breath, said, "Adios" again. Ray insisted, "He didn't say nothing. What are you guys talkin' about?" Pope laughed and said, "He said something'" It's really tough to pull off a street fight scene in pro wrestling. They did just about everything right here in terms of the lighting at night, the wrestlers surrounding the action and acting like prisoners cheering on a knife fight, and not doing anything too corny in the actual fight, most of which took place on the ground as most parking lot fights do. Is Jarrett really going to Mexico? That's a decent cliffhanger to end with. Angle carried himself like a star in this segment. Of course, viewers who ordered the PPV thinking they saw the Final Chapter might feel a little taken for a ride since this felt more like the real final chapter, and it was free.
Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 6-17-11
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.
1 – SIN CARA & DANIEL BRYAN & EZEKIEL JACKSON vs. WADE BARRETT & TED DIBIASE & CODY RHODES
Cody’s bag men were a little more casually dressed this week. Big beal out of the corner on DiBiase by Jackson. Cara tagged in, and he may be thrown off by the lack of his special lighting used during this match. Cara sent DiBiase to the outside, where he attempted to re-group. They went to break 1:00 in.
Back at 5:15 of the match, with DiBiase in control of Cara. Rhodes quickly tagged in and did some damage as well. Cara fired back with kicks and completed a springboard take-down. However, Rhodes connected on a springboard of his own, the springboard kick, and that registered a near-fall. Barrett tagged in and suplexed Cara. Frequent tags by the heels. Cara dodged a pump-handle slam, but Barrett came back with it anyway. It was a mistake, as Cara turned it into a spinning DDT at 8:47. Both men needed to make tags. Bryan and DiBiase came in and Bryan did his running kick on DiBiase in the corner, among other things. That was enough to pick up the unexpected win though, as it looked like DiBiase was late in kicking out. Actually, upon replay, it looked like he barely kicked out in time, but referee Rod Zapata’s hand hit the mat anyway, so he called for the bell.
WINNERS: Bryan, Cara and Jackson, at 9:34. The other way you could tell it wasn’t the original finish: they didn’t do their trademark tag team finish were everyone gets involved at the end.
2 – VLADIMIR KOZLOV vs. JINDER MAHAL
Kozlov was already in the ring for this one. Khali was out with Mahal, as usual. Headlock take-over by Mahal. Mahal escaped a powerslam and took over on offense. Vertical suplex in the middle of the ring, followed by a jumping knee-drop. Side Russian leg-sweep by Mahal, then a neck vice. Kozlov quickly escaped and came back with kicks and a headbutt. Mahal rammed Kozlov’s shoulder into the ring post, then worked him over in the corner. As the ref admonished him, Khali connected with a chop to Kozlov’s head. Mahal lined up for his finisher, then hit the full-nelson slam for three.
WINNER: Mahal, at 2:49. Mahal is slowly working his way up the food chain.
3 – ALICIA FOX & ROSA MENDES & TAMINA vs. NATALYA & AJ & KAITLYN
Fox went right after Kaitlyn with kicks, but Kaitlyn fired back with forearms and a clothesline. Tag to Tamina, who tossed Kaitlyn off on a lock-up. Natalya tagged in and dropkicked Tamina in a move that barely staggered the heel. It wasn’t a good dropkick, anyway. Rosa distracted Natalya, allowing Tamina to take over. Nattie blocked a legdrop and applied a sharpshooter. Rosa broke it up and Kaitlyn took her out. AJ tagged in and punched Tamina, but AJ fell backward off of it. She tried a crucifix roll-up, but Tamina dropped her with a Samoan drop for the win.
WINNERS: Tamina, Mendes and Fox, at 1:47. I thought giving AJ the win last week would set up some momentum for the babyfaces, and they’d roll off a few more wins to continue to get over, but I guess not.
4 – THE USOS vs. JUSTIN GABRIEL & HEATH SLATER
The Usos got half an entrance or so. They could really use a change in music if they’re truly babyfaces now. No more Corre music for Gabriel and Slater. They showed Barrett walking out on Corre last week to cause the break-up. Splash by Jimmy on Slater in the corner, and he did some dancing in between moves too. Slater crotched Jimmy on the middle rope and Gabriel tagged in, stomping him in the chest. Cole used the term “wrestling” while Slater and Gabriel double-teamed Jimmy. He tried to tag in, but Slater pulled Jimmy down by the hair. All of this writing “Jimmy” reminds me of “The Jimmy” episode of “Seinfeld.” Anyway, Slater came off the top and was slammed by Jimmy. Both men made tags at 2:30 of the match. Spinning forearm by Jey, who was really fired up. Running butt splash in the corner, shades of their father Rikishi. They set up for a double-team toss into a Samoan drop. Impressive. Pin was broken up by Slater. DDT by Jey on Gabriel. Jey splashed Gabriel off the top while Jimmy superkicked Slater. That got them the pinfall.
WINNERS: Usos, at 3:49. I have no idea what this means. You’d think they’d want to get Slater and Gabriel a win after breaking away from Corre, and instead, they lose to a team that have been virtual jobbers (or nonexistent) for the past several months. If they decide to get behind the Usos, fine with me, but I would’ve continued to build them up a little more before feeding Gabriel and Slater to them.
5 – CHRISTAN vs. SHEAMUS – IF SHEAMUS WINS, HE JOINS THE WORLD TITLE MATCH AT CAPITOL PUNISHMENT
After the participants were introduced, Randy Orton came out for his ringside seat. Short-arm clothesline led to the first pin attempt of the match, by Sheamus. Knee-lift got a two-count only 28 seconds in. Christian fled to ringside to avoid Sheamus, but he turned around and looked right into Orton’s eyes. Sheamus kicked him through the ropes and Christian went down. They went to break :55 in.
Back at 3:47 of the match, and Sheamus was still going strong. Christian tried a comeback, but fell victim to the Irish Curse back-breaker for a near-fall. The story of the match was Christian trying to survive. Christian tried to use the ropes for leverage on a pin attempt, but the referee saw it. Sheamus recovered while Christian argued with the ref. Tornado DDT by Christian for a near-fall. Christian set up for a Spear, but was taken down with an Irish hammer for two. Counter after counter between these two. Flip kick in the corner finally caught Sheamus. He went high-risk, but Sheamus met him on the top rope. Sheamus took his time staring at Orton, so Christian dropped out of the ring and dropped Sheamus face-first onto the ring post. Nice spot. Christian then picked up the pinfall win upon coming back into the ring.
WINNER: Christian, at 9:03.
After the match, Orton charged into the ring to give Christian a receipt for hitting him with the belt, but Christian fled quickly. Crowd chanted “RKO,” but Orton instead decided to punt Sheamus in the head. Interesting decision, as it presumably takes Sheamus off TV for a few weeks. They replayed the punt and things ended with Orton holding the title above his head and Christian looking on from the stage.
Arcademan:
WWE Capitol Punishment PPV Results: 6-19-11 (next three posts)
Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's ongoing report).
1 -- U.S. champion KOFI KINGSTON vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Vickie Guerrero) -- U.S. Title match
The bell sounded and Booker resumed his recent anti-Kofi commentary, questioning his heart and determination. Cole noted Steve Austin, Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Bret Hart, and even Booker have previously held the U.S. Title. Kofi teased an early Trouble in Paradise, but Ziggler ducked and went on the attack. Cole said this is a big match because it means big dollars being champion. Cole slipped in a subtle "money in the bank" reference ahead of next month's PPV. Booker re-visited WWE's inconsistent approach to the kayfabe concept of titles = money, stressing the importance of the match for both men.
Ziggler maintained control of the match as the crowd tried rallying behind Kofi. WWE offered some different camera angles during this portion of the match. Kofi finally mounted some offense at 6:00, but Ziggler escaped the SOS, only to take an elbow to the face. Kofi then hit a double axehandle from the second rope for a nearfall. Kofi then warmed up the Boom Drop and connected. Kofi followed with a TIP tease, but Ziggler easily ducked. Kingston then ducked a follow-up clothesline and hit the SOS, but Ziggler surprised the crowd with a kick-out. Booker was even more surprised: "What the hell?!"
Champ and challenger reset the match, then exchanged some nice counters to take the energy level to the next level for the first time in the match. Kingston went up top trying to finish off Ziggler, but Ziggler crotched him. The two men battled up top before Kofi pancaked Ziggler and nailed a high cross-body from the top turnbuckle for another close nearfall. The announcers stressed Ziggler escaping everything Kofi could throw at him.
Kingston slowly tried to set up the SOS again, but Ziggler countered with a sleeper. Kingston escaped by ramming Ziggler into the ringpost, then missed with TIP. Vickie became involved moments later by raking Kingston's eyes from the outside behind the ref's back. Ziggler followed up with the sleeper and the crowd came to life buying into Kofi in jeopardy. Kingston then scraped the bottom rope, but the ref didn't call for a break, and Ziggler re-applied the sleeper. The bell then sounded out of nowhere since the referee wasn't visible on-camera, but there was no official ruling. Booker thought it was a DQ. Ref Armstrong then received the U.S. Title belt and handed it to Ziggler. New champ. And no one is quite sure why. Cole tried to recover, saying Kingston passed out in the sleeperhold, despite some controversy.
WINNER: Ziggler at 11:06 to capture the U.S. Title. Fair opening match. Not great, not bad. Out of nowhere, WWE refereeing has gone off the deep-end with weird finishes the past seven days. The final few minutes (prior to the odd finish) bumped this above a two-star effort. (**1/2)
2 -- THE MIZ vs. ALEX RILEY
Once the bell sounded, Miz bailed from the ring, but Riley chased him back into the ring to deliver right hand blows. The ref separated the two men, allowing Miz to boot Riley in the face to take control. Miz slowed things down to land repeated left-hand strikes as Cole continued to promote Miz. Booker said the ref might need to stop this match right now. Lawler told Booker he's selling him short. "He's dead, Jerry, he's dead," Booker declared as Riley opened his eyes. Booker implored Riley just to stay down. Miz taunted Riley, who tried some desperation strikes. The clear objective for the announcers was to talk up Miz as a big, bad fighter in an attempt to counter the view of Miz being soft, while setting up a strong comeback for Riley.
Riley eventually avoided a corner attack to buy some time and Cole said this might be Riley's only chance in the match. Riley then tackled Miz and landed big right hand strikes before ramming Miz head-first into the corner post. Riley followed with a spinebuster for a nearfall after Cole implored Miz to kick out. Miz tried to trick Riley after begging off, but Riley landed a boot to the head for a nearfall. The match moved to the floor and Cole stood up to cut a promo on Cole. The big heat was on Riley teasing a beating to Cole, who was dragged over the announce table. Miz recovered, though, and flung Riley into the ring.
Miz retrieved the briefcase, but the ref yanked it away. Riley then hit an elevated DDT and scored the pin for the win. Big reaction for the finish after the spot with Cole ringside. Booker sold surprise with Riley picking up the win as Cole pounded his fist into the ground to sell disgust with the outcome. After a replay of the finish, they showed Miz with that faraway look in his eyes selling disbelief that he lost to Riley.
WINNER: Riley at 10:12. Basic, easy-to-follow story of Miz being the schoolyard bully to his former best friend, Riley seemingly biting off more than he could chew, and then Riley making the comeback. The in-ring action was basic-level and they needed Cole to get a reaction, but it was fine for the second match on the card. (**)
3 -- BIG SHOW vs. ALBERTO DEL RIO
Show thwarted Del Rio's early attack, seemingly no-selling the knee work until Del Rio chopblocked him to begin targeting the left knee. Show suddenly came back with a chokeslam, but Show couldn't do anything since his "knee gave out." Del Rio rolled out of the ring to catch a breather in the process. Del Rio then went up top, but Show blocked with a chokeslam grip. Del Rio kicked him away, though, and went for the cross arm-breaker, but Show lifted Del Rio into the air for a reverse single-arm DDT. Show was the first man up and slowly stalked Del Rio, who dropkicked him in the knee. Del Rio followed with a "cross leg-breaker," trying to twist Show's leg/knee with a kneebar. Show cried out in pain, then reached the bottom rope after putting up a fight.
Del Rio reset in an opposite corner and stalked Show, who very slowly made his way to his feet. The ref asked Show if he could continue as Del Rio smirked on the other side of the ring. Show managed to pull himself up on a second try, but then fell on his stomach after lunging at Del Rio. The crowd didn't know how to receive this since it was something WWE never does. The ref then decided to call the match, giving Del Rio the win. Post-match: Show was helped away by medics as Del Rio celebrated in the ring.
WINNER: Del Rio with Show unable to continue at 4:57. Del Rio gained a little bit here, but not that much since he couldn't take advantage of Henry's pre-match attack to put away Show in a minute or two. As for the finish, it seems like WWE's new "promotional flavor of the week" is a more sports-like feel to matches with referees having more "discretion" and "making mistakes." It goes against decades of controlled booking and recently emphasizing the "entertainment aspect," which means the crowd has no idea how to receive it. (*)
4 -- Intercontinental champion WADE BARRETT vs. EZEKIEL JACKSON -- IC Title match
The bell sounded and another "U-S-A" chant started up. Still not strong, but better than during the pre-match promo. Cole said, with all due respect to the fans in D.C., Jackson is from South America. Booker said, I believe, that Jackson "looks American." Cole had a good laugh before the announcers resumed talking over themselves calling the match. An audible "We Want Ryder" chant started three minutes in as Barrett worked over Jackson. Barrett drew ref Charles Robinson's ire by not breaking in the corner with repeated strikes, then Jackson found an opening to build some momentum.
Suddenly, Barrett hit Wasteland and Cole sold the match being over, but Jackson kicked out. "U-S-A" chant attempt #3 followed. Then, Jackson started his bodyslam routine as Booker hyped Jackson's physique. Jackson then slapped on the Torture Rack and the ref called for the bell. There wasn't a connection between the ending & the result of Jackson winning the title, leading to a "huh, what happened?" reaction in the crowd before Jackson was awarded the IC Title.
WINNER: Jackson via submission at 6:41 to capture the IC Title. Basic, TV-quality match with Jackson picking up the expected title win. Barrett, as damaged goods, can presumably move on and try to re-establish himself somewhere on Smackdown. (*1/4)
Arcademan:
5 -- C.M. PUNK vs. REY MYSTERIO
The bell sounded and Cole referenced Punk beating WWE champion John Cena on Raw, albeit with help from R-Truth. Cole and Lawler debated tattoos, prompting Lawler to ask about the "soft drink reference" on Punk's body. Cole quickly cut off that talk before Pepsi was given a plug. Basic feeling-out process to begin the match, then Rey teased an early 619 attempt, but Punk blocked, only to find himself on the floor. Rey tried a running sentaun, but Punk caught Rey in mid-air to toss him into the guardrail.
Back in the ring, Punk began wearing down Rey with matholds, including a body scissors as the announcers bickered. Punk cut off a comeback attempt and applied an abdominal stretch. It wasn't enough to put away Rey, who made a comeback with a flying headbutt from the top turnbuckle for a two count. Rey then climbed up top again looking for a moonsault, but Punk crotched Rey and climbed up top to deliver a back suplex for a two count. Of note, Punk was selling a right elbow injury at this point.
Punk missed with a corner attack and Rey followed with the 619, but Punk fell to the floor. As a result, Rey had to get Punk back in the ring to set up for his finisher, which gave Punk an opening to get his knees up to smash Rey in the mid-section. Punk tried a cover, but Rey kicked out. Punk began selling a knee injury before limping to his feet. Punk began waving it's over and called for the G2S, but Rey turned it into a snap huracanrana for a close two count. Punk suddenly landed a kick strike to the head for a two count that concluded the sequence.
The two men reset the action before Punk set up for the G2S again, but Rey arm-dragged Punk to the middle rope. Punk blocked the 619, though, and positioned Rey center-ring to deliver the G2S. Punk made the cover for the win. Booker, never one to shy away from hyperbole, declared it one of the best matches he's ever seen. Instead of talking about the agony of the defeat for babyface Rey, babyface Booker then talked up Punk's performance in the ring. It's part of the Announcing Epidemic where wins & losses aren't stressed, rather the "evaluation of a match" is focused on.
WINNER: Punk at 14:58. Teflon Rey takes another loss, which gives Punk two big wins in the past seven days against the #1 and #2 babyfaces on the Raw roster. The match wasn't one of their better efforts, but they did enough to have a stand-out match on a weak show thus far. (***)
6 -- World Hvt. champion RANDY ORTON vs. CHRISTIAN -- World Hvt. Title match
Orton and Christian slowly walked toward each other and Christian slapped Orton, who responded by decking him. Christian gained control moments later as Booker offered worked talking point that it appeared Orton's footwork was off due to the concussion. Christian then missed with a plancha on the floor and Orton followed with right hand strikes. Booker said it appears Orton's balance is "still just a little bit off." Christian then countered a move near the ring steps and rammed Orton head-first into the steps, targeting the "concussion area."
Back in the ring, Christian wore down Orton as a mild "R-K-O" chant started up in the crowd. Christian then got the vocal males on his side as Orton "sold the effects" of the concussion with a faraway look in his eyes. Christian then walked into a high back-drop out of nowhere to give Orton an opening. Orton followed with right arm strikes to the upper chest over and over and over again. The crowd didn't even react to that, which would normally draw an escalating reaction. (Is the crowd just waiting for the Nationals, members of Congress, the National Guard, the Capitals, and the real Obama, as advertised?)
Orton followed with a snap powerslam and belly-to-belly suplex, but Christian kicked out. Booker and Orton then exchanged bombs from their knees before Orton lifted up Christian for an innovative slam straight into the mat from his shoulders. It was only good for a two count, then Orton teased the RKO and Christian bailed to the floor. Back in the ring, Christian found himself trapped in the horizontal DDT from the second rope. Orton got that look in his eyes, then dropped down to the mat teasing the RKO, but Christian slipped right into a reverse DDT for a two count. That drew a reaction.
Christian and Orton reset with Christian in the corner teasing the Spear. Orton did the splits to duck Christian, then flowed right into an RKO attempt, but Christian actually escaped and nailed the spear. Christian made the cover, but Orton kicked out. Lawler said Orton might have a concussion, but Christian might have a mental break down. Lawler then referenced Edge, noting he's watching this right now.
Christian and Orton reset again, then Orton nailed the RKO. Christian was near the ropes, though, and Orton made a cover with Christian's foot underneath the bottom rope "breaking the plane" of the ropes. The ref counted three for the win. The announcers didn't mention the obvious rope-break as Orton began posing in the ring. Christian then grabbed the referee and pointed out to him that his foot was underneath the ropes. Lawler sold that he wasn't aware of Christian's complaint. Booker told him not to do this.
Suddenly, Orton snuck up behind Christian, who turned around and took a belt shot to the head. They went to a replay of the finish and showed a few different angles of Christian having his foot under the rope. Booker called it a judgment call. Cole started screaming that Christian's foot was under the ropes. Booker said it doesn't matter. What an argument. They went to another replay and Booker blamed the camera angle. This was followed by a replay of Orton popping Christian with the belt.
WINNER: Orton at 14:03 to retain the World Hvt. Title. A notch or two below last month's four-star effort, but this was the best match of the show thus far. It will be interesting to see if WWE keeps Christian in the World Title chase based on the rope-break or if they shift elsewhere. (***1/4)
7 -- EVAN BOURNE vs. JACK SWAGGER
After the bell sounded, Lawler tried to engage Cole in some Father's Day-related banter that turned into Cole plugging the list of countries watching the PPV internationally. In the ring, Bourne landed an elevated dropkick before taking a gutbuster. Suddenly, they cut to the heel Bellas sitting ringside cheering on babyface Evan. Huh? Swagger continued to slow down the pace as the announcers tried some airplane jokes about Bourne being grounded. It was so quiet in the crowd that the ref could be heard without being mic'ed. Booker went back to his tried-and-true thought of the night that the ref was considering stopping the match, but Bourne came back with a head scissors.
Bourne got his knees up to block a Vader Bomb and followed with a variety of kick strikes. Bourne then ran into a big boot to the face for a nearfall. Bourne came back with a big DDT, drawing more hyperbole from Booker that it might have been the biggest DDT he's ever seen. Bourne followed with a kick strike before climbing up top. Bourne wanted Air Bourne, but Swagger avoided and slapped on the anklelock. Bourne countered into a victory roll, though, and it was good for the win.
WINNER: Bourne at 7:17. Tough crowd tonight and this match never had a chance. Bourne got a decent win in the semi-main event slot, but Swagger has so little credibility that it doesn't mean anything at the end of the day. (*1/2)
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version