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Arcademan:
WWE Smackdown Results: 8-19-11

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Parks' complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 – CODY RHODES vs. EZEKIEL JACKSON – INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Jackson took the power to Rhodes early on and even landed a sidewalk slam in which he twirled around a few times while holding Cody in the move. I guess that’s his way of showing personality. Rhdoes missed an enziguiri and Jackson got two on the pin. Rhodes ducked down and hit an uppercut, but then fell victim to a back body-drop. Rhodes went back on offense with body shots, but allowed Jackson to get back to his feet in the corner. Forearm shot to the jaw for a near-fall. Jackson clubbed Rhodes in the neck and back in the corner. Rhodes avoided a slam and fled to ringside. Jackson tossed Rhodes over the ring steps and Rhodes took a spill to the floor. I feel like that would be the lesser of two evils, the other option being thrown INTO the stairs rather than over them. Rhodes kicked the stairs into Jackson’s leg, which hobbled the big man. Back in the ring, Rhodes landed his springboard kick, then Cross-Rhodes for the win.

WINNER: Rhodes, at 3:32. Looks like ol’ Zeke could be going the way of Vladimir Kozlov after Vlad’s initial big push.

2 – JUSTIN GABRIEL vs. TYSON KIDD

Kidd took Gabriel down with a rear waist-lock, then a shoulder tackle. Kidd took Gabriel head-first into the middle buckle, using his feet to do so. Cover by Kidd for only one. Kidd stretched Gabriel’s arms, putting the knee right into the back of his opponent’s neck. Back-and-forth action, then a spinning back-kick by Gabriel that barely caught Kidd. Booker even brought up that Kidd may be missing something, and mentioned a manager as one of those possibilities. Did he really watch Superstars or pay attention to those matches on his brand? Take-down by Gabriel and both men were down at 3:43. Gabriel went to the top but Kidd met him. Gabriel slammed him down, then connected on a 450 splash with Kidd further out from the corner than usual. Still, no problem for Gabriel.

WINNER: Gabriel, at 4:19. Really nice, short match. It wasn’t a squash, as both men had moments where they looked impressive.

3 – ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. DANIEL BRYAN

This match was in the exact same segment last week. “Daniel Bryan” chants as soon as the bell rang to start the match. Bryan worked over Del Rio with kicks in the corner. Del Rio returned fire by taking Bryan down and laying the boots to him. Del Rio worked the arm and again the crowd chanted for Bryan. Headbutt took Bryan down. Headlock take-over by Del Rio. Back on his feet, knee-lift by Bryan, then a hard kick to Del Rio’s back and upper torso. Del Rio pulled Bryan off the top and brought Bryan’s arm across his knees. Sunset flip attempt by Bryan at 4:13, but Del Rio instead dropped the elbow across Bryan’s arm. Cole is predictably insufferable here, particularly arguing with Mathews over Kevin Nash’s involvement at Summerslam and hyperventilating over Bryan’s YouTube channel. Irish whip into the buckle by Del Rio felled Bryan. Arm-bar as Del Rio went back to working the arm once again. Cole called Mathews “babyface Josh” for rooting for the Cowboys in the movie “Cowboys & Aliens.” This is just so ridiculous.

Another headbutt by Del Rio, but he ran into a back elbow by Bryan in the corner. Hard kicks on ADR in the corner. Bryan built some momentum at 7:30, but struggled to capitalize after a clothesline. Bryan back-dropped Del Rio to ringside then dove off the apron with a flying knee to the face of the WWE Champion. Bryan came off the top and landed on his feet back in the ring, and Del Rio gave him a sweet German suplex with a bridge for two. Del Rio appeared to be bleeding from the lip or mouth. He set Bryan on the top rope, but a suplex couldn’t connect as he rolled over for a body-press. Both men were down at 9:45 when they went to break.

Back at 13:15 with Bryan delivering more kicks. The men did the “boo, yay” thing in the middle of the ring, before Bryan got the advantage. Running dropkick in the corner. Rodriguez was freaking out at ringside as Bryan went to the top. Missile dropkick found the mark for a near-fall. Bryan went into his body kicks for about the fourth time in the match, but nothing came of it. Bryan locked in the front guillotine, but Del Rio rammed him into the corner to break it. Suplex into a cover, but instead of sticking with it, he locked in the cross arm-breaker for the submission win.

WINNER: Del Rio, at 15:23. Now that’s more like it. If they wanted to show Bryan as being a big-time competitor, as they did here lasting 15 minutes with the WWE Champion, not sure why they jobbed him out to the same guy in under four minutes last week.

4 – KELLY KELLY & AJ vs. NATALYA & ALICIA FOX

AJ tried an arm-drag, but Nattie stopped her. She also didn’t move on a roll-up attempt. Off the second rope, Nattie caught AJ on a cross-body attempt. AJ did a float-over into a headscissors take-over, a nice move. Natalya didn’t seem fazed, as she continued to power AJ down and no-sell most of her stuff. She dragged AJ by the hair over to the corner and tagged Fox. Fox did little of note in the ring, but did take AJ down with a hair pull. She dragged AJ by the legs into the corner, where Nattie tagged in. Double suplex and a Natalya cover for two. Cole called AJ’s argyle ring gear “from the Kerwin Silfies collection” (Silfies is a director of WWE programming). Fox choked AJ in the corner with her foot, but AJ fought out and made the tag at 3:27. Kelly with a Thesz Press on Fox, then she spanked her. Headscissors take-down by Kelly. She rubbed her butt in Fox’s face in the corner. Hurricanrana and a pin broken up by Natalya, almost too late. Fox missed a scissors kick after Nattie took out AJ. K2 legdrop for the win.

WINNERS: AJ and Kelly, at 4:31. A marathon match by Divas standards, and most of it was AJ selling, which wasn’t terribly exciting.

Post-match, Natalya got in Fox’s face, showing displeasure over the loss. She called Fox a moron and Fox told Nattie to get out of her face. Natalya backed down. As Fox went to the apron, Natalya knocked her to ringside with a forearm shot. Nattie then applied the Sharpshooter on the arena floor.

5 – 20-MAN BATTLE ROYAL TO DETERMINE #1 CONTENDER FOR THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Khali backed Mahal in the corner as soon as the bell rang, to protected him. Everyone went after Mark Henry and he shrugged them off. He dropped Trent Barreta hard and sent him out at :20. Yoshi Tatsu gone at :28 of the Battle Royal, again courtesy of Henry. Hey, there’s William Regal! Khali stayed in front of Mahal in the corner. Barrett eliminated Johnny Curtis at 1:04. He came close to eliminating Rhodes a few seconds later. Heath Slater squirmed back into the ring from the apron, but Kidd tried to kick him back out. Hard chop to the chest of Regal by Khali. Sheamus had DiBiase teetering on the ropes. Ryder was hip-tossed out by Cara at 2:12, and there were a few boos for that. Rhodes skinned the cat back in, but Jackson clotheslined him out at 2:38. Early exit for Cody. Jackson then squared off with Khali. Hard body shots and punches, then a running clothesline. Khali with a brain chop, then he threw Jackson out with ease at 3:13. Henry and Khali sized each other up. I think there was a “Sin Cara” chant though it sounded like “619.” Henry was sent to the mat with a brain chop. Henry then picked up Khali and dumped him at 4:01. Mahal was incredulous. Sheamus took Henry down with a forearm and Henry rolled under the bottom rope. Sheamus kicked Slater out at 4:48 and Henry feasted on the remains. Orton got a glimpse of Henry up close and they went to break at 5:13.

Back at 9:04 with Sheamus and Mahal in peril courtesy of Gabriel and Cara. They were both able to survive. Henry was still at ringside. Looks like the herd has thinned out a bit, with Regal having been eliminated during the break. Gabriel went out in a high-risk move by Cara at 10:52. Henry picked up Gabriel and threw him over the barricade and into the fans. The Usos were tossed by Sheamus at 11:18. Henry assaulted them as well. One was thrown into the announce table and looked like he kicked Mathews as he hit. Henry ree-ntered the match and Mahal and DiBiase went after him. He tossed Mahal at 12:11 and DiBiase at 12:17. Kidd was out at 12:33 via Cara. We’re down to Barrett, Sheamus, Cara, and Henry. Crowd liked Cara. All four men looked at each other as we finally heard from Mathews again. The three men went for Henry, cornering him and laying in the boots. Sheamus wore Henry down with knees to the face. Barrett then clotheslined Sheamus. He tried to eliminate Sheamus, but he landed on the apron. He pulled Barrett over and the two men pounded away on each other on the apron. Sheamus booted Barrett down at 14:23. Cara dove at Sheamus and Cara went through the ropes. Back in the ring, he kicked Sehamus in the back of the head. Sheamus kicked Cara, who fell on his butt on the apron. Cara still would not go over. Sheamus set up for the Brogue Kick, but Henry picked Sheamus up and sent him out at 15:21. Cara came off the top with a cross-body, but Henry pushed Cara off and to ringside. Cara came back in and kicked the legs of Henry. Springboard cross-body, but Henry caught him and gave him the World’s Strongest Slam. Henry lifted Cara over his head and deposited him to ringside.

WINNER: Henry, at 16:36.

They replayed the last few big moves of the match. Henry went face-to-face with Orton at ringside as Henry’s music played. He took a sniff of Orton and said he smelled fear. Great way to end things.

Arcademan:
WWE RAW Results: 8-22-11

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- WWE champion ALBERTO DEL RIO vs. JOHN MORRISON -- non-title match
The bell sounded and the two men circled each other around the ring. Lawler with the early hyperbole trying to sell Cena-Punk later in the show by calling their match at Summerslam one of the greatest matches people have seen. Cole hyped Del Rio's week starting at Summerslam last Sunday as Del Rio worked over Morrison's arm and shoulder. Morrison came back with a quick pin attempt, but Del Rio kicked out. Morrison then slipped Del Rio to the outside and followed with a springboard moonsault attempt, but Del Rio avoided and shoved Morrison into the guardrail. Del Rio was in control as they cut to break.

Back from break, Del Rio was working on Morrison in the ring. Del Rio tried to charge Morrison in the corner, but Morrison flipped him over the top rope to the outside. Ricardo tried to help out Del Rio, who made his way back into the ring to accept a series of clotheslines and a dropkick. Ross called Morrison's comeback as Morrison set up for Starship Pain, but Del Rio ran away. Del Rio then ducked a clothesline and executed a German Suplex with a bridge for a nearfall. They went to a replay of Del Rio falling on the outside and showed his head bouncing hard off the floor. That didn't look pretty.

Morrison scored a close nearfall with the referee pausing to let Del Rio kick out since Del Rio seemed a bit loopy. This match needs to be stopped if Del Rio is legitimately showing signs of a concussion. Morrison then snapped off a huracanrana for another close two count. Del Rio was taking deep breaths as he landed right hand strikes to comeback on Morrison, who nailed the Flying Chuck. Morrison then went to the corner for Starship Pain, but Del Rio moved and rammed Morrison into the ringpost. Del Rio caught his breath, then went right into the cross arm-breaker center ring. Morrison had nowhere to go and he tapped out after a few moments.
WINNER: Del Rio via submission at 12:27. A bit of a start-stop match, but some good nearfalls for Morrison to keep him at the same level taking the loss. (I would argue they need to be doing more to elevate Morrison in light of Rey's absence.) For Del Rio, this is what was missing from The Miz's title run: some credible victories over credible opponents to build him up as a credible champion. (**)

2 -- EVE (w/Divas champion Kelly Kelly) vs. BELLA #1 (w/Bella #2)
Basic start with Nikki taking control and Eve making a comeback. Eve went for her moonsault finisher, but Nikki crotched her. Eve then hit a spike DDT for the pin and the win. Post-match: Beth and Natalya came out on-stage to give the polite golf clap applause to the babyfaces. Kelly held up her Divas Title belt for them to get another look at.
WINNER: Eve at 2:35. Just a match to fill time and set up the post-match, as a win over the Bella Twins is meaningless since they haven't won a TV match in three months.

3 -- JACK SWAGGER (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. ALEX RILEY
A match-up of two "rising stars" like this should mean a lot more than a filler match in the dead fourth quarter-hour. Instead of this route, they could have taken a few weeks of build-up with Swagger picking up a decisive win, then Riley picking up a decisive win, and then having the match. Some basic action between Swagger and Riley brought a random man in a suit down the ramp 70 seconds in. Thee man in the suit was Dolph Ziggler, who wanted to talk to Vickie about her business with Swagger. In the background, Swagger was fumbling with Riley on the gutwrench suplex again. Vickie ended up being knocked down on the floor, which brought over Swagger to argue with Ziggler. Swagger then returned to the ring and was rolled up by Riley, who scored a quick three count. The focus then shifted to Ziggler and Vickie arguing up the entrance ramp.
WINNER: Riley at 2:02. More bizarre booking of the Raw mid-card. Riley's stock continues to slide, despite the win, since his victory and involvement was fourth or fifth-most important based on the presentation.

4 -- WWE tag champions MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY & DAVID OTUNGA vs. KOFI KINGSTON & EVAN BOURNE -- Tag Title match
Kofi started off in control of the action before the heels cut off Kofi on the floor. The announcers continued to focus on "textgate," which no one is calling, as the heels worked over Kofi. Cole said his problem is Hunter needs to get a grip on what's going on around here and he needs to get control over the Nash-Punk issue. Lawler finally got around to pointing out to Cole that the tag champs haven't defended the Tag Titles in a while. Cole said it's not their fault. Ross said they need to be more proactive defending the titles.

Bourne hot-tagged into the match at 4:15 and the action broke down. Kofi took Mike over the top rope to the floor, then smashed Otunga with Trouble in Paradise from the ring apron. Bourne followed right up with Air Bourne and made the cover. Bourne with the pin and it was good for the win. Kofi and Bourne get a prize. Lawler said everyone in the crowd is on their feet and "these kids" will set the tag division on fire. Ross wondered aloud if this will lead to a resurgence for the tag division. They stayed in the moment to make it seem like a re-start for the tag division.
WINNERS: Kingston & Bourne at 5:05 to capture the Tag Titles. The "restart" comes with the caveat that it seems like WWE had no ideas for Kofi and Bourne, so they were given the Tag Titles to have something to do. (*)

5 -- JOHN CENA vs. C.M. PUNK -- #1 contender match to WWE Title
The announcers played up Punk beating Cena in the past two title matches, but Lawler said he's not buying Punk since the first victory came via McMahon's interference and the second victory came via Hunter's officiating error. The crowd was hot early with a "Let's Go Oilers!" chant. (Where are Bum Phillips, Warren Moon, and Ray Childress when you need them?) Cena and Punk grabbed a headlock to take control of the match before Punk teased the Five Knuckle Shuffle, Cena teased his own FKS, and the action spilled to the outside. Both men were selling the effects as they cut to break.

Back from break, Cena had Punk in a headlock center-ring. They cut to a ringside shot to show Laurinaitis nearly asleep watching the match in the ring. Back in the ring, Cena and Punk teased their finishers. Punk then landed a springboard clothesline for a two count as cameras picked up a sign in the background reading: "I Texted Nash." Punk teased the G2S again, but Cena rolled through. More counters for each man. Crossface for Cena, but Punk reached the bottom rope for a break. Cole said he's glad this official is sharper than Hunter was. Punk then came back with the G2S out of nowhere, but Cena kicked out in time. Del Rio was shown leaning forward in his chair selling the close nearfall.

Punk re-positioned Cena in the corner, then slowly climbed up top, selling the effects of the match. Punk wanted a Macho Man elbow drop (which drew a big reaction), but Cena moved out of the way after Punk took too much time. Cena then rolled to the ring apron, gathered himself, and climbed up top for a guillotine leg drop that he connected with. Cena made the cover, but Punk kicked out. The crowd created the sound as the two men reset. Punk landed multiple elbow strikes to the neck, then a running knee that only led to a two count.

At the top of the hour, Cena suddenly nailed the Attitude Adjustment, but Punk kicked out. Cole reset the match as Cena collected himself in his corner and Punk sold the effects. Punk then landed headbutts and wanted a cross-body splash, but Cena rolled through and tried an AA, but Punk countered with a sunset flip for a two count. Punk then nailed a big kick strike that put both men on the mat. Punk made the time-to-sleep hand signal, but Nash's voice was suddenly heard. Nash walked out on-stage with mic in-hand telling Punk this isn't over yet. Lawler asked Laurinaitis for an explanation.

Nash slowly made his way to ringside, then Punk ran toward Cena, who hoisted Punk in the air for the AA. Nash left, then Cena made the cover and it was good for the win. Post-match: Del Rio immediately stormed the ring to attack Cena and lay him out on the mat. Laurinaitis then slipped into the ring to pull Del Rio off Cena. The heat wasn't there since the vocal males were disappointed with the finish (i.e. they were upset with WWE's booking, not upset with Nash for interfering against Punk). Del Rio eventually broke free to attack Cena. Del Rio dragged Cena to the outside and ran him into the guardrail as Laurinaitis tried to calm him down. They went off the air four minutes past the hour with Del Rio seething and Cena selling. Strong emphasis on Del Rio to close the show.
WINNER: Cena at 14:29 to become #1 contender to the WWE Title. Strong five minutes of action after the break, but the kick-outs of finishing moves continues to be a concern. As for trying to figure this Nash thing out, it's apparent Laurinaitis is working against Hunter (lying about Nash's car crash to get Hunter away from Raw), likely on-behalf of Vince and/or Stephanie. Meanwhile, WWE is continuing to plant seeds for a Punk-Nash match, which is probably why Laurinaitis talked to Nash "off-camera" last week to get him signed to a contract (which Hunter presumably doesn't know about) so he could legally face Punk with the goal to take out Punk, who is the anti-establishment figure, on behalf of Vince and/or Stephanie. If it's not that, this is one giant mess. At the end of the day, WWE is making their casual audience think too hard about this with so many different players in the mix. (**1/2)

Arcademan:
WWE NXT Results: 8-23-11

Does anyone even watch the trainwreck that is NXT?!! PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report) has all the painful details.

This week's WWE NXT episode opened with another exchange between Matt Striker and Darren Young. Young beat down Striker, trying to prove his point against the old guard. William Regal made the save from the commentary position, coming to the aid of Striker.

1 -- TYSON KIDD vs. TRENT BARRETA

The crowd was hot for Kidd early on as the two men circled the ring. Referring to the writing on Kidd's bag in the previous segment, Regal threw out a Yoshi Kwan and Killer Khan reference. Regal continued to harp on Young's actions and words, saying he won't put up with it anymore. Kidd and Barreta had a stand-off, which drew applause from the crowd. Todd Grisham noted Kidd has won all of their previous match-ups and Barreta told him before the show that perhaps he needs a more conservative gameplan. Barreta cut off Kidd and worked him over on the mat before they abruptly cut to break.

Back from break, Barreta had Kidd in a side headlock, still trying to wear him down on the mat. Kidd then made a comeback with a double foot kick to the head for a two count. Regal said he could see Kidd a big star in two-to-five years, which brought up a good point from Grisham on whether he can sustain this hard style and pace for that long. Regal said he thinks so and he'll be able to adapt as he grows older in age. Kidd then found himself on the outside and Barreta went for a turnaround splash that came up short, causing him to crash hard on the floor as Kidd tried to catch him.

Back in the ring, Barreta made a cover for a two count. The crowd tried to rally behind Kidd as Barreta put him up top. Barreta wanted a superplex, but Kidd blocked, crotched Barreta (which Grsiham called the capital of Thailand), and climbed up top for a huracanrana. Barreta tried to follow through, but Kidd teased the Sharpshooter, which drew a huge reaction, only to have Barreta counter with a victory roll for a two count. Double knock down and they were on the mat again. At 13:00, they started trading bombs and strikes from their feet before Barreta scored with a running strike for a two count. They reset and Kidd caught Barreta in a single-leg Boston Crab. Barreta fought the hold before reaching the bottom rope for a break.

Suddenly, the ominous music played, supposedly from Yoshi Tatsu. Kidd was distracted by the music and latest message on the screen, then Barreta caught him from behind, nailed his DDT finisher, and scored the pin for the win. And Barreta ends his six match losing streak on TV. The crowd groaned as Barreta collected himself in victory to conclude the match.

WINNER: Barreta at 15:01.

In-ring: Maxine and Bateman slowly made their way to the ring as Regal thanked Grisham for helping him through the past 25 weeks of this show, with it being Grisham's last night on NXT. Interesting.

2 -- A.J. (w/Hornswoggle) vs. MAXINE (w/Derrick Bateman)

The match quickly moved to the floor and Bateman tried to give A.J. a fright, which gave Maxine an opening to take control of the match in the ring. Maxine began to freak out when she couldn't put A.J. away, then a few vocal fans picked up an "A-J" chant. Grisham recapped each of the Divas's history on NXT Season 3 to fill time as Maxine continued to wear down A.J. Grisham noted to Regal they're really struggling in this match. A.J. suddenly tried a roll-up, but Maxine kicked out. So, Maxine went back on the offensive. The announcers moved to Regal's English heritage next and Grisham encouraged Maxine to get it done already.

After A.J. made a comeback, Bateman took out Hornswoggle on the outside, which drew boos and A.J.'s attention away from the ring. Maxine then pinned a distracted A.J. for the win. Post-match: Titus O'Neil ran off the heels as the announcers wondered where he was 20 seconds earlier. Hornswoggle's music played as the faces called down to the heels to come do something.

WINNER: Maxine at 6:24. That was painful.

Raw Replay: A condensed version of the Cena vs. Punk match starting with Cena's ring entrance, a fan tossing Cena his t-shirt back, about eight minutes of the match, and Del Rio's post-match beat down on Cena to conclude NXT.

This was one of the worst NXT episodes of the season. The NXT series has become pointless, as there is barely a hint of this being a Rookie competition and there is no sign of this season coming to a conclusion any time soon. This season has lasted so long that even the lead announcer is leaving the show before its conclusion.

Arcademan:
WWE Superstars Results: 8-25-11

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- SHEAMUS vs. HEATH SLATER

Slater landed an early slap to the face, trying to frustrate the larger Sheamus. Sheamus eventually tracked down Slater and pounded on him with forearms and strikes. Slater tried to start a comeback, but Sheamus easily cut him off with a hard clothesline. Sheamus then randomly went up top and Slater crotched him before landing a double foot dropkick that cleared Sheamus to the outside. Why is Sheamus selling so much for Slater? On the floor, Slater landed more offense as Sheamus sold on the floor. The ref reached a five count when both men returned to the ring for Slater to make a cover for a two count.

Sheamus finally found a fire in his belly and ran over Slater with sledgehammers before scooping him up for a swinging sidewalk slam. Sheamus had enough of Slater and pounded on him with hard forearm blows across the chest followed by a running knee lift. Sheamus pounded his chest, then measured Slater for the Brogue Kick, but Slater ducked. Slater then nailed a kick to the lower back before landing a neckbreaker for a two count. Why is Slater getting so much offense in this match? Slater then went up top for a leaping maneuver, but Sheamus intercepted him with the Brogue Kick. Sheamus then delivered the High Cross for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Sheamus at 5:56. Sure, no one watches this, but how could WWE script Sheamus - a wrestler presented as a top-flight face in the World Title picture - to require six minutes to put away Slater after a near-even-steven match? At the end of the day, Sheamus got in his signature spots and stood tall at the end, which was fine.

2 -- BRODUS CLAY vs. PETE GIBSON

Early clubbing offense from Clay, who had the pin 45 seconds in, but pulled off on the cover to continue inflicting punishment. Clay scored with a big corner splash, then the Fall of Humanity cross-body splash for the pin and the win. Matt Striker said Clay is putting the Raw and Smackdown locker rooms on notice and he's on his way. After a replay, Korpela rhetorically asked how long until Clay's in the World Title picture. Striker asked if anyone can stop him.

WINNER: Clay at 1:05. Another effective squash for Clay.

3 -- JTG vs. JUSTIN GABRIEL

As Gabriel and JTG went back-and-forth early on, Korpela played Clue on why John Laurinaitis gave Triple H bad information on Kevin Nash earlier this week on Raw. Gabriel wanted a high-flying maneuver, but JTG crotched him and followed with a unique swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Gabriel then back-flipped over JTG and landed a kick strike for a two count. Gabriel tried a springboard backflip, but JTG moved and landed another neckbreaker-like maneuver for a two count. JTG pulling out all sorts of new moves this week.

Another counter by Gabriel left JTG KO'ed in the corner. Or so it seemed. Gabriel went up top for the 450 Splash, but JTG ran to the top turnbuckle and crotched him. Gabriel brushed it off and landed a sunset flip powerbomb before climbing back up top. Gabriel flashed a smile, waited for the crowd to come life, and delivered the 450 splash clear across the ring for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Gabriel at 6:13. Interesting match. Just interesting. JTG added a few moves to his repertoire and Gabriel continues to be about the same level trying to build momentum behind his singles run.

4 -- DANIEL BRYAN vs. DREW MCINTYRE

Back to the Raw announcers, Stanford and Mathews, to call this Smackdown vs. Raw match taped Monday. The announcers re-visited last week's commentary on McIntyre needing to show something before he lost to Zack Ryder. Stanford stressed Bryan's MMA training as he cleared Mac to the outside. Mac used the breather to take control of the match, but Bryan cut him off back in the ring. Mac then lawn-darted Bryan into the second turnbuckle to take control leading to a break in the action.

McIntyre continued to dominate back from break as Stanford noted Bryan is not shaving his beard until WrestleMania when he cashes in his MITB briefcase. Bryan then ducked a clothesline and ran over Mac to slow him down. Both men sold on the mat before Bryan followed with a kick strike for a two count. Multiple kick strikes gave Bryan momentum before Mac ran him over with a pop-up clothesline for a two count. Mac couldn't follow up and found himself flying over the top rope to the floor, leading to Bryan nailing a suicide dive into the guardrail.

Back in the ring, Bryan tried a top rope move, but Mac ran up the turnbuckles, nearly slipped, and executed a modified butterfly suplex for a two count. Drew tried a sidewalk slam, but Bryan countered into a guillotine choke. McIntyre tried to fight the hold, but was forced to tap out, giving Bryan a decisive win over the larger McIntyre. Bearded Bryan celebrated the win with an intense stare into the crowd before they replayed the finish. Back to Bryan, who continued to soak in the win while McIntyre sold frustration ringside.

WINNER: Bryan via submission at 10:48. Another good "TV" match for Bryan, who continues to be one of the most valuable wrestlers on the roster being able to work with any opponent. A series between Bryan and McIntyre, despite being on separate brands, would be beneficial for McIntyre to build some confidence in the ring since WWE isn't doing anything with him. Nice conclusion to the show. (**1/4)

Arcademan:
TNA Impact Wrestling Results: 8-25-11

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- VELVET SKY & JACKIE & ODB vs. ANGELINA LOVE & ROSITA & SARITA

Quick tags early among ODB, Jackie, and Sky against Rosita. Sky took Love down with a sideslam for a two count at 2:00. The other four brawled at ringside. Love gave Sky a backbreaker mid-ring, then invited Jackie and ODB to attack Sky. Instead, ODB and Jackie showed loyalty to Sky by double-suplexing Love and then putting Sky on top for the win. Tenay wondered what Bischoff thought of this since they were trying to improves him to earn TNA contracts.

WINNERS: Jackie & ODB & Sky in 3:00.

2 -- JESSE SORRENSEN vs. KID KASH

Tenay noted Kash is ranked no. 3, Sorrensen no. 2, based on the wholly ridiculous methodology in last week's X Division Gauntlet match. Sorrensen winked at the camera on his way to the ring while wearing his high school football letter jacket. I assume those facts cement Kash as the obvious babyface in this match-up, right? Kash won by pulling on Sorrensen's trunks.

-Christy Hemme interviewed Kash at ringside. He said he taught the kid in the ring a lesson. He called him a prick and said just like his son, he'll put him over his knee and spank his ***. Sorrensen walked back to Kash and told him if he keeps running his mouth, he'll show him if he's a little boy inside the ring. Security came out. Sorrensen immediately tried to get to Kash as soon as security stepped between them.

3 -- ROB VAN DAM vs. "THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO - Bound for Glory Series Match

Matt Morgan joined Tenay and Taz on commentary. Tenay said they're one week away from determining the final four in the BFG Series. Morgan said whoever comes out of this tournament the winner will be as battle tested as a wrestler can be. RVD got in a series of his signature moves, then applied an abdominal stretch at 3:00. Pope hip-tossed RVD off of him and then DDT'd RVD for a two count. RVD came back with a jump reverse sidekick. RVD lifted Pope into a surfboard. He bridged Pope's shoulders back onto the mat for a two count, drawing a "wow" out of Morgan. Pope verbally submitted seconds later.

WINNER: RVD in 4:00 via submission.

4 -- A.J. STYLES & BEER MONEY vs. SCOTT STEINER & GUNNER & BULLY RAY

After a couple minutes inside the ring, Steiner and Gunner brawled with Beer Money backstage. Styles and Ray continued to battle inside the ring. When Gunner returned, Styles turned to him. Steiner then returned and Styles blasted him. Ray recovered and gave Styles a Bubba Bomb for the win.

WINNERS: Ray & Steiner & Gunner in 6:00.

-They cut to the parking garage where Mr. Anderson showed up in a Hummer. Anderson ran to the ring. Gunner attacked him. Anderson knocked Gunner down and then shoved Steiner off the ring apron and through a table at ringside. Anderson wrapped his fist in a chain. Ray grabbed a chair at ringside and yelled at Anderson. Anderson hit Gunner with his chain-wrapped fist. Ray called him crazy as Anderson repeatedly punched Gunner. Gunner bled from the forehead. Anderson held KO'd Gunner and KO'd Steiner in his hands and stared down Ray, who retreated.

5 -- KURT ANGLE vs. CRIMSON

At 2:00 they cut to a break after mostly tests of strength spots, with Angle ending up on offense. [c] Angle remained in control after the break. He settled into a side headlock. Crimson broke free and then collided with Angle. The ref nearly counted both men down. Crimson hit a suplex on Angle for a near fall. Then he hit a spear for a near fall. Angle came back with a kick to Crimson's knee and then a quick anklelock. Crimson broke free with a kick. Angle went fo ran Angleslam, but Crimson countered with a Sky High finisher for a very near fall. Samoa JOe then attacked Crimson. The ref called for the bell.

WINNER: No contest in 10:00.

-With Angle's blessing - after a brief tense staredown between them - Joe went for more against Crimson. When he lifted Crimson, Crimson broke free and punched Joe. Joe retreated.

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