WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE Raw Review 2/27/12 (Requiem for the Wrist Tattoo)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Raw 2/27/12. With the Rock in Portland, how will the road to WrestleMania continue? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Requiem for a Dream. So, does that make the Rock and John Cena are nothing but a figment of our imaginations? Anyway, we are getting ready for the CM Punk/Daniel Bryan match. Punk comes out and is awaiting his opponent, but Chris Jericho comes out instead. Jericho says Punk is a great performer, but he's not the best in the world at what I do. Jericho says the "best in the world" title wasn't something he made up, as it was something the fans gave him. I must have missed that episode since I don't recall that at all. Then again, he's the bad guy and that's what bad guys do. Get ready for Jericho to go fully in jackass mode. Jericho goes on a rant in how he had nothing and worked his ass off to make it in this business, which is very similar to what Punk has created for himself. Jericho continues to call Punk a Jericho wannabe. I have a question. Does every Jericho wannabe get their own sparkle jacket? If it is, sign me up. That would be a good thing to have in a rolling blackout. Punk immediately says that Jericho never brought up "being the best" phrase, as Bret "The Hitman" Hart was the first one to start using it. Punk wants to know what Jericho is trying to prove? Is Jericho trying to prove to Punk that he's better, or is he trying to prove it to himself? Punk says Jericho is jealous since Jericho was never the top dog of the company, which is something Punk currently has. Jericho finally admits why he decided to come back to the WWE. Jericho came back to the WWE so he could embarrass Punk and take the WWE Championship at WM. Punk finally wraps it up by saying he will prove that he's the best wrestler in the world. Bryan comes out with John Laurinaitis, David Otunga, and AJ. Jericho eventually leaves as we finally get ready for the match. 

Well, Punk and Jericho had a lot to say towards each other. There was a bunch of other things they said, but this isn't a recap. I definitely encourage you to watch this segment since it was great. In many ways, THIS is what I was looking forward to the most with the Punk/Jericho feud. We know both guys can wrestle their asses off in the ring, but I was more interested in what they were going to say towards each other. The gloves finally came off tonight and both guys have set up their rivalry in a nice fashion. Both guys did a great job promo-wise, but that's nothing new. Still, it was a great way to open up the show. If we can get Wolverine, the whole "Best in the World" concept would really go a step higher. 

Match #1: CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan

As the match finally gets underway, Teddy Long and Santino come out to support Punk. Kinda ironic how Teddy is pulling for the Raw superstar and Roboinaitis is siding with the SD guy. These GMs don't discriminate. Yes, I'm aware why they are siding on opposite ends. Let's learn to have a little more fun and not be serious all the time. Teddy and Laurinaitis were on commentary. I almost expected Michael Cole to unzip Laurinaitis' pants and enjoy that robot strudel. That would definitely make Johnny Five alive. Okay, I'm have way too much fun. Punk and Bryan delivered a pretty decent match. It wasn't as great as the match they had on SD last week, but it decent considering the amount of time they were given. Otunga tried to get involved, but Santino would hit the Cobra on Otunga. Laurinaitis shoves Santino and all hell breaks loose on the outside. That's right, you don't f*** with the Ekans that's on Santino's arm. Or maybe it's an Arbok? Anyway, Teddy and Laurinaitis are arguing, which means it's time for the weasel to escape. Don't worry, it's Sheamus to the rescue. He gets Bryan back in the ring, which allows Punk to hit the GTS on Bryan. The ref is about the make the three count, but Laurinaitis stops the count. The match is officially a no contest. So, Laurinaitis wanted to make it up to the fans, so he cancels the match? That makes perfect sense. Roboinaitis has a few gears loose in his skull. After the match, Teddy and Laurinaitis take off the jackets. You know people mean business when the jacket come off. As they are arguing with each other, Punk is on the entrance ramp posing with the title. Yeah, I'm sure this isn't a trap waiting to happen. Jericho comes from behind to attack Punk. I'm gonna call wrestling logic on this one since the cameraman has no reason to focus on Punk unless something was going to happen. Especially considering that Mr. Stick and Johnny Five were busy throwing jackets in the middle of the ring. Anyway, Jericho hits a scoop slam on Punk and applies the Walls of Jericho. Officials arrive to break it up. I might as well say that there will be an announcement on WWE.com Tuesday morning. It will most likely be something on the Teddy/Laurinaitis deal. I have been thinking about this for a while. I think Teddy and Laurinaitis will have a match at WM, but it will involve the Raw and SD talents. It will probably be something like a five vs five elimination style tag match. Just my theory at this present time. Then again, I'm also insane AWWWWWWWWWWWWW…..Hi. 

No Contest

Match #2: Kelly Kelly vs Nikki Bella

Kelly won this match with a bridge. Why did this match make it on the show? There really is no storyline here and it was mostly there for fan service. Either that or WWE wanted to give you a longer bathroom/coffee break. 

Winner via pinfall: Kelly Kelly

Match #3: John Cena vs Miz

Okay, so I got distracted by something better. Can you really blame me? It isn't like you missed much here. Cena destroyed Miz with the AA and the STF. At this point, you really shouldn't be surprised. Oh, and the Miz talked about being overlooked or something. I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention since I was looking at something else. 

Winner via submission: John Cena

Match #4: Primo and Epico vs R-Truth and Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger; Triple Threat match for Tag Team Championships

There was three people always in the ring for this match, so each team had a representative. The match was pretty short, but I enjoyed it for what it was worth. Then again, things take a weird detour after the match. The finish comes when Kofi hits Trouble in Paradise on Swagger, while Primo hits the Backstabber on Swagger as well. Primo pushes Kofi out of the ring, which allows for Epico to pick up the victory. Well, at least they aren't completely tossing Primo and Epico to the nearest online show. After the match, Kane arrives and takes everyone out. Kane's arrival seems pretty random since he had nothing to do with the people involved, but Kane does need a new program. At this point in time, I'm not sure what to make of this. I don't really like the idea of Kane getting involved in this, but I'll give it a chance and see where they are going with it. Swagger has got to be the worst US Champion ever. He takes the pinfall in this match and got hit with two finishers. Swagger better just appreciate the shiny object that's around him. IT'S SHINY!!! Especially since Dolph is the main star of this team. Either way, we are getting closer and closer to that Batman brawl. Kofi is the Riddler, Kane is playing Bane, and Truth is a mixture of Scarecrow and Joker. All we need is Batman and we're all set. Hmm…..Rey Mysterio could be returning? Eh, just a random thought. 

Winner via pinfall and still WWE Tag Champs: Primo and Epico

I already mentioned the Teddy/Laurinaitis deal, but this backstage scene was hilarious. It's like the charisma is bursting out of Laurinaitis' ass since he adds so much anger to this scene. They proceed to call each other out. Mr. Excitement does have his moments. 

We are back in the ring with the Hoeski. Eve talks about how she likes to use men, but claims it isn't her fault since men are weakened by her amazing looks. She likes to do these types of things to get attention. She's actually has a point. I like how the King had to think about that for one minute. What a whore. After her promo, she heads to the back. She runs into Kelly and the Barbie doll wants to know why Eve is acting like this. Eve just laughs and walks away. For some reason, Alicia Fox shows up and stares. Why? Easiest paycheck ever. I guess something is brewing between Eve and Kelly. Yeah…..Just want I wanted. It isn't like Beth Phoenix or Tamina is available to do something for the diva division…..Wait a minute? 

Match #5: Sheamus and Big Show vs Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes

Cody played another embarrassing Show clip. This time, it was Show's match against Floyd Mayweather. Yeah, I am convinced that Show vs Cody will happen at WM. Not sure if it should be for the IC title, but I will talk about that another day. This match didn't last long…..At all. Sheamus tagged himself in and hit the Brogue Kick on Henry in a matter of seconds. Hall of Pain? More like Hall of Shame. Henry's stock is falling faster than…..Okay, I got nothing. I'm disappointed in myself. 

Winner via pinfall: Sheamus and Big Show

It was announced that Shawn Michaels will be on Raw next week. Things are definitely firing up with the Undertaker/Triple H storyline. Time for the Rock to arrive. Rocky said the usual stuff. Rock talks about how it's great to be back and creates more catchphrase that will trend worldwide. He once again stats that he will never leave the WWE. Rock talks about how he use to think Cena was a phony, but he was wrong. Rock says Cena is a Kung Pao Bitch. Yeah….Wait, what? Kung Pao Bitch? What, did it take him five minutes to think of that one? He also talks about how pro wrestlers don't fight for others, they fight for themselves. Rocky also says he fights for the fans, not himself. He continues to talk down to Mr. Breakfast Cereal until Cena finally interrupts. Cena arrives and immediately brings up the fact that Rocky has an interesting tattoo on his right wrist. Cena says the Rock is a sell out since he's no longer the Rock, he's Dwayne Johnson. As soon as Cena said his brief words, he left. Short, but effective. Rock finally says his usually stuff until the show ends. 

If you're able to zoom in on the Rock's wrist, you can see the Rock had some brief notes written. Just to clarify, this is not reading off a script. It's natural when you give a speech to at least have some brief notes so you can remember what you're discussing. If you can show me a picture of the Rock reading his entire promo on his wrist, then I will take it back, but there's a difference. At the same time, I would like to think WWE had the Rock do this? Think about it? Cena talked about how phony and scripted the Rock. What does he do the following week? He just so happens to point out the giant letters on the Rock's wrist in order to one-up him. That's at least what I would like to think. It's very possible that the brief notes were just a coincidence, but who really knows. I still think people are blowing this "letter tattoo" deal way out of proportion. Like I said, it's natural for someone to have some notes whenever they are about to give a speech/promo. You want to know the strange thing? This might has been one of the Rock's weaker promos, but the audience simply didn't give a damn. They ate up everything the Rock had to say tonight. I don't think this was a bad promo by Rock. It just seemed…..Off. Maybe it was planned that way in order to make the Rock look more scripted? You're probably asking, "Why would they want to do that?". It's to make Cena look better and more realistic. Then again, maybe this entire tattoo deal is something people are over analyzing? Some people tend to blow these things up way too much and almost forget to have fun with the product. Don't get me wrong. It's fun to talk about these things, but let's not go overboard with one scene. Let's see what happens in the next few weeks, then we can judge on how things are coming along. 

Overall Impression:

This wasn't as great as the last couple of weeks, but there was a few things that worked. Even though the Rock's promo was…..Um, different, the audience seemed to enjoy it. Cena has looked better in these last few weeks. As I said last week, I like it when Cena changes it up as opposed to resorting to poop jokes. It just makes him look more real and interesting. I thought the show started off very well. Punk and Jericho finally were given a fair amount of time to speak. It was about time we hear Punk and Jericho talk to each other. The tag match was interesting, but Kane's involvement can be a little puzzling. Then again, let's see where they are going with this. It could be a good thing. It can also suck, but we'll talk about that when the time comes. I felt the first hour was the best part of the show. The second hour is when things fell apart. I wouldn't call this a bad episode of Raw. I would say this falls in the category of average. At the same time, I think some people were expecting a little more since the Rock was there. In that respect, I don't blame you with being disappointed with tonight's show. Well, the Rock does have another appearance to redeem himself, but I don't think casual fans care. I think casual fans showed tonight that the Rock can literally say anything and they will love it because…..Well, he's the Rock. I think that's something to keep note of as we continue to watch this storyline. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. If you excuse me, time to get back to '90s cartoons. Yeah!!!

WrestlingNerd Presents: TNA Impact Wrestling Review 2/23/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 2/23/12. How will TNA do this week? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Robert Roode. Roode talks about Sting and……oh, I'm sorry. This was the opening to last week's show. Let me try that one again. 

We open up the show with Robert Roode. Roode talks about Sting and how he's done with TNA. Yeah, I'm really glad I didn't screw that up. In all seriousness, how many times does Roode open up TNA? He opens up the show more than John Cena in WWE. Anyway, Roode talks about the tweet that Sting made over the weekend. Sting tweeted, "I'm done" and he was going to explain himself. Roode things Sting is finally leaving TNA and wants to be known as the guy who took Sting out the wrestling business. That pretty much does it for the opening. This will get addressed later in the show. There would be no mention or build up between Roode and James Storm. That could be disappointing, but it seems they want to do this Roode/Sting deal. HOORAY……For disappointment.

Match #1: Samoa Joe and Magnus vs Matt Morgan and Crimson; TNA Tag Titles match

Morgan and Crimson were arguing who screwed up their match. Oh, so I guess a former tag team will be facing off against each other in the near future. That's happened about 50 million times in pro wrestling, right? Honestly, I lost count. The finish comes when Joe and Magnus hit their combo finisher on Morgan for the victory. Are they going to decide on a name for this move? I'm gonna call it the Bland-bow Drop. See what I did? I'm funny……Eh, not really. After the match, Morgan and Crimson argue. Expect that Morgan/Crimson rivalry to be getting underway….Again. 

Winner via pinfall and still Tag Team Champs: Samoa Joe and Magnus

Brandon Jacobs arrives in the Impact Zone. That guy is so popular that the entire audience just magically changes. In fact, every time Jacobs was on TV, the audience changed. Life must be rough for Harry Potter after he defeated Voldemort. He's so desperate for money that he has to do stupid magic tricks for TNA. Did the audience die in between takes? With it being TNA, I'm honestly not surprised. Okay, I'm not completely in the dark on this. The reason behind this deal is TNA only wanted to pay Jacobs money for one appearance. Instead of paying him for a second day, they filmed all the Jacobs scenes in one night. How cheap is TNA? Reckon, I don't think many people are going to notice the difference of an audience change, but this makes TNA look bad. It makes them look like a poor man's company……Wait a minute? Anyway, I like how Jacobs says Super Bowl winners go watch TNA. Yeah……If the money's right. In fact, let's ask the rest of the New York Giants.

New York Giants: What's a TNA?

Jacobs talks about what happened last week. I know it's false information. Just go along with it or we will be here all night. It's kayfabe mixed in with kayfabe. It's kayfabe squared. NOOOOOOOOO!!! Jacobs calls out Bully Ray. Mr. Calves arrives and talks about how he's better than Jacobs. The running back wants Bully in the ring, but Bully says he has a match and he has nothing to prove. Jacobs chases after Bully to the back. We're not done with the Brandon scenes, so better get used to it. If they were going to pay him for one night, TNA might as well get everything they can out of it. 

Match #2: Zema Ion vs Alex Shelley

I wonder if it's bad when the highlight of the night is Austin Aries eating popcorn. To be fair, this was a passable match. The finish comes when Zema puts a spray-can in his pants. Either he's going to cheat or he wants to compensate for something. With a slight ref distraction, Zema sprays something in his face. It was the can, not…….THAT. Zema finishes off Shelley with the Bible Black. Or as I like to call it, the Galloping Crotch attack. Zema wins the match while Aries isn't impressed. I like both characters, but I can't really get into this rivalry since they are both bad guys. Who will people cheer for? This would work a lot better if Shelley was involved in this rivalry. 

Winner via pinfall: Zema Ion

Backstage where Garett Bischoff says he will continue to pursue his dream of becoming a wrestler. Oh, come on!!! Garett can't even be a convincing school janitor. Hulk Hogan arrives and says he will support Garett's decision, but he should consider walking away since Eric will make his life a living hell….Even though Eric is not the GM/boss of this show anymore. Opps. Since when did Hogan become a quitter? This is a mess. This scene just kinda stopped. We don't get any more thoughts with Hogan and Garett. I guess the writers knew when to give up. Since this is a Garett scene, that's probable a good thing. Garett has done NOTHING to earn this type of exposure. Say whatever you will about Vince and Shane McMahon, but at least Shane had actual talent. Madison Rayne had a backstage scene. She still talks like a heel since she hopes Sting leaves, but tries to convince us that she is still friends with Gail Kim. So, Madison is probably playing mind-games with Gail. That's fine, but it's kinda odd when the heel is playing mind-games with another heel. Well, I'll have to wait and see how this plays out. 

Match #3: Gail Kim vs ODB

I found this match to be sloppy at times. I just couldn't get into it. I have seen these ladies do better, so that's not a good sign. Mike Tenay talks about Rihanna and Chris Brown getting back together. What does any of that have to do with this match? That just seemed really random. Is TNA trying to hop on the CM Punk/Charlie Brown deal? What am I talking about? Charlie Brown is more of a man than Chris Brown. Oh, and do you really expect me to believe that Tenay looks at TMZ? Tenay looking at Wall Street is even a stretch. Madison arrived during the match and was rooting for her partner. Gail seems angry at her. The finish comes when Gail hits Eat Da Feet. After the match, Madison was happy for Gail. On the other side of all this, Gail doesn't seem interested and is more confused. Yeah, cuz I think many people are confused at this point. The storyline just started, so let's give it a chance. 

Winner via pinfall: Gail Kim

Match #4: Robbie E vs AJ Styles; TV Championship match

I like how AJ cut a promo saying he's done with Christopher Daniels and Kaz and wants to focus on getting the world title. Yeah, so he challenges for the TV title? Somebody hit AJ in the skull too many times since Robbie is no world champion. I really didn't care about this match. You knew Daniels and Kaz would show up. Not to mention that Robbie has no stock or momentum, so who's going to care about him? By the way, I found out what the TV title means. It's the Totally Vague title. Based on that, it seems appropriate that Robbie is holding it. The match might be considered decent, but I really didn't care about the actual match based on who was fighting who. The finish comes when Daniels and Kaz arrive. Yeah, who didn't see that coming? To a surprise, Kaz attacks AJ without any restraint. The match ends in a DQ. Daniels seemed surprised that Kaz attacked AJ, but I think he was more shocked that Kaz showed a glimpse of a human emotion. Watch yourself there, Kaz. The next human emotion you show might give you a heart attack. Are they ever going to explain any of this? It's been over 6+ weeks and we gotten no explanation or buildup with this storyline. I officially don't care about this storyline anymore. I gave it a chance, but TNA has done very little with it. This is coming from someone who is very patient and wants to see slow build ups, but there's no build up here. I want buildup. WHERE IS IT?

Winner via DQ: AJ Styles; Robbie E is still the Totally Vague Champion and you die a little more inside

Match #5: Bully Ray and Kurt Angle vs James Storm and Jeff Hardy; No DQ match

I was so bored by this point that I didn't even recall this being declared a no DQ match. I actually had to re-watch this bit just to make sure. Storm introduces Brandon Jacobs to watch this match. This was actually a pretty decent match. It was probably the best match of the night. Jacobs comes out to a crappy version of the NFL theme. That's even worse than Wade Barrett's entrance theme. The finish comes when Bully and Angle get a table in the ring. It seems like everyone is down, except for Bully. Jacobs gets in the ring and wants to fight. Bully gets in a three-point stance and is ready to charge up his attack. Storm gets back up and clubs him in the face. Jacobs picks up Bully and slams him through the table. Storm pins Bully and wins the match. This was one of those moments where it was giving the celebrity the "feel good" moment. I actually don't have any problems with that. This type of stuff happens all the time in pro wrestling, so how is it any different when WWE does it? Hell, they did it earlier in the year with Perez Hilton, so this is nothing new. I know people don't like these celebrity bits, but it was short and painless. I think people take wrestling way to seriously since you usually see a lot of complaining for bits like this. Still, there was some issues I had. I don't know why Angle didn't give a reason for attacking Hardy last week. Something tells me the Angle/Hardy match will end up happening at Lockdown, but it would be nice to get something. Then again, I'm not too bent out of shape for that one. Storm is the #1 contender to the world title and it seemed like he didn't even care that he has Roode on his radar. It just makes Storm look like an understudy as…..Well, you'll see in a minute. 

Winner via pinfall: James Storm and Jeff Hardy

Time for the final segment of the night. Sting talks about how he's done until Roode interrupts. Roode arrives since he wants to soak in the moment. Sting says Roode hasn't proved anything yet. Sting pulls out the face paint and proceeds to give himself a whorish makeover. He's done with Roode's crap, so he will face off against Roode at Victory Road. Roode tries to sneak a kick to the groin, but Sting catches it. Sting follows up with a kick to Roode's happy place. By the way, Sting is one again acting like the Joker again. I thought we were passed this? Didn't we get Sting an intervention for this problem? Sting talks about the yellow brick road and that ends the show. Well, it turns out my theory was right. It came true and I wished it hadn't. I really don't want to see this match. I just hope this can be quick and painless. I still wish they would focus a little more on Roode and Storm. I realize the Roode/Sting match is first, but Roode and Storm is a rivalry that started back in October/November. Don't you think it would make sense to at least address this? Instead, we get to witness Roode fighting a 52 year old Joker wannabe. I sometimes wonder if TNA is intentionally trying to troll you. You've just been TNTrolled.

Overall Impression:

I didn't enjoy Impact tonight. I found myself bored for most of the program and there was only a few moments where I got invested in the action. There was a moment where I felt Vince Russo got re-hired in TNA. You have the Styles/Kaz deal that has had no explanation, Sting putting himself back in the spotlight, and two PPV matches that are heel vs heel. Actually, this was way better than anything Russo produced. I apologize for that statement. I didn't think Impact was bad. There was elements that were okay, but it just wasn't very entertaining. The main event was interesting, but most of the matches were underwhelming. The promos/segments were nothing to rave over either. It was just a mediocre performance by TNA. This definitely wasn't their worst stuff, but it wasn't one of their best. I guess you can consider this average by TNA, but I've seen average episodes of TNA be entertaining. Tonight's show didn't do it for me. See, I wasn't lying when I said Austin Aries eating popcorn was the highlight. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. I'M FINISHED WITH THE REVIEW!!! YEAHALOAOLAOLALALALALAO

WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE Smackdown Review 2/21/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Smackdown 2/21/12. With the blue brand going on live, how did the show do? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up with Daniel Bryan. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!!! Did I mention yes? Bryan's yes chant is so over the top, but that's what makes it funny. Bryan is being accompanied by AJ. Bryan talks about how no one thought he would main event WrestleMania. Bryan talks about how Santino tried to be Rocky Balboa, but Bryan is the true Rocky. Yo AJ, I DID IT!!! Bryan wanted to enjoy his victory at Elimination Chamber, but Sheamus interrupted Bryan's celebration and took him out. Bryan says he will defeat Sheamus at WM and he will defeat CM Punk tonight. The Miz interrupts Bryan's speech. He claims that Bryan always had what it took to become a world champion and congratulates him. He also mentioned something about him and Bryan forming a tag team. This probably won't be addressed ever again, but that could be an interesting idea. Then again, I wonder what kinda of name they can come up with? How about the Awesome Vegans? Sheamus interrupts the love by talking about how Bryan is a massive arse and hypocrite. Miz is angry for Sheamus' interruption, but Sheamus tells the Miz to not talk until he actually gets a WM match. Bryan takes this chance to slap Sheamus in the face. Sheamus gets angry and charges right after Bryan, but he manages to escape. Miz starts to land a couple of cheap shots, but Sheamus ends up tossing Miz out of the ring. The opening to the show was nothing amazing, but it was good. We got to see Sheamus and Bryan actually talk to one another. It could be interesting to see what both guys end up saying. As for the Miz, I guess he's not the awesome one this week. Did you see that? I made a pun! It's a pun!

Match #1: Sheamus vs Miz

This was a short match, but it was effective. The finish comes when Sheamus hit Finlay's Celtic Cross. For now on, I'm gonna call this the Celtic Plunge because I don't want to explain this part anymore. I'm being lazy, so sue me. Besides, it isn't like the commentators aren't bothering to name the moves themselves, so I might as well take a crack at it. 

Winner via pinfall: Sheamus

Backstage where Teddy Long is ready to get down with his bad-self. John Laurinaitis and David Otunga interrupt, which chases away Aksana. Roboinaitis thinks Teddy isn't taking his job seriously and Teddy isn't fit to run both shows. I resent that remark. Teddy can do his job and get some action on the side. He's a multi-tasker. Teddy makes a crack in how Laurinaitis and Otunga have their office in the bathroom. That was a pretty bad joke, and this is coming from someone who makes bad jokes on a weekly basis. This would be one of the major themes of the night, so get used to it. It will be great since Mr. Excitement is here. MR. EXCITEMENT!! YEAH!!! WOOOO!!! Okay, it's not that exciting. 

Match #2: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger

Oh yeah, remember when Dolph and Swagger were a partial tag team? Well, I guess they're back. This match had its moments, but it didn't last long. The finish comes when Swagger and Truth end up falling on the outside. During this spot, Vickie Guerrero fell to the ground and started screaming. Yeah, f*** you sound bearer. Dolph takes advantage with the ref dealing with this matter and pokes Kofi in the eyes. Dolph hits Zig Zag on Kofi and scores the victory. Has WWE created two tag teams in two episodes? I have a crazy theory at the moment. Just tossing this idea out there, but I project a Fatal 4Way match for the tag team titles at WM. I'd say it will be Primo/Epico, Kofi/Truth, Dolph/Swagger, and the Usos for the tag titles. It's really a stretch at this point, but it sure would be something if it ended up happening. 

Winner via pinfall: Dolph ZIggler and Jack Swagger

Backstage where Santino is training the Cobra by knocking down cups. You got to use your hands? That's like a baby's toy. Heath Slater interrupts and tries to be a dick. Santino says that was a mistake. The Cobra actually spits something into Heath's eyes. Santino informs Heath it's a spitting Cobra. If you're wondering what the Cobra was spitting, it was the remains of Slater's career. That stings. 

Match #3: Great Khali vs Drew McIntyre

Oh no. Drew lost again. Time for a certain fan base to complain how WWE is burying Drew. Regardless, Drew has had a rough couple of months. The fact Drew has made it on the last couple of shows should mean they are going to try something with him. It might end up turning into a good thing. It can also bomb, but I think people are not being patient enough with this bit. Oh, this was a short match. Khali hit the Punjabi Plunge. He celebrates his victory. Drew cries himself to sleep.Yeah, I think you know the routine. 

Winner via pinfall: Great Khali

Match #4: Big Show vs Mark Henry

This was your typical Show/Henry match. The finish comes when Show hits a Spear on Henry. As soon as Show is about ready to finish off Henry, Cody Rhodes interrupts and talks about Show's WM failures. He even showed a clip of Show's match against Akebono. Henry hits the World's Strongest Slam on Show and hits a splash, but can only get a two count. If you don't think Henry's role has changed these past few months, this spot should convince you. Henry gets back up and hits the KO punch on Henry, but immediately chases down Rhodes. Show and Cody seems to be the next rivalry. I really hope Cody comes out of this the victor since Cody has more promise for the future than Big Show. The match never ended, nor was there a bell. It just….Stopped. Did they give up? Did the writers go on strike? This is like wrestling logic mixed with more wrestling logic. It's wrestling logic logic. So much logic that it will blow your damn mind…….Logic.

No Contest/Writer's strike/Countout/Coffee break/I need money

Match #5: Ezekiel Jackson vs David Otunga

This was a replay of the match that was on Raw this past week. Laurinaitis and Teddy are there to support their guy. I like Johnny's mock dance of Teddy. Laurinaitis is the most ridiculous character on this show. The finish comes when Otunga hits The Verdict and defeats Zeke again. You'd think Teddy would learn his lesson the first time, but obviously he didn't. At this point, I'm just waiting for Laurinaitis to use his catchphrase on Zeke. 

Winner via pinfall: David Otunga

Punk cuts a promo backstage. Punk talks about Bryan's ego, addressing Chris Jericho next week, and how Laurinaitis lacks talent. I like the part where Punk brought up his messiah character in relation to Bryan's current character. It's nice for the characters to address their old days. Can't always pretend that the previous character never happened. It's like they're saying, "I changed characters and we will never talking about the past. Anyone talking about their past character will be shot. Nobody talks about the past…..NEVER!!!". 

I think I need to get this out of the way before I talk about the final match. The commentators addressed the CM Punk/Chris Brown stuff on their show. I know this is a topic that has gotten a lot of attention in the last few days, but I really don't know the full facts. I'm also not interested in knowing the full facts, so don't even bother explaining it to me in the comments cuz I really don't care. I know the general facts, but not every little detail. At first, I thought this was a publicity stunt, but I'm not really sure. I think WWE only brought it up since it's getting a lot of attention and might as well see what you can get out if it. Plus, I'd imagine the WWE would be quick to stick up for their stars when someone is spewing silly allegations. Especially allegations that involve steroid use. WWE would kinda look bad if they didn't support their own champion. If he did something stupid, that's a different story, but Punk seems to be speaking for some of the right reasons. Reckon, they're not really defending him as Punk is speaking on his own, but by showing the video on SD, they are at least on his side. I think that's why they aired the video. That and….It's free publicity. Might as well get as much free publicity as you can get since it doesn't come around all the time. People love free stuff. That's what RPGs taught me. Besides, who is Chris Brown anyway (Don't answer this question. It was more or less sarcasm)? Sorry guys and girls, but I actually listen to GOOD music. Besides, I learned all I need to know about this guy when I heard Michael Cole plug #Notnopunks. Notnopunks? I admit my grammar is questionable at times, but who the hell taught this guy grammar? I got one. How about, #notnoeducation? Sounds stupid, right? Well, that's only because it is. Anyway, I expect this to die down really soon since it's a twitter war. Besides, this is the type of stuff I don't like to talk about. I may have given some brief thoughts into it, but that's about as far as I'm gonna go. I also ask for people to not talk about this subject in the comments. This is my own personal request and I hope you respect it. I generally let anyone say anything they damn well please, but let's make a small exception for this. I'm here to review stuff that's fun, not this TMZ stuff. I do want to say for the record that I don't condone Chris' actions. Punk is right. You don't hit a woman. I know people will be quick to bring up Stone Cold, but I really don't want to talk about this subject anymore. This is a place built for fun. Let's get back to the fun. 

Match #6: CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan

This is a wrestling review. Let's get back to the action and get excited again. Punk and Bryan deliver a great wrestling match. This is supposed to be fun. THIS IS FUN!!! I'M HAVING FUN!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE FUN TOO!!! I'm actually being serious. Punk and Bryan put fourth one hell of a contest. Despite it being a good match, there was some weird moments. Bryan was trying to retreat, but Sheamus would arrive and toss Bryan back in the ring. Punk gives Bryan a little Falcon Kick and it seems like Punk has won the match, BUT WAIT!!! Laurinaitis arrives and says there was interference. He orders the ref to restart the match. Punk and Bryan would duke it out a while longer. Bryan ends up grabbing the ropes and gets the pinfall on Punk. So, it appears that Bryan has won, BUT WAIT!!!  Teddy arrives and says Bryan cheated, so he demands for this match to be restarted. Punk and Bryan once again continue to beat the crap out of each other. The finish comes when Bryan hits a Super-Plex on Punk. Both guys lock a leg on their opponent and the ref makes the cover. Both guys had their shoulders down, so they both won and lost the match. After the match, Laurinaitis says Bryan won the match, while Teddy says Punk won the match. Things start to get a little physical between the GMs. Laurinaitis looked like he was ready to throw down and Teddy seemed to be game. Teddy tosses his jacket, but Laurinaitis tosses it right back at Teddy. The show ends with Teddy walking away from the fight, BUT WAIT!!! Oh, that's the end.

It appears the power struggle is now in full gear. I was enjoying that little exchange between Laurinaitis and Teddy. That's the most animation I have seen out of Laurinaitis in quiet some time. I like the finish since it makes both guys look strong. Gotta keep the champs look good going into WM, so the finish made sense. In many ways, both guys won the match and the champions don't look weak at the end of the day. This match was great and made me get interested in the Teddy/Laurinaitis deal. I think it was good all around. I know I'll get some disagreement on the Teddy/Laurinaitis deal, but that's okay. 

Double Pinfall

Overall Impression:

I thought this was a pretty fun episode of SD. There was some interesting storytelling and there was some good wrestling matches. You can make the argument that the show was nothing too special for the first half, but the second half was great. I think the Punk/Bryan match makes it worth checking out. In fact, I recommend checking out the last half hour of the program. Even though some people will probably hate the Teddy/Laurinaitis program, I will give it a chance. Plus, I like how they got angry at each other. It was interesting that Teddy left the right, almost showing a sense of doubt. Then again, can you really blame him? Laurinaitis is not the cream of the crop in the wrestling world, but the guy does have a wrestling background. I can see Teddy thinking of a way to outsmart Laurinaitis. Oh, and if people are going to bring up the Teddy/Eric Bischoff deal, stop living in the past. Anyway, I felt this was a decent show to watch and I enjoyed the live edition of SD. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. 

WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE Raw Review 2/20/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Raw 2/20/12. With Elimination Chamber out of the way, it's time for the real road to WrestleMania to begin. How did the show go down? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Eve and the Bella Twins in a backstage scene. The Bellas talk about how Zack Ryder is a good guy and Eve must feel terrible for what happened last week, but Eve doesn't seem to care. She's actually laughing and claims she never cared about Ryder and used him and John Cena to get attention. What a bitch. She claims she will continue to use Cena and continue to get the fame she doesn't deserve. Since Cena has every super power imaginable, he shows up at the appropriate time and realizes Eve's intentions. Cena laughs and finally leaves. We are now in the ring and Cena comes out to talk. He gets interrupted by Eve. She says that conservation was taken out of context. Cena doesn't buy any of it and can't believe he lost a broski for a hoeski. There is actually a "hoeski" chant in the arena. Eve starts to cry since she's pretty much in desperation mode. She tries to latch herself onto Cena, but it doesn't work. Officials arrive to take Eve off of Cena. The cub scout leaves the ring while Eve is crying. In fact….Several minutes later and she's still crying. What, did the production staff fall asleep here? Go to a commercial already. Seriously, who's idea was it to show like 3-4 minutes of Eve crying? It was almost unsettling to watch. This was not a good way to open up the show. Think about it? We are six weeks away from WM and you open up with a hoeski? Reckon, they needed to tie up the loose ends of the Cena/Kane storyline, but it seems kinda stupid to open up Raw like this. I do have good news. While the show didn't start off well, it would eventually get better.  At least this scene produced the #1 topic on twitter. That's what really matters in his work-a-day world. 

According to Undertaker's video, he wants vengeance……and ice cream, cookies, and cakes. I'm having fun, so sue me. 

Match #1: Sheamus vs Mark Henry

This was a short match. Not sure how physically ready Henry is, but I'd imagine he's stronger now than a few weeks ago. The finish comes when Sheamus counters World Strongest Slam and hits the Brogue Kick for the clean victory. I have no problems with this since Sheamus needs to keep his momentum for this world title match at WM. After all, he's going up against the YES man. Henry's stock continues to plummet. Does anyone even remember the Hall of Pain? Almost seems like an urban legend. The legend of old. The legend that talked about the man who went fourth on his voyage for salvation. It was a legend that would be spoken for eons. The legend that…..Okay, I got nothing. 

Winner via pinfall: Sheamus

Backstage scene with John Laurinaitis, David Otunga, and Teddy Long. Teddy actually thinks Laurinaitis' idea of having one GM controlling both shows is a good idea, but is really against robot labor. Teddy says he should be the GM of both shows. Laurinaitis says he can do better and makes a 10 Man Battle Royal, where the winner will be the #1 Contender to the WWE Championship. Teddy makes it interesting and wants to have five Smackdown talents representing the Battle Royal. Otunga seems to think that Teddy is saying the SD talents are superior to Raw. Teddy says that isn't the case, but believes the SD talents are superior to Otunga. Of course the SD talents are superior to Carlton Banks…..Well, maybe not. Regardless, the challenge seems to be on as Otunga will go against a SD talent tonight. The war is also on between the ladies man and Roboinaitis. Who will win this battle of mediocrity? 

Match #2: R-Truth and Kofi Kingston vs Primo and Epico

This was a short, but decent match. The finish comes when Kofi hits the Trouble in Paradise. Not sure why this was put on the show. This might be WWE giving Primo and Epico a rival, but I'm not sure about Truth and Kofi as a team. Mainly because they just got Kofi out of tag team and he seemed to be going somewhere, but I guess plans have changed. So many talents in the WWE, just not enough slots for everyone. I guess we'll see what they do with this. I'll give it a chance. It also could've been a throwaway match that does nothing for future events, but it didn't seem to be the case. 

Winner via pinfall: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth

Ron Simmons will be inducted in the 2012 Hall of Fame….

Match #3: David Otunga vs Ezekiel Jackson

Teddy and Laurinaitis were representing their guys. You'd think Teddy would pick a better person to represent SD. What can Bill Cosby on steroids accomplish? Well, Teddy's plan would backfire as Otunga hits The Verdict and scores the victory. Round one goes to Roboinaitis. 

Winner via pinfall: David Otunga

The Undertaker comes out to cut a promo. Taker wore a hood on his head for the whole segment. He looked like the guy from Assassin's Creed. I have to say this before I get started, but what was the audience thinking? It's one thing to do the "what" chant to the bad guy, but to Taker? I really don't know what they were thinking here. For the most part, I dislike the "what" chant. I like Stone Cold, but if there's something about him that pissed me off, it was when he created this stupid chant. It's really annoying and shows no imagination from the audience. Its like, "Hey, you're doing what everyone else did before you….Thank you for showing no originality". This audience can ruin the moment for you. Anyway, Taker wants Triple H in the ring and tell him to his face that he doesn't want to challenge him. Hunter comes out and the lights immediately go back into that blue lighting……Mr. Purple. Anyway, Taker immediately cuts off Trips and says Hunter is coming up with cheap excuses. Trips continues to say he doesn't want to see the last two stars from their era die off and he needs to do what's good for business. Taker immediately says is it bad for business for Trips to finish off Taker, or is it bad for business that Taker will finish off Trips? Trips responds by saying that it's just plain bad for business. Trips is about to leave until Taker calls him a coward. Trips gets back in the ring and is sick of this coward stuff. Just as soon as Trips said that, he realizes what Taker was trying to do here. He immediately calls his bluff and starts to walk away again. Taker finally says Shawn Michaels was always better than Trips and HBK would actually do what Trips doesn't want to do. Trips takes off the jacket and gets back in the ring. He says this has nothing to do with HBK and he can do what HBK failed to do. The audience actually redeemed themselves…..A little. They were chanting "Prove it". Still, the "what" chants? Trips finally accepts the match. It appears it's finally a go, but Trips has a request. He wants to make this special…….Hell in a Cell. Taker is pleased with the idea and leaves to "The Memory Remains" by Metallica. 

I guess Taker's schtick is to have a new entrance theme every year. Wade Barrett should talk to Taker's guy. Anyway, it appears Taker vs Trips will indeed happen at WM. I kinda like the idea that it's a HIAC match. I know these matches have lost their flavor over the last few years, but Taker and Trips made their careers in this match. I'm sure the two can pull out the stops to make this a worthwhile match. I know there are people out there that don't want to see this match, but the interesting storytelling is making me very invested in this match. I think it should be interesting. Taker is one hell of a negotiator in order to get Trips to completely go along with this idea. Screw Otunga, Taker is the law on this show. 

Match #4: Daniel Bryan vs Santino

This match lasted less than two minutes. Bryan locked in the Le Bell Lock and gets the submission victory. I can see some people being disappointed with the quick victory for Bryan. He is the champ and the champ has to look somewhat credible as WM approaches. At the same time, you don't get too much of a rub for defeating the comedian. Santino would get a chance to redeem himself in the Battle Royal. I probably should've mentioned that the losers of the chamber matches are competing in the rumble. It's the Loser Royal. 

Match #5: Kelly Kelly and Aksana vs Bella Twins

Very short match. Bellas do the switch out and pin Aksana. Not sure why Aksana is wearing something that you probably wear on a honeymoon, but whatever works. There's your fan service for the night. 

Winner via pinfall: Bella Twins

Cena comes out for more attention. Unlike the opening, this one was actually good. Cena comes out to talk about the Rock. He calls the Rock a fake since he left this business for Hollywood. He said he used to like the Rock, but says he would never leave this business. Cena even said that his movies were pretty bad, but he's happy being himself. Well, at least he's self-aware. Cena says Rocky only came back for publicity and Cena fights for the people who want to remain a pro wrestler. Cena informs the fans they should enjoy this as much as they can, because he will defeat the Rock and he will stay with this company.

This was an amazing promo by Cena. He seemed to get away from the typical Cena and showed something real and powerful. Cena always has the ability to cut these type of promos, but they just don't come around as often as they should. The promo felt so real and passionate. I definitely recommend checking it out. I just gained a lot more respect for Mr. Breakfast Cereal. 

Match #6: Battle Royal; #1 Contender for WWE Championship 

CM Punk came out in his John Madden jacket to do some commentary. BOOM!!! Punk's commentary was pretty fun. This was an okay match, but it did seem a little sloppy. There are a few things to report. Khali lasted about 2-3 minutes in this match. This seems to be Khali's identity. There was a rather serious moment during Dolph's elimination. Show had Dolph over his head and tossed him out of the ring. Wade and Truth caught Dolph, but it appeared that Wade was in lots of pain after the catch. The medics would arrive and take Wade out of the arena. I've heard several reports that Wade has a dislocated elbow, but I also haven't heard anything as of yet on WWE.com. It looked pretty painful since Wade was screaming in pain. A lot of internet reports are talking about how Show made a botch here. I don't really consider this a botch. I think of it as more of a freak accident. Show tossed Dolph over the ropes, while Truth and Wade were supposed to catch him. It just looked like any other spot, but something just went wrong. If there's anything Show really screwed up on, he probably threw Dolph too hard. I thought that Dolph was hurt, but that didn't appear to be the case. That's a positive. The only thing I can say is I wish Wade a speedy recovery and I hope he gets good news. The SD roster is already pretty thin, so this doesn't help at all. We will see what happens. The finish comes when it's down to Jericho and Show. Jericho starts to get him over, but Rhodes (who has already been eliminated) comes over to screw over Show. Jericho wins the match and will face off against Punk. This doesn't come as a surprise since this has been teased for the last month. After the match, Punk wants a handshake from Jericho, but he declines. Now that the match is official, it will be interesting to see what the two have to saw towards one another. Here's the order of elimination. 

Khali by everyone

Miz by Kofi and Truth

Wade by Santino

Truth by Santino

Dolph by Show

Kofi by Jericho

Santino by Rhodes

Rhodes by Show

Show by Jericho and Rhodes

Winner and NEW #1 Contender to WWE Title: Chris Jericho

Overall Impression:

I would say this was a passable episode of Raw. The show got off to a rocky start. The intro was……Just disturbing. Eve has completely lost her mind. Maybe it's the C O N…..Uh, spiracy. The first hour was pretty rough, but the second hour was pretty good. The Taker/Trips scene was good, despite the fact the audience was a little disrespectful. Cena delivered a damn good promo and things are getting lined up for WM. I don't think this was a great as last week, but it was decent. The show was not put on for wrestling action. The in-ring quality was lacking tonight, but they do need to start the build up with the rest of the WM card. In the next few weeks, expect other rivalries to begin. This might not be a night for wrestling action, but the storytelling was pretty good while the promos were interesting. Sometimes, that's more important than the actual wrestling match. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Smackdown will be live tomorrow night. That could be interesting. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. 

WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 Review

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Elimination Chamber 2012. How did the PPV measure up as we get closer to WrestleMania? Let's find out and start the review. 

Match #1: CM Punk vs Chris Jericho vs Miz vs R-Truth vs Dolph Ziggler vs Kofi Kingston; Elimination Chamber match for WWE Championship

We open up with the Raw EC match. Really? Don't you think this type of match should be reserved for the main event? The first thought I had when I saw this was there was going to be some type of surprise. Did we get a surprise or not? I will get to that a little later in the review. Regardless, I would've put this match in the main event since it had the most stock going into it. As you already know, Jericho was the #6 entrant for this match. Jericho, Dolph, Truth, and Miz were in the pods for this match, meaning Punk and Kofi will start off the match. Interesting way of starting the chamber match. I kinda like it since it puts Kofi in the spotlight. It seems like WWE wants to try something with Kofi, and putting him up against the champ is not a bad thing to do. Kofi is looking like Super Mario in that ring. He's jumping all over the place. Let's-a-go!!! Dolph was the third entrant in the match. I like the spot were Punk and Kofi did a double cross body. Instead of a meeting of the minds, it was the meeting of the cross body. Truth would be the next entrant. Punk hits the Flying Elbow on Truth and the crazy man is out of the match. Truth lasted about 3-4 minutes in the actual match. When you have a match that's over 30 minutes long, that's kinda sad. Let's us have a moment for Truth……..Okay, that's enough. Kofi went on that cage like Spider Man and hits a jumping DDT. Kofi Man, Kofi Man. Does whatever a Kofi Man does. Oh, that's just terrible. I apologize for that. Anyway, Miz and Jericho eventually get into the match. Jericho hit the Codebreaker on Dolph, thus eliminating him. Jericho gets Kofi to tap out to the Walls of Jericho. After Kofi's elimination, Jericho decides to kick Kofi around a little more. Just as Kofi is about to leave, Jericho again punishes Kofi. What, did Kofi eat Jericho's dog? What did he do to deserve this? I guess Jericho is more of a Joker fan. Just as Jericho is taunting Kofi near the cage door, Punk kicks Jericho in the head. Jericho ends up falling out of the cage and into the cameraman. Jericho is down on the outside while the medics attend to Jericho. Jericho would not compete for the rest of this match. Based on how Jericho kept assaulting Kofi, this had to be planned. I have more thoughts on this spot, but let me wrap this up first. Because of the Jericho "injury", it's down to Miz and Punk. Miz almost pulls off a miracle by hitting Skull Crushing Finale, but he can only get a two count. Overall, this was a good match to open up the action. I wouldn't say it was one of the better EC matches, but it was entertaining to watch. Not sure if I can say this was the best match of the night. The finish comes when Punk hits the GTS and Punk retains the title. 

It was at this moment that I expected Jericho to get back in the ring and steal the title, but that wasn't the case. I can see some people being disappointed with the Jericho spot, but here's my thoughts on it. By taking Jericho out of the match, it only fuels the Punk/Jericho rivalry. Jericho's argument can be Punk proved nothing at EC since Jericho never lost and Punk got a tainted victory. Think about it? They are saving the real Punk/Jericho match for WM, so there's no need to give away too much tonight. Punk looks strong since he lasted over 30 minutes in the chamber and retained his title. Jericho also doesn't look weak because he never lost the match. The other thing with the Jericho spot is I thought they would book Punk vs Jericho for tonight, but that would make no sense since they should save the actual match for WM. It's the best in the world vs the best in the world and what he does. The winner will be the best……In the world……Hopefully……Er, I don't know. Punk vs Jericho should be good. So good……so very very good……

…..Um, sorry. 

Winner and still WWE Champion: CM Punk

Backstage where Santino Balboa is training for the EC match. He eats raw eggs and struggles to keep it down. Did anyone notice they were using Eugene's entrance music for these bits? Just something I wanted to point out. Santino would do these Rocky bits for the rest of the night. Yo, Adrian!!! There was a video package of John Cena training with local FCW talents. That was nice of him. Then again, I wouldn't get too caught up in bench pressing 575 pounds. I mean…..Look at Ezekiel Jackson? Hell, I just wish I can do something that cool. 

Match #2: Beth Phoenix vs Tamina; Divas Championship

It's amazing how the divas actually look like competitors on PPV, but then deliver one minute matches on Raw and SD. The wrestling logic is strong with this one. Beth was wearing Rowdy Roddy Piper…..Um, trunks? Well, they really weren't trunks. They were more like…..Underwear. Um….Let your imagination run wild. Anyway, Beth was paying tribute to Piper. That's interesting since one of Piper's rivals was Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. The two actually created one of the more famous spots in pro wrestling history when Piper smashed a coconut over Jimmy's skull. At least he didn't smash his face with an iron. Still, I like that trip down memory lane since you can make the argument that Beth was doing this to piss off Tamina. Tamina and Beth delivered a pretty fair diva's match. Tamina hit the Superfly Splash, but could only get a two count. The finish comes when Beth hits the Glam Slam and Beth continues to dominate the diva division. The booking made sense. Besides, they didn't make Tamina look bad. They made her look like a strong up and comer who just simply got beat by the better person. I hope they touch base with this rivalry since this match wasn't too bad and can do something even better. 

Winner via pinfall and still Divas Champ: Beth Phoenix

Backstage where Santino was in a meat locker room. Just like Rocky, Santino starts punching a chunk of meat. He hit the Cobra on the meat. Santino sure likes to beat his meat…. 

Oh, come on!!! They set me up for that one. 

We are back in the ring with John Laurinaitis and David Otunga. Roboinaitis talks about how Teddy Long is not doing a very good job as the SD GM and wants to be the GM of both shows on a permanent basis. Alberto Del Rio arrives and says Teddy likes to play favorites and is a piece of trash. Did I mention Del Rio made his return tonight? Are you excited? Of course not, but how can you be exciting when you're standing next to Mr. Excitement? That's just not fair. Mark Henry comes out and talks about how Teddy physically assaulted him. Wait, what? So, you're telling me that Teddy Long, a guy who weighs about as much as a paper weight, physically assaulted this grizzly bear? That kinda makes no sense. I understand what they're trying to say, but it's funny and mind blowing. Christian also makes his return and also seems to support Johnny Five. I'm disappointed with Christian tonight. Not because of his appearance, but because he didn't say what we want him to say. ONE MORE MATCH!!! If they printed that on a T-shirt, I would totally buy it. The announcement is nothing exciting, but it does show a bit of a power struggle that could be brewing between the current GMs. Not sure how they are going to move about this storyline, but we will see how it goes. I'll keep an open mind about this. With a robot and lawyer involved, how can it possibly go wrong? By the way, what's with Laurinaitis and picture time? That thumbs up was so stupid that it's hilarious. 

Santino's running up the imitation Rocky steps. Did anyone else expected Santino to fall down the steps after he ran them? What goes up, must come down. 

Match #3: Daniel Bryan vs Big Show vs Wade Barrett vs Cody Rhodes vs Great Khali vs Santino; Elimination Chamber match for WHC

Based on the fact this match is next, that means the Cena/Kane match will be the main event. I really have to question the WWE on that choice. I realize Cena is the face of the company, but it would've been smarter to have the Raw chamber match end the show. He's going to main event WM, so he doesn't need the main event tonight. Whoever designed the order of matches for tonight's PPV had to be completely high. Is Jeff Hardy around? Anyway, Bryan, Khali, Rhodes, and Santino are in the pods, so Show and Wade start off the match. I thought the SD chamber match started off pretty slow. Strangely enough, I thought the second Santino got in was the second the audience started to care about this match. Yeah, so nobody wanted Santino in this match? That didn't seem to be the case. Rhodes was the third entrant and Santino was the fourth. Khali got in next and starts kicking ass. He's chopping away. He's kicking people. He's pushing people around. He…….Just got Speared by Show and is already gone. Well, that was a short reign of terror. That Five Hour energy drink is full of s***. After Khali's elimination, Show goes over to Bryan's pod and starts to climb it. Oh my God, it's King Kong all over again!!! Show actually breaks open the top of the pod and actually gets inside the pod. Well, that's really fair? Still, I admit it was pretty cool to watch that spot. As soon as the timer allows for Bryan to escape, he does. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as Show would shot-put Bryan through the chamber pod. Wade and Cody work together to take out Show. Two eliminates and two giants are already out of this match? Being big is overrated. As soon as Cody pinned Show, Santino gets a rollup on Rhodes. After the elimination, Cody hits Cross Rhodes on Santino and finally leaves the match. Wade almost takes advantage, but Santino kicks out. The closing moments of this match were pretty good. The match started off pretty rusty, but it eventually started to pick up. This actually might've been the best match of the night. Santino looked good out there tonight. It was almost a "feel good" moment for Santino, despite many people not liking the idea of Santino competing in this match. Wade goes for a flying elbow on Santino, but misses. Bryan follows it up with a flying head-butt. With Bryan recovering, Santino actually gets the pinfall on Wade. Give Bryan the assist for that elimination. I'm telling you that the terrible entrance theme is a curse on Wade. Either get someone else to sing the song or get a new song. It doesn't fit Wade. Then again, maybe they don't care what you think of me. Haha, see what I did there? It's down to Bryan and Santino. The crowd is pulling for Santino and really wants to see the miracle of miracles come true. Santino actually hits the Cobra on Bryan, but he can only get a two count. Bryan immediately goes into the Le Bell Lock. It seems like Santino might be able to escape, but the hold was too much. Santino taps out and Bryan is still the WHC. After the match, Sheamus showed up and hit Finlay's Celtic Cross on Bryan. Or as I like to call it, the Celtic Plunge. 

Okay, so the first thing I want to address is the ending to the match. I remember someone talking about the possibility of Santino and Bryan being the final two competitors in the match and how Bryan would get the submission victory. Who in the world said that?

Previously on the WrestlingNerd show,

Smackdown Review 2/17/12

The other reason I'm not angry about this move is because it opens the door for Daniel to win this match in a better fashion. I can actually see a scenario where it's down to Bryan and Santino. The crowd is really pulling for the goofy guy, but Bryan ends up beating him with the Le Bell lock. Thus, Bryan is still WHC and continues to brag about how awesome he is.

That's right. I actually wrote this in my Smackdown Review. The first thing I want to do is this…

Okay, I've had my fun. Don't worry. I don't have that much of an ego, but people might have thought I was being unrealistic when I thought on that option. Bryan hasn't won a lot of matches via pinfall or submission since he became the champion. He's mostly bragging about his DQ victories, but they finally gave Bryan a decisive victory. Does it make him look strong? No, not really. In fact, Bryan looks like he got lucky since the cards lined up for him and Santino just happened to be the final superstar in the match. I know a lot of people want Bryan to get better victories, but he's the bad guy. His character is supposed to take the easy route and come off as a weasel. That's his character. As for the Sheamus/Bryan deal at the end, it appears we got our answer as to whom Sheamus would challenge. It really doesn't come off as a surprise since Punk/Jericho has been teased for the last few weeks. Oh, and Santino was the #1 topic on Twitter during this match. Yeah, nobody wanted him in the match? Yeah, I don't buy that argument. Santino's the underdog, and we love underdogs. He's also a goofy underdog, so it's easier for people to latch onto him.

Winner and still WHC: Daniel Bryan

To save time, I'm not going into detail on this scene. Here's a short version. Hornswoggle's eating cheese. Natalya cuts the cheese. Justin Gabriel finds his friend, Jack Swagger comes out just for the sake of being a douche. Jokes are exchanged. Hilarity is around, but crickets are chirping. Teddy makes it Swagger vs Gabriel for the US title. Swagger and Vickie Guerrero hate Teddy while Teddy seems to like the idea of being the GM of both shows. The farting deal is just ridiculous. In fact, it's redonkulous. It just reached a new level of…..somethinglous? Is that even a thing? I was feeling it?

Match #4: Jack Swagger vs Justin Gabriel; US Title match

This was the filler match for the night. It was brought in at the last moment and it just there to eat up the clock. To be fair, this was a fair match to watch. At the same time, I can see you not giving a crap about this one since it came out of nowhere. Swagger gets the Ankle Lock on Gabriel and Jack retains his title. I'm waiting for Kurt Angle to go on twitter and talk about how Swagger is mocking him. Then he will claim his twitter got hacked or some other bs. Seriously, don't be surprised if this happens. The US title has really lost a lot of steam ever since Zack Ryder dropped it. It's like they wrote up this plan to give Ryder more screen time, but completely forgot about the belt. Well….At least the champ looked impressive tonight. 

Winner via submission and still US Champion: Jack Swagger

Match #5: John Cena vs Kane; Ambulance Match

As I already said tonight, this was not a good choice for the main event. It would've made a lot more sense to roll with the Raw chamber match as the main event. This was a slow match. I'm not sure what it is, but Kane and Cena seem to lack chemistry in the ring. Don't get me wrong. The two told a great story with their promos and emotions, but something is off when they have to compete in actual matches. That was another reason to not make this a main event. You should end with some adrenaline fueling action, but Cena and Kane were just slow. It wasn't the worst main event ever, but it was pretty disappointing. I haven't been this disappointed in a WWE PPV main event since the Cena/Miz "I Quit" match. It didn't help that the audience was starting to die down during this match. I guessed they were exhausted over the almost miracle moment of Santino. For the most part, the live audience just wasn't feeling it tonight. I've always said that an electric crowd can really make a difference in a PPV. It just didn't seem like Cena and Kane went all out in this match. I think some of you were expecting them to go insane, but it was very tame. Keep in mind that Cena has a match against the Rock at WM, so they didn't want to overwork Cena too much and risk injury. They took the highroad here and kept their match safe. I'm perfectly fine with that, but that's an even bigger reason to not make this the main event. Okay, enough harping about this stuff, let's talk about the actual match. They fought in the ring and near the ambulance truck. I like how Kane gets a wheelchair and Michael Cole says it's Kane main weapon. How? He's used a wheelchair once. Remember? Kane shoved Ryder off the entrance ramp. Everyone was going, "WHEEEEEEEEE"? Oh, never-mind. I like the spot where Kane hit Cena with what looked like a laptop computer. It's like Kane was saying, "Tweet this!!!". That should be the name of a finisher. Kane hits Chokeslam through the Spanish Announce table. Take a look at the Spanish announcers. I bet they are saying, "Oh, here we go again", since they move away so effortlessly. Kane gets Cena on a stretcher. It's the Cena surfboard. COWABUNGA!!! Kane is about to win the match, but Cena fights out of it. They end up going on top of the ambulance truck. Cena hits Attitude Adjustment off the truck. He finally puts Kane in the truck and the match is over. Cena wins the match and it seems that the cub scout has overcome the hate once more. 

I can see a lot of people not being happy with this move because most people were thinking Cena would turn heel. I've said from the beginning that Cena would most likely NOT turn heel during this storyline. In fact, I can see a scenario where Cena finally turns heel at the end of WM, but I still don't see it happening. WWE just profits too much from the current Cena. Not to mention that Cena gets more boos than some of the heels on this show, so why change him? I think this whole thing was written in order to give Cena something to do between late last year and now. Cena needed to win this match since he has the Rock coming up, so the booking made sense. In that aspect, I'm not disappointed since I really didn't expect any major  change out of Cena. At the same time, I don't think we are out of the woods on this whole "Cena embracing the hate" deal since the Rock will start show up and he might start bringing this up. I guess we will wait and see what they got planned as we move forward. 

Winner: John Cena

Overall Impression:

This was a mixed bag PPV. There was moments that were entertaining and fun, but there was some moments where the flow just dragged and lost its excitement factor. The chamber matches were fun, but I've seen better chamber matches. Still, the chamber matches were exciting and interesting to watch. Santino proved a lot of people that he CAN work in the ring and you can make a strong argument of Santino being the MVP of tonight's show. This is a PPV that will get a mixed opinion. Some people will like it and some people will hate it. I thought it was right between the average/slightly above average territory. My score for WWE Elimination Chamber is a 6 out of 10. I give this PPV the slightly above average score. There was some decent action and progression of storylines tonight, but the presentation of the matches and the lackluster main event can really make you think twice about this show. This is a PPV I don't recommend ordering. I would say a DVD rental is better suited for this show. I was going to give this show a 5 out of 10, but the story being told in the chamber matches did raise up my spirits a bit. Still, this was an average performance by the WWE and I can consider that a disappointment. I was kinda expecting some type of special surprise like a late entrant, a return, or a fresh storyline. There was returns, but they were only there to give a bro fist to Roboiniatis. They did address a new Laurinaitis storyline, but it's too early to judge. It could be good, but who really knows. Definitely one of the weaker WWE PPVs I've seen in a while, but at least it was better than Against All Odds. Then again, a dump truck of garbage is more entertaining than Garett Bischoff. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. 

WrestlingNerd's Official Score of WWE Elimination Chamber 2012: 6 out of 10

WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE Smackdown Review 2/17/12 (Son a ma gun!!!)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Smackdown 2/17/12. I'm not gonna lie. I was originally going to skip out on this review and do an Elimination Chamber Rundown, but recent events on SD have forced me to talk about this episode. I will talk about EC after the review is over, but I won't go into as much detail if it was a rundown. Without further delay, let's begin the review. 

We open up the show with a video package. It turns out that Randy Orton got a concussion from the Daniel Bryan head shot on Raw this past week. Because of this, Randy won't be medically cleared to compete. This most likely has to be a legit injury since it would be kinda silly to take out one of your bigger stars in an important PPV match. Randy isn't having a good year since this is the second time he has to miss in-ring time. Hopefully, Randy can get a speedy recovery and get back in time for WM. Then again, concussions aren't something you can take likely. As Teddy Long informs Randy the bad news, Teddy says security will escort Randy out of the building since he's concerned about Randy's heath and temper. I would make jokes about how Randy looks constipated in this shot, but I will let it slide. He's been through enough this week. We will get informed a little later in the show that there will be a Battle Royal to determine Randy's replacement in the EC match. I know people want me to talk about that, but I will save that for when the time comes. 

Match #1: Big Show and Great Khali vs Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes

This was a short match. The finish comes when Show Choke Slams Wade for the clean victory. Wade has yet to win with that new entrance theme. It's a trap!!! After the match, Show punches Khali. Did you listen to that punch? Damn, that was a solid sound. 

Backstage scene where we see Mark Henry show up. He tells Teddy to do the right thing and put him in the EC match. Show interrupts and says he wants Todd Ingram tonight. Being vegan just makes you better than most people. Yes, I will stop with the Scott Pilgrim references….Maybe. Anyway, Henry proceeds to talk smack to Show. Show ends up KO punching Henry and destroy Teddy's office. Yeah, take that…Um, couch? He also punched the TV. Dammit Show, Teddy still had two more payments on that. So, I guess that means Henry won't be replacing Randy at EC. I actually agree with this. You took him off TV to recover from his injuries. What kind of sense is it if you bring him back in two weeks? Let him heal up and then bring him back when he's ready. Teddy eventually sets out on a mission from God…..Or the Board of Directors, to get the giant out of the building. Since Show is pissed off, he would cause more harm than good. Unfortunately, they off-screened Show leaving the building. Almost makes you wonder why this scene made it on the show. Seriously, why is this here? Whyisthishere…….AHHH!!!

Match #2: Ted DiBiase vs Hunico

This was a short match. It was similar to their match last week. The finish comes when Camacho lands a cheap shot on DiBiase. Hunico is able to take advantage and gets a rollup victory. Like I said last week, this rivalry seems to be missing something. They just keep going back and forth with the same storyline. Its like they forgot to do actual build-up and storyline progression with these two. They need to go back to the drawing board with this one. I mean, try something different. Have DiBiase act like a homie and trick Hunico and Camacho. Have DiBiase steal the lowrider bike. Hell, have Hunico and Camacho crash the DiBiase Posse party. Something…ANYTHING!!!

Winner via pinfall: Hunico

Match #3: Usos vs Primo and Epico

The tag division seems to be getting worse in WWE. It seemed like they were getting back on the right track when they created Air Boom, but Evan Bourne couldn't stop being a high flyer and plans had to change. Then again, part of me isn't surprised they just stopped with creating new tag teams. Anyway, this was a decent match. Nothing amazing, but it was fair to watch. The finish comes when one of the Usos goes for the Snuka Splash. Primo is able to counter it by raising up his knees. Primo hits the Backstabber and gets the victory. I'm fine with Primo and Epico as tag champs, but bring them some new competition or build-up actual rivalries. It doesn't really work when it's only the Usos. 

Winner via pinfall: Primo and Epico

Time for Mr. Vegan to cut a promo. Daniel Bryan talks about winning. He's winning because he has vegan blood flowing through his veins. He's actually proud of what he did to Randy and Show and claims they are afraid of him. He also goes on a rant in how he proved the WWE Universe wrong since they had no faith in Bryan. Daniel walks up to Lillian Garcia and wants her to declare Bryan the winner  as a result of a forfeit. Once she does the announcement, Bryan goes around saying, "YES". Teddy comes out and says he found a replacement for Bryan. Out comes Sheamus to challenge Bryan. I have a bit of an issue with this. Sheamus is the Royal Rumble winner and Bryan is the champ. In other words, its like they have giving you a preview of a possible WM match. To be fair, it's not a guarantee that Bryan will still be champion after EC, but I still don't like the idea of giving away the match. Save the real match for the big event, not on an episode of SD. They didn't give away too much with the match, but that's what tag team matches are for. It kinda bothers me for some reason, but I guess it isn't the worse thing in the world. 

Match #4: Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus

This was a fair match. The finish was kinda odd. There was a moment where Bryan was making Sheamus angry. The ref was having a hard time restraining Sheamus. That wasn't the strange part. The real strange part was Bryan did a motion to Sheamus, then the camera cut away to an audience member, then the camera is back in the ring where Sheamus is even more out of control. Based on how it was edited, I almost think that Bryan flipped off Sheamus. In that case, it would make sense for WWE to not show it on TV. Still, I would like to know what really happened. Maybe Bryan pulled down his pants? Either that or he was dancing? Anyway, the ref disqualifies Sheamus and Bryan is still winning. That vegan blood is no joke. If these two lock it up at WM, consider this match as an early preview for things to come. 

Winner via DQ: Daniel Bryan

Match #5: Jinder Mahal vs Ezekiel Jackson

Did a Superstars match randomly make it on SD? It was just odd for this match to make it on the show. They are either planning something for Jinder or they really ran out of ideas. The match was pretty boring. Then finish comes when Jinder makes Zeke tap out with the Camel Clutch. All that muscle and he still can't win. This guy needs to think of another career option. WWE Superstar isn't working for you, Zeke. It's rumored that the more Zeke's muscles increase, the more personality he loses. Remember, it's just a rumor…..Started by me!!! Muwhahahahhaha. 

Winner via submission: Jinder Mahal

Match #6: Tamina and Alicia Fox vs Beth Phoenix and Natalya

I think this was the first time outside of PPV that I saw a diva match last longer than one minute. A new record!!! Natalya was mostly in this match. There was a moment where she had the Sharpshooter applied on Alicia, but the ref had to back away because Natalya farted during the match. If the farting deal is making it into wrestling matches, I guess that means they are going somewhere with it. At the same time, how much can you really do with just farts? This farting thing is kinda stupid….And embarrassing. Tamina gets tagged into the match, hits Snuka Splash, and pins Natalya for the nine-millionth time. After the match, Beth tries to get a cheap shot on Tamina, but she scouts it. She about to hit a second Snuka Splash, but Beth gets out of the way and retreats. Hopefully, this rivalry will last longer than one match. They really should roll with this one for a while. Not sure if you want Miss Pull My Finger at this moment in time. 

Winner via pinfall: Tamina and Alicia Fox

Match #7: Wild Card Battle Royal; winner is the sixth participant in the SD Elimination Chamber match

There was a scene in which John Laurinaitis arrived and put in the most charismatic guy he can think of, David Otunga, into this battle royal. Seriously, THIS is you ace in the hole? I honestly wouldn't expect any less from Mr. Excitement. The rules to this match is anyone from Raw, SD, and NXT were allowed to compete in this match. There was no major stars in this match. A lot of lower to mid card talents involved with this one. I kinda like how they are giving a chance to someone that's a little more hidden, but I also have a couple of theories as to why they did this. In this match, we had Otunga, Zeke, Jinder, Darren Young, Yoshi Tatsu, Derrick Bateman, Tyson Kidd, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Primo, Epico, Heath Slater, Johnny Curtis, Titus O'Neil, Percy Watson, Camacho, Hunico, Ted DiBiase, Michael McGillicutty, Curt Hawkins, Santino, Drew McIntyre, Justin Gabriel, Tyler Reks, and Alex Riley. Holy crap, I need to catch my breath……..Okay, I think I'm good. I may have left out a name or two, but I think I got the majority of participants. I won't go into the elimination order, but I will talk about a few interesting moments. Primo actually eliminated his own tag team partner. This probably won't be addressed after tonight, but it could be an interesting spot if they decide to do anything with it. Hunico wanted to get a cheap shot on an already eliminated DiBiase. He ends up screwing himself over as Ted eliminated him. What a dumbass. I also enjoyed the exchange between Gabriel and Primo. It was interesting. I can see a lot of people not liking this match since there was no star power, but I liked it. I thought it was a pretty fair battle royal to watch. Still, I think the interest level for this match would've been a lot better if WWE didn't spoil who won the match on their website. It would've been more of a surprise if WWE didn't announce anything. Then again, that won't stop the internet from talking about it. I wouldn't be surprised if the people who hated this match are the same people who complain about WWE not giving younger stars a chance to shine. Yeah, I just went there. The final four was Santino, Zeke, McIntyre, and Otunga. McIntyre was pretty good in this match and it seemed like the crowd was starting to give him a chance. Then again, time for that cocky nature of Drew to come out. He starts to get a little full of himself and Santino ends up eliminating him. So, it seems Drew is trying to find his identity. I'll admit they tailed off with Drew's storyline, but I don't think they have completely bailed out on it. That's at least what I hope and I'm sticking to it. The final two was Santino and Otunga. Who the hell thought you'd see a main event match between Santino and Otunga in 2012? The finish comes when Santino actually eliminates Otunga and Santino will be in the EC match. I want to point out that Santino was really over with the audience. Despite many people on the internet not liking this move, the casual fans were okay with this. Back in a second. 

Winner and NEW participant in SD EC match: Santino

So, this decision making by the WWE has gotten a lot of mixed opinions. Most of them being negative, while others seem to be fine with it. Regardless, most people aren't happy about a comedy character like Santino being put in a match like this. Now, you have to admit that SD was running out of options. Henry is injured and Christian hasn't been written back to the show yet or is still recovering. There's just a lot of injuries on SD, and kinda makes sense to roll with the majority of what casual fans were pulling for. Still, I realize there are better choices available. Santino is not the cream of the crop and there was better options, but I have a theory into why WWE picked Santino as opposed to someone like Drew or Hunico. I will get to that in a second. I think most people would've rather seen anyone besides Santino get into this match. Here's the thing. While Santino might not sit too well with the hardcore wrestling fans, casual fans (aka: 90% of the wrestling fan-base) actually like Santino. Did you listen to the audience during the match? They were pulling for Santino and they seemed pretty satisfied that the fellow goof ball won this type of match. The other 10% might not like what WWE has done here tonight, but WWE isn't here to please the IWC. Vince has never geared to please those fans since they don't make up the vast majority of revenue. Its casual fans who drive in most of the WWE's business. At the end of the day, the WWE is a business. What's the main goal of a business? To make large amounts of money and succeed. I think WWE just decided to go with the crowd favorite tonight, thus giving casual fans what they wanted to see. As for me, I have mixed views on the move. Was there better choices available? Of course. Was this the worse choice possible? Not at all. They definitely could've picked someone worse. Hell, I think someone like Jinder or Slater would've been a worse choice. Besides, I never thought Santino was that bad of a worker. He's no Eddie Guerrero in a wrestling ring, but he's decent enough to give you a fair match. The reason I'm not bent out the shape with Santino winning is because I try to not take it so seriously. I learn to have fun with it and have come to terms that pro wrestling will have its silly/stupid moments. The other reason I'm not angry about this move is because it opens the door for Daniel to win this match in a better fashion. I can actually see a scenario where it's down to Bryan and Santino. The crowd is really pulling for the goofy guy, but Bryan ends up beating him with the Le Bell lock. Thus, Bryan is still WHC and continues to brag about how awesome he is. Besides, Santino isn't going to win a match like this……At least I don't think they would do that. I'm fine with Santino getting in the match, just as long as he doesn't win the world title. Then again, we'll talk about that after EC. The other theory I see happening is Santino being taken out of the EC match and replaced by someone else. Maybe before the PPV hits the air, we see Santino taken out backstage. Teddy has to make a last minute decision and out comes someone like Alberto Del Rio or Christian. If you had someone like McIntyre win this match, don't you think it would be kinda stupid to have him written off the show like this? Not to mention it wouldn't make much sense. With a comedy character like Santino, it's easier to get away with him being taken out and replaced by a returning star. Just don't throw the book at them just yet. Just wait and see where they are going with this, THEN we can give our complete thoughts into this whole deal. I try to keep an open mind about these things, so I'll wait and see what happens at EC. Damn, that was a mouthful. I didn't think the rant would last that long, but I had a lot of stuff to address since I think some people are blowing it way out of hand. People have the right to be disappointed or angry about the choice, but let's see what they are planning here until we throw the book at them.

Overall Impression:

Regardless of how you felt about the battle royal winner, you have to admit it was a unique episode of SD. Santino won the rumble, which completely comes out of left field and nobody would've predicted that prior to the spoiler being posted. You would think this would be more of a filler show, but that wasn't the case. With Randy's injury, they definitely had to make a couple of changes. I actually liked tonight's SD since it was different and I don't think we will have another finish like that again. Come on? What are the odds that another comedy character who has never been taken seriously will get a shot at a world title? It just doesn't happen very often. That of itself makes this a show worth checking out. I know I'm gonna get a lot of crap for this, but I actually liked tonight's episode. Then again, I have never been the wrestling fan to take it so seriously and I try to have fun with it. This is very similar to how I write my reviews, so I don't think this should come as too much of a surprise to the majority of my readers. The matches were fair to watch and the show had it's moments. Still, I expect to get a lot of crap from the internet with this review. It's a difference of opinion and there's nothing I can do about that. People have the right to be angry with WWE's choice, but I'm gonna wait and see where they are going with this. I still think Santino won't even compete in the actual match, but who knows? At least Santino can tell his grand kids how he was ALMOST a world champion. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. 

-----Oh, I probably should give some thoughts for the EC PPV. The card looks promising, but it can be a little too predictable. Then again, that seems to be a running theme with EC. 

Beth Phoenix vs Tamina for Divas Championship: The rivalry just started and I hope they roll with this for a while. If they want this to continue, it makes sense for Tamina to get a DQ victory and Beth pulls off some shenanigans to keep her title. 

John Cena vs Kane in an Ambulance Match: Not sure if Cena will embrace the hate or not, but it's pretty clear that Cena will win at EC. 

SD EC match: I'm leaning towards Bryan, but I'm expecting some type of curveball with this match. When you have Punjabi giants and clowns in this match, there has to be a surprise in the works. Something along the lines of a surprise return? Strangely enough, this might be the most unpredictable match out of the bunch. Isn't that a good thing? I would think so. 

Raw EC Match: This will come down to CM Punk and Chris Jericho. For the time being, I'd say Jericho will win the WWE title.