WrestlingNerd Presents: TNA Impact Wrestling Review 8/30/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 8/30/12. How do things look this week? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Austin Aries. The champ appears to have an injured arm, but claims he still wants to fight Aces and Eights because good guys ALWAYS like to fight against the odds. Hulk Hogan and Sting come out. Hooray for nostalgia pop!!! As & 8s get on the titantron and claim they will do things on their terms. I find it funny that they had the brawl last week, and you see the same 5-8 members that are the main members of the group. So, who were those other guys? Kings and Sevens? Hey, that gives me an idea……Anyway, this was a pretty basic opening. It was about time A Double makes himself noticeable. If this continued for the guy, he would have to start beating up commentators and demand respect. ODB apparently has been waiting for fried chicken for over the last month. If that isn't the best storyline ever, than I don't know what is. In all seriousness, should we really care about this facade? 

Match #1: James Storm vs RVD; BFG Series

I think RVD might have the biggest ego in pro wrestling. Think about it? RVD starts to gain some momentum, but he just has to point to himself or else he will blow up. This time, the taunt actually killed him, as he ended up rolling into the Last Call Super Kick. Dumb s***!!! With the win, Storm has clinched a spot in the BFG finals. The matchup wasn't too bad. 

Winner via pinfall: James Storm

Match #2: Madison Rayne vs ODB

Pointless match….BAM…..let's move on. Eric Young showed up in a suit and tie. He claims to be a famous Hollywood star now, but she isn't impressed with this. So, he strips down to his underwear and she's fine with this. So, a pointless match ALONG with a pointless storyline. Tune in for more TNA!!! Yeah, I don't even know what to say right now. 

Winner via pinfall: ODB

Hogan and Sting try to intimidate Christopher Daniels and Kaz. Lay down that raspy voice, Hulk. They will defend their titles, and will have to deal with AJ Styles. Yeah, cuz that's worked SO WELL for the past year. Why can't they move past this whole rivalry? I'm fine with slow buildups (In fact, I prefer them to rushed stories), but this is starting to drag. Not to mention that it only got worse during the Claire Lynch deal. 

Match #3: Samoa Joe vs AJ Styles; BFG Series

The match wasn't given a ton of time, but it was interesting to say the least. Joe ended up getting a pinfall victory. I think Joe also got a position in the BFG finals, while AJ is out of the BFG Series. I know people will complain about this, but it was already looking like Styles would be working a match with Kaz and Daniels (Their 400th match during this whole rivalry) at Bound For Glory, so it makes sense to not waste a slot on Styles. Joe still has a chance to take the top spot. It was announced that the top points leader would choose their semi-final match at No Surrender between the three other guys…..and your choice of cake. Seems like a weak reward for being the best, but hopefully they can find other ways to improve this concept. This is still a good idea in my eyes, but there are some things about it that I don't like. 

Winner via pinfall: Samoa Joe

Gut Check. Awwwwwww…..hey, at least Kris Lewie didn't get a contract. It was about time they turned down some of these guys. I personally thought Lewie was the worst that the GC had to offer. After the segment, Joey Ryan showed up in the audience to create a scene. Why don't you just put him in a match against Al Snow or Taz at this point? You're just delaying the inevitable. White Goodman/Ron Burgundy for TNA. 

Match #4: Kurt Angle vs Jeff Hardy; BFG Series

This was a pretty good match, but I find this match funny since nobody seems to remember Kurt being angry at Hardy. Nobody remembers past storylines. We don't take too kindly to that wrestling logic business. The finish comes when Hardy hits the Swanton Bomb for the victory. With the win, Hardy still has a shot to make the cut, while Kurt is eliminated from the series. Bully Ray, RVD, and Hardy are fighting for the final two spots. If it were up to me, I would put Bully and Hardy in the finals. It just seems like a more interesting scenario. Don't worry Rob, you can always point to yourself if you win or lose. 

Winner via pinfall: Jeff Hardy

A Double comes out and calls out As & 8s. I love how A Double isn't "medically cleared" to compete, but Hogan has no problem putting his world champion in danger. Even Hogan can pull out some wrestling logic at his age. Aries wants a fight with one of the members. They bring one of the bigger guys to go against Aries. They start to fight in the ring, but it eventually turns into an all out brawl. Do I have to cue the 60s Batman Theme? It appears that Aries is about to unmask the member, but some random guy gets in the ring, puts on a mask, and takes out Aries with a weapon. So…..did As & 8s recruit the cameraman? Nooooo, not the cameraman!!! We need him!!! So, As & 8s win yet again. I guess you will have to forget about those extra 20 members of the stable from a week ago since they are working for Queens and Sixes. As & 8s have a process to join the main group. Tens and Fives is the junior division for this group. Okay, I've taken this joke as far as I can go. So, it appears the stable is targeting the world champion. At least Aries is finally doing something. I think I should mention that Joseph Parks wants to investigate the stable. So, that whole alter ego thing just seems to be put on hold. In other words, TNA came up with an idea and aren't sure what else to do, which is why the Joseph Parks character is in limbo. Why do they keep saying "kayfabe"? I think they do it so they can make smarks cream in their pants for finally getting noticed on television. 

Overall Impression:

While I wouldn't call this an amazing show, it wasn't that bad in the process. This definitely made up for last week's show. The matches were better this week and I think they progressed things decently….at least within reason. Things in the BFG Series got clearer this week, so they set up next week's show nicely. They also took out the world champion again, meaning that As & 8s is holding all the cards at this moment…..BOOOOOO!!! Well, they are? Not a groundbreaking show, but this can be slightly entertaining if you give it a chance. Now that I liked something about TNA's show this week, cue those WWE vs TNA fanboy comments. It's never late!!! That's gonna 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 8/27/12 (Are you suppressing anger?)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Raw 8/27/12. What madness happens this week? Let's get this over with and find out. 

We open up the show with Jerry Lawler. He demands an apology for getting kicked in the head last week. CM Punk arrives and apologizes….for Jerry getting a BS ticket in the Hall of Fame and for being a shell of what he used to be. Lawler starts to get angry, but Punk reminds him that if he went up against him, that he would embarrass him. Punk leaves the ring, but not before Lawler says he will think about it. Lawler looked like a bitch during this segment, but that was the idea. For the rest of the night, we would have Lawler think about if he will accept the match or not. This is like the Lawler/Miz deal. Just substitute the Miz, slap Punk in there, and…..there you go. Instant "new" feud. Oh, what a joy. 

Match #1: Ryback vs Jack Swagger

It turns out Swagger is still alive, but now it's time to kill him off again. Swagger wants to tap into the Konami Code to get another chance on this show. Shell Shock for the victory. 

Winner via pinfall: Ryback

Match #2: Layla vs Natalya

Vickie Guerrero was at ringside waiting for this match to end. Layla wins with a kick to the head. After the match, Vickie wants Layla to leave so she can complain about AJ's job. AJ arrives and gives her a crazy bitch slap. Part of me was wondering why this made it on the show, and I think I came up with something. WWE wanted to prove that a slap/cat fight is more eye popping than an actual diva match. Think about it? Nobody cared about the match, but the audience wakes up for the mini-brawl. Not only that, but you have Vickie yawning during the actual match. You may think I'm crazy, but it all fits. 

Winner vía yawning: Layla

Umm….Can we have a full three hours dedicated to Daniel Bryan? He's seriously the best character to watch in the wrestling world. I'm gonna go ahead and talk about all these anger management segments at once. Bryan is angry over the goat mask, complains about his boss, and Kane is having to join him for anger classes. I find this hilarious since Kane is wearing the predator mask. Do you ever wonder if Kane goes everywhere in that mask? I'm just imaging the guy buying a gallon of milk in that mask, or making a deposit at the bank. It's just a funny little imagine I see. Kane was also hilarious during this segment. I loved it when he told his past history of destruction. I was already LOLing, but that Pete Rose line sent me over the edge. This was the funniest segment of the night. I want a whole episode showing these anger management courses. Best segment of the night.

Match #3: John Cena vs Miz

There's those five moves of doom again. Ahhh, get some more toilet paper!!! Cena wins yet again. Why put the IC title on Miz if he isn't going to have anyone to challenge him consistently? I don't mind Miz being the IC champion, but I want to see other people chase after the IC title. In fact, this has been happening a lot lately with the mid-card champions. Part of the reason people are losing interest with these titles is because they aren't putting a lot of investment into it……until it's time to make another title change. I'm sorry, but WWE can be quite lazy with the IC and US Championship. 

Winner via super powers: John Cena

Match #4: Heath Slater vs Santino

There was a boring chant during this match. Maybe casual fans are growing tired of Santino? The match ends with the Cobra sees Aksana, but is still able to execute the finisher for the victory. Once again, the Cobra is infatuated with Aksana. Take away the sock and it's Santino's right hand that's in-love with Aksana. His right hand? I don't even know what to say towards that. Ummm…..That's some good PG entertainment for you….

What's going on? 

Winner via BOING: Santino

Match #5: Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes vs Brodus Clay and Sin Cara

Damien might have found somebody to carry a conservation with, but too bad he wasn't able to help him win this match. Brodus hits Funk It on Cody for the victory. I think this pretty much proves that Cody has lost all momentum at this point…..You're welcome. 

Winner via pinfall: Brodus Clay and Sin Cara

Match #6: Daniel Bryan vs R-Truth

Bryan was starting to show some progress with his anger, but ends up getting distracted when Truth gets a 'Yes' chant going on. Bryan ends up getting into an argument with the audience, which leads to a countout victory for Truth. Where's Jack Nicholson when you need him? 

Winner via countout: R-Truth

Triple H comes out and talks about his career. I did forget to mention that throughout the night, they were showing various clips of Trips' career. Trips claims he didn't want to become one of those guys that stuck around longer than he should've. In other words, he didn't want to end up like a Hulk Hogan. ZING!!! Trips thinks he could beat Brock Lesnar, but isn't sure he can. He doesn't really announce his retirement, but did seem to hint it. He thanked the fans for sticking by him all these years. If you listen carefully, you can hear the IWC getting ready to complain. So, this scene doesn't really indicate Trips retiring, but setting up his next storyline. It's really hard to determine at this point. I will just say this. If it's his next storyline, we will see where they go with this. If this really is the end, Trips had a good career at the end of the day. I know the IWC has hated the man for years, but I think the man has done some good things for the business. 

Match #7: Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio vs Randy Orton and Sheamus

I love how nobody seems to care that Jericho has been "fired" this time around. Its like everyone knows he will be back next year. Anyway, Sheamus hits Dolph with the Brogue Kick for the victory. So far, none of these matches have really stood out tonight. 

Winner via pinfall: Sheamus and Randy Orton

Match #8: Zack Ryder vs David Otunga

Don't worry, King. In other to harness the power of Cena, all you need to do is put a giant "S" on your T-shirt and you're good to go. Kane came out and was on commentary for this match…..If that's what you want to call it. He just stood there and said nothing. Josh Matthews ran away, while Michael Cole was getting the silent treatment. Ryder actually won a match. All that education and muscle and Otunga can't beat a goofball. I don't know if I should laugh or……laugh harder. After the match, Kane starts to choke out Ryder, but decides to hit the Chokeslam on Otunga. I guess Kane had a slight change of heart. Thanks, Mr. Rodgers. 

Winner via pinfall: Zack Ryder

Match #9: CM Punk vs Jerry Lawler; Steel Cage match

At least the Raw Interactive was a little more open this time around, but you had to figure that the cage match would win. Punk finally gets himself a main event match on free television and it's against a 60+ year old man. Well, that's one way to make it happen. This was the longest match of the night, but it isn't what I would call amazing. Then again, I have to be fair since the age difference was a big factor. I think considering King's age, this match was acceptable. Punk wins with the Anaconda Vice. After the match, Punk gets a lock and locks the door, thus preventing people on helping King. Or, you could just lift up the cage door. What, is the button not working? Punk continues to attack, but Mr. Breakfast Cereal is here to save the day. You gotta love that wrestling logic. Cena arrives and wants King to get free. I'm surprised Cena didn't rip open the chains himself, right before drinking a glass of milk. Then again, that's probably the next "got milk" commercial. Just as the cage door is lifted, Punk retreats. It was also announced that Punk vs Cena will happen at Night of Champions. I love how Cena claimed he wouldn't say Punk is the best to get a title match. Well, he doesn't say it and he still gets a title match? I know its more wrestling logic, but I just find this hilarious. Yeah, they really want you to hate Punk after tonight, but I still like the guy. Yeah, they are forcing his heel turn and he isn't quite as cool as anti-hero Punk, but this beats face Punk by a long shot. Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of Lawler. Oh, did I just say that outlaid? 

Winner via submission: CM Punk

Overall Impression:

While the match quality wasn't really there this week, I did enjoy a couple of things. The anger management segments were the highlight of the evening. I'm loving this whole Kane/Bryan deal. This is some funny stuff. The opening promo between Punk and Lawler wasn't too bad, so there was a couple of positives. Unfortunately, these moments are far in between, meaning you will have to watch a bunch of "eh" segments until you get to something good. None of the matches really stood out this evening, some segments were just there, and this wasn't one of the best shows. Anger management was funny, but that seemed to be the only thing I enjoyed, which is very disappointing. I'd say Raw is worth watching for the anger management, but……no, just Youtube the Bryan/Kane segments and save yourself the time. Other than that, everything else was running on filler. You know, you think for getting an extra hour that you would get a lot more development with certain storylines. Well, at least Raw made me laugh tonight, so at least that was entertaining. That's gonna 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 Smackdown Review 8/24/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Smackdown 8/24/12. Yes, this show still exist, so let's review it. 

We open up the show with Randy Orton. By the way, are you aware that his name is Randy Orton? I'm so glad he told me cuz I honestly forgot. Randy's trying to be a bad-ass here, but you know your phoning it in when you want to beat up a guy who says things are half-full. Sheamus comes out and says he wants to have a date with Randy because Alberto Del Rio is a cheap bastard. Booker T is confused by all of this, while Del Rio is pissed off that Sheamus never appreciates him…..I think I hit my head on something. Anyway, Booker makes a #1 Contender match to the WHC. Did you enjoy your opening, fella?

Match #1: Ryback vs Jinder

Ryback must love Indian food. Why else would he keep coming back to Jinder? WWE is trying very hard to turn "Feed me more" into a catchphrase. I want to see this on a T-shirt, but with Ryback eating raw meat on the front of the shirt. Then again, that would be too graphic for this company. Ryback finally takes out Jinder with the Shell Shock. It was a nice starter feud for Ryback, but it's time for him to move on to bigger competition. I hear Ryback has a craving for Japanese food. Well, it was nice knowing you, Yoshi Tatsu. 

Winner via pinfall: Ryback

Match #2: Alicia Fox vs Layla

One thing I forgot to mention was the commentary. Michael Cole would be joined by a guest commentator throughout the evening. Hey, there's only so much Cole you can take in a week. Kaitlyn was on commentary for this bit. Her commentary wasn't riveting and the match was short. Layla wins with a kick. After the match, Kaitlyn and Layla shake hands, but Eve comes out to raise their hands. Why? Because Eve wants to remind you that she's a bitch. 

Winner via pinfall: Layla

Match #3: Sin Cara vs Heath Slater

Cody Rhodes was on commentary for this match. He comes out, turns Sin's mask around, thus resulting in Slater time getting the victory. Sin was really off his game tonight since he had his head on backwards. BOOOOOOOO!!!

Winner via pinfall: The One Man BAAAANNNNND!!!

Match #4: Sheamus vs Dolph Ziggler

Dolph brings up an interesting plot hole. How can the RAW GM have the power to control the SD/WHC MITB briefcase? I'm sure there's some smart-ass answer to this question, but it's easier to point out the wrestling logic. Yes, Booker T. Please book a match that we've seen 5-6 times this year. That's how you think outside the box. Anyway, we are treated to another short match. The finish comes when Dolph uses the briefcase on Sheamus for the DQ. Dolph teases a cash-in, but Sheamus had his John Cena-o's for breakfast, so Dolph decides to wait for another day…..or hour. 

Winner via DQ: Sheamus

Santino comes out and talks about how the Cobra betrayed him at SummerSlam, but he forgives it. Antonio Cesero and…….sigh, that music. I didn't think it was possible, but they managed to give him an even worse entrance theme. Is the sound department even trying anymore? Anyway, Santino fights, but the snake in his pocket seems to be craving Aksana. This allows Antonio to take out Santino. I know it's custom to get a rematch after a title change, but I just want to see Santino move away from the US title picture altogether. I'm sure Zack Ryder needs a buddy to hang out with, so cheer up Santino. 

Match #5: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Primo and Epico

The Prime Time Players were on commentary. I'm just gonna go ahead and say they were the best commentators of the evening. They were hilarious. IWC may s*** on these guys, but I like the PTP. At least they are trying, which is more than what I can about Kofi and R-Forced. Truth hit the Little Jimmy for the victory. I honestly forgot the match was occurring since we had a tag team orgy afterwords. 

Winner via pinfall: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth

In a backstage scene, the PTP mock Kofi and Truth. All of the sudden, the Usos, the Puerto Ricans, and the South Canadians arrive to make their claim at the titles. A brawl breaks out immediately since everyone wants to put their claim as the next #1 Contender. There was no Curt Hawkins or Tyler Reks, but it appears that Reks decided to go back to his old job. To prove that Teddy is just a figure on this show, he has no idea what to do with the tag teams. Eve comes in and gives a detailed list of the teams pros and cons. She also updated Booker's schedule. Hey, Booker needs to know when he has to create the next Tout. Booker is impressed with Eve, while Teddy isn't happy about it. It just occurred to me. How did Eve go from making out with Cena to starting a rivalry with Teddy Long? How do you accomplish that?

Match #6: Randy Orton vs Alberto Del Rio; #1 Contender match to WHC

This was the best match of the night, but it isn't really saying much. In-ring action wasn't bad, but it isn't worth a second look. One thing that surprised me about this match was the outcome. Del Rio won this match with the Cross Armbreaker. That's right. Randy actually tapped out cleanly. Its happened before, but it's still shocking. Apparently, Randy got hit with some kryptonite during that suspension. At least WWE is having Randy earn his way back to the top. After the match, Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez attack Sheamus. Once the dirty work is done, it appears that Dolph is teasing the possibility of a MITB cash-in. Too bad, it turns out Snake Man wasn't completely done. Well, at least Dolph didn't get kicked in the face this go around. Yeah, it wasn't a surprise that Del Rio would get another title shot. In the process, I think they may have opened the door on Dolph/Randy. The match has been done before, but that could be an interesting rivalry if done right. 

Winner via pinfall and OLD #1 Contender to WHC: Alberto Del Rio

Overall Impression:

This episode of SD was….an episode? They established a couple of new things, but a lot of it was padding. I've been noticing that ever since Raw went to three hours, SD has been filler heavy. This is what happens when you put way too much investment into one show, you completely diminish the other show. I realize SD will always be the B Show, but that doesn't mean it needs to be this underplayed. One thing that helps SD is they tend to have better wrestling matches, but they were almost transparent this week. I wouldn't call this a bad show, but it's a show that I wouldn't check out a second time. Well, I better finish this before I get lovable hate mail for this post. That's gonna 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: TNA Impact Wrestling Review 8/23/12 (Open Fight Night = Brain Trauma)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 8/23/12. What sort of shenanigans happen in TNA land? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Sting and crew. They talk Aces and Eights, James Storm not being guilty, and Hulk Hogan. Two members of As & 8s arrive and get their asses handed to them by the TNA guys. They unmask one of the guys and it's revealed to be….Ron Howard (Hey, it was the best I could think of)? What, is the Fonz working for these guys too? Well anyway, the guys reveal that they were getting patched and they are in for a long night. Yeah, so I guess As and 8s put their members through some initiation to join the stable. Well, that was kinda harsh. What's the next test? Having to watch a Nicki Minaj concert? The opening pretty much sets up events for the evening. 

Match #1: Tessmacher vs Tara

They really blew through that whole Madison Rayne/Earl Hebner storyline quickly, don't you think? I know people hated it, but it does show poor planning on TNA's part. Taryn Terrell was the referee in this match…..should I care? I'm sorry, but this whole Taryn/referee deal is just another way to add more fan-service to the show. Speaking of fan-service, more ass-shots of Tara are in full swing tonight. To be fair, TNA is trying something different with the division and not sticking to the norm….To some degree. Tara wins this match with a super-plex. The match was at least tolerable. At least they seem to be hinting at Tara/Tessmacher rivalry. As for Madison, I guess she can get Earl a year supply of Viagra. 

Winner via pinfall: Tara

Match #2: RVD vs AJ Styles vs Robbie E; BFG Series

Pope is out of the BFG Series. Really, cuz I thought he was out of this thing on day 1? Believe it or not, Robbie E actually steals this match. RVD hit the Frog Splash on Styles, but Robbie picked the bones on RVD. Why didn't he just pin Styles? You know what, this actually got a chuckle out of me. I'll give them credit for making me laugh. The match was pretty good and given a large amount of time. I'm actually fine with Robbie getting a victory like this. Both RVD and Styles were in the top four going into this match, so my guess is they have another idea on who will be taking those spots, so it made sense to not give RVD and Styles more points. 

Winner via stealing: Robbie E

Match #3: Jeff Hardy vs Robbie T

Instead of focusing on the BFG Series and guaranteeing that he doesn't make the cut, Hardy calls out Robbie T for screwing him over. Hardy, it was five points, who cares? Just move on with your life. In fact, f*** the world title, I want the five points!!! Hardy wins with a Swanton Bomb. Obvious filler match is obvious. 

Winner via pinfall: Jeff Hardy

OH BOY!!! If you watched the show, then you know that happy times are ahead with this next segment. Styles claims to take responsibility for his actions, while Kaz and Christopher Daniels say Styles is the cause of all the worlds issues. Okay, hold on a minute there. You can't expect me to fly by that and NOT say anything. Styles is the cause of crime and bastard fathers? Yeah, I think these problems were still around BEFORE this ridiculous storyline was ever born, so what in the world are they talking about? You can tell that TNA is just pulling things out of their ass at this point…..BUT WAIT!!! Oh, we haven't even gotten to the REALLY stupid part yet.  Apparently, we find out that Styles passed out via a spiked Cola. That should be the next tagline for Coca-Cola. Drink Coke responsibly, or else you'll get drag into a stupid story. That one made me lose it, BUT WAIT!!! There's even MORE on the horizon. Some bulls*** attorney of Clair Lynch shows up and claims that Styles isn't the father, she was blackmailing Styles because of Kaz and Daniels, ANNNNNND she's not even pregnant. Yeah, you know roundish stomach around Claire? Well, it turns out it was compressed air or a brain fart by the creative staff. I'll buy either one of those at this point. Where was I? Oh yeah……

I can't believe TNA invested eight months on this storyline and THIS is how it ends. This is retarded. This is beyond stupid. This is like…..mega, ultra, super, stupid. I know pro wrestling is very guilty of stupid moments, but this….this…..THIS!!! It was clear that TNA wanted to end everything tonight (Insert dirt sheet bulls*** right here), but this was just f***ing lazy. Well, I think I'm about done here. I think I got it all out of my system and to look at the positives. Think about it? The storyline should be officially over, so that's already a positive in my book. By the way, is it in TNA's blood to hire the worst actors possible?  Another positive with this storyline is Daniels himself. He was the only one that put actual effort into this storyline, and that's why his character looks so twisted and evil. These are some of the best promos Daniels has ever cut, and this is coming from a guy who talked about how Daniels couldn't talk his way out of a paper bag. Give that man some credit. 

Match #4: Chris Lewie vs Gunner; Gut Check

I guess Hogan doing things old school means he decides to bring back the black beard. If this whole Aces and Eights thing leads to another Hogan turn, I think I'm gonna lose it…..again…..maybe…..I don't know, but it won't be pleasant. And we go from one failed concept to another. I thought when they created the Gut Check that these people would get used immediately, not show up 2-3 years from now. If that's the idea, then just keep them in OVW to train. I understand what TNA's doing here, but they need to change the format. Chris looked worse than what's-his-face from the last GC. I'm convinced they found a hobo that wanted some food, slapped a pair of tights on him, and there's your wrestler for the evening. Garbage Man wins with the Garbage Plunge. Gut Check: good idea, but executed poorly.

Winner via pinfall: Gunner

Match #5: Mr. Anderson vs Bully Ray; BFG Series

So, if this was Anderson's last match in the BFG Series and he needed a submission win to have a chance, why didn't he try to win via submission? Assholes huh? More like dips*** if you ask me. Anderson is gonna play this in a conservative fashion and hope people lose points for him to get in, but he looks like a moron at the end of the day. The match was fair, so I'll give them that much. Anderson wins with Mic Check. 

Winner via pinfall: Mr. Anderson

So, it's time for the final segment of the show. TNA locker room is ready, and here come Aces and Eights….

Hey, I think I saw Hogan duking it out with Adam West!!! Wow, you almost forget that Austin Aries is the TNA World Champion. Seriously, for being the world champion, he sure is underplayed. Aries ends up being taken out by Aries with an injured arm. That seems to be the popular, kayfabe injury as of late. I better hurry up before I end up with a broken arm. Yeah, so how did Aces and Eights recruit so many members? I guess the other guys were honey members or just a bunch of mooks. In fact, I thought it was funny that the TNA guys didn't bother to unmask any more members than the guy at the beginning of the show. You know we need that WRESTLING LOGIC. I also find it funny that As & 8s took out Aries and are on their motorcycles in five-seconds. It's like watching really bad editing. So, I'm still convinced that Bully or Bobby Roode have something to do with this stable. Speaking of Bobby, there was no mention of him at all tonight. Reckon, his actions from a week ago indicated that he wouldn't be active tonight, but they could've mentioned it. I think the final five minutes of the show was better than everything else tonight. 

Overall Impression:

I honestly didn't enjoy Impact tonight. While a few matches stood out, there wasn't a whole lot to be excited about. The show got off to an interesting start, but then it got borderline average…..until the Claire Lynch deal. Oh, that was beyond horrific. In fact, you can make a horror film out of that storyline. After those events, everything else was just there. The only thing that stood out from this show was Aces and Eights taking out A Double. I personally thought this wasn't a good show (minus the wrestling), but I'm finding out that I'm the minority in that. The show had decent wrestling matches, but there was a lot of dead spots on tonight's show. I was bored during certain moments of this show. Aces and Eights was making it interesting, but those moments were far in between. Yeah, so it hasn't been one of the best weeks in pro wrestling. It hasn't been bad, but I've seen a lot of missed opportunities this week. Well, I think I pissed off all the TNA fans once again, so I better stop this right now before I get a surprise on my doorstop tomorrow morning. That's gonna 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 8/20/12 (Raw is Filler)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Raw 8/20/12. After the events of SummerSlam, what happens next? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Both guys talk about breaking Triple H and how they forced him to quit WWE. Brock says, "Good job" to referee, Scott Armstrong. That WWE referee plan is bulls***. Paul declares Brock the new King of Kings and the conqueror of the WWE. In other words, Brock thinks of himself as a God. Hmmm…..God in WWE? Something about this sounds familiar. Paul really knows how to cut a promo. I know I've mentioned this before, but boy can he play the part. It was a basic opening that shows the events of the main event and how Triple H is down on himself.

Match #1: Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, and Sin Cara vs Prime Time Players and Cody Rhodes

Remember when Truth used to be bat s*** insane, but in an entertaining way? Now, it's just sad. The match was fair. The finish comes when Sin gets a pinfall over Cody. Once again, Cody was obsessed with removing Sin's mask. He claims Sin's ugly, but wants to remove his mask? If he's ugly, why not just ignore the mask and be grateful? I think he's compensating for something.

Winner via pinfall: Sin Cara, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth 

Match #2: Ryback vs Dead Jobbers

David Otunga wants to help AJ, but ends up getting put into a match. Lawyers really need to learn when to shut up. Yeah, you've seen this match before. Ryback is getting ready for that Shell Shocked, but…..Jinder Mahal interferes? There you go. That makes the rivalry more interesting. Jinder locks in the Camel Clutch, but Ryback powers out. Jinder retreats, but not before King is amazed with the double Shell Shocked. I think King's commentary is starting to give me cancer. I understand that the commentators are fed certain lines, but this is getting sad. 

Winner via DQ: Ryback

Wait, so AJ is gonna book Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler in a rematch with major stipulations? If Jericho wins, he takes the MITB briefcase, but if Dolph wins, Jericho is fired? Why didn't they just do this at the SS if they weren't gonna wait until Night of Champions for a rematch? But-chk,ig-ek-bu-ch-ik-gaaaa!!! Now, I don't hate this idea. In fact, I think it's a great idea…..Best reserved for PPV. It also feels rushed, and you know how I feel about rushed storylines. 

Match #3: Alberto Del Rio vs Randy Orton

Del Rio starts off by complaining, so now he has to deal with Super Snake. Actually, Randy hasn't been so super lately, which shows that he's getting more punishment for the failed drug test. Personally, I don't have a problem with this. Sheamus comes out and does his role model antics. I'm figuring out that Sheamus is supposed to be a rebel/hooligan, which is why he does the things he does. There's nothing wrong with that, but I find it funny to point out since we're encouraged to be a star. Yeah, so Del Rio was about to win this match with the Backstabber…

Carlito: The f***!!!"

Randy had his foot on the rope, but the ref is about to blow the call. Never fear, Super Irishman is here to save the day. You think with all that money, Del Rio would pay off the refs. I wonder if that's WWE next storyline with Del Rio? Randy hits the RKO after Del Rio starts to complain. 

Winner via pinfall: Randy Orton

Match #4: Damien Sandow vs Brodus Clay

I just realized something. People poke fun of WWE's PG rating, and we have a dancing dinosaur….

MY GOD!!! What have we done!!! No wonder Damien wants to rid the world of this. Damien wins with a rollup, thus keeping the rivalry going. Again, he beat Christian cleanly, but struggles against Brodus? Why do I even bother? I want to see more Damien on this show. He really is a breath of fresh air. Brodus takes out Damien and invites kids to sing and dance. I love you, you love me…….What is happening!!!

Winner via elegant rollup: Damien Sandow

Shawn Michaels talks to us via Rock-ellite. He admits that he lied to Triple H and knew that Brock was gonna win the match. He also speculated the end for Trips, but didn't want to say that towards his friend. Regardless, he's proud of his friend and Trips has nothing to be ashamed of. I don't know why, but I pictured Trips sitting at home, counting his money during this scene. Yeah, I don't think Trips has anything to be ashamed of either. 

Match #5: Big Show vs David Otunga

He might have a Harvard degree, but that won't do jack s*** against Show. Big Show PUNCH!!! Worst legal counselor ever!!!

Winner via pinfall: Big Show

Match #6: Kane and Zack Ryder vs Daniel Bryan and Miz

Ryder, you can be on TV this week, but the catch is you have to be Kane's bitch. The match didn't last long and it ended when Bryan gave him a YES! NO! slap. Once Bryan escapes through the audience, Kane completely loses it and destroys Ryder. Kane SMAAAASSSSH!!! I guess this means Kane/Bryan will continue, which I don't have any problems with. 

No Contest

Match #7: Divas Battle Royal; #1 Contender to Divas Championship

For a Diva battle royal, they sure were missing a good chunk of the diva roster. Still recommend for people to just give up on this division. You will save you hair in the process. Hey, WWE isn't putting an effort into it, why should I? Kaitlyn eliminates Eve and she's the new #1 Contender. I was just saying last week that Kaitlyn is somebody they should start using a lot more of on this show. At least they're doing that. That's something, right? The match was pretty sloppy. 

Winner via pinfall and NEW #1 Contender to Divas Title: Kaitlyn

Did you forget that Brock beat Trips last night? Don't worry, WWE will remind you five million times. WWE: Cuz we think you all have the attention span of Jerry Lawler *insert thumbs up*. I love Michael Cole's insult towards Lawler. Homework, what's that? 

Match #8: Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler; Contract vs Contract match

We find out that Brock has left the company….again. Yeah, I'm not buying this crap. I'm really disappointed with WWE here. While the match was good, it wasn't given nearly enough time. Again, this should've happened last night, but somebody wasn't thinking straight. Dolph wins cleanly with the Zig Zag. After the match, Jericho hits the Codebreaker on Dolph and waives goodbye to the fans….again. Jericho is fired. Big deal, Jericho gets fired more than Homer Simpson and George Jetson combined. He'll find a way back…..I think. 

Winner via pinfall: Dolph Ziggler

CM Punk is going to announce John Cena as the new #1 Contender, but wants Lawler to apologize for his 'brilliant' commentary. Punk is taking the spotlight, so time for Cena to steal it once more. Punk is getting tired of taking a backseat towards Cena, Dwayne Johnson, and Trips. Punk wants Cena to claim that Punk is the best in the world to get a title match. UGH!!! Cena says, blah blah blah, good guy stuff, blah blah blah, BUY MY T-SHIRT, blah blah blah, *insert name of city here*, blah blah blah, I will never back down. I said it a while back and I really believe it. Cena has been cutting the same promo for years. There's minor tweaks to it, but it really is the same promo. Yeah, so Cena doesn't bow down to Punk's demands. Punk stands there and does nothing…..UGH!!! Once Cena leaves, Punk gets angry and tells Lawler to tell everyone that he's the best in the world. UGGGGGGGGH!!! CM Punk, what have they done to you? Lawler declines, so Punk takes him out to end the show. Okay, I was started to enjoy this scene, but I watched this a second time and it got worse for me. I even watched it a third time and it gets worse. I said it last night and I'll say it again, why are they forcing Punk's heel turn so much? Just face the facts. Punk isn't gonna be that cool, anti-hero character and is gonna be one of those whiny heels. You know? Those whiny heels that you see from every single heel in the business. Instead of making Punk look like a different character, they've reduced him to be the cookie cutter face/heel. I don't have a problem with Punk playing the villain. In fact, the guy is brilliant at the role, but let him be his OWN heel. Let him have his own motives and not be the cliche heel that you've seen for years. To me, this is a missed opportunity for something great. 

Overall Impression:

I gotta be honest. I wasn't the biggest fan of tonight's show. For a show following the second biggest PPV of the year, you usually have high expectations for new storylines or big follow up. A lot of the show was filler with very little new developments, which is a big letdown considering that SS was last night. The matches were just there and not a whole lot stood out from them. I still wonder why they didn't do the contract vs contract match at the PPV and not waist it on Raw? I wouldn't be surprised if the match was great, but you lose out on most of the match because of commercial breaks. There was a lot of story of Trips possibly retiring, but that was about it. I honestly expected more out of tonight. The opening was very promising, but it went downhill pretty quickly. I feel bad cuz I normally don't get this upset with the product, but there's just been a lot of missed opportunities lately. I better wrap this up before I start to piss somebody off. That's gonna 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 SummerSlam 2012 Review

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE SummerSlam 2012. How did WWE's second biggest PPV of the year turn out? Let's find out and start the review. 

Match #1: Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler

We open up the show with a match, but let's talk about the pre-show before I get complaints. The pre-show featured a US Championship match between Santino and Antonio Cesaro. The match was basic and it ends with Antonio becoming the US Champion. This made the most sense. Santino hasn't done anything with the title for quite some time now. Plus, Antonio is a breath of fresh air with his look and in-ring style, so I think this can be a good thing for the company. Also, Triple H talks to a referee and claims to let him and Brock Lesnar f***….er, I mean, let them fight. And now we get Touts/Twitter post from celebrities…..

One of these days, it's gonna be called Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube present WWE Raw and Smackdown. You watch, that's gonna be the next thing. I found it a bit odd that this match was opening up the PPV. Jericho is selling the injured ribs. Mmmmmmmm……ribs *slap* sorry. The match is very good. Just a flat out, wrestling match. The finish comes when after a ton of counters, Jericho wins with the Walls of Jericho. Now, I can see a lot of complaints happening with this outcome. I know the logical thing would've been for the younger guy to go over here, but they did hint at the fact that Jericho needed this win since his return has been forgettable. Smarks will complain about this all day long, but I'm not gonna shake two s***s over it. What I would like to see happen now is a rematch between these two. I think they can do a whole lot more with this rivalry, so I hope we see a rematch. I might as well get this out of the way. This was personally my favorite match of the night, with the main event a close second. 

Winner via submission: Chris Jericho

Match #2: Daniel Bryan vs Kane

I love how Shawn Michaels is 'injured', but still manages to send out tweets. For some stupid reason, I'm just imagining Shawn typing with one hand. 

Shawn: Don't worry hunny, I gotta let people know what I'm doing this very second. 

Yes, I know his hand isn't really broken. I felt I had to say that or else some smartass would've ruined our fun. This match didn't last long, but it wasn't too bad. I kinda wish they would've given this match more time, but we can't upset Mr. Breakfast Cereal now. Bryan wins this match with a quick rollup victory. One thing I didn't like about this match was the aftermath. Simply put, there really wasn't one. I thought they would've included more like AJ or something. It just feels half-assed in my book. There was something involving Kane, but that was about it. I guess we will find out tomorrow night, but I was left wanting more. After the match, Kane is tapped into his inner Bruce Banner and starts raging in the back. My only theory into Kane being pissed is AJ promised him sex if he won, so he has to find another way to relieve stress. Now I feel bad for Josh Matthews. That totally didn't come out the right way, but I don't care. 

Winner via pinfall: Daniel Bryan

Match #3: Miz vs Rey Mysterio; IC Championship

I'm the Goddamn Mysterio-man. Now I'm really convinced that Rey's gimmick is to endorse DC and Marvel comics. The match was okay. Once again, I felt this was a match that could've been better if it was given more time. After a couple of counters, the finish comes when Miz hits the Skull Crushing Finale for the victory. The ending of the match doesn't really indicate a rematch, so I guess WWE wanted to get this one over with. It really is a shame, cuz I think this can be one of the underrated rivalries. 

Winner via pinfall and still IC Champion: Miz

CM Punk demands respect, while AJ is thinking about…..ponies? Yeah, I'm imagining AJ thinking of "My Little Pony" during this time. It sounds about right. 

Match #4: Sheamus vs Alberto Del Rio; WHC match

What in the world? Okay, so Sheamus decides to take a page out of Austin Powers and use a shoe as a weapon. Sheamus hits a backbreaker for the victory. Del Rio had his foot on the rope, but the referee doesn't see it. To add to the confusion, the ref wasn't sure to ring the bell or not. If you watch, you can see the hesitation by the ref. I guess they wanted to milk another match out of the two. WWE wants you to forget about the Sheamus/Del Rio match at MITB. IT NEVER HAPPENED!!! Yeah, Sheamus is the best role model ever!!! 

Just to clarify, I enjoyed parts of this match, but the finish can be a bit wonky. 

Winner via Be a Star and still WHC: Sheamus

Match #5: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Prime Time Players; WWE Tag Team Championships

Anyone else think Titus O'Neil sounds like a seal? Truth hits Little Jimmy for the victory. Yeah, so WWE continues to have Kofi and Truth as champs. May I ask why? No offense to Kofi and Truth, but this tag team is forced. Reckon, this has happened many times in pro wrestling history, but you usually get something that can define you along the way. I just don't see that with Kofi and Truth. Does that make any sense? 

Winner via pinfall and still WWE Tag Champs: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth

Match #6: CM Punk vs John Cena vs Big Show; WWE Championship match

Wow, not even Cena can help Punk get in a PPV main event. To be fair, Brock and Trips had a lot more buildup than the title match, but it makes you wonder what Punk has to do get in a PPV main event. This match was exactly what I thought. There were moments where it was fine, but it did tend to drag when Show got too much focus. There were a couple of fun moments in this match, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Punk locks in the Anaconda Vice on Show, but Cena applies the STF. Dafaq? Are we splitting the WWE Championship again? Well, AJ comes out, stands there for about five minutes, and restarts the match. Now, pro wrestling has done the whole "restarting a match" deal before, but I find it funny that TNA pulled this stunt at their PPV last week and nobody said anything. Anyway, by the power of Greyskull, Cena hits the AA and…..Punk wins? Hey, I'm not complaining. Punk shows his cunning here, but it really feels that WWE is forcing Punk's heel turn. At the same time, people were loving him after the match. I should note that I enjoyed tonight's audience. It did seem like a more active crowd than previous weeks. Yeah, so I was fine with the outcome. Punk needed this match more than the other two. The finish should guarantee Punk/Cena at the next PPV. WWE made a movie called "The Day". I would comment on this, but the day is almost over. 

Winner via pinfall and still WWE Champion: CM Punk

Match #7: Brock Lesnar vs Triple H

Want to know the best part of the live entertainment? Seeing the Spanish announce team sing along. Seriously, that made my day right there. Oh no, a tornado is coming towards LA….

The rules for this match were all over the place. Trips wanted this one to end via pinfall or submission. Why not just make it a No DQ match? You were headed down that direction already, so what gives? As for the match, it was okay? It wasn't bad, but it didn't seem like the chemistry was there. Brock and Cena had great chemistry and told a good story, but this feels lacking. For a main event PPV match, it delivered, but I guess I was expecting a little more. Is that unfair? After a ton of counters, the finish comes when Brock immediately locks in the Kimora Lock after receiving the Pedigree. IWC will complain about Lesnar no selling this, but I think this makes him look like a bad-ass. I'm personally glad he did it. Trips tries to break out of the hold, but he can't tap into the inner Fruity Pebble inside him, so he taps out. After the match, Brock celebrates his victory, while Trips is receiving medical attention. The show ends with Trips leaving depressed and hinting that this was the end for him. I think this is one of the cases where the events after a match told a better story than during the actual match. Trips seemed to have his spirit broken. Is this really the end of Trips, or will he come back? What about Brock? Do Brock and Paul Heyman take over the WWE after taking out Trips? I think it's these questions that make tomorrow's Raw worth checking out. It will be interesting to see where they go from here. As far as booking goes, Brock needed this victory more than Trips. There's just more potential for Brock winning than Trips. 

Winner via submission: Brock Lesnar 

Overall Impression:

This wasn't the best PPV I've seen, but I wouldn't call it one of the worst. Most of the in-ring action is enjoyable at times, but it's more than wrestling quality that makes a PPV. This is one of the times where the early matches were better than the main events. I'm not saying the main event matches were bad, but more could've been done with them. Personally, I've seen better PPV main events. Another thing that hurts the show is the predictable nature of the show. After tonight, we hardly got any new developments or a swerve/plot twist of some kind. While I do find myself interested in tomorrow's Raw, I think they could've added a defining moment or two to really make this PPV stand out. If you enjoyed the PPV, well, that's all that matters. Personally, I liked certain parts of the show, but more could've been done at the end of the day. On a scale of 1-10 and 5 considered average on here, I have to give WWE SummerSlam 2012 a 6 out of 10, which is considered slightly above average on this page. Tonight's show was another one of those shows where WWE was playing it too safe and not really taking a gamble on something, but that goes back to the swerve/plot twist deal I was mentioning earlier. Well, I guess we will tune in tomorrow night to see the aftermath. That's gonna do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. If you enjoyed any of my ridiculous ramblings, you can check out some of my other work. Come on, you know it's tempting to click those links….

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 SummerSlam 2012: 6 out of 10

WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE Smackdown Review 8/17/12 (Plus WWE SummerSlam thoughts)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE Smackdown 8/17/12. How does the last show look going into SummerSlam? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Alberto Del Rio, or as I like to call him, Alberto "Bradshaw" Guerrero. The ABG demands his world title match and brings up the fact that he was seeking payback for Sheamus stealing his car. Booker T comes out and tells him the match is still off. Hey, Chris Jericho comes out…..why? Anyway, Jericho does a Spanish lesson and claims he deserves a title match after he defeats Dolph Ziggler at SS. I always find it hilarious that Jericho isn't happy about Del Rio's complaints, while Jericho was doing this a few months ago. We aren't five minutes in and we already have WRESTLING LOGIC on this show. Booker BOOKS Del Rio and Jericho in a match. Yeah, that just happened. A pretty basic opening, but not a whole lot to report here. 

Match #1: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs Miz and Cody Rhodes

Cody is still convinced that Sin is ugly. I guess it is a sin. I'm just terrible. The mask connection takes down the……Intercontinental boys? Yeah, I couldn't think of anything better. The finish comes when Cody tries to remove Sin's mask, but ends up eating the 619/splash combo. It was also announced….via twitter (UGH!!!), that Miz will put the IC title on the line against Mysterio at SS. I think it's a great edition to the SS card. Probably a good match to open up the show, but we'll see what happens. 

Winner via masks: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara

Match #2: Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins vs Ryback Zombies 

Reks and Hawkins come out in suits, but start to strip. I guess their previous jobs were Chris Farley impressionist. I guess it's a way for them to get noticed, but it was disturbing. Then again, that's probably the idea. The Chippendale Dudes win this match in quick fashion. I'm not sure about this idea. The male stripper gimmick has been done before and it tends to fail, but I want to be optimistic and see how things go for these guys. 

Winner via stripping: Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins

Match #3: Kaitlyn vs Eve

Eve and William Regal had a funny backstage scene. Regal remembers the days of running Raw, but is now reduced to a garbage man. Well, he is the real man's man. Regal's comedic timing is amazing. Why don't they use him more? Hmmm, I wonder if I forgot something? Anyway, Eve wins this match in quick fashion. This is also something I love in pro wrestling. Kaitlyn could beat Beth Phoenix, but couldn't beat Eve? But-chk-ge-ick-but-ick-gaaaaa…..why do I even bother? I'll just go back to giving up on the diva division. You'll find that it saves time. Oh, I forgot that Eve is now Booker's assistant because of this victory. Should it mean something? Well, the coming weeks will tell us, but probably not. 

Winner via pinfall: Eve

Match #4: Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton

So, we finally get a good match out of the evening. Bryan is still just as funny as ever. As Bryan has the No Lock applied, Kane's music hits and Bryan starts to search for him. Well, there are no monsters here, but here's an RKO for you, good sir. Well, I like the fact that they didn't make Bryan look like a total pushover, but John Cena tends to have that effect on most people. 

Winner via pinfall: Randy Orton

Match #5: Antonio Cesaro vs Zack Ryder

Santino was on commentary for this match. He actually tried to be serious for once, but Santino's character is only gonna get so serious. Cesaro wins with the Gotch Slam. After the match, Antonio tosses around Santino. We better have a new US Champion really soon. Not sure about it happening at SS (Which it should, but it being shown on the pre-show might lessen its chances), but it better happen really soon. 

Winner via pinfall: Antonio Cesaro

Match #6: Alberto Del Rio vs Chris Jericho

Before this match could get started, Dolph attacked Jericho in the backstage area. Despite this attack, it doesn't  stop Jericho from competing. Yes folks, he has the heart of a face. Anyway, the match goes on and it wasn't too bad. The finish comes when Dolph comes out to attack Jericho again. This leads to Jericho walking into an enzuigiri, so Del Rio takes this match. After the match, Dolph and Del Rio attack Jericho. Sheamus finally comes out for the save. Del Rio leaves through the audience, but Sheamus has something to say. Sheamus wants to face Del Rio at SS, but Booker won't allow that. Sheamus says some good-guy stuff, blah blah blah, heart of the cards, and the match is back on. Well, it didn't take much for this match to get back on. It's pretty anti-climatic, but that's the idea. I know many aren't happy about Sheamus/Del Rio, but at least the rivalry is more evolved this time around. 

Winner via pinfall: Alberto Del Rio

Overall Impression:

The show was very filler-based, but it wasn't the worst filler had to offer. They touched base on the other matches happening at SS, so it did the job. I really don't have a whole lot to say about this episode. Since I didn't do a SS Rundown, I will give some pre-show thoughts on the matches right now. Again, I could care less about my predictions, but others seem to enjoy them, so let's a go. 

Santino vs Antonio Cesaro; US Title: I briefly talked about this in tonight's review. If this wasn't in the pre-show, I would say Antonio wins, but that's not the case. I think WWE should do something different and actually do a title change in the pre-show. If they do this, I think it would make people tune in more often for these matches, which aren't necessarily bad matches to watch. Despite this being on the pre-show, I'm still picking Antonio to emerge victorious in this match. 

Kofi Kingston and R-Truth vs Prime Time Players; WWE Tag Team Titles: To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Kofi and Truth as a tag team. I really hope the PTP go over in this match. They failed the first time, but learned from their mistakes and I think will take the gold this go around. 

Miz vs Rey Mysterio; IC Championship: Miz is still a fresh IC champion, so I highly doubt they will de-crown him immediately. Plus, I would like to see them evolve this rivalry for more than one match. I think it could be fun and interesting. Miz remains IC champion after SS. 

Kane vs Daniel Bryan: Bryan really needs this victory since he's been losing a lot lately, but I wouldn't be shocked to see Bryan end up losing again. To add to Bryan's frustrations, Charlie Sheen could get involved with this. This one can go either way, but I'll pick maybe man to win this match. 

Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler: One of the things I would like to see WWE do is build this up till the next WM. Here's my idea. Have Dolph defeat Jericho at the PPV, Jericho leaves depressed, while Dolph goes on to reign supreme. At some point, Dolph cashes in the MITB and becomes WHC. Months go by and BAM, Jericho comes back, he's hungrier than ever, and he's ready to fight Dolph in a SS rematch at WM. Of course, I'm talking out of my ass since this probably will never happen, but I can dream. It honestly makes the most sense for Dolph to go over in this match, so I'll pick Dolph to win this match. At the same time, I wouldn't be shocked to see Jericho win this one. 

Sheamus vs Alberto Del Rio; WHC: I just realized that I have a lot of heels winning. I'm gonna have to change that and say Sheamus will win this match….but will he still be champion? 

Triple H vs Brock Lesnar: The match that's had the most buildup. I really hope WWE goes out there and let's the two unload on each other. Now, I'm not talking about blood or anything like that, but I want to see a very physical match between these two. This one should be fun to watch, but who should win? Well, Brock needs this win more than Trips, so I'm gonna pick Brock to win this match. Again, it wouldn't surprise me to see Trips get this victory. 

CM Punk vs John Cena vs Big Show; WWE Championship: Show doesn't really belong in this picture and it would be a shock to see him win. At the same time, I would really hate this idea. In my opinion, this is gonna come down to Punk and Cena. I personally think that it would be stupid on WWE's part to make Punk drop the title to Cena right now. Mostly because Punk just changed his persona, so why change his character if you were gonna give the title to Cena regardless? It just seems like a waste. I think Punk winning would add to his frustrations, thus making his character more interesting. To be fair, it's possible for Punk to come out of this scenario better than before, but it's really hard saying that, especially considering how WWE loves to book Cena. Plus, I think Punk vs Cena should happen on its own and not involve Show, which is something you can do at the next PPV. I've heard a lot of dirt sheet reports saying otherwise, but I don't care for dirt sheets. In fact, the hell with the dirt sheets. I'm picking Punk to retain his title, thus setting up Punk/Cena at Night of Champions. 

Those are the picks, that's the review, so I think we're about done here. That's gonna do it and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought about my review and what YOU think will happen at SS. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time……REGAL REGAL!!! See, I remembered. 

WrestlingNerd Presents: TNA Impact Wrestling Review 8/16/12

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 8/16/12. With Hardcore Justice over, how does TNA move forward? Let's find out and start the review. 

We open up the show with Austin Aries. He talks about winning his title defense and how he tells people to fluk yourself. Jeff Hardy shows up and continues to give you nightmares with his face paint. Looks like something you would see in Majora's Mask. Anyway, Hardy says he will win the BFG Series, but wants to deal with Aces and Eights for screwing him over at the PPV. Bully Ray comes out and brags how they are all blind and James Storm is clearly behind the attacks. Funny, since I was thinking that Bully could be involved with this stable, but I digress. That was pretty much the opening. It was kind of a weak opening. It talks about the main storyline, but it doesn't feel very evolved. In many ways, the opening was just there. 

Match #1: Magnus vs Samoa Joe; BFG Series

We get a recap of the BFG Series matches at the PPV. SHAKY CAMERA!!! What, did the editing crew have a stroke in the middle of creating this? This match was kept pretty short. The finish comes when Joe gets a rollup victory on Magnus. Joe now has 61 points in the BFG Series. After the match, Magnus is so pissed off that he attacks Joe with a chair. Wait, that's not right. He attacked Joe with a f***ing chair!!! Yeah, Magnus is in a bad mood because the Olympics are over and out of London. 

Winner via pinfall: Samoa Joe

Madison Rayne is excited about her celebration because she wants to have cake. As she's gloating about her celebration, Brooke Hogan comes out and says Madison will have to defend the title against Tessmacher tonight, and Earl Hebner won't be the referee. Oh, come on Brooke. I think you're being too harsh on Earl. The man's just really horny. Is that a crime….Don't answer that question. In other words, the cake is a lie. Yeah, you knew that was coming. Brooke gets in the ring because she wants to prove that Hogans are tough. Well, Madison retreats, but that doesn't stop Brooke from quivering like a mouse when Aces and Eights show up. There's that Hogan toughness, out in the open. We were also told that Earl won't be the referee for KO matches anymore. Senior official, my ass!!! As & 8s thinking about spreading Brooke until various TNA talents arrive to save her. We head into a commercial break since Brooke is no longer needed for this scene. I love how you have a bunch of talents to save her, but most of the disappeared once they got back after commercial. What, is there a limit for how many people can show up in an hour? Sting says they call out As & 8s for next week's Open Fight Night. The evil stable says that they love the idea and will show up, but not before they make their presences felt tonight. Now if you excuse them, they go back to a poker game that's more interesting. 

Match #2: AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels; BFG Series

This storyline never seizes to amaze me. Styles adds a stipulation to this match. If he loses, he accepts that he's the father of Claire Lynch's baby. If Styles wins, he will take a test. Oh, so NOW common sense comes into play? I guess Styles wants to give himself a challenge and prove his innocence…..In the stupidest way possible. I know the good guy will stack the odds against themselves, but this is kinda sad. I know people are gonna call this nitpicking, but I just find it hilarious that they have managed to make Styles' character look even dumber, AND make this storyline even more atrocious at the same time. That takes a rare talent. In fact, I bet Daniels will be revealed as the father based on how things are going. Anyway, the matches are at least decent to watch. That's a positive, right……RIGHT? The finish comes when Kaz tries his best Solid Snake impression and conceal himself from holding down Styles' leg for the three count. I love how the ref didn't see any of this and calls off the victory. I just find it funny how the referees start to develop a brain at certain moments……WRESTLING LOGIC. Styles hits the Pele kick and wins this match. This storyline….why why why why why why why why?

Winner via referee: AJ Styles

Sting is getting excited that Hulk Hogan will be back next week to deal with As & 8s. Yeah, cuz that went so well the first time. What the hell does doing things 'old school' mean? Are they gonna bring back the zombie edition of the NWO? Is Hogan gonna bring out the real American? Bobby Roode comes out to cut a promo. He reflects on what happened at the PPV and how the referee, A Double and Sting all screwed him over. Bobby talks about how much he needs the championship and how he can't live without it…..

Bobby knows what he has to do, and that's to drop the mic. Well, that gives new meaning to the term, 'pipebomb'. In all seriousness, this is Bobby's way of getting another world title match or working a new program. I guess the only thing to do is sit back and watch. I'm sure regardless of what happens, Bobby can find a way to make it interesting. 

Match #3: Madison Rayne vs Tessmacher; KO Championship

Gut Check guy for next week. Hey, I don't care. Brooke brings out Taryn Terrell and falls on her ass. I guess she thought As & 8s were around the corner or that ramp is the best wrestler of the evening. Yeah for Taryn…..I guess. Why should I care about this character? I don't even know who she….wait a second? She looks familiar. Well, based on research, she worked under the name Tiffany in WWE. So, that would explain why she's familiar. Guess what? I STILL don't care. Anyway, Taryn calls the match down the middle and Tessmacher is champion again. I guess the whole Madison/Earl deal was building up to Taryn? Yeah, that one makes you think. 

Winner via pinfall and NEW KO Champion: Tessmacher

Match #4: Jeff Hardy vs Bully Ray; BFG Series

It was established in an earlier scene that Storm would be watching this match to keep his eye on Hardy. Either that or he was plotting how to get the facepaint off his face. I know I keep going back to that, but it's creepy. This match was decent to watch. The finish comes when Hardy and Bully are down. Aces and Eights arrive and look like they are about to attack Bully, but the old-man calvary comes out to save the day. Aces and Eights retreat, which allows Hardy to hit Twist of Fate for the quick victory. I love how seconds after taking a finisher, Bully is back up to attack Hardy. Bully questions Storm being involved. Storm about to hit the Last Call on Bully, but ends up hitting Hardy. Once Bully leaves, As & 8s give Storm a round of applause. Wow, I cringed at Tazz and Tenay's 'acting' during this part. This makes Claire Lynch credible. Anyway, the stable attacks Storm. Yeah, so it wasn't Storm all along. Are you surprised? Well, you shouldn't be. I'm still under the theory that Bully Ray is controlling the stable, and that he's tricking people to think otherwise. Well, it's time for a plan B since Storm can no longer take the blame game…..or can he? So much for the old saying, "Innocent until proven guilty". Isn't there a lawyer on this show?

Winner via pinfall: Jeff Hardy

Overall Impression:

Did anyone else feel that tonight's show went by quickly? Yeah, I really thought it felt short, but that's generally a good thing. If a show feels long, that usually means it's dragging. At the same time, tonight's show felt like it was just there. I know I've been saying that a lot, but I don't think a ton stood out from tonight's program. If there's one thing they did a good job in, is trying to get you to watch next week's show. Storm has been ruled out for calling the shots, and we seem to have a fight on the way to start off next week. In fact, the main storyline is probably the only reason to care about tonight's show. Yeah, there was the introduction of a female referee, but is it really that big of a deal? There was also Bobby walking out of the ring. Actually, that's something worthy paying close attention to, so this was okay too. The in-ring action was lacking, but it's common to get lots of promos for episodes following a PPV, so I can let that slide. The show isn't bad, but it wasn't great either. Well, that's gonna 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 8/13/12 (What the Tout is this?)

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take look at WWE Raw 8/13/12. With SummerSlam set for this week, how can Raw hype up the PPV? Let's find out and start the review. 

Match #1: CM Punk vs Big Show

We open up the show with a match. Daniel Bryan shows up and steals the spotlight. Seriously, look at how the audience reacted to him. I think Daniel isn't getting enough credit for what he's doing. He wants to have a WWE title match, so he attacks Punk to end the match. Oh, there's your daily dose of John Cena. Yeah, we can't go too long without a Cena appearance, or else a certain demographic will miss it before they get their juice box. Wait, what am I talking about? I want a juice box. Anyway, Cena takes out Show and Bryan, but Punk is pissed off. AJ comes out and makes Punk and Cena vs Show and Bryan for later tonight. It seems appropriate, but something tells me that Maybe Man is gonna end up taking the dive on this match. Call it my boyish intuition. 

Winner via DQ: CM Punk

Match #2: Ryback vs JTG

JTG went on a Twitter rage last week, so he gets to face Ryback this week. I guess WWE does NOT encourage freedom of speech. Ryback came out to a remix of his current theme. Who was saying, "Feed me more"? It honestly sounded like some fat guy who just finished stuffing a chicken down his throat. You know, we have teeth for a reason. Yeah, so I liked  certain parts of the song, but cringed at others. Shell Shock for the victory. Why does Ryback looked stoned? Maybe he really does want to complete the RVD look. 

Winner via rage: Ryback

Match #3: Heath Slater vs R-Truth

We can vote on who will be on Piper's Pit. Once again, WWE is basically telling you to vote for this individual. Plus, it seems a little redundant to have Chris Jericho and Dolph Ziggler as choices. Didn't we have the Highlight Reel on Smackdown last week? Oh yeah, nobody watches SD anymore. HBK is freaking out that Triple H has not arrived. With Brock Lesnar in the building, HBK is probably gonna have a bad time. Truth wins this match very quickly. After the match, the Prime Time Players arrive and take out Truth. It was announced that Kofi Kingston wasn't here tonight, but there was no mention of AW. Since he's released, WWE wants to continue this and pretend that he was never there. While I enjoyed AW as a mouthpiece for the group, the PTP should be okay. The guys were already showing some charisma before being paired with AW, so I think they will be just fine. All World Promotions went bankrupt. There's your explanation. 

Winner via pinfall: R-Truth

Okay, what exactly is a social media ambassador? Can I walk into a fancy restaurant and say, "I'm the social media ambassador. Bring me free food"? Can I write that down on a job application? In fact, I want to see somebody do this and I would love to see what reaction you get. And who the hell is Pauly D? Actually, a better question is do I care? I think you know the answer to that question. Booker T calls off the WHC match at SS via video, so Alberto Del Rio will wait until SD to deal with him. Well, I guess you have to save something for friday night. 

Match #4: Sin Cara vs Tensai

Sin Cara is able to win with a DDT. Yeah, Tensai isn't going anywhere. Is there any point in hyping him up to something he isn't? Who are they trying to convince by doing that? After the match, Tensai kills Sakamoto again. Sakamoto, NOOOOOOO……wait, why am I doing this? 

Winner via pinfall: Sin Cara

It's time for Piper's Pit. Look and behold, Jericho wins the poll. Yeah, if you put a face against two heels, the face generally wins. Very rarely has the heel won these polls, but I digress. Before we can really dig in the segment, Dolph interrupts. Wow, so you get to vote for one person to be in the segment, but the other option shows up? Well, at least WWE hasn't……Miz is gonna show up, isn't he? Yep….Miz is right there. So, what was the point of voting for this segment if all three choices got involved? That really just seems unnecessary. Speaking of being unnecessary, it really seemed like this whole scene was just there. Why bring out "Rowdy" Roddy Piper to do this segment and don't have him do anything? Did….Did Piper need a loan to pay for his pool? I'm fine if you want to bring in Piper's Pit, but try to make it mean something. Remember the Piper's Pit with Cena? Now, THAT'S how you do it. Jericho takes out Miz and Dolph to end this segment….For about five minutes since we would get a triple threat match next. Piper isn't gonna remember any of this tomorrow morning, but can you really blame him? 

Match #5: Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler vs Miz

It was about time we get a match that was actually given time. This was pretty fun to watch. The finish comes when Jericho has Miz in the Walls of Jericho. Miz is tapping out, but Vickie Guerrero was distracting the ref. Dolph comes from behind and hits the Zig Zag for the victory. I like the fact that Jericho is going into SS without getting that victory against Dolph. I think it makes the matchup more exciting. 

Winner via pinfall: Dolph Ziggler

Backstage with Eve and Punk. She likes Punk's evil side….

I don't know about you, but when Punk talked about twirling his mustache, I picture him with one of those curly mustaches, a monocle, and doing an evil laugh. It was a funny little image I pictured. Punk ends up running into Cena and tells him that he's not turning into a bad guy. Regardless, Punk is still not happy with the triple threat match, but vows he will still be champion after the night. After all, he's becoming evil….

Muhahahahaha

Match #6: Layla and Kaitlyn vs Eve and Beth Phoenix

Kaitlyn gets a rollup on Beth for the victory. I know people are gonna analyze this and try to figure out what WWE is doing with the diva division, but I still think you're wasting your time. I've said for months that I gave up trying to figure out this division, so I suggest you do the same. Since Kaitlyn got the victory, I would like to see her being used. I think she can be useful. 

Winner via something: Kaitlyn and Layla

Match #7: CM Punk and John Cena vs Big Show and Daniel Bryan

During this match, Bryan would undermine Show, while Punk and Cena were having some issues of their own. Once Show decides that his legs are too tired to continue, Punk and Cena start to copy their moves on Bryan. Cena's high knee was hilariously bad. After that, Punk leaves Cena on his own. Bryan almost steals the match with a rollup, but Lord knows we can't have Cena get pinned in cheap fashion. Cena hits the AA in anti-climatic fashion. I swear that one of these days, WWE is gonna have Cena wear a cape and have him fly into the arena. You know that's the next thing. I know you can make the argument that Cena can't look weak going into the title match, but a rollup loss will not effect him at all. To be fair, the idea is to have Bryan's character be as angry as possible. After the match, Punk takes out Show with the WWE title. He actually extends his hand out towards Cena, almost as if he wants a handshake. Since Mr. Breakfast Cereal can't trust this current Punk, he declines. Punk is not happy with Cena's attitude. I think Punk is more steamed that he didn't get the main event for this week.

Winner via pinfall: John Cena and CM Punk

Match #8: Damien Sandow vs Christian

As I mentioned in the previous match, this was surprisingly the last match of the night. Reckon, I would've ended the show with Brock and Triple H, but it still feels a little weird that this is the final match for tonight. This match didn't last long. The finish comes when Brodus Clay shows up to distract Sandow, but Damien still hits the Straight Jacket Neckbreaker for the victory. While I'm a big fan of Sandow, he really shouldn't be picking up clean victories over Christian at this point in time. Why was Christian put in this position? Did be bring Cena the wrong cup of coffee? I personally would've put somebody like Zack Ryder or Santino in this position. And before the IWC gets their panties up in a bunch, I was aware that Ryder wasn't available tonight. Well, it does show that WWE is confident in Sandow to get victories like this, but it would make them look foolish if Brodus ends up winning this rivalry. 

Winner via pinfall: Damien Sandow

We get the contract signing between Brock and Trips, but not before Brock showed Shawn Michaels his rape face in a backstage scene. Trips is late to the contract signing, so let's have Brock and Shawn compete in an eye staring contest for five minutes. Oh, there's Trips. I guess the contest was a tie. They sign the contract and…….that's it. Yeah, there really was nothing to this event. Paul Heyman does a good job in getting you excited for this match, but I felt that they could've done more with this. I realize that Brock would make good of his promise from last week, but it just felt weird that WWE wrote the scene like this. Then again, we got to make room for Toutsssssssssss….

Ugh…..Okay, I've been pretty quite on this matter, but I should say something now. I don't like this whole Tout thing. To me, it feels that WWE is getting lazy with building up their storylines. Instead of showing friction in the ring via a promo or match, you have to go online and watch some stupid video to find out what's going on. I'm also not big on various people getting onto the show via Touts. Instead of using that time to progress a storyline, we got to see the most uninteresting person react to Booker's decision. In fact, I really feel WWE is going overboard with social media. I don't have a problem with it, but it feels that the whole show is being wrapped around social media. Social media isn't a bad thing, but I think WWE can tone it down. I mean, you're making up job titles because of this. You know it's getting out of hand when you start doing that. Yeah, so Shawn runs into Paul in the back. Brock takes him out of his car and…..the screen goes dark. Oh no, the bank account ran out. Ohhhhhh…….REALLY? Are you that lazy to show the fight, or are you so absorbed with that rating system that you resort to using sound effects like a Bugs Bunny cartoon? In fact, here's what I think they did. As soon as Brock got Shawn out of the car, Shawn probably sat on a lawn chair, reading a magazine, while making sound effects. In the meantime, Brock was smashing some pots and pans on the ground, while Pauly was checking to see what he was gonna eat. Well, that was an easy paycheck, wouldn't you say? Anyway, we are back on the air and Brock brings Shawn to the ring. All they did was rip up HBK's shirt. I think Brock took it literally when Trips said he wanted to f***. Brock hits the F5 and applies the Kimora Lock. Trips runs out to save Shawn, but Paul tells him if he gets involved, Brock will break his arm. Trip takes the bait, but Brock decides to break Shawn's arm anyway. Brock and Paul retreat, while Trips checks up on his friend. Well, I give WWE this. It adds more intrigue with the Brock/Trips match, but they could've done so much more with this scene. 

Overall Impression:

I have mixed views on tonight's show. I enjoyed certain parts of tonight's show, but there was a few moments where it didn't stand out. I would definitely say that Trips/Brock was the best part of the show, but even that scene left me wanting more. The only matches that stood out tonight were the triple threat and the Punk/Cena match. Everything else was just there or felt awkward. To be fair, this is a 'go home' show, so it's common to get matches that are just there. Yeah, I really don't know how I feel about this show from top to bottom. I guess I could call it a decent show? Maybe an average show? Yeah, let's stop there. I will add that they did do a good enough job hyping up the PPV. I'm actually looking forward to SummerSlam. So, I guess it wasn't the worst job by WWE. In fact, it wasn't that bad, but I still feel there was some missed potential. Well, that's gonna 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.