What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another edition of mini-reviews. Today we take a look at WWE Smackdown 8/30/13. Let's not waste any more time and begin.
We open up the show with Miz Seacrest. Big Show talks about having to stand there and witness Daniel Bryan being attacked while NOT being able to help out. He said it was the toughest thing he had to do, but it seems like he's more concerned in impersonating Christian Bale's Batman. This wrestler is… READY for other people to believe in goooood! Dolph Ziggler was also choked up about speaking his mind, which prompts Triple H to arrive to the party. Yay, it's party time, but only for one person. Trips makes a couple of matches and benches Show. I love how the commentators try to explain the stipulations to the ironclad contract. So, it's a semi-ironclad contract? Or maybe it's an ironclad contract that isn't ironclad? I know it's wrestling logic and the entire stipulation doesn't make any sense, but I've just learned to move on from it and poke fun of it at my leisure.
One of the matches Trips made was Randy Orton vs Miz since he wanted to give Miz an opportunity… an opportunity of death! Shield shows up in the middle of the match to 'observe' the action, while Show continues to watch and can't do a thing about it. In a very competitive match, Randy wins with the RKO. After the match, the Shield and Orton continue the beatdown until Daniel Bryan comes out to chase them away with a chair. Yeah, one guy with a chair scares off four guys…Only in the wrestling world. The next match of the evening was RVD vs Damien Sandow. RVD wins the match and Damien wonders if holding onto the briefcase is a curse. Ever notice how the person holding the blue MITB briefcase loses a lot of matches? It just seems to be a continuous trend in the WWE.
Just like a week ago on Raw, Dolph tries his best to fight against Shield, but the numbers were just too much to overcome. After the match, Dolph is treated to a triple powerbomb, so you know what that means…
Poor soul…He never stood a chance. Anyway, the next segment is Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel. Curtis starts to talk, but Pauly quickly takes over since it's time for daddy to take over the big boy stuff. Again, Curtis can definitely wrestle, but can't talk for s***. Paul takes over and basically says they will massacre CM Punk. It's pretty much a follow-up to their actions on Raw this past week. It's a good promo and it could be something worth checking out, but I'll admit you aren't missing much if you skipped out on the segment. And since you haven't seen it enough, let's see the Wyatt family destroy Tons of Saturated Fat in a matter of minutes. You know, you have other options/candidates to throw out there for these matches? It doesn't always have to be Tons of Funk. Follow the repetition!
Since Bryan acted as a bully, his punishment is to bully the bully. Wait, wasn't that the name of a level in Super Mario 64? Anyway, it's Daniel Bryan vs Ryback. In a fair match, Bryan is about to win with the Yes Lock until Orton runs interference. After the match, Orton and the three stooges continue their attack on DB. Show starts to get tired of it and stands up for Bryan, but the eeeeeeeevil Triple H arrives to put Show back in his place. One thing I haven't mentioned is Show's emotional changes during the night. I would say the guy was pretty spot on with his emotions. The man was torn and emotional during all of this and I think his acting reflected that. Show is actually a pretty decent actor on WWE programming. It was a good job. Show wants to fight back, but Trips' voice is too much to handle. The episode ends with corporation standing tall.
Overall Impression:
One thing I liked about this episode is how they stretched out the major storyline. The focus wasn't just Bryan, but how some of the other talents feel about Trips overstepping his boundaries and how they aren't allowed to help out the lone rebel without repercussions. Like I've said for a few weeks, this storyline is big enough to get other people involved and this could lead to a war between good and evil. While that's nothing new since the idea has been done before, I'm enjoying this version of it and it probably has to do with the cast. Ideas in the wrestling world are gonna get reused a lot, but it's the people involved/characters that can add something different to it and I think people like Daniel Bryan and Shield are making this seem like something intriguing. This episode is worth missing out on, but there could be something worth checking out if you're curious enough. That does it for the mini-review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought about tonight's show or review. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today we take a look at WWE Raw 8/26/13. What happens this week? Let's find out and begin.
Before we begin…
Okay, so the first thing I need to address is my upload schedule from this point forward since I'm back to a consistent work schedule. I apologize for no Impact or Smackdown reviews last week. I tried to watch Impact, but was so bored with it that I just couldn't continue watching. It wasn't the worst I've seen from TNA, but there's only so much you can do when you're bored by something. I watch wrestling to be entertained and have a little fun, but for some reason, that episode felt like more of a chore than fun, which is why there was Impact review. As for Smackdown, I was simply out of town and unable to do it in time before leaving. I've mentioned many times in the past that other things are going to come before this page. I have stuff like family, friends, social life and work that are higher on the priority list than this little hobby of mine. Yes, I referred to this as a hobby since I take time out of my schedule to do this. I don't write reviews for money since I don't get paid for ANY of this. I write reviews because I have loads of fun and I enjoy making people laugh. It was something I wanted to re-address just in case people were wondering what's going on around here. To the people that were patient with me in the first place, I thank you for your courtesy and hope we can still have a good laugh with future articles. Now we shall continue.
Corporation's new rules
We open up the show with Triple H. He's disgusted with Daniel Bryan for being disrespectful towards his wife, so he made an example out of him by having the Shield and Randy Orton attack him last week. It's funny how he gets upset with DB for making fun of Stephanie, but it's a-okay when Trips calls his wife a whore. It sounds like a happy marriage, don't you think? Where do you spend your anniversaries, a shooting range? Trips brags about the ratings and it's all because of Randy Orton. If you haven't picked up on it yet, Trips has pretty much gone into full-time, dick-mode from here on out. I know it was apparent after SummerSlam, but this and his actions to end Raw last week officially sealed it. Trips gives Randy a gift…
This prompts Mr. Beard to interrupt the jerk-fest. After some insults and a terrible musical number by Trips (Seriously, he should not be allowed to sing to any child), the COO of the company puts Daniel in a gauntlet match against the Shield later this evening. By the end of the night, that car dies. It just has to based on wrestling logic. We'll miss you, car #309749. You were the most forgettable and I salute you.
You broke my heart, Punk. You broke my heart!!!
The Cody Rhodes/Fandango match gets interrupted due to the showcase that is Mizdango. It was bizarre, but what was more bizarre was seeing Rosa Mendes as his partner. She's been gone so long that I literally said, 'What, she still works here?'. Apparently she does after tonight, but for how long? It's now that time of the night where Brad Maddox does the only thing he was hired for, impersonating Teddy Long. Holla holla holla!!! A forgetful tag team match leads to Miz and Cody as the victors over Damien Sandow and Fandango. CM Punk has a match with Curtis Axel, but there was a stipulation brought to you by the greatest device summoned from the Gods of the almighty, the WWE App…
Is there anything the WWE App can't do? Anyway, the fans picked the stipulation where if Punk defeats Axel, he gets to fight Heyman. Punk defeated Axel with the GTS, so that means it's time for Heyman to think of another plan. Oh yeah, Curtis is still there and has finally recovered from the knee to the face… Probably should've done something about that, Punk, but that's what wrestling logic will do to you. Axel protects Pauly and handcuffs Punk's hands. Due to Punk being handcuffed, Heyman unloads on Punk with a kendo stick. I love how Heyman is shouting how Punk broke his heart while whipping him with a stick. This kinda reminds me of a relationship with the crazy ex who starts to act like a mental patient. You know, trying to show how much they love somebody, but just come off as disturbingly creepy. I think that's where Heyman's at, but I attribute that to good acting. Like I've been saying for a few weeks, Punk and Heyman continue to work off each other and really have made the rivalry pop out. I love it! It was announced that Punk vs Heyman will happen at Night of Champions and if Paul doesn't go through with the fight, he's fired… for about two weeks until they think of another way to bring him back.
AJ Lee taps into her inner, CM Punk
Because you requested it, you get to see the Natalya/Brie Bella match from SummerSlam yet again…Woo? After the match, AJ pretty much insults the entire cast of Total Divas and actually gets a positive reaction. I really liked AJ's promo, but I have to agree with what most are saying that the Bellas really came off as annoying during this bit. We get it, you're upset with her words, but you don't have to scream like a banshee every five-seconds. I think toning it down a bit would've made your message clear, but that's not what's important right now. In many ways, AJ spoke a lot of truth with her promo. She did work her butt off to get to where she's at and it's insulting how the Divas Champ gets less attention than somebody who's being paid to smile and look pretty. And to be fair, AJ has been one of the more meaningful Diva Champions in quite a while. This was a very good diva segment that sets up the stars of Total Divas trying to prove AJ wrong or AJ plowing through the reality show because she spoke the truth and is really better than all of them. I'm not expecting anything gigantic from the diva division after tonight, but they definitely got my interest after this segment and I look forward in seeing where this goes.
WHC: a glorified mid-card title?
Okay, I cannot take Ricardo seriously in that RVD shirt. I know the man looked like the little guy on 'Fantasy Island' while wearing that monkey suit, but seeing him in that shirt was odd to say the least. Then again, this whole pairing is just odd to begin with, so maybe that's the point. Thanks to Ricardo's distraction, RVD defeats Alberto Del Rio in a non-title match. You know the role of the WHC has gone downhill when they start giving away the matches for free. It kinda feels like a mid-card championship to be honest. Does anyone else feel like this? I know the WWE Championship is the bigger prize at the end of the day, but the WHC has fallen since the days of Cena, Undertaker, and Trips holding onto the title. In the continuing adventures of Biff 'Ryback' Tannen, he bullies Josh Matthews by shoving his fist down his face. If Ryback gets 20 more bully points, he will be able to join Cobra Kai. Oh boy!!!
Another edition of Michael Cole's pun-o-meter
So, Paul feels like a man by beating up his 'best friend'? More like a douchebag, if you ask me. Ohhhhh, I'm a douchebag and I'm okay! I beat you with a stick and eat all day!!! The next match of the night was Randy Orton vs Christian. This was a good match, but that fall Christian took looked pretty scary. What did you think? Randy utilizes a thumb to the eye to steal a match from Christian. After the match, Daniel shows up on the titantron and gives Randy's car a new paint job. Bob Barker would be pissed if he saw this. A Yes-calade? Awwwwwwwwwwww! Cole, that was terrible! Awww, I think my heart skipped a beat with that last pun! Awwwwwww! You think the corporation would be smart enough to put security around the car, but I guess nobody thought about that when goat-face was running loose. Due to his actions, Triple H wants the entire WWE roster to watch their hero fall and if anybody interferes, they will be fired. Wait, didn't something like this happen last week? I guess Triple H loved it so much that he wants to do it again. Encore, baby!!!
Tag Team feud minus the tag team
Do you ever wonder if Zeb Colter just got back from a hunting trip with Dick Cheney? Maybe it's the vest that makes me think that, but who knows. Titus O'Neil defeats Jack Swagger thanks to Darren Young causing enough of a distraction for Titus to take advantage. Not sure how the Prime Time Players' face turn is gonna turn out, but I don't have a problem with it… kind of. While I'm fine with Darren Young being honest with himself, it just seems odd that the PTP have all of the sudden started to get victories after this. I know this is a PR move and I honestly don't mind PTP getting a mini-push or doing it from a PR perspective, but it's still… It's like…Yeah, it's hard to describe.
Triple H's wet dream
Big Show and Dolph Ziggler choose to not comment on the situation, while the Miz claimed what happened to them is….is? IS? IIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSS!!! The first opponent in the gauntlet match is Seth Rollins. In a solid match, Bryan defeats Rollins, but gets no time to rest as Dean Ambrose attacks. Only seconds into the match, Roman 'ROAR' Reigns attacks, thus the match results in a DQ. After the Shield had their fun with DB, Trips informs them to hit the triple powerbomb. Doesn't Big Show have an ironclad contr--Oh, I just to forget about that storyline. Randy arrives to finish off Daniel with the RKO. Remember what I said earlier about Triple H really loving the ending to last week? Well, this ending had to cement that comment. The storyline continues to show the stars dissatisfied with the eeeeevvvvvvil corporation's mindset, but realize they can't say or do anything since the same thing could happen to them. If WWE does this right, this could be the main event come Survivor Series. Team Corporation vs Team Yes? Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?
Overall Impression:
Once again, this was another good episode. I've really enjoyed what WWE has done the last couple of months since I think they've put together consistent entertainment during this time and it's great. I would say only a few matches stood out this evening, but it's the segments and storylines that's making the shows fun and interesting right now. I would definitely say this show is worth a watch and I look forward to seeing how the corporation is gonna get taken down. I know that's months away, but that's how intrigued I am. I just hope things are just as interesting then as they are now when it comes time to end the storyline. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's review. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today we take a look at WWE Raw 8/19/13. After the amazing night that was SummerSlam, what happens tonight? Let's find out and start the review.
The 'B' stands for beard
We open up the show with John Cena. Mr. Fruity Pebble informs us that he will be going away for a while to deal with an injury, but will be back when he's ready. Ah, the day the IWC jizzed in their pants over the thought they won't hear see Cena for the next 4-6 months. Joking aside, I wish Cena the best in his recovery. I may not be the biggest fan of Cena, but I respect his work at the end of the day. Cena is also not happy in how Daniel Bryan was treated by the corporation, but he respects him and refers to him as a champion… and the guy who kneed him in the face. Anybody else think of Cena handing the mic over to Bryan as a symbolic jester of handing over the torch? You get to hold onto this torch for a while, but I want it back when I return! Stephanie McMahon interrupts and claims she feels 'bad' for Bryan, but it was all done in the name of business. Yeah, the EEEEEEVIL, big, bad, corporation is looking like a bunch of a-holes, don't you think? In fact, Stephanie even played her 'Bitch Card' to the extreme. Let's be honest, she's better at playing a bitch than a nice person. It was actually refreshing to see Steph play her old character. Just look at that smile on here face. Now, THAT'S the Steph we love to 'hate'. As you would imagine, things get very heated between Steph and Bryan. I love the line where Stephanie refers to Bryan as a solid B+. Oh, them's fighting words! Nobody calls me a B+ and gets away with it! How dare you call me a B+! Hmmm, I wonder if the 'B" stands for Beard+? Maybe she wasn't insulting him at all? Before you have time to ponder that thought, Steph sends the security to escort Bryan out of the building…
Very good opening segment in case you were curious to know my thoughts.
Don't piss off the boss
The first match of the night was a SummerSlam rematch between Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. What's that? You have no interest in this match? You don't want to see something you saw yesterday? Well, too bad! This is what you get! Just like the night before, Rhodes and Sandow deliver a decent match, but I can understand why you wouldn't have an interest in this whole thing. For me, I've enjoyed just about everything this rivalry has done so far. While the tenure of Rhodes Scholars was pathetic…
Seeing the two finally break away from each other gave them a pulse. Rhodes picks up the victory yet again while Sandow wonders why his beard doesn't have DB powers. Once again, I believe this feud will lead into a match where the case is on the line. After the obligatory Total Divas showcase for the evening, we jump into a handicap match. Dolph Ziggler made some comments about Triple H on Twitter and let's just say that the big, bad, corporation, isn't happy about their employes speaking up! I kinda like the idea of the Bryan vs WWE storyline getting other people involved. Not only could it help people like Randy and Bryan, but could also do something for people like Dolph since the storyline is big enough for more involvement. Ziggles did his best to fight off the Shield, but it was too much to overcome. Roman Reigns ends the match with a Spear. Reigns lets out a roar, so it's time for a Triple Powerbomb. Not a bad match for what it was worth.
I still love you, CM Punk…
Paul Heyman talks about forgiving CM Punk and admits he still wants to team up with him, but it's now Punk's decision. I forgive you, CM Punk, because I love you!!! I Love you, man! I never want to lose again! I'm a wreck without you! Since I want to get all this in one paragraph let's jump ahead to the part where CM Punk talks. Damn, that guy in the front row is probably having the best moment of his life. You get on TV AND chewed out by Punk? That sounds like a lot of fun if you ask me. Punk admits he's angry, but he starts to think that Paul Heyman is right… For about 20 seconds since he claims he will get his revenge on Heyman. A bit anti-climatic, but it works. Love the fire in CM Punk's promo. It's really making this scene come alive. Instead of Heyman, Curtis Axel decides to take the fight to Punk. This was NOT a match. It was a plain fight between two individuals. Once Punk took out Axel, the segment ends with Pauly walking away. Punk and Heyman are putting together some of the greatest promos in a long time. It's fun seeing the two work off each other and try to top the other. Nice job.
Robertoooooooooooooo Van Dammmmmmmmmm… ooooooooooo
After an abrupt end to the Alberto Del Rio/Sin Cara match, Ricardo Rodriguez announces he's managing RVD…
RVD and Ricardo? Well, that's a very odd pairing. What, did the creative staff draw names out of hat? Then again, maybe I missing something here? Maybe RVD has always been a fan of Ricardo's work? Maybe he'll change his name to Roberto Van Dam? I'll give the team a chance, but it doesn't change the fact that this one came out of nowhere. With this move, it seems RVD will be the next one to challenge Del Rio for the WHC. I guess Dolph will have to wait another day for his rematch. If Sin Cara is injured yet again, I hope the recovery goes well for him. That's all I'm gonna say about it since I'm not gonna jump to speculations about Sin Cara based on online rumors that can either be true or false. With Sin Cara away, could be a time to repackage him. We can rebuild him, we have the technology…
Some love for the tag division
Zeb Colter's speech: They took err jerbs!!! They trek ye er!! Derk a der!!! Da Drrrrrrrrrr!!! Almost Real Americans went up against the Prime Time Players. There was no transition for the PTP's sudden face turn, but that's because of Darren Young coming out about his sexuality a week ago. I think it's great that Darren came out and can be proud of himself. I have no issues with this whatsoever. We see a video hyping up Los Matadores. I gotta admit, the name alone already grabs my attention. It seems a new tag team is on the way in the WWE, or is it an old tag team with a new gimmick? Hmmmm… Okay, there's no point in prolonging it. Primo and Epico are Los Matadores. Yeah, I couldn't resist. A bit odd to see two Puerto Ricans play Mexicans/Spaniards, but this is also professional wrestling. You have a Swiss guy playing an American, a Canadian playing an Italian and God knows how many others have been repackaged into a different race. Why stop now? To my surprise, the 3MB/Usos match was given a lot of time to flesh out. In fact, the Real Americans/PTP match also got this treatment. It seems WWE wants to continue the expansion of the tag division, and there's nothing wrong with that. I always like seeing the tag team division getting some love since it was my favorite division when I was a kid.
What did I say about pissing off the boss?
Zack Ryder gets a paycheck by shamelessly plugging other products. BUY FOOT LOCKER TODAY!!! The corporation commands you!!! In other news, Biff Tannen continues to bully people smaller than him. This time, Ryback forces a guy to ruin his clothes by getting them wet since we apparently live in a world without washer and dryers. Wa waaa waaaaaaaa!!! Yeah, I would be scared too if a guy forced me in the shower and said, 'take it out', so I don't blame him for doing this. So, is Ryback gonna start demanding lunch money? Its gotta happen next week, right? The Shield pull double duty when they have another handicap match, but this time against Big Show. Apparently, Show also said some negative things about Triple H, thus he gets put in this situation. Noticing a pattern, here? The match ends with a Triple Powerbomb.
The minor stuff
What's up? LED lights is what's up. Bray Wyatt hits Sister Abigail on R-Truth in a squash match, but not before a dance routine between Bray and Truth. I guess Truth really wanted a dance this evening. Kinda disappointed that there was no promo from the Wyatt family this week, but maybe Smackdown can do something about that. What I find funny is Michael Cole mentioning the Barrett Barrage. A peashooter from 'Plants vs Zombies' has more of a barrage going than Wade. That's how far he's fallen. Fandango interrupts the Miz/Wade match since Miz can't be the permanent host of WWE Raw. Well, at least he and Fandango have something to do, right?
Coronation by the corporation
The final segment of the night was the coronation for Randy Orton. Triple H explains that he likes Daniel Bryan, but this was a business move and he did this for your children's children. Unless Randy is competing at 80-years old, I don't think that plan's gonna work. Then again, it's wrestling logic, so let's play along. The Shield has become the bodyguards for the McMahons, Trips, and Randy. It's kinda funny seeing the group that stood for injustice now gets along with the corporation. I do like the fact they addressed the Trips/Orton rivalry in the past. I know it's pro wrestling and plotholes are gonna be eventual, but it's nice to at least remember past storylines/rivalries once in a while. I also like the line of the coal turning into a diamond. That had to be a nod to the Evolution days. Anyway, Randy Orton comes out and nobody applauds… Except for Teddy Long. It's like being at a rally and you see that one guy applaud and nobody else joining in. It's just funny in my eyes. I kinda want to know the story behind this…
Teddy: I never had problems with Randy Orton, playa!!! He's a nice guy! Love that guy! Now where's my tag team match?
Anyway, Orton comes out and is embracing his ego… Triple H has taught him well. Trips invites Bryan to come out and get all his anger out in the open. Bryan heads to the ring, but the Shield attack him. We attack in the name of injustice and money… Actually, it's just money! After a Spear by Reigns, Bryan crawls towards the ring while Trips is treating Bryan like a dog. Did anybody else notice that? Come on, boy! You can do it! You can make that step! Good boy, here's a treat! Unfortunately, the treat is an RKO. The show ends with the corporation standing tall. Like I mentioned with the SummerSlam review, Bryan is only getting started with his rise to the top. Sure enough, he's gonna take the war to the corporation and he just might pick up some allies on the way. I just like what WWE has going on right now and I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out. Oh, and like I mentioned earlier with Stephanie, the entire McMahon family work better as heels. They just feel more natural in the role.
Overall Impression:
I wasn't expecting this to match SummerSlam, but I was expecting the WWE to continue with the stories. Did they do that? They definitely did since there was a couple moments on Raw that really stood out. The CM Punk segment showed the hero not waiting to back down from a fight and is still on the prowl for Heyman, while things continue to grow with Bryan vs corporation. The segments with Bryan were very engaging and had me listening to every word that was uttered. Needless to say, it was enjoyable from my perspective. Hell, even the undercard stuff was pretty good. While you can say the match quality was a drop, I thought the action was good enough. I'm not saying this was he Raw of the year since I've seen better episodes, but this episode was still a lot of fun and I think people that enjoyed SS will definitely get a kick out of this. Things are really getting interesting in WWE Land and I'm looking forward to the upcoming weeks. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. If you hated my review, you can leave an angry comment, but take into account that I won't give a s***. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today we take a look at WWE SummerSlam 2013. With all the hype put into this show, does it deliver? Let's find out and begin.
It's a wrestling match, but with FIIIIIRRE!!!
As the case with the modern era, we have to start with the pre-show. Dean Ambrose put the United States Championship on the line against RVD. Sure enough, the Shield would join the party, but RVD has backup in Mark Henry and Bipolar Show. The match does its job to get the action started and maybe get itself a couple of extra buys for the event. Even the commentators have to comment if you can fell it. Can you feel it…
Your head might explode if you stare at that too long. RVD hits the Frog Splash, but Shield runs interference to cause a DQ. This shouldn't come as a surprise since WWE learned its lesson after doing a title change on a pre-show. All right, let's begin with the actual PPV. After the Miz gets interrupted by Fandango, Jojo sings the national anthem. I love how the transition goes from national anthem to some f***ed up imagery by the Wyatt family. That's something we can get down with, am I right!? The first match of the night was Kane vs Bray Wyatt in the Ring of Fire match. As the match progresses, Harper and Rowan were searching for a way to get in the ring. You think with all that time to prepare that they would invest in some fireproof suits, but I'm guessing you can't find that out in the boonies. Maybe Leatherface can loan one out? Kane has Bray right where he wants him, but Harper and Rowan cover up one side of the ring with a fireproof tarp… Yeah, why was that there? I love how the firefighters just watch these strangers steal their stuff to benefit themselves. Wrestling logic at its finest, ladies and gentlemen. Harper and Rowan take out the monster, which allows the monster to pin the monster…ball? Anyway, the match was slow to say the least. It wasn't terrible, but it was just too basic and plain. I would've liked to see more offense, but I can understand why this wasn't the case. After the match, the Wyatt family continue to punish Kane by smashing his face near the steel steps. Oh no, that will ruin his hearing! The Wyatt family take Kane away and presumably do awful things to him. Based on the fact Kane is set to film See No Evil 2, this is obviously a way to write him off. I am interested to see how Kane is brought back. Does he come back to challenge the Wyatts or do they brainwash Kane to become one of them? I guess we'll find out in a few months. One of us! One of us!!
Razor blades and random chanting
Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes had a decent match. Nothing you would call 'epic', but it was still entertaining. I love how Cody did a Goldust move and sported some gold trunks this evening. Foreshadowing to something or just coincidence? I would say coincidence, but it's amazing how something like this will start getting the ball rolling on wrestling forums. Cody finally shaved the mustache and finally looks like dignified human being. Thank God, there was only so much pedo-Rhodes you can put on television. Cody hits the Cross Rhodes and defeats his former tag partner. This doesn't really end things between the two since there's enough with the rivalry to milk another match, but something tells me a rematch would involve putting the MITB on the line. Call it a hunch, if you will. I know I'm jumping ahead for a moment, but I kinda want to get this diva match out of the way. For the most part, it was okay, but it was only there to give the cast of Total Divas some love. You can tell that a good chunk of the audience didn't care for this match since they were chanting anything they could find during this match. It kinda makes you feel bad for the ladies. Natalya and Brie Bella were trying, but it just wasn't in the cards tonight. Natalya wins with the Sharpshooter. The segment ends with the Funkadactyls celebrating…
Funkadactyls: Yay, we were totally pointless for this match!!!
One more match?
Stepping back for a moment, we can now get to the Alberto Del Rio/Christian match. In terms of wrestling quality, the match was good, but I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have the most interest in this one. Still, I found something very fun about the match for what it was worth. Christian hits the Spear, but his arm injury from earlier in the match prevents him from making the cover. Del Rio harnesses the power of chorizo to lock in the Cross Armbreaker and win the match. My theory for a while has been for Dolph Ziggler to defeat Del Rio for the WHC, but not until he's done with AJ. In the meantime, Del Rio has to wait, so we get to see a wave of filler title defenses until it's time for Dolph to get his shot. So far, my theory is on the right track. By the way, what is WWE's obsession with Maria Menounos? I don't have any issues with her getting involved since it's cheap publicity, but I just want to know why. I think that's an honest question. What's funny about it is I've seen more matches from Maria Menounos in the past two years than from Yoshi Tatsu, Evan Bourne, and Curt Hawkins combined. Yeah, that one's a thinker. Funny how the running joke in Fandango has become the running joke for tonight's show with the Miz. To be honest, I liked these segments. They were silly, but that's what made them fun in the first place. Meanwhile, Ryback continues to put the 'douche' in douchebag…
Again, I'm getting a simple charm from these segments because of how over-the-top it is. I've said for months that Ryback's heel character is the equivalent of an 80s bully, but he might be closer to a bully from an episode of 'Family Matters' or 'Full House'. Trust me, that's not exactly a complement. Ryback, you might be terrible at insults, but this is what's making you funny.
Punk vs Brock
The CM Punk/Brock Lesnar had a slight change made at the last moment. Instead of a one fall match, this one became a No DQ match. In all honesty, it should've been a No DQ from the beginning, but the announcement is better late than never. This was a great match. It had action, big spots, ruthlessness, energy, and it told a great story. If you've been reading my articles for a while, you would know that I didn't care for the first Brock/Triple H match. While both guys have different in-ring styles, their chemistry couldn't match up in a wrestling ring and thus, it felt awkward seeing these guys tell a story inside the ring. Punk and Brock also have different in-ring styles, but something about them made the promos MATCH the quality of the wrestling. There was just something about Punk and Brock that clicked sooner than Brock/Trips, but that's just how I see it. Not only was this match of the night worthy, but it could be match of the year material. Yeah, it was that good. After tons and tons of close calls, the finish finally comes when the addition of Paul Heyman was too much for Punk to overcome. Brock finally wins the match by hitting Punk with the F5 on a chair. It made sense for Brock to win this match since you can easily keep the rivalry between Punk and Pauly still going. It isn't like Punk needs to get back in the WWE title race, so I say keeping things going between Punk and Paul is a good move. I don't care if the rematch happens at Survivor Series or WrestleMania 30, I just can't wait to see it. I definitely recommend checking this match out. I love the image of Heyman swatting at Punk to break up the count. It's like the reaction you would see in a bad movie. Heeeeeey, stoooooop that!!! Don't hurt him!!! He's my friend!!! You're such a meanie!!!
Oh yeah, I almost forgot…
Getting splashed by Mark Henry for VIP tickets, is it worth the gamble? What do you personally think? The Dolph/Kaitlyn vs Big E/AJ was about what I expected. Dolph pinned Big E with the Zig Zag, Kaitlyn hit the Spear on AJ, and this should hopefully end things between AJ and Kaitlyn. While the two work well with one another, AJ and Kaitlyn do need to move on to different opponents. It was a good rivalry that did more for the diva division than some of the past rivalries to grace this division, but it's time to them to move on to something new. Now, does this end things between Dolph and AJ? Well, that one is a little tricky. They definitely can keep things going with those two since AJ is bats*** insane enough to think of another alternative to get back at Dolph, but it wouldn't be too surprising to see this end and Dolph finally gets his WHC match at Night of Champions. I guess we have to wait until Raw to find out.
Cena vs Bryan
So, how do you top the Punk/Brock match? Hell if I know, but Bryan and Cena were gonna give it their best shot. This was also a great match that's worthy of 'match of the year' potential. There was so much adrenaline by both individuals and they had great chemistry in that ring to tell that story. My favorite match is still Punk/Lesnar, but I'm not underselling this match at all and can totally understand if this was your match of the night. It was good… Damn good. I loved the moment where Cena did the 'You can't see me' routine and Bryan kicked him in the face. You can see me? But mommy always said you couldn't? My whole life is a lie!!! Ohhhhh noooooooooooooo!!! Come on, Bryan! You need to dig deep to win this match. You can do it!
The match ends when Bryan does his best Captain Falcon impression and hits Cena with a knee to the face. Damn, that shot looked like it hurt! I wouldn't be surprised if that one really hurt Cena. Kneecap of doom, if you ask me. The show ends with Daniel Bryan celebrating his WWE Championship victory… Really? No last minute shenanigans? No plot twist? No spontaneous combustion? No evil corporation trying to screw over goat-man? Okay… Well, that was unexpected. Well, might as well wrap this up.
Overall Impression:
I guess I should start with…
Okay, apparently it's not over yet. Hmph… Sorry about that. Anyway, Randy Orton comes out and teases the possibility of cashing in the MITB, but Bryan is perfectly fine. Randy walks away and this seems to end the show. Well, I guess that was pointless. We might as well jump into the overall im--
Is that it this time? You sure you don't have any last minute surprises? You don't have anything else to fart out? Are you done?…Okay, I think it's finally over this time. That's right, Triple H shows his true colors and hits the Pedigree on Bryan and allows Randy to cash in the MITB. One cash-in and a three-count later, we have a new WWE Champion. While I didn't bodily say this would happen, I know I mentioned something about the option of Trips turning in last week's Raw review…
"I just had a thought. This most likely won't happen, but what if Trips screwed over Bryan and sided with Vince by the end of SS? It would definitely add a twist to things, but I doubt this would even be considered."
Admittedly, I didn't say it would happen outright, but give me some credit for at least saying something along the lines. Even if you didn't think this, I'm sure the wheels started to turn once you saw a few things at the end. First of all, there was still 15-minutes left in the PPV. While WWE has ended PPVs early, something about it just seemed very suspicious this evening. The other clue should be that Trips never left the ring. The match is over, so he doesn't need to be there anymore. Why did he stay? Because he was setting up the goat! Muahahahahahaha!!! Yeah, so it seems Trips sided with Vince and the two got what they wanted. Okay, so the main thing I want to say is how Daniel Bryan does NOT look weak after tonight. In fact, the word 'buried' gets tossed around so much to the point where I don't think people understand the definition. There's a big difference between 'buried' and losing a match. Buried is seeing somebody lose in less than 5-minutes and totally gets destroyed, so I never understood how people say 'so-and-so got buried' when they put on a good 20-30 minute match and lost. Seriously, this word is tossed around so much on the internet that I think people have forgotten that they're two different things, but somehow get categorized as the same thing. Needless to say, it's one of my pet peeves. I've talked about this subject before and it was something I wanted to bring up since I'm seeing that trend pop up after tonight's main event. I have two reasons as to how Bryan didn't get buried from this. First of all, the guy just beat John Cena cleanly. You know, that guy who almost never loses matches cleanly these days. Remember him? What, did people just suddenly forget about the 20-25 minute match between Bryan and Cena? It's funny how that can be the case for some people. Second, Bryan got screwed over for the sake of the storyline, NOT to make him look like a joke. Vince didn't want Bryan because of his look and he didn't want Cena since he picked Bryan, so it would make sense for Vince to find a way to get what he wanted. While not along the lines of spontaneous combustion, he found a snake with a golden opportunity to solve all of his problems. While it seemed Triple H was on Cena/Bryan's side in all of this, he was either persuaded by Vince to turn to the dark side or Vince and Trips were working everybody from the beginning. I personally like this ending since we get two heel turns that have been overdue for quite some time in Randy Orton and Triple H, but this is also a chance for Bryan to continue his growth to be one of the top stars in the WWE by taking down the corporation for doing him wrong and ultimately getting back what was taken from him. Now, plans can always change in the world of professional wrestling, but I honestly believe things were written like this to benefit Randy AND Bryan, not hinder the man who beat Mr. Fruity Pebbles this evening. This whole storyline is gonna take some time to iron out since Cena is still in the mix and it can be until Survivor Series or WrestleMania until DB gets back the WWE Championship. That's entirely up to the WWE, but if the writing can still show up just like it has since Payback, I'm sure they will have no problems making this storyline work for the next 3-8 months. Things are only just getting stared for Daniel Bryan and his future looks so bright that you can see his beard shining. Evolution 2.0, EVIL-ution, or Corporate-lution? What do you think?
Overall Impression:
Okay, NOW I can finally wrap this up. Tonight's show did many things right. It put on a great series of wrestling matches this evening, but it also did a lot for the storytelling department. The twist of Trips siding with Orton should make for some fun elements in the next few months. Bryan gets that big victory over the face of the company in supreme fashion, but things are only just getting started for Bryan as he needs to get back at the people who stole his moment. Punk and Brock put on an awesome match and I'm looking forward to the promos AND the eventual rematch. While the two main event matches made SS pop out, let's not overlook the undercard performance. Most of the undercard matches did a decent job to keep you invested, but I will admit that they weren't THAT eye-dropping. Still, I was able to have a lot of fun with them based on what we got. Hell, even the silly segments between Miz/Fandango and Ryback were hilarious to watch. I'm looking at this PPV and the only 'MODERN DAY' PPV I can think of at the top of my head matching this quality was Money in the Bank 2011, or better known as the summer of Punk. That PPV still leaves an everlasting impression on many fans and I just know this PPV is gonna do the same thing. I think people will be talking about SummerSlam 2013 for a very long time, and for all the right reasons. If any of you are still here when I wrote the MITB 2011 review, I gave that PPV a perfect 10 out of 10 and I still feel it has earned that honor. While people will say stuff like the diva segments should hinder tonight's score, I just love the rest of the matches, storytelling, and funny segments so much to really not give a s*** about the minor stuff. Some might think this is way too high of a score, but I'm giving WWE SummerSlam 2013 a 10 out of 10. This was a perfect PPV that will be talked about for a long time. Some will disagree with the score, but I do have to remind you that I write reviews and grade the PPVs based on MY thoughts on the show, not what everybody else thinks. It's hard to say if everything out of tonight will still tell a great story months from now, but this is a showing that leaves too much of an impression to wonder about the future… At least to a certain extent. Well, I think it's time for me to wrap this up. I'm sorry this review was longer than others, but as you can see, I had a lot to talk about. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. It's gonna be tough for Raw to top this, but they definitely have the elements to at least make something interesting. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
WrestlingNerd's Official Score of WWE SummerSlam 2013: 10 out of 10
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 8/15/13. How does Hardcore Justice turn out? Let's find out and begin.
BFG Series 1
We open up the show with a ladder match. Competing in the ladder match was Austin Aries, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, and Kaz. The winner of this match wins 20 points in the BFG Series, while the losers have to pay the winner $20. The show gets started on the right track with some good action. Thanks to Kaz's new alliance, he wins the match when Christopher Daniels and Bobby Roode cause enough of a distraction for Kaz to steal the points. Based on the creation a week ago, it was apparent that these guys would get involved in this match. In fact, this wouldn't be the last appearance of these three individuals this evening.
MEM vs Aces & Eights on a 7-day rain delay
After Dixie Carter wishes Kurt Angle the best on his rehab, Aces & Eights interrupt. I can see why Main Event Mafia didn't have Rampage wear a suit while being apart of this stable. He looks like what you see a homeless guy wear…
Anderson pokes fun at the fact the MEM are down one guy and only have a week until they find a replacement. Wait a minute, wasn't the match set for tonight? Earlier in the week, TNA reported that this match would be pushed back a week. My guess is to have a full week to think of a solution. That seems like a decent move by the company, but there's only one problem… TNA tapes their shows two at a time, meaning they're taping next week's show, tonight. Yeah, so why are they bothering waiting a week for this contest? Since TNA is trying all the can to get more viewership to their product, they put this match on hold to bring in more viewers the following week. In that sense, I can understand TNA doing this move. They need all the breaks they can catch at this point.
Undergarments as weapons
There was a triple threat amongst the Knockouts this evening between Mickie James, ODB, and Gail Kim. Most of the action was at least passable, but it wouldn't be pro wrestling if we didn't have some bulls*** moments. I wonder how women in general feel about ODB using a bra as a weapon during this match. Yeah, you heard that right. She used a bra to choke-out Gail. Now, I like to laugh at the stupid elements that pro wrestling can give you since I'm here looking to have a little fun, but not only is this retarded, but it's insulting. Seriously, I felt unclean while watching this. It just doesn't feel right. Who's idea was this? And this isn't the first time TNA did something like this. Do I have to remind you of the Hardcore Justice 2 PPV where the ladies used hair-care products as weapons? Bad, TNA! That's a bad, BAD, TNA!!!
TNMMA
So, MEM's logic is to ask Austin Aries for help? I'm sorry, but why…and how… and what? Yeah, none of this adds up. Why exactly does Aries fit the bill? Why not Hardy or Styles or… I don't know, anybody on the roster? I don't have an issue with Aries, but saying Aries is your only hope just seems random. Is Aries this unknown messiah that we aren't aware of? Again, I don't have a problem with MEM going to Aries for help, but I just find it odd that in one meeting, the majority of MEM is saying Aries is the guy even though there's been nothing on the show to really explain/show this. It's bad AND rushed writing. I understand TNA is trying to tweak some things due to Angle being in rehab, but shooting out exposition faster than a bean product isn't the way to do it. Since TNA wants the diarrhea that is the Bully Ray/Brooke Hogan storyline to still mean something, we get a scene where Bully was on the phone with Brooke. It seems that they've been fooling everybody about this 'break-up' and might be working together…
Yeah, my feelings exactly. Due to Aries having a brain and question why MEM is going to him for help, it's time for MEM to think of another alternative. After an awkward promo from Rampage, he wants Tito Ortiz to help the MEM. Sure enough, neither Rampage or Tito could go a second without mentioning the Bellator PPV in November. In fact, why let the MMA guys have all the fun? Let's have the TNA stars also put over the Bellator PPV. I honestly forget if I'm watching a wrestling show or not. It's presumed Tito accepted the invitation, but there's more to witness. Oh boy, I just can't wait for the 'fun'.
BFG Series 2
The other BFG match featured Mr. Anderson, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, and Magnus competing in a Tables match. I find it funny how all the matches mapped out in a way where there wasn't two members from Bobby's stable in one match, but that's luck for you. In a decent match, Bobby wins the match thanks to Bad Influence running interference. Again, it wouldn't be pro wrestling if the referees didn't have selective vision. Seriously, he was starring right at Kaz and Daniels during all of this and did nothing. I guess Daniels paid him off with an appletini coupon. Since when did appletinis have these magical, ass-kicking, powers? I think I finally found something more hardcore than a water bottle. Nobody f***s with the appletini! That s***s too extreme for you!
What's that? You want more MMA stuff?
Since Hardcore Justice is continuing into next week, does this make it Part 2 or Hardcore Justice 2? In fact, that really makes things confusing considering they called one of the ONO PPVs, Hardcore Justice 2. So, is next week Hardcore Justice 3? Yeah, it doesn't make any sense, but there's already a lot of other stuff to question, so f*** it, let's move on. The final match of the night was Bully vs Chris Sabin for the World Title. Once again, I completely forget that Sabin is the champion. I still secretly look at Bully as the champion, while Sabin is keeping the belt nice and shiny. This was a drastic improvement from their match a month ago. Sabin looked pretty good in this match and it was nice to see an actual contest this time around. Sabin had the victory, but those ref bumps can be a bitch. Anderson shuts the door on Sabin, but not before screaming, 'You shall not pass'. Okay, I gotta be upfront… That was pretty funny. All he needs is the Gandalf beard and the scene would be perfect. Tito and Rampage arrive to take down Anderson, but time for Tito to show his true colors. He takes out Rampage with a hammer and once Bully hits the Bully Bomb, we have a new world champion. Well, at least he's the champion once more. I did say that Sabin's world title reign wouldn't last very long and I was right to assume he would be a transitional champion. The only reason Sabin won the title was to get an increase in viewership with shock value, to make Option C important, and for all the bad luck Sabin has had the last couple of years. No offense to Sabin, but he's no world champion. He doesn't look, act, or talk the part. It made sense for Bully to reclaim the title and I have no problems in that regards. Tito stabbing Rampage in the back was something that could be regarded as predictable, but I can see how nobody would think this. Once again, TNA rushed this entire thing by not showing the transition of Tito. It was only tonight where he accepted an invitation to help MEM and an hour later, he betrays them? Why wasn't this fleshed out in the last couple of weeks? In fact, why didn't they wait this turn until next week? Since they didn't wait, I guess we have to assume an Aces & Eights member is getting the boot. After all, TNA wouldn't be stupid enough to not save this heel turn for when it would matter, would they? Well, we have to wait another week to find out. If I don't sound interested in Tito's turn, it's because I'm having a hard time getting interested in these MMA guys in TNA. I've stated that I have no problems with them being in the wrestling industry, but it doesn't feel right when you bring in other competitors from another sport to advertise another sport's PPV. If I wanted to watch MMA, I would watch MMA. I don't watch, nor do I care about MMA, so the fact I have to watch this being played out on a wrestling program is very odd to say the least.
Overall Impression:
This is another episode of Impact that left me feeling very mixed with what I saw. While I liked tonight's matches, I really didn't like some of the segments. While the silly factors of the appletini and Anderson quoting 'Lord of the Rings' were entertaining, I had to witness a woman get choked by a bra on television. While I enjoyed the main event match, I didn't care for the main event ending. I would at least say TNA is worth a watch this week, but there are good and bad moments and this show isn't for everybody. To be fair, every show's gonna have its share of good and bad moments, so I think that has to be taken into account. I really want to be behind TNA, but it's hard for me to support them when so much of their show is dedicated to plugging another company's PPV. I have nothing against MMA stars or people who like MMA, but MMA is just not my cup of tea and I have no interest in wanting to learn more about it. The fact that I'm watching a wrestling show and I'm being forced to see all this MMA plugging just leaves an uneasy feeling inside me. I know you can make the argument that I could just skip the MMA segments, but I want to be fair and watch the whole show. I guess if you're a fan of both wrestling and MMA, you can probably enjoy these segments better than myself. As for me, it doesn't work. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today we take a look at WWE Raw 8/12/13. How does the 'go home' edition of Raw fare? Let's find out and start the review.
Let's get this show on the road!
We open up the show with Daniel Bryan vs Wade Barrett. Brad Maddox is the guest referee for this match. So, the man who started his career as a crooked referee has placed himself in this match? Gee, I can't see anything going wrong here! Sure enough, Maddox gives a count faster than the Micro Machine guy and Wade is victorious. The purpose of this match was to build the Cena/Bryan match and nothing more. There was a lot more to cover regarding the main event for SS, but in due time. Wade probably had to give up his weekly check in order to get this victory. In other news, Randy Orton defeated Damien Sandow thanks to the power of almost stealing. In all seriousness, this was a pretty good match between Orton and Sandow. It does continue the elevation of Orton while progressing things between Damien and Porn Star Rhodes.
Undercard 1
So, Dean Ambrose isn't concerned with the participants in the battle royal unless it's Andre the Giant's ghost. So, did WWE perform a human sacrifice to bring back Andre? Actually, an Andre ghost sounds pretty cool right now. We created God so we could great this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The mixed-tag match was very awkward. You would think Big E/AJ would get the victory, but Khali and Natalya ended up getting the win. My guess is this victory for Natalya is gonna push her towards something, but that's not what I have a problem with. In fact, I like the fact Natalya got the victory over the Divas Champ since she that could be the next rivalry for the divas title, but what the hell was up with the finish? AJ taps out and the ref does nothing while he clearly saw it. This is when they literally stall until they redo the ending again. What, did he fall asleep during this part? Did he pick up an official tip from Maddox? Hell, I bet Maddox could've done better. Needless to say, that was an ugly finish. Maybe for the future, they could just have the referees hold the script in their hands while calling these matches. It would cause less confusion.
Worthwhile Miz TV segment?
Might as well talk about the entire Daniel/Cena deal in one shot. Vince McMahon calls out Maddox for screwing up the call earlier this evening, so he punishes the GM by granting him the special guest referee spot for the SummerSlam match, proving that all you need to do is f*** things up in order to get a promotion. Before it can become official, Triple H interrupts the segment and puts himself as the guest referee for the match. After a Pedigree to Maddox, the segment ends with Vince throwing a fit. You think that with Vince having more power than Trips, he would just say '…..NO…..No, you're aren't the referee. In fact, you're fired. Why didn't I do this sooner?' Of course it doesn't make much sense, but it goes to show the differences between Vince and Trips at the moment. I just had a thought. This most likely won't happen, but what if Trips screwed over Bryan and sided with Vince by the end of SS? It would definitely add a twist to things, but I doubt this would even be considered. Later on in the night, Miz TV featured John Cena and Daniel Bryan. Miz has pretty much become the Ryan Seacrest of the WWE. Seriously, he was a wrestler? You almost forget the fact he was WWE Champion at one point. I don't really want to go into detail on what was said during this segment, but I'll just say that regardless of what type of wrestling fan you are, you gotta watch this segment. The promo work between Cena and Bryan was pure gold and it was refreshing to see Cena step away from the same 3-4 promos he usually cuts and tries to be a little more edgy with his work. Bryan was no slouch with his promo either and continues to show the heart of an underdog. I've been sold on this match for weeks and this only made me more excited for the contest. Although, I find it funny how Cena was begging Bryan to slap him in the face. He really wanted a slap in the face. Slap me, Bryan! Slap me in the face! Slap me hard! I wanna feel the pain! I want you to hurt me Bryan and then slap my ass… Oh s***, is this mic still on?
Undercard 2
After the continued burial of Prime Time Players, the Wyatt family confront Kane. During the long entrance of the Wyatt family, Kane had a smart move and simply got out of the ring. Yeah, it makes you think why nobody else thought to do this. I just figured out the rematch between Kane and Bray Wyatt. Kane vs Bray in a Ring of LED Light match. That will surely be a classic. The match between Alberto Del Rio and Kofi Kingston was fun to watch. I enjoyed it for what it was worth. Del Rio wins with the Cross Armbreaker since we forgot to give Kofi a motive for his return. But let's not forget… He's wearing pants now, that's most important. In other news, Antonio Cesaro has official become Zeb Coulter's favorite superhero, Captain Murica. Seriously, why is he using the flag as a cape? Unfortunately, not even Captain Murica can help Almost Real Americans defeat the Usos. Yeah, kinda funny how this has become a mini-feud of sorts.
US Championship Battle Royal
We now return to Dancing, R-Truth, Seizure-Attacks…
The next match of the night was a 20-man Battle Royal to determine who will get a US Championship shot. There's no Andre the Giant ghost…
But there was a number of worthy participates in this match. What I enjoyed was seeing Ryback and RVD in the ring at the same time…
RVD: I like your ring attire. It reminds me a lot of my gear… Actually, it looks similar to my gear… A lot like my gear… That bitch stole my gear!!!
RVD becomes the #1 Contender to the Unites States Championship, while Mark Henry wins the consolation prize in getting a free Subway meal. After the match, Shield is about to attack RVD and Henry until Big Show makes his 5000th face turn. Earlier in the night, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns were calling out any two challengers for their tag titles. It would seem Henry and Show have answered that challenge. I'm not sure how I feel about that. The idea of Henry and Show being a tag team just seems odd in my book. I don't have a problem with the pairing, but they just don't look like a team. It's like they drew names out of hat and figured, 'Well, why the hell not'.
The BROCK LESNAR segment
That might be my favorite Brock Lesnar line ever. The final segment of the night was the CM Punk/Paul Heyman 'match'. I liked the backstage segment where Paul was telling Curtis Axel he's having second thoughts, but I don't think he was talking about the match. He was having second thoughts about them. It's not me… It's you. To add to the Heyman romance, Paul blames the WWE Universe for stealing Punk from him. Awwww, so THIS is what it's all about. At the end of the day, he's really jealous over the fact that they took Punk away from him. It kinda makes you feel sad for the guy. I just want my friend back! Why did you do this to me!? If I can't have him, nobody will!!! Like an idiot, Heyman admits there's a trap and basically informs you on how the plan's gonna work. Tactical genius or moron? You be the judge on that one. As Heyman and BROCK LESNAR are talking in the ring, Heyman claims that BROCK LESNAR is his friend, BROCK LESNAR will be the downfall of CM Punk, and BROCK LESNAR will destroy your hero… BROCK LESNAR. Good thing Heyman was here or else I would've forgotten his name. CM Punk attacks from behind by hitting BROCK LESNAR with a camera. Here's your close-up, bitch!!! Heyman is really making me laugh in tonight's episode. After seeing the destruction of BROCK LESNAR, Heyman screams 'Oh my God!!!' once he realizes there's no more protection for him. It was the facial expression that really made this funny. Heyman finally runs away from the fight until Curtis shows up to fight off Punk. The show ends with Punk hitting the GTS on Curtis, BROCK LESNAR looking on, and Heyman high-tailing it all the way to Los Angeles. I thought this was also a fun segment that continues to build up the match. I'm looking forward to the contest and I think it should be a lot of fun.
Overall Impression:
I thought the Punk/Heyman and Miz TV segment make this show worth checking out. Even tonight's matches were decent to sit through… For the most part. I really thought this was a good episode of Raw and continues to build up what could be a great SummerSlam PPV. I'm really looking forward to what happens on Sunday and if the hype matches the quality of the show, we could be witnessing a true gem on our hands. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another special review. Today's special review is TNA's One Night Only: TNA 10 Reunion. I know I said I wouldn't really look at these, but since when do I listen to my own words? I left professionalism the day I created this page. Without further delay, let's begin.
Is this really the title?
Before we begin, we need to address the PPV title. First of all, why is called TNA 10 Reunion? I know the concept of tonight's show was to show the 10 years TNA has been around, but shouldn't it be called TNA 11 Reunion? Yeah, not a good sign if it shows they can't even count the amount of years they've existed. Second, what kind of PPV name is '10 Reunion'? It doesn't even sound right. It sounds like what a toddler says when he or she's learning how to speak. What's even stranger is how the talents were calling this PPV, 'TNA 10'. So, what's the name of the damn show? It seemed like they were calling it whatever the hell they wanted as long as it had something to do with TNA being around for 10+ years. Why didn't they just call it 'Four-Sided Hell' or something like that? It would sound stupid, but it sounds better than '10 Reunion'. At least 'Four-Sided Hell' sounds like a PPV name. My God, we haven't even started yet and I'm already off the deep end. This is only the second ONO PPV I've reviewed from TNA and on both occasions, I had to address the PPV name. I'm not expecting this great title to a PPV, but anything's better than TNA 10 Reunion. My guess is they paid one person a soda to come up with a PPV name. Actually, that would explain a lot.
X Division and Knockouts
The first match of the night was an X Division match between Kenny King, Sonjay Dutt, and Petey Williams, but not before a 3-4 minute music video… exciting. If I recall, didn't this match happen a few months ago on Impact? I thought this was the night of honoring the past rivalries of TNA, not the 2-3 week feud that went nowhere. The match may be considered good, but I got bored with it to be honest. There was a lot of moments where the action ranged from fast-paced to really slow. I've seen better X Division matches in my day to say the least. Kenny wins the match with the Royal Flush. The next match of the night was Velvet Sky vs Gail Kim. While this is another rivalry that's happened in the last few years, I don't mind this one since I view it as TNA classic vs TNA modern. Gail was the first KO champ in TNA while Velvet is the fan favorite in the modern era, so that one fits the reunion concept better. In a short contest, Velvet wins the match with the In Yo Face. Not a whole lot to take in from the match if you ask me.
TNA hides the fact this was filmed back in March very well *wink wink*
We cut to a Joseph Park interview because when you think of the history of TNA, you think Joseph Park. Seriously, you can't even bother to get him in the Abyss mask for these events? The next match was a battle royal featuring past and present stars. You get all of your favorites like Joseph Park, Shark Boy, Chase Stevens… Cassidy Riley… Robbie E… Johnny Swinger?… Okay, well not exactly some of your favorites, but they did have a coffee break in TNA at one point. Yeah, I might as well get this out of the way since this is a continuing issue throughout the evening. For calling it an anniversary PPV, it doesn't really take advantage of it. Instead of names like Jeff Jarrett or AJ Styles, you get these cast of characters you either don't remember or don't care about. Talk about false advertising since you aren't really fulfilling the damn gimmick. They should just call this 'TNA Reunion: The Budget Edition', because that's essentially what you're getting. Oh, but there's more! Another issue about these ONO PPVs is the fact they're taped months in advance. Just like the Hardcore Justice 2 PPV, this showing was taped around March. Most of the time, TNA covers their tracks to make it look 'in-tune', but then there's time where no effort was put into it since they basically wrote themselves in a corner. It was obvious with Matt Morgan's presences in this PPV, despite the fact TNA released Morgan a month ago. Not only that, but you also have Robbie E and Jesse arguing with one another since there was a moment both guys didn't like each other, while they're currently a tag team in TNA. You see how this makes the event look dated? The commentators can do the best they can to cover up the current characters/storylines in TNA, but when it's f***ed up, it's f***ed up. This is why I find it laughable how TNA tries to connect the continuity of these PPVs with its current set-up. The purpose of these PPVs is to NOT connect with the current storylines, so why even bother trying to explain yourself out of it? Either go all the way or just leave it alone! Sigh… So, Matt Morgan won the match. It wasn't very intriguing and didn't make any sense. You can win by throwing your opponent over the top or of via pinfall/submission? Did a five-year old write this? Needless to say, this particular segment was a mess. Shark Boy would've had more luck if he brought the fish back. I want the fish to make a comeback. It was the best part of the last PPV. I wanna see the fish!
Things start to pick up
One positive about these showings has to be Bad Influence. The majority of the people who cut these promos go about as cliche as you can get, but it's nice to witness somebody actually trying to pull something off. Bad Influence is quickly becoming one the best parts of TNA. This match was Bad Influence vs LAX vs Team 3D. This was the first match of the night that actually looked good. I actually enjoyed this match and I hope we get more matches like this. Bully Ray and Devon are the victors after hitting the 3D on Homicide. I love the Christian Cage moment they featured at their top ten company moments…
Christian: The reason I'm here is because I love wrestling… but it wasn't enough to keep me here… bye.
Oh yeah, there's a PPV going on right now…
Austin Aries and Jeff Hardy had a decent match, but I think their BFG and eventual ladder match were better. Still, this was a decent edition to the series. Hardy won with a small package. As long as people buy Hardy's merchandise, he will always get a couple of 'big' wins every now and then. The next match was Bobby Roode vs James Storm. It started a bit slow, but it did pick up. The match did end in a bit of an anti-climax (Roode put foot on ropes for leverage), but it was still a decent outing. The last match of the evening was Kurt Angle vs Samoa Joe, obviously trying to relive Kurt's first rival in TNA and the point where Joe started his roller coaster trend. The match tries to replicate what it did in the early days, but it just wasn't there. I'm not saying the match was bad, but not one of the better Kurt/Joe matches available. This one needed more time on the clock, but that's what happens when you invest over 20-minutes in a battle royal nobody cares about. Kurt wins with the Angle Slam and that's it. Wow, I just literally talked by three matches in a short amount of time. Yeah, it really didn't leave that much of an impression on me.
Overall Impression:
This is the second ONO PPV I've watched and in both cases, I felt the majority of the talents didn't go out there to put on the full effort. I'm not saying all the matches were terrible or a pain to sit through, but most of these matches have happened in the last 2-3 years and their previous encounters are better. Most of these matches feel watered-down and while not a bad evening of wrestling, it isn't something I would go out of my way to watch a second time since it felt boring in my eyes. Some people in these ONO showings try harder than others to entertain (Christopher Daniels), but most of them are almost counting by the minutes until the show's over. This is what I would consider an average showing, but so average that charging money for this is a joke. I wouldn't be surprised if you put this card on Impact and it would be more successful than tonight. Maybe you think I'm being too harsh on a PPV that doesn't connect with the current storylines of the show, but I still expect some value of entertainment at the end of the day. While with a traditional PPV where I expect good storytelling with compelling matches/silly segments, all I expect from these PPVs is the entertainment factor. I honestly think this PPV doesn't do that very well. Hell, at least the last PPV had that stupid, yet hilarious, moment with the fish winning the battle royal, but there wasn't anything like that this evening. I know this was meant to be taken more seriously due to the theme of tonight's show, but more effort could've went into the preparation of this show. Again, you show off ten years of TNA and don't have people like Styles, Jarrett, or even Abyss? You couldn't even get Sting to sign up for this? Like I said earlier, this is false advertising at its finest. If the PPV worked for you, that's perfectly fine. You got something out of it that I couldn't get myself. I think people forget that I write reviews to make you laugh and to share MY thoughts on the show, not review based on what others want me to say. Well, I think I've gone on long enough about this event. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another edition of mini-reviews. Today's mini-review is WWE Smackdown 8/9/13. Let's begin.
We open up the show with Randy Orton vs RVD, with special guest, whistle-man. Seriously, that guy was really getting into the show. I like the enthusiasm this guy's showing. In fact, this is one of the rare SDs that featured an energetic audience. It was refreshing since this doesn't happen all the time. Orton and RVD put on a great match to open the show. Definitely worth checking out if you have the time. The finish comes when RVD misses the Frog Splash…
Randy follows it up with the RKO to win the match. I know people are wondering why Orton got a heavy amount of applause after his actions on Raw. Keep in mind that the only heelish action he did was abandoned Cena and DB. He hasn't cut a promo or done anything else as of yet. The seeds have been planted for a heel turn, but it isn't officially as of yet. You just have to give it some time.
Since the general managers of both shows mean nothing, let's have the Miz make a match for SummerSlam while Vickie Guerrero has a coffee break. It will be Dolph and Kaitlyn vs Big E and AJ…
I love how Big E gets in Kaitlyn's face. Calm down… Calm down *Dolph attacks* OW!!! I'm in tremendous pain right now!!! Help me!!!
Summer Rae's action skills cost Kofi Kingston a victory over Flamboyant-o. I'm guessing WWE will use this as a mini-feud for both individuals. Considering Fandango is doing nothing but feeding off his entrance theme and Kofi just returned, you might as well do something with both of them for free TV. Daniel Bryan continued the burial of whatever dignity Wade Barrett has left by destroying Wade's trimmer. To add salt to the wound, that electric shaver came out of Wade's paycheck. Remember when he made Nexus and Corre? Neither do I!
I like the design of Damien Sandow's new briefcase. It definitely suits his character and I wish more people would customize their cases. They used to do that in the early days of MITB, but have since resorted to the blue/red color. It's just nice to see a touch of the personality reflect the briefcase. So, I guess Cody Rhodes went through the effort of fishing out that old briefcase and stealing that paper all for nothing. Yeah, he didn't think this plan through very well. Who knows how much toxins ended up in his body. For all we know, he didn't pick up a contract and found toilet paper. Ewwwww.
After the 3MB massacre, Bray Wyatt shows on the titantron to talk to Kane. He loves the idea of being in a ring of fire, claims to be a monster, and says he's already dead. So, he's a dead monster?
Well, not exactly a monster, but it works. I'm still looking forward to this match.
Since the WHC is looking more and more like a glorified Intercontinental championship these days, let's have Alberto Del Rio vs Christian tonight. To be fair, it wasn't a championship match, but it's a little odd to get this match now considering you're gonna see it again in about a week. This was another good match that made the show stood out, which is what I would expect out of Christian and Del Rio. Christian picks up the victory with a rollup. After a moment of Del Rio acting like a drama queen, Christian hits the Killswitch to shut him up. Damien arrives and is about to cash in the MITB, but Cody Rhodes interrupts the cash-in. Since the bell never rung, the cash-in doesn't count. Well, it wouldn't be WWE if we didn't get a few fake cash-ins. It would've been a hell of a twist if Sandow was actually successful with the cash-in, but I guess it wasn't in the heart of the cards this evening.
Overall Impression:
SD was really good this evening. The segments were good and most of the matches really stood out. While it is an episode you can afford to skip, this is one I would considering giving a shot since I think you might enjoy it. That does it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another edition of mini-reviews. Today we take a look at TNA Impact Wrestling 8/8/13. After a week to think about TNA's plug for Bellator, what's next on the radar? Let's find out and begin.
Since TNA readers might be new to mini-reviews, let me explain how this works. The idea is to review the show, but not be as long as a typical review. There's gonna be stuff that gets left out on purpose since I need to keep it short. With that said, let's really begin.
We open up the show with Mike Tenay being kicked off commentary since Aces & Eights was taking over the both. You really know things aren't high on the Aces & Eights priority list if they have to run Tenay out of town. That's like a school bully not having anybody to bully, so he resorts to stealing your napkins since he has nothing better to do. Bully Ray talks about himself until Chris Sabin arrives. After a few weeks of Sabin as champion, I'm afraid to say I was right in how this would turn out. Sabin isn't engaging at all when he talks. I really wanted to give him a chance, but his promos are as basic as you're gonna get and really aren't that appealing. In fact, I'm not even sure how well this move increased viewership, so I don't think this has gone the way TNA envisioned. Again, Sabin is a good mid-card talent, but he's not ready for the main event and I'm not sure if he'll ever be. Brooke Hogan announced that if Bully loses his rematch, he will never get a world title match again… Oh no! And since it's TNA, let's end with a dick innuendo.
Jeff Hardy defeated Samoa Joe in a BFG Series match thanks to Mr. Anderson going the sinister thing of standing up during his match…
Again, you think Main Event Mafia would run backup for their guys at all times, but perhaps the MEM is on a budget as well. Sorry brother, but we can only afford you five-minutes of protection per month… but we're totally family. So, we cool? We cool!? Anyway, the next match was Magnus vs Anderson. The match was a bore until Bobby Roode ran interference by hitting Anderson with a steel chair. Due to the circumstances, Magnus loses 10 points while Anderson picks up pity points. Roode claims he did this since he wants to even the playing field. I kinda like this edition to Roode's character since it makes him a bigger asshole than before.
Do you ever notice how the stars of TNA have the most boring entrance themes? It's like TNA bought a keyboard and literally push a button and *BOOM*, instant entrance theme. Some are more defined than others (AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Bobby Roode), but a lot of them sound the same. We are about to find out about Tito Ortiz and he says a few words until Kurt Angle interrupts to talk about respect. Didn't we go through this a few weeks ago when Rampage appeared? It's literally the same intro as before. Damn, at least try to do something different. Yeah, so a pretty underwhelming segment to say the least. In the meantime, Bellator is counting up the extra PPV buys they're getting after all the extra 'ads'.
Bad Influence use the rules to their advantage to get a double countout, thus both of them get two points. I actually thought it was pretty funny. After the match, Bobby shows up again and claims the three of them are creating a new stable. They claim by coming together as a team, they have the best odds of winning the BFG Series. I know it's another stable in the mix, but I actually don't mind this one since Bad Influence is already entertaining and I can see Bobby as a decent leader. In all honestly, that was my favorite part of the show. The final match of the night is Team 3D vs Sabin and Kurt. Thanks to that lucky rabbit foot that's wrapped around Sabin's dick, Sabin manages to pull off another miracle by pinning Bully with a crossbody. The show ends with Sabin and DWI Angle celebrating their victory. While on the subject, really Kurt? You didn't learn your lesson the first time? You can afford all this alcohol to get yourself drunk/buzzed, but can't afford yourself a cab? Instead of doing the responsible thing, you put innocent lives in danger just because of your bull-headedness? I respect you Kurt as a performer, but you son of a bitch!!! I apologize for getting on that soapbox, but I needed to get this out of the way because this is something I have zero tolerance for.
Overall Impression:
One of the main reasons I turned this into a mini-review is because the show felt very filler-esque. There wasn't a whole lot in terms of storylines this evening and the theme of the show was to build up next week's Hardcore Justice. While they did hype it up, something a little more eye-popping for tonight's show would've helped deliver the message more effectively. While some of the matches were decent enough to sit through, I don't think it's something I would go back and watch a second time. Probably my favorite part of the show was the Bad Influence match, but that's because those guys always seem to find a way to make me laugh. Even after debuting Tito Ortiz a week ago, the follow-up was pretty weak and you got a half-ass reason for his arrival, thus shining more light on my theory that TNA only brought in Tito so they could get a paycheck from Spike for some shameless advertising. I do hope this all works out for them, but don't be surprised if this blows up in their face. That does it for the mini-review and I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's show. I will see you guys and girls in the next one.
