10-31-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 31, 2013 Halloween episode of Impact

The show starts with Dixie Carter coming to the ring. She says that last week she served AJ the world on a silver platter & he threw it right in her face. No one walks out on Dixie Carter. From now on AJ doesn’t exist & is no longer world champion. She says he can keep the title & the convertible. She figures he’s probably trick or treating with the title saying he is world champion. But he’s no different than other kids doing the same with their toy belts. She needs a champion that can help make the company bigger than it is. There will be an 8 man tournament to crown a new world champion. She brings out 7 of the 8 on the stage, all of whom are former TNA World Champions. Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, Kurt Angle, James Storm, Bobby Roode, Austin Aries & Chris Sabin. As Dixie announces each guy they show a clip of when they each won the world title. Then Dixie says there’s 1 guy missing. Then out come Bully Ray & Brooke. Dixie steels Ray’s line & says to shut Ray’s music off. Then she says the 8^th slot will be determined by the winner of a gauntlet match. Ray says Dixie forgot 1 person. How’s he supposed to win back his title if he’s not in the tournament? Does Dixie know who he is? She says he’s the guy who lost to AJ twice. He’s the guy who has caused all this to begin with. Ray says he’s not to blame. Earl Hebner is at fault for the first loss & Anderson is at fault for the 2^nd. Then out go the lights, cue Anderson’s music. The lights come back on & Anderson is punching away on Ray. Security hits the ring to break it up. Break time. This was ok. Dixie as the heel owner doesn’t work for me & they’re copying the CM Punk storyline from 2 years ago when he left with the WWE Title! Why does TNA feel like they have to copy WWE?

Back from break & They show Anderson being cuffed & being escorted out by security. Then Brooke gets in his face & tells Anderson that he shouldn’t have come back because her old man (I’m not sure why she referred to Ray that way) will “kill” him. Then Ray takes out Anderson from behind with his chain. Ray says Anderson is worthless & nothing without him. He tells Anderson not to be stupid & to stay away.

Backstage camera asks for Garrett’s thoughts on the Anderson-Ray issue. Garrett says there’s a lot going on right now but business is business. Garrett mentions that Ray ripped off Anderson’s “cut.” Then Knox shows up, asks what Garrett is doing talking to the camera guy. Knox says that he has a big chance tonight & then the 2 walk off.

Gunner & James Storm vs. TNA World Tag Team Champions Robbie E & Jessie Godderz for the Titles. Robbie & Jessie win Jessie pins Storm. This was decent. Storm had Jessie up in the suplex position & Robbie grabs Storm’s leg. Storm falls & Jessie is on top of him & gets the pin as Robbie holds Storm’s leg. WINNERS & STILL TNA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS – ROBBIE e & JESSIE GODDERZ

Backstage we see Dixie on her phone. Then in comes Sting. She says that since she is so tired of hearing about how Sting can no longer challenge for the world title she is willing to lift the ban for tonight if he will be the first guy in the gauntlet match. Does Sting feel like he can do this? Sting says he’s earned everything that he has ever gotten & has never had a sense of entitlement. He walks out & Dixie asks if that means yes. This was lame. Dixie as a heel is terrible & Sting didn’t really do much here either.

Backstage we see Daniels & Kazarian dressed like Sherlock Holmes. They’re going to solve the case of Abyss & the missing TV Title. This was the usual great comedy that we get from Daniels & Kazarian. These guys are the best part of TNA.

Time for EC3 to squash a local Indy guy.

Norm Fernum vs. Ethan Carter III in a BFG rematch. EC3 gets the pin. This was mostly a squash. How long will it be before EC3 faces a TNA regular? Having him squash Indy guys is already old.

Then Ethan gets the mic & says he is EC3 & he’s Carter. The world needs “Us.” This character is awful.

Backstage Bobby Roode is with some Dr. named Scott. They’re checking out the video where Angle tore the cartilage in his knee at BFG. Then Roode mentions that Angle was knocked out too. Roode says that he is looking out for Kurt’s safety. He wants to make sure that Kurt will be medically cleared tonight. This was a decent backstage bit.

Backstage ODB talks about having to face Gail Kim tonight. Gail never pinned her to win the Knockouts Title. Gail needed Tapa’s help & she’ll take out both of them if she has to. Then Daniels & Kazarian come in. They figured out that ODB stands for overly massive bosoms. They know about her relationship with EY & about Joseph Park. Does she know anything about Abyss? Then EY comes in & he tells them not touch ODB. Daniels tells EY to keep out of this or they will drop him like they did to Park. Then EY says that it’s Halloween & they might see a monster later tonight. This was a solid backstage bit. Anytime Daniels & Kazarian are in a segment you’re guaranteed good entertainment. EY & ODB were good here too.  

Gauntlet match to see who the 8^th guy will be in the TNA World Title tournament. Magnus wins when he eliminates Sting & Kazarian. This was decent but they have these gauntlets too often.

Entrance Sequence - 1. Sting 2. Frankie Kazarian. 3. Knox 4. Eric Young 5. Christopher Daniels 6.  Manik 7. Magnus

Elimination Sequence – 1. Knox by Manik 2. Manik by Kazarian 3. EY by Kazarian 4. Daniels by Magnus. 5. Kazarian & 6. Sting by Magnus

WINNER – MAGNUS.

Backstage the Dr. is checking on Kurt Angle. Then camera guy asks if the Dr. has cleared him. Angle says the Dr. advised him to take the night off, but he is medically cleared so he will face Roode tonight.

Backstage camera guy asks for Dixie’s thoughts about Magnus qualifying for the tournament. She’s glad Magnus is in there. She can’t wait to announce the brackets. That will be determined by something the called the wheel of Dixie. That sounds awful & I’m sure it will be worse than it sounds!

ODB vs. Knockouts Champion Gail Kim for the Title. Gail gets the pin. This was a solid back & forth match. Tapa got on the apron & distracted the referee when ODB had Gail pinned. Then ODB got distracted with Tapa. Then Gail rolled up ODB & held onto the rope for the pin. WINNER & STILL KNOCKOUTS CHAMPION – GAIL KIM.

Backstage we see Daniels & Kazarian. Daniels says that things didn’t work out in the gauntlet but on the bright side they solved the mystery of Abyss. They’re heading to the ring to tell us how.

Daniels & Kazarian are in the ring. Sherlock Holmes costumes & all. Daniels is going to tell us how they have solved yet another crime. The case of the on again, off again monster Abyss. It took every ounce of their intelligence but everyone’s favorite wresters cracked the case. The beast resides beneath the ring. Daniels gets a pumpkin from under the ring. Daniels says that this isn’t Abyss. It’s just a talentless vegetable. Kazarian then says that the pumpkin is brighter than the Knockouts & the fans in Salt Lake City. Then out comes EY dressed as Joseph Park. EY says he’s a scientist. There’s no scientific proof that Halloween’s a real holiday but it is the big guy’s favorite holiday. EY got ahold of Abyss & he wanted EY to give his favorite tag team a message. Then EY goes after them but they get the upper hand. Then Abyss’ music plays & out he comes. He double clotheslines Daniels & Kazarian. Then he gives Kazarian a black hole slam. Then he faces off with Daniels. Daniels bounces off the ropes & Abyss gives him a black hole slam too. Then Abyss looks at EY & helps him up. This was a decent comedy segment. Daniels & Kazarian were really funny as usual. Eric Young dressed as Joseph Park was kinda funny & I was fine with his promo. Abyss coming out & black hole slamming Kazarian & Daniels was decent too.

They show the brackets for the TNA World Title Tournament. Jeff Hardy vs. Chris Sabin, James Storm vs. Bobby Roode, Kurt Angle vs. Austin Aries & Samoa Joe vs. Magnus.  

Backstage we see Dixie, Jeff Hardy & Chris Sabin in Dixie’s office. They’ll be facing each other in the first round. Then Dixie spins the wheel & they’ll be in a full metal mayhem match. Dixie then says that Jeff is 1 step closer to winning the world title. Sabin says, “So am I, right?” Dixie kinda blows him off. She thanks them for coming. This was idiotic! Now Dixie’s taking the old “Spin the wheel, make the deal” bit from WCW! I don’t get why they have this wheel to see what kinda match each guy in the tournament will be in. This whole thing feels really overbooked.

Time for a video package recapping the Kurt Angle-Bobby Roode feud.

Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Roode. Roode wins by referee stoppage. Kurt Angle was knocked out after superplexing Roode from the top turnbuckle & the referee called for the bell. This was a good back & forth match.

Then referees come in to Check on Angle. Roode walks up the ramp. Angle lays in the ring with the referees checking on him to end the show.

This week’s show was easily better than last week’s overall. The opening segment with Dixie, Bully Ray, the 7 guys on the stage & Anderson was decent, the Angle-Roode match was good, the tag title match was decent too, the ODB-Gail match was also solid, The Daniels-Kazarian-EY-Abyss in ring segment was really funny (Daniels & Kazarian were funny throughout the whole night dressed as Sherlock Holmes), The whole Dixie heel character is terrible, Her backstage bit with Sting was weak & I don’t get why they had Dixie use the spin the wheel make the deal/Raw roulette wheel. The bit with her, Jeff & Sabin in the office was weak too. I’m also not into the EC3 character. I thought the gauntlet match was decent but they kinda tend to use the gauntlet too often. So overall this week’s show was better than last week’s but with the exception of Angle-Roode match the show felt average.

10-28-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 28, 2013 episode of Raw

They start the show with still clips of the 2 cell matches from last night. Then Michael Cole mentions that the fans can vote for what kinda match they want Punk vs. Ryback to be (Street fight, falls count anywhere, or tales match. Great so we’re getting a match that was on PPV for free the next night.

The actual show starts with John Cena coming to the ring. He gets a mixed reaction. He’s used to that sound. He’s back. Did everybody miss him? We got some people happy & some upset. There maybe skeptics thinking he came back to early. The skeptic Cena does thank is JBL. He had to listen to JBL every week doubting if Cena could get the job done. He does a JBL impersonation as he says this. Cena says the new World Champion is HERRRRRRRRREEE!! Not for 1 match, 1 week or 1 month, he is back. Cena knows what the World Title means. He’s the Friday Night Delight on Smackdown too. Cena then talks about going to Europe to fight as World Champion. He has to wear a knee brace, etc. but he’s back & ready to go. Cena mentions that the WWE Champion has a celebration. Tonight we all get to celebrate Randy Orton. We’ll hear a lot of talking then so Cena will stop talking now. Before he does he says Del Rio gave him a great match. He knows Del Rio is entitled to a rematch. If he wants some come get some. The Cenation runs the show. The champ is HERRRRRRRRREEE!!

Then out comes Damien Sandow. He says the uncrowned champ is here. Cena’s not fooling the unwashed masses. Maybe he is. Cena might fool the medical staff but he’s not fooling Sandow. He saw what Del Rio did to him last night & knows Cena’s more hurt than he is letting on. Sandow says that Cena’s afraid that he will cash in on him. Sandow can cash in any time, any place. Like right now. Then again, any night but tonight. As Sandow goes to leave Cena shoves him & then Sandow clobbers Cena’s injured elbow with the briefcase. Then he rams it into the post & then he sends Cena into the barrier. Then he throws Cena into the steel steps. Then Sandow gets a chair, places Cena’s arm on the steel steps & hits his arm with the chair. Sandow then says that his time is now. He calls for a referee. Sandow is cashing in. Break time. This was a good way to start the show. I thought Cena cut a good promo & I liked Sandow’s promo too. They went to break before the bell rang to start the match, so will the cash in actually happen? We’ll find out after the break.

Back from break & Cena’s in the ring. The match is happening.

World Champion John Cena vs. Damien Sandow for the Title. Cena gets the pin. This was a good back & forth match, but Sandow got beat by a guy with a weakened arm. Sandow has been booked terrible for months & now that he cashed in MITB & lost, I think Sandow is going back to being a Main Event regular.

Backstage we see The Shield. Dean Ambrose says that tonight could be the most important night in the history of The Shield. Tonight he’s defending his U.S. Title against Big E. He knows Big E is a human bull dozer after facing him last night. It was a privilege to give Big E a few minutes. Rollins says they made a mistake when they underestimated Big E. Tonight they have a chance to correct that. Ambrose says the U.S. Title is the only title the Shield has left. He will retain because he is the baddest man. Believe that. Then Reigns says believe in The Shield. This was a good promo but why are we getting these PPV rematches?

Big E Langston vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose for the Title. Big E wins by DQ. Big E bounces off the ropes & Reigns yanks the tope rope down, sending Big E to the floor & the referee calls for the bell.

Then Reigns & Rollins throw Big E back in the ring. The Shield attacks Big E but then the Usos come out. They along with Big E clean house on The Shield. Then out comes Brad Maddox & he announces a 6 man tag. The match wasn’t much, the DQ was lame, I liked The Usos coming out to help Big E but Brad making the 6 man tag was predictable.

Big E Langston & The Usos vs. The Shield. The Shield wins when Reigns pins Jimmy. This was a solid match.

Shawn Michaels comes to the ring. He knows he owes everybody an explanation for his actions. More importantly he owes Daniel one. He tells Daniel to come to the ring so he can tell him face to face why super kicked him. Out comes Daniel Bryan. Shawn knows Daniel isn’t happy about last night. Daniel has to realize Shawn didn’t intend for that to happen. Shawn called the match right down the middle (The fans chant you sold out to Shawn) & then all hell broke loose. Shawn knows Daniel & the fans won’t get this but HHH is his best friend. That won’t change. Their friendship will supersede everything. In Shawn’s darkest hours when everyone turned their back on him HHH was there for him. Last night HHH needed Shawn to be there for him & he was. He’s not asking Daniel to understand it. He just wants him to accept his apology. Then Shawn says over 10 years ago Shawn trained him but Daniel took farther than Shawn thought. Last night Shawn taught Daniel his most valuable lesson. In WWE you can’t trust anybody. Not Shawn & not that soon to be wife of Daniel’s. Shawn’s humbling himself & apologizing. The least Daniel can do is show him the respect he deserves & shake his hand. Then Shawn calls Daniel a self-righteous little puke. For 7 months he’s been defending Daniel when everyone called him a B + player. Shawn is an A + player & always will be. Shawn again offers his hand. This time Daniel takes it but locks Shawn in the yes lock & Shawn taps. Then referees come in to pull Daniel off. This was idiotic. Having Michaels say that the reason he kicked Daniel is because HHH is his closest friend was a really idiotic explanation!! How many guys are they gonna have be against Daniel?

Backstage Renee Young is with Daniel. She says that after what happened last night & just now Daniel must be getting frustrated. Then out go the lights, The Wyatt family Tron comes on. The lights come back on & Harper & Rowan are clobbering Daniel. Then they send him into a ladder. Then Bray picks Daniel up & gives him Sister Abigail. Then he rams a storage crate into Daniel. This was strange. I’m not sure what they’re doing with the Wyatts randomly attacking other wrestlers.

Los Matadores vs. 3MB in a 3 on 2 handicap match. Los Matadores win when Drew gets pinned. Slater has a net. He goes after El Torito with it but Torito gets out of the way. Then Torito goes under the ring & sprays Slater with an extinguisher. Than he comes out from under the ring & gores Slater. Then McIntyre gets pinned. Then Slater winds up in the net & Torito gives him a top rope cross body. WINNERS – LOS MATADORES. This was the usual not funny comedy we get from these guys.  

The Bella Twins vs. Tamina Snuka & Divas Champion AJ Lee. Tamina & AJ win when AJ makes Nikki tap. This was alright.

The Miz vs. Kane. Kane gets the pin. This was a squash.

Then Kane tells Stephanie to come to the ring because he has something to say to her. Out comes Stephanie. She remains on the stage & says that it’s close enough. Kane can speak from inside the ring. Kane says Stephanie’s been on a power trip, she’s abused her authority. Been manipulative & has ruined lives. But in this day & age it is what’s best for business. Therefore the monster is hers to unleash. Then Kane walks up the ramp, takes his mask off, hands it to Stephanie & walks to the back. Stephanie holds up the mask with a heel grin on her face. I’m not sure what that was about. Now Kane is the newest guy in the McMahon-Helmsley stable out of nowhere & he handed over his mask. What?

The primetime Players do an ad for wweshop.com

They show a WWE video from David Otunga reading about Big Show’s law suit against HHH & Stephanie. Otunga says this law suit could potentially cost the McMahon family millions as well as the loss of the company. That was odd. David Otunga is a face now?

CM Punk comes to the ring. He says last night for the first time in over 3 months he slept like a baby. That’s because he got Paul Heyman just like he promised. He caned Heyman on top of the cage & then gave him the GTS & put him to sleep. “PAUL HEYMAN IS HISTORY!” The fans chant CM Punk. Now Punk’s focus shifts solely to Ryback. Ryback’s a tough guy but without Heyman he doesn’t stand a chance against the best in the world. Punk put Heyman to sleep last night & tonight he will either do the same to Ryback, put him through a table or make him tap out. Punk promised he would put an end to Heyman & he did. Tonight he will put an end to Ryback however the fans vote for him to. This was a good promo from Punk. I’m not sure why Punk is facing Ryback again since he pinned him cleanly last night. Break time.

Back from break & it is time to find out what stip the fans picked. This will be a street fight.

CM Punk vs. Ryback. Punk wins by submission. This was ok but it was really short. Punk gives Ryback a top rope elbow through a table. Then he locks in the Anaconda vice & Ryback taps.

Then out comes the Wyatt family. Punk waits in the ring, Bray sits in the rocking chair. Then the lights come back on, Punk fights them off with a Singapore cane but Harper & Rowan get the upper hand & pound on Punk. Then Bray gets in the ring as the other 2 hold onto Punk. Punk head butts Bray & fights off the other 2 but Harper gives Punk a discuss clothesline. Then Bray gives Punk Sister Abigail. This was solid. I’m not sure what they’re leading up to here with the Wyatt family randomly laying out guys, but hopefully whatever it is it will be good.

WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Real Americans. The Real Americans win when Swagger makes Goldust tap. This was a good back & forth match. It looks like The Real Americans will be getting a tag title match.

Alberto Del Rio comes out on the stage. He doesn’t care what that stupid gringo did. His only concern is Cena. Last night Cena stole the World Title. Tonight Cena won & that means Del Rio gets a rematch. He will make Cena pay. Cena’s injured arm is a target. Del Rio will attack it over & over till he breaks it. The World Title belongs to Del Rio but we already know that. This was a good & short promo.

Natalya vs. Summer Rae. Natalya wins by submission. This was a solid match. I was impressed with Summer Rae. Fandango gets up on the apron, Hornswoggle yanks him off. Then he goes after Hornswoggle but Khali chops him. That distracts Rae & then Natalya gets in the sharpshooter for the win. WINNER – NATALYA

The whole roster is on the stage for Orton’s WWE Title celebration. The Shield are at ringside. Cue king of kings & out come HHH & Stephanie (They saved the worst for the end)! HHH, Stephanie & The Shield get in the ring. HHH says that a decade ago the chairman of WWE came to him & asked him who he thought would be the face of WWE. HHH looked long & hard & he picked 1 guy. He had him in Evolution & watched him become a star. Then he watched that star do horrible things to everyone on the roster including HHH & his family. Frankenstein’s monster matured & became an A + player. Last night HHH watched with great pride as the A + player became the face of WWE. Not some B + player who is in a hospital bed. The A + player fulfilled HHH’s prophecy when he became WWE Champion & the face of WWE. It is with great pride that he presents to us Randy Orton. HHH & Stephanie hug Orton. Stephanie says to all the super stars on the stage Orton isn’t just HHH & Stephanie’s champion, he is everyone’s champion. Meaning Orton represents the whole roster. She tells them to show Orton the respect he deserves. Orton says that being WWE Champion makes him better than everybody. It makes him better than everyone standing on the stage. The fantasize ion taking the title off him but that won’t happen. Orton is a success & the face of WWE. Then Big Show’s music plays & out he comes. The Shield goes after him & then Goldust, Cody & The Usos go after The Shield. Then the rest of the roster attacks The Shield on the stage. Big Show then gets in the ring as HHH & Orton bail out. Big Show knows about the restraining order but he can’t sit by & let this turn his stomach. He has friends that can bail him out if they arrest him. His law suit will cost WWE millions of dollars. He doesn’t care if he bankrupts WWE. Show has nothing to lose. Then Orton hits Show in the back of the head with the belt. Then Orton was gonna hit him with the belt again but Show gives Orton the knockout punch. HHH takes his jacket & tie off as Big Show waits for him to get in the ring, but HHH decides not to bother. Big Show tries to goat HHH to get in the ring but he doesn’t. Big Show slide out of the ring & then HHH gets in the ring. Big Show walks up the ramp & slaps a few fans hands. HHH is beside himself & Orton recovers & sells the punch to end the show. This was a solid ending to the show. I hated HHH’s promo & Orton’s too but I liked Big Show coming out & the rest of the roster attacking The Shield. I also thought that Big Show knocking Orton out was decent. I’m curious if Big Show will challenge Orton for the WWE Title.

This week’s show had it’s ups & downs for sure but I didn’t think it was that bad for the most part. Cena cut a good promo at the start of the show & Sandow’s promo was good too. The Cena-Sandow match was also good but they had Sandow lose cleanly, making him the first MITB guy to cash in & lose. I’m not sure why they even had him win MITB in the first place. The closing segment wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. HHH & Orton were both terrible on the mic but I liked that the roster attacked The Shield after Big Show came out. Big Show’s promo was good too. Will he challenge Orton for the title next? The Daniel Bryan-Shawn Michaels in ring promo was terrible. Michaels saying that he super kicked Daniel because HHH is his best friend was a terrible explanation as to why he gave Daniel a super kick. I thought the Wyatt family lying out Daniel backstage was solid. I’m not sure where they’re going with this yet but hopefully it will be good. The Rhodes Brothers vs. The Real Americans was good too. I liked that The Real Americans got the clean win & it looks like they’ll be getting a shot at the tag titles next. Los Matadores-3MB was your typical not funny comedy. I’m tired of that gimmick. Natalya-Summer Rae was solid too. Summer Rae was impressive here & Natalya is 1 of the best female talents in the company. The Bellas vs. Tamina & AJ was alright too. The Punk-Ryback street fight didn’t really make any sense since they had a match on PPV last night. It was also very short. I did like the Wyatt family coming out & lying out Punk. Maybe they’ll have Punk & Daniel team up & feud with the Wyatt family. That would be interesting. Del Rio’s promo was good & short. I’m guessing he will get his rematch at Survivor Series. The David Otunga video talking about Big Show’s law suit was weird. I’m not sure if the fans will buy into Otunga being a face. Miz-Kane was a squash & I have no idea why they Kane take his mask off & give it to Stephanie. We’ll see where this goes. Maybe they’ll resume the Daniel-Kane feud. The Big E-Dean Ambrose match wasn’t much & I knew Brad was gonna make it a 6 man once The Usos came out. I did like the 6 man tag though. So overall I thought this week’s show wasn’t great but it wasn’t all terrible either.

10-25-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 25, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Michael Cole in the ring. He’s going to interview HHH. Cole mentions that the cell PPV is 2 days away. Then he mentions the Big Show stuff from Raw & wants HHH’s thoughts on that. HHH hopes Big Show is proud of himself. Big Show’s reactions resulted in 6 people being canned. They were canned because Big Show wanted to make himself a hero. Speaking of heroes Big Show has done what all heroes do their backs are up against the wall. He has filed a lawsuit. HHH says that means that he & Stephanie have been advised by their lawyers to give no further comment on Big Show. He can only say that Show has been fired & will remain fired & since Big Show’s no longer part of the WWE “Universe” (Man I hate that word) that means Show’s been was he’s always been & that’s irrelevant. Hunter is focused on hell in a cell right now & he says Cole can ask his questions. Cole asks if HHH is worried that Big Show will show up & throw everything into disarray (Pretty much asking if we’re gonna get the same non-finish we got at Battleground) & what about Big Show showing up tonight? HHH asks what part of he can’t comment on Big Show did Michael not get. He says Cole wants to play Barbra Walters & asks the hard hitting questions for the fans. That’s ok but he tells Michael not ask him about things that he isn’t at liberty to talk about. Michael asks if HHH is at liberty to discuss the Cena-Del Rio World Title match. HHH says absolutely. Just like the fans, he can’t wait to see Cena return. HHH knows what it’s like to come back from that devastating kind of injury. He knows what Cena’s gone through to return early & it’s Amazing. HHH can’t wait to see the World Title match because it will be epic (We all know Cena’s winning the title). Then Michael mentions that the WWE Title has been vacant for 6 weeks & on Sunday inside the cell Daniel Bryan will face Randy Orton for that vacated title. The fans have votes for Shawn Michaels to be the referee. Shawn has guaranteed that there will be a new WWE Champion crowned on Sunday. HHH is thrilled with that guarantee & he’s thrilled that the fans picked Michaels to be the guest referee. HHH wants nothing more than to have a definitive WWE Champion. Michaels guaranteed that & he is the right guy for the job. Michaels knows better than anybody what through your mind when the cell starts to lower. It’s 5000 pounds of steel that can destroy a guys & his confidence or something like that. Cole then mentions that there have been some disagreements between Hunter & Shawn in recent weeks. The biggest being Daniel Bryan. HHH & Shawn have been friends for 20 years. In those 20 years they’ve been best of friends but they’ve also been very fierce competitors against each other. What they have always come back to though is a common ground. They share similar beliefs in a lot of things. One of those similar beliefs is how WWE should operate & “What’s best for business.” (I’ve had enough of that saying too). HHH knows that when it is all said & done Shawn Michaels will do “the right thing.” Then Cole asks HHH what the “right thing” is. (The right thing would be to end this crappy storyline)! Then out comes Daniel Bryan. Cole leaves the ring. Then Daniel says the right thing is to let him & Orton settle this once & for all. Regardless of what anyone does, that includes HHH, Big Show, The Shield, HHH’s house keeper, gardener & whoever HHH wants to throw out there, inside the cell no one gets in & no one gets out till there is a definitive winner. Daniel knows that Michaels is HHH’s best friend. We’ve heard a million times (It feels like WAY more than that) but Shawn is also his own man. Shawn won’t favor either Daniel or Orton. Michaels will do what it “best for business” & Daniel will prove HHH wrong after everything that HHH has said to him. When Daniel does that, he will become WWE Champion & as much as HHH might hate it he will also be the new face of WWE. YES! YES! This was the usual way that Smackdown starts. This promo was far too long & I’m tired of HHH. I’m really hoping they have Daniel win the title Sunday. I’m also hoping that they don’t have Michaels turn heel on Daniel & cause him to lose. Stacking the deck against Daniel anymore than they’ve already done would make this even worse!

The Miz is on commentary.

The Usos vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. The Usos win when Harper gets pinned. This wasn’t really much of a match. Bray gets out of the rocking chair. Then Miz goes after Bray & than Rowan chases Miz up the ramp to the back. Then The Usos double super kick Harper for the win. WINNERS – THE USOS.

I really wish they’d give us a match with no shenanigans. The matches have clearly become background to the storytelling & I’m not into that. Have a match with a clean finish for once. And I mean a match that isn’t a squash.

Nikki Bella vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee. AJ wins by submission. This was a decent but short match. Tamina also threw Brie into the steel steps.

They reshow the John Cena video package highlighting his career that they showed on Monday.

Backstage Bray Wyatt shows us that he & the others got The Miz. Rowan’s sheep mask in on Miz’s head, they have his hands tied to a fence, his shirt’s ripped open & he has liar spray painted on his mid-section. Harper & Rowan take mask off Miz & we see that Miz is unconscious. Bray tried to warn Miz but now Bray fears that Miz will truly understand what it means to follow the buzzards. This was a decent & creepy Wyatt segment.

3MB are in the ring. Then out come Los Matadores. How often can they have Los Matadores squash 3MB!? Then out come The Real Americans. Thankfully there’s no Zeb promo yet. They just watch the match on the stage.

Los Matadores vs. 3MB (Heath Slater & Drew McIntyre) AGAIN! Los Matadores win when McIntyre gets pinned. This was mostly a squash.

Then Jinder Mahal gets in the ring. Torito mocks him, Jinder charges, Los Matadores pick up Torito & Jinder slides out of the ring. Then he gets back in & Los Matadores ram Torito into Jinder. Then Torito gives Jinder a spring board Asai moon sault. This gimmick is idiotic but the guy in the Torito costume can go (And I mean he’s a good worker. But the gimmick can go away).

Then Zeb gets the mic. He wants to tell the 3 boarder hopping banditos something. Zeb didn’t risk his life so that some illegal immigrant could attack him. What type man kidnaps another man & puts him in a bull outfit? Men that partake in deviant behavior. But at hell in a cell America will take a step in the right direction when The Real Americans prevail & that’s no bull. We the people. So now we got Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans set for Sunday.

Ryback & Paul Heyman come to the ring for a no DQ handicap match. But Heyman has something to say. He says that what we are about to bear witness to is a demonstration of the team work that will happen this Sunday in the first ever 2 on 1 handicap match inside the cell. Heyman introduces the guy they’ll be facing tonight CM Skunk. Punk’s music plays & out comes a guy in a CM Punk hoodie. The guy also has on a Punk t-shirt & has some of his hair sprayed white. This is lame.

CM Skunk vs. Ryback & Paul Heyman. Ryback & Heyman win when Heyman gets the pin. During the match Heyman gets a Singapore cane from under the ring & clobbers CM Skunk. Then Ryback gives the guy the marching muscle buster. Then Heyman puts his foot on the guy’s face for the 3. This was a “comedy” squash.

Then Heyman says that for those who wanna boo & say this was a parody of Punk Heyman wants to assure everybody of how deadly serious he & Ryback are about this Sunday. This Sunday Heyman’s monster Ryback will take every inch of that cell & use it to his advantage when he grabs Punk by the back of the head & scrapes Punk’s face over every inch of that cell. Then Heyman will get in the ring & thanks to his monster Ryback he will once again pin Punk & prove to everybody especially Punk that his name is Paul Heyman & that he is the BEST in the world. This was the usual good promo we get from Heyman.

Backstage we see Vickie Guerrero in the GM office having a laugh over the CM Skunk name. Then in comes Big Langston. He says we all saw The Miz go down. That means there’s an open slot in the main event for tonight. Big E wants in. Vickie asks Big E what makes him think he belongs in her main event. Big E says that a lot of people have talked about him being a young, inexperienced rookie. He is young but he is hungry & wants a shot. Vickie will run it by HHH & get back to him. Then Big says that Vickie is the GM & shouldn’t she be making the decisions. Or did he walk into Brad Maddox’s office? Vickie will let Big E be in the main event but tells him not to compare her to Brad. This was a decent & short backstage segment. I didn’t like Vickie having a laugh about Punk rhyming with skunk. I know Vince thinks the fans are idiots but he doesn’t need to have a character on his show tell us “this is funny because it rhymes.” I found that really insulting!

Alberto Del Rio comes out on the stage. He says that this Sunday he will prove to everybody that Cena is fooling himself. Cena isn’t ready to face the World Champion. Del Rio knows that Cena thinks he’s like Superman. Is Cena losing his mind? Del Rio is a real life Mexican super hero. He stands for loyalty, justice & he stands for the Mexican way (That was funny). Right now in Mexico they’re throwing parades for Del Rio & building monuments in his honor. They’re naming their kids after him because let’s face it Latin people just love Alberto Del Rio. Then Del Rio says he will be honest with us. He doesn’t speak for all Latinos. He only speaks for those who share his class & sophistication & that is the reason why he doesn’t speak for any of the fans in the building. Plus they have their own hero. They have Cena. Cena with his pale skin & blue eyes is the perfect representation of a gringo. That is why this Sunday Del Rio will lock Cena in the arm breaker & never let go. Then he says that the “gringos” in the building & the peasants from his country have 1 thing in common. They can kiss his…Then he winks & show what they can kiss (as if no one could figure that out). This was a decent promo.

R-Truth is about to do his WWE shop ad. Then Santino comes in with his “cobra.” Santino wants Truth to give him a chance to be the best salesman in WWE (This is gonna be stupid). Truth lets him have the floor. Santino plugs WWE merchandise & that’s pretty much it. This was pointless.

Great Khali (with Hornswoggle & Natalya) vs. Fandango (with Summer Rae). The match goes to a no finish when Natalya & Summer Rae go at it. Fandango pulls Summer Rae off of Natalya & then Khali head chops him./ This was pointless. Why is Natalya back with Khali & not challenging AJ for the Divas Title?

Daniel Bryan, Big E Langston & WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton & The Shield. Daniel, Big E, Goldust & Cody win when Daniel pins Orton. This was a good match & easily the best part of this show. Daniel & the fans do the yes chant & that ends Smackdown.

I thought this was a filler episode overall & for the go home edition before a PPV that isn’t good. The Michael Cole-HHH in ring interview segment was long & painful. The HHH character is really tiresome. I’m really hoping they don’t have Shawn Michaels turn heel o Daniel Sunday. They might have Kane return & choke slam Daniel; since the Kane character debuted at the first cell match 16 years ago (I can’t believe it’s been that long). The 8 man was a good match & easily the highlight of the show for me.  Khali-Fandango was pointless & I’m not sure why Natalya’s back with Khali. She deserves better than to be in a feud with Khali against Fandango & Summer Rae. Del Rio’s promo was decent & I though his line about fighting for the Mexican way was kinda funny. The CM Skunk vs. Ryback & Heyman was a “comedy” squash & Heyman cut his usual good promo afterwards. The Big E-Vickie bit was a mixed bag. Langston’s promo was good here but I HATED that they had Vickie laughing because Punk rhymes with Skunk. Vince, the fans aren’t that stupid! Los Matadores vs. Heath & Drew was a pointless squash & so was Zeb’s promo. No one’s gonna get the PPV to see Los Matadores vs. The Real Americans. The Usos vs. Harper & Rowan was short & not much of a match. I did like the backstage bit with the Wyatt family. Having Miz be unconscious was good & Bray cut his usual creepy promo. Overall though for the final episode before a PPV they didn’t really do anything to make me or anybody wanna see this PPV.

10-24-13 Impact results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 24, 2013 episode of Impact

They start the show recapping Bound for Glory with clips & still shots from the PPV.

The actual show starts with Dixie Carter coming to the ring (I’m dreading this). The ring is all decorated with tables of AJ shirts & has a welcome back AJ Styles sign. Dixie says tonight isn’t about her. Tonight’s about a very important guy. She might’ve made a mistake & she needs to clear it up. She doesn’t like to focus on the past. She’s here to talk about the future. The future is a guy who overcame the odds at BFG. A guy she’s so proud to call world champion. Everyone welcome AJ Styles. Out comes AJ. (Can they stop calling AJ the future? The guy’s been in TNA since day 1. He is the present of wrestling!). Dixie sees how it is. AJ doesn’t get it but that’s ok. She isn’t expecting a thank you. This is all working perfectly. For the last 6 weeks this has been about Dixie motivating him to glory. Look what the brilliance of Dixie has done for him. AJ said she was gonna pay. She is ready to pay & she’ll start by giving him a dressing room that’s almost as nice as hers. She gives him a watch that she had given to a nameless GM, then talks on & on about what she bought or whatever. Who cares? Then she unveils some convertible. Is AJ ready to move forward? AJ asks if she wants him on Team Dixie. He’s not buying it. When he said she was gonna pay does she think this is what he was talking about? He’s a truck guy, he’s earned the world title & a locker room he doesn’t need because he doesn’t wanna separate himself from the rest of the roster. Dixie bet against him & lost. Dixie admits she didn’t act very lady like when she made the rematch against Ray for the title. But they can get on her jet; get out this crappy town, etc. If AJ gets on team Dixie she will call off the match with Ray. Out come Ray & Brooke. Break time. This was the usual terrible heel promo that we get from Dixie. Now they have trying to bribe AJ Styles to be on Team Dixie. I’m not a fan of this.

Back from break. Ray says he didn’t travel all the way to Salt Crap City to have his title rematch taken. AJ says Ray will get his turn. AJ says if Dixie thinks he will get on her jet she’s dumber than everybody thought. As for the rematch, that applies to guys who are under contract, which he’s not. But he came to Salt Lake City to defend his title. He’s gonna beat Ray & there’s nothing he Can do about it. Ray reminds AJ that he is fighting him, not Dixie. Ray says AJ got lucky at BFG. There’s no way a “kid” like him could beat a man like Ray. Then Ray blames Earl Hebner. Ray kicked out of the Spiral tap but Hebner’s old blind eyes didn’t see it. Ray’s tired of hearing himself talk, so here’s how it will go down. Ray’s beating AJ, taking back the title & send him back to his family. In this business AJ’s a boy & Ray’s a God. AJ says Ray needs to worry about his own “family”, all 3 guys in Aces &8s. He will beat Ray tonight, celebrate with the fans, hold the belt over his head & asks if we know who he is. He’s the Phenomenal 1 AJ Styles. Then Ray attacks AJ & hits him with some object. Then he sets up AJ for a power bomb through the table. But the lights go out & Ken Anderson’s music plays. Mr. Anderson comes out & he & Ray exchange punches & Anderson punches Ray in the corner. Mr. Anderson is back. Break time. This part of the promo was solid but I really wish to God they would stop having Ray call AJ a kid! AJ & Ray both cut good promos here though & I was a bit surprised to see Anderson return. I’m guessing that he will get involved in the title match later & cause Ray to lose.

Back from break & Anderson is in the ring still. He really missed the fans. They cheers & he asks if that means they missed him too. Who he really missed was Ray. Did Ray miss him? He’s been at home for the last couple months watching. He sees what Ray’s been doing week after week & he can tell that everyone is getting sick & tired of it. Everyone seems to be sick & tired of it. Then out comes Dixie with security. She says Anderson isn’t authorized to be in the ring. She tells security to cuff him. Anderson hasn’t been arrested in a while. He wants to have some fun. Then he attacks a couple of the cops/security. Then 2 cops cuff him & take him out of the ring. Man this was too much. This segment had 3 commercial breaks & was WAY too long!! I thought the name of this company was Total Nonstop ACTION! Not total Nonstop yapping!

They show Kurt Angle arriving from earlier in the day.

Time for a look back at Lei’D Tapa helping Gail Kim win the Knockouts Title. Gail says there’s no one that can beat them.

Lei’D Tapa & Gail Kim come out for the first match of the night. They’ll be in a tag match next. Break time.

Time for a TONE TYRAID. We’re 35 minutes into this show & it’s been all talk & no action! I can’t believe they gave that opening segment THAT MUCH TIME!! It was painful!! Dixie being the heel owner is terrible. And now they have Ken Anderson as their version of Big Show by being the guy who isn’t authorized to be there!? They also have Tapa & Gail Kim as their version of Tamina & AJ! COME ON DIXIE!! GIVE US SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO WATCH!! I’M NOT WATCHING YOUR PRODUCT TO SEE MORE OF WHAT WWE IS DOING!!!!!! Why doesn’t Dixie just come out & admit that she’s watching what WWE is doing & is copying ALL OF IT!!

Back from Break & out comes Brooke. It looks like she will be teaming with & Kim.

Time to bring put the baby face team. First out comes Velvet Sky. Then ODB. They’ll be facing Brooke & Gail. That makes no sense!

40 minutes into the show before we get a match! Terrible!

ODB & Velvet Sky vs. Brooke & Knockouts Champion Gail Kim (With Lei’D Tapa). Brooke & Gail win when Gail pins Velvet. This was a short & pointless match. There’s some brawling on the outside & the referee is preoccupied with that. Then Velvet gets back in the ring & Tapa gives her a big boot. Then Gail gets back in the ring & pins Velvet for the 3. Break time.

45 minutes into this show & we get a 4 minute match! I’ve really had a lot to rant about throughout this first half of Impact!

Back from break & we see Robbie & Jessie backstage. They brag about winning the tag titles. Tonight they’ll have the biggest cele”bro”tion in history. Whatever. This was idiotic!

Time for the Impact debut of Ethan Carter III. AHHHH!!!! Why do they have him being Dixie’s nephew? This gimmick is lame. Anyway he will be facing a guy named Dewey Barnes. We’re almost half way through this show & we’ve had a 4 minute knockouts tag match & now we’re getting an EC3 squash? WHY!?

Dewey Barnes vs. Ethan Carter III. EC3 gets the pin. This was mostly a squash just like his match that he had Sunday.

Then he gets the mic. He’s EC3 & he’s a Carter. The world needs the Carters. That catchphrase is really idiotic! Break time.

I’m writing in the breaks because that first segment was so long I figured I’d write when they go to commercial tonight. There has been nothing good on this show!

Back from break & they show a video package on the Sting-Magnus match from BFG & a few comments from Sting. He hopes this match puts Magnus on the map.

Backstage Magnus tells Sting he watched their match. He didn’t show Sting the right amount of respect. He was so thrilled with winning that he forgot to respect Sting. Sting is ok with this. He wonders if he passed the torch to Magnus or lit a fire under him. Magnus then says this is Sting’s world. He’s just living in it. They’re cool for now & shake hands. This was ok & Magnus is turning heel eventually.

Time for a video package recapping Kurt Angle turning down his TNA Hall of Fame induction. Why didn’t they induct him at the banquet the night before? It looks like Angle will be going on a losing streak.

Kurt Angle comes to the ring (To speak! There’s been WAY too much talking on this show already! I don’t know if I can take anymore)! Anyway the fans chant Angle. He says last weekend was a hard 1 for him to forget. It was great to hear everyone talk about him at his HOF dinner but he couldn’t accept the award at BFG. Angle has much more to prove & after that he will accept his spot in the HOF. Then he says that his match with Roode was1 of toughest he’s had in his life. Then out comes Bobby Roode. Roode says it’s pathetic hearing excuse after excuse. The real reason Angle turned down the HOF induction was because he knew deep down that he couldn’t beat Roode. That was a wise choice because Roode beat Angle fair & square. For 2 long years Roode’s lived with that feeling of failure. 2 years ago Roode had the chance to main event with Angle at BFG & he failed. Roode lived with that feeling for 2 years. Now it’s Kurt’s turn to have that feeling because the it factor beat the Olympic gold medalist. Angle says Roode isn’t better than he is & challenges Roode to match right now. Roode takes his jacket off. He’d love to wrestle Kurt right now but he can’t. No wait, Kurt can’t. There’s some info that Angle hasn’t shared. At BFG Angle to some cartilage in his knee & can’t wrestle. As much as Roode would love to kick his ass again right now, he’s just not allowed. Angle admits he isn’t cleared to wrestle but the Dr. never said anything about a fight. Angle punches Roode, they go at it & then security comes in to separate them & Roode leaves the ring. This was a solid promo & the best part of this week’s show so far.

Backstage Ray tells Knox & Garrett how selfish Anderson is. Anderson isn’t back to make amends with the club. He came back for revenge. Ray’s been trying to Anderson only cares about himself Ray needs Knox & Garrett to go to the jail & make sure Anderson doesn’t get out on bail. Ray will be beating on AJ & winning back his title. Thankfully this was short. Break time.

Back from break & Dixie is on her phone complaining. Then her assistant closes the door. Whatever.

Robbie E & Jessie come to the ring (More talking, yay!) There’s a DJ in the ring too. Robbie says to give it up for the DJ. Robbie says is this a party or what “bro”. BFG was the biggest night in Bromans history. Then they get a you can’t wrestle chant. Robbie E & Jessie did what everybody…cue James Storm’s music & he & Gunner come out. Storms says somebody said party & tells the DJ to get out of his ring. Storm sees there’s some booze there & Brotein bars. Storm rags on Bromans & tells them they’ll have the shortest title reign in history because next week they’ll get their rematch. Then out come Daniels & Kazarian. Kaz doesn’t know what’s going on but what he sees is 2 bros, a cowboy & a pretend Viking. He & Daniels are the best tag team in the business. They’re petitioning for a title shot so they can become world tag team champions of the world for a third time. Daniels says they got the wrong drinks in there. Beer is for the lower class & you don’t drink Champaign unless you’re a pretentious poser. To celebrate a gentleman’s win you do it with an appletinni. Storm has a sip, says it doesn’t taste like beer & then a brawl starts. Then out come EY & Joseph Park. The brawl continues & Daniels breaks a bottle over Park’s head. Park’s bleeding & he goes into “Abyss” mode. Daniels & Kaz bail. Then Park choke slams Jessie. Then Park shoves EY & walks to the back. Break time. This was another idiotic segment. Daniels & Kazarian were the best part of this whole bit. This Bromans team is terrible & the Gunner-Storm team was just thrown together. This was just as dumb as the rest of the yapping on this show. Park bleeding & going into “Abyss” mode was predictable. Daniels & Kazarian were the only good part of this!

Back from break & we get a plug for TNA’s new “Where Action Never Ends.” This week show should be called “Where Action never starts.”

Kurt Angle will face Bobby Roode next week.

JB makes the introductions for the main event. Ray tells JB he doesn’t need anyone to introduce him. He starts to introduce himself & then AJ goes after him

TNA World Champion AJ Styles vs. Bully Ray for the Title. The referee takes a bump. Then AJ licks Ray in the Calf Killer. Ray taps but the referee doesn’t see it. Then Ray hits AJ with his chain. He covers AJ, Hebner comes to make the count & AJ kicks out at the last second. Hebner’s still loopy. Ray gets the chain again but then Anderson comes out & hits Ray. Then AJ gets Ray in a crucifix for the pin. WINNER & STILL TNA WORLD CHAMPION – AJ STYLES. This was really good match & easily the highlight of this week’s Impact!

Then Anderson & Ray go at it outside the ring. Referees & security come in to break it up & they head to the back.

Then we see Dixie backstage. She has a contract in her hand & it’s full of her money. She’s on her way to the ring next. Break time. WHY COULDN’T THEY HAVE JUST ENDED THE SHOW WITH THE MATCH!? I DON’T NEED MORE DIXIE ON MY TV!

Back from Break & Dixie comes to the ring. AJ’s still in the ring too. Dixie says AJ turned down her offer earlier. She thought those gifts were what he wanted but her strategy was off. She’s been talking to her attorneys & she has a contact for AJ. It has more zeros than he’s ever seen. She wants AJ in TNA. She wants him to sign this contract & put this mess behind them. They need to move forward together & that is reel. He looks at the contract & says it’s amazing, but done by a horrible human who uses people to buy their million dollar homes on the blood, sweat & tears of everybody that’s stepped in the ring. Dixie didn’t believe in AJ months ago & he doesn’t have a contract. So as far as this contract goes…Dixie tells AJ not to do it & then he cleans his rear end with it. Then he says money can’t fix Dixie’s problem. She doesn’t respect him, the title, him or the fans. AJ is taking the world title from Dixie & leaving. He’s leaving because the people deserve a champion & he’s taking it to the fans. Dixie says it’s not his to take. Then AJ takes the keys to the convertible that she offered him, walks up the ramp & slaps a few fans hands. Dixie tells him to get back in the ring. AJ goes outside the arena, gets in the convertible Dixie gave him, holds up the title & rides off. This ends the show. Dixie cut her usual terrible promo, but AJ was good here. I’m not sure what will happen next week now that the champ is “gone.”

This week’s show was really terrible, as I mentioned throughout this recap! There were only 3 matches on this show & 2 of them meant nothing! The opening segment(s) was (were) way too long. A half hour of nothing but yapping! The AJ-Ray match was really good though & the highlight of this show! The Angle-Roode segment was solid too. The rest of it was terrible. The Bromans-Gunner & Storm-Bad Influence-EY & Joseph Park segment was mostly idiotic & Daniels & Kazarian were the only good part to that! The knockouts tag match was pointless & I’m not into the EC3 character! I haven’t really got too much to say about this week’s show that I haven’t said already. There was WAY too much talking & having 3 matches on the show has to be a record for least amount of WRESTLING MATCHES on a WRESTLING SHOW! THIS COMPANY IS FAR FROM TOTAL NONSTOP ACTION RIGHT NOW!! This was a lousy follow up to the Bound for Glory PPV!

10-21-13 Raw results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 21, 2013 episode of Raw

The show starts with Triple H & Stephanie coming to the ring (I’m tired of these 2)! Stephanie says this Sunday marks WWE’s most grueling PPV. We’ll see Cena return to face Del Rio for the World Title. AJ will defend the Divas Title against Brie Bella & Punk will face Ryback & Heyman in a handicap cell match. We’ll also see Daniel vs. Orton for the vacant WWE Title, & the guest referee will be Shawn Michaels. They guarantee there will be a new WWE Champion. HHH says the fans all chose Shawn because they trust him & HHH trusts him too. He trusts Shawn because he respects him more than any other man in WWE. Then Big Show shows up on the Tron. He says HHH & Stephanie don’t know the meaning of the word respect. HHH pushes his weight around because he can. HHH says he treats Show with distain because Show’s a loser & is broke, etc. There’s no free ride anymore. Show asks why HHH is hostile. Is it because Show is suing him for the millions owed to him on his contract, or maybe slander? Did HHH wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Any side of the bed is the wrong side if Stephanie’s in there. She tells Show to shut up & Show screams for her to shut up. Then they cut him off the Tron. HHH says Big Show goes out with a whimper. HHH then says let’s bring out tonight’s first competitor Dean Ambrose. But out comes Daniel Bryan. Break time. This was the same HHH-Stephanie promo we’ve been getting from them for the past 2 months & I’m sick of it! I thought Big Show was good was with his promo, but this whole story about him being broke makes no sense. Now he’s suing HHH & Stephanie & I find a lot of this to be too much.

Back from break & Dean Ambrose comes out through the crowed for the first match of the night.

Daniel Bryan vs. U.S. Champion Dean Ambrose. Daniel wins by submission. This was a good back & forth match.

CM Punk comes out on the stage. He says this Sunday Ryback & more importantly Heyman will be locked inside the cell structure with him. The structure’s not just about settling issues, it defines legacy. Punk’s legacy will be determined by what he does to Heyman. Heyman thinks Ryback can save him from the beating he deserves, but he can’t. Punk’s plan is not to pin either guy or make Heyman submit. Punk’s plan is to put Ryback to sleep. Then Punk will watch & enjoy Heyman wiggle around like a worn that’s on a hook, then corner him & smash him into every steel wall of the structure because that’s what Heyman deserves. Heyman thinks he knows about Extreme but he will really find out what extreme is on Sunday. 3 guys will be locked in the cell but 1 guy will walk out. That guy will be the best in the world. This was the usual entertaining promo we get from Punk.

Backstage HHH tells Vickie not to screw up. Then Stephanie shows up, they go into the office & Shawn Michaels is there. Stephanie is on the phone telling security to get there because she’s not taking chances with Big Show. Shawn asks if HHH doesn’t think Daniel can be champion. HHH says Daniel could be champion but not the face of WWE. Shawn says the same stuff was said about him & also about HHH. Stephanie asks how Big Show got on the Tron. Shawn says that they used to that to her dad & she thought that was funny. Then she tells Shawn things have changed around here. Shawn knows but thankfully 1 of them doesn’t have to grow up. He’s gonna have some fun. This was weak. Shawn wasn’t really that good here & HHH & Stephanie continue to annoy me.

Santino Marella vs. Heath Slater. Santino gets the pin. This was a comedy match.

Then Santino gets the mic. He says he & the cobra know there’s only 1 king in Memphis. Jerry Lawler. King stands up & everyone chants Jerry. King & Santino stand on the announce table, Santino raises his hand & they play some air guitar.

Dolph Ziggler vs. Randy Orton. Orton gets the pin. This was a solid match. Dolph got a good amount of offense in but I knew Orton would win.

Time for a recap of John Cena’s recovery from his injury.  He’s only been out for 2 months. I don’t think the fans are gonna forget who he is in that short amount of time.

The Bella Twins vs. Tamina Snuka & Divas Champion AJ Lee. The Bellas win when Brie pins AJ. This was pretty decent.

They announce that The Usos will face Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins tonight with the winners facing Goldust & Cody Sunday. WHAT!? The Usos are already the number 1 contenders! Why is there another number 1 contender match? Why not just have both teams face Cody & Goldust Sunday?

Backstage Rene Young is expecting Paul Heyman, but things are getting a little crazy. Then they reshow Big E Langston’s face turn from Smackdown, helping Punk out against Ryback & Axel. Back to Rene & Heyman & company show up. Heyman says Sunday there will be a live execution. Heyman says that a non-participant will be in the cell with a guy who doesn’t think about Divas. He will be in there with Punk, a guy who hopes to end Heyman’s career. Heyman then says that he’s gonna be red hot & out of control like lava. Heyman screams & says a lot & it’s hard to hear what he says. Then Heyman says that he is in control. The same way that he’s controlled Punk. The same way that he controls Ryback. On Sunday he won’t be locked in a cell with Punk, Punk will be locked in a cell with him. Then Big E comes by & asks Heyman who the amateur is now. Ryback asks where Big E’s manners are. Axel tells Big E to show some respect. Then he calls Big E a rookie & wants to face him. Heyman says Axel doesn’t fight for free. The match will happen later in the ring. This was the usual good promo that we get from Heyman. He said a lot here & said it really fast, so it was really hard to keep up with what he was saying.

They show a Daniel Bryan video package with comments from Shawn Michaels. This was well done. I liked that they showed clips of Bryan Danielson on the Indy circuit.

Kofi Kingston & The Miz vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. Harper & Rowan win when Harper pins Kofi. This was decent.

Then Harper continues to pound on Kofi, Miz comes in & he fights off Harper & Rowan, but then they take him down too. Then Bray gets in the ring as Harper & Rowan tie Miz’s arms between the ropes. Then Bray says that he’s won wars & not had to lift a finger. Miz may think Bray doesn’t know him but Bray does. Bray asks if Miz believes in the creator & life after death. Bray does but he is not here to show Miz that hell is real; he’s just there to show him the gates. Follow the buzzards. This was a decent promo.

Before the Big E-Curtis Axel match can start, Big E attacks Axel & then Ryback goes after Big E. Big E takes the fight outside the ring. The heels get the upper hand, then Big E. Then Ryback holds Big E for Axel but Big E kicks Axel. Then Heyman hits Big E in the back with a cane. Big E focuses on Heyman & Ryback hits him from behind. Then Punk comes out with a cane & goes after the heels. Then out comes Vickie. She makes this a tag match.

Big E Langston & CM Punk vs. Ryback Intercontinental Champion Curtis Axel. Big E & Punk win when Big E pins Punk. This was a solid match.

Then Punk goes after Heyman. Heyman goes over the barrier & Punk follows. Heyman manages to escape & Punk poses with the fans. This was good.

Backstage we see R-Truth doing an ad for WWE merchandise. This was ok for what it was.

We get a Spanish promo from El Torito in the Goldman box. Zeb Coulter is also on commentary.

Tons of Funk vs. The Real Americans. The Real Americans win when Swagger makes Brodus tap. This was ok. Cesaro gave Brodus the big swing before Swagger made Brodus tap to the ankle lock. Cesaro is really impressive & deserves a better push.

Then Zeb gets the mic. He says boo me once shame on me, boo me twice shame on America. He wants us to meet his newest little friend. He takes out a bull whip. And that’s no bull. We the people. This gimmick is really stale.

Curtis Axel will defend the IC Title against Big E Langston on the PPV kick off.

Time for a video package on highlights of John Cena’s WWE career.

They reshow Alberto Del Rio’s promo from Smackdown, which was followed up with Del Rio locking Josh Mathews in the arm breaker.

Goldust & Cody Rhodes come out for commentary.

The Usos vs. Roman Reigns & Seth Rollins to see who will face Cody & Goldust for the tag titles on Sunday. The match goes to a no finish. Ambrose gets in Cody’s & Goldust’s faces. They go at it. Then The other Shield guys & The Usos join the fray & the referee calls for the bell. Then the brawl continues inside the ring. The Rhodes Brothers & The Usos clean house on The Shield. RESULT – NO CONTEST. This was a solid match but the no finish made it entirely pointless. I’m guessing they’re gonna have all 3 teams face each other Sunday. If they do why’d they have this match at all?

What do ya know? There will be a triple threat match for the tag titles Sunday.

Time for the Daniel-Orton contract signing (I have no idea why they even bother with contract signings). HHH & Stephanie are in the ring. Then out comes Randy Orton. Then Daniel Bryan comes to the ring. HHH then brings out Shawn Michaels. Shawn doesn’t need an introduction but HHH gives him 1 anyway. Stephanie welcomes everybody to the official contract signing. The fans chant HBK. Stephanie says Orton has the floor since he is the face of WWE. Orton gives Daniel credit. Orton’s beaten him down & Daniel keeps getting right back up. This Sunday Daniel won’t be getting up after the beating that Orton gives him. Orton has survived against Taker at hell in a cell. He’s also beaten Sheamus & Cena in the cell. Daniel has no idea what he’s getting into. Orton will make sure Daniel’s first cell match will also be his last. Then Orton signs the contract. Daniel says Orton has pushed him to the limit every time they’ve faced each other. But we all know that if it weren’t for The Shield & HHH Daniel would be WWE Champion. We also know Daniel is capable of smashing the face of WWE. Daniel has 2 words. Thank you. He thanks Orton for pushing him to show that he’s more than a B +. He thanks Orton for showing what a patsy he is & he says that HHH & Stephanie are narcissists. HHH has seen guys like Jericho; Edge & RVD come & go. They were all popular but they were never the guy. If any of those guys had been the face of WWE we’d all be working for Ted Turner. Daniel thinks he’s playing in the big leagues, but he has no idea. When Daniel steps into the cell we’ll all find out he’s A B + player. Daniel tells HHH to take off the suit & get his ring gear. HHH says if he gets back in the ring it would be to fight a star like Taker, Rock or Lesnar, not Daniel. HHH fights A + players. HHH & other stars wouldn’t waste their time fighting someone like Daniel. Shawn should’ve never wasted his time training Daniel. Shawn says that he didn’t waste his time training Daniel. Shawn asks HHH what has happened to him. What happened to HHH the rebel? Shawn doesn’t care that HHH is COO or that he trained Daniel. He cares about the fans voting for him to guarantee a new WWE Champion & that’s what he will do. Orton says Shawn has an agenda against him. HHH says at the end of the day Shawn will do what’s right. Shawn says he will do what’s right for the business he & the fans love. What does HHH have against Daniel? Is it because after everything HHH has put Daniel through Daniel has proved HHH wrong? Orton says Daniel can’t beat him. Daniel knows it’s true. On Sunday he will take this A + player straight to hell. Orton chants yes & Daniel gets in his face. Then on the Tron we see some truck pulling into the building. Well it’s the Big Show. He comes into the arena. He distracts Orton & Daniel gives Orton an RKO. Daniel backs up the ramp doing the yes chant. Daniel stands on top of the truck, he & the fans chant yes as Orton, HHH & Stephanie remain in the ring to end the show. This was the typical contract signing that we get. A lot of yapping. I hated HHH’s promo! Why did he have to mention Ted Turner? NEWS FLASH MCMAHON FAMILY – THAT WAR HAS BEEN OVER FOR ALMOST 13 YEARS! I’m way past tired of HHH burying Daniel Bryan & on Sunday they better have Daniel Bryan win the title! Daniel was good with his promo & Orton was too. Big Show coming out in the truck was ok but felt like an old Stonecold entrance.

I thought this was a decent show overall but didn’t make me wanna see the cell PPV. The opening promo with HHH & Stephanie & then Big Show showing up on the Tron was the typical opening promo we get on WWE shows. The contract signing was a mixed bag. HHH’s promo was terrible, Orton & Daniel both cut good promos & I was ok with Shawn’s promo too. The Usos vs. Reigns & Rollins was solid but the no finish followed by the announcement that both teams will face The Rhodes Brothers for the tag titles Sunday made this match entirely pointless. Punk & Big E vs. Axel & Ryback was solid & the brawl that lead to it was good too. Heyman’s backstage promo was the usual Heyman promo greatness & I liked Punk chasing Heyman into the crowed. This match Sunday has got to be the pay-off to the Punk-Heyman angle. The Bellas vs. AJ & Tamina was decent, Tons of Funk vs. The Real Americans was ok, Santino-Slater was total comedy, the Shawn-HHH-Stephanie backstage segment was weak, Kofi & Miz vs. Harper & Rowan was decent, Bray’s promo was the usual creepy kinda promo Bray gives & Daniel-Ambrose was a good back & forth match. So for the most part I thought this was a decent show but for a go home show before a PPV it could’ve been better.

10-18-13 Smackdown results and thoughts

Coverage and thoughts on the October 18, 2013 episode of Smackdown

The show starts with Brad Maddox & Vickie Guerrero in the ring. Vickie says that the authority has placed the responsibility on her to run a tight ship for tonight’s Smackdown. What happened on Raw won’t be repeated tonight. Vickie will have discipline & order & Brad is here tonight to assist her. Brad’s job tonight is to make sure that a 7 foot 500 pound freak doesn’t enter the arena & cause the chaos that he did Monday. Brad has security surrounding the building to ensure that Big Show doesn’t bother anybody. Then Vickie says that both she & Brad with like to express their sincere gratitude to Stephanie & HHH in having the faith in them in both to carry out the “What’s best for business” banner. Brad thanks the fans for coming & hopes that they have a good time. Then out comes Daniel Bryan. He wants to let Brad & Vickie know that he & the fans are thrilled they’ll be carrying the “what’s best for business” banner. Daniel feels like he should be of some assistance. Then he says that what’s best for business is in about 9 days when he beats Orton for the WWE Title inside the cell with Shawn Michaels as the guest referee. Then Daniel says that there is a rumor that a big foot sasquatch like character is there & that somehow he has gotten through the perimeter of the security. “And here he is, The Big Show.” Then Big Show’s music plays but he doesn’t come out. Daniel then says that Big Show isn’t there. Yet. But who are here hare the new tag champions Cody Rhodes & Goldust. Out come The Rhodes Brothers. Vickie demand disciple & order & justice will be served. Tonight Daniel, Cody & Goldust (AKA the 3 “Renegades”) will face The Shield tonight. This was the same Smackdown opening we’ve been getting for I don’t know how long. The old “start the show with a promo & set up a tag match” promo. Thankfully this was shorter than other opening Smackdown promos.

Kofi Kingston & The Miz vs. Luke Harper & Erik Rowan. Harper & Rowan win when Harper pins Kofi. This was a decent but kinda short match.

Then Bray says he knows what Miz is feeling & it’s ok for Miz to be afraid. Bray’s the hammer that everybody fears but “she” is the force that drives the nail. Bray tells Miz to enjoy his world for as long as he can because they will take it all away. Follow the buzzards. This was the usual solid, creepy promo that we get from Bray.

Brie Bella vs. Divas Champion AJ Lee. Brie gets the pin. Tamina charges at Nikki but Nikki throws Tamina into the steel steps. That distracts Brie & AJ rolls her up for a 2 but Brie rolls through & hits the face plant for the pin. This was a decent but short match too.

Big Show shows up in the crowed & comes to the ring. He says that he will probably get in trouble for being there but what can he do when he has a ticket that was autographed by Daniel Bryan? He shows the ticket. Big Show’s here to thank the fans. He’s been going through some tough times & the overwhelming support that the fans have showed him means the world to him & his family. The support that the fans have been showing him is not falling on deaf ears. The authority isn’t too thrilled that the fans want Big Show to get his job back. We’ve all discovered lately what is best for business a. He rolls up his hand into a fist. Then out come Brad & Vickie. Brad asks how Big Show got in. Big Show can’t just knockout the COO & prance back in the building. Brad tells Big Show he can’t be there. Vickie reminds Show that Stephanie fired him & he will stay fired. Then Brad says that Show has already lost everything & he tells him to split. Big Show tells Brad that the worst thing he can say to a man that has lost everything is that. Because now Show has nothing to lose. Then he punches out Brad. This was a decent bit. Show cut a solid promo. I’m tired of Brad & Vickie & it was a cool visual seeing Show knock Brad out.

CM Punk vs. Big E Langston. Punk gets the pin. This was a solid match & the best part of the show so far.

Then Paul Heyman, Ryback & Curtis Axel come out on the stage. Heyman congratulates Punk on a hard fought win over an amiditly decent marginally talented rookie who is barely out of the NXT division in Big E (I’m not sure why they had Heyman bury Langston). Then Heyman tells his prodigal son that at the cell Punk will be facing a pro who can snap his neck like a twig. Punk will be facing Heyman’s caged animal. His Ryback & Punk doesn’t any of Heyman’s Ryback. Then he says that Punk wants no part of Heyman either. Heyman reminds Punk that he is the guy that pinned him with both arms tied behind his back, making Heyman the best in the world. Punk tells Heyman that doesn’t make him the best in the world; it makes him a complete & total idiot. Heyman’s forgetting 2 very important things. The 2 words they need to focus on. The first 1 being cell. Punk says that he, Ryback & Heyman will be locked inside the cell & that means Heyman can’t run, hide or get away. Heyman will get what’s coming to him. As far as Heyman’s caveman goes, he likes to be called a caged animal? That’s fine because they will be in a cage & like an animal Punk will put Ryback to sleep. The second word is hell & that is what Punk will put the 2 of them through. Then Heyman says in the Immortal words of AC/DC, “Hell ain’t no bad place to be” & if Punk stays there right now they’ll explain it to him personally. They make their way to the ring but Punk takes the fight to them on the floor. Ryback & Axel double team Punk & throw him in the ring. Then Big E gets in the ring & clotheslines Axel & then gives him a belly to belly suplex. Then Punk hits Ryback in the corner with a knee. Then Big E gives Axel a running clothesline & Punk roundhouse kicks Ryback out of the ring. Then Big E looks at Heyman. Heyman backs up the ramp & Big E asks who’s the rookie now. This was good. Punk was great on the mic as usual & I liked Big E’s face turn.

Alberto Del Rio is in the ring waving the Mexican flag. Then Josh Matthews interviews him. Josh says that in just over a week at the cell PPV Del Rio will defend the World Title against this guy. Then they show a John Cena video package. Then Josh asks for Del Rio’s reaction. Del Rio was proudly waving the Mexican flag because he is Mexico’s greatest champion & God’s gift to humanity. He says that the fans are just gringos with no flavor, etc. Cena’s the ultimate gringo. Who does Cena think he is to come back from surgery to face the World Champion? Cena has to start from the bottom, not against the champion. Is Cena going loco? Cena has been out of action for 2 months just because he sprained his elbow. “Little Johnny” is going soft. Cena’s not the guy that he used to be. Then Del Rio says that Cena’s ego keeps growing day by day. But after he loses to him Cena will be a nobody just like all these gringo fans. Then he says that if “Juanito” wants to find out what will happen to his arm, he should watch this. Then he locks Josh in the arm breaker. Then he waves the Mexican flag. This was a decent promo from Del Rio but I have a feeling that Cena will be winning the title.

Zeb Coulter is on commentary.

The Usos vs. The Real Americans. The Usos win when Swagger gets pinned. Cesaro gives 1 of them the big swing. Then Los Matadores come out. Torito gores Zeb. This distracts The Real Americans & The Usos get the win. Then Los Matadores hold up Swagger & Torito gives him a spring board splash. The match was solid but this Matadores gimmick is terrible. I hated that they had Los Matadores do their whole intro during a match & Torito goring Zeb was really idiotic.

Time for a look back at the Shawn Michaels promo from Monday.

Daniel Bryan comes to the ring for the main event. Then out comes Randy Orton. He asks Daniel who he thinks he is. Does Daniel think that he can beat Orton? Orton thinks Daniel is in way over his head with his fiancé. Talk about delusions of grandeur. Daniel is over his head with his catchphrases & the fact that Daniel thinks that he has the smallest chance of beating Orton. Now Shawn Michaels is in the picture. A guy that Orton has problems with his whole career who also happens to be Daniel’s mentor is the guest referee. Even with the odds in Daniel’s favor Orton guarantees the world that he not only become WWE Champion again but he will unquestionably be the face of WWE. This promo was decent.  

Daniel Bryan and WWE Tag Team Champions Goldust & Cody Rhodes vs. The Shield. Daniel, Goldust & Cody win when Daniel pins Ambrose. This was a good match. Then Daniel, Cody & Goldust celebrate in the ring to end the show.

I thought this was a decent show overall. The opening promo was the usual way Smackdown starts, the 6 man main event was good, Punk-Big E was solid, I liked the Punk-Heyman promo too, The Usos-Real Americans match was decent too but I wasn’t into Los Matadores doing their whole entrance during the match or Torito goring Zeb. The Del Rio promo was also decent, The Big Show-Brad & Vickie bit was ok too, The Brie-AJ match was ok, Kofi & Miz vs. Harper & Rowan was decent too & Bray’s post match promo was solid. So for the most part I thought this was a decent show.