Hello everyone! Joey here and as I catch up on TV after being grossly behind during the holiday season, I figure that I better jot down my thoughts and contribute to the site. I have resolved to post more blogs and shows so here goes. I did knee jerk reactions for RAW and SMACKDOWN since you more than likely saw those shows and for Superstars I decided to do a slightly more in depth recap because nobody watches Superstars, but you should. Afterwards, please feel free to comment on anything I said whether you agree or disagree just do it and don’t make me beg.
RAW 1 / 4 / 11
So the first face I see on the screen is Michael Cole? Happy New Year folks, egads and pray this year goes well.
So refreshing to start off the show with an actual match, let alone a WWE title match. It should happen more often.
Who would’ve thought this time last year that Jerry “The King” Lawler would become such an integral in-ring part of RAW? …….plus his commentary and jokes have improved as of late as well
Alex Riley is a gnat and until I see him do more in the ring, he is just a hype man.
Parkour…..dating……is there anything Cole doesn’t know? Oh yeah accurate names of wrestling moves which is only HIS F’ING JOB!!!!
Oh if only Josh Matthews was the ’voice’ of the WWE now.
I’m not a prude in anyway whatsoever but is anybody sick of the online idiots that are constantly whining about bringing the TV-14 rating back? Yeah because bad language, racy angles and consistent weaponry equate good compelling wrestling right? Ok just checking I guess I’m the a-hole here. These are the same people that are chomping at the bit for Triple H and Undertaker to come back. Did you know they are over and done with too?
WOW! A starship pain from the top rope to the table on the floor?! Plus he missed!…….and he kicked out of the pin! This is PPV worthy my friends and we got it for free tonight.
John Morrison is the wayward son of Shawn Michaels for sure. I’m not saying he’s ever going to be as good as HBK (a tall order for anybody) but he delivers on being as he calls ’the highlight of the night’.
This might have been the first time most of you saw Scott Stanford but he is actually a damn fine play by play guy in case you ever caught him on Superstars.
Melina is way more compelling as a heel
Perhaps I am entering this year as an optimist but it seems like a Divas are becoming a tad more physical which are making the matches better indeed. They should keep up this trend and take advantage of a currently weak TNA knockout roster.
I love twin magic
Strange that Eve would beat Melina so handily off a tag considering they built up Melina as #1 contender for the past 2 weeks. Head has been officially scratched for the first time this year.
WWE sorely needs to give the fans a decent chance to care about the Uso’s. The Samoans have such a rich history with professional wrestling and it would be nice to always have representatives doing big things on TV. Getting the ‘jobber entrance’ on RAW won’t help things though.
Even though they are a comedy act currently, Santino and Kozlov are arguably the two legitimately toughest guys in the company right now.
At least Kozlov got so save a little face after that horrible spot and HEY it looks like the Uso’s will get another crack at the tag titles now. Make it happen at the Royal Rumble booker man.
C.M. Punk comes out and does a crazy good promo and appears to have taken over as leader of the Nexus. The ‘I Can’t See John Cena’ line (alluding to Cena‘s absence tonight due to injury) was priceless.
I love how Punk is like telling Wade to go ahead and take over is such a classic move by pretending to take the high road when you know he’s planning something sinister.
Alberto Del Rio says he’s destined to become World Heavyweight Champion this year and I am not one to argue with him.
Hey, when was the last time they busted a cage match out on RAW? Big fight feel and a triple threat with a fresh look to it. I’m pulling for Sheamus here!
Sheamus could’ve HAD this match 2 or 3 times, damn pre-determined booking!
I’m sorry and I know Orton is super over and huge but I just don’t get it anymore…….and yes he has been too nice and maybe that’s my problem.
Looks like Nexus has gone ‘Straight Edge’, should be interesting to see if Barrett falls in line.
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Superstars 1 / 6 / 11
This week on the little watched but always wrestling heavy WWE Superstars. They had ex-Cryme Tyme member and a favorite of the Wrestling House Show, JTG go up against the newly coined ‘Dreadlocked Demolition Man’ Tyler Reks. It was a nice cat and mouse thing with the commentating team of Matt Striker and Jack Korpela putting this over as a rematch that JTG wanted to prove he could beat Reks. Korpela mentioned that JTG is now taking a page out of Mike Tyson’s old playbook by jogging through Brooklyn at 3 in the morning now just to prove how fearless he is. I like those little background things that they never seem to have time for on Raw and Smackdown due to the agenda of the grandstanding Michael Cole train wrecking both booths on a weekly basis. But I digress and this is a very fun match to watch and it’s always interesting because it seems like JTG always does something I’ve never seen (at least in WWE but probably on Dragon Gate) and in this case he pulled 2 things out of his hat. They are really hard to describe but one is a school boy where instead of pinning him he drives the back of Reks’ head into the bottom turnbuckle. In the end though Reks catches him and puts him down for three with the burning hammer. Look for Reks to do something in 2011 and the best way he can do that in my opinion is with a classic bad guy manager because he is sorely lacking a mouthpiece.
Next match was Chris Masters versus Curt Hawkins. Hawkins is one of those guys that is on the Smackdown roster but is a consistent prisoner to Superstars. This guy really does have all the makings of a true superstar. He’s got a great attitude, he’s cocky, he’s very sure of himself in the ring and he is a compelling wrestler to boot. I really hope Curt Hawkins has a breakout 2011 but then again I predicted IC or US gold for JTG this time last year. (whoops!) Anyway this match wasn’t as good the first one but it wasn’t unwatchable either. I am now saying ’wow!’ due to the crowd pulling out a ’Let’s Go Masters’ chant. Impressive considering WWE has done next to nothing to get you to care about Masters in years. Match ends with a master lock submission and ’The Masterpiece’ getting the duke. Nothing too much against Masters but Hawkins should’ve had this from the get go.
Hey a Zack Ryder vignette! At least they realize he still works there *sigh*
Third match bell and out comes Yoshi Tatsu with my currently least favorite theme song at the moment and lookie lookie he is taking on ’The Long Island Loudmouth’ Zack Ryder. Alright a video package AND a match WOO WOO WOO You Know It! (sorry) The next two matches will be brought to us by the other new announce team of Josh Matthews and Scott Stanford. I personally am loving these new teams and plus if you didn’t before you now know that Superstars is your safe haven away from Michael Cole. Josh and Scott both put over the fact that you can now (finally) purchase a Zack Ryder T-Shirt on wweshop.com and if you tweet a pic of yourself wearing one to Ryder, he will send you an autographed photo! Hey now and Scott Stanford knows the difference between a regular arm drag and a Japanese arm drag, very cool. Stanford also schooling me by pointing out that Tatsu means Dragon in Japan, I did not know that. Yoshi Tatsu now officially has the loudest knife-edge chops in the company. Yoshi, who is improving his offensive move set, pulls of a front face kick to finish off Ryder and I can’t remember the last time I saw a ’Zack Attack’ *pout*
Main Event time and it is a grab bag tag match with Daniel Bryan and Mark Henry versus Tyson Kidd and Ted Dibiase. The Bellas do kind of a makeshift ballerina presentation of Daniel entrance there which put a smile on my face. Nice reaction (as always) for Daniel and I love the fact that he high fives a lot at ringside and even hugged a female somebody he seemed to know as well. Tyson Kidd is Andrew Jackson-less (I heard they shipped him back to Florida already) but Teddy Jr. has Maryse in tow. Hopefully this is a preview of the Royal Rumble with Tyson taking on Daniel (please make that happen for the US title, PLEASE!) Anybody else feel old that we now have a Shawn Michaels kid wrestling a Bret Hart kid in there? Mark Henry press slams Daniel Bryan to both of their opponents outside to the floor. I’m always a sucker for using your partner as a weapon. Back from commercial and the heels now have the edge. I hate when they come back from the break and do not show how the advantage switched. Tyson has now adopted the great Chris Jericho’s ’Ask Him!’ instruction to the referee. There is something very comical about Tyson giving Mark Henry a front face lock. Daniel Bryan comes in off the hot tag and is on fire, attempts the Labelle lock twice and is thwarted on both of them leading to Tyson reverses and nails a moss covered three handled family Gredunzel (or a fisherman’s neck breaker whichever you prefer) and upsets Daniel Bryan in this tag match. Me thinks Kidd just earned his US title match but hopefully this is not the proverbial tree falling in the woods by it happening on Superstars.
Alright enjoyable show this week and a killer commentating booth to boot. See you guys on the next one.
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Smackdown 1 / 7 / 11
Notice that Josh Matthews is the host of Smackdown now? Very cool although he is more like a ringleader sitting between Cole and Striker. Hang in there kid!
So much like RAW, Smackdown opens with a crazy World Title match as Edge battles Kane in a Last Man Standing match. I’m assuming this is being booked due to the blow off match between these 2 being somewhat cancelled at the TLC PPV. It was a better show because of it as well in my opinion.
Amongst his many announcing duties Matt Striker also works part time as a handy rail.
Ah the return of the ‘Con-Chair-To’, how I have missed you. Too bad Christian couldn’t have been there for the assist.
NEW CHAMP, WOW! I’m not surprised I had nothing to type during the IC title match between Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston. I’m real glad that Kofi finally won with that amazing high cross body because that is the most amazing one I have ever seen……yes even better than Steamboat’s or Snuka’s. Credit where credit is due.
That was bogus that they basically restarted the match so now I am glad that Kofi won that match as well. I have really enjoyed Dolph’s run but I truly believe that he is ready for the World Title so I look at this as a win-win.
Maybe they will do with Drew what they attempted to do (and gave up on) with Dolph Ziggler as a heel in the ring and a nice guy behind the curtain. I really like the idea of it so let’s see if that’s where it goes.
Whoa whoa what’s going on with Vickie? Is she actually going to book Dolph? YES YES YES!!!!!! Look at this, he HAS to win right now. DO IT DO IT DO IT!!!!!
Wade Barrett! HUH?
DOLPH ZIGGLER IS THE MAN! A believer right here since day friggin’ one. Edge’s days as champ are numbered, mark my words!
…aaaaaaaand from that we go to Michelle McCool vs. Kelly Kelly, well at least it was short
And now LayCool does ‘The Stroke’ so they just love them some TNA huh?
2 out of 3 falls HA! Dolph just did 3 in a row haha just kidding I’m really looking forward to this from what appears to be the final match in the epic Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio feud. The reset button is definitely being pushed throughout the night so it’s time to get into Mania Mode.
How quick was THAT first decision, a cross arm breaker in about 2 minutes.
Beautiful La Magistral for the pin to tie this up.
I’m really not looking forward to ADR’s eventual baby face run, I just don’t see it but stranger things have happened. He would have to wind up being a philanthropist or something.
I really thought Alberto was going to throw Ricardo Rodriguez into Rey when he dove off the top rope.
Aw man, a countout win?! I guess the feud continues? I’m a little bummed about coming to terms with the end of this feud only for it to probably continue. Let’s just hope they can keep it fresh and possibly blow it out somewhere else down the line.
Thanks for checking out the random notes and of course feel free to leave a comment. Now it’s time for me to catch up with 4 more shows and I’m even going to brave TNA for you guys. Lastly, Match of the Week IS coming back as soon as I consult Chris about this week and we will be rockin’ with this new year guaranteed.
Thanks for reading,
Joey