The 3-Count Review: Live Tuesday Night Smackdown 03/07/12

# 1

If anyone tuned into Smackdown last night and expected some sort of re-emergence of WCW's classic PPV idea....i really don't know what to tell you. Go buy yourself some WCW DVDs and hand pick matches that remind you how good this PPV concept used to be. Instead of getting the traditional treatment (you know? Great matches surrounded by hot angles that are clothed in an Americana-like theme?), we got your usual, generally pointless episode of Smackdown that anyone could of missed. I feel like a broken record every week i write my Smackdown review!

To be honest, i am surprised that little to nothing happened on this show, considering it was a live episode of Smackdown. In past live episodes, Smackdown produced AT LEAST a handful of really fun matches that stick with us for a while. I mean, i still remember Orton verses Christain for the World Title in a Cage Match from last year. But last night, we got the usual WWE treatment:

- A series of hokey "Great American BBQ" segments that went nowhere and did nothing. Kane lighting the BBQ with his pyro at the beginning of the show was actually funny. But the rest didn't mean anything. You know, you can still have goofy comedy segments that act as a backdrop to actual storyline development.

- Another "the writers are stuck with a main event match so we will go back to the well" Battle Royal Main event. But this one had a twist! The winner gets to be GM for Smackdown next week! I do remember WWE telling us that a former-GM will run both RAW AND SD until the 1000th episode of RAW, but i guess having this Battle Royal is a better idea than sticking to storyline coherency.

The idea opened up some solid potential storyline potential for the Money in the Bank go-home show (ie Del Rio would win then make Sheamus's life a living hell going into the World Title Match/ Show would win and go after Cena etc). But no, they had ZACK FREAKIN RYDER WIN.............WHAT?! Why? This is a guy who has been buried ever since...forever and has barely been on TV. Its just another example of Ryder getting the smallest of pushes, followed by another career burial somewhere down the road. Having h9im win was a decision that SUCKED and made no sense. What a waste of a stipulation and what a waste of a live Smackdown.

You would think that WWE would try and make their live editions of Smackdown something to truly see. Instead, they produce a show that is just like any other Smackdown *YAWN*. If they are going to continue to do this, they should just save their money and leave the show taped on Fridays.


# 2  

AJ's interview was another missed opportunity. Once Bryan and Punk got into the ring and went face-to-face, i was thinking i was going to see the promo i wanted out of Punk. Something that re-focused on the WWE Title. Something like this: "this woman is just a distraction from the real truth. I am going to beat you once again for the WWE Championship and prove to the world that i am the best in the world!"

But no. We got Cole attempt to berate AJ, then hit on her, which was meant to come off as comedy. Then we got Bryan try to suck up to her (which makes no real sense in the context of how he has been for the last few weeks) and worst, we had CM Punk visualy upset over the fact that AJ kissed Bryan! I didn't mind his concerning promo towards AJ, but cmon! Are we meant to think he actually FEELS something for this chick?

The big moment was AJ kissing both men. Again, this is somehting that i could easily see in a video package on RAW. In fact, a video package would be better than this drawn out segment where nothing of interest actually went down. So, the AJ storyline stalled on Smackdown this week. Hopefully we get something interesting on RAW this coming Monday.

# 3

The only shining light to come out of this sub-par episode of Smackdown was the opening segment involving Sheamus and a renewed Alberto Del Rio.

For months now, Alberto Del Rio has been such a faceless heel that we are programed to hate. He comes to the ring in his car, he barely does any promos and wrestles good matches. That has been the extent of his contribution to WWE television since returning after Wrestlemania 28. A few weeks back, i watched him wrestle at Over The Limit, and i thought to myself "Why do we hate De Rio? Because he drives a nice car? The guy hasn't done anything heel-like in months!".

Well, this all changed last night. A video package outlining his destruction of Sin Cara was followed by a passionate promo by Del Rio, talking about how he is richer than anyone else and how this makes him better than everyone. His delivery and his interaction with the live crowd was one of the best of his carrer. It felt as natural as it is going to get from Del Rio on the stick. This was followed by Sheamus the babyface, coming out to defend the honour of the "WWE Universe". THIS is where things got even better. Sheamus was blindsided by the "snake" Ricardo Rodrigues, which gave Del Rio the advantage. Everyone knows i am a sucker for agressive beat downs by heels. I think its a tried and true thematic device that makes the audience want to see the heel get his so bad. This segment was no exception. Del Rio delivered stiff ensiguri kicks to the back of Sheamus's head, which gave the Mexican Aristocrat the opportunity to crush Sheamus's neck beteween the engine and the hood of his Royals Royce. He did this over and over and over again in an overly aggresive manner to my intense liking! The sight of blood gave the segment that added sense of realism, as Del Rio talked trash in Spanish as he stood over the World Heavyweight Championship.

With Michael Cole shouting "I have never seen Del Rio this intense!! " on commentary, the opening segment hit all the right marks: It established the arogance of Alberto Del Rio as a strong heel, it established the "never say die" attitude of Sheamus as a babyface, and it established the fact that audiences everywhere cannot wait to see Del Rio get his come Money in the Bank. Just great GREAT stuff!

Match Results:

 

Match No. 1:

Divas Champion Layla and The Great Khali

def

Antonio Ceasaro and Aksana

Rating: 1/4*

Comments:

The less said about this match the better. 

I have no earthly idea why this match above all was advertised last week on Smackdown when the Battle Royal/ Christain v Rhodes was not. Did WWE actually think this match would sway people to tune in on Tuesdays? Jesus Christ!

Yes, this match was BAD. Khali can't move (as illustrated by a right hand he launched at Ceasaro that almost sent him to the floor) , Aksana cant wrestle but Ceasaro/Layla tried to make things exciting...and failed. To make matters worse, they had KHALI AND LAYLA WIN..........HUH!? Aren't WWE in the process of pushing Ceasaro? Completely ridiculous and a waste of time.

Match No. 2: Money In the Bank Qualifier

Cody Rhodes

def

Intercontinental Champion Christain

* Match of the Night *

Rating: ** 1/2

Comments:

If Rhodes was meant to be in the Money in the Bank all along, i think this was the wrong opponent and the wrong type of finish here. Yes, it was great that Cody got a clean win with his finisher on Christain, but i feel this finish should of been saved for an IC Title match, NOT a Money in the Bank Qualifier. The reason for this is that i doubt Cody will be demanding a IC Title match next week on Smackdown seeing as though he just knocked off the Champ clean. Stuff like this just enforces the unimportance of this championship. I really feel as thought situations like this can be avoided. On the other hand, maybe i shouldn't complain that Rhodes got a clean win over the IC Champ.

The match itself was ok in parts but good over all. I know a lot of people like Rhodes and Christian in the ring. I like them, but i don't LOVE them. Maybe its Cody's basic body of work mid-match . I'm not too sure. However, there is no denying this match picked up at the end. Slick sequences into near falls made this one exciting and i like it how Christian's injured body part lead to his eventual downfall. Logical pro-wrestling with a smooth, clean and entertaining finish. Can't really complain.

Match No. 3: Money in the Bank Qualifier

Dolph Ziggler

def

Alex Riley

Rating: * 3/4

Comments:

Lets get the obvious out of the way first: the right man won here. But i definitely thought that Riley was going to advance at points in this match, which would of resulted in me chucking something at my computer! But, i guess that if i felt this way, both men did their job well. 

The match was basic, quick, and generally well executed. I like Riley's near fall at the beginning of the match, which garnered a nice suprised reaction from the live crowd. What suprised me was that Riley actually got a lot of offense in. Considering he is really a nobody (That apparently "has never been in a MITB Match" so says Cole, even though i SWEAR i saw him in LAST YEARS MITB MATCH!), i was very surprised by his plentiful amount of offense. Ziggler looked fine as always and won the match clean with the Zig-Zag, but i will say it is hard to get behind him when he screamed "Its my Damn TIME!" after the match. WWE needs to put you over more Ziggler before i believe it is "Your Time" again!

Match No. 4:

United States Champion Santino Marella, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and Sgt. Slaughter

def

Hunico, Camacho and Drey McIntyre

Rating: *

Comments:

Exactly what you would expect when you put two Hall of Famers from the 80s in the ring against 3 talented, yet squashable performers. As a nostalga/patriotic match, it did what it needed to do. "Hacksaw" got a nice reaction from the crowd and knew how to work them from the get-go. Sarg looked REALLY old and it looked as though he was a tad lost out there too. 

Not much to talk about when it came to action. Basic tag match where the legends all got their famous spots in. Sloppy in parts, but acceptable. Nothing more to write. 

Match No. 5:

 Ryback

def

Curt Hawkins (w/ Tyler Rex)

Rating: * 1/2

Comments:

Same Ryback match, different opponent. I didn't mind the banter between Rex and Hawkins at the start of the match. It definately kinda gave the match a more meaninful feel due to the fact that Hawkins and Rex know how to cut a basic promo. However, Cole's attempt to put over Hawkins as a credible threat to Ryback was ridiculous. "He's a fomer WWE Tag Team Champion". SO WHAT!? I appreciate them attempting to add some credibility to Hawkins, but that comment was almost on the verge of insulting the audience. Why should we think that being a Tag Champion means something when the titles are promoted on television to such a shocking degree?

The match was fine. As stated before, it was an identical Ryback Squash with maybe a more devastating clothesline in the middle of it. THAT move definitely looked as though Hawkins got his head taken off. I guess Tyler Rex will be Ryback's next opponent...... i look forward to that....

Match No 6: The Great American Bash Battle Royal

 Zack Ryder wins to become Smackdown General Manager next week

Rating: ** 1/4

Comments:

 I'm not a big fan of Battle Royals. I can understand the drama involved, but along the way, about 15 guys are going to look like geeks. Brodus Clay knows exactly what i'm talking about, as he was the 2nd man eliminated. So much for his push. Even though i didn't like the concept of this match, there was enough to like. Having WWE's biggest stars in the match (bar Orton, Mysterio and Jericho) definitely added to the main event's excitement. I also liked the touch of Sheamus not being able to compete due to his injuries at the hand of Del Rio. Stuff like this puts over Del Rio as a predator and a threat, so definite thumbs up here.

The match was slow in parts, but the commercial breaks ACTUALLY HELPED speed up these sections of the match ( i never thought i would say that!). Cena's "house on fire" spot where he destroyed multiple fools got the crowd going and, in the context of this match, it was fine. Bryan and Punk eliminated each other, which played into their competitive rivalry, Show eliminated Cena to continue their feud and for some fucked up reason, the match came down.......to Kane and Zack Ryder. Now, granted, I'm sure if i was watching this match live, i would be pretty pumped at seeing Ryder finally overthrow Kane to win this Battle Royal. But i wasn't. All i could think about was how much of a missed opportunity the end result was. Del Rio would of been my pick to win this one as he would head into the final Smackdown before Money in the Bank having the power to screw with the World Champ. Instead, we get a jobber running the show who is not even on the Money in the Bank card yet! A huge missed opportunity to a slightly above average Battle Royal.


Final Thoughts:

For a live edition of Smackdown, this show was generally un-eventful. If you missed it, you won't be out of the loop. The Del Rio segment and his continual push was, by far, the stand-out moment of the show and every Money in the Bank Qualifier made sense. Christian/Rhodes was a good solid wrestling match, while the AJ segment did nothing for me as a "top of the hour" segment. The Battle Royal was, as stated before, a missed opportunity for some good storytelling going forward. I just hope that next time WWE put on a live Smackdown, they hype it better and make it feel more important than this show.
 

The 3-Count Review: Monday Night Raw 02/07/12

 
# 1

In general, this was a better episode of Monday Night RAW this week. Yes, there was a fair share of dumb segments that didn't get over as I'm sure WWE planned. But there was enough substance that sustained my interest for 2 hours of television. The reason for all this positive energy stems from the entertaining usage of AJ in the Punk/Bryan storyline.

After reading a few reviews of last night's show already, it sounds as though i am in a distinct minority on this one. I know what most of you are thinking: "Why would you support a storyline that detracts from the fact that this rivalry should be about the WWE Championship and NOT about a female!?!?!?" My answer to that is simple and undeniable: AJ is great in her role and her use in this storyline is building to an enthralling payoff at Money in the Bank that will ultimately re-focus on the importance of the WWE Title. Just hear me out as to why this is the case...

Every match on any PPV needs an unpredictable hook that works to convince the audience to part ways with their hard earned money. AJ and what role she will play at Money in the Bank is one of two unpredictable hooks. Usually, WWE forgets about establishing an aura of unpredictability, instead going for the obvious route. Case in point: look at Big Show's recent heel turn. Did anyone reading this ever think that Big Show was NOT going to turn on Cena at Over the Limit? The payoff was so obvious! Furthermore, look at every single match on the last 3 weeks on Smackdown. If i were to show you the matches without the results, i can guarantee that you would be able to guess each of the outcomes. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE!!

However, with regards to AJ, i have no idea what the hell she is going to do, if anything, at Money in the Bank. Monday's episode helped hit this home with a number of effective segments. I loved the angle involving Punk not watching AJ's match because he was on the phone to his sister. AJ's great facials combined with her nutty/stalker persona dropped the vibe that she may, in fact turn on Punk and cost him the title. But at the same time, this complemented the previous segment with Bryan attempting to woo AJ into favoring him in his match with Punk. AJ's reaction? She knows Bryan is full of shit! Thus, there is no clear cut mode of thinking when it comes to who AJ will eventually side with. The final segment involving AJ standing over Bryan and Punk, who she shockingly threw threw a table, was also a fantastic bit of metaphoric forecasting: AJ has the power going into the WWE Title match. What will she do next!? Who does she like now!? If AJ wasn't tremendous at her job as of late, I'm sure i wouldn't be praising this angle the way i am. But AJ has definitely grown in this program by hook or by crook to the point where she is adding to this rivalry. What is AJ going to do at Money in the Bank? I have no idea and i like it.

But what about the importance of the WWE Title you say? Well, the actual pay off to this rivalry, that being a one-on-one match between Punk and Bryan for the Championship, is unpredictable hook number two. Sure, the argument can definitely be made that this current storyline should be something saved for a mid-card program. Soap opera mixed with WWE World Titles is like oil and water some say. But in this case, i have to disagree because this rivalry at its core - if you take away the female distractions - is about who is the best in the WWE. Nothing will change the fact that i still cannot wait for this match in two weeks. Why? Because i am going to have the pleasure of watching Daniel Bryan challenging CM Punk for the WWE Championship on a PPV.. That alone is something that has the power put over the importance of a World Title. These guy's last PPV match is a testament to this. With absolutely not build up, Punk and Bryan provided audiences with a 25 minute near-masterpiece that took fans like me on an emotional and believable rolercoaster ride. It was like watching Jack Brisco and Dory Funk Jr battle it out in that squared circle. Furthermore, such enthralling action even encouraged Michael Cole to call one of his best matches in years! Its hard not to be inspired when Punk and Bryan are experts in conveying the most simple pro-wrestling storyline of all: Two men, fighting for the richest prize in WWE, all in the name of competition. At the end of the day, that is what this rivalry comes down to.  Regardless what people think of AJ, no one can deny that Punk and Bryan will put forward a match at Money in the Bank that will be fresh, original and unpredictable. Who is going to win the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank? I have no idea and i like it.

# 2

Justice was served to Alberto Del Rio this week on RAW! He is the No. 1 contender for the World Title and will face Sheamus at Money in the Bank! Why is this a good thing? Because it makes sense.

Since the night after Wrestlemania this year, it seems as though Del Rio has been legitimately shafted by WWE management. That is, he has never been given a actual one-on-one match with Sheamus. For reasons unbeknownst to be, it looks as though WWE higher-ups regularly loose faith in the Mexican sensation. The consequences of this? Del Rio's title shot either becomes a 4-Way instead of a singles match. He gets legitimately injured, then is forced to compete for his shot in another No. 1 contenders match (like last week) instead of just being given his rightful Championship match. There were even times where he was announced No. 1 contender...and they just stopped promoting it so he never got his match!! Illogical bullshit like this makes me wonder: are we meant be hating Del Rio or are we meant to be getting behind him as a babyface!? Because stuff like this makes Del Rio seem sympathetic as hell.

However, the last two weeks have been good for the new No. 1 Contender. He successfully defeated both the US and Intercontinental Champions last week. He was told by Teddy Long that the WWE Board of Directors recognized his hardships and his recent victories to the degree that they GAVE Del Rio a one-on-one World Title match at Money in the Bank. He even destroyed Sin Cara on RAW so to send a message to Sheamus. All this stuff, especially his destruction of Cara on RAW last night, put Del Rio over as a credible animal that could possibly take the World Title from Sheamus in 2 weeks. This is the kind of heel that should be challenging for World Titles: a man who does not care about anyone but himself, but someone who can still back up his words in the ring. Thank you for bringing back the old Del Rio WWE!!

# 3

I am getting a tad tired of WWE broadcast teams over-exaggerating every single thing that happens on every WWE program. The broadcast team is meant to be either a tandem or a trio that helps contextualize the complex art of pro-wrestling. Ill give Cole and Lawler all the credit in the world. This is NOT an easy thing to accomplish night in and night out, but ENOUGH with hyping segments and matches with such idiotic statements: they make WWE look pathetic in their attempts to create "moments" that don't deserve such hype and, in turn, they treat the audience like they are idiots. Commentators are meant to complement and verbalize what audiences are possibly thinking, not the complete opposite.

Take the opening segment on RAW for example. Big Show came down to the ring as a bunch of main eventers were brawling. All i saw, with my own two eyes, was Big Show deliver a straight punch to Cena's stomach, a headbutt and a right hand to Kane. Suddenly, i have Michael Cole tell me that "Big Show leaves a mess of bodies in his wake...the dominance continues by the World's Largest Athlete!" HUH!? I swear i only saw Big Show slow down 2 of the 4 wrestlers that were in the ring. Besides, where the HELL is the "dominance" in a headbutt and couple of right hands!?  Big Show Chokeslaming Undertaker through the freakin' ring in 1999? THAT'S DOMINANCE! Big Show turning over a small two-door car on Hardcore Holly in 1999? THAT'S DOMINANCE! I'm pretty sure a straight punch isn't considered an earth shattering moment even by today's standard.

Then we had Tyson Kidd getting a fluke win over Tensai. This was a moment that was completely undercooked and was received very coldly by the live crowd. As much as i liked Kidd winning, the reaction was expected. Jerry Lawler however, saw something that nobody else did, stating "that was one of the biggest upsets i have ever seen on RAW"......REALLY? This win was in the same league as the 1-2-3 Kidd defeating Razor Ramon in the Early 90s? Was Kidd getting the upset the same as when Mick Foley shocked the world and defeated the Rock to become the most unlikely WWE Champion of all time in 1999!? Give me a break!

Yes, i know that Vince is in the back barking out these ridiculous statements and feeding them to Cole and Lawler, but stuff like this makes WWE come across as a product that has no grasp on reality. Let the announcers call the match like they see and feel it. Do you think Gordon Sollie or Jim Ross spouted out pearls of wisdom like Cole and Lawler do on a regular basis? I think not!



Match Results:

Match No. 1 (8-Man Tag Team Match):

 Tag Team Champions Kofi Kingston & R-Truth, United States Champion Santino Marella, & Intercontinental Champion Christian

defThe Prime Time Players (w/ AW), David Otunga & Cody Rhodes

Rating: *

Comments:

There was a lot i didn't like about this match. In fact, besides the main event, there wasn't much great wrestling to speak of on this show.

For one, this contest was completely over booked. You had a walk-out storyline going on, you had Brodus Clay coming out and getting involved with David Otunga and you had Brodus dancing with kids. There was WAY too much going on here. This is a match that you put on TV once all participant's storylines have been made clear to the audience. Instead, this match was an example of WWE expecting audiences to already know whats going on. Furthermore, the Prime Time Players continued their "walking out gimmick" which obviously means WWE didn't get my last post on the importance of putting over PTP like they have with Del Rio. So yet again, the No. 1 contenders look like geeks who don't care about winning...great. The only shinning light here was AW on the live mic. I like how his chatter is audible as the match is going on. A definite original example of accentuating the positives and hiding PTP's negatives. 

The in-ring action was basic and totally forgettable. Babyfaces run wild early, heels cut off and got the heat on Kofi, Kofi makes the hot tag and babyfaces win. *yawn*

Match No. 2 (Mixed Tag Team Match):

AJ and World Heavyweight Champion Sheamus

def

Vickie Guererro and Dolph Ziggler

Rating: *1/2

Comments: 

This is probably the worst match that i've seen involving Ziggler and Sheamus. Granted, i didn't see their No Way Out Match which i heard was bad, but this match on Monday had NO HEAT. The two of them tried to get the fans invested with their usual move set, but it was clear this crowd didn't want to. I'm not surprised as to why. The WWE fans are sick of this match and i don't blame them! Why don't i blame them? Because we, the fans, are privy to the same result every single time! I can only watch Ziggler fail and fail over and over so many times in my life to be honest. Its a DAMN SHAME, but its the truth: WWE have it in for Dolph Ziggler - the most talented man in WWE at the moment and the epitome of the word "underrated".

This match was also a bit of overkill as it related to AJ. There was no need for this match to take place. I understand the logic of tagging with Sheamus (AJ got the better of Vickie last week), but in light of her current storyline, this was a tad on the random side. Plus, Vickie and AJ in the ring = "Chang Channel" heat. All in all, a pointless match.

Match No. 3:

Heath Slater

def

"Doink" The Clown 

Rating: 3/4*

Comments:

Yes, Heath Slater finally got a win in this program but its not all roses for this jobber as he got Diamond Cuttered by a returning Diamond Dallas Page (i swear DDP wasn't a big part of RAW during RAW's 1000 episode run but anyways...). Doink's reaction was probably one of the weakest since they started this novice idea. It was sad to see Doink come out to no reaction what so ever. But again, can you blame the live audience? Most of the fans in attendance weren't even born when Doink was in his prime. Hell, i only know about him because i researched him! If i was in charge of this build, i would of had Slater verse semi-RAW celebs first, THEN verse your Vaders and Sids closer to the 1000th RAW. 

The match itself was as you would expect: very short and sloppy, but Slater is trying.

Match No. 4 (No DQ Match):

 Big Show

def

Kane

Rating: *3/4

Comments:

I was fine with this match. At Kane and Big Show's age, this is probably as good as it will get with these two in the ring against each other. The DQ aspect of the match wasn't overly utilized except for a tease spot out out of the ring and the finish (which is pretty standard for WWE No DQ matches in 2012), but this didn't damage or exactly boost the match. In short, the stipulation did nothing of mention. It worries me that WWE just throw out random stipulation matches these days for no reason. Very reminicant of 2001 WCW, but that's another story for another time. 

Big Show went over: a logical choice and probably the best part of this match. They are putting a lot of momentum behind The Giant at the moment so kudos to WWE for sticking with it.......for time being.

Match No. 5:

 Tyson Kidd

def

Tensai (w/Sakamoto)

Rating: DUD

Comments:

As i stated before, a very undercooked "upset" that was not taken all that well by the live crowd. Moments like these rely on a big pop by the audience that is due, not only to shock, but because a desire to see the underdog overcome the insurmountable odds. This desire CANNOT be gained in two fluke matches where the underdog gets little or no offense in each outing. If they wanted Kidd to have any chance of getting a reaction here, the match with Tensai needed to go about 3 minutes and have all the usual "hope spots" you expect from such a match. Instead, we got Kidd beating Tensai in 6 seconds - making Tensai look like an absolute looser - only to have the attention taken away from the winner and placed on immediately Tensai destroying Sakamoto. WHY!? I don't know Sakamoto. I don't fully understand his relationship with Tensai. So how am i meant to care that Tensai is destroying his valet? Good to see Kidd winning but this was still a dumb and poorly executed match.

Match No. 6:

 WWE Champion CM Punk & John Cena

vs

Daniel Bryan and Chris Jericho

(No Contest)

*Match of the Night*

Rating: **1/2

Comments:

Thank god for this main event! The fact that this match didn't have a winner and i still gave it more than 2 stars should tell you everything you need to know. These four pros gelled well together and gave us a little bit of everything: something familiar (Punk vs Bryan), something from the past (Cena vs Jericho) and something we haven't seen before (Bryan vs Cena). 

Chris Jericho was the absolute star in this one. I don't know what happened between last week and this week, but the old Chris Jericho was back last night! He was talking so much garbage to Cena and the live crowd that you couldn't help but smile and love Chris Irvine at work. The crowd ate everything he did up: weather it was Y2J tell the audience to "cheer" for Cena, or his great paced in-ring work.  

Yes, i was waiting for AJ to come and get involved in this one at first, but the action was so good that i actually forgot about her until she eventually came out. While Y2J had a big part in this, seeing Punk and Bryan wrestle on after Cena and Jericho fought to the back pushed this match the match into the 2 1/2- star land. The "tease" for their Money in the Bank match was tremendous and effectively foregrounded what WWE fans can expect in 2 weeks. This crisp wrestling display, coupled with the rest of the mainevent, took RAW from being an ok show to a slightly above average show. Consdidering the stuff we have seen on RAW during few weeks, thats a big thumbs up in my book!

Final Comments:

This show was an improvement from last week and in 2012, that's all i can hope for. The AJ storyline progressed nicely and the final segment involving Punk and Bryan was visually appealing and did what it needed to do. The main event saw a return to form for Chris Jericho, which aided in making the tag team main event a fun and entertaining outing. However, the show still had its fair share of flops, particularly in the rest of the matches provided. Mid card angles and other main event angles (including Lesnar/HHH) either didn't hit their mark or progressed with little to no fanfare. But all in all, there was more to like than there was to hate on RAW this week so good job WWE!

 

The 3- Count Express: Friday Night Smackdown 29/06/12

This week's Friday Night Smackdown was a much more meaningful show in recent memory with a damn good main event and a number of new Money in the Bank participants announced for the PPV in 2 weeks. SO, what that being said, here is Smackdown in 1000 words or less!

#1

The most meaningful event to come out of WWE's B show this week is that we have 5 new qualifiers for Smackdown's Money in the Bank Ladder match. By the looks of things, a lot of new blood this time around, which is always a good thing. With more qualifying matches coming up at this Teusday's Live Smackdown, all this match needs is a tad more star power and we might be in store for a career-making night for some young up and comers.

Intercontinental Champion and US Champion Santino Marella defeated David Otunga and Cody Rohdes in a nothing tag match to qualify, Tensi destroyed Justin Gabriel in a forgettable squash to earn his spot, Damien Sandow maintained his winning streak tearing Zack Ryder apart in boring fashion while TYSON FREAKIN' KIDD def Jack "Jobber" Swagger in an acceptable bout to advance to the promise land.

It's good having both the US and IC champs in Smackdown's Money in the Bank as the next logical step for these champions is a World Title shot. Tensi is an addition I can do without as I'm still not sold on him as a monster heel OR as a agile ladder match participant. The same goes for Sandow, but unlike Tensi, his promos are growing on me and there is definite potential for growth here. But Tyson Kidd is a different story. It's great that he will be front and centre in less than 2 weeks on PPV to "strut his stuff" as they say. However, I'm still not getting my hopes up. While the wrestling diehards are salivating over Tyson's "push" , they are forgetting that:

a) the roster is VERY THIN at the moment.

b) last year's SD Money in the Bank had Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel in it and where are they at this current moment?

I'm happy for Kidd. His matches on NXT (including his fantastic match with Michael Migilicutty 2 weeks ago) have maintained a good standard in WWE and I hope he steals the show in 2 weeks, but it's going to take more than a stellar performance at Money in the Bank to get him whee he needs to be.

#2

Smackdown produced a great main event that probably should of been saved for a PPV. But you take what u get given. It was a well-paced 10 minute contest that had a great beat down by the heels that spilt to the announce desk. Sure, it had the standard "one man out while two fought in the ring", but there was never a moment where things seemed lost. Del Rio had some legitimate sequences where you actually thought he had the match won (The Cross Armbar spot was one of them), while the Brogue Kick came out of nowhere and was sold to PERFECTION by Ziggler. Yes, you read right: the Celtic Warrior Sheamus pinned Dolph for the 6TH CONSECUTIVE TIME in a to retain his World Heavyweight Championship.

There is no real point in resurfacing the same, obvious argument that i brought up in my last Smackdown review because it is clear to me WWE are convinced they are doing the right thing as it relates to Ziggler. Most probably, all these losses mean that he will be picking up the Smackdown Money in The Bank Briefcase in Phenoix, but that's another story for another day.

That's all that mattered this week on Smackdown! I'll be back on Weds/Thurs for this week's RAW, NXT AND Tuesday's live . Until then, enjoy your wrestling!!!

The 3- Count Review: TNA iMPACT Wrestling 28/06/12

#1

I couldn't wait to write about this show. What a fantastic 2 hours of professional wrestling! I can't remember the last time i was so into a wrestling show like this week's episode of TNA iMPACT. There were so many factors as to why, but i think it had to mainly do with the show's expert pacing.

iMPACT started with great wrestling and finished with AMAZING wrestling. Furthermore, both the Bound For Glory Series and the new X-Title Tournament were treated to a good amount of air time for their respective contests and on a whole, each match delivered. What i really liked, especially from the BFGS this week is that each match was a different style of wrestling. For example, RVD and Anderson provided a technical bout, while Rey and Joe had a physical, hard-hitting encounter. What i liked even more was that Samoa Joe, a guy who has not been doing all that much in 2012 and was buried in last years BFGS, is now is getting more and more over every week with competitive losses and dominant wins. Both X-Title qualifiers had standout moments that had me very excited (and i will get into each of these moments a little later on.) Finally, the main event started slow, but had a PHENOMENAL finish. This is what happens when you put 4 of the best wrestlers in the world in a Tag Championship main event. Just a tremendous outing that i recommend everyone watch ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V26AX5RIkIw ) (Start at 1:11:54).

But i do believe this match needs to be watched within the context of this episode to fully grasp how good the mainevent AND TNA impact was this week.

(ONLY READ THIS NEXT PART IF YOU HAVE WATCED IMPACT IN IT'S ENTIRETY) 

Kaz turning on AJ was a swerve i NEVER saw coming. Thanks to a couple of backstage segments that continued to build throughout the show, i think most of us were convinced that Kaz was being blown off this feud and his reasoning made perfect sense. How dare he be lied to for all these months by Daniels! However, when he hit AJ with that chair shot and re-sided with Daniels to win the Tag Team Championship, i was completely shocked!! But, when i thought about it, Kaz's decision again made perfect sense as a heel: "I was lied to, but dammit! I WANNA BE A TAG CHAMPION AGAIN!!" FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!!! This continual reconciliation between logic and TNA storylines makes every performer's action have meaning and impact (excuse the pun). This, WWE, is how you execute a swerve! Just tremendous stuff.

The rest of iMPACT? It was television that continued to build upon every storyline currently in existance. We had an simple, yet very effective promo from Roode and Aries concerning their World Title match. We had a series of short segments with Dixie and the new Miss Lynch that filled in the gaps with regards to the AJ/Dixie storyline. We had Madison interact with Garret Bischoff so to continue to tease the audience with the possibility of her  "secret crush". We had Joe Park announce he wants to fight Bully Ray in 2 weeks AND We had Gut Check segment with the unexpected/AWESOME return of Joey Ryan to potentially continue his "blurred realism" storyline with Tazz. All these segments had perpose and each one had a positive influence on future storyline directions.

#2

While the structure of this show was awesome, TNA took things one step further by announcing important matches, interviews and storyline cliffhangers that compel me to tune into iMPACT next week. For the past few weeks, you can really tell TNA management is committed to making the most of going live. While TV ratings haven't changed all that much, going live has provided a much more energetic crowd and a much more motivated locker room. This determination to bring TNA fans captivating television definitely manifested itself in the promotion of next week's TNA impact. The beauty of the announcements involving next week's show was that they weren't just focused on 1 main event storyline in TNA like WWE tends to do. The No. 1 wrestling program in North America usually relies on the continual promotion of a singular storyline thread (be it Vince Returning, a new GM, a main event match we have seen many times etc) and expect the show to draw primarily because of it. On TNA iMPACT, we had a mixed bag of important events taking place next week that make the ENTIRE SHOW seems important to watch. Case in point: announcing James Storm vs Jeff Hardy in a BFGS match as the main event is HUGE! I don't think i have ever seen these two massive stars collide in a TNA ring before one-on-one! Even more so, Daniels accusation of AJ impregnating Miss Lynch was very effective in forcing audiences to wonder "Is Daniels telling the truth? What will AJ say next week? What does Dixie think? Did Dixie know this all along?" But most importantly, we have other events taking place next week that concern the mid-carders as well. Chris Sabin returns to talk about his recent injury in the Ultimate X match last week and Gail Kim finally gets her Knockouts Championship rematch against Miss Tessmacher. Thus, the overwhelming hooks for next week's show are deeply implanted in all facets of TNA's programming.

#3

I guess the only nit pick i had for the show was Gut Check. Not the entire Gut Check segment, just the end result. I loved the realistic discussion between talent coordinators and legends over the future stock of this Taeler Hendrix. The backstage conversation between Tazz, Pritchard and Snow felt natural and they brought up some very valid points: "Do we really see Taeler Hendrix as a future PPV draw?" "Will she get better?"

Everything was fine until they got to the ring for the Gut Check Announcement. Taeler was provided a "Kick out" promo that was meant to convince the judges that she is worthy of a TNA contract. Instead, she kept repeating over and over that she was hungry, she wanted to "fight" and that she "wanted this" in a high-pitched nasally voice. Last time i checked, something as annoying as this promo was usually kept for a developmental promotion. All in all, her performance last week and her performance this week came off as VERY minor league and i didn't beleive she was worthy of ANY contract.

The crazy thing was that Bruce Pritchard agreed with me. Being the final man to "convince", Pritchard went on a tirade about how he liked her but "didn't love her", how she was green and inexperienced, "rough around the edges" and how she is "NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME YET".....but he ended up giving her the contract anyways.....WHAT THE HELL??! If she is not ready for pimetime, why would u even think about bringing her up from OVW , where she has been for years!? It feels as though this promo was done for dramatic effect to make people like me think she was not going to get a contract. But still, Pritchard made logical points that were not followed through. This annoyed me, but it certainly didn't detract from the awesomness that was this week's episode of TNA iMPACT.

Match Results:

Match No.1:

Rob Van Dam

def

Mr. Anderson via pinfall for 7 BFGS pts

Rating: ** 1/4


Comments:

What i liked about this opener was that it was evenly matched throughout the whole contest. There were no massive momentum shifts, which gave RVD vs Anderson a real competitive edge to it. Good mat wrestling to start and lots of near falls in this one (on a side note, I've always loved RVD's drop toe hold/pinning combination...does this move have a name?). Overall, this one was a bit messy in execution. Some pinning sequences were a bit off and few moves lacked the crispness found in the main event. Regardless, the match told a good story that complemented the BFGS structure so i can't totally complain.

Match No. 2: 

Sonjay Dutt

 def

Rubix via pinfall to qualify for the Destination X, X-Title tournament 

Rating: ** 1/2

Comments:

The first of two X-title qualifying matches was a real "barn burner". The returning Dutt showed a little ring rust early as it took a little time for he and Rubix (mix between Amazing Red and Rey Mysterio) to get into the appropriate grove. Once they did however, there was no stopping the TNA veteran and the new comer. The finish made this match for me and was electric in execution. Dutt's tilta-whirl DDT was executed and sold to PERFECTION, and Dutt's Moonsault into a double foot stomp was ridiculously innovative and breathtaking to watch. The crowd counted the 3-count and i was a happy wrestling fan by the end of this. Good job by TNA in bringing back old, recognized stars into the X-division. With the loss of Aries, this division needs a bit of star power. One can only hope that Low-Ki and others return next week but time will tell on that one! On the whole, good job by both these guys!

Match No. 3: 

Samoa Joe

def

Bully Ray via submission for 10 BFGS pts

Rating: **

Comments:

  

I had high hopes for this match. But I'm not confident in saying i was completely satisfied. I felt as though these two lost the crowd in the middle of the match as Joe threw himself to the outside mid-way through for no real reason. Joe's punches aren't the best in world and his offense was somewhat basic, but there was still enough here to like. The crowd was into this one from the start and were all over Bully Ray. Bully stalling in the first few minutes of the match. Bully having the crowd in the palm of his hand was very reminiscent of Ric Flair from the late 80's. The little things made this match for me such as Bully working over Joe's arm (something we rarely see Ray do) and the announcers talking about how Joe is a "dangerous man" in the BFGS because of his ability to get extra points via his "submission expert" arsenal. The ending was predictable as Joe Parks came down to distract Bully for the submission loss. But unlike last week, Joe Parks delivered a convincing post-match promo, laying down a challenge to fight Ray in 2 weeks. Bully's screams of "he (Parks) slapped me in the face!!!" coupled with Park's great delivery made this match and the post-match antics meaningful and memorable.

 Match No. 4: 

Rashad Cameron

def

Mason Andrews via pinfall to qualify for the Destination X, X-Title tournament 

Rating: **

Comments:

An ok match from the two newcomers. The worst of the two X-Division matches on this show but still worth having on TV. What got me was that the wrong guy won this match. I thought Andrews (a mix between Maven and Shelton Benjamin ) was outstanding in this contest and, if anything, Cameron (a bigger/stoner version of Kofi Kingston) brought the match down. But i do understand why Cameron advanced: the guy had charisma when he talked and charisma goes a lot further than acrobatics. Regardless of my feelings towards Rashad, both competitors delivered tremendous plancha dives to the outside. However, Andrews took to cake here, with a somersault plancha into a 450 splash.  Like the previous X-Division match, the action came together at the end with Andrews delivering a picture perfect top rope hurracurana from a vertical jump. But at the end of the day, Cameron picked up the win. On a side note, i really appreciated the post-match interviews at the end of each of the X-Division matches. Usually, these types of performers are purely used as utilities on a wrestling broadcast that execute high flying spectacles so to wow the fans. On this episode, TNA decided to give these new (or in the case of Dutt, old) competitors a chance to develop their character and talk about the possibility of being the next X-Division Champion. Smart pro-wrestling: You begin to get your new talent over by developing their characters AND you begin to get over the importance of the X-Title all in one segment! Great stuff TNA! 

Match No. 6 (TNA World Tag Team Championship):

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian

def

AJ Styles and Kurt Angle (c)

to become the New TNA World Tag Team Championship 

* Match of the Night*

Rating: ***

Comments:

My first *** rating for Wrestling's Weekly Rope Break! I was looking forward to this match all week after hearing all the great things that came out of their match at Slamiversary a few weeks back. It's funny when you hear rave reviews for a particular combination of wrestlers: you automatically start critiquing their matches n a different light. You begin to look for things that support everyone's claim. 3 minutes into this match, i was looking for this amazing match and couldn't find it. The start was a tad clunky with lots of stalls. However, in retrospect, this had a lot to do with Kaz playing a babyface role and Daniels stopping to talk to Kaz about what was going on every few seconds. Enforcing Kaz's possible babyface turn was crucial in the playing out of the finish so, in the end, i was totally fine with it considering how effective the finish was. It wasn't untill after the break that the match REALLY got going. AJ played a great babyface in peril after Daniels took over. Then Kurt Angle got the hot tag and suddenly, the match became magic. I don't know how Angle keeps doing it, but he is still a MACHINE in that ring. Everyone played their role in the finish to perfection and EVERYTHING looked amazingly crisp and professional here. When you thought the finish was loosing pace, out of nowhere, AJ would springboard into the ring with a flying clothesline. The crowd was going balistic and then the air was taken out of the arena when Kaz hit AJ with the chair. What a swerve! Daniels and Kaz regained the Tag Titles and Daniels delivered a great post-match heel promo proclaiming he and Kaz as the best team in the world, and announcing the father of Miss Lynch's unborn child: AJ STYLES!! Just great pro-wrestling that made sense, was exciting to watch and had an ending that was shocking, yet ridiculously captivating.

Final Comments:

If you can't tell by now, i completely LOVED this show. Episodes such as this one make me proud to be a wrestling fan. Every match on the show had something to give, the main event lived up to its hype, every current storyline got time and was expanded upon and there is a TON of stuff to look forward to next week.....How can i NOT be a content wrestling fan??! Thumbs up TNA, thumbs way up!!

Bound for Glory Leaderboard:

1st) James Storm    = 36 pts

2nd) Samoa Joe       = 27 pts

3rd) Kurt Angle  = 10 pts
4th) Mr. Anderson = 9 pts
5th) Rob Van Dam = 7pts

                 Magnus = 7pts

             Jeff Hardy = 7pts

              The Pope = 7pts

9th)           Daniels = 5 pts

              10th)           AJ Styles = 0pts               

                   Robbie E = 0pts

                          Rob Van Dam = 0pts

                   Bully Ray = 0pts