WWE Superstars TV Report – 19th June 2014

Noteworthy: RVD is demoted to Superstars this week. The Raw Rebound makes a big deal of Roman Reigns but just as bigger a deal of the fact that he and Rusev were the last two in the Battle Royale. Nikki Bella wrestled Alicia Fox and it wasn’t too bad.

Nikki Bella beat Alicia Fox with the Rack Attack in 4:03

Well. Alicia’s big new unhinged crazy chick gimmick has made it all the way to Superstars – it probably saved her from being cut with the others last week, actually.

Nikki explodes out of the bell and double legs Fox, going to work immediately on her left arm. She puts her arm over the bottom rope and stomps on it and then applies a wrist lock. Fox struggles to find a way out of the hold. Nikki drops the hold, runs the ropes and hits a missile drop kick which forces Fox to cower and take sanctuary under the bottom rope.

Fox chokes Nikki on top rope to the outside, rolls back in and now takes control with a rear chin lock. She hits a sweet northern lights suplex and gets a near fall, goes back to the rear chin lock and the crowd start to get behind Nikki.

Nikki powers up, hits two flying clotheslines another missile drop kick but gets caught by Fox with a neck breaker. Fox uses an Irish whip to the corner but misses the follow-up charge which allows Nikki to pick Fox up, put her on her shoulders and hit the Rack Attack for the win.

There was no post-match reaction from Fox – at least if there was live, we weren’t shown it. A nothing match, but Nikki was better than usual here.

The Raw rebound – was a rehash of the Battle Royale to find the last contestant for the Money in the Bank World Heavyweight Title match. They made a big deal out the Rusev and Reigns spots at the end and made sure to make Roman Reigns look like an absolute hero.

They did this last week – a new segment – we got a brief, 20 second, back stage promo from Zeb with Swagger. He pumped him up for his match with RVD and they ended with a stereo “we the people” which the crowd joined in with. Short, sweet, to the point. Nice. Taking a leaf out of the NXT playbook with that one?

Rob Van Dam beat Jack Swagger (w/ Zeb Colter) with the Five Star Frog Splash in 7:48

I’ve written this before when he’s been on Superstars, but am I the only one who thinks that Swagger is looking puffy, bloated, unhealthy and overweight? If you compare his frame and face to the Swagger that won the title in 2009, he’s a lot bigger round the waist and much ruddier in complexion. As for RVD, well he looks 50 years old.

So, this was the battle of the singlets.

Swagger gets the early going with a shoulder barge to show off his strength to RVD. RVD nods and says, “Ok, Ok, its like that,” as Zeb and Swagger lead the crowd in an early “we the people.”

They lock up and eventually RVD hits Swagger with the first of many heel kicks in this match, splashes him to the corner and then clotheslines him over the top rope. As Swagger gets to his feet, RVD flings himself into an over the top rope crossbody. This is essentially like every WWE RVD match you’ve ever seen.

RVD hits the leg drop on Swagger and gets a near fall and then goes for a headlock. When Swagger is down and struggling, Van Dam climbs to the top rope but Swagger stumbles to his feet and throws him off top rope and into barricade. This looked pretty messy and the crowd came to life as we crashed to the break

Swagger’s in control as we return, hits a clothesline gets a near fall and then goes for a rear chin lock, rest hold. RVD powers up, hits the Roll of Thunder but Swagger catches him at the end of the move and reverses it into the Patriot Lock, in what was easily the most creative and interesting spot on this whole show.

RVD struggles in the Patriot Lock but eventually frees himself with kicks to Swagger’s head which makes Swagger bleed from the mouth. It’s probably about time that someone stiffed Swagger back – guy practically kills people every week. RVD manages to hit a top rope thrust kick and both men go down.

RVD gets to his feet first and goes to the top rope for a Frog Splash attempt but this is countered when Swagger leaps up to the top rope and throws him down to the mat. He jumps back down, covers him but only gets a near fall. Swagger than grabs RVD and slams him with a German suplex but Van Dam is able to grab the bottom rope to stop the count.

The finish sees the Swagger Bomb countered by RVD with a kick to the head. He climbs the ropes, hits the Five Star Frog Splash and gets the win.

The Raw Rebound finished this show – Kane v Cena in a stretcher match.