WWE Night of Champions 2013 Review

WWE Night of Champions 2013

Sunday 15th September

Detroit, MI

 

Curtis Axel (c) v Kofi Kingston for the IC Title

 

Not the ideal ppv opener. They had the pre-show match with the tag teams, so for the live crowd they had already had a gauntlet tag team opener. For us - if you didn’t watch the pre-show that is – this was the thing that set the pace for the show. It was generally well-wrestled throughout. Kofi is really safe pair of hands and Axel has certainly improved over time. They were given a really long time which was surprising, probably too long because you felt that they had run out of ideas as to how they should fill it by the end. The false finish after Kofi’s SOS was where the crowd really came alive and Axel’s finisher could do with some work. I can see Axel holding this title for a while now.

 

Divas Match – AJ (c) v Brie Bella v Natalya v Naomi for the Divas Title

 

AJ won with the Black Widow which is an excellent finisher and really suits her character. The match wasn’t as bad as expected and saw a really strong outing by Naomi who, once again, looked excellent. Total Divas has given them all a much needed platform and once they start to get given well-laid-out matches, they could really put together a division that has some matches worth watching.

The silly spot was the double sharpshooter by Natty on Brie and Naomi who sold it like it was killing her but AJ retaining was a shock and should build up a nice programme for the Divas over the coming month before Total Divas returns.

 

RVD v Del Rio (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship

 

Del Rio now gets zero reaction from the fans and it’s a real shame. The awful babyface turn and then immediate heel turn has made a mockery of his character and has confused the fans. He does tough and stiff well in the ring and is really at his best when he is giving a beat down to someone. RVD, on the other hand, is really beat up and produces some sloppy performances now. They had a good match – Del Rio taking a spin kick from Rob as he was draped over the dasher boards was a good spot as was the block that Del Rio gave for the frog splash which he turned into his arm bar. The horrible finish was only saved by RVD’s coast-to-coast with a chair.

 

They spent a lot of the match outside the ring, and with the chair shot and the doctor’s coming out to check on Del Rio at the end, it would make sense that they do a hardcore/no DQ match at the next ppv. However, if this feud doesn’t continue, I doubt many will be complaining.

 

Fandango v Miz

 

You have to feel sorry for Fandango. He shouldn’t be working with Miz, he is a much better in-ring competitor and needs to work with quality on house shows and TV if he is going to improve further. He should have beaten Miz here but for some reason Miz beat him clean with the figure four. I would turn Fandango babyface now and put him up against Curtis Axel or keep him heel and give him time with somebody like Ziggler or Kingston. This was a nothing match that took time away from the main card.

 

CM Punk v Curtis Axel and Paul Heyman – Handicap No DQ Match

 

There was a tremendous WWE video package that they used to introduce this match. It told the narrative really well leading into this, going all the way back to Money in the Bank. I have to say that when Axel and Heyman came out to the ring, they looked like a big deal but this whole feud’s reliance on the Kendo stick is really meaningless and has never been given a context.

 

Punk immediately injected pace into the match by suicide diving onto Heyman through the ropes. It was almost as if he could sense that the crowd needed something after what was, so far, a really average show. He then put on JBL’s hat and the crowd were given something to enjoy. That’s the thing with Punk, he always brings energy, anticipation and fun into his angles – here he was worker against a lower mid-carder but was making it seem relevant. Heyman, of course, was once again fantastic here. His facials were terrific.

 

Ryback as Heyman’s new protégé was no surprise. It brings the narrative full circle from when Punk was champion under Heyman and Heyman helped Punk beat Ryback a year ago at Hell in a Cell. I dread the thought of this feud again. Langston would have been a much more interesting choice.

 

Dean Ambrose (c) v Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship

 

Poor Dolph Ziggler. I am a huge mark for Ziggler and I really wish I knew what he’s done to deserve this. When he cashed in his briefcase and finally became champion, I assumed that they would give him time to get into the mould and work on his promos. Instead, he lost to Del Rio in a heartbeat and is now languishing in the mid card for matches with zero build for an essentially meaningless title.

 

Given some build, these two could have had a great match. But the crowd were dead as this was used as a buffer match after Heyman and Punk. Ambrose will keep this until the decide its Fandango or Bray Wyatt’s turn to be given a title to make them meaningful but Dolph is better than this.

 

Rollins and Reigns (c) v The Prime Time Players for the Tag Team Titles

 

Titus O’Neil is a good worker and everyone says that he could be a big deal one day in this company. The truth is, he’s 36 and I just can’t see him going above this level any time soon. Darren Young is improving, however, and looked good here, as did Seth Rollins who continues to impress. Rollins is capable of main-eventing in the future, if he’s booked properly and Reigns could be booked as a monster a la Ryback and so will be fine.

 

This was an OK match with a good finish that saw the ref miss Roman Reign’s spear on Darren Young (which looked tremendous). I think we’re waiting on Big Show and Mark Henry to be healthy – or failing that A N Other in Henry’s place – before these titles go anywhere.

 

Daniel Bryan v Randy Orton (c) for the WWE Title – No Interference

 

Another fantastic video package preceded this match. They really do this so well for their ppvs and I think fans often take them for granted. There are few better production companies in the entertainment business at this. Cole in the sit-down interviewer role with HHH provided the perfect soundtrack to the story and, I guess with the Meyweather fight being just a matter of hours before this, was intended to look like a Show Time, big fight event.

 

These two worked a really good match. Orton is rarely poor. He is so smooth in the ring: he sells well, he’s quick, he’s powerful and he’s a fantastic heel. The sub plot to the match was the refereeing changes, culminating in Scot Armstrong returning towards the end of the match to give a fast count for Bryan’s win. This will obviously play out on Raw tomorrow but was no sold by the commentary team and so Daniel Bryan was given his win, clean with the Busaiku knee. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if HHH voids the result because he just wanted Bryan to get this out of his system and will informs us that it was all a work. Notice, after the fast count, Orton stayed lying on the floor still selling as if knocked out. Why do the fast count then? It’s possible that Vince will return but I see this as a HHH screwjob that will play out on Raw.

 

A very average ppv that broke the streak of excellent ppvs for 2013. It was always a two match card and only one was really worth paying for.

WWE Superstars TV Report - September 12th 2013

The show opens up with Superstars stalwarts, The Usos, coming out performing the Siva Tau. I don’t see them getting a title shot on Sunday somehow. This tag team division isn’t really up to much right now. Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal from 3MB are out next, making it three straight weeks on Superstars for them. Drew and Heath are quite good and can have fun matches but Jinder Mahal has not improved since 2011. Fact. Tony Dawson and Alex Riley are on commentary with Riley wearing the most horrific red shirt this week.

 

The Usos v 3MB (Heath Slater & Jinder Mahal)

 

With no Drew McIntyre at ringside, Jimmy and Heath do the same thing they do every week on Superstars: start the match by posturing to the crowd trying to get some heat. No hard cam for this match. Dawson informs us that Jimmy is “off carbs” ands so is 9lbs lighter as a result. Have to say it doesn’t show. Slater whips Jimmy and shoulder barges him to the floor. Jimmy then trips him up, gets up and Flair chops him twice to a shower of ‘woo’s from the crowd. After a weird dance he clotheslines Slater to the floor and tags in Jey so that they can double team him with a double reverse knife edge and a double elbow drop. Jey get s a 1 count and puts Slater into an arm bar. Slater pulls Jey to his corner and tags in Mahal.

 

Jinder works over Jey with shots the head and kicks to the midsection and then gets reversed out of an Irish whip and is hit with a cross body for a 2 count. Jey works Mahal’s left arm and tags in Jimmy who double axe handles his arm off the top rope. Jey tags in a does the same. Quick tags follow and they throw Mahal over the top rope, clap to get the crowd going so that Jimmy can run the ropes and hit a plancha onto Jinder who has just got up on the floor outside. This is a nice spot but was really staged rather than organic.

 

They roll Mahal back into the ring and Jimmy climbs to the top turn buckle. When he is there Slater tries to come over and crotch him but gets a kick to the head for his troubles. This interference allows Jinder to roll out of the way when Jimmy finally jumps from the top rope. Mahal goes to cover Jimmy who is and pain but only gets a 2 count. Slater tags in and rains down on Jimmy with a flurry of punches. We randomly go to a break here.

 

Jinder is in control of Jimmy after the commercials and is kicking and stomping on him whilst pulling his one facial expression – phony-mean. His phony-meanness is really infuriating to watch every week on this show. Remember the face he used to pull when he was feuding with the Great Khali? Well, it’s the same face. I wouldn’t mind but he literally has no other expression.  Slater comes in and punches Jimmy some more. Jimmy finally catches a break when he rolls out of a German suplex, leaping over to tag in Jey. With the hot tag Jey hits Slater with chops, slaps and finally a leaping shoulder block that makes Heath roll out of the ring.

 

The finish sees The Usos clear Jinder out of the ring, double super kick Slater to set up for the Samoan Splash and the win, with Jimmy pinning Slater at 6:37. A fun match in the end but Slater is really a vastly superior performer for 3MB.

 

The Raw Rebound is next – Edge and Daniel Bryan’s segment with Orton and HHH’s interruption. Randy is a fantastic heel; he’s awesome in this role. The semi-shoot stuff where Edge calls out Hunter on his poor judgement of talent is great.

 

After the break, we get the Heyman/Dr Samson segment with Maddox and Axel and Punk’s beatdown with a Kendo stick. This is an unusual move from Superstars since they normally put the next match on here and leave the second Raw segment to end the show.

 

Out next on Superstars is Big E Langston. I always think he should wear tights that cover his thighs at least. His singlet goes into trunks and just looks weird in my eyes. I wonder if he’ll be Heyman’s next protégé. He’s a good up-and-comer who is completely without a programme right now. Speaking of people without any creative direction, Zack Ryder is already in the ring but looks in great shape.

 

Big E Langston v Zack Ryder

 

They go to lock up and Langston hits lots of monster moves early, throwing Ryder around like a rag doll. Langston is interesting because he’s quick enough to work a normal style but is so huge that working like a monster works for him too. Ryder puts up a knee to stop a charge by Langston into the corner and starts to land strikes to the head and then knocks him down with a drop kick. Needlessly, Ryder goes for a cover and gets a 1 count.

 

Langston double legs Ryder and punches him to the head while Ryder tries to cover up. Ryder rolls out of the ring to avoid more punishment. Langston follows him but Ryder shoots back into the ring and hits him with a cross body over the top rope. Big E catches him and then rams him into the ring post and then the dasher boards. Langston rolls him back in to the ring and gets a 2 count. As both men get up, Big E catches Ryder and puts him into an abdominal stretch. He looks huge at this point – Ryder looks completely enveloped in pure genetically freakish muscle. Langston holds him in this for a while and then seems to get bored and instead whips Ryder into the ropes for a back body drop. Ryder sells all of this really well and, with wide eyes, looks shocked and desperate at the onslaught he’s receiving.

 

Ryder finally blocks a charge from Langston with an elbow to the face only to then get viciously clotheslines but him for a 2 count. Yes chants break out as Langston continues to bully Ryder. Eventually, Langston misses a splash and Ryder hits a missile drop kick off the top rope. He sets up for the Broski boot but is selling his left shoulder as he fist pumps. He hits the worst Broski boot I’ve ever seen, and the director cuts to a different angle on impact to cover for it. Ryder goes for the pin but Langston kicks out at 2.

 

The match’s finish starts with Ryder missing the Rough Ryder and getting power bombed and ends when Langston hits the Big Ending for the pin at 5:15. This was just an elongated squash match. Ryder was literally afforded about two moves in 5 minutes but this match did nothing really to show off what Big E Langston is capable of either.

 

A decidedly average edition of Superstars ends with the end of the Dean Ambrose v Daniel Bryan match from Raw with Orton, Big Show, Steph and HHH.

WWE Superstars TV Report 5th September 2013

A show with two 8 minute matches, some decent wrestling and the return of Michael McGillicutty as Curtis Axel to Superstars - it was only a matter of time!

 

We kick off with R-Truth coming out, rapping. He’s starting to look his age; he seems to be thinning on top. 3MB come out next to a shower of boos. Drew McIntyre is Truth’s opponent tonight in a match that is classic WWE Superstars fodder and really doesn’t hold much promise.

 

R-Truth v Drew McIntyre

 

The two lock up and Truth pushes McIntyre into the turnbuckle and shouts ‘what’s up?’ to the crowd who return the call. Then as Drew comes back to lock up and put Truth into a headlock he appears to swear 4 or 5 times in a row – I am watching on Sky in the UK and this is beeped out in post-production. (After a little browsing online, I discovered the international version on youtube and Drew actually isn’t swearing at all, he’s just grunting and hissing which together kind of come across as inaudible ‘f’ sounds.) Truth then hits an arm drag takedown and Drew is angry and so slaps Truth as the other members of 3MB come to give Drew a pep talk.

 

Drew kicks Truth in the corner and then scoop slams him to more boos. Out of an Irish whip, Truth knocks McIntyre down with a hurricanrana and out of another, Truth tries a sunset flip for a 2 count. Another arm drag from Truth leads to a rest hold as Truth works over the left arm. Drew tries to counter this with an arm drag of his own but Truth keeps tight and reapplies the hold. As McIntyre sells, Heath and Jinder shout advice and Drew gets to his feet and scoop slams Truth who, again, holds on and keeps the arm and shoulder under pressure. Drew eventually powers out, whips  Truth into the corner who dodges the charging McIntyre and, yes, goes back to applying pressure to the left shoulder.

 

After the break, R-Truth does his ‘jiggy jiggy’dance to anger Drew who charges at him. Truth ducks and hip tosses him to the mat and then sets up and hits his leg drop for a near fall. Slater and Mahal hit the apron to distract R-Truth while McIntyre climbs the ropes – when the referee waves away the other member of 3MB, Truth turns around to eat a missile drop kick from Drew. After a suplex into a 1 count, Drew applies the rear choke rest hold. On commentary, Alex Riley and Tony Dawson push Total Divas and Night of Champions. Truth powers out of the hold, Irish whips McIntyre who hits him with a flying boot and covers him for another near fall.

 

McIntyre chokes Truth on the middle rope, takes the ref’s count and steps away so that Heath Slater can nail R-Truth with a cheap shot. This is 3MB by numbers. McIntyre postures to crowd and stomps on Truth before he scoop slams him again. R-Truth counters Drew’s  double axe handle from the second turn buckle and begins to make a comeback hitting his flying scissors kick, a clothesline and a big boot. Drew kicks out at 2 and Heath and Jinder try to interfere but R-Truth sees them off and hits the Lie Detector with the pin at 7:26

 

The Raw Rebound is next – a replay of Steph and Big Show from Monday in which she claimed to be about 10 years younger than she actually is while Big Show pulled some odd facials and had his ‘money issues’ are revealed.

 

Out next is Kofi Kingston. He is laughably billed at “212 lbs” by Justin Roberts. I’m not sure which is worse: Kofi being sold as 212 or Drew McIntyre as 265. It was only a matter of time but back on Superstars, under his new ring moniker, after an absence of about 7 weeks is Intercontinental Champion, Curtis Axel. He is accompanied, for a very rare Superstars outing, by Paul Heyman.

 

Kofi Kingston v Curtis Axel

 

Axel takes Kofi to the mat and the two showcase some amateur-style chain wrestling until Kofi hits a drop kick so that Axel rolls out for some advice from Heyman. Kofi then puts Curtis in a headlock, who powers out and reverses it into one of his own. The crowd chant ‘Walrus’ at Heyman while Kofi lands a reverse elbow out of an Irish whip. Once again, Axel leaves the ring for a breather so Kofi teases a suicide dive but stops at the ropes, laughing at the flinching Axel. As Axel walks around to find Heyman for more ‘coaching’ Kofi charges through the ropes and lands a beautiful seated senton over the top rope.

 

Outside the ring, Axel charges Kofi into the dasher boards as we go to a break. When we return, Axel is in control using rest holds and quick covers to try to wear Kofi down. Out of a headlock, Kofi gets hit with a clothesline to the back of the head for another near fall. Axel beats Kofi down in the corner but when Kofi has had enough, he runs the ropes, slides through Axel’s legs, stands up and tries to hit him with a drop kick. Axel dodges it at the last second and Kofi sells that he has landed awkwardly on his backside. Axel goes for a pin and only gets 2. He hits a backbreaker to set Kingston up for a falling double axe handle off the second turnbuckle and covers him for another near fall. Heyman has started to hold the IC belt up beside the ring with a smug smile and raised chin just like he used to for Punk during the latter stages of his title reign. He displays the title with such utter pomp, it’s marvellous.

 

In the ring, Axel misses two clotheslines, Kofi ducks them both and on the second Axel flies out of the ring. When he gets back inside, Kofi makes his comeback hitting two quick double-armed clotheslines, a drop kick and a flying forearm before he lands his Boom Drop. Kingston sets up for the Trouble in Paradise, Axel ducks, Kofi climbs the ropes and lands a plancha that allows him to get a near fall of his own on Axel. Heyman looks concerned but Axel starts to work over Kofi’s left knee. It doesn’t last long as Kofi counters with the SOS but, again, Axel has too much left in the tank and kicks out at 2.

 

The finish sees Kofi miss a kick to Axel’s head who catches his leg and puts him in what I think he’s calling the Axelizer (a kind of hangman’s facebuster/reverse STO) for the win in 8:06. This was a good little match that didn’t feel like an 8 minute match. Kofi is a safe pair of hands and Axel is getting easier on the eye in the ring. I think Punk will be able to draw a good match out of him at Night of Champions next week.

 

A decent edition of Superstars ends with a highlights-of-Raw video package and then the end of the Big Show v Daniel Bryan match from Monday.

WWE Superstars TV Report - 29th August 2013

A show with a tremendous match between Antonio Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler, one that saw Eva Maria as ring announcer and Justin Gabriel wearing face paint.

 

We kick off with The Usos coming out and performing the Siva Tau – an entrance that I always think really sets them up to be more entertaining than they actually turn out to be. Even the new face paint isn’t really working for these two. Joining them in 3-man tag action is Justin Gabriel who has new utterly forgettable music and even dons some face paint of his own for the occasion. Their opponents are 3MB. Slater is sporting new tattoos on both arms. They are all introduced by Eva Marie who does a horrible job as ring announcer. She seems to have died that red hair again; I don’t think I have ever seen hair this red before.

 

The Usos & Justin Gabriel v 3MB

 

Heath and Jey lock up and Jey goes to work on Slater’s left arm. He tags in Jimmy who lands a double axe handle off the top rope onto the arm. Having seen Jimmy on Total Divas I can’t really look at him in the same way anymore. He appears to be a moody teenager who goes high pitched and snarling when he argues with his fiancé, Trinity (Naomi), which is often. More than anything it shows that he would never be able to cut a good promo and so can really only go so far with this company. Gabriel is in that same boat. He is tagged in and the quick tags continue until Heath rolls out of the ring, is chased by Jey until he rolls back in and tags McIntyre. As Jey rolls back in the ring, Drew catches him with a clothesline and gets a 1 count.

 

Drew puts Jey in their corner and beats him down with kicks. The referee intervenes, allowing Mahal and Slater to work him over further. Drew tags in Jinder who hits Jey with a neckbreaker for a 2 count. He works Jey with his go-to move, the rear chin lock, until Jey counters with a German suplex. Both men stay down and then crawl to make tags at the same time. McIntyre and Gabriel are tagged in and Gabriel hits Drew with a top rope springboard plancha, a running shoulder barge and a mule kick. As McIntyre is down, Gabriel sets up a middle rope springboard moonsault. He nearly gets the 3 count but the pin is interrupted by Mahal at 2.

 

The finish sees Jinder get thrown out by Jey, Heath is thrown out by Jimmy and both hit over the top rope planchas while, in the ring, Gabriel turns a hurricanrana on McIntyre into a DDT. This allows him to climb the ropes so he can hit his 450 splash for the win in 3:45. This was a good match that was well-executed in the time they had.

 

The Raw Rebound is next – a video package putting over Punk v Heyman and Axel at Night of Champions followed by Christian v Randy Orton with Daniel Bryan’s bespoke car spray painting service.

 

Out next is Dolph Ziggler who has been relegated to Superstars for reasons unknown. It may be because of his tweets, it may be for some other reason. Either way, getting to see him on this show instantly makes it 100% better, especially when his opponent appears next with Colter and Swagger. Ziggler and Cesaro are capable of great things in the ring.

 

Dolph Ziggler v Antonio Cesaro

 

I had read that this was a 4 star match before I watched it and, although I wouldn’t go quite that far, this was a very strong match. The two lock up and out of a headlock and Irish whip Cesaro shoulder barges Dolph to the floor and follows it up with a stern, rigid and committed arm across his chest as he shouts “we the people”. It’s funny how this gimmick has no real heat anymore - especially when Zeb isn’t cutting a close-to-the-bone promo before the match. People are now joining in with it. On commentary Alex Riley notes that he had spoken to Ziggler earlier who had claimed, “this match will make the performers in the main event of last year’s WrestleMania look like they don’t belong in the company”. Ziggler clearly never said that but if he had you’d have you reason as to why he’s wound up on Superstars!

 

Dolph and Cesaro chain wrestle and then Ziggler hits a superb drop kick and gets a two count out of it. Just as he gets up and starts to do his Flair/Jeff Jarrett strut, heel Cesaro kicks him so that he stops. Ziggler then hip tosses the charging Cesaro and lands his repeated elbows that once nearly killed Jerry Lawler. Cesaro sells every single one and then kicks out of a pin at 2. Ziggler gets up and as the ref checks on Cesaro, Swagger hits the apron and smacks Dolph with a stiff clothesline. Cesaro gets up and seizes the advantage, beating Ziggler down in the corner with kicks and then picks him up deadweight and lands his delayed gutwrench suplex which is more like tossing a ragdoll when used on someone as lithe as Ziggler. A-Ry puts over that Cesaro models himself on Olympic wrestler Aleksandr Karelin as Cesaro begins a rear chin lock and we go to a break.

 

After the commercials (one of which is a Los Matadores promo video – I’ll get my pen ready to write about the rebranded Primo and Epico every week) Cesaro hits his Really European Uppercut. This is where he picks up his opponent by the hips, throws them up in the air and as they fall he hits them with his European uppercut. Out of a chin lock, Ziggler powers into the ropes and lands a cross body and then rolls Cesaro up for a 2 and then hits a facebuster for another near fall. They start to trade counters: Cesaro blocks the Zigzag, Ziggler then turns the a Really European Uppercut attempt into a DDT and gets another near fall.

 

Arguably the best spot of the match is next: Ziggler climbs the ropes but Cesaro gets to his feet and crotches him and Ziggler falls to the apron. Cesaro then climbs to the middle rope, bends down over the top rope and picks up Ziggler and hoists him up into a suplex. He holds it and holds it and the crowd are really into it because he is so strong. It looks unbelievable. This is not just any old superplex. Cesaro lands the suplex, gets a two count, Dolph reverses it and gets a 2 of his own. Ziggler then hits a tight drop kick as Cesaro gets to his feet and then as Cesaro recovers in the corner, Dolph charges at him, hitting him with a Stinger Splash, punches to the head and then a swinging neckbreaker for another near fall.

 

The finish starts with Dolph looking like his going for a hurricanrana that he somehow finishes in a sleeper hold position. As Cesaro struggles out, Swagger appears on the apron. Ziggler drops the hold and drop kicks Swagger off the apron and into the announce table. With his back to his opponent, Cesaro is able to roll Ziggler up for 2 and as they both get up Ziggler hits the Zigzag for another very close near fall. After a referee count, they both get to their feet and Cesaro hits another European uppercut, puts him the Neutraliser and pins him in 9:40. An excellent match by Superstars standards.

 

A very good edition of Superstars ends with another Los Matadores promo video and the whole of the Daniel Bryan Gauntlet match and HHH/Orton segment from Raw.

Jim Ross Review

 

Manchester, UK

26^th August 2013

 

Jim Ross is a storyteller. His accent, his tone, his pace, his pitch, his cadence - everything in his armoury - makes him a storyteller. He is not the first, and certainly not the last, in a long line of narrators from the Bible-belt who tap into the Southern Gothic style and whose attitude is honest, wholesome and loyal. His open style and welcoming sincerity is engaging and inviting. “Wrestlers provide the music, I merely add the lyrics,” he says; a moto he repeats throughout his show. As the ‘voice of wrestling’, his UK tour takes in four dates and sees him cover his life from childhood to modern day with a generous portion of his time given to answering fans’ questions.

 

Tonight in Manchester, the seasoned traveller kicks things off by picking fault with our hospitality. The establishment that he’s booked into is not accommodation that one might choose if you were of his build; as he refers to himself, “a fat ass”. But this is no surprise, we don’t do things here like they do in the US and there’s no getting away from that.

 

Ross starts at the beginning, tonight – his childhood. He was taught from a young age, that you stick by your job and you see it through no matter what. No matter whether you like it, no matter whether you’re good, bad or indifferent at it and no matter whether you hate it. He paints a picture of the only child from Oklahoma to a doting mother and stern father, who was raised on a farm living under the harsh, lonely conditions that ranch hands would face. One resounding memory that Ross says shaped him to this day, was when he left the lock off the door his dog’s cage. The dog escaped, mating with its mother, fathering inbred pups. Being his fault, Ross was asked to take the litter of 8 in a bag to the nearby disposal unit with a hammer. He remembers that it was then that he realised that you had to stick to your jobs in life and see things through or you’d pay for your deviance in the end.

 

Many stories of his life with wrestling are from his early career and are from the road. Ross tells us of his life in chronological fashion, choosing to leave topics such as the attitude era, the WWE and current storyline/creative decisions to be dissected in the QA section. This may be partly because Ross is a team player and won’t speak ill of the team unless he pressured to do so. Throughout the evening he talks of his passion for the business and his dedication to it in the early days. He did everything in his power so that he could ensure that he had a future in wrestling.

 

Working for Bill Watts is where he cut his teeth – Leroy McGuirk pulled a rib on him when travelling one time and it was Watts’ advice that saved him. McGuirk was a blind and bitter drunkard when Ross chauffeured him from gig to gig. On the road one day, McGuirk said he wanted Ross to help him shoot Ted DiBiase. McGuirk was riding with a revolver and was asking Ross to seat him in his hotel room with the door ajar so that DiBiase could come in. Swimming in Ross’ head were thoughts of prison, leaving the business, desertion and finally, when he called Watts, he had his answer: get McGuirk so drunk that he passes out when you get to the hotel, and then you won’t have an issue.

 

He remembers refereeing Hodge and Akbar and the McGuire twins – two 600+ pounders who worked stiff and couldn’t move far. One night he was told to switch the finish in the ring and had no idea what he was being asked to do. The McGuire twins were so large, they didn’t tag behind the ropes, and they were always both in the ring at the same time. Speaking of giants, he was also once asked to take a picture of Andre the Giant in the shower by a girl who was keen to see whether he gigantic all over – Ross claimed he nearly did it but he wasn’t prepared to go that far to be in the business.

 

Crockett got rid of Ross in a fairly messy contract disagreement that lead to Ross being paid off and living what he calls “a fairly aimless existence” for a few months. He was told that he was “not fit to be the voice of a national brand.” Short-sightedness that partly shaped Ross himself into a man who tried to see the good in all the talent that he would manage.

 

When Vince signed him in 1993, Ross remembers Bobby Heenan telling him to go commando because “Vince likes a bold man who is prepared to make a difference”. When he asked Gorilla Monsoon, Gorilla exclaimed “is he still pulling that one? That’s why they won’t let him work in the office!” It was, of course, Monsoon’s illness that allowed Ross to debut at WrestleMania 9 in a toga, something which he vividly remembers as being full of pressure yet totally bereft of it: on the one hand he had signed with the biggest company around and was debuting on their flagship show, on the other he was a nobody (his words) so no one would care if he wasn’t a hit.

 

By 1994 and on his 3^rd (and current) wife he was struck with Bell’s palsy, something that Ross says he refuses to let ‘define’ him. He has suffered with it ever since and apologises if he may seem stern because he is unable to smile but it led him to work in jobs off-screen and he climbed the ladder. Ross glosses over his moves from being JJ Dillon’s assistant to working in payroll to working in talent relations and how these all taught him life lessons. He is thankful for being brought back to television and says he still ready “should the call come” to work as a commentator on Raw or any other show.

 

A measured Ross is the ultimate company man throughout the evening. In the Q&A session, he is asked about Flair’s 2K14 outbursts. He didn’t bury Flair, but said that the man had been through something no one should ever go through this year, in losing a child, and he says that his actions were of a man still in the midst of the grieving process. He claimed, when asked, that the company had done the right thing with Darren Young, stating that lifestyle choice didn’t matter to him – it is down to you how you live your life and that Young was a good guy. Equally, when asked who the worst guy he’s worked with in the company was, he dodged the question – a coach works with all-comers to get the best out of them no matter what, he said.

 

Regarding in-ring action and announcing, he said that he regrets, deeply, that he wasn’t there to call Mick Foley’s title win. He said the worst match he’s ever been in was a strap match with Jonathan Coachman while the Brawl for All tournament was ‘ridiculous’ and a waste of Dr Death (who would get injured as a result). Butterbean, he said, was always going to face the winner and wasn’t a set up to beat Bart Gunn. He also said the WrestleMania 17 was a magical night to call and really strongly put over Paul Heyman. He said that Heyman has lost his parents lately and it has mellowed and matured him into a more accepting and easy-going member of the team. He said if he could call one more match it would be CM Punk v Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania 30 but claimed that this was just ‘fantasy booking’ not an indicator of anything.

 

Ross rarely strayed from the party line. He said, when asked, that TNA would never be a challenge to WWE and companies like it were no doubt enjoyable to watch but would never matter as much as WWE.

 

Ultimately, whether you feel that his answers are political or not, Ross brings utter credibility to the stage. It was an honour to spend a few hours hearing stories from this great orator who will be remembered as the voice of this generation of professional wrestling. Condensing these remarkable stories into such a short space of time, however, is reductive and limiting. Hopefully, Ross will put pen to paper in the near future so that the ultimate storyteller can call the action on his own story in the ring.

WWE Superstars TV Report – 22nd August 2013

 

A show with Christian v Big E Langston that was of Raw quality, one that saw JTG on a WWE television show and one that recapped Summerslam and Raw.

 

We kick off with Christian coming out. Yes, Christian. On Superstars. No joke – the guy who just wrestled at Summerslam for the World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio is now without a storyline. Out next is Big E Langston. This should be a good match; Big E moves extremely well for the huge guy that he is and, to say that he’s only been wrestling for 3 years, he’s tremendous in most areas.

 

Match 1 – Christian v Big E Langston

 

Alex Riley says that Big E is still a rookie. I’d agree but this guy was on the card at both WrestleMania and Summerslam this year and he’s slowly but surely doing very well. Christian and Langston lock up and Big E just straight of the bat just slings Christian out of the ring through the ropes! They go to lock up again but Big E whips Christian into the ropes and barges him to the floor. Langston takes Christian to the corner and hits him with shoulder lunges to the mid rift then slings him into the opposite corner. Christian, none too impressed by being so easily dominated, walks to the middle of the ring to face Langston and slaps him round the face. What a dick!

 

Christian, like a weasel, rolls out the ring so that Langston chases him, rolls back in and runs the ropes. Langston is quicker than Christian thinks and is already up and ready to meet Christian and uses a high knee to knock the wind out of his sails. While Christian sells on the mat, Langston picks him up and beats him down, using the bottom rope to choke him out. He then picks him for a press slam, Christian counters, wriggling out, and pulls the toe rope down so that Big E tumbles out of the ring. Christian postures to the crowd and then runs the ropes and hits Langston with a missile drop kick through the ropes.

 

Back in the ring, Christian goes to the second turnbuckle with the intention of using a jumping DDT but Langston merely pushes him off so that he lands face down on the mat. Some of these moves are reminiscent of Lesnar’s on Punk on Sunday. Big E then hits a lariat on Christian over the top rope and goes to the outside to throw Christian, shoulder first into the dasher boards. He then throws him face first into the steps as we go to a break.

 

After the commercial break, Big E is still in control. He press slams Christian, goes for a splash but Christian rolls out the way. The two get up and Christian gets up on to the second turnbuckle and hits another missile drop kick. He goes for the pin but Langston kicks out at 2. Christian then hits him with a flying back elbow but Langston gets up and hits him with a vicious clothesline for another near fall. Langston then tries a belly-to-belly followed by a splash but again comes up short with a 2 count. He then busts out of his singlet, picks up Christian and runs him into two corners before hoisting up onto his shoulders for the Big Ending. Christian wriggled out and, ludicrously, put him in the Kill Switch and pinned him at 7:53. This finish made me angry but this was a Raw quality match on Superstars for sure.

 

The Raw Rebound is next which treats us to Daniel Bryan and Steph’s segment from the start of Raw on Monday.

 

Out next is Kofi Kingston. He’s still looking very small; he’s never really regained the weight that he had before his injury and his unrepaired torn pecks make him look even smaller. JTG comes out for a rare WWE Superstars appearance – I have no idea why they keep this man in the company or why this man stays with this company.

 

Match 2 –Kofi Kingston v JTG

 

No hard cam for this one as is often the case in these pre-Raw tapings. Kingston and JTG lock up and JTG does an imitation of Kofi’s ‘booms’ ridiculing him by doing them slowly. Kofi counters by rolling him up to try and steel the quick win but JTG kicks out at 2. Kofi then stands up and does his booms properly and says “that’s how you do it”.  He takes JTG down to the mat, moves into an Irish whip and JTG gets in some offence until Kofi hits him with a clothesline and goes for a pin. JTG then uses a drop toe hold into the middle rope, grabs his hair and lands a modified German suplex into a neck breaker which looks really good.

 

After another near fall, Dawson and Alex Riley are discussing HHH’s turn while JTG chokes Kofi out on the middle rope, slides out the ring and slaps him. He postures to the crowd to a shower of boos, rolls back in the ring and Kofi rolls him up for another two count. JTG puts Kingston in a reverse chin lock – the go-to move of WWE superstars – who reverses it into a neck breaker.  Kofi then rolls outside and hits a top rope springboard clothesline on JTG followed by two quick drop kicks as he powers up for the Boom drop, which he hits.

 

The finish sees Kofi set up the Trouble in Paradise which JTG dodges. JTG tries to hit a running bulldog which Kofi blocks allowing him to hit the Trouble in Paradise for the pin at 4:35. A quick, decent little match. JTG isn’t too horrible in the ring and he can generate some good heat but his character isn’t over in the slightest.

 

The show ends with the Orton WWE Championship coronation from Raw in full.

WWE SummerSlam 2013 Review

WWE SummerSlam 2013 Review

Los Angeles, CA

August 18^th 2013

 

Kane v Bray Wyatt – No DQ Inferno Match

 

The last time Kane was in an inferno match was at Armageddon 2006 against MVP. There’s a reason why they shelved this gimmick. In the 2006 conception of this match it was a match to see who could set the other on fire first. Here, it was a case of surrounding the ring in fire so that the Wyatts could be kept out. And it was one of the worst ppv matches for a long time. Kane is off to shoot See No Evil 2 and they needed a way to write him of TV for a while so, the poorly executed stairs to the head shot that finished the match was the way they chose to do it.

 

The Wyatts are a HHH project and are going to get the push that The Shield would have had had they not annoyed a lot of people back stage and inured Undertaker by being too stiff on Raw after WrestleMania. Bray looked way short of match practice but his facials are great and he really lives the gimmick. His downward spiral finish is no good and needs to be changed but this match ended with nothing resolved: the Wyatts are still in the same position they were before the ppv.

 

Damien Sandow v Cody Rhodes

 

Cody coming out minus the tash is a good thing if he is ever going to get over as a babyface. Sandow is excellent at being his character and is fantastic on promos but I just can’t see him as being the World Heavyweight Champion for long if, indeed, he is ever successful at cashing in. While Del Rio is champion, this won’t happen. These two had a reasonable match but it would have been far better if the briefcase had actually been on the line – the ladder would have helped bring heat and tension to some of their spots. It was a shame that they blew this off with Cody winning clean. I’m not sure where this leaves Cody but he should be champion within the next year or so.

 

Christian v Alberto Del Rio (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship

 

This match was preceded by a fantastic video package of Christian’s career that made me question whether he was hurt and this was maybe a way to signal that his time is coming to an end at WWE. Del Rio came out looking horrendous – his face was a mess. He has a black ear, a busted nose and a huge black eye. He and Drew McIntyre had got into a fight in a bar at 3am the night before when someone picked on Drew’s girl and Del Rio stepped in and got blind-sided. That said, Del Rio put in a great performance and the finish was awesome.

 

Del Rio’s aggression is fantastic and his heel move set is great, particularly on ppv when he tries new and different things. His enzuigiris were particularly stiff on this show and his backstabber on Christian was really creative. Christian was the sympathetic babyface who couldn’t get the job done and sold his shoulder throughout. There were tons of near falls at the end of the match but the arm bar finish looked great and rounded off the story of the match neatly.

 

Natalya v Brie Bella

 

Glad that Natalya is getting to wrestle on TV and on ppv now that Total Divas is doing so well over on E! This was a nothing match but the Alabama slam into the sharpshooter finish looked pretty good.

 

CM Punk v Brock Lesnar – No DQ Match

 

As the tremendous video package aired to hype this match, my hair stood up on the back of my neck as I considered that what I might be about to see could be a 5 star match. As it started I was slightly less confident: Lesnar came out and was looking heavy. I wondered whether he’d be able to keep up with the lithe Punk, Cole stated that there was a “50 pound difference between these two men” but it has to be more like 100. Brock looked 300lbs easily while Punk barely looks 210 these days. But these two, with Paul Heyman’s help, pulled out the best match of the year.

 

Lesnar brutally killed Punk throughout the opening stages, busting his back open on the announce table monitors. He threw him around like a rag doll and didn’t seem to tire. Punk got in some good offence, using chair shots, kicks and elbow drops to knock ‘the beast’ down. More impressive was that Punk was able to get Lesnar up and hit the GTS while it was great to see Lesnar doing the 3 Amigos in tribute to Eddie Guererro who he feuded with and lost his WWE title to a decade ago.

 

The MMA spots that they did really built the finish nicely but the guillotine that Punk used was never even close to being locked in and so didn’t look real enough. Lesnar tried an F-5 but Punk grabbed Paul Heyman's tie so he couldn't do it. Punk tried the GTS but Heyman interfered since it was no DQ. Punk went after Heyman but Lesnar went for an F-5, which was turned into a DDT by Punk. Punk used the Anaconda Vice but Heyman came in with a chair and Punk blocked him. He the put Heyman in the Anaconda Vice but Lesnar cracked Punk with a chair and used a series of chair shots and an F-5 on a chair for the pin.  The crowd chanted Punk's name after it was over. These two got a standing ovation backstage after the match and Cole, JBL and Lawler were clearly impressed.

 

Dolph Ziggler & Kaitlynn v Big E Langston & A J Lee

 

Poor Dolph Ziggler. He should be World Heavyweight Champion right now. This feud is going nowhere and Ziggler as this kind of babyface doesn’t work and is totally frustrating to watch. He just needs time and a push so that he can work on his promo skills which are clearly there but just need the edges smoothing off.

 

This was an average match ending when Ziggler slipped out of the Big Ending and hit the Zig Zag for the pin. It wasn't much when the women were in, but it was in many ways positioned as the buffer match, so given what it was following, they had a tough time getting too much reaction. Kaitlynn hit a spear on AJ outside the ring when they were doing the finish inside the ring that looked absolutely great. No idea where this goes now. I really hope Dolph goes back in the title hunt.

 

John Cena (c) v Daniel Bryan for the WWE Title with HHH as guest referee

 

This was a tremendous match. It wasn’t necessarily better than Punk and Lesnar because it was a different kind of match. Daniel Bryan was so over in the building – he has actually been this hot on and off since WrestleMania 28 which shows you that fans love him and that he has some staying power at the top. They did all the near falls and near submissions with their regular moves as well as Bryan using the STF on Cena at one point. Bryan, at another point, got out of Cena's STF and had him in the Yes lock.

 

Bryan pinned him clean after a strange running knee to the face but when the three count came the finish didn’t matter anymore. The crowd were so happy and they were treated to a celebration with confetti and pyro. HHH sold it like he was delighted for Bryan, Cena shook his hand, Bryan went to the ringside camera to thank his parents. The whole thing was great after such an awesome match.

 

Randy Orton’s appearance complete with briefcase and heel facials was perfect. He teased the cash in, turned away, Hunter hit his pedigree on Bryan, turning heel so that Randy could calmly walk to the ring and pin Bryan to become champion. The whole thing was really well done and left everyone happy. The programme will now be Bryan and Orton at Night of Champions with Bryan as a babyface who is chasing the title that he was robbed of.

 

This was a great SummerSlam and, believe it or not, sows the seeds for WrestleMania storylines already: The McMahons are a united family that will feud come Mania. Orton and HHH are heels. Lesnar is still strong so that he can face Undertaker. Punk can still feud with Heyman and Curtis Axel. Cena can go and get his elbow surgery.