WWE Superstars TV Report 23rd October 2014

Noteworthy: Tyson Kidd made his return to Superstars. Bo Dallas lost again despite being 3 and Bo against Mark Henry. We had two good matches this week.

Tyson Kidd (w/ Natalya) beat Kofi Kingston with the Sharpshooter in 4:42

Tyson Kidd had an outing on Main Event this week and here only got 4 minutes with Kofi but was, as usual, a pleasure to watch. I could happily watch these two go 15 minutes on a ppv but they are unfortunately stuck in lower card hell.

Kidd opens up with strikes out of the bell. Kingston gets some room and uses a quick drop kick, goes for a pin, but Kidd kicks out at one. Kofi charges at Kidd in the corner but runs into boot and Kidd uses scoop slam to plant Kofi to the mat. Lovely spot where Kingston goes for a kip up but turns it into head scissors takedown and an embarrassed Tyson rolls outside to his wife.

He has heated words with Natty and Kofi hits him first with a baseball slide and then with a beautiful, safe seated senton. He rolls Kidd back in the ring, the Kansas crowd are hot and he climbs the ropes looking to end this early. Kidd leaps up and crotches him, though, and both men down.

Kidd gets the advantage with strikes and knees but then runs into an elbow. Kofi dodges a charge and hits him with a drop kick. Kofi uses a high cross; Tyson catches him and kicks out at two. And then Kofi powers up but it doesn’t last long as he goes for a forearm and is caught by Kidd with a roundhouse.

Kidd tries to dump Kingston but he skins the cat and uses a middle rope springboard drop kick to take Tyson down. He kicks out at two and rolls outside where Kidd hides behind his wife to distract Kofi. He then climbs up on to the apron and kicks Kofi in the face so, so hard. Kofi looks out of it and Kidd rolls him back in, hits him with a leg drop to the back of the head and quickly puts on the Sharpshooter for the win.

More of this please! Kidd is tremendous and plays a great chicken shit heel.

Jack Swagger (w/ Zeb Colter) beat Bo Dallas with the Patriot Lock in 7:10

Swagger gets a great reception here and comes off like a credible mid card babyface. Out of the bell he takes down Dallas but Bo ducks under the ropes to escape. Swagger hits him with a shoulder barge out of an Irish whip but Bo takes the advantage and elbows and strikes Swagger in the corner.

Dallas tries to wear Swagger down with a cravat until Swagger uses a facebuster to get out of it. Bo Rolls out of the ring on the hard cam side and Swagger uses the Lesnar clothesline where he slides out on the announce table side and runs around and cuts him off. It’s a great move, the crowd love it, Swagger postures and we go to a break.

Swagger is in charge until Dallas uses a top rope clothesline and covers Swagger for a mere one count. So, Bo returns to a series of headlocks. He wears him out and then Swagger is dumped clear over the top rope. 270lbs man cleanly flung over the top rope by little Bo Dallas. You tell me.

Dallas nails Swagger each time he gets to the apron. Swagger gets mad, slides back in and clotheslines Dallas and then uses a big boot to knock him down. Again, the crowd really like him here and are fully behind the ‘we the people!’ chants. A Swagger Bomb gets a two count and then a gut wrench powerbomb attempt from Jack is reversed into neckbreaker, and Bo gets a two count.

Dallas angered, rains punches on Swagger. He goes for the running Bo-Dog but Swagger reverses it into the Patriot Lock and Dallas quickly taps. Nice match; Swagger is really over in Kansas City.

WWE Superstars TV Report 16th October 2014

Noteworthy: Zack Ryder made his second appearance in as many weeks on this show and again was good. Bo Dallas won a match. Cesaro and Kofi had a really good outing.

Bo Dallas beat Zack Ryder with the Bo-Dog in 4:30

It feels a little like 2010. Zack Ryder was pretty much on this show every week back then. At least it felt like it. Bo Dallas, who I had completely forgotten existed, came out to some nice heat and they had a fairly good 4 minute match.

Out of an early wrist lock exchange Ryder takes the upper hand and Bo takes a breather on the apron. Bo has this great angry face, a kind of scowl that he pulls that is so incredulous and pained. He could be a pretty decent heel if they booked him properly. Ryder scoops him up into a hip toss but then runs into an elbow from Dallas. Ryder recovers, plants another hip toss and then falls to the mat into arm bar.

Dallas uses a creative little move where he gets Ryder on the apron and pulls him into the ropes so that the ropes clothesline Ryder. Zack sells it, too, coughing, choking and grimacing and Dallas is able to work him over with some knees to the midsection and a clothesline. When he’s on top, there’s something of Jack Nicholson to Bo Dallas’ Cheshire cat grin.

Ryder manages to pull a facebuster out of nowhere and both men go down, buying Ryder some time. Ryder lands two clotheslines and Bo runs into high knees in the corner. Ryder goes to the top rope and hits a missile drop kick. Then Ryder uses another drop kick, this time to plant Dallas in the corner in position for the Broski Boot. Bo rolls out. Ryder leans out to grab hair, gets swept off his feet, and as he rolls back in Dallas gets up and immediately uses the Bo-Dog for the win.

There’s a post-match, back stage interview later in the show with Byron Saxton where Bo said that Ryder was saying “Bo, bo, bo-lieve” now instead of his signature “woo”s.

Cesaro beat Kofi Kingston with the Neutraliser in 8:31

After some pretty fabulous early chain wrestling, Cesaro uses a headlock take down to ground Kofi down. Kingston is just back from Malaysia this week and Tom Philips and Renee Young are kind of playing that into their commentary as a way to warn us that Cesaro is going over here.

They run the ropes, Cesaro shoulder barges Kofi to the mat and then, old school style, goes straight back to the headlock. Kofi then manages to get the space to hit a drop kick, Cesaro doesn’t even give it the time of day and kicks out before the ref has even started to count. Kingston then uses a middle rope springboard missile drop kick to plant Cesaro to the mat.

He rolls under the ropes on the apron and so Kingston goes to try to suplex him back into the ring. The suplex from the apron is blocked and eventually after several attempts each, Cesaro is the one to get the upper hand and Kofi is garrotted on top rope. Cesaro goes up top and lands an axe handle, Kingston goes down and we go to the break.

Cesaro is in control and works over Kingston, using a two footed leaping stomp to the chest, followed by boots and punches until Cesaro goes back to a wrist lock. The match then springs to life as both try several quick pin attempts. Cesaro catches a charging Kingston with a huge boot that completely stops Kofi in his tracks and the cover gets a two count. Cesaro charges to the corner and hits the most brutal looking running European uppercut to the corner. It looks like it was stiff to say the least. They should build Cesaro up properly and put him in with Brock Lesnar, it would be so great.

An enzuigiri from Kingston then dumps Cesaro over the top rope and Kingston hits a springboard cross body to the outside. Cesaro eventually rolls back in at 9; Kofi covers him but only for two.

Kofi hits the Boom Drop, goes for Trouble in Parardise but Cesaro rolls under the ropes and hits the charging Kofi with a shoulder to the midsection. Kofi then recovers and goes for the SOS, hits it but Cesaro is able to kick out at two. Kofi runs into a high knee and Cesaro looks like he is going for the giant swing but it is reversed and then turned into a slingshot by Cesaro. Kofi doesn’t hit the ropes and instead leaps up onto them, tries a top rope cross body but in mid air is caught with the European uppercut.

After all the Vines this week where Orton was super imposed onto people catching them with RKOs this was like one of those great Randy Orton RKO finishes. And I suppose that with this move, it’s the kind of move that Cesaro can be creative with in the same way.

WWE Superstars TV Report - 9th October 2014

Noteworthy: Zack Ryder, now sans bro-tee, got nearly 10 minutes in the ring on WWE television for the first time in god knows how long. Naomi beat Cameron in less than three minutes.

Zack Ryder beat Heath Slater with the Rough Ryder in 9:47

Zack Ryder looks as good as ever and came out to a fairly meagre reaction from the crowd here before Raw. Heath Slater by comparison was looking tired and stern – far less of his normal self, his character seems to be going through some changes.

Slater keeps ducking under the ropes looking for time outs in the early going but uses the distraction to take the advantages and beats down Ryder for a while. He puts on a wrist lock and Ryder uses a kip up, some signature telegraphed hip tosses and then puts on an arm bar. Out of the ropes, Slater then gets face planted and clotheslined over the top rope.

Ryder then uses a missile drop kick on Slater as he is getting to his feet outside and then rolls him in the ring for a two count. Another drop kick floors Slater but a diving cross body attempt misses and sends Ryder over the top rope to the outside as we go to a break.

Slater’s sterner, more business-like side is on display as we return. Probably less fun to watch but makes him look like way less of a joke. Slater slaps on a chin lock and the thwarts the rising momentum from Ryder with a neck breaker and gets a two count. He goes back to beating Ryder down and then uses his feet to choke Ryder in the corner. Every time Ryder fights back he keeps getting worn back down.

Finally, Ryder hits a facebuster out of nowhere and both men go down for a six count. Ryder gets the momentum with a top rope drop kick but then runs into a scissors kick as the match goes back and forth. Ryder kicks out at two and so Slater tries a suplex which is reversed into neckbreaker and this time Slater kicks out at two.

Ryder goes for the Rough Ryder but Slater catches it and turns it into a power bomb. Ryder kicks out, Slater goes to the top but Ryder manages to crotch him. Slater falls to the mat in the corner; Ryder hits the Broski Boot, followed by the Rough Ryder for the win.

Ryder was good here but this was very much a Zack Ryder match by numbers. I always wondered why the Broski Boot has never been his finisher – it looks way more vicious than his jumping leg lariat that he uses and because the crowd chant along with the ‘woo’s for the punt it feels like more of a triumphant note to finish on.

Naomi beat Cameron in 2:46

So, these two were Brodus Clay’s cheerleaders (and great it at it) then they were a tag team, then they split up and now they’re still kind of feuding because of Total Divas. I think. I don’t really know. What I do know is that Naomi’s really good and that they have pretty much ruined Cameron’s look. She now just comes out in a weird kind of slutty school girl outfit with a giant handheld pink mirror and her tron just reads ‘girl bye’ on it. And then she got buried on commentary for not being as good as Naomi (which is true) and beaten in under three minutes with a really soft move.

Naomi takes down Cameron on the bell and after some beat down, Cameron takes a walk. She climbs back in and Naomi slides under her on to the apron on the outside and uses a high kick which is blocked. Cameron charges at her and knocks the wind out of Naomi and drapes her head through the ropes. She hits her with a boot to the side of the head, pulls her back in a gets a one count.

Cameron shouts some trash talk about how they used to be together and then suplexes her and tries to pin her with a split leg drop. She puts on a half nelson but Naomi powers out with a neckbreaker. She hits two drop kicks, two clotheslines and then uses the Rear View and covers her for the win. I wonder what Cameron did to deserve this?

WWE Superstars TV Report October 3rd 2014

Noteworthy: Another good show sees one half of the tag team champs take on one half of the number one contenders and the battle for high flying supremacy is still on.

Kofi Kingston beat Sin Cara with the Trouble in Paradise in 4:20

The battle of the high fliers continues here on Superstars. This week Kofi Kingston gets Sin Cara who has new ring gear but is looking more and more rotund around the mid rift these days. Its nice to see two faces pitted against each other these days, especially on a show like this. An early hand shake shows us that this is just an exhibition.

The chain wrestling early on, impossible to keep up with but all fun and extremely entertaining. Kofi hooks on a cravat and they grapple for a while on the mat as Sin Cara tries to break the hold. Out of an Irish whip Sin Cara lands a drop kick on Kofi who is just getting up off the mat, it looks great but only garners a two count.

Well, its needs noting that there are no blue and yellow lights this week but there’s also no hard cam again. You win some, you lose some as a viewer these days.

Sin Cara grabs a double underhook backbreaker and gets another two count and so lays on a rear chin lock of his own that he turns into a neckbreaker on Kofi. Kofi kicks out at two and when he gets up is able to thrust Sin Cara face first into turnbuckle. He then lands the Boom Drop followed by a messy Trouble in Paradise that is supposed to be turned into a power bomb by Sin Cara but wasn’t caught properly. Sin Cara gets a two count.

Sin Cara uses Flair chops in the corner and places Kofi on the top rope. He leaps up and hits an enzuigiri, a tilt a whirl headscissors into pin, but again can only get two. Sin Cara goes for a springboard moonsault off the middle rope but is caught mid air in the Trouble in Paradise.

Kofi gets the win in a match that really ought to have been given longer so that they could have explored more, especially in an opener for the fans before Raw. Hopefully, we get a rematch next week, this high flier contest has been so, so much fun for the past few weeks.

Jimmy Uso (w/ Jey Uso) beat Stardust in 6:03

I assume that Goldust was unavailable this week because he wasn’t on Raw and didn’t accompany his brother in this match. Just shows, though, win the tag titles and you’ll end up on Superstars!

First off, I think Cody Rhodes needs some credit where it’s due. Here’s a guy who’s young but has been round for a long time in this company. He’s reinvented himself several times and this latest character is quite the departure. Yet, he’s utterly devoted to it and is completely committed to it. Yes, ok, the character isn’t what we want in 2014 but he’s adopted a whole new move set and just shows how adaptable he is. He’s a talent. And, if you watch the network, you’ll often see him as a talking head on documentaries and he’s extremely good. Thumbs up and kudos to you, Cody.

This was a good match. They started out with a back and forth until Jimmy hit a shoulder barge and scoop slam on Stardust who then kicks out at two. As he retreats to the ropes, he then pulls this wonderful snarl where he looks like a mix of his dad and his brother. His frustration is then met with an Uso dance and he gets dumped to the outside. Jimmy is about to go for the topé but Stardust is scared off by threat of it. Jimmy climbs outside and gets face planted on the apron and we go to the break.

As we return Stardust is covering Jimmy and because he only gets a two count, starts to stomp and beat down on Jimmy. He then applies a chin lock. Stardust throws Jimmy into the corner and delivers a big boot and then goes outside to smash the knee on the post but gets kicked off.

Stradust rolls back in and they hit each other with a clothesline and both men go down for an eight count. Jimmy gets up first and gets the heat using clotheslines, a super kick and a kneeled slap followed by a sitout power bomb. He goes for charge to the corner but it is reversed by Stardust who rolls him up for two.

Jimmy goes for the Samoan drop but it is countered and then out of a whip is hit for a two count. Stardust then hits a neckbreaker and gets a two count for himself. And then the match just ends what feels like two minutes early: Stardust jumps off the top rope but is caught with a super kick and then Jimmy hits a top rope splash for the win.

Why I do believed that this was another good episode of Superstars, this has been quite the streak the last few weeks.