Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin
Instead of pyros, we just get a dose of Kane interrupting the show theme song. Here’s another random MITB participant match with two guys who probably will not win it. Kane is the obvious winner of the first shoulder block battle. Chain wrestling ensues, and Kane lands the first strike after the ref breaks things up in the corner. He follows it up with a dropkick and a near fall. Kane starts to work on the left arm and shoulder of Shelton. Benjamin avoids a charge in the corner and answers with a splash of his own. A running crossbody takes Kane down for two. He goes right to the side headlock but Kane counters out with a back suplex. Two count. Submission by Kane targeting the left arm once again. Shelton works out of it and tries a springboard forearm, but gets caught for a chokeslam attempt. He is able to counter that as well and try a Dragon whip, but Kane gets the upper hand again with a clothesline. He heads to the top, but Shelton pops up and kicks him, sending him to the outside. Shelton heads to the apron and connects with a very nice split-legged moonsault as we head to commercial.

Neck submission hold applied in the center of the ring by Shelton. Kane turns the tables with a big time boot and a near fall. Shelton works out of a powerslam attempt, slams Kane’s head into the turnbuckle, heads to the top, and hits a modified facebuster. Two count. Kane gets the momentum back in his favor with a sidewalk slam for yet another near fall. He heads to the top and hits the running clothesline. It’s looking like chokeslam time. Shelton doesn’t comply by grabbing the ropes to make Kane break the choke. Benjamin ends up hitting a big DDT after Kane puts his head down too early for a backdrop. Long two count. Both men go for their finishers, but Shelton comes out of top by connecting with the Dragon whip this time around. He goes for another move but walks into a HUGE uppercut from Kane. The chokeslam connects and Kane picks up the win.
Winner: Kane

While these two have completely different styles, they both know how to put on decent matches. This made for a very enjoyable match between two guys who are most likely fillers in the MITB match. This is really the only way a match like MITB can be built, although the concept itself does plenty of that. Shelton is just warming up for some of the crazy things he’s going to do at Wrestlemania. Kane looks fine as well, and his uppercut has some huge impact no matter how many times you see it.
**3/4

The main event is a six-man tag match featuring Mark Henry, Christian, & Yoshi Tatsu taking on William Regal, Jack Swagger, & Zack Ryder.

Match #2: Jillian & Katie Lea Burchill vs. The Bella Twins
Katie Lea grabs a mic after entering the ring, and this should be interesting. Since Katie has psychic powers, she can predict that her team will beat the Bellas. Katie’s talking reminds Jillian of a song, and yea, you know the rest. Enter Nikki and Brie. Thank goodness. Katie and (insert Bella twin here) start it off. Katie starts off on the offensive with a little hair pulling and a scoop slam. She tries a quick elbow but it is avoided. Katie gets hit with a nice arm drag and the Bella twins follow with some double team action. She attempts to fight back but gets hit with a nice throw for a one count. King and Cole continue to talk about the Bellas’ mom as Jillian gets tagged into the match. She gets hit with a kick and brought into the face corner, where the Bellas get in some more double team offense with a clothesline. Two count. Cole obviously has no idea which Bella is which, and I’m just as lost. Jillian runs into an elbow but ends up hitting an electric chair after Katie provides a distraction. Two count. King finally questions if it is Brie or not, so I’ll go with that. Katie is in and she uses some targeted offense with a backbreaker. Another two count. Submission applied. The hold is broken and Jillian is tagged in. She throws Brie down face first but misses a leg drop. Nikki gets the tag and she hits a couple of dropkicks and a clothesline. She hits a neckbreaker and the Bellas hit a double bulldog while the ref is distracted with Katie. Pin attempt broken up by Katie. She ends up getting drop kicked to the outside. Jillian tries a facebuster but it is countered with a rollup and a three count.
Winners: The Bella Twins

Usual stuff here from the divas. No thanks to Cole for any help on which Bella is which. At least King made an attempt at trying to decipher who was who.
*1/2

Match #3: William Regal, Jack Swagger, & Zack Ryder (w/Rosa Mendes) vs. Mark Henry, Yoshi Tatsu, & Christian
Yoshi and Ryder will kick things off for us in our main event. Ryder wins the initial shoulder block challenge, but Yoshi hits some quick kicks after a nice exchange. He tags in Christian, who brings down the axe handle on Zack’s left arm. Ryder scrambles away and makes the tag to Swagger as we revisit a very good feud from about a year ago. Or not. In comes Mark Henry. Swagger tries a headlock but ends up getting knocked down with a shoulder. Henry grabs Ryder and drags him into the ring, but Swagger gets involved and they double team with strikes. They try a double suplex, but Henry ends up getting both of them with his own. Christian and Yoshi take care of Regal and Swagger by sending them to the outside. Mark gets Ryder up for a press slam and throws him out of the ring onto Swagger. The heels are reeling as we go to commercial.

Christian and Regal go through some chain wrestling before Christian connects with a running forearm for a near fall. Regal hits some quick uppercuts and a kick and tags in Swagger. He hits a big powerslam and gets a two count out of it. Yoshi tags in while Christian is whipped off the ropes and hits a spinning heel kick from the top rope on the unsuspecting Swagger. One count. Swagger throws Yoshi onto the ropes and starts to strike away at the upper back. Regal gets in a cheap kick before Swagger tags in Ryder. He hits a dropkick to the back of the neck for a near fall. Neck submission applied. Ryder breaks the hold to tag in Regal. Bill keeps up the offense with an elbow and a double under-hook suplex. Two count and here comes Swagger. He fires away in the corner and the other heels get cheap shots in when the ref is distracted. Hard Irish whip is followed by an attempt at the running splash, but Yoshi gets the knees up. Both Ryder and Christian get the tags. Christian hits a flapjack and uses the ropes to target Zack’s neck. He hits a big strike on the outside and hits an inverted DDT while at the same time avoiding a Swagger clothesline. Two count and Christian heads to the top, but Ryder meets him there. Christian shoves him off but can’t connect with the crossbody. Ryder takes advantage with a modified neckbreaker for a long two count. Ruff Ryder attempt is countered with a sit-down powerbomb, but both Ryder and Swagger break up the pin attempt. Both Henry and Yoshi get involved, and action with those four spills to the outside. Christian connects with a kick and hits a flying elbow. He goes for the Killswitch and it finds the mark for the victory.
Winners: Mark Henry, Yoshi Tatsu, & Christian

Although the match was in the usual formulaic structure, the work rate was very good. Yoshi impressed with a nice spinning heel kick from the top rope and I liked the Ruff Ryder counter from Christian. I thought Ryder went a little too easy at the end of the match, and now gives Christian three clean (and somewhat easy) wins over Zack. All in all, an enjoyable tag match.
**1/2

Superstars was good this week, with good opening and ending matches and a divas match that wasn’t embarrassing. Notice how things are better where there’s only three matches. I know what you’re thinking, and no, I won’t let that go.

The match of the night was Smackdown’s Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B+.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 5
2. Raw 4

My 2010 Top Ten WWE Superstars Matches

1. Christian vs. William Regal    01/14/10
2. Chris Jericho vs. Kane    01/21/10
3. Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox    02/18/10
4. Evan Bourne vs. Carlito    02/04/10
5. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin      03/18/10
6. Zack Ryder vs. Christian    02/11/10
7. Evan Bourne & Primo vs. Carlito & Chavo Guerrero    02/18/10
8. Kofi Kingston vs. Chavo Guerrero      03/04/10
9. Chavo Guerrero vs. Primo vs. Chris Masters    01/28/10
10. William Regal, Jack Swagger, & Zack Ryder vs. Mark Henry, Yoshi Tatsu, & Christian      03/18/10

Who Got Da Boot: Shelton Benjamin vs. Vance Archer from 1/21/10 and Christian & MVP vs. Chavo Guerrero & Carlito from last week’s episode.

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Dolph Ziggler vs. Shelton Benjamin
So this would be “build” towards the MITB match. Shelton gets a nice pop entering second. If he’s called the Gold Standard, why isn’t there gold around his waist? There should be. Ziggler starts off aggressively with kicks and strikes and ends up locking in a sleeper. Shelton counters out but Ziggler hits a leg lariat for a two count. He then starts the assault of stomps and elbows. Shelton fights out of a neck submission and builds quick offense with a couple of strikes and a Samoan drop. Two count. He sets Ziggler up for a superplex but it doesn’t work. They get caught up on the ropes, but Dolph recovers first and hits the Zig Zag. He takes some time and Shelton kicks out! Dolph is furious and goes right to the sleeper. He wraps the legs around and takes Shelton to the ground. Benjamin passes out and the ref calls for the bell.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Quick match with a bit of a surprise ending, which saw Shelton kick out of the Zig Zag. It seems this was done to build the sleeper as sort of a finishing move for Dolph. These guys did what they could in not even five minutes, and I’d expect a few more random MITB participant matches on Superstars in the next couple of weeks.
**

The main event, from Raw, will be MVP and Christian taking on Chavo Guerrero and Carlito.

Match #2: Mike Knox vs. Goldust
For the second straight week, Mike Knox finds himself without an entrance worthy of making the show. Goldust, however, gets his entrance, as he had an okay match with Jericho last week. Knox hits a cheap shot and goes right to work in the corner. Goldust tries to fight back but gets hit with a dropkick (yes, a dropkick from Knox) for a near fall. Neck submission applied. Goldust gets out of it and hits a boatload of offense ending with a bulldog for a two count. He hits a couple of strikes in the corner and connects with a quick scoop slam for another two count. Knox misses the bicycle kick but hits the sick running bear. He tries the pin twice but can’t keep Goldust down for three either time. Knox tries a powerslam but Goldust counters out of it and hits the Final Cut for the win.
Winner: Goldust

Just like last week, I’m not liking this pattern of very short matches. Two bouts should not be finished 15 minutes into the show. The match was okay, but just like the first one, it didn’t last very long.
*3/4

NXT recap, most likely to try and get that 1.0 rating up. If you don’t watch NXT I highly recommend it, and that’s not just because I blog about that show as well.

WM recall of Lesnar vs. Goldberg at XX with Austin stunning everyone afterwards. Can’t wait to see him back on Raw.

Match #3: Santino Marella vs. Zack Ryder
If this match gets more time than the other two, especially Shelton vs. Dolph, we riot. Santino immediately shows his mat wrestling skills with a side headlock. Zack counters into one of his own and wins the shoulder block battle. Santino hits an arm drag after a nice exchange and a scoop slam. He tries to send Zack halfway across the ring but Ryder stays on his feet. He follows it up with a clothesline and a neckbreaker for a near fall. Neck submission applied. Santino throws Zack off but gets sent back down with a kick to the face. He gets sent into repeated turnbuckles, which really makes him ANGER. He fights back with some strikes, a split, and a hip toss. Cobra time and it bites Ryder right in the nose. Rosa jumps on the apron and causes a distraction. That allows Ryder to gain the advantage by sending Santino neck first off the top rope. He hits the leg lariat and the Zack Attack for the win.
Winner: Zack Ryder

I’m starting to sound like a broken record. What kind of in-depth analysis can I give with a match like that? Not much. Just another filler. I’m looking for the main event to deliver to make this a decent show.
*3/4

(Insert many videos here that take away from quality wrestling.)

Match #4: Christian (w/Heath Slater) & MVP vs. Carlito (w/Michael Tarver) & Chavo Guerrero
We are ready to go in this main event as Tarver gets ready for some more SERIOUS cheerleading. Chavo and MVP to kick it off. Chain wrestling is followed by a takedown from MVP and a one count. Christian gets the tag and Chavo immediately goes to tag in Carlito. Christian hits a dropkick for a near fall and a vicious strike afterwards. He avoids a couple of wild swings but ends up running to a knee. Carlito sends Christian to the apron and then knocks him to the outside as we go to commercial.

Carlito has an arm and back submission hold firmly in place in the center of the ring. Christian gets out of it but ends up getting hit with a flying elbow. Two count. Scoop slam connects but Christian gets the boot up after Carlito heads to the second rope. He gets the tag to MVP, who hits plenty of offense, ending with the facebuster. He calls for the BALLIN elbow and hits it. He measures Carlito for the Playmaker but Chavo pulls Carlito out of the ring. He hits a dropkick to the outside on both of them. As he gets back in the ring, he gets distracted by all three heels and ends up on the outside. Carlito rams him into the security barrier and gets him back in the ring. He hits the scoop slam and tags in Chavo, who hits a quick splash and a couple of strikes for a near fall. Drop toe hold finds the mark just as MVP starts to build some momentum. He fires away in the heels corner and gets the tag to Carlito. MVP tries a wild swing at Tarver, who continues to mock him, but just can’t reach the rookie. Carlito continues the assault of stomps and strikes. MVP fights back and throws Carlito face first to the canvas. Both men make tags and Christian is a house of fire. Springboard sunset flip attempt gets a two count. He goes back to the second rope, hits the flying elbow, and calls for the Killswitch. Carlito tries to get involved but Christian takes him out. He attempts a second sunset flip, but Chavo counters with his own pin attempt for a long two count. He goes right for the Three Amigos and hits two, but Christian slides out of the third and hits an inverted DDT. Pin attempt broken up by Carlito and now MVP gets involved. The action between MVP and Carlito spills to the outside. Christian tries the Killswitch but it is countered with a Gory bomb. He heads up top for the frog splash but Christian avoids it. He recovers quickly and finally hits the Killswitch for the three count.
Winners: Christian & MVP

Nice tag match to end a show with just not enough wrestling. Both Christian and MVP would be good picks to win the MITB, but it seems Christian might be a better choice, seeing as WWE has been very hesitant to give MVP that main event push he works so hard for. Chavo is definitely underrated, as I say often, and should be getting much more mid-card action. Carlito works much better in his heel role, and even though people have called him lazy, it looks like he’s picked up his game.
**1/2

Time and time again, I talk about the ideal Superstars show having three matches. This episode was a prime reason why that sentiment is true. The main event was decent, but the other three matches were very rushed around lots of other videos. I guess the company feels the need to show those videos, but at the very least, take one of those matches away and give the other two a couple more minutes to develop. I find it much more interesting when this show displays quality wrestling that is better than any you will find on Raw. Unfortunately, all good matches need time, and they just aren’t getting it right now.

The match of the night was Raw’s Christian & MVP vs. Chavo Guerrero & Carlito and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of C+.

And a fierce tie has developed! Also notice how many matches on the top ten list Chavo is involved in.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 4
2. Raw 4

My 2010 Top Ten WWE Superstars Matches

1. Christian vs. William Regal    01/14/10
2. Chris Jericho vs. Kane    01/21/10
3. Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox    02/18/10
4. Evan Bourne vs. Carlito    02/04/10
5. Zack Ryder vs. Christian    02/11/10
6. Evan Bourne & Primo vs. Carlito & Chavo Guerrero    02/18/10
7. Kofi Kingston vs. Chavo Guerrero      03/04/10
8. Chavo Guerrero vs. Primo vs. Chris Masters    01/28/10
9. Shelton Benjamin vs. Vance Archer    01/21/10
10. Christian & MVP vs. Chavo Guerrero & Carlito      03/11/10

Who Got Da Boot: Finlay vs. Mike Knox from the episode airing 1/07/10

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Kofi Kingston vs. Chavo Guerrero
We should get a nice opening matchup here between two guys who can wrestle good matches with most anyone. Mat wrestling to start the match. Chavo wins the shoulder block battle but runs into a jumping elbow for the first near fall of the night. Chavo hits an uppercut but the ref stops the match because he has a cut above his left eye. What bullshit. I don’t curse often, but that fucking sucks. Kofi hits a dropkick and a bunch of kicks in the corner, but Chavo counters with a heel kick. He is still bleeding a decent amount (as decent as we’ll ever see these days) as he wrenches away at the arm. Submission applied. Kofi tries to fight out can’t and gets thrown to the outside. Chavo hits a suicide dive on Kofi, rolls him back in the ring, hits another splash, and gets a two count. Kofi is able to send Chavo out of the ring and hit a suicide dive of his own through the ropes. He gets Chavo back in the ring and heads to the top rope, but Chavo stops him. He attempts a superplex but gets knocked off and hit with a crossbody. One count. Kofi hits a dropkick and a clothesline, and follows it up with the boom drop. He’s calling for Trouble in Paradise but Chavo slides to the apron. He gets back in the ring, avoids a charge by Kofi, and makes a really nice transfer into a half Boston crab. Kofi is able to get to the ropes quickly. Kofi misses with the first Trouble in Paradise, but gathers himself and hits on the second attempt. That’s it.
Winner: Kofi Kingston

This match just wasn’t given enough time. In the short time it went on I was really enjoying it, but of course the momentum was briefly killed with the blood stoppage. That really has to stop, because now it’s starting to take an effect on the actual matches. The contest was a very good one, with Chavo showing us why he should stop feuding with people less than half his height and continue to put on good matches with people like Kofi every week.
**1/2

The main event, from Smackdown, features the WHC Chris Jericho taking on a new member of the brand, Goldust.

Match #2: William Regal vs. Evan Bourne
We return from break and Regal is already chilling in the ring, which is the classic sign of an imminent defeat. This should be another interesting matchup. Regal starts off by wrenching away at Bourne’s right arm. Evan spins out and build momentum with a head scissors. He follows up with a nice dropkick and a side headlock of the deadly kind. Regal powers away and hits an elbow and a throw. Two count. Arm and neck submission applied as the crowd lets Regal know what they think of him. Bourne reverses for a second but gets clocked with a left hand. Two count after a couple of uppercuts and a kick. Bill goes back to the neck and arm submission. He gets up, avoids a left and connects with a kick to the back. Regal fights back with a slam but misses the running knee. Bourne hits his own knee, climbs up top, and connects with Air Bourne. That’s a wrap.
Winner: Evan Bourne

Another short match, but it was enough to show why Regal is one of the most technically sound wrestlers you will ever see. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any time to let Bourne showcase his high flying prowess, or to really let anyone get into it.
*3/4

Match #3: Mike Knox vs. Kane
Once again, a member of the match is already hanging out in the ring, and that is Mike Knox. Kane gets a deserving pop on his way to the ring as Striker hypes WM. Knox strikes away viciously in the corner but walks into an uppercut. Dropkick on the seated Knox connects for a one count. Knox counters back with that scary running bear of his for a near fall. He can’t keep the offense up, as he turns right into a big boot. Kane, however, is able to keep his offense going with a clothesline and a sidewalk slam for a near fall. He climbs to the top but gets caught with a bicycle kick on the trip up. Once again, Knox can’t take advantage, as he gets caught and hit with a chokeslam. Done.
Winner: Kane

This is way Superstars should always have three matches instead of four. These bouts are way too rushed, making them much less enjoyable than they might have been if they were given another five-ish minutes. Obvious win for Kane there to keep him looking strong towards MITB.
*1/2

Raw Rebound takes a look at more Taker and HBK. Should that match be the main event? I definitely think so, but I’ll talk about that in my pre-show notes on my next NXT blog.

Match #4: Chris Jericho vs. Goldust
In case you were wondering, this is a non-title match. Jericho is freaked the hell out and goes right to the outside. He hesitantly gets back in and wins the shoulder block battle. Goldust fights back with a little ass bump and a clothesline which sends Jericho back to the outside. Commercial time.

Goldust misses a big splash in the corner and gets smacked with an enseguri for a near fall. Jericho continues the assault by using the ropes to choke out the freaky one. Goldust flails wildly and misses Chris by about half a ring. He grabs Goldust and propels him up into the bottom rope. After a little coffee break, it’s back to work. Goldust tries a desperation rollup but can only get two, and when he turns around Jericho knocks him down with a clothesline. Jericho is thinking superplex, but Goldust fights back. He tries a flying clothesline but Jericho timed the dropkick perfectly. Long two count. Neck submission applied. He fights out and hits plenty of quick offense. He tries to end it with a bulldog but Jericho counters with his own. He tries the Lionsault, lands on his feet, and runs into a quick powerslam. LONG two count as Jericho really sold that one. Jericho counters an inverted suplex with the Walls and Goldust taps immediately.
Winner: Chris Jericho

It’s good to see Jericho actually winning matches with the Walls these days. This match was pretty mundane until the last couple of minutes, and that saved it from being a dud. Jericho is just too good to ever have a match that doesn’t end up being somewhat interesting. But for the main event, however, I still expected a little more. Goldust was okay, but he did nothing more than hit the usual quick offense.
**1/4

Superstars wasn’t bad today, but a show with four matches will almost never be better than a show with three. The best match today was the opener between Kofi and Chavo, and it might have been even more interesting if it was given a few more minutes and the blood stoppage didn’t exist. The two matches in the middle served the singular purpose of building Bourne and Kane a bit more, and the main event was saved by an interesting couple of minutes at the end. All in all, just an okay show.

The match of the night was Raw’s Kofi Kingston vs. Chavo Guerrero and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B-.

Raw has broken the tie with ECW, so the defunct brand can officially be moved off the list.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 4
2. Raw 3

My 2010 Top Ten WWE Superstars Matches

1. Christian vs. William Regal    01/14/10
2. Chris Jericho vs. Kane    01/21/10
3. Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox    02/18/10
4. Evan Bourne vs. Carlito    02/04/10
5. Zack Ryder vs. Christian    02/11/10
6. Evan Bourne & Primo vs. Carlito & Chavo Guerrero    02/18/10
7. Kofi Kingston vs. Chavo Guerrero      03/04/10
8. Chavo Guerrero vs. Primo vs. Chris Masters    01/28/10
9. Shelton Benjamin vs. Vance Archer    01/21/10
10. Finlay vs. Mike Knox    01/07/10

Who Got Da Boot: Dolph Ziggler vs. JTG from the episode airing 2/11/10

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Jack Swagger & William Regal vs. Santino Marella & Chris Masters
Well Swagger and Regal is quite a random pairing, while the faces get a nice pop upon their entrance. Santino and Regal to start things off. A little chain wrestling ends in a draw, probably when Santino realizes he won’t win that battle against Regal. He ends up spinning and splitting his way to an arm drag, to which Regal tags in Swagger. Santino hits a big elbow and calls for the cobra, but turns into a clothesline. Regal is in and he works over the right arm/hand. Santino is thrown to the outside, and when he makes his way back to the apron, he gets knocked off by a knee. Swagger is tagged in, and he hits a big clothesline in the corner. He tries for his big splash but only finds canvas. He makes his way across the ring and tags in Masters, who hits a flurry of offense ending with a running powerslam. He applies the Masterlock but breaks it when Regal gets involved. Swagger hits a chop block while all this distracting stuff is going on. He hits the gutwrench powerbomb and that’s it.
Winners: William Regal & Jack Swagger

Well the random heel pairing gets the win in this opening match on Superstars. Average tag team match with Santino actually showing that he can wrestle a little bit.
**

The main event will be The Great Khali, Matt Hardy, & Maria vs. The Hart Dynasty. Not sure if I’m looking forward to that or not yet.

Match #2: Zack Ryder vs. Primo
Well it looks like Zack is now on Raw. That’s not good for him, since with a little more work he can become pretty good. Unfortunately, he will probably just get caught in the shuffle that is Monday nights. Primo out to face him, most likely to do a bit of jobbing. Ryder gives a little shove and serenades the crowd with a bit of WOOWOOWOO music. Primo fights back with a few strikes, a knockdown, and a dropkick. He hits a scoop slam and heads to the top, but Ryder catches him and sends him neck first into the top rope. He then propels Primo up into the bottom rope for a near fall. Neck submission applied. Primo fights out of it but gets hit with a leg lariat. Two count. Another submission locked in. Primo gets out of it and hits a very nice tornado DDT from the second rope. He hits plenty of quick offense, but when he gets to the apron, Rosa starts shouting at him. That gives Ryder enough time to dodge a springboard crossbody attempt. Zack attack connects.
Winner: Zack Ryder

Obvious move to put Ryder over here to try and build him on Raw as much as humanly possible. Primo always works pretty well in the ring, and the tornado DDT showed his improvement in that area over the past couple of months. As for Ryder, his move to Raw will be make-or-break; either he gets lost in the shuffle or he is able to distinguish himself from the plethora of mid-carders.
**

Match #3: Luke Gallows (w/Serena) vs. Sylas Young
Two-thirds of the Straight Edge Society is out to the ring, ready to enjoy a little squash job. Luke gets in the ring, grabs a mic, and dedicates the following match to CM Punk. He says him and Serena are proof that straight-edge is the way to live life. The match starts and Luke starts the punishment. He hits a scoop slam and a flurry of rights. Sylas tries to mount offense but gets thrown halfway across the ring. Gallows hits a huge running splash in the corner. He follows it up with a sick backbreaker and the Twelfth Step for the easy victory.
Winner: Luke Gallows

After the match, Serena gets in the ring and kicks poor Sylas in the ribs.

A scintillating back and forth contest that had me intrigued at every momentum change.
N/A

Raw Rebound. Then we get a look at the official theme song for WM, which is I Made It by Kevin Rudolf. I definitely recommend this song since I’ve been listening to it pretty regularly for the past week or so. After that we get the really awesome video looking at the Taker/HBK feud so far.

Match #4: The Great Khali, Matt Hardy, & Maria vs. The Hart Dynasty
Hardy and Tyson Kidd will be the first ones in for our main event of the night. Chain wrestling to begin the match. Kidd screams for about five seconds straight to mock Hardy after getting a bit of an upper hand. He keeps the pressure on with a couple of strikes. Hardy fights back with a couple of elbows for a near fall. Kidd tries a springboard move from the apron but Hardy connects with a right and knocks him to the outside. Hardy is psyched as we head to break.

Hardy stays in control after the commercial with a flapjack for a near fall. Khali and David Hart Smith get tags for their respective teams. Smith can’t do much as he runs into a big right and a couple of slaps to the chest. He hits a big boot and is in complete control. Smith makes the smart move and tags in Natalya, which forces Maria into the match. Natalya goes right after her furiously. Maria fights back with a head scissors and a couple of kicks, but gets caught in the corner and thrown hard to the canvas. Natalya hits another kick, mocks the boys, and locks in a submission. Maria tries to get to her corner but is thrown down by the hair. Natalya gets up to Khali and chops him in the chest. She tries again but Khali grabs her arm. Smith quickly runs over and hits a big boot, which sends Khali to the outside. Kidd gets involved and tries a scoop slam on Maria (wtf?) but she counters with a huge slap, crawls under Natalya, and tags in Hardy. He hits lots of offense on Kidd. Powerbomb in the corner gets a two count as Hardy’s rookie, Justin Gabriel, looks on backstage. Natalya gets involved and pulls at Hardy’s hair, but Maria runs in and hits a bulldog. Kidd is able to get the tag to Smith, but he runs into a Side Effect for another two count. Kidd makes the bling tag and they connect with the Hart Attack. That’s enough to keep Hardy down for three.
Winners: The Hart Dynasty

A whole lot of things happened towards the end, and luckily they disposed of Khali pretty early and kept his involvement to a minimum. Maria looked fine in the ring, but that’s mainly because she was in there with Natalya. The Hart Dynasty showed plenty of intelligence during that match and that helped to make this one interesting. Hardy was able to do most of the work for his team, and I’m excited to see his rookie Justin Gabriel in action on NXT.
**1/4

There was nothing really wrong about this week’s edition of Superstars, but nothing was more than average either. I feel like in the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania this show could serve a much better purpose than what it was used for tonight. I would’ve liked to see maybe a MITB qualifier as the main event instead of six-person tag match. Instead, we got three pretty average matches and one quick squash. WWE, you have this time, so start using it wisely!

The match of the night was Smackdown’s The Great Khali, Matt Hardy, & Maria vs. The Hart Dynasty and this week’s episode of WWE Superstars gets a grade of C.

ECW is officially not going anywhere in the matches of the week list, which means Raw is guaranteed a second place finish! I’ll get rid of it eventually, but only when Raw finally passes it. Actually, if Smackdown has a better match for every show for the rest of 2010, they’ll still end up tied with the now defunct show. Hey, it’s possible.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 4
2. Raw 2
3. ECW 2

Also, welcome the return of the best Superstars matches of the year so far!

My 2010 Top Ten WWE Superstars Matches

1. Christian vs. William Regal    01/14/10
2. Chris Jericho vs. Kane    01/21/10
3. Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox    02/18/10
4. Evan Bourne vs. Carlito    02/04/10
5. Zack Ryder vs. Christian    02/11/10
6. Evan Bourne & Primo vs. Carlito & Chavo Guerrero    02/18/10
7. Chavo Guerrero vs. Primo vs. Chris Masters    01/28/10
8. Shelton Benjamin vs. Vance Archer    01/21/10
9. Finlay vs. Mike Knox    01/07/10
10. Dolph Ziggler vs. JTG    02/11/10

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

One thing I want to quickly address is a topic of hot discussion on my ECW post concerning the MIz “mentoring” Bryan Danielson, or these days Daniel Bryan. From a wrestling standpoint, this will definitely be a case of Bryan teaching Miz a thing or two about how it’s done. In terms of character, however, I feel like the Miz will definitely be able to help there. The Miz is one of the best talkers in the company right now and my helping to really improve Bryan in that aspect, that will really give him a boost to the top with his already stellar wrestling capabilities. In the long run, this pairing will prove to be hugely beneficial for the both of them.

Also, while I’m enjoying the concept of the gimmick PPVs, some of the choices are confusing me. I mentioned this on the comment board, but I’ll talk about it briefly here as well. For one, I think MITB should stay at Wrestlemania and nothing else. The very recent announcement on WNW about the match being scrapped from WM definitely is disappointing to me. The MITB match always provides some of the best moments of the night and WM is the best place for it. But I can understand why they would change things, since the match has become so successful. WIld Card doesn’t get me interested, and since when is the Fatal-Four Way match good enough to get its name on a PPV? War Games anyone? I’d rather see Backlash than Wild Card or Fatal-Four Way for sure.

Show time.

Cole and King open the show and let us know that the main event, from Smackdown as usual, will be Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox.

Match #1: Evan Bourne & Primo vs. Carlito & Chavo Guerrero
All four of these guys can move pretty quickly and have shown chemistry in various singles matches, so I’m looking forward to a very nice contest here. Bourne and Carlito to begin the match. Bourne starts off hot on the offensive with a couple of kicks, an arm drag and a clothesline. Two count. Carlito gets Bourne towards his corner and tags in Chavo. The ref has to back him out of the corner and that allows Carlito to get a couple of cheap shots in. Bourne is able to stay bridged out of a possible pin attempt and get out of the predicament with a head scissors. He hits a couple of vicious kicks and a dropkick for a one count. Chavo fights back with a back suplex for a near fall. Bourne hits another flurry of kicks and gets the tag to Primo. He builds up momentum with some strikes and a dropkick. He goes to the apron for a springboard move but Carlito pushes his brother down to the canvas. He then gets officially tagged in and starts a meticulous assault. Primo throws a few lefts and hits a springboard crossbody for a two count. He hits an elbow but Carlito throws him over the top as we head to commercial.

Chavo has a neck submission hold applied. He breaks the hold and hits a spinning splash on the lower back for a near fall. Primo sidesteps a right hand and counters with a side Russian leg sweep. Chavo takes out Bourne before the tag is made and hits Primo with a Gory bomb. The pin attempt is broken up by a scrambling Bourne. Carlito is in and he goes right to the neck/back submission hold. Primo elbows and kicks his way out but misses a leg drop. Both men make tags and Bourne is on a roll. He hits some fierce offense, takes out Carlito, and ends it with a vicious kick to Chavo’s back. Carlito breaks up the pin attempt, but Primo gets involved and hits the Backstabber on his bro. Chavo tries the Gory bomb again but it is countered into a rollup for a near fall. Bourne hits a knee to the chin, and goes up and connects with Air Bourne. Done.
Winners: Evan Bourne & Primo

This turned out to be a nice little tag match that delivered offense we usually don’t see these days. The one thing that sticks out in my mind was Chavo’s use of the Gory bomb. I liked the exchanges between the brothers, as they seem to step it up when in the ring together. All four men can have a decent bout with anyone and they definitely showed some nice work in this one.
**1/2

HOF video for the next inductee into the Class of 2010, Antonio Inoki.

Match #2: Gail Kim vs. Katie Lea Burchill
King pointed out that Maryse wasn’t saying very flattering things to Gail in French for the past couple of weeks. Well that’s a huge surprise! Gail starts off quick with a fast pin attempt and an arm drag. She avoids a charge but ends up going shoulder first into the ring post. That sounded like it hurt just a bit. Two count. Katie intelligently applies a submission hold targeting the shoulder. Gail tries to fight out but instead gets hit with a shoulder breaker for a near fall. The targeted assault continues as Katie sends Gail’s shoulder into the top turnbuckle. Another submission locked in. Gail fights out of another shoulder breaker attempt and hits a couple of quick clotheslines and a springboard crossbody. Near fall. She hits a charge in the corner and a missile dropkick for a long two count. She tries her finisher but it is countered with an enseguri to the injured shoulder. Katie tries to continue the offense but Gail counters with her finisher and picks up the victory.
Winner: Gail Kim

After the match Maryse appears on stage and gives her adversary a rousing round of applause.

This was a better divas match than the stuff we usually get from the WWE. It was short but it told a simple yet effective story and I wouldn’t have minded seeing it go another couple of minutes. Gail obviously gets the win there to help build for her championship match this Sunday. Katie looked fine in defeat and is underrated somewhat in my opinion.
*3/4

Grisham and Striker leads us into a nicely done video about the Elimination Chamber.

Match #3: Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox
These two had a match that I can vaguely remember a few months ago on Superstars and it made the top ten list for 2009. Repeat? I hope so. Knox starts off with the power game as Grisham displays unordinary vocabulary for the viewing crowd. Rey tries to pick up the pace but runs into a massive clothesline. Leg drop connects for a near fall. Rey hits a hurricarana but gets clocked with a massive boot. Sick backbreaker finds the mark. Submission hold then concentrates on the lower back. Rey is up but goes right back down with a clothesline. Near fall. Rey sets up Knox for the 619 but he rolls out of the ring. Rey hits a dropkick through the ropes and tries a seated senton, but he gets caught and thrown back first into the ring post. He writhes in pain as we go to a break.

Back submission hold applied in the center of the ring. He uses a hard Irish whip to inflict more pain and applies the torture rack. He sends Mysterio down for another backbreaker and it gets a long two count. Bear hug cinched in. Rey finally fights out and lets Knox’s momentum carry him over the top rope. Mysterio heads to the top and hits a nice seated senton. Both men get in the ring before the ten count. Rey hits a springboard leg drop but Knox kicks out. Knox is able to get the best of an exchange and hit that devastating running crossbody, but Rey kicks out at two. Rey avoids a big knee, sets up for the 619, and connects. Big crossbody and Rey picks up the hard-fought win.
Winner: Rey Mysterio

Every move that Mike Knox hit seemed to have a huge impact. His backbreaker, big boot, and especially running crossbody all were vicious and could keep anyone down for three. Rey had to battle for this win but he definitely earned it in a very nice main event. If Rey is hurting as much as they say he is, he certainly does a nice job of overcoming the pain. He still moves awfully quick in there.
**3/4

Superstars delivered with a nice episode this week, which saw a good main event, an exceptional tag team match, and, yes, even an above average divas match. It is a shame that Gail has not been involved in a real championship feud for this long, because she can be someone who can revive the women’s division. Rey is amazing for being able to work so well through his pain and getting hit with those high impact moves from Knox.

The match of the night was Smackdown’s Rey Mysterio vs. Mike Knox and this week’s episode of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B+.

The return of the top ten list will officially be here next week. Also, depending on how NXT goes next week, that blog may feature an overall top ten list for the whole company. Personally, I like having the Superstars-exclusive top ten match since it gives you readers decent matches to look out for that you might not have watched otherwise.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 3
2. Raw 2
3. ECW 2

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

One quick note: I’m getting curious about the whole John Morrison situation. He comments on his official Twitter, which was just made a couple of days ago, saying that his ankle was broken in three places. Instead, he is on the international tour for the next four days. Is WWE actually building a subtle storyline through Twitter? It’s very possible this whole thing could be a ploy, which would be used to enter someone else into the Smackdown EC. The first option on that list would be HBK, but I might be even more intrigued with a possible Christian entry. All speculation from me, but then again, getting ideas out there is my job.

Anywho, on to show.

The main event, from Smackdown, is JTG vs. Dolph Ziggler.

Match #1: Santino Marella vs. Jack Swagger
Well Santino wanted Swagger, and now he’s gonna get him. His shirt is pretty awesome too. He grabs a mic and says he has a message for Swagger. He was attempting to put Santino out of action, and that gets him ANGER. He’s going to teach Jack such a great lesson that by the end of the day it will be Professor Santino. Swagger starts off by wrestling his match. Santino fights back with a dropkick and a dose of cobra to send Swagger to the outside. He mocks Swagger with push-ups, which infuriates the All-American American. Santino stays on the offensive with a drop toe hold, until Swagger knocks him out with a big right. Belly-to-belly suplex connects, followed by a hard Irish whip. Two count. He continually throws Santino off the turnbuckle, which is infuriating the Italian. He fights back with a bunch of strikes and a hip toss, with a split in the middle. The flying headbutt actually finds the mark but it only gets a near fall. He calls for the cobra, but it misses and Swagger counters with a clothesline. Gutwrench powerbomb connects. Finished.
Winner: Jack Swagger

Obviously we weren’t going to get much of a wrestling match with Santino involved, and it was one of his usual matches. I still find it a little funny, but for the first time I felt like he was a bit redundant. Swagger should be off doing other things besides fighting Santino, but it doesn’t surprise me considering the way he has been buried lately.
*1/2

Match #2: Zack Ryder (w/Rosa Mendes) vs. Christian
This is the last ECW match ever on WWE Superstars. Tear. Christian gets a huge pop upon entering, which makes me think that he should be entered into the EC just a bit more. They shove each other around until Christian slaps Ryder and uses a rollup for a near fall. He goes to the DEADLY side headlock. Ryder fights out with a back suplex. Christian hits a flapjack after a nice exchange and gets a near fall. He clotheslines Zack to the apron and dropkicks him to the outside. He teases a springboard suicide dive but Ryder starts to walk up the ramp. Christian goes to get him and brings him back to the apron. Ryder is able to counter and hit a DDT to gain the momentum and send us to commercial.

Neck submission applied. Ryder breaks the hold and hits a swift leg drop for a near fall. Christian tries a springboard sunset flip, but Zack rolls through and propels the ECW champ into the bottom rope. Two count. Ryder heads to the second rope but gets caught with a boot to the face. Christian heats up the offense with a forearm strike and a punch to the face from the outside. He heads to the second rope and hits a dropkick for another near fall. Ryder looks for his leg lariat but it is countered with a powerbomb. Another two count. Backdrop finds the mark but Ryder avoids a crossbody attempt. The leg lariat connects this time but it can’t keep Christian down for three. Killswitch attempt is countered with a rollup for yet another long two count. Pele-like kick connects, and that is followed up with a flying elbow and now Christian is calling for the Killswitch. He goes for it and hits it. That’s a wrap.
Winner: Christian

This match was slightly better than the bout they had on ECW last week. I say this every time, but I still do not see variety in Ryder’s move set. I really want to see it because he has the potential to be very good, but these good matches might only be because Christian is involved. When he moves on to another wrestler to feud with, then we will see the real Zack Ryder. But for now, him and Christian are putting on a couple of nice matches.
**3/4

Hall of Fame for the Million Dollar Man. After that, the Raw Rebound takes a look at the latest episode in the McMahon/Hart/Cena/Batista feud. The EC card up to this point gets a rundown.

Match #3: Dolph Ziggler vs. JTG
Dolph is out before the break, and JTG enters without his partner in crime, Shad. Both men hit scoop slams and end up in a draw. JTG hits a flying elbow and gets a one count. Dolph hits a couple of strikes and an elbow while continuously mocking JTG. He runs into a face plant and a swinging neckbreaker, which sends him rolling out of the ring. Commercial time.

Dolph is in control with a neck submission hold. JTG almost fights out but gets thrown back down to the canvas. One count. Dolph hits lots of elbows but still only gets a one count out of it. Another submission locked in. Dolph breaks the hold and hits a leg drop to the back of the head for still another one count. Running neckbreaker connects and still can’t even get JTG down for two. Third neck submission hold. JTG fights out, avoids a charge, and hits a nice neckbreaker. They exchange strikes until JTG gains the upper hand with a combo of takedowns and dropkicks. Mugshot connects but it gets a long two count. Ziggler counters a back suplex with a rollup for a near fall. JTG heads to the second rope and connects with a leg lariat, which seems to be the move of the day. Dolph gets his foot on the bottom rope before the three count. Dolph avoids a charge and connects with the Zig Zag, ending the main event.
Winner: Dolph Ziggler

I felt like things were getting a bit monotonous during Dolph’s beatdown, but I like the targeting of the neck and the offense from JTG. He keeps most of his moves innovative and that can make him fun to watch sometimes, although I never see him being a serious singles contender. Dolph has been seriously underused lately, which is a shame considering some of the matches he had against Mysterio and Morrison. Even his bouts with Kane were entertaining. Hopefully we see him back in a more serious feud soon.
**1/2

This week’s show was just okay, with two decent matches and a comedy act that is starting to get a bit old. Christian and Ryder put on the match of the night, but I am afraid that is due more to the work of Christian than anything else. Dolph should be moving up the ladder to other things, while JTG has an innovative move set but probably will not get very far as a singles competitor.

The match of the night was ECW’s Zack Ryder vs. Christian and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B-.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 2
2. Raw 2
3. ECW 2

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Kelly Kelly & Eve vs. Alicia Fox & Katie Lea Burchill
Well the good thing about Jillian not being in this match is that she can’t lose for the fifth week in a row. Push soon anyone? Katie and Alicia got the lucky drawings out of a hat this week to pair up together. Eve and Alicia are ready to get things poppin’ on Superstars. Alicia shows Eve why she’s a better wrestler until Eve pulls out one of her three moves, the dropkick. Katie is in and after a little tussle, she is dragged over to the face corner. Kelly helps out Eve with a double team elbow for a one count. Kelly kicks the hell out of both heels and hits a hip toss on Katie. Eve is in with a sunset flip attempt for a near fall. She hits a clothesline and a somersault splash (if anyone knows what that move is actually called, I would appreciate the input) to continue the offense. She hits a modified Samoan drop and heads to the top for what looks to be a moonsault. Alicia goes for the distraction and Katie throws Eve to the outside. Eve’s left knee looks to be in legit pain, at least for the moment after taking a nasty bump, as Katie gets her back in the ring. She works over the injured knee and gets a near fall. Alicia is back and she applies the half Boston crab. Eve fights out and propels Alicia across the ring before getting to Kelly for the hot tag. She is feeling good after a couple of clotheslines and a dizzy head scissors. She hits a handspring elbow and another head scissors, but the pin attempt is broken up by Katie. Eve gets involved and both her and Katie find themselves down on the outside. Kelly hits a crossbody but Alicia rolls through and holds on for the three count.
Winners: Alicia Fox & Katie Lea Burchill

The one thing that stood out in this match was Eve actually implementing a couple of new moves into her move set. Usually, the extent of Eve’s wrestling ability is a dropkick and possibly a shoulder block. Today, however, she showed improvement and I hope to see her continue on that path. As for the rest of it, do we care? Divas, divas, divas.
*1/2

The main event is a six man tag featuring John Morrison, The Great Khali, and Matt Hardy vs. The Hart Dynasty & Drew McIntyre.

Match #2: Evan Bourne vs. Carlito
It is always fun to see Bourne in a match, and this encounter with Carlito should be a good one. Carlito takes an early advantage with a couple of hard left strikes. Bourne fights back with vicious kicks for a one count. He hits an innovative arm drag, a drop toe hold, and a kick to the side of the head for a near fall. Nice dropkick from Carlito allows him to buy some time. Two count. Scoop slam is followed up by an elbow, with another two count ensuing. Neck and back submission applied. Bourne gets out and turns the tides with a head scissors. A clothesline and dropkick sends Carlito to the outside. Evan goes for the suicide dive, and while Carlito avoid it, Bourne lands on his feet. He then hits a knee to the face and Carlito is on his back anyway. He gets Carlito back in the ring and sets him up for SSP. Carlito rolls all the way out of the ring and we say hello to a commercial.

Bourne is still in control as he hits a head scissors and a forearm strike. Carlito takes the advantage with a huge boot and gets a near fall out of it. He ferociously stomps away at Evan in the corner. Then he sends Bourne neck first into the bottom rope. Two count. Submission applied. He almost gets out of it but Carlito connects with a SICK neckbreaker for an extended two count. Intelligently, neck submission is applied once again. Bourne hits his way out but gets hit with a springboard flying elbow. Another near fall. One more submission for the hat trick. A crossbody counter gets a two count. Bourne uses his knees for a nice takedown on Carlito and that gets a two count. Rollup from Carlito doesn’t keep Evan down long enough. Carlito hits a running knee but a clothesline attempt is countered with a crucifix pin attempt that is yet another two count. Spinebuster connects. Evan kicks out at two and three quarter. Bourne hits a kick to the side of the head and goes up top for the SSP, but Carlito takes his legs out. He tries a superplex but Bourne counters with a sunset flip powerbomb. He heads up top again and this time, the SSP connects. Finally, a three count.
Winner: Evan Bourne

That was an awesomely enjoyable match from these two young stars. The beatdown of Evan was innovative and intelligent, with Carlito using an assortment of different moves and submissions to keep the pressure on the neck and back. Evan fought back with great offense and Carlito sold it well. The go-home sequence was nice also, which sets up for a very nice match between two young stars.
**3/4

An Edge video and a Raw Rebound later and we are ready for the main event.

Match #3: John Morrison, Matt Hardy, & The Great Khali vs. Drew McIntyre & The Hart Dynasty
Goal of the main event: make the Great Khali a non-factor. The forgotten one, Matt Hardy, and Tyson will begin the festivities. Hardy hits a clothesline after a little bit of chain wrestling. Morrison is tagged in and some double team offense gets a one count. Tyson stomps away in the corner and tags in McIntyre. He keeps it up with an uppercut and a stomp to the face. Morrison fights back with a clothesline and starts pounding away at the IC champ. Here comes the Great Khali. He hits a headbutt and a big chop to the face. Tyson runs in but gets a boot to the face. Khali slaps Drew across the chest in the corner. Everyone for miles away could have heard that. Hardy is tagged in and he hits an elbow from the second rope. Two count. Tyson hits a kick to the back of Matt’s neck and Drew follows up with a big boot. Smith is in and he starts the beatdown. Plenty of stomps is followed by a suplex for a one count. Commercial time.

David Hart Smith has a neck submission hold applied on Hardy. Matt counters a powerbomb attempt with a side Russian leg sweep. Tyson and Morrison get the quick tags. Morrison hits some nice quick offense, ending with a heel kick. He goes for Moonlight Drive but gets distracted by Smith. Tyson tries to take advantage but Morrison counters with a sit-down powerbomb. Two count. Morrison thinks Starship Pain but is distracted again. Tyson disposes of Morrison on the outside. Natalya gets a kick in on the outside while the ref is distracted. Drew is the legal man and he rams Morrison back first into the side of the apron. They get back in the ring and the tag is made to Smith. He hits three successive belly-to-belly suplexes for a near fall. Morrison fights back with a sick pele type kick and is looking to make a tag. He gets to Hardy, who hits his quick offense ending with a bulldog. Two count. Side effect connects but both men break up the pin. They go after Khali and take him out. Almost. Khali grabs both of them before they can beat up on Hardy. Morrison hits a nice splash from the security railing on both men. Hardy hits the Twist of Fate and tags in Khali, who connects with the Punjabi Plunge and gives the faces a win.
Winners: John Morrison, Matt Hardy, & The Great Khali

There was plenty of good work from those involved, and not seeing Khali get too into it is always a plus. David Hart Smith definitely continues to improve me, and I think he could be a star in singles competition in the future. The Hart Dynasty should be in the tag title match on Monday instead of Miz and Big Show, but hopefully they get a shot soon after that. Morrison was good as always and sadly Hardy is stuck teaming with Khali and what not. Do you think he ever gets mad at his brother for holding him back?
**1/2

Once again, Superstars delivered with another decent show. The divas match was average for them, but it was good to see Eve actually use a couple of different moves this time around. The match of the night was between Carlito and Evan Bourne, with the high-flyer getting the win after an intriguing contest. The six man tag was good as well, although it is time for Morrison to be working with top guys and Hardy to not be stuck with Khali.

The match of the night was Raw’s Evan Bourne vs. Carlito and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B.

What will happen to ECW in the standings? If WWE decides to put NXT matches on Superstars, then I will just combine the two. Most likely, however, this will come down to Raw and Smackdown.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 2
2. Raw 2
3. ECW 1

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

The pyros explode and Cole lets us know that there will be a Royal Rumble qualifying match tonight. I’ll bet anyone twenty bucks that the person who wins won’t win the Rumble.

Match #1: The Bella Twins vs. Jillian & Katie Lea Burchill
The Bellas are out for their first tag team match in about six months, and random heel pairing is hard to come by in the WWE these days, but this week the lucky winners were Jillian and Katie. Apparently Brie and Katie will start it up. Brie uses the armbar and tags in Nikki for a little double team offense. Katie gains control and tags in Jillian, and they keep Nikki isolated. Jillian throws Nikki by the hair and applies a submission. Nikki fights out and hits a crossbody from the second rope for a near fall. Brie is in and some more double team offense gets another near fall. Katie distracts Brie, which allows Jillian to shove Brie to the ground. Katie is in for a couple of stomps and a submission. Brie fights out and tries a running crossbody, but Katie catches her and connects with a nasty backbreaker. Two count. Brie avoids a charge and a clothesline and tags in Nikki. She hits a flying forearm and a couple of dropkicks. Neckbreaker gets a near fall. Nikki uses a victory roll while Brie keeps Jillian away to get the three count.
WInners: The Bella Twins

I feel like I run out of stuff to say about divas matches. None of them are really outstanding anymore, although I have high hopes for the Michelle Mickie match at RR. And for the record, Jillian has been in the opening match of Superstars four weeks in a row and lost every one. Time for a change.
*1/2

The main event should be a dandy, with Matt Hardy going against David Hart Smith. Somehow, the Great Khali is in Hardy’s corner. Now that might possibly be the worst tag team ever created.

Match #2: Chavo Guerrero vs. Primo vs. Chris Masters
This is the qualifying match of the night, in which the winner will go on to the Royal Rumble bout. Chavo and Primo start off quick but Masters comes back with a couple of clotheslines. He hits a big backdrop on Chavo and a scoop slam on Primo. He tries a press slam on Chavo but Primo takes Masters’ legs out. Chavo lands on Masters for a pin attempt but Primo quickly shoves him off. He tries his own pin and now Primo and Chavo are getting into it. Chavo rolls through and hits a dropkick to the jaw for a near fall. Masters comes out of nowhere with a double clothesline. Pin attempts on both men gets two counts. Masters unloads on Chavo in the corner and connects with a quick powerslam. Pin attempt broken up by Primo. He hits a hurricarana and tries a springboard crossbody, but Masters counters and tries to apply the Masterlock. Chavo tries to interfere but Masters goes for his finisher on him instead. Primo kicks Masters to the outside and inadvertently goes flying through the ropes at him. Chavo goes to the top and connects with a splash on both men on the outside. Everyone is down as we head to commercial.

Chavo has a submission hold applied on Primo. He fights out but gets caught again with a drop toe hold and a somersault splash. Two count. Masters gets to the apron but Chavo knocks him back to the outside. He turns right into a dropkick from Primo. They exchange shots before Primo builds momentum with a flying forearm, a clothesline, and a dropkick. Masters is back but Primo hits a side Russian leg sweep. Two count. Primo uses the ropes to target the neck of Masters. Chavo hits two of the Three Amigos on Primo but the third is countered with a rollup for a two count. Both men dispose of Primo to the outside and after a couple of counters, Chris finally gets the Masterlock applied on Chavo. It’s all over.
Winner: Chris Masters

That was a pretty good triple threat, mainly because of the nice chemistry displayed between Chavo and Primo. Their styles complement each other well and provide for some good matches. Masters obviously played the power game to his advantage, and his win makes sense considering how over he has become as a face. Masters for the WM26 main event!!!
**1/2

In-Ring Segment: Chris Jericho, R-Truth
Jericho’s music hits and he is probably out to tell us just exactly how he will win the RR match. He is tired of eery other superstar talking about how they will win. He calls them and the fans liars. Jericho says the truth is he will add another accomplishment and win the RR. He says he is the baddest man on the planet and the best at what he does. That’s when R-Truth interrupts. He dances around and sings before finally finding the ring. What’s up in Jericho’s face and Chris looks quite annoyed. Truth says Jericho is the best at what he does, but not at wrestling, at being arrogant, loud, annoying, aggravating, and many others. He compares Jericho to a pimple and questions Jericho’s honesty. Truth says he is the one that will win the RR. Better yet, he’s going to be the guy to eliminate Jericho. And that’s the truth. They start to brawl. Truth hits a heel kick and Jericho scrams.

It’s good to see R-Truth getting a push with a guy like Jericho; he works well in the ring and can only improve with this opportunity. Maybe this is just a ploy to get us all not thinking about Edge, but they won’t feel me. Okay I guess I’m just hoping that is the case.

Match #3: Matt Hardy vs. David Hart Smith
Both guys are out with their respective tag partners and what not. Nice chain wrestling to start it off. Hardy goes for the Twist of Fate early but Smith rolls out of the ring. Hardy connects with a dropkick through the ropes and heads for the top rope. Natalya stands between him and Smith and we head to commercial.

Smith is in control with a submission in the center of the ring, focusing on the left arm. Hardy fights back with a couple of clotheslines but gets hit with an arm-breaker. Two count. Hammerlock body slam connects for a near fall. Another left arm submission locked in. Hardy fights out of it but is right back down after a boot to the arm. Natalya slaps the hell out of Hardy while the ref is distracted. Left arm offense continues. Hardy fights back with an elbow to the back of the head and an inverted DDT for a near fall. Bulldog connects after Hardy needs to switch to the right arm to get the move off. Two count. Side effect connects for a long near fall. He goes up top for a moonsault but Natalya distracts him. The ref tries to keep her away, but as he does that, Tyson Kidd wrenches at the arm of Hardy. DH follows up with a huge boot and takes the match.
Winner: David Hart Smith

After the match, Khali gets in the ring and cleans house, making a statement for the RR. Then, in the shocker of the year, he throws Hardy over the top as well.

I liked the match and the focused attack by Smith on Hardy’s left arm. No attack is good without proper selling, however, and Hardy definitely did that. I would have liked to see a few more minutes of this bout so that it could get a better rating. Hopefully next week they won’t switch it up and do Khali vs. Kidd or Hardy. I would feel so bad for the both of them. I wish them luck if that does happen.
**1/4

This was another decent edition of WWE Superstars which featured a couple of good matches and a nice RR promo. The divas match was what they always are these days. The triple threat match saw Masters go over, but it was the work of Chavo and Primo that gives it match of the night honors. R-Truth is getting a nice push working with Jericho and he delivered a nice promo. Hardy and Smith was good as well, just as long as we don’t see Khali in the ring next week against anyone.

The match of the night was Raw’s Chavo Guerrero vs. Primo vs. Chris Masters and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B.

Andddd Raw is on the board!

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 2
2. ECW 1
3. Raw 1

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Jillian vs. Kelly Kelly
I find that the best way to start a show is with a great singing performance, and who better than Jillian to deliver! She gets into the ring with a mic and talks about a Miley Cyrus song she heard on the radio. Yea, I think she should be banned from partying in the USA. Kelly Kelly saves us and gets almost a better pop than the night Jericho returned to Raw. The crowd was that desperate for a save. The bell rings and Jillian starts wrenching on the lovely left arm of Kelly. She spins her way out and hits a hurricarana for a two count. Kelly flips around a bit more before being grounded by a clothesline. Two count. Plenty of technical hair-pulling offense follows. Submission applied. Jillian throws her down and gets a near fall. She pulls a little more and goes back to the submission. Kelly fights out and builds momentum with a couple of clotheslines and a very dizzy hurricarana. She goes for a victory roll but Jillian counters and gets another near fall. Kelly is able to kick Jillian in the back and connect with a leg drop to the back of the neck for the three count.
Winner: Kelly Kelly

Hey, it’s a divas match. We all know Kelly is not the best in the ring, but she did not do anything terribly wrong tonight. In terms of other womens matches, it was quick and pretty average. And I definitely think it is time to get Jillian a new gimmick. This whole singing debacle has been going on way too long, and with a different look she potentially has the stuff to be a champion for longer than five minutes.
*1/4

The main event is from Smackdown, and we should get a good match from veterans Kane and Chris Jericho.

Match #2: Shelton Benjamin vs. Vance Archer
Hey, remember when Shelton was challenging for the ECW title? Me neither. They shove each other around a lot, with Vance getting the first strike in. They exchange rights before Shelton comes out on top with an elbow. Archer looks to injure Shelton’s arm, but Shelton fights back with some ground and pound. Vance takes control by introducing Shelton’s face to the middle turnbuckle. Archer goes for his finisher early but Shelton counters with a small package for a near fall. Shelton skims the cat and takes Vance to the outside with a head scissors. Commercial time.

Shelton looks to be gaining momentum until he runs into a big boot. Two count. Neck submission locked in. Vance releases the hold and pounds away with strikes to the forehead. He hits a running knee to the back of the neck. Right back to the neck submission after a one count. Vance wraps his legs around and now Shelton looks hopeless. He gets out of it and counters a boot attempt with a leg lariat. Shelton starts the hot offense with a springboard forearm, followed by a couple of clotheslines and a dragon whip. Two count. Vance goes for a clothesline but Shelton ducks and hits a German suplex. He bridges out and gets a near fall. Archer is able to hold on to the ropes and avoid a dropkick. A hard Irish whip and Vance is back in control. He puts Shelton in the Tree of Woe but ends up running right into a boot. Shelton capitalizes with a quick rollup and gets the three count.
Winner: Shelton Benjamin

Although Vance can still bore me a little bit, this was a good match and a nice win for Shelton. There is no doubt in my mind about Shelton’s ability to be an upper mid-carder, or even a main eventer. While the latter does not seem reasonable due to the WWE in general, Shelton should be on most PPVs delivering good matches every time out. Archer needs some more seasoning, and like Ryder, he needs to expand his move set.
**1/2

Enter Grisham and Striker. They run down the Royal Rumble card.

Match #3: Chris Jericho vs. Kane
Surprisingly, Jericho is not about to cut a promo. Instead, he just stands there until he hit a commercial. Kane makes his fiery entrance immediately after we return. Jericho looks a bit worried as he slowly re-enters the ring. Kane advances and Jericho slides right out. He gets back in and locks up with the big man, only to get shoved away. He slides back outside and walks around a bit more. Jericho makes his way back in and slaps Kane. Chris, you are awesome, but do you really have a death wish? Kane just smirks and unleashes furious rights. The ref gets in the way and Jericho uses a thumb to the eye. He hits a bunch of strikes before running into a big uppercut. Kane keeps up the offense with a dropkick to the seated Jericho for a near fall. He now starts to target the arms to deliver more pain. Jericho gets to the ropes to break an arm submission. Chris tries to knock Kane down and does with a dropkick. He hits a kick to the ribs and mocks the crowd. Kane charges but Chris drops the top rope and watches him sail to the outside. He follows up with a springboard dropkick as we head to our final commercial.

Jericho hits a couple of rights in the corner but gets shoved away. He is persistent, however, and goes right back on the offensive. Kane counters and throws Jericho face first into the turnbuckle. Jericho tries an axe handle from the second rope, but he gets caught and now his back is introduced to the turnbuckle shindig. Kane charges, Chris avoids, and Kane’s shoulder meets the steel ring post. Jericho uses the ropes to target the neck of Kane. Neck submission applied. Kane fights out, but he misses a right hand and gets clocked by an enseguri. Two count. He goes back to the neck submission. Kane is really struggling to fight out. He gets to his feet and backs Jericho into the corner. He makes a nice counter of a bulldog with a modified sidewalk slam. Kane hits a couple of strikes, a big clothesline, and a real sidewalk slam for a two count. He climbs to the top, goes for a big strike, and gets countered by a mid-air dropkick from Jericho. Long two count. Now Chris is able to connect with a bulldog. He tries a lionsault, lands on his feet, and turns into a big boot. Another long two count. Kane gets Jericho up for a powerslam but he counters with a chop block. Chris tries to lock in the Walls but is powered away. He then tries a Codebreaker, but is shoved away again. Now Kane is calling for the chokeslam. Jericho counters out and scampers out of the ring. He walks all the way to the stage and lets the ref count him out.
Winner: Kane (via count-out)

Although the ending made sense in order to not give either man a clean loss, I wish they did it another. Jericho is so much better when he is the confident heel, and to have him be a coward and leave is just not the right decision. Some type of disqualification would have been the better way to go. As for the match, it was well done. Jericho could get a watchable match out of a brick wall if he had to. Kane is a proven veteran and can also work well with anyone, as he has shown as Smackdown with Ziggler.
**3/4

This episode of Superstars was pretty good. We saw a divas match that did not lower our standards any more than they could already be. Shelton and Archer put on a nice bout, although Shelton would be much better suited working with Christian again after being in the company all these years. The main event was guaranteed to be decent with Kane and Jericho, and it proved to be just that. Having Jericho playing the coward does not sit well with me, but at least no one’s momentum was killed.

The match of the night was Smackdown’s Chris Jericho vs. Kane and this week’s edition of WWE Superstars gets a grade of B.

Haha, Raw has zero.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 2
2. ECW 1
3. Raw 0

Later.

Welcome to the WWE Superstars Write-Up!!

Match #1: Primo & Gail Kim vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Jillian
Raw starts things off with the lucky random pairing of the night going to Primo and Gail Kim. Chavo still does not look too happy about having to team up with such an awesome singer. The men get ready to get the match going. A little chain wrestling is ended by Primo winning the battle of the shoulder blocks. They go at it again, this time with Primo winning with a couple of arm drags and an armbar. Chavo hits a cheap shot and starts pounding away. Primo fights back with a couple of dropkicks and Chavo scrambles to tag in Jillian. The ref gets Primo out and Gail and Jillian are ready to go. Gail connects with a couple of quick clotheslines and a splash in the corner before missing a second one. She buys time and goes to the top rope but gets distracted by Chavo. Jillian throws Gail off the top by the hair. She continues to yank and pull and gets a two count. Gail tries to connect with a kick but it is countered with a clothesline. Jillian shrieks but does not find the mark on a handspring splash. Both men are tagged in and Primo hits plenty of quick offense, ending in a springboard crossbody for a near fall. Chavo is able to get off two of the Three Amigos, but Primo counters out of the final one. Chavo, however, stays in control with a big clothesline. He goes for the pin, Gail breaks it up, and the girls start going at it. Gail disposes of Jillian and turns around only to find Chavo stalking her. Somehow Gail is able to hit her finisher, which allows Primo to roll up Chavo for the three count.
Winners: Primo & Gail Kim

This was a good tag team match with a unique ending and Chavo coming out on the short end of things again. Jillian’s in-ring work is definitely underrated due to her terrible gimmick, and it is a shocker that Gail has not been Women’s or Divas champ in her return. Primo and Chavo worked just fine together as well.
**1/4

Match #2: Carlito vs. Chris Masters
Carlito looks for a second like he might spit the apple in Justin Roberts’ face, but instead he just fixes his tie. Masters is insanely oiled up tonight, but he is getting good pops nonetheless. Carlito ends up spitting in Masters’ face. Terrible idea big guy. Masters unleashes with angry punches and a scoop slam. Carlito scrams and gets the hell out of the ring. Masters goes after him, but Carlito is able to send him back first into the ring post. And again. Back submission hold applied back in the ring. Carlito keeps it up with a scoop slam for a near fall. Right back to the submission. Masters counters back with a couple of clotheslines and a huge back drop. Press slam connects. Carlito fights back with a dropkick. He goes for a big splash but Masters avoids it. He locks in the Masterlock. Eve is LOVING IT. Carlito passes out.
Winner: Chris Masters

Just an okay match here; nothing good, nothing bad. It is always difficult to stand out when given as little time as they were. Average match gets my average rating.
**

Match #3: Jimmy Wang Yang & Slam Master J vs. Mike Knox & Charlie Haas
The most diverse tag team of the WWE bounces down to the ring, while Haas changes his appearance to look as much like a bald Mike Knox as possible. Master J and Haas to kick things off. Slam Master makes a nice counter from an arm drag and hits a dropkick. Haas is able to tag in Knox, who finds the mark with a running crossbody. He takes out Jimmy and starts the dissection. Haas is in and he continues to stomp away. Armbar submission applied. Backbreaker connects and Knox is back in the game. BIG knee connects for a near fall. He goes right to the neck submission hold. Knox hits a couple more clubbing blows and tags out. Another two count. Haas tries to knock Jimmy off the apron, but he avoids it. He turns right into a backdrop from Slam Master. Jimmy is tagged in, and he hits a crossbody and takes out Knox. The offense continues with a flurry of kicks but Knox breaks up the pin attempt. Slam Master and Jimmy hit a double dropkick to eliminate Knox. Slam Master hits a suicide dive for good measure. Jimmy hits a really nice moonsault on Haas and that is enough for the win.
Winners: Jimmy Wang Yang & Slam Master J

This is the second good tag match of the night. I was a little bit surprised to see Jimmy and Slam Master go over, but it is good to see them finally pick up a win. They are quite the tag team, but they definitely have the in-ring ability to put on good matches against the other solid tag teams in the company.
**1/4

Raw Rebound. TYSON SHOCKER. Cole wet his pants.

Match #4: Christian vs. William Regal
The ECW champ makes his way to the ring before the break, and Regal is accompanied by the new #1 contender for the ECW title, Ezekiel Jackson. They lock up and shove each other around until the ref breaks it up. Regal goes right for the left arm. Christian counters out and has Regal reeling a bit. Regal applies the side headlock. Christian powers out, which causes Regal to bridge out. He rolls through and goes to the DEADLY armbar. Some more very nice chain wrestling ensues, which leads to Christian hitting a big right hand and a backdrop. Dropkick connects for a quick one count. Backslide attempt gets another one count. Big Zeke goes to the apron and Christian takes care of him with a dropkick through the ropes. He tries a rollup and gets a near fall. Zeke gets back to the apron and grunts at Christian. The ref is livid and he throws Zeke out. Regal looks concerned as we head to commercial.

Christian stays on the offensive with a kick to the back, but is knocked down by a clothesline. He tries a tornado DDT but Regal counters and pushes him to the outside. Christian had an ugly landing on the edge of the apron. He scrambles back in the ring at the count of nine. Regal starts the offensive attack full of stomps and elbows. Innovative submission applied. Christian gets to his feet but is knocked down with a headbutt. Regal swings away with punches in the corner. He puts Christian on the top, possibly looking for a superplex. Christian fights back and hits a crossbody for a near fall. He gets the crowd into it and hits a load of punches. He throws Regal into the turnbuckle, climbs to the top, and finds the mark with a dropkick. Two count. Flying forearm connects and he heads back up top. Flying headbutt misses the mark. He tries for the Killswitch but Regal counters with a suplex that turns Christian inside out. Two count. He covers again and still it is a near fall. The running knee is avoided. Christian tries a springboard sunset flip but Regal sits down. He grabs the ropes to try and get the three count but the ref notices. Another Killswitch attempt is countered with the Regal Stretch. Christian fights out of it but is brought right back down with a big left. Regal goes for a double under-hook suplex, but Christian counters into a successful Killswitch. That’s it.
Winner: Christian

Every time Christian comes to WWE Superstars, his matches deliver. This was an excellent TV match and one of the best I have seen on this show since Matt Hardy and David Hart Smith had a great match back in November. The buildup was excellent and the interference from Zeke was quickly dispelled. These two had a nice encounter back at Breaking Point, and while this one was not as good as that match, it falls just a shade below. I would be shocked if Christian can have as good of a match with Big Zeke at the RR.
***1/4

Tonight was almost an excellent edition of WWE Superstars. The main event was superb, and if just one of the other matches was a bit more above average, this would have gotten a top rating. However, it is still the type of show you would like to see wrestling wise. The two tag matches were done well, and it was good to see Jimmy get a win for the first time in forever. Masters and Carlito was okay, but there just was not enough time to say it was any better than that. All in all, an episode of Superstars we can be satisfied with.

The match of the night was ECW’s Christian vs. William Regal and this week’s episode of WWE Superstars gets a grade of A-.

2010 Matches of the Week

1. Smackdown 1
2. ECW 1
3. Raw 0

Later.