Friday 28 December 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 28th December 2012 Recap


Sheamus first said he hoped everyone had had a merry Christmas, adding that his was a lot of fun. He then challenged Big Show to a World Title match for that very night after beating him in a Lumberjack match on this weeks Raw. Big Show of course refused, calling his victory over him a "fluke." GM Booker T then soon joined them and informed Show that he'll pick a random name from a tumbler (filled with all the wrestlers from the back and Sheamus) and that wrestler will receive a World Championship match against the giant that night.
After some arguing between Eve and Teddy Long, Booker picked out Santino Marrella's name from the tumbler. Joy from the Italian soon turned to horror as Big Show approached him and he realised what he'll be up against later on.
Brodus Clay bested Primo in an average bout. At least this unmemorable outing was kept short. Afterwards Rosa Mendes had a few choice words for Clay, but was cut short by Naomi and Cameron as they double suplexed her.
Wade Barrett and Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes) beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston in a fair six-man tag bout. The action was a bit disappointing considering the talent involved but it wasn't bad by any means. Barrett grabbed the one-two-three on Kofi after applying a Bull Hammer.
Booker informed Big Show backstage that after Santino had pulled a hamstring earlier when training with Sheamus a substitute had to be picked, and it turned out to be Ricardo Rodriguez. Show laughed at the nervous number one contender, then knocked him out and called him a joke to his title.  
Antonio Cesaro defeated Zack Ryder in an enjoyable enough encounter. As usual Cesaro was on stellar form, providing faultless maneuvers. Ryder played his part well too, although he was pretty limited offensively anyway. 
Dolph Ziggler beat The Miz in the match of the night. Both men put in worthy efforts as they went back and fourth, with Ziggler as standard working hard. Dolph gained the win after bodyguard Big E Langston distracted Miz. After Miz mocked AJ Lee afterwards, Langston and Dolph decided to further beat him down. 
Sheamus beat Brad Maddox in a rather pedestrian match up. Maddox was allowed a fair bit of offense so at least he wasn't completely destroyed here, the action was just passable for the majority.
Backstage Booker agreed to give Alberto Del Rio the spot in the World Title match after Big Show took out his good friend and personal ring announcer Rodriguez.
Big Show (c) won via disqualification versus Alberto Del Rio, therefore retaining the World Heavyweight Championship. The match itself contained decent enough action, although it wasn't anything that memorable or exciting, a big step down from any of Sheamus and Show's efforts on PPV. The DQ came after Sheamus ran out and attacked Show, along with a large portion of the roster who didn't appreciate Show's harsh words towards them earlier. I'm guessing a possible Triple Threat will occur at the Royal Rumble between Sheamus, Del Rio and the champ.

My Impact Wrestling, 27th December 2012 Recap


Kazarian and Daniels on great form as standard. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Bully Ray came to the ring and as part of the Open Fight Night rules asked Hulk Hogan to come out to talk, which he was obliged to as part of OFN. But instead daughter Brooke Hogan joined Bully and quietly informed him that her Dad was aware of their relationship. The fact that Ray feigned shock just seemed stupid, I mean they were both kissing out in the clear open in the parking lot on last weeks show when 'The Hulkster' spotted them. 
Austin Aries challenged Bobby Roode to a match in the main event to finally settle things after each man had screwed each other over in World Title situations over the past two weeks. He also claimed that as the top two wrestlers going it was suitable that they'd have the final televised TNA bout of the year.
An angry Samoa Joe called out a masked member of Aces & 8s that attacked him previously to a match up, and threatened to unmask him too. 
Samoa Joe defeated the Aces & 8s member via submission in a passable, if uninspiring contest. The action was okay but nothing special or particularly exciting. As Joe began to unmask his opponent, other gang members raced out so he decided to leave it for now and left.
Robbie E challenged Jesse to a 'Bro Off', which consisted of simply dancing awfully or posing to their entrance themes. Robbie E announced himself the winner after Jesse broke the rules by not saying "Bro"  and by using Tara and not "putting bros before hoes." But it wasn't over as Robbie T then also danced/posed to the music and walked off leaving a shocked Robbie E. It was a bad segment all round to be honest, it wasn't funny and the dancing wasn't remotely decent. I didn't personally find any amusement here at all, and I normally don't mind the duo of Tara and Jesse. 
Rob Van Dam ridiculously stated that his efforts had "elevated the X Division to a whole new level." Please tell me doesn't actually believe that, right? RVD hasn't done anything close to what Aries did for the division, he gives average efforts most weeks and still thinks of himself as one of the top talents in the company. He went on to then challenge Christian York to a match, much to the surprise of Kenny King.
Rob Van Dam defeated Christian York in a fair contest. While York pulls out a few exciting moves in his match ups, he does still have a tendency to be a bit clumsy here and there, and I wouldn't have believed that he's had sixteen-years experience in pro wrestling if Tenay hadn't mentioned it. Overall the bout was decent enough, nothing exceptional about it. 
Christopher Daniels as usual was on great form on the mic as he mocked the fans and named his rear the one that "makes the girls cheer." He also went on to introduce AJ Styles for one final match, but it was of course a hoax as Kazarian came out dressed as 'The Phenomenal One' and did an amusing impression of him as he claimed that Daniels was superior in every way. Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez then joined them and called the duo a pair of clowns and challenged them to a tag match.
Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez bested Bad Influence (Daniels and Kazarian) in a solid tag bout. All four men gave good displays here and finally provided a very enjoyable match for the night. It's also nice to see the tag champs back on our screens, it's felt like a while since they've been there.
Gail Kim boasted about her memorable Knockouts Title reign (longest in company history) and also challenged Brooke Tessmacher to a match as a bit of retribution for ending said reign. I do miss Kim as champ I have to say, for me she's the top female wrestler in TNA.
Gail Kim defeated Brooke Tessmacher in an intense back and fourth outing. I wasn't expecting anything special here but it was a very pleasant surprise as both wrestlers provided a great Knockouts match up. Tessmacher looked good throughout and put on one of her top performances to date, Kim was also on her usual stellar form. Good stuff here and worth a watch, miles better than any Divas contest you'll get nowadays.
Austin Aries versus Bobby Roode ended in a No Contest. It was a fun main event for the most part, with Aries and Roode each applying their own underhanded, heel-tactics throughout. It's a shame there wasn't more wrestling though, considering the high standard of matches they've put on before. The match ended when referee Earl Hebner screamed at both to stop ignoring the rules, so the competitors decided to kick Earl and chuck him out of the ring. Jeff Hardy then appeared from behind and took both men out.
Overall it was a largely average Impact, with the first half of the show providing quite pedestrian entertainment. Fortunately the Daniels and Kazarian segment was as usual solid, and their following tag bout, Kim versus Tessmacher and most of the main event were also decent to very enjoyable match ups. 

Friday 21 December 2012

My Impact Wrestling, 20th December 2012 Recap


Aries controls Hardy in a great main event title clash. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Devon (c) bested Kurt Angle to retain the Television Title in an average opener. Unfortunately there was just too much happening and they never had a chance to really put on a substancial contest. Angle looked solid as usual, but again there wasn't much time and too many distractions that marred things. Samoa Joe, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff all came down to ringside and began brawling with Aces & 8s members, then once again later on, which was a bit overkill for my liking. The second time as the referee was distracted a masked gang member whacked Angle with a kendo stick, allowing Devon to gain the one-two-three.
Joey Ryan and Matt Morgan beat Rob van Dam and Kenny King in a fair tag bout. King was the standout performer here, with the only memorable display. RVD also looked decent, but nothing outstanding. Ryan again failed to really impress me in the ring at all, and Morgan was his usual pretty drab self. For the finish King decided he'd had enough of Morgan and left RVD to have a Carbon Footprint applied by 'The Blueprint', with Ryan then pinning him.
Hulk Hogan claimed that 2012 had bee a great year for the company, and also announced that the online voting for TNA wrestler of the year was now open. Devon and Aces & 8s members soon joined 'The Hulkster' and stated that 2012 will only be remembered as the year "Aces & 8s were born" and 2013 as the year they were all revealed and unmasked, and when Hogan was in TNA no longer. But as they approached the ring Bully Ray ran out to Hogan's aid and chased them off, but Hogan still refused to acknowledge or appreciate Bully's help.
Kazarian brought out tag partner Christopher Daniels and as a Holiday treat arranged for Santa Claus to join him and ask what he wanted for Christmas this year. So after giving it much thought, Daniels asked for presents for AJ Style's kids as they'll be struggling at the moment. As usual Daniels and Kaz were on great form, especially the hilarious Daniels who when asked if he'd been good or not gave a priceless smug look to the camera. James Storm the also joined them and defended the Christmas season and what it means to children and super kicked Santa after failing to guess what he'd asked for Christmas last year. It was a fun segment all round.  
Tara (c) beat Mickie James to retain the Knockouts Championship in a passable contest. Decent enough displays from both women but nothing outstanding, I actually found myself loosing interest towards the end too. Tara gained the win after boyfriend Jesse distracted James, allowing her to grab a quick pinfall win.
Jeff Hardy (c) defeated Austin Aries to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Title in a solid main event. Once again these two worked brilliantly together, with great chemistry. Although not as exciting as their previously tremendous bouts, it's very hard to fault either man's efforts here. Worthy World Championship contest and the highlight of the night for sure. The finish came when Bobby Roode gained some revenge by attacking Aries which allowed Hardy to apply a Twist of Fate for the important victory. 
In the parking lot Hogan spotted Bully Ray and daughter Brooke Hogan making out. Hogan simply drove away, while the interviewer pricelessly exclaimed "Oh, shit!" An amusing end to the show. 

Wednesday 19 December 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 18th December 2012 Recap


CM Punk addresses the fans in the highlight of the night. Photo credit: WWE.com

The Miz introduced his guests for 'Miz TV' Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee, who were accompanied by Big E Langston. When asked why she screwed over Cena, AJ claimed that it was due to him toying with her emotions and stringing her along. Ziggler also added that it didn't matter that Cena won 'Superstar of the year' the previous night, because he'd stolen the show and his girlfriend anyway.
As Miz mocked the couple some more, Big E Langston decided enough was enough and clobbered the host. I really like the look of this new trio of Ziggler, AJ and Langston. Hopefully this is the start of Dolph moving to that next level and earning the World Title.
Teddy Long convinced Booker T backstage to give Brad Maddox a chance at earning a WWE contract against an unknown opponent.
Damien Sandow defeated Sin Cara in a fair bout. It wasn't anything exceptional but it was a worthy enough display from both men. During the match The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) made their way down and threw the absent Rey Mysterio's mask into the ring, distracting a concerned Sin Cara and allowing Sandow to apply his signature Terminus for the one-two-three.
Kofi Kingston and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) bested The Prime Time Players (Darren Young & Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a solid six-man tag contest. From the opening bell it was an enjoyable match up, with good displays (and acceptable ones from Young and O'Neil) from most men involved as everyone got a chance to have a go at the action in the ring.
WWE Champion CM Punk, accompanied by Paul Heyman, came to the ring and once again complained that the fans couldn't put their biased feelings aside and rightfully vote for him as 'Superstar of the year' at the Slammys. He also went on to state that he is the rightful WWE Champion and far superior to Cena, and had a go at him for giving  away what he felt was his award to Ric Flair the previous night on Raw, also truthfully (in a lot of cases) criticising the older wrestlers that make appearance to hog the spotlight for themselves and away from the younger wrestlers.
The champ also added that this time next year Heyman will still be holding his title belt high above his head because no one is able to beat him for it. Ryback then joined them both and warned that he had his sights set on Punk's championship on the first Raw of the new year when he'll be medically cleared.
Ryback beat Antonio Cesaro in a passable outing. It wasn't a bad bout by any means, Cesaro worked well here and Ryback looked okay, there was just nothing special about it. Pretty run of the mill for the most part. 
Kaitlyn won via DQ versus Eve (c) with the Divas Title on the line, therefore Eve retained. Like most Divas match ups it was a largely pedestrian encounter, with nothing that engaging about it at all. The disqualification came after Eve refused to let go of the referees leg.
Brodus Clay bested Brad Maddox in a drab affair. For the most part Clay dominated the attention-seeking Maddox, but at least this time in his try out match Maddox was allowed some offense. Afterwards The Shield came out and took out Clay, much like they did to Orton after he faced Maddox.
John Cena and Sheamus won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler and Big Show after Big E Langston once again ran in and attacked Cena. It was a very average main event, with nothing exceptional or original about it at all. Dolph was decent but that was about it. Even after everything he's been through over the last week Cena was still all smiles, he really cannot sell for his life.
Overall it was a largely mediocre show, with the highlights being the CM Punk promo and six-man tag match, but that was about it. One other positive to take away is the new trio of Langston, Ziggler and AJ, I personally really like the partnership and hope it helps boost Dolph. 

Tuesday 18 December 2012

My WWE Raw Slammy Awards, 17th December 2012 Recap


Flair leaps cat-like at Punk. Photo credit: WWE.com

Rey Mysterio bested Damian Sandow in a fair opener. The action was solid, I just wish they'd had some more time allocated for the match, as it was it didn't get the chance to really engage you. This didn't really do much for Sandow either, which seems a bit daft considering he just became a number one contender the night before, surely he could've earned even a cheap win with the help of Rhodes
Booker T presented the "Tell me I did not just see that" Moment of the year' award, which went to Kofi Kingston for his awesome handstand at this years Royal Rumble. After Booker announced the nominees, Boogeyman came on out to a healthy response from the fans and amusingly scared the hell out of Booker. 
Kaitlyn beat Eve in a pretty drab and forgettable match up. As usual you can skip the Divas action if you want, you won't miss much.
The New Age Outlaws Billy Gunn and Road Dogg presented the 'Comeback of the year' award to Jerry Lawler after his incredibly fast recovery from a heart attack.
Kofi Kingston defeated Tensai in a decent enough bout. Once again like the opener it should've had more time though, they didn't have a chance to make a real impact. Afterwards Kofi was taken out by a bitter Wade Barrett.
Vickie Guerrero presented the 'Kiss of the year' award to AJ Lee and John Cena, but before she handed it over she demanded an explanation from AJ for her actions at TLC, but AJ stated that she didn't owe anyone an explanation. As her and Vickie began arguing Dolph Ziggler split them up, so to get to Vickie AJ jumped on and snogged Ziggler.
The Great Khali beat David Otunga in a predictably drab and worthless bout. Were you expecting anything else?
Ric Flair presented the 'Superstar of the year' award to John Cena, but Cena instead gave it to 'The Nature Boy' who he felt deserved it more. WWE Champion CM Punk then also came out and listed off truthful reasons why Cena hadn't earned the award this year, and why he had instead. He also argued with Flair as to why he shouldn't have it too. Punk was on superb form here, and Flair retorted pretty well too.
Punk then went on to claim that he could still take out Flair on one leg, so the hall of famer made his way to the ring with Punk following. The WWE Champion then struck Flair with his crutch and cracked it over his back, but 'Nature Boy' wasn't out as he then poked Punk in the eyes and chucked him out of the ring and then applied a Figure Four on Paul Heyman.  
But the night wasn't over for Flair as The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) made their way to the ring and began fighting with Naitch until Team Hell No and Ryback made their way out to help chase the trio off. The four celebrated in the ring afterwards. 
Brodus Clay bested JTG in a rather average match up. It was the same old routine we've seen from Brodus numerous times. On the plus side for Clay at least he actually got a win here, mind you it was against JTG...
Santino Marella and Tensai presented the 'LOL Moment of the year' award to The Rock, but of course Rocky was absent so Santino accepted the award on his behalf. A frustrated Daniel Bryan then came out and screamed "No!" at the fans, so Kane had to come drag him away. During the presentation Santino made references to Tensai being called Albert previously, maybe they're thinking of switching Tensai back to that persona? I don't think it would do him any favours really.
Cody Rhodes defeated Sin Cara in a passable contest. Like most of the nights matches it felt a bit more like filler than anything meaningful, saying that I give Rhodes credit for a decent display here.
Zack Ryder and Layla presented the 'Trending now' award to Ryback. The back and fourth between Layla and Zack felt awkward. It's amazing to think of how red hot Ryder was this time last year. 
Big Show came to the ring and complained about the disrespect from the fans after retaining his World Championship at TLC. Sheamus soon joined him and admitted that Big Show was "the better man" in their great clash last Sunday and extended his hand, which Show accepted gracefully. But this didn't last as the giant then mocked the Irishman, so Sheamus beat him down with the huge Big Show steel chair and applied a Brogue Kick. Ziggler was then about to cash in his MITB contract, but was taken out by Cena to a chorus of boos.
Backstage a furious Ziggler then told Vickie that their relationship was over after failing to help him out, and that her jealousy of hid kiss with AJ was "old, tired and ugly. Just like you." Harsh! An upset Vickie then booked a match between her and Cena against Ziggler and AJ Lee. 
Tommy Dreamer, The Miz and Alberto Del Rio beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal) in an enjoyable six-man tag bout. The one night only return of Dreamer was unsurprisingly very well received by the fans in Philly. It wasn't the most technically great match but it was simply a fun watch with an enthusiastic crowd, and although I've never been a massive fan it was a nice nostalgia trip to see Dreamer back.
Sheamus presented the 'Newcomer of the year' award to Ryback, who quoted the late great Owen Hart by saying that "enough is enough, it's time for change." It's an appropriate quote for the award winner, and I'd like to see him talk more normally like that in the future.
Ryback won via count out versus Antonio Cesaro in a solid match up. In one of Ryback's best singles matches to date, both men worked well together, with (my personal 'Newcomer of the year') Cesaro as usual delivering in the ring with great technical skill and power. The count out came after the US Champion had enough and left the ring.
'Mean' Gene Okerlund, Jim Ross and Ricky 'The Dragon' Steamboat presented the 'Match of the year' award to Triple H versus The Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVIII. That was also my personal match of the year. Triple H accepted the award, with his far better shorter haircut, and announced that we have not seen the last of The Undertaker
Backstage we witnessed The Shield take out Tommy Dreamer and Ricardo Rodriguez who came to his aid.
AJ Lee had a ladder set up in the ring, and was about to reveal the reason behind her attack on Cena at TLC until Vickie Guerrero interrupted her, claiming that no one was interested anyway.
John Cena and Vickie Guerrero versus Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee ended in a disqualification. It was a pretty worthless main event really, with nothing to grip you about it. I wasn't expecting much at all and was not disappointed. The DQ came after Big E Langston from NXT, led by AJ, came down and took out Cena. This maybe would've had more impact if it'd been further from the Shield's debut, and a bigger talent than Langston.
Overall it was a pretty average Raw, with hardly any substantial entertainment. For some reason most matches had to be rushed, if they'd just cut a couple of the less necessary Slammy awards they could've allocated more time to actual wrestling. The highlight of the night for me was the great promo between Punk and Flair, the six-man tag was also a fairly fun watch. 

Monday 17 December 2012

My WWE TLC 2012 Recap


My insane spot of the night, Rollins crashing into the tables behind. Photo credit: WWE.com

Team Rhodes Scholars (Damien Sandow & Cody Rhodes) defeated Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in a Tables Match to become number one contenders to the Tag Team Title. Good choice to start the show with here, a solid match with a decent amount of weapon use but not too much to make it overkill and wear off the effect of it.
While it maybe wasn't as exciting as I thought it'd be, the action was consistent throughout and I can't fault the efforts of any of the four wrestlers. They managed to keep things interesting with just use of the tables too. For the finish Rhodes ran in and pushed Sin Cara from the top rope as he was about to spring off at Sandow, causing him to fall back into one of the two tables left behind at ringside.
Antonio Cesaro (c) bested R-Truth to retain the United States Championship in an enjoyable enough contest, if a bit pedestrian. In their best match to date both men worked well together, although it wasn't anything that out of this world. Afterwards Cesaro turned the tables on the fans in Brooklyn by claiming that by booing him as US Champion, they're booing their own country. He has really brought that title back to relevance. 
The Miz brought out 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) as his guests on 'Miz TV'. After Miz mocked the fairly amusing trio, 3MB announced that they would finally be performing their debut song live at the Slammy Awards on Monday night. They then made their way to the Spanish announce desk, taking offense at them for not speaking English.
Ricardo Rodriguez then came out to the commentators aid, but unfortunately for him began getting beaten up by the band. This cued Alberto Del Rio to race out to protect his personal ring announcer, which again led to him getting beaten on by the trio, until Miz decided to lend a hand when Slater pushed him aside. After chucking them out of the ring, 3MB challenged Del Rio and Miz to find a third man to face them in a six-man tag match that night. Miz and Del Rio accepted. The fans also chanted for Ryder to be that third man later on. The reception for the possible face turn for Del Rio was positive, and he certainly needs a big shake up with his stale persona. It's good to see 3MB getting some time on PPV too, they've been fading a bit as of late. 
Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Wade Barrett to retain the Intercontinental Title in a largely stellar bout. Both men worked hard here and provided an engaging match up once it got going in the second half, with Barrett particularly impressing with an above average performance for him. The bout also contained impressive maneuvers and nice near falls. 
WWE Champion CM Punk addressed all the fans from his own personal sky box in the arena, where he spoke of his disgust for Brooklyn and its inhabitants. He went on to also claim that TLC was his environment and that had he been competing he would have easily defeated Ryback.
The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns) beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Ryback in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. And what an awesome match this was. From the opening bell the action came thick and fast, with every weapon utilised well and the excitement coming at you with terrific spot after terrific spot. Every man delivered here, even Reigns who I wasn't too convinced with from what I've seen of him so far. But the most insane moment went to Rollins who was thrown from the tope of a huge ladder by Ryback onto some stacked tables behind. The winning pin came after Ambrose and Reigns powerbombed Bryan through a table in the ring. Very satisfying match, great stuff.
Eve (c) bested Naomi to retain the Divas Championship in a forgettable and pretty worthless match up. Naomi showed off some of her athletic skills but there was no substance behind it and she looked quite uncomfortable and nervous when actually wrestling. So the Divas division is poorer than it's ever been and what do they do to improve it? Nothing. They just make it worse by throwing in an opponent for Eve to easily defeat for no good reason. At least if they'd had Natalya or Tamina face Eve it would've been a half decent outing.
Big Show (c) defeated Sheamus to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a Chairs Match. And yet again these two delivered on PPV with a solid back and fourth battle. Although maybe not as exciting as their last match up it was still solid throughout, and a high note to end their feud on if it is now over.
For the finish Show brought out a huge steel chair and walloped 'The Great White' on the back with it for the one-two-three. I'm glad to also see a clean win here for the giant, just gives the champion and the title itself more worth. My only issue was the fact that this wasn't the main event. It's the only World Title match on the card, it should without a doubt be the main event of the show, and you can't argue that it didn't deserve that slot. I was also personally hoping for Ziggler to cash in here and then have to (and successfully) defend the World Championship in the main event against Cena, that would've made sense.
The Miz, Alberto Del Rio and The Brooklyn Brawler beat 3MB (Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre) in a mostly drab six-man tag bout. Just before the match Miz announced Brooklyn Brawler as their third man, which received a fair response from the crowd, although I'm certain Ryder would've been a more popular (and smarter) choice. It was just all very average really, nothing that engaging or exceptional to take away from it. 
Dolph Ziggler defeated John Cena to retain his MITB contract in a Ladder Match, and a disappointing main event. Now don't get me wrong it wasn't a bad match, I was just personally expecting a lot more from this one. I thought this was going to be the match of the night, but I just didn't find myself getting as excited or engaged by it as the great TLC match from earlier. Both men put in worthy efforts so I feel a bit guilty for slating it a bit, it was enjoyable and is worth a watch, just don't expect a classic ladder match. 
For the finish Vickie Guerrero came down to the ring to halt Cena from getting up onto a ladder, this cued nemesis AJ Lee to then take out Vickie by imitating Cena's usual routine, awfully, I mean it was cringe-worthingly bad, and send her on her way. But as Cena then went to grab the briefcase AJ pushed the ladder over which allowed Dolph to superkick Cena and grab his MITB briefcase back. If I'm honest, I'm not even that interested in AJ's reason she'll come up with tomorrow night for doing this, I would've rather seen another wrestler that could gain something here screw Cena over myself.
Overall TLC was a pretty enjoyable event for the most part. With all the weapons-related match ups providing good entertainment, especially the terrific TLC match itself. The Divas contest just felt like a waste of time and did absolutely no favours for the division. The US and IC Title clashes were decent enough, with the Kofi versus Barrett encounter edging it. 

Sunday 16 December 2012

My WWE TLC 2012 Predictions

Photo credit: WWE.com

Pre show Divas Battle Royale - Layla versus Kaitlyn versus Alicia Fox versus Natalya versus Tamina Snuka versus Aksana versus Rosa Mendes versus Cameron versus Naomi:

Expecting the usual forgettable battle royale here, but with the current crop of Divas, so even more forgettable, and possibly uncomfortable to watch. The only thing eventful I could see happening here is if there's a surprise entrant (AJ?) turning up, otherwise Kaitlyn's the only one I really see winning it with her current run. 

Winner: Kaitlyn

#1 Contendership Tables Match - Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) versus Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara:

My guess for opener of the night, with a solid tables match to get the crowd going. I'm expecting good things here, and possibly a horribly entertaining botch from Mr. Cara at some point. While there has been no actual build up between the two teams leading into the event I'm looking forward to it, with four guys (especially Rhodes and Mysterio) that should put on good displays here and work an exciting tag match. Team Rhodes Scholars are the obvious choice to win and face Team Hell No next month at Royal Rumble for me. 

Winners: Team Rhodes Scholars

Intercontinental Championship Match - Kofi Kingston (c) versus Wade Barrett:

Should be a worthy enough contest over the title, with Kofi's recent good form and hopefully some hard work from Barrett (not having a go, his matches just don't always deliver with excitement). The result was tricky for me to predict, but I'm going with Kofi to retain. To be honest there's no particularly reason I just see that as most likely.

Winner: Kofi Kingston

United States Championship Match - Antonio Cesaro (c) versus R-Truth:

Again should be a decent title clash, but going by their recent outings I'm not expecting anything that spectacular. I'm hoping, and think that Cesaro will retain here. He's been on great form lately and deserves to move beyond the frankly quite stale R-Truth now. 

Winner: Antonio Cesaro

Money in the Bank Ladder Match - Dolph Ziggler versus John Cena:

I'm quite optimistic for this one, and I can see both men delivering the goods on the night. To be fair to Cena he has had a good track record with ladder matches in the past, and I expect something typically "Holy sh*t!" from the 'Show Off'. Ziggler needs to retain the contract here on PPV after loosing to Cena over the last few weeks, although I can no way see him winning fairly. Never. Someone is going to aid Dolph. The Shield? The possibly returning Mark Henry? I'm not too sure, but someone. 

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championship Chairs Match - The Big Show (c) versus Sheamus:

Again I'm quite looking forward to this bout, with both men delivering surprisingly entertaining matches on the last two pay-per-views. This feud has far exceeded what I expected it to be, and Big Show has been a great heel for me. In fact I can't remember him being on better form. Quite a lot of fans have speculated that Ziggler will cash in here to mirror last year when Daniel Bryan memorably cashed in to become World Champion at the same event. I can't see it myself, or I possibly think that Ziggler will attempt to but once again be thwarted somehow. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait for Dolph to finally do it, I just don't see it happening here but at WrestleMania next year to really make a statement. What better stage for 'The Show Off'? Oh, and Show to win via dubious circumstances once again.

Winner: Big Show

Tables, Ladders and Chairs Tag Team Match - Ryback and Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) versus The Shield (Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose): 

Ah the main event, and an interesting one for sure. Shield have to be victorious here, have to. It would seriously cut their momentum short if they were defeated here I reckon. I can see a new member possibly joining them tonight too, maybe Brad Maddox? I can see Shield someone preventing Ryback from coming out straight away, beating on Bryan and Kane and then taking on the wrath of their hungry nemesis. Then again I could see this as a simple back and fourth encounter, who knows? This one is really an open book. Plus we have WWE Champion CM Punk at ringside, so he'll be playing a part here somehow. 

Winners: The Shield





Friday 14 December 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 14th December 2012 Recap


Big Show beat R-Truth in a largely drab match up. The bout didn't really get interesting until the final few minutes, and it wasn't a great effort by either man. During the match Sheamus pushed over Antonio Cesaro (they both provided guest commentary) as he was about to strike Truth, so after the bell rang Cesaro barged the Irishman into Show, causing the World Champion to complain to Booker T backstage that Sheamus had broken the no contact clause of their TLC contract. But the GM was having none of it and accused Show of being scared of 'The Great White'.
Damien Sandow announced that he was ending his search for an apprentice since his friend Cody Rhodes was back from injury, then reintroduced his Team Rhodes Scholars partner. I'm quite disappointed, I really enjoyed his apprentice search segments. The Usos then interrupted Rhodes speech for their upcoming tag bout.
Team Rhodes Scholars defeated Jimmy & Jey Uso in a fair tag team contest. The wrestling was solid throughout, there was just a lack of genuine interest in the match.
Big Show enlisted the legal advice of David Otunga and came to the ring to dispute Booker's decision in not cancelling the World Title match this Sunday, with Otunga threatening to take it to the WWE Board of Directors. Booker soon came out and told them to go right ahead and waste the Board of Director's time with the issue. Sheamus also stormed on out to the ring with a steel chair in hand and was ready to strike a startled Big Show, who suddenly decided to then change his mind and take back his charges. A happy Sheamus then decided to Brogue Kick Otunga for good measure. 
Backstage we witnessed The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins) take out Randy Orton before a scheduled interview. I guess this gives them an excuse for Orton to be off the TLC card.
Kaitlyn bested Aksana in a forgettable and mediocre bout. The crowd were indifferent to it, as were the commentary team of JBL and Josh Matthews as they bickered throughout the match.
The Miz introduced his guests for the latest installment of 'Miz TV', Team Hell No, with both Kane and Daniel Bryan promising to deliver retribution in their TLC match against The Shield this Sunday. The duo wer then interrupted by another message from The Shield on the big screen. Once again Ambrose and Rollins delivered well here, but Reigns still seems a bit stiff. Kane eventually challenged the trio to come to the ring right there and then, so they accepted, but as they made their way down Ryback appeared, which scared them off.
Tyson Kidd, Just Gabriel, Hornswaggle and The Great Khali beat Epico, Primo, Titus O'Neil and Darren Young in a pedestrian eight-man tag match. Kidd, Epico and Primo were about the only decent performers in the ring here, with some worthless comedy sequences involving Hornswaggle and awful action as usual from Khali. Afterwards the victors managed to clear the ring of their opponents. 
Kofi Kingston defeated Alberto Del Rio in a solid encounter. Both men gave worthy displays here and worked hard to provide a very enjoyable bout, pulling out moves you don't tend to see often from them too. It was the best match of the night, although that wasn't that hard an achievement. Afterwards Wade Barrett attempted to clothesline Kofi, but the IC Champion instead ducked and applied a Trouble in Paradise to his TLC opponent. 
Antonio Cesaro won via count out versus Sheamus in a fair main event. The match itself had been a fun watch for the most part, much like the last time they fought it contained solid action and nice exchanges. The only downside was the contest being cut short when Big Show beat down Sheamus' good friend William Regal with a chair on the stage, causing 'The Great White' to leave the ring to check on him and be counted out.
Just before this they repeated the whole of Sheamus' match with Ziggler from this weeks Raw. Don't get me wrong, it was an entertaining match, but why not instead give Sheamus and Cesaro more deserved time and have Show beat down Regal later on? Strange.
Overall it was a pretty lacklustre show, which is extremely poor considering you're heading into a PPV two days later. The only matches worth noting are Kingston vs Del Rio and Team Rhodes Scholars vs The Usos, apart from them, the very end and the 'Miz TV' segment it was a very forgettable broadcast. I feel like I've been saying that far too much about the blue brand lately.

My Impact Wrestling, 13th December 2012 Recap


Hardy takes flight against Aces & 8s. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

An angry Bobby Roode demanded answers from Aces & 8s since they failed to help him win the World Title last Sunday at Final Resolution after he'd paid them to. Devon and a few other gang members soon joined him and explained that a better offer had come along, and refused to tell Roode who from. As Devon and Doc then approached the ring Jeff Hardy and James Storm ran out and chased them off, which to be honest made the gang look pretty pathetic, running scared of only two guys.
Velvet Sky defeated Madison Rayne in a passable Knockouts outing. To give them credit it was actually a lot more competent and fun than I was anticipating, considering both women are not normally as solid as the other female talent on the roster.  
Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff bested Robbie E and Robbie T in a largely pedestrian tag bout. There wasn't anything exceptional about the match, but although I've never been a fan I have to say that Garett is showing signs of improvement in the ring.
We were then shown a VT of the popular Joseph Parks training to become a wrestler in training ground OVW. His persona is such a nice contrast compared to most, with his endearing down to earth qualities. 
James Storm and Jeff Hardy beat Doc and an unknown Aces & 8s member in a solid tag contest. From start to finish the action was on point and engaging, plus the crowd in attendance were thoroughly into it. My only issue was during the match four masked members of Aces & 8s (including Devon) came running in and in a comedy-fashion missed both Storm and Hardy every time and were chucked out by the duo. It just looked foolish for the once formidable and dangerous gang. 
Afterwards Devon then announced that Austin Aries was the man who paid them off to not aid Roode in the World Title match. We then witnessed an infuriated Roode backstage complaining at Hulk Hogan to sort the situation out. Right on cue Aries then called Hogan and informed him that he'll be there later on in the broadcast. 
AJ Styles came to the ring and stated that he was tired of being "the corporate janitor" for TNA and decided enough was enough and that he was going to do "my own thing" from now on and take care of himself. On his way out of the building Dixie Carter confronted him about the speech, only to have AJ throw his T-Shirt at her.
Kenny King defeated Rob Van Dam in a far superior outing to their match at Final Resolution. The action wasn't as clumsy and it was a fun ride from the opening bell. Both men gave great efforts, especially RVD who gave a performance much better and more inspired than he normally does in TNA.   
Bully Ray beat Jesse in a largely average affair. For the most part the upset Bully dominated and took out his frustration on his opponent, but Jesse did have a fair bit of offense in there so at least he wasn't completely squashed. Jesse still has a fair bit of work to do in the ring, but he's looking fairly competent for his amount of experience.
Austin Aries explained that he's been targeting Hogan as of late because he blamed him of pitting him against Aces & 8s with no rewards and then jumping on the "Jeff Hardy bandwagon." Hardy himself then joined AA and said that if he wanted a shot at him all he had to do was ask, then challenged him to a title clash at Championship Thursday next week. But Aries claimed that he only does things on his own schedule, so in response Hardy attacked Aries and applied a Twist of Fate before AA managed to get away. I'm hoping the match happens, they've had great contests so far, although chances are Roode will screw Aries as payback.
Overall it was a pretty unmemorable Impact, with only the Storm & Hardy vs Aces & 8s and King vs RVD bouts bringing anything exciting to the table. I also enjoyed Style's promo and appreciate the new direction he's taking, his slow heel turn has actually made sense. The rest of the show was quite run of the mill for me. 

Tuesday 11 December 2012

My WWE Raw, 10th December 2012 Recap


Ryback launches a ladder at The Shield in the spot of the night. Photo credit: WWE.com

Dolph Ziggler kicked off the show on top of a ladder where he rightfully berated Cena for being given title shot after title shot by McMahon even though he lost when he cashed in his MITB contract. He also bragged that it didn't matter since he'll retain his contract at TLC anyway. Sheamus then joined 'The Show Off' and made a lame joke about his height, then claimed that himself and Cena will win their respective bouts on Sunday which will lead to a World Title clash between them. 
World Champion Big Show then called both men "Delusional" for thinking that they could beat him. Sheamus then decided to take his frustration for Show out on Ziggler instead, since he signed a no contact clause contract with him, and pushed Dolph off of the ladder, which seemed like a needless risk to me. It was an okay start to the show, nothing that special. My only issue with Ziggler having to defend his MITB contract against Cena is that surely in that position he would attempt to cash it in beforehand so he didn't have to defend it, right? 
For the second week in a row Vince McMahon convinced Vickie Guerrero to book a few matches for the show, which included Ziggler versus Sheamus and herself versus AJ Lee, which went down very well. The segment was better than last weeks between the two, but still not great.
R-Truth beat Wade Barrett in an average match up. Unfortunately the two weren't allocated enough time to really get going, which seemed odd considering the bookers should be really be trying to hype the US and Intercontinental Championship bouts at TLC all they can. Truth grabbed the one-two-three with a quick roll up. Kingston then applied a top rope cross body to Barrett afterwards for good measure.
Team Rhodes Scholars (Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow) bested Jimmy & Jey Uso, the Prime Time Players (Titus O'Neil & Darren Young) and Epic & Primo in a four-way elimination tag match. On the whole it was a fun watch, with worthy efforts especially from both Usos and Team Rhodes Scholars. It's good to see that WWE are still getting behind their tag division, I hope it continues. Amusingly the fans began chanting "Cody's moustache" during the bout, Cody's new facial hair does look pretty daft, and hasn't Movember passed? 
Eve defeated Alicia Fox in a passable Divas contest. Alicia looked decent here, and by that I mean she provided something a bit different from most other female performers in the company with her athleticism. Afterwards Eve quite funnily posed in the ring with the beaten Fox as a ringside photographer snapped a few shots. 
WWE Champion CM Punk came out on crutches due to his recent leg surgery and confirmed that it was all very real and in no way a hoax to get out of defending his title. Paul Heyman also grabbed the mic and compared Punk to The Rock, who he accused of just using a stunt double and staying in his trailer on a movie set rather than getting stuck into the real action like Punk. So the trash talking has begun, this feud should be something very special. CM Punk then announced that he will be present at the TLC pay-per-view to watch The Shield take out Ryback. As usual it was great work from both men.
Sheamus won via disqualification versus Dolph Ziggler in an exciting bout. Both men, who have been on terrific form this year, provided a solid back and fourth match up. Oddly for the first half it was as if Sheamus was the heel and Ziggler the face as Dolph had to fight back 'The Great White' as he aimed for his injured leg, but the roles reversed back later on. The DQ came after Ziggler struck Sheamus with a steel chair, but the Irishman then countered 'The Show Off' as he Brogue Kicked the chair out of Ziggler's hands and scared him off.
Alberto Del Rio bested Zack Ryder in a decent enough outing. Neither man was outstanding here, but they gave an enjoyable bout for the most part. The crowd of Ryder's home state of New York also helped provide a good atmosphere by firmly getting behind the Internet Champion.
Vickie Guerrero beat AJ Lee in a worthless match up. As both women waited for a referee, Brad Maddox came on out in a referee attire and aided Vickie in the win by refusing to count AJ's pinfall attempt.
Why on earth would Maddox help out the woman that put him against Randy Orton last week and not the one that gave him a job on Raw in the first place? It makes absolutely no sense, it's like something Vince Russo would've put together. And the match itself was just plain bad, is this WWE's idea of helping to improve their poor ratings as of late?   Afterwards AJ went on a rampage as she tore through some of the set around the ring and backstage until John Cena calmed her down.
Antonio Cesaro defeated Kofi Kingston in a solid and eventful contest. The fist half was decent enough, but it was the second half where it really picked up as both men began putting together some great sequences and got the previously indifferent crowd into the match. Cesaro will be a future big name in the company.
The Miz presented an entertaining 'Miz TV' with guests Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, where he (along with the fans) mocked Cody's 'tache, claiming that it'd maybe rubbed off of Sandow's beard. He also tried to drive a wedge between the two, but failed as they had enough and left. All three men were on good form, especially Cody who's cheesy expressions and enthusiastic delivery of his lines were tremendous.   
Big Show versus John Cena ended as a no contest after The Shield ran and began attacking Cena. The main event had ranged from pretty drab to fair once it got going and began picking up some pace. To be fair it was better than I'd expected, so I'll take that.
Team Hell No and Sheamus (who was accidentally given the Ryback graphics for his entrance, oops) also raced in afterwards to get some retribution on Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns and Ziggler, but this didn't last too long as Show decided to also make his way back to help take out Cena. Ryback then predictably came out threw a ladder at The Shield trio from the outside of the ring, which looked very effective actually. Everyone was brawling in and around the ring as the show went off the air.
Overall it was an enjoyable Raw for the most part, with the exception of the awful Vickie vs AJ match and Barrett vs Truth bout, which should've had more time. Other than that most of the show was a fun watch, with my main highlights being the 'Miz TV' segment, Cesaro vs Kingston, Punk and Heyman promo and the great Ziggler vs Sheamus contest. 

Monday 10 December 2012

My TNA Final Resolution 2012 Recap


Daniels applies the match-winning Styles Clash. Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

James Storm asked that Bobby Roode come on out to get his comeuppance after clearly paying Aces & 8s on last weeks Impact to attack both him and Hardy in the ring. But instead Kazarian joined 'The Cowboy' and accused him of being the biggest whiner in the company after AJ Styles and an alcoholic. Storm retorted by mocking Kaz a bit and then challenging him to a fight right there and then, so a referee made his way out and a brawl began. It was a fun start to the show, with the crowd eating up every word Storm had to say.
James Storm defeated Kazarian in a decent enough encounter. The action was solid for the most part, my only issue was the time allocated and the lack of it. I feel these two deserved a bit more to really deliver a more memorable match up.
Rob Van Dam (c) beat Kenny King to retain the X Division Title in a match that ranged from fair to average. Unfortunately too many sloppy moments spoilt the contest for me a bit, there were a few nice sequences between the two but it wasn't anything special. Leading into it I was actually expecting more, which is rare for me with a Van Dam match nowadays. At least the crowd in attendance seemed to like it with scattered chants of "This is awesome!" Easily pleased fans I guess.
Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez (c) won via DQ versus Matt Morgan and Joey Ryan, thereby retaining the TNA Tag Team Championship. The bout was largely passable, with solid enough wrestling but nothing that inspiring. Chavo and Hernandez gave the top displays here. The disqualification came after Morgan dragged the referee from out of the ring after Chavo had applied a Frog Splash to Ryan.
Austin Aries bested Bully Ray in a highly enjoyable contest. Both men gave terrific efforts here and clearly wanted to steal the show, especially Bully who gave one of his finest performances I've ever seen in a singles match. For the finish Hulk Hogan had to drag away daughter Brooke, who'd ran down to check on a bloodied Bully, which then gave Aries a chance to low blow Ray and grab the one-two-three. I have a feeling that AA and Brooke are having a fling and secretly plotting against Hogan and Bully here, just a theory.
Tara (c) beat Mickie James to retain the TNA Knockouts Championship in a worthy effort by both women. As expected with these two the action was above average from what you get from most female wrestlers nowadays in the US, as they actually take real pride in their craft and have worked hard on it over the years. Next up for Tara is the makeup covered Velvet Sky, so expect the quality to drop.
Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe, Wes Brisco and Garett Bischoff beat Aces & 8s (Devon, Doc and two unknown members) in an eight-man tag match that didn't really get going until later on. For the majority it was a pretty lacklustre outing, with disappointing action that wasn't particularly engaging at all.
It wasn't until Joe made a hot tag to Angle that things livened up and all eight men scrambled in the ring, applying their respective signature maneuvers. As Doc then went for Angle with a hammer Garett jumped in to stop him, and Wes then clumsily speared a masked gang member out of the ring, which I'm sure will turn out to be a save as surely Wes is a member of the Aces & 8s too.
Christopher Daniels defeated AJ Styles in a terrific back and fourth match of the night. As standard with these two the action was technically faultless, with great sequences and drama to be had. Unfortunately my only gripe was the slight lack of intensity and heat, which I can only put down to the sheer number of times we've seen these two face each other.
I'm not having a go at either man, their matches have always been entertaining, but there's only so much of a good thing that you can take before you start to loose interest, and the lack of enthusiasm from the fans in attendance was also proof of that here. That could also be down to the fact that it's hard to believe that this really is their final ever encounter, I mean, we've heard that before. Daniels gained the victory by applying Styles' own finisher the Styles Clash after AJ took a dangerous fall from the top rope. 
Jeff Hardy (c) bested Bobby Roode to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in an intense and enjoyable main event. Both wrestlers worked hard and it certainly paid off as they delivered a worthy World title match, battling back and fourth with effective near falls and an excited crowd. While the build up wasn't anything outstanding I predicted that it'd be a good contest at least, which it was. During the bout Aces & 8s made their way out, but just stood there. After the bell rang they then proceeded to take out Hardy and an infuriated Roode, who had presumedly paid them off to help him win the strap.
Overall Final Resolution was a successful event, with a few match ups that were really memorable but most that I could give or take. The main event, Daniels vs Styles and Bully Ray vs Aries were the highlights for me, providing high quality bouts that you've come to expect from TNA pay-per-views over the last few months. The rest of the card was still decent enough and I couldn't call one match bad, so I can't complain. 

Friday 7 December 2012

My WWE SmackDown, 7th December 2012 Recap


SmackDown GM Booker T announced that due to the aggressive nature of Big Show and Sheamus' feud he has placed a no contact rule in their World Championship match contract for TLC. He then brought out both Big Show and Sheamus to sign their contracts for next Sunday's clash. Show warned Sheamus that the Chairs match was going to be the worst thing to ever happen to him, and promised that it will "change you forever."
After some more heated exchanges Big Show threw the table into Sheamus and quickly signed the contract, preventing 'The Great White' from touching him. Amusingly Show then did a little attempt at an Irish jig in delight at his sneaky tactic. Booker T then calmed Sheamus down by booking him in a match with Del Rio later on, and Big Show against Daniel Bryan next. It was an enjoyable segment to start the show. This feud has pleasantly surprised me a great deal, I can't remember the last time Show was this entertaining.  
Big Show defeated Daniel Bryan in a mostly solid match up. As usual these two worked well together and put in fine displays, the bout peaked towards the end as Bryan started to mount a comeback. Unfortunately the comeback was short lived as The Shield made their way down to the ring, distracting Bryan and allowing Show to choke slam him from the top rope for the one-two-three.
Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns then predictably began taking out Bryan after Big Show had left. Kane then made his way out shortly to help out his tag partner, but once again the trio managed to overpower him and eventually powerbombed 'The Big Red Monster' through the announce desk. It made a nice change seeing The Shield on the blue brand too, and I'm personally looking forward to their six-man TLC match against Ryback and Team Hell No next Sunday.
Damien Sandow once again challenged a member of the audience to three questions, and if answered correctly (which they were not on this occasion) then said fan would become his apprentice. As standard Sandow was amusing and charismatic in the challenge, which I look forward to every week now. The Miz then joined Sandow and mocked the 'Intellectual Saviour of the masses', leaving him speechless. Miz is continuing to be a successful face so far.
3MB (Drew McIntyre, Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Jimmy & Jay Uso and Brodus Clay in an unremarkable tag bout. For the most part it was pretty run of the mill really, until the final minute when one of the Usos went flying to the outside. McIntyre then scored the win after applying a Future Shock DDT. 
Randy Orton bested Wade Barrett in a decent encounter. Although they've had better match ups it still contained good action, and I can't fault their efforts here. As I've said before I feel a heel turn for Orton is really needed for his growingly stale persona as of late, and I'm sure many fans out there feel the same.
The Great Khali and Hornswaggle beat Epico and Primo in a poor comedy tag match. For me personally these matches and segments involving Khali and Hornswaggle provide no form of entertainment, and are taking away time from real potential talent. The underutilised talents of Epico and Primo deserve better than this kind of treatment too.
Antonio Cesaro as standard ran down America in the ring, this time mocking an image of Dusty Rhodes back in his prime. Future challenger to his title R-Truth then interrupted him and gave a speech on how he was proud of all the hard working people of the US, his promo wasn't anything special but the patriotic pandering pleased the crowd. In retaliation Cesaro called Truth "delusional" for thinking that he'll defeat him for the US Championship at TLC. This then resulted in Truth beating on Cesaro and chasing him away.
Sheamus defeated Alberto Del Rio in a very enjoyable main event. Both men put in worthy efforts and provided a match that exceeded my expectations and was plenty of fun to watch, which is the main thing right? Del Rio even pulled out a couple of nicely executed moonsaults for good measure, CM Punk should take note. During the bout Big Show made his way out and then afterwards attempted to bait 'The Great White' into striking him, but Sheamus wasn't to be fooled as he instead threw Ricardo Rodriguez into Show's crotch, thereby not breaking the conditions of the no contact clause. Big Show's grimacing face was great.
Overall I found it to be an enjoyable and largely solid show, with the main event, Sandow challenge and Big Show vs Bryan bout being the highlights. Unfortunately the Khali & Hornswaggle versus Epico & Primo match, which was a waste of time, and the 3MB tag match which was pretty forgettable, let the show down a bit. Otherwise I liked it, and am still enjoying the Big Show and Sheamus feud.

My Impact Wrestling, 6th December 2012 Recap


Bobby Roode, Kazarian and Christopher Daniels each took a turn to brag about their predicted upcoming victories at Final Resolution this Sunday, with Daniels also calling out AJ Styles, who made his way to the ring. Styles claimed that even on his worst day and Daniel's best, he's still better than him in the ring. 'The Fallen Angel' retorted by simply calling AJ a "looser" with his recent records, with no one to blame but himself.
This prompted an angered Styles to begin attacking Daniels, which of course led to a three on one attack until Jeff Hardy and James Storm came out to save their tag partner for later on. It was a fair segment to start the show, nothing outstanding or that original.
Devon defeated Samoa Joe (c) to obtain the TNA Television Championship in a passable title contest. The action was solid enough throughout and it was a fair effort from both men, although certainly neither ones finest, it just never really got that engaging. For the finish Doc struck Joe with a hammer while the referee was distracted, allowing Devon to grab the one-two-three and the strap.   
Mickie James thanked all her friends, family and fans for their support during her absence and also promised to win the Knockouts Title this Sunday. The champ herself Tara and partner Jesse then joined her and bragged about the amazing year she'd had, but was soon interrupted by the returning Velvet Sky. Sky received a healthy response from the fans, and warned both ladies that 2013 will be her year as Knockouts Champion. I feel the return of Sky overshadowed Mickie's title challenge personally, and think it should've waited until after Final Resolution where it would've had more impact without everything else going on between Tara and James.
Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez bested Robbie E and Robbie T in a largely average tag bout. The first two thirds were pretty pedestrian really, with nothing that special from all four men. Fortunately the final few minutes picked up the pace and excitement and it was a fun finish. Afterwards Matt Morgan then attacked both Chavo and Hernandez while his tag partner Joey Ryan cockily predicted their title victory this Sunday.
In an awful piece of production Chavo and Hernandez were then cut off by Kurt Angle's entrance music as they were giving a promo backstage. There's no excuse for something that foolish happening, and what makes it worse is it isn't the first time it's occurred in TNA.
Kurt Angle won via disqualification versus Doc after other members of Aces & 8s ran in to take out Angle. The match itself was a mixed bag, with quite a few sloppy moments (which is out of character for an Angle bout) but a decent enough second half to help salvage it a bit. On the whole it was fairly unmemorable really. Garett Bischoff, Wes Brisco and Samoa Joe all raced out to Angle's aid and chased off the gang members, which prompted Angle to challenge Aces & 8s to an eight-man tag match at Final Resolution between them four and any four members of their group.  
Kenny King bested Zema Ion and Kid Kash in a terrific Triple Threat match to become number one contender for the X Division Title. The displays from all three men were solid and they clearly went out to deliver the top match of the night, which instead turned out to be the main event, but I'm getting to that in a bit. The action came fast and brought plenty of excitement, which is exactly what the X Division should do. 
Bully Ray once again demanded that Hogan put him and Aries together in a match, and wouldn't leave until he received it. Austin Aries then came out and accused Bully of pretending he wanted to face him for the sake of his love interest Brooke Hogan, and sat comfortably in a chair until Hulk Hogan joined them and eventually decided to put Bully and AA in a match at Final Resolution after being convinced by his daughter Brooke.
Jeff Hardy, James Storm and AJ Styles defeated Christopher Daniels, Kazarian and Bobby Roode in a terrific six-man tag contest. I really can't think of a fault with the match here, the action was just solid throughout and everyone involved deserves credit, especially Styles who was superb. Great way to end the show on a strong outing like this.
Impact was for the most part was pretty average and forgettable for me. The tremendous main event and Triple Threat match ups managed to make it worth watching, so I certainly can't fault the entire show. At least the lead ups to Final Resolution made sense, even if I'm not particularly that excited for it, which is a poor sign for a show that's meant to encourage you to purchase the PPV.