My WWE SmackDown, 30th November 2012 Recap

John Cena kicked off the show by explaining that he was make a rare appearance on the blue brand because he wanted to see his current foe Ziggler take on Sheamus up close. Alberto Del Rio then joined him and warned Cena that he was on his show. After some more bragging Del Rio inevitably landed himself in a match with Cena right there and then. It wasn't a great segment to start the show, but could've been worse. 

John Cena defeated Alberto Del Rio in a bout that ranged from average to decent enough. For the most part it was pretty pedestrian, with the usual Cena routine of rising from a state of almost out to suddenly full of life to thwart Del Rio, who fortunately managed to save it a bit with a worthy display. But on the whole it was pretty forgettable. Afterwards Ziggler decided to show up and clobbered Cena with his MITB briefcase from behind. 

The Great Khali beat David Otunga in a nothing squash match. It was honestly a waste of time.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) and Kofi Kingston defeated The Prime Time Players (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) and Wade Barrett in a decent six-man tag contest. From start to finish the action was solid, and most importantly it was a fun watch. Kane and Bryan seem to also be on the same side now after their attack from The Shield on this Monday's Raw.

Damien Sandow announced that after failing to impart his wisdom onto the WWE fan base, he was now going to instead pick out members of the crowd and teach them individually. So he asked a fan in attendance three questions, and if answered correctly (which they weren't) then the person in question would become Sandow's apprentice. It was an amusing segment, Sandow as usual oozed charisma and humour on the mic. I wouldn't object to this becoming a regular occurrence. 

Damien Sandow bested Tyson Kidd in a brief but enjoyable enough outing. Both men gave solid displays. Nothing to complain about here really, except more time would've been nice.

3MB (Heath Slater and Jinder Mahal) beat Jimmy & Jay Uso in a fair tag contest. A watchable match but pretty pedestrian, Mahal edged it as the best performer.

Sheamus won via DQ versus Dolph Ziggler in a solid main event, which is hardly a surprise with both men being on very good form at the moment. While I feel they could work even better together, I feel petty typing it as it was an enjoyable match and a worthy main event. The DQ came when Big Show intervened and began attacking his TLC opponent Sheamus, but this was short lived as Cena came to the Irishman's aid and helped get rid of both Show and Ziggler. This will presumably set up a tag team match involving the four, which should be decent. 

It was an enjoyable enough SmackDown on the whole. There were a few duds here and there (Khali's match was a waste of time, Cena versus Del Rio and the 3MB bouts weren't anything that special). But the six-man tag contest, Sandow versus Kidd encounter and the main event were all a fun watch. Speaking of Sandow, his new segment was also very amusing and I'm always happy to see him on the mic, I hope it sticks around. 

My Impact Wrestling, 29th November 2012 Recap

Hulk Hogan demanded that Bully come out and explain to him what's going on between him and his daughter Brooke. Sure enough Bully Ray did, and stated that he was the "number one man" in his daughter's life. Brooke Hogan also joined them and was warned by her father that he never wanted to see her involved with a pro wrestler "especially him." Austin Aries of course couldn't resist getting involved and berated Hogan on the big screen for dealing with family issues in public rather then managing the show.

Mickie James defeated Gail Kim in a largely solid encounter. Comparing the standard of wrestling here to anything the current female performers in WWE have to offer is really quite startling. And the frustrating thing is that there's no excuse for WWE not to bring in some far more talented wrestlers for the Divas division, they had both these women under contract at one point.

Bobby Roode claimed that Hardy failed to impress him after barely beating Gut Check winner Christian York last week. York himself then joined 'The It Factor' and gave him a slap for disrespecting him, followed by a challenge of a match which Roode accepted.

Bobby Roode bested Christian York in a highly enjoyable contest. Both men put in great efforts here and provided an engaging watch from start to finish. I actually enjoyed this more than York's bout with Hardy last week, he's looking better each time we see him. For the finish York almost caught Roode out with a nice near fall from a roll up, but then had the crossface applied and was forced to tap.

Afterwards as 'The It Factor' was about to strike York with a steel chair, his Final Resolution opponent Jeff Hardy raced out and chased him off. They should have an entertaining World Title match next Sunday, although I still personally would've rather seen Storm face Hardy.

James Storm and AJ Styles beat Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in a tremendous tag match. All four men gave top displays here, with crisp action at a healthy pace. For me Daniels and Kaz are the most consistent tag team in the ring going today, plus their promos are always entertaining. Afterwards Storm warned AJ about loosing his head during the match and being a bit sloppy, could a heel turn be on the cards for Styles?

Matt Morgan bested Douglas Williams in a drab squash match. Morgan was also cheered on at ringside by tag partner Joey Ryan, who gave a decent introduction to 'The Blueprint' beforehand. 

After receiving two "Yes" votes Wes Brisco was handed a TNA contract. An emotional Brisco celebrated with Kurt Angle and Garett Bischoff after, it seemed genuine, although it seems too obvious that both him and D'Lo (who stood in for Al Snow after he mysteriously disappeared and never turned up to the show) are members of Aces & 8s. If that's the case then it was a good bit of acting of Brisco's part.

Austin Aries versus Rob Van Dam (c) for the X Division Championship ended in a disqualification. The bout itself had been good for the most part, with some nice sequences between RVD and Aries. Unfortunately a few sloppy moments let it down a little, but otherwise it was fine, and one of RVD's best matches in a while. The DQ came after Bully Ray ran in and began attacking AA, which then led to a stare down between him and Hogan. 

Overall it was a solid Impact, and the best wrestling broadcast this week. Based on match quality alone it was very good, with only the drab Morgan versus Williams bout letting it down. Unfortunately we didn't receive any answers or development in the Bully Ray/Brooke/Hulk storyline, but I'm enjoying the slow breakdown of Styles, and as usual Daniels and Kazarian were great on the mic. Highlight of the show was definitely the terrific tag team match, great action throughout. Big step up from last weeks average broadcast.

My WWE Raw, 26th November 2012 Recap

The (newly-named) Shield take out one of their latest victims. Photo credit: WWE.com 

Ryback defeated Titus O'Neil in an average match up, although that was more than I was expecting. Surprisingly to me O'Neil was made to look fairly competitive here, which should minimise the damage done to him a bit.

Afterwards Ryback refused to leave the ring until CM Punk or his three attackers last week and at Survivor Series come out. But of course they didn't, instead Vickie Guerrero sent out a security team to subdue him, which failed. After pleading with him Ryback told Vickie to "Shut up!" (which went down well) and demanded a TLC match with Punk at the same-titled PPV next month. She agreed to his terms. I'm glad we're having Ryback talking more, it's finally advancing his character a bit.

Alberto Del Rio beat The Great Khali in a mediocre bout. Del Rio gave a fair effort here, considering the limitations of his opponent. Once again in a Khali match there was a Hornswaggle related distraction at ringside, which this time led to Del Rio locking on an armbreaker for the submission victory.

We were shown a pre-taped interview conducted by Michael Cole with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins, where it was revealed that they were not working with CM Punk and that they'd attacked Ryback because they felt it was wrong that it was the most popular wrestlers getting title opportunities, wrestlers like Cena and Ryback who'd already had a shot at Punk's strap and lost previously.

Ambrose also went on to claim that they weren't like NWO or Nexus, that they stood for principals and honour where it no longer exists, and announced themselves as 'The Shield'. It was an intriguing segment, that actually felt a bit different from most we've received from factions in the past, with Ambrose's work being the highlight. If booked right this trio could really be something special I reckon, and something refreshingly different in todays pro wrestling.     

Tamina bested Alicia Fox in a rather forgettable and pedestrian contest. Looks like Tamina is the latest female performer to get a push in the divas division, wonder how long it will actually last though.

As John Cena began describing his kiss with AJ last week, Vickie Guerrero interrupted him and claimed that his relationship will eventually implode with AJ, just like it has with every other man she's been with in WWE. Of course AJ Lee herself had enough of this and thanked Vickie for getting her fired as Raw GM, because now she was free to date whomever she pleased without scrutiny. Dolph Ziggler also showed up and theorised that when AJ kissed Cena last week, she was thinking of him instead "the entire time." To settle things Vickie then booked a match between Cena and 'The Show Off' for that night. As usual with this storyline it was a pretty weak segment, thankfully Ziggler's charisma and mic skills helped salvage it a bit.

Kofi Kingston defeated Tensai in a fair match up. While it wasn't anything that inspiring both men put in good displays, with Tensai actually having one of his finest singles match since returning to the company.

After loosing out to Kane in an online poll to determine who will face CM Punk later on, the always entertaining Daniel Bryan was informed that he would still be in action but against Rey Mysterio instead. 

Rey Mysterio defeated Daniel Bryan in an exciting contest, and match of the night. Now this is a bout I've wanted to see for a long while, and it didn't disappoint. Both men were technically solid in the ring and kept the action fast and smooth throughout. I presume this was also another step in setting up a tag team title match between Team Hell No and the combo of Mysterio and Sin Cara for TLC.

John Cena beat Dolph Ziggler in a decent bout. Not either man's finest but it was still a fun outing to watch. For the finish Cena had to leave the ring due to his knee injury playing up, this cued AJ to run down and stop Ziggler from undoing a turnbuckle pad, which led to Cena applying an Attitude Adjustment for the one-two-three. Afterwards AJ and Cena once again shared a snog.

I really feel that a Ziggler win here, no matter how cheap, would've made far more sense and not just because I prefer him. Considering his recent successful run they could've kept that going, and a heel-like victory would've given them an excuse to have a rematch (perhaps a table match) at TLC. A loss here really wouldn't have damaged Cena much would it? I'm hoping that they still have another match at TLC and that Ziggler is somehow victorious. 

Sheamus defeated Antonio Cesaro via count out after applying a Brogue Kick and sending the Swiss out of the ring. The match itself had a solid enough second half, but fairly drab first. Once it going and the quality and excitement picked up the two had some nice exchanges in the close fought battle. The fact that Sheamus didn't pin Cesaro was also a very good sign for the US Champion, he must have some important names in the back predicting big things for him.  

Afterwards Big Show came out with a steel chair in hand, but as he went to then walk off 'The Great White' called him back and warned him that he will truly see the barbaric side of him come TLC in their chairs match. The World Champion retorted by breaking apart the chair in hand. This wasn't one of their strongest promos with each other.

Damien Sandow bested Zack Ryder in a passable outing. The action was fairly average for the most part (which was expected really) but it wasn't a bad display by either man. Ryder was also sporting new trunks and knee pads with his own take on the Ghostbusters logo, as a huge fan as a kid I can appreciate the design. 

CM Punk defeated Kane in a worthy enough effort by both wrestlers. The match wasn't anything special, but there was also no aspect of it that I can call bad to be honest. It was just quite uninspiring for the most part until the end for me. For the finish The Shield made their way down to the ring, distracting Kane and allowing Punk to apply a GTS for the win. The trio then took out Kane, along with Daniel Bryan who came to his aid. Finally Ryback also appeared and almost had the upper hand until the WWE Champion began brawling on him, allowing The Shield to powerbomb the number one contender in the ring. Not a bad end to the show, if maybe too familiar to the last couple of weeks with Survivor Series and Raw.

Overall it was a decent enough Raw, with a good second half managing to salvage it from a woeful start. Mysterio versus Bryan and The Shield interview were the highlights for myself, with most other match ups (bar the divas contest, Del Rio Khali match and Ryback versus O'Neil bout) were also all passable outings. The low point was once again the tedious AJ Lee/Cena/Vickie/Ziggler storyline, Dolph did what he could but even he couldn't save the drab segment.  

My WWE SmackDown, 23rd November 2012 Recap

The Miz called out his guest for the latest 'Miz TV' John Cena, and asked him what the situation was now between himself and AJ Lee after their kiss on Raw this week. So Cena claimed that it was just to stop the controversy between them, but also admitted that it was a pretty enjoyable snog. AJ Lee herself then joined them, and was subjected to a bit of harmless teasing from Miz.  

Dolph Ziggler also then came out and warned Cena that AJ had caused him nothing but trouble and wasn't worth it. Vickie Guerrero decided to also get in a few jibes at Cena and AJ' expense. But of course Cena got in the last words as he claimed that while Vickie likes to eat nuts, Dolph still needs to find his. It was an okay segment to start the show, and probably the best 'Miz TV' we've had so far. 

Ryback beat Darren Young in a passable squash match. Afterwards Young's tag partner Titus O'Neil asked what was wrong with Ryback, and received a Shell Shock for asking.

R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro in a decent enough, if a bit of a brief contest. Although it wasn't as strong as their outing at Survivor Series, you can't fault either man's efforts here. I guess their building to one more title clash between them, where I'm hoping Cesaro retains and then moves onto bigger competition.

Backstage GM Booker T informed Sheamus that after his recent aggressive attacks towards Big Show he was not to compete on the show that night, but was free to watch from his box in the arena. He also announced that it would predictably be Sheamus versus Show in a Chairs match at TLC over the World Title.

Alberto Del Rio bested Sin Cara in a worthy display from both wrestlers. As one of the few men Sin Cara is actually compatible with in the company, him and Del Rio do tend to put on fair match ups. 

Backstage a grumpy Kane admitted that he was upset that Daniel Bryan hadn't invited him round for thanksgiving. So to make amends Bryan agreed to invite him to Christmas if they win their match that night, so Kane agreed, but only if if he could "beat up Santa." As usual it was an amusingly silly segment between the endearing duo. 

Big Show beat Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) in a mixed bag of a Handicap match. The first third with Show dominating Bryan was dull, but fortunately the second half picked up and we got some solid action. The finish came when Kane stormed off and left Bryan after he'd once again tagged himself in, leaving his tag partner to be chokeslammed and pinned by the World Title holder. Afterwards Kane went back and began tangling with Show, with Bryan aiding 'The Big Red Monster' and causing Show to exit the ring after a big boot.

Big Show then grabbed a mic and reminded Sheamus that at TLC, this time he'll also have a chance to attack with a steel chair in hand. 'The Great White' seemed to be raring to go up in the box.

Kofi Kingston (c) defeated Damien Sandow to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a fair title contest. Both men gave above average displays, but the whole bout just felt rather uninspiring. And I'm still a little confused as to what Sandow had done to earn a IC Title shot. Afterwards Wade Barett (who'd provided guest commentary) warned Kingston with a cliche challenger promo that when he defends the strap against him then he won't be successful. 

Dolph Ziggler beat Randy Orton in a solid main event. As is standard with these two they put on an enjoyable enough bout with smooth action. My only gripe (and really I should just be grateful enough that Ziggler won at all) is that Dolph still wasn't allowed to defeat Orton cleanly and instead won with a cheap roll up pin. But like I said I should be grateful that he rightfully beat Orton here at all, he needed the win to keep his current momentum going after a very good week for 'The Show Off'.  

Afterwards Ricardo Rodriguez raced in and was quickly RKO'd by 'The Viper', which startled Del Rio who decided to leave Orton for now and left. I was hoping this tedious feud of theirs was over now, Orton deserves (and needs) fresh opposition to hopefully revive him a bit. Cena also caught Ziggler with an awkwardly applied STF on the stage. 

Overall it was a mostly enjoyable show, with most matches providing decent action and at the least still passable. No storylines may have progressed massively but they progressed nicely nonetheless, and logically at that. I also feel that having no Diva-related segments or matches didn't really harm the show either. So for me it was a pretty successful SmackDown.

My WWE Raw, 19th November 2012 Recap

A proud CM Punk looks upon the fallen Ryback. Photo credit: WWE.com

A furious Ryback demanded that CM Punk and his three attackers from Survivor Series come out so he could exact his revenge, or else he'd tear the place apart. Vickie Guerrero instead came out and warned Ryback that if he destroyed anything or attacked Punk then he'd be fined or suspended, but admitted her admiration of his destruction in the ring so booked him against Tensai. Ryback did okay on the mic here, he needs to start evolving his persona and that's the way to do it.

Ryback beat Tensai in a passable, if pretty unmemorable a match. Both men looked okay, it was just quite average for the most part with nothing exceptional about the bout.

Wade Barrett defeated Kofi Kingston in a largely solid contest, with worthy efforts from both men. For a refreshing change an eye injury that Barrett caused Kofi earlier in the match up actually stuck through most of it, and came back into play at the end when Wade rubbed the IC Champion's face on the top rope and applied the Bull Hammer for the one-two-three.

Kaitlyn bested Aksana in a mediocre bout. Just average displays from both participants.

Antonio Cesaro defeated Brodus Clay in a mostly pedestrian and forgettable match  up. Fortunately Cesaro applied a nicely executed uppercut to Clay and a Neutralizer for a decent looking finish. 

Vickie Guerrero presented two eye witnesses who had apparently seen Cena and AJ acting rather intimately together at a restaurant and spending a prolonged amount of time together in a parked car. AJ Lee herself then interrupted them and accused the man and woman of being frauds, and told Vickie to "shut the hell up" or fire her. As Vickie then went to present apparent photos of them in the car together, John Cena came out and told Guerrero to stop and gave her something for people to talk about as he then kissed AJ. This gave Dolph Ziggler a chance to attack Cena form behind, but this was short lived as Cena soon chased him off. Hopefully this is the end of the awful scandal storyline. 

Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio in a two out of three falls match. Both men put on a great contest here, with solid action throughout and a well told story. Just goes to prove that there's no excuse not to regularly have high quality match ups on television. Orton grabbed the first fall via DQ after Del Rio refused to stop attacking his arm in the corner, then Del Rio grabbed the second fall via submission from his signature cross armbreaker and finally Orton grabbed the winning pinfall after applying an RKO.  

The Great Khali beat Epico and Primo in a nothing Handicap match. During which Hornswaggle made an unwelcome return and pretended to give flowers to Rosa Mendes but instead squirted water from them. Do the writers of this material really believe that it's entertaining in any way? 

The Miz defeated David Otunga in a bit of a drab contest. In a strange booking decision Otunga was also made to control most of the match up. Surely as a newly turned face Miz should be made to look as strong as possible right now?  

Sheamus spoke about how Big Show had made their rivalry personal after attacking William Regal and then pulling the referee in front of him to aid his victory at Survivor Series against the Irishman. 'The Great White' then stated that his usual smile had disappeared, and challenged the World Champion to come out and face him. Big Show sure enough came out, but called Sheamus "barbaric" after his attack with a steel chair the previous night on him and claimed that he doesn't deserve to be World Champion. As Sheamus went to respond, his opponent for the night Damien Sandow joined him. This segment had some terrific mic work from Big Show.

Sheamus beat Damien Sandow in a decent enough bout. While it wasn't the most engaging fight, it was fun enough to watch.

Backstage an an upset AJ Lee asked Vickie Guerrero what she was going to do about Cena's injury after Ziggler's attack, to which the managing supervisor of Raw replied "nothing." So AJ took matters into her own hands and barged into the WWE locker room and confronted Dolph herself. But the 'Show Off' had a few choice words for her, as he called her pathetic for latching onto anyone that gives her even the slightest bit of attention, and girls like her are "a dime a dozen." It was a very nicely executed promo from Ziggler, one of his finest I'd say.

So AJ responded with a series of slaps until Cena pulled her away, which gave Dolph the chance to once again attack Cena's injured leg, and then tackled him through a toilet cubicle. It was a nice spot, and one that should certainly elevate Dolph. It's not often someone gets to take out Cena like that.

Team Hell No (Daniel Bryan and Kane) versus Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio ended in a no contest after Titus O'Neil and Darren Young (who'd provided so bad it was funny commentary at ringside, so much so that King and Cole felt compelled to amusingly mock them for it) ran in and attacked them, although this didn't last long as the opposing two teams then took out the Prime Time Players. The actual match itself had been an enjoyable one for the majority, with decent displays from all four men.

Paul Heyman came out to start the celebration for CM Punk's momentous year-long title reign, but first accused the fans that cry out for the Attitude Era again that it's not really what they want after all the complaints about his and Punk's (highly entertaining)  promo on Jerry Lawler last week. Soon enough Heyman then introduced the man of the hour (or rather whole company) CM Punk. Punk went on to present a nice VT of highlights from his lengthy title run, with Heyman then listing off some of the all-time greats of the business and claiming that they would be unable to defeated Punk on their very best day.

Ryback decided to then crash the celebration, but was stopped once again by the trio of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins. The three also once more planted Ryback through the announce table. A confused looking CM Punk then approached the fallen Ryback, and proudly stood tall over him with the title held high. I'm a little disappointed we didn't get an explanation of any kind from the attackers, but hopefully we will next week.

For the most part it was a pretty average Raw, with most bouts being average at best. But fortunately the locker room segment involving Ziggler, AJ and Cena, the celebration at the end, the Sheamus Big Show confrontation and the Orton versus Del Rio contest helped make it a show worth watching. So overall I felt it was a decent enough broadcast. 

My WWE SmackDown, 16th November 2012 Recap

The Miz opened up the show with 'Miz TV', and received a healthy reaction from the fans in his hometown of Cleveland. Miz soon introduced his guest Mick Foley, who asked whether he would get the former WWE Champion Miz or the movie star bragging Miz at Survivor Series for his team. Miz assured Foley that he didn't even need to ask that question. Foley also went on to bring out the rest of the team for a meeting, which didn't go well as all of the members began arguing and admitting their dislike for each other. 

Dolph Ziggler and his SS team then also came out, and after bragging about their unity the 'Show Off' began arguing with Alberto Del Rio, who believed that he should be the captain of the team instead. Foley then interrupted them and under a agreement with Ziggler and the GM Booker T, booked three matches for the night pitting members of each team against each other. It was an enjoyable segment to start the show, with Daniel Bryan and Kane's interactions being the highlight.

Damien Sandow defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent enough contest. Not the greatest match you'll see by any means but there were worthy efforts on both parts. Certainly watchable.

Kaitlyn, Layla and Natalya beat Alicia Fox, Eve and Aksana in a passable Divas tag bout. I wasn't expecting much here to be honest, but it was okay at times.

As Sheamus awaited Big Show's arrival in the parking lot Booker T, warned him to wait until Survivor Series to get his hands on him, or there would be serious repercussions. Sheamus agreed and left.

The Miz and Randy Orton bested Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler in a solid tag match. From start to finish the action was well executed from all four wrestlers, and overall it was simply a fun watch. Miz made a cheeky tag near the end to apply a Skull Crushing Finale to Del Rio to obtain the one-two-three for himself. This didn't best please Orton who in turn applied an RKO to Miz.

The Miz also received a strong reaction from the fans here, granted it was in his hometown but I'm still quite surprised at how quickly his face turn has been well received by fans. And he's already more interesting than he was a month ago, seems like they made a smart choice with the turn.

Sheamus called Big Show out to the ring for a straight up fight after he'd attacked both himself and William Regal from behind recently. Big Show sure enough came out, but refused a brawl due to his concern for 'The Great White's' well being if they did tangle. As an angered Sheamus made his way towards his future opponent Booker T stopped him and ordered that he leave the building before things escalated. Shortly after Booker also informed a happy Show backstage that he'll be in the main event against an unknown foe. 

Shortly into the Wade Barrett versus Kane bout, other members of Ziggler's team joined the Englishman in taking out 'The Big Red Monster'. But the attack was short lived as Foley's team (bar Miz) managed to take out and chase away their Survivor Series opposition. The Miz then made an appearance and simply glared at Orton, will he be on his side come Sunday? Probably, but I'm guessing the team will implode somehow and Ziggler's unit will be victorious. 

Antonio Cesar defeated Sin Cara in an enjoyable match up. In one of his finest performances I can remember Sin Cara looked crisp and worked well with Cesaro here. This bout really was a pleasant surprise, I thought it'd be okay but both men gave very good displays here.

Big Show bested The Great Khali in a mediocre main event, which was understandably slow paced. At least on the plus side it was kept brief, and for Khali's standards he sold the KO punch well enough. 

Afterwards Sheamus' music hit but there was no sign of the former World champ, so a cautious Big Show left for the parking lot. Of course Sheamus was waiting for him and pounced on the giant as he entered his coach. They then had a nice brawl across the parking lot, with a few broken car windows along the way. Eventually the Irishman got the upper hand as he continuously slammed the champ's head against a bonnet until security pulled him back. It was a strong ending to the show and a nice set up for the pay-per-view on Sunday.

Overall I thought it was an enjoyable enough show for the most part. Most matches were worthy efforts (bar the main event and the Kane Barrett encounter, but that's obviously excusable) and the bouts for Survivor Series were built up nicely. And most importantly for a show just before a PPV it had a strong ending. Not many fans seem that hyped for Survivor Series, but I think it could be a pretty enjoyable show myself, we shall see.

My Impact Wrestling, 15th November 2012 Recap

Wallop! Storm applies an impressive kick to Roode in a solid main event. 

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

James Storm thanked all his friends, family, fans and people that didn't think he could do it for spurring him on to become number one contender to the World Title at Turning Point. Soon after Booby Roode joined 'The Cowboy' and toasted to his victory with a couple of beers and thanked him for beating AJ Styles last Sunday (the wrestler pinned or made to submit in the bout doesn't receive a World Title shot until Bound for Glory next year due to the stipulations).

He also went on to claim that Storm won the match off of his own hard work, and that he's going to fail miserably against Hardy in their title match. Storm simply retorted with a few punches and chased off 'The It Factor'. Storm challenged Roode to a match, but Roode would only accept only if he put his number one contendership on the line, so a furious Storm agreed.

Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Kid Kash to retain the X Division Championship in quite a sloppy encounter. There were decent moments here and there provided from Kash for the most part, including a nicely executed hurricanrana to the outside. 

Jesse beat Eric Young in a passable, if pretty unmemorable a match up. Jesse actually looked okay here as he gave his best display to date. He looks as though he's actually been working hard to improve himself, although there's still a fair way to go for him. Jesse grabbed the win after a distraction from Tara and ODB when they began brawling on the outside. 

Joseph Parks begged Hulk Hogan for another chance at Aces & 8s, but Hogan was adamant that he shouldn't ever be stepping in the ring again. In response Parks announced that he was going to leave to be trained properly in the ring and return ready for action.  

Before his following Television Title match Magnus was taken out by members of Aces & 8s, including Doc who once again attacked his victim using a hammer. Before Devon could strike with a baseball bat Bully Ray raced out and chased off the gang members. It seemed silly that it would take so long for anyone to come to Magnus' aid, they beat him down for a while here. To his credit Magnus did sell the attack quite well. 

Backstage Austin Aries encountered his former opponent Jeff Hardy and admitted that he put on a great performance against him in their Ladder match, but that he was forced to to beat a top wrestler such as himself. He also claimed that he raises the performance of any man he steps in the ring with, which is actually true for the most part. We then heard a strange inner monologue from Hardy after AA left, I'm still not sure how I feel about these. It just felt a bit out of place and too unreal for this particular segment, especially after quite an honest speech from Aries. 

Kurt Angle and Garett Bischoff bested Devon and a unknown member of Aces & 8s in a fair to average tag bout. Angle as usual was on good form, but most of the match just wasn't anything that special and felt more like filler for me, plus all the distractions hindered it a bit. Angle grabbed the win with a quick schoolboy after Wes Brisco ran down and went for Doc at ringside.

Mickie James bested Gail Kim, ODB, Madison Rayne and Brooke Tesmacher to win a Knockouts Battle Royal to earn a Knockouts Championship match. It was a decent effort from most involved, and it was especially nice to see the talented Kim and James in action again, it feels like it's been too long.

Aces & 8s informed Doc that he was out of the gang after some deliberation. But this turned out to be a joke as they handed him back his leather waistcoat at the door. It was a strange storyline this, and I'm not sure what it was meant to gain exactly.

A sour AJ Styles came out and spoke about all the bad luck he'd had over the last year, including being accused of being a father to a "crackhead's" child, loosing in the Triple Threat last Sunday and coming close to winning the BFG Series but just missing out. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian then joined him and claimed that all his issues this year were his very own fault, and called him a "complete and utter failure."

Styles responded by challenging Daniels to a match. Daniels accepted, stating that now was the perfect time to face AJ. It was a decent segment, and more proof that Daniels and Kaz are one of the best acts going in the company today.

Bobby Roode defeated James Storm to earn number one contendership for the World Title in an enjoyable main event. Both men put in solid efforts and provided a worthy main event calibre match up as they battled back and fourth. Earlier in the contest Roode exposed the top turnbuckle in the ring, which later came into play as he slammed Storm's head into it and scored the one-two-three with a quick roll up. I think the crowd were as surprised as I was as they went pretty quiet after Roode won. An unexpected win, especially considering Storm's current momentum. Roode versus Hardy should still be a good bout anyway.  

Overall it was a mostly watchable show, with a few unmemorable bouts but a solid main event and entertaining segment between Styles, Daniels and Kaz. Unfortunately a lot of what happened also felt more like filler to me, what was the point of Doc having his membership up for debate? I would've rather had another match in that time. 

My Impact Wrestling, 8th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Bobby Roode defeated AJ Styles in a solid opener to the show. It was a worthy effort from both men as they went back and fourth, with crisp action for the most part. For the finish James Storm (who'd been on commentary) halted Roode form using a steel chair. This went unknown to AJ who warned Storm away and was then caught on the ropes by 'The It Factor' and pinned after landing awkwardly.  

During an announcement of matches booked for the night, there was an interruption with the transmission and a message saying 'An ancient evil awakens'. Hm, ominous.

Joseph Parks explained that his pursuit of a match with Aces & Eights wasn't just about revenge, but about "being a man." He went on to then plead with Hulk Hogan (who soon joined him in person) for that said match up. 'The Hulkster' told Parks that it would be too dangerous for him to confront the gang in a fight and tried to warn him off it. Bully Ray then also came out and convinced Hogan to give Joseph the fight at Turning Point after stating that he had the guts, heart and was a tough guy.

ODB bested Tara and Jesse in a passable Handicap match. It was a bit of a strange one this, I mean it does nothing for the Knockouts Champion at all and didn't seem that necessary for their feud. 

Sting and Kurt Angle won via disqualification versus Doc and Devon after Devon attacked both opposition with a baseball bat. The bout itself had been decent enough, with Angle giving a top performance. After the attack Bully raced out to attempt to put his brother through a table, but Devon managed to get away.

As 'The Stinger' managed to then fight back further members of Aces & 8s came out and Doc (short for 'Director of Chaos' we found out) Choke Slammed him through the table. But he wasn't done, as Doc would then start striking the fallen Sting with a hammer until members of the TNA roster came out to his aid. It was an effective ending and I liked the hammer attack, a bit different and grittier.   

After having two "Yes" votes Christian York was given a contract with TNA. He was understandably excited. I was quite surprised with this to be honest, he didn't really impress me that much last week. He looked competent but also a little slow and sloppy here and there, which isn't good for a wrestler of his experience. 

Magnus, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian beat Samoa Joe, Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez in an enjoyable enough tab contest. I feel bad complaining (bet you've never heard a wrestling fan say that before) but considering the calibre of talent involved I was expecting a bit more here, but it was a fun watch nonetheless. 

Austin Aries accused Jeff Hardy of choosing a Ladder match for their title bout on Sunday because he believes he can't beat him in another professional wrestling contest. he went on to also warn Hardy that he'll destroy him not only physically but mentally at Turning Point when he reclaims the World Title at his own game in a Ladder match. Jeff Hardy joined Aries once he called him out to collect his World Championship belt that he stole from him last week, under orders from GM Hogan. 

So Hardy took AA out and took back his strap, proudly placing them on a bar above a ladder placed in the ring. But Aries wasn't done as he pushed Hardy off of the ladder and trapped him under it as he then stepped up the future tool of their match up at Turning Point and mocked Hardy's signature hand gestures. It was a good end to the show, and a strong image to end on before the PPV.

Overall it was a decent Impact, with mostly solid matches and some nice progression in certain storylines heading into the pay-per-view. It wasn't one of the best recently but I can't complain, it was an enjoyable enough show. 

My WWE SmackDown, 6th November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Michael Cole brought out Sheamus to start the show and presented footage filmed from a phone of the former World Champ and William Regal in a pub in England where Big Show would attack both men from behind, taking them out. An angered Sheamus called Show out, but instead the World Title holder appeared on the big screen and bragged that he didn't harm Sheamus as much as he could have. He also added that at Survivor Series he's going to finish the job and permanently take out 'The Great White'. 

Sheamus decided to challenge Show to come out and face him, but the champ declined. Instead Wade Barrett came out and questioned the sanity of the Irishman challenging Big Show before their match the next night on Main Event. This prompted Sheamus to once again challenge for a fight, but once more his foe declined and Barrett left. Backstage Booker T then told Barrett that he'd booked a tag match with him and Big Show versus Sheamus and William Regal. Wade thanked him for it.

Kofi Kingston (c) defeated The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Title in an enjoyable back and fourth match up. Both men gave a solid effort here and clearly wanted to give people a good showing. I've personally been a fan of their run of matches together recently. Afterwards Miz extended his hand to Kofi, only for him to instead dropkick the 'Must See Superstar'. I don't think this did Kofi any favours, it just made him look like the heel here. I could see a potential face turn for Miz approaching soon, with him filling the final space in Foley's Survivor Series team.

Prime Time Player (Darren Young and Titus O'Neil) beat Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara in a passable tab bout. The action was good enough, but they've had better before. Mysterio as usual managed to up the quality once he entered the fray. Afterwards O'Neil and Young began their signature dance and bragged about the win, even including Matt Stryker briefly before sending him away. The crowd were indifferent to the segment.

Big Show and Wade Barrett bested William Regal and Sheamus in a solid enough tag contest. Maybe it was more nostalgia seeing Regal back in action but the match had a bit of a different feel to it, which I enjoyed. A fun watch.

Randy Orton beat Alberto Del Rio in an entertaining Falls Count Anywhere bout. It started off a little slow and drab, but once they left the ring things became interesting and the fans began to get into it. The strongest period came as both men made their way back to the ring and Orton applied an RKO onto steel steps for the one-two-three. I'm hoping Survivor Series will be the finale of their feud, while it hasn't been bad I feel both men need stronger characters to work with to make things more engaging.

Overall it wasn't a bad show. Most matches were decent enough and a fun watch. A step up from recent weeks efforts, and for the most part superior to this weeks Raw too. 

My WWE SmackDown, 2nd November 2012 Recap

The show opened to 'Miz TV' where The Miz introduced his guest Sheamus and asked him what it felt like to be a "looser" after loosing the World Championship at HIAC, so 'The Great White asked him the same question back after Miz lost his IC Title match on the same card. Miz retorted by stating that he'll win back his Intercontinental Title in the future. This cued the current IC Strap holder Kofi Kingston to join them and tell The Miz that he's delusional.

Big Show also then came out and asked Miz why he was interviewing the former World Champion and not the current one. After some more bickering between Sheamus and Show, 'The Great White' challenged his Survivor Series opponent to a match that night, to which Big Show declined. Backstage afterwards however, Booker T booked a tag match between all four men for the main event. It was a fair opening segment, nothing that exciting or as strong as Sheamus' and Big Show's on Raw this week.

Darren Young defeated Sin Cara in a passable, if unmemorable match up. It wasn't a bad watch, just not that engaging to be honest. And neither talent looked that special. Afterwards Titus O'Neil challenged Rey Mysterio to a bout, which he gladly accepted. 

Rey Mysterio beat Titus O'Neil in a fair contest. There was at least some more interest with this match, and Mysterio looked decent, not his best but decent. O'Neil was his standard self, competent enough but nothing that exciting from him.

Before his match could even start, Randy Orton was jumped from behind by Alberto Del Rio (who was on guest commentary) and assistant Ricardo Rodriguez. Del Rio was eventually escorted away by officials.

Wade Barrett bested Randy Orton in a solid enough encounter. While there wasn't as much heat as some of their previous bouts I can't fault either man's efforts here. Another worthy match between them. Barrett grabbed the winning roll up pin after Del Rio and Rodriguez came out and distracted 'The Viper'. Barrett may have won but he should be beyond television programmes with Sheamus and Orton by now, I feel he deserves a real feud on PPV.

As retribution Orton caught up with Del Rio backstage and began scrapping with him, which led to Orton throwing a pot of hot liquid at Rodriguez as Del Rio got out of the way. Eventually 'The Viper' threw Del Rio through a table, but the Mexican then managed to make his escape shortly after. The goofy Matt Stryker then asked Orton on his thoughts, so Orton shoved his head into a cake. Well deserved. 

The Great Khali beat David Otunga in a predictably drab and sub par match up. It's a real shame Khali's back on our screens. 

R-Truth bested Justin Gabriel in a fair to standard match up. I'd have personally rather have seen Gabriel win here, which could have possibly led on to the start of a heel turn for Truth. His persona as a heel was just far more interesting for me. The efforts by both men was okay, but not their best.

The Miz and Big Show defeated Kofi Kingston and Sheamus in a largely average main event. The action throughout was pretty standard and never went beyond that unfortunately. Big Show caught Kofi with a KO punch from the outside, allowing Miz to gain the winning pinfall. A furious Sheamus just looked on at his future SS foe. 

My Impact Wrestling, 1st November 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Joseph Parks explained that under the rules of Open Fight Night (where anyone can challenge anyone else to a match and they must accept) he found a loophole where he was allowed to compete and gain revenge on a member of Aces & 8s after they kidnapped him. Sure enough members of the gang came out, but as they attempted to take out Parks together Kurt Angle raced out and began attacking them.

Unfortunately the numbers were too much for Angle so Sting came to his aid. Oddly Parks just stood there as they took down Angle too, even though he was desperate to get his hands on them a moment ago. Sting then promised that one member of Aces & 8s would have their mask take off that night. 

Magnus challenged Samoa Joe to a Television Title match, claiming that Joe wasn't the right image to represent the strap.

Samoa Joe (c) won via disqualification versus Magnus, therefore retaining the TNA Television Championship. It was an enjoyable enough match up, with a blistering start by Joe. The DQ came after the challenger struck the champ with a wrench to cause the DQ. Understandably it wasn't allocated too much time as it was a stepping stone for their No DQ rematch for the title that Joe challenged Magnus to afterwards backstage. 

Christopher Daniels and Kazarian claimed that they were the uncrowned Tag Team Champions and announced a premature title victory at Turning Point against Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez. They also went on to challenge Spanish commentators Héctor Guerrero and Willie Urbina, using a few latino puns to goad them into the ring. But the match never happened as Daniels and Kaz just attacked both men until Chavo and Hernandez came to their aid and chased them off. Daniels and Kaz are on great form at the moment, both in the ring and on the mic. 

Zema Ion defeated Gut Check challenger Christian York in a mixed bag of a match. York looked decent here and there, but there were too many times where he also looked too slow for the moves he was attempting to pull off and it looked sluggish. Ion was on good form. I'm personally not worried it York gets a contract or not.

Backstage a brawl broke out briefly between Aces & 8s and members of the TNA roster. 'The Stinger' once again reiterated that one of them will be unmasked.

Jesse beat ODB after she'd challenged him to a match. It was a mediocre affair, which was to be expected. To be fair Jesse looked more competent in the ring than I'd expected and worked okay. He grabbed a quick roll up pin for the one-two-three after Tara distracted ODB at ringside. One plus was the crowd reaction, they were certainly behind ODB.

Jeff Hardy bested Robbie E in a decent contest. Both men gave worthy efforts here, and it was a fun watch while it lasted. Afterwards Austin Aries came out and complained that after all his hard work reaching the top Hardy ruined it when he beat him for the World Title. In response Hardy suggested that their rematch be a Ladder match as he brought one out from under the ring. AA didn't seem pleased with the choice.

We were shown footage from the opening of Hulk Hogan's new shop, when Matt Morgan turned up and stole a piece of memorabilia from the wall. Hogan rightfully stood there afraid of the huge guy threatening him, rather than foolishly take on a guy much younger and in better condition.

Bobby Roode complained that he was failed to be chosen or even a choice by Hogan to face Jeff Hardy for the title last week. AJ Styles then joined him and told Roode to stop complaining after having the longest TNA World Title reign in history. He also reminded us of his (horrible) storyline he had involving an alleged affair during Roode's title run, amusingly claiming that it seems to be the it thing at the moment with people called "AJ." Nice. He then went on to challenge 'The It Factor' to a match. Roode declined the offer, then cheap shotted AJ before he managed to make a comeback and chased Bobby out of the ring.

Hogan, accompanied by James Storm, then joined them both and booked Triple Threat involving them all at Turning Point. With the victor becoming the number one contender to the World Title, and whoever's pinned or submitted not receiving a title shot until Bound for Glory next year, which seemed like an unnecessary and silly stipulation. 

Matt Morgan, clad in the previously mentioned robe that he stole from Hogan, warned 'The Hulkster' and TNA management that he wasn't holding back and that he'd make history in said robe. It wasn't a bad promo. Joey Ryan, who'd accompanied him, then called out RVD for a match. 

Joey Ryan beat Rob Van Dam in an average and unmemorable contest. Neither man gave a particularly great display, and it just felt pretty uninspiring. For the finish RVD went for the Frog Splash but missed as Morgan pulled Ryan out of the way, Joey then ran in for a quick pin for the victory. The fans were not best pleased. Morgan then finished off Van Dam with a Carbon Footprint. 

Bully Ray called out Devon for a fight, but before that he wished all the best to everyone suffering in New York due to Hurricane Sandy. As the bout begun, other Aces & 8s members came out which once again began a brawl between them and members of the TNA roster. As the fight ensued Joseph Parks challenged a gang member to a fight in the ring, but was then beaten down and choke slammed through a table set up by Bully earlier. But before that the Aces & 8s member was revealed to be Luke Gallows. This wasn't really a shock as it'd been rumoured for months. Still good to have them unmasking though. 

Overall it was an okay show. No matches were really outstanding or up to the standard we've been expecting from Impact as of late. But at least the stories progressed decently and we had another reveal of an Aces & 8s member, not a shocking one but one at least.