My WWE Raw, 1st October 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

WWE Champion CM Punk came out with associate Paul Heyman and claimed that he attacked Mick Foley backstage last week because he supposedly murmured something about him and shot a dirty look his way. He also said that although Foley may be "scuzzy" in his words, some of his (superb) speech got through to him last week, and that his match at Hell in a Cell with Cena was still off. Heyman then stated that as part of General Manager AJ Lee's contract she cannot put her hands on any members of the roster or staff, so after her slap to Heyman last week he implored that she be fired, and he take over the position (how awesome would that be?).

This cued Vickie Guerrero and her client Dolph Ziggler to join them, where she staked her claim for the GM spot. The GM herself AJ Lee then skipped out and revealed that the WWE Board of Directors had given her an executive coach to help with her anger issues. Speaking of anger issues, Daniel Bryan arrived to apologise for dumping AJ months ago and causing her mental breakdown. The constantly entertaining Bryan was as usual on top form. Soon his tag partner Kane also joined them and after some more bickering, AJ settled things by booking Team Hell No against Ziggler and Punk in the main event. It was a solid enough start to the show.

Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara defeated Epico and Primo in an mostly enjoyable tag bout to advance in the number one contenders tournament for the Tag Team titles. The action as expected came at a fast pace, and although not everything was smooth it was a worthy effort by all four men. Sin Cara and Mysterio's new half and half attires are also a nice touch if you haven't seen them already. During the match the Prime Time Players sat on the stage to watch the action.

Antonio Cesaro bested Brodus Clay in a brief and rather unmemorable contest. It's good to see the talented Cesaro moving up the ranks, surprised Clay lost this fast though.

The Miz beat Zack Ryder in a fair match up. It was a decent display for both mens standards, nothing outstanding mind you.

During the World Championship Debate Big Show in his opening statement confidentially claimed that he'll walk out of HIAC with Sheamus' World title, 'The Great White' retorted by also predicting his own victory. After some back and fourth bickering, with Sheamus making a few jokes about Show's odour and the fact he lost the World Championship in forty-five seconds to Bryan last year, the two finally fronted each other up. But Show decided to save the fighting for HIAC and left. It wasn't a great segment to be honest, with host Booker T making a few minor mistakes and Show's crappy podium collapsing on him, plus it didn't get me excited about their upcoming match which was the whole point. 

Ryback defeated Tensai in a sub par bout, with too many sloppy moments that spoilt it. Ryback is not ready for that main event level yet, but he clearly has the potential.

Eve defeated Beth Phoenix in a passable Divas match, nothing outstanding but watchable.

Santino Marella won via disqualification versus Heath Slater in a comedy bout. The DQ came after Slater's new associates Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal ran in and clobbered Marella. Afterwards they took out Santino and reminded everyone of their respective nicknames. I'm hoping they don't drop the ball with this new unit, could be interesting.

Sheamus defeated Damien Sandow in a largely solid contest. It started off quite average but managed to pick up in quality and ended strongly, with Sandow (in his top performance to date) having the majority of offense. For the finish Sandow's tag partner Cody Rhodes was thrown into the ring by the World Champion as he applied a Brogue Kick to both members of the Rhodes Scholars. 

As Jim Ross and Michael Cole kicked off JR's Appreciation Night, CM Punk shortly interrupted them and admitted his admiration and respect for what JR has done and asked the hall of famer to tell everyone that he is the "best in the World." But JR refused, claiming that Punk had made a fool of himself lately. The champ reminded JR that no one was around anymore to back him up and save him if he attacked the commentator.

Ross said that if Punk were to accept Cena's challenge of a HIAC match and beat him then he would be first in line to call him the best in the World. CM Punk responded by threatening to take JR out and prevent him from ever commentating in WWE again and instructed him to walk away down the ramp. As Ross walked away Ryback made his way down and caused the champ to walk away. The fans responded well to Ryback. It was another stellar promo between Punk and WWE Hall of Famer.

Alberto Del Rio beat Kofi Kingston in a decent effort by both men, with some nice aerial action of Kofi to compliment Del Rio's more grounded style, who applied his signature arm breaker for the victory. The only downside was the lack of interest in the match up, with both men being pretty bland characters at the moment.

Team Hell No bested CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler in an enjoyable main event. The action throughout was solid and with these four wrestlers it's hard not to be engaged by it. Once again Kane and Daniel Bryan struggled to get along as they would tag themselves in and argue, but it didn't matter as Ziggler abandoned his partner after Vickie Guerrero was sent to the back by guest referee AJ (who announced her position just before the bout) leaving CM Punk alone to be Chokeslammed and pinned by Kane. 

Overall it was a mixed bag of a show, with the segments and main event involving CM Punk solid stuff and worth a watch, but quite a few average matches that as usual let the red brand down a bit. Not a bad show though, but a step down from last weeks broadcast. 

My WWE SmackDown, 28th September 2012 Recap

Big Show came out and expressed how frustrated he was when he only held the World title for around forty-seconds last year and then had to witness the man who'd won it from him, Daniel Bryan, loose it in eighteen-seconds at WrestleMania XXVIII. As Show went on to explain how he'd defeat the current champ Sheamus, Randy Orton joined him and claimed that the giant will not stand in his way of winning his tenth World title at Hell in a Cell (their match later on was a World Heavyweight Championship number one contendership one).    

Alberto Del Rio also arrived and once again complained that he'd somehow been screwed out of the World title, and told both men that he deserves the next shot ahead of them. This was met with a swift RKO from Orton, who then left the ring. Quite a pedestrian segment to start the show, especially compared to Daniel Bryan, Kane and Edge's brilliant one from last week. 

Antonio Cesaro defeated Santino Marella in a fair match up. In their strongest outing to date both men put in worthy efforts, even Santino who seemed to add some new moves to his repotur. I'm hoping this is the end of their contests, it's become quite tiresome now. Cesaro needs to move on to better competition to advance up the ranks.

Beth Phoenix beat Natalya in a decent bout, and the best Divas match I've seen for a long, long while. Both women went back and fourth in a heated contest, with Phoenix grabbing the one-two-three with a quick roll up pin. Seeing this standard of women's match makes it even more frustrating knowing that Beth is on her way out of the company, although I don't blame her. Afterwards Eve announced that Beth was "indefinitely suspended" as she was a suspect in the mysterious attack on Kaitlyn at Night of Champions. It's a daft storyline.

Backstage Booker T reversed Eve's decision and reinstated Phoenix. Eve then tried to put the blame on Teddy Long, claiming that he told her to do it. A confused Booker asked both of them to leave to let him think things over. 

Wade Barrett defeated Zack Ryder in a passable contest, with a few enjoyable moments here and there. Unfortunately the match wasn't given much time so it couldn't produce anything of any real substance. I'm really not sure where the writers are going with Barrett right now, and maybe they aren't either.   

World Champion Sheamus joined The Miz on his talk show 'Miz TV', and ended up taking over and asking the host all the questions instead, claiming that it was so all the fans did't have to just listen to the Intercontinental Champion. Sheamus also mocked Miz for his loss to Ryback on Raw, so Miz retorted by claiming that for him to excel at anything people have to pay, it's not for free. He also stated how surprised he was that Sheamus was in a jokey mood considering he'll be facing Big Show or Orton at HIAC and most likely loose his title. 'The Great White' reminded Miz of how hard he trains and how seriously he takes the World title,  and what a privilege it is to hold. 

MITB contract holder Dolph Ziggler then joined them and warned Sheamus that the man he should worry about is him, since he plans on cashing in after the Hell in a Cell match. So by announcing that we can all asume that Ziggler will not have a successful cash in at HIAC. In retaliation Sheamus then took out both Miz and 'The Show Off', chucking them both out of the ring and standing tall. 

The Rhodes Scholars defeated The Usos in the first round of the WWE Tag Team number one contenders tournament. It was a decent enough contest with the action condensed due to the time allocated, which actually helped keep the interest up throughout. It was a worthy display from all wrestlers involved. 

Ryback beat Tensai in a standard powerhouse vs powerhouse match up, with both big men going toe to toe with their powerful maneuvers. It was okay, you wouldn't miss much by passing on it. 

Before the main event Del Rio took out Orton with an attack from behind, taking him out. He then came out to Orton's music and announced himself to be taking Orton's spot in the match, but 'The Viper' made a return and struck Del Rio from behind.

Big Show defeated Randy Orton to become number one contender to the World Heavyweight title in a match that ranged from rather drab to enjoyable. The first half wasn't much to shout about, with slow methodical offense from Show on the injured Orton. Fortunately it managed to pick up and grab your attention once Orton started to make his comeback, even applying an RKO for a very nice near fall. But it wasn't to be for 'The Viper' as Show delivered two Choke Slams for the victory.

Afterwards he also KO'd Orton with a WMD punch and warned Sheamus that he'll be seeing him at Hell in a Cell. I'm not expecting much from that match, but hopefully I'll be proven wrong and they smartly work to both mens strengths and carefully plan it out. At least this also means the end of Del Rio challenging once again, his feud with Sheamus had grown pretty tiresome.  

Overall it felt like the show had taken a big step back after last weeks very entertaining broadcast. The matches were okay and the segments weren't anything outstanding, so it's back to normal on the blue brand I guess. They really need to include the Tag Team Champions on the show next week, even just a couple of segments or a match will add some needed interest and excitement. 

My Impact Wrestling, 27th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com

Hulk Hogan kicked things off by announcing a Television title match to determine a champion for the vacant belt, and also explained his disappointment at the former Television Champion Devon's departure from the company and hoped to have him back soon. He also booked Storm versus Roode at Bound for Glory in a Street Fight to finally settle their feud, with MMA Fighter King Mo (yeah, I had to look him up too). Finally he also reminded us of his trip to Aces & Eights clubhouse later on in the show, which cued Sting to come out and confirm that he would be backing 'The Hulkster' up when he visits.

Christopher Daniels defeated Chavo Guerrero and Kurt Angle in a decent enough Triple Threat. Surprisingly there were a few sloppy moments here and there which spoilt the bout a bit, which is something very out of character for these three wrestlers. I was personally expecting more here considering the talent involved, but it was certainly watchable. 

Tara beat ODB in an average Knockouts bout. The match was quite pedestrian from the start and never really engaged me at all. Tara grabbed the one-two-three after pretending that she'd injured her knee (which no one was buying for a second as she was booed in the ring) and catching her opponent out with a roll up pin. As a part of this win Tara became the number one contender to the Knockouts title at BFG.

Samoa Joe defeated Mr. Anderson to win the vacant TNA Television Championship. The match itself ranged from fair to quite drab, the efforts from both men were okay but nothing outstanding and certainly nowhere near the best we've seen from either of them. It just felt very underwhelming considering it was a title match.

Backstage Sting and Hogan were sprayed in the faces with an unknown substance by a mysterious woman and then chucked into the back of a van by members of Aces & Eights. The plot thickens.

As part of the Gut Check challenge, eighteen-year old Evan Markopolous was voted two no's to one yes which means he doesn't receive a TNA contract. I thought he looked okay last week, and the crowd seemed behind him but I agree with the decision not to take him on right now.

Sting and Hogan agreed on a deal with the Aces & Eights leader in their clubhouse that at Bound for Glory they will each pick two men to face each other in a tag match, with the stipulations that if Aces & Eights win then they have free reign of TNA and if Hogan's team is victorious then Aces & Eights will leave forever. Well I certainly can't see the gang leaving just yet so they're going to win, and we should get the first reveal of some of their identities in Phoenix too I reckon. 

Jeff Hardy and Austin Aries defeated Bobby Roode and Bully Ray in an enjoyable main event tag contest, and best match of the night. The pace was kept to a nice speed and all four men gave solid displays. The crowd were also eating it up, which is hardly surprising considering the quality of the bout before them. After Hardy tagged himself in and grabbed the win with a Swanton, Aries confronted him about it. This feud needs a bit more hostility to get it going a bit.  

Overall it felt like a sub standard Impact compared to recent broadcasts for me. The standard of action in the ring wasn't as consistent, although fortunately the main event saved it a bit. The storylines progressed okay, but I was never as interested as I have been recently in any of the Aces & Eights segments. Not a bad show but nothing special.  

My WWE Raw, 24th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com

Paul Heyman, on behalf of WWE Champion CM Punk (who was also in the ring) demanded that referee Brad Maddox (what kind of fake name is that?) come out and apologise for making the wrong call last after missing Punk's leg on the ropes and counting his shoulders down for the three count. Brad sure enough came out and apologised for making the error, but refused to resign. A furious CM Punk finally leapt out of his chair and berated the official for making the wrong call. Soon GM AJ Lee then also joined them and said that Maddox could leave.   

AJ asked Heyman and Punk who they thought they were after holding the show hostage until they get their way. CM Punk claimed that the reason AJ was so hostile towards him was because he turned down her proposal of marriage two months ago. He went on to threaten to reveal all the text messages and voicemails that AJ had left him "that are not fit to air here on the USA Network" and how "intimate we were behind closed doors." Mocking the GM even further, Heyman went down on one knee and proposed to her. AJ answered back with a simple slap to the face. It was a solid segment to start the show, with good mic work all round.

Backstage a deranged AJ warned Maddox that if he screws up again, she will personally see to it that he never works in the business again after embarrassing her. 

After taunting the imaginary 'Little Jimmy', Vickie Guerrero accidentally had some drink poured on her by R-Truth. As the argument escalated the referee banned both from ringside for the following bout.

Dolph Ziggler defeated Kofi Kingston in a decent match up. Both men put in fair efforts, and made up for an average first half (a few sloppy moments marred it a bit) with a solid and exciting second. Ziggler was the only choice to win here, but he still needs bigger victories to make him a believable contender to the World title, which I can see him cashing in on at Hell in a Cell.

In another priceless segment involving the Tag Team Champions, Kane posed in a diner as a waiter named 'Gerald' and had to take Daniel Bryan's order as part of an exercise by Doctor Shelby to help them both bond. Bryan taunted his partner, and Kane in turn threatened Bryan by claiming that he would throw his 'Goat face' into the deep fat fryer and serve the remains of his beard on all the food he served, which understandably disturbed the customers. I just can't get enough of these two, it's like they can do no wrong. 

Titus O'Neil and Darren Young beat Santino Marella and Zack Ryder in an average and quite forgettable tab contest. The period between Young and Ryder was okay, Marella just performed his usual routine. To be honest they didn't have enough time to really produce anything of any worth here.

Special guest Mick Foley questioned what change CM Punk had really brought since his classic June 27th promo of last year. Punk soon joined Foley and mocked him for possible trying to flog another book and called the 'Hardcore Legend' no longer relevant. Foley reminded the champ of the fact that he text him back last year after he memorably won the World title at Money in the Bank, even though he probably received tons of congratulatory messages, so he must mean something to him.

He continued to warn Punk that as one of the best talkers the business has ever seen, he doesn't need Paul Heyman as a talking mouth piece to steer him in the wrong direction. After claiming that he should face Cena in a HIAC match, Punk told Foley that it was all just the same speech that he's heard recently from Bret Hart and Cena himself, and said that he won't attack Foley because he is "beneath me." Foley retorted that stating that in years gone by fans don't remember statistics such as how long Punk's been champion, but moments like when he fell off the Hell in a Cell fourteen years ago (I know, it was that long ago). On behalf of the GM he also informed CM Punk that he would have the choice if he wanted to face Cena at HIAC for the title. It was a highly engaging segment, with both men on tremendous form and one of he best promos I've seen from Foley in a long time.

Ryback defeated The Miz in a largely mediocre bout. The action was okay, but never gripped you at any point. Unfortunately the most interesting part came when some idiot fan came running into the ring, which caused a lot of the crowd to turn and check that out rather than the match itself.

In a replication of the famous cafe scene from When Harry Met Sally, Daniel Bryan and Kane excitedly spoke about their destruction of other tag teams on last weeks SmackDown, with Hall of Famer Mae Young asking to "have what they're having."

In a rather big mood swing from earlier, AJ informed the referees in her office that they all make mistakes and to have a great show. She also told Alberto Del Rio, Otunga and Ricardo Rodriguez that they'll be in a Six-Man Tag match that night. Ricardo's positive attitude to this news was brilliant, he really is an underrated talent for me.  

Wade Barrett defeated Tyson Kidd in a surprisingly fair match up. I wasn't really expecting much here, but thanks to Kidd being allowed a decent amount of offense it turned out to be a rather enjoyable outing and a good display from both men.

Live via satellite Jerry Lawler received an expectantly warm reception from the fans in attendance. Lawler recalled the events just before and after the heart attack he suffered two weeks ago, and thanked all the people who'd sent him well wishes since. When asked when he might be returning 'The King' said it was up to his doctors. You can bet he'll receive an even bigger ovation when he does.

Sin Cara, Rey Mysterio and Sheamus defeated Ricardo Rodriguez, Alberto Del Rio and David Otunga in a match that ranged from solid to sub par. The periods involving Mysterio were the high point, with a very good display from him. However some parts just felt too busy for me and spoilt it a bit, that and Otunga and Sin Cara's average contributions. Ricardo performed his comedy part well enough and was predictably the fall guy for his team. Given the choice I'd rather have just seen Sheamus and Mysterio versis Ricardo and Del Rio to be honest.   

Back at the diner, Doctor Shelby asked both Bryan and Kane to taste each other's dishes to experience what it's like to be the other one. After trying Bryan's salad Kane burped at Shelby, whilst after trying Kane's meatballs (not a euphemism, grow up!) Bryan threw up on the doctor. 'The Big Red Monster' ended the segment by asking for the cheque. 

Via a poll on Twitter, it was revealed that Bryan and Kane's tag team name would be 'Team Hell No'. After hearing this Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes jumped the champions from behind and revealed that they had formed an alliance known as 'Rhodes Scholars'. This is a very smart move, as entertaining as Kane and Bryan are they still need real competition to keep them interesting in the ring and on pay-per-views in title defences. Rhodes Scholars could be an interesting duo.

Eve and Beth Phoenix beat Alicia Fox and Layla in a drab match, you won't miss much by skipping it. Afterwards the injured Kaitlyn revealed that she was attacked at Night of Champions by a masked woman with blonde hair. After believing it to be Phoenix, Eve took out 'The Glamazon'. Boy she must be glad she's leaving this sinking ship of a Divas division. My guess is either it was Kelly Kelly who's turned heel (which could actually work) or most likely Eve was wearing a blonde wig.

Brodus Clay versus Tensai was fortunately ended early as Big Show made his return to a fair reception and KO'd both big men with his WMD punch. Jim Ross' (who'd been providing guest commentary for the night) feigned awe at Big Show's first punch was pretty terrible.

John Cena came out and first thanked all the WWE fans for their overwhelming support for the Cure charity he's been highlighting on his latest attire. Unfortunately there was still some unnecessary booing from scattered fans at Cena. Really? Even when he's promoting a worthwhile charity cause? Anyway, he went on to also state that whatever happens, despite his arm injury he will be walking into Hell in a Cell to challenge CM Punk for the title.

The WWE Champion himself, along with Heyman, then joined Cena and claimed that he's not only refusing to face Cena at HIAC because he receives a far too generous amount of title shots over deserving talent in the back (which I completely agree with) but also because Cena won't be medically cleared anyway. Punk also called into question Cena's intelligence for threatening the most "dangerous man" in the company and gave him till the count of five to leave his ring while his back was turned. As Punk turned around he discovered Cena had been concealing a led pipe, which he used to strike the champ in the stomach with, causing CM Punk to leave.      

Backstage a frustrated Punk kicked Foley in the gut, taking him out. As he then turned around he had a look of fear on his face, and as the camera panned around it was revealed to be Ryback causing the fear. Could Ryback be next in line to challenge Punk if Cena's not fit for HIAC? I personally feel there are other far more suitable choices, but at least WWE seem to be building up an up and coming talent. I'm also suspecting that Foley could well be a special guest referee for the WWE Championship match. We shall see.

Overall I enjoyed the majority of the show, with all of CM Punk's and the Tag Team Champion's segments being highly enjoyable, especially Foley and Punk's. Unfortunately the action in the ring was yet again just too inconsistent on the red brand, with no particularly outstanding matches to speak of. 

My WWE SmackDown, 21st September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: WWE.com 

WWE Hall of Famer Edge kicked off the show by explaining that he now watches the WWE product as a fan, not a performer. He then showed a VT of Kane and Daniel Bryan hugging it out and then arguing on last Monday's Raw. 'The Rated R Superstar' said that he'd never seen anything like it and was perplexed by it all. Daniel Bryan himself then came out and claimed that Doctor Shelby had helped him find inner peace, this was short live though as Edge began having fun by winding him up with chants of "Yes!" and "No!" Kane then also joined them and began arguing with his tag partner.

A confused and frustrated Edge then began screaming at Kane, asking what had happened to the once 'Big Red Machine', also reminding him of all that they'd put each other through. Kane amusingly offered Edge a hug to make amends, so he accepted and even offered a left out Bryan a chance to get in on it. But instead Damien Sandow interrupted them and claimed that this kind of behaviour was ruining the company. Edge decided to settle things by setting up a match (that GM Booker T agreed to) between Sandow and Kane. It was one of the best opening segments to a pro wrestling show I've seen in a while. All four men were on form, especially the three in the ring. Bryan and Kane are the most consistently entertaining act in WWE right now for me.  

Damien Sandow defeated Kane in a fair match up that never really went beyond decent. Sandow is competent in the ring but he's still not quite there yet and has work to do. 'The Intellectual Saviour' picked up the one-two-three after Bryan distracted his tag partner at ringside, allowing Sandow to apply a Straight Jacket Neckbreaker. It's a big win for Sandow pinning Kane like that, a good sign for him.

Backstage an angered Kane hunted down Bryan, but instead came across Doctor Shelby. Bryan shortly popped up from a bin behind (which looked hilarious) and after both Tag Team Champions were calmed down by Shelby they agreed to make amends. Doctor Shelby also suggested getting Bryan a match to make up for causing Kane to loose, which he liked. It was another superb segment between them.   

Sheamus and Randy Orton beat Dolph Ziggler and Alberto Del Rio in an enjoyable tag team bout. All four men put in standard solid displays (typical for all of them really) and provided an entertaining contest, superior to the average tag team ones we get in WWE and the rather lacklustre main event of this weeks Raw.   

Cody Rhodes defeated Daniel Bryan in a passable match that never got the chance to get going. It's a shame it wasn't allocated a bit more time, could've been much better I reckon. Rhodes grabbed the winning pin after Kane had a little payback and distracted Bryan with his pyros, giving Rhodes the chance to apply the Cross Rhodes for the victory.

Backstage after the tag champs once again argued over who was better, but soon noticed Sandow and Rhodes laughing at them. Rhodes stated that they were a "spectacle" and a poor unit. Kane and Bryan defended themselves by challenging both men to a tag team match, causing them to walk away in separate directions.     

Brodus Clay won via disqualification versus Heath Slater in a rather nothing bout. The actual wrestling wasn't anything special, it was what happened after that was interesting. As the match was taking place Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal ran in and helped take out Clay with Slater. Hopefully this is the start of a new faction that are tired of being underutilised in the company and are taking action, giving these talents some much needed relevance and creating a hopefully interesting group. I'll be very disappointed if they drop the ball with this one.

Santino Marella beat Antonio Cesaro in comedy match for the most part, it was quite mediocre to be honest. Marella's cobra was once again distracted by Aksana, but this time she was accidentally pulled into the ring and damaged her foot. This caused the referee to be distracted and Marella to grab a quick pinfall win. Afterwards an angered Cesaro dumped the hurt Aksana. Hopefully this means the end of the awful acting skills of Aksana on our screens.  

Daniel Bryan and Kane won via DQ versus Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a fair tag contest. The match never really excelled at anything, but the entertaining part came after the bell rung. Bryan came to his partner's aid by snatching the steel chair that Rhodes had used on Kane (which caused the DQ) and him and his tag partner began taking out their opponents and various other teams that had been watching the bout, all the while with big smiles on their faces. It was a glorious end to the show as both men stood tall over the seas of bodies.

Overall it was a very enjoyable show, thanks mainly to the inspired duo of Kane and Daniel Bryan. Edge's surprise appearance was a pleasant surprise too and his segment with the tag champs was fun. We also had a solid outing involving Sheamus, Orton, Del Rio and Ziggler. Compared to most SmackDown's recently I'd call it a big success.    

My Impact Wrestling, 20th September 2012 Recap

Photo credit: impactwrestling.com 

Before the show had begun Shaquille O'Neil informed Hulk Hogan that he would be near the arena if he needed him and had his back regarding Aces & Eights. That was the only appearance he made.

As part of the Open Fight Night Kurt Angle and AJ Styles challenged Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez to a match to determine who deserves the next shot at the TNA Tag titles.  Angle and Styles predictably received a good reception.

Kurt Angle and AJ Styles versus Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez ended in a no contest as Christopher Daniels and Kazarian ran in and attacked Chavo and Styles. The match itself had been an entertaining one, with all four men providing good displays throughout with solid back and fourth action. 

Douglas Williams beat Gut Check challenger Evan Markopoulus in a pretty average bout. Williams as usual was on good technical form as he largely dominated Markopoulus. Unfortunately Evan didn't really look like anything special, but saying that I wouldn't have minded seeing a bit more offense from the rookie to get a better idea of what he's capable of. I can't see him being kept on.

James Storm called out Roode for a straight up fight, stating that their feud had moved beyond personal and now he just wanted to see him hurt. Bobby Roode came out and announced that he wouldn't fight 'The Cowboy' as he was superior to Storm and that as long as he was around he wouldn't become World Champion again, and left. But unfortunately for Roode Hogan warned him backstage that if he refuses the match (as part of the Open Fight Night you must accept any challenge) then he'll be fired, so the 'It Factor' made his way out gingerly to face Storm. 

James Storm versus Bobby Roode ended in a no contest (two in one night? Is Russo back?) after the referee Brian Hebner realised that he couldn't control the two wrestlers. It wasn't so much a wrestling match as a brawl outside the ring for the majority of the fight, which was enjoyable enough and made sense considering their personal rivalry. The crowd seemed to also be up for it and were firmly lending their support to Storm. The battle continued through the fans and into the back.

Austin Aries explained to Jeff Hardy backstage that although Hardy was after his World title at Bound for Glory he was also after Hardy's admiration and respect that he gets from his fans, along with all his accomplished in his career so far and the only way to get that is by defeating him at BFG. Aries once again came off quit heelish here as he called Hardy's fans "mindless sheep." Not really appropriate for one of the top faces in TNA right now.

Tara claimed that the reason she turned on Tessmacher last week was because she was tired of being all pally pally with her and was reminded from her new, apparently top Hollywood star boyfriend that she is the top female wrestler in the World. She also accused the fans of just chanting for her for her looks. Tara went on to challenge announcer Christy Hemme to a match up. As Tara began getting physical with Hemme, Brooke Tessmacher raced to her aid and chased off her former mentor.

Hulk Hogan decided to make a deal with Aces & Eights that they let the kidnapped Joseph Parks go and he'll go into their clubhouse. The gang's leader appeared on screen and agreed to the deal, he also had a fellow member of the group destroy Park's laptop and crack the lawyer in the head with a hammer. The 'Hulkster' did not look amused.

After a video package for Jeff Hardy played, Aries thanked the producers for playing it right before he made his way out sarcastically, explaining that that kind of attention Hardy receives is exactly what he's after. He also claimed Hardy wasn't the hunter but "the hunted" and wanted to prove that whatever Jeff could do he could do better and called out Bully Ray for a match. Bully said that AA had a lot of nerve calling him out, but was eventually cut off as the World Champion came flying over the top rope at him to start the bout in an impressive fashion.

Bully Ray defeated Austin Aries in a decent enough main event. Bully dominated for the most part, with Aries making a brief comeback towards the end. It wasn't a particularly memorable contest but it was watchable, and both men put in fair efforts. After referee Earl Hebner was struck accidentally, Bully took full advantage and walloped AA with his signature chains to score the winning pin. Afterwards Bully wanted to finish the job and attack Aries with his own title belt, but was chased off as Hardy came to his aid. Could they maybe be setting up a Triple Threat for the World title at BFG?

Overall it felt like a mostly average show, nothing that special to speak of really. Which is disappointing considering the quality of most Impacts recently. 

My WWE Night of Champions 2012 Recap

It was revealed that John Bradshaw Layfield would be taking Jerry Lawler's place on commentary for the show. He received a healthy reception from the Boston crowd and as usual did a good job behind the desk.

The Miz (c) bested Cody Rhodes, Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara to retain the Intercontinental Championship in a Fatal Four Way. In the decent opener Miz, after having a Sin Cara mask put on his face by the man himself, applied the Skull Crushing Finale to Rhodes by accident and gained the one-two-three.

The match started off rather messily, with quite a few slip ups here and there and the action not so solid, with disappointing wrestling between the first collision of Mysterio and Sin Cara who are rumoured to be facing each other at next years WrestleMania. But fortunately it picked up for the final third and the match became very enjoyable with well placed sequences. Good start to get the fans going.

Backstage Kaitlyn was revealed to have been taken out from  behind by a masked person and was unable to put pressure on her leg, thereby eliminating her from her title match. It was some pretty bad acting on her behalf. I wonder who could have taken her out? It has to be the supposedly reformed Eve. 

Daniel Bryan and Kane defeated Kofi Kingston and R-Truth (c) to win the WWE Tag team title in an entertaining match up. As usual the charismatic duo of Kane and Bryan worked very well, and the action from all four men was solid too. It's hard to really fault the bout, except it made Kingston and Truth look weak as a unit considering they were against a couple of guys who can't stand each other.

As expected Kane and Bryan started off rather uneasily as a team but had the backing of the crowd who chanted "Hug it out" which seemed to work as the two did indeed hug it out and reconcile, until towards the end where Bryan threw Kane off of the top rope and caused him to body splash Kingston, thereby gaining the winning pin. The fans in attendance were also firmly behind the Bryan Kane pairing and booed the faces Kingston and Truth, I imagine like me they were far more interested in the unorthodox challengers. Looks like the tag team division got some much needed interest.

Backstage GM Booker T predictably chose Eve to replace Kaitlyn in the Divas Championship match. The new number one contender's feigned surprise at the choice fooled no one.

Antonio Cesaro (c) beat Zack Ryder to retain the United States Championship in a fun contest. Both men put in worthy efforts and provided an enjoyable match from start to finish. Ryder managed to rally back a bit towards the end after Cesaro had dominated most of the title bout but it wasn't to be for the 'WWW Kid' as the champ managed to quickly apply his finisher after a distraction from Aksana at ringside for the victory. The bout was also far superior to anything Cesaro did with Santino and a step forward for him, hopefully he'll become a regular presence on PPV's now.

Randy Orton defeated Dolph Ziggler in a solid bout, and best of the night up to that point. In the intense back and fourth battle both men went toe to toe in an even fight, with the fans largely behind the 'Show Off'. The action was well executed and the set up worked fine. Considering how many times we've seen this match it's a real testament to these two talents that they can still keep fans engaged and excited during them. Orton gained the winning pin after an impressive RKO after throwing Ziggler into the air.

My only issue with it was the result. I have nothing against Orton (in fact I'm a fan, his character is a little stale right now but he's still one of the most consistent performers in the company) but Ziggler had a whole lot more to gain from a win here than he did. As the Money in the Bank contract holder the bookers and writers should be doing absolutely everything they can to build him up as the next World Champion, not loosing cleanly so often. Even a fluke win would've benefitted him a bit here, this just did him no favours and he deserves better.    

Eve beat Layla (c) for the WWE Divas title in a passable, if a bit drab and forgettable match. Both performers did a decent enough job, I just struggled to really find the interest. 

Before the following World title match Booker T declared that the formerly banned Brogue Kick maneuver of Sheamus had now been reinstated. 

Backstage Daniel Bryan and Kane were still arguing over who was the real tag team champion. But Doctor Shelby once again calmed the two down and Bryan congratulated Kane. 'The Big Red Monster' left without saying anything, then suddenly poured cold water over his tag partner and hilariously exclaimed that he would now be "going to Disneyland!" to celebrate. I love this team. 

Sheamus (c) defeated Alberto Del Rio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in a bout that picked up once it hit it's stride. After the announcement Sheamus immediately attempted the Brogue Kick on Del Rio (to tease a similar result to his WrestleMania match with Bryan) but he dodged it and 'The Great White' struck David Otunga on the apron instead, causing him to have to leave for the rest of the bout.

The start of the contest wasn't terrific, it didn't really feel like a major World title match. Fortunately the pace picked up and Del Rio began to smartly target Sheamus' arm and attempted the arm breaker a few times for some effective close calls. The World Champion also attempted his Brogue Kick a few times, eventually hitting it out of nowhere for a well received title defense. Overall the final third of the match made up for the rest and it was enjoyable enough. I think they've gotten everything they can out of their feud now but I envisage a rematch in a Hell in a Cell next month.  

CM Punk (c) versus John Cena for the WWE Championship ended in a draw, resulting in the champion retaining. In the match of the night both men put in tremendous efforts and provided a highly dramatic title match. The start of the match was decent enough, with Punk controlling it, but it was the second half of the bout where the intensity really went up. There were nice submission attempts and edge of your seat near falls as both men applied their signature finishers at least twice, with Punk even using the Rock Bottom (hint at his probable match with 'The Great One'?).  

The draw came after Cena applied an out of character German suplex from the middle rope and the referee counted both men's shoulders down for the three-count. Cena celebrated as he thought he was the victor and new World champ, but the referee corrected him and as Cena argued with the official CM Punk cracked him over the head with the title belt from behind. Like the other World title bout I imagine we'll be seeing another rematch here in a Hell in a Cell next month. 

Overall I felt Night of Champions was an enjoyable pay-per-view, with most matches being solid outings (bar the Divas title one, which wasn't bad just nothing special). The two World title matches also exceeded my expectations (I was just expecting an okay World Heavyweight match after all the amount of bouts they've had recently) especially the main event which was tremendous. Successful card in my opinion.