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Wrestling’s 4R’s 2.23.12: WWE Raw, Smackdown, NXT & ROH on Sinclair Reviewed
How the 4R’s of wRestling Work!
Here is a quick explanation of the 4R’s. The column will run TWO times a week. We will group our feelings on the shows in various categories: The Right, the wRong and the Ridiculous. The Right is stuff that worked very well: a great promo, a great match and so on. PuRgatoRy is a section between the right and wrong. It shows equal traits from both sides that cannot be ignored and need discussed. It is not a bad place per say, as things can get remedied or go the wrong way the very next week. The wRong is what it sounds like: bad matches, bad or boring promos and so on. The Ridiculous is stuff that had no right on TV: Stupid angles and so on. And there is always a possibility of a 5th R, which is as bad as they come. This column is supposed to be analytical, and at the right time very critical of the shows, it was the whole reason it was created. This is not a “mark” column, nor a “smark” column, our goal is to analyze the show from many different fronts, reward the good and call out the bad. We will not apologize for our opinions, they are as they are, whether positive or negative.
A Note to Readers: Since some people have asked that I respond to the comments and such, I thought I would throw this here. Just for clarification, since some of you seem to be new to the column as I present it, I do not just write about the “fun” of a show. Sure if a show is great and has a lot of great stuff to talk about I will sing the praises of it, but the bottom line is that I am here to analyze shows and the overall direction of the wrestling products I watch. In a way I look at myself as the conscience of the shows I review. I fully understand that some people simply want a review of the show and do not care how it impacts the overall product, and that is fine, there are several other reviews out there for you to read, especially here on 411.
It’s also cool if some of you want to call me a hater or say that I do not enjoy anything, that is your opinion and you are welcomed to it. But thus far in 2012, the PPV given to us by WWE and TNA, in my opinion, has not been that good, worth my money or overall good for the product. The bottom line is that this is the kind of column you will either enjoy or hate, and again, that is your right.
I appreciate your reading, even If we don’t agree, and I do like to hear what you have to say about the shows. I sincerely thank you for reading, and I do appreciate your comments.
Let’s rock…
By: Shawn S. Lealos
ROH Television 02.18.12:
QUICK RESULTS:
– Kevin Steen def. Andy Ridge
– Adam Cole and Eddie Edwards def. Matt Taven and Mike Mondo
– Mark Briscoe def. Charlie Haas
Kevin Steen – I was not happy with Kevin Steen making his first appearance in boring fashion but they made up for it last week when they let Steen beat people up. This week was even better. Steen fought Andy Ridge, someone ROH TV audiences are slightly familiar with (this is his third match), and destroyed him. I also love the fact that one week after Jim Cornette banned the piledriver, Steen broke out the F5 as his finisher, keeping him one up on Cornette. This was a dominating squash match and made Steen a monster from the get-go. Plus, they set up his first feud as Jimmy Jacobs came out. Those matches should be outstanding.
Truth Martini – I normally hate on Truth Martini. He is a great bad guy manager but I feel he pushes things sometimes. But, as the voice of Michael Elgin and Roddy Strong, he continues to prove how valuable a manager can be. Look at all the guys that fought Hulk Hogan in the ‘80s. Would any of them have been interesting without Bobby Heenan? I’m not comparing Truth to Bobby but he is a great example of how a manager can help elevate the talent. Think of all the guys in WWE who could be stars if they had a mouth piece. Truth Martini is the perfect example of that mouth piece.
Charlie Haas as a bad guy – I absolutely hated Charlie Haas as a good guy when ROH TV started. He was super intense and was like an even more boring John Cena. However, as a bad guy he is great. Shelton Benjamin was suspended because he refused to pay his fine for the chair shot. This meant they could not fight the Young Bucks and instead Haas challenged the Briscoe brothers. Jay was handcuffed at ringside, so he could not interfere and Haas fought Jay. The match ended when Haas brought in a chair and knocked the crap out of Mark in a straight on head shot. Haas then laughed about it and paid both Shelton’s fine and then gave an extra $5,000 for the chair shot he just delivered. Awesome stuff.
Adam Cole and Eddie Edwards – Are they going to keep these guys as a regular tag team? Is this just temporary while Eddie and Kyle O’Reilly extend their feud. Will they have an actual team name? Who knows? Right now, it seems like this tag team is just a way to get Eddie and Davey in the ring together again.
RD Evans – I like how the arrival of RD Evans has elevated the roster position of Tomasso Ciampa as he is now getting a TV title shot at the 10th Anniversary show. If this leads to Nana leading his own new stable against Evans and Ciampa, that might be cool too. I just want to see more of Nana in this.
Davey Richards – I just am starting to hate on Davey lately. He puts on good matches but the guy needs to alter his character or turn evil. As a good guy, he is failing, and since he is the World Champion, that is an Epic Fail. Right now, I would love to see Jay Lethal beat Davey next week.
Nothing
| The 411 There was not a spectacular match on the card but all the matches were interesting. Kevin Steen was in a squash and that was what needed to happen. Charlie Haas and Mark Briscoe ended quick but that was just to further their feud. Finally the middle tag team match was the best on the card but nothing to go out of the way to catch. This was pretty much a show to further the angles and there is nothing wrong with that. SHOW RATING: 6.5 |
By: LARRY CSONKA
Raw 2.20.12:
QUICK RESULTS:
– Sheamus defeated Mark Henry @ 3:13 via pin [*]
– Non-Title Match: Kofi Kingston and R Truth defeated Epico and Primo © @ 2:23 via pin [NR]
– David Otunga defeated Ezekiel Jackson @ 1:38 via pin [NR]
– Non-Title Match: Daniel Bryan © defeated Santino @ 1:00 via submission [NR]
– The Bellas defeated Kelly Kelly and Aksana @ 1:00 via pin [NR]
– #1 Contender’s Battle Royal: Chris Jericho won the 10-Man Battle Royal @ 12:00 [*]
REMINDER: I do not rate matches under three minutes long
Triple H vs. Undertaker: HELL..IN A…CELL!: In my opinion, this is still the best thing happening on WWE TV at this time. They set the stage well in the previous weeks with Triple H saying he wouldn’t take the match, and then HBK getting involved with Triple H again refusing the and HBK being disgusted with his friend. I know some people seem to think that this was bad because the crowd decided to “WHAT” Taker after his slow start. I attribute this to most current fans being impatient and wanting everything right away. There is nothing wrong with building to something. Sure he was a bit shaky, but some people have made this out to be more than it really is. Again, Taker was a bit shaky, but when Triple H came out, the goods were delivered again; Triple H is on a roll with his promos. Triple H tried again to explain it was all about business and he cannot end the Undertaker for the good of the business, but Taker explained that it wasn’t Hunter’s choice to make. When Hunter tried to explain what he saw in Taker, he was cut off as the dead man offered up this…
“You can save your pity, I don’t need it. But let me tell you what is pitiful. Pitiful is the excuses that you keep coming up with not to do this!”
Hunter again said he had to make sure the business was still around due to them being the end of the era, and that Taker’s fate is the same as it always did. Taker tried to draw him in the with coward talk, but what really seemed to set him off was Taker claiming that Hunter can’t do what Shawn also failed at, and that we all knew that Shawn was always better. Oh snap. Anyway, the suit jacket and tie were dropped and Hunter returned and finally accepted the match, saying that he knows what he has to do and that he can et the job done. But he also said that there will be no excuses, and that this will be the END once and for all. For only the second time at WrestleMania, and most want to forget the first, we will have Hell in a Cell. This shit was awesome and continues, for me, to be the best part of the show.
Sheamus defeated Mark Henry: The opening match for Raw was former World Champion Mark Henry facing off with the Rumble winner Sheamus. This was a short match, but perfectly fine for what it had to be. Henry got enough heat to make it seem like he was a big threat, while Sheamus defeated his quickly enough to make him seem dominant. Part of me hates Henry being defeated so quickly, but the bottom line is this. Sheamus is challenging at WM for the World title, and at this time, Henry has nothing to do. Unfortunately, at this time, he is expendable.
Daniel Bryan Makes Santino His Bitch: Daniel Bryan faced off with Santino on Raw, and the world champion defeated him with ease. Some have complained that the match was only a minute long, but honestly, this is exactly what it should have been. Yes Santino gets a reaction, but he is an undercard comedy guy that mostly loses. Daniel Bryan is the world champion and headed to WrestleMania to defend that title. Bottom line is this, he should be defeating undercard geeks with ease and that us what he did here. The champion needs to look dominant from time to time, even when he has been a cowardly heel, and this worked. By the way, this is what I was talking about during the Elimination Chamber Rs. It doesn’t matter that Santino got the pops for one night, they have no plans for him, and I knew he would be back in the same place he always was. That is not the worst place, because he is great at what he does and there is certainly a place for him, but it is also another case of WWE not listening to their audience. But hey, what else is new?
John Cena Tells The Rock How It Is…But Comes Across a Bit Like a Whiney Bitch: After he was interrupted by the Eve bullshit, John Cena returned to the ring and had something to say about The Rock. Cena came out with a little more edge than usual, discussing the HOSKI Eve, but he quickly turned his attention to the Rock. He laid it all out, says he understands what Rock is doing, but also said that WM will be the most important match to him and he will win. But more importantly, while Rock is here for now, he will be gone when WM ends and will be on set, drinking his drinks and while that happens, Cena will be there because he has always been there. Some people loved this and felt that this was Cena’s best promo in ages. I will agree that the delivery was great and they killed the stupid comedy stuff, which was good. But I have to say, and I am not alone on this one trust me, but while the promo had fire and was good, Cena comes across as such a whiney bitch. Boo hoo the Rock made a great career in Hollywood and I’m still here because I can’t act and my movies generally suck. Boo hoo Rock said he wouldn’t leave but did and I’m still here. Seriously, while he is using it as a tool to make the fans reject Rock and realize that he is their guy and that he is always there, and no, I don’t think Cena is “OMG SHOOTING” on Rock, he has used it so often that it comes off as crying like a little bitch. Anyway, I get what he is trying to do with the words he is using, but I watched this and thought, “Dude, stop whining please, it’s embarrassing.”
Kofi Kingston and R Truth defeated Epico and Primo: The tag team champions actually got to make an appearance on Raw this week, unfortunately for them, they were on the losing end of things. I have discussed the role of the WWE tag team champions several times in recent memory, and I will continue to do so here. WWE continues not to care about these guys or the titles, devaluing them and again, hurting the development of the low-midcard performers. Kofi and Truth were in the elimination chamber, fine, but they aren’t a tag team. But, because we wanted them to appear as winners for the losers battle royal late in the evening, we sacrificed the tag team champions, again. Add into the equation that the FRESH tag team champions could not beat two guys that were selling injuries from the elimination chamber, and that is not good at all. But we all know that. This was just more of the same shortsighted booking we have become accustomed too.
The Belles defeated Kelly and Aksana: In all honesty this match should have been completely scrapped from Raw. Word is that Taker and Triple H went 8-9 minutes too long, and they had to cut the match time. When you have to cut and the match only get one minute, there is simply no need for it. Add into the fact that it was rushed and not any good at all, simple subtraction says you can make the show better without it. And then there is the fact that this was nothing but filler. Nothing was advanced here and nothing was built by this match happening. In the end, this was simply a waste of time.
David Otunga defeated Ezekiel Jackson: David Otunga faced Ezekiel Jackson on Raw, and this was set up because the GMs are feuding. In my opinion this is one of those, “we have to get people on the card” things for WM, and I am not all that interested in it. Also, I think that they have really rushed into it and it feels like something they are just throwing out there. Add onto that the fact that even though this was very short, it was also very bad. Neither guy is very good, and shouldn’t be put in there together under any circumstance. This was simply not good at all. And really Teddy, you chose Zeke as your guy? Maybe you should be replaced.
The Main Event Battle Royal: The main event battle royal on Raw was another major issue with the WWE product at this time, and it goes back a long time as something I have been discussing, but I will Tarintino it back to the Royal Rumble and explain why I feel this kind of match is bad for the product. First of all we have the Royal Rumble, 30 men battle for a shot at the title of their choice at WrestleMania. One man wins, and we have 29 losers. Of those 29 losers, we take 10 of them and put them into two different elimination chamber matches. Now some of these guys did nothing to deserve a spot in the chamber matches, but they got in anyway. From there, we spent weeks watching them wrestle each other to see who was the least loser going into the chamber matches. So then the champions actually retain in these chamber matches, giving us two winners and the same 10 losers we started with. But you see, Sheamus, the Rumble winner, chooses his champion to face, which means we still have a champion that needs a challenger. So what did we do? We went back and took the SAME 10 losers from the night before and out the min a match, where they can actually earn a WWE Title match at WrestleMania. So, after all of that, I have to question, why should I care that Chris Jericho is facing CM Punk? Yes, good promos, likely a good to great match, but why should I care?
Get well Wade.
| The 411 This was a show with one great angle, some good stuff and more of the same that is a constant issue for the product. We are on the road to WrestleMania, and while the top four matches are set and that is good, that doesn’t automatically make the shows all gold. I just hope as the weeks go on, the shows become more complete. SHOW RATING: 5.0 As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale.. 0 – 0.9: Torture |
By: Tony Acero
– Larry will provide his look at Smackdown on Monday in that edition of the R’s.
Smackdown! 02.21.12:
QUICK RESULTS
– Sheamus Defeated The Miz [*1/2]
– Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger Defeated Kofi Kingston and R-Truth [**]
– The Great Khali Defeated Drew McIntyre [NR]
– Mark Henry Defeated The Big Show [** ]
– David Otunga Defeated Ezekiel Jackson [NR]
– CM Punk and Daniel Bryan Results in a Draw [****]
YOUR WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!: Daniel Bryan opens the show who-although he is getting quite repetitive-still has enough asshole in him to get his point across and put a lil stank on the mic to rub it in to all the losers. Of course, you guys know the real reason why this is here…The lovely and amazingly hot AJ was Bryanside! Goooood Lord! Ok, in all seriousness, Bryan continues his reign on the mic of pushing the buttons of the fans and wrestlers alike. Gotta love the crowd cheering for Punk as Bryan tried bring up Sheamus. Anyways, he was able to bring up the Red Head and that got a nice reaction as well. Just as the promo was getting dry, The Miz comes out and brings a bit of a history lesson on Bryan as well as the best WWE show, EVER, NXT. It was a nice segue into the rest of the show and did everything it needed to do.
SHEAMUS VS MIZ: While the win was never in question, I did enjoy the match. Unfortunately, Sheamus is really quickly turning into Cena-lite with his repetitive moves and nature. The difference is that Sheamus still mixes up his moveset just enough to not make it all one note. The match went just a bit over five minutes and showed Sheamus having fun until the wic is lit and the flame goes on. That’s pretty much Sheamus’s MO and it’s still fun to watch, so it goes in the Right.
CM PUNK VS DANIEL BRYAN: It seems like forever ago that I deemed Smackdown the best WRESTLING show on television today, and the beginning of this show had me thinking that it may very well be yet another week where I have to eat my words but no no no, not this week. Bryan and CM Punk put on a damned match that I have watched three times thus far and love every minute of it! It’s the little things, people, that shows just how awesome these two are. Look, I’m not some ROH guy and I hardly ever watch anything outside of the WWE. I complain a lot, but it’s my job. I can only imagine that people will consider this match as something that just isn’t praiseworthy and is only IWC-loved, but I can’t see how anyone could dislike this damned match. It was given tons of time, had tons of action and even the ending wasn’t an issue for me. Take a second to realize where both these men cam from (the bottom) and where they are at now (the top). They deserved this moment and they deserve our praise.
BRAID BRIGADE VS ZIGGLER AND SWAGGER: It appears that Kofi and Truth are not just a one shot deal, but at the same time, if they are building a tag team, they are not doing a good job. I’m not saying they should have won, but they probably shouldn’t have even faced Ziggler and Swagger. The positives here are that I got to see Ziggler on my screen, and at the very least Kofi is getting some TV Time that is well deserved. One must really consider who he tags with, though….
SLATER THE BULLY: I can only hope that this leads to Slater getting his ass handed to Santino next week or sometime soon. It appears that they’re really going to milk this Rocky-esque motivation, though.
SHOW VS HENRY : I didn’t like these guys locking up in the past, I thought the ring breaking gimmick was alright, but they are both pretty slow. That being said, this wasn’t so much about the match as much as it is about Cody Rhodes being a thorn in the side of Show and I’m loving that. It appears that the planned Shaq vs. Show match may not happen, and if that’s not going down then I can see a Cody vs. Show match doing quite well, especially if Cody goes over. I can only hope for more CODY RHODES PRESENTS…
MCINTYRE VS KHALI: Was this really necessary? I wrote in the Triumvirate that it seemed they were dropping the gimmick of Drew losing, but once I saw this match about to start, I knew exactly what was going to happen. I would say it was a complete waste of time, but what was it? One freakin minute? Just a complete waste, I think, and a complete degradation of what little dignity Drew has left. Then again, can anyone see anybody beating Khali? And therein lies the problem with ol strong jaw…
OTUNGA VS JACKSON: Again? We saw a much better version of this on RAW, and that match sucked balls. Why must we succumb to this garbage? I’m not sure if they are leading to a RAW vs. SD type of storyline leading into Mania, but if the rumors are true then a draft is coming up and they are edging towards a Johnny Ace vs. Teddy feud that we can already see the seeds planted for. I can’t imagine this going well for Teddy and I really hate that, but back to the match….never mind, I don’t want to talk about it anymore.
PUNK VS BROWN: You guys are free to head over to the Low End Theory, my hip hop column, to read up on the entire situation between CM Punk and Chris Brown, but the gist of it all is that CM Punk took offense to something that Brown said, namely that he uses steroids, and made a very serious and seemingly heartfelt video message to Brown. Of course, in true WWE fashion, they have taken this story and are using it for their benefit. Throughout Smackdown, there were mentions of it, but little mention of Punk’s stance and instead just focuses on the ‘feud.’ Essentially, any publicity is good publicity…unless it’s about Stone Cold beating his wife, right?
NOTHING
| The 411
A one-match show if there ever was one, but in this case I suppose I am okay with that. What’s odd is that it doesn’t feel too much like Wrestlemania season over on the blue brand and I hope that changes soon. The show may seemed rush, and considering it was a live show, on a Tuesday, it most likely was. So go ahead and check out the tag match, but definitely watch that Main Event…amazing. SHOW RATING: 6.0 |
By: Tony Acero
WWE NXT 2.22.12:
QUICK RESULTS
– Tyson Kidd Defeated Tyler Reks [**]
– Titus O’Neil Defeated Alex Riley [*1/2]
KIDD VS REKS: While I didn’t really enjoy the match, exactly, they could have done worse. After all, we have to consider that since these guys are rookies, the more they work with people like Tyson, the better they will get…I mean, right? Ok, maybe that’s not the case with Tyler Reks, considering he’s been around for a while and has shown little to no growth on the mic or in the ring. But I still stand by that having them work with Tyson may very well do some good. All that being said, the match wasn’t bad. It simply wasn’t effective. Reks is clunky and takes far too long to set moves up, making things look extremely choreographed and rigid. I know, it sounds like I’m complaining, but this match was still a step up from Reks vs. anyone else, and it was given a lot of time.
LONELY STRIKER: I don’t know if this was a one-show thing, but the picture of Striker alone playing a ukulele and then trying to get Kaitlyn stay with him was just subtle enough to make him a lonely geek with power. It just seemed funny to me.
REGAL SCHOOLS THE ROOKS: During the main event match, Percy Watson and Darren Young were at the announce table and in hilarious fashion, Regal points out their flaws more than once. First, they are talking amongst themselves during the match, so Regal tells them that they should be focused on the match and stop blathering on about crap. He goes so far as to tell them that if they want him to pay any more attention, then how bout they lock up right here in front of them. It was bad ass. Then, he asks Percy Watson how he plans on overcoming the new Titus. He tells Titus about aggression and how Percy is not using it properly. Just another example of the best commentator in WWE right now.
KIDD VS McGILLICUTTY: This wasn’t a match, but it looks like it will be in the future. I loved how the referenced the past and the fact that Kidd isn’t really a third or second generation superstar, but rather just a trainee of the Hart Dungeon. It’s an interesting angle that, with a better talent, could have worked on one of the big shows, I think. But alas, we’re here on NXT. I like the storyline, don’t like the players…well, ok, I don’t like McGillicutty.
TITUS VS. RILEY: Another match that wasn’t bad, just boring. The difference here is that Kidd wasn’t around to save it. Titus is definitely missing something and him being a Heel wasn’t it. He’s annoying in that you can see right through the act, and no one is taking him seriously as a heel. The only thing he has going for him is that he’s big. Boring.
RAW RECAP: 1) Don’t recap RAW. 2) If you’re going to recap RAW, make sure it’s on the Champion, not on Cena’s retarded ass storyline.
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY: I seriously hope that next week they announce the end of the show. Also, I think Csonka really owes me something for having to put up with this show for a year now. No? ok….
| The 411 Another bland show of the blandest WWE show. Nothing exciting here, although I will admit that they are building towards something…I just don’t know whether or not I should be excited about it. SHOW RATING: 5.5 |
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