Wrestling’s 4Rs 12.02.13: TNA Impact & WWE Smackdown Reviewed

ROLLING CHART: TNA MATCH OF THE NIGHT
How things Work – Each week one match is decided match of the night, the participants of that match are each awarded points (1=Impact, 2 =Impact Special, 5=PPV) the top five are listed on a rolling chart beginning 10.03.13
1. Bobby Roode (9 Points)

2. Kurt Angle (8 Points)

3. (Tie) Jeff Hardy (3 Points), Chris Sabin (3 Points), James Storm (3 Points)

4. (Tie) Bully Ray (2 Points), Austin Aries (2 Points), Magnus (2 Points)

5. (Tie) Manik (1 Point), Gunner (1 Point), Kazarian (1 point), Christopher Daniels (1 Point), Kenny King (1 Point), AJ Styles (1 Point)

Tube IT! (Matches worth a check out as of 10/03/13)

THE RIGHT:
Team Dixie unites: This was a unforeseen occurrence but Dixie unveiled her new chief of staff Rockstar Spud, she then brought out EC3 and they announced a winners’ only thanksgiving dinner at the end of the show. I thought this segment was done well, Spud was a surprise but I’m glad he got an opportunity after toiling in OVW after winning British Bootcamp. I thought Dixie and him had decent chemistry and I’m enjoying the new creative’s ambition to repackage unused talents such as Spud and give them a chance to sink or swim. For Dixie and Ethan’s first in ring appearance this didn’t feel special, however who would have thought that EC3 would have caught on like he has.

EC3 gets hot and spicy: After the initial in ring promo Carter called out his opponent who turned out to be the returning Curry Man , who cut a short promo. Carter won an energetic squash over his opponent. To me I love the return of old characters such as Shark Boy last week, they give off a TNA vibe. Carter continued to look impressive and Daniels , I bet , had a blast, as his old character.

Elimination tag: A big win for me this week, the 4 on 4 elimination tag bout saw the coming together of TNA’s best and brightest led by TNA’s two hottest rivals Kurt Angle and Bobby Roode. Before long the action came down to Angle facing the opposition on his own. After briefly battling the odds Angle picked up a chair and laid out Roode getting himself DQed. I really liked how this match tied in weaving storylines such as Storm and Gunners breakup, Magnus’ slow turn and Angle’s inability to beat Roode. Some have labeled this a cheap WWE ripoff due to the format of the match however I’d put this up against anything of the Survivor Series card.

Storm = interesting: Something I’ve been wanting to see for a long time, but they are finally giving Storm something compelling and putting a bit of thought behind the character. I have called Storm boring and cliché and even unmotivated but I like the thought of him turning due to Gunner’s incompetence.

puRgatoRy:
The Bro Mans get a new DJ: Another TNA repackaging saw Zema Ion return after a long absence due to health issues and lack of role as he became the brand new DJ for The Bro Mans. The Bro Mans cut a promo on Fernum and Barnes as Ion used a DJ station to sound an annoying air horn at ringside. The Bro Mans destroyed the jobbers to win the Turkey bowl and then forced them to wear the turkey suits until Eric Young cleared the ring. I liked the segment as I’m a big fan of Ion and glad he is back on TV, I also liked how The Bro Mans looked strong and how they are being positioned. The drawback is on the cheesy turkey gimmick match and campy acting of the Bro Mans, which came after years as comedy characters. I hope they can be turned into a serious threat in the future.

Dixie’s Dinner: I thought this segment had drawbacks due to the really joke-filled nature of the show , but the characters each did their best to make the segment watchable and produced a decent segment. The heels had won up and down the card and thus all gathered for Dixie’s dinner, I loved how Roode was positioned as the lead heel and was the centerpiece of the show. I liked the interplay between Roode and Sabin as well as Sabin ushering Velvet Sky away from the table. Before long the faces arrived and it inevitably turned into a food fight and brawl, which somehow ended with Fernum and Barnes standing tall to end the show.

Tapa destroys Sky: We saw a one week break from the Gail Kim open challenge as Tapa got into the ring for a rare official match up and defeated Velvet Sky with ease , the match wasn’t great but got it’s point across Tapa kills BITCHES dead. Kim looked hot at ringside to boot.

Funeral for a Friend: In an off site produced segment Mr Anderson conducted a funeral service for Aces and Eights attended by several key TNA wrestlers. Each gave a short eulogy and had funny moments such as the D Lo Bobblehead doll, Joe not giving Angle a beer and even Magnus on his phone. A hooded Bully Ray attended the service and stoically told Anderson that he has taken away everything he has , so now he better watch his back. I thought the segment was slickly produced and a departure from the dark style of writing we had came accustomed to over the last few years. I was hoping for a clean break from the Aces story and a chance for Bully to take a break however it looks like he is sticking around and his feud with Anderson will continue. Bully’s promo was a gem however the rest was a little too campy for my taste.
　

THE wRong:
Dixie’s Deadline The latest in the AJ Styles videos saw Dixie Carter finally snap and demand AJ Styles return the belt in one weeks time. She also made a corny Shoe joke. I wish they could have gone the route of ignoring Styles for a few more weeks, especially due to his high profile departure on screen.

THE RIDICULOUS:
NOTHING

Smackdown 11.29.13
By: Danny Bennett

ROLLING CHART: SMACKDOWN MATCH OF THE NIGHT
How things Work – Each week one match is decided match of the night, the participants of that match are each awarded 1 Point the top five are listed on a rolling chart beginning 11.15.13
1.Luke Harper (2 Points)

2.(Tie) Daniel Bryan , Erick Rowan, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Goldust, Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins (1 Point)

THE RIGHT:
Shield – Rhodes Dynasty – Punk – Wyatts = Gold: This to me saved the whole show from disaster ,WWE are so lucky that these talents have been carrying the in ring action alongside The Real Americans and The Usos. The main event and undercard is quite frankly embarrassing at the moment due to the booking but the tag division has been allowed to shine based on in ring talent. The opening tag bout was very good albeit something which these teams have done more than once on TV. With the addition of Punk it became a six man , and finally after a full scale breakdown Things became an all out war including the Wyatt Family. I love the tag scene becoming a main event attraction, as well as so many young hungry talents getting put in the spotlight. Each match was more than adequate and I think that the upcoming Shield vs. Punk storyline has a lot of potential. The Wyatts are dominating and becoming a huge part of the roster I really hope they can get the success they warrant. My big fear is that these teams get into a holding pattern and it eventually turns into repetitive television.

puRgatoRy:
Brodus is mad: Something which caught my eye to say the least was the anger coming from Brodus Clay due to newcomer Xavier Woods. I really hope this is the beginning of a Tons of Funk heel turn or even a Brodus Clay singles run . I also do not see the big buzz around Woods, his offence is weak and his look is really cheesy to me, I get that he has talent but he does nothing for me

THE wRong:
Axel loses again:A perplexing thing for me , why the hell is Ryback still hanging around with Axel, they are no longer under the same agent and openly do not like each other. I like Henry and Big E becoming a mentor/student relationship , but I question just why they continuing the Axel character, he shown no personality and ability during his latest run and I think it’s time to cut their losses.

Orton’s Interview: This wasn’t wrong, this just really, really boring . Firstly I really liked Renee doing an interview in ring, it’s a simple touch but it doesn’t get overused and feels more important than a backstage bit. Orton’s character even as a heel has become boring again, the fans are confused whether they should cheer him as he is slowly turning against The Authority. Also the unification TLC bout feels so rushed and so out of nowhere that the fans haven’t had time to want to see it and it just smacks of a rushed creative decision to boost flagging buyrates and possibly get some buzz.

THE RIDICULOUS:
Swing until he hurls: This was set up by a food eating contest backstage between Titus and Khali in which Titus managed to win after Khali passed out in some cream pie, Yeah, as his reward Vickie Guerrero booked him against Antonio Cesaro. The match went like we all thought it would and featured the inevitable Cesaro Swing, which made Titus hurl at ringside. Yes , we are booking Throw up spots. I just don’t get how they can take a move which has been made to be a proven hit with the fans and is damn impressive and turned into a disgusting comedy spot, purely to make Vince McMahon laugh backstage. If big black muscular black men throwing up after being swung around is something that gets Vince off, then I hope the WWE stockholders can sleep easy knowing that their investment is tied up with such high end sophisticated action adventure global media. FUCK THAT SHIT

Torito brings down the rockers: Yes a midget in a bull costume is now an in ring performer. I get that 3MB is a joke but this is just insulting to the fans. The Matadores gimmick has not gotten over and never stood a chance, this is just wrestlecrap at it’s finest and I don’t think it has a long shelf life.