Sorry for the delay and no post last week, I was out of town, but here’s a double-shot this week to make up for it.
WWE Main Event
May 6th, 2014
Announcers: Tom Philips & Byron Saxton
*Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger w/Zeb Colter
I love Swagger’s new red track jacket. Clips of Adam Rose meeting Swagger and Zeb. Zeb joins in for commentary. Feeling out process to start as both men show off their amateur background. Ziggler hits a nice dropkick for a two count. Zeb is another guy that is great as a commentator and should be looked at. I mean he was the color man for Heroes of Wrestling. Swagger throws Ziggler out of the ring and then works the arm. Ziggler runs at Swagger and Swagger gives him a hip-toss over the top rope as we go to a COMMERCIAL BREAK. Commercial for referring a friend to the Network and they show Monday Night War as being available. False advertising. We come back with Swagger in a headlock. Ziggler fights back and gets some punches and then a neckbreaker. Ziggler rolls up Swagger, but Swagger rolls out and goes for the Patriot Lock. Ziggler runs Swagger into the corner and hits a fame-asser for a close two count. Swagger hits a powerslam for two. Swagger goes for the Swagger-Bomb, but Ziggler lifts the knees and hits the spike DDT. And then the outcomes the Rosebuds and Adam Rose. Rose grabs the microphone and distracts Swagger telling him not to be a lemon, be a rosebud. Ziggler hits a Zig-Zag for the win. Pretty good match, although it would have been nice to see Ziggler win clean. I kind of hope this leads to Zeb and Swagger joining the Rosebuds. Ziggler joins in on the dancing because the girl Rosebuds come by him. 1 for 1
*Alicia Fox, Tamina & Aksana vs. Natalya & the Funkadactyls
Clips of Cameron losing Nattie’s cat from Total Divas. A little tension between Cameron and Nattie to start, even though the cat incident was five months ago, we’re supposed to believe it was just last week. And that the cat was actually lost. Alicia hits a nice kick to Natalya as she is outside. Akasana comes in to cover Natalya and then tags out. Tamina hits a clothesline for two. Aksana pulls Nattie out of the corner and locks in a chinlock. Naomi tags in and hits some dropkicks and a nice jumping clothesline. Naomi dropkicks both Tamina and Alicia off the apron and then hits the rear-view on Aksana. Naomi then hits the split-legged moonsault. After the match Cameron and Natalya still argue. This was bad as the only two in the match with offense is Nattie and Cameron. In fact let’s just have them wrestle. 1 for 2
*The stupid Mr. T video from Raw, where they show clips of Brodus Clay’s “momma” dancing. We follow that up with clips of the Daniel Bryan/Kane confrontation from Raw which is at least as stupid. How was Kane hurt by falling off the trunk?
*Curtis Axel w/Ryback vs. Goldust w/Cody Rhodes
Philips makes me sad as he points out this is the same arena where the Rhodes beat the Shield in what I would call one of the top 5 matches of last year and now this is what they are doing, embroiled in a month long feud with Rybaxel while very, very slowly breaking up. Goldust controls to start, but Axel takes control with some CLUBBING and then hits a nice running knee, pleasing Ryback. Goldust fights back, but misses a charge to the corner and Axel locks back in a headlock. Goldust fights out and rolls up Axel for two and then hits a nice spinebuster and then some clotheslines and the drop down uppercut. Atomic drop followed by corner punches, of course taking a deep breath after number 9. Goldust hits a powerslam for two. Axel leverages Goldust to the floor and Cody runs and hits the Disaster Kick off the barricade onto Ryback, but Goldust had to duck. Goldust hits the Final Cut to win. Goldust and Cody celebrate the win. Pretty good, although it’s time to just break these two guys up already. I’m for a slow build but at this rate they’ll break up around SummerSlam. 2 for 3
*Outcomes John Cena. Hm, I didn’t know he’d be on the show, as they didn’t mention it seven or eight times during every match. We then get clips of Jamison Jr. singing “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Cena talks about Wyatt’s plan, but how do we know that the kid wasn’t just an overzealous Wyatt fan. And maybe his dad Jamison hit the lights. Cena asks why we like Wyatt, is it the song, is it the sheep mask? Ugh, Cena stay on Raw and stay off my nice little show. Cena shows clips of Raw and talks about never giving up and his voice cracks. Cena ends it by saying he will be the last man standing, and I’m assuming that will be the match at Payback. 2 for 4
Final Thoughts: Very mediocre show this week, and I like actual wrestling matches to end the show, not Cena showing off his green rally towel.
WWE Main Event
May 13th, 2014
Announcers: Tom Philips & Byron Saxton
*Already announced on Raw is Cesaro against Sheamus which sounds delightful.
*Show starts with Renee Young in the ring with Paul Heyman, whom if you didn’t know his client Brock Lesnar conquered the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. He says this three times before the United States champ, Sheamus interrupts. Sheamus threatens to kick Heyman in the face and Heyman objects due to Renee being in the ring and Sheamus agrees and asks Renee to leave. Heyman ducks out before a kick can be delivered, but Cesaro attacks from behind and hits the Neutralizer and goes for the swing, but Heyman tells him to take a walk, which actually gets heel heat.
*Damien Sandow vs. Dolph Ziggler
We get a clip of the POWER OF MAGNETISM. Sandow tries to cut a promo but gets cut off by Dolph’s music. Pretty sure this is the fourth or fifth time I’ve seen this on Main Event since October. Sandow starts the match in his t-shirt which is a bad sign. Sandow actually controls to start, whipping Dolph into the turnbuckle and working over Dolph and yells YOU’RE WELCOME. Sandow is in control and we get a close-up which reveals a Duggan-like booger hanging out of his nose. Dolph fights back and hits a Stinger splash and a neckbreaker for two. Dolph goes for a fame-asser but misses and is rolled up for two. Sandow then hits his inverted sharpshooter, which Saxton stupidly calls something new to the repertoire even though he tries it anytime he gets a match over three minutes. Dolph gets the ropes and flips out of a back drop and hits the Zig-Zag for the win. Nice back and forth match between these two. 1 for 1
*Raw Recap of the Shield and Evolution feud.
*Alicia Fox vs. Emma
Alicia gets a mic and just throws it at Emma to take advantage. Alicia hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. Alicia then hits a backbreaker to the outside on Emma. Alicia dominates to start but Emma rolls her up for the win. After the match Alicia hugs Tony Chimmel and sings we are family with the announcers and then wants their money and stuffs paper down both their throats. The match wasn’t much, but at least they’re trying something with a non-Total Diva diva. She stomps around and totally over-sells everything and after all that I have to give it a point. 2 for 2
*Commercial for the WrestleMania XXX Blu-Ray and DVD. Yes, I spent <money amount redacted> on tickets to be there live and yes I have the network, but I still dropped $30 on the Blu-Ray earlier this week and it’s worth it.
*Sheamus vs. Cesaro w/Paul Heyman
Oooh boy, this one starts with 16 minutes left in the show, should be good. Cesaro now has a track jacket with his King of Swing logo on it. Amazing. Sheamus controls early, but Cesaro turns the tide with some uppercuts. Lots of clobbering to start here. Sheamus hits the shoulders in the corner and then hits the slingshot shoulderblock for two. Sheamus then hits the CLOBBERING BLOWS or ten beats of the Bowery. Sheamus gets ten and then a suplex into the ring for a two. Cesaro hits two big boots into the corner and then a spinning uppercut to the back of Sheamus’s head for two. Sheamus hits a rolling Samoan drop and goes up top, but Cesaro crotches him and adds an uppercut and then hits a hiptoss off the top for two as we go to a COMMERCIAL BREAK. We come back and Cesaro is still in control, although Sheamus keeps throwing bombs also. Sheamus hits two running forearms and then bounces off the ropes, but runs right into a Cesaro clothesline. Sheamus hits the Irish Curse for two. Sheamus goes for the Cloverleaf, but Cesaro rolls him up for two. Sheamus with a powerslam for two. Sheamus goes for the White Noise, but Cesaro escapes and goes for a flying uppercut, but misses and Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick that misses. Cesaro goes for the Neutralizer, but Sheamus hits a White Noise for two. Sheamus goes for a Brogue Kick, but Cesaro slips out of the ring, hits a hangman and then goes up top, but Sheamus knocks him off. Sheamus then comes off the top with a cross-body. Cesaro belly to belly suplexes Sheamus into the timekeeper’s area. Cesaro breaks the count and then goes back outside to continue the assault. Sheamus reverses a whip and clotheslines Cesaro into the crowd. Both men continue fighting after the bell rings, due to a DOUBLE COUNT-OUT. Sheamus pounds away on Cesaro until refs separate the two, but then Heyman hands Cesaro a chair and he hits Sheamus with it. Sheamus responds with a Brogue Kick and celebrates to end the show. Easy point, probably the second best Main Event match I’ve seen after Shield-Wyatts and could be a MOTY candidate if it gets 5 more minutes on a “special event” and an ending. 3 for 3
Final Thoughts: Great show, especially with an amazing match taking up the final half of the show.