The Official Wrestling Thread (now with more news and stuff)

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 6-3-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- MARK HENRY vs. PRIMO COLON

Primo tried to go after Henry's early on, but Henry remained on his feet. Henry then knocked down Primo with a shoulderblock. He teased a big splash, but Primo moved and Henry ate the mat. Primo then went up top for a dropkick, but Henry flung him away. Primo kept trying to go after Henry's lower body to chop him down. He then went up top again, but Henry caught him in mid-air. Henry then planted Primo into the mat with the World's Strongest Slam for an emphatic victory. After the match, Henry struggled to the corner selling the leg work and stood on the bottom turnbuckle to salute the crowd. More shine for Henry put a wrap on the match.

WINNER: Henry in 3:00. Fine match accomplishing the goal of getting over Henry's power offense with the crowd into the action thanks to the pre-match activity by Henry. This is right about where Primo will be slotted for a while until WWE finds another way to utilize him post-Carlito reunion. (*)

2 -- GAIL KIM vs. JILLIAN HALL

Good action to start with some fast-paced offense from both sides in the beginning of the match. Gail then nailed a monkey flip and corner leg whip that floored Jillian. Gail then executed a nice head scissors coming through the ropes to the floor. Gail tried to follow with more offense on the outside, but Jillian cut her off. Back in the ring, Jillian went to work on Gail. Per the match formula, the story unfolded where Jillian got cocky working over Gail, giving Gail an opening to take back control. Gail tried to execute a superplex for the big finish, but Jillian blocked and dropped Gail to the mat for a nearfall. Gail then regrouped and executed her Eat Defeat jawbreaker for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Gail in 5:00. Nice match with a good flurry of offense from both sides from start to the finish. It's nice to see Jillian on Superstars where she's given time and opportunity to have a good match and not limited to a one-note gimmick on Raw. Of course, she probably wouldn't be on TV if she didn't have the recognizable "Britney Spears/Brooke Hogan parody" act that WWE likes to write into Raw guest-hosting bits. Meanwhile, Gail continues to just bide her time looking for an opportunity. (*1/2)

3 -- Co-Women's champion MICHELLE McCOOL (w/Co-Women's champion Layla) vs. TIFFANY -- non-title match

McCool chucked Tiffany to the outside early on, drawing taunts from Layla ringside. McCool then delivered a knee to the side of Tiffany's face, driving her into the announce table. Tiffany barely made it back into the ring before a ten count and McCool went back to work on Tiffany. Tiffany made a comeback moments later and executed a monkey flip out of the corner. Tiffany delivered an emphatic kick to the mid-section before attempting a sunset flip pin, but McCool blocked and smashed Tiffany with the Styles Clash for the pin and the win.

WINNER: McCool in 3:00. Decisive win for McCool here. Tiffany is developing well as an in-ring wrestler and will probably be counted on to fill a void on the babyface side of the Women's division on Smackdown. (*)

4 -- CHRISTIAN vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

Christian scored an early one count and Chavo huffed and puffed to sell frustration. They reset with Christian scoring a back body drop before coming off the second rope with a missile dropkick for another one count. The announcers talked up Vickie's new association with Dolph Ziggler, prompting Striker to reference the Kerwin White days when Dolph was a caddy for Chavo. Ugh. Christian knocked Chavo to the outside, then hit a plancha on the floor. Christian re-entered the ring to wait for Chavo, but Vickie walked out on-stage. After excusing herself, she booked a two-on-one handicap match. Vickie welcomed out Dolph Ziggler as Chavo's partner to stack the deck against Christian. Playing up his heel persona, Chavo gloated and acted tough now with the advantage before they cut to break.

4b -- CHRISTIAN vs. CHAVO GUERRERO & DOLPH ZIGGLER

Back from break, Dolph and Chavo tagged in and out working over Christian, who was on the defensive. Ziggler then missed with a corner attack and Christian landed his pendulum kick to begin his comeback. Christian dropped Dolph with a flapjack then his usual sunset flip springing off the second turnbuckle for a two count. Christian fought off both heels, then went up top and airballed a cross-body splash. Chavo then tagged in with a springboard dive to the mid-section. Chavo then wanted the Three Amigos suplex, but Christian countered the third and dropped Chavo with an inverted facebuster.

They went to the finish where Chavo countered the Killswitch and executed a snap suplex. Chavo went up top for the Frogsplash, but Christian moved out of the way. (Before Chavo tried his finisher, though, Dolph blind-tagged into the match.) Christian then hit the Killswitch on Chavo, but Dolph caught him from behind with the Zig-Zag. Dolph, as the legal man, made the pin on Christian for the win. Backstage, Vickie looked on approvingly watching from a monitor. After a replay of the finish, Dolph and Chavo celebrated the victory and the announcers plugged Smackdown tomorrow night before the show closed with another shot of Vickie backstage.

WINNERS: Chavo & Dolph in 14:00 overall. Decent main event focusing on Dolph. Christian had his "out" faced with a stacked deck, which was fine. WWE apparently believes the ticket for Dolph elevating up the ladder on Smackdown is for him to be paired with the "heat magnet" Vickie Guerrero. We'll see if it works out better than it did for Vickie's most-recent beau, Eric Escobar. (*3/4)

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 6-4-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - JACK SWAGGER vs. MVP

Swagger wore an Oklahoma jersey to the ring to antagonize the fans. Swagger worked MVP into a waist-lock, which is the way a lot of matches seem to be starting lately. The two argued after MVP countered with a back elbow. Slap to the face of Swagger, who then took a powder on the outside. Cover only for two by MVP. He got the champ in a side-headlock, but Swagger broke out of it in the corner and dished out some punishment. Boot to the head by MVP sent Swagger to ringside. They took a break under four minutes into the match.

The match continued in a back-and-forth fashion until MVP was sent shoulder-first into the ring post. He was nearly counted out. MVP fought back, but was booted down. Swagger missed a charge and MVP connected on a few clotheslines. Powerslam by Swagger for a near fall. Vader Bomb from Swagger for two. Of course, Todd Grisham thought it was over. Back to work on the arm went Swagger. Forearms and elbows were sent into the face of Swagger to break things up a bit. Swagger got thrown over MVP's head, and then the elbowdrop. Belly-to-belly by Swagger, and I don't think he even got MVP's feet off the mat on that one. Vader Bomb, but no, MVP countered. Running boot in the corner missed, and Swagger rolled MVP up for the win.

WINNER: Swagger, at 15:00. Good showcase for MVP.

Curt Hawkins attacked MVP after the match. MVP fended him off until he ran into a big boot from Vance Archer. They only have a few weeks left to make an impact on Smackdown.

2 - DREW MCINTYRE vs. KOFI KINGSTON - INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH

McIntyre was predictably aggressive at the outset. Monkey flip by Kofi, then he leapt onto Drew's shoulders for some punches in the corner. The ref backed Kingston out of the corner, allowing McIntyre to boot Kofi down. While he was on offense, Matt Hardy made his way through the crowd, showing off the ticket he bought to get in the arena. He stood at ringside as they went to break.

McIntyre stayed on the offensive, and the fight even went to the floor. Surfboard-like move by Mac, but Kingston flipped out of it. McIntyre was back on top before long, but he made the mistake of paying attention to Matt Hardy. Kofi began to come back with all his trademark moves, and got a crucifix pin for two. Boom Drop, then he set up for the Trouble in Pardise, but Mac dodged it and went to the outside. Kingston missed a cross-body out there, and McIntyre took a cheap shot at Hardy, back-handing him across the face. Security had to hold Hardy back. Back in the ring, Kingston hooked on the SOS and picked up the win.

WINNER: Kingston, at 13:26. Not a big fan of the finish, since McIntyre just had the advantage on the outside. Hardy did distract him, but he needs to be beaten down for that finish to work, because it takes Kingston a few seconds to lock it in. Match was good.

3 - ROSA MENDES vs. KELLY KELLY

Kelly got the advantage early, but then LayCool walked out on the stage to observe Smelly Kelly. Mendes locked Kelly in a head-scissors on the mat. Kelly turned things around with some clotheslines and booted Mendes in the chest on a corner charge. Splash off the top for two. Mendes tried a neck-breaker, but Kelly turned it into a Fameasser for the win.

WINNER: Kelly, at 2:57. Looked like two women on the second day of wrestling school.

4 - BATTLE ROYAL TO DETERMINE THE FINAL SPOT IN THE FATAL FOUR-WAY TITLE MATCH AT THE FATAL FOUR-WAY PPV

Other participants include: Chavo Guerrero, Trent Baretta, Caylen Croft, Vance Archer, Luke Gallows, JTG, Chris Masters, and MVP. Nobody eliminated in the first minute or so. Kane almost got Christian out, and MVP booted Vance Archer down. Punk was on the outside, and Mysterio ran out to try to unmask him. Gallows aided Punk, but Mysterio got the best of Gallows. Luke was still on the outside, but Rey made it back in the ring before the break.

Back with more battle royal fun. Doesn't look like anyone has been eliminated. And I don't remember Shad ever being entered. Chavo and Hawkins teamed up on Kane in the near corner. McIntyre wanted a piece of that as well. Gallows seemed to come to the aid of Kane when everyone was trying to toss him. Croft and Masters were eliminated about seven minutes in, and Baretta got sent out as well. Then it was JTG next. Fast and furious eliminations in the last 30 seconds. Kane and Gallows threw hands with each other, with Kane getting the better of the exchange. Kingston and McIntyre were both eliminated, via a Cactus clothesline by Kofi. That was about 8:30 in. Archer and Gallows almost had Rey out. Huge pop for him slipping back in. Ziggler locked the sleeper on Finlay. Christian ended up tossing Ziggler, however. A distraction by said Ziggler led to Finlay dumping Christian. Really, Finlay? Anyway, they went to break with Ziggler and Christian arguing on the outside.

Most of the men were lying on the ground back from break. Again, we missed no eliminations. Rey missed the 619 on Chavo, but Rey ended up eliminating him with the headscissors at about 14:00. Finlay tried to get rid of Rey, but Rey held on to Finlay's neck. Finlay ended up flattening Rey in the ring in lieu of an elimination. MVP punched away at Hawkins, then went after Archer. Vance didn't take kindly to that. MVP, Archer, Finlay and Hawkins all went out in short order, which left us with Kane, Mysterio and Gallows. The hooded stranger kicked Kane in the back, which allowed Gallows to throw him over the top. But Kane held on, threw the masked man aside, and grabbed Gallows by the throat. He pushed him over the top at 17:00. Clothesline by Kane on Mysterio. Kane dropped Rey chest-first onto the top rope, and Rey barely held on to stay in. He was booted down when he was back in the ring. Mysterio landed on Kane and hit the 619. But he jumped into a chokeslam attempt. Rey countered with a headscissors that sent Kane over the top and to the floor.

WINNER: Mysterio, at 19:39. Not bad for a battle royal. The right man won, too, though Kane's character could be rejuvenated a bit with his Taker bit.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 6-7-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). This report condensed to in-ring results however I'll put up another post covering the final moments of RAW.

1 -- BIG SHOW vs. CHRIS JERICHO -- Bodyslam Challenge match

Big Show comically opened up wide for Jericho to attempt a bodyslam, but Jericho slapped Show across the face. Show turned angry and chopped Jericho across the chest. Show then missed with a corner attack and Jericho attempted a bodyslam, but Show laughed in his face and landed a headbutt. Show fired himself up and teased the KO Punch, so Jericho quickly rolled to the outside to avoid the finish. Show then palmed Jericho's head like a basketball to bring him back into the ring, but Jericho kicked him away and started working over Show's right shoulder. This turned into Jericho slugging away at Show's shoulder before Show swatted Jericho to the mat like a flyswatter. Show then caught Jericho in mid-air and delivered a simple bodyslam center ring for the anti-climatic win.

Post-match: Show slapped on his modified Camel Clutch and Jericho started tapping out. Show kept it locked in, then Justin Roberts erroneously announced: "Winner via submission, Big Show." This is a mess so far. Show then dumped Jericho over the top rope to the floor to "win" the over-the-top-rope challenge stipulation as well. Jericho just shook his head on the floor while Show left the ring.

WINNER: Show at 2:53. Big Show in the opener having a slow-motion, standing "match" isn't how I would have opened the show. I'm waiting to see where this Jericho storyline goes with him on an unofficial losing streak and looking like a sad figure lately. (n/a)

2 -- Unified tag champions HART DYNASTY (TYSON KIDD & D.H. SMITH w/Natalya) vs. GREAT KHALI & HORNSWOGGLE

Khali and Kidd started things off, with Khali dominating the proceedings. Big Show, then Khali in the opening matches isn't the best way to keep viewers tuned in. Hornswoggle then tagged in and airballed a Tadpole splash. Smith ran into the ring and knocked Khali off the apron, then Kidd made a soft, safe pin on Hornswoggle for the win.

Post-match: The Usos and Tamina hit the ring. The three-on-three brawl was on. This time, the Hart Dynasty knocked the Usos out of the ring and stood tall. The Usos backed away and sold the fight would continue another day.

WINNERS: HD at 1:20. They kept the match as short as possible trying to avoid killing the babyface momentum for Hart Dynasty up against the "likable" freak show duo of Hornswoggle and Khali. (n/a)

3 -- SANTINO MARELLA vs. KOZLOV -- Dance-off

Santino was given the dance floor first. Cue up some light techno music and Santino attempted some break-dancing moves. He busted out the Carlton, of course, followed by the Cobra dance. I'm surprised no water sprinkler or shopping cart. The crowd popped after Santino finished his deal. Kozlov said he is a serious contender and something else. Kozlov said he is more stronger and faster. Cue up Kozlov's dance opportunity. Some hard techno music hit and Kozlov started doing the robot with a moonwalk, followed by the electric slide. Kozlov took Scotty 2 Hotty's Worm before showing off some flexibility. Santino was shocked. "Vintage Kozlov," Cole declared. Striker polled the audience. Santino was booed. Kozlov won and he flexed his ab muscles. Kozlov then danced with Santino like they were on "Dancing With The Stars." Santino tried to jump into Kozlov's arms, but Kozlov head-butted him to the ring, smiled, and walked out of the ring.

WINNER: Kozlov. Kozlov has assumed Chris Masters's role on Raw as the big, muscular wrestler with a "hidden talent" gimmick to get a laugh and lose credibility as a wrestler.

4 -- DIVAS BATTLE ROYAL

Bodies started flying out of the ring in the first two minutes before it settled on Eve in a perilous situation with Maryse and Jillian Hall. Maryse and Hall worked over Eve before dumping her over the top rope to the floor. Jillian celebrated the "victory" with Maryse, who didn't want Jillian to share in her spotlight. Maryse then unceremoniously dumped Jillian to the floor to pick up the victory and bask in her own glory.

WINNER: Maryse at 3:50. As expected to continue the feud between Maryse and Eve and reinforce Maryse's heel character. (n/a)

5 -- KANE vs. SHEAMUS

Kane knocked Sheamus to the floor early on and worked him over. Kane tried a top rope move, but Sheamus crotched him. He then executed a running powerslam taking Kane off the top. Impressive. Sheamus scored a nearfall and they went to break with Sheamus in control. It was the first time in 73 minutes there was a sense of urgency on the show.

Back from break, Kane blasted Sheamus with a boot to the head ala Sheamus's pump kick before continuing the attack on Sheamus. Kane landed a double foot-dropkick to the face for a two count as the announcers continued to talk up the Undertaker storyline. Kane then teased a chokeslam, but Sheamus kicked him away. Kane regrouped and tried again, but Sheamus slipped out and hit a reverse DDT backbreaker across his knee. Sheamus then measured Kane for the pump kick, but Kane moved and Kane threw Sheamus over the top rope to the floor. Sheamus returned to the ring and, this time, he took the chokeslam.

After taking the chokeslam, Sheamus rolled out of the ring and fell face-first on the floor. The ref began a ten count and Sheamus initially tried to re-enter, but decided to hop off the apron and walk away. Kane wins via count-out. "Coward!" Kane shouted at Sheamus, who disappeared to the back. Kane then angrily left the ring as the "investigation continues" with Taker's assault.

WINNER: Kane via count-out at 7:25. A step-up in the ring on this show after some poor matches in the first hour of the show. WWE is certainly selling the audience on Kane right now, as evidenced by the voting for this match. (*1/2)

6 -- U.S. champion R-TRUTH & JOHN MORRISON vs. THE MIZ & ZACK RYDER

Truth started off working against Miz, then Morrison tagged in and double-teamed Miz. Truth re-entered as the babyfaces worked over Miz until Miz blasted Truth with a boot to the face. Cole plugged Season Two of NXT as Ryder worked over Truth. Miz and Ryder then tagged in and out working over Truth for a few minutes. Miz then yanked off Truth's shoe and Truth hot-tagged Morrison, who cleaned house on Miz. Morrison landed a flying knee strike on Miz, but Ryder broke up the pin. Truth hopped into the ring with one shoe before Ryder sent him flying to the outside. The action broke down before Miz dropped Morrison with the Skullcrushing Finale for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Miz & Ryder at 3:21. Basic, short Raw tag match. The audience lost interest early on after the pairings were announced. WWE is selling the audience on the "sizzle" of the pairings or stips or match-ups being announced, but the audience isn't interested in the "steak" of the match-ups.

7 -- EDGE vs. RANDY ORTON -- One-arm match

After they briefly danced around the ring, Orton ran over Edge with his free left shoulder before stomping on Edge. Orton then started pounding on the mat with his one good arm. He teased a one-arm RKO, but Edge shoved him off. Edge then reached behind his back and untied the knot. Apparently the ref didn't pay attention in Boy Scout's. Now free, Edge attacked Orton and the ref called for a DQ.

After the DQ, Edge went to the corner and teased the Spear, but Orton blocked with a kick to the head. (Note, not a Punt.) Edge rolled to the outside and Orton tried to follow out, but Edge smashed Orton. Edge then retrieved a chair and measured Orton for a chair shot to the shoulder. Orton convulsed and sold pain as Edge ripped his hair out to sell the angle. Edge smiled and walked away from ringside as Orton winced in pain. They replayed Edge's attack on Orton before showing Edge smiling from the stage. Orton came to his feet and sold the shoulder injury as the announcers talked in quiet tones.

WINNER: Orton via DQ at 1:35. It was what it was to stack the deck against Orton as one of the challengers in the PPV main event. (n/a)

8 -- MATT HARDY vs. DREW MCINTYRE

McIntyre screamed at Long after the bell sounded, then Hardy tackled McIntyre and knocked him to the outside. Hardy took the fight to the announce table and knocked him into Cole and Lawler's laps. Hardy rammed McIntyre into the ringpost, then took him back into the ring. Hardy landed the Twist of Fate and scored a pinfall for the win. Post-match, Hardy continued to blast away at McIntyre before grabbing some of Mac's hair. Hardy stared at the hair with a psychotic look on his face while McIntyre rolled away and regrouped on the stage.

WINNER: Hardy at 1:24. Hardy scored his "revenge match victory" with three weeks of TV packed into a five-minute segment, but apparently the feud continues. (n/a)

[Arcademan]

9 -- WWE champion JOHN CENA vs. C.M. PUNK (w/Luke Gallows and Serena) -- non-title match

Cena went for Punk's mask early on and Punk bailed to the floor to complain to the ref. Cena tried again and Punk bailed to the outside again. Punk then cut off Cena and went to the mat with submission holds wearing down Cena. Cena teased a comeback, but SES nipped at Cena's heels from the outside to allow Punk to regain control heading to break.

Back from break, Cena teased the Attitude Adjustment, but Punk slipped out and hit a DDT for a two count. Punk then knocked Cena to the outside and Serena kicked Cena in the gut with the ref's attention held by Punk in the ring. Back in the ring, Cena fired up his big comeback and did the usual routine. Suddenly, Wade Barrett walked out on stage as Cena teased the Five Knuckle Shuffle. Punk had to hold his place for a long time before Cena delivered his trademark move. Barrett slowly started walking to the ring and Cena turned his back on Punk.

Caldwell's version of the end via PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report).

Suddenly, Michael Tarver was shown hopping the guardrail. Season One NXT Rookies then surrounded the ring taking out the SES as Cena stood dumbfounded in the ring. Barrett then led the NXT Rookies onto the ring apron. They surrounded Cena before slowly walking into the ring. David Otunga floored the ref and Cena stood in the middle of all of them. Cena then attacked Barrett, but an eight-on-one brawl broke out.

WINNER: No Result at 10:14.

Post-match: Cena tried to fight them off as all eight ganged up on Cena. Barrett started directing traffic. Of note, all eight of them were wearing "N" armbands like they're part of a gang. The Rookies then attacked Striker and Lawler ringside. They over-turned the announce table and started creating havoc ringside. Justin Roberts was victimized here. Barrett then started ripping away the ring apron and the turnbuckles. Daniel Bryan ripped off Roberts's shirt and choked him by his tie.

Cena was left alone in the ring as chaos was everywhere. Cena tried to fight back in the ring, but Tarver KO'ed him. Otunga then dropped Cena with a uranage in what was left of the ring. The Rookies started hitting finishing moves on Cena before Darren Young picked up Cena and fed him to Slater for a big knock-down clothesline. Cena was lifeless here. Punk then tried to enter the ring, but Bryan secured him and the Rookies started pounding on Punk. The announcers were nowhere to be found, so it was raw sound in the arena. The Rookies then fed Cena to Skip Sheffield, who delivered a big knock-down clothesline. Slater choked Cena with a turnbuckle before Bryan shouted down at Cole that he is not better than him. Cena slowly got up to his knees and Bryan spit in his face. Bryan then delivered a kick strike to the back.

[Q13 -- over-run] The Rookies picked up Cena and fed him to Barrett, who landed his rolling bodyslam. Gabriel then went up top and delivered his big 450 Splash from the corner to a big thud. Apparently everyone in the back was being held hostage by the A-Team. The Rookies then left the ring, with the ring a total mess and Cena out cold in the middle of the ring. Cena opened his eyes to show signs of life before the camera panned the ringside area where bodies were everywhere.

Medics entered the ring checking on Cena, who remained out cold. The announcers ringside were shown stirring slightly before a stretcher was brought to the ring for Cena. Cena was placed on a backboard as they showed concerned fans watching ringside. It was quite surreal for the PG era of Raw with no announcers and raw sound in the arena. The camera cut to more shots of chaos ringside before showing Cena strapped down on the backboard. Cena was then put on a stretcher and wheeled away from ringside. They wheeled him up the entrance ramp. The camera cut to a shot of WWE staffers removing the announce table that had Lawler trapped underneath. It's worth noting Michael Cole kinda disappeared during the melee. Cena was shown being taken away to the back as they ended the show five minutes past the top of the hour.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: One of the worst episodes of Raw of the year (even worse than the MacGruber Volcano Raw) ended with an amazing angle involving the NXT Rookies. Apparently the NXT Eight are forming a gang to dominate Raw. I'm all for it, as it added a sense of realism to the show after the first three hours of the show were a complete disaster. The audience that stuck around to the end certainly has reason to tune in for the follow-up next week[/u] (and possibly on NXT tomorrow night). Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up will make or break this.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 6-21-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only save for the final segment of RAW.

1 -- EVAN BOURNE vs. CHRIS JERICHO

Cole started listing Jericho's accolades in the "sports entertainment industry" going back 20 years. Suddenly, Bourne scored an early nearfall on a backslide attempt. Jericho then ducked out of the ring and retreated to the floor to catch a breather. Lawler asked why Jericho put this kind of pressure on himself as they cut to break.

Back from break, Jericho's career was over. Okay, just kidding, but what if the match ended during the break? Anyways, they recapped Jericho taking control during the break, leading to him applying a mat submission in the ring. Bourne then scored a close nearfall attempting a roll-up before Jericho dropkicked Bourne to the outside. Lawler stressed the WWE talking point that the young stars are on the rise trying to take top spots, including Jericho's. Bourne made it back into the ring at a nine count, then Jericho stomped on him before landing right hand blows.

Jericho teased a vertical suplex, but Bourne landed a knee strike and scored another nearfall on a roll-up attempt. Bourne then hit a spin kick, followed by a leaping kick strike. He followed with a double-foot smash for a nearfall. Suddenly, Jericho slapped on the Walls of Jericho, but Bourne rolled onto his side and executed a DDT out of a guillotine for a two count. Jericho then went back on the offensive, cutting off Bourne with more mat-based submissions.

Jericho cut off Bourne in the corner and went to the second rope for an axehandle, but Bourne suddenly came to his feet and jumped onto Jericho for a snap huracanrana resulting in a close two count. Bourne tried to follow with his trademark offense, but Jericho countered into the Walls of Jericho. Bourne teased tapping out, then Jericho yanked him back to center ring. Bourne then crawled across the ring toward the bottom rope with the big determined face before a final lunge to break the hold. Great sequence. Bourne suddenly hit an enzguiri from the apron that put Jericho out in the corner. Bourne tried to follow with the Air Bourne, but Jericho got his knees up at the last split-second to block. Jericho immediately followed with the codebreaker and scored a pin for the win.

Post-match: Jericho showed more confidence after finally getting his win. That smirk was back. Jericho started to leave the ring, but he walked over to Bourne and picked him up. Jericho helped him to his feet before pie-facing Bourne to shove him back to the mat. Jericho smirked again and left the ring while Bourne sold the code breaker to conclude the segment.

WINNER: Jericho at 10:40. Given time, these two have made magic the last two nights. Another awesome match that really continued Bourne's momentum despite him losing, with Bourne countering Jericho's offense over and over before Jericho finally got an opening. Let's hope for a third real match (fourth overall) in the series. (***1/4)

2 -- TAMINA (w/Uso Brothers) vs. NATALYA (w/Unified tag champions Hart Dynasty)

After a back-and-forth opening to the match, the NXT Rookies suddenly walked out through the crowd to interrupt. Wade Barrett then grabbed a mic and said they just want to apologize nice and clean. Kidd wanted nothing to do with that and tried a flip dive onto the Rookies ringside. The Rookies proceeded to beat down Kidd and leave HD out cold ringside. Darren Young and Wade Barrett then walked into the ring as they cut to break.

WINNER: No Decision in 2:00.

3 -- JOHN MORRISON (w/Eli Cottonwood) vs. ZACK RYDER (w/Titus O'Neil)

Ryder cut off Morrison early on and went to work on Morrison's upper body. Morrison then blocked a neckbreaker into a roll-up for a two count. Ryder came back with a knock-down palm thrust before going back to work with a chinlock. Morrison broke free, then hit a step-up enziguiri for a two count. Morrison then made a full comeback with his athletic offense before Ryder rolled to the ring apron and snapped Morrison throat-first across the tope. Ryder tried to follow with the Rough Ryder, but Morrison blocked with a powerbomb. Morrison then followed with his Starship Pain finisher out of the corner for the win. Post-match: Morrison gave Eli some instructions, then Eli tried to celebrate by standing on the turnbuckles, but Morrison slowed him down and said he's not ready for that.

WINNER: Morrison at 4:24. Morrison needs to clean up the execution of his finisher, as the impact of the move looks like a mid-match transition hold, not a finisher to win a match. The match was in a tough spot as the "comedown match" of the show just trying to get some Raw mid-carders on TV. (*1/4)

4 -- GREAT KHALI & EVE TORRES vs. PRIMO & Divas champion ALICIA FOX

Cole said Alicia Fox was smiling from ear to ear in the locker room all day today after winning the Divas Title at the PPV. What was Cole doing in the women's locker room? Khali and Primo set up to start things off, but Primo tagged out to Alicia, which meant Eve had to tag in. Eve and Alicia traded offense, then Alicia cut off Eve and began a methodical attack. Alicia tried to set up a corner attack, but Eve cut her off and hit a top rope moonsault. Primo broke up a pin attempt and apparently re-entered himself into the contest. That meant Khali had to tag in. Primo begged off and dropped down to both knees. He then came to his feet and tried a forearm, but Khali shook him off. Meanwhile, Alicia took off to the back with her title, wanting no part of this. Khali chopped Primo, then gave him a big Punjabi Plunge for the pin and the win. Primo sold it as if he were a body outline at a crime scene. Eve and Khali then danced to conclude another awkward pairing for Eve following Chris "pec dance" Masters.

WINNERS: Eve & Khali at 3:58. Part of the "variety" format to the Raw show. Harmless filler replacing what would have been a lame Raw GM skit. (*)

[Arcademan]

5 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Title match -- Vince McMahon special ref

Sheamus quickly cut off Cena and went on the attack as Cole talked about Sheamus taking out Triple H, possibly for good. Suddenly, the males 18-34 woke up and started a loud "Cena Sucks" chant opposed to the kids on summer break with a "Let's Go Cena" chant. Sheamus continued to dominate and he chucked Cena to the floor. They cut to break with Sheamus in control.

Back from break, Cena landed body shots, but missed with a corner attack and ate the ringpost. Cena slowly rolled to the ring apron as Sheamus slowly came to his feet. Sheamus missed with a running knee strike, but he cut off Cena in the ring with a running clothesline. Meanwhile, Lawler speculated who the new Raw GM is. Sheamus continued a nice, methodical attack on Cena, who kept selling the effects to build to that inevitable comeback.

Cena and Sheamus then landed a double knock-down clothesline taking both men to the mat. Ref Doane started a ten count and both men came to their feet at seven. Cena teased the Attitude Adjustment, but Sheamus countered into a standing powerslam for a two count. And Sheamus regained control of the match. Sheamus teased the Pump Kick, but Cena ducked and started his big comeback routine. Cena sold Sheamus's body work as he set up and dropped the Five Knuckle Shuffle.

Cena tried the AA, but Sheamus raked the eyes and hit the Irish Curse backbreaker for a two count only. Sheamus regrouped, then tried his Outsider's Edge drop, but Cena slipped out and immediately countered with the STF. Sheamus teased a tap out, but eventually grabbed the bottom rope for a break. Sheamus rolled to the floor and Cena tried to follow, but Sheamus sent him into the ring steps with a drop toe hold. Sheamus rolled Cena back into the ring at the top of the hour. Sheamus made a cover, but Cena kicked out, which popped the pro-Cena crowd. Sheamus sold frustration not scoring the victory, so he went to the outside and grabbed the ring steps. Sheamus randomly set up the ring steps half-way down the ring entrance. He then grabbed Cena, took him to the floor, and chucked him into the steel steps. Cena sold being KO'ed as Sheamus rolled him back into the ring and teased the Pump Kick. Cena got up, barely came to his feet, and then Sheamus creamed him with the Pump Kick when he turned around.

Suddenly, the NXT Rookies hit the ringside area and cleared Sheamus, who took off running into the stands. The Rookies the grabbed Cena and pulled him to the outside. McMahon watched as the Rookies dumped the announce table onto Cena, ending his night. McMahon walked over to the Rookies and surveyed the scene with them, showing approval. McMahon then walked into the ring with mic in hand and told the Rookies to leave Cena alone. McMahon asked if Cena's still breathing, then he asked the Rookies to walk into the ring. McMahon smiled and put over "these extraordinary athletes," which drew boos. McMahon said he can't take full responsibility, but he can take partial responsibility for all their actions against Lawler, Cole, Hart (especially), and Cena. He asked for a round of applause for himself. McMahon said it's been interesting this week, but next week, the new GM will reveal something.

McMahon paused and stared down all of the Rookies, who were glaring at him. The crowd just yelled, not knowing how to react. McMahon then smiled and said they almost had him for a second. He said his life flashed before him. McMahon endorsed Barrett before some in the crowd chanted, "Daniel Bryan." McMahon laughed, paused, and said this is just about it. Let's call it a night. Suddenly, the Rookies circled McMahon again. McMahon shot them all funny faces as the Rookies remained standing in place.

Suddenly, they all jumped McMahon and beat him down in the ring. They fed McMahon to Tarver, who landed a big knock-down clothesline. Apparently the locker room went home for the evening. Barrett then gave McMahon his big slam finisher and McMahon crumbled to the ground. Barrett called for the 450 Splash and Gabriel went up top before staring down at McMahon. He took his time before nailing the 450 Splash on McMahon. The Rookies stared down at McMahon, then Barrett told them to leave. The crowd chanted, "NXT, NXT" as the Rookies left the ring satisfied with their work. They cut back to a shot of McMahon motionless in the ring. The cameraman shooting the shot of McMahon dropped his camera and called for some help out here. They cut back to a shot of McMahon out cold on the mat as the show ended.

WINNER: No Decision at 14:51 when the Rookies invaded. Good, heated title match before the non-finish, which was expected. The NXT angle brings up a whole lot of new questions, some that will make heads explode trying to make sense of everything, but it's good to see WWE continue the angle because of its mass potential if handled correctly going forward. Some questions to be answered... Obviously, the Rookies would have attacked McMahon because the storyline is he instructed the announcers and the NXT Pros to mock the Rookies and put them through horrible skits on the first season of NXT. But, now the NXTs are babyfaces after KO'ing McMahon, even though they were heels for KO'ing the top babyface? Also, now McMahon and Cena have common enemies, but McMahon allowed the Rookies to attack Cena. Also, was that it for Cena's re-match clause? And why did the anonymous Raw GM disappear after the opening segment? And, does anyone know what the concept will be for the Money in the Bank PPV in less than one month? And the one biggie that could solve this is whether the new mysterious Raw GM convinced/tricked McMahon into hiring him as GM, then the new GM "hired" the NXT Rookies to legally carry out an attack on McMahon (with Cena included, for whatever reason) as some sort of punishment for whatever sins McMahon committed against the new Raw GM. Or something to that effect.

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 6-22-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed to in-ring results save for final show segment.

1 -- MVP & PERCY WATSON vs. U.S. champion THE MIZ & ALEX RILEY

Cole said the first Pros voting will kick off right when they go on the air next week. Percy got the crowd warmed up before locking up with Riley. Riley landed a knock-down shoulder tackle and did a cocky pose on the turnbuckle to celebrate. A vocal minority in the crowd started a "Daniel Bryan" chant as Watson and MVP began working over Riley with double-team offense. MVP then knocked Riley to the outside and "Maradona" scolded Riley for screwing up. Miz told Riley he's supposed to be a star, so start acting like one. Miz then demanded a tag and Miz entered the ring. MVP gave a tag to Watson, so Miz jumped him near the ropes to catch him off guard. Miz and Riley began working over Watson as Miz talked trash to Percy. The crowd started an "MVP" chant as Cole repeated the NXT polls opening at the top of the show next week. Cole said he will be voting from ringside. Josh Mathews missed an opportunity to reference the Raw GM bit.

Anyways, MVP came in with a hot tag and cleaned house before hitting a jawbreaker on Riley. MVP then set up for the Ballin' elbow drop and connected. MVP wanted to finish, but Riley grabbed the ropes to block. He then tagged in Miz as Percy tagged in for MVP. Percy came in hot as his glasses flew off. He got a slow clap going with the live crowd before landing a big standing splash spot. Nice athleticism. MVP cleared Riley in the chaos, then Percy kind of telegraphed (told the audience what was coming) a throat-drop across the top rope. Miz then hit the Skull Crushing Finale on Watson for the pin and the win. Miz and Riley celebrated the victory as MVP checked on Watson in the post-match.

WINNERS: Miz & Riley in 7:00. Good opening match. Riley has "star" written all over him while Percy Watson showed good energy and the crowd is already catching on with his "high energy" gimmick. Watson is still a little green in the ring, especially telegraphing the pre-finish spot, but an overall good performance. (*1/4)

2 -- MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY (w/Kofi Kingston) vs. TITUS O'NEILL (w/Zack Ryder)

Mathews gave a quick note that Hennig is going with "McGillicutty" as his ring name to pay homage to his mom, whose maiden name is McGillicutty. Interesting fact to be checked. Titus dominated early on, then another "Daniel Bryan" chant started. Titus tried a Samoan Drop off the ropes, but Hennig fell off his shoulders and they both fell to the mat. Not a good spot. Titus then tried a big splash, but Hennig got his knees up to block. Hennig then hit a neckbreaker for the pin and the win.

WINNER: McGillicutty in 3:00. Too short of a match to get a good read on Titus or a longer look at Hennig. Titus is rough-around-the-edges in the ring and they need to find a way to make him stand out. He could be easily forgotten on this season. (3/4*)

3 -- KAVAL (w/Lay-Cool) vs. ELI COTTONWOOD (w/John Morrison)

Kaval landed a martial arts kick trying to take Cottonwood off his feet, but Eli shook him off and chucked him face-first into the top turnbuckle. Cole said Eli's biggest problem is adjusting to "society" known as WWE. Mathews stereotyped Eli as a guy from the back woods. Cole told him to get out of his condo and experience the world. Meanwhile, Kaval tried a submission hold in the ropes, but Eli flung him away only to take a big springboard enziguiri kick. Kaval still couldn't take Eli off his feet despite multiple kick strikes. Kaval finally got him off his feet with a springboard double foot stomp to the neck. Kaval made a cover, but Eli kicked out. Kaval tried another high-risk move, but Eli grabbed him by the neck and landed sort of a lift-up facebuster chokeslam. It looked like a variation of one of Matt Morgan's "big man" finishing moves. Eli made the cover for the win.

Post-match: Morrison clapped it up for Cottonwood as Kaval walked out of the ring selling Eli's offense. Michelle McCool tried to check on Kaval like a mom checking on her kid stomping off after a tough little league loss. They showed Mark Henry stand up on the stage and applaud Kaval on the way out.

WINNER: Eli Cottonwood in 4:00. Kaval had a good amount of offense to retain some measure of credibility. He continues to show off his strong offensive repertoire and this wasn't a total squash, which was good to protect Kaval. (*)

4 -- CODY RHODES (w/Husky Harris) vs. LUCKY CANNON (w/Mark Henry)

The bell sounded and Cody pushed Lucky into the corner. He pointed to the clock on the video screen before paintbrushing Lucky to tell him what's up. Cody grabbed a headlock and worked over Lucky before pushing Lucky to the outside. Cole was tearing apart Lucky on commentary while Mathews tried to defend Lucky. Back in the ring, Lucky tried an amateur wrestling takedown, but Cody blocked and went back on the attack. Cody then put Lucky in position for Homicide's Gringo Killer, but maintained the hold as a great submission. Lucky suddenly tried to counter with a roll up, but Cody kicked out. At 3:00, Lucky landed a faceplant for a two count. Lucky not selling the submission is a mark against him. Lucky scored more offense before Rhodes smashed him with step-up enziguiri out of the corner. Cody then looked at the clock and smiled. He followed with the Cross Rhodes center ring. He made the cover with 1:02 left on the clock for the win. And Cole mocked Lucky. After a replay of the finish, they showed Henry trying to console Lucky. Cody celebrated ringside and mocked Striker, asking, "Hey, what happened?"

In-ring: Matt Striker was in the ring addressing all eight of the NXT Rookies. Kaval was still wearing his pink Lay-Cool shirt and selling Eli's offense. Striker plugged the polling coming up next week. He said he's giving the Rookies one last chance to win over the Pros and the fans. Alex Riley was first with 45 seconds. Riley cockily said he doesn't need to say anything after how impressive he's been so far. He said he doesn't have to beat up nerds in high school anymore because now he gets to beat up Rookies on a show called N-X-T. Riley went past his allotted time and Cole called him a mic hog.

Kaval was up next. Kaval stared down at the mat before smiling. He said ten years ago, he tried to get his foot in the door, but they told him he's too small. Ten years since then, here he is standing before the audience on NXT. That drew a mild cheer. Kaval said not only will be WWE's next breakout star, but he's going to prove it's not the size of the fighter...they cut off his mic before he could finish. Titus O'Neil gave the "working man's" promo stirring up the audience. Nice work.

Striker gave Joe Hennig the mic for his 45 seconds. Hennig said he made it a win again tonight. He said unlike his competition, he possesses no weaknesses. Hennig said his name is Michael McGillicutty and he is WWE's next breakout star. Eli Cottonwood was next. He said he'll remain in the shadows and strike with vengeance when the time is right. Eli said his actions will speak louder than any of his words. Percy Watson was up next to a strong reaction. "Hey, look here, baby," he said. Watson asked everyone if they like to have fun like him. "I'm a heavy hitter, but I'm not a quitter," he said. "I'm going to keep is shaking and moving, baby. I got two words....oh yeah."

Lucky Cannon was next as they hit seven minutes past the top of the hour. Lucky did his promo from the NXT video intro. After the cliche-o-meter exploded, Striker gave the mic to Husky Harris for his 45 seconds. Husky said he doesn't even need 45 seconds. He turned to walk away before blasting Striker with a forearm smash from behind. Husky then landed a running sentaun on Striker and he walked out of the ring with a self-satisfied look on his face.

Cole noted Husky is doing what his Pro, Cody Rhodes, did last week. Husky then walked up the ramp and walked to the back with Cody Rhodes, who looked at him approvingly. They showed Striker selling on the mat as the Rookies just stood over him. After a video recap of Husky's assault on Striker, the Rookies were shown just walking out of the ring. Some of the other Pros then walked down to the ring to check on Striker as the babyface Rookies decided to help Striker out of the ring to close the show.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 6-24-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- JTG vs. CAYLEN CROFT (w/Trent Barreta)

Grisham gave a quick plug for the Fatal Four-Way PPV and gave a sidebar note that Rey Mysterio is the new World Hvt. champion. He phrased as if it Mysterio defeated Jack Swagger in a singles match. Trent tried to get involved from the outside early on, giving Crent an advantage. JTG then made his comeback and dropkicked Trent through the ropes. Back in the ring, JTG hit the Shout-Out on Croft for a decisive win.

WINNER: JTG in 4:00. Brief, pretty forgettable match. They just didn't have much time to stand out doing a basic four-minute TV match. And since WWE doesn't emphasize wins and losses mattering on a quest for titles or championship opportunities, the match was just there. (*1/4)

2 -- LUKE GALLOWS (w/Serena) vs. CHRIS MASTERS

Grisham and Striker continued the Fatal Four-Way conversation by discussing Kane singling out C.M. Punk at the PPV. Masters took early control of the match and they cut to break with Luke recovering on the outside.

Back from break, Masters shouted for the Masterlock. The big Gallows fought off Masters and rolled him to the apron. Luke followed by bumping him off the apron to the ground. On the floor, Luke sent Masters into the guardrail and brought him back into the ring. Luke continued to work over the back with a big splash off the ropes, but it was unsuccessful in a pin attempt. Masters then made his comeback and came off the second rope with a torpedo shoulder tackle for a two count.

Masters continued to sell the lower back before walking into a standing boot beneath the chin for a nearfall. Luke teased the Gallows Pole (not to be confused with the Gallup Pole), but Masters escaped and teased the Masterlock. It was unsuccessful, then Serena provided a distraction from the outside. Luke took advantage with a big Gallows Pole from the second rope and it was good for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Gallows in 10:00. Good win for Gallows trying to stand out on his own. The match was fine with a solid back-and-forth at the end leading to the finish. (*1/2)

3 -- BRIE BELLA (w/Nikki Bella) vs. JILLIAN HALL

After an initial lock up, Jillian took control to begin dominating the action. Jillian attempted a handspring elbow drop, but it didn't connect. Brie made a comeback with a flurry of dropkicks before hitting sort of a falling neckbreaker. The action moved to the corner where Jillian blocked a top rope move with a roll-up for a two count. Back in the ring, Jillian dumped Brie over the top rope to the floor. The Bellas attempted the ol' switcheroo gimmick on the floor and Jillian laughed, thinking she had the con figured out. The ref then went to the floor to try to figure out which Bella is which to prevent the con. Back in the ring, Jillian stomped away on Brie, but the ref reprimanded her for not breaking a five count in the corner. The Bellas then did the real switcheroo behind the ref's back and Jillian walked into a trap for Nikki to score the pin for the win. And the Bellas use a classic short-con to take advantage of an easy mark for the win.

WINNER: Bellas in 4:00. About what you would expect here with the heel being made sport of and the crowd going along for the ride because it's more fun to watch someone else being taken advantage of. (3/4*)

4 -- WILLIAM REGAL vs. R-TRUTH

Truth and Regal traded offense before Truth hit an early dropkick. He dropped to the mat selling a knee injury for the first transition in the match. Regal instantly went after the knee to get over his aggressive offensive attack. Regal hung Truth up in the middle rope by the knee and the ref reprimanded him. Regal just smiled, showing off his great facial expressions. Regal took too much time following up, which allowed Truth to tease a comeback. Regal cut him off and landed an exploder suplex. He then went for his Knee Trembler finisher, but Truth no-sold the suplex and popped up to his feet to hit the Lie Detector. Truth with the pin and the win. As Truth sold the knee injury, Cole gave a final plug for Raw, advertising mystery (GM) and chaos (NXT 7) on Monday night. They closed with a final shot of Truth celebrating to close the show.

WINNER: Truth in 7:00. Fine match with Regal on offense most of the time leading to Truth with the expected victory. Regal's role, like Goldust's, is to enhance the stars WWE is looking to feature on Monday nights. Sure, Regal could be better utilized, but this is his role in WWE right now. (*1/2)

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 6-25-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Wilkenfeld's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

(1)ANGELINA LOVE vs. VELVET SKY
Sky takes quick control, kicking Love out of the ring. Love yanks her outside with her, and punches her against the mat. She looks to shove Sky's head into the steps, but Sky reverses and Love takes a Foley-style leg first bump. She rolls Love back into the ring and slams her head against the mat and lays in with some stomps. She hits the "Skyliner", which is sort of a double-armed Union Jack. She does some trash talking and looks for a second, but Love twists away and floors Sky with a clothesline. She gets a chair from ringside. We're told that Hardy's out injured and tonight and Mr. Anderson will get Abyss in a hardcore match. Love hits the Botox Injection Bicycle Kick, but before she can follow up Sky pokes her in the eye and yanks her down. Sky sets up Love for a DDT onto the fallen chair, but before she can hit it Love slips out and nails one of her own.
WINNER: Velvet Sky by DQ in 4 minutes. Love signals that she only has one left to go. Rayne comes out to taunt her with the belt. Love invites her into the ring, but Rayne's not biting. Love points triumphantly to the fallen Sky, but Madison points out that that isn't her.

(2)KAZARIAN vs. JAY LETHAL
Now that Lethal comes out to his own music, he could really use some better tunes. Kazarian starts things off with a double leg takedown, but Lethal flips him out and nails an Arm Drag. Kazarian leap frogs over the ref to nail a forearm, then beats down Lethal in the corner. A Gut Wrench Slam barely gets one. Lethal gets up firing, so Kazarian rakes his eyes. Lethal keeps firing, but when he comes off the ropes he comes right into a Spine Buster for two. Kazarian drapes Lethal over the top rope and kicks him in the face. A cover gets two. Kaz nails a Body Slam and a Spingboard Leg Drop. He locks in a chin lock so that the camera can cut to Flair and Styles beating up Lethal's brother backstage. In the ring Lethal is powering out, shooting Kazarian off into a back elbow. Kazarian reverses an attempted whip, but just ends up eating a Hand Spring Elbow for his trouble. Lethal shoots Kazarian into the ropes, but Kaz hangs on and nails an elbow of his own. He goes for a low blow, but Lethal catches the arm and does a really cool sideways roll up that looks annoying familiar. It gets two. Kaz nails a Decapitator Clothesline as he gets up, and then most men get up firing. Lethal nails the first half of the Lethal Combo, but Kazarian blocks the Flatliner and nails one of his own for two. Kazarian looks for his reverse Piledriver, but it's quickly reversed into a Lethal Injection (the Suplex-into-a-Neck-Breaker version, not the old one) for three.
WINNER: Jay Lethal in five minutes.

(3)KURT ANGLE vs. DESMOND WOLFE
Angle gets a side wrist lock to start. Wolfe takes him down with a Snap Mare, but Angle maintains the hold. Wolfe reverses into a side headlock, but Kurt re-reverses back into the wrist lock. They trade holds a couple more times before Wolfe just elbows his way out. Wolfe locks in a Cobra Clutch and yanks Angle to the canvas. Angle tries to power to his feet, but Wolfe brings him back down. The second time Wolfe does that Kurt uses the momentum to roll into a hammerlock. Wolfe reverses into one of his own, forcing Kurt towards the rope. As Wolfe gives the rope break he kicks the top one into Angle's neck. Kurt comes back with an Arm Drag, but Wolfe stops him short with a Mongolian Chop. Kurt dodges a charge in the corner, but then whiffs on one of his own and nails the ringpost shoulder first. Wolfe hits a beautiful arm-bar type Suplex. He goes to argue with Chelsea. Angle tries to come at him, but gets taken down with an Arm Wrench Takedown. Angle goes for a Sunset Flip, but Wolfe blocks it with a wrench of the arm and then locks in a sort of Triangle Arm Lock. Angle almost gets a reversal into an Angle Lock, so Wolfe kicks him off. Angle gets up firing, taking down Wolfe with a Back Body Drop while still selling the arm. Wolfe gets a leg up to get some distance in the corner, but then runs right into an Overhead Belly-to-Belly Suplex for two. Kurt goes for an Olympic Slam, but it's reversed into an Arm Drag. Wolfe tries to come back at Angle with a clothesline, but Kurt ducks underneath it and nails a trio of German Suplexes for a long two count. Kurt goes for the Olympic Slam again, but this time it's reversed with a Hammerlock Takedown. Kurt reverses an attempted whip into the corner. Wolfe elevates him up and over, but Kurt lands on the apron and goes to the top rope. Wolfe tries to cut him off with a Tower of London, but Kurt slips out and nails an Olympic Slam. Kurt drops the straps, cinches in the Angle Lock, then grapevines the legs. That's it.
WINNER: Kurt Angle in seven minutes. Great TV match, but I have no idea who's bright idea it was to give this away on free TV. Also, who did Wolfe piss off?

(4)BEER MONEY INC. vs. INK INC.
#1 Contenders Tournament Final
Shannon Moore comes down to the ring alone. The Motor City Machine Guns are on commentary, which should be good. Roode starts things off with a club to Moore's back. Moore comes off the ropes with a Hurricanrana, floors Roode again with a leg lariat, stops an interfering Storm with a dropkick, nails Roode with an Inverted Atomic Drop, punches Roode down, jumps over him into a Leg Drop, and makes the cover. Storm tries to break things up, but Moore dodges and he lands on Roode instead. Moore sends Storm out of the ring with a Spinning Heads Scissors, then clears Roode out with a clothesline. Tommy Driver is making his way through the crowd, followed by Stevie Richards and Raven(!). In the ring Moore connects with some punches on Roode, but when he tries to slide between his legs Storm yanks him out of the ring and drives him into the steel steps. Storm tags in and they stomp the hell out of Moore. Neal stumbles out towards the ring. Moore is trying to fight back in the ring, but runs into a high knee from Storm. Roode tags back in. He connects with a Body Slam. Storm nails an elbow drop on his way out, and Roode hits a knee drop for two. Shelley on commentary claims that Beer Money's name comes from a 2001 made for TV movie [the movie does apparently exist, but is so obscure it seems to lack even its own wikipedia page]. Moore tries to rally again, but this time is stopped by a nice Full Nelson Slam. Storm tags in. They hit a double elbow drop, but when they try to follow up with the DWI Moore kicks down Storm and Bulldogs Roode. Neal tags in, and is seemingly feeling much better. He clotheslines the hell out of everyone, then takes down Storm with a Belly-to-Belly Suplex. Roode comes in to break up the ensuing cover, which draws in Moore as well. Moore takes Roode out of the ring, then follows him out with a Somersault Plancha. In the ring, Storm nails a Code Breaker out of nowhere, but when he tries to follow up with a Superkick Neal blocks it and hoists him up for the Mooregasm. Moore goes to the top rope, but Roode shoves him off. Neal drives Storm into the ropes, where he and Roode crack heads. A School Boy gets 1-2...no! Storm takes a swig of beer as Roode distracts Neal from outside, then spits it in Neal's face. Roode rolls in to assist with the DWI for the kill.
WINNERS: Beer Money Inc. in six minutes. This was a super time compressed version of what would have been a really awesome match, but was still pretty damned good.

(5)MR. ANDERSON vs. ABYSS
Falls Count Anywhere No DQ Match
Anderson runs down to the ring without his usual ado. He lays in with rights, then stomps Abyss down in the corner. Abyss takes him down with a back elbow, then shoves his throat into the middle rope. Abyss lowers his head too soon for a Back Body Drop, and Anderson kicks it, then connects with a Lou Thesz Press. Abyss rolls out of the ring. Anderson borrows a chair from a fan (or plant) at ringside, but Abyss punches it back into his face. He rolls Anderson into the ring and follows him with the chair, which he sets up. He punches him a couple of times, but then gets Drop Toe Held into the chair for two. Taz notes the fine tribute to Raven in the audience. Anderson winds up and nails Abyss in the back with the chair, but he only gets two. He lodges the chair between the top and middle ropes in the corner, but Abyss reverses the attempted whip into it—Anderson slides under the chair and crawls under the ring. Abyss goes looking for him, but doesn't see Anderson slide back out with a kendo stick. Anderson works over Abyss with the stick, but then misses a shot and connects only with the ring post. Abyss floors him with a right, then shoves him into the guard rail. Abyss chokes him a bit. Anderson fights back from his knees, but Abyss whips him into the side of the ramp. Abyss pulls up the mat to expose the concrete. He signals for a Choke Slam, but Anderson elbows him out. Abyss just clubs him in the back instead, then rolls him into the ring. He picks up the chair and drives it into Anderson's stomach twice. He then places the chair on Anderson. He goes to drop on it but Anderson turns it sideways and it catches him in the groin. A roll up gets what looked to me like three, but was apparently only two. Anderson goes to the top rope. He does the Hardy hand gesture and goes for a Swanton Bomb, but Abyss gets his knees up. Abyss shoves Anderson into the chair that's still between the ropes (then where did the other chair come from?), then hits the Shock Treatment for the win.
WINNER: Abyss in 8 minutes. Hey, a main event! I remember reading about those.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 6-25-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 - THE BIG SHOW vs. JACK SWAGGER

When Show was making his entrance, the announcers plugged Punk vs. Kane in a no-DQ match tonight. Swagger got the mic during his entrance and said he has filed a protest against WWE. Not only for having to fight Big Show tonight, but also for having to defend his title in a 'lawless' match like a Fatal Four-Way. In other words, he was cheated out of the World Title. He invoked his rematch clause for the MITB PPV. He said until then, he's going to make everyone suffer, just like his dad suffered on Father's Day. And first up is the Big Show.

This was just Smackdown's main event on a PPV like a month ago, and now it's the opening match on an episode of Smackdown, with no hype at all? Boy do those people who paid to see this match feel like fools! Show dominated as the bell rang and Swagger ended up falling to ringside. He brought Swagger to the apron, but Swagger hot-shotted him. Swagger was crotched on the top rope via Show. Superplex by Show. They went to break about a minute into the match.

Show continued his onslaught in the ring, working the left arm, then stepping on and over his upper torso. Swagger fought back with some weak right hands and Show responded with a body shot. Matt Striker speculated that Swagger may have a ruptured triceps. Swagger applied a front chancery, but Show just tossed him off with ease. Big splash in the corner by the big man. Swagger went after Show's knee, and he fell to the mat in pain. The former champion smelled blood and tried to twist around Show's knee. Middle-rope shoulderblock from Swagger, only getting a two-count. High legdrop followed. Running Vader Bomb found the mark. But on a second try, Show reached out and grabbed Swagger by the throat. Swagger countered with a roll up and turned it into an ankle-lock. Show finally reached the bottom rope, but Swagger wouldn't break and ended up getting disqualified.

WINNER: Show, via DQ, at 10:35. Not really fun to watch. A typical Big Show match.

Show was assisted by two referees in the ring. He got to his feet, but collapsed in pain. The crowd cheered when he finally got to his feet, using the ropes as leverage, but again, he collapsed to the ground. Swagger looked happy with what was happening.

2 - VANCE ARCHER & CURT HAWKINS & DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. MVP & CHRISTIAN & KOFI KINGSTON

Ah, a good old-fashioned six-man tag. MVP went for an early cover on Hawkins for only a near-fall. Todd Grisham brought up Hawkins' past as tag-team champion with Zack Ryder. High dropkick by Christian for two. Hawkins made the tag to Ziggler and they tried to double-team MVP, but were unsuccessful. MVP knocked them all to ringside. Each of the babyfaces also hit a move on the heels on the outside. The good guys stood tall as they went to break.

Faces still on the advantage after break. Kingston hit the world's ugliest sunset flip into a roll-up for two on Ziggler. His high energy offense led Ziggler to stay on the defensive until he finally got a knee to the stomach. However, Kingston replied with a dropkick and a side Russian leg-sweep. Hawkins tried to interfere, giving Ziggler the momentum. Rolling neck snap by Ziggler, as Striker wondered aloud what Michael McGillicutty thinks of Ziggler's offense. Hah. Archer came in and felled Kingston with a back elbow for two. Hawkins then came in and landed a neck-breaker. Big elbowdrop from Ziggler as the heels seem to be trying to wear Kingston down with pin attempts. Ziggler got cocky and taunted the crowd, but Kingston sprung up and took him down with a hurricanrana. He dodged a Ziggler charged and tagged Christian. Face-plant by Christian on Ziggler, then he stood on Ziggler's back with his throat draped across the middle rope. Christian knocked Archer off the apron after a two-count. Springboard sunset flip, but Ziggler landed a fame-asser for two. Christian went to the top, but Ziggler went up to greet him. He ended up greeting the canvas and Christian landed a missile dropkick, with a pin broken up by both heels. The match broke down, as usual, and Ziggler couldn't hit the Zig-Zag. Instead, the Killswitch was engaged, and the faces got the win.

WINNERS: Christian, MVP and Kingston, at 11:54. I thought they'd use this as a showcase for Archer and Hawkins, but they were kept in the background. Good mid-card tag match.

3 - DREW MCINTYRE vs. MATT HARDY

Hardy and McIntyre yelled at each other before the match. Hardy fought with a black undershirt on. McIntyre was kicked into the announce table by Hardy, then his head was smashed into the apron. He speared Mac right out of the ring, and Hardy fell out with him. He rolled McIntyre back into the ring, but McIntyre shoved Hardy back-first into the ring post while Hardy was on the apron. He followed it up with a belly-to-back suplex on the floor. Back in the ring, McIntyre demanded the ref count Hardy out. Matt got to his feet at nine and was able to make it back in before the ten count. Mac aggressively went after Hardy with kicks and punches. Hardy perched himself on the second rope, but McIntyre hit what Striker called a Michinoku Driver (but obviously, not a pure one given restraints on the moves impacting the neck) off the top, only getting a two-count. McIntyre looked frustrated at not being able to put Hardy away. He continued to pick apart Hardy. Another suplex off the second rope for only two. Hardy grabbed the rope to break up the pin. In a change-of-pace, they went to break about 7:00 in here.

McIntyre was still on offense back from break, still unable to get that three-count. Side Effect by Hardy. He couldn't follow up, though. More kicking out from Hardy, thought the crowd wasn't really into some of these near-falls. McIntyre set up for the Future Shock, but Hardy back-dropped him to ringside. He tried to set something up outside, and McIntyre backed him into the steel steps at ringside. McIntyre stood on the steps ready to stomp Hardy's skull and got his legs swept out from underneath him, falling back-first into the steps. Both seemed out of gas here. Out of nowhere, Hardy landed the Twist of Fate for the win.

WINNER: Hardy, at 15:50. Match kinda dragged during some of the points they were trying to raise the drama with.

As McIntyre was recovering in the ring, Teddy Long came on the Titan-Tron. He said he's sorry that McIntyre lost, but while he was doing some research, he found that McIntyre's Visa expired, so he's in this country illegally. He advised security to send him back to Scotland. I don't think security as the authority to do that. McIntyre ranted to Striker at ringside, then was escorted out.

4 - ROSA MENDES vs. KELLY KELLY

Rosa had a jump-rope in the ring, working out to presumably get into LayCool. LayCool came to the ring and did guest commentary. Tiffany was at ringside with Kelly. Anyway, Mendes put the jump rope away and Kelly gave her the K2 legdrop to end things quickly.

WINNER: Kelly, at :14.

5 - C.M. PUNK vs. KANE - NO DISQUALIFICATION MATCH

The fight began immediately on the outside, with Kane tossing Punk around like a rag doll. The barricade got an assist in most of Kane's offense. Luke Gallows ran down about 1:30 in and tried to help his fearless leader, but he didn't do too well for himself. The crazy masked member came out, with no shirt, and he tried to help out. His fate was much like Gallows. However, the distraction gave Gallows and Punk enough time to recover, and soon, all three were on the attack. Kane was whipped into the barricade, and the Society whipped each other into Kane. Only problem was, Punk got back-dropped into the announcers' area. Punk pounded Punk's left arm into the steps, then stretched it around the ringpost. Then, the Straight Edge Savior was sent into the steel steps. Kane began undressing the announce table. He chokeslammed the masked man right onto the floor. Gallows broke up a chokeslam attempt, but he himself was chokeslammed through the table. Kane began stalking Punk, who had escaped through the crowd. They went into the concourse of the arena and Punk tried to flee the building. Kane had other ideas. He threw Punk around some more, putting him through a merchandise table and the fight eventually went to the outside. Punk crawled away as Kane stood in the doorway. He began to run across the street.

WINNER: No Contest, (no bell), at about 7:47.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 6-28-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- SANTINO MARELLA vs. KOZLOV

Santino teased a German Suplex early on from a rear waist lock, but Kozlov shrugged him off. Santino tried a submission hold, but Kozlov threw him off. Kozlov smiled at the attempt before landing multiple head butts into a belly-to-belly throw for a two count. Kozlov then slapped on a rear bear hug, but Santino countered into a throw. Kozlov, upset by this, grabbed Santino and threw him to the mat for the decisive pin and the win.

Kozlov laughed at the sight of the sad Santino figure before playfully rolling him around the mat. Kozlov left the ring and William Regal greeted him on the way out with a handshake. Regal then hit the ring to deliver a beat down on Santino. Kozlov spotted this injustice and ran to the ring to clear away Regal to make the save. Kozlov then picked up Santino and dragged him out of the ring with a big smile on his face.

WINNER: Kozlov at 1:24. And the storyline continues. (n/a)

2 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. MARK HENRY -- non-title match

Sheamus landed clubbing offense early on before Henry blocked a clothesline attempt. Henry then hit a big splash, but Sheamus put his foot on the bottom rope for a break. Sheamus tried to retreat on the outside, but Henry followed and press-slammed him back into the ring. Henry was too slow following up, allowing Sheamus to hit a bicycle kick to the face for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Sheamus at 2:31. A little too Even-Steven when the champ needed to look strong here. This is where enhancement talent are missing from pro wrestling in 2010. (n/a)

3 -- Divas champion ALICIA FOX & MARYSE vs. EVE & GAIL KIM

From the "haven't we seen this before?" department, the tag match started with Alicia on the offensive working over Eve. Maryse then reluctantly took a tag and gave Alicia a hand motion before going to work on Eve. Alicia re-entered, but lost control and Eve tagged in Gail. Gail landed a series of clotheslines before hitting a huracanrana on Alicia for a two count. Alicia then rolled to the outside and brawled with Eve. Maryse re-entered behind the ref's back to cause a distraction, which allowed Alicia to sneak attack Gail and hit an axe kick for the pin and the win. Afterwards, Alicia held up her Divas Title belt in Maryse's face as Maryse tried to blow her off.

WINNER: Alicia & Maryse at 3:14. Basic tag match to build tension between Alicia and Maryse over the Divas Title. Fine developments. (*)

4 -- CHRIS JERICHO & EDGE & U.S. champion THE MIZ & TED DIBIASE vs. RANDY ORTON & JOHN MORRISON & R-TRUTH & EVAN BOURNE -- eight-man tag match

The bell sounded back from break and the match was off with DiBiase and Morrison paired off against each other. Truth tagged in, landed a slap, and dumped DiBiase clean over the top rope to the floor. Bourne followed with a running kick strike off the ring apron that took DiBiase to the floor again. Back in the ring, Bourne went to work on DiBiase with more kick strikes. Miz made his way into the ring and battled with Bourne, who landed a double-foot smash to the jaw followed by a corner strike for a two count. Cole put over Bourne's potential creativity in the MTIB match at the PPV. Meanwhile, the crowd chanted for Orton, who remained on the ring apron.

The heels cut off Bourne and Jericho tagged in. Jericho cockily walked around the ring to draw heat before going to work on Bourne. Jericho then mocked Orton's ballerina pose with a smug look on his face before throwing Bourne back into the ring. Jericho paintbrushed Bourne, who teased a hot tag to Orton until Jericho pulled him back to the heel corner to tag in Miz. Cole noted Miz and Jericho were a tag team for "a cup of coffee." Mathews covered for Cole's commentary on the short-term booking by saying their egos were too large to co-exist.

Morrison eventually tagged in and battled his former tag partner, Miz. Morrison connected with a springboard Flying Chuck, then teased the Starship Pain, but DiBiase dragged Miz to the outside. Morrison changed course and took out DiBiase and Miz on the floor. Morrison tried to follow, but Edge attacked Morrison on the outside to cut off his momentum. The heels regained control and they cut to break.

Back from break, the camera was tight on Jericho taking apart Morrison in the heel corner. They shot a clipped from during the break of Jericho driving a ladder into Morrison's mid-section while the ref was occupied. Back live, Jericho continued to work on Morrison and taunt the babyfaces before tagging out to Edge. DiBiase then entered and slowly worked on Morrison as the crowd chanted for Orton. Edge re-entered and teased the Spear, but Morrison moved and Edge missed in the corner. Morrison then teased a hot tag and dropped Edge with an enziguiri as Edge tried to cut him off. Both men were out cold on the mat as the crowd anticipated a hot tag for the babyfaces.

Right at the top of the hour, Jericho made a tag for the heels and Bourne made a tag for the babyfaces. Bourne landed signature high-flying offense on Jericho before going up top. Jericho cut him off and teased a superplex, but Bourne knocked him to the mat. Bourne then airballed Air Bourne and Jericho immediately followed with the Codebreaker. Brilliant exchange. Jericho couldn't make a cover, so he went to his corner to tag in DiBiase. Meanwhile, Bourne made the St. Louis connection to Orton and the crowd exploded for Orton's first entry in the match. Orton immediately dropped DiBiase with the RKO and made a cover for the win. That was quick.

Post-match: Edge jumped Orton from behind to clear him out of the ring. Edge then tried to use a ladder, but Truth and Morrison dropkicked the ladder into Edge's face. Suddenly, heels and faces exchanged finishing moves on each other. Miz was left alone in the ring staring up at the briefcase hanging above the ring. Miz then set up a ladder and climbed the ladder. Orton had other ideas and re-entered the ring to knock Miz off the ladder.

The crowd chanted, "Randy, Randy" as he set up the ladder and climbed toward the briefcase. Cole posed the question of whether this will be the picture at the MITB PPV. They showed Orton retrieve the briefcase and hold up the MITB briefcase. Cue up Orton's theme music. After a few moments on Orton's "victory," Cole and Mathews made final notes on the show, then Raw closed with a shot of Orton standing on the ladder holding the briefcase.

WINNERS: Team Orton at 15:10. The match was a good forum to hit key points on the stars involved in the MITB ladder match at the PPV. The final segment could have used a non-physical appearance by the Nexus group to show they're still lurking in the background, but WWE wanted to focus solely on the MITB PPV to close the show. It was a bit of an anti-climatic ending after three weeks of Nexus-related angles to close Raw. Overall, it was fine to create some visuals to help sell the PPV. (**1/4)

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 6-29-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results and poll positions.

1 -- MVP (w/Percy Watson) vs. HUSKY HARRIS (w/Cody Rhodes)

They had a nice start to this match with MVP and Harris slowly dancing around the ring teasing a lock-up and staying on their feet for the first two or three minutes. Harris collided mid-ring with MVP and screamed at him to bring it. MVP smirked, then caught Harris with a small package for a one count. They cut to a random shot of the Pros on stage as Cole said Mark Henry is "on assignment" and has already voted in the Pros vote. Why not put over the WWE champ by saying Sheamus knocked out Henry on last night's Raw? Anyways, MVP knocked Harris to the floor with a Chono Boot. A fan in the very quiet arena audibly shouted, "Get up, Butterball!" as Harris recovered on the floor. They cut to break.

Back from break, MVP was working over Harris in the ring. They cut back to the Pros on stage watching the action. Meanwhile, the ref checked on MVP, who was selling an injury after Harris regained control. Henry then went to a rear naked choke and failed on a nip up attempt. He followed with a round of right hand fists to the mid-section as Mathews mocked the nip up. Cole proceeded to cut a promo on Mathews not being an athlete and only taking a nip of something from a bottle. This show has come off the rails.

Harris continued to slow things down and delivered a scoop slam. He decided to pick up MVP again and deliver another scoop slam. Harris doesn't seem to be all there, but maybe it's just the gimmick. Harris then teased a whip to the corner, but awkwardly turned it into a short-arm clothesline. Harris tried to follow with a sentaun, but MVP moved and Harris ate the mat.

MVP tried to make a comeback and rally the crowd, but Harris failed to feed for MVP's comeback. Harris eventually flopped down near the ropes. MVP then warmed up the Ballin' Elbow drop to little fanfare as Cole made a LeBron James to Miami Heat reference. MVP connected, then made the pin for the win.

WINNER: MVP in 13:00. That was brutal and a lifeless crowd didn't help. The first few minutes were really strong with the slow build-up and feeling-out process, but Harris on an extended offensive attack was not exactly a smart decision. At least they found out what Harris needs to work on, but isn't that what FCW is for? They don't need not-ready-for-prime-time wrestlers on national TV. (1/2*)

2 -- ELI COTTONWOOD & ALEX RILEY & TITUS O'NEIL vs. JOE HENNIG & KAVAL & LUCKY CANNON

They randomly cut to the ring for a random six-man tag match. Hennig and Eli started things off against each other. Lucky and Titus then entered the ring and had an FCW-quality exchange. Alex Riley provided a distraction on Lucky, allowing Titus to take control for their team. Riley entered and worked over Cannon as they cut to a shot of "coach" Miz smiling and watching approvingly as his Rookie dominated the match. Team Riley continued to work over Cannon as Cole said it's a good thing Cannon won immunity since he's looking terrible here. The crowd was absolutely lifeless for this. They cut to a shot of Miz watching intently as Cannon teased a hot tag.

Cannon eventually made it to Kaval to wake up the crowd. Kaval cleaned house and delivered kick strikes on Riley for a two count. Kaval landed a nice handspring kick strike in the corner for a two count as Eli and Titus broke up a pin attempt. The two big men proceeded to chuck Kaval out of the ring. Hennig then snuck in the back door and dropped Riley with a neckbreaker. The action broke down as Kaval re-entered the scene. He went up top and landed a big double foot stomp on Riley for the pin and the win. And cue up a celebration by Lay-Cool on the stage. After they aired highlights of the match, Kaval, Hennig, and Cannon were shown celebrating in the ring.

WINNER: Team Kaval in 5:00. Kaval continues to stand out for his in-ring work and demonstrate why he will be a star if WWE gives him an opportunity similar to Evan Bourne. Meanwhile, Riley continues to stand out for his heel work. The match was barely passable with Lucky Cannon isolated for most of the match. (*)

Matt Striker was with the eight NXT Rookies to recap the events tonight with one of them going home. Striker recapped Lucky Cannon having immunity tonight. And #1 is...Kaval. Cole said that doesn't surprise him with the Internet voting. #2 is Percy Watson. #3 is Michael McGillicutty. #4 is Alex Riley, who sold not being happy with that vote. #5 is Lucky Cannon, which drew a mild reaction. #6 is Eli Cottonwood. So, it comes down to Titus O'Neil and Husky Harris.

Striker asked Harris and O'Neil to step forward and face the vote. Striker said the eliminated Rookie has his work cut out for him. Cue up the drumroll and #7 is...Husky Harris. #8 is Titus O'Neil and he's going home. He just didn't stand out during the show. Titus was given the mic and he cut a motivational speech to the audience. Titus said life is a game and you must make it what you can. The crowd applauded as Titus signed off, "Make it a win." Titus left the ringside area shaking hands with the fans on the front row as Striker talked about the competition intensifying from here. Riley had a great expression no-selling the vote with a #4 ranking. They cut to a final shot of Titus hugging his NXT Pro, Zack Ryder, and posing on the stage to close the show.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 7-1-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- ZACK RYDER & PRIMO COLON vs. GOLDUST & YOSHI TATSU

Early on, Cole and Lawler had a conversation on the mysterious Raw GM situation. Cole said there will be a "big announcement" on Monday from the Raw GM regarding Nexus. Cole said no one is safe with Nexus around and he doesn't know what they want since they already have WWE contracts. Cole said he finds the anonymous Raw GM interesting communicating with him. Cole said he has no idea who it is, he can't talk to the person over the phone, and he can't reply to the emails. So, it's an automated mailing list. Cole said no one knows who the person is and you can't contact the person. Surprisingly, it took Lawler exactly four minutes to mention Ryder's new attire. Cole robotically said Rob Zombie was great as the guest host on Raw as if he were on Raw for more than two minutes. As for the match, the heels took control and they cut to break.

Back from break, Ryder was working over Goldust as Yoshi was shown begging for a tag. Ryder cut off Goldust's comeback, but Primo lost control of the match and Goldust made it to Yoshi for the hot tag. Yoshi landed high-flying moves on Ryder, who also tagged in. Cole randomly said wrestlers in the back believe Yoshi is a future champion in WWE. Yoshi continued the attack on Ryder with knife-edge chops before nailing a running knee strike to the jaw. Primo broke up a pin attempt and the action broke down. Yoshi then missed with a corner attack and Ryder measured Yoshi for the leaping Rough Ryder. Ryder made the cover for the win.

WINNERS: Ryder & Primo in 12:00. Good win for Ryder, who looks more serious as a heel with the regular trunks, a heel beard, and less of the "mid-card act" mannerisms. Ryder has progressed throughout 2010 after the program with Christian on ECW. He's on his way to a higher place on the card on Raw. (*1/2)

2 -- JILLIAN HALL vs. NIKKI BELLA (w/Brie Bella)

The Bella Twins came out first for a Divas match from the Raw brand. They replayed the Switcheroo last week when Brie Bella picked up a win over Jillian Hall. The Bellas were pleased with their work after watching a replay. Jillian then came out determined not to be conned again. Jillian had the giant headset on to cut a promo expressing outrage over being conned last week. Jillian was aggressive early on to tell the story of being determined to get a win before the Bellas could pull the Switcheroo again.

Nikki came back with a crisp head scissors for a two count, but Jillian cut her off and knocked Nikki to the outside. Jillian stomped away on both Bellas ringside and the ref began a ten count. Nikki slowly made it back on the ring apron and Jillian knocked her to the floor, then Brie snuck in behind Jillian to score a three count on a roll-up for the win. Naturally, Jillian sold shock over being conned again. After a replay of the finish, The Bellas were shown regrouping to celebrate the win over Jillian.

WINNERS: Bellas in 4:00. And the Switcheroo gimmick continues. It's pretty simple stuff they could extend another week by giving Jillian a heel partner to set up a tag match. (n/a)

3 -- CHRISTIAN vs. CURT HAWKINS (w/Vance Archer)

The bikeridin' dudes Hawkins and Ryder came to the ring for Hawkins to compete in the main event. Archer is going for the Chris Sabin look. The match began with Hawkins talking trash after an early knock-down, then Christian came back with a Thesz Press and punches from the mount position. "Remember the time I mounted you and wailed on your face?" Grisham randomly asked. Striker remained silent for about ten seconds after that line. Christian and Hawkins took the action to the floor as Striker talked about Nexus infiltrating the entire WWE. Well, except for Smackdown. Apparently they don't work Fridays. Back to the action, Archer tried to get involved, but the ref caught him and gave him the boot. Apparently Vickie Guerrero wasn't around to make it a handicap match against Christian. Cut to break with Christian vs. Hawkins one-on-one.

Back from break, Hawkins was working over Christian with a neck vice. Hawkins took his time in-between holds trying to wear down Christian. Christian made a comeback and scored a two count following a reverse DDT. Grisham plugged Christian hosting Matt Hardy on the Peep Show tomorrow night on Smackdown as Hawkins scored a nearfall with a swinging bodyslam. Striker and Grisham talked more about Nexus creating an uneasy feeling throughout WWE as Hawkins went back to work on Christian.

Hawkins walked into a pendulum kick out of the corner. Christian followed with a flying European uppercut from the second rope. He then tried the Unprettier, paused, and dropped Hawkins face-first on the mat. Christian with the cover and the win. After a replay of the finish, they closed the show with a plug for Smackdown and a final shot of a smiley Christian celebrating the win.

WINNER: Christian in 11:00. Solid match and a good win for Christian as the announcers sold the MITB ladder match at the PPV being an opportunity for Christian to grab a World Title opportunity. Hawkins just needs to keep working hard and find a way to stand out more in the ring. (**)

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 7-1-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) vs. INK INC. (Shannon Moore & Jesse Neal)

At 2:00, after some fast-paced action and dives at ringside, Devon joined Tenay and Taz at ringside. He said he was there to be sure Brother Ray didn't come out and interfere. He said he is his brother, but he's made a fool of him lately by promising not to mess with Jesse, but he continues to do so. He said Jesse hasn't taken short cuts and has worked hard and deserves a chance. Devon called him Bubba Dudley. Is he Brother Ray or Bubba Dudley? (I know, he's Brother Bubba Ray Dudley.) Tenay stuck with "Brother Ray." At 4:00 Neal speared Sabin and Shelley broke up the pin attempt. Neal set up Shelley for a superplex. Ray made his way toward the ring. Devon charged after him. They argued. That distraction led to Sabin hitting Neal from behind and they finished him with a double-team move off the top rope for the win.

WINNERS: Motor City Machine Guns in 5:00.

STAR RATING: *1/4

2 -- A.J. STYLES (w/Kaz, Ric Flair) vs. SAMOA JOE -- Top Contenders Match (#4 vs. #6)

Tenay and Taz paid proper tribute to the history of these two wrestlers in TNA's history. Taz said before he was part of TNA, he was a fan and watched the show. Joe knocked Styles to the floor with a slap to the face. Kaz at ringside got in Styles's face about a weak start. Taz said Styles didn't look like he wanted a motivational speech from Kaz. It's good to hear Tenay and Taz talking about this match having impact on the Top Ten Rankings. Styles took control at 3:00 with a thumb to the eye and a dropkick. At 5:00 Styles settled into a chinlock. Taz wondered if Flair will choose Styles to be the first member of The Fortune. Joe made a comeback with some chops in the corner. He set up a Muscle Buster, but Styles flipped out of it. Joe roundkicked Styles's leg, then applied the rear naked choke for the tapout win.

WINNER: Joe in 7:00.

STAR RATING: **1/4 -- Good to see the policy of no commercial breaks during matches continue. It still seems like short-changing everyone to give these two only seven minutes, but it was a good start.

3 -- BRIAN KENDRICK vs. DESMOND WOLFE (w/Chelsea)

Douglas Williams joined Tenay and Taz at ringside. "I'm going to have Kendrick tapping so fast, they're going to rename him Fred Astaire." Wolfe got in Chelsea's face and seemed agitated by her. Williams said: "Just because Brian Kendrick has been watching the Ultimate Fighter and learned one submission hold, he thinks he's some sort of expert." Tenay told Williams he'll be facing Jeremy Buck next week on Impact in a submissions match. Chelsea walked out on Wolfe at 5:00. Kendrick surprised him from behind with a cobra clutch and an eventual tapout win.

WINNER: Kendrick via submission in 5:00.

4 -- MATT MORGAN vs. JAY LETHAL

Morgan dominated for the first four minutes. Lethal attempted a comeback, but Morgan caught him as he came off the ropes and grabbed him by his throat and shoved him out of the ring. As the ref checked on Lethal, Hernandez entered the ring and gave Morgan a low blow. Lethal re-entered the ring and hit a dropkick for the pin.

WINNER: Lethal in 5:00.

STAR RATING: * -- Morgan got to dominate and lose only due to interference. Lethal got a win that didn't mean a ton given the circumstances, but he seemed to be doing well on his comeback before the interference. It's an even-steven five minutes of TV time filled.

5 -- MADISON RAYNE vs. TAYLOR WILDE

Rayne looked like she had been trapped in a basement for the past week without a shower or proper food or water. Wilde showed a sign of life a minute in after Rayne dominated early. She looked disheveled and even somewhat haggard. Tenay wondered where Velvet Sky and Lacey Von Erich were. At 2:00 Dreamer led through the crowd a growing cast of former late-'90s stars of a defunct, destroyed, distant-past style called "extreme" - now including Rhino, Raven, and Stevie Richards. Can this talented, but aged and burned out cast create interest with the majority of TNA viewers who either don't know who they are or have seen more than enough of them and see them as yesterday's news, to say the least? Can they deliver today, in other words, rather than try to draw on the empty bank account of the past glory of the ECW brand? Tenay pressed Taz for detailed given how far they go back. Taz said he texted him and all he said is, "Time will tell." Rayne won clean.

WINNER: Rayne in 3:00.

6 -- JEFF HARDY vs. ABYSS

Rob Vam Dam came out first as special referee. Abyss brought the board with nails into the ring with him, but Hardy took control early and knocked the board out of play. Hardy knocked Abyss to the floor and then slingshot himself onto Abyss on the floor. Abyss took control at ringside, then threw Hardy back into the ring. The crowd chanted, "Let's go Hardy!" Taz wondered who this "they" or "them" are. Tenay said it's some party he's apparently in communication with. Taz wondered if the former members of the original ECW are part of "them." Tenay said he was going to ask Taz that. RVD took a chair away from Abyss. RVD rolled up an arguing Abyss for a two count at 3:00. Hardy avoided a Shock Treatment a minute later and hit a Twist of Fate. He then climbed to the top rope and set up a Swanton. Abyss got up and knocked him off balance. Abyss set up a chokeslam, but Hardy fended him off and knocked him down, then landed the Swanton for the pin.

WINNER: Hardy in 6:00.

STAR RATING: *1/2 -- Another relatively short match between two top tier players, but good while it lasted.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 7-2-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Kofi came to the ring first. Vickie Guerrero grabbed Dolph by his arm on his way to the entrance tunnel. She told him if he wins, he gets an IC Title shot. Dolph was distracted by Rosa Mendez doing jumping backs in the background. Vickie reacted jealously. A minute into the match, they cut to a break. Upon returning, Dolph had Kingston down with a chinlock. They showed that during the break Dolph reversed Kofi into the ring apron to take control. Kofi came back with a top rope crossbody block for a two count at 6:00. Dolph countered a Trouble in Paradise with a legdrop driver for a believable near fall. Dolph showed frustration. Striker said he should just stay focused. As Dolph talked to Vickie at ringside, Kofi finished him with a Trouble in Paradise kick for the win. Vickie walked away as if to say he blew it with her.

WINNER: Kingston in 7:00.

STAR RATING: *3/4

2 -- KANE vs. LUKE GALLOWS

At 1:00 Kane caught a charging Gallows with a hand to the throat. The mystery man in the mask interfered for the DQ. Kane chokeslammed him, then he dragged Punk into the ring.

WINNER: Kane via DQ in 1:00.

3 -- CHAVO GUERRERO vs. MVP

After MVP's ring intro, Chavo walked to the ring and said he hopes she's watching because he sees how this works now. He said her little gringo boyfriend didn't get it done, but he can and will. He said he deserves an IC Title shot if he beats MVP. Chavo took control a minute in and went for a top rope dive, but MVP moved and took over. As MVP went into his finishing routine, Grisham said MVP trains with Dwayne Wade in the off-season. WWE has an off-season? MVP won clean with the Play of the Day.

WINNER: MVP in 2:00.

4 -- KELLY KELLY vs. MICHELLE MCCOOL (w/Layla)

A clip aired before the match of Kelly Kelly pinning Layla last week. Does Kelly ever stop smiling? Before the match LayCool got in the face of Tiffany and attacked her. Layla then sprayed air freshener around ringside as McCool entered the ring. The bell rang to start the match, but McCool rolled out of the ring immediately. Grisham said they were really pushing the "Smelly Kelly" thing. McCool slid into the ring to beat the ten count. Kelly aggressively attacked her. Tiffany recovered and tackled Layla as she sprayed Kelly in the face. McCool leaned out of the ring to go after Tiffany, but that gave Kelly a chance to roll her up for the leverage pin.

WINNER: Kelly in 3:00.

5 -- THE BIG SHOW & REY MYSTERIO vs. CODY RHODES & JACK SWAGGER

Striker on Cody: "He thinks those Twilight kids look like Sir Oliver Humperdink." Grisham: "Well, what do you expect from a guy who brushes his eyebrows." A minute into the match, Grisham asked Striker if it was in his contract that he had to call Rhodes "Dashing" every time. Striker said, "Yes, and with a different inflection every time." Show pressed Rhodes and threw him onto Swagger on the floor.

Rey was on a roll at 6:00 against Rhodes, but when Rhodes snuck in a tag on Swagger, Swagger legally attacked Rey from behind. Late in the match, Rey countered Swagger with a DDT. He crawled over and hot-tagged Show. Swagger got up and charged Show, but Show took him down with a clothesline and then a corner splash. He signaled for the chokeslam, but still limped. He lifted Swagger, but Swagger went for a counter into a body scissors. Show dropped Swagger backward, but clutched his ankle afterward. He tagged in Rey and struggled to stand. Rey dove onto Swagger. Cody broke up the pin attempt. Rey went for a 619 against Swagger as Rhodes fought Show at ringside. Swagger put Rey in the anklelock in the ropes. He refused to break so when the ref counted to five, he DQ'd Swagger.

WINNER: Rey & Show in 11:00.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- Basic good content in the match itself, with a strong finish that got across Swagger's rage at having lost the title and wanting to inflict damage on potential contenders.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 7-5-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- TED DIBIASE (w/Maryse) vs. JOHN MORRISON

DiBiase worked over Morrison early on. Maryse said she and DiBiase love each other and her love of money is just a coincidence. She said they have an economic stimulus plan to employ people to drive their limo, polish their jewelry, etc. Morrison made a comeback at 2:00 and hit a spinning heel kick for a two count. Maryse suddenly had a phone call as DiBiase hit a powerslam for a two count. Morrison then came back with an enziguiri kick as Maryse hung up and left the announce table. She grabbed Morrison's fur coat and teased Morrison with it while DiBiase used the distraction to hit a thumb to the eye. DiBiase followed with Dream Street for the pin and the win.

WINNER: DiBiase at 3:27. Basic match with more emphasis on Maryse than the in-ring competition. The match was presented as a filler and featured two wrestlers losing momentum right now. (*)

2 -- WILLIAM REGAL & GREAT KHALI (w/Runjin Singh) vs. SANTINO MARELLA & KOZLOV

Regal worked alone and never tagged Khali into the match. Kozlov won with the Iron Curtain for the quick pin and the win. Post-match: Khali stepped into the ring and made some noises as Kozlov stood his ground prepared to fight. Kozlov and Santino then lifted up Regal for Khali to give him a chop. Cue up Khali's theme music as Singh entered the ring and asked everyone to dance. Apparently he's not trying to encourage Khali to turn heel anymore? Who knows what's going on here.

WINNERS: Kozlov & Santino at 1:35. A complete booking mess compounded by Singh all over the TV. There just doesn't seem to be a point to any of this. (n/a)

3 -- RANDY ORTON & EVAN BOURNE vs. CHRIS JERICHO & EDGE

Back from break, the bell sounded to begin the match. The announcers continued to play dumb on the Steve Austin references by the anonymous GM. Meanwhile, Bourne started things off against Edge before Orton and Jericho tagged in. Orton rammed Jericho into the corner and teased the RKO, but Jericho scampered to his corner to tag in Edge. Cole then gave a plug for the big Smackdown Supershow in Atlanta tomorrow night with a plug for WrestleMania 27. Bourne tagged in and cleared Edge and Jericho to the outside with rapid-fire offense. Bourne then landed a dropkick through the ropes on Jericho to knock him into the guardrail. Bourne followed with a splash on the outside before rolling Jericho back into the ring. Back in the ring, Jericho put the brakes on to avoid a double knee smash. He followed by dropping Bourn face-first into the mat to regain control as they cut to break.

Back from break, Bourne was crying out in pain as Edge worked him over on the mat. Jericho then tagged in and worked over Bourne. Bourne broke free, then teased a tag to Orton, but Edge cut him off. He tried to follow with a suplex, but Bourne hit a knee to the head to escape and follow with a kick strike to the head. Bourne then crawled across the ring to Orton to make a hot tag. Jericho also tagged in after slightly hesitating. Orton attacked Jericho, then dropped him with the trademark spike DDT from the second rope. Orton then teased the RKO as the crowd screamed with Edge sneaking in behind Orton. Orton flung him away, but then walked into an enziguiri from Jericho. And the crowd goes quiet.

Edge and Jericho started working over Orton, with Edge focusing on Orton's injured shoulder. Orton started to fight out of the heel corner before Jericho landed a dropkick to the jaw for a close two count. Jericho tried a Lionsault, but Orton moved out of the way and Jericho ate the mat. Jericho crawled over to his corner and made a tag after Edge sold hesitation to tag in. Bourne also tagged in for Orton and landed high-flying, high-impact offense on Edge. Edge then cut off Bourne with a kick to the face. Edge went to the heel corner to tag in Jericho, who yelled at Edge to listen to him. Jericho then walked into a kick to the face from Bourne. Edge, not pleased with Jericho trying to give him instructions, got the big eyes and smashed Jericho with the spear in the corner. Edge took off to the back as Bourne then slowly gathered himself and climbed up top. Bourne came off the top with the Air Bourne to a big pop and followed with a cover on Jericho for the pin and the win.

Post-match: Bourne celebrated and got his shine with the victory. Orton then walked over to Bourne still maintaining the soulless expression on his face as he surveyed the scene. As Bourne continued to celebrate, Orton spun him around and suddenly dropped him with an RKO. The crowd gasped in the arena. Orton simply shot Bourne a classic Orton look as Lawler talked about not being able to trust a snake. Cole said it reinforces the idea that it's every man for himself at the MITB PPV.

WINNERS: Bourne & Orton at 15:40. Good, long-form match on Raw with plenty of combustible elements to sell the MITB match. The build-up feels much more organic this month than for the Fatal Four-Way PPV last month. They need to turn Bourne taking the RKO into sympathy, though, rather than leaving it as Bourne looking like bad for trusting Orton. (**1/4)

4 -- Divas champion ALICIA FOX vs. EVE TORRES -- Divas Title match

Back from break, Alicia was in the ring proudly holding her Divas Title. They replayed the Four-Way PPV where Alicia captured the title, setting up Eve cashing in her re-match clause tonight. They cut back to Alicia cradling the title to sell how happy she was to hold the title. Eve then came out to face Alicia and the match was on. Eve was aggressive early on and sent Alicia reeling into a neutral corner. Alicia then started to sell a leg injury, which suckered in the ref and Eve. Alicia blindsided Eve, then dropped her with her Axe Kick finisher for the surprise pin and the win. Alicia then hobbled out of the ring still selling the "injury" after the heelish win.

WINNER: Alicia at 1:20 to retain the Divas Title. Basic title match thrown out on TV with no advanced hype, but solid reinforcement of Alicia as the lead heel in the division. Fine, overall. (n/a)

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 7-6-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 -- PERCY WATSON (w/MVP) vs. MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY (w/IC champion Kofi Kingston)

Percy started with a headlock and MVP encouraged him to tighten it up. Hennig came back with a dropkick for a two count. Hennig then went to work on Watson and grounded him on the mat. MVP clapped up the audience and Percy made a comeback with multiple dropkicks. Hennig then hit a sunset flip into a pin and he trapped Percy's shoulders to the mat for the pin and the win. Hennig picks up yet another win, which drew applause from Kofi.

WINNER: Hennig in 3:00. Basic match that wasn't given enough time or focus to be anything more than filler. (*)

2 -- KAVAL (w/Lay-Cool) vs. THE MIZ (w/Alex Riley)

Kaval opened with a kick strike on Miz, who took out R-Truth last night on Raw. Cole gave a medical update that it's "highly unlikely" R-Truth will be in the MITB match at the PPV. That's softer than completely writing him off the match last night. Cole is now calling Miz the Pete Rose of WWE. Miz took control of the match and punished Kaval, who fought back from his knees with punches to the mid-section. Miz cut him off and landed left-hand strikes. Miz followed with his big running corner clothesline and made a cover for a two count. Lay-Cool hopped on the apron to encourage Kaval as Miz continued the attack before throwing Kaval through the ropes to the outside. Lay-Cool checked on Kaval as they cut to break.

Back from break, Miz was still in control of the match, this time in the ring. Miz then airballed with a left hand strike and Kaval executed a great sunset flip into a snap double-foot stomp to the chest. That was great. Kaval followed with a flurry of double-fist smashes before landing a kick to the back of the head. Kaval then hit a handspring enziguiri kick for a two count. Lay-Cool pumped up the crowd as Kaval teased the Warrior's Way from the top, but Miz cut him off. Miz then attempted a superplex, but Kaval headbutted him to the mat, only to have Miz recover and flip him off the top. Miz followed up with the Skullcrushing Finale as Lay-Cool screamed for Kaval to kick out.

Post-match: Lay-Cool sold disappointment with Kaval's loss as Riley talked trash to Kaval, claiming he should be #1 in the NXT Poll. They replayed the highspots of the match, culminating with the SCF for Miz's victory. Cole said he's not sure a lot of people are ready for what Kaval can bring to WWE in the ring. Lay-Cool consoled Kaval after the match while Riley continued to gloat on Miz's behalf.

WINNER: Miz in 9:00. Good match. Mathews is right that perhaps the audience isn't ready for Kaval's moveset, as he has moves most of the audience probably has never seen before. He's just a star inside the ring, though. He's developing that all-important sympathy factor as an underdog babyface and has great comebacks with his arsenal of moves ala Rey Mysterio. Miz looked good continuing to develop his more-serious, darker heel persona working over Kaval during the match. (**)

3 -- CODY RHODES & HUSKY HARRIS vs. MARK HENRY & LUCKY CANNON

Henry and Lucky Cannon made their way to the ring three minutes past the top of the hour. Cole speculated why Nexus is coming to NXT next week. The bell sounded and Husky faced off with Lucky. Henry then tagged in, so Cody tagged in. Cody tried to attack Henry, but Henry shook him off and delivered a big gorilla press slam. Husky shouted at Cody to get up as Henry teased a big butt bomb. Cody moved, though, and Cody tagged in Husky. They double-teamed Henry before Husky went to work on him. Cody and Husky continued to tag in and out working over Henry before Harris did a two-point football stance into a big clothesline.

Suddenly, Henry came flying out of the corner with a big tackle on Husky. Henry then tagged in Lucky Cannon, who landed offense on Cody Rhodes, who also tagged in. Lucky scored a nearfall when Husky broke up the pin, leading to the action breaking down in the ring. The ref occupied himself with Henry as Cody set up Lucky for the Cross Rhodes. Cody then made the cover for the win. Henry just shook his head selling disappointment after his team took the loss. They closed with a recap of the highpoints in the match before showing Cody and Husky heading out with a victory.

WINNERS: Husky & Cody in 4:00. Fine main event tag match. Cody continues to stand out, while Husky had a much better this week compared to last week's disaster. (*1/4)

[Arcademan]

Ring of Honor TV Results: 7-5-10

Results courtesy of ProWrestling.net (direct link to Mathieson's complete report).

1. The Kings of Wrestling fought the Dark City Fight Club to an apparent no-contest in a non-title match in 6:50. The DCFC dominated the first couple minutes, but the Kings got the advantage with a dropkick after Hagadorn grabbed Davis' leg to prevent a double-team. At 5:00, Claudio accidentally hit Hero with a bicycle kick and Davis hit a clothesline for a nearfall.

Chavis hit a pretty sick spinebuster on Claudio for two and followed it up with a leg lariat. Hero hit his sliding Yakuza-type kick, then an elbow, then the Death Blow for two. Del Rey distracted the ref and Hagadorn threw him the "lucky" elbow pad. The Briscoes ran out and made the save and stood tall in the ring.

Joe's Judgment: Not a lot of big moves, but a fun, short, stiff match nonetheless. I feel like I've seen enough of the KOW-Briscoes feud, though.

2. Daizee Haze defeated Jamilia Craft in 3:30. Jamilia wrestles with a mask. They reversed headlocks for a couple minutes, and Daizee went to work on the Jamilia's arm with an armbar and a divorce court. Jamilia made a quick comeback with a leaping clothesline and a black hole slam, but Haze hit a bridging tiger suplex for the pin.

Joe's Judgment: Jamilia was a bit sloppy but the match was passable. Nothing really more to say.

3. The American Wolves defeated Christopher Daniels and Roderick Strong in 18:45. Edwards started for the Wolves against Daniels. Edwards took control with suplexes and Strong tagged in. Strong got a nearfall, but Edwards continued to control things. Daniels tagged back in, and Richards entered for the first time.

Richards and Daniels traded several nearfalls. Richards laid out Daniels with a kick and worked over his leg. Richards tagged in Edwards, who continued to work over Daniels until he made the hot tag to Strong, who went to town on Edwards with chops and leg lariats. Edwards tagged into Richards and they hit a pair of kicks.

Richards worked over Strong for bit, as Strong tried to make the hot tag. At 12:30, Richards gave Daniels a dragon screw in the ropes, and Edwards followed it up with a regular dragon screw and the Achilles Lock. Strong broke up the hold and hit Edwards with a backbreaker, then one to Richards.

Strong hit a kick to Richards' back and a gutbuster for two. Richard reversed a suplex and hit some kicks in the ropes, then his handspring enzuigiri. Richards tried the DR Driver, but Strong reversed and tagged Daniels. Daniels hit a Blue Thunder Bomb and signaled for the Angel's Wings. Richards went for the DR Driver again, but Daniels reversed it and Richards rolled through into an ankle lock.

Daniels got to the ropes and hit a kick, then went for the BME, but Edwards stopped him. Strong took out Edwards to the floor and Daniels tried the BME again, but Richards jumped up and hit a German suplex off the top for the pin.

Post match, Daniels and Strong argued as Hogewood questioned who Strong could trust.

Joe's Judgment: Weak finish to what had been a pretty good match. We've seen Richards use the top rope German as just another comeback move time and time again, so why did it end the match here, especially with all the leg work the Wolves did? I do still want to see Richards vs. Daniels, but this match never really got into the next gear and Strong and Edwards felt like afterthoughts. Not the way you want to treat a legit main eventer and the TV champ.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 7-8-10

Results courtesy of ProWrestling.net (direct link to Shore's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1. Yoshi Tatsu and Gail Kim defeated Primo and Jillian at 5:54. Kim and Jillian started. Jillian tossed Kim around, but Kim came back and hit a shoulder tackle. Jillian tagged in Primo and Tatsu ran in to save Kim. Primo whipped Tatsu into the corner and Jillian clubbed him. Not to be out done, Kim hit a flying head scissor on Primo. The men put the crowd to sleep for three minutes and then Primo tagged Jillian. Tatsu tagged Kim for good measure and the women battled. Jillian argued with the Bella in the ring and punched her. The other Bella ran in and Jillian punched her. Kim rolled up a distracted Jillian and the first Bella made a fast count...The announce team hyped Kelly Kelly and Tiffany vs. LayCool for later...

Shore’s Slant: Well, that was rough. Mixed tag matches rarely work, and this was an example of why. You had four good workers in the ring, but the drama just isn't the same. Is anyone else shocked by the fact that the Bellas and Jillian are getting more storyline than any other Diva on Raw? Unbelievable.

2. Zack Ryder defeated Goldust at 7:47. Goldust started with an arm drag, and followed with his run the ropes into an arm drag and armbar gimmick. Ryder tried to whip out, but Goldust grabbed the rope, and hit an arm bar into butt bump that spilled Ryder to the floor... Back at 5:15, Goldust hit a slingshot into a back breaker combo and started for the top. Ryder jumped up and hit a hangman on Goldust and went on the attack.

Goldust came right back and worked move set. He stood Ryder in the corner for punches. He hit three and Ryder pushed him off. Ryder charged and Goldust hit a power slam. Ryder acted scared of Goldust and Goldust charged in. Ryder drove him into the corner and followed with the Rough Ryder for the win...A video recapped NXT...The announce team hyped the Masterlock Challenge for next...

Shore’s Slant: Honestly, there were almost four minutes of commercials in that match, so we got roughly 3:45 of action. Not a lot to work with. I felt like the match should just be getting started when it ended. What a terrible waste of time by WWE.

3. Layla and Michelle McCool defeated Kelly Kelly and Tiffany at 6:42. Tiffany and McCool started. Tiffany is still green and McCool tried to make it look good. Mostly she just screamed while Tiffany hit a monkey flip and tagged in Kelly. Kelly scored a two count on a Sunset Flip and immediately lost control. McCool tagged in Layla, and her and Kelly worked some acrobat moves before Kelly hit a clothesline and tagged in Tiffany.

Tiffany worked Layla who had rolled to the floor, but Layla drove Tiffany into the corner and took control. Layla and McCool worked in and out, almost allowing Tiffany to tag a few times, only to take out Kelly and cause her to distract the ref. Tiffany finally made the hot tag and clotheslined Layla. She took McCool out, and then hit a clothesline on Layla. McCool tried to grab Kelly's foot and distract her, but Kelly moved and hooked a roll up on Layla. McCool slid in the ring, and Tiffany was slow to come in, causing the ref to delay the count. Tiffany finally made it in to distract the ref, and McCool hit a big boot on Kelly. Layla covered for the win...

Shore’s Slant: I'm of two minds about this. I appreciate WWE giving the women almost seven minutes of actual TV time. But they picked two crappy workers (the faces) and the two most stale acts (the heels), so I'm not sure they did themselves any favors. Tiffany is God awful, and Kelly is only marginally better. She's more athletic, but she is very slow, especially when hitting the ropes or turnbuckle. Layla has the charisma to be a good heel, but McCool is killing her. Ugh, tough show.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 7-9-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only.

1 – DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. CHAVO GUERRERO vs. MVP – MONEY-IN-THE-BANK QUALIFYING MATCH

Ziggler was accompanied by a black-haired Vickie Guerrero. She joined the commentators at ringside. Chavo and Ziggler double-teamed MVP, but he was able to fight away and T-boned Ziggler over his head. Tandem suplex by the heels on MVP. Ziggler got a two-count as Chavo looked on and didn’t even try to break up the pin. MVP back-dropped Chavo out of the ring, and Ziggler soon followed. MVP signaled toward the gaudy-looking briefcase that hung over the ring and then posed as they went to break about 2:00 into the match.

It was Ziggler and MVP in the ring out of break, with Chavo nowhere to be seen. Oh, there he is, popping up at ringside and grabbing MVP’s boot when he tried to come off the ropes. More double-teaming by the heels. MVP again attempted to fight away, but Chavo took him down with a drop-toe hold. MVP pushed Chavo into the corner, where Ziggler was perched on the top rope. He then superplexed Dolph off and to the mat. Chavo got to his feet first and noticed both men down. Apparently, he was only in this to ensure a Ziggler win, since Vickie was not happy that he was going for a pin. He slowly went down and hooked the leg of MVP for only a two-count. Well, he shouldn’t have wasted so much time looking at Vickie for her reaction before doing it. Vickie went to ringside and screamed at Chavo. Ziggler attacked him from behind, throwing out the game plan the three had. Guerrero fired back and went for the Three Amigos. I don’t know if this is supposed to be his face turn, but the crowd was chanting for MVP. Speaking of, he awakened from the suplex and took out both men, sending Dolph to ringside. Overhead throw to Dolph briefly interrupted the “Ballin’!” elbowdrop. Play of the Day on Chavo and as the ref was counting, Vickie pulled him out of the ring. They argued, allowing Ziggler to lock in the sleeper and the ref called for the bell before he had it on for long.

WINNER: Ziggler, at 9:10. The right man went over here. Main point was to tell the story of Ziggler/Chavo/Vickie.

2 – CHRISTIAN & MATT HARDY vs. CURT HAWKINS & VANCE ARCHER

I noticed last night on Impact that Jeff Hardy must be on his brother’s diet now. Matt worked over Curt Hawkins, but Hawkins was able to back Matt into their corner, tagging Archer in the process. Double-team by the heels, where Archer whipped Hawkins into Hardy in the corner. Archer trash-talked Matt, but Hardy got a boot up on a corner charge. Tornado DDT by Hardy. Are the announcers not allowed to call it a tornado DDT anymore? Matt went for a tag, but Christian grabbed his arm and pulled him over the top rope and to the floor. He then walked out on the match, as Striker referred to it as “a little Papa Shango voodoo there from Christian.” Archer gave Hardy his finisher back in the ring, then Hawkins landed his top-rope elbowdrop for the win.

WINNERS: Archer and Hawkins, at 2:55. Good storyline advancement for the MITB PPV, and a decent win for Smackdown’s newest tag team as well.

3 – DREW MCINTYRE vs. KOFI KINGSTON – IF MCINTYRE WINS, HE QUALIFIES FOR MITB MATCH

Kingston went for a quick roll-up and got a two-count. Side headlock by Kingston, and he worked that for a bit, with the crowd behind him. Flying cross-body for two by Kofi. McIntyre took over, pulling Kofi’s hair and slamming the back of his head off the mat. He got a two-count off of that. Monkey-flip by Kingston on McIntyre – that got him a near-fall. After some back-and-forth, McIntyre again regained control. Neck-breaker over the near for a two-count. Lots of near-falls here in the early going, from both men. Flip-kick by Kofi in the corner, but as he went to the top, McIntyre kicked the top rope. After Kofi took a spill, McIntyre got a two-count. They went to break about 4:10 into the contest, with McIntyre seething over not getting the pin.

McIntyre had Kingston in an abdominal stretch out of break. Kofi fired back with chops, but his dropkick was brushed aside. Kofi went for the S.O.S, but McIntyre managed to back Kofi into the turnbuckle. From the second rope, Kofi frog-splashed the back of McIntyre, with Mac on his feet but leaning over. Kofi successfully hit the Boom Drop and set up for Trouble in Paradise. He missed, but hit it coming back the other way. McIntyre kicked out at two. He hit a sweet-looking wheelbarrow-like maneuver on Kingston for two. More back-and-forth, and McIntyre ended up being kicked to ringside. Kofi hit a suicide dive through the middle rope, connecting with McIntyre. Drew tried to get back into the ring, but Kofi pulled him back. Then he threw him into the ring. Why? Take the count-out win, Kofi! On the apron, McIntyre shoved Kofi head-first into the ring post. Then he pulled him into the ring and nailed him with the Future-Shock DDT for the victory.

WINNER: McIntyre, at 12:58. Really good match here. McIntyre winning was no surprise, but this loss didn’t really hurt Kofi, either.

4 – “DASHING” CODY RHODES vs. JTG

Rhodes had new theme music and even had a digital mirror on the Titan-Tron he could look into, and it showed his reflection on the other side. Neat. Jury is out on the theme music. Couple arm-drags by JTG, but Cody grabbed the ropes to break. Shoulder in the corner by JTG, but Rhodes shoved him off the second rope. Rhodes showed some aggression and bodyslammed the former Cryme Tyme member. Flying back elbow by JTG as he upped the tempo a bit. Grisham said he was hoping Christian would win the MITB and finally get a World Title shot. I bet that set off Vince’s Independent Thought Alarm. Rhodes turned the tables and hit the Cross Rhodes for the win.

WINNER: Rhodes, at 2:41. Good, decisive win for Rhodes heading into MITB.

5 – JACK SWAGGER vs. THE BIG SHOW

Swagger went for the leg immediately, but Show wasn’t having it. He went again, but Show picked him up for a slam. Swagger worked out of the hold, but was caught by Show and dropped soon after anyway. Big right hand in the corner from Show, then a frying pan-like chop. Back to the middle of the ring, and another chop. He put his boot right in Swagger’s throat. Big splash in the corner, followed by a running shoulder tackle from Show. Swagger rolled to ringside. He picked Swagger up by the hair, but he choked Show on the top rope. Swagger pounced, grabbing Show’s leg and throwing it against the steel post. He applied the ankle-lock, but Show reversed and kicked Swagger off and to ringside. Swagger tried to come back in and was summarily thrown out again. Show went after him on the outside and the two fought in the aisle. It was back-and-forth, and both men were counted out by the referee. For some reason, there was no bell though.

WINNER: Double count-out, at about 4:10 (no bell).