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

[Arcademan]

TNA Victory Road PPV Results: 7-11-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's ongoing report). To view condensed version with no pop-ups, go to TOKYOPOP: Arcademan Blogs (direct link to results).

1 -- DOUG WILLIAMS vs. BRIAN KENDRICK -- Ultimate X / Submissions Match
WINNER: Williams in 10:00.
STAR RATING: **1/4 -- The finish came sooner than expected. They didn't do much with the ropes crossing above the ring and the whole Ultimate X gimmick. That's fine, though, because it's a dangerous gimmick and it makes sense Williams would try to win with submissions instead of facing his fear of heights. He didn't, though, seem particularly scared of heights during the match.

2 -- BROTHER RAY vs. JESSE NEAL vs. BROTHER DEVON
WINNER: Brother Ray in 5:00.
STAR RATING: * -- Easy night of work for Devon.
 
3 -- MADISON RAYNE vs. ANGELINA LOVE
WINNER: Love in 4:00 to capture the TNA Knockouts Title.
STAR RATING: * -- Tenay said Love made history as the first-ever four-time champion. Winning a title that way goes a long way to cheapening the whole value of being a champion multiple time.
 
4 -- KAZARIAN & A.J. STYLES vs. "THE FREAK" ROB TERRY & SAMOA JOE
WINNERS: Styles & Kaz in 8:00.
STAR RATING: *3/4
 
5 -- MATT MORGAN vs. HERNANDEZ
WINNER: Hernandez in 10:00.
STAR RATING: **1/4
 
6 -- "THE NATURE BOY" RIC FLAIR vs. JAY LETHAL
WINNER: Lethal in 11:00.
STAR RATING: ** -- Formula Flair match with him relying on his Greatest Hits that he can still do. Lethal kept things moving and athletic and made it a decent match.
 
7 -- ALEX SHELLEY & CHRIS SABIN vs. BEER MONEY (Robert Roode & James Storm) -- For Vacant TNA Tag Team Titles
WINNERS: Shelley & Sabin 16:00 to capture the vacant TNA Tag Team Titles.
STAR RATING: **** -- Very good showcase tag match for TNA. It's the type of the match the Guns should have had the first time they won the tag titles. It felt like a throwback to the stronger WCW Tag Team Title matches in the late-'80s and early-'90s with various creative, athletic established teams battling over the belts, from the Rock & Roll Express to the Midnight Express to the Southern Boys and many others.
 
8 -- KURT ANGLE vs. "THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO
WINNER: Angle in 12:00.
STAR RATING: ***1/4 -- Very good match. Not a show-stealer, but a very good supporting semi-main event straight-up battle. Refreshing not to see ref bumps, interference, secret masked people, or anything else. You need a match like that more often to make the other stuff stand out. Instead, this really stood out, in a good way.
 
9 -- ROB VAN DAM vs. ABYSS vs. MR ANDERSON vs. JEFF HARDY -- TNA World Hvt. Title
WINNER: RVD in 13:00 to retain the TNA World Hvt. Title.
STAR RATING: **1/2 -- A bit of a clustermess a lot of the time. Just too many moving parts. So just an okay main event.

[Arcademan]

Ring of Honor TV Results: 7-12-10

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

1. Necro Butcher defeated Bobby Beverly in 3:30. Necro knocked Beverly to ringside about a minute in, and Nana and Osiris put the boots to him. Necro hit Beverly in the midsection with a chair, then a bulldog onto the chair. He covered, but pulled Beverly up at two and hit a chokeslam and Tiger Driver on the chair for the win.

Post match, Necro set up two chairs back to back and side slammed Beverly onto the upright backs. Ouch.

Joe's Judgment: I still don't care about Necro, and apparently the live crowd doesn't either. There's potential, particularly if Necro actually changes a little, but right now, it's kinda... boring.

2. Eddie Edwards defeated Andy "Right Leg" Ridge in a Ten Minute Hunt match in 3:02. Edwards dominated. Ridge got one kick, and blocked an Edwards powerbomb, but Edwards hit it shortly after, then locked in the Achilles Lock for the submission win.

Joe's Judgment: Edwards looked really strong here. I had thought the belt should be defended more, but this could also work. We'll see.

3. Austin Aries and the All-Night Express (Kenny King and Rhett Titus) vs. Tyler Black, Jerry Lynn, and Delirious went to an apparent no-contest at 13:29. Lynn and King got in the ring to start the match, while the other four brawled at ringside. The faces dominated the early action, but Aries got two at 5:30 after a slingshot elbow. King worked over Lynn, and Lynn made a hot tag to Delirious as King tagged in Aries.

Aries knocked Delirious to ringside and King and Titus threw him into the guardrail and smashed him into the ground. Titus choked Delirious in the ropes and hit a dropkick for two. Delirious kept going for Aries as King and Titus held him back. King and Aries double-teamed Lynn, but Black hit a double leaping clothesline and Lynn hit a TKO on Titus for two.

Lynn and Aries climbed the ropes on opposite corners, but King and Black hit simultaneous kicks to their heads. Delirious hit Shadows Over Hell on Titus and covered, but Aries broke it up at two. Lynn and Delirous hit dives against the protests of referee Paul Turner. Delirious and Lynn brawled with King and Aries at ringside, and Turner threw the match out.

Black tried a dive, but Turner stopped him, so Black threw him out of the ring and went for the dive anyway. Suddenly, Kevin Steen appeared in the ring, and hit Black with a package piledriver. A graphic noted that Black is defending against Steen next week in Chicago, and a video hyped that weekend of shows, Thursday in Louisville, Friday in Collinsville, IL, and Saturday in Chicago.

Joe's Judgment: I'm not sure I could have cared much less about half the guys in this match. The non-finish seemed weak and definitely came out of nowhere, but there was a good deal of action in the match and at least there was a logical reason for it. The Steen thing would have been a lot better had they not mentioned that Steen was challenging Black several times in the show before that moment. I think there's potential in a Steen/Black feud and I hope they don't just blow it off quickly with the one match in Chicago.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 7-12-10

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

1 -- ALICIA FOX vs. GAIL KIM

Eve joined Cole and Lawler at ringside. Lawler asked her how it felt to be the best looking woman in the building. Eve said if Fox can look at herself in the mirror and feel proud of her title win, then more power to it. She said she'd like to get a rematch and she won't fall for the same fake leg injury trick again. Lawler led Eve through commentary the way Lance Russell would lead a green wrestler through an interview on Memphis Wrestling 30 years ago.

WINNER: Fox in 2:00.

2 -- TAMINA & JIMMY & JEY USO vs. THE HART DYNASTY (Tyson Kidd & David Hart Smith) & NATALYA

Cole and Lawler plugged the Tag Team Title match with the two teams in this match on Sunday. Lawler noted that Florence Henderson, the mother on "The Brady Bunch," was guest host tonight. Tamina interfered to cost Kidd his early offensive flurry. Cole said "there is tremendous sports entertainment heritage in the ring right now." After 20 years it still hasn't caught on and it won't. Tamina and Natayla brawled at ringside as Jey and Jimmy double-teamed DHS leading to a big top rope splash by Jey for the win.

WINNERS: The Usos & Tamina in 3:00.

3 -- RANDY ORTON vs. EDGE

Cole and Lawler said whatever these two do to each other in this match will pale compared to what they do to each other and others on Sunday in the MITB match. Edge set up a punt kick on Orton at 4:00, but Orton avoided it and snapped Edge to the mat with a powerslam out of nowhere. Edge threw Orton to the floor a minute later and they cut to a break at 5:00. [c] Orton took over at 9:00 with two clotheslines and another snap powerslam. Edge countered a second rope DDT by Orton with his implant DDT for a two count. Edge charged at Orton for a spear, but Orton met him with a kick. It was an awkward exchange, with Orton a bit late with the kick and Edge having to stop and wait briefly for it. Edge blocked Orton's RKO attempt. Orton leapfrogged Edge as he charged and then schoolboyed him. Cole turned up the volume and the crowd was popping for it all. Orton gave Edge a backbreaker and then pounded the mat. Then Jericho walked to ringside and threw his jacket into the ring. Edge then slammed a distracted Orton backward to the mat and leverage pinned him for a three count. Jericho gave Edge a Code Breake.r Orton gave Jericho an RKO. Evan Bourne ran out and spin wheel kicked Orton and then set up Air Bourne from more than half way across the ring. Orton, though, countered with an RKO. The camera angle choices weren't the best by the director. A wide shot would have been than the quick change of view mid-move, but it was still a pretty cool sequence. They went to a wide angle shot on the replay.

WINNER: Edge in 12:00.

STAR RATING: *** -- It really picked up at the end.

4 -- MARK HENRY vs. THE MIZ

Henry overpowered Henry early. He pressed Miz into the air and dropped him face-down on the mat. Miz rolled to ringside. Henry threw him into the ring apron. Miz ducked a charging Henry, who went head-first into the G.M. podium structure that Cole stands on to read the emails. Miz then threw a blue plastic box on him and a bunch of garbage. Lawler said it was adding insult to injury. Miz stood around looking serious, because that's his new thing - show a serious, vicious side to his previously good-for-a-few-laughs persona. Henry struggled to stand up.

WINNER: No decision announced, presumably a double countout, in 1:00.

5 -- WILLIAM REGAL & PRIMO & ZACH RYDER & DOINK vs. SANTINO & VLADIMIR KOZLOV & THE GREAT KHALI & GOLDUST

Cole asked, "Where did they dig Doink up from?" She got a kick out of the bounce in the ring as the wrestlers entered the ring. I'm suppose 15 years ago Dustin Rhodes and William Regal would be glad to know they're alive and well and still earning money on national TV in pro wrestling, but this is hardly a dream scenario in terms of their talents being utilized in money-spots. Santino opened with a karate pose. Regal elbowed hi to the mat. Henderson wore Regal's robe, which distracted Regal, Santino hit Regal in the face with his signature Cobra. Chaos then broke out after Primo broke up the pin. Doink stalked Santino. Santino tagged in Khali. Doink begged off, but then tried to slam Khali. It didn't work. Doink used a squirt gun against Khali. Cole declared that Khali has been blinded. Khali recovered, punched Doink, and scored the pin. I'm happy because there was no sign of Ranjin Singh.

WINNERS: The Santino Bunch in 2:00.

-Afterward Santino moved in to kiss Henderson. Henderson ducked and walked up to Khali. She made out with him. She pretended to nearly pass out. Seriously, how does she look the same age as she did in 1974?

6 -- JOHN CENA vs. THE NEXUS (Wade Barrett & Skip Sheffield & David Otunga & Heath Slater & Michael Tarver & Justin Gabriel)

Cole reviewed the two special rules the G.M. instituted for the match. Cena began against Carver. Cena successfully fended off Tarver and Gabriel. Then Sheffield entered. They had a collar-and-elbow lock-up stalemate. Cena danced with his early success. The Nexus dropped to the floor all at once to have a conference. Nexus surrounded the ring and then Slater hit Cena from behind with a cheap shot. Nexus methodically tagged in and out and took turns beating on Cena. Lawler made it seem hopeless for Cena. Cena hit Otunga with a back suplex. Barrett tagged in. Cena showed signs of life, but Barrett hit Cena with a big boot. Cena fired back with shoulder tackles and a slam to set up You Can't See Me. Lawler asked, "Are you kidding me?" Cena taunted the five Nexus members on the ring apron.

Cena dropped a fist on Barrett's head. Barrett staggered into his corner, but then walked into Cena's arms for an FU. Sheffield interfered, but the ref ruled that Sheffield actually snuck in a tag. Sheffield then nailed Cena with a clothesline. Otunga tagged in and slammed Cena, then tagged in Gabriel. He dragged Cena into the corner and set up his 450 splash. He landed it spot on and scored the pin. Lawler said it was all legal. Not entirely, since Slater's interference was illegal earlier (not cause for DQ, but still illegal).

WINNERS: Nexus in 7:00.

STAR RATING: *1/2

-Cena escaped a post-match attack and hit Slater in the back with a chair. Nexus regrouped at ringside. Nexus surrounded Cena again. Out ran Sheamus with a chair. He swung it wildly and lost his grip. He retrieved it from ringside and then helped Cena clear the ringside area of Nexus. "Those two men together tonight, enemies on Sunday," said Cole as the show faded to black.

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 7-13-10

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

1 -- MARK HENRY & LUCKY CANNON vs. U.S. champion THE MIZ & ALEX RILEY

Henry started the match for the babyface tandem and Miz declined to start opposite Henry. Henry then manhandled Riley and flung him to the outside, showing aggression after Miz's attack on Raw. Miz berated Riley for screwing up, then Henry went back to work on Riley and told Miz to tag in. Miz backed away, so Henry tagged in Lucky Cannon. Cannon and Riley went back and forth before Cannon knocked Riley to the outside. Cannon tried a plancha on the floor, but airballed and ate the ring steps. Both Rookies sold on the outside as they cut to break.

Back from break, Miz finally entered the match and tagged in and out with Riley to work over Cannon. Miz continued to avoid Henry in the process. Mathews then referenced Cole's voice being in the WWE TV opening now, so he must think he's a big shot talking tag team strategy. The announcers continued to talk up Miz's new aggressiveness heading into the Money in the Bank PPV.

Miz lost control of Cannon and Henry tagged in to finally get a piece of Miz. Henry beat down Miz until Miz fell into his corner to tag in Riley. Poor Riley was scooped up into the air by Henry, who dropped him center-ring with the World's Strongest Slam. There's the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Henry & Cannon in 12:00. We know Henry won't be winning MITB now. Fine tag match with a good story carrying over from Raw. (*1/4)

2 -- BATTLE ROYAL

The involved participants are the seven make NXT Pros (no Lay-Cool), the seven remaining NXT Rookies (Titus O'Neil eliminated two weeks ago), and the six available Nexus members to bring the total to 20. They came back from the break with Mark Henry in the middle of a giant circle. The bell rang and Nexus collectively bailed out of the ring to watch the proceedings. Apparently Striker can make matches, but can't reinforce rules of matches. It's like Hertz taking a reservation, but being unable to deliver the actual car reserved. Anyways, the Rookies ganged up on Henry to eliminate him. Nexus then jumped Henry to beat him down. Eli Cottonwood was eliminated next and Nexus beat him down ringside. They proceeded to feed him to Skip Sheffield for a signature clothesline on the floor. NXT cut to break with Nexus standing off on the outside as the Pros challenged them to get on in the ring.

Back from break, Nexus hit the ring to escalate the fight. Otunga dumped Percy over the top rope as they started to clean house on Rookies and Pros. Barrett proceeded to dump McGillicutty out of the ring before Nexus regrouped in one corner. Rookies and Pros went after each other. Meanwhile, Riley was dumped to the floor with a big gash on the back of his head. It came down to a six on five match-up. Riley, Rhodes, Miz, Kofi, and Morrison were the remaining Pros with the entire cast of Rookies gone. Miz then eliminated Ryder, which drew complaints from Morrison. Miz tried to talk to Nexus about making them on Season One. "You're an idiot," Morrison told Miz. Nexus then slowly surrounded Miz, who decided to throw himself over the top rope.

So, it's Nexus vs. Rhodes, Morrison, and Kingston. Barrett provided instructions and a fight was on. Rhodes, the star of Season 2, then hopped onto the top turnbuckle to simply watch the proceedings as the two babyface Pros were beat down by Nexus. Cole said John Cena is watching every second of this right now. Kofi and Morrison teased spirited comebacks at various times as the beatings continued. Gabriel then kicked Morrison out of the ring after Morrison tried to hang onto the ropes. Kingston tried to fight all six Nexus members by himself, but they beat him down. Cody continued to watch in the background as Nexus simply stood over Kingston's fallen body before finally dumping him to the outside.

Cody was left alone in a corner of the ring. Nexus slowly approached him and Cody tried a handshake to Gabriel, who simply glared at him. Otunga wanted no part of a shake either. He finally approached the boss, Barrett, who instructed Nexus to beat him down too. Cody was then tossed out of the ring and the bell rang. Apparently it's not really every man for himself as Nexus was declared the winner(s).

WINNERS: Nexus in 16:00. They broke virtually every unwritten and written battle royal rule here, but the main point was accomplished reinforcing Nexus as a major force in WWE storylines. Nexus's methodical, calculating pace works very well for the group. (n/a)

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 7-15-10

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

1 -- JTG vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

Chavo quickly went to work on JTG as the announcers plugged the MITB ladder match and Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger title match at the PPV. They proceeded to sell the idea that every match-up in WWE is important because it brings wrestlers closer to a championship opportunity. That should be a major point of emphasis in WWE across every WWE broadcast, but we know it's not. Meanwhile, Striker made his pick that Cody Rhodes will win MITB. Striker took that back and picked Big Show. In the ring, JTG made a comeback at 4:00 and started to roll the dice, but Chavo cut him off. Chavo then went up top and nailed a frog splash for the pin and the clean win.

WINNER: Chavo Guerrero in 5:00. Surprising match result, especially after Chavo dominated most of the match and JTG had little offense throughout. It seems like JTG has fallen out of favor with management when he's losing clean to Chavo, whose entire character is built on the idea that he can't accomplish anything on his own, and considering Chavo was a comedy figure on Raw most of last year. (*)

2 -- CURT HAWKINS & VANCE ARCHER vs. MATT CROSS & JAMIN CONSECO

Hawkins, in his bright red pants, started things off against Jamin and roughed him up for a bit. Archer then tagged in and delivered a boot to Jamin's head before paintbrushing him. Cross then tagged in and Vance immediately clotheslined him off the apron. Back in the ring, Cross surprised Archer with a roll-up attempt, which led to Archer blasting him with a big clothesline. Archer then tagged in Hawkins, who came off the top rope with an elbow drop following a reverse DDT from Archer. Hawkins with the cover on Cross for the win.

WINNERS: Hawkins & Archer in 3:00. Effective squash to get over the tag team as a potential threat to the Unified tag titles. (n/a)

3 -- BELLA TWINS vs. MARYSE & JILLIAN HALL

Jillian started things off for Team Blonde and took control of the action. She did a Maryse-style hair flip after executing a move, which drew some mock laughter from Maryse. Maryse then tagged in and continued to work on Nikki before Brie tagged in at 2:00. Maryse and Jillian tried to pull a switcheroo themselves, which distracted the ref and the Bellas for the heels to re-take control. Jillian hit a Samoan Drop, but didn't make a cover when it looked good for the finish if this were a shoot. Moments later, the Bellas pulled the Switcheroo and surprised Jillian with a roll-up for the win. Jillian sold frustration and threw a fit that her plan back-fired and the Bellas one-upped her once again. Maryse just sold exasperation in her own way.

WINNERS: Bellas in 4:00. Jillian got her weekly comeuppance and Maryse was dragged into the mix to help advance the storyline another week. It's basically giving the Bellas something to do to stay on TV with the weekly guest hosts being phased out. (*)

4 -- CHRIS JERICHO vs. YOSHI TATSU

Jericho took control of the match while the announcers talked about Nexus's potential involvement in the MITB PPV, specifically Cena vs. Sheamus. They cut to an early break with Jericho continuing to dominate.

Back from break, Jericho was heelishly toying with Tatsu, who fired back with a kick or two until Jericho cut him off. Jericho went back to work on Yoshi with forearms and a running dropkick to the back of the head. Jericho then dumped Yoshi to the outside and did the lazy-man pose across the top turnbuckle. Ringside, Yoshi was bleeding from the eye as medics checked on him while Jericho sat down in a chair to sell total control of the match. Yoshi's cut was eventually closed up and Jericho went back to work on Yoshi in the ring. Yoshi then avoided a running splash and landed kick strikes until Jericho cut him off again with a boot to the face out of the corner.

At 10:00, Jericho went back to work on the head and neck region until Yoshi cut him off with a knife-edge chop. Whoops. Yoshi then hit a spinning heel kick for a two count. Yoshi tried to follow with a clothesline, but Jericho countered with a butterfly suplex backbreaker for a two count. Jericho paintbrushed Yoshi again, so Yoshi came back with a palm thrust into a running knee strike to the face. Yoshi with another cover, but Jericho kicked out. Yoshi tried to mount some offense, but Jericho dropped him with a clothesline for a two count. Cole said Jericho really didn't want to find himself in this type of fight three days before the MITB PPV.

Jericho then tried to discard Yoshi, but Yoshi skinned the cat and surprised Jericho back in the ring with a kick strike to the face. Yoshi went up top for a trademark spin kick, but Jericho ducked. Jericho then slapped on the Walls of Jericho center ring. Yoshi sold tapping out as the crowd encouraged him to hold on. They went to the trademark "Steve Austin in the Sharpshooter at WrestleMania 13" camera shot to capture Yoshi's grit. Jericho then dragged Yoshi back to center ring in the Walls and Yoshi tapped out to give Jericho the win. Afterward, they recapped the high points of the match before showing Jericho cockily walking away from the ring gloating to the ringside fans.

WINNER: Jericho via submission in 12:00. Nice match with Jericho rightfully getting in the majority of offense with Yoshi still getting over his babyface persona. Good TV main event continuing to set up the MITB PPV with a more realistic-looking match than typically seen on WWE TV. (**1/4)

[Arcademan]

TNA Impact! Results: 7-15-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Keller's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results and the final segment of the program.

1 -- TAYLOR WILDE vs. SARITA - Street Fight

The brawl backstage continued in the ring and at ringside. Wilde dropkicked Sarita at ringside, knocking her over the ring barrier. Sarita ended up choking Wilde from over the railing with a strap. Taylor passed out and the ref stopped the match.

WINNER: Sarita in 5:00.

2 -- BRIAN KENDRICK vs. DOUGLAS WILLIAMS - Non-Title I-Quit match

Williams dominated almost the entire first four minutes, but Kendrick side-stepped a charging Williams. Kendrick applied his cobra clutch and Williams quickly tapped.

WINNER: Kendrick in 4:00.

3 -- ROB TERRY vs. DESMOND WOLFE vs. SAMOA JOE

Terry got a ring entrance. Wolfe did not. He was already in the ring. Joe came out last. The crowd loudly chanted "Joe! Joe! Joe!" at the start. Brutus Magnus joined Taz and Tenay on commentary. He told Tenay that he has not aged well. "If you're going to have television, you need a handsome devil to sell television ratings. It doesn't get much more handsome than me," he said. He said Wolfe is a thinking man's wrestler. He said he's a big fan of Chelsea. As Terry celebrated a spin kick on Wolfe, Joe nailed him with a flying kick off the ropes. Joe then choked out the dazed Wolfe for the win.

WINNER: Joe in 6:00.

4 -- THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. BEER MONEY -- Ladder Match

Four-way action opened the match. The Guns knocked Beer Money to the floor, then dove through the ropes and knocked them into the security railing. TNA showed multiple replays. Sabin brought a ladder into the ring as Sabin held off Beer Money. Sabin climbed the ladder, but James Storm yanked him off. At 3:00 Storm and Robert Roode caught Sabin and threw him crotch-first into a ladder propped in the corner. Storm climbed the ladder, but Shelley yanked him down. Shelley yanked Roode off the ladder at 5:00 and bridged another ladder off the second rope to the standing ladder. Sabin helped Shelley drop Roode face-first on the bridged ladder. Storm yanked Shelley off the ladder seconds later and then gave him a knee-driver backbreaker. Storm dropped the ladder flat on the mat and then set up a superplex on Sabin. Sabin blocked it and then hung Storm upside down and slidekicked the ladder into Storm's face. Sabin dove over the top rope onto Roode lying on a bridged ladder. The crowd chanted "TNA! TNA!" Taz challenged viewers to find action like this anywhere else on prime time TV. Sabin reached for the briefcase admist chaos in the ring. The ladder was off-center. Roode met him on the top. Sabin yanked his head into the ladder and sent him to the floor. Sabin grabbed the contract hanging over the ring. Storm hit him with the beer bottle. Earl Hebner saw Storm with the contract and awarded him the match. The starting the referee, Brian Hebner, was KO'd at ringside.

WINNERS: Beer Money in 10:00.

STAR RATING: **1/2 -- A spotfest with some dazzling athleticism. Booking this rematch so soon diminished what fans paid for on PPV on Sunday. The controversial finish was overdone and I'm not eager to see a referee-based storyline. It's distracting and rarely if ever pays off for the time invested in it.

5 -- MATT MORGAN vs. "THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO

Pope won quickly and cleanly. Taz declared it a big upset. What did that accomplish? It made Morgan look weak, but was just thrown out there and didn't really help Pope. It just seemed like Morgan had an off-night.

WINNER: The Pope in 1:00.

6 -- JEFF HARDY vs. JAY LETHAL

Taz and Tenay agreed Lethal was the underdog considering Hardy's career history of big matches. Lethal dove onto Hardy at ringside at 1:00. The former ECW wrestlers walked through the crowd. The fans chanted "ECW! ECW!" Tenay announced that Kurt Angle would face Hernandez, no. 7 in the rankings next week on Impact, plus Beer Money would face The Guns in a the second match in their Best of Five series in a street fight. Lethal rallied and hit Hardy with a missile dropkick off the top rope for a two count. Hardycountered the Lethal Combination with a Twist of Fate and then hit a Swanton Bomb on Lethal for a clean win.

WINNER: Hardy in 6:00.

STAR RATING: ** -- Nice short TV match, but the as was the case from start to finish on this show, it's just too many matches thrown out there without enough context or build up and thus the loss hurts Lethal more than it does anything for Hardy. It just offsets whatever momentum Lethal might have had from beating Flair.

Abyss told RVD that when "they" arrive "they" are taking TNA over. He said RVD, Dixie Carter, and the ignorant sheep (fans) can't stop them. Abyss said "they" have asked him to pave the way for them, and part of that is taking the TNA World Title off of him. He said they laid out a blue print and it prompts a question for RVD. He said he is going to hang Janice 15 feet above the ring and then they can have the most extreme match in the history of professional wrestling. He said they can use chairs, tacks, ladders, glass, barbed wire, whatever they want. He said Janice told him that "she wants a piece of your ***." Abyss told RVD the only thing left is the when and the where, and he suggested they get extreme.

RVD yanked the mic from Abyss and said he knows what the title means to everyone. He said he will try not to take things too personally. He said what he loves about being World Champion is the standards he gets to set against a monstrous challenge like him. He jumped Abyss with a rapid-fire attack. Abyss made a comeback with a big boot and then a chokeslam. Mick Foley then made his return. He walked onto the stage. Tenay said he hadn't seen him in months since he was fired by Bischoff. Stevie Richards, Raven, Tommy Dreamer, and Rhino jumped over the guard rail and attacked Abyss. Taz said those guys don't even work for TNA as far as he knows. Security intervened. Then the lower card wrestlers tried to run to the ring, but they were easily fought off. Kendrick and Wolfe ran out and took a beating. TNA agents D-Lo Brown, Terry Taylor, Pat Kinney, and Al Snow ran out, but Snow joined the ECW wrestlers. RVD also fought on the side of the ECW wrestlers against TNA. Some higher level TNA wrestlers ran out including Matt Morgan and Devon. Jarrett then ran out and yelled at Dreamer. They showed Dixie Carter standing at ringside looking worried. Police entered the ring and threatened wrestlers with mace. Dixie stepped onto the ramp and told everyone to stop. She said, " Listen! I invited them!" Everyone in the ring look puzzled. That was the cliffhanger.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 7-16-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Park's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results and the final show segment.

1 – KOFI KINGSTON vs. “DASHING” CODY RHODES

The briefcase, of course, hung over the ring for effect. They showed Kofi getting beat up on NXT by Nexus this past Tuesday. Kofi kipped up out of a headscissors early on. Cody pounded away on his opponent with rights, then stomped him in the corner. He hung Kofi stomach-first on to the top rope, then kicked him to ringside as they went to break.

Rhodes held serve on offense when the show returned. He went into an abdominal stretch as the crowd cheered on the fan favorite. From his back, Kofi was able to hurricanrana Cody down and began to build momentum. Desperation second-rope bulldog by Rhode broke that up. Kingston later came off the top with a cross-body that hurt Kofi as well. Then, Kane’s music played and he walked out, chokeslamming both competitors.

WINNER: No Contest (no bell), about 10:12. Can I get a friggin’ bell PLEASE, WWE? How hard is it, really? They’ve been doing this “no announcement of the finish” way too often lately.

2 – DREW MCINTYRE vs. CHRISTIAN

Christian made McIntyre chase him, playing mind games as the match began. Christian flew onto Mac from the top rope to the arena floor. Back in the ring, he landed another for a near-fall. McIntyre took over on offense and Christian tried a Tornado DDT, but Drew pushed him to the floor. They went to break at this point.

Christian barely made it back in before the ten-count during the break, apparently. After a few knees to McIntyre, the Tornado DDT was finally hit. Another DDT variation from Christian, this time for two. Dropkick off the top for two. He went to the second rope, but McIntyre booted him in the chest in mid-air. Monkey flip in the corner and both men went to the second rope. Christian elbowed Drew down and did a sunset flip for two. Finishers of both men were countered by the other. Thumb to the eye by McIntyre, and the ref didn’t see it. He finished Christian with his Future Shock DDT.

WINNER: McIntyre, at 11:30. A notch better than the opening match. Christian continues to bring it, and McIntyre is improving.

3 – LAYLA & TRENT BARRETA vs. KELLY KELLY & CHRIS MASTERS

Poor Masters had to come out to Kelly’s jam. Caylen Croft and Tiffany were the persons at ringside for this one, for those scoring at home. Layla got her feet up on a cartwheel elbow attempt by Kelly in the corner. Soon after, Rosa Mendes jump roped her way to the ring, to show Layla how she’s trying to get in shape. The Dudebusters assisted her in Double Dutch, pissing Layla off. Masters clotheslined Barreta on the outside, while Kelly K2’d the distracted Layla for the win.

WINNERS: Kelly & Masters, at 1:33. Just a comedy match to hype Kelly vs. Layla for Sunday. Barreta was an odd choice for Layla’s partner, though.

4 – MATT HARDY vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER

Hardy worked over Ziggler on the ground to start. Ziggler went to the top but missed an axe-handle, catching a fist in the gut instead. Hardy clotheslined Ziggler outside the ring. Ziggler turned things around by slamming Matt into the barricade as they went to break.

Hardy worked out of a chin-lock, but was sent crashing back down to the canvas. Back to another rest-hold. Matt made a comeback and landed a patented elbow to the back of Ziggler’s neck off the second rope. Hardy turned a Fame-Asser attempt by Ziggler into a powerbomb in a nice sequence. Side Effect by Hardy, but Ziggler grabbed the bottom rope on the pin attempt. Vickie Guerrero, who was at ringside with Ziggler, got on the apron after Ziggler failed on a sleeper attempt. Ziggler pushed Matt into Vickie, but Matt stopped short. That allowed Ziggler to land the Zig Zag for the win.

WINNER: Ziggler, at 10:57.

- Jack Swagger and his daddy came out. Swagger said winning his title back is job number one, so he wants to clear his name to Kane. He said that on that Memorial Day, he spent time with the man who made him the All-American American: His father. The two men hugged in the ring. Jack said he and his dad were winning and looking good that day. They showed pics of the two doing push-ups and workouts in the morning. More pics on the Titan-Tron, this time of them winning a fishing contest, with big, goofy grins of course. No proof of the time or date of these photos, by the way. Finally, pics of them winning a chicken-wing eating contest. Kane had had enough and he came out. He got into the ring and said he didn’t believe any of it. Swagger shared more pics as proof, with him and his father running a 5K. Kane tired of this, and grabbed Jack by the throat as his dad tried to verbally intervene. Swagger bopped Kane with the mic and applied the ankle-lock as his dad cheered him on. Rey hobbled out and gave the 619 to Swagger, then walked over him to leave the ring. Kane ended up locking both Swaggers in his grip, but Jack got out by stepping on Kane’s foot. He fled to ringside, pleading with Kane to let go of his daddy. He turned his back at ringside as Kane chokeslammed Mr. Swagger. Jack began heading to the back, turning around in the aisle long enough to watch his dad get Tombstoned. He sold distraught as Kane cued his flames. They replayed the beating then Kane’s face, cloaked in his red light, was the final image.

[Arcademan]

WWE Money in the Bank PPV Results: 7-18-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's ongoing report). or to view complete report without pop-ups, click my TOKYOPOP Blog link under my sig pic.

1 -- SMACKDOWN'S MITB LADDER MATCH
WINNER: Kane at 26:18. Excellent MITB ladder match. Nice false finishes and big moments while telling some good stories within the match. There's always the "health concern" issue for these types of matches, which has to be balanced with the entertainment value of the match. At least there weren't any head shots using weapons, which is a good thing. Now, the rest of the PPV has a tall order living up to a thrilling, highspot-type match. (****)

2 -- Divas champion ALICIA FOX vs. EVE TORRES -- Divas Title match
WINNER: Alicia Fox at 5:54 to retain the Divas Title. Fine title match. Alicia continues to fit the role as the Raw brand's heel champion. It seems to set up nicely for Melina to enter the picture as the next challenger. (*)

3 -- Unified tag champions HART DYNASTY (TYSON KIDD & D.H. SMITH w/Natalya) vs. USO BROTHERS (JEY & JIMMY USO w/Tamina) -- Unified tag title match
WINNERS: Hart Dynasty at 5:54 to retain the Unified tag titles. WWE has to walk a fine line between using the past to get over the second-generation stars, but not making it to where the audience would rather see the original. HD needs to find a way to stand out more than just using the Hart name, while WWE hasn't done enough with the Usos since they debuted a few months ago and really had a stand-out introduction promo. The tag title match was fine, but the biggest pop of the match was for Natalya dropping Tamina with a bodyslam ringside. (*1/2)

4 -- World Hvt. champion REY MYSTERIO vs. JACK SWAGGER -- WWE World Hvt. Title match
WINNER: Mysterio at 10:45 to retain the World Hvt. Title. The finish of the match pretty much confirmed WWE trying to turn Swagger into their version of Kurt Angle. Swagger and Rey worked well together playing off the big man vs. little man match-up. But, when the announcers have to constantly ask the kayfabe question of how they're recovering from each other's offense, it means there isn't long-term selling. There wasn't much of that here, which took away from the overall quality of the match. But, the crowd was into the story and Swagger got over his power offense and menacing heel persona. (**3/4)

Post-match: Swagger attacked Mysterio as he celebrated and pounded Rey with forearms. Swagger then slapped on the anklelock and wrenched on Rey's ankle as Rey tapped out repeatedly. Suddenly, Kane hit the ring, but sans briefcase. Kane beat down Swagger and knocked him to the outside. Kane beat up Swagger and took him to the back. They went back to Rey celebrating in the ring as Striker noted Rey pulling a trick from Eddie Guerrero's playbook. Suddenly, Kane's music hit. This time, Kane emerged with briefcase in hand and referee Charles Robinson. The announcers were silent as Kane slowly entered the ring. Kane held the case and handed it to the referee to officially cash in the case.

5 -- World Hvt. champion REY MYSTERIO vs. KANE -- WWE World Hvt. Title match
WINNER: Kane at 0:54 to capture the World Hvt. Title. This sure seems to be setting up Kane vs. The Undertaker at Summerslam if Taker is ready, health-wise, for the title match. The male audience in the crowd was pro-Kane as he cashed in on the babyface Mysterio, which was interesting. Smackdown's storylines should be interesting going to Summerslam now. (n/a)

6 -- Women's champion LAYLA (w/Michelle McCool) vs. KELLY KELLY (w/Tiffany) -- Women's Title match
WINNER: Layla at 3:59 to retain the Women's Title. A lot of moving parts here for a match that seemed to fit on TV rather than PPV. (n/a)

7 -- RAW'S MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
WINNER: Miz at 20:26 to earn a future WWE Title match. Another excellent MITB ladder match. This one was a little different than Smackdown's, which had plenty of good stories within the story thanks to Smackdown's writers doing the heavy lifting on Smackdown leading to the PPV. Raw's was more dependent on some creative spots, Evan Bourne having another stand-out night, and some very good false finishes utilizing Randy Orton. It will be a good debate on whether Raw's or Smackdown's MITB match was better. I'm going to lean slightly toward the Raw side. (****1/4)

8 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. JOHN CENA -- WWE Title match -- Steel cage match
WINNER: Sheamus at 23:03. Decent, but not satisfying main event title match. They had a slow - almost too-slow at times - pace to the match before picking up steam in the second-half with some strong false finishes. Nexus's interference and WWE's cage match stipulation that you can climb out of the cage pretty much defeated the purpose of the cage and WWE selling the PPV on the idea that Nexus would be kept out of the cage. It will be interesting to see where they go with Sheamus at Summerslam if Triple H is indeed unavailable. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton is a potential candidate. Some form of a Cena vs. Nexus match at Summerslam also seems likely. (***)

FINAL THOUGHT: Overall, a strong PPV thanks to two four-star-plus Money in the Bank ladder matches telling some good stories within the matches. With the way the main event finished, WWE has to be careful not to create go-away heat on Nexus after investing two months on building up the group. They're already in the danger zone of go-away heat on the Raw GM.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 7-19-10

Results courtesy of PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report). Condensed here to in-ring results only. The following post will detail the end of the show segment.

1 -- RANDY ORTON vs. CHRIS JERICHO vs. EDGE -- #1 contender match to WWE Title

Edge and Jericho started things off with a unified attack on Orton. They went for a double backdrop, but Orton pulled out a signature counter with a double DDT. He made a cover on Edge for a two count. Orton then went to work on Edge with a methodical attack as Jericho recovered on the outside. Orton whipped Edge hard into the corner, then went down on both hands to tease the RKO. Edge shoved him away, though, and Orton ran into Jericho for a codebreaker out of nowhere. Jericho attempted a cover, but Edge broke it up. Jericho and Edge then brawled to the outside. Edge rammed Jericho off the announce table and they cut to break with action on the floor.

They returned from break with Jericho and Edge still on the outside as Lawler reset that the winner will face Sheamus for the WWE Title at Summerslam. Jericho then crawled back onto the ring apron and Orton bumped him back to the floor. Edge and Jericho tried to crawl back in again, but Edge scampered away and Jericho took the signature spike DDT off the middle rope. Orton tried a cover, but Edge yanked Orton out of the ring. Some good sequences so far in the match. They reset at 9:00 with Edge and Orton in the ring, but Jericho yanked Edge out of the ring and went to work on Orton. Jericho tried a pin with his feet on the ropes, but Orton kicked out in time.

At 10:00, Jericho settled into a reverse chinlock on Orton as the crowd rallied behind Orton. They came to their feet and Orton mounted a comeback with two knock-down clotheslines followed by a snap powerslam for a nearfall. Edge then tried to sneak in, but Orton dropped him with a fallaway backbreaker for another two count. Orton kicked Edge to the outside again, then he teased the spike DDT on Jericho again, but Jericho countered with the Walls of Jericho. They went to the Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13 camera shot of Orton trying to fight the hold, then Jericho pulled him back to center ring. Suddenly, Edge entered the ring and grabbed Jericho for a DDT that resulted in a two count.

Edge measured Jericho for a spear moments later, but Jericho countered with a roll-through into the Walls of Jericho. Edge fought the hold and grabbed the bottom rope for a break. Edge tried to come back with a roll-up pin, but Jericho kicked out. Edge then clotheslined Jericho over the top rope and Orton snuck in the back door. He tried the RKO, but Edge blocked with a reverse DDT for another close nearfall. Suddenly, all three men traded nearfalls before all three men hit a triple knock-down clothesline to put everyone on the mat.

They reset with Jericho shoving Edge to the outside, then Orton teased the RKO on Jericho, who blocked. Jericho teased the Lionsault, but Orton moved. Orton then stalked Jericho and finally connected with the RKO. Edge tried to run in with the spear, but Orton dropped him with the RKO. Orton then covered Edge for a three count to win as the crowd popped for Orton's victory. Post-match: Orton maintained his cool demeanor as a graphic showed Orton going to Summerslam. After a replay of the high points in the match, they showed Orton staring into the crowd with an icy glare. It's Sheamus vs. Orton at Summerslam.

WINNER: Orton at 15:10 to become #1 contender. WWE obviously saw how hot the crowd was for Orton almost winning the MITB match last night and pulled the trigger on the hot babyface in the main event of the second-biggest PPV of the year. Strong match despite the dependence on wrestlers escaping/countering/blocking trademark finishing moves for false finishes. The two and three-man spots were well-timed and well-executed in the format. Very interesting start to the show, but accomplishing the goal of getting the Summerslam main event in the hands of the audience right off the bat. (***)

2 -- EVE TORRES vs. MARYSE (w/Ted DiBiase)

Maryse talked trash to Eve before the match started, so Eve slapped her. DiBiase noted Maryse will become #1 contender to the Divas Title if she wins tonight. Eve then hit a kick to the face out of the corner and made a cover. Maryse put her foot on the bottom rope in-between the two and three, but the ref didn't see it and awarded Eve the win. DiBiase, agitated, jumped into the ring and screamed at the ref. Suddenly, John Morrison hit the ring in street clothes and sporting a bandage over his left arm to jump DiBiase. Morrison nailed a kick strike to the face, then hit Starship Pain. Morrison stood tall over DiBiase with a more serious demeanor as Maryse sold agitation with things falling apart again. Morrison stared down Maryse as he left the ring, then helped DiBiase recover as DiBiase stared down Morrison.

WINNER: Eve at 1:15. Too short to amount to much, but nice follow-up on DiBiase vs. Morrison to set up what appears to be a singles match at Summerslam. (n/a)

3 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS vs. EVAN BOURNE -- non-title match

Sheamus tried an early pump kick, but Bourne ducked while still fixing his trunks. Bourne then cleared Sheamus to the outside with a kick strike. Sheamus smashed the announce table in frustration while Miz smirked and waved his briefcase in Sheamus's face. They cut to break with Sheamus still complaining on the outside.

Back from break, Sheamus was in control of the match as Miz continued to watch. Sheamus continued to dominate as the crowd tried to rally behind Bourne. Bourne tried to come back with a head scissors, but Sheamus countered with a back breaker for a two count. Sheamus went back to work on Bourne, who got to his feet and landed kick strikes to the thigh. Sheamus then paintbrushed him across the face, so Bourne fired off a kick to the head. Bourne mounted some offense, then hit a heel kick to the face. Sheamus got up and Bourne answered with another kick. Bourne then tried a roll up, but Sheamus kicked out. Bourne followed with a knock-down kick and Bourne went up top to tease the Air Bourne. Sheamus rolled to the outside, though, so Bourne redirected his attack with a flying splash on the floor.

On the floor, Sheamus shoved Bourne into a cameraman as the ref was in the middle of a ten count. Bourne made it back into the ring, but Sheamus crotched him across the middle rope after using the ref as a shield. Sheamus then hit his big bicycle kick that floored Bourne and took the air out of the building. Sheamus made the cover for the win as Miz mockingly applauded ringside.

WINNER: Sheamus at 10:31. Decent TV match that kept Sheamus strong and kept Bourne in the main event picture with a decent showing against the champ. Sheamus gave him good offense to make sure Bourne got over his signature spots in the match. The key is to reinforce that Bourne belongs in the picture even if he loses. (*1/2)

4 -- WILLIAM REGAL & ZACK RYDER vs. SANTINO MARELLA & KOZLOV

Santino and Ryder started things off as Cole plugged Raw coming up on the 900th episode of the series next month. Santino then tried a handspring move, but Ryder ducked underneath him and Santino kinda fell to the mat. Santino then tagged in Kozlov and Regal entered for Ryder. Kozlov then tagged in Santino, who instantly lost control of the match to Regal. Regal screamed as he executed a signature left-arm lariat for a two count. Ryder followed with some offense to keep the heels in control on Santino. Ryder tried to follow with a top rope dropkick, but Santino moved out of the way. Kozlov then tagged in to no reaction and worked on Ryder. Kozlov landed a big powerslam and scored a two count when Regal tried to interfere. Kozlov followed up with the Iron Curtain on Ryder before Santino begged to tag in. Santino then hit his sailor's salute diving fist drop on Ryder for the win.

WINNERS: Santino & Kozlov at 2:55. Poor Ryder. And the Santino and Kozlov team must continue. The match was fine and harmless, overall. (*)

5 -- WADE BARRETT vs. MARK HENRY

The bell sounded and Barrett ducked under the ropes to stand on the ring apron for some space from Henry. Barrett heelishly demanded Henry back up, so he re-entered the ring. Henry knocked him down with a head butt and Barrett rolled back to the outside. Barrett took his time re-entering the ring and they locked up with Barrett landing a knee to the gut. Barrett tried a head butt, but Henry no-sold and shot him a look before landing a big chop to the head. Henry followed with a knock-down clothesline for a one count. Henry went back to work on Barrett, who came back with a head butt and right hands that staggered Henry.

Barrett tried a running clothesline, but Henry countered with a powerslam for a two count. Henry then dragged Barrett to the corner for a big move, but Nexus came out on stage. Henry was distracted momentarily, which allowed Barrett to cut him off on the second rope. Barrett then lifted Henry in the air for his overhead slam finisher, but Henry kinda slipped off and Barrett just dropped him hard to the mat. Barrett made a cover for the win.

WINNER: Barrett at 3:20. Fine TV match. Barrett scored a needed win to give the group some measure of credibility in the ring, while enhancing their heel heat with the distraction for the win. Henry isn't exactly a strong babyface character, but it was fine. (*)

Ending sequence of events on RAW will be posted next...

[Arcademan]

In-ring: Nexus was still assembled in the ring as Cole repeated the line that Barrett may have proved Nexus is just as strong individually as a group. They recapped the end of Henry vs. Barrett, then cut back to the ring. Michael Tarver started a promo for Nexus by suggesting they will make Cena's life miserable if he doesn't join the group. He said Cena needs to show some remorse for assaulting Darren "weird haircut" Young and the rest of the group last night. Tarver said if he does, then maybe they will consider ending this feud. Tarver said everything that's happened is on him. Tarver paused.

John Cena's music hit and Cena slowly walked out on stage to a big pop. Cena looked into the crowd as he contemplated what's up next. Cena walked to the ring and stood on the ring apron as his music stopped. Nexus was in a straight line in the ring as Cena addressed them from the ring apron. Cena thanked them for meeting him in the ring, then he slowly entered the ring. Cena recapped Nexus costing him two WWE Title matches since they've arrived on the scene. He said he's apparently not part of their big picture and Sheamus made a truce with them. He said he should have done that a long time ago.

Cena paused before saying, "I'm sorry, guys, uh..." He said he's putting himself in front of all them to look them all in the eye. Barrett said their answer is no. He said he's not interested in a truce or any type of peace. Barrett said he wants something much, much bigger. Barrett paused for a "Cena, Cena" chant. He told Cena not to listen to the fans, but listen to him. Barrett said he wants Cena to join the group. He wants him to join the Nexus. Cena stared blankly ahead. Barrett said Cena can achieve something ten times greater than everything he's accomplished in his career. He said Nexus is the present and future of WWE, and together, they would be unstoppable. Barrett told him he doesn't have much of a choice because "you're either Nexus or against us."

The crowd screamed for Cena not to join the group as he stared down at the mat contemplating things. Cena looked up at the Nexus group and stared them down before looking into the crowd. Cena just shook his head and said he can't do it. The crowd popped. Barrett took a deep breath and said that's very unfortunate because they have a very different proposition. He told Cena he could leave the ring and show the world he's a coward...or, he could stand in the ring and they will give him the most vicious beating Nexus has every given. Cena stared ahead again and shook his head from side to side. Cena teased backing away, then he left the ring.

Cena started to leave up the entranceramp, then he stopped at the top of the ramp. He said he needs to say one more thing. Cena said whether he does it by himself or does it with help, he will take each and every one of the Nexus group down. Cena started walking back to the ring. He said the peace offering was just a test to see how Nexus would react. Cena said he got his answer. He said he's been quietly forming a team. "A team that will take down Nexus at Summerslam," he said. Cena said Nexus wanted him to join the group, but now the Nexus is history at Summerslam.

Edge's music hit and out came Edge selling ribs to join Cena on the entrance ramp. Edge and Cena together. That's a sight. John Morrison came out next with a determined look on his face. R-Truth was out next. Great Khali was out next. Does this tie together Ranjin Singh wanting a more aggressive Khali? Or, is that too logical? Anyways, Chris Jericho came out sixth to join Cena's group. And the final member of Cena's team is...Bret Hart. There's your big surprise on the show, which popped the crowd huge.

Hart walked out on stage and slapped hands with Cena, then Team Cena stormed the ring and chased off Nexus, who ran through the stands to the top of the stands. Team Cena stood tall in the ring with Bret Hart smiling as Nexus stood their ground at the top of the arena. Lawler protected Nexus by saying he knows Nexus will regroup and come back with something, but look at the team Cena has assembled. They closed with a final shot of Team Cena standing tall in the ring. PYB (3) talk time: 13:26.

CLOSING THOUGHTS: Very strong episode of Raw advancing from the MITB PPV to Summerslam. Virtually everything on the show had a purpose and the action on the show was strong throughout. It came across like WWE recognized a sense of urgency to hit the ground running hyping their second biggest PPV of the year and they set up two strong matches for Summerslam in the process. Bret Hart's surprise return was pretty big too after a strong show-closing segment where the audience was hanging on everything Cena was doing or saying. I'm not sure about some of the picks for Cena's group e.g. R-Truth and Khali, but WWE can focus on Cena, Jericho, and Edge as the top players going into the match. Well done from WWE tonight.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 7-22-10

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

1 -- CHRIS MASTERS & MVP (w/Percy Watson) vs. DUDEBUSTERS (TRENT BARETTA & CAYLEN CROFT)

MVP and Trent started things off as Striker plugged the NXT voting currently ongoing on WWE's website. Masters then tagged in and worked on Trent, including a high back-body drop for a one count. Masters followed with a round of chops to the chest that drew "Oh yeahs" from Watson ringside. Croft then blind-tagged into the match between Masters's back and cut him off at the knee to begin a focused attack on the lower body. The Dudes continued to work over Masters, who countered a spinning toehold into a small package for a two count on Trent.

Masters broke free from Trent and made his way to the corner to tag in MVP. Croft also tagged in and accepted the Ballin' elbow drop moments later. MVP made a cover, but Trent broke it up. The action broke down with Masters locking in the Masterlock on Trent to knock him to the outside. In the confusion, Croft tried a small package on MVP, but MVP escaped and flowed into the Play of the Day finisher for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: MVP & Masters in 6:00. Fine tag match with the focus on MVP, but not long enough for the Dudes to stand out offensively. (*1/4)

2 -- JTG vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

Grisham and Striker talked about JTG reviewing the tape of his loss last week to Chavo Guerrero and finding "what he did wrong." Nice kayfabe set-up for their re-match this week. JTG's strategy of tape review didn't work out too well, though, as Chavo won the match in a decisive three minutes with the top rope Frogsplash. Striker covered for JTG in the process, saying JTG was competitive despite the loss.

WINNER: Chavo in 3:00. Another victory for Chavo that seems to be part of WWE's strategy to attempt mini-storylines on Superstars that continue from week-to-week, with the recent example being the month-long Bellas vs. Jillian storyline. (*)

3 -- YOSHI TATSU vs. PRIMO COLON

Yoshi and Primo started with some basic chain wrestling and Primo hid between the ropes to get a rope break. Yoshi then knocked Primo to the outside and landed a drop kick through the ropes. Yoshi teased a follow-up plancha, but Primo cut him off and landed a boot on the apron. Back in the ring, Primo went to work on Yoshi with a methodical attack. Lawler said he's not sure if the "change in attitude" has paid dividends in the wins/loss column for Primo, but he senses it's helped Primo. Lawler talked up Yoshi, who made a comeback with his high-flying moveset. They battled to the corner and Yoshi attempted a huracanrana, but Primo ducked underneath. Primo then hit a backstabber off the second rope and made cover for the win.

WINNER: Primo in 5:00. Another fine match, but too short to stand out on the show. Good win for Primo if it matters at the end of the day with WWE's lack of emphasis on wins and losses. (*1/4)

4 -- Unified tag champions HART DYNASTY (TYSON KIDD & D.H. SMITH w/Natalya) vs. USO BROTHERS (JIMMY & JEY USO w/Tamina) -- non-title match

Smith and Jey started things off, with Smith quickly grounding Jey with a headlock. Lawler expanded on his thoughts from the PPV that Smith has all the tools, but he needs a mean streak to be a dominant force. Smith continued to work on Jey with an armbar and Jey reached the ropes with a break. Jey recovered to his feet and landed right hands to the face until running into a high knee from Smith. Kidd tagged in to a strong reaction and they set up a double-team dropkick with Jey hanging upside down in the corner.

Kidd slapped on an armbar and tagged in Smith again after continuing to set a methodical pace. Jey eventually made his way to the Uso corner to bring in Jimmy. The Usos tried to out-quick Smith, who eventually dumped both of them to the outside. The Usos retreated on the outside while the Harts stood tall in the ring as they cut to break.

Back from break, the Usos had control of the match working over Kidd. Kidd then came back with a back kick to the mid-section before hitting a double-foot dropkick that knocked Jimmy to the outside. Kidd tried a running dive off the ring apron onto the Usos, but Kidd fell into their arms, then was tossed into the guardrail. Kidd got some serious air on the way down, looking like he was in a movie on a suspension cord. Kidd made it back into the ring at a nine count, then Jimmy went back on the attack.

The Usos began a methodical beat down on Kidd at 10:00 while Natalya tried to rally the crowd. Jimmy and Jey executed a signature double-team move and gloated before making a cover that Smith broke up. The announcers got over the "resilient" label for Kidd as he continued to kick out of pin attempts. Kidd and Jimmy had a double knock-down center ring, which led to Jey tagging in, then Smith coming in with the hot tag.

Smith executed power offense as Lawler noted more aggression from Smith. Smith then tried a Sharpshooter, but Tamina hopped on the ring apron for a distraction. Natalya then came up behind Tamina and popped her with a clothesline on the floor. Back in the ring, the Harts hit a double Hart Attack on the Usos and Smith made the cover on Jey for the pin and the win. Post-match: Natalya hugged it out with the Harts as the Usos retreated on the outside. Nice crowd reaction for the win with the match peaking right at the finish. After a replay of the high points in the match, they showed the Harts celebrating in the ring and the Usos retreating up the stage to close the show.

WINNERS: Hart Dynasty in 14:00. Very good TV tag match. Hart Dynasty look good for a long-term run with the tag titles until WWE finds a solid heel tag team (could be the Usos) to take the belts off them to set up the Harts on the chase. Good conclusion to the show. (**1/4)

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 7-23-10

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

1 -- MATT HARDY & CHRISTIAN vs. DREW MCINTYRE & CODY RHODES

Grisham said he didn't think Kane's actions at the PPV were fair because of the size difference was fair. "Why would Kane need to take advantage of Rey Mysterio?" Striker said because the most prized title was at stake and added a third grade "duh!" at the end. Striker said Hardy's "lower extremities" are totally covered in tape and he's totally beaten up from the MITB match. Grisham asked if it's [cliche alert!] "back to the drawing board" for these four Superstars. Hardy blocked a Future Shock attempt by Drew and backdropped Drew over the top rope. Nice spot. Hardy also backdropped a charging Cody. Christian then leaped over the ropes onto both heels. They cut to a break.

Striker talked again about Cody not wearing kneepads. Striker said it's a throwback look. Grisham said, "So if he played football, he wouldn't wear a helmet?" Striker said no, but he does think it makes Cody look weird. Hardy, who wore a tank top shirt, took it off, revealing taped ribs. Christian took a beating for several minutes, but hot-tagged Hardy at 12:00. Hardy conveyed he was sore all over, especially favoring his arms. Cody distracted the ref as Hardy overed Drew. Hardy took a swing at Cody, but Cody dropped off the apron. When Cody broke up another pin attempt, Christian entered. Hardy mistakenly hit Christian. Striker said it might have been intentional. As Hardy checked on Christian, Drew surprised him with the Future Shock for the win. Striker said Hardy may be frustrated with not winning the MITB match.

WINNERS: McIntyre & Rhodes in 12:00.

STAR RATING: **1/4

2 -- DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. KOFI KINGSTON (w/Michael McGuillicutty)

At 3:00 McGuillicutty checked on Kofi at ringside after he was tossed to the floor. Vickie walked over and chewed him out and ordered him to the back. McGuillicutty said he wasn't doing anything wrong. They cut to a break.

Ziggler had Kofi in a chinlock after the break. He dominated for several minutes with mostly matwork. At 11:00 Kofi began a comeback. He hit Ziggler with a flying clothesline, which Grisham called a Superman punch. He followed with his Boom Drop double legdrop and then signaled for his Trouble in Paradise. Ziggler stood, but the ducked the kick. He threw Kofi over the top rope. Kofi skinned the cat back into the ring. Striker must've had to bite his tongue not to mention Ricky Steamboat when Kofi did that, but until Steamboat's out of the hospital, WWE's probably not going to talk at all about him. Grabbed Kofi's boot. Ziggler then gave Kofi his Zig Zag followed by his sleeper for the win. Grisham said Kofi "bent over backwards literally" to try to break the hold. Grisham uses cliches, such as "bend over backwards," so much that when he breaks from that and actually speaks in clearly language without a cliche, he has to use "literally" to clarify he's not using yet another cliche figure of speech to convey his point.

WINNER: Ziggler in 13:00.

STAR RATING: *3/4 -- A little slow in the body of the match.

3 -- THE BIG SHOW vs. MASKED MAN (w/C.M. Punk, Serena, Masked Man)

Before the match, Punk and Gallows conferenced and decided to have their mystery masked man wrestle instead. The ref allowed it. Grisham, unfazed by Punk switching out opponents for Show at the last second, said Punk looks like a Martian with his shaved head. He said he can't stop staring at him. Big Show and Gallows are also bald. Not sure why Grisham finds Punk's bald head so enthralling. I know, he's trying to sell that Punk is humiliated by being bald, but since he didn't put his mask back on after Show de-masked him last week, apparently he's not that ashamed. Show yanked off his mask a minute into the match. Striker said that's Joey Mercury. I wouldn't have recognized him as he was shaved bald. Show put on Mercury's mask and then KO'd him with his right hand.

WINNER: The Big Show in 2:00.

4 -- JACK SWAGGER vs. REY MYSTERIO -- Best of Three Falls No. 1 Contender Match

Rey limped to the ring. Swagger outpowered Swagger early, but then ducked a charging Swagger. Swagger tumbled to the floor. Rey slidekicked Swagger. They cut to an early break in a best of three falls match. Can't they just insert breaks between falls? Swagger was back in control after the break. At 10:00 Rey made a comeback. Swagger kicked out of a near fall by Rey after a springboard bodyblock off the middle rope. Rey kicked Swagger in the head. The crowd chanted "619." Swagger countered a body scissor into an anklelock. Rey reached for the bottom rope, but Swagger yanked him back to center ring. Rey eventually hugged the bottom rope. Swagger didn't break it. The ref DQ'd Swagger after his count reached five.

WINNER FALL ONE: Rey via DQ in 12:00.

Back from the break Rey crawled back into the ring for the second fall. Striker said Swagger knew exactly what he was doing when he got DQ'd. Rey avoided a charging Swagger and Swagger went shoulder-first into the ringpost. Rey then hit a top rope headscissors and then went for the 619. Swagger caught Rey, though, and applied the anklelock. Rey immediately tapped out.

WINNER FALL TWO: Swagger via tapout in 1:00.

As soon as the third fall began, Swagger kicked his ankle repeatedly. Swagger rolled Rey to the floor and slammed him on the ground. Striker said Swagger might be trying to win by countout. Swagger instead threw Rey back into the ring. Grisham said that wasn't smart. Striker said Swagger wants to erase any doubt. Swagger hit his swing splash in teh corner twice and made the cover, which was good for a two count. Swagger went for a third corner splash, but Rey caught him in the chin with extended boots. Rey climbed to the top rope and dove onto Swagger, but he favored his knees after the seated senton. Rey escaped a subsequet gut-wrench powerbomb attempt by Swagger, then leveraged Swagger's shoulders to the mat for the big upset win. Swagger sat in the corner, gasping in disbelief. Grisham said Rey was [cliche alert] "headed to the promised land." Grisham tried to sound like he was emotionally invested this week.

WINNER: Rey via pinfall in 2:00.

STAR RATING: *** -- Well told story.

-Swagger attaked Rey afterward. Grisham told Swagger to get over losing. Kane ran out and made the save, attacking Swagger with a chokeslam. Kane then helped Rey to his feet. Rey looked at him nervously. Kane snarled. Rey raised a fist while hobbling on one leg. Kane raised Rey's arm and the fans cheered. Rey's music played. As he began to leave the ring, Kane chased after him and threw him into the ring. He set up another chokeslam, but Rey escaped and head scissored Kane into 619 position and then nailed it. He bailed out of the ring and backed up the ramp as Kane regrouped in the ring, fuming mad.

[Arcademan]

WWE RAW Results: 7-26-10

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

1 -- RANDY ORTON vs. JEY USO (w/Jimmy Uso and Tamina)

Cole noted the anonymous Raw GM booked the match to give Orton some warm-up work before Summerslam. Orton quickly dominated and continued to stare down Sheamus in-between moves on Jey. Orton glared down Sheamus too long after a forearm to the chest, allowing Jey to take control. The crowd rallied behind Orton, who made a trademark comeback and executed a spike DDT on Jey while staring down Sheamus. Orton then went down to the ground to tease the RKO and deliver it center ring. Orton with the cover for the win.

WINNER: Orton at 2:36. Effective squash to get over Orton as a threat for the WWE Title and on a "hot streak" going into Summerslam. (*)

2 -- EDGE vs. GREAT KHALI (w/Ranjin Singh)

Kayfabe, it doesn't speak well of Cena and Jericho as leaders of the group if they're "allowing" this to occur, unless they're taking the approach of letting it play out, then deciding after-the-fact. Edge tried to run around Khali early on and Khali answered with a hard chop to the chest. After a minute of action, Nexus walked out to the ring from backstage and circled the ring. Singh and Edge bailed here. Khali was left along in the ring as Nexus hopped on the ring apron. They entered the ring together to circle around him as he simply stood there with his arms out. The crowd chanted for Khali before Nexus slowly separated to leave an opening in their circle for Khali to exit. Khali took the pass and left the ring. Cole said he doesn't recall Nexus giving anyone a pass before. Khali and Nexus had a stare down to close the segment.

WINNER: No Decision. This was just thrown out there, much like a lot of content on the show since the opening segment. Raw has been a bit messy with some attempts to build intrigue for Summerslam, but with a need to simplify things and not get over-complicated. (n/a)

3 -- TEAM RAW vs. TEAM NEXUS -- Elimination match

The match started with Yoshi Tatsu and Michael Tarver here. Tarver landed an innovative powerslam and eliminated Yoshi at the 0:52 mark. Not a good night for Yoshi as he continues to have "Primo status" on WWE TV. Evan Bourne got in some work, then Jerry Lawler tagged in to a strong reaction. Lawler busted out a dropkick on Justin Gabriel before hitting a "vintage" fist drop from the second rope for a close two count. Barrett then pulled Gabriel out of the ring and Nexus regrouped on the outside. Lawler stood tall in the ring as Cole fed to break.

Back from break, they recapped Lawler being eliminated via Heath Slater. So, it's a seven on five situation. Tyson Kidd was working on Slater back live and Hart Dynasty proceeded to tag in and out working on Slater. Smith executed a nice standing vertical suplex to a good reaction and made a cover, but Slater kicked out. Smith then attempted a running powerslam, but Slater escaped. Slater then dropped Smith with a modified Zig-Zag for the pin on Smith at 7:00. Goldust then entered to a big homestate pop. Goldust measured Slater as they hit the top of the hour.

David Otunga tagged in when Slater took control. Otunga then hit his Dominator finishing move for an elimination at 8:15. Mark Henry entered next and cleaned house on Nexus. Skip Sheffield then entered and wanted a piece of Henry. Skip talked big, then landed clubbing forearms to Henry's back. Skip attempted a trademark clothesline, but Henry blocked with a scoop slam. Henry then launched Gabriel into the ring and landed a big corner splash. Henry didn't see Skip, though, and Skip landed a big clothesline when Henry turned around. Skip with the pin on Henry at 10:15.

Evan Bourne and Tyson Kidd looked at each other as the two remaining members of Team Raw. Kidd attempted a springboard move, but Skip blocked with a clothesline. Skip then tagged in Darren Young, who hit his finisher on Kidd for an elimination at 11:00. So, it was Evan Bourne by himself. Bourne tried to fight off everyone, but the Nexus leader, Wade Barrett, grabbed Bourne and delivered his overhead slam finisher for the final pin. Cole called it a "dominant, clean sweep." Nexus stood over Bourne's fallen body to celebrate the victory before Barrett started directing traffic.

WINNERS: Nexus at 11:43. Two positives: they didn't expose any of Nexus's weaknesses in the ring and painted a picture that Nexus is a dominant force heading to Summerslam. Two negatives: the eliminations were too quick in an unrealistic fashion and the Raw second-stringers were presented as a group that can't beat a freshman basketball team. Since the goal was to sell the top match at Summerslam, the positives outweighed the negatives. (*)

4 -- Divas champion ALICIA FOX (w/Jillian Hall) vs. NIKKI BELLA (w/Brie Bella) -- non-title match

The feud has apparently "graduated" to Raw after a run on Superstars. Alicia made short work of Nikki, finishing her off in a minute. Afterwards, Jillian took the mic and basked in Alicia's spotlight after the Bellas were finally thwarted. Alicia didn't appreciate Jillian taking her spotlight, so she dropped her with an Axe Kick and proudly walked out of the ring.

WINNER: Alicia at 1:03. (n/a)

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

Maryse tried to trip Morrsison from the outside in the opening seconds of the match, which gave DiBiase an opening to work on Morrison. Truth said they need to start thinking positively for Morrison and for Team Cena. Morrison fired off right hand blows to start a comeback before hitting an enziguiri kick. Morrison then went to the corner for Starship Pain, but Maryse got on the apron to run a distraction. Truth and Morrison sent Maryse running away, then DiBiase created an opportunity to bump Morrison and Truth into each other to feed the "dissension" storyline. DiBiase then rolled up Morrison for the pin and the win.

WINNER: DiBiase at 2:15. Another short singles match, but with an eye on Team Cena vs. Team Nexus at Summerslam. (*)

6 -- WWE champion SHEAMUS & U.S. champion THE MIZ vs. JOHN CENA & CHRIS JERICHO

Cole said Cena deserves the "manager of the year" award if he can get his team on the same page before Summerslam. Cole said he doesn't understand why the team members can't put their egos aside for the "good of the team." It sounds like Vince McMahon is feeding those lines. The bell sounded and neither team could decide who should start. Cena eventually cleared Miz to the floor and Miz regroupd while Sheamus stared down at him. Back in the ring, Cena and Miz squared off, then Miz slapped Sheamus on the chest to tag him in. Sheamus reluctantly entered the ring and locked up with Cena. Jericho then tagged in for Cena and battled with Sheamus.

Cole and Lawler continued to reinforce Team Cena having a "weak link" to make it seem like the odds are even compared to the less-experienced Nexus unit. Jericho dumped Sheamus over the top rope and Miz shouted at Sheamus that he's losing the match for them. Sheamus shouted back to get out of his face. Meanwhile, Cena and Jericho appeared to be on the same page talking strategy in the ring as they cut to break.

Back from break, Cena and Miz were battling in the ring. Cena then drove Miz to his corner and Jericho tagged in to work on Miz. Jericho smiled and lifted his arm in the air, as if to say he could get a cheer any time he wants from the audience. Jericho then teased the Walls of Jericho, but dropped the hold when Sheamus tried to charge him off the ropes. Jericho tried to fire up the crowd, then Miz blindsided him with a clothesline.

Cole and Lawler talked about the Raw GM tonight, including the DX reference earlier. Lawler referenced them being in San Antonio and tried to get Cole to answer the question on which DX member is from San Antonio, but Cole didn't finish the conversation with a "Shawn Michaels" correct response and went back to calling the action. Nice job playing up the red herrings involved with the anonymous Raw GM. Miz and Sheamus continued to work over Jericho as the announcers wondered if Cena will start considering replacements for his current team. Just before the top of the hour, Sheamus cut off an attempted hot tag by Jericho. Sheamus then put Jericho in a Camel Clutch as they hit the top of the hour.

Cena tried to fire up the crowd as Jericho fought back to his feet. Jericho escaped with elbows, but Sheamus dragged him back to the heel corner to tag in Miz, who went back to work on Jericho. In the discussion on egos with Team Cena, Lawler said Cole has an ego so big that...Cole cut him off and said he thought Lawler was talking about JR. Anyways, Cena eventually got the hot tag at 12:30 and cleaned house on Sheamus, who also tagged in. Cena set up the Five Knuckle Shuffle and connected. He wanted the Attitude Adjustment, but Jericho snuck in the back door on Cena and dropped him with the codebreaker. So much for working babyface tonight. Miz then tagged in for Sheamus and quickly made the cover on Cena for the pin and the win.

WINNERS: Miz & Sheamus at 13:18. Unremarkable tag match, but interesting with Jericho working babyface for 13 minutes of the match. It was an interesting look inside the window of a potential babyface run for Jericho down the road ala Randy Orton being turned face by the fans. Miz and Sheamus definitely benefited from being in the ring with Cena and Jericho to continue subtly reinforcing them as main event-level stars. (**)

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 7-27-10

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

1 -- ZACK RYDER vs. PERCY WATSON (w/MVP)

Back from break, Zack Ryder was in the ring to face Percy Watson. MVP was on the ring apron to get a closer look at the action (complete with wearing Watson's glasses), which drew complaints from Ryder. Cole's audio is still screwed up, like he's broadcasting on the radio. Ryder dominated Watson early on, then made a comeback with a clothesline off the ropes. Ryder tried to come back with a Rough Ryder drop, but Watson blocked and hit his leaping mid-air turnaround splash. Watson with the pin for the win. Ryder's getting buried on WWE TV lately. Josh Mathews covered for Ryder, saying he has walking pneumonia. Watson celebrated with MVP post-match, while Ryder walked up the entrance ramp complaining about things.

WINNER: Watson in 3:00. Basic TV match with no real consequences attached to it despite Watson being the first Rookie to beat a Pro on Season 2, according to the announcers. (*)

2 -- MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY (JOE HENNIG) (w/IC champion Kofi Kingston) vs. ELI COTTONWOOD (w/John Morrison)

Cottonwood quickly went to work on Hennig, who is undefeated on NXT thus far. Cole sounded like Vince McMahon calling Cottonwood a "unique presence" in the ring. Cottonwood continued to dominate as Cole tried to score brownie points in my book calling Miz the "Mack Brown of NXT" since they're in Texas. Hennig tried to make a comeback at 3:00, but Eli cut him off with an atomic drop. Eli looked like Great Khali getting his knee caught on the top rope attempting a big boot. Cole and Mathews bantered back and forth about Cole's Slammy award win in the same building at the end of 2009. Meanwhile, Hennig dropped Eli with a swinging neckbreaker as Kofi cheered him on from the ring apron. Hennig with the pin for the win.

WINNER: Hennig in 5:00. Eli isn't very polished in the ring and they're exposing him to the audience when it would be best to not show much of him to the audience. The con is he's a threat to the babyfaces because of his size, but they're showing he's not much of a threat in the ring, making him far less marketable for future storylines. They can always repackage him or rebuild him down the road on Raw or Smackdown, but he has no value as a threat in his current form. (*)

3 -- KAVAL (w/Co-Women's champions Lay-Cool) vs. HUSKY HARRIS (w/Cody Rhodes)

It's a match-up of #1 Kaval vs. #7 Husky Harris from the last NXT poll. Harris tried to use his size early on, but Kaval out-quicked him and landed kick strikes. Mathews said Harris has that "Dez Bryant mentality" of not here to play games like a typical Rookie. Nice analogy. Harris cut off Kaval with a snap slam and went to work on Kaval's lower back. Cole proceeded to criticize Kaval and reporting, in general. Harris then caught Kaval in the ropes and Lay-Cool were bumped off the apron in the process. Kaval checked on Lay-Cool, which gave Harris an opening to land a suplex and running sentaun for the pin the win. Meanwhile, Cole criticized Kaval for showing compassion, adding that it's not about showing compassion in WWE. There have been plenty of messages on TV the last two nights after the McMahon bio in the Connecticut Post on Monday.

WINNER: Harris in 3:00. A means to continue getting over Harris while giving Cole an opening to criticized Kaval, the so-called "Internet favorite" of this season. (*)

Ringside: The NXT Rookies were shown assembled ringside as Sign Guy shouted at them in the background. Striker stretched out the drama before announcing the new NXT Poll. Striker reminded the audience that Hennig is safe after earning immunity last week.

#1 is now Michael McGillicutty (Hennig). #2 is Kaval, who dropped from #1. The crowd and Lay-Cool cheered while Cole was beside himself. Alex Riley was #3, up from the last poll. Percy Watson was #4. Lucky Cannon was still in the game at #5. It's down to Husky Harris and Eli. Striker asked them to step up and face the music. Eli stared down at the floor as they cued up the drumroll. #6 is Husky Harris, escaping elimination again. #7 is Eli Cottonwood and he's gone.

Striker asked Eli to talk to the audience. Eli stared down at the ground, then walked over to Harris and kicked him in the gut. Eli then beat up the other Rookies until Riley hopped on his back to try to control him. Eli threw down Lucky, then simply stormed off. John Morrison tried to calm him down, but Eli shoved him in the chest. Eli stormed off, leaving the Rookies talking trash from ringside.

Back ringside, Striker asked Harris why he continues to be at the bottom of the rankings. Harris said he's been on a warpath and he doesn't know what else he needs to do to show he's stepped up his game. Hennig was next to talk about being perfect thus far and he vowed to become a World champion. Striker asked Riley about Eli trying to attack him. Riley said he's a much better athlete than Eli and he's not really worried about being #3 right now. He vowed to jump the top two spots.

Hennig and Riley then had a confrontation and Hennig blasted Riley. Hennig completely dominated the ringside fight until Cannon pulled Hennig off Riley. Eli suddenly stormed back to ringside and attacked Cannon, then Husky. Eli kneed Cannon in the gut before throwing him into the guardrail and they ended the show with chaos ringside. Why does WWE typically wait until the over-run to actually deliver some interesting TV on this show?

[Arcademan]

ROH on HDNet Live Results: 7-26-10

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

1. The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli) defeated Josh Emmanuel and Ice Jackson in 2:43. Emmanuel and Jackson didn't get any entrance music. The Kings ran through some of their spots and posed a bit. Jackson got a rollup for two at the two minute mark, but the Kings quickly finished the match with the giant swing/basement dropkick combination.

2. The Kings of Wrestling defeated Adam Cole and Nick Westgate in 1:54. No entrance music for Cole and Westgate either. Cole got some offense in the first thirty seconds and then a bit more before tagging in Westgate, who ate a KRS-1 in relatively short order for the pin.

3. The Ninjas (Jay and Mark Briscoe) defeated the Kings of Wrestling in 1:55. As the Ninjas got in the ring, the KOW turned and talked to Hagadorn for whatever reason. The Ninjas then unmasked and revealed themselves to be the Briscoes. The Briscoes beat up the KOW for a bit, with a double biel on Hero onto Claudio, and won the match with a Doomsday Device.

Joe's Judgment: I have had more than enough of the KOW-Briscoes feud. This was going fine until the Briscoes practically squashed the champs. That was unnecessary.

4. The Dark City Fight Club (Jon Davis and Kory Chavis) defeated the American Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards) by DQ in 8:28. The DCFC dominated for a bit, but the Wolves lowbridged them, hit stereo kicks, and then stereo dives. Edwards hit a dragon screw in the ropes and Richards hit a low dropkick and locked in a cloverleaf. Edwards went up top and hit a doublestomp on Chavis while he was locked in the hold.

Davis shoved Edwards into Richards to break the hold. The DCFC got a nearfall with a spinebuster and maintained offense for several minutes. Richards made a hot tag to Edwards, who reversed everything the DCFC tried and got two with a rollup after an enzuigiri. The Wolves got two after stereo kicks, but Davis broke up the pin and then clotheslined both Wolves.

Davis got two on Edwards after a double-team neckbreaker and put him up in a torture rack when suddenly the Embassy ran in to cause the DQ. They beat on the DCFC for a bit, but Rasche Brown ran down to make the save and there was a locker room-clearing brawl. Brown hit Necro and Erick Stevens with a chair several times and Prince Nana took out Bobby Dempsey before the Embassy retreated.

Joe's Judgment: The Wolves were great, but the DCFC didn't sell and their offense was slow and clunky. The DQ finish came out of nowhere and the brawl was kinda weak. The thing I don't like about the Necro turn is that there hasn't been any adjustment period. He feuded with them for over a year, and then suddenly he joins and suddenly he's super-enthusiastic about doing whatever it is the Embassy does? Doesn't seem altogether realistic to me.

5. Roderick Strong defeated Christopher Daniels in 14:10. Daniels got a headlock about two minutes in and Hogewood got excited and wondered if Strong would submit. Um, I doubt it. Daniels hit a quebrada into a crossface, but Strong grabbed the ropes.

Strong hit a couple kicks and a backbreaker and continued to work on the back. He hit a couple chops and Daniels got a rollup and missed an O'Connor Roll. Daniels went for a suplex, but couldn't get Strong up. Strong hit another backbreaker as the crowd chanted "You suck" at him.

Daniels got another nearfall after an STO. At 10:30, Daniels hit a fulcrum kick on the apron and then an Arabian press to the floor. Truth started reading to him out of the Book of Truth, and Daniels followed him angrily. Strong came up behind and hit a torture rack backbreaker onto the apron. He brought Daniels back in the ring and hit another backbreaker for a great nearfall.

Strong went for the Stronghold, but Daniels kicked him off and then locked in the Koji Clutch. Strong looked like he was going to tap, but instead grabbed the rope, which was about two feet away form him the whole time. They traded forearms in the ring and Daniels countered one into a DVD for two.

Daniels went for a suplex, but Strong elbowed his way out. Strong went for a gutbuster but Daniels got out the same way. Daniels went for a German, but Strong ran him towards the ropes where Truth hit him with the Book of Truth, which exploded. Strong followed up with the sick kick for the win. Hogewood and Prazak argued about Truth as the show ended.

Joe's Judgment: The match was pretty good even though Daniels' selling deteriorated as it went on. Strong's heel turn is interesting even though he essentially does all the same stuff he did as a face and Truth is just kinda there and interferes occasionally.

[Arcademan]

WWE Superstars Results: 7-29-10

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

1 -- SANTINO MARELLA & KOZLOV vs. WILLIAM REGAL & PRIMO COLON

They went for comedy early on with Santino squaring off with Regal. Santino proceeded to strut across the ring (rather than bounce off the ropes) several times doing a chicken walk while Regal looked on perplexed with these events. It looked like a comedy spot you would see on the independents, with Santino managing to pull it off. Lawler said it seems to be effective if it distracts an opponent. Cole, meanwhile, referenced Kozlov and Regal working together on the "now-defunct ECW" earlier this year. The first of many ECW references tonight on pro wrestling TV, for sure. Santino hot-tagged in for Kozlov and did the Santino Hulk Up that Regal sold for. Santino then dropped Regal with the Cobra and Regal rolled to the outside. The heels regrouped on the floor as they cut to break.

Back from break, Santino was on the offensive against Primo. Santino then went for his Sailor Salute fist drop, but Primo blocked with knees to the gut. Regal then tagged in and began trading tags with Primo to work on Santino. Kozlov eventually took a tag at 10:00 and landed power offense on Primo, who also tagged in. Regal broke up a pin, then Santino scared Regal away by flashing the Cobra. Meanwhile, back in the ring, Primo attempted a top rope move on Kozlov, who easily countered with the Iron Curtain for the pin and the win. Regal simply shook his head ringside while glaring into the ring where Santino and Kozlov celebrated.

WINNERS: Santino & Kozlov in 12:00. Regal's role is well defined at this point: sell for Santino, as silly and unrealistic as it can be at times. (*1/2)

2 -- CHRIS MASTERS vs. CAYLEN CROFT (w/Trent Baretta)

Striker had an interesting opening line that Masters is "respected in the Smackdown locker room" and the veterans want him to take out the cocky rookies, The Dudebusters. Grisham tried to insert a Dez Bryant current-events NFL reference, but he called him Dez White, a former NFL receiver. He followed by calling Masters's opponent "Trent Croft." Striker noted the name-drop botches as Masters dominated early on. Croft then took out Masters at the legs before Masters made the Batista babyface comeback with power offense while selling a lower body injury.

Masters hit a nice turnaround powerslam, then teased a gorilla press, but dropped the hold to sell the leg work. Masters then tried a clothesline to the floor that completely missed Croft, but Croft flipped to the outside to sell the move. On the floor, Masters slapped on the Masterlock on Trent to eliminate him from the picture. That worked, but back in the ring, Croft caught Masters slowly re-entering the ring and dropped him with a DDT. Croft made the pin on Masters for the win. Trent Croft then celebrated the victory as Masters sold his leg and vowed to get them.

WINNER: Croft in 4:00. Fine story to the match just trying to give Trent Croft quality TV exposure and continue exposing them to the audience. (*)

3 -- MVP (w/Percy Watson) vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

MVP and Chavo cut a methodical pace to start things off. Meanwhile, Grisham talked about MVP hanging out with the Miami Heat trio of LeBron Wade, Chris James, and Dwayne Bosh. Okay, he didn't pull a "Dez White" and "Trent Croft" botching their names, but he very slowly pronounced LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade to make sure he got their names right. MVP cut off Chavo's offense to frustrate him, then Chavo bailed to the outside to regroup. MVP taunted Chavo from the ring as they cut to break.

Back from break, Chavo was in control of the match. Striker said Chavo Classic was in the building sharing some "devious notes" with Chavo before the match. The crowd started an "MVP" chant as MVP broke free of a nerve hold. It's worth noting how pale Chavo's legs look compared to the rest of his body. He wasn't ready to drop the long pants. Chavo then cut off MVP again and went back to work, scoring nearfalls. Percy rallied the crowd as MVP pulled himself together and hit an exploder suplex. He followed with some slow-motion right hand blows during an exchange with Chavo that looked pretty clunky.

MVP hit the Ballin' Elbow drop and tried to end the match, but Chavo shoved him off into the corner turnbuckle. Chavo then did the Eddie Shake and followed with two out of Three Amigos. MVP countered #3 with a belly-to-back German Suplex for a nearfall. Striker then had a weird line about the audience needing to learn how to "take the WWE Universe on a ride" with the back-and-forth. It was a "break from suspension of disbelief" type of line that wasn't necessary. Chavo then went for a top rope splash, but MVP blocked with a boot to the face. MVP and Chavo traded pin attempts, then Chavo stumbled into the Play of the Day from MVP for the pin and the win.

WINNER: MVP in 13:00. The match had all the makings of a strong TV main event, but the commentary was terrible in spots and there were some really clunky spots throughout the match where it looked like they were pretending to have a fight and weren't on the same page trying to choreograph the moves. Good nearfalls and a strong back-and-forth helped overcome some of the negatives. (**)

[Arcademan]

TNA impact! Results: 7-29-10

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

1 -- ANGELINA LOVE vs. SARITA -- No. 1 Contender Match for Knockouts Title

Tenay announced that Dreamer asked for his match against Abyss to be a weapons hardcore anything goes match. Taz acted shocked and said that's in his comfort zone. Tenay wondered if he thought that through. He said that opens the door for Abyss to use "Janice" legally. Taz said that wouldn't be good and he didn't think of that. The ref caught Sarita pulling on Love's tights when going for the pin at 2:00. She went for a back suplex, but Love flipped out of it and made a comeback. She speared Sarita and then gave her the "Botox Injection" kick to the chest for the win.

WINNER: Love in 3:00 to become no. 1 contender to Knockouts Title.

2 -- INK INC. (Jesse Neal & Shannon Moore) vs. ORLANDO JORDAN & ERIC YOUNG

Jordan came out first, but Young wasn't with him. Jordan offered Young a piece of gum that had been in his mouth. So Cal Val, overacting as usual, acted disgusted and then accepted it briefly and then spit it out. Taz said he threw up in his mouth. Why did So Cal Val accept it in her mouth even a little? What was she doing at ringside? Who is she at this point in TNA? Young then came out with a mannequin. Taz said Young has been acting odd lately on TNA Xplosion. Young held the mannequin on the ring apron as if it were another tag partner. The mannequin was wearing a pink boa and some sort of ruffled red underwear. Young threw it into the ring when Jordan tagged him. They argued. Ink Inc. attacked Jordan from behind. Ink Inc. then hit their Moregasm finisher for the win.

WINNER: Ink Inc. in 3:00. What do you say to something like that?

3 -- THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS vs. BEER MONEY -- Third of Best of Seven Match Series for TNA Tag Team Titles (Beer Money leads 2-0)

The Guns climbed the cage to enter and snuck up behind Beer Money who were staring at the entrance set waiting for them to come out to their music. Roode's face was covered in blood in the opening minute. Beer Money took over offense quickly and isolated Shelley. At 4:00 Shelley made a comeback, ramming Roode's head into the cage on the top rope and then head scissoring him to the mat.

Sabin climbed to the top of the cage at 8:00 and hit both Roode and Storm with a crossbody block. The crowd chanted "TNA! TNA!" Taz said it was shades of "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka. Storm swung a beer bottle at Sabin, but Sabin moved and he hit Roode instead. Shelley then leaped off the top rope and splashed Storm for the win.

WINNERS: The Guns in 8:00 to make it 1-2 in the Best of Five series.

STAR RATING: **3/4 -- It felt rushed. Not bad, but not what it could have been if positioned as more of a showcase on the show and given more time.

4 -- KAZARIAN (w/A.J. Styles) vs. ROB TERRY

Styles distracted Terry at the start and spit at him. Kaz dropkicked Terry from behind. He threw some elbows, but Terry shoved him down, brushed off a follow up dropkick and then slammed him with his Freakbuster for the win (although it took two tries to get Kaz up). Taz said Terry didn't just beat a "ham and egger."

WINNER: Terry in 1:00. Well, that does a lot for the credibility of the Fortune faction and Flair's ability to assemble an impressive cast of champion-level wrestlers.

5 -- MURPHY & GUNNER & MATT MORGAN vs. JEFF HARDY & MR. ANDERSON

Morgan opened against Hardy. Anderson insisted he start in place of Hardy. Morgan, then tagged out to Gunner. Gunner didn't like what he saw, so he tagged in Murphy. Tenay plugged that a big announcement from Eric Bischoff was up next. He said he was "reminding" us that was coming up; I must've missed the first mention of it earlier. At 3:00 Morgan walked away from the ring. Hardy won shortly thereafter with a Swanton.

WINNERS: Hardy & Anderson in 3:00.

6 -- TOMMY DREAMER vs. ABYSS

Dreamer hit Abyss with a trash can lid. Abyss dropped Dreamer crotch-first over the ringside barrier. Tenay hyped that next week they hoped for more details on so many developments on this show. In the ring Abyss side slammed Dreamer through two trash cans. Next came a shot with a cookie sheet. Abyss bashed Dreamer with a cane. Tenay plugged match four in the Guns-Beer Money series. At 3:00 he threw Dreamer's head into a chair wedged in the corner. Dreamer made a comeback by knocking Abyss off balance in the corner. He made his signature Tommy Dreamer comeback, brushing off several minutes of a brutal beating to be instantly 100 percent. He hung Abyss upside down in the corner and bashed him between the legs with a kendo stick. He then slidekicked a trash can into Abyss's head as he continued to hang upside down. Before charging at Abyss he yelled "E-V-2!" The crowd chanted "E-C-W." Dreamer pulled a barbed wire covered tabletop-sized board out from under the ring. He bashed Abyss with another cane shot, then set up the barbed wire in the ring. Taz said this match is in Dreamer's comfort zone. Abyss, though, recovered and kicked Dreamer in the legs. He set up a Black Hole Slam, but Dreamer escaped. Abyss came right back with a clothesline. Abyss chokeslammed Dreamer on the barbed wire table and scored the clean pin. Tenay said it was "a courageous, valiant effort from the Innovator of Violence, Tommy Dreamer."

WINNER: Abyss in 5:00.

STAR RATING: *

-Afterward Abyss grabbed Janice. Raven, though, ran out. Tenay said he is Dreamer's former rival. Raven held off Janice with a chair, but then turned and attacked Dreamer. He DDT'd Dreamer onto a chair. Tenay said, "What the hell?" Raven licked Dreamer's face twice and trash-talked him as the show ended with him posing mid-ring. Finally, instead of everyone in ECW pretending they were always one happy family, we have Raven who was silently listening to Dreamer the last two weeks, set up an actual ECW vs. ECW match for Hardcore Justice.

[Arcademan]

WWE Smackdown Results: 7-30-10

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

1 -- DREW MCINTYRE vs. CHRISTIAN

Christian backdropped Drew over the top rope to the floor at 1:00. Christian went after Drew at ringside and dropkicked him into the side of the ring. He then rolled under the ring to consult with Hornswoggle (or not). When Christian checked on him, Drew surprised Christian and yanked him into the ring apron by his arm. Drew applied an armbar. They cut to a break.  Christian beat a countout as soon as they returned from the break, accentuating why it's a bad philosophy to cut away from matches with commercials. There's no need to do it, and it undercuts the value of a match to flippantly cut away mid-action for three minutes. A clip aired showing that during the break Drew dropped Christian shoulder-first over the steps. Drew went back to an armbar to work over Christian's shoulder.

At 8:00 Drew yanked Christian's arm over the edge of the ring apron. Grisham asked whether the referee is thinking of stepping in. Christian finally made a comeback at 10:00 and snapped Drew backward over the top rope. He climbed to the top rope and hit a cross bodyblock, but Drew rolled through for a believable near fall. Christian executed an inverted DDT, but he was slow to get up afterward and clutched his arm in pain. Drew drove Christian's shoulder into the mat and scored a near fall. Drew dove off the top rope at Christian, but Christian lifted a boot and caught Drew in the face. He followed with a sunset flip for a near fall. He caught Drew charging at him in the corner with two boots to the chest, then hit a flying uppercut off the second rope. He again was slow to get up, clutching his damaged arm. Drew threw Christian shoulder-first into the ringpost from inside the ring. Drew then set up a finisher, but Christian countered with a rollup for the win out of nowhere.

WINNER: Christian in 13:00.

STAR RATING: **3/4 -- Good match. It told a good story and stuck to it, had several believable near falls, and accomplished what it set out to. A big win for Christian to keep him from sinking definitively below McIntyre in the eyes of the fans.

2 -- THE BIG SHOW vs. LUKE GALLOWS

Striker said Gallows seemed motivated by Punk's verbal lashing. He said Punk looks like "an in-shape Jake 'The Milkman' Milliman." Jake was an AWA jobber in the late-'70s and early-'80s. Show chopped Gallow's chest, but insisted ring announcer Tony Chimmel (unlike referees, he still has a name) hold the mic nearby to capture the sound of impact. When the action spilled to the floor, the other S.E.S. members attacked Show, prompting the ref to call for the DQ.

WINNER: Show via DQ in 2:00.

-The S.E.S. threw Show into the ringside steps. Striker compared the attack to an animal attack on "The Wild Kingdom" TV show. They held his hand on the steps and stomped on it repeatedly, taking away his top weapon - his KO punch.

3 -- DOLPH ZIGGLER (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. KOFI KINGSTON

Striker said Kofi prepares himself before matches for different scenarios that could come up and that's what separates him from the rest of the pack in WWE. Dolph took control and snapped Kofi's back backward over the middle rope as he dropped to the floor. He went for the pin, then settled into a chinlock mid-ring at 4:00. Kofi made a brief comeback, but Ziggler cut him off and inverted bodyslammed him. Vickie cheered at ringside as Ziggler applied a chinlock at 5:00. Grisham wondered if Ziggler is to Vickie as Tom Arnold was to Rosanne, a relationship of convenience to get ahead. Striker said it's more like Romeo and Juliet. [c] At 13:00 Ziggler choked Kofi against the bottom rope. As the ref reprimanded him, Vickie slapped Kofi. That woke Kofi up and he turned and tackled Ziggler. Striker said he had never seen this side of Kofi before. He dragged Kofi to the announcers' desk and beat him up there as Vickie looked on with concern. Striker said it was all Vickie's fault. Three referees held Kofi back as he tried to break free and get at Ziggler again.

WINNER: Ziggler via DQ in 16:00.

STAR RATING: **1/2 -- It dragged a little at times, but it was solid most of the way. The finish was a good step in giving Kofi more of an edge.

4 -- LAYLA (w/Michelle McCool) vs. TIFFANY (w/Kelly Kelly) -- Women's Title Match

Vickie said Layla is not the sole official champion in the LayCool tandem, so with the powers invested in her as the official Smackdown Consultant, McCool will defend the title instead. McCool was happy. Tiffany said that was fine with her. Striker said Tiffany prepared for a lower center of gravity and is now in over her head. Tiffany attacked McCool as she did cocky push-ups at the start. She hit a superplex for a very near fall at 1:00. When Layla interfered, Kelly attacked her at ringside. The distraction led to McCool giving Tiffany the Faith Breaker for the win.

WINNER: McCool in 2:00 to retain her self-professed championship.

-Teddy Long appeared on the big screen during their post-match celebration. He said their fun is over. He said there is only Women's Championship and they need to make up their mind who is going to wear the title. He said if they don't decide, then next week he will. Well, how generous of him to let them choose.

5 -- REY MYSTERIO vs. JACK SWAGGER - No DQ match

Striker said Swagger demanded the match, but Rey accepted. He wondered if Rey knows something about Swagger that they don't. Swagger went on the early offensive, but Rey countered and knocked Swagger to the floor. When Rey went after Swagger at ringside, Swagger went for an early anklelock. Rey countered and send Swagger into the ringside steps. They cut to an early break at 2:00. Swagger took control and beat up Rey around ringside. Rey made a omeback and threw Swagger into the ringside barrier among fans. He then climbed the barrier and launched at Swagger with a huracanrana attempt. Swagger caught him and slammed him into the wall. Swagger dragged Rey to the back area of the arena. No corny fake concession stands this time.

At 10:00, he did throw Rey out of the arena, as he promised he would. Striker said it was becoming disturbing. A car drove by as Swagger beat up Rey outside the arena. Rey crawled across the street as another car drove by and slowed down. Some fans in the arena laughed as they watched on the big screen. Swagger carried Rey across the street. A car had to slam on its brakes and then honked at Swagger. Swagger yelled at the driver, then picked up Rey and carried him toward the water. Rey made a comeback and slipped out of Swagger's grip. He threw him over the street barrier and nearer the water onto cement on the edge. Rey then dove at Swagger with a seated senton. Rey kicked Swagger repeatedly as Swagger rolled closer and closer to the water. Swagger fought back and punched away at Rey on the ground. He then said: "You're no champion, Rey. I'm the champion. You're not even half the man I am." Rey sent Swagger head-first into the water a minute later with a head scissors. Swagger flailed in the water and yelled out, "Help me! I'm drowning! I can't breath! I can't swim!" Come to think of it, he never did brag about any swimming titles in high school or college. Kane then showed up out of nowhere and grabbed Rey by his throat and threw him into the water to close the show.

WINNER: No decision announced after 14:00.

STAR RATING: **1/4 -- What aired was fine, but the lack of an official finish is always annoying, even under these outlandish outdoor fight scene circumstances. I hope someone threw Swagger a lifeline!

[Arcademan]

WWE NXT Results: 8-3-10

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

1 - HUSKY HARRIS vs. KAVAL

The bell rang soon after the show came back from break. This is a re-match from last week. Some chain wrestling by Harris to start. He went to the outside, but caught Kaval in mid-air, stumbled a bit, then slammed him into the barricade. Harris sent Kaval back into the ring, and got a two-count. He had a modified chin-lock on Kaval, but Kaval got his feet up on a corner charge. Harris tried another, from a three-point stance, but ate turnbuckle. Harris catapulted Kaval into the corner, but he landed on the bottom rope and came out with a second rope Warrior's Way. Splash in the corner missed by Kaval, and Harris landed a uranage. Back splash by Harris won it for him.

WINNER: Harris, at 3:14. OK match. Harris has something, but he's got a ways to go. Kaval just looks smoother than any of the other rookies.

2 - MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY vs. LUCKY CANNON

Cannon grabbed an arm-bar to start and worked it over. McGillicutty tossed him out of the corner and dropkicked Cannon. McGillicutter out of nowhere (his spinning neck-breaker) gave him a quick win.

WINNER: McGillicutty, at 1:00. That can't speak well for Cannon's future.

3 - ALEX RILEY vs. PERCY WATSON

They showed Watson's comments from WWE.com about Riley. He said Riley talks down to people and thinks he's better than everyone. Jumping back elbow by Watson found the mark and he got only a one-count on a pin attempt. He still had the glasses on to start the match and an enziguiri put Watson down. He's been impressive in the early going here. Riley caught Watson and with Watson bent through the middle rope, Riley DDT'd him from the apron. I don't know if his head was supposed to hit the apron, but if it didn't, that move wouldn't have much effect, I don't think. Watson worked out of a rest-hold back in the ring. Watson fought out and made a comeback, rolling up Riley out of the corner. He went for ten punches in the corner, but Riley walked out and gave him an atomic drop. He slammed Watson into the middle buckle, then finished it with his TKO-like move.

WINNER: Riley, at 3:30. Good for a three-and-a-half minute match. We may not learn much about these guys in matches of this length, but they're learning WWE TV style, so that's a plus.

4 - THE MIZ vs. MICHAEL MCGILLICUTTY

Rear waist-lock into a take-down by McGillicuty, as the two man wrestled (sports-entertained?) on the mat. Quick roll-up by McGillicutty for a near-fall, but Miz soon took over. He kicked McGillicutty to ringside where Riley did some trash talking. Miz went out to retrieve his opponent, but McGillicutty backed him into the apron. Miz responded with a kick to the skull. Miz threw McGillicutty in the ring, but he showed a lot of fire with right hand after right hand, to the point that he had to be restrained by the ref. Couple of clotheslines, then a belly-to-belly suplex. Dropkick by the Miz, then a running boot to the seated McGillicutty. Skull Crushing Finale finished things.

WINNER: The Miz, at 4:33. Good enough, but McGillicutty didn't have an opportunity to show a whole lot.

[Arcademan]

TNA impact! Results: 8-5-10

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

1 -- TAYLOR WILDE & HAMADA vs. THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE (Velvet Sky & Lacey Von Erich)

Early action between Lacey and Hamada was pretty sloppy, as was a spot between Sky and Hamada against the ropes. It didn't get better during a double-team where Hamada just stood there and looked at the BPs as they tried to get their timing down to send her backwards into the corner. Really everything looked like they were dancing to music of a different beat. At 2:00 Madison Rayne stepped onto the stage as the Mystery Woman on the motorcycle rode to ringside. Taz said they've confirmed she's a woman. With the ref distracted, the mystery woman gave Lacey a chair. Wilde dropkicked the chair into Lacey and scored the pin. Taz said "history was made," but the way TNA books title changes, that's like saying someone posting on Facebook that they liked a movie they just saw is "history being made." Not a good match. It, of course, suffered from being so rushed.

WINNERS: Wilde & Hamada in 3:00 to capture the TNA Tag Team Titles.

2 -- A.J. STYLES (w/Kazarian) vs. ROB TERRY

Tenay talked about the history of the TV Title dating back to the NWA in the 1970s. The ref ordered Kaz to the back before the match. No reason given. This is TNA. They just do stuff to do stuff, no logic or backstory necessary, just like TNA allowing Styles to decide to change the name of the Global Title to the TV Title. Terry clotheslined both over the top rope. Tenay said last week the ref ordered Styles to the back before the Terry-Kaz match. "I like this idea," Tenay said. Terry chased Kaz to the back, then returned to battle Styles. Tenay said this qualifies as Terry's "Global Title rematch." Styles poked Terry in the eyes in frustration, then hit the Pele kick, then landed the 450 springboard splash off the top rope for the pin.

WINNER: Styles in 3:00. Does no one in TNA get that by having two title matches in the first half hour of the show, with each going about three minutes, it's totally defines down what constitutes a wrestling match between two top contenders, which is ultimately what they're reliant on to sell their product? Why does a match like this last three minutes on TV, but if it were on PPV it'd last ten? There's just nothing about it that has any logic. How can anyone take Terry seriously when he loses in three minutes to Styles? The low-IQ logic of this promotion's mindset is the eye poke "excuses" Terry's loss.

3 -- BEER MONEY (James Storm & Robert Roode) vs. THE MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin) -- Ultimate X Match and Fourth Match in Best of Five Series

They joined the match in progress after the break. Everything seemed to be in fast-forward, which is what they were going for. The pacing eventually slipped from Red Bull to Mountain Dew. Storm talked Roode into climbing up to the cables over the ring since he signaled he had been drinking. It was good for a laugh, but made a mockery of the idea that Beer Money are a team taking the Best of Five seriously. That's a lower card comedy spot, but wrong for this type of match. Roode bled from his forehead by 5:00. Tenay pushed next week's show, which is billed as "No Talk, All Action." Did I mention how jaw-dropping it is they're competing against themselves by promoting a free all-action PPV with a main event billed as the most hardcore match ever while also promoting Hardcore Justice? Okay, just checking. At 6:00 Roode got close to the "X" hanging above the ring, but Shelley pulled him down and then DDT'd him in center-ring. Sabin gave Storm a huracanrana off the top rope. Storm walked Roode toward the "X" by having him stand on his shoulders while he held the cable. The Guns broke that up at 9:00. The crowd chanted "This is awesome! This is awesome!" Tenay called this the best tag team series he's ever seen. Roode tight-rope walked the able with help from the truss. Sabin met him at the "X" and knocked Roode to the mat, who crotched himself on the way down. Sabin yanked the "X" down for the win. Taz challenged viewers to find something on TV as "exuberant and exciting as that." He said, "That was sick."

WINNERS: The Motor City Machine Guns in 10:00 to even the series 2-2.

STAR RATING: *** -- They packed so much into 10 minutes, it was both exciting and rushed, dazzling yet contrived (in the sense that there wasn't time to really sell anything, thus everything did seemed more like video game wrestling).

4 -- ORLANDO "LAFAYETTE" JORDAN vs. "THE POPE" D'ANGELO DINERO

Taz said his mind was still on the Hogan, Bischoff, Sting, Jarrett, Nash situation. You can see what Hogan meant when he said they've moved into the background to give The Pope the spotlight. When Jordan sucked his finger, Taz said, "This guy is having an affair with his index finger." When Tenay said Jordan's sexuality is part of his style. Taz said, "You don't want Orlando behind you, that much I know." Jordan rubbed up against The Pope when he had him backed into the corner. He yelled, "If you want to wrestle, then let's wrestle." Eric Young ran out and began shoving money on the rampway down his pants. Taz said he's gone loopy. Tenay said he had a head injury. Pope won clean with his double knee driver in the corner.

WINNER: The Pope in 3:00.

5 -- RIC FLAIR vs. JAY LETHAL -- Street Fight

Taz said Flair's pocket square costs more than Tenay's suit. Flair walked to the ring in his suit. Lethal wore jeans and white sleeveless t-shirt, known as a "wife beater" in some circles. Flair took early control with a low blow. Taz said he's never seen someone fight in a $7,000 suit before. Lethal ducked under the ring as Flair retrieved a trash can and a cane. Lethal came back out the other side and snuck up on Flair with a springboard dropkick. Lethal took off Flair's jacket and tore off his "silk undershirt." Lethal hit Flair with a kendo stick. Taz shifted to actually talking about the Hardcore Justice PPV, EV2, which has barely been mentioned all show other than some commercials. Flair bled from the forehead. Douglas Williams showed up at ringside as Lethal continued to beat on Flair. Flair did a face-first bump. Lethal tore apart his pants, stripping Flair to his colorful briefs. Taz said it looked like he got his underwear from Wal-Mart. Lethal ripped off Flair's pants and then his socks and shoes. From Orlando Jordan to this, which is "more gay"? Lethal used a trash can as a weapon. Flair poked Lethal in the eyes. Tenay called it a "spectacle." Lethal caught Flair on the top rope and superplexed him. When Lethal went for the cover, Williams yanked him out of the ring. Lethal came back in with a sunset flip, but Flair held his ground. Lethal pulled down on Flair's underwear, so they digitized the screen. As Earl Hebner pulled Flair's underwear back up, Williams KO'd Lethal with his X Title belt. Flair crawled over and made the cover.

WINNER: Flair in 5:00. That was not fun to watch.

6 -- RAVEN & ABYSS vs. ROB VAN DAM & TOMMY DREAMER

Taz reminisced about the days way back when in South Philadelphia. Taz said Abyss could have fit in with the ECW wrestlers back in the day. Tenay then hyped that "TNA Reaction" premieres next week after Impact. "All Talk, No Action!" should be that show's motto. Raven blew his nose on a white rag and then shoved it in Dreamer's face. A crawler on the screen asked viewers to tune in to TNAwrestling.com for confirmed wrestlers for Hardcore Justice. Taz said he's heard rumors about who might be on the PPV, but he's not going to spoil that. "You gotta get the pay-per-view if you wanna see it. That's the way it goes." Uh, not really. There's quite a tradition in wrestling, in fact, of letting fans know who they're paying to see ahead of time. RVD pinned Raven with the Five-Star Frog Splash.

WINNERS: RVD & Dreamer in 4:00.