Note: On this day in 1941, the United States was attacked by Japan in Pearl Harbor, leading our country to enter World War II. A lot of lives were lost because of this, and a lot of brave soldiers represented our country in that War and many others. If you’re in the US and you’re reading this, or anywhere in the world for that matter, take the time to thank a veteran and shake their hand if you see one in public. Their service defending our nation and protecting our freedom is greatly appreciated.
Saturday Morning Slam 12/01/12
Jinder Mahal defeats Ted Dibiase.
Layla shares tips about the words used in the dialogue of the United Kingdom(where the show was taped).
William Regal, British Bulldog, Paul Burchill, and Wade Barrett are discussed as being from the UK.
The Usos defeat International Airstrike(Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd) in the main event.
John Cena issues an open challenge for next week and Heath Slater accepts.
Thoughts: I like that some of the guys featured less on Raw and Smackdown still make it on TV because of this show. Mahal is being built into a strong heel him improvement in the ring has me thinking that WWE really wants to push him in the future. The Usos should be back on Smackdown, period(awesome tag match for a quick one). Cena on the show next week? Kids, make sure you wake up nice and early to be ready for that one! Seriously though, Cena appearing on the show is a good boost for the already decent ratings that the show gets(most watched Saturday morning show on the CW).
WWE NXT 12/05/12
Antonio Cesaro defeats Michael McGillicutty using the neutralizer.
Axl Keegan is defeated by Bo Dallas. Dallas issues a challenge after the match to anybody on the WWE roster.
Corey Graves defeats Yoshi Tatsu with a leg submission.
Gavin Reid is defeated by Roman Reigns. Reigns picks on announcer, Byron Saxton after the match.
Tyson Kidd is interviewed backstage but Kassius Ohno interrupts. They exchange heated words.
Tyson Kidd defeats Leo Kruger using the dungeon lock. Ohno comes out and attacks Kidd after the match. Kruger and Ohno double team Kidd until William Regal leaves the announce table to pull Kidd out of the ring.
Thoughts: Interesting to see Michael McGillicutty working as a face. The match was pretty good, but it wasn’t anything I’ll remember in two weeks. I genuinely like the dominance that Cesaro is having with this US Title run and this was just a nice addition to it. I like seeing Bo Dallas crush the competition, but this guy needs a lot more work on the mic before he can do anything big. Send him to promo school! Corey Graves looked decent in his squash, but I also think he needs work on his overall mechanics; he’s just not quite there yet. This is the second or third time I’ve seen Reigns wrestle, and to be honest he moves fairly well for a big guy. I guess my main concern is the fact that I’ve yet to see any versatility or creative moves from him in the ring and he’s already on the main roster. I hate when guys get pushed to the main roster before they’ve proven their OVERALL ability on every level(Ryback, anyone?). Kidd and Kruger wrestled a decent match, and honestly both guys are good enough to be carrying the IC or US Title on the main roster. I just wish WWE had a better way of managing this boat load of talent, but I do consider it fortunate that we’re privileged enough to see these guys perform on NXT. Great show.
WWE Main Event 12/05/12
Kofi Kingston and Antonio Cesaro wrestle to a no-contest when R-Truth and Wade Barrett get involved. A Tag match is made. Truth and Kingston defeat Cesaro and Barrett.
Thoughts: So, Main Event was essentially a one match show? That’s trash to me. The tag match was alright, but these four were a lot more fun in their fatal four way on Raw. I’ve enjoyed what’s been built in these rivalries, but it’s definitely time for them all to do something different after TLC. Decent show, but I’m left disappointed after not getting any other match.
WWE Superstars 12/06/12
Tensai defeats Zack Ryder.
Brodus Clay defeats David Otunga.
Thoughts: I feel like whoever scripts the show reads my writing and knows exactly what will piss me off next. No, I’m not actually arrogant enough to think that anyone in WWE has ever read my writing. However, Tensai beating Zack Ryder is a joke and the two guys in the second match aren’t worth a hole in the ground. Awful show.
WWE Smackdown 12/07/12
Big Show and Sheamus open the show. They’re forced to sign an agreement stating that they won’t touch each other until TLC. Big Show is wrestling next.
^How many times have we seen this sort of thing occur? I just remember Triple H and Batista having no contact leading up to their WM match in 2005 and how huge it was when the match finally took place. In this case, Show and Sheamus have been destroying each other since October and there isn’t really much left that they can do besides create more chaos.
Big Show defeats Daniel Bryan. The Shield attack Daniel Bryan after the match and Kane comes down to save him. Kane gets put through an announce table.
^I like that Big Show has become the dominant monster again, but I’m getting tired of seeing Dbry look weak. I know his gimmick and popularity don’t really call for him winning matches, but it’s getting tiring to see this over and over. The Shield picking on Team Hell No makes no sense to me, but I’m sure an explanation will be offered up soon.
The 3MB defeat Brodus Clay and the Usos in a six man tag.
^It’s always good to see the Usos on TV, especially considering they’re the longest running tag team in WWE at the moment. I’d honestly like to see these guys carry the tag team gold down the road, but right now the 3MB push has been surprisingly refreshing. I just hope they’re smart enough to keep the 3MB relevant and give them new rivalries every now and then.
Damien Sandow does his apprentice segment. The Miz comes out and they argue.
^Both guys are fantastic on the mic, and both guys are home grown WWE talent that have developed into two of the best on the roster. I hope this is setting up for a potential match at TLC. A rivalry between these guys would be unforgettable.
Randy Orton defeats Wade Barrett with Kofi Kingston on commentary. Kofi distracts Barrett and Orton gets the win.
^I know the purpose of this one was to enhance Barrett and Kofi’s rivalry, but it feels like Orton and Barrett have wrestled as many times in the last year as AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels in the last five. Can WWE move on and put these two against other superstars? All in all, it was a decent match though.
Epico and Primo are defeated by the Great Khali and Hornswoggle. Natalya and Rosa argue at ringside.
^This was a joke. Where’s Zack Ryder or Santino? Where’s the PTP? I don’t understand Khali needing to be on TV. This is just awful thinking by whoever is in control.
Antonio Cesaro is attacked by R-Truth during a promo. Their match is announced for TLC.
^I’m glad this was finally booked, and I’m glad there was finally an attack angle to increase the tension between these two. I’m a bit surprised though that the face was the one booked to attack the heel. I hope these guys get a little more time at TLC than they did at Survivor Series because they absolutely have the potential to put on a great matchup.
Sheamus defeats Alberto Del Rio using the cloverleaf. Big Show watched from the ramp during the match. Show confronts Sheamus in the ring but Sheamus throws Ricardo into him.
^Sheamus and Del Rio have an undeniable chemistry in the ring together, and this was a good example of it. The match wasn’t long, but the quality was there. Show and Sheamus not touching each other for another ten days will probably lead to some interesting tactics to get at one another on both Raw and Smackdown.
News Items:
TLC: Punk is out. Ryback and Team Hell No are taking on the Shield. Am I surprised by this? No. Do I wish it were booked a bit differently? Yes. I’d personally have Ryback team with Miz and Orton and put the tag champs in an actual match with another tag team. But hey, that’s just my take.
TNA: The company is cutting down its number of pay per views next year and I think it’s a move for them. Giving two months to build a show and create new rivalries puts a lot less pressure on creative to throw together matches every three to five weeks for another show. I also think people will be more likely to order Lockdown and Bound For Glory after all the hype is put into them for two months.
NXT/Big E: Big E Langston won the NXT Championship from Seth Rollins at the most recent TV tapings. This show is actually like eight weeks away(or something near that number) from airing on TV. I personally am not huge a fan of Langston, but I’m open to seeing if he can entertain me more than Bobby Lashley ever did.
That’s all for the rundown! Make sure to check out our Final Resolution predictions this weekend as well. Thanks for reading!
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