The Internet is for Wrestling #4

With all the madness that's been goin' on with televised wrasslin', it can easy to overlook that there's still good wrestling to be found online. It may not have the huge repercussions pushing it like what's on TV, but that doesn't mean what's there isn't some good stuff. Let's get to it.

WWE NXT (7/19/11)

NXT is definitely a show I've been liking more and more lately. Sadly, there's not a lot to this week's episode.

WHAT'S HOT?

Derrick Bateman continues being hilarious, and during the rookie challenge for the week, he hits an Earthquake Splash on a training dummy. There's a solid enough match between two of the rooks, Darren Young and Titus O'neil, and we get to see Vladimir Kozlov take out JTG (which is always a positive in my book). Yoshi Tatsu also makes an appearance in a pretty hilarious segment where he finds his action figure completely destroyed by Tyson Kidd.

WHAT'S NOT?

The slim amount of wrestling that's shown this week is definitely a detriment, as neither of the two matches are barn burners. There's also another pretty pointless rookie challenge (an oxymoron). My growing pet peeve is the way that these shows are often being used to just regurgitate clips from the week's RAW and SmackDown. I know they have to push their storylines as much as possible, but it's just a waste of time that could be used on showcasing more wrestling.

VERDICT?
SKIP IT! Although Kozlov slamming JTG on the back of his head is enticing, you could better spend an hour of your life.

WWE Superstars (7/21/11)

Superstars aired on my birthday this week, and it was a pretty good birthday present. I'd been a bit disappointed in Superstars in recent weeks, but this week features a few great matches and tons of crowd-pleasing moments.

WHAT'S HOT?

Tyson Kidd and Justin Gabriel open the show in a quick one, but one that has a couple of great spots. Serious mark-out material comes in the form of Zack Ryder teaming with Santino to take on the tag champs. Normally I'd be pissed at how week the tag champs look, but when the dudes their jobbing to are Ryder and Santino, I'm cool with it (WWWYKI). Evan Bourne also shows up, and has a hell of a match with Primo. Primo doesn't get enough credit for his ability to put on a great match, and when he's going up against Evan Bourne, the results are pretty spectacular.

WHAT'S NOT?

GUESS WHAT?! We get to see what happened on RAW AGAIN! That is silly as all hell. Also, Alicia Fox takes on Natalya. This match is much better than their first, and the fashion in which Fox takes this one makes a lot more sense, but it's still ridiculous that this is getting pushed as a rivalry.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! EVAN BOURNE. ZACK RYDER. SANTINO. 'NUFF SAID.

NWA Hollywood Episode 44 (7/16/11)

I must admit that my enjoyment of NWA Hollywood is on the decline. I can't quite put my finger on it, but my excitement for the show's arrival each week has waned. Does that mean it's not worth watching?

WHAT'S HOT?

Los Luchas put on a hell of a show against Ricky Mandel and Hector Canales. Their tandem moves are better than anything you'll see on the major promotions nowadays. Mandel actually pulls double duty and takes on So Cal Crazy in the week's main event, which manages to be thoroughly entertaining on its own. Of course, there's the backstage promos that give NWA its old-school feel and, indeed, much of its charm.

WHAT'S NOT?

NWA's crowd is killing me. Besides the fact that the sound is mixed horribly, the muted crowd just sounds that much worse. With the likes of Willie Mack gone, A-Double now signed at TNA (and another big name being lost soon, as well), I'm a little worried about a lack of talent being a problem with NWA in the near future.

VERDICT?

CONSIDER IT! NWA Hollywood really needs the fan support, so it deserves for you to give it a chance.

Chikara Podcast-a-go-go 273 (7/18/11)

Chikara is great, and doubly so for putting out quality matches for free. This is one of those.

WHAT'S HOT?

Mike Quackenbush takes on Shane Storm (now STIGMA), and you can feel the power of the storyline taking place even in this singular match. Quack is always amazing to watch, and there are some ridiculously awesome spots here.

WHAT'S NOT?

Eeeerrrr... it ends?

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! Seeing about ten minutes of Chikara wrestling for 0 dollars is never not a good deal.

That's it for now! Next week is another The Internet is for Wrestling, and more wrestling recaps and reviews! Until then, suck on some of this...

The Internet is for Wrestling #1, 2, and 3

The RAW Recap (7/18/11)

The RAW Recap 7/18/11

If you're a wrestling fan and you're not aware what happened just a few nights ago on WWE's Money in the Bank PPV, then you seriously need to rethink your priorities.

Not to belabor the point, it's the first time in quite a long time where you shouldn't need to qualify your love for professional wrestling. It's a brand new world, and WWE RAW showed us the first few steps into it. Without further ado, let's hit the...

RECAP

Vince comes out and really sells his shame and anger about CM Punk taking the title and running. He announces that there is to be a new WWE Championship, and that the winner of an impromptu tournament will be the new champion. The brackets are laid out, and with it we get the promise of a full night of wrestling!

Round 1: Alex Riley vs. The Miz

This isn't a match up we haven't seen before, but Miz sells his injuries from the previous night. Riley has really picked up his game, and though he's a bit sloppy, his high energy and high intensity makes him somebody who could go places. Miz manages to pull this one out, despite being injured, saving him from completely looking like Riley's bitch as of late.

VERDICT: FUN MATCH! These two basically just beat the crap out of each other each match, but that somehow remains interesting.

Round 1: R-Truth vs. Jack Swagger

The oddball of the first round, this match had two heels facing one another. Thankfully, the two's natural abilities made this a cool, if not somewhat quick match. The crowd actually seemed to get behind R-Truth at points. That's kinda cool, and I'm glad a guy like Ron Killings is getting showcased. Truth steals one with a roll-up.

VERDICT: SOLID! Swagger and Truth can bring it, and they provided an entertaining match.

Round 1: Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston

I thought it was a bit weird that Del Rio was placed in the tournament, as he also had Money in the Bank, although I guess a tourney for the WWE Championship wouldn't be complete without him. Kofi, despite being a face and an exciting guy, gets no love from tonight's audience, and his high energy moveset suffers for it. Luckily both guys are top performers, and it was a nice twist having Kofi take the upset. Gives him a bit of a boost, and continues the storyline of Del Rio being veritably screwed out of every chance he has at the title. Also; Ricardo Rodriguez is back!

VERDICT: SOLID! Another great first round match.

Round 1: Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler

The prospect of Dolph winning double gold is an intriguing one. Zig's been a guy that's really come up in my eyes. Speaking of my eyes, it's also always good to see Vickie Guerrero (rawr). But anyway, I thought this was the highlight of the first round. Both guys are incredibly athletic, and there were some gnarly spots to the outside that looked like they genuinely hurt. I appreciate when both guys really go for it, as it gives legitimacy to the thing they're fighting for. Rey takes it, perhaps unsurprisingly, but nobody was a loser in this match.

VERDICT: BEST OF THE FIRST ROUND! Both Ziggler and Mysterio deserve equal praise.

7-on-7 Diva Tag Match

If you read that and think it's a ridiculous idea, that's only because it is. To make a long story short, this was another two minute Diva match that had no point. The only bright spot I can see is that Beth Phoenix was the one to come in and get the win for the face Divas with an impressive Glam Slam.

VERDICT: POINTLESS! Why give the Divas so little time? If you want them to look legitimate in the eyes of the fans, then build genuine feuds and give them time to have good matches!

Round 2: The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston

This was a fairly forgettable match, sadly. Again, Kofi can't rile the crowd, and he doesn't attack Miz's injuries like Riley does. This ends up being just a standard contest between these two, with Miz using his head to take it.

VERDICT: MEH! Both these guys can be fun to watch, but without the psychology of the leg injury, and with Kofi getting no crowd reaction, it just kinda fizzled.

Round 2: Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth

Now THIS is more like it. These two have worked together well before, and they do it again here. Truth is the clear favorite here, and Rey works his normal underdog schtick. However, with the unorthodox moveset that each of these dudes has, the match is incredibly entertaining. Rey takes the hard fought victory from Truth, much to the delight of the crowd.

VERDICT: GOOD STUFF! Truth and Rey work great together.

And then comes the finale that everyone is talking about. The finals of the tournament are teased, with Rey still in the ring ready to face Miz. Instead, Vince hits the ring and tells Rey that the finals will conclude the next week. He has something important (IE firing John Cena) to do right now. So Rey leaves, and out comes Cena.

Before Vince can say a thing, Cena takes the mic and pleads his case. He insists he's not gonna kiss Vince's ass, and that he loves his job. Vince don't care, and is about to fire John when...

IT'S TIME TO PLAY THE GAME! Triple H makes an unexpected appearance, but he's in a rather somber mood. And in one of the sappiest and cheesiest segments in WWE RAW history, a tearful Triple H informs Vince that the "board of directors" have replaced Vince with Hunter as the acting head of WWE, and that Vince is relieved of his duties. Triple H then proceeds to tell Vince that "I LOVE YOU, POP" before leaving a crying Vince to end the show.

A fine finish, sure, and one that intrigues and leaves one wondering what next week holds, but just so damn cheesy! I guess this is wrestling after all. Still, a hell of a good RAW from top to bottom.

Stay tuned for this week's The Internet is for Wrestling. Don't know what that is? Then check out the FIRST, SECOND, and THIRD installments to getchoo some goodness!

The Internet is for Wrestling #3

For yet another week, it seems like the best place to find some good quality wrasslin' is on the interwebs! Sure, it might not have the big storylines going, and certainly there are no blatant petitions to get the WWF Superstars Ice Cream Bars back on the shelf, but wrestling on the internet is fun. More than that, it's wrestling. What more can you ask for?

WWE NXT (7/12/11)

I kinda take back everything bad I said about NXT at this point. As the show has gotten down to the final three competitors, they've dropped the silly budget American Gladiators nonsense and gotten to some good quality wrestling. It may only have featured two matches, but both were quality.

WHAT'S HOT?

The rookies have a triple threat elimination match, which actually manages to showcase why all three of them could make decent pros. They may be a tad green, sure, but it's a well put together, lengthy, and solid match overall. Furthermore, we get yet another excellent match between Tyson Kidd and Yoshi Tatsu. This one even is preceded with a promo by Yoshi, which is thoroughly entertaining despite (or perhaps because) the dude can barely speak English.

WHAT'S NOT?

Only two matches to fill and hour show is a tad light. It's good because each match got plenty of time, but that only makes me wish the show was longer! Also, we get another segment of Hornswoggle. I think I've made it clear how little I care for those.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! NXT has become the most solid wrestling show on the internet in the last couple weeks.

WWE Superstars (7/14/11)

From most improved show to the show I've been most disappointed with recently, Superstars was solid this week, but I can't help but think that it's missing something.

WHAT'S HOT?

Zack Ryder and Santino open the show. Whilst I wish they had a bit more time in this one, you can't go wrong with these two. The Usos also continue their ascent into being one of my favorite tag teams in a match against the "champs" Otunga and McGillicutty, and Beth Phoenix gets the main event. Wade Barrett also takes on another squash match of sorts, which I think is the right move to start building him up as a threat again.

WHAT'S NOT?

I can't believe how meaningless the tag titles have become, and just how lackluster Otunga and McGillicutty look against a more solid team. I also would have liked to see Phoenix take on a more talented opponent, as she's against Maryse here. She's good enough to carry the match, sure, but it's still not the match I'd liked to have seen. I'm also getting tired of Superstars ending with clips from RAW.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! It may not be the best show this week, but Superstars sure packs a lot of wrestling into its one hour.

NWA Hollywood (7/13/11)

HEY, I was totally at the NWA taping this Sunday! Does that have to do with anything? No, especially since this episode was taped sometime last month... but hey, NWA Hollywood is cool, right?!

WHAT'S HOT?

This was just a solid show top to bottom. Triple threat tag match to open it up? Yes indeedy. Ray Rosas in an amazing match against Ryan Taylor? Yes please. Disco Machine taking on James Morgan in the show's main event? Cool with me. Throw in that old school cheese that makes NWA Hollywood a delightfully nostalgic piece of entertainment, and you've got NWA Hollywood in a nutshell.

WHAT'S NOT?

Again, NWA's lack of crowd noise and production value definitely doesn't do it any favors. It's something that you can get over, but it also makes the show not as exciting as it could possibly be.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! An hour filled with good indy wrestling is always an hour well-spent. Which brings us to...

Chikara Podcast-a-go-go 272 (7/11/11)

Chikara's "brand of pro wrestling fun and excitement" never fails to sastisfy and WOO boy is it a doozy this week.

WHAT'S HOT?

Incoherence (Hallowicked and Frightmare) take on FIST (Icarus and Chuck Taylor) in some hot tag team action. There's humor, there's amazing spots, great commentary, awesome audience interaction, etc. There's just nothing not to like about this show. It's why wrestling is great.

WHAT'S NOT?

The fact that the show does eventually end is the only negative I can see about this week's podcast.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! For the love of God, if you're not watching Chikara, buying the DVDs, or supporting the company in some way, there is something wrong with you!

Next week cometh and goeth, and with it another installment. Hopefully I can get some more reviews of wrestling shows and wrestling related stuff between then and now. Until then, check out this other good stuff from the Rotunda!

The Internet is for Wrestling #2

The Internet is for Wrestling #1

CHEESE-A-MANIA

WWE All-Stars Review

PWG All-Star Weekend 8: NIGHT TWO

The Internet is for Wrestling #2

Another full week of internet-based grappling is behind us, and as it goes every week, this is where the good shit is. What makes the internet my favorite source for wrasslin'? Well, besides the fact that it can be watched any time and just about anywhere, as we'll see this week it's always full of surprises. Let's get to the run-down starting with the big E.

WWE NXT (7/5/11)

I made my problems with NXT known last week, and while I still could not care less about the competition aspect of this show, this week's episode does a smart thing and leans heavier on quality wrestling!

WHAT'S HOT?

The "rookie challenge" this week is actually simply cutting a promo, and whilst it wasn't anything spectacular, the rookies at least showed promise. Derrick Bateman in-particular was hilarious on the mic. Other than that, we've got YET ANOTHER amazing match between Tyson Kidd and Yoshi Tatsu. I could genuinely watch a thousand matches between these two. Oh, and Daniel Bryan is in action in a tag match. That's enough to make me a fan of any wrestling program.

WHAT'S NOT?

I still find it hilarious that the main NXT story thread involves Hornswoggle. I don't inherently dislike him, but I still find the character utterly pointless. Also, as seems to be a big problem with WWE online shows this week, they used NXT to show highlights from this week's TV shows. The show is already short enough without having large chunks taken up with things we've already seen.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! NXT brings a couple of great matches to the table, and although the show attached still isn't my favorite, who am I to argue with good wrestling?

WWE Superstars (7/7/11)

Sadly, when one WWE internet show does well, the other seems to fail. This week, Superstars is the show that falls short.

WHAT'S HOT?

ZACK RYDER! The Long Island Iced Z is typically a Superstars staple, and he makes a triumphant return this week. It helps he's working a match with Drew McIntyre, and I think he's the perfect guy to get Ryder over. This isn't a technically exciting match, but it's thoroughly entertaining.

WHAT'S NOT?

The other featured matches on Superstars just aren't up to snuff. Natalya wrestles a match against Alicia Fox, and it's just painfully obvious how much more talented Natalya is. Worst of all, she JOBS to Fox, which is ridiculous! It doesn't help that it's commentated by Matt Stryker and Jack Korpela. Korpela is solid, but Stryker's lack of any sense in the booth makes Booker T look like Gorilla Monsoon in comparison. The main event is a squash match featuring Wade Barrett... so yeah I don't think I need to explain why that's disappointing. Lastly, as bad as NXT was with utilizing the show to simply play clips from the past week's TV shows, Superstars doubles that up with two complete segments dedicated to it! If I wanted to see what happened on RAW... I would watch RAW!

VERDICT?

SKIP IT! As much as it pains me to recommend skipping a Zack Ryder appearance, just don't bother with this week's Superstars.

NWA Hollywood Episode 42 (7/6/11)

It's the best wrestling show you've never heard of! This week's NWA Hollywood episode had it's problems, but it was still a thoroughly enjoyable hour of old-school wrestling goodness.

WHAT'S HOT?

NWA doesn't screw around with overlong story segments, but what is there is always nostalgic fun. Colt Cabana makes an appearance to introduce the return of Adam Pearce, and although many people may have never heard of these two dudes, I marked out for Pearce saving Cabana as if it was Savage saving Hogan. The main event between Peter Avalon and Scorpio Sky was fun as all get out.

WHAT'S NOT?

The other matches on the program had their problems. The women's match-up between Buggy and Kitana had a few significant botches, and never came together even at the end, only being saved by the interference by Candice Larae spraying Buggy in the face. Also, Natural Selection was in action against the Tribe, and whilst both teams are great in their own right, this one ended before it really got started (and was hampered by a pretty significant botch in the middle).

VERDICT?

CONSIDER IT! In the end, the good and bad of this week's NWA Hollywood was a wash. It's certainly not the best the company's put out, but if you're at all interested in the promotion, you should put aside an hour to check it out.

Chikara Podcast-a-go-go 271 (7/4/11)

The funnest wrestling promotion on the planet puts its best foot forward this week in a match that highlights its zany storylines and its over the top characters.

WHAT'S HOT?

Fan favorites UltraMantis Black and Delirious go head to head here. Through the commentary and wrestler interactions, you can pick up the semblance of a storyline in progress. That storyline is goofy as all hell, and when Ares blows a dog whistle to send Delirious into a frenzy, you know you're watching something not concerned with realism. What follows is a brawl that goes into the audience, and that highlights both wrestlers' strengths in portraying their given personas.

WHAT'S NOT?

As fun as this match is, it's fun because of the wrestlers involved rather than anything that actually happens. Aside from a savage exploder suplex by UltraMantis, there are really not noteworthy moves executed in this match. If you can't get behind the characters, you may find this match a bit on the basic side.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! Chikara is all about the personas, and these are two of Chikara's best.

Next week will bring another brace of internet wrestling shows, and with it another installment of The Internet is for Wrestling! Stay tuned! Until then, check out the following links for more from the Rotunda...

The Internet is for Wrestling #1

RAW Recap 7/4/11

CHEESE-A-MANIA

WWE All-Stars Review

The RAW Recap 7/4/11

You'd think that when taping a show that would be played on 'Merica's birthday, WWE would bring their A game. Heck, the company made a huge deal when Osama was killed, and they're famous for their patriotic characters.

Sadly, no matter how good this RAW was, it had to follow in the wake of CM Punk's amazing promo from last week. And with CM Punk nowhere in sight, just how good could this RAW be?

RECAP

Cena Opens the show, a main event is announced, and Vince is said to be on his way to the building. Pretty standard opening, but their addressing CM Punk's promo from last week so directly kinda takes the steam outta the angle.

Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres vs. The Bella Twins

Not much to say about this at all, as might be expected. It makes me sad to know that Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim are having great matches on Superstars, yet the TV audience sees matches like these. No wonder nobody can stand the Divas division.

VERDICT: BAD. VERY BAD.

Promo for Andy Levine pops up. I really wanna see what he can do in a real match, but I hope they take their time developing him.

Santino and Kozlov vs. Otunga and McGillicutty

Santino and Kozlov are great. They may not be the most technically sound, but damn if they aren't entertaining as all hell. Sadly, the team they're against is the opposite of entertaining. Otunga and McGillicutty are just so damn boring! This is a decent little tag match, but these four have actually had one better on Superstars. Still can't get over Nexus having the belts...

VERDICT: OK. There's always some entertainment to be had in a match with Santino.

ZACK RYDER SIGHTING! WWWYKI

Sargent Slaughter vs. Jack Swagger

Swagger makes Sarge angry and therefore IT'S MATCH TIME! I'm always a little leery of having legends past their prime step back in the ring, but this diversion was successful enough. Swagger beats up on Sarge and Evan Bourne makes the save. We get some July 4th goodness and the Bourne/Swagger feud is given one more piece of fuel to keep going.

VERDICT: HARMLESS. Sure, this diversion wasn't necessary, but it ate up like no time and was good fun.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth

There have been a lot of 3 and 4 way matches featuring these three, and this match reminds us why. BECAUSE THEY'RE GREAT AT THEM! There are some great three-man spots, and I honestly wasn't sure who was gonna take this one. In the end, the win goes to ADR (and a number one contender spot with it). Good decision, and an even better match.

VERDICT: MATCH OF THE NIGHT. These three always bring it.

Dolph and Vickie have a pretty silly segment. I'm not afraid to say that I actually enjoyed this segment, as it reminded me of some really old school heel/manager segments. It's also worth mentioning that Lawler's comments about Vickie at this point are not only unfunny, but just really dumb at this point.

Miz vs. Alex Riley

Another back and forth brawl between these two. Somehow that remains entertaining, mainly because the Miz has good ring psychology and Riley is SUPER over. It's ridiculous how much the fans love this guy. Miz also puts a good post-match beatdown on Riley.

VERDICT: GOOD. These two don't put on spectacular matches, but they're solid and have a decent story backing them.

The show ends with Vince and Cena having an argument about whether Punk should be reinstated. This angle has EVERYONE bringing their best to the table, and this is no exception. Vince and Cena both convincingly plead their case, and in the end, Punk is reinstated. Of course there's also the stipulation that Cena will be FIRED if he loses, which kinda takes some of the drama out of the match (which is kinda the opposite of its intention), but this is still a better angle than WWE has had in some time.

Overall, RAW tonight was just okay. It had its highs, but it felt a tad empty without the presence of CM Punk and without more than one extremely good match, it's just not terribly exciting.

Stay tuned for my second installment of The Internet is for Wrestling. Until then, check out the first installment and enjoy some wrestling!

The Internet is for Wrestling #1

As I've said before on this humble blog, I spend lots of time on the internet. I also spend lots of that internet time watching professional wrestling. Lots of that shit is old/obscure/comedy-related wrestling, sure, but there's actually "new" professional wrestling shows that are featured primarily on the internet each week. Stuff either produced directly for consumption by web users and/or stuff that finds its largest audience on computer screens.

So in my new (and hopefully) weekly series, I take a look at all these web series and tell you, my faithful five readers, what's hot in each of these and whether or not you should check them out for yourself. We're going with a basic "WATCH IT", "CONSIDER IT", or "SKIP IT" rating here. Let's get started with the big boys at WWE.

WWE NXT (6/28/11)

I must admit to really liking the concept of NXT since its inception, but have kinda hated the execution. It's cool that WWE would want to pair up new up-and-comers with seasoned pros and have them fight it out for a spot on the roster, and some of WWE's younger stars have spawned from the series, but the fact that the series devolves into stupid events and no-shows by the mentors means that it's just not super compelling. I recently caught up with this season's goings on, and am sad to see it's very much the same.

WHAT'S HOT?

Yoshi Tatsu and Tyson Kidd have an OUTSTANDING match, one that's kicked off when Kidd rips the legs off of one of Yoshi's prized Yoshi action figures (anyone who follows Yoshi on Twitter knows how much he loves the little guys). These guys have gone at it a million times, but they never fail to entertain. This match was great, the crowd gets behind Yoshi, and these two put on a solid show.

WHAT'S NOT?

The rest of the show is dominated by the NXT contestants, and while these guys aren't necessarily bad, they just are difficult to get amped up for. The audience is already relatively dead for the festivities, but the lack of reaction during matches really cements the problem with having such a long series devoted to unknowns. Also, I love William Regal, but I don't think his commentary is the greatest. Both he and Grisham sound bored at ringside.

VERDICT?

SKIP IT. Unless you're a huge Yoshi Tatsu or Tyson Kidd fan and really want to see their match, this just ain't worth your time.

WWE Superstars (6/30/11)

Perhaps consistently my favorite WWE show, Superstars is essentially (for lack of a better word) a place where all the dudes who job to the big players on RAW and SmackDown can shine. That might not sound super appealing, but rest assured that these dudes and dudettes regularly put on better, more entertaining, and more high-energy matches than stuff you'll see on TV. This week's installment certainly wasn't the best, but it was solid.

WHAT'S HOT?

The show opens up with a fantastic match between Beth Phoenix and Gail Kim. Honestly, Kelly Kelly and the Bellas get more play than these two? That's totally ridiculous, and this match proves why. There's a solid match featuring Chris Masters and JTG that's some good fun, and the show caps with a 6-Man Tag with the Usos and Trent Baretta vs. Gabriel, Slater, and Tyson Kidd. That match is great, but one spot in particular towards the end of the match is totally worth the price of admission. I won't spoil it, but you'll definitely want to see it.

WHAT'S NOT?

There's a pretty meh Divas contest between Alicia Fox and Kaitlyn. This "feud" has been building up for some time between Natalya's face team and Rosa's heel team, but it just isn't going anywhere, and boring matches like this aren't helping matters.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT. Superstars is one WWE show that rarely disappoints. It deserves your attention for one hour out of your week.

NWA Hollywood Episode 41 (6/29/11)

Perhaps the best kept secret on the wrestling scene, NWA Hollywood features some of the more talented performers from the indy circuit beating the crap out of each other in an old movie theater in Hollywood. That never fails to be fun.

WHAT'S HOT?

Just about damn near everything. The show opens with a pretty incredible falls count anywhere tag match between the RockNES Monsters and the Cutler Bros. This thing goes all over the theater, and features some pretty intense spots and bumps. From there, the night just keeps on rolling along with some ladies action, a match featuring the 400 pound wrecking machine, Terex, and a main event with Joey Ryan and SoCal Crazy. All this with Colt Cabana on commentary. What's not to like?

WHAT'S NOT?

The production values of NWA are obviously not going to be anywhere near the level of WWE or anything, and that can be a tad off-putting. However, if you're into the indy scene, that's no problem at all.

VERDICT?

WATCH IT! NWA Hollywood needs to be discovered. Support this awesome promotion!

Chikara Podcast-a-go-go 270 (6/27/11)

Indy darling and fan favorites Chikara put out one of their great archived matches online each week with their Podcast-a-go-go. Some of these have been absolutely fantastic, so it's completely worth your time plumbing their youtube channel for older episodes. How does this week's effort stack up?

WHAT'S HOT?

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Brodie Lee is this week's featured effort, and that makes for a solid big-man contest. The strikes are great, the psychology is strong, and there are some pretty amazing feats of strength by Castagnoli here. The finish, too, is pretty creative.

WHAT'S NOT?

As solid as this match is, it's only just that. Solid. Chikara puts these matches out each week, free of charge, and it's almost prickish to critique them or to expect more. Still, I do. Match was great, but the Podcast-a-go-go has put out EPIC in the past.

VERDICT?

CONSIDER IT! Chikara fan? Watch this for sure. Got fifteen minutes to kill? Go ahead and give it a watch. You're not, however, missing all that much by skipping this.

I'll be back next week with the second installment of The Internet is for Wrestling, and stay tuned as I try to get back on track with a regular review schedule!

i-Rix Review: WWE All Stars

Professional wrestling's been a big part of my life ever since I was a child. Take that as you shall, but much like the industry's quality, even I'll admit that the quality of professional wrestling games fluctuates from great to embarrassingly bad. From that heap arrives WWE All Stars. Between its list of classic wrestlers and fun over-the-top action, there's a lot to potentially love in THQ's latest foray into the squared circle. However, a laundry list of finicky issues and lack of compelling content cut-down this top prospect in its prime.

CONTENT

The first big failing in WWE All Stars comes from its rather meager selection of modes and match types. There are one to four player variations in standard matches, tornado tag matches, cage matches, elimination matches, and "extreme rules" matches, but that's about it. Also, because of the way each match plays out, there's just not a lot of variation even in these different match types. These all play into the two main single-player modes, Path of Champions and Fantasy Warfare.

In Path of Champions, you take a superstar of your choosing through one of three "story-lines" in order to become a WWE champion. Each of these is accompanied by some pretty brilliantly produced cutscenes that have the champion of the given path taunting you in true professional wrestling fashion (the best of these involving the Undertaker and PAUL FREAKING BEARER cutting promos from their funeral parlor), which flesh them out more than simply being a series of matches on an arcade-style ladder. Fantasy Warfare, on the other hand, takes one superstar from the current generation and pits them in a "dream match" against a classic superstar. While the video packages that splice actual footage of both superstars together as if they were actually feuding are spectacular, and matches like Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. CM Punk for "Superior Lifestyle" make complete sense, some of these just feel a little forced. I'm sorry, but there is NO competition between John Morrison and Randy "Macho Man" Savage for "Most Charismatic". Throw in a pretty meek suite of online modes, and you've got all that WWE All Stars has to offer.

GAMEPLAY

Of course this is a wrestling game. Wrestling should be tantamount here. And for the most part, WWE All Stars is a lot of fun. Four attack buttons and two defensive buttons make up your combative capabilities, and by combining these together, you can string strikes, grapples, strikes and grapples, and signature maneuvers together in creative ways. There's a good, almost fighting game level of depth to the action that makes experimentation both fun and rewarding. The first time I saw my little brother bounce a guy up with a powerbomb, grab him out of the air and flip him over only to Spear him out of mid-air with Edge, I knew there was some big potential here.

Further adding to the variation is the fact that each wrestler falls into one of four categories that help determine his moveset and abilities. For example, Big Men like Andre the Giant and Kane have devastating strikes and grapples that throw the opponent around the ring and can absorb more punishment, where as Grapplers like Mr. Perfect and Jack Swagger can link together grapples into a near-infinite chain of punishing slams and submission holds. Further adding to the mayhem are Signature and Finishing moves, each governed by their own meters. A multi-tiered bar (which also governs your wrestler's stamina for running) can be expended to use a Signature maneuver, which are unique, show-stopping moves that can devastate your opponent and turn the tide in your favor. They also help substantially fill your Finisher meter, which when full, lets you charge up your wrestler's finishing maneuver which can end a match outright. Knowing when and how to use these, and experimenting with them is all part of the fun of All Stars.

But sadly, there are some extreme caveats to that fun. As I stated, All Stars is pretty lacking in modes. Once you beat the Path of Champions a couple times through with different dudes and finish up Fantasy Warfare, there's not a ton left to play around with. Part of this is due to a disappointingly small roster and, whilst other competitors are already up for DLC and more have been announced, the way THQ is dolling them out at a snail's pace isn't doing the game's short shelf-life any favors. This is expounded by the incredibly weak online options. It's enough that the modes and options aren't there, but with no penalty for rage-quitters, copious lag, and nobody playing online, there just aren't any legs to the game.

Lastly, even the minute to minute gameplay in All Stars has some big blemishes. For one thing, certain options in combat aren't viable in the least. Options like using weapons are worthless. Spotty hit detection and random happenings may be acceptable in wrestling games as a norm, but that doesn't make them any less aggravating. All Stars is no exception, and the fact that this is a game much more about fighting game execution than any other, that is doubly so. The first time you botch a reversal that you KNOW should have worked, or when your rope spring miraculously doesn't hit the opponent despite passing right through him, you'll be making a Cornette face.

PRESENTATION

The presentation in All Stars is similarly spotty. The cartoony artstyle fits perfectly with the action in-ring, and the animations given to these over-the-top moves are smoother than any recent wrestling game. Epic moments even occur in the slow-motion uber versions of your given wrestler's Signature and Finishing moves, and although the exaggerated physiques of each ring warrior look a little ridiculous, ridiculous is what this game's all about. Of course, the video packages and in-engine cutscenes (complete with more than competent voice-acting) are the best parts of the presentation here. Sadly, there's just a lack of character in the rest of package, and even some of the action is stilted with emotionless wrestlers going at it and some minor clipping. Also, as repetitive as this game already is, having to look at the same five or six rings doesn't help matters at all.

FINAL VERDICT

WWE All Stars is a fun game that is kept from greatness with its inconsistency. There are good ideas in the game's content, but it's overall lacking. The gameplay has some spectacular innovations, but a lack of polish keeps it from elevating above a certain base level of enjoyment. The presentation is inspired in points, and lazy in others. Overall, if you're a fan of professional wrestling, you'll want to check out All Stars if only for a novelty. There's something potentially special here, but there are just too many mistakes in this rookie outing. It's a prospect to watch, but right now it's just middling in the mid-card.

WWE All Stars gets 3 stars out of 5.

SmackDown Sum-up 6/10/11

How is SmackDown not the flagship of WWE? It has comparable talent to RAW, it has great production value, and puts on quite possibly the best overall wrestling show on television. Of course even great shows have off nights. Was tonight one of those nights for SmackDown?

NOPE! Let's hit the recap!

Christian Spits the Truth: Christian jerks the curtain with a heel promo with a Michael Cole assist. Christian's always been great, but WWE didn't seem to know how to utilize him as a face. As a heel, they're letting him go all out with his smug bastard-ness and he's turning out to be a fantastic heel. He's getting heat right away and building his rivalry with Randy Orton. Both are good ideas.

6-Man Tag: The Corre takes on Ezekiel Jackson and the Usos. While it's weird that they'd just throw the Usos together with Zeke to make a team, this actually turns out to be a decent enough match. The Corre and Zeke carry most of the action, but the Usos do a good job and seem to get over with the crowd alright in this match. Furthermore, this match continues to build up the tensions within the Corre. Wade leaves towards the finish and Gabriel and Slater get beat, leading Slater and Gabriel to tell Barrett that they won't have his back at Capitol Punishment. I think this means the belt is primed to be put on Zeke, which is a cool prospect, but only time will tell.

Jinder Mahal Squashing: Another squash match to set up how awesome Jinder Mahal is. I can't quite decide whether I like Mahal or not, but he's a big athletic dude, so I'm sure he has potential. He squashes Trent Beretta real nice here, and Great Khali comes in to apply the Kona Crush to him. We'll see how this duo plays out (primarily if they put the belt on Zeke).

AJ vs. Tamina: It's time for the obligatory Diva segment, which typically means a pointless two minute match that leads to nothing. However, they ARE trying to push the Divas face stable of SmackDown vs. the heel stable, and this match tries to further that. I'm not a fan of AJ's personality, as I feel WWE is trying too hard to appeal to dorks (LIKE ME) with her, but she's not a bad in-ring performance. And believe it or not, this was actually a fairly solid match. Decent psychology and a win for the face. Surprisingly, I want to see where this thing goes.

THE REAL MAIN EVENT: Okay, maybe that title's a little misleading, but this building feud has so many of my favorite performers and so much young talent that it DESERVES to be a top billed deal. First, Sin Cara takes on Ted DiBiase in a singles match that starts off fairly solid. However, Cody (who had another fantastic pre-match segment) interferes and gets Ted disqualified. Daniel Bryan runs in for the save and Teddie Long (in true Teddy fashion) demands the match be restarted as a tag match.

What follows is a great classic tag team contest. The heels control the action, wearing down the uber-technico Sin Cara, then Bryan gets hot-tagged in for the clear out and finish. It was a little predictable, yes, but every guy in this match is so much fun to watch work that I could care less. It's a shame they won't likely build this feud up into Summer Slam where I'll get to see these guys go at it live, but it's been a fun ride so far. Can't wait to see more.

Sheamus vs. Orton: Sheamus gets a no DQ, non-title match with Randy Orton... alright. I'm not complaining. This match actually starts off a little slow, and at points it devolves into a punch/kick fest. However, it actually had some decent "NO DQ" stuff including some kendo stick work and some pretty brutal stair spots. Sheamus actually gets power slammed onto the stairs, and the bump looks beyond brutal. In the end, and perhaps a little predictable, Christian brains Randy with the belt again and Sheamus gets the win. Of course this isn't about Sheamus, and Christian gets tons of heat going into Capitol Punishment.

SmackDown this week was great. It's not always such, but I maintain it's the best WWE has to offer. Story building, decent Divas match, Daniel Bryan, Sin Cara, Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, stair bumps...

What else needs to be said? 5 stars out of 5.

CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S WRESTLING SHOWCASE

AND FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES, HERE'S LAST WEEK'S SMACKDOWN SUM-UP FOR COMPARISON.

The Weekly Showcase 6/10/11

I'm going to admit it. I haven't been keeping up with the Rotunda this week. I've watched plenty of wrestling, sure, but for some reason I've been a tad slacking in writing stuff for my little corner of the wrestling universe.

So this week's showcase is gonna be a short one and basically will just be "pimping my shit out" and to point out a pretty awesome match most people didn't see (which is what this thing is for, right?).

Anyway, above is my trailer for WWE '12 combined with Kanye West's "Power". It's kinda an inside joke, but I hope you enjoy anyway...

The other part is pimping out NWA Hollywood's weekly show. Since I live in the area that they broadcast, I got to see this awesomeness last Saturday, but now YOU TOO can see it.

The show this week is overall just okay, but ends with an AMAZING match between the RockNES Monsters (who are awesome) vs. The Cutler Bros. (also awesome) in a two out of three falls match. It's really good stuff with an even more amazing ending.

Anyway, SmackDown's on, so I'll peep you maniacs later...

Last Week's SmackDown Sum-Up

Last Week's Showcase

RAW Recap 5/30/11

Last night, WWE seemed to be swinging for the fences with RAW. Long, solid matches. Decent story building. Not a lot of extra fluff. Does that give RAW the power to topple SmackDown as number one in my WWE fortified heart?

No. But it tried its darnedest. To the recap!

• R-Truth Rant: People on the East Coast and other places may have got "technical difficulties", but here on the West Coast of the US, we got the full effect of R-Truth's insanity. And, as most things he does lately, it was AMAZING. Truth has become such an effective heel over such a short time. This segment also set up our main event (Cena vs. Truth) so it was top to bottom solid. A good start to a decent show.

• Ziggler vs. Kofi: This match has only barely been built up in recent weeks, but that didn't stop this from being a good opening match. Despite a few segments where the two's styles didn't gel (leading to some awkwardness), both Kofi and Ziggler were great. The finish relied on Dolph staying evasive and using his brain, and yet again Kofi loses due to his reckless style. I'm not sure WHY the WWE powers that be put the belt on Kingston if they're going to continue to make him look this weak, but that's neither here nor there. This was just a solid opener. ALSO; it stands mentioning that Vickie Guerrero... lookin' pretty good lately. She can "Excuse Me" any time. That... that doesn't make sense...

• Another Pointless Divas Match: Yep, another Divas match that ends as quickly as it starts. I'm hoping that, seeing as what's going on with the Divas roster (revealed later in the show), WWE starts developing the Divas more, or putting the belt on more talented Divas that can carry actual matches. As it stands now, the Divas are barely worth mentioning.

• CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio: The match of the night. When you get two guys with such stellar in-ring ability together, the match can't help but be entertaining, and this was no exception. Mysterio still has that ability to sell just about any move, and Punk has such great ring psychology (working his heel persona the entire time). A couple of big false climaxes ramp up to Punk finishing this one with a kick (kinda cool to see). I'm sure this will lead to an underdeveloped feud between these two, but when they can put on matches like this, I couldn't care less.

• Kharma Says Goodbye: Surprise! The biggest news of last week is confirmed to be true by the woman herself. I gotta admit, I was pretty touched by what Kharma had to say, but I think the segment was handled poorly overall. As I've said before, the Divas are so underdeveloped and useless right now, what was the point of making the Bellas have a heel moment? What could have been an extremely sincere moment, instead turned ugly.

• Bourne vs. Swagger: Bourne and Swagger have a small feud currently going on, and they go at it again tonight. I think Swagger actually works particularly well against smaller guys, and he carries the match here as he shows off a lot of his strength and physicality. They give the win to Bourne with a roll-up, and keep the feud going. It's not much, but both these guys are good and it's good to see some mid-card feuds outside of the usual five or so "main" guys.

• ZACK RYDER!!!: Internet Champion sighting! I really don't know where they're headed with him showing up with Cena all the time, but I'm not complaining. WWWYKI.

• The Main Event: Surprisingly, the main event with Truth and Cena isn't a long drawn out war. Rather, the E uses this opportunity to further R-Truth in his heel status, having him steal a quick one against Cena via count-out. While this isn't exactly "wrestling", it's still good story-telling.

RAW was solid. Solid in terms of RAW, solid in terms of WWE, and solid in terms of wrestling. Period. Does it eclipse SmackDown? Not quite. I'm still feel like SmackDown's production value and booking beats RAW, but I think this is a step in the right direction. With all the stupid Michael Cole nonsense out of the way, I look forward to seeing where an unfettered RAW can go. As for Monday, it gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Be on the lookout for more Pro Wrestling fun and analysis later this week.

Until then check out some of my more recent postings...

Last Week's Wrestling Showcase

My Adventure in Reseda, California at PWG's All-Star Weekend

SmackDown Sum-up 5/20/11

On such a day as this, when a wrestling legend passes away, it's kind of hard to think about the current state of wrestling. No, not because "wrestling sucks now, lol". It's simply that, no matter how good the quality of the wrestling I would see today, it'd serve as a reminder to the loss of one of the industry's greats.

Nevertheless, wrestling did happen. Tonight was SmackDown. And ya know what? As I've said in the past and will continue saying, it was a great show. SmackDown won't ever emerge from the shadow of its Monday night brother, but it consistently proves to be a better show. Here are my full impressions.

• Christian vs. Sheamus: Christian opens the show with a rock solid bout against Sheamus. The match even featured a panel in panel "promo" with Sheamus like it was old school wrestling, just in case you needed more explanation for why Sheamus wants to cave in Christian's head.
• Anyway, it's refreshing to have such a good match open the show, and while Christian takes the win, he also gets jumped by Mark Henry and Sheamus post-match. Randy comes in to save Christian, continuing his sentiment that he wants to fight Christian at his best at Over the Limit, and the two continue their friendly rivalry.

• The Low Point: Brie Bella, Divas Champion, takes on Natalya. Yes, the backwards women's division of WWE has fantastic wrestler (and attractive woman) Natalya JOBBING to a model. Thankfully, Naty's great in-ring ability carries the match, but the unconvincing finish combined with the heinous act of Brie getting an honest win over NATY EFFING NEIDHART made this easily the low point of the night. Thankfully, it happens less than halfway through the show, and we move on.

• 6-man Tag Action: Ezekiel Jackson is next out, and he (despite not being super talented on the mic) manages to rock a pretty good promo, effectively setting up a match between him and Wade Barrett at Over the Limit. I can't help but draw favorable comparisons to guys like Ron Simmons, and even Ahmed Johnson when Zeke is at his best, and he's definitely there now. The Corre, predictably, tries to assault Jackson, but Teddy Long (who I neber like) comes out and instead makes a match with Jackson teaming with Big Show and Kane taking on the Corre.
• What proceeds is a great tag match by any standard. Of course, the veterans of Kane and Big Show never disappoint, and they've been feuding with the Corre long enough that the chemistry is there. I shit on the Corre's booking for a while, as they weren't a credible threat for a good long while following Wrestlemania, but they are good workers. Jackson and Show/Kane take the win. Super match all around.

• Five Minute Challenge: The Chavo/Sin Cara rivalry comes to a head in the next installment. Chavo, again claiming to be the mentor of Sin Cara, jealously spouts on about how the luchador would be nothing without him and that he can beat Daniel Bryan, who Sin Cara defeated in 15 minutes last week, in 5. Bryan and Chavo proceed to put on a solid and suspenseful match.
• The timer is really what made this whole contest, as it gave the contest a sense of urgency and, whenever it would slow down, Chavo frantically was checking the clock. Chavo's a veteran, and his emotion sold the match. Bryan's a fantastic worker, and his physicality anchored it. In the end, Chavo couldn't pin Bryan in five minutes, even after hitting his frog splash. This made him snap, but luckily, like any good technico, Sin Cara swoops in to save the day. I'm not sure if this feud will conclude at Over the Limit, but it's certainly been entertaining thus far.

• Ted and Cody; the new odd couple: Cody Rhodes comes out accompanied by Ted DiBiase come out together, at first puzzling me as the two seemed to be feuding last week. Cody does his usual AMAZING schpeal, and bolstered by some funny stuff with Ted wearing a paper bag, I really enjoyed this segment. And guess what, there was actually wrestling following it! Sure, it was Ted squashing Trent Beretta, but it was still good to see a talky segment actually lead to somewhere. Fun stuff.

• Khali Gets Serious: The Great Khali continues his predicted move back into a monster heel. His new "manager", Jinder Mahal (I finally know his name) interrupts his match with Jey Uso and slaps him. This puts Khali into God mode, and he proceeds to destroy both Uso brothers in the next few minutes. I'm no big fan of Khali, but I do agree this is the correct direction to be taking him in. Let Khali be a monster. Leave the goofy comedy to Zack Ryder.

• Orton vs. Henry: The main event has Randy Orton taking on Mark Henry. I've been fairly skeptical about Orton being the "face" of SmackDown now, as I've seen his move set and personality homogenized to a John Cena-like level in recent weeks. However, this actually proves to be a good match, and Orton pulls out some more of his arsenal while Henry is actually shown to be dominating portions of the match.
• Sheamus, perhaps unsurprisingly, comes out and attacks Randy, making the match a no contest. Christian comes out to make the save, but actually stalls to let Randy get a bit beaten up showing that, although "cool" with each other, these two are still rivals. Orton and Christian clean house, and the curtain falls on SmackDown as we head into Over the Limit.

Momentum. Great matches. Good storytelling. Despite a slight hiccup here or there, SmackDown is, without a doubt, the best regularly televised wrestling show. Tonight's episode gets a 5 out of 5. This is where WWE needs to be heading.

To see how WWE DOESN'T need to be heading, check out my recap of this week's RAW HERE.

For my brief words on the death of the great Randy Savage, look HERE.

And for my weekly wrestling showcase, check HERE.

Like my stuff? Tell your rasslin' buddies. Until next time, I'm out...

RAW Recap 5/17/11 (Cole Phelps Edition)

As I emerged from a haze of playing L.A. Noire and some extremely light "studying" for finals, I realized something... I hadn't fulfilled my obligation to the two faithful readers of the Rotunda and hadn't done a RAW recap.

So, now thirty minutes to 12 pm here on the west-coast, I'm just going to wrap this up in a nice tidy package, one that's probably much more efficient than my normal schtick. So without further ado... what was good and what sucked with last night's RAW!!!

WHAT WAS GOOD?!?!

• CM PUNK WRESTLES A MATCH! BEATS KOFI!
• KHARMA AGAIN! SHE'S COOL!
• REY MYSTERIO AND ALBERTO DEL RIO ACTUALLY HAVE A GOOD MATCH!
• R-TRUTH IS CRAZY! HE SHOULD NEVER CHANGE!
• ZACK RYDER MAKES AN APPEARANCE!

WHAT SUCKED?!?!

• DIVAS MATCH WAS NEEDED TO TRIGGER KHARMA APPEARANCE! WAS NOT GOOD!
• ANOTHER LONG LAWLER AND COLE SEGMENT! DEAR LORD, MAKE IT STOP!
• TAG CHAMPS LOSE TO TWO NEXUS MEMBERS WHO NEVER WRESTLE!
• SWAGGER VS. CENA MATCH WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NO-HOLDS-BARRED! WAS VERY HOLDS-BARRED!

Whew.

Now, if I may type normally again, I will sum up RAW as thus; it's a show that often has just as much, if not more wrestling and genuine talent as its counterpart on Friday nights. The problem is, RAW is still bogged down in stupid storylines and tired rivalries, and thus it seems like a much worse show. I'd give Monday's episode a 3 star rating out of 5. There's something good here, but it's surrounded by a crispy "stupid" shell.

And with that, I apologize to anybody who actually enjoys the RAW recap for the lack of quality/timeliness of this installment. Hopefully, I'll be at a stable point in L.A. Noire by Friday to make good on the SmackDown sum-up.

Until then, check out last week's installment, HERE.

And have a look at my new weekly feature, the Wrestling Showcase, HERE

SmackDown Sum-up 5/13/11

As weeks continue to go by in WWE television programming, I become more and more certain of a couple of things.

1. Zack Ryder deserves much more screen time than half these schmucks, and
2. SmackDown is a superior show to RAW.

This Friday was no exception, as although Friday's show didn't have the volume of matches Monday's had, the quality of them (along with the storytelling) vastly outstripped RAW. Let's head to the recap.

• "Nah guys, really. It's 'kay...": Christian opens up SmackDown, essentially trying to cool the ire of the crowd for him losing the belt last Friday. Christian's natural charisma aided in what could have been an extremely awkward attempt at appeasement, and before too long we were into the show and setting up matches. Mark Henry interrupts Christian, followed by Sheamus, both wanting a piece of the former champion. Before they can beat up on him too bad, Randy Orton, in true "face" fashion, rescues him. The main event is then set up later as a tag match featuring the four of them.

• Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan: I genuinely look forward to Sin Cara's weekly appearance, but when I saw he would be taking on Daniel Bryan, I nearly flipped my shit. This match was great. Lots of exciting spots, great technical wrestling going on, it was just a lot of fun.
• Of course, if this was just going to be a "card filler", the quality of wrestling would easily push it up. However, this match actually furthered the Sin Cara/Chavo angle, as Chavo not only introduced Sin Cara, but commentated the match AND interfered; giving Sin Cara an opening to land his finisher. Sin Cara, despite wearing a match, sells his emotions both during and after the match extremely well, and you could tell he was more than a little hot at Chavo for giving him the win in this dishonest fashion. I can foresee a real Rudo vs. Technico rivalry building between these two, and it should be fun to watch.

• Kharma Strikes Again: Layla's next to come out, and attempts to work the crowd. Sadly, I don't think she was succeeding very well, and I actually relished Michael Cole's interruption. Cole rants a little about his own feud with Jerry Lawler, but before he can get too far, Kharma comes out. She does her usual schtick on Layla, but in a surprise move, she actually goes after Cole. While I would have loved to have seen Kharma actually destroy Cole, and I think it would have gone further in showing how much of a threat she is (this whole "Diva destruction" angle is getting somewhat tired). It's good to consistently see Kharma, and I'm glad that WWE had the wisdom to NOT put a pointless Diva match to bring her out. I just hope we see her get an official match some time soon.

• The Corrrrre Comes Together: Kane is scheduled to have a match with Wade Barrett. Though I question their continually splitting them up, I understand Kane and Big Show are big singles draws that can hold good matches separately. Case in point, this is a solid match. Both wrestlers are in their element here in what turns out to be a back and forth brawl. Despite it being one of the night's longer matches, the pace was so high that it didn't drag in the least.
• The match ends in disqualification when the Corre interfere and beat up Kane. Ezekiel Jackson attempts to take on his old team, but in a surprisingly competent move, the Corre overpowers Zeke and takes him out as well. Not only was the match solid, but these post-match shenanigans all served great purpose as well. The Corre is looking to be a genuine threat again (after several months of looking just plain stupid) and the Corre and Zeke feud is furthered with the odds being continually stacked against Zeke. I expect it to come to a head in time for Over the Limit, but it may drag into Summer Slam as well.

• Khali's Reality Check: The Great Khali comes out for a "Kiss Cam" segment. Honestly, this was the point I felt SmackDown was going to lose momentum, but even this seemingly stupid segment served a purpose. As Khali has pretty much become a joke under the management of Ranjin Singh, a new player (who, not knowing his name, I can only identify as Khali's potential new handler), has seemingly appeared to whip Khali back into shape. I can foresee this leading to Khali becoming a "monster" heel again. Although I'm not a Khali fan in the slightest, I certainly would appreciate having him taken more seriously. We'll see where this goes.

• Only Smoke and Mirrors...: Cody Rhodes comes out to face his former partner, Ted DiBiase. As you might expect, Cody gives another silly/crazy rant. The match itself is somewhat forgettable, but it wasn't bad. Predictably, Rhodes takes it, but I can see this building him up to be more relevant in some kind of title picture. Also, Cody's gimmick, though silly, is lots of fun. It's good to see him getting a lot of appearances on LIVE shows.

• The Main event: Lastly, we have our main event. As most main events seem to be, we get a bit of a slower paced match, with the strongest segments being those that involved Christian vs. Sheamus. However, the pace eventually quickened halfway through the match, resulting in a very fun contest overall. The contrasting styles of all the dudes involved certainly helped with this. The finish was great, and ended the show on the highest of notes, leaving Orton staring down Christian and building up their rivalry for their match at Over the Limit.

SmackDown knows how a wrestling show is run. Build up a good main event? Check. Use your talented wrestlers to handle the mid card while building up intriguing plot lines? Check and Check. Use even dumb segments to build up towards future payoff? Triple check. When all that comes together, you get a 5 star show. That's what SmackDown was this Friday, and I for one can't wait for next week.

Monday is RAW, and with it will come my recap.

For last week's installment, click the link HERE.

For the first two installments of the Wrestling Showcase, my spotlight on Youtube's wrestling goodness, click the links HERE and HERE.

Until next time, stay sexy, peeps...