WWE Superstars
July 23, 2009
Raleigh, NC/Richmond, VA
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
The Superstars video plays and we?re brought right into the arena with a great pyro display. We?re welcomed to the show by ECW’s Matt Striker and Josh Mathews. Our Main Event will be Smackdown’s contribution to the show and it is John Morrison taking on the Big Red Machine Kane.
Christian vs. William Regal
This should be a tremendous match just based on the talent in the ring. They quickly circle the ring before locking up. They struggle around the ring until Christian locks Regal up in the corner. They give a clean break and Regal locks up right away. They struggle until Christian locks Regal in the corner again. Regal comes out with a headlock. Christian tries to whip him off but Regal has it locked on tight. Eventually Christian turns it into a headlock of his own. Regal whips him off and both go for a shoulder block so none of them go down. Christian hits a quick snapmare and kicks Regal in the spine for a one count.
Christian gets Regal up and lays him out with a right hand, which sends Regal out of the ring. Regal attempts to get on the apron and Christian baseball slides him off. Christian goes for a plancha but Regal sidesteps him and Christian bounces off the mat. Regal quickly throws him back in the ring and gets a two count. Regal locks Christian in a neck vice before turning it into headlock. Christian fights out of it with a wrist lock and bends Regal into a beautiful neck bridge. Regal soon twists out, drop toe holds him, and locks on a nice chin lock. Regal grinds his forearm across the face for good measure. Regal locks the headlock on before twisting the arm, sending him hard into the corner, and clotheslining him down for a two count.
Regal approaches Christian and gets a back elbow. Christian comes off the middle rope with a flying back elbow for a one count. Christian bounces Regal’s head off the turnbuckle. Christian now sits on the top rope and looking to go for a tornado DDT but Regal thwarts those plans but pushing Christian off the top rope to the outside! That was a nasty spill! Regal taunts the crowd in the ring as he’s looking for a count-out victory.
Christian tries to get back in at the five count but Regal kicks him away from the ring. Christian eventually gets on the apron where Regal continues his assault, even standing on his neck. Regal lays him out with a right hand and covers for a two count. Regal locks him in a submission but Christian soon fights out. Christian lays in some punches but has a whip to the corner reversed on him and he hits the corner hard sternum first. Christian rolls to the apron and Regal hammers him off.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Christian locked in a nice grounded full nelson. Christian quickly fights to his feet and gets out. Christian goes for a sunset flip pin but Regal comes down hard on his head. During the break Regal set Christian’s head up next to the ring post and kicked his head into it! Nasty offense! Regal grinds his knee across Christian’s face and gets a two count. Regal locks the full nelson back on now. Regal holds it for a bit until Christian gets back up and rights out.
Christian elbows Regal in the face and gets a headlock on. Regal sends Christian into the corner but Christian puts the brakes on. Regal and Christian now clunk heads and both men go down, with Christian falling to the outside. Christian gets back on at the count of six and shoulders Regal through the ropes. Christian bounces Regal off the turnbuckle and elbow smashes him down. Christian hits a missile dropkick off the second rope and then another one off the top rope for a near fall. Christian follows this up with an elbow drop on Regal’s face!
Christian body slams Regal and goes up top. Christian goes for a Diving Head-butt but Regal moves. Regal takes advantage with a cover and gets a near fall. Regal hammers Christian on the back of the head until Christian counters with a Kill Switch attempt. Regal counters with a half nelson exploder suplex for a near fall! Amazing stuff!
Regal waits in the corner for Christian to get up. Regal goes for his Running Knee Smash but Christian sidesteps him and stuns him with a kick. Christian comes off the second rope with a flying sunset flip and Christian stands on his feet for leverage as he picks up the win in this hard fought match!
Winner by Pinfall: Christian
Match Rating: ** ?
Coming up next we?ll see Raw’s Evan Bourne in action!
-Commercial Break-
Did you know more people watched WWE Superstars last Thursday night than any program on ESPN, VH1, or E!?
We?re welcomed back to the show by Michael Cole and Jerry ?The King? Lawler. Jamie Noble is in the ring, ready to be fed to Bourne. Evan Bourne comes out with his very own t-shirt. The kid is moving up.
Jamie Noble vs. Evan Bourne
The bell rings and they quickly lock up. Noble wrenches the arm and takes Bourne down, locking on an arm bar. Bourne soon kips up and arm drags Noble off. Bourne jumps to the second rope and comes off with an arm drag to Noble. Bourne hits a nice dropkick for a one count. Bourne locks on an arm bar but Noble quickly fights up and whips him off. Bourne goes over Noble but can?t avoid the clothesline. This gets Noble a two count. Noble clubs Bourne on the head and drops a knee for a two count. Noble locks a neck vice on and keeps Bourne grounded. Bourne soon fights up and attempts to elbow out but Noble controls him with an elbow to the back of the head.
Noble sends him into the ropes but Bourne is able to counter by sliding through his legs and taking him down with a trip on the way through. Bourne goes into the ropes and hits a low dropkick to the side of the head for a one count. Bourne goes to the apron, heading for the top rope, but Noble clubs him off to the outside. Noble throws Bourne in the ring and gets a two count. Noble covers again for the same result. Noble locks the chin lock on now. Bourne fights up and attempts to fight out but Noble controls him with some elbows. Bourne quickly fights back with kicks and sends Noble into the corner. Bourne charges into a back elbow and when Noble charges, Bourne hits him with a jumping roundhouse kick. This gets Bourne a near fall.
Bourne hits Noble with a kick and some punches. Bourne hits a beautiful kick that takes Noble down. Bourne goes into the ropes and takes him down with a quick hurricanrana. Bourne lays him out with a flying elbow smash and gets a two count when Noble grabs the ropes. Noble rolls out of the ring to catch his breath but you can?t escape Bourne, who slingshots over the ring post and lays Noble out with a cross-body! Bourne sends Noble into the ring and goes to the top rope but Noble cuts him off. Noble climbs up and hits a nice superplex!
Both men are down until Noble crawls over and covers for a near fall. Noble charges Bourne, who is in the corner, and goes down with a boot to the face. Bourne goes for the top rope but Noble kicks his feet off the apron and Bourne hits his face on the ring apron on the way down. Noble shoulders him through the ropes but can do little more as Bourne kicks him in the head and goes to the top rope. Bourne hits his Air Bourne Shooting Star Press for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Evan Bourne
Match Rating: * ?
Still to come tonight is our Main Event, provided by Smackdown. It is John Morrison taking on Kane.
-Commercial Break-
A great Superstars video plays, highlighting Chris Jericho. This was a tremendous package. Jericho has been amazing this year.
Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole discuss who Chris Jericho may pick as his tag partner before bringing us to the Raw Rebound.
Jim Ross and Todd Grisham join us now and they run down the card for Night of Champions. For some reason the lights look like they?re off in the arena behind them. Night of Champions looks pretty good.
Kane’s music hits and he makes his way to the ring set for action against John Morrison. They?ll lock up next.
-Commercial Break-
Shaquille O?Neal is guest hosting Raw next week.
Kane vs. John Morrison
Charles Robinson, my favorite referee, is refereeing this one. The bell rings and they don?t exactly rush to lock up. Finally they circle the ring. Kane goes for a lock up but Morrison ducks under and catches Kane in a headlock. Kane throws Morrison off and into the ropes, taking him down with a shoulder block. Morrison looks back at Kane in disbelief. They circle and Morrison quickly hits Kane with a few kicks and punches. Kane pushes Morrison into the ropes and charges into Morrison’s boot. Morrison slides under a big boot and hits Kane with a back elbow. Morrison jumps to Kane’s shoulders and goes for a hurricanrana but Kane holds him up. Kane gets him in position for the powerbomb but Morrison hangs on and elbows Kane. Kane finally dumps Morrison over the top rope but doesn?t notice that Morrison landed on his feet on the outside.
Morrison gets back on the apron while Kane’s back is turned. Kane sees him and Morrison hits him with a shoulder to the midsection through the ropes. Morrison slides under the ropes and through Kane’s legs, hitting him with a European Uppercut. Morrison hits some punches and Kane is stunned against the ropes. Morrison finishes up by clotheslining Kane over the top rope. Morrison goes for a baseball slide and kind of misses, but not badly. Morrison then goes to the apron and flies off but Kane catches him mid-air and slams him spine first into the ring apron.
Kane puts him back in the ring and gets him in the corner. Kane hits some strikes and Morrison collapses in the corner. Kane steps on his face for a few illegal seconds. Kane hits a snapmare, goes into the ropes, and hits a low dropkick to the face for a near fall. Kane locks a chin lock on now. Morrison soon fights up and attempts to elbow out but Kane elbows him in the back of the head. Kane sends Morrison to the corner and charges into a back elbow. Morrison hits some punches before Kane blocks a kick. Morrison counters out with a nice kick to the midsection. Morrison goes into the ropes, ducks a clothesline, does a crucifix into a roll-up attempt, but Kane doesn?t go down. Kane grabs him by the neck and picks him up only for Morrison to dropkick him in mid-air! Morrison charges and Kane back body drops him over the top rope!
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Morrison locked in an inverted camel clutch. Morrison fights and Kane slows him down with a punch. Kane stomps him hard and takes him down with an uppercut. Kane stomps him in the face and gets a near fall. Kane hits a beautiful hanging vertical suplex and waits for Morrison to get back up. Morrison gets up and stumbles right into a bear hug submission. Morrison is quick to elbow him but Kane simply powers him into the corner. Kane whips him into the opposite corner hard and goes for a sidewalk slam but Morrison counters by twisting up and hitting a big DDT!
Both men are being counted down. Kane it’s the first to answer but Morrison is the first to lay in the strikes. Morrison ducks a clothesline and hits a dropsault. Morrison dropkicks the knee and goes into the ropes, hitting a low dropkick to the temple, but this only gets him a one count. Morrison hammers Kane and Kane pushes him away. Morrison is very tenacious as he charges towards Kane and hammers him in the corner. Charles Robinson backs him up after a few seconds. Morrison approaches and gets stunned by an uppercut and taken down by a big boot.
Kane goes for an elbow drop but Morrison avoids it. Morrison goes into the ropes and hits a running knee to the face for a two count. Morrison has a whip to the corner reversed. Morrison twists through the ropes and stuns Kane with a forearm. Morrison comes off the top rope right into a Chokeslam attempt. Kane lifts him up for the Chokeslam but Morrison back flips out of it and springboards off the second rope with the Flying Chuck for a near fall!
Morrison can?t believe it. Kane twists out of a whip and hits a sidewalk slam for a near fall. Kane goes to the top rope and Morrison cuts him off with a big kick to the temple. Kane slumps down to the apron and Morrison clubs him off. Morrison now springboards off the top rope and flies to the outside right into a thrown chair from Kane! Kane is disqualified!
Winner by Disqualification: John Morrison
Match Rating: ** ?
Kane stomps Morrison’s head and throws him back in the ring. Kane grabs the chair and enters the ring with it. The Great Khali’s music hits and Kane holds up. Khali slowly makes his way to the ring and Morrison takes the opportunity to drill Kane in the back with the chair. Khali grabs Kane by the ankle and tries to pull him out of the ring but Kane kicks and screams and gets away through the crowd. Kane’s right eye looks really swollen. Not sure if he got a black eye during the match or if it was already there. That?ll end the show.
Quick Match Results
Christian def. William Regal
Evan Bourne def. Jamie Noble
John Morrison def. Kane via DQ
Bump of the Night: John Morrison jumping off the top rope to the outside right into a steel chair!
Match of the Night: Christian vs. William Regal ** ?
Mike’s Thoughts
I?m really happy with this show tonight. Three great matches from all three brands. It seems like tonight reverted back to the Superstars style of old, where the main guys face some undercard guys and win. They still have competitive matches but you still know who’s going to win. Then we had a good main event from Smackdown.
I said on Friday that I was disappointed with Kane’s match and speculated that perhaps he’s past his prime. Kane proved me wrong tonight. Kane looked good in his match against John Morrison, but it was through Morrison’s efforts that this match was really good. Kane kept up with him though and they had a solid outing. John Morrison is going to be such a huge star if he can carry guys like this through matches. Great job by both men.
It was great to see William Regal in action tonight. Regal is such a tremendous wrestler it’s ridiculous. Don?t believe me? Look up William Regal vs. Chris Benoit on YouTube. Those two had some classics which have been lost due to the tragedy. Now, throw him in the ring with Christian, another tremendous wrestler, and you get some really entertaining wrestling. What a match they had tonight. I?m not really sure if Superstars is on Hulu (I haven?t looked) but if it is then you should take fifteen minutes and check this stuff out.
It was nice to see Evan Bourne on the show again this week. I hope they keep sending him this way to have some guys fed to him. I love calling an Evan Bourne match!
Final Rating: ** ?
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s Smackdown recap.
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