WWE Superstars
May 21, 2009
Louisville, KY/Cincinnati, OH
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
?Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event?? The WWE video leads us into the show.
The WWE Superstars video plays and we?re brought into the arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, as Josh Matthews and Matt Striker welcome us to the show. CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho is announced for our Main Event. However right now we?ll open up with an ECW Championship Match. Could this be Tommy Dreamer’s final shot?
ECW Championship
Christian (c) vs. Tommy Dreamer
As Christian came out, we saw a replay from Tuesday’s ECW, when Jack Swagger pushed Christian off the ramp, and he tweaked his knee.
They do the announcements in the ring. This has a good fight atmosphere to it. Both guys get great reactions. Could this be my last time calling a Tommy Dreamer match? The bell rings and they lock up, pushing each other to the corner, and giving a clean break. They lock up and Dreamer quickly gets a waist lock on the ECW Champion. Dreamer switches into a headlock so Christian backs him into the ropes and whips him off only to be taken down by a shoulder block. Dreamer quickly covers for a no count.
Christian quickly pops up and they stand at opposite ends of the ring. They lock up and Christian gets the waist lock. Dreamer tries to fight it off but Christian switches to a headlock and executes a takeover. Dreamer fights to his feet and elbows out, whipping Christian into the corner. Dreamer charges but Christian moves and Dreamer turns into an arm drag, which Christian converts into an arm bar submission. Dreamer wraps his legs around Christian’s neck and counters into a neck vine. Christian tries to pin Dreamer but instead pops up for an elbow drop, which Dreamer avoids. Dreamer hits a drop-toe-hold and locks on a bow and arrow submission. Nice move. Christian gets out of it and Dreamer body slams him down but misses an elbow drop.
Christian slaps Dreamer but has a whip into the corner reversed on him and Dreamer catches him with a bulldog. Dreamer covers for a two count. Dreamer gets up and charges but Christian pulls down the top rope and he falls outside. Christian jumps to the second rope and springboards to the outside for a cross-body but MISSES. Nasty bump! Dreamer gets on the apron and hits Christian with a cannonball senton! That’s an old Mick Foley move. He must?ve learned that in the old ECW. It’s a good match so far as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Tommy Dreamer execute a nasty piggyback slam and then lock on a knee wrench. He’s concentrating on the injured knee from Tuesday. Matt Striker mentions he’s been working on it during the break. Dreamer breaks the hold and kicks the knee before going for another submission but Christian counters into an inside cradle for a one count. Dreamer quickly gets up and goes for a suplex but Christian punches out. Christian backs up and charges into a low dropkick to the knee from Dreamer. Dreamer picks Christian up, puts him on his shoulder, and powerslams him for a two and a half count.
Christian gets up in the corner and kicks Dreamer as he approaches. Christian comes off the second rope and Dreamer catches him and turns it into a Texas Cloverleaf! Christian fights to the ropes for a break. Christian rolls to the apron and slaps Dreamer when he tries to grab him and snaps Dreamer’s neck off the top rope. Christian gets in and runs into a Dreamer clothesline.
Both men are down now. They?re exhausted but Dreamer gets up at six and punches Christian. Dreamer sends Christian into the ropes and hits a nasty back body drop. Dreamer then picks Christian up and fakes a slam into a reverse DDT for a near fall. Dreamer goes for the Dreamer Driver but Christian slides off and goes for a reverse DDT of his own but Dreamer punches out. Dreamer sends Christian into the corner and goes for a bulldog but Christian counters into a reverse DDT for a near fall.
Christian goes for a Kill Switch but Dreamer powers Christian to the corner. Dreamer tries to lock Christian in the Tree of Woe but Christian punches him away and jumps off the second rope for a sunset flip pin. Dreamer counters at two into a pinfall of his own and gets a CLOSE near fall. Christian slaps Dreamer in the face and charges but Dreamer ducks and Christian goes through the ropes. Christian gets on the top rope but Dreamer cuts him off and hits a Superplex. Dreamer crawls over to Christian and gets another CLOSE near fall. Dreamer goes for a Dreamer DDT but Christian gets out and goes for the Kill Switch but Dreamer counters into a reverse suplex for another CLOSE near fall.
Dreamer goes for another DDT but Christian powers him into the corner. Christian ducks a clothesline and gets a pendulum kick to Dreamer’s face, sending him down. Christian goes to the top for a diving head-butt but Dreamer moves. Jack Swagger is now making his way to the ring. Dreamer sees this and gets in position to fight. Christian pushes Dreamer down and catches Swagger on the apron. Christian pulls him into the ring and the referee throws the match out.
Winner: No Contest
Match Rating: ** ?
Christian and Dreamer team up to clothesline Swagger out of the ring after a brief brawl. Swagger goes to the back holding his mouth but smiling. Dreamer and Christian shake hands and Dreamer grabs the ECW Championship. You can really see how passionate he is in real life about the brand and the title. This was a really classy match and I?m looking forward to their eventual ECW Championship Match at Extreme Rules.
Still to come tonight is Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
-Commercial Break-
We see replays of the end of the ECW Championship Match, which ended in a No Contest. We then see Tommy Dreamer and Christian have a little tug of war with the belt.
A video package for Jack Swagger now plays. I really like this portion of Superstars.
Josh Matthews is backstage with Chris Jericho. Matthews asks him about Judgment Day and says that he guaranteed a victory over Rey Mysterio but Jericho cuts him off and asks if he’s wrestling Mysterio, to which Matthews admits he isn?t. Jericho then asks why he asked about Mysterio and says that Matthews was attempting to use ?media propaganda,? being that Matthews wanted Jericho to say something and Matthews would twist his words. Jericho says he wouldn?t fall for that trap and chalks it up to another instance of disrespect to Chris Jericho. Jericho wants to talk about CM Punk. Jericho says that he doesn?t think Punk’s massive popularity is related to his straight-edge lifestyle or his immense ability in the ring. It has to do with the Money in the Bank briefcase. The briefcase is what Punk believes is his potential for greatness. This is the same way all the parasitic, gelatinous, fraudulent tapeworms that populate the WWE Universe believe they have potential for greatness ? they don?t, and neither does Punk. Jericho says greatness is defined not by potential but by being the most talented performer of your generation, and greatness is Chris Jericho. Tonight, CM Punk will have his brush with greatness.
-Commercial Break-
We?re in Louisville, Kentucky as Michael Cole and Jerry ?The King? Lawler thank Buckcherry for ?Rescue Me,? the official theme song of Judgment Day.
Kofi Kingston vs. William Regal
The bell sounds and they get in fighting positions. Kingston goes to lock up but Regal quickly wrenches the arm. Kingston twists out and wrenches Regal’s arm but Regal quickly slaps him off and pushes him into the ropes for a whip but Kingston simply does a cartwheel. Kingston smiles and does a dance. They lock up again and Regal quickly gets behind with a side headlock. Kingston whips him off and gets shoulder blocked down. Regal picks him up and gets a side headlock on and they struggle around the ropes. Kingston whips him off, leap frogs him, and hits him with a nice back elbow for a no count.
Kingston quickly pops up and wrenches the arm only for Regal to whip him into the ropes. Regal goes for a hip toss but Kingston counters for a hip toss of his own but Regal doesn?t budge and instead wrenches the arm. Kingston goes for a head-scissors but Regal slams him off. Regal assaults Kingston with left hands until the referee makes him back away. Regal knees him in the face and gets a side headlock back on. Regal uses the rest hold for a bit until Kingston twists out but Regal stops him by slamming him down. Regal hits a kick to the head and some more knees to the face. Kingston fights back but Regal cuts him off with another left hand. All of a sudden Kingston counters with a monkey flip.
Kingston punches and slaps Regal around before dropkicking him down. Kingston goes into the ropes and hits a leaping clothesline. Kingston hits the Boom-Boom Leg Drop for a two count. Regal gets up in the corner and Kingston leaps to Regal’s shoulders and punches him a few times before flipping off and punching him down. Out of nowhere Regal hits Kingston with a nasty Exploder Suplex. Regal pulls down his knee pad and goes for his Running Knee Lift but Kingston connects with Trouble in Paradise and pins William Regal!
Winner by Pinfall: Kofi Kingston
Match Rating: * ?
CM Punk is seen backstage making his way to the ring, ready to compete. Our Main Event is next.
-Commercial Break-
A quick vignette highlighting the WWE vs. Denver Nuggets Battle for the Pepsi Center. Stan Kroneke really did a piss poor job of handling the situation. I feel bad for the Denver fans. They lose out on Raw but LA fans get the better of it. They then advertise the Five on Five Main Event for Raw in WWE’s version of the Lakers vs. the Nuggets. The faces are wearing Lakers jerseys and the heels are in Nuggets jerseys. Who is the fifth face? Also Vince McMahon is calling out Stan Kroneke.
Todd Grisham and Jim Ross welcome us to the Smackdown portion of Superstars.
Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk
Charles Robinson is officiating this one. The bell sounds and they circle the ring before locking up. Jericho gets a side headlock and talks a little trash. Punk whips Jericho off but Jericho answers with a shoulder block and mugs for the crowd. Jericho goes into the ropes, jumps over Punk, goes under Punk, and eats a back elbow. Jericho quickly exits the ring until Punk runs out and shoves him back in. Jericho quickly goes into the ropes and gets clotheslined down. Punk whips Jericho into the ropes hard and Jericho goes down. Punk kicks Jericho before hitting a back suplex for a two count. Punk wrenches Jericho’s arm and kicks him in the chest three times for a one count.
Robinson backs Punk away and Jericho stuns Punk with an eye rake. Jericho bounces Punk’s head off the turnbuckle and whips him into the ropes for a stiff back elbow. Jericho kicks Punk in the back and hits a running kick to the head. Jericho is not happy that the crowd is chanting for CM Punk. Jericho hits a head-butt, sending Punk back to the corner. Jericho whips Punk to the corner and charges but Punk catches him with a can opener around the ropes, which Punk releases at the referee’s count of three. CM Punk springboards off the top rope with a clothesline for a two and a half count. Punk goes for the GTS but Jericho elbows out and kicks Punk in the back of the knee.
Jericho hits a front suplex onto the top rope. Jericho springboards off the second rope with a dropkick, sending Punk to the outside. Jericho taunts the crowd as we go to the break.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Jericho reverse a whip and floor Punk with a knee to the midsection. Jericho hits a senton for a two count. Jericho locks on an abdominal stretch and Punk screams in agony. Punk elbows Jericho’s quadriceps but Jericho punches him in the ribs and the momentum is back with him. Jericho talks trash as Punk writhes in agony. Punk musters up some strength, eventually, and Punk hip tosses him off. Punk goes into the ropes and goes for a big splash but Jericho gets his knees up for a two count.
Jericho gets Punk in the corner and hits some shoulder thrusts to the ribs. Jericho slaps him in the head a few times before whipping him to the opposite corner and charging but Punk moves and Jericho’s shoulder eats the steel ring post. Jericho comes out swinging but Punk hits some punches and kicks. Punk whips Jericho into the ropes for a jumping heel kick. Jericho is in the corner and Punk hits the running high knee and connects with a bulldog for a near fall.
Punk knees Jericho a few times before whipping him into the ropes but Jericho holds on. Punk charges and Jericho thinks he back body dropped him out of the ring but Punk landed on the apron, goes to the top rope, and catches Jericho with a cross-body block for a near fall. Punk continues kicking until Jericho blocks one and hits an enzuigiri for a near fall. Jericho kicks Punk in the ribs a few times before going into the ropes and getting his head kicked in by Punk for a near fall. Punk covers again for a two count.
Punk whips Jericho into the ropes but lowers his head and eats a boot. Jericho goes into the ropes and Punk gets him in GTS position. Jericho elbows out and hits a bulldog. Jericho takes some time before jumping to the second rope but Punk catches him in an Electric Chair and changes it to the GTS position! Jericho slides off and rolls him up but changes that to a Walls of Jericho attempt but Punk catches him with an inside cradle for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: CM Punk
Match Rating: ** ?
CM Punk celebrates the win until he turns into a Codebreaker from Chris Jericho! Jericho smiles as the audience showers him with boos and that?ll do it for Superstars this week!
Quick Match Results
ECW Title: Christian vs. Tommy Dreamer went to No Contest
Kofi Kingston def. William Regal
CM Punk def. Chris Jericho
Bump of the Night: Christian missing that cross-body to the outside!
Match of the Night: Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk ** ?
Mike’s Thoughts
Another excellent edition of Superstars! I feel bad for the people whose cable company doesn?t carry WGN ? you?re really missing an excellent show. They should start streaming the show on WWE.com on Fridays like they do for ECW.
CM Punk and Chris Jericho had a tremendous match tonight. They were on fire tonight and were moving at lightening speed. The match clicked and it was a lot of fun to watch. The crowd really added to this one ? they were red hot the entire time. I?d like to see a Jericho vs. Punk feud in between the Mysterio vs. Jericho feud, if there’s time. It looks good. Anyway, this was a tremendous main event.
Kofi Kingston and William Regal had a fun little match tonight. No one capitalizes on a four or five minute TV match like Regal does. He really showcases himself and makes the opponent look good at the same time. It’s like watching a tutorial on how to wrestle every time he’s on. Just the little things he does, like adjusting himself after taking a few shots, and selling everything. You catch these things and it just makes it feel a little more real.
Our opening contest was tremendous. Christian and Tommy Dreamer really put on a classy, well booked match. I really enjoyed it and I?m going to miss Tommy Dreamer when his career ends, which seems to be coming soon. Hey, maybe we?re all wrong and Dreamer will win the big one at Extreme Rules. I just hope Jack Swagger isn?t involved. He’s talented as hell but I?d rather just see Christian vs. Tommy Dreamer at Extreme Rules.
Final Rating: ***
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s Smackdown recap.
Thanks for reading!