WWE Superstars
January 7, 2010
Dayton, OH/Louisville, KY
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
Welcome to the first Superstars recap of 2010.
?Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event?? The WWE video leads us into the show.
The Superstars video plays and we?re brought into the arena with a great pyro display. Michael Cole and Jerry ?The King? Lawler welcome us to the show.
Michael Cole reminds us that Melina was injured at a house show and is forced to vacate the Diva’s Championship. Jillian comes out to the ring and says she’s excited to beat all the Divas and become a two-time Diva’s Champion. She then sings the Black Eyed Peas? song ?Tonight’s Gonna Be a Good Night.? Gail Kim mercifully comes out to interrupt her.
WWE Diva’s Championship Tournament First Round Match
Jillian vs. Gail Kim
The match begins and they lock up. Gail wrenches the arm but Jillian summersaults out and sweeps the legs for a one count. Jillian gets a side headlock on. Gail whips her off but eats a shoulder block. Jillian goes for the ropes but Gail trips her and gets a jackknife pin for a two count. Gail hits a punch but has a whip to the corner reversed on her. Jillian charges but Gail slides through the ropes. Jillian punches and goes for a shoulder thrust but Gail jumps up and lands on her back. Gail hits a top rope cross-body for a two count.
Gail hits a hurricanrana and Jillian goes to the corner. Gail tries for a suicide shoulder thrust but Jillian moves. Gail hangs on the apron but Jillian sends her into the ring post. Jillian goes outside and drives her into the apron. Jillian sends her to the ring and covers for a two count. Jillian hits a delayed sidewalk slam and covers for a two count. Jillian gets a hard Irish whip executed in the corner and Gail is in pain. Jillian pulls back on the hair for a few illegal seconds. Gail fights up and drives her into the corner. Gail goes for a springboard maneuver but Jillian kicks her in the knees, sending her to the mat for a two count broken up by a rope break. Jillian goes for a guillotine catapult into the bottom rope but Gail swings out and gets the surprise cover for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Gail Kim
Match Rating: * ?
Gail Kim celebrates her advancement in the Diva’s Championship Tournament.
Our Main Event comes from Smackdown as it?ll be Finlay taking on Mike Knox.
-Commercial Break-
Did you know that last Thursday more people watched WWE Superstars than every show on MTV, Bravo, VH1, and CNN? What does that say for their lineups?
Ted DiBiase vs. Chris Masters
The match begins and they take some time. DiBiase quickly starts kicking and working on the leg, taking Masters down. DiBiase gets a leg lock on but Masters surprises him with a grounded Masterlock but DiBiase gets to the bottom rope. DiBiase quickly gets out of the ring for a regrouping. DiBiase gets in the ring and they lock up. DiBiase quickly clubs him down and locks on an overhead wrist lock. Masters fights up and reverses the pressure. Masters all of a sudden goes for the Masterlock but DiBiase gets to the ropes before it’s locked on. DiBiase gets to the apron and Masters makes his pecs dance.
DiBiase gets in the ring and Masters ducks a clothesline. Masters hits some punches, a body slam, and a leg drop for a near fall. Both men go into the ropes and DiBiase clotheslines him down. DiBiase grounds and pounds on Masters until the referee takes him off. DiBiase drops some elbows for a two count. DiBiase locks on a half nelson sleeper hold. Masters fights up and punches out. Masters goes into the ropes and gets taken out by a picture perfect dropkick for a near fall. Masters comes back with some punches and slaps but DiBiase hits a snapmare. DiBiase goes into the ropes and kicks him in the face for a two count. DiBiase lays him out with a punch and taunts the crowd. Eve is at ringside cheering Masters on.
DiBiase locks on a half nelson sleeper hold but Masters fights up and gets out with a back suplex. Masters gets up and goes for a clothesline but DiBiase ducks it and hits a back suplex on him now. They both get to their feet and Masters hits an inverted atomic drop. Masters hits a pair of clotheslines before sending DiBiase into the ropes. Masters eats a kick after lowering his head but is able to catch DiBiase on the ropes with a powerslam. Masters pumps the crowd up and goes for a Masterlock. DiBiase pushes him off but Masters catches him with another Masterlock attempt. DiBiase forces him face first into the turnbuckle, stunning him. DiBiase then hits Dream Street for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Ted DiBiase
Match Rating: **
Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust are making their way to the ring. Yoshi Tatsu will take on Caylen Croft next.
-Commercial Break-
Josh Mathews and Byron Saxton welcome us back to the show as Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust come to the ring. Caylen Croft and Trent Barreta make their way to the ring to the good old ?no one knows you? heat.
Yoshi Tatsu vs. Caylen Croft
The match begins and Tatsu jumps around. They lock up and Tatsu wrenches the arm. Croft rolls out and takes him down with a single leg. Croft works on the knee until Tatsu kicks him off. Tatsu hits two deep arm drags and a dropkick. Tatsu charges and Croft throws him out of the ring. Goldust comes by to stop Trent Barreta from interfering as we go to commercial.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Tatsu hit a sunset flip for a two count. Croft quickly clotheslines him down and covers for a two count. Croft chokes him on the second rope. Croft hits a snap suplex for a two count. Croft locks on a grounded chin lock. Tatsu tries to fight up but Croft stops him from getting up. Tatsu eventually gets up and punches out. Croft quickly drop-toe-holds him down and clubs him in the head. Croft shoots the half and covers for a one count. Croft again locks on a chin lock. Tatsu fights up and elbows but Croft slams him down. Croft goes for a knee drop but Tatsu avoids it.
Tatsu blocks a strike and hits some chops to the chest. Tatsu hits some kicks, sending Croft to the corner. Tatsu hits some running knees in the corner before hitting a rolling snapmare and a kick to the chest. Tatsu gets a two count for that. Tatsu tries a whip but Croft twists and hits a Russian Leg Sweep for a near fall. Croft goes to the top rope and Tatsu cuts him off. Tatsu goes for a top rope Frankensteiner but Croft hangs on. Tatsu lands on his head on the way down! Croft then comes off the top with a cross-body but Tatsu rolls through for a near fall.
Croft lays him out with a hangman’s neckbreaker for a near fall. Croft goes for a suplex but Tatsu lands on his feet. Croft tries for something but Tatsu surprises him with a Buzzsaw Kick for the win! As my friend Dave Stephens would say he is the winner via KA-RA-TAY!
Winner by Pinfall: Yoshi Tatsu
Match Rating: **
Still to come tonight is Finlay taking on Mike Knox.
-Commercial Break-
A nice video airs for Kofi Kingston. I like that guy.
Matt Striker and Todd Grisham welcome us back to the show. They lead us into the Raw Rebound. It was great to see my favorite Bret ?Hitman? Hart back. I love that guy. That was the best Raw I?ve seen in years.
Finlay makes his way to Hornswoggle’s music. How ridiculous. He’s fighting Mike Knox next.
-Commercial Break-
Finlay vs. Mike Knox
They circle the ring and lock up. Knox powers him to the corner and backs up. They circle and lock up again. Knox powers Finlay down. Finlay gets a waist lock but Knox elbows out. Knox goes for a suplex but Finlay powers him down and goes for an arm bar. Knox quickly gets to the ropes. Knox goes for a test of strength but Finlay kicks him in the midsection. Finlay works on the arm but Knox simply stuns him with a punch. Knox sends him into the ropes but lowers his head and eats a kick. Finlay goes into the ropes and eats a bicycle kick, sending him to the outside!
Knox goes outside and Finlay drop-toe-holds him face first into the announcer’s table. Finlay has a whip to the stairs reversed on him but he stops his momentum. Finlay then runs into a powerslam on the outside! Knox gets in the ring and wants a count-out but Finlay gets in at seven. Knox stomps at Finlay’s injured back and hits a nasty body slam for a two count. Knox drives some knees into Finlay’s back and hits some shoulder thrusts to the back in the corner. Finlay slaps at Knox but Knox kicks him and hits a backbreaker for a two count. Knox digs the knee into Finlay’s back and pulls back on the neck. Finlay fights up and gets out with a jawbreaker.
Finlay boots Knox in the face twice and comes off the second rope with a cross-body but Knox catches him. Knox drives him upside down into the corner and knees him. Knox charges but Finlay moves and Knox hits the ring post shoulder first. Finlay rolls him up for a near fall. Finlay hits a pair of clotheslines and a cannonball for a near fall. Finlay drives a shoulder in the corner and hits Rolling Thunder for a near fall. I thought his back was hurt? Finlay sends him to the corner but Knox explodes with a Cross-Body for a near fall! I love Mike Knox! Knox removes the turnbuckle pad and splashes Finlay in the corner. The referee deals with the exposed turnbuckle, allowing Finlay to lay him out with the shillelagh for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Finlay
Match Rating: **
Finlay celebrates his win as the first Superstars of 2010 ends.
Quick Match Results
Gail Kim def. Jillian (First Round Diva’s Title Tournament)
Ted DiBiase def. Chris Masters
Yoshi Tatsu def. Caylen Croft
Finlay def. Mike Knox
Bump of the Night: Knox powerslams Finlay on the outside!
Match of the Night: Three matches at **
Mike’s Thoughts
Normally I hate when they do the four matches for Superstars but this was actually good. All the matches I felt were really enjoyable. The only thing I didn?t like was Mike Knox losing to Finlay AGAIN. What is their hang up with this guy? This is ridiculous! The guy is a superstar heel waiting to happen. He’s got way more talent than Sheamus. His move set is better than any other big man on the roster. There’s no reason he should be losing to Finlay. This is a message to WWE Creative ? get on board with Mike Knox!
Honestly, if they just gave Caylen Croft a different, less made up name he could have something good going. Different tights are needed as well. I liked what I saw out of him.
When did Chris Masters? music change? and when did the pairing with Eve happen? I?m not digging the whole ?dancing pecs? thing. Still, he had a good match with Ted DiBiase.
Final Rating: ** ?
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s Smackdown recap.
Thanks for reading!
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