WWE Superstars
January 19, 2012
Report by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s WWE Superstars recap. If you all are ready, then since Adelitas Way is playing the intro, let’s get on with the show!
We kick things off with the Smackdown portion of the show, with announcers Josh Mathews & Matt Striker.
Tamina vs. Natalya
Lock-up and Tamina with a waistlock, but Natalya reverses and nails Tamina with a club to the back. Natalya then runs away as Tamina gives chase. Natalya locks in a side headlock and hits a shoulder tackle. Tamina with then comes back with a chop for a nearfall. The referee keeps Tamina out of the corner and that allows Natalya to send Tamina to the other corner.
Natalya puts Tamina on the ropes and kicks her in the ribs. Natalya then slams Tamina’s head into the mat. Natalya with another kick to the ribs and then she chokes Tamina in the ropes for a nearfall. Natalya locks in an abdominal stretch on Tamina, but Tamina is able to get out of the hold and she hiptosses Natalya. Natalya then comes right back with a clothesline for another nearfall. Natalya slams Tamina’s head into the mat once again and then locks in her unique reverse surfboard submission, but Tamina does not give up. Natalya goes for a legdrop, but Tamina rolls out of the way.
Natalya charges, but runs into a boot. Tamina hits a series of chops, followed by a leaping headbutt. Tamina tries for a superkick, but Natalya blocks it and goes for the Sharpshooter, but Tamina counters that with a rollup for a close nearfall. Tamina then drills Natalya with a Samoan Drop and heads up top. Natalya stops Tamina by crotching her on the turnbuckles and the goes up top with her. Natalya tries for a superplex, but Tamina blocks it and sends Natalya crashing down to the mat.
Tamina then hits the Superfly Splash off the top for the victory.
Winner: Tamina by pinfall (Superfly Splash)
-Commercial-
Back from commercial, we see highlights from the end of Smackdown, involving World Champion Daniel Bryan, The Big Show, and Bryan’s girlfriend AJ.
-Commercial-
Back from commercial, we move to the RAW portion of the show, with announcers Josh Mathews & Scott Stanford.
Santino Marella & Mason Ryan vs. Curt Hawkins & Tyler Reks
Hawkins and Ryan start things off for their respective teams. Lock-up and Ryan sends Hawkins into the corner. Hawkins has some words for Ryan but Ryan nails him with a shoulder tackle and Hawkins then tags in Reks. Ryan hiptosses Reks into the ring from the apron and then back Reks into the corner and drills him with shoulders to the ribs. Santino tags in and Ryan sends Santino into the ribs of Reks in a battering ram sort of way. Reks then with an Irish whip, but misses a splash into the corner and Santino hits a dropkick. Santino sets up for the cobra, but Reks goes to the outside. Hawkins tries to interfere, but Santino avoids him as Ryan comes in and he press slams Hawkins down onto his partner Reks on the outside as we go to commercial.
-Commercial-
Back from commercial as Reks hits a series of sledges to the ribs and head of Santino. Reks then keeps Santino from making the tag and sends Santino into Hawkins’s boot. Hawkins tags in and kicks Santino in the ribs, followed by a hitting a suplex for a nearfall. Hawkins then locks in a reverse chinlock. Santino tries to break the hold, but Hawkins nails him with a knee to the gut, but Santino then drives Hawkins to the corner to break the hold. Reks then tags in and keeps Santino from tagging in Ryan. Reks then locks in a half nelson chinlock. Santino is able to get to his feet, but Reks pulls Santino back down to the mat and tags back in Hawkins. Hawkins with another kick to the ribs, followed by an elbow drop for another nearfall. Hawkins with scores with a headscissors and tags Reks back in, who once again kicks Santino in the ribs. Reks delivers a hard Irish whip, sending Santino into the corner for yet another nearfall. Hawkins tags back in and nails Santino with a right hand, followed by locking back in the reverse chinlock. Santino breaks the hold with gut shots and hits a jawbreaker as both men are down. Santino crawls to his corner and makes the tag to Ryan.
Ryan hits a shoulder tackle and a series of clotheslines on Hawkins. Ryan follows that with a running shoulder in the corner, followed by a running big boot. Ryan locks in the Full Nelson, and as Reks tries to come in and break it up, Ryan sends Hawkins into Reks, who goes sailing out to the outside.
Ryan tags in Santino, who puts on his Pet Cobra, and nails Hawkins with it for the victory.
Winners: Santino Marella & Mason Ryan by pinfall (Cobra)
-Commercial-
Back from commercial, we go to this week’s “RAW Rebound”, highlighting what took place between WWE Champion CM Punk, Interim RAW GM & Executive VP of Talent Relations John Laurinatis & Mick Foley before our main event.
Jinder Mahal vs. Alex Riley
Mahal goes right after Riley, hitting a series of clubs to the back and kicks in the corner, before being pulled away by the referee. Riley then comes back and sends Mahal into the corner, hitting a series of right hands, but Mahal then Irish whips him to the other corner. Riley avoids Mahal’s charge, and hits a clothesline. Riley then goes up on the turnbuckles, and hits his fall forward DDT for a nearfall. Mahal then comes back with a kick, followed by a leaping knee for a nearfall. Mahal chokes Riley in the ropes, then hits a neckbreaker for another nearfall. Mahal then locks in a cravate, but Riley is able to break out of the hold. Riley then comes off the ropes and connects with a flying forearm. Riley hits another clothesline, followed by a spinebuster. Riley lifts up Mahal for the Final Score, but Mahal fights out with an elbow, followed by a scoop slam.
Mahal then locks in the Camel Clutch, and Riley has no choice but to tap out.
Winner: Jinder Mahal by submission (Camel Clutch)
Mahal celebrates his win as we go to credits.
My Thoughts
Two weeks in a row, as we see yet another mediocre and pretty much bland edition of Superstars. The main event was not needed at all, and was way too short. As much as I don’t like Mahal, I do think they could have gone with a longer outing to see what he can do. But maybe this was done by design, who knows. All I do know is the match he and Riley had was not very good.
The tag match I did enjoy, but again, it didn’t have that “Oomph” feel to it that we as viewers normally see from matches on Superstars. I think Hawkins & Reks work very well as a team, but a thrown together team of Santino & Ryan beats them? Kind of off-kilter if you ask me. I think Santino and Ryan’s roles in the match worked well, and the match was solid, but that’s about it.
I did really like the Divas match though to start the show. Tamina and Natalya work well and Tamina did a surprisingly good job as a FIP. When Natalya is in there with the right girl, she still can be a good worker, and this feud with Tamina does help her bring that good stuff out. Tamina as female Superfly is kind of growing on me, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions on it, we’ll see where it goes in the next couple of months. But, this match was the best thing on the show, by a country mile.
Overall, very “eh” show, but I would say watch the Divas match, if anything, because that was very well done. The rest, however, you can skip, and that is very unfortunate to say.
My Grade: C
Well, that will do it for me this week, I want to thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy your weekend. But remember….
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See ya next week!