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Wrestling’s 4R’s 7.01.13: WWE Smackdown & TNA Impact Reviewed – Plus the Updated 2013 PPV Rankings

July 1, 2013 | Posted by Larry Csonka

How the 4R’s of wRestling Work!
Here is a quick explanation of the 4R’s. The column will run TWO times a week. We will group our feelings on the shows in various categories: The Right, the wRong and the Ridiculous. The Right is stuff that worked very well: a great promo, a great match and so on. PuRgatoRy is a section between the right and wrong. It shows equal traits from both sides that cannot be ignored and needs discussed. It is not a bad place per say, as things can get remedied or go the wrong way the very next week. The wRong is what it sounds like: bad matches, bad or boring promos and so on. The Ridiculous is stuff that had no right on TV: Stupid angles and so on. And there is always a possibility of a 5th R, which is as bad as they come. This column is supposed to be analytical, and at the right time very critical of the shows, it was the whole reason it was created. This is not a “mark” column, nor a “smark” column, our goal is to analyze the show from many different fronts, reward the good and call out the bad. We will not apologize for our opinions, they are as they are, whether positive or negative.


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Impact 6.27.13:
By: Maxwell Baumbach


QUICK MATCH RESULTS:

  • “Suicide” beat Chris Sabin and Kenny King to win the TNA X-Division Championship
  • Adam Ohriner beat Ryan Howe
  • Mickey James beat Velvet Sky
  • Magnus beat Bobby Roode
  • Samoa Joe beat Ken Anderson

    THE RIGHT:
    Bull Ray is Paranoid: It’s no secret that I thoroughly enjoy Bully Ray’s character. This week, he was on a roll again, acting completely paranoid the whole show. I think his best appearance came early in the show, where he threatened Chris Sabin and told him not to challenge for the title. His character truly lived up to the bully name this week. Additionally, his hunt for Suicide was tremendous, as well as his concerns that Sting and Kurt Angle had something to do with it. This showed that the reformation of The Main-Event Mafia has gotten to him and has him worried, which is good if we are going to be taking them seriously.

    Keeping Magnus Strong: Though it was at the expense of Bobby Roode, who hasn’t been able to catch a break as of late, Magnus picked up another win and is still on top of the Bound for Glory Series standings. While I feel that he will most likely fade off a bit as the tournament progress, I like that TNA is making him a focal point. He can talk, wrestle, and carry himself well, and this run on top of the standings will be a good litmus test to determine if he can be a top guy.

    puRgatoRy:
    Mickie James vs. Velvet Sky: This match was better than the previous one between these two, but it was still a bit clunky. Though Velvet is over, she really struggles in the ring. I’m hoping that she doesn’t get the title back at any point in the near future. Mickie is a better in-ring worker with the most interesting character in the division. TNA should move her onto something new soon so that she isn’t wasting her efforts in a feud that creates nothing but awkward matches.

    Samoa Joe joins The Main-Event Mafia: I felt a little torn when Samoa Joe joined The Main-Event Mafia. On one hand, Samoa Joe has been great recently. He’s been wrestling with intensity and showing some fire on the microphone. It appears as if he is motivated once again. If this means that Samoa Joe’s work is being rewarded, and he will be a focal point of the company, that’s great. However, a large part of me worries that instead, Joe will be lost in the shuffle as merely another guy who is in a stable. This is one of those wait-and-see issues, so we’ll do just that.

    THE WRONG:
    Gut-Check Match: TNA’s fan voting for the Gut Check was a creative idea. However, in this scenario, it led to Adam Ohriner, also known as “The Big O,” getting a match and winning. I don’t blame Ohriner for leveraging his popularity from Zack Ryder’s internet show into a great opportunity. That said, I don’t feel that he is ready to compete on such a big stage. Howe didn’t fare much better, showing off little more than his hokey character, and I’m hoping neither guy is back.

    LOL UR GAY: Robbie E and Jessie Godderz appear to have formed an alliance, dubbing themselves “The Bro-Mans.” While I can’t imagine them having any five star matches any time soon, I think this idea would be okay for an undercard jobber tag team. However, instead of being showcased that way, they were in a promo with the TNA Tag Team Champions, James Storm and Gunner. James Storm inferred that Robbie E and Gooderz are gay with subpar delivery, which is great comedy in 2013. The reason this ends up in “The Wrong” is because it showcases just how badly the tag team division has gone into the shitter. Not long ago, Bad Influence and Roode and Aries were putting on great matches every week. Now we have James Storm making gay jokes and a bunch of guys who could disappear forever without fans even noticing.

    Where Women’s Wrestling Is(n’t) Taken Seriously: TNA pride themselves on being an alternative product, and part of that is their women’s division. Just a week ago, Brooke Hogan talked about how proud she was of the division’s competitors and the buzz that they had generated for their ring work. TNA built on that this week by having Velvet Sky cry after losing her match. This didn’t make me pity Velvet; it just made her look like a whiny bitch. Instead of having her act like a grown woman, TNA had her act like a child. It’s hard to hold their women’s division in high regard when you can tell that the people writing it don’t hold women as a whole in a high regard.

    THE RIDICULOUS:
    Austin Aries is Suicide: First off, let me through this out there: I like unpredictability. When watching a wrestling show, the “anything can happen!” element is a good thing. However, I like unpredictability to be founded in logic and to make sense. Austin Aries beating up a guy backstage prior to a match and presumably stripping him naked with no one noticing is a bit out there. On top of that, we are now left with more questions than answers. For example, what will happen to Aries’ spot in the Bound for Glory Series? Though this was surprising, it now seems like TNA’s X-Division has gone nowhere in the last year. Austin Aries already got his rub. TNA could have given a chance to someone new, but they didn’t. Instead, they’ve gone with Aries for the second straight year. The idea of Aries finding a way to insert himself in the title picture is fine, but this was the wrong way to go about it, and it most likely took away a big opportunity from someone else. This is the kind of convoluted trash that made me stop watching TNA from 2008-2011.

    Suicide is Just a Gimmick : After being stripped of his costume, TJ Perkins appeared as himself for the remainder of the episode of Impact Wrestling. However, rather than being a dark, eerie individual, it turns out TJ Perkins is JUST A NORMAL GUY! This screamed, “Hey guys, WRESTLING IS FAKE!” Are we supposed to believe, in kayfabe, that the people act differently on TV than they do in real life? Does this make any sense to anyone? How can we really know if anyone is who they say they are? If this is a thing that people do, why don’t NBA players or UFC fighters have offer-the-top gimmicks? While a guy like Roy Nelson is a certainly a character, he isn’t eating a cheeseburger in-between rounds. This breaking of the fourth wall was unbelievably obnoxious.

    The 411:

    This was the worst episode of Impact that I can remember in some time. Most of the booking made me want to put my head through a wall, and while the in-ring action was okay, there wasn’t one match in particular that stood out. While there were a lot of things of consequence that took place, my reaction to them was either, “let’s wait and see” or “this is not good.” The main storyline for the episode (Aries is Suicide) was hokey and ridiculous. Let’s hope that things get back on track next week.

    Show Rating: 4.5

    As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale…

    0 – 0.9: Torture
    1 – 1.9: Extremely Horrendous
    2 – 2.9: Very Bad
    3 – 3.9: Bad
    4 – 4.9: Poor
    5 – 5.9: Not So Good
    6 – 6.9: Average
    7 – 7.9: Good
    8 – 8.9:Very Good
    9 – 9.9: Amazing
    10: Virtually Perfect



    By: Jack Stevenson

    Smackdown 6.28.13:
    QUICK MATCH RESULTS:

  • Sheamus d. Damian Sandow
  • Natalya d. AJ
  • Randy Orton d. Kane
  • Ryback d. Justin Gabriel
  • Christian & The Usos d. The Shield

    THE RIGHT:
    Sheamus vs. Damian Sandow: This was rather stupid, and not always in a good way, but on the whole it was an entertaining enough brawl to make the right section. The spots with the beer-keg and the sack of potatoes and the green weaponry weren’t really that funny, but the match improved once it became more heated, and both wrestlers appeared to be enjoying themselves throughout the bout. The finish was pretty darn cool as well. Hopefully everyone involved in this feud can move on to more meaningful matches from here.

    DAT MONEY, MONEY (in the bank,) YEAH YEAH: I like the idea of splitting the Money in the Bank field into all-stars and up and comers. It’s a neat concept that should ensure the two matches feel unique, and will hopefully lead to the two winners using the two cases for different means. The field isn’t inspiring, but a Dean Ambrose win would be interesting.

    Randy Orton vs. Kane: I’m starting to have serious concerns that my confident prediction from last week that Daniel Bryan is turning heel might prove to be humiliatingly inaccurate, though his performance on commentary and bungled interference during this bout certainly wasn’t that of your conventional fan favorite. Anyway, this Orton-Kane match was hugely enjoyable, very nearly as good as the Orton-Bryan match from last week, with some surprisingly fluid sequences, close near-falls, and an enjoyable D-Bry cameo. I wouldn’t object to further matches between these two.

    Fiesta Del Rio: Del Rio’s such a great heel isn’t he? He manages to be sleazy, slimy, and quietly intimidating all at the same time, and while I couldn’t understand much of his promo, I’m sure it was excellent. The Ziggler Piñata was a nice touch, as was Ziggler commandeering the mariachi band. The segment felt a bit rushed and anti-climactic (WHY DID NO ONE GO FACE FIRST INTO THE SALSA?) but it was a nice concept and enjoyable enough.

    puRgatoRy:
    Ryback vs. Justin Gabriel: A Ryback squash is a Ryback squash is a Ryback squash. Jericho’s promo was fine but the feud isn’t anything to get worked up about. Into purgatory with you!

    Christian & The Usos vs. The Shield: Remember when the Shield were nigh on invincible? Now they’re losing to Christian and the Usos on Smackdown. The match was good fun, with a suitably chaotic finishing sequence, but you get the sense WWE are slowly winding the Shield down, which is a real shame. Still, maybe this was a blip, and a very watchable one at that…

    THE WRONG:
    MizTV w/ Paul Heyman: This wasn’t great. The verbal sparring between the Miz and Paul Heyman was strangely limp and heatless; Heyman had a few nice moments, but Miz was awkward throughout, though the lack of fire on display was appropriate for the lifeless Miz-Axel feud. I wonder if this segment would have had a bit more purpose if it was based around the approximately 231 times more interesting Punk/Lesnar/Heyman love triangle, or whether both men were just having an off night. On the plus side, the Miz saved an abysmal Star Wars joke with the “Luke, you’re not your father” line to Curtis, which was genuinely clever. Hooray for that!

    Identity Theft: HAHAHAHA AJ HAD SEX WITH MULTIPLE PARTNERS AND ONE OF THEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN A GIRL!!!!!!!!! JBL’s appalled “OH NO!” when Kaitlyn insinuated AJ and Mark Yeaton had been together made me laugh, but the promo very much didn’t. Since about 2006 the women’s division has been a black hole of creativity, and this AJ-Kaitlyn feud has been sucked into it after an initially promising start.

    THE RIDICULOUS:
    NOTHING:

    The 411:
    This was one of the most painfully average episodes of Smackdown I can remember; nothing really bad happened, but nothing all that good occurred either, which in my eyes is worse than a show that makes the effort to be something, even if that something is awful. Two decent matches and an entertaining, if forgettable final segment aren’t enough to make this a worthwhile use of two hours.

    Show Rating: 5.5

    As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale…

    0 – 0.9: Torture
    1 – 1.9: Extremely Horrendous
    2 – 2.9: Very Bad
    3 – 3.9: Bad
    4 – 4.9: Poor
    5 – 5.9: Not So Good
    6 – 6.9: Average
    7 – 7.9: Good
    8 – 8.9:Very Good
    9 – 9.9: Amazing
    10: Virtually Perfect


    YEAR IN REVIEW (PPV) by Csonka:
    As a reminder, this is not a basic “how good was the show” number like a TV show, as I have always felt that a PPV is very different from a regular show. I have always judged PPV on how they built to a match, the match quality, crowd reactions to matches and angles, the overall booking, how the PPV leads into the future, PPV price and so on and so forth. I have added this in here for an explanation since so many have asked, and I have previously discussed it on podcasts. I understand that this may seem different, but that is how I grade. Obviously your criteria may be different.

    TOP PPVs:

  • NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV – 9.9
  • NJPW Dominion iPPV – 9.75
  • NJPW Invasion Attack iPPV – 9.0
  • ROH Supercard of Honor VII iPPV – 8.8
  • Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV – 8.5
  • ROH 11th Anniversary iPPV – 8.5
  • EVOLVE 22 iPPV – 8.4
  • EVOLVE 21 iPPV – 8.2
  • NJPW A New Beginning iPPV – 7.9
  • Dragon Gate USA Mercury Rising iPPV – 7.7
  • EVOLVE 20 iPPV – 7.6
  • Dragon Gate USA Revolt iPPV – 7.5
  • ROH Border Wars iPPV – 7.4
  • WWE Payback – 7.3
  • TNA Slammiversary – 7.2
  • TNA One Night Only: X-Travaganza – 7.1
  • WWE Royal Rumble – 7.0
  • Dragon Gate USA Open the Golden Gate iPPV – 7.0
  • NJPW New Japan Cup Finals iPPV – 7.0
  • New Japan Pro Wrestling Dontaku iPPV – 7.0
  • ROH Best in the World iPPV – 7.0
  • Dragon Gate Heat iPPV – 6.9
  • FIP: Ascension iPPV – 6.5
  • WWE Extreme Rules – 6.25
  • WWE Elimination Chamber – 6.0
  • TNA Lockdown – 5.5
  • TNA One Night Only: Joker’s Wild – 5.5
  • WWE WrestleMania 29 – 5.0
  • TNA Genesis – 5.0
  • EVOLVE 19 iPPV – 5.0

    TOP PPV MATCHES:

  • From NJPW Invasion Attack iPPV – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada [****¾]
  • From The NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV: IWGP Heavyweight Title Bout – Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. Kazuchika Okada [****¾]
  • From The NJPW “A New Beginning” iPPV: IWGP Heavyweight Title Bout – Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. Karl Anderson [****¾]
  • From NJPW Dominion iPPV – Katsuyori Shibata vs.. Hirooki Goto [****¾]
  • From NJPW Dominion iPPV – IWGP Heavyweight Title Bout: Kazuchika Okada vs. Togi Makabe [****½]
  • From The NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Bout – Prince Devitt © vs. Low Ki vs. Kota Ibushi [****½]
  • From The NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV: IWGP Intercontinental Title – Shinsuke Nakamura © vs. Kazushi Sakuraba [****½]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV – Akira Tozowa vs. Riccochet [****½]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV – Johnny Gargano vs. Shingo [****½]
  • From ROH Supercard of Honor VII iPPV – Jay Lethal vs. Michael Elgin [****½]
  • From The WWE WrestleMania 29 – CM Punk vs. Undertaker [****½]
  • From The WWE Payback – CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho [****¼]
  • From EVOLVE 21 iPPV: No DQ Match: Jon Davis vs. Chuck Taylor [****¼]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Mercury Rising iPPV –Shingo vs. Akira Tozawa [****¼ ]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Mercury Rising iPPV – CIMA, EITA & Tomahawk TT vs. Johnny Gargano, Rich Swann & Ricochet [****¼]
  • From EVOLVE 22: Open the Freedom Gate Title Match: Johnny Gargano © vs. Samuray Del Sol [****¼]
  • From The NJPW New Japan Cup iPPV: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hirooki Goto [****¼]
  • From the ROH Border Wars iPPV – Eddie Edwards vs. Taiji Ishimori [****¼]
  • From NJPW Dominion iPPV – Rocky Romero & Alex Kozlov vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA [****]
  • From NJPW Dominion iPPV – Prince Devitt vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi [****]
  • From NJPW Dominion iPPV – Minoru Suzuki & Shelton Benjamin vs.. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii [****]
  • From The NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV: Togi Makabe vs. Katsuyori Shibata [****]
  • From The NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV: Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki [****]
  • From The NJPW “A New Beginning” iPPV: Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki [****]
  • From NJPW Invasion Attack iPPV – Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr [****]
  • From NJPW Invasion Attack iPPV IWGP Jr Tag Team Title Match: Alex Shelley & Kushida vs. Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi [****]
  • From NJPW Invasion Attack iPPV Masato Tanaka & Yujiro Takahashi vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma [****]
  • From EVOLVE 20: EITA vs. Tomahawk T.T. [****]
  • From EVOLVE 22: EVOLVE Title Match: AR Fox vs. Lince Dorado [****]
  • From EVOLVE 22: Open the United Gate Titles: Matt and Nick Jackson © vs. EITA and Tomahawk T.T. [****]
  • From DGUSA’s Revolt iPPV – AR Fox vs. Samuray del Sol [****]
  • From DGUSA’s Revolt iPPV – Akira Tozawa vs. Sami Calihan [****]
  • From DGUSA’s Heat iPPV – AR Fox and Akira Tozowa vs. The Young Bucks [****]
  • From the ROH 11th Anniversary iPPV – The American Wolves vs. Forever Hooligans [****]
  • From the ROH 11th Anniversary iPPV – ROH Tag Team Title Match: Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly vs. The Briscoes [****]
  • From the ROH 11th Anniversary iPPV – ROH World Title Match: Kevin Steen vs. Jay Lethal [****]
  • From ROH Supercard of Honor VII iPPV – ROH Tag Team Title Match: Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish vs. The American Wolves [****]
  • From ROH Supercard of Honor VII iPPV – ROH Title Match: Kevin Steen vs. Jay Briscoe [****]
  • From TNA Genesis – Elimination Match for the TNA World Title: Jeff Hardy © vs. Bobby Roode vs. Austin Aries [****]
  • From TNA’s One Night Only: X-Travaganza: Samoa Joe vs. Austin Aries [****]
  • From FIP: Ascension iPPV: AR Fox vs. Trent Baretta [****]
  • From WWE Extreme Rules – Steel Cage Match: Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar [***¾]
  • From The WWE Elimination Chamber – The Elimination Chamber Match: Jack Swagger vs. Mark Henry vs. Kane vs. Daniel Brian vs. Randy Orton vs. Chris Jericho [***¾]
  • From The WWE Elimination Chamber – The Shield vs. Cena, Sheamus and Ryback [***¾]
  • From The WWE Royal Rumble – The Royal Rumble Match [***¾]
  • From The WWE Royal Rumble – WWE Title Match: The Rock vs. CM Punk [***¾]
  • From TNA Lockdown – Tag Team Title Match: Austin Aries & Bobby Roode vs. Daniels & Kazarian vs. Chavo & Hernandez [***¾]
  • From TNA Slammiversary: AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle [***¾]
  • From the ROH Best in the World iPPV – Michael Elgin vs. Tomasso Chiampa [***¾]
  • From the ROH 11th Anniversary iPPV – No Holds Barred Match: BJ Whitmer vs. Charlie Haas [***¾]
  • From ROH Supercard of Honor VII iPPV – Roderick Strong vs. Karl Anderson [***¾]
  • From The NJPW “A New Beginning” iPPV: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Bout – Prince Devitt © vs. Ryusuke Taguchi [***¾]
  • From New Japan Pro Wrestling Dontaku iPPV: Kazuchika Okada vs. Minoru Suzuki [***¾]
  • From New Japan Pro Wrestling Dontaku iPPV: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Karl Anderson [***¾]
  • From EVOLVE 20: Samuray Del Sol vs. Anthony Nese [***¾]
  • From EVOLVE 20: Andrew Everett vs. Caleb Konley vs. Jon Davis vs. Lince Dorado vs. Shane Strickland vs.Tommy Taylor [***¾]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV – The Young Bucks vs. AR Fox and CIMA [***¾]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV – Super Smash Brothers vs. EITA & Tomahawk TT [***¾]
  • From Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV – Chuck Taylor vs. Arik Cannon vs. Jigsaw vs. Tony Nese vs. Fire Ant vs. Shane Strickland [***¾]
  • From DGUSA’s Revolt iPPV – Open the Freedom Gate No Ropes-No DQ Match: Johnny Gargano vs. Jon Davis [***¾]
  • From EVOLVE 19 iPPV: EVOLVE Title Tournament Semifinal Match: Ricochet vs. AR Fox [***¾]
  • From EVOLVE 21 iPPV: Anthony Nese & Brian Cage vs. The Young Bucks [***¾]
  • From EVOLVE 21 iPPV: Samuray Del Sol vs. Shane Strickland [***¾]
  • From EVOLVE 21 iPPV: Johnny Gargano vs. Tomahawk T.T. [***¾]

    Have you checked out the Csonka Podcasting Network? If you haven’t, you should We run anywhere from 15-20 shows a month, discussing pro wrestling, the world of MMA, the NBA, general sports, popular TV series of the past, bad movies, battle rap, interviews, MMA & Wrestling conference calls and more! Around 10 different personalities take part in the various shows, which all have a different feel; so you’ll likely find something you like. All of the broadcasts are free, so go ahead and give a show a try and share the link with your friends on the Twitter Machine and other social media outlets! Running since May of 2011, there are currently over 350 shows in the archive for you to listen to.

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