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Wrestling’s 4Rs 7.08.13: WWE Smackdown & TNA Impact Reviewed – Plus the Updated 2013 PPV Rankings

July 8, 2013 | Posted by Larry Csonka

How the 4Rs 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 7.04.13:
By: Maxwell Baumbach


QUICK MATCH RESULTS:

  • AJ Styles beat Frankie Kazarian by Submission in a Bound for Glory Series Match
  • Hernandez beat Jay Bradley by Pinfall in a Bound for Glory Series Match
  • TNA Tag Team Champions James Storm and Gunner beat The BroMANS
  • Jeff Hardy beat Joseph Park by DQ in a Bound for Glory Series Match
  • Chris Sabin beat Austin Aries and Manik to win the TNA X-Division Championship

    THE RIGHT:
    X-Division Main-Event: I thought that the final minutes of the triple threat which exclusively focused on Sabin and Aries were great, even though the killing of Sabin’s finishers was a bit much. I haven’t bought into Chris Sabin as a main-eventer, but this helped a little bit, as he picked up a huge victory over Aries. It is also nice to see the X-Division getting a good amount of attention heading into Destination X.

    AJ Styles vs. Frankie Kazarian: Though this match was short, I found it to be entertaining the entire time. The Sigfried and Roy outfits for Daniels and Kazarian were quite amusing as well. I liked that AJ went over with the Calf Killer, as it not only establishes the move as a legitimate finisher, but also makes it appear as if AJ wants to get as many points as possible.

    Mickie James’ Promo : Mickie James cut another great promo on Thursday, this time focusing on the upcoming number one contender’s ladder match between Gail Kim and Taryn Terrell. This belongs in the right for two reasons. First off, it continued to establish Mickie as a cocky, self-admiring heel. Secondly, by having the champion thoroughly invested in the number one contender’s match, the match seems more important. Promotions tend to throw out number one contender’s matches with frequency. By having the champion devote her promo time to it, this match becomes more than just a match with a random stipulation to determine who gets a title shot.

    Something Interesting with Hernandez: I’m not a fan of Chavo at all, but I like that they are at least building up something interesting that involves Hernandez. He seems like he’s been in a rut ever since he teamed with Chavo, and a potential split or heel turn could breathe new life into his character.

    puRgatoRy:
    The Tag Team Division: As hard as I have been on James Storm in this column, I’m actually enjoying his in-ring work with Gunner. However, the tag team division is pretty much non-existent outside of the champions. They knocked off the BroMANS this week, but now what? Bad Influence are tied up, Hernandez and Chavo might be splitting, and Roode and Aries are in the BFG series. TNA is either going to have to make some new teams, bring in new talent (unlikely, given the recent budget cuts), or find ways to balance the BFG Series with the tag team division.

    The Main-Event Mafia Segments: The introduction of Magnus had me intrigued, as I am a fan of Magnus, but the segment was nothing more than a bunch of guys kissing each other’s asses. I also felt that they took away from the rub Chris Sabin could have gotten from beating Aries by being ringside during the main-event. I wasn’t a fan of the original Main-Event Mafia, and to be honest, I’m not too keen on it this time either.

    Inconsistency with Joseph Park: TNA needs to decide if they are going to do the Park/Abyss reveal soon, or if they are going to slow burn it, because it seems like they have been flip-flopping on that issue. One week Joseph Park is nothing more than a comedy goober. The next, he goes into “Abyss Mode,” but then it’s back to normal the next week. Hopefully by having a competitive match with Hardy and laying out the referee, a resolution is on the horizon in the near future.

    THE WRONG:
    Why Did Ryan Howe Get Through to the Second Round of the Gut Check?: While I wasn’t impressed with the Big O, in kayfabe, why would he not go through to the next round? Could we at least get a little bit of explanation as to why the loser would get the opportunity instead of the guy who beat him? It doesn’t make sense without clarification.

    THE RIDICULOUS:
    How We Got Here: Although the payoff to the “Austin Aries is Suicide” mess was Chris Sabin getting a big victory, I still don’t think they went about this the right way. It did not need to be as convoluted or polarizing. Instead of building up a steady stream of momentum for Sabin, they briefly set him back, then put him back where he would have been anyway. In the end, the whole thing was basically an over-the-top plot devise that got us back to exactly where we were before.

    TJ Perkins is Just a Guy, but Not Really: So last week, TJ Perkins revealed himself as the real suicide, and appeared as himself for the rest of the episode. This week, he went back into the costume but changed his name, and didn’t act like he did the prior week. I want to put my head through a wall.

    The 411:

    This week is tough to give a score to, as I really liked some of it, found some of it to be okay, and couldn’t stand other parts of it. The logic behind guys befriending Sting NOW because there is a label on it, Sting’s sudden character transformation, and the Manik character are going to be bothering me going into the foreseeable future. However, TNA did create some interesting new directions this week. AJ Styles looks intent on gaining points, Destination X seems pretty important, and Hernandez is going to get out of his rut. All in all, this week’s good outweighed this week’s bad.

    Show Rating: 6.0

    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 07.05.13:
    QUICK MATCH RESULTS:
  • The Usos d. The Rhodes Scholars
  • Alicia Fox d. Kaitlyn
  • Randy Orton d. Christian
  • Dolph Ziggler d. Drew McIntyre
  • Fandango d. Justin Gabriel
  • CM Punk N/C Alberto Del Rio

    THE RIGHT:
    The Friendzone: So CM Punk is facing Alberto Del Rio in the main event, and Paul Heyman thinks this is a bad idea when Punk could be resting for the Money in the Bank match. He also offers to accompany Punk to the ring at Money in the Bank to watch his back. Punk rejects both, reminding Heyman they’re just friends. A short, entertaining segment that also inches their storyline forward, which is something that happens all too little on Smackdown these days.

    Randy Orton vs. Christian: This was so good! In my long and illustrious three week tenure covering Smackdown for the 4Rs, I’ve not seen a match as good as this. If they’d gone out and done a mere re-run of their 2011 feud I would have been happy enough, but they played off their familiarity with each other with some terrific counters and counter-counters and counter-counter-counters, making it a unique bout in its own right. I really liked the sequence when Christian sprang to the top rope looking for his sunset flip, which prompted Orton to position himself for the RKO, only for him to do it too early and allow Christian to counter that in turn. So many counters. Towards the end of the match it became a bit more of a conventionally structured match with the usual big moves and near falls, but this was still a terrific match, one of if not the best on Smackdown this year.

    Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre: Ziggler continues to be an intensely dislikeable face, with his pre-match promo essentially consisting of him saying “hey guys Del Rio tried to suck up to you, I would never do that because I’m cocky and arrogant, and also you’re all waaaaaaaay too smart for that, you bunch of geniuses, have you ever considered joining MENSA? Gosh, you’re all so smart. I love smart people. But I sure hate suck-ups, and I’m going to beat-up Del Rio for being one!” But the match was a fun spirited squash, and I am fond of Ziggler humiliating the Three-Man Band without laying a finger on them.

    CM Punk vs. Alberto Del Rio At just under ten minutes this match was a little shorter than most would have hoped, but it was enjoyable while it lasted and contained honest to god storyline advancement, which is something almost extinct on Smackdown. Punk snapping on Del Rio when he belted Heyman isn’t revelatory or anything, but it re-asserts the two’s friendship in a week that had called it into question. We all know where this angle is going, but if it continues to be carried by Punk, Heyman and Lesnar, with minimal involvement from Curtis Axel, then we should have a fun journey there.

    puRgatoRy:
    The Usos vs. Rhodes Scholars: The match didn’t have much to it, but it was a good enough showcase of the Usos, who are one of the more unique and enjoyable duos to watch in the ring in recent WWE history. The Shield’s post match promo was suitably intimidating as well. There wasn’t really enough substance in this to go into the right section, but it was undeniably effective.

    Fandango vs. Justin Gabriel: Fandango’s fantastic, isn’t he? There’s not a moment when he isn’t 100% in character and positively reveling in playing it. His offence is quite fun as well. There wasn’t much to this match but FANDANGO.

    THE WRONG:
    SINGLES MATCH PLAYA: Punk and Del Rio have enough natural charisma to entertain even on an off day, but make no mistake, this was an off day. I liked Punk’s line about the World Heavyweight Champion just being the number one contender to his title of “Best in the World,” that was pretty clever. Outside of that though, it didn’t feel like either man had anything of real importance to say; first Punk sort of just talked about himself for a bit and reminded us all that yes, he’s unhappy with Brock Lesnar and yes, he wants to win Money in the Bank, then Del Rio interrupted and they argued about independence and the 4th of July for a bit, and they hey, we’ve got a main event set! These sort of segments encapsulate what is wrong with Smackdown these days; they spent ten meaningless minutes making a main event match that could have just been set up before the show with a graphic. It just feels like they’re killing time.

    Kaitlyn vs. Alicia Fox: Briefly, when AJ came out to ringside and Kaitlyn just started to annihilate Alicia, I thought they were going to do a clever twist on the tired trope of “Wrestler A distracts Wrestler B allowing Wrestler C to pick up the win with a roll-up.” But instead, AJ distracted Kaitlyn, allowing Fox to pick up the win with a roll-up. This feud continues to flit between unpleasant and just plain boring.

    THE RIDICULOUS:
    NOTHING

    The 411:

    An enjoyable episode of Smackdown, thanks to the excellent bout between Randy Orton and Christian and most of the other segments at the very least not being given enough time to wear out their welcome. Not a ground-breaking episode of television or anything, but probably a better watch than Raw this week.

    Show Rating: 7.5

    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.

    Click the score of the show to go and read my review and or report from that show.

    TOP PPVs:

  • NJPW WrestleKingdom 7 iPPV9.9
  • NJPW Dominion iPPV 9.75
  • NJPW Invasion Attack iPPV – 9.0
  • ROH Supercard of Honor VII iPPV8.8
  • Dragon Gate USA Open The Ultimate Gate iPPV8.5
  • ROH 11th Anniversary iPPV8.5
  • EVOLVE 22 iPPV8.4
  • EVOLVE 21 iPPV8.2
  • NJPW A New Beginning iPPV7.9
  • Dragon Gate USA Mercury Rising iPPV7.7
  • EVOLVE 20 iPPV7.6
  • Dragon Gate USA Revolt iPPV7.5
  • ROH Border Wars iPPV7.4
  • WWE Payback7.3
  • TNA Slammiversary7.2
  • TNA One Night Only: X-Travaganza7.1
  • WWE Royal Rumble7.0
  • Dragon Gate USA Open the Golden Gate iPPV7.0
  • NJPW New Japan Cup Finals iPPV7.0
  • New Japan Pro Wrestling Dontaku iPPV7.0
  • ROH Best in the World iPPV7.0
  • Dragon Gate Heat iPPV6.9
  • FIP: Declaration of Independence iPPV6.6
  • FIP: Ascension iPPV6.5
  • WWE Extreme Rules6.25
  • WWE Elimination Chamber6.0
  • TNA One Night Only: Hardcore Justice 26.0
  • TNA Lockdown5.5
  • TNA One Night Only: Joker’s Wild5.5
  • WWE WrestleMania 295.0
  • TNA Genesis5.0
  • EVOLVE 19 iPPV5.0

    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: Hardcore Justice 2: Bad Influence vs. Generation Me [****]
  • 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]

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