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Wrestling’s 4Rs 10.14.13: WWE Smackdown & TNA Impact Reviewed – Plus the 2013 Top PPV Match Ratings

October 14, 2013 | Posted by Maxwell Baumbach

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.

Impact 10.10.13:
By: Danny Bennett
QUICK MATCH RESULTS:

Austin Aries defeated Jeff Hardy ***1/2 ( Match of the night)

ODB apparently defeated Jesse by disqualification 1/4*

Brooke earned a spot in the Knockouts title match at Bound for Glory DUD

Magnus and Sting defeated Bad Influence *3/4

AJ Styles defeated Knux and Garett Bsichoff **

THE RIGHT:
Hardy vs Aries BFG Rewind: Last years BFG main event kicked off this week’s action. The X Division is flourishing at the moment , good matches, key characters, direction and overall intrigue. Aries set this up with a pre match interview, which was heelish but only because Hardy is a more natural babyface. This ended up being the match of the night and the finish was sick, a top rope brainbuster was one for the highlight reel.

Joe gets added to the mix: After the Aries/Hardy match Joe made his way out and announced his inclusion to the ultimate x match at BFG, this was genuinely surprising and gives Joe a good spot on the card, I don’t see it lasting, but Joe in the X Division is a plus for me.

Tapa destroys the champ: After last week’s disastrous arrival, Tapa really turned it up this week, her music is great and sets the tone perfectly. Her lariat to ODB was brutal and she hit her finish crisply, overall a much better showing and TNA’s new talent initiative is working here.

Bully fires up the troops: Bully was a riot to watch here, he showed how cunning he was and how he can lure his guys into doing his bidding and have them thanking him for it. Mr. Anderson’s name was dropped which means he could be on his way back, hopefully not during the main event at BFG however.

Hall of EGO: This was undoubtedly one of the best segments on TV this year, if you haven’t seen this , go out of your way to see it . Kaz and Daniels came out in dumb and dumber suits and set the stage for Roode who came out as a edited video played. Roode cut a arrogant speech saying Sting and Kurt Angle did not deserve to be TNA hall of famers. However Angle returned to TNA is great shape and cleared the ring before challenging Roode to a match at BFG. Kaz and Daniels were the stars of the segment , everything they did come off great from a-z. Roode played his part well and looks better than ever as the leader of EGO. Angle’s return rocked the arena and if he has got his demons under control could still be a huge part of TNA for years to come. Angle vs Roode could be a show stealer as BFG looks great on paper so far.

EC3: After last week’s intro vignette we finally saw Ethan’s identity as TAFKA Derrick Bateman. This was great as it introduces a new face and also gives him a character the fans can loath from the get go. Bateman was impressive in NXT and can be an asset if given a chance to shine

What would a redneck do with money?: Carter was a blast here, AJ was heading to the ring for his match however he was stopped by Carter who offered him a cherub on the spot to leave TNA. Her running down rednecks was hilarious in her southern drawl , Styles rejected the offer like any babyface would and headed off , good plot line and development.

The last voice you hear will be mine: The main event was Bully Ray’s revenge with Dixie allowing Bully to pick Styles’ match. Styles managed to beat Bischoff and Knux in a match which was mediocre however the post match beat down by Bully Ray was great. Ray whipped Styles with his chain and back dropped him on the ramp and then layed the badmouth on him to end the show. This heated up the Ray vs Styles match and was a great promo by Ray, he has been TNA’s promo man of the year and the Styles/Ray match should get the fans into it based on their characterizations.

puRgatoRy:
Dixie stings Steve Borden: The show opened with Dixie heading to the ring, which is a mistake as her heel character needs to be used sparingly to get maximum impact out of every appearance , She demanded nobody refer to Hulk Hogan by name and ran down everybody who has tried to run her company for her. Sting came out and called her out on her recent actions . Dixie blamed Sting for convincing her to hire Hulk Hogan as GM. Dixie said Sting will team with Magnus and face Bad Influence tonight with his and Magnus’ BFG spots on the line, as punishment for standing up to her. Carter is improving little by little, her promo style needs work , but her delivery is still bad. Sting was good here and it adds intrigue to his alliance with Magnus

Where did the horse come from?: Finally the Bro Mans were given a short backstage bit, both Jesse and Robbie are entertaining acts but more needs to be done with them. Jesse vs. ODB was what you would expect and was harmless while it lasted.

Sting and Magnus hash it out: The teacher and student dynamic is great to watch and it’s certainly different approach to building a feud with both men showing no animosity. If Magnus turns heel following the match it could bring down the house.

Battle for BFG: Not a bad match by any means by a tad slow and lacked flow. With Sting and Magnus’ BFG Spots on the line this should have felt more important than it did, but with E.G.O’s relegation to the pre show, the finish wasn’t in speculation. Magnus looked pissed after Sting got the pin…interesting

THE wRong:
Styles gets by security: Another pointless segment with Styles ,just like last week, Carter already noted that she has let Styles back in the arena, why did we need to see Styles arrive and him tell us the same thing. Just a waste of time

Tessmacher vs Sky part 2: A rematch from last week’s match saw Tessmacher beat Velvet to earn a title shot at BFG against ODB and Gail Kim. The action was poor and by far the worst of the night, Sky should stick to being Sabin’s valet as his actions at ringside overshadowed the match.

THE RIDICULOUS:
NOTHING

ROLLING CHART: TNA MATCH OF THE NIGHT
How things Work – Each week one match is decided match of the night, the participants of that match are each awarded points (1=Impact, 2 =Impact Special, 5=PPV) the top five are listed on a rolling chart beginning 10.03.13

1. Jeff Hardy (2 Points)
2. Manik (1 Point)
2. Chris Sabin (1 Point)
2. Kenny King (1 Point)
2. Austin Aries (1 Point)

The 411:
A Great show this week, the EGO HOF segment is a must see, and the Hardy vs. Aries match was tremendous. The Dixie/AJ/Ray story is taking up a lot of air time and ranging from really good, to really bad. Magnus vs. Sting has an interesting story and will be a hot match at BFG, the show had a great flow and went by really quickly .With the BFG card really padded out it’s shaping up nicely , the new talents have potential and are definitely two to watch.

Show Rating: 8.0

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

Smackdown 10.11.13
By: Maxwell Baumbach
QUICK MATCH RESULTS:

Curtis Axel beat R-Truth

Los Matadores beat Los Locales

Brie Bella and The Funkadactyles vs. Natalya, Kaitlyn, and Eva Marie

Alberto Del Rio beat Damien Sandow

The Prime Time Players and The Great Khali beat 3MB

Cody Rhodes and Goldust beat The Wyatt Family

THE RIGHT:
Vickie and Del Rio: With Triple H and Stephanie McMahon acting as heel authority figures in the most prominent storyline at the moment, it does WWE some good to differentiate Vickie. By having her act as more of a babyface, they are able to do that. This segment was gold, and I thought Vickie’s comedic delivery was fantastic.

Damien Sandow vs. Alberto Del Rio: This may have been a “trial run” of sorts to test out how Sandow would do as a face, and I must say, I wouldn’t mind seeing that down the line. While I initially worried about how his character would transition, I feel that he showed himself to be capable and fun as a de facto babyface. Many of WWE’s top stars couldn’t be on this show, which may end up serving as a huge blessing to Sandow, who stepped up to the plate in a big way.

Cody/Goldust vs. The Wyatt Family: This was a fun way to cap off the show. Goldust can still go, and Cody is red-hot from the angle with Triple H. Could The Wyatt’s first clean loss have been made into something more special? Sure, but with the reactions they are getting at this point, I won’t lose any sleep over it. The Rhodes Family continues to be one of the most exciting acts in the company.

puRgatoRy:
Curtis Axel vs. R-Truth: This was pretty inoffensive, but I’m getting a little sick of seeing these two wrestle each other when the crowd isn’t invested in either of them. Hopefully they can both move on to something new soon.

PTPs and Khali vs. 3MB: Again, this wasn’t anything terrible, but it didn’t serve much of a purpose other than to give the PTPs their first win in what seems like forever. Khali is perfectly fine in his role as a comedy character, and 3MB are great jobbers. I would like to see Young and O’Neil get something bigger going forward, as I feel that both of them are being underutilized at the moment. They have too much personality and ability to be fodder.

THE WRONG:
Los Matadores vs. Los Locales: Los Matadores are starting to lose me. I have gone to bat for them in this column before because I think they can appeal to kids and draw some money for WWE, but Los Locales carried themselves better than Los Matadores in this match. If they don’t turn up the charisma switch, I have a feeling WWE may do some Colon cleansing.

Six Diva Tag: Why is everyone that was on Total Divas suddenly cool with each other? Also, there have been rumors that Eva Marie is in hot water, and that part of the reason they are putting her in matches is so that she will fail and become humble. What better way to reward your paying customers than to give them someone who you know is atrocious. WWE needs to find a better way to go about handling this rather than telling the people who support them to take a big bite of the shit sandwich that is Eva Marie’s in-ring work.

THE RIDICULOUS:
NOTHING

The 411:
This episode was pretty okay. I really enjoyed the opening segment, Del Rio/Sandow, and the main-event. Sandow stepped up in a big way, and the Rhodes Family act continues to be a treat. Rowan and Harper showed that they were really capable in the main-event, and I think they may have found a “get out of jail free” card if their gimmick gets the kibosh. While there was a good amount of filler, everything that was actively bad was order quickly. Many of the top draws weren’t on this show, but it was fun to see other people step up to the plate.

Show Rating: 6.0

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

CSONKA’s TOP PPV MATCHES of 2013:

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 Destruction iPPV – Kazuchika Okada vs. Satoshi Kojima [****½]

From EVOLVE 24: Drew Gulak vs. Biff Busick [****½]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Finals iPPV: Tetsuya Naito vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – [****½]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Semi-Final iPPV – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada [****½]

From The Dragon Gate KOBE Pro Wrestling Festival iPPV – Ricochet & Naruki Doi vs. Akira Tozawa & BxB Hulk [****½]

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 Summerslam – CM Punk vs. Brock Lesnar [****½]

From The WWE Summerslam – WWE Title Match: John Cena vs. Daniel Bryan [****½]

From the CMLL 80th Anniversary Show – Lucha de Apuestas Match: La Sombra vs. Volador Jr [****½]

From NJPW Desruction iPPV – Testuya Naito vs. Masato Tanaka [****¼]

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 NJPW Kizuna Road II iPPV: Kazuchika Okada vs. Prince Devitt [****¼]

From the ROH Border Wars iPPV – Eddie Edwards vs. Taiji Ishimori [****¼]

From The Dragon Gate KOBE Pro Wrestling Festival iPPV – Shingo Takagi vs. CIMA [****¼]

From DGUSA’s Enter The Dragon 2013 iPPV – Johnny Gargano vs. Akira Tozawa [****¼]

From DGUSA’s Bushido: Code of The Warrior iPPV: The Gate To Heaven Match: Young Bucks & Ricochet vs. CIMA, AR Fox and Tomahawk TT [****¼]

From NJPW Desruction iPPV – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Prince Devitt [****]

From EVOLVE 23: Rich Swann & Ricochet vs. Johnny Gargano & Trent Baretta [****]

From EVOLVE 24: AR Fox vs. Ricochet [****]

From the CMLL 80th Anniversary Show – CMLL Trios Title Match: Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Valiente defeated Polcora, Dragon Rojo and Rey Escorpion [****]

From WWE Night of Champions – Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton [****]

From WWE MITB – Dean Ambrose vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Jack Swagger vs. Fandango vs. Wade Barrett vs. Damien Sandow vs. Antonio Cesaro [****]

From WWE MITB – RVD vs. CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Randy Orton vs. Christian [****]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Finals iPPV: Tetsuya Naito vs. Karl Anderson – [****]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Finals iPPV: Satoshi Kojima vs. Kazuchika Okada – [****]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Finals iPPV: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata – [****]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Semi-Final iPPV – Togi Makabe vs. Tomohiro Ishii [****]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Semi-Final iPPV – Minoru Suzuki vs. Kota Ibushi [****]

From NJPW Kizuna Road II iPPV: Minoru Suzuki vs. Tomohiro Ishii [****]

From NJPW Kizuna Road II iPPV: Masato Tanaka vs. Tetsuya Naito [****]

From NJPW Kizuna Road II iPPV: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. La Sombra [****]

From NJPW Kizuna Road I iPPV: IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Bout – Prince Devitt vs. Gedo [****]

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 Enter The Dragon 2013 iPPV – Young Bucks vs. Ricochet & Rich Swann [****]

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’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 EVOLVE 24: The Bravados vs. Los Ben Dejos vs. Taylor and Cassidy vs. Jigsaw and The Shard [***¾]

From The Dragon Gate KOBE Pro Wrestling Festival iPPV – Super Shisa, Shachihoko Boy & Rich Swann vs. Kotoka, Super Shenlong & Chihiro Tominaga [***¾]

From The Dragon Gate KOBE Pro Wrestling Festival iPPV – Masato Yoshino vs. K-Ness [***¾]

From The Dragon Gate KOBE Pro Wrestling Festival iPPV – Yamato vs. Masaaki Mochizuki [***¾]

From SHINE 11 iPPV: Leva vs. Mia Yim [***¾]

From The WWE Summerslam – World Title Match: Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian [***¾]

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’s One Night Only: TNA 10 Reunion: Jeff Hardy vs. Austin Aries [***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 NJPW Kizuna Road II iPPV: Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov vs. TAKA Michinoku & Taichi [***¾]

From NJPW Kizuna Road II iPPV: Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata [***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]

From the NJPW G1 Climax Semi-Final iPPV: Tetsuya Naito vs. Shinsuke Nakamura [***¾]

From DGUSA’s Bushido: Code of The Warrior iPPV: Johnny Gargano vs. Rich Swann [***¾]

From DGUSA’s Bushido: Code of The Warrior iPPV: Anthony Nese vs. Akira Tozawa [***¾]

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