411’s WWE Superstars Report 12.15.11

Commentators: Matt Striker, Scott Stanford & Josh Matthews

Championship’s roll call: WWE Champion: CM Punk… World Champion: Mark Henry… Intercontinental Champion: Cody Rhodes… United States Champion: Dolph Ziggler… Tag Team Champions: Air Boom… Diva’s Champion: Beth Phoenix… Internet Champion: Zack Ryder

Justin Gabriel vs. Drew McIntyre:   Gabriel does a little Sabu taunt on the stage during his entrance; McIntyre backs him into the corner but Gabriel comes back with kicks. Drew takes over and pounds Gabriel down; he slides under a boot, and hits a spinning head scissors. A spin kick dazes McIntyre, as does a boot off a telegraphed backdrop; McIntyre fires up and clobbers Gabriel right in the face with a boot. He hits a fireman’s carry gutbuster and then slaps on a McIntyre staple, the seated abdominal stretch. Gabriel knees himself free but charges into a backdrop; Drew gets two. He maintains control with a pair of backbreakers. Matt Striker makes an odd observation about the winner possibly getting a “ten-day contract” with wither Raw or SmackDown. First off, aren’t they ALREADY on the Raw or SmackDown roster? …and second, what is this, the NBA? Is Justin Gabriel the WWE’s version of Brian Quinnett? Drew is mighty proud of himself but his gloating proves fatal as Gabriel turns his third backbreaker attempt into a beautiful satellite DDT. Gabriel with a top-rope Lionsault for two; McIntyre forces Gabriel to the floor and he tries to springboard his way back in but meets a clothesline. The Future-Shock DDT gives McIntyre a rare win. 3.5/10 That seemed short; Drew gets a RARE win over another person who deserves more wins. I guess McIntyre gets the “ten-day contract” once Baron Davis returns from injury, look for him to be released.

Here is your winner… Drew McIntyre @ about 8:40 via Future-Shock DDT pinfall.

Trent Barreta vs. Hunico:   Hunico rides down to the ring on the pegs of an old-school low rider banana bicycle ridden by some Latino guy. I made an awesome CAW of Barreta in my WWE ’12 season. They lock up and Hunico forces down via hair pull. Barreta comes back with a monkey flip; Trent slaps on a chinlock. Hunico forces him into the corner and trips him up on a charge upending him into the buckles. Hunico pounds away and hits a vertical suplex, for two. He slaps on a chinlock; Barreta escapes and Hunico maintains control with a wrist-clutch suplex. He knocks Barreta to the apron but Barreta hits a scissors legdrop within the ropes; Barreta capitalizes with the Whisper in the Wind… for two. Trent hits the Gobstopper knee in the corner, also getting two. Barreta tries the Dudebuster DDT but Hunico counters with the Argentine Samoan drop and finished Trent off wit hthe high-angle senton bomb. Post-match, Hunico introduces his friend… in Spanish, so we still don’t know who he is. 4/10 Squash for Hunico who is being retooled (along with Primo and Epico) since Sin Cara is hurt. I like the Latino gangster and now he has a bodyguard/thug running buddy with him.

Here is your winner… Hunico @ approx. 7:15 via high-angle senton bomb pinfall.

Alex Riley vs. Jack Swagger:   No Vickie Guerrero with Swagger tonight. They lock up and Swagger pushes A-Ry around and then gives a victory lap. Swagger applies a standing side headlock and holds it; Riley fires him off but eats a shoulderblock. Riley comes back with a hiptoss but Swagger takes over with a drop-toehold into the third turnbuckle. Riley fires back again with a running clothesline; he hits a leaping reverse DDT off the second rope. Scott Stanford (who rules) hints at a possible Swagger tag team with Drew McIntyre to go for the tag belts, which is fine with me considering that both of them are currently doing jack and shit. Riley tries a half-assed springboard corner move but eats a boot. Swagger maintains control with a series of forearms. SWAGGER BOMB… gets two so he slaps on a neck crank. Riley tries a third comeback but runs into a serious clothesline. Swagger works the back with forearms and menacing faces at the crowd; he runs over Alex, with a shoulderblock, for a one count. After a short chinlock Riley fires up with some clotheslines and a spinebuster. Riley actually shouts his theme song, “say it to my face” to Swagger. He looks for Riley Elevation but Swagger turns it into a belly-to-belly suplex. A second Swagger Bomb fails and the Riley tries the A-Bomb but a series of reversals sees Swagger apply the ankle lock. A-Ry pushes him off and Swagger runs into Riley Elevation for a nearfall. Riley tries the second-rope reverse DDT again, but as it did with swagger, repeating signature moves proves fatal, and Swagger hits the Ankle Submarine; the Ankle lock slapped on again and Riley taps out. 6/10 Entertaining match there; wasn’t sure who was winning here since both guys are on the exact same midcard plain, it lead to a good match and Swagger gets the win.

Here is your winner… Jack Swagger @ around 10:00 via ankle lock submission.

Air Boom vs. Primo & Epico (w/Rosa Mendes):   These four have had two sets of singles matches on previous Superstars, and the heels won both, as well as a tag victory from WWE’s Tribute to the Troops (full review, click here). You’d think that they’d get a title match… soon. Evan and Epico start off and a bunch arm drags follow. Bourne runs the ropes and hits a one-foot dropkick right to the face. Kofi tags and they hit a stretch across the ropes/top-rope stomp move; they botch a hiptoss and Kingston cover with a nearfall. Kofi hits a sunset flip roll-through into a double stomp for two. Primo tags but Kofi takes them both out with a double leaping clothesline; Kingston gets a nearfall and questions Charles Robinson’s count and gets nailed. Primo applies a front chancery; Kofi escapes but Primo tosses him to the floor. Primo thinks topé but Kingston smacks him with a pendulum kick as he is leaping through the ropes. Kingston springboard missile dropkicks Primo to the floor and knocks Epico off the apron, out there as well; Bourne hits a springboard splash to the floor, boosted by Kingston. Back from break, Bourne gets a nearfall on Primo but then gets clotheslines on the ropes. Epico adds a kneelift from the apron; Primo hits a clothesline back in the ring and the Colóns work him over. Epico with a neck crank as the camera shows Rosa cheering them on; a swinging neckbreaker nets dos for Epico. Primo comes in and splashes him in the corner and then Russian leg sweeps him into an octopus-like stretch. A hot tag is nearly made but Primo cuts it off; Epico tags and hits a nice standing dropkick for two. Backdrop suplex drives Bourne into the mat; he tries a suplex but Bourne knees him in the head and then gets the double-knee driver. Kingston gets the tag and leaps all over the place, dropkicks and clotheslines abound, and the Boom Drop follows. Kofi misses Trouble in Paradise but recovers with a pendulum kick into a top-rope frog-crossbody. He tries a pinfall but Primo interferes and the match breaks down. Bourne tries to hurracanrana Primo to the floor but it goes horribly wrong; actually, it looked as if Primo powerbombed him. Perhaps that was supposed to happen because he is able to blind tag in just as Kofi hits Epico with Trouble in Paradise. Primo surprises Kingston with a Backstabber and gets another three count on the tag champs. Post-match, Rosa shakes her ass. 6.5/10 Good main event as the Colóns score their fourth consecutive victory over the tag champs or singles combination of them; these four can have a good match and are talented, hopefully they get some more time in the eventual tag title match. Good to see the WWE give Rosa something to do other than attempt to wrestle; she makes a good spicy Latina valet.

Here are your winners… Primo & Epico @ around 11:25 via Backstabber pinfall.

OVERALL 5.5/10 Two decent matches and two squashes; the squashes were entertaining (for squashes) so it is not a bad show. They are retooling the Sin Cara feud and giving all of the heels something to do in lieu of jobbing or sending them back to FCW, which is good.

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