411’s WWE Superstars Report 09.20.12

Commentators: Scott Stanford, Josh Matthews & Matt Striker

Championship’s roll call: WWE Champion: CM Punk… World Champion: Sheamus… Intercontinental Champion: The Miz… United States Champion: Antonio Cesaro… Tag Team Champions: Kane & Daniel Bryan… NXT Champion: Seth Rollins… Diva’s Champion: Eve Torres

Ted Dibiase vs. JTG:   Ted’s back from a collection of injuries; he had broken his ankle AND needed shoulder surgery AND a broken wrist, as well. Dibiase tries to wrestle so JTG slaps him. He goads Ted into the ropes and kicks him; he celebrates a little too long because he’s fly and all and gets dropkicked. Dibiase hiptosses him and clotheslines him to the floor. Ted follows up with a topé. I’ve never seen him do that. Back in the ring, Dibiase picks up a two count. He pounds in the corner for a ten count but only gets to about four before JTG trips him up and clotheslines him. JTG stamps away and applies a rear waistlock. He counters a clothesline with a back suplex into a neckbreaker for two; he walks into an inside cradle for two. JTG retains control and knees him aggressively. Dibiase tries a hammer toss but JTG reverses it and Ted plows into the buckled; JTG applies a body scissors. He hits the Gutter Punch but all that serves is to fire Ted up. He nails the Dibiase Lariat and a spinebuster; he charges into a boot but leaps off the top and lands right into a Dibiase dropkick. JTG sneaks in a cheeky rollup for two. Dibiase finishes with Dream Street shortly after. 5.5/10 Welcome back Ted Dibiase; perhaps he’ll TREND in a POSITIVE direction now. I like Dibiase and hopefully he’ll get his push soon. This match was basically a step up from squash since JTG controlled most of the match.

Here is your winner… Ted Dibiase @ about 8:20 via Dream Street pinfall.

Drew McIntyre vs. Jinder Mahal:   When did Drew turn babyface? I watch all WWE programming and do not recall anything to this effect. Drew’s also gone old school with his ring gear with the white Scottish trunks. McIntyre backs Mahal into the corner and then they battle over a waistlock; Jinder hits the ropes for a break and sneaks in an elbow to the face. He fires Jinder off the ropes but eats a shoulderblock; he tries again but McIntyre leapfrogs and hits a nice dropkick. He pounds Mahal in the corner until a ref break; he heads to the second rope but Mahal grabs the injured arm and whips Drew off the top. Mahal takes over and drops knees. The fans chant “USA” (presumably for the referee). Mahal hits a nice snap butterfly suplex and then applies a keylock (on the casted hand). McIntyre hits the ropes but runs into a knee and then gets caught with a wicked running kick to the bad wrist. Jinder keeps on it with a basement dropkicks and a standing clothesline; he maintains the advantage with a rope-assisted knee to the bad wrist and a Russian leg sweep. He hits the ropes but McIntyre levels him with a standing clothesline. It hurts his arm though. He begins a comeback with clotheslines and a snap-suplex of his own for two. Drew continues to sell the injured wrist and hits a running boot and the Future-Shock DDT for three. 6/10 Everything was fine with this match except the explanation as to why Drew isn’t an asshole anymore. I like Mahal and hopefully he gets a chance soon. He has done some good work down on NXT and should get some kind of push there, which is why that show is so important; it gives lower tier guys (and “rookies”) chances to run with main event programs that are otherwise clogged up with main eventers on the Raws and SmackDowns.

Here is your winner… Drew McIntyre @ about 7:15 via Future-Shock DDT pinfall.

We get clips of Jerry Lawler returning to his kingdom of Memphis.

Tyson Kidd vs. David Otunga, Esq.:   I like Otunga’s music; he also had lost his neck brace rather quickly. Kidd tries a go-behind so Otunga hiplocks and flexes about it. He applies an armlock; Kidd backs him into the ropes predicating a break. Kidd adds a little flex taunt and drop-toeholds David right onto his face. A Majestral cradle gets two. Kidd hits the rebound dropsault, propelling him onto the apron; Otunga knocks him off the apron and pummels him on the floor. Back in the ring Otunga hits a clothesline and shoulderblock. Kidd sells it like death, making Otunga look much better than he is. Otunga applies a chinlock and tries to segue into a full nelson but Kidd begins a comeback with his feet. Kidd hits a nice Sambo suplex and pendulum kick; he heads up top but Otunga recovers and avoids the move. Kidd rolls on his landing… but charges right into the Verdict and gets pinned. 2/10 Okay. I gotta complain a little… why is Otunga winning here? He’s not that good in the ring, never was, and never wins matches, which is fine since his role is of backstage lawyer. Kidd who is struggling to get over (and basically is, especially in Canada, duh) needed a win like that over someone who is involved with main eventers. This match also showed off his very limited moveset as he hit three moves and a spinebuster and got the win; Kidd did 95% of the work here and the match was short. Keep Otunga as a talker versus a in-ring competitor.

Here is your winner… David Otunga @ about 5:15 via Verdict pinfall.

The Raw report is all about respect and blown calls; for my full review of that entire show click here.

The Usos vs. Prime Time Players:   I know a lot of people did not approve of the way that A.W. was released; I think the Players are better off without him. His open mic gimmick was a bit distracting and O’Neil and Young are better off. I think that they could benefit from a manager, there are far too little heel managers in the WWE right now, but I think they will be fine without it too. Jey Uso and Darren Young open the contest. The fro must be quaffed first though. Young tries to go for the Gut Check right off the opening lockup but anyone who plays video games knows you can’t hit a finisher without building momentum first. Jey MESSES THE FRO up which, of course, angers Young into making an overaggressive mistake and the Usos hit a tandem reverse elbow and double elbow drop. Jimmy gets two. The Usos hit another double team splash in the corner and Young scampers into his corner to tag the power man of the team. O’Neil immediately takes over with a bodyslam and Q-Bark. He misses an elbow drop and Jimmy receives a tag. He nails an enziguri predicating Titus to tag Darren who charges… right into a hiplock takeover. Young tries to fight out of the corner but Jimmy reverses a cross-corner whip and Darren takes a Triple H like bump in the corner to the floor; Jimmy follows up diving off the top with a crossbody. O’Neil runs over so Jey leaps off the other corner to take him out as well and the Usos celebrate in the ring. We return from commercial, with Jimmy hitting a reverse elbow to Young; they battle in the corner and Jimmy winds up on the apron where O’Neil provides a distraction allowing Darren to hit a swinging neckbreaker in the ropes. Jimmy tumbles to the floor and O’Neil gets the fresh tag. He kills Jimmy on the floor with a running lariat and shouts nasty things to the ringsiders. Back in the ring, Titus gets a nearfall and a chinlock. Matt Striker attempts his William Regal impression making the more mundane chinlock seem more important by describing the positioning of O’Neil and how he turns Jimmy away from his corner so he can’t see Jey (I guess for inspiration). Works for me, at least he is describing the action instead of shilling Twitter. I don’t mind SOME Social Media in my wrestling… follow me on Twitter @MarcElusive. Meanwhile, O’Neil stomps Jimmy in the corner and they hit the Millions of Dollars Suplex and Young tries THREE nearfalls. O’Neil tags in and Young hits a front suplex into a Titus boot to the gut. Jimmy attempts to fight back and hits a random backdrop. Jey tags and he kills Young with forearms, a savate kick and tornado forearm. He hits the Samoan Avalanche but O’Neil breaks it up. Jimmy and Titus cancel each other out. Jey hits a Samoan Drop and the usual occurs: Jey heads to the top and O’Neil interrupts and the Players get the pinfall, this time off a Demolition Decapitation. 6.5/10 Millions of dollars… millions of dollars… the Players defeat the Usos for the probably the fiftieth time on television. They are starting their new more serious gimmick so they needed a win coming off the attack on Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara on Raw. The Usos will hopefully get their dues soon. Actually, they have a pretty good rivalry going with Ascension on NXT that you should YouTube to see.

Here are your winners… Prime Time Players @ about 12:00 (broadcast) via Demolition Decapitation.

OVERALL 5.5/10 Pretty decent show this week; we got a return, a strange (possible) babyface turn, good tag main event, and a David Otunga victory… can’t win them all. The show is worthy of a looksee.

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