411’s WWE Superstars Report 02.07.13

Commentators: Matt Striker & Tony Dawson

Championship’s roll call: WWE Champion: The Rock… World Champion: Alberto Del Rio… Intercontinental Champion: Wade Barrett… United States Champion: Antonio Cesaro… Tag Team Champions: Team Hell No… NXT Champion: Big E Langston… NXT Tag Team Champions: Vacant… Diva’s Champion: Kaitlyn

Zack Ryder vs. Heath Slater (w/3MB):   This match has awesome written all over it. I enjoy Ryder and I think 3MB are on the cusp of something highly entertaining. This is the obvious lower midcard feud over Ryder’s iTunes hit Hoeski with 3MB being the resident WWE musicians. Also, this is an intriguing matchup in that I have no idea who is going to win; these two are in the EXACT same position in the WWE. Slater misses a clotheslines in the corner; Heath tries to work the arm so Ryder does some fancy acrobatics to escape. Matt Striker’s commentary has been much less over-the-top and more tweener as he openly roots for who he likes and doesn’t like despite heel/babyface allegiances, Just as I say that he goes off on a tangent about dating websites. Ryder armdrags into an armbar but Slater takes over; Ryder comes back with a flapjack. He pounds in the corner but Mahal hops up on the apron allowing Slater to take over. He pounds away on the back of Ryder’s head and chokes him in the ropes. Slater distracts the referee allowing McIntyre a cheapshot. Heath goes to the chinlock and adds some elbows to the face; he tosses Zack into the ropes and nails a leg lariat. Slater boxes a little and hits a big roundhouse right and then applies another chinlock. Tony Dawson legitimizes it, saying Slater is a Golden Gloves champion in West Virginia. Ryder frees himself and hits a faceplant; Zack crumples to the corner, goading Slater to charge, and he meets the double knees and missile dropkick. He hits the flying forearm in the corner but Slater avoids the Broski Boot. Slater retreats to the floor and confers with Mahal and McIntyre so Ryder tries a pescado; 3MB scatters but Ryder lands on his feet. Ryder ducks a Slater clothesline and hits Mahal. McIntyre helps Slater back into the ring but Ryder dropkicks Slater into him, wiping him out. There’s the Rough Ryder and Zack manages a pinfall win.   5.5/10 This match was pretty good, unfortunately it was really short; if these two were higher on the card this could be a really good two commercial matchup on Main Event. IT could also work out as the secondary matchup on that show as well. Good match.

Here is your winner… Zack Ryder via Rough Ryder pinfall

The first Raw highlight package is CM Punk lambasting the fans for cheering the Rock and promises to win his WWE title back.

The next highlight package from Monday Night Raw was the dueling microphones between the Miz and Paul Heyman. That did not end well for Miz as Brock Lesnar beat the shit out of him. Vickie Guerrero is there too and admits that SHE resigned Lesnar.

To read my full review of Monday Night Raw, please click here.

Justin Gabriel vs. Damien Sandow:   Poor Gabriel, he will be barley keeping his head above water and on job duty until Tyson Kidd returns. Sandow discusses the dissolution of Team Rhodes Scholars… SILENCE! He serves warning to the WWE Universe and his crusade commences with the dismantling of Gabriel. They lock up and Gabriel does some real athletics to break up an armbar; Sandow is nonplus and yanks him down by the hair. Gabriel comes back with a crucifix and dropkick. Sandow retreats to the ropes and pulls Gabriel down and to the floor where he stomps away. Back in the ring, Sandow pounds and stomps into a one count; he maintains control with rapid-fire kneelifts into a chinlock. Justin powers free with a jawjacker; he charges but eats a drop-toehold into the bottom rope. The Russian leg sweep/ Cubito Aequet combo follows, for a nearfall as we head off to break. Back from commercial, Gabriel counters a suplex with an inside cradle. Sandow fires right back and entangles him in a chinlock. Gabriel frees himself but Sandow grabs the trunks and hits a forearm to the back drawing the ire of Tony Dawson. Matt Striker’s “I didn’t see that” in mid-sentence is pretty funny. Gabriel then momentums him through the ropes to the floor; back in the ring, Gabriel begins his kicks comeback and then nails the roundhouse kick. He heads up and nails a crossbody, for two. He tries the top-rope Lionsault but Sandow moves; Gabriel manages to stick the landing but tweaks his knee on the landing. Sandow can’t quite take the advantage and gets backdropped; Gabriel continues to fly around and hits a second rope shoulderblock. He still sells the knee and that hesitation allows Damien to finally take over with a kick to it. He ends the match with Terminus for the pinfall.   3/10 Squash for Sandow as his singles push seems to be getting off to a better start than his former Rhodes Scholars tag partner. The match was the typical Damien matchup hitting all his signature moves. He uses a lot of chinlocks, which is probably a good thing because he can work the athletic match but he may elicit cheers because of it much like Alberto Del Rio having to dumb down his Lucha stuff when he was a heel. Sandow works well in longer matches against higher ranking opponents but for squashes he’s boring.

Here is your winner… Damien Sandow via Terminus pinfall

The show ends with the entire “John Cena calls out the Shield” segment at the end of Raw; here’s my recap from marcelusive.net:  Brad Maddox is in the ring and rips on Paul Heyman for duping him. He feels he’s an innocent victim. Maddox reveals he was the whistleblower who gave Mr. McMahon the footage. He feels he’s a hero and he is calling out the Shield, not John Cena. I smell setup. Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins answer but they do not storm the ring; Ambrose calls him a rat. Dean says that justice isn’t free. Rollins tells Maddox what justice is: a beating for Brad. Maddox calls them on. They hit the ring and beat him down. If this is a setup it sure is a painful one. They make quick work of him with the Shield Bomb. NOW Cena comes out… through the crowd. Ryback and Sheamus follow suit. The Shield try to escape up the ramp but Randy Orton leads the rest of the locker room out to block. Cena, Sheamus and Ryback surround the Shield and a huge brawl erupts. The babyfaces get the advantage and send the Shield scurrying. I sense a six-man tag at the Chamber.

OVERALL 4/10   One fun matchup and one squash plus the Raw recaps; not a bad show this week but not worth hunting down on YouTube.

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