Week In Wrestling Review (Jan 15th - Jan 21st)

This is my weekly review of wrestling TV from this week. It goes from Friday to Thursday. 


WWE Smackdown (January 15th)
This was the usual quality of Smackdown that I have come to expect with some excellent performances. Chris Jericho, CM Punk and Luke Gallows were all particular highlights. Gallows is really coming into his own alongside Punk and it shows, and I find myself hoping they put the tag titles onto them (though with DX entering the Rumble I wonder when this will happen). The woman's division is very entertaining thanks to one Beth Phoenix, who actually looks like a legit force in the woman's division right now, which is exactly how she should be used. Props also to Michelle McCool, she gets stick but she is a good performer from time to time and this beatdown showed that, as it also did to Layla who is vastly underrated in my eyes. Kane/Ziggler is also enjoyed, though I do love Ziggler no end. The main event of Batista and Rey Mysterio was quite enjoyable too, it is a shame that their feud got really old really fast, but that happens when they face each other EVERY WEEK. 


TNA Genesis (January 17th) 
I was very split on this PPV, some bits were good and some were awful. I'll start with the worst: Whose idea was it to have Abyss vs Mr Anderson on Anderson's debut? It didn't work, and I have no idea if Anderson is supposed to be heel or face (to use a point others have made, if they think Anderson can pull of a "Steve Austin" they are wrong). Amazing Red vs Brian Kendrick gets a mention here because the match had no right to be as bad as it was, both men (especially Kendrick) are great performers yet they didn't mesh well and they blow so many spots. Nash/Syxx vs Beer Money was a match I expected to be bad, alas I wasn't surprised. The less said about Tara/ODB the better. The good: The main even was well done, though what we say on TV a couple of weeks earlier, but the ending was great, I loved that. British Invasion/Morgan & Hernandez was very good, it came off really well and was my second favourite match of the night, and maybe the week. My MOTN and MOTW was The Pope vs Desmond Wolfe, I enjoyed it so much, loved every second of it. Also, Anderson's reveal was good as well, the guy does has skill on the mic, I'll give him that much. 


ROH on HDNet (January 18th)
I haven't watched Ring Of Honor in a while and this show reminded me why. First, I'll talk about Jay Briscoe vs Mark Briscoe in a Pick 6 Qualifiers match. Before the match there was a segment in which the Briscoes said to one another than they wouldn't attack the knee (Mark recently had a knee injury) and that the winner buys the beers for the other one (there was prize money on offer), yet when the match happened the commentators said "I wonder what they'll spend the money on?", "Probably beers." and "Mark just got back from a knee injury, I wonder if Jay will attack it." This is my issue with ROH, they have no idea how to put on a TV show. There is a lack of continuity, all the matches were laggy and boring, and half the time the wrestlers don't seem to care about selling or psychology (Delirious beat Sonjay Dutt in a submission match and never seemed to work over a body part or even apply a submission hold before locking in the winning submission). That said, ROH can and will often deliver good matches with some good spots, they just didn't on this occasion. 


WWE Monday Night RAW (January 18th)
I thought it was fairly non-offensive once again. Jon Heder was a great heel and meshed with Miz and Show well enough to pull off an enjoyable main event. Jack Swagger should be used better, I think, but I must admit the over-the-top-rope challenge is fun; if it was any other dick heel I'd really like it. I'm still very sceptical about Sheamus/Orton, but the build on this show was okay. Okay is going to get repeated, because I felt the same way about Legacy vs Kofi/Cena, it didn't blow me away but at least they are keeping the two faces relevant ... they should really do something with DiBiase though. One last thing, MVP was being built so well as a challenger, but he gets knocked out at the beginning of the show and doesn't appear again ... why?


WWE ECW (January 19th)
A lackluster ECW for the most part this week. Santino was not very good at the talk show host thing, which is weird because I thought he'd be very good at it, and Vladimir Kozlov just did not get over at all. I feel a simple mention that he became an official American citizen would have worked better if they were trying to do what I think they were trying to do and get Kozlov some pops. Croft and Baretta are guys I sort of like, but I don't really have any interest in, but the match with Tatsu and Goldust was okay. Main event was also quite good, but didn't blow me away, though I will say I am really looking forward to Christian vs Jackson at the Royal Rumble. 


WWE Superstars (January 21st)
I really love Superstars, I can't believe I never used to watch it. We got to see a fairly decent match from Kelly Kelly and Jillian Hall, a good showing from both Vance Archer (yes, I said it) and Shelton Benjamin, and a very good match from Chris Jericho and Kane. Not much to say but quality wrestling right here.


TNA Impact! (January 21st)
Was okay this week, certainly better than I expected/better than spoilers made it look. AJ Styles works much better as a heel and Flair's new guitar remix music is great (I want it on ringtone), but damn, the ending to Angle/Styles was awful. Everything else was fine and dandy, Morgandez/TBI delivered again, Orlando Jordan put on a pretty good performance against the absolutely awesome D'Angelo Dinero and Angelina Love vs Madison Rayne was also pretty good. The stuff with Foley, Bischoff and Jarrett has me very confused, Mr Anderson has me confused (though I enjoyed Abyss' facials during the promo) and no Kendrick? Why? He just debuted and lost, you should be getting him out there so he doesn't look like a total waste. Also, giving publicity to Bubba The Love Sponge is disgusting after his comments about Haiti.


That's all for this week. So I'll give out some honours.


Show of the Week: WWE Smackdown
Wrestler of the Week: Chris Jericho
Non-Wrestler of the Week: Jon Heder
Match of the Week: Pope/Wolfe from TNA Genesis


Next week I will be reviewing the same shows plus a show I've been catching lately, NWA Anarchy.