 Could Sheamus' team overcome the odds? By Graham "GSM" Matthews
Opening Segment We see this same sort of segment for every multi-man matchup in WWE, whether it be a Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber or Money in the Bank. Every man involved in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder match made their case for why they should be champion (except for Bray Wyatt who shouldn't have appeared anyway) and the brawl that brought out was a nice teaser of what was to come in the main event. It was a paint-by-the-numbers segment that featured nothing notable, but it was effective hype for the upcoming title match. Seth Rollins def. Kofi Kingston I was looking forward to this match as it had the potential to be great on paper, but it was nothing more than an extended squash for Rollins. Rollins needed the win and it was refreshing to see him defeat someone not named Dolph Ziggler, but it would have been nice had the match gone on a little longer. I realize Kingston means next to nothing nowadays, but his pre-match promo seemed to indicate that he might have involvement in the Money in the Bank Ladder match. Dean Ambrose continues to cut great promos and he is carrying Rollins to enjoyable verbal exchanges.
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 By Graham "GSM" Matthews
MVP Called Out TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young It continues to annoy me that this show always opens with a promo from either MVP or Young. It's never anything different and it always kicks off the show on a sour note. That said, this was a logical follow-up to the events that occurred at Slammiversary and the promos from both individuals were fine. The segment was also a nice tie-in to the subsequent championship match. TNA World Heavyweight Champion Eric Young def. Kenny King I thought Young and King had a short match last week, and then they have a three minute contest on this show. No world title match should ever be this short, but I can see why it was. Granted, these two have the potential to have a much better match than this, but with Young still having to defend the title again later on in the night, it was logical for this bout to be brief. MVP's post-match promo finally brought out his aggressive side and it was fun to watch. It also made several matches official for later in the night.  Jack Swagger locks up with Rob Van Dam. By Graham "GSM" Matthews
Nikki Bella def. Alicia Fox I'm fairly surprised that Nikki hasn't been featured on WWE TV more prominently since the "firing" of her sister Brie. You'd think The Authority would make her life miserable on a weekly basis on Raw. I realize they did that by putting in a 2-on-1 Handicap match following Payback, but that's it? Anyway, this was a decent enough match with nice work from both ladies. Nikki has improved immensely in the ring in the last year or so and Fox has always been a solid worker. Nikki emerging victorious was no surprise. Fox's post-match meltdown with her throwing her shoes at Nikki was perhaps her weakest freakout yet. Rob Van Dam def. Jack Swagger I remember complaining the last two times Swagger and RVD faced off that their matches were too brief, so I was very glad to see them finally get their due on Superstars. The match was given great time and it allowed both competitors to develop nice chemistry together. Swagger hasn't mean anything in forever, but there's no denying he can flat-out go in the ring and he showed that here against RVD. This was definitely one of the better Superstars matches in recent memory and was a fun showcase for both RVD and Swagger.  Sasha Banks stretches out Alexa Bliss. By Graham "GSM" Matthews
Alexa Bliss def. Sasha Banks Bliss continues to improve in the ring in the small doses we've seen of her so far and the fact she's working with polished female talent such as Banks certainly helps. Obviously, they could've used more time to shine, but they made the most of the brief time they were allotted. The central focus of this match was the teasing tension between Charlotte and Summer Rae at ringside. I've been loving the slow-burning breakup of the BFFs in recent weeks and I look forward to seeing where it leads. Mojo Rawley def. Garrett Dylan Wasn't Dylan released last year? Why was he fired only to be brought back? I was never impressed by his work when he was teaming with Scott Dawson, and this match did nothing to change my mind. The commentators tried to put him over as best they could, but he came off as nothing more than an enhancement talent to me. It was another quick squash for Mojo, whose energy I still enjoy, but they need to find direction for him fast.  Bray Wyatt picks up the pinfall victory for his team. By Graham "GSM" Matthews
Dean Ambrose Attacked Seth Rollins While Rollins' mic skills are increasing a rapid rate, there is still room for improvement. His promo felt like it went on a bit too long, but his delivery was still solid. A lot of fans (myself included) have been petitioning for a second Money in the Bank Ladder match at the pending pay-per-view for a few weeks and I'm glad it was finally announced. Ambrose once again looked like a star for getting the better of both Rollins and Kane. By the way, could the new entrance themes of Rollins and Ambrose sound any more generic? Hopefully they're only temporary. Rusev def. Santino Marella Rusev has seemingly squashed every enhancement talent on the roster from Xavier Woods to Zack Ryder, so it was only a matter of time before Santino was next. The match literally consisted of two moves, which was probably for the better. The result of the bout was never in doubt and Santino is nothing more than comedic relief anyway, so the quick loss doesn't damage him. |
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