By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Renee Young Interviewed WWE Champion Randy Orton

Orton has never been a strong mic worker, and this segment was pure proof of that. As much as I love Renee, she wasn't at her best here and her questions sounded stupid. Orton didn't reveal anything we didn't already know and didn't show any signs of character progression, so it is safe to say that this segment was a waste of time. Kicking off a wrestling show with a talk segment is always annoying, but it is even worse when said talking segment accomplishes nothing.


Mark Henry def. Curtis Axel

The fact that neither competitor received an entrance (well, a full entrance anyway) goes to show how little the match meant. It was over within minutes and was nothing more than a showcase for the returning Henry. It is good to have Henry back on WWE TV, but hopefully they have something meaningful in mind for him to do. If Ryback and Axel are no longer "Paul Heyman Guys", then why are they still hanging out with each other?

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Carters Opened the Show

Dixie's heel shtick can be hit or miss most of the time, but I didn't really mind her performance here. Sure, the concept that every winner gets a turkey dinner was stupid and gimmicky, but her mic work was kept short and sweet for the most part. It was also good to see Ethan Carter III finally say something different and appear alongside Dixie, as that is who is helping him generate heat in the first place. Adding Rockstar Spud to the Carter act is fine by me, if only because he hadn't been doing anything else since the moment he was signed to a contract. He isn't a necessary addition to the act, but at least he'll be a regular on television going forward.


Ethan Carter III def. Curry Man

I started watching TNA around August 2008 and didn't get to see much of Curry Man before he was "released" from the company, so it was fun to see him make an appearance here. It was same old shtick for EC3, but as I said last week, at least it is better than him facing Dewey Barnes and Norv Fernum for a millionth time. It was a basic enhancement talent match for EC3, but he needs an actual program with an established star and fast.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Antonio Cesaro def. Yoshi Tatsu

It has been quite a while since we last saw Cesaro on NXT, so it was great to have him back. Come to think of it, when was the last time Tatsu was ever on NXT, much less on WWE programming? The match was over within mere minutes and was a basic squash match for Cesaro. The most interesting thing about the match was Cesaro constantly looking over at William Regal, who he is now apparently feuding with. A match between the two was advertised for an upcoming taping (or perhaps it already happened?), so this was to be expected, but I am still very much anticipating it.


NXT Champion Bo Dallas def. CJ Parker (Non-title)

The Full Sail University crowd hates Dallas, but they don't necessarily like Parker either, so they didn't care for either competitor in this match. It was a fine match for what it was, but it was mostly forgettable and no one (myself included) seemed to care about the action. It was a nice win for Dallas, who hasn't competed on NXT in the nearly two months, but it was over an individual who doesn't mean much right now.

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Alberto Del Rio def. Dolph Ziggler

I have honestly lost track of how many times these two have crossed paths over the course of 2013, but it still amazes me that Del Rio and Ziggler continue to have great matches. Simply put, they are incapable of having a bad match together. Their chemistry is off the charts and the live crowd was very much into the action. It was a nice, clean win for Del Rio and Ziggler looked strong in defeat. The winner was never in doubt given Ziggler current status in the company, but it is shocking to think these two were fighting over the World Heavyweight Championship a few short months ago.


Damien Sandow def. Santino Marella

The match was mere minutes long and was only used to showcase Sandow's newfound aggressive side. Thus, this match was essentially everything I expected it to be. Santino sold well for Sandow's vicious offense and it was good to see Sandow score a rare win, but he needs an actual program to become relevant again. No, facing Ziggler in themed hardcore matches every week doesn't count.