Wrestling’s 4Rs: The Right, Wrong and Ridiculous of WWE Smackdown & TNA Impact

How the 4Rs of wRestling Work!
Here is a quick explanation of the 4R’s. The column will run TWO times a week. We will group our feelings on the shows in various categories: The Right, the wRong and the Ridiculous. The Right is stuff that worked very well: a great promo, a great match and so on. PuRgatoRy is a section between the right and wrong. It shows equal traits from both sides that cannot be ignored and needs discussed. It is not a bad place per say, as things can get remedied or go the wrong way the very next week. The wRong is what it sounds like: bad matches, bad or boring promos and so on. The Ridiculous is stuff that had no right on TV: Stupid angles and so on. And there is always a possibility of a 5th R, which is as bad as they come. This column is supposed to be analytical, and at the right time very critical of the shows, it was the whole reason it was created. This is not a “mark” column, nor a “smark” column, our goal is to analyze the show from many different fronts, reward the good and call out the bad. We will not apologize for our opinions, they are as they are, whether positive or negative.

---

By Pyro Mitchell
Impact 7.22.15

THE Right:
Magnus vs. Bram: This was a halfway decent street fight that started somewhat slow, but steadily picked up steam as it wore on. It was only a matter of time before Bram would get some weapons to play with, and he would proceed to savagely beat down his former best friend. But Magnus would refuse to go away, eventually trapping Bram’s head inside a trashcan and firing off chair shots. This would be followed by a big Magnus Elbow Drop, from the top rope, that came very close to ending the match. Bram would inadvertently knock Earl Hebner down, and then get slammed by Magnus, but would kick out again thanks to the added time from the ref being down. Bram would then land a sickly low blow and slink away with the win. After the match was over James Storm would make his way to the ring, just to remind us all that he still had a date with Magnus, with his cowbell in tow. He cracks Magnus in the back of the head with it, and then gets a mic. He tells Magnus that he hasn’t forgotten about him, and that it’s only going to get worse. Then he says that by the end of the night we’ll know who the “One Woman” is that he got to join him, and that they won’t want to miss it. This match was not bad, and was a good way to start the show. Yes it was a pretty random match, but at least it was enjoyable and the attack from Storm on Magnus was good as well.

Eli Drake/Drew Galloway Segment: Eli Drake came down to the ring to explain his actions from last week’s show, when he attacked Drew Galloway and cost him his world title opportunity. He said that at first he was grateful towards Galloway, and did want to show his appreciation for getting him in TNA, until Galloway just wouldn’t shut up. He said he grew sick and tired of constantly hearing Galloway tell people to stand up, and more importantly that he couldn’t stand Drew always doing his talking for him. Then he says that everyone has friends that they use, and his was Drew Galloway. He goes on to say that as long as he’s around, Galloway will never be world champion. Galloway would then come down to the ring, and he looked genuinely disappointed and disgusted with his former Rising teammate. He says he’s been through injuries and surgeries but nothing has ever hurt him like Drake did, and then he says that he went through all the stages of depression over the past week ending with wanting to beat Drake’s ass. Then he said, instead of just deciding to open up a can all over Eli right then and there, he was going to open the decision up to the fans in the Impact Zone, and the answer was unanimous – KICK HIS ASS! KICK HIS ASS! And so the short brawl began, with Galloway getting a quick takedown and raining down fists and elbows. Eventually though Drake would get the upper hand, and look to use his crutch to lay out Galloway again. Drew would duck it and look to hit a Future Shock DDT, but Drake would slither away. I enjoyed this segment as it really showed fans just how much of an ass Eli Drake is, and how much Drew Galloway really valued his so called brothers from The Rising. And then the brawl that followed, while short, was fairly entertaining and should lead to a really good feud.

Taryn Terrell Has Officially Lost It: Taryn Terrell came down to the ring this week, boiling from head to toe over losing her title to Brooke. She forced her Dolls to get into the ring with her, which was surrounded by the steel cage, and proceeded to lock herself inside. She said that this was where she would remain until she got back what was “hers”, the Knockouts Championship. She tells Gail Kim that she’s already destroyed her both personally and professionally, before screaming that Brooke is not the true champion and that she wants her title back. Brooke comes out to further antagonize Terrell, and tell her how much she doesn’t matter. She says that Taryn has no one to blame besides herself, and that this is no longer The Dollhouse but rather her house. Then she says that if Taryn wants the title, she’ll just have to come and get it. Terrell begins making her way up the ramp before the lights go out, and when they come back on Gail Kim is locked inside the cage with both Marti Belle and Jade. Gail proceeds to lay another vicious beating on The Dollhouse members, while Brooke chased Taryn around ringside. This was silly but entertaining, and Gail Kim appearance made it all the more better.

Slammiversary’s King Of The Mountain Match: Like I said last week, if they absolutely have to show matches from a previous show or PPV then they should at least show the whole thing. This week they did just that and it was just fine. To me, being someone who didn’t see Slammiversary due to its lack of promotion, this was an awesome match and one that all TNA fans deserved to see, especially after Jeff Jarrett was named the next entrant into The TNA Hall of Fame.

Bobby Roode vs. Matt Hardy: This was a tables match that would determine the #1 contender for the world title. Matt Hardy took the brunt of the damage throughout the match, with a few brief moments of offense. Towards the end of the match the tide would turn ever so slightly in the favor of Hardy, with Roode getting placed on a table and being set up for a Moonsault. Roode would come to, however, and knock Hardy off the top rope before he could deliver his move. Roode would look to take advantage but Hardy would toss him right over the ropes, and he would go crashing through a table that was set up on the outside. Matt Hardy is the new #1 contender for the world title, and his match with EC3 should be pretty good. And it comes at the perfect time as well as Jeff Hardy will be making his return next week, he’ll have someone in his corner to watch out for Tyrus.

puRgatoRy:
Tigre Uno Talks Donald Trump: In the wake of Donald Trump’s very controversial statements regarding Mexico naturally a lot of people have taken offense, one of those people being current X-Division Tigre Uno. He says in this interview that Donald Trump is wrong in his assessment of Mexican people, and closes by challenging Trump to be at The Impact Zone next week so that he can show what Trump what a real man looks like. This was a fine interview from Uno that really showed just how proud he is of his hometown and of his people. And it’ll be interesting to see what will happen next week – Will Trump show up? Will it be a fake Donald Trump? Will the whole thing just be forgotten? We’ll see.

The Newest Member Of The Revolution: James Storm came out just as he promised earlier and introduced the newest member of The Revolution, Serena. She comes down to the ring and talks about how Mickie and her and used to be really good friends, and about how Mickie used to call her “her protégé”. That was until Mickie James became who she is today and forgot all about Serena, leaving her lost and mentally broken until she saw Storm. The Cowboy then looks into the camera and tells Mickie and Magnus’ son Donovan that when he gets older he’ll be able to look back on this and know that this was when his parents made their biggest mistake. Good enough little segment here but I still can’t wait to see this one be over with.

Eric Young vs. Rockstar Spud: This was another random match that had a special stipulation added to it, this one was a chain match. Spud spent most of the match getting absolutely destroyed by the EY and the chain, and got only one little flash of offense in the whole thing. It goes without saying that EY won the match, and left Spud lying in a broken heap. Alright match but nothing spectacular, and it didn’t really mean much or have any reasoning behind it, so Purgatory it goes.

THE wRong:
NOTHING

THE Ridiculous:
NOTHING

The 411:
This was a good enough episode of Impact that was a good follow up to last weeks dynamite show. There were a couple of random matches (Bram/Magnus, EY/Spud) but they were at least entertaining and made for some good TV. The whole situation developing between Galloway and Drake is very interesting, and could certainly make for a really good feud. Taryn Terrell’s descent into madness began this week, as she screamed and shouted herself right into oblivion. Tigre Uno spoke out about Donald Trump’s statements over Mexico, and even challenged him to come to Impact next week to come and talk face to face. The newest member of The Revolution was introduced and that’s great because that means we’re one step closer to the Magnus/Storm feud being done. And the main event between Matt Hardy and Bobby Roode was a great way to close the show, and Matt Hardy for #1 is awesome. Naturally EC3 will probably find a way to walk out the champ, but I say screw The Entitled One and let the reign of the eldest Hardy brother begin. Nice show this week and hopefully they can keep this good momentum rolling.

Show Rating: 6.7

As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale…

0 – 0.9: Torture
1 – 1.9: Extremely Horrendous
2 – 2.9: Very Bad
3 – 3.9: Bad
4 – 4.9: Poor
5 – 5.9: Not So Good
6 – 6.9: Average
7 – 7.9: Good
8 – 8.9:Very Good
9 – 9.9: Amazing
10: Virtually Perfect

Pyro Mitchell
Smackdown 7.23.15

THE Right:
Dean Ambrose vs. Sheamus: This was a good match, and it was refreshing to begin the show this week with action rather than talking. Throughout the entire match both guys stayed competitive and landed big moves, before Ambrose got control in the final stages. But right as Ambrose was looking like he would walk away the victor, Bray Wyatt’s music hit. The Eater of Worlds came out on the stage, with Luke Harper standing atop the announcers table, just to distract The Unstable One. Ambrose would run out of the ring and right into a waiting Sheamus, who would nail The Lunatic Fringe with a brogue kick. Sheamus then rolls The Lunatic Fringe into the ring in order to pick up the pieces, and hits him with another Brogue Kick for the win. This was a fine match that featured good wrestling between one premier wrestler and Sheamus. Wyatt’s mind games with Ambrose were very good as well, almost as if he was showing Ambrose that as long as he interfered with his and Roman Reigns’ business he was not safe.

Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro: WHAT A MATCH! WHAT A MATCH! WHAT A MATCH! These two guys tore the house down and showed that they are two of the very best wrestlers in the world today. That is saying a lot seeing as how Smackdown is usually infested with uninspired matches and segments. Ever since Tyson Kidd went down with an injury Cesaro has stepped up in a huge way, taking on everyone in the big match scene including Rusev, Owens, Cena, and now even the world champ Seth Rollins. Throughout the entire match both guys traded momentum and signature moves, and had some extremely exciting close calls and near falls. The ending came when Rollins attempted to walk out on the match, only to be cut off by The Swiss Superman. Cesaro would get Rollins into the ring only to be poked in the eyes, thrown into the corner ring post, and Pedigreed for a Rollins win. Really good match, and even though it ended in some controversy it kinda had to so that it didn’t end up hurting either guy.

puRgatoRy:
Neville vs. Adam Rose: This was relatively short match that Adam Rose never really had a chance of winning. It wasn’t too long before Neville would the devastatingly beautiful Red Arrow for the win. Stardust would appear on the titantron to talk to Neville, although I wasn’t very sure of what it was he was trying to convey. Theirs could be a decent mid-card feud, and could be one that finally propels Neville up the card a little.

Kevin Owens vs. Rusev: This was a very good match between two of the wrestlers of the future. It materialized after Owens not only ruined Rusev’s US title shot but then also left him high and dry in RAW’s main event. Both men had a ridiculously competitive match, with Rusev actually getting the upper hand at the end. The Bulgarian Brute looked to lock in The Accolade to wrap things up, but Owens would slither his big self away. He walks out on the match and Rusev gets the win via count out. Really good match, too bad we couldn’t see a clean finish but neither guy could really afford it so it was perfectly acceptable. If WWE decides to pursue this feud it could be awesome, but they’ll probably let it die so it goes into Purgatory for now.

The Bella Twins vs. Naomi & Sasha Banks: This was a match that prominently featured The Bella’s yet again, and showed that Sasha Banks is absolutely no help to Naomi and Tamina. The only offense that Naomi/Banks had was because Tamina got involved. Soon enough The Bella’s would gain control and Naomi would succumb to The Rack Attack, and the twins would walk out the winners. Alright match that lasted much longer than most Divas matches, but still featured The Bella’s. If WWE is serious about this revolution, having Sasha Banks lose in her first Smackdown match was not a very good idea.

THE wRong:
NOTHING

THE Ridiculous:
NOTHING

The 411:
This was such an improvement from last week, and featured good matches all the way through. The only match that could’ve been a little better was Neville/Rose, and that was still acceptable. Ambrose and Sheamus put on a very good match, but Ambrose is capable of saving any match he’s a part of. Owens/Rusev was a really good match, and should be a precursor to a fantastic feud between these two. The Divas Revolution continued as well this week with The Bella’s taking on B.A.D. But if WWE is really serious about this revolution, they need to trust other women to get the win besides The Bella’s. And then the main event between Cesaro and Rollins was fantastic, and it was a great way to not only end the show but introduce Cesaro to the main event scene. Good stuff this week, can we please keep the ball rolling next week? P.S. I apologize for saying that Cesaro’s finishing move was The Equalizer. Yes his move is The Neutralizer, that was my bad.

Thoughts or disagreements? Post down in the comments section, or you can email me at [email protected] and I’ll do my best to answer you.

Show Rating: 6.5

As a reminder, I will be going by the 411 scale…

0 – 0.9: Torture
1 – 1.9: Extremely Horrendous
2 – 2.9: Very Bad
3 – 3.9: Bad
4 – 4.9: Poor
5 – 5.9: Not So Good
6 – 6.9: Average
7 – 7.9: Good
8 – 8.9:Very Good
9 – 9.9: Amazing
10: Virtually Perfect

The 1010th edition is over…

When you see it…