411’s FCW TV Report 01.31.09

The views and opinions expressed herein are those solely of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of the rest of the human race.

Hey there once again and thanks for checking in. For a few reasons – some mine, some not, some a combination thereof – I know this report is getting slightly inconsistent and for that I do apologize.

As for last week, Bright House Sports Network Channel 47 is the home of FCW down here in FL. They’ve (theoretically) been on Saturdays at 6, but starting next week, they’re moving to 6 pm Sundays, with replays on Thursdays. Theoretically. You see, the TV schedule has been so inconsistent it’s not even funny. Case in point – last week, they aired on Thursday the 29th. Two days before they aired again. After waiting all that time, I decided to forego the 2-day turnaround and just go ahead with this one – which actually aired when it was supposed to…

FCW – 01.31.09

…but not without being pre-empted by some college basketball game. That’s okay – this one gets good in a hurry. DH Smith is out in his pimp suit, and commentators Josh Matthews and Scotty Goldman (!) point out how unusual that is. Quick side note – between the commentary gig and “What’s Crackin”, I’m thinking that WWE is looking at grooming Scotty Goldman as more an “entertainer” than wrestler. Someone who can do interview segments, skits, make people laugh – that sort of thing. At least they have him in mind for something.

Back to the order at hand, DH Smith is out to tell us why he should be FCW Champ – he has the heritage and the Legacy to hold the title, according to him – and he’s the best. He issues a challenge to Eric Escobar and demands an answer right now. Escobar is out to say he knows all about Smith and respects him, but to be FCW Champ he has to go through Escobar. Escobar’s contract says “anytime, anyplace”, so his answer is yes. TJ Wilson is out to interrupt and directs his comments at Smith first, asking him where his head’s at. Wilson says he, if anyone, should challenge for that title. Smith says he proves himself week in and out why he lead the team and if he has to beat Escobar to prove that, then so be it. Smith cheap-shots Escobar and Wilson decides to join the beatdown on the FCW Champion – until Low-Ki (-and they even call him that!) makes the save and helps chase off the heels. A handshake takes us to commercial.

Back to replay of what just went down. I’m just damn happy to see Low-K—woops, ‘scuse me. On commentary, Goldman informs us that he now chooses to go by the name “Kawal” (pronounced “Kaval”), which is Pilipino for “soldier”. See, this is a never-ending war in Kawal’s eyes, and he’s eternally ready for battle. Or some such. And there’s your kayfabe explanation for the name change.

Wesley Holiday vs. Tiffany – Opening Round Match in the “Queen Of FCW” Tournament

Matthews and Goldman are rendered speechless by Holiday’s entrance.

Yeah, that’d be why.

The girls start out wrestling – until Holiday assumes the heel role by bailing and stalling, looking to frustrate her (more experienced?) opponent. Once Holiday’s ready to go again, she immediately target’s Tiffany’s arm. Tiffany counters that with her superior strength and some counter-wrestling of her own. Holiday ducks to the outside, luring Tiffany out as well only to be slammed against the apron by Holiday, now switching up to the back.

Back in the ring, Holiday resorts to brawling to not only continue on Tiffany’s back, but also to just plain beat her down. Chicks from Ocala are good for that. Holiday then locks in a body-scissors to keep her focus and Tiffany’s in trouble. Tiffany resorts to elbowing her way out of the hold and then uses her agility to mount a comeback. Back to wrestling for Tiffany as a suplex scores 2, but Holiday once again employs her strength advantage for a 2-count of her own. However, it’s Tiffany’s aerial (!) ability that saves the day…

Finish comes when Tiffany lands a high cross-body off the top rope, scoring the pinfall and advancing in the Queen Of FCW Tournament. Not a bad match between the two; surprising to see plain brawling in a women’s match, but Holiday and Tiffany both made it look good.

Our bracket heading into the semi-finals is now:

Tiffany celebrates to take us to commercial.

Back to

Alex Riley vs. Kafu

Goldman questions Riley’s letterman jacket, then informs us that Alex lettered in Skee-Ball and Chinese Checkers. Reasons like that are why I think they’re taking Goldman in the right direction.

Pre-match, Riley cuts a promo about how good he feels that he no longer cares about pleasing the fans; his feelings were hurt by being looked over and ignored every time he came through the curtain. Okay then, show us what you can do to make you stand out aside from turning heel…

Kafu starts with the Capoeira dance and Riley, having no idea what to do with that, ducks in the ropes. Kafu goes easy on him to start with chain wrestling to establish dominance – until he goes back to the Capo and cartwheel-kicks Riley. Riley retaliates with good ol’-fashioned chicanery but that only upsets Kafu, who pounds away. Riley, in a nice move, finds his opening by throwing Kafu’s leg over the second rope and then kicking the one Kafu is standing on instead, disabling Kafu even further by taking out the leg with all his weight on it. From there, Kafu’s knee has a bull’s-eye painted on it, and Riley is merciless in going after it. Kafu regains some momentum by elbowing his way out of a leg-lock and then using his good leg to kick Riley down for 2. Kafu makes his fatal mistake in switching to wrestling, however – leaving Riley to capitalize…

Finish comes when Riley reverses a German suplex attempt by Kafu into an STO for the pinfall victory. Okay, now I’m a little more impressed. Kafu was his usual entertaining-though-not-spectacular self, but Riley’s new attitude – with the skill he has – should serve him better. Riley celebrates to take us to commercial.

Back to Jenny Cash with “FCW Express News and Gossip”. Okay. Cash’s scoop this week is that the Conglomerate’s Lawrence Knight once studied radioactive materials. He’s also been tasered by the Tampa police department. I thought that was the kind of thing WWE didn’t want us to know about their performers…?

Byron Saxton is in the ring to tell us that Black Pain has become insubordinate, so he hereby announces that Black Pain is suspended from Conglomerate action. Saxton then goes on to announce his team to the ring for their FCW Tag Team Title Match:

Back to

Kaleb O’Neal and Lawrence Knight vs. Tyler Recks & Johnny Curtis – FCW Tag team Title Match

Personal preference: I wish Tyson Tarver was in the place of O’Neal.

O’Neal and Recks start and O’Neal beats half the snot out of Recks’s arm to gain the early lead and immediately pick a target. Good stuff there. Recks fires back, though, and employs some power of his own to show O’Neal he’s not to be bullied. Tag made and slingshot legdrop from Curtis gets 2. Tag made again and Curtis holds O’Neal with a front facelock so Recks can hit a sunset flip for 2. Simple but effective teamwork. Knight finally sees that the champs have O’Neal disoriented, so he goes for the sneak attack to dupe Recks into turning his back on O’Neal. O’Neal again lets his power work for him long enough to bring in Knight. Knight combines power with Recks’s already-weakened state to wear down Recks away from his corner. Recks gets launched to the corner and floats over – nothing. Knight let him do it simply to be surprised by a vicious Mafia kick. Well done.

O’Neal and Knight take turns tagging in and using impact to both beat and wear Recks down. O’Neal and Knight work as a seamless team, providing a tough challenge for the champs. Recks finally escapes, ironically enough, by floating over Knight as he actually charges him in the corner. Curtis uses blinding speed and impact and Knight is in trouble. Curtis heads up top but Knight cuts him off, punching him off the top and sending him careening into Recks and O’Neal on the outside, sacrificing his own partner to gain a huge advantage before we go to commercial.

Back to O’Neal in the ring with Curtis, continuing the power offense they used on Recks – only, after the pre-commercial fall, Curtis is much more prone than Recks was earlier. Knight still takes a shot at Recks on the outside, causing the distraction so O’Neal can do some more (illegal) damage in their corner. There seems to be no clear target as far as a body part goes (other than maybe the back), O’Neal and Knight are content with pounding Curtis into submission. A charge by O’Neal misses, though, and Curtis finally escapes to tag in Recks.

Recks hits the ring all fists, feet, and fury. Big elbow (complete with dumb-looking “wave” motion with his arms) by Recks gets 2. “Big Kahuna” (moonsault) by Recks misses and O’Neal goes for the crucifix powerbomb to end it, but Curtis makes the save at 2. Recks then slams O’Neal down and hits the Big Kahuna, but Knight, this time, makes the save for his team. Both teams are in “whoever-hits-the-first-big-move-wins” mode – or so it seems, as the heels resort to cheating as Saxton throws in a shoe as a weapon. The champs, however, once again prove why they’re the best…

Finish comes when Recks schoolboys O’Neal as he’s grabbing for Saxton’s shoe and gets the pinfall victory. Excellent match with all four putting in an excellent and good-looking effort. A lack of any true strategy kinda hurt, but not enough to detract from the match as a whole.

Post-match, Byron Saxton is furious enough to call ring announcer over Angela to him and berate her to the point of almost physical abuse. Sure, that makes sense. Black Pain, however, makes the save and gets jumped by O’Neal and Knight, only to fight them off. After chasing the heels away, Black Pain then unmasks!

(Huh. I’ll be damned. That explains the promo he gave in Spanish before he challenged Eric Escobar.)

Black Pain is ecstatic to be rid of the mask as he goes to help Angela up, then scoops her up and…carries her to the back to tend the show.

Not a bad show at all this week. The turning of both Alex Riley (who showed some better skills) and Black Pain (who showed some personality) were well-done character moments in a show that didn’t have one bad match. I want more of this!

L8. Thanks again for reading.

For more interesting (?) reading/listening, click here. The classics never go out of style.