Happy New Year!
Yoshi Tatsu & Darren Young vs. Jimmy & Jey Uso:
Young and Jey Uso start off and lock up and fly through the ropes together. Jey returns and charges into a forearm; Darren lands a sledge and then drops an elbow. Young applies a reverse chinlock; flying forearm by Young gets two. Yoshi tags in and drops on Jey’s arm off the top rope. Jey Uso knees Yoshi and tags in Jimmy Uso but he runs right into a Japanese arm drag followed by a crucifix for two. Darren tags back in but charges right into a boot in the corner. The Usos quick tag in and out and stomp away. The Usos team up for a Rikishi-like butt splash in the corner. Jey Uso applies a chinlock but Darren comes back with a belly-to-belly suplex; double tags are made and Yoshi obliterates Jimmy with a dropkick and a backdrop. Tatsu unloads the kicks and follows up with a spinning wheel kick. All hell breaks loose and Darren Young brawls on the floor with Jey and gets posted. Yoshi goes up but Jimmy Flairs him off and follows up with a twisting Superfly splash.
Here are your winners… The Usos @ about 7:25
Rating 5.5/10 Slightly above average tag match; good moves and a decent heat segment. Yoshi is very entertaining (and over); I hope he latches on in a tag team somewhere, otherwise I fear he may fall under the little guy glass ceiling.
NXT Highlights follow.
David Hart Smith vs. William Regal:
Okay, this should be fun. They trade armlocks; ha Regal know better than that and instantly segues into a keylock on the mat. Smith, to Regal’s surprise, bridges and then nips up into a counter and flings Regal on his back; Scott Stanford actually mentions Halloween Havoc ’93 where Regal wrestled Smith’s father the late British Bulldog. Impressive. I like Stanford he is a good commentator. Regal applies another armbar and forces Smith into a bridge; Regal drops a knee onto it to try to work a pin. Smith actually maintains his bridge WITH REGAL ON HIS CHEST. More impressive. Smith nips up again and monkey flips Regal over but he tenaciously maintains the hands and DH Smith winds up in a leglock body scissors. Smith powers out and pushes down on Regal’s knees butterflying the legs and segues into a nearfall; Smith ends up with a chinlock. Regal runs the ropes but Smith runs over him; European uppercut by Smith and he dropkicks Regal to the floor. They battle there where Smith knocks Regal down. Back from commercial Smith has Regal in the delayed Bulldog suplex, he had it on him throughout the entire break, or just a few minutes before they came back on air. Regal grabs the leg and wraps it around the ringpost. Regal dives into the left leg of Smith and applies a side-ankle leglock; Regal then bearhugs the leg. DH Smith manages a desperation inside cradle for two. William Regal uses a reverse drop-toehold to take Smith down and applies a leglock. Smith gets to his foot but Regal dragon screws him back down. Smith gets vertical once again the referee tries to break them up on the ropes but Regal ties Smith’s leg in the rope and knocks him down; great surprise feigning facial expressions by the master Regal. Dr. Regal continues the reverse surgery on Smith’s leg (because real surgery repairs; reverse surgery breaks down). Meanwhile, Regal applies a half Boston crab; he releases ad stomps away. Regal ties the leg in the ropes in the corner and knees away. Regal tries a butterfly suplex but Smith reverses it into a back butterfly suplex. They battle and Smith hobbles around and backdrops Regal. Smith lands a Northern Lights suplex but Smith releases it because his leg could not maintain the bridge. Psychology. Smith tries the Bulldog powerslam but the leg gives way again and Regal adds to it with a chop block. Regal lands the knee trembler for three. Yup, that was fun.
Here is your winner… William Regal @ about 9:50 (broadcast)
Rating 7/10 That was a good match with excellent psychology and storytelling. The legwork by Regal was solid and figured into the victory for him. Smith held his own in there with Regal and he kept with the leg injury throughout.
Raw Rebound involves the John Cena, CM Punk and Nexus storyline where Punk took over leadership of Nexus. For the rest of the show check out Thomas Hall’s 411 WWE Raw Report or “On the Marc” 12/27/2010 Monday Night Raw Review from my personal website.
“Masterpiece” Chris Masters vs. Tyler Reks:
Matt Striker calls Tyler an X-Factor and an unknown entity, which worked for Survivor Series since he had just reappeared on WWE TV a week earlier; he’s been wrestling on television for weeks now. They lock up for a stalemate. Reks tries a slam but Masters slips over and chops away; Masters drops him down to a side headlock. Reks makes it to his feet and forces Masters into the corner then forces him down into his own side headlock. Masters begins a comeback and shoulderblocks Reks; inverted atomic drop sends Reks onto the rope so Masters clotheslines him over. They battle on the floor and both battle on the apron between the ringpost; Masters applies the Master Lock there. Reks drops Masters’ left arm across the turnbuckle when Chris releases the hold. Back from commercial Reks has a seated keylock on the injured arm of Masters. The Masterpiece gets to his feet but Reks drops him back down with a spinning headlock elbow drop (Eye of the Hurricane) for two. Reks drops elbows and works the bad shoulder wrapping it into the ropes a few times. Masters comes back chopping with the good arm but Reks bodyslams him back down and returns to the keylock. Masters battles back again but walks into Reks’ boot in the corner; Tyler Reks adds an armlock bodyslam. Masters fights but Reks reapplies the armlock; Reks forces Masters into the corner and wraps the arm around the ringpost on the floor. He tries again but Masters uses his strength to pull Reks into the post. Chris Masters slugs away on the floor and tosses Reks back into the ring where Masters lands a one-armed Samoan drop. Reks battles but runs right into a one-armed spinebuster; good selling of the bad arm from Masters there as he tries the Master Lock but cannot complete due to the arm work. Reks tries a neckbreaker but Masters counters into a backslide for two. Masters charges… right into a clothesline. Reks begins to show signs of frustration and tries a powerbomb but Masters backdrops out. Masters misses a charge in the corner allowing Reks to land the Burning Hammer for three.
Here is your winner… Tyler Reks @ about 9:05 (broadcast)
Rating 6.5/10 Good main event this week, like the prior match, psychology played a big role in this encounter. The arm work from Reks was solid and Masters’ selling of said arm was good as well; figured into the finish, too.
OVERALL 7/10 There we go, back to the good stuff; two very good matches this week. When given time these guys can pull out decent to good matches. The opening tag match was not too shabby either; good show this week.
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