WWE/TNA/ROH: My Top 15 Moments of the Week (Aug. 12-17)

Another week of professional wrestling has come to end and it was an overall good week.

TNA Wrestling presented Hardcore Justice last Sunday and it was a very solid pay-per-view. Featuring eight matches, all eight of them were good outings by the TNA wrestlers and it was highlighted by one of the Bound for Glory Series matches.

WWE Monday Night Raw was a decent show at best. I felt that the show was boring at times and was structured really weird.

WWE NXT presented a good show this week as it featured four matches, all of which were good.

The August 11 episode of ROH Wrestling was a good show. The event featured four matches and three of them were solid contests.

WWE Superstars delivered another good show with the three matches that were featured.

TNA Impact Wrestling was an overall solid show. There were a number of good matches and the Aces and 8s mystery got thicker.

WWE Friday Night SmackDown was an overall good show. It featured a few good matches and hyped SummerSlam nicely.

As for which show was the best of the week, I want all of you to choose once again. The results from two weeks ago will be revealed at the end, but you can vote for this week right here.

There will be no "Worst Moment of the Week" this week as I didn't think there was anything so bad that it would be considered the worst moment of the entire week.

Here are my top 15 moments of the week!

Last Week's List

I apologize for missing last week. With 12 of the 15 moments finished, the file disappeared on me. I was able to recover it, but not until a few days ago. So here is what the list would have been last week if I was able to publish it.

Note: the moments are in no particular order.

• CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
• The Wade Barrett vignette
• Kane vs. the Miz
• Daniel Bryan vs. John Cena
• CM Punk's Promo on commentary
• WWE NXT, August 8
• ROH Wrestling, August 3
• WWE Superstars, August 9
• AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle
• Miss Tessmacher vs. Gail Kim
• The TNA World Championship contract signing
• Bully Ray vs. James Storm
• The Daniel Bryan/Kane/AJ Lee Segment
• The Highlight Reel
• Rey Mysterio vs. the Miz

No. 15: Triple H/Brock Lesnar Contract Signing

I thought that this contract signing was good, but only because of the mic work of Paul Heyman. Triple H was “late” to Raw and Heyman brought that up as they waited for him.

Instead of calling him a coward, though, the former head of ECW went into how Triple H needed the match to happen. He had something to prove, but that he wasn’t going to be able to do it.

Shawn Michaels appeared as well and Heyman tried to instigate him to sign the contract in the Game’s place, which I thought was genius.

When Triple H finally did come out, everything was silent. They signed the contracts and the only thing that could be heard was Heyman telling Lesnar to wait until SummerSlam.

The contract signing itself was boring since they just signed the paper and ended it there. If Paul Heyman didn’t have a mic in his hand, this whole segment would have been a total bust.

No. 14: ROH Wrestling, August 11

Ring of Honor's August 11 episode of ROH Wrestling opened with Kyle O'Reilly taking on Matt Taven in a losing effort. Both wrestlers delivered a good back-and-forth match with a lot of nice action.

Taven was especially impressive with his overall quickness and ability in the ring. O'Reilly is a great wrestler as well and the two of them meshed well in the ring with one another.

Rhino then squashed Todd Sople in a quick match. It's a bit disappointing to see Rhino compete in nothing but squash matches on ROH's television show. I want to see him wrestle a match, but perhaps he's being built up for a shot at Kevin Steen and the ROH World Championship. That would be quite the match, I think.

The Bravodo Brothers then defeated Roderick Strong and Michael Elgin after tension between the House of Truth members caused them to lose.

This was the first time I've ever seen, or even heard of, the Bravado Brothers. They work quite well together and make a good team. I hope they are here to stay.

The tension between Elgin and Strong continues the storyline that sees Elgin growing sick and tired of Strong. For a big guy, Elgin is very impressive in the ring and I don't think he needs the House of Truth anymore. A feud between him and Strong could be quite good and the matches would be great.

If he does break away from them, I'd like to see Elgin take on Steen. Much like a match between Steen and Rhino, one between the champion and Elgin would be intense.

The main event saw Jay Lethal and the ROH tag team champions at the time, the All Night Express, defeat Steve Corino, Jimmy Jacobs and ROH world champion Kevin Steen. The match was a bit chaotic at times, but it was a good one.

This was the first time in years I've seen Corino in the ring, and while he did look a bit out of shape, he was still good in the ring.

I liked the interactions between Steen and Lethal; a feud between them over the title is definitely on the way. I don't think Lethal is the guy to take the title away from him, but they should have a great match.

For fans of ROH and TNA that get the show in their area, it must have been weird to see Kenny King wrestling on this show on Saturday then seeing him compete for the X-Division Championship at TNA Hardcore Justice the next day, especially the ones that don't go on the "dirt sheets."

I think that taping so far in advance is going to end up being one of ROH's downfalls since their product is nowhere near up to date with current events. They may be online on their website, but their television show doesn't reflect it in the slightest.

Despite not being up on current events, this was a good episode of ROH Wrestling. Three of the four matches were quite good, and the wrestling continues to be the best part about Ring of Honor.

No. 13: The Aces and 8s Plot Thickens

At the top of the show, the Aces and 8s promised to make an impact before the night was over and an impact they certainly made.

They started things out by appearing in the ring with Brooke Hogan, but before they could do anything, Sting led the troops to chase them off. Since next week was going to be Open Fight Night, the Icon challenged the group to meet him and his troops at the top of the show.

They would eventually accept, but the Aces and 8s weren’t finished. After being chased off again after the main event, more of them showed up to attack James Storm, the man everyone was accusing as the leader of the masked men.

With their attack on Storm, the plot has thickened. Bobby Roode was quick to accuse Storm of being behind the attacks, and after evidence kept piling up against him, many others followed suit.

This could go one of two ways. The first is that Bully Ray, who has been very vocal against Storm, sees the attack as staged. He would give a convincing enough argument to gain some followers as well. The second way is that his accusers will apologize and welcome him into the fight against the Aces and 8s.

Then there is of course the possible swerve of the TNA roster letting him in only to see him turn on them as the leader. I’m still putting my money on Jeff Jarrett as the leader, so I think we’ll get a mix of both options.

Bully Ray will think it’s staged and have some believing it as well while others like Sting, Austin Aries and Kurt Angle will apologize and want him to fight beside them.

No matter what happens, things have gotten a lot more interesting with the Aces and 8s. I can’t wait to see what happens in the Aces and 8s vs. TNA battle next week!

No. 12: Samoa Joe vs. Magnus

I was expecting this match to be better than it was, but I thought it was still a good match. Samoa Joe and Magnus delivered a fast-paced match with constant action.

These two wrestlers know each other in the ring pretty well after working together as a team earlier this year and enjoying a reign as tag team champions, so that transitioned well into a one-on-one match between them.

I was expecting better, though, but I think the short time they were given hindered what they could do for the match. The result saw Samoa Joe pick up seven points to move back up to second place with 61 points. He trails Storm by only five points, but he could have a massive target on his back now.

After the match, Magnus seemed to snap and attacked the Samoan Submission Machine with a chair. He was able to block it, but the block resulted in a hard hit to his arm.

Is Magnus targeting his former partner because Joe crushed his dreams of main eventing Bound for Glory? Magnus is in 10th place with 28 points and is listed as “done” on TNA’s BFGS page. His loss to Samoa Joe seemed to have been his final chance to move up the ladder.

If this was just a lapse in judgment on Magnus’ part, his actions could still cost Joe. He needs his arm for most submission moves and for his Muscle Buster. The chair shot may end up costing him in the end.

It’ll be interesting to see if this develops into anything bigger.

No. 11: Chris Jericho vs. Alberto Del Rio

I was worried that the injury angle done before the match was going to hinder the contest, but it didn’t. Chris Jericho and Alberto Del Rio delivered a good back-and-forth match here. The arm did come into play at times, but it didn’t hinder Jericho’s performance too much.

Jericho continues to show that he truly is the best at what he does. He may not have won the “big one” since his return, but Y2J has been delivering good match after good match every single week on Raw, SmackDown and on PPV.

I can’t see him being around too much longer, though, so it’ll definitely be sad to see him go.

Del Rio’s aggressive character is really helping him in a big way. He went from a good, but boring, wrestler to someone who can generate heel heat during his matches.

The Mexican superstar is certainly on a role and I think it’s going to lead to him winning the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. Time will tell if he actually does, but I have a feeling that the big summer event will finally be his time.

No. 10: Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara vs. the Miz and Cody Rhodes

This was a pretty good tag team match. Both teams worked well together and they delivered some good back-and-forth action.

The team of Mysterio and Sin Cara sounds very exciting on paper, and at times they were, but I was expecting a little more flying from the both of them.

I’m not too big on the Miz/Mysterio feud. Mysterio defeated the Miz in a non-title match, so that means he deserves a title shot? By that logic, Kane should actually have the match at SummerSlam since he defeated the Miz first last week on Raw.

I just hope Mysterio doesn’t win the title. I am a fan of the master of the 619, but the Miz needs the title way more than Mysterio does.

In terms of the feud between Rhodes and Sin Cara, I just don’t like it. Rhodes went from Intercontinental Champion, to competing for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, to wanting to rip Sin Cara’s mask off.

That’s an odd sequence of events. Rhodes deserves a lot more than a feud with Sin Cara. Hopefully it’ll be short and he can get back on track to getting into the world title picture.

No. 9: Bully Ray vs. Jeff Hardy

The main event of Impact Wrestling saw Bully Ray and Jeff Hardy go at it in a Bound for Glory Series match and these two guys put on a good match. Featuring some good back-and-forth action, the Bully and Hardy delivered here for the fans.

These guys know each other very well, having wrestled each other in WWE and in TNA, so I knew going in that this match was going to deliver. I was certainly not disappointed by these guys.

Hardy has been very impressive since his return last summer after the Victory Road incident. He looks to be at the top of his game and seems clean. This is the best I’ve seen Hardy in years.

Bully Ray has really reinvented himself since becoming the Bully. When he went solo in WWE, I sat there bored with his matches. It wasn’t until the Dudley Boyz reunited that I actually wanted to see him in the ring.

Here in TNA, he developed a character that has gotten me interested in everything he does in the ring. His mic and in-ring work has never been better and he looks to be great shape. He was almost perfectly round when he first showed up in TNA and look at him now.

Bully Ray is one of the best characters in wrestling right now and the former Dudley Boy deserves a lot of credit for completely reinventing himself!

No. 8: WWE NXT

WWE NXT opened with a semifinal match in the Gold Rush tournament as Jinder Mahal defeated Richie Steamboat to advance to the finals. Both superstars put on a good back-and-forth match here, but it was a little slow at times.

Despite its slow pace, Mahal and Steamboat delivered a solid matchup. Mahal gets more and more impressive as the weeks go by. Whether he's having a good match on NXT or Superstars, or he's screwing with Ryback, Mahal looks to be on his way to a legit role as a major heel.

Time will tell if that actually happens, though. Steamboat impressed as well, but the star of this match was Mahal.

Backstage, Leo Kruger gave a really creepy promo. He took out a tooth, said something was brewing inside of him and said he was coming for someone. I didn't understand the name he said, so who he's coming for is a mystery to me.

When I say this promo was creepy, I really mean it was creepy. He used the tone of his voice, his facial expressions and his mannerisms to really deliver quite the promo. Kruger is impressive on the mic.

Heath Slater then took on Scotty 2 Hotty in a losing effort in a fun match. Scotty looked good in the ring and it's always fun to see the Worm. His finishing move may be as useless as Santino Marella’s Cobra, but the Worm is a classic!

It was weird seeing Slater face someone from WWE's past since the storyline seems to be over, but I guess that's what happens when you tape something so far in advance.

The Usos then defeated the Ascension by disqualification in what was a good match until the ending. The Ascension were disqualified when a member pushed Jey Uso off the top rope.

I felt like I was watching some old WCW tapes with that finish. It made absolutely no sense, especially since someone gets pushed off the top rope all the time on Raw and SmackDown. The ending really ruined the match for me.

Raquel Diaz then sat in front of a mirror and told the Divas that her Exfoliating Ugliness Tour was coming for them. The daughter of Eddie Guerrero is very good at cutting a promo, but her in-ring work is horrid.

Last week, she garnered chants of "You can't wrestle" from the fans in attendance and I agreed with them. The match last week was really sloppy. I think she'd be better off as a manager to another Diva right now.

Have someone do her biding while she does all of the talking. I think she’d make a better heel manager than a heel wrestler.

The main event saw Seth Rollins defeat Michael McGillicutty to advance to the finals of the Gold Rush tournament. The two of them had a very good match with Rollins very much being the star.

With the right build, he could become a huge star in WWE much like his fellow Ring of Honor alumni CM Punk and Daniel Bryan. McGillicutty was good in the ring here as well and he could have a bright future as well if WWE gives him the chance to shine on the main shows.

This episode of NXT was a huge improvement from the past few weeks. All of the matches delivered, except for that random ending to the tag match, and the finals to crown the first NXT champion has been set.

Hopefully, WWE can keep up the good work with this show.

No. 7: WWE Superstars

WWE Superstars opened with the Usos defeating Michael McGillicutty and Johnny Curtis in some good tag-team action.

I liked the pairing of McGillicutty and Curtis; they worked really well together and made a good team. I hope that this team isn’t a short-lived one like most teams in WWE and they push them. I think that if they are given the time to develop, McGillicutty and Curtis could become a good heel team.

The Usos are always impressive in the ring and it still blows my mind as to why WWE doesn’t push them.

Alex Riley defeated Drew McIntyre next in another good match that featured some nice action throughout. McIntyre showed a lot of intensity here, which is a nice change of pace for him. Real intensity is something he has always lacked and letting him retain it could really help get over as a heel.

A-Ry has impressed me since his debut on NXT and it seems to me like he just gets better and better every week. He’s another superstar that’s good in the ring but lacks one thing: mic skills. Then again, he doesn’t talk too much, so maybe he’s a master of the stick by now.

Damien Sandow finally wrestled a match in the main event here as he defeated Justin Gabriel in a good match. I’ve been waiting to see Sandow actually wrestle a match ever since he debuted under the character, but WWE had him walking away from matches or squashing people.

It’s disappointing that superstars get to wrestle on Superstars but they’re reduced to one to two minute matches on the main show, if they get on the main show at all.

Guys like Sandow and Gabriel, and even the Divas, tend to impress on this show because they are given time to perform. If WWE took the time to develop the characters of some of the superstars on this show, the future would be so bright for the company.

Right now, the future looks the same as the same guys are going for the title over and over again. I want to see guys like Gabriel built up to the United States Championship and Sandow built to one of the world titles and the Divas division to just get some attention.

That’s why I like Superstars, the men and women of WWE get more attention on the internet show than they do on live television.

No. 6: Piper's Pit

Despite being Piper's Pit, Roddy Piper didn't play much of a role in this segment. He had a very short conversation with Chris Jericho and then just mumbled a bit.

Piper was one of the best talkers in the business, and I think he still is, so it was a huge shame to see him reduced to mumbling. Anyone remember the Piper's Pit with John Cena in November of last year? That was a phenomenal segment!

Anyway, this Piper's Pit was highlighted by its guest, Chris Jericho, and Dolph Ziggler and the Miz, who crashed the segment. All three of them were solid on the mic here and delivered good promos.

With the Showoff telling Jericho that he'd be Piper in a few years (a tired and washed up old man) and Jericho stating that Y2J was back, the two of them had a great back-and-forth. I didn't think it could get any better until the Miz made his way out.

By simply stating that he can win the big one and listing his accomplishments, the Miz really reestablished himself as a cocky heel. If it wasn't for the three superstars involved, Piper's Pit would have been a total bust. I have to wonder, though, what the point of Raw Active was?

Fans were given the opportunity to choose Piper's guest and Jericho won by a landslide over Ziggler and the Miz. Then both the Showoff and the Intercontinental Champion showed up anyway. If all three were going to be involved, then why did they have fans vote?

It's like telling them that, in the end, their vote didn't count. Either way, the segment turned out quite good, so I'm glad all three were featured.

No. 5: Bobby Roode’s Promo

Bobby Roode’s promo this past Thursday was short, simple, to the point and good.

Speaking of proving Austin Aries a fluke since the assigned referee declared him the winner at Hardcore Justice, Roode expressed a calm anger. Usually when Roode is angry, he’s freaking out and is screaming at the top of lungs. He was so calm here, though, so that really added to the promo.

He then went into how he is not allowed a rematch as long as Aries was champion and how the title was his life, before dropping the mic and leaving the ring before stating what he was going to do.

Roode showed some real emotion in this promo and it makes fans question his future in TNA. Most likely he’s not going anywhere, but what is he going to do now? He was champion for nine months and tried to regain after the loss, so he was in the title picture for almost a year.

Now he’s not able to compete for the belt because Aries is the champion. I think that Roode is going to disappear until Bound for Glory, which is when he’s going to screw Aries out of the title.

No matter what he ends up doing, I await the return of the It Factor of professional wrestling.

No. 4: Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan

Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan delivered a good back-and-forth match here. This is the second match I can remember them having against each other and this one was just as good as the first.

I especially liked how Bryan targeted Orton’s leg, which is something Orton usually does. That was a nice change of pace since Orton tends to be the guy that targets a body part in a match. Bryan showed that he can be just as methodical as the Viper here.

The inclusion of the Kane tease was a nice touch as well. The Big Red Monster wasn’t present on Raw, so I’m glad WWE had him on SmackDown for the final build for their match at SummerSlam.

Their match at the event should be quite good, so I’m very much looking forward to it.

As for Orton, it’s a bit disappointing that he’s not on the card, but it is understandable. He just returned a few weeks ago after a two month hiatus, so building up a storyline for a top star in so little time wouldn’t have been the best of ideas.

I’m sure he’ll be entered into a feud after the event, and most likely in the title hunt.

No. 3: Chris Jericho vs. the Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler

As Piper's Pit was going down, Chris Jericho and Roddy Piper vs. Dolph Ziggler and the Miz immediately crossed my mind. That match didn't happen, but I was close. Jericho, Ziggler and the Miz had a very good match here that featured constant action throughout the contest.

Monday's episode of Raw had eight matches and I thought that this Triple Threat match was the only one that was any good. The three superstars involved showed that they are three of the absolute best in WWE, with Ziggler and Miz helping solidify themselves as the future of the company.

Jericho may not have been able to win any big matches since his return, but he has had an overall good return. He has had great matches with CM Punk, Sheamus, Randy Orton and so many more, so as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't need to win the "big one" to prove that he's one of the best since he can still perform at a top-notch level.

I can't see him being around after SummerSlam, though, so it would be nice to see him get a victory. At the same time, it makes more sense for Ziggler to win if Jericho does leave again. Seeing Jericho put over someone like the Showoff would benefit Ziggler in a huge way.

The Miz is facing Rey Mysterio at SummerSlam, but this match did nothing in terms of hyping that particular match. The champion performed well, though, so that was a good thing.

No. 2: AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels

Ignoring the ridiculous stipulation that was attached to this match, AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels delivered another very good match.

I’ve lost count as to how many times these two wrestlers have faced each other, but I really don’t care. Each time they have squared off against each other, they went into the ring and delivered gold.

Whether they were partners winning the NWA Tag Team Championship, opponents for the X-Division Championship, members of Fortune, or having a match of the year candidate at Slammiversary with Kurt Angle and Kazarian, Styles and Daniels never disappoint with one another.

This particular match was a bit slow at times, but it was something different from what they usually do. This feud has gotten incredibly personal and you can tell that when they wrestle now as their matches are more hard hitting.

With the ridiculous stipulation, though, it looks like the feud will finally be coming to an end. Without getting into it too much, because it’s just so stupid, Styles will be taking a paternity test since he won this match.

I’ve been saying since the beginning that Daniels is most likely the father and I think that will partially be revealed soon. The baby won’t be Styles’, so that will cause tension between Daniels and Kazarian because the Fallen Angel lied to him again. It will eventually lead to Daniels being the father and one final match at Bound for Glory.

Then, hopefully, and I mean hopefully, these two guys can finally go their separate ways and do something else.

No. 1: TNA Hardcore Justice

TNA Wrestling presented their annual August PPV last Sunday and it was very good show. From top to bottom, the men and women of TNA delivered an enjoyable event.

The opening match saw Chavo Guerrero and Hernandez take on Kid Kash and Gunner in a winning effort. Both teams worked really well together and could help in reviving TNA's struggling tag-team division.

I was impressed to see two teams who have never paired up before work so well. Kash and Gunner seemed like a well-oiled machine and could end up a great heel team.

After D'Angelo Dinero was taken out by the Aces and 8s, Rob Van Dam defeated Magnus and Mr. Anderson in a falls count anywhere match to gain 20 points in the Bound for Glory Series. While I expected a little more hardcore, especially with Van Dam and Anderson involved, the match was still a good one.

Magnus really shined here and showed that he is a major player in TNA with this match.

Too many times does a falls count anywhere match end in the ring these days, so it was nice to see this particular contest end on the stage.

Devon retained his Television Championship against Kazarian next. Devon has been at the top of his game lately and Kaz always delivers. They meshed well here and delivered another good match.

I was hoping to see Kazarian win the title, though.

Madison Rayne then won the Knockouts Championship from Miss Tessmacher is some good women’s wrestling. The match was pretty fast paced for a Knockouts match, so that really added to it.

Tessmacher looked good here as she worked well with Madison, and I was glad to see Madison win the title. She was at her best when she was the champion, so I'm hoping that this title win will put her back on top, but that doesn’t seem to be happening after the events of Impact Wrestling on Thursday.

Bully Ray then picked up 20 points in the BFGS in a tables match against James Storm, Jeff Hardy and Robbie E. The Aces and 8s appeared, as promised, and while they did cause him to get super kicked by Storm, the group ultimately helped him gain victory after they distracted Hardy.

They did give Storm a thumbs up after he hit Bully Ray with the kick, so that adds to the "James Storm is the leader" storyline, which took a new turn on Thursday.

The match featured some nice action which I thought was highlighted by Robbie E. He really surprised me in this match as he showed a level of intensity I have never seen from him. I also give him a lot of credit for crashing through a table on the outside of the ring.

The X-Division action was quite good as Zema Ion retained the X-Division Championship over Kenny King. This was the first time I've been really impressed with Ion and I think he's going to make a great champion.

I was a fan of King in Ring of Honor and heading to TNA seemed like a smart move. Even though I liked him in ROH, he didn't appear too much. Since debuting with TNA in July, he's been all over the television. I think he's going to be a real star in the division.

The next match was well worth the money spent on the event. AJ Styles gained 20 points for the BFGS in a ladder match against Daniels, Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle.

It's hard to even describe this match as it was just that awesome. There were some major spots, some good wrestling and it was topped off by Styles spring boarding onto the ladder and stealing the points away from Joe.

Another highlight was definitely the suplex battle between Joe and Angle as they targeted Daniels. If this event wasn’t overall as good as it was, this match alone would have taken the No. 1 moment this week.

The night was capped off with Austin Aries retaining the world title over Bobby Roode. There was a bit of a controversial finish, but I liked it because it could end up nullifying the "no rematch" clause and set up one final showdown at No Surrender.

They once again had a great match and they closed an overall very good event. TNA Wrestling really delivered here and gives me a lot of hope for the remainder of the year!

Poll Results/Vote for Next Week

Here are the poll results from two weeks ago, the week of July 30:

• WWE Raw: 41.5%
• TNA Impact Wrestling: 30.2%
• WWE SmackDown: 19.8%
• WWE NXT: 4.7%
• WWE Superstars: 1.9%
• ROH Wrestling: 1.9%

Two weeks ago, the voters saw WWE Monday Night Raw as the best show of the week by a decent margin, which is a change from previous weeks. Raw has won before, but not by so much.

Don’t forget to vote for what you thought was the best show this week, and as usual, the results will be revealed on next week’s list.

Thanks for reading!