WWE Superstars, June 27: The Miz vs. Wade Barrett and Cesaro Faces Zack Ryder

Thursday night is not only the home of TNA Wrestling’s Impact Wrestling, but it also sees WWE Superstars as well.

Airing on television in the United Kingdom and on Hulu Plus for fans in the United States, Superstars is a show of a few matches and a number of Raw recaps. Thankfully after it airs in the UK, the show pops up online!

This week’s episode featured two matches and also showed a few Raw recaps and hype videos. The June 27 episode of WWE Superstars would open with one of those one-on-one matches.

The Miz vs. Wade Barrett

The Miz defeated Wade Barrett after making him tap out to the figure-four leglock. Miz and Barrett had a very good match. They gave fans great action that was very even. The way the match was laid out, it seemed like either one could have taken home the victory.

Miz and Barrett have worked together so many times that they have developed a chemistry with one another. They now work so well together—a match between them is expected to deliver.

I was a little confused to see both wrestlers on Superstars, though. This show typically showcases the lower midcard talent, so seeing somebody who just lost the Intercontinental Championship and another who is still in the hunt, it was quite the surprise. It was a nice surprise, but a surprise nonetheless.

They did deliver one of the best matches Superstars has seen, so it’s a good thing they were on it. Hopefully, WWE puts more higher level talent on the show from time to time.

Raw Recap: CM Punk and Paul Heyman

A recap of the CM Punk/Paul Heyman segment from Monday Night Raw was then shown. It was a nice reminder of how great that segment really was.

Both men were great on the mic and delivered big time. I thought that Heyman was in rare form here with his apologies and off-topic rambling. Punk told a great story of why he was a “Paul Heyman Guy” and really sold his part by just staring at Heyman during the apology.

Heyman’s facial expression are usually enough to sell his promos, but adding in Punk’s made it even better.

The ending of Punk forgiving and hugging him sent a chill down my spine. Punk’s expression was stone cold. I think that he knows something is up.

They’re Coming

The very first Wyatt Family vignette then aired. There have been many, so if you don’t remember which one that is, it’s the one that ended with “And everywhere that Mary went…the lamb was sure to go.”

I have been in suspense for weeks over their debut. With every new vignette, it makes it seem like they’re getting closer. I love Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan on NXT, and seeing the Wyatt Family gimmick come to the main roster is certainly something to be excited for.

Honestly, I have never been this excited for a main roster debut in a long time.

One of a Kind

The Rob Van Dam return video then aired. Personally, I’m not too excited about his return. He will no doubt make a great addition to the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match due to the match’s extreme style, but in the end, I just can’t get excited about his overall return.

After seeing him wrestle in TNA, I don’t want to see him in the ring. He always did great in an extreme match, but in a regular singles contest, he was just so boring. It was like he was just going through the motions. Even when he was the champion, he was a shell of his former self.

I hope I’m proved wrong, though, and RVD has a great return!

Raw Recap: Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton

Another Raw recap then aired, this time of the Street Fight between Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton. They showed the last seven minutes or so.

This truly was the best match from Raw this past Monday. Bryan and Orton work so well together, and adding in the hardcore style of the match really added to things. It was incredibly physical, too. These two really beat the hell out of each other.

Seeing Orton actually tap out was shocking. I can’t remember the last time WWE’s Apex Predator tapped out to a submission hold. Making him submit makes Bryan look strong heading into the WWE Championship Money in the Bank match.

It also just makes him look stronger period.

Zack Ryder vs. Antonio Cesaro

Before the match, Zeb Colter got on the mic to say that Zack Ryder was a prime example of what was wrong with America. He was lazy, a slacker and expected things handed to him. Antonio Cesaro wasn’t like that, though, which made him a real American.

I am still a bit puzzled over Colter’s alliance with Cesaro. He’s everything that Colter has been preaching against since the character first appeared. I guess since he came here legally, he’s all right in Colter’s book. Still confuses me, though.

Cesaro then defeated Ryder here with his Neutralizer finisher. They had a solid match with some good back-and-forth action. It’s a shame that Ryder only gets to actually perform on a show barely anybody watches.

If he’s on Raw or SmackDown, he’s usually getting beaten up by somebody bigger than he is. Maybe that’ll change soon, but I won’t get my hopes up.

As for Cesaro, he’s as good as ever. While his alliance with Colter is a bit confusing, I’m glad he’s with him. After losing the United States Championship, Cesaro just lost all direction. Now with Colter, he’s back on television and is going somewhere. Where that is remains to be seen, but at least he’s doing something.

Raw Recap: Mark Henry and John Cena

WWE Superstars came to an end with a recap of the John Cena/Mark Henry situation. Henry’s retirement swerve was excellently done. That man truly does deserve an award of some kind for his performance.

He had everyone fooled! It’s all but a lock that he’ll at least get the Slammy Award for “Shocker of the Year.”

The recap then went into Cena’s promo from Raw, which was basically the same thing he always says. He gave an overall solid promo, but I couldn’t really get into because I’ve heard him say all of it before.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed this episode of WWE Superstars. Both matches were good, especially the opening contest. The Raw recaps reminded me of some great moments, and a Wyatt Family video is always great to see.

Superstars is a good little show. I do wish that there was at least one more match and fewer recaps, though. The recaps they show typically air on SmackDown, so it would be great to see another singles match instead of a recap I’m going to have to watch again the following day.

In the case of watching Superstars online, though, it’s more like a few hours. Despite the format, Superstars is usually a good show. This week was no exception.