Rapid Reaction: WWE Superstars for May 5, 2011 (Bonus "Raw Is Rock" Rant Inside)
This week's show features three quality matches featuring the stars of Raw and Smackdown. WWE's resident "Dudebuster" Trent Barreta looks to continue making a name for himself as he meets one half of the dangerous Uso Brothers, Jey.
In Divas action, two former heated rivals square off as Beth Phoenix meets Melina in a hard-hitting one-on-one encounter.
And in the main event, two of Raw's underrated performers do battle as Evan Bourne meets "Long Island Iced Z" himself, Zack Ryder.
Match #1: Trent Barreta vs. Jey Uso (with Jimmy Uso)
1 of 7
-Trent Barreta out to a decent reaction. Every week it sounds as though the pop for Barreta is getting more and more natural and less and less reliant on post-production editing. That is a good thing for the young, largely unproven star.
-On the other side, however, Jey Uso enters to major canned heat. There are main event heels who aren't booed as loud and Jimmy and Jey as they make their entrance.
-Korpela say the Usos like to consider themselves the "GQ version of the Wild Samoans." I have a feeling the Uso brothers wish they received the same push the Samoans did, too.
-Fast-paced open to the match and it appears that Jey has gotten himself into much better physical condition than he was when he and his brother debuted early last year.
-Very basic, high-impact offense from Jey, which is stereotypical of every other Samoan star to come through WWE.
-Barreta elbows out of a nerve hold but is shoved from the top rope to the arena floor as we head to the first break of the night.
-Jimmy and Jey are so much more athletic than their predecessors. Why they do not utilize that athleticism more than they do is a mystery. Instead, they seem content to settle for the same tired, boring, outdated style that their father used some 11 years. I think branching out and trying to create their own identities, rather than being "the modern day Samoan athlete" would do them so much better.
-That said, for the purposes of this match, Jey's power moveset versus Barreta's fast-paced, high-risk skills may serve him better.
-Jey sits Barreta up top but the young New Yorker elbows out and connects with what can best be described as a "Whisper in the Wind," the old top-rope move of Jeff Hardy.
-STIFF chop from Barreta that hurts me as I watch.
-Barreta reminds me of Christian. He doesn't have the experience or the psychology that the veteran Christian has but he does have the subtle flashiness of that a young Christian had and is able to conjure the same crowd support the Toronto native consistently accumulates as a match goes on. It is a shame he cannot seem to capture the attention of Vince or the writers because, if this was 1999, Barreta would be tearing down the house with Edge, Christian, and the Hardys on a nightly basis.
-Jey with the top-rope splash, similar to that of his father Rikishi. Barreta gets his knees up and Uso crashes ribs-first.
-Is there any move more awesomely named than the "Gobstopper knee"? Makes me want to watch the Gene Wilder classic right now.
-Barreta with the Dudebuster DDT for the win.
Rapid Reaction: A disappointing, unmemorable match. My major complaint is the total lack of psychology. Rather than a match that tells a story, it feels like a series of spots set up before the finish, which came from out of nowhere. It was nice to see Jey and Trent get the time they did to construct a match. Unfortunately, the chemistry didn't appear to be there and as a result, the two young performers failed to click. Here is hoping these two, and Jimmy Uso as well, have the opportunity to work together in the future so that the next time they have the opportunity to compete against each other on this program, they have a better understanding of what one another is good at and what their limitations are.
On a side note, Trent continues to show flashes of a valuable babyface Superstar in the waiting. Even if the crowd is not quick to react for his entrance, he has the unique ability to get them behind him and his role of the plucky underdog in the match. He is a believable, solid face act that could gain considerable traction if given something to do Friday nights. The factor working in Trent's favor is the lack of credible "good guys" on the Smackdown roster.
Promo Time!
2 of 7
-That's What I Am movie premiere footage from the Santa Barbara Film Festival airs.
-I have yet to see it because, you know, it aired in only six or seven theatres. But Ed Harris is often great in his films and Randy Orton is receiving rave reviews for his villainous turn in the film. Definitely WWE Studio's most critically acclaimed production.
-A Tough Enough promo airs. Apparently there will be two eliminations on this coming week's episode. If you have yet to tune in, make it a priority. The show is a highly entertaining way to spend the hour before Raw. Stone Cold is perfect in his role and Bill DeMott is one of the most intriguing characters on any WWE program.
-As for my "Elimination Wish List," I am hoping to see Luke go sooner rather than later. He and his over-the-top "I'm awesome and everyone else is terrible" act is getting stale really fast. Someone should remind him that, while Ric Flair (who Luke has mentioned as being inspiration) had a tendency to be egotistical both on and off-screen, he always had great respect for the majority of his co-workers. I do not get the feeling that Luke respects anyone but himself.
Match #2: Beth Phoenix vs. Melina
3 of 7
-Melina still gets a decent pop, even for a heel Diva who has not been featured on television consistently.
-Beth Phoenix makes a very welcome return to WWE programming, receiving a nice reaction from the crowd.
-A lockup and forearm from Melina before Beth grabs a hold of her for the Glam Slam. Melina quickly gets to the ropes to break contact between the two of them.
-With Melina tied in the "Tree of Woe," Beth grabs her by the head and slams her back-first into the corner.
-Melina, with Beth in the corner, lays her across the middle rope, climbs the ropes, and comes down with double knees to the midsection.
-Generally speaking, these two work well together. Unfortunately, WWE's lack of excitement in regards to the Divas division results in good matches going unnoticed.
-Stiff boot to the midsection of Beth. These two are always a little snug with one another. Adds to the believability of the action.
-Melina works the ribs and midsection, which makes sense. Beth being bigger and stronger, working her midsection and taking the air from her will slow her down and reduce her power advantage.
-That solid psychology is ruined one second later when Melina decides to work the head and neck from out of nowhere.
-Beth with an impressive gorilla press slam that sends Melina crashing face-first into the mat.
-ATOMIC DROP!!! When was the last time you saw one of those in a Divas match? When was the last time a Divas match was given enough time to include such complex moves?
-In a spot we've seen before, Beth bends Melina backwards and uses her own foot to kick her head. It's an old spot from Beth and Melina's past but still a cool one.
-Melina tries for a split kick but Beth ducks out of the way, grabs the double chicken wing, and finishes Melina with the Glam Slam.
-Beth's pin on Melina is, somehow, incredibly sexy. Big pop for Beth's win.
Rapid Reaction: A very good Divas match, one whose quality most likely will not be matched until Kharma begins her in-ring work. Beth is probably the best worker outside of Gail Kim and can bring it when given time. Melina, if she could keep her attitude in check, would be the most marketable woman in the company. She can work, is extremely hot, and has the Hispanic appeal the company values in stars like Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara.
Promo Time...Part Deux!
4 of 7
-The Wrestlemania XXVII DVD and Blu-Ray disc is released on May 10. As disappointing as the show was this year, I definitely recommend the Blu-Ray disc. If you have the proper player, that is. The WWE's Blu-Ray presentations are among the best of any I have seen and the spectacle that comes with Wrestlemania is magnified in the High Definition presentation.
-Check out WWE.com for all of your Extreme Rules coverage. Also, there is a very cool Cinco De Mayo piece covering the Mexican stars of past and present. Another recommendation there.
Raw Rewind
5 of 7
-Since I do not cover Raw for Bleacher Report, allow me to sum up my opinions on Raw from this past Monday night. I HATED IT. For two hours, The Rock was celebrated on his birthday. Despite his status as a major star, he did nothing to help put over any current talent, further any storylines, nor did he deliver the ratings boost expected.
Only four matches occurred on what should have been the first episode to feature all of the major talent Raw accumulated during last week's Draft. The Rock will not be on next week's show and treating him as a god and placing him on a pedestal above every other full-time star who could have used the television time wasted on a Hollywood star plugging a $100-million movie is both embarrassing and disgraceful.
I grew up a Rock fan. Had the t-shirt, the elbow pad, a number of VHS and DVDs and could recite every single catchphrase at any given time. I enjoy his movies, for the most part, and am legitimately proud that he has moved on to superstardom.
What I hate is "Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson," a Hollywood actor who likes to play dress-up as a WWE Superstar when he isn't busy shooting his latest Disney movie. He lies to the fans about never leaving, then the next week can't be bothered to show up in person for the build to Wrestlemania. It's a disgrace to every other WWE Superstar literally breaking their backs to further a product, only to be neglected when The Rock finally graces the fans with his presence.
The WWE roster is extremely young and sacrificing their television time and the growth that would result in favor of stroking the ego of a celebrity who walked away from the business seven years ago will have major consequences on the future of the company.
Match #3: Evan Bourne vs. Zack Ryder
6 of 7
-First real "major star" pop of the show goes to Bourne. He is always popular but never enough so that the writers feel the need to push him hard. I have a feeling Evan is destined to be a mid-card act for the majority of his career.
-Ryder enters to pops that, mysteriously, are replaced by canned heat. Again Vince, would not want to let anyone get over without your blessing, would you?
-Very, very audible "Let's Go Ryder" chant.
-More mat-based match than you would expect from these two.
-Ryder works the head and neck.
-For the second week in a row, Ryder breaks out the crossface.
-Ever the cocky heel, Zack toys with Bourne and slaps him around.
-Missed Rough Ryder leads to a stiff knee to the face.
-AWESOME camera angle during the Air Bourne from Evan for the win. Arena reports said the camera man entered the ring to catch the move perfectly. It worked.
Rapid Reaction: A quality match between two of the more underrated internet favorites. Ryder continues to star in these weekly Superstars matches and it has gotten to the point where it hurts whoever he is paired with because he is so far above the majority of the Superstars regulars. Bourne was his regular solid self and these two seemed to gel well. Ryder losing to Bourne was to be expected but there were definitely times in the match where the crowd was behind Zack more than Evan.
FINAL Reaction
7 of 7
Gratuitous Photo of the Week: Melina and the Bella Twins celebrate Cinco De Mayo 2011
FINAL Reaction: Another quality episode of Superstars. Beth and Melina brought it and represented the Divas division well, using stiffness and intensity not seen in the other two matches on the show. Ryder continued to outshine every other performer and Trent Barreta's seems to be continually growing as a performer and could be a breakout star on Smackdown if given the opportunity.
A better show than last week, the Cinco De Mayo edition Superstars is a recommended watch and far better from the terrible Raw that we were forced to suffer through on Monday.
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