WWE Superstars
February 16, 2012
Report by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Hello everyone, and welcome to this week’s WWE Superstars recap. If you all are ready, then since Adelitas Way is playing the intro, let’s get on with the show!
We kick things off with the lone Smackdown match this week, with announcers Josh Mathews & Matt Striker.
Aksana vs. Maxine
Lock-up and Aksana with a series of armdrags into an armbar. Aksana keeps Maxine grounded with her knee planted directly on the side of Maxine’s head. Maxine gets back to her feet and pushes Aksana into the corner. Maxine breaks clean, then goes for a right hand, but Aksana ducks and kicks Maxine in the ribs, followed by a kick to the arm. Snapmare takeover by Aksana, followed by a stiff kick between Maxine’s shoulder blades for a nearfall. Aksana goes for 2 more covers, but both times only gets a 1 count. Aksana then locks in a keylock, but Maxine bridges back to her feet and breaks Aksana’s grip with back elbows. Maxine with an Irish whip, but Aksana sidesteps her back body drop attempt with a boot to the face. Aksana charges at Maxine, but Maxine sees her coming and drop toe holds Aksana down and Aksana lands throat first across the bottom rope.
Maxine drives Aksana’s face in the mat, and then chokes her across the ropes. Snapmare by Maxine, then she drives a series of knees between Aksana’s shoulder blades. Maxine then locks in a rear chinlock with her knee planted between Aksana’s shoulder blades. Crowd tries to will on Aksana as she gets back to her feet. Aksana tries to break Maxine’s grip with back elbows, but Maxine comes right back and drives the back of Aksana’s head into the mat for a 1 count. Maxine gets another 1 count, and then locks in a Dragon Sleeper. Crowd tries again to will on Aksana as Maxine gains another 1 count. Aksana shoves off Maxine and fires back with a forearm, and then goes off the ropes, but Maxine catches her and connects with an inverted atomic drop. Headfirst goes Aksana off the top turnbuckle as she tries to fight back with a kick to the ribs, but Maxine fires back with a forearm. Maxine with a hairmare, but then Aksana fights back with a back elbow to the gut. Aksana hits a series of forearms, but Maxine comes right back with a kick to the gut. Maxine drives Aksana’s face into the mat again, and then rubs her face into the mat. Maxine goes to the mount and tries to rain in right hands, but Aksana covers up. Maxine places Aksana’s shoulders into the mat and gets a nearfall. Maxine with an Irish whip, but as she charges, Aksana catches her coming in with a back elbow. Maxine charges again, but Aksana gets out of the way. Maxine with another charge, but she runs right into an Aksana clothesline, but does not go down. Aksana with a right hand, followed by an Irish whip and catches Maxine with another clothesline for a nearfall.
Another Irish whip by Aksana, and she catches Maxine coming in with a shoulder tackle. Aksana with a running clothesline, followed by a scoop slam and an elbow drop for a nearfall. Maxine comes back with a forearm, and Irish whips Aksana.
However, when Aksana goes off the ropes, she slides under Maxine’s legs and then she catches Maxine with a spinebuster for the victory.
Winner: Aksana by pinfall (Spinebuster)
-Commercial-
Back from commercial, we go to RAW with the Shawn Michaels/Triple H summit, followed by another video from the Undertaker.
-Commercial-
Back from commercial, we go to the RAW portion of this week’s show with announcers Josh Mathews & Scott Stanford.
WWE United States Champion “The All-American American” Jack Swagger w/Vickie Guerrero vs. Mason Ryan
Staredown to start things off as Swagger tries to intimidate Ryan, but Ryan just smiles at him. Ryan blocks Swagger’s right hand attempts, then blocks his kick and elbow attempts to boot. Swagger yells out in frustration as the crowd boos loudly at him. Swagger charges, but Ryan takes him down with a hiptoss. Swagger then rolls out to the outside to catch a breather. After some lolly-gagging, Swagger gets back into the ring. Swagger charges, but Ryan ducks under his clothesline attempt and goes off the ropes, connecting with a shoulder tackle. Swagger goes to the ropes as Ryan tries to go after him, but the referee pulls Ryan away and that allows Swagger to kick Ryan in the knee. Swagger hits a series of right hands, then Irish whips Ryan. Ryan reverses the whip, but Swagger holds on to the ropes coming in and sidesteps Ryan’s back body drop attempt with a boot to the face. Swagger charges, but Ryan knocks him down with a right hand. Ryan Irish whips Swagger sternum first to the corner, then lifts him up and scores with a fallaway slam for a nearfall. Ryan lifts up Swagger for another slam, but Swagger rolls off his back and goes to the corner. Ryan charges, but Swagger catches him coming in and takes him down with a drop toe hold, sending Ryan facefirst off the middle turnbuckle.
Swagger ducks under Ryan’s clothesline attempt and goes off the ropes, taking out Ryan’s leg with a front chopblock. Swagger goes off the ropes again, and knocks down Ryan with a flying shoulder tackle for a 1 count. Swagger then unloads on Ryan, nailing him with a series of clubs and right hands in the corner. Referee has to pull Swagger off of Ryan as Vickie cackles at ringside. Ryan tries to fight back with gut shots and shoves Swagger away, but Swagger catches him with a side belly to belly suplex for another nearfall. Swagger locks in a keylock as the crowd tries to will on Ryan. Ryan gets back to his feet, but Swagger nails with a series of knees to the ribs. Swagger goes back off the ropes, but Ryan catches him coming in with a flapjack.
Ryan hits a series of clotheslines on Swagger, followed by shoving him into the corner and hitting a shoulder to the ribs. Ryan lifts up Swagger and connects with a powerslam for a nearfall. Ryan goes for an Irish whip, but Swagger reverses, drops down and grabs a hold of Ryan’s ankle, trying to apply the Ankle Lock, but Ryan quickly kicks Swagger away. Ryan charges, but Swagger catches him with a back elbow. Ryan blocks Swagger ‘s clothesline and tries to hook in the full nelson, but Swagger gets himself onto the apron to break the hold. Ryan tries to go after Swagger, but Swagger nails him with another back elbow. Ryan goes after him again, but Swagger hotshots Ryan across the top rope, then grabs a hold of Ryan’s leg and drives it against the ringpost. Ryan is favoring his leg as Swagger gets back in the ring and hits the front chopblock once again.
Swagger then locks in the Ankle Lock and Ryan has no choice but to tapout.
Winner: “The All-American American” Jack Swagger by submission (Ankle Lock)
-Commercial-
Back from commercial, we go to a video highlighting the Kane-John Cena feud before our main event.
Main Event: WWE Tag Team Champions Epico & Primo w/Rosa Mendes vs. Alex Riley & Santino Marella
Epico & Santino start things off for their respective teams. Crowd chants for Santino as he charges with the Cobra, but Epico goes out to the outside to avoid it. Back in the ring, lock-up and Santino with a takedown and then does the helicopter across Epico’s back. Santino does his victory trumpet, but then Epico kicks him in the gut and applies a side headlock. Irish whip by Santino, but Epico takes him down with a shoulder tackle. Epico then mocks Santino’s trumpet and goes off the ropes. Santino, however, does the log roll and trips up Epico. Santino hits a series of drop toe holds, but Epico leaps over the 3rd attempt and stomps Santino. Santino avoids Epico’s elbow drop attempt and hits another drop toe hold into an armbar. Santino wrings out Epico’s arm and tags in Riley. Riley goes up to the middle turnbuckle and hits a double sledge across Epico’s arm. Riley with an arm wrench and wrings out Epico’s arm, then locks in a wristlock. Epico fights back with a kick to the ribs, then tags in Primo. Primo charges in, but Riley catches him with a hiptoss for a nearfall. Riley wrenches Primo’s arm, then wrings it out. Primo fights back with a knee to the ribs, then stomps away at Riley in the corner. Riley spins Primo around in the corner and unloads with a series of right hands. Irish whip by Riley, reversed by Primo, but Primo misses his charge in and Riley goes off the ropes, connecting with a flying clothesline for a 1 count. Riley wrenches out the arm again and tags in Santino. Santino takes a little too much time, but comes off the bottom turnbuckle and connects with a double sledge across Primo’s arm. Santino with a side headlock takedown and keeps hold of the side headlock. Primo counters with a pin predicament, but it only gets a 1 count as Santino moves back into the side headlock. Primo gets back to his feet and Irish whips Santino, but Santino knocks him down coming in with a shoulder tackle. Santino then with another drop toe hold into a front chancery. Primo gets back to his feet and breaks Santino’s grip with gut shots, followed by a kick to the ribs. Irish whip by Primo, reversed by Santino, who scores with a hiptoss, followed by the diving headbutt. Santino gets out the sock, setting up for the Cobra, but Primo gets to the ropes to create some distance. Epico then distracts Santino, and that allows Primo to come in from behind with a knee to the back sending Santino through the ropes to the outside. Rosa then taunts Santino on the outside as we go to commercial.
-Commercial-
Back from commercial as Santino tries to fight back with a series of jabs, but Primo sends him throat first into the middle ropes, followed by choking him in the ropes. Primo then goads Riley into the ring, and that allows Epico to drill Santino with a running boot from the apron. Primo with a leg drop for a nearfall as the crowd chants for Santino. Primo takes off Santino’s sock and proceeds to stomp on it, then stomps on Santino’s Cobra hand. Primo drives Santino’s Cobra hand into the mat, then applies a rear chinlock as the crowd tries to will on Santino. Santino gets to his feet and breaks Primo’s grip with gut shots. Santino goes off the ropes and tries for a Sunset flip, but Primo maneuvers himself over to Epico and tags him in. Santino takes Primo down but doesn’t realize Epico was tagged in, and that allows Epico to nail Santino with a dropkick to the back of the head. Epico then drives Santino’s Cobra hand into the mat, followed by hitting a series of stomps on it. Headfirst goes Santino off the top turnbuckle, followed by Epico hitting a series of stomps. Tag into Primo, who continues the onslaught with a series of stomps of his own. Tag into Epico, who keeps it going with another series of stomps. Tag into Primo, and the cousins Colon hit a double suplex for a nearfall. Santino tries to leap and make the tag to Riley, but Primo prevents that from happening. Primo locks back in the rear chinlock as the crowd again tries to will on Santino. Santino gets to his feet and breaks Primo’s grip with gut shots, then ducks Primo’s clothesline attempt and hits another gut shot, followed by the Santino Stunner.
Both men are down as the referee begins his 10 count. Epico & Riley get the respective tags in and Riley with a clothesline, followed by ducking under Epico’s clothesline attempt and catching him coming in with a spinebuster. Riley is fired up as he charges in and hits an avalanche. Riley goes up to the middle turnbuckle and hits the A-Bomb(Fall Forward DDT), but the pin attempt is broken up by Primo. Primo then dropkicks Santino off the apron and crashing to the outside. Riley then clotheslines Primo over the ropes to the outside.
However, that distraction allows Epico to come in from behind, going for the Backstabber, but Riley counters it with an armwhip. Riley lifts up Epico for the Final Score, but Epico counters it with elbows and shoves Riley into the corner.
Epico then hits Riley with the Backstabber for the victory.
Winners: Epico & Primo by pinfall (Backstabber)
The tag champs & Rosa celebrate their win as we go to credits.
My Thoughts
I thought it was a not good episode of Superstars this week until the main event, then it became decent.
Aksana and Maxine was a longer, but still bad version of their NXT atrocity from way back. Aksana does not belong in the ring at all, and I felt bad for Maxine, as she really tried to make it worthwhile, but there was nothing doing and it just was a bad match overall.
Swagger and Ryan wasn’t as bad, but Swagger had to really lace up his working boots to try and carry Ryan. Swagger garnered some good heat for himself and put some heat onto Ryan for Ryan’s comeback, but Ryan was no-selling left and right, and then was too quick to tapout to the Ankle Lock, which to me was even worse. Ryan does have charisma and some nice power, but he really needs to work on his selling game if he ever wants to move up the card.
The main event, though, saved the show. Epico & Primo just gel so well as a tag team, and Rosa as their manager brings that much needed spark and charisma to them that they wouldn’t have had alone. Santino was very good on the FIP, and Riley was actually pretty solid on the hot tag. Riley still needs to slow down, but he does have charisma as a babyface and that shows me at least some potential there. Good, little tag main event that really saved this show from being a DUD.
Overall, halfway decent show with a good main event, a bad sell-job from Mason Ryan, and Aksana never should be in a match again. Period.
My Grade: C-
Well, that will do it for me this week, I want to thank you all for reading and I hope you all enjoy your weekend. But remember….
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See ya next week!