WWE Superstars
July 2, 2009
San Jose, CA/Fresno, CA
Report by: Mike Tedesco of WrestleView.com
?Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event?? The WWE video leads us into the show.
The Superstars video plays and we?re brought into the arena with a great pyrotechnics display. Michael Cole and Jerry ?The King? Lawler welcome us to the show. This will be Raw’s contribution to the show.
Santino Marella vs. The Brian Kendrick
The match begins and Marella does a quick little roll to attempt to intimidate The Kendrick. Marella then puts his hand out for a shake but The Kendrick kicks at it. The fans chant for Santino and he just blushes. The Kendrick has seen enough as he knees Marella and elbows him down. The Kendrick locks on a neck vice but only has it on for a few as Marella fights to his feet and does a roll, which sends The Kendrick flying. The Kendrick angrily charges and Marella hits him with a headlock takeover. The Kendrick gets a head scissors on so Marella kips up out of that and The Kendrick charges right back into the headlock takeover. The Kendrick fights to his feet and gets a foot on the rope, so the hold is broken.
Marella backs up and waits for The Kendrick to get back up. The Kendrick goes for a kick but Marella blocks it and hits a few stinging lefts before taking some time to yell in Italian, giving The Kendrick time to recover and knee him in the midsection. The Kendrick throws Marella over the top rope but Marella hangs on and attempts to ‘skin the cat? but The Kendrick catches him, and pulls him back in hard. Marella appears to have hurt his hamstring so he yells, ?Ow ? my hambone!? The Kendrick targets the ?hambone? with a bunch of kicks. The Kendrick wrenches it before locking on a leg lock. The Kendrick drops a knee on the joint and continues yanking on it. Marella clubs out and gets up but The Kendrick takes him down with a low dropkick to the knee.
The Kendrick talks a little trash while slapping him in the face a few times. After a couple more slaps and insults Marella begins no selling them and ?hulking up.? Marella yells, ?Now you-a make-a me so mad,? before laying him out with a right hand. Marella ducks a bunch of The Kendrick’s punches before hitting another right hand. Marella splits under a clothesline and drops The Kendrick with a back elbow. The Kendrick gets up and runs right into a hip toss. Marella walks around with a purpose and walks right into a boot from The Kendrick. The Kendrick covers for a two count when Marella grabs the rope. Marella goes for a roll-up but The Kendrick hangs on to the ropes and covers Marella but Marella reverses it into a pin of his own for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Santino Marella
Match Rating: * ?
After the match Santino Marella does his trombone celebration before shaking hands with Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler. That trombone is so funny. The Kendrick is not happy about this and Marella just laughs and says, ?He so angry!?
Our Main Event tonight will be World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk taking on one-half of the Unified Tag Team Champions Edge in a non-title match.
-Commercial Break-
Todd Grisham and Jim Ross welcome us back to the show with the first of Smackdown’s two contributions to the show tonight.
Charlie Haas vs. John Morrison
As Morrison comes out they replay the end of his awesome match from Smackdown where he beat CM Punk in a non-title match. After the match CM Punk dropped him with the GTS.
The match starts and they circle the ring. They lock up and struggle around the ring before getting stuck on the ropes. Haas doesn?t give a clean break as he spins around with a back elbow. Haas hits a nasty right hand before sending Morrison into the ropes. Morrison slides under a big boot attempt and take Haas down with an arm drag. Morrison hits another and taunts Haas. Haas charges but Morrison ducks the clothesline and lays him out with a dropsault that sends him out of the ring. Morrison goes for a springboard body press to the outside but Haas moves and Morrison lands on the apron. Morrison then slingshots back in and hits a slingshot baseball slide on Haas! Nicely done!
Morrison goes to the outside and attempts to drag Haas back in by dragging him up the stairs but Haas pulls his leg out and Morrison crashes onto the steel steps chest first. That looked nasty. Haas sends Morrison ribs first into the ring apron before throwing Morrison back in the ring. Haas kicks Morrison in the ribs and then hard in the back. Haas covers for a two count and then quickly locks on a body scissors. Morrison is eventually able to elbow and forearm out. Morrison hits a nice right hand and a kick to the ribs before having one of his kicks blocked by Haas. Morrison counters with a beautiful handstand kick to the face.
Morrison goes into the ropes and hits a clothesline. Morrison whips Haas into the ropes and hits a big heel kick for a two count. Haas head-butts Morrison away and pulls Morrison toward him for a knee to the midsection. Haas charges with a big boot but Morrison ducks it and hits him with the Moonlight Drive! Morrison now jumps to the top rope and hits Starship Pain for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: John Morrison
Match Rating: * ?
Backstage Zack Ryder is making his way to the ring. He?ll face one of ECW’s newest stars from the Superstar Initiative, Tyler Reks.
-Commercial Break-
Matt Striker thanks Aranda for the use of their song ?WHYYAWANNABRINGMEDOWN,? the official theme song of the Bash. It’s actually not a bad song.
This will be ECW’s contribution to the show. Josh Mathews and Matt Striker welcome us to this portion of the show.
Zack Ryder vs. Tyler Reks
Tyler Reks made his way to the ring with the most generic surfer music I?ve ever heard. They lock up once the match begins and Ryder powers Reks to the corner. Ryder gives him a little ?Woo, woo, woo? as he backs up. They quickly lock back up and Ryder gets a headlock on. Reks forearms him in the ribs and whips him off but Ryder takes him down with a shoulder block. Ryder goes into the ropes, over and under Reks, before being taken down with a flapjack. This gets Reks a one count, the first of his WWE career. I know ? who cares? Ryder goes to the apron and when Reks goes to grab him Ryder snaps his neck off the top rope. Ryder kicks him in the head a few times before smashing him against the turnbuckle and kicking him down. Ryder then hits a running kick to the face. Ryder covers for a one count.
Ryder locks on a chin lock. Reks fights up and punches out only to attempt to run and Ryder pulls his hair. Ryder goes for a back drop but Reks flips through and lands on his feet, taking Ryder down with a neckbreaker. Ryder is the first one up and goes to grab Reks but Reks responds with a right hand. Ryder blocks the next and sends him into the ropes but Reks is able to slide on his knees under the clothesline and hit him with a fist in the midsection. Reks hits a back elbow and a face plant for a two count. Ryder hits a jawbreaker but runs right into a back elbow. Reks climbs to the second rope but Ryder kicks his legs out from under him and he crashes to the mat. Ryder hits the Zack Attack for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Zack Ryder
Match Rating: ? *
We now get a video for the WWE’s Summer Slam Reading Jam. That’s nice.
Still to come tonight is our Main Event ? CM Punk vs. Edge in a non-title match.
-Commercial Break-
Did you know WWE offers all U.S. military personnel free tickets to all its live events in the U.S.?
A WWE Superstars video now airs for Christian. This was another terrific video putting over a tremendous wrestler, arguably one of the top wrestlers in the company.
Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole are back for the Raw Rebound. I can?t believe they?re going with Mark Henry for a big push? I just simply cannot believe it. What happens to Tony Atlas now?!
Jim Ross and Todd Grisham are now back. They talk about our Main Event before talking about the Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk title match at the Bash. Punk claimed that he hurt his eye and couldn?t see when he threw a kick that caught the referee in the back, causing a disqualification. Jeff Hardy attacked CM Punk after the match.
CM Punk makes his way to the ring still selling his eye a bit. He?ll be in action next.
-Commercial Break-
CM Punk vs. Edge
This is a non-title match in case you started reading right here. Chris Jericho isn?t joining Edge at ringside. A fun little side note: on the way to the ring Edge spat out his gum and swatted it away a la Mr. Perfect.
Scott Armstrong is officiating again ? he better watch his back. The bell rings and they take a moment before locking up. Punk powers Edge to the corner but Edge turns him around and forcibly breaks the hold. Punk charges towards Edge with some kicks but Edge runs and gets through the ropes before he can connect. Punk is already selling the eye. They take some time before going to lock up but this time Punk connects with a bunch of kicks to the back of the knee. Punk stomps Edge down before picking him up and forearming him. Punk sends Edge into the ropes and knees him in the midsection, covering for a one count. Punk quickly locks on a body scissors and elbows Edge in the ribs. Punk releases and covers for a one count.
Punk knees Edge in the ribs a few times before sending him into the ropes and attempting another kitchen sink but Edge counters with a roll-up for a one count. Punk connects with a kick, a forearm, and a kick to the ribs for a two count. Edge then gets up and forearms Punk in the eye. Edge punches him and sends him into the ropes but Punk holds on. Edge charges and Punk goes for a back body drop over the top rope but Edge hangs on the apron. Punk kicks his knees out before going into the ropes and baseball sliding him off the apron. Punk quickly goes outside and gets Edge back in the ring. Punk charges Edge in the corner and Edge hits him with a big boot, apparently right in the eye. The referee keeps Edge away as he asks Punk if he wants to continue the match. We?ll pick things up after the break.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break to see Edge forcing his knee into Punk’s head, squashing his bad eye against the canvas. The referee makes him back away and when Edge approaches Punk he gets kicked a bunch of times in the legs. Punk has a whip reversed on him and Edge drops him with a flapjack. This gets Edge a one count. Edge drives a knee into Punk back a few times before hooking both arms in a submission. Wow ? Punk really needs to get his teeth whitened. Punk eventually fights up and head-butts out of the double underhook. Punk hits a pair of beautiful kicks before sending Edge into the ropes and dropping him with a back heel kick.
Edge is up in the corner so Punk goes for his high knee. Edge attempts to counter with a big boot but Punk catches him and hits a step-up enzuigiri for a near fall. Punk elbows Edge in the neck and goes for a double arm suplex but Edge counters with an Edgecution! Edge covers for a near fall. Edge sets up in the corner for a Spear. Edge charges and Punk counters with a swinging neckbreaker for a near fall! Punk goes to the apron and waits for Edge to get up. Punk springboards off the top rope for a clothesline but Edge moves. Punk lands on his feet and catches a charging Edge with a powerslam for a near fall.
Edge is up in the corner so Punk finally is able to hit his high knee in the corner and goes for the bulldog but Edge holds on. Punk then pulls Edge in to GTS position but Edge digs his fingers into Punk’s bad eye. Punk drops down and goes to the corner quickly. Edge assaults Punk in the corner so the referee pulls him away. CM Punk then tells the referee that he can?t see and forfeits the match! When’s the last time we saw a forfeit when it wasn?t an I Quit match?!
Winner by Forfeit: Edge
Match Rating: **
Edge celebrates as he leaves the ring with CM Punk holding his eye in agony. Josh Mathews runs out to the ring and asks him if he would have forfeited if this was a title match. CM Punk says his eye is a little bit injured right now, which is an understatement. Punk says he’s never forfeited anything but if he can?t see he can?t compete. When his eye is better he?d be happy to give Edge a rematch but right now he just can?t see. Mathews wishes him a speedy recovery. We end the show with trainers checking on CM Punk’s eye.
Quick Match Results
Santino Marella def. The Brian Kendrick
John Morrison def. Charlie Haas
Zack Ryder def. Tyler Reks
Edge def. CM Punk via Forfeit (non-title)
Bump of the Night:Morrison landing on the steel steps chest first!
Match of the Night: CM Punk vs. Edge **
Mike’s Thoughts
We had a very good main event tonight. I can?t remember the last time I saw someone forfeit a match when it wasn?t an I Quit match or a submission. I like that CM Punk is hamming up this eye injury. Is it real or is he just faking it? Did he screw Jeff Hardy? These are all questions that need to be answered. In any event Edge and CM Punk had a great match tonight and the ending was definitely interesting.
John Morrison looked good in his match with Charlie Haas tonight. I like Charlie Haas a lot and I hope they find something for him to do now that Shelton Benjamin is on ECW. I believe they can come up with something better than ripping off old gimmicks.
I?m not really sure what I think of the new guy Tyler Reks yet. The match he had with Zack Ryder wasn?t all that great. I guess we?ll find out in the coming weeks if Tyler Reks has what it takes but from what I saw tonight my only thought was ?Braden Walker,? or whatever the name was.
Final Rating: * ?
E-Mail ? MikeyT817@hotmail.com
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s Smackdown recap.
Thanks for reading!