By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE Superstars TV Report
June 25, 2009 - Week 11
Taped the Week of June 22

After the WWE Superstars video montage started the broadcast, Jack Swagger's music promptly hit to start the show. ECW announcers Josh Mathews and Matt Striker welcomed us to the show and Mathews promptly botched the main event, saying the Kofi vs. Hardy vs. MVP U.S. Title match is from the Smackdown brand. Striker corrected him it's from Raw, then they plugged The Bash PPV on Sunday. Evan Bourne then came out sporting taped ribs to face Swags. After they recapped how Bourne received the taped ribs via Mark Henry, Bourne was shown taking a few deep breaths in the ring.

1 -- JACK SWAGGER vs. EVAN BOURNE

Swagger instantly took control with a waistlock to work over the ribs. Bourne avoided a running boot and landed a kick strike, but Swagger clotheslined him hard over the top rope to the floor. Bourne was folded up like an accordion on the floor going to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Bourne was crying out in pain as Swagger had him in another rear waistlock on the mat. Striker and Mathews talked up the five-way ECW Title match on Sunday with Striker providing some fuzzy math to put ECW champion Tommy Dreamer in jeopardy and increase the chances of a title change. Two tools in the toolbox to attempt to sell a PPV - champ in jeopardy and good chance of a title change. Swagger tried to charge Bourne in the corner, but Bourne moved and busted out a nice run-off-the-second-rope kick strike. He followed with a springboard double knee smash on the floor, continuing the great offensive display. Mach moved up top and Swagger tossed Bourne halfway across the ring with an overhead suplex. He tried to follow with his gutwrench powerbomb finisher, but Bourne countered mid-air with a head scissors. Bourne then tried the Shooting Star Press, but Swagger moved and clotheslined Bourne hard from behind. Swagger followed with the gutwrench powerbomb for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Swagger in 9:00. Excellent singles match. Swagger is going to make a lot of money for himself and WWE down the line when he's put in a position to main event PPVs. Bourne had plenty of offense to look credible with the taped ribs being his "out" for the loss. (**1/2)

Backstage: They showed Dolph Ziggler walking down the hallway in preparation for a singles match.

[Commercial Break]

[Q2]

In-ring: Dolph Ziggler came out with his new theme music saying he's perfection. The Mr. Perfect references continue. Ziggler took the mic, failed to introduce himself, and talked about rendering divas speechless on Smackdown last week. Ziggler said he's going to defeat The Great Khali on Sunday and no one will ever forget his name. Quote the Raven...er...Dolph Ziggler. Cue up the country music for Jimmy Wang Yang to come out for the kids.

2 -- DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. JIMMY WANG YANG

Ziggler scored with a nice overhead suplex early on for a two count. Jim Ross called him Rudely Perfect. Ziggler settled into a side headlock to ground Yang, who came back with a great dropkick. Yang started a comeback and hit a roundhouse kick before going up top for a fully-extended cross-body block. Yang tried a corner move, most likely his trademark moonsault, but Dolph crotched him. Dolph then hit his finisher, a leaping reverse DDT, for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Dolph Ziggler in 3:00. Fine match. Good action to get over Dolph's personality. Slow and steady build for the character. Eventually, he could evolve into a main eventer, but right now, he's in that Zack Ryder category of a mid-card heel with a cocky gimmick. (*)

Main event plug: Grisham and Ross plugged the Raw main event for the U.S. Title.

[Commercial Break]

Superstars profile: Triple H. 13-time WWE champion. He lives to be WWE champion. Future Hall of Famer. Pedigree. Match. Set. Game Over. "I am Triple H." Lots of sound bytes.

Announcers: Raw's Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler talked up the Triple H vs. Randy Orton feud. Roll footage from Raw of the Orton vs. Hunter Last Man Standing match resulting in a draw and Orton retaining the WWE Title, Vince "re-buying" Raw from Trump, and Vince booking Orton vs. Hunter at The Bash in a Three Stages of Hell match.

Backstage: Josh Mathews brought in U.S. champion Kofi Kingston for a pre-main event chat. Kofi wasn't sweating his test tonight in a three-way. Kofi said he's all about integrity and he'll get the job done tonight.

In-ring: MVP came out first for the U.S. Title match. For some reason, I have brainlock that William Regal is involved in this. In any event, MVP got his love from the crowd before they cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Matt Hardy came to the ring still sporting the cast on his hand to enhance his heel character. U.S. champion Kofi Kingston then came out and one dude on the front row in a wifebeater tank top went nuts on camera. Hardy and MVP talked trash as Kofi completed his entrance, then Cole talked up the history of the U.S. Title.

3 -- U.S. champion KOFI KINGSTON vs. MVP vs. MATT HARDY -- United States Title match

Hardy played the heel monkey in the middle taking a right hand from Kofi, then a right hand from MVP, and repeat to the delight of the crowd. MVP and Kofi then double suplexed Hardy after spinning him around a few times. Kofi made the cover, but MVP shoved him away. Kofi and MVP had some discussion on trying to get rid of Hardy so they could battle, but Hardy shoved Kofi into MVP to knock MVP to the floor.

[Q4]

Hardy slingshot Kofi throat-first across the top rope and made a cover, but MVP broke it up from the outside. MVP then tried covering Hardy, but Kofi broke it up by kicking Hardy in the gut. Cut to break.

[Commercial Break. Haha. WGN aired a Superstars profile on Umaga. Sorry, but he's no longer employed.]

Back from break, Hardy landed an elbow drop on Kofi for a two count. Hardy then took a reverse backstabber with Kofi driving his knees into Hardy's gut. MVP broke up a pin, then MVP and Kofi had another stand-off. Kofi leap frogged MVP several times before hitting a leaping clothesline. He circled around the ring to hit the Boom Boom leg drop, but Hardy yanked him to the floor from the outside. Hardy dropped Kofi across the guardrail before returning to the ring to battle MVP.

Hardy took control and went up top for an elbow smash to the top of the head. He danced around the ring to hit the Twist of Fate, but MVP blocked and fired off a round of closed fists. MVP knocked down Hardy, then dropped the Ballin' elbow drop for a two count. Kofi then yanked MVP to the floor and gave Hardy a Boom Boom leg drop, but MVP broke up the pin from the floor. MVP and Kofi had a great nearfall/counter exchange before Hardy interjected with the Side Effect on MVP for a two count.

Kofi suddenly blasted Hardy with a pendulum kick out of the corner and hit a top rope cross-body splash for a two count. Kofi then ran into a big Chono boot out of the corner from MVP, but Hardy hit the Twist of Fate on MVP. Hardy made the cover, but MVP kicked out just in time. Kofi then blocked the ToF from Hardy and spun him around for Hardy to take the Trouble in Paradise buzzsaw kick. Kofi with the pin on Hardy for the win. After they replayed highspots of the match, Cole and Lawler gave one final plug for The Bash with Kofi celebrating to close the show.

WINNER: Kofi in 15:00 to retain the U.S. Title. Excellent match for a three-way that doesn't follow traditional one-on-one match-ups. All three men worked hard and kept the action going with nearfalls and counters building to the finish. Kofi was in enough jeopardy throughout the match to keep viewers interested in a potential title switch. (***1/4)

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