WWE Superstars TV Report
December 17, 2009 - Week 36
Taped the Week of December 14
Report by James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

The WWE show started with Smackdown announcers Todd Grisham and Matt Striker hyping the main event of Jack Swagger vs. MVP for the second straight week. Out to start the show was Cryme Tyme for the opening tag match. Mike Knox, then Dolph Ziggler came out to open up the show.

1 -- CRYME TYME (SHAD GASPARD & JTG) vs. DOLPH ZIGGLER & MIKE KNOX

The bell sounded and we have a screamer in the crowd. We heard from her early and often in this match. Dolph and Knox worked over JTG early on, but Shad tagged in and bodyslammed Dolph. Meanwhile, Knox blind-tagged into the match and smashed Shad wit a big cross-body block. Both men sold the effects of the mid-air ab collison and they cut to break.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Dolph was working over Shad and he scored a nearfall before bringing in the good doctor to work over Shad. Shad made a fiery comeback at 8:00, but Knox cut him off with a dropkick that looked pretty impressive coming from the big man. Ziggler then tagged in and took his time setting up a big elbow drop that he let everyone in the arena know was coming. Dolph tried to settle into a chinlock, but Shad pulled a John Cena and powered up to his feet to drop Dolph on the mat. JTG and Knox then took tags - JTG's being hot - and JTG dropkicked Knox to the corner. JTG started rolling the dice before giving Knox a faceplant, but Ziggler broke up the pin attempt. Shad then came in and dropped Ziggler with an STO before Knox clotheslined Shad to the floor. Knox tried to follow with a big boot on JTG, but JTG ducked and hit the Shout-Out necktie drop. Didn't look like enough offense to pin the much-larger Knox, but it was the finish and JTG scored the pin for the win.

WINNERS: Cryme Tyme in 12:00. That was a good, well-executed, stand-out TV tag match. Knox was impressive on offense, Ziggler got his personality across to the audience, and Cryme Tyme did their thing to excite the audience leading to the finish. All of the elements came together nicely. It would have been nice to see Ziggler pick up a win, but at least he didn't take the fall. (**)

[Q2]

Marine 2 plug: Instead of the usual "Ask the Divas" segment in this slot, they aired a DVD plug for Ted DiBiase's new movie coming out at the end of the month.

Backstage: We took an intense look at Vance Archer, who was shown walking down the hallway to make his Superstars debut.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Some intense music out and out came Vance Archer for a one-fall match-up. After Archer hit the ring, ECW's Josh Mathews and Byron Saxton narrated a highlight package on Archer's intense offense on previous episodes of ECW. Back in the ring, Archer had an intense smile after observing his handywork. Tommy Dreamer then came out for another piece of Archer after losing to him last week on ECW TV.

2 -- TOMMY DREAMER vs. VANCE ARCHER

The bell sounded and Archer flung Dreamer across the ring before stomping away on his head. Archer continued to pound away on Dreamer as he insulted Dreamer with trash-talk in the process. Time for a Tommy Dreamer comeback and we got one at 3:00 including a corner mount and three punches to the head before landing a bulldog. Dreamer followed with a Dreamer DDT, but Archer used his long leg to put his foot on the bottom rope for a break. Dreamer tried to follow with a frogsplash, but Arch moved and exploded out of the corner with a clothesline. Arch followed with a big boot as the audience chanted Tommy's name. It was for naught, though, as Archer hit his swinging reverse DDT with an intense grunt for the pin and the win.

WINNER: Vance Archer in 5:00. Fine match. WWE is just trying to build up Archer and Dreamer is an easy sympathy magnet to transfer the heat onto Archer. (*)

[Q3]

World Hvt. Title DVD plug: They plugged the "History of the World Title" DVD that came out on Tuesday.

[Commercial Break]

Superstars profile: WWE gave us a look at Sheamus in an extended video recap.

Announcers: Raw's Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler were shown on-camera to introduce the Raw Rebound focusing on Dennis Miller, the Slammys, DX, Shawn Michaels's challenge to The Undertaker for WM26, John Cena winning Superstar of the Year, and Sheamus as the new WWE champion. That killed five minutes.

In-ring: Jack Swagger came out first for the main event against MVP. He completed his ring entrance and they cut to a break after the announcers focused on Swagger picking up a win over MVP in last week's Superstars main event.

[Commercial Break. Counting ECW on Tuesday, we're up to 185 Bod-Man commercials featuring Britney Spears.]

[Q4]

3 -- MVP vs. JACK SWAGGER

The bell sounded and the announcers were back on the same talking points from last week - and every other match-up between these two - on MVP doing hard time and Swagger being born into greatness. I hear "hard time" and I think Dusty Rhodes promo. How did WWE not at least nominate him for Best Guest Host? Anyways, MVP and Swagger walked through a good feeling-out process to start, then MVP blasted Swagger with a clothesline and worked over Swagger in the corner. Swagger then came back with a boot to the chin to begin working over MVP on the mat. Swagger tried to toss MVP over the top rope, but MVP skinned the cat back into the ring. Swags saw it coming and smashed MVP to the floor to take control going to break.

[Commercial Break. Bod-Man #186.]

Back from break, Swagger had MVP on the mat with an amateur hold as the audience tried to rally behind MVP. Swagger continued to work over MVP's back, then he turned his attention to MVP's mid-section with hard knees and body shots. MVP fired back with right hands, but Swagger answered with a textbook armdrag into another mat-based hold. Swagger teased the gutwrench powerbomb at 12:00, but MVP slipped out and smashed Swagger in the corner with a big Chono Boot. MVP then followed with the Playmaker for the pin and the win.

WINNER: MVP in 13:00. Finish was obvious since the match was the complete opposite of last week. MVP dominated last week and Swagger scored the win. Swagger dominated this week and MVP scored the win. Now they're even from the past two weeks and a rubber match should be coming on Raw (hahahaha) or on a future Superstars. This was an equally-good match compared to last week. Well done to close the show. (**)

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