WWE Superstars TV Results
July 15, 2010 - Year 2, Week 14
Taped the Week of July 12
Report by James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

This week's episode of WWE Superstars on WGN started with Smackdown announcer Todd Grisham introducing the show and plugging the Money in the Bank PPV in three days. Out first on the show was JTG for Smackdown's opening match on the show. Matt Striker talked about an interesting match-up between JTG and Chavo Guerrero coming up next.

Last Friday: They went back to Smackdown when Chavo, JTG, and Dolph Ziggler were in a three-way match to qualify for MITB. The recap focused on Vickie Guerrero doing everything possible to ensure Dolph Ziggler won the match, which pretty much reinforced the idea that Ziggler's character can't get the job done on his own, more than getting heel heat on Ziggler for being undeserving and not earning his success.

1 -- JTG vs. CHAVO GUERRERO

Chavo quickly went to work on JTG as the announcers plugged the MITB ladder match and Rey Mysterio vs. Jack Swagger title match at the PPV. They proceeded to sell the idea that every match-up in WWE is important because it brings wrestlers closer to a championship opportunity. That should be a major point of emphasis in WWE across every WWE broadcast, but we know it's not. Meanwhile, Striker made his pick that Cody Rhodes will win MITB. Striker took that back and picked Big Show. In the ring, JTG made a comeback at 4:00 and started to roll the dice, but Chavo cut him off. Chavo then went up top and nailed a frog splash for the pin and the clean win.

WINNER: Chavo Guerrero in 5:00. Surprising match result, especially after Chavo dominated most of the match and JTG had little offense throughout. It seems like JTG has fallen out of favor with management when he's losing clean to Chavo, whose entire character is built on the idea that he can't accomplish anything on his own, and considering Chavo was a comedy figure on Raw most of last year. (*)

Still to come: Chris Jericho vs. Yoshi Tatsu one-on-one.

[Commercial Break. Part 1 of Hulk Hogan & Troy Aikman looking at cute puppies on the Rent-A-Center laptop.]

In-ring: Curt Hawkins and Vance Archer hit the ring for a tag match against independent wrestlers. Included was Matt Cross, who Striker quickly noted is M-Dogg 20.

[Q2]

2 -- CURT HAWKINS & VANCE ARCHER vs. MATT CROSS & JAMIN CONSECO

Hawkins, in his bright red pants, started things off against Jamin and roughed him up for a bit. Archer then tagged in and delivered a boot to Jamin's head before paintbrushing him. Cross then tagged in and Vance immediately clotheslined him off the apron. Back in the ring, Cross surprised Archer with a roll-up attempt, which led to Archer blasting him with a big clothesline. Archer then tagged in Hawkins, who came off the top rope with an elbow drop following a reverse DDT from Archer. Hawkins with the cover on Cross for the win.

WINNERS: Hawkins & Archer in 3:00. Effective squash to get over the tag team as a potential threat to the Unified tag titles. (n/a)

NXT recap: They went back to Tuesday when Percy Watson's talk show turned into a set up for faction warfare involving the NXT Rookies, NXT Pros, and Nexus.

Backstage: The Bella Twins were shown backstage preparing for tag action. Divas action from the Raw brand up next.

[Commercial Break]

In-ring: Cue up Maryse's theme music to bring out Maryse and Jillian Hall for the first match from the Raw brand on the show. Raw's Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler were briefly shown on-camera before re-visiting happenings on last week's Superstars when the Bellas and Jillian Hall continued their feud. Jillian cut a brief promo before the Bellas interrupted to start the match.

3 -- BELLA TWINS vs. MARYSE & JILLIAN HALL

Jillian started things off for Team Blonde and took control of the action. She did a Maryse-style hair flip after executing a move, which drew some mock laughter from Maryse. Maryse then tagged in and continued to work on Nikki before Brie tagged in at 2:00. Maryse and Jillian tried to pull a switcheroo themselves, which distracted the ref and the Bellas for the heels to re-take control. Jillian hit a Samoan Drop, but didn't make a cover when it looked good for the finish if this were a shoot. Moments later, the Bellas pulled the Switcheroo and surprised Jillian with a roll-up for the win. Jillian sold frustration and threw a fit that her plan back-fired and the Bellas one-upped her once again. Maryse just sold exasperation in her own way.

WINNERS: Bellas in 4:00. Jillian got her weekly comeuppance and Maryse was dragged into the mix to help advance the storyline another week. It's basically giving the Bellas something to do to stay on TV with the weekly guest hosts being phased out. (*)

[Q3]

[Commercial Break]

MITB flashback: 2005 when Edge won the first Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 21 with Jim Ross on the call. They showed Edge cashing in the briefcase at New Year's Revolution 2006 to take the WWE Title from John Cena.

Announcers: Cole and Lawler sold the idea that winning the MITB match usually means WWE title gold. ... They went back to Monday's Raw when Cena lost the six-on-one handicap match against Nexus. The announcers sold the Nexus group's finishers, then showed Cena no-selling their moves to suddenly clear the ring of Nexus. And, finally, Sheamus entering the ring to back up Cena before their title match at the PPV. ... The announcers then broke down the MITB PPV line-up.

In-ring: Chris Jericho strutted out to the ring for the TV main event. Lawler said Jericho has a certain air of confidence three days before competing in the MITB ladder match. Jericho made his way into the ring and glared into the crowd before they cut to break. Jericho vs. Tatsu next.

[Commercial Break]

[Q4]

4 -- CHRIS JERICHO vs. YOSHI TATSU

Jericho took control of the match while the announcers talked about Nexus's potential involvement in the MITB PPV, specifically Cena vs. Sheamus. They cut to an early break with Jericho continuing to dominate.

[Commercial Break]

Back from break, Jericho was heelishly toying with Tatsu, who fired back with a kick or two until Jericho cut him off. Jericho went back to work on Yoshi with forearms and a running dropkick to the back of the head. Jericho then dumped Yoshi to the outside and did the lazy-man pose across the top turnbuckle. Ringside, Yoshi was bleeding from the eye as medics checked on him while Jericho sat down in a chair to sell total control of the match. Yoshi's cut was eventually closed up and Jericho went back to work on Yoshi in the ring. Yoshi then avoided a running splash and landed kick strikes until Jericho cut him off again with a boot to the face out of the corner.

At 10:00, Jericho went back to work on the head and neck region until Yoshi cut him off with a knife-edge chop. Whoops. Yoshi then hit a spinning heel kick for a two count. Yoshi tried to follow with a clothesline, but Jericho countered with a butterfly suplex backbreaker for a two count. Jericho paintbrushed Yoshi again, so Yoshi came back with a palm thrust into a running knee strike to the face. Yoshi with another cover, but Jericho kicked out. Yoshi tried to mount some offense, but Jericho dropped him with a clothesline for a two count. Cole said Jericho really didn't want to find himself in this type of fight three days before the MITB PPV.

Jericho then tried to discard Yoshi, but Yoshi skinned the cat and surprised Jericho back in the ring with a kick strike to the face. Yoshi went up top for a trademark spin kick, but Jericho ducked. Jericho then slapped on the Walls of Jericho center ring. Yoshi sold tapping out as the crowd encouraged him to hold on. They went to the trademark "Steve Austin in the Sharpshooter at WrestleMania 13" camera shot to capture Yoshi's grit. Jericho then dragged Yoshi back to center ring in the Walls and Yoshi tapped out to give Jericho the win. Afterward, they recapped the high points of the match before showing Jericho cockily walking away from the ring gloating to the ringside fans.

WINNER: Jericho via submission in 12:00. Nice match with Jericho rightfully getting in the majority of offense with Yoshi still getting over his babyface persona. Good TV main event continuing to set up the MITB PPV with a more realistic-looking match than typically seen on WWE TV. (**1/4)

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