Title This: WWE Superstars Review 8-18-2011

Wade Barrett vs. Trent Baretta Review:

Both men put on a very good match. Wade had a lot of offense throughout, but we saw a turn of events where Baretta used his athleticism and ability to fly to connect on a number of moves on Wade. Throughout the match, it seemed like Wade would counter every move, and hit his arsenal of moves on Trent. Baretta began to get offense, try to hit a hurricanranna, but Wade catches him, sets him up for a Wasteland, and picks up the victory.

Reaction:

I enjoyed this match very much. One problem; why is Wade Barrett even on this show? He beats Daniel Bryan at Summerslam clean, so why would we even think for a second that he would lose to Baretta? Wade is a complete player who is on the brink of exploding onto the main event picture, and for good reason. His timing is reminiscent of Triple H when he was in his prime. He uses his whole body, with punches and kicks to ground his opponent. He delivers a great boot, and his finisher is pretty good as well. Trent is entertaining, but Wade should NEVER be on this show again. He deserves so much more. A year ago, he was in the main event against John Cena. Last week, he put on a clinic with Bryan, and now he gets an opening bout on Superstars? I do not get that whatsoever. Regardless, both men worked well together, so this segment gets a B.

Brodus Clay vs. Jobber Review:

Once again, we take four minutes to squash an unknown just to make Clay look that much more powerful. He uses his offensive moves, such as a belly to back suplex, a running splash into the corner, and his finisher which propels him off the ropes and onto his opponent, full body dive. Clay wins with his finisher.

Reaction:

It is time to move on from these squash matches. There are a handful of superstars in the locker room that can work with Clay in the ring, and make him look good. A 200 pound guy will not make him look any stronger just because Clay does not need to sell. You have his offense working, now give Brodus and opportunity to work on selling moves, becoming complete. Right now, he is one dimensional. This segment gets a D. Same match for the past three weeks.

Santino vs. Primo Review:

An okay match between the two on Superstars. Primo gained 80 percent of the offense in this match, working on Santino with kicks to the abdomen and follows with some high risk moves. Primo hits a reverse spinning heel kick on Santino. Following the kick, Primo goes up top, but gets caught up in the ropes as Santino bumps the ropes to make him fall. We get the Cobra from Santino for the win.

Reaction:

No Doubt Primo is good in the ring, but what else is there to him? That is why he is buried and seems to never see the light of day. Primo is gifted in the ring, much like Chavo was, but he is so far from being relevant, it is ridiculous. Primo needs a character, needs a change of scenery, or maybe even a tag team partner to shine. If not, he will continue to lose to Santino and guys who are used as comedic relief. This segment gets a C, not a terrible match but very limited offensive highlights.

Zack Ryder vs. Drew McIntyre Review:

Two of my favorite superstars do battle in the main event of WWE Superstars. Like usual, McIntyre gains the early control offensively, beating down Ryder with a series of clotheslines, and kicks on Ryder while he is lying on the ground. Both men get taken to the outside, thanks to a dive over the ropes from Ryder onto McIntyre. Both men get back in the ring, exchange shoves and slaps to the face, as Ryder gains control of the match. We see both men back on the outside, as McIntyre reverses a move and hits a spinebuster on the side of the ring onto Zack. A couple of near pinfalls for McIntyre and he begins to show signs of frustration. McIntyre sets Ryder up for the Future Shock DDT, but is reversed by Ryder. Ryder tries to hit a clothesline, but is ducked and a huge boot to the face knocks out Ryder for a moment. He kicks out after two. Drew attempts his finisher again, but is reversed and Ryder hits the Rough Ryder for the victory.

Reaction:

One of the better main events I have seen in recent months. Both men seemed to bring their "A" game tonight, as I was happy to see Drew back on the show. Neither of these men, in my mind, should be on this show, but with all of the other talent and crowded mid card statuses on Raw and Smackdown, at least they get work on Superstars. Drew has lost so much steam, it is funny to go back and see him as the I.C. Champ, knocking on the door of a main event. Ryder continues to improve in the ring, adding new elements each week to what he does. Good in ring chemistry and psyche from these two, working off each other, showing signs of frustration, tiresome offensive counters, and the finish worked perfectly for each man. This segment gets an A, just for an overall good match between these two young superstars in the WWE.

Overall:

I give this show a B-. It was brought down from a B+ because of the squash match that we have seen each week from Clay, the wasted 6 minutes of Primo and Santino, and the segment of Rey and ADR from Raw. They showed the match in its entirety, but that did not really needed to be replayed. Quick notes: Get Barrett off of this show, he deserves so much more. Baretta entertains me each week, and it was good to see a main event with two guys who are really good aggressive wrestlers in the ring. They take chances, and seem to connect more often than not.

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