Since I live in the greater Kentucky area I have been recruited to bring you the OVW TV Report. As a disclaimer to the audience I have not seen OVW in a while and it might take me a few weeks to grasp a lot of the angles and storylines that have evolved. Therefore, do not freak out if I miss something along the way.
Ratings for the TV show correspond with my Write Off column that I do for Video and DVD reviews. For those who are new to the system here is how it works: penalty (bad), audit (average), deduction (good), and return (excellent).
Event Details:
Location: The Davis Arena in Louisville, Kentucky
Hosts: Dean Hill and Kenny Bolin
-Armando Alejandro Estrada says he is doing the Spanish broadcast of OVW TV and says that on July 14th at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom a show will see Rey Mysterio defend his World Championship versus Seth Skyfire, CM Punk will defend the OVW Championship versus the Miz, in a No Holds Barred Match Al Snow will face Simon Dean, and Cody Runnels will be in action. Funny segment as Estrada uses his cigar as a microphone piece and the camera shakes when he does his Estrrrrrrrada bit.
-Elijah Burke comes out in Apollo Creed’s attire from Rocky IV with two scantily clad women and they help Hill “get funky” as Burke waves the U.S. flag and comes out to James Brown’s “Livin’ in America.” Burke says he is out to pay tribute to those who have fought and died for the United States and sings America the Beautiful as the two women hold up the U.S. flag behind him.
–Non-Title Match: Neighborhoodie & Shad Gaspard (OVW Southern Tag Team Champions) vs. Deuce and Domino (w/Cherry):
Deuce and Domino have a Grease style gimmick and I have to say that I rather like it. Cannot help but think of Three Live Crew with the Neighborhoodie and Shad Gaspard team though. Domino and Hoodie start with Hoodie going around Domino and dances around. Domino gets some legsweeps on Hoodie for one and tags in Deuce but he gets hit with a forearm and dropkick to the right knee. Hoodie makes a lewd gesture at Cherry and Deuce hits him with a clothesline for two. Domino gets tagged in and he and Deuce give Hoodie a beat down. However, Hoodie kicks Domino when he puts his head down on a kick and tags in Gaspard. Gaspard whips Domino into the corner, whips Hoodie into Domino who splashes him, and then Gaspard delivers a clothesline against the buckles. Domino blocks Gaspard’s fists and tags in Deuce. Deuce unloads but Gaspard picks him up and rams him into the corner. Tag Hoodie and Gaspard throws Deuce into the corner. However, when he whips Hoodie into the corner to splash him, Deuce moves and Hoodie eats buckle. Then Deuce moves out of the way when Gaspard charges in and he hits Hoodie with an elbow. Deuce clotheslines Gaspard out of the ring and then reverses a Hoodie hiptoss off the ropes into a sloppy small package and picks up the pin at 2:33.
MATCH RATING: AUDIT. Match was short but was well paced for a two minute match. I like the look of Gaspard and while I have only seen him in action this once I will not be too surprised if he gets called up eventually.
-Al Snow cuts a promo with head and he says that Simon Dean is the crazy one not himself.
-Clip is shown of the Miz getting in OVW Champion CM Punk’s face last week saying he smells bad and never takes a shower.
–The Miz (w/Ronnie) vs. Shawn Spears:
The Miz yells at Spears to start but Spears ducks a clothesline and gets in a series of knife-edge chops. Spears ducks another clothesline and gets a victory roll for two. Spears chops away some more but the Miz hits a Rocker dropper out of an Irish whip reversal and hits Spears with a knife-edge chop in the corner. Miz snapmares Spears and then dropkicks him right in the mouth. Chopfest ensues which the Miz wins and he hits Spears in the gut when he comes off the ropes. Miz hits a Side Russian legsweep but pulls him up at two. That never bodes well for the heel. Spears gets in a few blows to the stomach but the Miz continues his beatdown and chokes Spears on the second rope. Miz then runs the ropes and crashes down onto Spears as he is drapped over the second rope. Furthermore, when the Miz jaws with the referee Ronnie slaps Spears and the Miz hits a suplex. I find the Miz to be annoying personally so I am not sure if that is a good for bad thing for his character and future. The Miz chokes Spears from a mounted position as Spears chops back (can’t he find another striking maneuver) but the Miz floors him again with an elbow off the ropes. Jericho cover gets two and the Miz rakes Spears eyes with his boots.
Miz whips Spears into the corner with authority but Spears gets a fluke small package for two. Spears gets a backslide for two. Spears goes for another victory roll but the Miz is ready this time and just falls backward. The Miz gets ready to finish off Spears when CM Punk appears at ringside to “observe” and when the Miz is distracted Spears gets a sunset flip to get the upset at 5:21. Afterwards, the Miz hits the Mizard of Oz on Spears and gets on the house microphone and demands a title match with Punk but it is not accepted.
MATCH RATING: AUDIT. Simply an average match with a finish I could have called a minute in. However, it served its purpose to advance the Miz-Punk issue for July 14th.
-Hill says OVW has received a tape that he wants us to look at so we take a look and see a man playing a harmonica with a fire in the woods. The man has a metal contraption fastened around his head and he talks to his mama in the sky. Disturbing vignette and it looks like a Mankind rip off but it will be interesting to see where this character goes.
–R-Ka-Us & Aaron “the Idol” Stevens vs. KC James & Roadkill:
Evidently Roadkill showed up late last week when he had problems at the airport and James had to wrestle by himself. R-Ka-Us and James start with James getting an arm ringer and tagging in Roadkill who works the arm some more. Tag to James and he flips R-Ka-Us’s arm over and legdrops it for two. Roadkill gets tagged in against and James & himself hit R-Ka-Us with a double-elbow off the ropes for two. Stevens gets tagged in and he tells Roadkill to wait a second as he turns back to his corner and tosses R-Ka-Us into the ringpost. Haha, that was pretty cool. Roadkill pounds away on Stevens and hits an elbow off the ropes. Roadkill hits a sidewalk slam and then clotheslines him to the arena floor. Stevens comes back into the ring with a chair but James steals it from him. However, instead of hitting Stevens he hits Roadkill and we have a no decision at 2:04. Stevens smiles as James spits on the unconscious Roadkill and we head to commercial.
MATCH RATING: PENALTY. A nothing match that was pure angle advancement. Nothing wrong with that but I am supposed to evaluate the match and there just was not much of one here.
–Eddie Craven vs. Cody Runnels:
Is Cody Runnels related to Dusty and Dustin by any chance? Just wondering. Evidently Runnels is a hit with the ladies in OVW and he takes down Craven from behind but Craven gets to the ropes to break. Runnels works a hammerlock until Craven grabs his leg to trip him but Runnels gets a monkey flip for two. Runnels works an arm twister into the corner but gets his head pounced off the corner turnbuckle for his troubles. Craven hits a clothesline for two. Craven nails Runnels with a backbreaker for two. Craven applies an abdominal stretch but Runnels hiptosses out of it. However, Craven hits Runnels with a knee to the gut and then does the Goldust-esque uppercut when Craven puts his head down on a whip. Craven gets a kick to the gut, though, and then hits a knee to the side of the head off the ropes and a neckbreaker for two. That was a pretty good combination by Craven. Runnels goes over a Craven suplex attempt and gets a rollup to win at 3:03.
MATCH RATING: AUDIT. Just a match meant to put Runnels over and I am all about finishes that do not involve a finishing move (which I think WWE does WAY too much of these days) but is there not a better way of making Runnels win than with a rollup? It is almost like the Owen Hart-Skinner match from WrestleMania VIII when Owen got beat everywhere by Skinner and got a rollup to win. As a result it still made people feel Owen was weak even though he won. Runnels looks like he had potential but is still pretty green and does not have much of a physique so it will be interesting to see how he develops.
-Simon Dean tells Ronnie Dawber that he is setting a trap for Al Snow by making their match on July 14th no disqualification.415
–Non-Title Main Event: Seth Skyfire (OVW TV Champion w/Shelly) vs. Brent Gunner Scott Albright:
This looks to be Albright’s TV return to OVW after being demoted from the Smackdown! roster. Lockup to start which goes into the corner and Albright gives a clean break. Another lockup sees Albright get an arm ringer but Skyfire cartwheels out of it and gets a legsweep for zero. Albright gets one of his own for one. Albright gets a hiptoss but Skyfire gets a kickout and Skyfire gets a hiptoss and he gets hit with an Albright kickout this time. Test of strength sees Albright take down Skyfire and he applies a hammerlock. Skyfire twists out of it and then proceeds to take own Albright with a headlock that Albright transitions into a leg scissors. Skyfire escapes and gets another headlock that also gets countered into a leg scissors. Skyfire escapes again and applies ANOTHER headlock but Albright escapes with a snapmare and takes Skyfire down in an armbar but Skyfire gets into the ropes to force a break.
Skyfire greets a running Albright with an elbow to the face and takes him down with a headscissors. Albright reverses a whip into the buckle but blind charge eats buckle and Skyfire hits a second rope hurricarana. Skyfire catches Albright with a kick to the gut but Albright hits a running elbow and Skyfire crawls into the corner. Albright hits a snapmare, a legdrop, and whips Skyfire into the corner but a blind charge again eats buckle. However, Albright gives Skyfire a forearm while Skyfire is on the apron and then uses the ropes to push him to the arena floor as we go to commercial break.
Back to the action where we are inside of the ring and Albright is working over Skyfire’s left arm by legdropping it and applying a modified armbar. Skyfire fights his way out but Albright hits a single arm DDT when Skyfire puts his head down on a whip but that only gets two. Skyfire kicks away at Albright when he comes at him in the corner but Albright cuts that off with a European uppercut. I will note that NONE of these moves are being called by the announcers so I guess its an indicative problem throughout the WWE ranks. Albright applies another armbar on the left arm but Skyfire hiptosses out only to have Albright fold him up with a clothesline for two. Albright goes right back to the armbar. I really hope all of this arm action becomes significant later on or this match is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Skyfire fights up and gives Albright a dropkick after ducking a clothesline. Skyfire gets a crucifix applied on the mat for two.
However, Albright kicks Skyfire in his left arm and then hiptosses Skyfire to the canvas before applying another armbar. Skyfire fights up another time and a double clothesline spot gives us a double KO. Skyfire pulls himself to his feet and unloads on Albright and hits a clothesline and a flying forearm. Skyfire with a Malenko-style dropkick and while Albright reverses an Irish whip into the corner, Skyfire jumps onto the top rope and connects with a flying kick off the top rope for a close two. However, Albright hits an overheard belly-to-belly suplex off the ropes for two. Albright slaps Skyfire around and shoves him into the corner where he unloads with forearms. Albright places Skyfire on the top rope but Skyfire elbows Albright to the canvas. However, when Skyfire goes for the Birmingham Jam, Albrights puts his elbows up and Skyfire hurts his leg allowing Albright applies the Crowbar on Skyfire’s injured left arm. Skyfire gets close to the ropes so Albright releases the hold and pulls him back into the middle of the ring and reapplies it. However, Skyfire manages to get a rollup out of the hold and gets the win at 13:30. Afterwards, both men shake hands and Albright raises Skyfire’s hand in victory.
MATCH RATING: DEDUCTION. In front of a more intense crowd this probably would have ended up as a return rating. Either way, it is a high deduction rating because the mat work actually made a difference in the match and the reversals at the end were very entertaining to watch. Good main event on my return to OVW.
FINAL EVALUATION: Well you can tell that Greg Gagne has the book with more matches being broadcast but all of the matches were very entertaining and the main event definitely made the show memorable. I think I am going to enjoy seeing more OVW since it offers a more wrestling based alternative to the WWE-ization of the wrestling ranks with its RAW, Smackdown!, and now ECW brand (which has been a major disappointment to diehard fans). Good show this week and I cannot help but wish that more matches like what we saw in the main event cannot be on WWE programming more often. Nuff’ said.
