Every week WWE Superstars is presented on the WWE Network, usually being added around 3 PM EST. I am a fan and watch the show religiously so why not share some thoughts and insight, especially for those who may not keep up with it and want to know what they’re missing, or conversely, those who do and want to see what others may think?
The commentators for this week are once again Rich Brennan and Byron Saxton who really make for a good team. While Byron is practically on everything right now, he really is best on a show like this where he isn’t the third wheel. He can deliver some interesting points and while he isn’t your typical ‘rasslin color commentator, he certainly helps the presentation. He also makes the matches feel more important. For example…
Mark Henry and Jack Swagger vs. The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor)
I absolutely loved Byron Saxton calling this match. It is such a little thing but he put a lot of focus on Jack Swagger and Mark Henry as a tag team and how they may play out going forward. The team would bring up their individual success and say how they certainly, in theory, should make for a strong tag team. They pointed out that not all great single stars gel well, etc. Since I expect this team to be somewhat regular for Superstars and Main Event, it gives a little more intrigue into their future matches.
As for this match, I liked it. I think while the Ascension aren’t the most amazing team in the world, they tend to be underrated. In particular Viktor. He’s also a nice bump and feed, which makes for a good comeback with Jack Swagger. This led to the Swagger/Patriot/Ankle/Angle lock and that spelled the end for the Ascension. I’d like to see Swagger and Henry get some kind of name or maybe a few double team moves, but so far I’m enjoying the team.
Winners: Mark Henry and Jack Swagger
After Jack Swagger and Mark Henry celebrate we get our WWE Trivia once again! Usually it appears closer to the end of the show, but I think having it earlier works just as well.
After we get the answer to the trivia question we go to RAW and see Sasha Banks’ addressing her return on RAW. I’m a huge fan of The Boss, as most people are, and she’s a very solid promo so this delivered. Naomi and Tamina interrupting worked as well thanks to Naomi being a good talker. Then we get a look at Sasha’s match with Becky Lynch before it turned into a brawl and we saw Team BAE reunite. I love this, and I think this will work quite well for Fastlane. I hope it isn’t shoved onto the Kickoff show, though I expect it to. Either way, Wrestlemania is looking like it’ll either be Charlotte vs. Sasha or Charlotte vs. Sasha vs. Becky and either match is likely to deliver.
From there we actually had a look at something that happened on the RAW Pre-Show! That is pretty refreshing. Anyway, we had a look at the Kevin Owens and Dolph Ziggler promo from the Pre-Show before we went on to see their match from the main show later that night. I feel like these two have faced each other a hundred times since Owens has come to the main roster, but at least the matches deliver. Supposing they have a match at Fastlane, I hope they add something to make it stand out. Either way, both guys are awesome.
Zack Ryder vs. Stardust
I mentioned in my review of NXT that I hope the Hype Bros get a main roster shot at some point. While I don’t think they could ever be the face of a division or something, I think they could be a really solid babyface team to fill out the division. With that said, I like Ryder as a Superstars and Main Event regular as well. As for Stardust, he’s a guy who I feel should be in a much better position in the company but alas, here he is.
As for the talent themselves, as good friends who have worked together a lot over the years, this was a good match. We even got a superfrankensteiner by Zack Ryder, which is a pretty big move for a Superstars match. Stardust hit the Crossrhodes and picked up the win in what is definitely the match of the night and quite the strong match in general.
Winner: Stardust
After the match we got a look back at RAW with Dean Ambrose’s interaction with Brock Lesnar, which I thought was a lot of fun. We then also looked at the end of RAW with Lesnar laying Ambrose out. Nothing much to say here, just recap recap recap to close the show.
Match List
The Ascension (Konnor and Viktor) vs. Jack Swagger and Mark Henry
Stardust vs. Zack Ryder
Closing Thoughts
This week’s episode of Superstars was lacking in big names, for sure. We had Mark Henry but his stock certainly isn’t what it once was. That left us with two Superstars matches that likely won’t draw in a casual fan. But that’s alright because I thought the show was a fun one. The tag match was nothing exceptional but it was perfectly fine wrestling. The main event was above average, especially for a Superstars match, but still nothing blowaway. With that said, both were fun and that is really what Superstars is meant to be. Solid show, this week.
What did you think of the show? Make sure to leave your thoughts and feedback. As always, stick to the WWE Network Chronicle for the latest WWE Network news, polls, reviews, and rumors! Bookmark us, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @WWENetworkChron!