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?
This week’s episode of Superstars once again featured the quality commentary team of Byron Saxton and Tom Phillips. While the two likely wouldn’t be amazing at carrying a dramatic storyline together, they fit perfectly in the roles they perform in. And both fit in nicely as a “third party”. Either way, they make each match more meaningful than it necessarily should be on Superstars. Enough about that, for now, though. Let’s take a look at the show:
Summer Rae vs. Natalya
This was a mostly good match. Summer Rae can wrestle, despite what the fans chant, and she gets good heat when given the opportunity. My only issue with her in this match was sometimes her overacting was a bit much, particularly early on when Natalya caught her kick. It comes across as just a little too hokey. But that is one incident and nitpicking.
Natalya plays the role of female vet well, and is over in the spot. While I’m more than over her feuding with Charlotte, she still works well and I’d like to see her start to feud with Dana Brooke going forward. It would probably be the best thing for Dana at this stage in her career.
So the match was solid, and Natalya obviously won clean with the sharpshooter. This accomplished everything it was supposed to. Summer got some heat, Natalya got some cheers, and the fans were happy with the winner. And with their past, there was even a small story shoehorned in. This is all you can ask for when it comes to a feel good Superstars match.
Winner: Natalya
After Natalya celebrates, we get a look at Seth Rollins’ return to WWE. His return at Extreme Rules was excellent and one I was excited for. I can’t say I’m sold on keeping him heel, especially with babyface Roman, but WWE has their story they want to tell so we’ll see how it goes.
From there we had a look at Charlotte Flair’s attack on her dad from RAW. This was a great way of getting heat. And it worked. My only issue is I hope this isn’t writing Flair off TV. Not because I necessarily want him to be in an active role, although I’m not opposed to it, but it feels like an uncomfortable final angle for him to be apart of if something tragic happened.
Zack Ryder vs. Viktor
This ten minute match flat out over-delivered. Sure, there is a collection of us who know how much Zack Ryder has improved on the C and D shows. However, partially thanks to the influence of those with a lot of notoriety on the internet, there is some belief that Ryder isn’t good. And yet, on these shows he always delivers big time regardless of who he’s in there with.
And this was no different. While Viktor has long said to be a really quality worker, we rarely see him given a chance to show it off but with these two getting about ten minutes, they told a nice story and the match was a lot of fun. Of course, Ryder won clean with the ElBro drop as you’d expect, but that was perfectly fine. The crowd was happy, they had a quality match, and it made a Superstars that looks very weak on paper one that was well worth watching.
Winner: Zack Ryder
Ryder celebrates before we get a brief look at the Money in the Bank Qualifying matches from RAW to wrap up Superstars this week.
Match List
Summer Rae vs. Natalya
Zack Ryder vs. Viktor
Closing Thoughts
Superstars this week was extremely weak on paper and I couldn’t blame anybody for seeing the card and skipping it. Had they, though, they’d have been doing themselves a disservice as the main event was much better than people would expect. Viktor is quality in his own right when getting the time to show it off and Zack Ryder truly has had a Chris Masters-like improvement. He delivers just about every time.
The opener was fine too. It wasn’t must see, but for fans of women’s wrestling or people who just enjoy feel good wrestling, it was fun. This show will never be must see, but it delivers for what it is. And that is fine by me.
What did you think of the show? Make sure to leave your thoughts and feedback. As always, stick to WWE Network News for the latest WWE Network news, polls, reviews, and rumors! Bookmark us, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter: @WWENetworkChron!