Editor's Note: Please welcome new Dot Net contributor Ryan Kester. He is a familiar name to Dot Net Members who frequent the forum, and he is making his debut today as our new WWE Superstars correspondent.

By Ryan Kester


WWE Superstars on WWE.com
Taped in Bridgeport, Conn. and Albany, NY.

Jack Korpela and Matt Striker welcomed us to Superstars as Chris Master made his entrance. Curt Hawkins quickly followed with his own entrance.

1. Chris Masters defeated Curt Hawkins via submission at 6:18. Masters manhandled Hawkins to start the match. The two engaged in a back-and-forth struggle to hit a suplex which Masters eventually won. Masters then locked in a side headlock until Hawkins battled back by shoving Masters into the corner to break the hold.

Masters then battled back and tried to hit a high risk move from the second rope only to be cut off by a clothesline from Hawkins. Hawkins then avenged the earlier suplex he received with one of his own on Masters. Masters tried to make a comeback with some knife-edge chops but he was tripped up by Hawkins before the show went to its first commercial… [C]

Back from commercial, Masters hit a Samoan Drop on Hawkins to take control once again. Hawkins tried to come back by reversing Masters into a corner but promptly lost it when Masters jumped out of the way of his running corner splash. Masters then hit a rather stiff clothesline and a spinebuster on Hawkins. He then played to the crowd for a bit before going back to the second rope to hit a flying shoulder block.

Masters called for the Master lock and almost got it locked in, but Hawkins fought out of the hold and hit a clothesline. Hawkins again darted towards a waiting Masters in the corner and was flipped over the top rope and on to the apron. Masters then caught Hawkins as he was trying to stand up in the master lock, dragged him back into the ring and shook him until he stopped moving and the ref called for the bell.

The announcers then hyped Edge turning over the World Heavyweight Championship on Friday Night Smackdown... [C]

Ryan’s Rant: Decent enough match, but it never really seemed to pick up steam for me. It’s odd to see Masters getting any sort of push, even if it is on an online show. Also, why didn’t the referee make Masters break the hold? I thought that if your opponent got to the ropes during a submission move, the hold had to be broken by a five-count, but Masters started the move on the ropes and won the match with it. That makes absolutely no sense. Also, I wish the announcers hyped Friday by saying that’s when Edge is going to say goodbye, not playing up how he has to give up the title. The former would make the situation appear real, whereas the second makes it look like a work.

Back from commercial, the announcers took us back to Edge’s retirement announcement from Raw and played his speech in its entirety.

Ryan’s Rant: Like many of you, I will miss the Rated-R Superstar. I’m just glad edge managed to discover his condition before he sacrificed his body in yet another ladder match.

The announcers then hyped the main event of the evening, a match between the Great Khali and Zach Ryder for later in the show… [C]

Do you care? Tough Enough was the number one non-prime reality series premiere of the year on all of cable and broadcast TV.

Natalya’s music hit and she and Gail Kim made their entrance as Scott Stanford and Josh Matthews checked in on commentary. Then, Maryse and Melina made their way to the ring.

2. Natalya and Gail Kim defeated Maryse and Melina via submission in 5:43. Natalya and Maryse started the match with Maryse slapping the taste out of Natalya’s mouth. Natalya responded by going right for the Sharpshooter. Maryse battled out of the attempt and tagged in Melina, who Natalya introduced to the match the hard way before immediately going for the Sharpshooter on her. Natalya eventually gave up, hit a body slam, and tagged Gail Kim into the match for the first time.

Gail Kim went to work after her and Natalya hit a double-team wheelbarrow splash on Melina with a corner splash, followed by a springboard cross body. After kicking out, Melina took control of the match by choking Gail on the ropes. She then took Gail to her corner to work some dirty tag offense with Maryse.

Maryse tagged in and Melina and she worked their own double team on Gail. Melina promptly tagged back in to smash Gail’s face into the mat several times. She then locked in an inverted STF that Stanford called the California Dream. Gail eventually wiggled out of the hold and Melina tagged Maryse back into the match. Maryse quickly ran across the ring and knocked Natalya off the apron.

It was all for naught as Gail hit a hot tag to Natalya just a few moments later. Natalya quickly nailed Maryse with a clothesline, a body slam, and then a discus clothesline that Stanford thinks should be called "Natty by Nature." I seriously disagree with this idea. Maryse tried to shake it off and went for the French Kiss DDT, but Natalya scooped her legs and finally locked in the Sharpshooter, causing Maryse to tap.

The Awesome Kong vignette aired… [C]

Ryan’s Rant: That was pretty decent for a Divas match. I wish Natalya was allowed to do something more than a discus clothesline and constantly going for a Sharpshooter throughout the match. I like wrestlers with submission finishers to wear a spot down on their opponent and then make that move look brutal. Instead, we get Natalya and Master both trying to lock in their holds early in their respective matches. Also, Maryse is every bit a guilty pleasure of mine that Layla is for Marv.

Back from commercial, the awesome video package aired about Taker and Triple H’s match from WrestleMania 27.

Zack Ryder made his entrance and cut a promo about how he should have been on the WrestleMania card. He ended by plugging his YouTube page and delivering his catchphrase… [C]

Stanford welcomed us back from the break and The Great Khali made his entrance.

3. The Great Khali squashed Zack Ryder in 3:24. Zack stalled for a bit by hiding between the ropes. He then kicked Khali’s leg and very comically acted like he had just won the match. This didn’t last long at all as Khali quickly tossed him halfway across the ring.

Khali followed up with a head chop and two chest slaps that made a sound like a cannon firing. Ryder attempted to come back by dropkicking one of Khali’s knees out from under him before locking in a front guillotine chokehold on the big man. Khali simply stood up and flapjacked Ryder onto the mat. He then hit another head chock and the Punjabi plunge for the pin.

Ryan’s Rant: I actually like the occasional squash match, but this match was absolutely pointless. Ryder has plenty of potential, and I’ve seen him flat go in the ring before. No one can make Khali look good, however, and watching him squash someone did not make for an entertaining main event.

Overall, it was a decent first show for me to cover. There was nothing spectacular, but nothing outside of the main even was utter crap, either. Thank you for following along with me and I’ll see you all next week.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at ryan.kester@gmail.com or find me on twitter at @Ryan_Kester.

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