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SHOWTIME ALL STAR WRESTLING TV REPORT

 Here's the review for episode#213 of Showtime All-Star Wrestling that was shown on America One on March 23rd, 2012. Yeah, it's me TVD doing this review in place of Larry Goodman because Scary Larry is covering the OVW TV reviews for me for three weeks, while I'll be off going to Wrestlemania in Miami, among other things, so he asked if I'd do a switcheroo and cover a SAW review for him. Interesting idea I thought. I watched several episodes of SAW from late last year, when they were obviously limping to a conclusion in 2011, and I thought those episodes weren't so much bad, but they were boring, and overall not especially good. I was curious about the show now since this promotion is trying to come out of the doldrums and at least giving the illusion of being revitalized thus far in 2012.

This show opened with clips from last week where Vordell Walker beat Chase Stevens in the finals of a tournament to win the SAW International title. Dramatic music played while the clips aired. Slow motion clips of Luke Gallows attacking Vordell Walker after his title win then played, no doubt establishing Gallows as the top new contender to the title.

Reno Riggins and Michael Graham opened the show from inside the ring, and they confirmed that indeed Walker vs Gallows for the title has been signed, but the date of that match is unknown. They also said Chase Stevens is in line for a rematch agianst Walker.
Riggins then gave a rah rah speech about SAW being about action over talking, which historically is not an entirely accurate statement about this promotion by a long shot. Lots of window dressing here on the graphics, and motion capture showing the guys who would be appearing on todays show.

1. Luke Gallows vs Ryan Mitchell

Michael Graham alone on commentary here, but said he would be joined by Reno Riggins. They've totally changed the lighting at the Old Hickory Community Center where this was shot, going for the old darkened arena look, which Larry Goodman loves, and I like it too. It does look a lot better from the way they were shooting it last year, but there is quite a bit of glare on the lighting in the ring, and the lighting now changes dramatically depending on the camera and angle used, but lighting is a tricky thing. SAW also has a new set now, which looks pretty good. What doesn't look good, to me anyhow, is the return of the dreaded fog machine. Reno Riggins is a huge mark for fog machines, I have no idea why. Guess he wants a dark, and SMOKEY, arena look. I just think it looks distracting. A total squash with Gallows winning his debut match in SAW with a tree slam he calls "The 12th step".

A commercial aired for a Vordell Walker vs Luke Gallows title match in Portland, TN on March 9th, so we now know the date of that match, but that's not a TV taping, that's on March 10th back at The Old Hickory Community Center.

A sit down interview with Cassidy Riley aired. Riley said he respects Vordell Walker, but he wants to wrestle him for the SAW International title.

2. Cassidy Riley beat Kurt Matthews

Reno Riggins joined Michael Graham on commentary here. The audio on the live commentary isn't terrible here, but it isn't perfect either. Sounds like they're talking from out of a hole a bit. Riley won quickly with a sling shot suplex into a slam. It was a hernia inducing struggle to get the obviously super green Matthews over for the move though. Michael Graham said Riley "country stronged the man over". lmao

New interviewer Beth Brightwell did a post match interview with Cassidy Riley. Riley said his finisher is called the "VIP Treatment".

3. Matt Bentley beat Spiral

It's been so long since I've seen Matt Bentley that I barely recognized him, not that he looks bad. Bentley called Michael Graham into the ring and then said shut up about a dozen times or more. Total standard fare obnoxious heel at a house show style promo, which I didn't like here on TV, but it got him some heat, even though he had nothing even remotely interesting to say. But wasn't this exactly what Reno Riggins said we wouldn't see on this show? Guys in the ring standing around and talking? Bentley won with a super kick.

Bentley called Graham back in the ring after the match. I groaned. Bentley questioned Graham's skills as an interviewer while he milked the crowd for chants and boos, and they did oblige him. He again had nothing to say, I again wondered what the point of this was on TV, while thinking that Reno fibbed to be.

Beth Brightwell did a backstage interview with Micah & Tracy Taylor. Micah said he would be facing Chris Jacobs tonight, and talked about being disappointed in his performance in the tournament for the SAW title. Clips of Jesse Emerson injuring Taylor's leg were shown during this. Emerson then interrupted the interview saying he was tired of Micah Taylor's crying and complaining, said he needs to take personal responsibility, and challenged him to a match next week to see who the better man is. I guess that match will happen next week, but Taylor never really officially accepted it. This whole thing felt kinda awkward.

4. Micah Taylor beat Chris Jacobs

Michael Graham back alone on commentary here, saying Reno Riggins had business to tend to backstage. Fairly dead crowd for this babyface vs babyface match, they had the look and feel of a crowd who were a long ways into a marathon TV taping by this point in the evening, which is one of the reasons I don't like marathon TV taping sessions. Jacobs is a student of Taylor's, but that was never mentioned here, but it might have made a better story as Taylor basically schooled Jacobs here, eventually winning with a top rope legdrop. I like Taylor as a wrestler, but a lack of charisma always hurts him, especially in this setting. He comes off as a very good mechanic, but no real appeal. Interesting choice of footwear in this match by Taylor.

It was time for Leah Hulan with the Grumpy's Bail Bonds bail jumper of the week. Yah!! This weeks jumper was 24 year old Joshua Covell, who has been "featured"(?) on this show several times in the past, once jumping out of a window to evade capture. But fear not wrestling fans, Leah Hulan, sitting on a real fancy sofa, assured us that Grumpy's is turning up the heat in the pursuit of the elusive Mr. Covell. Don't think this was Hulan at her best, but these Grumpy's commercials will make for highly perversely entertaining Youtube viewing for eternity.

5. Derrick King w/Sister O'Feelya beat Eric Wayne

This would be a dream match to some out in west Tennessee. Sister O'Feelya is REALLY REALLY pregnant, and it's weird seeing a pregnant woman at ringside, especially when she was kicking the babyface on the floor. Reno Riggins was back with Michael Graham on the call for this one, with no mention of why Reno went to the back for the previous match, or what he did or did not accomplish back there. Me thinks this was shot out of sequence kids. A back and forth affair between King and Wayne here. Wayne had King on the run late in the bout, but the heelish King hit Wayne with a superkick for the clean win, the second match of this show that had a superkick for a finish. Just felt like a random match, no set up for this at all during the show. The work itself here was fine, but totally by the numbers, except for the surprise finish. I think Eric Wayne would be more effective with a mask.

Michael Graham interviewed Derrick King w/Sister O'Feelya after the match. Derrick King said TD(who??) was coming back, and that Derrick King Enterprises would get a tag team title shot next week. The Brotherhood(Jeff Daniels & Jocephus) w/Dominique came out and disputed this heavily, with Daniels saying they are the ones deserving of a tag title shot. The SAW Tag team titles are currently held by Cody Melton & Johnny Bandanna. Much arguing then ensued, and King and Daniels brawled in the ring for a bit. While this went on, an annoying loop of a piped in SAW chant played over and over. That came off really lame, and totally phony. Though some fans were holding up SAW letters in the crowd at the very end, nobody there was chanting. Reno Riggins finally decided, and not smoothly, to make it a three way tag team dance for the titles next week. Like the rest of this show, this was very standard fare stuff, but unlike the rest of this show, at least the show closing angle had a little life to it.

Overall, eh, I think "standard fare" pretty much describes this program. It was a show of mainly short squash matches, which in itself is a change from the overly long matches SAW has tended to use to fill TV time up with in the past. Not a lot to this episode, but they do have two matches set up for next week out of it. I think promos from Vordell Walker and/or Chase Stevens following their epic encounter of last week should been on this show, as well as one from Luke Gallows. They have worked to improve the presentation at this venue, but they still have a ways to go with it production wise. An interesting contrast to OVW, which has so much more defined characters, and episodes that flow with several concurrent storylines. This was like watching how the other half lives, and the grass ain't greener. To me SAW just usually doesn't match the fun and interesting vibe of OVW, but I think this episode I reviewed was the weakest of the recent ones SAW has presented. Send any feedback to tvd65@hotmail.com

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