Top 4 FCW Moments on 11/20/11

FCW 11/20/11

FCW this week has Dusty Rhodes joining Matt Martlaro on commentary. Dusty Rhodes is a living legend but a good commentator he is not. Though I had to smile when Rhodes mentioned, “Steven Regal.” William Regal still has a plotline going on so he is out of commentary and tonight’s episode did not see him return to the ring, though we did see a return of Dean Ambrose. FCW continues to be the best WWE produced show. Highlights? Why here’s the top four of this episode!

4. Maxine and Aksana

Maxine, as general manager, seems to have an open door policy. She allows people to walk in and speak to her and seems to be patient, almost the opposite of her NXT character. However, no matter where Maxine is, she is a devious woman with something always up her sleeve. But, so is Aksana. Aksana comes in asking for the Steamboat/Harris match to be for the title and puts on a womanly pout. At the end of this discussion the two even hug, with similar looks on their faces behind the other’s back. Beautifully done. These women know how to give a promo.

3. Corey Graves vs. Leakee

Graves is accompanied by Leah West to the ring, which at first I thought Rhodes was saying Leo West and left me wondering if Kruger changed his name until I saw her. Graves was to face Leakee who I’ve quickly become a fan of. He has the look, he has the moves, I just do not know his promotional skills yet. That is all right, I am happy to watch this man in the ring. Graves puts on a good show and is more believable than I was expecting. I was expecting them to feed the man to Leakee, not let him have a good showing before he was finally pinned. WWE has done a good job programming me, and yet it’s so bad.

2. 6 Man Tag Match

Derrick Bateman may be upset with me for this one, but his match has to go to number two. This match is an excellent showing of talent and there is not one person who I do not think deserves a spot with the WWE. Dean Ambrose, Damien Sandow, and Antonio Cesaro are up against Seth Rollins, Johnny Curtis, and Derrick Bateman. While Derrick Bateman will outshine anyone, he has the most charisma and the best abs, this still is an entertaining match that showcases each man and touches more on the upcoming feud between Cesaro and Rollins. Why was this not the best?

1. Richie Steamboat vs. Husky Harris

A pinfall anywhere match. Or “Pretty much anywhere in the Tampa area!” as Martlaro would tell us. I was expecting a slow match, I do not think I have completely forgiven Harris for his first showing in NXT. He continues to try to prove me wrong about him and Harris and Steamboat put on a match that had me on the edge of my seat. The ending alone made this show worth watching because I want to know what happens next! How often does a wrestling show end and I continue to sit there and go, “Well? What happened?”

Lowlight? NO Ascension. At all. Not even a promo.

Another highlight of this episode was a very special happy birthday to a woman in the crowd. Since it was October, and her birthday, and breast cancer awareness month, they wish this breast-cancer a happy birthday that had her in tears. Now that is touching.

FCW 11/13/11

FCW continues to be the show to watch. Faces tap out to submissions, the matches dominate the show, but you are never left out with story that carries on from week to week. There are still some downsides to FCW, Briley Pierce continues to manage to be the least interesting man on the show and Matt Martlaro as a commentator makes my ears want to bleed. Luckily this week Byron Saxton returned to put on a good show on commentating. Byron Saxton has the voice and the ability.

4. Husky Harris vs. Leo Kruger vs. Richie Steamboat

This matches end was predictable in that you knew who was going to win. Despite that the three of them actually put on a good show. If you read this regularly you know that I am not a fan of Husky Harris. This week’s episode was by far my favorite performance from him I’ve seen since his debut on NXT (since I did not see his debut on FCW). Harris finally lived up to what the commentators are always saying about him and it was good to see. It did not win me over completely, I’m still not a fan, but I can say he helped make this match an incredible showing. Leo Kruger and Richie Steamboat are incredible in the ring as well. Steamboat still seems awkward on the microphone but all of that can be forgotten while he’s moving in the ring while Kruger is ace all around.

3. Seth Rollins vs. Damien Sandow

This rematch so Rollins can regain his Jack Brisco 15 Minute Championship was so well timed I’m not sure if one of the bigger shows could have pulled it off. Rollins is attacked before ever getting into the ring by Antonio Cesaro and Rollins still goes into the ring and fights with a sore ankle. Rollins sells. Wonderfully. Rollins wins the first pinfall, Sandow the second with a submission. There are three seconds left on the clock, Rollins has Sandow down, 3, 2, Wu… The question becomes did the three count happen before or after the bell for the challenge to end? Once it comes to that it’s obvious how the story is going to end but it’s still an exciting moment as you hold your breath to figure out if Rollins regained his title or if Sandow retained. At the end of this Cesaro takes a mic and tells Rollins he is after him and once he finishes with him he’s gone. Foreshadowing for when Cesaro will be brought up to the main roster?

2. Aksana

Aksana is in a tag team match with Caylee Turner against Cameron Lynn and the FCW Divas Champion Audrey Marie. Aksana is the current Queen of FCW, which seems like a more fun title for women since she walks around with a crown on her head. This entire match shocks me because Cameron Lynn does not come out wearing the thick blonde wig or acting like a general idiot. It’s a quick realization she is a pretty lady and has good moves. But this match is a showcase of Queen against Divas Champ and the Queen proves that she’s worthy. Aksana is brutal in the ring while still looking like a sensual being. She has a dark Goth look that works well for her and between these four women they show what a divas match could or should be. The reason Aksana is really the only one who gets the mention instead of the whole group is she outshone them all. This match was an Aksana showcase as it well should have been. She’s beautiful and good. She is no longer the blonde woman hoping to win NXT with Goldust’s help.

1. Ascension

No one who reads my blogs will be surprised I chose Ascension. I am slightly obsessed with this group, and for good reason. Ascension starts off this particular FCW with a threeway match of the male members of Ascension (Conor O’Brian, Tito Colon, and Kenneth Cameron) versus Mike Dalton, Jason Jordan, and Colin Cassady. From the moment they enter Ascension is a dessert for the senses. They are well choreographed and have the look down perfectly. While they fight their sad opponents Raquel Diaz stands to the side, once again with a mic hidden under her hair so you can hear the way she commands these three men. When Raquel tells them, “NOW!” they do what needs to be done that instance. Her maniacal laughter and delight at watching her men destroy their opponents adds to the general ill at ease feeling that is meant to be felt when Ascension steps out.

Top 4 Reasons to Watch FCW 10/22/11

I was only going to do my four favorite things about FCW. FCW decided to make it very hard on me. Because four almost seems like a small number. This was a show filled with names you might recognize and names you need to look into. The Fink is your ring announcer for the evening and the first person he introduces is Ricardo Rodriguez, who insists he should introduce himself. The show only goes up from there.

4. The Ascension

There are two Ascension promos during this week’s episode of FCW. Two! I get shivers as this group shows their video promos. There is no one in this group not right for the part. I could watch them every moment of FCW. I could watch a television show just based off of this group. Hell, make this group a movie. They have personality, the look, and the moves. Unfortunately we don’t get to see the moves during this particular episode of FCW, but the promos are enough to keep you wondering and hoping for the next time.

3. Erik Rowan vs. Big E Langston

Erik Rowan came out and I can’t say I was ready to take this man seriously. Tall, bald, with a bushy red beard that was verging on Knoxian territory. I cringed and wondered how this man was going to work in the ring. Out came his opponent Big E Langston who I did not have much faith in either at first glance. Another large black man with Zeke like proportions. I was ready for a slow bout. I was wrong. This was an entertaining match between two large, strong men who were moving quicker through the ring than they had any right to. Watching Rowan pick up Langston had my mouth dropping and watching Langston turn much of it around on Rowan was awing. They had the moves and I now want to see them again.

2. Ricardo Rodriguez vs. Leakee

I have only started watching FCW in the last few weeks, so despite knowing Rodriguez was on FCW I had yet to see his moves. Being the opening match I did not have a build to his match but that was not needed. Rodriguez took center stage, introduced himself, and then out came Laekee, another member of the Anoa’I family. These two had chemistry and practice and were entertaining to watch together. I would have liked to have heard more from Leakee because then I might have been more excited when he won.

1. Leo Kruger vs. Husky Harris

I am not a big fan of Husky Harris. In fact I am not a fan at all. I did not like him on NXT and I do not like him at FCW. Why, then, does he rate as the partial number one on my list? Leo. Kruger. I would have made number one Leo Kruger to begin with if the match had not been solid and kept my interest the entire time. I enjoy Leo Kruger. He speaks well, he has smarmy down, and I do so enjoy smarmy, and the title looks good on him. Leo Kruger keeping his title had me jumping in my seat. I could have watched the entire show just for him and been happy, but luckily FCW provides entertainment consistently.

Other great things about this episode that did not make my top four was Kaitlyn and Caylee Turner (Alicia Fox’s little sister). Kaitlyn continues to show improvement in the ring and that she is the dominant strong woman of FCW and is at least in the running for number two on the WWE main roster. Caylee, while looking like her sister seems to have a softer appearance but moves that could still be just as strong.

William Regal is part of the announce team of FCW and is always entertaining. As he showed with his comment about Antonio Cesaro, “About the only thing to ever come out of Switzerland with any aggression about it.”

Speaking of Antonio Cesaro, this was his first match on FCW televised. Unfortunately he did not make it into my top four, and there is a reason for it. While Mr. Antonio Cesaro (as The Fink announced him) was entertaining and seemed to be enjoying himself in the ring it was the most predictable match of the night. He went up against Mike Dalton, who I had no idea who he was, and all we could think was this was the FCW guy who loses. We were right. Still, Cesaro made a good first showing and I look forward to seeing him again.

Other appearances of the night were Briley Pierce, Richie Steamboat, Naomi, Cameron Lynn, Byron Saxton, Percy Watson, Titus O’Neil, Maxine, Aksana, and Brad Maddox. FCW