Superstars & Smackdown

Quick note for local wrestling fans: The IHW show has been postponed until 3/24.

WWE Superstars.com

Your hosts are Josh Mathews, Matt Striker, & Scott Stanford.

Yoshi Tatsu vs. Jinder Mahal: Solid opener...Yoshi rallies but misses the spinning heel kick off the top rope. Mahal mows him down with a knee to the back of the head from behind, then finishes with the camel clutch.

Kelly K & Alicia Fox vs. The Bella Twins: Stanford calls it a half-rematch from the eight-woman tag at the Royal Rumble. Kelly gets the win with the K-2(Rocker Dropper) on...um...a Bella.

U.S. Champion Jack Swagger(w/ Vickie Guerrero) vs. "R-Truth" Ron Killings, non-title: R-Truth is a former U.S. Champion himself...of course, a win here would put him right back in title contention. Pretty big match for Superstars. YAY WRESTLING~! to start...of course Swagger is well-versed in that department but Truth does fine on his end of things. R-Truth gets a good run of offense including a huge plancha, but Vickie distracts him and Swagger kicks out his leg before landing a Swaggerbomb. Swagger keeps him down and works on the back, but Truth kicks his way back into things and victory-rolls him out of nowhere...for two. DDT...for two. Swagger reverses a whip into a leg takedown and anklelock attempt but R-Truth kicks him off and drop-toeholds him into a position for an axe kick attempt...which misses. Swagger nails a clothesline and flying shoulderblock, then goes for his second Swaggerbomb of the match...Truth gets the boot up but Swagger sees it coming and grabs him for an anklelock attempt! Undaunted, R-Truth rolls through to send Jack into the turnbuckles...Paydirt HITS and R-Truth beats the U.S. Champion!

WWE Smackdown

Your hosts are Josh Mathews, Booker T, & Voldemort.

General Manager Theodore Long announces the Elimination Chamber participants for Smackdown: World Champion Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, The Big Show, Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry, and Randy Orton. Mark Henry arrives to complain about not getting a one-on-one shot at the title...and he's perfectly willing to intimidate Long into giving him that shot. Long doesn't take kindly to that...so he takes him out of the Chamber match AND indefinitely suspends him for putting his hands on him! Henry decides to get his money's worth, but Sheamus O'Shaunessy makes the save and lays out Henry with the Brogue Kick! Sheamus still hasn't made his decision on his WrestleMania title shot and says he'll wait until after the Elimination Chamber for that. This brings out Cody...have there been any dual champions since The Ultimate Warrior? Anywho, Long decides an impromptu match is in order...

Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Sheamus O'Shaunessy, non-title: Fine matchup as I shift into coasting mode...Sheamus has been taking a few pages out of Fit Finlay's playbook lately as he's been using the Regal Roll. After a nice sequence of finisher evasions, Sheamus finishes with the actual Celtic Cross(Finlay's Air Raid Crash/Emerald Frosion finisher).

Justin Gabriel vs. Hunico(w/ Donny Camacho): The match doesn't even get started because Rhodes(still fuming at ringside) jumps Gabriel from behind. The heels triple-team Gabriel until The Great Khali makes the save. JUDO CHOPS~! Hunico takes the Punjabi Plunge as Rhodes wisely retreats. Later in the show, we're told that Khali has been granted Henry's spot in the Elimination Chamber because...um...I'll get back to you on that.

Tag Team Champions Primo & Epico Colon(w/ Rosa Mendes) vs. Santino Marella & Hacksaw Jim Duggan, non-title: Santino's on the hunt for a new regular tag team partner, as you may have guessed. Rosa's distraction allows Primo to get the win over Santino with the backcracker.

Even Voldemort is finally warming up to World Champion Daniel Bryan, thus cementing his heel turn. The Big Show interrupts his promo and Bryan finally pushes him too far, earning himself a chokeslam. A neckbraced A.J. Lee comes out to stand up for her man, stopping Show from delivering the PUNCH and taking Bryan out of the ring...

Tamina Snuka & Aksana Raudoniene vs. Women's Champion Beth Phoenix & Natalya Neidhart: Even Beth is getting tired of Natalya's recent losing streak as she tags herself into the match, finishing Aksana quickly with the Glam Slam. Nattie looks for post-match retribution with the Sharpshooter on Aksana, but Tamina superkicks her and delivers a Superfly Splash for fun.

Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett, no-DQ match: Hard-hitting hardcore-style matchup...a table comes into play but Wade fights out of Randy's superplex attempt to shove him backwards through the table. Both men use chairs at different points in the match...Wade powers out of an RKO attempt to hit the Bossman Slam but Orton gets a foot on the bottom rope. Barrett looks to finish with a pumphandle slam but Randy escapes the move to hit the RKO...then delivers a second RKO onto the chair for the win.

Next week: Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton.