Lord Tensai def. Alex Riley:
What I Liked:
Tensai has some great moves, has a great background in wrestling over in Japan. He looks really good, had unique offense, and the crowd bought into his skills. He seems in better shape than previously, and did a solid job at showing NO emotion.
What I Disliked:
It is so hard for me to forget who he was before. That character is so different and fit with the attitude era where I cannot immediately buy into this character. The ring gear does not look like a "Lord" gimmick. They need to change what he wears, as well as how he transitions from one move to the next. He has no embraced this character fully, and you can tell in his face when the crowd started chanting Albert. Also, I am sick of every new guy returning just to squash lower card talent. If they want to make him different, give him a good competitor with him going over. I just cannot stand how they continue to squash guys to think they look powerful. He is less important because of this.
Grade: C+
Mark Henry def. CM Punk via Countout:
What I Liked:
Given plenty of time, Punk and Henry worked very well together. Both guys were able to feed off of the crowd's energy and put on a good match. Henry looked much faster and keen of his surroundings. He is a smart wrestler who knows what to do to get the crowd's heat. They focused on the back of Punk, who took a beating from Jericho a night ago. Smart booking and an emphasis on how much his match took a toll on him. Also, Punk does a great job taking down Henry with multiple kicks to his sternum, but the reversal of Henry was solid. The flying elbow drop connected perfectly. Henry winning via countout was surprising, but when Jericho came out to attack punk made it perfectly clear.
What I Disliked:
Do not get me wrong, I enjoyed the Jericho attack, but this SHOULD have been done before their match at WrestleMania. What is the point of doing it after, especially when Jericho needed to gain more personal heat on Punk before their match at WrestleMania? This is just about a week or two too late. Did you laugh as well when Jericho said do not drink and drive, and drink responsibly? That was a little awkward for me, and felt like a Public Service Announcement.
Grade: B+
