WWE: All the TV August 11th - 14th

I watched ECW, Superstars and Smackdown this week, like most weeks. I tend to review ECW and Superstars because they are wrestling focused. Smackdown is usually good for one long TV match, but has more angle stuff that isn't worth reviewing. But ever since Punk won the title and began the turn, I've watched every show. And it hasn't disappointed - his promo work as a heel and his performances in matches all the way through have been so much better than anything he's done in WWE since joining in 2006. Last week's title match was the best example yet - his post-match beatdown, shouting "Fixing him up so I can break him again" to the EMTs, forcing the stretcher guys to take the long way around the ring just cemented him as my favourite current heel in wrestling. Matt Hardy's return is also intriguing, and his heel turn momentum was ruined by injury so I could quite happily watch months of Punk vs. Matt main events.

ECW packed five matches and an interview segment in this week, two of which were dull squashes. I want to know where the Kozlov-Jackson stuff is going. I'm still pulling for homoerotic courtship ritual. Zack Ryder busting out a hand-phone and a "Call me" on his way to the ring added another layer of dorkiness to a character I'm fast falling in love with. Matt Striker questioning whether Yoshi Tatsu had even seen a superhero before was utterly ridiculous and borderline offensive. He's not from a cave, he's from Japan. He used to wrestle with Jushin Liger, whose whole look was based on a superhero, and who you, Matt Striker, have referenced before.

The only particularly good bit of wrestling was Regal-Dreamer, which was Regal dragging Dreamer through to a good six minute TV match by virtue of the fact that at times, Regal can look like the most vicious man on the planet. He's relentless when attack a limb and his strikes always look deadly. Maybe I'm being unfair to Dreamer, whose job here was to eat a beating and set up Christian vs. Regal, which has the potential to top MOTY lists, based on their few recent encounters.

I enjoyed Smackdown, aside for the dull Khali-Kane stuff. Kane is never as violent or sadistic as he is made out to be. Unlike Mike Knox, who came across like an absolute psycho after dropping Finlay on the steps. I look forward to Matches. The Finlay-Ziggler match was fine, as Finlay pulled a game Ziggler through a pretty stiff little TV match - I enjoyed the return of the ring apron spot, but Ziggler's boot, catching Finaly between it and the ringpost was spot of the match and looked really nasty.

Punk vs. Morrison was also good. Some people just work better as a heel or a face. With Punk, his strike based offence is much more suited to working heel, and now he's fully turned, he's free to drop in also sorts of violent kicks, like those knees at the end with Morrison in the tree of woe. The knee drop on the apron looked really great. The match is carried along by Punk, with Morrison contributing his flashy offence (It's a standing shooting star press. How are both commentators continually messing this up). The GTS looked great as well, as Morrison sold the blow like he'd been shot.

I'm glad they didn't do something stupid like bury the Hart Dynasty in the main - but I don't understand why this needed to be a handicap in the first place. Why couldn't an injured Jeff take on one of them, lose because of his injury, which affects his standing not a little but raises that of his opponent? The stuff post match sets up what could be a really good match next week - I'm excited to see Matt Hardy again. Smackdown has the freshest main event scene in the company since, what, 2002?

I've saved Superstars until last, because it featured the match of the week in Goldust vs. Sheamus. I loved the early intensity to signify the bad feelings between the two, Sheamus pushing Dustin away from a tie up, and Dustin using the momentum to come off the ropes felt like the sort of thing someone would do when tussling over a grudge. There were some great punches by Dustin, and his selling made There were some great punches by Dustin, and his selling made Sheamus look mighty. He's so old school in the way he draws the crowd in - there's a lot of upper mid-card guys who are being heavily pushed who wouldn't have gotten that sort of response. I've struggled to get into Sheamus yet - there's not something I could say 'yeah, he does that well' or 'I like that move' - but I thought his simple moveset worked well here, especially with the way Dustin sold it all. The reactions after the roll-up were great too. The first two five minute matches were good, but give Dustin ten minutes, and he makes for great TV.