WWE Superstars Results and Reactions from July 25: Warm-ups

Hopefully, the rumors I saw about Alex Riley taking over permanent color duty on NXT aren't true since he definitely seems to have taken that seat for this streaming show. He's with Tony Dawson on the microphones.

The Usos defeat 3MB (Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal)

in approximately seven and a half minutes via pinfall when Jimmy Uso pins Mahal

• Not sure if it's piped in or not, but the Zohs in reponse to the Ooos are really loud during their entrance.

• Standard Superstars opening - since fan-friendly acts like the twins and Tons of Funk are often the faces and even the heels have demonstrative gimmicks, it's not unusual for the first minute or so of matches to be designed to get the crowd into the match. These are also typically taped before the filming of a broadcast show, so they're essentially warm-up matches. For that reason, we get a bunch more call & response from Jimmy and Jey, along with some dancing, while Jinder plays air guitar and screams "Yeeaahhh".

• After some shoulder block takedowns by Jimmy, Drew drags Mahal out of the ring. While they're consulting with Heath Slater, both Usos fly over the top rope one after the other to take us to break.

• Jimmy is the face-in-peril when we return, and he gets stomped by both bandmates and hit with a leg lariat from their frontman on the floor while the referee is distracted.

• Spot of the show happens after Jimmy comes back and gets a tag. In between slaps to both opponents (the Samoans do a LOT of slapping), Slater jumps up on the apron to slow things down and Jey kicks him in the face so that his sunglasses fly off. Heath had to throw them off; if it had been real he probably would have been cut and they wouldn't have gone as far. That's the kind of little things that make some of us in the internet wrestling community (IWC) love the former NXT alum.

• After some butt-buts (the other big staple of The Usos offense - thanks Pops!) , Mahal gets caught by tandem head kicks that leave him prone for a Superfly splash from Jimmy for the win.

Match Footage below via WWE.com's Official YouTube Channel:

Our first Raw replay is the contract signing segment (complete with John Cena running down his bosses, for you conspiracy theorists in the audience) followed by Punk and Heyman's promos. There's also a commercial for NBC's WrestleMania 29 special, too.

Layla defeats Alicia Fox

in approximately five minutes via pinfall

• Both women work the crowd on their way to the ring. I know it's because of the match's placement for the live card, but it still bugs me that all Divas come out as faces on this show. Teach them how to draw heat - hell, I know Layla knows how to from her Lay-Cool days. Turn her back, or at least have her teach the others. She's not doing anything else.

• Riley makes the observation that Layla is the most experienced Diva on the roster, and I realize that he's right. And then I pour a sip out for the Divas division (and I like Ms El).

• The British-Floridian uses her ass a lot in the opening minutes; I guess somebody thinks that posterior-based offense is a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Mostly, this match sees Fox use her legs to try for submissions. She chokes Layla with her shin while her head is under the top rope, and works to sell a scissor headlock on the mat as well.

• A missed kick from Alicia turns the tide. After a sloppy pin attempt, Layla does a nifty arm drag small package that gets two. A facebuster and her hopping-up-the-ropes crossbody (Dawson calls it the LOL crossbody) earns another nearfall.

• Fox gets the best move of the match in with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but she misses the scissors kick. Layla connects with roundhouse to the head and we're out.

Match Footage below via WWE.com's Official YouTube Channel:

With only a few minutes left, we get the recap package version of Daniel Bryan's gauntlet with full replay of Cena's save and Vince setting up next Monday's main events.

Well, that was pretty much crap. Grade: D, and it's only saved from failing by Slater's sunglasses spot.

Questions? Comments? You know what to do with 'em.