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Here are some highlights from last Saturday's ladder match between The Ghetto Mafia and Ryan McBride and Teddy Stigma at the Maryland Championship Wrestling show in Dundalk. Keep in mind that this is just a very brief sampling of a match that went nearly 30 minutes.
As soon as the participants were set for the four-way elimination match to determine John Cena’s opponent at The Royal Rumble, the finish was obvious: It would come down to Shawn Michaels and JBL, with JBL ordering Michaels to lie down.
And that’s exactly what happened last night on Raw. Predictable? Absolutely. Boring and anti-climactic? Absolutely not, thanks to an outstanding dramatic performance by Michaels.
With all due respect to John Cena, Kane and Mr. Kennedy (who all have starred in movies), Michaels showed once again that he is by far the best actor in the company. I think HBK could even give Mickey Rourke a run for his money.
Not only was the outcome of the four-way match (which also involved Randy Orton and Chris Jericho) predictable, but no one really buys into the story line that Michaels has to work for JBL because he is broke. With all that being said, however, Michaels still was able to manipulate the emotions of the crowd through his facial expressions and body language during his conflict of conscience. He had fans pleading with him not to lie down for JBL. Michaels’ performance was even more impressive when you consider that it was a tough crowd for most of the night.
From a booking standpoint, I think it was the right call to have Michaels ultimately refuse to lie down, choosing to take a Clothesline from Hell instead. It was more dramatic and made Michaels come across as more sympathetic and honorable.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
When Mike Knox attacked Rey Mysterio in the opening segment, I don’t think anyone expected to see John Cena come out for the save. Cena's surprise involvement in a mid-card feud set up a 10-man tag match for later in the show, pitting Cena, Mysterio, Kofi Kingston and Cryme Tyme against Knox, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison and The Miz. It was an entertaining match, and Cena’s presence in it definitely gave guys such as Kingston, Knox and Ziggler a rub. Kingston never looked more like a star than when he did his “Boom, boom, boom!” shtick simultaneously with Cena’s five-knuckle shuffle. ...
The premise of Cena’s promo with Stephanie McMahon was good: He told her that using him as the guest commentator for the main event was typical and boring. The execution, however, was awful. I don’t blame Cena. He often rises above the lame material he is given, but this stuff was so silly and annoying that even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson couldn’t make it work. Well, OK, maybe he could, but no one else. ...
Orton being revealed as Kelly Kelly’s mystery man is one that I didn’t see coming. I’m just glad it wasn’t Hornswoggle. Perhaps this will lead to an angle between Kane and Orton to kill time before Orton’s WrestleMania program begins. ...
With Manu losing to Matt Hardy in a match that Orton said he had to win to remain in The Legacy, I wonder if Manu is being sent back to developmental. Sim Snuka does seem to bring more to the table at this point than Manu. ...
It’s amazing to see how far Candice Michelle’s stock has fallen. She went from being WWE’s “It Girl” before getting injured last year to being the first one out in a women’s battle royal last night. By the way, Santino Marella’s commentary was easily the best part of the battle royal. ...
I’m going to reserve judgment on the Rosa Mendes/Beth Phoenix angle. It seems very similar to past obsessed-fan angles that were done with Mickie James and Trish Straus, and Tori (Terri Poch) and Sable. The key to making this one different is Marella, and that’s why I am not going to be too quick to dismiss it. ...
The Goldust bit wasn’t all that funny, but I’ll take a Goldust comedy skit over a Goldust wrestling match every time.
Here’s my take on some recent wrestling headlines:
THE MICK FOLEY/SPORTS ILLUSTRATED CONTROVERSY: I finally got around to reading Sports Illustrated’s review of The Wrestler (written by Adam Duerson in the Dec. 22 edition) and Mick Foley’s response to it. For those who might have missed this story, Duerson sat next to Foley during a media screening of the movie, and he draws parallels in his review between Foley and the lead character – an aging, down-on-his-luck former wrestling star played by Mickey Rourke. Foley is described in Duerson’s opening paragraph as a “homeless-looking fellow ... with a crude Grizzly Adams haircut and lugging an oversized duffel bag.” He goes on to paint a less-than-flattering – and, more importantly, inaccurate – portrait of Foley. Needless to say, Foley wasn’t pleased, and he articulately expressed his feelings in a column on tnawrestling.com.
I don’t believe there was any malice on Duerson’s part, but I do think he was lazy or unbelievably uninformed. It looks to me as if Duerson needed a hook for his story, and he believed he found an obvious one in Foley. The problem is that Foley might look the part of a broken-down wrestler who is estranged from his family and wrestles in high school gyms because he’s desperate for money, but – as just about every wrestling fan knows – nothing could be further from the truth. Oh well, you know what they say about the truth getting in the way of a good movie review. When Foley called Duerson to voice his disappointment with the review, Duerson blamed it on his editor making changes. That’s extremely weak. If my byline is on a story and an editor makes changes that I strongly disagree with, I have the right to have my name removed from it. Duerson’s name is on his piece. I wonder if he assumed the “homeless-looking” Foley would be too busy pounding the pavement for his next low-paying gig to actually read the review.
CHRISTIAN’S POTENTIAL WWE ROLE: Christian Cage appears WWE-bound and is expected to be revealed as the person who attacked Jeff Hardy before the Survivor Series, according to a report on prowrestling.net. I won’t be surprised if Cage signs with WWE, but I will be surprised – and disappointed – if he is revealed as the mystery man and not Matt Hardy. I just don’t find a Jeff Hardy-Christian feud nearly as compelling as a battle of the Hardys. There have been subtle hints of a Hardy boys feud on television, so if this report is accurate, either Matt Hardy was a red herring all along, or there was a change in plans. Until I see Christian with a smoking gun (and I’m not talking about Cute Kip), however, I’m not giving up on the Matt versus Jeff angle.
MARYSE INJURED: WWE’s Web site confirmed reports that the newly crowned WWE divas champion suffered a dislocated kneecap during a house show match last night in Raleigh, N.C. There is no word as to how long she will be out of action or whether she will be stripped of the title. The timing of the injury couldn’t have been worse for Maryse, who was only a week into her reign and has been showing gradual improvement in the ring. With Michelle McCool and Maria beginning a program together, I wonder if WWE was planning to debut Gail Kim – who has been backstage at recent tapings – as Maryse’s first challenger. While Maryse is nowhere close to Kim when it comes to in-ring ability, she does have good heel presence and would make a perfect antagonist for Kim.
It didn’t take place under the bright lights in a large arena before tens of thousands of fans, but the tag-team ladder match at the Maryland Championship Wrestling show Saturday night at The New Green Room in Dundalk was one of the most exciting matches I have seen this year.
On the afternoon of the show, I wrote that it would be hard for The Ghetto Mafia (2-Dope and Qenaan Creed) and Ryan McBride and Teddy Stigma to top the ladder match they had in July, but – amazingly – they did. The two teams pulled off a number of high-impact, innovative ladder spots that had the fans pumping their fists and chanting “M-C-W! M-C-W!” I actually lost count of how many ladders were used in the match.
As one of three referees whose job was to slide inside the ring and steady the ladders on the big spots, I had the privilege of witnessing the action from extremely close range. I was blown away by the athleticism, toughness and fearlessness of all four guys – as well as Angela, the manager/valet for McBride and Stigma who did a high cross-body off a ladder onto the floor.
After McBride and Stigma won the match and the MCW tag team title, they called The Ghetto Mafia back to the ring. As the two teams shook hands and embraced, the crowd gave them all a standing ovation. Several members of the roster also came out to show their appreciation for the match.
I will post video highlights of this match and others from the show within the next day or two.
Stevie Richards did not appear at last night’s Maryland Championship Wrestling show because he suffered a collapsed lung early last week, Richards said in an interview with MCW’s Shawn Credle.
Richards, who was scheduled to wrestle The Bruiser at The New Green Room in Dundalk, said he had been suffering from a severe lung infection for months, but doctors were unable to diagnose the specific strain of the infection. Richards underwent a lung biopsy Monday, and his lung collapsed during the procedure.
Richards, who was hooked up to a chest tube “for a day or two,” said he is feeling better, but his doctors recommended that he not wrestle last night.
Balls Mahoney was brought in to replace Richards against The Bruiser.
I’ll have some notes on last night’s MCW show after I get back from watching the Ravens defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars to clinch a playoff berth.
The most significant moment during last night’s episode of Smackdown occurred on the entrance ramp just after Jeff Hardy’s countout victory over The Big Show.
As Jeff was taking his bows, Matt Hardy suddenly appeared on the ramp to celebrate with his brother. Matt got so excited that he grabbed Jeff’s arm and raised it in a symbol of victory. Jeff, however, was selling an injury to the arm, and he immediately jerked it away, grimacing.
I believe it’s another hint that the Hardy boys are going to end up feuding. Even if the arm-raising incident was an ad-lib, just the fact that Matt came out to celebrate – and was so giddy about it – is a clue in and of itself. I mean, who gets that worked up about a countout win in a non-title match? It’s also interesting that no mention was made this week about the mysterious attack on Jeff before the Survivor Series.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
With Michelle McCool’s attack on Maria, WWE finally pulled the trigger on McCool’s heel turn. At least I think that’s what happened. The way this story line has gone, McCool and Maria might be hanging out like old friends next week. In fact, they were doing exactly that last night before McCool’s title defense against Maryse (which was refereed by Maria). McCool told Maria that they “have had some issues, but that’s what girlfriends do.” Really? Kicking your friend hard in the stomach is what friends do? I guess I really don’t understand women. …
Maryse, who is from Montreal, got a nice pop from the crowd in Toronto when she won the divas title from McCool. Her victory was a nice surprise. By the way, with all due respect to Charles Robinson, Maria gets my vote for Referee of the Year. …
The Shelton Benjamin-Hurricane Helms U.S. title match was good, although Helms’ timing still seems to be just a little off. Both the champion and the challenger came out of this one looking good, as Helms was on offense for much of the match and nearly won, while Benjamin managed to turn back a strong challenge and win cleanly. …
Tazz said that “Triple H is the measuring stick in WWE.” Shouldn’t the champion be considered the measuring stick? When a guy is pushed as being the best with or without the title, it devalues the title and the current champion…
I can’t blame Vladimir Kozlov for not accepting Triple H’s challenge to “settle it” while Triple H was holding a sledgehammer. …
I might be in the minority, but I am looking forward to seeing what Kizarny can do in the ring. With that being said, I still didn’t need to see the same vignette twice. …
A “You screwed Bret” sign in the crowd was visible during the show. At this point, you might as well being holding up a sign that says “I need to get a life.”
Maryland Championship Wrestling will hold its Holiday Hell show tonight at the New Green Room in Dundalk.
Among the featured matches is a ladder match for the MCW tag team title between champions The Ghetto Mafia and challengers Ryan McBride and Teddy Stigma. It will be hard for the two teams to top their ladder match from July that tore down the house, but it should be a lot of fun watching them try.
Also scheduled on the card is an appearance by Stevie Richards and an MCW heavyweight title match between champion Christian York and The Sugarmask.
Bell time is 7:30 p.m. For more information, go to marylandwrestling.com.
NOTE: I hope to have a post up soon about last night’s episode of Smackdown. I didn’t watch it until this afternoon because I went to a concert last night. I did nearly witness a “smackdown” at the Denny’s in Dundalk around 2 a.m., but that’s another story for another time.
Mick Foley’s return to the ring – at the Genesis pay-per-view on Jan. 11 – was announced on last night’s episode of TNA Impact. It wasn’t exactly a secret – the show was taped last week and Foley is featured on the banner ad for Genesis – but it’s big news for TNA nonetheless. Foley will team with A.J. Styles and Brother Devon against Booker T., Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner.
It will be interesting to see whether Foley’s TNA wrestling debut increases the buy rate for the show. There has been a slight increase in Impact’s ratings recently, but I would attribute that more to the Main Event Mafia story line than Foley.
I’m also curious how much Foley will be able to do in the ring at this point. Not surprisingly, he didn’t move well when running down the ramp last night.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
I’m a Foley fan, so I always enjoy watching him, but I’m not wild about how his return to the ring was set up. I think the booking made Foley look gullible. Just as Brother Ray did two weeks ago, Foley took the MEM at their word, and then looked silly when they didn’t keep it. I’m surprised Foley didn’t veto that angle. Think about it: Would Triple H or “Stone Cold” Steve Austin ever allow their characters to look so foolish? ...
I also didn’t like how Foley went from having a physical confrontation with Kurt Angle at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view a couple months ago, to suddenly palling around and joking with him. Did he forget that Angle said that if Foley got in his business again that he would cripple him and have him breathing through a respirator? ...
Foley’s run-in during MEM’s latest “hit” made him look like Superman, but it buried four members of The Frontline in the process. First of all, what took Jay Lethal, Consequences Creed and Eric Young so long to come out and try to make the save when A.J. Styles was getting attacked? I said “try to make the save” because they didn’t – they quickly got beaten down. Is it any wonder the fans don’t buy these guys as any kind of threat? Next, Rhino came to save the day, but he was beaten down, too. At least he could use the excuse that he was outnumbered, but that was actually his fault for not coming out with the other members of The Frontline.
Being outnumbered couldn’t stop Foley, though, as he tried to run down the ramp – again, I said “tried” – and single-handedly took out all four members of the MEM, nearly putting Mr. Socko down Angle’s throat. It was completely unrealistic that Angle, Booker, Nash and Steiner were no match for Foley’s flurry of punches. I would have bought it had Foley brought a chair or something in the ring with him. It reminded me of the NWA in the ’80s when all of the members of the Four Horsemen would bump all over the ring for Dusty Rhodes’ elbows to the head. ...
During a pull-apart between Angle and Jeff Jarrett in the final segment, Angle KO’d B.G. James. The announcers played it up as if it were a big deal. Uh, why, just because he is Jarrett’s “longtime friend?” James has been wrestling for years and he’s had a lot worse done to him in the ring than just taking a punch. I kind of thought James deserved it anyway for talking trash to Angle. Knowing Vince Russo, James will probably end up turning on Jarrett. ...
Brother Devon cut a really good, intense promo. Styles tried to do the same, but it came off as overacting. By the way, why did Mike Tenay refer to Brother Ray as Brother Devon’s “longtime tag-team partner?” Isn’t he more than that? Aren’t they supposed to be half-brothers? ...
Chris Sabin and Kiyoshi had the best match of the show. Speaking of Sabin, what’s up with him and Alex Shelley cutting heel promos and acting like heels backstage, but then wrestling a total babyface style? As for Kiyoshi, he paints his face and does the Great Muta’s moves, but he doesn’t have Muta’s presence. ...
I like the chemistry between Sheik Abdul Bashir and Shane Sewell, but the angle doesn’t make sense to me. Let me get this straight: If Sewell defends himself against Bashir, he’s fired, but Bashir can put his hands on Sewell and there are no repercussions. Sucks to be a referee in TNA. ...
The backstage interview between the female babyfaces was one of the most annoying segments I have seen on a wrestling show this year. ...
Speaking of annoying, somebody should tell Russo that using insider terms like “marks” and “jobbers” within the context of the show is so 1997. Then again, so is everything that Russo comes up with.
It won’t arrive in time for Christmas, but if you are looking for a belated gift for the Rob Van Dam fan in your life, Van Dam sent me a note that the first RVD TV DVD is now available for purchase on robvandam.com. For a fan of RVD, that’s a BFD.
For the uninitiated, RVD TV is an online reality show that runs on Van Dam’s site. The premise, in the words of Van Dam himself, is that he and his celebrity friends “ponder life’s great mysteries [and] challenge existing theories.” I have watched a few episodes and they are pretty entertaining.
I blogged about RVD TV last January.
With Batista reportedly out of action until next summer with a torn hamstring, whatever plans were in the works for WrestleMania 25 obviously will have to change.
Batista figured to be involved in the world heavyweight title match, either facing champion John Cena in a rematch from SummerSlam, or participating in a triple threat with Cena and Randy Orton. The most likely matchup now is Cena versus Orton.
Orton is at the top of his game and he and Cena have good chemistry, but Cena-Orton isn’t anything that fans haven’t already seen several times. The two stars have wrestled each other on five pay-per-views over the past 16 months, including in a triple threat (with Triple H) at WrestleMania XXIV and a fatal fourway (with Triple H and JBL) at Backlash. There would have to be a special stipulation, a guest referee or something to put a new spin on the matchup.
Batista being sidelined has to be frustrating for WWE, which no sooner gets Cena back from injury that it loses another major star. The company has yet to issue a statement on Batista's injury. The story line reason for him not appearing on Raw last night for his advertised match against Orton is that he was injured by the kick to the head that he received from Orton last week.
The hamstring injury is another tough blow for Batista, who will miss out on the biggest payday of the year by being unable to perform at WrestleMania in April. He has missed significant time due to injuries on several occasions over the years, including suffering a torn triceps that in 2006 that cost him an appearance at WrestleMania 22.
NOTE: Mickie James reportedly was not seriously injured during her match last night on Raw despite landing awkwardly when she was shoved off the top rope onto the floor.
Before I take a look at last night’s Raw, I want to acknowledge the big news about Batista that was reported last night by pwinsider.com. For those who missed it, Batista has suffered tears in his hamstring muscle and will undergo major surgery that is expected to keep him out of action until next summer, according to the report.
Batista did not appear on last night’s show, although the hamstring injury was not mentioned. The story line is that he is out because of the injuries he suffered last week when Randy Orton kicked him in the head. I’ll talk more about Batista’s injury in a separate post later today.
The big news as far as last night’s show is concerned is that Trish Stratus made a surprise return to the ring. The Ontario native got a huge pop from the crowd in Toronto when she was introduced as John Cena’s partner for a mixed tag match against Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix.
It was great to see Stratus back in the ring, although it was made clear that it was just for one night only. Stratus, who retired in 2006 at the age of 30, showed no ring rust whatsoever.
The combination of seven-time women’s champion Straus mixing it up with current champ Phoenix, and Marella doing his shtick opposite the top star in the company, made for a fresh and entertaining main event. It was funny that the crowd was super hot for Stratus but still booed Cena, even after Stratus held up his arm and encouraged the fans to cheer him during the postmatch celebration.
The match was set up at the beginning of the show when Marella challenged Cena to get a female partner to face him and Phoenix. It appeared that Kelly Kelly was Cena’s choice, but she was later shown leaving the building. With Double K out of the picture, I knew it was going to be Stratus. Did I know this because I’m so smart? No. I read a spoiler before the show aired that Stratus was backstage, so it wasn’t hard to figure out at that point.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
Marella was brilliant as usual. When he issued the challenge to Cena, he called him “John Chayna,” which legitimately cracked up Cena. …
It made sense for Triple H to offer to help Shawn Michaels with his money problems, but Michaels’ reasoning for turning his friend down was kind of absurd considering their past. Michaels told Triple H that their friendship would never be the same if he accepted his financial help. Really? You mean borrowing money from a friend can damage a relationship worse than battering a friend repeatedly with a sledgehammer? …
The three matches between former world champions to determine the competitors for next week’s fatal fourway elimination match (which will determine the challenger to Cena’s world heavyweight title at next month’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view) were good. The Chris Jericho-CM Punk match, in particular, was very good. The spot where Punk courageously refused to give up while trapped for what seemed like forever in the Walls of Jericho may have done more to make Punk a star than winning the world heavyweight title did. …
Despite contrasting styles, JBL and Rey Mysterio worked pretty well together. The finish, which saw JBL win by disqualification after Michaels slapped him in the face, doesn’t really make sense if you think about it. When competing in a tournament, why wouldn’t every wrestler just have one of their friends come down to ringside and slap them so that they could advance by a DQ? …
Orton delivered another good promo after his forfeit victory over Batista. It is a little weird, however, for Orton, a heel, to be perfectly justified about wanting revenge on Batista for Evolution ambushing him back in 2004. Had Batista not gotten hurt, I think WWE might have been building to a double turn with him and Orton. …
The women’s tag match – Mickie James and Melina versus Jillian Hall and Layla – was a little rough in spots. I think James might have legitimately injured her knee after taking a spill outside the ring. If not, she did a tremendous job of selling that she was hurt. …
Since dropping his greaser gimmick, Sim Snuka reminds me of one of the greatest movie characters of all time – Damone from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I wonder if Snuka has a five-point plan for success in WWE.
All the hoopla surrounding the Dallas Cowboys’ final game at Texas Stadium Saturday night got me to thinking about pro wrestling’s significant place in the stadium’s storied history.
Most people will think of Emmitt Smith, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Troy Aikman and other former Cowboys greats when reflecting on the stadium – and rightfully so. But on the afternoon of May 6, 1984, Texas Stadium was at the center of the wrestling universe.
One of the biggest events of the wrestling territories era – World Class Championship Wrestling’s David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions – was held there that day. In the main event, Kerry Von Erich defeated Ric Flair to win the NWA world heavyweight title before a crowd of more than 30,000 (some sources list the attendance as more than 40,000).
WCCW made the Parade of Champions an annual event at Texas Stadium through 1988, although none of the shows were as memorable or well-attended as the first one.
In 1984, WCCW was among a number of wrestling territories that were thriving, and one of the few that had a national presence, thanks to its syndicated television show. WCCW owner and former wrestler Fritz Von Erich built the promotion around three of his sons (Kevin, David and Kerry), who were treated like rock stars in Dallas, especially Kerry.
David Von Erich, considered the best wrestler of the three, reportedly was being groomed to win the NWA world championship, which at that time was regarded as the most prestigious title in the business. The wrestling word was stunned, however, when Von Erich, 25, died while on a tour of Japan in February 1984. The official cause of death was a heart attack that stemmed from ruptured intestines.
Three months later, the big tribute show was held at Texas Stadium. There really couldn’t have been any other finish than Kerry Von Erich winning the title in honor of his older brother, thus providing a happy ending to an emotional day that had many in the crowd in tears. As has been well-documented, there wouldn’t be any more happy endings for the Von Erich family.
Over the past five years, WWE’s Tribute to the Troops has joined A Christmas Story, It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street as a holiday viewing tradition in my house.
Regretfully, I was forced to break with tradition last night. The Ravens-Cowboys game aired in the Baltimore market on the NBC affiliate, thus pre-empting Tribute to the Troops.
Talk about mixed emotions. As a diehard Ravens fan, I wouldn’t have missed the game for anything, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the boys in purple spoil the ’Boys’ final game at Texas Stadium. But I’m still disappointed about not getting to see WWE’s visit to Baghdad to entertain the troops.
I had intended all along to watch the football game and tape the WWE special, not realizing the scheduling conflict until it was too late. After the game ended, I did catch some of the Tribute highlights on wwe.com and YouTube, but it’s not the same as watching the show in its entirety on television.
While Tribute to the Troops offers very little in the way of advancing story lines, I agree with many of the WWE performers who refer to it as the company’s most important show of the year.
No matter what you may think of the war – or WWE, for that matter – there’s no denying how much WWE’s visits mean to the troops, as evidenced by the smiles on their faces while interacting with the WWE talent. I have never made it through a whole Tribute to the Troops show without getting choked up, especially when the men and women of the military show pictures of their kids.
Yes, watching the Ravens’ upset of the Cowboys was exhilarating, but Tribute to the Troops always helps put things in proper perspective. JBL, who came up with the idea for the annual show, said it best when I interviewed him last year: “There’s never enough thank you that I can give those guys for being over there. You get caught up in thinking your world is so important, and it really isn’t.”
No matter how much wrestling was on television when I was younger – and at times it was quite a lot – there still was no such thing as too much wrestling. I would often tape the shows and forego hours of sleep to watch them all.
Now that I’m older and have more responsibilities, another wrestling show to keep track of is the last thing I need.
That’s why I wasn’t thrilled to learn that WWE is creating a new program. WWE Superstars will begin airing in April on WGN America, WWE announced on its Web site today. There were no details on the format except that it will be a one-hour show.
For my sanity, I am hoping the new program isn’t must-see TV. Perhaps a show consisting of nothing but squash matches, with no advancement of story lines. Or, even better, a recap show. I would have no problem skipping either one. A colleague suggested that it could be a magazine-type format with profiles on the performers out of character. That sounds a lot like WWE Confidential (which aired from 2002 to 2004 on Spike TV), a show that I was a big fan of. I don’t think I could resist watching that one.
WGN, a Chicago-based cable network that is owned by the Tribune Company (which also owns The Baltimore Sun), has had discussions in the past with both WWE and TNA. When WWE had to find a new home for Smackdown earlier this year, WGN reportedly was the only network interested beside MyNetworkTV, which ultimately landed the show.
The title of the new program brings back memories. WWF Superstars, which aired in syndication from 1986 to 1996 and for another five years on USA Network and TNN, was the company’s flagship show until the debut of Monday Night Raw in 1993.
Congratulations, TNA. A promo by the biggest star in the company managed to do something that not even Shark Boy’s lame skits or Hermie Sadler’s grating commentary could do.
It made me turn the channel.
Those who watched Impact last night know exactly what I am referring to. Jeff Jarrett’s tragic family situation was used once again in a despicable and desperate attempt to get heat on Kurt Angle.
Angle cut a promo in which he again brought up Jarrett’s three young daughters, mentioning them by name as their photos were shown. He said that after he gets through with Jarrett, the girls will be orphans. As most people reading this know, Jeff’s wife, Jill, succumbed to breast cancer last year.
By my count, this is the third instance in which Jill Jarrett’s death has been used for story line fodder. This time, a furious Jeff Jarrett came out to confront Angle. As he was being restrained from going after Angle, Jarrett said, “I’ve heard that s--- for the last time.”
My thoughts exactly, Jeff. Fortunately, there was no one restraining me from going after the remote. I just don't see the entertainment value in any of this.
Am I saying that I will never watch Impact again? No. In fact, I’ll be watching next Thursday, which happens to be Christmas day. Perhaps, in the spirit of the season, TNA will curb the talk of dead spouses and orphans for that night. If not, I will commence to channel surfing again.
On TNA’s Web site today, the main headline (accompanied by photos of Jarrett’s daughters) said: "Kurt goes too far: Now it’s personal."
No, it’s not. It’s pathetic.
The obvious intent of this angle is to make viewers sympathize with Jarrett and pay their money to see him give Angle what he has coming to him. What TNA fails to realize, however, is that it’s tough to sympathize with Jarrett when he is a willing participant in a story line that exploits his wife’s death. I can just imagine Jarrett congratulating Angle backstage for his performance and telling him how great the heat was for the “orphans” line.
That's not to say that I believe Jarrett is a bad person or that he doesn't love his family. I just think he's alllowing Jeff Jarrett the wrestling promoter to cloud the judgment of Jeff Jarrett the widower and father.
Here are some notes and observations from last night’s Smackdown/ECW taping, which I attended at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena. In regard to Smackdown, I won’t reveal too much in the way of specifics out of respect for those who don’t want to know what happens before the show airs Friday.
SMACKDOWN: There definitely was electricity in the air, which do doubt was due to Jeff Hardy making his first appearance since winning the WWE title Sunday. There were lots of Hardy signs, including some that put over both Jeff and Matt Hardy.
The show opened with a promo by Jeff, who got a huge pop. It wasn’t a great promo (nor was it bad), but it didn’t really matter what he said. Just the sight of Hardy with the WWE championship belt around his waist was enough to satiate the crowd.
The excitement surrounding Hardy as champion can largely be attributed to the fact that, before winning the title on Sunday, he was the biggest star currently in WWE to have never had a run as champion. With the two world title belts constantly going back and forth among John Cena, Edge, Batista, The Undertaker, Triple H, Randy Orton and Chris Jericho, seeing someone with Hardy’s tenure finally capture the gold is a big deal. ...
If you’re an Edge fan, you’ll enjoy Smackdown. The “Rated-R Superstar” was all over the show, and he generated mega-heat. He was jeered as passionately as Hardy was cheered. If you’re a Triple H fan, you probably won’t be pleased. He appeared only briefly (I’m not counting the DX Christmas commercial), although it was at a dramatic moment and the crowd went nuts for him. ...
A couple months back, I wrote that I was going to bust a move in the aisle when I witnessed R-Truth’s entrance live. Well, I lied. There were small kids sitting near me and I didn’t want to scar them for life with my uncoordinated gyrations. However, I did nod my head in time with the music and chant “What’s up!” ...
I don’t know if it will come across on TV, but those of us at ringside were treated to MVP’s entertaining commentary throughout his tag match. He was partnered with Shelton Benjamin, who entered the ring via a blind tag and refused to tag out, which promoted MVP to whine to Benjamin and the fans. MVP really plays his character well. ...
Speaking of entertaining, The Brian Kendrick is a hoot. He and Primo Colon stood outside the ring during a match between Ezekiel and Carlito, and at one point, Primo knocked down Kendrick. Lying right in front of us, Kendrick actually appeared to be crying as he pathetically begged Primo to back off. Of course, when Kendrick had Ezekiel by his side, he was over-the-top cocky. ...
I don’t think I’m giving anything away here by revealing that Michelle McCool still isn’t a heel, even though she has been doing heel-like things for weeks. She came out to her usual fist-pumping entrance and was cheered. McCool did commentary for a match between Maria and Maryse that determined the No. 1 contender for McCool’s WWE divas title. Since I obviously couldn’t hear what McCool was saying at the announce table, I suppose it’s possible that she was playing a subtle heel there. ...
ECW: Seeing Jack Swagger up close has me more convinced than ever that he is going to be a big star. He has a definite heel presence. As a fan, you’re just dying to see someone smack that smirk off his face. ...
I’m guessing this was edited off TV (ECW is not live when it airs on the Sci Fi Channel), but the finish to the six-man tag main event was botched and had to be redone. Ricky Ortiz slipped when attempting a flying bodypress off the top rope onto Swagger, missing him completely. Swagger then picked him up and hit his gutwrench powerbomb. Someone called an audible, as Ortiz kicked out at two. I was shocked that someone kicked out of Swagger’s finisher, but it made sense a few seconds later. Ortiz went up to the top again and attempted another flying bodypress. This time, Swagger caught him with a boot and hit his finisher for the three count. One of the benefits of doing a taped show is that if something goes wrong, you can just do it again. ...
Matt Hardy got a big pop for his show-opening promo, but not quite at the level of his brother (which is the story of his career). Matt had a good match with Chavo Guerrero. Guerrero isn’t really over, but he has always been a decent worker. ...
"World's Strongest Santa" Mark Henry’s angry Christmas poem was well done. Henry really does write poetry, so I’m guessing it was penned by him and not a member of the creative team. I’m also guessing that when Tony Atlas was pinning Hulk Hogan back in the early ’80s, he never dreamed he would one day be wearing antlers and a glowing red nose on a wrestling show. ...
OTHER NOTES: Pay-per-views and television tapings usually draw very well in Baltimore, but two-thirds of the upper deck was covered up. As is the case with just about all aspects of life right now, I think the struggling economy is a factor. Paying $50 – or more – for a wrestling ticket is a luxury a lot of people can’t afford these days. Plus, Raw was just at the Verizon Center in Washington two weeks ago, which is approximately 40 mile away from downtown Baltimore. ...
What the crowd was missing in numbers, it made up for in enthusiasm. Baltimore typically has hot crowds, and last night was no exception. There shouldn’t be any need for sweetening the crowd noise in post-production. ..
The Undertaker and The Big Show wrestled in a steel cage match after the Smackdown taping concluded. It went close to 10 minutes and was better than I expected for a dark match. The Undertaker reportedly is quite banged up, so I respect the fact that he not only wrestled in a non-televised match, but he didn’t mail in his performance. This match also had a botched finish. Big Show did not kick out quickly enough for what was supposed to have been a false finish, and the referee counted three. The bell rang, but you could tell by the look on Undertaker’s face that he wasn’t pleased, so the referee claimed Big Show got his shoulder up at the last second, and the match continued. About a minute later, Big Show tapped out to Undertaker’s Hell’s Gate. ...
I was disappointed that Vickie Guerrero did not appear before the live crowd. I was all ready to mark out for the “Excuse me!” routine. I was even more disappointed that Alicia Fox did not do her dancing routine in front of the live crowd. I did, however, see her in the bar at The Sheraton after the show. I was sitting at a table with a small group of guys, and she came up to us and asked if we saw “a big, muscular guy come in.” When WWE is in town, you have to be a little more specific than that. In an example of perfect timing, Maryland Championship Wrestling co-owner and wrestler Dan McDevitt (who was in our group) walked out of the bathroom, and I said to Alicia, “You must mean Dan McDevitt. Yeah, he’s right there.” For those who aren't familiar with McDevitt, he's a big guy, but he probably won't ever be confused with Batista as far as body-type. Alicia flashed a smile that is right up there with Kelly Kelly’s as the best in the business. ...
Truth is stranger than fiction: I nearly broke bread with The Miz. One of the guys I was sitting with at the bar is a friend of his, and he had texted him about joining us. As it turned out, the “Chick Magnet” did not grace us with his presence. That was probably a good thing. The fact that I was yelling “You suck, Miz” when he was about 10 feet away from me during the show could have made for an awkward moment.
Before sitting down to watch Raw last night, I never dreamed I would be writing this next sentence: Kane’s story line was the most compelling aspect of the show.
In an angle that unfolded throughout the program, Kane displayed a sudden obsession with Kelly Kelly (stemming from their appearance as co-presenters at the Slammys last week). When she rejected his creepy advances by saying that she was involved with someone, Kane demanded to know who it was.
At first, it appeared that it was The Miz – now that would really be creepy, not to mention just plain wrong – but it turned out to be a swerve, and the identity of Double K’s significant other was not revealed last night.
I am interested to see how this plays out. Kudos to the WWE creative team for making good use of two performers who had been doing little more than taking up space recently. Kane, who has been the unfortunate recipient of some ill-conceived story lines over the years (Katie Vick, the fake Kane, etc.), still has value as a character when used properly. And I am certainly not going to complain about Kelly Kelly getting a bigger role on the show.
As to who her mystery man is, I don’t have a strong feeling. Looking at the Raw roster, there are a few candidates, but no likely ones. CM Punk and Kelly Kelly were briefly linked together in an early ECW story line, but he would seem too obvious. Batista has dated her in real life, but he’s in an angle with Randy Orton and John Cena. Kofi Kingston might be the best choice, as he could use the boost from a higher-profile story line.
I suppose John Morrison is a possibility, but I doubt WWE would turn him face or possibly break up his tag team with The Miz. There’s also Tomko, who is back with WWE and wrestled in a dark match last night. A feud with Kane over Kelly Kelly would be a good way to re-introduce him to the audience.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
The handicap tag match main event that pitted Cena and Batista against Orton, Cody Rhodes and Manu was fine, but the best part of it was the closing shot of an evil-looking Orton on the ramp glaring at Cena. …
Stephanie McMahon’s explanation of how Cena’s opponent for the Royal Rumble was going to be determined had my head spinning at first. It sounded like something Vince Russo dreamed up. However, when I watched it again, it made sense. Eight former world champs will face off in singles matches, and the winners then move on to a fatal four-way, with the winner of that getting the shot at Cena. The lesson learned here is that watching something a second time allows you to get it right. Unless, of course, you are an NFL official for a Ravens-Steelers game.
I know that no one outside of Baltimore will care, but I’m still a little bitter about that call at the end of the game Sunday that gave the Steelers the win and the AFC North title and severely damaged the Ravens’ playoff chances. I was hoping that watching Raw would take my mind off of it, but, as luck would have it, the show took place in Pittsburgh and I had to look at fans wearing Steelers jerseys all night. Plus, Punk was wearing black and gold, so he has heat with me now. Hopefully, I will see a lot of purple Ray Lewis and Joe Flacco jerseys at the Smackdown/ECW taping tonight at 1st Mariner Arena. …
New tag champs Morrison and Miz, who won the title at a house show Saturday in Ontario, had a good match with Punk and Kingston. I like when titles change hands at house shows every now and then. It gives fans more of a reason to attend them if they think there is a chance that something significant could happen. …
It was odd that Kelly Kelly (who was partnered with Melina) and Jillian Hall (with Beth Phoenix) never tagged out during the short tag match. It was even odder when the crowd booed Kelly Kelly for refusing to take Kane’s hand as he threateningly hovered over her in the corner. …
One last comment about Kelly Kelly: She sure does attract some scary-looking individuals – Mike Knox, Balls Mahoney, Kane, etc. Of course, what’s even scarier is that she dated Test in real life. …
The fan who keeps showing up with the Phoenix signs is WWE developmental talent and former Diva Search participant Milena Roucka. Looks like it could be another obsessed fan angle ala Mickie James and Trish Stratus. …
It was finally acknowledged that Deuce, now known as Sim Snuka, is the son of former WWE star Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka. He might end up in The Legacy, but I’m not sure the group really needs another member. Perhaps he will feud with them instead. …
There was a “Santa” chant during Santa Haas’ match against Dolph Ziggler. It’s a good thing this show wasn’t in Philly
Matt and Jeff Hardy may or may not be on the verge of a feud, but I think it would make for a compelling story line if WWE goes in that direction.
I’ve always found brother vs. brother programs intriguing, especially when the fans know the participants really are brothers. I think that’s one of the reasons why the feud between blood brothers Bret Hart and Owen Hart had more emotion than the one between kayfabe brothers Edge and Christian.
I have been advocating a Hardy Boyz feud for quite a while. In fact, I wrote a two-part blog entry over a year and half ago detailing how I would script the angle. It’s a story line that could draw money if done correctly, and a Hardy vs. Hardy extreme rules match is a WrestleMania moment waiting to happen. Judging by what Jeff Hardy told me in a couple interviews over the past year, he and Matt feel the same way.
This is from January:
KE: A feud between you and your brother, Matt, has been teased in the past in WWE, but they never went all the way with it. Is that something that you would be interested in doing?
JH: Oh, yeah, definitely. I think somewhere around WrestleMania 25 would be really cool to have a Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy match. I was a huge fan of the Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart matches back in the day and the brotherly feud. I think Matt and I could really have a good long natural feud with the old brother vs. brother scenario.
This is from October:
KE: I asked you in January whether you had any interest in having a feud with Matt. You said that you did and you’d like to wrestle him at WrestleMania 25. Is there any chance of that happening then or some other time in the future?
JH: Yeah, for sure. Matt and I both are big fans of Bret Hart-Owen Hart feud matches. I remember us being brothers and watching brothers wrestle on pay-per-view and were like, “How cool would that be?” Matt and I wrestled each other all the time back in the OMEGA days, so how cool would that be for us to be wrestling each other [in WWE]? I’m sure a lot of people would like to see that, too. I know people always say, “Nobody wants to see The Hardy Boyz fight,” but if it was done right, it could be phenomenal.
As Jeff pointed out, there is a belief among some that fans don’t want to see the Hardy brothers at odds. They point to the fact that the angle was attempted in 2001 and quickly dropped after one pay-per-view match because the fans rejected it.
But that was seven years ago. I agree that it wasn’t the right time then, but both Hardys have credibility as singles stars now, and considering where they are in their respective careers, it’s a natural angle and not forced like it was in ’01. Plus, think of the huge pop they’ll receive when the inevitable emotional reunion takes place.
Matt showed during his “Matt Hardy, Version 1” days from several years ago that he can be a good heel, and Jeff is obviously a great babyface. The biggest question is whether Matt would be able to step up his game on the microphone, because strong promos are a key component of any big-time feud.
If he could do that, the Hardys could be right up there with the Harts as far memorable brother feuds go.
It’s been a long, strange trip, but Jeff Hardy has finally made it to the top in WWE.
His compelling, year-long journey to the WWE championship culminated with a victory over defending champion Edge and Triple H in a fantastic triple threat match for the title last night at the Armageddon pay-per-view.
Before reaching his destination, Hardy endured several bumps in the road (in real life and the story line), including a 60-day suspension for his second Wellness Policy violation, his house burning down and coming up just short time and again in title matches.
Hardy’s sometimes erratic behavior out of the ring notwithstanding, I’m glad to see him get a run with the title after all the risks he has taken for the company over the years.
It had become apparent earlier this year that it was a matter of when, not if, Hardy was going to become world champion. I got the feeling recently that it was going happen next month at the Royal Rumble, which would have brought things full circle. It was at last year’s Rumble that Hardy’s quest for the title began with a match against then-champion Randy Orton.
In hindsight, it was probably the right call to pull the trigger last night. Another tease with no payoff might have turned off the fans, especially with the way the triple threat match at the Survivor Series went down last month.
Unfortunately for Hardy’s legion of fans, I don’t think his title reign is going to last very long. If Matt Hardy is revealed to be the mystery person who attacked Jeff and a brother vs. brother feud ensues, a great way to generate heel heat for Matt would be for him to cost Jeff the title after he worked so long and hard to win it. Stay tuned.
Except for Hardy’s milestone win, there was nothing truly memorable last night, although it was an enjoyable show overall.
Here’s a match-by-match look at Armageddon:
Jeff Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H to win the WWE title: All three guys worked hard and they put on a heck of a match with some great false finishes. Hardy was seemingly on the verge of victory several times, but he just couldn’t seal the deal. The biggest spot of the match saw Edge spear Hardy through one of the announce tables at the 12-minute mark. Kozlov interfered at one point, but he was run off by Matt Hardy (more foreshadowing). For the finish, Triple H hit the Pedigree on Edge and made the cover, but Hardy then hit a Swanton on both of them and pinned Edge to win the title after approximately 18 minutes. It’s interesting that Hardy had chased then-champion Triple H for months, but when he finally wins the big one, it’s by pinning Edge and not “The Game.”
World heavyweight champion John Cena defeated Chris Jericho: This wasn’t a bad match, although it could have used a few more minutes (it went about 13). It was somewhat lacking in drama, because I never believed at any time that Jericho had a chance of winning. Cena won by submission with the STFU, so he was kept strong heading into WrestleMania season, which gets under way with the Royal Rumble. With Jericho seemingly out of the title picture now, next up for Cena is likely Batista and/or Randy Orton.
Batista defeated Randy Orton: It dragged a little at times, but this was a decent match with a good finishing sequence. With Orton dominating the latter part of the match, it became obvious to me that Batista was going to win. I probably should have seen the Batista victory coming even before that. Orton had pinned Batista twice in tag matches recently, so it was Batista’s turn.
CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio: The match to determine the No. 1 contender for William Regal’s Intercontinental title started slow but ended up being really good after they picked up the pace. The finish saw Punk legitimately nail Mysterio with the GTS, which resulted in Mysterio bleeding heavily from his nose and mouth.
Vladimir Kozlov defeated ECW champion Matt Hardy in a non-title match: This was much better than Kozlov’s match against Triple H last month at the Survivor Series. I think the result and placement of this match are further proof that Matt will turn on his brother in a fit of jealousy and resentment. Think about it: On the night that Jeff headlined the show and won the WWE title, Matt wrestled in the opener and suffered a decisive loss.
Finlay defeated Mark Henry in a Belfast Brawl: This was an OK match. I’m a little surprised that Henry didn’t win, although he did look strong in defeat – literally. Henry snapped a shillelagh and a kendo stick in half and also used his massive frame to compress a trash can against Finlay in the corner.
Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Maria and Kelly Kelly defeated Maryse, Natalya, Victoria and Jillian Hall: The match was a little sloppy, but the divas did look cute in their Santa’s helper’s outfits. There was more tension between McCool and Maria, but McCool still isn’t officially a heel. The match really was just an excuse to get The Great Khali to come out for his Kiss Cam deal. McCool quickly bailed, leaving James, Maria and Double K in the ring. They all were reluctant to kiss Khali, which didn’t make sense in the case of James, who seemed to be enjoying making out with the big guy on Raw last week. The segment ended with Mae Young showing up and laying a wet one on Khali. That’s poetic justice after he got to kiss James.
Shawn Michaels’ promo: I originally had my doubts about the Michaels-JBL story line because I thought the premise that Michaels was hurting for money was unrealistic. But Michaels proved once again that he can make just about any angle work. I think the only other guy who could pull off something like this is Mick Foley. Michaels cut a great promo in which he explained why he reluctantly accepted JBL’s offer of employment (it was never made clear what exactly JBL is paying him to do). The crowd somewhat turned against him, which I believe was the desired reaction. Michaels even manipulated the crowd into chanting “You sold out!” I’m looking forward to seeing how this unfolds.
Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view:
World heavyweight champion John Cena vs. Chris Jericho: There’s no way WWE is taking the belt off Cena this soon. It’s possible that Cena could win clean again like he did at Survivor Series, but I think it’s more likely that the finish leads to another match between these two at the Royal Rumble next month.
WWE champion Edge vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Triple H: Is this the night that Hardy finally wins the gold? I wouldn’t rule it out, but I’m guessing it’s not. I think Hardy and Triple H will be so intent on destroying each other that Edge – the ultimate opportunist – manages to weasel his way to another victory.
Batista vs. Randy Orton: This one could go either way. There is a buzz surrounding Orton as of late, so I’m picking him to win, most likely due to outside interference from The Legacy. I haven’t heard if Ted DiBiase Jr. is ready to return, but if he is, I could see him teasing a babyface turn (remember, Orton kicked him in the head and gave him a concussion) before ultimately attacking Batista.
ECW champion Matt Hardy vs. Vladimir Kozlov (non-title): Since the title isn’t on the line and Kozlov needs a pay-per-view win, I’m going with the “Moscow Mauler.”
Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk: This is the final of the tournament to determine the No. 1contender for William Regal’s Intercontinental title. It seemed right from the start of the tournament that WWE was building to a Regal-Punk match, so unless that was a swerve, Punk will win. This could be a real good match.
Finlay vs. Mark Henry in a Belfast Brawl: It’s hard not to go with Finlay in his specialty match, but Henry needs the win to maintain his monster heel aura, and he’ll get it.
Michelle McCool, Mickie James, Maria and Kelly Kelly vs. Maryse, Natalya, Victoria and Jillian Hall: What is McCool still doing on the babyface team? I thought she had already turned, but perhaps it becomes official tonight. The dissension between McCool and Maria will end up costing their side the match.
After watching last night’s episode of Smackdown, I am convinced that Matt Hardy will be revealed as the person responsible for attacking Jeff Hardy last month.
Before last night’s show, I had noticed a few things that seemed to subtlety suggest Matt Hardy might be the culprit. When he was first interviewed about his brother being attacked, he said (and I’m paraphrasing) that “people think Jeff is a screw-up, and maybe he is.” Matt also seemed to be clapping for his brother in an exaggerated manner (perhaps to the point of being disingenuous) when he presented him with his Slammy award Monday on Raw.
Matt’s appearance on “The Cutting Edge” last night clinched it for me. Matt being so certain that Edge was behind the attack likely means it’s not Edge. And Edge pointing the finger at Triple H likely means it’s not Triple H. It reminded me of a story line from several years ago when Shawn Michaels was attacked and his best friend Triple H made it his mission to find out who did it. It turned out to be Triple H himself.
When Edge told Matt last night that the reason he was involving himself in his brother’s business is because it’s the only way he can be relevant, he basically revealed Matt’s motive for the attack. Edge said that if Matt had been attacked instead of Jeff, no one would even care. Matt’s facial expression showed that he didn’t necessarily disagree with Edge’s statement. Edge’s dialogue was written that way for a reason, and I doubt it’s to start another feud between him and Matt.
Then again, as someone who has wanted to see a feud between the Hardy Boyz for a while, it may just be wishful thinking. But my instinct tells me that we are in store for a brother vs. brother angle.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
Triple H coming down the ramp and getting jumped by Jeff Hardy as soon as the show went on the air was a great way to kick things off. You can’t do stuff like that every week because it then becomes a cliche, but it definitely grabs the viewer’s attention when used on occasion. ...
Triple H and Jeff Hardy had yet another good match together, and this one ended the only way it really could have on the go-home show for tomorrow’s Armageddon pay-per-view – with Edge interfering and causing a double disqualification. ...
I hate to sound like a broken record, but those humorous DX Christmas commercials really seem out of place since Triple H and Michaels are both involved in serious, intense angles. ...
WWE has succeeded in getting me to stop caring about MVP. Wake me up if/when this losing streak gimmick has a payoff. The best thing about MVP’s match was R-Truth’s entrance. ...
Is the creative team playing a rib on Mr. Kennedy by providing him with such lame material? ...
The unnamed newcomer in that strange vignette was a British wrestler named Hade Vansen, who had been wrestling in Florida under a WWE developmental deal. Judging by his dark character, I assume he will be in line for a feud with The Undertaker. ...
It looks as if Hurricane Helms still has a little ring rust, as his cross-body block off the top onto Shelton Benjamin was a little sloppy. Speaking of Helms, the smart-aleck personality that he projected in the pop-up segments isn’t really coming across in the ring. Suggestion: Have him cut a quick, funny promo on his opponent before every match and end it with his tag line of “I’m just sayin.’ ” ...
The finish to the women’s tag match was unrealistic (Natalya had one Bella twin in position for a slam, but the other twin dropkicked her sister, who came crashing down on Natalya). There’s no way Natalya would have been hurt enough to stay down for a three count, and it looked even worse because the referee was distracted for a few seconds before he saw the pin attempt.
Brother Ray of Team 3-D has been doing great work on the microphone since taking a prominent role in the Frontline vs. Main Event Mafia feud. If only the booking of this angle could be as good.
Now that Ray is one of the top babyfaces in TNA, his character has become as naive as Samoa Joe, A.J. Styles and all the rest. On last night’s show, he challenged Kurt Angle to a match with the stipulation that the other Mafia members and Frontline members leave the building. Angle agreed.
When Ray’s fellow babyfaces (including Brother Devon) said that Angle couldn’t be trusted, Ray replied that they shook on it and he believed Angle would keep his word. His reasoning was that Angle won a gold medal and he must have some good left in him. Huh? Yeah, Angle is such a good guy that he keeps bringing up Jeff Jarrett’s dead wife and threatening to do something – I can only imagine what -- to Jarrett’s three young daughters.
It turned out that the Mafia didn’t really leave, and they all jumped Ray and brutalized him. Wow, didn’t see that coming. And here I thought Ray wasn’t going to be just another stupid face.
Despite the babyfaces being duped – again – Ray and Angle’s performances in setting up the match and the match itself were really good. A bloody Ray standing over Angle and telling him that he would finish him off if not for the fact that Angle had a family was an intense scene. In fact, it might have been too intense. I mean, why do these guys hate each other so much, anyway? That’s Michaels-Jericho-type intensity, except nobody’s wife got punched in the face here.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
Angle took a suplex from Ray that couldn’t have felt good on his surgically repaired neck. It’s insane that someone with Angle’s history of neck and spinal injuries would ever take a bump such as that. ...
TNA will be a lot less hot and spicy from now on, as Curry Man’s Feast or Fired briefcase contained a pink slip. The saddest part is that he had to be taken out of the building by security. TNA at least should have let him dance his way out of the arena. ...
I have a feeling Christopher Daniels will be reinstated soon. ...
For those keeping count (and I am), TNA made two more references to Vince McMahon. Ray actually called him the devil, which I’m sure the WWE chairman would consider a compliment. ...
Speaking of McMahon, I wonder if his attorneys are preparing a cease and desist letter because Samoa Joe referred to Brother Ray as “Bubba.” ...
I liked the “Rough Cuts” clip on James Storm, although I think it was somewhat counterproductive. Everyone knows wrestling is entertainment, but having a heel come off as a likable guy within the context of the show makes it difficult for him to get heat. ...
Jeremy Borash, whose boyhood idol was Gene Okerlund, became the modern-day version of “Scheme Gene” (WWE’s parody of Okerlund in the late ’90s) last night. When promoting TNA’s mobile alerts service, JB said there was some “late-breaking scandalous news,” which was reminiscent of Okerlund’s shilling of WCW’s 900-number a decade ago. ...
At what point should people stop referring to Styles as “the future of the business?” He’s 30, has been wrestling for 10 years and has been a multiple-time world champion in TNA. The future is now. ...
For those who don't know (and I was one of them until a reader pointed it out last week), the Sarah Palin impersonator is former WCW star Daffney. She was one of my favorite people when I worked for WCW, but I have to remain objective. I thought the sketches with "Palin" and The Beautiful People were pretty lame. ...
The Motor City Machine Guns really need to ditch that entrance music. My suggestion would be a variation on the Kiss classic “Detroit Rock City.” ...
It is Kaz in the Suicide costume, but the DOA finishing move he hit last night was a little sloppy, and that is very un-Kaz like.
I participated in a conference call on Tuesday with John Cena, who was promoting WWE’s Tribute to the Troops show, which airs on Dec. 20 on NBC at 9 p.m. In addition to discussing his trip to Iraq, Cena also fielded some questions on other topics:
Here are the highlights:
The logistics of doing a show in Iraq: "What our format usually is, is anywhere from a three-to-five-day trip. We travel on a C-17 military aircraft. That is cast, crew, gear, everything. If you’re not familiar with it, the C-17 is the second largest cargo plane in the military library, a C-5 being the biggest. And that is just pretty much an airborne aircraft carrier. A C-17 can fit, I believe, 110,000 pounds worth of cargo. So we pretty much pack up our ring, the Titantrons, the ramps, the barricades, all the HD production stuff, our entire crew, all the superstars. We get on one plane. We fly over there. We spend anywhere from three to five days over there. The first two to four days are virtually the superstars trying to meet as many of the troops as we can while our crew is building the set. So we only do film one show, usually from a central camp. This year it was Camp Liberty. We’ve also filmed in the past from Camp Speicher. And that’s a place where we know we can get the show out to as many troops as we can. It’s a central operating base where troops can come in from forward operating bases or scouting posts on leisure time and a lot of troops are stationed at Liberty in general. So we have from anywhere -- on the day of the show -- I would say 6,000 to 10,000 troops attending the performance, which is the goal. But for the days leading up to the performance, we break our group of superstars down into about four mini-groups and try to meet as many of the men and women that defend this country as we can."
Whether any preconceived notions he had about going on the Tribute trips have changed over the years: "My attitude certainly has changed. I remember my first few years going over there, you want to do as much fun stuff as you can selfishly. It’s your first time around that sort of environment - my first time seeing howitzer cannons and mortar fire, and 50-caliber machine guns and stuff like that. And I’m a big kid, and that’s the stuff that I’m into. So selfishly I wanted to be as much a part of that as I could. Now, my focus has shifted to where it needs to be, and that certainly is meeting as many of these men and women as possible, traveling to as many of these forward operating bases that we can get to, and really doing what we can do to boost morale. It does nothing for the troops’ morale for me to want to fire off their weapons. It does everything for their morale for me to meet as many of the people as I can and really relay the message that not only myself, not only the WWE, but the United States of America is so very proud of what they do."
Why WWE was the only entertainment group there during the holidays: "I don’t know why we were the only group. I know certainly that they couldn’t kick us out if they tried. As long as those folks are over there, we’re going to go back every year. And we just try to time it so we go back the same time every year because the U.S. Army is over there on a 15-month -- they’re soon to be cut back to 14-month -- deployments. So the reason we go every year is we hit a new division every year that we’re over there. That way, we can help a new group every single time we’re over there and meet the maximum amount of troops that we can. ... It’s our pleasure. I think it will become a standing tradition with the WWE. No matter where the guys and girls are at, we’ll make sure they get a little slice of home for the holidays."
How it’s decided who from WWE goes on the trip: "Completely volunteer basis, and you don’t have to go if you don’t want to because obviously it is a conflict area, and there are some risks involved. But the list has become so hard to get to be a part of. It’s like we have to turn people away every year."
Whether the military personnel look at him any differently since he starred in The Marine: "They certainly all have positive things to say about it. But a lot of the Army guys wish it was called The Army instead of The Marine. I think there is a little bit of a gateway to a mutual respect. You know, them knowing that I did spend a couple days over there [going through basic training at Parris Island to prepare for the film] certainly helps."
What the troops think of the divas: "The divas hold the number one spot. I don’t care how many championship belts I could bring over there. I could bring fireworks. I could bring anything. Those girls certainly hold the number one spot. They are saints for going over there. They are so beautiful and so great to the troops. And the guys just absolutely love them. They are the superstars on that trip."
Whether The Great Khali made the trip: "He did not go this year. I know we can just barely fit Big Show into a plane at 7 feet. I don’t know how we’d wedge Khali in there at about 7-5 -- and he doesn’t bend too well. But I really think he should make a trip over just because of the spectacle of a man that he is. I think the troops would certainly get a kick out of just his shock factor alone."
Thoughts on Jeff Hardy being found “unconscious” in Boston the day of Survivor Series: "I didn’t hear anything about that. ... (the reporter tells him that it was in the news) Oh yeah. I can’t believe CNN actually picked that up right? ... I don’t know how to tell you this, but WWE stands for World Wrestling Entertainment. Have I answered your question?
The fact that his new T-shirt is a takeoff on the old AWA logo: I don’t know where you would ever get that notion. I think it looks more like a John Cena logo. No, I’m kidding. That was completely an idea that I’d been messing around with for a bit and I just wanted to get it right. And it kind of debuted at the right time. We’re sitting here talking about our Tribute to the Troops episode. I’ve taken a lot of my catch phrases and stuff that you see on t-shirts from military discipline. And I try to put it on the shirts because that’s what people buy. That’s what people relate to you when they see you on television. And that’s how I conduct my life. I’ve always tried to work my butt off, respect everybody, respect me and be loyal to those who are backing your play. So, you know, it is a cool t-shirt. And if you look at it, it is a rendition of the AWA logo, but ... with that shirt and with all my other stuff, I really try to send what I consider as a positive message out to anybody buying stuff."
What to expect Sunday at the Armageddon pay-per-view: "I expect that Chris Jericho is going to get a whipping. I honestly think there’s a lot of great matches. ... I’m just really, really happy to be back. I don’t like sitting on the sidelines. I’m glad I could go on this Tribute to the Troops trip. I’m glad I could come back for Survivor Series, especially, and win the world heavyweight championship. And for me, this being my first heavyweight title defense on pay-per-view, those are always really, really important matches for us. So I just want to show the WWE fans that I haven’t lost it. I haven’t lost a step. I’m as healthy as I ever was. I’m as strong as I ever was. And I just don’t want them to have any doubts about me. And I’m going to show them that they don’t need to at Armageddon."
Here’s a headline that looks like something you’d find on satirical Web site theonion.com: "Joey Styles punches out JBL in Iraq"
Well, you know what they say about truth being stranger than fiction. According to pwinsider.com, the former voice of ECW knocked down JBL with a punch to the face during WWE’s trip to Iraq last week for the Tribute to the Troops show. The story is that JBL, who has a reputation for hazing and bullying people, was relentlessly picking on Styles, who finally reached his boiling point and confronted JBL.
Styles (listed at 5 feet 8, 165 pounds on Wikipedia) dropping JBL (6-6, 290, according to wwe.com) blows away Paul Orndorff knocking out Vader and Chris Jericho taking down Bill Goldberg as far as shocking results to real-life physical confrontations. I am guessing that Styles has gained a new measure of respect in the locker room and is probably a hero to others who have been hazed, while JBL’s reputation as a tough guy has taken a hit – literally.
Hazing and pulling ribs have been an accepted aspect of the wrestling business forever. Some of it is rather harmless, but it can also be quite mean-spirited. Such behavior would be grounds for termination in a traditional workplace, but it’s often dismissed in wrestling as boys being boys.
In the past, there have been instances of WWE talent citing hazing as a reason for quitting the company. In the case of Styles, who is WWE’s director of digital content, instead of putting pen to paper and drafting his resignation letter, he put fist to face.
It shouldn’t have had to come to that. Now that WWE is a publicly traded company and wrestling is no longer the equivalent of a secret society, the lawlessness and frat-boy mind-set of the old territorial days need to end.
It will be interesting to see if any action is taken by WWE in regard to Styles and JBL, but since both were on Raw last night, I wouldn’t expect any.
What makes this latest incident even more embarrassing is that it happened during a feel-good event – entertaining the troops in Iraq – that was originally JBL’s idea.
I absolutely abhor awards shows. The Oscars, the Grammys, the Emmys – you name it, I hate it. They’re all too long and pretentious, and the scripted jokes are so lame that even Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler would have a hard time managing a fake laugh.
If only all awards shows could be more like The Slammys. I thoroughly enjoyed last night’s special three-hour episode of Raw, which featured the presentation of the WWE awards.
Nothing will ever top Vince McMahon singing “Stand Back” at the 1987 Slammys – that was one of the greatest moments in the annals of sports entertainment – but last night’s show had an entertaining mix of award segments and wrestling.
My lone criticism of the broadcast is that WWE pulled a bait and switch with one of the three advertised marquee matches. Instead of Triple H versus Batista, we got Triple H teaming with Batista against Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Manu in a handicap match. The match itself was fine, but I don’t like when promotions make promises to the fans that they don’t keep.
As far as the awards go, I was in agreement with WWE on Tag Team of the Year (John Morrison and The Miz), Best Finishing Maneuver (Evan Bourne’s Shooting Star Press), Extreme Moment of the Year (Jeff Hardy’s plunge onto Randy Orton), Couple of the Year (Edge and Vickie Guerrero) and Match of the Year (Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair at WrestleMania XXIV).
Here are the ones I disagreed with (my choice is in parentheses): Beth Phoenix as Diva of the Year (Mickie James), CM Punk cashes in Money in the Bank and wins the world heavyweight title as “Oh my God!” Moment of the Year (John Cena’s surprise return at the Royal Rumble), The Great Khali’s Kiss Cam as “Damn!” Moment of the Year (Santino Marella’s failed attempt at doing Melina’s split) and Chris Jericho as Superstar of the Year (Triple H).
I know it’s hard to believe that an admitted Jerichoholic such as me would give the nod to Triple H, but I don’t think Jericho deserves it. Jericho has been awesome over the past six months, but he was treading water during the first half of 2008.
In fact, Jericho wouldn’t even be my second choice for the award. One could make a strong argument for Edge, but being off television for three months weakened him as a candidate in my mind. Triple H, on the other hand, did not miss any time and he held the WWE title for seven months.
Remember, these are kayfabe awards, and over the past year, Triple H defeated Edge, Cena, Orton and Jeff Hardy. He also won an Elimination Chamber match and a WWE Championship Scramble match, as well as a triple threat match over Jericho and Matt Hardy in a battle of champions.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
The best match on the program was neither Cena-Edge nor Jericho-Jeff Hardy – it was CM Punk versus Morrison in the semifinals of the tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for William Regal’s Intercontinental title. Unless he was really hurt, Punk did a great job selling an ankle injury. I also thought for a second that he had broken his neck doing the huracanrana off the top rope. …
The other semifinal between Rey Mysterio and Kofi Kingston was entertaining while it lasted. They could have used several more minutes, and the finish – a simple roll-up by Mysterio – was anticlimactic. …
A match between the two world champions (Edge and Cena) should be a big deal, but with the talent switching brands on a regular basis, there is nothing special about it. Edge and Cena have already wrestled each other a number of times. …
Having all of the participants in the two world titles matches at Sunday’s Armageddon pay-per-view go at it was a good way to end the show. …
Even though I didn’t like the false advertising of Triple H-Batista, I did like the finish to the handicap match. Batista had Orton up for a Batista Bomb, but Rhodes hit him from behind, allowing Orton to slip out and hit the RKO in one fluid motion. …
I was surprised to see Jericho score a clean pin over Jeff Hardy. I thought for sure there would be an inconclusive finish. More importantly, where was Hardy’s face paint? …
Cena did a good job of mixing humor and intensity in his promo. He got more boos last night than he had been getting since his return, but it was Philly, after all. …
JBL taking Shawn Michaels’ trophy for Match of the Year and giving his own acceptance speech while Michaels stood there with a sad look on his face was pretty funny. Michaels picking up the envelope – the only thing he had to show for winning an award that meant so much to him – was a nice touch. ...
Vickie Guerrero has the kind of heat that heels dream of. Who would have believed that a couple years ago? …
Wouldn’t all awards shows be better if they allowed the losers to come up to the podium and cut a promo about how they should have won like Glamarella did? It definitely wasn’t a good night for Marella. Not only did he not win a Slammy, but he was pinned by Hornswoggle – again. I know Marella is a comedic heel, but come on. …
It breaks my heart to say it, but I don’t think I will ever look at Mickie James the same way after she put that liplock on The Great Khali. …
After Dolph Ziggler’s good showing against Batista last week on Raw, I was glad to see him win last night. I’m not thrilled, however, that it was R-Truth who was chosen to do the job (by countout). Is R-Truth in the doghouse? …
Melina was a wardrobe malfunction waiting to happen when she began scuffling with Phoenix. …
When presenting the award for Best Finishing Maneuver, Candice Michelle made a remark about showing us her finishing maneuver. Oh my. …
How did Drew Hankinson, the guy who plays Festus, not crack up when The Miz was getting in his face and taunting him?
I watched a WWF show from November 1989 at Madison Square Garden last night on WWE 24/7. I had only intended to watch a little bit of it to kill some time, but I got into it and ended up watching the entire show.
Here are some observations:
They weren’t singles stars yet and their tag team match went on second, yet Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were stealing the show even then. The Rockers (Michaels and Marty Jannetty) and The Hart Foundation (Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart) squared off in an exciting match-up of popular babyface teams.
The two teams took the crowd on a rollercoaster ride, and the fans enthusiastically cheered them both. The action was non-stop and the workrate and psychology were top notch.
Neidhart clearly wasn’t as good a worker as the other three, but he played his role as the power guy well. And as good as Jannetty was, you could see that Michaels and Hart were two breakout stars waiting to happen. It was inevitable that they would one day be competing for the same spot.
As I was watching Michaels and Hart put on a wrestling clinic, I noticed that Earl Hebner was the referee – at least I think it was Earl and not his brother, Dave. At the time, no one could have guessed that those three would be together in the ring eight years later in one of the most famous and controversial matches in the history of the business.
The tag team bout began as a scientific match, but both teams got more aggressive as the match went on. It ended in a 20-minute draw, and then a brawl ensued after the match. Several babyfaces hit the ring and pulled the two teams apart.
That was by far the best wrestling match I have seen on television this week. …
The other match that stood out was “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase versus Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Those two really knew how to tell a story in the ring, and they had the crowd in the palm of their hands. Everyone knows how great of a worker DiBiase was, but I had actually forgotten just how good Roberts was in his prime. Seeing Roberts at the top of his game, however, only makes it sadder to see how much he has deteriorated. …
The Randy Savage-Hacksaw Duggan main event was hardly a technical wrestling classic, but both guys were very over with the crowd. Savage was doing his “Macho King” bit at the time, and he had Queen Sherri by his side.
Before the match, Sherri and Miss Elizabeth were guests on a live version of The Brother Love show. I was never a fan of the Brother Love character, and after watching this I remember why. The red-faced, smarmy Southern evangelist (played by Bruce Pritchard) was so annoying that it was impossible to be entertained by him. Great heels make fans love to hate them; Brother Love just made fans hate him in a “please go away” sense.
Sherri carried the segment and drew a lot of heat. It’s hard to believe that both she and Elizabeth are no longer with us. …
Bad News Brown wrestled Tito Santana to a double countout. Brown was given a big push as a challenger to Hulk Hogan’s WWF title, but I never saw much in him. …
A guy I did see something in was Al Perez, who defeated The Brooklyn Brawler (Steve Lombardi). Perez, who had made a name for himself as a top heel in World Class Championship Wrestling, was a fine worker and had a good look, yet for some reason he never made it big in the NWA or WWF. …
The announcing was pretty bad. I loved Gorilla Monsoon when he was paired with Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan, but his broadcast partner on this show was Hillbilly Jim. They two had zero chemistry, and Jim’s chatter about his granny and “a hoedown and a Hootin’ Annie” got old real quick. Monsoon was definitely better playing off heel color commentators.
Sean Mooney was serviceable doing the backstage interviews, although there was an awkward moment when he didn’t really play along when Savage kept trying to force him to bow. Lord Alfred Hayes’ periodic reports between matches added nothing to the broadcast. …
Of the 16 wrestlers on the card, two – Michaels and Duggan – are currently on WWE’s active roster.
For the past year, fan favorites Jeff Hardy and Triple H have been somewhat-friendly rivals. Last night on Smackdown, however, the handshakes turned to closed fists. It’s on now.
Forced by Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero to team together in a gauntlet match, Hardy and Triple H ended up brawling with each other outside the ring and having to be pulled apart. Following the match, another fight and pull-apart ensued backstage.
That was good stuff, and it was a logical progression of their feud. It will be interesting to see if one of them turns heel. If that were to happen, it’s almost certain that Triple H would be the one going bad, and the seeds have already been planted.
Edge claimed last night that he was not the one who attacked Hardy from behind in his hotel room the morning of the Survivor Series two weeks ago. He pointed the finger at Triple H, and it appears as if we’re in store for another whodunit.
When Edge won the WWE title after taking Hardy’s place in the triple threat match, the assumption was that it was Edge who was behind the attack. As I was watching the Survivor Series match, however, I started to wonder if it was that simple.
My immediate thought was that it could have been Triple H. Hardy had long been a thorn in his side, and Triple H said a few times that he preferred to be facing Vladimir Kozlov one-on-one and that it was “time to move on” in regard to Hardy getting title shots. Plus, ever since Triple H turned babyface back in 2006, the prevailing thought was that he preferred to be a heel and it was just a matter of time until he turned.
Of course, there is another even more intriguing suspect – Matt Hardy. I’ll explore the possibility and ramifications of a brother versus brother feud in an upcoming post.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
I’ve read several comments from people who feel the Edge-Vickie Guerrero alliance has become stale. Excuse me? I think the story line with Edge and Vickie abusing their power is far from being played out. My criticism is that it hasn’t been explained why Edge and Vickie have reconciled and where he was while he was off TV. …
After their anti-climactic casket match at the Survivor Series, Undertaker and Big Show had a decent steel cage match, although it still wasn’t at the level of their No Mercy and Cyber Sunday bouts. …
Funaki got in way too much offense before losing to Edge. The match should have been booked as something just short of a squash. …
I was glad to see WWE put a new wrinkle on the Khali Kiss Kam. The bit with The Great Khali smooching overweight women was getting tired. I would love to have seen the look on Eve Torres’ face when she was pulled aside before the show and told that her role for the night was to make out with “The Punjabi Playboy.” …
Carlito, Primo and The Bella Twins all looked kind of silly just standing there saying and doing nothing right after Michelle McCool kicked Maria in the stomach. None of them seemed too upset about it. In fact, as Maria was doubled over in pain, Carlito said: “That’s gonna leave a stain.” I thought for sure Carlito was going to yell, “Hey, McCool, that wasn’t cool!” …
It was great to see Hurricane Helms back in the ring, and the crowd thought so, too. At various times during his match against MVP, fans chanted “Welcome back” and “I’m just sayin.’ ”
To say that Helms has been through a heck of a lot over the past year and a half would be a huge understatement, and you could see that he was choked up after the match as he looked up and pointed skyward.
While most fans are aware that Helms had to undergo neck surgery to repair two broken vertebrae in 2007, many probably do not know that he lost his mother, stepmother and uncle, as well as two close friends and their week-old infant in an 18-month span. Helms wrote about those tragic events and his return to the ring on his MySpace blog.
As I have written before, Helms was one of the really good guys in WCW when I worked there. When I met him, he was a member of 3 Count (along with Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias), and one of the first columns I wrote for WCW Magazine was about how Helms was going to be the breakout star of the group. At the time, WCW in its infinite wisdom had made Karagias the centerpiece of 3 Count.
Helms is never going to be world heavyweight champion, but he certainly is worthy of a mid-card push. I think a program with fellow Smackdown star The Brian Kendrick would be highly entertaining.
Whether that happens or not, I’m just happy to see him back after everything he has had to deal with.
I usually enjoy watching Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett, and I have a lot of respect for everything they have accomplished in the wrestling business. But I’m pretty disgusted with what I saw from them last night on Impact.
Angle was cutting one of his best and most intense promos ever – and then he took it one step too far. For the second time since his angle began with Jarrett, Angle taunted Jarrett by bringing up his deceased wife, Jill, who lost her battle with breast cancer last year.
With a crazed look in his eye, Angle said: “I know about your three little beautiful children. I know they miss their mother. I know you miss your wife. But I have no remorse for you, Jeff. I feel nothing.” (To view the promo in its entirety, click here).
As much as I hate that Angle said it, I hate it even more that Jarrett signed off on it. I’ve stated many times, including just a couple weeks ago when WWE insinuated on its Web site that Jeff Hardy had overdosed, that I am perfectly fine with wrestling pushing the envelope by incorporating a wrestler’s real life personal issues into a story line.
But I draw the line at dead spouses. TNA always talks about crossing the line, but this is one instance when it would have better to go right up to the line and then turn around.
Beyond the fact that the reference to Jill was tasteless, it was totally unnecessary. Angle was delivering a money promo and he was getting the right kind of heat from the crowd. And then as soon as he mentioned Jarrett’s family, it seemed as if the crowd was booing the company for going there rather than booing a heel character.
All I can say is that I sure hope Jarrett doesn’t allow his three young daughters to watch Impact.
Other thoughts on last night’s show:
What is with all the cursing lately? A bleeped word here and there is fine for dramatic effect, but when seemingly half the roster has a potty mouth, it comes off as trying too hard to be “edgy.” Angle, Kevin Nash and Brother Ray all got bleeped during their promos, and, of course, Roxxi’s gimmick is that every other word she says gets bleeped. ODB and Sheik Abdul Bashir used some coarse language, as well, and Jarrett was clearly mouthing a vulgar term at the end of Angle’s promo. …
I was skeptical about Rhino getting such a prominent role in the main story line and facing Angle in a pay-per-view match Sunday at Final Resolution, but his non-title victory over Sting last night served him well. Sometimes I think TNA uses blood when it’s not necessary, but having Rhino’s face become a “crimson mask” last night was a good call. It definitely added to the drama of the match and made Rhino a sympathetic figure. I still don’t think anyone believes Rhino will defeat Angle, but Rhino did gain some credibility. …
There was a slight hint of tension between Angle and Sting after Angle inadvertently cost Sting his match with Rhino. Clearly, Sting’s Mafia days are numbered. …
I have always liked Team 3D a lot better as heels, but they’re really clicking as babyfaces right now. Brother Ray’s mic work is stellar no matter which role he is playing. When it comes to promos and projecting a strong persona, A.J. Styles and Samoa Joe simply can’t compete with Team 3-D. …
One line from Ray that didn’t make sense: “We are bad guys. But we’re not bad guys when it comes to doing the right thing.” Huh? As for Brother Devon’s “Get Juiced” T-shirt, just insert your own joke. …
Someone in TNA needs to start watching WWE 24/7’s Legend of Wrestling. TNA has spoken reverently about Ric Flair several times on Impact (including last night in a promo by Ray), but Flair did not reciprocate on Legends. Flair was running down Kevin Nash and Vince Russo on the show and said: “Now those guys work for TNA. What is TNA?” …
Continuity error: Styles said that he and Joe have been like brothers since they first met. Maybe in real life, but weren’t they enemies on TV not all that long ago? Styles also mentioned that Christopher Daniels was part of their clique. So I guess we should just forget that Joe tried to injure Daniels a few years ago and at one point was proudly carrying around a towel stained with Daniels’ blood. Speaking of Daniels, his name seems to keep being referenced on TV. I suppose that means Curry Man will be saying sayonara soon. …
From a booking perspective, it makes sense for Christy Hemme to pin Awesome Kong in a tag match three days before their encounter at Final Resolution. But seeing Hemme get her hand raised over Kong – even if she needed Styles’ help to do it – just seems wrong. …
I was all for TNA trying to get some publicity by extending an offer to Sarah Palin to appear on the show. With that being said, I don’t know what was worse last night – the Palin imitator or The Beautiful People’s acting. I guess Palin and Tina Fey both turned down TNA. …
ODB’s interview segment with Sharmell two weeks ago made me laugh, but last night’s installment with Roxxi and Taylor Wilde was horrible. You know it’s lame when I can predict ODB’s punch lines as soon as she is fed a line. Plus, the humor reminded me of the jokes my buddies and I used to tell when we were in fifth grade. …
As bad as the Palin and ODB segments were, nothing compares to Lauren’s acting when Abyss was attacked by Beer Money.
Here is an interview I conducted with Mickie James at the WWE Tribute to the Troops media event before Raw Monday at Verizon Center in Washington.
Here is an interview I conducted with JBL at the WWE Tribute to the Troops media event before Raw Monday at Verizon Center in Washington.
Check back later for the Mickie James interview.
Here is an interview I conducted with John Cena at the WWE Tribute to the Troops media event before Raw Monday at Verizon Center in Washington.
Check back tomorrow for the Mickie James and JBL interviews.
I think I confused some people a couple of days ago when I posted my top 10 list of female wrestling personalities “who most enhance my enjoyment of sports entertainment programs.”
Several readers pointed out that some talented in-ring performers were omitted. Of course, they were right, because that wasn’t what the list was really about.
I was actually attempting to be sarcastic by not referring to the list as the “top 10 hottest women in wrestling,” when that’s exactly what it was. It appears that my tongue-in-cheek humor missed the mark to some extent.
Anyway, now that we have that cleared up, let’s make a new list – one that doesn’t take “hotness” into account. Here are my picks for the top 10 women wrestlers currently working for either WWE or TNA. The rankings are based on a combination of in-ring ability and persona.
1. Gail Kim – TNA women’s division hasn’t been the same without her
2. Awesome Kong – The female version of Vader
3. Beth Phoenix – Aptly named “Glamazon” has shown a flair for comedy
4. Mickie James – Without a doubt the most popular female wrestler in WWE
5. ODB – Has perhaps the most entertaining gimmick in women’s wrestling
6. Victoria – Impossible to overstate how underrated she is
7. Melina – Starting to get noticed for ring skills and not just ring entrance
8. Roxxi – She’s hardcore
9. Angelina Love – Cuts the best promos of anyone on the list
10. Natalya – Possesses a solid “foundation” of ring skills
Going to the Verizon Center in Washington at 2 p.m. yesterday for the WWE Tribute to the Troops media event made for a long day, but I'm certainly not complaining. I've done countless phone interviews with wrestling personalities, but opportunities for actual face time don't happen very often (and what a face on that Mickie James, huh?).
Plus, who I am to talk about a long day when the WWE performers and crew departed for Baghdad at midnight after Raw was over to tape the Tribute to the Troops special that airs Dec. 20 on NBC?
John Cena was the first WWE star introduced to the small group of media members gathered in the Georgetown men's basketball team's locker room. I’ve interviewed him a couple times in the past, and I’m always impressed. As I have said before, whether you love his character or hate it, WWE could not ask for a better face of the company.
Cena entered the room looking dapper in a suit, and the first thing he did was shake hands with everyone and thank them for coming. The second thing he did was make a joke about how uncomfortable he feels in a suit.
Since the interviews were done one-on-one and not in a news conference format, Cena was sometimes asked the same question by several different reporters, but he always gave broad answers that sounded sincere and not a bit rehearsed.
Next up was JBL, who, like Cena, comes off very well when speaking on behalf of the company. In contrast to his heel character, JBL actually has a self-deprecating sense of humor, which was evident when I asked him about his physical condition and the prospect of returning to the announce table at some point.
After JBL finished up, James came in and said, “How can I possibly follow those two?” As she walked across the room in her form-fitting dress (with a plunging neckline) and high heels, I think every male in the room was thinking: “John who? JBL who?” It’s true that she isn’t quite as polished as Cena and JBL, but James’ playful personality serves her well during in these settings.
All three stars represented the company well, and I have little doubt that their feelings about the importance of entertaining the troops are heartfelt.
Video interviews with Cena, JBL and James will be posted in the next day or so.
To view a gallery from yesterday's WWE Tribute to the Troops media event, click here.
Baltimore Sun photos by Kenneth K. Lam
Usually on Tuesdays I post my thoughts on Monday’s Raw broadcast, but I’m going to do things a little differently today.
I’m going to write about last night’s Raw from a spectator’s perspective, since I attended the show at Verizon Center in Washington and have not watched the broadcast. Naturally, being in a packed arena with the smell of pyro and popcorn permeating the air is quite a different experience than watching the show in your living room.
Before I discuss the show, however, I want to mention what happened hours before it got under way. To promote its annual Tribute to the Troops show, WWE made John Cena, JBL and Mickie James available to the media, and I conducted interviews with all three. I’ll post something about the press event later, and the videotaped interviews should be up on the blog within the next day or so.
And now onto a chronological look at Raw:
Chris Jericho got mega-heat from the crowd – and you just know he loved every second of it. When Jericho first turned heel I thought he would have a difficult time getting fans to boo him, but I obviously underestimated him – and the fans. …
Jericho talking about John Cena being his young son’s hero was a nice touch. “I want my son to see his hero get beaten down,” he said in regard to his match with Cena at the Armageddon pay-per-view on Dec. 14. I remember Bret Hart, during his feud with Shawn Michaels in the late ’90s, lamenting the fact that his sworn enemy was his son’s hero. The difference is that I think Hart meant it. …
When Rey Mysterio slipped off the entrance ramp and appeared to injure his elbow during an attack by Mike Knox, I – and others around me – thought Mysterio’s fall was unscripted. After seeing the replay, I think Mysterio just did a great job of making it look as if it wasn’t supposed to happen. Plus, it played right into the story line. …
The tag match pitting CM Punk and Kofi Kingston against Cody Rhodes and Manu dragged a little, but the crowd got into it after Kingston got the hot tag. Punk and Kingston both got good crowd reactions. …
The crowd cheered during the backstage vignette when Kane threatened Jericho. …
During a commercial break, Kelly Kelly came out to do the Kiss Kam segment. At one point, my pal “Hollywood” Bob Starr, a Maryland independent wrestler, was shown on the screen smooching his significant other in the stands. A small “Bob Starr” chant broke out near my section. I think the last time I saw Bob on camera was when Nikita Koloff nearly took his head off with a Russian Sickle about 20 years ago on WCW Worldwide wrestling. …
Melina got a huge pop when her music hit. I’m not sure if it was because the fans were happy to see her or just happy that Jillian Hall’s singing was interrupted. Probably a bit of both. …
One of the drawbacks to being at the show live: Santino Marella did commentary and I missed it. Even though we couldn’t hear what he was saying, just seeing his facial expressions were funny. Marella’s slapstick routine, in which he tried to imitate Melina’s split, and his bit with Goldust in the locker room afterward were hilarious. …
JBL was awesome on the mic when he confronted Shawn Michaels and offered him a job, saying that Michaels was hurting financially and needed to take care of his family. With the current status of the economy, this is a story line that just about everyone can identify with. My problem with it is that I’m having a hard time suspending my disbelief and buying that Michaels is hurting for money. If anyone can pull it off, though, it’s Michaels. Not surprisingly, the crowd booed Michaels when he walked away from fighting JBL. …
Dolph Ziggler got in more offense than I expected during his loss to Batista. Rather than having him be a jobber to the stars, though, why not put him on ECW? …
Whether it was scripted or ad-libbed, Stephanie McMahon’s line about “pulling an Adamle” after a flubbed line was funny. …
The Miz’s promo was the best I have seen from him, and for the first time ever (and maybe the last), I marked out for him. I have hated the ridiculous “What?” chants for years, so I loved it when Miz told the crowd that they sounded like a bunch of ducks and needed to grow up. …
I was surprised that Mysterio beat The Miz in the Intercontinental title No. 1 contender tournament. I figured the injury angle would lead to Mysterio losing and set up a semifinal round consisting of four individuals from two tag teams – Punk, Kingston, John Morrison and Miz. …
As usual, Cena got the loudest response of the night. It was mostly cheers. There wasn’t much to his match against Kane, which was just a means to the show-ending beat-down on Cena. Jericho was great again, as he let Randy Orton, Rhodes and Manu do the dirty work, and then he came in to pick the bones. …
After the show went off the air, Jericho came back to the ring and cut a heated promo. He said that if he didn’t get the respect he deserved from the fans, he was going to jump over the barricade and “beat down every man, woman and child.” He’s really on a roll. Batista, the hometown hero, then hit the ring, laid out Jericho and cut a brief promo to send the crowd home happy. …
Overall, it was an entertaining show live, although I’m not sure it came across as well on TV. It definitely was not as good as last week’s episode.
Here’s a few quick thoughts on the ECW taping (but no spoilers):
Jack Swagger got heat for his entrance and promo, but a good portion of the crowd had no interest in his match against Ricky Ortiz, as the dreaded “boring” chant started early in the match. I’m still convinced that Swagger will be a star. …
Mark Henry’s promos have improved a lot. I don’t get the sense that people groan anymore when he comes out with a mic in his hand…
I thought Curry Man’s entrance in TNA was entertaining, but even he can’t touch DJ Gabriel and Alicia Fox’s dancing gimmick. Once Gabriel’s match (against Maryland Championship Wrestling’s Josh Daniels) started, however, the fans again chanted “boring.” That was weak. Fox’s presence at ringside alone makes Gabriel’s matches not boring. After seeing her in person, I think I need to revise my list on women’s wrestlers from yesterday. …
Matt Hardy and MVP had a decent match, but not as good as some of their previous encounters.
Wrestlingobserver.com ran a poll over the weekend in which it asked fans to vote for “the hottest woman in wrestling/MMA.” Kelly Kelly finished first among the 12 candidates, with Mickie James a close second.
I’m just passing along that information because it might be of interest to some. Personally, I am offended by polls such as this that objectify women. Sure, the women of wrestling refer to themselves as “divas” and knockouts” and they usually don’t wear a whole lot of clothing (a number of them have appeared in magazines with no clothing), but it’s still not right to rank them based on their “hotness.”
I do like making lists, however, and I am certainly an admirer of the many talented female performers who make positive contributions to the wrestling business. There must be a politically correct way to do this. OK, I think I’ve got it. Here’s my top 10 list of “current female performers who most enhance my enjoyment of sports entertainment programs.”
1. Mickie James – Takes spunkiness to a new level
2. Kelly Kelly – So nice they named her twice
3. Velvet Sky – Best ring entrance in the history of the industry
4. Maria – Deserved better than fifth place in ’04 Diva Search won by Christy Hemme
5. Gail Kim – Her matches are always a pleasure to watch
6. Maryse – Wrestling’s version of a Bond girl
7. Tiffany – Crown jewel of Teddy Long’s “new talent initiative” on ECW
8. Lauren – TNA interviewer not a great actress, but still a great asset
9. The Bella Twins – To quote an old Foreigner song, “Fill my eyes with that double vision”
10. Candice Michelle – Super Sundays would be a little less super without her godaddy.com commercials
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