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August 31, 2009

WWE house show report from Ocean City

Courtesy of reader Erik Walls, here is a report on the WWE Smackdown/ECW house show from Saturday in Ocean City, Md.

Take it away, Erik:

This was my first house show at the Ocean City Convention Center, and it was a very nice little arena that held about 4-5,000. Before the show, security was very funny about approaching the talent when they got out of their cars. They even yelled at the talent to come right into the arena. However, some of the talents were really cool about taking pictures like Tommy Dreamer, The Great Khali, Layla, Kane, Yoshi Tatsu, and Tyler Reks. Out of all, Layla was the best because she was probably outside about 20 minutes before the show, and maybe another 20 after just posing for pictures, talking, and signing autographs. Road agents there were Mike Rotundo and Dean Malenko.

Anyway, here are the results:

1. Cryme Tyme defeated The Hart Dynasty. Cryme Tyme made their entrance through the crowd which received a good pop. Natalya played well to all the ringside fans. She even super-plexed JTG outside of the ring with the referee’s back turned. Very good opening match to get the crowd hot.

2. Mike Knox defeated Jimmy Wang Yang. It was good to see Yang as he is hardly ever on television anymore. The match itself was average. Knox picks up the win with a big boot.

3. Sheamus defeated Tyler Reks. Both guys tried hard to get the crowd into it, but it just did not work. The crowd was dead the entire match. Lots of rest holds. It finally picked up in the last minute or two when the action got a little quicker. Sheamus wins with his slam into backbreaker finisher.

4. Melina defeated Layla. This match finally woke the crowd back up after two matches of dead silence. The action was constantly quick with plenty of near falls. Melina got the win with her leg split finisher.

5. John Morrison defeated Dolph Ziggler. Dolph was over huge as a big time heel. The whole arena was chanting “You suck.” Dolph played the cowardly heel scared to get in the ring for the first 2-3 minutes of the match, which received a lot of heat. The match itself was good. I feel like the more they work together, the better their matches will be. Morrison wins with Starship Pain.

INTERMISSION TIME: Two little ones threw t-shirts in the crowd for the fans. Justin Roberts announced that a limited number of personally autographed Rey Mysterio 8 x 10’s were available at the souvenir stands so we knew Rey was definitely at the show.

6. William Regal, Vladimir Kozlov, and Ezekiel Jackson defeated Tommy Dreamer, Yoshi Tatsu, and The Hurricane. Honestly, the match was only good when Regal was in the ring with one of his opponents. Kozlov and Jackson just looked very green. Regal gets the win for his team with the running knee to the face on Yoshi.

7. The Great Khali defeated Kane by DQ. Very slow match, but always good to see the presence of Khali in person. Kane grabbed a Singapore cane under the ring to cause the DQ.

8. CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. This was match of the night. Punk got instant heat from his entrance by getting into it with fans at ringside and even ripping someone’s Mysterio sign and throwing it in their face. A very good back and forth match with Punk winning clean with GTS. Afterwards, Rey dropkicked Punk and hit the 619 to send the crowd home happy.

Overall, it was a very good show for such a small venue. Live events are just so much fun compared to televised events because the talent are just so much more comfortable and make the show feel less rushed and more fun. Hope you enjoyed the report!

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:36 PM | | Comments (6)
        

August 29, 2009

Smackdown: Jeff Hardy says goodbye

As a defeated Jeff Hardy walked up the ramp for the last time (for a while), an emotional audience saluted him with a mixture of cheers and tears. After Hardy made his way onto the stage, he turned to face the crowd to take one final bow, and then … BAM! Out of nowhere, his tormentor, CM Punk, snuck up behind him and blasted him in the back of the head with the world heavyweight title belt that Punk had retained moments earlier in a loser-leaves-WWE steel cage match.

So the final scene of Friday’s episode of Smackdown was not of Hardy walking off into the sunset, it was of Punk standing over the fallen superstar, taunting both him and his legion of fans.

It was a fitting finale to a fantastic feud that took fans on a thrilling roller-coaster ride. From start to finish, the Hardy-Punk program was brilliantly executed, as the story line, promos and matches all struck the right chord. Punk, Hardy and the Smackdown creative team deserve a lot of credit for their combined efforts.

I am especially impressed with how Hardy handled himself over the past few months. Looking to take a sabbatical after his contract expired at the end of July, Hardy agreed to stay through the SummerSlam pay-per-view and one final Smackdown appearance. Even though he technically had one foot out the door, Hardy continued to put his body on the line and deliver the breathtaking performances that have defined his career. He did so while suffering from two herniated discs in his back and nagging neck problems (according to his brother Matt's WWE Universe blog). Hardy seems to have come a long way when it comes to maturity and dependability.

The main beneficiary of Hardy’s selflessness – in addition to all the fans who were entertained by the program, that is – is Punk. Hardy put Punk over strong in both the TLC match at SummerSlam and the cage match on Friday’s show. Even as Hardy was saying goodbye to his fans, Hardy allowed Punk to make the moment about him. Whatever success Punk has from this point forward will be due in large part to Hardy.

I hope when Hardy eventually walked through the curtain after the cameras stopped rolling, Punk was there to repeat what thousands in the arena had just been chanting: “Thank you, Jeff.”

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

The Hardy-Punk cage match did not disappoint. The highlight was Punk superplexing Hardy, who was standing on the top of the cage. ...

Punk had a great line in his show-opening promo when he told the crowd, “If any of you felt the way I feel physically right now, you’d be on a morphine drip. Some of you probably already are.” ...

The John Morrison and Matt Hardy versus The Hart Dynasty match was fun while it lasted. I would like to see the two teams wrestle again when they have longer than four minutes. After THD lost, I liked how Jim Ross immediately said that he didn’t think any less of them. ...

Dolph Ziggler’s attack on Rey Mysterio after Mysterio’s match against Kane got a lot of heat. ...

I liked the Mysterio-Kane match. Mysterio really seems to bring out the best in him. The Great Khali, on the other hand, brings out the worst in Kane (and just about everyone else). Now here’s the kicker – the Kane-Khali feud isn’t over yet. ...

Drew McIntyre made an effective debut. I think a lot of the crowd probably thought he was an enhancement guy out there to put over R-Truth. That’s why it was such a shock when McIntyre jumped R-Truth while Truth was entering the ring singing his “What’s Up?” song. McIntyre, who briefly appeared on WWE television a couple years ago before being sent to Florida Championship Wrestling, is only 24 and has a lot of potential. I’m a little surprised that WWE isn’t starting him out on ECW. ...

I was surprised to see Melina attack Michelle McCool – who was at ringside on crutches – after defeating Layla. I would have bet anything that McCool was going to do the predictable thing and hit Melina with one of the crutches behind the referee’s back to cost her the match. ...

One final thought: Melina’s split on the ring apron was a lot more entertaining when she did it wearing a skirt. Darn PG rating.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:15 PM | | Comments (71)
        

Ravens bump WrestleMania special

Wrestling fans in the Baltimore area who are expecting see “The Game” tonight on television will find “a game” instead, as Triple H and his fellow WWE superstars have been sacked by the Ravens.

NBC’s WrestleMania XXV special – a one-hour show featuring highlights of last April’s pay-per-view extravaganza set to music – is being pre-empted on Ch. 11 by the Ravens-Carolina Panthers preseason football game.

Personally, I’m not too bent out of shape about it. I attended WrestleMania XXV in Houston and I also own the DVD, so I don’t feel like I’m really missing anything. With that being said, however, this does give me one more reason to hate exhibition games.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:52 PM | | Comments (3)
        

August 28, 2009

TNA Impact: Past, present and future together in main event

TNA continued its effort to get Matt Morgan and Hernandez over as top-tier guys on Thursday’s episode of Impact, as they were placed on opposite sides of a six-man tag match in the main event.

Morgan teamed with Main Event Mafia members Scott Steiner and Booker T. to face Hernandez, Sting and A.J. Styles. The eclectic mix of big-name veterans (Steiner, Booker, Sting), a star in his prime (Styles) and potential future world champions (Morgan, Hernandez) made for an entertaining match.

The more Morgan and Hernandez interact with the established guys, the more fans will accept them as money players. Both of them came across as big deals on this show. Morgan continued his ongoing issue with TNA world champion Kurt Angle and the MEM, while Hernandez forcefully turned down an invitation to join The World Elite. In both instances, Morgan and Hernandez looked strong by standing up to heel factions despite being outnumbered.

Right now, I think Morgan is the more compelling character of the two. While Hernandez is clearly a babyface, Morgan is in tweener mode. It will be interesting to see which side of the fence he ends up on. Although Morgan told me in a recent interview that he’ a natural heel, I’m not convinced that it wouldn’t be better for him in the long run to be a babyface.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

TNA president Dixie Carter’s first appearance on Impact was a little anti-climactic. I had assumed (I know, don’t say it) that she was going to be in the Impact Zone in front of the people instead of sitting on a couch backstage. However, I do think it was a good call for her to be on the show to make the announcement about TNA’s new three-year deal with Spike, and, more importantly, to put over the signing of Bobby Lashley as a big deal. ...

Hamada made a strong first impression in her TNA debut, as the crowd was chanting “This is awesome!” during her wild no-disqualification match against Daffney. The highlight was Hamada doing a moonsault off the top rope onto Daffney, who was lying on a table outside the ring. With the signing of Tara (formerly Victoria), Hamada and Sarita in recent months, as well as the debut of “newcomer” Alissa Flash, TNA’s women’s division seems to have finally recovered from losing Gail Kim last year. ...

With that being said, however, what TNA is doing with the women’s title – having ODB and Cody Deaner wrestle each other to resolve the dispute over who is the rightful champion – is ridiculous. The backstage skit with ODB, Deaner and Mick Foley was embarrassingly lame. ...

I already miss Don West. I really don’t see what Taz adds to the broadcast. He’s not funny, nor is he particularly smooth. And, apparently, he didn’t watch Impact all that much before joining the company, because he asked Mike Tenay why Raisha Saeed wore a veil. ...

It was kind of shocking to see just how much Morgan towered over Hernandez. ....

With its emphasis on politics and prejudice, Sheik Abdul Bashir’s promo might rub some the wrong way, but I thought it was very well done. My only problem with it is that it was supposed to be a heel promo, but most of what he said was the truth. The response of Hernandez, a babyface, was to spout the narrow-minded “America – love it or leave it” line. ...

So, one of the most talented tag teams in the business – The Motor City Machine Guns – are no match for Abyss. The Guns even had Dr. Stevie interfering for them, too. What a joke. By the way, the Guns were back to being heels again this week. Judging by the way Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin are booked, I would swear that the TNA creative team is intentionally trying to bury them. ...

Dr. Steve told Shelley and Sabin that pins didn’t matter in their bounty match against Abyss, so why were they trying to pin him? ...

Awesome Kong was upset with Saeed after their victory over Traci Brooks and Sharmell in the women’s tag team title tournament, but I didn't really understand Kong’s motivation. She seemed miffed that Saeed scored the winning pin instead of her, but it didn’t come across that Saeed was trying to steal her thunder. Ever since Alissa Flash showed up, I figured it was just a matter of time before Kong and Saeed had a falling out and Saeed disappeared. ...

In the next round of the tournament, Kong and Saeed will face the winner of the match between Taylor Wilde/Sarita and Daffney/Flash. I really want to see Saeed and Flash work together. ...

I don’t have a problem with promos starting off the show most weeks, but it was a nice change of pace to kick things off with a match (Samoa Joe versus Suicide). ...

The tag match in which Daniels and Suicide defeated Joe and D’Angelo Dinero was decent. ...

Rhino appears to be doing a heel turn, which I think is a good move for him. Whenever he beats up Jesse Neal, however, Rhino is a babyface in my book. ...

Kip James had the funniest line of the night at the top of the show when he saw Sting and Styles pulling up in the parking lot in a sleek sports car. His exchange with Lauren went like this:

Kip: I used to have one of those cars.
Lauren: When?
Kip (matter of factly): When I was over.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:49 PM | | Comments (12)
        

Dusty Rhodes to host Raw Monday

Raw is going to get "funky like a monkey" this Monday.

"The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes will be the guest host for the show, wwe.com has announced.

With Rhodes "in charge," this should be a fun show. I have always found Rhodes entertaining going all the way back to my childhood when he and Superstar Billy Graham were the two most charismatic stars in the business.

It will be interesting to see how Dusty interacts with his son Cody. When "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase hosted the show a couple months ago, he ended up getting slapped hard in the face by Ted Jr. Even though Dusty's other son, Dustin (Goldust), is on ECW, I wouldn't be surprised to see him make a special appearance.

It would be cool if Dusty has a backstage segment with former nemesis Arn Anderson. As an inside joke, it also would be great if there was a "Dusty finish" somewhere on the show.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:53 PM | | Comments (8)
        

Quick hits on WWE Superstars

• Since WWE Superstars made its debut four months, there has been some good wrestling on the program, but very little story line development. On Thursday night’s episode, however, the main event was a match that had implications for next month’s Breaking Point pay-per-view, as Dolph Ziggler, Finlay and Mike Knox met in a triple threat match to determine the new Intercontinental champion. OK, technically it was to determine who would face IC champion Rey Mysterio at Breaking Point, but we all know Mysterio is going to disappear for 30 days beginning Wednesday. Ziggler winning the triple threat was pretty much a given, but this was an entertaining match nonetheless and all three guys looked good.

• Jack Swagger and Primo had a nice match. Primo is a good worker, but he is missing that “it” factor that the stars have. It looks as if his role will be, for lack of a better term, “jobber to the stars.” He’ll score some near falls and it will be an exciting match, but ultimately he will lose in the end.

• After Swagger’s victory, he announced that he was making Kofi Kingston’s U.S. title his main goal. So that makes Swagger, The Miz and Carlito all gunning for the title. I think it’s great that WWE finally is making an effort to increase the prestige of U.S., Intercontinental and tag team titles.

• I’m enjoying the Paul Burchill-Hurricane program. It’s always a pleasant surprise when Burchill wins a match.

• At least The Hurricane was not referred to as Hurricane Helms this week.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:35 PM | | Comments (5)
        

Answering critics of the Ring Posts 20

I knew when I compiled the list for the Ring Posts 20 that I was going to get a lot of heat for the placement of certain wrestlers. It goes without saying that lists such as this one are extremely subjective. What makes them fun is that everyone has a different opinion, and I enjoy the debates. I swear, though, that some people just don’t read the criteria no matter how explicit I try to make it.

I’m going to repeat it one more time. The list was based on: titles won, major feuds, won-loss records, quality of opponents, prominence within their individual promotion, activity and overall ability. I treated pro wrestling as if it were an actual competition and not scripted entertainment. Therefore, I did not take into account attributes such as charisma, promo skills and whether someone is or isn’t a “great worker.” I also did not factor in backstage politics, who is married to the boss’ daughter, et cetera.

Now that we got that out of the way (again), I’ll address the two most controversial selections – Triple H at No. 1 and Vladimir Kozlov at No. 17.

Given the criteria, I don’t see how anyone but Triple H could be in the top spot (he also was No. 1 in the PWI 500). Let’s look at his resume during the grading period (July 31, 2008 to Aug. 1, 2009):

• Began the period as WWE champion. Overall, he had two title reigns and was champion for 185 days. Only Sting (189 days) held a world title longer during the period.
• Neither of his reigns were ended in a one-on-one match (it was in a triple threat and a six-man tag)
• Pinned The Undertaker to regain the WWE title in the Elimination Chamber match
• Pinned Randy Orton to successfully defend the WWE title in the main event at WrestleMania
• Defeated world heavyweight champion Chris Jericho and ECW champion Matt Hardy in a triple threat battle of champions
• Pinned Jeff Hardy on consecutive pay-per-views to retain the title
• Was the last man eliminated in the Royal Rumble

As for Kozlov, yes, he has limited ring skills, but style points don’t count on this list. Here’s a look at his accomplishments:

• Pinned The Undertaker
• Pinned Jeff Hardy
• Wrestled against Triple H and Edge in a triple threat match for the WWE title at the Survivor Series
• Wrestled Triple H, The Undertaker and The Big Show in a fatal four-way match that ended in a no-contest
• Wrestled in the Elimination Chamber match for the WWE title
• Did not suffer his first defeat in singles competition until losing to Shawn Michaels in March
• Pinned ECW champion Matt Hardy in a nontitle match

Since most of those who took issue with my list seemed to be basing their rankings more on who they believe has the most all-around talent, I have decided to do yet another list. Unlike The Ring Posts 20, this list will rank the top 20 all-around performers during the same grading period, taking into account in-ring ability, charisma, promo skills, star power and position on the card. Wrestling will be regarded as entertainment, so wins and losses will not be much of a factor.

I'll post it some time next week.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:49 PM | | Comments (7)
        

August 27, 2009

Rey Mysterio suspended

WWE Intercontinental champion Rey Mysterio has been suspended 30 days for violating the company’s Wellness Program, wwe.com reported.

Mysterio’s suspension takes effect on Wednesday, WWE said. That gives the company time to get the belt off him. The most likely scenario is that he drops the title to Dolph Ziggler Tuesday at the Smackdown tapings. Mysterio originally was to defend the title against Ziggler at next month’s Breaking Point pay-per-view.

According to a recent report in The Wrestling Observer, Mysterio had been promised a long run as Intercontinental champion after he voiced his unhappiness about his status in the company.

Following the death of Chris Benoit in 2007, Mysterio’s name was linked to the federal investigation of Benoit’s physician, Dr. Phil Astin III. Astin was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his conviction on illegally dispensing prescription drugs to 17 patients from 2002 until his arrest in 2007. One of the patients was Oscar Gutierrez, the real name of Mysterio. When questioned about his involvement with Astin in an interview, Mysterio said he was prescribed pain medication from Astin due to six knee operations. He denied ever using steroids.

However, Mysterio also was named in a 2007 story on Sports Illustrated's Web site about a steroid sting in Arizona. Mysterio allegedly received prescriptions for the steroids Nandrolone and Stanozolol.

I'm not in any way trying to make light of the situation, but given the nature of world heavyweight champion CM Punk's promos since his heel turn, I wonder if Mysterio's suspension for a drug policy violation will lead to a Punk-Mysterio program when he returns.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:41 PM | | Comments (29)
        

The Ring Posts 20

In the spirit of the PWI 500, here is the second annual Ring Posts 20.

This is my ranking of the top 20 wrestlers over the past year, using the same criteria that Pro Wrestling Illustrated uses for its list: titles won, major feuds, won-loss records, quality of opponents, prominence within their individual promotion, activity and overall ability.

For this list, I treated pro wrestling as if it were an actual competition and not scripted entertainment. Therefore, I did not take into account attributes such as charisma, promo skills and whether someone is or isn’t a “great worker.” I also did not factor in backstage politics, who is married to the boss’ daughter, et cetera.

Unlike the PWI 500, I did not consider wrestlers from Japanese or Mexican promotions. My list is composed entirely of WWE and TNA wrestlers. As talented as some of the Ring of Honor guys are, the fact is that ROH is a distant No. 3 in terms of prominence.

Since I did not have to worry about a deadline like PWI, my grading period (Aug. 1, 2008 to July 31, 2009) began and ended a month later than theirs.

Let the arguments commence.

1. TRIPLE H
2. JOHN CENA
3. EDGE
4. RANDY ORTON
5. STING

6. JEFF HARDY
7. CHRIS JERICHO
8. THE UNDERTAKER
9. SAMOA JOE
10. KURT ANGLE

11. BATISTA
12. CM PUNK
13. THE BIG SHOW
14. REY MYSTERIO
15. SHAWN MICHAELS

16. A.J. STYLES
17. VLADIMIR KOZLOV
18. MATT HARDY
19. BOOKER T.
20. JEFF JARRETT

For last year's Ring Posts 20, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:10 PM | | Comments (29)
        

August 26, 2009

Q&A with Dixie Carter

I conducted a phone interview Wednesday with TNA president Dixie Carter, who discussed Kurt Angle’s arrest, Jeff Jarrett’s status with the company, TNA’s new deal with Spike TV and more.

Carter will make her first appearance on Impact on Thursday’s episode to make an announcement regarding TNA star Bobby Lashley.

TNA and Spike TV recently agreed to a three-year extension. What does that means for TNA moving forward?

It’s a huge deal for us. We’ve been with Spike four years now, and in that time period we’ve more than doubled our viewing audience. We’re almost at like two and a half times where we started. And we’ve moved time slots three different times and two different days, and it’s just a testament to those loyal wrestling fans out there to continue to follow us and to continue to allow us to grow. Spike is extremely happy and they’ve been very, very good partners, but we look forward to growing new programming with them as well as other networks

Why did you choose this time to make your first appearance on Impact?

Well, I’ve been asked nonstop when I’m going to be on television. I don’t have a problem being in front of the fans, but I just like it on a much more personal level – being able to talk to them and listen to them and thank them for helping us grow. But it’s also my job to help promote TNA, and there’s just been so many great things going on for us lately – the Spike signing, and Bobby Lashley is a really unique signing for us as well. So it was just time for me to come on and talk about a couple of the things happening.

dixie-carter.jpg

Have you thought at all about moving Impact to either Monday or Friday night to go head-to-head with Raw or Smackdown?

I think that you’re going to see some different things with us and Spike. I think that’s our goal going into this. Do we know specifically what they’re going to be? No. Does Spike love us for Thursday night on their network? Absolutely, they do. Is that our preference? No. We would love to be up against Raw on Monday night.

Can you talk about the decision to keep the TNA world title on Kurt Angle at the pay-per-view a day after his arrest?

I can talk about it to some degree because it’s an ongoing legal case. I was briefed on the details of what happened, and I also know that people are innocent until proven guilty. And I think just like most sports franchises these days, they let the legal system do what they do best and you await the outcome. And that’s what we did.

Is Rhaka Khan still with the company?

Yes, she is currently a TNA talent.

Can you comment on what Jeff Jarrett’s future is with TNA?

Jeff’s been working on a lot of different things for the company. He’s been working with me on developing new programming in kind of a bigger capacity in some ways, but that’s been his focus as of late.

Is there any timetable for his return to TV?

Creatively, no. I don’t know. I would assume sooner than later, but I’m not sure exactly story line wise when that will be.

How much input do you have in the creative direction of TNA?

I’ve had more and more input as of late, but I’m also the type of person who puts people in place, and as long as structure is being followed and we’re seeing positive results, I like to let people try to do what they do best. I don’t pretend to be a wrestling booker, but I do know when we’re having success, because a lot of other parts of the business are impacted by that, as well as our relationship with the network. We’ve made a lot of changes this year over the last six or seven months and we’re starting to really see positive changes in ratings, and we’re just ready for those to continue to grow.

Were you a wrestling fan before your involvement with TNA?

I was a wrestling fan growing up. I grew up in Dallas, and the Von Erichs were gods there, and I was a Hulk Hogan fan. I watched Saturday morning wrestling with my brother all the time. But I quit watching wrestling as a young adult. I just did not like what was on television; it really didn’t appeal to me. I booked wrestling in college a little bit but had gotten away from it until I started talking with the TNA folks back at the end of 2001, early 2002.

You booked wrestling in college?

Yeah. I went to the University of Mississippi and I booked wrestling for us several times on campus.

So they were independent shows?

I booked mostly out of Memphis. Ric Flair and those guys up there. Jerry Lawler. At one point I think I even had Jeff Jarrett, even though I didn’t know him at that point. We’ve had a couple of weird accounts. I think I booked him at Ole Miss, and then we used to live absolutely next door to each other in Dallas right after I graduated from college.

Are there any plans for TNA to come to Baltimore or Washington?

It’s absolutely on our target list to come to. I think it would be a great market for us. Our ratings have really started to grow in both the D.C. and the Baltimore markets, and it’s a goal for us to get there and bring a big show.

This is kind of a broad question. What other plans do you have to expand the brand?

I think it’s very, very important for us to get more programming. A great case study is in the United Kingdom right now, where we have three or four shows on in a given week, and we’re not just beating ECW like we’re doing in the United States on certain weeks, but we’re beating all three of our competitor’s programming. Two weeks ago, we were No. 1, Raw was No. 2, Smackdown and then ECW. Literally our ratings were double what Raw’s were, not just ECW’s. We’re being more competitive internationally because we have more programming. And Spike understands that and recognizes that. We’re going to have more programming with them. We’re talking to other networks. We’re going to have more exposure on other networks as well. And that’s going to help us grow in the United States faster.

You mentioned more programming. TNA’s women’s division is something that has set the company apart, and there was speculation a while ago about doing an all-women’s show. Was that ever seriously discussed, and if so, is it still a possibility?

I don’t know. That’s something that could happen at some point. We’ve just announced that we’re going to have a women’s tag team title, and with the Knockouts title as well, that’s making them a much bigger and more important part of our show. I have to tell you, if you tune in to Impact Thursday night on Spike, you’re going to see the Hamada versus Daffney no-DQ match that was unbelievable. You will not see that anywhere else in the world. The Knockouts tag title tournament – there is some really, really good stuff. We’ve made some changes with the girls the last couple months with the signing of talent, the agents working with them, et cetera, and I think you’re going to see a whole, fresh, exciting vibe to the girls.

One of the criticisms of TNA – and WWE as well – is that there has been a failure to create new stars and it’s always the same veterans at the top. In TNA, it’s all the former WWE and WCW stars. What are your thoughts?

I think as a newer company we have to have exposure. And we have to have that using name recognized talent. So these guys that have come in – the Mick Foleys, the Kurt Angles, the Stings, the Booker T’s – they have come in with such a great understanding and respect for the fact that they’re there to help grow and expose TNA to more fans, and also help us get our own TNA original or homegrown talent over. And if you’ve watched the show of late, you’ve already started to see a tremendous shift in focus on going from those veterans who have helped us in such a great way to seeing these young guys getting their due – A.J. Styles, Matt Morgan, Hernandez, Beer Money, Samoa Joe, and I can go on and on. If you watch, I don’t think anybody’s going to be able to use that criticism toward TNA.

We’ve seen owners and executive in other wrestling companies become characters on TV. Do you have any interest in doing that at some point?

I can only be who I am. I’m not a character. Will you be seeing more of me on Impact or in other places in visible roles? That is my role, as long as it’s supportive of what we’re doing. There are a lot of great business things going on for the company out there, and I’m the one right in the mix, and it makes sense for me to do it on that level. But as far as being a character and being in a love triangle, no way.

***
NOTE: In regard to the ratings in the United Kingdom, according to various wrestling Web sites, for the week of Aug. 2-8, Impact had 67,000 viewers, Raw had 50,000 and Smackdown had 48,000. A replay of Raw later in the week had 29,000, and a replay of Smackdown had 44,000.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:22 PM | | Comments (24)
Categories: Q&As
        

Rhaka Khan comments on Kurt Angle, her future in TNA

Rhaka Khan (real name Trenesha Biggers) made her first public comments since ex-boyfriend Kurt Angle was arrested and charged with violating a protection from abuse order on Aug 15, telling a Pittsburgh television station that she doesn’t expect to continue working for TNA.

Biggers said Wednesday that Angle had displayed a pattern of physical abuse against her, leaving bruises and bite marks, over the past several months, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

She later told Pittsburgh television station WPXI that she was told by someone in TNA’s talent relations department “that by filing the PFA that I was going to be forcing them to choose between the two of us. ... I knew that when I filed it. I knew that there was no way that I was probably going to be able to work there anymore.”

Biggers added that she might decide to leave TNA even if she isn’t let go. “I don’t know how I’m going to be around him anymore. I have forgiven him so many times for what he’s done to me, and I’ve been around him and been fine, but now, on top of everything that he’s done to me, he’s gone and slandered me through the media.”

Before Biggers’ comments had been reported, I asked TNA president Dixie Carter about Biggers’ status with the company during a phone interview Wednesday morning. “She is currently a TNA talent,” Carter said.

Wednesday’s PFA hearing was postponed because family court was overbooked, according to The Post-Gazette, and attorneys for both sides negotiated for some time without reaching an amicable resolution.

Angle told WPXI last week that Biggers filed the PFA against him on Aug. 15 because “she wanted to get married” and he did not. He said that they had been dating for “about nine or 10 months,” but that he had just broken up with her “for about the 10th time” and has asked her to move out of his house “50 or 60 times.”

After Biggers filed the PFA, Angle said that he voluntarily left his residence. Angle claimed that – unbeknownst to him – Biggers followed him to a Starbucks, and then called police and said that he was stalking her and violating the PFA order.

Angle learned Wednesday that he was able to return to his home, The Post-Gazette reported.

To watch the Biggers interview, click here.

To read The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story, click here.

Note: My interview with Carter, who discussed a variety of subjects, will be posted later tonight or early tomorrow.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:56 PM | | Comments (4)
        

Looking at ratings trends for Raw and Smackdown

The overwhelming consensus among wrestling pundits and the Internet Wrestling Community is that Raw is stale at best and barely watchable at worst, while Smackdown is consistently excellent. Raw has been panned for using celebrity guest hosts, a variety show format and the same old headliners over and over. Smackdown, on the other hand, has been praised for placing an emphasis on good wrestling and creating fresh stars and match-ups.

The ratings, however, tell a different story.

Monday’s episode of Raw did a 3.9 rating, as WWE’s guest host format continues to be a ratings success. The nine Raw episodes with guest hosts are averaging a 3.8. Excluding the commercial-free episode with Donald Trump, Raw had averaged a 3.4 over the previous eight weeks.

As for Smackdown, the fantastic Jeff Hardy-CM Punk feud and the rise of John Morrison have done next to nothing for the show’s ratings. Last Friday’s show did a 1.9. Over the period in which Raw has used guest hosts, Smackdown has averaged a 1.8. After doing a 2.0 or better for 14 of the first 16 weeks of the year, Smackdown has achieved just one 2.0 (July 31) over the past 18 weeks.

The disparity in the ratings can be attributed to several factors. For one, the USA Network has a much higher profile than MyNetworkTV. Honestly, before Smackdown made the switch from The CW to MyNetworkTV last year, I had never heard of MyNetworkTV. Plus, fewer people watch TV on Friday nights across the board.

Also, Raw has been WWE’s flagship show for 16 years, while Smackdown, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary on the air, is generally viewed by WWE as the “B” show. Raw benefits as well from being on the same time every week, while Smackdown in some markets is often pre-empted and aired in a later time slot.

When you add it all up, you end up with a lot more people watching the likes of Dr. Ken on Mondays than four-star matches with the likes of Jeff Hardy, Punk and Morrison on Fridays.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:51 PM | | Comments (30)
        

Quick hits on ECW

• Tuesday night’s episode of ECW was highlighted by the Christian-William Regal match that should have taken place at SummerSlam. It was hard-hitting and well-worked. In other words, exactly what you would expect from a match between these two. The stipulation for the nontitle contest was that if Regal defeated the ECW champion, he would get another title shot. That made the finish predictable – Regal won with the aid of outside interference from Vladimir Kozlov – but it did not take away from the quality of the match.

• Speaking of hard-hitting matches. Goldust and Sheamus engaged in another one this week. The match ended in a double count-out, which ensures that the program will continue. Goldust’s primary role on the show is to help establish the younger guys by putting them over, but I get the sense that this feud is benefiting Goldust more than it is Sheamus.

• The latest attempt to give Shelton Benjamin some personality is to basically make him a karaoke singer. He imitated Louie Armstrong in a backstage segment and he wasn’t bad. It makes me think that when Benjamin was singing that Hootie and The Blowfish song a few weeks ago, WWE was expecting the crowd to pop for it. Unfortunately, he didn’t sound good on that one and the crowd booed.

• It looks as if Benjamin is in a tweener stage and is on his way to becoming a babyface. At least that’s the way it seems this week.

• Did Matt Striker really refer to Benjamin as “The Blueprint?” I’m telling Matt Morgan.

• The tag match that pitted Benjamin and Zack Ryder against Yoshi Tatsu and Tyler Reks was entertaining. Tatsu showed more personality than Reks. In addition to being a nice showcase for the younger guys, the match also furthered the Benjamin-Ryder feud.

• What, no Abraham Washington this week?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:40 AM | | Comments (10)
        

The PWI 500

The PWI 500, Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s annual ranking of the top 500 stars in wrestling, hit newsstands last week. The special issue – now in its 19th year – is something I look forward to every year.

For this list, pro wrestling is regarded as actual competition and not scripted entertainment. The rankings reflect how wrestlers fared from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009, and are based on the following criteria: titles won, major feuds, won-loss records, quality of opponents, prominence within their individual promotion, activity and overall ability. Wrestlers from all over the world are eligible for the PWI 500.

Triple H took the top spot this year. Following him in the top 10 are: Chris Jericho, John Cena, Edge, Randy Orton, Nigel McGuinness, Hiroshi Tanahashi, CM Punk, Sting and Ultimo Guerrero.

For the second straight year, I have compiled by own list using the same criteria as PWI. I call it The Ring Posts 20 (sorry, 20 is my limit) and it will be posted on Thursday. Feel free to send in your own rankings.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:31 AM | | Comments (11)
        

August 25, 2009

John Cena grants wish for ailing Maryland boy

I’ve posted stories similar to this one on the blog in the past, but they never get old as far as I’m concerned.

I received a press release from The Kids Wish Network regarding a boy named Bruce Durham, a resident of Suitland, Md., who suffers from Hemophilia. His wish was to meet WWE superstar John Cena. WWE does a lot of great charity work, and Cena is at the forefront when it comes to fulfilling the wishes of kids with life-threatening illnesses.

Here is the release:

Bruce_JohnCena2.jpg

Local boy meets his favorite WWE Superstar, John Cena

SUITLAND, Md. – With a little help from Kids Wish Network, 6-year-old Bruce, who suffers from Hemophilia, has his wish to meet WWE Superstar John Cena granted.

There is nothing that could make a child happier than meeting his or her hero, but for a spunky little sports fan named Bruce, his excitement overflowed when he met his hero and was even a celebrity for almost a whole week.

It all started with a conversation between a nurse and Bruce’s mother, Natasha, about Kids Wish Network, an organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

You see, Bruce has Type A Hemophilia. This is an inherited blood disorder that causes a lack of clotting, which leads to severe, almost constant bleeding. Bruce has to deal with breakthrough bleeds for which he is then hospitalized, even though he is on various medications to try to prevent this.

When Natasha called Kids Wish Network, she was surprised to find that they were more than willing to help her little guy. After the initial call, it wasn’t long before Bruce was telling Wish Coordinator Jill all about his wish to meet his favorite WWE Superstar, John Cena.

With the help of Wish Funding Specialist Doris and some outstanding sponsors, Jill organized a wish that would make Bruce feel like the world revolved around him for almost a whole week. Starting with a limo ride to take Bruce to his meeting with John Cena prior to watching a WWE Raw wrestling match, Jill also arranged for Bruce and his family to enjoy seats at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game and even dinners at the Hard Rock Café, Houlihan’s and the Beechwood Bistro!

“He had a ball…we all had a ball,” said Natasha of her son’s wish trip. “He really enjoyed it. Everything was fantastic.”

Though Bruce enjoyed the Cardinals game and really had a blast playing 3D Glow Golf in St. Louis, his favorite part of the whole trip was definitely meeting John Cena at the WWE Raw match, though the limo ride was a close second.

“We weren’t expecting that,” said Natasha of the limousine that would take them to the Scottrade Center to bring Bruce face to face with his hero. “He really felt like a celebrity. He didn’t know what to do when he saw the limo…he was jumping all around!”

Once at the Scottrade Center, it was time to meet John Cena.

“When John Cena walked in the room, he [Bruce] was almost hyperventilating,” said Natasha. “He was really nervous at first, but John Cena was very down to Earth. He made Bruce feel comfortable…he gave him a shirt, hat and wristbands. Bruce wore them all night!”

There was nothing more that Bruce could have asked for, but the excitement wasn’t over. After meeting John Cena, it was time to watch him live in the ring. “I don’t think Bruce paid attention to me at all [at the match],” said Natasha. “We were three rows from the ring. It was great for him.”

When it was time for Bruce and his family to pack up and go home, he definitely didn’t want to leave. Of course, now that he’s back home, he won’t stop talking about his meeting with John Cena. He even can’t wait for school to start, just so he can tell everyone about what he got to do in the past week.

“He’ll remember it for the rest of his life,” said Natasha. “It was really a dream come true. It was much more than we ever expected. Thank you.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:18 PM | | Comments (20)
        

Floyd Mayweather episode of Raw lacks punch

To paraphrase a famous movie quote, as far as Raw guest hosts go, Floyd Mayweather could have been a contender. He could have been somebody instead of a bum, which is what he was.

Based on Mayweather’s showmanship and his fine performance at WrestleMania last year, I was expecting the boxing star to be an entertaining guest host on Monday night’s episode of Raw. Instead, “Money” Mayweather was practically worthless.

He didn’t make his first appearance on the show until late in the first hour, and he was in just two segments total. Mayweather, who was supposed to be in charge of the show, didn’t even book the main event (Triple H did). The only talent that Mayweather interacted with was Chris Jericho, The Big Show, MVP and Vince McMahon.

Before Mayweather finally graced the audience with his presence, the announcers kept saying that he was “on his way” and would “be here any minute.” I’m guessing that Mayweather really did arrive at the arena a lot later than he was supposed to, because it sure seemed like WWE was stalling for time. The segment at the top of the show with DX and McMahon lasted more than 20 minutes, and the first match did not take place until 9:32. Perhaps Mayweather was running behind schedule because of the police investigation of a shooting outside a skating rink in Las Vegas Sunday night that allegedly involved one of Mayweather’s associates.

With Mayweather’s lackluster appearance setting the tone, Raw just never hit its stride this week.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

The DX-McMahon segment, which saw Shawn Michaels and Triple H set up an elaborate celebration in honor of McMahon’s 64th birthday, had its moments, but it definitely began to drag after a while. At 9:18, McMahon asked, “How long is this going to go on?” I was thinking the exact same thing. …

When a large fake birthday cake was brought to ringside, I was certain that either Santino Marella in drag or Mae Young was in it. Instead, Big Dick Johnson popped out (I can’t believe I just wrote that). How does a gyrating, oiled-up fat guy in a Speedo qualify as family entertainment? The divas have reportedly been reprimanded for showing too much cleavage, but the obscene BDJ is OK? What is the “WWE Universe” coming to? …

Based on how Triple H was interacting with McMahon during the birthday segment, it seemed as if WWE was asking viewers to suddenly forget that McMahon was his father-in-law. Their family ties were acknowledged later in the show, however. …

The six-man tag match main event that pitted DX and McMahon against Legacy was OK. McMahon got a nice birthday present by scoring the winning pin on Orton. With the way it was done – Orton took a super-kick from Michaels and an Attitude Adjustment from John Cena in succession to set up the pin – I didn’t mind the WWE champion jobbing to the WWE chairman. …

I like the way WWE followed up on the incident during the Orton-Cena match at SummerSlam in which a fan jumped in the ring and got involved in the action. Legacy acknowledged in the opening segment that the “fan” was Brett DiBiase, Ted Jr.’s younger brother, but that Orton had nothing to do with his actions. It was presented in a way that suggested Orton was behind it without having him come right out and admit it. …

The confrontation between Mayweather and The Big Show, his opponent at WrestleMania XXIV, was disappointing, although I’m not sure what more they really could have done. With Mayweather scheduled to fight on pay-per-view in less than a month, he and his people most likely didn’t want him doing anything physical. …

Mayweather was booed at first, but the fans warmed up a bit to him when he sided with MVP and Mark Henry. …

MVP was very good on the mic when confronting Jericho and The Big Show. Henry got a big pop when MVP revealed that Henry would be his tag team partner. I liked the pairing of these two. …

In the nontitle tag match between MVP and Henry and champions Jericho and Big Show, MVP pinned Jericho after using brass knuckles that were handed to him by Mayweather. Babyfaces using brass knuckles to win? What’s up with that? …

Something tells me that whenever the Jericho-Big Show team needs to lose to build for a pay-per-view match, Jericho will always be the one doing the job. …

Alicia Fox pinning divas champion Mickie James in a six-woman tag match was a surprise. Is the James-Gail Kim program over already? …

Is it just me, or was Jillian Hall’s voice not that bad when she was imitating Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday?” …

What was with all the noise in the background when DX was plugging merchandise backstage? If that was an inside joke, I must be on the outside. …

The video of McMahon singing “Stand Back” never gets old.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:12 PM | | Comments (43)
        

August 24, 2009

SummerSlam thoughts

As expected, the Jeff Hardy-CM Punk TLC match stole the show at Sunday night’s SummerSlam pay-per-view. Unfortunately, the returning Undertaker stole some of their thunder at the end of the show.

After Punk regained the world heavyweight title in a dramatic match in which both guys really put their bodies on the line, he held the belt up over his head as he stood over the fallen Hardy. Suddenly, the lights went out and The Undertaker’s gong sounded. When the lights came back on, The Undertaker was lying where Hardy had been. The “Dead Man” got up and choke-slammed Punk to give the “WWE Universe” an “Oh my God” moment and a happy ending.

Personally, I think the final image should have been of the triumphant Punk standing over Hardy. It was their moment. Punk had just scored the biggest win of his career, solidifying his status as a legitimate money player. As for Hardy, the match is expected to be his final one on pay-per-view before taking a hiatus, and he went out in a blaze of glory.

I wish WWE would have allowed us to take it all in before immediately establishing the next title program. I understand why WWE would want to put the focus on Undertaker returning rather than Hardy leaving, but I would have saved Undertaker’s comeback for the next episode of Smackdown. By the way, where does Undertaker's return leave John Morrison?

The final moments notwithstanding, I thought SummerSlam overall was a decent pay-per-view.

Here is a match-by-match look at the show:

CM Punk defeated world heavyweight champion Jeff Hardy in a TLC match to win the title: This was one of the better pay-per-view matches of the year, as both guys held nothing back. They took some insane bumps, including a superplex by Punk onto a ladder that was lying flat in the ring. At approximately the 17-minute mark, Hardy went ballistic as he brutalized Punk with a chair, a TV monitor and the top piece to the announce table. Jim Ross said that the enraged Hardy was “having an out-of-body experience.” Hardy laid Punk on the announce table and set up a super-sized ladder. Hardy then hit a spectacular Swanton Bomb off the top of the ladder onto Punk. It appeared that neither man would be able to continue. Medical personnel rushed to the scene, put Hardy on a stretcher and placed a neck brace on him.

At that point, Punk began to crawl back into the ring in the hopes of climbing the ladder and capturing the belt while Hardy was incapacitated. Hardy, however, realized what was happening, threw off the brace and stumbled into the ring. Punk’s look of amazement and disappointment when he saw Hardy back in the ring was fantastic. Hardy and Punk battled on top of the ladder, each grabbing at the belt that was swinging back and forth as they exchanged blows. Finally, Punk landed a kick that knocked Hardy off the ladder, and he seized the belt for the victory after about 21 minutes. Hardy showed tremendous heart in defeat, and Punk finally won a world title in a hard-fought match instead of cashing in Money in the Bank contracts and scoring fluke victories.

WWE champion Randy Orton defeated John Cena: Normally after watching a match like this one – which included three re-starts and a run-in from a “fan” – I would say that it was overbooked. However, I think WWE realized that Orton-Cena isn’t exactly a fresh match-up, so it needed to have lots of bells and whistles. The first “finish” occurred about 14 minutes into the match, when Orton intentionally shoved the referee to get himself disqualified. Lillian Garcia announced Orton as “the winner and new WWE champion.” Classic. Lillian may sing a great version of the national anthem, but she is and always has been an awful ring announcer. She then said that Vince McMahon ordered the match to be re-started. A few minutes later, Orton got himself counted out. According to Lillian, McMahon ordered another re-start. I thought for sure Cena was winning the title after that, but Orton got a three-count with his feet on the ropes. A second referee then came running down to ringside and explained that Orton had used the ropes for leverage, so the match resumed yet again. That’s where they lost me. Since when does a wrestler putting his feet on the ropes constitute a re-start if the referee didn’t see it? Where was that second referee 32 years ago when Bruno Sammartino lost the WWWF title to Superstar Billy Graham?

It finally looked like Cena was going to win when he had Orton trapped in the STF. However, a “fan” suddenly hit the ring and Cena broke the hold as security tackled the guy. At first, I figured it was a drunken anti-Cena fan who wasn’t pleased with how the match was going. It looked very realistic, from the way the fan was taken down, to the reactions of the wrestlers, referee and announcers. It became obvious to me that the fan was a plant, however, after Orton got his bearings and hit an RKO on Cena for the win at approximately the 21-minute mark. It just fit too conveniently into the story line. It was later reported on various wrestling Web sites that the plant was Brett DiBiase, the younger brother of Ted Jr. and a WWE developmental wrestler. I wonder if it will be revealed tonight on Raw that having DiBiase’s brother in the audience was part of Orton’s master plan to hold onto the title. It seems almost a certainty that there will be an Orton-Cena rematch at next month’s Breaking Point pay-per-view.

DX defeated Legacy: Heading into this match, the question wasn’t who would win, but rather the manner in which they would win. Would Shawn Michaels and Triple H give Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes the “Spirit Squad treatment,” or would they elevate them by making it a competitive match. I’m happy to say that it was the latter. With DX’s elaborate entrance and their show-opening skit, all of the attention was on them, while their opponents were basically treated as afterthoughts. That actually worked well with the story they were trying to tell in the match. DiBiase and Rhodes continually beat Michaels and Triple H to the punch, and the announcers talked about how impressive the young duo looked against the two mega-stars. Legacy did everything just short of winning the 20-minute match. With DiBiase and Triple H battling outside the ring, Michaels and Rhodes were both down for the count on the inside. They each struggled to their feet to just beat the count, and were basically holding each other up before Michaels hit Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere for the win.

WWE unified tag team champions Chris Jericho and The Big Show defeated Cryme Tyme: The match wasn’t bad, but I don’t think many people believed that Cryme Tyme had a shot of winning. The finish was well-booked. Jericho had JTG trapped in The Walls of Jericho, but he wouldn’t give up. After JTG finally made it to the ropes, Big Show KO’d him with a punch to the jaw behind the referee’s back, and Jericho covered him for the win. Even though they didn’t win, Cryme Tyme came out of the match with more credibility than they had going in.

Intercontinental champion Rey Mysterio defeated Dolph Ziggler: This was an excellent opener with a lot of terrific counters and near falls. The finish saw Mysterio turn Ziggler’s attempted gut-buster off the second rope into a huracanrana for the winning pin. I really think WWE should have put the belt on Ziggler here, but he once again looked very good in defeat, and the program with Mysterio is getting him over. There was even a “Let’s Go Ziggler” chant at one point during the match. The announcers played up the fact that Ziggler is getting closer and closer to winning the title.

ECW champion Christian defeated William Regal: Unless Christian or Regal are injured, the way this match was booked doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. As Regal turned toward his corner to take off his robe, Christian spun him around and immediately hit The Killswitch for the victory in less than 10 seconds. Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing these two wrestle. After the match, Regal, Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson destroyed Christian.

Kane defeated The Great Khali: It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but the expectations for this one were pretty low. Kane used a DDT to get the win after Khali had been distracted by Kane grabbing Ranjin Singh.

MVP defeated Jack Swagger: Before the match, MVP cut a great promo on Swagger during a backstage interview. The match was OK, but they were only given about six minutes and I think these two are capable of better. It was a nice clean win for MVP – who pinned Swagger after hitting The Playmaker – but whether it will actually lead to a significant push for him remains to be seen.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:38 PM | | Comments (44)
        

August 23, 2009

SummerSlam preview

Predictions for tonight’s WWE pay-per-view:

World heavyweight champion Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk in a TLC match: With this most likely being Hardy’s last pay-per-view match before taking his much-talked-about hiatus, I expect him to go out in a blaze of glory. This match really is more about the guy who is staying, though. Punk may be a two-time world champion and two-time Money in the Bank ladder match winner, but I think there is a segment of the “WWE Universe” that still doesn’t view Punk as a true superstar. Winning the title from Hardy in a show-stealing TLC match – which is what I am expecting – should go a long way in changing that perception.

WWE champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena: I thought Cena was going to capture the title in the triple threat match with Orton and Triple H last month at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, and I still think the belt will be around Cena’s waist in the near future, but I’m guessing that it doesn’t happen tonight. Orton will find a way to walk out of this match still the champion. No matter who wins, something tells me that these two will be in the ring with each other again next month at the Breaking Point pay-per-view.

DX vs. Legacy: It would be an upset of epic proportions if Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes defeated Shawn Michaels and Triple H. It’s not happening. The best one can hope for is that the match is booked to be competitive and not a glorified squash. DiBiase and Rhodes gained a measure of credibility with their beat-down of DX on Raw Monday, and it would be a shame if that credibility was taken away from them six days later.

Unified WWE tag team champions Chris Jericho and The Big Show vs. Cryme Tyme: WWE is trying to make the tag team title mean something again by putting the belts on two star singles wrestlers in Jericho and Big Show. Therefore, it would make no sense to take the title from them this early in their reign. Cryme Tyme will put up a good fight, but the champs will prevail.

Intercontinental champion Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler: I thought Ziggler was going to beat Mysterio for the title last month at Night of Champions, but he ended up losing clean. If WWE is serious about elevating Ziggler, he needs to win this time, and I think he will.

ECW champion Christian vs. William Regal: This is an interesting match-up between two solid veterans. I don’t see Christian losing the title just four weeks after winning it, but then again, I never thought Tommy Dreamer would win the title. I suppose there is a possibility that interference by Regal’s new pals Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson could cost Christian the match, but I’m still going with “Captain Charisma.”

Kane vs. The Great Khali: I can’t say I have a lot of interest in this match. Kane is capable of having good matches if he’s in with the right opponent, but Khali is not that guy. I’m picking Khali in a (hopefully) short match.

MVP vs. Jack Swagger: I hope these two get at least 10 minutes because I think this will be a good match if they don’t have to rush. This one could go either way, but I think MVP wins it to even the score (Swagger beat MVP clean on Raw last month).

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:19 AM | | Comments (9)
        

SummerSlam viewing party

Loafers Bar and Grill in Catonsville will be hosting a viewing party tonight for WWE's SummerSlam pay-per-view. Talent from Maryland Championship Wrestling will be in attendance.

There is a $5 cover charge. For more information, call 410-719-2121.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:00 AM | | Comments (1)
        

August 22, 2009

Smackdown: A return for one Hardy, a farewell for another?

While Matt Hardy made a triumphant return to the ring by pinning No.1 contender for the world heavyweight title CM Punk in a six-man tag match on Friday’s episode of Smackdown, his brother Jeff may have been making his last appearance on the show for a while. I say “maybe” because no one outside of WWE really knows for sure what Jeff’s plans are.

The seeds have been planted for Jeff to take some time off, as Punk said in his promo that his goal was to not only beat Jeff for the title Sunday at the SummerSlam pay-per-view, but also to eliminate him from WWE. Plus, Jeff is going into the match banged up (in story line), and he could be written out of the show with an injury angle.

However, while most people are under the impression that Jeff is taking a hiatus from WWE after Sunday’s show (his contract expired in July and he reportedly agreed to stay through SummerSlam), Matt Hardy posted the following on his Twitter account early Saturday morning: “Here's an update for the ‘sheets’ - Jeff & I might not team again due to pursuing singles careers. And Jeff will be with WWE after Summerslam.”

Several wrestling Web sites addressed Matt’s post by reporting that Jeff indeed will still be with WWE after Sunday, but only until Tuesday, when he will make his final appearance at the Smackdown taping. From what I have heard – and everything regarding Jeff’s status at this point must be taken with a grain of salt – Jeff’s break from WWE will not be very long.

It was interesting on Friday’s show that Matt scored the winning pin on Punk in the six-man main event that pitted the reunited Hardys and John Morrison against Punk and The Hart Dynasty. So if Punk defeats Jeff for the title on Sunday, it seems logical that Matt would then challenge the new champion. But where does that leave Morrison? There also is a possibility that Matt’s babyface turn is a swerve and he’ll cost Jeff the title at SummerSlam, but I doubt that will happen.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

The six-man main event was really good. It was great to see The Hart Dynasty in there with Smackdown’s biggest stars. ...

Another six-man tag opened the show – a fun match that saw Chris Jericho, The Big Show and Dolph Ziggler defeat Rey Mysterio and Cryme Tyme. Before the match started, I thought Ziggler pinning Mysterio made the most sense, and that’s what happened. ...

The verbal confrontation between Punk and Jeff Hardy made for a strong segment. Punk has been gold on the mic since his heel turn, and Jeff was better than usual. ...

Didn’t Jeff learn his lesson about sitting on top of a ladder with a heel close by from the time that Edge tipped him over? ...

Matt Hardy’s interview, in which he explained why he had turned on Jeff, was OK, but viewers have become accustomed to great, intense promos by guys such as Jericho, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton and Edge, and Matt’s acting and verbal skills just aren’t at that level, which they really needed to be for his story line with Jeff. ...

It was nice to see WWE continue to develop Mike Knox’s new character by showing a pre-taped promo from him during his match with Finlay. This is the strongest that Knox, who laid out Finlay for the second straight week, has been booked since he’s been in WWE. ...

Thanks to more of Slam Master J and less of Cryme Tyme, that was by far the best “Word Up” segment ever.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:37 PM | | Comments (21)
        

August 21, 2009

Note to TNA creative: Please don’t ruin Matt Morgan

I’ve written in the past that Matt Morgan and Robert Roode are the two guys in TNA with the most potential to become headliners for the company. Morgan is getting his opportunity now, but after watching Thursday’s episode of Impact, I’m worried that the TNA brain trust might botch his push.

Things seemed promising at the start of the show when Morgan, wielding an ax handle, confronted the entire Main Event Mafia. Morgan showed a lot of intensity and carried himself like a star, and the crowd at the Impact Zone was really behind him. Angle tried to talk his way out of a fight by saying that he was on Morgan’s side and was looking out for Morgan’s best interests. He then asked Morgan to be his partner in the main event – a tables match against Team 3D. Morgan acted like he wasn’t buying it, but then abruptly changed his mind and agreed to be Angle’s partner. He made nice with Angle, but he did so in a sarcastic manner, leading viewers to believe that Morgan saw through Angle and would double-cross him during the match. Morgan continued the sarcasm later in an interview with Lauren.

The problem is that Morgan and Angle actually did work together and tried to win the match. Morgan even followed Angle’s directive to go to the top rope in an attempt to finish off Brother Devon, even though Morgan didn’t want to do it. It ended up costing Morgan and Angle the match, which led to dissension between them again. The way this was booked, I have no idea whether I’m supposed to like Morgan or hate him. Was he really on to Angle’s games or not? And if he was, why did he cooperate with Angle against Team 3D?

What I do know is that the crowd was hot for Morgan at the beginning of the show and seemed ready to accept him as a top-tier babyface, but during the main event, half the crowd was cheering and the other half was chanting “Morgan sucks.”

I really hope the TNA creative team doesn’t do to Morgan what it did to Tomko last year. He was about to become a breakout babyface, but TNA pulled a nonsensical swerve and kept him as a heel. Tomko’s career never recovered.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

The other big angle on the show saw A.J. Styles announce his retirement and give a tearful farewell speech, prompting Sting to come out and talk him out of it. Both guys were good here, especially Sting. ...

I didn’t care for Don West as an announcer for years, and then I finally start warming up to him and TNA replaces him with Taz. I have never really gotten Taz as a wrestler or a commentator. ....

I popped when Morgan used the “did I stutter?” line during his verbal confrontation with Angle. By the way, it struck me as odd that Angle just decided on the spot that he and Morgan would face Team 3D in a tables match. ...

It was announced that TNA is now going to have women’s tag team titles, which I think is a good idea. You have to assume that The Beautiful People will be crowned as the first champions. Then again, Cody Deaner told us that when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me. The first time I heard that was on an episode of the old sitcom “The Odd Couple” more than 30 years ago. ...

I hope Deaner doesn’t end up with the Knockouts title. TNA has done a good job of making its women’s division into something special, so why devalue it like that? It reminds me of when Vince Russo in WCW put the once-respected cruiserweight title on the likes of Madusa, Daffney and Ed “Oklahoma” Ferrara. WWE has done it, as well, as Harvey Wippleman once held the women’s title. Call me old school, but I believe having male genitalia should prohibit one from holding a women’s championship. That’s why I never approved of Chyna holding the women’s title. ...

The street fight between Beer Money and The British Invasion was entertaining. The Samoa Joe-Homicide match was good as well. ...

D’Angelo Dinero (formerly Elijah Burke in WWE) looked good in his Impact debut, but I don’t really get what his “Pope” character is supposed to be. ...

You knew it was just a matter of time before Mick Foley and Abyss had a story line together. This could be very interesting. ...

I was happy to see Angelina Love and Velvet Sky boot Madison Rayne out of The Beautiful People. Rayne just never fit in. I thought it was interesting that Mike Tenay, who almost always favors the babyfaces, said that it was Rayne’s “screw-up” that cost TBP their match at Sunday’s Hard Justice pay-per-view. ...

After Love scored a quick victory over Rayne, Taz said that she doesn’t get paid by the hour. No, that’s Ashley Massaro. ...

Taz kept referring to Brother Ray as “Bubba.” I foresee a “cease and desist” letter from Stamford, Conn., headed to the TNA office. ...

The four-way women’s match between Awesome Kong, Sarita, Traci Brooks and Christy Hemme was a bit of a cluster. The worst spot was when Sarita slipped off Brooks on a hurricanrana and Brooks flipped herself over anyway. ...

The pre-match promo with the babyface women was annoying. ...

I thought The Motor City Machine Guns infomercial parody only worked because Alex Shelley has such good comedic delivery. The phone number that they gave out was 1-696-696-6969. So clever, isn’t it?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:49 PM | | Comments (20)
        

Quick hits on WWE Superstars

• Thursday’s episode was pretty bland. There were no standout matches, and the biggest star on the show was probably Mark Henry. No one scheduled to wrestle at Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view appeared.

• What’s going on with Shelton Benjamin’s character? He came off like a tweener on the Abe Washington show a couple weeks ago, wrestled like a babyface last week against Zack Ryder, and then played heel on this show against Tyler Reks. Benjamin may always be stuck in the mid-card anyway, but playing such a wishy-washy character virtually guarantees it.

• I had a difficult time getting into the Henry-Chris Masters match. I like Henry as a babyface, but Masters just doesn’t do that much for me. He needs a new gimmick or to be paired with a diva or something.

• Nice showcase win for R-Truth over Charlie Haas. The crowds seem to be getting more and more into R-Truth. By the way, what ever happened to Pretty Ricky?

• Beth Phoenix and Kelly Kelly had a decent match. Kelly Kelly got a couple of nice near falls before Phoenix prevailed.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:57 PM | | Comments (7)
        

A note about the Chris Jericho interview

I appreciate all the positive feedback on the Q&A with Chris Jericho. As everyone knows, an interview is only as good as the subject.

Jericho is one of my all-time favorite people in the wrestling business to interview, and I’ve been fortunate enough to do several of them with him over the years, going all the way back to his WCW days. Not only is he one of the best all-around performers in the business, but he also gives thoughtful and candid answers. Plus, he has great taste in music.

In case anyone wants to check out previous interviews with Jericho that have appeared on this blog, here they are:


Q&A with Chris Jericho (Oct. 2008)

Q&A with Chris Jericho (July 2007)

Video of Chris Jericho at WWE Circle of Champions (March 2007)

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:27 PM | | Comments (2)
        

August 20, 2009

Q&A with Chris Jericho

I conducted a phone interview Thursday with WWE star Chris Jericho, who discussed his aborted partnership with Edge and subsequent pairing with The Big Show, working with Rey Mysterio, the need for Raw to build new talent, his thoughts on Raw having guest hosts and more.

Jericho and Big Show will defend the WWE Unified tag team title against Cryme Tyme at the SummerSlam pay-per-view on Sunday.

Fans really seemed to be excited about you and Edge teaming together. How disappointing was it to have it end so abruptly because of Edge’s injury?

chris_jericho.jpg

It was disappointing because I think we had a great story line in the works, with a lot of trips and traps that were going to lead to a certain place. But it was one of those things that the moment it happened you’re like, “Well, OK, what are we going to do now? Back to the drawing board.” You can’t do anything about it. It’s part of what we do. So it was very disappointing. And then as soon as I found out that they’re going to push The Big Show, I was intrigued about it. You have to turn a negative into a positive and I think we’ve done that. We’ve made the best of the situation while we wait for Edge to heal. Like I said, it would have been great, but everything happens for a reason. You have to drop it and go on. Big Show has been a great replacement. Everyone said it had to be Dolph Ziggler or The Miz. No, this is about two world champions at the top of their game who have a certain stature. Yeah, it would help them, but it wouldn’t help me. We’re trying to reinvigorate the tag titles and reinvigorate Big Show as well. The guy is a giant. He’s a commodity and people need to be reminded of that and we need to start promoting that.

Your program with Rey Mysterio was so good that I don’t think anyone was ready for it to end. What are your thoughts on working with him?

Well, I’ve worked with Rey for years, but we never had an official program. We worked once or twice in WCW but never worked in WWE. We had worked plenty of times in Japan when we were working for Tenryu. I just thought it would be a great program between the two of us. When they originally proposed it, it was supposed to be for the Backlash pay-per-view [in April], the one where I ended up wrestling [Ricky] Steamboat. I fought it and said we should take our time and build it. I’m very happy with that story line. Each match was better than the last. The finish with the 619 where I pulled the mask off is probably something that you’ll never see again. It was very memorable. As far as feuds go, it’s a close runner-up to Shawn Michaels.

When you were in WCW, it seemed as if the guys at the top were reluctant to work with and elevate guys who had potential such as yourself. Now that you are in the position of being a top guy, did what you experienced in WCW influence how you approach working with younger guys?

It wasn’t reluctance; it was just denial. They just wouldn’t do it and it [ticked] me off so much because there was a lot of money left on the table. It’s something that I said that I would never do. We’re in a crisis period in WWE and we need to build new guys. When Shawn Michaels came back to Raw, he said, “Whose been built since I left?” On Smackdown we’ve built [John] Morrison and [Dolph] Ziggler and Cryme Tyme. The Intercontinetal title has been rebuilt now with Rey Mysterio. But I can’t tell you on Raw who has been built over the last six months. They better do it soon, because when this generation of performers is gone, who will replace them?

You’ve managed to stay injury-free for the most part throughout your career, and it’s not as if you have a soft work style. What is your secret as far as durability?

I think it’s a combination of good genetics, soul and a lot of luck. It sounds funny, but I think because I grew up in Canada and it was always cold, and you’d go out on a Friday night walking around the streets with your friends and a bottle of vodka, it toughens you and makes you a harder person. I think it makes you have a tougher soul and more tolerance to pain. I also think I’m a little bit of a genetic freak as well. You saw on Raw that it looked like I almost broke my neck, and I have no residual effects. I had torn ligaments in my knee, which usually puts you out for eight weeks, but I didn’t miss any time at all. One of these days I’ll probably just disappear in a puff of smoke and spontaneously combust like the drummer in “Spinal Tap.”

You’ve crossed over and done a lot of work in the entertainment field other than wrestling, so what are your thoughts on the Raw guest host format?

I love it. There are a lot of similarities between Raw and “Saturday Night Live” and there always has been. As far as the guest hosts, some will work, some won’t be so good and some will suck. That’s the chance you take with outsiders. Shaq really got it; Seth Green was great; and Freddie Prinze was really good. I look forward every week to seeing who is going to be on.

You got to interact on camera with Shaquille O’Neal when he was the Raw guest host. What was that like? Do you think he’s a natural for pro wrestling?

Absolutely. He is a natural not just because of his size and athleticism, but also because of his personality and charisma. He understood about projecting those qualities. I’m not the biggest basketball fan. I don’t really follow it at all, so I wasn’t freaking out or marking out when he showed up, but I was very impressed with the work he did on the show. He was very laid back and respectful and willing to play along. He had no problems with the Kobe Bryant line.

What’s the latest on your band, Fozzy?

Our new record, "Chasing The Grail," will be out in January. We’ve been in discussions with radio programmers to see what the first single will be. There are five or six different songs they want to choose from. This really is a masterpiece for us and I think it will put us in a different category. I think it will change people’s perceptions that this is just Jericho’s wrestling band. I mean, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden is a pilot but that doesn’t mean that his band doesn’t kick ass. We’re doing straight-forward, great rock and roll music.

One final music question since I know you’re a metal aficionado. What do you think of the new Kiss song, “Modern Day Delilah,” that will be on their forthcoming album?

I haven’t heard it. Is it good?

It’s not bad. Gene Simmons has described the album as a cross between “Rock and Roll Over” and “Love Gun.”

Paul Stanley is one of my favorite singers, and he’s a hero of mine as far as being a great showman. There are very few Paul Stanley songs that I don’t like. I was a huge Kiss fan in the early ’90s when they did “Revenge” and “Carnival of Souls.” I was angry when they did the reunion tour because I knew what it was for. You know, they keep selling Kiss merchandise, and the biggest piece of merchandise is a new Kiss record.

Photo courtesy of wwe.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:23 PM | | Comments (31)
Categories: Q&As
        

Kurt Angle’s comments about his arrest

In case anyone missed it, Kurt Angle discussed his arrest Wednesday in an interview with the ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh. Angle, who broke down several times during the nearly 20-minute interview, said that he “didn’t do anything wrong” and he is confident that all the charges brought against him will be dropped. He also said that he plans to file a defamation of character lawsuit against his accuser, Trenesha Biggers (Rhaka Khan).

Angle claimed that Biggers filed the protection from abuse order against him last Saturday because “she wanted to get married” and he did not. He said that they had been dating for “about nine or 10 months,” but that he had just broken up with her “for about the 10th time” and has asked her to move out of his house “50 or 60 times.”

After Biggers filed the PFA, Angle said that he voluntarily left his residence. Angle claimed that – unbeknownst to him – Biggers followed him to a Starbucks, and then called police and said that he was stalking her and violating the PFA order.

Regarding the other charges against him, Angle said that he has a legal prescription for the human growth hormone that police found in his car and that he takes it to help combat his recurring neck injuries, and that he does have a valid driver’s license.

After watching the interview, I am more convinced than ever that TNA should have had Angle drop the world title Sunday at the Hard Justice pay-per-view and forced him to take some time off, both for his and the company’s sake.

Regardless of who is telling the truth in this “he said versus she said” scenario – and as I have stated previously, I believe in due process and innocent until proven guilty – I don’t think there’s any question that Angle, who said he isn’t allowed to go back to his house because of the PFA order, could use a break to try and get his life in order. And if he is truly as distraught as he appears in the interview, wrestling is the last thing that should be on his mind.

To watch the Angle interview, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:49 AM | | Comments (13)
        

Quick hits on ECW

• I wrote after last week’s episode of ECW that it was time to take the Vladimir Kozlov-Ezekiel Jackson angle beyond just the two of them taking turns abusing enhancement guys. Well, I got my wish on Tuesday’s show, but I was disappointed with the direction WWE decided to go in. Instead of giving Jackson a babyface push in a feud against Kozlov, WWE pulled a swerve and decided to align Jackson with Kozlov and William Regal. The angle began with Christian needing a partner to face Kozlov and Regal in a tag team match after Tommy Dreamer had been attacked by them. Christian picked Jackson, who turned on him during the match. I know a lot of fans weren’t looking forward to a program between Kozlov and Jackson due to their limited ring skills, but I think Jackson, because of his look and intensity, could get over as a powerhouse babyface if he was booked smartly. Plus, Kozlov versus Jackson would be like a dream match for fans of “Rocky” movies like me, as it would be like seeing Clubber Lang take on Ivan Drago. If that ever happens, perhaps Thunderlips could be the guest referee.

• Hurricane Helms looked good in his return, as he and Paul Burchill had a nice match. The commentary during the match irked me, however. I’m not blaming Josh Matthews or Matt Striker, because they’re just doing what they’re told, but how absurd is it that they have to act like there’s some question as to whether Gregory Helms and Hurricane Helms are the same person? Beyond the fact that it’s been acknowledged on TV in the past, the masked Hurricane actually has Helms as his last name for crying out loud! That would be like Batman calling himself Batman Wayne. I know the Hurricane character isn’t meant to be taken too seriously, but come on.

• The attack on Dreamer by Kozlov and Regal looked brutal (and I mean that in a good way). I wonder, though, if Randy Orton is going to call gimmick infringement on Regal for stealing his punt to the head move.

• The Abraham Washington Show with Goldust and Sheamus wasn’t bad. I’m starting to get into the deal where Washington insults his guest or the crowd and then says, “I’m just playing with you.”

• Goldust always makes me laugh. He’s way more entertaining than Sheamus, at least at this point.

• Nice win for Zack Ryder over Yoshi Tatsu. Funny story: Every so often, my 4-year-old daughter happens to be in the room while I’m watching a wrestling show on tape. Most of the time it seems as if she’s barely paying attention. She usually just asks me which one is the good guy and which one is the bad guy. Anyway, I was talking to a friend on the phone about Ryder and I mentioned that I like his catch phrase. So when I said “Woo, woo, woo,” my daughter, who was sitting next to me, looked up right on cue and said, “You know it.” It was the first time she had ever repeated a wrestling catch phrase. At least it wasn’t “Suck it.”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:14 AM | | Comments (16)
        

August 18, 2009

Legacy crashes DX party on Raw

The overwhelming opinion among the ICW (Internet Wrestling Community) is that Raw as of late has been somewhere between not very good and pathetically awful. Personally, I think the show has been inconsistent, but the only episode that I thought was bad over the past two months was the Jeremy Piven/Dr. Ken debacle a couple weeks ago.

I’m anxious to see what people’s opinions of Monday night’s show are, because I thought it was pretty good. Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. did a nice job as guest host, and there were some decent matches and a funny comedy bit.

What really stood out, however, was how the return of DX was handled. It began just as you would expect, with the announcers promoting the reunion of Shawn Michaels and Triple H as the most important thing on the show. Then, WWE built up anticipation for DX’s arrival by showing live shots of the parking lot and a video package of DX’s “greatest hits.”

When Michaels and Triple H finally entered the building, it was vintage DX, as Michael Cole would say. They got a huge pop as their familiar entrance music played and they hit the ring. As Triple H began his “Are you ready” shtick, however, the mood abruptly changed.

Apparently, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes weren’t down with all that, as they jumped DX and delivered a convincing beat-down. It’s too bad that WWE doesn’t allow blood anymore, because some color would have really made it dramatic. Still, it was the strongest the two young Legacy members have ever looked, and they got a lot of heat from the crowd for spoiling all the fun.

The angle was booked exactly as it should have as far as getting Legacy over as a serious threat and building interest for their match against DX at the SummerSlam pay-per-view on Sunday. The best part is that even though it was Basic Booking 101, I don’t think most of the audience saw it coming. I know I didn’t expect it.

Here’s what I wrote last week: “I’m hoping that on next week’s Raw, which is the go-home show for SummerSlam, Legacy shows how they feel about all the funny business by delivering a serious beat-down on Michaels and Triple H. Seeing as how Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes wrestled against a leprechaun Monday night, however, I’m not holding my breath.”

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

I liked the opening segment with Prinze. He immediately won me over by not referring to the upcoming pay-per-view as “Summerfest” or bringing along any obnoxious sidekicks. The Santino Marella stuff was amusing, and Prinze’s interaction with Randy Orton was good. …

It was a shock to see Orton attack Prinze so early in the show. Orton got heat from the crowd for laying him out, although there was a noticeable “RKO” chant. …

Since Prinze is such a big WWE fan, shouldn’t he have known that Orton has no respect for authority and would get physical with him? I’m also not sure why Orton actually went through with the tag match he was seeking to get out of between him and John Cena against Chris Jericho and The Big Show. When it looked as if Prinze was done for the night, why wouldn’t Orton just leave? …

It was never acknowledged that Prinze was a former member of WWE’s creative team. There really was no way to do that within the context of the show since it would expose that there are writers scripting what is supposed to be actual competition. Wait, didn’t Vince Russo actually do that with The Powers That Be in WCW a decade ago? How’d that work out? …

The Cena and Orton versus Jericho and Big Show main event was decent and the crowd was into it. I was surprised that Jericho and Big Show, who are supposed to be a dominant tag team, were booked to lose to two guys who don’t get along. …

Jericho jobs again? Really? …

The announcers tried to make the Cena-Orton match at SummerSlam not seem stale by saying that it was the first time they had faced each other in a singles match on pay-per-view in a year and a half. Nice try. …

When Marella was disguised as the killer from the “I Know What You Did Last Summer” movies (he didn’t fool me, by the way), his voice sounded like a cross between Nikita Koloff and Ole Anderson doing The Black Scorpion. …

I popped for the takeoff on “24.” That’s the only non-wrestling show that I never miss. Come to think of it, Kiefer Sutherland would make a good Raw host. …

The Kofi Kingston-Carlito match easily was the best match on the show. Hopefully, they will face each other again. …

The Miz said that his goal is to win the U.S. title, so it looks like a program between him and Kingston is imminent. That could be a good mid-card feud. It’s a lot easier for me to take The Miz seriously now that he actually looks like a wrestler rather than a wannabe. …

Miz is on the rise right now, so I understand why he was booked to defeat Evan Bourne. I’m starting to wonder, though, what would be better for Bourne’s career: Being on the most-watched show and losing a lot, or being on the least-watched show (ECW) and getting star treatment? …

Gail Kim versus Mickie James is a something of a dream match (in more ways than one), as it pits the former top TNA babyface against WWE’s top babyface. Their match started out promising, but they seemed to be rushing through it and the bout ended up falling apart after James went to execute a DDT on Kim. I’m not sure whether Kim was supposed to block the move or if James was supposed to hit it, but it was botched. James then improvised with a spin kick that missed and Kim partially sold anyway. At that point, they just needed to get it over with, so James scored the pin after simply landing a forearm smash. James had a very frustrated look on her face after the match. If this match had been taped for Smackdown, it either wouldn’t have aired or it would have been re-done…

If you blinked you missed the MVP-Jack Swagger match, which MVP won by disqualification in less than a minute. At least they got on the show, and I suppose it conveyed the intense dislike between the two. …

I liked the surprise cameo by Macaulay Culkin. I think WWE should do more of things like that since Raw has a variety show vibe to it. …

Floyd Mayweather should be a fun guest host next week. He was a heel when he faced The Big Show at WrestleMania XXIV last year, so it will be interesting to see if he tries to be a babyface in his return. He certainly has to have some kind of interaction with Big Show. Maybe Mayweather should bring Shaquille O’Neal along as his bodyguard.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:58 PM | | Comments (43)
        

August 17, 2009

Statement from Kurt Angle's attorney

Kurt Angle’s lawyer has issued a statement to The U.K. Sun declaring that Angle is innocent of the charges brought against him.

The TNA world champion was arrested Saturday in Pittsburgh on charges of violating a protection from abuse order, possessing a human growth hormone and driving on a suspended license.

In regard to the charge that Angle violated the protection order that was filed by TNA’s Rhaka Khan (Trenesha Biggers), who told police that he was stalking her at a Starbucks, the lawyer said: “It was only by happenstance that they were in the same place to get coffee. They did not speak and Kurt did not know she was present.”

The lawyer also said that his client had a legal prescription for the drugs that were found in the car that Angle was driving at the time of his arrest, and that Angle has appealed the decision to suspend his license.

To read the article, click here.

Also, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Angle’s court hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 15.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:05 PM | | Comments (3)
        

Was Kurt Angle winning at Hard Justice the right decision?

Given the nature of Kurt Angle’s arrest on Saturday, the fact that he retained the TNA world title in the main event at Sunday night’s Hard Justice pay-per-view has to be regarded as a controversial booking decision.

Before Saturday, I fully expected Angle to win the three-way match against Sting and Matt Morgan. It made the most sense from a story line standpoint, especially since it seems as if TNA is building to an Angle-Bobby Lashley match at Bound for Glory in October.

But after the arrest, I thought for sure that Angle was going to drop the title and be sent home for a while. I believe in due process and innocent until proven guilty, but TNA has to look at the situation from a public relations standpoint. It doesn’t reflect well on the company (or its sponsors) that its top star has been arrested on charges of violating a protection from abuse order, possessing a human growth hormone and driving on a suspended license.

If I was in charge of TNA, I would have scrapped the original plan and taken the belt off Angle. Not only would it have sent the right message, but a title change, if done the right way, might have been able to turn a negative into a positive and divert attention from Angle’s legal issues.

I came up with three scenarios for Angle losing the title at Hard Justice that I think would have popped the crowd and created a buzz among TNA fans:

Matt Morgan wins the three-way: At this point, 50-year-old Sting winning the title would literally be the same old, same old. Morgan, however, is 32, and is a fresh face on the main-event scene. Is he over enough right now to be the world champion? Probably not, but Morgan turning babyface in the match and pinning Angle to win the title would go a long way in getting him there. Then again, Morgan winning the title as a heel also could be interesting. It could have gone down like this: Angle suffers an “injury” in the match, which incapacitates him and clears the way for Morgan to beat Sting. It also provides a story line reason for Angle’s absence from TV. Morgan then becomes the new leader of The Main Event Mafia and has ready-made challengers in Sting, A.J. Styles and Abyss. When Angle returns (assuming he does), the MEM turns on Morgan, who goes babyface and does a title program with Angle, who once again becomes leader of the MEM.

A.J. Styles wins the three-way: Styles is perhaps the most popular wrestler in TNA, and while he has won the NWA title three times when that championship was under the TNA banner, he has never held the NWA/TNA world title since Impact began airing on Spike nearly four years ago. The fans are ready for another Styles reign. In this scenario, the MEM attack Sting backstage before the match and he is unable to compete. Sting, who has just taken Styles under his wing, asks Styles to take his place (Styles, conveniently, does not have a match on the show). Styles has been having self-doubts as of late, but Sting gives him an inspiring pep talk, and Styles goes on to pin Angle and win the title. He obviously would have a ready-made challenger in Morgan, who just defeated Styles in a best-of-three series to earn a spot in the three-way match.

Hernandez cashes in: Angle retains the title in the three-way, but after the match, Hernandez – riding a wave of momentum after his recent win over Samoa Joe and squashing of The British Invasion’s Rob Terry earlier at Hard Justice – comes out, cashes in his Feast or Fired briefcase and beats Angle to win the championship.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:25 AM | | Comments (25)
        

August 15, 2009

Smackdown: CM Punk, John Morrison continue to shine

To steal a phrase from Chris Jericho, a strong case can be made that CM Punk and John Morrison currently are the best at what they do. There isn’t a better heel in the business than Punk, and no one is having more show-stealing performances on TV than Morrison.

Thanks in large part to those two, Smackdown was excellent yet again on Friday night. Punk opened the show with another good promo, and later engaged in a fantastic match with Morrison. They have great chemistry together. After dropping two matches in a row to Morrison, Punk won this one clean.

What I also really liked about this show was how six performers all benefited from being in a single hot angle. The main program is Punk versus Jeff Hardy, but Morrison has had strong matches with both of them and obviously is next-in-line for a title shot. Meanwhile, Matt Hardy is back and there is intrigue regarding his relationship with his brother. The Hart Dynasty also was in the mix on Friday’s episode, as Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith wrestled Jeff Hardy in a handicap match, and will team with Punk on next week’s show to face the Hardys and Morrison.

This is starting to sound like a broken record, but the world title scene on Smackdown is such a breath of fresh air when compared with the stale Randy Orton-John Cena-Triple H never-ending saga on Raw.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

It appears that the question of whether Matt Hardy will be a babyface or a heel has been answered. I am looking forward to his explanation as to why he has decided to seek reconciliation with his Jeff. Hopefully, that will happen on next week’s show. After basically trying to kill his brother, it had better be good. ...

The handicap match between Jeff Hardy and The Hart Dynasty was booked perfectly. Hardy, who was still banged up from last week’s attack by Punk, tried to put up a fight, but ultimately he couldn’t overcome the odds. Fortunately, he did not grab the microphone afterward and say in a sarcastic voice, “Ow, that hurt. That didn’t go well.” ...

Dolph Ziggler and Finlay had an entertaining match. I’m still amazed at how bland Ziggler was when he sat in on commentary on WWE Superstars last week, yet he is so good at projecting arrogance in the ring. ...

It looks as if there will be a program between Mike Knox and Finlay. I’m glad to see Knox involved in something. I used to think that Knox’s voice – which does not at all fit his wild-man look – was going to hold him back, but after seeing him cut a brief promo after attacking Finlay, it may actually work in his favor. The fact that he looks like an oversized Charles Manson but speaks softly and intelligently like a demented professor makes him a more interesting character. ...

The Kane-Runjin Singh show-long kidnapping angle was OK. Kane always plays his role well, and I thought Singh came across as a sympathetic figure, which is really saying something because I always found him kind of annoying. I still don’t really have any great desire to see Kane and The Great Khali wrestle, though. ...

Todd Grisham said “no one kicks out from the GTS.” Well, no one except Jeff Hardy. ...

The Melina-Layla match wasn’t bad. Layla has improved a lot. ...

Shad Gaspard was decent on the mic and he showed good intensity in the post-match angle. I’m starting to think more and more that he has a future as a singles wrestler.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:53 PM | | Comments (23)
        

Kurt Angle arrested

Kurt Angle was arrested in Pittsburgh, wpxi.com reported. The charges against the TNA world champion include driving while operating privilege is suspended, prohibited acts-possession, harassment and prohibited acts.

According to wpxi.com, the Web site for the NBC affiliate in Pittsburgh, Angle was served with a protection from abuse order this morning that was filed by his girlfriend, who was identified in the report as a TNA wrestler. Several months ago, Angle stated in media interviews that he was dating Rhaka Khan (Trenesha Biggers).

The woman in question told police that she was at a Starbucks when she claims that she saw Angle stalking her. She called police, who pulled Angle over in her car and found a capped syringe with two vials of HGH. Angle told police that he has a legal prescription for the drugs. According to the criminal complaint, Angle was driving on a suspended license.

Angle, TNA’s top star, still is expected to wrestle in the main event of Sunday’s Hard Justice pay-per-view in Orlando, Fla., according to multiple reports.

Angle also made headlines in wrestling circles last month when it became public that his ex-wife, Karen, was romantically involved with TNA founder Jeff Jarrett, who subsequently took time off for personal reasons, and has yet to return. Jarrett had been the main creative force in TNA and it will be interesting to see if this latest development in any way effects his role in the company going forward.

Last year, Angle was acquitted of DUI charges in Pittsburgh.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:48 PM | | Comments (25)
        

TNA Impact: Blueprint earns shot at gold

Matt Morgan may not be an official member of the Main Event Mafia, but he did officially become a main-eventer on Thursday night’s episode of TNA Impact.

“The Blueprint” defeated A.J. Styles in the deciding match of their best-of-three-series to earn a spot in the three-way match for the TNA word title that will headline the Hard Justice pay-per-view on Sunday.

While the question of who would join champion Kurt Angle and Sting in the title match was answered, some new questions have arisen in regard to Morgan and Styles.

After Morgan won the match, Angle told him that he would be in the MEM if he did one more thing: help Angle retain the title at Hard Justice. Apparently that was an offer that Morgan could refuse, as he vehemently declared that he was going to win the title on Sunday.

So is Morgan turning babyface?

While I think he would do well in the powerhouse face role, I really don’t see it happening. My guess is that it’s another swerve to outsmart “poor old Sting,” as Angle called him.

As for Styles, he said in his pre-match interview that his match against Morgan will show whether he’s a winner or a loser. He also remarked that he’s let people down, and Don West in commentary noted that Styles has suffered some big losses as of late.

So where does he go from here?

I’m guessing that Sting, who was in Styles’ corner for his match against Morgan and helped him to the back after the match, will take Styles under his wing and help re-build his confidence. If that happens, the Sting/MEM story line – which started out being about Sting feeling disrespected by younger guys such as Styles – will have come full circle.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

The Morgan-Styles match was the best of their series. Morgan’s Carbon Footprint finisher looked wicked. …

The Mick Foley-Kevin Nash contract signing was well done. Foley is a far better promo guy than Nash, but Nash really shined here, while Foley seemed just a little off his game. Nash had the best line of the segment when he said, “I am an athlete. I am a businessman. And you are a pathetic wrestler.” I thought Foley putting himself through the table was effective as far as illustrating the stark contrast between the two. …

Bobby Lashley came across as a likable guy in his sit-down interview with Mike Tenay. I have to disagree with Tenay on one thing, however: Lashley is not a former world heavyweight champion. The ECW title doesn’t count as a world title in my book. …

I can’t believe Jesse Neal is still wearing a baggy shirt, gym shorts and tennis shoes in the ring. Between that outfit, his ridiculous haircut and the fact that he keeps screwing up, it’s impossible to like this guy. …

Sojourner Bolt took a scary-looking bump when she landed on her head after being back-dropped by the returning Christy Hemme. Hemme, by the way, easily has the worst-named finisher in the business: the FFG (Flying Fire-crotch Guillotine). …

Tara also had a bad landing, as she cracked her head on the floor on a dive off the top rope onto The Beautiful People. Fortunately, it appears that neither Bolt nor Tara was seriously injured.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:28 AM | | Comments (9)
        

August 14, 2009

Quick hits on WWE Superstars

• With his win over David Hart Smith on Thursday’s show, John Morrison again showed that he has become one of the most consistently spectacular workers in the business. Smith also made a very good accounting of himself.

• Carlito pinning U.S. champion Kofi Kingston in a mixed tag match was a surprise. I assume that means there will be a title program between these two. When Carlito is motivated, as he appeared to be in this match, he’s pretty good, so a series of matches between him and Kingston would most likely be entertaining.

• I like Carlito’s new look since turning heel again. He’s definitely more menacing with his afro matted down and hanging in his eyes and his all-black ring attire.

• Goldust and Sheamus had a really good match. I was happy to see Goldust win one after losing to Sheamus in their previous two meetings. Goldust was brought back to WWE to be a glorified enhancement guy, but he is showing that he is capable of more. He has gotten himself in good shape and the fans have rallied behind him. The fact that he got a win over an up-and-comer such as Sheamus suggests that someone in WWE has noticed. When Goldust first returned to the company, I’ll bet that no one in the office or even Goldust himself expected him to get over as much as he has.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:37 PM | | Comments (3)
        

Q&A with Matt Morgan

I conducted a phone interview Thursday with “The Blueprint” Matt Morgan, who will wrestle in his first pay-per-view main event this Sunday at TNA’s Hard Justice. In a TNA world title match, he will go against champion Kurt Angle and Sting in a three-way.

Do you feel any added pressure being in the main event Sunday?

When I first started when I was on Smackdown, we closed out Smackdown shows when I was part of the Team Lesnar entourage. Originally, we were supposed to be in the main event of Survivor Series that year [2003], but for whatever the reason, the powers that be switched things up, and the Raw match [Triple H versus Goldberg] ending up main-eventing instead of us. But going into it, we were supposed to main event that. That was some serious pressure. This being a singles-style match is different. This is directly on me. I can’t hide behind Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle and John Cena and all the other big names that were in that match when I was on Smackdown. This is directly on me, Sting and Kurt, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. This is my seventh year now in the business, and I’ve gotten the preparation for it. So to directly answer your question, I don’t feel pressure. I’ve been begging and dying for this for the last three to four years. Through opportunities with New Japan, I got to work a semi-main event at Tokyo Dome versus Yuii Nagata, and that match also helped get me ready. There were a lot of people there, and again, I couldn’t hide behind anybody else. It was just me versus that other guy. And that’s the pressure that you should want as a wrestler. If you don’t want it, no offense, but you really shouldn’t be doing this.

mattmorgan.jpg

When you started with TNA, you didn’t get pushed to the moon right away. It was a slow build. In fact, you weren’t even in the ring at first; you were in the back with Jim Cornette. Was taking it slow something that you preferred?

At first, maybe not. I’m an athlete first and foremost, before I’m a wrestler or entertainer or anything else. The athlete in Matt Morgan wanted to get out there and show everybody what I’ve improved on – watch me talk, watch some of the moves I came up with in Japan. The athlete in me was dying to get out there and wrestle. But the problem I’ve always had with wrestling in my past was patience and just relaxing and letting things come to me when the door is finally open. You can’t necessarily force those doors open if you’re not ready. I can’t thank TNA enough, to be honest. I know it sounds corny but it’s a real emotion. I can’t thank them enough for really bringing me along nice and slow. And they stuck to their word with me from Day One. Jeff [Jarrett] and Vince [Russo] and anybody who had any creative power at the time told me, “You’re going to get your opportunity, but first we have to bring you along nice and slow and make the people want to see you wrestle.” They couldn’t have done the simmer any slower or more methodical than they did. It was really good. It was to the point where I think it was my third or fourth month in before I finally threw my first punch. Even just that alone really popped our crowd. They hadn’t seen me do anything but pie-face Kurt Angle to the ground at that point in my career with TNA, and even that they reacted a ridiculous amount for. It’s just some old school booking that really works well for a big guy, I think.

Wrestling bookers now, I think it’s like Big Man 101, where they bum-rush the big guy and strap a jet up his butt and skyrocket him to the top way too quick before he’s ready. And the problem with that is, where do they go after six months of doing that? Once they’ve worked the top guy and they did the job in the main event to another top guy, where do they go from there? They don’t have any other credibility at that point other than squashing no-names. And I can’t thank TNA enough for giving me the opportunity to work my way up, from bodyguard, to running the show a couple times, and then getting opportunities to work a couple squash matches as a babyface, and then putting me in there with Team Cage and ultimately turning me full-fledged babyface and putting me in the semifinal main event for that match at Lockdown. It was just a slow, steady build. And then finally when I turned on Abyss, that really started clicking for me because my persona is heel. I won’t even pretend that I’m a babyface in real life, because I’m not. I am a [jerk]. I admit it wholeheartedly. I’m as cocky as they come. I really do think I’m a good athlete, and it shows out there. It’s not really a work.

So do you subscribe to the theory that the best persona for a wrestler is just being himself with the volume turned up rather than having a character created for them? With the latter, it’s more about trying to be an actor because you’re playing someone that you may not identify with, right?

Right. And unfortunately when that happens in pro wrestling, all of us, I don’t care who they are, if the best wrestler in the world is put in a predicament where he’s not comfortable on camera with the character they’re having him portray, we all look like C-rated actors. The good ones – like The Rock and Kurt Angle – you believe every word they say when they speak, because we’ve seen enough of them in that role to the point where you’re not second-guessing them being in that role anymore. You think that is Dwayne Johnson 24/7 after a while. You think that’s Kurt Angle – that intense Olympic gold medalist athlete that he is, who’ll stab you in the back in a heartbeat – after a while of being conditioned by seeing that character. With The Blueprint, people now come up to me and say, “I like you as a heel so much better; things are just clicking so much better for you.” I’m like, “You know what it is? You’re just becoming conditioned to seeing me more regularly in this role.” And I shouldn’t even call it a role. It is a play on my life. I mean, I’m not that big of a [jerk] in real life, obviously, but I really do think I’m God’s gift to athletics. I really do think I’m a hell of an athlete and I’ve got no problem telling anybody that.

You were considered a can’t-miss prospect in WWE. Why do you think things ultimately didn’t work out there, and how surprised were you when you were released?

I’m not going to lie; I was surprised. I wasn’t crying about it, but I was definitely shocked. I had just worked Big Show in Japan literally four days prior. The reason I think it didn’t work was that analogy I used before about being C-rated actors like sometimes they make us become, because they’re trying to ram that square through that circle hole. The stuttering character was a great example of that. It was a good idea. The stuttering character could have worked, and maybe it would have if I had more time at it, and maybe who I wrestled against actually would have changed people’s perception of that character. If I was wrestling Triple H and those other guys, people I think would have eventually given it time to set in. Look at Festus. People probably looked at him like, “What the hell is this? This isn’t going to work.” But when he was wrestling Undertaker and guys like that, after a while, people started accepting it more and more. With me, unfortunately, I don’t think I had that same time frame to prove myself. I’m glad I didn’t, to be quite honest, because I would not want to be pigeon-holed as that character. I would not be proud of that.

What led you to giving pro wrestling a try when your goal of making it in the NBA didn’t work out?

A little-known fact is that I was actually in Hawaii doing a big-man camp, where a bunch of NBA scouts come in and they see you. All these stud D-I centers are at this camp at the University of Hawaii, and it was a really good opportunity for me to be seen. I got scouted by a lot of NBA teams that didn’t know who I was at the time because I was all the way out in Hawaii [playing for Chaminade University]. They had only seen me on ESPN like three times a year, getting spanked by Duke or Syracuse [laughs]. So this is my opportunity to shine and show them what I got. The problem was, at that same exact moment – this is before I was even doing NBA tryouts – I was going to a place called Pro Wrestling Hawaii, and this trainer called The Bonecrusher was attempting to show me how to lock up and how to wrestle. I had to pay this guy $500 that I really didn’t have – I had to borrow it – and learn how to train to be a wrestler. The guy gave me like one session and then turned his cell phone off and moved out of his apartment. Now obviously he didn’t do that for just $500; he ripped off a bunch of other trainees, which I found out a few years later. He did it to like 20 of us and he was never to be heard from or seen again.

So I was trying to get into wrestling even back then while these NBA tryouts were going on. I was just turning to basketball and football because that’s all I knew, and I knew I could make some money doing either the NFL or riding the pine for the NBA. So I’m going to the Indiana Pacers camp and the Toronto Raptors camp, and it was cool to be invited, but it wasn’t like I was an 8-year-old kid going, “Sweet, I’m going to be an NBA player.” I just kept thinking about wrestling and wondering, “How do I get in this? How do I get started? I got ripped off by this one guy who was an indy promoter out in Hawaii, now what do I do?” Luckily, I graduated college in ’01, and from there I moved back to Connecticut. I met a buddy of mine who wrote for WWE Magazine. He told me, “Why don’t you come up to the Stamford headquarters and work out at the gym. I know you’re dying to be a wrestler. Maybe Vince McMahon or Tom Pritchard or Jim Ross will bump into you and maybe I can introduce you to them.” Sure enough, my first time there I ran into Stephanie McMahon and Jim Ross’ wife and talked to them really briefly. They told me to keep showing up in the gym on Friday nights when Vince would come in there. So Vince came in the following Friday and I went right up to him and told him that I was a huge fan and that I’m trying to get in the business, and that’s how we started from there.

You ended up getting a spot on the second season of “Tough Enough.” Was that a result of your conversation with Vince or did you have to go through the whole tryout process?

“Tough Enough” was a brand new concept at the time. It was from talking with Tom Pritchard actually more so than Vince. I said, “Tom, I will move anywhere you need me to. I know you have a minor league – I think that’s what I called i. I didn’t even know what developmental was yet – and I’ll go down to your minors and do whatever you need me to do to learn how to wrestle. I just want to learn the right way. I told him my sob story about getting ripped off, and he was like, “That’s going to continue to happen to you. If you do go to an independent company and they train you, I’m just going to have to un-train all the mistakes anyway. They’re going to screw you up. I’d rather have you not do any of that.” I’m like, “So what do I do, just sit on ice?” He said, “For the time being. We’ll se what we can do.” So probably like three to four months later – I’m calling him every Friday to see if there’s anything new, and you could tell that I’m getting on his nerves – I’m like, “OK, I’m going to leave you alone. If you do hear something eventually, let me know.” He said, “I told you that’s what I would do, Matt.”

Eventually, I get a call that there’s something called “Tough Enough” coming on. They said, “We can’t promise anything. We can’t rig it for you, because MTV has just as much say on the matter as to who gets selected on the show as we do, but we would advise that you do that because it would be the quickest route for you to get to developmental. But you’re going to have to go out there and go through all the procedures to get on that show.” It was a pain in the [butt]. I had to make MTV really fall in love with me, because in my opinion, I thought the MTV people were going to want people like Josh Matthews. They don’t root for Goliath. If I’m the people at MTV, I’m thinking the viewer wants to see David slay Goliath and become champion of Tough Enough and go on to WWE and see what the kid can do. I thought that there was no way that MTV is going to be interested enough in me, but luckily I was humble, I was myself, I was honest, and whatever they asked me I answered truthfully and honestly. Before I knew it I found myself flying out to Las Vegas and auditioning before the judges, and that’s what you guys saw on “Tough Enough II.”

You were forced to leave the show because of a knee injury. I’m sure that was disappointing, but you still ended up with a developmental contract. How quickly did someone from WWE approach you and tell you that you still had an opportunity to make it with the company?

Bob Holly gets a bad rap a lot of time from the younger guys, but I’ll be honest here. When I tore me knee, Al [Snow] told me that I had to go home because I couldn’t just sit there and not train because it’s not fair to the other contestants – and I understood that. I was way overweight. I was legitimately 375 pounds – way overweight for me doing what were doing on that show. That’s how I ended up hurting my knee. So I’m leaving the back parking lot and the camera crew had just turned the camera off, and I saw Bob coming back from just doing his workout at the gym. I walked up to him and I said, “Hey Bob, I just want to thank you very much for the opportunity. What do you recommend I do?” He was the one who told me, “Stay on WWE. This is a door that was opened for you; it doesn’t mean that it’s closed all the way. Just make sure you let them know when your knee is good and that you still really want to do this.” That really did give me encouragement. He rode us pretty hard on the show, but he’s giving me his honest opinion that I should stick with this. I would have stuck with it either way, but I wouldn’t have known how to go about it. So I got home and I e-mailed Tom and let him know what happened on the show. He goes, “Hey don’t worry about it, big man. I heard you did phenomenally well on that show, that you’re more athletic than they expected you to be and that you picked up things pretty quickly. Stay tuned and we’ll get back to you and let you know what’s going on.” I was like, “Wow, that’s awesome.” Then Jim Ross contacted me a little bit after that and asked if my knee was OK. I went down to the Heartland Wrestling Association tryout camp for a WWE developmental contract, and that’s how I got started.

You alluded to the fact that you spent some time wrestling in Japan after you were released from WWE. What did you take from your experience working there?

That was the biggest confidence builder for me, because there was no guarantee of anything. I was being brought over as a big Gaijin [foreigner] as they call it, and expected to be big, strong and intimidating and do whatever I can to entertain the fans, but at the same time, their wrestling is way different. It took me a little while to adjust to not playing to the crowd and never taking my eyes off my opponent. That’s the way the Japanese audience is. They will not pop for me beating on my chest after I do a move. They will pop for weird stuff like me doing a suplex and holding a guy up in the air for 25 seconds. They don’t really pop for the intensity of my “Blueprint” character that I have on TV now. They’ll pop for the actual move and the psychology of what I’m doing, and more importantly, for the little Japanese guy that I’m beating the holy hell out of there and giving him hope spots and showing the fighting spirit in my opponent. That’s really where I learned a lot of psychology and logic of how to work a crowd, because they’re very difficult to work.

There are obvious advantages to being a guy with your size [7 feet, 305 pounds] as far as getting opportunities in the business, but how does being a big man work to your disadvantage, specifically when it comes to “smart” fans’ perception of you?

That’s a great question. Jim Cornette once told me that the Internet fans or smart marks make up at best three to five percent of our audience, and that’s probably a high number. I’m not going to be their cup of tea. I get that. I can light myself on fire and do a triple moonsault off the top of the Impact Zone, and someone would sill say, “Morgan looked kind of uncoordinated doing it.” It’s not easy to find a 7-footer that looks more coordinated than to have a 41-inch vertical and does some of the things that I do, but I really don’t care. If I tried to care what they thought, I’d go crazy. … There is a small part of our crowd that really is just there to see Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley and those guys do all their impressive high spots – and they are impressive. I’m a huge fan of Sabin and Shelly. They’re probably my two favorite wrestlers in our company right now. I know our smart marks prefer that style of wrestling as opposed to what I’m doing, and that’s fine. If 75 to 80 percent of our crowd was like that, yes, then I would be worried.

Can you talk about the relationship that you have with Jim Cornette and the influence that he has had on your career? What’s the best advice he has ever given you?

My very first match in OVW, he told me I did an OK job, but that there was a lot of stuff I needed to improve – pretty much the same kind of advice he gives me today. He always thinks you can get better, which I agree with him. So he told me I did good, to go home, let it go, watch the tape back tomorrow and we’ll go from there. So I go home and my wife is there reading the Internet. She told me she was reading a report on my match. She said, “Did you know you can go on the Internet and read reports on how good your matches are?” I didn’t know that. Some people were saying good things, some were saying bad things. So I go back the next day and I’m talking to Jimmy about it, and he went ballistic on me. He goes, “Why the [expletive] are you reading the damn Internet? What the hell do they know about judging your match? You going to listen to them over me?” That was my first lesson in “don’t worry about what the Internet says and don’t bother reading any of it.” It’s always going to be negativity.

Unfortunately, if you read Us Magazine or People Magazine or go on tmz.com, negativity sells. I think, unfortunately, the Internet wrestling community follows suit. … A lot of wrestling sites, from what I’ve heard, just completely bury and bash the product. No matter what happens, they’ll find something negative in it. And they’ll use their BS blanket of, “Well, we’re fans. We’re just doing it because we want to see the product become better.” I really don’t think that’s what it is. I think they follow suit with what’s going on in society – that negativity sells. I don’t necessarily think that works in pro wrestling. I think they’re shooting themselves in the foot. Because if you keep burying the product that you’re reporting on, what do you think is going to happen if you keep doing it? People are going to stop watching because of your negative opinion on the product, and then these people are not going to have anything to write about it. I’m very thankful that Cornette gave me that advice back in the day because I would be going nuts now if I sat down and read all this stuff. A lot of our young guys really pay way too much attention to that, and I was very lucky to have Jimmy sit me down and tell me, “Don’t ever read that BS again.” And to be quite honest, I never have.

What’s it been like working with A.J. Styles in the best-of-three series?

The matches that I’m most proud of in TNA are my two matches with Kurt Angle and these three matches with A.J. Styles. It’s meant a lot for my career with TNA, because A.J. is a mainstay. To me, he’s always going to be Mr. TNA. He’s the predominant babyface of our company and he’s fantastic at what he does. For me to beat him in this series 2-1 is a big step for me and it really puts me on the map and lends credibility to my character rather than just having Matt Morgan showing up in a main event for no reason at all. I had to earn it. The way we told the story with the best-of-three series with A.J. is, you don’t want to go out there and put 10 to 15 minutes in on your first match and then 20 minutes in your second match and then a half hour in your third match, because there’s only so much you can do. So if you go back and watch the tape of our first match, we did not do that much. The craziest we got was A.J.’s 450 splash, which was done on purpose. We knew we were not going to give the fans too many high spots because we still had two more matches to go. So we told a simple story of A.J. keeping me tight in a headlock and keeping me close to him instead of me being on top of him. Finally, my power prevailed and we went from there.

The second match, A.J. went to work a little bit on my knee immediately to get me down. Now, that’s not something I’m accustomed to doing. I’ve always been taught to make people earn getting me off my feet, and it usually happens toward the latter part of a match. But with A.J., I thought it really made sense the way he was working my knee and making it very realistic and believable. That was the story of that match, but still we weren’t giving them too many high spots. We turned it up half a notch in that match. The third match, we pulled out a lot more stops. There were more false finishes and a little more high spots at the right times. It was really fun to put together in an old-school way. You know you have three matches in a row with the guy, so you don’t want to tell the same story three matches in a row. And you also don’t want to give away everything you have in that first or second match. You want to give a little-by-little-by-little presentation of what you two can do together as far as chemistry, high spots and false finishes are concerned. I thought we did a pretty good job of that.

What are your thoughts on your stint as The Beast on “American Gladiators?” Do you want to branch out into acting and other forms of entertainment?

Yeah, of course I do. One of the things I’d like to do for TNA is get their brand out there more and show other people that TNA is legit, it is for real and it does have some top-of-the-line athletes as well as entertainers. The more some of our guys get out there, the better. When the opportunity came up to do “American Gladiators,” I was not going to pass that over. Although at one point I did have to choose between the [TNA and the show], and, unfortunately, I had to turn “American Gladiators” down for about a month or so and go back to work with TNA because NBC was not going to let me be a wrestler and do their show, even though they promised me I could in the beginning. So they went back on their word and said I couldn’t wrestle and I’m like, “OK, screw you. I quit.” They called me back two weeks later and said, “OK, we’ll let you do the wrestling thing. Here’s what we’re thinking of your character. Let’s do this.” So I went back and did the show and the rest is history. It was a really good opportunity. It’s opened a lot of doors for me. Once you get out there in the Los Angeles and Hollywood area and you’ve done something of some sort of substance like “American Gladiators” – that was at the time a semi-hot show – your name gets on all these lists for these red carpet events. I was told by my manager that’s kind of how it works out there. So because of that I’m getting to meet producers and directors and actors and actresses.

Chad Johnson [of the Cincinnati Bengals] had this red carpet event for the “Revenge of the Jocks” issue of ESPN The Magazine, and to be invited to that was huge for me. They posted a picture of me in the magazine, and there aren’t many wrestlers put in ESPN The Magazine. … More importantly, when I was at that event, I ran into about 50 different people who watched our show. And I’m talking about people that you would never guess watch our show, like Chris Tucker and Ice Cube. Chad Johnson loves wrestling and watches our show religiously. It was really cool to see that and also make contacts with people to set up possible other situations for me to be involved in. So it has opened the door. I’m doing an MMA movie, which I think I start taping in September and early October. There have been some other opportunities, like “Iron Man 2” came up, as well as “Smallville.” Unfortunately, the thing with “Iron Man 2” is a whole other story. From what I’ve been told, I was pretty much a back-up plan in case Samuel Jackson did not come back to that movie. They were going to have me play the role of Crimson Dynamo or something like that. Unfortunately, that just didn’t work out, but I had a good attitude about it and I didn’t cry about it when they said, “Listen, Samuel is back in the movie.”

You mentioned that you’re going to be doing an MMA movie. Is MMA something that you’ve given any thought to doing?

For seven years, I’ve done jujitsu and still do it to this day religiously. I love the chess match that you’re doing. Let’s be real: If I’ve been in a bar fight, there are not many times that I’ve been on the ground while a guy is on top of my chest punching me in the face. But with jujitsu, that’s exactly what it is. You want that guy to get on top of you so that you can out-maneuver him while he thinks he’s in the driver’s seat. To me, that was the craziest martial art of all, but I like it the most. I’m really super into the jujitsu end of it. But MMA overall, I’m 32 years old now, and I like pro wrestling better, to be quite honest. I like the effect of controlling a crowd and manipulating them to like me, hate me, boo me, laugh at me, just show some sort of emotion. I love the high that we get doing that. You could see Brock [Lesnar] doing it the other night after he cut his promo on Frank Mir. You could see the goose bumps on his arm. He was loving every minute of it. [UFC president] Dana White can say whatever the hell he wants, but Brock Lesnar just earned him that much more money.

What did you get your college degree in, and what do you think you’d be doing now if you weren’t doing something athletic?

I think I need like six different lives to do all the things I’d really like to do. I graduated with a degree in communications and a minor in business. I got my degree in communications because I thought I was going to be a pro ballplayer and I knew I needed to brush up on public speaking and things that I would find useful. Luckily, it really got me ready for pro wrestling and promos and being comfortable on the mic in front of a crowd standing in my underwear [laughs]. If I wasn’t in wrestling, I can tell you one of the jobs that I’m doing right now on the side is I’m a peer counselor for a drug abuse center, where I’m helping other pro athletes get off painkillers, drugs, alcohol, you name it. That’s something that I really take seriously and really enjoy doing. There is a lot of drug abuse out there in pro sports, but a lot of guys are doing the right thing and turning the corner and trying to get clean. It’s really cool to see, and it’s really rewarding to work with these guys.

I also think I’d be involved in some sort of sales. I did sales a little bit before I go into pro wrestling. I was an account executive for Enterprise Car Sales and trained other people how to sell as well, which was really fun for me. The other thing I’d like to do is more public speaking engagements on bringing awareness to not using drugs to combat ADHD [Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder] with these kids nowadays. There’s too many doctors that are force-feeding Ritalin and these other drugs down these kids’ throats instead of really doing the right thing and doing something that’s called behavior modification, which is what my parents and my doctors did for me when I was a kid. They put me in sports and that’s how I combated ADHD. I got my energy out there on the playground. I had an extra gym class a day to get my energies back down so that I could get back to class and be a little more relaxed and pay attention.

I have to ask you about this whole deal with your DNA being launched into outer space. The first time I heard about this I didn’t think it could possibly be for real, but it is, right?

Kevin, that was literally my same reaction. I was in Los Angeles doing an audition for a show, and I got a call on my voice mail from some guy saying, “Hey, this is Richard Garriott. We’re doing this project called ‘Project Immortality,’ and if you give me a call back I’ll explain to you what it is.” So I called the guy back and asked him what this is about, and he said basically they want to get the DNA of different celebrities and athletes of this era and digitize it and send it to outer space and put it up at the International Space Station and store it there it a device. I was like, “OK, good one,” and I hung up. I called my wife and said, “You’re not going to believe this. Some mark out there thinks he’s a funny guy or it’s one of the boys ribbing me, but some guy said he wants to send my DNA into space.” She said, “Matt, my co-worker set that up.” My wife’s co-worker knows this billionaire who owns a video game system, and this was a legitimate opportunity, and I hung up on this billionaire. So I end up talking to the guy about it and he explained it a little bit more in detail, and told me guys like Stephen Colbert, Ryan Seacrest, and some Olympic athletes and rock stars were going to do this. I said, “So what’s the point of this?” And he goes, “Basically it’s going to give awareness to this role-playing video game that we have coming out, and more importantly, how cool would it be for ‘The Beast’ Matt Morgan” – he said he watched me on “American Gladiators” and loved The Beast character and my physique and intensity – “to have his DNA, long after you’ve passed away and your kids and grandkids and great grandkids have passed away, digitized at the International Space Station for the next two million years to come?” Well, that is pretty damn cool. Basically you just cotton swab the inside of your cheeks and you put it in a bag and overnight it back to them. Part of me was thinking, “If I see some 6-foot-2 5-year olds walking around, I’m going to know something was up.” [laughs]

I know you’re a big fan of “Ghost Hunters,” so I have to ask you about this. My wife loves the show, but I’m convinced that it’s a work. You never see any ghosts. It’s a bunch of people running around in the dark going, “Did you hear that? Did you feel that?” It’s all a work, isn’t it?

Of course it is [laughs]. It is a work, but here’s the thing: Every once in a blue moon – and I’ve watched all of them, which is pathetic in its own right – on certain episodes, you will legitimately see, whether it’s a shadow or it looks like somebody’s face in the background, it’s enough to scare you and it’s enough to get you thinking, which is the whole idea. I’m a huge fan of being sold. I want to be sold. When a telemarketer calls me on the phone and he sucks, I hang up on him. But if he’s good, I’ll say, “OK, you have one minute to sell me.” And if it’s something I don’t even need, I’ll at least give him the opportunity to sell me on something.

Photo courtesy of tnawrestling.com

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:51 PM | | Comments (6)
Categories: Q&As
        

August 13, 2009

Proof that my wrestling fixation started at a young age

I got an e-mail a couple days ago from a guy who said that he was going through his collection of old wrestling magazines when he came across a picture of me as a kid in one of them. It was in the wrestling pen pals section, which was a staple of the “Apter mags” in the 1970s. I have the magazine, but it had been years since I’ve seen it, so I went through my own vast collection of wrestling mags and found it.

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The cover date for the issue of Inside Wrestling was October 1975, which made me 8 at the time. The first thing I noticed when I looked at my photo was how big the space was between my two front teeth (years of wearing braces corrected that problem). The other thing I noticed was that I was the youngest of the 24 people looking for fellow wrestling fans to correspond with. More than half of them were teenagers, and the oldest was a 29-year-old guy from Flushing, N.Y., who was seeking girls for pen pals. He looked like someone you’d expect to see being grilled by Chris Hansen on “To Catch a Predator.”

Looking at the cover – which showed Superstar Billy Graham and Jimmy Valiant with the proverbial crimson masks – and the ads inside for blow-up dolls and guides on how to pick up girls, I still can’t believe my parents bought those magazines for me.

By the way, you’ll notice that I listed Valiant as my favorite wrestler. This is back when “Handsome Jimmy” was a cocky, bleached blonde who was part of the infamous Valiant Brothers tag team along with Luscious Johnny. By the time he became the “Boogie Woogie Man,” he was far from my favorite.

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Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:03 PM | | Comments (17)
        

August 12, 2009

Quick hits on ECW

• I like William Regal and I’m looking forward to a program between him and Christian, but his being named No. 1 contender came out of the blue. Who did he defeat to earn a title shot? And since the announcement was made prior to Regal’s match against Tommy Dreamer on Tuesday’s show, what would have happened to Regal’s No. 1 contender status if he had lost to Dreamer?

• I thought this was the best Abraham Washington show yet. The material was better and he and Christian played off each other well. The “applause” and “laugh” signs are a nice touch. It seems to me that Washington is starting to get the right kind of heat, not just go-away heat.

• I was surprised to hear Washington give a shout-out to Hulk Hogan, who turned 56 Tuesday. The crowd popped when Hogan’s name was mentioned. I’m sure that Washington wouldn’t have just done that unless being told to, which makes me wonder if WWE is considering doing something with Hogan (guest hosting Raw?) and wants to gauge the fans’ reaction to him before proceeding.

• The Shelton Benjamin-Zack Ryder match was good, but I wish it would have gone on for more than three minutes. It was a nice win for Benjamin, who apparently is a babyface now. I’d like to think this might be the start of a nice push for Benjamin, but I’ve thought that before and WWE has never followed through.

• The punch that Paul Burchill nailed Gregory Helms with looked great. I like Helms both personally and professionally, but I have always thought that The Hurricane gimmick wasn’t the best way to utilize his talent. However, judging by the character’s more menacing look and his aggressive attack on Burchill after Burchill’s match against Yoshi Tatsu, it appears that The Hurricane is going to be played less for laughs this time around. If that’s the case, I’m all for it.

• It’s time for Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson to take their angle to the next phase. Watching them take turns abusing enhancement guys every week is getting old.

• Props to Matt Striker for referencing Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” as well as an angle from the Mid-Atlantic territory in the late 1970s involving Greg Valentine and Wahoo McDaniel in the same show.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:46 PM | | Comments (24)
        

August 11, 2009

Looking at the guest host format’s impact on Raw ratings

Not everyone is a fan of Raw having a weekly guest host, but ratings for the show have gone up since WWE adopted the format.

The seven episodes that have had guest hosts have averaged a 3.7 rating. If you count Donald Trump as a guest host, the average is 3.8. In the eight weeks prior to the Trump episode, Raw averaged a 3.4.

The highest-rated Raw with a guest host – excluding the commercial-free show with Trump that did a 4.5. – was the July 27 episode with Shaquille O’Neal, which did a 4.0. Monday night’s show with Sgt. Slaughter did a 3.8, although I would attribute that largely to interest in the DX reunion.

Here’s a look at how the Raw shows with guest hosts have fared:

June 29 – 3.9 (Batista)
July 6 – 3.6 (Ted DiBiase)
July 13—3.5 (Seth Green)
July 20 – 3.5 (ZZ Top)
July 27 – 4.0 (Shaquille O’Neal)
Aug. 3 – 3.6 (Jeremy Piven/Dr. Ken)
Aug. 10 – 3.8 (Sgt. Slaughter)

Ratings source: www.wrestlingnewsworld.com

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:31 PM | | Comments (14)
        

Raw: Do you smell what DX is cookin’

The last time we saw Shawn Michaels, he was involved in a fantastic program with The Undertaker that culminated in what was perhaps the most dramatic WrestleMania match of all time.

So how does he make his big return on Raw Monday night? By wearing a chef’s hat and flipping burgers in lame comedy sketches, of course. To say that Michaels’ first appearance on TV in more than four months was anti-climactic would be an understatement.

I sort of understand the reasoning behind playing his return for laughs, as he and Triple H are reforming DX and sophomoric humor is what DX is all about. But I think WWE would have gotten more mileage (and buy rates for SummerSlam) out of Michaels’ comeback if it had been done with a serious angle playing off his epic encounter with The Undertaker.

Make no mistake: I’ve always been a big fan of DX (my ring tone is the DX theme), but as far as this series of vignettes is concerned, not only were they not funny for the most part, but they didn’t make sense from a story line standpoint. Why did Michaels get a job in the first place, much less one that he didn’t like? I thought he was set for life after defeating JBL in that all-or-nothing match last February. I guess he must have made more bad investments and blown all of his money again.

I’d be lying, though, if I said that I didn’t laugh a couple times during the final skit. Michaels super-kicking the overbearing manager (someone on the writing team must have just watched "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" on DVD) was good for a chuckle, and there’s just something about an old lady looking directly into the camera and saying “Suck it!” that really cracks me up. I didn’t laugh, however, when Michaels apparently super-kicked a young girl. I know it wasn’t actually shown on camera and it was supposed to be so silly that it couldn’t possibly be taken seriously, but child abuse, even presented in a farcical manner, is one place I don’t think WWE should go.

The other thing that I don’t really like about all of this is that it treats the DX-Legacy program as a complete joke. I’m hoping that on next week’s Raw, which is the go-home show for SummerSlam, Legacy shows how they feel about all the funny business by delivering a serious beat-down on Michaels and Triple H. Seeing as how Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes wrestled against a leprechaun Monday night, however, I’m not holding my breath.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

The goal of this episode, which was hosted by Sgt. Slaughter, seemed to be to bash Canada rather than to build interest for SummerSlam. Cracking on cities and its people and sports team is a tried and true heel tactic, but this seemed excessively mean-spirited. With that being said, I have always thought that Slaughter was a great heel, going back to the first time I saw him back in 1980 when he challenged WWF champion Bob Backlund. ...

I don’t want to pile on the fans in Calgary, but those who got all excited when it was teased that Bret Hart would be making an appearance are incredibly naive. ...

Why was John Cena so over-the-top angry during his verbal confrontation with Randy Orton? It’s not as if Cena didn’t get the last laugh on last week’s show. ...

The majority of the crowd still cheered Chris Jericho during his match against Cena despite Jericho’s attempt to turn himself heel with the Calgary crowd. ...

Speaking of Jericho, he looked like he jammed his neck when taking the RKO from Orton. Fortunately, it appears that he’s OK, as I haven’t ready anything about him being injured. Plus, he’s been tweeting away. ...

There were two Shaquille O’Neal references during Big Show’s promo segment, which adds fuel to the speculation that a Shaq-Big Show match is in the works. ...

As bad as Jeremy Piven and Dr. Ken were on Raw last week, the two of them discussing their WWE experience on talk shows is a big positive for WWE. ...

Not all that long ago, I never would have imagined that I’d be saying this, but I’m glad to see The Miz back on Raw. I liked the angle to bring him back – he donned a mask (as The Calgary Kid) to win a contract – but I think WWE could have milked it for a few weeks rather than Miz losing a loser-leaves match one week and then being reinstated the next. ...

I can’t say I’m thrilled about Eugene being back in WWE. Nick Dinsmore is actually a fine worker, but I’ve never liked the character. ...

When Eugene and The Calgary Kid wrestled in a contract-on-a-pole match, I wonder how many people thought that Vince Russo was back booking for WWE? ...

The Jack Swagger-Evan Bourne match was short but good. I also liked the Swagger-MVP confrontation. They play off each other well. ...

I was betting that Swagger was going to interfere in MVP’s match against Chris Masters and cost MVP the match, but I think what they ended up doing was better. MVP got the win and was double-teamed by Swagger and Masters after the match ...

The fatal four-way women’s match between Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly and Alicia Fox was entertaining, and it was great to see Kim win. I’m looking forward to seeing Kim take on Divas champion Mickie James. ...

Just wondering: What if next week’s guest host, Freddie Prinze Jr., doesn’t care for the main event that Slaughter made for the show? Can he overrule it?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:32 PM | | Comments (45)
        

August 10, 2009

Ron Simmons video interview

Here is an interview I conducted with former WWE star Ron Simmons last Friday at the MCW show.

 

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:06 PM | | Comments (4)
Categories: Video interviews
        

Notes on Shaquille O’Neal-Big Show, Ricky Ortiz

WWE reportedly is discussing the possibility of putting together a match between Shaquille O’Neal and The Big Show.

Surprisingly, the proposed match would not take place on pay-per-view, but on a three-hour edition of Raw next month, according to wrestlingobserver.com.

There’s no doubt that a Shaq-Big Show match would pop a huge rating, but wouldn’t it be better to pop a huge buy rate? I’m willing to bet that Shaq doing a match at WrestleMania would surpass the WWE-record 1.2 million buys that WrestleMania 23, which featured the Donald Trump-Vince McMahon hair match, did.

After seeing how well Shaq performed when he was the guest host of Raw two weeks ago, I felt certain that he would don the tights one day, but I assumed it wouldn’t take place until after he retired from playing in the NBA. I can’t imagine the Cleveland Cavaliers would be too thrilled over Shaq participating in something in which he could suffer an injury so close to the start of the season.

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In case anyone missed it (or cares), Ricky Ortiz was released by WWE over the weekend. The move is not a surprise based on how he has been used as of late.

I liked Ortiz because of his look and quirky personality and thought he could be a solid mid-card act, but he never got over.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:37 PM | | Comments (11)
        

10 things I’ll remember about MCW's Summer Heat

Here are 10 observations from Friday night’s Maryland Championship Wrestling show, Summer Heat, at The New Green Room in Dundalk, which was headlined by former WCW world champion and WWE star Ron Simmons.

1. Tribute for longtime fan: Anyone who knows anything about the Maryland independent wrestling scene knows of Catherine “Cat” Parsons, who was a fixture at ringside for years. MCW honored Parsons, who died at 39 on Aug. 2, with a 10-bell salute before the show and an empty chair at ringside. Some fans also handed out buttons with Parsons’ picture on them. For many people, Maryland wrestling just won’t be the same without its most loyal fan.

2. Loudest pop of the night: It wasn’t for any particular wrestler, move or angle; it was for the uttering of one word. Fans waited all night for it, and, finally, during an in-ring celebration by several babyfaces after the main event, Ron Simmons gave them what they wanted. As local star Cole Callaway – who plays a way-over-the-top effeminate character – pranced around the ring, Simmons had a confused look on his face for several seconds before he said, “Damn!” The crowd popped like it was 1992 and Simmons had just defeated Vader for the WCW world title.

3. Speaking of Cole Callaway: Also during the post-match celebration, Callaway led several babyfaces and a couple referees in the "YMCA" dance as the Village People classic blared over the sound system. After some coaxing, Simmons got caught up in the moment and started to join in on the fun, but he only did a “Y” before regaining his senses. Fans young and old absolutely love Callaway, and I can see why. The 21-year-old has his character down pat and obviously has a lot of fun with it. While his act may not be politically correct, there’s no denying that it’s entertaining.

4. Hey Ron, don’t go there: While most of the fans heard Simmons deliver his famous catch phrase in the ring at the end of the night, I was one of the few who heard him say it in a hilarious impromptu moment earlier in the evening. There are no bathrooms backstage, so Simmons made his way to one of the public restrooms. There was just one problem: he was heading into the women’s bathroom. I happened to be standing nearby, and I and a couple others called out to him after he had taken a few steps inside. He turned around, then walked out and looked up at the sign above the door that said “Women.” Then he glanced over at us and said, “Damn!”

5. Simmons watches the show: A lot of times when big-name stars come in to work an MCW show, they spend most of the night talking with other wrestlers backstage while the show is going on. I’m not saying that’s bad, but it did impress me that Simmons sat in a chair and watched just about every match through a slightly opened door backstage.

6. Patrick Brink’s shot heard around Dundalk: I’ve seen wicked chair shots to the head in my time, but the one Brink laid on Van Hammer has to be right up there. I’m not a fan of wrestlers taking unprotected shots like that, but I’m sure that no one had to talk Hammer into doing it.

7. Ryan McBride’s nose for the business: Only backstage at a wrestling show could you carry on a matter-of-fact conversation with someone who has dried blood on and around their nose. McBride, whose nose was bloodied during his successful MCW cruiserweight title defense earlier on the card, was telling me that he had actually broken his nose during a recent match. After it happened, he said he simply snapped his nose back into place and it was on to the next show.

8. You love me, you hate me: I’m very appreciative of everyone who came up to me before the show and told me that they enjoy reading the blog. I can’t help wondering, however, if some of the same people who shook my hand and took pictures with me were among those in the crowd yelling that I suck during the match I refereed. Oh well, who cheers the refs anyway?

9. A positive sign: A big shout-out to the two lovely young ladies in the crowd who held up the “Rated Eck” sign. Girls, the checks are in the mail.

10. Keep your pants on: Finally, here’s something that I’ll always remember but I’d love to forget: seeing more of veteran wrestler Tom Brandi than anyone but his significant other and his doctor should see. It occurred right after Brandi’s match against The Bruiser, which I refereed. After I made the three count and awarded the match to Brandi, Cole Callaway came out to the ring and said that Brandi had used a chain to KO Bruiser (I didn’t see it because I was yelling at heel manager Marcus Dowling to get off the apron). Callaway offered proof when he reached down Brandi’s trunks and pulled out the foreign object. He then handed the chain to me (which I wasn’t too thrilled about), and I reversed the decision. Brandi seemed more upset with the fact that Callaway, um, violated his personal space, than he did with losing the match. Brandi – who was standing outside the ring while I was still in it – called me over to him, then pulled his tights out from his waist and showed me where Callaway had put his hand. Damn!

Note: I conducted a video interview with Ron Simmons at the show. It will be posted in the next day or so.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:38 AM | | Comments (6)
        

August 8, 2009

Smackdown: Matt Hardy adds twist to Jeff Hardy-CM Punk feud

Matt Hardy’s return on Friday night’s episode of Smackdown raised questions as to where things are headed in the story line for him, his brother Jeff and CM Punk.

Matt, who has been off TV since undergoing abdominal surgery more than a month ago, served as the special enforcer referee for Jeff’s world heavyweight title defense against Punk.

Matt did not get involved in the match until the finish. After he was inadvertently kicked in the stomach by Punk, Matt pulled the referee out of the ring just as Punk was about to regain the title. That led to Jeff rolling up Punk and Matt making the three count. Matt wasted little time in walking back up the ramp after the match. It then was announced that Jeff and Punk would wrestle in a TLC match on the SummerSlam pay-per-view on Aug. 23.

It is unclear whether Matt will be a babyface or a heel going forward. I found it interesting that he never looked his brother in the eye when Jeff got in his face before the match. That could mean that Matt still holds a grudge against Jeff, but it also could indicate that he is so ashamed about everything that he did to his brother in the past that he can’t even face him.

It does make sense that Matt would have no love for Punk, and not just because of the kick. Punk insulted him a couple months ago and told him “we’re not friends” when Matt tried to cozy up to him after Punk won the title from Jeff.

One thing that is fairly certain is that the TLC match will be the blow-off to the Jeff-Punk feud, as it is widely believed that Jeff will be leaving WWE after that (although I wouldn’t be surprised if Jeff’s hiatus is a lot shorter than some think). Assuming Punk wins the title, will Matt challenge him, or will he engage in Chapter 2 of the brother-versus-brother feud when Jeff returns?

Stay tuned.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

I didn’t believe for a second that the world title match was actually going to go on first. That never happens, so it was obvious that some type of angle was going to take place. I don’t read spoilers on the Internet, but as soon as Vince McMahon announced that there would be a special enforcer referee, I knew it was going to be Matt.

Beyond the fact that it made sense from a story line standpoint, Matt has been leaving hints through his Twitter account that something was going down soon. On Wednesday, he wrote: “Looks like I might be going back to work a little earlier than I expected.” Then on Friday morning, he wrote: “Whatever you do, DO NOT miss Smackdown tonight at 8 pm on MyNetwork TV!” He also posted this photo on July 30, with a caption that read: “Myself & the NEW World Champ, Jeff Hardy-what does the future hold?” …

Morrison and Tyson Kidd had a good match together for the second straight week. Obviously, the idea here is to showcase Morrison’s talent and get him over as a top-tier guy, but Kidd has been impressive as well. …

JTG pinning Chris Jericho is a travesty, although I do understand from a booking standpoint why it was done. WWE had to come up with something that would get the point across that Cryme Tyme is a legitimate threat to win the WWE unified tag team title from Jericho and The Big Show at Summerslam. With that being said, however, it was still tough for a Jericho-holic like me to see the referee slap the mat three times while Jericho was caught in a cradle by JTG. …

There was a lot of action, if not a lot of drama, in the four-way match between Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, Finlay and Mike Knox to determine the challenger for Rey Mysterio’s Intercontinental title at Summerslam. Anyone who’s been paying attention even a little bit knew that Ziggler was going to win. …

I’m interested to see where the Ziggler-Maria story line is going. The fact that Maria is such a likable character should get Ziggler a lot of heat if/when he does her wrong. …

It’s kind of sad to see someone as talented in the ring as Charlie Haas being used a glorified enhancement talent, but I still was glad to see Slam Master J get the victory. I find the former Jesse’s new act to be entertaining. Is that so wrong?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:45 PM | | Comments (26)
        

August 7, 2009

Pandemonium breaks loose on TNA Impact

A lot of times when I watch TNA Impact, I feel like I’m watching old WCW reruns, and not just because there are so many former WCW stars on the roster. The lame comedy, nonsensical booking and plethora of pole matches remind me of the dying days of WCW.

Thursday night’s episode of Impact, however, reminded me of the glory days of WCW.

In the middle of the program, a riot broke out involving just about every top star on the TNA roster. It started in the ring and carried over to the back and outside the building. Eventually, the police arrived to restore order. Much like when the nWo was running rampant on Nitro in 1996, there was a sense of chaos and excitement that made it impossible to want to turn the channel.

It’s still early in the story line, but it appears that TNA has finally gotten the warring factions angle right, with the Main Event Mafia and World Elite forming an alliance to take on the rest of TNA. This should work a lot better than the young guys-versus-old guys angle that buried the young guys. Now, Eric Young and The British Invasion can get a rub by standing with the MEM, while Hernandez, Daniels and The Motor City Machine Guns can get a rub by being associated with Mick Foley, Sting, Bobby Lashley, etc.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

Showing some of the brawl through a security camera was a nice touch. …

Coming off his big win over Samoa Joe last week, Hernandez was featured prominently. When another brawl got going at the end of the show, Hernandez hit the ring swinging a chain and sent the heels fleeing. The final shot was of him celebrating with Foley, Sting and Lashley. …

Hernandez also did a sit-down interview with Mike Tenay, which sounded like a good idea, but I don’t think it really did a whole lot to help him get over. The interview lacked focus and Hernandez didn’t project much charisma. …

The Matt Morgan-A.J. Styles match was decent, but I would like to have seen it go another 8-10 minutes. …

Robert Roode delivered a good promo about Young. I like Beer Money a lot, but as anyone who has been reading this blog for any length of time knows, I’m a big advocate of giving Roode a major singles push. This promo was another reminder of why I think Roode should be in the TNA world title picture. …

It’s great to see a talented guy like Young getting an opportunity to really show what he can do. Playing a comedic character got him noticed, but I thought for a while that he was capable of more. …

I see that Young eventually did get those clippers to work. I was wrong about the buzz-cut not being a good look for him. …

The women’s tag match that pitted Sarita and Taylor Wilde against Alissa Flash and Traci Brooks was entertaining. …

I was surprised when Brooks knocked Roode off the top rope during the eight-man tag match that the announcers didn’t mention that there was a lot of history between the two. …

It’s still hard to tell from week to week whether The Motor City Machine Guns are babyfaces or heels. They double-crossed Daniels during his match against Young, but then ended up fighting alongside Daniels and the other babyfaces during the riot. …

Did Brother Ray really refer to The British Invasion as “fairies?” …

I suppose it made sense that Jay Lethal and Consequences Creed would seek payback against Abyss for him attacking them recently, but trying to collect a bounty on a fellow babyface doesn’t seem like something the good guys should be doing. …

Lethal calling Abyss “Andre” during their scuffle wasn’t very funny, but Jeremy Borash preparing to whack Abyss with a hammer to collect the bounty was.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:57 PM | | Comments (22)
        

Quick hits on WWE Superstars

• I thought Dolph Ziggler’s performance on commentary during the Rey Mysterio-Mike Knox match on Thursday's show was disappointing. He seemed nervous and did not exhibit the cockiness that he projects so well in the ring. He almost came across like a babyface. Ziggler even failed to take advantage of a softball lobbed to him by Todd Grisham, who asked him where all his confidence came from. Ziggler said “It comes naturally. It’s just the way I am.” He should have said something like: “If you looked the way I do, you’d be confident, too. And if you had the skills inside that ring that I do, you’d be confident, too. Just like my song says, I am perfection.” You get the idea. He also was way too complimentary of Mysterio. Hopefully, it was a learning experience for Ziggler and he’ll get better.

• I liked the Mysterio-Knox match. I really think more could be done with Knox.

• The tag team match in which William Regal and Paul Burchill defeated Yoshi Tatsu and Tyler Reks wasn’t bad. I’d like to see Regal and Burchill as a full-time team. The problem right now is that the tag champs (Chris Jericho and The Big Show) are heels, and – unless I’m forgetting someone – Cryme Tyme is the only babyface tag team in WWE.

• Thanks to Santino Marella, that might have been the most entertaining Chris Masters match that I have ever seen.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:59 PM | | Comments (10)
        

Q&A with Patrick Brink

I conducted an interview recently with Maryland Championship Wrestling star and former WWE developmental talent Patrick Brink.

Brink, an Atholton graduate who grew up in Laurel, made a surprise run-in at last month’s MCW show four months after being released from his WWE deal. Brink, 28, makes his return to the ring against Cobian (wth Van Hammer as special guest referee) at tonight’s MCW event at The New Green Room in Dundalk.

In the following interview, Brink, who wrestled as Kaleb O’Neal during his six-month stay in WWE’s Florida Championship Wrestling territory, discusses WWE’s developmental program, the circumstances that led to his release, his return to MCW and what the future holds for him.

Excluding how things ended, what was your experience like in FCW? What did you take from it?

patrickbrink.jpg

It was an awesome experience. Initially, when I got there I was defeated, but just being in that program got me back up. From the curriculum to the TV production to just being around the trainers that I was around, I can’t compare that to anything else I’ve done in the business. It was an awesome, awesome experience. It definitely taught me how to become what I need to become to become somebody.

Who were some of the trainers that you worked with?

Steve Keirn, Tom Pritchard, Norman Smiley, Billy Kidman and Dusty Rhodes. There would also be guests that would come in. During the time I was there, they had Fit Finlay, Arn Anderson, Jim Ross, Pat Patterson, Jamie Noble. A lot of times when the guys were getting ready to go back on the road if they were out for an injury or something like that, they would stop in and spend a few days down there, too. Everyone would always sing the praises of the program. Even the guys that had been in OVW would say that they didn’t have what we had down there.

What do they tell you when you first get there? Do they say that everyone is competing for spots on the main roster? How do they frame it?

It’s basically, “You guys are a family, but you are in competition with each other.” You’re there to get on TV and become a star, period. And it’s up to you to take advantage of the program, take advantage of your trainers, take advantage of the video library. You’re in the absolute best program ever. This program wasn’t around back in the day. You have every tool there to become a star in this business, and it’s up to you to utilize it. The ones who want it will make it.

Who came up with the name Kaleb O’Neal and the character? Do they assign you a gimmick, do you pitch an idea to creative, or is it a collaboration?

When I first got there, something came down that no one was allowed to use any part of their real name anymore. At the time, I was hoping to keep Brink because I guess I was a bit of a mark for my name. I thought it was a bit of an original name, but so be it. They told us at that point that we all had to come up with our own deal. We had to come up with like three or four different names. The reason I picked Kaleb was to spite my ex-girlfriend because she had always talked about wanting to have a son and naming him Kaleb.

How would you describe the character Kaleb O’Neal?

At that time, I was becoming a vicious, nasty heel and was 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, so the play off of that was that I’m a big, nasty dude. In promo practice – I didn’t get a whole lot of TV time with promos; we were getting to that – initially I played off that I’m from Baltimore and the greatest athletes in the world come from Baltimore. I would list guys like Babe Ruth, Cal Ripken, Ray Lewis. I’d even say that the hottest diva in WWE history, Stacy Keibler, came from Baltimore. I put myself in that same light. As we progressed I was trying to be the guy who in his promos was willing to say and do anything. Any soft spot I could find on somebody, I would make fun of them or I would say something ignorant about it to get heat. Not going for cheap heat, but that I would push the envelope and say things where you’d go, “I can’t believe he said that. What an a------.”

You mentioned promo practice. Was that a major aspect of the training?

They worked with us with everything. The way it was structured, there were classes that would work strictly on our ring endurance, and there would be classes that would work strictly on our ring psychology. And then there would be days where we did promos all day, and Dusty would give a critique and make it better. It was usually one day out of the week where we focused specifically on that. Some days we would just do matches where our trainers watched and gave us feedback in front of each other. It was always something different, but we got the overall learning experience with everything – even how to work for TV. The arena down there is a full-blown arena, with cameras, production, lighting, everything, and we were taught how to do everything. There’s not a person coming out of FCW who’s not going to know how to do a promo.

Who were some of the guys you worked with there that we are seeing now on WWE television?

Guys I wasn’t in direct feuds with but that I had a relationship with behind the scenes were: Sheamus – he gave me a lot of advice; Tyler Reks also was a guy that helped me a lot with working toward getting back in shape when I showed up 60 pounds overweight because of some personal issues. In return, as I started getting things, I tried to work and talk with people. When Abraham Washington first got there, I tried to talk with him as much as I could, but his charisma and promo skills were already through the roof when he got there.

You alluded to some personal issues and coming in overweight. Can you talk about what your situation was like when you came to FCW?

Prior to reporting to FCW, in the span of like four months I had five people pass away. One of them was my 15-year-old sister. Another was my grandmother. And then it was three other friends of mine – and they were all close friends. At that point, every three-four weeks, somebody was passing away. The first three people passed away over six weeks, and then I got my phone call that I was getting signed while I was at my lowest low. As my spirit started being lifted, another friend passed away. I had been training at Team 3-D’s school prior to getting signed, and I knew I was out of shape. So I went back to Team 3-D’s school in an attempt to get in shape before I had to report, and my grandmother passed away. So I had to come back home for her funeral, and then I had to report the next day. When I showed up, I was 60 pounds overweight. I went to the trainers and I told them, “This is what I just went through. I apologize. I’m extremely out of shape. Please give me a chance to show you differently.” They didn’t know if I was blowing some up their butts, so they made it a point to let me know that they weren’t happy about it and to let my actions speak for themselves. The first four weeks I was there I dropped about 26-27 pounds, and within 10 weeks I had dropped 50 pounds. After the first 10 weeks, which was about the middle of November, I dropped another 10 pounds.

So you got past that hurdle and things are going OK, but then what happened?

Well, regardless of what the reasons were, I showed up out of shape when I got there. I got back in shape, and they really let me know that they were happy about it. Then, about a week before Christmas, another friend of mine passed away, and I had an appointment to get some tattoos right after his funeral. I had been trying to get a hold of the office, but, to be honest, I was so distracted that I didn’t make every effort that I should have made to get in touch with somebody. I ended up getting the tattoos before I had approval, and when we got back from Christmas break, I had to own up and say that I didn’t wait to get permission on the tattoos. So I got punished for that – and rightfully so, I deserved to be punished. After the tattoo situation blew over, I came back and continued to train and do well, and then I hurt my leg. I strained and slightly tore my quadriceps. I talked to them the day after my injury and they told me they were giving me a raise and that they were happy with my progress, not to worry about the tattoo situation anymore. At this time, I actually saw pictures of when I first got there out of shape, and I can say this wholeheartedly, they should have let me go just for the shape I showed up in. So the fact that they let me get that far spoke volumes of the fact that they were giving me an opportunity.

Well, the first day that I was supposed to go to physical therapy, there was construction on the highway, and I used Mapquest to get directions. I had been in Tampa, but I didn’t know where everything was, and the exit I needed to take was blocked off for construction. Well, I ended up having to go like eight miles down the road and it wound up making me a half hour late to physical therapy. I didn’t know there was a bunch of guys with rehab issues at the time, and the office doesn’t have time to deal with guys missing physical therapy appointments and being late. The bottom line is you have the appointment and you have to make sure that you’re there on time. It was the third thing they had with me, so they let me go to learn a lesson and to make an example. They couldn’t keep letting me get away with stuff. The bottom line is that I had three issues, regardless of what the reasons were. They’re a billion dollar corporation that has a lot of employees to oversee, and they can’t keep letting somebody -- especially not on my level – get away with stuff like that.

I know that it was your goal for a long time to work for a major wrestling company, so how disappointing was it when you got released? And is it difficult for you now to watch ECW and see guys that you trained with on TV?

Oh, not at all. I’m completely happy for those guys. At the time I got released, yeah, it hit me, but I’ve been through a lot in my life. And I wasn’t let go and told, “You’re done in this business.” I was let go and told, “You need to mature a little bit; you need to get your head on straight, and you’ll get another opportunity.” They believe I have a ton of potential to become somebody in this business and I just need to become as business-minded as need be. Initially it hit hard and I was upset about it, but after a few days, it really started sinking in what their point was. It took me a while to get it, but eventually I got it.

So what’s the next step for you? You just came back to Maryland Championship Wrestling, where you first made a name for yourself. Are your goals still the same?

I’m even more determined now. Being there for the short amount of time I was and then having it taken away, that’s like taking a Pit Bull that’s been starving for weeks, waving a steak in his face, letting him get a couple drops of blood and then taking it away. I’m hungrier now than I ever have been. I hope and pray that I get the chance to prove to them that not only have I learned my lesson, but I’m ready to do whatever it takes. I understand I have to prove myself to WWE. I can’t just call them and say, “Hey, I’ve learned my lesson, guys. Let me have another opportunity, please.” I’m going to do whatever I can. I’m trying to get back on the independents and work as many places as I can so that I can let my work ethic speak for itself. I want to see how much I really have grown and see how crowds that knew me before react to me know. The WWE did pay me for 90 days, which was a blessing. I don’t know many jobs that are going to pay you for 90 days after they let you go. I know a lot of guys [who are let go] who wrestle on indys right away. WWE just doesn’t want you showing up on TV right away, but the way the contract is written is that you can’t wrestle anywhere for 90 days. Because I was let go for breaking the rules, I didn’t wrestle anywhere for 90 days. Even if they would have been cool with it, it’s still technically a rule I would have been breaking, and I didn’t want to cross that line. MCW is my home, it’s where I came from, and I chose to let that be the first independent show I come back on.

How did it feel to get the reception you did at the MCW show last month? You got the “Welcome back” chant and everyone seemed real happy to see you.

It gave me goose bumps. I almost was overtaken by it. After the year I had last year, I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to emotional things. I started talking on the microphone when I did because if I’d have let [the audience reaction] keep going, I probably would have started crying in the ring. It definitely felt great because you don’t know how people are going to respond.

Any final thoughts?

I hope that I’m able to prove to everyone that I’ve earned a chance to get another opportunity, whether it be with WWE, or TNA, or Ring of Honor or wherever. I hope that I get another opportunity and that I can set the record straight and show the world that I belong in this business and that I have what it takes to become a somebody in this business.

Anyone interested in booking Patrick Brink can contact him at patbrink@gmail.com. or visit myspace.com/patrick_brink.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:46 PM | | Comments (1)
Categories: Q&As
        

August 6, 2009

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 10 winner

Who interfered just as Ron Simmons seemingly was about to break Chris Masters' Masterlock during a Masterlock Challenge?

Answer: Super Crazy

Winner: Chris Leishear was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so today at 4:02.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

This concludes the contest. Congratulations to the 10 winners and thanks to all who participated.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:30 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 9 winner

When Ron Simmons and Butch Reed debuted under masks in WCW as Doom, who was their manager?

Answer: Woman

Winner: Thomas W. Lathroum was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so today at 4:02.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

The final question will be asked later today.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:58 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Meet Ron SImmons trivia contest: Question 8 winner

When Faarooq (Ron Simmons) and Bradshaw formed The Acolytes, what was the name of the faction that they were members of?

Answer: The Ministry of Darkness

Winner: Rick Durkin was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on today at 11:47 a.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 9-10 will be asked later today.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:23 AM | | Comments (0)
        

August 5, 2009

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 7 winner

Who pushed Faarooq (Ron Simmons) aside to become the new leader of the Nation of Domination?

Answer: The Rock

Winner: Tom Strapple was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Wednesday at 11:22 p.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 8-10 will be asked today.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:14 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 6 winner

Which NFL team drafted Ron Simmons?

Answer: Cleveland Browns

Winner: Dwight Burley was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Wednesday at 1:47 p.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 7-10 will be asked between now and Thursday.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:34 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 5 winner

Who was originally scheduled to challenge Vader for the WCW world title on the night that Ron Simmons ended up getting the shot and winning the championship in 1992?

Answer: Sting

Winner: Jim Hayes was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Wednesday at 7:18 a.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 6-10 will be asked between now and Thursday.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:00 AM | | Comments (3)
        

Quick hits on ECW

• The Extreme Rules ECW title match between champion Christian and Tommy Dreamer on Tuesday’s show was fine. Both guys worked hard, but it was difficult to get too emotionally invested because I was pretty certain that the title wasn’t changing hands.

• Now that Christian is likely finished with Dreamer, it will be interesting to see who his next challenger will be. There has been speculation that it will be Vladimir Kozlov, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a three-way program between Christian, Zack Ryder and Shelton Benjamin. Benjamin holds a recent victory over Christian, and Ryder pushed Christian to the limit on last week’s show. Plus, Ryder and Benjamin appeared to be starting a program with each other on The Abraham Washington Show on Tuesday.

• Speaking of which, I’m probably going to get some heat for this, but I don’t think Washington’s segment was as bad this week as they has been. It still wasn’t good, but Washington seemed to be more comfortable and he was at least a little funny. Benjamin, on the other hand, was pretty bad. He was as wooden on the mic as he is smooth in the ring. In all fairness, though, the material written for him was dreadful. When he was handed the script, he should have told the writers to kiss his Smurf.

• I still don’t have a strong opinion on Sheamus. He’s not bad, but I’m not convinced yet that he has “it.”

• It was very telling that there was a recap of last week’s Smackdown instead of Monday’s Raw. It shouldn’t have been a tough decision. Let’s see: Do we go with highlights of the awesome Jeff Hardy-John Morrison match and heated post-match angle with CM Punk and Hardy, or do we go with highlights of Dr. Ken’s ”comedy” and Jeremy Piven plugging Summerfest?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:35 AM | | Comments (24)
        

August 4, 2009

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 4 winner

When Ron Simmons was the leader of the Nation of Domination, what was the name of the biker faction that the NOD feuded with?

Answer: Disciples of Apocalypse

Winner: Steve Wrzesien was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Tuesday at 5:38 p.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 5-10 will be asked between now and Thursday.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:13 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Raw: Too much of a 'Goods' thing is bad

As I was watching the opening segment of Raw Monday night, all I kept thinking was: “Thank God I had a ticket for Raw last week and not this week.”

I was pretty sure that actor Jeremy Piven (Entourage) wouldn't be anywhere near as good of a guest host as Shaquille O'Neal was last week, but I still didn't expect the show to be as bad as it was. Actually, it wasn't really Piven that was the main problem; it was that Dr. Ken guy that he brought with him.

At the risk of sounding unhip, I had no idea who Dr. Ken was before seeing him on Raw. Apparently he was in the movie The Hangover and he also appears in The Goods, the soon-to-be-released film starring Piven that was heavily promoted on Raw. I have friends who swear by The Hangover, but after seeing Dr. Ken’s act, I’m swearing that I'll never watch it. I've had enough of that incredibly annoying and obnoxious individual to last me a lifetime.

When The Miz came out to interrupt Piven and Dr. Ken at the top of the show, I was dying for him to punch Dr. Ken in the face. Miz, who was supposed to be the heel, actually was the only likable guy in the segment. John Cena was out there doing lame comedy - he even stole some of Abraham Washington's rotten material by saying that Miz had "a face for radio" - and Piven couldn't even get the name of the upcoming WWE pay-per-view right, calling it “Summerfest.”

The latter is what happens when you have celebrities who don't know anything about the business hosting the show (previous celebrity hosts Seth Green, ZZ Top and O'Neal are all big wrestling fans). And unlike Saturday Night Live, Raw guest hosts don't get to rehearse with the cast for a week before going live.

With that being said, however, I still like the celebrity guest host format because it’s something different and it potentially exposes WWE to new audiences. Like with any show, some episodes of Raw are going to be better than others. OK, this was one was downright awful, but I’m sure Sgt. Slaughter will get things back on track next week.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

At least someone on the WWE creative team had enough sense to turn Piven and Dr. Ken heel at the end of the program. Judging by the way Dr. Ken was dropped on his head after Cena tossed him over the top rope and several wrestlers failed to sufficiently break his fall, I wonder if he was as annoying backstage as he was on camera. …

After Piven and Dr. Ken double-crossed Cena, Jerry Lawler, sounding surprised and disappointed, said: “All night long these guys have been hilarious, real fan favorites.” “The King” and I must not have been watching the same show. …

When the stipulations were announced for the Cena-Miz main event – it was a lumberjack match, and if Miz lost, he would be banned from Summerfest, er, SummerSlam, and have to leave Raw – I was certain that I knew what was going to happen. Obviously, WWE champion Randy Orton – Cena’s opponent at the SummerSlam pay-per-view on Aug. 23 – would interfere and cost Cena the match. I would have bet anything on it, and that’s why it’s good that I’m not a betting man. Despite the ring being surrounded by heels, Cena still managed to defeat Miz. I’m not sure if this means Miz is moving to another show or if he is being written off TV for some other reason. …

The Triple H versus Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes handicap match was booked exactly the way it should have, with the babyface putting up a good fight before ultimately succumbing. I was all ready to give Triple H credit for doing the right thing, but then he grabbed the microphone while still lying on the mat after the match and proceeded to talk about the loss as if it was a big joke, totally taking away whatever shred of credibility DiBiase and Rhodes had left. Clearly, the angle here is to bring back Shawn Michaels and reunite DX, but that same goal could have been accomplished without burying Legacy. Triple H should have waited to cut his promo until getting to the back, and been more upset about the loss. He should have said that he underestimated Legacy, but he wouldn’t make that mistake again and next time he'll have a partner. …

I have to admit that I did laugh when Triple H said that he couldn’t put Evolution back together because “Orton’s a jerk, Batista gets hurt all the time and Ric Flair is too busy signing autographs at the VFW.” …

Since DX’s return is imminent, I’m just wondering: Is pointing to your crotch and yelling “Suck it!” family friendly? …

It was a rare off-night for Chris Jericho on the stick. He had a hard time spitting out that he was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter (true, by the way), and then he committed a major faux pa when he started to refer to referee Charles Robinson by name. He said, “Charles Rob … uh, the referee.” It would have been a lot less awkward if Jericho would have just said his name and asked forgiveness later for violating one of the silliest rules I have ever heard. …

I was glad to see Jack Swagger score a decisive victory over Evan Bourne. I like Bourne, but Swagger has more main event potential, and the last thing I wanted to see was Swagger doing a losing streak gimmick. …

I didn’t mind the light-hearted comedy with Mark Henry and Hornswoggle. WWE is trying to get Henry over as a smiling, fun-loving babyface who can flip a switch and tear the heads off the heels if they cross him. Hopefully, WWE eventually will follow-up on Henry pinning Orton five weeks ago by giving him a shot at the WWE title (if Orton still has the belt after SummerSlam). …

Gail Kim got pinned again. Sure, why not?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:35 PM | | Comments (62)
        

August 3, 2009

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 3 winner

Who asked Ron Simmons to be the best man at his wedding, which took place on an episode of Smackdown in 2007?

Answer: Theodore Long

Winner: Dennis Robinson was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Monday at 8:46 p.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 4-10 will be asked between now and Thursday.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:30 PM | | Comments (0)
        

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 2 winner

As a member of the tag team Doom, which team did Ron Simmons and partner Butch Reed defeat to win the NWA/WCW tag team title?

Answer: The Steiner Brothers

Winner: Tony Taranto was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Monday at 12:17 p.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 3-10 will be asked between now and Thursday.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:00 PM | | Comments (0)
        

August 2, 2009

Meet Ron Simmons trivia contest: Question 1 winner

When Ron Simmons debuted in the WWF as Faarooq, who was his manager?

Answer: Sunny

Winner: Jason Roberson was the first to e-mail me the correct answer. He did so on Sunday at 7:27 p.m. He wins a general admission ticket to the Maryland Championship Wrestling show on Friday at the New Green Room in Dundalk, a pre-show meeting and photo opportunity with Simmons and an 8 x 10 photo of him.

Questions 2-10 will be asked between now and Thursday.


Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:08 PM | | Comments (1)
        

Smackdown: John Morrison seeks, CM Punk destroys

Friday night’s episode of Smackdown was about two things: establishing John Morrison as a legitimate main event babyface, and putting an exclamation point on CM Punk’s methodical heel turn.

Mission accomplished on both fronts.

The common denominator in the showcasing of Morrison and Punk was Smackdown’s top star, Jeff Hardy. He successfully defended his newly won world heavyweight championship against Morrison in an excellent, pay-per-view quality match that I was fortunate enough to have witnessed live at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. After the match, Hardy was the victim of a vicious beat-down by Punk.

In pushing Hardy to the limit (including kicking out of a Swanton Bomb) in such an entertaining match, Morrison perhaps gained more credibility with the fans than he did with his two recent victories over Punk. While the live crowd clearly favored Hardy, they didn’t dislike Morrison. The fact that Hardy put Morrison over in his promo at the top of the show also conveyed the message that Morrison is a guy the fans should get behind.

Viewers barely had time to catch their breath after Hardy defeated Morrison when Punk’s music hit and the former champ made his way down to the ring. The look on Hardy’s face was priceless, as he rolled his eyes at the prospect of having to deal with the annoying Punk after just surviving his first title defense.

Punk raised Hardy’s arm and saluted him, while a wary Hardy never took his eyes off of Punk. Punk then got a microphone and began to address Hardy: “You know, Jeff, these past few weeks …” Suddenly, Punk smashed Hardy over the head with the mic and proceeded to brutalize him for the several minutes. Punk then declared that he was invoking his rematch clause and would face Hardy for the title on next week’s show. Punk got massive heat for all of this.

From start to finish, the Punk heel turn has been brilliantly executed, and the Smackdown creative team, headed by Michael Hayes, deserves a lot of praise. During Punk’s tweener phase, a lot of what Punk said and did had a degree of ambiguity, as Jim Ross often pointed out in commentary.

As it began to look more and more like Punk had become a full-fledged heel, one final swerve was thrown in to make fans question whether Punk was really turning or if he was just a babyface who temporarily had lost his way (ala Shawn Michaels in past story lines with Hulk Hogan, Batista, Chris Jericho and JBL).

On Friday’s show, a clip was shown that took place after Sunday’s Night of Champion’s pay-per-view went off the air. In it, Punk offered his hand after losing the title to Hardy, and Hardy reluctantly accepted it. Also during Friday’s show, Punk did a backstage interview in which he noted that, like Hardy, he also has a lot of fans that he doesn’t want to let down.

In another subtle move, Punk gave Morrison a quick pat on the back as their paths crossed on the ramp after the Hardy-Morrison match. When Punk got in the ring and raised Hardy’s arm, every person watching was waiting for Punk to clothesline Hardy – a move that is staple of heel turns. When that didn’t happen and Punk began speaking to Hardy in an apologetic tone, you almost believed that Punk was sincere. That’s what made the microphone shot to the head and the ensuing attack have even more of an impact.

And just to make sure it was clear that Punk had gone all the way over to the dark side, he began to walk away after laying out Hardy, thought about it for a couple seconds, and then went back and took some more shots at the defenseless Hardy.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

Another element of the Punk-Hardy angle that I really liked was that Hardy didn’t come off like a naïve babyface. He never really bought Punk’s act. …

After Punk announced that he was going to face Hardy for the title next week and the Smackdown taping ended, Punk got on the mic again and said that, on second thought, he wasn’t going to wait until then. He said that he was demanding to wrestle Hardy for the title right now, and that it was going to be in a steel cage (a cage match between Hardy and Punk had been advertised locally as the main event of the card). As it turned out, building the cage took more time than the match. After Hardy kicked out of the GTS, he hit the Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb to pin Punk after about three minutes. The crowd popped huge for Hardy’s win, and I got the sense that a lot of fans didn’t realize that Smackdown was off the air and that there was no way the title was going to change hands. …

Coincidentally, Smackdown also was held in Baltimore right after Hardy won the WWE title back in December. I think he cut pretty much the exact same promo on this show as he did then, about how he was dedicating the title to all the rejects and outcasts like himself. I noticed that he got some boos when he said that everyone “just said no to being force-fed Punk’s point of view,” and that the “world would be boring if everyone was like Punk.” Hardy also said that his life “was cool.” I can’t imagine parents in attendance feeling too thrilled about that message. When Hardy added that everyone “has the God-given right to choose to be who we want to be,” he came off sounding just as preachy as Punk. …

Morrison still needs to get better on his promos. The one he cut backstage before his match against Hardy sounded like he was reciting lines rather than speaking with any real emotion. …

There was no doubt that Cryme Tyme was going to defeat The Hart Dynasty when it was announced that the winner of their match would get a shot at WWE unified tag team champions Chris Jericho and The Big Show at the SummerSlam pay-per-view on Aug. 23. WWE obviously had started the build for a Jericho/Big Show-Cryme Tyme program on Raw Monday. Plus, Jericho and Big Show’s heel versus heel match against Legacy at Night of Champions didn’t get over, so there was no way WWE was going that route again. …

Jericho and Big Show were great on the mic when confronting Cryme Tyme. Big Show wearing a suit like Jericho is a nice touch. Having two strong singles wrestlers holding the tag title definitely elevates the championship, but it’s still a shame to see a guy as talented as Jericho wrestling in a tag match against Cryme Tyme at a big event such as SummerSlam. …

I was disappointed that Dolph Ziggler was pinned by Rey Mysterio during the tag match that also involved Mike Knox and Finlay. With Ziggler coming off a loss to Mysterio at Night of Champions, a win here would have sent a message that Ziggler is for real. I was encouraged by the fact that Ross pointed out that Ziggler proved at NOC that he “can hunt with the big dogs” and that he had more near falls than Mysterio did in that match. Perhaps the story will be that Ziggler’s persistence pay offs and he ends up scoring a big victory over Mysterio at some point. …

The cross-body block that the huge Knox hit on the diminutive Mysterio made for a great visual. …

The women’s tag match that saw Melina and Eve Torres defeat Michelle McCool and Layla wasn’t bad. Melina’s Last Call finisher – which she used to counter McCool’s Faith Breaker – looked really good.

Note: Sorry this wasn't posted earlier. I had family obligations all day Saturday.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:27 PM | | Comments (26)
        

August 1, 2009

TNA Impact: Hernandez’s statement trumps Bobby Lashley’s

Bobby Lashley was established as the top threat to the Main Event Mafia Thursday night on TNA Impact, but that wasn’t the biggest development on the show in my opinion.

That honor goes to Hernandez taking a major step forward in becoming a singles star by scoring a clean victory over Samoa Joe. The key will be how this is followed up, but TNA should have a fresh babyface main-eventer on its hands if done correctly.

A singles push for Hernandez has been talked about for a while. He already is over with the fans due to his years as a member of LAX, and having a Latino wrestler in the top tier could help TNA broaden its audience.

As for Lashley, the biggest knock on him in WWE was that he couldn’t cut a decent promo. During his verbal confrontation with Kurt Angle at the top of Thursday’s show, I thought he handled himself well at first, but the longer Lashley talked, the less I liked his promo.

He did come off like a star at the end of the program, however, when he made a dramatic entrance and saved the day.

Lashley had been taken out by the Main Event Mafia in a backstage attack, so his tag team partner, Mick Foley, had to go it alone against Angle and Kevin Nash in the main event (Angle’s world title and Nash’s Legends title were both at stake). Just as Foley was about to tap out to Angle’s anklelock, the lights went out. When they came back on, Sting was in the crowd, which distracted Angle and Nash. Then the lights went out again, and this time when they came on, Lashley was in the ring with a bandage around his head. Lashley hit a spear on Nash, allowing Foley to score the pin and win the Legends title.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

It was the 200th episode of Impact on Spike, which really is a major accomplishment. When TNA was formed in 2002, the odds of it lasting a year – much less seven – and getting a two-hour weekly show in prime time were long. TNA might be a blip on the radar compared to WWE, but that’s inconsequential. Just the fact that there is another company with a cable TV deal and international exposure is a good thing for the industry. ...

TNA made a big deal about this week’s show lasting more than two hours, but the overrun ended up being just four minutes. …

In addition to Hernandez, Matt Morgan also looks to be on the verge of attaining main event status. He and A.J. Styles had a good match in the first of their best-of-three series for a berth in the main event at the Hard Justice pay-per-view. Morgan displayed some good heel mannerisms. I especially liked the spot when Morgan picked Styles up for a side slam, made out like he was looking at his watch, and then just dropped him.

Styles won the match with a breathtaking springboard 450 splash to take a 1-0 lead. I’m hoping that Morgan ends up winning the next two. It appears that Styles is going to have a program with Eric Young, so I expect Young to end up costing Styles the series. …

Styles once again sounded stupid when he said he “never saw it coming” in regard to Young turning on him. Don West rightfully pointed out that “everyone could see that coming.” If I was writing this show, there’s no way I would allow the heel commentator to state the obvious, while a top babyface comes off looking clueless. …

Speaking of making babyfaces look bad (a TNA specialty), the announcers said that Beer Money had attacked Scott Steiner and Booker T. in the back, but when they cut to it, it was Steiner and Booker who were beating on Robert Roode and James Storm. …

I’m not sure I buy Young as a foreign heel, but it is good to see him as the leader of a faction. It’s obvious that he’ll never have a second career as a barber, as his attempt to shave his head in the ring was unsuccessful (he couldn’t seem to get the clippers to work). It’s just as well, because I really don’t think it would be a good look for him. …

The British Invasion winning the IWGP tag team titles from Team 3D was a surprise. Brutus Magnus is starting to grow on me. …

Traci Brooks cut a nice heel promo. She had the line of the night: “This business isn’t made for ladies. It’s made for bitches like me.” …

I was glad to see Tara get a sit-down interview, but I thought it was a little disappointing. It seemed to be more about getting West over than her. …

I’m all for The Motor City Machine Guns getting a story line, but couldn’t Vince Russo have come up with something more original than having them sit in the audience holding up “conspiracy victims” signs? Chris Jericho did that angle more than a decade ago in WCW.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:47 AM | | Comments (22)
        
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The Baltimore Sun's Kevin Eck blogs about professional wrestling. Listen to Eck Wednesdays at 3 p.m. on WNST 1570 AM.
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