• Tuesday’s episode of ECW definitely had an element of unpredictability. In a match between The Hurricane and The Ripper in which an ECW contract for The Ripper was on the line, Hurricane won and unmasked Paul Burchill in the process. So much for that superhero vs. super villain feud that we were all expecting. I’m not sure where this leaves Burchill and Katie Lea, but you would think they have to go to either Raw or Smackdown at this point. The other surprise occurred during the match between Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. William Regal interfered on Jackson’s behalf and cost Kozlov the match. Regal and Jackson then beat-down Kozlov. That’s two times now that an apparent babyface turn for Jackson has ended up being a swerve. I’m guessing WWE goes the Great Khali route with Kozlov and tries to transform him into a lovable big oaf. Get ready for the return of the “I love Double Double E” catchphrase.

• The unpredictability did not extend to the main event, as Kane scored a decisive victory over Zack Ryder in an ECW Homecoming qualifying match. Other than the fact that former ECW wrestlers who are now on other brands could compete in the tournament, I didn’t quite follow Tiffany’s explanation of how the thing worked. Luckily, wwe.com posted the following: “Throughout the next four weeks, the ECW General Manager will invite former ECW Superstars to compete with current ECW Superstars in The ECW Homecoming. Sixteen Superstars will compete one-on-one and eight will advance to The Homecoming Finale, featuring an Over-the-Top Rope Challenge on the Jan. 12 edition of ECW on Syfy. The winner of the Challenge will receive an ECW Title Match against Christian at Royal Rumble!” I like the concept, but I hope all the current ECW wrestlers won’t be buried.

• It was a nice touch when Gregory Helms walked away after interviewing Burchill and his cape was sticking out from under his jacket.

• Tony Atlas was a riot during The Abraham Washington Show. “Mr. USA” hasn’t been this over since he pinned Hulk Hogan at Madison Square Garden in 1981.

• Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft used a new finisher this week, a cool-looking neckbreaker/powerbomb combination. They need a manager (if managers still existed) or a valet to enhance their act.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

When Dennis Miller dropped Bret Hart’s name on Raw Monday night, I figured there was a good chance that “The Hitman” would be the guest host for the Jan. 4 Raw that goes head to head with Hulk Hogan’s debut on a live, three-hour TNA Impact. What I didn’t expect was that Hart would return to WWE for more than a one-night-only appearance.

According to a Wrestling Observer report, Hart has signed a short-term talent contract with WWE that takes effect Jan. 1 and runs through the second week of April. WrestleMania XXVI takes place on March 28.

Hart’s return as an on-air character would make for compelling television, to say the least. Twelve years after the “Montreal Screwjob,” a scripted feud between Hart and Mr. McMahon could finally play out on WWE programming. It also would be interesting to see what – if any – story line interaction Hart would have with Shawn Michaels and Triple H, or if he’d have an opportunity to give a rub to The Hart Dynasty.

Unfortunately, what the 52-year-old Hart can do from a physical standpoint is limited. One would think that WWE would want him to do at least one match (likely against McMahon), but Hart hasn’t wrestled in 10 years due to suffering multiple concussions in 1999 and a stroke in 2002. Still, getting Hart back in the fold in any capacity to counter Hogan’s TNA debut and build to a WrestleMania angle would be a huge coup for WWE.

Will it make Hart look like a hypocrite to work again for WWE, especially if he participates in an angle playing off Montreal? Of course. But on the other hand, Hart coming back as a talent for a few months could actually result in closure, not only for Hart but also for the others who were involved in the “Screwjob.”

As I wrote a few months ago when The Wrestling Observer first reported that Hart was in talks with WWE about returning, if Hart, McMahon, Michaels and Triple H are going to work together, I think they should all sit down in a room together, talk things out and agree to be professional moving forward. Perhaps they already have.

The main thing is for Hart and Michaels to come to some type of understanding. They are no longer the two golden boys of WWE competing for McMahon’s favor, and no matter who was right or wrong in 1997, 12 years is more than long enough to hold a grudge. This will be an opportunity for Hart to show that he is not the bitter egomaniac that some perceive him to be, and for Michaels to show that he is not the same immature prima dona that he admits to being back in the day.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (51)
        

Here's a link to a story I wrote for today's Live! section of The Baltimore Sun about WWE's "Tribute to the Troops show," which will air at 9 p.m. Saturday on NBC.

To read the story, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
        

And the Slammy Award for worst host of any awards show ever goes to … Dennis Miller for his performance on Raw!

I always look forward to three-hour episodes of Raw, but Miller’s presence on the Slammy Awards Monday night was a bigger buzz-kill than CM Punk at dollar beer night.

Now I don’t want to get off on a rant here, but I have always found Miller to be annoying, obnoxious and not the least bit funny. His idea of comedy consists largely of dropping obscure pop culture references to try and prove that he is smarter than all of us. Remember his ill-advised stint as a color commentator on “Monday Night Football” years ago? Mute buttons in living rooms all over the country were being worn out due to overuse.

On Raw, Miller was awful from the second he walked onto the stage, as he delivered a monologue that stunk worse than Big Dick Johnson’s gym socks. Miller’s “jokes” were met with total silence – well, unless you count the forced chuckles coming from the announce table. I was begging for Abraham Washington to come out and save the show.

Not only was the material not funny, but the political nature of it was inappropriate for the setting. Miller, a conservative, took shots at President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Michael Moore. He also told Al Sharpton to “suck it” and ridiculed the concept of global warming. The lone joke poking fun at Republicans was visual, as the heads of George Bush and Dick Cheney were superimposed on the bodies of DX. Of course that’s not a personal attack like the other stuff, but I guess that’s what Miller, a regular contributor on Fox News Channel, considers fair and balanced.

It’s ironic that in a skit with Chris Jericho later on the show, Miller said that Jericho was “an energy black hole” and that he “sucks the vibe out of the show in favor of his agenda.”

If the late, great Gorilla Monsoon were alive today, he no doubt would have said “you resemble that remark” to Miller.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

There were several interesting name-drops and teases sprinkled throughout the program. Perhaps the biggest shocker was when Vince McMahon asked Miller who he would like to see host the show, and Miller said “Bret Hart.” McMahon basically said that it would never happen, but he did so in such a way that led you to believe that it very well could happen. I wonder if “The Hitman” has any plans for Jan. 4?

Shawn Michaels, when accepting the Slammy for his Match of the Year with The Undertaker, challenged “The Dead Man” to face him in a rematch at WrestleMania XXVI. I think it’s a swerve, however. I still believe it will be Undertaker-Cena and Michaels-Triple H at WrestleMania.

When Chris Jericho accepted the award for tag team of the year, he noted that his partnership with The Big Show was made possible because of Edge’s injury. If Edge is healthy enough to make it back in time, there’s another WrestleMania match.

Jeff Hardy also was mentioned a few times on the show, and he even won a Slammy award (for Extreme Moment of the Year). The Shocker of the Year was Hardy having to retire after losing a steel cage match to Punk. …

While it is a little silly to determine Superstar of the Year by having a one-night tournament between the four nominees, I liked the twist because it meant that we were getting three marquee matches. Plus, the results of the Slammy Awards really aren’t mean to be taken that seriously anyway. …

When the brackets were announced for the Superstar of the Year competition (John Cena vs. Punk, The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton), I figured it was going to be Cena vs. Orton in the finals, with Cena winning – and that’s exactly what happened. Earlier in the show, Cena vowed that he was not going to lose another match on his road to regaining the WWE title, so that pretty much gave away the results. I also knew we weren’t getting Cena vs. The Undertaker at this point. I assumed Orton would defeat The Undertaker due to outside interference (which he did, thanks to Legacy), but I thought for sure it would be Batista who got involved. …

Some people are probably going to complain about WWE putting on another Cena-Orton match, but I didn’t mind it. At least it wasn’t a pay-per-view main event or a title match. Plus, they always work well together and it was a good match. …

I get it that Cena had to be put over strong one night after losing the WWE title to Sheamus, but Punk deserved better than having to tap out in a match that didn’t even last two minutes. …

Cena cut an awesome promo in which he talked about being disappointed that he let people down and how determined he is to not let it happen again. …

My first thought when Cena said that he wasn’t going to lose before regaining the title was that, unlike Jack Swagger, he’ll probably make good on his promise. By the way, Swagger couldn’t even get a cameo appearance on the three-hour show. …

When handing Michaels the Match of the Year award, Triple H said that he knew first-hand how good the Michaels-Undertaker match was because “I had to follow it and I didn’t stand a chance.” Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but I think that line was scripted as part of the build for Michaels-Triple H at WrestleMania. Michaels has amassed all these WrestleMania moments, but Triple H has yet to have his, so what better way for him to get it than by facing “Mr. WrestleMania” in a singles match. …

Fans booed when the DX-Jeri-Show tag team title match ended in a matter of seconds because DX got intentionally disqualified for shoving down the referee. However, once they realized that DX had pulled one over on Jericho (that was the only rematch for Jeri-Show, and now Jericho has to leave Raw), they cheered. …

What was with McMahon insulting the crowd? Then again, they did boo when Bob Barker was announced as Raw Guest Host of the Year, so they probably deserved to be insulted. Who boos Bob Barker? …

McMahon said that the guest host format was his vision. Wasn’t it Donald Trump’s? …

When introducing Triple H, Miller referred to him as “The Show” instead of “The Game.” Triple H responded by calling Miller “Dennis Milburn.” …

Batista was wearing a bright pink shirt when he interrupted Maria’s acceptance speech for Diva of the Year and started complaining about being the victim of a screwjob at the TLC pay-per-view Sunday night. Hmm. A bitter guy wearing pink whining about being screwed. Nah, it’s too easy. …

Speaking of Maria, I was quite surprised that she won the wwe.com voting for Diva of the Year over Mickie James. …

I’m not sure what the point was of the seven-on-seven match between the divas, who were all dressed in evening gowns. James and Rosa Mendes were the only two women to get into the match, and James pinned her in about a minute. …

I’m not sure if it was Michael Cole or Matt Striker, but one of them made a crack about James getting her outfit at Lane Bryant (a women’s clothing store for plus sizes). Enough already with the jokes about James’ weight. …

Cole jumping around and hugging Big Dick Johnson after winning the “Oh My” Moment of the Year (for vomiting on Jericho on Smackdown’s 10th Anniversary show) was just weird. His verbal jabs at Jim Ross almost made it seem as if he was turning heel. …

Why is the Big Dick Johnson character still around? It’s never been funny and it certainly isn’t family friendly. …

It was fitting that on an episode that had a train-wreck quality to it, The Great Khali and Vladimir Kozlov were actually in the ring together as opponents. In a six-man tag match, Khali joined forces with Kane and Christian. You may remember that it was Kane who put Khali out of action with a vicious attack a few months ago. OK, you probably don’t remember it, so you’ll just have to trust me. Christian explained that his partners decided to “put their differences aside” for one night. Yes it’s bad booking, but it’s not like anyone wanted to see another chapter in the Kane-Khali feud anyway. …

Yoshi Tatsu got a surprising pop when he was tagged into the six-man tag match that saw Tatsu, John Morrison and Mark Henry defeat Zack Ryder, Drew McIntyre and The Miz. Since Tatsu is on ECW, I didn’t think that many people in the crowd would even know who he was. The finish to the match was laugh-out-loud funny. Ryder did his “woo, woo, woo” deal to Tatsu, who immediately kicked him in the head and pinned him.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (126)
        

Here’s the complete list of Slammy Award winners from Monday night's episode of Raw:

Superstar of the Year: John Cena

Extreme Moment of the Year: Jeff Hardy jumps from ladder onto CM Punk

Shocker of the Year: CM Punk forces Jeff Hardy to retire after steel cage match victory

Match of the Year: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania

The “Oh My” Moment of the Year: Michael Cole vomits on Chris Jericho at Smackdown’s 10th Anniversary

Diva of the Year: Maria

Breakout Star of the Year: Sheamus

Tag Team of the Year: Jeri-Show

Raw Guest Host of the Year: Bob Barker

Note: Check back later this morning for my thoughts on Raw.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

Here are all the nominees and my picks for the Slammy Awards, which will be handed out tonight on a special three-hour episode of Raw that will be hosted by Dennis Miller.

My selections are based on who I think should win, not necessarily who I think will win.

SUPERSTAR OF THE YEAR
• The Undertaker
• John Cena
• Randy Orton
• CM Punk
My pick: Orton

EXTREME MOMENT OF THE YEAR
• Kofi Kingston lands a Boom Drop on Randy Orton at MSG
• Big Show chokeslams John Cena into arena spotlight at Backlash
• Jeff Hardy jumps from ladder onto CM Punk at SummerSlam
• Triple H invades Randy Orton’s home
My pick: Hardy jumps from ladder onto Punk at SummerSlam

SHOCKER OF THE YEAR
• Batista turns against former friend Rey Mysterio
• Randy Orton DDTs Stephanie and forces Triple H to watch
• CM Punk forces Jeff Hardy to retire after steel cage match victory
• Sheamus slams Raw host Mark Cuban through a table
My pick: Orton DDTs Stephanie and forces Triple H to watch

MATCH OF THE YEAR
• Jeff Hardy vs. Edge ladder match at Extreme Rules
• Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania
• John Cena vs. Randy Orton “I Quit” match at Breaking Point
• Team Raw vs. Team Smackdown at Bragging Rights
My pick: Michaels vs. Undertaker

THE “OH MY” MOMENT OF THE YEAR
• Chris Masters performs special “dancing pecs” routine for Osbournes
• Shawn Michaels superkicks little girl in cafeteria
• Michael Cole vomits on Chris Jericho at Smackdown’s 10th Anniversary
• Santino Marella accidentally nails Vickie Guerrero with a pie
My pick: Masters’ “dancing pecs”

DIVA OF THE YEAR
• All divas are eligible. This is the only award that will be determined by fan voting.
My pick: Maryse, although there’s no way anyone is beating Mickie James in a popularity contest

BREAKOUT STAR OF THE YEAR• Ysohi Tatsu
• Drew McIntyre
• Sheamus
• Abraham Washington
My pick: Abraham Washington … No, I’m just playin’ (cue Tony Atlas laughing). McIntyre.

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
• Jeri-Show
• DX
• Legacy
• The Hart Dynasty
My pick: Jeri-Show

RAW GUEST HOST OF THE YEAR
• Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne
• Bob Barker
• Seth Green
• Shaquille O’Neal
My pick: Bob Barker, come on down!

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

In my preview for Sunday night’s TLC pay-per-view, I wrote that it “would be insane” for WWE to book Sheamus to win the WWE title from John Cena.

I guess the whole word has gone mad – well, at least the WWE Universe has – because Sheamus is your new WWE champion. I can’t believe I actually typed that last sentence.

The old saying about being careful what you wish for must be true. Like a lot of fans, I wanted to see some fresh faces in the main event picture, but Sheamus certainly wasn’t at the top of my list. In fact, he wasn’t even on my list.

I don’t know how valid the stories are about Sheamus getting his mega-push because he is Triple H’s workout buddy, but the “Celtic Warrior” shooting past at least a half-dozen more deserving guys (in my opinion) and defeating the company’s top star for the title certainly won’t do anything to quell those rumors.

The result of the Sheamus-Cena match slightly dampened my enthusiasm for the rest of the show, but TLC was decent overall. There were no bad matches, but no extraordinary ones, either. As far as the other booking decisions, I didn’t care for the finish to The Undertaker-Batista match, and I think the wrong person went over in the women’s match.

In addition to Sheamus’ championship victory, fellow upstart Drew McIntyre won the Intercontinental title, and DX captured their first tag team title.

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

DX defeated WWE unified tag team champions Chris Jericho and The Big Show in a tables match to win the title: This was a good match and there some nice spots, but no one will be talking abut it in the same breath as the Edge and Christian/Hardys/Dudleys classic TLC matches. One of the cool spots saw Shawn Michaels and Triple H double-suplex a ladder onto a prone Jericho. In another, Triple H had his leg trapped in the rungs of a ladder and was hanging upside down in the corner when Michaels was tossed upside down into him. That was followed by a splash by The Big Show onto Triple H. It’s always a challenge to do something new in this type of match, but they managed to do so. After Big Show destroyed one of the last remaining ladders (the ladder was broken into two parts), Jericho steadied himself on his partner’s shoulders and tried to retrieve the belts that were suspended above the ring. Michaels, however, hit Sweet Chin Music on Big Show and Jericho went flying over the top rope. He was supposed to go through a tabled that had been set up outside the ring, but he was off the mark and sold that he slammed his head into it. Triple H then grabbed one half of the ladder and held it steady for Michaels to climb up and grab the belts for the win at the 22-minute mark. DX’s victory was not unexpected, and the result became more obvious by the fact that it went on last and only two babyfaces had gone over by that point. I expect DX’s reign to be short one, because Michaels reportedly has no desire to work Smackdown tapings in addition to Raw.

World heavyweight champion The Undertaker defeated Batista in a chairs match: These two have had some really good matches in the past, but this one was just OK. Chairs were used sparingly, which I didn’t see as a negative. At the 13-minute mark, Batista gave The Undertaker a low blow behind the referee’s back and then nailed him with a chair shot to the head (Undertaker did get a hand up to protect himself). The referee made the three count and Batista was announced as the new champion. As Batista was walking back up the ramp, Smackdown general manager Teddy Long appeared on the stage and ordered the match to be restarted because of the low blow. Immediately after the restart, Undertaker hit Batista in the back with a chair and delivered a Tombstone piledriver to retain his title. I have always hated when decisions are randomly overturned because a heel broke the rules to win. Shouldn’t just about every match won by a heel be restarted then? It was suggested in commentary that Long was trying to do right by The Undertaker after double-crossing him a few months ago, which at least makes sense. The finish also necessitates the need for a rematch and plays into the story line of Batista’s frustration boiling over due to the title eluding him time and again. Look for Batista to win the championship in the rematch, which could take place on Smackdown or at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view next month.

Sheamus defeated WWE champion John Cena in a tables match to win the title: The anti-Cena fans made their presence known and there was even a tepid “Let’s go Sheamus” chant early. The match built to a spot in which Cena was attempting to superplex Sheamus through a table that he had set up in the ring. Cena appeared to have trouble keeping his balance, and Sheamus pushed him off the ropes and through the table for the win at the 16-minute mark. The crowd was stunned, and Michael Cole said that he was in shock. Jerry Lawler said it best, however, when he said that Cena “has to be embarrassed.” I suppose the “out” here is that it was a tables match, so Cena was beaten for the title without being pinned or forced to submit. I still think it’s absurd that a guy who has defeated the likes of Randy Orton, Triple H, Michaels, Edge, The Big Show, etc., loses the belt to Sheamus, who immediately takes his place alongside Stan “The Man” Stasiak and The Iron Sheik as the most undeserving WWE champions of all time.

Randy Orton defeated Kofi Kingston: If the goal here was to show that Kingston belonged in a pay-per-view match with a top guy, then it was a success. In the best spot of the 13-minute match, Kingston attempted to hit Orton with a flying bodypress off the top rope onto the floor, but Orton caught him in the mid-section with a perfectly timed dropkick as Kingston was on the way down. Kingston sold his ribs after that and was moving a lot slower than usual. When Orton attempted a punt to the head, Kingston got his arm up at the last moment and sold that his arm was hurting badly. Kingston went for the Trouble in Paradise out of nowhere, but Orton ducked and hit the RKO for the victory. Orton going over is the right call. He needed the win after coming out on the short end of his feud with Cena and having Kingston mostly get the better of him in the build for this match. Plus, losing a competitive match to Orton doesn’t hurt Kingston at all.

ECW champion Christian defeated Shelton Benjamin in a ladder match: These two set the bar high by proclaiming on TV that they would steal the show. The 18-minute match, which went on first, was the best of the night, but it was not an instant classic or anything. That’s not meant as a knock on either man’s performance, as they both worked hard and took some high-impact bumps. Approximately four minutes into the match, Christian was busted open hardway after Benjamin tripped him and a ladder landed on top of him as he fell backward. The action abruptly came to a halt as medical personnel tended to Christian and closed up his wound. The fans booed and chanted “We want blood!” I don’t blame them. After all the bloodbaths we have seen in WWE over the years, it looks ridiculous to have medics running in at the first sign of blood. Here’s a thought: If you’re going to have a no-blood policy, don’t have matches in which ladders can be used as weapons. One of the highlights of the match saw Benjamin standing on a ladder, purposefully tipping himself over and then hitting a flying clothesline off of it. In the spot that set up the finish, Christian hit a splash off the top onto Benjamin, who was on his back across a ladder that was bridged between the ring and the announce table. That ladder snapped in two upon impact. From there, Christian got back in the ring, scaled a ladder and retrieved the belt that was been suspended above the ring. Benjamin had the advantage for the majority of the match, but the resilient champion overcame yet another fierce challenge. It’s kind of funny (or sad) that the ECW champion is a much bigger star than the WWE champion.

Drew McIntyre defeated Intercontinental champion John Morrison to win the title: I’m slightly surprised that McIntyre won the title on his first attempt, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea. To me, McIntyre has more of “it” than Sheamus. McIntyre picked up the win after he poked Morrison in the eye and then hit his double-underhook DDT finisher.

WWE women’s champion Michelle McCool defeated Mickie James: Unless this program is being extended and James is eventually getting the title, I’m perplexed by this result. After all that “Piggy James” stuff that James was subjected to on television, you mean to tell me the heels (McCool and Layla) are actually going to get the last laugh over the most popular woman on the roster? The match was good. McCool and James both showed a lot of intensity and it really came across as a grudge match. The crowd was into it, too, and it seemed like McCool had real heat rather than go-away heat. I think the “Piggy James” skit had something to do with it. McCool got the pin after she kicked James hard in the face following a distraction from Layla.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (63)
        

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

WWE unified tag team champions Chris Jericho and The Big Show vs. DX in a TLC match: I’m not sure if this is the “official” main event, but it is in my opinion. Judging by the way Jericho and Big Show laid out DX on Raw and the fact that one of the selling points has been that DX has never been tag team champions, I think Shawn Michaels and Triple H win the belts. The only problem is that I think a lot of people are expecting it to happen, which means there’s always a chance that WWE will go the other way – but I don’t think so.

World heavyweight champion The Undertaker vs. Batista in a chairs match: I think it’s a pretty safe bet that Batista is getting the title in the near future. The question is just how soon it will happen. I have a feeling tonight’s the night. Batista has been rejuvenated as a heel and it wouldn’t make sense to kill his momentum.

WWE champion John Cena vs. Sheamus in a tables match: It’s one thing for WWE to give Sheamus a prominent spot on the card, but it’s another for him to actually defeat the company’s top star for the title. That would be insane. I expect Cena to win but Sheamus to be booked to look strong in defeat.

Kofi Kingston vs. Randy Orton: This is the only match on the show in which a title is not at stake, but it’s still one of the most compelling. It’s Kingston’s highest profile match to date. Win or lose, he has to come out of it looking like he’s on Orton’s level if he is to be taken seriously as a near-the-top guy. I figure Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes will get involved in some form. Unless it’s a swerve, it looks as if the expected Orton-DiBiase program is off the books for now, so I’m guessing Orton escapes with a win due to Legacy’s interference.

ECW champion Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin in a ladder match: Christian and Benjamin have been selling this match on TV as the show-stealer, and if given the proper time, it very well could be. I’m going with Christian to retain the title.

Intercontinental champion John Morrison vs. Drew McIntyre: I have a hunch that this is going to have an inconclusive finish. It’s probably not time yet for McIntyre to win the title, but I don’t think he should be beaten yet either. I’m thinking double disqualification.

WWE women’s champion Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James: After the way McCool and Layla have taunted and humiliated James on TV, James has to win the title tonight, doesn’t she? Well, it wouldn’t surprise me if she didn’t, but I’m predicting she will.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)
        

Loafers Bar and Grill in Catonsville will be hosting a viewing party Sunday night for WWE's TLC pay-per-view.

There is no cover charge. For more information, call 410-719-2121.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

John Morrison put himself on the wrestling map with his spectacular acrobatic moves, but his movement up the card has stalled because of his inability to cut main event-level promos.

On Friday night’s episode of Smackdown, however, Morrison did perhaps his best work yet on the mic – and he did it dressed as Mel Gibson’s character (William Wallace) from “Braveheart,” complete with a Scottish accent, face paint, a sword and a kilt.

When I first saw Morrison coming out in the get-up to confront Drew McIntyre, I thought for sure it was going to bomb, but he made it work. Morrison appeared to be having fun with the material and seemed a lot more relaxed than usual delivering his lines. Now the trick is for him to be that smooth when he’s not imitating a movie character.

I thought McIntyre was good, too, and I liked the fact that the brief brawl between he and Morrison looked like a real fight more than a worked one. Overall, the segment did a nice job of selling Sunday’s Morrison-McIntyre Intercontinental match at the TLC pay-per-view.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

I did have a couple nitpicks with the Morrison-McIntyre confrontation, however. One was that it was just a little too convenient that seconds after McIntyre mentioned William Wallace, here comes Morrison in full costume as the character. The other thing I didn’t care for was Morrison making inside references during his promo. For a second, I felt like I was watching TNA Impact. He talked about McIntyre brown-nosing guys such as Ricky Steamboat, Arn Anderson, Irwin R. Schyster and John Laurinaitis. Beyond the fact that a younger segment of the audience may not know those names, an even larger segment probably has no idea that they work behind the scenes as producers. And even fewer people are likely to be familiar with Laurinaitis, the executive vice president of talent relations. ...

Batista continues to impress since turning heel. He cut a good promo to open the show and looked dominant in the main event by scoring another decisive victory over Rey Mysterio, this time in a Street Fight. The post-match angle saw Undertaker gain a measure of revenge by attacking Batista with a chair. “The Animal” escaped, however, before Undertaker could do serious damage, whetting the appetite for their world heavyweight title match at TLC. ...

I’m not sure why WWE called the Batista-Mysterio match a Street Fight. I guess I’m old school, because my idea of a Street Fight is two guys in jeans and cowboys boots whipping each other with leather belts and pulling out all the stops. This was just two guys in tights basically doing a pretty tame no-disqualification match. ...

I liked the tag team match in which CM Punk and Luke Gallows defeat Matt Hardy and R-Truth. Gallows was put over as a monster. I wouldn’t mind seeing Hardy and R-Truth as a regular tag team. It’s not like their singles careers are on fire at the moment. Plus, the unified tag team belts actually mean something now, so being in a tag team is not a dead end. ...

I was surprised that Mike Knox lost to Kane for the second straight week. Why not let Knox win one and give him a chance to get over by participating in a competitive program? ...

Todd Grisham said during Mickie James’ match that she “brings home the bacon,” an obvious reference to the “Piggy James” deal. Grisham is a babyface announcer, so he never should have made a remark that belittles a babyface and validates the heels’ insults. Matt Striker got one in as well when he said that James’ hat “smelled like bacon bits.” He plays a subtle heel, so I didn’t have a problem with him doing it.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

I’m guessing that a lot of people probably hated Thursday night’s episode of TNA Impact. When Kevin Nash was put in charge of the show (in the story line) and he announced the lineup for the evening, I thought I would hate it, too. But, God help me, I actually found it entertaining.

At one point, Mike Tenay remarked that the show – which featured a man vs. woman match, a mud wrestling match, a women’s Trailer Park Throwdown (the competitors had to down a six-pack of beer before the match) and a TNA title match awarded to the highest bidder – had Nash’s fingerprints all over it. Of course, the truth is that it was Vince Russo’s fingerprints.

Russo’s irreverent “Crash TV” often misses the mark, but not this time. The show never dragged, and you can’t ask for more than that. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t want to see this kind of show every week. I do like shows that feature in-ring action, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea to mix things up.

The best part of the show was the footage of Mick Foley trying to track down Jeff Jarrett in Tennessee. Not much happened in the first couple segments, but Foley has the ability to make even the mundane watchable. The payoff was good, as Foley found a scruffy Jarrett sitting at a bar and convinced him to return to the Impact Zone next week.

Foley and Jarrett spoke in vague terms about TNA president Dixie Carter mistreating Jarrett and how “the punishment did not fit the crime.” When discussing coming back, Jarrett also asked “What about Kurt?” Yes, TNA is going there.

Personally, I think a Jarrett-Angle feud playing off their real-life issues (Jarrett is in a relationship with Angle’s ex-wife) could be really good.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

With all the gimmick matches on the program, it has to be considered a major upset that there wasn’t a pole match. ...

I suppose the politically correct thing to do would be to condemn the mud wrestling match between Lacey Von Erich and Velvet Sky (refereed by Madison Rayne), but as a red-blooded male, I just can’t do it. The “match” was actually tamer than I thought it would be. The mud made it difficult for the women to keep their balance, so they were slipping all over the place. In other words, Von Erich gave her typical performance. ...

I find it funny that TNA used to promote its women as more athletic and skilled than WWE’s divas, and now the Knockouts are wrestling in mud, which is the kind of thing the divas don’t do anymore. ...

The ODB-Tara Trailer Park Throwdown – which was won by ODB – was a fun weapons match. Yes, I do see the irony of Tara participating in a match in which she had to drink a six-pack of beer before competing a week after she said she left WWE because she was treated as a joke and wanted real competition. ...

There were a number of funny lines on the show, but one of the funniest had to be when Taz said that “Nash has a future booking wrestling matches.” Anyone who remembers Nash’s tenure as the leader of the booking committee in WCW in 1999 knows just how hilarious it really is. ...

Another good Taz line occurred during the ODB-Tara match. After Tara hit ODB low with a kendo stick, he said, “Would that even really hurt? Well, who knows with ODB.” ...

It only lasted about two seconds, but Russo and writing partner Ed Ferrara had a cameo when Foley was searching the TNA offices for Jarrett. As anyone who reads this blog regularly knows, I’m not a big fan of Russo as a booker, but I did find him entertaining as a performer in WCW (although not in large doses). I wouldn’t mind seeing him back on TV as a character, but only if he gave up his writing position. We don’t need to see Russo booking himself as world champion again. ...

When Foley mentioned that he couldn’t be fired under any circumstances, he said that he could even say “Gewirtz” on television. That was a reference to Raw head writer Brian Gewirtz, which reportedly was the name that was bleeped out on last week’s show when Foley was asked who the smartest person he knows is. Like a lot of stuff in TNA, I’m sure only a small percentage of viewers got the reference. ...

I’m glad the A.J. Styles-Desmond Wolfe match – which Styles won after Wolfe was distracted by Daniels – for the TNA world title lasted only five minutes. Actually, that may have been five minutes too long. Styles-Wolfe is a marquee matchup, and their first meeting shouldn’t be given away on free TV. ...

The Eric Young-Hamada match was entertaining for what it was. I liked that Young had to win with his feet on the ropes. It gets heat on him because he cheated to beat a woman, and it makes Hamada look tough for holding her own and losing under those circumstances. ...

Normally, I wouldn’t be in favor of one guy beating three – especially when two of the three are the tag team champions – but I liked Chris Sabin overcoming the odds and defeating all three members of The British Invasion. It worked because Rob Terry was the one who did the job. ...

Scott Steiner was hilarious on this show. When Christy Hemme was interviewing him, for some reason she put her hand on his chest, and he grabbed it and pushed it lower. Then after she asked a question that he didn’t like, he said, “You’ve replaced JB [Jeremy Borash] and you’re already [ticking] me off!’ The best, however, was when he threatened to beat up Bobby and Kristal Lashley’s son. “Isn’t he two?” Hemme asked. “No, he one and a half,” Steiner replied. “I don’t discriminate against age. I’ll beat anybody up.” ...

TNA pushed the envelope at the end of the mixed tag match that pitted the Lashleys against Steiner and Awesome Kong. Steiner covered Kristal for the pin in a very suggestive manner, and then took it a step further by doing push-ups on top of her. Again, it’s not politically correct, but I found it humorous because it was just so over the top. ...

By the way, how is it that Nash was able to book Kristal Lashley in a match? Is she a TNA talent? Wait, let me rephrase that. Is she on the TNA roster? ...

“Black Machismo” Jay Lethal cut an awesome promo. His Randy Savage impersonation seemed even more spot-on than usual.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

• I thought Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars was above average. All three matches – Jack Swagger vs. MVP, Dolph Ziggler vs. Finlay, and The Hart Dynasty vs. Jimmy Wang Yang and Slam Master J – were good.

• Swagger’s performance on the mic and in his victory over MVP – which went about 12 minutes – reminded me of just how good this kid is. Not to beat a dead horse, but I would be a lot more excited about John Cena’s WWE title defense Sunday at the TLC pay-per-view if Swagger was the challenger instead of Sheamus. I like the fact that Swagger went over, since the win probably benefits him more than MVP at this point. Swagger still has a big upside, while MVP – unfortunately – probably isn’t ever going to be any higher on the card than he is now.

• There was a lot of referencing of Swagger’s lisp – MVP mentioned it in a promo and Swagger responded in his promo. I really hope his speech impediment does not become a major part of his gimmick.

• There was a sign in the crowd that said: “Swagger Ziggler deserve better.” Amen.

• Ziggler was impressive in his win over Finlay.

• When talking about the effects of chair shots, Matt Striker mentioned a ringing in the ears and seeing a flash of white light. I know he’s trying to sell the TLC show, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. There was a report on espn.com a couple days ago that quoted a doctor specializing in brain research who said that Andrew “Test” Martin had the same damage to his brain that Chris Benoit had, and it was caused by repeated blows to the head.

• I marked out for the spot during the tag match when Natalya body-slammed Yang on the outside of the ring. Also, Tyson Kidd’s finisher – a snapmare into an RKO – looked awesome.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

I watched the footage involving Abyss, Dr. Stevie, Raven and Daffney that was teased on TNA Impact Thursday night before it was eventually decided that it was too graphic for Spike TV. It was announced that the clip would be available on TNA’s Web site.

I figured the idea behind this was to drive traffic to the Web site, and I thought it was a good one. However, when I watched the video, I was surprised that it even aired on the Web site.

I say that not because of how graphic it was, but because of how much it exposed the business (yes, I know that is an outdated term). It looked to me as if the clip was actually of a rehearsal of the stunt that was supposed to take place on Impact later that night.

In the clip, the heels set Abyss on fire. What made it look like a practice run is the fact that Stevie, Raven and Daffney are all in their street clothes, the punches looked extremely soft, and there are a bunch of crew members standing around watching as if it was no big deal that a guy was on fire. Stevie even handed the torch to a stage hand, and you could hear someone doing an exaggerated fake scream in the background.

It reminded me of a video from several years ago that leaked out of WWE doing a dry run in the arena before a pay-per-view of The Undertaker pulling a lever that dropped Paul Bearer into a vat of cement and “buried him alive.”

I wonder if Abyss was truly harmed during the stunt (it sure looked dangerous) and that’s why the angle wasn’t repeated later in the Impact Zone.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Hulk Hogan predicted on a satellite radio show that TNA’s three-hour live Impact on Jan. 4, which goes head-to-head with Raw, will do a 3.0 rating.

Wow, I thought Hogan was smarter than that, brother. He has to know there’s very little chance of TNA coming close to that number, so why set the company up for failure? Why not just say that it’s going to be a great show, they got some big surprises and that their goal is to eventually beat WWE?

The best rating Impact has ever done is a 1.3. I’m not sure the show could get a 3.0 on Jan. 4 even if the people Hogan is bringing with him are The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin and Shane McMahon.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

• I thought Tuesday’s episode of ECW was pretty bland. The best part was the ending to the post-match segment of the Christian, Shelton Benjamin and Yoshi Tatsu versus the Ruthless Roundtable match. With his ECW title belt dangling from the ceiling, Christian put a ladder in the ring and began to climb. Suddenly, Benjamin springboarded off the ropes onto the ladder and climbed up to where he was face to face with Christian. The opponents for Sunday’s ladder match at the TLC pay-per-view each grabbed ahold of the belt as the show went off the air.

• When given the choice of wrestling in the six-man together or facing each other, Vladimir Kozlov chose the former, while Ezekiel Jackson picked the latter. I liked the angle because it got the point across that Kozlov wants no part of Jackson. It also was an attempt to build anticipation for the inevitable Jackson-Kozlov match. Unfortunately, right now the audience doesn’t seem to care if they fight or not.

• Vance Archer’s win over Tommy Dreamer was his first match that wasn’t a squash, but the fans still didn’t react much to Archer.

• Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft have the makings of a decent tag team, but, unfortunately, they don’t have any tag teams on ECW to feud with – at least not at the moment.

• Now that we have masked villain The Ripper and his female sidekick (did they give her a name?) in ECW, perhaps The Hurricane will even up the sides by bringing back Super Stacy. Probably not.

• It’s not often that the dull Josh Matthews makes me laugh, but I did chuckle when his broadcast partner Byron Saxton was getting all excited and Matthews said, “Why are you yelling at me?”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

The featured Ring Posts comment of the past week goes to Jon, who responded Monday (Nov. 30) to the entry "Bret Hart said what?”

In the post, I discussed the fact that Bret Hart said in an interview that "in a lot of ways, I think [Melina] is the best wrestler in the world right now.” Here is Jon's comment:

The only move that Melina hasn't botched in the last 2 months is her ring entrance. Somehow, I think that's the only thing that really matters for the Hitman.

I will select the Ring Posts Comment of the Week every Monday (or whenever I get around to it).

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Comment of the week
        

Anyone familiar with Mark Cuban already knew before Raw aired Monday night from Dallas that he’s a natural for pro wrestling, so it was no surprise that the flamboyant owner of the Dallas Mavericks hit a home run with his performance as guest host. Wait, wrong sport. Make that a slam dunk.

Cuban was like Bret Hart during his feud with Steve Austin in 1997 – a heel everywhere else but a huge babyface in his own backyard. Personally, I respect Cuban for his passion, his commitment to winning and being a non-conformist. He’s a breath of fresh air compared to the large number of faceless, stodgy owners of professional sports teams.

Cuban brought the same enthusiasm that he shows at Mavericks home games to Raw, and he had more of a presence on the show than any other host. Cuban sat in the front row (along with several members of the Mavs), handled himself well on the microphone, refereed a match and got put through a table by Sheamus. The latter was a SportsCenter moment. “Da-da da, da-da da.”

The only thing I didn’t care for was Cuban standing up to and shoving down Sheamus, who is being portrayed as a monster heel. Shaquille O’Neal putting his hands on a wrestler is one thing, but not a non-athlete should have backed off.

Also, because Cuban is so disliked outside of Dallas, it probably didn’t make anyone watching hate Sheamus for assaulting Cuban. It did get Shemaus on SportsCenter, however, which is good for WWE as far as getting his face out to a wide audience.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

WWE has been criticized for focusing too much on the guest hosts on Raw and not enough on selling its pay-per-views. Despite this being The Mark Cuban show, however, I thought WWE did a good job of hard-selling Sunday’s TLC show. …

John Cena cut another strong promo on Sheamus, and to be fair, Sheamus’ promo wasn’t bad either. One byproduct of Sheamus’ premature big push is that it’s making Cena more popular. It seems that even the anti-Cena contingent doesn’t want to cheer Sheamus. By the way, it’s not often that I fast-forward during Raw, but every time a video package of Sheamus aired, my finger hit the button. …

Chris Jericho and The Big Show’s beat-down of DX was very well done. It really made you want to see Jericho get his comeuppance at TLC because he has been mouthing off and backing it up, even getting the last laugh when put in a two-on-one handicap match against Shawn Michaels and Triple H. …

I was surprised WWE actually put on a match between Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston six days before they face each other on pay-per-view. It was kept short at least and it did make sense in the story line. …

I was thinking how lame the DX backstage skit was as they were babbling about Stars Wars characters, when suddenly Michaels and Triple H pulled scripts out of their pockets and remarked how awful the dialogue was. Now that was funny. …

Man, am I sick of Hornswoggle interacting with DX. …

Maryse is so great in her role. Her match with Gail Kim had more heat than most WWE women’s matches. …

It was so obvious that the referee saw Maryse’s feet on the ropes when she pinned Kim – and he had to sell that he didn’t – that Michael Cole said, “The referee apparently didn’t see it.” I was glad he emphasized the word “apparently.” Otherwise the announcers would have looked ridiculous. …

The Miz got an impressive win over Mark Henry. I liked the finish, as Miz turned Henry’s attempt at the World’s Strongest Slam into a DDT for the win. …

Chris Masters is actually getting over as a mid-card babyface due to his dancing pecs. It is pretty entertaining, but it probably has a limited shelf life, ala Charlie Haas’ impersonator gimmick. …

Evan Bourne and Primo, who lost again to Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes, make a good jobber-to-the-stars tag team. They won’t win, but the match will be exciting and they’ll make their opponents look good. It’s a shame though, that a guy as talented as Bourne is relegated to that role.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

Whenever the subject of TNA has come up in the past, Ric Flair always spoke negatively about the company and reportedly never even considered taking a meeting when TNA reached out to him.

Apparently, times have changed.

In an interview with syndicated wrestling columnist Alex Marvez last week, Flair for the first time did not dismiss the possibility of going to TNA.

"I haven't entertained the idea of working there because I've been so loyal to WWE, but you never know what's going to go on," Flair told Marvez. "I don't want to make any predictions, but I've certainly got a lot left to offer. I think I would be a good addition to [TNA's] program.

"Everything is about money, timing, what they want me to do and the job description. There's a lot up in the air. I haven't talked to [TNA ownership] yet, but I've had conversations with people who work there. I've stood by WWE, but if they're not going to use me anymore, I'm ready for any kind of action."

I'd be surprised if we don't see Flair in TNA soon. He and Hulk Hogan are now in business together, and wherever Hogan goes, Flair is sure to follow. I could see TNA coming up with a story line that involves Flair, Hogan and Sting.

Having "The Nature Boy" on its roster would certainly be another feather in TNA's cap, and I agree with him that he still has a lot to offer -- but only as an on-air character, not as a wrestler.

In my opinion, Flair has already tarnished the emotional and unprecedented sendoff WWE gave him last year by wrestling Hogan recently in a series of matches in Australia. Wrestling in the U.S. for WWE's competitor, however, would be the ultimate slap in the face to WWE and all the fans who believed they were witnessing something special the weekend of March 29-31, 2008 in Orlando, Fla.

If Flair does join TNA, it will mean that he, Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo will all be working together again. Among that foursome, only Hogan and Bischoff have consistently been on good terms with one another. I say have a camera follow all of them around backstage as they interact with each other and make a reality show out of that.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (34)
        

TNA has taken another step in its quest to become legitimate competition for WWE. Hulk Hogan’s first live appearance on TNA Impact will be a three-hour live special that takes place on Monday, Jan. 4 and goes head-to-head with Raw. The announcement was made by Hogan in an interview at “The Ultimate Fighter” finale in Las Vegas Saturday night.

"Going head-to-head on Jan. 4 makes the statement loud and clear: Game on!” Hogan said in a TNA news release. Said TNA president Dixie Carter in the release: “We’re firing that first shot.”

This is not yet a full-scale sequel to the Monday Night Wars that existed between WWE and WCW from 1995 to 2001, however, as Impact will return to its normal Thursday time slot that week with an encore showing of Monday’s special.

TNA taking on WWE head-to-head – even if for only one night at this point – is exciting news for wrestling fans. As the past has proven, competition makes the entire industry better. When WCW launched Nitro opposite Raw – and it went on to beat WWE’s show for 83 consecutive weeks – it lit a fire under WWE chairman Vince McMahon, and that led to WWE becoming the huge success that it is today.

I applaud TNA for taking this gamble – and it is a gamble. I don’t think TNA can realistically expect to beat Raw on Jan. 4, but an excessively low rating would be demoralizing for the upstart company.

The last time TNA and WWE went head-to-head, it was a rout in WWE’s favor – and it took place on TNA’s night. Raw was pre-empted on Monday, Feb. 12, 2007 and moved to Thursday, where it beat Impact, 3.0 to 0.6. TNA, however, does have more star power now, with Hogan obviously being the biggest name on the roster.

Whether WWE responds by putting a loaded show together for Jan. 4 remains to be seen. Regardless, it will be quite an interesting evening.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (42)
        

Drew McIntyre passed his first true test since his push began, as he looked good in a well-worked match against John Morrison that highlighted a fine episode of Smackdown Friday night.

McIntyre pinned the Intercontinental champion in the non-title match, which obviously sets up a title program between the two. McIntyre, who to this point had mostly been gaining quick victories, held up his end in a match with the talented Morrison that went approximately 13 minutes.

I’m not sure the “WWE Universe” cared all that much about McIntyre before this match, but I think he opened some eyes by scoring a relatively clean win over Morrison.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

When bringing up the fact that McIntyre has been touted as a future world champion by WWE chairman Vince McMahon, Matt Striker added that McIntyre and McMahon work out together. That has to be a joke aimed at the Internet Wrestling Community, which has been buzzing about Sheamus receiving a big push on Raw because he is Triple H’s workout partner. …

Batista got a lot of heat for his attack on The Undertaker – pretty much the exact opposite reaction he got when he destroyed Rey Mysterio at the Survivor Series. Speaking of Mysterio, it was announced that he and Batista will be wrestling in a street fight on next week’s show, so Mysterio will not be undergoing knee surgery as was initially believed. According to The Wrestling Observer, Mysterio plans to put the surgery off until after WrestleMania. If his knee is as bad as what has been reported, he’s taking a major risk. …

It was nice to see R-Truth in a competitive match with someone of CM Punk’s stature. The post-match beat-down of R-Truth by Punk and Luke Gallows likely sets up a match between R-Truth and Punk at the TLC pay-per-view a week from Sunday. …

R-Truth’s troubled past and how he has turned his life around was referenced during his match against Punk. With a story like that (remember the great vignettes that introduced R-Truth?), I can’t believe WWE hasn’t given him a major babyface push. …

I like how Punk’s character has evolved to where he now is being depicted as a cult leader. I wonder if he will have any more converts. …

I enjoyed the women’s triple threat match that saw Mickie James defeat Natalya and Beth Phoenix to earn a shot at Michelle McCool’s WWE women’s title. It went seven minutes (including a commercial break), which is more time than the women are usually given, but I would like to have seen it go even longer. McCool, who was seated at ringside, was cheering when Phoenix had the advantage, which didn’t make sense to me. Even though McCool dislikes James, would she really rather face the powerful Phoenix with the title on the line? …

James cut a good promo after the match. It was nice to see Maria – who saved James from an attack by McCool and Layla – back on the show. I wonder if WWE will revisit the angle with her and Dolph Ziggler. …

Chris Jericho cut an excellent promo putting over the danger of a TLC match. …

I loved the finish to the Jericho and Big Show vs. Cryme Tyme match. Shad Gaspard got the hot tag at the same time that Jericho tagged in Big Show. Gaspard came charging into the ring and Big Show knocked him out with one punch and pinned him. I have a feeling that Gaspard is still paying for the incident in October when he said he was sick and pulled out of a match on Smackdown in which he was supposed to do the job. Big Show did nothing but throw one punch because he had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery five days earlier, The Wrestling Observer reported. …

Kane and Mike Knox had a good big man’s match. Of course, Kane won. Once again, I have to ask: Why Sheamus and not Knox? …

It looks as if Eric Escobar is still on the show – for now. He has turned babyface, but even with the heat that Vickie Guerrero has, I’m not convinced that fans will cheer for Escobar.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (28)
        

For the first time in nearly five months, TNA founder Jeff Jarrett had a presence on Impact. We didn’t see him on Thursday’s episode, but we did hear his voice in a telephone conversation with Mick Foley.

Foley, still paranoid about Hulk Hogan’s imminent arrival in the company, called Jarrett and asked him to come back and take care of the situation. Jarrett promptly told him to shove it and hung up on him.

Earlier in the show, it became apparent that Jarrett was on his way back to TV because his name was brought up during TNA president Dixie Carter’s sit-down interview with Mike Tenay. It goes without saying that the subject of Jarrett would not have been raised unless he was returning.

Carter spoke in vague terms about Jarrett being put on leave due to a personal situation that affected the company and put everyone in a bad position. For those who don’t know or don’t remember, it became public knowledge last summer that Jarrett was in a relationship with Karen Angle, Kurt’s former wife and a former TNA talent. Jarrett disappeared from TNA shortly thereafter with the story that he was taking time off for personal reasons.

Judging by Jarrett’s tone with Foley, I expect him to be a heel when he returns. Jarrett as a babyface was starting to wear thin with the fans before his departure, and with Angle now a babyface, an Angle-Jarrett program almost certainly will happen.

When Desmond Wolfe first showed up in TNA and attacked Angle, the announcers speculated that someone sent Wolfe to take him out. I said right away that my money was on Jarrett and Karen Angle. It will be interesting to see if things play out that way.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

The Carter interview was good, as it had elements of both kayfabe and real life. For the sake of TNA, I just hope she knows what she’s doing by bringing in Hogan. …

I rolled my eyes when Kevin Nash said that he was thinking of “putting the band back together.” An nWo tease? How lame. Yeah, that’s just what I want to see, a haggard Scott Hall taking up space. If TNA does want to reunite “the band,” it couldn’t call the act the nWo, as WWE owns the rights to that name. …

Matt Morgan and Hernandez got a huge pop when they came out to save D’Angelo Dinero and Suicide from Team 3D and Jesse Neal. Morgan seemingly became a “made man” with his match against Angle at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view, but the follow-up hasn’t done much for him. …

I think Eric Young is doing a fantastic job as a heel, but comparing him to Shawn Michaels is a bit much. …

A.J. Styles was attacked again by a mystery man, so that angle hasn’t been forgotten. It has to be Tomko, right? …

Someone finally realized that Bobby Lashley can’t cut a promo, so they had his wife do it for him. Kristal Lashley seemed very comfortable on the mic. The Lashleys must be turning heel, because letting the woman do the talking for the jacked-up man is not characteristic of a babyface. …

I liked what Victoria was saying during the “Trash Talk with ODB” segment about how she hated that she became a joke in WWE and she broke her contract so she could compete against the best in TNA, but I hated her delivery. I thought the crying was a little over the top, and she looked weak when she ran off in tears after ODB attacked her. By the way, I hope this wasn’t the start of a heel turn for ODB. She’s way too entertaining as a babyface to do that. …

Is there going to be dissension already between Dr. Stevie and Raven? It seems that way, since Stevie abandoned Raven during their handicap match against Angle. …

The Hamada-Sarita match was entertaining. When the subject of the best women wrestlers comes up, Hamada definitely has to be in the discussion. It’s great that there is a place for someone who possesses her skills but doesn’t have the “diva” look. …

I liked the Alex Shelley-Doug Williams match. It’s a shame they couldn’t have gotten more than four minutes. …

Did I hear Wolfe refer to the fans as “window lickers?” I don’t know what that means, but it’s pretty funny. Still not as good as calling the fans “mucilaginous troglodytes,” though. …

It was nice to see D-Lo Brown get a little camera time. He works behind the scenes as an agent in TNA. …

What was with the cameraman sticking his hands in front of the camera? I don’t know who thinks that’s funny, but to me, it just makes the show look amateurish.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Eddie Fatu, who wrestled as Umaga in WWE, died today after suffering a second heart attack while in the hospital in Houston, wrestlingobserver.com reported. He was 36.

An earlier report on the Web site said that Fatu’s wife found him in front of the TV not breathing and with blood coming out of his nose. He was rushed to the hospital and family members were told that he was in “a life-threatening condition.”

WWE posted the following on its Web site: “WWE would like to express its deepest condolences to Mr. Fatu’s family, friends and fans on his tragic passing. Mr. Fatu was under contract at various time periods and most recently performed under the name “Umaga.” Mr. Fatu’s contract was terminated on June 11, 2009.”

Fatu was fired for refusing to go to rehab after his second violation of the WWE’s Wellness Program. I can’t help but think that things would have been different for Fatu had he taken WWE up on its offer to send him to rehab.

I also send out my condolences to Fatu’s family and friends.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)
        

I haven’t commented on the incident in which Jesse Ventura stormed off a satellite radio show earlier this week because I really didn’t want to give the show any more publicity. Since several people have asked me about it, however, I’ll give my opinion.

The name of the show in question is out there, but I am not going to give the people involved with the show the satisfaction of getting another mention in the press. That’s exactly why they pull these kinds of stunts. Judging by that, you can probably guess which side I’m on.

For those who don’t know, Ventura appeared in studio on the show to promote his new “Conspiracy Theory” program on truTV. The former governor of Minnesota ended up in a heated debate with some obnoxious “comedian” who I’ve never heard of about the government’s possible involvement in 9/11 and whether the U.S. should have gone to war.

In the five-minute clip that I saw on YouTube, the “comedian” raised his voice (even after Ventura asked him to calm down), spoke over him, insulted him and basically did everything he could to get Ventura to take a swing at him. I thought Ventura showed remarkable restraint by not doing so. I honestly can’t say that I could have done the same thing under those circumstances.

I suppose Ventura should have known what he was getting into by appearing on the show. Personally, I can’t stand these shock radio, Howard Stern-wannabe shows. They’re too mean-spirited for my taste, and when discussing serious subjects they only lower the discourse.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (69)
        

Former WWE star Umaga, whose real name is Eddie Fatu, has been hospitalized and is in a “life-threatening condition,” according to reports from various wrestling Web sites.

Wrestlingobserver.com reported that family members had been told that Fatu, 36, suffered a heart attack. The Web site went on to say that he apparently fell asleep watching television Thursday night, and his wife found him hours later not breathing with blood coming out of his nose.

Fatu, who was fired by WWE last June for refusing to go to rehab after his second violation of the company’s Wellness Program, had just returned home to Houston after being part of the Hulkamania Tour in Australia.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

• The Dolph Ziggler-Matt Hardy match that headlined Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars was good. I especially liked the finishing sequence, which saw Hardy counter Ziggler’s Zig-Zag by holding onto the rope, and then Ziggler turning Hardy’s attempt at the Twist of Fate into a backslide for the victory. Boy, did Ziggler ever need that win. Unfortunately, he got it on WWE’s least-watched show.

• Well, we now know what’s next for Paul Burchill after he was forced to leave ECW. A masked man that was obviously Burchill attacked The Hurricane during his match against Zack Ryder. I wonder what Burchill’s new character will be named. The Ripper, perhaps? I assume we’ll see Katie Lea donning a mask, as well. I’m still not sure whether this direction is a step up for the Burchills or not.

• The outcome of the tag match between Legacy and Evan Bourne and Primo was never in doubt, but the action was good. Bourne took another crazy bump, as he landed awkwardly on his head after receiving a vicious clothesline from Ted DiBiase Jr.

• I was surprised when the women were asked to name their favorite city in the “Ask the Divas” segment and none of them said Baltimore. OK, I wasn’t really surprised, but I was disappointed.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

• Apparently the Routhless Roundtable didn’t officially disband on last week’s episode of ECW, but it took another step in that direction on Tuesday’s show. In the main event that pitted Christian and Shelton Benjamin against Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov, Jackson abandoned his partner, which allowed the babyfaces to get the win. It’s going to be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to Jackson when he does the inevitable babyface turn. I wasn’t overly impressed with his performance on the mic on this show.

• The Abraham Washington Show has been real hit or miss, and this one with Zack Ryder and Rosa Mendes was the latter. Ryder jumping up and down on the couch a la Tom Cruise on “Oprah” would have been a lot funnier four years ago when it was relevant. By the way, does anyone who speaks Spanish know what Mendes said?

• Sure, Goldust’s win over William Regal was a fluke, but it’s nice to see Goldust getting any kind of victory. He was put on ECW to be an enhancement talent, and he has pretty much remained in that role even though he has gotten over more than expected.

• New tag team Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft showed potential, although their look was a little vanilla. By the way, one of the enhancement guys in the tag match was Maryland Championship Wrestling’s own Tyler Hilton.

• Vance Archer got an opportunity to speak. He wasn’t bad, but he didn’t come across as the super intense character that he is supposed to be portraying – at least he didn’t to me. Fortunately, he no longer has to use the catchphrase, “Who wants to get infected tonight?!”

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

In a phone interview I conducted with Jesse Ventura earlier this week, the fomer governor of Minnesota and WWE Hall of Famer discussed his new show “Conspiracy Theory,” his relationship with Vince McMahon, his stint as Raw guest host and more.

What attracted you to “Conspiracy Theory?”

First of all, during my heyday of wrestling when we started flying all over the country, you spend a lot of hours in airports and on planes. You can call me an expert on the murder of John Kennedy. I read everything I could on his assassination. I found it very intriguing reading, much better than reading a novel by Tom Clancy or Vince Flynn because they’re simply making things up. In any type of conspiracy there’s always that element that this could be real and the people we are talking about were actually living and breathing at one time, and I find that very fascinating.

Will you get into the Kennedy assassination on the show?

No, we don’t at all. We kept all the conspiracies within the last decade. We don’t go back to Dr. King or Robert and John Kennedy, nothing like that.

What are some of the conspiracies you look into?

HAARP [High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program], which is a military installation up in Alaska that’s shrouded with conspiracy. We of course do the untouchable subject of 9/11, because in our country today you’re not allowed to ask any questions about 9/11, and you certainly aren’t allowed to ask the government any questions about 9/11, which I find very interesting. We also cover Big Brother. We do a thing on our Manchurian candidates, global warming, secret societies. We cover the gambit. Actually the problem arose that we had to limit it to seven, so really our battle was what seven do we want to do.

How extensive is your involvement with the investigations?

Oh, it’s very extensive. That’s the great thing. I’m not just hosting it, I’m out in the field. I went up to Alaska to look at HAARP. Now do I interview everyone? No. I have a team that does that. We have a war room and there’s five investigators that I work with. We all go out and get interviews and then we come back and we find out what we’ve learned.

Since you’re delving into sensitive subjects, did you get any pressure from people involved who said that you shouldn’t be poking your nose into this stuff?

No they didn’t really do that. Our U.S. government wouldn’t cooperate in any way, shape or form at all. Nothing. And I found that to be the most disturbing thing, the fact that apparently in our country today you’re not allowed to ask a question of your government and expect to get an answer from them. Apparently they feel they don’t have to give answers.

When you wrapped up your investigations, were you able to come to any conclusions?

They’re all left open. First of all, we don’t have enough [power] to get the answers. We have no subpoena power. We can’t put anyone under oath with the threat of perjury or anything like that, so we really have to rely on cooperation, and of course the government doesn’t cooperate. But you’ll find most of the conspiracy people love to cooperate because they simply want to be heard and tell their story, so naturally we levitate more toward them. Initially when we did the show, we were going to show both sides and allow you to pick which one you wanted to believe. But when one side won’t cooperate, it evolved into simply telling the conspiracy side. Can we find the truth and the answers. Not necessarily, but we do ask great questions that’ll make people think. And we do show enough evidence to back up what we’re saying.

So when all is said and done, do you voice an opinion as to which side you lean toward?

Yeah, most definitely. I do at the end of every show. I won’t tell to you now because I want you to watch.

Let’s switch gears for a bit. Was serving as governor of Minnesota overall a positive experience for you? Would you do it all over again if you had the chance?

Absolutely. There’s no negatives to it. It was a life experience beyond belief. I mean, the people I got to meet, the things I got to do. I met with Fidel Castro. I think to my knowledge that I’m the only elected official, while elected, that actually sat down with Castro. How else would I have gotten to meet Fidel Castro? How else would I have met the Dalai Lama? It was a remarkable experience, but I am not a career politician. I believe that’s what’s wrong with our country today. We have people making careers out of getting elected. I do one term and then I go back to what I used to do or I go on to a new job. Imagine that novel concept.

Is there anything that you wanted to accomplish as governor that you didn’t?

Oh, yeah. My biggest failure was not getting a vote on unicameral – one house state legislature. We don’t need two houses. Nebraska is the only state that has unicameral, and in their 70- or 80-year existence of it, they’ve never had a special session due to the fact that they couldn’t find a conclusion to their budget. At the state level, we do not need two houses. In fact it violates the Constitution because it’s supposed to be one person, one vote, but because you have two houses you have one person, two votes, because you have an elected representative and a senator. So that was my biggest failure, and that’s because these guys – do you think for one minute they’re going to vote on eliminating 67 of their cushy jobs? So you know what I was up against on that deal. You see downsizing all the time in the private sector but amazingly you don’t see it in the public sector. I’ll use Minnesota as an example. Do you know that in Minnesota we have 201 elected state legislators? That’s more than California, and yet they’re population is what, 30 million more than ours?

What accomplishment as governor are you most proud of?

I would say I’m most proud of the fact that I revamped the entire property tax system of Minnesota, and I also put in the first light rail system that now they can’t get enough of. They’re going to build them left to right of mass transit and it never would have happened had I not did it. You know what, I don’t need a thank you because I already got it. It runs right through my old neighborhood that I grew up in, and at my 40th class reunion I had three or four of my classmates who still lived in the old neighborhood who came up and shook my hand and said, “Governor, thank you for the light rail.” That’s all I needed to hear.

A few wrestling questions for you. I know you’ve spoken out in the past about the issue of wrestlers being labeled as independent contractors. Can you explain your take on the subject?

It’s a violation of law. How can [Vince] McMahon get away with calling wrestlers independent contractors when they can only work for him, he has them under an exclusive contract, he tells them when they’ll wrestle, where they’ll wrestle and whether they’ll win or lose. That’s not employment? The government don’t care because they get their money either way, whether the wrestler’s paying it or whether Vince has to pay into Social Security. They probably just figure, “Oh well, it’s just wrestling. Who gives a damn?”

What was it like hosting Raw last week?

It was phenomenal. It was fun, and as much as I speak against Vince for some of his business practices, I will say this: He treated me with tremendous respect. I had a great time and it was almost like getting in a time capsule. I was able to become who I was 20 years ago and have fun doing it.

As you said, you have been an outspoken critic of McMahon’s. I can’t imagine the two of you in a room together, much less working together. Was there any tension at all?
Not a bit. When it comes time to perform, we’re both performers. It’s much like professional athletes say: In the summer it’s a baseball game; in the winter it’s business. It’s the same thing. When we’re performing, it’s performing. Now when we’re negotiating, that’s business. But when we get on the camera, business is left aside. It’s called being professional.

Was there anyone at Raw who really impressed you?

I love Randy Orton. I think he’s a hell of a performer. He’s a terrific professional and I enjoyed working with him. If you want to use the old term, he’s a chip off the old block from his dad and his grandfather

Do you think you’ll have any future dealings with WWE, maybe even coming back on a semi-regular basis?

I don’t think so at all, because I live in Mexico half the year, and in fact I’d be there right now if it wasn’t for the debut and the publicity of this show. I will leave here next week. I live 800 miles into Mexico, where I surf, I live where there’s no electricity and I won’t be back until May or June. I’ve done that for five years now.

"Conspiracy Theory” with Jesse Ventura airs on truTV on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. beginning tonight. It is replayed at 2 a.m.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)
Categories: Q&As
        

After Monday’s episode of Raw concluded, there was a post-match angle done for the fans at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena.

DX was on the stage playing to the crowd, while Chris Jericho glared at them from the ring. Suddenly Big Show came from the back and took out both Shawn Michaels and Triple H. After all four were in the ring, Randy Orton ran out to give the heels a three-on-two advantage. Then John Cena’s music hit and the babyfaces cleaned house. Jericho and Big Show bailed, leaving Orton in there alone with Michaels, Triple H and Cena.

Realizing he was cornered, Orton extended his hand to Triple H and proposed that he and DX join forces to take out Cena. Orton began crotch-chopping while Triple H thought it over. Orton was pretty funny here as he stepped out of his “viper” character. Triple H and Michaels acted as if they were going to take Orton up on his offer, and Cena got a worried look on his face.

Of course it was all a swerve. Michaels super-kicked Orton, Triple H gave him a Pedigree and then Cena finished him off with The Attitude Adjustment. The babyfaces all celebrated in the ring and the crowd went home happy.

Note: Immediately after the show was over, a lot of the WWE talent and crew got on buses and headed to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, where they boarded a plane for Iraq to do the Tribute to the Troops show. Before Raw went on the air, I interviewed WWE chairman Vince McMahon as well as MVP, The Miz, Kelly Kelly and Eve about the annual show. I’ll be using their quotes for an upcoming story in The Baltimore Sun about Tribute to the Troops.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

If there’s one thing that I took from watching Raw Monday night at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena, it’s how over DX was. Every time the DX music hit, the crowd roared and neon green glow sticks were everywhere.

Some people may have grown tired of DX’s act, but after seeing that reaction, but I would milk it for as long as possible. I don’t think even John Cena got as big of a pop (but it was close).

I think it’s a good possibility that Shawn Michaels and Triple H will face each other at WresteMania XXVI and DX will be put on the back-burner. But I’m sure there will come another day when WWE needs a spark and the middle-aged degenerates will be there to answer the call again. And I’m down with that.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

I enjoyed Raw overall, even though there was nothing that really stood out. I rarely ever have a bad time at a live show, although I realize that watching on TV is a lot different. I’m interested to see what those who watched on TV thought of it. ...

When I first heard that Verne “Mini-Me” Troyer was going to be hosting Raw in my hometown, I was pretty disappointed. I would rather have seen someone with a Baltimore connection such as the Ravens’ Ray Lewis or former WWE diva Stacy Keibler. With that being said, however, I didn’t think Troyer was bad at all. His confrontation with The Miz was hilarious. There were actually people there marking out for Troyer. Surprisingly – but thankfully – there wasn’t much interaction between Troyer and Hornswoggle. By the way, I wasn’t too upset that Little People’s Court was pushed back to next week. ...

I’ve seen where some in the Internet Wrestling Community have been critical of how the Randy Orton-Kofi Kingston match was booked. Specifically, they didn’t agree with Kingston being pinned while WWE is still trying to elevate him up to Orton’s level. Personally, I think it went down exactly as it should have, with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr. attacking Kingston before the match and Orton finishing him off. Kingston already has gotten the better of Orton on several occasions, so it was time for Orton to get some of his heat back. That give-and-take is needed to build up the feud. Plus, the message here was that Orton viewed Kingston as a threat, so he had his henchmen soften him up before he faced him. I don’t see how that hurts Kingston...

The Triple H-Chris Jericho match was a solid bout between two pros. The match, as well as the opening verbal confrontation between DX and Jericho and The Big Show, did a nice job of selling their match at TLC. ...

Unless my ears were deceiving me, Cena didn’t get as much of a mixed reaction as usual. My theory is that the Cena detractors care so little about Sheamus that they actually would like to see Cena beat him. Sheamus got heat from the crowd, but I think it was more go-away heat than Orton-type heat. ...

The interaction between Cena and Carlito (yes, he’s still with the company) was good. When Sheamus came out, it seemed like he took all the air out of the place. Even though Carlito hasn’t been on TV in a while and he has been booked mostly as a jobber to the stars, I think a lot of people would rather see him get a title shot than Sheamus. ...

Santino Marella was in top form on the mic. I laughed out loud when he told Sheamus that he was “not so smart person” for focusing so much on “John Chayna” and overlooking him. Sheamus did a great job of no-selling Marella’s comedy. It was a good idea to have Sheamus destroy an underneath guy that the fans really like such as Marella in an effort get people to love to hate Sheamus. I’m not saying it worked, just that it was a good idea. ...

I’m a fan of Mark Henry as the fun-loving babyface, so I thought his rap and dance moves were pretty entertaining. Since he pinned U.S. champion The Miz in a non-title match, I suppose he’ll be getting a title shot. ...

The women’s tag match that pitted Maryse and Jillian Hall against Melina and Gail Kim wasn’t bad. Not surprisingly, Maryse pinned WWE Divas champion Melina to set up a likely program between the two. By the way, Maryse’s cover of Melina was a beautiful thing.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (30)