The road to WrestleMania XXVI officially begins with tonight’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view, so with the event just hours away, I thought it would be fun put together a WrestleMania XXVI card based on what I think might happen at the Rumble. Actually, this is more what I’d like to see at WrestleMania; I don’t necessarily believe this is really how the card will end up.

First, I’ll reiterate the predictions for the Rumble that I made this morning. I have John Cena winning the Rumble match, with Triple H and Shawn Michaels causing each other’s elimination; The Undertaker retaining the world heavyweight title against Rey Mysterio; and Randy Orton winning the WWE title from Sheamus.

Then at next month’s Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (formerly known as No Way Out), Triple H will defeat Orton for the WWE title. Orton losing the championship somehow leads to tension between him and Ted DiBiase Jr., and Orton turns on him.

So here is my proposed WrestleMania XXVI lineup:

World heavyweight title: The Undertaker vs. John Cena

WWE title: Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels

Street fight: Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon

Edge vs. Chris Jericho

Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase Jr.

Hair vs. Mask: CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio

Batista vs. Kane

Money in the Bank ladder match: Kofi Kingston, Sheamus, The Big Show, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Christian, Cody Rhodes, Ezekiel Jackson

Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre and U.S. champion The Miz vs. R-Truth and MVP (the stipulation is that if either McIntyre or Miz get pinned, they both lose their titles)

Tag team battle royal (winners receive a future shot at unified tag team champs – assuming none of these teams are already champs): The Hart Dynasty, Cryme Tyme, Trent Baretta and Caylen Croft, Matt Hardy and The Great Khali, Mark Henry and Evan Bourne, Dolph Ziggler and Mike Knox, Jack Swagger and Carlito, Santino Marella and Chris Masters

Some type of divas match

Note: Obviously, there are some problems with this card. I have 11 matches listed. Even if one is a dark match (probably the tag team battle royal), that’s almost certainly too many. At last year’s WrestleMania, nine matches were scheduled, and one of those – John Morrison and The Miz vs. Carlito and Primo – ended up being bumped and made a dark match). A possible way to get just about everyone on the card would be to have one of the matches be a lumberjack match.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

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

30-man Royal Rumble match: Judging by recent episodes of Raw and Smackdown, it looks as if the final four will be Batista, John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H. I’m guessing Michaels and Triple H will end up causing each other’s elimination, leaving Batista and Cena. I’m going with Cena.

World heavyweight champion The Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio: It would be a major shocker if Mysterio beat The Undertaker. I don’t see it happening, although I do expect Mysterio to put up a good fight and get some near falls, as he almost always does when he loses to a big man.

WWE champion Sheamus vs. Randy Orton: This rare heel vs. heel title matchup is a tough one to call. I can envision a few scenarios. One is that Legacy tries to interfere on Orton’s behalf, but it backfires and allows Sheamus to get the win, thus adding to the tension between Orton, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes. Another is that the match ends in a double disqualification. Of course, the best scenario is that WWE gets the belt off Sheamus and puts it on Orton. That’s the one I’m predicting (hoping) will happen.

ECW champion Christian vs. Ezekiel Jackson: My first thought was that this was going to be another successful title defense for Christian, who has held the championship for six months. After thinking about it some more, however, I’m thinking Jackson pulls the upset due to outside interference by William Regal. With the possible exception of Vance Archer, Christian has defeated every legitimate challenger on the ECW roster, so it’s probably time for a change. Plus, WWE has been building up Jackson as an unbeatable monster, and Regal costing Christian the title plays into the ongoing story line of Regal’s obsession with possessing the championship in one form or another.

WWE women’s champion Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James: This is what I wrote in my preview of the McCool-James match at the TLC pay-per-view last month: “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.” Second time’s the charm.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (32)
        

During an appearance on The Bubba The Love Sponge show Friday, neither Hulk Hogan nor Eric Bischoff would confirm The Wrestling Observer report from earlier in the week that TNA Impact will move permanently to Mondays beginning with a live show March 1.

“March 1st would be perfect, but nothing has been confirmed,” Hogan said, according to a transcript of the show on pwinsider.com. “We will keep pushing and raising the bar so they will have to say yes.”

Added Bischoff: “I haven't heard that we are going live, except from what I read on the Internet.”

On SpikeTV’s programming schedule on its Web site, it has TBD (to be determined) listed for 9 p.m. on March 1, although Spike usually doesn’t list specific programming for Mondays at that time anyway because it does not have a regularly scheduled show in that slot.

More curious is the fact that the Web site does not have Impact listed in its usual slot on Thursday, March 4. UFC Fight for the Troops is scheduled from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. that night, with Playbook set for 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

My take: The Wrestling Observer got it right, but Hogan and Bischoff don’t want to say anything until an official announcement is made.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

There was a lot to like about Friday night’s episode of Smackdown. It featured four strong matches – three of which were fresh matchups – involving top guys, as well as some good talking segments. More importantly, it did an excellent job of selling Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

The highlight was the main event match between Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio, two superstars and top-notch workers who have rarely been in the ring together.

When the show opened, Smackdown general manager Teddy Long said that unified WWE tag team champion DX’s title defense against CM Punk and Luke Gallows was off, and instead Punk would be facing Triple H, and Michaels would wrestle Mysterio. Bait and switch tactics are one of my biggest pet peeves, but I certainly can’t complain about the two singles matches. I’m not sure why WWE changed its mind on the tag team match, though.

In addition to Michaels-Mysterio and Triple H-Punk, Smackdown also had a match between Intercontinental champion Drew McIntyre and John Morrison for the title, and Chris Jericho against R-Truth.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

Both the Michaels-Mysterio and Triple H-Punk matches ended in disqualifications rather than pinfalls, but I wouldn’t have booked them any differently. I was worried that Punk was going to have to do the job, so my hope was that Gallows and or/Serena would interfere to lead to a DQ, and that’s what happened. There was no way Triple H was going to put Punk over, and he really shouldn’t have, as he needs to be booked strong heading into the Rumble. By the way, I think Serena is a great addition to Punk’s entourage. She’s not a bad-looking bald chick either. ...

The Undertaker simultaneously choke-slamming Michaels and Mysterio was a good way to end the show. It played into the idea that both Michaels and Mysterio are underdogs in their matches at the Rumble. ...

DX, Mysterio and Punk all did a nice job on the mic in the opening segment. With Michaels, Triple H and Punk it’s to be expected, but Mysterio has surprisingly developed into a decent – not great, but solid – promo guy. ...

I was very happy to see R-Truth get a pinfall on Jericho. It’s his biggest win to date in WWE. Kudos to Jericho for always being a team player. You can tell that he is so confident in his abilities and secure with himself that he has no problem putting anyone over. ...

Speaking of big wins, McIntyre scored one against Morrison in a match that came across like the blow-off to their program. Keeping the belt on McIntyre is probably the right call. He needs it to help him get over, whereas Morrison will likely be over the same with or without the belt. As an aside, I couldn’t believe that Morrison actually said in his pre-match promo that he earned his spot and wasn’t hand-picked by management and “pedigreed into a top spot.” I hope for his sake that line was scripted and not an ab-lib. ...

I liked the stare-down with Triple H and Batista backstage and their physical confrontation at the end of the show. There’s a lot of history between them, and it obviously teased a confrontation during the Rumble match. ...

What was up with Batista’s outfit? Was that “The Animal” or The Great Gatsby? ...

Did anyone believe for one second that Punk was actually going shave off even one strand of Triple H’s hair? Also, did I hear Todd Grisham say that Triple H is a 14-time world champion? I’m pretty sure it’s 13, but who’s counting (besides Triple H)? ...

More Grisham: He said that R-Truth’s favorite Royal Rumble match was in 1992 because it was won by Ric Flair and they are both from North Carolina. I was surprised that Flair’s name was mentioned on a WWE program since he now works for TNA. Matt Striker quickly downplayed it by saying that 1992 was over; this is 2010. ...

The Piggy James skit with Michelle McCool and Layla was mildly amusing, but it probably went on a bit too long.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

Perhaps I really don’t know what I’m talking about after all.

After watching what I thought was a pretty bad episode of TNA Impact last week, I figured viewers would be unhappy with the current direction of the company and it would be reflected in the rating for Thursday’s show.

Nope. This week’s episode did a 1.4 rating (up from last week’s 1.3), a company record for a Thursday edition of Impact.

It appears that Eric Bischoff’s theory that “controversy creates cash” has some merit in this instance. For the most part, the Internet Wrestling Community has been critical of TNA since Bischoff and Hulk Hogan began calling the shots, but there’s no doubt that there is more buzz about the company than ever before.

The question going forward is whether TNA can continue to expand its audience by prominently featuring former WWE and WCW stars, some of whom are well past their primes. The other key is whether the new viewers tuning in out of curiosity will stick with the show beyond the short term.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

I’m still not sold yet on TNA’s new direction under Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, but Thursday night’s episode of TNA Impact was an improvement over last week’s show. Still, there were some groan-inducing segments.

At the top of my gripe list is that the TNA creative team made sure to get The Nasty Boys, Bubba The Love Sponge and Sean Morley on the show, but somehow couldn’t find the time to squeeze in even a cameo for Matt Morgan, Beer Money and “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero. Those guys are not only TNA’s future, they are the present. They need to be on every week, just as stars such as Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles are.

I get it that TNA has a big roster and it’s impossible to get everyone screen time on a weekly basis, but that’s exactly why it’s so frustrating to see guys getting TV time that no one cares about.

I’m especially disappointed in the way Morgan is being handled. He had a career-making match against Angle at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view in October, but the follow-up has been terrible. Putting him in a tag team with Hernandez is definitely a step backward.

Another problem I had with Thursday’s show is how Jeff Jarrett’s character was presented. He appeared to do a heel turn two weeks ago and he also came off like a heel in his segments with BTLS last week. On Thursday, however, he was acting like a humble babyface, and it was done in such a way that you were supposed to think he was being sincere. Of course, it could be a swerve, but that would even further muddy things up.

Team 3-D also are back to being babyfaces and playing to the crowd – the same people they were insulting just a month ago. Bobby Lashley, who has been a heel as of late, came off like a babyface after he was humiliated and fired by Bischoff.

Team 3D going babyface is a move that TNA had to make, however, because no one – except for the plants in the front row wearing Nasty Boys T-shirts – is going to cheer for Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

Even though Mick Foley and Bischoff are excellent performers and Hogan is doing a decent job in his on-air role, I just don’t find their story line all that compelling at this point. ...

It appeared that Hogan momentarily forget his last line during the promo with Foley and Bischoff. Right after his music started playing, Hogan blurted out that Foley and Bischoff had to work out their differences, “but that’s up to Eric.” ...

When Bischoff walked down the ramp and saw a fan holding up a sign that said, “4 sides 4 life,” he just couldn’t resist pointing it out and smiling. ...

I initially was all for putting Ric Flair with Styles, but so far, I don’t think the association is doing Styles any favors. Styles is being portrayed as a comical, wide-eyed Flair wannabe. It reminded me of his days as the goofy Prince A.J. It would be better for Styles to play a cocky heel without losing his identity. ...

Angle said that Flair wants to “strip Styles of his innocence.” What, is Styles 15 years old? Anyway, didn’t Karen Angle already do that in the men’s room a while back. ...

The main event between Mr. Anderson and Jarrett was good. Anderson looked strong by beating a top guy, and Jarrett had the built-in excuse of having ring rust after not wrestling for seven months. By the way, if Jarrett didn’t expect to be wrestling on this show, why did he bring his gear? ...

I think the Eight-Card Stud Tournament at the Against All Odds pay-per-view on Feb. 14 to determine the No. 1 contender for Styles’ TNA world title is a cool idea. ...

I was truly worried that Desmond Wolfe was going to lose to Morley in one of the tournament qualifying matches. At least TNA got that one right. As an aside, I think Chelsea is a fine addition to the roster. ...

The most disturbing moment on the show was when Knobbs looked at the camera and said: “Get used to it. We are here to stay in TNA.” The second-most disturbing moment was watching Knobbs weezing and sweating like crazy when simply cutting a promo. ...

It was nice of Earl Hebner to remind everyone to watch Bret Hart’s return to Raw on Monday. I can’t think of any other reason why he would mention Hart, Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels when he was confessing that he screwed Angle last week because Flair bribed him and he needed the money. ...

I don’t have a problem with Daniels losing to someone like Hernandez, but it sure does appear that Daniels is not held in very high regard by the new regime, and that’s a shame. ...

Is there a logical reason why Rob Terry would give up his X Division title shot to Doug Williams just because Brutus Magnus told him to? Why does he allow them to control him? ...

Lacey Von Erich was barely in the ring during the six-woman tag match between The Beautiful People and Awesome Kong, Hamada and Tara, which once again demonstrates how little faith TNA has in her as a wrestler. Her job clearly is to just stand there and look good while Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne do the work. At least she does her job very well. ...

I really enjoyed the six-man tag match that saw Brian Kendrick and The Motor City Machine Guns defeat Generation Me and Amazing Red.

Note: Matt Morgan posted on his Twitter account Thursday that his father is doing well after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor. Morgan did not go on TNA’s current tour of the United Kingdom so that he could be with his family. I wish Morgan – who is one of the truly nice guys in the business – and his family well as his father continues his battle with cancer.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

• After lackluster episodes of WWE Superstars the past two weeks, I thought Thursday’s show was good. The highlight was a confrontation between Chris Jericho and R-Truth. Jericho was in the middle of cutting an entertaining promo (doesn’t he always?) when R-Truth came out and took on Jericho both verbally and physically. R-Truth handled himself very well on the mic and came off looking like he was Jericho’s equal. A program with Jericho could really help R-Truth get to the next level. As an aside, Jericho’s facial expression (he looked at R-Truth like he had two heads) when R-Truth got in his face and enthusiastically said, “What’s up?” was priceless.

• The Matt Hardy-David Hart Smith match – which Smith surprisingly won – was just OK. After the match, The Great Khali helped Hardy up, and then tossed him over the top rope to send a message that it’s every man for himself in the Royal Rumble match Sunday. The way Hardy has been booked, it seems as if he is being punished for something (his brother Jeff showing up in TNA Impact earlier this month?). First Hardy is put in a tag team with Khai, then he loses to Smith and then Khali makes him look like a fool afterward.

• The biggest surprise of the night was that the women’s tag team match between the Bella Twins and Katie Lea Burchill and Jillian Hall was actually good. Believe it or not, the Bellas – who won the match – looked decent in the ring. As for Katie Lea, I like her more every time I see her. WWE could really do more with her. She has a unique character and she can work.

• For some reason, after Nikki Bella scored the winning pin on Katie Lea with a victory roll, she kept Katie Lea in the pinning position for several more seconds. Now that I think about it, I don’t blame Nikki one bit for not being in a hurry to let go.

• Chris Masters got a nice pop for winning the triple threat match over Chavo Guerrero and Primo. The match played to everyone’s strengths, as Guerrero and Primo carried it, while Masters picked his spots and delivered his power moves. With the announcement that the winner of the match would gain entry into the Royal Rumble match, it was pretty obvious that Masters was going over.

• What happened to the “Ask the Divas” segment?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

Mick Foley wrote about the recent physical altercation backstage at a TNA Impact taping between Awesome Kong and shock jock/TNA personality Bubba The Love Sponge on his blog, The Foley Files, on tnawrestling.com.

After reading Foley’s blog, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the fight between Kong (Kia Stevens) and Bubba – which stemmed from his crude remarks about the relief efforts in Haiti – was a shoot and not part of an angle. Knowing Foley and his sensibilities, there’s just no way he would write about the incident if it wasn’t legitimate.

Foley takes a very even-handed look at the Kong-Bubba situation, and also expresses his feelings on the notion that the U.S. should be more concerned about taking care of problems at home rather than worrying about people in far-away countries, an opinion that Bubba expressed by saying, “F*** Haiti.”

“She probably should have handled the situation differently, and in retrospect, I think even Kia would admit that she may have let her emotions get the best of her,” Foley wrote. “I happen to like both people involved – and, no, I’m not just saying that because Bubba is Hogan’s buddy. ... But I hope people – TNA management, Bubba himself – can understand why the situation was so emotional for her. I don’t want this situation to hurt anyone involved, Bubba included.

“Bubba and I had a little conversation about the F-word, and how a comment that may not have seemed so offensive to him, could be so hurtful to others. We even had a good, respectful conversation about it on his radio show the next day.”

To read Foley’s blog post in its entirety, click here.

By the way, Wrestlers 4 Haiti, a group that Kong helped put together, has raised over $6,000 for the relief efforts through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, according to a news release issued Wednesday.

Pledges for the Wrestlers 4 Haiti fundraising drive can be made via PayPal at Wrestlers4Haiti@gmail.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

TMZ strikes again. The Web site caught up with Randy Orton at an airport and asked for his thoughts on Chris Jericho and Gregory "Hurricane" Helms getting arrested Wednesday. Orton's total no-sell and sarcasm had me laughing out loud.

I commend Orton for handling the situation the way he did. Losing his cool with the TMZ guys would not have been a good move.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

• I’m a little late in getting the ECW post up this week, but I think it says something that I didn’t get a single comment or e-mail from anyone complaining about it. Actually, there’s not a whole lot to say about Tuesday night’s episode, as there were only two matches on the show.

• I liked the tag team match in which Ezekiel Jackson and William Regal defeated Christian and Kane in approximately 18 minutes. Jackson pinning Christian for the win was predictable, but it was the right call since Christian is defending the ECW title against Jackson at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view Sunday.

• Once again, the rule regarding wrestlers being exclusive to a specific brand was ignored, as Smackdown’s Kane was on the show for no apparent reason.

• Jackson’s promo wasn’t bad, but I think he came across more as a monster when he didn’t speak and just scowled all the time.

• The six-man tag match that saw Yoshi Tatsu, Goldust and The Hurricane defeat Zack Ryder, Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft was OK, but 14 minutes felt a bit long for this one.

• Shelton Benjamin said that it was his dream to win the Royal Rumble and main event WrestleMania. Keep dreaming.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

TMZ updated its report on Chris Jericho and Gregory “Hurricane” Helms being arrested and charged with public intoxication Wednesday morning in Kentucky to add that Matt Hardy also was among the passengers in the taxi cab, where a physical altercation allegedly took place.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Helms struck Jericho and two other people – a man named Gary Kelley and a female passenger named Ashley Storer. A later police report said that Helms also struck Hardy. Both Helms and Hardy took off on foot when the cab stopped at a gas station. Helms returned to the scene and was arrested; Hardy did not return.

It's well-known that Hardy and Helms are longtime friends

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

WWE stars Chris Jericho and Gregory “Hurricane” Helms were arrested and charged with alcohol intoxication in a public place early Wednesday morning after an incident at a Kentucky gas station following Tuesday night’s Smackdown/ECW tapings, TMZ.com reported.

Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Jericho and Helms were among a group of people in a taxi cab when things allegedly got violent around 4 a.m. Helms allegedly struck Jericho and two other people – a man named Gary Kelley and a female passenger named Ashley Storer.

Both Helms and Jericho were released on $120 bond. Police told TMZ that Helms was not charged for the alleged attack because none of the three alleged victims opted to pressed charges.

As a matter of full disclosure, I worked with Helms in WCW in 2000-2001 and have been with him in social settings.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

All right wrestling fans, you wanted a war, well you got one.

TNA is permanently moving Impact from Thursdays to Mondays to oppose Raw beginning March 1, according to a report by The Wrestling Observer. The March 1 show will begin at 9 p.m., but the time slot going forward is not known as this time. Impact will likely be a live show every other Monday, the report said.

Last month, Spike TV president Kevin Kay said the plan was to do quarterly live Monday shows, and if they did well, he said he was not opposed to a permanent move to Mondays. Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff, however, have been pushing to make the move sooner rather than later.

I think it goes without saying that this is good news for wrestling fans who are of the opinion that WWE has been resting on its laurels. When Raw and Impact went head to head on Jan. 4, WWE brought in Bret Hart as guest host but otherwise didn’t do anything special. With direct competition on a weekly basis, however, I would expect WWE to ramp things up a bit.

As for TNA, if it truly hopes to challenge WWE in the ratings on Mondays, the company needs to present itself as a distinct and exciting alternative. In my opinion, that means pushing younger talent and not focusing too much on nostalgia acts.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (40)
        

I didn't get these posted as promptly as I intended, but here they are – my selections for the best of 2009 in eight categories. I welcome your comments and encourage you to send along your picks.

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: RANDY ORTON

Looking at Orton’s accomplishments in 2009, it’s easy to see why he is the Wrestler of the Year. He won the WWE title three times and held it longer than anyone during the calendar year, main-evented WrestleMania XXV, wrestled in world title matches on 10 pay-per-views and won the Royal Rumble. But beyond his impressive resume, Orton deserves this honor because he consistently delivered outstanding performances (even when the booking at times didn’t do him any favors), both in the ring and on the microphone. Orton didn’t just play a heel character; he became the character. From his facial expressions, to his body language to the way he walked and talked, Orton was “The Viper.” He spent most of the year feuding with two guys he had wrestled numerous times in the past – John Cena and Triple H, but even though the match-ups were rehashes of past programs, Orton still shined. In his feud with Triple H, Orton was involved in two of the most dramatic moments of the year – slapping Vince McMahon and kicking him hard in the head, and attacking Stephanie McMahon and kissing her in front of a handcuffed Triple H while she was unconscious. Orton and Cena engaged in intense, drama-filled matches on three consecutive pay-per-views – an I Quit match, Hell in a Cell match and 60-minute Iron Man match. Orton also used his star power to give a rub to up-and-coming stars Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes.

MATCH OF THE YEAR: THE UNDERTAKER VS. SHAWN MICHAELS (WrestleMania XXV, April 5, Houston, Texas)

The showdown between the man who is undefeated at WrestleMania and the man known as Mr. WrestleMania for his showing-stealing performances at the event more than lived up to the hype. The 44-year-old Undertaker and 43-year-old Michaels delivered a match for the ages in what perhaps was the greatest contest in WrestleMania history. Even though the majority of fans and observers were pretty certain going into the match that The Undertaker would win, the two savvy veterans took the audience on a roller-coaster ride and succeeded in making the unthinkable – Undertaker losing for the first time at WrestleMania – seem possible after all. The match featured non-stop action, strong ring psychology, thrilling false finishes and a near-tragic over-the-top-rope dive by The Undertaker. In the end The Undertaker’s undefeated record at WrestleMania grew – he pinned Michaels at approximately the 31-minute mark to improve to 17-0 – and so did Michaels’ reputation as Mr. WrestleMania and The Showstopper.

FEUD OF THE YEAR: CM PUNK VS. JEFF HARDY

What began as “just business” gradually evolved into the most personal and entertaining program of the year. It all started when Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view in June. Minutes after Hardy had defeated Edge for the world heavyweight title in a brutal ladder match, Punk came out and made quick work of the exhausted Hardy to take the title from him. At first, Punk, who up to this point had been a babyface, stressed that what he did was within the rules of the Money in the Bank concept and that he had no ill will toward Hardy. Neither Hardy nor the fans bought it, and over time, Punk morphed from an ambiguous character into a self-righteous, duplicitous heel. The contrast in Punk and Hardy’s respective lifestyles became the focal point of their feud. Punk put a preachy, “I’m better than you” spin on his Straightedge philosophy, as he repeatedly cut strong promos that referenced Hardy’s real-life issues with drugs. Hardy went on to regain the world heavyweight title from Punk, only to lose it back to him in a TLC match at SummerSlam that was among the best matches of the year. The feud came to a dramatic conclusion when Punk defeated Hardy in a loser-leaves-WWE steel cage match on Smackdown.

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR: BEER MONEY

Robert Roode and James Storm may ultimately end up making an impact as singles wrestlers, but as a unit last year, they had few peers. Beer Money possessed all the qualities of a great tag team – chemistry, in-ring ability and an entertaining gimmick. The fans in TNA took notice, as Beer Money always got great reactions from the crowds at live events regardless of whether they were babyfaces or heels. Beer Money had two reigns as TNA world tag team champions in 2009 and were consistently in the title picture. The highlight of their year was a feud with Team 3D that led to Roode and Storm turning babyface. A Philadelphia Streetfight between the two teams was the show-stealer at the Lockdown pay-per-view in April. Beer Money also had pay-per-view programs with The British Invasion, The Main Event Mafia (Booker T. and Scott Steiner) and Lethal Consequences.

WOMAN OF THE YEAR: MELINA

Several women had their moments in 2009, but no one was as consistent throughout the year as Melina, who has come a long way since her days as eye candy for MNM. She is one of the more athletic women in WWE and perhaps possesses the best move set. Melina won both the Divas and WWE women’s titles last year, with her two reigns totaling more than seven months; no woman in WWE or TNA spent more time as a singles champion. Melina and Michelle McCool had one of the better women’s pay-per-view matches of the year at Night of Champions in July.

NON-WRESTLING PERFORMER OF THE YEAR: JEREMY BORASH

Not since “Mean” Gene Okerlund’s heyday in the WWF in the 1980s has there been a backstage interviewer as fun to watch as Borash. Actually, the term “backstage interviewer” doesn’t do Borash’s role in TNA justice. In addition to conducting interviews with TNA talent – as well as handling ring-announcing duties for big main events – Borash played the on-screen role of TNA wrestler/authority figure Mick Foley’s sidekick. Known as the Tweet and Tweak Connection, Borash and Foley had great comedic chemistry, and their scenes together on Impact helped move story lines along in entertaining fashion.

MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: THE MIZ

When tag team partners The Miz and John Morrison were forced to go their separate ways thanks to the WWE Draft in April, big things were predicted for Morrison; for Miz, not so much. Morrison did indeed go on to distinguish himself on Smackdown, but Miz – to the surprise of many – did the same thing on Raw. In two years, the former “Real World” star has gone from total joke, to solid tag team wrestler, to heat-getting singles heel. Miz improved every facet of his game in 2009 – his in-ring ability, mic skills and even his look. He began to stand out on Raw by launching weekly verbal tirades against WWE’s biggest star, John Cena. That led to a match between Miz and Cena at The Bash pay-per-view in June. Miz went on to win the U.S. title from Kofi Kingston in October, and he also scored several victories over his old partner, Morrison.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR (awarded to the wrestler who made the biggest impact in his or her national debut): DESMOND WOLFE

Those who follow Ring of Honor knew it was just a matter of time before Nigel McGuinness left that promotion for one of the two major U.S.-based companies. McGuinness, who made his pro wrestling debut more than 10 years ago, initially agreed to a deal with WWE in September, but it fell through due to an issue with his physical. A month later, he signed with TNA and was renamed Desmond Wolfe. To say he made an immediate impression would be an understatement. In his debut on Impact, Wolfe attacked TNA’s top star, Kurt Angle, and he also got the better of Angle in subsequent encounters on TV. He and Angle then took their feud to pay-per-view, where they had fantastic matches at Turning Point in November and Final Resolution in December.

PAST AWARDS WINNERS

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
2008: Shawn Michaels
2007: John Cena

MATCH OF THE YEAR
2008: Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania XXIV, March 30, Orlando, Fla.)
2007: Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena (Raw, April 23, London)

FEUD OF THE YEAR
2008: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
2007: Batista vs. The Undertaker

TAG TEAM OF THE YEAR
2008: John Morrison and The Miz
2007: Team 3-D

WOMAN OF THE YEAR
2008: Awesome Kong
2007: Gail Kim

NON-WRESTLING PERFORMER OF THE YEAR
2008: Vickie Guerrero
2007: Jim Cornette

MOST IMPROVED WRESTLER OF THE YEAR
2008: Kelly Kelly
2007: MVP

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
2008: Evan Bourne
2007: Santino Marella

For more details on the 2008 awards, click here
For more details on the 2007 awards, click here

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (29)
        

WWE is developing a sitcom starring Santino Marella and co-starring Vladimir Kozlov as his best friend and Beth Phoenix as his girlfriend, according to a report by AOL. The Web site also said that the show will air initially on wwe.com and then WWE will try and shop it to networks.

Is this a joke?

It very well could be. I don’t doubt that a scripted comedy show could be in the works for WWE’s Web site, but I have to question whether there’s anything more to it than that. Marella, who rarely breaks character in media interviews, is quoted in the story and he sounds as if he might have been working the reporter.

“They call me the next one to cross over, the next Hollywood star. ... It will air at first on the dot com, then after that we will get it to a network television,” he said.

One would think that USA Network, the home of WWE's flagship show, would get first dibs on such a project, but an executive from the network told AOL that he knows nothing about it and the company is not actively looking for sitcoms.

Marella is a talented guy for sure, but if his appearance with Kozlov last week on ECW is an indication of what the show will be like, I would suggest that WWE use a laugh track instead of filming before a live studio audience.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

Monday night’s episode of Raw didn’t blow me away, but there were some good talking segments, the guest host was likable and did not mispronounce anyone’s name, and WWE did a nice job of selling Sunday’s Royal Rumble pay-per-view for the second straight week. Best of all, there was no Hornswoggle.

The highlight of the show was a verbal confrontation between John Cena and Vince McMahon that furthered the McMahon-Bret Hart story line. After McMahon reiterated that he would never allow Hart back on Raw, Cena came out and cut a heck of a promo on McMahon. Cena said that no one respects McMahon because he treats the wrestlers like commodities and cares only about “lining his pocket and feeding his ego.” By the time Cena was finished, McMahon had agreed to invite Hart to Raw next week.

What really made the segment work was Cena’s straight-forward-yet-passionate delivery. The McMahon-Hart program is reality-based, so an over-the-top promo here would have been the wrong call.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

Other than seeing him on commercials for the USA Network series “Psych,” I wasn’t familiar with guest host Dule Hill, but I thought he did a good job. He delivered his lines well, came across as if he knew the product and did not get in the way. Neither he nor “Psych” co-star James Roday (who ended up not being on the show due to undergoing an appendectomy) are major celebrities, but with Cena appearing on “Psych” Wednesday, it made sense to book them on Raw to cross-promote. …

You could tell that WWE didn’t view Hill to be as big a celebrity as other Raw guest hosts by the fact that his night ended with a hard slap to the face by Alicia Fox rather than a crotch-chopping celebration with DX and Hornswoggle. …

McMahon going into the crowd and interacting with the fans on the mic was a nice change of pace. By the way, was it me or did it seem as if McMahon had never seen a Ron Simmons “Damn” t-shirt before? …

Cena said that he would beat up McMahon on his 90th birthday for every superstar who ever worked in WWE, specifically mentioning Andre The Giant, Outback Jack and Hart. Outback Jack, who wrestled in WWE in the late 80s, doesn’t quite fit into the category of a guy McMahon rode hard for years and then kicked to the curb when he had no further use for him. Most fans had no use for the Crocodile Dundee-inspired character after his first vignette appeared. …

I like the way the issue between Shawn Michaels and Triple H is unfolding. It doesn’t feel forced and comes across as two friends whose individual goals are causing them to butt heads. Their interaction Monday strongly suggested there will be a confrontation between the two at the Royal Rumble and reinforced the importance and prestige of winning the Rumble match. …

The video package on the Royal Rumble match was very well done. …

There was nothing wrong with the non-title main event match between WWE champion Sheamus and Cena except for the fact that I just have no interest in Sheamus. Randy Orton – Sheamus’ opponent at the Rumble – getting involved in the match was not unexpected, but I was surprised to see Cena standing tall at the end of the show while both Sheamus and Orton were laid out (Sheamus by Orton, and Orton by Cena). …

The Miz and MVP had another good exchange on the mic. I thought it was bad booking, though, to have MVP lose clean in about a minute to The Big Show. That’s not exactly an effective way to build up MVP as a challenger to Miz’s U.S. title, and it buries the championship, as well. I would have at least had Miz cause a distraction that led to MVP losing. That way, MVP gets to save some face, and Miz losing his match against Kofi Kingston later in the show due to MVP’s distraction would have made more sense. …

As I expected, it will be Maryse (who beat Eve) and Gail Kim (who beat Fox) in the finals of the WWE Divas title tournament. Hopefully Maryse and Kim will get more than the two minutes they each got for Monday’s matches. Maryse’s DDT on Eve looked awesome, by the way. …

When it appeared that Carlito was going to be wrestling Kelly Kelly, I thought for sure Carlito would somehow end up on the losing end. The match never took place, as it was just a setup for an angle between Jack Swagger and Santino Marella. I’m not sure why Carlito and Kelly Kelly were needed for that, but I’m never going to complain about Double K being on my television screen. …

Swagger wasn’t humiliated this week, which was nice, but laying out Marella isn’t exactly a big feather in anyone’s cap. What are the odds that Marella eliminates Swagger in the Rumble match? …

I will be shocked if William Shatner isn’t entertaining as next week’s guest host. I won’t be shocked if Marella shows up dressed as Mr. Spock.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (37)
        

Casual fans may not be familiar with the name Georgiann Makropoulos, but to scores of insider fans, wrestling journalists and those in the pro wrestling industry, she was an institution.

Makropolous, a beloved figure in the wrestling community who was involved in the wrestling fan club and newsletter business for nearly 50 years, died of a heart attack Monday, according to various reports. She was 69.

Makropoulos, a longtime fan from New York who was a fixture at Madison Square Garden shows in the 60s, 70s and 80s, wrote the Wrestling Chatterbox newsletter and contributed to wrestlefigs.com, where she provided news updates and kept readers abreast of when and where wrestlers would be doing autograph signings. Makropolous also ran the fan clubs of several wrestlers, the most notable of which was Bruno Sammartino.

I regret that I never had any direct personal interaction with her, but I can attest to the fact that anyone who knew her held her in very high regard.

I extend my condolences to her family and her many friends.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I can’t remember the last time a divas segment was arguably the best thing on a WWE TV show, but that was the case on Friday night’s episode of Smackdown. I’m not giving a back-handed compliment, either, because the show also featured a strong segment in which CM Punk initiated the first female member into his Straightedge Society.

In the divas angle, Michelle McCool and Layla claimed that Mickie James was going to leave Smackdown, so they threw her an in-ring going-away party to mock her. First, Maria came out to confront them, and then James entered the ring and cut a great promo on McCool and Layla. It’s a shame WWE doesn’t give James more opportunities to talk.

Eventually, a brawl broke out, at which point Beth Phoenix hit the ring. After a moment of indecision, Phoenix joined the heels in attacking James and Maria. Having Phoenix side with McCool and Layla was a nice twist, because I was expecting her to do the opposite.

With Phoenix and Layla holding down James, McCool smashed a pig-shaped cake in James’ face and poured a bowl of punch over her head. The final shot was a close-up of James, covered in cake and punch, sobbing in the ring.

This angle got legitimate heat and did a fantastic job of building interest in the James-McCool match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 31. James delivered a heck of a performance, and Maria, McCool and Layla also were good in their roles. McCool, who showed zero charisma when she was a babyface and was only slightly more interesting as a heel, has hit her stride since joining forces with Layla in the “Piggy James” story line.

As for the Punk segment, it was the best one yet since he began “saving and shaving” audience members. This time, the person joining Punk’s cult was a woman, WWE developmental wrestler Serena Deeb, who allowed Punk to completely shave off her long hair. The look of euphoria on her face while her head was being shaved really gave the scene a creepy feel. Hopefully, she will join Luke Gallows as part of Punk’s act.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

Layla had the line of the night. After being told that she had no manners, Layla said, “I don’t need manners. I’m from England.” ...

I think Chris Jericho does too many jobs for someone in his position, but I was glad to see him put over R-Truth in the tag team match that pitted Jericho and Drew McIntyre against R-Truth and John Morrison. I hope WWE follows up on it and finally gives R-Truth a bit of a push. ...

R-Truth was super-over with the crowd, which prompted Todd Grisham to say that it was because the show was in Greenville, S.C., not too far from where R-Truth grew up. He actually used the phrase “a better-than-usual reaction” to describe the audience response to R-Truth. It would have better if he had just left it alone, because it seemed as if he was trying to drive home the point that R-Truth isn’t really as over as it appears. Even if that’s true, why call attention to it? ...

WWE did a nice job of keeping Batista strong after his loss last week to Rey Mysterio. He destroyed Finlay to open the show and laid out Mysterio to close it. ...

The Hart Dynasty losing to The Great Khali and Matt Hardy was a surprise – and not a pleasant one. It looks as if a story line may be developing between Khali and Natalya.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (38)
        

An Adrenaline Championship Wrestling title match between champion Shane Douglas and Ronnie Zukko headlines Sunday afternoon’s ACW show at the Boys and Girls Club in Annapolis.

Also on the card is Ryan McBride, Sara Del Ray and Gillberg.

ACW announced that it is donating one dollar from every ticket sold to the Tracey Isaacs Fund. Isaacs, 23, a friend of ACW owner Christopher Adonis, is battling cancer. ACW will also be accepting donations at the event.

The pre-show begins at 2:20 p.m., with the main card at starting at 3. For more information, go to acwprowrestling.biz.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
        

• Thursday’s WWE Superstars was another so-so episode. The Chris-Jericho-Kane match – which Kane won by countout when Jericho walked away – was the best thing on the show, but even that was just OK.

• The Shelton Benjamin-Vance Archer match didn’t do much for me. Archer, who suffered his first pinfall loss, seems to be lacking “it.”

• The match that held my interest the most on this show was the one between Kelly Kelly and Jillian Hall. It was a lot shorter and faster-paced than the other two matches. Plus, it had Kelly Kelly in it.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

While watching the conclusion to Thursday night’s episode of TNA Impact, I had a flashback to a very similar angle that had taken place on another show.

No, I’m not talking about The Montreal Screwjob at the 1997 Survivor Series. I’m referring to something that happened on the WCW Monday Nitro show that I saw live at Baltimore Arena the night after the Starrcade pay-per-view in December 1999. We were about two months into the Vince Russo/Ed Ferrara era in WCW, and the culmination of their first big angle took place at the end of the show that night.

I looked on in disbelief as Jeff Jarrett spray-painted “nWo” on the back of an unconscious Goldberg, while Bret Hart and Scott Hall looked on approvingly. Kevin Nash then grabbed the microphone and, with the familiar nWo theme playing, said, “Hey Baltimore, the band is back together.”

It was at that moment that I had an epiphany: Vince Russo was not the creative genius that he was purported to be. After a lot of hype, his grand plan to turn WCW around was to rip-off two concepts – The Montreal Screwjob and the nWo – that were played out even then, and combine them into one story line.

Fast-forward to Thursday night.

More than a decade later, the big plan for Russo, Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff to turn TNA around – and I’m not sure it really needed to be turned around – is to re-hash those same two cliched concepts.

Not only is The Band – Nash, Hall and Syxx-Pac (Sean Waltman) – back together (theme music and all), but the TNA world title match between champion A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle ended with yet another recreation of The Montreal Screwjob. This time, Angle played the role of Hart, Styles was Shawn Michaels, Hogan was Vince McMahon, and Earl Hebner was still Earl Hebner.

Me? I’m playing the role of a disgruntled wrestling fan who has seen all of this before and is begging the “creative” team to come up with an original idea. Just remember: I didn’t screw TNA; TNA screwed TNA.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

There were more problems with this episode than just tired angles being revived. It’s downright scary that someone in TNA really thought that devoting multiple segments to a “worked shoot” radio conversation between Jarrett and Bubba The Love Sponge would make for good TV. Viewers also were treated to BTLS interviewing Hall and Syxx-Pac backstage. By that point, I felt like they were begging me to turn the channel. ...

I don’t know what was more offensive, the physical appearance of the corpulent Brian Knobbs, or the fact that Eric Young had to do the job in a tag team match against The Nasty Boys. Knobbs was so out of shape I thought he was going to need oxygen after being whipped into the ropes. ...

After The Nasty Boys’ match, Team 3D laid them out with chair shots. I don’t usually condone chair shots to the head, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. Actually, as fat as Knobbs’ head is, I think the chair got the worse end of it. ...

I thought Nash – who was Young’s partner against The Nasty Boys – said a couple months ago that “if Knobbs comes in, I’m quitting.” ...

Even more of a travesty than Young having to put over a Hogan crony was “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero jobbing to Orlando Jordan, who was coming off his epic victory over Brutus Beefcake on the Hulkamania Australian Tour. ...

The highlight of Thursday’s show for me was when Angle spit in Hogan’s face and the crowd chanted, “Thank you, Angle!” ...

After realizing that he had been screwed over, Angle took out his frustrations on Mike Tenay’s chair. I guess it’s not in TNA’s budget to have talent destroy TV monitors. ...

Judging by Bischoff’s appearance, I’m guessing the reason he fired Mick Foley at the end of the show was because Foley had assaulted him backstage with a ketchup bottle. ...

Just wondering: Why were Hogan and Bischoff referring to Foley as “Cactus Jack?” ...

Ric Flair said there are three reasons why he’s in TNA. Yeah, ex-wife No. 1, ex-wife No. 2 and ex-wife No. 3. ...

A.J. Styles’ motivation for turning heel seems like a bit of a stretch. Can the most popular wrestler in TNA, a guy many consider the face of the company, really play the disrespect card? Didn’t Daniels turn on Styles because he felt like Styles was TNA’s golden boy and received opportunities that he didn’t? ...

Tenay said that Styles had “stood for integrity for seven years” before aligning with Flair. Really, even when he was “Prince A.J.” and was receiving sexual favors from Karen Angle in the bathroom?

It’s nice to see Matt Morgan with a title belt around his waist, but shouldn’t he be in the world title picture instead of being a tag team champion? As for his partner Hernandez, I thought TNA broke up LAX to give him a singles push, yet now he’s in another tag team. ...

Is there anything less funny that Hall and Syxx-Pac making jokes about drug use?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (91)
        

The featured Ring Posts comment for the week of Jan. 11-17 comes from Cliff, who responded to the entry “Mike Tyson's appearance on Raw earns split decision.”

Here is Cliff's comment:

Here is my wrestling version of Jeff Foxworthy's "You Might Be a Redneck." I call it "You Might Be a McMahon."

If you think WWE is good right now, you might be a McMahon...or Kevin Eck.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: Comment of the week
        

• The Abraham Washington Show, which was “guest-hosted” by Santino Marella and featured Vladimir Kozlov, was one of the worst segments I have seen on a wrestling show in a while. The crowd let them know it, too, first by their apathy, and then by their booing. I am usually entertained by Marella, but he really wasn’t that funny in this segment, and Kozlov was just plain awful. He is supposed to be a Great Khali-type lovable monster now, but the crowd either hasn’t figured that out or doesn’t care. Even Tony Atlas – whose exaggerated laugh always gets a chuckle out of me – seemed off his game. After sitting through this excruciating segment, I wonder if people now have a greater appreciation for Washington’s talent. I know I do.

• Marella did get in one funny line, although only insider fans would have gotten it. He said that Washington had come down with a case of Gastro-Laurinaitis. For those who don’t know, John Laurinaitis is WWE’s executive vice president of talent relations.

• Christian and William Regal had a good match, which was no surprise, but neither was the result – Christian won by disqualification due to interference by Ezekiel Jackson.

• I wonder if the confrontation between Zack Ryder and The Hurricane that also involved Rosa Mendes and ring announcer Savannah is going to lead to some mixed tag matches. Savannah, whose real name is Angela Fong, is actually a trained wrestler, and from what I have read, she’s a decent worker.

• The match that saw Trent Barreta and Caylen Croft defeat Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust was OK, but I thought it dragged a bit.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
        

OK, this is my fifth post in four days on Bubba The Love Sponge. I’m hoping not to have to write too many more.

By now, I’m sure most people have heard the reports that TNA star Awesome Kong (Kia Stevens) beat up Bubba The Love Sponge during the Impact taping in Orlando, Fla., Monday for his offensive remarks about Haiti. Both of them were sent home, although Kong was at Tuesday’s taping.

With everything I know about Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo, my first thought when I heard this story was that it was a work to keep the Internet Wrestling Community buzzing about TNA and BTLS. I would hope, however, that Kong – who initiated a campaign on Twitter to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti – would be above such a thing.

BTLS does need to get his story straight, though. Didn’t he say on Monday that he was told not to come to the production meeting? He didn’t say anything about getting into a physical altercation. At 11:32 a.m. he tweeted: “I’m headed home. My agent is coming to Orlando to deal with mess.”

However, on his radio show Tuesday, BTLS acknowledged that Kong went after him at the taping: “She came in on me and sucker-punched me right on my left cheek, and I was like, ‘What's going on?’ ... then she came out me again, hit me again in the mouth, and she goes, ‘This if for Haiti! This is for Haiti!’ and I'm like, ‘What is going on?’ Finally I put my left hand out and pushed her away from me, and she comes at me again and I just cover up, because I cannot fight back on a woman. Not only will I be fired from TNA, which I probably am, but my radio career is gone if I take a woman out.”

Hogan, who was on the BLTS show, said: “I tell you what, after what happened, if you had clocked her you’d have got away with it. What nobody knows, and this is the real truth, that there were certain people there ... she should get off the property, she should be fired immediately, that’s it. It was so violent. You could have actually lost an eye, you could have had your teeth knocked out. But, to give you your [credit], you are the one who said not to fire her.”

Assuming the incident is a shoot, I wonder what Bubba’s Army thinks about their hero getting his [butt] kicked by a woman?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (55)
        

If you’re not a fan of having guest hosts on Raw, there was plenty not to like about Monday’s episode. However, if you look past the presence of actors Don Johnson and Jon “Napoleon Dynamite” Heder, there was some good stuff on the show. Specifically, I think WWE did a nice job of building interest for the Royal Rumble pay-per-view and the road to WrestleMania XXVI.

The most compelling aspect of the show was the tension between Shawn Michaels and Triple H. After the usual DX hijinks with the guest hosts and Hornswoggle were over, Triple H tossed Michaels over the top rope during a scuffle that also involved John Cena and The Big Show. Triple H then put his “Game” face on and told Michaels that he was going to win the Royal Rumble, not Michaels.

That didn’t sit well with Michaels, who earlier in the show had an intense verbal confrontation with The Undertaker, who told Michaels that the only way the two of them would have a match at WrestleMania is if Michaels wins the Rumble.

My guess – and it is just a guess – is that Triple H eliminates Michaels at the Rumble, costing Michaels his match with The Undertaker, and Michaels and Triple H face each other at WrestleMania. The popular opinion, however, is that the Michaels-Undertaker match will happen at WrestleMania, and Triple H will wrestle Sheamus. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

Raw opened with a good promo by Vince McMahon about Bret Hart. McMahon talked about having to put old wrestlers such as Hart out to pasture and chewing them up and spitting them out. That was playing off comments that Hart has made in the past about the treatment of wrestlers. ...

Michaels and Triple H were visibly angry when the person responsible for playing the music missed his cue during the in-ring conversation between the two. As Triple H was about to tell Michaels that he was going to stand in his way at the Rumble, Cena’s music was supposed to play before Triple H could complete his thought. When the music didn’t play at the appropriate time, Triple H tried to stall and it created an awkward moment. ...

DX was not the only tag team that had dissension. Cody Rhodes wasn’t too happy with Ted DiBiase Jr. after their loss to Cena and Kofi Kingston. ...

Cena, who reportedly has bulging disks in his back, was taking bumps as he normally would.

It was nice to see Kingston get the pinfall as well as a rub from teaming with Cena – he needed both. Was Michael Cole serious when he said, “How hot is Kofi?” I’d say not very, but he’s on fire compared to Jack Swagger. ...

Swagger’s weekly humiliation continued, as Mark Henry answered his over-the-top-rope challenge and threw him out in a matter of seconds. Hasn’t Swagger been punished enough for whatever transgression he committed? It’s inexplicable why WWE would want to bury such a promising young talent when the company is in desperate need of it. It’s hard to watch. ...

For a second there I was almost convinced that Chris Masters was going to beat Randy Orton with The Masterlock. ...

During the women’s tag team match that pitted Gail Kim and Eve Torres against Maryse and Alicia Fox, Fox took a bump on a dropkick by Torres that missed by a lot. A co-worker who is not a big wrestling fan saw it and said: “They’re not very good.” ...

Was there any particular reason that Carlito was dressed up as Napoleon Dynamite backstage? I know Heder was on the show and all, but I still didn’t get it.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (39)
        

I thought I'd share an e-mail I received today from a member of "Bubba's Army." In his e-mail, the writer ridicules pro wrestling -- using expletives and derogatory terms, of course -- even though the guy he obviously has a huge man-crush on is a big fan of pro wrestling and has always wanted to work in it. Not to mention the fact that one of Bubba's closest friends is the most famous pro wrestler of all time. Anyway, it was good for a laugh.

The subject line was: "F--- you!!!!"

Are you really going to talk about who has talent and who doesn't? You write a blog about grown men in panties for an industry that is about to disappear. How much does the Sun pay you $50 per blog? If they pay at all.

Bubba Army!!!!!!!

Rich Mueller
Clearwater, FL
richmuellerss@yahoo.com

RESPONSE FROM KE: What can I say? The man has a point. My face does look fat.I really need to change that head shot. It doesn't do me justice.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (76)
        

The first pay-per-view of the Hulk Hogan Era in TNA raised several red flags (or is that red and yellow flags?) about the creative changes being made in the company.

Sunday night’s TNA Genesis show got off to an inauspicious start, as Hogan and Eric Bischoff opened the pay-per-view by announcing that the six-sided ring had been replaced by a traditional four-sided ring. The fans at the Impact Zone didn’t like that, as they started chanting “We want six sides!” Hogan and Bischoff said that more changes were coming so get used to it.

Personally, I liked the six-sided ring. It was unique to TNA, and anything that the company can do to differentiate itself from WWE is a good thing. I really don’t see what switching rings accomplishes other than ticking off your most loyal fan base.

Speaking of which, what kind of message does it send – to the fans and the locker room – when Hogan and Bischoff bring in an ex-WWE curtain jerker such as Sean Morley (the former Val Venis) and have him defeat Daniels, a guy who has busted his butt in TNA for years and just headlined the previous pay-per-view? When Morley scored the win Sunday with The Money Shot – which he nearly botched trying to steady himself on the top rope – some fans turned their backs to the ring in a show of protest. To make matters worse, Morley was actually booked to be the babyface.

It almost seems as if Hogan and Bischoff are intentionally trying to alienate the hard-core TNA fans, perhaps as part of an angle. If it is an angle, I hope there are still some fans watching when the big payoff occurs and guys such as Morley and The Nasty Boys are sent packing, and longtime TNA personalities such as Jeremy Borash and Don West are back on TV.

Another problem with the pay-per-view was that the promise of a “major acquisition” who was going really shake things up turned out to be Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson. I think Anderson is a good pickup for TNA, but he is not a big enough star to live up to the hype. TNA must have realized that as well, because Anderson was not referred to as the major acquisition.

And then there is the issue of Scott Hall. When it was advertised on Impact Thursday that Hall and Kevin Nash were scheduled to face Beer Money at Genesis, I wrote: “What are the odds that Hall actually shows up?” Well, he was there, but he didn’t wrestle. TNA came up with some lame story line excuse and had Syxx-Pac (Sean Waltman) take his place. Then, during the match between Beer Money and Nash and Syxx-Pac, Hall stumbled down the ramp and engaged in a scuffle with a “fan” at ringside. Ugh. Worked shoots based on Hall’s drinking problems are stale and not particularly entertaining.

The show wasn’t all bad, though. Desmond Wolfe and D’Angelo Dinero apparently had a good match, as did Kurt Angle and A.J. Styles. As I expected, Styles turned heel and used interference from Ric Flair to retain his TNA world title. If Flair puts forth the effort, there is a lot of potential in a Styles-Flair pairing.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (61)
        

TNA on-air personality Bubba The Love Sponge just posted the following on his Twitter account:

“I am going to say this one time and one time only. First of all a real man sometimes has to take a step back and maybe look at something they said or did so that being said I would like to apologize for my comments regarding Haiti in the world of live radio that I operate. Sometimes u say things that u can't take back. So I'm man enough now to say I'm sorry for those I offended. Bubba.”

I suppose it’s possible that a guy who was completely unapologetic about his remarks earlier today suddenly had an epiphany, but it sounds to me like someone in high places at either TNA or Spike TV told him he had to apologize or else he’d lose his job with TNA.

Here’s my take: I believe that most people deserve a second chance. After all, we all mistakes. However, I also believe there are some people who shouldn’t be hired in the first place because they are nothing but talentless cronies.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

Due to the backlash for his insensitive comments about Haiti, TNA on-air personality Bubba The Love Sponge may be done with the company. Or not.

On his Twitter account earlier today, he said that he was told not to come to a production meeting before today’s Impact tapings in Orlando. Here are some of his tweets:

“Was suppose to be at the prod meeting @11 they called and said not 2 come??? This is all because of my Haiti comments Sorry people can't handle the truth. And what does my Haiti comments have to do with tna wrestling. I didn't say them on dixies air. I don't think tna is ready 4someone like me. I shoot hard from the hip and ms Carter (although i have a ton of respect 4her) has never had a guy that is as outrageous as I am and has a nationwide delevery [sic] method. So right now I would describe our relationship like oil and water. And it's not good.

“I just don't understand how I can b in trouble for my opinon.”

He also commented on what took place between Eric Bischoff and TNA personality Jeremy Borash at Sunday night’s Genesis pay-per-view. As part of an on-screen angle, Bischoff told Borash that he was taking him off TV. Both BTLS and Borash, via their Twitter accounts, are acting as if it was a shoot, and no one seems to really know for sure what’s fact and what’s fiction.

From BTLS:

“Had a long talk with Eric b. I don't want to take over jbs backstage interviews. I may have to walk away cause I don't agree with letting him go. Now if I would happen to take those interviews over. All ready I'm the bad guy. That's not cool. Already some bull---- going down and I'm in the middle of it. I have to take a long hard look at weather [sic] I want to really do this or not.

“Everybody needs to chill jb is gone. I'm probably next. I know for a fact i'm not going 2b his replacement.

“Eric needs to chill out on this power trip. Hogan is cool. Eric is running wild.”

Knowing how much Bischoff and Vince Russo love to try and fool everyone with their elaborate worked shoots, I wouldn’t be surprised if all of this – including BTLS’ comment about Haiti – is just one big publicity stunt to get the Internet Wrestling Community talking. I suppose in that regard it has worked and I have helped them accomplish their goal.

If they truly believe that this is going to draw money, however, well, the only people they are fooling are themselves.

I’ll have more comments later about some of the events that took place at Genesis.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)
        

OK, here’s the bad news: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said in an interview with The Ottawa Sun that he was originally scheduled to be the Raw guest host this past Monday, but he had to back out due to a scheduling conflict, and he’s now going to be tied up for a while with filming his next movie.

The good news is that Johnson said he “absolutely” will return to WWE at some point.

And now for the great news: Johnson hinted that he would be doing more in WWE than just a one-off as Raw guest host.

“The goal is to go back and do something special,” Johnson told The Ottawa Sun. “I talked to Vince [McMahon] a couple of months ago and we're trying to come up with something. After I wrap [filming of action movie] ‘Faster,’ maybe in the summer I can go back.”

Before we all get too excited, however, it’s important to note that Johnson used words such as “the goal,” “trying” and “maybe.” He also never said anything about getting back in the ring.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t hope. After all, The Wrestling Observer did report recently that WWE was trying to put together a match between The Rock and John Cena for WrestleMania XXVI.

Perhaps that dream match could take place at SummerSlam instead. The story line would basically write itself considering all the comments Cena has made in the press over the years about Johnson not loving the business or giving back to the fans.

Personally, I think a match that’s every bit as intriguing as Rock vs. Cena is Rock vs. Shawn Michaels. There’s a built-in story line there, as well. When The Rock was starting out in WWE, Michaels and his pal Triple H purportedly tried to hold him back. One might think that Johnson wouldn’t want to work with Michaels because of that history, but when Johnson appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2008, he said three guys he never wrestled but wished he did were Cena, Michaels and Rey Mysterio.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (27)
        

I am proud to say that I have never listened to Bubba The Love Sponge’s show. I have heard plenty about it, but at this stage in my life, the mean-spirited, sophomoric shock jock shtick just isn’t for me.

Unfortunately, thanks to Hulk Hogan and his cronyism, I can no longer simply ignore BLS, as he has ridden the coattails of Hogan into a gig as a backstage announcer for TNA.

Well, it didn’t take long for BLS to embarrass the company. On his Twitter account Thursday, BLS weighed in on the subject of the U.S. providing aid for earthquake victims in Haiti. He posted the following:

“I say f--- hati [sic]. Why do we have to take care of everybody our country is in shambles. Bubba”

Look, everyone has the right to free speech, but if I’m TNA president Dixie Carter, there’s no way I want my company to be associated with this character and his brand of “entertainment.”

It puts Carter in a very tough spot to have someone on her payroll making these kinds of remarks while at the same time her company is trying to raise money for the cause.

TNA announced on its Web site a couple days ago that it is asking fans attending the Impact tapings in Orlando, Fla., Monday-Wednesday to make a financial donation that will benefit the Red Cross relief effort in Haiti.

“The photos and video from Haiti are tragic,” Carter said on the Web site. “We want to help. We have to help. The money raised at The iMPACT! Zone is just a start of TNA’s plan to help the country of Haiti.”

I also wonder how Awesome Kong (Kia Stevens) feels about her new co-worker. While he is spewing hate on his Twitter account, she is using hers to raise money for the victims. Late Saturday night she tweeted: “Wrestlers 4 Haiti raised $5,097.23 in just a little over 48 hrs. and there’s still more coming in.”

If BLS does not face any repercussions for his remarks, I suppose we will know who truly is calling the shots in TNA, brother.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

Friday night’s episode of Smackdown was a great example of why I don’t read spoilers. Going into the show, I was certain that either Batista would defeat Rey Mysterio in the steel cage match to determine the No. 1 contender for The Undertaker’s world heavyweight title, or there would be another disputed finish – something such as Batista and Mysterio escaping the cage and hitting the floor at the exact same time – which would result in a triple threat match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 31.

The one scenario I completely discounted was Mysterio defeating Batista, but that’s what happened. I love when I can be surprised. So now it will be The Undertaker vs. Mysterio at the Rumble. At least I think that’s what it will be. I suppose there’s always a chance that Batista could demand one more match with Mysterio with the No. 1 contender’s spot on the line on next week’s show.

I thought the steel cage match was laid out well. Perhaps because they are real-life friends, Batista and Mysterio always work well together and have believable matches despite the ridiculous size disparity. I liked the finish, as Batista had the match won, but he chose to take his time and punish Mysterio some more. It backfired, as Mysterio got an opening, climbed up the cage and kicked the door into Batista’s head as Batista was about to beat Mysterio to the floor.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

Another result that surprised me was CM Punk and Luke Gallows winning the fatal four-way tag team match to determine the No. 1 contenders for DX’s unified WWE tag team title. My money was on The Hart Dynasty. Obviously Cryme Tyme and the odd couple tandem of Matt Hardy and The Great Khali had no chance (Hardy and R-Truth would have made a better team). I thought THD winning made the most sense given Bret Hart’s return to WWE, but I have no problem with Punk and Gallows getting the shot. …

Punk was awesome again on the mic in the segment in which he converted – and shaved bald – another audience member to the Straightedge Lifestyle. I think it’s a good bet that the rumored Punk-Mysterio hair vs. mask match for WrestleMania XXVI will happen. …

Chris Jericho is always entertaining, but I fear that he is becoming too much of a comedy act. He needs to do something dastardly to get some real heel heat back. …

It was funny that Jericho had a huge bruise on his face from the punch he took from Mike Tyson on Raw Monday night. These guys take numerous punches to the face all the time and never have a mark on them – even when The Big Show delivers his knockout shot. I guess that’s why Tyson is the baddest man on the planet. …

The Jericho-John Morrison match was decent, but these two are capable of better. It was a good win for Jericho and the loss doesn’t hurt Morrison because he was distracted by Drew McIntyre, who was at ringside. …

I would like to have seen the Beth Phoenix-Mickie James match get more than three minutes. Phoenix was more heelish this week, as she was disqualified for not letting James out of the corner, and then she left her there for Michelle McCool and Layla to attack her. McCool has gotten better at playing a character that gets legitimate heel heat rather than go-away heat. The McCool-Layla duo is starting to grow on me. …

Layla was wearing a shirt that said: “Lover not a fighter.” I think she’s in the wrong business then. …

I liked the Kane-Dolph Ziggler match but I was very disappointed that Ziggler did the job. This guy could be a star if WWE gave him a sustained push.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (23)
        

Like the historic episode of TNA Impact on Jan. 4, I thought the follow-up show on Thursday night was a mixed bag. I enjoyed the program for the most part, but there are a couple things that really aggravated me, specifically the presence of The Nasty Boys and Bubba The Love Sponge.

Hulk Hogan bringing his bloated, talent-challenged hangers-on to TNA and having them take screen time away from younger guys who have been working their way up the ladder for years is shameful. The saddest part is that we all knew it was going to happen.

I never thought much of The Nasty Boys when they were in their primes – which was more than 15 years ago. As for this Bubba character, can anyone tell me what he adds to the show? Is TNA really going to reduce the role of the talented Jeremy Borash to make room (and he takes up a lot of it) for this obnoxious shock jock?

Sean Morley being on the show was not as distasteful to me, but, then again, I don’t think the wrestling world was clamoring for his return to television, either. Morley is supposed to be a babyface, but the crowd didn’t react to him at all, and when Daniels – a heel – attacked Morley, the fans chanted, “Thank you, Daniels.” Daniels cut a promo on Morley about how he resented him being handed a spot in TNA because of who he knows when Daniels has been with the company since Day One and has had to work hard to earn his spot. No wonder the fans cheered Daniels.

I suppose things could be worse, though. At least Brutus Beefcake isn’t in TNA – yet. Remember, Hogan did promise a big surprise for the Genesis pay-per-view Sunday.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

The highlight of the program was anything that involved Eric Bischoff. I’ve always been a big fan of Bischoff as a performer. He seems to be playing a tweener role, as he comes off as an obnoxious heel, but he is an ally of Hogan, who is a babyface. ...

The verbal confrontation between Jeff Jarrett – who is a full-fledged heel now – Hogan and Bischoff was pretty interesting. I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw the irony in Bischoff saying that Jarrett had conned Dixie Carter into thinking he had the “magic potion to turn the company around.” Bischoff then said that he and Hogan are the ones to turn it around. My problem with that dialogue is that it buries the company. Why send out the message that TNA is a screwed-up company that needs fixing? It’s WCW all over again. ...

For the promise of a big-name star appearing at Genesis to live up to the hype, it would have to be someone like Rob Van Dam or Goldberg. There has been speculation that it could be Ken “Mr. Kennedy” Anderson, but, in my opinion, he’s not that big of a star. Hopefully it’s not Sid Vicious or The Ultimate Warrior. ...

As expected, Tomko was the mystery man who was attacking A.J. Styles all those weeks. TNA didn’t waste any time putting Tomko and Styles in the ring together, as the reveal and their grudge match all took place on the same show. I thought it was funny that TNA had video packages already put together of Tomko talking about his history with Styles, explaining why he attacked him and discussing their match later in the show. Someone in TNA must be psychic. ...

Could Ric Flair have looked or sounded any more disinterested when he sat in on commentary during the Styles-Tomko match? He came off like someone whose heart just wasn’t in it. ...

It looks as if Styles may be doing a heel turn. After Kurt Angle saved him from an attack by Tomko and then offered his hand in friendship, Styles walked away from him. That brought a smile to Flair’s face. I wonder if this is going to lead to Flair becoming Styles’ mentor and teaching him how to be the dirtiest player in the game. That would be a great way to use Flair, who could cut Styles’ promos for him. ...

Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman (who was referred to as Syxx-Pac) are now known simply as The Band. If Robbie Robertson was dead, he’s be rolling over in his grave. ...

Is there anything less funny that Hall making jokes about drinking beer? He and Nash are scheduled to wrestle Beer Money at the pay-per-view Sunday. What are the odds that Hall actually shows up? ...

Since Team 3D are heels, I suppose The Nasty Boys are the babyfaces in their feud. Your guess is as good as mine as to how a couple of slobs trashing someone’s locker room and then jumping the guys in their locker room makes them babyfaces. ...

I’m surprised there was no follow-up to Jeff Hardy appearing on last week’s show. ...

It’s nice to see Angelina Love back in TNA. I think she’ll be great as a babyface, but it’s too bad that she and Velvet Sky will now be opponents instead of partners. They had great chemistry as the original Beautiful People. ...

I’m really liking Bobby and Kristal Lashley as heels. ...

Desmond Wolfe got a nice win over Samoa Joe to get his heat back after losing last week to D’Angelo Dinero. Joe, by the way, appears to be a babyface again.

The show got off to a great start with the fast-paced match between the debuting Generation Me (formerly known as The Young Bucks) and The Motor City Machine Guns. ...

What happened to “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal’s legends challenge? More importantly, why is he so buried? Whenever someone has to get beaten up (this time it was by Bobby Lashley), it’s always Lethal and Consequences Creed. ...

I think Taz spoke for all of us when he expressed his dismay that last week’s strip poker game did not have a conclusive ending.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (44)
        

• Thursday night’s WWE Superstars wasn’t one of the better episodes of the show, but you can’t complain too much when there’s a Christian-William Regal main event. I can’t remember the last time Christian had a match that wasn’t good.

• It was nice to see Jimmy Wang Yang and Slam Master J get a victory – even if it means that Mike Knox, who was teamed with Charlie Haas – ended up in the loss column again. JWY and SMJ are both talented guys who always do a very nice job (pun intended) of making their opponents look good, so I’m glad WWE threw them a bone.

• Speaking of throwing some talented workers a bone, Gail Kim and Primo got their hands raised in a mixed tag team match against Jillian Hall and Chavo Guerrero. Kim seems to have a spring in her step again as of late.

• Carlito is so far down the totem pole now that he’s jobbing to Chris Masters. That most definitely is not cool.

• Byron Saxton seemed to be trying to play heel commentator. The key word there is “trying.” You know who I think would make a really good heel commentator? Abraham Washington.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
        

Just what I needed: Yet another hour of wrestling to watch on Thursdays.

I normally would skip a “best of” show, but judging by the first episode of TNA Epics, which debuted right after Impact Thursday night on Spike TV, I’m going to be a regular viewer of the monthly program.

TNA Epics, which originally began airing last year in the United Kingdom, features notable matches in TNA’s history, as well as comments about the matches from the competitors.

Kurt Angle was the subject of Thursday’s show. Three of his matches from TNA pay-per-views were shown: versus Samoa Joe (Genesis, 2006), versus Jeff Jarrett (Genesis, 2009) and versus A.J. Styles in a last man standing match (Hard Justice, 2008). It goes without saying that all of the matches were outstanding.

Even though I had seen two of these matches before (Angle-Joe and Angle-Jarrett), I have only watched a few TNA pay-per-views in their entirety, so I’m guessing that a lot of the matches on future episodes will be ones that are new to me.

As far as the matches on this show, my favorite was Angle’s battle against Jarrett. To me, that was one of the best, most intense matches of the year. One of the reasons it was so compelling is because both guys were bleeding – especially Jarrett. It reinforced the idea that, when used on occasion, blood is a very effective way of adding to the drama of a match.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
        

Even though the hug between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels on Raw Jan. 4 looked a bit forced, Hart said on his Facebook page that he and Michaels have legitimately buried the hatchet after 12 years of hard feelings.

On Thursday night, Hart posted the following:

“It's worth mentioning that although I did see Shawn earlier in the afternoon in the cafeteria, our in-ring face-off was unrehearsed and heartfelt on both sides and I can finally say that Shawn and I have finally made peace in what has been a long, draining, and sometimes pointless war of personalities. As for everything else that happened, on one hand, I finally found some closure. On the other hand, as far as Vince McMahon goes, I haven't closed anything at all. I have a lot of friends in a lot of places and we'll just have to see what happens next.”

If Hart’s comments about Michaels are a shoot, I think it’s great that they have finally found closure. I also commend Hart for acknowledging that the real-life feud between he and Michaels was “sometimes pointless.”

I say “if the comments are a shoot” because Hart clearly is in work mode when discussing McMahon. He and McMahon made amends to some extent several years ago, and his last sentence about “having friends in high places and seeing “what happens next” obviously furthers their angle.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)
        

Ring of Honor’s Briscoe Brothers, who had a WWE tryout recently, and veteran Jerry Lynn are among the performers scheduled to appear on the Real Championship Wrestling card Saturday night at Du Burns Arena in Baltimore.

RCW champion B-Boy defends his title in the main event against an opponent to be determined, as he has issued an open challenge. The Briscoes will defend their RCW tag team title against BLK Out (Ruckus and Sabian), and JAPW women’s champion Sara Del Rey also will make a title defense.

For more information, go to realchampionshipwrestling.com.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
        

I conducted a phone interview earlier this week with TNA on-air personality Jeremy Borash, a former WCW employee who has been with TNA since its inception in 2002. He discussed the possibility of Impact moving permanently to Mondays, Hulk Hogan’s presence in TNA, Vince Russo working with Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff and more.

I know that TNA management and Spike TV executives were very happy with the rating Impact did on Jan. 4. What was the reaction from the locker room when the number came down?

The number came down on Tuesday right before the taping of our second show, and everyone was just ecstatic about it. Word spread really fast. It actually came in a little later than it usually did, so that made the anticipation go up a little more, but everybody was really happy with it. Personally, I think it was above expectations. We did much better head to head with [WWE] this time around than last time [Thursday, Feb. 15, 2007]. Going by those numbers from last time, I was pleasantly surprised.

You’ve been with TNA since Day One. Can you put into words what the night of Jan. 4 meant to the company, as far as how far it’s come in seven years?

I don’t know how many times over the years I’ve had to say that “this is our biggest show ever” but I’ve done it many, many times because we’ve just constantly grown and grown. I’ll use this comparison: Having Hulk Hogan come in and do what he did this time around versus when he came in that first year and did an angle with Jeff [Jarrett] and it looked like we were going to get Hogan then, now it seems like seven years allowed us to get ready for this step. I think waiting that long and having it develop as it has, it was much more thrilling to have him as part of the show this time around than it was last time, because we didn’t really know what we were in for. For me personally, Monday was the most rewarding night in the history of the company for sure.

Do you think moving to Mondays permanently is something that will happen and would be good for the company?

I can only speak personally – I think it would be great. The biggest disappointment this week is that we weren’t doing another live show. We had so much momentum coming off it, it was like, how do we keep that ball rolling? My perspective as someone having lived through the Monday Night Wars, I’m drooling at the idea of it. I just know how much fun it was. [Jan. 4] is the first sample I’ve had of what that was like in 10 years. It really brought me back to when we really cared what [WWE] was doing and when they really cared about what [WCW] was doing. That kind of competition is what brings out the best in everybody, and, ultimately, no matter what you say about the fourth of January, the fans won that night. I think you got a better show out of us and a better show out of Vince McMahon.

I think the biggest surprise of the Monday night show was Jeff Hardy’s appearance, because the belief was that he had an agreement to return to WWE. When did you know he was coming to TNA and how did that all come down?

Well, Kevin, I’m a little bit different of an animal, because having been in the trenches and seeing everything and being a part of every decision that the company’s made, now – and it’s happened a couple times – I purposely don’t want to know things, only for my own personal amusement as a fan. I’ve been doing it so long, so for me it’s to the point where my ego doesn’t need to know everything. I just trust that it’s going to be good, and as a fan, I want to be surprised just like the guy sitting in the front row. That’s how I’ve been able to keep being a fan through everything.

So did you have any inkling at all that there was a possibility that Hardy would be there?

I had heard things, but I’d also heard other things that didn’t happen. I have no problem saying it, but the first time I knew Ric Flair was in TNA was when he got out of the limo and it was me and 30 other people backstage. I’m going to remember that moment a lot more knowing that when I saw Ric Flair get out of the limo that was the first time and I was shocked rather than just hearing about it the day before. I put a lot of stock in being able to still feel that way and relate to a fan that way. I think a lot of the success we’re having at house shows is because a lot of us who went to WWE shows growing up may have forgotten what it’s like to be a fan and what the fans sit through when they go to house shows. For me, I just always wanted to be part of something and to meet a wrestler and be part of the show somehow, so we’ve really tried to integrate that.

Some critics – and I’ll put myself in there – have said that bringing in some of the older guys such as Scott Hall, Sean Waltman and The Nasty Boys may take away screen time and opportunities from guys such as Matt Morgan, D’Angelo Dinero, Beer Money and other guys who look like they’re ready to take that next step. What’s your take on it?

My take on it is that if there’s a good balance and everything is serving the bigger purpose, it’s great. As far as what happened on [Jan. 4], I think it’s all part of the bigger picture – Hulk Hogan comes to town and look who’s trying to get into the company now. I think that’s another story unto itself. If the story is compelling and the fans are into it, I don’t care who it is. The fans have always been the ones who dictated what they want to see. I think at the same time what you’re going to see with Ric Flair is that there is a deep value in using those established names to brand new stars. I think in the future you’re going to see a lot more of that and we’re going to become a lot better at that.

Did you sense any trepidation from some of the younger talent about Hogan and some of the other veterans coming in?

I would almost compare it to having a coaching change. Obviously everybody is afraid of change from time to time, but there are also guys who know that the bigger picture is what this actually does for the company. I can speak firsthand. Since that show I’ve had people that I know never watch wrestling come up to me and say they saw the show. I got stopped in the airport five times today and had people tell me they saw the show. That has never happened before. So I think anybody who was a little bit leery about things, once they saw the impact that it made and getting recognized all over the place now, it shut a lot of people up real fast who said, “Is this the right thing to do for TNA?” I think that question was answered pretty quickly.

Like you, I was there in WCW when Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo and Hulk Hogan were all working together, and it was tough for them to co-exist. If it didn’t work then, why do you think it will be different this time?

Whole different set of circumstances. First of all, I worked for WCW for a number of years and I could never tell you who I reported to. In this company I can tell you that I report to Dixie Carter and the buck stops there, no questions asked. To me it’s just a whole different environment. I think also, in knowing Vince as I do and getting to spend time with Eric again, I think they have both definitely evolved as human beings. I think you’re looking at guys who have grown up a little bit in terms of where the business is and where they’re at 10 years later. So far, everything has been remarkably done well as far as them working together. The common goal is the common goal and everybody sees that. There will always be creative differences, but how they’re handled and how they’re resolved is the difference between now and then.

Along with growing up and evolving as people, do you think they have learned from past mistakes?

I can’t speak for them but I certainly think I have a much better knowledge of the wrestling business from trial and error and from everything that’s happened in the last 10 years. I think you have a situation where they’ve been able to take a look back and see what worked and what didn’t. I think they definitely have a better perspective 10 years later than they did then.

I’ve been to the Impact Zone and I think it’s a fun atmosphere and a fun place to watch a show, but do you think the company needs to start doing Impact and pay-per-views at arenas on a regular basis?

I think we have always walked before we’ve run. When we’re ready to do arenas and we’re ready to fill those buildings and have a production that is ready to go on the road and can be funded that way, we’ll do it. But like anything, it’s always been: OK, are we ready to move to Thursday nights in prime time? Are we ready to go two hours? We’ve always taken our time and made sure it’s the right move, and I think that’s why we’re still around.

Personally, I think the Impact Zone has it charms, and the fans there always seem to be really enthusiastic.

It definitely has it charms. I was there for the ECW Arena shows and it had its own character, and I would almost compare the two in the sense that there are a lot of regular fans there and a lot of die-hard fans that show up from all over the country just to come see the shows when they’re vacationing in Orlando. So there is an energy there that’s contagious, and I think [Jan. 4] we had one of the best crowds we’ve ever had in there. Brooke Hogan herself said that she’s been going to see her dad all of her life and she’s never heard a crowd like that before, and the energy we had in the crowd. Of all the shows we’ve done in there, that was definitely the wildest. Hulk coming out was probably the loudest thing I’ve ever heard in that building. We’ve had some loud arrivals – Kurt Angle, Sting – but that was something like I’ve never heard and felt before.

Here’s a question that’s specific to the Baltimore-Washington market. Baltimore has historically been a good wrestling town and has shown that it will support more than one promotion. Are there any plans for TNA to come to this area?

I remember doing a couple WCW shows in Baltimore and I do remember that crowd specifically standing out as being something a little special because they were really loud and really into it. I would think it’s probably on the short list for doing a pay-per-view on the road sometime maybe in 2010. To me, that’s definitely a market we need to hit.

Fans see you on camera all the time in TNA, but you wear a lot of different hats in the company. For those who don’t know, what are some of your other duties in the company?

When we first started out we were a company of about five or six employees, so as we’ve grown, thankfully, my duties have become more narrowed and focused. So instead of being the media guy and video editing – I did everything – now I can just focus on being Director of Digital Media. I work a lot on the Web site. We’re starting a new WCW Live-type show for TNA on Thursday. So that’s been something I’ve been working on for a couple months now. That’s going to be very different than anything any wrestling company has ever done. It’s going to be very interactive – Twitter, Facebook, myspace, YouTube – all kinds of involvement with fans that’s never been done from a major wrestling company. That’s what’s eating up a lot of my time. This month I’m on the road 24 days. They keep me real busy. The good thing about doing the digital media is that I have a mobile office, basically. I can work out of a laptop and a broadband connection – I can pretty much do anything anywhere, so that’s kind of a cool gig to have not to be cooped up in an office somewhere.

I’m a big fan of the Spin Cycle show that you host on tnawrestling.com. Wasn’t there some talk at one point of making that a TV show?

Yeah, I think there was talk of it. As far as creating programming, I’m not sure it’s ready for cable television yet. I think it needs some fine-tuning. I also think it’s built more toward a Web audience. It’s a little more inside, and I think that’s what the TNA Live show is going to be. It’s going to definitely be that same kind of flavor. The Spin Cycle itself, though, I think we’re still going to do that once or twice a month.

If this wrestling gig doesn’t work out for you, have you ever thought of being a game show host?

[Laughs]. You know what, I’ve had to pass up some pretty decent offers.

Really?

Yeah, just things that come up, side stuff that I could do if I had the time, but there’s only 24 hours in a day. So, yeah, the offers have been there, but I just can’t see a better scenario for my life right now. They take good care of me. I’ve obviously been through the ups and downs, and now, thankfully, we’re on the side of the ups. I just can’t imagine a more fun gig to have. I mean, I work my [butt] off, don’t get me wrong, but getting to travel the world and doing this, I don’t think there are too many better jobs you could find for a lifelong wrestling fan.

You’ve done some really funny stuff on camera, specifically your interaction with Kurt Angle and Mick Foley. How much of those scenes are ad-libbed, and is there a favorite moment that you have?

Yeah, most of it’s ad-libbed. The good thing about it is, regardless of what people say is scripted and not scripted, I am given, at best, bullet points, and everything else is “just go with it.” I think that also depends on the talent sometimes. I don’t think The Rock needed too much direction in his promos, whereas somebody just starting out probably needs a little more help. For me, it’s just “let it go, let it fly and have fun with it.” I’ve really enjoyed working with Kurt and Mick, but I think my favorite thing was getting to do something with Funkhouser – Super Dave Osborne – on our show a couple weeks ago, just because I’m a huge “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fan. It was really fun because it was literally like being on the set of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” We had no direction, no script. He said “just go,” and we had a back-and-forth ad-lib exchange that went on for about a minute. That’s what one my favorite things that I’ve ever done. I feel more confident and I think I’ve improved by getting to work with guys like Kurt Angle and Mick Foley and Eric Bischoff. Working with [Bischoff] now as a talent, I kind of forgot how good he is. [Jim] Cornette really, really impressed me with the way he could talk and everything, but I was just literally in awe of Bischoff the other day, just how good he is at just nailing everything – there’s no two takes with him.

Any final thoughts before we wrap it up?

I just want to say that the Web show, TNA Live, is going to start pre- and post-show for Impact, so it’s going to bookend Impact every Thursday night. It’s going to be live and it’s going to be very interactive. It’s going to be myself, SoCal Val and Don West. I’m going to be live on location at different arenas across the country. I’ll be in Pennsylvania this Thursday, and I’ll be in London, England the next week. Technology is so advanced now that I can do this show from anywhere in the world literally and be on live video. It’s very cool and it’s just going to mean more access to the wrestlers for the fans.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)
Categories: Q&As
        

For anyone who has been a pro wrestling fan since the 1990s, the truce between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels that was sealed with an embrace last week on Raw was a surreal moment. In the 12 years since the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Hart had made it clear in numerous interviews that he couldn’t stand Michaels, even going so far as to say that he would leave his own WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2006 if he saw Michaels there because “there’s too much anger for me.” In his autobiography – which was published in 2007 – Hart said Michaels “will always be a phony, a liar and a hairless yellow dog.”

What I find interesting is that it seems as if Hart’s negative feelings toward Michaels became more intense as the years went on. Looking back on an interview I conducted with Hart when I was the editor of WCW Magazine in 2000, I noticed that Hart’s comments about Michaels weren’t nearly so vitriolic at that point.

Here is an excerpt from that interview. It picks up after Hart had said that some of the problems between him and Michaels were due to Vince McMahon stirring things up.

Q: Are you saying that McMahon encouraged the animosity between yourself and Michaels?

A: I think a lot of the aggression between Shawn and me is fabricated. I don’t think Shawn ever really had that much of a problem with me, and I never had that much of a problem with Shawn. But Vince geared us toward each other all the time. I think McMahon always felt he could draw more money with two wrestlers who had tension between them and it would come out in their matches, and it probably does. I understand that now, and I don’t have any animosity toward anybody, whether it’s Earl Hebner or Shawn Michaels or Jerry Brisco. I’ve accepted that everyone was doing their job and protecting their best interests and their own family, just as I was. Shawn was wrong, though. I think Shawn knew me well enough that he could have come to me and we could have talked. Shawn was the only guy I ever met in this business who I shook hands with and made peace with over different issues numerous times over that last year I was there. I think he was pretty shallow in his sentiment as far as making friends and shaking hands. It goes back even to the interviews at the time. We would make new rules all the time, like: “OK, I’m not going to say this about you anymore and please don’t say this about me anymore.” And two days later, he’d be trashing me in an interview again. He kept breaking the rules that he kept making. Again, I imagine Vince was pushing that.

Q: What happened backstage the night you and Michaels were sent home from Raw?

A: We had a little altercation. I did a hammer throw and had him by the hair. He started that, too. I started talking to him and joking around with him and he said something like, “Who do you think you are? You haven’t talked to me in a month. What makes you think I’m going to talk to you now?” And he stormed out of the dressing room, so that was what set that off.

Q: In an interview several years ago that seemed to be a shoot, Michaels said you didn’t want to pass the torch to him. Any comment?

A: Obviously that’s not true because I did it just the way I was asked. It was mapped out right from the beginning. I know exactly what happened with Shawn. He allowed himself to get worked into a shoot. When I dropped the title to him [at WrestleMania XII in 1996], I was not supposed to shake his hand after the match. I was supposed to walk out, they follow me with a camera, and I jump in my car and drive off. That was all designed for me to come back with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. I was going to be a babyface still, but I was going to have a bit of an attitude toward him. I was going to beat him and then I was going to wrestle him again and drop the title back to him. When that scenario did come around, it was Shawn who had gotten so worked into a shoot that he came up with a sore finger or something and couldn’t show up for WrestleMania. That’s when most of the guys, me included, lost respect for him, because no one believed he was really hurt. The way to gauge that was to see if he came back, and he came back almost right away. This wasn’t the first time he had balked at passing the torch, so that’s a load of rubbish.

Q: Have you seen Michaels since your last match in the WWF?

A: No.

A: After everything that’s happened between the two of you, what would you say to him if you were face to face again?

A: I don’t have much to say to him. As an artist, though, I appreciated working with him. He was one of the best guys I ever worked with. I think maybe the greatest match I ever had was that one-hour match we had at WrestleMania. It’s a shame that what once was a good friendship broke down to what it was in the end. I think if he apologized to me, I could be his friend. But if he didn’t make that first step, I wouldn’t have any interest in renewing any kind of relationship.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

• I have to admit that I was disappointed with the outcome of the ECW Homecoming battle royal on Tuesday night’s episode. I really wanted to see CM Punk win it and get the title shot against ECW champion Christian at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 31, but it was Ezekiel Jackson who prevailed. I’m all for giving Big Zeke a push, but that was downright cruel of WWE to tease us with the possibility of a Punk-Christian match and then not give it to us.

• A few days ago I wrote that I saw elements of cult leaders Charles Manson and David Koresh in Punk’s character. Not only is the scruffy Punk looking more and more like Manson by the week, but he used the phrase “cease to exist” in his promo on this show. That’s the title of a song that was written and recorded by Manson.

• Gee, do you think there were enough shots of Rosa Mendes during the Zack Ryder-Hurricane match? Nah, me either. There’s no such thing as too much Rosa. By the way, that was a heck of a slap that she delivered to Hurricane.

• The Trent Barreta-Goldust match was decent. Barreta gave a good accounting of himself, and Goldust’s work was solid as usual.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 3:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (22)
        

With the Royal Rumble less than three weeks away, speculation about what the WrestleMania XXVI line-up might look like is starting to heat up.

In last week’s Wrestling Observer, Dave Meltzer wrote that a likely scenario for the top matches is:

• Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon
• The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels
• John Cena vs. Batista
• Triple H vs. Sheamus
• Edge vs. Chris Jericho
• Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase Jr.

Meltzer also wrote that WWE would really like to do The Rock vs. Cena "if it's possible to put that together." Good luck with that one. In addition, he noted that Edge-Jericho is contingent on Edge being fully recovered from his injury, which is not a given. Meltzer said he expected a Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk match as well, but that obviously was before Hardy showed up on TNA Impact on Jan. 4.

If I was booking the show, I’d make a few changes. I like Hart-McMahon, Edge-Jericho and Orton-DiBiase, but I’d rather see Triple H vs. Michaels and Undertaker vs. Cena. Triple H still has not had his defining WrestleMania moment, and if he can’t get it in a match with his pal Michaels, he may never get it. I certainly don’t think a match between Triple H and Sheamus will be one for the ages.

Undertaker-Michaels was incredible last year, but as I’ve said before, I really don’t want to see it again because there’s no way they can top it. I’d much rather see Undertaker with a fresh opponent such as Cena.

One problem with my proposed lineup is that it leaves Batista without an obvious opponent. I thought at one point that Batista vs. Rey Mysterio might be an option, but their feud will already be played out before WrestleMania takes place on March 28. One possibility would be to have a battle of the big men between Batista and Kane, but I think a more compelling opponent for Batista would be R-Truth. I’ve been advocating a push for R-Truth for quite a while now. What would WWE have to lose by giving him an opportunity?

As for Sheamus, just thrown him in there with someone like Mark Henry or put him in the Money in the Bank ladder match – just please don’t let him win it.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 1:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (62)
        

The featured Ring Posts comment for the week of Jan. 4-10 comes from Jack Windham, who responded to the entry “Surreal Bret Hart-Shawn Michaels embrace highlights Raw.”

The hug between Hart and Michaels is about as sincere as the hug that the strippers give me when I walk into the club.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 7:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Comment of the week
        

One of the things that has always made Mike Tyson such a compelling figure is his unpredictable nature. You never knew when Tyson was going to say or do something outrageous – especially on live television. Love him or hate him, when Tyson was on, you couldn’t take your eyes off him.

That’s why it was a little surprising just how predictable and uninspiring his appearance was as guest host of Raw Monday night. I’m not saying that he did a bad job, and I enjoyed seeing him get in the ring, but it just wasn’t as entertaining as I thought it would be.

In retrospect, perhaps my expectations were too high. An older, seemingly mellower, out-of-shape Tyson just isn’t as fascinating as the guy we saw in the clips from 1998 decking Shawn Michaels and engaging in a pull-apart with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

As far as the angle Tyson did with DX and Chris Jericho Monday night, if you didn’t know from the moment the DX vs. Jericho and Tyson match was announced that Tyson was going to double-cross Jericho and join DX and Hornswoggle in a crotch-chopping celebration at the end of the show, you should have you “smart mark” card revoked. It was the exact same angle Tyson did with DX and Austin in ’98, only back then it was DX that Tyson double-crossed.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

Jericho getting kicked off Raw and coming back the following week has become a running joke. No wonder fans don’t take stipulations seriously. I’m not complaining, though. The Jericho bit is pretty entertaining, and I’m all for him being on both shows. ...

That was a tough crowd in Minneapolis. The fans seemed to be in a grumpy mood all night and didn’t really react in an overwhelmingly positive manner to anything. The show certainly wasn’t that bad. I mean, it’s not like Dr. Ken was there. I really couldn’t believe they were chanting “boring” during Vince McMahon’s promo about Bret Hart. McMahon clearly was not pleased about that. Perhaps 12 years was too long to wait to do the angle. ...

The best thing by far on the show was the confrontation between The Miz and MVP. Once again, however, the crowd didn’t really seem to care, although in the fans’ defense, WWE hasn’t given them any real reason to care about these guys. That’s especially true in MVP’s case. It seems no matter how much he steps up when given the chance, his spot on the card doesn’t change, and the fans have given up on it ever happening. As far as The Miz goes, he truly has become awesome. I’m pretty sure that his promo about his fellow wrestlers not wanting him around – he specifically mentioned JBL as someone who gave him a hard time – was a shoot. ...

I was surprised that Randy Orton won the triple threat match for a shot at Sheamus’ WWE title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 31 over John Cena and Kofi Kingston. Orton was the one guy in the match that I thought had no shot, because WWE doesn’t often do heel vs. heel. I figured Cena was the most likely to win, but I also thought there as a chance Kingston could end up getting the title shot, just to have something different. The Royal Rumble match is the main attraction at this pay-per-view, so it would be the perfect show to have a world title match not involving the usual suspects. I’m still not totally convinced that it will be Orton vs. Sheamus one-on-one. If it is, I hope the WWE decision-makers won’t be surprised if Orton gets a huge babyface reaction. ...

I like the spot in the triple threat match when Kingston went for the Boom Drop on Orton but Cena took him down with a drop toehold and slapped on the STF. ...

Did Michael Cole really compare Sheamus to Tyson in his prime? Please. ...

I loved it when Tyson was describing in graphic detail all the horrible things he was going to do to Hornswoggle. It was reminiscent of his “I’m going to eat your children” line to Lennox Lewis. I was hoping Tyson would snap and really follow through on the little guy (Hornswoggle I mean, not Lewis' children). ...

I had no idea what Cena was talking about in his promo with Tyson when he started mentioning all those names. Was that an obscure reference or am I just out of touch? ...

I sure didn’t expect to hear Santino Marella’s music when Jack Swagger challenged anyone in the back to try and throw him over the top rope. Not only did Marella answer Swagger’s challenge, but he succeeded in tossing him out. Yet another humiliation for Swagger. I just don’t get it. ...

The Alicia Fox-Kelly Kelly match was fun while it lasted. The other tournament match to crown a new WWE Divas champion – Eve vs. Katie Lea Burchill – was OK, but the roll-up finish seemed to come out of nowhere. The best part of that match was Maryse’s commentary. WWE unveiled the brackets, and it will be Fox vs. Gail Kim and Eve vs. Maryse in the semifinals. I’m guessing it will be a Kim-Maryse final. ...

It was announced that next week’s guest hosts will be Don Johnson and some guy from “Napoleon Dynamite.” I think I’d rather see The Brooklyn Brawler and Harvey Wippleman.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (58)
        

Here are my picks for the decade’s best in pro wrestling in six categories. I have previously selected Triple H as the Wrestler of the Decade.

BEST WORKER: KURT ANGLE

The Olympic gold medalist made a seamless transition from amateur wrestling to sports entertainment. A tremendously well-conditioned athlete, Angle not only is a fantastic mat wrestler, but he also does a heck of a moonsault and he’s a good brawler as well. Everything he does is smooth and looks realistic. Despite battling serious neck injuries over the years, Angle, 41, still is one of the best – if not the best – in-ring performers in the business, as evidenced by his instant classic match against A.J. Styles last Monday on TNA Impact and his recent matches with Desmond Wolfe.

BEST MATCH: THE UNDERTAKER VS. SHAWN MICHAELS (WRESTLEMANIA XXV, 2009)
There were a lot of great matches to choose from, but the one that stands out the most for me is the epic battle between two of WWE’s biggest stars of the past 20 years that took place at the company’s signature event, which I was fortunate enough to attend. The 44-year-old Undertaker and 43-year-old Michaels combined athleticism and conditioning that belied their ages with stellar ring generalship. The result was a match for the ages that included thrilling false finishes and a near-tragic over-the-top rope dive by The Undertaker, who improved his WrestleMania record to 17-0 after pinning Michaels at about the 31-minute mark.

BEST FEUD: EDGE VS. JOHN CENA

The intense rivalry between the two WWE superstars began in 2006 (they battled each other for most of the year) and heated up again in 2009. Cena, the ultimate babyface, and Edge, the ultimate opportunist, had incredible chemistry as adversaries in the ring and on the microphone. Six times world titles changed hands in matches involving Cena and Edge, including a TLC match that Cena won on Edge’s home turf of Toronto in 2006. Their final encounter (for now) was an excellent Last Man Standing Match this past April, which saw Edge beat Cena for the WWE title.

BEST TAG TEAM: TEAM 3D

Whether you call them Team 3D or The Dudley Boyz, Bubba and Devon certainly bring a lot to the table (pun intended). Effective as heels or babyfaces, Team 3D won their first WWE tag team title in 2000, and would go on to win nine championships in WWE. Their TLC and ladder matches with Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz are classics. Team 3D moved on to TNA in 2005, where they have won two TNA/NWA world tag team championships to go along with two IWGP titles in New Japan. Except for a brief period in 2002 when they had a stint as singles wrestlers, Bubba and Devon have teamed together throughout the decade. Team 3D is still going strong, as their feud with Beer Money was one of TNA’s best of 2009.

BEST FEMALE WRESTLER: TRISH STRATUS

When she made her WWE debut in 2000 as the valet for the tag team T&A (Test and Albert), all I saw was another stereotypical bleached-blonde with breast implants. Stratus proved over time, however, that she was more than just another pretty face. She ended up becoming perhaps the best all-around female performer in WWE history. No one combined the diva look with in-ring skills as well as Stratus, who went on to win the WWE women’s title a record seven times. She also was involved in memorable story lines with Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon, Chris Jericho, Christian, Lita and Mickie James. Stratus left the business on her own terms and at the top of her game, as she defeated Lita for the title in 2006 and then retired.

BEST NON-WRESTLING PERFORMER: VINCE McMAHON

In his role of the megalomaniacal Mr. McMahon, the WWE chairman brought the mega-heat that he garnered during his historic feud with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin in the late ’90s into the next decade. Although he was overexposed at times – and I’m not just talking about his Kiss My Ass club – McMahon almost always made things significantly more interesting when he was around. During the 2000s, McMahon feuded with top babyfaces such as Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, as well as just about every member of his family, including son-in-law Triple H. McMahon even had a short reign as ECW champion.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 2:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (41)
        

I was enjoying the Batista-Rey Mysterio match that main-evented Friday night’s episode of Smackdown when out of nowhere a gong sounded and the screen went dark. The lights in the arena had gone out for a few seconds and then come back on. The same thing happened two more times, and in each instance one or both of the competitors were laid out.

It obviously was the work of The Undertaker, although he never appeared on camera. The match was supposed to determine the No. 1 contender for his world heavyweight championship, but it ended without a decision being rendered.

I wasn’t a big fan of The Undertaker’s gong show and his parlor tricks with the lights. Not only was it hokey (I know, you can say that about a lot of stuff involving The Undertaker), but I don’t think the angle made sense. Why would The Undertaker want to take out both contenders? Is he afraid to face them? It seemed like the actions of a heel champion. It’s not too smart on his part, because the obvious result of all this is that he will have to face Batista and Mysterio in a triple threat match at the Rumble, which means that he can lose the belt without even getting pinned.

Perhaps The Undertaker will explain his actions on next week’s show.

Other thoughts on Friday’s show:

I liked the segment in which CM Punk “saved” a young man (a plant, obviously) from the audience. I’m guessing that some viewers think the scene went on too long, but Punk was just so good. His character has elements of cult leaders David Koresh and Charles Manson. ...

I’m enjoying the Mickie James-Beth Phoenix-Michelle McCool-Layla story line. I especially like the interaction between James and Phoenix. After Phoenix saved James from an attack by McCool and Layla last week, she then laid out James. On Friday, James returned the favor. The longtime rivals have common enemies in McCool and Layla, but that doesn’t mean that James and Phoenix suddenly are friends, which adds another layer. James and Phoenix are bound to call a truce eventually, but it’s more realistic to have it happen gradually. ...

Not only did Dolph Ziggler have a competitive match with Kane for the second consecutive week, but he got the better of him once again. During last week’s Beat the Clock Challenge, Ziggler was in control of the match when time ran out. On Friday’s show, he defeated Kane by count-out. The one thing about their latest encounter that I didn’t care for was Kane kicking out of Ziggler’s Zig-Zag finisher. I would love to see Ziggler get a pinfall victory over Kane at some point, but I’m not holding my breath. ...

The six-man tag team match that saw Chris Jericho and The Hart Dynasty take on R-Truth and Cryme Tyme was good. The bad news is that THD and Cryme Tyme were in the ring with each other for what seems like the hundredth time; the good news is that the guys in pink and black won and are seemingly on the verge of a decent push. ...

It was good to see Jericho apply the Walls of Jericho the way he used to when the move was known as The Lion Tamer in WCW (he also has done it on occasion in WWE). Instead of a typical Boston Crab, Jericho had JTG at more of a vertical angle, so when he pulled back and sat into the move, it looked a lot more painful. ...

When JTG got a very close near fall on Jericho – which would have been the second time JTG pinned Jericho in the past five months – my head nearly exploded. ...

I wasn’t that surprised that Matt Hardy jobbed to Luke Gallows, but it was cleaner than I expected. Punk provided a momentary distraction, which resulted in Hardy walking right into Gallows’ finisher. I was thinking that Punk would get physically involved behind the referee’s back to lead to Gallows winning. ...

I can’t believe that Slam Master J (formerly Jesse) hasn’t confronted Gallows (formerly Festus) yet about becoming a Punk disciple. ...

John Morrison showed good intensity again on the microphone when he confronted Drew McIntyre during a backstage interview. However, I thought Morrison came off like a sore loser, while McIntyre seemed like a babyface for standing his ground. ...

Did Todd Grisham actually say “h-e-double hockey sticks?” I don’t think I’ve heard that since elementary school. Smackdown is rated PG, not G, right?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)
        

Former WWE diva Stacy Keibler, who told me in a November interview that WWE ignored her offer to host Raw when the show was in her hometown of Baltimore that month, said the company did express interest when her people contacted them several weeks later.

“Probably a month later, my publicist called them again and they said, ‘Oh, we would love to have her,’ and they gave us some dates, but it didn’t work around my schedule, Keibler told SI.com. “So maybe in the future if the timing is right, but right now there [are] no plans to do it. But it would be so much fun to walk out and feel that energy again and be around my fans. I would absolutely love to do it.”

It’s a shame that things didn’t work out when Raw was at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore Nov. 30. Keibler, who lives in Los Angeles, was home for Thanksgiving – as well as the Sunday night game between the Ravens and Steelers – so it was perfect timing. No offense to Verne “Mini-Me” Troyer, but I think most fans would have preferred to see Keibler.

In other Keibler news, she is appearing on Monday’s episode of “How I Met Your Mother” at 8 p.m. on CBS.

By the way, here's a picture I took with Stacy when she was in Baltimore in May to host the Preakness Infieldfest. Note the t-shirt I am wearing. What else would you expect from an HBK mark?

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I posted my top 10 Wrestlers of the Decade last week, and it sparked some spirited and thought-provoking debates. A special thank you, by the way, to everyone who refrained from calling me an HBK mark, Triple H mark or a biased idiot.

Using the same criteria that I did to compile the list, who do you think was the Wrestler of the Decade? Here’s a reminder of the criteria:

• Star power and impact on business
• Memorable matches and programs
• Titles won and placement on card
• Activity

Click here to vote in the poll.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)
        

The video has been on wwe.com for several days now, but just in case anyone hasn’t seen it yet, here is a link to what happened after Raw went off the air Monday night.

While Bret Hart was standing in the ring after his show-closing angle with Vince McMahon, a number of wrestlers – both babyfaces and heels – came down to the ring to salute “The Hitman.”

It was mostly mid-card performers who came out for the show of respect, with the biggest star being Chris Jericho. Among those who did not participate were Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Randy Orton, The Big Show, Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)
        

• Is Mike Knox ever going to win another match? That’s what I was thinking as I watched Knox job – again – on Thursday’s episode of WWE Superstars. I just don’t understand why WWE can’t even let Knox beat Finlay. I respect Finlay and I’m not suggesting that he lose all the time, but Knox, 31, is 20 years younger and obviously has more upside. What really surprises me about Knox not getting any kind of push is that Vince McMahon has always liked big guys. Knox is listed at 6 feet 6 and 293 pounds.

• The Gail Kim-Jillian match – which was part of the tournament to crown a new WWE Divas champion – was decent. I like Jillian’s act, but obviously Kim winning is the right call. On a side note, I wish WWE would show us brackets for the tournament.

• The Ted DiBiase Jr.-Chris Masters match was entertaining. I used to groan when I saw Masters appear on my TV, but I’ve done a complete reversal since the dancing pecs.

• Yoshi Tatsu landed on his head attempting a huracanrana on Caylen Croft, but he finished the match. Croft didn’t look bad in his first televised singles match.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)
        

Now that my Wrestler of the Decade top 10 countdown has been in the books for about a week and the outrage over Triple H getting the top spot seems to have died down, I figured it would be a good time to answer some of the critics and make some clarifications.

It goes without saying that Triple H is one of the most polarizing figures in pro wrestling, so I expected the backlash. I understand perfectly why Triple H has his detractors, and I agree with some of their points. However, when you take the emotion out of it and go strictly by the criteria that I laid out, Triple H has to be The Wrestler of the Decade. The only guy who comes close, in my opinion, is John Cena.

The bullet points on the “Triple H post” state the case for him being Wrestler of the Decade, but let’s address some specific issues raised by commenters. One popular misconception is that Triple H became a top guy in WWE because he was dating and eventually married the boss’ daughter, Stephanie McMahon. Another is that he did not pay his dues and received a top spot solely because of backstage politics. None of it is true.

Triple H won his first world title in 1999, which was prior to he and Stephanie becoming a couple. Before he got to that level, he steadily climbed the ladder in WWE after making his debut in 1995. Anyone who watched wrestling during Triple H’s days as the “Connecticut Blueblood” Hunter Hearst Helmsley could see that he was a talented performer with a bright future. Heck, I saw something in him when he went by Terra Ryzing and Jean-Paul Levesque in WCW in 1994.

Did making the right friends in WWE – specifically Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall – help elevate him? Sure, in the sense that it provided him with an opportunity. That’s how the wrestling business has always worked. Let’s not forget, however, that Triple H was also a victim of politics at times early in his career.

When The Ultimate Warrior squashed him in about a minute and a half at WrestleMania XII in 1996, insider fans complained what a travesty it was that a young up-and-comer such as Triple H had to put over an over-hyped prima dona such as Warrior in that fashion.

And then there was the infamous “Curtain Call” at Madison Square Garden in 1996. On Hall and Nash’s last night in the company before departing for WCW, babyfaces Michaels and Hall and heels Nash and Triple H all broke kayfabe and embraced in the ring at the end of the show after a match between Michaels and Nash. Vince McMahon could not punish Hall and Nash, because they were out the door. He wasn’t going to punish Michaels either, as he was WWE champion and the company’s top star. So that left Triple H, whose planned push, which included winning the King of the Ring tournament (back when that actually meant something), was temporarily halted.

Fans eventually began to view Triple H as a star after he and Michaels formed DX. When Triple H became the group’s leader after Michaels retired in 1998, he was on the cusp of becoming a main-eventer. He had a high-profile feud with The Rock over the Intercontinental title that year that included a memorable ladder match at SummerSlam that was second from the top of the card. Triple H may have had Vince McMahon’s ear, but he also delivered the goods in the ring.

To sum it up, Triple H was an established star and a world champion before he became Vince’s son-in-law. The situation was nothing like Verne Gagne pushing his son Greg in the AWA or Bill Watts pushing his son Erik in WCW.

That’s the back story. Now as far as the past 10 years go, would Triple H have been as big a star if not for his family ties? It’s a fair question, but there’s no way to definitively answer it. My opinion is that he absolutely would have been one of WWE’s elite guys. Perhaps not a 13-time world champion, but certainly a guy consistently in the top mix, much like the only other Attitude-era main-eventer who was with WWE throughout the decade – The Undertaker.

As far as Triple H’s impact on business, WWE had peaks and valleys throughout the decade that were due to a variety of factors, and while it’s true that buy rates and ratings have gone down at times when Triple H was champion, it’s also true that he was the top guy during the peak year of the Attitude Era (2000). Overall, WWE generated hundreds of millions of dollars every year between 2000 and 2009, and Triple H was always a major player.

For hardcore fans who think he shouldn’t still be one of WWE’s top-tier guys, they need to keep in mind that there has been virtually no backlash among the masses for Triple H being in his spot for so many years. Show after show, he gets one of the biggest pops of the night.

Another criticism of Triple H is the belief that he has held down guys who he felt were threats to his spot. In the case of guys such as Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam, I think there is some truth to that. However, the other side of the coin is that he almost single-handedly elevated Randy Orton and Batista to main-event status.

Triple H could not have put over Batista any stronger than he did in 2005. Not only did he allow Batista to outsmart him in the story line, but he dropped the world title to him at WrestleMania 21 and also lost to him on two subsequent pay-per-views. At WrestleMania 22 in 2006, Triple H tapped out to WWE champion Cena in a match that most people thought Triple H was going to win. Two years prior at WrestleMania XX, world champion Triple H tapped out to Chris Benoit and then failed to defeat him in two rematches on pay-per-view.

While you can argue (and I have) that Triple H should have lost to Orton at last year’s WrestleMania, the fact is that Triple H had not won at WrestleMania since 2003 (he missed the 2007 show due to injury).

Speaking of injury, some commenters have contended that Triple H’s time spent on the sideline due to injuries should have prevented him from being named Wrestler of the Decade. My counter to that point is that the majority of wrestlers on the list also missed chunks of time because they were injured. Again, let’s look at the facts. Comparing Triple H with Cena over the past four years, Triple H has missed seven months due to injury, while Cena has missed six.

Love him or hate him, Triple H is the Wrestler of the Decade.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (65)
        

The featured Ring Posts comment for the week of Dec. 28-Jan. 3 comes from Ultimate Krang, who responded to the entry “Wrestler of the Decade: No. 4.”

In the post, I selected Shawn Michaels as the fourth-best wrestler of the decade. In the comments section of the post, I explained my reasoning to commenters who disagreed with Michaels' placement. Ultimate Krang then posted the following response to my response:

eck: ive seen your hbk bias time and time again. arguing against that kind of a bias with some kind of logic isnt going to go anywhere and so i didnt bother. but i at least felt the need to comment on it as this one time was particularly ridiculous.
i think most of your other opinions are spot on though, this isnt a diss.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)
Categories: Comment of the week
        

• Obviously the highlight of Tuesday night’s episode of ECW was the return of CM Punk. He had a good verbal exchange with ECW champion Christian to open the show, and then he defeated Mark Henry in the main event to qualify for next week’s ECW Homecoming battle royal. The winner of that contest gets a shot at Christian’s title at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Jan. 31. I’m guessing that I’m in the majority when I say that I’m rooting for a Christian-Punk matchup.

• The Punk-Henry match was pretty slow, but I wouldn’t say it was bad. I think Henry may have blown up (gotten winded) early.

• I enjoyed the Shelton Benjamin-Chavo Guerrero match. Guerrero has pretty much become a joke because of his many losses to Hornswoggle, but he still is a very solid worker.

• Next week’s battle royal has a nice lineup. Joining Punk in the match are Benjamin, Kane, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Ezekiel Jackson, Yoshi Tatsu and Vance Archer. If Punk doesn’t win it (which I think he will), the only other person I could see winning is Hardy.

• Zack Ryder cut a decent promo to follow up last week’s win over Tommy Dreamer, which forced Dreamer to leave ECW. It looks as if Ryder is going to get a push off the angle after all.

• Jackson’s victory over Vladimir Kozlov was more one-sided that I expected. The match wasn’t as bad as some (myself included) thought it would be, but it got zero crowd reaction.

• The video package of the Bret Hart-Vince McMahon confrontation from Raw Monday night was so well done that it made the segment seem better than it really was. It was due to the editing, the old clips mixed in, the usage of slow motion and the background music.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)
        

According to multiple reports, Monday's episode of Raw, which featured Bret Hart's first live appearance on the show in 12 years, ended up doing a 3.6. rating, a number that in retrospect has to be somewhat disappointing for WWE.

While the show was seen by 5.6 million viewers -- making it Raw's largest audience in more than four months -- 3.6 is the same rating Raw did last week. It looks as if TNA's live, three-hour episode of Impact, which went head to head with Raw from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., did cut into Raw's audience.

I figured Hart's presence on the show would have resulted in a rating above 4. It appears that viewers were interested in seeing Hart -- his show-opening segment with Shawn Michaels beat Hulk Hogan's segment in a head to head matchup (3.7 to 1.9) and the overrunof the Hart-Vince McMahon segment did a show-best 4.4 quarter hour -- but were less hesitant to flip to Impact when "The Hitman" wasn't on screen (he appeared in three segments).

Going up against a TNA show that featured Hogan's debut, hot-shot angles and surprise appearances -- including Jeff Hardy in the opening segment -- WWE put on a show that, with the exception of Hart's return, was an otherwise routine episode of Raw.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)
        

In Wednesday's post about Jeff Hardy being indicted by a grand jury in North Carolina on various drug charges, I incorrectly stated that the hearing took place on Tuesday (which is what one usually very reliable wrestling Web site had reported). The hearing actually took place on Monday, so it happened the day that Hardy debuted in TNA, not the day after.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
        

Which show did you think was better Monday night? To vote, click here.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)
        

Monday night’s live, three-hour episode of TNA Impact was the most-watched show in company history, as it delivered a 1.5 rating and 2.2 million viewers, according to multiple reports.

The final number for Raw has not been released, but pwtorch.com reported that the show peaked with a 4.4 quarter hour rating for the overrun of the Bret Hart-Vince McMahon segment. Raw was seen by 5.6 million viewers, its largest audience since the Aug. 24 episode (the night after SummerSlam).

During the 9 p.m. to 9:15 quarter hour, which saw the Hart-Shawn Michaels confrontation going against the segment with Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Sean Waltman, Raw did a 3.7, while Impact did a 1.9.

Both companies have to be pleased with their respective numbers, especially TNA. No one expected Impact to beat Raw, but the fact that more people watched the show than ever before certainly is a huge positive.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 10:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)
        

One day after Jeff Hardy made his shocking debut on TNA Impact, he was indicted by a grand jury in North Carolina on various drug charges, according to multiple reports.

Hardy had been arrested in September and charged with: felony possession of cocaine, felony drug trafficking of opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to redistribute a Schedule III drug, maintaining a dwelling for drug use and/or distribution and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

I’m guessing there are people in Stamford, Conn., who are now a little less upset about Hardy unexpectedly signing with TNA. According to wrestlingobserver.com, Hardy had orally agreed with WWE on a return date, which explains why his name had been mentioned on WWE television as of late.

The Web site also reported that it is believed that Hardy’s deal with TNA is not long term.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (25)
        

While I like the idea of TNA stepping up and attempting to become legitimate competition for WWE, I thought Monday’s live Impact opposite Raw was a mixed bag.

For the better part of the three-hour episode, I felt as if I was watching WCW Nitro circa 1997 – either that or a Legends of WCW convention.

All the WCW stars from the Monday Night Wars era were there: TNA “newcomers” Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Eric Bischoff, Scott Hall and Sean Waltman, as well as Sting (perched ominously in the rafters), Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett. Hogan even came out to music that sounded almost exactly like the old nWo theme.

Yes, the band was back together, but I think it struck a sour note. If TNA’s idea is to be the edgy alternative to what some believe is a stale, sugar-coated WWE, having an nWo reunion – not to mention appearances by the likes of The Nasty Boys, Sean “You Can’t Call Me Val Venis” Morley and Orlando Jordan – is definitely not the way to go.

What is most disappointing for me is that TNA’s creative leaders seem incapable of coming up with an original idea. With Bischoff and Vince Russo, their “money angles” always seem to be some variation of young guys vs. old guys (The New Blood vs. The Millionaires Club, the Front Line vs. The Main Event Mafia) or a hostile takeover (the nWo). WWE had its own time warp angle on Raw in Bret Hart confronting his antagonists from 1997’s Montreal Screwjob, Shawn Michaels and Vince McMahon, but that plays off something from the past as opposed to rehashing it.

That’s not to say that there weren’t any positives on Impact. Signing Jeff Hardy is a huge coup for TNA. The company is getting a guy in his prime who has a large and intensely loyal fan base. Along with John Cena, Hardy was one of the top two babyfaces in wrestling when he left WWE. Of course, Hardy also comes with baggage (as TNA knows first hand from his stint with the company in 2004-2005), but I think he is worth whatever risk there is in bringing him in.

Getting Flair to join TNA, while not unexpected, also is a feather in the company’s cap (even though I really don’t want to see him wrestle anymore). In Hardy and Flair, TNA now has two guys who are proven difference makers as far as moving ratings.

The highlight of the show for me, however, had nothing to do with surprise appearances or retro angles. No, the best thing on Impact was the spectacular TNA world title match between champion A.J. Styles and Kurt Angle that went over 20 minutes. There’s your first Match of the Year candidate for 2010.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

TNA had been hyping in the weeks leading up to the show that there would be a lot of surprise appearances. For me, there were only three potential candidates who would be considered major names, and TNA landed one of them in Hardy. The other two were Rob Van Dam and Goldberg. As I said, Flair coming in wasn’t unexpected. ...

A big problem with the Hogan-Bischoff-nWo-Mick Foley-Jeff Jarrett story line is that it’s very confusing as to who the babyfaces and heels are. I suppose the idea is to have people guessing at first so they keep tuning in to see how things unfold. Well, that might work, but there also is a chance that people might not want to think that much. Clearly defined good guys and bad guys is a proven winning formula. Here are two examples of confusion in the way the angles were presented: When Hogan interrupted Jarrett’s promo and put him in his place, Hogan came off as the heel and the fans booed him and cheered Jarrett, but I think TNA actually was going for the exact opposite reaction; at the end of the show, the ex-nWo guys jumped Foley as he was confronting Bischoff. Foley came off as the babyface after weeks of playing an insecure, paranoid heel-like character. The final shot was of Hogan surveying the scene, so the cliffhanger is whether he was there to break up the attack or join in on it. My guess is that it’s the former. ...

Beer Money, The Motor City Machine Guns and Rhino were all laid out backstage by unseen assailants. It would seem like the M.O. of the nWo, but that’s probably too obvious. ...

Least surprising “surprise” appearance of the night had to be The Nasty Boys. A close second would be Bubba The Love Sponge. The biggest surprise was that more Hogan cronies – specifically Brutus Beefcake and Jimmy Hart – did not pay a visit to the Impact Zone. I was expecting one of them to show up outside the arena in a white Hummer. ...

Yeah, the world sure was waiting for a Nasty Boys-Team 3D feud. ...

Hogan said during his promo that he had “been in the back all day.” That’s weird, considering he said it right after making his grand entrance at the Impact Zone via a motorcade. He also said that it was “a new day” in TNA. He said that right after coming out to the ring to the nWo-like theme music. ...

Jarrett did not mention Angle at all in his promo, so I wonder if there will be a program between the two of them after all. If not, why in the world did TNA waste so much air time recently on their real-life problems? ...

There was a “Who needs Bret?” chant during the Styles-Angle match. Of course if Hart had showed up in Orlando, the fans there would have marked out like crazy. ...

Speaking of the fans at the Impact Zone, some of them sure did come across as stereotypical lowest common denominator wrestling fans when they were being interviewed outside before the show. The best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) of them was a young woman who said that TNA was better than WWE because it has “blood, chairs on the head – all that good stuff.” Yeah, that’s what we need – more concussions. ...

Hall predictably looked haggard and out of shape, but Waltman – who, like Hall, has battled personal demons over the years – looked great. ...

It’s time for TNA to ban any use of the words “up north,” such as “you can pack your bags and go up north if you don’t like it.” ...

The show got off to an inauspicious start with the Steel Asylum match. Not only was it hard to see the action through the cage, but TNA inexplicably booked a non-finish. That resulted in a loud “bull----” chant. Then, Homicide was supposed to climb up the structure and through the opening at the top, but he wasn’t able to make it. Fortunately, Hardy showed up to save the segment. ...

Making Bobby and Kristal Lashley heels is a good move. Kristal has the potential to get Vickie Guerrero-type heat. ...

I’m more impressed with “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero every week, both in the ring and on the mic. Defeating Desmond Wolfe is huge for Dinero. He has major star potential. ...

The ODB-Tara match – which saw ODB regain the TNA Knockouts title – was way too short (it lasted about two minutes) and had a weak ending (ODB winning with a roll-up and grabbing the tights). On a three-hour show they couldn’t get 10 minutes? ...

The Awesome Kong and Hamada vs. Sarita and Taylor Wilde match, which saw Hamada and Kong win the TNA Knockouts tag team title, was a little rough in spots, but I still enjoyed it. ...

I’m still trying to comprehend how TNA could proclaim that Matt Morgan is the future of TNA (which I agree with) and then give him one minute of screen time on the biggest show in company history. He and Hernandez were put over strong in a quick squash of Dr. Stevie and Raven, but with everything that was going on during the show, it got lost. ...

The Beautiful People playing strip poker with Morley was another page out of the old Monday Night Wars playbook. First mud wrestling and now strip poker. Next week I’m guessing we’ll see Angelina Love forced to strip down to her underwear, get down on all fours and bark like a dog to get her job back. Not that I would mind that.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (72)
        

The age-old saying in pro wrestling is that you never say never, but for the longest time I never thought I would ever see Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels face to face on Raw much less hugging each other in the middle of the ring. The first on-camera meeting between the two rivals since the Montreal Screwjob 12 years ago was one of those rare moments when you call or text your friends just to make sure they are watching it.

WWE made a wise decision by having the Hart-Michaels confrontation at the top of the hour on Raw Monday night to oppose Hulk Hogan’s first appearance in the Impact Zone on TNA Impact. The scene unfolded perfectly. It began with a tease of Michaels not accepting Hart’s offer to call a truce, and ended just as I thought it would – with “The Hitman” and “The Heartbreak Kid” agreeing to put the 1997 Survivor Series incident behind them once and for all.

It was interesting that, in the story line, it was Hart extending his hand in friendship, because he has said all along in interviews that he not only carried a grudge against Michaels, but that he would probably punch him in the face if he ever saw him again. I thought for sure that Hart would demand as a condition of doing the story line that it be Michaels who said he was sorry and wanted to make amends.

As captivating as the segment was, what I really would loved to have seen was the backstage interaction between the two. Judging by the look on Hart’s face and Michaels’ body language, the hug came across a bit disingenuous. Still, it was a moment that any longtime wrestling fan will never forget.

Less compelling, at least for me, was the confrontation between Hart and Vince McMahon. After 12 years of buildup, it came off a bit anti-climactic. McMahon kicking Hart low after seemingly agreeing to bury the hatchet did not get as much heat as you would think. As I wrote last week, Hart and McMahon called a truce off camera years ago, so we all know that this is a story line based off an issue that has been resolved, whereas real life heat between Hart and Michaels still existed.

As far as Hart agreeing to do a story line based on Montreal, I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, it makes him come off as a hypocrite because it’s something he always contended that he wouldn’t do. However, if it truly brings closure for all parties and washes away and lingering bitterness, that’s a good thing.

My question is: Why couldn’t Hart and Michaels make nice off camera sometime in the past 12 years the way Hart and McMahon did? The opportunity presented itself in 2006 when Hart was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, but Hart made it clear that he wasn’t interested. He told The Calgary Sun at the time: “I've basically told them that if I see Shawn, I'll get back in a cab and go straight to the airport. They'll have to get him to do my induction speech. I just feel that there’s too much anger for me. Too combustible.” I suspect the “change of Hart” is more about a payday, a Hall of Fame induction for Hart’s father Stu Hart and a rumored Hart Foundation DVD than it is about closure.

Other thoughts on Monday’s show:

Hart, 52, looked good considering what he has been though health-wise. He stumbled a bit during his promo with McMahon, but he did a fine job overall. I think he should have sold the low blow a bit more, however. He seemed to be showing no ill effects as he stared at McMahon at the end of the show. ...

To drive home the point that McMahon is the heel in the Hart-McMahon saga, Hart said that he has always wanted to come back to WWE, but McMahon wouldn’t let him. In reality, it was the exact opposite. ...

Triple H had no interaction with Hart on camera, and he made a snarky remark in passing to Michaels about “making up with Bret.” The seed has been planted if WWE is building to Triple H and Michaels having a falling out over the Hart situation. ...

The WWE tag team title match between DX and Chris Jericho and The Big Show was entertaining, Hornswoggle’s involvement notwithstanding. If a DX breakup is imminent, the best thing about it would be that we would no longer be subjected to Hornswoggle’s crotch-chopping. As for Jericho, I suppose he really is gone from Raw this time. That's unfortunate for all us Jericho-holics. ...

The Sheamus-Evan Bourne match really irritated me. I understand that WWE is trying to get Sheamus over as a powerhouse, but it bothered me that a guy as talented as Bourne was used as a sacrificial lamb for a guy who, in my opinion, just doesn’t deserve the push that he is getting. What really got me was that Sheamus kicked out of the Shooting Star Press. ...

The Randy Orton-Kofi Kingston match was good, but Kingston again losing clean doesn’t do any favors for a guy who already was losing steam. ...

I liked Orton’s backstage confrontation with McMahon. It made perfect sense from a story line standpoint for Orton to try to cut a deal to get himself back in the WWE title picture, and for McMahon to turn him down based on his history with Orton. I also liked that Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes stood up to Orton. I’m interested in seeing where things are headed with Legacy. ...

The Maryse-Brie Bella match made it clear why the Bellas spend most Mondays as arm candy for the guest hosts rather than wrestling. It was refreshing to see that Maryse didn’t fall for the old Bellas switcheroo. ...

I wasn’t surprised that MVP won the four-way match to determine the No. 1 contender for The Miz’s U.S. title, but I was surprised that Jack Swagger – not Carlito – did the job. I suppose I really shouldn’t have been.

It was nice to see WWE acknowledge the death of Steve “Dr. Death’ Williams. ...

The funniest line of the night came from Santino Marella. After he was slapped around by Hornswoggle, a disheveled Marella (who was doing a Jericho impersonation) said to DX as they headed to the ring for their match, “Good luck at the sucking.”

Note: My thoughts on Monday's three-hour TNA Impact will be up soon.

Posted by Kevin Eck at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (94)
        

* The Melina-Alicia Fox match was better than most Divas matches. It will be the last time we’ll see Melina for a while, as the WWE Divas champion reportedly suffered a torn ACL at a house show earlier this week. As for Fox, she has come a long way in the ring in a short time.

* Thanks to his dancing pecs, Chris Masters is over to a degree I didn’t think was possible. He and MVP had a fun tag team match against Jack Swagger and Carlito, which the heels won.

* Vance Archer showed more personality than usual during his match against Shelton Benjamin. Archer losing by disqualification was about what I expected. Benjamin is getting somewhat of a push in ECW, so I didn’t think he would lose, and it’s too soon for Archer to get pinned.

* Why was Katie Lea in the “Ask the Divas” segment? Didn’t she and Paul Burchill lose their jobs?

* The match between Cryme Tyme and the team of Mike Knox and Charlie Haas wasn’t bad. Hopefully 2010 will be kinder to Knox than 2009 was.

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)
        

I can’t remember the last time I had a New Year’s Eve this enjoyable without waking up with a hangover the next day.

Thursday’s four-hour New Year’s Eve edition of TNA Impact was really good. It featured an eight-woman tournament to determine the No. 1 contender for Tara’s TNA Knockouts title, as well as three main event-level matches from recent TNA pay-per-views.

If you like wrestling more than “sports entertainment,” then this show definitely was for you. I initially thought four hours may be too long for a wrestling show, but the action was so good that the show never dragged. Frankly, it was nice to see the wrestlers not have to rush through their matches.

Other thoughts on Thursday’s show:

The Kurt Angle-Desmond Wolfe and the A.J. Styles-Daniels-Samoa Joe matches from November’s Turning Point pay-per-view were as good as advertised. I thought Angle vs. Wolfe was the better of the two because it told a good story and came off like a shootfight. As for the three-way, Styles, Daniels and Joe came up with some really innovative spots. And as ambitious as some of the spots were, the three competitors pulled them off with impeccable timing. …

Unless my hearing deceived me, it sounded as if the fans were chanting “Screw Hulk Hogan” during the three-way match. I’m surprised TNA didn’t edit that out. …

The Styles-Sting match from Bound for Glory was fine, but it was nowhere near the level of Angle-Wolfe and the three-way. TNA announced that the three matches were selected by fan voting. I didn’t think Styles-Sting was even the best match at BFG; that honor went to the Angle-Matt Morgan contest. …

ODB won the Knockouts tournament, but I thought Hamada and Roxxi also came out looking like stars. There wasn’t a bad match among the seven tournament bouts. Even Velvet Sky, the least-skilled worker in the event, looked decent in her match against Roxxi. …

ODB is doing a good job as a heel, but she’s so entertaining that it’s hard for her to get heat. The crowd was chanting her name even as she was taunting them. …

Brutus Magnus and Doug Williams were amusing on commentary during the women’s tag team match. It almost seemed as if TNA was building to a British Invasion vs. Taylor Wilde and Sarita inter-gender match. …

Taz has an annoying habit of saying “Oh my God” whenever there is a high-impact move. That definitely got annoying after four hours. …

During an interview early in the show, Tara said that she would reveal later which three pay-per-view matches would be shown. Christy Hemme asked if Tara could give us a hint, but Tara wouldn’t give in. The problem is that the three matches had already been announced at the beginning of the show. Where is the quality control?

Posted by baltimoresun.com at 3:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)
        

The Wrestler of the Decade countdown is over, but there are more best of the decade honors still to come. This coming week I will make my picks for the decade’s top match, feud, tag team and more. My 2009 awards will be coming soon as well.

I also want to let everyone know that there is a good chance that there will not be a review of tonight's Smackdown, as I will be in Oakland all weekend for the Ravens-Raiders game.

Happy New Year!

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)
        

TRIPLE H

• Has wrestled in WWE the entire decade

• Eleven-time world champion (five WWE titles; five world heavyweight titles; one undisputed title)

• Along with The Undertaker, the only Attitude-era main-eventer who was active the entire decade

• Wrestled in nine WrestleManias; was in world title matches in eight of them

• Was on top during WWE’s peak year in 2000

• Had memorable programs with The Rock, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Randy Orton and John Cena

• Triple threat match with Chris Benoit and Michaels at WrestleMania XX (2004) is perhaps the best WrestleMania world title match ever

• Leader of Evolution, one of the top heel groups of the decade

• Reunited with DX partner Michaels to form one of WWE’s most popular acts

• Helped elevate Batista, Orton, Cena and Benoit

Posted by Kevin Eck at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (51)
Categories: Wrestler of the Decade