A shocking bit of news that I heard today and confirmed when I checked Meltzer's site. When Tazz takes the broadcast booth tonight for the Smackdown taping, it will be his last broadcast as a member of the WWE. His contract expired and he reached an agreement to work up to this last taping.
In my opinion, while Tazz is a great color commentator who had a lot of chemistry with Michael Cole and worked okay with JR when given the opportunity, I don't think this is as big a loss for the WWE as you might think. Remember, back when Tazz and Joey Styles were calling matches for ECW, JBL filled in ably alongside Cole on Smackdown. Rowdy Roddy Piper used to be a damn fine color commentator, and while the style of announcing has changed from when Piper was in the booth, I think he could fill in temporarily. This would be a perfect time for Randy Savage to come back to the fold as well, seeing as he was a better color man than Piper in those days, and since he's got a DVD coming out.
However, the best option to replace Tazz could very well be employed by the 'E as a commentator already. Matt Striker has been a revelation as ECW's color commentator, even alongside the bland but tolerable Todd Grisham. Imagine how much energy he could pump into a broadcast calling a match with JR? And since he's got experience carrying a broadcast team with Grisham, perhaps he could fill in for the King with Cole and reunite the best announce team the WWE has ever had... yes, I went there. JR and the King are the best, even with the number of great announce teams they've had over the years.
What about Tazz though? Where will he go from here? I don't have any inside information about why he chose to let his contract expire, so I can't say what's going on, whether he's become disinterested in the company, he's become disinterested with wrestling, or whether this was just a cost-cutting move by the WWE and Tazz had no say in whether he wanted his contract renewed or not. Either way, he'd be a boon for TNA or ROH to pick up as a commentator.
What about as a wrestler? Tazz has fallen a bit out of shape and would have to work hard to get into ring readiness. Plus his neck is still an issue.
Either way, this is a very surprising move to be pulling off on the eve of WrestleMania. It sucks, but I don't think things will be all that much different in the 'E.
Banner by Billy Dunlevy
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
WrestleMania Countdown: WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
Today, we go with the match that has probably had the least amount of build to it, but could very well be a fun bully vs. cruiserweight, David and Goliath match:
WWE Intercontinental Champion
John Bradshaw Layfield
vs.
Rey Mysterio, Jr.
This match has been in the works for a grand total of three weeks now, but it's alright, since this is the first time the Intercontinental Championship will be defended at WrestleMania in seven years. Seven years... you have to go back to WrestleMania XVIII, when Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal for the strap. Better late than never, I always say though.
It all started three weeks ago, when Michael Cole just glibly announced that Rey Mysterio had challenged JBL for his newly won Intercontinental Championship, and that JBL accepted. Okay. So the next week on RAW, JBL had Regal challenge Mysterio. ReyRey was in trouble against the grizzled veteran, but he came out on top. Then last night on RAW, JBL challenged Rey in a non-title match, claiming that he was going to soften Rey up for the most decisive win in WrestleMania history. So what happened? Rey beat JBL decisively with the 619.
What do I think is going to happen? Well, I expect to see JBL toss Mysterio around like a lawn dart. Bradshaw has had little problem in the past throwing guys twice Rey's size around, so I think that will be the crux of his offense. When Mysterio is on the offensive, he will rely on his aerial offense with strikes, ranas and flips. As for the finish, I expect that Mysterio will have Bradshaw set up for the 619, but JBL will move out of the way and nail him with the Clothesline from Hell, sealing the win and retaining the Championship.
What do I want to see? Well, I do want to see Bradshaw tossing Rey around like a lawn dart. I love the bully matches where the bigger guy tosses the cruiser around like he's a baseball. I guess that's why I've grown to like Mark Henry so much over the last year... that's all he does in his matches, and it looks so damn cool. I'd like to see Rey bust out more of his ranas. He used to be called the King of the Ranas, and he had some pretty sick and stiff ranas that he'd bust out that actually looked like they hurt the head. As for who wins? I won't lie. I'd love to see Rey Mysterio pull out it because I think he'd do well with the title. I'd love to see the WWE make the IC title into their X-Division Championship, a title based on workrate and high-energy matches. Having Rey defend against the likes of Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, Christian, Jack Swagger, Finlay, Ted DiBiase or The Brian Kendrick would provide must-see TV on any program.
John Bradshaw Layfield
vs.
Rey Mysterio, Jr.
This match has been in the works for a grand total of three weeks now, but it's alright, since this is the first time the Intercontinental Championship will be defended at WrestleMania in seven years. Seven years... you have to go back to WrestleMania XVIII, when Rob Van Dam defeated William Regal for the strap. Better late than never, I always say though.
It all started three weeks ago, when Michael Cole just glibly announced that Rey Mysterio had challenged JBL for his newly won Intercontinental Championship, and that JBL accepted. Okay. So the next week on RAW, JBL had Regal challenge Mysterio. ReyRey was in trouble against the grizzled veteran, but he came out on top. Then last night on RAW, JBL challenged Rey in a non-title match, claiming that he was going to soften Rey up for the most decisive win in WrestleMania history. So what happened? Rey beat JBL decisively with the 619.
What do I think is going to happen? Well, I expect to see JBL toss Mysterio around like a lawn dart. Bradshaw has had little problem in the past throwing guys twice Rey's size around, so I think that will be the crux of his offense. When Mysterio is on the offensive, he will rely on his aerial offense with strikes, ranas and flips. As for the finish, I expect that Mysterio will have Bradshaw set up for the 619, but JBL will move out of the way and nail him with the Clothesline from Hell, sealing the win and retaining the Championship.
What do I want to see? Well, I do want to see Bradshaw tossing Rey around like a lawn dart. I love the bully matches where the bigger guy tosses the cruiser around like he's a baseball. I guess that's why I've grown to like Mark Henry so much over the last year... that's all he does in his matches, and it looks so damn cool. I'd like to see Rey bust out more of his ranas. He used to be called the King of the Ranas, and he had some pretty sick and stiff ranas that he'd bust out that actually looked like they hurt the head. As for who wins? I won't lie. I'd love to see Rey Mysterio pull out it because I think he'd do well with the title. I'd love to see the WWE make the IC title into their X-Division Championship, a title based on workrate and high-energy matches. Having Rey defend against the likes of Kofi Kingston, Evan Bourne, Christian, Jack Swagger, Finlay, Ted DiBiase or The Brian Kendrick would provide must-see TV on any program.
Monday, March 30, 2009
RAW Notes
Not a whole lot to say about RAW tonight except two things:
1. Santino Marella should ALWAYS have a mic spot. The guy is gold, platinum, diamonds, silver and every other precious metal rolled up into one on the stick. I don't care if he never wins a match the rest of his WWE career. As long as he's talking, I'm listening and I'm enjoying myself. The Jack Tunney quip was awesome.
2. If they had begun the Trips/Orton feud the way they "ended" it tonight instead of with all the bullshit home invasion, Benny Hill chase scene crap they did before last week, it would have been a feud worthy of a WrestleMania main event. They should have done what they did this week after No Way Out. Then they should have did the spot where Orton handcuffed Trips to the ropes and then DDTed Steph the next week. After that... no home invasions, no ridiculous chase scenes, no false no-touch contracts that get violated the VERY NEXT SHOW. Just old-fashioned one-upsmanship, in the vein of what they did with HBK and 'Taker.
Better late than never, I guess. Maybe the match will be good. Who knows.
1. Santino Marella should ALWAYS have a mic spot. The guy is gold, platinum, diamonds, silver and every other precious metal rolled up into one on the stick. I don't care if he never wins a match the rest of his WWE career. As long as he's talking, I'm listening and I'm enjoying myself. The Jack Tunney quip was awesome.
2. If they had begun the Trips/Orton feud the way they "ended" it tonight instead of with all the bullshit home invasion, Benny Hill chase scene crap they did before last week, it would have been a feud worthy of a WrestleMania main event. They should have done what they did this week after No Way Out. Then they should have did the spot where Orton handcuffed Trips to the ropes and then DDTed Steph the next week. After that... no home invasions, no ridiculous chase scenes, no false no-touch contracts that get violated the VERY NEXT SHOW. Just old-fashioned one-upsmanship, in the vein of what they did with HBK and 'Taker.
Better late than never, I guess. Maybe the match will be good. Who knows.
From the Archives: Benoit/Hart, the Owen Tribute Match
Yeah I know, Chris Benoit, child-murderer, may he burn in Hell, all the like. I was on that train hardcore when his double-murder-suicide happened, and really, I kinda still am. As a human being, I will never, ever respect him again. However, as a wrestler, it's hard to deny the impact he had on the business and the greatness he brought to the table in the ring. It took a lot for me to watch the following match, mainly because whenever I've spoken of Benoit since it happened, it's either been with scalding vitriol or as the punchline of a wholly inappropriate joke.
But at some point, I knew that I was going to have to come to terms with his place in wrestling history. There were noted scoundrels in other sports. Ty Cobb and OJ Simpson immediately come to mind, but while their criminal behavior off the field opens them up to scorn, you can't negate the impact that they had on the field. I'm guessing that's how many people like myself will remember Benoit: bastard out of the ring, but one of the best in the ring.
So that brings us to the match itself. Benoit and Bret Hart, the acclaimed Owen Hart Tribute match from the Kemper Arena, October 4, 1999. I had actually never seen the match before, this being at the tail end of one of my wrestling hiatuses. I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about, and Bret Hart is still one of my all-time favorites. Here it is, in three parts:
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three:
There were two things that really annoyed me about this match that had nothing to do with the competitors in the ring. One were the commercial breaks. Yeah, I know, they happen on free TV matches, but since this was supposed to be a special match on a special card, couldn't Turner have made some sort of deal to get this specific match shown interruption free?
Two, the announcing was pretty bad. Not WrestleCrap bad, not usual Schiavone bad, but it was schizophrenic at best and aimless at worst. I mean, I have to give Schiavone and Tenay their due... this could have been their best call that I've heard. They did have their flashes of brilliance. However, they wandered between calling the match and reminiscing about Owen. I know, it was the tribute card, but I thought the mentions didn't fit with the flow of the match. In the hands of better announcers given the time between Owen's death and the match, the match could have been called more fluidly with them still mentioning Owen Hart and how much he mattered in the match.
Throw Bobby Heenan into the equation, and then you get some real awkwardness. When he was trying to be serious, it seemed a bit forced, given the context of his announcing style. When he tried to work the schtick in... well, it fell flat, but not only did it fall flat, Schiavone and Tenay fucking no-sold it, which was the killer for me. The least they could have done was chide Heenan for making light of things during a serious match. This is why I can never take anyone who says Tony Schiavone was a good announcer seriously.
But enough about the negatives, because this match was very, very good. As the announcers astutely detailed between their ramblings (one of their flashes of brilliance), the match had three distinctly different zones. The first one was the feeling-out stage, the chain-wrestling segment that read like a stunning tribute to the Hart Family Dungeon. There were a few cool counters and move segues, the one that standing out most to me being when Hart flowed seamlessly into the Russian leg sweep.
The second segment was sort of the boiling-over point, where the tempers boiled over. It was surprising, but not surprising how well both of them were able to get their brawl on. Benoit will always be remembered in-ring for his technical prowess, but he didn't get the nickname the "Wolverine" for being able to do a hammerlock or segue from a headlock into a rear waistlock. In addition to the tenacity he could always show on moves such as the Crossface, he showed equal voraciousness with his kicks and punches. Hart spent years in the WWE, where everything was a bit punchy-kicky at times. This segment coincides with the second commercial break.
Then we get into the final portion of the match, where both return to their wrestling roots in order to try to finish. Here's where we get some of the signature spots: Bret Hart's piledriver, Benoit with the flying headbutt and rolling Germans. It's kind of a propos that it begins with Benoit reversing a Sharpshooter attempt into the Crossface and ends with Hart crafty-ing out of the Crossface, struggling and succeeding in putting the Sharpshooter on Benoit for the finish.
Overall, I thought it was an excellent match, deserving of all the praise it got. A lot of what was wrong with it had nothing to do with the wrestlers in it and rather with the inherent flaws within WCW at the time. I went into the match thinking that it was probably overrated by the fanboys and it turned out that I was wrong.
In closing, I think this was a good match for me to watch to be able to start separating Benoit the HOF-caliber wrestler from Benoit the piece of shit human being. I really wouldn't begrudge anyone for feeling differently and boycotting him altogether, but in the end, I think it's all just entertainment. Benoit the character can still be something to enjoy even if he did end up as a piece of shit at the end of his life.
But at some point, I knew that I was going to have to come to terms with his place in wrestling history. There were noted scoundrels in other sports. Ty Cobb and OJ Simpson immediately come to mind, but while their criminal behavior off the field opens them up to scorn, you can't negate the impact that they had on the field. I'm guessing that's how many people like myself will remember Benoit: bastard out of the ring, but one of the best in the ring.
So that brings us to the match itself. Benoit and Bret Hart, the acclaimed Owen Hart Tribute match from the Kemper Arena, October 4, 1999. I had actually never seen the match before, this being at the tail end of one of my wrestling hiatuses. I wanted to see what all the hubbub was about, and Bret Hart is still one of my all-time favorites. Here it is, in three parts:
Part One:
Part Two:
Part Three:
There were two things that really annoyed me about this match that had nothing to do with the competitors in the ring. One were the commercial breaks. Yeah, I know, they happen on free TV matches, but since this was supposed to be a special match on a special card, couldn't Turner have made some sort of deal to get this specific match shown interruption free?
Two, the announcing was pretty bad. Not WrestleCrap bad, not usual Schiavone bad, but it was schizophrenic at best and aimless at worst. I mean, I have to give Schiavone and Tenay their due... this could have been their best call that I've heard. They did have their flashes of brilliance. However, they wandered between calling the match and reminiscing about Owen. I know, it was the tribute card, but I thought the mentions didn't fit with the flow of the match. In the hands of better announcers given the time between Owen's death and the match, the match could have been called more fluidly with them still mentioning Owen Hart and how much he mattered in the match.
Throw Bobby Heenan into the equation, and then you get some real awkwardness. When he was trying to be serious, it seemed a bit forced, given the context of his announcing style. When he tried to work the schtick in... well, it fell flat, but not only did it fall flat, Schiavone and Tenay fucking no-sold it, which was the killer for me. The least they could have done was chide Heenan for making light of things during a serious match. This is why I can never take anyone who says Tony Schiavone was a good announcer seriously.
But enough about the negatives, because this match was very, very good. As the announcers astutely detailed between their ramblings (one of their flashes of brilliance), the match had three distinctly different zones. The first one was the feeling-out stage, the chain-wrestling segment that read like a stunning tribute to the Hart Family Dungeon. There were a few cool counters and move segues, the one that standing out most to me being when Hart flowed seamlessly into the Russian leg sweep.
The second segment was sort of the boiling-over point, where the tempers boiled over. It was surprising, but not surprising how well both of them were able to get their brawl on. Benoit will always be remembered in-ring for his technical prowess, but he didn't get the nickname the "Wolverine" for being able to do a hammerlock or segue from a headlock into a rear waistlock. In addition to the tenacity he could always show on moves such as the Crossface, he showed equal voraciousness with his kicks and punches. Hart spent years in the WWE, where everything was a bit punchy-kicky at times. This segment coincides with the second commercial break.
Then we get into the final portion of the match, where both return to their wrestling roots in order to try to finish. Here's where we get some of the signature spots: Bret Hart's piledriver, Benoit with the flying headbutt and rolling Germans. It's kind of a propos that it begins with Benoit reversing a Sharpshooter attempt into the Crossface and ends with Hart crafty-ing out of the Crossface, struggling and succeeding in putting the Sharpshooter on Benoit for the finish.
Overall, I thought it was an excellent match, deserving of all the praise it got. A lot of what was wrong with it had nothing to do with the wrestlers in it and rather with the inherent flaws within WCW at the time. I went into the match thinking that it was probably overrated by the fanboys and it turned out that I was wrong.
In closing, I think this was a good match for me to watch to be able to start separating Benoit the HOF-caliber wrestler from Benoit the piece of shit human being. I really wouldn't begrudge anyone for feeling differently and boycotting him altogether, but in the end, I think it's all just entertainment. Benoit the character can still be something to enjoy even if he did end up as a piece of shit at the end of his life.
WrestleMania Countdown: Tag Team Unification Match, plus a note on Chikara
Before I get into the meat of the post, an update on King of Trios. I didn't get a chance to go to Nights 2 or 3, but I heard a report from someone who went to Night 3 that Team FIST, Chuck Taylor's vehicle, defeated Team Uppercut in the finals of the tourney. I didn't notice the crowd really getting into them on Night 1, but Chuck Taylor's a big indie star, so I guess it made sense for him to get over by making Bryan Danielson tap. That's huge.
Alright, WrestleMania is in six days. Hard to believe, since the build towards it hasn't felt as epic as it has in years' past. Still, I find it highly unlikely that the WWE is going to put on a stinker for its flagship. Even in the Russo years, WM was always treated with deference and respect, and the matches were always crowd pleasers, even if thirty different people did run-ins during the proceedings.
In honor of the big event, for which I will most likely be doing a running diary, I will be previewing the show by counting down the big matches taking place. Let's dive right in with the Tag Team Championship Unification match:
World Tag Team Champions
John Morrison and The Miz
vs.
WWE Tag Team Champions
Carlito and Primo Colon
Each team will have a Bella Twin in their corner, although for the life of me, I'll never be able to remember their individual names let alone which one has sided with which team. Anyway, the build for this feud started with the Miz and Morrison challenging the Colons in a non-title match with the Bella Twins on the line. Mizorrison won, and they ended up taking the Twins out on a date on Valentine's Day. In probably the only really bad part of the feud, the World Tag Champs took the Twins to a fancy restaurant where they acted like boors, much to the dismay of the ladies. It turns out a lot of their complaints stemmed from hijinks the Colons were pulling as the server and cook at the restaurant.
This led to two tag matches where each team's titles were on the line. Both teams retained in matches where their respective belts were on the line. Primo and Miz then had a fantastic match on ECW where Primo got the win with the Backstabber.
After that, Mizorrison held a special live edition of their Internet talk segment, the Dirt Sheet, on ECW. They were well in the process of mocking the Colons, when the targets of their beratement came out and challenged the World Tag Champs to a unification match at WrestleMania. Fast forward to last week's ECW, where Carlito took on Morrison in a somewhat disappointing match. Carlito had the upper hand, and Morrison decided he'd had enough, so he got out of dodge. Problem. Teddy Long decided that he wasn't going to let Morrison quit, so he sent out a cadre of superstars to make it a lumberjack match. He also announced the uni match at WM would be a lumberjack match. The match resumed and Carlito scored the pin with the Backstabber after an overzealous Kozlov tossed Morrison back into the ring.
We've seen this match three times before in the past couple of months, but each time, there has been a commercial break. I'm also sure that the two teams will get a substantial amount of time extra in order to do their thing. Theoretically, this should be a huge match and will probably be used as a gauge to unify the two big titles a year or two down the line. That's all well and good though, because I could see these two teams wrestle a million times and it wouldn't get old. While the WWE has sort of stagnated its tag division, to its credit, they've done well in giving both teams a lot of face time on television and good solid build.
What I expect to see out of this match is a good, solid ten-to-fifteen minute affair. I expect to see some lumberjacks get involved, specifically Cryme Tyme, as they're logically the next team in line to take on unified Tag Team Champions. I think that we'll see more than a few finishers countered. I wouldn't be surprised to see a ref bump and an all-out lumberjack brawl, with Carlito giving Miz the Backstabber and a 10 count pin while the ref is knocked out cold. In the end, I expect to see Morrison winning the match with the Moonlight Drive and Miz and Morrison walking out of Houston as the new Unified Tag Team Champions.
What I would like to see is a great match with a good, exciting finish. I'd also like to see the winners of the match to go on and feud with Priceless.
Alright, WrestleMania is in six days. Hard to believe, since the build towards it hasn't felt as epic as it has in years' past. Still, I find it highly unlikely that the WWE is going to put on a stinker for its flagship. Even in the Russo years, WM was always treated with deference and respect, and the matches were always crowd pleasers, even if thirty different people did run-ins during the proceedings.
In honor of the big event, for which I will most likely be doing a running diary, I will be previewing the show by counting down the big matches taking place. Let's dive right in with the Tag Team Championship Unification match:
John Morrison and The Miz
vs.
WWE Tag Team Champions
Carlito and Primo Colon
Each team will have a Bella Twin in their corner, although for the life of me, I'll never be able to remember their individual names let alone which one has sided with which team. Anyway, the build for this feud started with the Miz and Morrison challenging the Colons in a non-title match with the Bella Twins on the line. Mizorrison won, and they ended up taking the Twins out on a date on Valentine's Day. In probably the only really bad part of the feud, the World Tag Champs took the Twins to a fancy restaurant where they acted like boors, much to the dismay of the ladies. It turns out a lot of their complaints stemmed from hijinks the Colons were pulling as the server and cook at the restaurant.
This led to two tag matches where each team's titles were on the line. Both teams retained in matches where their respective belts were on the line. Primo and Miz then had a fantastic match on ECW where Primo got the win with the Backstabber.
After that, Mizorrison held a special live edition of their Internet talk segment, the Dirt Sheet, on ECW. They were well in the process of mocking the Colons, when the targets of their beratement came out and challenged the World Tag Champs to a unification match at WrestleMania. Fast forward to last week's ECW, where Carlito took on Morrison in a somewhat disappointing match. Carlito had the upper hand, and Morrison decided he'd had enough, so he got out of dodge. Problem. Teddy Long decided that he wasn't going to let Morrison quit, so he sent out a cadre of superstars to make it a lumberjack match. He also announced the uni match at WM would be a lumberjack match. The match resumed and Carlito scored the pin with the Backstabber after an overzealous Kozlov tossed Morrison back into the ring.
We've seen this match three times before in the past couple of months, but each time, there has been a commercial break. I'm also sure that the two teams will get a substantial amount of time extra in order to do their thing. Theoretically, this should be a huge match and will probably be used as a gauge to unify the two big titles a year or two down the line. That's all well and good though, because I could see these two teams wrestle a million times and it wouldn't get old. While the WWE has sort of stagnated its tag division, to its credit, they've done well in giving both teams a lot of face time on television and good solid build.
What I expect to see out of this match is a good, solid ten-to-fifteen minute affair. I expect to see some lumberjacks get involved, specifically Cryme Tyme, as they're logically the next team in line to take on unified Tag Team Champions. I think that we'll see more than a few finishers countered. I wouldn't be surprised to see a ref bump and an all-out lumberjack brawl, with Carlito giving Miz the Backstabber and a 10 count pin while the ref is knocked out cold. In the end, I expect to see Morrison winning the match with the Moonlight Drive and Miz and Morrison walking out of Houston as the new Unified Tag Team Champions.
What I would like to see is a great match with a good, exciting finish. I'd also like to see the winners of the match to go on and feud with Priceless.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Best Moves of All-Time: El Generico's BRAINBUSTAHHHH~!
Another series that I hope you guys in readerland will like. It's called the Greatest Moves of All-Time, spotlighting the brutal, beautiful or just plain classic moves in wrestling's past, present and future.
The first one in the series was the move I really wanted to see last night, but was foiled by that damn Osirian Portal! It's El Generico's BRAINBUSTAHHHH~!, which is a brainbuster from the top rope that lands the victim's head on the top turnbuckle. One of the most brutal moves in the indies today. Take a look:
The video is not mine, it just happened to have a similar theme. There you go!
The first one in the series was the move I really wanted to see last night, but was foiled by that damn Osirian Portal! It's El Generico's BRAINBUSTAHHHH~!, which is a brainbuster from the top rope that lands the victim's head on the top turnbuckle. One of the most brutal moves in the indies today. Take a look:
The video is not mine, it just happened to have a similar theme. There you go!
Chikara King of Trios: Night One
Tonight I went to my first ever non-WWE wrestling event at the ECW Arena up in South Philly. Chikara's annual King of Trios, a six-man tag team tournament held over three nights, began its extravaganza tonight, and I have to say, all the good things I've heard about the fledgling indie fed are true. I had a blast, and every match was a crowd-pleaser. That's rare, given that the bathroom-break match has been around since, well forever.
I can't even begin to give you a detailed run-down because I was only familiar with so few guys going in, and I don't remember a lot of the names. I will, however, give the highlights.
- Night started off with Hydra coming out and tossing frisbees into the crowd. For those who don't know, Hydra is this guy in a mask and a muscle-suit. I'm guessing he's Chikara's mascot or something. He got a good pop, and the night started off on a high-note.
- First match featured Austin Aries. I really have no idea how this guy isn't on one of the Big 1.5's rosters right now unless he's consciously deciding to stay in the indies. This guy has the look and sweats more charisma out of one pore than I've ever seen from Randy Orton, to give a specific example. One of Aries' partners, Ryan Drago, kept hot-tagging himself in when Aries was getting started, giving him the distinction of heel of the night (at least until the main event). Good match, and Aries' team took the loss, but the affair set the tone for the night - great action with surprisingly funny comedy interspersed within the matches.
- No BRAINBUSTAAAAAHH~! from El Generico, and I think he was the one who took the fall in his team's match against The Osirian Portal. Sucks, because I was looking forward the most to Generico, although he did unleash two brutal corner Yakuza kicks, and participated in a cool dance-off.
- Speaking of The Osirian Portal... man, Ophidian lives his gimmick. He was really hamming it up in the crowd during intermission. More on that in general later.
- Comedic match of the night was Team Uppercut (Brian Danielson, Claudio Castignioli, Dave Taylor) against the The Roughnecks (Grizzly Redwood, Brodie Lee and Eddie Kingston). I was slightly disappointed that I didn't see a lot of what make Danielson and Castignioli the darlings of the indie community, but it was entertaining as hell. The best was when Danielson engaged in the test of strength with various members of the other team, from the borderline midget Grizzly Redwood to the massive Lee.
- Comedic moments of the night go to the Soul Touchers vs. Team CZW match. First one had Beef Wellington calling for a mic and reciting the entire first verse of "Ice Ice Baby" to Willie Richardson, who proceeded to give him the last line and then belt him in the face. Wellington retorted to that "I deserved that." The second was when Greg Excellent, who's this big, Mike Knox-looking guy, and Trauma engaging in the Carlton Dance, replete with the accompanying music. Even when not wrestling, these guys were consummate entertainers.
- After intermission, it was Necro Butcher and his team against FIST, featuring Chuck Taylor. Necro Butcher was easily one of the two most over guys of the night.
- The next match featured probably the most over team of the night, Team DDT, comprising of Kota Ibushi, KUDO and Michael Nakazawa, who covered himself in oil pre-match and at various points during the match, causing some slippery situations.
- The other guy who got a huge pop was Johnny Saint, a veritable living legend who looked like someone's rough and tumble Marine grandfather. He teamed with Mike Quackenbush and Jorge Rivera against Delirious, Hallowicked and Frightmare, a threesome that I can only describe as what Kane or Undertaker would be on crack. Saint got the pinfall over Delirious, whom I think is in the same boat as Aries, and could be a massively over heel in the 'E as he is right now.
- Main event time, with Colin Delaney and two other guys taking on the team of Al Snow, Glacier and Iceberg... only Iceberg's plane was delayed, so they needed a third. They went through a whole schtick where they picked the names of former alter egos of Snow and Glacier out of a hat until they came to... D'Lo Brown. Brown got a huge pop. Delaney was probably the heel of the night, getting various chants from "You're a jobber" to "You got fired". Good one, Philly, because D'Lo also got fired from the WWE recently. He shed a fake tear, but he knew where the chants were directed. Delaney actually got the pinfall on D'Lo after a roll-up, but the faces went finisher-mania after the bell. In fact, the main was the only match where the teams didn't shake hands afterwards, but I guess you had to send the crowd home happy.
- The thing that amazed me most about the show was how accessible the wrestlers were. Much like the aforementioned Ophidian, the Soul Touchers, El Generico, Team DDT and a score of others were milling about the arena during intermission and after the show, taking pictures with fans and just talking to them. I got to shake El Generico's hand. That was really cool.
I have to say, I was very impressed with Chikara and their set up. I would definitely go back, and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes wrestling and who likes to have a good time.
I can't even begin to give you a detailed run-down because I was only familiar with so few guys going in, and I don't remember a lot of the names. I will, however, give the highlights.
- Night started off with Hydra coming out and tossing frisbees into the crowd. For those who don't know, Hydra is this guy in a mask and a muscle-suit. I'm guessing he's Chikara's mascot or something. He got a good pop, and the night started off on a high-note.
- First match featured Austin Aries. I really have no idea how this guy isn't on one of the Big 1.5's rosters right now unless he's consciously deciding to stay in the indies. This guy has the look and sweats more charisma out of one pore than I've ever seen from Randy Orton, to give a specific example. One of Aries' partners, Ryan Drago, kept hot-tagging himself in when Aries was getting started, giving him the distinction of heel of the night (at least until the main event). Good match, and Aries' team took the loss, but the affair set the tone for the night - great action with surprisingly funny comedy interspersed within the matches.
- No BRAINBUSTAAAAAHH~! from El Generico, and I think he was the one who took the fall in his team's match against The Osirian Portal. Sucks, because I was looking forward the most to Generico, although he did unleash two brutal corner Yakuza kicks, and participated in a cool dance-off.
- Speaking of The Osirian Portal... man, Ophidian lives his gimmick. He was really hamming it up in the crowd during intermission. More on that in general later.
- Comedic match of the night was Team Uppercut (Brian Danielson, Claudio Castignioli, Dave Taylor) against the The Roughnecks (Grizzly Redwood, Brodie Lee and Eddie Kingston). I was slightly disappointed that I didn't see a lot of what make Danielson and Castignioli the darlings of the indie community, but it was entertaining as hell. The best was when Danielson engaged in the test of strength with various members of the other team, from the borderline midget Grizzly Redwood to the massive Lee.
- Comedic moments of the night go to the Soul Touchers vs. Team CZW match. First one had Beef Wellington calling for a mic and reciting the entire first verse of "Ice Ice Baby" to Willie Richardson, who proceeded to give him the last line and then belt him in the face. Wellington retorted to that "I deserved that." The second was when Greg Excellent, who's this big, Mike Knox-looking guy, and Trauma engaging in the Carlton Dance, replete with the accompanying music. Even when not wrestling, these guys were consummate entertainers.
- After intermission, it was Necro Butcher and his team against FIST, featuring Chuck Taylor. Necro Butcher was easily one of the two most over guys of the night.
- The next match featured probably the most over team of the night, Team DDT, comprising of Kota Ibushi, KUDO and Michael Nakazawa, who covered himself in oil pre-match and at various points during the match, causing some slippery situations.
- The other guy who got a huge pop was Johnny Saint, a veritable living legend who looked like someone's rough and tumble Marine grandfather. He teamed with Mike Quackenbush and Jorge Rivera against Delirious, Hallowicked and Frightmare, a threesome that I can only describe as what Kane or Undertaker would be on crack. Saint got the pinfall over Delirious, whom I think is in the same boat as Aries, and could be a massively over heel in the 'E as he is right now.
- Main event time, with Colin Delaney and two other guys taking on the team of Al Snow, Glacier and Iceberg... only Iceberg's plane was delayed, so they needed a third. They went through a whole schtick where they picked the names of former alter egos of Snow and Glacier out of a hat until they came to... D'Lo Brown. Brown got a huge pop. Delaney was probably the heel of the night, getting various chants from "You're a jobber" to "You got fired". Good one, Philly, because D'Lo also got fired from the WWE recently. He shed a fake tear, but he knew where the chants were directed. Delaney actually got the pinfall on D'Lo after a roll-up, but the faces went finisher-mania after the bell. In fact, the main was the only match where the teams didn't shake hands afterwards, but I guess you had to send the crowd home happy.
- The thing that amazed me most about the show was how accessible the wrestlers were. Much like the aforementioned Ophidian, the Soul Touchers, El Generico, Team DDT and a score of others were milling about the arena during intermission and after the show, taking pictures with fans and just talking to them. I got to shake El Generico's hand. That was really cool.
I have to say, I was very impressed with Chikara and their set up. I would definitely go back, and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes wrestling and who likes to have a good time.
Friday, March 27, 2009
The Glut of Main Eventers
Undertaker. Shawn Michaels. Triple H. Randy Orton. John Cena. Edge. Big Show. Kane. Rey Mysterio. JBL. Batista. Chris Jericho. Jeff Hardy.
What do all those names have in common? They're arguably the list of top-flight main event talents that the WWE has on their roster right now. If you add in such names as CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Mark Henry, Jack SWAGGAH, MVP and Umaga, guys who may not be there, but are on the cusp of being there and can be booked to be credible in the ring against the above-mentioned guys, that would give the WWE an unprecedented number of top-flight main eventers.
On the surface, that might seem great. So many guys you can put at the top of the card, so many guys you can rely on to draw money for you. It's a booker's paradise, especially when you can spread that wealth across three different brands and have strength at the top of each card. Booked properly, all three brands should have hot feuds to draw for the whole year.
However, there is one potentially huge problem. Assuming that all of those guys remain relatively healthy for long periods of time, and fortunately for them and the 'E, most of them have (Batista's the only one on the shelf now), it essentially stagnates the movement of newer talent in the lower portion of the card.
Let's face it. Wrestlers do not have small egos generally speaking. The backstage antics of these performers have been well-documented over the years, from the bigtime offenders such as Hulk Hogan, Trips and HBK to the minor offenders like Jericho (who played politics when RVD was getting his push).
The more main eventers who fully develop, the more camera time they're going to expect. The WWE only has five hours of broadcast time (which really only boils down to three if you factor in commercials), and a huge chunk of that goes to guys at the top of the card. You expect that, those guys are your stars, your draws. So the more stars you have, the more camera time they're going to demand. Even then, among your main event/almost-there crowd, tenured guys like Trips and proven megadraws (that term is relative) like Cena will demand more than Mysterio or Punk.
So, with all the main eventers taking up the time, what camera-time is left for the mid-carders? Granted, right now everything is magnified because the 'E is building towards WrestleMania, and the brand split leading up WM traditionally becomes non-existant. During the year, when RAW focuses on RAW and SD focuses on SD, mid-card and rookie talent gets more of a chance to shine, but it's still not as much as it used to be.
Take for example Priceless. They first got a good angle and push to work with in the middle of last year, from debuting and screwing over Hardcore Holly, to the Legacy angle with Orton. But after that was resolved and they booted Manu to the curb, what has Priceless been? Nothing more than job boys and heat absorbers for Orton. Yeah, they get time on camera, but that time has been nothing more than taking punches from Shane McMahon or running away from Triple H for the most part. In the past, when there weren't as many main eventers on one roster, Priceless may have been in a secondary tag feud, or they could have been absorbed into a six-man tag match with Orton against Trips and say, Cryme Tyme.
It was chic to complain about the glass ceiling back in the late 90s/early 00s. Lord knows I did enough of it, and I still do have residual hatred against the guy perpetrating most of the holding down. That being said, if there's a glass ceiling today, it's out of necessity. For it to break and to have way more time devoted to getting midcard stars over, one of two things has to happen:
1 - A rash of injuries to main event stars happens
2 - Viable competition to the WWE emerges
I would never wish scenario one to happen because I don't like wishing harm on another human being. Scenario two, though, would be great. I know that people will rush and say "TNA!" in regards to competition, but I'm with Vince McMahon on this one. I don't think TNA is viable competition to the 'E at this point. Lord knows I want it to be, but their house is in disorder right now, and from what I'm reading on the Internet and what I'm hearing from TNA fans, they're trying to recreate 1998 all over again. The problem is that 1998 is long past and people by and large don't want to see Crash TV rehashed.
So, until TNA gets it right or another company comes on the scene and starts pulling numbers comparable to what the 'E gets, I don't think we're going to see a change in the formula any time soon. The one saving grace for the Christians, Kofi Kingstons and Ted DiBiases of the world though is that a couple of the guys listed above are close to retiring. Michaels, 'Taker and Kane have all sort of hinted that their end is near. Still, it would be nice to see a return to the days when a midcarder could hope for more than just competing at Money in the Bank at WrestleMania.
What do all those names have in common? They're arguably the list of top-flight main event talents that the WWE has on their roster right now. If you add in such names as CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Mark Henry, Jack SWAGGAH, MVP and Umaga, guys who may not be there, but are on the cusp of being there and can be booked to be credible in the ring against the above-mentioned guys, that would give the WWE an unprecedented number of top-flight main eventers.
On the surface, that might seem great. So many guys you can put at the top of the card, so many guys you can rely on to draw money for you. It's a booker's paradise, especially when you can spread that wealth across three different brands and have strength at the top of each card. Booked properly, all three brands should have hot feuds to draw for the whole year.
However, there is one potentially huge problem. Assuming that all of those guys remain relatively healthy for long periods of time, and fortunately for them and the 'E, most of them have (Batista's the only one on the shelf now), it essentially stagnates the movement of newer talent in the lower portion of the card.
Let's face it. Wrestlers do not have small egos generally speaking. The backstage antics of these performers have been well-documented over the years, from the bigtime offenders such as Hulk Hogan, Trips and HBK to the minor offenders like Jericho (who played politics when RVD was getting his push).
The more main eventers who fully develop, the more camera time they're going to expect. The WWE only has five hours of broadcast time (which really only boils down to three if you factor in commercials), and a huge chunk of that goes to guys at the top of the card. You expect that, those guys are your stars, your draws. So the more stars you have, the more camera time they're going to demand. Even then, among your main event/almost-there crowd, tenured guys like Trips and proven megadraws (that term is relative) like Cena will demand more than Mysterio or Punk.
So, with all the main eventers taking up the time, what camera-time is left for the mid-carders? Granted, right now everything is magnified because the 'E is building towards WrestleMania, and the brand split leading up WM traditionally becomes non-existant. During the year, when RAW focuses on RAW and SD focuses on SD, mid-card and rookie talent gets more of a chance to shine, but it's still not as much as it used to be.
Take for example Priceless. They first got a good angle and push to work with in the middle of last year, from debuting and screwing over Hardcore Holly, to the Legacy angle with Orton. But after that was resolved and they booted Manu to the curb, what has Priceless been? Nothing more than job boys and heat absorbers for Orton. Yeah, they get time on camera, but that time has been nothing more than taking punches from Shane McMahon or running away from Triple H for the most part. In the past, when there weren't as many main eventers on one roster, Priceless may have been in a secondary tag feud, or they could have been absorbed into a six-man tag match with Orton against Trips and say, Cryme Tyme.
It was chic to complain about the glass ceiling back in the late 90s/early 00s. Lord knows I did enough of it, and I still do have residual hatred against the guy perpetrating most of the holding down. That being said, if there's a glass ceiling today, it's out of necessity. For it to break and to have way more time devoted to getting midcard stars over, one of two things has to happen:
1 - A rash of injuries to main event stars happens
2 - Viable competition to the WWE emerges
I would never wish scenario one to happen because I don't like wishing harm on another human being. Scenario two, though, would be great. I know that people will rush and say "TNA!" in regards to competition, but I'm with Vince McMahon on this one. I don't think TNA is viable competition to the 'E at this point. Lord knows I want it to be, but their house is in disorder right now, and from what I'm reading on the Internet and what I'm hearing from TNA fans, they're trying to recreate 1998 all over again. The problem is that 1998 is long past and people by and large don't want to see Crash TV rehashed.
So, until TNA gets it right or another company comes on the scene and starts pulling numbers comparable to what the 'E gets, I don't think we're going to see a change in the formula any time soon. The one saving grace for the Christians, Kofi Kingstons and Ted DiBiases of the world though is that a couple of the guys listed above are close to retiring. Michaels, 'Taker and Kane have all sort of hinted that their end is near. Still, it would be nice to see a return to the days when a midcarder could hope for more than just competing at Money in the Bank at WrestleMania.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Scott Hall: The Moustachioed Years
Please, look at that picture and just try to deny the awesomeness. You can't. You just can't.
From the Archives: Flair vs. Tsuruta
Because I'm a huge fan of wrestling history, Youtube and great matches, here's the first in a series of classic matches with some commentary by yours truly after the post. This will be called "From the Archives". Our first match features two veritable legends from two different lands. From the US, it's Ric Flair, arguably the best professional wrestler in history. From Japan, it's Jumbo Tsuruta, one of the most influential men in puroresu history. Here's the match. It took place 6/8/82. I was less than 6 months old at the time :) Let's watch:
The match starts out very slowly with an extended feeling-out process, but once you get into the meat of the story, it's brilliant. Basically, you have Flair, the decorated gaijin from across the ocean, the man who has taken American wrestling by storm and is defending the prestigious NWA World Championship on foreign soil, throwing everything he's got at the hometown hero. He can't seem to finish Jumbo off though, and Tsuruta fires back harder to the utter shock of the Nature Boy.
The finish is a little confusing and somewhat anti-climactic, but in the context of the overall series of matches, it works, I think. Just in case you can't discern from the video or you don't know Japanese, it's a draw. Tsuruta pins Flair, but he also pins himself with his suplex attempt. While the finish is a bit unsatisfying, the way Jumbo carries on at the end of it and Flair's facial expression of relief totally make it worthwhile. Fantastic match.
The match starts out very slowly with an extended feeling-out process, but once you get into the meat of the story, it's brilliant. Basically, you have Flair, the decorated gaijin from across the ocean, the man who has taken American wrestling by storm and is defending the prestigious NWA World Championship on foreign soil, throwing everything he's got at the hometown hero. He can't seem to finish Jumbo off though, and Tsuruta fires back harder to the utter shock of the Nature Boy.
The finish is a little confusing and somewhat anti-climactic, but in the context of the overall series of matches, it works, I think. Just in case you can't discern from the video or you don't know Japanese, it's a draw. Tsuruta pins Flair, but he also pins himself with his suplex attempt. While the finish is a bit unsatisfying, the way Jumbo carries on at the end of it and Flair's facial expression of relief totally make it worthwhile. Fantastic match.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
ECW Recap and Thoughts: 3/24
Alright, the first in what I hope is a regular feature, recapping the ECW show from last night.
- First up, we have a match between Carlito and John Morrison, an obvious follow-up from two weeks ago when Primo did battle with The Miz in what I thought was the best ECW TV match all year. Typical back and forth affair, and both guys teased their finishers before Morrison got into some trouble and said "fuck it." Teddy Long then came out and forced the World Tag Team Champions back to the ring with a bunch of lumberjacks, including Mike Knox, William Regal, Goldust, Vladimir Kozlov and Jamie Noble (among others). At the end, Carlito tosses Morrison out of the ring only for the lumberjacks to toss him back in. Backstabber, Carlito wins, Colons celebrate.
My Thoughts
Very disappointing match. I expected better after the Primo/Miz match two weeks ago and the two tag title matches they had on Smackdown, but sometimes, that's how the cookie crumbles. I thought the finish was a bit weak too, but I guess it works. I guess since Primo AND Carlito both won their singles matches, we're going to see Mizorrison as the Unified Tag Team Champions at WrestleMania.
I do have to say that outside of the absolutely horrible Valentine's Day vignettes, the build for this match has been pretty good, and I am definitely looking forward to it. The Lumberjacks add an element to it, even if it's just to get the guys who aren't doing anything on the card a WrestleMania paycheck. It sucks most for Mike Knox and Vladimir Kozlov because they've met the 'E's monster heel quotient for the last six months, and now, they get to stand around the ring and look menacing. Oh well. AT least I think they have something big planned for Knox post WM. Kozlov... nto as much, but I'm not going to lose sleep. Knox and his beard are far more interesting than Kozlov will ever be to me.
- Next up, it's time to recap the Orton/Triple H bullshit from RAW the night before, followed by a WrestleMania card run-down, followed by an extended trailer for 12 Rounds.
My Thoughts
Yawn. Pass. This Triple H/Orton feud has been so bad that even the shining moments like what happened at the end of RAW seem like shit within the context of the whole feud. I don't need to continually see the fecal nature of everything. Same with the movie trailer. I get it, John Cena's in a movie. Coupled with the commercials they run during the breaks, this is overkill, especially on a show that Cena isn't even on. This segment pretty much exemplified the problems plaguing the WWE right now.
- Tag match time! Jack SWAGGAH and Tyson Kidd against Evan Bourne and Tommy Dreamer. Good action, starts out Tommy Dreamer getting his ass handed to him after some back and forth. Coming out of commercial break, we see that Dreamer has gotten the upperhand. Fast forward to the end with some clusterfudgery and Kidd eating his first pinfall since being called up via the ShootingSydal Star Press from Bourne.
My Thoughts
This one was a very good match. Tommy Dreamer, for being old and broken down, can still go and can still lead the younger guys to a good match. Evan Bourne is going to be a multiple time World Champion if he doesn't kill himself. Dude can flat out work. I love his offense, and if he can learn to sell expertly and talk, he'll be the complete package and be the sort of evolution of Jeff Hardy. The heels did well, although I thought maybe they should have had Swagger eat a pinfall against Dreamer and kick-start Dreamer's "Title or Bust" storyline that will probably conclude in the summertime. I also don't like that Kidd's first loss happened in sort of a throwaway tag match, but at least it was to the SSP and to a guy they're legitimately going to push in Bourne.
- Main even time and... it's the VIP Lounge, featuring everyone in Mony in the Bank. Second week in a row that ECW finishes with a non-match. Basically, everyone takes a turn on the stick describing their feelings about MitB. We get to Kane and he just makes a simple statement before doing his arm thing and triggering the fire from the ringposts. Everyone scatters, show's over.
My Thoughts
Good segment. I don't like that they keep ending shows with non-matches and that that attitude has now infected ECW, but at least last week and this week's segments were entertaining and allowed midcarders to have a voice, which is an iffy proposition in the 'E these days. I also like how they didn't end the thing with the cliché brawl and instead did something that really put Kane over as one of the favorites in the match. Everyone was good with their mic spots, even Shelton Benjamin, who's a notoriously bad talker.
Overall
Not their best show, mainly because they only had two matches and one of them wasn't all that good. However, we did get Jack SWAGGAH in action instead of cutting a shitty one-line promo like he did last week, so that's a plus.
- First up, we have a match between Carlito and John Morrison, an obvious follow-up from two weeks ago when Primo did battle with The Miz in what I thought was the best ECW TV match all year. Typical back and forth affair, and both guys teased their finishers before Morrison got into some trouble and said "fuck it." Teddy Long then came out and forced the World Tag Team Champions back to the ring with a bunch of lumberjacks, including Mike Knox, William Regal, Goldust, Vladimir Kozlov and Jamie Noble (among others). At the end, Carlito tosses Morrison out of the ring only for the lumberjacks to toss him back in. Backstabber, Carlito wins, Colons celebrate.
My Thoughts
Very disappointing match. I expected better after the Primo/Miz match two weeks ago and the two tag title matches they had on Smackdown, but sometimes, that's how the cookie crumbles. I thought the finish was a bit weak too, but I guess it works. I guess since Primo AND Carlito both won their singles matches, we're going to see Mizorrison as the Unified Tag Team Champions at WrestleMania.
I do have to say that outside of the absolutely horrible Valentine's Day vignettes, the build for this match has been pretty good, and I am definitely looking forward to it. The Lumberjacks add an element to it, even if it's just to get the guys who aren't doing anything on the card a WrestleMania paycheck. It sucks most for Mike Knox and Vladimir Kozlov because they've met the 'E's monster heel quotient for the last six months, and now, they get to stand around the ring and look menacing. Oh well. AT least I think they have something big planned for Knox post WM. Kozlov... nto as much, but I'm not going to lose sleep. Knox and his beard are far more interesting than Kozlov will ever be to me.
- Next up, it's time to recap the Orton/Triple H bullshit from RAW the night before, followed by a WrestleMania card run-down, followed by an extended trailer for 12 Rounds.
My Thoughts
Yawn. Pass. This Triple H/Orton feud has been so bad that even the shining moments like what happened at the end of RAW seem like shit within the context of the whole feud. I don't need to continually see the fecal nature of everything. Same with the movie trailer. I get it, John Cena's in a movie. Coupled with the commercials they run during the breaks, this is overkill, especially on a show that Cena isn't even on. This segment pretty much exemplified the problems plaguing the WWE right now.
- Tag match time! Jack SWAGGAH and Tyson Kidd against Evan Bourne and Tommy Dreamer. Good action, starts out Tommy Dreamer getting his ass handed to him after some back and forth. Coming out of commercial break, we see that Dreamer has gotten the upperhand. Fast forward to the end with some clusterfudgery and Kidd eating his first pinfall since being called up via the Shooting
My Thoughts
This one was a very good match. Tommy Dreamer, for being old and broken down, can still go and can still lead the younger guys to a good match. Evan Bourne is going to be a multiple time World Champion if he doesn't kill himself. Dude can flat out work. I love his offense, and if he can learn to sell expertly and talk, he'll be the complete package and be the sort of evolution of Jeff Hardy. The heels did well, although I thought maybe they should have had Swagger eat a pinfall against Dreamer and kick-start Dreamer's "Title or Bust" storyline that will probably conclude in the summertime. I also don't like that Kidd's first loss happened in sort of a throwaway tag match, but at least it was to the SSP and to a guy they're legitimately going to push in Bourne.
- Main even time and... it's the VIP Lounge, featuring everyone in Mony in the Bank. Second week in a row that ECW finishes with a non-match. Basically, everyone takes a turn on the stick describing their feelings about MitB. We get to Kane and he just makes a simple statement before doing his arm thing and triggering the fire from the ringposts. Everyone scatters, show's over.
My Thoughts
Good segment. I don't like that they keep ending shows with non-matches and that that attitude has now infected ECW, but at least last week and this week's segments were entertaining and allowed midcarders to have a voice, which is an iffy proposition in the 'E these days. I also like how they didn't end the thing with the cliché brawl and instead did something that really put Kane over as one of the favorites in the match. Everyone was good with their mic spots, even Shelton Benjamin, who's a notoriously bad talker.
Overall
Not their best show, mainly because they only had two matches and one of them wasn't all that good. However, we did get Jack SWAGGAH in action instead of cutting a shitty one-line promo like he did last week, so that's a plus.
Welcome to the Wrestling Blog
Hello everyone out there in blog-land! My name is Tom, and welcome to The Wrestling Blog, which will basically be my own personal sounding board on the world of professional wrestling.
Just as a bit of a background, I grew up on the old WWF as a huge fan of Hulk Hogan and then members of the extended Hart family, like Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith. Over the years, I grew to have more of an appreciation for workrate, thanks to a new fed on the big scene called ECW (you might have heard of it) as well as with some of the WCW I had been exposed to and of course wrestling video games and their CAW features. Right now, I'd like to think of myself as a very well-rounded and reasonable wrestling fan, except when it comes to Triple H. I hate that fucker.
But yeah, I often times have a lot to say about the current product and a lot of opinion to dispense, and while I belong to a great wrestling forum (A1Wrestling, look it up on the sidebar... fantastic forums all-around actually), there are times when I feel like what I have to say doesn't fit on those forums, so to speak. So here I am. Expect more of a column-based/"journalistic" feel for this blog, a lot of formal-type writing that's probably way too sophisticated for the subject matter :p
Anyway, welcome to the blog, and if you have any suggestions, feedback or even wrestling-related links that you think should be in the sidebar, feel free to comment and let me know. I crave feedback, and I fully encourage comments, even if they wholly disagree with what I've said in the original post.
Just as a bit of a background, I grew up on the old WWF as a huge fan of Hulk Hogan and then members of the extended Hart family, like Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith. Over the years, I grew to have more of an appreciation for workrate, thanks to a new fed on the big scene called ECW (you might have heard of it) as well as with some of the WCW I had been exposed to and of course wrestling video games and their CAW features. Right now, I'd like to think of myself as a very well-rounded and reasonable wrestling fan, except when it comes to Triple H. I hate that fucker.
But yeah, I often times have a lot to say about the current product and a lot of opinion to dispense, and while I belong to a great wrestling forum (A1Wrestling, look it up on the sidebar... fantastic forums all-around actually), there are times when I feel like what I have to say doesn't fit on those forums, so to speak. So here I am. Expect more of a column-based/"journalistic" feel for this blog, a lot of formal-type writing that's probably way too sophisticated for the subject matter :p
Anyway, welcome to the blog, and if you have any suggestions, feedback or even wrestling-related links that you think should be in the sidebar, feel free to comment and let me know. I crave feedback, and I fully encourage comments, even if they wholly disagree with what I've said in the original post.
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