Booker T's WWE Debut

With King Booker officially released from the WWE, I figured I'd take a look back at his first match ever in the WWE. I remember thinking that Buff Bagwell would be a huge star in the WWE. He had the look and the "attitude." Well, this match got Buff Bagwell fired, but I never understood why. The reason? I never got to see this match. A very close friend of mine from high school had just returned from being gone for a month. I asked her to be my girlfriend on this night and she said yes. I can recall making out with her on the couch in the basement of her aunt's house and sneaking glimpses at the television as WCW and Booker T made their WWE debuts...

Some interesting side notes:
Scott Hudson and Arn Anderson are the commentary team
Stacy Keibler is the ring announcer
Anderson calls this the most historic night of wrestling ever
Anderson calls Booker T the greatest WCW champion of all time
Hudson calls the WCW title the WWF title
Booker T calls this his worst match EVER!!! More on This Story...

Transaction Reaction

Professional wrestling is in such a strange place right now. WWE spent the first half of the year convincing Raw fans that John Cena and Bobby Lashley are where it's at. Now, neither are on television.

It's interesting to me that in the aftermath of the WWE banning certain piledrivers, powerbombs, and other high-risk maneuvers that we have seen more injuries to main event caliber wrestlers at one time than I can ever remember before. Add The Undertaker, Edge, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Ken Kennedy, King Booker, and Rey Mysterio to the list of top-level guys who have spent time on the shelf this year. Can we begin to assume that those moves weren't the problem?

With rumors of Chris Jericho's return whirling around the internet, some fans may have missed some noteworthy transactions that happened this week.

Fans eager to see the new Hart Foundation debut on Smackdown were certainly disappointed to find that Teddy Hart had been released. I am surprised that the group made it that far. It is well known that Hart has an attitude problem. Now many fans are wondering where this leaves Harry Smith, Nattie Neidhardt, TJ Wilson and Ted Dibiase Jr. Smith has a tremendous upside, and it's almost unbelievable that WWE couldn't find something for him in the aftermath of Hart's release.

In what I would consider lesser developmental news, Robert Gibson was released from his position as a trainer in OVW. Gibson is best remembered as the ugly member of the Rock N' Roll Express. I personally have always found this team to be incredibly overrated. Don't get me wrong, it's a decent enough gimmick and both guys can work. There is just something that never clicked with me when watching Morton and Gibson. With TNA using teams like the Steiner Brothers, there may be a new way to fly for this duo. It's highly doubtful, however.

While Hart and Gibson were being fired, Ryan O'Reilly and Krissy Vaine decided to quit. Many are scrutinizing the decision of these two young lovers to forgo their WWE contracts. Deny thy McMahon and refuse thy brand, they will no longer be WWE superstars. Does true love trump the greatest opportunity of their professional careers? Sure. If it really were true love, would they have made it through? Undoubtedly. WWE love and WWE contracts seem to be lasting about the same length of time these days. If I were these two, I would have sucked it up. Oh well…

Then at the eleventh hour, WWE announces the releases of Daivari, King Booker, and Queen Sharmell. Now it is no secret that Booker T has long been one of my favorite wrestlers. It's hard to mourn for him however, because there was simply no place for him on the Raw brand. I'd rather see him leave on his terms than be misused for another number of years. The biggest shame is that Booker has been teasing retirement for years now, and he will never get his proper sendoff. Well, I guess that in wrestling I should never say never.

Somewhere in the midst of all these releases, TNA put on their biggest show of the year. Former WWE tag team champion Joey Matthews debuted before the show, and I can only hope that King Booker will follow in his footsteps.

I haven't seen the show, but I've heard nothing but good things. TNA's webpage was down for days in the show's aftermath.

I haven't talked much on TNA lately other than to say that I thought their 2 hour debut was miserable. I stand by that. However, I will say Total Nonstop Action has a lot to be excited about.

First off, LAX is one of the most badass tag teams I have seen in a long time. I loved their run as heels with Konnan as their mouthpiece, and I think they can be just as exciting as faces as long as they aren't tampered with too much. When the tag belts are back on the waists of these guys, a lot will be right in the world of TNA.

For those who are familiar with me, it is no secret that my favorite wrestler of all time is Randy "Macho Man" Savage. Those who would expect me to dislike Jay Lethal's Black Machismo character are dead wrong. It's amazing. The thing that makes Jay so likable is his attention to detail and commitment to the character. TNA made the right decision keeping him the X division champion. He adds a great deal of flare.

Sting winning the TNA World Heavyweight title was certainly the right decision. It set this show apart from your regular monthly TNA PPV and refreshed the whole product. I can only hope that his long awaited feud with Christopher Daniels can come to fruition and be done correctly, but I know better than to hold my breath and wait for that.

TNA has so much talent that I genuinely care about doing things I couldn't care less about. I would love to see the TNA creative team figure out what to do with AJ Styles, Ron Killings, Robert Roode, and Christopher Daniels to really make some money. Hell, I am really digging the whole Steiner's reunion. Is it being done to the fullest? I guess that is arguable.

One thing TNA seems to be doing better than anyone right now is promoting Women's wrestling. That's saying something considering that they have been doing it for only about a week. I watched that Women's gauntlet on Youtube, and I really appreciated the character development and most of the booking decisions. My only real gripe is with the treatment of Traci Brooks. She should be TNA's bread and butter. Maybe I only say that because I am in love with her.

One of the biggest news pieces out of Bound for Glory was that Kurt Angle tried a 450 splash. If at first you don't succeed, do yourself a favor and don't try again Kurt. It was a step above Brock Lesnar's shooting star press, but if I were Kurt I'd stick with the moonsault. Can't fault a guy for trying though.

Last week, I suggested that WWE fans push for Mr. Kennedy for Cyber Sunday. In reality, I was asking for anyone other than HBK. Do I have something against Shawn? Not really. I just want to see some other guys get a chance to shine. It's like knowing Chris Daughtry is going to get a record deal and voting for Taylor Hicks instead. Well, needless to say, I got some feedback.

David Missio decided that he would love to tear me a whole new one…

First of all, I agree with your point on the big gold belt. The bling belt makes no sense around Orton's (or HHH 's or Michaels' or Jericho's) waist and it would be nice to see a reversion to the more
standard, "classic" belt of the past.

In regards to your stance on the Cyber Sunday vote (Kennedy vs Michaels), I have to say that you're completely off base and quite foolish at that. Quite simply, Michaels versus Orton is the better match, and fans should be voting for the match they want to see, not some "send a message" bullshit that you seem to think would have an effect on long term booking. This is akin to all of those morons who claim that they'll never watch wrestling again each time WWE does something they disagree with to "send a message" to Vince and Co. Stop worrying about any semblance of active involvement you have, stop
worrying about sending a message to top brass, and stop worrying about trying to force a minority opinion. The bottom line is that Randy v Shawn makes sense, will be good and deserves to be voted for... besides which, from a storyline perspective, Kennedy and Orton might put on a good to very good match but there would be very little heat to it, unlike the Michaels/Orton bout. Have some perspective and take off your IWC blinders now and then.

Travis Bucklaschuk sent the following perspective:

After reading your column I have to disagree with voting for Kennedy. I really feel he has no right to be in the title picture due to just being back from suspension. Why should we vote for a guy who has damaged the credibility (what it had left) of the company he worked for? I don't particularly care about his wellness violation, but to go on air and run your mouth about how you don't touch any illegal substances, and then to get caught. I feel be needs to stay away from the Main-Event scene really.

Now as for voting in someone younger, I'm all for voting in Jeff Hardy. Sure he has violated the wellness policy, but the guy has never made the WWE look bad like Kennedy did, and it would be quite the throwback to old when the Intercontinental Title meant you had the right for a World Title shot. So really, I'd vote for him over Kennedy and Michaels. After all from the reaction of the crowd, this guy is almost as over as Michaels and Hunter, if not just as over. Wouldn't that be something worth cashing in on?

On a bit of a humorous note, Randy Orton had quite the first WWE title reign didn't he? What was it, five-to-ten minutes long? Well at least he can claim himself as a 3-Time World Champion.

One of my favorite personalities "The Wolf" gave me some more feedback as well

I totally agree with you that a belt change is in order. Vince says that he doesn't want to go the personalization route again even threatening or actually (It's Khali vs Batista forgive me for not paying too much attention to the SD title!) taking away the name plate from the old WCW title was a genus move (has anyone ever thought about that? Maybe Vince is ashamed of Khali even holding the belt. (But then again, Vince has no issue showing off his 60 year old ass on the highest rated basic cable show in the land, so why would he be ashamed of his World Champ? Oh yeah Khali!) Like Vince can't afford to change the title a little bit to match the character? He gave one to Edge (for a couple of days before he jobbed to Cena AGAIN!)

And how about the choices for the WWE Championship match? we've got the choice of a Jesus Freak near retirement (nothing wrong with that, but I don't think that the key demographic of teenage boys really wants to be preached at) and two druggies to choose from. I think it's telling of exactly how tough the 'E is going to be on the abusers when they give a guy whose (ALEGEDLY!!!) already been fired for a Wellness related issue TWICE (well, the first time was before the plan existed, but he was still fired for being a DRUG FUELED FREAK!). Also, the man whose either really got bad luck or is the dumbest man on the planet gets to see if he can take a run for the gold. This gets my brain working. Vince has been trying to push Echo man, since he first dropped his mic (hey now this is a family show!!) and now he's got the chance to prove that he's over by setting up what looks to be an obviously rigged "cyber poll" (god I just felt dirty typing the term "Cyber Poll" i think i need to shower! Wait, I thought Fienstien ran ROH?) So I see things this way: VINCE WANTS YOU TO VOTE KENNEDY.....Kennedy. Does anyone really think that Jeff's really going to get many votes going up against the Born Again former champion and the Golden McMahon (Uh, I mean the one who was supposed to before he opened up a box full of sterriods!) who Vince has a hard on for? (Wait, are you sure that Kennedy's NOT Vince's son? He did want to run an angle saying his granddaughter was his daughter!)

But all (or most) sarcasm aside, I'm actually a fan of Mrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.... Kennedy...............................Kennedy (Even if i can prove that the whole gimmick was STOLEN from me when I was in an E-Fed!!) and I'd love to see him get a title shot. I'm actually thinking that out of the three choices he's the most likely to walk out of Cyber Sunday as the champ. But then again, I want to run a fed where one of my big storylines revolves around Zach Gowin being able to beat The Big Show, so who knows if I'm right about ANYTHING! Keep up the good work and I'll bombard you with sarcasm again!

More on This Story...

WWE Sends a Message

The WWE has suspended 10 wrestlers for violating their Wellness Policy, according to a headline on the WWE.com Website. The story says they will name the athletes after November 1.

According to TheStar.com the following athletes are suspended:

Randy Orton
Charles Haas, Jr.
Adam "Edge" Copeland
Robert "Booker T" Huffman
Shane Helms
Mike Bucci
Anthony Carelli
John "Johnny Nitro" Hennigan
Darren "William Regal" Matthews
Ken "Mr. Kennedy" Anderson
Chavo Guerrero

If this list is the actual list, Monday Night Raw brand is in trouble. They have been setting up a substantial feud between the Champion, John Cena and Randy Orton, and this could make those plans completely crumble. Will Triple H move directly into the title chase?

Raws woes will continue, as Booker T is also on the list. He is one of the top heels and one of the few reasons to tune in each week.

A few questions come to mind after seeing this list. One has to wonder why William Regal is juicing...? He has never had a bodybuilder physique, and lately has been filling the commissioner role. Edge is on the shelf already, due to injury - is he getting ready to return? Is he using to speed up the recovery?

Although this will dim the show with these suspensions, it is something that has to take place right now. The years of abuse of these drugs will wear down on their bodies and their lives will be shortened.

Yes, the WWE is sending a message. This will not be tolerated any longer. One can only hope that the legitimacy of the tests stay firm and that "major players" in the organization are not skipped over just because of their position and their tenure with the company.

-NAPALM- More on This Story...

House Shows Test WWE's Direction

On Saturday evening, I headed down to the WesBanco arena to get a glimpse of "Raw"'s Biggest Party of the Summer. I think that house shows can be a great indicator of things the WWE is testing out or thinking about. So here is a little report to let you in on all the action.

The show began with Sylvan and Maryse coming to the ring. Sylvan's hair is very blonde, but not a bleach color like Flair's. It looks like dude has been abusing Sun-In. Hopefully it doesn't absorb into his brain and make him go crazy, because the media would undoubtedly blame roids. Eh, ok, dude is probably abusing roids, because he looked big in Wheeling.



He wears like black spandex biker shorts, and he is a really ambigious character at the moment. He wrestled good old Hacksaw Jim Duggan, who probably got one of the biggest pops of the night. It was strange to me that I saw my first live show in 89 at the same arena and saw Hacksaw wrestle then too. Duggan got the duke in a largely forgettable match, but there is no denying that he was mad over for the live show. I don't think that translates much to TV, however. Maryse is very hot, by the way.

William Regal was out next, and he got a tremendous amount of heat. Regal defeated Super Crazy in a pretty good match. Afterwards Regal challenged guys around ringside to come and get a peice. A guy behind me told me that he would be more than happy to run in. I told him to go for it. He didn't. He introduced himself to me as the guy who ran into the ring during a local Black Diamond Wrestling show. He took a pummeling from then BDW Heavyweight Champ Nikita Allanov. The man informed me that he was on his way home after the incident to get his gun and shoot the Russian independent wrestler. Now that's heat...

Daivari had a great deal of heat as well. While I don't believe he should be pushed on "Raw", I do feel that he is underutilized. The man's character is a heat generating machine, and people still remember when he was getting a lot of face time with Muhammed Hassan.

He should probably be the Cruiserweight Champion as we speak. He wrestled Aaron Stevens, who was billed as hailing from Wheeling, WV, but we all know better. Stevens actually had a run on Smackdown, but that run was not enough to prove to fans that he wasn't from Wheeling. Stevens looked good, but eventually lost to Daivari. I expect Stevens to break out sometime before the end of 2007.

Cade and Murdoch defeated the Highlanders in a pretty standard tag team match. Not much more to say about that one.

Cody Rhodes entered and cut a pretty good promo about wanting Randy Orton in the ring tonight to pay for kicking his father in the head. Instead he got King Booker who was actually wearing flaming Booker T tights. Subtle hint? King Booker got the victory in a very good matchup. Before the match began, Booker told Rhodes to kiss his ring, but put him over as a future World Champion. I think that's putting the cart a bit before the horse, as Rhodes did botch a clothesline spot early in the match.

Any rumors of a planned push for one of my personal favorites, Val Venis are largely unwarranted. Val was over in Wheeling, but he came out as a special referee for a Candice/Jillian Hall showdown.

The match wasn't bad, and had a lot of false finishes, but I think it went too long. Many in the crowd hoped the false finishes would actually be the end. Candice hit an Unprettier to get the victory. Take that Christian Cage.

Santino Marella was one of the more entertaining guys before getting totally decimated by IC champ Umaga, who was actually over as a babyface. Marella appeared to have injured his shoulder during the match, so don't be suprised if he is not wrestling on "Raw" tonight.

Now for the kicker. I have seen Austin, Hogan, Savage, Rock, Triple H, HBK, Flair, Angle, Sting, and just about anyone you could want to see live, but I have never heard a pop like the one for Cena in Wheeling. It was deafening. There were pockets of Cena haters, but they could not overcome the thousands in attendance wearing his merch, and I am not exaggerating. Often I think the internet is too hard on Cena, as I feel his in ring style is booked by agents, not by him. Still, I couldn't imagine him being that loved.

If his match with Orton on Saturday is any indication of the quality of what their SummerSlam encounter will be, you guys are in for a great match. This house show match was the best Cena match I have seen since he wrestled HBK on Raw. It certainly trumped Cena's WrestleMania match with Michaels.

I would have preferred some Carlito or Mr. Kennedy, but you have to take what they give you. Still, if you are looking to find any indications of direction for the company from this show, the keys would have to be the Sylvan/Maryse duo we have all read about, the expected push of Aaron Stevens, and the capability for an amazing Cena/Orton match at SummerSlam. More on This Story...

Draft Lottery Revisited: The Winners and Losers

On the May 28th edition of *Raw, *Shane McMahon announced that there would be another Draft Lottery on June 11, 2007. For the first time in WWE history, the Draft Lottery occurred across three brands. Today is July 25th, one month and 14 days after the draft lottery. I thought it might be appropriate to go back and take a look at the winners and the losers of the WWE's attempt to restructure their rosters.

The first pick in this years draft was The Great Khali. Khali moved from Raw to Smackdown with his translator Runjin Singh in tow. A month and a half ago, Khali was being fed to the unstoppable John Cena. Now, he is unbelievably a World Heavyweight Champion. Khali scored a win in a triple threat match over Kane and Batista, and there is no doubt that when it comes to the draft, Khali is a big winner.

The second draft choice was The Boogeyman. Moving from Smackdown to ECW, Tazz was forced to feign interest in the bizarre superstar. Being placed in a makeshift tag team with Kane and feuding with Finlay seemed like it was not doing much for the Boogeyman's career. After getting the best of Matt Striker, Boogey has been served up to a repackaged Viscera, and while it remains to be seen who will get the better of this feud, it's fairly safe to say that this worm eater has taken either a lateral step or a step down. I would consider the Boogeyman a draft loser.

Next up was King Booker with Queen Sharmell. Booker was on the shelf on Smackdown, and has returned to active competition on Raw. Despite being an entertaining part of his new brand, it cannot be denied that King Booker was a legit main eventer on Smackdown, and he is lost in the shuffle on Raw. From what I have read, Booker himself understands this, and was against the move in the first place. During his last Raw run, Booker contemplated retirement. He seems to have found his passion again, however losses to John Cena, Bobby Lashley, and Triple H aren't likely to do much for his royal demeanor. I would not be suprised to see Booker retired and focused on his PWA by this time next year. King Booker is a draft loser.

Torrie Wilson was taken from the Raw brand and situatied on the Smackdown brand. As a non-wrestling diva, this seemed to be a wise move for her. Featuring her on the same brand as the Women's Championship was a little too much for one night's broadcast. Wilson is fairly irrelevant to whatever brand she is on, but she is being featured much more frequently on Smackdown, and that's a good thing. Torrie Wilson is a draft winner.

Chris Masters went from jobbing on Raw to jobbing on Smackdown. While this would seem like a lateral move, the talent pool on Smackdown is probably weaker than Raw, and this was supposed to be an opportunity for Masters to break out. Moving to a new brand and being placed directly back into the rut you were in before makes you a big draft loser.

Bobby Lashley made his way from being an ECW World Champion to feuding with Carlito on Raw. This is a tough call, because the brand is better, but position is worse. So the question is would you rather be a Raw midcarder or an ECW champion? Ask Johnny Nitro that question. I would say that Lashley has taken a step down since losing to John Cena, and with Triple H and Shawn Michaels returning, there is going to be heavy competition at the top. Turn him heel? Well, Ken Kennedy, King Booker, and Randy Orton are no slouches either. Lashley is now a medium sized fish in a big pond. On any other brand he would be a dominate world champion. On Raw, he is an afterthought. Lashley is a loser.

Ric Flair moved from feuding with Carlito to being an injured member of the Smackdown roster. Spoilers show he will make his return this week. Flair has a chance to wrestle new opponents, and possibly hold that big gold belt one
more time. With a World title picture that has Khali and Mark Henry, a tired Batista, and an out of position Kane, Flair actually has some possibilities. His biggest competition will be a returning Rey Mysterio. Flair hasn't had too much of a chance to show what he can do on Friday nights, but I am going to go ahead and call him a draft winner.

Snitsky moved from ECW to Raw in an attempt to make us give a damn, but I don't think it is working. This is another example of a medium sized fish moving to the big pond. WWE wants to push Snitsky much the same way as Umaga was pushed. The problem? Umaga is featured already on that brand and basically does the same thing with a more exciting character and offense. The pumphandle slam is about the least intimidating move Snitsky could use. From a possible main event ECW feud with Lashley to squash matches on Raw? I am going to go ahead and say it's a step down. Raw has a powerful midcard, and it will be easy to get lost in the shuffle. Don't believe me ask the next guy.

Mr Kennedy... Kennedy! You were money in the bank and a top title contender. Then you got hurt. You would have been in perfect position to feud withEdge. Heck, he got hurt, so it’s almost as if the wrestling God’s wanted to return the favor. Unfortunately you are on Raw losing matches to Super Crazy and Jeff Hardy. With Lashley, Orton, and Triple H ahead of you in line, it doesn’t seem like you will be holding gold anytime soon. In March, no one would have denied you being a World Champion by the end of the year. You could be that champion on either of the other two brands. In fact, those brands need you. Moving to Raw, a step down. Mr. Kennedy, you are a draft loser.

London and Kendrick were over on Smackdown, and were the longest reigning tag team champions. Now they are featured about as often as Cryme Tyme and the Highlanders. Why does the WWE insist on flooding the Raw roster with talent that can’t even get TV time. Your big mouths were the reason for the move. Who would have thought going to Raw was a punishment? For most of the guys that got drafted there, that’s exactly what it has been. It will get worse when the big dogs heal. I wouldn’t expect to see these on TV more often than any other Raw tag team. That’s a definite contrast from where they were on Smackdown. Losers...

Kenny Dykstra was a hot prospect, but no matter how much the smark money was on him, he still has a ways to go before he is ready for a run at the big money, and there are more than enough guys in front of him. When he ditched the Spirit Squad, I think he lost some of his interest. Kenny Dykstra?
Really? The good news for this kid is that if he remained on Raw, he would never get on TV. A wiped out Smackdown pool has to make some use of him. Slight winner...

Viscera. Talk about a big fish in a small pond, this is your guy. Not to say he’s a big fish when it comes to being over and having charisma. He’s a big fat fish. Well, ask Khali, Mark Henry, Snitsky, and Umaga what being big will do for you in the wrestling business. Big Daddy V is likely to be a dominating force on Smackdown. That is until they finally turn Marquis Cor Von babyface and have him pounce right through V’s fat milky man tits. Still, V is likely to get wins over the other 6 dudes on the ECW roster at some point or another. That my friends, makes him a winner.

The Sandman’s home is ECW. Why the hell is he on Raw? Well let’s face it, there was no homefield advantage for the Sandman. He was constantly getting his ass whipped. Now after a decent program with Carlito, despite the fact that it really had no build or purpose, he is looking to get a few singapore cane shots on the head of William Regal. Could it be that a move to Raw has actually benefitted the Sandman? I will say he’s a winner for now, but as time goes on, he won’t be able to hang with other stronger babyface characters like Cena, Lashley, Michaels, HHH, and Hardy, and he will probably lose a lot of face time. Before long, he will be teaming with Val Venis on Heat, and losing to the World’s Greatest Tag Team. Present winner, future loser...

Hardcore Holly. What do you do for Smackdown when you steal Ken Kennedy and King Booker right out from under them? Give them a heaping helping of Hardcore Holly. WWE is likely to give Holly one last run to get over as a main eventer. Why they won’t do this once for Val Venis I will never know.

Both men are stuck in their WWE Attitude gimmicks, but the difference is Val can wrestle and talk. All Holly can do is suck. We saw how believable of a threat he was to the World Title when he got a shot at Brock Lesnar. He must have some sort of dirt on some McMahon. When he comes back, he is likely to be a winner, although it’s hard to say, as the last time he was on the Smackdown brand, they hardly used him. I would say teaming with Charlie Haas is the kiss of death, but it’s really only hurt Shelton Benjamin. Holly’s career was already dead.

The Miz. Smackdown’s joke becomes ECW’s stud. Is anyone really buying this?
I doubt it, but facts are, Miz has a long undefeated streak on Smackdown, and is now being cast as a cool dude on ECW. Someone in the office this buffoon. Taking him off Smackdown is a good way to keep him from being overexposed as being the hoorah spouting doofus that he is. A little time in the ring on ECW is likely to get him primed for, dare I say it... a push on a greater brand. God forbid this is what we have to look forward to, but if we all take a serious reality check, it appears that The Miz is on his way to mediocrity, just don’t assume he won’t be forced down our throats before he gets there.

Daivari. What brand is this dude on now? Oh yeah, Raw. What is he? A crusierweight? Oh, well that’s stupid right there. Hornswaggle is basically holding this dude’s belt right now. Daivari can get over with his Arab-American asshole character, and I would guess that he stillgenerates heat just from that sweet Muhammed Hassan music he enters to. So what does he get to do on Raw? Nothing likely, because he will never show up on there.

Perhaps a Daivari/Melina vs. Maria/Marella match is in the works. Ah, who cares. Both of those guys and one of those divas should be on Smackdown, where the chicks don’t wrestle and the little guys have a title reserved just for them. The only way Daivari is remotely a winner is for making me realize that if Santino and Maria get hitched that her name will be Maria Marella. Daivari, you are a loser.

The Major Brothers. How green are these guys? Smackdown has no tag teams at all, and they still aren’t seeing the light of day. Well, by default these guys are likely to take the Smackdown gold from Deuce and Domino before becoming job meat to Festus and Ray or whoever they are. Since there were no tag teams or tag belts on their old brand, that’s a step up. You gotta think that there are three or four tag teams on Raw that would love to trade places with them. Winners.

William Regal. Smackdown reestablished Regal as a wrestler. Raw looks to reestablish him as a character. But will they pull the trigger? If he gets a run as a commissioner, Regal is a winner. If he goes to wrestling Duggan on heat, he is a loser. Speaking of Duggan, if his backstage segments on Raw are as lame as the one he just did with Duggan, he is an even bigger loser. Time will tell for Mr. Regal...

Victoria. She ain’t the lady to mess with. Despite having nothing to really wrestle for, she is ready to show why she is the best wrestling diva in the WWE again. The problem? She has no one to show it with. Still, getting constant TV time with her gal pal Torrie Wilson is better than riding the pine until you are needed to team up with Raw’s heel diva of the moment.Isn’t that right Beth Phoenix and Jillian Hall? Victoria is in some strange way a draft winner. Now if we can only get her into Playboy by next march so she can get a women’s title match at Wrestlemania.

Jillian Hall. I think I said enough when I was talking about Victoria. With the return of Beth Phoenix, there has been literally nothing for Jillian to do. Still, somewhere in the rotation she will get a shot at Candice Michelle and the women’s championship. That has to be worth something right? A non-factor on both brands, I hate to call her a winner or a loser. She’s a linner, although I think that’s the meal between lunch and dinner.

Eugene. Oh Eugene, they still have you doing that same schtick. You weren’t one of the lucky repackaged ones were you? Too bad. You should havetaken a ticket to ECW. That’s regimmick city. You went from being a losing comedy character on Raw to being a losing comedy character on Smackdown. If something doesn’t happen quick, you will be a losing comedy character in the unemployment line. When you move brands and you don’t get over with a new audience, the most mention you get on WWE.com is when they are wishing you the best in your future endeavors. Eugene, you are a loser.

Johnny Afterthought. You were the last man traded in the supplemental draft.
You were a Raw IC champion a year ago. Before the draft you were buying Kenny Dykstra fur. No one seemed to know what to do with you. No one seemed to care. You go to ECW and become a World Heavyweight Champion. I am torn about your new gimmick, because while it may be cool, Johnny Nitro had money written all over it. A cocky young Hollywood hobknobber? That’s gold.

There are at least thirty guys that needed repackaged before you, but hey, I am guessing that the corporate brass just didn’t see Johnny Nitro as a main eventer. Getting repackaged then is a step up. Moving brands was also a step up. You were last, but you certainly aren’t least. Much to the contrary. You are the biggest winner in this years WWE draft. The only down side? You don’t have Melina’s stuff in your face when you make your entrance anymore. Well, you can’t win them all Johnny. More on This Story...

Soup Du Jour

What Monday Night Raw needs to do...Well what can they do, honestly? I'm one on of the many wrestling fans who still has a sour taste in my mouth with the whole Benoit thing. But as much as I'd like to blow off Raw tonight to see an early showing of Transformers the movie (yes I am a nerd, but everyone needs a hobby), in all likely hood I'll be at my house watching Raw and eating a Chicken Palermo Salad (went to the store)!

So Already announced for this evening is Santino Morello Vs. Umaga. Barf! Okay simply put WWE, you brought around Umaga as an undefeatable power, but now you have nothing to do with him. If he wins the title what can he do draw Lashley, Booker T, Orton, or even Jeff Hardy to boost up the I.C. title, well can't do that because then Super Cena will have no one to face (which in MY honest opinion is perfect because he is a safer to bet on than to bet on The Steelers beating the browns). So Easy solution Kill Umaga.

Cena, catch the flu or something so the world knows you are not perfect. Now your WWE Title can be up for grabs for against lets say Randy Orton, Lashley, and HHH (summer slam). Well hold your e-mails and text messages..."what about King Booker T" right? Well here is what needs to happen, King Booker gets pick pocketed by Cryme Time and reverts to hood to get even, and then eventually joins with cryme time with thebrooklyn boys to form The Harlem and Brooklyn Connection, a.k.a. the HBC. HBC then Fueds with The Tag Team Champs (next paragraph) and The WWE Champ John Cena who is accused of being a honkey.

The Tag Team Champs Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch will begin to fued with the Hardys more and then London and Kendrick will join in. The three of these teams I can see being this generations or a poor mans version of the Hardys, Dudleys, Edge and Christian TLC matches. However the fourth team will emerge, Cryme Time, whose different style will catch these tag teams off guard. Boosting the Tag division to an instant fan favorite.

If this happens I'd be greatly supprised. All I want is a little variety in title holders. I don't like to going to pay-per-views and predicting the entire card with out seeing a match. If I had my way we'd see:

#1 a new WWE Champ I prefer Mr. Kennedy(when he can come back)or HHH or Randy Orton
#2 Santino Vs. Shelton Benjiman or Crazy or Davari or Jeff Hardy
#3 World Tag Champs The Rednecks fued with the obvious Racial Difference Controversy = Cash
#4 Hardys Vs. London Kendrick Obviously the world is not ready to see Matt and Jeff like the used to be I.E. London and Kendrick
#5 I want one or 2 stables I wanted a DX / N.W.O Fued so bad last year...But if Booker T drops the accent and joins cryme time that would be enough for me.
#6 Less womens matches as the match before the main event on PPV's

And I'd also like to see the Triumphant Return of the Soup Du Jour! More on This Story...

Those Tasteless McMahons

As far as being tasteless, sometimes I think WWE gets a bum rap for trying to do things that every other major media outlet is doing.

Maybe it's because they marketed their product so hard to kids in the 80's. Maybe it's because they are seen as a lesser form of entertainment. However, TV shows and movies deal with the concept of a character dying all the time, with no backlash. Would the "Sopranos" be suddenly seen as tasteless if their Key Grip guy died?

The problem with the Vince McMahon death angle is not that it's tasteless. It's that it's uninteresting, which is a shame considering they just killed off an incredibly OVER character who has been the focal point of the show for the past ten years.

The reason it is uninteresting is because fans smell the shit they are about to be fed from a mile away. An angle like this deserves a huge payoff, but WWE has no aces up its sleeve.

Remember when The Undertaker was answering to a higher power? Fans speculated that it might be Jake Roberts, Ted Dibiase or even that possibly Owen Hart's death was untrue and he could be the higher power. Instead, we got Vince McMahon.

What about when Stone Cold was run down in the parking lot? Logical sense pointed directly to The Rock. Having Austin VS. a fresh Heel Rock and the Angle/HHH/Stephanie love triangle going on simultaneously could have propelled WWE to new heights. Instead, WWE didn't want to lose The Rock's T-Shirt revenue, so Rikishi was found to be the one driving the car. Rikishi? Please...

How can anyone forget about the WCW "Who was driving the hummer?" angle. Oh, what's that? You forgot? Well, it's probably because they never answered the question. I am just going to assume that whoever they found that blew up this limo was also driving that hummer. I am hoping it is Kenny Dykstra, because he wouldn't have even had a Driver's License then.

Professional wrestling has a history of ending these storylines in the most uninteresting way possible. Not to mention that Triple H was lifted in a car in a crane and dropped 40 feet, and came back to wrestle a week later in what Jim Ross described as "a miracle." The true miracle was that no charges were pressed against Steve Austin who had obviously attempted to kill the man the week before. Hulk Hogan and The Giant squared off in a monster truck sumo match on the top of a building. The Giant was pushed off and came back to wrestle that night.

Wrestling fans know that WWE has about 200 ways to just shrug this off. And who are the interesting suspects? Mick Foley? Bobby Lashley? Please. About the best payoff you could muster would be Degeneration X was playing a prank that went a little overboard. Imagine the looks on HBK and HHH's face as they shrug their shoulders and say 'oops'. Then the crowd pops as they crotch chop into the night.

With the concept of an FBI investigation surrounding the case, anyone who is responsible would likely be taken off TV for some time, having to go to court and eventually jail. That will not happen however, as the suspect will be guilty without trial, and some wrestler will choose to get his revenge in the ring, rather than through federal 'pound me in the ass' prison time.

In the end, it's pretty obvious to me that Vince will have indeed faked his own death, and Stephanie will turn babyface, distraught that her dad could pull such a horrible stunt. Shane will be mad at Stephanie, distraught that his dad could raise such a horrible cunt.

If anything is worthwhile about this angle, it's that it has the wrestling world talking, something that we haven't had a chance to do much, unless it's over distaste about pulling things out of Jim Ross' ass or incessant John Cena bashing. Still, the Vince McMahon presumed death is to most fans just "WrestleCrap" waiting to happen. The most unfortunate thing about the angle is what it is doing to the talent on each brand.

The most unfortunate thing about the angle is what it is doing to the talent on each brand. Last night, WWE showed a highlight clip of Cade and Murdoch screwing the Hardys out of the tag team titles. With the brands seemingly once again divided with clear lines, Matt Hardy won't be able to show up on "Raw" to get his revenge. Oh, scratch that, he can show up on "Raw" all he wants if they win the tag titles at Vengeance. I'd rather see Dave Taylor come over and win them with Regal myself. I digress.

London and Kendrick were about as mediocre looking as could be on "Raw", wrestling the World's Greatest Tag Team. When I was predicting what would be on "Raw", saying that Bobby Lashley would squash Daivari and Umaga would squash The Sandman, I wanted to include that London and Kendrick would squash WGTT, but I left it out because I would have assumed that the actual match would at least be entertaining. It wasn't really.

If you are WGTT, why do you unleash your new gear on a night you are inevitably jobbing? Every time these guys give me something to get excited about, it turns out that there is absolutely nothing to be excited about. I can't believe that the guy that beat Triple H on "Raw" a few years back is now one half of "Raw"'s most infamous jobber tag team. Weak. It's strange how London and Kendrick came off as really being something special on "SmackDown!", and are just an afterthought on "Raw". The crowd fizzled after the team's victory. They really do seem out of place, and I'd love to see them go to "SmackDown!" or ECW.

The Sandman is also obviously out of place on "Raw", but at least he got a pop. The funny thing is, many think WWE ressurected ECW to snuff out any remaining ECW chants, by associating those letters with a vastly different product. Ironically, The Sandman probably got more ECW chants on "Raw" than the whole ECW show will get Tuesday Nights on the Sci-Fi channel. Funny how he should be in the ECW element, but he is probably more significant on another brand, as he can really bear the ECW flag when not held back by ECW.

I want to say how refreshing it was to hear the biggest pop of the night go to Mickie James. Of course, in her hometown, she had to eat the pinfall. Lame. At least it happened after the new sweet finisher of Melina, a leg-drop to split variation of the DDT. The commentators were really getting on my nerves, from Lawler's insistance that someone as boring as Paul London could be the culprit in the McMahon bombing, to the validated statement that Lashley and King Booker had never wrestled before.

It makes me want to go check their claim that Foley hadn't been in a singles match on "Raw" in seven years. What most irked me was how both of them kept calling King Booker, Booker T. "SmackDown!" did a great job in associating Booker with his new gimmick and letting us know that this wasn't just a flash in the pan thing. That helped position King Booker in a place where he could win a World Title. On "Raw", he's a contender, but the commentators can't even get his name right.

It just goes to show how clusterfucked things are, because the guys who are paid to put the stuff over can't even remember what's going on. WWE needs to stop all this flash in the pan booking, so that matches that should mean something when they happen, actually can. The fact that WWE gave away an inevitable Cena/Orton confrontation for free on "Raw" still baffles me.

Lastly, and not least, whether Stephanie is looking plump or not, I'd still hit it. Actually, I'd rather have her go down on me, that way I'd be assured that I wouldn't have to hear her talk. To make it fair, I'd return the favor. That way I can let all you readers know, exactly how "tasteless" the McMahons truly are.

More on This Story...

The Big Boom Theory

Weeks ago, I was perusing the internet for wrestling news, much as I would on any other day. This has become a part of my routine, not necessarily because I want it to be, but because the current landscape of professional wrestling demands it.

There was a time when rifling off the complete title histories of all the major WWE belts was impressive. There was a time when knowing that Goldust was Dustin Rhodes and Kama was Papa Shango without ever reading it on a dirt sheet made you impressed. However, since about 1996, you couldn't begin to consider yourself a real wrestling fan unless you could keep up with the ever-growing population of smart marks.

To be honest, there are times when I would prefer it the old way. When someone jumped to a new promotion, just the shock and surprise would be enough to make that a moment.

Not to say that Chris Jericho's debut on "Raw" wasn't one of the greatest "Raw" moments ever. I just think I would have appreciated it more if I hadn't known it was coming for months in advance. I digress.

When I was looking through the dirt sheets, I came across a statement, either by Vince or Linda McMahon stating that pro wrestling was about to reach another boom period. It almost pains me that the owners of the only real major wrestling company in the United States are so accepting of the business' cyclical nature, but what can you do?

In the 80's, Vince stood atop the world with the greatest superstars from every territory and built an unstoppable national brand. When Ted Turner bought that talent away from him, Vince created new superstars with a more edgy up-to-date attitude, and took his audience back. These are the periods that fans of today really look back on with a great deal of sentiment. Whether it's Hogan slamming Andre or Austin throwing the Rock's belt off a bridge, these are the moments you always remember and these are the superstars you will never forget.

If the Attitude Era were a large plentiful orange in 1997, WWE was squeezing the hell out of it still in 2006 in order to quench the fans' thirst. For the first time, however, they now seem like they are ready to move on. The most telling example? In my opinion: the recent release of "SmackDown!" superstar, Scotty 2 Hotty. Nothing screamed hanging on to 1997 like this guy doing the Too Cool shtick ten years later.

Since the name change (from Federation to Entertainment), WWE has put a great deal of time and money into a number of guys who wouldn't pan out. WWE's NWO was a short-lived storyline due to injuries to Kevin Nash and the conduct of Scott Hall. Hulk Hogan has been in and out enough to defeat some of the more consistent WWE superstars, but at what benefit to the company when he disappears again?

For a full year, Goldberg and Brock Lesnar were at the top of there respective brands until they both decided to leave at the same time. The Rock, the brightest star from the Attitude Era who could still compete, retired to pursue his movie career. WWE chose to let go of the Dudley Boyz, who admittedly had a tired routine, but were the only real established tag team left in the company. Chris Jericho and Christian were in the title picture at SummerSlam and then were gone before Royal Rumble.

WWE put a lot of time into establishing Muhammed Hassan, but Hassan quit after his controversial storyline on network TV called for his removal from TV. Kurt Angle, one of WWE's top guys took his release and ran to Orlando. Then WWE lost its three most established divas: Stacy Keibler, Trish Stratus and Lita. The last really big name to quit is The Big Show. Any of these releases alone, not a big deal. All of them together? Pretty significant. And no wrestling fan can fail to figure in the deaths of Owen Hart and Eddie Guerrero as well.

Looking at the names listed above and the efforts WWE has put into many of those guys over the past seven years, it's amazing they are doing as well as they are right now. Almost every single person listed was a poor investment by the company.

However WWE brushed that dirt off their shoulder, and looked to Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker to be the workhorses while developing guys like John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton and most recently Bobby Lashley and Ken Kennedy.

However, right when Vince and company are ready for "the new boom period" in professional wrestling with this new crop of talent, the three aforementioned workhorses all go down to injury. Along with them are Rey Mysterio, King Booker, Ken Kennedy and Gregory Helms. All of this taking place while Rob Van Dam is heavily rumored to be on his way out the door.

In the aftermath, we are essentially seeing the dissolution of the brand extension, with superstars frequently crossing TV show borders. The shake up to the "Raw" brand has been astronomical, as the main storylines from the past year include DX VS. The Big Show or Rated RKO, and now none of those guys are active. John Cena has carried the weight as champion, but his number one antagonist, Edge has left to go to "SmackDown!" and carry the ball. What do wrestling fans get out of that? This past Monday's "Raw".

It's hard to be tough on WWE considering all the circumstances they are dealing with currently. Reading that the difference between a fan of wrestling and a mark is that a mark never asks questions might be a fairly accurate statement, but a fan of wrestling should also take into consideration what exactly has lead to the current product they are being fed.

So wrestling fans are forced to look at the evolution of Bobby Lashley. As Lashley prepares for his ECW World Title street fight with Mr. McMahon at One Night Stand, it's hard to forget that Lashley wasn't even originally intended for the hair VS. hair Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23. The WWE brass wanted Hogan VS. The Big Show in a recreation of Hogan's triumphant victory over Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III.

With major superstars dropping like flies around him, you would think that WWE would be nervous about putting Lashley in the ring four times in one night. What happens if Lashley suffers a similar fate? Under the circumstances, what can WWE really do?

Call me a mark, but I have to admit, I wasn't really turned off by Lashley on "Raw" this past week. His match against Chris Masters told a great story. Masters was looking for revenge because of Lashley breaking his Masterlock. I really appreciated that when Masters hooked the move, Lashley's only escape was the ropes. This was in the first match of the gauntlet, so being fatigued wasn't an excuse. It would have been okay to have Lashley, the one guy that broke the move before, break it again, but they went a different route, and Masters looked good in the match. Even in a loss, he was reestablished a bit.

Viscera is another who looked good in his match. Obviously he wasn't going to win, but he took Lashley to his limit. It was all reminiscent of Randy Savage going through the World Title tournament at WrestleMania IV. Lashley's match with Shane was great too. Shane always shows that he has the goods in the ring. So much so that I could deal if HE were the ECW champ and not his dad. The Hurricane DDT and the constant working of the back that made Lashley's powerslam ineffective were both highlights.

It almost seems that Vince has a vendetta against Brock Lesnar for leaving. It seems as though he is trying to send a message week in, week out that he could have done what he did with Brock with any man. You know Bobby Lashley is making a lot of money, and I have to think that even though Brock wasn't big on the schedule, that he second guesses himself while he's getting potato'ed in the mush by his sparring partners.

Still, while every Lashley match was decent on "Raw" this week, he is not the type of draw that makes that work. It is not the same as Triple H running the gauntlet on "SmackDown!" years ago. How do I know? Because TBS was showing "Family Guy" reruns and ION was showing "The Wonder Years", and I spent more time flipping back and forth between those shows than I did actively watching "Raw". HBK and Edge were two of the best reasons to watch the show, and with both gone, WWE needs to find a better filler than "The Bobby Lashley Variety Hour".

What was meant to be a "boom" has turned into a period where it's not so great to be a wrestling fan. It's a time where dirt sheet reports are full of injuries, surgeries and releases. It's a period where guys with poor conduct like Randy Orton, or poor workrate like Mark Henry and The Great Khali, are being rewarded by circumstance. Vince McMahon has held dynamite in his hands. Instead of the fireworks he expected, it exploded in his face. A lot of his top guys at the moment aren't getting any younger, and the ones that are still young have not had enough time to develop in the ring or maturity-wise.

Every move that WWE makes right now is critical. Every signing, every release and every push is essential to sustaining the momentum the company had been building over the past year. Every booking, every storyline and every angle needs to be carefully constructed to maintain the relationships with fans who have tuned in over the past seven years to see people who will likely not be on their televisions this summer.

What is WWE's best option? In my opinion, it is the elevation of Chris Benoit back to main event status and a lengthy, very personal feud with Edge over the World Heavyweight title. Then possibly when Triple H, The Undertaker, HBK, Ken Kennedy, Rey Mysterio and King Booker all return, we can rig the explosives right this time and kick off the next real boom period in professional wrestling.
More on This Story...

Lashley Backlash? Will His Biggest Win Become His Biggest Regret?

Reposted from Volume 13 of The Wrestler.

By Brady Hicks

It seemed like the crowning achievement of a very young career. Newest ECW star Bobby Lashley—in his first title match since joining the brand—speared ECW champion The Big Show and made the pin. The fans in attendance at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia, came alive, realizing they had witnessed history. And Lashley, with a smile on his face and a new title belt, looked as if he had just conquered the world.

He finally won a big one: the ECW heavyweight title. And Lashley hadn’t just defeated The Big Show, he had also outlasted four other stars—including Hardcore Holly, C.M. Punk, Test, and Rob Van Dam—in the “Extreme Elimination Chamber” at December to Dismember. To nearly everyone in attendance, it seemed that Lashley had made the right decision leaving Smackdown, where he had been running in place for about a year, never really making a good name for himself, and always coming up short in the few World title opportunities that had been given to him.

“I’ve talked with him about this before. It’s a disagreement we’ve shared for a long time,” said Chris Benoit, who mentored Lashley during his time on Smackdown. “In Lashley, I see youth and determination and a whole lot of strength. But I also see over-anxiousness. Bobby Lashley just loves to jump into the deep end for everything he gets involved in. It’s just his personality. He thinks his time is now and thinks he is invulnerable to all of the shortfalls that have derailed all of those young guns before him. Even though Bobby won the ECW championship right out of the gate, I think it may be too much, too soon for him.”

Many insiders agree with Benoit. They say Lashley is far from fully developed as a wrestler. His inexperience didn’t prevent him from beating some mid-card talent or even lucking his way into a title belt or two by catching opponents by surprise. There is also fear he will start to believe his own hype. “I’ve seen it many times, where a young wrestler develops some sort of a ‘false reality’ as to how good he really is,” said Matt Hardy, another of Lashley’s backstage friends on Smackdown. “I worry for him that by achieving the successes that he has this early in his career, that it could actually harm him in the long run.”

In other sports, they call it “peaking too early.” In wrestling, it has spelled many a long, frustrating period for those who achieved too much, too soon in their careers. For every Tom Brady to step off the bench late in the season and unexpectedly help his team win the Super Bowl, there is a story of an athlete who sets a goal for himself, achieves it early in his career, and founders from that point forward. And many of Lashley’s peers feel his early success in ECW could also potentially signal the end of his effectiveness.

By beating an injured Big Show so easily, Lashley may assume that titles, fame, and marketability are all within his reach. He may assume that these successes are just the beginning for what is to be a long and prolific career.

Lashley’s inexperience continued to be a factor until he switched from Smackdown to ECW. During the King of the Ring tournament, that inexperience caused him to lose his temper against Booker T, who went on to win the crown and cape. It caused him to lose the U.S. title to a physically inferior but more experienced Finlay. And—most recently—it cost him at No Mercy when he seemed more consumed with showing up Batista than actually winning the Smackdown World championship.

Fortunately, there is no solid evidence that Lashley will become the latest victim of his own success. He enjoyed a considerable amount of success before becoming a pro wrestler. When Lashley attended Missouri Valley College, he was able to win national wrestling championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998 after placing fourth in the U.S. during his first try in 1995. Throughout 1997 and 1998, Lashley was the NAIA National Wrestling champion and later became a champion in the U.S. Army.

Even after entering pro wrestling, Lashley pinned former Smackdown World champion John Bradshaw Layfield to win the U.S. title only eight months into his run on Smackdown. Lashley has shown an ability to cope with success in the past, but he has never experienced such high-profile success as his ECW title victory. Will it be too much for the young man?

“One thing’s for sure: You have to admire the kid’s guts,” said Tommy Dreamer. “He set a goal for himself, and he went out and achieved it. And he was able to do so very quickly, too. That doesn’t mean that he’s finished developing as a wrestler. It just means that he was fortunate enough to bring home a title belt in spite of all that he still has to learn.”

Unfortunately for the ECW champion, enjoying success before gaining experience can be a dangerous thing. But, if anyone is up to the task, it just may be Lashley.

More on This Story...

From the Vault: Tag Team Wrestling on Life Support

8/16/06: It's great that WWE is convincing some that they are taking interest in reestablishing tag teams, but they haven't convinced me...

Case in point? The Bashams...

The Bashams were a sweet team, brought in, given the tag gold, then dropped into obscurity. Soon perhaps they will reappear in ECW...

Case in point? La Resistance...

Two different pairs, Rene Dupree and Sylvan Grenier, and Sylvan and Rob Conway, broken up so that the talent can pursue singles aspirations.

I guess once you reach the tag belts, there isn't much more to accomplish as a team...

But the problem is, teams get the tag belts almost immediately upon their formation. There is no chase...

Murdoch and Cade won them almost immediately, then after they lost them were split up. WWE.com did a cool little article about how they realized they were the most successful together when they were paired again, but the initial idea was to push Murdoch towards the IC title.

WWE is very short sighted when it comes to tag teams, which is ridiculous, because they have had plenty of workers who could use the seasoning that tag wrestling for a while would have given.

Gunner Scott and Chris Benoit could have had a long tag title reign. Now Scott is off the main roster. That time with Benoit in tag matches would have given him time to become something.

Bret Hart was on the verge of getting released before he and the Anvil teamed up. How far would Shawn have gone if brought in as a singles wrestler... Probably not very. He needed the time and experience of being a tag wrestler to prepare him. He also needed the heat generated when the team broke up.

Snitsky and Tomko could have been a new team in the vein of the Powers of Pain or Skyscrapers. Now Tomko is gone and Snitsky is with Val Venis. How does that make sense?

Viscera and Charlie Haas? Why, cause Charlie knocked Lillian off the mat?

And still, I prefer these makeshift teams to makeshift star teams. They are trying to find something for these guys to do.

That's much better than Rey & RVD, RVD & Booker, Edge & Benoit, or whoever else winning the tag belts. Only one thing bothers me more than two singles wrestlers coming together to embarass established tag teams.

One single wrestler embarassing established tag teams. The Rock defeating both Dudleyz in a Tables Match?

That type of stuff happens often in the WWE. Had Kane and Big Show stayed together, their dominance would have been a good chance to breed some teams without the belts having to be in the picture. Right now, every time a new team is introduced, they go straight for the champs. They either win them, lose them, and break up, or they lose and dissapear.

The belts are never featured. They don't Main Event free tv, and they seldom make PPV. Despite two real feuds for tag belts, neither one will be decided at Summerslam.

And now they are talking about breaking up the Spirit Squad...

Imagine if the WWE had broken up the New Age Outlaws after their first title reign... After all, they were just two crap guys thrown together. They caught lightning in a bottle once, and if they don't see the same flare, they immediately split the team up and look to do something else.

The WWE is looking for Attitude Vol. 2. This is why John Cena becomes more like Steve Austin, every other babyface champ becomes The Rock, and Tag Teams can't last.

A lot of people shit on the New Legion of Doom, but hell, it got Animal a payday and got Heidenreich something to do that was over. They released Heidenreich and repackaged Animal as the gay biker from the Village People. They could have had a real tag team for KC James and Idol Stevens to go over en route to London and Kendrick.

It's not impressive to dominate the tag division, because every new team that appears does. When there is a tag team feud, all other teams are off TV, much like the Women's and Cruiserweight Divisions.

I thought the reason for breaking up the Mexicools was to move Super Crazy to ECW. I was wrong. There was no reason. So what the hell are the two of them doing? Absolutely nothing.

When writers need filler for their shows, they break up a tag team. However, these tag teams aren't well enough established that their feuds even make a PPV. How did they blow off the Mexicools break up? It certainly wasn't on PPV. It wasn't even an extended feud on TV.

I am certainly not convinced that introducing tag teams renews a commitment to tag team wrestling. If tag team wresting is alive anywhere, it's on TNA.

WWE has so many developmental guys that would benefit from starting in a tag team. They have so many guys with absolutely nothing to do that could be put together in a way that makes sense.

However the only real tag team feud in years has been McMahons vs. DX, neither of which will still be together by this time next year.

WWE is like MTV. Despite what you want to see, they can get over what they want to get over. WWE does not want to get tag team wrestling over. More on This Story...

A Timely Defense of John Cena

It's been a while. In fact, it's been so long, that Marty "Boogeyman" Wright has been both fired and rehired since the last time you heard from me. Maybe even more impressive than that, Mike "Corporal" Kirshner died, then came back to life! That doesn't mean that the Pro-Wrestling Pundit hasn't had his share of opinions.

Say what you will about John Cena, and other wrestling sites have about said it all ad nauseaum, but this dude draws crowds, sells merchandise, stays over, and makes for damn good TV. While I understand the mentality of those who oppose him, and while I detest the way he has been taken out of his entertaining rap character and made Steve Austin/Rock light, I can't think of anyone who has been more interesting since Summer.


Some smark sites cheered as Edge pulled Cena's "Punk Card." That's simply not what Edge's job is. Edge's job is to be the most hated heel in wrestling, while helping Cena's babyface crowd reaction. Regardless of all that, they were easily the most interesting World title program in months, possibly years. Unfortunately Edge is now in a very boring go nowhere storyline with Randy Orton and Degeneration X. While HBK and HHH are constantly making me groan, Cena has managed to entertain me with the likes of Johnny Nitro, Kevin Federline, Big Show, King Booker, and Umaga.

John Cena is a hard working man, and he is money in Vince's bank. It's as Ric Flair would say back in the day, "If you don't like it, learn to love it, cause it's the best thing going today." While Batista fizzled, Cena sizzled. John Cena deserves respect!

There was an article on a website about how Cena disrespected the NWA TNA X Division Title. While Cena made an appearance on Cold Pizza, Chicago White Sock A.J. Pfftmylastnameishardtospell comes out with his TNA X Division title. I can't even begin to imagine what would have happened 10 years ago in a similar situation. It was said that Cena stupidly and ignorantly commented that he saw the same belt in the gumball machine outside. I think you meant to say Cena cleverly and humorously commented.

What the hell do you think Steve Austin would have done in the attitude era had Karl Malone or David Arquette came out during his appearance with the WCW title. What about if Cyndi Lauper showed up next to Ric Flair with the WWF title during the Rock N' Wrestling Era. Cena handled himself like a champ by letting people get their pictures of him next to what is easily the ugliest belt in professional wrestling (Cena's may be a close second).

One columnist then went on to say that the X Division belt had gained more respect that the lunk of shit Cena carries. That lunk of shit is the WWE Championship smark, and it's the reason you are writing for a pro-wrestling blog. Criticizing Cena for not being a mark for TNA and the X Division is ludicrous. He is the biggest wrestling superstar in the world right now. Luckily the readers were quick to jump out and exclaim that while the X Division may be exciting, the majority of matches have little to no psychology, tell no story, and are spot on top of spot. While Cena is the bad guy for making one comment in jest, TNA is cutting promos and making angles based on WWE stuff: Rhyno, Angle, and the James Gang being the most outstanding examples. 20 years ago, a professional wrestler would have slapped a major league baseball player in the mouth for pulling a stunt like that.
More on This Story...

Game Over: At Whose Expense?

The road to the top for Triple H was a long one. Under the downright abysmal pun name of Terra Ryzing, he made his way from the independent scene into World Championship Wrestling. After a fairly unforgettable run wrestling on WCW Saturday Night, he was lucky enough to find a spot on the WWE roster.

The Greenwich Snob, Hunter Hearst Helmsley certainly didn't have an easy climb to the top, but he eventually made it there, and upon his arrival he unleashed a reign of "Terra" that has prevented more than one superstar from "Ryzing." His latest victim however, baffles the mind.
Triple H effectively destroyed the credibility of Rob Van Dam, Kane, and Booker T in 2002. Time heals all wounds, however, and Rob Van Dam and Booker T both have been positioned into World Heavyweight Championship roles in 2006. Possibly Kane will get a chance to run with the ball for more than a day as well.

However, the latest victim of the Cerebral Assassin might not be so lucky. On the August 28th edition of WWE RAW, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were slated to face mystery opponents. A little over a week removed from overcoming five members of the Spirit Squad, Ken Kennedy, William Regal, Fit Finlay, ECW World Champion The Big Show, Umaga, and both McMahon's at Summerslam, DX was unreasonably on top of the world.

Despite the fact that the McMahon/DX angle had more than run it's course, and most agree that the reunion of Degeneration X reunion has largely been unable to recapture the group's past magic due to religious beliefs amongst other things (like the fact that no one wants to see two 40 year old guys acting like high school sophomores), we are still in the middle of a McMahon vs. DX feud.

Smackdown's number one prospect, Ken Kennedy, and their two strongest mid-card heels, Finlay and Regal, showed up on RAW to gain a measure of revenge in a handicapped match against Degeneration X. All three men, and the Smackdown brand itself took a huge blow as Triple H pinned Regal for the victory.

After the match had concluded, Shane brought ECW World Heavyweight Champion, The Big Show, out for his vengeance. I breathed a sigh of relief as together with the three defeated Smackdown superstars, Big Show was finally getting the advantage.

Both Michaels and Triple H were worked over with Finlay's Shillelagh. Both Michaels and Triple H were chokeslammed. Michaels laid in the ring and played dead. Triple H on the other hand was showing signs of life.

Out comes Vince McMahon. Now, Vince McMahon is not a wrestler, but we've all seen that he's no normal man either. He's built, and there is some credibility to the idea that Vince can hold his own. Add to the equation, Vince is carrying a lead pipe.

Michaels took his beating and laid prone on the mat as expected. Triple H, however, does not stay down so easily. Between Vince and Shane, Triple H had to have taken approximately 20 blunt strikes to the head the aforementioned lead pipe.

Now, I am certainly not built like Vince McMahon, but if I were to hit you in the head with a lead pipe once, I am pretty sure I could muster up the amount of lethal force required to kill you in one or two blows. Since you are an O Show reader however, I'll not test my theory...

Shane hit both men with running lead pipe strikes right in the head. At no point did Triple H ever simply lay down and act as though he was unconcious like his stablemate. Triple H, after 20 or so blows to the head with a "lead pipe" continues to crawl around the mat, as if somehow he was going to get up and exact a measure of revenge.

Only days after what should be considered a deadly assault, Triple H and Shawn Michaels announced that they would be back in action that Tuesday on ECW against the Big Show. Wait, wha?

Maybe it's my fault. Maybe, I underestimated the amount of pain that Triple H can withstand. I didn't forget about the time that Steve Austin operated a crane and lifted Triple H and his car 50 feet in the air and pulled the release. Triple H not only lived, but wrestled the next week on Raw as Jim Ross explained it as a "miracle."

This is in stark contrast to the wrestling world I grew up watching. Hulk Hogan, wrestling's equivalent of Superman, took three Earthquake splashes from Earthquake and was out of action for months. If a wrestler was hit with a chair or piledriven outside of the ring, you could expect him to be out of action for some duration of time. A table or the ring bell? That was months off TV. Many major stars spent time at home selling injury angles. Very few had ever incurred anything nearly as serious as being struck in the head with a lead pipe.

Somehow, we had moved from there to a place in wrestling where the only credible weapons used by wrestlers are the baseball bat, lead pipe, and sledgehammer. Thanks to the Cerebral Assassin's resistance to lay down, we can now cross another off that list.

What has happened to injury angles in professional wrestling? Can the lead pipe be rebuilt as a credible wrestling weapon? Is there anything in this world capable of stopping Triple H?

Indeed the Game is Over, but his book fails to mention that talent and traditions that have been completely destroyed while "Making the Game."

More on This Story...