How are you all? Doing well I hope! Because FINALLY I can say that the WWE!
I would like to physically show you how nice it was to see Jericho sell the RKO! Then I told myself that Y2J had been selling "diamond cutters" since Lil' Randy was a nut stain on old Cowboy Bob's saddle! As a matter of fact it was actually nice to see someone in the WWE other than Jeff Hardy look speedy, svelte, and small...but actually compete with the "big dogs".
Speaking of that frankly, how bad of a message can Snitsky send. In this age of steroid speculation how is a larger than life individual with body acne supposed to not raise an eye brow? I AM NOT CONVICTING ANYONE OF USING OR ABUSING, but just stating a point that crossed my mind.
I hope that this supposed boom that Linda McMahon spoke of earlier this year is the revalation of smaller is better! Spearheading the way hopefully be Y2J and his match with Jeff Hardy at The Rumble being the begining of this new phase all things pending. Y2J, Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, Randy Orton, and (hopefully the rumors maybe true even though its as slim as an ice cube's chance in hell) a slim, sleek, Rock! I am not necessarily saying kill off the Umaga's and Great Khali's of the world. Just use them spairingly...they will come in use soon enough!
Well keep dreaming, Baltimore just scored!
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Monday, December 03, 2007
Soup Du Jour: I'm actually excited!
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Time to Play the Game
I assume that when WrestleMania occurs for the umpteenth time, I can acquire him and send him back to whence he came. I just completed another Royal Rumble. The Great Khali picked up the victory, but rather than beating 29 other men, he defeated 26. Why? Well, with WWE releasing so many guys in the past year, There just aren't enough guys to fill out the Rumble.
Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 came out yesterday, and as of this writing, I do not own it. The only thing I know for sure is that in the time between the last game and this one, WWE has gotten rid of a number of their SvR 2007 roster members. Aren't these guys supposed to be the cream of WWE's crop?
Well, if that's true, WWE should be in a lot worse shape than they are now. After all, these aren't just the scrubs that are no longer there. Former World Champions like Big Show, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and Rob Van Dam are among those who have departed since the last edition of the popular game. I would add JBL and Mick Foley to those names. JBL is no longer an active wrestler, and while I question Foley's addition as a regular roster member last year, it is without doubt that he hasn't stepped in the ring for a match anytime recently.
William Regal is another superstar who like JBL has strong WWE ties, but no longer serves a regular active in-ring role.
After these guys the biggest releases come from the Women's division. It's nothing impressive to be a former Women's Champion. Almost every WWE diva can lay claim to that title. Not every diva can claim to be Trish Stratus or Lita however. These two women revolutionized WWE women's wrestling.
The rest of the releases are made up of a lot of guys who frankly never really would have meant much. The only member of the list that I could have ever imagined with a World Title reign would have been Chris Masters. Unfortunately, he was unable to deal with the pressures of his gimmick in relation to the WWE Wellness Policy.
The other guys who have left WWE television include Daivari, Joey Mercury, Kid Kash, Paul Burchill, Psicosis, and Vito.
With rumors that Carlito may be the next on his way out the door, the prospects of me filling a Royal Rumble ring on SvR 2007 looks even bleaker.
The outlook for SvR 2008 isn't much better. Chris Masters, King Booker, JTG, Marquis Cor Von, The Sandman, Shad and Sabu have already been released and the game just came out. Again, William Regal is serving in a non-wrestling role. Who knows who will still be around by the 2009 edition? By the time I pick it up for Christmas, I may already be unable to have a true Royal Rumble.
That's ok with me though. I have a ways to go with Smackdown vs. Raw 07. After all, my video game is about the only place in wrestling that can boast a hot tag team division. DX, The Brothers of Destruction, Finlay and Regal, and Cade and Murdoch aren't too shabby. Add occasional appearances from Rated-RKO, Umaga and the Great Khali, and John Cena and Batista, and you'd swear it was 1989 when it comes to the depth of tag teams who are actually over.
For those who are curious, my full roster currently consists of Batista, Edge, Finlay, Khali, Cena, Nitro and Melina, Kane, Ken Kennedy, Lance Cade, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Shelton Benjamin, Trevor Murdoch, Triple H, Umaga, The Undertaker, and William Regal. Yeah, I know. I'm stacked!
So if the World were perfect and WWE released Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 tommorow, who should be on the active roster?
Last years game included 44 active wrestlers. Assuming that the game is continually getting better, let's add six.
1. Shelton Benjamin
2. Lance Cade
3. Carlito
4. Charlie Haas
5. Jeff Hardy
6. Brian Kendrick
7. Mr. Kennedy
8. Santino Marella
9. Paul London
10. Shawn Michaels
11. Trevor Murdoch
12. Randy Orton
13. Cody Rhodes
14. Snitsky
15. Triple H
16. Umaga
17. Chris Jericho (Unlockable)
18. John Cena
19. Bobby Lashley
20. DH Smith
21. Val Venis
22. Batista
23. Deuce
24. Domino
25. Kenny Dykstra
26. Finlay
27. The Great Khali
28. Matt Hardy
29. Mark Henry
30. Kane
31. Rey Mysterio
32. Jamie Noble
33. Chuck Palumbo
34. MVP
35. The Undertaker
36. Jimmy Wang Yang
37. Edge
38. Ric Flair
39. Chavo Guerrero
40. Gregory Helms
41. Big Daddy V
42. Elijah Burke
43. CM Punk
44. Tommy Dreamer
45. John Morrison
46. The Miz
47. The Boogeyman
48. Stevie Richards
49. Matt Striker
50. Kevin Thorn
The last game included seven divas. If we can get the number up to ten, WWE should include:
1. Jillian Hall
2. Mickie James
3. Maria
4. Melina
5. Beth Phoenix
6. Candice Michelle
7. Michelle McCool
8. Victoria
9. Torrie Wilson
10. Kelly Kelly
The last game included 16 legends. Let's bump to 20:
1. Hulk Hogan
2. Randy Savage
3. Bret Hart
4. Steve Austin
5. The Rock
6. Arn Anderson
7. Ricky Steamboat
8. Ted Dibiase
9. Barry Windham
10. Andre the Giant
11. The Ultimate Warrior
12. Jake "The Snake" Roberts
13. Vader
14. Yokozuna
15. Mr. Perfect
16. Ax
17. Smash
18. Sid
19. Owen Hart
20. Razor Ramon
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Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Will teams of five indeed strive to survive?
Now that we're past the tapings we're unofficially a week past Cyber Sunday and have only announced the WWE Title Match. That's fine and all, there's still time to let feuds culminate in the traditional elimination matches. Seeing as how they've been going with the 6 match PPV format as of late, here is my dream Survivor Series card. I will officially crap my match if any of this actually happens though...
The Great Khali, Mark Henry, Big Daddy V, and MVP, and Edge vs Batista, Undertaker, Kane, Matt Hardy, and Ric Flair (Hyping the returns of both Edge and Flair)
Rey Mysterio, Chuck Palumbo, Jimmy Wang Yang, Jesse, and Festus vs Finlay, Kenny Dykstra, Chris Masters, Deuce, and Domino (Yang's kind of the Wild Card, but it evens things out)
CM Punk, Tommy Dreamer, Stevie Richards, Balls Mahoney, and The Boogeyman vs John Morrison, Kevin Thorn, Elijah Burke, The Miz, and Nunzio (The ECW Roster actually gets a payday!)
Triple H, Jeff Hardy, DH Smith, Cody Rhodes, and Hardcore Holly vs Umaga, Mr Kennedy, Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, and Charlie Haas (of course everyone not named Triple H or Umaga would be considered filler)
Santino Marella, Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch, and The Highlanders vs Paul London, Brian Kendrick, Hornswaggle, Ron Simmons, and Steve Austin (okay this one is stretching it a little but why the hell)
Beth Phoenix, Melina, Victoria, Layla and Jillian Hall vs Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, Maria, Torrie Wilson, and Michelle McCool (When was the last time they had a Women's Survivor Series Match?)
There you have it. While it breaks the mold and has 7 matches on a $40 PPV, I could justify spending the money on a card that looks like this. And keep in mind I haven't felt any PPV this year outside of The Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania worth going to a Sports Bar to watch for the price of dinner...More on This Story...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
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.
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Monday, June 11, 2007
A Rough Draft
The WWE Draft is only hours away, and ever since it was announced, WWE.com has been asking, where would you like to see certain superstars wind up?
I have taken it upon myself to look at every wrestler on every brand's roster and suggest what I think would be best for their careers at this given time.
Active “Raw” Talent:
Shelton Benjamin - Benjamin is doing well on the “Raw” brand since being reunited with Charlie Haas. To my chagrin, his singles push was not successful. In time, Benjamin may be able to become a break-out singles star, but until then, I would keep the WGTT in the once-again-competitive “Raw” tag division.
Lance Cade - WWE.com has been teasing the split of Cade and Murdoch much more significantly than anyone else in the upcoming draft. I don't see why it even matters, as The Hardys were tag champs right before them while on separate brands. Someone might think it's cute to split them up, but the last time they did, we saw what happened...in a few months they were put back together. I think that Cade can be a main eventer someday, but for now, let him stay with Murdoch on “Raw”.
Carlito - Carlito is a superstar who is in desperate need of a shot in the arm. I actually have never liked him since he's been on the “Raw” brand, and I think that a move to “SmackDown!” might be the perfect medicine for this cool Caribbean superstar.
John Cena - Rumors have swirled that a Cena/Batista feud may be in the works. For now, I would guess it's just fan speculation. If the feud is to happen, Cena would likely move to “SmackDown!”, and Edge would come to “Raw” to feud with the returning Triple H and HBK. If WWE wants to do Batista/Cena, they will save it for WrestleMania. To have Batista and Cena on the same brand in June seems like a bad idea. If this match is to happen, I look for it to be inter-promotional one at 'Mania, rather than part of a brand split. If Cena does move, I think it will have a lot to do with Vince's son-in-law.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan - Here's a guy you don't think about. Suprisingly not released in the last string of guys dropped, Duggan is actually the type of guy that could experience a career rebirth if placed in the right setting. With better legends around on the “Raw” brand - namely Ric Flair - it would be interesting to see Duggan take a move to ECW with his 2x4 in hand, align himself with guys like Sandman and Tommy Dreamer, and get back to what he did best: beating people up, tough guy!
Kenny Dykstra - The Dykstra-Nitro combination is not working for me, and doesn't seem to be working for many others. However, WWE.com did an article to let us know this is not a fly by night affair. If WWE wants a tag team, send Dykstra to “SmackDown!” and put him back with Johnny Jeter. Give them a freakin' baseball gimmick and call it a day.
Eugene - Eugene needs more than just a change of scenery. If ECW was the ECW we all remembered, I would place him there. When the hostile ECW fans tore the gimmick to shreds, Dinsmore could repackage himself, and deliver the goods in the ring like he did before he was saddled with his retard gimmick. Unfortunately, today's ECW fans come for “SmackDown!” shows, and would respond to Eugene the same way as “Raw” fans do. With indifference.
Ric Flair - Everyone hopes The Nature Boy has a 17th title run in him. It doesn't seem likely. What could change that? The reemergence of The Four Horsemen. Who could be candidates though? Well, as much as Flair thought him leading HBK, HHH, and Kurt Angle sounded great a few years ago, it is not likely the group will be so elite. One proven member however could be Chris Benoit, after a jump to “Raw”. Picture Flair as World Champ, Benoit as IC champ, and Cade and Murdoch with the tag gold. Heel or face, that sounds like money to me. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Shad Gaspard - Big Shad has a great upside, but is probably not ready to be all Vince wants him to be. Breaking up Cryme Tyme seems like a good idea, but it's probably premature. Shad however should be ready to be a big star by the next draft.
Charlie Haas - Poor Charlie. So vanilla, that getting no reaction from fans is actually named after him. Cheer up Charlie, WGTT might be able to get you and Shelton over enough so that people will remember you as the Marty Jannetty of the team 5 or 10 years from now. Stay on “Raw”.
Jeff Hardy - The IC title is beneath him, the World Title is above him. What can Jeff Hardy do? After single handedly reestablishing the Intercontinental title, and watching Santino Marella single handedly give it less clout than the WCW TV title when it was pulled out of a garbage can, Hardy should take his extreme self to the ECW brand to give it some star power, and take the place of what will hopefully be a departing CM Punk.
JTG - Wow, who gives a crap about JTG? He'll stay on “Raw” with Shad until Vince wants to make Shad into something greater. Then JTG will become Scotty 2 Hotty 2.0, wearing his gimmick even thinner while jobbing on “SmackDown!” each week.
The Great Khali - No one has traded brands more recently than the Great Khali, and no one has less to do creatively than him after both tapping and being pinned by John Cena. You can send him on a World Tour to let Lashley and Batista do the same, or you can just release the big guy. I will say, however, no matter how much he sucks in the ring, he is a draw just based on his size and look. Leave him on “Raw” I guess, but who cares?
Santino Marella - I would move him if he wasn't the IC champ. Keep him, and the belt on “Raw”, but give the belt to someone who has clout or will be a main eventer someday.
Chris Masters - Masters is languishing as well, but his bread and butter is likely to be on the “Raw” brand, as he doesn't seem to fit on any other show. Hopefully he will step up his game in the next year.
Robbie McAllister - The Highlanders should move to “SmackDown!” with The Boogeyman and everything else that should be aimed basically to the younger audience.
Rory McAllister - See Robbie. (I'm Robbie!)
Trevor Murdoch - Stay on “Raw”.
Johnny Nitro - Either let him be a U.S. or IC title contender, or find a legit tag team partner for the guy. I was playing "'SmackDown!' VS. 'Raw'" yesterday and remembered how sweet the guy was when paired with Melina just based on his entrance alone. He may not have gotten over to the company's liking, but right when he started to catch on, they pulled the red rug from underneath him. I say leave him on “Raw”, give him back his girlfriend, and give him something to do. Melina's Women's title run has played itself out anyways.
Randy Orton - Orton is rumored to be Triple H's opponent for SummerSlam, which means an extended stay on “Raw”. His last move to “SmackDown!” wasn't very productive anyways. If I were Vince, I would throw him on ECW, as a brand of punishment. It wouldn't be too harsh, however, as he'd feud with Lashley over the World Title.
Chuck Palumbo - Harley riding Chucky P has no real significance. Leave the guy on “Raw” and see what happens.
Umaga - I'd keep him on “Raw” and prepare him for a new program with John Cena, but that may be all but ruined now that Cena has beaten both Umaga and Khali. Cena/Snitsky anyone? Didn't think so.
Val Venis - Basically forgotten is Val Venis. This guy needs to be more than just enhancement talent, as I have said before. He has the look, the mic skills, and the in-ring ability. Send him to “SmackDown!” and have him serve in an enforcer/bodyguard role for Edge. Play up their Canadian background as a reason for them being together, play up Edge mistreating Val, and then remind fans that Edge dumped Val's sister years ago. Then start an Edge/Sean Morley blood feud over the Heavyweight title. Morley doesn't have to win, he just deserves a push.
Viscera - Who would have thought that King Mabel would still have a job? His only usefulness is to seem like he'd be a contender in Battle Royals. Leave him on “Raw” or release him.
Inactive “Raw” Talent:
Armando Estrada - Bring him back to light the fire under Umaga that makes him a contender again.
Shawn Michaels - Leave him on “Raw”.
Super Crazy - Move to “SmackDown!” to be a Cruiserweight or to ECW to be his old ECW-self. On “Raw” feuding with Chris Masters, the guy is a bathroom break.
Triple H - Stay on “Raw”.
Active “SmackDown!” Talent:
Batista - Leave him on “SmackDown!” to be a major babyface character, until the time is right to pull the trigger on a Cena/ Batista feud. When it seems that Cena has vanquished all the monsters, he will see what it is like to run into an animal.
Chris Benoit - A move to “Raw” and a legitimate purpose would do Benoit a lot of good. Hold up your four fingers (that's wishful thinking!).
The Boogeyman - Stay on “SmackDown!”, be all goofy, have kids like you, whatever...
Daivari - I have a strict Cruiserweights on “SmackDown!” policy. Why, if you weighed under 220, would you want to be anywhere else? Leave him.
Deuce - Leave him.
Domino - Leave him.
Edge - Leave him for now. As I said, some type of shake up before WrestleMania setting up Edge/Triple H and Batista/Cena sounds like a good idea, but it's too soon.
Finlay - Finlay has a lot of momentum on the “SmackDown!” brand that could be lost in another setting. I would leave him.
Funaki - Cruiserweight, stay on “SmackDown!”.
Chavo Guerrero - Kerwin White? Stay on “SmackDown!”
Matt Hardy - If people want a Matt Hardy push, it will have to come on ECW. He is not good enough to main event on “Raw” or “SmackDown!”. He may be able to wrestle, but he is boring and he can't talk for shit.
Mark Henry - Another monster to line in front of the champ? Move him to “Raw”. He's injured all the “SmackDown!” guys, and Henry/Edge isn't exactly a money match.
Kane - A Kane/Edge program would not be too bad, but they may have missed the bus on Kane being pissed about Edge's opportunistic MITB win over his brother. I think he should stay put however, because “SmackDown!”is his best chance of another World Title run before he retires.
Brian Kendrick - Stay on “SmackDown!”.
Paul London - Stay on “SmackDown!”.
The Miz - You don't matter to anyone, so either die or stay on “SmackDown!”
Shannon Moore - Cruiser, stay on “SmackDown!”
Jamie Noble - Cruiser, stay on “SmackDown!”.
Montel Vontavious Porter - U.S. Champ? Stay on “SmackDown!” .
William Regal - Stay on “SmackDown!”
Dave Taylor - Stay on “SmackDown!”
Jimmy Wang Yang - Cruiser, Stay on “SmackDown!”
Inactive “SmackDown!” Talent:
Gregory Helms - Breaks the Cruiser policy. He had the longest Cruiserweight run EVER, and he's done about all he can do there. Send him to “Raw” as an IC title contender, possibly as a babyface to feud with Johnny Nitro.
Mr. Kennedy - He's going to have a score to settle with Edge. Leave him on “SmackDown!” .
King Booker - Move to “Raw” to feud with Cena or my wishful new Horsemen faction.
Rey Mysterio - With Batista and possibly a turned Mr. Kennedy, Rey is the babyface fuel that drives “SmackDown!”. That is until Batista turns heel and John Cena moves to the brand.
The Undertaker - The most controversial decision? Move him to “Raw”. When he is healthy, he will give Umaga, Khali, and other's someone to feud with, and if Cena does leave “Raw”, he will give them the babyface they need to keep drawing kids.
Active ECW Talent:
Elijah Burke - This guy could be money everywhere. I would have to look at the big picture to see where he should end up. He will probably stay put to give ECW some needed star power.
CM Punk - Move to “SmackDown!” to feud with MVP.
Marcus Cor Von - Move to “Raw”.
Tommy Dreamer - Stay put.
Bobby Lashley - Stay put.
Balls Mahoney - Stay put.
Brett Major - Stay put.
Brian Major - Stay put.
Nunzio - Stay put.
Stevie Richards - Stay Put.
The Sandman - Stay Put.
Snitsky - I guess they are moving him to “Raw” to be Cena's next opponent, but Mark Henry makes a lot more sense, and Snitsky and Lashley have some unfinished business. I would keep him on ECW.
Matt Striker - Stay Put.
Kevin Thorn - A better choice for a Cena feud than Snitsky, but not as good as Mark Henry. Stay put for now, but be ready to break out by this time next year.
Inactive ECW Talent:
Hardcore Holly - Stay Put.
WWE Divas - Here is my policy. If they can wrestle, put them on “Raw”. If they can't, divide them between “Raw” and “SmackDown!”. Maria and Torrie Wilson are taking up space that could be occupied by Jillian Hall and perhaps Michelle McCool.
Referees, Ring Announcers, Commentators - No one gives a shit, so don't waste time moving them.
My mind is subject to change, as I have not yet really looked at a final roster of these brands based upon the moves that I have made. I do know that I gave ECW some more star power and a shot in the arm. I took some good wrestlers off of “Raw”, but gave them a few talented workers and the possibility of a Horsemen stable to counteract the John Cena/Hogan-esque downing of the monsters that WWE seems to want to do right now.
I gave Edge some decent guys to feud with, although there is an assumption that somehow Edge and Mr. Kennedy will move to “Raw”, and John Cena will move to “SmackDown!” to feud with a heel Batista, both before WrestleMania, giving “Raw” Taker, HBK, HHH, Edge, Benoit, Flair while “SmackDown!” has Cena, Batista, Kennedy, Punk, Carlito, Mysterio, MVP. ECW becomes a bit stronger with Lashley, Orton, Burke, and The Hardys.
As far as real predictions go, I don't really have any. My only real prediction for the draft is this: No matter who gets moved where, I think “SmackDown!” is going to get raped hardcore.
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Scorekeeping: Lockdown
Welcome to what I hope to have as a monthly feature here on PWP, entitled Scorekeeping. What Scorekeeping will be is a review of TNA's monthly pay-per-view on a match by match basis. If in the event I happen to see a WWE PPV during that month, Scorekeeping will be head-to-head between TNA and WWE. This month, the inaugural edition of Scorekeeping happens to be one of those special months as April hosted the Granddaddy of Them All Wrestlemania.
WWE's Wrestlemania 23 took place on April 1st and immediately after seeing it I thought it was a poor April Fool's Joke that had cost me $50. It just didn't feel like Wrestlemania to me. TNA's Lockdown took place this past Sunday night, April 15th and was a giant opportunity to out-perform WWE, not in terms of sales but at least in terms of actual quality considering how un-Wrestlemania like Wrestlemania actually was.
So let's get to it. Please not that the matches are not presented in the exact order (although they are pretty close) they appeared on the PPV.
Openers: Money in the Bank vs. X-Division Escape
Money in the Bank is almost always a good time and with performs such as Edge and the Hardy Boyz involved this was the perfect way to start Wrestlemania. The finish was a little off for me but overall it did its job and got everyone into the show. B+
The X-Division is TNA's backbone. They have built a federation using the insane stunts and high powered performances of the X-Division wrestlers. So what isn't to like when you stick five guys in a steel cage and tell them to go at it with the winner gaining or retaining the X-Division Title? It was missing a few things that could have made it better but just like the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania, it did its job and got everyone into the show. B
Mid-Card: The Great Khali / Kane vs. Senshi / Austin Starr
Khali and Kane. Two monster behemoths with whom no one wants to play. Despite their size the two put on a decent match, just not Wrestlemania quality. C+
As with all the Lockdown matches, Senshi vs. Austin Starr was in the Six Sides of Steel. I have not been a big fan of Austin Starr but he put on a great performance for this match putting over Senshi. B
Mid-Card: Chris Benoit / MVP vs. Robert Roode / Petey Williams
Benoit is one of the best technical wrestlers still wrestling today, unfortunately he has terrible mic skills and no one has ever really been able to use him well, except maybe when he was part of the Horsemen. MVP looks like a deranged Power Ranger, so I fully expected Benoit to rip him apart. Good match but nothing I will remember. B
Robert Roode's new Million Dollar Man type gimmick is tiring and I have never really liked him in the ring but I really like Petey Williams as an in-ring performer. Surprisingly Roode put on a very good performance and got the win, nothing special but entertaining. B
Mid-Card: Undertaker / Batista vs. Christopher Daniels / Jerry Lynn
The Undertaker has never lost at Wrestlemania so the outcome here was not in question. What was in question was if Batista and Undertaker could put on an entertaining match to get to the ending everyone knew was coming. The answer was yes. B
Christopher Daniels vanished for a couple months before emerging with a new tattoo. While he was gone Jerry Lynn made a case for geriatrics wrestling. Upon his return Daniels singled out Lynn as his first target for cleansing. The storyline going in was trash but with these two performers you were not going to get a stinker. B
Mid-Card: ECW Originals / New Breed vs. Team 3D / LAX
Taking the original stars of the ECW and pitting them against the new "stars", and I use the term loosely, of the ECW seemed like too much roster, not enough space for everyone. It turned out RVD is out of the doghouse though (afraid he might jump ship Vince?) as he gets the win in a short yet entertaining match. B
The Dudley's Legacy against LAX's tag titles. In the culmination of a almost four months of feuding Team 3D met LAX in the "electrified" steel cage. I guess dimming the lights blue and having an annoying hum radiate throughout the arena makes the cage electrified. Whatever. Take out the "electrification" of the match and it actually is pretty good, with some great action in the cage, but the terrible handling of the gimmick brings this down a notch. C+
Super Gimmick: McMahon / Trump vs. The Blindfold Match
When I heard the big gimmick match for Wrestlemania was going to be a hair match involving Vince and the Donald I cringed. On paper it was a disaster. In practice Vince put on the second best performance of the show, even with Trump's terrible punches. Shane hitting the dropkick from the other side of the ring was just icing on the cake. B+
James Storm hits Chris Harris in the face with a beer bottle, supposedly blinding him in one eye. Harris wants revenge and months after America's Most Wanted had broken up the two come face-to-face in a grudge match. To make it even both combatants must wear an execution bag over their head (Hey I thought this was a blindfold match), that hardly ever stays on. Regardless it is the worst match I've seen since returning to wrestling, the crowd hated it, I hated it and I think even Storm and Harris hated it. F
Girls, Girls, Girls: Melina / Ashley vs. Gail Kim / Jackie Moore
The WWE has the women to do it but for some reason cannot put together a decent women's match for Wrestlemania. Instead we get a Lumber Jill match involving Ashley and Melina and the rest of the WWE tramp patrol. At least it was short. D+
TNA does not have the women to have a decent division but they do have two that can put on a hell of a match when given the opportunity. Gail Kim flying off the top of the cage just proves that these ladies are more than able to get the job done. Before they go full steam ahead into women's wrestling though they need to expand to two hours of television time. B
Main Event: John Cena / The Heart Break Kid vs. Lethal Lockdown
I've never liked John Cena. To me he signifies everything that is wrong with Vince's approach to his stars. HBK on the other hand has been a favorite of mine since he was part of The Rockers. I so thought HBK was going to get the win and maybe a nice farewell tour before he retired but instead Cena got the win. Surprisingly though this was actually a very good match, not great but very good. Cena failed to sell his leg injury (did he get a cortisone shot mid match?) but overall he worked real well with Michaels. B
The Lethal Lockdown. Two teams, 10 men, one cage. The build-up to this match was done very well and despite my distaste for Jeff Jarrett this (see Two Words, One Man) match still held my attention. All night, all eyes were on Jarrett to see if he could be trusted and it turns out he can be. Lethal Lockdown is exactly why I like TNA. The top ten stars for the company in an extreme cage match. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, despite being a huge Sting fan, but overall Lethal Lockdown shined as the match of the night. B+
Totals: Using a 4.0 Grade Point Average scale, the WWE's Wrestlemania comes in with a 2.88 GPA while TNA's Lockdown nabs a 2.63 GPA. Considering Wrestlemania is the WWE's flagship PPV, TNA should be proud that they put on an entertaining show that only cost their fans $30 (as compared to Wrestlemania's $50 price tag). TNA still has a good amount to improve on but they are steadily improving and Vince might want to keep watch a little bit more, improving his product along the way.
Check back next month when I will score TNA's Sacrifice PPV and feel free to send your comments and questions to me at pwp.chris@gmail.com
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Carlito's Way
Carlito's unique look and character, accompanied with his incredible push made fans like Carlito. Funny how when McMahon shoves a babyface down your throat you get pissed, but giving a heel the world in a day makes you love him more and more. Examples? How about Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle, and Randy Orton, all heel debuts, all unbelievable pushes, all got huge pops.
However, since Carlito has been turned babyface, he's been a shell of his former self. The WWE has realized this and pulled back on Carlito's meteoric rise to main event status. Well, that's if you consider pairings with Trish Stratus and Torrie Wilson punishments. Poor Carlito. Leading up to Wrestlemania, one interviewer got a hold of Carlito, and the caribbean lost his cool.
WWE had been building a program with Carlito and Ric Flair for a short time. This would be the second program between the two, as their first run in came in August of 2005 and had to do with respect. This time, Carlito and Flair's confrontation had to do with passion for the business, and Flair's promo appeared to be a shoot. Everyone saw the writing in the sky, knowing that a Flair/Carlito showdown was destined to take place at the showcase of the immortals, WrestleMania.
The next week, Flair defeated Carlito with an inside cradle, but the two took a different path. With the WWE writers completely overwhelmed with the total awesomeness of tag team fallout angles, they placed Flair and Carlito together, while at the same time doing similar storylines with Cena and Michaels and Rated RKO.
Fans waited for WWE to pull the trigger before Mania. Flair and Carlito were pitted against one another twice in Money in the Bank qualifying matches, the second having a three way that saw Carlito drill Flair with the backcracker, leading to a Randy Orton victory. They were even the last two in the ring during a last chance battle royal, until Edge returned from faking an injury to reclaim his MITB spot.
Wrestlemania arrived, and the WWE had still not definatively driven Carlito and Flair apart. Neither man had a spot on Wrestlemania, and while 16 time World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair, current Cruiserweight Champion Chavo Guerrero, and WWE Tag Team Champions London and Kendrick took the news with a grain of salt, Carlito was not so "cool."
"I'm out of WrestleMania. Apparently, they had to make space for Kane VS. Khali and Melina VS. Ashley."
Now, I am certainly not going to tell you that Khali has more in ring skill than Carlito, nor will I tell you that I would rather see Khali/Kane than Carlito/Flair. What I will say is that Khali, based on size alone is an attraction, similarly to how Flair based on reputation alone is an attraction. Kane is a fantastic worker for a man his size, he has always been unselfish when it comes to politics, he always works hard, and he is more than deserving of a spot at WrestleMania, despite being paired with such a difficult opponent to work with. Carlito, on the other hand, half-assed all year until Wrestlemania rolled around, and now he just expects a spot to be waiting for him. In my opinion, he isn't entitled to shit.
Also, while I may never go on record to say that Kane is a better worker than Carlito, I will say that being a good worker doesn't mean doing flippies and springboards. Big men have a place in wrestling too, and Kane is one of the best of all time.
During this same interview, Carlito was asked what it would take for him to make it to Wrestlemania.
"How can I be at WrestleMania? If I politic and kiss ass, I should make it." Carlito then went on to say, "I'm not going to cry or be bitter, there's always next year. I don't want to get fired. But they're showing disrespect by not having Ric Flair at WrestleMania and even more disrespect by not having Carlito there."
Yes folks, you read right. He used the words EVEN MORE when describing respect in relation to himself over "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. And Carlito still wasn't finished.
"I absolutely hate being a babyface more than anything else."
Company all-stars for the year 2006 that were left off Mania included Gregory Helms and Mickie James, neither of which publicly had any comments about the booking of Wrestlemania. Why? Because they handled themselves with the class you'd expect from a professional. If anyone had any justification to say anything, it would have been Ric Flair, but the "Nature Boy" has always carried himself a cut above the rest.
What could Carlito have remotely hoped to accomplish with his tirade? Did he believe it would get him on to Wrestlemania? What would letting Carlito on the show after his little tantrum tell other roster memebers who worked hard all year and also been left off? That acting like a four year old is how to get things done in the WWE?
As a second generation superstar who was perhaps given too much too soon, Carlito feels that he is entitled to all the things that fans once saw in his future. However, the truth of the matter is, Carlito has to earn his spot.
I think if you watched this year's Hall of Fame inductions and heard Dusty Rhodes talk about passion, giving fans their money, driving around for shitty paydays, and working 1 hr matches 7 nights a week, you will know exactly what I am talking about.
Still when WrestleMania rolled around, Carlito was given a dark match, teaming with Flair to face the makeshift team of Chavo Guerrero and Gregory Helms. Now, while not the four star classic that Wrestlemania IX's dark match of El Matador vs. Papa Shango was (sarcasm folks), it is likely to be recorded as a part of Wrestlemania history, show up on the DVD of the event, and count towards Carlito's overall win/loss record at the PPV, which now stands at 1 and 1.
His local Puerto Rican wrestling community has condemned him for making the jump to the WWE to begin with. Since his father Carlos Colón is a legendary wrestling promoter, many fans and insiders believed that it was only natural for Carlito to take the family business from his father one day. When Carlito chose to go to the WWE, he was not only criticized by the locals, he was also labeled as someone who had "sold out" Puerto Rican wrestling tradition for the "flash and flair" of the WWE. Why am I mentioning this?
Because Carlito had quite the outspoken response to that too. "I didn't care about what they thought. I've always dreamed of working for the WWE when I was young, and I took that chance when it came."
In the week following Wrestlemania, Carlito seemingly contradicts that statement in the May issue of WWE magazine. In an interview, Carlito speaks of being with his father as a child, and how he was never truly all that passionate about pro-wrestling to begin with.
We all would have figured that Carlito's comments were a one way ticket to the WWE doghouse. This past week on Raw, Carlito walked out on Ric Flair after their team had lost a number one contender match to Cade and Murdoch, which seems to be the next peice of the puzzle in the eventually heel turn of Carlito.
It just goes to show, no matter what he may say, things always go down Carlito's way. The question is, is that cool?
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