Fatal 4 Way Review: Both titles change hands, NXT attacks continue

Gonna have to be honest. This review will be tainted as last night was a mark out moment for me. I attended Fatal 4 Way live, only the second time I have seen a PPV in person, and the first time I had seats on the floor. I did have floor seats for an episode of Monday Nitro a while ago, but obviously this was a bigger deal. So, while it may not have been the best PPV event of the year, it was a lot of fun for me. I'll be as objective as possible.

- We got a bonus match to kick things off with home town boy Zack Ryder AKA Long Island Iced-Z taking on MVP in about a 5 minute match. Ryder got more of a pop than he probably would anywhere else and MVP was very over with the crowd. Maybe it just hits home more for me, but Ryder's gimmick is golden. Ryder gets the win here with the Zack attack.

- The PPV kicks off with Mr. McMahon coming out to announce that Bret Hart will not be here due to the attack by NXT on last Monday's Raw. Damn. I would have liked to seen Hart. Couldn't hear the rest of what McMahon said as we got a pretty significant "Daniel Bryan" chant going. And that would continue throughout the night.

- First match was the IC Title match - Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre. Drew brought Teddy Long out and said he would have to be the one to present him with the belt when he beat Kingston. Never happened. At one point Drew tossed Kofi into the ref knocking him out. He hit his finisher on Kofi and brought Long in to make the count. Which makes me wonder, if Long can come in and take over referee duties couldn't he have DQ'd Drew for knocking out the other ref? I know, this is pro wrestling, screw logic. Teddy stops the count after 2 and allows Matt Hardy to run in and attack McIntyre while Kofi comes to his senses, hits the Trouble in Paradise and pins Drew to retain. A pretty good opening match. I hope this is the end of Kofi vs. McIntyre though as I don't believe it is a good pairing.

- Match two was the divas 4 Way. Gail Kim showed she's a much better wrestler than any of the others but still didn't get the win. Alicia Fox won surprisingly. Supposedly Maryse had a wardrobe malfunction. Didn't catch it.

- Jericho comes out and cuts a promo about how he used to be the young, hungry star and now he is at the top where people come after him to make a name for themselves. This was similar to what HHH had to say about Sheamus before Wrestlemania but so much better. Evan Bourne came out to face him. The Long Island crowd was about 75-25 in favor of Jericho from what I could tell. Anyways, this was an awesome match - match of the night by far - and the crowd was very into it. Bourne gets the clean win after 3 attempts at the SSP. I really hope this push for Bourne continues.

- World Title Match was next. This one was over way too quickly. It only seemed to go about 10 mins, which was a real head scratcher when everyone realized the PPV was ending before 11 o'clock. Big Show was made to be unbeatable in the first few minutes and in the end it looked like CM Punk might get the win until Kane came out with a casket and singled him out. He got him in the casket but Gallows came out and made the save and was able to run him out of there. I don't get that. 2 minutes later Rey Mysterio hits the 619 on Jack Swagger to win his 2nd World championship. I don't see him holding onto the title for long and I don't see the point of putting the belt on him, but at least he can now make the claim that his first title reign was not a fluke. When guys are champ for multiple times, it looks bad that a talent such as Rey only has 1 run with it. It won't last though.

- Miz vs. Truth was next. Miz came out and rapped to R-Truth's song. He might actually be a better rapper than Truth, which puts him a step above "sucks". Crowd really died on this match. It was nothing spectacular. Miz got the win in lackluster fashion. Glad they are keeping the belt on him. Oh, and more "Daniel Bryan" chants during this match.

- Hart Dynasty vs. The Usos and Tamina in a 6 person mixed tag match. Oh, they finally remembered Natalya can wrestle! This was a fun match to me and I'm glad they are giving the Harts PPV time, though it should not have been placed this high on the card. Harts get the win when Nattie pins Tamina. She should be vying for the Women's title.

- WWE Championship match was the obvious Main Event as they've been pushing that more than anything else. BTW, is the World Title seeming like a second-tier title more than ever or what? It was pretty good, not great. Crowd was about 60-40 Anti-Cena to Cena fans. Most were very behind Orton as would be expected. There was a cool sequence where Randy Orton really came across strong and you thought he would win it. The crowd was anxiously (or maybe not) anticipating an NXT appearance and it came about 20 mins into the match. It started backstage when some of the superstars were shown watching the match and as everyone knew right away, behind them stood the NXT stable (who may be called "the Nexus", so I hear) who let them have it. They made their way to the ring as Cena was all alone and gave him a nice beat down. I was moving around at this point but I know Gabriel and Barrett both hit their finishers. The announcers cleared out, even hopping over the barricades to sell the fear, and Edge and Orton mixed it up with the NXT guys. Sheamus snuck in once Cena was left alone and took advantage, pinning Cena and becoming the world champ. I know a lot of people did not like the ending but I was fine with it. So it ended in a melee? So there was not a clean win? Who cares? The NXT angle is the best thing going right now and for it to continue to work they've got to book them as ruthless at all costs. Nothing is safe - Raw, Smackdown, and even PPV. I hope they ruin the next one too. That's how you get them over. And it felt really cool to be there and see it unfold in person.

So I was 2 for 5 in my picks, and I'm glad I was wrong. The show was a little short but I'm not as mad about it as some are. I guess it couldn't have hurt to stick another 10 minute match in there, but maybe they didn't know how long the last angle would take. Unless they want to go with the idea that NXT forced them to end early. That would be a cool twist. While Fatal 4 Way may not have been the best of WWE's efforts, it certainly has us all captivated by the NXT invasion. I'll be tuning into Raw tonight.

ROH iPPV: Death Before Dishonor VIII

I ordered my first ever Ring of Honor iPPV tonight as I had the house to myself and nothing else exciting to do. I'm a marginal ROH fan - own a few DVD's and go to the live shows now and then. Plus I figured for only 15 bucks, how could I go wrong? Boy was I right! Some highlights:

- I must start with the ROH World Title match between champ Tyler Black and Davey Richards. It can't wait. It was THAT good. By far the best match I've seen so far in 2010. It told an absolutely gripping story, something we rarely see in wrestling these days, with Black the unappreciated babyface champ getting near-fall after near-fall on the athletic, unpredictable, and hungry contender Richards who had the crowd almost entirely behind him. They both came off as having more heart than most and Tyler literally had to win by beating Richards until he could no longer move. About 10 minutes before Black hit his finisher, God's Last Gift, for the second time and got the pin, the crowd stopped heckling him in a show of respect for the champ. I myself was not a big fan of Black before this match but he went a long way in impressing me tonight. Davey was just on point though and really made this match, and the ROH title, feel like something special. Word is that he is retiring. Really tough to stomach that after watching this match. Nothing else to say. This DVD is a must buy when it comes out for this match alone.

- There were some other good ones. The next best match was likely the World Tag Team Title match (No DQ) between the Kings of Wrestling (Claudio Castagnoli and Chris Hero) and the Briscoes. KOW won the titles from the Briscoes in April and this was the rematch. They teased Mark and Jay not showing up all night right until the match time in which they made the announcement only to have the Briscoes come in and attack Hero and Castagnoli. It added some excitement. Then Mark Briscoe was busted open quickly into the start of the match and wrestled with a red river flowing from his face the rest of the way. KOW gets the win (though I am not sure how since the video stream cut out at the most inopportune time) and nothing happened with the Briscoes afterward despite them teasing a fight between the two brothers at last night's show.

- Kenny Omega vs. Christopher Daniels was also very good. I'm not a Daniels guy either but it was an exciting match. Daniels wins and finds himself very much in the World Title picture.

- Kevin Steen vs. El Generico was more than a fun opener. This was a grudge match many have been waiting to see and they delivered. I do think they can do better and I believe eventually we will see that. But Steen got the upper hand tonight and is also making a case for being in the World Title hunt.

- Overall it was very solid with a fantastic main event. I have to say, ROH can be very predictable some times (I correctly picked every single outcome) but they still have a way of drawing you in and making you believe it isn't scripted. No one could have possibly believed Tyler Black was going to drop the title so soon, yet it felt like Davey had a real chance. That's what makes wrestling so fun to watch.

- As for the iPPV itself, I wasn't blown away by the concept. As I mentioned, it crapped out on me twice and the quality was only decent. A step below their DVD quality I would say actually. But for $15 it was good enough. And I'd pay it again to watch a world title match like that any day.

Fatal 4 Way Predictions

It's been a wild couple of weeks in WWE. Had it not been for the NXT Invasion, I'd probably say the build for this PPV has been pretty lackluster. But they've given us every indication that they are no longer going to give us the same old-same old. I hope that they are indeed ushering in a new era of WWE and Fatal Four Way will be a part of that.

Now, according to WWE.com, there are only 5 matches for Sunday. Maybe they are giving more time for the NXT angle to play out on PPV(I certainly would hope so), but I'm sure another match or two will be added before show time. I will go with what is listed for now.

Divas Championship - Fatal 4 Way Match: Eve(c) vs. Gail Kim vs. Maryse vs. Alicia Fox
I really don't think Eve is good enough to be champion, but that means absolutely nothing to WWE. It's a crime that Gail Kim has not sniffed a title yet as she may be the best woman wrestler on the roster. I'll go with Maryse though since she is the heel.
The Pick: Maryse wins

US Title - R-Truth vs. The Miz(c)
Truth did very little for me as US Champ. I thought he should have had a run last year when he was starting to build steam. His recent win just seemed random and uneventful. Plus I was hoping, as many were, that Miz would eventually drop the title to the now future-endeavored Daniel Bryan. At any rate, Miz is great with any title so I say they will keep it on him and make it a bigger deal when Truth or even someone else eventually beats him.
The Pick: Miz retains

IC Title - Kofi Kingston(c) vs. Drew McIntyre
This one is tough for me because I don't believe the rumors that WWE has soured on McIntyre. If McMahon likes someone, he likes someone. I still think Drew will be pushed. That doesn't necessarily mean he will go over here though. If he loses they could move him to RAW as had been speculated and he could move on to bigger programs. I still think McIntyre wins though as Kofi has been made to look better. And he is small, so obviously that needs to change... sigh.
The Pick: Drew McIntyre wins

World Heavyweight Championship - Fatal 4 Way - Rey Mysterio vs. Big Show vs. Jack Swagger(c) vs. CM Punk
I think this one is pretty obvious, which again means nothing. I can't see them giving either of the faces, Mysterio or Big Show, the title especially since Mysterio was supposed to be taking time off. A Punk win would surprise me too being that they would be trading a heel champ for a heel champ. Swagger is getting there, but he's not completely over yet. The smartest move would be to have him continue to retain. It's still too early in my eyes for him to drop the title.
The Pick: Jack Swagger retains

WWE Championship - Fatal 4 Way - John Cena(c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. Sheamus
This could go a number of ways. I'd never say Cena has no chance to retain. He's still the face of the company and going forward with the NXT Invasion, it wouldn't be illogical to have the WWE championship involved. Still, it would make sense to have the title off of Cena, as Cena vs. NXT is still appealing without the title involved. Then the title could be used to make another feud more important. Now if the winds of change are blowing, you'd think that Sheamus would be the one to come out on top. He may be a former champ, but he's still only been in WWE for a year now. Sheamus winning makes a lot of sense because it gives them the opportunity to have Triple H come back and win it from him at Summerslam for the bizillionth time. The only thing that holds me back is that I wouldn't know where Orton and Edge fall after this. Do they just join up with Cena? I can't call it, so I could still see one of them winning, though I think Orton should be kept away from the title until next Wrestlemania. I'll go with my gut and say Sheamus wins with some NXT involvement.
The Pick: Sheamus wins

I will be attending this event live, so I fully intend to do a detailed review. Time is money though, so we shall see. I can honestly say I am more excited about seeing where the NXT angle goes than any of the matches.

Daniel Bryan (Danielson) Era Comes to a Quick and Confusing End

Daniel Bryan, the WWE Universe hardly knew yee.

I'm still stunned after hearing yesterday that the WWE has wished all the best in future endeavors to Bryan(real name Bryan Danielson) on the heels of his playing a huge part in one of the most shocking and talked about angles in Monday Night RAW history.

The latest updates on the story has it that someone with power outside of the WWE corporation - perhaps a sponsor (like Mattel) or someone on Linda McMahon's campaign team - found Bryan's choking of ring announcer Justin Roberts with a necktie during the NXT invasion on RAW to be too violent and offensive. It is unknown whether the choking spot was a pre-planned part of the angle or something that Bryan thought up on the spot. It is also unknown whether or not Roberts was prepared to handle such a spot. Supposedly since the Chris Benoit tragedy there has been some kind of rule against choking with the ring ropes or similar objects put into place. There is also the WWE's PG rating which I guess is finally being enforced.

The real head-scratcher is that since the Benoit incident and since the PG rating, there have been many similar spots and other even more violent spots performed without any penalty. Batista trying to run-over Cena with a car at Over the Limit and Sheamus with the lead pipe are two that instantly come to mind. Heck, many of the wrestlers employ chokes in their matches all the time for that matter.

The bottom line is that someone who probably knows little to nothing about pro wrestling just got one of the sports up-and-coming stars fired for perhaps the very defining moment of what could have been (and I suppose could still be) the most interesting angles in WWE for years.

So what now? Well, for me the NXT angle becomes significantly less exciting. I like Wade Barret a lot and he is the leader of the group. Gabriel has potential, and you may call me crazy but Michael Tarver has grown on me as a role player. But Daniel Bryan was the man that was going to make that stable legit. He can go with anyone on the WWE roster and was really starting to get over. Now we will never know how all this might have played out.

The initial reaction on the internet was that this was all a work and that we'd see Bryan back on RAW tomorrow night. It's become painfully clear that Danielson is gone from WWE though. His character didn't have a contract in the first place remember? You can't fire a guy who isn't employed. But that is what happened.

For the WWE to do this they must have really had their backs against the wall. Afterall, our last image of Bryan is standing over the WWE's champion, John Cena, spitting in his face, kicking him in the head, and proclaiming that Cena is not better than him. That's not usually how WWE likes to portray guys that are sticking with the company.

Reports also say that this could be temporary and that WWE likes Bryan and wants to bring him back when the backlash blows over. I for sure hope so, and I hope it happens sooner than later. He has a 90 day no-compete clause which means we won't see him in ROH or TNA any time soon. Hopefully in a month Bryan can come back and still be part of the Invasion angle.

The winds of change were blowing, but now they are out of the sails.

RAW Reaction 6-7-10... NXT INVASION EDITION

One of my best friends whom I haven't been in touch with in a few months sent me a text last night that read "raw is unwatchable". I was recording Raw as I usually do so that I could watch TV with my wife (she's not a wrestling fan) so I had not seen any of it yet. Being that my friend is a marginal fan and not really "smart" about the business, I took his comment with a grain of salt. After all, last week's Raw was one of the best in recent memory, When I finally watched the episode I realized that for the first 2 hrs and 50 mins my friend was right - this show was terrible. And then there was that thing that happened... NXT.

I'm going to cut right to the chase, and that is why I titled this post "NXT INVASION EDITION". The last 10 minutes of this otherwise abominable show are the only thing worth discussing. There are so many things to be angry about that I could dissect - Jericho being buried, the horribly unfunny A-Team skits, and the stupid viewer's choice gimmick which set the night up for ridiculous match ups like Hornswoggle/Khali vs. the Hart Dynasty and a Santino vs Kozlov dance-off(I can't believe I just wrote "dance-off"). Even the Edge-Orton stuff was not very good for those two. But I digress. The story that everyone is talking about is what happened at the end of the Main Event. And that is what I'll focus on.

All show I was waiting for the next step in the Daniel Bryan/Miz feud which I thought was one of the best things going in WWE. When Miz came out for a tag match and no mention of Bryan was made I feared the worst and just hoped he'd make some kind of appearance. Come main event time my hope was lost, although seeing Punk get voted in (was that rigged?) was a nice consolation. But then, just as Cena was setting up for the Attitude Adjustment, NXT winner Wade Barrett enters... and so does the rest of the NXT season 1 rookies, including my boy Daniel Bryan. BTW, how cool was that shot of Tarver with the bandana covering his mouth?

My jaw literally dropped as they made quick work of CM Punk and the SES and circled the ring like vultures to go after Cena. I have to be honest, I was not liking this at all. All I could think of is "there goes Daniel Bryan's solo push, there goes a cool angle with Barrett having a title shot". I really felt like Bryan was getting over as an underdog face and I felt like that was the right way to go. But as the angle started to unfold and the NXT crew began wreaking havoc on the ring, the set, the announce team and staff, as well as the top star and champion - I began to get it. I think my mind change when Bryan told Cena "You're not better than me," spit in his face, and kicked his head in. This is war! This is what Daniel Bryan was talking about in his worked-shoot a few weeks ago. For too long the WWE has been pushing big guys with stupid gimmicks who have been at the top of the company for more years than should be allowed, holding down young and hungry wrestlers who deserve a chance. Well, now the young and hungry strike back, and they are doing it on their own terms. Last night was not about turning heel and taking on the WWE's top good guy (afterall they also took out Punk, one of WWE's top heels). It was about taking on a company, a corporate machine. It was about taking on an industry that they love but has held them back. It was about taking the stupid reality show concept with all of its dumb competitions and shoving it right back in the face of the beast that is WWE.

So many fans, including myself have been clamoring for new stars and the WWE just made 8 of them last night. Some people are saying this has nWo-like potential. Well potential is the key work. There are so many ways this thing could play out. Heck, next week they could drop it all together for all we know. So, I'm not ready to christen this a new era or anything, but I will say, I am intrigued.

Will they take on the entire WWE? WIll they show up on Smackdown too? Will some already established stars jump over to the side of the NXT guys? Is there some other mastermind behind this whole thing? Could this lead to some title shots for these guys? Were the NXT guys the ones responsible for Undertaker's attack?

Only time will tell. At any rate, I will be tuning into NXT tonight, and I imagine so will many others (as WWE hopes). What started as a RAW that seemed to go back to the old lame, hokey tricks turned out the same way I felt about last week - fresh and exciting!

RAW Review 5-31-10

After a month long hiatus I'm back to highlight what I felt was one of the best episodes of Monday Night RAW in quite some time. I have been enjoying RAW since the draft as it has felt really fresh. Last night however took freshness to a whole new level. Here's my random thoughts...

- Bret Hart as GM is really working IMO. He's not the greatest on the mic but he's not bad either. He does give the position lots of credibility. And to me it just feels right. He was a wrestling fan's wrestler - who better to manage a wrestling show? Lots of potential if they really dive into his perspective on the business. Now, the confrontation with Vince was pretty confusing. Maybe I'm stupid, but I just didn't get it. I hope it's a one time deal and they are not trying to breathe more life into the feud. I must admit though, the crowd popped for Vince. The character still matters, whether I like it or not.

- Evan Bourne really got a nice little push this episode and he certainly came through. I thought he came off completely legit in the main event alongside Cena. And many props to Cena for giving Bourne the rub. Say what you want about Cena, but he does what is asked of him and seemed really genuine in helping Bourne get over last night. There's no reason why Bourne couldn't and shouldn't feud with Edge. Why not have a little mini-feud between the two over the next few weeks leading to Bourne causing Edge the match at Fatal 4 Way? Do it!

- Speaking of Edge, he was great. I still feel it was too soon of a turn but he's making the best of it. He's a great heel, so in the long run it will work.

- Daniel Bryan Danielson beats the Miz - yes, everything is going according to plan (evil laugh). Okay, maybe not everything, but they've really done a great job with Bryan since burying him and then writing him off of NXT. He and the Miz are the perfect recipe for a feud and I'm glad it is finally happening. This will benefit both of them when it is over because Bryan will win over a lot of people simply for going against a great heel such as Miz and Miz will benefit from Bryan's ability to pull a great match out of anyone. Hope they face off on PPV.

- I've been marking out huge for the Hart Dynasty and I love that they've brought in another 2nd gen/wrestling family tag team to feud with them. Now, one of the Usos (not sure if it was the same both weeks) botched for two straight weeks and from what I hear they may not be truly ring-ready. But I'm just happy they are giving someone new a chance and making the tag belts seem relevant again. Not sure why the Briscoes (of ROH) have not been brought in yet as I thought they would have been a great feud for THD. Either way, The Usos are much more compelling at this point than Carlito and Primo would have been. And David Hart Smith and Tyson Kidd have really stepped up to the plate to show why they deserve this push.

- Randy Orton must be pretty hurt as they are keeping him out of matches, I imagine until Fatal 4 Way. Which begs the question, should he be in the match at F4W? I know he's their number 1 guy right now but I'd hate to see him get hurt worse. Plus, the Fatal 4 Way gimmick seems like the perfect chance to get someone new in the Main Event. I dunno, I just hope they're not being reckless.

- Santino is hilarious. The match was terrible and it's a shame to see a talent such as William Regal be wasted, but man Santino is funny and pretty darn over by the sound of last night's crowd.

- Ashton Kutcher? Not as good as advertised. It was obvious that all the segments were pre-taped anyway. I guess he adds some credibility but what is the point? Don't care if I sound like a broken record - the guest hosts need to stop!

- Okay, so lastly, the Zack Ryder angle was awful. But I love the Ryder character and I'll take it for now, even if he did get punk'd (pun intended) by a diva. Give the man someone to feud with.

Now that was a fresh breath of air. It was not perfect, but they are giving a lot of different workers a chance. I hope it lasts. Ah... it's good to be back in so many ways.

Quick Extreme Rules Predictions

I'm not particularly thrilled about tonight's PPV as I've said. It seems so insignificant. I think the fun really starts after the draft. That's when the real "season" of WWE programming begins. I wouldn't even mind if they took off for a month and a half following Wrestlemania. I think it would behoove the wrestlers and the writers and allow them to recharge, and it would give the fans some excitement for its return. Alas, it will never happen as the money machine keeps on cranking away. So here's my thoughts on tonight's show...

JTG vs. Shad Gaspard in a Strap Match
Still cannot believe they are giving these two PPV time. I'm glad they are and I hope they really shine. I don't know that either one of them will be breaking out into Supestardom, but at least they are being given a chance. Now the "strap" stipulation seems really forced, like they just needed another gimmick match on the card. Whatever, I think it's pretty clear they want to push Shad as a solo guy. So I expect a wee bit of flashy offense from JTG before Shad overpowers him and wins.
The Pick: Shad Gaspard

Women's Championship Match: Beth Phoenix vs. Michelle McCool(c)
I have not a clue what an "Extreme Makeover Match" is. These are, IMO, two of the better female wrestlers in the company, so it could be decent. I'm not expecting a lot of titles to change hands, so I think this may be the match where it does, as unimportant as that may be in some people's eyes. Beth wins.
The Pick: Beth Phoenix

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (Punk's hair is on the line)
Well it seems they have completely dropped the stip that if Rey loses he has to join the Straightedge Society, a shame because that could have made for some great TV and really propelled this angle to the next level. With the only thing on the line being Punk's hair, I think it is clear as can be that he loses. He has been willing to lose his long locks for a while now as a mask vs. hair match was originally planned for Wrestlemania (and there is NO chance that Rey was going to lose his mask again). This just leaves me scratching my head as to why Punk lost at Wrestlemania. It seems the WWE has forgotten how to book simple "good guy" vs. "bad guy" feuds. You're supposed to build the heel up as unstoppable and as always one step ahead until the blow off match where the babyface finally gets his revenge and puts it to rest. Instead, Punk (if he loses again), who is one of the top heels in the company right now, will be made to look like a chump two PPVs in a row. We'll see. At least they should be given more time than they were at Wrestlemania to put on a better match.
The Pick: Rey Mysterio

Triple H vs. Sheamus in a Street Fight
I believe Sheamus wins here and HHH gets his rumored time off. Trips can always come back in a few months, claim that Sheamus' last win was a fluke, and bury him. I don't mean to hate on HHH, but c'mon you can see that happening!
The Pick: Sheamus wins

Edge vs. Chris Jericho in a Steel Cage Match
This match does intrigue me. I think it's clear that Edge will win and get his revenge from last month. The real question is will it be as good of a match as people had expected them to put on at Wrestlemania? Many were disappointed being that Edge and Jericho are two of the better workers on the planet right now. I think they can and will hit a home run tonight. They should get more time, plus the cage will make for some exciting spots. With the title out of the picture, they have a real chance to steal the show. I hope they do.
The Pick: Edge

WWE Championship Match: John Cena(c) vs. Batista (Last Man Standing)
Some people hate the last man standing stipulation. It doesn't bother me at all. In fact I think it really makes both competitors out to be tough guys. The only way to win is to beat the other guy until he can no longer get up. That's tough. Even the loser can be made to look strong in this match. At any rate, Batista is also supposed to be taking time off (sayonara!) and Cena has only been champ for a month (although, that sadly does not mean much any more). I'll go with Cena to retain.
The Pick: John Cena wins

World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton vs. Jack Swagger(c)
Jack Swagger... welcome to the big dance! Swagger's first title defense on PPV and it is against the biggest face in the WWE right now. All signs would point to Randy winning if we were going on storyline alone. Swagger's been beaten clean 3 times in non-title matches by Orton, Undertaker, and John Morrison since winning the title and really been made out to be a fraud champion. I guess that is WWE's plan though. Most fans will expect Randy Orton to walk out as the new champ tonight, but I believe luck will finally fall in Swagger's favor and he will just eke out a clean win tonight. He'll think that he is out of the clear until tomorrow night's draft when Orton gets drafted to Smackdown, extending this feud for a month or two when Orton will eventually get the strap. Otherwise the WWE has Orton win and just buries their athletic young star in a matter of weeks. I can only hope that does not happen.
The Pick: Jack Swagger retains

Catching up - WWE TV, Extreme Rules, Recent Releases, and a New TNA Champion

I've been super busy, working morning until night and just haven't felt inspired to post to be honest. Call it the big exhale after Wrestlemania. But there is a lot going on, so I'm going to share some thoughts on the past 2 weeks in wrestling.



- I've got to start with the recent releases, most of which are not surprising or particularly bothersome. There's one that really stings though. If anyone has been following this blog you know that one of my favorite wrestlers is Shelton Benjamin. Well, 2 days ago he was wished well in future endeavors by the WWE. As I've said before, I felt like he was the most athletic worker on the roster. He was a legitimate amateur wrestler and it showed. He seemed to always work hard and throw in a cool new spot or two in all his matches, even the ones on ECW and Superstars. And he made a lot of matches more watchable. Now, I know he wasn't great on the mic and I know he lacked that WWE Superstar look, but how could it hurt to have a guy like that on the roster? I mean, he was in Money in the Bank for 5 years and was one of the stars of the match every time! He'll be missed and I really hope he gets picked up by Ring of Honor where his work can be appreciated.

- RAW and Smackdown have been pretty confusing. Sometimes for better, and sometimes for worse. I already made a Jack Swagger post so I won't bring that up again. By why are they having him lose clean so much? This is the kind of booking I just don't understand. I get that they don't want to job out Undertaker, but why does he have to go clean over the Champion. It's clear as day that if your Champion doesn't win then people are not going to take him seriously is that what they want?

- Overall it just seems like they can't wait until the Draft is over and they can start fresh. Nothing appalling happening, it's just been kind of lackluster.

- More Hart Dynasty please!

- I wonder what was supposed to happen on RAW being that the roster was stuck in Europe. I guess we'll never know!

- My DVR didn't tape NXT for the last 2 weeks so I missed it. I understand Daniel Bryan keeps losing and they keep putting the rookies through stupid challenges. Not good. Does anyone else get the feeling that the show is already starting to run its course?

- I will offer my Extreme Rules predictions this weekend at some point, though I really am only interested in a few matches. I don't think this PPV will have any major ramifications. I certainly hope the titles stay right where they are. What a joke it would be if a month after Wrestlemania there was already 3 title changes.

- Lastly, I don't usually comment on TNA because I rarely watch it and I loathe most of what I do get to see, but one of my all-time favs RVD won the TNA World Title, so I'm making an exception. Now, I have no problem with him winning the title. He's still in his prime (though certainly pushing towards "past his prime" time), is still capable of putting on main event quality matches, and is still a known commodity with a solid history. I get that. But I have to wonder why they would rush a quasi-dream match (at least to smart fans) such as Rob Van Dam vs. AJ Styles on an episode of Impact with little promotion if any. This match could have been built up for a while and culminated in a big PPV event. This is the kind of booking that helped WCW go out of business and the same thing will happen to TNA if they don't wise up. I've never bought a TNA PPV, but I would've actually considered it had they built this up properly and gave it time to be promoted. But with it already having been given away for free on TV and with all the shenanigans you can expect with the likes of Hogan and Flair being involved, I will continue to spend my money on WWE. Good for RVD as he has the easier schedule that he wanted and a company who seems to be very behind him (unlike if he returned to WWE where I don't believe he would have ever sniffed main event status again). But bad, very bad for TNA.

Jack Swagger... World Champion

Obviously the big news of the week (aside from Shawn Michaels saying farewell) is Jack Swagger cashing in Money in the Bank and winning the World Heavyweight title from Chris Jericho. I have a lot of opinions on this but let me preface them by saying I am a Jack Swagger fan. I think the guy has much bigger potential than Sheamus or Drew McIntyre (the other young, bigs who have been thrust into the limelight recently). He's a good wrestler and has the potential to be great, given his amateur background. He's kind of a poor man's Kurt Angle meets a poor man's Brock Lesnar. His gimmick is good enough, similar to Angle's annoyingly and boastfully patriotic character. I think he can be funny(the lisp helps) and yet serious if he needs to(the lisp doesn't help). So, it's not him... entirely... that bothers me about this situation. First of all, Jericho deserved a longer reign (as I've been saying). He is the top heel in the company right now (especially with Orton turning face) and he should have kept the belt and let the faces chase him for a while. Beating him would have meant so much more if Jericho were champ for longer. Which brings up my second point. Why do they insist on having title changes every month? It really cheapens the honor of being champion. Third, I will just never be able to buy the title changing by someone running into the ring with a ref, doing their finisher, and making the cover for the win. The concept has more than worn out it's welcome in my eyes. And what really scares me is that they will be doing an entire Money in the Bank PPV! I love the match and I love that it is for a title shot. But they need to change the stipulation so that the title shot must be determined for a later date - like they did when RVD won and challenged Cena at One Night Stand. The way it is now it reminds me of that goofy 24/7 rule with the hardcore title. That was fine for a gimmicky title, but not for the biggest prize in pro-wrestling. And last, couldn't they have built up Swagger just a little more before giving him the title? Maybe I'm wrong but it did not sound as though the crowd was really into it (and I do understand he's a heel). I LOVE that they are pushing new guys, but you gotta give them some momentum before you stick the titles on them. Otherwise you set them up to fail. Remember how much the WWE Universe was clamoring for Steve Austin, the Rock, and Triple H to win their first titles? That's how it should be, every time.

Wrestlemania Review

Wrestlemania 26 has come and gone. And boy did it deliver. I'm not ready to call it one of the best, but it certainly was entertaining from top to bottom. And I went 7 for 10 on my predictions. Not bad! Here's my little recap of each match with how I fared in picking them...

Show-Miz defeats R-Truth and John Morrison to retain Unified Tag Titles:
It wasn't the best of openers but it was what's to be expected. No surprise that Show-Miz retains the Unified Tag Titles, and I am glad they went over clean. This tag team is working and they need to stay together. Truth and Morrison on the other hand should be pushed as singles wrestlers. I'm glad there was no heel turn for Morrison, not yet any way. Was not a long match so they couldn't tell much of a story. 1-1

Randy Orton defeats Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat Match
Again, not a long match but it played out as was expected. I don't know anyone who couldn't have seen the arguing between Rhodes and DiBiase coming. Orton is miles ahead of both and the crowd loves him. It made sense to have him go over here. It will be interesting to see where this Legacy thing goes next. 2-2

Jack Swagger wins the Money in the Bank Ladder Match
The first and only really big surprise of the night. I thought Drew McIntyre and Christian were the only ones with a shot, as did many. And perhaps WWE caught wind of that expectation and threw us a curveball. I don't mind it at all. Swagger has a lot of potential to me and has been in WWE for over a year now. He's much more primed for a push than Drew McIntyre. And Christian can easily be thrown into the title mix at another point. I'm guessing Swagger will feud with Cena, giving him someone fresh to work with. The match itself was awesome as always with some really neat moments (i.e. Kofi using the ladder as stilts, Evan Bourne's SSP off the ladder). BTW, I thought Bourne really shined here. Things definitely started picking up after this match. 2-3

Rey Mysterio beats CM Punk
Another match not given enough time but they put on a very good one in the little time they had. I was wrong about Punk winning here. And so Rey will not be joining the SES. I hope this isn't the end of the feud because they need to have at least another match with more time. I love that Punk continues to talk before all his matches. The man needs to be in the title picture real soon. And since Rey is not joining the SES, wouldn't now be a the perfect time to debut Kaval (AKA Low Ki) as the anti-Rey Mysterio? He could be Punk's own straight-edge superhero and we could finally get the oft-rumored Kaval/Mysterio feud. You listening WWE? 2-4

Triple H beats Sheamus
Nothing special here. As I said, Trips gets another Mania win under his belt and Sheamus will likely win next PPV. 3-5

Bret Hart defeats Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred match
This was a little disappointing. I mean, it was absolutely awesome to see Bret back in the ring. I did have chills. But, he really had little to offer. Not even a Russian Leg Sweep for old times sake? He got his revenge though, double crossed the double crosser. And I am happy the Hart Dynasty were involved (will this lead to a push finally?). But really the match could have been booked better. I have no problem with Vince getting zero offense in, but the chair and crowbar shots got very old quick. And teasing the Sharpshooter only to hold off really took a lot of wind out of the sails. It just wasn't the same when he finally locked it in. I hope Bret was happy with it though and that he finally has the closure he deserves. 4-6

Chris Jericho defeats Edge to retain the World Championship
As was expected a very solid match. Not quite a classic, but that's okay because it leaves lots of potential for the blow off. So glad Jericho won here. Trust me Edge fans, title wins are much sweeter when you have to wait for them. Lots of cool counters in this match though by two of the best. And Edge's spear of Jericho through the barricade should at least provide some delight for his fans. 5-7

Heel Divas defeat Face Divas
I was wrong. Oops. 5-8

John Cena defeats Batista to win the WWE Championship
While nothing phenomenal wrestling-wise, the match was entertaining enough. I would say a notch above a typical Raw main event with a couple of added spots (Cena's 5 Knuckle Shuffle from the top rope and kicking out of the Batista bomb for example). Certainly going on after the Divas helped. Crowd seemed to be more against Cena than for him, but into the match nonetheless. I am not a Cena fan but the hatred of him is really getting old, especially when he's wrestling Batista. I could see if he was wrestling Edge or Jericho (someone with real technical skill). Face it, Cena is the face of the company and arguably its biggest draw. The guy is limited in what he can do, but he pours his heart out for the business. He deserves to win the belt at the biggest PPV of the year. 6-9

The Undertaker defeats Shawn Michaels, forcing him to retire
This definitely lived up to the hype. And I'm glad they put this match on last. I don't know if it was better than last year, but it was very good. They told an incredible story as few wrestlers can. And they didn't go overboard with the no DQ rule. They used it to allow Shawn's moonsault onto Taker's leg (which was awesome) and a few other spots. But other than that it was a straight up match. The ending was strange, but I liked it. The slap to the face at the end would have been as good a time as any for Michael Cole to say "Vintage Michaels"! Shawn Michales whole career has been about his cocky, no fear attitude and looking good even in defeat. And that's what this match was. The best overall wrestler of all time (I'm officially sold on it) putting over one of his best opponents. It was bitter sweet but the best way to end Wrestlemania. And we will see Shawn again. I'd count on it. Thanks for the memories HBK.7-10

What a night. I can say I really enjoyed this event almost the whole way through. Tonight's Raw should kick off a very interesting new season of WWE.

Wrestlemania 26 Predictions

The wait is almost over... just another day till the "grandaddy of 'em all", Wrestlemania!

I haven't posted in a week and a half, but really there hasn't been a whole lot to say. This week of TV was 99.9% about promoting Wrestlemania 26, as it should be. Even NXT (which I am still enjoying) took a big step back this week to make room for 'Mania hype. The promos throughout the week did get a little tiresome after a while, but this Wrestlemania has been built up so solidly and I am really looking forward to it.

The only thing that bothers me a little, and is directly related to this post, is that most of the matches seem really predictable. I really don't want to complain because they seem to be giving the fans the matches they want this year, and almost every match appeals to me. Plus, I've been very, very wrong on many, many occasions about the outcome of matches. I'm sure WWE has some sweet surprises planned.

I have no clue what the order of matches will be though I do hope HBK/Taker is last. I'll just post this in some combo of matches that appeal to me and their likely place in the card. Without further ado, here are my picks:

Unified Tag Title Match - John Morrison and R-Truth vs. Big Show and the Miz(c)
Show-Miz has been working really well lately, though I think the team was made more for Big Show's sake than Miz's. The Miz really should be pushed as a singles star. Truth and Morrison were obviously grouped together to get them on the card, but I don't see this team lasting very long after Sunday night. They really both should be in the Money in the Bank match, but I guess they provide Show and Miz with some serious opponents (I wish it were the Hart Dynasty). It should be a fun match but I don't see any way Truth and Morrison walk out as champs. Morrison might even turn heel on Truth and begin a feud with him.
The Pick: Big Show and the Miz retain

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (If Rey loses, he must join the Straight Edge Society)
Wow, has this match been built up nicely. CM Punk is absolutely one of the top two (with Jericho) heels in the company right now and has been for quite some time. I can still see it going even further though because he is just on a tear. I love that his character is just a sick, twisted bastard. It's the perfect compliment to Rey's underdog, good guy, kid-friendly style. Now the rumor is that Rey is going to need surgery and some time off but is willing to work a little longer. I hope so because this feud has legs. That's why I think the right move is to have Punk win here and force Rey to join the SES. That would make for a very interesting story. The other thing that has me leaning towards Punk is the fact that they scrapped the original plans for a Hair vs Mask match, which clearly Rey would have won. This way, they can put Punk over. I think he'll win and you'll see a month of Rey wallowing in the SES until he finally gets his revenge and his freedom at Extreme Rules next month or a little further down the line. Then he'll take his much deserved break.
The Pick: CM Punk wins

Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes
This is one of those matches that just seems too obvious to pick. Of course, you never know. But, I'm still saying that Orton will win the match after getting double-teamed for most of it. The tide will turn when Ted and Cody fight over who gets to pin him and the wiser, more accomplished Orton will take advantage. RKOs for everybody.
The Pick: Randy Orton wins

Money in the Bank Ladder Match featuring MVP, Drew McIntyre, Evan Bourne, Jack Swagger, Christian, Kofi Kingston, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, and Matt Hardy
As do most, I see very few possible winners here. I think it's a 2 man race between Drew McIntyre and Christian. McMahon's beloved new rookie and the fan favorite, overdue veteran. Everyone else is just there because they needed something to do or because they will have a specific role in the match (ie. Kane for the power spots, Bourne for the high flying, Benjamin for doing what he does every year in MITB - shock and awe). I really wish that Benjamin would win one of these things. Shouldn't having been in 4 already and never winning give him some sort of an edge? And he's almost always the star of the show, and yet he's never rewarded. Lame. Anyway, I'm going with Drew as my winner. I want to see Christian win so badly because I really think he'd be great in the title scene. Unfortunately, I think Drew is the guy they are pushing (way too quickly for my liking) and will continue to be forced on us, even though I have seen little from him in regards to ring work, promos, and fan reaction. The other thing being speculated is that the winner will cash in their title shot the same night after one of the main events. I for one, am not in favor of this (even if it is Christian challenging his old tag partner Edge). I've never liked that stipulation. Save it for RAW. You should have to wait at least 24 hrs before you can cash it in in my opinion.
The Pick: Drew McIntyre wins

10 Diva Tag Match
Sorry Ladies, I am not into this one. The faces will win.
The Pick: Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, and company.

Triple H vs. Sheamus
Again, I think this is too easy. This is a lay up WM win for HHH, who has lost a lot of Mania matches over the last 5-6 years. He's gotta build the win total back up. I think he wins decisively and Sheamus gets his revenge at Extreme Rules next month.
The Pick: HHH wins

WORLD Title Match - Edge vs. Chris Jericho(c)
This should be a classic. I really think WWE nailed it this time with the two best all around talents in the company going one on one for the title. I can see it going both ways but I think it makes the most sense to have Jericho retain and make the fans wait a little longer to see Edge get his win. Jericho is just too good with the belt. Plus, he deserves to have a reign longer than a month.
The Pick: Chris Jericho retains

No Holds Barred Match - Bret "the Hitman" Hart vs. Mr. McMahon
Never thought I'd see the day! I've said before I am worried about how good of shape Bret is in, but if anyone is capable of putting on something entertaining, especially with a 65 year-old non-wrestler for an opponent, it's the Hitman. I think this will be short and probably include some interference. Ultimately it will end with Bret Hart slapping the sharpshooter on Vince for the submission victory. I can't wait to see Bret in the ring again, even if it will be more of a "fight" than a wrestling match.
The Pick: Bret Hart wins

WWE Title Match - John Cena vs. Dave Batista(c)
While I am not a big fan of either one, especially Batista, this was definitely the right match to have. Two of the biggest names in the company over the last 6-7 years, both multi-time champs, and yet two guys who have not had many encounters before. This match was really supposed to happen last year but an injury kept Batista out. He won their match at Summerslam that year, which I can only assume was done in order for Cena to go over him at Wrestlemania. I think this is the culmination of that and I fully expect Cena to win the title and make the crowd happy. I just hope they bring their A-games because no matter how you slice it, this match will be sandwiched between some very interesting bouts.
The Pick: Cena wins the WWE Title

Career vs. Streak - Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker
I still don't know how they can top last year, but clearly they believe they can or they would not have this match. It would be the ultimate shocker if Undertaker's streak comes to an end. And I am sure the idea has at least been brought up. I just think it's become too much of a novelty for WWE to give up. Shawn will put on the match of his life and will bring out all the stops. But in the end, it's gotta be Taker who wins and keeps the streak alive. Shawn will be forced to retire... that is until a few months when he heals up and creative finds a way to bring him back. And I won't mind at all. He's the best... ever.
The Pick: The Undertaker wins

On paper this looks like one of the best Wrestlemanias ever. I think they will deliver to. Many of these picks were obvious, but ya know what? Sometimes the obvious thing is the right thing to do. Let's hope they aren't overly concerned with shocking everyone. Just give us the best wrestling you've got. I'm looking forward to it.

RAW Thoughts 3/15/10

A great ending to a so-so Raw. Here are my quick thoughts:

- Great to see Austin back. He's still majorly over. Nothing special said in this intro, but nothing needed to be.

- Cena vs. Big Show was pretty much a DUD. Is it just me or has Cena actually been made to look weak lately? Batista's interference was predictable. I still can't get excited about this feud.

- Austin and HBK convo was cool. I love when they bring up the past. Made me wish we could have seen Austin vs. Michaels II. Oh well. Classic Austin fake laughing with Jericho. Loved this segment.

- Clearly the HBK/Jericho match was not going to be on the level of their past matches. This was actually pretty bland as far as their match ups go, but the point was to give heel heat to Jericho which he achieved by bailing on the match and set-up Edge to come in and get revenge for what happened on Smackdown.

- Why must it be Evan Bourne who gets annihilated by Sheamus? On one hand they want you to believe that Bourne, as a Money-in-the-Bank competitor is a legitimate contender to receive a title shot, but on the other hand is treated like a jobber every other week. I don't understand. I get that they want to make Sheamus look strong, but why not put him in a match with an actual jobber? At least someone who won't be featured in a marquee Wrestlemania Match.

- Orton vs. HHH was completely predictable with Legacy and Sheamus all doing run-ins. Crowd actually seemed confused since Orton has been developing towards a face turn. I like that they are teaming him with HHH next week. He should be full-fledged face by the RAW after Wrestlemania.

- Nothing bothers me more than watching Batista destroy a great wrestler like Kofi Kingston. Again, how about an actual jobber here? What did Kofi do to deserve this? And why isn't Kofi in Money-in-the-Bank??

- The last segment really saved the show. Bret smiling throughout was great. Classic Austin bossing Vince around. I figured Hart would reveal himself to be healthy at Wrestlemania, so it was definitely a shock to me to see him remove the cast. I think it's the right move to make it a no-holds barred fight instead of a wrestleing match. The no-rules stipulation will help hide any deficiencies that we know Vince has and that Bret might have. And we finally get Stu Hart in the Hall of Fame. It's about time. The list of wrestlers he's influenced is endless. The only thing I thought might have happened that didn't was Austin announcing himself as the guest referee, but when they made the no-holds barred stip, that didn't make much sense. Great segment. The build has been really well done and I believe the crowd is more behind it than ever.

A disappointing RAW overall considering the hype with Austin coming back. It certainly was not his fault though. Aside from the Vince/Bret match, I think the best matches at Wrestlemania are coming from Smackdown.

Thoughts on this week - RAW, NXT

Just a busy week and not enough time to get to the two shows individually and on time. So I will offer some quick thoughts on both. Also, if anyone is wondering I do watch Smackdown, but always on DVR. And I usually do not finish it until a few days after Friday making it feel - much like this post does now - like a moot point. Anyways, here goes...

RAW
- I have to wonder if they are planting the seeds for a HHH turn. There seems to be a lot of ways they could eventually go with this. Maybe HHH calls out HBK on the Raw after Wrestlemania (after he loses) and breaks up DX because Shawn just "doesn't have it anymore" and he makes him sick, setting up a feud between the two when HBK comes back from "retirement".

- I'm enjoying the Legacy feud. But I have to wonder why they are giving these matches away now on TV. There's supposed to be a triple threat between Orton, DiBiase, and Rhodes on Monday. Shouldn't they save that for Wrestlemania? Maybe they will add a stipulation to make it more attractive at the big event. Whatever happens, Orton is coming out of this feud a face.

- Good to see Santino in a match, albeit for about 30 seconds. I like Swagger and I am glad to see he will be in Money in the Bank. He's not winning, but it will be a good opportunity for him to show us what he's capable of.

- Gotta admit, I fast-forwarded through the Batista-Cena exchange. I just don't care what Big Dave has to say. I like Cena on the mic, but nothing these two can say is really going to change the anticipation of the match. People know that the times these two have face each other are few and far between, and that is reason enough to want to see them go at it at Wrestlemania.

- Loved seeing Zack Ryder in action. Hated how quickly he was beat though, although I like MVP and am happy with him in MitB. A little continuity is all I am asking for. Ryder went a much longer match with Christian about a month ago, but suddenly jobs out to MVP in a minute and a half? That's just silly.

- I really wish the MitB qualifying matches were not so predictable. With the exception of Kane/McIntyre and Ziggler/Morrison/Truth, it was painfully obvious who was going to win. These matches could be really exciting, but instead it's just "oh, hey Swagger, go beat this guy you've already beaten a dozen times and hasn't been anything but a comedy act for the last 2 years, and you're in". LAME.

- So we are definitely getting Bret Hart vs. McMahon. I'm excited, very excited. BUT... I really hope Bret is okay to do this. Why the leg injury ankle? Is this to cover what they fear will be a sub-par performance by Bret? Or are they just trying to give the illusion that McMahon has the upper-hand? I really hope it's the latter and Bret shows us all he's still got it.

- And they are going with Sheamus and HHH at mania. What will Sheamus' reasoning for going after Trips be? Did he steal his gym bag last time they worked out together? I couldn't resist!

- Lastly... not very much wrestling on this episode, huh? Even for Raw, I can't believe how little in-ring action there was. I guess the most important thing right now is furthering the storylines for Mania.

NXT
- Not as good as last week but still entertaining. I think they are still trying to figure out the format on the fly, but the foundation is there. Matches, interviews, and angles. That's how you get guys over!

- I have no interest in Darren Young. His domination of Otunga seemed really silly after the quick loss last week. Otunga is the one with the potential here. It seems they want to make him a heel and a feud with his mentor R-Truth could work.

- Of course I hated Daniel Bryan losing too Wade Barrett but I am not that worried. He's already been built up as the best in the competition. It's probably the right move to take him down a few pegs, give fans the illusion that he's not going to win, and build him back up again. He's small and normal looking, so he fits the underdog persona better anyway. Wade Barret on the other hand should just stick to talking in his think English accent. At least he does that well.

- We didn't see much, but I did like what was presented of Justin Gabriel. He definitely has a look and style to get over in WWE. And it's not hurting at all that he is paired up with Hardy.

Things are really shaping up for Wrestlemania. I believe it has a ton of potential. I'm looking forward to it for sure.

WWE NXT Debut 2/23/10

All I can say is WOW! This show far exceeded my expectations. I have not a single gripe to mention about it. I'm hooked already. Here's some specific thoughts

- The show was built around Daniel Bryan and the Miz. YES! It seems as if the WWE has much more respect for Bryan's talents than most fans imagined. And they're using this as a vehicle to introduce him. And frankly there could not have been a better way to do so. 1) They're giving credit to him for being an accomplished indie star (something rarely done for those guys who have made the jump) and 2) They're allowing him to speak, wrestle a decent match, and have instantly planted the seeds for a feud with the Miz. THIS IS HOW YOU GET SOMEONE OVER! Unlike when they threw out Scotty "Colt Cabana" Goldman to job to the Great Khali - as if fans were supposed to cheer him for being squashed.

- The Miz is only going to benefit from this too. He's not going to necessarily pick up some moves from Bryan, but if Bryan gets over here, Miz will be to thank for part of that and in turn, he'll become an even more hate-able heel. My respect for Miz is quickly growing.

- The match with Jericho was a lot of fun. And it really made Bryan look good despite losing. It was the World Champ after all who beat him. His counter was great. Post match beat down by Miz was great too. Who doesn't want to see this guy get submitted by Bryan now??

- The camera angle bothered me initially but I got used to it. It makes sense to have the angles the way they did. It makes it more reality TV-ish and makes it feel less like an "official" match, which it shouldn't be if this is supposed to be a competition to get into the WWE full-time.

- Was really looking forward to seeing Justin Gabriel as I've heard great things about him. He'll be featured next week.

- Michael Tarver and Heath Slater didn't do much for me but David Otunga has potential. Otunga's finisher that he used on Darren Young was kind of sloppy though. He can talk though. Oh, and I'm predicting Young will continue to lose only to turn to Punk's Straightedge Society in desperation.

- How about Michael Cole as the semi-heel announcer!? Cole makes me role my eyes anyway, but this was a real head-scratcher. I kind of liked the back and forth between him and Josh Matthews, who was defending Daniel Bryan.

- I like that the Rookies have to come out to their Pros' theme music. Again, it's much more realistic this way. They have to "earn" their own theme song.

All in all, WWE really delivered with this program. Every wrestler in this "competition" is automatically in better shape just for being given the chance to let people know them better. Things can always change, but I'd say after one episode that WWE hit the ball out of the park with this new concept.

Thoughts on Elimination Chamber, RAW 2/22/10

Hey, still playing catch up, so I've just got some random thoughts and reactions for ya...

- Let me start by making everyone aware that I do not like Dave Batista. I say this because it will come up again. In my opinion, he offers nothing special in the ring or on the mic. He is the epitome of the jacked up "monster" wrestlers that Vince McMahon loves, which is ironic given the new alliance between McMahon and Batista. So, as you might imagine, I'm not happy that the WWE title is around Batista's waist (or should I say waste? >snicker snicker<). I also do not like title changes happening a month before Wrestlemania, let alone 3 in one night. I really miss the days when you had to wait between the Royal Rumble and 'Mania for that big title match. I do realize it is a different time though, but it just takes something away from the "grand daddy of them all" when belts change hands so quickly and there is only a few weeks away from the big event.

- Storyline-wise it's fine that Batista is champ with Cena chasing. I like that they are making Batista seem like the one guy Cena can't beat. Taking into account the match they had a year and a half ago and all that has transpired recently, Batista really has the upper hand on Cena, and it will make for a nice finale when Cena goes over him, I would imagine, at Wrestlemania.

- Does this mean they are admitting that giving Sheamus the title so early was a mistake?

- As I said, I don't like that both titles changed hands a month before Wrestlemania, but it sure is awesome to have Chris Jericho as champ. The guy is brilliant. What a great promo he gave last night to open Raw. Despite all his losses and embarrassments in the DX feud, he still comes out on top. Gotta love it. I hope he wins at Wrestlemania because 1) he deserves a title reign longer than a month and 2) they need to continue to have rumble winners lose occasionally at Wrestlemania to prevent people from automatically assuming the Rumble winner will be champ. Let Jericho eek out a bunch of wins against Edge before he passes the title on. There's no reason a feud with 2 stellar workers like Edge and Jericho couldn't go for a couple of months.

- Could it be true? Randy Orton is going babyface? Crowd is certainly begging for it. But who is ready to step up as the next top heel? Not DiBiase or Rhodes! Stay tuned.

- I don't mind Christian on Raw. I know everyone wants to see a reunion with Edge, but it will come eventually. Edge is plenty busy now and should be well into the summer. Save the Edge/Christian reunion for the future. It will be that much bigger.

- I marked out majorly for the 5 seconds that they showed Daniel Bryan watching the Miz's match! I LOVE how they've handled this so far. Would Wrestlemania be too soon to see a Miz vs. Daniel Bryan US Title match? Ha ha, wishful thinking right?

Good Raw overall, I enjoyed it more than last week. And I'm super excited for NXT tonight. I will try and post a reaction some time tomorrow night.

Elimination Chamber Predictions

These will be pretty brief as I'm pretty much going with the obvious picks, because I believe they are the right moves. I also have not finished watching Smackdown and likely won't catch up until after the PPV. These are the only matches listed on WWE.COM, though I would have to believe they will add another one or two.

Divas Championship - Gail Kim vs. Maryse
It makes sense to build this feud into Gail chasing Maryse. It's the right way to get the crowd behind her. Maryse has been good as the cunning, nasty heel and she should get the title to further get her over. Gail's win will mean way more down the road when she fianlly beats, and shut's up, Maryse.
Prediction: Maryse wins the Divas Title

Intercontinental Championship Match - Kane vs. Drew McIntyre(c)
There is no reason for Kane to win this match. This isn't anything but an angle to build up Drew McIntyre, the not-so-rowdy Scot, as a legit heavyweight contender. And at this stage of the game, this is what Kane should be doing... helping to get younger stars over.
Prediction: Drew McIntyre retains

WWE Championship Elimination Chamber Match featuring: Sheamus(c), Triple H, Randy Orton, John Cena, Ted DiBiase, and Kofi Kingston
This is almost too easy to pick based on the current storylines. Cena is headed for a match with Batista at Wrestlemania which could be over the WWE Title, but they're also involved with the Hart/McMahon feud in which adding the title to the story would be just a tad convoluted. So Cena's out. They're building towards an Orton vs. DiBiase vs Rhodes feud of some kind to break up Legacy, so I would see this match as another means of carrying that out. Maybe Ted eliminates Randy? Either way, I can't see Randy winning. Kofi is lucky to be in this match. After a brilliant feud with Orton, he's been sent back down the card with very little momentum now. They aren't putting the strap on him. So that leaves either Sheamus to retain, or HHH to win. The smart move is to keep building up Sheamus as unstoppable. So I think he will win, leading to a title defense against HHH at Wrestlemania where HHH goes over.
Prediction: Sheamus retains

World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match featuring: Undertaker(c), Chris Jericho, CM Punk, John Morrison, R-Truth, and Rey Mysterio.
This one also seems too easy to pick. I didn't watch all of Smackdown but the way Jericho has been over sort of scares me. Do they want us to think he'll win so they can swerve with someone else? Either way, he has to be the favorite as it makes all the sense in the world to put the title on him and have Edge challenge him for it at Wrestlemania. Undertaker could retain only to lose it on a future episode of Smackdown, but if there is no change in the other title match, than I would definitely expect it to happen in this one. As for the rest of the contestants, well we should see some seeds planted for a CM Punk vs. Mysterio Wrestlemania match. I'm high on Morrison but I doubt WWE is ready to give him the Main Event at Wrestlemania. R-Truth? No chance, but it is refreshing to see him in the match. I'm not an R-Truth mark by any means, but it's great to see a fresh face like him in it. This definitely has the potential to be a good match.
Prediction: Chris Jericho wins the World Title

And there you have it.

Thoughts on RAW, ECW, NXT News, and Tyler Black Winning ROH Title

Still getting over being sick but here are some quick thoughts on this week's happenings...

RAW
- Fans seem really ready to cheer Randy Orton. I really think it goes beyond their hatred of Sheamus. If someone big time would step up to take Orton's place as top heel, I think they'd turn Randy face in a heartbeat.

- I don't know about this whole Hart angle, with him getting hit by a car and all. Does this mean he won't wrestle at Mania? or will they use it as a way to cover for his potential rustiness. Maybe it will give McMahon an "advantage" and a reason for fans to think Bret will lose. How can you put the sharpshooter on with a broken leg? I've never been a fan of angles involving cars and "setting up hits" on wrestlers.

- Cena v HHH? Been there, seen that. Not sure what it means that they've been building up Sheamus so much. DO they want you to think he is the favorite going into the Elimination Chamber? Or do they just want to continue to get the champ over as a monster. I dunno and I am starting not to really care.

ECW
- This was really a promo for NXT more than a send-off for ECW. And I'm pretty much fine with that. As nice as it would have been to see some ECW originals make cameos and some kind of tribute to the old promotion, it's been done before, especially in the form of ECW One Night Stand 2005 and 2006, and done very well. This isn't the old ECW that's shutting down, it's WWE's ECW that's shutting down. The old one ended a long time ago. Why pretend that the new version had anything to do with the original?

- Yoshi Tatsu and Goldust lost... big surprise. I like Yoshi, but I am not buying into this idea that he is going to be pushed. He'll be stuck in jobber oblivion with Evan Bourne and Primo Colon before you know it.

- I really hope this was the last Abraham Washington Show. It's a terrible segment. Make Abe a manager. Maybe he'll be better at that.

- I know I sound like a broken record (and will continue to sound as such) but PLEASE put Shelton Benjamin on Smackdown and give him a push!

- Jackson vs. Christian was... eh. It doesn't really matter because I feel like Christian has done everything he possibly could on ECW to convince creative that he's a difference maker, but I really feel keeping the belt on him was the right move. I guess it means more to Jackson's career than it does to Christian's. Part of it is that I just don't see much potential in Jackson. Which means Vince probably loves him.

NXT
- Everyone seems to be up in arms about these pairings of WWE Pros with NXT Rookies. I actually think most of the pairings are pretty cool. It's all for storyline purposes anyway. I mean, do you really think that Bryan Danielson (or Daniel Bryan, which I'll get to in a minute) is following the Miz around taking notes?

- Here are some of my favorites...
Matt Hardy/Justin Gabriel - Hardy is over with the fans, even despite WWE's continual use of him as a jobber. He'll get Justin Gabriel over as a high flyer and part of his click. It gives Matt some credibility as someone that a young wrestler can learn from. BTW, what was wrong with Justin's FCW name, Justin Angel? Someone on creative is just dying to use that Gabriel name!
Chris Jericho/Wade Barrett - I know very little about Barrett, but I like Jericho with a big enforcer-type guy under his tutelage. He'll do Jericho's dirty work for a while until he's ready to break free, and it will get him over huge when he turns on Jericho.
CM Punk/Darren Young - Have you seen Young's hair? It's BIG! Should be fun watching Punk try convert him and shave that bad boy!
The Miz/Daniel Bryan - First... I HATE THE NAME CHANGE. I can kind of respect that they tried to keep it close to Bryan Danielson, but Daniel Bryan just sounds like some model or soap star name. I dunno. I guess it could be worse. If they added a "T" to make it Daniel Bryant, at least it would sound like a last name and not two first names. Second... I LOVE THIS PAIRING! I really hope they play up the fact that Bryan's been wrestling for years, all over the world and is considered by many the best technical wrestler out their today. The fact that Miz, a former reality star and wrestling reality show competitor, who is not know for his technical skill (though I believe he's gotten better in the ring) but for his mic skills is going to mentor the "best in the world" - it could make for a GREAT storyline. And hopefully a US Title match for Daniel Bryan.

- As for the concept itself, I still don't totally get it. Is there really only going to be one winner? What happens to the "losers"? I see some good potential in a lot of these guys. I guess we have to wait and see.

- And does the omission of Kaval mean that he is already being called up to the main roster? I really hope so!

ROH
- Over the weekend Tyler Black won the ROH title from Austin Aries. From a storyline standpoint it made sense. They'd been feuding for a while and the only thing left to do was to give Black the belt. I was very disappointed in their match at Final Battle which I attended live. I guess I'm just not a big believer in Black. I think that Roderick Strong should have been the one to take the belt from Aries.


Well that's it for now. I will try and get some Elimination Chamber picks up, likely on Sunday morning/afternoon. Gotta see what happens on Smackdown first.

So long, Survivor Series

I have been really under the weather with some kind of virus this week, thus I haven't been up to posting about any of this week's shows. That being said, I simply had to remark about the following news...

In a pretty random and shocking move, WWE has decided to discontinue the annual November PPV show, Survivor Series. Survivor Series is an "original four" PPV (along with Wrestlemania, Summer Slam, and the Royal Rumble). According to Vince McMahon, the event is "obsolete" and has "outlasted its usage". And so the title will be changed and the event will be "rebranded".

My initial reactions is that this just stings. Survivor Series was one of my favorites as a kid because I loved to see wrestlers team up who wouldn't normally do so. It was cool (even though it was all part of storyline), to see big names like Hogan and Savage "recruit" younger, up-and-coming wrestlers to be on their team. In recent years (really like the last 10-11 years), WWE has wavered in using the team match concept between sparingly and not at all. Still, more often than not they would throw a "traditional" Survivor Series match or two on the card.

I guess this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. It's clear that it was a long time ago that they decided to take it in a different direction. Plus, the buy rate for this years Survivor Series was very low. But I just don't think the Survivor Series concept itself is the problem.

What's really funny is that WWE is now asking fans to vote on a new PPV event that they would like to see. Included in this is the old WCW concept - War Games (a 5-on-5 team match). Does anyone else find that humorous?

Now I for one, would love to see the return of War Games. I believe it would be a great way to further storylines without having to do a title match EVERY PPV and also elevate some younger stars (as the Rumble does). My only question is... couldn't Survivor Series achieve the same goal? The problem is that while they've continued to use that title, it hasn't been the same PPV in many years. But some how they're going to blame it now. Lame.

ECW Thoughts 2/2/10

So ECW is going off the air in 3 weeks. It's about time! It has been universally panned for the 4 or so years of it's existence. Now, I actually don't hate WWE's version of ECW as much as most. I'm certainly not one of the fans who believes it could have and should have been exactly like the old ECW. It was never gonna be that, no matter how hard WWE tried (and they didn't). But I really didn't mind them using the namesake and running the brand "in the spirit" of the original ECW. What I mean by that is that it could have featured more action and more showcasing by younger stars and been a vehicle for them to get themselves over. A WWE sponsored feeder-fed, if you will. And at times it almost was that. WWE even got some good superstars from it like CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, Sheamus, and Evan Bourne. And I would dare say that on certain weeks, especially since Christian arrived, they've had the best match quality of any show. So, I really can't see calling it a total failure unless you were expecting flaming tables and barbed-wire kendo sticks every week. That was only part of what made the original ECW good. But it was more the fact that they had compelling characters who had the freedom to develop themselves.

At any rate, WWE never really seemed to know what to do with it. First they tried to make it a legit 3rd brand on the level of Raw and Smackdown. It quickly became a glorified version of Heat though. They should have re-branded at that time but instead just treated the WWE universe like idiots who were just supposed to accept Chavo Guerrero main events as the best they had to offer. They kind of got the idea with the new superstar initiative but never really delivered the way they could have. Just call it what it is! The place where wrestlers become superstars!

Well it seems they are finally fully embracing that approach with WWE NXT (assuming that is the name they go with in 3 weeks). And I really hope they do keep it as a match-based show and not turn it into a rewind for Smackdown and Raw. Let some of these FCW guys come up and show what they've got on national TV. It's the right move, perhaps just a little to late.

And as for the show itself last night:

- Abraham Washington is not over. This segment sucks every week. Even Christian and Ryder (who I like) barely made it watchable.

- Interesting use of the real-life Helms arrest. It seemed to flop though. I guess a lot of people are oblivious to the story.

- Trent Baretta vs. Yoshi Tatsu was... meh. I can't take Yoshi Tatsu seriously as he just seems like WWE's latest token Japanese guy. I believe Baretta and Croft could really be a part of a tag team wrestling revival, but I'm sure WWE has no interest in that.

- Shelton Benjamin is so damn good. I wish he could just find that missing... whatever it is. His matches are always entertaining and he should be on a path to Main Event status. Vance Archer on the other hand has not impressed me. Really, what does he do that a 100 other guys don't? So, I hate that he beats a guy like Shelton who has ridiculous athletic talent. Have him beat Goldust.

- Christian vs. Ryder was decent. Ryder has a ways to go, but I like his mic work and his gimmick. He could use a couple more defining moves to get him over as a legit threat in the ring.

- It looks like the Ezekial/Christian feud is not over. What a shame that would be if this lead to a final ECW title match in which Jackson won and was the last ECW Champ. I hope that doesn't happen. Christian has done an admirable job with such a laughable title. The belt should be retired with him as champ. The only other "right way" to end it would be to bring an original ECW legend back and have him win the title from Christian, so that an ECW original will be forever remembered as the last ECW champ (though hardcore fans know it was truly Rhino in 2001). I wouldn't mind seeing an RVD vs. Christian match at the Elimination Chamber PPV.

RAW Thoughts 2/1/10

I enjoyed this Raw. I like that they had all Elimination Qualifying matches on the same show. This way it gives another couple of weeks to build up some desire to see all these guys in the same ring. I do HATE the idea that the champion has to put the belt on the line against 5 other men in a gimmick match, especially a month from Wrestlemania. I think this match would be so much better off as a number one contender's match.

At any rate here are my random thoughts:

- Guest host William Shatner was not overused. And when he was, it wasn't bad, even funny at some moments. The need to phase out the guest hosts and this was a nice sign that that is what they are doing.

- Sheamus is getting more heat and coming off as unbeatable. That's good. He still doesn't deserve to be in a title match at Mania though.

- I actually thought Jack Swagger was fun to watch in his match with HHH. Obviously he was not winning but I gotta believe he's got what it takes to develop into a top star.

- The Miz really is awesome. He's come along way. And while I'm enjoying his feud with MVP and believe it's good for the US title, I kind of hope he and Big Show win the tag titles. I want to see a tag title match at Wrestlemania. And you have to figure Miz and Show are going to get a Mania match. How about them vs. a face-turned Hart Dynasty for the unified belts?

- How about how pro-Cena this crowd was??

- Ted Dibiase in the Elimination Chamber is cool. I know he's in there to further develop the storyline rift between he, Rhodes and Orton, but I hope part of it is because WWE is trying out some young blood in a high profile match.

- I was very into the McMahon/Hart segment. That is until the DVR cut out. Apparently the usual 2 hrs 10 mins was not enough time to record all of Raw this week. Ugh. But I've seen the video and I like that they are involving other wrestlers in this feud (assuming Cena takes Bret's side after last night's involvement by Batista on behalf of Vince). Number 1 - it's cool to see Bret Hart interact with current stars. Number 2 - it's very likely that Bret isn't capable of putting on a match even close to what he used to be able to. He did suffer a stroke. And he would be working with Vince McMahon. It's not like he would have a real wrestler like Jericho or HBK to carry him through it. So, maybe they do a Cena/Hart vs. Batista/McMahon match at Wrestlemania. I wouldn't mind that.

- Oh and Bret looked ALOT better than he did his last appearance. The jeans and the wet, dyed hair made a huge difference. He didn't look like a has-been. He looked like he meant business.

This really was one of the better Raws recently. I hope they keep it up.