Saturday, October 31, 2009

Triple Threat Revealed for Survivor Series; Superstars Make Emphatic Statements

After 10 years and over 500 episodes, SmackDown has become the top brand in the WWE.

Theodore Long congratulated the SmackDown roster for assisting in the win at Bragging Rights; but it was due in large part to Teddy's lucrative business deal with The Big Show, which allowed SmackDown to even win the trophy. Chris Jericho, the self-proclaimed Hero of SmackDown, boasted how he single handily won the tournament, and demanded a shot at Undertaker's World Heavyweight Title at the Survivor Series. Kane, the co-captain, believed that he also has an equal share to the trophy and the bragging rights that comes with the trophy; and if anyone should be facing the Undertaker, it's not Big Show, a RAW member, or Chris Jericho, it should be him. Jericho relented and reminded the world that he pinned Kofi Kingston, not Kane. As a result of the animosity in the ring, Theodore Long announced that Undertaker, much like RAW's main event, will defend his title in a Triple Threat Match at the Survivor Series, and a qualifying match between Jericho and Kane would determine his second opponent.

First Match: John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler (non-title). Dolph Ziggler treaded into the match looking for an easy victory from the only guy, on the SmackDown roster, who lost at Bragging Rights. Morrison, a man who accepts his loses, pointed out it was a bit premature for Ziggler to be celebrating as he had nothing to do with SmackDown's victory; he also attested Ziggler's familiarity with premature actions, "ask Maria." These two superstars are one-and-the same, as they both are young vibrant superstars in the WWE, and both have poor mic skills. However, Morrison has charisma, which will take him a long way, as well as his flurry of offense. One thing I found hilarious was Morrison's ability to fix his hair during a chin lock from Ziggler. Then Grisham made fun of Striker attributing Morrison's strength to the abdominal region, but let's face it, Morrison's killer abs give him the edge over his opponents. Dolph Ziggler won the match via count-out after executing a facebuster on the SmackDown announce table. After a win over Morrison, don't be surprised if we see Ziggler's 5th shot at the Intercontinental Title at the Survivor Series.

Second Match: Beth Phoenix vs. Jenny Brooks. Who in the blue hell is Jenny Brooks? Striker mentioned that Brooks has a kick-boxing strike background, but that was not enough for the Glamazon. Forget Wonder Woman, sure she looks like Wonder Woman, but she's more like She-Hulk. Beth destroyed Brooks in this exhibition match and finished her off with the Glam-Slam. Thanks Jenny Brooks for being a part of the WWE for 5 seconds.

Third Match: Matt Hardy vs. Eric Escobar w/Vickie Guerrero. Why is WWE recycling the same storyline? Vickie has the power and influence, which allowed Edge to become a multi-time World Champion; and now we have to see this same story play out again with Eric Escobar? Difference is, Vickie has no power or influence in the WWE anymore, so the only thing Eric got was a shot to be in the WWE. This match must have been a treat for Matt Striker, as he once gave Matt Hardy the nickname "Arguably, Everyone's Favorite Wrestler." Matt Hardy was beat down throughout the whole match, but Matt Hardy ended the match with a quick stunner. Now this is more like it, Matt Hardy with a few victories under his belt.

Promo: Rey Mysterio confronts Batista. This was the most painful thing to watch as both know squat of enticing the crowds with their words. Mysterio is just a spot monkey who can only do flips and tricks, while Batista is a muscle bound idiot who fails to get the crowd riled up as a face or heel. Mysterio kept using the word "dawg," which really frustrated me. Batista tried to build heat with the audience by dismissing Eddie Guerrero's concerns as "He's Dead!" At least Batista is living up to his theme song, "I walk alone," not "I walk alone, with Rey Mysterio."

Fourth Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Finlay. The match resulted in No-Contest as the match never official started. McIntyre assaulted Finlay before entering the ring and left him for dead. Looks like the Scotsman wants to try his luck with the Irishman, let's see how this ends.

Divas Costume Contest: Natalya, Layla, Michelle McCool, and Mickie James. Cryme Tyme officiated the contest as they do every year. Natalya came as a matador, which was ok. Layla came as Michael Jackson, the sexiest Michael Jackson I've seen. Michelle McCool came out with an unflattering Devil costume, as we can see how skinny she actual is. And Mickie James with another female warrior costume, Electra. I thought Layla would win it, but Mickie won for the third year in a row. Once, officiated at the Cyber Sunday pay-per-views against all the Divas on the brand, now reduced to a small contest being decided by the audience in attendence, instead of being texted in by the whole WWE Universe. Mickie's previous wins included a Native-American Princess Warrior and Lara Croft.

Fifth Match: CM Punk vs. Scott Armstrong. CM Punk was infuriated at Long's decision to have Undertaker face off against Big Show and Chris Jericho at the Survivor Series, so he went over Long's head and directed his concern to Mr. McMahon. McMahon sarcastically asked him, how many chances do you get? CM Punk failed to retain the World Title in his rematch clause and his second shot at Bragging Rights, it's time to allow others to contend for the title. But this match was issued by Mr. McMahon himself, CM Punk vs. the man that cost him the title match last week, Scott Armstrong. Don't be fooled by the striped shirt, Armstrong comes from a line of wrestlers, and has also wrestled back in the day. CM Punk really treated Armstrong with the utmost disrespect, till Armstrong fired back with three punches to the side of Punk's face. Punk finished him off with the GTS.

Main Event: Chris Jericho vs. Kane (Winner Faces Undertaker at the Survivor Series in a Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Title). Kane's record against the Undertaker is "spotty" at best, so Chris Jericho would make a better opponent. However, adding the Big Show to the mix will cause some internal problems for the Unified Tag Team Champions. This match was mediocre to say the least, Kane is just as bad as Mike Knox. Maybe these two should form a tag team. Jericho tried to apply the Walls of Jericho, but a move like that, according to Striker, is best used on an attacker of the same height. Kane's downfall was attempting another diving clothesline, which was countered into a Code Breaker. Congrats to Chris Jericho on earning a World Title opportunity at the Survivor Series.

At the Survivor Series, The Undertaker defends the World Heavyweight Title in a Triple Threat Match against The Big Show and Chris Jericho.

Next Week: Batista vs. Matt Hardy, as a result of Batista's assault on Matt Hardy, who pleaded him to reconsider his actions towards Mysterio.

Friday, October 30, 2009

WWE Superstars Results: Jack Swagger 3-0; Tyson Kidd Fails Lie Detector

RAW Match: Jack Swagger vs. Primo. After losing the Triple Threat Match at Hell in a Cell, Jack Swagger made a promise to be undefeated in singles competition for the remainder of the year. So far he's 2-0, beating Evan Bourne and MVP. His third opponent was Primo Colon, luckily he was not wearing the red clown shoes from 2 weeks ago. Primo attempted some swift offense, but he was unable to withstand the power of the 280lb force of the Gut wrench Powerbomb. The All American-American walks out WWE Superstars 3-0.

RAW Match 2: Kelly Kelly vs. Alicia Fox. Kelly found some success last Thursday, with a win over Gail Kim; and Alicia has had a series of bad luck against Mickie James in her pursuit for the Divas' Title, but things change. Alicia took the win with a running scissors kick to the back of the head of Kelly Kelly. Only in the WWE can a wedding planner get fired for making out with the groom to be, EDGE, and come back as a wrestler. If Kelly Kelly beat Gail Kim, and Alicia beat Kelly, then does that make Alicia better than Gail?

ECW Match: Zack Ryder vs. Tyler Reks. These two have faced off before on WWE Superstars, with Ryder always victorious. Ryder has made a name for himself on ECW, contending for the title and taking Christian to the limits, but he still hasn't reached his goal. Tyler Reks is really faltering since Sheamus has gone to RAW, Yoshi contended for the title, and even Abraham Washington hired Tony Atlas to make his talk show bearable; but, Tyler hasn't done much with his Superstar Initiative. I personally don't see a future for this guy, he just doesn't have what it takes. Zack picked up the win with the Zack Attack.

SmackDown Match: R-Truth and Cryme Tyme vs. Mike Knox and The Hart Dynasty. Its sad to see Hart Dynasty still heels, I like the 3 day span when they were faces fighting alongside R-Truth, Matt Hardy, and Finlay. Cryme Tyme would make better heels, I'm just sayin! And is Mike Know suppose to be intimidating? Because he never wins matches, he's more like a level 1 monster in any game, scary looking but easy to defeat. The heels really tried keeping Cryme Tyme occupied in the ring, avoiding to get Truth tagged in. It built minimal suspense for when Truth finally got into the ring, where everyone got a chance to knock the other out of the ring, to allow Truth to fight Tyson Kidd. I'll say this again, Hart Dynasty was taken out of ECW prematurely without actually really building them first. Truth was even distracted long enough for Tyson to go for a roll up but was countered. Truth won the match with Lie Detector.

Last night we got a glimpse of SmackDown's commentators: Matt Striker and Todd Grisham, Slammy Award winning team.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Hulk Hogan Signs up with TNA? Monday Night Wars 2?

"Hulkamania is Running WILD!" The infamous words uttered by the late, great, Gorilla Monsoon on the night Hulk Hogan won the WWF World Championship. From that point on, Hogan became a pop-culture icon and changed the face of professional wrestling.

But after two decades from that historic night, Hulk Hogan shows his true colors: black and white, the scheme of his Hollywood Hogan persona when he turned Heel in WCW. On October 27, 2009, it was revealed that the Hulkster has signed on full-time with Spike TV’s Total Nonstop Action; a deal that Jeff Jarrett has been trying to do since its start in 2003.

The initial angle, in ‘03, was a televised on-air attack on Hogan in Japan, as an indication that Hogan would arrive on TNA, in its debut pay-per-view, to challenge Jarrett for the NWA World Title. But for reasons unknown the deal fell through; and shortly afterwards, he re-signed with WWE.

Yet, Hogan’s constant falling out with the WWE, along with family issues, drugs, and poor health has made life difficult for the Hulkster. This past year, Vince approached Hogan about a Wrestlemania Dream Match against John Cena, but Hogan was unable to accept the offer because he threw out his back.

WWE has also recently been trying to get the rights on the Hulk Hogan and Hulkamania names, as well as have him guest host RAW on November 16th at Madison Square Garden. But Hogan refused both offers because he claims that he isn't ready to be put out to pasture just yet. WWE, which recently advertised a 3-disc collection of Unreleased Hulk Hogan Matches, is still scheduled to release the DVD, but, with the news of him being on TNA, will be downplaying so as not to add to the hype. In addition, WWE has removed Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair from their WWE Alumni page on WWE.com.

With Hulk Hogan on TNA, there are talks of producing more TNA TV shows, along with moving TNA: Impact! to Monday Nights to compete against RAW. In my opinion, this will end the same as it did for WCW, and in a few years we shall see a DVD collection called, “The Mediocre Rise and Fall of TNA.” TNA will have some instances of WCW playing out, as Sting, a rival of Hogan’s, will be waiting. But the thought of Hulk Hogan, and possibly Ric Flair back on regular TV is exciting. So let's see how things play out, and if Hogan doesn't go creative-power crazy!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Sheamus' Final Night on ECW; Christian Retains Gold

Is ECW falling under? ECW has failed to make an appearance in the last two pay-per-views and they lost Sheamus to RAW. It looks as though SmackDown and RAW are the ones with all the Bragging Rights.

ECW started off with the Abraham Washington Show, which has really grown on me ever since they decided to add Tony Atlas to the segment. Washington’s guest was the ECW GM, Tiffany, who has upgraded to her own entrance music rather than borrowing Torrie Wilson’s. The identity of the song has not yet been revealed. Abraham asked the tough questions, why was ECW not represented at Bragging Rigths; and what does she have to say about Sheamus’ move to RAW? Her responses were as follows: ECW was represented because stars like John Morrison and Kofi Kingston got their start in ECW, which is hilarious that she mentions these two specifically, since they were each pinned at Bragging Rights. As for Sheamus leaving, if a superstar is dissatisfied with working in ECW, then they are not welcome. The question that impressed upon me was the fact that the feud between Sheamus and Shelton was dropped; but Tiffany cleared the air by stating that Sheamus’ final match on ECW would be against Shelton Benjamin.

Surprise Guests: William Regal w/ Ezekiel Jackson and Vladimir Kozlov. Regal begged Tiffany to reconsider giving him another title match; but, her position was still against. Tiffany even told Regal that he may never get another ECW Title shot. Then, after Tiffany made her exit, Regal started tearing down the set of the Abraham Washington Show and screaming uncouthly.

First Match: Shelton Benjamin vs. Sheamus. In last week’s post, I talk about how Sheamus called out Shelton for having a mediocre career, and for wasting his natural ability. Shelton, in an interview with Savannah, touched base on this allegation and admits that after eight years he doesn’t have much to show for it, but he’ll be damned if he gave up now. He also sees Sheamus as running away from the fight that he started, using RAW as an excuse. This match, and the following, was a pay-per-view caliber match that saw the best quality wrestling that ECW had to offer. And after seeing Shelton as the Intercontinental and United States Champion, he never looked more like a champion than he did last night. The aerial assaults and his aggressiveness show a new found spark in his career. I can definitely see him one day becoming the World Heavyweight Champion; but last night, the match belonged to the Celtic Warrior.

Segment: Gregory Helms and Rosa Mendes. Rosa is the newest acquisition to ECW, who goes on about being famous and thrilled to be on ECW. Helms wasn’t interviewing her, he had just said hello. The Burchills interrupt this meet and greet to provide a message to The Hurricane, to come to the ring next week. Challenge accepted.

Main Event: ECW Champion, Christian defends his title against Yoshi Tatsu. For weeks, Christian has been taking Yoshi under his wing because he has a bright future with the WWE, but that this match, as Christian considered, would be a lesson in losing gracefully. Christian won the ECW Title back at Night of Champions, making him the longest reigning current champion in the WWE; but, his cockiness could prove to be his downfall. The match saw a lot of close calls, and it almost seemed as if Yoshi would become the new ECW Champion; but, after a third attempt, Christian locked in the Killswitch to retain the title.

This match can go down in history as a rookie World Title shot, other examples are: 2001, Jeff Hardy vs. The Undertaker for the Undisputed Title; and 2008, Evan Bourne vs. Matt Hardy for the ECW Title.

But before Christian could congratulate Yoshi for an amazing match, the Ruthless Round Table decimated him. At this point, William Regal is just beating a dead horse, because how many times are we going to see the same ending to ECW? What ECW needs is for Shelton Benjamin to start striving for the title; heck, I wouldn’t even mind seeing The Hurricane face off against Captain Charisma.

Note: As a result of the Bells Palsy Attack that J.R. endured, ECW welcomes its newest member to the broadcast team, Byron Saxton from FCW. And taking over J.R.’s position will be none other than Matt Striker. Therefore, Friday Nights will be hosted by the 2008 Slammy Award Winning Announce Team of Striker and Todd Grisham.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

WWE and World Heavyweight Championship Matches Revealed for Survivor Series; Kofi Kingston Gets Push; ECW Superstar Comes to RAW

Just 24 hours removed from Bragging Rights, RAW reved up with NASCAR racers, Kyle Busch & Joey Logano. But, like every Monday, RAW started off with Jeri-Show; Chris Jericho parading around with the Bragging Rights Trophy, and The Big Show with a mark on him for betraying the RAW team. Jericho applauded Show's bravado for staying true to the bond that comes from being the Unified Tag Team Champions; but Big Show revealed his true intentions for betraying his fellow comrades. It resulted from a deal he struck with the SmackDown GM Teddy Long: if SmackDown won Bragging Rights, he would be given a World Heavyweight Title Shot at the Survivor Series.

At the Survivor Series, The Undertaker will defend the World Heavyweight Title against The Big Show.

RAW Guest Hosts: Kyle Busch & Joey Logano screeched into the HSBC arena in SmackDown and RAW schemed cars, which they will be racing at the O’Reilly Challenge NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Texas Motor Speedway on November 7th. The two questioned Show's actions, and decided to place him in a match against the man he sucker punched last night, Triple H. In addition, Chris Jericho would face off against the man he pinned last night, Kofi Kingston.

First Match: Chris Jericho vs. Kofi Kingston. In recent weeks, we have noticed a change in Kofi: first off, he is no longer being billed from Jamaica; and secondly, he lost his accent. Now, for those who don't remember, Kofi made the transition from ECW to RAW in a big way when he pinned Jericho for the Intercontinental Title back at Night of Champions 2008. More than a year since, Kofi has also decorated his WWE resume with a United States and World Tag Team Title reigns; but none of those compared to this night. Despite losing the accent, Kofi still carries himself the same in the ring; which begs the question, when will it change to a more brawler type offense? Kofi picked up a clean win with Trouble in Paradise, redeeming himself for the loss that cost RAW the trophy. As he left the ring, he was ambushed by Orton, who blamed Kofi for losing the Iron Man match.

Second Match: Melina and Santino Marella vs. Jillian Hall and Chavo Guerrero. Question, is Melina the new Beth Phoenix; because why is Santino tagging along? This match is actually considered a step up for Chavo, since his opponent is taller than 4'4." As stated in last week's post, Melina successfully defended the Divas' title against Jillian Hall, and it seems as if this feud is far from over. Chavo and Santino shared a few punches and blows, but it was only a warm up for the clash of RAW's divas. Melina pinned Jillian with, the ever so painful, Primal Scream. Then Hornswoggle, garbed in DX merch, entered the ring and started doing the DX chops. It was all fun and games until Hornswoggle was handed a "Cease and Desist" order by D-Generation X for gimmick infringement.

Promo: Legacy challenged John Cena to a Triple Threat match, in order to bring the WWE Title back to Legacy. But after winning the Iron Man Match, The Champ has earned the right to say NO! Instead, Cena relays a message from the guest hosts of their immediate match.

Third Match: Legacy vs. MVP and Mark Henry. It's nice to know that WWE is still investing in the futures of MVP and Mark Henry; however, it would have been beneficial to have MVP feud with Orton. But all things considered, MVP and Henry should benefit from one another; not in technique, but through popularity. The pairing of MVP and WSM was actually the most believable tag team assembled that challenged the Unified Tag Team Champions; but, as the business goes, it's too early to be handing out title belts just yet. MVP picks up the win with a Sitout Pin.

Promo: Kofi Kingston seen standing on the hood of Orton's new ride, a NASCAR schemed with a life sized image of Randy Orton on the hood. A gift from Legacy turned into scrap as Kofi tested the durability by smashing a 300lb equipment box to the side of the car. But the point Kofi was trying to get across, as he key-scratched the car, it's a small thing that can really cause the most damage. Kofi continued to destroy the car and ended by throwing a bucket of orange paint all over the image of Randy Orton. I had my doubts on what WWE were planning to do with Kofi Kingston, but this more aggressive side of Kingston was just what the doctor ordered. Orton is probably the best in the business that RAW has to offer when it comes to being a Super Heel, which will hopefully boost up Kofi into a top star, if used just right.

Fourth Match: The Miz vs. Evan Bourne. Miz is crowing over that fact that he was the only RAW member who won his Bragging Rights Match, and now feels that he is ready for a WWE Title shot. However, after losing his match to Evan Bourne via count out, it doesn't seem likely that we will see another Miz-Cena match anytime soon. The count out was caused by an interference from Jack Swagger, who, idling at the special ring announcer, Eve Torres, insulted Miz's ability to put on a great match. Evan Bourne breaks the jobbing curse with a win over the United States Champion. Will we be seeing Bourne in a title match next week; or will a blowout between Swagger and Miz present itself?

Fifth Match: Sheamus vs. Jamie Noble. I know, everyone was shock to learn that Jamie Noble is still signed with the WWE, seeing as he hasn't been relevant to WWE TV since 2007. But this match wasn't about Noble, it was about the Celtic Warrior from Dublin, Ireland, who made his RAW debut from the Land of Extreme. Sheamus, despite all the pale jokes, is one of the most determined superstars in the WWE, and has, in real life, been favored by Triple H. But, if you noticed in this match, there was no pop for Sheamus in the RAW audience. Thats because it was a major mistake of WWE to take him away from ECW so soon; he's more well known there and he was having an amazing feud with Shelton Benjamin. What I liked about this match was that Jamie, despite the ring rust, did not allow Sheamus to have an easy victory. But seeing as this was Sheamus' debut match as the newest commodity on RAW, Jamie had to lose.

Main Event: The Big Show vs. Triple H. Last week, Triple H had an amazing 20-minute battle with John Cena, but would he be able to replicate it against RAW's Benedict Arnold? Before the match started, Triple H announced that the Guest Hosts deemed this a Lumberjack Match, with the ring surrounded by members of the RAW locker room. Then Shawn Michaels added a few other stipulations to the match: there is no disqualifications, and that John Cena has been named the guest referee for the match. With all that against the Big Show, Triple H still had his work cut out for him. Even when H knocked Show out of the ring to be attacked by the lumberjacks, the man is still a 6' 11" Giant who swatted them away like flies. And never say that John Cena is not an impartial judge, his hand just happened to cramp up before finishing off the 3 count to declare Big Show the winner. This interference allowed all the RAW superstars to get a piece of Big Show, even an 8-stomp Sweet Chin from Shawn Michaels. Triple H won the match, and the integrity of the RAW brand, with a pedigree.

At the Survivor Series, John Cena defends the WWE Title in a Triple Threat Match against Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Next Week's Hosts: Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne

Monday, October 26, 2009

Superman to Iron Man, John Cena Prevails

Last night, John Cena became the WWE Champion for a seventh-time, after having competed in an Anything Goes Iron Man Match. Much like the plot of the evening, the competitor with the most decisions left the winner. But it wasn’t for Bragging Rights; it was for survival and a means to an end.

Randy Orton and John Cena have been feuding for three years, and they destroyed one another. In 07, the victory went to Orton since he kicked Cena’s father in the skull and then made sure Cena would never make it to their No Mercy Title Match by injuring him. Cena suffered a torn pectoral muscle and was unable to compete; thus, McMahon awarded the vacant title to Orton, garnering his 2nd World Title. Orton, became even more vicious and a new dawn arrived, known as The Age of Orton.

In 2008, business picked up again as Cena’s unannounced return at the Royal Rumble won him a Wrestlemania Title shot, which he cashed in at the No Way Out pay-per-view, against WWE Champion, Randy Orton. Yet, The Viper made sure to retain his title over and over again.

Then… in 2009, the rivalry would ignite once again with several pay-per-view title matches. The matches began to escalate from one-on-one, to “I Quit,” and Hell in a Cell. The fans could not get enough, because this has turned to The Feud. But all this back and forth with the title, it could go on forever until the sands of time run out… This feud could have gone forever, but why not culminate all the matches from now to the end of time, with just one-time, one night, in one hour? This Iron Man Match decided it all, with 11 decisions in total.

The last time WWE had an Iron Man Match, 1997, the hour ended with no decisions; but in the last minute of the match, it almost looked as if the Iron Man Match would end in a draw. But just like Breaking Point, Cena made Orton tap out to the STF; thus, ending the defining feud of 2009. If Cena would have lost the match, he would have had to say goodbye to Monday Nights, and possibly make his way over to SmackDown. But now that the Champ is Here, Orton can no longer challenge Cena to any title matches, as were the rules of the stipulation of the match.

Now that the feud is over, what’s next for Randy Orton, and who will contend for the WWE Championship at The Survivor Series?

The Deadman Walks, While The Animal Skins

In a Fatal Four-Way of former Champions, it was the Phenom who left Pittsburgh still the World Heavyweight Champion. But what happened after the match left the audience pleading for mercy.

Just 2 days removed from his successful title defense against CM Punk, the Undertaker had to once again protect "the Holy Grail," not only from Punk, but from "The Master of the 619," Rey Mysterio, and "The Animal," Batista. In a dangerous predicament where the champion doesn't even have to be pinned, The Undertaker proves why he is a walking Legend in the WWE. In addition, CM Punk continues to prove that he will undertake any situation head on, and continue to strive for a 4th title reign.

But, another story played out during the match, and it was between two former friends. Batista went into the match, possibly with the greatest approval rate of capturing the gold, only to be stopped by Rey Mysterio. When Batista went for the cover on Taker, Mysterio broke the count as he felt that he too deserves another title reign. The distraction caused Batista to be lured in a Tombstoned ending, marking another title defense for The Deadman.

After the match, Mysterio tried to hug it out, but when Josh Matthews interviewed the two, Batista's words were not so friendly. Batista then destroyed Mysterio, who was like a brother to him, until officials came to intervene. Finally... Batista turns heel again! We haven't seen this since 2002, and despite the lack of faces on SmackDown, Batista makes a better heel than a face.

SmackDown Have All The Bragging Rights

Last night's pay-per-view was a brand new concept, replacing that of Cyber Sunday's, where the best of the best would be decided and leave Pittsburgh with Bragging Rights. Now, the rules are simple, the show who wins the best of 2 out of 3 leaves with the Bragging Rights trophy.

The first competition: Intercontinental Champion, John Morrison vs. United States Champion, The Miz (aka The Dirt Sheet War). As I mentioned before, John Morrison is the better of the two, but when it comes to the WWE, better doesn't always mean you'll win the match. I could've gone with Miz to win, seeing as John let slip that he was going to lose on Friday, but I root for the best. On Friday, after his match with Knox, Morrison noted that Miz beat Marty Jannetty, and while Miz is trying to figure out whether he's the Jannetty or the Shawn Michaels, Morrison knows who he is: He's The Friday Night Delight, The Intercontinental Champion, he is John Morrison. When you're that certain on who you are, there's no need to win a match to prove anything. Miz needed the win more than Morrison, because Morrison has a good standing within the WWE, while Miz is really just starting to become a well known heel in the business. Miz did, however, prove that he would capitalize of Morrison's flaw, his high flying. Just like the days of MVP vs. Jeff Hardy, a ground wrestler always feels that he can do away with a high flyer.

RAW scores the 1st win.

Second competition: 6 Divas Tag Team Match, SmackDown vs. RAW. If the RAW Divas had managed to win this match, then RAW would have been automatically considered the winners of the Bragging Rights Trophy, and the 14 man tag team match would then become a regular match. The SmackDown team was comprised of the Women's Champion, Michelle McCool alongside: Beth Phoenix "The Glamazon," and Natalya Neidhart. And on the RAW team, Divas' Champion, Melina along with Kelly Kelly and Gail Kim. This is where rooting for the best really pays off, because McCool has been proving herself throughout the course of 2 years why she is the Women's Champion; Natalya is the only woman to have trained and graduated from Stu Hart's Dungeon; and Beth Phoenix is the most dominant woman in the WWE. As much as I love the RAW Divas, victory belonged to SmackDown. Maybe if Gail Kim wasn't jobbing, RAW would have had a chance. But it wasn't even Gail's, or even Kelly Kelly's weakness that caused the match, it was the newly crowned Divas' Champion that was destroyed by The Glam Slam, and a perfectly executed one at that.

SmackDown ties up the score: 1-1

Final Round: 14 Man Tag Match, Team SmackDown vs. Team RAW. Earlier on in the pay-per-view, members of the RAW Team continued to dispute with one another on who was the greatest asset to the team. DX, frustrated, threatened that any one of them could be replaced by the next person that walked through that door; queue in Hornswoggle for laughs. The last minute change with the SmackDown team made for a more believable match up. Because who was honestly going to buy the fact that McIntyre and Escobar, who have been in the WWE for only a minute could stand toe-to-toe with the RAW members. That's why it made me happy to see a great selection of up and coming stars such as R-Truth and The Hart Dynasty. Including Finlay, who is like the Irish Ric Flair, the dirtiest player in the game with that shellelegh. An what was really great was to see Shawn Michaels mix it up with several of the SmackDown members like Hart Dynasty and Matt; even a nice scuffle with Chris Jericho, which WWE promised as the main event for RAW. What really never crossed my mind, and it should have, was the fact that Big Show, one half of the Unified Tag Team Champions, was on the RAW Team. I know he was on the team, but it never crossed my mind that he was ON the team. Hence, when Kofi went for a high risk maneuver and Big Show connected with the KO Punch, it all made sense. Jeri-Show have probably been scheming from the start. Chris Jericho picked up the win by covering Kingston; thus winning the Bragging Rights Trophy for SmackDown.

SmackDown wins Best 2 out of 3.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Storylines Gone Bad: Carlito and Primo

Carlito and Primo joined together to win the WWE Tag Team belts on their first night, and went on to Wrestlemania to become the Unified Tag Team Champions... What the hell happened?

After losing the belts to Jericho and Edge, and failing to recapture the gold, they just started feuding with one another. Then the feud was dropped, and now Primo remains of television to job, while Carlito remains off.

Just like Ric Flair said, Carlito has no passion for the business. WWE tries to push him, but it always gets dropped due to his lack of enthusiasm and motivation. Writers were even thinking of making him a top face over on ECW, but he just didn't feel like contributing to any story ideas. And after 2 months of being off television, no one has bothered to remember him.

WWE shouldve continued to develop and create storylines for the brothers Colon, because they have a good wholesome dynamic. Maybe then Carlito would still be relevant and his brother wouldn't be jobbing. Heck, Carlito can even do Ladder matches! We could have seen a massive tag team ladder match at the TLC pay-per-view, just like the old days!

This Week's ECW: 10/20/09, WWE Superstars 10/22/09, & SmackDown: 10/23/09





Saturday, October 24, 2009

Bragging Rights Predictions

Fatal Four-Way for World Heavyweight Championship

Prediction: Undertaker Retains

Why?: Batista does seem capable of becoming the World Champion, but a feud with Rey is more likely to occur. CM Punk could regain back the title, since Taker is not physically fit to compete anymore; hence, why he only fights at the pay-per-views. But I see Taker going for another month as champion.

One Hour, Anything Goes WWE Iron Man Match for WWE Championship

Prediction: Randy Orton Retains; therefore, Cena leaves RAW

Why?: It is in common understanding with wrestlings fans that when a wrestler leaves the business, they lose on the way out, as a thank you to the company. It happened to Jeff Hardy, Lita, Lance Cade, Umaga. And after what happened on RAW, Cena lost to Triple H in a match gimmicked as Possibly his Final Match on RAW. Cena is not exactly leaving the company, but what if this was Cena's thank you to RAW? I see Orton retaining and Cena showing up on SmackDown to contend for the World Title.

Intercontinental Champion vs. United States Champion (Non-Title)

Prediction: John Morrison

Why? Because John Morrison is the better of the two, no questions asked. WWE could make the Miz win this Sunday, seeing as he does have an identity crisis and needs the push, but I would really expect WWE to give credit where it's do. John Morrison, win-or-lose, already has the support from the WWE Universe, but Miz still doesn't have that backing. Sure he's a heel and heels don't get cheered for, but where the future of this company lies is with John Morrison. This actually has a shot of stealing the show, but the Iron Man Match will be the main focus of the night.

SmackDown Divas vs. RAW Divas Tag Team Match

Prediction: SmackDown Divas

Why?: Have you seen the SmackDown team? McCool has beaten Melina numerous times in Women's Title matches. Beth Phoenix has destroyed everyone on the RAW Team, and Natalya is a submission's expert, and only female to have trained in The Dungeon. RAW's only determined member is Melina, seeing as Gail has been jobbing to make other Divas look good, and Kelly Kelly is simply not strong enough to take on the SmackDown team.

SmackDown vs. RAW Bragging Rights Tag Team Match

Prediction: RAW Team

Why?: DX. The WWE loves to pedal around DX and they are always the top team. Plus they have two giants on their side. I would love to see SmackDown win, and see a face change for Hart Dynasty and a Heel Change for SmackDown, but we can only dream

SmackDown Team Replaced; CM Punk Submits to Taker's Hell's Gate

Last Night's SmackDown started off with Chris Jericho; and after what happened last Monday Night on RAW, the credibility of the SmackDown team was on notice. Their lack of cooperation with one another led to Jericho and Kane to take drastic measures. Therefore, the current SmackDown team were forced to prove themselves in a 4-on-5 winners take all match; with the Captains' mentality: Anything RAW can do, SmackDown can do better. Handicap rules applied since Shad Gaspard was ill with flu symptoms. If anyone of the current SmackDown Team were pinned or submitted - they would ALL be replaced by the 5 new members.

Current Team: Chris Jericho, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, Eric Escobar, and Cryme Tyme.

First match : JTG, Eric Escobar, Drew McIntyre, and Dolph Ziggler vs. Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Finlay, and The Hart Dynasty. The current SmackDown team were in dire strengths as they attempted to fight off five new members. Some may think this was unfair of Jericho and Kane, but, this Sunday, the SmackDown team will have to go up against DX, Big Show, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Cody Rhodes... it's a war of Brands and there is no room for doubts. It was a major mistake on the part of the WWE Creative team to even chose these initial 5 members, as if 5 people who have never won a title, could go up against a whole team of Champions! Eric Escobar has Vickie Guerrero on his side, who claims she is the official consultant of team SmackDown. I'm sorry, who named her consultant? Cause it certainly wasn't Chris Jericho or Kane. Both teams fought valiantly, but it was a shillelagh to the back of JTG's leg, and a Twist of Fate from Matt Hardy that won the match. For one brief moment, they all congratulated one another, even Hart Dynasty were not ashamed of hugging Finlay, Matt, and Truth. It's rare when you see faces and heels celebrating together, but that's the thing about war, you make friends with those on the same side. When Jericho and Kane went to talk to their new team, R-Truth interrupted and explained that they may not like him, but they have all the respect in the world for him, and they will do everything in their power to defeat Team RAW. The captains were pleased with their new team.

Finalized SmackDown Team: Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, R-Truth, Finlay, and The Hart Dynasty.

Second Match: Intercontinental Champion, John Morrison vs. Mike Knox (non-title). With 2 days before Bragging Rights, was it wise for Morrison to go one-on-one with Mike Knox? The most impressive spot in this match was Morrison dodging Knox's collision, which caused Knox to run full speed into the ropes. Morrison used the opportunity to set up an unconscious Knox for Starship Pain. Morrison spoke at the end of the match; he explained that while Miz is trying to prove himself that he is the Shawn Michaels and not the Marty Jannetty of their former team, Morrison knows who he is: The Friday Night Delight, The Intercontinental Champion, John Morrison!

Third Match: Chris Jericho and Kane vs. Batista and Rey Mysterio. As you can tell from the backstage segments, Batista is still bothered from the results of his match against Rey Mysterio last week. And when Rey plugged Batista's new DVD, Batista's only regret was that it does not contain his future World Heavyweight Title reign this Sunday. Rey also noted that he could win the title, but Batista blew off that scenario. Do I sense a heel change? It's sad that the team of Kane and Jericho lost, after Batista speared Kane; but it was a lose-lose situation for SmackDown. You either have the captains of the SmackDown team lose or 2 of the 3 contenders for Undertaker's World Title lose. Since WWE can't weaken the World Title match, they chose to weaken the captains, since the rest of the team has built enough momentum to keep everyone happy.

Fourth Match: Mickie James vs. Layla. Mickie was drafted over to SmackDown as part of the Tri-Branded Divas Trade. She has made her intentions clear, that she will become the next Women's Champion. Word has gone around that Mickie is frustrated with her current position in WWE; hence, why she was forced to lose the Divas' Title and moved to SmackDown. Many think that SmackDown is a demotion from RAW, but that's ECW. SmackDown is a brand of pure wrestling, and RAW is a brand of Entertainment, while ECW is a brand of development. This move over to SmackDown can be a nice change of pace for Mickie, as they focus more on wrestling then cheap entertainment. And a feud with Michelle McCool would be a great rivalry. Mickie made the most of her debut match on SmackDown with a victory over Layla. Welcome to SmackDown.

Main Event: World Heavyweight Champion, The Undertaker defending against CM Punk (Submission Match). The whole point of this match was to recreate the Breaking Point Screw Job, by having everyone who was involved in the match, including Scott Armstrong, who wanted nothing to do with it. McMahon persuaded Armstrong that his father "Bullet" Bob Armstrong could be a possible candidate for the WWE Hall of Fame, if he would reconsider. All CM Punk could think about was becoming a 4-time Straight-Edge World Heavyweight Champion. Undertaker was weary of getting anywhere near the Anaconda Vice, because even the slightest hold, would cost him the title. Theodore Long, who was sitting at ring side, even distracted Undertaker during Old School, which allowed Punk to throw him off the top rope. CM Punk even called for a Steel Chair from Long, who gave it to Armstrong. Punk grabbed it from Armstrong but was knocked down by Taker. Armstrong then paid for his sins with a chokeslam by the Undertaker. Punk connected with the Steel Chair and locked in the Anaconda Vice, but with no referee to call for the bell. Long tried calling for the bell, but only a referee could do so. Mike Chioda made his way to the ring, but Taker had awoken and locked in Hell's Gate, winning the match via submission.

SmackDown is looking stronger than ever as they enter this Sunday for Bragging Rights. Can SmackDown prove they are the better Brand, or will RAW still be considered the Top-Tier Show?

Friday, October 23, 2009

WWE Superstars Results: WWE Hypes Up The Wrong Superstars; Kelly Kelly Gets a Pop

This weekend is WWE's newest pay-per-view, Bragging Rights, where the best from SmackDown and RAW determine the superior show. Last night's WWE Superstars consisted of 3 matches, 2 of which have something to do with Sunday, while the ECW match is solely there to remind everyone that ECW is still around.

RAW Match: Kelly Kelly vs. Gail Kim. These two divas will be a part of the 3-on-3 tag team match at Bragging Rights. Joined by Divas' Champion, Melina, they will be fighting for the RAW division; while, Women's Champion, Michelle McCool, Natalya, and Beth Phoenix will be defending the honor of the SmackDown Brand. Surprisingly, Kelly got a big pop from the audience over Gail Kim. The WWE Universe is really rallying behind the Gymnastic Beauty. Gail Kim has really gone down in her wrestling reputation since joining the WWE, but that's the risk you take when you get paid the big bucks. Gail Kim lost miserably to a very cheery Kelly.

ECW Match: Tommy Dreamer and Goldust vs. Vladimir Kozlov and Ezekiel Jackson. For weeks it has been the same spiel, and it has always ended the same. I started thinking, wouldn't it be cool if Jackson had... I dunno, an actual gimmick? It would be awesome if Jackson was like an Apolo Creed. I'm not talking about wearing the trunks like TNA's Consequences Creed, but to have the respect, charisma, and swiftness of Apolo. Now, the Ruthless Round Table has won numerous times, but last night was different. Finally, Dreamer and Dust cheated their way to victory. Even Shawn Michaels has admitted to not always doing the right thing, but you do whatever you can to win in this business, especially if you are at a disadvantage. But of course after you cheat it is smart to run away instead of celebrating. Kozlov destroyed both of them with the Iron Curtain as punishment for pinning him.

SmackDown Match: Matt Hardy and R-Truth vs. Eric Escobar and Drew McIntyre. Both Escobar and McIntyre initially won qualifying matches against Hardy and Truth in separate matches to get on the SmackDown team. Now, after RAW, when both teams for this Sunday stood against each other in the ring, McMahon noticed the shift in power over on RAW. Seriously, it wasn't until both teams were in the ring to notice that newbies such as Escobar and McIntyre could possibly stand a chance against 2 giants?? News has gone around that the SmackDown Team, minus the captains, have been all changed. WWE decided to hype up McIntyre and Escobar to give them credibility, but, as we'll find out on SmackDown, they won't be on the SmackDown Team this Sunday. It will actually be Matt Hardy and Truth that will take their places. I guess the decision was made after this match. The match was pretty decent, but the opposing team doesn't seem too impressive. And... how often will Vickie be there to distract the referee? Seems like a pretty lame gimmick that Eric Esssssssssssssscobar is pulling.

Don't forget to watch SmackDown for the revamped SmackDown team along with Undertaker defending his title in a Breaking Point rematch.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

RAVE SUPERSTAR: Ted DiBiase

Name: Theodore Marvin "Ted" DiBiase, Jr.
Billed Height: 6' 2"
Billed from: West Palm Beach, Florida
Signature Move(s): Dream Street, Million Dollar Dream
Highlights: World Tag Team Titles w/Cody Rhodes(2 times)
Entrance Music: "It's a New Day" by Adelitas Way

I've never been much of a believer of DiBiase, as he pales in comparison to his father, "The Million Dollar Man." But this past Monday has made me see differently.

When he first came to the WWE, there wasn't much to look at. He rode the coat tails of his father and won the World Tag Team Titles in his debut match. He even won the titles again against the team of John Cena and Batista, but it still wasn't impressive. But then, there was Legacy.

The faction comprised of 2nd Generation Superstars, led by Randy Orton. It was there that DiBiase became an Orton clone... Wow, how entertaining. But then... There was DX.

When DX reunited at Summerslam, they took Legacy under their wing to build them up as a top heel team. DiBiase and Rhodes even made Shawn Michaels, The Main-Event, The Icon, tap out at Breaking Point. Then there were differences...

Two weeks ago, Rhodes pinned DiBiase to get on the RAW team; and then, later on, DiBiase pinned Orton, instead of Cena, to win a tag team match. You never EVER cross the Viper, because you will pay for your actions. And he did, when Orton swore that if he tried to pin him or even fight back... Legacy would be short one member.

DiBiase chose not to fight back. But the intensity and the look in his eyes told the whole story. The fact that DiBiase's whole body was shaking in rage towards Orton, how it looked as if at any second he would explode in a fit of fury and destroy Orton from the face of the ring! DiBiase did shove Orton off his feet, but he chose his path when he waited patiently for the RKO.

Rumors are going around the dirt sheets that DiBiase will be going through a face change, and it almost looked as if that would happen on RAW, but his allegiance still lies with Legacy.

DiBiase once had an actual match against Orton for the WWE Title, and it was a really impressive match. It slowly seems that DiBiase will turn Face in the future, or just one day disband from Legacy on his own.

Side Note: DiBiase will appear on the straight to DVD sequel of The Marine.

South Park Goes WWE

Last night, after the boys of South Park, Colorado went to a WWE Event in Denver, they have found their true calling - to one day be in the WWE.

It's usually how all the wrestlers get into the business, it's the pure majesty of sports entertainment: the lights, sounds, gimmicks, costumes, storylines... It almost resembles the Theatre. Which is the angle that South Park went for, WWE: theatre for red necks.

The match, which the boys saw, was a storyline between John Cena and Edge, possibly during Edge's WWE Title reign. Slight goof: they called Lita, Vanessa instead; and the simple fact that John Cena never slept with Lita in any storyline. That was either borrowed from the real life, then made into storyline, situation between Matt Hardy and Edge; or just thrown in their for the hell of it. Either way, this sparks for some hilarious storylines that the boys come up with.

Stan and the gang decide to roll up into wrestling class at their school, but instead they find themselves in actual matt-wrestling attire. "But where are the cool costumes?" "Maybe they wear this under the costume." This is actually true for some wrestlers: just look at Undertaker, Big Show, Jack Swagger, and Mark Henry. But when the wrestling coach tries to teach the boys some of the wrestling starting positions - its seen as a little less than straight.

Professional wrestling has been usually associated with being a "red-neck" soap opera, which is why it worked so well on South Park. My initial reaction of South Park making a WWE episode was that they were going to attack the art of pro-wrestling, but instead, they celebrated and elevated pro-wrestling to broadway status (with playbills and orchestra seating); while matt-wrestling is just "gay p*rn."

The gimmicks that the boys came up with were obvious in who they were portraying: Cartman was every Russian to ever join WWE; Token was R-Truth; and Kenny was Rey Mysterio, or El Pollo Loco!

WWE wrestling to the boys, and everyone else in the South Park Universe, is not the actual phsyical part, its just storylines and the occassional chair shots. But what really made it all come together was having Mr. McMahon come to the boys' wrestling event to scout the talent.

The backyard wrestling that the boys set up was nicknamed W.T.F., or Wrestling TackDown Federation. A lot of backyard wrestling promotions usually have the words Wrestling or Federation in the title, to mimick the WWF name. Even when the Hardy Boys started out, their promotion was called T.W.F., or Trampoline Wrestling Federation.

The episode was a true classic and one of the cleanest episodes of recent history. It also brought back my favorite gimmick, "They took his job!" The episode was most likely inspired by Mickey Rourke's The Wrestler, since the scene of the boys running through spots was straight from the film. It's definitley a must-see for pro-wrestling fans and South Park fans alike.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Chris Jericho Visits ECW; Yoshi Tatsu Declared #1 Contender

Last Night's ECW became, for one night only, the best in the world at what it does with the arrival of Chris Jericho. His mission, to strengthen his SmackDown team with the best that ECW had to offer.

However, his meeting with GM Tiffany did not go as planned, as she refused to lend her roster over to the aid of SmackDown. If Tiffany did her homework, she would know that if it were not for the help of SmackDown - ECW would not be on the air right now. In 2007 we had what was known as the SmackDown-ECW Talent Exchange, where members of each roster would appear on the other show to boost ratings. And now Tiffany denies the captain of SmackDown, when RAW never bothered to help in the past, from handpicking the best in the land of Extreme?

The first match was a #1 contender's match for the ECW Championship: Zack Ryder vs. Yoshi Tatsu. In recent weeks, Tatsu has been proving himself in the Land of Extreme, and Christian feels that no one is more deserving than Yoshi Tatsu. Ryder has also proven to take Christian to the extreme limits of their abilities - but once you have a shot, it is time to move on. Yoshi Tatsu became the #1 Contender by a combination of an enziguri and a elbow drop-spring board. Aside from Evan Bourne in 2008, Yoshi Tatsu is possibly the youngest, most undeserving superstar to get an ECW Title shot. Veterans who have been in the business for years and will possibly never get a real World Title, deserve a shot at the ECW title. Even Zack Ryder first appeared on ECW as part of the tag team, The Major Brothers. Ryder has become a WWE Tag Team Champion last year and has now undergone a complete gimmick change and honed his wrestling skills. William Regal or Ryder should be contending for the title; but I guess its not enough for ECW.

Next match: Sheamus vs. a local jobber. Sheamus attacked ruthlessly with all the intend on destroying his opponent. Several times during the match, Sheamus pulled away from the cover in order to inflict more damage. It wasn't until Shelton Benjamin made his was to the ring did the real fight begin. These two have a lot of heat towards one another, and a definitive match between these two would prove to be a classic.

The following: Paul Burchill w/ Katie Lee calling out to unmask The Hurricane. It was pretty obvious that Hurricane would send out a double to mess with the Burchills. Paul's promo is really bad; and its not because he's British, cause William Regal cuts great promos. For being the first British OVW Champion, I'd expected better. When Hurricane came out from behind, he started wielding his Hurri-Cane - yes, a metal cane. As the entrance theme states: Watch Out, Cause There's a Hurricane Coming Through.

And the Main Event: ECW Champiom, Christian vs. One-Half of the Unified Tag Team Champions, Chris Jericho. Because of Jericho's continued defiance of the ECW GM, he was placed in this match against the best that ECW had to offer. During his pursuit of making the elite SmackDown team, he looked to William Regal's Ruthless Round table. An interesting exchange of pleasantry's between Regal and Jericho - complimenting one another's suits. This moment was inspired by Barney Stintson, what up! Ergo, Jericho left empty handed. The match between Christian and Jericho was instantly classic, as these two former tag team partners, who have not met inside the squared circle in over 6 years, broke out in a Canadian Brawl. And something that has always bothered me is that both superstars utilize the same lower rope choking maneuver. You know that move, when the opponent falls neck first into the bottom rope and the attacker jumps on the back and uses the top rope as leverage. Well, both superstars used it on the other in this match. They seriously need to come up with a name for that move, because it's too much to have to explain this every time. Christian even broke out of the Walls of Jericho and avoided 2 Lionsaults. It was a quick Killswitch that was engaged for the win. In reality, Jericho had to lose, because what would that say for ECW if the champion can't even defend the pride of the brand?

Final Assessment: RAW couldn't deliver on a Michaels-Jericho match, so they assume that a Christian-Jericho would suffice? Well it didn't, but it was a nice treat.

Next week, Christian defends the title against Yoshi Tatsu.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

J.R. Suffers Third Bell's Palsy Attack

Copied from the World Wrestling Entertainment Website.

SmackDown announcer and WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross is down, but he’s far from out, despite reporting on his blog on jrsbarbq.com Tuesday that he has suffered his third attack from Bell’s palsy.

Bell’s palsy - named for Scottish surgeon Sir Charles Bell, who studied the nerve and its innervation of the facial muscles 200 years ago - is a paralysis or weakness that affects the muscles on one side of the face, often caused by trauma to the seventh cranial nerve. In most cases, the effects are not permanent.

Ross’ first encounter with the condition took place in late January 1994. His second Bell’s palsy attack occurred in late 1998, days after suffering the loss of his mother.

In the first of two blogs he posted Tuesday, Ross reported that he suffered his third Bell’s palsy attack Monday night, during a flight from Oklahoma City to Atlanta. “I was able to reach WWE doctors who were in Jacksonville for Raw,” he wrote, “and they were able to call in the medicines I needed to get started on to slow down the paralysis. Now we just wait and see how the meds work, and Mother Nature takes her course.”

Ross added that he had still intended to handle his SmackDown announcing duties this week, as well as be a part of WWE Bragging Rights this Sunday in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, an hour following his initial statement, the WWE Hall of Famer followed up with a second blog, with the news that his plans had suddenly changed.

“Not the news I wanted to share,” he reported. ”It has been decided that I should not risk further issues by working [SmackDown], and I am in the process of arranging a flight back to [Oklahoma City] so I can see a neurologist on Wednesday.”

Though understandably disappointed, “Good Ol’ J.R.” took the time to thank everyone who was “tremendously supportive of my situation,” and wanted to emphasize one other point to the WWE Universe: “Never count me out of the game, as this isn't the first mountain that I have had to climb. … Better days are on the horizon.”


Cena's Last Night on RAW; Snoop is for Real

It was the final RAW before Bragging Rights and possibly John Cena's final night on RAW, so was it memorable?

RAW was hosted by Gangsta Love himself, SNOOP D O Double G - The white people translation is: rap artist Snoop Dogg. And he brought the party to RAW as he rolled up with three luscious divas as he announced the star-studded matches for tonight's RAW. Seeing as this may be Cena's final night if he loses to Orton on Sunday, he has him going up against Triple H. And since Cena has a match, its only fair that Orton had a match, against the man that pinned him last week, Ted DiBiase. And... Since Triple H has a match, it is only right that Shawn Michaels get to see some action, and that is why Snoop has set him against Chris Jericho in the battle of the Co-Captains!

The night officially kicked off with D-Generation X talking like Snoop Dogg and giving each other an air high-five; thus proving, they are white. They introduced their team for this Sunday, and let's just say, they didn't really see eye to eye. Here you have the World's Largest and the World's Strongest, and a former IC and US Champion, and one of the youngest ECW Champions of all time, and then there's Cody Rhodes... When arguments broke out, Kofi tried to calm everyone down, but he was speaking in regular English. Which made it hilarious when Triple H begged the question, Aren't you suppose to be Jamaican? Ever since Kofi changed his residence of origin from Jamaica to Ghana, West Africa, it was only a matter of time when Kingston would show his true colors - and they are not green, yellow, and black.

The first match consisted of the 5 RAW team members versus another batch of RAW members to determine if there is a weak link amongst the group. And who ever proves to be the weak link will be replaced by the opponent that pinned him: Big Show, WSM, Jack Swagger, Kofi Kingston, and Cody Rhodes vs. Chavo Guerrero, Primo, Chris Masters, MVP, and Evan Bourne. It was more like the battle between RAW and WWE Superstars seeing as, aside from MVP and Chavo, the rest are exclusive to the WWE Superstars show. Did anyone check out the wrestling boots that Primo was sporting? The big red boots of Primo just goes to show that he shouldn't be taken seriously. Over on the RAW Team, Cody Rhodes feels that he can single handily beat the SmackDown team come this Sunday; but Swagger, who tagged himself in, proved that others want in on the action. And no, this is not considered to be 3-0 for Swagger as it was not one-on-one.

The RAW team still remains: DX, Big Show, Mark Henry, Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, and Cody Rhodes.

The next match: WWE Champion, Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase (non-title). Last week, DiBiase lost out on joining the RAW team after being pinned by his partner in a qualifying match. Later on in the night, he took advantage of an opportunity by pinning his mentor in a tag team match. Tonight he would regret the decision as he was forced to do the most humiliating thing a competitor can do, and that is to take a fall. Orton made it clear that if DiBiase were to fight back, he would be gone from Legacy. As much as DiBiase wanted to fight him, beat him into a bloody shriveling mass... He couldn't. DiBiase has the heart of a true competitor, but he just can't leave Legacy just now. DiBiase did get a chance to push Orton down, but he would them wait for the RKO and let his mentor get the win. It's believed that DiBiase will turn face one day and break away from Legacy, but not on this night. This night belonged to Orton.

The next match: John Cena vs. Triple H. You only get to see a match like this once every few years, but this was a match of epic proportions. A match that took over 20 minutes, a fourth of the time that Cena and Orton will have to endure at Bragging Rights... These are the two best in the business. Love him or hate him, John Cena is the face of the WWE, and no one can get a crowd on their feet like he can. Cena has been on RAW for over 5 years and has won the tag team titles twice, and has held 6 World Titles during his tenure. Cena has gone through many opponents, but never anyone like the 13-time World Champion, The Game, Triple H. This match brought out the best in both, and showed that a finisher is not absolute. Triple H broke out of 2 STFs and kicked out of an attitude adjuster. Cena also showed strength by breaking out of the Sharpshooter and 2 Pedigrees, but it was on the 3rd that Cena would get pinned. Its pretty basic knowledge that when one leaves the company, you lose your last match as a thank you to the company. With Cena losing a match billed as his final match may foreshadow that he will lose at Bragging Rights. And for those that asked, my prediction is that Cena will lose and go on to be the top face on SmackDown. And imagine a Cena vs Taker match at WrestleMania 26?

Next match: United States Champion, The Miz vs Marty Jannetty (non-title). With Miz disrespecting Jannetty in recent weeks, Snoop Dogg felt it appropriate to put together this match. Now folks, the last time Marty was on RAW it against Mr. Kennedy, during the Michaels-Kennedy feud. There was no elaborate set up this time, Marty just raced down the ring like Ultimate Warrior with the 80's beat of The Rockers' theme; which sounds more like the opening to Kenny Loggings' Footloose. Marty did cut loose but as fast as he entered the ring, was just as fast as he lost the match. Miz proved to be better than the real Jannetty, but will he have the right to brag this Sunday?

Second to last match: Divas Champion, Melina defends her title against Jillian Hall. Last week, Jillian pinned Mickie to become Divas Champ and then lost to Melina. This rematch was really bad as Jillian was stiff in all of her maneuvers. Short and simple: Melina retained.

Final Match: Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho. Would we get to see another WrestleMania match tonight? Nope! Jericho talked a big deal and brought out the SmackDown team to beat up Michaels, but Triple H brought in the Calvary. So it was a stand off like the start of X-Men: Smackdown vs. RAW. Vickie Guerrero, manager and girlfriend of Eric Escobar tried to stop the confrontation - but since she has zero control over the RAW team, a fight broke out. And this is how RAW ended... Mid-match.

Final Assesment: RAW was great until the Divas Title match and the tease of a Jericho-Michaels confrontation. Even when Snoop Dogg clothelined Chavo and partied with the Divas and Hornswoggle - that was fun. The Cena-Triple H match really delivered on their promise of a history making match on RAW.

Monday, October 19, 2009

DivaWatch: Michelle McCool

Name: Michelle Leigh McCool
Billed Height: 5' 10"
Billed from: Palatka, Florida
Signature Move(s): Faith-Breaker, Big Boot
Highlights: Divas Champion (1 time), Women's Champion (1 time, current)
Entrance Music: "Not Enough for Me" by Jim Johnston

On Friday Night SmackDown, Chris Jericho, captain of the SmackDown team, spoke with McCool on the importance of the SmackDown roster being at their best when dealing with RAW.

McCool responded that she has made history twice, and there is no diva that she can't take on. Mickie and Beth, SmackDown's newest additions, could not fully agree with that statement. Around last year's Survivor Series and the 9th Anniversary of SmackDown, McCool had lost miserably to Beth Phoenix. And during the Diva Bowl 2 weeks ago, Mickie connected with the Mick DDT.

But don't sell McCool too short, she has indeed made history two years in a row at The Bash Pay-per-view. In her first title match, she made the submissions expert, Natalya, tap out with the MADT (Armbar takedown) and became the inaugural Divas' Champion. She then pinned Melina to become the Women's Champion and first Diva to have won both Womens' Titles in the WWE. She is also the current longest reigning champion in the company.

However, her finisher The Faith Breaker is copied from TNA's AJ Styles' Styles Plex. As of late, WWE has been slowly taking things from TNA to boost up their wrestlers: ie. Striker calls Shelton Benjamin, The Blue Print, a name that belongs to Matt Morgan.

Two weeks ago, in a match against Eve Torres, McCool introduced a new finisher The Big Boot. It's a standard boot to the face that we've seen giants like Kane, Taker, and Mike Knox use on a regular, but this is really big for a diva to have. McCool sold it perfectly against Eve, let's see if she can continue to do so in every match.

Jericho's pep talk is most likely setting up for a Women's vs. Divas' Champions Match at Bragging Rights. So we will most likely see another Melina-McCool match: but can McCool continue to best Melina, or will the new Divas' Champion finally come out on top?