Sunday, December 18, 2011

TLC 2011 Results

From Baltimore MD, the WWE brings us the last PPV of the year, and it's sans John Cena!! This was a PPV I was really looking forward to, a lot of great matches set up, and it turned out to have some big highs, and some very low lows. 


Zack Ryder def Dolph Ziggler via Pin
6.7/ 10 What a great opening match, full of fast paced action and last minute counters. The crowd was really into this match, and deservedly so. In the end, I hate to see Ziggler lose the belt, but I hope this means he will be moving on ti bigger and better things, Royal Rumble anyone? 


Air Boom def Primo & Epico via Pin
5.5/10  Oh that's right, we do have Tag Team Champions. A Decent match, both teams seemed to work well together, not a whole lot more to say about this match that was added at the last minute. 


Randy Orton def Wade Barrett by RKOing him through a Table
7/10  This was a pretty good tables match, a lot of close calls, and some pretty unique attempts. The finish is really what gave this match the high score, Randy's laying on a table and as Barrett comes down off the top rope, Orton pops up and hits the RKO in midair, amazing. 


Beth Phoenix def Kelly Kelly via Pin
2/10 A lot of people think I'm too harsh on the Divas, to those people I say sit through this match, then say that to my face. This was on of if not the, worst match I've very seen. The start of the match is just complete, unrealistic crap, then the crowd is so quite, we can actually hear Beth yelling at Kelly when she misses her ques for a roll up and a counter. The fact that someone as talented as Phoenix has to get in there and babysit some one as hapless as Kelly Kelly is just sad. They better give me Phoenix vs Natty at WM28, they owe me after this match.


Triple H def Kevin Nash via Pin
7.8/10 This was one of the most brutal ladder matches I've ever seen, which was how we all knew it would go down, although you can't really compare this to other ladder matches, because the ladders were mostly used for beat downs. No one even attempted to climb a ladder for at least 10 minutes. The ending was sledge-tastic, yeah that's right, sledge-tastic. 


Sheamus def Jack Swagger via Pin
6/10 This was another last minute addition to the show and a pretty standard Sheamus match, which is in no way a bad thing. I would have liked to see Swagger get a win, since a loss wouldn't really hurt Sheamus, where as another loss keeps pushing Swagger down.


Big Show def Mark Henry via Pin
5.5/10  A pretty short match, and not the worst offering between the two men, I'm looking at you Survivor Series. Show hits a WMD pins Henry and wins his first World Championship in 9 years. Henry gets up, beats Show with a chair, then lands a DDT onto a pile of chairs which leads to.


Daniel Bryan def Big Show via Pin
N/A I wish I could rate this, because I liked it, and it would add to the overall score of the PPV, and while technically it was a match, there wasn't a single move applied, other then a pin. it was a good pin, should I rate the pin? IDK let me know in the comments.


So Daniel Bryan is our new World Heavyweight Champion. I really would have liked to see him wait and cash the MITB at Wrestlemania, but i am glad to see him have the belt.


Cody Rhodes def Booker T via Pin
6.5/10  They kept teasing us that this match might not happen, and I'm very glad it did as this is one of the matches i was really looking forward to. It was a good match and Booker T looked pretty good up until the end when he looked very winded and even had a hard time finishing the spin-a-rooni. In the end, Rhodes puts away a veteran as he takes one more step up the ladder and Booker T has a great one final match.


CM Punk def The Miz & Alberto Del Rio in a Triple Threat TLC Match
8.3/10  This was the best ladder match of the year. A ton of action, very innovative offence with the weapons, and has the best use of handcuffs in a match, ever. The ending is pulse pounding and works very well. 


6.14/10 All in all this was a really good show, that had just one really bad element that took it down. With 9 matches it's one of the fullest booked shows of the year. The crowd started hot but it seems like the got burned out after the opening match because they were very quiet throughout the rest of the show till the main event when they came back to life. 

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Required Viewing #1

This is a new feature I've been thinking about doing for a little while now, it's all about documentaries, and older PPV's that should not be missed by any wrestling fan.

THE UNREAL STORY OF PRO WRESTLING - 1998


This is a documentary that aired in 1998 on A&E. It is narrated by Steve Allen and covers wrestling beginnings all the way up to the Monday Night Wars. Much of the current footage was shot in 1997 from both WWF and WCW.

It talks about wrestling as a legitimate sport post Civil War, but controversy and long match times killed it, only to be replaced with performers, who used to wrestle on the road in carnivals.  The carnival operators carved out territories for themselves and became promoters. In The 1920's The Gold Dust Trio of wrestler Ed "Strangler" Lewis, manager Bill Sandow and promoter "Toots" Mondt formed and they made wrestling what it is today, putting multiple, shorter, more exciting matches on one card. Mondt developed an array of flashy crowd pleasing moves, many of which are still used today. But it's popularity didn't last long when a scorned promoter spilled the beans about it being fake. But the late 40's saw wrestling's rebirth when it came to television.

There are so many legends talking about the old days, Lou Thesz, Harley Race, "Killer" Kowalski, Verne Gagne, Classy Freddie Blassie, The Fabulous Moolah, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Vince McMahon, Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, everyone in this. And they talk about the careers of some of the greats, like Lou Thesz, Gorgeous George, Buddy Rodgers, they ever talk about a man named Handsome Jim Londos, who wasn't very talented in the ring but was still able to get over with the fans, especially the women because of his good looks, now who does that sound like?

This is a great documentary and should not be missed, it is available on Netflix.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Goodbye John Morrison

In case you weren't already aware, John Morrison's WWE Contract expires Wednesday, which means Miz beating him down on Raw and 'injuring' him, will likely be the last we see of him for a while. I for one am not surprised that is came to this, I am disappointed in Morrison for several reasons. Here's the situation.

From what I've heard the issues surrounding Morrison started at Wrestlemania 27, when he blatantly snubbed Trish Stratus after their victory, she goes in for a hug, he subtly moves away. Rumor has it this was spawned by Melina who is dating Morrison, feeling snubbed by WWE because they picked Stratus instead of her. But you really can't blame them, because Melina is a talent-less hack, with a horse face, and Trish is a 7 time women's champion.

Right after the WM incident it comes out that Vince has no respect for Morrison because of the way he handled a situation in which Melina is said to have cheated on Morrison with Batista. Vince is said to have said that a real man would have fought Batista and ended it with Melina, Morrison did neither,

Morrison was also criticized for the way he wrestles, which looks more like he's performing and less like he's fighting, although I must say his match with Miz looked like a fight. It was said that Morrison would not win the WWE title, because of these things. And what did Morrison do? Did he stay and eat shit and work his way up from the bottom, like Triple H in 1996? No, left the company, most likely to join TNA where he'll probably become Champion within a year.

I'm not going to get into what I think about TNA, needless to say I have no respect for a company that would even allow someone to go out and compete in the condition Jeff Hardy was at Victory Road 2011.

I am just really disappointed in Morrison's character, or lack there of, to be so ungrateful of everything the WWE has done for him, and to still be with that skank, who blames everyone else for everything wrong in their lives. It's sad.

What are your thoughts on the situation? Where do you think Morrison will go next?

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Who's Returning in 2012?

So, I don't know if you've been as annoyed as I've been when WWE became so obsessed with Twitter that they started showing an on screen marker of what Superstar, match or saying is trending. But on both Monday and Friday's shows, the one showing @WWE #Raw during Sheamus vs Jack Swagger and @WWE # Smackdown during Ryder & Sheamus vs Ziggler & Swagger, showed a lot of static, and a hidden message.

The message reads youtube.com/user/itbegins2012. That website shows this video:


The kid in the video says that "He" will return on the second day of 2012, which just happens to be a Monday, "To claim what's rightfully His."

So obviously someone is returning to Raw, but who? Undertaker is the first person on my mind, he normally comes back around Wrestlemania time, but he's in good health and may be coming back a little early. Another possibility and the one I personally hope to see is Jericho. He's talked about coming back at some point in time, he wanted to take some time off to tour the UK with Fozzy, but they have no tour dates for 2012, although they are currently planning a summer tour, plus Jericho has used secret codes and hidden messages to hype his arrival and return in the past. Another possibility however unlikely, is Batista. He left after WM 26, to go into MMA, although that never happened, he has since talked about returning to the WWE.

Who do you think/hope it will be?

Monday, November 21, 2011

Survivor Series 2011 Results

Hey everyone, sorry it took me so long to get these up, right after the PPV last night I went right back on to Dead Island, I love that game.

Anyway as you know, last night was a the 25th Survivor Series, it was a huge night mainly because it marked the in ring return of The Rock after a 7 year absence from the WWE.

Dolph Ziggler def John Morrison via Pin
7/10 Great match to start the night, JoMo and Zig have contrasting style, Morrison being a flyer and Ziggler being a more technical wrestling, but they mix the two very well. The action is fast paced and spot on. This is also the first match of Ziggler's second back to back double booked ppvs, which I think shows how much faith WWE has in Ziggler, and rightfully so.

Beth Phoenix def Eve via Pin
3/10 I'm being a little generous with that score, this match was one of the worst Divas matches of all time. This match redefines the bathroom break. The only saving grace was the Glam Slam from the top rope at the end.

Team Barrett def Team Orton w/ Wade Barrett & Cody Rhodes Surviving 
6/10 A Decent Match, it started pretty good, with Ziggler, but then Sin Cara flubbed a dive over the top rope and tore a patella tendon. It took quite a while for action to resume, and everyone on Orton's team seemed a half beat off for a little while. But they got back on track, and finished the match, it just lacked something.

Big Show def Mark Henry via DQ
5/10 Another match filled to the brim with punches, headbutts and rest holds. Henry retains the title with a swift kick to the groin.

CM Punk def Alberto Del Rio via Submission
7/10 Great match, but I was expecting better. It was technically sound, with great ring psychology, and told a good story. I didn't expect Punk to win, I thought after Del Rio put away Cena last month he would have held onto the title at least till TLC. They will have a return match at TLC, I  hope they get the TLC match.

The Rock & John Cena def The Miz & R-Truth via Pin
8/10 This was pretty much what I was expecting it to be, which is kinda of a let down. The Rock starts off to show that he still has it squaring off against both Miz and Truth, hitting moves lighting fast. Then Cena tags in, stays in for WAAAAAAAAYYYYYY to long, having the usual 'Cena get's beat down for 20 minutes but never gives up' match. Then Rock comes in cleans house and picks up the win.

Post match, a situation arose that would have been the perfect place for Cena to go heel, The Rock's in the middle of the ring, soaking up the cheers, Cena's walking up the ramp, leaving when Rock calls him back to the ring. Rock goes up the turnbuckle getting cheers, Cena goes up and gets boos. Cena should have embraced the boos, hit the AA & beat down the Rock, but no, Cena's a little bitch, so he just stands there with the look that reads "I'm embarrassed that everyone hates me, but i'm going to act like it doesn't bother me" and takes the Rock Bottom that EVERYONE knew was coming.

Survivor Series 2011 6/10 Not a bad PPV, one that will be remembered for a long time due to the Rocks appearance.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

DVD Review WWE's Greatest Rivals: Shawn vs Bret

In case you've been living under a rock, or never bothered to learn the history of the WWE, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart had one of the most heated rivalry's, with some of the most amazing matches of all time, which ended in one of, if not THE most controversial moment in WWE History. This 3 disc DVD set tells the story of that rivalry.

Let me start off by saying that this is one of the best DVD sets WWE has ever put out. Disc 1 features a 2 hour interview conducted by good ol' JR in which both men talk about everything from getting to the WWE, starting off in the tag team division, and being friends as they broke out into singles. I will say this as a warning, if you like to believe everything that has been said about how personal this feud was, and how these guys really hated each other, then don't watch this DVD, because up till the end, they admit neither one really had a problem with the other. I won't give away to much, because it really is interesting to watch, I could have sat through a few more hours of them talking, and of course they do cover the Montreal Screw Job in great depth, about 45 minutes is spent on the back story then match and the backlash.

Another reason this is a great DVD set is the comprehensive extras, just about everything is included here including 2 tag team matches The Rockers vs The Hart Foundation, one from MSG the other from Tokyo. The Iron Man match from Wrestlemania 12, Champion vs Champion at Survivor Series 92, The Ladder Match from Wrestling Classic 92, and of course Survivor Series 97. as well as a lot of the promos mentioned in the interview, both men's induction into the Hall of Fame, Bret's return to Raw from 2010, and a really cool collection of the three of them talking between takes. The Blu-Ray has even more features.

All in all this is a definite buy, go out and add this to your collection now.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

A Few Notes About Friday's Smackdown

I don't hide the fact that I'm a Monday Night Raw fan. I think it's got the best talent, has the better story-lines, and is consistently on a better level. But how good was Smackdown on Friday? I'll admit the promos from Mark Henry and Big Show where not on par with what you find on Raw, but the in ring action was top notch.

Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight
What a match, these guys went at it for damn near 30 minutes, non stop. The match was exciting, very well put together, and even though the ending was a little predictable, there where quite a few times when I thought Rhodes was going to get the win. I've said it before, but Rhodes has been on the top of his game this year and this program with Orton should bring him up to the next level.

Ted Dibiase vs Tyson Kidd
These guys have been going at it on Superstars as of late, and have been having some good matches together, so it was nice to see them bring it to the show. Again, as you know, I'm a big fan of DiBiase, and even though he's had trouble in the past, he looked great in that match. In my eyes he's needed to step up the level of aggression in his matches, and I think he stepped up.

Sheamus vs Wade Barrett
I'm really glad that Christian wasn't able to compete after the choke slam, because it lets Wade Barrett take a big step in his career by going against, and getting a win from Sheamus.

Sin Cara vs Epico
I love that WWE is bringing back some cruiser-weight wrestlers, here's a little information about the new guys in case you didn't know. Epico is actually Orlando Colon, that's right, another Colon, Also known as Tito Colon, he's the cousin of Carlito and Primo. He and Hunico have teamed together before, they were 2 time Tag Team Champions in FCW where they were both masked competitors. I wish they'd kept the masks on when they came to WWE, I'm a bit of a purist, and if you're going to let Rey put his mask back on, after it was taken off in WCW, then let them keep theirs.

I skipped the Divas match, I'm not gonna lie.

Daniel Bryan vs Mark Henry
Every since D Bryan won Money in the Bank he's been on a steep decline, but it's not in any way his fault. WWE used how over he is, which his deserves, to push Sin Cara Negro, and even set up the Sin Cara vs Sin Cara. I don't think he's even won a match since MITB, and in my opinion, a big win over Henry would have kicked him all the way back up to the top, just like that. I really like how he's pledged to cash in MITB at Wrestlemania and I was super pissed when he almost cashed it in on Friday.

All in all this was a great episode, this ones going in the collection. I'll be back tomorrow, I've got a bunch of stuff lined up including a review of the DVD WWE's Greatest Rivals: Shawn vs Bret, spoiler alert- It's Amazing, and I'll also have a review of the biggest hyped show of the year, WrestleMania 27.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Vengeance 2011 Results

Another great show is in the books, filled with some great matches, and big surprises, enough with the intro, here we go.

Air Boom def Dolph Ziggler & Jack Swagger via Pin
5/10 Not as good as their match at HIAC, the pace has been slowed down dramatically by Swagger and Ziggler (or Zwaggler if you will) who dominated the majority of the match. In the end Ziggler takes Trouble in Paradise and Air Bourne for the loss, which leads straight to...

Dolph Ziggler def Zack Ryder via Pin
5/10 That's right, Ziggler's second match of the night. Ryder is on the offensive for the first half, until Ziggler gets his second wind and goes back to what he does best, dominate. I get why fans like Ryder, wait, no, I don't. He's goofy and his show is kinda funny in a really dumb way, but in ring he's just not that good, which really brings the score down, which sucks for Ziggler because he had two solid performances 

Beth Phoenix def Eve via Pin
6/10 Don't adjust your monitor, or get your eyes checked, I really did score it 6/10. I was floored by how good this match was. It's got great back and forth action, lots of high spots, some unique submission moves, and everything is pulled off really well. Eve really surprised me.

Sheamus def Christian via Pin
6.5/10 Much better showing then their HIAC opening bout. Christian takes a beating by Sheamus, but holds his own and even comes close to the win. Not much else to say, just a solid match.

The Miz & R-Truth def Triple H & CM Punk
7.5/10 Classic Tag Team wrestling by three guys who at the top of their profession, and R-Truth. I tease, but he actually looked pretty good during the match, everyone did. Punk and Trips seemed to be having fun working together as they joked around a bit in the first half. Kevin Nash returned through the crowd, attacking Triple H, which caused the distraction which cost Punk the match. Post match Nash power bombed  Triple H in the middle of the ring before retreating through the crowd.

Randy Orton def Cody Rhodes via Pin
7.5/10 Great match by two of the best. Fast paced action, solid storytelling, great ring psychology Cody Rhodes does two of the best looking moonsaults since Kurt Angle. This could be the match that pushed Rhodes to the next level, I can't think of a better person to help him get there. I look forward to this feud lasting a while.

Mark Henry and The Big Show Fight to a Draw
5/10 Coming in I had rather low expectations and for most of the match those expectations were met. It was very slow, lots of punches and headbutts and rest holds. As the match neared the end, the pace actually picked up, the opposite of what you'd expect with two big guys, and then, they lost me. Back in 2002 Big Show fought Brock Lesnar on Smackdown, Lesnar superplexed Show off the top turnbuckle, I think you know where I'm going with this. The exact same thing happened. The EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN. Exactly the same, the way the ring broke was the same, it just felt so cheap and rehashed. I agree that if any two guys could break the ring it would be Henry and Show, it makes a lot more sense then Show and Lesnar who came in around the same weight as The Rock.

Alberto Del Rio def John Cena via Count Out in a Last Man Standing Match
8.5/10 This was one of the best Last Man Standing matches I've ever seen, probably the best since Triple H vs Jericho at Fully Loaded 2000. The match starts inside the collapsed ring, and most of the action takes place there, but the unique layout makes for some very unique opportunities, such as Cena throwing Del Rio from inside the ring, into the crowd barricade. The match moves to the back for some big spots then back out to the arena for a great table shot and a solid finish. A little interference from The Awesome Truth sets up Cena's next feud but Del Rio's the one who keeps Cena down and gets a relatively clean win (I mean it is NO DQ).

6.37/10 Another in a long line of solid Pay Per Views from WWE this year (Capitol Punishment being the exception).

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Elimination Chamber 2011 Review

Once again it's time to review a Pay Per View from earlier this year, today it's February's Elimination Chamber!

Alberto Del Rio def Kofi Kingston via Submission
5/10  This one starts out slow, but picks up the pace and ends up being very exciting. A decent start to the show, but it could have been better.

Edge def Rey Mysterio, Wade Barrett, Kane, Big Show & Drew McIntyre 
Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship
8/10 Edge and Rey start and finish the match together and really bring the match up to the next level. Everyone involved really steps it up and the match is very well put together.

Heath Slater & Justin Gabriel def Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov via Pin
5/10 This is a fairly good match. As funny as Santino is, he and Kozlov really brought down the Tag Team Championships. Slater & Gabriel have great chemistry as a team and it makes sense why this is their third run as Champions.

There is no Divas match on the card, however a returning Trish Stratus does throw down with Lay-Cool, in 6 inch High Heels BTW, and even though she does show some signs of ring rust, it's still entertaining.

The Miz def Jerry Lawler via Pin to retain the WWE Championship
6.5/10 When I first heard this would be the title match, I cringed. Jerry Lawler is 61 years old, and the fact that in previous encounters Miz, The WWE Champion, has needed help from two other people to retain his title is just pathetic. Now, having said that, in this match Lawler doesn't look that bad for his age. Miz really puts him over, and in the end beats him clean.

John Cena def Randy Orton, R- Truth, CM Punk, John Morrison & Sheamus
Elimination Chamber Match for the No 1 Contender spot at Wrestlemania 27
8.5/10 JoMo and Sheamus, who had my favorite series at the end for 2010, start the match and click just like they have before. This match is big, brutal and amazing. R-Truth was clearly only in the match to fill it out as he only lasts 1 minute and 7 seconds, although he does pull of some decent moves in that time. Morrison clearly shines the brightest, starting the match and making it to the final three, and pulling of some of the most amazing moves in a Chamber match, including climbing to the top of the Chamber and crashing down HARD on Sheamus. It really is a shame Cena won, I would have much rather seen Miz vs Morrison in the Main Event of WM27.

6.6/10 Not surprisingly, this is the highest rated PPV so far, with no Divas match, and no really bad match to bring the score down.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Top 5 Submission Finishers

Here we go again, it's Wednesday, which means it's time for another Top 5 list, this week the topic is Top 5 Submission Finishing Moves.

Everyone loves a good submission move, one that looks excruciating, twisting the body in ways it was never meant to go, the drama of will they tap out, will they make it to the ropes in time? Here are my favorite.

5. The Rings of Saturn
Used by the utterly insane  Perry Saturn in WCW and WWE, he locks one arm behind the person with his legs, and the other behind the person with his arms. Ouch!


4. Sharpshooter
Bret Hart perfected this move, which has been used by almost everyone from Owen Hart to Shawn Michaels to The Rock.


3. Lion Tamer
A modified Boston Crab used by Chris Jericho throughout WCW and occasionally in WWE where he had to modify it for the bigger opponents he was facing into the Walls of Jericho, but there is a huge difference. Notice his knee right in the back of the neck.



2. La Belle Lock
I was going to go with the Crippler Crossface for number 2, but the La Belle Lock is very similar and a little more painful as the arm is actually locked in the legs at an awkward angle.


1. Figure Four Leg Lock
I defy you to find one person who hasn't submitted to this move. Legends have turned into weeping little babies by this move. Used by many superstars, but one name is synonymous with it, Ric Flair. The greatest World Champion this business has ever seen used this move to perfection throughout his almost 40 year Hall of Fame career. Plus is was the first and to my knowledge, only move that ever made my friend Will tap out. And then cry. Like a little girl. ;-)


Well, there you have it, my Top 5 Submission Finishers, i hope you enjoyed it. What are your Top 5, please comment and follow.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Royal Rumble 2011 Results

As I said in a previous post, every Sunday I will be going back and reviewing an old Pay Per View, starting with this years. So to kick it off tonight we have Royal Rumble 2011.

Edge def Dolph Ziggler via Pin World Heavyweight Championship
7/10  This was a great match to start the show, with exciting back and forth action they really worked well together. The Ziggler Edge feud was really well done, I just wish it had culminated to a better conclusion.

The Miz def Randy Orton via Pin WWE Championship
6/10 The match is solid, it just doesn't tell a compelling story till the end. I also don't like how Miz never really gets a legitimate win over Orton, I mean he's the WWE Champion and he pretty much didn't get a straight up win his entire run.

Eve def Layla, Michelle McCool & Natalya Divas Championship
4/10 One of the better Divas matches, there is constant action, and a lot of the moves are pulled off well. The two highlights are the double Sharpshooter put on Eve and Layla by Natalya, and Eve's beautiful moonsault that won the match.

Alberto Del Rio wins 40 Man Royal Rumble Match
8/10 One of the better Royal Rumble matches in recent memory. Here are some of my favorite highlights.
*Danial Bryan and CM Punk start the match and have great chemistry together, and when William Regal enters the match it brings it up to another level.
*Zack Ryder gets a huge, unexpected pop.
*John Morrison getting knocked off the apron, onto the guard rail, then jumping back to the ring, is one the most amazing things I've ever seen in all of wrestling.
*I loved seeing Chavo try the Three Amigos four times before his pulls off the third suplex.
*The middle of the match gets a little controversial, and I have mixed feelings about it. The New Nexus clears the ring and eliminates people one at a time as they enter the match. I like this because it's solid strategy, and serves Punk well, I don't like it because I'm kind of a traditionalist. I like the Royal Rumble being every man for himself. I like having a ring full of guys that get tossed out one at a time.
*The Celtic Connection looked good and worked well together, maybe one day we'll see them together again.
*The Rumble always has a few surprise participants and this year it was Booker T and Diesel, both coming out to a huge pop and looking pretty good in the ring.

Overall score- 6.25/10 So far my highest ranked PPV of the year. Defiantly a solid show, and worth another look and a purchase.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Hell In A Cell Results

Hell in a Cell has come and gone, overall I thought it was a pretty good ppv, I don't know why I didn't have big expectations going into it, probably because the short time in between ppv's didn't allow for story lines to develop.

Sheamus def Christian via Pin
5/10 Not a bad opening match, but it never really takes off and Sheamus looks winded and out of it through out the second half.

Sin Cara Blue def Sin Cara Black via Pin
6/10  For those of you who don't know, Sin Cara Blue is the original, you can tell by the little bit of blonde hair out the back of his mask. The other Sin Cara is Hunico, a developmental talent from FCW. This was a great lucha libre match up, but it did slow down in the middle.

Air Boom def Jack Swagger & Dolph Ziggler via Pin
7/10  This is what the tag team division needs to be. This was a great match, exciting action, lots of high spots. I really like seeing Swagger and Ziggler team up and I hope they keep it up and even have a run as Champions. I can see these two teams mixing it up again and again.

Mark Henry def Randy Orton via Pin
4/10  This was a boring match, save for a small flurry of offense by Orton. It was slow, methodical, and boring. Unfortunately, this is about the best you're going to get from Mark Henry.

Cody Rhodes def John Morrison via Pin
6/10  This was an impromptu match made while Cody came out to discard the current IC belt and bring out the old one, and it was a solid match. Cody Rhodes has been on the top of his game all year and brings it yet again in this match, which is not to take anything away from JoMo. Of all the matches tonight, this one told the best story.

Beth Phoenix def Kelly Kelly via Pin
3/10  The low point of the ppv, Beth finally gets her hands on the Divas title, it's bullshit that it took three tries and the help of Natty to get there. What ever happened to the Beth Phoenix who dominated everyone, the one who bent Melina like a pretzel and beat her in the head with her own foot? That's the Phoenix I want to see.

Alberto Del Rio def John Cena & CM Punk via Pin
9/10 This was an Epic match. This is what a main event match should be. Del Rio dominated both men throughout most of the match and came up with an ingenious way to take Cena out of the equation, which always makes me happy.

After the match The Miz and R-Truth, who had been kicked out of the arena several times throughout the night, got into the Hell in a Cell and owned everybody, Del Rio, Cena, Punk, the refs, the camera men. Every superstar ran out to try to get inside the Cell, and when the police where finally able to cut the chain and get inside Miz and Truth surrendered without a fight. As they where being escorted to the back Triple H comes out of nowhere and attacks them. It was wonderfully executed and a great way to end the show.

 Overall 5.7/10  The Divas match and Mark Henry really brought down the score, because the show was quite good besides them.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Looking for That Breakout Star

There are a few years that, when you look back, were pretty much owned by certain Superstars, 2000 was Triple H, 2001 Austin, 2008 Jericho, 2009 was Orton. But who's stepped up this year?

When the year started, it looks like it was going to be great for the new guys. The Miz was WWE Champion, Dolph Ziggler was having some amazing matched for the World Heavyweight Championship, Alberto Del Rio was in line to fulfill his 'destiny', then it all kind of fell apart.

The Miz lost the Championship right after Wrestlamania, and pretty much dropped off the radar, losing to his protege over and over again. I understand how it pushes Riley, but Miz was just coming up himself, he never really had that great match that defined him as Champion.

In what was probably the laziest, most uninspired writing I've ever seen, the World Heavyweight Title is stripped from Edge, handed to Ziggler, stripped from Ziggler, then awarded back to Edge, all within about an hour. The worst part is that this happened only a week before the Elimination Chamber PPV. How much better would it have been if the title was vacant and the Chamber match would determine the Champion.

Despite this horrible ending to what was a great feud between Ziggler and Edge, Dolph has still shinned throughout the year, when ever he's booked he's great on the mic and solid in ring.

Del Rio seems to be stuck in purgatory with WWE. Every time he gets close to the top, they slide him down a few notches. He wins the Royal Rumble, but doesn't win at Wrestlemania. Gets another shot at the now vacant title, loses to Christian and drops from the title picture altogether. Wins MITB, cashes it in, is WWE Champion, until Cena comes along and wins his 12th World Championship. Del Rio needs work on the mic, I'll give you that, but performance wise, he's been excellent.

Jack Swagger is so close to greatness, he just needs a slightly better gimmick and an opportunity. He's a big guy, but he can move, he's a legitimate athlete, who's good on the mic, but he's been booked as a joke as of late.

Cody Rhodes has done nothing but shine this past having great matches with everyone he's stepped into the ring with. Many people are predicting he'll main event before the end of the year, and I for one can't wait for it.

Ted DiBiase is one of these guys who gets lost in the shuffle. Playing the younger version of his father didn't work out to well for him last year, but he looks good as a face. I really hope these DiBiase Posse Parties help him get over with the fans and he has an opportunity to shine in the ring.

CM Punk has had a banner year, although a lot of it has been under hyped. He had a great series with Randy Orton at Wrestlemania and Extreme Rules, had the Match of the Night at Capital Punishment, but no one really took notice until Money in the Bank. If he can keep up this momentum who know where it could take him.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Top 5 Superstars Who Should Have Won The WWE Championship

This was actually a pretty easy list to come up with a fill, the tough part is ranking who should have gone where, so if your favorite didn't make #1, I'm sorry. This is just my opinion of the guy who should been at the top.

5. Ricky Steamboat.
 Having a total of 26 titles reigns, including 1 as NWA World Heavyweight Champion and 1 WWE Intercontinental Champion Ricky is one of the best to ever step foot in the ring. His match with Macho Man Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 3 was the undisputed match of the year and one of the greatest matches of all time.

4. Curt Hennig.
  Despite bringing the importance of Intercontinental Championship to the level of the WWE Championship, Hennig never won the big one, although he did challenge for it several times throughout the big three organizations.

3. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
 A multiple time United States Champion, 1 time Intercontinental Champion, Piper is considered one of the best heels, ever. He's also known as one of the best talkers ever, his Hall of Fame career wouldn't have been what is was without Piper's Pitt.

2. Ted DiBiase.
 The First WWF North American Heavyweight Champion (which combined with the South American Heavyweight Championship formed The Intercontinental Championship), Often cited as one of the best in ring technicians of all time, DiBiase came closer then anyone else on the list to holding the WWE Championship, purchasing it from Andre The Giant after he defeated Hulk Hogan on Feb 5, 1988. However the WWE does not recognize this reign since the WWE Championship cannot be handed to someone.

1. Owen Hart.
 The only person on this list who has not yet been inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, Owen won the Intercontinental Championship twice, European Championship once, the Tag Team Championship 4 times and unofficially won the WWE Championship from his brother Bret Hart during a lumberjack match (The match was ordered to continue and Bret won, retaining his title.) Owen died on May 23rd 1999 in one of the worst in-ring accidents in the history of wrestling, falling 78 feet from a harness in the rafters to the ring.

Honorable Mention
 I would like to throw out a few names that didn't make it to my Top 5, but do deserve recognition.
British Bulldog, Don Muraco, Dusty Rhodes, Hardcore Holly. 


Who are in your Top 5?

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Update

Ok everyone, after a crazy week of work, hauling a couch, two birthdays and a weekend out of town I'm back and things should be more regular from here on in. a few quick notes, I've decided to change from a scale of 5 to a scale of 10, that allows for more accurate ratings. Also, at the end of each year I will be ranking the Pay Per Views by their mean match score. So without further a due here is the updated Night of Champions score.

Air-Boom def The Awesome Truth via DQ 4/10
Cody Rhodes def Ted DiBiase via Pin 5/10
Dolph Ziggler wins Fatal Four Way 7/10
Mark Henry def Randy Orton via Pin 5/10
Kelly Kelly def Beth Phoenix via Pin 3/10
John Cena def Alberto Del Rio via Pin 4/10
HHH def CM Punk via Pin 8/10


Night of Champions: 5.1/10


Also, from here on out, EVERY Sunday I will be reviewing a PPV. If there isn't one live, I'll take a look at an old one, and every time I finish a year of PPV's I'll rank them in order by score, and when I have enough years done, I'll start ranking the years by average PPV score. It's gonna be a hoot.

Every Friday I'll be doing a weekly wrap up, all my thoughts on Raw, NXT (yes that show is still going on) and Smackdown, ( And Superstars if they decide to post it on the website.) as well as any news, or rumors buzzing around.

Last but not least, every Wednesday I'll do a Top 5 list, anything from Top 5 ppv matches from a certain year to Top 5 heels with three or more elements in their name, e.i. Rowdy Roddy Piper or John Bradshaw Layfield. There is a ton of material there, and if you have any list suggestions, please comment, or if you have anything to add, please comment, or if you love the blog, or if you hate the blog, please comment. It lets me know where I stand and how I can make it better.

Till next time, Head for the Hills!!!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

A Little Bit About Me.

Hey everyone, I just wanted to do a quick post for those of you who don't know me, my history with wrestling, and why I wanted to start this blog.

Fist off, I'm 30 years old, live in the future site of the WWE Hall of Fame, and headquarters to WWE's developmental organization FCW, Tampa, FL. with my girlfriend. I manage a few apartment buildings by day, and I write by night. I've written several screenplays, a few of which are in different stages of development by an independent film studio out here. Oh yeah one more thing, I LOVE Pro Wrestling!

I first got into wrestling in October 1999. The first episode of Raw I watched was the night after the No Mercy ppv, Triple H was the WWE Champion, The Hardy Boyz and Edge & Christian had just had arguably the best ladder match in history, and Chyna had just become the first ever female Intercontinental Champion. I was hooked.

I couldn't get enough, I would start watching WCW Nitro at 8, switch over to the good show at 9, then back for the second half of the Nitro replay at 11. 2000 was probably one of my top 5 favorite years in wrestling, oh yes, that's a future blog right there. At a certain point, I decided that this was something I wanted to do, so I packed up everything I owned and moved up to North Carolina where I had an old friend who needed a roommate. We both loved wrestling, and at one point I think we were both going to train, join the WWE as a Tag Team, but, despite some awesome matches we had in the living room of our apartment, nothing ever happened.

I moved back and forth from NC to Tampa a few times, fell in an out of wrestling during that time, till 2007 when I reconnected with previously mentioned friend, and we started watching wrestling and PPVs again. And I was hooked, again. Triple H had just returned, Jericho was coming back, Randy Orton was Champion, wrestling was good again. 2008 was probably my favorite year in wrestling so far.

I've been watching every week ever since, I've been collecting ppvs on dvd, even the ones they never released I've had to make myself, but I have almost all of them. I've met a few superstars, Flair, Big Show, Eddie Guerrero, Sheamus, All of which will be on future posts.

I write this blog because I love wrestling, and I was to share that with everyone who wants to read it. I have very strong opinions about the way things are being done, and maybe, just maybe my voice will be heard, I know it's a slim chance, but it's better then doing nothing at all.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Night of Champions Results

I'm not going to give a move by move break down of the nights matches, just the results, my rating and my thoughts.

Air Boom def. The Awesome Truth via DQ
2/5 The match was solid, with a few missteps by Truth and Bourne, until the end. First of all, Air Boom are the good guys, and faking a tag a move for the Heels. Second I'm never a fan of bad officiating dictating the result of a match.

Cody Rhodes def Ted DiBiase via Pin
3/5  I would have liked to see DiBiase a little more aggressive but a solid effort from both men. I look forward to these two having a great series together.

Dolph Ziggler def Alex Riley, Jack Swagger & John Morrison via Pin
4/5  Exciting match, everyone looked really good. Jack Swagger was dominating, like an athlete his caliber should be, and John Morrison was amazing. Highlight of the match for me was JoMo drop kicking Ziggler to the outside and turning it into a moonsault landing on Swagger.

Mark Henry def Randy Orton via Pin
3/5  Match started slow, picking up a little bit when Orton got on the offensive. I wasn't really impressed with Henry's win, yes he was dominant, yes he got the job done, it just wasn't exciting to watch. Hopefully Henry and Sheamus will reignite at Hell in a Cell, I would love to see them going at it in Hell in a Cell, but with it being so close I'm expecting a rematch with Orton.

Kelly Kelly def Beth Phoenix via Pin
2/5  I'm being a little generous with that score because I really like Beth Phoenix, and the fact that she's gone against Kelly Kelly twice and lost both times is a shame.

John Cena def Alberto Del Rio via Submission
3/5  Del Rio's lighting quick strikes were the only thing that saved this match from being the same old John Cena Standard. I understand using Del Rio as a transitional champion, you want to get CM Punk over at Summer Slam, yet you want Cena to be Champion, so you have Del Rio cash in MITB, get extra heat, and screw him over at the next PPV so John Cena can win the WWE Championship for the third time this year. What's really sad is Del Rio actually impressed me both times he defended the title, the Story line leading into NOC was paper thin, but that's only because he was working with Cena and his story lines never have much depth to them and Del Rio was missing from TV for a whole week of his four week run as Champion.

Triple H def CM Punk via Pin
4/5  This was by far the most anticipated match of the night, and in my opinion, it was a bit of a let down. CM Punk is better in the ring then outside, which is where most of the match took place. Once it got into the ring interference by Miz and R-Truth ruined what could have been a classic. Further interference by Kevin Nash did keep me on the edge of my seat, because the story coming into it was set up so well, we knew what was on the line if Triple H lost. So it wasn't the match I was expecting, but it was the most entertaining match of the night.

Overall PPV Score: 3/5
Worth watching and of course I will be adding it to my collection of every WWE PPV ever, which btw currently stands at 153.

Top 5 Tag Teams I'd Like To See

As I sit here counting down till Night of Champions begins, I was thinking about how WWE is trying to make the Tag Team Championship relevant again and I'm reminded of some of the best tag teams ever, The Hardys, The Dudleys, Edge & Christian, DX. Here is a short list of Tag Teams I'd like to see using only current and developmental talent.

5. Brodus Clay & Mark Henry. A team similar to The Natural Disasters, Henry & Clay would make a great heel team that can come into an situation and dominate a team. They would hold the belts for a long time, and when a team is finally able to take them down, it would get them over big time.

4. Ezekiel Jackson & Kofi Kingston. Similar to Two Dudes With Attitudes, their conflicting styles are what would make them a great team. Jackson would dominate almost anyone as the powerhouse while Kofi flies around the ring. Defiantly a face team, Kofi could finally get Jackson over as they both have a great attitude and energy with the crowd.

3. Johnny Curtis & Derrick Bateman. These guys are former FCW Tag Team Champions together, they have similar styles, great chemistry and would make an impact in the current tag team division.

2. Richie Steamboat & Seth Rollins. These two have had some amazing FCW 15 matches together, and even held the FCW Tag Team Championship for a brief stint, there is no denying their in ring chemistry.

1. Leo Kruger & Justin Gabriel. The grew up together, they trained together (both men were trained by Gabriel's father), and teamed together in South Africa. These men know each other so well, the only thing better then them teaming together will be the matches they have after they break up.

Well, that's all for now, be sure to check back tonight for full results of Night of Champions, as well as something I've been requested to do, match ratings. Until next time, don't let it get to your head.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Will Triple H Turn Heel at Night of Champions?

I wouldn't be surprised if it happened. With reports that Kevin Nash is still booked for Night of Champions, and WWE's use of outside media to further story lines as of late (CM Punk stating on twitter he had decided to leave a few months back, then showing up at the WWE/Mattel panel at SDCC with the WWE Championship.) was Kevin Nash's tweet about he and WWE not being able to come to 'financial terms' a hoax? If all this is true and Nash does show up at Night of Champions, it's not outside the realm of possibility that it would be in order to help Triple H keep his position, and with the crowd already putting CM Punk over, Nash's interference would push Triple H to the place he goes better then anyone, Heel territory.

Speaking of Night of Champions, one of the matches I'm looking forward to most is Ted DiBiase vs Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship. DiBiase must has really pissed someone off back in 2009, that's the only reason I can understand the way he was booked for almost two years after such a promising start with Priceless and Legacy, then going into singles and feuding with Goldust, who is pretty much a star maker, only to end up jobbing for Hornswoggle for several months. But with this story line it looks like he has weathered the shit storm, just like Triple H in '96, he kept his head down, did as he was booked, and now he looks to be getting over with the crowd and on his way to big things.

Other predictions for Night of Champions. Look for Air-Boom (worst tag team name since The Moondogs) to put away The Awesome Truth (best team name since Showmiz). It's not that Miz and Truth aren't capable of winning, but WWE seem to be pushing a Tag division revival, and it's too soon for Air-Boom to drop the straps. The United State Championship Fatal 4 Way match is another I'm looking forward to, although picking a horse is one tough call. I'm going to say that Swagger causes Ziggler to lose the title to Alex Riley, thus pushing Riley, and continuing the feud between Swagger and Ziggles, and keeping JoMo at a distance, which seems to be WWE's long term plan with him, keep him involved in the big matches, like the fans want, but don't let him win anything important. Anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a fan of the Divas division, with the exception of Beth Phoenix and Natalya, who I desperately want to see fight at next years Wrestlemania. They have put the two of them close to a big match every year, but it never pans out. I'm hoping this is the story line that brings that dream match home.

As for the World and WWE Championships. I'm going to say that Orton will defeat Henry on this occasion, but at the next encounter, probably next months Hell in a Cell, Henry will get the win and the belt. They seem to be pushing Mark Henry very hard, and as much as I dislike him, I have to admit he's been impressive as of late. At this point a World Title run seems inevitable. On to the last, and in my opinion the least anticipated match of the night Cena vs Del Rio for the WWE Championship. Look for Del Rio to get the win, but it won't be clean. Del Rio hasn't really impressed me since becoming Champ, a win of Cena will get him over, but doing it dirty will ensure a rematch at Hell in a Cell where he will get another win, and hopefully show a more aggressive attitude.

Well that's it for today, be sure to check back here Sunday night to see the results, will I gloat? Will I eat crow? find out next time.

P.S. I'm looking for a good sign off tag, please comment with your suggestion, Thanks.