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.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
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.
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?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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