As I write this, we are less than 24 hours away from the most talked about, "non-Wrestlemania", PPV in YEARS. I mean honestly, how long has it been since a PPV not named WrestleMania was talked about this much? How long has it been since you've heard die-hard AND casual fans say, "I HAVE to buy this show. I HAVE to see what's going to happen."? I personally can't even think how long it's been. It's a cliche that's been overused in wrestling for years now, but I truly have no problem using it right now... the future of the company is at stake with this show. With that being said, let's get right to it.
WWE Divas Title Match- Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella
As someone that wants nothing more to be a parent, I can't hate too much on Kharma's sudden pregnancy, but how much did that alter the course of the Divas division? I mean it just 4 months ago, it was something worth watching because you didn't know when Kharma would show up and who she'd go after. Since she left though, it's almost as if WWE just gave up on the division and schedules them 1 segment a show for no more than 4 minutes, and somehow they expect us to care about a PPV title defense. Or maybe they don't. I already feel like I've written too much about this match. Why is Kelly Kelly & Brie Bella getting this time, and yet the likes of Beth Phoenix can't get the light of day and Natalya is playing valet for some no-talent girl named AJ who looks like she's gonna break every time she gets hit? It's absurd. I would love to see Beth or Natayla leave WWE and go to Ring of Honor and face the likes of Sara Del Ray & Serena Deeb. Oh by the way, I assume Kelly Kelly will retain, but who cares really?
Prediction: Kelly Kelly retains by pinfall
Mark Henry vs. Big Show
Even just 1 year ago, this match would be considered a waste of time and a snooze fest. And maybe to some fans it still is, but somehow for the first time in his 15 year career, they have made Mark Henry a legit badass and a realistic threat. I don't know how or why it took so long, but those are the facts. How could you not be impressed by the way Henry picked up Show, with ease, and gave him the World's Strongest Slam through the announce table? How could you not be impressed with Mark Henry driving the steel cage door into Show and slamming him through the cage? I personally think Big Show has finally arrived to that point in his career where wins and losses don't matter anymore. The fans will see him the same no matter what. Kane & Rey Mysterio are a couple others in this point of their careers. So with that being said, if WWE is going to be 100% serious about making sure this is the push that lasts for Mark Henry, he HAS to win this match. And convincingly I think. I'm not saying it needs to be a squash match, but it needs to be something that doesn't leave it wide open for a re-match. Henry needs to win this match and then move on and up.
Prediction: Mark Henry by pinfall
World Heavyweight Title Match: Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
It's very rare for WWE to be able to repeatedly throw a match at us for 3 straight PPV's and also a couple more on TV, and yet somehow keep our interest. But that's exactly what's happened with this storyline between Orton and Christian. These guys' worst match is still probably 4 1/2 stars. They're that good in the ring together. That being said, this has to be when it all comes together for Christian. There needs to be a payoff for Christian's heel turn and all the great work he's put in the last 2-3 months. I said it when Orton won the belt and it's still true now, he doesn't need the belt. Smackdown will be "his show" with or without the title. He and Cena share that same trait. The belt doesn't make them, they make the belt. Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, & HHH were also in this category. Christian, however, needs the belt. Especially to validate this heel turn. If he loses here, he loses all believability ever again as a contender. That being said, I'm not convinced he's going to win the match. I think WWE is under the illusion that Orton has to have the belt. Although it's been rumored that Orton has some serious heat for his recent interview with a Phoenix radio station, so since they can't bury him, maybe his punishment will be to lose the title here. So my prediction is as follows. I believe this match will take place after the Smackdown MITB match. Sheamus will not win that match (my prediction is coming up next, so follow me for now) but since he's been involved heavily with Orton & Christian lately, he'll come out looking for revenge for losing the contract. He'll end up hitting Christian first, which will get Orton disqualified and let Christian win the title without Orton being pinned cleanly. That way the stipulation they've been hammering into us for 3 weeks about Orton loses the belt on shady officiating or a DQ, comes into effect. I think that'll be WWE's way of "saving face" with Orton but still doing the right thing by giving Christian the belt. It'll then set up a Triple Threat Match at SummerSlam.
Prediction: AND NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Christian by Disqualification
Smackdown Money in the Bank Match: Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater vs. Wade Barrett vs. KANE vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Sheamus
For both ladder matches, I'm going to have a quick synopsis of the match, and then 2 predictions. One for who I WISH would win, and one for who I THINK will win. With 8 guys in each match, there's obviously going to be a personal favorite that I think deserves it the most, but that doesn't exactly mean they're the ones that make the most sense to win. So hence the two predictions. The Smackdown ladder match is by far the weaker of the two in my opinion. Slater & Gabriel have no business being in this match, and I highly doubt ANYONE that follows wrestling believes Sin Cara or Daniel Bryan have a legit shot at winning this match. There's only 3 realistic winners in my opinion, 4 if you include Wade Barrett, like you'll see I do below. Those 3 are Cody, Sheamus, & KANE. KANE won't win because he just won last year and they're not going to give him another run like that. Sheamus won't win because as you read above, I don't think he needs this match to get himself into the title picture, plus he's been champion before. This match is about making new starts. So while my prediction on who I HOPE wins, is Wade Barrett, my prediction for who i think WILL win, is Cody Rhodes. One year ago, Wade Barrett was one of the fastest rising heels in the company & was destined to main event PPVs for years. But after an unceremonious dismissal from Nexus, a complete failure in The Corre, and a half-hearted IC Title run, his star has fallen quite a bit. But he's still got that believability factor, so I think WWE needs to capitalize on that & get him back on top by winning this match. But when you look at all 8 guys in this match, only one has had a sustained push all year basically, and that man is Cody Rhodes. And since this match is all about making stars, now is the chance to strike while the iron is hot with him.
Prediction: Cody Rhodes wins the Smackdown Money in the Bank
RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match: R-Truth vs. The Miz vs. Alex Riley vs. Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Evan Bourne vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Rey Mysterio
The difference between the RAW ladder match & the Smackdown ladder match is that unlike Smackdown, there are 7 believable potential winners in the RAW match. I think only Alex Riley is the one in the match that if he won, people would roll their eyes. Even someone like Evan Bourne is believable as a winner due to his exciting style and the fact that WWE has teased main event pushes for him in the past. My personal prediction on who I wish would win is actually Rey Mysterio. I think Rey Mysterio should win and be the first person to say, "hey I'm facing the champion at this time and this place." and set up the match that way. He's the perfect type of babyface to pull this off and make it work. I also think he should win this match because I think WWE should do an Ultimate Babyface vs. Babyface match between Mysterio & Cena. I may surprise some people with this opinion, but I truly think this is a money making matchup. It's never been done before & how will the fans support these two? I think it could be very intriguing television and also be a planted seed in a potential Cena heel turn. With that said, I think this match is signed, sealed, and delivered for Alberto Del Rio to win. Much like the reason I picked Cody to win on Smackdown, Del Rio has had the sustained push and is ready for that next level.
Prediction: Alberto Del Rio wins the RAW Money in the Bank Ladder Match
WWE Title Match: John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk
CM Punk has talked them into the building. The Internet community has convinced one-another to buy the PPV on Cable & Satellite. Now it's time for the actual match to take place. I've had none wrestling fans come up to me and tell me they're ordering this show due to the fact they've heard about the Punk promos through social media or on sports radio talk. This match has HYPE. The best part of this match is the unpredictability. They could go so many different routes with this match. The crowd atmosphere is almost sure to match that of some of the all time great crowd reactions. The ones like the crowd in Toronto for Hogan & The Rock. Crowds like the ECW Crowd when John Cena defended the title against Rob Van Dam. This will be a very vocal, hostile crowd that is sure to add to the event. Here's where I see WWE going with this match. CM Punk wins the match, much to the delight of the Chicago crowd. Vince McMahon comes out to fire John Cena, but before he can do that, Alberto Del Rio comes out and cashes in Money in the Bank. Vince, who is obviously still at ringside, then costs Punk the match somehow. Whether by distracting the ref, or maybe there's a ref bump and Vince hits Punk with something and then Del Rio slaps on his armbar for the win. Now Del Rio is truly a top heel with Vince as his ally and Cena isn't fired. Thus him and Del Rio are off and running for Summerslam. Punk leaves for a few months, recharges the batteries and comes back as a HUGE babyface to get revenge on Vince.
Prediction: AND NEW WWE Champion: CM Punk by pinfall (but then loses the title to Alberto Del Rio who cashes in his MITB contract)
WWE has gold in this Pay Per View and it'll take quite a bit for them to screw this up. I truly expect a brand new landscape in WWE on Monday when RAW takes place from Green Bay. If WWE decides to go with a Super Cena finish and Punk is just allowed to leave with no suspense or storyline in place for the future, I think it'll be a huge slap in the face to the WWE Universe and truly show us they don't care about what they want. I expect this PPV to get a massive buyrate and it'll all be because of what CM Punk did to sell it. So if WWE wants to capitalize on this, they need to throw us a bone and give us something we want to see. If Super Cena shows up and nothing historic takes place, it's a sign to us all that we're in this for the long haul as Cena as champ and I would fully expect ratings and buyrates to tumble. Thanks for reading everyone and until next time, I hope you enjoy the show!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
RAW Play by Play for 7/11/2011
Gonna do things a little different tonight, we'll do a play by play on blog and do a segment by segment look at the show.
CM Punk/John Cena Opening Segment
Wow, what can be said about this segment?? I mean, CM Punk with the megaphone was outstanding. This promo was more of an obvious worked shoot. The only thing I wish Punk had've done is made more references to "The Real World" that has been talking about WWE ever since Punk cut that promo. Jim Rome, Colin Cowherd, among other personalities have all been talking about this. Punk was 100% right that WWE really only gets a mention when someone dies. It's true. Cena came in and to his credit, added to the segment, he didn't take away from it. He could've very easily come out, done the whole "Super Cena" routine and catered to the kids. But he brought the intensity and seriousness that the segment called for. I was already going to buy this PPV, but if I was on the fence, this promo would've convinced me to buy it.
John Cena vs. The New Nexus (Handicap Match)
Rumors were swirling this weekend that Zack Ryder's run-in last week after the tag match was a step in the direction of Ryder taking over Otunga & McGilliutty & creating his own stable. Considering Cena is the main focal point of this match, I wouldn't expect any continuity from that last week to this week. I'm shocked this match lasted past a commercial break. Why would I assume they'd give the Tag Team Champs a legit showing against Cena when they don't care about the division?? You wanna know what else I'm shocked by? That Cole & Lawler's announcing isn't killing me right now? They're properly selling the importance of the match Sunday. I also liked Cole calling the top rope Rocker Dropper a "Wild leg drop". Haha. That match could've gone WAY worse than it did, I'll give it a B- grade. Considering I thought it'd be an F going in, that's a hell of a score. The Tag Champs were made to look legit & Cena made a believable finish to the match. I'm sure this won't be the last we see of Cena though tonight, since we're in his hometown.
These live contract negotiations could be a lot of fun. Punk with an open mic is obviously a good thing, but let's not underestimate Vince on the mic when he'll also obviously be able to say whatever he wants. Orton & Christian is almost an afterthought for the MITB PPV, but they don't have any type of matches except classic matches, so this PPV has the makings to be the best PPV not named WrestleMania. I will have a PPV Preview with my predictions sometime Saturday afternoon.
Someone explain to me why it took 15 years for Mark Henry to be made to look like a credible force? This is the first push he's gotten that's actually sustained and made a visible impact. I love how Vince called Dolph & Drew "two of his fastest rising superstars". Dolph maybe has gotten a sustained push, but what exactly has Drew done since he was drafted to RAW? I'm a HUGE Drew McIntyre fan. He's got the best entrance in the WWE, he's a solid wrestler, and a very believable heel. I hope Vince meant what he said. Unfortunately that's not gonna start tonight as I fully expect Big Show to squash them.
Kelly Kelly vs. Melina
Poor Melina. She used to be the best female worker in WWE, bar none. Now's she's subjected to forgettable matches against Kelly Kelly. The "highlight" of this match was how terrible the Bella's are on the mic. Holy crap that was brutal. Although Kelly did look genuinely offended by the proactive comment. I'm sure Justin Gabriel will be getting an earful from her tonight. I wish him luck in that conversation. I almost said earlier that Big Show & Mark Henry will be the worst match of the night on Sunday. I forgot there was a Divas match. That's unfortunate. This match gets an F.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match Promo
I'm gonna try to not make my prediction known now, as I'm gonna save it for Saturday. I have it narrowed down to 2, but I'm leaning towards 1. The Miz is absolutely correct in saying he's still the future of the WWE. There is one man, whether we hate his guts or not, that can say the Miz is the most dedicated wrestler, outside of the ring, and it mean something. That man is John Cena. He is tireless in promoting the company and in his charity work. But yet just today he said The Miz was the most tireless man the company and his work outside the ring is second to none. That's high praise. I hate that Swagger's MITB run is considered a joke now. It's not his fault he was thrusted into the title picture way too quickly and booked horribly as a champion. R-Truth managed to make Michael Cole snort on live TV. That was absolutely hilarious. "That briefcase is gonna get got!" I might pick R-Truth now just based off that promo. Hahaha! Great promo Alex Riley.... Um, yeah. Del Rio gets cut off, obviously this went longer than it was supposed to. This promo started well and ended in a train-wreck. That's possible when you have 8 guys talking. Oh wait, 7 guys... Where the hell is Rey Mysterio?!?
6 Man Match (Swagger/Miz/Truth vs. Riley/Bourne/Kingston)
If only more RAW matches got the time this match got when there's a storyline involved. This was a great way to promote the match. Everyone got solid offense in and Del Rio comes in and cleans everyone out at the end to look strong even though he wasn't in the match. I'll have more about this match on Saturday when I preview the match, but I will say I think it was smart to let Riley win the match. He was probably the only one in the match that didn't look like he had a credible chance to win. But now he's got the momentum heading into Sunday. A well executed build for the ladder match, I'm very much looking forward to it. This match gets my Match of the Night honors and an A grade. Well done.
The Big Show vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
Big Show got a new shirt. Good for him. This was a squash as I assumed it would be. And to my point earlier about the differences in Dolph & Drew, they were very careful to protect Dolph as Drew took the beating. That was definitely NOT by coincidence. I love how Drew somehow took the worst of that runaway train named Mark Henry, but yet no one cares how he's doing. Man, they REALLY don't care about him. I mean there was OBVIOUS padding for Show and Henry, but I'm pretty sure Drew took a legit bump into the lighting grid.
Vince McMahon & CM Punk "Negotiate"
A tweet from Zack Ryder after Vince pointed to a sign bearing his likeness. "Vince McMahon knows I exist." Haha! It took 2 lines for CM Punk to make fun of McMahon for being a Cena homer. I love it. And then Punk scores another home run with the Ice Cream bars line. That was outstanding. Make that 3 for 3 with the Chaperone comment. Punk is on fire. Oh wait, let's keep going, 4-4 with the shots to The Rock. HAHA! This is as good as I hoped it would be. I absolutely love how Punk made it quite obvious with those "provisions" that there isn't a chance in hell he's re-signing. Oh man, if CM Punk somehow stays with the company, "The Voice of the Voiceless" needs to be on a t-shirt immediately. The way that Punk is MASTERFULLY towing that line of face and heel right now is something I don't that I've ever seen before. This is incredible TV the way that he has the crowd in the palm of his hand. Cena comes out and doesn't ruin it again. I gotta give him credit for stepping up his game in this storyline. He's done things the right way.
Oh my god. Can I call it the most brilliant promo of all time?! I mean, "You are the New York Yankees!" How does that not resonate?! That was the most outstanding analogy of all time! CM Punk absolutely just talked them into the building on Sunday and he just talked them into buying the PPV on DirecTV and anywhere else you can order it. I'm literally at a loss for words, and that is how a solid storyline should be. Leave me wanting more and not able to decide what's going to happen next. I will leave it at that. See you all on Sunday.
CM Punk/John Cena Opening Segment
Wow, what can be said about this segment?? I mean, CM Punk with the megaphone was outstanding. This promo was more of an obvious worked shoot. The only thing I wish Punk had've done is made more references to "The Real World" that has been talking about WWE ever since Punk cut that promo. Jim Rome, Colin Cowherd, among other personalities have all been talking about this. Punk was 100% right that WWE really only gets a mention when someone dies. It's true. Cena came in and to his credit, added to the segment, he didn't take away from it. He could've very easily come out, done the whole "Super Cena" routine and catered to the kids. But he brought the intensity and seriousness that the segment called for. I was already going to buy this PPV, but if I was on the fence, this promo would've convinced me to buy it.
John Cena vs. The New Nexus (Handicap Match)
Rumors were swirling this weekend that Zack Ryder's run-in last week after the tag match was a step in the direction of Ryder taking over Otunga & McGilliutty & creating his own stable. Considering Cena is the main focal point of this match, I wouldn't expect any continuity from that last week to this week. I'm shocked this match lasted past a commercial break. Why would I assume they'd give the Tag Team Champs a legit showing against Cena when they don't care about the division?? You wanna know what else I'm shocked by? That Cole & Lawler's announcing isn't killing me right now? They're properly selling the importance of the match Sunday. I also liked Cole calling the top rope Rocker Dropper a "Wild leg drop". Haha. That match could've gone WAY worse than it did, I'll give it a B- grade. Considering I thought it'd be an F going in, that's a hell of a score. The Tag Champs were made to look legit & Cena made a believable finish to the match. I'm sure this won't be the last we see of Cena though tonight, since we're in his hometown.
These live contract negotiations could be a lot of fun. Punk with an open mic is obviously a good thing, but let's not underestimate Vince on the mic when he'll also obviously be able to say whatever he wants. Orton & Christian is almost an afterthought for the MITB PPV, but they don't have any type of matches except classic matches, so this PPV has the makings to be the best PPV not named WrestleMania. I will have a PPV Preview with my predictions sometime Saturday afternoon.
Someone explain to me why it took 15 years for Mark Henry to be made to look like a credible force? This is the first push he's gotten that's actually sustained and made a visible impact. I love how Vince called Dolph & Drew "two of his fastest rising superstars". Dolph maybe has gotten a sustained push, but what exactly has Drew done since he was drafted to RAW? I'm a HUGE Drew McIntyre fan. He's got the best entrance in the WWE, he's a solid wrestler, and a very believable heel. I hope Vince meant what he said. Unfortunately that's not gonna start tonight as I fully expect Big Show to squash them.
Kelly Kelly vs. Melina
Poor Melina. She used to be the best female worker in WWE, bar none. Now's she's subjected to forgettable matches against Kelly Kelly. The "highlight" of this match was how terrible the Bella's are on the mic. Holy crap that was brutal. Although Kelly did look genuinely offended by the proactive comment. I'm sure Justin Gabriel will be getting an earful from her tonight. I wish him luck in that conversation. I almost said earlier that Big Show & Mark Henry will be the worst match of the night on Sunday. I forgot there was a Divas match. That's unfortunate. This match gets an F.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match Promo
I'm gonna try to not make my prediction known now, as I'm gonna save it for Saturday. I have it narrowed down to 2, but I'm leaning towards 1. The Miz is absolutely correct in saying he's still the future of the WWE. There is one man, whether we hate his guts or not, that can say the Miz is the most dedicated wrestler, outside of the ring, and it mean something. That man is John Cena. He is tireless in promoting the company and in his charity work. But yet just today he said The Miz was the most tireless man the company and his work outside the ring is second to none. That's high praise. I hate that Swagger's MITB run is considered a joke now. It's not his fault he was thrusted into the title picture way too quickly and booked horribly as a champion. R-Truth managed to make Michael Cole snort on live TV. That was absolutely hilarious. "That briefcase is gonna get got!" I might pick R-Truth now just based off that promo. Hahaha! Great promo Alex Riley.... Um, yeah. Del Rio gets cut off, obviously this went longer than it was supposed to. This promo started well and ended in a train-wreck. That's possible when you have 8 guys talking. Oh wait, 7 guys... Where the hell is Rey Mysterio?!?
6 Man Match (Swagger/Miz/Truth vs. Riley/Bourne/Kingston)
If only more RAW matches got the time this match got when there's a storyline involved. This was a great way to promote the match. Everyone got solid offense in and Del Rio comes in and cleans everyone out at the end to look strong even though he wasn't in the match. I'll have more about this match on Saturday when I preview the match, but I will say I think it was smart to let Riley win the match. He was probably the only one in the match that didn't look like he had a credible chance to win. But now he's got the momentum heading into Sunday. A well executed build for the ladder match, I'm very much looking forward to it. This match gets my Match of the Night honors and an A grade. Well done.
The Big Show vs. Dolph Ziggler & Drew McIntyre
Big Show got a new shirt. Good for him. This was a squash as I assumed it would be. And to my point earlier about the differences in Dolph & Drew, they were very careful to protect Dolph as Drew took the beating. That was definitely NOT by coincidence. I love how Drew somehow took the worst of that runaway train named Mark Henry, but yet no one cares how he's doing. Man, they REALLY don't care about him. I mean there was OBVIOUS padding for Show and Henry, but I'm pretty sure Drew took a legit bump into the lighting grid.
Vince McMahon & CM Punk "Negotiate"
A tweet from Zack Ryder after Vince pointed to a sign bearing his likeness. "Vince McMahon knows I exist." Haha! It took 2 lines for CM Punk to make fun of McMahon for being a Cena homer. I love it. And then Punk scores another home run with the Ice Cream bars line. That was outstanding. Make that 3 for 3 with the Chaperone comment. Punk is on fire. Oh wait, let's keep going, 4-4 with the shots to The Rock. HAHA! This is as good as I hoped it would be. I absolutely love how Punk made it quite obvious with those "provisions" that there isn't a chance in hell he's re-signing. Oh man, if CM Punk somehow stays with the company, "The Voice of the Voiceless" needs to be on a t-shirt immediately. The way that Punk is MASTERFULLY towing that line of face and heel right now is something I don't that I've ever seen before. This is incredible TV the way that he has the crowd in the palm of his hand. Cena comes out and doesn't ruin it again. I gotta give him credit for stepping up his game in this storyline. He's done things the right way.
Oh my god. Can I call it the most brilliant promo of all time?! I mean, "You are the New York Yankees!" How does that not resonate?! That was the most outstanding analogy of all time! CM Punk absolutely just talked them into the building on Sunday and he just talked them into buying the PPV on DirecTV and anywhere else you can order it. I'm literally at a loss for words, and that is how a solid storyline should be. Leave me wanting more and not able to decide what's going to happen next. I will leave it at that. See you all on Sunday.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Capitol Punishment Preview
WWE is taking over Father's Day with their premier production of Capitol Punishment. I've said over the last couple of RAW reviews that these one off PPV's don't typically buy very well. For some reason, WWE fans stick to the PPV's with name value, whether the card is strong or not. In this case, it is somewhat of a shame that this won't do well in buys because the card is pretty strong for the most part. A couple fresh faces and a couple long standing rivalries continuing.
Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Kofi Kingston for the United States Championship
This is a rivalry that has been re-hashed from Smackdown last year and it was good then, and it's good now. I've seen these guys wrestle on 2 separate occasions on House Shows, once Wichita Falls & once in Waco. Not to mention the numerous times on television and they've just got great chemistry. If you follow Dolph on twitter, @HEELZiggler, he's been getting some great advice from none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. As a HUGE fan of Ziggler, it's been great to see Twitter used as something to give a performer great insight. I'm sure Dolph took everything Steve had to say to heart. I truly think Dolph can be the future of the business. With the Money in the Bank PPV coming up next month, he is my favorite to win it, which I don't think they'll let him win that if he's carrying the US title as well. So with that said, I would expect maybe a mix up between he and Vickie that leads to a Trouble In Paradise & the champion retaining.
Prediction: Kofi Kingston retains the United States Championship by pinfall
Ezekiel Jackson vs. Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship
Over/Under 6 1/2 bodyslams by "Big Zeke" in this match? I'm taking the over. Arguably the worst match on the card. I'm a big fan of Wade Barrett & think he would be much better on his own, but unfortunately I don't think this Corre breakup is permanent. What are they going to do, have them break up & have Wade as a heel and the other 2 as a heel tag team, but they don't get along? Makes no sense. But neither did not putting Zack Ryder on RAW, so maybe that's what WWE wants. Either way, I fully expect Gabriel & Slater to come out yet again, reconcile with Wade and cost Big Zeke the match. Oh by the way, remember when the IC title actually meant something? Yeah, me neither.
Prediction: Wade Barrett retains the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall
Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
This match has proved how much the brand extension does not exist. They used 2 segments on Smackdown, albeit effective ones, to promote it. Big Show has done better acting in this storyline than he did in the entire movie of Knucklehead. And WWE isn't going to lose money on this acting, so kudos to Show. The rumors are that Del Rio is scheduled to be fed to Cena for Summerslam, but I really don't see it. To me, they've soured on Del Rio since he won Royal Rumble. The question in this match is will Del Rio be able to get the move that needs a name, aka his Cross Armbreaker, on The Big Show. I don't think he will. I see Big Show playing up this anger angle he's had this week and Del Rio purposely getting himself counted out. This will probably lead to a gimmick match in the coming weeks that Del Rio can win cleanly then & move on to Cena, if that's where WWE should choose to go.
Prediction: Big Show by countout
Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
The only thing I don't like about the lead-up to this match is the fact they have not mentioned their previous storyline from Smackdown last year at all. They're acting like this is a fresh storyline, when it's not at all. They had some incredible television last year including the creepiest rendition of Happy Birthday sung by Punk to Rey's daughter. These two have not had a bad match. In fact I'm looking forward to seeing these two live next weekend in Dallas, as they just have incredible chemistry. I really have a tough time choosing a winner here, but I think WWE is gonna try to keep Punk happy with his contract winding down, so they'll probably throw him a bone here and let him win. Mysterio keeps his standing in the company no matter his wins or losses.
Prediction: CM Punk by pinfall
Alex Riley vs. The Miz
Alex Riley is a star in the making. I know some people have disagreed with me on this opinion, but I truly believe that A-Ry is ready to breakout. This was the perfect timing for this, just due to the incredible heat Mix has and how natural it was for the fans to get behind Riley. All that being said, Miz is in much higher standing then Riley, so I see him winning this match, but allowing Riley to get quite a few near falls to get the crowd behind him and show that he "hung in there with The Miz". If that's not the result, maybe they go with Riley looking like he's about to beat Miz, but Miz gets himself intentionally disqualified to get out of it. I think I'll stick with Miz getting the pinfall though.
Prediction: The Miz by pinfall
Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship
Killswitches to really sell the head angle, and recaptures the World Heavyweight Championship.
Prediction: AND NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Christian by Pinfall
John Cena vs. R-Truth for the WWE Championship
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, better than R-Truth right now on WWE programming. This heel turn has given him a second wind in his career and he's being rewarded with his first ever WWE title shot AND headlining a PPV with the top dog of the company in Cena. I would love nothing more than for him to beat Cena, but we all know that's not going to happen. I think it's about time we all realize Cena is not losing the belt heading into his WrestleMania showdown with The Rock. It'd be great if R-Truth was able to walk away from the PPV on top, even by disqualification. Then have it lead to a rematch at Money in the Bank, since Cena will need an opponent for that show, but I would expect Super Cena to appear and send R-Truth back down the card to feud with John Morrision.
Prediction: John Cena by pinfall to retain the WWE Championship
Final Thoughts: There's only 1 match on this card I'm not interested in seeing, that being the IC title match. I think it's going to be a solid show that will quickly be forgotten about. Money in the Bank is next month and that's where a lot of the mid-card guys that deserve a PPV shot, will get their time. Here's hoping Zack Ryder can get on the RAW ladder match, but that roster is loaded with deserving candidates, so I won't hold my breath. I'll have my opinions on the show during my RAW recap on Monday. Thanks for reading & don't forget to follow me on twitter, @FriscoKTank.
Dolph Ziggler (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. Kofi Kingston for the United States Championship
This is a rivalry that has been re-hashed from Smackdown last year and it was good then, and it's good now. I've seen these guys wrestle on 2 separate occasions on House Shows, once Wichita Falls & once in Waco. Not to mention the numerous times on television and they've just got great chemistry. If you follow Dolph on twitter, @HEELZiggler, he's been getting some great advice from none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. As a HUGE fan of Ziggler, it's been great to see Twitter used as something to give a performer great insight. I'm sure Dolph took everything Steve had to say to heart. I truly think Dolph can be the future of the business. With the Money in the Bank PPV coming up next month, he is my favorite to win it, which I don't think they'll let him win that if he's carrying the US title as well. So with that said, I would expect maybe a mix up between he and Vickie that leads to a Trouble In Paradise & the champion retaining.
Prediction: Kofi Kingston retains the United States Championship by pinfall
Ezekiel Jackson vs. Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship
Over/Under 6 1/2 bodyslams by "Big Zeke" in this match? I'm taking the over. Arguably the worst match on the card. I'm a big fan of Wade Barrett & think he would be much better on his own, but unfortunately I don't think this Corre breakup is permanent. What are they going to do, have them break up & have Wade as a heel and the other 2 as a heel tag team, but they don't get along? Makes no sense. But neither did not putting Zack Ryder on RAW, so maybe that's what WWE wants. Either way, I fully expect Gabriel & Slater to come out yet again, reconcile with Wade and cost Big Zeke the match. Oh by the way, remember when the IC title actually meant something? Yeah, me neither.
Prediction: Wade Barrett retains the Intercontinental Championship by pinfall
Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
This match has proved how much the brand extension does not exist. They used 2 segments on Smackdown, albeit effective ones, to promote it. Big Show has done better acting in this storyline than he did in the entire movie of Knucklehead. And WWE isn't going to lose money on this acting, so kudos to Show. The rumors are that Del Rio is scheduled to be fed to Cena for Summerslam, but I really don't see it. To me, they've soured on Del Rio since he won Royal Rumble. The question in this match is will Del Rio be able to get the move that needs a name, aka his Cross Armbreaker, on The Big Show. I don't think he will. I see Big Show playing up this anger angle he's had this week and Del Rio purposely getting himself counted out. This will probably lead to a gimmick match in the coming weeks that Del Rio can win cleanly then & move on to Cena, if that's where WWE should choose to go.
Prediction: Big Show by countout
Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
The only thing I don't like about the lead-up to this match is the fact they have not mentioned their previous storyline from Smackdown last year at all. They're acting like this is a fresh storyline, when it's not at all. They had some incredible television last year including the creepiest rendition of Happy Birthday sung by Punk to Rey's daughter. These two have not had a bad match. In fact I'm looking forward to seeing these two live next weekend in Dallas, as they just have incredible chemistry. I really have a tough time choosing a winner here, but I think WWE is gonna try to keep Punk happy with his contract winding down, so they'll probably throw him a bone here and let him win. Mysterio keeps his standing in the company no matter his wins or losses.
Prediction: CM Punk by pinfall
Alex Riley vs. The Miz
Alex Riley is a star in the making. I know some people have disagreed with me on this opinion, but I truly believe that A-Ry is ready to breakout. This was the perfect timing for this, just due to the incredible heat Mix has and how natural it was for the fans to get behind Riley. All that being said, Miz is in much higher standing then Riley, so I see him winning this match, but allowing Riley to get quite a few near falls to get the crowd behind him and show that he "hung in there with The Miz". If that's not the result, maybe they go with Riley looking like he's about to beat Miz, but Miz gets himself intentionally disqualified to get out of it. I think I'll stick with Miz getting the pinfall though.
Prediction: The Miz by pinfall
Randy Orton vs. Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship
Killswitches to really sell the head angle, and recaptures the World Heavyweight Championship.
Prediction: AND NEW World Heavyweight Champion, Christian by Pinfall
John Cena vs. R-Truth for the WWE Championship
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, better than R-Truth right now on WWE programming. This heel turn has given him a second wind in his career and he's being rewarded with his first ever WWE title shot AND headlining a PPV with the top dog of the company in Cena. I would love nothing more than for him to beat Cena, but we all know that's not going to happen. I think it's about time we all realize Cena is not losing the belt heading into his WrestleMania showdown with The Rock. It'd be great if R-Truth was able to walk away from the PPV on top, even by disqualification. Then have it lead to a rematch at Money in the Bank, since Cena will need an opponent for that show, but I would expect Super Cena to appear and send R-Truth back down the card to feud with John Morrision.
Prediction: John Cena by pinfall to retain the WWE Championship
Final Thoughts: There's only 1 match on this card I'm not interested in seeing, that being the IC title match. I think it's going to be a solid show that will quickly be forgotten about. Money in the Bank is next month and that's where a lot of the mid-card guys that deserve a PPV shot, will get their time. Here's hoping Zack Ryder can get on the RAW ladder match, but that roster is loaded with deserving candidates, so I won't hold my breath. I'll have my opinions on the show during my RAW recap on Monday. Thanks for reading & don't forget to follow me on twitter, @FriscoKTank.
Monday, June 13, 2011
RAW Review For 6/13/2011
Synopsis: This was the go-home show for the Capital Punishment PPV this Sunday. It was also "WWE All-Star Night", which to me is just another reason to show how irrelevant the brand split is. One-off PPV's such as Capital Punishment typically don't draw well in terms of buyrates, and then add to it the fact that it's on Fathers Day, I don't expect a good buyrate at all. Over The Limit did under 70k, which is the worst buyrate since the god-awful December to Dismember PPV that killed ECW once and for all. Over The Limit had a terrible lineup and no good build. Capital Punishment has better of both, but I don't think it'l do much better. Maybe 100k.
Best Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk. It was the only match that lasted more than 5 minutes, so it wins by default. CM Punk was probably the MVP of tonight's show along with R-Truth. The good heels clearly dominate the good babyfaces on both brands in my opinion. Plus Cena lost, so that's a plus in my books.
Worst Match: 7 on 7 Divas Match. The Divas division is such a joke. I argue that no one wants to watch extremely beautiful women wrestle in the first place, but if you're going to insist to have a division, then let them wrestle. No one cares which Bella is the champion and these 2 minute cat fights are officially old. Natalya & Beth Phoenix especially deserve better. I mean, a broadway kick line??? REALLY?!
Best Moment: CM Punk & Steve Austin interact backstage. This was a tough choice between this segment & R-Truth destroying John Morrison backstage. I went with the Punk/Austin interaction because they proved what people online and across the world have been saying for months... Punk & Austin would have great chemistry together & if Austin wanted to have 1 last run & 1 last great match/program, CM Punk would be the man to do it against. I may not like Punk, but I do agree with this logic. So I pick this segment just on the hopes it leads to something down the road.
Worst Moment: Zack Ryder can't even make RAW in his hometown on a 3 hour show. 90,000 plus views on his YouTube sensation, "Z True Long Island Story", for 17 straight weeks now. For a full week the internet was abuzz about what WWE would do to celebrate this homecoming. EVERYONE was ready to see what was going to happen. 3 Hours later, nothing happened. Despite the "We Want Ryder!" chants all night, despite Twitter blowing up about it, WWE drops the ball. I've been watching wrestling for 22 years and I don't know that I've ever been this disappointed.
Overall Grade: I give this show a 4. For a 3 hour show, the matches were all rushed, I didn't see much done in terms of storyline progression, heading into the PPV next week. I may be biased, but the fact that Ryder didn't make the show really hurts the overall product. Tonight could've been the birth of a star in WWE, but instead it was a middle of the road show that we've seen for months and months now. I'll have a Capital Punishment prediction blog up later this week. Thanks for reading & make sure to follow me on Twitter @FriscoKTank
Best Match: John Cena vs. CM Punk. It was the only match that lasted more than 5 minutes, so it wins by default. CM Punk was probably the MVP of tonight's show along with R-Truth. The good heels clearly dominate the good babyfaces on both brands in my opinion. Plus Cena lost, so that's a plus in my books.
Worst Match: 7 on 7 Divas Match. The Divas division is such a joke. I argue that no one wants to watch extremely beautiful women wrestle in the first place, but if you're going to insist to have a division, then let them wrestle. No one cares which Bella is the champion and these 2 minute cat fights are officially old. Natalya & Beth Phoenix especially deserve better. I mean, a broadway kick line??? REALLY?!
Best Moment: CM Punk & Steve Austin interact backstage. This was a tough choice between this segment & R-Truth destroying John Morrison backstage. I went with the Punk/Austin interaction because they proved what people online and across the world have been saying for months... Punk & Austin would have great chemistry together & if Austin wanted to have 1 last run & 1 last great match/program, CM Punk would be the man to do it against. I may not like Punk, but I do agree with this logic. So I pick this segment just on the hopes it leads to something down the road.
Worst Moment: Zack Ryder can't even make RAW in his hometown on a 3 hour show. 90,000 plus views on his YouTube sensation, "Z True Long Island Story", for 17 straight weeks now. For a full week the internet was abuzz about what WWE would do to celebrate this homecoming. EVERYONE was ready to see what was going to happen. 3 Hours later, nothing happened. Despite the "We Want Ryder!" chants all night, despite Twitter blowing up about it, WWE drops the ball. I've been watching wrestling for 22 years and I don't know that I've ever been this disappointed.
Overall Grade: I give this show a 4. For a 3 hour show, the matches were all rushed, I didn't see much done in terms of storyline progression, heading into the PPV next week. I may be biased, but the fact that Ryder didn't make the show really hurts the overall product. Tonight could've been the birth of a star in WWE, but instead it was a middle of the road show that we've seen for months and months now. I'll have a Capital Punishment prediction blog up later this week. Thanks for reading & make sure to follow me on Twitter @FriscoKTank
Monday, June 6, 2011
RAW Review For 6/6/2011
Synopsis: This show was centered around the Tough Enough winner being announced and the fact that Capital Punishment is 13 days away. As far as Tough Enough goes, they absolutely made the right decision in picking Andy. I had no problem with the way Vince & Austin "punished" him at the end, as we won't see him on TV for awhile, they never replayed those moments, and thus we'll all forget about it by the time he comes back to TV. It was just a small "Welcome to WWE" moment that Vince probably found hilarious. Unless WWE plans on holding a PPV in DC every year, this will obviously be a one-off PPV. Fans don't typically buy into the one-off shows, so I'm not expecting a strong buy-rate for this one. Especially since it's on Father's Day. I am intrigued by R-Truth getting his first WWE Title shot though. He has been the best thing about RAW for 4 straight weeks.
Best Match: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk. If this match is on a RAW broadcast, it's pretty much guaranteed to be the best match of the night. I'm not a fan of either guy, but they have tremendous chemistry against each other & have no problem with them feuding again, even though they just had one on Smackdown a little over a year ago.
Worst Match: Santino Marella vs. Michael McGillcutty. If you followed my twitter play by play, you know I think that Santino's comedy routine has run it's course. It's just not funny anymore. Him and Koslov have been in the "Tag Title Picture" for what seems like years, but probably has been around 8 months or so. When McGillicutty was going by his real name, Joe Hennig in FCW, he was labeled Rookie of the Year by PWI, so he obviously has been pegged by people to be a breakout star. Hopefully he will leave the Nexus brand sometime and get to prove himself on his own.
Best Moment: R-Truth in his confederate outfit talking about the "C-O-N...Spiracy!" R-Truth has obviously found a second wind in his career with this heel turn. Every week he outdoes himself, and tonight was no different. In a ring with Vince & Stone Cold, he took command of the segment. Not an easy thing to do. Honorable mention goes to Alex Riley, who held his own quite nicely in the main event. He even got a strong "Let's Go Riley!" chant, which shows the WWE Universe believes in his recent push.
Worst Moment: Zack Ryder losing in less than 3 minutes. 90,000 plus views on his YouTube sensation, "Z True Long Island Story", for 16 straight weeks. He trended WORLDWIDE on Twitter last week and only had about 7 seconds of TV time. But yet WWE continues to use Ryder as jobber material. If they're not going to strike while the iron is hot with Zack Ryder, they never will.
Overall Grade: I give this show a 6.5 out of 10. It was an above average show that really did a nice job of advancing storylines for Capital Punishment. It looks like RAW will have at least 4 matches on the show. I would expect Dolph vs. Kofi for the US title and Rey vs. Punk with some sort of gimmick to be added. They could also do Beth Phoenix vs. Brie Bella for the Divas title. There wasn't too much wasted time or boring segments, and definitely one of the stronger post-WrestleMania RAW's we've had thus far. Next week's show should hopefully be even better with Austin returning & it being a 3 hour show.
Thanks for reading & don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@FriscoKTank)
Best Match: Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk. If this match is on a RAW broadcast, it's pretty much guaranteed to be the best match of the night. I'm not a fan of either guy, but they have tremendous chemistry against each other & have no problem with them feuding again, even though they just had one on Smackdown a little over a year ago.
Worst Match: Santino Marella vs. Michael McGillcutty. If you followed my twitter play by play, you know I think that Santino's comedy routine has run it's course. It's just not funny anymore. Him and Koslov have been in the "Tag Title Picture" for what seems like years, but probably has been around 8 months or so. When McGillicutty was going by his real name, Joe Hennig in FCW, he was labeled Rookie of the Year by PWI, so he obviously has been pegged by people to be a breakout star. Hopefully he will leave the Nexus brand sometime and get to prove himself on his own.
Best Moment: R-Truth in his confederate outfit talking about the "C-O-N...Spiracy!" R-Truth has obviously found a second wind in his career with this heel turn. Every week he outdoes himself, and tonight was no different. In a ring with Vince & Stone Cold, he took command of the segment. Not an easy thing to do. Honorable mention goes to Alex Riley, who held his own quite nicely in the main event. He even got a strong "Let's Go Riley!" chant, which shows the WWE Universe believes in his recent push.
Worst Moment: Zack Ryder losing in less than 3 minutes. 90,000 plus views on his YouTube sensation, "Z True Long Island Story", for 16 straight weeks. He trended WORLDWIDE on Twitter last week and only had about 7 seconds of TV time. But yet WWE continues to use Ryder as jobber material. If they're not going to strike while the iron is hot with Zack Ryder, they never will.
Overall Grade: I give this show a 6.5 out of 10. It was an above average show that really did a nice job of advancing storylines for Capital Punishment. It looks like RAW will have at least 4 matches on the show. I would expect Dolph vs. Kofi for the US title and Rey vs. Punk with some sort of gimmick to be added. They could also do Beth Phoenix vs. Brie Bella for the Divas title. There wasn't too much wasted time or boring segments, and definitely one of the stronger post-WrestleMania RAW's we've had thus far. Next week's show should hopefully be even better with Austin returning & it being a 3 hour show.
Thanks for reading & don't forget to follow me on Twitter (@FriscoKTank)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Review of "This Is Country Music" by Brad Paisley
I'm going to review all CD's I purchase. I have a collection of well over 300 CD's, mainly rock & country. I'll review anything anyone gives me to review. I'll follow a simple format on all my reviews that you'll see below in this first one. I bought "This Is Country Music" by Brad Paisley last week, so I figured this was s good as any CD to start my review on.
Synopsis: I feel like I'm being different just to be different on this album. If you look online for a review of the latest offering by Brad Paisley, you'll be hard pressed to find a negative word written about it. USA Today gave it 4 stars out of 4, and follow that up with this quote. "If you're going to call an album This Is Country Music, you not only set a high standard for yourself, but you better not give anybody a reason to disagree. Paisley delivers with an album that's both steeped in the past and looking for ways to grow." Now I could not agree more with the opening statement. If you feel this is the title you want for your CD, you better have delivered the goods. There are few acts in Country Music today that could get away with titling their album as such. Brad Paisley IS one of them. However, I think he fell short of the expectations that come with a title such as this one. Brad Paisley knows country music, Brad Paisley is country music, but this album is NOT. This is not his best offering by a long shot. If you want his best, pick up his album entitled "Time Well Wasted". There are some typically great songs on this album, as to be expected. But for the most part, it just left me wanting a little bit more from him. The only thing that left me impressed about this album is the collaborations you'll hear on it. Don Henley, Blake Shelton, & Carrie Underwood all make great appearances throughout it.
Song You Should Download: "Remind Me" w/Carrie Underwood. I'm not the biggest fan of Carrie's work, but this is the 2nd duet she's done with Brad and both have been outstanding. (The other is "Oh, Love" off his 5th Gear album) Honorable Mention: "One of Those Lives" is a song that anyone can relate to. It's a great message to people who stress too much about the small things to realize how blessed they truly are.
Song you should press "Next" on: "Working On a Tan" is a song I could see Kenny Chesney doing. Possibly even Billy Currington. It does not fit Brad Paisley at all though.
Grade (Out of 5 Stars): I give this album 3 stars out of 5. There's too much hit and miss on this album. There's no real stretch of great songs in a row and I think that really takes away from the overall grade.
Synopsis: I feel like I'm being different just to be different on this album. If you look online for a review of the latest offering by Brad Paisley, you'll be hard pressed to find a negative word written about it. USA Today gave it 4 stars out of 4, and follow that up with this quote. "If you're going to call an album This Is Country Music, you not only set a high standard for yourself, but you better not give anybody a reason to disagree. Paisley delivers with an album that's both steeped in the past and looking for ways to grow." Now I could not agree more with the opening statement. If you feel this is the title you want for your CD, you better have delivered the goods. There are few acts in Country Music today that could get away with titling their album as such. Brad Paisley IS one of them. However, I think he fell short of the expectations that come with a title such as this one. Brad Paisley knows country music, Brad Paisley is country music, but this album is NOT. This is not his best offering by a long shot. If you want his best, pick up his album entitled "Time Well Wasted". There are some typically great songs on this album, as to be expected. But for the most part, it just left me wanting a little bit more from him. The only thing that left me impressed about this album is the collaborations you'll hear on it. Don Henley, Blake Shelton, & Carrie Underwood all make great appearances throughout it.
Song You Should Download: "Remind Me" w/Carrie Underwood. I'm not the biggest fan of Carrie's work, but this is the 2nd duet she's done with Brad and both have been outstanding. (The other is "Oh, Love" off his 5th Gear album) Honorable Mention: "One of Those Lives" is a song that anyone can relate to. It's a great message to people who stress too much about the small things to realize how blessed they truly are.
Song you should press "Next" on: "Working On a Tan" is a song I could see Kenny Chesney doing. Possibly even Billy Currington. It does not fit Brad Paisley at all though.
Grade (Out of 5 Stars): I give this album 3 stars out of 5. There's too much hit and miss on this album. There's no real stretch of great songs in a row and I think that really takes away from the overall grade.
What I Submitted To Bleacher Report
This was the article I wrote for Bleacher Report to try to get in on their wrestling section. Ring of Honor is the 3rd, soon to be 2nd, biggest wrestling promotion in the United States & for the last year I've gotten really behind their product. The following article explains why I'm behind their movement.
When news broke that Ring of Honor had been purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group, it sent a lot of shockwaves through the internet wrestling community. Ring of Honor is set to become the 2nd biggest promotion in the United States with this purchase due to the reach that Sinclair has on TV and thus the exposure they can give to ROH. Nobody will ever overtake WWE for the #1 spot, at least not anytime in the near future. But there is a now a competition between TNA & ROH for #2, and there's one specific reason why ROH will win that competition. It's called Tag Team Wrestling. Now anyone that watches WWE or TNA may have never heard of tag team wrestling, due to the fact that both companies have basically made it taboo. Can you name me the WWE Tag Team Champions right now? Go ahead and think about it, I'll wait. For that matter, can you name the TNA Tag Champs either? I didn't think so. (The answers are New Nexus & Beer Money) Ring of Honor, however, takes great pride in their tag team division. In fact, I dare say that ROH currently houses the greatest assortment of tag-teams since the NWA of the late 1980's. NWA at one point had The Road Warriors, The Horsemen, The Steiner Bros, The Freebirds, Doom, The Skyscrapers, The Midnight Express, The Rock & Roll Express, The Fantastics, & Varsity Club. Being Tag Team Champions in NWA meant just as much as being the World Heavyweight Champion, which is how a good promotion should be. Ring of Honor has created a very similar situation, led by their current tag champions, and appropriately named "Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team." Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin made their debut in September of 2010 and catapulted themselves to the tag titles in 7 short months. The former champions, Kings of Wrestling, are as good as anyone on the planet. They too are appropriately named, as they had an incredible series of 5-star matches with Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. It culminated in what I consider to be the greatest tag team match I've ever seen at "Honor Takes Center Stage" this past April where Haas & Benjamin won the straps. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for ROH. Longtime roster members, The Briscoes have waged possible the feud of the year with Kenny King & Rhett Titus, The All-Night Express. There's also The Bravado Brothers, Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilley, and if they tagged up full-time, what could possibly be the best tag team in the world, The American Wolves. So when ROH comes to your TV sets in the very near future, you may see a type of wrestling you haven't seen in years. And in my eyes, that's what will set them apart from everyone else & make them a bonafied household name.
When news broke that Ring of Honor had been purchased by Sinclair Broadcast Group, it sent a lot of shockwaves through the internet wrestling community. Ring of Honor is set to become the 2nd biggest promotion in the United States with this purchase due to the reach that Sinclair has on TV and thus the exposure they can give to ROH. Nobody will ever overtake WWE for the #1 spot, at least not anytime in the near future. But there is a now a competition between TNA & ROH for #2, and there's one specific reason why ROH will win that competition. It's called Tag Team Wrestling. Now anyone that watches WWE or TNA may have never heard of tag team wrestling, due to the fact that both companies have basically made it taboo. Can you name me the WWE Tag Team Champions right now? Go ahead and think about it, I'll wait. For that matter, can you name the TNA Tag Champs either? I didn't think so. (The answers are New Nexus & Beer Money) Ring of Honor, however, takes great pride in their tag team division. In fact, I dare say that ROH currently houses the greatest assortment of tag-teams since the NWA of the late 1980's. NWA at one point had The Road Warriors, The Horsemen, The Steiner Bros, The Freebirds, Doom, The Skyscrapers, The Midnight Express, The Rock & Roll Express, The Fantastics, & Varsity Club. Being Tag Team Champions in NWA meant just as much as being the World Heavyweight Champion, which is how a good promotion should be. Ring of Honor has created a very similar situation, led by their current tag champions, and appropriately named "Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team." Charlie Haas & Shelton Benjamin made their debut in September of 2010 and catapulted themselves to the tag titles in 7 short months. The former champions, Kings of Wrestling, are as good as anyone on the planet. They too are appropriately named, as they had an incredible series of 5-star matches with Wrestling's Greatest Tag Team. It culminated in what I consider to be the greatest tag team match I've ever seen at "Honor Takes Center Stage" this past April where Haas & Benjamin won the straps. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for ROH. Longtime roster members, The Briscoes have waged possible the feud of the year with Kenny King & Rhett Titus, The All-Night Express. There's also The Bravado Brothers, Adam Cole & Kyle O'Reilley, and if they tagged up full-time, what could possibly be the best tag team in the world, The American Wolves. So when ROH comes to your TV sets in the very near future, you may see a type of wrestling you haven't seen in years. And in my eyes, that's what will set them apart from everyone else & make them a bonafied household name.
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