Random wrestling thoughts

[Molly]

RAW is iMPACT!

[JackFetch]

Ok, whoever brought up the quick cuts whenever someone gets hit, thanks. I can't watch it without noticing that now.

Candace Michelle is going to be fired soon. I call in the next round of cuts within a month or two. She's not what she was before the injury.

The Flair thing is because Micky Rourke wisely backed out of a match saying "I'm not as stupid as I was when I was younger". I think he'll be in Flair's corner at WM though. I'm pretty sure he has at least a verbal contract to be there or Vince wouldn't have freaked out and told everyone he would be there no matter what.

Poor Regal got stuck with the ugliest diva on the roster. Of course I imagine a lot of women would say the same about her getting stuck with him.

If Mickie James doesn't watch it, she'll get cut. She's not looking like herself right now. I know you guys don't like me talking about looks over talent but she's gaining weight along with Candace Michelle.

There seemed to be a lot of talent missing from the show tonight. Melina comes to mind. She's the woman's champ and they couldn't fit her on?

[Stavros]

Poor Regal got stuck with the ugliest diva on the roster. Of course I imagine a lot of women would say the same about her getting stuck with him.

Layla ugly? You have INSANE standards dude, she's amazing.

[Guest]

I'd love to see Jack's ideal roster. I'd imagine it's just 4 main eventers and Melina.

[SuaveStar]

Raw was alright, nothing special.

Flair coming back is the stupidest thing ever, he is making a comeback and pretty much looking like a complete tit.

Candice will be on the "Wished well in her future endeavours" bandwagon soon.

Can't belive Mike Knox is in the Raw chamber match, this is pretty much saying "Yeah, the title won't change hands, oh well"

Christian better show up soon, I really don't want them to R-Truth it and wait forever.

[JackFetch]

Poor Regal got stuck with the ugliest diva on the roster. Of course I imagine a lot of women would say the same about her getting stuck with him.

Layla ugly? You have INSANE standards dude, she's amazing.

Your kidding right? That girl is hideous.

I'd love to see Jack's ideal roster. I'd imagine it's just 4 main eventers and Melina.

Don't mistake my personal feelings about what I want vs my feelings about what I think the WWE wants. The fact is the WWE has standards that they want their stars to keep. I'm not pulling these things out of thin air. There are other people saying them.

[Stavros]

Poor Regal got stuck with the ugliest diva on the roster. Of course I imagine a lot of women would say the same about her getting stuck with him.

Layla ugly? You have INSANE standards dude, she's amazing.

Your kidding right? That girl is hideous.

Yeah, hideous.

[Guest]

AH! KILL IT WITH FIRE~!

Trying to find a consistent standard of quality within a company that employs both Ricky Ortiz and the Boogeyman while letting go of Elijah Burke is a thought process I'd rather not embark on.

Also, I don't know if you guys noticed, but they didn't hire Candice for her wrestling ability.

[Molly]

Also, I don't know if you guys noticed, but they didn't hire Candice for her wrestling ability.

Well, she likely 'wrestled' with someone up in Titan Towers to get hired.

[SuaveStar]

Also, I don't know if you guys noticed, but they didn't hire Candice for her wrestling ability.

Was her "Techinque" on the mic.

[Guest]

I see what you did there.

[Aaron Robinson]

Your kidding right? That girl is hideous.

Yeah, hideous.

She looks far more attractive than most of the Divas I’ve seen.

[SuaveStar]

The f-u is now said to be known as the attitude adjuster.

Wow, a name worse than the throwback.....

[Stavros]

Check out ECW for Boogeyman's first EVER good match. Jamie Noble might not = ratings but he does = wrestling genius.

[Guest]

Watching the PWG Battle of Los Angeles 2008 Tournament.

Chuck Taylor vs TJ Perkins

Taylor is a comedy guy from CHIKARA. Perkins has been around everywhere as Puma, and just turned heel. He also has some of the worst looking gear this side of Chris Hero. Your typical indy opener. Some comedy, some flips, not much in the way of selling. Perkins worked the leg for a good 5 minutes, and then Taylor was doing dropkicks and moonsaults for his comeback. Perkins had knucks and Taylor stole them to get the pin. Decision was reversed for Perkins when the ref found out Taylor cheated. Not a bad match, but a bit awkward since Taylor is a better heel and Perkins is a better face.

[Kscriv]

Witness the greatness of my good friend (and when I say that I mean I interviewed hm once for a school assignment) Kenny Omega in the next match.

[Guest]

Brandon Bonham vs Kenny Omega

Never seen Bonham before, though he looks exactly like Jason Mewes. I've seen Omega a few times and he's fantastic. Great facials, great ring presence, and all around just fun to watch. Cool spot where Omega chopped the ring post by accident and Bonham dragged him around so the fans could all slap his hand. Omega was doing about a million things here and just made the match. Bonham eventually won with a Canadian Destroyer. The wrong guy won this match.

[Guest]

Austin Aries vs Nigel McGuiness

Two guys that I could not possibly be more tired of seeing. In typical ROH fashion, this went way too long and they had to tease 94 finishers after a Tower of London on the apron that should have been the finish.

[Guest]

Low-ki vs Roderick Strong

I like both guys but didn't really get into it till the end. Ki eventually won with a Dragon Clutch out of nowhere. Hero was on commentary and somehow he and Excalibur got on the topic of Roderick being a haven of STDs. I love PWG.

Scott Lost vs Joey Ryan

Ryan is decent. Lost is a bit better but way too indyrific at times. Two heels so crowd really didn't care, even when Ryan was doing Triple H spots. Most interesting part was Kenny Omega on commentary dicussing the merits of the different video game consoles while the match was going on. Lost won with a kick to the head in a pretty flat finish.

[Stavros]

Witness the greatness of my good friend (and when I say that I mean I interviewed hm once for a school assignment) Kenny Omega in the next match.

First time I ever saw Kenny was a Indy supershow double-shot in Wolverhampton, and he was almost immediately a guy I marked as someone to watch.

[Kscriv]

Scott Lost vs Joey Ryan

Ryan is decent. Lost is a bit better but way too indyrific at times. Two heels so crowd really didn't care, even when Ryan was doing Triple H spots. Most interesting part was Kenny Omega on commentary dicussing the merits of the different video game consoles while the match was going on. Lost won with a kick to the head in a pretty flat finish.

You just sold me the DVD.

[elnino14]

Judgement Day

John Cena v JBL: While these two have squared off before, this match and feud hasn’t happened in so long that it seems fresh. This match makes perfect sense booking wise considering the results of Backlash. It’s interesting to me that they would go for what pretty much a straight wrestling match considering neither man really excels at that style and the last time they tried it with each other it led to disastrous results (Mania 21) but they’ve both tremendously to really have a solid wrestling match. I enjoyed the match, JBL worked the arm and midsection pretty well (though he faltered near the end) and Cena did an excellent job selling (though I wish he made more hope spots). The ending came out of nowhere, but it made sense in terms of the match, Cena’s best chance was a flash finish using JBL’s own momentum to get him up into the FU, JBL had picked him apart enough to make sure Cena couldn’t win by sustained offense and power JBL up into the FU. I liked the match it worked, it lacked the heat, the quick pace, and the finishing sequence that an opener needs but it was a good match. ** ¾

WWE Tag Team Championship Match – John Morrison & The Mix v Kane & CM Punk: This match seems completely random and for a thrown together tag match, it’s not bad. I think this would have done a lot better as the opener of the show as it’s quick paced, never boring, has some nice spots, and all in all competent mindless fun. They really booked themselves into a corner though because they obviously didn’t want to take the titles off of Miz and Morrison and at the same time Kane is their ECW champ and CM Punk is their MiTB holder. The ending looked a bit goofy but it was still a fun match. ** ½

Shawn Michaels v Chris Jericho: This was the match I was most looking forward to on this card and it was pretty sufficient for the placement on the card and the story they were projecting. These two guys put on an excellent match at Mania 19 and met up in excellent encounters during a variety of Elimination Chambers since then. It was a catch-as-catch-can match with neither man playing a specific heel/face alignment, but it was still an excellent match. This was a very technical encounter and it was really well put together with some excellent nearfalls (that CodeBreaker made me jump) and technical exchanges. Michael’s arm work early in the match played into later parts of the match, Michaels injured rib section really worked to sell the match. They sold the story that this match was based off of with Jericho testing the leg in the early going and Michaels showing it is okay, and HBK’s unpredictability playing a large part of the match. They had a sufficient match to keep fans entertained and yet you can tell they’ve got much more to work with for when they need it. I could watch these two men wrestle all day. Somebody hook me up with a comp dvd. *** ¾

Triple Threat Match for the WWE Women’s Championship – Mickie James v Beth Phoenix v Melina: Meh, the match isn’t that great. I really like Beth Phoenix and all three are pretty competent in the ring but the match didn’t gel. It got really awkward and as much as they wanted to push the issue between Phoenix and Melina, it didn’t jive because Mickie was implanted in the middle. Still Phoenix was impressive, there were some impressive exchanges, and it was better than what many of the other women are capable of. **

World Heavyweight Championship Match – Undertaker v Edge: The video package drove me a bit loopy, the championship chase seemed like such a waste of time to reach this endgame. I’m really enjoying the series between these two men, they took a slightly different twist on the story of the match because the Undertaker’s submission was banned and Edge is really good at scouting his finishers so he had to put a bit of a twist on his finishers. The match was good but it seemed like these two are running out of rabbits to pull out of the hat. Edge tried to do something different by working Taker’s leg but that’s completely forgotten 5 minutes later but mainly the match relied on a lot of old tricks, which isn’t a bad thing but by the third time it feels stale. The entire match feels like a middle-chapter and the ending reinforces that fact. Pop a gimmick on this and let’s head to an exciting conclusion. *** ½

Jeff Hardy v MVP: I never thought a match between these two could be a disaster but here it is. The match had no substance, really, no substance. It felt like the JBL/Cena match earlier except with less experienced wrestlers. Considering the positioning it almost felt like the WWE wanted this to be a cool down match and it very much was. * ¼

Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship – Triple H v Randy Orton: There is absolutely no reason for this match to take place in a cage outside of William Regal wants it to. These two tried, Orton going for constant escapes to win is a call-back to how most of Orton’s title reign was, and Triple H more content with beating the hell out of Orton makes sense, but the match lacked a lot of drama. The Cage stipulation did not make sense, the match had an inordinate amount of punching sequences, it was painfully slow, and it was a foregone conclusion. It’s not a bad match, the crowd (probably piped in) got into as the match entered the concluding sequence and I really liked the Orton escape attempts because they seemed so desperate, but the ending was never in doubt and the finishing sequence was better at Backlash. ***

Final Thoughts: This is a big step down from previous PPVs of 2008, it feels like they are treading water here as it’s a middle chapter for most of the feuds here. The Jericho/HBK match is excellent but everybody else had better showings at Mania and/or Backlash. 6.5/10

Top WWE PPV Matches of 08:

1. Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 24) - **** ¾

2. Edge vs. Undertaker (Wrestlemania 24) - ****

3. Raw Elimination Chamber (No Way Out 08) - ****

4. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels (Judgment Day 08) - *** ¾

5. Undertaker vs. Edge (Backlash 08) - *** ¾

6. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. HHH vs. JBL (Backlash 08) - *** ¾

7. MITB (Wrestlemania 24) - *** ½

8. Shawn Michaels vs. Batista (Backlash 08) - *** ½

9. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy (Royal Rumble 08) - *** ½

10. Edge vs Undertaker (Judgment Day 08) - *** ½

11. Randy Orton vs. John Cena (No Way Out 08) - *** ¼

12. Randy Orton vs. John Cena vs. Triple H (Wrestlemania 24) - *** ¼

God, that Jericho/HBK match rocked.

[Guest]

I'm enjoying your recaps, elnino14.

Bryan Danielson vs Davey Richards

I'm still waiting for Am Drag to have a bad match with someone. I used to hate Richards, but he's growing on me. Dragon did the sell job of the century on his arm and Davey got in some good offense. Danielson eventually won with the Cattle Mutilation.

I also listened to the Don Tony/Kevin Castle show for the very first time today. I sat through the whole thing, and never will again. I have never heard two more bitter and miserable people in my entire life. According to them, everyone in the wrestling business is a scumbag/horrible worker/ugly/not a draw/a bad promo, etc. I kept waiting for the part where they would actually, you know, talk about the shows, but they seemed more preoccupied with stating how much better they were than other podcasts, bitching about how unfair it is that Rob Feinstein doesn't send them free DVDs, and even burying people they know. I heard it was a popular show, but for the life of me, I can't understand why.

[elnino14]

I'm enjoying your recaps, elnino14.

Thanks. I'm enjoying doing them. It's nice to know somebody's reading them.

I watched HBK vs. Jericho from Judgment Day again today. That match is still really a thing of beauty.

EVERYTHING made sense and the had so many little things that made it even better. Jericho going after the leg early, HBK upsetting Jericho by showing him he's not hurt that he just got played, of course playing into the story from Backlash. HBK playing heel by frustrating Jericho even more (SLAP TO THE FACE, BACKING OFF, COCKY SMILE!). Flash Superkick on the apron to play into the story of HBK being incredibly unpredictable. HBK worked the arm a little early on, setting up the crossface spot later. Jericho's work on the midsection plays into the Walls of Jericho, of course. Jericho catching HBK in the codebreaker by playing possum when HBK was tuning up the band, showing the Jericho is also willing to do anything to win. Of course the intense finishing sequence with HBK trying to injure Jericho's ribs by reversing the Lionsault, Jericho landing on his feet, and FLASH PIN! It all fits! Jericho and Michaels are so even, they know each other so well, they're both willing to do whatever it takes to win, they're both frustrating each other, but THIS TIME HBK was just a bit more unpredictable by catching that Pin. Jericho shakes HBK's hand clean (great call-back to Mania 19 with both men being so hesitant) which should signal the end of this but I get the feeling that's not true.

I'm boosting the rating a bit. ****

Man....and only 16 minutes, beautiful.

One Night Stand is next....and the card looks a lot like this one...skippable. Hopefully the gimmicks will make this the end of HHH/Orton, Taker/Edge, JBL/Cena, and HBK/Batista. JBL/Cena and Orton/HHH make no sense considering that Cena and HHH both won clean (although JBL DID beat the hell out of Cena at Judgment Day, a loss is still a loss). While I really like the Taker/Edge rivalry and the matches have all been good, it just needs to end and HBK/Batista makes sense as Batista would of course be angry that he got played too, but it really isn't nearly as intriguing as seeing more Jericho/HBK, plus the Stretcher stipulations sucks. I'm assuming I'll be seeing new matches after this...I'll see, I've done a good job of not looking at future cards thus far.

[Guest]

Nick Jackson vs Masato Yoshino vs El Generico

I don't understand why this was a three way, especially since Jackson really doesn't belong in the tournament at all. Yoshino works at an insane pace and Generico is way too great of a worker for someone with his gimmick. Match was really hurt by having Jackson in there, since he seemed to be the focus of the whole thing. Yoshino eventually won with a submission.