by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
So another SummerSlam is in the books, the show wrapping up Sunday evening from the Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers. The show from start to finish to me seemed a bit rushed, but I felt overall they got over what they wanted, which was a Hell in the Cell that from all indications could and really should be a match up for "Match of the Year." Other than that, the card will be rather forgettable, as there was not a heck of a lot to the show - unless you were naive enough to think that Shawn Michael's wife was NOT going to get laid out in some form by Chris Jericho.
Here are my post-SummerSlam thoughts:
Undertaker defeats Edge (Hell in a Cell) - This match made the card, without question. As expected, the job Edge did with the match is really what made it, and even though he lost he's the one that should get a lot of props for making the match what it was. Taker did a great job as well, and it's amazing he can be gone for two and a half months and come back and put on that type of show the first time out. I could have gone for not seeing the who Guerrero family and Bam and Hawkins and Ryder during the match, but whatever. As far as the visual at the end, interesting to say the least and more times than not that would be the end of the feud, but for whatever reason I can see this thing getting more play, despite the fact these two have already headlined now five PPV's in 2008.
Triple H defeats The Great Khali (WWE Championship) - This is about exactly as I expected, as no one ever felt that Khali had any sort of chance vs The Game to even sniff the title. The title was pushed to the back burner for this PPV with SmackDown's main being the Taker-Edge match, and that was the right thing to do. Hopefully with Edge off TV for a few weeks (at least two after the Hell in the Cell beating), they can refocus on the title and come up with a good program. One thing I am afraid of is rushing the Taker-HHH program, which if they are going to do should wait till Mania 25.
CM Punk defeats JBL (World Heavyweight Championship) - I thought Punk stepped his game up here, and he continues to show why he should get a sustained run with the belt. While JBL continues to get main event PPV matches for little to no reason, both men did a good job here, but Punk really shined. While Punk should continue to get a shot to keep the belt, they need to keep pushing his character and move him away from JBL and into another program.
Matt Hardy defeats Mark Henry via DQ (ECW Championship) - Total waste of time, and the only thought is they realized this was so rushed, they needed to keep this going and let's just throw this out there for 2 minutes and rush a DQ finish. What a waste to fly Matt Striker and Todd Grisham in to call a 1 minute match. As for the ending with Jeff Hardy coming out and "saving" Matt from a beatdown, that made little sense after Jeff lost in the opener. Bad booking here all the way around.
Batista defeats John Cena - For a match that we supposedly waited six years for, this clearly didn't live up to the hype, or should I say lack of hype. Batista was outspoken about rushing this match, and he was dead on. Then to have a clean finish, it didn't really make sense, other than to think we'll see this again down the road (Survivor Series?) and then Cena wins, setting up some meaga third and final match at Maina with a belt on the line. I just think in the end this could have been done better.
Santonio Marella and Beth Phoenix defeat Kofi Kingston and Mickie James (IC and Women's Championships) - You saw this coming with the romance angle with Marella and Phoenix, as now each of them having belts will put them on TV together more and more. The backstage interview with the popping out Maria and Marella and Phoenix was one of the funnier moments of the card, and it went over well on TV. Marella's unibrow was equally as funny. If you don't at least crack a smile at Marella's antics in and out of the ring, you have little to no sense of humor.
MVP defeats Jeff Hardy - The line they will use is that Hardy lost due to the "interference" by Shelton Benjamin, but what it really does is put these three - Benjamin, Hardy and MVP in the mix for a series of three-way bouts for the US Title, the first of which I think we'll see in three weeks at Unforgiven. Pretty good opener, and give Hardy some credit for taking some rather vicious shots, the best of which was the belly to belly suplex into the turnbuckle.
The other thing that has to be talked about is the "announcement" by Shawn Michaels that he's retiring - only to have it broken up by Chris Jericho. Now you knew the moment you saw her that HBK's wife Rebecca was going to get laid out in some form by Jericho, but man, give that lady some props for taking a shot that I don't think a lot of us would have taken for the sake of entertainment. I love Jericho's new character, and the punch to Mrs.HBK was a fantastic kickoff to what ought to now be a huge match at Unforgiven.
Monday, August 18, 2008
WWE'S SUMMERSLAM REVIEW AND COMMENTARY
Friday, August 15, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: BREAKING DOWN SUNDAY'S SUMMERSLAM PPV
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleThe WWE presents its annual biggest PPV of the summer this weekend - SummerSlam. The show takes place Sunday 8pm est from the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. While this is usually a show with a lot of build and high profile matches, this years offering seems a bit lacking, despite the fact they have thrown some major superstars together in trying to draw a big buyrate. With that, here is the breakdown for the show.
Edge vs Undertaker (Hell in a Cell) - This will likely be the main event, and for what it's worth - it should be. It will be the first time we've seen Taker since he "retired" a few months back after a loss to Edge at One Night Stand. Now he's back thanks to Vickie Guerrero, and this should be a blood bath. Both these men work well together, and they are wise to put this on as the main. Both these guys are at the top of their game, and this one should be a very solid main event despite not much on the line.
World Heavyweight Champion C.M. Punk vs JBL - We've seen this one before, as Punk took on JBL the night he won the strap, so they must feel they can keep it fresh. Keeping JBL in the title picture is a bit of a head scratcher, but they must feel that he still has value and can give Punk a solid match. No way I can see JBL winning the belt here, as Punk walks out with a successful defense of the World Heavyweight Title.
WWE Champion Triple H vs The Great Khali - Let's hope they keep this one short. With not much else going on in the title scene, they threw this together in hopes of making it legit, but not many are buying Khali as a serious contender for the belt, and for good reason. The company gave HHH some time off to be with wife Steph McMahon for the birth of their second child, and because of that, we have to deal with this, which should be a short 7-8 minute squash with HHH winning clean.
ECW Champion Mark Henry vs Matt Hardy - Hardy dropped the US Title at last month's PPV offering to set up this feud that we knew was coming when Hardy was moved and Henry got the belt. The ECW brand has been a bit better with the infusion of young talent, and while Henry does not deserve to carry the torch of this title, look for a win here to simply continue this feud till Hardy finally does win his first major heavyweight title.
Batista vs John Cena - They are pushing this as the "first time ever" for these two, and many felt we wouldn't see this till Mania. I predict we still might, as I can easily see a no-decision here, allowing them to keep this fresh as the build for Mania 25 starts in full in the next two-three months. From here I see a slow build for Batista going back to heel to build towards a big grudge match with a title involved with Cena at Mania.
MVP vs Jeff Hardy - These two just had a match at a PPV a few months back, but this time they are actually going though with a program, so I wouldnt' doubt if they drag this out a little. On the other hand, this could be a "one and done" and then they could move Hardy into the title picture with Triple H after he takes care of Khali. Down the road Hardy will have a title shot, and I think it's going to be sooner than later, meaning he wins clean here.
Beth Phoenix and Santino Marella vs Kofi Kingston and Mickie James (IC and Women's Belt on the line) - Kind of a silly way to have two belts decided, but for whatever reason they decided to have these four in a match and put not one but two belts up. I can likely see one of the belts changing hands, and the way it should go down is Marella, finally admitting his crush on Phoenix, helps her win the womens belt and forgo's the IC belt. That's the most logical way of it playing out anyway.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: SOAP OPERA ENDING OF RAW BEYOND BAD
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleThe WWE has always had a tendency to push the envelope when it comes to the whole "death" angle, and I for one dislike it. Last night it was that monster rearing its ugly head again, as they pushed with the JBL vs John Cena sleeper feud with JLB "killing" Cena at the end of the show with ramming a car into him. Poor taste to say the least.
Who gets anything out of angles like this? JBL is a heel to say the least, and I can't see how "slamming" a car into Cena is going to draw him more heat. People already don't like him, but do they actually think his "killing" of Cena is going to get Cena over more and make people not like Layfield more? Doesn't make sense to me.
Anyone that likes pro wrestling has to cringe when they see something like this. I know in the world of Vince McMahon and the WWE it's all about entertainment, but come on, do we really need to see something like this to get an angle over? Let the two wrestlers do their fighting in the ring, and forget about this stupid backstage stuff that makes the sport look bad.
Even more, stop "killing" wrestlers. It's bad enough that real life has seen many wrestlers die over the years, but do we need it in our Monday night wrestling? I think not.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: MILLION DOLLAR GIVEAWAY = MILLION DOLLAR SNOOZE FEST
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleThe WWE's latest attempt to draw ratings fell rather flat on Monday night, as Vince McMahon's "Million Dollar Giveaway" was a bore-fest that took away from anything going on in the ring or on the show as a whole. The premise was that McMahon, doing his worst game-show impression, would give out a password at the start of the show, then during the show "at random" call those picked that entered the contest, and give them a prize amount provided they could give the password.
Everyone that he called had the password, and for the most part each of them sounded very scripted, which later on we found out was somewhat was the case, as it came out a few of the winners were contacted beforehand. The segments were long, drawn out, not entertaining whatsoever, and flat out boring to watch. McMahon, usually solid on-screen, seemed totally forced and out of place here, and it got to the point where he was even mis-dialing the phone numbers.
They tried to spruce things up with at one point Charlie Haas getting kissed by Hall of Famer Mae Young, which was gross to say the least, and having a sing-a-thon between Jillian Hall and Trevor Murdoch, both of which were bad which resulted in Vince giving a caller $2 (they got a trip to NYC later on we learned as well as the $2). I don't think anything could have saved these segments, unless you maybe got Steve Austin and/or The Rock to maybe have come out and done them.
Now I'm all for the WWE doing giveaways and giving away tons of cash. With that said, there simply has to be a better way of doing it other than having to put viewers, tuning in to watch matches and storylines progress, sit for about 40 minutes watching McMahon struggle through lame attempts to be a bad game-show host. It was noted on various sites that Vince was not happy himself with the segments on Monday night, and truth be told that is a good thing.
Maybe because of that he'll get it in his head to either A: record the segments backstage and play them throughout the show and limit them to 1-2 minutes, or B: simply skip them and just announce winners on the screen in a scroll during matches. It means nothing to the viewer to hear someone win $250,000 to be honest with you. This show seemed very WCW-like, and trust me when I say that is not a good thing.
* Night of Champions PPV from Dallas is taking shape, as we'll have the following that we know of so far:
Triple H vs John Cena for the WWE Title
Edge vs Batista for the World Heavyweight Title (not yet announced)
Cody Rhodes and Hardcore Holly vs Ted DiBiase Jr. and a Mystery Partner for the World Tag Belts
Kane vs The Big Show for the ECW Title
Rumored:
Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michaels for the IC Belt
Micke James vs Katie Lea for the Women's Title
Monday, April 28, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: THOUGHTS ON THE LATEST WWE PPV - BACKLASH
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleI knew going in last night that Backlash was going to be at least 10 steps down from WrestleMania XXIV, and in most ways, the PPV didn't really deliver much on many angles, only due to the fact it was not set up to. They did do a pair of title changes, one I think will move along an angle, and the other I don't really agree with on a few counts.
The MVP-Matt Hardy opener for the US Title did what it was supposed to do, as Hardy finally was able to gain a measure of revenge for the "injury" that MVP did on him five months ago, putting Hardy out, (It was all a work angle). Hardy was able to come up with the win, and now we'll see if he can deliver on an angle to keep the US belt fresh. It's really the biggest singles belt that Hardy has had, so it'll be up to him to take it to another level.
The Kane-Chavo Guerrero match for the ECW Title was okay at best, with Kane winning a match that really dragged at points. Kane is actually a passable ECW champ, and I for one hope they allow him to keep it for a few months and have angles with other wrestlers than Chavo. I am thinking we'll see more in-ring action for Bam Neeley, the bodyguard for Chavo, and possibly a feud with either Mark Henry or if they allow Big Daddy V to return.
Not much to say about Big Show-Khali, other than it was expected to be painful, and it was. They really need to stop putting Khali in high profile matches, since he never, ever delivers. Show was helpless here in trying to make it look good, and thankfully it didn't last all that long, but anything over three minutes was tough to watch, and yes, this was tough to watch.
I was highly letdown by the events in the Shawn Michaels-Batista match on a lot of angles. First off, the insertion of Chris Jericho as special ref ended up meaning nothing in the end, which was odd. I guess they DON'T want to turn him heel...at least not yet. Then to have the match end as fast as it did with Michaels getting the superkick, just seemed odd. No real reaction from Batista, and Michaels sold the knee injury, which I was actually thinking might be legit if you look at the way the refs carried him as well as Jericho. I wonder where they take this thing from here.
The divas match was better than expected, mostly due to the fact they really only used the women that should be in the ring, and the rest were mostly eye candy on the outside. I expect to see a title rematch next month at Judgement Day (actually three weeks) between Beth Phoenix and Mickie James. Nice to see Cherry actually get some real ring attire by the way.
The World Heavyweight Title match was basically a repeat of Mania, which I felt it would be with Taker making Edge submit to the same choke he used to win the belt. While these two have had two good main event level matches, they need to add a stip as I am assuming they will have a third match at Judgement Day. One I can almost see coming is some stupid thing where it will be victory by pinfall only, stopping Taker from using the choke he's used to win the last two matches. I expect to see more than just one match though with these two as the spring and then summer continues.
As far as the Fatal Four-way for the WWE Title went, I for one was not thrilled to see Triple H win the belt, but I understand the premise behind it. You have John Cena gone for about a month to make a movie, JBL is not even close to being a legit contender, and you need a fresh program for 1-2 months till Cena comes back and you have a mega main event for SummerSlam with Cena vs Triple H for the belt. That I get.
Where we will go from here is basically a set of rematches between Triple H and Orton, starting with the Judgement Day PPV in May. Look for that and then some type of speciality match at Vengence (now the Night of Champions PPV) in June.
One final thought, I enjoy the new SmackDown announcer team of Michael Cole and Mick Foley, though I hope they find something for Coach to do. One thought is that Coach goes back to being a GM on RAW, now that William Regal appears to be headed for full-time in-ring action. As for the ECW crew, Tazz really does not appear to like working with the awful Mike Adalmie, and the line of the night has to be when Adalmie screwed up the ref for the ECW title match, and Tazz corrected him.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: BACKLASH A PPV MORE THAN WORTH MISSING
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleThe WWE's first offering of a PPV since the record-breaking WrestleMania XXIV will take place this Sunday in Baltimore, as the company presents Backlash, this year being the 10th anniversary of the post-WrestleMania offering. The card this year looks rather weak, as we have documented the companies issues in trying to keep the momentum going after Mania, but in just looking at the card, it looks like a solid buyrate is going to be tough to pull off here.
Here is a look at the matches with some of what to expect:
World Heavyweight Championship: Undertaker vs. Edge - This match was thrown on last at Mania, in order to allow the fans to go home happy with the Taker again winning at Mania and winning the belt. Edge is the best heel in the sport right now, and his matches always seem to live up to the hype, which is why I can again see this going last. Look for the same result from Mania, with Taker winning in a hard fought match that should deliver on all fronts.
Big Show vs. The Great Khali - Now we get into the crud on the card. The Great Khali has shown us over the course of the last two years his inability to have a good match with anyone, and his battle here with The Big Show is going to be yet another example. Show just worked a main event angle at Mania with Floyd Mayweather, and now he gets the burden of trying to carry the lumbering Khali. Good luck. As for a winner, Show takes this in a match that hopefully will last no more than about 4-5 minutes.
United States Champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy - This could be a match to look forward to, but the issue right now seems to be Hardy, who has shown quite a bit of ring rust since his return right after Mania. The Hardy-MVP feud was one of the better ones over the last year, and after MVP turned on Hardy when they were partners, it looked as if we would have a Mania match between the two, but then Matt got hurt, and it was shelved. Now they are at it again, and while I think MVP wins here, I think that it will be up to the champ to carry Hardy to a good match.
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. John Cena, JBL & Triple H in a Fatal Four Way Elimination Match - The issues with this match seem aplenty. At Mania, you had a three-way with Triple H, John Cena, and Randy Orton, and frankly the match was a bit of a letdown. Now you add an oversized and aging JBL to the mix, and they will try and same formula again, which at least on paper looks as if it will again be a letdown. Orton has survived the WrestleMania curse of a heel dropping the belt, so there is no reason here to belive on a bad "B" PPV that he'll lose. They need to find a new title program once this match is thankfully over.
ECW Champion Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero - Two totally contrasting styles on display here, as Kane is a bruiser, powerhouse, while Chavo is a technical, high flyer. Look for plenty of outside interference from Chavo's new bodyguard - Bam Neely, and I wouldn't doubt a title change because of that outside help. I said from day one that putting the strap on Kane is kind of like a lifetime achievement award. With that, look for Chavo to end the one-month reign and take the strap back.
Batista vs Shawn Michaels w/ Chris Jericho as Special Referee - I have to say that there is so much wrong with this match, I don't even know where to start. First you have face vs face with (for now) a face ref, meaning someone here is turning, plain and simple. I didn't like the looks or sound of this match from the get-go, as they tried to build the sympathy angle for Ric Flair losing to Michaels and Mania and retiring, even though everyone clearly knew that was coming. Then you throw Jericho into the mix, and with the rumors of his heel turn gaining steam, I can see him taking out both men and walking out on the match to the jeers of the crowd. A winner? I see a draw with a lot of the attention being on Jericho's antics by match end.
12 Diva Tag-Team Match - As if we were missing something, let's throw a hasty 12-diva tag match in the mix to really put the final nail in the coffin on this PPV. The storyline is that we're all supposed to be happy for the gritty Mickie James for her "never say die" attitude that eventually led her to upsetting Beth Phoenix for the women's belt. That's fine, but why then do we need 10 other diva's to muddle what should be a title rematch between James and Phoenix? As usual, WWE booking showing a classic case of missing the mark completely.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: KING OF THE RING APPEARS SET TO BE A TRAIN WRECK
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleQuite a few years ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Jerry "The King" Lawler at a Cleveland Indians game while he was a visitor in the press box. At that time he was in between stints with the WWE, and we had a chance to talk "off the cuff" about things in the WWE and how the shows were booked. That is what leads me to today, where I recall Jerry bringing up a term that I think fits what the company is going to try and pull off tomorrow night on RAW - a one night King of the Ring. The term that fits this show from the word go - "panic booking."
Yes, the WWE is coming off a long overseas tour, and it seems like they want to throw something big together for their three-hour show they have set for Greenville. With that, instead of the draft, which is what we all were expecting for this three-hour epic, they are going to go with an idea that they have put on the shelf more than once. The King of the Ring was an annual event that kicked off in 1985, and then hit PPV in 1993. It had its moments of good and bad, with the highlight probably being the birth of "Austin 3:16" after Steve Austin beat Jake Roberts in 1996 and blurted out the phrase to mock Roberts new found religion.
From there, the event was a staple till it died after 2002, and then they brought it back in 2006, to put the title of "King" on Booker T., as he became King Booker for the end of his WWE run. The event died after 06, and now it looks as if trying to draw some sort of rating for one night, they are going to try and revive the event. There are quite a few problems with that, one of which includes the simple fact that they tried to throw this thing together in one week. Yes, an event that they took months to build on the past, they are now doing in one week. Bad idea.
They also have not thrown out there who we are even going to see in this 8-man tourney. Names that have been rumored to be in the show include Triple H, John Cena, Shawn Michaels, Batista, Finaly, C.M. Punk and others. They have said that all three brands will be represented, but at the same time, with no idea on who in the three brands will be in the event, it makes it very hard to even get a grasp on who to pick as a possible favorite.
If I was booking this (and if I was I would have never have thrown this thing together this fast anyway), I would let someone mid-card win this thing to give them a boost. How about a King Kennedy? King Carlito? King (Matt or Jeff for that matter) Hardy? There are plenty of guys that could use the boost, guys other than Cena, Triple H or Batista. Bottom line though, this thing is such a cluster, who knows what to expect.
This night will also do very little to push forward the Backlash PPV that the the company should be focusing in on for this Sunday. Three hours is a lot of time to kill, and yes, they will push the show to some extent, but the night is going to be far out of focus, and right now, this PPV is in a lot of trouble, and this years King of the Ring is going to be one of the lowest rated Monday night shows of the year for the company.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: LET THE BAD BOOKING OF SPRING PPV'S BEGIN
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleLast week in our edition of "Cheap Heat" I wrote an article about how the WWE needs to keep up the momentum coming out of Mania, as it seems that right after their biggest event of the year they have a knack for dropping the ball. Well, after watching the first two shows of the week, and getting some heads-up on SmackDown, where basically right where I thought we'd be - back to some bad TV and bad booking.
Backlash, the next WWE PPV offering, is two weeks from Sunday, and the TV on Monday and Tuesday did nothing to make me want to part with the $39.99 that they are requiring for viewing. The angle to start Monday night on RAW was about as confusing as I have seen from a booking standpoint on WWE TV in quite some time. You first have GM William Regal telling us that John Bradshaw Layfield is the "most deserving #1 contender in WWE history" (why I still have no idea), and then you have two lackluster matches to get both Triple H and John Cena in the main to make it a "fatal four-way."
The only thing fatal about this match or the card in general right now appears to be the buyrate, which will be awful. You decide to keep the WWE title on Randy Orton, then out of the biggest show of the year do a poorly thrown together match with an overweight and boring JBL, and the two men that he just beat at Mania. I actually would have had no problems with a rematch of the Mania title match, but at the same time, forcing JBL in this match is about as big a head scratcher as I have seen by the bookers in quite awhile.
The other two rematches I have no real issues with, other than it's a case of "been there, done that." Edge and Taker do deserve another shot on a big stage, and here is hoping it's again the main event of the show. I think if you really push it, this is the feud that can carry the company for the spring. As far as Chavo and Kane are concerned, I don't know exactly how well these two will work together, but it will have to be better than the 8-second squash at Mania that earned Kane the title. Plus now with Chavo bringing in a "bodyguard" (a developmental wrestler they are calling "Bam Neely"), it does add more flair (no pun intended) to the match.
The fourth match on the show I have very mixed feelings about, as they are putting two very over babyfaces in a match as Shawn Michaels will take on Batista. The angle is that Batista is mad that Michaels "retired" his friend - Ric Flair. Batista even is using the famous "Shawn doesn't job to no one" line that has been bantered about in the WWE for years. It's a silly angle from the standpoint that Flair's retirement was so long in coming, no matter who he would have fought last, you knew that it was coming.
There is that bit of shoot angle involved, but really, for those that just watch the WWE for what it is, they likely are confused as to some of the phrasing of what big Dave is saying, while those that do know some of the backstage stuff that goes on are not buying for a second the "real life" feel to the angle at all. Plus from all indications, neither of these stars are going heel, meaning you'll have a 1-on-1 at the PPV and that will basically be it. Strange.
* WWE is planning to launch a Hall of Fame facility in the next few years. Officials from the company have been looking at various sights over the years, including one in Orlando, Florida. Shane McMahon recently said that WWE is anxious to get it done, but nothing is confirmed yet. The company has been collecting memorabilia for years now and storing it in a warehouse that is under lock and key. Every piece of memorabilia that is collected gets dated and filed for future reference. This is a great idea, and a for sure money maker for the company.
* Reports are that the WWE has been toying with the idea of turning CM Punk heel, but since his merchandise is selling far better than someone in his position should be selling, some believe that he should be built up higher as a babyface. Punk seems further away from the ECW title picture than ever with Kane now having the belt, but the thought is that eventually he'll cash in Money in the Bank for a shot at the SmackDown champ during the late summer.
* The 2008 edition of the Great American Bash PPV will go on sale 5/10 via Ticketmaster with prices ranging $300 down to $35. The 7/20 PPV will take place in Uniondale, Long Island at the Nassau Coliseum, which has hosted Wrestlemania 2 and Summerslam 2002 in the past.
* At Wednesday's Raw brand house show in Trenton, New Jersey, Ron Killings apparently hurt his shoulder working a match with Charlie Haas. The referee put up the X symbol and a stretcher was brought out for him. Killings managed to walk back on his own though.
Monday, March 31, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: WRESTLEMANIA XXIV THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleHi again everyone....back here at the hotel in Orlando, where we returned late from last night's WrestleMania, which was chaos to say the least. Needless to say, the crowd was huge, and next to the massive crowd in Detroit last year, last night was right there size wise as well as being into the show. We were on the floor, back on the ramp, and got a good feel of the crowd all night long. It was a very diverse audience, as we had people from other countries around us, as well people you could tell were die hards, and then some rather casual fans. Below are my first thoughts on the 24th edition of WrestleMania.
World Heavyweight Title: Undertaker vs Edge - No shock in the ending here, and I thought both men worked hard in this match, but the crowd seemed kind of spent and were a little dead till the end, which was well done. Let's hope that this Taker title reign was better than the last, and basically that means we hope that he stays healthy and sees it through this time. It was nice to finally see Edge get a main event on the biggest stage.
The Big Show vs Floyd Mayweather - While I was hoping they would allow Show to win here, his loss does not shock me at all, and for the most part, this match was a bit of a yawner till again, the end. I like how they allowed Mayweather's posse, which did have a developmental wrestler in it, take bumps, and it looked real the beating that Floyd got. The end was for the most part effective, but the crowd didn't seem to know how to react to Mayweather, which is not surprising for the way this thing played out. Overall I thought Show looked strong here.
WWE Title: Randy Orton vs Triple H vs John Cena - I along with 95% of the world were wrong here, but it seems like the company shifted their focus from just allowing Triple H to win to simply staying with what they think is the right direction, and that being allowing Randy to keep the belt. The reaction Cena got was no shock, and I think the crowd was a little stunned when Orton pinned Cena to retain. Look for a HHH-Orton singles feud and a match possilby at Backlash. Interesting move to say the least to keep the belt on Orton.
Money in the Bank - Loved it, and thought it was the best match of the 4 MITB matches so far. Each year these guys really try and out-do each other, and this year was no exception. Love the work that all the guys did, and having Matt Hardy do the run-in on MVP was good as well. C.M. Punk getting the win to me was a bit odd, since we've heard he's back in the WWE doghouse, but after tonight that is not the case from the looks of it. I expect him to take his shot at the World Heavyweight Title on SmackDown late in 2008.
Batista vs Umaga - Didn't really like this match, and I did have high hopes for it. Batista seemed a bit out of sorts, and Umaga didn't do much to carry him. Almost seemed like both guys knew they were the odd men out this year on Mania, and while this is supposed to continue, this was not the strongest way to start a program.
Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels - It's finally over for the Nature Boy, and what a way to go out. A very good match with Shawn Michaels where both men pulled out the stops. For sure will go down as one of the most emotional matches in the entire history of the company, much less Mania. I like the ending, and the crying Flair and his family did at the end got the match way over. Shawn did what he had to, and he and Ric had a very solid match.
BunnyMania - All I can say here is someone must have been trying to pull the plug on the match, when instead they pulled the plug on the lights in the ring. Things went dark for a few minutes, including the end of this match, which was a snooze fest despite the girls working hard. Don't quite know what the heels winning does for them, but whatever, it was a chance to get Maria in a match for the sake of Playboy, and a shot to get Snoop Dogg out there as well.
Finaly vs JBL - This to me was not the best of ways to start the show, as I thought we'd get a stiff, vicious match, and instead there were just a few weapons used, no blood, and a yawner finish. I guess JBL did enough in his return to earn a win, but what I don't know. Look for this to continue, ugh.
24 Man Battle Royal with the Winner facing the ECW Champ - The decision to allow Kane to win and then bury Chavo Guerrero in 9 seconds was a bit odd, but I think it was kind of like giving him a Lifetime Achievement Award. Remember how long he's been around, and he's done jobs to anyone that needs to get over. I have no problem with him winning, and it should bring some new blood to the ECW title, which had been lacking it for sometime.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: THE 10 BEST WRESTLEMANIA SHOWS OF ALL-TIME
by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
With WrestleMania XXIV around the corner, its time to take a step back and look at what's become the biggest show of the year each and every year for the WWE. With that today I want to run though my opinion of the ten Best Mania's overall of all-time. I think that some of the results may actually surprise you when it comes to what cards were overall the best. And these are in the order of number one being the best of all-time and so on and so on...
1. WrestleMania III - March 29th 1987, Detroit MI: Sorry, I can't help but still get chills when I think about this event, possibly still to me the biggest and best event in all of wrestling history. 93,173 was the announced attendence, which to this day is an indoor attendence record. There was so much about this show to love - Savage vs Steamboat, Piper vs Adonis, and of course - Hogan vs Andre. This event truly put wrestling and WrestleMania on the map as the premier event in wrestling history.
2. WrestleMania X-Seven - April 1st 2001, Houston TX: 67,925 and a great atmosphere in Texas made this a special event, to me the 2nd best Mania of all-time. The Rock vs Steve Austin main event was awesome, and that was just the end of a great night with a solid group of matches - Chris Jericho vs William Regal, Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit, Shane McMahon vs Vince McMahon in a street fight, and of course the memorable TLC match in which Edge and Christian won. A great night only second to Mania III.
3. WrestleMania XIV - March 29th 1998, Boston MA: A speical night in which the company used Mike Tyson to push the attitude era over the top. The main was Austin winning his first WWE title vs Shawn Michaels in a classic 20-minute match. You also had Taker vs Kane for the first time, The Rock vs Ken Shamrock, and Triple H vs the late Owen Hart for the European title. A very solid card that came at a time when the company was really gaining momentum.
4. WrestleMania VIII - April 5th 1992, Indianapolis IN: A very good card with a double main event showcasing Ric Flair vs Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice. The Hoosier Dome also had some solid undercard matches, the best of which was Roddy Piper vs Bret Hart for the IC belt. An early heel Shawn Michaels vs Tito Santana, and Undertaker vs Jake Roberts also were the best on the card. The Flair vs Savage match was very well done, and the title change was a bit of a surprise, while the Hogan vs Justice match which ended with the return of the Ultimate Warrior was a pretty fun match as well.
5. WrestleMania XV - March 28th 1999, Philadelphia PA: The first Rock vs Austin match for a main which again, was great. You really could never get a bad Rock vs Austin match in my opinion, so this was very, very good. Plus add in Mick Foley making the three-count, and it was pretty memorable. The rest of the card was okay, Foley beating Big Show by DQ, in a match that was supposed to be to see who would be the ref for the main event, Kane vs Triple H, Sable vs Tori, a heel Shane McMahon vs X-Pac, and a rather bad Taker vs Bossman in a Hell in a Cell which was overlooked. Good card that was clearly defined by the main event.
6. WrestleMania XIX - March 30th 2003, Seattle WA: The first real joint-promotion Mania with RAW and SmackDown, as they did the SmackDown side as the main event for the first and only time, with Brock Lesner and Kurt Angle having a very good 21-minute match that had a scary shooting star press that Lesner missed and almost knocked himself out. The final ever Rock vs Austin match, where Rock won was very good, and the Hogan vs McMahon match was well done, with Roddy Piper being a surprise along with Shane McMahon involved after the match. Jericho vs Shawn Michaels was also very good, going 22:33. Interesting enough the match that no one remembers is Triple H as the World Heavyweight Champion beating Booker T. to retain the title. It's the last time HHH won at Mania.
7. WrestleMania 22 - April 2nd 2006, Rosemont, IL: For an arena with only 17,159, which at the time was a rather small crowd for a Mania, this was one of the hottest crowds I can remember at an event, and their reaction for the main event between John Cena vs Triple H was awesome. It was the first time that a crowd really gave heat to Cena, which now is the "in" thing to do. The Money in the Bank match was very good, Edge vs Mick Foley in a street fight was well done, and about the most confusing part of the night was why the three-way for the World Heavyweight Title between Kurt Angle, Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio was only 9:18, while the Mark Henry vs Undertaker casket match was 9:26. Of course this also leads us to wonder why Shawn Michaels vs Vince McMahon got over 18 minutes. Nevertheless, a good card and good crowd.
8. WrestleMania VI - April 1st 1990, Toronto, CA: The night was built around the Ultimate Challenge, with two faces going at it with Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior. While the crowd seemed split on the match, the Warrior was supposed to be the next big thing, only to eventually be derailed since he couldn't handle having the belt and Hogan wanting it back. The 22:51 match was pretty good, with a lot of great back and forth, and a memorable ending. The rest of the card was not all that memorable, but the main was so pushed, it didn't matter. Demolition getting the tag belts back and Andre the Giant going face was part of the show, the Roddy Piper-Bad News Brown match was awful, and the mixed tag with Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire vs Randy Savage and Sensational Sherri was okay, but again - it was a mixed tag. Only on the list due to the main event.
9. WrestleMania X8 - March 17th 2002, Toronto, CA: The earliest a Mania was ever held, and it was misbooked in that the Hogan vs Rock match was truly the main event, while by the time we got around to Triple H vs Chris Jericho for the undisputed title it was a letdown. There were some other good matches on the card, but Hogan vs Rock really is what drew the card to be one of the better Manias. Rob Van Dam beat William Regal, Taker beat Ric Flair in a no-DQ match, and a medicore match with Steve Austin vs Scott Hall made up the best of the undercard.
10. WrestleMania 23 - April 1st 2007, Detroit, MI: Over 80,000 at Ford Field, which was a very cool thing to see, and a card that was very well put together with Batista vs Taker being better than we all throught, and Shawn Michaels vs John Cena was a solid 28 minute match. Then you had the build up with Bobby Lashley vs Umaga, which really was a hair vs hair between Donald Trump and Vince McMahon. Good match with a lot of celeb in it from the word go. Money in a Bank was a sick bump show, which gave the crowd a lot to cheer about from the start, but overall, just 8 matches made you wonder if they booked this show enough.
More... THE 10 WORST WRESTLEMANIA MATCHES OF ALL-TIME
Thursday, March 6, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: WRESTLEMANIA XXIV COUNTDOWN OFF AND RUNNING
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleThe official countdown to the WWE's biggest show of the year is now in full effect, as WrestleMania XXIV is now less than four weeks away from Orlando, Florida. Right now on paper it seems like the show is going to challenge last year's show in terms of matches, as they have officially announced six matches. Here are the matches announced so far:
WWE Championship Match
- Randy Orton (c) vs. John Cena vs. Triple H
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
- Confirmed thus far: Ken Kennedy vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Carlito
Career Threatening Match
- Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels
Playboy BunnyMania
Candice Michelle & Maria vs. Beth Phoenix & Melina
Interpromotional Match
Batista vs. Umaga
The Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather
Right off the bat, the WWE Title match could be one that gets lost in the shuffle a bit, as I think they need to do more to build that up. Having each of the three wrestlers be a "GM" on RAW for a week is sort of lame, and I think we need to see more actual interaction between them. Triple threat matches are tough in my opinion to pull off, and even though we all knew that John Cena was going to win last year vs Shawn Michaels, the build was better because it was one-on-one.
The Edge vs. Taker match also seems somewhat predictable, since at this point in his career there is no way Taker is going to lose at Mania. The one thing though about this match that could make it interesting is if they actually allow, and I doubt they will, for Edge to lose, yet keep the belt via countout or DQ. I think the company would take a backlash for that, being a cheap ending, and the only way this should end is with Taker with the blue light and fog holding the belt up once again.
As for the rest of the card, like last years Umaga vs Bobby Lashley gimmick match with Donald Trump and Vince McMahon involved in the hair vs hair challenge, it looks as if they are going to push the Big Show vs Mayweather bout to no end. They are paying Mayweather a ton of money, no matter if it really is $20 mil or not, and they are going to take advantage of his mainstream attention that they are going to get from having him on the card.
The one thing that will be interesting to watch is if they do what they did back at WM XI when Lawrence Taylor was involved in a match at Mania, and that was to put it on last as he took on the late Bam Bam Bigelow. They pushed that match to no end, and while it was okay, they bumped the WWE Title match, which was Shawn Michaels vs Diesel. I for one think they should keep with the premise of throwing on the WWE Title match last, while Mayweather and Show can go on second-to-last and have a great buzz.
What they will likely do though is have the Edge vs. Taker match on about 4-5th in the card, then have the Show-Mayweather match 3rd last, Playboy Bunnies match second last, then the WWE Title match. Speaking of which, the buzz around the net is that Triple H is "a lock" to win the title at Mania, as they won't put it right back on Cena since he needs time off to flim his next movie, and they want the fans to go home happy, so putting it on HHH is the obvious choice.
* The WWE Hall of Fame which will take place the night before Mania, has been starting to build, as they announced Mae Young as the next to go in this year. With that, we have Ric Flair, Rocky Johnson and Peter Mavia, and now Mae Young announced. The word is Jack and Gerald Brisco will also get announced, along with long time announcer Gordon Solie.
* Speaking of which, tickets for the Hall sold out in about 5 mintues on Saturday morning, only for them to hold back a lot of the upper level tickets till about 11am. As of this morning, there are actually tickets available, but nothing but nose-bleeds. As for lower levels and floors, there are none to be found anywhere, meaning that the WWE is really holding them back.
* On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, Floyd Mayweather's promo's on RAW Monday night were no better than a 2. The angle is simply not working, and Mayweather is a waste of time right now, and those promos were about the worst things I have seen on WWE TV in quite some time. They are REALLY going to have to do something special to make this thing watchable. Mayweather, as stated in this column before, is simply a better heel than face, and he has no idea whatsoever on how to play a good guy.
* WWE Diva Ashley Massaro is off TV right now, but it's not for anything else other than she is hurt and should be back soon. I would expect to see her as one of the "lumberjills" at ringside for Mania's Playboy Bunny match.
* A couple more celebs are on the docket for Maina, the first of which is socialite Kim Kardashian, who to be totally honest with you I had never heard of before I read about her on-line. No idea as to what Kim is going to be doing, possibly some sort of backstage segments or something like that?
Raven-Symone, who is in some new Disney movie with Martin Lawrence, will also be at Mania, again doing what who knows. Raven is probably best known for at one time being the cute little kid on the Cosby Show in it last few seasons.
Also rapper 50 Cent will be escorting Floyd Mayweather to the ring for his bout with The Big Show, which should be interesting. 50 Cent sang the theme song that Mayweather currently uses to come to the ring.
Finally word has come down that rapper Snoop Dogg will be a "Master of Ceremonies" for the Bunnymania match with the laides of the WWE. That match has also beeen changed a bit to become a Lumberjill match, like it was last year as a way to get the ladies on the card.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: WWE GRABS MAYWEATHER TO HYPE WRESTLEMANIA 24
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleIt's the time of the year where the WWE pulls out all the stops when it comes to trying to get mainstream exposure for its mega WrestleMania event, which this year will take place on March 30th in Orlando, Florida. The company put that policy in motion on Sunday night at its latest PPV - No Way Out, which took place in Las Vegas, as they kicked off an angle with returning wrestler The Big Show and pro boxer Floyd Mayweather. The angle was that Show attacked Mayweather's "friend" Rey Mysterio, who was legit hurt with a torn biceps that he suffered during a house show the week before.
Show came out after Mysterio lost a five-minute bout to Edge, and after a short speech grabbed Mysterio and starting beating on him. Then Show taunted Mayweather, who was sitting first row. Mayweather then jumped the barrier and jumped in the ring, going right up to Show. After a stare down, Show pushed Mayweather, who then was held back by his posse. Show, showing his huge height and weight advantage, then got on his knees to taunt Mayweather, who responded with three flush punches in the face.
A brawl then ensued with Show pushing people out of his way as Mayweather ran out of the ring. Show suffered a broken nose due to the punches, which made for one of the best visuals the WWE has had in years, a wrestler taking three straight in the face punches from a boxing champ, causing him to bleed, and setting up an angle that is sure to gain a ton of attention. As for Show, he and Mayweather officially were back in the ring on Monday night, announcing they will go at it at Mania.
It wasn't that easy though, as the original plan actually involved fellow boxer Oscar De La Hoya, who was invited in the angle. The original match was actually Mysterio and De La Hoya vs Mayweather and fellow heel MVP. After De La Hoya turned down the invite, they set their sights on Mayweather, who will reportedly get about $5 mil for doing the show in Orlando. Then the plan was Mysterio and Mayweather vs Show and Shane McMahon, but after Mysterio was hurt, they eventually pushed the plan for a 1-on-1 with Show and Mayweahter, which will take a lot of planning.
Give the WWE credit, they have pulled off two major surprises in the last two months as they lead up to Mania. First the return of John Cena, who came in the Royal Rumble as the last wrestler and won the event in stunning fashion. Now we have Mayweather, setting up what could be one of the more memorable matches in Mania history if they pull it off right. Not to say it won't be easy to make this match believable, but Show is a solid pro that should be able to carry the match as best he can.
* Following the PPV Sunday and RAW Monday, the two WrestleMania main events now seem to be all but set in stone. First on the SmackDown side in a match we knew was coming, the Undertaker will challenge Edge for the World Heavyweight Title. The company has done a good job keeping these two away from each other, setting this match up. As for RAW, it will be a three-way for the title with Randy Orton defending against Triple H and John Cena. I personally don't like the three-way, as I thought there would be more heat for a simple Cena vs HHH rematch of the main event from WM 22 in Chicago.
* A lot of the undercard matches for Mania will begin to take shape in the next 1-2 weeks. One match that seems to be happening is Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair. Monday night Flair was announced as the first member in this years class of the WWE Hall of Fame, a show that will take place the night before Mania. Of course if you want a mega match with Flair, Hulk Hogan said in an MTV interview this past week he'd like to wrestle Flair at the event. Very unlikely.
* The odd man out for now of the Mania main event picture is Jeff Hardy, who lost to Triple H at the end of the RAW elimination chamber match of the PPV Sunday night. Hardy won on Monday night in a match that will place him in the "Money in the Bank" match at Mania. There are still some rumblings that Hardy will eventually find himself in the main event that will make the already triple threat match a fatal four-way, the first of its kind at Mania since WM 16 with Triple H, Mick Foley, the Big Show and The Rock.
1 comment(s):
Post a Comment