by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
The 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.
Friday, August 15, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: BREAKING DOWN SUNDAY'S SUMMERSLAM PPV
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: WWE PULLS SHOCKERS IN MONDAY'S DRAFT
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleAll I can say about the Draft is one simple word - Wow. Yes, the WWE took a look at it's product, falling ratings, and lack of buzz from it's fan base, and in one night, took the company and turned it upside down. Putting champions on different shows at a rather alarming pace, making changes in the announcer booths, and even a fitting ending to a money giveaway that was putting people to sleep each week, the WWE took some major chances last night, but in the end, they are all for the better.
Let's face it, since WrestleMania, and some will say even before, the product the company was putting out on TV three times per week was not exactly making people do jumping jacks. It was poorly scripted TV, with matches we had seen time after time, and no real commitment to pushing or making new stars. I don't know for sure that just because a bunch of talent switched brands last night that all will change, but the attitude right off the bad seems to be that it will.
You could also tell two people in the company that at least on the show seemed none to happy to be moving from Monday to Friday nights. The first was announcer Jim Ross, who was a staple on Monday nights for years, and now will take over the SmackDown play-by-play with Mick Foley on Fridays. With the onus on the talent not knowing they would be moved, Ross seemed almost shell-shocked, as did pal and color man Jerry Lawler, when the move was made.
The move to put Michael Cole on Monday's is fine with me. He's done it before, and I don't think that the show will lose anything because of it. Ross on Friday night will add a different dynamic, and I for one will be interested in seeing the switch and how it plays out. Ross is a Hall of Famer and true professional, and I think in the end he'll make the move and do what he's paid to do, which is tell a story to the fans at home through words.
As for the other major switch, Triple H will leave the comfort zone of RAW and also will move to Friday nights. Now there is no way with the power that HHH has within the company that he didn't know about this move up front. As a matter a fact, he was probably the one that pushed for it, realizing that moving brands would make him by far the top notch player on Friday nights, and not having to compete with John Cena on RAW for that title.
What the draft will do in the end is open up spots for talent to take their stuff to the next level. Wrestlers like Matt Hardy (now on ECW), Ken Kennedy (SmackDown), Umaga (SmackDown), Rey Mysterio (RAW), and others will have a shot to take their careers up a serious notch. As for dumping the "McMahon's Millions," - let's just say that it dumped two weeks too late.
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
Friday, May 16, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: CAN THE WWE PASS THE JUDGEMENT DAY TEST SUNDAY?
by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
The WWE's string of rather weak PPV's that always seem to signify the spring months following WrestleMania continue Sunday, as Judgement Day takes place at the Qwest Center in Omaha. This PPV in the past has had some pretty solid moments, such as the return of the Undertaker in a memorable 60-minute "Ironman" match between the Rock and Triple H back in 2000, a blood-bath between then SmackDown champ Eddie Guerrero and JBL in 2004, and a very good "I Quit" match with WWE Champ John Cena and JBL the following year in 2005.
For the most part though, this is a PPV to set things up for the next few months leading into SummerSlam, which will take place in Indianapolis in mid-August. This years card will be highlighted by only six announced matches, with a steel cage match for the WWE title being the main event between Triple H and Randy Orton. Here is a breakdown of the card along with some predictions.
WWE Title Match - Triple H (C) vs Randy Orton in a Steel Cage: Your standard series of rematches between these two foes will highlight the remainder of the summer until John Cena gets back in the mix in time for SummerSlam. HHH and Orton have had solid matches to this point, with their match on RAW that was cut short by William Regal being one of the better RAW matches in sometime. Look for Triple H to retain, as I see no reason to rush the belt back on Orton for any reason.
Undertaker vs Edge for the vacant World Heavyweight Title: Reportedly Vince McMahon made the call behind the scenes to do the stripping of the belt from Taker for whatever reason, forcing this third match between the two. Another pair that seem to have good matches, but again, is there any question that Taker wins and regains the strap here? They need to move these two on to other feuds before this starts to bore the fans, despite the fact that Edge is really the only true heel on the SmackDown roster that can match Taker in the ring.
WWE Tag Team Title Match - Miz and John Morrison (C) vs ECW Champion Kane and C.M. Punk: I thought this was supposed to be a match on ECW this week, but instead they threw it on the PPV to give Tazz and Mike Adamle something to do. Miz and Morrison have been solid tag champs, and I think having them go over here would be a big boost to their careers. Of course the WWE loves to have odd couples hold the belts, so I wouldn't doubt a shift to allow Kane and Punk to win the straps for some reason, which I think here is a mistake.
JBL vs John Cena: These two had a long feud when Cena beat JBL for the WWE Title back in 2005, and now it seems like neither have much to do, so let's rekindle the feud for a month with a meaningless match at a PPV. Don't mean to be negative, but frankly this match does nothing for me, nor should it for many WWE fans who can see through it's on the card for no other reason than to have Cena there for the fans, and JBL continues to have PPV matches for reasons I have no idea. Cena wins, but does it matter?
WWE Women's Title Match - Mickie James (C) vs Beth Phoenix vs Melina in a Triple Threat: I feel a title switch as well as a swerve coming here, as they played off Phoenix walking out on Melina last week and then having a fight backstage. In the end, look for Melina to play the face role, going after Phoenix and helping James, but in the end turning on James and laying her out to let Phoenix win the belt back. Just a guess, but that's my feeling going in.
IC Champ Chris Jericho vs Shawn Michales: No belt up here for some reason, and as usual with Michaels PPV matches going in, this has the shot to steal the show. I have to believe that HBK was not all that happy with his Backlash match with Batista last month, and he and Jericho will go all out to make up for it here. Jericho continues to be a "tweener" character, sometimes good, sometimes bad. As for Michaels, I can see a win here, but what it will lead to is anyones guess.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: REGAL GETS NEW AND IMPROVED EVIL MAKEOVER
by Matt Loede, Let's WrestleIf you've taken in the past few weeks of RAW, you have noticed the that company has gone from a mold of wrestlers that are good one week, bad the next, to the old fashioned formula of good guys and bad guys. They toyed with the idea of "tweener" characters right before and right after WrestleMania XXIV, with two wrestlers standing out in that regard - The Big Show and JBL. Show was cheered mostly in his hyped feud vs Floyd Mayweather, while JBL challenged fellow bad guy Randy Orton for the WWE Title the night after Mania. Now, a month later, we see that Show is back to full-time face, while JBL is back to his heel-like ways on RAW.
That brings us to our newest evil superstar - William Regal. Hard to believe just about a month ago that Regal was nothing more than a pawn on RAW week in and week out. Sure he was the "General Manager," but some weeks you'd forget he was even on the show. That clearly is not the case now. The company, for whatever reason, has decided to give Regal a role of full-time heel with a mean streak we have not seen in quite sometime. He is also a heel in power, as he's still the GM on RAW, as as well as recently crowned "King of the Ring," making his place on the bad guy chart right near the top.
Regal (the real life Darren Matthews) is one of the most interesting stories you'll ever read about. Born in England, he started wrestling in carnivals on the North Pier of Blackpool at the age of 15. He did that till 1992, when he came to the US as "Roy Regal," and then eventually "Steve Regal." He became "Lord Steven Regal" in 1993 in WCW, and showed good success there, winning the TV Title four times. He was eventually fired for going into a shoot during a TV match with then rising star Bill Goldberg in 1998.
His first move to the WWE lasted about a year, then he was back in WCW for a second run. Once released in 2000, he came back to the WWE, where he's been ever since. He was in an out of rehab for awhile, had meaningless feuds with guys like Scotty 2 Hotty, Paul Burchill, and others. Then his break came, as he started hanging with then "King" Booker T, and eventually worked his way back into the role of Interim GM of RAW. He then won a battle royale on August 6th to become the official GM or RAW, and has been ever since.
Regal has had plenty of in-ring matches, but many felt that his better wrestling days were behind the now 43-year-old (his 44th birthday is Saturday). Which is why the decision to allow him to win the KOTR and now have more power than ever was a first a bit strange. Consider it a "lifetime achievement award" for Regal, who has done all that could be asked of him, both good and bad, in his time with the company.
The plan for the new and improved evil Regal is for him to keep screwing the babyfaces, with antics like turning the lights out (we've seen it twice now in a week), stopping matches when he feels like it, and stacking odds against good guys like what he did on RAW Monday night. He'll face new good guy Mr. Kennedy at Judgement Day, and I would be shocked if he does not win that match. There is even talk of a program with Triple H for the WWE Title strap.
It's a fresh program for a guy that has worked hard in the ring and out to have a character fans can enjoy. It will be interesting to see how long the fans buy it, or if it gets the plug pulled as fan interest in Regal dwindles as time goes by.
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.
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, March 6, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: WRESTLEMANIA XXIV COUNTDOWN OFF AND RUNNING
by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
The 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.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: HARDY'S PUSH CONTINUES TO MUDDLE MANIA'S PLANS
by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
Last week I spoke of the backstage issues which always seem to pop up this time of the year as wrestlers position themselves to get set for WrestleMania. One wrestler who, despite missing the last two RAW's, that appears to have gained the upper hand backstage due to his influence in the McMahon family circle is Triple H. As of this writing, the plan was still for Triple H to win the RAW elimination chamber match on Sunday at the "No Way Out" PPV in Las Vegas. By doing this, he will be placed in the main event at Mania vs the winner of Randy Orton and John Cena, which many predict will go the way of Cena.
The wrench in this plan seems to be the push that Jeff Hardy continues to get. This past week on RAW, Hardy and Shawn Michaels wrestled in one of the best main events of the show in months, with Hardy winning clean in the end. If they are pushing Hardy for no reason, then giving him pinfall wins on RAW the last two weeks comes across as a real waste. Some still speculate that Hardy will somehow find himself in the main event at Mania with HHH and Cena, or that possibly he'll win the Mania's "Money in the Bank" match, and then cash it in at the end of the night to win the belt in a surprise move.
Whatever the case with Hardy may be, it's likely the best thing that the company has going right now, and clearly is the program that the fans are behind, meaning that it will get the push it deserves. If Hardy is kept out of the main event at Mania, look for him to start finding himself in the main event of follow up PPV's, like April's Backlash. On the SmackDown side, the call is clearly for Undertaker to win the chamber match Sunday and move on for his program with Edge at Mania in what should be a solid match that in the end Taker will win.
* Another hot topic on the WWE scene is the talk surrounding the upcoming Hall of Fame event that will take place the night before WrestleMania 24 in Orlando. The past few years the event has taken place in a theater setting, but this year they are going with the larger Amway Arena, home of the Orlando Magic. The favorites to make it to this years class include - Ric Flair, Mae Young, Rocky Johnson and Peter Maivia. The thought of putting Johnson and/or Maivia in also is a WWE brainstorm so they can get The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, to the event to induct them both.
* Maybe the biggest story of the week is that the SmackDown brand is leaving the CW network in September. Seems that the network does not feel that the show is bringing viewers to their other shows enough to justify keeping it around, despite it being one of the higher rated shows on the network. In the end, look for the company to shift SmackDown to MyNetwork TV, and for a move to Thursday to be in the works.
* On RAW this week they finally kicked off the much talked about incest angle with Paul "I used to be a pirate" Burchill and his "sister" Katie Lea. The story is that they are brother and sister, and eventually will do a lot of groping on TV and will in the end declare their "love" for one another, beyond anything a normal brother and sister should. Another example of "shock" TV that they shouldn't have anywhere near a ring.
* "No Way Out" on Sunday in Las Vegas has the following announced matches:
- Randy Orton vs John Cena for the WWE Title (Cena wins the strap back here)
- Edge vs Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Title (Edge again as this is a filler program before the Edge-Taker feud)
- RAW Elimination Chamber (Triple H will win and move to Mania)
- SmackDown Elimination Chamber (Taker no question here)
- Ric Flair vs Mr.Kennedy in a possible career-ending match for Flair (Flair once again escapes with a win)
- Chavo Guerrero vs C.M. Punk for the ECW Title (Chavo wins to keep the belt)
Friday, February 8, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: LET THE POSTURING FOR WRESTLEMANIA BEGIN
by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
Backstage politics. It's almost as common in the WWE as it is in the White House. The stuff backstage gets more and more heated as WrestleMania draws closer, and this year it's no different. The complex of the WWE main event picture for WrestleMania has changed so much with the return of John Cena, one does not even know where to begin. Well, in this day and age of the WWE, it usually starts and ends with one guy - Triple H.
Don't get me wrong, HHH is a tremendous performer who has worked his butt off for this company for quite some time. He's done the right thing when dropping the belt, but also has been known to want his way, and with his arm tightly around Vince McMahon's daughter (they are married in case you didn't know), HHH usually finds a way to get his way. With Mania 24 fast approaching, this year is now different.
It appears that now with John Cena in the title pic (bets are he's going to win vs Randy Orton at No Way Out), word is that Triple H has been working his connections backstage to get himself in a title match with Cena at the big show in Orlando. It's not the worst of ideas, but at the same time, most WWE fans are still firmly in the corner of Jeff Hardy, who now appears as the odd man out now that Cena is back on the scene.
The company is still looking at the situation, and could in the end solve this by allowing Hardy to win the Elimination Chamber match at the upcoming "No Way Out" PPV next Sunday in Vegas. From there, you build the already tense situation between Cena and HHH, and then its a three-way at Mania, as you could have Cena as champion taking on HHH and Hardy. Usually Mania is between the two top guys, but in this case, Hardy is on such a roll, it will be hard to ignore him as Mania gets closer and closer.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
CHEAP HEAT: A STORYLINE WE'VE SEEN PLENTY OF TIMES BEFORE
by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle
I hate to say this wrestling fans, but it appears that we've seen this storyline before. I am of course referring to the storyline that seems to be playing out on Monday night RAW, where Triple H, who is playing the hero in the storyline, wants to get his beloved WWE Title back. In his way is the evil Mr.McMahon, who is going to do whatever it takes to stop HHH from getting it, including screwing him over every chance he gets. The storyline played out Monday when HHH's Royal Rumble spot was on the line in a match against long-time pal Ric Flair, and commish William Regal got HHH DQ'ed on purpose, thus stopping him from being in the Rumble.
How this appears to be playing out is that HHH will now have to scratch and claw and win his WWE title shot in the No Way Out PPV elimination chamber match that will take place in the final PPV before WrestleMania 24 in Las Vegas. Now with that said, there appears to be a shift going on from the originally booked Triple H vs Batista match at Mania to now it being Randy Orton as WWE Champ (with likely Mr.McMahon's backing) vs Triple H. It's a match we've seen before, and frankly I am a bit surprised that they think that match would be a main draw at the biggest show of the year, but who knows.
On the other side, the same thing is happening with the Undertaker, and now the evil combo of assistant GM Vicki Guerrero and now champ Edge will be playing the role at stopping Taker from earning his rematch for the Heavyweight Title. This may lead to Taker winning, for the second straight year, the Royal Rumble, and then using his title match and cashing it in against Edge at Mania. However it plays out, this is one that we have seen over and over. Case in point:
1. Mr.McMahon vs Steve Austin
2. Triple H and Stephanie vs Mick Foley
3. Mr.McMahon vs The Rock
4. Mr.McMahon vs Shawn Michaels
And so on and so on. Usually the storyline drags on for a month or two with finally in the end the good guy coming back and winning the title, laying out McMahon, and everyone goes home happy. I wouldn't doubt we see it again on both brands when the biggest show of the year takes place in March in Orlando.
* With the shift of JBL going to RAW, the SmackDown announcing team has now been switched up to Michael Cole and Jonathan Coachman. I am not in favor of this move at all, as we have heard "Coach" in the past on broadcasts, and he is a better backstage interviewer than he is a color guy or play-by-play man. My choice would have been to go back to Tazz, and just have him do double duty on SmackDown and ECW.
* Speaking of ECW, the feud they are putting together with C.M. Punk and Chavo Guerrero is going to be a good one. Both guys are similar in size, and have great in-ring talent. The program that I am also looking forward to seeing is Punk vs Shelton Benjamin, which from what we've learned may be the program at WrestleMania.
* Always a good idea to make the Royal Rumble bigger than it is by making guys have to qualify by winning matches to be in it. We saw that this last week with Umaga beating Jim Duggan on RAW. Usually you can tell going in who is going to win those qualifying matches, but it still makes it more interesting.
* Speaking of the Rumble, it took Madison Square Garden about five and a half hours to sell out for the event. The top ticket price for the event is $404 per ticket, which is second highest charged for a WWE event ever next to WrestleMania, where face for the top tickets is $750.
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