Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Capital Punishment

This was an odd PPV, held in Washington with all of the President skits, but all the lame PG jokes aside there were a few decent matches.


First, Dolph Ziggler (my fav wrestler) defeated Kofi Kingston to become the new United States Champion. This was a decent match, but even I thought the ending was lame. Winning a match with a sleeper hold is the oldest and lamest finish in the books as far as I'm concerned. Dolph has so many high impact moves such as the Zig Zag and the Famasser, both would make for a much more exciting finish than the sleeper hold. Oh well, Dolph is now the United States Champion. Add that to his resume so far, which includes, United States Championship, Intercontinental Championship, and very briefly, World Heavyweight Championship. It would see that his next goal should be the WWE Championship!

Next was the showdown between Alex Riley and The Miz. Personally I hate The Miz and I think Alex Riley has been carrying him this whole time. Its nice that Riley is finally getting his own push. Defeating The Miz should help launch his own career.

The next match was The Big Show vs Alberto Del Rio. This had a strange build up since Alberto's personal ring announce ran over Big Show's leg with one of his expensive cars, and then Big Show knocked out Mark Henry on Smackdown. The high point of this whole match, which was pretty sad, was when Mark Henry came out and picked up the 500 pound Big Show, carried him over to the announce table and delivered the Worlds Strongest Slam threw the announce table. After that the Big Show just wasn't the same. They really played up the injured leg angle and that was ultimately the downfall of the Big Show. Honestly, the Big Show is a joke. He hasn't had a decent match since Brock Lesner left the company. He is just a big dump monster that is always easily outsmarted and defeated by much smaller weaker wrestlers. I can't really respect or cheer for the Big Show since its always a sure thing he will loose and it will be a lame finish. Oh well, that's his problem for letting himself get used like that, he could just stand up and knock out anyone he wants. I guess he gets paid more to look like a fool.

Next Ezekiel Jackson finally defeated Wade Barrett to win the Intercontinental Championship. This guy, Ezekiel, made a name for himself by body-slamming the Big Show. Since then he has won matches but repeatedly body-slamming his opponents. Finally they came up with a real finish for him, now he uses Lex Lugar's old Torture Rack. Honestly, I'm not that impressed with Ezekiel. He is big, obviously strong, but doesn't seem to have a clue what to do in a wrestling ring, and its horrible on the mic. He seems to have trouble just saying his catch phrase "I am the personification of domination." Its a clever line, but I think with his speaking skills they should use smaller words lol. How long will me be able to make a career off of a body slam?

CM Punk then defeated Rey Mysterio. This was a decent match, but then again it is every month when they fight. This seems to be a standard match for every major show. With no title or storyline either. They just fight every time the company needs a real match to save the show. The only point of interest in this whole match was that after he won CM Punk announced that he will be leaving WWE as soon as his contract expires at the end of the month. Right after the Money In The Back PPV in which CM Punk is fighting WWE Champion John Cena for the title. Punk swears he will win the title and then leave the company with the championship belt. I am suddenly getting Bret Hart flashbacks lol.

The real story of the PPV, and the match that should have been the main event was Christian vs Randy Orton for the World Championship. Randy Orton is the best wrestler in the company today and you can't help but hope for Christian to regain the World Title. So this was the match I wanted to see the most.

The match was great. Lots of great moves and great reversals. When Randy went for the RKO and Christian countered it with that backwards DDT he does I thought that was great. Still, that was not enough to get the win. I thought that would happen when Christian hit Randy with the spear, but again that wasn't enough for the win. Then out of nowhere like always, Randy hit Christian with the RKO. However, it was clear the moment Christian landed that his foot was under the rope which means the pin doesn't count. Somehow the ref of course missed this and counted 3 making Randy the winner.


The next edition of Smackdown GM Teddy Long stated that the ref's decision is final (he would know he used to be the ref lol). So again Christian was screwed. This would be working great if Christian was still the good guy and his "Peeps" were feeling sorry for him and demanding he gets another rematch. However, WWE decided to make him the bad guy and have him turn on his fans. So now when he gets screwed and ripped off everyone laughs at him and no one is on his side and no one wants to see him get another chance or even win the title. I think that's a shame. Christian had a huge fan following. Everyone was happy when he won the title. Why would they take away the title and make him turn on his fan-base? Now they got a lame heel that no one really cares about that is wining about getting screwed and no one cares. How long can they drag this out without giving Christian the title and making him a real champion?

In between the title matches Even Bourne fought Jack Swagger. Evan Bourne won!

Finally the main event. R-Truth, who apparently lost his mind after he lost his title show to John Morrison. He turned on his fans, refused to rap, refused to dance. He beat up his best friend John Morrison so badly he needed neck surgery afterwards. He smoked in the arena at ringside and blew smoke in Morrison's face. He then started talking to himself and acting crazy. He dressed up as a civil war solider on Memorial day. He has been attack and assaulting Cena's fans in the crowd. He refers to them all as "Jimmy."

Honestly, despite the fact that they are making R-Truth act like he lost his mind he is making a lot of senses lol. I'm sure most of the wrestlers in the back are sick of Cena's fan-base which consists of little kids probably ages 10 and under. This is the new PG WWE. They only try to appeal to young children again now. Reminds me of the Hulkamania days. "Say your prayers and take your vitamins" have been replaced with "Never give up!" same lame attitude. Now there is R-Truth, smoking around the ring, throwing drinks in the face of Cena's little fans (obviously plants lol), he is the anti-role-model. Its a perfect counter balance for Cena. I just don't think he should have to be insane, he could just be a more grown up adult character.

Regardless, in true WWE fashion, this match had a hilarious comic ending. R-Truth beat Cena so badly he left him dead in the ring and went to take a water break (a joke referencing when he first won his title shot in the gauntlet match but needed water breaks in between his matches lol). Only this time, as R-Truth stole a drink from one of Cena's fans, the kid threw the watch into R-Truth's face. R-Truth was in shock, Cena rolled him back into the ring, and while clearly blind and half unconscious after being hit in the face by that deadly water, Cena was able to hit his only move, the Attitude Adjustment (formerly known as the FU before the PG change in the WWE). So once again Cena wins a silly match and retains his WWE title. 

Cartoon PG Lame PPV Concept
Final Thoughts: This was a lame concept for a PPV, I hated the President jokes. Any PPV that ends with Cena winning I give 2 thumbs down. I can't help but feel sorry for Christian in all of this. I think the only match I was happy about was Dolph Ziggler becoming the United States Champion!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Ric Flair Arrested Update

Ric Flair has paid up the $35,000 he owed Highspots.com. The site posted the following to their Facebook page: "Letting our own social media get the scoop, we have FINALLY been paid by Ric Flair for the debt dating back years ago. No jail time for Naitch. Whichever Angel pitched in the $ for him THANK YOU."

John Morrison's Neck Surgery Update

John Morrison will be out for roughly two more months, due to his neck injury.

Chavo Guerrero Released

WWE announced today that they have released Chavo Guerrero, who has been with the company since 2001. Here is the announcement from their website: World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of WWE SmackDown Superstar Chavo Guerrero as of today, June 25, 2011. We wish Guerrero the best in all future endeavors.

Guerrero took to his Twitter to respond, writing, "Yes, it's true. My release is the big news I was talking about. But let's get something straight. I asked for my release. I was just tired of not being used correctly. Just cuz u can make other ppl look good, doesn't mean they should just have u lose to them. The same thing happened to Eddie. After being champ, they still had him working mid card status. Being a Guerrero, we've been taught since diapers to get the most out of ppl & matches. It's our gift, but also our curse. WWE has always used us to make other ppl look good. It all comes down to being happy. I was not happy in WWE anymore. I had a smile on my face last night though when I got my release though! :) now it's time for me to start being a Guerrero again, and start kicking ass again, be able to tell stories in the ring like u know we can. :) win or lose I will never go back to the place WWE put me in. I will never go back to being under utilized and watching ppl who suck get bigger "pushes" than me! Thank u to all of u who stuck by me & kept reminding me, I was better than that! :) stay tuned.. Big things coming!! Now I will really be able to entertain u! :) like me or hate me, 1 thing I have always tried to do is entertain u and give u fans your $ worth. Even if my hands were tied most of the time. I love u all and can't wait for the future!! So happy. :)" 

I think this was a horrible mistake. Chavo is right, he was not used properly. He is an overly talented wrestler and he has not had any success in the company (other than a short riegn as ECW champion, which ended in the shortest match in Wrestlemania history) since Eddie passed away. They were one of the greatest tag teams of all time and after Eddie became champion on his own Chavo was pushed aside. However, after Eddie passed away I thought maybe Chavo would get a push (not that he could take Eddie's place). Instead it seemed that WWE gave that spot to Rey. Since then Chavo has only been used as comic relief and to put over other stars who have never amounted to much as he pointed out. The most recent and I guess final instance was with new star Sin Cara. Chavo tried to help him but Sin Cara rejected him. The two fought and Sin Caro won easily. This made Sin Cara look great but made Chavo once again look very stupid. I can understand why he would want to quit, but I can't understand why WWE would refuse to use him more effectively. He will be missed in the company and I think they will regret their mistake. Hopefully we will see Chavo in TNA soon, since that is about the only other option in the wrestling world today. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Matt Hardy Suspended

We noted yesterday here on the website that TNA Wrestling officials suspended Matt Hardy due to continuously arriving late to live events. In an update on this, the suspension was also due in part to the video he posted online of himself urging Jeff Hardy to stun Reby Sky (Matt's girlfriend) with a taser, "among other reasons." Basically, several things had been building up and they suspended him.
Hardy was left off last week's iMPACT! Wrestling tapings in Orlando, Florida due to the aforementioned reasons.

As noted earlier, Matt Hardy tweeted the following statement in response to the online reports: "Just checked out the headlines on the 'net.. They make me smile :-) Everything's cool in life-luv it! It's 95 out but I'm not sweating ;)"

Scott Hall Going To Jail

TMZ.com reports that Scott Hall was sentenced to ten days in Seminole County Jail yesterday for resisting arrest last May.

Hall was arrested on May 14, 2010, and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting a police office. Authorities were called to the Hitching Post Bar in Chuluota after Hall, who had been "drinking heavily" according to a police report, "became aggressive". When authorities arrived, they found Hall yelling and cursing at the amateur wrestling personalities Marc Grabowsky, Kevin "Showtime" Van Camp, Tony "ODB" Griffin, Shawn Shiever The Beaver Retreiver, Mark E. Nelson and other staff of the bar. Hall was told he was not allowed to return to the establishment. On his police report, Hall listed himself as an "unemployed" professional wrestler, despite having a job with TNA Wrestling, who would release him a month after the arrest.

Court records in Seminole County, Florida indicate Hall was sentenced to ten days in jail. His jail time, however, was reduced to two days for time served. 

He is planning to check in to jail on July 5. A representative for the former wrestling champion says he'll be in the medical unit due to his "bad health."

TMZ.com reported Tuesday that Scott Hall was sentenced to ten days in Seminole County Jail for resisting arrest last May. The story also notes that his jail time was reduced to two days for time served. According to a source, that the story is incorrect as just two days were cut off his sentence. That means he'll be serving eight days and not two as TMZ reported.

Hall will enter jail on July 5 and be released on July 13.

Why Batista Left WWE

As he's stated in the past, Batista cited the WWE's PG direction as the reason for his exit, feeling that it was becoming too "unbelievable and hokey," and there were things that he learned from Triple H and Ric Flair that he wasn't able to do anymore. He felt that the sport has gone downhill since going PG, and he has become disconnected from it.

Trish Stratus In TNA

Former WWE Women's Champion Trish Stratus was backstage at last night's TNA Wrestling live event at the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto, Ontario. 

Stratus lives nearby and was visiting former WWE peers who now work for the organization. Stratus indicated on her Twitter account that Mickie James, Tara and Winter slept over at her house. 

Desmond Wolfe Also Released

Desmond Wolfe has been removed from ImpactWrestling.com's roster page. This is often an indication that a wrestler has parted ways with TNA Wrestling.

Wolfe has been sidelined from in-ring competition since September due to medical leave. There were rumors that he had hepatitis but we have been unable to confirm that. Wolfe resurfaced on TNA programming last month as the commissioner of Xplosion.

Miss Tessmacher Is A Hooters Girl

TNA Wrestling talent Brooke Adams (a/k/a Miss Tessmacher) is among 100 contestants competing for the Hooters Viewer's Choice Award. The winner will be crowned at the Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant.

Tessmacher, who waitresses at a Hooters restaurant in Houston, Texas, has competed in numerous Hooters swimsuit competitions this year.

Ultimate Warrior Used To Be A Male Escort

The Ultimate Warrior has responded to a rumor that he used to work as a male escort in the Atlanta, GA area. The rumor says he used to be an escort in the 1980s before joining the wrestling business.

A fan asked Hulk Hogan about this on Twitter over the weekend and he responded with the following: "he was more than a male escort. You guys figure it out. HH"

Warrior then responded with the following tweet of his own, taking yet another shot at Hulk and Linda: "Warrior God for ULTIMATE time. Demand is HIGH. Escort limited to pro-wrestlers wives. Reserve right to refuse service. No, HH. Linda, no."

Randy Orton's Concussion Was Real

Randy Orton did suffer a concussion while working in Madrid, Spain on Sunday. The concussion story they ran on RAW was a legit reason as to why he could not perform.


WWE is still pushing that Orton will wrestle Sunday at the Capitol Punishment PPV, and while that would have been a given back in the day, wrestling seven days after a concussion is more questionable in 2011.



Orton was asked via Twitter why he didn't wrestle on RAW. He replied: "because I was knocked out in Spain. U can't wrestle, or should i say, perform, the day after a concussion."

CM Punk Announces He Is Leaving WWE

The latest update on CM Punk's status with WWE is that he is still planning on taking a leave of absence once his contract expires this year. Those close to the RAW Superstar say he feels like he hasn't been treated like a "top guy," which will factor in his decision.

After tonight's episode of Raw, CM Punk went on Twitter to talk about leaving WWE on July 17th after the Money In The Bank PPV.

"I knew I was gone at the beginning of the year," Punk wrote. "I just woke up one day and I knew. That's the way I work a lot of the time.

"I think it's creepy too, but it's really helpful. I knew I'd be history by July. Come say goodbye on July 17th.

"Come say goodbye on July 17th. I promise to go out with a bang. Trust me. XxX"
We will have more on this story later today (Tuesday).

Kevin Nash Arrested

TMZ.com published a follow-up report on Kevin Nash recently being arrested on suspicion of battery following an altercation with an adult male outside of a Florida restaurant.

TMZ said in the original report that a man approached Nash's wife and became aggressive, leading to Nash taking the man down to the ground. Police were called to the scene and they arrested Nash on suspicion of battery, a charge that has since been dropped due to lack of evidence.

The follow-up report features Nash's side of the story, who insists he only acted in self-defense because the drunkard came after him with a beer bottle. 

Nash said earlier on Twitter, "Guy with tattoo's always gets arrested."


Tommy Dreamer Released

Tommy Dreamer has officially been released from TNA / Impact Wrestling. His profile has been removed from their website. So far no statement or reason has been given.

Tommy Dreamer is no longer on the TNA roster. His deal expired and he did not sign a new one. He recently opened his own production company to work on a film and some other non-wrestling related projects. He has also been seen at WWE headquarters, but there is not talk of him returning there.

Top 25 Managers

WWE has put up their "Top 25 Managers" list, which is an update of the list they did back in 2009. Here are the updated names, along with their placement from 2009 beside it. "DNP" signifies "did not place."

25. (DNP) The Genius
24. (22) Marlena
23. (21) Michael Hayes
22. (DNP) Armando Estrada
21. (14) Teddy Long
20. (19) Oliver Humperdink
19. (DNP) Stephanie McMahon
18. (15) Harvey Whippleman
17. (DNP) The Million Dollar Man
16. (12) Slick
15. (DNP) Vickie Guerrero
14. (20) Paul Ellering
13. (8) Miss Elizabeth
12. (DNP) Paul Heyman
11. (13) Sunny
10. (9) Mr. Fuji
9. (DNP) Jim Cornette
8. (6) Arnold Skaaland
7. (4) Paul Bearer
6. (7) The Grand Wizard
5. (11) Sensational Sherri
4. (3) Capt. Lou Albano
3. (2) Feddie Blassie
2. (5) Jimmy Hart
1. (1) Bobby Heenan

People that were on the 2009 list that did not appear on this list were Frenchy Martin, Gary Hart, Jason, Johnny Valiant, Bill Alphonso, James Dudley and JJ Dillon.