HeadLocker Jay Shannon
ECW (7/29): Report!
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, unveils a new format for his report on the Tuesday Night Delight, ECW on Sci-Fi.
In Funk’s Corner Dory Funk
From Old School to the Present!
Our wrestling icon reflects on some of the Old School wrestling that is still very much with us today insports entertainment!
Wrestler of the (7/29) Week: Great Khali
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, profiles the heir apparent to Andre the Giant. Khali dominated several others to become the number one contender to Triple H’s WWE title on Smackdown.
Dalip Singh and Andre the Giant have a lot in common. LIke Andre, Singh is over 7 feet tall. Both men have had small parts in films, over the years. Singh, like Andre, is difficult to understand, due to his pronounced accent. Both men are/were very willing to do charity work to help others. Most importantly, both men have/had somewhat limited move sets, partially due to their unique sizes and physiques.
Some Giant mistakes
Dalip Singh got off to a rocky start in the business. Recruited from his homeland of India, Dalip was sent to Japan, In Japan, he teamed with Giant Silva to form the largest tag team in the history of the sport. It was also, by most accounts, the absolute worst tag team of all time. Both men were awkward in the ring and the team was quickly disbanded. Singh moved to the APW training facility in the US, where things went from bad to worse.
While training in APW, a beginner’s camp was set up for new hopefuls. Brian Ong was one of these new recruits. Singh was instructed to work with several of the young men, including Ong. Singh delivered a Flapjack to the young man (often mistakingly called a Powerbomb). When Ong landed wrong, the trainers told Singh to hit the Flapjack, again. The trainers did not realize that Ong had received a severe concussion on the initial landing. The follow-up Flapjack would lead to Ong’s death. APW was sued for $1.3 Million. Singh was very shaken by the incident and nearly left the industry.
A Second Chance
After taking some time off, including acting in the Adam Sandler remake of The Longest Yard, Singh received a developmental deal with the WWE. Many sources say that Steve Austin played a big role in Singh getting the contract, but that has never been confirmed. Austin and Singh worked together on the Sandler film. Singh was sent to DSW to begin his next level of training.
Singh debuted in DSW as Giant Singh. He both feuded and teamed with Freakin’ Deacon (Batista). He would also serve as bodyguard/enforcer for Palmer Cannon. The Powers-That-Be felt that Singh could be a main-eventer, right away, so they called him up. He went to Smackdown after only 4 months in the company. This was almost unheard of at that point and many felt it was a mistake. The Creative Team also wanted to capitalize on Singh’s appearance in The Longest Yard, which was about to be released on video.
A Great Undertaking
Giant Singh, now renamed The Great Khali, stormed onto the April 7, 2006 edition of Smackdown and attacked The Undertaker. Daivari was partnered with Khali to serve as his spokesperson, since most people had difficulty understanding Khali. Khali attacked numerous jobbers and smaller stars in an effort to gain the attention of The Undertaker. Khali would often scream and rant at the camera, but his thick Indian accent made it almost impossible to discern what he was saying. He began to be ridiculed by the fans and the announcers.
The Undertaker and Khali were originally set to battle at the 2006 Great American Bash but a problem with Khali’s liver forced him off the show. After treatment for the liver issue, Khali returned to battle The Undertaker. Many critics compared the battle to the Wrestlemania debacle between The Undertaker and Giant Gonzalez. Khali was quickly sent to ECW.
From Extreme to Raw
Once Khali (and Daivari) were sent to ECW, he began a feud with ECW Original, Tommy Dreamer. Khali dominated the feud. The ECW fans rejected Khali as being too one-dimensional in the ring and for cutting promos that no one could understand. While Khali did a great job in his feud with Tommy, the fans didn’t appreciate it. After a few months, Khali was shifted over to the Raw brand. Khali was the first person to perform as a roster member on all three brands in less than one year.
Khali was basically used in the role of Hired Gun during his first few months on Raw. Vince McMahon would bring out Khali to battle his enemies. Khali would have a good showing at the 2007 Royal Rumble, until being ousted by his old foe, The Undertaker.
Khali’s next feud was against Undertaker’s brother, Kane. Khali attacked Kane on an edition of Smackdown and their feud built up to an encounter at Wrestlemania. Many were shocked when Khali defeated Kane. Kane was in the middle of a huge push for the film See No Evil and almost all the critics, myself included, felt that Khali was going to be squashed by Kane. Their match at Wrestlemania was voted as one of the worst matches of the year. The feud was quickly ended, soon after.
Khali then turned his sights to John Cena. Khali had battled Cena, a few times, at the request of Vince McMahon. After injuring Shawn Michaels on the May 7th edition of Raw, Khali returned to attack John Cena. The following week, Khali challenged Cena for the WWE Championship. They battled at Judgment Day, where Cena forced Khali to tap out. The two men would continue to battle until the 2007 Draft.
Back to being Blue
Khali was sent to Smackdown in the 2007 Draft. Khali began a feud with Batista upon arriving in Smackdown. That feud would go to new levels when The Undertaker had to forfeit the World Title, due to an injury. A battle royal was set up and Khali came out as the new World Champion. Khali then battled numerous top name stars to retain his title.
Khali began to use his version of the Iron Claw to defeat opponents. That move was later adjusted to the Khali Clutch, where Khali placed his hands on either side of an opponent’s head and squeezed. Khali would battle many of Batista’s friends over the next few weeks, including Rey Mysterio and Ric Flair. Eventually, Batista would take the World Title from Khali. The two men would battle for several more weeks before Khali was placed in the most bizarre angle in wrestling history.
The Tall and Short of it
Mr. McMahon was looking to toughen up his alleged son, Hornswoggle. McMahon placed the diminutive dynamo into a match with…Khali! The match, set for Survivor Series, was marred by the interference of Finlay. That set up a brief feud with Khali and Finlay. Sadly, Khali came out on the losing end of most of their matches. Khali also ran afoul of Hulk Hogan at the Raw 15th Anniversary show. Many thought the two would battle in a re-match, of sorts, of the classic Andre-Hogan battle at Wrestlemania III. That match didn’t happen, as Hogan left WWE.
After the feud with Finlay and Hornswoggle, Khali went after another heir to the Andre dynasty, The Big Show. The so-called Battle of the Giants brought mediocre reviews and Khali ended up taking some time off to do charity work in his homeland of India. He was also an unofficial road agent for the WWE, setting up several dates in India for an upcoming tour. On WWE TV, Khali was pushed as a humanitarian who had gone home to help others. This was not too far from the truth. While the story may have been exaggerated, slightly, the truth was that Khali did do a great deal to help smaller villages and such in his home land. He is viewed as a hero by most all who know him and respect him.
Return to Glory
Khali recently returned to action on Smackdown, following the Draft. His spokesman, Ranjin Singh, rejoined him to form the team that had the most success for Khali. Vickie Guerrero created a battle royal to find the number one contender to Triple H’s WWE title. Khali surprised a lot of people by coming out on top. He will battle Triple H at this year’s Summerslam.
In Conclusion
The Great Khali has had a roller-coaster career. From depressing lows to a run as World Champ, Khali has done it all. After a small break, Khali seems back on focus to become a top star, again. For his dramatic win on Smackdown to become the new number one contender for the WWE title, The Great Khali is this week’s Pro Wrestling Daily: Wrestler of the Week.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(7/29/08)
ECW (7/22) Recap: Four-way Fury!
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, documents all the action and drama from the Tuesday Night Delight.
Teddy Long was in the ring with a new ECW belt. Long called out Mark Henry to accept the new title. Henry had Tony Atlas with him as they strolled to the ring. The Philly crowd was less than supportive of the ECW title. Henry picked up the title, grinned and draped it over his shoulder.
Tony talked about Philly being the home of ECW. Tony talked about tonight is where it is gonna begun again. Tony oohed and aahed over the new title belt. Tony pushed the fact that Henry was the most dominant force in wrestling. Tony told the ECW Faithful that they would be swept aside, like Tommy Dreamer. Tony then called out Colin Delaney, who stabbed Tommy Dreamer in the back on Sunday.
Colin got in the ring and shook hands with Mark and Tony. Colin got on the mic and the crowd really booed him. Colin said that people have been asking for days why Colin turned on Tommy. Colin was tired of getting his butt kicked week in and week out. Colin called Tony a Legend and then he praised Mark Henry. Colin called Tommy a washed-up loser. Colin talked about getting with the program. Colin said Tommy is the past, while Tony and Mark are the future. Colin sucked up to Mark and Tony.
Teddy cut Colin off and said that Colin would face Tommy Dreamer, tonight. Teddy got the crowd revved up and called for a ref…and Tommy Dreamer. Tommy stomped to the ring as the crowd exploded.
Tommy Dreamer v Colin Delaney
Grudge Match
Colin grinned as Tony and Mark stood behind him. That grin faded as Mark and Tony stepped out of the ring. The match was set to start in the next segment.
The ref called for the bell. Colin tried to run away, but Tommy caught him. Tommy threw Colin to the mat and then rushed him into the corner. Tommy slapped Colin and then Bieled him across the ring. Tommy whipped Colin to the ropes. Colin bailed out of the ring. Tommy went out and got Colin and threw him back in.
Colin caught Tommy coming into the ring with a Dropkick. Colin put up a bit of an offense with kicks and stomps. Colin climbed onto Tommy’s chest and pounded the skull. Collin hit a Slider Leg Drop onto Tommy. Colin’s flurry of offense didn’t last long. Tommy hit a solid fist to Colin’s scrawny gut and then nailed several Running Clotheslines. Tommy locked Colin in the Sullivan Tree of Woe. Tommy moved to the opposite corner, screamed “E-C-W!” and then hit the Hesitation Dropkick. Tommy hit a Reverse Pumphandle Slam on Colin. Tommy picked up Colin and nailed the D(reamer)DT to take out the trash.
Rating: A
Miz and Morrison were whining in the locker room about losing the tag belts. Miz and Morrison were going to be part of a Fatal Four Way to determine the new number one contender to face Mark Henry at Summerslam. They wished each other well. I bet these two turn on each other at warp speed.
Jenny McCarthy did another promo for Generation Rescue. She will be at Saturday Night’s Main Event on August 2nd.
Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely joined the announce team for the next match. Evan Bourne made his way tothe ring for the next match. He faced James Curtis.
Evan Bourne v James Curtis
Curtis looked like a young Chris Jericho. The two men switched back and forth with Hammerlocks and Arm Bars. Evan worked on the arm of Curtis with a Fujiwara Arm Bar. Evan let Curtis loose. Curtis threw Evan into the corner and ctomped away. Evan got free, hit a Dropkick and a Step-Up Head Scissors.
Evan went back to the arm. Curtis moved Evan to the corner. Curtis missed a charge. Evan hit several kicks, but Curtis blocked the Monkey Flip. Curtis then stomped away. Curtis hit a Belly to Back Suplex for a two count. Curtis locked in a Rear Chin Lock. Evan fought to his feet. Curtis knocked Evan back down and worked on the neck, again.
Curtis clubbed the head of Evan. Evan flipped out and hit several hi Round Kicks. Evan hit a Jumping Spin Kick. Evan hit a Jumping Hurancanrana to stun Curtis. Evan went to the top and hit the Shooting Star Press, which Tazz called Air Bourne.
Rating: B
Bam and Chavo tried to attack Evan after the match, but Evan escaped the wrath of La Familia.
Finlay and Hornswoggle talked backstage. Finlay talked about not needing luck to take out Matt Hardy, The Miz and John Morrison in the Main Event to become the number one contender. Hornswoggle just cackled and hopped around, acting goofy. It was time for break.
The Raw Rebound was up next. It centered on the whole Batista/Kane/Punk triangle. Kane came out before the World title match between Punk and Batista. Kane Chokeslammed Batista. Punk then taunted Batista about wanting the match. The two gladiators battled brutally in the match. Batista looked to have the match won, but JBL ran out. Batista left the ring to attack JBL. Cena then ran in to attack JBL. Cena hit Batista by mistake.
Tiffany and Ricky Ortiz talked backstage. Ortiz talked about known John Elway. Long joked about Ortiz’s hair. Ortiz tried to throw out a few marketing ideas, including an LAX-like hand gesture. Ortiz wanted to call himself the “Latin Assassin”. Teddy told Ortiz that he would battle, next week, to see if he could remain undefeated.
Adamle and Tazz threw it to a promo for Mike Knox. The showed highlights of his battles and his killer finisher, the Knox U Out.
Matt Hardy talked backstage about his opportunity to face Mark Henry. Matt mentioned that he lost the US title on Sunday (to Shelton Benjamin). Hardy said that he didn’t care who he had to beat to get his shot at Mark Henry. Matt said he would kick the door down to get back in the spotlight.
Tony Chimel introduced the Main Event, A Fatal Four Way to the Finish. The Miz was the first one to make his way to the ring. I hated this guy, at first, but he’s grown on me. The next man out was Finlay. He had Hornswoggle at his side. Finlay gave blow-up Shillelaghs to the crowd. “The Shaman Of Sexy” John Morrison was next to join the party. He did his Slo-Mo Intro. The final member of the battle was Matt Hardy. Hardy got the loudest pop of the night. Hardy was, of course, an ECW Original.
Matt Hardy v The Miz v John Morrison v Finlay
Fatal Four Way for the Number One Contender position
It looked like Miz and Morrison were going to team up as the match got rolling. Miz put a stop to that by going for a sneaky Roll-up of his partner. Matt and Finlay made the save. Matt went after Morrison, while Finlay took the battle to Miz. Matt threw several hard Back Elbows to the neck and head of Morrison, in the corner. Finlay, meanwhile, bashed and battered Miz, sending him to the mat with a European Uppercut. Finlay sent Miz to the ropes. Miz ducked Finlay’s Clothesline but was booted in the ribs by Matt. Matt tossed Miz over the top rope and to the floor. Finlay did the same for Morrison.
Matt and Finlay stared at each other for a few seconds. The two locked up with a Collar and Elbow. Finlay moved them to the corner. Finlay made a clean break and then the two battlers stared each other down. Matt talked some serious trash to Finlay. Matt shoved Finlay, who came back with a grinding Headlock. Finlay twisted the arm of Matt upon release of the Headlock and then nailed a Short-Arm Clothesline. Finlay picked up Matt and Irish Whipped him to the corner. Matt went for the Float Over but chose to lock the legs around Finlay’s head. Finlay flipped Matt over the ropes. Upon landing, Matt popped Finlay between the eyes.
Morrison grabbed the legs of Matt and pulled him off the apron. Matt struck his face on the ring apron. Morrison picked up Matt and rolled him back in the ring. Miz was already laying the boots to Finlay. Morrison did the exact same thing to Matt. Miz threw come brutal Crossfaces onto the head and chest of Finlay. Morrison worked over Matt’s neck. Morrison lifted Matt to his feet and hit a European Uppercut to rock Matt to the core. Morrison sent Matt to the ropes but dropped his head, too quick. Matt punted the chest of Morrison. Miz kept pounding on Finlay. Finlay finally fought back with another Clothesline. Morrison took Matt to the corner and hit a Running Kneelift. Finlay Snap Mared Miz to the canvas and dropped a Flair Knee to the forehead. Matt slammed Morrison, while Finlay slammed Miz. Matt went to the ropes. Matt hit a modified Ax Bomber onto Morrison and almost scored the pin. Morrison got his foot on the bottom rope at two.
Finlay Irish Whipped Miz, chest first, into the corner. Finlay came in behind with a Running Clothesline to the back of Miz’s head. Morrison threw Haymakers into the face of Matt, moving him into the corner. Finlay whipped Miz to the corner, chest-first, again. Finlay then went for a simple Roll-up but Miz kicked out at two. Matt went for a Backslide on Morrison, who got free just before the three count. All four men stared each other down as Tazz sent it to break.
Miz sent Matt to the ropes and then dropped him with a Back Elbow. Morrison choked Finlay in the corner. Miz choked Matt on the ropes. Morrison hit a Neckbreaker on Finlay. Morrison went for a pin, but Finlay managed to roll over and almost pin Morrison. Morrison rolled around and almost pinned Finlay. Finlay countered and rolled up Morrison. Morrison then kicked out.
Finlay nailed a Headbutt to the skull of Morrison. Miz went for the Slingshot to send Matt’s throat up into the bottom rope. Finlay ran across and blasted Miz in the back of the head before he could complete the move. Finlay hit an Inverted Atomic Drop on Miz and then punched him on the forehead. Morrison attacked Finlay from behind with a Fore-arm shot. Matt then caught Morrison across the back with a Fore-arm blast. Matt bounced Morrison’s face off the corner turnbuckle, twice, and then came off the ropes to drop Morrison with a Flying Clothesline. Miz made the save. Finlay tried to roll up Miz, who kicked out. Matt then tried to roll up Finlay. Both Miz and Morrison stopped the pin attempt. Morrison tried to pin Finlay. Miz attacked Morrison to stop the pin.
Miz ran Matt’s face into the corner. Miz kicked and punched the daylights out of Matt. Finlay took Morrison to the mat and locked in the Fujiwara Arm Bar. Morrison made it to the ropes, but Finlay dragged him back to mid-ring. Morrison kicked out of a pin attempt. Matt nailed a Belly to Back Suplex on Miz and almost got the pin. Ref Scott Armstrong was out of position, so Miz was able to kick out.
Miz threw Miz into one corner of the ring, while Finlay launched Morrison into the opposite ring post. Matt Irish Whipped Miz towards the ropes. Miz came back and both men hit Clothesline on each other. Finlay tried to pin both Matt and Miz. Both men were able to kick out at two. Finlay went to attack Morrison. Morrison hit a Kneelift but it had no effect. Finlay tried to slam Morrison’s face into the corner, but Morrison got the boot up to block the move. Morrison rammed Finlay’s face into the corner post and the Irishman tumbled out of the ring.
Morrison went to Baseball Slide into Finlay. Finlay pulled back the apron skirting and Morrison put on the brakes. Morrison then hit a modified version of the Baseball Slide to stun Finlay. Morrison went to attack Hornswoggle, which gave Finlay the chance to attack Morrison. Finlay bashed the back of Morrison and then whipped him into the barricade. Finlay hauled off and Clotheslined Morrison over the barricade and out into the crowd. Finlay went over the railing and started after Morrison. Morrison threw some kind of clear liquid into Finlay’s face. (I sure hope it was water, but with the rabid Philly crowd, who can be sure?).
The camera was dotted with droplets as Miz yanked Finlay back over the railing. Miz ran the back of Finlay into the barricade. Miz used the Slingshot to bring Finlay up into the waiting fist of Morrison. Finlay fell back across Miz’s knees. Morrison then climbed onto the barricage and dropped an elbow to Finlay’s chest.
Miz and Morrison decided to double team Matt, who was waiting back in the ring. Matt blasted both men with Haymakers and kicks. The numbers game got the better of Matt, as Miz and Morrison moved Matt tot he corner. Both Miz and Morrison used their boots to choke Matt in the corner, after punching and kicking Matt. Miz and Morrison hit a Double Gutbuster on Matt. Miz hit a Snap Suplex on Matt. Morrison wanted to show Miz how he could do the same move. Morrison told Miz to check on Finlay, first. When Miz turned around, Morrison tried to Small Package Matt for the pin. Miz looked shocked at the trickery of his former partner.
Miz and Morrison got into a screaming match with each other. Matt then shoved Morrison into Miz. Matt tried for a Roll-up on Morrison. Morrison kicked out at two. Miz caught Matt with a Clothesline. Miz and Morrison got back on the same page and Double Whipped Matt to the corner. Morrison took a Back Elbow from Matt. Matt then moved to avoid the Full Body Clothesline of Miz. Matt tried for the Twist of Fate, but Morrison shoved Matt off and into the corner. Morrison went for his Springboard Enziguri. Matt ducked and Miz took the shot in the face. Matt nailed the Side Effect on Morrison. Finlay came in and hit the Kenton Bomb on Matt. Morrison made the save.
Finlay whipped Morrison into the corner and threw a Rocket Shoulder into Morrison’s ribs. Finlay dropped both Miz and Morrison with lethal Clothesline. Morrison reversed an Irish Whip but ate a huge boot from Finlay. Finlay hit a Missile Dropkick off the middle rope into the chest of Morrison. Miz made the save. Matt then attacked Miz. Matt Irish Whipped Miz to the corner and hit a Running Clothesline. Matt then Bulldogged Miz, while Clotheslining Morrison, at the same time. Finlay then jumped into the air and landed on Matt’s chest, backside first. Finlay dropped his keister onto Morrison’s chest, next. Finlay then went after Miz.
Finlay went for the Celtic Cross but Miz got free. Miz then ran and jumped over the ropes. He had Finlay’s head in his hands, so Finlay was Hot-Shotted by the move. Morrison hit his Running Knee to Finlay’s face. Matt came over and threw Morrison out of the ring. Matt tried to pin Finlay. Miz climbed into the ring and stopped the pin. Miz blasted Matt and then hit the Full Body Clothesline in the corner.
Hornswoggle distracted the ref, which allowed Finlay to grab the shillelagh and blith-whap Miz in the face. Morrison hit an Enziguri from the apron to the side of Finlay’s head. Matt went to attack Morrison. Morrison popped Matt in the face and then went for a Springboard Ax Bomber. Matt caught Morrison in the ribs with a boot. Matt nailed the Twist of Fate to take the win and the number one contender spot.
Rating: A
Mark Henry and Tony Atlas walked out onto the ramp. Mark yelled at Matt “Get Ready!”. Matt held the belt aloft to taunt the new number one contender.
Final Rating: A-
Final Thoughts: That had to be one of the best ECW shows in a long time. Seeing Colin Delaney get his butt handed to him, in Philly, was classic. The Fatal Four Way was on par with anything you might see on Raw, TNA or Smackdown. ECW should be seriously proud of that match. It was top-notch. I don’t think Matt Hardy has a snowball’s chance in Hell of taking down Mark Henry, but it should be a good match.
I’m hoping Ricky Ortiz shows better, next week, than he did in his debut. If he doesn’t, he needs to get his fuzzy-headed Carlito clone butt back to Florida. I hope he get to battle someone decent, like Mike Knox. Don’t put him in there with Armando or James Curtis. If he’s going to succeed, then let him face Knox, or even Mark Henry.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(7/24/08)
A Big Change is Coming for PWD!
A big change is coming for ProWrestlingDaily.com.. There are still a few details that must be addressed, but I should be able to tell fans everything within just a day or two more.
Without tipping the Big News prematurely, I want to say that it is, indeed, a wonderful development in the roller coaster history of this site.
The most exciting aspect is that PWD’s outstanding wrestling journalists will be reaching a much larger audience.
Come back tomorrow when I hope to be able to share the full details.
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(7/23/08)
The Katz Files Arnie Katz
A Big Change is Coming for PWD!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz has important news for PWD readers!
Wrestlers of the (7/22) Weel: The Edgeheads!
Wrestlers of the Week: The Edgeheads (Zack Ryder & Curt Hawkins)
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, honors the new Smackdown Tag Team champs. These former “brothers” ended the long reign of The Miz and John Morrison at The Great American Bash
Very few things changed at The Great American Bash. One switch was new Smackdown tag champs. Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins, the Edgeheads, finally took the tag straps from Miz and Morrison. These members of La Familia took a lot longer to win gold than originally predicted. Their win elevated them to this week’s Pro Wrestling Daily’s Wrestler(s) of the Week.
A New York State of Mind
Both Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins hail from New York. They began their wrestling careers in the New York Wrestling Connection. The team was then known by the names Brett Matthews (Zack Ryder) and Brian Myers (Curt Hawkins). Both men were trained by ECW Legend, Mikey Whipwreck. After only a few months working for NYWC, the two men were offered a developmental deal with the WWE. They were sent to the Deep South Wrestling area as the bprther duo known as the Majors brothers. While the two men look very much alike, it is unclear if they are actually related. It is common for men to be paired as brothers, but actually not be related (Edge & Christian are a perfect example).
Deep in the Heart of Dixie
Brett and Brian were sent to Deep South for training. They would battle numerous future ECW/WWE stars, including Jesse & Festus (then known as Justice) Dalton, Mike Knox, Bam Neely, Paul Burchill and Matt Striker. The Majors would hold the DSW tag titles on two different occasions. They defeated Deuce and Domino for their first run as champs. Their second reign came as the result of a Triple Threat win over William Regal & Dave Taylor and The Samoan Fight Club (Sonny Siaki & Afa, Jr.). When the WWE ended their relationship with DSW, the Majors were moved to OVW.
The Majors move up from the minors
When Brett and Brian were moved to OVW and ECW, their names were changed, slightly. The went form the Majors Brothers to the Major Brothers. Their split their time between ECW and OVW. Their story in ECW was that they were long-time ECW (and WWE) fans that wanted to honor the past and herald the future. Their relationship with Mikey Whipwreck was never acknowledged, which seemed strange.
The Major Brothers didn’t have a tag title to shoot for in ECW (this was before the Smackdown/ECW talent sharing program). They did, however, battle for the OVW tag belts. They beat The Hammer, The Ox and Dr. Thomas for the belts. Brian and Brett would eventually drop the belts to K.C. and Kassidy James (The James Boys).
Time for a Change
After several months in ECW, the Major Brothers were deemed ready to move up to the next level. They were drafted to Smackdown. The Major Brothers, still a face team, battled against The Miz and John Morrison for the WWE Tag Titles. They were unsuccessful in their early attempts. They also battled various thrown-together teams, like Jaime Noble and Chavo Guerrero.
Eventually, the Major Brothers came to the attention of Edge. Brett and Brian assisted Edge in his Armageddon Triple Threat Match against The Undertaker and Batista. During a follow-up episode of Smackdown, Edge introduced his Edgeheads. Brian was transformed into Curt Hawkins. Brian was re-christened as Zack Ryder. Their brother relationship was severed by the new identities. The Edgeheads were brought into the faction that would eventually come to be called La Familia (Edge, Zack, Curt, Bam Neely, Vickie Guerrero, and Chavo Guerrero). Ryder and Hawkins were often used in Handicap matches against enemies of Edge. Their careers became stagnant as they played the role of spoilers for their mentor.
Finally, at The Great American Bash (2008), Hawkins and Ryder were placed in a Fatal Four Way match against Miz and Morrison, Jesse and Festus and Finlay and Hornswoggle. The Edgeheads won the tag titles when Hawkins pinned Jesse. The Edgeheads finally earned teh top spot in the tag division, at least on the Smackdown/ECW side.
In Conclusion:
Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins have been in the business for less than three years. They are both young and willing to learn the business. Many might scoff at their secondary positions within La Familia. At this point, Ryder and Hawkins need to absorb knowledge like sponges. Being associated with Chavo and Edge is a great way for the young duo to further their learning and careers. The Edgeheads may well end up being one of the best tag teams to ever work for WWE, it’s a little too early to tell. The one thing that they can claim is that they are now the WWE tag champs (Smackdown edition). They are also this week’s recipients of the Pro Wrestling Daily: Wrestler of the Week award.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(7/21/08)
The Katz Files Arnie Katz
My Weekly iMPACT Notebook!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz reports all the action and angles of the 7/17 episode of iMPACT and analyzes the Meaning of It All..
The Katz Files Arnie Katz
Great American Bash: Recap & Analysis
The Kingfish Arnie Katz tells you everything that happened at the July WWE pay per view and tries to put it in perspective!.
The Katz Files Arnie Katz
Great American Bash: Preview & Predictions
The Kingfish Arnie Katz gets you ready for WWE’s July pay per view event!.
Shannon: Great American Bash Predictions!
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, breaks out his trusty crystal ball to try and figure out the next Pay-per-view from the WWE
It’s time for the monthly Pay-per-view from the WWE. This time, it’s The Great American Bash. Looking at the run-down of matches, I might call this the So-So American Bash. This is another situation like No Way Out. Summerslam, one of the Big Four of WWE PPVs, is next month. The creative team isn’t about to do anything to cause a major injury to any of it’s key players going into one of the big PPVs. There will be a couple of decent matches, don’t get me wrong. My thoughts are that this is like watching a minor league baseball game. You know that there might be some highlights, but the big matches are still a month away.
Michelle McCool vs. Natalya
Divas Championship Match
This match is either going to be fantastic or a flop. Natalya is a decent wrestler who has a lineage, second to none. She is on par with Mickie James and Beth Phoenix as being the top woman in WWE. Michelle McCool, on the other hand, is slightly above window dressing. She has a handful of moves but nothing even close to Natalya’s move set.
This match will actually be fun to watch. The Crimson Dynamo (Natalya) should take McCool to school (pun fully intended) in this one. I can’t imagine the creative team giving the title to McCool. She might win it, later on, but the first-time champion needs to be someone that can go down in the history books. Natalya should and will be the one documented as the first Divas champion.
Predicted Winner: Natalya
Predicted Grade: A-
John Cena vs. JBL
NYC Parking Lot Brawl
This very match was done between Beer Money and LAX as an opening bout on Impact. This match may thrill a few people, but I think it’s going to be just plain boring. I could care less about two guys bashing each other outside in a parking lot. It’s been done before and done so much better than these two will perform.
Who will win this turkey? My first reaction was a simple Who Cares?. Since the main part of this column is to predict the winners, I’ll go forward and pick one. No matter which superstar takes the World (Raw) title, later in the night, that person will need someone to face at Summerslam. Cena is in the middle of a major push, right now. It would make sense that Cena would get the winner of the Batista v Punk match. The battle between JBL and Cena might get a little nasty, but it will be the Bathroom Break Match of the night.
Predicted Winner: John Cena
Predicted Grade: C
Shawn Michaels v Chris Jericho
This feud should be amazing but it just isn’t. The whole premise of the feud was weak. Jericho was ticked off that Shawn Michaels feigned a knee injury to trick Batista. Now what connection does Jericho have to Batista? He doesn’t have one. So why did Jericho run Shawn’s face into the JerichoTron and shatter the plastic into Shawn’s eyes? Well, he needed a storyline to keep him from going on the Back Burner. There was the minimal twist that Shawn cost Jericho the I-C title, but that is such a minor part of the whole story. Their nowhere feud started well before the title switch.
If Jericho still had the I-C title, this match would be outstanding. The action is still going to be great, but the match isn’t really going to mean anything. I can only hope that Jericho can win back the I-C title before Summerslam, so he and Shawn can battle in a meaningful match. In regards to who will win this match, I’d give it to Jericho. With Shawn’s eye being injured, Jericho should be able to use the vision impairment to his advantage and take the win.
Predicted Winner: Chris Jericho
Predicted Grade: B
The Miz & John Morrison v Festus & Jesse v The Edgeheads (Ryder & Hawkins) v (Dave) Finlay & Hornswoggle
WWE Tag Team Championship Fatal Four Way
It’s time for Miz and Morrison to drop the belts. I like them as a team, but they need to drop the belts before they get stale. The question is which team to lose the belts to?
I really dislike the Finlay/Hornswoggle team. I’ve been a huge fan of Finlay, for many years. I just can’t stand his Son. The Midget comedy routine was stale five minutes after it began. Hornswoggle was cute and adorable as the little gnome that lived under the ring. Hornswoggle, the wrestler, is an irritant.
Jesse & Festus are a fun team. I’m a monster fan of Jesse, as I was a fan of his father, Terry Gordy. These two deserve a run with the belts, but I think WWE is more intersted in using them as a novelty act, right now. I think Jesse would do better if he struck out on his own and went after the US title.
The Edgeheads have been part of La Familia for quite awhile now. They haven’t even had a shot at the tag belts since joining Edge’s squadron of flunkies. These two kids deserve a serious break. I think it’s time for them to win tag gold. I also think it will become part of a bigger plan where all of La Familia will capture gold, with the possible exception of Bam Neely. I think the Edgeheads will upset the other teams and bring home the gold. I originally thought it would be a wedding present for Edge and Vickie, but the events on Friday changed that, as well as my thoughts on the Edge v Triple H match. I’ll get to them in a moment
Predicted Winners: The Edgeheads (Ryder & Hawkins)
Predicted Grade: B+
ECW Champion Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer
In a way, I hate this match. I like both Mark Henry and Tommy Dreamer. My heart tells me to go with the Hardcore Legend and Heart and Soul of ECW, Tommy Dreamer. My head tells me that there is no way that Tommy will beat Mark. Mark Henry is in the middle of the biggest push of his career. In addition, he has Tony Atlas in his corner. Atlas off-sets Colin Delaney, a dozen times over.
Dreamer will give it his best. He will push Mark Henry to a new level. In the end, I think Atlas will get involved and cost Tommy the match. Both men deserve a clean match but it just is not going to happen. That simply cheapens things for all parties involved. Mark will probably hit The World’s Strongest Slam to take the win.
Predicted Winner: Mark Henry
Predicted Grade: D (Sorry, Tommy)
CM Punk v Batista
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Punk finally won the World Title. It would make no sense, whatsoever, to have him drop the strap, so quickly. Punk deserves the chance to get some serious battles under his belt. Losing the belt to Batista would dramatically short-circuit Punk’s career. Punk is seriously marketable, right now. Batista is a proven commodity that doesn’t need the win over Punk to elevate his career. If Batista loses, most fans will see it as Batista came close but Punk’s on a roll. If Batista wins, Punk’s win will look like a fluke. That would kill any momentum that Punk has going for him.
Batista will dominate Punk for a lot of the match. Punk will use all of his kick-boxing and karate moves to stun The Animal. Punk might have a hard time getting Batista up for the G-T-S, so I would imagine that the fans might see the return of the Anaconda Vise. The other option is a run-in by Kane, in another of his bizarre behaviors. I would hate that ending, but it could lead to a good Batista v Kane match for Summerslam. It would also leave Punk free to defend against John Cena.
Predicted Winner: C. M. Punk
Predicted Grade: A-
Triple H v Edge
WWE Champion
After Triple H pulled his Maury Moment witht he hidden camera on Smackdown, my thoughts on this match changed. Edge’s little affair will cause things to go two different ways. Edge’s affair with the wedding planer could cause Vickie to want to destroy her fiancee. She could end up costing him the match as revenge.
On the other hand, Edge might be ready to rip Triple H apart for messing up his happy day (and his chance for power). Edge is going to want to embarrass Triple H. That may actually provide his downfall. Edge is going to be so focused on hurting Triple H that he will get sloppy in the ring. Triple H will catch Edge off-guard and nail the Pedigree to keep his title.
Predicted Winner: Triple H
Predicted Grade: B-
In Conclusion:
The Great American Bash will not go down in history as an excellent Pay-per-views. The tag titles might switch hands, but I doubt that any of the others will. This is basically a lead-in to Summerslam. Why would the WWE sell the good stuff on a minor PPV, when a monster money-maker is only a few weeks away. Reviews of this PPV will likely have fans grumbling about nothing changing. I already expect it, so I think I’ll pass on this one.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(7/18/08)
HeadLocker Jay Shannon
Remembering Bruiser Brody
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, looks back at the life, career and tragic death of his favorite wrestler of all time, Bruiser Brody.
ECW (7/15) Recap: Bourne Beats Chavo!
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, brings us all the action from the Tuesday Night Delight, ECW.
Tonight’s ECW show featured the reunion of the Hardy Boyz. They battled the WWE tag champs, Miz and Morrison. The program came from North Carolina.
The show began with the return of Tony Atlas. Tony was brought in as the guest ring announcer. Mark Henry berated Tony, but it was all a ruse. Tommy Dreamer was set to battle Mark Henry for the ECW strap. Colin Delaney got involved in the match. Tony seemed to come to Colin’s aid, only to attack the underdog. Tony and Mark appeared to form an alliance.
The fireworks erupted from the stage to welcome the home crowd to the show. Mike Adamle talked about the main event of Hardyz v Miz/Morrison.
Tazz stood in the ring. He introduced “The World’s Strongest Champion”, Mark Henry. Henry came out with Tony Atlas. Tony was beaming in the ring. Mark bragged about the ECW title still being his. Tazz reminded Mark Henry that he was set to face Tommy Dreamer for the title at The Great American Bash. Tazz asked Tony what he was doing with Mark. Tony told the crowd that even though he’s a Legend, he would be proud to “carry the bags of Mark Henry”. Tony said that there was a demonstration to be shown to the crowd.
Tony picked up frying pan from a pile of things that were put in the ring. Tony went on, forever, about the reality of the frying pan (skillet). Tony called for someone, who “think they strong” to come to the ring and try to bend the skillet. Tony picked some guy from the crowd to try and bend the skillet. The kid, of course, was a North Carolinian. Tony asked the kid to bend the skillet, but he couldn’t.Tony shooed him out of the ring.
Tony handed the skillet to Mark, who was able to easily roll the skillet onto itself. Tony talked about how strong Mark Henry was. Tony, thankfully, was quieted by the arrival of Tommy ‘Freakin’” Dreamer. Tommy told Mark that he planned to take the ECW strap on Sunday. Tommy talked his training and strength. Tommy wanted the chance to bend a skillet.Tommy couldn’t bend the skillet, but that really wasn’t his plan. Tommy Blith-Whapped Mark, right between the eyes. It’s a shame he didn’t smack Tony, for good measure. It was time for a break.
ECW re-ran the highlights from the last segment. Tommy talked with Teddy Long. Teddy gave Tommy the night off, to calm down. Tommy walked off, slamming his metal briefcase into several things.
Mike Knox came to the ring to fight Carolina’s own, Shannon Moore.
Mike Knox d Shannon Moore
Knox moved Moore to the corner and shoved him. Go Behind by Moore, but Knox rushed him to the corner. Moore came out with rapid-fire fists, but Knox Steam Rolled him. Knox whipped Moore into the corner and ran into him. Knox hit a Double Underhook Suplex. Knox picked up Moore and hit a Backbreaker. Knox tossed Moore around. Knox missed a Splash.
Moore used speed to surprised Knox. Moore hit several kicks and punches and then went to the top rope. Moore hit a Hurancanrana that sent Knox flying. Knox came back and picked up Moore. Knox finished off Moore with the Knox U Out (Spinning Face Plant).
Grade: B
The show went instantly to the Raw Rebound. It was the speech from Shane and Stephanie. That led to all the chaos during the show, with Jericho, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Cena, JBL and the rest. The segment ended with the disturbing image of JBL driving into a car that Cena was propped up against. The official WWE web site covered their backsides by posting earlier in the day that Cena had moved, at the last moment. That stupid bit of booking got some of the most negative feedback that I’ve seen in some time.
They ran a snippet that said WWE games have sold 33 million copies. I recently got my copy of Smackdown v Raw 2007. I’ve spent way too much time having The Undertaker battle everyone in sight.
Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely came to the ring for the next match. Why did they bother to do a draft? Tazz said that Chavo would be the best man at the Edge/Vickie wedding. Evan Bourne came to the ring. Evan wanted to prove that he was at the same level as Chavo.
Evan Bourne d Chavo Guerrero
The two locked up with a Go Behind. The two men went back and forth with reversals. Evan caught a great Dropkick. Evan started working on Chavo’s arm.Evan moved Chavo to the corner. Evan went to the top rope, but Chavo pushed him off and to the floor.
Chavo hit the floor and nailed a European Uppercut. The two got in the ring. Chavo hit a Back Suplex and then locked in a Keylock. Evan tried to get to his feet, but Chavo kept him down. Evan used some serious kicks to stun the Latino. Evan came off the ropes with an Arm Drag. Evan then hit a Standing Moonsault.
The two men battled. Chavo went for the Avalanche Splash, but Evan got the knees up. Evan sprinted up the ropes and nailed the Shooting Star Press.
Grade: A-
Colin was talking to Tiffany backstage. Tony Atlas and Mark Henry walked up to intimidate Colin. They told Colin that he didn’t have anything to worry about because he had nothing to do with the attack in the ring. Mark then assaulted Colin and locked in a Bear Hug. Mark destroyed Colin and then walked off.
The next segment began with the Punk v Kane match from last night. Kane lost by count-out. He then snapped and threw chairs and tried to jump off the ropes to drive a chair into Punk’s throat. Batista ran out to save the day. Punk and Batista then had issues. Batista nailed a Spinebuster. Tazz and Adamle then ran down the card for The Great American Bash.
Miz and Morrison arrived for the Main Event. Tazz told the home audience that next week, ECW comes home to Philly. Matt and Jeff Hardy then came to the ring. Mike talked about the six title reigns of the Hardyz. The match was set to start, next.
Matt & Jeff Hardy d Miz and Morrison
Miz used a Shoulder Block to drop Matt as the show returned. Matt came back with a Side Headlock Takedown. Matt cranked on the Headlock. Miz got to his feet and tried to fight out. Miz twisted the arm, but Matt reversed it and then used a Side Headlock. Miz moved Matt to the corner. Matt blocked a punch and then took Miz to the Hardy corner. Matt tagged Jeff and then threw Miz into a Shoulder Block by Jeff.
Jeff hopped over the ropes and clipped Miz with a Dropkick. Miz got a lucky shot in on Jeff and dragged The Rainbow-Haired Warrior to enemy territory. Morrison tagged in and nailed a European Uppercut on Jeff. Morrison twisted on Jeff’s arm and then Irish Whipped him to the ropes. Morrison dropped his head, too quick, and took a kick to the chest. Jeff caught Morrison with the Double Leg Trip and then dropped the heels into Morrison’s ribs. Morrison kicked out of the pin at two.
Jeff tagged in his brother, Matt, and the two Hardyz planted Morrison with a Reverse Flapjack. Morrison kicked out at two. Matt used a Side Headlock to take the Shaman of Sexy to the canvas. Morrison tried to fight back. Matt sent Morrison to the ropes and caught him with a Back Elbow to send him crashing onto his back. Matt went to bounce off the ropes but Miz tried to grab him. Matt turned and knocked Miz off the apron. The distraction allowed Morrison to Bum Rush Matt into the corner. Morrison backed up a few steps and charged at Matt. Matt moved out of the way and Morrison slammed into the corner. Miz made a blind tag and when Matt tried for the Twist of Fate, Miz nearly ripped his head off with a Clothesline. Miz unloaded with a series of vicious Crossfaces. Miz locked in a Headlock, but Matt turned it into a Jawbreaker. Miz brought Morrison into the ring. Morrison got brutal on Matt. Morrison cinched up an Inverted Chin Lock.Morrison tried for a Piledriver but Matt reversed it into a Side Russian Leg Sweep.
Jeff made the tag and dropped Miz, who had also tagged in. Miz reversed an Irish Whip but Jeff floated over. Miz ended up in the corner, where Jeff hit a Running Clothesline. Jeff hit the Outer Limits Dropkick in the corner. Morrison tried to run in but Matt intercepted him. Matt tossed Morrison to the arena floor. The Hardyz broke out the classic Poetry in Motion to stun Miz. Jeff climbed the ropes but Morrison dragged Miz to the outside. Adamle sent it to break.
Morrison had a modified Surfboard locked in on Jeff. Jeff tried to fight out from under the weight of Morrison. Jeff used fists to break Morrison’s grip. Jeff hit his Leaping Reverse Mule Kick, only to send Morrison into his own corner. Miz quickly tagged into the match. Miz dragged Jeff back to center ring and nailed a Side Slam Backbreaker. Jeff kicked out at two. Miz drove his knees into the spine of Jeff. Miz grabbed a Rear Chin Lock and then released to pound on Jeff. Miz sent Jeff to the corner but missed the Full Body Clothesline.
Morrison tagged himself into the battle. Morrison pounded on the lower back of Jeff. Morrison hit a Power Backbreaker and then a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Jeff was able to kick out. Morrison kept kicking at the lower back of Jeff. Jeff caught Morrison with his version of the Jawbreaker.
Morrison tagged in Miz, who knocked Matt off the apron. Miz locked Jeff in the Sullivan Tree of Woe and then slipped out of the ring to pull Jeff into the corner.
Miz got back in the ring and lifted Jeff out of the S-T-O-W and sat him on the top turnbuckle. Miz then pounded on Jeff’s lower back. Miz climbed the ropes and attempted a Back Superplex. Jeff blocked the move and knocked Miz off the ropes. Jeff clipped the head of Miz with the Whisper in the Wind. Matt revved up the crowd to support his brother. Miz crawled towards his partner. Jeff also made the tag.
Matt hit a Back Body Drop on Morrison and then pounded his skull into the turnbuckle. Matt then bounced off the ropes and hit a massive Flying Clothesline. Matt went for the pin but only got two. Matt whipped Morrison into the corner. While doing a Bulldog on Morrison, Matt also caught Miz with a Clothesline. Morrison barely kicked out at two. Matt tried for the Side Effect but Morrison blocked it. Matt came off the ropes, right into a Hot Shot by Morrison. Morrison tried for a Jackknife Pin but Matt kicked out at two plus.
Morrison slowly climbed the ropes. Matt got to his feet and blasted Morrison in the back. Matt caught Morrison with a Razor’s Edge Powerbomb. Miz made the save. Matt blocked a shot by Miz and then deposited the Chick Magnet on his keister with the Side Effect. Morrison nailed the Moonlight Drive on Matt. Jeff came off the top rope with the Swanton Bomb onto Morrison. Matt rolled over onto Morrison and took the pin.
Grade: A
Final Grade: B+
Final Thoughts: I was hoping for the debut of another new ECW superstar, but it didn’t happen. The Evan v Chavo match was pretty good. The Nardyz v Miz/Morrison was well above average. I really hated the total waste of time that opened the show. I really don’t like Tony Atlas. He was never that much, in my humble opinion. I know he’s a Hall of Famer, but I just don’t think he should have ever been inducted. Maybe it’s just my bitterness towards him about the whole Bruiser Brody incident, 20 years ago, this week. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that I can hold one serious grudge. Maybe, just maybe, Mark Henry will topple out of the ring and land on Tony and squish him and send him back into retirement. I know Tommy will likely get ripped off on Sunday, but I do hope he gets to make a strong standing. He deserves more respect than anyone in the ECW locker room.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(07/18/08)
The Kingfish’s RAW (7/14) Recap & Analysis!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz reports on what happened on the 7/14 RAW – and what it means.
RAW, from Raleigh, NC, began with a video that recapped the four-way match that have Batista his title shot at Great American Bash and Kane’s insane attack on Jerry Lawler.
In a pre-taped statement, Stephanie and Shane McMahon called on WWE people to pull together. They acknowledged that some wild things have been happening on the show and threatened to take action if the excesses didn’t stop.
The Kingfish Comments: This looks like the start of the build-up to selecting a new RAW general manager. I expect the McMahon siblings to announce their definite intention to Do Something on the first show after the PPV and then have either a GM or at least some candidates by the week after that.
The live portion of the show started with an explosion. Shawn Michaels jumped Chris Jericho in the ringside area. They two men tore into each other until WWE personnel, including Lance Cade, separated them.
Kane stalked around the ringside area before coming to stand in front of Jerry Lawler. The crowd was apprehensive, but the Big Red Machine wasn’t looking for a fight. With a great deal of difficulty, he gasped out the words, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
Backstage, Michaels and Jericho resumed their fight. Referees and security men separated them.
Mickie James d. Katie Lea Burchill (with Paul Burchill)
Non-Title Match
Katie Lea Burchill got off to a quick start. She couldn’t manage a pin, but she did inflict quite a bit of damage on the champion.
Mickie James whipped Katie Lea to the mat with a Huracanrana and kept her down with a Thesz Press from the top rope to win this rematch from Night of Champions.
Grade: C+
After the match, Paul Burchill pinioned Mickie’s arms so that his sister could get in some free shots. Kofi Kingston ran in to evict the heels from the ring.
The Kingfish Comments: Katie Lea Burchill works reasonably well in the ring, but the booking has pretty much shut her out of the title picture unless she comes up with something new. Losing the rematch should signal the end of her brief run as a top contender.
After retreating part of the way up the ramp, Paul Burchill came back to the ring to answer Kofi Kingston’s challenge. Mickie James stayed at ringside to support the IC title-holder.
Kofi Kingston d. Paul Burchill
Intercontinental Championship
Kofi Kingston displayed a nicely varied offense, but it was hard for him to hurt the larger and stronger Burchill. Kingston stayed close to the mat in the early going as Burchill maneuvered him into forsaking his air game.
Burchill started to land some telling blows. His Double Knee to the chest left Kingston gasping and his Reverse Suplex added injury to injury.
Kingston connected with a Flying Forearm off the ropes, a Standing Dropkick and a Russian Legsweep in quick succession, but it didn’t add up to a pin.
When Katie Lea tried to interfere, Mickie pulled her down off the apron from behind!
Kingston hit the Danger in Paradise and took the decision.
Grade: B-
The Kingfish Comments: It looks like, at least for now, the Intercontinental belt isn’t worth too much in WWE. A title can elevate a guy like Kingston, but only if he defends his gold against wrestlers a lot higher on the ladder.
Santino Morella again challenged everyone in the locker room.
Kane burst into the scene, looking for CM Punk. Morella looked frightened as he managed to point the Big Red Machine to the locker room.
When Kane found Punk, he said that he needed to fight him one on one, tonight. CM Punk replied that he needed a test like that to show his title win wasn’t a fluke. They agreed to a non-title match.
The Kingfish Comments: This probably should’ve been a title match. If CM Punk wants to prove himself of championship caliber, he has to fight championship matches.
Todd Grisham interviewed a grim John Cena. The former champ focused on his upcoming New York City Parking Lot Brawl with John Bradshaw Leyfield.
Cena described the horrible damage he plans to inflict on JBL and stressed the long-standing hostility between the two.
“At the Great American Bash, Hell will come to earth,” Cena thundered.
Cryme Tyme joined Cena, looking appropriately serious and resolved. Cena told JBL to get a couple of partners and meet this trio in the main event!
The Kingfish Comments: John Cena did a great job on this interview, veering away from his Rock imitation to bring real drama to his impending clash with JBL at the Great American Bash. It was also good to see Cryme Tyme make an appearance in which they didn’t embarrass with the horribly stereotyped characters WWE gave them. The duo has potential, but they need a more modern presentation.
Santino Morella renewed his challenge from center-ring. Out came a blonde vision in leather – Beth Phoenix.
Beth Phoenix d. Santino Morella
This was a true inter-gender match in that the sex of the participants played no role in the contest.
Santino shouted something about the power of men as Beth Phoenix subjected him to a Backbreaker and a Bodyslam.
Santino charged recklessly into a corner. Beth Phoenix caught him on the rebound and rolled him up for the pin.
Grade: C+
The Kingfish Comments: Morella’s anything-for-a-laugh approach is gradually making him WWE’s go-to guy for comedy spots. He has certainly come a long way since he won the IC title.
Kelly Kelly came to the ring and, after she had strutted a while, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase banished her and took over the spotlight.
They claimed to be better than their fathers and asserted that talent makes it unnecessary to pay dues.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan strode to the ring, chunk of wood in hand. It turned out that he wanted to talk “from the heart” rather than fight. He advised them to appreciate the people who paved the way for them in the business and praised their great potential.
Cody Rhodes ridiculed Duggan as a 54-year-old has-been who is still carrying the same 2×3 he toted 25 years ago. DiBiase quoted Stone Cold Steve Austin saying that anyone who doesn’t think they can win a championship shouldn’t be in the WWE. He then asked Hacksaw to really consider whether he could still claim to have a chance of winning a title.
“If anyone needs to grow up, it’s you,” Cody Rhodes said to Hacksaw as the tag team titlists left the ring.
As Rhodes and DiBiase walked up the ramp, JBL appeared o the Titantron and offered them “the opportunity” to team with him in the night’s main event.
The pair didn’t say anything, but from their reactions, they liked the idea.
CM Punk d. Kane via COR
Non-Title Match
Kane came to the ring with his suddenly ever-present little bag for his match with the world heavyweight champion.
CM Punk did well with kicks as his speed kept him just out of range. That is, until he tried to zip between the Big Red Machine’s legs and came out on the wrong end of a Chokeslam. After that, Kane bulled Punk into a corner and battered him with punches and kicks.
CM Punk made a mistake by following Kane into the no-man’s-land of the ringside area. The =larger man overpowered him, bashed him around for a while and then pushed him back inside the ropes. Kane Bodyslammed Punk and gave him a jarring Running Kick, but it only added up to a near fall.
Mr. Straight-edge alternates kicks to the head and the knees to take Kane off his feet with an Enzuiguiri.
The champion executed a pair of Corner Splashes, but Kane threw him off when he attempted a Bulldog. Punk came back with a kick to the back of the head, but the cover fell one count short of victory. Even when he added a Crossbody Fly from the top turnbuckle, it wasn’t enough for a decision.
Kane blocked a Go to Sleep and shrugged off a kick to the temple and sent his adversary careening across the ringside area! They fought viciously until neither man could stand. Somehow, CM Punk found the strength to haul himself up to the apron and slide under the bottom strand just as the referee counted out Kane.
Grade: B
After the match, Kane went berserk and attacked CM Punk with fists, kicks and a chair! Kane put a chair around Punk’s neck and got ready to deliver his version of the con-chair-to.
That brought Batista to the ring just in time to save his Great American Bash opponent. Batista smashed Kane with a chair and the Big Red Machine fled the scene.
Batista and CM Punk faced each other. Batista gave the champ a condescending pat on the cheek and Punk responded by slapping the Animal’s face.
Batista had “the final say,” though. He Chokeslammed the champion and left him lying on the canvas!
Grade: There are both plusses and minuses to having Kane and Punk fight a non-title match with a COR finish It made Punk look good against a former champion and it might provide an injury alibi if they plan to have him drop the strap to Batista at Great American Bash. On the down side, Punk couldn’t get the win he said he needed to attain credibility and the whole finish was an “off the shelf” recycling of a booking that has been done many, many times.
Chris Jericho d. Paul London
Michael Cole brought out the fact that Paul London is a disciple of Shawn Michaels and that Lance Cade, trained by Michaels, is now a follower of Chris Jericho.
Chris Jericho vented his wrath on Paul London, beating him both inside and outside the squared circle. He kept shouting for Michaels as he inflicted many varieties of pain.
Paul London tapped out to the Walls of Jericho after a somewhat disappointing match.
Grade: C
The Kingfish Comments: This was an unnecessary squash. It was unnecessary, because Paul London could’ve fought a much better match and still done a credible job to Jericho. Presumably, they are leading to Michaels-London versus Jericho-Cade as a prelude to another singles confrontation between HBK and Y2J.
After the match, Chris Jericho lectured Paul London about the need to choose the right path. Chris thought it was to emulate him instead of Michaels.
Shawn Michaels came out and told Chris Jericho that he didn’t see how either man would change the other’s mind. He promised that the worst was still to come in their increasingly violent feud.
Jaime Noble tried to flirt Layla into being part of what he called a “power couple” in WWE.
Noble bragged that he would fight anyone he saw. When that person turned out to be Snitsky, however, Noble got cold feet and let him leave without a challenge. When Layla chided him about his big talk, he ran after Snitsky and insulted him enough to precipitate a fight.
Layla didn’t seem very keen on the idea, but she allowed herself to be dragged to the ring.
Snitsky d. Jamie Noble
Snitsky withstood Noble’s whirlwind attack and began paying him back with strong and powerful strikes.
Snitsky beat Jamie Noble senseless and left. It may not even have been an official match.
Grade: D
The Kingfish comments: This is a cute variation on the angle that plays on the idea of a wrestler losing every match. Noble will keep challenging guys, and losing, until he comes up with a new gimmick that justifies an end to the losing streak.
John Cena & Cryme Tyme d. John Bradshaw Leyfield, Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase via DQ
Shad Gasper took a lot of punishment. The heels kept tagging in and out, though all three bedeviled the Cryme Tyme member with punches and kicks.
When the Million Dollar Son blew a top-ripe move, John Cena finally got the tag from Shad. He went crazy! Cena hit several Clotheslines, a roundhouse punch and a Face Plant.
He did the Five-Knuckle Shuffle and then a Legdrop from the top turnbuckle. Cena applied the FU. JBL rushed into the ring and attacked him from behind, getting his team disqualified.
Grade: B
JBL kept talking big, but he also kept inching up the ramp. John Cena finally started to chase him. The pair ran through the backstage area and ended up in the parking lot.
Cena couldn’t find his antagonist among the cars. And though he tried to watch every direction at once, JBL managed to blind side him!
JVL leaned the semi-conscious John Cena against the side of a car – and tried to run him down with another automobile! When the Cowboy Financier got out of his car to inspect his handiwork, it looked like John Cena had somehow escaped the collision.
Grade for this RAW: C+
That’s it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with another installment of the Internet’s fastest-rising daily wrestling column.
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(7/17/08)
The Katz Files Arnie Katz
The Kingfish’s RAW (7/14) Recap & Analysis!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz reports on what happened on the 7/14 RAW – and what it means.
Wrestler of the (7/15) Week– Taylor Wilde
Our resident philosopher, Jay Shannon, takes a look at the new TNA Knockout champion. She upset the most dominant female in the history of wrestling, Awesome Kong, to capture the Knockout title.
TNA has a new Knockout champion. In one of the most shocking upsets in recent history, Taylor Wilde (formerly known as Shantelle Taylor) used a roll-up to take the title from Awesome Kong. Taylor kept her title at Victory Road in a brutal re-match. The upset, which is being compared to Wendi Richter’s defeat of The Fabulous Moolah, elevated Taylor to this week’s Pro Wrestling Daily: Wrestler of the Week.
Border City Babe
Shantell Taylor started her wrestling career in Border City Wrestling. This was the same breeding ground for superstars like Gail Kim and Angelina Love. Taylor received her training from Border City, as well as numerous other small promotion in the central US and Canada. Taylor was raised in the Toronto area.
Taylor would expand her wrestling base to also participate in the oddly-name Blood, Sweat and Ears promotion. Taylor was a top star in BSE and in SHIMMER. In SHIMMER, Taylor battled against other current TNA stars including Ariel (Salinas) and Cheerleader Melissa (Raesha Saeed). Taylor came to the attention to scouts for Deep South Wrestling, a then-developmental territory for the WWE.
Deep South and FCW
In the Deep South promotion, Taylor continued her feud with Angel Williams aka Angelina Love. Taylor made a few appearances in dark matches with the Smackdown brand, including a run as the masked San-Eye (a pun name since the mask made her appear to have no eyes, therefore San/Without Eyes).
Taylor, along with Krissy Vaine and Angel Williams, were transferred to FCW, when WWE cut ties with DSW. Taylor was working towards a feud with Nattie Neidhart when she (Taylor) was suddenly released from her developmental contract with the organization. No reason was ever publicly stated as to why Taylor was released.
Getting Wilde
After her release from FCW, Taylor was scouted by TNA to join the organization. One of the reasons for her being considered came from recommendations from both Angelina Love and Scott D’Amore. Taylor was seated in the audience, initially, as merely a fan.
When Awesome Kong began her $25,000 Audience Challenge program, TNA brought in several indy and past wrestlers to challenge Kong. Taylor was one of the women to go against Kong. Kong defeated Taylor in their first encounter. Taylor gave Kong a monster match and came extremely close to up-ending the Knockout Juggernaut.
Taylor later attacked Kong and demanded a chance to face Kong, again. Jim Cornette, TNA General Manager, placed Taylor into a match against Kong’s assistant, Raesha Saeed. The stipulation of the match was that if Taylor won, she would get another shot at Kong. The following week, Taylor won a hard-fought battle to take out her old rival (Taylor and Raesha’s alter-ego, Cheerleader Melissa, had battled numerous times in the past).
Taylor was very nervous before her battle with Kong. She acknowledged that Kong wanted to injure her. Taylor, now known as Taylor Wilde, wanted to do the best she could against the mammoth Kong. Kong actually caught Taylor with the Implant Buster during their match. Kong tried, several times, to nail the Awesome Bomb, only to have Taylor escape. Kong missed with her Spinning Back Fist, which allowed Taylor to use a simple Roll-up to unseat the champion. The world was simply shocked by the win. Taylor immediately put her title on the line in a rematch against Kong at Victory Road. Kong appeared to have the match won, when Taylor surprised Kong with another simple Roll-up to retain her title.
In Conclusion
Taylor Wilde has only been in wrestling for about 3 years. In that time, she’s held championships in a few smaller promotions. She was seen as a possible future star for the WWE, before suddenly finding herself out of a job.
Taylor will likely move past Kong to battle Angelina Love for her title. It is very likely that Love will be the one to take the title from Taylor, leading to a Love v Gail Kim battle. Taylor may well fight a few others (Saeed, Kong, Jacqueline Moore, Velvet Sky, etc…) before losing her title. While Taylor’s title reign may be short-lived, it will stand as the greatest upset since Wendi Richter took Fabulous Moolah’s title, 25 years ago. Taylor will go down in the history books, either as a superstar or just a footnote. Regardless of her position, Taylor will be listed among many others as one of Pro Wrestling Daily’s: Wrestler of the Week.
–Jay Shannon
JayofPWD@SBCGlobal.net
(07/14/08)
The Kingfish’s Victory Road Recap & Analysis!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz reports the action and angle of Victory Road and delves into the meaning of what happened in Houston!
Let’s look at what happened – and why:
The opening video for Victory Road used images and audio from the 1960’s space race to connect the heroic effort to reach the moon with the company’s first pay per view to be held in Houston.
Mike Tenay welcomed everyone to Houston, He threw it to Jeremy Borash in the parking lot, who exhorted people to vote for the stip in the big six-man match.
Lauren and BG James were with another group of fans, the ones selected as lumberjacks!
Team TNA d. Team Mexico & Team Japan & Team International
Rounds 3 the 2008 World X-Cup Tournament
12-Man Elimination Match
The Story: Four, four-man teams are competing in the revived World X Cup Tournament. Two rounds took place on iMPACT; the final two rounds are scheduled for the pay per view. The finale will be an Ultimate X match.
My Prediction: No Prediction
Predicted Grade: A-
The Match: Tyson Dux got pinned to earn the dubious distinction of being the first man eliminated. With some help, Rey Buccaneer pinned Puma. Chris Sabin finished Milan Collection with the Cradle Shock. Yoshina eliminated Averna after an incredibly acrobatic tilt-a-whirl move.
When Curryman tried to deal Ultimo Guerrero a Huracanrana from the top, UG turned it into a Powerbomb that led to a pin. Team Mexico trapped Team International’s Doug Williams and Rey Buccaneer put him away.
Ultimo Guerrero tapped out to Alex Koslov. Chris Sabin brought Buccaneer off the top rope and the Machine Guns dealt stereo Thrust Kicks. The pin was an automatic.
Sabin hit a Clothesline to a Bulldog on Koslov, but the Russian wasn’t ready to go quietly. Koslov used the ropes to enforce a Small Package that put Chris Sabin’s shoulder on the canvas for the one-two-three.
After some furious one-on-one action, Yoshino made Koslov tap while Alex Shelley tried to recover his sense in the ringside area. Yoshino tried to destroy Shelley with a Missile Dropkick square in the face, but he couldn’t convert it into a pin.
Alex Shelley nearly tore Yoshino in half with a jaw-dropping TigerBomb. Somehow, the Japanese star managed to stay in the match.
Alex Shelley finally hit a Back Suplex and covered to make Team TNA a winner!
Actual Grade: A
The Kingfish Comments: It looked a little like one of those RoH exhibition matches until the field thinned out. TNA should sign Yoshino, Koslov and maybe Williams.
The first of a series of videos about Booker T’s homecoming ran. In this one, Booker showed off his house, his awards and his wife.
A video composed of alternating video segments with Gail Kim and Angelina Love demonstrated the mutual animosity that fuels their match on this card.
Gail Kim d. Angelina Love
The Story: Gail Kim represents the best aspects of the Knockout Division and deserves a big share of credit for its success. The Beautiful People, on the other hand, cavort like escapees from one of those E! reality shows. The hostilities between Kim and Love started very early in TNA’s history and the animosity runs deeper than ever today.
My Prediction: The outcome of this contest may depend as much on TNA’s plans for Taylor Wilde as anything to do with the combatants. If Taylor is to hold the title for even as long as the next month, Angelina Love looks like an obvious challenger. If Awesome Kong regains the belt at this show, Fail Kim becomes the more valuable talent. TNA will probably try to have it both ways: Kim will win the match and Angelina Love, assisted by Velvet Sky, will put the paper bag on Kim’s head. ODB will make the save to set up the Knockout Division’s first Tag Team Championship Match for the next PPV.
Predicted Grade: B
The Match: Angelina Love sneak attacked Gail Kim before the bell to gain an early advantage in the match. The blonde spent a lot of time taunting Kim as she laid in the chops and punches.
Gail Kim finally made a comeback. Just as she looked like she was about to take over the contest, she landed on the apron where Velvet Sky yanked her into the ringside area! Sky threw Kim back inside the ropes, where Love repeatedly bashed her head into the canvas. A poke in the eye gave Angelina Love another opening and she nearly converted it into a pinning cover.
Gail Kim wrapped her foe’s legs around the ring post and tried to apply a Figure Four. The victim screamed in pain until the referee made Kim give up the hold. A Velvet Sky sneak attack again reversed the match’s momentum.
When Gail Kim climbed to the top rope, Velvet Sky knocked her down to the turnbuckle. Angelina Love scored with a Suplex, but it still wasn’t enough for a pin.
Gail Kim shrugged off still more interference from Velvet Sky and blasted Angelina Love with her version of the Stunner. That was all it took for the pin and the win!
Actual Grade: A-
The Kingfish Comments: Angelina Love continues to show improvement and held up her end of this match quite well. The outside interference seemed a little excessive, especially when ODB never came to the ring to help Kim by stopping the illegal attacks.
Velvet Sky led the after-match attack on Gail Kim. The Beautiful People wanted to put the paper bag on Kim’s head, but the Korean Knockout slipped out of the ring and escaped up the ramp.
BG James and Lauren talked to a few of the fans who’ll wield the belts.
A video gave a sketchy summary of the triangle involving Jay Lethal, Sonjay Dutt and SoCal Val.
Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt
Revenge Challenge Match
The Story: Just when it seemed that Black Machismo and SoCal Val were about to write their happy ending, Sonjay Dutt proved to be the snake in their garden of happiness. He disrupted the wedding and Jay Lethal has thirsted for vengeance ever since that fateful day. They had skirmishes at the pink Taco and Dutt’s yoga class, but now they come to the ring to settle their score.
My Prediction: When a storyline follows such a well-trodden path, it’s a little shocking that TNA has made so many mistakes. The angle has pretty much fallen apart in the last few weeks. SoCal has not indicated any preference or opinion, so the feud has slid into a rut. Now that the booking has killed the heat, it’s time to have the match that should’ve closely followed the ruined wedding. The feud is over when Jay Lethal wins, so he’ll get only a measure of revenge this time. Sonjay Dutt will take the decision in sneaky fashion, perhaps using SoCal Val against her fiancé.
Predicted Grade: B+ (great action, but a weak finish)
The Match: SoCal Val, looking more than ever like Miss Elizabeth, accompanied Black Machismo to the ring and watched animatedly from ringside.
Sonjay Dutt offered Val a card and a flower. The jealous fiancé ripped up both gifts, so Sonjay sprang into full-tilt action!
SoCal Val looked mighty happy as Jay Lethal dominated the opening portion of the match, Dutt got back in contention with a Springboard to a Thesz Press. He stomped his former best friend and dealt a vicious Backbreaker across his knee!
Black Machismo’s Slingshot off the top rope to a Suplex didn’t end the match, nor did Dutt’s Huracanrana from the top turnbuckle. Both earned only near falls.
As the two men tussled in the ringside area, a beleaguered Dutt called out for SoCal Val. Jay Lethal clamped on a Boston Crab, but he released it when Val beckoned him to approach her on the apron. Dutt assaulted him from behind!
Sonjay Dutt crawled across the mat to tell SoCal Val that he loves her. That didn’t stop Black Machismo from executing the Lethal Combination. Suddenly, SoCal Val didn’t seem too happy about her man leading in the match.
As Kay Lethal tried to talk to Val, the opportunistic Dutt rolled him up from behind for the victory!
Actual Grade: B
The Kingfish Comments: This is starting to look like the idiot’s version of the original “love triangle” angle that TNA is recycling. Val’s role is complete wrong and spoils the whole storyline.
After a video outlined the “Fans Revenge” rules, Jeremy Borash did a live pre-match interview with the challengers.
Miss Jacqueline surprised Storm and Roode when she told them she wasn’t going to risk her neck out there amid all those strap-armed fans.
LAX d. Beer Money
TNA World Tag Team Championship
Fans’ Revenge Lumberjack Strap Match
The Story: Beer Money, as unlikely a pairing as TNA as seen, show great chemistry and could be the top heel due in the promotion for a while. From the moment the team formed, Beer Money has put LAX in the crosshairs. Now the smooth-working heel due has the chance to seize that precious gold.
My Prediction: This doesn’t look like a one-match feud. LAX will look good and keep the title, but Beer Money will both take some lashes from the fans and, ultimately, give some to the champs.
Predicted Grade: A-
The Match: The dozen fan lumberjacks came out first and took up their positions around the outside of the ring. All wore LAX shirts, which didn’t bode well for Beer Money. Eddie Guerrero and Salinas also positioned themselves in the ringside area.
Homicide wasted no time pitching Robert Roode out of the ring. The fans did their best and continued to harass Rood and Storm every time circumstances took them out of the ring. As the matched continued, the challenger displayed some aptitude for keeping out of range, but the fans still managed to get in some shots.
When Homicide got pushed out of the ring, however, the lumberjacks treated him like a friend and let him have a sip from James Storm’s ever-present beer.
Homicide honored the late Eddie Guerrero with his version of the Three Amigos, but Robert Roode ignored the punishment and rocked Homicide with a Spinebuster!
Hernandez seethed at ringside as Beer Money put the hurt on his partner. When Super Mex finally got a tag, he cleaned house with authority. He leveled Roode with a Flying Shoulder and blasted Storm with the Crackerjack. Hernandez put Roode on the mat with a Sit-out Powerbomb, but couldn’t keep him there for a three count. When Hernandez blitzed Roode with a Splash from the top turnbuckle, Storm quickly broke up the attempted pin.
Homicide hit Storm with a DDT and catapulted Roode through the ropes to the lumberjacks. The fans did their duty, though the Wall Streeter made himself a hard-to-hit moving target.
James Storm found himself isolated in the ring against both halves of LAX. They finished him quickly for the title-retaining win.
Actual Grade: B-
The Kingfish Comments: The match didn’t live up to advance billing, mostly due to the lame lumberjack angle. It was probably appropriate for the teams to hold back just a little; future matches in this program figure to be longer and more intense.
The second video about Booker T’s return to Houston focused on his small promotion and training school, the Pro Wrestling Alliance.
Taylor Wilde d. Awesome Kong
TNA Knockout Championship
The Story: Taylor Wilde came out of the stands to take Awesome Kong’s $25,000 Challenge. She lost but put up such a great fight that she got the chance to earn a second shot by defeating Raisha Said. On iMPACT, the battling blonde won the cash and the title. Now she has to defend it against the former champion, perhaps the most fearsome woman in the history of professional wrestling!
My Prediction: It seems as though TNA is trying to negate Awesome Kong’s box office appeal in every way possible. Losing to Taylor Wilde would advance this insanity a few more steps. The right booking would be a tainted victory, due to outside interference, for Awesome Kong. A second, lesser, possibility is that Said will attempt to interfere, the move will backfire and Taylor will win. That would lead to Taylor-Love and Kong-Said as stories going forward from Victory Road.
Predicted Grade: B
The Match: Awesome Kong attacked before the bell, but she had trouble with the champion’s hit-and-run offensive strategy.
Inevitably, Kong caught up with the woman who took her title. She Bodyslammed Taylor and tortured her with a Camel Clutch. Taylor Wilde got out of that predicament, but Kong fired her into a corner and Squashed her against the turnbuckles.
Taylor Wilde disrupted an attempted AwesomeBomb and unleashed a barrage of Dropkicks. Kong went down, but she bounced right back up again to deliver a bone-shaking Clothesline! Awesome Kong went to the top, but Taylor Armdragged her to the mat. The attempted cover felt a single count short of the mark.
When Awesome Kong lifted Taylor for another try at an Awesomebomb, the resourceful champion rolled through and notched a major victory with a small package.
Actual Grade: B
The Kingfish Comments: The match was surprisingly straight-forward with none of the big swerves that some (including me) predicted.
Raisha Said jumped Taylor Wilde as the champion headed up the ramp and smashed her against the guardrail.
Kong’s mysterious manager hauled Wilde back to the ring, where Awesome Kong dealt her an Implant Buster.
Kong was about to Awesomebomb Taylor onto a chair when Abyss came out to put a stop to that. He and Kong eyed each other warily, but it was Raisha who took the Black Hole Slam.
Abyss carried Taylor Wilde up the ramp and out of danger.
The third video in the Booker T series ran. This time, he took fans to Sharmell’s, a restaurant. The mic pickled up him telling his staff to cut the size of the portions and water the drinks. Are they shooting for a spot on “Hell’s Kitchen”?
As the participants assembled for the fourth and final round of the World X-Cup, Mike Tenay pointed out that the winner of ultimate X will earn enough points to assure victory for his team.
Team TNA (Kaz) d. Team Mexico (Volador Jr) & Team Japan (Doi) & Team International Daivari
Rounds Four of the 2008 World X-Cup
The Story: Four, four-man teams are competing in the revived World X Cup Tournament. Two rounds took place on iMPACT; the final two rounds are scheduled for the pay per view. The finale will be an Ultimate X match.
My Prediction: The tournament has not worked as an angle despite some very good matches. Team TNA will come through in the end. Kaz will lead his team to victory in the final round. Team International will finish second, Team Japan third and Team Mexico will bring up the rear. And in a week, it’ll be as if the whole thing never happened.
Predicted Grade: A-
The Match: Kaz tried to steal a quick victory, but Daivari knocked him back to the mat before he got close to the X that dangled over the center of the ring. The other three men in the match all focused on Kaz, who had to fight fiercely just to stay in contention.
When Kaz again tried to claim the X, his injured left arm couldn’t support his weight and he tumbled to the mat! They worked on him some more. Volador Jr’s Dropkick was the most telling maneuver.
After Kaz knocked Volador out of the ring, he started to climb. He realized that Daivari was too close, so he turned back to fight the Team Mexico captain. They brawled at ringside. All too soon, however, Kaz found himself fighting against all three of the other competitors! After he repelled this attack, Kaz went for the X only to find that his injured, nattered arm couldn’t support his body weight at that point.
After Doi blitzed Kaz with a Somersault Splash in the corner, he went to the top with Daivari chasing him all the way. Finally, Daivari Headbutted him to the ground! Volador Jr. dragged down Daivari. The two men immediately went at each other like they were the world’s bitterest enemies!
While Kaz and Doi fought at center ring, Volador Jr. tried to snatch the X! Kaz tossed Naruke Doi in the air so the Asian star could pull Daivari off the cable!
Doi staggered Kaz with a series of well-placed kicks. He went along the cable backwards, presumably to make sure no one was right behind him. Katz stopped him inches short of the goal, only to have Daivari knock him down, too.
Naruke Doi and Volador Jr. got into a high-speed stalemate. Everything one tried, the other countered. It ended when they both connected with Clotheslines at the same time and fell to the canvas! The Masked Man knocked Doi out of the ring and then pulled off an out-of-ring Moonsault over the top rope to smear him on the arena floor!
Kaz and Daivari climbed opposite sides of the same supporting tower. They fought with quarter until Daivari separated himself from Kaz and went along the cable toward the X. Kaz staked everything on an incredible leap off the top of the tower – and he snagged Daivari on the way down!
Volador Jr. decided that his moment had come. He scampered along the wire and, despite Kaz’s last-second attempt, got the X and won the match and the tournament for Team Mexico!
Actual Grade: A-
The Kingfish Comments: What a pity TNA did such a slapdash job with the tournament. The two matches on the card really stood out for great wrestling.
After the match, Volador Jr. and team captain Ultimo Guerrero thanked the fans through an interpreter.
In the fourth, and worst, of the Booker T videos, he took us to “his golf course” and bragged about the score-lowering ability of the newly marketed Booker Tees.
Having someone compare Booker’s golfing with Tiger Woods added a note of gritty realism. Well, maybe it just sounded stupid.
Frank Trigg joined Mike Tenay and Don West for the next match.
Jeremy Borash, at center-ring, announced that the fans had chosen Full Metal Mayhem.
Kurt Angle & Team 3D d. A.J. Styles, Christian Cage & Rhino
Fans Choice Six-Man Match
The Story: YMA knows there’s only one way to settle a complex, interconnected feud system like this: put everyone in the ring and let them fight.
My Prediction: The fans will choose Full Metal Mayhem, because…well, why would they pick anything else? Christian and maybe his partners, too, will go through some tables, but who wins is not very important. One possible scenario is that Styles and Angle will battle off to the side while Team 3D works the Dudley Death Drop on Rhino for the win. My prediction is that, if TNA does the right thing in the main event, the babyfaces will pull out a victory after both sides take tons of punishment.
Predicted Grade: A-
The Match: AJ Styles came to the =ring last. He never got there, because Kurt Angle rushed out to meet him and they fought in the ringside area. All six men were slugging it out in the ringside area when Styles did a Springboard Dive over the top rope that leveled Kurt Angle and Brother Devon!
Christian ran at Brother Ray, trashcan at the ready. He bashed the larger man in the head, twice, but it didn’t add up to a pin. When Styles fell victim to the Dudley Death Drop, Christian and Rhino steamrollered the heels with a ladder.
After Kurt Angle positioned a ladder to his liking, he crashed Christian into it with an Overhead Release Suplex.
While Rhino and Angle kept each other busy at ringside, AJ Styles set up a ladder and jumped off it to flatten Ray It would’ve ended the match if the heels hadn’t pulled the referee out of the ring before he could finish the count!
The heels isolated Styles in the center of the ring and racked him up pretty good. Devon held The Phenomenal One while Kurt Angle beat him.
Christian Cage climbed one of the towers left over from Ultimate X and executed a Crossbody Fly that laid out all three of his foes at once! Brother Ray knocked down Styles with a chairshot and then used a tray to inflict more damage. Rhino then Gored each of the heels in rapid succession.
Rhino and Devon tussled on the top turnbuckle as The War Machine attempted to set up Devon for a deadly maneuver. Brother Ray rushed into the corner and took Rhino onto his shoulders. Devon flew threw the air and Clotheslined Rhino through a table!
Cage Clotheslined both members of Team 3D. He tried the Unprettier on Kurt Angle, who blocked it. When the former Olympian seized the Anklelock, Cage kicked him off with his free leg. Team 3D brought down Christian Cage with a Low Blow and then 3D’d him through a table!
Once again, AJ Styles found himself alone against the three heels. Brother Ray stunned Styles – and shocked the fans – with a Thrust Kick. Ray wanted to put AJ through a table, but the set-up took too long. Styles jumped up, dealt Ray a retaliatory Low Blow and sent him through the table! Styles then sent Devon through a table. It looked like Devon sustained a serious ankle injury from that fall.
AJ hit the Styles Clash through a table, but he could only get a two count pm Kurt Angle. When Johnny Devine entered the ring with a kendo stick, Styles too it from him and clobbered him with it!
Kurt Angle caught Styles off-guard with an Olympic Slam, but the cover felt one count short.
Angle was the only combatant still on his feet when he dragged a ladder into the ring. Even the official, Earl Hebner, was down on the mat! Kurt Angle tried to Olympic Slam Styles, who wriggled out and began firing right0handed punches.
When AJ Styles started to climb a ladder in the ring, Frank Trigg rushed up behind him and hit him with a kendo stick! Styles tumbled off the ladder. Kurt Angle immediately put him through the table with an Olympic Slam. Earl Hebner counted the victory for the heels!
Actual Grade: A-
The Kingfish Comments: This match had just about zero effect on the plotlines that led up to it. Angle and Styles settled nothing and it seems like the Rhino-Cage team still has business with Team 3D, too.
Jeremy Borash tried to suggest to Samoa Joe that there was an aura, something in the air, which suggested Booker T might take the title.
“You’ll have to take my life before you get this belt off my shoulder,” the Samoan Submission Machine promised.
Kevin Nash joined the interview to assure Joe that he would be in his corner. Joe told his sometimes-mentor that he should wait in the back until after the match. Nash promised to do exactly that to prove his sincerity.
They ran a Samoa Joe video and then a “Tale of the Tape.” Then they ran a second Samoa Joe video.
Jeremy Borash introduced the champion and the challenger in his increasingly convincing “big fight” style.
Samoa Joe vs. Booker T
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The Story: Booker T thought he would be the big man when he came to TNA, but he soon discovered that Samoa Joe holds that position and intends to keep it. Booker wants the title and even Kevin Nash doesn’t think Joe can stop his ambition.
My Prediction: Sting injected himself into the feud on the 7/10 iMPACT Most likely, he’ll keep Nash from successfully interfering against his supposed friend Samoa Joe. In the confusion, however, Booker T will level Joe and take the title in his home town of Houston, TX.
Predicted Grade: B+
The Match: Booker T initiated hostilities with a slap in the face, but he couldn’t gain a decisive edge in the early going. Neither could Joe as both men tried, unsuccessfully, to overcome the other with sheer power.
Samoa Joe fired Booker T into a turnbuckle. Booker struck it a little awkwardly, so Joe took advantage with a lightning-quick Enzuiguiri. Booker raked Joe’s eyes and followed up with a series of chops. When they bounced off the ropes at each other, it was Booker who went to the mat in the collision!
Samoa Joe and Booker T battled in the ringside area. The challenger threw Joe into the ring steps and when he rose, Joe’s face streamed blood! Booker stalked Joe around the ringside area, planting punches directly on the wound whenever he got the chance!
Booker T threw his foe back inside the ropes and then knocked him flat! Booker thought he had the match in hand and demolished the champion with punches and kicks. Samoa Joe could hardly rise from the canvas, much less mount an offense!
The struggle continued with near falls and close calls. They exchanged punches, but Joe’s seemed to lack authority. Samoa Joe knocked down Booker after bounding off the ropes. He added a Missile Dropkick, but he still couldn’t force the pin. Booker tried to respond with the Bookend, but Joe turned it into a Back Body Drop!
Booker T reeled away from a mid-ring punch fest and accidentally hurt referee Rudy Charles. Joe scored with a left-hand Lariat and went to check on the official’s condition. It wasn’t encouraging.
Samoa Joe Bealed Booker T over the top rope to the arena floor. Standing right in front of a frantic Sharmell, the champion chopped Booker right across the throat! Joe sent up Booker on a chair in the corner of the ringside area, took a long run up and kicked his foe’s head into the guardrail!
Sharmell begged Joe to stop. The enraged Samoan took out his frustrations on her body guards. He turned his attention back to Booker T and banged him into the side of the ring. Booker T, too, now had blood flowing down his face.
Slick Johnson and Andrew Thomas came to the ring, to replace the incapacitated Charles. Joe gave Johnson a Clothesline and put down Thomas with a DDT!
Things got ugly as Samoa Joe forgot about the match and simply beat Booker savagely. Sharmell came over the guard rail and into the ring. She pleaded with Joe to stop. When he wouldn’t finish the defenseless challenger, she began to howl for anyone to stop the carnage. An army of officials rushed the ring, but Joe either stared them down or tossed them out.
Out came Sting!
Sting and Samoa Joe argued. The face-painted warrior told him to leave Booker alone. When Sting started up the ramp, Joe followed at a discreet distance. The champion glanced back at the ring and couldn’t restrain himself. He ran back and resumed the epic beatdown.
Sting gave Joe The Finger and told him it was enough. The angry Samoan turned back to his pray – and Sting clouted him with the bat1
Sharmell placed her husbands arm over Sting’s chest and then she counted his victory! Sting watched it happened, dumbfounded.
Sharmell retrieved the belt from the announce table and draped it over Booker T’s shoulder.
Actual Grade: B
The Kingfish Comments: The match was all right, but it also disappointed in several ways. The exclusion of Kevin Nash made weeks of build-up a waste of time and Joe’s pitiless assault on Booker T didn’t seem very well motivated, either. The match itself had blood, but few high spots or exciting runs of offensive fireworks.
Predicted Grade for the entire card: B
Actual Grade for the entire card: B
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(7/14/08)
The Katz Files Arnie Katz
The Kingfish’s Victory Road Recap & Analysis!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz reports the action and angle of Victory Road and delves into the meaning of what happened in Houston!
Arnie Katz: Victory Road Preview & Predictions!
The Kingfish Arnie Katz gets you ready for TNA’s July pay per view!
Victory Road, TNA’s first pay per view in Houston, TX, has the feel of a big indie card. All the bad booking comes home to roost and most of the matches have the flavor of one-night attractions.
That makes predictions problematical, to say the least. The action will be good and, if TNA can avoid comedy spots, the card should be moderately entertaining. New, or at least radically changed, stories will emerge fro this show, because the ones currently in force are not as strong as they should be.
Let’s look at the menu of matches for this all-cage show…
Gail Kim vs. Angelina Love
The Story: Gail Kim represents the best aspects of the Knockout Division and deserves a big share of credit for its success. The Beautiful People, on the other hand, cavort like escapees from one of those E! reality shows. The hostilities between Kim and Love started very early in TNA’s history and the animosity runs deeper than ever today.
My Prediction: The outcome of this contest may depend as much on TNA’s plans for Taylor Wilde as anything to do with the combatants. If Taylor is to hold the title for even as long as the next month, Angelina Love looks like an obvious challenger. If Awesome Kong regains the belt at this show, Fail Kim becomes the more valuable talent. TNA will probably try to have it both ways: Kim will win the match and Angelina Love, assisted by Velvet Sky, will put the paper bag on Kim’s head. ODB will make the save to set up the Knockout Division’s first Tag Team Championship Match for the next PPV.
Predicted Grade: B
Jay Lethal vs. Sonjay Dutt
Revenge Challenge Match
The Story: Just when it seemed that Black Machismo and SoCal Val were about to write their happy ending, Sonjay Dutt proved to be the snake in their garden of happiness. He disrupted the wedding and Jay Lethal has thirsted for vengeance ever since that fateful day. They had skirmishes at the pink Taco and Dutt’s yoga class, but now they come to the ring to settle their score.
My Prediction: When a storyline follows such a well-trodden path, it’s a little shocking that TNA has made so many mistakes. The angle has pretty much fallen apart in the last few weeks. SoCal has not indicated any preference or opinion, so the feud has slid into a rut. Now that the booking has killed the heat, it’s time to have the match that should’ve closely followed the ruined wedding. The feud is over when Jay Lethal wins, so he’ll get only a measure of revenge this time. Sonjay Dutt will take the decision in sneaky fashion, perhaps using SoCal Val against her fiancé.
Predicted Grade: B+ (great action, but a weak finish)
Taylor Wilde vs. Awesome Kong
TNA Knockout Championship Match
The Story: Taylor Wilde came out of the stands to take Awesome Kong’s $25,000 Challenge. She lost but put up such a great fight that she got the chance to earn a second shot by defeating Raisha Said. On iMPACT, the battling blonde won the cash and the title. Now she has to defend it against the former champion, perhaps the most fearsome woman in the history of professional wrestling!
My Prediction: It seems as though TNA is trying to negate Awesome Kong’s box office appeal in every way possible. Losing to Taylor Wilde would advance this insanity a few more steps. The right booking would be a tainted victory, due to outside interference, for Awesome Kong. A second, lesser, possibility is that Said will attempt to interfere, the move will backfire and Taylor will win. That would lead to Taylor-Love and Kong-Said as stories going forward from Victory Road.
Predicted Grade: B
LAX vs. Beer Money
TNA World Tag Team Championship
Fans’ Revenge Lumberjack Strap Match
The Story: Beer Money, as unlikely a pairing as TNA as seen, show great chemistry and could be the top heel due in the promotion for a while. From the moment the team formed, Beer Money has put LAX in the crosshairs. Now the smooth-working heel due has the chance to seize that precious gold.
My Prediction: This doesn’t look like a one-match feud. LAX will look good and keep the title, but Beer Money will both take some lashes from the fans and, ultimately, give some to the champs.
Predicted Grade: A-
Team TNA v Team Mexico v Team Japan v Team International
Rounds 3 and 4 of the 2008 World X-Cup
The Story: Four, four-man teams are competing in the revived World X Cup Tournament. Two rounds took place on iMPACT; the final two rounds are scheduled for the pay per view. The finale will be an Ultimate X match.
My Prediction: The tournament has not worked as an angle despite some very good matches. Team TNA will come through in the end. Kaz will lead his team to victory in the final round. Team International will finish second, Team Japan third and Team Mexico will bring up the rear. And in a week, it’ll be as if the whole thing never happened.
Predicted Grade: A-
A.J. Styles, Christian Cage & Rhino v Kurt Angle & Team 3D
Fans Choice Six-Man Match
The Story: YMA knows there’s only one way to settle a complex, interconnected feud system like this: put everyone in the ring and let them fight.
My Prediction: The fans will choose Full Metal Mayhem, because…well, why would they pick anything else? Christian and maybe his partners, too, will go through some tables, but who wins is not very important. One possible scenario is that Styles and Angle will battle off to the side while Team 3D works the Dudley Death Drop on Rhino for the win. My prediction is that, if TNA does the right thing in the main event, the babyfaces will pull out a victory after both sides take tons of punishment.
Predicted Grade: A-
Samoa Joe vs. Booker T
TNA World Heavyweight Championship
The Story: Booker T thought he would be the big man when he came to TNA, but he soon discovered that Samoa Joe holds that position and intends to keep it. Booker wants the title and even Kevin Nash doesn’t think Joe can stop his ambition.
My Prediction: Sting injected himself into the feud on the 7/10 iMPACT Most likely, he’ll keep Nash from successfully interfering against his supposed friend Samoa Joe. In the confusion, however, Booker T will level Joe and take the title in his home town of Houston, TX.
Predicted Grade: B+
Predicted Grade for the entire card: B
– Arnie Katz
Crossfire4@cox.net
(7/12/08)