Archive for September, 2008
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
On October 3, WWE Friday Night Smackdown will be moving from The CW to MyNetwork, and WWE is hoping they won’t need the help of moving services to get the message out to their fans.
Of course, only the biggest markets in the nation have MyNetwork affiliates in their area, though satellite subscribers usually won’t have to worry about that hurdle. The important thing to keep in mind is that there will be a channel change for Smackdown fans a week from Friday.
Tags: moving services, MyNetwork, Smackdown Posted in Smackdown | No Comments »
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
WWE Raw will air its 800th episode tonight and that leaves one wondering what the Fed will dream up to celebrate. Right now, the only announced match is between JBL and Batista.
That’s a promo on diet pills if you ask me; for an 800th episode, they ought to have a lot more than that in store.
And by the time Raw hits the air tonight, I’m sure they will.
Tags: 800th episode, diet pills, RAW Posted in RAW, WWE | No Comments »
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
The airport incident involving WWE superstar Jeff Hardy has kind of been sorted out and clarified. According to online reports and news sources, Hardy was indeed detained at a Nashville airport, being denied boarding onto a flight because airport staff believed he “appeared intoxicated.”
Hardy has faced two strikes in the WWE Wellness Policy, and a third strike would lead directly to a major penalty, including suspension. However, contrary to some reports, there was no altercation over the incident and Hardy remained cooperative during the entire time.
Although the airline offered an alternative flight later on, Hardy made other arrangements to get to where he was going. Perhaps if he’d stayed at Laughlin hotels, he would have appeared more rested and none of this would have occurred.
Well, at least there was not enough to the incident to trigger a third strike in Jeff’s Wellness Policy; he’s a high-energy, very promotable talent with the ability to wear a major belt sometime soon. Let’s hope he stays smart and out of trouble, so that nothing messes up his momentum.
Tags: Jeff Hardy, Laughlin hotels Posted in WWE | No Comments »
Monday, September 22nd, 2008
An over-the-hill Mick Foley finally debuted on TNA last week, and the result was a nice surprise, but little Impact. It’s been almost a decade since Foley’s been an in-ring impact-player, so although his sudden appearance on the big screen at the arena was a nice way of introducing him, one has to wonder at how much Foley can actually contribute to TNA, which needs to be focusing on developing its own young stars and not remain just a hangout for old WWE castoffs.
While at WWE, Foley demonstrated a lot of selflessnes putting over younger talent; but will he do likewise in TNA, where there’s a lot less star power? Only time will tell, but right now Dixie Carter’s crew seems to be throwing everything, including farmhouse sinks, into the mix to see what sticks.
Not a good sign.
Tags: farmhouse sinks, Mick Foley, TNA Posted in TNA | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 10th, 2008
The first RAW with Chris Jericho as champion went very well; the last time Jericho held singles gold in WWE was at WrestleMania 18, when he dropped the strap to Triple-H. That’s a long drought, although he did take a couple years off for his music career before returning earlier this year.
Last time he held championship gold, Jericho was the first and so far remains the only WWE undisputed champion. Whether Jericho is positioned as a transitional champion, or whether WWE is prepared to line up a host of promotional pens and other products promoting Jericho as the WWE standard-bearer, only time will tell, but he’s certainly a deserving worker.
This is even more true in the wake of his long feud with Shawn Michaels; over the past several PPV events, Michaels and Jericho have consistently put on the match of the night, and Unforgiven was no exception to that rule; they hit a highlight that will almost certainly number among both men’s top five matches of their careers.
While it remains to be seen exactly which way WWE is going to be going with Jericho as champion, the thing that does remain clear is that he certainly is wearing the title well so far. Next week’s cage match against CM Punk will be a sight to behold.
Tags: C.M. Punk, Chris Jericho, promotional pens Posted in WWE | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
After having already wrestled one of the best matches of his career, and losing, Chris Jericho replaced C.M. Punk in the Raw Scramble five-way match for the World Heavyweight Title and - surprise! - he ended up winning the match at the 20-minute buzzer to become the new World Heavyweight Champ!
The switch was set up by a backstage interview segment in which the current champ, C.M. Punk, was attacked by a coalition headed by the still-injured Randy Orton, supported by Ted DiBiase Jr., Cody Rhodes, and newly-introduced superstar Manu.
While several superstars lusted after Punk’s spot in the match, it was Jericho who was selected by Raw GM Mike Adamle; entering the match late, Jericho could barely walk down to the ring, where Batista, JBL, Kane and Rey Mysterio were all working hard. However, just as it seemed Batista was headed to pick up the win by pinning Mysterio, Jericho, who’s been quiet since joining the match, pinned Kane, who Batista had powerbombed into a knockout earlier, to pick up the win and the title with the ease of outdoor furniture covers.
So, of the three main titles, only Triple H retains (naturally). Both ECW and Raw get new champions in Matt Hardy and Chris Jericho respectively. While this was by far the least entertaining of the three big title matches, the shock of Chris Jericho winning the title after losing a career-defining match to Shawn Michaels earlier in the night really re-sets the table on Raw and should make for intriguing television as the company begins to aim toward next year’s WrestleMania.
Tags: Chris Jericho wins title, outdoor furniture covers Posted in Unforgiven | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
The WWE Diva Title has nowhere near the history of the WWE Women’s Title, but the brief, six-minute match between champ Michelle McCool was the first breather the audience received all night so far. There was no need for home theater furniture during this “get up and get fresh snacks” match.
Jim Ross and Tazz did what they could to inject some life into the match, but the crowd was shouting “boring” throughout, which made even the brief, six-minute format seem a bit long. On a night with so many terrific matches, this one was a genuine snooze-fest.
Tags: home theater furniture, Michelle McCool Posted in Unforgiven, WWE Divas | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
Despite using the same format of match that made the ECW Title match so entertaining earlier in the night, the Smackdown Scramble for the WWE title felt a bit less fresh due to WWE playing it safe and allowing Triple H to retain the title.
Still, with Jeff Hardy, Shelton Benjamin, MVP and Brian Kendrick all involved, the five-way match was a wonderful, 20-minute showcase for five top SmackDown talents to show their abilities in the ring. With a savvy veteran like Hunter as the title holder, the match went over well throughout. Both Jeff Hardy and MVP had high-spots that proved they are ready to take the next step and claim the WWE title, but for tonight, it was not to be. Shelton Benjamin was the weak link of the night; his act is getting stale. As for Kendrick, he played well with the big boys and shows promise as being a rising singles star with potential.
All in all, the match wasn’t quite as enjoyable as Mediterranean cruises, but it was a solid, if somewhat safe, entry onto what is shaping up to be one of the most even, high-quality PPV cards of the year.
Tags: Mediterranean cruises, Triple-H Posted in Unforgiven | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
The Shawn Michaels-Chris Jericho match in tonight’s show isn’t merely a match of the year contender, but it’s a match about which free audio books will someday be composed.
Using up a generous 27-minute slot, the match had the feeling of being the main event, even though it was only the third match of the night. The action, energy, and in-ring psychology were all top-notch, and the resolution put a grand capper on this feud that’s been brewing ever since WrestleMania.
Color this viewer impressed; this one could stand the test of time quite well against matches like Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage at WrestleMania III, or whatever one of your own favorite matches might be.
Tags: Chris Jericho, free audio books, Shawn Michaels Posted in Unforgiven, WWE | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
Although Ted DiBiase Jr. and Cody Rhodes are perhaps some of the most promising next-generation wrestlers to debut in WWE since Randy Orton, their match with Cryme Tyme was disappointing. The match went a decent eleven minutes, but Cryme Tyme simply is not over with the crowd enough to make the victory seem very significant.
Of course, you could throw an anonymous Briggs and Riley team in against DiBiase Jr and Rhodes and the match would be watchable, but what tonight’s match should teach WWE is that they need to build up their tag division more effectively if DiBiase Jr and Rhodes are ever to become as legendary as Edge and Christian, or the Hardy Boyz. After all, those two teams even had the Dudley Boys to feud with.
If Cryme Tyme is the best WWE can do to challenge DiBiase Jr. and Rhodes, the company is missing a huge opportunity to make the tag division a “money spot” in future PPVs.
Tags: Briggs and Riley, Cody Rhodes, Cryme Tyme, Ted DiBiase Jr. Posted in Unforgiven | No Comments »
Monday, September 8th, 2008
With a five-person scramble over the ECW title to open the evening, WWE’s Unforgiven 2008 PPV was a special event that was really special. After being an afterthought promotion for the better part of a year, this 20-minute match was well-booked, exciting and a great way to open the show.
Like tossing freshwater pearls into a Mardi Gras crowd, the fans were popping and excited, especially over the finish, which featured Matt Hardy finally winning a significant solo title. Coming out on top clean over Mark Henry, The Miz, Chavo Guerrero and Finlay, Matt Hardy delivers ECW a champion who can deliver on the “extreme” in Extreme Championship Wrestling.
What a great way to open the PPV, and what a great match! Finally, ECW is given some respect in the WWE empire.
Tags: ECW Title, freshwater pearls, Matt Hardy Posted in ECW, Unforgiven | No Comments »
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