Bleacher Report - Articles by Morgan Carter

808s and Back Breaks?: Rumor Has It Kanye West Is Coming to a WWE Ring

Morgan Carter — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:34:48 -0400

A rumor has surfaced from the website MediaTakeout.com, reporting that Kanye West has been offered $10 million to appear at three WWE events.

Here's a portion of the rumor:

"According to reports sent by pro wrestling insiders to MediaTakeOut.com, Vince McMahon and the WWE have offered Kanye close to $10 million to show up at three events: two television appearances and one pay-per-view event.

"Word is that if he accepts the offer, Kanye would have to do some light wrestling. And get this, MediaTakeOut.com is hearing that Kanye is seriously considering it."

WWE will be hoping to create a similar impact that celebrities like Mike Tyson have caused, rather than duds like Jay Leno and Pacman Jones. West's recent actions and personal controversies have been causing spikes in celebrity gossip.

Vince McMahon seemingly wants to take advantage of this anger towards Kanye and generate interest and heat to put him on a WWE program.

Floyd Mayweather's fight with the Big Show at Wrestlemania did not add to WWE's TV ratings, but it did receive mainstream press attention from ESPN and may have contributed to a small increase in PPV buys.

Since WWE has become more focused on entertainment rather than wrestling, this would be a positive move for them, even with the apparent hefty price tag of Mr. West.

I must say that this move would not surprise me, but the website starting this rumor has had problems in the past with being a "reputable source," so feel free to pass on or ignore this information.

Breaking WWE News: Shelton Benjamin Face Turn?

Morgan Carter — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:55:25 -0400

According to Jim Ross on his latest blog, Shelton Benjamin is on his way to becoming a babyface. Here's a quote from good 'ol J.R.'s website.

"It looks like Shelton Benjamin is working his way back to being a fan favorite. I could be wrong but that's what it seems to me. I still think Benjamin can be special with the right presentation because athletes like him don't come along too often. Plus, Shelton is one of the most engaging and entertaining guys on any roster in the locker room. If that talent can be transferred to in front of the camera, and I think it can, the WWE can mine some valuable minerals from the Gold Standard." (http://www.jrsbarbq.com/blog/turning-point-show-stealeron-line-biz-growingmorrison-vs-ziggler-when)

The fact that it is coming from J.R. is good news. Shelton's athletic ability and high flying moves can only benefit becoming a face. His charisma needs some work, but his skill in the ring should bring fans to their feet.

Benjamin has been described as the most athletic wrestler on the WWE roster, and many fans have hoped that he would receive a solid push for a long time since his matches with Triple H on Raw.

As a face Shelton could be used as another ally of Christian against William Regal, or he could be traded to another brand to make a new impact and freshen up storylines. Overall, this could be excellent news for WWE.

Wrestling Moment of the Week: CM Punks Jeff Hardy Fans

Morgan Carter — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:32:54 -0400

My favorite wrestling moment of the week is bestowed upon CM Punk and his hilarious antics at the beginning of the Sept. 4 WWE Smackdown. Even though I had seen the results in advance, I was still highly amused by Punk's Jeff Hardy impersonation.

The face paint and outfit were perfect, and he slightly exaggerated Hardy's movements and mannerisms to make them look silly. He took a page from Edge's book by making fun of Hardy's hand symbols.

Punk continues to draw very strong heel heat, reinvigorating himself after sputtering slightly in his second year as a face. Give credit to the WWE camera crew for getting some great shots of the stunned Hardy fans.

In order to prevent the moment from becoming a Charlie Haas impersonation (aka one minute, then nothing), Punk followed his entrance by delivering a sharp promo.

While not near the scathing level of his work in ROH, his promo provided strong criticism not often seen in the WWE lately. It seemed more honest than a Jericho or Edge "I hate you people" promo, more realistic than a "cold viper" Orton speech.

He continued to use Hardy's legitimate suspensions, saying that he is a champion the WWE Universe can rely on. WWE should use more of this real life information to drive storylines and promos, without becoming too reliant and making things "Russo-esque."

Punk would be wise to make sure his promos stay fresh, but right now they have plenty of impact.

I must give honorable mention to Dusty Rhodes aiding Legacy and then receiving an RKO, as well as the Undertaker making yet another sudden appearance during a CM Punk match.

Jason Heyward Called Up to Gwinnett

Morgan Carter — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:47:25 -0400

As the Braves playoff hopes faded away this weekend, not all news was upsetting. On Saturday, Atlanta promoted its top prospect Jason Heyward from AA Mississippi to AAA Gwinnett.

Heyward, who will be playing for his third minor league team this year, hit .296 for Class A Myrtle Beach and .352 for Mississippi. His AA numbers were very encouraging, showcasing his plate discipline (28 BB) and ability to get on base (.446 OBP).

Heyward's ascension provides a few bits of hope for the major league Braves who have dropped to seven games back in the wild card race.

Atlanta has been wisely patient with their top rated prospect, whose five tool skills have had fans calling for him to be called up all the way to the bigs this September. It seems as if the Braves will have Heyward go the route of their other young star Tommy Hanson, play this summer in the Arizona Fall League, get invited to Spring Training, and go back to Gwinnett until June when he may finally be called upon.

Heyward ideally would be entered into a situation in which there is little pressure to perform, allowing him to showcase his abilities without wins and losses being on the line. But Braves fans, get excited, the anticipation is growing, Mr. Heyward has gotten closer to Atlanta.

Braves-Mets: Atlanta Breaks Out The Brooms

Morgan Carter — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:21:18 -0400

In case you were in a coma since Monday night, you missed an exciting series between the Mets and the Braves at Turner Field. I'll break down each game and the positives and negatives for each team.

Game 1 - Braves win 6-1

The key to this game was the Mets' inability to knock a few in against Glavine in the first inning. So often we hear about good pitchers who run into trouble early in ballgames, but they get out of it and enter a zone for the rest of the game. This was no different.

Glavine retired 17 Mets in a row at one point. The Mets did a poor job of carrying momentum over from their previous series, although the day off makes that task more difficult.

A positive for the Braves was the patience of their hitters. When Aaron Heilman came into the game, the first four batters he faced all lasted more than five pitches each. McCann got to Heilman with a two run bomb to center that sealed the win for Atlanta on a 10-pitch at-bat.

Game 2 - Braves win 6-2

The Braves waiver-wire pickup, Jorge Campillo, made a successful debut in the rotation by shutting out the Mets over six innings. Campillo, who had pitched well in the Atlanta bullpen, had excellent control and struck out seven Mets while only surrendering three hits.

A couple of clutch hits with runners on base provided most of the offense for the Braves. Once again, the patience of the Braves lineup helped knock out Claudio Vargas.

Willie Randolph's choice of using Matt Wise (who had already pitched in the first game of the doubleheader) late in the game was not smart, as Wise gave up a two-run home run that provided insurance the Braves desperately needed.

Things did not get any better as Ryan Church, the hottest hitter in the Mets lineup, was injured on a slide into second base with Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar.

Basically, the Mets could not solve Jorge Campillo. Most of the Met hits were in the later innings and they were not enough to spark a rally.

Game 3 - Braves win 11-4

Mike Pelfrey had solid movement on his pitches, but his inability to strike out Braves hitters at key times led to his departure early in the ball game. He threw 104 pitches in only four-plus innings. The bullpen was not strong either, giving up five runs in the other four innings.

Mets fans should be encouraged by an excellent game from Reyes, who had a couple hits to go along with two stolen bases. The Mets' hitting showed much more life than the day before, but their pitching and defense let them down.

The Braves were led by the solid pitching of Jair Jurrjens, who continues to earn the nickname "Houdini" by pitching out of trouble. When the Mets had a runner on third base with only one out, Jurrjens struck out Luis Castillo to help escape a jam.

Two-out RBI were imporant for the Braves, as they racked up seven of them. Those hits can really create frustration within the opposing dugout, and Pelfrey showed his frustration by slamming his glove against the wall after the third inning.

Game 4 - Braves win 4-2

This is the type of game that we see so often in October. It was a great pitching matchup, and the team that made the most plays won. The Braves rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Santana and the Mets.

I noticed that the Braves clubhouse and fans seemed emotionally charged by this victory. When a Santana pitch came inside on Tim Hudson while he was bunting, Hudson took a step toward the mound and seemed irritated. After getting a big double play in the eighth inning, Hudson pumped his fist and the Braves rode the momentum the rest of the way.

During the postgame, Braves player Kelly Johnson said that this was the most fun that he and a lot of the Braves had all year. Johnson, whose bat has been hot lately, led the Braves with three hits against the lefty Santana, including some aggressive and speedy base running that led to the late rally.

Throughout the series, Atlanta played loose, but aggressive baseball. The offense had a great mix of small ball, clutch hitting, and long at bats. Glavine, Campillo, Jurrjens, and Hudson all kept their team in the game, exactly what good pitchers do to win.

The Braves will need to maintain this formula of solid pitching and timely hitting if they want to take three of four from the incoming Arizona Diamondbacks, who will be looking to break out of a hitting funk after getting swept by the NL East leading Marlins.

Keep an eye on Jeff Francoeur, who started taking some better cuts after getting benched in the second game of the series. Teixeira has seemingly kicked out of his slump, and he will need more solid hitting to protect Chipper.

The Mets situation seems to be somewhat desperate now. They need to win their next series against the Rockies, and many are speculating that Randolph will be gone if this does not occur.

The Mets need one of their players, it will probably have to be a pitcher, to go out and have an excellent performance in Denver. The Mets need the good Oliver Perez—not the wild Oliver Perez—to shut down the Rockies.

A negative that occurred in nearly every game of this series for the Mets was their defense. Miscues by the fielders erased the positives that the Mets were beginning to make on the mound and at the plate.

In the last two games, the Mets seemed poised to break out of this apparent slump. They will have to ignore the issues off the field and focus on picking up a victory.

NBA Draft Dilemma: Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose, and Impaling Myself

Morgan Carter — Wed, 21 May 2008 20:45:29 -0400

The draft lottery has its problems, but for now I am just enjoying the fact that the Bulls walked away Tuesday night with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft. I have never been so happy to see the Miami Heat logo in my entire life.

My friend, who's a Knicks fan, called me to rant and ask who Chicago should take with the top pick. My excitement at this improbable event occurring soon changed to deep frustration. I could not give him an answer.

While the Bulls' spot is enviable, it is still frustrating to pick one of two players who would easily be consensus number ones if they were separated from each other in different drafts.

A quick visit to one of the best sites on the Internet, Wikipedia, provided me with the definition of a dilemma: A dilemma is a problem offering at least two solutions or possibilities, of which none are practically acceptable; one in this position has been traditionally described as being impaled on the horns of a dilemma, neither horn being comfortable.

That is an excellent definition, and I believe that it perfectly describes the Bulls' situation (at least in my case). I cannot decide one way or the other.

It is difficult to stomach the Bulls losing out on a potential superstar, one who could change the fortunes of a franchise looking for an identity since the Jordan era. Also, I will be likely be forced to impale myself if the Bulls choose a great player who turns out to be a bust while the other tears up the league and gets mentioned on SportsCenter every night.

If we take Beasley, he will have character issues, get traded in two years, and Rose will turn into the next Chris Paul, leading Miami to another championship. If we take Rose, he will be solid or mediocre but either way the Bulls will not be able to trade for a low post scorer and Beastley will annihilate us and lead the Heat to sweeping Chicago in the first round.

I am currently leaning towards Beasley, although I have been back and forth the past few days, since he is what the Bulls have needed for the past few years. John Paxson loves the Bulls young core (he always says he doesn't want to break up the young core) and he can keep this group of players, except replacing Gordon with Hughes.

All we heard about when Curry (Eddy, not JamesOn, but what a cool name though!) left is that the Bulls needed a big guy who could score, or an athletic superstar like Paul Pierce. Beasley is that athletic big man (I know he's not a center).

I think that people begin to overvalue players who have had success at the college level. Even though people will say that Michael Jordan is a great example of someone who goes against my argument, is Derrick Rose the next Michael Jordan? I don't think so.

The Bulls always had guards who were decent shooters but were never really superstars, and they don't need a superstar guard. Beasley allows for the opponents' defense to rotate down low, leaving the guards wide open for three-pointers.

Without the big man, the defenders can stay out on Hinrich, Hughes, Gordon, and even Deng (he's mainly a jump shooter) leaving the Bulls with a very one-dimensional offense. If they take Rose then who is he going to pass the ball to? They'll have to waste more time finding a big man who can get points.

Both players have the potential to be superstars in the league, so I think the Bulls should go with the player they need more, Beasley. If Tyrus Thomas can prove to me that he can invigorate his career like Tyson Chandler did with the Hornets, then I'd take Rose, but I don't have that confidence in him yet.

Something that no one has mentioned much of is defense. Who is the better defender? It's probably Rose, but that topic hasn't really been covered much by the media. In the coming weeks you will probably see me respond to this article with a change of heart, or maybe the coming days, hours, minutes, seconds.

Taking Beasley

Pros: Slasher, low post scorer, huge upside, ambidextrous (ooh!)

Cons: Potential character issues, Noah at center?

Taking Rose

Pros: Can make other players better, hometown player, consistent winner

Cons: Creates logjam at guard, does he really solve the Bulls' offense?

Rose or Beasley? Beasley or Rose? Frederic Weis or Maciej Lampe? Tough choices. Help me out folks. Let me know what you think, because I can't decide.

TNA Vs. WWE: A Long Road For TNA

Morgan Carter — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:34:35 -0400

We all remember the prime years of the wrestling business. From 1995-2000, the WWF and WCW competed for the eyes of millions of passionate wrestling fans (don’t forget ECW though!). We all know who won that war, and since 2001, the WWE has remained the main product to watch.

Today, there are a few companies who have risen to moderate financial success. Ring of Honor is an independent promotion that prides itself on showcasing the best wrestling in the United States. Xtreme Pro Wrestling, or XPW, is an underground company that takes the extreme from ECW and takes it to a higher level. The biggest challenger to the WWE is a promotion owned by Panda Energy called Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, or TNA.

TNA has risen from weekly pay-per-views to a primetime time slot on Spike every Thursday. There are reports that for the first time ever, TNA will turn a profit this year. Lately they have been stuck around a 1.1 rating, but this is not relevant to my point of discussion.

No matter what TNA does or what they put on television, there will always be something that holds them back. The WWE, many still refer to it as the WWF, has been around since the 1950s, and it has been mainstream since the early 1980s.

Their victory over WCW and the length that the company has been in business has allowed Vince McMahon’s company to become a worldwide financial success. The wrestling business has periods of ups and downs, and even with large changes to their product, WWE has still set profit and attendance records. Tommy Dreamer recently commented on the extravagance of Wrestlemania and the success of WWE.

“Again, it's huge business. Me coming from the original ECW and trying to compete. I remember last year when we were doing WrestleMania, and we had a three-bus police escort from our hotel to downtown Detroit. They closed every highway. I sat back and turned to my wife, and I was like, `ECW could never have made this. Look at this. They're closing a highway for us just to get to a show.' That's a testament to how hard the guys work. There's so many office people who don't get enough credit. This is a huge, huge publicly traded, multi-conglomerate company, and when WWE is behind something, they go full-throttle.” (from the Miami Herald: click here for full article)

Dreamer goes on to mention how Wrestlemania has become a spectacle. So here lies the problem for TNA: WWE is ingrained in the minds of people around our country, and even around the world. Back in 1997, WCW was booming and people began to think of the letters WCW whenever they thought of wrestling. This did not last very long, and the WWF used Austin vs. McMahon to knock King Turner off of his throne.

During its period called "The New Generation", the WWF was not having economic success and it was vulnerable to a company that was willing to provide a fresh product. WCW was able to do this with its cruiserweight wrestlers and nWo main events. Now the WWE has a stranglehold on the business and is still making large profits. The company has become a marketing giant, while TNA does not have the skill or ability to get their superstars noticed by the public (credit to Paul Heyman for that note).

TNA cannot touch the WWE right now, no matter how much better the wrestling or storylines are. They need to stick to providing an alternative to the WWE product, and they are not ready to take on Vince McMahon like Eric Bischoff did.