Bleacher Report - Articles by PJ James

The Superbowl: Scenarios of the Top Teams Making It

PJ James — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:38:22 -0500

Wow, it's been another interesting season full of on and off field entertainment. But let's talk about why we are really here. Let's talk about the reason we stop the clocks on Sunday—the Super Bowl.

When we all watch our favorite team, we always want to believe that this is our season. Your really start believing when your team is in the top five.

This year's top five consist of three teams with the same record and four division winners. These teams are: Tennessee, Carolina, New York Giants, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis. They are followed by eight teams who have a (9-5) record as of week 16. But lets focus on these top five.

Titans vs. Giants
Wow, these two have dominated the top two positions in the NFL all season. Who wouldn't want to see New York defend their its against a hungry franchise that lost years ago by a few yards? This would be a great match-up if New York can fight the adversity that has been hurting the team the past few weeks. Give this a eight-star match-up.

Titans vs. Carolina
We can call this the battle of the losers. OK, that was harsh, plus I'm a fan of both teams. Honestly, this could be one of the biggest match-ups of all time. Two great teams hungry for a title. Both coaches have the same type of way of playing the game and both are very flashy on offense and defense...this would be a grudge match for sure. Give this a 9.5-star match-up.

Steelers vs. Giants
Honestly, I hate to make a prediction, but this would be a blowout. I think Pittsburgh would blow the roof off with that defense. I realize the Giants are more than what they have lost, but like my old football coach said, "They can't win, if they don't score." Give this a six-star match-up.

Steelers vs. Carolina
Another interesting match-up. It would be interesting to see how Big Ben would size up against that enthusiastic bunch at Carolina. However, I see Jake Delhomme crumbling under the Pittsburgh defense, and I'm not sure if they can beat that running game. So I have this an 8.5-star match-up.

Colts vs. Giants
Well, we know who'd be in the spotlight for this Super Bowl, Payton and Eli, "Battle of the Brothers." I'm going to say this will be a 8.5-star, because it will be a low scoring game, and both teams havwn't be executing like they should be. Interesting to see who'll win. Certainly there will be much hype.

Colts vs. Carolina
Blowout. Carolina will crush the Colts. Not because of rankings, but because Carolina has a better team. Maybe the scoreboard won't spell blowout, but the performance will. I give this a seven-star.

This was a just a brief and interesting look into what could happen and a few small predictions. I guess we shall see how this one plays out because it is far from over.

The Dead Man: Could The Undertaker's Own Funeral Be Soon?

PJ James — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:08:11 -0400

Anybody who watches wrestling knows the name The Undertaker. This man has been a wrecking force from the day he stepped into a ring. However, over the last two years, the presence of the Undertaker has almost become passive.

Don't get me wrong—no one ever forgets The Undertaker. When he is gone, people are constantly wondering his return. But we have to remember that even though this amazing character lives in our hearts, he is still a human being.

I saw recent pictures from the August 22nd edition of Smackdown and started to note right away the physical changes we see in the Dead Man.

Look at his chest, those muscle are starting to sag just a tad. Reminds me of Ric Flair flopping around telling us he can still get the young girls. Also, The Undertaker's physical features are notable. We can see age starting to knock on his door, along with the hairline that halfway up his head.

Now, before any 'Taker fans start getting mad, I am not saying this man shouldn't wrestle. But I am honoring the legend that is the Undertaker and the many, many years he has entertained us. This man, though age is catching him like any human, still takes bumbs and bruises. But don't be suprised if the Phenom doesn't bury his last soul in the ring here soon.

It will be interesting to see how much more 'Taker has left, and when his day comes, who will be the man who does the honors of giving him the last match.

Mick Foley May Not Renew His Contract

PJ James — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:11:42 -0400

Ewrestlingnews.com reported that Mick Foley may not renew his contract with the WWE. The Long Island press contacted Foley who responded to their phone messages with the following quote:

"I can't say much until after my contract expires, which is Sept. 1. But at this point, there is a good chance, through mutual agreement, that I will not be renewing the contract," Foley said, leaving a phone message Thursday evening.

"Creatively, the announcing job wasn't working out too well."

WWE has mentioned nothing of Mick's contract. It is yet to be seen what the future holds for Foley.

WWE Release: Releasing A Former TNA Star

PJ James — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:36:41 -0400

WWE.com releases the following statement:

"World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of ECW Superstar Braden Walker as of August 7, 2008. WWE wishes Braden the best in all future endeavors."

For those who didn't know, Braden Walker was known as Chris Harris with TNA.

Bob Holly May Not Return To WWE

PJ James — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:42:02 -0400

ewrestlingnews.com writes the following:

"According to a report by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Bob "Hardcore" Holly is no longer being used by WWE right now and at age 45 he may not be brought back."

The article goes on to explain that superstars would have to really take care of Holly in the ring and even gives an example of how Holly broke his neck in a match against Brock Lesnar.

To read the whole article, click this link below:
http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/stories/Report_Bob_Hardcore_Hollys_WWE_Future_In_Ques.shtml

WWE VS TNA: Could We See Another War?

PJ James — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 05:18:28 -0400

Anybody who watches wrestling on a regular basis knows that there are a lot of politics in wrestling. One of the most popular (and also that has been put into story lines) is the new organizations that rise and fall. We saw it with WCW, ECW, AWA, NWA, and now TNA is the next up-rising feature on TV.

Over the course of three years TNA has grown into something huge, and in it's own way, exciting. One reason for the excitement has to be the way wrestlers are jumping from WWE to TNA and vise versa. This allows us to remember the old days when WCW was stealing all of WWE's stars.

On TNA's website you are able to view the roster TNA has. Go through list you can count 21 superstars (as of 8/7/08) that use to be with WWE (give and take) and with a few stars from WCW like Sting, Rick Stiener, and Mike Tenay. All this mixed with a few big name stars that have only wrestled with TNA, makes for competition.

Could we see the new modern day "Monday Night Wars" take place? Maybe, Maybe not. Some believe WWE and TNA are in closer ties than put on. It has been noted that a few of TNA's merchandise has a small WWE logo on them (Don't know if this is fact or fiction).

Regardless of what happens, it will be interesting to see how these two companies bump head, and trust me, we will see in the future some sort of clash between the organizations, whether it be an alliance or a ratings war.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down: Best and Worst WWE Decisions

PJ James — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 03:27:01 -0400

Over the years there have been many gimmicks and changes in personas. Some have proved to be awesome, some not so much. Below is a list of the good and bad moves the WWE has made (indicated with a thumbs up or thumbs down):

Vince McMahon's Constant Meeting with Danger

THUMBS DOWN—Honestly, you would think they would let go of such stupidity. First it was the limo bombing two years ago (and they learned their lesson after Benoit's death), now it's the stuff falling from the ceiling.

If Vince needs a vacation, why can't he do it like everybody else. Frankly, we're not buying the getting hurt or killed thing very much.

JBL from APA to Limos

THUMBS UP— I don't like what they have done with the gimmick over time, however it was good for his career and he got over with the fans. John Cena did a good job selling JBL during the WrestleMania script a few years ago.

Undertaker Changing up His Gimmick

THUMBS UP—Undertaker is obviously a smart man, and it shows with the changes in his persona. The crowd has either really hated him or loved him. Though the "Dead Man" is currently back to where he started with the gimmick, he is still bringing in fans, and that makes money.

Shelton Benjamin's Storylines

THUMBS DOWN—Sorry, I didn't buy the storyline in which he had his "Momma" on there and I didn't buy the blonde hair. He may be getting the small push, but he needs to go back to beating up Triple H.

King Booker

THUMBS DOWN—This is probably the biggest thumbs down I give. Yes, they gave him the World Title, but um...going from "I'm going to kick your..." to making decrees about people, we're not buying it. He's a good heel, but we didn't need all that.

CM Punk Getting the World Title

HALF AND HALF—Sure, it was awesome for ratings. Maybe he paid the dues to become the World Champion, and oh...you knew they weren't going to let the flagship brand go without a title. Jokes aside, he might have deserved it, however a storyline behind the win would have made the push sweeter.

Rey Mysterio to RAW

THUMBS DOWN—He's been fine for a while, but it'll bring down his career. He does not work with the other personas on RAW.

Steve Austin Becoming Stone Cold

THUMBS UP—Look at when that glass shatters and how people automatically hit their feet. Enough said.

Bringing Back DX in 2006

TWO THUMBS UP—In many ways it was DX's best run. Hunter and Shawn did an amazing job and it made RAW worth watching again. (Also, good job to Spirit Squad, Rated RKO, and the McMahons for putting DX over like they did).

Hornswoggle Being Vince's Son

THUMBS DOWN—I didn't buy it for one second, and you could tell they were struggling to finish the storyline by bringing so many other superstars into it. So they can stick the storyline right back under the ring where it came from.

Chris Jericho's Return

THUMBS DOWN—Sorry, I was excited to see him come back, but they aren't using him like they should. His presence now in the show is just annoying (meaning if I was at a show and he made his entrance, it would be time for a pee break).

WCW/ECW Invasion

HALF AND HALF—This made the show interesting. But it also ruined a few gimmicks that were hot in WCW/ECW.

If we'd had Sting, Luger, Bagwell, Steiner, and even Nash come over during the "invasion" (yes, I realize this wasn't WWE's fault) then the storyline would have been very hot. Instead, they needed Stone Cold and Angle to fill the top spots for the WCW/ECW team.

Evolution

THUMBS UP—Realize it or not, this was amazing. It jump-started Orton and Batista's careers and allowed Flair to still be hot. All this combined made Triple H's heel title run look awesome, with the exception of the half thigh tights and purple boots he was wearing at this time.

I realize there were many more good and bad gimmicks, but these were ones that stood out.

Wrestling Is Lost in a Fake Reality—Who's to Blame?

PJ James — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:45:22 -0400

Who are the champions in the WWE right now? CM Punk for Raw, Triple H for Smackdown, and Mark Henry for ECW.

The fact that I even had to sit back and think about it kind of scares me. And the fact that on shows like Smackdown the Championship storyline isn't the top script is a little scary, too.

I remember Starcade 1997 when Sting finally came back in the ring and beat Hulk Hogan (with the help of Bret Hart punching out Nick Patrick). I remember feeling the same excitement as the crowd in that arena.

But once 2001 came and WWE bought out WCW and ECW it seemed wrestling, and even the WWE itself, changed.

As I reflect on the past and the present, I start to think about what has changed. Have the personas changed? Have the storylines changed? The show itself? Advertising?

Whatever the case may be, wrestling is not grabbing people's attention as it once did. The only thing we hear about wrestling now is drug suspensions and politics.

As the questions linger in the air, the reality is that people today have settled with the fact that wrestling is just a show that they don't get lost in anymore. I know when I now see someone get the title I don't get excited.

Instead I ask, "What cards were played for this person getting the push?" Likewise, in response to such instances as when Jeff Hardy had to lose the intercontinental title to Jericho to serve a drug suspension, I just hang my head in shame.

Despite the downfalls of these wrestlers, one of the biggest punches in the gut to wrestling is the Internet.

When wrestling websites started being published you started to hear more about the politics of wrestling and it destroyed the company. Now if you go on YouTube you can watch shoot interviews with current and former wrestlers like Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Spike, Bubba Ray and Devon, etc. and it's all about politics and who made who mad in the locker room.

What can save wrestling? Honestly, I doubt anybody can totally destroy professional wrestling. However, I do believe ratings will continue to drop due to the fact that our wrestling heroes are not what they were back in the day when you never heard about politics and suspensions.

Get rid of these two factors and you might see wrestling start to come back to life.