Bleacher Report - Articles by DJ Rallo

WWE Pay Per View Previews: Summerslam

DJ Rallo — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:51:18 -0400

WWE Pay Per View Previews: Summerslam

Well as World Wrestling Entertainment's second greatest show of the year coming up, I have just been blown away by how badly they hyped up two of their three main events.

I ultimately think that WWE should scrap The Bash and move Night of Champions to June, so there can be plenty of build up, like they do when WrestleMania approaches.

Anyways, as I look at this card I see potential for something great. Sure John Cena vs Randy Orton has been done millions of times, but the two can work a main event.

Also there are some great undercard matches with potential such as Swagger vs M.V.P. and Dolph Ziggler vs Rey Mysterio.

If WWE were to make a good decision and build up some of these matches opposed to hundreds of DX promos, then I could kind of care about some of these matches.

One thing that worries me about this show is how they will use their young talent in this show because as it has been reported over several websites I have read from that Vince McMahon is furious with creating new stars.

If he was so frustrated, could the likes of Legacy go over this Sunday? Don't count on it.

Without further ado, my predictions for the biggest party of the summer, Summerslam....or whatever you wish to call it.

The Great Khali vs. Kane

Well as much as I do not care about this match or the feud for that matter, I do think it has been much better than their past feud a few years ago. I think the persona of Kane is better as a heel and Khali is better as a face.

I do give credit to the feud because they are holding off the match to make fans anticipate it more at Summerslam.

Am I or any of you members of the IWC going to look forward to the match? No, but this is how a feud should be built, as opposed to Jack Swagger and M.V.P. having several three-minute matches on Raw.

The winner in my opinion has to be Khali because of all the torture Kane has endured on his "brother" Ranjin Singh.

Wait a minute, there is another problem right there. Now apparently Khali and Singh are brothers, which is more ridiculous than Hornswoggle and Finlay being father and son.

Is WWE so family oriented that each Superstar has a sibling, parent, uncle, or cousin in the WWE?

Remember now that Shaquille O'Neal and Hornswoggle went to high school together and now Shawn Michaels is Triple H's younger brother...Oh wait, I was not supposed to release that spoiler.

The match will be awful and I fully recommend taking a stop at your restroom to prepare for something that at least has potential. Maybe they can kill Kane's momentum by having him walk out?!

Predicted Winner: The Great Khali in a 5-8 minute match

Intercontinental Championship Match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs Dolph Ziggler w/Maria

From what I have seen over the past few weeks, there really has not been that great of build up to this feud as there should have been.

Their build up for Night of Champions was truly great as both men had their own segments instead of teaming with two lower mid carders in tag team matches, which is going on at the moment.

Sure a cute little backstage interview and Maria saying how "sweet" Ziggy is, but we have not seen any of this. Whether you like Mysterio or not, this was a solid promo.

I must admit that their last bout at Night of Champions was far too short and I really have a good feeling that this match at Summerslam could be a real start to what could be Dolph Ziggler's successful career.

If he were to win in a hard fought out match to a former Wold Heavyweight Champion in Rey Mysterio, that would be great because it could launch his career.

Will it happen? Probably, but I really want Mysterio to hold on to the belt until at least October so we can see a long reign with what could be a phenomenal feud between the two over that timespan.

If Mysterio held it a little longer, he could add some prestige to the belt. Still if he wins or not, I really think that they need a solid match here to get me to really care as much as I did in the earlier stages of this feud. In the end, I do see that Ziggler wins the belt much to my dismay.

Predicted Winner: Dolph Ziggler in a 10-15 minute bout

ECW Championship Match: Christian (c) vs William Regal

Now just to ask, what has William Regal done to earn this title shot? He and Christian had one match on Superstars and now Regal is a contender?

No disrespect towards Regal as he and Christian should have a good match, but this has been built up very poorly, as these two should have had this rivalry start immediately after Christian's final title defense against Tommy Dreamer.

Crazy idea, but why not have Regal assault Christian after his solid hardcore match with Dreamer the week after Night of Champions?

Instead we learn about this out of the blue from the man who talks like the Coach and looks like The Rock, Abraham Washington.

Following that announcement, Regal pretty much walks out, talks to Abe, then squashes Tommy Dreamer. Once again, no disrespect to a very undervalued star in Regal, but this was awful build up.

I think that Christian will win this match basically because he just won the belt at Night of Champions and hopefully, both men can have time for a solid bout and proceed to have a quality feud that both of these men are capable of having throughout Breaking Point.

Predicted Winner: Christian in a 15-20 minute match

Jack Swagger vs Montel Vontavious Porter

Man, when I saw the episode of the V.I.P. Lounge featuring the then-new Raw Superstar, Jack Swagger, I was instantly pumped for it. Hearing them talk and get into M.V.P.'s criminal past was genius and I thought to myself that this would be awesome to have on Summerslam.

Unfortunately, the feud died after a short intermission...or match between them a week later that completely lost me.

Following that, the feud looked to be over as Jack Swagger would go on to feud with Evan Bourne, which could have also been greatness.

It turns out that a few weeks into Bourne and Swagger's mediocre feud that M.V.P. would make the save and rekindle this feud.

Maybe there were three promos between these two, but they were all scattered, so the fans forgot about this feud and they also forgot about M.V.P.

Remember when M.V.P. was one of the most over stars on the Smackdown roster? How about when Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger were the hottest things on ECW?

Now, Bourne is a pawn in this feud, we completely forgot M.V.P. after his hot start on Raw, and Swagger has been lost in the Raw shuffle.

Both of the men get very little crowd reaction anymore, especially M.V.P. and to think he was facing Randy Orton on his Raw debut. I really do hope that WWE will let M.V.P. and Swagger have not only quality time for their match, but a decent feud.

Too bad WWE will drop this after Summerslam, so that we can see M.V.P. vs Chris Masters and Swagger bury Evan Bourne afterwards. I would normally be ecstatic about these two feuds, but they are all lower mid card talent in the WWE's eyes.

Anyways, I think that Swagger will go over merely because M.V.P. has had the upper hand in this feud. Other than that, this will be a random filler match.

Predicted Winner: Jack Swagger in a 5-10 minute match

Unified Tag Team Championship Match: Jeri-Show (c) vs Cryme Tyme

I'm happy to say that this is a breath of fresh air to see the Tag Team Championships regarded so prodigiously in recent memory. Despite the fact that Cryme Tyme may be the most annoying and stereotypical tag team, they have solid chemistry and have worked this feud well.

On the other side, we have Chris Jericho who can make anybody look good teaming with Big Show, who has been booked very well since teaming with Jericho (See? Jericho makes Big Show look good!)

With that said, there is no doubt in my mind that Jeri-Show will go over in this match because I think these two are going to hold those belts for quite some time. The match itself will probably be given a good amount of time as all four of these men can work.

Even the build up has been entertaining despite that one mistake of having Big Show squash JTG on Smackdown two weeks ago. It still did not hurt Cryme Tyme that much, but notice when JTG pinned Jericho three weeks ago and Jericho did not take the loss?

How about having Swagger or another young talent pin John Cena and the same thing will happen. So funny how simple building up stars is and Vince screams during his conferences that he can't make new stars.

Hopefully, we can see these two teams go at it again at Breaking Point.

Predicted Winners: Jeri-Show in a 10-25 minute match

D-Generation X vs. Legacy (Rhodes and DiBiase)

Well I was checking out some assorted wrestling news websites, I found an article that stated a possibility that WWE may have Randy Orton and CM Punk win their respective matches and then have DX go over Legacy to close the show and send the fans home happy.

Though I doubt they will go with this plan, I kind of opened to the idea because it ultimately does the right thing for Orton and Punk who need to keep their belts a little longer. Sure it will kill Legacy, but can anyone tell me that they had a chance at winning in the first place?

The build up of this feud has been actually done quite well, even though I was disgusted with how Shawn Michaels returned. Sure it was cute and quite funny at times, but this man came off the greatest match in wrestling history (arguable) and now he is back to having his DX persona. I just did not favor it.

Also I was very happy when Legacy defeated Triple H in the handicap match a few weeks ago because I found that Triple H put over young talent for the first time in a good while, but had to wreck Legacy's win by getting up almost immediately, poorly faking his injury, and hyping up DX right there on the spot.

Not only did anyone remember that Legacy won that match, but they could have made the DX hype come up later in the night. My favorite segment had to be their most recent one where DX was beat down because it gave Legacy some momentum.

As far as the match goes, this will not even be a match in my opinion opposed to a glorified segment. We will see DX come out to the ring with their mics and the usual, "Are you ready?" segment and have Michaels run around the ring like an idiot, while Triple H is trying to control him.

They will mock Legacy until they come down and brawl for a short while until DX nails their finishing maneuver, pins them, and the fireworks go off in the ring.

This will kill Legacy and I do not want it to happen, but it probably will unless Vince really wants to create new stars.

Predicted Winners: D-Generation X in a 15 minute "segment"

WWE Championship Match: Randy Orton (c) vs John Cena

Are you ready? I'm not. John Cena and Orton will go at it for the hundredth time and the match will be the same as usual. Michael Cole yelling, "Vintage ___" as Orton nails his few moves and Cena nails his. I do think that Cena will walk out as champion mainly to end the show and send the fans home happy.

The build up has been pretty bad because Raw is basically an infomercial for stars like Jeremy Piven and Seth Green. The Guest Host storyline is not a bother to me as long as A. The celebrity knows of WWE (cough*Summerfest*cough) and B.

We have solid hype for the following pay per view's main event. This feud has really been built up all right, but not as it should have been. Also, just wondering if Orton and Legacy are still together or what? Never see them hanging around anymore.

Like I said earlier, this match will send fans home happy, but let us IWC fans down. The only way I see Orton winning is either via disqualification or if WWE decides to have DX close the show.

Predicted Winner: John Cena in a 25-30 minute match

World Heavyweight Championship TLC Match: Jeff Hardy (c) vs CM Punk

This feud has really been arguably the feud of the year with it's only competition being Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels or Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio.

Whether you like Hardy or not, the guy has been having a great feud with CM Punk who has elevated himself to a new level with hirn.

This will be a fantastic match and Match of the Year candidate or even winner if Undertaker/Michaels did not occur this year.

Now once again, the story is about Hardy's contract status and I have some thoughts about this. Apparently, Jeff has given his notice to WWE and will be leaving after Summerslam which makes perfect sense after Punk claimed he would end Hardy's career and save the hypocritical WWE fanbase.

I say this because WWE is setting a horrible example with Hardy being a drug addict and smoker as Punk is trying to tell them tp, "just say no."

Do you know how many people cheered for alcoholism and smoking in the audience just because Punk said it? I get the whole preacher gimmick, but this feud has stifled me there.

As for Hardy's contract, I think if he does in fact leave, it will come back to hurt him in the end. Look at what he is leaving. He is the most over star in the WWE today, he sells more merchandise than anyone else, and is the World Heavyweight Champion.

When Hardy comes back, WWE will NEVER trust him like this again because they just will not know if he will be suspended or taking a hiatus when they have plans for him.

That will kill Hardy in the end as I think we will be teased with a Punk/Undertaker segment after the match for the next main event, Breaking Point (Hell's Gates vs. the Anaconda Vise)

The match itself will be great as Hardy is a stuntman and Punk has also performed well in the ladder match.

Hopefully, we may see some sort of blood to make it more believable, but all I want is this to end the show. Punk will probably win the title as he should have never lost it in the first place.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk in a 30-39 minute match.

Final Words

Well this show looks great on paper with the exception of Khali/Kane and I hope that Swagger/MVP and Ziggler/Mysterio are given a fair amount of time.

I did hope that we would see Mickie James vs. Gail Kim on the card or even Michelle McCool vs. Melina to give the women some portion of the show, but I think that is not a huge loss to the card.

I would have liked Carlito vs. Kofi Kingston instead of MVP/Swagger, but I think both feuds are going nowhere.

I fully recommend you check this show out, but I really do wish that there were more build up for the Raw and ECW matches besides DX vs. Legacy. Well, I hope you enjoyed my thoughts and if you disagree with my decisions, then tell me what you think.

Red Sox in Trouble as Playoff Hopes Dwindle

DJ Rallo — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:52:37 -0400

Welcome to another edition of the State of the Sox Blog. Well this week, it looks like the Red Sox playoff hopes are dwindling, so today I will look at their problems and how to resolve them.

Addressing the Issues

Well the team that had been projected to not only win the American League East, but to win the World Series is certainly falling fast of their hopes to meet those expectations as the Boston Red Sox sit back five-and-a-half games back of New York in the American League East. Over the 2008-09 offseason, Boston had picked up Rocco Baldelli, John Smoltz, Brad Penny, and Takashi Saito along with awarding extensions to Jon Lester, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia.

Alongside with the extensions, the only player that was worth picking up was Takashi Saito because Baldelli has succumb to being on the disabled list, Brad Penny has not been consistent, and Smoltz was a disaster. Looks as if the high risk, high reward theory that Boston lives by may have failed our hopes for this season.

On the other hand, New York had gone all out and signed CC Sabathia, Mark Teixiera, and A.J. Burnett who have all been substantial parts to the Yankees this season. Even as ridiculous as it seemed to spend almost half a billion dollars, New York certainly was not only looking at winning this season, but for many years to come as CC Sabathia and Teixiera are both in their primes.

Then we move on to the Trading Deadline as New York had been sitting on top of the American League East and Boston was in an offensive slump. Therefore, they had aquired Victor Martinez in exchange for Justin Masterson and two prospects, which was really a bargain for Boston.

Then the Yankees got Jerry Hairston Jr. for versatility on the bench. Though Martinez has hit well so far, he has been inconsistent alongside the rest of the batting order who were heading into the vital part of their schedule. They were swept by Tampa Bay and they are already going to either be four or six games behind the Yankees depending on what goes down tonight in the Bronx.

It was best put on Todd Civin's article that I read today that basically said that Boston's shopping on the clearance rack on free agents may have cost them their playoff hopes.

Now moving on to another Boston issue is their injuries and inconsistency. Injuries have put down Jason Bay, Tim Wakefield, Rocco Balldelli, Mike Lowell, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Jed Lowrie who were all supposed to be essential parts to this 2009 Red Sox campaign. The starting rotation now needs excellent games from both Josh Beckett and Jon Lester because the rest of the rotation leaves many questions. With all of that said, Boston has to resort to bringing up Clay Buchholz, Enrique Gonzalez, Junichi Tazawa, and Josh Reddick to help this team where it counts.

Their farm system is great, but do you really want to put vital 15 inning games in the hands of a man in his lower 20s because chances are that he'll blow the game. The kids get nervous and they will make more mistakes.

Also, at the Trading Deadline, Boston just did not do enough. They gave up an important part of their bullpen in exchange for another catcher/first baseman and they traded a first baseman in LaRoche for another first baseman in Casey Kotchman who can only play first. Makes you wish that Kotsay were still here, huh? I have a crazy idea for Epstein, why not trade LaRoche for a shortstop or a relief pitcher?

It would have helped if they attempted to get Orlando Cabrera or Cristian Guzman for a lower level prospect. To simply put it, they just have too many problems that the waiver Trading Deadline can not fix. We really could use the services of Lugo and Kotsay right now.

Fixing the Problems

How can they solve this problem and let them be contenders in the Wild Card? Well, I do not think they can do much. Boston needs a quality starting pitcher, a solid reliever who can eat up innings, a shortstop, and a middle infielder for the bench because Nick Green has been struggling. There is no chance that Epstein can fix these problems unless they do something drastic, which I doubt they will do because they have completely overvalued some of these prospects.

Above all of those problems, I just do not think it is that fun to be a Red Sox player anymore because the clubhouse just does not sound as fun as it once was. J.D. Drew, Jason Bay, Tim Wakefield, Jason Varitek, Nick Green, amongst others really remind me of past Yankee teams and ironically, New York reminds me of the "Idiots of 2004."

A bunch of fun guys like Sabathia, Damon, and Rodriguez throwing pie at each other and it seems like they have so much chemistry and have fun in the clubhouse. It may not seem like a big deal, but if you are not enjoying this experience, it will alter your performance.

Conclusion

With the Rangers and Rays on their back, Boston really needs to get these bats hot as they have not scored a run in their past 24 innings played. The starting pitching in this series from Buchholz and Beckett were phenomenal, but they need to score runs. There is not much the Sox can do to improve, but become more motivated and start swinging the bats. They need to forget about this ongoing Ortiz dilemma and if this affects his performance, then bench him for the time being so that Lowell, Varitek, Youkilis, and Martinez play.

Speaking of Youkilis, please keep him out of left field as that was the most preposterous thing I have seen in a good while. Their only hopes are to have Bay come back healthy and to get some quality starts from Buchholz, Penny, Byrd, and presumably Matsuzaka.

In reality, there is little hope to win the AL East and their Wild Card hopes may be dwindling, so hopefully the bats can start heating up and they can get some consistency from their minor league players.

DJ Rallo is hoping to start a mailbag regarding Major League Baseball. If you would like to send in a question, feel free to email me at djredsox24@gmail.com or PM me.

Exclusive B/R Interview: Catching Up With Rikishi

DJ Rallo — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:09:54 -0400

Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with former Superstar of World Wrestling Entertainment and Total Nonstop Action, Rikishi (Solofa Fatu).

Fatu is the nephew of WWE legends The Wild Samoans and Rocky Johnson. He also is cousins with former WWE Superstars, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Samu (WWF), Yokozuna, and Rosey. Fatu is brothers with Umaga and The Tonga Kid.

Fatu (currently working in Revolución Lucha Libre as Kishi) is the current Absolute International Champion. Working as Rikishi in the WWE/F, he had been in great tag teams such as Too Cool and The Headshrinkers. As much as he was adored by the fans, he could also play the heel as he was the man who had run over Steve Austin.

No matter what Fatu did, he always entertained us. Without further ado, here is my exclusive one-on-one conversation with Solofa Fatu.

Rallo: Growing up as the nephew of the Wild Samoans as well as Rocky Johnson, the brother to former WWE star Umaga, and the cousins to former WWE stars, Rosey, The Rock, amongst others—can you describe how influential your family was to be a part of the Professional Wrestling Business? Were there others who had trained you or guided you to be one of the most recognizable Superstars?

Rikishi: For me I didn't plan to become a wrestler . I sorta fell into the family business . 1986 I was invited up to Hamden, Ct to visit for the summer with my uncles Afa and Sika and cousin Samu . The same time my brother was all over TV with the angel of Jimmy Snuka verses Rowdy Piper / Bob Orton .

That night they wrestled at MSG New York that's rite 16 yearr old Tonga Kid at Madison Square Garden as the youngest pro wrestler to ever wrestle there. I was excited to see my little brother wrestle. This was my first ever live event.

That night was an experience for me that I will never forget . I was amazed of how the fans were cheering for my brother and how electrifying the crowd was at every move he was doing.

I couldn't wait to see my brother and ask questions of how it feels to be a wrestler. Of course after i found out how money he made, I started training ..

Family was always there for me. I was blessed to have that types of advice all around me during my run . It wasn't but a phone call away. I want to recognize the FREEBIRDS for helping me during my Texas days and on to the WWF/WWE Michael Hayes especially for being there for me. Thanks UCE .(Brother in Samoan)

The rest was HISTORY :)

Rallo: Now you have been in some very fascinating storylines throughout your career. Could you tell us what storyline you have been involved in that just surpassed any other? One that made you more and more anticipated to show up to the arena every week that you were just so excited to do?

Rikishi: SST (Samoan Swat Team) of course .Back in the TEXAS days working against Michael Hayes and "DO IT TO IT" Steve Cox from Tulsa Oklahoma . This angel must of ran for 2 yrs straight. It became a dance that was so easy it was a night off every night working with this guys.

This was four guys putting their ideas together and making it happen. TV was fun because Michael always had ideas up his sleeves. Always wanted us to steal the show. And we did. It was exciting for awhile but after we wanted bigger things and moved on to NWA to face the ROAD WARRIORS HAWK ( R. I. P ) and ANIMAL .....

The rest was HISTORY :)

Rallo: Now as you are currently working in Revolución Lucha Libre, could you give us some more insight on that promotion? Seeing as you are the current Absolute International Champion, could you tell us how it differs from working in a much larger company such as the World Wrestling Entertainment/Federation and representing the company with one of their championships?

Rikishi: First I am proud to represent the RLL as their current CHAMPION . RLL promotions / staff is a small fast growing company out in CHILE. Beautiful place. They have all the right tools to become a BIG company out there. If they believe in their product sky's the limit.

Do they have the "passion ?" Yes. Are they "professional?" Yes. Do they have big " investors?" hhhhhhmmmm . Don't know. Anyways that's what its going to take is for RLL to survive the storm of the wrestling business.

Time will tell for the future of RLL says the RLL Champion yours truly. WWE they're on a whole different level. A big company with lots of politics/and kaos ..

The rest is HISTORY :)

Rallo: Since leaving the WWE, do you still follow it? If so, seeing as you were the nephew of The Wild Samoans as well as being part of tag teams such as Too Cool and The Samoan Swat Team. What do you think of how WWE treats the tag team division today, seeing as tag team wrestling was a very substantial part of the sport not so long ago?

Rikishi: No I don't watch it to much anymore . Only when a few OLD SCHOOL friends come on I will for a minute, But other then that NO . Just to boring . Not Entertaining for me.

I think that pro wrestling has gotten away from what made pro wrestling and that is creating characters that fans like and good easy storylines ... Easy to follow . Easy for the kids to understand ...Also fun for the adults too.

Tag team was always used as a featured added match . Is to support the main event on the card . At least that's my experience . The rest on tag team TOO COOL ,SST , HEADSHRINKERS is HISTORY :)

Rallo: If you were every given the chance to start over your career as a professional wrestler, would you do it? Are there any regrets that you made in any wrestling territory or are there any mistakes you made that have affected you on your mental and physical state of being?

Rikishi: Of course I would. I've had a blast and still am . I have no complaints about my career . Its been awesome to travel all over and meet different peoples of the world. I miss the FANS and some of my co-workers that are my true friends . But I am most happy to be home with my family now . And teaching at my wrestling academy WWW.KNOKXPRO.COM .

Its passing on the skills to kids that want to learn pro wrestling from your truly .... The rest is HISTORY :)

Rallo: Some may not be aware, but you are one of the leaders in the Knox Pro, which is a wrestling academy, could you give us some insight on that?

Rikishi: I have a great passion to teach the kids about what pro wrestling really is about . Its so much more then just jumping around in a ring. Black Pearl /Gangrel/Orlando Jordan and myself have come together to open the doors of KNOKXPRO ACADEMY " THE DOMAIN " to give opportunity to those " Who Wants To Be The Next Big Thing " in pro wrestling .

We offer over 40 years of experience ... Where the CHAMPIONS PLAY ... Check it out : WWW.KNOKXPRO.COM Read the site for more info and you got it. The rest is HISTORY :)

Rallo: For a short time, you had also work for Total Nonstop Action. Could you tell what the atmosphere of TNA was like opposed to the WWE? Also could you inform us on what exactly happened during your departure?

Rikishi: TNA ( Small stack ) nothing like WWE ( Big Time ). My departure from TNA was my decision .. The rest was HISTORY :)

Rallo: Finally, would you ever consider that one last run in the WWE? Any last words for the readers of this interview?

Rikishi: Well never say never . Depends :) But I would like to thank my fans threw out the world for all their support threw my career . It has truly been fun for me entertaining for you's in arenas / coliseums all over the world ..

Keep in touch threw www.knokxpro.com I miss you all . The rest is HISTORY :)

Rikishi: With respect,
RIKISHI
Gracias Armano , Thank You

Well that concludes my interview with Mr. Fatu who was gracious and kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to take time to answer my questions.

Hopefully this is the first of many potential interviews and also be sure to check out his training facility's official website which was provided in several links in this interview.

I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did conducting it.

The rest is History...

2009 MLB Trade Deadline: Winners and Losers

DJ Rallo — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 18:59:04 -0400

While the 2009 non waiver Trading Deadline has passed us, we have seen some blockbuster moves that will aid several teams, but there were also some teams that needed to make a move or two that needed to be made. Today, I will look at the winners and losers of this year's Trading Deadline. There were moves that have almost guarunteed a playoff spot for some, while others had sold or kept on to players that needed to stay. Without further ado, I look back at the winners and losers of the 2009 Trading Deadline. I hope you enjoy my slideshow.

Begin Slideshow

Trade Deadline News: Is Trading for Roy Halladay a Smart Move For the Red Sox?

DJ Rallo — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:41:47 -0400

According to several baseball media outlets, it seems that the Boston Red Sox may be the frontrunners to get All Star pitcher, Roy Halladay. Now nothing has been made official, but it was reported on Yahoo Sports that the Red Sox had initially "anted up their past offer" by offering top prospect, Clay Buchholz alongside a choice of Michael Bowden or Lars Anderson, and Ryan Westmoreland.

It has been reported that the Phillies may have dropped out of the Halladay sweepstakes as they are in pursuit of 2008 Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee. Ken Rosenthal also stated that the New York Yankess are, "lurking in the shadows." In my opinion, if the Red Sox are looking at him, so are the Yankees and after hearing that Boston was the frontrunner to get Mark Teixieria, he ended up signing to the New York Yankees.

Rumors started swirling today that a Red Sox trade offer to Toronto has been turned down, but it did not state what the offer consisted of. Toronto is troubled financially as well, so they would like to package Vernon Wells in that trade, but Boston is hesitant to acquire Wells.

In my opinion, Boston needs more of a bat opposed to a new pitcher because the offense has been mediocre throughout most of July. The Red Sox have had discussions to San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez, but it looks like Gonzalez will stay in San Diego unless Boston gives up most of their top prospects, but that is something that Theo Epstein would never do.

There have also been discussions with the Indians over Victor Martinez who would e the future catcher of the Boston Red Sox. Now my question remains, if Boston gets a bat, then what happens to the players who have been on the Sox throughout the entire season? If the Red Sox get Adrian Gonzalez, then Mike Lowell and Adam LaRoche are bench players, while David Ortiz could be in trouble as well. If the Red Sox get Martinez, then LaRoche, Lowell, Ortiz, and Jason Varitek's positions are in trouble as their will be some tension amongst the Red Sox veterans over their playing time.

Receiving Roy Halladay guarantees a playoff spot for Boston for this season as well as next season, but it is known that Halladay wishes to test the free agent market next offseason, which means that Boston gets a one and a half year rental in exchange for 3-5 players who will be in Toronto for many years to come. Some question why the Blue Jays would trade in their division, but I wonder why Boston would give up their future to a team in their division. Imagine Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden in Toronto in the coming years as the Red Sox rotation is going to start getting older.

If Boston wants to be a lock for the playoffs this season, then Doc is the perfect fit, but we need to look towards the future here in Boston as Halladay is nothing more than a rental unless Toronto can get him to sign some extension, but Halladay is 32 years old.

In conclusion, if Boston somehow manages to get Doc, then Toronto may be some serious competition in two to three seasons from now, but if Boston wants to toss their prospects for a rental and a ring this season opposed to many in the future, than go for it. I do not see Theo Epstein going forward with this trade unless the pitching starts really struggling as it has as of late or if New York makes a big proposal to Toronto for the ace. No matter what happens, I do think that adding a bat or a new member of the bullpen opposed to a starting pitcher is the correct move to make for Boston.

WWE Pay-Per-View Previews: Night Of Champions

DJ Rallo — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:07:00 -0400

Well as Night of Champions arrives, there are a lot of questions being asked about Jeff Hardy's contract negotiations, Chris Jericho's mystery partner, and the faith that WWE has to give Randy Orton a decent WWE Championship run.

But no matter how this show turns out we can all agree that this will be better than Victory Road.

The gimmick of this show is simply what the name implies, all matches will be for championships.

This is one gimmick pay per view that I do enjoy as opposed to the gimmicks of Cyber Sunday and Extreme Rules because it gives the tag team division and the women's division a championship match on pay per view.

As far as the build up is concerned for Night of Champions, I must say that Raw as well as ECW have provided solid build up, whereas Raw has really given us a match that we will probably never see the end of despite the fact that these three all have great chemistry in the ring with each other.

On the ECW side, I do think that this feud between Christian and Tommy Dreamer has been pretty well done, but I grew more excited for this match during the Abraham Washington Show this past Tuesday on ECW.

Then the Smackdown main event should be a great one as both Jeff Hardy and CM Punk have really built up their feud well.

As for the rest of the card, there should be a few solid mid card matches were there are some new faces in the title seen alongside some people who should have been in the title seen for much longer. Without further ado, my full preview on Night of Champions.

ECW Championship Match: Tommy Dreamer (c) vs Christian

Before I take a look at this match, I do want you to know that I am in fact a Peep. I am a supporter of Captain Charisma, so before you completely doubt what I will be saying concerning Christian throughout the night and say that he is nothing in WWE, try and look at where I am coming from.

Over the past few months, the brewing rivalry of Christian and Tommy Dreamer has really been the only the thing that has interested me in ECW as of late because I am not a fan of that brand, but this feud to me has been one of the best feuds in ECW in recent memory.

Since Jack Swagger left ECW, Dreamer and Christian have had the classic, "friends feud," where the two friends are looking out for each other, but the lust for the championship stands in their way of the friendship as it tears them apart.

It is unoriginal, but I like where these two went this past week on ECW where Christian had mocked Dreamer's emotional moment when he won the ECW title.

With that being said, I do think that this is the best time to test Christian as a heel in order to see just how much of a reaction he can get because as a face, Christian is going nowhere. It reminds me of Jericho's turn when that phenomenal feud with Shawn Michaels had gone down.

A slow heel turn that Jericho had gone from a newly settled down pop, to become the most over heel in the company. I say give Christian a shot and though he is no Jericho, he can garner heat.

Obviously it will be a solid contest, where Dreamer has to go over in my opinion as Christian is a possibility in my mind to be Jericho's partner. With that being said, I think Dreamer will keep his reign alive for at least one more month in the opening contest

Predicted Winner: Tommy Dreamer to retain in a 10-15 minute contest

Divas Championship Match: Maryse (c) vs Mickie James

As a big fan of Mickie James, I feel that it is about time that she has been in a title match because unlike the majority of the Divas in WWE, Mickie James can wrestle and carry a match if given enough time.

Maryse, on the other hand, has become a strong heel and though her in ring skills are not great yet, I see so much potential as Maryse as she has become so much since that girl half-naked before Smackdown returned from commercials a while ago (Remember that?).

The match itself should be decent at most because even with two good wrestlers in the ring, I think time constraints will hurt the match.

I would guess that Mickie James would probably dominate almost the entire match until Maryse would use a heel tactic to win the match, because if Maryse were to win clean, then it may hurt Mickie James.

Therefore, this needs to end by Maryse using the ropes or something like that in my opinion.

I do think that this could go either way and as much as Mickie James should win the championship, I do believe that Maryse should hold the belt for a little because Maryse is in need of a good title run unless they decide to bury her afterwards, but hey, look at Beth Pheonix.

Predicted Winner: Maryse to retain the championship in a 5-8 minute match

United States Championship: Kofi Kingston (c) vs Carlito vs Big Show vs The Miz vs Jack Swagger vs MVP

Now another possibility for the opening match, this contest should be a very entertaining one, though I do have a problem with a few of the participants.

Besides Big Show and Kofi Kingston, these participants make no sense to me, though the Raw Creative team leaves me wondering if Vince Russo is working part-time there (US Championship on a Pole Match anyone?)

Jack Swagger and M.V.P. are alright additions to this match in my opinion, but I thought this feud could have been a great one on one feud due to the V.I.P. Lounge segment a few weeks ago when this feud showed so much promise.

Obviously both of them deserve a championship, but was now really the correct time? This feud that now once looked like a great will now succumb to the feud where both men exchange wins on Raw, then settle their feud at possibly Breaking Point.

Neither of these two should win the title at the moment in my opinion because I still have hopes that this can be a solid feud and this could be an afterthought.

Secondly, where is Evan Bourne? You know a guy who has been in a feud with both Big Show and Kofi Kingston who are both in this match? It baffles me that Bourne is fighting Jamie Noble on Superstars and his whole feud with Big Show have been forgotten.

I really hoped to see him in this match and as usual, WWE continues to let me down to some extent.

Carlito? What gives him the credentials to be in this match and not Primo? I feel that Primo is the better Colon in my opinion, but his character is more one dimensional than Carlito's.

Carlito was just thrown into this match and if Primo is not involved somehow, then this is ridiculous. He will have a good showing in the ring, but it confuses me.

It is a shame that the team ended as soon as Edge got an injury when the Colons were the best face team in the WWE (not saying that much).

Miz is also an odd choice to put in this match. Like Carlito, what has Miz done that makes him more deserving then Evan Bourne to be in this match? Just being thrown into matches does not make sense to me.

Oh well, he is my favorite to go over because I do not think that Kofi Kingston has been a very good champion and Miz should be champion if WWE wants to rebound his push after being squashed to John Cena.

Once more, the match will be a great one as each of these men can perform in the ring. I doubt that Big Show has a chance given the fact that the dominant and big man in these types of feuds never wins in the end while he is given momentum on Raw.

I do think and hope that The Miz will be the new champion when it is all said and done because they are teasing a relationship with Maryse, so why not give them both gold to be a dominant couple? Plus I think that they could be a whole lot better with someone watching their backs.

Predicted Winner: The Miz to win the United States Championship in a 10-20 minute match

Women's Championship: Michelle McCool (c) vs Melina

Now the main difference between this women's match is that is the outcome is so much more predictable because Maryse has held the Divas Championship for quite a few months, but McCool had just beaten Melina at The Bash.

Once more, there is not much to say that has not been said from the Divas match. If given time, it could be great, but it will be restrained to 10 minutes at the least.

Their Bash match was nothing that you want to see again and it will be almost the exact same match except that McCool will be walking in as champion.

The outcome will be the same and as much as I am not a fan of McCool, she is the top Diva on Smackdown.

With all that being said, I think it is clear that Michelle will go over unless they pull a Russo and take the belt right off of McCool, which would be the wrong way to go because it would hurt the already damaged prestige of the Women's Championship.

Predicted Winner: Michelle McCool to retain in a 5-8 minute bout

Unified Tag Team Championships: Chris Jericho & ??? (c) vs Legacy

As good as this match could turn out to be, the real reason that we will be sure to tune in to this match is so that we can see who exactly is Jericho's mystery partner.

Now rumors online have reported so many predictions and even on Bleacher Report, nobody can say, "Well it will clearly be (insert name here)."

I am going to run down some of the clear possibilities on who could be Jericho's mystery partner and at the same time, I will look at names I have heard here on Bleacher Report that I would like to address.

Lance Storm: Believe it or not, Lance Storm's name has somehow managed to slip in the minds of few as the potential partner of Chris Jericho and let me just say that it is doubtful.

I'm not sure, but hasn't Lance Storm been doing a independent bookings as well as working with Ring of Honor in recent memory? I just find it doubtful that WWE would go out of their way and ask Lance Storm over a large number of "free agents" to be his mystery partner and would Lance even want to do it?

It is doubtful and you can never say never in the WWE, but if you are going out of your way to await his return, then please look at some other possibilities.

Chris Masters: Now I do know that Masters has re-signed with the WWE about a month ago, but I do not think that this is the correct time to bring back Chris Masters simply because I think he would receive no crowd reaction that even a man such as Lance Storm would ever get.

Masters does need to rebuild his career because in my eyes, he has done nothing to make us remember him besides the whole Masterlock Challenge gimmick.

Can anyone tell me one time that Masters made such an impact in WWE that we will always remember him? Hell, kids will think that he is a brand new Superstar.

Now putting all of that aside, he has a better chance than Lance Storm, but then again, I would not bet on it.

Ted DiBiase: Would WWE really be stupid enough to post his silhouette right next to Jericho and not expect us to realize that it was DiBiase?

WWE has been known to insult a smart fan's intelligence, but if they somehow make this happen, it will indeed hurt WWE in the long run.

Let's face it, we all know that Ted DiBiase will be turning face at some point or nobody will buy his new straight to DVD movie, The Marine II (Like anyone would care if he was a face,) but in my opinion, I think it is just too soon to take Legacy apart.

The stable has been mediocre at best, but I think there has to be something done to make at least DiBiase look good as a heel, before turning face and feuding with Randy Orton around Armageddon, which would be a great time to end it.

Knowing that WWE likes to play us for suckers at times, leave this option as a good possibility to be his partner, but will they really play us for suckers two consecutive years?

Christian: Alright, you people all may not like this selection, but here is where I stand with this choice. By now, I do think that Christian is in the process of a heel turn and this could be the perfect chance to try him out as a heel to see if the crowd gives him a better reaction because like I said before, he gets a small pop as a face.

Sure I was wrong about him debuting in the Royal Rumble Match, and I was wrong about him being the assailant of Jeff Hardy, but this time I have a good feeling that this is at least a good possibility.

Let us put aside all of his accomplishments in TNA due to the fact that it doesn't matter what he did there in Vince McMahon's eyes. All that matters in WWE is if you get over with the crowd and sell merchandise (That, my friends, is why Khali has a job.)

Anyways, there is a chance in my opinion because he is solid on the mic, a decent wrestler, and having been in tag teams with Jericho before helps his chances.

Do I think Christian is this fantastic Lord that is superior to Edge, The Rock, Bret Hart, and all the other legends? No, but he is quite capable to do more in WWE than hang around on the "C" brand of WWE.

Before I ramble on, I think that he and Jericho will be a tag team and retain the titles because there really is nobody else that comes to mind.

Predicted Winners: Chris Jericho and Christian to retain in a 10-20 minute match

Intercontinental Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs Dolph Ziggler w/Maria

In what seems to look like a very good feud in the making, Dolph Ziggler has really proven to me that he can do so much more than he ever did on Raw.

Ziggler is more than some egomaniac who tells everyone his name as he has been really building up his character as of late with all of his in ring success.

Mysterio on the other hand is still capable of having fantastic matches, so this match with Ziggler could be a show stealer.

Another thing that I do like about Ziggler is this new relationship with Maria because maybe there is hope for some Maria heel turn to be the manager to help Ziggler win matches by distracting the referee.

I do want Ziggler to hold the championship, but it is too early for Mysterio to give up the belt unless they are trying to kill the prestige that has recently been built up in Mysterio's feud with Jericho.

With that being said, I think that Mysterio will retain the belt, but he will lose it to Ziggler by at least Breaking Point in September.

Predicted Winner: Rey Mysterio to retain in a 15-25 minute contest

World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs Jeff Hardy

Arguably the best match on the card (If you like Jeff Hardy) both CM Punk and Jeff Hardy will put on a show. The slow elevation of Punk's turn has been done for perfection and this feud with Jeff Hardy over their different lifestyles has been fantastic.

Though I do not get why WWE wants you to cheer for the drug addict opposed to the "Straightedge Superstar" is beyond me, but there is nothing more annoying than a self-righteous preacher and that is exactly what Punk has become.

I think the obvious choice is to put Punk over to keep his title reign strong as well as possibly rid the WWE of Jeff Hardy would garner major heat and Punk would lead Smackdown in the absence of Undertaker, Edge, and Jeff Hardy.

I think that Punk will once again use some form of cheating to win without getting himself disqualified.

I do want Punk to pin Hardy 1-2-3, but there needs to be some form of distraction. Possibly a low blow while the referee is not looking, but he does need to hit the Go To Sleep because it will make him look stronger opposed to a roll up.

In the end of the match, I know Jeff will be cheated somehow and if he is indeed leaving the WWE after Night of Champions, I fully expect him to tell the live audience that he quits or is taking time off.

Something like The Rock did after his three minute match with Goldberg, where Rock told the fans that he would leave, but it was not the end of The Rock's career.

He could even yell, "I Quit!" and storm out. But that is if he has not signed an extension, but I am not aware if he has.

Anyways, expect a very good match as both men can carry a match. I fully expect Punk to retain.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk to retain in a 20-35 minute match

WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs John Cena vs Triple H

Now this is a match that I simply do not care about because it's lack of build up. There is not much to say here, but I expect Rhodes and DiBiase to interfere at some point and be fed to Cena and Triple H as well as just the same old things that these men usually do in the ring together.

It will be a good match because all three men have good chemistry, but I really just do not care about these three in the main event all the time.

Look at Smackdown featuring CM Punk, John Morrison, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Dolph Ziggler, and Jeff Hardy.

They may not all be 6'3 and 200+ lbs, but they at least mix it up on Smackdown with new and great, young talent.

By the end of the night, I think that Randy Orton will not be champion due to the fact that WWE likes to pull a swerve here and there that maybe should not have gone down. I think Triple H will win the championship in a decent match and we could possibly see someone new enter the main event mix by Summerslam...Just kidding!

We will probably see either Orton or Cena face Triple H at Summerslam in my opinion.
Once more, this will be a good match, but I do not want to watch it again.

This feud has gotten stale between Orton and Triple H whereas Cena was not a great addition either. This will close out the show as I fully expect a new WWE Champion.

Predicted Winner: Triple H to win the WWE Championship in a 20-30 minute match

Summary
In my opinion, Night of Champions looks very solid on paper as I have high expectations for the show in general.

I predicted a few changes which I think are the only titles that make sense to change as well as predicting Christian despite the fact that it may not happen.

I hope you have enjoyed my preview and I do suggest purchasing this if you cannot get an online stream because this show is full of potential and with the exception of a few thrown together matches as well as Raw's main event, it has been very well built.

Rise and Fall of ECW: Remembering the Real Extreme Championship Wrestling

DJ Rallo — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:18:09 -0400

In this day, if you were to say professional wrestling, the first thing that most people would say is World Wrestling Entertainment.

Besides Total Nonstop Action (TNA) and Ring of Honor (ROH), there is really no other promotion that is large enough to compete with the WWE.

Today, I will not be here to cry about the past and how we miss the Attitude Era, or all the fun segments that made us anticipate Raw so much more than we do now.

I am simply here to look back and celebrate the legacy of the most unique pro wrestling promotion of all time, Extreme Championship Wrestling.

To those who might be unaware, ECW had once been its own individual company which would feud with WWE and World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
Unfortunately, Vince McMahon had bought his competition out.

This was not the offical end of ECW, but it had now been owned by WWE. It is now the "C" show brand in WWE and I find that disrespectful to all that ECW stood for.

But once again, I remind myself that I am not here to weep over modern-day wrestling, but to look back in time at Extreme Championship Wrestling.

ECW had been founded in 1991 as part of the Tri-State Wrestling Alliance, but it was short-lived as the owner at the time, Joel Goodhart, sold a large share of his company to his business partner, Tod Gordon, who renamed the show ECW (Eastern Championship Wrestling).

Gordon had a vision for this show to be unique, as stated in an interview with ClubWW1.com:

"We try to give them a mixture of old school, new school, highspot kind of wrestling with a little psychology thrown in there, because somebody seems to have forgotten that that was an art form at one time, and there doesn't seem to be much anymore."

Due to financial issues, Gordon would have to showcase ECW in The Arena in South Philadelphia, which in fact was a former warehouse.

ECW's rough environment would become the home of the promotion all the way until it fell in 2001, and actually lent to the rustic charm of the promotion.

Gordon picks up the narrative again:

"The budget was definitely limited. Our studio in the beginning was some guy’s basement basically up in Paoli, Pa., where we did some of these great promos where his desk became my commissioner's desk.

“His bathrooms were where Tanaka and Diamond had their battles with Public Enemy. His parking lot is where Jason would get his new suits and drive off in his car.

"We did all this in one little place and it looked like we were in this giant, you know, we're all over the country when really we're in this one little basement. It's all…an illusion. It's about making people believe."

Eastern Championship Wrestling would later be absorbed into the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where Gordon hired the legendary "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert, to lead the creative booking team.

He was shortly replaced as the head of booking by the eventual "Dictator of ECW," one Paul Heyman, who had just walked out on WCW.

Heyman bought into Gordon's original vision of being different, being special, and being...Extreme. Heyman then escorted ECW out of the NWA and into an era which would revolutionize professional wrestling as we know it.

Shortly after WCW had withdrawn from the NWA, taking the prestigious NWA title belt with them, ECW became the focal point of the NWA.

With it being the most successful NWA show at the time, ECW would garner much more attention from a televised audience as well as the privilege to hold the new NWA World Championship at the time.

The NWA Championship would be won by future ECW legend, Shane “the Franchise” Douglas, but shortly after he was awarded the belt, he had tossed it on the floor, picked up the ECW Championship, and proclaimed, "I am ECW!"

This was when ECW officially left the NWA and now referred to themselves as Extreme Championship Wrestling. The wrestling world would never be the same again.

“The National Wrestling Alliance was old-school when old-school wasn't hip anymore. We wanted to set our mark, we wanted to break away from the pack, we wanted to let the world know that we weren't just some independent promotion," said Paul Heyman as ECW departed from the NWA.

Later in 1996, the ECW Dynasty would officially begin as Paul Heyman would purchase ECW from Tod Gordon. Heyman then had a big image, one that he wanted to build on from Gordon's original image. He wanted to be extreme. He wanted to exceed limits that no other organization would even consider.

This image would soon make ECW the most controversial wrestling promotion in history. To add to this, Heyman would continue having ECW in a bingo hall in Philadelphia, where ECW got it's big break due to Tod Gordon's financial issues.

"I think ECW itself was a gimmick,” Heyman commented years later. “I think getting the audience to chant ECW was really something.

"I don't care if you draw 70,000 people in a dome for Wrestlemania, nobody chants WWE. The only time you ever hear anyone chant WCW, it's always followed by the word "sucks."

“I was on 57th Ave. in New York City and there was a three-car pileup and a bunch of people looked at the car wreck and started chanting ECW. It's become part of the country's lexicon. It's an accepted, acknowledged phrase.

“For us to have built that from a bingo hall and then extend it out is really something. For us to accomplish that is really my favorite gimmick."

Heyman was a very shrewd man and he helped groom no-name wrestlers into legends. ECW had been the home to Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam, Rey Mysterio, The Dudleys, Rhino, Terry Funk, Taz, and many more.

"I hate to admit this but I'm gonna shoot straight with you,” Heyman’s biggest star, Taz, said recently. “I was probably the biggest A-Hole back in the original ECW days. I don't think most of the locker room "liked" me....and they shouldn't have.

“At times, I was a bit immature and difficult to deal with....it took me a long time to "make it" and I was always told I would NEVER make it in the industry and that motivated me but also developed a huge chip on my shoulder so I wasn't mature enough (sometimes) to handle the push and was very protecting of what I achieved.

“If I had to do it all over again, I would put a better effort in being humble! Life experiences and settling down has taught me to not take myself so serious.”

ECW had been the home to hostile crowds, extreme violence, very mature sexual references, and crude language.

At one point when ECW aired on TNN, most of the ECW shows were not even censored in order to prove just how extreme and different ECW was.

The downside, though, was that ECW's time slot and television deal nearly drove ECW out of business. By featuring ECW in the early morning (12:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.), there were fewer limits on content, but viewership slumped dramatically.

The promotion also featured one of the most controversial feuds of all-time: Sandman versus Raven, with Sandman's son prominently featured in this feud. Raven first proceeded to "brainwash" Sandman’s son to join forces with Raven and his cult.

Raven would then continue to taunt Sandman as he was slowly being eaten away by the fact that his only son had betrayed him.

Sandman even broke down on his knees and started to cry.They would share some very brutal battles until his son would then help his father again, but all of the controversy had started after Stevie Richards and Blue Meanie would appear out from under the ring and crucify the Sandman.

Before a hostile crowd, Raven, Richards, and Blue Meanie received a reaction from the crowd like no other. This crowd was silenced when the saw this.

"It was quiet Japanese heat," said Raven on the Rise and Fall of ECW.
This extreme act would keep Kurt Angle, watching the company with an idea of signing a contract, from joining ECW, as he had been promised the trio would not do this.

This was thought of by many as anti-Christian, but later in the ECW DVD, it was revealed the act to be a way to demonstrate the artistry of Raven. Paul Heyman also said on the DVD:

"I didn't think Raven would go that far."

Surprisingly, the crucifixion angle would later be adopted by Vince McMahon as he would let Undertaker and the Ministry of Darkness "sacrifice" many superstars, the most famous being the crucifixion of Steve Austin.

ECW was always known to be a crowd pleaser, as their fans revolutionized chants that in use today.

We all know of the classic "ECW!" chant whenever something happens that brings back reminiscent memories of the old ECW. Also The Dudleyz’ "We want tables!" chant that originated in ECW would follow them all the way to their present days in TNA.

Back in the day, we would hear and chant, "EC-Dub!" as well when watching ECW. Crowds were a very vital part of this company because Heyman always loved to interact with the fans.

Even in the earlier stages of ECW, there was a Select Your Weapons Night, in which the fans would bring in their own weapons and give them to the extremists. The crowds were the wild pets of Paul E. Heyman.

Pay-per-views also were known to be controversial due to the fact that the television stations thought this show was too extreme to be televised, but eventually, Paul Heyman got his wish and his first PPV show, Barely Legal.

This may be the most recognizable pay-per-view in ECW history. It was seen live in front of 1,170 people in ECW Arena on April 13th, 1997. There, in front of our usual hostile crowd, were some phenomenal matches including a Three-Way Dance between Terry Funk, Sandman, and Stevie Richards.

Also on the card was Terry Funk vs Raven for the ECW Championship. Ultimately it was a great show and ECW would continue to have a long stint of great pay per views.

ECW was very aware that the television networks were worried about broadcasting ECW, but in 1999 the Land of Extreme would join TNN with an already very low budget.

Remarkably, for the next two years, ECW on TNN was the highest-rated show on the network.

Unfortunately though, the show received no advertising, newspaper ads, or any other type of promotion because TNN did not want this to be show to be seen as the premier show of TNN.

This is still believed by Paul Heyman as the ultimate cause of the demise of ECW.

“We were screwed by the TNN Network, and ultimately it was the albatross around our neck that sank the company," Heyman says bitterly.

After ECW had been a financial disaster for most of it’s tenure, more extremists had jumped ship to then-WWF, including the Dudleys, Raven, and eventually many others.

ECW would be caught up in all of their financial issues and they were run out of business. At the EC-Dub Arena, when all the ECW stars alike joined in the ring with beers in hand, the fans knew that this was the final ECW.

In that cold evening (literally and figuratively) for ECW, Tommy Dreamer and company would give us one last hurrah. The fans roared and thanked them for all the memories.

The official end of the ECW era came when Vince McMahon would purchase the Land of Extreme. Paul Heyman knew he had to sell ECW, and he knew that ECW was dead.

ECW would eventually be “reborn” in the WWE on separate occasions. From the Alliance with WCW during the “Invasion” angle all the way to it being the developmental territory it is today.

ECW's name has been tarnished by McMahon, but we still remember the old days when ECW was truly extreme.

The old ECW is dead, but it lives on through us.

R.I.P. Extreme Championship Wrestling (1991-2001)

"You cannot achieve success, without the risk of failing. And I learned a long time ago, you cannot achieve success if you fear failure. If you're not afraid to fail, man you have a chance to succeed, but you are never going to get there unless you risk it all the way. I was a failure and sometimes half the fun is failing. Learning from your mistakes, waking up the next morning and saying, ‘Okay, watch out. Here I come again. A little bit smarter, licking my wounds, and really not looking forward to getting my ass kicked like I did yesterday.’ So now...I'm a little more dangerous."
-Paul Heyman.

Quotes, facts, and etc. can be found at Wikipedia.org, IGN.com, and ClubWW1.com. Videos credited to Youtube.com. Also I recommend watching the videos to see a tribute or a special moment in ECW.

Charged with Emotion: Remembering the 1999 MLB All-Star Game

DJ Rallo — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:13:00 -0400

Each July we celebrate and commemorate baseball's greatest over three select nights, remembering the greats of America's national pastime. Those celebrated are not only today's All-Stars, but the stars of tomorrow, and the stars of yesteryear.

During this timespan, all cities across the nation send forth their best players to join together for one night only to compete in the All-Star Game. Fans choose representatives as the players from each league join together in hopes of gaining the home field advantage in the World Series

The game is always an emotional experience, but on the eve of tonight's All-Star Game in Saint Louis, I look back at the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park, possibly one of the greatest ever.

It was a warm summer's evening in Boston. The American League team was led by Yankees' skipper Joe Torre as all 37,187 fans in attendance would proceed to boo several Yankees, including Torre himself, throughout the night.

Boston was represented very well with their superstars, Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez, both starting the game, and with Jose Offerman among the reserve corps.

With everything else put aside, emotion certainly played the biggest factor in this game factor in this game.

"Last game of the century. Boston. Fenway Park. A lot of nostalgia," AL manager Joe Torre said. "The weather cooperated. It was great."

This game was remembered by many as the greatest moment of their careers as well.

"My most memorable baseball moment would have to have been the 1999 All-Star Game," Ken Bottenfield said in an interview after his career had ended. "Most every kid dreams of playing in a World Series or an All Star game. I never got to the series but the all-star game was beyond description. I got to be a part of the best of the best for a short time."

The ceremonies that preceded the game had been very heartwarming. Fans all over the nation had given their tributes to some of the greats such as Hank Aaron, Willy Mays, and Stan Musial.

However, the one man that received the greatest ovation was the one that brought tears to our eyes in Fenway Park: Boston's own, Ted Williams.

Williams had taken a ride in a golf cart around Fenway Park to give his last hurrah to the fans as he approached the pitcher's mound one last time.

The emotion created by Williams was so great because all fans throughout the nation knew that, due to his aging, this would probably be Ted Williams' last All Star Game in the stadium that he had dominated for his entire career.

As Williams approached the mound, all the players and staffs had mobbed him, as if he were a god coming down from the heavens. Truth be told, he was a god of baseball that was on his way to the heavens.

"Gods don't answer letters," John Updike wrote of that moment 10 years ago.

Fans had been ecstatic as they paid tribute to the legend with a standing ovation. All fans alike—Red Sox fans, Yankees fans, and every fan in between—were touched by this legend.

"When I got up there, tears were coming out of Ted's eyes," Larry Walker (NL All-Star) said. "I kind of turned away, it almost brought tears to my eyes. The greatest player in the world is surrounded by more great players. I know Ted was extremely touched by it."

After Williams would give a speech to all the players surrounding him, he would be later be pronounced as, the greatest hitter that ever lived.

"I can only describe it as great," said Ken Griffey Jr.

"Hell, I haven't had a base hit in 30 years, and I'm a better hitter now than I've ever been in my life," said the Splendid Splinter, now 80.

Ted would then get to throw his first and last pitch at an All-Star Game at Fenway Park, which would also close this century and lead us into Y2K.

Immediately after the first pitch was thrown to his longtime friend, Carlton Fisk, the fans, who were still on their feet, gave one last ovation to Williams as he left the field on his golf cart.

Nobody in attendance was left untouched as Williams departed from Fenway Park. It would be hard to follow up that performance; but still, there was an entire ballgame ahead.

With the start of the game behind schedule because of the ceremony, all players and staff were ordered to go back to the dugouts, but they ignored the call to instead honor Ted for a little while longer.

"It was kind of funny," Boston shortstop Nomar Garciaparra said. "When the announcer asked everybody to go back to the dugout, everybody said no. It didn't matter. What time was the first pitch? Nobody cared."

As the ballgame initially started, all fans and players alike were still trying to hold in tears and try to play a great baseball game, with Boston's ace Pedro Martinez due to start the game for the American League.

"I think it makes it a little more special, being here in Boston," Martinez said after winning the MVP award. "Representing the decade, the last one of the century. Being there with all those players around us, I never, never expected it."

Martinez knew he had high expectations to live up to, and fortunately he showed us why he was arguably the best pitcher of his era.

Pedro would first face Barry Larkin, who finally struck out after an eight-pitch duel with Martinez. Pedro brought the heat to Larkin, now walking back to the dugout in disbelief as fans were giving their hometown hero the ovation that he deserved.

Pedro would easily waltz through the next five batters in the game as he finished his All-Star start, working two innings of completely dominant ball. He stuck out five of the six batters he faced.

After the celebration of Williams that night, Pedro clearly fed off of the emotion and delivered the best effort he could muster. He would later go on to win the MVP of the game.

Throughout the night, pitching was the American League's key to success in this game as the pitching staff, led by Martinez, had only allowed one run to the National League's best.

Sammy Sosa, Vladimir Guerrero, and Mike Piazza were just a few of the NL's All-Stars.

Especially after the Home Run Derby, Martinez had shown some fear when it came to this group of elite hitters that he was set to face.

"After seeing the guys in BP and in the home run contest, I knew I had to get my pitches where I wanted or else I was going to get hurt," Martinez said.

Unlike the National League, the AL would come out with a fast start, as they scored two runs in the first inning.

Although the damage was done, this could have been a much bigger mess as the bases were all loaded when Rafael Palmeiro grounded out to end the inning, getting future Boston hero Curt Schilling out of an early jam.

After Martinez was pulled from his dominant performance, the rest of the AL pitchers followed suit, allowing just one run, which came in the third inning when Barry Larkin drove in a run.

The game was already going great for the AL fans, but when they thought it wouldn't get any better, Joe Torre added some Red Sox-Yankees flavor when the fan favorite, Nomar Garciaparra, was taken out of the game and was replaced by Derek Jeter.

As Jeter came onto the field to a chorus of boos, he would embrace Nomar as well as emulate Nomar's batting stance as part of a tribute to Garciaparra. Nomar leaving reminded the fans of Williams' leaving, as two Red Sox legends would leave the field as heroes.

After that one run had scored for the NL, the AL held the NL to only eight hits in the entire game and to less than two hits per inning for the rest of the game. Though somehow neither team hit a home run or produced any real offense, fans were on their feet this entire game because it had been so competitive.

After John Wetteland made the save, sealing the 4-1 victory for the American League and sending the Fenway Faithful into a frenzy as the American League would keep their winning streak alive, everyone was driven by the emotion of the great Ted Williams.

Alongside everything that happened in this great game, tears were still shed amongst many over the touching opening ceremony that stole the show.

As Sports Illustrated said, "It was baseball—past and present—at its best."

Afterwards, Pedro Martinez had won the Most Valuable Player Award as well as the win in his dominant performance. Pedro was also the first man to win the All-Star Game in front of his home fans.

Afterwards, the game was looked back by many as a very competitive game.

"You'd almost think it's a regular season game because that's happened a lot this year," Torre said.

To this day, we still look back 10 years and see one of the most heartfelt and emotionally driven games in recent memory. A tribute such as the one in 1999 had closed out a century of this pastime.

From Cy Young to Pedro Martinez, we all paid tribute to that historic era in Fenway that night. We honored those from our past, celebrated the greats of today, and then looked toward our future.

Afterwords, Williams, who was spectating the game, spoke to the media about his comeback as well as how he tipped his cap to the fans, which he did not do in his career after home runs, earning himself a reputation as tactless in his career.

This return had been different as we remembered all the good things he had done, how he served our country, and how he inspired both teams (especially the AL) to give it their all that night.

"Wasn't it great!" Williams said. "I can only describe it as great. It didn't surprise me all that much because I know how these fans are here in Boston. They love this game as much as any players and Boston's lucky to have the faithful Red Sox fans. They're the best.

July 13, 1999 was arguably the most emotional All-Star Game in recent memory, only rivaled by the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium. That night showed what the Midsummer Classic is all about.

We celebrate and cherish the superstars of our past and present as we look to build a stronger future. Tonight, we will once again celebrate the All-Star Game in St. Louis as we will be treated to a night of memorable baseball and a night of remembering the stars who built the legacy of this sport.

Statistical information, quotes, and anecdotes that I partially used for my article can be found at:

Baseball-almanac.com

Sports Illustrated.CNN.com

Wikipedia.org

MLB Midseason Awards: American League Edition

DJ Rallo — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:35:34 -0400

I know that this is not a real new topic on Bleacher Report right now, but I would like to give my thoughts on the American League's Midseason Awards. Looking at the American League right now, we have a vast amount of dominant pitchers as well as some great surprises alongside some disappointments. As we head to the All Star Game in St. Louis, I would like to give the following awards to an MLB team or a specific player. Here are the awards I would like to discuss: MVP: To the best all around pitcher in the game Dominant Division Award: To the most well rounded division in the AL Cy Young: Most dominant pitcher in the American League Comeback Team Award: To the team with the greatest turnaround Manager of the Season Award: To the manager who has led his team to dominance or may have had a comeback this season Let Down Award: To the team that had been the biggest disappointment Mr. Bullpen Award: To the relief pitcher who has been the most consistent. All Star Snub Award: To the player who was shockingly not in the All Star Game Overrated All Star Award: To the most overrated player on the team (starter) Well please enjoy my slideshow!

Begin Slideshow

State of the Sox: My Analysis of the Boston Red Sox All-Stars

DJ Rallo — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:32:35 -0400

Well after hearing that Boston would have six representatives in this years All Star Game in St. Louis, I have a lot of mixed feelings regarding some of the men going into the game. Therefore, I will be looking at all of these All Stars and I will see if these men truly deserve to be All Stars this season.

Though I am a big Red Sox supporter, I would like to be skeptical towards some of these players (Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jonathan Papelbon, Tim Wakefield, Jason Bay, Josh Beckett).

Jason Bay

Well there is not much to look at when it comes to Jason Bay. Bay has been the most productive hitter in the American League and he is definitely in for some big money this offseason.

Bay currently has 19 home runs and has knocked in 73 runs. Though he is slumping as of late, Jason has shown signs that he is hitting better again as he continues to hit career numbers. Jason Bay has made Boston fans love trading Manny Ramirez now and this young kid deserves to be in the All Star Game this year.

Josh Beckett

Despite his struggles early on in the season, Josh Beckett has been lights out for the Sox with a 9-3 record. There is no doubt that Beckett deserved to be in this game, though there may be arguments about his poor start this season, though I believe that he has been unstoppable since the end of April.

Josh is likely to have won 10 or more games in each of his past five seasons, which helps his chances as well. I think Beckett is an obvious pick and he deserves to be in this game in St. Louis.

Jonathan Papelbon

I have a lot of mixed feelings when it comes to Papelbon in the All-Star Game. I do think his ERA (1.73) and amount of saves (20) should give him a spot, but I feel that Papelbon is very lucky that he has these great numbers.

If you observe his outing, you see that he never has a quick one-two-three inning, he is always scaring fans in the ninth inning. Obviously he has been solid in some of his games, but he frankly scares me every time he comes out to pitch.

The kid has undeniable talent for sure, but it may be just me, but his numbers are very misleading because he allows so many baserunners. He makes us leave Fenway Park saying, "Wow, that was a close call right there."

Does his ability to get out of these jams earn him a spot? Well maybe, but someone of his caliber should not be getting us into these jams every time he comes out. He has had moments where he looks terrific, but that is just half of the time in my eyes. I just think that Ramon Ramirez or Takashi Saito deserve to be in St. Louis over Papelbon, but that just may be me.

Dustin Pedroia

First of all, I would like to give a stat comparison between Pedroia and two other second basemen of his caliber (Ian Kinsler and Aaron Hill)

HR RBI BA SLG% Runs

Pedroia 3 39 .290 .393 59

Kinsler 19 51 .256 .500 57

Hill 20 59 .299 .503 50

Now tell me, does Dustin Pedroia look like an All-Star? No he does not, because this was a simple result of a popularity contest. Aaron Hill and Ian Kinsler should have been going for the starting position and Pedroia should have tried to get in on the final poll. What about Robinson Cano? He has had some All-Star caliber numbers this season.

Dustin is certainly a great player, but he is nowhere near as good as he was last season, especially from an offensive standpoint compared to these two men. I really disagree with this decision and I find it sad for the rest of baseball to see Kinsler fighting for a spot that he deserves and Aaron Hill taking the backseat to Pedroia.

I know this is just the All-Star Game, but even a Sox fan should admit that more players are more suitable for the job than Dustin should not be starting, but that is the beauty of the All Star balloting.

Kevin Youkilis

Youk is certainly deserving of the spot with his MVP season as of late, but my question is over this who debate on Youkilis or Teixeira. I put together another chart comparing the two

HR RBI BA SLG% Runs

Youkilis 14 47 .301 .569 49

Teixeira 20 61 .278 .555 52

Now you have to remember that Kevin Youkilis did miss some time this season and he still has a more solid batting average and a slightly better slugging percentage than Teixeira. I do think that Youkilis was the better man to start, but there is someone that everyone has forgotten.

A name that should be starting this game and would have won by a landslide if he were on Boston or New York...Justin Morneau. Let us look at his stats so far and compare them to the other two men.

HR RBI BA SLG% Runs

Morneau 21 69 .323 .601 56

Youkilis 14 47 .301 .569 49

Teixeira 20 61 .278 .555 52

Now who really deserves to start? There is no question that Youkilis should be in the game and I now believe that he should not start, but neither should Teixeira. Justin Morneau is the obvious choice for starter in this tight race.

Tim Wakefield

Boston's all time starts leader is now officially an All Star for the first time after his very good season as of late. He is leading the MLB in wins (Tie of 10 wins) and he also has only lost three games this season for the Red Sox.

Wakefield was a substantial staple to the pitching staff in the beginning of the season when Lester, Beckett, and Matsuzaka were all struggling. Wakefield was the savior, but I'm not sure if he should be an All Star and I really feel that Joe Madden had to pick Wakefield.

Wakefield's 4.03 ERA is not that pretty and he also has not been an innings eater as well. I think Madden was pressured into this because, well this was the Red Sox veteran's last chance in my opinion. Who knows if he will ever be this solid again?

Why not give him some respect as his career comes to a close and let him be in an All Star game. There are other pitchers who should have been in this game that will not because Wakefield took the spot, someone like Kevin Millwood of the Texas Rangers.

I really admired what Wake had to say regarding the All Star Game and he is certainly not a publicity hog who died for this game. He just says if he wins, then good for him...if he doesn't, oh well a young kid gets the spot he deserves. I also think his run support has saved his record, but I think Wakefield just deserves to be in this game.

Recap

Although I'm very upset that Dustin Pedroia is in the All Star game, I do think that everyone else earned a spot in one way or another. I'm glad Youkilis is on the bench, but I'm also mad that Morneau is not starting.

Papelbon is also a "lucky" player this year to me. As for Bay, Beckett, and Wakefield, I am glad they are all in the game and this was really Wakefield's last shot.

I look forward to the All Star Game and here are some of my random thoughts about the rest of the game

1. Surprised Josh Hamilton is starting? Me too.

2. Where the hell is Adam Dunn? He is having a great year

3. Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard are on the bench? That just shows that Pujols is a monster. Almost 100 RBIs in the first half of the season is out of this world.

Well that is all for now and I hope you enjoyed another episode of State of the Sox

Truth Be Told: In-Depth Synopsis of WWE's Recent Trade and What to Expect

DJ Rallo — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:50:31 -0400

After watching WWE Raw last night, we saw Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, and Mark Henry make their debuts on Raw in a gauntlet contest against Randy Orton.

Each star in the match really proved themselves in different ways. Evan Bourne had gotten some solid offence in against Orton, Swagger solidified himself as a potential ally for Randy, and Mark Henry had turned face and had pinned the WWE Champion.

I was happy Raw got some solid talent and I'm interested in seeing where Mark Henry goes from here, despite the fact that I'm unhappy that he pinned the champ.

Anyways it was announced on WWE.com that each brand received five mid-card superstars and really Smackdown had benefited the most once more.

Raw did take a solid upgrade, but unfortunately for ECW, Tiffany looks like more of an idiot than before after all she got. Let us look at the men and women who switched brands.

ECW Receives: Goldust, Shelton Benjamin, The Bella Twins, and William Regal

Goldust: Are they serious here? Sure, Shelton Benjamin will be a solid star, but the rest of the moves leave me confused. Where does Hornswoggle go now that his partnership with Goldust is over?

Will WWE do anything with Goldust? He provides nothing to the table and I don't know what they can do with him.

The former Intercontinental Champion is by far past his prime and in reality, he is out of shape and should be nothing more than a comedy figure.

I think WWE should make him the comedy jobber because that is all he is worth, but if they decide to try and turn him into a more serious character, there is still no hope for him because whoever he can feud with (Zach Ryder, William Regal, Hurricane Helms) will be squashing him.

Ladies and gentlemen, expect more of the same nonsense we saw on Raw on Tuesday nights.

Bella Twins: Looking at the ECW Divas roster, the only divas on the brand are Brie, Nikki, and Katie Lea Burchill who we have not seen in a good while on ECW. We all know that both Bellas are more of eye candy Divas, so with no other competition, could we see a heel turn like we saw a few months ago?

I honestly doubt it, but what can WWE do with them now that they are on ECW? Interviewers? Wrestlers? No options really will benefit The Bellas because of the lack of competition and their lackluster skills inside the ring.

If we lived in a land where WWE Creative would care about ECW, we could have let Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly go to ECW for strict competition, because all I see for The Bellas is a comedy act with Goldust.

They could always be valets, but for who? They could always randomly join a feud between Regal and Helms or something, but they will not do much for ECW in the big picture.

William Regal: Maybe ECW's better picks, William Regal actually provides something that will benefit ECW. The former King of the Ring and Tag Team champion is a very well rounded mat wrestler/brawler, so I would have really enjoyed a feud with Finlay, but that is not going to happen with Finlay going to Smackdown.

After being completely buried on Raw, Regal should be slowly built up on the mid-card and then elevating himself on ECW.

He is really Finlay's replacement because I doubt he will hold the gold (silver) on ECW, but I do think he is a solid fit to the brand seeing as he has done nothing as of late.

Where I think WWE will go with him? Well I think they will follow my synopsis and treat him sort of like a heel Finlay because they are so similar. This was a solid pick for ECW, though I thought the purpose of ECW was to build younger talent.

Shelton Benjamin: One pick that I actually like, Shelton Benjamin will no doubt be placed right in the main event scene in ECW. The Gold Standard was very enjoyable to watch on Smackdown and I do wish they went somewhere with the continuation of his feud with R-Truth.

Benjamin will be really the replacement of Jack Swagger because they are both great in-ring wrestlers, but unlike Swagger who had gotten over with the crowd, I do hope Benjamin can get some serious heat before being moved to Raw or Smackdown.

I think Benjamin and Christian could have some solid feuds and some phenomenal matches. With all the stars ECW lost and after gaining almost nothing in return, this is Benjamin's time to prove that he is main event material. Hopefully he holds gold soon in ECW, and I do think that is where they will go with him.

Recap: After quickly viewing who ECW lost and gained in this trade, Tiffany is really no more than a dumb blonde. We basically saw Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, and Mark Henry in exchange for William Regal, Goldust, and The Bellas.

ECW has certainly taken a downgrade as their trade of Hart Dynasty and Finlay for Shelton Benjamin is no better.

ECW certainly is now the C show because now they just lack all the exciting talent that they had before this trade.

Raw Receives: Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne, Alicia Fox, Gail Kim, and Mark Henry

Raw certainly lost out when Matt Hardy was traded away, but besides that Raw has taken a big upgrade in this trade that should provide a better quality show, from the mid card. A combination of young talent with a lot of potential will make Raw a much better program to watch.

Gail Kim: Maybe Kim's biggest regret is signing with the WWE, because she is sadly nothing more than a glorified jobber these days. She is the female version of Ron Killings and with all the talent she has, I hope WWE will build her back up on Raw.

Seeing as though we already have Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Maryse, and Beth Phoenix in the division, I do doubt we will see a whole lot of Kim, but if WWE treats her as TNA did, then we could see her have an excellent feud with any one of Raw's Divas.

I do see her more of a Kelly Kelly like role on Raw. She will win one week and lose another. But make no mistake that Kim is so much better than Kelly Kelly ever will be.

She is so deserving of a match with Maryse for the Divas championship and I do think she deserves the role, but I do think having her on Raw is a better option because the division is weaker.

Hopefully, Kim gets what she deserves and in time, I am anticipating that she will.

Alicia Fox: Well I never really liked her relationship with Michelle McCool, but at least she had some kind of important role on Smackdown. Fox will probably take the route of Layla, Eve, and The Bellas have, which is their beauty gets them some ring time, but that is about it.

Fox is a decent wrestler, but she is not much better than Layla or even The Bellas.

I was originally glad she was moved to Smackdown because we could have seen a continuation of her storyline with Edge, but seeing as WWE never pulled the trigger, I do not see much in her future, because she just lacks charisma and enough talent to succeed.

Jack Swagger: I was very fond of this move, mainly because I know WWE sees a lot in Jack Swagger, so I doubt he will be in the lower mid card. Instead, I think he will be taking Matt Hardy's spot as that upper mid-card heel, who will fight John Cena or Triple H from time to time.

He is really the gem in this trade that will eventually shine. I really did like this move and I hope Swagger can have a great career on Raw.

Like I said, Swagger will be like Hardy but I think he is an improvement. Swagger will one day be a world champion and he is so enjoyable to watch. Hopefully, they utilize him to his full potential.

Mark Henry: I was shocked when Mark Henry did not move to Raw in the WWE Draft a few months ago because he was a name that just needed a move. He was not doing anything productive on ECW and this face turn that is in the making will benefit Henry in my opinion.

I do think he should have stayed heel on Raw due to a good portion of Raw’s stars are faces. I do hope that Mark Henry’s apparent main event status on Raw does die out.

I was very upset that Henry cleanly pinned Randy Orton because that will make him an upper card babyface now. This means he is able to feud with Orton, who he really should not be in the ring with unless it is for the short term.

If indeed this will be only a short term rivalry, I am still upset because they could have had either Swagger or Bourne pick up the win last night and leave Henry in the mid card.

I am really not a fan of his in ring work, but I do hope he ends up like The Great Khali, meaning that he elevates younger Raw talent.

Will WWE go in that direction though? I highly doubt it due to the fact that Henry has more skill than Khali does in the ring, but I do not want Mark as a comedy figure by any means because that just does not fit his criteria.

I do think WWE will eventually have this man placed in the mid-card to feud with some younger talent, but I hope it happens sooner than later.

Evan Bourne: After what was more so a glorified job match last night, I do hope Evan Bourne will be in the upper mid card in his stint with Raw. It was time for a change because he did not do much since returning from his injury a few months back.

In the long run, I do not think that WWE will push him to be a world champion, but I think he could be a strong affiliate of the United States Championship division.

He is so exciting to watch in the ring and he could have some excellent feuds with Kofi Kingston, Jack Swagger, or even Priceless.

He is so capable of being the next Rey Mysterio, so I think WWE will give him a push, but I fear he will be stuck in the lower mid card.

If Evan were to be booked correctly, we could even see him feud with Big Show just for something fresh, but Bourne should be utilized to his full potential and I fear WWE will stick him down in the mid card.

Recap: As I stated, Raw certainly had an upgrade, but was this enough to make Raw the A show? I doubt it because Smackdown will be even better with who they got.

I find it hard to believe Tiffany would just trade away all of her talents and let us hope McMahon puts her on probation, because she has made ECW the worst show on WWE TV.

Smackdown Receives: Tyson Kidd, David Hart Smith, Natalya, Finlay, and Matt Hardy

With their only key loss being Shelton Benjamin, Smackdown took another upgrade that will make the show just that much better than before. With a new faction alongside the returning Matt Hardy (who never should have left in the first place) should provide more solid wrestling than ever before.

Hart Dynasty: A perfect acquisition for Smackdown as this upcoming faction certainly has all the potential in the world to be one of the best. There are so many possibilities and seeing as they joined Smackdown, they should be able to shine more than they ever could on Raw or ECW.

Natalya is an instant upgrade for the Divas division as she is one of the best women wrestlers today. With Melina, Michelle McCool, and now Natalya on one roster, we should see some very solid Divas’ contests every Friday Night.

On ECW, Natalya was more of a valet and that is great for a faction, but now she has competition, so I think she will be a major part of the Divas division.

As for Kidd and Smith, they are a perfect fit for Smackdown’s tag team division as now they can feud with John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, and Rated Y2J.

Hart Dynasty will be such a great addition to Friday nights as they will take advantage of every opportunity they can get. They are most certainly the future of Smackdown.

Finlay: The tough Irishman will be a forced to be reckoned with on Friday nights. Another perfect Superstar for the Smackdown brand because Finlay can either be the tough Irish bastard he was when he first debuted on Smackdown or he can still play the face role as well.

Finlay will be a great part of the lower mid card as he can have some solid feuds with R-Truth, Kane, or Dolph Ziggler.

Finlay can really elevate a Superstar's status and that is what I think he will mainly be used for unless WWE decides to give him a monster push and have him join the upper mid-card, though I think that is unlikely.

Finlay is a perfect fit for Smackdown and he will provide some solid mat wrestling to the show.

Matt Hardy: Smackdown’s best pick if you ask me, Matt Hardy should be able to garner major heat from the crowd and provide a solid heel from Raw. The only question I have with Matt is, why?

We have Jeff Hardy and I do think both Hardys should be separated so they can feud with other people, but I really think this signifies that A. Jeff will be leaving the company or B. Matt will have some kind of storyline in which he can not come near Jeff.

Also, his injury takes into effect as well. We now know that Matt Hardy will need surgery and be out for some extended period of time, so could we be waiting for Matt to debut after Jeff is gone from WWE?

Matt could also turn face after (IF) Jeff is gone, but it would be hard to give Matt a turn after all he’s done to a top babyface.

That would be like Triple H and Randy Orton forming Evolution together and pretending that Orton never took out the entire McMahon family. Matt literally tried to kill his brother, so I’m not sure that is entirely possible.

I want WWE to have Matt come in after or if Jeff leaves, but if Jeff ends up staying, they need to be separated. I think WWE will wait to see what happens to Jeff before doing anything significant with Matt.

But whatever happens, there are so many ways to go with Matt back on Smackdown and I think this was an excellent move by WWE.

Overall Synopsis: As I’ve been saying over and over, Smackdown got bigger, Raw got better, and ECW got raided. There is nothing to look forward on Tuesdays besides Benjamin vs Christian and I do think Vladimir Kozlov will make a much dreaded impact on the show now that the competition is minimal.

Raw will be a more solid show depending on how they utilize their new acquisitions and Smackdown will be bigger and better than ever. With all the possibilities that show has, it will be even greater to watch Smackdown.

I hope you enjoyed my piece and thank you for reading!

WWE Pay Per View Previews: The Bash

DJ Rallo — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:47:25 -0400

We are now less than 24 hours away from The Bash. Looking at the card on paper, it should provide some very great quality wrestling, but the build up is really another story because it has been lackluster for Raw, ECW, and to be honest, Smackdown has not had enough time even though it has been far superior to Raw. In all honesty, I love the Hardy-Punk rivalry because WWE is building what seems to be a heel turn for Punk, especially after pulling an Orton on John Morrison last night on Smackdown. We have only really seen two weeks of build up in general and I would have liked to see more.

Almost the entire card looks solid with the exception of a match or two, and some matches have interested me and made me want to watch the show. Without further ado, my full thoughts on The Bash!

Match No. 1: Women's Championship Match: Michelle McCool vs Melina (c)

What! Women being taken seriously for once! This can't be, I wanted to see Santina vs Vickie Round Two. Oh well, now I have to watch real athletes compete. Now in all seriousness, I do think that Melina will go over in this contest simply because I do not think she is ready to lose it. This is Melina's first defense on Smackdown and this feud has been booked pretty well over the past few weeks. Though I am not that much of a McCool fan, she is improving on her lackluster mic skills. I really do see Melina going over and I do not think McCool should win because I think this could be one of the best Diva feuds in recent memory.

As for the quality of the match, well both women do have so much talent in the ring that this could be a great and well fought out match, but I fear that they will limit the match time so we can enjoy The Great Khali take on Dick Ziggler. I do not think this will be a long contest, but I do not think it will be five minutes. Maybe a quality 10-minute contest and they should let Melina go over McCool to continue the feud.

Where I stand, I want Melina to win simply because she needs to defend this belt more often to be a legit champion on Smackdown. Even though she had a great feud with Phoenix on Raw, this is Melina's first pay per view defense on Smackdown. If McCool goes over, I will not be that happy because it does not really feel right to me. Let this feud be great and in eight weeks, give McCool the win at Summerslam.

Predicted Winner: Melina in a 10-minute bout.

Match No. 2: No Disqualification: Dolph Ziggler vs The Great Khali

Who is ready to see Ziggler-Khali Round 34? It hurts me enough to watch Khali for free, but now we are paying $40 to watch him wrestle? But anyways, I do think this feud has been a solid under card feud, but I think it has run it's course. I do love how WWE makes Ziggler look credible with his assaults on Khali, but I doubt he will go over in this forgettable filler.

With all these weapons now being available, Khali will be ready and Ziggler's element of surprise will be stripped away which hurts his chances and there is no chance in my mind that he will get a clean pin-fall over Khali. In reality, Ziggler has really been dominating this feud and this really needs to come to a finish on Sunday. As I stated earlier, this will be a forgettable filler match, but it is time both of these men move on because I think Ziggler should elevate his status on Smackdown while he is hot and Khali should go and elevate mid card talent.

Where I stand, this is my short break to grab a snack for the rest of the show, because you will likely see Khali have the last laugh in this feud. Hopefully Ziggler can feud with Mysterio, Edge, or someone of that status.

Predicted Winner: The Great Khali in a five-minute bout.

Match No. 3: Unified Tag Team Championship Match: Legacy vs The Colons

After being fed to Roidtista and Triple H over the past few months, it is only suitable that Legacy, formally known as Priceless, should really be in the tag team picture and still just come out with Orton and not be his henchmen.

My greatest wish is to let The Colons retain just for the sake of their status on Raw. If Legacy win, I see the possibility of The Colons being buried on Raw being very likely because...well look at what London and Kendrick turned into on Raw. They were THE most exciting tag team on Smackdown and they got buried on Raw, and the same will happen to the Colons eventually. Though I unfortunately see Legacy going over which may be the right thing for the company, I will be pissed if The Colons lose because that is it for them.

If and likely when Legacy wins, that means that the titles will likely be rarely defended because Raw's tag team division is mediocre with really two legit tag teams. The Colons will not instantly be buried because I see these two going at it again at Night of Champions next month, but hopefully the crowd enjoys the match on Sunday and if the fans enjoy the match and get a great pop, the feud will be great. Unfortunately due to the lack of build up, the fans could care less in this bout. I do see Legacy going over to make Legacy an all champion faction.

Predicted Winners: Legacy in a 10-15-minute bout.

Match No. 4: ECW Scramble Match for the ECW Championship: Jack Swagger vs Mark Henry vs Finlay vs Tommy Dreamer (c) vs Christian

In what seems to be the opening bout for The Bash, ECW will pull off a very solid wrestling match between all these great competitors...and Mark Henry. The build up has also been pretty lackluster because we learned about this Scramble early this week and all of these men have been really doing there own thing besides Dreamer, Christian, and Thwagger who have all been feuding together. Finlay is also an interesting piece to this puzzle because he has not fully turned heel yet. The tough Irishman also needs a change in music, but he will probably show what status he is on Sunday.

Let us look at the possibilities for this outcome. First of all, you can count Mark Henry out of this because he just came off a totally unrelated feud with Evan Bourne, who should be in this match, and ultimately, Henry is the platform. I also automatically count out Fit Finlay because I think he needs more time to have a match for the ECW Championship. Now why does he get a shot while Evan Bourne who beat Mark Henry twice does not get into this match. Finlay made his presence known, but I still ponder what the hell WWE is going to do with him.

That leaves the three top dogs in ECW. In all essence, I just see Tommy Dreamer retaining the strap here because he has only held it for a few weeks. Though I believe Vince does not have confidence in Dreamer as a champion, I see Dreamer holding the strap until Summerslam.

Then there is the match, which will provide some fun spots just how the Scramble stipulation match usually does. We will probably see Christian screwed in the last second maybe by Finlay thus initiating a feud between them. Leaving them out, Thwagger and Dreamer could feud and have a one on one match at Night Of Champions. With Christian being a possibility to win, I think Dreamer will go over in this contest.

Predicted Winner: Tommy Dreamer in a 20-minute match.

Match No. 5: Mask vs Intercontinental Title: Rey Mysterio (m) vs Chris Jericho (c)

I recommend reading this piece on why Mysterio should not lose the mask and what should go down at this link.

Now after reading that piece, you can easily see why removing the mask from Mysterio is a terrible thing to do. The mask is Mysterio and whether you like him or not, he needs the mask to stay on. The mask is just a sign of who Mysterio is if it were to be taken off, it would be a terrible thing. Also, hearing that Mysterio is unhappy with losing his mask—I do not blame him—I think Mysterio rather leave the company than lose the mask again.

Then I look at Chris Jericho and I doubt he will lose the title either. WWE just built actual prestige towards this belt by having two of Smackdown's elite stars fighting over it instead of Khali and Ziggler fighting over it tonight. Why hurt the prestige of the belt after this build up? This may be the hottest feud on Smackdown besides Punk vs Hardy, but this really makes me wonder what will happen in this match because it is a lose-lose situation for the WWE.

As for the match in general, it will be great as both these men are very good in the ring together. They have pulled off great matches and this will likely be the match of the night. I see the end of the match with Mysterio winning via disqualification. Maybe Jericho will low blow Mysterio as the ref just gets up or have Jericho pull an Eddie Guerrero and get caught by the ref. This match should be stellar, but the outcome will obviously have Mysterio winning via disqualification unless Vince has started taking pages out of Vince Russo's book (look at Raw and Impact. They have almost the same amount of in ring action)

Predicted Winner: Rey Mysterio (DQ) in a 15-25-minute bout.

Match No. 6: John Cena vs The Miz

Well maybe the most unpredictable match of the evening, there is a lot to consider regarding the match between the self proclaimed, "Chain Gang Commander" and the "Chick Magnet" Miz. There are two major routes that this match can take, and a small third.

Option No. 1: After having The Miz trashing John Cena for almost seven weeks now, The Miz has really stepped up to the plate and has showed WWE how great he can be. We always though Morrison would be the bigger success, but I think both these men will do equally as good. The Miz has proven himself on the mic and in the ring, and with the opening segment that these two pulled off on Raw, well this may be the only Cena match I have looked forward to in a long time.

This match could be a very solid 15-minute contest of pure wrestling. Both men go back and forth as Miz would go over in this match in a very close contest. Morrison did just beat CM Punk on Friday. Imagine what this would do for Miz. Then we could continue the feud and have these two take it out at Summerslam.

Option No. 2: After weeks on end with countless gold segments from The Miz, we would finally see SuperCena "overcome some ridiculous odds" and beat the big, bad Miz. We could have some decent back and forth action, but Cena buries him in the end, thus giving Cena a main event push and we could always have Miz team with Brian Kendrick who has been demoted to taking Tadpole Splashes.

Option No. 3: The Big Slow comes out during the match to taunt Cena on the outside and after a well-fought out match, Miz would get the pin-fall. This would do wonders to Miz for that moment, but he would be inserted in Round 543 between Super Cena and Big Slow. This feud between them has been a punishment to the fans over the age of 13 because overcoming odds on a regular basis isn't all that special. This would eventually lead Miz to being squashed by Big Slow and Cena at the same time. I really just prefer a regular wrestling contest, but I think this option is the way WWE will go. Nonetheless, I see Miz going over here in some form of luck.

Predicted Winner: The Miz—via Luck—in a 15-25-minute bout.

Match No. 7: World Heavyweight Championship: Jeff Hardy vs CM Punk (c)

Maybe the best match on the card, the "Extreme Enigma" will face "The Straight-edge Superstar." My first comment is to plead to WWE to give Punk the full fledged turn. It has been painful to see him get mixed reactions when he is a true heel at heart. Even in his past in Ring of Honor, Punk was to ROH as Jericho is to WWE. He is just that great at being heel. He has been booked very well, but I would love to see him fully turn heel tonight.

This match has been much anticipated by me because Edge is actually not in the Smackdown main event. The funny thing is that it really never got old to me, but this is just refreshing for me and a lot of other fans. Also the build up has actually been very good in only two short weeks, because unlike Raw who wasted two weeks on this Trump-McMahon BS over their WWE Championship Match. All you see on "The Raw Rebound" is that billionaire bullsh*t.

The match itself should be very well done and unlike many, I find Jeff Hardy very entertaining in the ring and put him with CM and it will be a great match. Ultimately, CM Punk will go over because if you look at Jeff Hardy's contract status with WWE, it looks likely that he may take a sabbatical from the WWE. Though I do see this feud continuing for some time, I think Punk will obviously go over.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk in a 20-30-minute bout

Main Event: WWE Championship Match Three Stages of Hell: Triple H vs Randy Orton(c)

Well after seeing this feud unfold in a very solid Last Man Standing Match on Monday, you know these two will deliver in any match you put them in. Fortunately for us, McMahon actually used a match type that hasn't been seen in quite some time. I think it is obvious that we will go all three matches, and I do see Orton retaining the title, as this boring feud will continue and possibly end at Summerslam in a Hell In a Cell match.

The wrestling will be solid and we may see an extreme spot or two, but this will be your average Triple H-Randy Orton match. I do wonder how long they will go with each match, but I think it's safe to say that the Stretcher match will be the longest. Orton should retain the belt, but since WWE loves to kill prestige of the belt with so many frequent changes, I think Triple H could go over because when he returned, he came out of the ambulance, so Orton could leave in the ambulance if they went that way.

I also see no interference from Legacy, but we may see a McMahon come out in the match, preferably Vince or Stephanie to get some payback. This will be a solid main event, and I do think Orton will somehow retain. Sadly there will be no damn blood.

Predicted Winner:

Randy Orton def. Triple H in a 10-minute wrestling contest.

Triple H def. Randy Orton in a 15-25-minute Last Man Standing match.

Randy Orton def. Triple H in a 10-15-minute Stretcher Match to retain the title.

Recap

Overall this is a solid card on paper besides the Ziggler-Khali match and if given time, we could see two quality mid card championship matches in the Tag Team and Women's championship match. WWE has yet to have an epic failure Pay Per View this year and I think they will give us a decent show. I fully recommend ordering it or streaming it.

State of The Sox: Analyzing Red Sox's Pitching Status

DJ Rallo — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:31:52 -0400

Now Boston has a problem like really no other in baseball which is that they really have too much pitching depth on their roster. This is obviously a good problem for Boston and today I will analyze who really deserves to be in their starting rotation. I will give a short synopsis of each pitcher and see if they deserve a spot in the rotation. I will also see if they deserve to be where they are today.

Josh Beckett and Jon Lester

The reason I put them together is due to the fact that they deserve the spot in the rotation. Though they went through a rough patch in the beginning of the season, they have been very consistent as of late.

Beckett's numbers show for themselves as he has had a dramatic drop in his ERA, as for Lester he has been very solid, but he is still a little inconsistent, but do not judge him by his 5-5 record as the bullpen has not been on his side for most of his starts as Lester should really be somewhere between 7-4.

Both men are Boston's "one-two punch" and deserve to be in the rotation.

Tim Wakefield

There is really not much to say about Wakefield either.

Earlier in his Red Sox career either he gained no run support or his bullpen blew his win. This year is a different story as he has gained quite enough run support and the best bullpen in baseball has helped him win some games as well.

Wakefield has been so consistent and solid this season that I would not be surprised to see him on the All Star team, though there are many solid pitchers standing in front of him.

He was Boston's true ace earlier this season when Beckett and Lester were struggling, but he has cooled down quite a bit. At the price Boston paid him this season, they sure got a great deal when they resigned Wakefield.

Daisuke Matsuzaka

With all of his early season troubles, I doubt he will pitch much this season with Clay Buccholz waiting. Dice-K has been, well abysmal this season and has recently been placed on the 15 Day Disabled List due to "arm fatigue" or some other nonsense.

I think this really is showing how Daisuke really pitches in MLB because last season, he garnered much run support after only pitching 5.8 innings per game last season. Daisuke has given up many more earned runs and the offense has not been a help either.

I'm sure Daisuke will return to old form, but with the World Baseball Classic being the initial blame to his mishaps this season, I find that ridiculous. He received extended Spring Training and was given all the time in the world to recover.

We do not need Daisuke if Buchholz and Bowden are dominating Triple-A. I highly doubt he is trade bait either after all, he is a $100 million dollar investment by Boston. He does not deserve a spot right now and I do hope he can recover and return in full health and pitch like he did the past two seasons.

This is certainly not over for Daisuke's career success.

John Smoltz

Since signing to Boston this offseason, he has been looked at like Boston spent half a billion dollars on two franchise pitchers and a powerhouse first baseman by the media.

Everyone says how much he'll help Boston and with all due respect, he does not deserve a spot in the rotation. Now let us forget about his game last night in D.C. because this was one of the biggest games in his career and he was obviously nervous.

But if we see that happen two or three more times, Smoltz would be a great addition to the bullpen. Let's look at the facts here, the man is nowhere near what he once was and that is understandable, but we have to potential aces in Triple-A in Buchholz and Bowden.

Does Smoltz really mean more to Boston then their two top pitching prospects? Both have proved themselves and are ready to be given another shot in Boston, but they are being held back by Smoltz who will liekly finish the season with a 6-4 record with a 2.70 ERA.

Not saying that is bad, but the two kids in Triple-A can produce so much more. Will Smoltz prove me wrong? I don't think he will win over 7 games and have an ERA below 2.50, but he is a valuable speaker on the team and a grear leader, but do we need that?

We do have Lowell, Varitek, and even younger players such as Justin Masterson who are leaders in the clubhouse. Boston already has experience and are very successful in the postseason (8-0 in the World Series this season).

With all respect due to the first ballot Hall of Famer, I think it is time for the kids to shine.

Brad Penny

The cheap star for the Red Sox seems to have found a good place in Boston's heart because it looks like he will be in Boston for the long haul this season and why shouldn't he?

Penny has been a very valuable asset in the back of the rotation and I give props to the Boston pitching staff for making him more motivated since it was notable that he had slacked off to some extent in Los Angeles.

He has pitched very consistently and has earned the spot in the rotation as long as he stays consistent. He may never be the ace he once was, but he is certainly a solid piece to the Red Sox pitching puzzle this season.

Recap

This is a very good problem for Boston because if Smoltz, Matsuzaka, Penny or Wakefied start to struggle again sometime this season, we have Buccholz, Bowden and even Justin Masterson who could be very suitable replacements in the rotation.

In all essence, I do think by the season's end that Buccholz will find himself up in Boston, I think Penny will remain in Boston, and I doubt we will see a whole lot from Daisuke if the rotation becomes a bigger force to be reckoned with then it was with Dice K.

I also really doubt they will go for the six man rotation because it makes Beckett and Lester wait an extra day because when either of them pitch, you expect a solid outing.

In conclusion, I see great things for this pitching staff and I do ponder about what are more possibilities which is always a good thing.

DJ Rallo is a writer who specializes in Major League Baseball as well as World Wrestling Entertainment. He is open to interviews, questions, and criticism. He is also hoping to start a MLB Mailbag, so if you have a question then email him at djredsox24@gmail.com

Man of Mystery: A Look at Rey Mysterio's Mask and Why It Needs to Stay

DJ Rallo — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:35:38 -0400

As World Wrestling Entertainment's upcoming pay per view approaches, I have not really looked forward to the card as I feel that some of the buildup has been lackluster. Be that as it may, there is one feud that has really caught my attention on Smackdown!, between Chris Jericho and Rey Mysterio.

This feud has done so many things to help both men, as well as the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship.

In the summer of 2008, prior to when Rey Mysterio would be moved to Monday Night RAW in the 2008 WWE Draft, we witnessed a feud between Rey Mysterio and Kane regarding the ever so popular mask that Rey Mysterio wears.

This feud, which had potential to be great, ended up being an epic failure. Rey Mysterio had put his mask on the line during this “feud” (more like a circus side show, if you ask me) and retained it for the time being.

Now throughout his stint on Raw, Mysterio went about everything with his mask.

At WrestleMania 25, Mysterio defeated John Bradshaw Layfield to win his first ever Intercontinental Championship. After his truly mediocre feud with JBL, Mysterio would be drafted back to SmackDown! along with his championship in the 2009 WWE Draft a few weeks later.

Back to SmackDown!, Mysterio had been instantly placed in a feud with maybe WWE's greatest heel today, Chris Jericho. Jericho has long been known to make every feud he has been in so believable and exciting to watch.

Though I felt Jericho should be in the main events and Mysterio should be elevating young talent, I think this feud has been superb so far. Over the past month or so, Jericho has spoken “the truth” about Mysterio's mask.

Mysterio's mask has taken a major role in this feud between both men because Jericho has been the first one in WWE to use the mask against Mysterio (at least in recent memory).

Even at Extreme Rules, Jericho stripped Rey Mysterio of his mask to become the new Intercontinental Champion, something that nobody has ever done before (WCW days excluded). The self-proclaimed "Savior" has been attempting to strip Mysterio of his mask or rather his identity.

After taking Rey's mask off on two separate occasions, Jericho has proclaimed that he wants to, "free Rey Mysterio, free him of all his lies."

The high flying luchador has worn this mask for his entire wrestling career and has only been stripped of his mask on very few occasions in the WWE.

The mask has been a vital part of Mysterio's career. He has worn in it all over the world, and “Mysterio masks” may be the biggest selling merchandise that WWE has today.

Besides those ridiculous Jeff Hardy armbands and the John Cena foam fingers, kids all over the arena are wearing Mysterio's mask. If he were to unmask permanently, then I would be a huge problem with it for so many reasons.

Does anybody remember February 21, 1999, when Kevin Nash and Scott Holl took on the team of Rey Mysterio, Jr. and Konnan in a match where if Mysterio lost, he would be stripped of his mask? Team Mysterio eventually did lose the bout, and he was unmasked for the first time in his career. Watch him unmask here.

"The fans wanted Rey Mysterio with the mask and losing it hurt me a lot. It was also frustrating that it didn't come as the climax to a feud with another masked wrestler, but in a throwaway match."

That was his public proclamation after the loss, and how he felt to lose his mask. Fans did not want to see this and it really hurt Mysterio's legacy.

During Mysterio's tenure without the mask, he was really an epic failure to the WCW front office. He did not draw as well as he did with his mask on, but he did win the World Tag Team Championships with his partner Billy Kidman (whom Mysterio had beaten earlier to become the Cruiserweight Champion).

Though he had success in the ring, Mysterio had never felt the same without the mask.

Shortly after WCW was sold to the WWE (then WWF), Mysterio had disappeared from television until he made a few appearances at the XWF promotion, which featured lucha libre stars.

Later in 2002, Vince McMahon had hired Rey Mysterio to join World Wrestling Entertainment. Much to the surprise of Mysterio, WWE requested that he wear his mask.

Since debuting on July 25, 2002 in a match against Chavo Guerrero, Mysterio revolutionized the luchador style that continues to amaze his WWE fans to this day. As I stated earlier, his masks became one of WWE's biggest sellers.

During feuds with the likes of Eddie Guerrero, Kane, and now Chris Jericho, there have been many attempts to unmask Mysterio in WWE. While Guerrero destroyed his mask in a match, Mysterio never got stripped of it.

Kane never came close (unbelievably, I might add) and Chris Jericho has done it a few times, but now, “The Savior” will attempt to make Rey Mysterio give it up for good.

What does this mean to Mysterio's legacy? If he can never put the mask on again, then Mysterio's career will be tarnished, because if he loses that mask, he'll never be the same.

Fans do not want to see him unmasked, and I'm not talking just little kids. Obviously kids do not want to see Mysterio unmasked because he is their hero. Meanwhile, the Internet Wrestling Community does not want him unmasked because everyone knows it will be an epic failure.

What effect have we seen when a masked superstar has been forced, in recent memory, to take the mask off?

Let's take, for example, Kane, who went from being "The Big Red Machine" and "The Monster" to everybody's favorite glorified jobber.

Since losing the mask, Kane has held the Tag Team Championship a few times as well as being the Intercontinental Champion one or two times—but no World titles.

What about Hurricane Helms? Well, at least unmasking him might not have been a monumental blunder.

When he had the mask, he had feuded with the likes of the Rock, but he did take a fall when he teamed with Rosey. I hated the superhero getup and was glad when he unmasked.

Later in Helms' career, he had some great feuds with the Cruiserweight Division, an impressive run with the Cruiserweight belt (longest running champ in SmackDown! history), and a good feud with Matt Hardy, but shortly after the latter rivalry, he broke his neck and is now hinting a Hurricane return.

I wish Helms were a heel so I could take him seriously and I wish he would not be the backstage interviewer when there could be some Diva that has no in-ring ability that can do the job.

I know they want to give Helms some mic time, but his promos have fallen flat.

Rey is just so different from those two and any others.

A luchador who loses his mask is considered a disgrace. The man who loses his mask is dishonorable for losing the mask and can never sport it again. If Mysterio loses his mask sometime in the future, then he will lose his identity, and WWE will have made a very ludicrous decision.

Will the WWE be foolish enough to pull the trigger on this move? I really do not think they would, but it could very well be the case where Rey loses his mask at The Bash.

Maybe it will be just a disqualification finish, because I do not see Jericho dropping the strap so quickly. There are so many ways to go in this feud, but I really hope Rey is not forced to take the mask off.

What could Mysterio do without the mask? He could always turn heel and say that Jericho saved him from his lies and all of his fans. I guess that could be a cool way to go, but in the long run, Rey cannot afford to lose his mask because it will be one of those turns or gimmicks that WWE does for the current storyline, but it falls flat in the long run.

Matt Hardy anyone?

Hopefully WWE Creative makes the right decision and lets Rey Mysterio keep the mask. That is what I think will happen, but I wanted to post what I thought it would be like if he dropped the mask. Like him or not, Mysterio needs the mask.

Boston Red Sox Trade Market: What are Their Needs?

DJ Rallo — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:07:12 -0400

As June 15 has passed a few days ago, the Boston Red Sox are now eligible to trade away Brad Penny as well as all other free agent signings this past offseason. As we head towards the deadline, Boston has been rumored to make trades with several teams over several different players. Today I am going to look at some of the trading rumors that look possible to me as well as several other things Boston can do with their many stars.

First of all, rumors first reported by FOX's Ken Rosenthal have claimed that several teams including Washington and Texas have shown initial interest in Takashi Saito as well as the Boston native, Manny Delcarmen. Before I look at possible destinations for these two, I think Boston would be foolish to trade either man. Both of them have been very consistent and they have made this bullpen the best one in recent memory for the Red Sox.

In early May, rumors speculated that the Nationals would trade Nick Johnson for Manny Delcarmen. As bad as this move is for Washington, I think Boston made the right choice in making this deal because if Ortiz remains consistent then we do not need a big hitter.

With David Ortiz vastly returning to old form as of late, Boston does not need a big bat due to their solid lineup. With protection from Jason Bay, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and Jason Varitek in the lineup, Ortiz does not need to hit over 35 home runs and knock in 130 runs like he did in his earlier years with the club. I now highly doubt Boston will look for a power hitter unless Ortiz falls back into his slump.

If that happens, I would be all open to a Saito-Blalock trade with Texas as rumored earlier though it would take time due to Josh Hamilton's injury. I would also be open to maybe Victor Martinez coming over from Cleveland in exchange for Delcarmen and a prospect.

Some big bats that I could see coming to Boston would include Adrian Gonzalez and Adam Dunn who would be perfect fits for the DH position if Ortiz goes back into his slump. It would probably cost Clay Buchholz or Michael Bowden with a younger prospect for Gonzalez, but I could see Delcarman, Penny, and cash in exchange for Adam Dunn.

Speaking of Brad Penny, he may be the best pitcher on the trading block considering that San Diego's Jake Peavy has been injured. Several teams including the Phillies, Mets, and others have shown serious interest in Penny. Seeing how well he has played over his past couple of starts, he should be a hot commodity. I think moving him will be a good move because we have so much better pitching in Buchholz and Bowden in Triple A as well as John Smoltz who will be returning next Thursday.

Lastly is the shortstop position which is in need the most. Lugo and Green have provided some quality offense as of late, but their work with the leather is pretty unbearable. Their errors have cost Boston at least two or three games this season.

With that said, Boston has looked at almost every shortstop in baseball. After the Jack Wilson deal fell apart, Boston has observed J.J. Hardy, Willy Aybar, Orlando Cabrera, Bobby Crosby, and they have looked at Michael Young. Looking at those possibilities, I would love to see Orlando Cabrera or J.J. Hardy come to Boston and I could see on of them packaged to Boston in a deal including Brad Penny or Takashi Saito.

Well that is my short analysis on the Red Sox trading possibilities for now. I would also like to start a potential mailbag on baseball in general. So if you have any questions that you would like to send in then email me at my address that can be found on my profile page.

Red Sox-Yankees: A Look at the Most Profound Feud in Sports

DJ Rallo — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:50:10 -0400

I would like to thank Leroy Watson for some help on this project.

Feuds have always been an essential part of the entertainment value in sports.

We always cheer for our teams and when our rivals step onto our turf, the home crowd becomes hostile. And when our heroes are the visitors, the opposing fans return the favor.

Some notable feuds over the years have included: the Celtics vs. the Lakers in the NBA, the Bruins and the Canadians in hockey, and the Red River rivalry (Oklahoma and Texas) in NCAA football.

Today, though, I will be looking back at probably the most renowned rivalry in sports: the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

We have all seen some intense moments between the Red Sox and Yankees. I will look back at the history of this famous feud, how it was ignited, and some substantial moments between these two teams all leading to my conclusion that this feud is the best in sports.

The Red Sox and Yankees' feud has been around for well over 100 years, but the defining moment that made these two teams intense rivals occurred in 1919.

This year is well known to every baseball fan because it is when the Yankees took a large step toward becoming the best in the business.

Through 1918, the Red Sox were looked at as the best team in the league. They won the very first modern World Series in 1903, and added another title in 1912.

Led by Babe Ruth, Boston had won three more World Series Championships—1915-16 and 1918. They were at the top of the heap and there were no signs of slowing down.

Boston fans were ecstatic about the success of the Red Sox and the team’s utter dominance.

Then there were the New York Yankees.

The Yankees were really the team that had always seemed to finish in last place in the American League. During this time period, New York was really looking up to Boston when it came to the cities’ ball clubs.

But then 1919 came, and most of us know the story of the "Curse of the Bambino." Then Red Sox owner Harry Frazee had made a deal with the devil after being pressured into loans for Fenway Park and some of his lavish Broadway plays.

Making matters more complicated, Ruth, knowing his value to the team, had demanded that his salary be doubled to the unheard of figure (at the time) of $20,000 per annum.

Frazee balked, so he dealt the league's best hitter to New York in exchange for $125,00 cash, three notes of $25,000 each plus interest that amounted to $79,500, and a loan of $300,000, with a mortgage on Fenway Park as collateral.

This day late Christmas present, on December 26, 1919, was the beginning of the Yankee Dynasty.

Around the time of this trade, Frazee was still in financial straits, so he got rid of most of his talent. Some who were either sold or traded included: Joe Bush, Sam Jones, Tris Speaker, and finally, manager Ed Barrow, who joined the "Evil Empire's" front office.

From then on, New York reached the World Series seven times with Ruth on their team, and they won four championships while Boston remained stuck at five.

Since the birth of the Dynasty in 1919, New York has gone on to win a total of 26 World Series Championships between the years of 1920 to 2003.

During that same time span, Boston reached the World Series a number of times, but ultimately failed to win it even once.

In 1978, Boston fans were filled with hopes and dreams for the Red Sox to win a World Series as their team seemed destined for victory.

Players like Hall of Famers Jim Rice and Carl Yastrzemski were looking to end this curse. After a valiant effort, which saw them build a seemingly insurmountable lead of 14.5 games over their hated rivals, they were shot down by the Yankees in a one game playoff series.

Though Bucky Dent’s three-run home run had put the Yanks in the lead, it was Reggie Jackson’s homer in the eighth that provided the ultimate margin in a 5-4 win.

The Yankees, adding insult to injury, would win the World Series that year as well.

Dent is still known in New England as Bucky “Effin” Dent (expletive euphemized.)

Now, we head to 2003, when the Boston Red Sox would meet the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series for the first time since 1999 (Boston had fallen short that year, too).

This series really had the fans on the edges of their seats as the teams really put a spark back in the rivalry with the historic brawl between the Red Sox and Yankees in Game Three.

This is when Pedro Martinez had tussled with Don Zimmer, himself a former longtime Red Sox player and manager.

That single moment—of Zimmer swinging at Pedro, with the Boston hurler sidestepping and shoving the aged Zimmer to the ground—is now one of the most recognizable moments in baseball history due to the significance of the rivalry.

Now, let’s fast forward another year.

After losing to New York in heartbreaking fashion in 2003, the Boston Red Sox would go on to win their first championship in 86 years.

Led by David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Kevin Millar, Trot Nixon, and Johnny Damon, Boston would win the World Series in dramatic fashion.

First, Boston and New York met in the ALCS for the second straight year, with Boston vowing not to go out like last year, though by watching the first three games, Red Sox fans had lost hope.

The Yankees had thoroughly dominated proceedings, winning the first three games.

Nonetheless, Boston overcame New York and that 3-0 deficit.

This comeback is known as the greatest comeback in sports by many, and, that same year, Boston won their first World Series Championship in 86 years.

This is when the "Curse was Reversed," and the tables had turned regarding who dominated this feud, which had been one-sided for so long.

In 2007, Boston won the American League East for the first time since 1997, and that season Boston would win the World Series for the second time this decade.

In 2008, New York had not found much recent success in the playoffs and Boston finished one game away from making the World Series.

It is funny how after even more than one hundred years, this feud is still ongoing, and, in some ways, it’s hotter than ever.

Some prime examples of it today are shown through the Red Sox/Yankees series last week, when Yankee manager Joe Girardi accused Brad Penny of beaning Alex Rodriguez and started a heated war of words.

A-Rod himself is another example of why this rivalry is so heated after all these years.

The Fenway Faithful were brutal in that series with the, "You Used Steroids" chants every time he went up to bat.

There are so many memories of this feud that have not been brought up in quite some time.

"Who’s Your Daddy?" chants at Pedro Martinez during the 2004 season were prominent from New York fans, as well as Gary Sheffield's heated interaction with a Red Sox fan in 2005 at Fenway Park.

Even Mark Teixieria joining New York, when it looked as though he was joining Boston, was a spark in the rivalry, along with the $400 million they spent this season.

The Red Sox and Yankees have one of the most well-known and profound rivalries in sports history, and every time these two teams cross paths there is always something that makes the game special and keeps the fans on the edges of their seats.

Sport's Biggest Icons

DJ Rallo — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:05:42 -0400

Baseball, Football, Basketball, Soccer, and Hockey are really North America's most well known and most recognizable sports to play and watch. Everyone who watches sports has a favorite athlete. It could be anyone of any sport, but today I will be looking at five men who are known to everyone for what they do. Based on today's active athletes, I will look at five athletes that everybody knows about. It could be a little kid that does not like sports or an avid soccer fan that knows nothing about any other sport. We all know at least one person that plays a different sport and we all recognize one man for all of the things he does to make us know more about him. Please enjoy my article on five icons in sports today. Note- These are just five, not THE Top 5. Opinions are entirely subjective, so if you are not happy with my choice, it does not mean that I have something against that player. There will also be a Part II coming out sometime next week, giving tribute to icons of different sports. All lists of records are credited to Wikipedia.org.

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State of the Sox: Analyzing the Boston Red Sox

DJ Rallo — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:16:00 -0400

As we approach the end of June, I have closely analyzed the Boston Red Sox this year. They currently sit atop the American League East, two games ahead of the New York Yankees. They do have a few problems, though, but the solutions are just as clear.

The status of David Ortiz: Could he be replaced?

The first problem that many people have been complaining about is the production of the once dominant force, David Ortiz. Maybe not so much now because of the way he has been hitting, but the question is how long can he be useful to the team.

I really do not think the Red Sox need him to hit over 40 home runs to lead them to the playoffs because of the production that surrounds him in the lineup.

Mike Lowell, Jason Bay, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia all are big bats in the lineup that make it so Ortiz does not even have to be what he once was. As long as Ortiz can produce at least 15 home runs and knock in 50 to 60 runs, then he is fine in the lineup and the Red Sox will be okay.

On the other hand, if Ortiz goes back to playing like he did for the first few months of this season, Theo Epstein needs to look at finding at least a decent hitter to replace Ortiz.

They do not need to spend or trade a fortune, but seeing as how the San Diego Padres are a mediocre team, I could see Boston going after Adrian Gonzalez at some point leading up to the trade deadline.

If he can not be acquired, I think Boston would look at younger talent. Others still speculate that Lars Anderson is ready, but he is in somewhat of a slump down at Double-A Portland.

A look at the pitching rotation and a possible six-man rotation

Moving on to the pitching rotation, it appears that the woes surrounding Josh Beckett and Jon Lester are returning to form, overcoming their early season slumps. Brad Penny has been a pretty good pickup and Tim Wakefield has been very useful as well.

The odd man out is Daisuke Matsuzaka, who is Boston's version of Chien-Ming Wang of the Yankees. The man cannot get out of the fifth inning without having fatigue issues and we are led to believe that he could pitch far longer in the Japan league.

In all honesty, Daisuke has always been rumored to be a player who rarely talks to American media and be more about himself in the locker room, though it has been claimed by Steve Buckley of the Boston Globe that he pays more attention to the Japanese media whereas he only wants to talk to the American media in the playoffs.

Besides that, Daisuke's record is 1-4 since coming off the disabled list and his start against the Phillies today seems like his last chance in my opinion.

The reason I say this is due to the fact that John Smoltz is preparing to make a comeback next week and with Penny and Wakefield pitching so well, I think Matsuzaka is the man to be either placed on the disabled list or to be sent to the bullpen, which I doubt he will be happy about.

Smoltz is guaranteed this spot in the rotation, but with all due respect for his past, I think that spot in the rotation is more deserving to Michael Bowden or Clay Buchholz, who are both dominating at Triple-A Pawtucket.

I really do not want to see Wakefield or Penny moved because they are doing so well, but Bowden and Clay are growing impatient with waiting in the minors and I do not blame them.

They have each earned a spot on the Red Sox and I think Smoltz is all hype coming off the disabled list.

He is coming off major surgery and hasn't pitched to Major League batters in a good while, so I doubt he will be winning over eight games this season. Besides that fifth spot, I think Boston has the best all around starting rotation as of today.

Shortstop: Lugo, Lowrie, Green, or Cabrera, who is the answer?

Boston's real problem is the shortstop position. Let's all face the fact that Julio Lugo was the worst signing that Theo Epstein has made in his tenure with Boston and Lugo needs to go (not that you didn't already know that).

Nick Green is solid at batting, but defensively, he is not that much better than Lugo.

There is also the injured Jed Lowrie, who should be back by the All-Star Break. I do not see him as a franchise shortstop, but I am all for giving him a chance. If Lowrie plays as well as he did at the end of last year, then problem solved.

Then again, if Lowrie is a bust, the Red Sox need to make a trade by July 31.

Some options are Omar Vizquel, Jack Wilson, and the well known Orlando Cabrera. Right now Cabrera is the likely candidate due to several variables.

The Rangers are playing so well that they are hesitant to move Vizquel and the Red Sox are unwilling to take on Wilson's contract.

Cabrera being let go in the 2004-05 offseason was a big mistake on Boston's behalf. If they manage to get him then I think the Red Sox are set at shortstop because he is an overall solid player even if it is for one year.

Outfield and infield: already in good hands

For the rest of the team, the outfield has been solid, but I would not be surprised of the Red Sox got a backup outfielder because both Mark Kotsay and Rocco Baldelli have been battling injuries this season.

I would just call up Jonathan Van Every because he was solid in his time in Boston this year. As for the infield, it is solid as all except Lugo are producing good defense and great offense.

Bullpen: Keep up the solid work

Lastly, we have the bullpen, which was stellar in the first few months of the season.

Ramon Ramirez has been cooling off as of late and Jonathan Papelbon has been providing a lot of scares in the ninth inning, somehow blowing only one save.

As for the rest of the 'pen, Okajima, Bard, Saito, Delcarmen, and Masterson have all been outstanding this year. Let's hope that they stay consistent throughout the rest of the season, which sometimes can be a problem.

Extra Notes: Offseason, Closer situation

As we are going through this season, I think the Red Sox are having a pretty good year, though I would like to add my thoughts on the scenario of this offseason.

Jason Bay will soon be a free agent and he is on many teams' radars including the New York Yankees, who will be in search for a new outfielder, which makes resigning Bay even more important.

Also, they need to decide if they are going to sign Papelbon to an extension or give the job to Daniel Bard. That is really a tough decision, but I would rather see Papelbon in the bullpen.

Conclusion

Well it is untrue to say that Boston is having no problems whatsoever, I do believe that all we need is to grab a shortstop for the end of this season and also call up either Clay or Bowden.

If Ortiz at least produces something for the Sox, there is no concern in my opinion, but as I said, if he goes back to his ways from earlier this season Boston will need a replacement.

Check out my State of the Sox blogs every two weeks where I analyze what is going on in Beantown.

WWE Pay Per View Previews: Extreme Rules

DJ Rallo — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:01:14 -0400

Well tonight is the one night of the year in which the WWE features all their matches to be under a certain stipulation. Once known as One Night Stand, I feel as though that WWE's PG rating will hurt the show's amount of extreme.

I honestly will not be buying the pay per view, but I'll check out some of it via free online stream. It is really Judgment Day 2.0 and I feel the show has a few problems.

First of all, we have a No Holds Barred, Extreme Rules, and a Fatal Four Way on this card. Is there any difference between No Holds Barred and an Extreme Rules Match? If so, please explain it to me.

As for the Fatal Four Way stipulation, I can only think how lazy was WWE with this. At least give it a stipulation at an all stipulation show.

Battle Royal? Elimination? Come on WWE, those were two options right off the top of my head. Anyways, here is my Extreme Rules preview.

Match 1: United States Championship Fatal Four Way: Kofi Kingston (c) vs Matt Hardy vs William Regal vs MVP

Well this is WWE's thrown together match. Not to say it had no build up, but in all essence it did not have enough. First of all, why is Matt Hardy in the mid card? I get why MVP is in it with his rematch clause, but Matt should be facing guys in the main event.

Even Miz is more useful than Matt. Looks as though there is nothing for Matt to do besides be Vickie's henchman and tag team with William Regal.

By no means will I not enjoy this match because it will be a great match, but everybody can speculate that Kofi Kingston will retain. He just won the title belt last week on Raw.

So this will be a great match, though I think this is MVP's good way out of the mid card, but for Hardy, I see nothing too luminescent in his future. As for the extreme factor in this match, I think there will not be much except maybe a few chair shots. But that would be it.

Predicted Winner: Kofi Kingston via pinfall in a 10-15 minute match.

Match 2: Submission Match: Big Show vs John Cena

This feud has really made Raw so painful to watch. We have seen this before and it will never be different. Super Cena cannot nail his STF on the Big Show so it looks impossible for him to win due to Big Slow dominating on Raw. Then at the pay per view, John Cena will find some way to lock in the STF and make the big man tap.

There is no chance whatsoever that Cena will tap out. It is just not going to happen and this is tonight's sleeper. I know that is my time to watch a television show, eat dinner, and use the bathroom because this will drag on forever.

So get ready for a Super Cena comeback, though I pray that The Miz can save this match in some sort of interference between, during, or after this so we can see Cena vs Miz soon, though I doubt Miz will look good in that feud.

Predicted Winner: John Cena via submission in a 20-30 minute match.

Match 3: No Holds Barred Match for the Intercontinental Championship: Chris Jericho vs Rey Mysterio

Maybe one of two matches I am looking forward to tonight, I love this feud between Jericho and Mysterio though I am unhappy about the whole mask scenario. I really doubt that Mysterio will be unmasked, but if he is then I will go crazy because the mask makes Mysterio.

It is who he is and if he loses the mask, it hurts WWE in so many ways. Merchandise sales go down drastically, Mysterio's fanbase dies out a bit as he is basically stripped of his identity, and he will never be the same.

They tried it in WCW and it was a total bust. Mysterio just can not lose the mask no matter what tonight, but I feel it will be teased quite a bit. I just cannot imagine him not wearing the mask. But on to the match itself.

Just like Judgment Day, I see this being a phenomenal match with Jericho likely going over. I feel he does not need to win, but I honestly think that Mysterio will move on to feud with Edge before Summerslam when Undertaker is looking to return and we could see Jericho feud with Jeff Hardy and ultimately take Hardy out of the WWE if he does not re-sign with WWE. That is the best way to go in my opinion.

Again, this match will be stellar and I do see the belt changing hands tonight, but I do not expect Mysterio to lose the mask unless he shields his face. I think the Extreme factor will be used a good part of this match with a lot of outside ring action.

Predicted Winner: Chris Jericho in a 15-20 minute match.

In Ring Segment: Hogpen Match for the Ms. WrestleMania Crown Match: Vickie Guerrero vs Santina Marella

Hey who needs Michelle McCool, Beth Pheonix, Melina, Gail Kim, and Maryse when you have Raw's General Manager taking on everybody's favorite lesbian cross-dresser. This is my potty break for tonight as this will be mostly a segment than a match.

I am completely against this because it demeans women's wrestling so much. Word up Vince, you know you have a good amount of decent Diva's that can pull off some good matches.

I have never experienced a Hog Pen match, but I'm guessing that there will be a lot of mud and maybe a pig or something. I really do not care either way. But something I think may happen is Chavo will come out and reveal Santina for being Santino.

I think Vince only fooled Michael Cole with this storyline because I think eight year olds could figure this out. I think the only thing as bad as this was when Samoa Joe wanted to kill Kurt Angle. So tell me Joe, you want to kill people for a belt or something? Someone needs a good doctor.

Predicted Winner: Vickie Guerrero in a 10-minute segment.

Match 4: CM Punk vs Umaga in a Strap Match

This feud has left me in a complete state of confusion. Why does Umaga want to hurt CM Punk again? Did we get a reason yet?

I am also angered at the fact that we saw these two go one on one this Friday which to me tells a lot of the match. It will put me to sleep because for some reason, Umaga of all people has left me bored.

If you like basic mat wrestling, then you will like this, but I have seen nothing impressive that made me want to watch these two fight. As for the strap stipulation, I think Umaga's strap is Mark Henry's pants belt, but I guess the Strap Match could make this a little more interesting though I have never liked this match.

I do see CM Punk winning as WWE has made Umaga look strong heading into Extreme Rules with the exception of last Friday.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk in a 10 minute Match

Match 5: Extreme Rules Match for the ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs Tommy Dreamer vs Jack Swagger

This match to me has been well built up and I think it will be the end of the Tommy Dreamer era in ECW. In reality, Dreamer's contract is up after tonight and he has yet to re-sign, so I think Christian will retain in a well fought match.

I do see Dreamer shining in this match. I think we'll see all of his signature moves as well the use of weapons that Dreamer is most known for using. I do think that Christian will be the one to pin Dreamer and then there will be a sendoff at this ECW based pay per view. Maybe have Dreamer pass the torch by raising Christian's arm and he could nail one last Dreamer DDT to Jack Swagger. I am actually looking forward to seeing what happens during this match

Predicted Winner: Christian via pinfall in a 10-15 minute match. Dreamer's sendoff could be another 5 minutes though

Match #6: Steel Cage for the WWE Championship: Batista vs Randy Orton (c)

Another feud that makes me sick to watch Raw every night. The way Orton has been booked has been mediocre and Batista flat out sucks in general. The only thing Batista has done is making Rhodes and DiBiase look like jobbers. Ric Flair was a nice addition, but this to me has tainted his retirement because that match with Orton in the parking lot really looked like a real match. Flair even used his vintage moves (like a punch Michael Cole, because only Flair uses a punch).

When Orton and Triple H feuded, it was booked to perfection. Orton got his sadistic new chatacter and Triple H can make anyone look good when he is not burying them. The match will be a snorefest because I am not a fan of Batista or Orton really, but still this match will probably feature Flair's interference along with Legacy being buried by a 60 year old man outside the cage. I think that Orton will retain and I pray that Triple H returns to so Batista can just leave the main event.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton via escaping the cage in a 20-25 minute match.

Main Event: Ladder Match for the World Championship: Edge (c) vs Jeff Hardy

Despite Jeff's lack of promo skills, this feud has been very solid and I look forward to these two having their first one on one ladder match. I think there will be a lot of insane spots and it will be a great match, but again the question is what is Hardy's status with the WWE?

But wheter or not he is staying, I think Edge will win this match. If Hardy is leaving in July, I think it is just too late to push him with a championship, though it would have been a different story if he had won it last month because he could have had a decent reign.

Anyways this will be a great match that has been very well built up. Ultimately, Edge will retain.

Predicted Winner: Edge in a 25-30 minute bout

Well in conclusion, this is looking to be WWE's worst pay per view this year. So far I think that all of them so far have been decent, but this will be the throwaway. I suggest you do not buy this as there are some good matches, but way to many flaws and poor matches that will be featured. So let us hope that Night of Champions will be a strong rebound from this.

Resisting Temptation: Josh Hamilton's Ride To Hell and Back

DJ Rallo — Sat, 30 May 2009 20:01:36 -0400

Resisting temptation is something that requires a strong heart as well as self-discipline. Many normal people are addicted to drugs such as heroin and marijuana. There are many others who are addicted to alcohol, cigarettes, and dosing themselves with other substances that ruin their lives.

You get addicted to these substances when you put them into your body. An addiction is something or someone that you crave. You must fulfill your addiction simply because you come to need something.

One of the most heartwarming stories of overcoming addiction is the story of Josh Hamilton. Though it is not a story that happened all that long ago, Hamilton’s tale is a perfect example that everybody makes mistakes.

Born May 20, 1981 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Hamilton grew up with a safe family who had deeply cared for him and nurtured his miraculous talent for the game of baseball. He grew up playing baseball as a young child all the way through college and so many saw a great future in him.

In high school, he was the No. 1 player in the country. He had a stellar batting average of .556 and was the projected No. 1 pick in the MLB draft. But that was not all; Hamilton had gone 7-1 that season as a pitcher. Fans were ecstatic about him and the respect level was very high.

Hamilton was dedicated to baseball more than anything. Teammates and coaches referred to him as a "very nice and humble kid." Hamilton was so passionate for baseball that he never bothered to even date in high school. He was seen as the future of baseball and was referred to the "Golden Boy" by everyone around him.

Hamilton then signed a $3.96 million signing bonus to join the Tampa Bay Devil Rays' organization after being drafted first overall. For two seasons, he dominated down in the minor league complex and everyone knew that he could be one of the best of his generation. But prior to the 2001 season, Hamilton's life hit a tragic stop sign.

Just as his future was looking bright, it all changed in a matter of seconds, and the news shocked the baseball nation. One sound and peaceful night, Hamilton was just on his way home in his car and out of nowhere, another car struck him and he had sustained several injuries.

Hamilton's story would not be of a great whose career was cut short, however; this would not sideline him forever, but he would need time away from the game to heal.

With a boatload of time on his hands, Hamilton started making bad choices and giving up on his goal to ever play baseball again. He had joined the wrong group of people who would lead him to nowhere but trouble. He began hanging out at a tattoo parlor with some new friends he had met. From there, Hamilton started to get all kinds of tattoos—tattoos he didn't even know the meaning of.

"Tattoos became drinks. Drinks became powder. Powder became crack," said an anonymous relative of Hamilton.

This began to affect his career as Hamilton returned to the Devil Ray's complex, and only played 56 games until he took the rest of the season off do to the personal demons he was facing in his life.

He was now seen as the disaster of the organization. People were saying he was a mistake after his 30-game suspension for marijuana use. From then on, Hamilton missed playing for two seasons (2004-06)

As those two years passed, Hamilton had an epiphany. He wanted this addiction to end because he knew this wasn't who he was.

"I prayed to be spared another day of guilt and depression and addiction," Hamilton wrote in his book, Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back. "I couldn't continue living the life of a crack addict, and I couldn't stop, either. It was a horrible downward spiral that I had to pull out of, or die. I lay there—in a hot and dirty trailer in the North Carolina countryside, in a stranger's house, in the cab of my pickup—and prayed the Lord would take me away from the nightmare my life had become."

This feeling of addiction could be stopped. He had a loving wife and millions of adoring admirers and fans knowing what could have been. He was not going to let everybody that cared for him down.

Hamilton had no problem admitting that he had an addiction. He was embarrassed that this is who he had become, but he just wanted to refurbish his career and his life.

He just wanted to move on.

"When I think of those terrible times, there's one memory that stands out. I was walking down the double-yellow of a two-lane country highway outside Raleigh when I woke up out of a trance," said Hamilton, who had been tortured by what he had become.

And with a load of determination and a boatload of faith and heart, Hamilton was going to change.

“My wife, Katie, told me this day would come. At my lowest point, about three years ago, when I was wasting away to skin and bones and listening to nobody, she told me I'd be back playing baseball someday. She had no reason to believe in me.

“During that time, I did nothing to build my body and everything to destroy it. I'd go five or six months without picking up a ball or swinging a bat. By then, I'd been in rehab five or six times—on my way to eight—and failed to get clean. I was a bad husband and a bad father, and I had no relationship with God. Baseball wasn't even on my mind.

"And still Katie (his wife) told me, ‘You're going to be back playing baseball, because there's a bigger plan for you.’ I couldn't even look her in the eye. I said something like, ‘Yeah, yeah, quit talking to me.’”

His family had faith in him, but Hamilton did not have faith in himself. He would go extended periods of time without picking up a ball or going to the batting cages. Hamilton would have rehab sessions six times a week and baseball was not a priority.

"I was a bad husband and a bad father, and I had no relationship with God. Baseball wasn't even on my mind."

Hamilton then developed a stronger relationship with God. He would dedicate a lot of his time to just praying and hoping that God would help him through this seemingly bottomless pit of disaster which was known as his life.

After a series of extended rehabilitation, Hamilton had finally returned to the Tampa Bay organization with a smile on his face as well as teaching everyone else a valuable lesson.

As well as playing baseball, Hamilton dedicated some of his time as a cautionary tale for young players in the organization in the Renegades.

"He pointed (the other players) in the right direction. He said, 'Don't make the mistakes I made.' He was so good with all of the young kids," said Rick Zolzer, the Renegades' director of special events.

After that season in the minors, it was time for the Rule 5 MLB Draft. Hamilton was drafted third by the Chicago Cubs in 2006, but was traded to the Reds shortly after in exchange for money and other picks. Baseball America called him, "The draft pick of the year."

Later in 2007, Hamilton was rehabbing from a knee injury, but his life was getting back on track. The baseball world was so touched and admirable of Hamilton's actions in the past few years. He was ready to show the world what exactly he could do.

That season, Josh earned a spot on the Red's Opening Day Roster was hitting .403 at the end of Spring Training. For the rest of the season, Hamilton touched millions as he received a standing ovation in his first at bat of the season.

Baseball itself had been given a gift which was a true story of a comeback kid that had resisted temptation and had overcome odds. Stories like these are so rare these days, making the comeback story was that much more special.

"I'LL NEVER forget Opening Day in Cincinnati,” Hamilton said. “When they called my name during introductions and a sellout crowd stood and cheered, I looked into the stands and saw Katie and our two kids—Sierra, who's nearly 2, and my 6-year-old stepdaughter, Julia—and my parents and Katie's parents. I had to swallow hard to keep from breaking down right there. They were all crying, but I had to at least try to keep it together.

"I pinch-hit in the eighth inning of that game against the Cubs, and Lou Piniella decided to make a pitching change before I got to the plate. The crowd stood and cheered me for what seemed like forever. It was the best sound I've ever heard.

“When I got into the box, Cubs catcher Michael Barrett looked up at me from his crouch and said, "You deserve it, Josh. Take it all in, brother. I'm happy for you." I lined out to left, but the following week I got my first start and my first hit—a home run."

After winning NL Rookie of the Month in April, Hamilton was considered the frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year Award, but his young season was cut short after going to the DL on two separate occasions in May and June. This hampered any chance he had to win the award.

Hamilton accepted it and moved on with his head high, knowing the expectations.

Little did Hamilton expect that he would be traded to the Texas Rangers in the offseason of 2007 in exchange for Danny Herrera and Edinson Volquez. This turned out to be the greatest deal for the Rangers to date as Hamilton was looking to have a great season, and he did.

Now off of drinking and drugs since 2005, Hamilton was treated with all the respect in the world now. He knew he was a comeback story and he was going to prove his determination. Though there were tough critics, many would become fans.

"I get a lot of abuse in visiting cities, but it only bothers me when people are vulgar around kids. The rest I can handle. Some of it is even funny.

“In St. Louis, I was standing in right field when a fan yelled, 'My name is Josh Hamilton, and I'm a drug addict!' I turned around and looked at him with my palms raised to the sky. 'Tell me something I don't know, dude,' I said.

“The whole section started laughing and cheering, and the heckler turned to them and said, 'Did you hear that? He's my new favorite player.' They cheered me from that point on.

"I live by a simple philosophy: Nobody can insult me as much as I've insulted myself. I've learned that I have to keep doing the right things and not worry about what people think."

Through his strong comeback in 2008, fans had been on their feet cheering for this kid that could still one day be an all time great. Hamilton steadily improved his workout regimen as well as working very hard on his lifelong rehabilitation.

Coaches have been very touched by this man's dedication to only becoming greater. They could go to bed at night knowing that he had given a hard day's work. He would also still be taking drug tests; coaches claimed that he looked forward to them each week.

“I think he looks forward to the tests,” said Rangers' coach Johnny Narron. “He knows he's an addict. He knows he has to be accountable. He looks at those tests as a way to reassure people around him who had faith.”

And throughout the season, Hamilton had reached milestones.

He was voted to the All Star game as a starting outfielder and when he trotted off the bench for his introduction, fans in Yankee Stadium applauded him, knowing that moment was something special.

Also, he made it to the finals of the 2008 Home Run Derby, where he set the record for the most home runs hit in a round (28), surpassing Bobby Abreu's 2005 record (25).

Hamilton finished the season with stellar numbers and he was a clubhouse leader for a young Rangers team. He finished up with 32 home runs, 130 runs batted in, and batted at an average of .304.

He was lastly rewarded a Silver Slugger for batting excellence, as well as finishing seventh in the 2008 AL MVP voting.

"I'm proof that hope is never lost."

This quote from Hamilton will hopefully one day be as well known as any other historical quote.

He proved that just when all hope seemingly was lost, he never gave up; he just wanted to restart his life and to play baseball again.

By doing so, he shows us all that hope is never lost unless we give up. No matter how bad life seems, we can overcome all obstacles and achieve our goals.

The truth is that with a lot of heart, faith, and determination, we can accomplish our goals and live our lives to the fullest.

Read his exclusive story on his thought on his life here.

Quotes used are found there.

Triumphant Demise: The Tony Conigliaro Story

DJ Rallo — Mon, 25 May 2009 18:58:32 -0400

One of the best athletes of his era, Tony Conigliaro was someone who had a great future ahead of him. People looked at him as a potential all-time great, yet he was set back by a series of misfortunes and a tragic death.

To this day, the story of Conigliaro is still remembered in Boston, as the team named a section in the outfield of Fenway Park in 2007 "Congliaro's Corner" in memory of Tony C.

Born in Revere, Mass. on Jan. 7, 1945, Anthony Richard Conigliaro, had lived in the Massachusetts area for all of his life and attended St. Mary's High School in Lynn, Mass.

After graduating high school in 1962, he had tremendous talent for baseball and was also a class act. His talent for baseball got him a contract with the Boston Red Sox organization. After a short, two year stint in the minor leagues, Conigliaro was called up to the majors.

In his rookie season, Conigliaro got his promising young career off to a great start by hitting 24 home runs, knocking in 52 runs, and hitting .290 in the greater part of his rookie campaign.

His rookie year was cut short with injuries to his arms and his toes which took him out for a good portion of the season. He did not win Rookie of the Year that season, though many felt he still could have.

Conigliaro had his head up high the following season, in hopes he would finish the year on a better note. That he did and he led the major leagues in home runs by hitting 32 and was selected to his first ever All Star game at the tender age of only twenty-two. He also became the youngest player to reach 100 home runs at that young age.

Still succeeding throughout his baseball career, one tragedy struck Conigliaro that put his life in jeopardy.

On Aug. 17, 1967, the Red Sox were facing the California Angels. It was just your average night game. The sun had set, the lights were shining bright in Fenway Park, and the fans were as crazy as ever. The night had been different than no other; that is, until Conigliaro's first at-bat.

He was set to face Jack Hamilton, a mediocre pitcher with control issues who had just set down the first two batters of the inning. Congliaro was now up to bat. He had leaned in the batter's box and was looking for a big base hit. Fans were cheering loudly for him as there were two outs in the inning. Hamilton came inside with a pitch that struck Tony C. in the left cheekbone, and Conigliaro fell straight to the ground and in excruciating pain.

Not only was the cheekbone shattered, but he also suffered a serious injury to his left retina.

He was carried off the field in a stretcher with all the players and fans in a hush as the medics rushed to his body. Conigliaro's career—and even his very life—was in jeopardy. They carried him off the field as their was distress amongst the baseball world.

Conigliaro was found to be blinded 48 hours after the injury, and when his vision finally began to come back, it was nothing like it used to be. He was looked at as a lost cause, someone who had nothing left to live for. All those around him were deeply affected as Tony C. spiraled into depression.

Former Red Sox Trainer Buddy LeRoux said, "How can you blame a 23-year-old kid who finds out he can't see?"

Though the odds were against him again, Conigliaro and his family did not give up this case. His father offered eye transplants and his mother prayed novenas to St. Jude who was the saint of hopeless cases. Though the transplant was not able to happen, Tony's eyes slightly improved and had set his sights towards returning to baseball the following season.

Now seeking a comeback the following spring, Conigliaro was looking to revert back to his old ways, yet could not hit due to his poor eyesight. He would consistently strike out and swing at all pitches that were thrown to him, even ones that were way outside and he was losing hope of becoming the player he once was. Tony C. kept coming because he just wanted to play ball with an injury or not. Baseball was his life, his love, his passion and he wanted to just be a normal person again.

He was hit in the ribs during the spring and was very angry with the man who beaned him (Dick Williams) and he had lashed out. He was known to speak his mind a little too often, and was frequently booed out of Fenway Park, according to former Sox star Bill Lee before the injury to Conigliaro.

“Tony is outspoken and can be headstrong,” Lee commented. “But he is intensely determined and ambitious, and his ego is half the reason he hits like he does.”

In November of the following season, Conigilaro gave pitching a try, though it did not turn out well. "I got bombed in my second start," said Conigliaro after his first game pitching for the Sox. His eyesight was again a factor in this circumstance, and he knew that he needed to be hitting baseballs and not throwing them

Miraculously, though, his vision had vastly improved and he claimed that he could hit the ball again. After getting medical clearance, Conigliaro rejoined an already stellar Boston lineup in order to resume a young career that was still full of potential and life as he was still not even 30 years of age.

The next season, Conigliaro made a comeback so big that he won Comeback Player of the Year Award. Tony hit 20 home runs and knocked in 80 runs. Boston fans were ecstatic about the new heart of the lineup and everyone was touched by his miraculous comeback.

He was also now joined in the outfield with his brother, Billy after Carl Yastrzemski was moved to first base. For the next few seasons, Conigliaro had some pretty good years until he moved to California for one year, but quickly moved back to Boston after having little success. He went back to Boston to finish his injury plagued career.

In 1975, Conigliaro was forced into retirement as his eyesight had now deteriorated again, now beyond repair. This ended a hellacious career for Conigliaro as many were distressed and many wonder what if Conigliaro never got beaned. He looked to live the rest of his life in Boston in peace and serenity.

Then in 1982, tragedy again struck Tony again. As he was being driven to a Red Sox broadcasting interview for Channel 38, he suffered a heart attack in the car driven by his brother. He suffered a stroke later on that day and it shocked thousands.

Once in the hospital, he fell into a coma and lived in a vegetative state for almost eight years until finally dying in 1990 in his parents' home in Salem, Mass. This was the end of the tragic story of the life of a man who'l life was too short.

He died at the young age of 45 and is honored each year with the Tony Coniglaro Award, which goes to the player who best overcomes the odds. Also after his tragic accident, all players are now required to have an ear flap on their helmets in case they are beaned.

Baseball America did projected Conigliaro's career if he were not to be set back by injuries, taking into account the years when he was 19 to 22. This answered thousands of people's "What If?" questions. These were the years where he was not set back by his eye injury. Here were his career projections:

3131 hits, 1988 RBIs, and 636 Home Runs.

The seemingly indestructible man had been remembered as someone who was not intimidated and a man who had a lot of faith and heart. When you really look at the life of Conigliaro, we all are really not very different.

Sure he had a knack for baseball, but everyone has a talent, and if you have setbacks on the road towards achieving something, then you can always overcome the odds with faith, heart, and prayer.

We remember Conigliaro as the man who died too young.

R.I.P. Anthony Richard Conigliaro.

January 7, 1945 - February 24, 1990

On the next page are all the recipients of the Tony Conigliaro Award since it was created.

Tony Conigliaro Award Winners

1990		Jim Eisenreich, Kansas City Royals
1991		Dickie Thon, Philadelphia Phillies
1992		Jim Abbott, California Angels
1993		Bo Jackson, Kansas City Royals
1994		Mark Leiter, California Angels
1995		Scott Radinsky, Chicago White Sox
1996		Curtis Pride, Detroit Tigers
1997		Eric Davis, Baltimore Orioles
1998		Bret Saberhagen, Boston Red Sox
1999		Mike Lowell, Florida Marlins
2000		Kent Mercker, Anaheim Angels Tony Saunders, Florida Marlins
2001		Jason Johnson, Baltimore Orioles Graeme Lloyd, Montreal Expos
2002		Jose Rijo, Cincinnati Reds
2003		Jim Mecir, Oakland Athletics
2004		Dewon Brazelton, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2005		Aaron Cook, Colorado Rockies
2006		Freddy Sanchez, Pittsburgh Pirates
2007		Jon Lester, Boston Red Sox
2008		Rocco Baldelli, Tampa Bay Rays

Boston Red Sox Looking Into Trade with the Cleveland Indians?

DJ Rallo — Sun, 24 May 2009 15:54:50 -0400

ESPN's Buster Olney has reported that there have been preliminary trade talks between the Boston Red Sox and the Celevaland Indians. The trade would help both teams, as their needs will be partially fulfilled.

The trade has shaped up so the Indians would trade their top prospect, in Matt LaPorta, in exchange for one of Boston's young arms, either Michael Bowden, Clay Bucholtz, or Daniel Bard.

This would mean that LaPorta would be traded for the second time in two years.

So far this season, LaPorta is batting .211 with one home run and four runs batted in, which have not impressed the Red Sox organization.

On the other hand, Bowden and Bucholz have been dominating down in the Triple A area, with both men having ERAs under 1.50. This is not a good sign for the trade as of today, though something may still be done near July 31.

LaPorta was actually drafted by Boston in 2006, but he decided against signing to Boston and later joined the Chicago Cubs organization. After that, he spent time in the Brewers' organization and was traded to Cleveland in part of the CC Sabathia deal.

There is also speculation that Victor Martinez of the Indians is currently not on the market right now, but if he is indeed heading to the trading block in late June or early July, Boston will be the front-runners. I predict that Boston would trade Daniel Bard, and two other prospects lower in the organization in exchange for Martinez and maybe LaPorta.

What does this trade do for both teams? Well it satisfies the offensive struggles of David Ortiz, which is looking to not be going away despite his first home run this week.

It also enhances the Indian's rotation so much because all three of the Red Sox prospects have such bright futures and Boston can afford to trade one of them due to their depth of pitching.

In reality, this trade would be perfect for both Cleveland and Boston as it would satisfy the needs for both teams.

I could also see Boston aquiring Matt Holliday, Jack Wilson, or Nick Johnson in later offers, but I do like this move the best because Martinez would be the catcher of the future, as Varitek only has an option at the end of the season if they wish to drop him.

Carl Yastrzemski: A Baseball Icon

DJ Rallo — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:52:17 -0400

Carl Yastrzemski left his mark in baseball as one of the elite hitters of his generation. The eighteen-time All-Star became one of the greatest of all the Red Sox despite having to fill the shoes of one of the greatest in history, Ted Williams, in left field.

Yaz may not have been Ted Williams, but who has? Today I am going to discuss the career of a true Red Sox legend.

Carl Michael Yastrzemski was born on August 22, 1939 in Southampton, New York. The family later moved to Bridgehampton, New York when Carl was young, and he was raised on his father's potato farm. Yastrzemski was always known as a hard worker for his father and during his childhood, he played a lot of "sandlot" baseball.

But as a child, Yastrzemski grew up with a great round ball talent as well and attended Notre Dame on a basketball scholarship. He also had a passion for baseball, and Yastrzemski decided to sign with the Boston Red Sox after being drafted in college.

When Yaz signed with Boston, he was sent to their minor league facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. There he led the league in batting average and quickly went through the minor leagues.

When called up to the Red Sox in 1961, Yastrzemski was given high expectations as he was supposed to be the next Ted Williams in left field. Though he did not meet those expectations in the first two seasons, Yaz had shown his true potential in his third year after finishing in the top ten in MVP voting while winning a batting title.

During the best year of Yaz's career, he won the Triple Crown in 1967 as part of the 1967 "Impossible Dream Team", one of the most famous turnaround stories in sports' history. After eight staright losing seasons, the Sox won an incredibly exciting four-team scramble for the pennant, sweeping the Minnesota Twins to win the AL by one game over the Detroit Tigers.

Though Yastrzemski and the '67 Sox did not win the World Series, they did make it to the Series for the first time since 1946.

From 1967 to 1974, Yaz won the batting championship in 1967 while hitting over 40 home runs (44) for first time in his career in 1969. Over the rest of his career, Yastrzemski was one of the premiere hitters for Boston.

By the end of his career, Yaz could boast a long list of accomplishments. He finished up with 3,419 hits, 452 home runs, 1,844 RBI, and 1,845 walks.

After his retirement at the age of 44 in 1983, Yastrzemski held the major league record for the longest stint with a single team after being on the Boston Red Sox for 23 seasons, tied with Brooke Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles.

Yastrzemski was an 18-time All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove winner, and had won an MVP and a Triple Crown (1967). Yaz is known throughout baseball as one of the greatest of all-time, and he is was ranked No. 72 in Baseball America's Top 100 Players list.

On his first year on the Hall of Fame ballot, Yaz easily waltzed into the Hall after recieving over 90 percent of the votes. He had his number (8) retired by the Boston Red Sox that year as well.

Yaz was known for his great attitude towards the game, his outlook on life, and his passion for baseball. He was also known for his very unique batting stance which led many people wondering on how he had hit so well in 20-plus years of baseball.

Carl Yastrzemski is one of the most recognizable names in sports and is highly regarded by most everyone. Yaz was a great man and an even greater player.

Facts credited to Wikipedia.org as well as Carl Yastrzemski's official website. This is a DJ Rallo original article, but facts can be found at those websites.

B/R Turns Into WWE Smackdown!: Key to Normality

DJ Rallo — Fri, 22 May 2009 14:46:36 -0400

Out Of Character Announcements: Hey guys, I would like to say that Extreme Rules in three weeks will be the same as WWE's whereas all matches will have a stipulation. Also the Great American Bash has been renamed The Bash so that will be in effect for us as well in July.

Also a new pay per view naming contest came up on WWE.com where the show will feature all matches as submission matches. I personally voted Breaking Point. Anyways, enjoy Smackdown!

I do feel this edition of Smackdown was basically pretty disappointing. Not that much ring action compared to promos. I have to build up for Extreme Rules and the show after a PPV is mostly promos or random matches. So I apologize if you do not love the episode.

Also Smackdown has released M, who was scheduled to be out of action for six months after his match with Ron Johnson at Judgment Day. We wish him best in his future endeavors (Take that WWE!). Also Smackdown signed Marc to a developmental deal.

Smackdown!

(Xavier) Ladies and gentlemen, we are live in high definition straight from the Pepsi Center in Denver (Ha! Take that, WWE) were we will see some great matches including the debut of Josh Swell!

(Cain) I can not wait for that! Smackdown stole the show last Sunday at Judgment Day. We will also see Dan Telek take on Kevin Canny in a number one contender's match for Dub Sizzle's newly won United States Championship.

AkD's music hits and comes out to a huge ovation. He has a mic in his hand and the WWE Championship is over his other shoulder. He walks into the ring.

(AkD) I have done something that no champion on Raw or ECW has done before. I have held this World Championship longer than anyone else on any brand has done yet. I have proven that Smackdown is the heart of true champions in this business!

Crowd still cheering loudly.

(AkD) You see, since I had won this belt in April I have been defending it week after week for the Smackdown Nation and tonight will be no different. Tonight I face Josh Swell...

Crowd cheering much more for Swell

(AkD) I face Swell in a WWE Championship match later tonight and prove once again that I am a true champion.

Crowd cheers as the lights go out as they have been at Judgment Day and over the past few weeks on Smackdown!. The lights are out as the voice appears on the titantron.

(?) Hell on earth. Adrenaline rushing in me and I will win what is rightfully mine. I'm sick of being heard as the "Mystery Man" or the "Question Mark Guy." My name is Masque of Red Death and I want respect. I do not care if I face Swell, Sizzle, or anyone else, I want attention.

You all are sick, but luckily I am the cure. Good evening.

Lights go back on as Masque is behind AkD and picks him up for The Antidote (Death Vally Driver), But Josh Swell sprints down the ramp with a steel chair and hits Masque over the head with it. Masque is down as the lights go off and when they come back on, he is gone.

Swell and AkD look at each other in the ring as the WWE Championship lies between them on the mat. Swell points at it and walks out to some cheers.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as a Jev Thorpe return promo is shown. Two weeks away and there are some words muttered in the promo that were: Salvation, Truth, and Vengeance.

(RA) This match is the No. 1 contender's match for the United States Championship! Introducing first, the "Hitman" Kevin Canny!

Canny comes out to a mixed reaction.

(RA) And his opponent, being joined by Jay Rob the Legacy Kid, Dan Telek!

Telek and Jay come out to a huge pop as Dan walks into the ring.

Bell rings and we are under way.

We start off as Telek hits Canny with a quick dropkick and Canny falls straight to the mat. Telek quickly does a leg drop on to Canny and he connects. Telek now looks confident as he goes to the top rope. He goes for a moonsault, but Canny rolls out just in the nick of time.

Canny rolls outside the ring and Dan Telek follows. The two are going back and forth outside the ring as the referee is starting the ten count. As he is counting, Canny is now in control as he reverses a lariat by Telek and Canny throws Telek into the ring steps. He looks to be in serious pain as Canny walks back into the ring.

The referee is at five until Telek somehow manages to get in the ring. Telek then hits his elbow straight into Canny as he goes down and Telek goes for the Sharpshooter.

Canny easily breaks out of the Sharpshooter and trips Telek as Dan falls on to the mat. Canny now locks in the Sharpshooter on Telek. Telek is about to tap out until Dub Sizzle runs into the ring and takes out Canny with a running big boot. The referee rings the bell as this is a no contest.

Sizzle then tosses Canny over the top and picks up Telek for the Demon Driver until Jay Rob saves him as he quickly gets to the top rope and hits a crossbody on to Sizzle as Telek gets out of the way.

Jay then goes for the Chiropractor until Sterling Eby and Christi Lott come down as they both run to the ring. Lott hits him with a low blow as Eby hits an Edgecution on to Jay. Telek then comes to hit Eby, but Dozer comes through the crowd and knocks down Telek.

Eby, Lott, and Dozer celebrate until another interference as Andrea Claire runs down the ramp and taunts Lott from the outside. Lott angrily walks towards Claire until Claire grabs her and drags her out of the ring as they are fighting on the outside.

Eby tries to help, but Jay Rob is back in and hits Eby with an enziguri. Then Dub Sizzle comes back in and hits the Demon Driver on to Jay. Then Telek hits Sizzle with the Supernova and Dozer hits Telek with Unsealed Destiny (Stunner followed by an STO) Dozer celebrates until Tim List comes through the crowd with the Cruiserweight Championship and hits Dozer with it.

Meanwhile on the outside, Jay took out Eby, Telek took out Sizzle, and Claire took out Lott. All the faces accompany Tim List in the ring as they celebrate and Jay Rob grabs a mic.

(Jay) Tonight, Dan Telek, Andrea Claire, Tim List, and myself are now known as Strictly Business! And we are looking for gold, so how about we make a deal? At Extreme Rules, we have Strictly Business take on you guys in a 6 man tag team match.

Fans cheer as Eby takes a mic.

(Eby) You know what? Let's make this a TLC match and you have a deal!

(Jay) Deal! See you in three weeks.

Strictly Business celebrates in the ring as the heels walks down the ramp.

(Commercial Break)

(Cain) Can you believe what we just saw?! A new faction challenging Sterling Eby, Dub Sizzle, and Dozer to a six man TLC match at Extreme Rules?! This is great!

(Xavier) Absolutely and we have a few announcements. First of all it is confirmed for Extreme Rules that Dub Sizzle, Dozer, and Sterling Eby will take on Dan Telek, Jay Rob, and Cruiserweight Champion Tim List in a TLC tag team match.

(Cain) And that is not all. Next week will be Strictly Business taking on their opponents at Extreme Rules in individual matches. We will see Dub Sizzle vs. Dan Telek, Jay Rob vs. Sterling Eby, and Andrea Claire vs. Christi Lott.

(Backstage Segment: DJ Rallo, Demetrus Stokes, Jared Farver in Rallo's office)

Rallo is on the phone until the door knocks.

(Rallo) Come in.

Farver and Stokes walk in.

(Rallo) Hey guys. What is up?

(Farver) Well we have a little problem. You see, Stokes and I were supposed to be facing M tonight if he made it through Judgment Day. He ironically didn't though and our question is how we can make a name for ourselves on Smackdown.

(Stokes) Seriously. We have taken on Blue Chip for weeks and we want competition, not some guy who does not have any friends here. What can we do?

(Rallo) Look, I see what you are saying and I made a deal with Raw General Manager, Svyato Rovenchuk. You will be facing the team of Blue Chip and Daris Brown and the winners will take on Jason Savage and Ste Eccles for the Unified Tag Team Championships at Extreme Rules in a match of their choosing. So good luck in your match. And it is next.

Stokes and Farver shake DJ's hand as they walk out and head for the entrance ramp.

(Commercial Break)

(RA) This tag team contest is scheduled for one fall and it is a number one contender's match for the Unified Tag Team Championships! Introducing first the team of Jared Farver and Demetrus Stokes!

They walk out to a big pop.

(RA) And their opponents, the team of Daris Brown and Blue Chip.

They walk out as Daris and Chip come out to a huge amount of heat.

The bell rings and we are under way.

We start with Farver and Chip in the ring as Farver quickly hits Chip down with a series of Flair-like chops.

Daris is screaming "Don't lose your focus!" over and over as Chip is still being manhandled by Farver.

Farver throws him into his corner and tags in Demetrus Stokes. Both men are in the ring as they connect a 3D to Chip. Farver goes back on the outside as Stokes goes for the pinfall.

Daris quickly breaks the count as Stokes looks pissed and the referee makes Brown go back to the outside of the mat. Stokes tags Farver back in and Farver kicks Chip right into the turnbukle where Brown is as Daris tags himself in.

Daris hits Farver with a clothesline and then knocks Stokes on the apron. Stokes is now down on the outside as Daris picks up Jared in a powerbomb position, but turns it into a piledriver.

He gets the three count on Farver as Brown and Chip will take on the Unified Tag Team Champions at Extreme Rules. Daris celebrates in the ring with Chip as Stokes looks in disbelief.

(Commercial Break)

(Backstage Interview: Eby, Lott, Sizzle, and Dozer)

(BA) Please welcome my guests, Sterling Eby, Christi Lott, Dozer, and the US Champion Dub Sizzle.

They walk in together as the crowd is heavily booing them.

(BA) Well we now know that Strictly Business is on the same page for Extreme Rules, but how are you guys.

(Eby) How are we? How are we!? We are fine and as long as Strictly Business keep running their mouths about how they want gold, we will be there to make sure there is no happy ending.

(Sizzle) That is correct Eby. I need competition. Today is Memorial Day, the day that we celebrate all this country has to offer. We have immigrants taking citizens' jobs, Mexican disease spreading throughout this country, high crime rates, and a mediocre government. Real pleasant place to be in right now. But aside from the point, Rallo does not put the United States Champion in the ring tonight. Fine, I can wait.

(Lott) As for me in this group. I am here to take out that wannabe bi*ch, Andrea Claire. She debuts with a surprise attack and thinks she deserves to be in the same ring as me?! Well this is not strictly business, this is personal.

Dozer just does the title belt motion around his waist as all of them leave.

(Commercial Break)

(RA) This match is scheduled for one fall. Currently in the ring, Chedda Bob!

No crowd reaction.

(RA) And his opponent, Ron Johnson!

Huge pop for Ron as he walks out.

The bell rings and we are under way

We start with Chedda getting a little bit of offence on to Johnson with a clothesline, but Johnson quickly gets up and hits one of his own clotheslines on to Bob and then hits a big boot to knock Chedda on the mat.

Chedda is down until Ron picks him up and connects the Omega Drop and goes for the pinfall. Three count as Johnson wins the match.

Jev Thorpe's music then hits as he is on the titantron with a mic.

(Thorpe) Two weeks Johnson, until I speak of your unfortunate "mistake"

Johnson looks confused as Thorpe disappears as we go to commercial.

(Commercial Break)

(RA) This match is for the WWE Championship! Introducing both participants, Josh Swell and the WWE Champion, AkD.

Both men are already in the ring as the referee holds up the belt as this match is underway.

We start with them both locking up until AkD hits a leg sweep and knocks Swell down. AkD goes for an arm submission, but Swell reverses and hits an arm drag to knock AkD down to the mat. Swell is now up and locks AkD in a full nelson. AkD gets out of it by getting to the ropes. Swell looks distressed as AkD looks like he has not been hurt.

Swell then runs towards AkD, but AkD gets behind Swell and connects with three consecutive german suplexes. He goes for the pinfall to Swell but only gets a two count. AkD looks angered as he throws Swell into the turnbuckle.

AkD then charges at him, but Swell reverses with a kick and he follows with a cross body from the second rope. He goes for the pin and gets a two count.The fans are really pleased with the fast paced action.

Swell then goes back to the top rope, but AkD athletically jumps to the top turnbuckle and starts fighting Swell on the top until Swell pushes AkD down and goes for an elbow drop.

It just misses as AkD rolls away right in time and then AkD hits Swell with a T-Bone Suplex out of nowhere and goes for the pin. Two count only as AkD is becoming more and more frustrated.

AkD then picks up Swell and attempts to lift him on his shoulders, but Swell counters by getting off of AkD, getting behind him, and then locking in the full nelson to AkD.

AkD looks as though he is ready to submit until the lights go out and the Masque of Red Death appears on the titantron.

(Death) Swell. You are contaminated with disease, yet I am the cure. I shall connect an Antidote and make you see and feel what I do. Red Death.

The lights go back on as Swell is distressed but AkD is behind him. When Swell turns around, AkD hits him with a Paydirt and gets the three count.

(RA) Your winner and still the WWE Champion, AkD!

Heavy ovation for AkD as he helps up Swell and they shake hands until the lights go off again and when they come back, AkD is on the ramp as Red Death is in the ring with Swell. He has a mic.

(Masque) You...Me....Extreme Rules....Inferno Match. You have until next week to decide your fate, but good night for now.

Masque low blows Swell and hits The Antidote to Swell. "Cure" by Metallica goes off as he disappears and AkD looks confused on the ramp. This concludes this week's Smackdown.

Quick Match Results

Dan Telek vs Kevin Canny (No Contest)

Daris Brown and Blue Chip def. Demetrus Stokes and Jared Farver

Ron Johnson def. Chedda Bob

AkD def Josh Swell

A Rube on the Mound: The Story of Cy Young

DJ Rallo — Tue, 19 May 2009 18:03:31 -0400

We all know Cy Young as an award given to the best pitchers of the American and National League every year. The award is given to a pitcher that has overcome expectations and has been the best of the year. Some pitchers who have won this award are some of today's greats, such as CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, and Johan Santana.

The award has been given out at the end of each season since 1956. But the man this award was named after was an old country boy, Cy Young. Young was a phenomenon in his era and holds the records for his record-breaking 511 wins, innings pitched, complete games, and games started. All of which are still records that are leading all other pitchers by a landslide. But I'd rather discuss his claim to fame other than the stats.

Young was born in Gilmore, Ohio on March 29th, 1867. His real name was Denton True and was the oldest of three other siblings. He grew up on the family farm and had dropped out of school at a young age to aid his parents on the farm. In his farming days, he was nicknamed "Farmboy Young."

Throughout his life, Young grew up with little. He was really lower middle-class and was usually clothed in dirty "rags." He always had a knack for pitching as he had joined a Triple-A team in 1889 and was a phenom on the mound. Young had been tagged with the nickname "Cyclone" by the media due to his fastball's speed. The media then just called him "Cy" and Young took that name with him all the way to the Hall of Fame.

One year later, Young was called up to the Cleveland Spiders in which he was instantly recognized as one of the hardest throwing pitchers in the league. He finished the 1890 season on a strong note by winning both games in a day-night doubleheader.

Later in Young's career, he had revolutionized a new pitch that he referred to called the "slowball," later known as the changeup, which today is one of the most well known pitches in all of baseball.

1892 was Young's true breakout year as he lead the National League in wins and earned run average. In 1896, he threw his first no-hitter and he had been a phenomenon on the mound until his move to St. Louis in 1899. There he had two good seasons until his move to the Boston American's in 1901.

In 1901, Young was paid only $3,500 dollars to jump ship to the Americans, and Young led them to the first ever World Series and defeated the Pirates. In Boston, Young had thrown two no-hitters and his third was at the age of 41. Young was later traded back to Cleveland to finish up his career.

His last career victory was a 1-0 shutout and in his last start ever, he had been pretty banged up. He retired after the 1911 season.

Throughout his career, so many wondered how a man like him could be so consistent through his career and he seemed to only get better with age. Here is a quote regarding that question:

"I never warmed up ten, fifteen minutes before a game like most pitchers do. I'd loosen up, three, four minutes. Five at the outside. And I never went to the bullpen. Oh, I'd relieve all right, plenty of times, but I went right from the bench to the box, and I'd take a few warm-up pitches and be ready. Then I had good control. I aimed to make the batter hit the ball, and I threw as few pitches as possible. That's why I was able to work every other day."

He did eventually lose control of his pitches, but that was in the last two years of his career. "Farmboy Young," then returned to his roots in Ohio where he worked on his farm and eventually died there in 1955 at the age of 88, which was really old for the time span he lived in and even today.

This man was nominated into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937 winning over 70 percent of his votes. Young went in as a member of Boston as he was a man of honor and pride in this era.

I think we can all learn something from Cy Young. He was an old country boy with a bad looking future ahead of him. It may have been pure talent for him, but Young was never a quitter and gave 100 percent to his team. The so-called "Rube in the field" was baseball's country boy and a real man.

In baseball, he set so many records and even had a prestigious award named after him, but he was an example of someone who never gave up on his dreams. He had fulfilled his dreams and left the game with a smile on his face.

This story is not only relevant to Red Sox fans, Cleveland fans, or baseball fans. This is a story of a regular old country boy who had dreams to be a big star and live for the moment. The message in his life is to just never give up.

Cy Young, March 1867-November 1955

Credit to Wikipedia for assorted facts and quote. This was a DJ Rallo original article, but supported facts are on Wikipedia.com

Red Sox-Yankees: The Ultimate Team

DJ Rallo — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:31:52 -0400

Arguably the greatest rivalry in sports, the Red Sox and Yankees are team's of great history. Both cities have held multiple championships in all sports. Today I would like to look at both present day teams and combine the teams with the best players. I will look at both team's starting players, look at their stats, and see who I would rather have as my starter. This is not based on their stats this years, but it does have some significance on how great they have been in the past few years. Without further ado, here is my ultimate Red Sox/Yankees Team. There will also be a starting rotation and a closer. No DH, but that would be David Ortiz obviously.

Begin Slideshow

WWE Pay Per View Previews: Judgment Day

DJ Rallo — Sun, 17 May 2009 12:44:21 -0400

Tonight, World Wrestling Entertainment provides us with another pretty good looking card as they have yet to disappoint me this year when it comes to pay per views (I went to WM25, so do not harass me on the comment board saying it sucked).

Anyways, I will have a short analysis on who I think will win their individual matches and why. Without further ado, here are my thoughts on Judgment Day in the Windy City.

Match 1: Shelton Benjamin vs. John Morrison

This match to me should be for the WWE Championship soon enough, but I think this will be a pretty mediocre match due to time constraints much like CM Punk vs. Kane at Backlash.

I see it being pretty fast paced with a lot of flying from Morrison and Benjamin. I do see Benjamin coming out on top because Morrison has all the momentum heading in.

Surprisingly, I do not care much for this feud because it does not help either one elevate to their main event status.

Oh well, I just hope we see one of these men world champion soon. My question is how Jeff Hardy gets a main event and not Benjamin.

Shelton is way more talented and neither can cut a promo if their life depended on it and Benjamin gets over pretty well.

Predicted Winner: Shelton Benjamin via pinfall in a 5-10 minute match.

Match 2: Intercontinental Championship Match: Rey Mysterio (c) vs. Chris Jericho

Well this match to me is pretty easy to predict the winner until I really thought about it. Chris Jericho requested this be a long term feud and I did hear Mysterio may lose the mask on television or at least tease a mask strip.

This would completely piss me off because the mask is who Mysterio is and if they take it off permanently, it will kill merchandise sales (See how many kids wear them?)

I do see Rey retaining, but I see him losing his mask after Jericho takes it off, but his face will not be shown as it would only be for a few seconds.

I really rather see Morrison/Jericho, but I see this being a great feud. I'll write more on Mysterio's mask in a future article.

Predicted Winner: Rey Mysterio via pinfall in a 10-15 minute match

Match 3: John Cena vs. Big Show

Ah, the good old sleeper match of the show. In all honesty, these are the two superstars that I could not care less for. We have seen Cena vs Show one thousand times and it is always the same.

We will have Show dominate as Cena will not sell his injuries and fight back in the end and get the pinfall.

This feud to me is pathetic as I much rather see The Miz taken seriously and I could see some interference by Miz in the end.

Anyways, I see Super Cena winning with an Attitude Adjustment and a STF as the announcers will sell it as something brand new.

Predicted Winner: John Cena via submission in a 15-25 minute match.

Match 4: ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs Jack Swagger

I see this to blow off this feud and I predict we'll see Tommy Dreamer face the ECW Champion at Extreme Rules because that is when his storyline deadline is. All in all there is not much to say about this match.

My expectations are very high for this match and I see Christian winning as he just won the belt last month. Hopefully we see another classic between these two as it will prove that both men can shine in the spotlight.

Predicted Winner: Christian via pinfall in a 15 minute match

Match 5: CM Punk vs. Umaga

First of all, where the hell did Kane go off to? Way to blow off another Kane feud, WWE. Anyways I do expect this match to be a great one as both men are athletic and talented.

The storyline build up has been good for what it was, especially this Friday but I do see Umaga going over for a few reasons. One is because the majority of the winners on the card are likely to be faces, so they need a big heel win.

Second of all, there is nothing for Punk to lose if he in fact loses and Umaga has everything to gain. I say give Umaga some momentum.

Predicted Winner: Umaga via pinfall in a 15 minute match.

Match#6- World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs Jeff Hardy

This is probably the most unpredictable match on this card because there are so many ways to go with it. To read my full thoughts on Hardy possibly winning, click here

Anyways once you read that article, you will know my feelings on Jeff Hardy going over which would not surprise me in the least. There is also the chance if Edge retains, CM Punk may cash in the briefcase and win.

He is in his hometown and has been teasing this for a while, though I do not think now is the time for him to cash in the briefcase.

Based on Hardy's contract situation, CM Punk's briefcase, and Edge's reputation for short title reigns are all in the mix of this matchup, I have to just believe that Hardy will win the belt, but I'm only 50/50 on that.

Predicted Winner: Jeff Hardy in a 25-35 minute match.

Main Event- WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs Batista

I think this match will be a sleeper until the end of the match. The reason I say this is because (A. Batista is terrible in the ring and he'll make Orton look bad, (B. Rhodes and DiBiase will be Batista's rag dolls, and (C. It will be long.

Now in the end, I see Triple H returning and accidentally costing Batista the match as it is 100 percent obvious that Orton will retain. Batista did accidentally cost Triple H the strap at Backlash.

This could result in Cena or Big Show challenging Orton as Triple H will feud with a heel Batista and he could even join Legacy at some point.

Overall, the match itself will bore me to death, but Randy Orton is the obvious choice to go over and if Batista goes over, I will blow up.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton via pinfall in a 20-30 minute match

Conclusion

Overall, this should be a good show for what it's expectations are and I see some great wrestling.

I'm still tied with the World Heavyweight Championship match as well as the conclusion of the WWE Championship match. A lot on this card intrigues me and I suggest that you buy this pay per view.

The Truth has Spoken

Five Players You Do Not Want on Your Fantasy Baseball Team

DJ Rallo — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:56:12 -0400

Well today I am going to look at five individual players that you should consider dropping or trading as of now. There are obviously more than five struggling players, but these are five individual choices of mine. There will be a slideshow like this every other week which will run down the five worst players of the week, but here are five players you do not want on your fantasy team as of today. There will also be a Top 5 regarding the Best Players coming out on Monday.

Begin Slideshow

B/R Turns Into WWE Smackdown: Break Down the Walls

DJ Rallo — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:53:55 -0400

Smackdown!

(C#1) We are here live in San Antonio, Texas, where we are only 48 hours away from Judgment Day and there are still a lot of problems that need solutions tonight.

(C#2) That is right! Tonight we will see Sterling Eby take on any person that AkD chooses! Also we will see Jay Rob vs. AkD in the main event.

(C#1) Sounds great! We also have some other announcements as well. Last night in the Smackdown vs Raw show, the travel manager Vince Russo thought it would be a good idea to go to Mexico and we had two incidents where Joe Burgett and Chedder Bob were tossed into the Gulf of Mexico. Joe is fine, but Cheddar seems to be mentally unstable, but let's head to the ring for the first match of the night.

(RA) This is a tag team match and it is scheduled for one fall! Introducing first, the team of Jared Farver and Demetrus Stokes.

They come out to a pretty big pop.

(RA) And their opponents, the team of Blue Chip and...

Chip comes out with a brash look on his face with a microphone. He stops towards the ramp.

(Chip) Finally, my tag team partner has been found!

Heavy boos go throughout the crowd.

(Chip) He is Sterling Eby!

Eby's music hits but nobody comes out.

(Chip) WHAT! Eby, you promised me this match!

John Cena's music hits as Cheddar Bob walks out in the same clothes as last night when he was thrown into the Gulf of Mexico. He is still wet as he walks towards the ring.

(C#1) ...How is Bob still wet?

(C#2) I just received information that he takes showers in those clothes...eww. Anyways Cheddar is a new signing by DJ Rallo. He refers to him as "Our Colin Delaney."

They both enter the ring as the bell rings and we are underway.

The match starts between Jared and Chip as Chip quickly gets some offense with a lariat and a few stomps. He then raises his fist and tags in Bob.

Bob is yelling at Chip in the middle of the ring with "Why did you hit me!" screeches coming from Bob. Chip is trying to explain it was a tag until Farver hits Chip with a spear and tags in Stokes.

Stokes then runs towards Bob, but Bob surprisingly picks Stokes up on his shoulders and hits an Attitude Adjustment. He goes for a pin and gets a one count.

He looks surprised, but he wonders why it was not effective. He turns around in disbelief until Stokes hits him with a Scissors Kick and gets the three count.

(RA) You're winners, Demetrus Stokes and Jared Farver!

The fans cheer as Chip and Bob are in the ring. Chip is furious at a confused Bob until Blue Chip starts beating the crap out of him in the ring with a series of cheap shots and leg drops. Daris Brown's music hits as he walks out on the ramp with a mic.

(Brown) Chip...Come with me.

Blue walks down the ramp looking confused as he walks out with Daris as we go to commercial.

(Commercial Break)

(C#1) Well after an awkward turn of events it looks as if Stokes and Farver remain undefeated while Brown randomly comes out and calls Blue Chip to the back.

Backstage Segment in Rallo's office (M, DJ Rallo, Stokes and Farver)

DJ is on the phone until the door knocks.

(Rallo) Come in.

M walks in the office with some serious heat.

(M) Listen to me and listen to me good. How dare you come to me after my match and hit me with a so called Winged Victory. You say you are the Truth, yet you deceive one of your top talent.

(Rallo) The reason you got your ass handed to you last week after Smackdown is because of two reasons. One is that I wanted to acknowledge everyone that I am in shape and not some old has been.

The more important reason being that I am sick of you running your mouth on my show. You are not in a match tonight, but Ron Johnson is. I'd watch your opponent tonight and wonder how you will survive in that Stretcher Match.

M walks out as Demetrus Stokes and Jared Farver walk in.

(Stokes) Hey Rallo, we just wanted to thank you for all of these matches, but we need more than Chip and Bob. We need a shot to shine and show our true potential. Maybe you can arrange a shot for the Unified Tag Team Championships?

(Rallo) Look guys, I will talk to Svy but you need to do me a favor to prove yourselves. Next week, I want you two to take on M in a match if he makes it through Judgment Day. If you beat him, you will have a guaranteed shot at the straps. Good day.

Rallo walks out as we head to commercial.

(Commercial Break)

A Jev Thorpe return promo. Three weeks away.

(RA) This match is scheduled for one fall and it is for the Cruiserweight Championship. Introducing first, Dozer!

Dozer walks out to some serious heat.

(RA) And his opponent, the current Cruiserweight Champion, Tim List!

List comes out to the biggest pop of the night as the bell rings and we are underway.

The match starts with Dozer quickly hitting an STO on to List, he goes for the quick pin, but gets a two count. Dozer then hits a senton on List's prone body and goes for another pin and gets another two count.

Dozer looks stunned and picks up List for a powerbomb, but List reverses with a hurricarana and he knocks him down. List then goes for a sunset leg drop, but Dozer rolls outside of the ring.

Dozer is reagaining some stamina until List goes for a baseball slide on to Dozer but Dozer catches him on the outside and hits a facebreaker on the outside of the ring.

List is in pain as Dozer tries to pick him up, but List reverses and hits an enziguri. Both men are down on the outside for 8 seconds until both men manage to get in the ring.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as List is in control as he hits Dozer with a tiger bomb and gets only a two count. List looks distressed and picks up Dozer.

While Dozer is still half up, List hits a Whisper in the Winds as Dozer is down. List goes up to the top rope and hits a Corkscrew on to Dozer and gets the three count.

(RA) Your winner and still Cruiserweight Champion, Tim List!

The crowd goes nuts as List is celebrating in the ring.

A Video of the Current Sizzle/Telek/Canny feud is shown as we see some men putting some furniture in the ring as the "Hitman Hotspot," with Kevin Canny is up next.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as Canny is in the ring with a microphone.

(Canny) Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the "Hitman Hotspot" with your soon to be United States Champion, Kevin Canny!

Mixed reaction from the crowd. Mostly cheers.

(Canny) Since I have the night off, I would like to interview a dear friend of mine who I will be facing for the vacant belt on Sunday. Ladies and gentlemen, Dan Telek!

Telek comes out to a huge pop from the crowd. He walks into the ring and shakes Kevin's hand as he then takes a mic.

(Canny) Thanks for being able to have a quick segment before you face that animal, Dub Sizzle tonight.

(Telek) No prob. I have the fullest intentions that I will beat the living crap out of Sub Bizzle tonight and then take you out on Sunday.

(Canny) I like that confidence you have Telek, but let's look at some footage of what Sizzle has done.

Video is shown of Sizzle/Burgett segment on Superstars as well as his several beatings on Telek in the past.

(Canny) You sure you will be ready for Judgment Day? Unlike you, I will be 100 percent.

DJ Rallo's music hits as he comes out with a microphone.

(Rallo) Pardon the interruption, gentlemen but there is something I would like to say. First of all Kevin Canny, you are in a match tonight as AkD has chosen you to take on Sterling Eby tonight in the Pick Your Poison match.

Canny looks stunned as their is a mixed reaction.

(Rallo) With that being said, I suggest that you wrap this up and we lower the cage soon.

(Canny) Fine, but lets hope that you make it to Judgment Day.

(Rallo) That reminds me of a stipulation I thought of. If Sizzle wins this match, it will be a triple threat on Sunday! Good luck guys.

He walks out as we head to commercial.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as the "Hotspot" furniture is gone as Dan Telek is in the steel structure waiting for Dub Sizzle.

(RA) And his opponent, Dub Sizzle!

Sizzle comes out to a ton of heat as he walks inside the cage.

The bell rings and we are under way.

Sizzle instantly starts the match with some chops to Telek and quickly hits a neckbreaker on Telek.

Sizzle is like a madman in the ring as he is cursing his mouth off and screaming at the referee. But Telek gets up and as Sizzle chases after him, Telek tosses Sizzle into the cage.

Sizzle looks to be in pain and Telek is constantly bashing Dub's skull against the cage until about four shots later, Sizzle reverses and does the same to Telek as both men are bleeding.

After Telek reverses and hits a low blow to Sizzle and then goes to the second rope for an elbow drop, it connects and he goes for the pinfall. Two count as Telek looks pissed as we go to commercial break.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as Sizzle is back in control as he is hitting Telek with a series of big boots until Telek got under him and hit a low blow.

Telek is now getting to the cage and as soon as he started towards the cage, Sizzle got up and german suplexed him down.

Sizzle now picked up Telek and hit the Demon Driver on to Telek. Sizzle goes for the pin and gets the three count as both men are covered in blood.

(RA) Here is your winner, Dub Sizzle!

Lot of heat going throughout the arena as it will now be Sizzle vs Canny vs Telek at Judgment Day. Canny walks out on the ramp for a second, but walkd to the back.

(Commercial Break)

We are back in the ring as we have Ice Berg (one time only) and Ron Johnson in the ring.

The bell rings and we are under way. (Johnson got a huge pop)

Johnson hits the jobber with an electric chair and a few punches and then Johnson picked up Berg and he has him in the powerbomb position. He hits the gutwrench powerbomb (Omega Drop) for the three count and the win.

Johnson picks up a mic.

(Ron) Come on, M! That was too easy for me and I want you now, the stretcher can wait.

M's music huts as he walks down the ramp with a steel chair and walks towards the ring. M is halfway there until Johnson comes out of the ring and runs towards M. They run at each other and Ron takes the chair and hits M with it. He is beating M with a series of chair shots until he walks out to a huge ovation.

(Commercial Break)

(C #1) After a bizarre night so far, we still have two main events and have learned that next week, Andrea Claire and any partner of her choice will take on Sterling Eby and Christi Lott. Andrea has had a full recovery and so has Sterling.

(RA) This match is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, Kevin Canny.

Canny comes out to a mixed reaction.

(RA) And his opponent, being accompanied by Christi Lott, Sterling Eby.

Huge heat

The bell rings and we are under way.

They start with Canny and Eby locking up until Eby hits an armbar and runs towards the ropes. When he comes back, he hits Canny with a spear and goes for the pin. Two count as he looks pissed off.

He then picks up Canny and goes for a big boot, but Canny catches his leg and flips him towards the ground.

While Eby is on the ground, Canny is locking in a Camel Clutch. Eby tries to break free by getting to the ropes, but he fails on two occasions. He finally is about to give in until he finally gets to the ropes and Canny has to release the hold.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as Eby is in control after just hitting a backbreaker. Eby is now going for his new signature elbow drop and connects.

He goes for the pin and only gets a two count. Eby looks mad as he picks up Canny and hits an armbar again on Canny. He then goes in the back of Canny and locks in a full nelson.

Canny is struggling to get out until he flipped Eby on the mat again and is ready to lock in the Sharpshooter.

Christi is arguing with the referee and Canny notices it as he walks toward Christi as she backs down and Eby rolls up Canny for the pin by grabbing his tights. He gets the three count and Eby wins as the lights go out.

(?) I have arrived (Maniacal laugh)

A masked man comes down from a cable and is beating on Sterling Eby and Kevin Canny. He hit an inverted DDT on to Canny and he picked up Eby on his shoulders and hit an F-5. The lights go out and he disappears. (This was no Suicide reference)

Backstage Interview with Jay Rob

(BA) We are now live with Jay Rob the Legacy Kid! Jay tell us how you feel about your triple threat match on Sunday.

(Jay) Well I have been in a fatal four way at Backlash and now a triple threat at Judgment Day. I owe Telek a favor and I'm the underdog, this is not one of the times when there is nothing to worry about.

I have to face two men prepared for battle after losing last night to BLT or whatever his name is. Of course I'm nervous, but I'm confident that I will win at Judgment Day and that is all that matters to me.

He walks out and towards the ring entrance.

(Commercial Break)

AkD is walking down the ramp to an enormous pop as Jay Rob is already in the ring.

(RA) Introducing his opponent, the WWE Champion, AkD!

As soon as the announcer said that, it sounded as if the roof was going to blow off.

The bell rings and we are under way.

The match starts with AkD instantly hitting a T-Bone Suplex on to Jay but Jay quickly gets up and hits a running drop kick on to AkD as he instantly gets up. The fans are loving the match and both men shake hands.

Now AkD hits Jay with a Paydirt out of nowhere and goes for the pin. He gets tow and a half and AkD can not believe this.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as both men are fighting on the outside of the ring. This is back and forth action until AkD throws Jay into the barricade. Fans are throwing trash at both men until security escorted them out of the arena..haha, joking this isn't PG!

They are still fighting on the outside until AkD rolled Jay into the ring and AkD followed him into the ring. Jay is now in control as he hit a flying elbow on to AkD as Jay now is holding AkD in an armbar submission on the mat (STF).

AkD is refusing to tap out and gets to the rope so Jay has to release the hold. They are now both up as Jay hit AkD with a kick to the midsection and then hit a leg sweep so AkD is on the mat and Jay goes to the top rope.

Jay goes for a leg drop off the top rope, but AkD gets up quickly and pounces to the third turnbuckle and grabs Jay and nails a superplex. Both men are on the ground as the referee starts the ten count. At 8, both men slowly get up and AkD runs into the Chiropractor by Jay Rob.

Jay goes for the pin and gets a two and a half. Jay is yelling at the ref as he goes back to the top rope. He then points at the sky and hits a Frog Splash on to AkD and goes for the pin. He gets the three and Jay has pinned the WWE Champion.

Jay is celebrating in the ring until Sterling Eby and Christi Lott come out. Sterling hits a running STO on to Jay and the lights go out again.

(?) AkD, Your Judgment Day will be one of malevolence and sorrow. Good day and see you in a matter of hours.

The lights go back on as AkD, Eby, and Jay Rob are in the ring looking confused with Christi on the outside. Nothing happened and this concludes this week of Smackdown.

Quick Results

Demetrus Stokes and Jared Farver beat Blue Chip and Cheddar Bob

Tim List (C) beat Dozer to retain the Cruiserweight Belt

Dub Sizzle beat Dan Telek in a Steel Cage match

Sterling Eby beat Kevin Canny

Jay Rob the Legacy Kid beat WWE Champion AkD

Aftershow

While Eby, Rob, and AkD are in the ring, GM DJ Rallo announces an eight man tag match with Ron Johnson, Jay Rob, AkD, and Tim List to take on Sterling Eby, Dozer, Dub Sizzle, and Daris Brown.

It was a good match where Team AkD got the win with AkD pinning Dozer with a Paydirt. The four along with Dan Telek wished the fans a good night and a safe drive home.

B/R Turns Into WWE: Smackdown vs. Raw Special

DJ Rallo — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:42:55 -0400

Before I get started I would like to say a few things. First of all, I would like to thank Jay Rob for writing the beginning of the show until the end of the Johnson/Ray match.

Also, I am very busy this weekend so there may be no Pay Per View Preview as I do every month because I have to write my JD matches and B/R Smackdown tomorrow.

I just wanted to get this out of the way, because so many people were looking forward to it.

Superstars begins

(Jeff Gorman) "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to this special edition of B/R Superstars. We are live in HD in Mexico located right by the Gulf of Mexico. I am Jeff Gorman ringside with a very special guest commentator, Celeste Winchester, GM of ECW. Tonight will be a rocky night, because it is RAW vs. Smackdown."

(Celeste) "Yeah, Jeff, the locker room has been buzzing all week with rumors of an invasion by some RAW and Smackdown stars. Tonight calls for a very much needed Superstars!"

(JG) "We got some blockbusters coming your way, including a champion vs. champion match between WWE Champion AkD and World Heavyweight Champion Shane Howard."

(CW) "And former champion Joe Burgett has laid out an open challenge to any Smackdown superstar."

(JG) "But first, we have a great match up coming your way!"

(RA) "Ladies and gentleman, this match is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, Ray Bogusz"

(CW) "These fans have a mixed reaction for this former Smackdown bad boy. Some do not like his attitude, but then again a lot more have respect for Ray."

(RA) "His opponent, Ron Johnson!"

"These two have had words in the past, but that is the past. The Don is a former RAW guy, and I know he wants to show RAW, let alone Ray, that they have lost something good."

Bell sounds. The crowd starts chanting Ron The Don as soon as the match starts. The two men get into each other's faces.

(Ray) "Wrestlemania sucked."

(Ron) "Your article sucked and you're a crybaby."

(Ray) "You're bitter because no one likes you and how you abandoned us."

(Ron) "Piper has a fake hip."

Ray slaps Johnson across the face. As soon as Johnson recovers, Ray takes him off of his legs and delivers rights and lefts to Johnson. He picks him up and swings him into the turnbuckle.

He walks up to run with a middle finger in the air. He then climbs the turnbuckle and monkey flips Ron to the canvas. 1, 2, Ron kicks out.

Ray goes to pick him up again, but Ron pokes him in the eye. He gives him two shots to the midsection and delivers a gutwrench suplex. He goes for the cover, but Ray kicks out immediately.

Ron goes after the ref, and he jumps out of the ring. Ron then goes for Ray, who is sitting in the corner. Ray then kicks Ron right in the groin. He goes for the pin as soon as the ref gets back into the ring. Ron kicks out after two.

Ray then bodyslams Ron over the top rope.

(Commercial Break)

(CW) "We are back and Ray Bogusz has been taking it to Ron Johnson. During the break, Ron got back onto the apron after a 9-count. But as soon as he got on the apron, Ray put him in a front face suplex and dropped him chest first on the mat."

The referee starts the count, but Ray is on the top rope. A rarity for Ray Bogusz, he nails a flying fist drop right on Ron's cranium.

Both men are down. After a count of 7, Ray is up and picks Ron up and throws him into the ring. Ray then gains momentum from the ropes, but Ron counters with a belly to belly suplex. The ref starts another count.

Both men are up at nine and Ron charges after Ray and connects with a clothesline. He then gives Ray another one as he gets to his feet.

Building momentum, Ron Johnson connects with an elbow right in Ray's mouth. He goes for the cover, but Ray kicks out at 2.6 seconds.

Ron calls it quits, and he looks like he wants to finish Ray off.

Ray however has other plans. He spits in Ron's face and sends him into the ropes chest first. He grabs him, and picks him up for a German suplex, but Ron counters beautifully and stretches Ray's arm behind his back.

He wrenches the wrist higher and then he trips Ray to the canvas. To make matters worse, he then bridges out to max out the stretch on Ray's arm, wrist and shoulder. Ray has no choice but to tap from the pain.

(RA) Your winner, Smackdown's Ron Johnson!

(Backstage) Joe Burgett enters the building. He is attacked by Dub Sizzle with a nightstick. He throws him into some boxes and beats on him with poles. As Burgett is coming to, Dub Sizzle throws him through a window. Dub Sizzle then disappears.

Celeste's face is in awe!

Jeff is looking at Celeste like she was a dead president resurrected from the grave.

(JG) "Ummm..."

(CW) "Umm is right, I have nothing to say right now, Jeff. Im in awe! We will be right back."

(Commercial Break)

(JG) After a disturbing act by Dub Sizzle, Joe is being treated by medical officials, but Joe is still ready to be in action tonight.

(RA) This match is an over the top battle royal and the only way you can win is by throwing your opponent over the top rope and both feet touch the floor. Introducing first, representing Raw, Adrian and Greg Bush.

Adrian comes out with heat as Bush comes out to a small pop.

(RA) And their opponents from Smackdown, the team of Blue Chip and....

Blue Chip walks out alone to many boos throughout the arena. He is holding a mic.

(Chip) I'm going at this alone.

Blue walks towards the ring.

He enters as this battle royal is under way.

Greg and Adrian run towards Blue Chip, but Chip takes them both down with a double clothesline. He is now posing as both Adrian and Greg get up and turn Chip around. Chip was expecting that and he pushes Bush to the mat and Chip low blows Adrian.

Chip tosses Adrian out of the ring and he is eliminated. Blue is now celebrating in the ring as if he has won the match. Greg quickly comes up behind him and tosses him over the top rope for the win.

(RA) Here is your winner, Raw's Greg Bush.

(CW) Well now we are tied 1 to 1 here in this Smackdown vs. Raw feud.

(JG) Certainly, Celeste. But we still have a lot of questions that need answers tonight.

Interview Segment (M, Sterling Eby, and Christi Lott)

(BI) So tell us Sterling, how do you feel about this match tonight?

(Eby) You want to know what I think? I do not care about this match. The only thing I care about is becoming the WWE Champion at Judgment Day. Some idiot took me to the hospital last night on Smackdown and that fool of a general manager puts me in a match tonight? Beyond me.

Eby and Lott walk away as M walks in. M is holding a microphone.

(M) You know what. Ron Johnson....You got lucky on Smackdown. That tape worm, Jay Rob got lucky and then after the show goes off air, I get attacked by the General Manager? Who writes this crap?

Whatever, tonight I will take the victory and at Judgment Day, I will make sure that Ron leaves that arena on a Stretcher.

M walks away.

(Commercial Break)

(RA) This is a six-person tag team match and it is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, the team of Sterling Eby, Christi Lott, and M.

The three come out to enormous heat.

(RA) And their opponents, representing Raw, Terrell Johnson, Jen, and Paul A.

They each come out to some pops.

The bell rings and we are under way.

The match starts with Christi and Jen in the ring. Jen quickly hits an arm drag on to Christi and she is down for a quick few seconds. She gets up and gets knocked back down with a clothesline. Jen Perston tags in Terrell Johnson, so Sterling Eby comes in as the legal man.

Eby has bandages on his back wounds from Smackdown last night as he quickly runs at Johnson, but Johnson hits Eby with a spinning wheel kick. Eby is down and is in serious pain.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as Paul and M are the legal men. M is holding Paul in a full nelson, but he manages to get to the ropes. M lets go and hits Paul with a neckbreaker. He goes for the pinfall. Two count as M starts stomping on Paul until Ron Johnson's music hits.

M is looking towards the ramp alongside Christi and Sterling, but Ron along with Andrea Claire take out M and Ron with clotheslines to take them to the outside.

The referee is ringing the bell as Team Smackdown wins as Andrea, M, Christi, and Stelrling are being separated by security.

Security is holding all four of them until Jen, Paul, and Johnson run toward the ropes and hit a suicide dive on to the group of stars as well as security. They are all down as we head to commercial break.

(Commercial Break)

Jay Rob and Dan Telek are in the ring ready for this tag team match.

(RA) And their opponents, JLB and Ryan Michael.

The match starts and we are under way.

JLB and Jay start he bout as JLB hits an instant Samoan drop on to Jay. JLB then picks up Jay and hits an instant lariat on to Jay and goes for the pinfall. 2 count as JLB then tags in Ryan who comes in with a scary look on his face signalizing that he's about to hit a punt kick on to Jay.

Jay is slowly getting up, but when Ryan goes for the kick, Jay gets out of the way and rolls uo Michael in a roll up pin. 1 count only as Jay is crawling to tag in Telek as Michael has tagged in JLB.

Just about the time when Jay was going to tag Telek, JLB dragged him away and hit a series of punches to Jay. The fans are cheering both sides and it is hard to determine who they prefer. JLB now has Rob in a headlock until Jay breaks out of it, hits a crossbody on to JLB and then tags in Telek.

Telek runs in as he knocks down Michael and JLB as he poses in the ring. Then Kevin Canny's music plays as he walks up the ramp as the match continues.

(Commercial Break)

We are back with Canny joining Celeste and Jeff at the commentary booth as Telek and JLB are in the ring. Telek quickly picks up JLB in the attempt of the Supernova, but JLB escapes and tags Michael in.

As Michael runs towards Telek, Canny hops on to the apron and looking at Telek, Telek stares back until he turns around and Michael hits him with a neckbreaker. Jay Rob tries to help but JLB takes him down. Michael then hits the punt kick and goes for a pinfall. 3 count as Raw wins!

(Commercial Break)

(Celeste) We are now nearing towards our huge main event between AkD and Shane Howard who have some history after AkD cost Shane the WWE Championship at Backlash.

(Gorman) That is right, Celeste and it will all go down tonight. I am just receiving a message that there is something going on in the parking lot.

The parking lot appears on the Titantron as Dub Sizzle is dragging a trash bag outside of the arena. Several doctors are walking towards him trying to stop him, but Dub pushes them away. He then tosses the bag into the Gulf as Dub is approached by a masked man.

(Masked Guy) Hey what was in that bag, anyways?

(Sizzle) Something that we do not need more of. I have officially disposed of Joe Brugnett or whatever his name is spelled like.

(Masked Man) Are you sure, because I saw him on your way out.

(Sizzle) Yeah I think so too.

Sizzle rips the mask off and it is Joe. They are going back in forth as they are both hitting equal amounts of punches, chops, suplexes, and hits until Sizzle low blows Joe and hits a Demon Driver into the water as medics are trying to get Joe out as Sizzle leaves.

(Sizzle) I wonder who was in that bag?

Out of nowhere the bag comes up and Chedder Bob comes out of it looking pissed in his brand new "Cena better than Rock" t-shirt.

(Commercial Break)

(Jeff) We are back after that disturbing incident and medics are treating Joe's injuries.

(CW) Yes, Joe, did not suffer any breaks, but he was knocked out and will be ready to go at Judgment Day.

(RA) This is our main event and it is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, representing Raw, the World Heavyweight Champion Shane Howard!

Shane comes out to a mixed reaction.

(RA) And his opponent from Smackdown, the WWE Champion, AkD!

Mixed reaction, but mostly cheers.

The bell rings and we are under way.

We start with Howard locking AkD in an armbar for a few seconds before hitting a leg sweep to knock AkD on the mat. Shane now locks AkD in the Boston Crab for a few minutes as AkD is struggling to get out of the hold. He eventually gets out by getting to the ropes as he is struggling to get up until Shane lifts him up.

Shane puts AkD on his shoulders, but AkD counters by hitting a hurricarana and both men hit the floor hard. The referee starts the ten count.

After getting to 6, both men get up and resume going at each other until Shane hits an elbow to AkD and then locks in an ankle lock. AkD is struggling to get out until he flips Shane on to the mat and AkD now has the momentum.

(Commercial Break)

We are back as AkD hits a 360 elbow (R-Truth move) on to Shane and AkD quickly gets him up and hits him with the T-Bone Suplex and goes for the pinfall. Only a 2 count as AkD looks mad and he hits a knee to the face of a prone Howard.

Quickly after, AkD picks up Shane and goes for the Paydirt, until Howard reverses and hits a CodeBreaker on to AkD. He goes for the pin, but only gets a 2 count. Shane looks amazed as he picks up AkD and the lights go out.

When the lights turn back on, we see AkD still in the ring with Shane as Shane made up that to remind AkD of what happens almost every week on Smackdown regarding this "Mystery Man". When AkD turns around, he runs into an axe kick by Howard. As he goes for the pin, the lights go out again.

When they turn back on, ECW's Anonymous Guy in the ring with a microphone as Shane and AkD are looking at him.

(AG) I am not who you think, I am just here to bring pain.

He drops the mic as Shane and AkD go after him, but AG gets out of the way so they crash into each other. Celeste looks satisfied as she is impressed with AG in the ring demolishing the two world champions.

(Jeff) I could not believe that ECW would not get involved with this, and I was correct.

The ECW Roster comes out to take out AkD and Shane until the other two brands come out and all three brands are brawling. Jen and Mina took out Andrea and Christi Lott as the male wrestlers are fighting in the ring.

The only stars not there are Dub Sizzle and Joe. Stars from all brands are knocking each other over the top rope until there are 7 people left which are Ryan Michael, Shane, AkD, Sterling Eby, Jay Rob, AG, and John Louie. The lights go out again and the same voice from Smackdown comes up.

(?) AkD, I am not who you think I am. I am who you know I am.

The lights come back as AkD is gone so there are six men left looking confused, but they start to go at it with each other.

The only thing is that AG and Louie are the only ones working together as Sterling and Jay Rob are after each other as well as Shane and Michael.

As those four men are brawling, AG takes out Shane and Michael as Louie takes out Eby and Jay. The two ECW stars celebrate in the ring as other ECW stars come in and celebrate in the ring,

This concludes the Superstars: Smackdown vs Raw Special

AkD vs Shane (non title): winner Shane