Bleacher Report - Wrestling

Hey, What Happened To That Guy? Looking Ahead To The Royal Rumble

Quinn Gammon — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:35:28 -0500

WARNING: The following article contains ranting, opinionated comments, and a lot of "writer's thoughts", contained (in parenthesis). Beware of ranting. You have been warned.

After the pleasant reception of my first article, I'm more than happy to come back and write another one. I feel like this time around, I need to focus more on the topic of my article and less on venting my frustrations, which was primarily what my first piece was about.

As you can see by the picture I uploaded, my thoughts have turned to people like Carlito. Just to give you, my faithful readers, an idea of how obscure he has become, do an image search on B/R for Carlito. You won't get a single result. I know I didn't.

It's for reasons like this that I've chosen to make him the figurehead of my writing today, mainly because virtually his entire WWE career has been spent in obscurity, bouncing from one failed storyline to another.

He was Carlito Carribean Cool and went by that name for maybe a week, two at most, before having his name shortened. Nothing major there. He debuts on SmackDown! and gets some decent exposure working with John Cena. Well, at least it was decent for a few weeks.

All the while, Mr. Cena was completing work on The Marine. Cena comes back, and Carlito's "bodyguard" gets fed to him like dog food. Carlito gets injured and that title reign quickly ends. Now, I'm not going to bore you all into submission with his career history. They have Wikipedia for that.

Fast forward to recent memory. Carlito comes back fresh with his brother Primo, forming a tag team that gave both men a great push. The Colons and Miz and Morrison were four guys who finally got to break through WWE's glass ceiling and shine as the Creative team made the Tag Team Titles important again...at least for a few weeks.

Fast forward to present day. John Morrison is floating around SmackDown! in a never ending, one sided feud with Dolph Ziggler. I could write a whole piece on what's wrong with poor Ziggy but that's being saved for another day, when I have more Pepsi to keep me energized.

The Miz is the US Champion, kinda sorta, not really. Any momentum that Kofi Kingston brought back to the belt with his defenses has been lost on The Miz, who has done a big pile of nothing since getting it back. I could write a piece on what's wrong with Mizzy too but that's not for the weak at heart.

And now, Mr. Gammon, can we PLEASE get back to the topic at hand? Pardon my ranting everyone. Carlito and Primo. What happened to THOSE guys? Does anyone remember? Oh yeah! Carlito he umm...he split with his brother on RAW for no apparent reason. They had one match, the feud was dropped and (insert drum roll here): What happened to THAT guy?

Primo has reached the all time low of "jobber to the stars" as he's done virtually nothing since the split but lose to people on RAW that are being pushed. A push he waved bye bye to. I wonder how it feels to not only have your push taken from you, but to watch your push kick your ass on a weekly basis.

Case in point: What is WWE doing with guys like Primo and Carlito?

Anyone who watches wrestling, besides the visually impaired, know that both of those guys are extremely talented and should at least be at the upper to middle midcard level.

Or at the very least, they should still be teaming together because as I write this, countless legendary tag team competitors of the olden days are stomping their feet and scoffing at the pitiful degradation of the tag team division (I'm embellishing, I'm allowed, it's my article).

Present Day: Let's not even mention the TLC PPV (Yeah, you already know what I'm going to say about that), and jump forward to January, where the Road to WrestleMania begins with the Royal Rumble! One of my all time favorite Pay-Per-Views that I haven't looked forward to in a number of years.

I know most of you are reading this, feeling betrayed by the title of my article, wondering where my pointless rambling will reach a fever pitch and finally come together. Here it is. What happened to THAT guy? (Getting tired of that yet?)

The Royal Rumble has always been a chance for people to shine. Not just the Rumble winners. The man who draws number 30 almost always has at least a few minutes to shine as the crowd (for reasons unbeknownst to yours truly) still feels every year that the guy with the last number can win the match. (See Royal Rumbles 2007 and 2008 ONLY)

Curt Hennig, known better as Mr. Perfect, was a MASTER of getting himself over. In common terms, it basically meant that he was a camera hog. There is no better example of this than any Royal Rumble match that Perfect competed in.

Even in his comeback in 2002, despite the fact that Austin and Triple H hogged all the attention, Perfect was still able to shine. Curt Hennig was a master of bumping and selling and used it to his advantage.

So well in fact, that the camera had no choice but to continually switch back to him.

My point, dear readers (dear God, he's finally making his point!), is that the Royal Rumble is a match filled with people. From start to finish. There is no reason why, in a match with 30 people, that Superstars can't get a little bit of time to shine. Kane pretty much made himself after several years of criticism in 2001, when he damn near destroyed almost every participant in that year's Rumble match.

But alas, the year 2001 is long gone and so are the days where the Rumble match was used correctly. The last great Rumble matches that I can think of (in my humble, personal opinion, of course), were Chris Benoit's wire to wire win in 2004 and The Undertaker finally getting the Rumble nod in 2007.

Between Benoit and 'Taker, we had Batista (don't even get me started), Rey Mysterio, who wasn't terribly believable (sorry Rey Mysterio fans), and after 'Taker, we had John Cena (comment withheld), and most recently we had Randy Orton, who's Rumble win was completely wasted in a less than memorable encounter at WrestleMania against Triple H.

I feel that Jesse Ventura's comments on RAW carried a harsh amount of reality in them. The same people get Title shots week after week.

Cena, Orton and Triple H have, quite literally, beaten the entertainment out of each other and the title picture sorely needs to be refreshed. Not with newbs like Sheamus (cough Vladimir Kozlov Number 2 cough), but with fresh faces.

Here's hoping poor Carlito at least makes it into the match.

The creative team needs to step up and start building some legitimate Superstars, face and heel, to jump into the Main Event scene. The Royal Rumble is a perfect place to do so.

Unfortunately, WWE will do what they always seem to do: Deliver a decent performance but completely fail to elevate anyone beyond where they were before the match began.

Until 'lest we meet again, faithful readers. Thank you for reading and, here's to yet another mediocre $40.00 pay-per-view.

The comments made in this article are strictly the opinion of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Bleacher Report or any of the other writers on this website. Feedback may be emailed to Mr. Gammon at KidMikaze2007@aim.com

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The WWE Royal Rumble 2010: Who Will Win? Guess Who Style

Jev — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:41:28 -0500

The road to WrestleMania is slowly working it's way round again, with the start barely over the horizon in the form of the Royal Rumble. Soon enough, the big question will be at the forefront of everyone's mind again; who is going to win? The Rumble may seem a little too distant to start contemplating such matters, but as current efforts seem solely focussed on deciphering the turbulent world title scene and other goings-on across the world of the WWE, I thought I would give some direction to the chaos by offering up some candidates to take the Royal Rumble crown. I thought that for a bit of fun I would attempt to find these wrestlers using the method applied in the game “Guess Who.” I am going to attempt to systematically cut the field of potential winners down by making observations about past Rumble winners; establish trends from past winners, and then eliminate anyone who doesn’t fall into that category. Then by the end, I should have a decent pool of names which should hopefully contain the winner of the next Rumble. Every year we see many predictions as to who the winner will be. I may offer my personal choice at the end, but the main purpose of this is for me to rationalise the chances of certain Superstars winning, and allow that information to stew in your brain and to let you make your own decision. Ultimately, we may all reach a consensus as to who should win, but however obvious a candidate may seem, the outcome could be utterly different. Personally, I like it that way, so long as it is done correctly.

Begin Slideshow

A Hulkamaniac's Destiny: My Day With Hulk Hogan

BJ West — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 04:07:15 -0500

On March 31, 1985 Mr.T was going to be in a wrestling match. Why? He is a television star on The A-Team.

I know he is tough but he could get seriously hurt in a wrestling ring. I didn’t know if I could watch my hero get hurt. I would tune in every Wednesday night to watch The A-Team and I knew Mr.T’s character BA Baracus would beat up all the bad guys on his own but this was a lot different.

My Dad and I sat down to watch this match sometime later because in Australia back in those days the WWF was delayed for up to 12 months! This was the first wrestling I had watched with my Dad and I remember being so excited, but nervous because I didn’t know what was going to happen to Mr.T.

This match was the main event of Wrestlemania—the first ever Wrestlemania, it would be Rowdy Roddy Piper and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff against Mr.T and a guy called Hulk Hogan.

Something happened during this match, I lost a little interest in what Mr.T was doing because this Hulk Hogan guy grabbed my attention and he was amazing! At 6’8", 300 pounds, long blonde hair, built like He-Man and he had so much charisma, his eyes would light up, he would storm into the ring and beat up anyone that got in his way and the crowd couldn’t get enough of him!

He was the WWF champion at the time and I could see why, how could it be possible for this guy to lose? Mr.T was in safe hands that night. Hogan and T would go on to win the match and right there I knew I had become a Hulkamaniac for life!

I started to buy wrestling magazines and it seemed like Hulk was on the cover of all of them! When I was reading these magazines I noticed that you could actually buy Hulk Hogan merchandise which included posters, t-shirts, figures, lunch boxes, stickers etc.

It didn’t take long for people at my school to catch onto this Hulkamania thing, but nobody could come close to being a bigger fan than me. Over the next few years I had quite a collection of Hulk Hogan stuff and through reading magazines I was able to memorise different stats and match results.

I remember using my pocket money to buy WWF cards which came with a stick of bubble gum and would be highly disappointed if I didn’t get any Hogan cards.

I now fast forward to 2002, Hulk Hogan is advertised to appear in Melbourne for WWE’s Global Warning show at Telstra Dome. I realize my dreams are about to finally come true so I book a ticket to Melbourne and off I go!

After just a couple of days into my holiday I tune in to watch WWE Raw and Jim Ross announced that Hogan will NOT be appearing in Australia due to an “injury”. That news absolutely devastated me, my hard earned money down the drain! It wasn’t meant to be, I was not destined to see Hulk Hogan in person.

Between 2003-2007 Hogan made brief appearances in WWE but it wasn’t the same, the magic appeared to have gone and it was sad to see. The wrestling business had changed and Vince McMahon was trying to force new stars down our throats who were not even close to being the next Hulk Hogan.

I stopped watching wrestling all together during these years. I grew up in the Rock N' Wrestling era of the mid 80’s and enjoyed the Attitude era during the late 90’s but now, my loyalty to wrestling was truly finished with. I had finally outgrown my childhood interest, or had I?

What happened next was beyond amazement. I had just got home from dinner with my wife celebrating our first wedding anniversary, I put on my red Hulkamania t-shirt and settled down in front of my computer for the evening. No sooner had I sat down on the couch that I received a text message from my mate Chris and all it said was “Hogan coming to Australia, including Perth”.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my eyes lit up (just like Hogan’s when he gets fired up). I quickly bought up different wrestling websites so that I could find out what this news was about.

Hulk Hogan was going to bring the Hulkamania tour to Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Sydney in November. I had no idea who was on the tour or even if Hulk would be wrestling but if he is coming to Perth I knew this was my last chance to see the man in person!

I was so excited hearing the news, I immediately logged into Facebook and thought I would create a Hulkamania Australia fan page to bring all the Hulk Hogan fans in Australia together to talk about the upcoming tour and share their excitement. It didn’t take long for my page to gain popularity as I reached 500 fans in just a few weeks.

One day I received an e-mail from a company who was promoting the tour and they were pleased with what I was doing and would like to jump on board and get actively involved in my page and I am glad they did because as soon as they did, the page blew up to over 2,000 fans!

On Nov. 22, 2009 Hulk Hogan arrived in Perth and I was at the airport to get a glimpse of him, finally! I was wearing my red Hulkamania shirt and I bought along with me Hulk’s new autobiography in the slim chance I could get him to sign it. I had no idea how this day would pan out but I was very nervous, if I can see him in person with my own eyes I will be so happy!

The flight arrived and I watched as people walked through the terminal from this flight when all of a sudden Hulk appeared, I said to myself “Holy F*** it’s him!”

He was wearing black track pants and a black tank top, dark sunglasses and a purple bandanna. At this very moment, something happened to me, I had flashbacks of all the moments I had seen him on TV and how happy it made me, how I would pretend to be him when I play fought with my mates, I looked at all his posters dreaming of one day seeing him in real life and here he was!

I walked up to him and said “Hi Hulk how are you?” he said to me “good brother, how are you doing?” I shook his hand and tapped him on the back. I said to one of my mates “I just shook his F**** hand!”. If the day ended now I would have been so happy, but there is more!

Hulk got on the escalator and I walked down the steps next to the escalator, I took out my iPhone and filmed him then I realized the nerves were gone and I would be able to talk to him, this is how it happened:

Me: Welcome to Perth Hulk!

HH: Thank you bro

Me: It’s great to have you here

HH: It’s great to be here, I like your shirt man

Me: Do you think I could get a photo or autograph?

HH: What’s that?

Me: a photo or autograph?

HH: Yeah we can do that, once I get my bags

Me: I just read your book in 24 hours

HH: No way, wow, that’s awesome

Me: I have waited 25 years for this moment

I just had a conversation with Hulk Hogan, he actually looked at me. Just seconds later as he walked towards the baggage claim he was met by TV cameras who were there to meet him and where was I? I was standing by his side while he was interviewed.

I didn’t care that I was going to be all over the news that night, this was a moment I have waited 25 years for and I was going to soak it all up!

I can’t remember smiling so much before, it’s not everyday anyone gets to meet their childhood hero let alone have a conversation with them! Hogan sat down and signed autographs and took photos with the 30-40 fans that were at the airport, he was very good to the fans even though he appeared very tired from the flight. I got my book signed and had a photo taken with him, does this get any better?

After Hulk got his bags I walked next to him through the airport, people were staring and I thought “here I am just walking around with Hulk”. I told him how inspirational he had been to me and that he had helped me out during some rough times and he said “that’s awesome bro”.

As we approached the doors to go outside I said “I hope you really enjoy it here in Perth” and he said “it looks beautiful” I told him I was pumped up about the show on Tuesday night and he said “yeah bro me too, can’t wait”.

I kept walking close by and when I saw he had to go I told him to have a good day and he put his arm on my back and walked off. I could not believe my interaction with Hulk, it was more than I ever expected. When the van drove off he looked at me and I let out a cheer and he put his thumbs up to me.

On the day of the show I had a free ticket to the meet and greet from the promoters so I would get to see my idol again. We gathered in a room and was told that Hulk would not be signing autographs or taking photos but would answer questions for about 10 minutes.

I am glad I didn’t have to spend the extra $400 for this function as I would have felt very ripped off! I was standing at the front of the room and didn’t think anything of it and when Hulk walked through the door he was standing right in front of me, only about a metre away!

He was in his wrestling gear, he shook my hand and looked me in the eyes and said “wow brother you really brought a lot of gorgeous women with you tonight” I didn’t know what he meant so I just played along with that and said “why thank you sir”. The promoter told me afterwards that her cameraman got some really good footage of Hogan and myself.

When my friend Lisa and I left the function we took our seats at the show—front row on the aisle. The show was very solid, much more entertaining than a WWE show. The main event had Hulk Hogan beat Ric Flair in a no disqualification match by hitting Flair over the head with Jimmy Hart’s megaphone.

Not only did I get to see Hulk Hogan wrestle but he wrestled Ric Flair in my home town and I had the best seat in the house, my dream didn’t just come true but it shattered all expectations and it’s something I will be so grateful for the rest of my life.

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Why the WWE Championship Is Exciting Again

Steven Ransiear — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 23:15:27 -0500

For the first time in years, I'm excited about the WWE Championship scene.

For oh so long we've had a never-ending trading of the belt between HHH, John Cena, and Randy Orton. Sure Jeffy Hardy and Batista snuck in once or twice, but it's been dominated by only a select few since 2006.

Right now though, we've finally got a few breakout superstars ready to take over when the call is made.

Just recently a relative newcomer in Sheamus has asserted himself into the main event scene. With a championship match at the TLC PPV coming soon, RAW finally has another heel to work with.

On the flip side, the hot new babyface is Kofi Kingston. Kingston has all the tools you would look for in a face for your company. This year we saw Kingston break out of his shell on ECW and enter into a career-making feud with Randy Orton.

Kofi has dropped the fake Jamaican accent and the happy go lucky gimmick. Now we see a youngster with fire in his heart, ready to fight back against a big bully in Randy Orton.

It's because Orton is such a strong personality in the WWE that when Kingston made that shift, it instantly clicked and got over with the audience. It was a smart move on the WWE's part to put a little faith in a new guy.

Outside of Kingston and Sheamus you have the potential hidden inside the annual WWE Draft to shake things up.

Assuming both Kingston and Sheamus stay on RAW, it would be a wise move to bring some talent from Smackdown over to add to the mix. If RAW is the flagship show, then it should have the best championship division possible.

Take Chris Jericho, who will most likely be losing the the Unified Tag Team Championship as Big Show is heading for the operating room soon. Jericho has done a lot in the WWE including being a top champion.

Right now however, his great heel persona could lead to him being the perfect counter to a John Cena or a Kofi Kingston should Kingston rise further up the ladder.

Of course there's a better option right now if you want to pluck a heel from Smackdown. CM Punk is stuck in mid card hell with R-Truth.

It doesn't matter if you like R-Truth or not, he's not a main eventer. CM Punk has nothing to gain from this program. Putting him back on RAW is a decision I would make in a heartbeat.

Punk had a great match with John Cena on the Thanksgiving RAW recently which showed that he can work with essentially anyone in the company. The fans were into it and you have to believe the promos Punk could deliver in a program with Cena would be golden.

Punk can tear anyone down but Cena also has the ability to dish it right back. A feud needs both strong promos and angles as well as strong matches.

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to move The Undertaker from his long time home on Smackdown.

It'd make sense to have one of the biggest stars in WWE history to be on the A-Show as his career comes to a close. You have some major names on RAW that could provide a potential Wrestlemania-caliber feud for the dead man.

I for one wouldn't mind seeing HHH against Taker at Wrestlemania for the belt, but it seems like HHH is locked into DX for the foreseeable future.

As a secondary option, why not look into a Sheamus-Undertaker program? I don't think it'd be the Wrestlemania spectacle that most would hope for but it could really make or break the Celtic Warrior. Many have gained valuable experience and credibility after working with The Undertaker.

With those small roster changes you could have a totally new breed of championship division on RAW. Transitioning from HHH, Orton, and Cena to Kingston, Sheamus, The Undertaker, Cena, and Punk or Jericho. Which seems more diverse to you?

It's quite easy for us to sit back and look at very simple changes that could add so much to the overall product of a company. Finally, it looks like some of those changes have been put into motion.

Things are looking good for the WWE Championship, my friends.

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Money in the Bank: The New Royal Rumble?

The Future Of Bleacher Report — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:49:01 -0500

Oh my God! A quick-fire double by Fays...err...The Future!

At first, Wrestlemania was basically a mega-show for Hulk Hogan to defeat some random "bad guy" and retain his title, along with some other good matches, including celebrities to gain media exposure.

Then, at Wrestlemania VI, Hogan had to defend against The Ultimate Warrior, who was extremely over with the fans. It was one of the first times that the WWE would use a "good guy vs. good guy" match, when they usually had their hero go at it with a "villain." The idea was exciting, and it was the WWE's two biggest stars in the same ring, facing each other. And it was then that Hogan "passed the torch" to Warrior (although the WWE would later realize that Warrior didn't deserve to be a top guy).

Since then, we started to see some crowning moments occur during Wrestlemania, moments when some veteran who was previously in the limelight passes the torch to some new wrestler who deserved the title. And how would that young wrestler earn his title match at Wrestlemania? Yes, by winning the Royal Rumble.

A lot of young superstars have won the Royal Rumble and gone on to win their first world title at Wrestlemania. Stars like "The Macho Man" Randy Savage, Bret Hart (although he technically won his first world title at a house show in Canada against 'Naitch), Shawn Micheals, Stone Cold, Chris Benoit, John Cena, Batista, and Rey Mysterio.

These 'Mania moments will never be forgotten because all of the mentioned stars made history by winning their first world titles in "The Granddaddy of 'Em All." And you know that once you win a title at Wrestlemania, then the sky is the limit for your career (well, maybe not so much for Rey-Rey).

But unfortunately, like all other good things, this particular routine had to come to an end. The last time such an event would take place was 2006, when Rey Mysterio won the Royal Rumble and proceeded to win the world title at Wrestlemania.

Since then, 'Mania has become an occasion for one of two things:

1) For a current champion to solidify his title reign by having a "big" win at Wrestlemania, such as Randy Orton (2008), Triple H (2009), and John Cena (both 2007 and 2006).

2) For an established star to win yet another world title, like The Undertaker (both 2007 and 2008) and John Cena (2009).

Now I know that the evidence I have is only for the past four years, and I know that we can't expect a crowning of a new champion every year, but bear with me.

It seems as though a new concept that the WWE has used to build new stars has spiked their interest more than the usual "Royal Rumble winner goes on to challenge the champion;" they have used an annual Money in The Bank ladder match, where the winner would get a guaranteed shot for either the WWE or heavyweight title at any time he wanted, with an expiry date at the day after the next year's Wrestlemania.

When you mention MITB, Edge is the first who will come to mind. He won the first-ever MITB match, and vowed to use it at the next year's Wrestlemania, but he pulled one of the greatest swerves in WWE history (in my opinion) when he challenged a brutalized and bloodied John Cena, who had just won an elimination chamber match at New Year's Revolution , thus winning his first world title and becoming a very successful main-eventer since then.

Two years later, he defeated Mr. Kennedy (who originally won the MITB match at Wrestlemania 23) in a match over the contract in Smackdown and went on to "cash it in" against a battered Undertaker, who had just won a cage match against Batista, and suffered the wrath of Mark Henry right after the match.

Another person who comes to mind when mentioning Money in The Bank is CM Punk, who has had two consecutive MITB wins in 2008 and 2009. His first one was very unsuccessful, as he cashed it in against Edge, and his three-month title reign was treated as a fluke, which led to his immediate return to the mid-card status after dropping the title (in a very poorly-constructed manner).

His second one, in 2009, was a huge success for his career, as he cashed it in against Jeff Hardy, who had just won his second world title from Edge in a ladder match at Extreme Rules. And after that, all the Hardy fans began to hate Punk, which led to his heel turn, where Punk proved himself worthy of going at it with the "big dogs."

The third person (who, if you sort it by date, was actually the second person to win a MITB ladder match, at Wrestlemania XXII) is Rob Van Dam. RVD was the only MITB contract holder to challenge a fresh champion, and ahead of time, RVD informed Cena that he wanted to challenge him for his title at ECW One Night Stand back in 2006.

RVD, driven by the ECW faithful, defeated Cena (with some help by Edge; you know that if you're not a member of DX, then you can't beat Cena clean), thus becoming the WWE champion and earning the ECW title, which he and Paul Heyman rechristened after RVD won at One Night Stand. Unfortunately for RVD, he got a suspension due to being caught with drugs in his car, and thus was forced to drop the ECW title to Big Show, and the WWE title to Edge.

In conclusion, the WWE started using the annual MITB match at Wrestlemania to build new stars.

So which is better, MITB or Royal Rumble?

I believe that a Royal Rumble winner challenging a champion at Wrestlemania is a better way for young stars to cement themselves as main-eventers.

With the exception of RVD and heels, MITB winners who would challenge a champion always seemed to be flukes, and win in a "cheating" way, thus making them seem weak and reducing their credibility as worthy champions.

But people who won the Royal Rumble will remain in our memories as people who had elevated from mid-carders to main-eventers in an elegant manner.

How can we forget the image of Shawn Micheals sliding form the rafters? And the image of him kneeling, covering his face, with the WWE title neatly folded on the floor, while Vince McMahon would scream "The boyhood dream has come true...for Shawn Micheals!"? That was such a heart-breaking moment (excuse the pun).

Or the image of Bret Hart being carried by his fellow friends at Wrestlemania X?

Or Stone Cold going from corner to corner raising his newly-won WWE title, while J.R would say "The Austin era has begun!"?

And of course, not just my favorite Wrestlemania moment, but my favorite wrestling moment: Wrestlemania XX, 2004, Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero embracing in the middle of the ring in Madison Square Garden, with confetti dropping from the rafters. Showing the aftermath of years of good effort, and hard work.

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CM Punk: Can We Put an End to the Nonsense?

Mark Delaney — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:28:19 -0500

CM Punk is one superstar whose name has been bandied about for the past few weeks. This is most notably because he is engaged in a feud with R-Truth, a mid-carder, and many believe that Punk is joining that group of superstars again.

Can everybody take a step back for a brief moment?

I personally find this whole issue rather irritating to say the least. Punk is a top heel who has been involved in the title picture essentially since Wrestlemania, when we received weekly promos showing him attempt to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase.

The WWE clearly recognises his talent, and anybody who says otherwise should take some time to think logically.

Firstly, CM Punk is the man who defeated Jeff Hardy in a ladder match at Summerslam. More importantly, this was in clean fashion. The most adored superstar in WWE was beaten fairly by a heel with massive heat, quite rarely seen in today's era.

Secondly, CM Punk then went on to defeat Hardy in a Cage match the next night on Smackdown, once again in clean fashion, causing Hardy to quit the WWE. The WWE recognised a superstar who had the abilities and plausibility to defeat and end the career of Hardy.

Hardy, whether you love him or not, was debatably one of the most profitable, if not the most profitable superstar in WWE. The fact that he was beaten fairly by Punk twice showed the faith that WWE has in this performer.

Now, can somebody please tell me why WWE would suddenly lose their faith in a superstar into whom they have entrusted so much?

CM Punk is simply respected enough by the WWE to be seen as a man with enough talent to engineer another superstar's rise to stardom. The man in question, R-Truth, is enjoying a certain amount of adulation from the crowd at the moment. Thus, it should be stated that Punk is doing his job very well.

The fact that Punk survived to the remaining seconds along with Orton in the recent Survivor Series traditional elimination match shows the fact that the WWE has not lost their faith in the man.

Randy Orton, the name usually at the tip of everybody's tongue, including my own, is engaging in an almost identical feud at the moment on RAW. The fact that he is the name on the tip of everybody's tongue ensures that he stays firmly in the limelight, regardless of whether he faces Kofi Kingston or MVP or any other mid-carder.

CM Punk does not have the luxury of such recognition and status, and thus the wrestling population believe him to be relegated to the bench, so to speak.

This is the man who has twice won Money in the Bank, so let us not think for one second that he is a mid-carder again.

I am personally willing to give this feud a chance to develop, and the fact remains that if it doesn't, Punk will likely be back in the championship frame.

This enigmatic heel will undoubtedly have the World Heavyweight Championship around his waist before long, and all of you who have spoken too soon will have to eat your words.

Thanks, Mark.

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Killing Them Softly: DX Must Be Allowed to Die Once and For All

Sulayman H. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:12:26 -0500

Note: The opinions expressed here are concerning the team of DX together, not Shawn Michaels and Triple H individually, I mean come on ...by themselves, they rock —hard.

Nothing lasts forever.

We as humans have become too familiar with that statement, be it a loss of a friend, a loved one, or just about anything that has been present in the long term, we understand that one day it has to dwindle into nonexistence.

Just like fine wine, we get better with time.

That proclamation doesn’t apply with Degeneration X’s current state. The way in which their return was brought about had me thinking that the tag team division would recover regardless of whether it would be one crotch crop at a time.

The prospect of having them hold the tag titles and then passing the torch to an up and coming tag team would put said team so over the moon they wouldn't be able to take it all in.

They didn’t enter the tag team scene, though.

But they did grapple with Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes in a spell of matches which thrilled the fans of the WWE all the while transforming Legacy into a plausible duo.

Summerslam, Bragging Rights, and Hell in a Cell showcased their ability to work together and put on a show along with Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.

Until then my assumption remained true but when Shawn and Hunter were thrown into a match with Cena, I was left wondering what would become of a division that’s been built and damaged too many times?

When the Triple Threat match was over, we were told that DX would be facing JeriShow at TLC (T otally L azy C oncept of a PPV?) and that it would be for the unified tag titles which leads me to ask one question: What’s up with that?

With all the hoopla made over the opening of the triple threat bout at Survivor Series and people calling bull on RAW after all the tension between Michaels and HHH was not sold, this match could either be the start of a long running feud that leads to the title changing hands at the Royal Rumble (or Wrestlemania, depends on what qualifies as a long running feud these days).

Or it could be another opportunity to explore the tensions between Jericho and Big Show, creating a situation where hostility between Michaels and Helmsley reaches a point where it no longer can be ignored.

The word on the grapevine would indicate the second scenario might actually be an eventuality which would be just great.

At this point, let me make one thing clear.

Degeneration X needs to die, once and for all—which means no complete reunions. I’m -alright with a one night appearance but putting those two clowns (don’t look at your monitor like that) together would be the height of "just too much for me to handle."

Why?

I get not being able to be cutting edge, vulgar and raunchy but this version of DX (which would be around 4.0, I think) is bland, boring, unfunny, and just plain unbearable.

Shawn’s character has been dialed down to a bumbling fool outside the ring who resorts to ensuing in unfunny gags with his "bestest" buddy Triple H (who slept his way to the top if you didn’t already know, tee hee), like getting served with papers for little people’s court.

I guess they had to do something for Judge Verne Troyer next week, but how does JeriShow fit into all of this?

My guess is that they probably don’t.

Hear that?

I get it, WWE is PG now and they want to send a positive message to the mainstream media to show that they “care.” I know DX moves merchandise, and money is king in the land of sports entertainment or in any other land for that matter.

But how many times can you resurrect something and make it more pathetic until it can’t be made to look like more of a joke than it already is?

For how long can they pretend that we like watching such garbage?

Hopefully, we’ll be seeing the end of Degeneration X at TLC; for now.

Degeneration X needs to die, once and for all, although HHH and HBK are doing a pretty first-rate job of killing it in the first place.

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Randy Orton: What Happened to the Evil That Once Made You Great?

Ryan Michael — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:18:24 -0500

We miss you, Randy Orton.

We really do.

It has been far too long since we have seen "the" Randy Orton that struck fear into the hearts of each and every person foolish enough to get in his way.

Don't you remember?

Readers, think back the beginning of 2009.

Think back to the time when the evolution of Randy Orton was something that kept you on the edge of your sofa each and every Monday night.

Sure, the script writers butchered a few angles (Shane McMahon's kitten-punches, IED, and Orton's law come to mind) but the total product was something fresh, something original, something...

Special.

Everything seemed to work.

The return from a broken collar-bone made you fresh, your new tattoos gave you attitude, and your facial expressions provided the video footage to match your deranged theme music.

This was the Randy Orton the WWE Universe couldn't get enough of.

Yet what do we have before us today?

The top heel on Raw?

I'll give you that.

Someone the people will "pay" to see?

Yep, you still got it.

The No. 1 guy in the industry?

Unquestionably (though those who embrace the right to be incorrect might beg to differ).

But someone to be afraid of?

No.

And it's a shame.

A shame that the WWE's finest script writers decided to turn you into a comic-book character.

"Here comes Randy Orton the bad guy, I hope Super Cena can defeat the villain."

That's the problem: Randy Orton should not be a villain, which is exactly what they've made him.

Kofi Kingston = good.

Randy Orton = bad.

Ryan Michael thinks...who cares?

Sure, it's nice to see the little guy stand triumphant but when it's all said and done, I feel as though I've watched a big sweaty version of a Saturday morning cartoon.

Way to go, PG-ratings.

Yet I yearn for the day when I can truly "care" about the WWE's Randy Orton product.

I stand by it, I'd buy it over and over again because my loyalty resides with the Superstar who has entertained me year after year.

That's called being a fan.

But when was the last time I sat and watched Raw, clutched my chest and said "What the f**k just happened?, I can't believe he just did that!"?

Where's the unpredictable Randy Orton?

You see, somewhere along the line Randy Orton ceased to be "the evil evolution of sports entertainment" and simply became a slithering snake of a villain.

NOT the same thing.

Back in the day (or should I say, 10 months ago) Randy Orton didn't take anyone's sh*t.

When Batista wanted to whine like a perplexed caveman about how he was "sick and tired" or Orton bad-mouthing the group that turned on him and beat him down for no reason, Orton punted him in the skull (saving us months of Batistic garbage) and cured the WWE again by tearing up his arm after he returned.

When Triple H found himself caught in the middle of "the destruction of the McMahon family" that came about as a result of the decisions that he made, Randy Orton made him cry in front of 20,000 people.

This was a Randy Orton who became a force to be reckoned with.

When the WWE's so-called bad-a**es would simply "beat you up," Randy Orton would take you out.

Randy Orton would never, and allow me to stress the word NEVER, allow someone like Kofi Kingston to cough on him, let alone make him bleed.

Randy Orton took men who had actually held the title, like CM Punk, and punted them out of relevance before they even had the opportunity to fight back.

He didn't get beat up by people under 6'0".

Okay, I can understand "selling" for people, but there has to be a limit to everything within reason.

As I say, give us the bad in moderation, don't make me throw up by having to drink the whole glass.

Randy Orton doesn't "need" to change because he's still 10 steps ahead of the curve on a bad week with the WWE's script writers writing backwards.

But if Randy Orton wants to become truly "great" again, we need to see that hunger, that hatred in his eyes every time the slightest thing goes wrong for him.

We can't see him getting beat up week after week but more importantly, we can't see his opponents walking around Raw without fear.

Randy Orton's opponents should either be overcome with fear as a result of their common-sense of they should be stricken by injury for their lack of it.

THAT is the Randy Orton we need to see back on television Monday nights.

Disclaimer: For those of you who might have taken this article a little too literally, please understand that the point of view conveyed in the article is representative of my opinion as it pertains to the fictional world of the WWE and is not intended to be reflective of my personal views regarding reality. Thank you.

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Pro Wrestling: Here's Why I'm Thankful

Shane H. — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:22:17 -0500

It's Thanksgiving. A time for family and friends to gather around, eat, be merry, and have a good time.

As it is a day for giving thanks, I want to take a few moments to thank the world of professional wrestling for what it provides to us every day. Feel free to add anything you might be thankful for, if any.

I am thankful for professional wrestling because...

it allows men to watch one man tussle with another man, both in trunks, and it isn't homosexual.
it brings relationships together because the male can watch beautiful women wrestle each other while his significant other can watch good-looking men.
it leads to break ups due to her thinking Zack Ryder is cute while he thinks Ryder is a moron.
it gave us the boom of the 80's and the Attitude Era.
it gave us DX and the nWo.
it allows us to see the Motor City Machine Guns dazzle us (Well, whenever TNA decides to let them get on TV, that is).
Misawa, KENTA, Nakamura, Tanahashi, Keiji Mutoh, and a host of other Japanese stars who have thrilled us through the years.
Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, and the Mexican wrestlers who have shared their talents with us.
Ring of Honor will be a force to reckon with once everyone realizes how talented the men and women there are.
the ton of independent promotions that provide fans around the world with the chance to see guys before they make it big.
Nigel McGuinness went TNA.
TNA allowed McGuinness to use the name Desmond Wolfe so we can laugh at the sheer silliness of him quoting Duran Duran tracks.
Bryan Danielson soon gracing WWE fans with his presence.
it will provide folks a lot of opportunity to pen articles about how the WWE is restricting Danielson and the outcry for him not be able to use the Cattle Mutilation move.
having Jesse Ventura speak the truth when it comes to John Cena the other day.
showing us how much blood the human body can produce after watching a Ric Flair match.
the obligatory food fight that would occur during a WWE Thanksgiving show.
VINTAGE! Michael Cole will always find a way to annoy listeners.
Terry Funk is the motivation for Brett Favre.
we still get "You Screwed Bret" whenever we take a trip to Canada.
the Hart Family Dungeon put out a ton of talented individuals.
ECW provided us with awesome chants: "E-C-Dubya", "You F@$ked Up", "Holy Sh*t", "This is Awesome", etc.
TNA fans in the Impact Zone will scream "This is Awesome" for the most basic of matches sometimes.
it led to the formation of Hit the Ropes Radio, the Hit the Ropes website , Force of Wrestling , Wrestling-Radio , and The Wrestling Daily .
it gives us the chance to know AkD, Capt. Charisma, Andrea Claire, Ryan Michael, Justin Thomas, Dub Sizzle, and others.
without wrestling, I wouldn't get my Maryse fix weekly.
and I wouldn't get what follows below.

Shane Howard is a member of Hit the Ropes Radio Show. You can check out the web site here . HTR Radio airs every Sunday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Be sure to join the Facebook group as well (click here ). Also, check out FOW and WR for your wrestling news, as well as my work there.

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We Were Wrong About the WWE: Raw Finally Building Some Stars

The Future Of Bleacher Report — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:28:46 -0500

Hello fellow B/R members,

First I would like to apologize for my absence here in this wonderful community, I was just extremely busy with my final year of school and college applications, and I have finally found some time to share my opinions with you guys today.

I remember how we all complained about the staleness of the WWE product, and how we are seeing the same faces over and over hogging the spotlight.

We finally found a light in the end of a very dark tunnel after 2009's Draft, when Smackdown seemed to become an interesting show filled with young, talented athletes giving us their all to impress us, the fans. We were excited about CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, and some other athletes.

However, CM Punk seems to have fallen down the food-chain nowadays, Dolph Ziggler's push has been in a halt, and John Morrison...Well we never got a nice main-event feud for Morrison after we all figured that he would be World Champion by the end of the 2009, and here we are, cutting our Thanksgiving turkey and we still haven't seen anything change in Morrison's position within the Smackdown roster.

Meanwhile, TNA has changed its direction from shoving the Main Event Mafia down our throats to actually realising that we got bored of them, and thus started pushing the younger, more talented superstars.

In addition, an announcement has shocked the wrestling community: Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff have signed a deal with TNA Wrestling, and TNA finally started getting some media exposure.

Vince, who some dare to call the true wrestling mastermind, knew that if he wants to survive some serious competition that may or may not occur in the next few years, he has to do something new, something interesting... Something fresh.

And since the arrival of Batista on Smackdown has immediately aborted any plans of pushing some Smackdown talent, Vince decided to give the Raw midcarders a taste of the main event scene.

I find it completely ironic that the Raw midcarders, whom we doomed as being held down due to the glass ceiling of merchandise (yes, Cena and DX), are now getting some serious pushes.

On late October/early November, Kofi Kingston began a decent feud with The Viper, Randy Orton. People began to love this Jamaic...Errr...Ghanian sensation.

He helped Cena win at Bragging Rights by scaring Legacy away, he trashed Orton's brand new car, and he totally beat Orton up at MSG after busting him open and putting him through a table.

And just a few days ago, Kofi defeated the two previous World Champions (Punk and Orton) in only six seconds at Survivor Series thus being the sole survivor for his winning team. Impressive? I think so! I see a bright future ahead of Kofi.

Speaking of bright, the Irish beast comes to mind...Sheamus!

Sheamus has won a battle royal this Monday to become the No. 1 contender for Cena's WWE title.

We have seen a lot of reports regarding Sheamus lately, on how impressed Triple H is with this young man. And everyone knows that if the boss's son in law likes you, you will do just fine.

After violently beating Cena at the contract signing, Sheamus stood over his fallen opponent and showed him that he is not someone to mess with. Now I have heard mixed reactions for this push, some like it, while others deem it "ridiculous."

I, for one, am completely impressed with this new movement we are witnissing from the WWE, and I'd rather watch Cena defend his title at a PPV against a newbie, than watch him defend it against Orton, Trips, or HBK.

Now, if Sheamus does in fact beat Cena in TLC, he will be this generation's Brock Lesnar (as Shane Howard has previously stated), and I as well believe that there is nothing wrong with that.

We need some new competitors in the main event scene, and it is too early to judge Sheamus now, and I hope that he actually delivers a decent match at TLC and show that he is worthy of the push he is receiving.

If he doesn't, he will won't go down without a fight; as I can't imagine Vince or Triple H to allow Cena to simply squash Sheamus, who they both like.

So no, he won't be just another Umaga, Snitsky, Kozlov, Kane, Knox...Or any other big guy who just randomly got a push upon his debut then got stuck in the midcard lane's traffic.

All in all, I am happy with the WWE's new direction, and I am looking forward to see even more impressive pushes.

The most interesting aspect of being a wrestling fan, in my opinion, is watching a new star on the rise. And when that special crowning moment comes, I feel thrilled to be a wrestling fan by watching an athlete grow from a jobber, to a midcarder, to a star.

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Two Triple Threat Matches Proved You Can't Trust Anyone

lee raydean — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:02:27 -0500

RAW was exciting and unpredictable Monday Night as was the case at Survivor Series. At the pay-per-view event, the matches were fast and held hair raising anticipation.

One particular match at this great PPV had me as well as all other fans, in total shock. It was the second Triple Threat match with John Cena's belt on the line.

His two opponents were on the outs on Smackdown last week. Chris Jericho and The Big Slow, teamed against the Brothers Of Destruction, Kane and Undertaker

The match got to the point where the ref couldn't keep control of the event. All four athletes were in the ring at the same time and out of nowhere, Jericho gave his own partner a codebreaker.

That was unexpected somewhat. Some fans were expecting something to happen, and they know how Jericho thinks and what he thinks.

Big Slow gave his partner a taste of his own medicine when they were in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series when he choke slammed his other half.

On RAW guest host and Governor, also former WWE champion, Jesse "the body" Ventura set up a hefty match at the next pay-per-view event, TLC featuring DX vs Jericho and Big Slow.

Now here is my question, will they be able to co-exist this time? Do they trust each other enough to do what they need to do to get the job done?

There is a very good chance that DX will walk away with the Unified Tag Team belts. Then again at Survivor Series during their Triple Threat match, Shawn Micheals gave his partner , Triple H some sweet shin music before a punch was thrown.

That move came out of nowhere. Even John Cena had a shocked look on his face. I know I was. Didn't expect that one at all, at least not that early in the match.

So who knows for sure what these two teams may be up to at TLC. In my opinion, just because they are fighting for the tag team championship belt doesn't mean squat.

There is still a chance someone will turn on their partner. There is always that chance.

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The Motor City Machine Guns: the Most Misused Talent in TNA

Chris Mueller AKA The most interesting man in the world — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:48:35 -0500

For my 100th article on B/R I decided to acknowledge two guys who I feel are getting misused and buried by management and that is Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley AKA the Motor City Machineguns.

Since I first started watching TNA two years ago, I caught on a little late, I have been seeing amazing matches and great young talent getting showcased like never before. Guys like AJ Styles, Christopher Daniels, Petey Williams and Jay Lethal have been some of the most exciting young wrestlers TNA has to offer.

The two guys I feel have been overlooked, underused, and buried by the crazy management at TNA are the MMG's. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley are two guys who have natural charisma and chemistry, as well as the right look and style to be a great tag team.

Lately it feels as if TNA management looks at them as the little kids of TNA and is brushing them aside to make room for guys like Nigel, oh sorry Desmond, and Kurt Angle. Angle doesn't need exposure for people to know he is amazing at what he does, but guys like Shelley and Sabin do.

They are young and yet so very talented. Anyone who watches their tag matches will see double team moves that have never been seen before as well as two guys who are so in sync that its always a shock to find out they are not brothers in real life. The last team I saw with this kind of chemistry who were not related were Edge and Christian.

Shelley recently won his first X-division title, so i guess they haven't been forgotten completely, but how is that the most exciting tag team in TNA hasn't won the gold yet? The Dudley's have won TNA gold and they barely look good in matches anymore. Not to mention how Bubba-Ray's weight problem has gotten worse in the last two years.

Sabin is currently hurt with a neck injury gained against Team 3D when Bubba gave a Rock bottom-like move to Sabin, who landed square on his neck. It was the scariest moment I have witnessed since Brock Lesnar's botched Shooting Star Press on Angle. This means we may not see the Machine-guns for a few weeks, at least not in a wrestling role.

My hope for these two is that sometime soon they are given a reign as TNA tag champions to see what they can do. It only makes good sense. They are TNA originals who have been staples in the X-division since its inception and they are two of the best high flyers TNA has right now. Top all that off with the fact that they know each other so well they may as well be clones and you have got one great team.

If Shelley and Sabin aren't tag champs within six months then Hogan will be making a big mistake, and I say Hogan because of all the press lately saying he will be booking and running TNA.

These guys are like a better version of London and Kendrick so I could see the WWE being interested in taking them on, especially since their friend Low ki, who goes by Kaval now, is in developmental for the WWE. These three could form a stable with Lance Hoyt, damn, I mean Vance Archer, of guy who left a smaller organization for the big time.

This kind of angle would give all of them exposure on an international level. I'm not saying that they will end up in the WWE, but if they did it would make for some great television. With Christian having returned form TNA he could be the leader of the stable.

The WWE isn't very high on acknowledging the existence of other wrestling companies, but doing so in this way could be a good thing for them from a creative standpoint.

What do you guys think of The Motor City Machine guns?

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Lacey Von Erich, One Legacy TNA Should Have Avoided

Chris Mueller AKA The most interesting man in the world — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:21:12 -0500

Since appearing a few months ago, Lacey Von Erich has garnered nothing but criticism and negativity for her role on TNA Impact.

People from TNA have been quoted saying she is stuck up and an air-head.

People from other wrestling organizations have said they are glad to no longer be working with her, and fans on the Internet have said just about everything else about the new knockout.

Lacey is the daughter of Kerry Von Erich, a man who cemented his legacy in professional wrestling in the AWA and WCCW. Along with his brothers he had what is arguably the best Tag feud in history with the Fabulous Freebirds. But Lacey is another story.

She has been increasingly annoying every time she gets on the mic and her work in the ring is amateurish. You would assume that the child of a wrestler who wants to be a wrestler would train so hard that they would have to be great, right?

Well, that case cannot be made for Lacey. Every knockout in TNA has had more impressive outings every time they wrestle in my opinion.

Is she hot? Yes. Is she part of a wrestling family? Yes. Can she wrestle? No. Can she cut a promo? No. Can she improve enough to stand toe to toe with talent like Alissa Flash or Hamada? Maybe, but it would take a lot of work.

She's no Natalya, that's for sure. She is currently touring Australia with the Hulkamania tour so she may not appear on TV for awhile, which could be a good thing.

She is only doing Bikini contests on the tour which means Hogan, a guy who can't even do his leg drop in the ring anymore, thinks she shouldn't be wrestling.

What does that say Lacey?

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Future WWE Classic: Shelton Benjamin vs. Christian in an ECW Title Ladder Match

Chris Mueller AKA The most interesting man in the world — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:28:26 -0500

This Tuesday on ECW it was announced that Christian would defend his ECW title at TLC against Shelton Benjamin in a Ladder match. Can anyone say spot-fest?

This match is going to be amazing for two reasons, first you have one of the best ever in ladder matches with Christian facing the future of the WWE in Shelton Benjamin, and second, these two have never faced off where they were both faces.

I don't know if anyone else shares my opinion here but I like Face vs. Face matches because they offer something different than the normal good vs. bad scenario. It gives us a chance to see a match where no one is going to win by holding the tights or taking a cheap shot to win.

These two guys have been tearing up ladder matches for years and putting them together is quite possibly the best ECW title match we will have seen since the title was brought back by the WWE.

They have faced off in a few MITB matches, but a one on one contest will be much more interesting as these two won't have to rely on six other guys to get out of the way or catch them if they fall, they can just go out there and steal the show.

Shelton has been a literal human highlight reel since coming to the WWE and his appearances in the Money in the Bank matches have proved he is one of the most talented performers WWE has today.

He excites whenever he is in a ladder match and having him face one of the best Ladder match competitors in history will only make his stock rise.

Christian has been linked to Ladder matches ever since he and Edge faced The Hardys in a Ladder match for the use of Terri's management services.

Since then he has competed in countless ladder matches against most of the top guys like Jericho, Edge, Matt and Jeff Hardy and now he will face one of the future top guys in Shelton Benjamin.

Shelton has been overlooked for the ECW title for too long and with guys like Yoshi and Ryder getting shots I was starting to think the WWE had forgotten about the Gold Standard. Lo and behold, he wins a match to become the Number 1 contender.

This match will most likely steal the show since HHH and Big Show will probably bring down the DX vs Jericho TLC match. I for one will be watching as these two spandex-laden warriors take to the sky, will you?

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Sheamus Gets a Shot at Cena's Title, But Is It a Good Thing?

Chris Mueller AKA The most interesting man in the world — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:12:28 -0500

Well internet wrestling fans, we have been asking for it for years and now it has happened. Finally the WWE is pushing a new young talent into the main event picture. And that person is none other than Irish Bruiser Sheamus. The question I have is, is it too early?

Sheamus debuted with WWE on June 30th with the ECW brand. Since his first appearance he has impressed with his dominating style and natural heel persona. His record remains untarnished with a loss so far, and now he is set to face Cena at TLC for the WWE title.

Now this could end up being another Kozlov vs. HHH situation; we think it's a one on one match and then it turns out to be a triple threat match because it would have been a boring one on one match. What surprises me the most was the fact that he has only been in the WWE for five months and already has a WWE title match on a PPV.

This may rub some guys in the locker room the wrong way as plenty of them are years into their contracts and have yet to see a world title match even at a house show.

I think WWE may be using this to silence people like us here at BR, the people who say they dont push the new talent. They are basically saying "Oh yeah, well look who we're pushing now" back to us.

I for one am happy to see a guy like Sheamus get a title match, but I'm sure it's no coincidence that not more than three weeks ago HHH was touting Sheamus as the next big thing in the WWE and what do you know? He wins a battle royal eliminating all but three contestants to get his title match.

I genuinely thought that Randy Orton or Kofi would win, but now I see that they are planning on taking their feud further by having had Kofi eliminate Orton from the match.

Sheamus winning was certainly a nice surprise.

Having Ventura say there is a conspiracy to keep Cena as champion shocked me even more than Sheamus becoming number one contender. The fact that WWE even let that be part of the show is a good sign to me, showing they are making strides to ready the young guys for their spots at the top when the current leaders are gone.

Sheamus has everything Vince likes in his champions. He is built like a bodybuilder, he is taller than most guys in WWE and he moves like he weighs 50 pounds less than he really is. His heel persona is great and he is better than most rookies on the mic. Seeing his rise to stardom reminds me of how Lesnar was pushed in the WWE at first.

Sheamus vs. Cena in a tables match is new, it's interesting, and it may even mean the end of Cena's reign as champion. I'm not sure if the WWE has enough confidence in Sheamus already to have him lead the so called "A brand" but putting him in the title hunt is good for the WWE.

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End The Divas Division

FoleyIsGod — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:56:42 -0500

I'm not saying I don't make the occasional spelling error here and there but GOD DAMN, if you're going to be hosting the Governor who also happens to be a hall of famer for your company, maybe run a spell check on the intro graphic.

I've actually been pretty down on WWE lately as it seems everything they do is fail. They're not getting the audience reaction they want, the product seems stale and the momentum they seemed to have gained between February and June has all but dissipated into cliches, redundancies and audience confusion.

No more is this obviously apparent than in the Diva's division. I've actually gotten into the habit of fast forwarding through any Diva's match on my DVR (which it sometimes seems the live audience at these events wishes they could do) and have felt much better because of it. Much like a child that refuses to get a flu shot and then doesn't get sick, I've learned to avoid pain in search of greater pleasure.

It is with great remorse that I now admit I did watch the Diva's traditional Survivor Series match last Sunday as well as the Pilgrims versus Indians match this past Monday. No bathroom breaks, no beer runs, no surfing the internet for dear God anything to take my mind off what is happening on the television - I went at these matches like a cleaver to a turkey neck.

I am in a great amount of pain this Tuesday night.

I guess I don't understand the point of the Diva's division. I mean, are they just there to give thirteen year olds boners? Because if they are then they really have to do away with that "smart, sexy, powerful" bullshit. Just call it what it is: "Implants, emaciated lingerie models and the prayer of a nipple slip."

As a fan of the Knockouts division in TNA this is just embarrassing. In fact, I'm convinced the Diva's division has set back the women's movement by generations. I just see little girls at home, faces pressed eagerly against the TV, hoping and praying that one day they too can compete in front of thousands of fans and fuck up a sunset flip or dress like a slutty Christmas elf.

It's almost impossible to watch a Knockouts match and then immediately watch a Diva's match and call them both the same thing - wrestling. They are so fundamentally different that one has to go. Here is what I propose.

1) Draft Beth Phoenix and Mickie James over to TNA where they will get some fucking respect.

2) If the WWE is so adamant about keeping the Divas, use them as the models they really are. Instead of having DX hawk their book and calling it a "promo" stick it between some Divas, film them kissing and then get back to the show.

This simple solution will allow me to avoid sitting through the needlessly shameful plugging of merchandise I will never buy as well as the egregiously awful Diva's matches.

Actually now that I think about it if they actually did do that I might be the proud owner of whatever piece of merch was nestled between the two snuggling pairs of surgically superior specimens.

In closing, Pilgrims versus Indians? Quotith the Miz: REALLY? The only redeeming thing about that entire segment was hearing Tatanka's music. It reminded me of a time when wrestling could be silly and ridiculous and I actually enjoyed it. When Layla and Michelle McStyles left their partner in the ring and just walked out hands raised above in disgust I felt like doing the same thing.

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Babies Don't Just Turn into Adults: Shelton Benjamin and WWE's Grand Design II

AkD — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 01:11:56 -0500

What's everyone word? I couldn't come up with a solid answer, but all that matters is the future right?

There it is.

The WWE have shown and took steps of looking ahead with pushing and or beginning to push the slew of young stars from Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Eric Escobar, Miz, Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, and a few others. The stars today are the superstars tomorrow and everyone just can't wait for their stars to become supernovas.

A step was taken even further with Sheamus earning the No. 1 contendership against John Cena at the WWE TLC PPV. On ECW WWE took it a step further as Shelton Benjamin earned his shot against Christian and will face the ECW champion in a ladder match for the ECW championship.

This could be it; this could be it.

Benjamin defeated Zack Ryder to become the No. 1 contender in a great match going over 10 minutes giving both talents enough time to showcase their skills. The "no reaction" people can shut their mouths because the crowd was hot for Benjamin, the IWC came out this time for the Gold Standard.

Before the match started there were "Let's go Shelton" chants, a chant that John Morrison isn't getting these days, so eat your heart out John Harris.

Ashley Morris wishes well for Benjamin as do myself, but eat your heart out too. The "no charisma" folks better find something else to shoot down about Benjamin 'cause that nonsensical claim just became even more nonsensical. Kofi got the push (and I'm happy for him and Dub), but Benjamin might be on his way to becoming the face of ECW, he'll run his own brand even if it's the C show.

WWE had a Grand Design (Benjamin's nickname dubbed by Matt Striker) all along, but many didn't want to listen. Yoshi Tatsu and Zack Ryder couldn't get title shots on PPVs because they aren't credible enough and Survivor Series is all about the teams; so, ECW's three PPV drought wasn't to spit in the face of ECW though WWE does, but it was a strategy to stall until they could pull the trigger on Benjamin vs Christian.

R-Truth and John Morrison used Shelton as stepping stones sweeping him in feuds and destroying any credibility Benjamin had left earlier this year in the spring. When he was drafted to ECW everyone started to make funeral arrangements for his career and now, baby now, the bandwagon is about to head out of the station.

Benjamin has broken through to the audience into the television of children and new age fans slowly and it's starting to pay off. The IWC is on fire, Captain Charisma vs. The Gold Standard in a ladder match has folks marking all across the country.

Shelton Benjamin lost on his first night on ECW this year to newcomer Yoshi Tatsu and went on a winning streak that lasted about four months before losing to a RAW bound Sheamus after the rug was pulled from under him. The big boys could no longer hold back WWE's greatest athlete and the fans were finally giving it to them.

Shelton chants filled the air as we all knew it was finally coming and my goodness it did. WWE or WHC title? No, but true fans can really appreciate what is being done here. In back to back nights two guys who have never been world champion are now receiving world title shots at WWE TLC.

Unlike Regal, Ryder, and Tastu, it was Christian who proposed the challenge to Shelton asking him to steal the show with him at TLC. It may be the mark in me speaking, but you can just feel the intensity in the air, the hype, the relief, the joy, the near catharsis.

Benjamin asked him if he was out of his mind to challenge him to a ladder match and Christian told him that they'd both be in the best ladder highlights of the decade if they were shown. Benjamin told him he'd be his partner in crime accepting the challenge and the crowd erupted.

This is a championship match seven years in the making as WWE's most prestigious title (at the moment) will be on the line in a ladder match between two ring vets, two ladder vets, and two of WWE's greatest workers. Christmas is coming early people. Dare I say it may be a potential match of the year candidate if WWE lets them steal the show.

Shelton Benjamin as ECW champion can be simply out of this world, the ECW champion isn't valued by the title itself, but the holder. Big Show's title reign was the best to date since ECW resurfaced and Christian's current reign is nothing short of marvelous. Benjamin already puts on near five star matches every night; he'd outshine Cena and 'Taker on the C brand as champion with his undeniable abilities.

This teaches us all one thing:

WWE knew Shelton was too damn good to give up on.

Don't forget that line. He'll be in one of the four main events in WWE's last PPV of the year while John Morrison (I like him, but not his bandwagon) and he rest of "THE FUTURE" will be sitting out. Ask R-Truth "What's up?!"

Ask Ziggler why he's being bamboozled and ask Morrison why he's 0-2 against The Miz and why his Intercontinental reign is almost bland. Ask why isn't Drew McIntyre getting a title shot if Sheamus got one? Ask why is Jack Swagger just floating around?

They're all great stars, but the future isn't just yet people, guys like Cena, Edge, Orton, and Benjamin will carry the load when Trips, 'Taker, Batista, and HBK are gone. Babies don't turn into adults, they turn to teens first and it'll be the teen who'll step it up when the adults are on social security.

There is only so much ways, so much excuses, so much reasons that could have been done to deny Shelton Benjamin a push and receiving one seven years later shows how important he is to the company, it shows his career's longevity as well.

A role model backstage, a mentor to young stars, a loyal company man, a fantastic in ring talent, and a fan base that have been supportive for nearly a decade shows the type of star Benjamin is. Many of the greatest stars in WWE history had to wait nearly a decade like Shelton and this could be the beginning of the rest of Benjamin's career, the ceiling might just be shattered after all.

If Shelton Benjamin merchandise is on the way you better believe I'm buying it all!

His day is coming, oh baby it's coming.

Ain't No Stopping Him...NOOOOO!

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Let's Not Focus Only On Sheamus Challenging Cena, But On WWE RAW Itself

Joe Burgett — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:42:03 -0500

With everyone talking about Sheamus going head to head with John Cena for the WWE Title, I wanted to focus on RAW itself. See, I have no issue with Sheamus in the World Title hunt, at least for one PPV.

I mean think about it, who else could they put in there that we haven't seen before? Orton? Triple H? Shawn Michaels?

Then you have people such as The Miz and Jack Swagger who seem to be in a small feud together, so they are out. Of course Kofi Kingston has one going with Randy Orton, so both of them are out.

Obviously, Sheamus was a smart choice both for the sake of the fans and the sake of the show.

I was talking about this great Irishman down in FCW called Sheamus for some time now and when he finally made his debut, I was excited.

I mean this guy was the FCW World Champion, and he was kicking butt and taking names down there. He was far better than anyone there and deserved to be on a main roster.

He was put on ECW and did well, then went to RAW and since he has been there, he has gone roughshod on all he has faced. The issue is that it has been against smaller people and no-name wrestlers.

Then he took out The King, which was not a match, but a cheap shot outside the ring.

I thought RAW was great. When Jesse "The Body" or now "The Governor" Ventura was announced, I was not really expecting a wonderful show.

But if you ask me, we saw a great one. Ventura is easily near or at the top of list for my favorite guest hosts. I personally like a guy who speaks his mind and doesn't care what people think.

He did that and it was great. There were two things that stood out to me that I thought were quite stupid, though:

One thing was that Mark Henry was in the Breakthrough Battle Royal match. Now don't get me wrong, I like Henry. However, the rules that Ventura made said that no former World Champions could be in the battle royal.

Now, he broke the rule for Randy Orton. However, people forget that Henry was a former ECW Champion. The WWE has been saying its a World Title, but then they do things like this, contradicting themselves.

This is an excerpt from Matt Hardy's WWE Profile page on WWE.com:

"Apart from his sibling, Matt has achieved success in solo ranks as well, including United States, Hardcore, European and Cruiserweight Championship reigns. The greatest achievement, however, came in 2008 when Matt triumphed in a Championship Scramble Match to capture the ECW Title; his first taste of World Championship gold."

Now, the WWE says right here that the ECW Title is a "World Championship", yet they totally contradict that by putting Mark Henry, a former ECW Champion, into the battle royal.

By the way, Hardy actually won the title from Henry, as Henry was the ECW Champ going into the Championship Scramble match.

The match last night was said to only be for people who have never held a World Title.

Maybe instead of putting him in, you could put another SmackDown Superstar in the match-up, as R-Truth was the only one. And by the way, he was the first eliminated.

Now, Henry didn't win, but it did prove one thing; the ECW Championship is not a World Title and the WWE needs to just come out and say it. The signs have been there for so long anyway.

I mean look at the title for starters, it's platinum or silver if you will. They changed it to give us a new belt, which I have no problem with, but the old ECW Title had gold all over it, where as the new belt is only silver.

Therefore, having the ECW Title is just as big for someone as the Intercontental or US Title, as it is mainly a secondary title.

It's silver, showing us that the title is not a World Title, the gold if you will. As we all know by watching the Olympics, the silver is second place, never first.

Leaving from that little spill, we now go to the last segment of the night. Now, this segment was the contract signing for the WWE Title at the TLC PPV. Cena and Sheamus are in the ring and we all know that something will happen.

I expected the heel Sheamus to put Cena through the table. That was a bit obvious to me, but the thing I didn't expect was what Ventura had to say about Cena.

He said that it was a conspiracy theory in the WWE to keep the WWE Title belt around Cena's waist. He went on to say that Cena was the perfect yes-man, while he was never like that and because of it, he never got World Title matches.

To me, this is stupid for the WWE to do. Cena already gets flack from the fans for things like this.

People do not like that he is in the World Title matches a lot and the WWE is entertainment, so its not like its a real sport where a conspiracy could happen to keep one champion.

If you check all of Cena's World Title matches for the title or to retain, he wins them clean if he is set to win.

So, for the writers to have Ventura try to sell his new show even more so by having him say it was a conspiracy between Cena and the WWE to keep the title on him because he was their yes-man, is stupid.

It made me very irate because the WWE uses Cena as their top guy because of what Ventura was saying true, but because he sells. Some people may have gotten tired of his character, but he still sells a lot of merchandise and is cheered everywhere he goes.

There is a mix of boos sometimes, this is true. But, he still does quite well. He sells moves as good as any other in the WWE other than Shawn Michaels, but seriously, not a lot of people can do what HBK does. Just look at the match he had with Hulk Hogan to see how much he sells.

A lot of the criticism is not fair toward Cena and people forget that he is only doing what he is told to do and because of that, he is rewarded for it. People like Ventura never got a World Title shot in the WWE because he didn't belong in them.

The dude was not nearly as good as the people in the matches. So, the WWE could care less what he was saying, in fact he was put on the mic because he was entertaining.

The reason he was never a World Champion in the WWE was because he simply was not as good as people such as Hogan, Sheik, Hart, Andre, and others.

I know the WWE is scripted entertainment, but you are killing Cena's character when you cross certain lines like that. He is already suffering with the fans from the lack of character depth you have given him, why hurt him worse?

Some are going to agree that he gets in the World Title hunt a lot, but so does just about all of the people in them.

How many times did we see Orton in the World Title hunt? Just about all year, pretty much since he came back from injury in 2008, he has been in the hunt or was the WWE Champion.

Then you have Triple H who was in them a lot, as he always is. Undertaker is in them a lot, CM Punk has been, Chris Jericho has been, and countless others.

This is why I like that Sheamus is going against Cena at TLC, because it gives us some new meat in the title hunt.

For idiots to come out and say Orton or anyone else who has been in the hunt or have been champion all year should be in the title match should really punch themselves in the face, which will hopefully snap you out of whatever stupid trance you are in.

Finally we are seeing some new feuds, be thankful about that. This could be the only time it happens all this year or next year.

Of course. people who know the WWE should know now that these are probably going to be the feuds that last all of 2010. So while they may be new and fresh right now, they may be old and stale by June when the same are still going on.

While RAW was good, there are things that made sense, then other things that were so stupid, I thought 3-year-olds were writing the show. Which some would say has been the case all along.

Seriously, this makes me want to see B/R Writers run one show and show the WWE how it's done. I'm just saying.

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Stephen Farrelly: Taking A Closer Look At The Celtic Warrior Sheamus

Jessy Morris — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:05:28 -0500

Stephen Farrelly made his WWE debut as "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus on June 30th as part of the ECW brand. He began a rivalry with Goldust on ECW before moving on to a higher profile rivalry against Shelton Benjamin.

It wasn't before being transferred to Raw that he got more exposure. His destruction of Jamie Noble was not really impressive, but it let the fans know that he had arrived. Survivor Series was his night to shine. Most fans, including myself thought that Sheamus was too aggressive and would get disqualified and that Team Morrison would pick up the win.

Instead, the WWE decided to push new superstars like Drew McIntyre and Sheamus which left me with a smile on my face. I won't lie, I heard of Sheamus O'Shaunessy before he made his debut in the WWE and became a fan and since his WWE debut, nothing's changed.

He's 6'6" and 280 pounds, but he's much different from most big men that have come across the WWE. Superstars like The Great Khali, Mike Knox, Festus, Vladimir Kozlov, Ezekiel, Snitsky, and some of the past big men too haven't been impressive in the ring. Sheamus doesn't come from the same mold as these guys. Instead, I think he's more like Undertaker, Batista, Big Show and Bam Bam Bigelow, a big man with a future.

Sheamus has pretty good in-ring skills, but you can't really agree with me if you've only seen his matches against Noble. He can actually talk on the mic and be good at it, most big men don't even know what a microphone is. Sheamus also has a pretty cool gimmick. He's working on the evil Irish gimmick pretty well so far and can't wait to see where he'll take it next.

WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross was also impressed with Sheamus and had this to say:

“The continued evolution of Sheamus, the big Irish guy with no last name, is something that I’m enjoying. Hopefully, this build will be consistent and not rushed as it is obvious to me that Sheamus, the big Irish guy with no last name, has marketable potential.

"I like his size, physicality, and obvious toughness and he also has a strong work ethic and desire to not just be a player to be be a main event player. Sheamus is one of the most intriguing personas in WWE right now for my money."

His performance at Survivor Series was really impressive and hinted that the WWE wanted to make an impact with him.

The fact that he not only eliminated Finlay but Intercontinental champion John Morrison to win the match, was actually enough to show the WWE universe that his push would come quicker then expected.

We now know that he will be challenging WWE champion John Cena at TLC in a table match. Most fans have been disappointed at the WWE title picture this year because it needed to change. All those same fans are now pissed that Sheamus is getting a championship match this early.

Here's what the WWE championship PPV matches have been all year long:

Royal Rumble: John Cena vs JBL

No Way Out: Elimination Chamber

WrestleMania: Randy Orton vs Triple H

Backlash: Randy Orton/Legacy vs Triple H/Batista/Shane

Judgement Day: Randy Orton vs Batista

Extreme Rules: Randy Orton vs Batista

The Bash: Randy Orton vs Triple H

Night of Champions: Randy Orton vs John Cena vs Triple H

Summerslam: Randy Orton vs John Cena

Breaking Point: Randy Orton vs John cena

Hell In A Cell: Randy Orton vs John Cena

Bragging Rights: Randy Orton vs John cena

Survivor Series: John Cena vs Triple H vs Shawn Michaels

So, if you hadn't noticed, John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, and Triple H were in the main events all year long. JBL and Shawn Michaels were involved only in one main event match. That's four guys main eventing 13 straight events.

I think it's a good idea to refresh the WWE title picture with Sheamus. Even if he loses to Cena, it's new and cool. Sheamus will become a top superstar whatever the outcome of the match at TLC. If he loses, it won't be by pinfall or submission since it will be a table match, so it won't take any of his fire away.

Even in the scenario where Sheamus would become WWE champion at TLC, it would be nice to see what he can do with it. If he does leave with the title, he won't keep it long anyway since the WWE won't let him main event Wrestlemania just yet.

All I can say is, don't hate on the WWE or Sheamus. Wait and see what the WWE does with this angle first. I truly believe I will be all for the better whatever happens.

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"At Least It's Not Orton": Sheamus and Other RAW Ramblins!

Ashley Morris — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:39:16 -0500

At the 9:15 PM mark of last night's latest iteration of Monday Night RAW on the USA Network, I turned to my buddy and asked him a simple question:

"Wait, it's just 9:15?" I asked.

"Yep," he replied dryly.

"We still got another hour to go!" I remarked.

"Yep," he replied dryly again.

Last night's three hour Thanksgiving special episode of RAW seemed to drag on forever, and at times the crowd gave numerous apathetic responses to the action in the ring or backstage.

In fact, Jesse Ventura, arguably one of the most colorful and controversial wrestlers and commentators to ever grace the WWE, garnered some less than enthusiastic cheers from the live crowd in Hershey, PA.

Sure the fans chanted his name, but I got a feeling that most of the folks in attendance probably had no clue of who Ventura was...even with the whole Governor thing going for him.

As the show ambled into the final hour, and the advertised Breakthrough Battle Royal took place, fans worldwide were witness to an incredible event that I had been secretly hoping would happen sometime soon.

WWE Superstar, "The Celtic Warrior" Sheamus, became the new No. 1 Contender to the WWE Heavyweight Title. At the Dec. 13 PPV TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs , Sheamus will face Champion John Cena in a Tables' Match.

It was only a matter of time before these two behemoths crossed paths, and I find it refreshing that the WWE is attempting to pull some new blood into the main event scene.

However, their decision to give the nod to Sheamus has the huge potential to alienate tons of die-hard fans that would rather watch a Mae Young striptease than be forced to see Cena put over a superstar that has yet to "earn his stripes."

Sheamus' push is not necessarily a bad thing, and by using last night's episode of RAW, I can explain how one can come to such a seemingly irrational and whiskey induced conclusion.

1. Orton Can't Face Cena AGAIN

At the Oct. 25 Bragging Rights PPV, John Cena faced Randy Orton in an Anything Goes 60 minute Iron Man Match for the WWE Heavyweight Title. Heading into this PPV, John Cena literally struck a deal with the devil: if Randy Orton retained his championship, Cena would have to leave RAW (this sort of makes that whole Draft thing pointless, doesn't it?).

HOWEVER, there was another stipulation that now seems to have been swept under the rug...if Cena defeated Randy Orton, not only would he gain the WWE Heavyweight Championship, but Randy would also have to forfeit ALL of his future title shots against John Cena.

I KNOW I'm not retarded, because all of this happened when Orton laid the deal out with Cena in the first place.

So imagined the look on my face when Orton jumped Primo Colon and tossed him off the ramp (in the same exact way he did Kofi Kingston, by the way) and inserted himself in the Breakthrough Battle Royal Qualifying match that was then sanctioned by Guest GM Jesse Ventura.

In fact, imagine how much more pissed off I was when Orton laid out Evan Bourne for the win.

I'm all for kayfabe, but I'm an even bigger fan of continuity; by having Orton win the battle royal to face Cena would have been one huge big "screw you" to the WWE fans, something very similar to a Commander-in-Chief telling his people that a war was over, only to turn around and run for re-election with a "you can't get rid of me in the middle of a war" campaign...but that's an article for another web site.

Having Cena face Orton for the ninetieth time, especially after building a match on the premise that it would be the end of such an epic rivalry, would be downright atrocious to any fan that had at least enough sense to know the difference between the novel concept of "up" and "down."

2. Let's Look At Our Other Options

We know who Cena will face at next month's PPV, but can we take a second to look at all the people he could have possibly faced?

Here's a list of the individuals that did not make it into the battle royal: Dolph Ziggler, Finlay, Chavo Guerrero, Jack Swagger, Chris Masters, Primo Colon, Evan Bourne, and Cryme Time.

Please be honest with yourself; can you imagine any of these superstars facing John Cena or The Undertaker for their respective championship titles in three weeks? I'd be hard pressed to believe that anyone outside of Ziggler would get such an opportunity.

My cynicism is cruel and unwarranted for such a talented array of superstars, but I highly doubt Primo Colon or JTG could draw bath water let alone buy rates as main event stars in a title match given their current pushes.

3. The Beginning of an Intense Battle

I own the video game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe , and out of all the possible matchups of fighters on the game, the one that had me giddy was a fight between Superman and Captain Marvel. Here you have to equally matched heroes coming to blows right in front of you.

To watch two fighters with similar builds, somewhat similar abilities, and fiercely similar passions go against one another was like music for my eyes.

I think the same thing when I imagine the matchup of Cena and Sheamus.

On one hand, you have John Cena—the WWE PG Era equivalent to Hulk Hogan. He never surrenders, he never quits, and he never backs down from a challenge.

Cena is a brawler, and by design was not meant to have an expansive move list or a wide array of submission holds and aerial abilities. When he engages an opponent in a battle, it is not going to be pretty at all.

However, the kids of today admire his determination and his will to overcome all odds in order to remain "the best" by WWE Heavyweight Title standards. His cheerful disposition and his resilience are like gold to tons of kids all over the globe that face obstacles that continuously prove to be insurmountable.

Cena is a role model that subconsciously tells kids today, "No matter how ugly the situation may be, you can never back down from it and you can never quit!"

Then on the other hand, you have Sheamus. At 6'6", 280 lbs., this Celtic Warrior is a beast that cannot be taken lightly. His assaults are unrelenting, and much like John Cena, Sheamus is not afraid to back down from an opponent. His offense is what Jim Ross would refer to as "bowling shoe ugly," and is designed to hurt and brutalize his opponents.

Sheamus is five inches shorter than Cena, weighs forty more pounds, and is eight months younger than the man. His physical build resembles Cena's, and both men have a penchant for brawling until they cannot do so any longer.

Sheamus is not about games, motivational speeches, or even the championship belt to some extent. Sheamus wants to beat Cena and will relish in seeing the man lay in an intensive care unit.

How could you not want to see these two bulls clash against one another? It's two supercharged trains heading for a collision course, and as much as you want people to think that you're not watching it, you and I know we're both waiting with binoculars and bags of popcorn.

So what are your thoughts? Are you anxiously waiting for the moment these two will meet each other in the ring, or are you composing a letter to WWE Creative to let them know that they've dropped the ball?

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WWE Raw Thoughts: Be Careful What You Wish For

Voodoo Magic — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:54:42 -0500

Sheamus?

Really? Sheamus?

Here I was, just the other day, lamenting the state of the WWE title picture and the lack of originality with title matches. I said that it was time to open up the main event to new blood, to build up some new heels on Raw to challenge John Cena for the title.

From what we saw on Raw last night, based on Jesse Ventura's suspiciously shoot-like comments and the show's results, the WWE agreed.

To some extent, it was obvious what creative was trying to do with Team Miz at Survivor Series: take a group of young, up-and-coming heel performers—The Miz, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, and Jack Swagger—and put them over big to make them look credible.

Of that group, it seemed most apparent that Miz would get the nod, with possibly Sheamus as his strong-arm backup.

But Sheamus himself as the new No. 1 contender? It is someone different, true, but the situation itself is nothing new.

Has the WWE learned nothing from its previous failures?

Don't get me wrong, I actually like Sheamus. I've been following him since he's been in FCW—since then, he's certainly got a different look and accent to boot—and was always wondering when the big bosses were going to bring him up to the show, given Vince's propensity to drool over big, bad, “RARR I'M BIG AND SCARY” hoss types.

So when they brought him up, I was interested to see what they'd do with him. Naturally he'd start in ECW, where the writers would give him a character and see what he could do.

His character was someone who squashed people using generic big-man moves (who was the last big man who didn't use a kind of big boot as a finisher?) and cut generic “I am the best and I'm going to beat people up” promos.

Where's the originality? He's Irish, but the only way you'd know is because he's pale, talks funny (“Oi ahm Sheamus, and ahm harr ta conquer tha Dubya-Dubya-E!!”), and calls himself the Celtic Warrior.

Now granted, at least they haven't given him an evil leprechaun to pal around with like they did with Finlay. Though, call me an idiot if you want, Hornswoggle was awesome in his original Little Bastard role, but it's nothing groundbreaking.

Really, there's nothing new to report here. It may seem like they've given a new guy a shot at the WWE title, like many people have been asking for, but really it's the same thing we've seen over and over for years.

Bring up a generic hoss who likes to hit people and push him to the moon. Throw it at the wall and see if it sticks—especially with Cena, who's become a pro at this storyline.

The problem is, it rarely sticks.

They tried this with Snitsky and he bombed badly, then got released. Vladimir Kozlov got a similar push and fought Triple H in last year's Survivor Series title match and almost got booed out of the building, and is now in ECW.

The Great Khali was given a shot, but he was/is so bad in the ring that no one took him seriously.

Even going back to 1994, when Kevin Nash was in his Diesel character and was given the title so fast that the company almost went under with him at the top, this strategy has rarely worked.

Of course, there are exceptions. I don't think I have to explain Andre the Giant or Hulk Hogan. Then again, that was a different era, and they booked them both perfectly.

Brock Lesnar was a scary monster who got over and did very well, but then again, Lesnar had ridiculous in-ring skills for a man his size.

Big Show has always gotten main event pushes, but the fact remains that he's a decent-to-solid worker and can cut excellent promos. Umaga got really close but they dropped the ball with him, especially when they took Armando Estrada away.

But despite the successes, generic big-men like Sheamus who, let's face it, get no reaction from the crowd, have never worked. This new No. 1 contender is fool's gold.

It looks new. It sounds new. But, it's the same old thing we've seen.

Too bad.

Other Raw Thoughts

I said it once, and I'll say it again: WWE has no clue what to do with Jack Swagger.

There was no reason for him not to at least be in the battle royal last night. This guy is a blue-chip prospect, one who is far more credible than Sheamus, yet WWE can't figure out what to do with him.

I no longer know how to feel about Santino Marella. He once was an underdog babyface who people grew tired of, so they turned him heel and he became the funniest guy on the planet.

The company was forced to turn him due to fan reaction. Seriously, the man dressed in drag and got over, at which point, he turned into a useless novelty act. I give up.

How awesome was Jesse Ventura last night—when he wasn't shamelessly plugging that ridiculous reality show of his? The clips of him as a commentator were pure gold.

Plus, unless he was going off script a little, they let him go into full worked-shoot mode and make some very timely, interesting comments that I'm sure made some people uncomfortable.

CM Punk: be careful about turning into too generic a heel. Cutting “you people” promos has been the downfall of far better men than you.

Hey, remember when Triple H and Shawn Michaels were interesting, awesome performers?

Say what you want to about her, but there's no denying that Vickie Guerrero is a heat magnet. And, it seems like her promo abilities are getting a little better.

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RAW Comes to Hershey, Pennsylvania

Alex Winstanley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:24:34 -0500

After an incredible night in Washington D.C, tension was high in the packed Giant Centre in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The show kicks off with WWE Ring Announcer Justin Roberts introducing tonight's special guest host for the evening, former WWE Superstar, announcer and Governor of Minnesota, Jesse "The Body" Ventura. But rather than Ventura coming out, Randy Orton's music hits and he enters the ring.

Orton says that he knows the normal routine is for the guest host to come out and get interrupted by someone, but he doesn't care. He knows that Ventura has a major announcement tonight about the WWE Heavyweight Championship and although he's not supposed to face John Cena for the title anymore, the guest host has the power to lift his ban so he can face Cena for the belt.

He continues pleading his case by saying he deserves the title more than anyone else and he asks the governor to come out and do the right thing. Jesse Ventura's music hits and he comes out to the ring.

Jesse says that "The Body" is back and he's dressed like pro wrestling, not like a governor. He addresses Orton and says that he respects him and likes his "style." He says that Orton reminds him of him from back when he was younger.

He says that since he's the governor of revolution, he's going to bring something completely new to the WWE tonight. He says Orton is "not" going to give Orton a title shot. He says that week after week, the same people get a shot at the title and it's time to change that. He starts naming the main stars like Triple H, Shawn Michaels, and Jericho saying that none of them will get the title shot.

There will be a series of matches tonight to qualify for a "break-through battle royal" and the winner of that will be the number one contender. However, no former champion can be part of the tournament.

Orton says that Ventura is making a big mistake. Ventura then says that he's made plenty of mistakes, but it still remains that what he says goes. He then goes on to announce that John Cena will be taking on CM Punk. He puts over that they've never wrestled before. He also says that D-X will fight the Hart Dynasty and they've never wrestled before. He then puts over the tournament again and announces that the first match starts now.

Kofi's music hits and he heads out to the ring. Orton meets him up the entrance way and they stare each other down, but Orton continues to the back and no physical confrontation occurs.

Qualifying Match - Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler

They lock up and Ziggler backs Kofi to the corner and gives him a cheap shot over the referee who tries to get in the middle. Kofi turns around though, with punches of his own. He backs up and charges, but Dolph moves and Kingston nails the top rope.

Dolph attempts a pin, but Kofi kicks out at two. Dolph then takes over control with a number of offensive moves until he puts a headlock on Kofi.

Kofi gets back up to his feet and tries to elbow his way out of the headlock. He succeeds, but Dolph knees him into the stomach and throws him back down followed by dropping some elbows. He then applies a leg lock on Kofi's waist, pulling back on his head, until Kofi finally gets out and nails a dropkick.

Kofi starts heating up and does the "Boom Drop." He tries for the "Trouble In Paradise," but Dolph ducks and tries his own finisher, but Kofi hangs on to the top rope. Immediately after, Kofi lands the finisher and gets the three count.

Winners and qualifiers for Battle Royal - Kofi Kingston

Since this is a Thanksgiving Special Edition of Raw, we are going to have superstars telling us what they are thankful for and Miz is first. He's thankful for the admiration the fans have for him. He's thankful for being the most successful and dominant United States Champion of all-time.

Actually, he's not thankful for any of those things because he expects them. As a matter of fact, the fans should be thankful. He's the Miz and he's awesome—apparently.

Qualifying Match - Sheamus vs Finlay

Two Irish brawlers—sure to be an excellent match. Sheamus goes for a clothesline right off, but Finlay ducks and hits him to the outside. He follows Sheamus and spears him into the announcers' booth. He rolls him back inside, but as he gets in, Sheamus takes over and goes to work on Finley. After a few kicks, he goes for a pin attempt, but Finlay kicks out at two. Sheamus charges at Finlay in the corner, but is met with a knee to the face.

Finlay's offense doesn't last long though and Sheamus rams his shoulder into the steel post. Sheamus picks Finlay up on to his shoulders and launches him across the ring with one of his finishing moves (the Razor's Edge move). He pins and gets the three count.

Winner and Qualifier - Sheamus

After the match Sheamus comes back and attacks Finlay, ramming him into the steel steps on the outside of the ring and then giving him the big boot which sends Finlay flying over the guardrail into the crowd.

We're back from break and Theodore Long is in the back about to tell us what he's thankful for, but Vickie Guerrero cuts him off and says he should be thankful for Vince assigning her to be his consultant. Someone with her wisdom, etc.

Ventura's in the back and Randy Orton comes in to talk to him about the battle royal for later tonight. He asks to be put in the match and says he's a victim of a conspiracy to keep him from challenging for the title. Jesse says his hands are tied and he can't go against what he already said out there.

CM Punk's music hits and he comes out to the ring. He gets a mic and talks about what he's thankful for, including being straight-edge. He talks about what being straight-edge means and apparently, it means he's better than you. He makes fun of the crowd some about being gluttonous and fat. He tells John Cena that through his sober eyes, he can see him. That match is next.

The bell sounds and the two circle each other feeling each other out. Punk does the cowardly act and puts himself in the ropes before they even lock up. They finally do lock up and Punk applies a headlock. Cena whips him off the rope and a shoulder block connects, but doesn't take Punk down. They meet again in the middle and Punk starts his kicks. He takes Cena back to one corner with multiple kicks. He then delivers some shoulder blocks and tries to whip Cena into the other corner, but Cena reverses and hits a bulldog. Cena takes over offense and tries for his finisher, but Punk rolls out of the ring and we take a break.

[COMMERCIAL]

We're back and Punk has a leg lock submission applied to Cena's head in the middle of the ring. Cena starts powering up though and takes Punk on to his shoulders and drops back to free himself.

Punk nails a clothesline and tries for a pin, but only gets a two count. He continues his offense in the corner with some kicks and then whips Cena into the other corner which drops Cena. Punk hits a neck breaker.

Pin attempt—kick out.

Cena finally regains the advantage and hits his multiple shoulder blocks and the Five Knuckle Shuffle. He then tries the "Attitude Adjustment," but Punk counters by landing on his feet.

Punk then tries the "Go To Sleep," but Cena counters into his "STF" submission. Punk makes it to the ropes though and Cena is forced to break the hold. Punk lands a huge roundhouse kick to Cena's head, but a kick out at two. Punk hits the high knee in the corner and attempts a bulldog, but Cena tosses him across the ring.

Cena goes to the top rope and hits his leg drop. He pins Punk, but only gets two. Cena tries for the "Attitude Adjustment" again, but Punk counters and nails him with a dropkick to the jaw.

Pin attempt by Punk again, but another two.

Punk tries for a cross-body in the corner, but Cena moves and Punk lands on the top rope. Cena follows by picking Punk up on his shoulder and going up to the second rope and hitting the "Attitude Adjustment" off there! Pin and the three count.

Winner: John Cena

Jesse is shown in the back and met by none another than Vince McMahon. Vince talks about Roddy Piper challenging him to a match last week and gives the reason he declined. He says he hopes that's not what Jesse wants to do and Ventura asks him why he would want to do that. Vince asks Ventura why he wanted to meet with him. Ventura says he's going to do to Vince what Vince's father did to him. Jesse says that Vince's father didn't believe in him so he made him an announcer. Tonight, Vince and Jesse are going back on the mic together just like the old days, the only thing that Vince is somewhat good at. Jesse hands Vince a tuxedo and a red bowtie to wear and McMahon storms off. Funny segment.

Qualifying Match - MVP/Mark Henry/R-Truth vs Jack Swagger/Chris Masters/Chavo Guerrero

MVP and Jack Swagger start the match off and Swagger hits a shoulder block early, but after a series of counters, MVP hip tosses Swagger. Swagger takes MVP back to his corner and tags in Chavo. Chavo leaps off the top rope, but MVP catches him and delivers a belly-to-belly suplex. However, Masters had tagged in and he attacks MVP from behind. He tags in Chavo and then Chavo tags him back in as they continue their offense on MVP. MVP finally gets a tag to R-Truth after a clothesline on Masters. R-Truth comes in firing with a lot of his normal moves.

The match starts breaking down as all men enter the ring. MVP takes Swagger over the top rope and Mark Henry takes Chavo out by pressing him over his head and throwing him to the outside. That leaves R-Truth to his kick on Masters and gets the pin for the win.

Winners and Qualifiers - MVP, Mark Henry and R-Truth

We cut to the back with D-X. Hunter asks Shawn what was with the early Sweet Chin Music last night and Shawn says the match was for the heavyweight title. He assumed Hunter was going to Pedigree him first. They argue back and forth a little until they're interrupted by a "little person" in a suit. He hands them a paper and it says they are being sued by Hornswoggle. The court date is apparently next week and they make some short jokes before we cut to break. Typical funny DX segment.

We're back from a commercial break and Evan Bourne is in the ring for another breakthrough qualifying match.

His opponent is Primo, but Orton attacks Primo as he comes out to the ring. He beats the heck out of him and then gets in the ring to try and take on Evan Bourne in the match.

Jesse Ventura then comes on the big screen to tell Orton that since he's been persistent, rules are always made to be broken and he can break his own rules. That's what he's going to do too. He said that if Orton can beat Evan Bourne right now in the ring, he'll be in the battle royal and can possible challenge Cena for the title again if he wins that.

Qualifying Match - Randy Orton vs Evan Bourne

Orton attacks Bourne quickly and takes the early advantage until Bourne counters one of Orton's moves and hits his big knees off the top rope. Orton hits a scoop slam and then nails the RKO. A pin and the three count.

Winner and Qualifier - Randy Orton

Jerry "The King" Lawler and Michael Cole say that next up is a Mayflower Melee Divas Match

McCool takes the mic before the match starts and talks about how stupid this whole match is as they wear pilgrim outfits. Justin Roberts then announces the Gobbledy Gooker (I presume this is an American term, I have never heard of it) as the special guest time keeper.

Michelle McCool, Layla and Jillian Hall vs Melina, Mickie James and Kelly Kelly

Melina and Jillian start the match. Melina gets a couple of moves in before Jillian takes over the offense. She tries her cartwheel move in the corner, but Melina counters and hits a faceplant. As Melina tries to hit the other members of the heel team, she gets hit with a huge clothesline. However, Layla and McCool have had enough and they head to the back. This allows Melina to get the roll up on Jillian and the three count.

After The Match

Jerry Lawler comes in and interviews Melina about the "big win" that just took place. The Gobbledy Gooker is in the ring and all of a sudden it attacks Melina. Once the head comes off, the Gooker is revealed to be Maryse, returning after knee surgery.

D-Generation-X vs The Hart Dynasty

Shawn Michaels and Tyson Kidd start things off. Kidd throws some early punches, but HBK lands a slap to the chest. He does the running forearm and kicks himself back up. David Hart Smith comes in though and nails HBK from behind. A back-breaker and a pin attempt, but HBK kicks out.

The Hart Dynasty go back and forth working over Michaels until HBK finally makes the tag to Triple H. Hunter comes in firing with clotheslines and spine-busters to both Kidd and Smith. He then attempts the Pedigree on Smith, but Kidd interferes and allows Smith to regain the control. However, a Pedigree is nailed on Tyson Kidd moments later and he gets the three count.

Winners - D-Generation-X

After The Match

Chris Jericho comes out and announces that Ventura just informed him that in three weeks at the Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Pay Per View, D-X will challenge JeriShow for the Tag Team Championship. Jericho says Big Show is not there tonight and Hunter makes a joke about Show being at the chocolate factory. Shawn then informs Jericho that their tag team match at the pay per view is going to be TLC Match. Jericho cuts Shawn off as he's about to do their normal catchphrase and says that despite all of their accolades and accomplishments, they've never been the tag team champions and that's not going to change in three weeks. I am very much looking forward to this match.

We're back and Rey Mysterio's music hits, but instead of Rey coming out, Batista walks out. He says that Rey won't be joining them tonight because he's spending his Thanksgiving in a hospital bed. Batista says Rey has no one to blame but himself. He says that Rey stabbed him in the back last month costing him the World Heavyweight Title. He said he gave Rey a chance after that by allowing him to simply walk away, but Rey didn't. Instead, Rey decided to embarrass him.

Last night at Survivor Series, he decided to powerbomb Rey until the Medical staff had to stop him. Batista continues by saying that someone from Raw better win the battle royal match tonight because if someone from Smackdown wins, he's going to hit the ring and attack them. The Undertaker is his and no one can stop him... Kane's music hits and he comes out.

Kane asks what counts as disrespecting Batista? Does interupting him in the ring embarrass him, because he wants to know what Batista's going to do about it. He begs Dave to make an example out of him. Batista stares him down for a minute before he decides to walk away. The crowd erupts into boos as Batista exits. Batista has a smirk on his face as he walks up the ramp and Kane's pyro goes off, which consists of a all four posts exploding.

Qualifying Match - Cryme Tyme vs Legacy

Rhodes and JTG start the match and early on, JTG hits a big faceplant off the second rope. Rhodes runs away from him and makes the tag to DiBiase who attacks JTG from behind. Legacy work him over a while before he can finally make the hot tag to Shad. Shad comes in with some clotheslines to DiBiase and then a big shoulder block. He throws DiBiase off the ropes, but DiBiase connects with a kick. DiBiase tries a crossbody, but Shad catches him and lifts him up for a powerbomb. A pin, but Rhodes breaks it up. DiBiase hits the Dream Street and gets the three count and they are the last to qualify for the breakthrough battle royal.

Winners and Qualifiers - Legacy

In the back, Gail Kim is shown and she's about to talk about what she's thankful for, but Alicia Fox interupts her and the two almost try to put pie in each other's faces. Santino Marella comes in and says the two shouldn't be fighting, they should be cooking. He says he's thankful for breasts (chicken breasts, off course). He also wants the divas to cook him a meal of epic proportions and he asks the ladies what they think. They throw the pie in his face.

The Bella Twins come in to rescue and he says that they know what he's talking about—a woman should be cooking for the man. They then hit him with a pie. Eve comes in and he says she has the honor to clean his face, so she hits him too. Vickie then sneaks up on him with a pie, but as he throws up his hands blindly, he hits the pie into her face. Funniest segment of the night.

Justin Roberts says it's now time for the Breakthrough Battle Royal and he introduces Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon who will be the announcers for the match. Ventura gets on the mic and says that since he's the guest host tonight, he thought they should turn back time to about 20 years when he was on the broadcast team of the WWF. He thought it was best to also put Vince McMahon on there with him where he belongs. Vince then comes out sporting the tuxedo and the red bowtie he was given earlier. They get on the headphones and go back and forth a little before Kofi's music hits.

Breakthrough Battle Royal - Kofi Kingston vs Randy Orton vs Sheamus vs MVP vs Mark Henry vs R-Truth vs Ted DiBiase vs Cody Rhodes

The match starts and the competitors divide with faces on one side and the heels on the other. Immediately, Legacy and Orton go after Kofi, but he's finally helped by MVP and the other faces. Orton slides to the outside and waits while Sheamus goes to a corner and doesn't get involved in any fights as well. Legacy work over Kofi as MVP and Mark Herny work on R-Truth. MVP tries to eliminate R-Truth, but can't. Sheamus finally gets involved and clotheslines R-Truth, followed by throwing him over the top rope.

Sheamus eliminates R-Truth

The action continues and Randy Orton is back in the ring now as he and Kofi go at it. In the meantime, Sheamus throws over MVP.

Sheamus eliminates MVP

Mark Henry tries to eliminate Sheamus, but Legacy attack him from behind. Mark Henry then clotheslines Legacy over the top rope.

Mark Henry eliminates Legacy

We're down to three with Kofi, Orton, and Sheamus. Kofi and Orton go at it as Sheamus just watches from the corner. Sheamus then tries to attack Orton, but Orton counters with a backbreaker before he goes back to work on Kofi. Kofi hits a huge dropkick and charges Orton. Orton almost eliminates him, but Kofi hangs on to the top rope and pulls himself back over to catch Orton by the neck and drag him over the top rope eliminating him.

Kofi eliminates Randy Orton

While Kofi is looking at Orton on the outside, Sheamus comes up from behind and nails him off the apron winning him the match.

Sheamus eliminates Kofi Kingston

Winner and Numer One Contender: Sheamus

We're back and we're going to have a contract signing between John Cena and Sheamus, officiated by Jesse Ventura. Cole and Lawler are back on commentating. Ventura talks about the match at the TLC pay per view.

Sheamus grabs a mic, says he's the number one contender and demands that John Cena stand up and face him. Cena says he's heard that before and it's normally Hall of Fame stars saying that to him. John Cena says for the past eight years he's hung with the best in the business and he's proud to stand before them tonight and say he's the champion. He's earned it and everyone knows, whether they like or dislike him, that this business is his life and it's all he's got.

Cena lays the belt down on the table and tells Sheamus to take a good look at it because in a few moments, he's going to sign that contract and go to war with him. He says Sheamus better be ready to make a statement. Sheamus says he retires people because he can. He beats up Hall of Famers because he can. But that's nothing compared to what he's going to do Cena. They stare each other down. Cena takes his shirt off and Sheamus signs the contract. Cena signs it and Ventura holds it up.

Ventura then says that he thinks there is a conspiracy in the WWE to keep Cena champion. He goes heel here and says that there was one time when he didn't get a title shot because he was a rebel. The WWE wants someone like Cena. Cena gets in Ventura's face and Sheamus nails him with the big boot. He then throws him shoulder first into the steel post.

Sheamus grabs Cena and picks him up on his shoulder slamming him down into the table. Ventura says that the match will be a table match at the pay per view. We start seeing replays and go off the air with Sheamus standing over Cena holding up the WWE title.

Overall, a great Monday Night RAW, Jesse Ventura was excellent as guest host, by far the best there has been in my opinion, great mic skills, much better than Ricky Hatton two weeks ago in Sheffield—a city very close to where I live.

Rating - 7/10

Read more Wrestling news on BleacherReport.com

Fight For Survival at The Series in D.C.

Alex Winstanley — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:44:01 -0500

The Verizon Centre, Washington D.C played host to the 23rd Annual Survivor Series on Sunday evening. Much of the build up had been surrounded by the twp triple threat matches for the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships. Also on the card, there were three traditional five-on-five elimination tag team matches, pitching several rivalries against each other. The only match that wasn't either an elimination tag team or championship match was the, somewhat surprise, bitter rivalry between two former best friends, Batista and Rey Mysterio.

But first up was the team of The Miz (Captain), Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Dolph Ziggler, and Jack Swagger versus John Morrison (Captain), Finlay, Shelton Benjamin, Evan Bourne and Matt Hardy. The rules of the match are as follows: It's a normal tag team match, but every time a superstar is pinned, taps out, or gets disqualified, they are immediately eliminated until one team has been completely eliminated.

Evan Bourne and Jack Swagger are starting things off. Bourne going for multiple quick-pin attempts, but comes up short each time. Swagger hits a big suplex and tags in Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler is tossing Bourne around like a rag-doll right now. Ziggler continues the assault a bit more before tagging Swagger back in. Swagger works Bourne over some more and tags in Ziggler.

Bourne eventually fights his way free and tags in Matt Hardy.Hardy and Bourne hit some double-team offense before Bourne is tagged back in. Bourne hits a shooting star press on Ziggler, pins him and Dolph Ziggler is now eliminated.

Quickly thereafter, Drew McIntyre comes in and hits a double-arm DDT on Bourne for the pinfall. Evan Bourne is now eliminated.

Finlay is in now and he and McIntyre are going at it. McIntyre tags in Sheamus who hits a big kick to Finlay's face. Sheamus pins Finlay and now Finlay is eliminated from the match.

Hardy is in now and he and Sheamus are battling back and forth. Sheamus eventually makes the tag to The Miz. Miz hits a ton of offense on Hardy before tagging out. Swagger is in now continuing the assault on Hardy. Morrison is tagged in. He and Swagger go back and forth until Morrison hit the Starship Pain on Swagger for the pinfall. Jack Swagger is now eliminated from the match.

Miz and Shelton Benjamin are going at it now. Miz hits The Skull Crushing Finale' on Benjamin for the pinfall. Shelton Benjamin is eliminated from the match.

McIntyre hits his DDT finisher on Hardy for the pinfall. Matt Hardy is eliminated from the match. Finish comes when Sheamus hits a running powerbomb on John Morrison to eliminate him and end the match.

Winners and Survivors of the Match: SHEAMUS, DREW MCINTYRE, AND THE MIZ

Next up was the match between "The Animal" Batista (who was performing in front of his hometown) against former best friend Rey Mysterio. Since the tragic death of Eddie Guerrero in 2005, these two men have looked after each other both in and out of the ring, but three weeks ago at another PPV called Bragging Rights, when the two men were involved in a fatal four way match against CM Punk and The Undertaker, the latter of which had pinned The Animal to successfully retain his World Heavyweight Championship.

Immediately after the match ended, WWE announcer Josh Mathews attempted to interview the two friends, who were standing in the ring, Mysterio trying to revive Batista, who had just suffered a devastating Tombstone Piledriver. As the interview commenced, Batista seemed to turn on Rey, saying that he was the reason why Batista wasn't World Champion and that for being his best friend, he has a funny way of showing it.

Rey, somewhat confused, tried to reason with Batista, but The Animal then preceded into a furious rage, delivering a huge spinebuster and then relentlessly assaulting the much smaller Mysterio. This all led up to a match this past Sunday night between the 6'6", 295 lbs. Batista against the 5'6", 175 lbs. Mysterio.

Mysterio started the match well, his quick feet and amazing agility—which must be seen to be believed—to ground the aggressive and rage-driven Batista, hitting his signature move, the 6-1-9 eary on. But The Animal was soon unleashed.

Mysterio tried a springboard frog splash, but Batista quickly converted this into a truly devastating spear, causing Mysterio to stop his offence. This was quickly followed by a spinebuster, and Batista was in full control, with Mysterio at his mercy. The huge man then delivered three huge Batista Bombs to his opponent, leaving referee Jack Doane with no choice but to call for the bell and end the match early.

Medical staff rushed down to the ring to check on Mysterio's well-being, but Batista wasn't done then. He grabbed a steel chair from outside the ring, placed it on the ground, and gave Mysterio another stunning Spinebuster, leaving Rey incapacitated. He was stretchered out of the arena, to a stunned WWE Universe.

Winner: BATISTA, Although the referee called for an end early, I shall give Batista the win.

Next up was another Traditional Survivor Series Elimination Tag team match. This one was very much the story of four rivalries. The first of which was between the teams captains, Kofi Kingston and "The Viper" Randy Orton. At Bragging Rights, Orton had an Iron Man match against John Cena, which The Viper lost, meaning he could never challenge for the WWE Championship again.

During this match, Orton's compatriots Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes (The Legacy) came out and attacked Cena whilst Orton was recuperating. This attack was stopped suddenly by the Ghanaian Kingston, who raced out and chased Legacy out of the ring. Orton then blamed his loss solely on Kingston, and attacked him the following evening on Monday Night Raw. Kingston took exception to this and in return for Orton's actions, he severely damaged Orton's brand new Nascar, which Legacy had bought him, destroying the painwork and windshield.

The second rivalry was not as intense. This was between The World's Strongest Man Mark Henry and his partner MVP, and the previously mentioned Legacy. These two teams had had matches over the last three weeks, and it finally boiled down to the two being apart of much bigger teams at the PPV.

The final rivalry was between the current ECW Champion Christian and the English brawler William Regal. The two had been facing off in ECW, much to the disapproval of Tiffany, the General Manager, who had denied Regal a chance at the ECW Championship on many occasions.

The last rivalry, although not as severe as the others, was between CM Punk and R-Truth. On Friday Night Smackdown just two nights before, Punk had loaded a trashcan full of cigarettes, alcohol, and prescription medication, to once again prove his "Straight Edge" life. R-Truth then came out, attacked Punk, and put him in the can with the products.

The match starts off with Randy Orton against Mark Henry. Orton, the smaller man in weight, delivered his signature move the RKO early in the match, quickly eliminating the 418 lbs. man. Next in are R-Truth and CM Punk, and after some very silky moves from Truth, Punk finally counters a clothesline, by hitting his signature move, the Go To Sleep, thus eliminating Truth.

After a few fistfights between various superstars, the match is finally back in control of team Orton, with Ted DiBiase controlling Christian. But the Extreme Champion reverses an Irish Whip, and hits a Killswitch, Christian's signature move, to eliminate DiBiase. Cody Rhoes gives Christian no chance of recovery, by climbing into the ring immediately applying pressure to Christian.

The two men manage to tag out, tagging in Regal and MVP. MVP gets some early offence to the Blackpool Brawler, and he is rewarded by hitting the Playmaker, his special move, eliminating Regal. This is followed by a couple of quick tags and nearfalls. After much deliberation, MVP and Rhodes are left in the ring. As MVP is about to hit the Ballin' elbow drop, Orton distracts him, giving Rhodes a chance to hit Cross Rhodes, a devastating finishing maneuver, eliminating MVP.

Almost immediately, Christian is tagged in by Kingston, and the ECW Champion reverses an attempted leapfrog by Rhodes, turning it into an excellent killswitch, taking Rhodes out of the match, leaving both teams with two men each.

After some confusion, nearfalls, and many distractions and missed opportunities, normality is restored. Christian attempts a corner spear, but Orton moves out of the way, making his opponent crash into the ring post, made of 100 percent metal. This allows time for Orton to adjust himself into a perfect position for an RKO, eliminating Christian, leaving Kingston against Orton and Punk.

Orton exits the ring, leaving Punk and Kingston in the ring to battle it out, whilst The Viper looked on, looking menacing. CM Punk goes for a clothesline, but Kofi jumps out of the way-this guys jumping is simply incredible-and gets the roll up for the pin, leaving only Orton and Kingston.

Winner and sole survivor of the match: KOFI KINGSTON

Immediately, Orton climbs into the ring, but he had very little time—six seconds in-fact—to attack, allowing Kingston ample time to hit Trouble in Paradise, his finishing move, to pin Orton. The crowd erupts and all I could do is applaud this excellent match, especially the speed and agility of Kofi Kingston, who is slowly becoming my favourite superstar.

After that incredible match, it was time for the first title defence of the night, the match between The Undertaker and The Big Show and Chris Jericho. Show and Jericho—dubbed JeriShow—were the current Unified Tag Team Champions and had been powering through the Raw and Smackdown rosters like a hot knife through butter. Just to give all you none wrestling fans an idea of how big the Big Show is, he is 7'0", and 485 lbs., the world's largest athlete, a true bahemouth.

A Bragging Rights, Big Show turned on his team, Raw, by taking out two of it's superstars, allowing Jericho, who was on the opposing team, Smackdown, to pick up the pin. Big Show, unbeknown to Jericho, had struck a deal with Smackdown General Manager, Theodore Long, to put him in a match at this PPV with The Undertaker. The next week on Friday Night Smackdown, Jericho voiced his disapproval-which appears to be a running theme throughout the WWE—and ordered to be in the match too, making it a triple threat match. Long approved of this and made the match.

I would say I'm surprised by Jericho's inclusion, but I'd be lying.

The match begins, and immediately JeriShow starts double teaming the Champion, peating him down hard. Just as it looks like JeriShow has taken out The Undertaker from the match, The Phemon begins the fight back, knocking the Big Show out of the ring—which is no easy feat—leaving Taker to get the upper hand on Jericho.

This offence was gut short, however, as Big Show pulls Taker out of the ring. Undertaker sends Show head first into the ring post and he goes back up to the ring apron. Jericho tries to surprise Taker with a springboard dropkick, but Taker connects with a big fist instead. Taker goes for Old School, but Jericho crotches Taker on the top turnbuckle. Jericho hits a series of suplexes on Taker and tries a pin but Taker is able to kick out at two.

Jericho now has Taker in the Walls Of Jericho, his famous submission move. He's got him in the middle of the ring and Undertaker has nowhere to go. Big Show comes from behind finally and chokeslams Jericho to break up the near-submission. Jericho and Show are battling each other now as it appears to be every man for himself.

Taker clotheslines Big Show out of the ring. He has Jericho up for The Last Ride but Jericho, unbeknown to Taker, had the title belt and blasted Taker with it to avoid the big slam. He immediately pins Taker, but somehow Taker manages to kick out at two.

Undertaker hits a Tombstone on Jericho and tries to pin him, but Big Show hits the knockout punch on Taker to break it up. Big Show goes for a pin but Jericho breaks it up in time. Jericho now tries pinning Taker and Show breaks it up. Jericho tries a Codebreaker but Big Show tosses him aside and then blasts him with the knockout punch. Big Show tries hitting Taker with the KO punch but Taker is able to avoid it.

Taker now has Big Show in the Hell's Gate submission. Big Show eventually taps out, and Undertaker wins the match by submission to retain his title.

Winner and still World Heavyweight Champion: THE UNDERTAKER

The third elimination tag team match of the night was the Divas match, often my favourite match for different reasons (*cough* their athleticism is amazing). This match pitched two rival champions against each other, Women's Champion Michelle McCool, Alicia Fox, "The Glamazon" Beth Phoenix, Layla and Jillian Hall against Diva's Champion Melina, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Eve Torres, and Kelly Kelly (my personal favourite).

Layla and Kelly start the match, with Layla getting the upperhand, but Kelly should never be written off, as is proved when she hits a leg drop and eliminates Layla.

McCool gets in, and begins the attack on Kelly, who eventually gets away and tags in Gail, who tries a huracanrana, but McCool reverses this into a move called Style Clash, thus pinning and eliminating Kim.

Next in are Jillian and Eve. This mini contest ends quickly when Eve pins Hall, which is then quickly followed by Phoenix hitting her finisher—name I am unsure about, though I have been told it is called The Glam Slam—and Eve Torres is eliminated.

This is then followed by the same fate to Kelly, as she received a very nasty looking Glam Slam, eliminating Kelly (much to my disappointment).

Mickie James gets in and hits Phoenix with a crucifix, a very fine finishing move, which is followed by Phoenix's elimination, bringing her excellent mini run to an end.

Melina is finally in the match, and she hits a spear on McCool, then hits her with a sunset flip, and McCool is gone.

Winner and Survivors: MICKIE JAMES AND MELINA.

I must also say that, since her knee injury earlier this year, Michelle McCool's athleticism has inproved greatly.

It is now time for tonight's main event, the triple threat match for the WWE Championship, a match between WWE Champion John Cena and Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Since the reunion of D-Generation-X, Michaels and HHH have been on a great run, fighting off The Legacy amongst many other opponents, but a few weeks ago on Monday Night Raw, guest hosts Kyle Busch and and Joey Lugano, two Nascar drivers, said that the two friends would compete against each other against Cena.

The bell rings and the first move, to the surprise of everyone, was Shawn Michaels hitting Sweet Chin Music on Triple H. Michaels and Cena square off with Micheals hitting a quick neckbreaker. Michaels chops away at Cena, and connects with a Thesz press. Michaels chops away at Cena in the corner, but Cena is able to fight back with a bulldog. Cena connects with a fisherman suplex, and he sends Michaels into opposite corners hard. Michaels ends up hung up on the top turnbucke, and Cena kicks away at him, getting him right in position for the AA, but Michaels fights out into a modified DDT.

Michaels hits Cena with a chop block that puts him on his back, and he continues to work over the knee, kicking away at it, and hitting another chop block. Michaels locks in the figure four, and Cena screams in pain. Cena is able to turn Michaels over, reversing the pressure and forcing Michaels to break the hold.

Michaels and Cena trade chops and punches respectively, with Cena getting the upper hand with a shoulder block. Cena goes for another shoulder block, but Michaels side steps him and Cena flies to the outside. Michaels launches himself over the ropes and wipes out Cena with a slingshot cross body. Michaels starts to take apart the announce table, but when he picks up Cena, Cena catches him in position for the AA.

Triple H breaks it up, but Michaels turns right around into a spinebuster through the table from the Game. HHH is working Cena over now, sending him back into the ring. Cena is fighting back now with punches, but HHH slows him down with a big spinebuster.

Multiple pin attempts from HHH on Cena come up short and the match continues. HHH sends Cena to the floor and now it's a staredown between HHH and HBK. HBK hits some atomic drops on HHH and goes to the top rope. HBK comes off but HHH catches him coming down with a high knee. Face-buster from HHH now. HBK hits a flying forearm out of nowhere. He kips up but HHH meets him coming up with a spinebuster. HHH attempts a Pedigree but HBK counters by back-dropping him.

HBK goes to the top rope, but Cena crotches him across the top. Cena climbs up in a different corner. He tries a leg-drop off the top onto HHH, but HHH moves just in tme. HBK hits a big elbow drop. HHH sends HBK to the floor. Cena locks in the STF on HHH out of nowhere in the middle of the ring. HBK comes from behind and locks in a crossface on Cena. Cena breaks the STF and stands up with HBK still on his back. HBK escapes the back door only to be caught in the STF himself.

HBK eventually makes it to the ropes to break the hold. HBK hits Sweet Chin Music out of nowhere on Cena and then again on HHH. HHH, however, lands on Cena after the kick. The ref begins his count but Cena somehow manages to kick out at two. The match continues!

Both men are slow to get to their feet, but when they do, Cena catches HHH with the Attitude Adjustment, but Cena looks exhausted. Michaels makes his way back into the ring, slowly, and both Cena and Michaels crawl to make the pin. Both men make the pin on Hunter, but Hunter kicks out at two anyways.

HBK tries Sweet Chin Music on Cena but Cena blocks it. Everyone tries their finisher in a row but HBK ultimately hits the Sweet Chin Music on HHH. Cena then connects with the Attitude Adjustment on HBK, slamming him onto HHH. Cena pins HHH and gets the one-two-three for the victory to retain the title.

Winner and still WWE Chamption: JOHN CENA

Overall, a great PPV. The best match was the WWE Championship match, but the Kingston/Orton match was truly epic also.

I'd give it a 7/10, more title matches would have been good.

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Sheamus to Challenge John Cena at TLC: I Have No Problem with That

Shane H. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:33:19 -0500

I wanted to put this article off until tomorrow, when I had some sleep in me, but the outcries from the Internet Wrestling Community is as loud as some of the Rock's 500 dollar shirts.

Tonight on RAW , the majority of the show was about giving fans something fresh. Guest host Jesse Ventura conducted a series of matches between individuals who have never been world champ to win qualifiers and get into the main event battle royal. The winner of the battle royal would get the No. 1 contender spot against John Cena at the Tables, Ladders, and Chair pay-per-view next month.

Men from both RAW and SmackDown brands participated in the qualifiers (where ECW was is beyond me). If a SmackDown participant won, he would challenge the Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Fast forward to the conclusion of the battle royal and the Celtic Warrior Sheamus stood tallest.

Yes, Sheamus .

The most recent RAW acquisition.

Yes, Sheamus , the guy who has only feuded with Shelton Benjamin and Goldust , beaten up Jamie Noble, a ring announcer, and Jerry Lawler , not to mention a slew of jobbers. The man who tossed Cena through a table at the end of the show after Cena tried to embarass him. That Sheamus!

What the heck has he done to get a title shot?

That is what is on everyone's mind, right?

Well, let's look at this thing rationally for a second.

I didn't see any other logical choice.

First off, eliminate all the guys from the blue brand because there should be no reason why the host of RAW can make the main event for SmackDown . Plus, we might see something similar happen over on Friday nights, especially with Batista looking to have caught the eye of Kane.

We just had a face vs. face title defense. Actually, it was a face vs. face vs. face. Those matchups aren't used often, especially not back-to-back. Fans, in general, want to have a good and a bad guy to root for.

So, eliminate all the faces from the Raw roster.

Yes, ALL the faces, including Kofi Kingston.

He is embroiled in a feud with Randy Orton. That feud is the hottest feud in the WWE right now. Let's not have this tangent possibly screw it up.

Moving on to the heels. The Miz was not involved in the invitational. But did we really need the U.S. Champion in the mix? Don't get it twisted, Miz is, indeed, awesome but let's not forget the last time that he went up against Cena . His character, whether you want to believe it, is still recovering from that burial. Cena /Miz could have been bigger than the current Kofi /Orton but the WWE didn't go that route.

Jack Swagger hasn't been able to take out Evan Bourne , and Bourne is the jobber to the stars on RAW (don't worry Primo , you still have Superstars all to yourself as the reigning jobbing king). Swagger vowed to go undefeated for the rest of the year and that didn't go a month.

Chris Masters? HA!

Chavo Guerrero? Oh look, a little person. Go get beaten up, why don't you?

Carlito? I still see his picture on the side of the milk carton.

Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase , Jr. have not been at their strongest in a while. Had it been a few weeks back, sure. Now? No. Their momentum hasn't been there. Plus, all you fans out there should be happy as this still leaves the door open to that face turn you all keep waiting DiBiase to have.

This brings me back to the man who seems to have avoided the Sun with the same dedication that Maryse avoids my phone calls.

Sheamus has momentum. He's been steamrolling all competitors since coming to RAW , heck, since coming up from FCW . Sure, his opponents haven't been those of great caliber but would we rather give the shot to someone who can't win any other time on TV?

Sheamus is a big, formidable individual. Visually, he looks like a challenge to Cena . Whether or not that is the case is another story.

Do not forget that at Survivor Series he was one of the three youngsters left on Miz's team. That was a clear indication that big things were in store for those three individuals.

There is an individual who came through a few years back and pancaked whoever stood in front of him on his way to gold. Oh yeah, Brock Lesnar . Five months on the main stage and the guy had beaten the Rock for the Undisputed Championship.

We all know that Cena is going to win now that he's facing Sheamus .

I'm quite sure many are already discounting this match due to feeling this way. Guess what, that doesn't mean the match won't be good. That doesn't mean that Sheamus won't deliver one hell of a beating to Cena .

Cena doesn't have to drop the belt to Sheamus . There can always be an interference, a DQ , a no-contest, a double-countout , something. It doesn't have to end in a clean one-two-three is what I am getting at.

And if Sheamus does win, then go back to 2002 and file a complaint for Lesnar's win. Go back and file a complaint for Goldberg's win in WCW . From time to time we can have someone come out of nowhere and run through the field to get to the top.

This is a fresh face in the title picture, something many of you have been screaming for. So here we get a fresh face but we still cry. Because you feel that he hasn't done anything to deserve it? Well, many of the men involved didn't seem to have done much to deserve the shot in my opinion, either.

This is Sheamus' chance to show that he is a big time player in the future. Much like Kofi has taken the ball and ran with it in his current feud, who knows what can happen with Sheamus ?

I don't expect to have many see things my way here, but I am not at all upset by what the WWE did here. Call me different, as long as you call me (since Maryse refuses to).

Shane Howard is a member of Hit the Ropes Radio Show. You can check out the web site here . HTR Radio airs every Sunday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Be sure to join the Facebook group as well (click here ). Also, check out FOW and WR for your wrestling news, as well as my work there.

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WWE Selects the Worst Possible Oppenent for John Cena's Title: Sheamus

Ryan Michael — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:51:17 -0500

After the disgust of seeing Randy Orton eliminated from the number one contender's battle royal, I got a little more ill after seeing who the WWE felt to be more worthy.

Wait they didn't even push Kofi Kingston an additional inch towards the industry's greatest prize?

No.

And with as much as I'm disgusted with Kofi Kingston for eliminating Randy Orton, at least he would have put on a good match at Tables, Ladders, and Chairs .

But the WWE had something very special planned for us on Monday night.

They decided that they would rather destroy the next PPV than allow their fans to see the "same old sh*t" all over again with Orton and Cena.

Who did they select as this months next successor?

No, I'd rather not even go there.

As I'm watching the end of Raw's main event, I see what couldn't possibly be right.

Sheamus?

Was I drunk as I watched the end of the battle royal?

Wait a second.

I forgot, I don't drink.

Sheamus? Really?

To quote The Miz, "Reeeaaallly?".

I'm not going to belabor the obvious any longer...Are they out of their minds?

Sheamus? My god!

I can understand wanting to push a young Superstar, I get that but the WWE must have knocked themselves silly with all of this "over-pushing" they've become addicted to over the past month.

First Kofi Kingston (but at least he's exceptionally talented) and now we see Sheamus selected to headline the main event of an actual PPV?

You are meaning to tell me that the WWE thinks that people want to pay $39.95 to see John Cena defeat Sheamus?

Couldn't that have been saved for a weak house-show event?

But no, on to TLC we go with one of the most horribly constructed PPV main events in recent memory.

Now, why do I have an issue with Sheamus being in the main event?

Answer's simple: He doesn't deserve it.

He has certainly not displayed to anyone the ability to be a draw of any kind.

Who the hell is buying tickets to see Sheamus?

Yes, I realize the guy is a heel but at least with guys like Randy Orton and CM Punk, the fans care a little.

But you're putting this unknown into a match with a man whom the people hate?

Are they so desperate to get the fans to cheer for John Cena that they pair him against one of the most unlikable nobody's the WWE has to offer?

Actually, the fans hate Cena so much that they embraced the greatness of Sheamus.

That's right, the pale man featured above with no character has more appeal to the people than the WWE's Superman.

But why would I even want to watch?

To see Superman triumph yet again?

YET AGAIN!

The WWE wouldn't actually be dumb enough to allow Sheamus to win, would they?

Then again, I didn't find it conceivable to see Kofi Kingston beat down Randy Orton so I guess anything is possible.

I don't like where this is going WWE, I don't like it one bit.

Might as well nominate Mike Knox as the number one contender for Undertaker's World title, nobody's going to buy the PPV anyway.

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The WWE Dropped the Ball with the Randy Orton/Kofi Kingston Rivalry

Ryan Michael — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:51:22 -0500

This rivalry had all of the potential in the world to succeed beyond measure but instead, it fell flat on its face.

You'll have to forgive me as I have not had the time to track the B/R response to this rivalry, but I'm just going to go ahead and assume that most people would consider it a success.

I wouldn't.

But it's not because of my overwhelming bias for everything that is Randy Orton.

Granted, I do feel that the most talented man in the industry deserves better, but not even I expect him to win all of the time. But allow me to elaborate regarding my view on Kofi Kingston.

He is without question, one of the very best performers the WWE has to offer.

The WWE did the right thing by allowing him to develop his character by dropping the fake accent and giving him the chance to cut quality promos for the first time in his career.

I had never heard Kingston cut promos like he had during his feud with Orton, and I found this new take on his character to be refreshing.

The WWE had to allow him to become his own man if they ever hoped for him to be pushed past the mid-card level and they have succeeded in that respect. The problem is, they pushed him too fast and pushed him against the wrong guy.

Randy Orton is not someone to mess with, plain and simple.

And with all due respect to Kofi Kingston, he had not earned enough stripes when he defeated Randy Orton at Survivor Series.

Randy Orton has taken out the best the WWE has had to offer, period, I don't even need to go through the laundry list of names.

They should not have taken someone who was "on the rise" and have him topple the WWE's most dangerous force.

It would be like having Dolph Ziggler defeating the Undertaker, but yeah...

The WWE had no problem allowing a mid-card face to topple a main-event heel, but they would certainly take issue with a mid-card heel toppling a main-event face.

I'm sure that some of you might disagree with my analogy, but I don't see any greater a differential between Ziggler and the Undertaker than I do between Kingston and Orton.

But if they're going to have Kingston beat Orton, couldn't they have made it a bit more realistic?

Watching a six-feel tall Kofi Kingston physically dominate a man who made Triple H cry is bad enough, but seeing it progress week after week without seeing Kingston being placed in any bit of danger is just bad booking.

The WWE did succeed in getting people to cheer for Kingston more than ever.

It seems as though their willingness to allow Kingston to dominate week after week without any sort of repercussions encouraged the people to embrace him more than ever.

That's good for both Kingston and Orton because it shows that they are playing their roles well. It's just a shame to have seen a rivalry that would appear to be so uneven one way end up so one sided in the other direction.

I'm sure that tphe WWE is happy with their decision, as may be many people.

But that doesn't make the direction the right one, or the realistic one for that matter.

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Randy Orton vs Edge Monday Night Raw 2007: Forgotten Classic Vol. V

Captain Charisma — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:52:59 -0500

After a month long hiatus, the fabled Forgotten Classic series written by the biggest Peep in the world is back for the milestone of its fifth Volume. This edition was inspired by two of your fellow B/R Peeps; Andrea Claire and Miss Annie. These two are Edgeheads and Ortonites, respectively, and I thought I would give a shout out to these two by dedicating this next volume to Rated RKO, or more specifically, the implosion of Rated RKO 2007.

So prepare to go down memory line and revisit a classic matchup between two wrestlers that have one thing in common; they are both lesser wrestlers and entertainers than Christian!

Apr. 30, 2007, Monday Night Raw: Randy Orton vs. Edge

D-Generation-X (who had reunited earlier in 2006 due to having a common enemy in Vincent Kennedy McMahon) cost Edge the WWE Championship against John Cena inside the always unforgiving confines of a steel cage.

This was the last straw for Edge, and the following week, during the Cutting Edge (just think, a poor man's version of the Peep Show), he extended his hand to the Legend Killer himself to unite with him and take down DX. Knowing the history that Randy Orton had with both men, Edge knew he could not resist the opportunity to get rid of the two biggest thorns in his side. Thus, Rated RKO was born.

It was not surprising that Rated RKO quickly climbed the ladder on Raw, becoming the top dogs by first defeating DX at Cyber Sunday and then defeating Ric Flair and Roddy Piper for the World Tag Team Championships the following week on Raw. The final contest between Rated RKO and DX was at New Years Revolution. As you may well know, it was during this match that HHH ruptured his knee, thus forcing him out of action until Summerslam 2007.

With DX defeated, Randy Orton and Edge had done what they had set out to do: defeat their nemesis once and for all. However, things began getting sour for our favorite heel couple when they both strived to become what every wrestler thrives to become: the WWE Champion.

Miscommunication led to them being eliminated from the 2007 Rumble at the final four stage and dissension again cost either of them a shot at the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 23, when Shawn Michaels beat them at a triple threat No. 1 contendership match to get a shot at the WWE Championship against Cena at 'Mania.

With this route being blocked for the egotistical pair, they decided to go down another in order to claim what they believe rightfully belongs to them and that was the annual Money in the Bank Ladder match. However, it was Mr. Kennedy who triumphed at Wrestlemania and gained the coveted briefcase.

After Wrestlemania 23, Edge and Orton both threw their names into the WWE Championship picture and it was official; it would be Randy Orton vs. Edge vs. HBK vs. John Cena (c) for the WWE Championship at Backlash of 2007.

But, they again came up short in their attempts to become champion and with the tension between these two at an all time high, a contract was signed for a match the week after Backlash. However, due to time constraints as a result of the epic John Cena and HBK Wrestlemania rematch, the duo would face-off the following week in what would be the final chapter in the rise, the fall and the implosion of Rated RKO.

The Match

Here it is my B/R Peeps!

The Verdict

Putting everything else aside, this was a match that was worth the entrance fee for anyone who attended. It was a high quality wrestling match from start to finish, showcasing both Randy Orton's and Edge's talents as performers.

The match had the right blend of spots, rest holds and signature moves, yet kept the story that these two were telling at the forefront; they were proving to themselves and to everyone else which one was the better half of Rated RKO and which one was the main instigator for their success.

Furthermore, these two knew each other inside out due to their tag-team exploits so their wrestling style meshed perfectly. You had them pull out all the stops to one-up each other; from the Edgecution of the Rated R Superstar to the inverted back-breaker of the Legend Killer, from the Edge-O-Matic of Edge to the powerslam of Randy Orton.

And, adding to that with perfectly timed near-falls and finisher attempts and you had the crowd eating out of their hands leading to the hot finish.

This match also showcased what the WWE does not do very often these days and that is an heel vs. heel encounter.

The last one was the bout between Edge and Chris Jericho on Smackdown and this is an avenue that is not utilized enough by the WWE in the present era. The psychology of two heels trying to out heel each other throughout is entertaining to watch. And, to see Orton grab a handful of Edge's trunks, which led to Edge repaying the favor by using the ropes as leverage was as good as seeing two faces exchanging blows.

However, it was clear who the fans were behind in this match. It may have been because of the pure hatred the fan had against Edge at that time but Randy Orton was clearly the babyface of the match with "RANDY!! RANDY!!" chants emanating from the crowd on several occasions. This alone proves that the Legend Killer has the tools to be a top babyface in the WWE and when allowed to perform this role, the fans will indeed cheer for Randy Orton in full force.

Why Is It Forgotten?

Unlike my previous volumes, this match is not forgotten in such that the WWE has not recognized it later on. It was featured on an Edge DVD, however, it could have been so much more.

Every fan loves to see the blow-off when a tag-team splits and we have had many great moments and matches as a result. I mean, who can forget the SCM by Shawn Michaels on Marty Jannety through the barbershop window and the subsequent match was voted match of the year.

Plain and simple, this match should have been at Wrestlemania 23. The fans were on the edge of their seats from the start of to 2007 in anticipation for the implosion of Rated RKO and if this has occurred on a stage like Wrestlemania, this match would surely have been another iconic Wrestlemania moment.

What made this decision even more stupid was that the two men were instead thrown into the Money in the Bank match, a match neither man won (the honor went to Mr. Kennedy). It was a waste of a money making opportunity and one that I believe the WWE regrets.

Final Thoughts

Randy Orton and Edge have both gone onto to superstardom since this bout, both winning multiple World Championships and both providing us with mark out moments, both in and out of the ring. I, and most likely every other Peep, would relish a feud between these two, and when the inevitable feud occurs, the WWE would be wise to interweave the rise, fall and implosion of one of the most hated memorable tag-teams in recent memory.

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Heir to the Throne: Why Davey Richards Is the Best Wrestler in the World

Steven Ransiear — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:42:23 -0500

When it was announced that Bryan Danielson would be leaving ROH and the independent scene for the WWE, it sparked a lot of conversation about who would take over as the best wrestler in the world; in the fan's eye, at least. Sure, it was Danielson's gimmick, but at the same time many would admit that he was in fact the best in the world.

With Danielson's reign over, who now takes the crown and admiration of all the indy fans?

My answer to that question is Davey Richards.

Davey has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and to be honest, he is my favorite American wrestler, period. I've been following his career since I first saw him in Pro Wrestling Guerrilla some years ago.

I've always thought he had all of the tools to make an incredible impact in wrestling. It took a while for others to see what I did but now the man is on an unstoppable run and everyone is taking notice. 2009 has certainly been the biggest year of Richards' career.

Richards started out working in PWG and some other indy's, but it wasn't until two key wins in 2006 that his career started to take off. That year, Richards took home the Battle of Los Angeles tournament in PWG and the ECWA Super 8 Tournament.

The Super 8 has long been a litmus test for the next big thing on the indy circuit. Past winners have included Christopher Daniels and Low Ki. Both of these men find themselves currently under contract to TNA and WWE, respectively.

Richards came to Ring of Honor in 2006 and quickly involved himself in a feud with Jimmy Rave. It provided some solid matches, but it wasn't until KENTA made him his American protege that Davey saw his stock rise. Early in his run with KENTA, they teamed to take on the Briscoe Brothers in a fantastic tag team bout. By the end of the match, the live crowd was very much into Davey Richards.

This lead to his breakout role as a member of the No Remorse Corps. Even though the Faction Warfare storyline in ROH fell flat, the NRC put on some fantastic matchups with the team of Richards and Rocky Romero leading the way. The two captured the ROH World Tag Team Championship and had a good but short run with the belts. Richards had arrived with full force in ROH.

His team with Rocky Romero was one I wish could have lasted a lot longer. They were without a doubt one of the reasons I watched so much ROH in late 2007 into 2008. The team was a great contrast to the Briscoe Brothers' style of high impact, spot-driven matches. The NRC worked a much stiffer, almost shoot style which made them stand out even more.

Next up for Richards was a stint with Larry Sweeney's Sweet & Sour Inc. group. While at first I didn't like the idea, it gave birth to the best tag team on the planet right now: The American Wolves. Aside from having a great name, Richards, along with new partner Eddie Edwards, have shown that tag team wrestling is not dead in America.

Edwards is another man that took a while to catch on with the fans, but teaming with Richards has done nothing but get both men time in the spotlight and a huge career boost. It's said in team sports that a great player makes his teammates better. Richards has certainly done that not only with his tag team partners, but his opponents, as well.

The Wolves' feud with Steen & Generico consisted of matches that were nothing short of spectacular. Many were singing the praises of both the Submission match and the second-ever Ladder War between the two sides. Both matches were must-see bouts that showcase two teams working on a whole other level than other teams.

No other promotion in North America had tag matches of this quality in 2009.

Earlier this year, Richards competed in my pick for match of the year. Richards squared off against KENTA during ROH's Wrestlemania weekend Supercard of Honor IV card. While the ending of the match suffered from a botched move (that was horribly edited on the DVD), it was nothing short of an instant classic in the ROH archives.

In late 2009, Richards has become a key part of another company in Dragon Gate USA. A much talked about match against SHINGO was the center piece of the most recent DGUSA PPV event. Recently, it was announced that Richards will be a key part of yet another company in EVOLVE.

Little is known about the project so far, but it seems like Davey has set himself up for a fantastic run in 2010 and beyond. Rumors have circulated that Richards turned down a deal with the WWE to be a part of EVOLVE.

Richards embodies everything that I personally like in a wrestler. His intensity is unmatched and there is no doubt that he works his tail off every single time he steps in the ring. This has made him a fan favorite even though he's one of the best heels in the business.

Outside of the ring, Richards' promo skills have increased dramatically over the years. He's cutting some of the best promos in wrestling today; not to mention the small details one finds in his matches, such as the sack tap in the corner, or kicking away hands that attempt to give him a pat on the back or high-five during his ring entrance.

Most of the time it's Richards' promos, with or without partner Eddie Edwards, that are the highlight of the ROH Video Wire.

Yes, this article has been a tad bit biased, but if you aren't sold on Davey Richards, I ask you to go out and find some of his matches and check them out. He isn't for everyone, but neither was Bryan Danielson.

The throne has been filled, my friends, and Davey's sitting pretty as he continuously ups his game.

Must-See Davey Richards Matches

Vs. CIMA @ PWG's Battle of Los Angeles 2006

W/ Rocky Romero vs. The Age of the Fall, Hangmen 3, and Austin Aries & Bryan Danielson @ ROH's Without Remorse 2008

W/ Eddie Edwards vs. Steen & Generico @ ROH on HDNet May 30th 2009

W/ Nigel McGuinness vs. KENTA & El Generico @ ROH's Steel City Clash 2009

Vs. KENTA @ ROH's Supercard of Honor IV

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Does Anyone Else Miss the Monday Night Wrestling Wars?

Quinn Gammon — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:36:08 -0500

My debut article.

Somehow, I always felt that my first real wrestling article would be something praising the business I love so much, and have loved since I was nine years old. But, unfortunately, it's not. My first piece deals with exactly what's slowly eating away at my love for a once great industry.

Where's the quality? As a man who is currently without cable, I was forced to watch last night's Survivor Series 2009 PPV online. That wasn't my issue, I've been reduced to that option many times before. My option was that it was a huge waste of time and I can't even honestly say that I would have ordered it, had my cable been working.

I remember not that long ago, when Survivor Series was a PPV you could look forward to. Even with WWE's sagging quality in its shows, Survivor Series never really disappointed me. I've always loved the concept of the traditional Survivor Series 10 man elimination matches. So, what happened last night?

None of the matches were made to look important in the slightest. The only one worth mentioning was Team Kingston vs Team Orton and that lies squarely on the shoulders of Kofi and Randy, who did pretty much all of the work leading into that match while the teammates of both respective captains just stood there and filled positions. Honorable mentions go to Punk and Christian for doing their job—but why couldn't everyone else?

The saddest part of the mix is that Legacy, MVP, Mark Henry, R Truth, William Regal, all of these guys bring something special to the table or they wouldn't still be employed (yes, even sluggish Mark Henry for you snail bashers out there).

So, let's push R Truth by having him work with CM Punk. Fair enough. Let's push R Truth by having Punk squash him at Survivor Series. I understand it adds more fuel to the fire but rarely does a squash benefit both people involved in it.

Moving on. Let's push Punk, who capped off getting killed by Undertaker in a Cell match by feuding with a referee. Let's push Legacy, who for no reason at all, were nowhere to be found when Kofi annihilated Randy Orton on RAW.

The booking is frustrating at best and every time I see WWE put the ball in the court of capable people, they rip it back for no reason. Before I get off topic, now that I've shared my obligatory writer's opinion with you all, let's get to the headline of the article.

Does anyone else miss the Monday Night Wars? Seriously. No, don't laugh at me. Close the second tab you have open and stop looking at the WrestleZone pictures of Trish Stratus in yoga spandex and pay attention. Monday Night Wars. Do they ring a bell?

When WCW, who most people didn't take seriously, stepped up and kicked the ever living out of the then-WWF for what, 83 weeks? That's more than a year straight of unmerciful ass kickings for Vince McMahon. Although WCW ultimately died and self-destructed, does anyone remember who was at the forefront of the company when it was red hot and squashing WWF?

Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff. The booking those two used was ruthless and they didn't follow any of the traditional rules of war. They broke kayfabe and used every unethical tactic in the book and you know what? It worked. Vince McMahon barred no holds and fought back, giving us the Attitude Era. Now, despite the fact that I grew up with that, and am an ardent fan of it, I don't think we need another Attitude Era.

Just like The Rock, just like Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Attitude Era can't be recreated and it would be stupid to try. But I do feel that Vince McMahon needs serious competition. He's lowered his standards, and I am one of many who feels that the WWE have given us mediocre product at best for the last several years. And why shouldn't they'?

Why should the creative team kill themselves coming up with amazing storylines and good solid television when they don't need to? The WWE gets away with lackluster programming because the fans have lowered their standards and accepted it and because there is not one company out there, including TNA and ROH (Sorry Internet Wrestling Community) that can stop them, or even challenge their authority.

Enter Hogan and Bischoff to TNA Wrestling. I've stopped watching their programming. I haven't watched for months because the booking frustrates me to no end. They have literally, millions of dollars worth of talent, working for less pay and not being used properly because TNA actually has a worse booking staff than WWE.

While WWE goes up and down with their booking, TNA goes inside out, sideways, backwards and loops back around again (insert a "Fire Russo" chant here).

I'm not speaking for smarks. I'm not speaking for the IWC. I'm speaking as a fan who has been watching wrestling for ten years and actually walked away from a PPV, happy that I didn't pay money for it. That's not a point any "true" wrestling fan should be at. We pay money to go to these events for a reason.

By the grace of some wrestling gods (no, not JBL), Hogan and Bischoff have a second chance. They have lots of money, they have creative control and they won't make the same lethal mistakes twice. If they can steer the creative team in the correct direction, WWE might just have to start recognizing a slight threat.

As a fan, for the sake of my viewership and everyone else's, I hope it happens.

Leave your thoughts, comments, insults and other feedback here or email it to

KidMikaze2007@aim.com

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A Broken Rey Mysterio Finally Taking Time Off for Much-Needed Surgery

Joe Burgett — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:12:51 -0500

Last night at WWE Survivor Series, we saw a pretty good match between Batista and Rey Mysterio. Now, leading up to the PPV, these two put on a solid storyline with one another.

Mysterio came out looking like he had the edge over Batista in the few weeks leading up to the PPV, but in the end Batista walked away the winner.

A piece of news came out about a week or two ago saying Mysterio has been wrestling hurt, and many think that he could cause serious damage to the injured area if he kept on wrestling.

It is said that Mysterio has a PCL and ACL injury, which can seriously cause problems if it is not taken care of. Mysterio has had knee surgeries before, and two of them made him miss significant time, over a year even.

He has been back on WWE TV since he was drafted to RAW in 2008, in the past draft he was sent back to SmackDown however. It's a good thing that he has been alright, but it is said that he has had these leg issues for a few months now.

Nothing has been said regarding how each injury happened, but it is believed he could miss at least six months to a year after his surgery to repair his PCL and ACL.

Many are thinking he could be contemplating retirement, or only wrestling for another year or so upon his return.

With as many injuries and knee problems he has had, and the way he wrestles, that statement doesn't seem too far fetched.

He could easily stay in the WWE if he wished, as the WWE would never want him to leave because of how much he impacts the Hispanic viewership for them and the fact that his merchandise sells pretty well.

We shouldn't be surprised that he is leaving for surgery. The WWE gave every indication that he would be.

The fact that they did an angle where Batista made Rey sign a contract saying he cannot sue him for the damage he does to him in their match should be a huge sign.

Then he of course hit three Batista bombs, and if I remember correctly Mysterio was taken out on a stretcher.

I don't know how they are going to sell a leg injury with all of that seeing as the Batista Bomb really has no effect on the leg area; neither does the spinebuster which was done on a chair.

If it was a neck or back injury, or even a collar bone injury, I could see that. In any case, the continued assault made the time off believable. So, if you ask me, the beat down could make me or anyone else believe that Rey needs the time off.

But, I just don't get why they didn't put Mysterio's leg in a chair and have Batista stomp on it or something, to at least give us a reason to see him off TV for his leg, not his back or neck.

Because when you think about it, the WWE will tell everyone that Mysterio is going in for surgery. Will they just say that he is going in for a surgery or be specific about it? We will have to wait and see.

In any case, this really hurts the face depth of the SmackDown roster. Many are speculating that a trade of some sort could happen, seeing as the WWE stupidly made Batista a heel when they had no one to replace him as a top face.

Think of this, the main event faces there now are John Morrison, Undertaker(who could be taking time off after the TLC PPV), and you may be able to throw Matt Hardy in there, despite him being a legit mid-carder right now.

The WWE is hoping that they can make R-Truth a main eventer, but it won't be believable for some time.

So, can we saw the stupidity of the creative team has come full circle now? I think so. Some think that Big Show may turn face, but that won't really help SmackDown as he is a part of the RAW roster at this point.

Sure, he along with Chris Jericho are the Unified Tag Team Champions, but seeing him in the main event on SmackDown often is highly unlikely.

You can't turn Batista face now, seeing as he just took out Rey Mysterio. Sure, he got some face pops last night, but keep in mind that the PPV was in Washington, D.C., Batista's hometown.

A trade is highly needed, and if the WWE can make stupid, nonsensical ones when they are not needed, surely they can make them when they are.

Many want Christian or Shelton Benjamin to head to SmackDown, and that seems likely to me. Christian is the current ECW Champion, but he could lose it to William Regal or someone at the TLC PPV and then head to SmackDown, he has had a nice run as champion anyway.

Benjamin was put on ECW to look like a big fish in a small pond, yet he hasn't been that in my opinion.

However, the WWE has not really given him any big time storylines either. So, it may just be bad booking that is hurting the Gold Standard, that and his mic skills.

Other names such as Ted DiBiase have been thrown out there. I doubt that would happen, but he is getting better, so I'd have no issue with it. He has a new DVD to promote anyway, so he kind of does need some more spotlight.

If you ask me, the WWE is really in a need for another main event face on the SmackDown Brand. If they don't get it, it is going to hurt them, plain and simple. So, don't be surprised to see some old faces in some new places

But back to Rey Mysterio.

Mysterio fans, have no fear, he will be back. However, it won't be for some time. My guess would be right before Batista is set to leave the WWE, which is close to June. That is about seven months, so, it could work.

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