WWE Smackdown (12/3/2010) Review: Happy Birthday

Quick thoughts since I'm sleepy:

• I cannot get over how incredible CM Punk was on this Friday's Smackdown. Wow. What an actor. For my money, the guy is the best heel in the business and hands down the best gimmick. The way he taunted Rey Mysterio and his family was unbelievable. Everything, from the tone of voice, to the expressions, the slap to Rey and the frightening way he sang "Happy Birthday to You" was scarily perfect. Even Rey and the family (especially the birthday girl Aaliyah) did a very good job. This is a must watch part of the show.
• Edge and Jericho continued to build their match around the Spear. It was great to see the Highlight Reel back. I'm really looking forward to this match and feud. Edge has really found his feet as a cool babyface, and the crowd is loving him. Great times lie ahead.
• Very good match between John Morrison and Big Show. Good psychology. Is this Morrison's breakout year? He's reportedly turning heel after Mania, so I hope so. He deserves it.
• Drew McIntyre finally qualified for MITB. I think he's the favourite. I like Drew. He looks and carries himself like a main eventer. And that music and entrance is beautiful. So there are 9 guys in MITB here? Will Kofi Kingston be added to make it 10? It already seems crowded...
• Miz and R-Truth also put together a solid match. The look on Miz's face when Daniel Bryan cost him the win was priceless.
• The crowd loved Beth Phoenix's face turn. I did to. I suppose they had to pull the trigger now Mickie's injured. Vickie Guerrero as an addition to Simply Flawless could be a lot of fun. As for Tiffany, I think she's my favourite diva now that Maria's gone...
• Thank God Undertaker prevented us from having to sit through the 5567th match between THD and Cryme Tyme when he destroyed all of them. Although I feel bad that THD doesn't have a spot at Mania.

Highlights of the Night:

Best Performers: (1) CM Punk (2) Edge (3) Chris Jericho

Best Match: John Morrison vs. Big Show

Best Promo: CM Punk

WWE Raw (8/3/2010) Review: The Black Cloud and Other Stories

Here are my thoughts on all the matches and segments of this week's edition of WWE Raw:

• The Undertaker/Shawn Michaels Promo: What a way to start the show. The story was that Shawn is exuding confidence, and is really getting under Taker's skin by accusing him of being afraid. They ended up making this match a No-DQ, No-Countout Match. As if it needed anything. Undertaker's look of rage to end this segment was great. I have to say I wasn't initially in favour of them redoing this match, but now it's the match I'm most looking forward to. Can't wait.
• The Divas Match: Eve is getting a title feud against Maryse. Well-deserved. She's very decent in the ring. On a side note: Kelly Kelly!
• The Guest Host: Somewhat disappointing. I was expecting more from the Mindfreak.
• The Tag Team Non-Match: I was just about to message a friend who was watching for the first time to keep an eye out for Morrison's amazing moves, and the match was over before it started. I liked that the faces went after the heels and got the DQ. Not done very often. Nice. Also loved Miz's promo before this.
• The Handicap Match: A very solid and nicely worked match, the best of the night. All three guys were very good here, with Rhodes and Dibiase getting the win. The crowd is starting to get behind Orton as a face, although some of his mannerisms are still very heelish. I don't see it as a problem. The role of the babyface with an edge would suit his personality. So will this match be a handicap or a triple threat at Wrestlemania? There are some who think Kofi Kingston might partner Orton, while others think the Triple H-Orton match next week is a way of setting up a 2-on-3 match at Mania (Triple H/Orton vs. Rhodes/Dibiase/Sheamus) Until next week we're just guessing.
• The Triple H/Sheamus Promo and Brawl Into the Crowd: Its still painful to see Sheamus getting a high-profile singles match at Mania. However, Triple H was great in this segment, almost making you want to see the match. It was a pleasant surprise when he brought up his loss to the Ultimate Warrior, and losing to Batista and Cena at Mania. When did we last see Triple H embracing his failures? Maybe we were all wrong about him....of course, the promo soon degenerated into a brawl that spilled over into the crowd before Sheamus made his escape.
• The MITB Qualifying Match: I'm thrilled that Evan Bourne is in MITB. Imagine what the guy can do with a few ladders. Although I wish his match with William Regal could have been longer. They could have put on a gem. But on Raw it only got 3 minutes. Anyway, at least Bourne's in. (Where does this leave Drew and Kofi?)
• The Main Event: I'm not talking about Shawn Michaels here. So with a match like Vince McMahon vs. John Cena, it was obvious that it would not be exactly as advertised. But while I was expecting a simple Batista beatdown, WWE got creative and had Vince change the stipulation to a Gauntlet Match at the last moment. So we had Vladimir Kozlov, Drew McIntyre, Jack Swagger and Mark Henry all try to finish Cena off for Vince before Batista came out the end and finished the job. It was an entertaining match, and served the purpose of gathering heat for Vince and Batista. I love heel Batista. Its a very natural role for him.

Highlights of the Night:

Best Performers: (1) Randy Orton (2) Ted Dibiase (3) Triple H

Best Match: Legacy vs. Randy Orton

Best Promo: Triple H

TNA Impact (8/3/2010) Review: Hope and Fear as the Monday Night War Begins

Today's episode of TNA Impact marked the first head-to-head with WWE Raw since the company decided to move to Monday Nights. While I'll see Raw when its telecast on Thursday, I don't think realistically TNA can hope to pose any threat to WWE in the near future. Still, the competition will make both shows better.

I'll divide my thoughts on today's show into two categories: those that gave me hope for the show's future, and those that inspired cold dread in me. For it is these two polar forces that will battle, and unfortunately, the latter category is largely populated by those who have the power in the company....so here it is:

HOPE

• The three-way promo and match between Kazarian, Daniels and Doug Williams. There were some great spots during the match, the highlight being Kazarian giving Daniels a Northern Lights Suplex while already in a pinning position on Doug Williams. Insane. Williams' rollup into Northern Lights finisher is a treat for the eyes. The X-Division is full of great talent, and I really hope the "big names" don't eat into their well-earned TV time.
• The great Kurt Angle segment where he and the US Army beat up Mr. Anderson. Angle was very good on the mic as always, and his speech had a very good feel to it. It was unusual that Angle got his revenge so early in the feud. I suspect Anderson will get his heat back in a major way. This rivalry is different from all others in TNA right now because both characters are firmly established. I hope TNA goes with more structured booking and clearly-defined characters in their feuds, rather than the overload of gimmicks and frequent face/heel turns they do.
• Sting as a heel. We've never seen it. Why did he turn? Why the sudden aggression towards Dixie Carter? This would be a lot more effective if turns weren't so frequent in TNA. But it should be interesting to hear his justification. I hope its a good one.
• Rob Van Dam and Jeff Hardy. Two extremely valuable acquisitions. RVD has a cult following and will add to the magnificent in-ring talent in TNA. Jeff Hardy was the hottest thing in pro wrestling before he left WWE and has a huge fan base. If TNA uses him well there's no saying. I hope they do
• The Knockouts: This is one area where TNA are miles ahead of the WWE. Their women can actually wrestle, and they are by no means unpleasant to look at. The Knockouts also have unique characters and gimmicks, which were all on display in this week's three-way tag match. I like the though of Daffney being Champion. The Beautiful People winning the Knockout Tag Titles is a logical move. The Knockouts will definitely be given their screen time, and I hope all these women continue to thrive.

FEAR

• Abyss: Why is Hulk Hogan a fan of this guy? Why is anyone a fan of this guy? I'm not impressed by his ring work, and he may be hands down the worst actor in pro wrestling today. And that is saying something. I may be able to accept him as a silent monster heel. But as a childish, teary, naive fool with a magic ring? Please spare me. However, I fear this act is here to stay. His continued push is also very disturbing.
• The Band: Scott Hall. Age 52. Can barely walk. Can barely talk. Six-Pac. Formerly X-Pac. Age 37. Can still go in the ring. But all these two do is bully Kevin Nash. Age 50. And try to get him back in The Band, although he says he's too cool for it now. They do this week after week, each time being banned forever from entering the Impact Zone. And for some reason poor Eric Young. Age 30. So talented. Is stuck in the middle of all of this. If he ends up getting some upward thrust from this, then good, but its a sad sight to see what could be a 90s WCW rerun eroding 10-15 minutes each week. I fear this will continue.
• Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair wrestling. Please stop. Please. Come out every week in the ring and cut your charismatic promos. The crowd will still love you. They do not want to see you hobble across the ring, sweat, bleed and unconvincingly beat up people less than half your age. Will you ever know when to call it quits? I fear not.
• AJ "Ric Flair" Styles: Two months ago, AJ Styles was the most popular wrestler on TNA. He is by anyone's account one of the top ten wrestlers in the world today. Many say he's the best. Why then, has he become a parody of Ric Flair? The first night he embraced this new heel character, I loved his promo. He had the cockiness and flashiness of Flair, while retaining his own personality traits. After that? Seems like he's been misdirected to try and become Flair himself. He is now clearly playing someone who he is not. Please let AJ be himself. Will they? I fear not.
• The TNA World Heavyweight Championship: Who is Styles defending it against at Destination X? What were his last three rivalries? Can you answer this in less than three seconds? No. Because TNA is booking its performers rather than its championships, and that is a dangerous place to be. The Title has become an insignificant prop in the current Flair/Hogan/Abyss/Styles saga, which is sad. I fear for this and the other championships in TNA.
• Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett: Where the hell are they going with this? Both of them, as well as Eric Bischoff, are playing their parts very well, but what exactly are their parts? I fear this is just a meaningless way for all concerned to kill a bit of time.

It seems like there's a little more Fear than Hope. However, right now, its still a marginal call. TNA can still "Turn things around" to use their own phrase, and I certainly hope that they realize what the fans want and do the sensible thing. Don't panic, and don't be foolish like WCW was. The competition will only make it better for us as fans.

Highlights of the Night:

Best Performers: (1) Kazarian (2) Kurt Angle (3) Daniels

Best Match: Kazarian vs. Daniels vs. Doug Williams (X-Division Championship)

Best Promo: Kurt Angle

WWE NXT Review (23/2/2010): Bryan is the Focus in a Fun First Show

The focus going into the debut show of NXT was on Daniel Bryan, who has earned a name for himself as the "Best Wrestler in the World". There was a lot of buzz and outcry on the internet over The Miz, who has half his experience, mentoring him. The Miz has been cutting promos for the last couple of weeks that have acknowledged Bryan's wrestling ability, but attacked his supposed lack of charisma, saying he looked like Miz's accountant. After today's show, one thing is apparent: Miz has a point.

Bryan had a great main event match with Chris Jericho, but seemed to lack the look and the "it" factor that WWE wants in its main eventers. Miz asked him to go to the ring and connect with the crowd (though I'm not sure if Bryan was aware of it) and Bryan fumbled a bit before gaining his composure. Miz came out and insulted him some more, slapped him and left. Bryan did say he would get his revenge. The clash of personalities between these two will make entertaining television though. Coming back to the match, boy, can the guy wrestle. Unfortunately the match was a bit short, but Jericho gave Bryan a lot of offense and made him look good before he defeated him with the Walls of Jericho. There was an amazing spot where Bryan performed a suicide dive onto Jericho, who caught him and slammed him onto the announce desk. It seemed like Jericho too was enjoying wrestling Bryan, as he moved faster than I've seen him do in a long, long time.

Other thoughts:
* David Otunga seemed the most impressive of all the rookies. He exuded confidence in the profile they showed of him, and actually came off like a legit celebrity, what with a Harvard Law student, Jennifer Hudson's boyfriend, visits to the White House et al. His ring skills weren't on display much as he basically squashed Darren Young, CM Punk's rookie. On a side note, the look of horrified disapproval with which the Straightedge Society were treating Young (who is a polar opposite of the Straightedge look) wrestling was priceless. Punk, Gallows and Serena are really in a fantastic zone right now.
* The Carlito/Michael Tarver vs. Christian/Heath Slater match was ok. Both Tarver and Slater seem like interesting characters.

Overall, I like NXT as a concept. The interaction between Pros and Rookies will provide a lot of entertainment, as I fully expect the Pros to show their proteges some tough love. A show to watch.

Highlights of the Night:

Best Performers: (1) Chris Jericho (2) Daniel Bryan (3) David Otunga
Best Match: Chris Jericho vs. Daniel Bryan
Best Promo: David Otunga

*

WWE Superstars Review (25/2/2010): Luke Gallows, THD Shine

The following were featured on this week's edition of WWE Superstars:
Chris Masters/Santino Marella vs. Jack Swagger/William Regal: Decent match. I was extremely relieved to see Swagger get the pinfall rather than submit to the Masterlock like I thought he would.
Zach Ryder vs. Primo: It seems Zach is on Raw now. (Translation: Jobber?) The match was nothing special, but wasn't bad either. I'm not sure I like the Zach Attack as a finisher though. Finishing moves that can be hit in an instant work better than those that take time to set up and require your opponent to freeze. That being said, a certain 13-time World Champion springs to mind as an exception...
Luke Gallows vs. Sylas Young: Gallows cut a nice promo about how he and Serena were living proof that Straightedge was the way to live, and dedicated his match to CM Punk. Gallows then showed great intensity in squashing Young. Its so great that he got to shed the Festus gimmick, because he's getting a chance to show how good he can be in the role.
The Great Khali/Matt Hardy/Maria vs. The Hart Dynasty: This was a mixed tag match. The Hart Dynasty were really awesome here. Tyson Kidd in particular is really impressive, as is Natalya. David Hart Smith, while talented in the ring, doesn't seem to catch the eye as match as the other two though. On a side note, this was probably Maria's last match in WWE as she has now been released. Sad news, people. Sad news.

Highlights of the Night:

Best Performers: (1) Luke Gallows (2) Tyson Kidd (3) Natalys
Best Match: The Great Khali/Matt Hardy/Maria vs. The Hart Dynasty
Best Promo: Luke Gallows

TNA Impact (25/2/2010) Review: Why Can't the Old Guys Stay Retired?

After a long, long break, I'm back to the blog. I apologize to the zero people who have been turning in week after week, anxiously hoping for my return. So getting down to business...
*After a series of excruciatingly acted segments and matches, the show ended with Hulk Hogan announcing next week's main event: Hogan and Abyss vs. Ric Flair and AJ Styles. I am unhappy with this on many levels. Hogan and Flair (especially the latter after the amazing sendoff he got from WWE) shouldn't even be wearing wrestling boots in my opinion. Apart from the limitations from a work standpoint, this is taking valuable time away from the young talent that distinguished TNA in the first place. Secondly, I have never been an Abyss fan, but I'm finding this Magic Ring thing absolutely intolerable. To see it being promoted as the main angle on the show is just painful. The only watchable thing in this whole fiasco may be AJ, although there are times when he overplays the Flairesque persona.
* Mr. Anderson continues to be a compelling watch, and I think that's also partly because they've firmly established his character as a deplorable heel, rather than the see-sawish tweenerism TNA goes with so much. This week's segment was great. Anderson stood on the ramp as his opponent (Rob Terry) waited in the ring, and badmouthed Angle and the medallion. Angle snuck up behind him, listened to the whole thing, and whacked him with a chair. He then proceeded to throw him in the ring, where Terry easily pinned him. The segment served the dual purpose of furthering the Angle-Anderson feud, and getting Rob Terry over as a babyface. Anderson saying "Don't worry, he's not coming" while Angle was right behind him was a nice touch.
* Bischoff continues to be loads of fun. I loved his interactions with Mick Foley and Jeff Jarrett. Although the sight of Jarrett quietly accepting his fate and flipping burgers seemed too unbelievable.
* The Kaz-Kendrick match wasn't much, but was noteworthy for a spectacular new finisher that Kaz debuted. (It seemed new to me, maybe its been used before). I guess they've laid the Suicide character to rest.
* The Daffney-ODB match was ok while it lasted. (Is ODB back to being a face?) Daffney's fit of lunacy while she was being physically restrained by Dr. Stevie was tremendous. I think she's by far the most interesting female character in wrestling right now.
* It was great to see Beer Money get some mic time. They're really over with the crowd. However, I fear the purpose of their title shot against Morgan and Hernandez has more to do with getting Morgan over as a heel rather than getting Beer Money into the title mix. Oh well, if they walk out with the belts, I'm not complaining.
* Please, please get rid of the Nasty Boys. Or is it Nasty Boyz.
* It is extremely disturbing that Desmond Wolfe got squashed by Abyss (or as Flair would call him, The Abyss) in the main event. Please don't drop the ball with this guy, TNA.
* All I can say about the whole "Band" saga is that I feel sorry that Eric Young has to be involved in such a waste of time.
*I don't mind those long-winded backstage promos as long as Christy Hemme is the interviewer.

Highlight of the night:

Best Performers: (1) Mr. Anderson (2) Eric Bischoff (3) Frankie Kazarian

Best Match: Kaz vs. Brian Kendrick

Best Promo: Mr. Anderson