The 2010 Summerslam Main Event Finish Was Bullshit

I did not get the chance to watch Summerslam this year but I still marked out big time when I found out that Daniel Bryan is back. It's hard to believe that so much time as passed since he was released. I had such a sour taste in my mouth when I read about the reasons he was let go. In hindsight however, the unfortunate firing ended up being the for the best. Bryan was able to forgo becoming just another solider in the Nexus army and is no set to become a super face.

While the Bryan return was freaking awesome, the same can not be said for the finish of the main event match. WWE could have gone a lot of ways with the match. The way they choose was easily the worst. What was gained by having Cena be the sole survivor? I know he is meant to be booked like Superman. I get that he has to dominate heels. But the main focus of the night was not Cena. The main focus was on teamwork. Any other finish would have been better. Try some of these on for size:

* Cena is eliminated first thus taking away Team WWE's leadership. The remaining superstars till manage to stick it out and pick up the win.

* Bryon is the last WWE guy left and he has to face a bunch of Nexus guys. He overcomes the odds a becomes the sole survivor.

* Nexus crushes the WWE and cements their status as the strongest heel faction in the last 10 years.

Any of those outcomes would have been better then shining the spotlight on Cena. In an otherwise stellar night, the finish to the main event just plain sucked.

TNA Impact 7-29-10

Coming Soon - Vintage Monday Night Raw DVD

So WWE has announced plans to release a DVD set featuring moments from the early days of Monday Night Raw. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out that nifty piece of nostalgia. The earliest Raw shows had a very unique feel to them. They also had all the great 90s stars.

TNA Fires Bubba The Love Sponge

TNA Wrestling has released Bubba The Love Sponge. Good riddance I say. He honestly brought nothing of interest to the programming. Every time he came out the fans would start chanting "Fire Bubba". Clearly he was unwanted and his lose is really for the best. He has his radio show, so it's not like he was in desperate need for work. The money TNA was paying him is better spent on an in ring talent. That is just this humble blogger's opinion.

WWE Releases 7 Superstars

WWE has a history of terminating talent in large batches. Today (4-23-10) the following superstars have been released:

* Mickie James
* Katie Lea Burchill
* Shelton Benjamin
* Kung Fu Naki
* Slam Master J
* Jimmy Wang Yang
* Mike Knox

Hopefully the seven of them find new projects to occupy there time. I'm sure TNA would be open to acquiring more ex-WWE talent. It'll be interesting to see if any of these superstars Cross The Line.

Hulk Hogan Retrospective: Part 1 WWF (1983-1993)

Hulk Hogan is a legend in professional wrestling. While be broke into the business back in 1977, it wasn't until 1983 that Hulkamania was truly born. Let us look back at select moments from the epic career of Hulk Hogan.

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant
Wrestlemania IV
March 27, 1988



Arguably the most iconic match in Wrestlemania history.


Mega Powers vs. Mega Bucks
SummerSlam 1988
August 29, 1988




Hulk Hogan & Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage & Zeus
SummerSlam 1989
August 28, 1989




Hulk Hogan vs. Big Bossman
Saturday Night's Main Event
May 27, 1989




Grand Finale Match Of Survival
Survivor Series 1990
November 22, 1990




Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter
Wrestlemania VII
March 24, 1991




Hulk Hogan vs. The Undertaker
Survivor Series 1991
November 27, 1991




Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice
Wrestlemania VIII
April 5, 1992



In the summer of 1993, Hogan left the WWF with the intent of focusing on a movie/tv acting career. However a crafty booker by the name of Eric Bischoff was able to lure The Hulkster into WCW. Check back soon for Part 2 of this retrospective.

RVD is TNA Champ

TNA has a history of throwing the TNA title on big superstars shortly after their debut. They did it with Rhino, they did it with Christian, and now they have a done it with RVD. Honestly it was a cool moment. I'm an RVD mark (who really isn't?). It was a smart move putting the belt on him and I hope he has a lengthy, entertaining championship run.

WWE Really Cares For The Fans

The volcanic activity in Europe has most of the Raw crew stranded outside the states. As such the 4-19-10 edition of Raw featured mosly Smackdown superstars. I give major props for they handled this tough situation. WWE worked hard to ensure fans in New Jersey got a good show despite the lack of Raw talent.

Going a step further WWE is offering refunds to any fan who felt ripped off for not seeing the Raw superstars. That's just a class act in my book. One can complain all they want about WWE's PG focus and their often dumb storyline. But when it comes to fan appreciate, WWE just goes above and beyond.

Sean Waltman No Shows Lockdown

I was surprised to learn that Sean Waltman no-showed TNA's Lockdown PPV on 4-19-10.

At first the rumors implied that Sean's absence came without warning. Thus it seemed like TNA would be firing him.

However according to this article, Sean gave advance notice and as such no heat is on him. I'm glad. Sean leaving would of screwed up The Band faction and I would hate to see it go. Honestly The Band is one of the few things I actually enjoy in TNA.

Jeff Gets Burned in Fireball Spot

The 4-12-10 edition of Impact featured a fireball spot with James Storm and Jeff Hardy. Using a mouthful of bear and a lighter, Storm blasted a wall of flame right into Hardy's face. Hardy's girlfriend Beth wrote the following message on Twitter:

"...Jeff was actually VERY lucky. He was burned badly. Enuf to blister & peel"

When I first saw this clip I was reminded of the kayfabed pyro accident Hardy had on Smackdown a few years back:

Rest in Peace Chris Kanyon

If you follow wrestling news online then it's likely you've already heard of Chris Klucsaritis' tragic passing. On Friday April 2 he was found dead in his apartment. Evidence points to suicide. My condolences go out to his friends and family during this tying time.

Drew McIntyre Entrance's Kicks Ass

I have a great fondness of pro-wrestling entrances. I love the fanfare. There is just something special about seeing a superstar heading to the ring. There are of course the classics. Hulk Hogan. Steve Austin. The Rock. But in regards to the current generation, I find Drew McIntyre's entrance to be high up on the epic scale. For starters, the song is sweet. I really hope it makes it onto the next WWE produced CD. As if the music wasn't enough, the pacing brings it together. I like how the Titantron plays full screen for several seconds. After which more moments pass until Drew finally emerges. The slow walk meshes with the tone of the music. The general indifference Drew exudes captures my attention. I just have to see what this man's purpose is. What this entrance shows above all else, is that one does not have to be flashy in order to make an impact.

HBK's Farewell Address

Shawn Michaels' delivered a profoundly moving retirement speech on the 3-29-10 edition of Raw. You can tell it came from the heart; the sincerity of the affair left me choked up. Shawn Michaels is legend and it's wonderful see him retire on top. Having your last match at an event the caliber of Wrestlemania must be the dream of anybody with a career in the squared circle. I couldn't imagine a better finale for a 25 year career.

I know retirement in pro wrestling is taken with a grain of salt. So many performers have hung up the boots only to slip back into them after a short break. Heck just look at Ric Flair. He got a similar send off by the WWE:

Yet sure enough, Flair found is way back in the ring after joining TNA. The business has a strange way of drawing guys back. That said, I'm quite sure WWE fans will see Shawn again. But not for a while. He wants to spend time with his family and I respect that. He has earned it.

Orlando Jodron's Bisexual Gimmick Has Pushed Some Buttons

I must admit that I am fascinated by Orlando Jordon's latest gimmick. One could argue that an openly bisexual wrestler is just the next evolution of a longstanding homosexual niche in pro-wrestling storylines. Recent WWE Hall of Fame inductee Gorgeous George gained much of his heat due to his effeminate ways. While the character was not homosexual, it still played with gender stereotypes. Five decades later, the bizarre Goldust was introduced to the wrestling world. Again the homosexuality of the character was never explicitly stated, but heavily implied by his actions. There was also the infamous Billy and Chuck tag team.

What makes OJ's case unique is that he is really bisexual. His gimmick mirrors his real life. I for one think this new angle has potential. His entrance on 3-29-10 edition of Impact was mesmerizing. TNA needs to capitalize on this gimmick's controversy. All it takes is some good writing. Unfortunately, good writing is often a foreign notion to TNA.

Scott Hall's YouTube Channel

In a previous post I ripped on Scott Hall. I fell guilty for doing so. Truth be told I'm a huge Scott Hall mark. It's easy to fault the man on account of his personal demons. Yes he has battled a constant drinking problem. Yes he has trouble staying in shape. But the fact of the matter is Scott has a passion for wresting and a gift for entertainment. I have a sincere respect for the man.

Recently Scott opened a Youtube channel. I'm digging his videos, which provide insight into his personal life. His latest one is an especially neat watch. It opens with him in a gym. It's great to see him taking steps to get back in shape. The meat of the video is an informal interview with Larry Zbyszko.

TNA Botched RVD's Debut

So Rob Van Dam made his debut on the 3-2-10 edition of Impact. No surprise, Hogan clumsily leaked the story early. But to be honest, the leak may have been for the best. When Dixie Carter announced a mystery opponent for Sting, the crowd knew where it was going. As Sting was waiting the in the ring, the crowd was clearly chanting RVD. The music finally hit and the crowd popped big time. Rob's sneak kick of the top rope was also a nice touch. Yes, I liked everything about the entrance. That said, I hated the match. Can we call it a match? Van Dam hit the top rope kick and then nailed Rolling Thunder for the pin. The way I see it, when your a wrestling company that has just acquired a talent the caliber of RVD, wouldn't you want to show him off? Let RVD and Sting put on a quality bout instead of doing a pointless squash match. It's moments like this that show just how wonky TNA booking is. Priorities are clearly out of whack when Hulk Hogan is getting more in ring action then RVD.

Wrestilcious Pilot Episode - Campy Goodness

On March 1 Wrestleicious, an all femlate wreslting organization, released it's pilot episode. The show is what you might expect. It's silly, campy, and perhaps even a tad offense. One may go so far as to describe the show as painful to watch. But I wouldn't agree. For as moronic as it is, I still found it entertaining. I laughed, the absurdity of the whole thing made me giggle. As a camp piece it really has a lot going for it. All the wrestlers have wonderfully eccentric gimmicks. Gimmicks that take the low round and stick with blatant stereotypes. Just to give you a sample, there are: a prisoner, a American patriot, a Hawaii hula girl, and team of country gals. Such a mass volume of blatantly wacky gimmicks has not been witnessed since mid-90s era of the WWF. As if the gimmicks don't provide enough cheese, the show has several segments which feature ultra corny jokes. The jokes come complete with laugh track, it's awesome.

The show is about 22 minutes long. Yet they manage to fit in a in-segment musical segment and two full matches. That is on top of all the little backstage segments.

The part of the show I liked the most was the group musical number in which all of the wrestlers rap (yes I said RAP) about their gimmicks. In between each rap verse Jimmy Hart jumps in shouting "Wrestlicious!" on his trademark megaphone.

If your in the mood for something campy or you want to see a wrestling show that doesn't take itself seriously; then check out Wrestlicious.

The Spoony One Recaps TNA

When pressed to elaborate on TNA's shortcomings, I find it hard to convey just how poorly booked it is. Thankfully, The Spoony One has done it for me. The above video is a hilarious recap of the 2-25-10 edition of Impact. It is quite long, pushing the 2 hour mark. However the humor is plentiful. Watch in amazement has an episode of TNA Impact destroys a man's sanity

TNA's Really Dumb Street Fight

The 2-25-10 edition of Impact featured the dumbest street fight I've seen, probably ever. Kevin Nash and his buddy Eric Young confronted Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac. Hall and Pac have been "fired" for weeks now but that doesn't stop them from showing up at every show. Ya know I faulted WWE security for letting some random chick backstage on Raw. But apparently TNA security is just as incompetent if they can't keep out two over the hill, out of shape wrestlers.

Anyway the fight starts with Young and Nash approaching Syxx-Pac. I'd like to note that Pac is wearing an outfit that screams "I don't give a shit". After some taunting by Pac, Young charges with fists a flying. The camera goes in tight on the fight until a scream is heard off screen. The camera pans over to show Nash down and Hall holding a pipe. Thank goodness TNA didn't show Nash getting hit. That would have been, I don't know, INTERESTING!

Hall stumbles over to help Pac but not before Young nails Pac in the head with an air tank looking thing. The tank makes a nice hallow sound when it smacks the ground. This leads me to think the tank hurts about as much as a freaking pool noodle.

Hall nails Young with a series of punches that just seem halfhearted. He tosses in a chop for...variety I guess? He gets up in Young's face and starts talking about staying out of "family business". Pac delivers a round house kick to Young which surprises me. Not because it's impressive, but because it's the closet thing this fight has had to a wrestling move.

With Young down, Pac walks over and picks up a spray can. Oh dear. I know what's coming. Why? Honestly? I know that "The Band" is supposed to be the nWo. But does TNA really need to rip off every single nWo trademark. How about some freaking originality. Pac attempts to write "4-Life" on Young's back. I say attempts because he makes the "4" ginormous and thus has to squeeze the "Life" into a small area. As the tagging takes place Hall exclaims "just like the old days." Thanks Scott, I haven't had my intelligence insulted enough while watching this show.

Hall and Pac walk off screen and this segment mercifully comes to an end.

Ultimate Warrior Turns Down WWE Hall of Fame

The Ultimate Warrior is a wrestling legend. Perhaps his most enduring trademark is intensity. A intensity that manifested in pure, unbound lunacy. In short, The Ultimate Warrior was a nutjob. He bolted to the ring during his entrances. On the mic, he spouted long, nonsensical promos.

So yeah The Ultimate Warrior was crazy, but that was just a character right? Sadly no. Jim Hellwig, the man who portrayed Warrior, is truly batshit insane. That rambling speaking style he used in his promos is actually how he talks. Over the years he has said a lot of befuddling and utterly moronic things. Here is one of his most infamous moments:



Yeah I'm not even going to touch that one. Instead I'm going to talk about his latest dumb move. Recently WWE invited Warrior to join The Hall of Fame. Initially he accepted. But now with the induction ceremony just weeks away, Warrior has changed his mind. Let me reiterate. WARRIOR TURNED DOWN THE FREAKIN' HALL OF FAME!

Why? Honestly? Actually scratch that, I don't want an answer. If Warrior were to respond I'm sure it would be prolonged and offensive. Whatever, Warrior. I can't begin to imagine your reason for saying no but I hope you understand the finality of the situation. Considering the extremely rocky history you've had with WWE this chance is unlikely to come up again. But then again with wrestling, anything can happen. One thing is for sure: The Ultimate Warrior will not be in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2010.

Hogan Gives Abyss A Ring

In June of 2003 "The Monster" Abyss debuted in TNA. His persona is a big powerhouse masked man. Such a gimmick is a dime a dozen in pro wrestling. Over the years he's jumped between face and heel. As of late he's adopted a cowardly lion like tameness. Naturally the passiveness had led to him getting pushed around, namely by Eric Bischoff. Things came to a head on the 2-18-10 edition of Impact. Hulk Hogan stops a Bischoff orchestrated in-ring beat-down. He then demands that Abyss meet him in the back.

What follows is a really dumb segment. Abyss nervously paces in Hulk's office. Hulk busts in, shouting that he's "done with this crap". Bischoff tries to enter but Hulk shoos him away. Hulk tells Abyss that the cowardly thing is over, Abyss will never be a coward again. To strength his point he begins listing off powerful people and the items that give them strength. Superman has his cape, Popeye has his spinach. As a comic fan I can tell you that Superman's cape does not in fact give him power. But whatever, I'll let that one slide Hulkster. What I won't let slide his spiel about his "Hall of Fame Ring". Note that he doesn't say WWE Hall of Fame. Why? TNA has no problem ripping off the Montreal screwjob and having Kurt Angle mention WWE.

Anywho Hulk says that ring is "the only think that never left him." Obviously he's making reference to his messy divorce with Linda. But he seems to be forgetting somethings. What about his son Nick or his daughter Broke? I guess they don't count right. What about Bischoff or Brian Knobbs or Bubba The Love Sponge. Or any of the other pitiful sycophants who kiss Hogan's ass all the time. I guess that's not enough. Yeah Hulk your real alone brother.

Hulk gives Abyss the ring. Now Abyss shall be a coward no more. End of segment, end of my patience. This segment is bad, but at least it has some unintentional humor. I epically love the Bischoff appearance. The short bit of Bischoff opening the door and being told "Not now Eric" is hilarious especially if viewed without context.

TNA Press Conference Confirms Impact's Move to Monday

Weeks of speculation have come to end. Starting on March 8th, TNA Impact will air on Monday nights at 9-11PM. That puts them head to head with WWE Raw. It's a bold move. Some are saying this is the re-birth of the Monday night wars. I'm not so sure. This new development is exciting but I can't help but feel TNA is in over there head. I'm not going out of my way to be cynical, I'm just being realistic. Raw brings in well over double the viewership of Impact and that's without even trying. The edginess that Raw used to have is long gone. In it's place is a largely stale product. Yet the sad fact is that stale product greatly out performers TNA, even when TNA is trying really hard.

SpikeTV seems to be behind TNA. That's good. But from a business standpoint that support can only last as long Impact delivers solid ratings. It's an uphill battle. The strides TNA has made in the last eight years are impressive. One can never take away those accomplishments. That said, their booking sucks a lot. There are moments of greatness, but generally speaking TNA shows are poorly written. TNA must take note of those weaknesses and attempt improvement. The move to Monday is a big deal, but it means nothing if TNA isn't ready to step up the game. If they don't fix the writing and WWE puts even a fraction of effort into there phoned in shows, then TNA would be quite thoroughly fucked.

In the bigger picture, I think Dixie Carter summed it up best with the by saying "The real winners are the wrestling fans." She hit it right on the head. What TNA represents more then anything is freshness. It is a breathe of life into an industry that has lost it's spark.

Some Chick Hits Bret Hart

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

So Bret Hart got kayfabed injured on the 2-15-10 edition of Raw. The car accident thing is pretty standard I guess. WWE has a history of injuring it's superstars with vehicular zanyiness. Like when Stone Cold was run down at Survivor Series 1999. Or when Vince McMahon's limo exploded, seemingly killing him. Yup WWE loves their auto accidents, that's all well and good. But there is one element of the Bret segment that doesn't sit well with me: the lady who hit him. Am I supposed to buy that some random chick backed into a clearly parked LIMOUSINE. What the hell was she doing back there any way? Is she with the event staff? If not then what where the fuck is security? Do they just let any old stranger drive around the backstage area during the show? To me that seems like a bit of security risk.

If WWE wants me to suspend my disbelief, if they want me to get caught up in the accident, then it helps to have the basics covered. To me the nameless lady driver is a big lose end. She has no logical reason for being backstage. As a result I spend all the time I should be worried about Bret just wondering what the woman's deal is.

"You deserved to be screwed Bret!"

I really loved the McMahon/Cena/Bret segment on the 2-8-10 edition of Raw. All three parties made the segment work but I feel McMahon especially shined. When it comes to WWE, there are few things more entertaining then Mr. McMahon in full on heel mode. When I hear him say things like "When God created the heavens and the earth, it wasn't Adam he had in mind. It was me." I am reminded that few performers have such an amazing ability to draw such instant heat.

WWE is doing a fine job building up the McMahon/Bret feud. I eagerly await the Wrestlemania pay-off. The novelty of Bret's return has yet to wear off on me. I know many are indifferent to Bret being back, but for my own part I think it's fanatic. I wasn't watching wrestling back in Bret's prime but I have seen enough old footage to develop a love for the Hitman. As McMahan vs. Bret approaches I am reminded of hype that surrounded McMahon vs. Hulk Hogan from Wrestlemania 19. And as special as that was, I feel McMahon vs. Bret eclipses it. Hogan return so often the novelty has worn off. When the Hulkster made his recent jump to TNA I was underwhelmed by his entrance because I had seen him return about a hundred ga-gillian times.

Bret is a different story. He was done with wrestling, both physically and emotional. A year ago I would have settled with just seeing Bret stand in a WWE ring. That alone would have been astounding. But no here we are, ready to see Bret compete at Wrestlemania. Yes I know that he won't really be "wrestling". His bout with McMahon will likely be labeled "No DQ" or "A Street Fight". Regardless of the match stipulation it will be a brawl. But I'm more then okay with that.

I love a heel Vince McMahon. I love that Bret is back. It is going to be a grand Wrestlemania

William Shatner Speaks WWE Themes

William Shatner speaking WWE entrance themes was a brilliant segment. Kudos to the writers for coming up with it and props to Shatner for the performance. The bit could of easily came off as stupid but it didn't. It worked, it make me laugh. With WWE programming so full of misses, it makes there hits much more enjoyable.

And all joking aside, I would totally by the album if it really existed.

"Orlando Screwjob" Fall Out

So the 01-28-10 edition of Impact was littered with segments addressing the "Orlando Screwjob". I know it was to much to ask for them to ignore it all together. But did they really need to dedicate the bulk of the night it. It's like they're really proud of it, like the writers honestly think pushing it further is good for business.

The only silver lining is that we may be reaching the end of this sad storyline. Hulk apologized to the fans, Kurt made up with Hulk and agreed not to leave, and Earl Hebner was "fired". So now focus can shift back towards Kurt Angle vs. AJ Styles. In the end the "Orlando Screwjob" was nothing more then a building block for a feud. But that's what makes it even more pathetic. While the Angle/Styles feud will fade and give way to others the ghost of this Screwjob will linger. It will stand as damning evidence of why TNA is it's own worst enemy.

I understand that repetion is a big part of professional wrestling storylines. The act of ripping off a storyline is not inherently evil. Reworking a past storyline can often lead to good results. The determinate for quality is the reasoning, the logic behind the storyline. TNA's reasons for doing the screwjob are paper thin at best. I feel it went something like this: "Hey look, Bret Hart's coming back to the WWE we should find a way to capitalize on it. Hey wait a minute don't we have Earl Hebner, he was part of that screwjob. We should redo that. That would would really get the fans talking"

It did get fans talking, but not in a positive way. The moment came out of nowhere it was cheap shocker. As a result, the moment will not go down as famous but rather "infamous".

Rock/Hogan - A Good Screw Job Finish

I've bashed TNA for it's unoriginal screw job finish. In the interest of fairness I present a superior example. The clip above shows a screw job finish done right. What makes it work? Backstory. Where as the Styles/Angle finish was random and came out of no where, this finish had a meaning. It was Vince besting Hogan and it set up for up there for their Wrestlemania showdown. Also worth noting is Rock's heel performance. You can feel the smugness oozing off of him. It's a beautiful wrestling moment.

Oddly enough this moment features Hulk Hogan and Tazz, two participants in TNA's little "tribute" to the Montreal screw job.

TNA is Shameless - Ripping Off Montreal Screw Job

TNA must think their fans are idiots. I've felt this for some time. But last week's Impact proved it. The "controversial" finish to to the Styles/Angle match was the most absurd wrestling moment I've seen in some time. That is really saying something in this dark age of "PG" wrestling. WWE shoots out a lot of shit each week. Little People's Court comes to mind. But even the most moronic segment on Raw looks genius when set aside TNA's faux screw job.

It's shameless, the whole thing is desperate and sad. Really TNA? Is that really what you have to do? Rip off an iconic moment and do so poorly. I'm sure the decision to do the segment had NOTHING to do Bret's recent WWE return. No, it surely must be coincidental. On the Jan 4 edition of Impact the crowded chanted "Who Needs Bret?" Well I guess we have answer. TNA clearly needs Bret as they have sunken to stealing a pivotal moment from his career.

I won't lie, the moment caught my attention. At first I thought it was kind of neat. But then it went to far. Then you had Kurt say "WWE". Oh mentioning the competition, how edgy TNA. Oh wait it's not edgy, it's just stupid. And just to drive the bullshit home Taz mentions history repeating itself. Wonderful. At that point you might as well say "Hey remember when this happened in the WWF, that was pretty neat huh? I hope you enjoy our poor man's recreation."

Oh look Kurt spit on Hogan. This feels familiar. Because it is God damn it. It's a shot for shot remake. Just look at Hogan's face during the segment. He' supposed to convey stoic intensity, but it comes off as confusion. That's alright Hulkster I'm confused too. I'm confused as to why this company insists on sabotaging itself every chance it gets. They implore wrestling fans to "cross the line", but what are we crossing to? Washed up has been wrestlers and plagiarized storylines. Yeah that's the future of wrestling alright.