Five Reasons Why You Should Check Out Impact Wrestling

Let me start off by saying that I’ve been a TNA fan since the company’s inception. Back when The Wrestling Channel was in commission on Sky, I watched it pretty much 24/7 and TNA was a regularly featured promotion. There is a particular period in the history of TNA that has a rosy tint in my eyes. When AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and Christopher Daniels were creating spectacular matches for the X-Division title, I couldn’t help but be in awe of the acrobatic, no limits style.

Of course, in order to grow as a company TNA couldn’t JUST be the company with the daredevil cruiserweights. They needed direction, storylines and some money-making stars. They roped in Hulk Hogan (arguably the biggest wrestler of all time), Eric Bischoff, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Mr Anderson, Team 3D, Ric Flair, Mick Foley and Kurt Angle. All of the aforementioned are established stars, yet, ratings never fluctuated for anything more than a week or so. Maybe it’s because fans are tired of seeing the old faces prevent the ‘TNA Originals’ from grasping the spotlight or perhaps its the way the booking works in TNA. The lack of consistency in the booking of TNA is astounding. Angles will start and be forgotten about, heel/face turns will happen every week and characters have no time to establish themselves as a result of disappearing from Television for weeks. It was for all these reasons in addition to the Jeff Hardy/Matt Hardy debacle last year that I stopped being a TNA fan and joined the majority of the wrestling community in bashing TNA left right and centre.

However, after a period of around 6 months I sat down and decided to watch Impact. I was happy with almost everything I saw. The ‘TNA originals’ were getting the majority of the limelight and there was a renewed focus on the X-Division. Sure, there were a few minor decisions here and there (Hi Garrett Bischoff) that made me want to scratch my eyes out, but overall ‘Impact Wrestling’ is a much improved product on last year and I’m now a weekly viewer once again. If you’ve fallen out with the TNA brand or if you’ve never watched the show because of misguided opinion, here are five reasons you should give TNA a chance.

James Storm

Formerly one half of one of the best tag teams in recent memory, James Storm is now enjoying a singles run as one of the top faces on the roster. Storm’s laid back, southern, beer drinking attitude is as cool as you like. He’s no slouch in the ring either and has proved that he can have entertaining matches with just about anybody. Honestly, I think people have the tendency to underrate Storm when compared to his former tag team partner. I believe Storm could become a huge star for TNA if his character is tweaked slightly, as he’s a bit of a stereotype at the minute. He’s already been given some mainstream exposure through his interactions with New York Giant running back Brandon Jacobs in recent weeks and his (awesome, might I add) theme song is getting its own music video. As Storm is a ‘TNA original’ I couldn’t be happier that he’s at the top of the card. He’s most certainly one of the most entertaining aspects of Impact.

Bobby Roode

The ‘Money’ to James Storm’s ‘Beer.’ Bobby Roode has worked out tremendously as a heel champion. After Hulk Hogan dismissed Roode, publicly might I add, as ‘not ready,’ Roode has certainly proved him wrong. Everything about his current persona from his pompous entrance music to his ‘leader of the selfish generation’ tagline is working wonders in establishing him as a main event heel. Roode has been World Heavyweight champion for four months now and in that time has used heel tactics to overcome the biggest stars in TNA including AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy and James Storm. As Roode’s stock continues to rise, his upcoming match at Victory Road against Sting will be a good indication of how far the company wants to take a heel Bobby Roode.

Bully Ray

Yep. If you haven’t been watching Impact lately then you’re truly missing out. The former Bubba Ray Dudley is making waves as a top heel in TNA right now. Bully Ray is a great heel in such an obvious and simple way… being a bully. In matches he shouts and yells at the referee. In backstage interviews he demeans and embarrasses Christy Hemme or Jeremy Borash. During the ‘big match’ in-ring introductions that TNA utilise for their main events, Bully Ray takes the mic from Jeremy Borash and announces his own name. Rather than giving the mic back to JB he throws it on the floor, forcing Borash to bend down and pick it up. He’s also rather fond of his calves. It’s the little nuances that make Bully so hateable and unlike any other heel in mainstream wrestling at the minute. As Sting says ‘no one does Bully, like Bully.’

Austin Aries

Austin Aries was one of my favourite guys in Ring of Honor and the Indies and he fits the bill as a perfect X-Division champion. His in-ring style is mesmerising to watch as he mixes both the spot-fest X-Division style with some great technical work. Infact, his movement in the ring is so crisp and so clean that he makes every move look like art. The ‘greatest man alive’ has charisma oozing from his pores and it certainly comes across in his promo work. A Double is just plain fun to watch and I expect he’ll be involved in the main event as some point in 2012.

Eric Young and ODB

Yeah, I said it. Wanna fight about it? TNA’s ‘odd couple’ are more geared towards the ‘sports entertainment’ aspect of your average weekly episode of Impact but they’re damn good at it. Eric Young, the sweet natured, whacked out goofball who doesn’t know where he is half of the time coupled with the trailer trash, titty slapping, and canteen sipping ODB. Cue cheesy hilarity. Honestly, the two really had nothing better to do and they’ve made something out of nothing. The pairing just click and have that entertaining and endearing chemistry that is fun to watch. From the initial ‘wildcard tournament’ combination, to the awkward realisation of love and now the marriage proposal. Everything about it screams 90’s. I don’t know if that’s what makes it fun or not but the Impact zone crowd was really into the proposal angle on this week’s show. When it works, it works.

So there we have it, five good reasons why you should give Impact a chance. Honourable mentions go to Magnus/Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy who has managed to turn his life around and as usual AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels. Honestly, TNA has improved so much over the past few months despite what the online bashing would have you believe. The fact that Vince Russo has left the creative team means things can only get better.

Just FYI, this week’s episode of Impact was not as good as it has been recently, that’s not to discourage you from tuning in… just don’t expect the work of the gods this week. I hope this piece has encouraged you tune in or at the very least check out some of the promo’s and matches from the past few months and tune in next week.

Remember Impact is on Challenge tonight at 9pm. Freeview channel 46.

Thanks for reading.

Let me know what you think. Have you checked out TNA recently? Will you be checking Challenge out tonight? Agree/Disagree with my thoughts? Leave me some feedback :)

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WWE Elimination Chamber 2012 Review and Thoughts

Elimination Chamber is that little awkward spot between the Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania. For my money, the Rumble and Mania are always the two events I anticipate the most and thus the Chamber PPV goes a little un-noticed. It takes place 6 weeks before the Granddaddy of them all and is usually a place to develop or help further along existing feuds for Wrestlemania, which sometimes results in a disappointing event. Was this the case in 2012? Lets take a look!

Elimination Chamber match for the WWE Championship featuring – CM Punk (C), Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, R-Truth, The Miz and Chris Jericho

While I thought this match should have been the main event (the PPV is called Elimination Chamber after all) it served as the 'hot opener' and did so in unrelenting fashion. The Raw Chamber match had solid star power in comparison to the Smackdown counterpart and each unique superstar was utilised to maximise the amount of action that occurred throughout the match. Kofi Kingston and CM Punk kicked things off with some nice back and forth trading of pinfalls. The chamber structure allowed Kofi Kingston to shine and execute some nice variations to his high flying arsenal. R Truth took part for a brief moment and was the first to be eliminated after a quick flurry of offense. Dolph Ziggler bumped like a champion and had an opportunity to 'show off' by implementing the chamber into his shtick. The Miz, who has been floundering for weeks with his promo's and in ring technique, took a step on the road to redemption with a strong and convincing showing in the chamber match. Of course the big story is between CM Punk and Chris Jericho. When the two squared off, the crowd popped in anticipation of the two finally going one on one. However, WWE are saving this one till Wrestlemania as Punk eliminated Jericho in controversial fashion. A knockout kick sent Jericho tumbling to the floor, into a camera man and some sort of box, rendering him unable to compete. This was a nice way of getting Jericho out of the match and means that Punk doesn't hold a clean victory over Jericho heading into Wrestlemania. It is also a source of frustration for Jericho as he never lost the match and can be held over Punks head as a feud between the two heats up. A really good action packed chamber match.

****

Winner and STILL WWE Champion – CM Punk
 

Beth Phoenix (C) vs Tamina Snuka for the Divas Championship

Without a doubt, the playing up of Tamina as the daughter of Jimmy Snuka and the perception that she has become a legitimate threat in recent weeks helped this match. Hell, the fact that Kelly Kelly, Eve, Alicia Fox or The Bella Twins weren't involved helped this match. While not the greatest women's match ever, it was certainly better than any recent Divas ppv bout. Honestly, a decent match and the story of Beth avoiding Tamina's big blockbuster finish time after time before actually kicking out of the Superfly Splash was a nice touch. Sweet Dragon Sleeper by Phoenix too. I don't know where we go from here with the divas division because we've got to be getting Kharma vs Beth Phoenix at Wrestlemania. That's the best thing that can happen right now. Won't that render all this build for Tamina pointless though?

*3/4

Winner and STILL Divas Champion – Beth Phoenix

Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship featuring – The Big Show, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Santino Marella, The Great Khali and Daniel Bryan (C)

Again, a really entertaining chamber match. The star power wasn’t as strong as the Raw chamber, but everyone involved made the absolute best of the situation and delivered a thoroughly enjoyable story. The Big Show looked like the monster he is and the ongoing feud with Daniel Bryan was furthered in the chamber. The unique moment went Show broke into Bryan’s pod from the top was a nice touch. Speaking of Bryan, he took some nasty looking bumps. Going through the (what Michael Cole was all too eager to tell us) ‘bullet proof’ Lexan, the powerbomb into the chamber and the door being rammed shut on his neck were particular highlights. The real star of the match, however, was someone no one even considered to be anywhere near the Elimination Chamber PPV, never mind a chamber match in itself. I have to give credit where its due and Santino was booked to look like an absolute fighter last night. Gone was the comedy jobber and instead we saw an underdog who absolutely refused to give up, despite being beaten down time after time. Sure, it’s a classic story but its classic for a reason… it works. The crowd were molten crazy for Santino the entire time match and reached fever pitch following his pinfall eliminations of both Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett. The final moments between Daniel Bryan and Santino are worth a re-watch. When Santino hit the Cobra on Daniel Bryan EVERYONE thought the impossible had been achieved. Moments later when Santino temporarily broke the Lebell Lock, that same thought crossed peoples minds once again. Eventually Santino tapped and Daniel Bryan heads to Wrestlemania as World Heavyweight Champion. Sit back and think a minute, though. A superstar who has become nothing more than a comedy jobber was booked to eliminate two men who are considered the future of the company. On top of that, Santino was one of the last two survivors and almost fought out of a deadly submission. That’s quite the push. Judging by crowd reaction last night, WWE would be foolish not to capitalise on Santino as he proved he could hang with upper level talent.

As for the post match, if this was indeed WWE signalling Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan is happening at Wrestlemania, I’d more than welcome it. A match between the two was bumped off last years card, this year they’d be co-headlining for the World Heavyweight Championship. Quite the story.

*** ¾

Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion – Daniel Bryan

Jack Swagger (C) vs Justin Gabriel for the United States Championship

A throwaway match. Honestly, what is with not advertising matches anymore? Swagger and Gabriel are currently struggling to get on Raw and Smackdown and the United States Championship has once again become worthless. A three minute match has no business being on a Pay Per View.

½ a *

Winner and STILL United States Champion – Jack Swagger

John Cena vs Kane in an Ambulance Match

Apparently, WWE feels the need to cheapen their ‘Elimination Chamber’ PPV by having anything but a Chamber match as the main event. Honestly, when the feud started I was all for it. Cena and Kane had never really had a high profile one on one feud and there was a refreshing feeling about the whole thing. The fact that Kane was once again donning his mask was a bonus. However, WWE felt the need to turn one of their fastest rising stars in Zack Ryder into a human punching bag. Ryder has been saddled with a romance storyline with Eve and been made to look like a complete idiot. Racking up approximately 500 injuries in the process. I can’t help but feel WWE is playing a sick joke on Ryder. They’re sending the message that if they didn’t make him, he isn’t going to be the star he could potentially be. Ryder's involvement initially added something to the story, but has since become more comedic than anything else. Meh. Anyway, the match. It was a rather timid affair but one can blame that on the nature of a PG environment on a hardcore style match. There was no doubt who was going to win heading into Wrestlemania but, both men went out there, hit a few impact moves, told their story and ended it. Cena was never going to take part in anything too brutal considering the risk of injury and the disastrous consequences that would have for the yearlong hyped match with The Rock.

I’m still hoping Zack Ryder gets his Wrestlemania moment in a one on one match with Kane, hopefully minus half a storm trooper outfit.

** ½

Winner – John Cena

So there we have it, two very good chamber matches, a decent Divas match and an OK ambulance match. All in all, an enjoyable pay per view that looked less than friendly on paper. It also helped set up the two potential championship matches at Wrestlemania between CM Punk and Jericho and Sheamus and Daniel Bryan. Sweet. Two live shows to look forward to this week, Raw as usual and Smackdown on Tuesday night.

Thanks a lot for reading and till next time, Lets Talk Wrestling

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Raw review, thoughts and opinions!

It’s Tuesday!

While nothing is inherently exciting about Tuesday, it does mean that Raw was on last night. The show, in my opinion, was a mixed bag of disappointment in hour one and satisfaction in hour two. Let's have a look at the positives and negatives.

Firstly, the tape around Zack Ryder was holding both himself and his push together. With WWE finally taking a chance on Ryder, the segment by segment viewership ratings breakdown haven’t shown Zack to be much of draw. Unfortunately, Vince McMahon seems to have discounted the fact that many of these segments also included John Cena, Kane and CM Punk among other big names. Ryder is being scapegoated for shoddy ratings that of course can't have anything to do with the staleness of the product and quality of the creative staff, oh no no no. Much like Sheamus was scapegoated for low PPV buyrates in 2010, Cena is completely untouchable when it comes to the placement of blame when ratings are weak. This led to Ryder losing the title last night, in essentially a squash match to Jack Swagger. Although the injury angle is being played out, there was absolutely no need to take the title from an over superstar in Zack Ryder and put it onto a guy who hasn't drawn heat since his world title run. So, I guess I'll make a bold statement and say that we are witnessing the burial of Zack Ryder. The reports of him being scapegoated for weak ratings, a 'demotion' from the main event into a relationship angle with Eve and now losing the title in a squash match, wow.  What the WWE don't seem to understand is that while Ryder was over with the smarter audience, the casual fans were beginning to warm to him as well. Things take time, WWE. Woo woo woo, you blew it. Just as I knew you would.

Elsewhere in the first hour, the newly crowned (at a HOUSE SHOW) tag champs - Epico and Primo, defended the gold (bronze?) against former champs Air Boom. Was it a good solid 15 minute title match? No. Infact, it barely lasted 3 minutes and most of the focus was on the 'hot manager' Rosa Mendes. Jesus christ, the tag division is still in tatters after what was a promising step in the formation of Airboom. As for the aforementioned, I fear for them come 'spring cleaning.' A suspension for Evan Bourne and a title loss at a house show? That spells 'future endeavoured' for me. As for Kofi, he was doing a whole lot of nothing before the tag run, expect him to go back to limbo or be released too.

The 'Deeeeeevas' *Justin Roberts voice* had a 'match.' Awful, as usual. However, for once the divas weren't the only ones stinking out the place. Perez Hilton joined the action as a special guest ring announcer and preceded to get shoved over by the Bella Twins. For those of you who are unaware, Perez Hilton runs a blog site which pretty much participates in cyber bullying and homophobic slurs such as 'faggot.' A company who advocates the 'Be A Star' campaign against bullying of all kinds pays this guy for an appearance? Show tolerance and respect, indeed. Hypocrisy thy name is WWE.

The opening segment was nicely executed. Ziggler proved himself once again on the mic and usage of the veteran Mick Foley was a nice touch. Foley's tease of entering the Royal Rumble warmed my cockles (pause) as I'd like to see him have one final WWE run before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in the next couple of years.

R-Truth and Wade Barrett took part in an entertaining segment before an over the top rope challenge ensued. R-Truth was the victor. I guess that was WWE's way of saying 'happy Martin Luther King day.' Truth was way over with the Anaheim crowd and it seems that the face R-Truth has finally connected with the fans. In spite of that, I'm a little disappointed by the use of Wade Barrett. WWE seemed to be building Wade up for something special with the 'Barrett Barrage,' but thus far it has led to nothing and he seems to be moving down the roster once again. All them matches with Orton for nothing? Come on, man.

The funkasaurus has become a highlight for me. After initially being shocked and appalled when he came out gyrating and jiving around, the big guy is great in my eyes. He channels Dusty Rhodes, Rikishi and The Godfather into a massive mohawked package (err, what?) that's just hard not to like. It would have been all too easy on the part of creative to make him a monster heel and with Mark Henry reportedly using the gimmick that was created for Brodus, this is a fun way to put Brodus over that seems to be on its way to working. His in ring 'self commentary' and shouts to the crowd are so unique in the modern scene that it has me marking out every time he exclaims 'should I get him' or 'my bad.' Not to mention, I hear 'Somebody call my mamma' in my sleep. Damn song is catchier than herpes in a brothel.

Meanwhile, Cena embraced the hate and Jack Swagger received the brunt of it. Yeah that's right, have Swagger squash Ryder and then Cena destroy Swagger. Way to bury Ryder further and discredit your new US champ immediately. Tremendous fucking booking, dildos.

Daniel Bryan is destroying his new heel gimmicks sweet sweet vagina. He's on a tremendous roll and is one of the reason's Smackdown is just plain better on every level than Raw at the minute. He also took part in the 6-man tag main event along with David Otunga, Dolph Ziggler, Mark Henry, CM Punk and the long awaited in-ring return of Chris Jericho. Well, we got Jeritrolled once again. After parading around and shaking the fans hands and getting them to cheer for him, he again left after being tagged in. I'll again use the word from my blog on Jericho's return, genius. Jericho is a master at playing a character and it was once again demonstrated on Raw. Will the fans be less forgiving next week on Raw? Or Boo Jericho out of the building? One can only find out. I found this picture last night, I don’t know if its new or what but, wow. Genius or coincidence?

When CM Punk brings the emotion and passion on the microphone, everyone listens. Punk dropped a 'pipebomb' on John Lauranitis and damn was it enthralling to listen to and watch. Punk spouting off at the mouth is something the WWE has been taking advantage of less and less as of late and it hurt his momentum (as well as the god awful HHH/COO bullshit) since he became red hot last summer. I tell you what though, the reports going round are that they want Punk/Lauranitis to become a modern day Austin/McMahon and they damn sure built a sturdy foundation for that tonight. The crowd were white hot for Punk and Lauranitis got some nice heat for his rant and cheap shot on Foley who again, added that veteran presence. It just wouldn’t be an Austin/McMahon type feud without humiliating Mick Foley, right? Really enjoyable way to conclude Raw.

Just while we're on the subject of Punk, my prediction of a Punk/Jericho match was furthered on Raw tonight. Punk subtly called himself 'the best in the world,' something he hasn't done for a while. In addition, Jericho was on Punks team and simply walked away, leaving Punk with the deck stacked against him and planting further seeds for the potential feud. It’s coming!

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Thoughts on the return of Chris Jericho

The first Raw of 2012 had been hyped for weeks. Since the ‘It Begins’ videos began airing, rumours were rife as to who would be returning or debuting. Everyone from The Undertaker, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Brock Lesnar, Shane McMahon, Stephanie McMahon as well as Skip Sheffield and Brodus Clay were mentioned as possible candidates behind the hype videos. One name stuck however, that name was none other than my second all time favourite wrestler (behind HBK) Chris Jericho.

Jericho had been playing the Internet for a while, denying rumours, laughing off accusations and claiming that he’d never wrestle for WWE again. Perhaps in retrospect, Jericho overplayed it a little too far as there were a fair few fans absolutely certain that Y2J would return. Well, he did and despite what some detractors would say, he did so in genius fashion.

Firstly, I’ve seen people complain that the videos were ‘too epic’ or ‘too dark’ to be placed as a platform for the return of a Chris Jericho type character. Really? I mean, his initial debut featured a mysterious countdown clock that counted down for weeks until his famous ‘Raw is Jericho’ appearance. His second re-debut featured another puzzling series of videos that featured a code to be cracked. So when you think about it, why wouldn’t they use another series of mystifying videos for Jericho? On Y2J’s DVD (highly recommended) he says that if he was to make another debut, he would have to do something completely different and come back with a new character… this is an opportunity to do so. Think about it, before Jericho started wearing suits, talking slowly and using long, brash words, who else did it? No one, really. Now all the heels in the WWE use that formula. A character change is a necessity for Jericho.

As for the televised return, it was nothing short of genius. The crowd were pumped and popped for everything Jericho did… initially. Y2J had the Memphis crowd and the audience at home in the palm of his hand. The more and more adulation Jericho sought from the crowd, the more he got. Until, some of the cheering turned to boos and Jericho’s wry smile appeared. One of the best talkers in the business returns without saying a word and plays everyone like a fiddle. Everyone would have expected Jericho to cut some sort of amazing welcome back promo but he didn’t. He simply asked the crowd to cheer for him, chant for him and then simply walked away. Genius.

Why genius? Well, if you follow Chris Jericho on Twitter you’ll notice that he takes exception to the fact that WWE took his heel formula and copy and pasted it on to anyone and everyone on the current roster. He takes exception to people stealing his moves. However, he especially takes exception to CM Punk calling himself ‘the best in the world’ and claims Punk stole that moniker from him. Of course, this is Jericho we’re talking about and he is a master at storytelling and playing his character thus he is most likely playing the Internet with these claims. However, I think it goes deeper than that. What if his comments have been designed to set up his return all along? Think back to the videos. Phrases like ‘take back what is rightfully his’ and ‘end of the world as we know it’ stand out to me. What if these two phrases are referring to CM Punk and the moniker of ‘best in the world?’ It WILL be the end of the world as we know it, because Jericho will once again become best in the world. His return segment showed a change in the Jericho character that left the WWE in 2010 to one more reminiscent of his old ‘Y2J’ arrogant bastard character. Without saying a word, Chris Jericho managed to piss off the IWC and confuse the hell out of everyone. He effectively managed to turn heel immediately. Genius.

On top of everything else, it extends the intrigue for the videos into another week. Who is the woman that is mentioned in the videos? What is Jericho taking back? Just what the hell is going on? Additionally, viewers will tune in next week for an explanation from Jericho as well as the next chapter in the storyline. Honestly, people need to think the whole thing through before criticising it. When WWE creative get it wrong, they damn sure get it wrong. However, creative as well as Jericho got this right on the money. If it leads to Punk vs Jericho at Wrestlemania, then bring it the hell on.

Thanks for reading, assclowns.

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These are the top five feuds of 2011

Here I am with the start of my end of year lists I promised to start… yesterday. Damn. Nevertheless, its here now. These are the top five feuds of 2011.

5. CM Punk vs Randy Orton

As we rang in the beginning of the year, Punk kicked Wade Barrett out of the Nexus and became its new leader. The initial segments showed some promise, with Punk being a vicious and unmerciful leader of the fallen group. While WWE was busy squandering the opportunity for something great to become of the ‘new Nexus,’ Punk entered a feud with Randy Orton. Storyline wise, the feud was executed brilliantly. For the first time in a long time, WWE acknowledged its past and set up the feud as Punk getting payback on Orton for costing him the World Heavyweight Championship back in 2008. In the weeks leading up to Wrestlemania, Orton destroyed the shredded remains of the Nexus, both in a storyline AND crowd reaction sense. Punk would have his payback however by going after Orton’s ‘wife’ and picking apart his leg with a steel pipe. During the feud, Punk established himself as the best heel in the company while the matches the two had were excellent, especially their Wrestlemania match. However, the feud was too one sided with Orton winning continuously, most likely due to Punk’s contract situation up in the air. A shame, because this feud could have been something really special.

4. Kurt Angle vs Jeff Jarrett

Having stopped watching TNA more or less all together (bar one or two shows) since August, it comes as a surprise that this feud is included on my list. Honestly, the feud looked disastrous on paper. TNA’s booking was continuing its way down the toilet and my hopes for the company were at an all time low. When Angle and Jarrett began their feud, my hopes were dashed even further. Two men in their 40’s with ego’s the size of planets, this is exactly what is ruining TNA. However, this is Kurt Angle we’re talking about, one of the absolute best of his generation and still close to the top today. Jarrett isn’t exactly a slouch in the ring either. Infact, the series of matches they had together were impressive on more than one occasion. Couple that with some entertaining TV segments, some great mic work AND an appearance by Chyna, and you’ve got a surprise contender for feud of the year.

3. John Cena vs The Rock

Ok, the two haven’t actually had a one on one match together, yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the feuds of the year. I mean, fuck! After seven years, The Rock came back! Sure, he spewed a bunch of crap about never leaving, before disappearing for months at a time but still, it’s The Rock and how can you not be entertained by him? When Cena and The Rock set a date for a match a year in advance, many thought it would be executed poorly. However, both men have done a good job of keeping the feud alive both through social media and mentions on Television. We got a great return promo from The Rock as well as an old school rap from Cena and a better than anticipated return to the ring for Rocky at Survivor Series. With so many people talking about the feud, how can this not be included as one of the feuds of the year?

2. CM Punk vs WWE/John Cena

Lets set the record straight. I’m counting this feud from the ‘shoot’ promo Punk cut on the WWE to the title vs title match with Cena at Summerslam. When Punk cut the now legendary ‘shoot’ promo on the WWE, fans were abuzz with theories and speculation. It got everyone talking. Hell, it even got Punk on many end of the year lists for ‘making wrestling cool again.’ For a time, that was absolutely true as the WWE became edgy and unpredictable for those couple of months with Punk as the rebel champion. Reality and kayfabe blurred as both casual fans and smarks alike were clueless as to what would happen next. Amongst the hullabaloo, Punk and Cena had a genuine five star match at Money In The Bank and a great follow up rematch at Summerslam. After that, Triple H was re-introduced to TV and buried the Punk saga behind his bulbous snout. Nevertheless, ‘the summer of Punk’ was damn entertaining while it lasted.

1. Randy Orton vs Christian

A feud that lasted longer than a month? Holy crap! While I still don’t agree with how WWE handled Christian as World Heavyweight Champion (surely he deserved a longer reign) his series of matches and confrontations with Randy Orton were something special. Easily the best series of matches of the year, it felt like everytime they faced each other it just got better and better. What made the feud unique was that it was all about the world title. Two guys fighting over and over to either win or defend a championship that they want more than anything else in the world. Overall, a great feud and one that established Christian as a main event star while additionally adding some lost credibility to the world title. Bravo guys.

Honourable mentions: Mark Henry vs Big Show,  John Cena vs The Miz, Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes

Keep a look out for more end of year lists coming your way in the next few days.

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Lets Talk Wrestling

Lets Talk Wrestling: WWE TLC 2011 review and thoughts.

Its not often I get to do two blogs in two days. I’m on a roll baby! I think I'm going to continue this streak by beginning my end of year lists tomorrow. Check back for the feuds of 2011 list!.

TLC looked like a solid pay per view on paper and that’s exactly what we got. Lets break it down.

Zack Ryder vs Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship

The crowd was HOT for this one. To all the naysayers who doubted Zack Ryder’s ability to be involved with a top quality match, this should have put some of those doubts to ease. The WWE have something special in Zack Ryder. Ryder has become a bit of an ‘underdog’ character that more and more people seem to enjoy getting behind. Ryder easily got the second loudest pop of the night and as for consistent reaction throughout the match? I’d go as far as saying that it was on a par with CM Punk’s. You know what excites me even more about Zack Ryder? It’s the fact that he has made the United States title relevant, in a big way. Ziggler and Ryder’s feud has brought attention to the midcard title that was once again floundering in the wake of the WWE title. Kudos to both men for that. As for the match, I said yesterday that I would be a little disappointed if Ryder was booked as the ‘face in peril’ for the majority of the match. Someone in WWE must have read my blog as there was no such disappointment. Ziggler and Ryder had a nice back forth bout that was given just the perfect amount of time. Some near pinfalls towards the conclusion of the match kept the viewer second guessing themselves as both men seemed just milliseconds away from winning. In the end, it was the right call to allow the Ryder revolution to truly begin. One can only sit back and see how things unfold for Ryder on his ‘Road to Wrestlemania.’ Will he just be a flash in the pan or will he go on to reach new heights? As a broski, I can only hope for the latter. As for Ziggler, perhaps a Royal Rumble win is on his horizon?

Winner and NEW United States Champion - Zack Ryder

***

Air Boom (Kofi Kingston & Evan Bourne) vs Epico & Primo /w Rosa Mendes for the WWE Tag Team Championship

In all honesty, a really solid tag team match. WWE have far from rejuvenated their tag team division as Triple H was rumoured to be interested in doing. What they have done is taken a step in the right direction in making the tag titles relevant again. Epico and Primo could become a solid pairing if they are given long enough to develop as a tag team while having Rosa as a manager adds a little something to their personality and marketed appearance. There was some nice, basic tag team wrestling that we don’t often see in modern day WWE from both teams. Sometimes its ‘going back to what brung ya’ that works the best. Also, SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!! For a large portion of the match Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler ACTUALLY called the match instead of talking about whatever other random bullshit pops into their heads. It was refreshing.

Winners and STILL Tag Team Champions – Air Boom

** ¼

Randy Orton vs Wade Barrett in a Tables Match.

Our first gimmick match of the night pitted the ‘Barrett Barrage’ against ‘The Viper.’ The two had a decent tables match with some nice spots. I could see the RKO off the top rope and then through the table coming a mile away but still, it looked gnarly. Barrett looked strong in victory and I highly doubt this will be the last PPV match between the pair. Both own a singles victory over one another, there just HAS to be a rubber match.

Winner – Randy Orton

** ½

Beth Phoenix vs Kelly Kelly for the Divas Championship

Either this was announced or I chose subconsciously to ignore its existence in my prediction blog yesterday. Either way, the less said about this match the better. Kelly Kelly continues her streak of  not having a shred of worth. All she does is yell, she can’t even run the ropes and Beth Phoenix had to call the match so loudly it was clearly audible. Honestly, the only reason I want WWE to go back to TV-14 is so that Kelly Kelly can become an ‘exhibitionist’ again and not have to speak or wrestle. Just awful.

Winner and STILL Divas Champion

1/3^rd of a star.

Triple H vs Kevin Nash in piñata on a pole…. Sorry ‘Sledgehammer Ladder Match’…

Ok, I was ready to absolutely trash this match and predicted yesterday that it wouldn’t be pretty. Well, it certainly wasn’t an all time classic but it was fine for what it was. The two behemoths slugged it out in a physical match up that saw the ladder gimmick utilised to full effect. In what I thought was a smart move, Triple H worked over Kevin Nash’s which enabled Nash to sell the injury and compensate for his lack of pace at this stage in his career. However, this led to the match being TOO slow and lacklustre at times, bringing the overall quality down. The ending sequence was nicely put together. Nash held up ‘The Kliq’ sign before Triple H did a DX crotch chop and smashed Nash across the face with the sledgehammer, just as I predicted yesterday. A lot better than I imagined, but nothing you’re going to tell your grand kids about.

Winner – Triple H

**

Sheamus vs Jack Swagger

Not much to say about this, I guess they needed to fill some time. Swagger and Sheamus had an altercation earlier backstage that led to this match. Nothing really to invest in and ended up nothing more than a glorified squash match.

Winner – Sheamus

*

Mark Henry vs The Big Show in a Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Of course, it’s not this match itself that everyone is talking about its what happened after… we’ll get to that. Mark Henry and the Big Show’s actual match up ended rather abruptly. Each man took a few brutal chair shots and then … BOOM… Big Show hits the WMD and we have ourselves a new champion… or do we?

Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion – The Big Show

*

As Show is celebrating, Mark Henry attacks him from behind with a chair. The ‘Daniel Bryan’ chants begin and his music hits followed by him bursting to the ring with a referee. Bryan cashes in his money in the bank briefcase, covers the Big Show and in the space of 2 minutes we have…

NEW World Heavyweight Champion – Daniel Bryan.

As someone who has watched Bryan Danielson in Ring of Honor work his ass off to produce some classic matches, seeing him reach the top of the ladder in WWE is a proud moment. Hell, his WWE career was once thrown into jeopardy when he was fired (or was he) for ‘going too far’ in the initial Nexus invasion. So for him to survive that and come back to eventually win the title is a great sight to see. If online reports are to be believed, Vince McMahon was the one who wanted the title put on Bryan due to legit leg and ankle injuries to Mark Henry. Other creative members were pushing to keep the title on Mark Henry but McMahon himself wanted Bryan to be the champion. Think about that, Daniel Bryan is backed by Vince McMahon… perhaps he isn’t to blame for the flip-flop booking he’s received in recent months. Regardless of how you feel about Bryan being champ, you can’t deny that it raises a ton of questions about the future of the World Heavyweight title. Will Bryan turn heel and start a feud with Big Show? Will Big Show turn heel? Or will Bryan’s reign be a short uneventful one? One can only hope WWE pushes Bryan as a strong champion and builds itself a new star in the process.

Booker T vs Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship

Despite being questionable due to multiple attacks backstage by Cody and an assault from behind as Booker was making his entrance, this match went ahead as planned. I knew Booker would ‘still have it’ in spite of not wrestling a REAL singles match since 2010. The difference between Kevin Nash and Booker T (since they both returned at the Royal Rumble) is that while Nash’s big reaction was reserved for that one event, Booker continues to get nice reactions in whatever he does. The crowd was solidly behind Booker who didn’t show any signs of ring rust. The win came for Cody when Booker was selling head injuries sustained from the earlier attacks. The ‘unfair’ win allows for the feud to continue, and I would have noooooo problem with that.

Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion – Cody Rhodes

** ¼

CM Punk vs The Miz vs Alberto Del Rio in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match for the WWE Championship

In what I was expecting to be the match of the night, I certainly wasn’t let down. The match contained some memorable spots including; CM Punk being handcuffed to a ladder and turnbuckle and getting out of both by breaking the ladder and unscrewing the turnbuckle, Del Rio hitting the enzuigiri on Punk causing him to go through a table on the outside and The Miz and Punk pushing Ricardo Rodriguez off a ladder through a table on the outside. In regards to the use of handcuffs on Punk, it made him look like an intelligent champion by using his quick wits to get out of the predicament he was put in. The Punk character is a bit of a smart mouth, so it was a unique way of getting that aspect of his character over in the match. All in all, a great way to end the PPV year.

Winner and STILL WWE Champion – CM Punk

*** ¾

It is worth noting that John Cena didn’t show up, which was unexpected. Honestly though, the card didn’t seem to miss him all that. Sure, the buyrate might reflect otherwise but I personally feel that WWE should realise having Cena in the main event of EVERY PPV is not a necessity.

On another note, if you know me personally you should know that I’m in seventh heaven right now. CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and Zack Ryder are all champions. That’s three of my so-cal ‘fav five’ right there. Cody Rhodes is one of my current favourites as well and Air Boom are certainly entertaining to watch in the ring. WWE is finally pushing a SET of champions that I can get behind. Its not often that happens.

For all those people who ever doubted CM Punk and Daniel Bryan… this ones for you.

@CMPunk Two Indy schmucks didn't do so bad, Eh?

 

Thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts on TLC as well as the World Title situation on:

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or in the comments below.

Until next time, Lets Talk Wrestling.

TLC 2011 predictions/thoughts and a genius move by WWE?

I’ve been incredibly busy with Uni deadlines and various other things recently and as a result this blog has taken a back seat. This specific TLC blog has been written when I’ve been drunk and as part of my procrastination when writing an essay for Uni, so please excuse any dip in quality. Anyway, on with the predictions.

Booker T vs Cody Rhodes for the Intercontinental Championship

While commentators ‘handling their business’ is sure to come (traditionally) with a lot of moans and groans, as its Booker T I have no problem with this particular match up. Granted, Booker is getting on in age and hasn’t wrestled a REAL singles match since 2010, I still think this could be a nice little rub match for Cody Rhodes. As evidenced by the reaction at Madison Square Garden for the Survivor Series PPV, Rhodes is over with the adult demographic and Booker has the charisma to not only stir up nostalgia but genuine support from the TLC fans. Match of the night? Certainly not. However, a nice 10-12 minute bout? Absolutely. You’ve just got to hope WWE don’t book Booker to win because that would be a calamity on so many levels.

Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion – Cody Rhodes

Randy Orton vs Wade Barrett in a Tables Match

The first gimmick match of this predictions blog is a Tables match between two men who have been involved in quite the feud on Smackdown. Ever since Barrett began decimating opponents on his ‘Barrett Barrage,’ the English-born superstar has been thrust once again into the spotlight. This has only been enhanced by his feud with Randy Orton. Barrett owns a singles victory over Orton so traditional wrestling logic would indicate a win for Orton here. Its tough to call though as I predicate that the two will continue their feud past TLC.  One plausible scenario for the outcome of the match is that Barrett continues to be ‘inside Orton’s head’ and Orton ends up being his own downfall. This could happen as a result of Orton ‘snapping’ and putting himself through a table while attempting to put Barrett through. Something along them lines. As I say its tough to call but somehow, someway, I envision Barrett continuing his ‘barrage.’

Winner: Wade Barrett

Dolph Ziggler vs Zack Ryder for the United States Championship

Fans have been clamouring for this one for weeks now and it finally goes down at

TLC. If you’re a reader of this blog you’ll know that I’m a big supporter of Zack Ryder and his self made transition from jobber on Superstars to one of the best selling merchandise guys and one the most over faces on the roster. In retrospect, although it would have been a great crowd reaction for Ryder to win the title at Madison Square Garden, WWE have built Zack Ryder up nicely in the weeks between Survivor Series and TLC. While most peoples gripes with Ryder come from his in-ring ability (go check his ECW and Superstars matches you slackers) this match should go some way to prove that he has what it takes. Of course, that’s if its booked correctly. If the official in charge of the match allows it to be a back and forth affair, this match has the potential to be the ‘show stealer.’ However, if Ryder is booked to be the ‘face in peril’ throughout most of the match, I’ll be disappointed. It would affect some of my enjoyment of the match but I’d still expect something decent from the two. As for the outcome, its time to pull the trigger on the singles title for Ryder and allow Ziggler to move on up the card. Woo Woo Woo, you know it.

Winner and NEW United States Champion – Zack Ryder

Triple H vs Kevin Nash in a Ladder Match.

Basically, this harkens back to the Vince Russo * blah blah * on a pole match from WCW (see piñata on a pole). Kevin Nash can barely walk, how can he climb a ladder? Honestly the feud between these two has been terrible, the concept is terrible and I’m not expecting a pretty match. The best-case scenario is that it ends quickly and doesn’t continue past TLC. Anyway, I see Triple H winning and using his favourite weapon of choice to mash Nash’s skull in.

Winner – Triple H

Mark Henry vs Big Show in a Chairs Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Mark Henry is honestly getting more interesting the longer his championship reign continues. To be honest, Henry should hold onto the belt. At this moment in time I find him more interesting than Big Show and also more consistent. Though to be fair, the two have to be given credit for making a horrible feud on paper one of the feuds of the year. The WWE’s dalliance with Daniel Bryan in the main event seemed to be a success to me. Crowds were reacting favourably and Daniel Bryan was getting some nice pops. However, Bryan seems to have been on the receiving end of a rapid de-push, so who’s to say. Either way, I think Henry will be facing Bryan or Sheamus at Wrestlemania with title in hand and therefore rumbles past the Big Show at TLC.

Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion – Mark Henry

CM Punk vs The Miz vs Alberto Del Rio in a TLC match for the WWE Championship.

This match has the potential to be excellent. Three men who can work a decent match thrown together with the TLC gimmick has potential, right? I mean, there’s only one outcome I see with this match and that’s a Punk win. Having said that, the way the title is being passed around like the drunkest chick at a house party, one can’t help but have that little voice in the back of your mind. Nevertheless, I’ve got a feeling Punk is holding on to the title until Wrestlemania. As for the ‘Road to Wrestlemania,’ I’d expect a feud with The Miz for a couple of months. The WWE need to seriously re-build Miz’s character as it has been more than tarnished in recent months and a title feud with Punk could definitely go along way to making fans care about him again.

Winner and STILL WWE Champion - CM Punk

Well that just about does it for this TLC predictions blog. I hope you enjoyed it and let me know your pre….

Wait.

Wait a minute. Something doesn’t seem right.

No John Cena??

WWE are seemingly taking a huge gamble by not placing Cena on the card. As the face of the company and the biggest drawing superstar on the roster, it seems like a strange business decision to not have him on the card. John Cena has been in 11(!?) of this years PPV main events and it seems astonishing for him to not even be on the card. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll definitely show up somewhere but I’m interested to see if the buyrate dips at all. Indeed, it’ll be interesting to see how they handle CM Punk if the buyrate shows any major fluctuation.

Speaking of Cena, I came across this picture this morning. 

Wow. WWE have to be given credit where credit is due. They’ve finally capitalised on the anti-Cena mentality that is shared by a large proportion of their audience. Anti-Cena members of the WWE Universe have tended to be a bit retarded in my experience. OF COURSE they’re going to buy this t-shirt, pump money back into the WWE and keep Cena’s merch sales up. Genius on the part of WWE really. Additionally, if Cena does turn heel eventually (fingers crossed) the adoring members of the Cenation have a t-shirt to buy when their hero turns on them. BOOM. Money money, yeah yeah.

Until tomorrow with the TLC review, thanks for reading and let me know your predictions on Facebook, Twitter or below in the comments. Thank you.

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