Hey everyone and welcome to this week’s edition of Chris Reviews Smackdown. This is a lot later than I wanted but it was my friend’s birthday on Saturday and I have been really sick for the past couple of days so have been unable to really sit down and write due to a pounding headache so my apologies but I cannot really help being ill. Please read and feel free to leave some feedback via the comment board or drop an email to a_agreement_called_forever@hotmail.com  

First off I think Richard made absolutely the correct call with regards to moderating the comment board, the comment board has always been a place for serious discussion and sadly a select few have been running it for others for quite some time. By all means disagree with my opinions and those of other readers but there is absolutely no excuse to flame and personally abuse and attack other members for no reason. I cannot moderate the board myself due to the software on my mobile but if I spot any instances of personal attacks or abuse I will notify Richard and have you banned. We get wonderful ideas, discussion and input every week from so many different people and hopefully without the abuse, more and more people will be tempted to join in.

Grisham and Striker welcome us to ringside and hype up tonight’s main event: a no disqualification match featuring The Undertaker vs Chris Jericho as well as a first time ever match between R-Truth and John Morrison

Match One: Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk with Luke Gallows & Serena

Rey gets a decent pop on the way to the ring as he meets and greets his fans whilst Punk draws a tonne of heat. This two put on an outstanding match at Armageddon a couple of years back and it will be interesting to see how they work together with Punk wrestling as a heel. Punk talks smack and shoves Rey in the face before slapping him but Rey slaps back and strikes away before leapfrogging Punk in the corner and hitting a dropkick sending Punk into the turnbuckle. Rey hits a move similar to Amazing Red’s Code Red for an early two count before kicking away and working over Punk’s leg with a modified finger four. Punk makes it to the ropes and demands the referee gets Rey off him. The two lock up and Punk over powers Rey and grounds him for a succession of one counts. Rey leaps onto Punk’s shoulders and connects a sunset flip for a near fall before kicking away at Punk’s leg once again. Rey hits some elbows but Punk fires back with an awesome enzuguri for a near fall before applying a head scissors hold causing a loud ‘619’ chant to break out from the fans. Punk breaks the hold and delivers a stiff kick followed by an overhead takeover and another kick for a near fall. Rey fires back with elbows but Punk hurls him out of the ring only for Rey to land on his feet and dodge a baseball slide from Punk but Punk in turn dodges a 619 by leaping from the apron as we go to commercial. Back from the break and Punk connects a big leg lariat for a near fall. Rey comes back with a kick to the face and Pun tries to hurl Rey over the ropes but he lands on the apron springboard onto Punks head and sends him over the top rope with a huricanranna followed by a seated senton off the apron. Gallows and Serena stalk Rey and Punk uses the distraction to nail a back suplex onto the barricade which sends Rey tumbling into the fans. Punk hurls Rey back in the ring and hits an amazing springboard corkscrew plancha for a near fall. Punk looks pissed and hits a big baseball slide sending Rey into the ring post rib first. Rey staggers around on the outside and Punk follows and nails a pair of vicious clotheslines before hurling Rey back in the ring and covering for a two count. Punk applies a modified surfboard submission but Rey powers out and lands on top of Punk pinning for another two. Wheelbarrow splash from Rey earns a near fall but Punk fights back with a messy back breaker for yet another near fall. Punk drops some knuckles and pins again before applying a bow and arrow hold but Rey kicks his way out and gives Punk a drop toe hold into the turnbuckle and goes for a moonsault but Punk swats Rey’s feet out and leaves him tied in the tree of woe and sets up for a baseball slide but Rey pulls himself up and Punk’s groin eats ring post! Rey connects a seated senton followed by a springboard crossbody for a very close near fall but Punk fires back with a headbutt only for Rey t counter with a big kick to the face for another near fall. The crowd chant ‘619’ but Punk counters a charge with a quick powerslam for yet another two count. Punk connects his high knee but Rey shoves out of the bulldog and sets Punk up for the 619 but Serena leaps on the apron and prevents Rey connecting the move. As Rey backs away Luke grabs him but Rey gives Luke a jawbreaker off the ropes and nails a charging Punk with a drop toe hold setting him up for the 619 once again but Punk ducks and gets Rey up for the GTS but Rey somehow wriggles free and rolls Punk up for the three. After the match Luke annihilates Rey with a massive strike and a wicked back breaker before the Straight Edge Society gather round Punk. Luke nails a series of clotheslines further decimating Rey before Serena hits a boot to the ribs to further rub it in. Punk grabs Rey’s face and tells him he can save him before Luke places Rey on Punk’s shoulders and he delivers a thunderous GTS leaving Rey prone in the ring.

Result: Rey Mysterio defeats CM Punk via pinfall ****

Chris Considers: Breathtaking fifteen minute opener from Punk and Rey. This was just absolutely superb stuff with so many near falls and false finishers along with some wonderful counters, none more prominent than Rey’s escape from the GTS. Punk’s springboard corkscrew plancha was pretty awesome as well! Give these two 30 minutes at Wrestlemania and they could steal the show! The post match beat down was intense and kept the SES looking strong. This was certainly the tease of a feud between these two and I really hope it happens!

Match 2: Drew McIntyre vs Kane

Drew debuts some new entrance music which is a VERY slow song that is quite appropriate to Drew’s slow and menacing persona. Drew gets on the mic before this one starts and says he doesn’t care who his opponent is, he is the Intercontinental Champion, is undefeated and is unstoppable. Kane’s pyro hits and he gets a nice pop as he stomps to the ring. Drew says he has nothing to prove especially to Kane who he dropped last week, Drew said Kane can have a match next week but not tonight. Drew tries to leave but the referee rings the bell and Kane boots Drew right out of the ring, Kane follows and strikes away before hurling him back in the ring and striking away. Drew fires back but gets levelled by a clothesline. Kane heads to the top rope but Drew bails to the outside as we go to commercial. Back from the break and Drew is working over Kane’s arm completely grounding him but Kane punches clear and hits an uppercut but Drew hits some big kicks and drops Kane with a clothesline for a one count. Drew continues to work over the arm but Kane fires back with a clothesline and hits some charging clotheslines in the corner followed by a Sidewalk slam for a near fall. Kane heads to the top rope and connects a diving clothesline. Kane calls for the Chokeslam but Drew kicks free and goes for the Future Shock but Kane counters out with another Chokeslam attempt but Drew counters once again and the two clothesline each other over the top rope and brawl on the outside which leads to a double count out. Following the match the brawl spills into the ring and Drew nails a nig boot and hits seated strikes before grabbing his belt but Kane hits a chokeslam and then drops the belt on the flattened McIntyre.

Result: Drew McIntyre & Kane battle to a double count out **

Chris Considers: I like how they followed up the issue between these two from last week and this has the makings of a good feud. I could even see them going for this as a Wrestlemania undercard match as it would put Drew over in a big way to have him defeat Kane on the biggest show of the year.

Backstage Segment: Mickie James & Team McCool

Mickie is eating some fruit when Layla and Michelle show up and mock her for eating. Mickie tells them its over between them. Michelle says whilst Mickie has her title it is not over. Michelle questions whether the belt would even fit round Mickie’s waist and Team McCool then tempt her with cottage cheese. Mickie slaps the plate aside in fury but it lands all over Vickie Guerrero. Mickie flees whilst Layla and Michelle tend to Vickie and further run down Mickie.

Chris Considers: I could rant on this, but I have said all I have to say about this disgusting and distasteful angle. WWE need to drop it and drop it now and give us a REAL diva feud between Mickie and Beth.

Match 3: Mickie James vs Layla with Michelle McCool

Mickie gets a nice pop and strikes away at Layla as soon as the match gets underway. Mickie hits an overhead takeover and nails a dropkick to the face but Vickie Guerrero comes out to a tonne of heat and announces the match is now a handicap match.

Match 3b: Handicap Match: Mickie James vs Layla & Michelle McCool

Michelle takes her boots off and gets in the ring and kicks away at Mickie. Mickie fights back and drops Michelle with a kick and a slam and then leaps on Layla and hits some seated strikes. Mickie attempts to pin Michelle but Layla breaks up the pin with a drop kick and Mickie gets double teamed as Michelle nails a back breaker for a near fall. Team McCool punch and strike away and Michelle hits a running knee in the corner before whipping Layla into Mickie who tries to hurl Layla over the ropes but she lands on the apron. Mickie gets an elbow up at a charging Michelle and goes for a huricanranna on Michelle but Layla grabs her and pulls her back to the ground. Mickie kicks Layla off the apron but turns into a huge boot from Michelle who drags Mickie into the middle of the ring and connects the Styles Clash for the three.

Result: Michelle McCool & Layla defeat Mickie James via pinfall 1/4 *

Chris Considers: Maybe one week they will actually let the girls wrestle for more than three minutes! This sucked and it is ridiculous that this lame angle is STILL continuing when Mickie vs Beth would actually be a decent feud.

We see a video highlights package of Batista recently getting involved and beating down Bret Hart and John Cena as well as Batista walking away from a match with CM Punk last week. Batista is on his way to ringside to explain his actions.

In Ring Interview: Batista

Batista gets plenty of heat along with a couple of cheers as he makes his way to the ring with the spotlight on him. Josh is waiting to interview him and asks him what provoked his recent actions against John Cena and why did he walk away from an Elimination Chamber qualifying match. Josh says Batista has the chance to address his actions to the entire WWE Universe. Batista takes the mic and stares round at the crowd before staring at Josh who quickly flees. Some kids start chanting ‘Cena’ and Batista just smiles and sits on the turnbuckle and looks as though he is about to speak but instead smiles and leaves the ring. A fan dressed in Cena gear talks smack to Batista as he walks round the ring before climbing back in, dropping the mic and walking out to huge heat from the fans. Batista stops at the top of the ramp and gets mad and storms back to the ring and shouts off mic to the fans, picks the mic up, drops it and kicks it around the ring before leaving again

Chris Considers: Bizarre segment that defiantly seemed to drag somewhat! However as dull as this was to watch, it certainly helped put Batista over as a menacing heel who really doesn’t care what the fans think. I will be interested to see if he shows up on RAW on Monday to continue his feud with John Cena

Teddy Long comes out and talks about Batista refusing to compete last week and refusing to talk tonight, well since Batista doesn’t like talking maybe he will like competing and next week will take on Edge which gets a pop from the fans.

Match 4: Matt Hardy& The Great Khali vs The Hart Dynasty

Before the match Matt gets in the ring and wishes everyone a happy Valentines Day in advance and says his partner the Punjabi Playboy always has a great Valentines Day but this year he will have the best one ever and introduces his special Valentine Maria. Khali starts out and Smith immediately flees the ring and tags in Tyson who looks pissed. Khali hauls Tyson into the ring and tags in Matt who drops Tyson with a strikes and hits a running clothesline but is distracted by Smith allowing Tyson to hit a drop kick and tag in Smith who hits his awesome delayed vertical suplex for a near fall. Smith smashes Matt into the turnbuckle and tags in Tyson who hits an overhead takeover and a drop kick to Matt’s head for a near fall. Tyson applies a headlock and screams but Matt battles to his feet and connects the Side Effect, Matt goes for the Twist of Fate but Smith tries to hit the ring and distracts the referee allowing Natalya to pull Matt’s feet from under him. Maria charges round the ring and leaps on Natalya as Tyson tries a roll up on Matt which Matt reverses into a roll up of his own for the victory.

Result: Matt Hardy& The Great Khali defeat The Hart Dynasty via pinfall *

Chris Considers: Why put the Great Khali in a tag team with Matt Hardy if he is going to have no part whatsoever in the match. He started out and pulled Tyson in the ring and that was it! This seriously sucks for Matt and this match seriously sucked as well. Guys like Matt and The Harts should be getting decent length matches to showcase their talent and instead get less time for a match than Batista was given to walk around and say nothing!?!? Utter garbage!

We see a video package of the first inductee of the Hall of Fame: Ted DiBiase. Totally well deserved and I think The Million Dollar Man will deliver one hell of a speech!

The RAW rebound of course focuses on the really rather awesome end of last week’s RAW with Cena, Vince and Bret. I will defiantly be staying up live for RAW to see the fallout from that next week!

Match Five: R-Truth vs John Morrison

Truth gets a good response from the fans as he dances his way to the ring, although not quite as loud as last week. Morrison gets a good response and gives his sunglasses to a kid at ringside. They shake hands and lock up and Morrison drops Truth with a shoulder block but Truth is up and leapfrogs Morrison but Morrison then rolls over Truth’s back and lands really awkwardly clearly hurting his ankle. The referee stops the match and Truth and some officials help Morrison to his feet and he gets a nice round of applause as we go to commercial.

Result: R-Truth & John Morrison Goes To A No Contest After An Injury

Chris Considers: That looked like quite a nasty landing for Morrison. From all reports it seems he is not too badly hurt which is very lucky as it would have sucked for both Morrison and the fans if he were out for any length of time. I guess that explains why there has been so much filler added to this edition of Smackdown since this match was cut short.

In Ring Segment: Edge & Chris Jericho

Edge makes his way out to a decent pop from the crowd and poses on the turnbuckle before grabbing a mic and saying his out to talk about the benefits of winning the Royal Rumble and one of them is something that has been overlooked and that is not having to compete in one of the most brutal, career shortening matches in WWE history: The Elimination Chamber. Winning the match is a combination of luck, skill and an inhuman ability to absorb pain and there is no predicting what can happen in that match but something Edge can predict is that he will face whoever survives. Edge says he could face his old Rated RKO buddy Randy Orton or a man he faced last year: John Cena. Or he could face the winner of the Smackdown Chamber, perhaps Rey Mysterio or maybe the love child of Brutus The Barber Beefcake and Charles Manson: CM Punk. Edge says he could potentially face 1 of 12 superstars at Wrestlemania. Edge says he has to admit though there is one guy that stands out from the pack, a select few have main evented and won at Wrestlemania but only one guy is undefeated at Wretlemania, there is one guy who is 17-0 at Wrestlemania and that man is The Undertaker. Edge says it is out of his hands but next week he will face Batista and there is no one Edge would like to beat more than Dave. Jericho’s music hits and he storms down to the ring mic in hand. Jericho says he finds it ironic, perhaps it’s a combination of stupidity and arrogance or just one or the other that Edge never mentioned Jericho as a potential opponent at Wrestlemania. Jericho says he doesn’t blame Edge, he knows why as he is a bad luck charm for him and when Jericho is around him bad things happen. ‘You Suck’ chant from the crowd, Jericho says he was there the night Edge tore his Achilles tendon and he saw him writhing around in pain screaming. Jericho says he was also there seven months later when Edge made his triumphant return at the Royal Rumble. Jericho says he doesn’t know what it is like to make a triumphant return from injury because he doesn’t get injured but just wins championships and carries the company on his back because that’s what you do when you’re the best in the world. Jericho said he wanted to give Edge some advice and save himself some grief and chose the winner of the RAW elimination chamber match and stay away from Jericho because in nine days time Jericho will be winning the Smackdown chamber and walk out as champion and that’s a guarantee and Jericho is telling Edge man to man stay away from him because if he continues to provoke and antagonise him, bad things will happen once again. Jericho asks Edge is he understands and if he or any of the other liars here don’t watch what happens when he beats the so called deadman here tonight.

Chris Considers: Excellent promo from both men that continues their feud and continues to plant seeds for a potential Wrestlemania clash. Edge is still very much playing a tweener character, not divulging whether he is heel or babyface until, I presume, he selects his Wrestlemania opponent.

Main Event: No Disqualification Match: Chris Jericho vs The Undertaker

The Undertaker’s music hits and he makes his way out to an enormous pop we go to commercial and back from the break the match is underway. Jericho immediately bails to the outside and is chased by Undertaker who strikes and elbows a prone Jericho on the apron. Edge is on commentary for the match and talks about what it takes to win an Elimination Chamber as Undertaker drops a boot on the apron. Taker glares at Edge and tosses Jericho back in the ring and works over Jericho’s arm, dropping shoulders and elbows and hitting a leg drop on the elbow before going for Old School which Jericho counters and crotches Taker before going for a superplex which he connects and warns a near fall. Jericho chokes Undertaker on the ropes and demands the referee ‘ask him’ Jericho breaks the hold and applies a headlock which Undertaker breaks free from with punches to the head. The two strike it out and Undertaker comes out on top before whipping Jericho into the corner and connecting a charging clothesline followed by a Snake Eyes/Big Boot/Leg Drop combo for a close near fall. Undertaker calls for the Chokeslam and Jericho bails to the outside and gets in Edge’s face and Taker takes him out from behind before grabbing Jericho and looking to hurl him into Edge who ducks out of the way and asks Undertaker what he was doing. Undertaker hurls Jericho back in the ring and then drops Edge with a big boot but as Taker climbs back in the ring Jericho connects a DDT for a near fall. Jericho strikes away before ripping off the turnbuckle pad but Taker goes for a Chokeslam which Jericho counters with a roll up which earns a near fall. Taker kicks Jericho into the exposed turnbuckle and then connects the Last Ride only to turn straight into a Spear from Edge who looks seriously pissed off. Edge storms up the ramp sporting a nasty lump where Taker kicked him as both men are down in the ring. Taker sits up and stares after Edge before turning to Jericho who connects the Codebreaker out of nowhere for the pinfall and victory. Jericho celebrates up the ramp and leaves Taker seething in the ring.

Result: Chris Jericho defeats The Undertaker via pinfall ***

Chris Considers: This was a solid match that featured some great ring work from both Jericho and Taker. I liked how Jericho took advantage of every opening and opportunity to hit big moves and it was nice to see him finally pick up a win over the Undertaker. The fact Undertaker took out Edge first makes his retaliation neither face nor heel and it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction he gets next week and also how he plays his character next week.

Overall then a mixed bag of a show. The opening match between Punk and Mysterio was outstanding, probably the best WWE TV match so far this year. The main event was solid and Drew vs Kane was good. However there was also some garbage on the show such as the continuation of the Piggy James angle and the LONG Batista non interview that dragged it down a bit. Morrison’s unfortunate but thankfully not severe injury was a shame but hopefully we will get a rematch next week. The show featured some excellent build for Elimination Chamber as well as some more interesting stuff with Edge so overall I would say it was good, especially considering the quality of the opening match.

This week’s match of the night was Punk vs Rey and the show scores 7.5/10

That is all for this week’s edition of Chris Reviews Smackdown. My apologies once again for the lateness but not a lot I can do about being ill! I will be reviewing TNA AAO either tonight or tomorrow. I hope you all have a great week! As always you can email me on a_agreement_called_forever@hotmail.com , add me on facebook: www.facebook.com\wnws.chris.jacks  or follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/WNWsChrisJacks  I would love to hear from you!

Here are ten points to consider coming out of this week’s show
• I liked how the opening bout had a clean finish and then the interference happened after the match as it made both guys look solid heading into the Elimination Chamber
• How awesome would it be to see Punk and Rey face off at Wrestlemania, this match was an excellent teaser of what could be and based on this it would be awesome!
• I think an Intercontinental Championship between Drew and Kane at Wrestlemania would be decent and certainly would help build Drew up by having him topple an established veteran like Kane on the biggest show of the year.
• After the outcry of criticism I cannot believe WWE are keeping up the Piggy James angle and STILL putting Michelle and Layla over her! Disgraceful…
• As boring as the in ring interview with Batista was to watch, it certainly was an effective way of Batista basically saying he doesn’t care what the fans think and in his mind they don’t deserve an explanation for his actions. Still this segment could have been done just as effectively in three minutes instead of ten!
• It sucks that the best tag team in WWE (The Hart Dynasty) don’t even get a five minute match, when Batista is given ten minutes to walk around and say nothing!
• And why have Matt Hardy team with Khali if Khali is going to have no involvement in the matches whatsoever! Matt deserves better!
• Thankfully Morrison’s injury doesn’t sound too serious and hopefully he will be back wrestling on Smackdown. Hopefully we will see the scheduled match between Morrison and Truth next week as that would be a good encounter.
• Despite taking out the Undertaker, Edge’s character is still not defined as Taker struck him first and entirely unprovoked. It will be interesting to see where they go with this next week
• It was good to see Jericho finally pick up a big win and gain some momentum heading into the Elimination Chamber. The Undertaker does not lose very often so this is big for Chris!

Due to the piss poor undercard of the Royal Rumble, the top ten matches of the year is still at this point on hold!

Smackdown Power 10

1: The Undertaker
2: Edge
3: Chris Jericho (+3)
4: Rey Mysterio (+3)
5: R-Truth (-1)
6: John Morrison (-2)
7: CM Punk (-2)
8: Drew McIntyre
9: Batista
10: Kane

Watch any WWE programming you miss at www.Dailymotion.com   , your online source for TV shows!

What a wonderful way to spend Valentine’s night than to tune into a TNA PPV? Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too! I think TNA screwed up scheduling Against All Odds pretty badly. I know they try to go once a month and can’t do it the same night as WWE, but I think scheduling a PPV for February 14th is almost as bad as scheduling on for January 1st. It’s a night many people want to spend with the one they love and very few women would think a romantic evening with her man is watching wrestling. Though I have to admit I’m the one who brought my boyfriend into wrestling and we’ve had a number of date nights that were spent going to wrestling shows, even early in our relationship. But I think TNA actually stacked the deck with some pretty decent matches for AAO. I’m really looking forward cuddling on the sofa with my Valentine and watching Against All Odds.

Just to let everyone know where Chris and I are sitting with our E.A.X. Predictions, which are totally separate from the WWE Talent Exchange numbers. Chris is ahead of me at this point, but hopefully I’ll be able to even it up with AAO!
Ken - 6-3
Chris - 7-2

Hey everyone and welcome to the second edition of the English American Exchange where Kendra and I team up to bring you our monthly TNA predictions. This month it’s Against All Odds which is built completely around the 8 Stud Challenge tournament, which is not at all a rip off of WWE’s King of The Ring, real original Hogan! However with the exception of Mick Foley, all the other participants in this match can really go in the ring and I am expecting some fabulous match ups. This tournament is of course a nightmare to predict as one wrong prediction will throw the rest off! However we do unfortunately have to sit through the Nasty Boys on pay per view, well I do since I will be reviewing the show, everyone else will probably use it as a bar break! It sucks that we have a TNA pay per view missing names like Daniels, Lethal Consequences, Beer Money and the entire X-Division but this show has almost been built entirely around the tournament and thanks to the guys involved is sure to be a hell of a lot better than TNA’s last attempt at a tournament: Deuces Are Wild! Anyway enough babble on with the predictions!

Ken Predicts – Team 3D: Brother Ray & Brother Devon vs The Nasty Boys: Jerry Sags & Brian Knobbs

I’m absolutely disgusted with this match. There’s no reason The Nasty Boys should be in the ring after all these years. I know I keep complaining about nepotism, but it’s been so obviously running rampant since Hogan and Bischoff came into TNA. The Nasty Boys are old, fat and out of shape. Knobbs couldn’t keep his breath when he was yelling at Team 3D recently, how’s he going to handle a match? And Sags isn’t in any better shape! I know some people think Ray and Devon are old, fat and out of shape, but they’re in the ring, week in and week out. These two men might be on the heavier side, but they wrestle hard and do so all over the word every week over the year. They’re loved in Japan because they can throw a match with the best of them. The Nasty Boys have barely been in the ring since they had problems with Hall and Nash in WCW in early 1997. Actually, they didn’t wrestle together again until 2007 and only sporadically since then! But I feel that Hogan is going to book them to win this match. There’s no reason they should be wrestling, never mind winning, but I have the horrible feeling that they’re going to pull it out at AAO. Clean finish? I hope not. Actually, the way The Nasty Boys have been going it’s bound to be a dirty finish.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – The Nasty Boys: Jerry Sags & Brian Knobbs

Chris Predicts: Team 3D vs The Nasty Boys

You have to love how the official TNA website is hyping this match “Two legendary tag teams collide when Team 3D faces The Nasty Boys” Team 3D are legendary, The Nasty Boys not so much. Lets face it this match is going to suck big time. I still remember Kendra’s hilarious comment a couple of weeks ago when she said her boyfriend was worried The Nasty Boys were going to have a heart attack in the ring! That had me in stitches. I fully imagine the Impact Zone are going to shit all over this and rightly so. If I were attending this event I would bring a sign saying “If The Nasty Boys Win, We Riot” Hopefully this will be the last time we ever have to witness Knobbs and Sags stumbling around the ring! I imagine Devon and Ray will make short work of them and hopefully 3D them through a table, supposing they can get their overweight, out of shape asses in the air in the first place!
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Team 3D

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Quarter Final – The Pope vs Desmond Wolfe

This should be one of the matches of the night. We’ve seen these two in the ring together before. Specifically on January 4th, they about tore the house down. I expect that much or even more as this is a PPV. Honestly, I’d love to see a feud between these two. Much better than watching The Pope having to slow his pace down so Orlando Jordan can keep up with him, ugh. While I would love to see The Pope get the push he deserves, I think Wolfe is going to come out the victor. He’s been on top longer and been pushed harder recently. I can only hope The Pope’s push comes along soon as he truly deserves it.
Ken’s predicted Winner – Desmond Wolfe

Chris Predicts: 8 Card Stud Quarter Final: The Pope vs Desmond Wolfe

I am really glad these two have been placed together in a quarter final match. With one win a piece this is the unofficial rubber match in this mini feud and if their encounter at Genesis was anything to go by, could well steal the show. Desmond Wolfe is one of the brightest stars in TNA and should be pushing into the main event by the end of the year. Looking at the semi final layout I am going to have to give this one to Wolfe as I think another wrestling masterclass with Angle in the semi finals is something TNA will be banking on to sell this pay per view.
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Desmond Wolfe

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Quarter Final – Hernandez vs Matt Morgan

This is another match that should be off the hook and really making me chomp at the bit for AAO. This past week we saw Hernandez acting more the heel than usual when he tagged with Wolfe. Makes me wonder where they’re going with his character. Right now I really hope they won’t break up Hernandez and Morgan as they’re quite a formidable team, but I’m getting the feeling they won’t last. The thing is both of them deserve to be main event singles competitors. Either could easily be pushed through as the winner of this match as both have been receiving pushes recently, but something tells me Hernandez is going to win this one. I got that feeling while watching him tag with Wolfe this week. I just felt like we’d be seeing them facing off at the PPV. The other question with this match is will the team come out unscathed. I think they will, but a rift might grow soon.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Hernandez

Chris Predicts: 8 Card Stud Quarter Final: Hernandez vs Matt Morgan

Putting the tag champs in a match against each other is sure to lead to some dissension and certainly tease a break up. Arguably either of these guys could win the whole thing and make a worthy challenger for AJ. Hernandez came over as quite heelish this past Thursday on Impact so I think he may do the dirty on Morgan and steal the win here, especially seeing as who I am expecting him to face in the semi final. This should be a very solid big man match and I am looking forward to it. Of course since TNA love to copy WWE booking so much, they could always have something dumb like a double count out here and give the winner of the Abyss vs Foley match a bye into the final. In fact the more I think about it, the more that seems likely to happen but the fans will hate that and so would I do for arguments sake I am predicting a winner and it is Hernandez.
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Hernandez

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Quarter Final – Kurt Angle vs Mr Anderson

I’m a little bummed about this match as Anderson hasn’t looked as good in the ring as I expected since he came to TNA. He has two of the three things needed to make a great wrestler, great mic skills and a good look, but his ring skills seem to be lacking more than I thought. Maybe he just has some ring rust he needs to work through, or some nervousness holding him back for some reason, but he’s just not cutting it for me in the ring. Luckily he’s in the ring with Angle who can carry about anyone. So while I’m not expecting fabulous, it should be solid and of course Angle will come out on top.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Kurt Angle

Chris’ Predicts: 8 Card Stud Quarter Final: Kurt Angle vs Mr Anderson

Lets just hope that Anderson has a better outing than he did against Abyss last month! His mic work so far has been off the charts on Impact! and if he delivers here in the ring I think we could be in for quite a treat of a match. I see only one real winner here and that is Kurt Angle. As much as TNA are pushing Anderson , they will be well aware of the potential of an Angle vs Wolfe semi final and that is just too much of an opportunity to pass up on!
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Kurt Angle

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Quarter Final – Abyss vs Mick Foley

This match will probably be another let down of the night. Foley out of flannel and if he hands the match to Abyss, then Abyss will have his mask removed at the next Impact. I have heard that Bisch does not like masks. He was the one who pushed Rey to lose his mask in WCW because he feels fans can’t read the wrestler’s face if they’re wearing a mask, they don’t get enough from the wrestler during the match. I completely disagree with this theory and think that Abyss needs to keep his mask, but I think Bisch is going to try to accuse Foley of something and try to remove Abyss’ mask. So while I don’t think Foley is going to lay down for Abyss, I think it will look like Foley’s going easy on him so Abyss can get the win.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Abyss

Chris Predicts: 8 Card Stud Quarter Final: Abyss vs Mick Foley

The only quarter final match that I have no desire to see whatsoever! These two had an enjoyable hardcore brawl at Bound For Glory but a straight up wrestling match between these two just wont work thanks to Foley’s questionable in ring abilities. Considering the storyline behind this I wouldn’t be surprised to see Foley throw this match to further his feud with Bischoff. Make no mistake Abyss is going through.
Chris’ Precited Winner: Abyss

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Semi Final – Desmond Wolfe vs Hernandez

Chris and I saw the 8 Card Stud chart in different ways and have predicted it a little differently, so please bear with us. I saw the chart as vertical while he saw it as horizontal. Anyway, a match between Wolfe and Hernandez could be really kick butt! Hernandez is a rising star and Wolfe is a main event man. I was surprised they got along as well as they did tagging together on this past Impact, but also saw them facing off at AAO. This is another match I’d love to see and am looking forward to happening. While Hernandez is a rising star, I don’t see him going over Wolfe yet.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Desmond Wolfe

Chris Predicts: 8 Card Stud Semi Final: Desmond Wolfe vs Kurt Angle

This match should happen, I am ordering this pay per view (as long as the online TNA thing is working for UK customers this time!) based on the potential of seeing this two put on another clinic. This could really be something special and I hope TNA goes with this route. Wolfe and Angle have perfect chemistry together in the ring and both matches they had last year were MOTY candidates. Now I see Wolfe going over here but only because either Mr Anderson will seek revenge on Kurt for eliminating him earlier or he will be ambushed by Syxx Pac and Hall. Whilst I hate overbooking, having Anderson cost Angle the win would set up a nice feud between the two of them that would keep Angle out of the title picture for awhile as well as giving Wolfe a victory over his hated rival.
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Desmond Wolfe

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Semi Final – Kurt Angle vs Abyss

I think this will be a fairly short match, for a number of reasons. First off, Angle and Abyss in a match together is not overly thrilling. Secondly, Angle has spoken recently about taking it easier in his career and this is a lot of wrestling for one match. Third, Abyss just hasn’t been getting a push lately and I can see Angle beating him rather quickly. Fourth, I can see The Band trying to get involved and either a DQ or just a quick ending because of this.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Kurt Angle

Chris Predicts: 8 Card Stud Semi Final: Hernandez vs Abyss

Just like I am predicting interference in the other semi final, I am predicting some here as well, especially if Hernandez overcomes Morgan in a less than sportsman like fashion. If Super Mex screws Morgan then expect him to come out an exact some vengeance. I really like the idea of these two going at it, remember Abyss vs Angle a couple of years ago? Awesome match! Chris Parks is so much more than this hardcore stereotype Russo continually books him as and hopefully this will be the start of something big for The Monster.
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Abyss

Ken Predicts – 8 Card Stud Final – Desmond Wolfe vs Kurt Angle

I know we’ve seen these two in the ring a number of times, but they deliver! If this match actually comes to fruition at AAO, it will be another that’s off the hook great. They’ve proven in the past which is why I think they’re going to be facing off again. But who will win? Angle has been told over and over that each chance will be his last against Styles, but he keeps getting shots. Then there’s Wolfe who hasn’t had a shot against Styles yet. As I think there’s going to be happenings between Angle and The Band (please no tag matches when Hogan sides with Angle), I believe this match will go to Wolfe.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Desmond Wolfe

Chris Predicts: 8 Card Stud Final: Desmond Wolfe vs Abyss

And this will be the match where Abyss reminds us just how much of a solid in ring worker he can be. By placing him against one of the best in the world in Wolfe it will allow Abyss to really show what he is capable of. Now I think Abyss is going over and will be winning the whole thing. Originally after reading the Impact spoilers I thought either Pope or Angle would win for sure but then Hogan has been talking in the media saying how Abyss is “his John Cena” and how Abyss has only come so far wearing a mask and wrestling hardcore matches just wait and see what he has in store for him. It is clear to me Abyss is in for a big push in TNA, and whilst I feel that both Pope and Morgan are more deserving, Abyss is defiantly over with the fans and will certainly provide a stern test for AJ at Lockdown, especially seeing as how the match will be inside a cage (although no longer a six sides of steel match!)
Chris’ Predicted Winner: Abyss

AJ Styles © w/ Ric Flair Versus Samoa Joe – TNA Heavyweight Championship – Special Guest Ref: Eric Bischoff

This should be the match of the night, MOYT contender. These two really haven’t faced off in a long time and now that AJ’s the heel and Joe’s the face, it adds a new little bit of flavor to it all. Then add in Flair and Bisch who could wreck all sorts of havoc, I’m more than thrilled about this match! Sometimes I might say there’s too much going on here, but not with the men involved. They’re all such pros and will give us not just a fabulously wrestled match, but a beautifully timed show. Both of them are worthy of holding the title these days, but I think AJ will retain right now. His storyline with Flair and his push is so hot right now that I can’t see him dropping the title right yet. I see AJ and Flair styling and profiling together with the strap for a while longer.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – AJ Styles

Chris Predicts: TNA Heavyweight Championship Match: AJ Styles © with Ric Flair vs Samoa Joe with special guest referee Eric Bischoff

This could really be something special. I cannot remember these guys facing off in recent history with Joe as the out and out babyface and AJ as the out and out heel. What is guaranteed here is a brilliant wrestling match as these two have produced some really memorable matches over the years. With Bischoff as guest referee and Flair at ringside, you can guarantee there is going to be some sort of shenanigans taking place during this one but hopefully they will let AJ and Joe tear the house down for 30 minutes before getting involved. TNA are clearly fully behind pushing AJ as the top guy in the company and with Flair on board and a fresh heel turn, I see no way he is losing this match. It is going to be very interesting seeing AJ wrestle as a heel and how he adapts his move set for a pay per view main event. I actually wouldn’t be surprised to see Sting show up here and clean house on Flair seeing as how Flair is itching to get back in the ring and Sting is surely set to return at some point, although they may hold this off till Lockdown. This should be a MOTY candidate and I am really hyped for this, I know Kendra didn’t like their promo on Impact this week, but personally I thought it was awesome, I loved Joe ripping on AJ and hope they show that before the match! I don’t quite know where Joe will go from here, possibly to join a potential Team Angle vs Team Anderson lethal lockdown match?
Chris’ Predicted Winner: AJ Styles (Retains TNA Heavyweight Title)

Chris is right that I was not thrilled with AJ and Joe’s promo on Impact, but it was mostly because I felt Impact should have ended with that fabulous tag match. It seemed as though everything after it just took away from the highest point of the night. If Impact had been edited differently, putting that segment earlier in the show, but then having Bisch tell AJ about the special ref right at the end, I probably would have been much happier with that segment and the show as a whole. But I do think AAO will be a damn solid PPV, even though there’s so many top wrestlers left off the card and there’s not a Knockout match in sight.

Well there you have it for the second edition of the E.A.X I hope you enjoy our continued push to increase our TNA coverage here at WNW. Thanks to South African correspondent Brandon Van Reenan for the fabulous logo. I am surprised there is no knockout match on the card and wouldn’t be shocked to see one added on the night, also perhaps something may go down with Lashley and Bischoff. If TNA’s online pay per view service is working Sunday night I shall order the show and review it immediately after, if not it will be Monday night. I hope you all enjoy Against All Odds!

KB
Chris

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This Sunday is TNA’s first PPV of 2010 and the fifth Genesis in TNA’s history. Rather than traveling, Genesis will be taking place in TNA Impact Zone in Orlando, Florida which pretty much guarantees a hot crowd.

Hey everyone and welcome to an all new feature here on WNW: The English American Xchange, where I team up with Kendra to bring you our monthly TNA PPV Predictions! It is no secret that I have long been a big TNA fan but since their Bound For Glory pay per view last year, my interest in the company has sky rocketed, due to some of the best wrestling I have seen in some years. It has come to the point where I usually have so much to say on TNA shows that it deserves a separate blog and what better way to accomplish this than by teaming up with WNW TNA Guru Kendra! We will have our own TNA blog writers challenge which will be updated in each TNA Pay Per View review that one of us will be writing.

Now as good as the TNA pay per views have been recently, I challenge anyone to tell me that Genesis 2010 has been built well! In fact in years to come I think people will look back at the worst pay per view build in wrestling history and this will be right at the top of the list! TNA are relying entirely on the drawing power of Hulk Hogan to sell the show rather than actually building any meaningful matches or feuds (with a couple of exceptions) and this is just not a good way to do business especially in the current economic climate. This pay per view comes far to soon after Final Resolution and really should have either been held next week, or the week after the Royal Rumble in order to truly establish some of the new talent and draw the viewers in to the feuds. However sadly this was not the case and I would not be surprised if Genesis garners a very poor buyrate. With that being said I have the opportunity to watch a TNA pay per view live (and legally) for the first time as they have FINALLY launched an online UK pay per view service. Whilst it begrudges me to spend £10 on a show that has received such poor build, there are a couple of matches here that I simply cannot wait to watch so will probably order the show. Anyway enough babble here come our picks!

Ken Predicts – TNA’s ‘Next Major Acquisition’

The story has been broken by Richard already that TNA’s newest acquisition is Ken Anderson. While there were a few other people on my list – Sid, Rob Van Dam, Diamond Dallas Page, Jimmy Hart or even Brutus ‘The Barber’ Beefcake – Anderson was the only one I could really see coming into TNA and receiving this hype. Most of the rest are older, except RVD who I doubt will be showing up any time soon. If Anderson’s not snake bit, the way so many in WWE thinks he is, he’ll be a great addition to TNA’s roster.

Ken’s Predicted ‘Major Acquisition – Ken Anderson

Chris Predicts: TNA’s Next Major Acquisition

I know this is not even a match but lets face it, this segment/promo, however they do it is probably going to take up more time on the card than some of the matches! In my mind the name I really want to see in TNA is Ken Anderson (formerly WWE’s Mr Kennedy) Anderson is young and hungry and is nowhere near the peak of his career yet and I think he could become a major household name in TNA. Ken has the ring work, the mic skills and charisma to work at the top of any wrestling company in the world. WWE never utilised Ken correctly, and whilst he was unlucky with injuries, he was certainly not on the same injury prone level as the likes of Rey, Batista and even one of my favourites Edge. The thought of seeing Ken wrestle the likes of AJ, Joe, Pope, Hernandez, Jeff Hardy etc is enthralling. To be honest if it turns out to be RVD or Dreamer I would not be disappointed, it is just I have always wanted to see Rob back in WWE and I imagine Dreamer has a non compete clause in his contract. One guy I really hope is not the acquisition is Psycho Sid who is old, washed out and well past his prime as well as having some of the worst mic work in the history of the business, how this guy ever got over is beyond me and I certainly do not want to see him hogging up TV time that far more deserving TNA stars are due!

Chris’ Predicated Acquisition: Ken Anderson

Ken Predicts – X Division Championship Match: Amazing Red © vs. ‘A Mystery Opponent’

Oy! What a mess! What the heck is TNA thinking? They’ve done almost nothing with the X Division in months other than throwing in periodic matches with no lead up and no storyline. The X Division, the cornerstone of TNA, has become less than a joke! TNA, in all its confusion with Hogan and Bischoff coming in, has completely forgotten about that they have an X Division and a wonderful Champion in Amazing Red! He’s the best small wrestler since Rey Mysterio and has been brushed aside since he won the title. Honestly, I could care less who he’s going to face. I doubt it will be anyone big like Jeff Hardy, therefore I doubt Amazing Red will lose the title. What I hope for is that someone in TNA takes notice of the X Division and really shows them off the way they deserve. Amazing Red is fabulous in the ring and has a great mouthpiece in Don West. TNA is only wasting money by not putting them out for the fans to see their greatness week in and week out!

Ken’s Predicted Winner – Amazing Red

Chris Predicts: X-Division Championship Match: Amazing Red © vs A Mystery Opponent ???

A.K.A: What you do when you forget to write a storyline! Ok so not only do I have to predict the result but also the opponent! Well in my mind it either has to be Shannon Moore or Jeff Hardy as TNA will be keen to get one or both of them involved in the show. The thing is all of the X-Division stars are talented so it doesn’t really matter who it is, because you are pretty much guaranteed a solid match. The other option TNA have is to throw Homicide back in the mix as he has been feuding with Red for some time, but I just do not see them not booking Moore or Hardy on this show. Bringing Hardy or Shannon out early would get the crowd hot for the rest of the night although I am not sure they would have either man loose cleanly in their first match so this will probably have some interference along the way. Either way I don’t think it matters as since there has been no build, there is no foreseeable way that TNA Creative would be stupid enough to book a title change here, is there?…

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Amazing Red (Retains X-Division Championship)

Ken Predicts – Daniels vs. Sean Morley

As I said when they fought in the ring on Thursday night, I don’t like this feud. It makes no sense and comes out of nowhere for no reason. Even thought they’re both of an age, Morley comes off as much older and broken down. The last couple years that he was with WWE Morley spent on the injured list. It’s because of this that Daniels seems so much younger and vibrant! I don’t know why Morley’s been brought into TNA (other than his relationship with Hogan!) as I don’t think he can add anything to the roster. There’s many people who Daniels could feud with who would make much more sense and show off Daniels’ amazing ring work to a higher degree. I don’t see how TNA could book this any other way than to have Daniels win. It would be a slap in the face to Daniels and the fans if he didn’t win.

Ken’s Predicted Winner – Daniels

Chris Predicts: Daniels vs Sean Morley

If you had told me three months ago that the former Val Venis would have a big match on a PPV I would have laughed. Just goes to show what happens when you have friends in high places! Now during the height of his WWE run Morley was actually solid in the ring but is has been so long since he has been anything more than an enhancement talent, that I dread to imagine the shape he is in. This match received a little build on Impact this past Thursday but not enough to really book a pay per view match from in my opinion. So this will probably be a really bad match but Daniels might just be able to salvage something from it. This is the first of the big tests for Hogan and Bischoff to see if they are serious about pushing home-grown talent over aged veterans and I for one hope they make the correct call.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Daniels

Ken Predicts – Abyss vs. Bobby Lashley

WHAT? This is the third match I’m writing up and the third match that makes absolutely no sense to me. So far Genesis really feels thrown together without much thought and that not good for the buyrate. If fans are not invested in the matches, then there’s no sense in buying the PPV. I know Lashley has made a sudden heel turn and is a big name in TNA, but maybe they should have left him off this PPV to build for something rather than throwing him in with Abyss who’s had nothing going on since the power change in TNA. I see a total mess in the ring between these two. Abyss can carry a match, but TNA will only want to push Lashley’s Goldberg-ness. Sadly I see Abyss being squashed by Lashley even though he’s actually a better in ring performer than Lashley. This would be a good time to hit the loo or grab a drink.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Lashley

Chris Predicts: Abyss vs Bobby Lashley

Huh!? Have these two actually ever encountered each other on TNA TV or is this just a random match thrown together for no good reason whatsoever! What the hell this is even doing on the card I have no idea considering we haven’t even had a confrontation between the two but that’s what happens when you forget to build your pay per views. However Abyss has had some really good proper wrestling matches over the years (I remember an amazing encounter with Angle a couple of years ago) so this should be at least watchable, if not good. Abyss is not the kind of guy Lashley can just bulldoze over so (although he did make short work of Joe awhile back) I am intrigued to see a heel Lashley as this has not really happened since before he broke out into the main event scene in WWE. I think this match could be a bit of a dark horse and actually prove quite enjoyable considering, when he wants to, Lashley can work to a high standard. As for a winner, well since he just turned heel and is feuding with management Lashley is obviously going over here and I expect another excellent promo from Krystal to follow (WWE really missed an opportunity with her didn’t they!)

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley

Ken Predicts – TNA Tag Team Championship Match: The British Invasion © vs. Hernandez & Matt Morgan

Hernandez and Morgan have become quite the formidable tag team of late. Big, strong, fast and really nice guys. They’re really one of the best new tag teams I’ve seen in a long time. They work together really well and with whatever team they’re in the ring with. I also have to admit that Brutus Magnus has been getting better lately. He’s not as good was Doug Williams, but much better than he was when he first came into TNA. The big problem with TBI is still Rob Terry. The man is useless in the ring. The problem is that Terry won’t be in the ring and he’ll be the biggest liability to Hernandez and Morgan. As usually happens when TBI is in a match, I see Terry getting involved in some way and causing a DQ. Hernandez and Morgan should win this match, but they won’t because of Rob Terry.

Ken’s Predicted Winner – Hernandez & Morgan via DQ

Chris Predicts: TNA Tag Team Championship Match: The British Invasion © vs Hernandez & Matt Morgan

Despite the fact this has actually been built (somewhat) I do not like Hernandez and Morgan challenging for the tag belts as I see them both as main event singles stars but I guess this is filler for both men whilst they are waiting for spots in the main event to free up (similar to CM Punk and Gallows in WWE) Now I have to admit Brutus Magnus is defiantly improving in the ring and Doug Williams always delivers. The only dud is Big Rob but hopefully he will get sent to the back early on in this match. This should be quite good, it will be interesting to see how TNA can book TBI to be competitive against their power house opponents and simply because both Morgan and Hernandez have become such a joy to watch in the ring, I can honestly say I am looking forward to this match. As for a winner, well I do not think TBI have won many matches cleanly and certainly don’t expect them too here. Rob or various members of the World Elite will probably get involved causing the DQ freeing up Morgan and Hernandez to move on to bigger and better things.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Hernandez & Matt Morgan by Disqualification (British Invasion Retain TNA Tag Titles)

Ken Predicts – Two Out Of Three Falls Match: Knockout Championship: ODB © vs. Tara

I have no bloody clue why TNA moved the Knockout Championship back to ODB on the live Monday Night Impact. I know they were looking for numbers, but it was a dumb move. Tara hadn’t been Champion very long and TNA moved the Knockout TTC during the same show. ODB has not been very over with the fans lately – as face or heel. I have said a number of times that TNA needs to pull ODB off TV for a short time to repackage her. Tara on the other hand is doing wonderfully on TNA, so much better than the past couple years on WWE, and she should have the strap around her waist. I see Tara dominating ODB during this match and winning two of the falls. The fall ODB wins will probably be by fighting dirty or doing something underhanded. I just hope ODB can work through a long match. Tara has proven herself against Kong but ODB has been struggling a lot lately.

Ken’s Predicted Winner – Tara

Chris Predicts: Two Out Of Three Falls Match for the TNA Knockout Championship: ODB © vs Tara

The worst thing about the January 4th Impact was switching this title back to ODB for no good reason whatsoever. I think it was just a way of forcing that “anything can happen” feeling but it certainly did not help the credibility of the Knockout belt which suffered last year with the whole Deaner fiasco. Despite the fact that this match has probably been booked better than any other on the card (with the exception of AJ vs Angle) I cannot really say I am looking forward to it. I find it hard enough watching ODB in a one fall match, let alone three! She is just not on the same level as Tara and some of the other Knockouts in the company and since her heel turn has become even more of a walking stereotype. Now if I were booking this match I would put the belt back on Tara, simply because she is the most over Knockout on the roster and I believe is the right person to be the face of the division, at a time where it is essential TNA highlight the ways in which they are different to WWE, one of these of course being the fact that they actually let their women wrestle to their full potential! With Tara as champion you have the likes of Flash, Hamanda, Daffney and the recently returned Angelina Love waiting in the wings or they could to face vs face and through Sarita and or Wilde into the mix. I really hope TNA does the right thing here and puts Tara over. One last thing I hope this is actually a three fall match rather than WWE’s last attempt at the concept which ended up pretty much being a one stage of hell match!

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Tara (New TNA Knockout Champion)

Ken Predicts – Desmond Wolfe vs. Pope D’Angelo Dinero

First of all it’s one of the few on the card that’s had a decent build and involves two wonderful wrestlers. I have admitted that I was completely wrong about The Pope. He is great on mic and even better in the ring. That man can throw down verbally and physically. And we all know that Wolfe is a fabulous wrestler. I can’t wait to see this match, one of only two on the card that actually interest me! I see this one going the distance after all of the verbal volleying and the great match they had at TNA’s Monday Impact. I must admit I was surprised and delighted that The Pope won, but I don’t see him doing so again. While I think it would help further the feud between these two to have The Pope win, I see Wolfe pulling it out – possibly in an underhanded way. With one win under each of their belts, the rubber match between the two should be scheduled for Against All Odds in February with a lot of build up for it.

Ken’s Predicted Winner – Desmond Wolfe

Chris Predicts: Desmond Wolfe vs Pope D’Angelo Dinero

Of all the matches on the card, this is the one I want to see the most! We had a teaser of what these two were capable of on the January 4th Impact and they followed up with some great commentary from Pope on Thursday as well as an entertaining exchange between the two on TNA’s Spin Cycle. The Pope could well become a modern day TNA version of The Rock, yeah I really think he is that good. The man just exudes natural charisma and is so entertaining on the mic and so talented in the ring that he has all the skills necessary to succeed at the very top of the card. Quite why WWE ever let this guy go is beyond me! Desmond Wolfe had two pay per view matches with TNA last year and both were MOTY candidates and is in my opinion one of the top five workers in the world right now. As long as this is given fifteen-twenty minutes then greatness is guaranteed and I hope this is a feud that will continue for some time. Some people have complained that this is somewhat of a demotion for Wolfe but I argue that it is more of a promotion for Pope and after losing cleanly to Angle at two straight pay per views they could really have put Desmond in the main event. If you are undecided on ordering the show I would recommend checking out their brief but excellent match on Impact a couple of weeks ago and it should help you make up your mind! As for a winner, I am going to have to give this one to Wolfe but I am expecting a very hard fought and evenly matched contest here that could quite easily become an early MOTY candidate.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Desmond Wolfe

Ken Predicts – Beer Money Inc vs. Scott Hall & Kevin Nash

This is another match I am not looking forward to. This is more of TNA pushing the older wrestlers who really shouldn’t be in the ring. We’ve all seen how Kevin Nash cannot carry a match and I honestly can’t believe Scott Hall can be any better with his chubby, booze addled body (that is if he actually shows up for the PPV). I’m willing to bet if Hall does show up he’ll need a few drinks to be able to make it to the ring as he so obviously has been doing since rejoining TNA. Of the three, Waltman is the only one who really appears to be in ring shape, but he’s the only one not in this match. I also think this match will be down to Waltman. Even if BMI can carry the match inside the ring, they won’t be able to keep tabs on Waltman. So while they will dominate the ring work, I see Waltman causing them the match in some way. Sadly, I believe nWo, I mean ‘The Band’ will be winning this match, even thought BMI greatly deserve it.

Ken’s Predicted Winner – Scott Hall & Kevin Nash

Chris Predicts: Beer Money Inc vs Scott Hall & Kevin Nash (presumably with Shawn Waltman)

Hall and Nash co headlining a pay per view in 2010!?! I am sure this is what every fan was dreading when Hogan came to TNA, BUT, there is a silver lining here and this is the perfect opportunity for Hogan and Bischoff to show their true intentions and put the young stars over the has beens and get the company headed in the right direction in the first pay per view of 2010. I am actually questioning whether or not Hall will turn up to the event, but from what I have been hearing he is in much better shape than his last run and seems to be taking things more seriously. I think this match is crucial for TNA’s success because if they put Hall and Nash over, any fans who were watching out of curiosity to see if things really have changed (and there are a lot of them)will probably never watch TNA again. Beer Money have to win this match, not only because there is no way the best tag team in wrestling should be jobbing to old guys, but also for the very future of the company. If I was a casual fan and tuned in and saw Hall and Nash going over Beer Money I would instantly tune back out and I think that is true for many people. The match is guaranteed to be awful as Nash can barely move and Hall will probably be drunk but what really matters here is the result.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: Beer Money Inc

Ken Predicts – TNA Heavyweight Championship Match: AJ Styles © vs. Kurt Angle

This should be the match of the night. These two men always leave it all in the ring and work so beautifully together – as we saw on the Live Monday Impact and Thursday’s TNA Epics. As long as Angle doesn’t injure himself, this will be fabulous! Being Angle’s only Championship Match as long as AJ is Champion – as Hogan said – he will do everything in his power to win this. They will give it everything they have, throw all their moves and in the end AJ will retain. The only thing I question is Flair’s involvement in it all. Something is going on there and I don’t know what it is yet. There was some serious eye contact between AJ and Flair before AJ stomped out on Impact and some serious respect between Flair and Angle during AJ’s match with Tomko. And speaking of Tomko, he could be another interesting factor in this match. The question is if he hates AJ enough to wants to cost him the championship, or if Tomko wants to fight for the championship while they feud? Many questions, but in the end AJ will come out on top.

Ken’s Predicted Winner – AJ Styles

Chris Predicts: TNA Heavyweight Championship Match: AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle

The stipulation here is that if Angle loses he will never get another shot at AJ whilst he is champion. This match and feud has been done very well as for the first time they are both working as babyfaces but this has made for some compelling viewing as both men have taken each other to the limit showcasing all of their talent along the way. I am intrigued to see how Ric Flair will be involved in this one, will he side with one man over the other or just watch from the sidelines. I think Flair’s involvement has certainly added something a bit extra to this match which was already guaranteed to be phenomenal. Despite the fact it seems we have seen AJ vs Angle more times than Cena vs Orton, I don’t think these two are capable of having a bad match against each other and this should be a classic, especially as it is likely to end the issues between them once and for all. With all the action that went down with Tomko on Impact, I would not be surprised to see him get involved here at some point but hopefully it will not lead to any disqualifications. I defiantly see AJ going over here and solidifying his position as Champion and the best wrestler on the roster. There is such a wealth of talent just waiting to challenge for the title and I am excited to see who steps up next. This match will be worth the £10 cost to order the show on its own and I really recommend any casual fans or readers unfamiliar with TNA to check this one out as it will showcase what TNA is all about.

Chris’ Predicted Winner: AJ Styles (Retains TNA World Heavyweight Championship)

I know Hogan and Bischoff are struggling to get in the groove of things in TNA, but when half of their first PPV makes no sense, I become extremely worried! Three of the matches on this card have had no build up, no storyline backing and make no sense in the grand scheme of things. This scares me, not just for Genesis, but for the entire outlook of TNA. If they can’t pull off a simple PPV after the years they’ve put into the wrestling industry, what are they going to do to TNA as a whole?

While I hope Genesis is a decent PPV, I don’t expect a whole heck of a lot. Many of the matches are lackluster and only two really draw me in. The fabulous long term TNA roster is being pushed around, not taken seriously, booked badly and forced to work with aged, drunken wrestlers who are so beyond their prime no one else will hire them. Nepotism does not make for a good company in any industry, but especially not on TV where ratings and buyrates matter. Hopefully Genesis won’t work out too badly and hopefully you enjoy our very first E.A.X. I know I had fun!

Well there you have it, the first E.A.X is complete. I really hope TNA Genesis delivers and continues their strong pay per view run as of late. It is a shame that on TNA’s first pay per view of 2010 so many of their home-grown talent (Joe, Lethal, Homicide, MCMG etc) are forced to take a back seat to WCW has beens but there you go. Thankfully we did not end up getting Nasty Boys vs Team 3D on this show and hopefully that will be saved for Impact rather than pay per view. Obviously at some point Hogan will come out and cut a promo and there will probably be plenty of backstage skits with the likes of Jarrett and Foley etc trying to get involved in the show but as long as it remains focused on the wrestling it should be a good one despite the crappy build. Pleas let us know your picks and thoughts via the comment board. I hope you all have a great week!

KB & Chris

The show starts with Foley introducing the show and how we’re going to take a look at a man who’s arguably the best wrestler to ever set foot in the ring. He’s won over a dozen championships and the only Olympic wrestler in professional wrestling – Kurt Angle. We’ll see three of Angle’s most amazing matches.

The first match is Angle’s PPV debut at Genesis in 2006. Angle said Samoa Joe was the most dominant wrester in TNA, had never lost a match. It was an honor for him to step in the ring against Joe. Then Joe said that stepping into the ring with a competitor like Kurt is much greater than you can imagine it being. Angle said defeating Joe put the exclamation point on the reason why he’s the top wrestler in TNA. Joe said that sometimes messages need to be sent Angle walked through the doors in TNA and took down the biggest lion in the jungle. Angle said he and Joe had many feuds, but that was his favorite match.

Earl Hebner was the ref for this sick match up. As the match started up, Angle had barely backed Joe into a corner, the fans were already chanting, “This is awesome!” So you knew it was going to be huge. Joe had a lot more hair on his head and much more professional ring gear. Angle had a bandage in his head and was obviously bigger (and harrier!) than he is now, only four year later. Angle proved early with a belly to belly that he had the strength to go with Joe. Joe returned the favor by swinging Angle into the barrier and left Angle holding his head and neck in pain. “Let’s go Angle” and “Angle sucks” chants. Joe moved out of Angle’s way and he slammed into the ring post hard enough to fall to the floor!

- Commercial

Angle’s head was gushing blood and he looked beaten down. Joe managed to hit his muscle buster on Angle and Don West seemed to think it was over there and then. The mat was covered in big splotches of blood and the fans were again chanting, “This is awesome!” Angle got out of Joe’s choke and hit the Angle slam for two. The fans loudly chanted for Angle to, “Make him tap!” down came the straps and the fans went wild! Ankle lock on Joe as the blood gushed from Angle’s head. Joe writhed and crawled, but finally reversed into his rear naked choke. Angle looks like he’s about to tap but then reverses it into the ankle lock again. Joe rolled through and Angle into a corner. Joe then ate a corner and Angle hit another Angle slam. The straps went up, then Angle dropped them again and the noise from the Zone was louder than I’ve ever heard it! Ankle lock applied again, Angle wrapped his whole body around Joe’s leg and Joe tapped out. Joe’s undefeated streak was over and Angle was covered in blood.

Angle said his match with AJ Styles at Hard Justice 2008 was one of his favorites. AJ said for his Last Man Standing Match with Angle he prepared like he would for any match. He knew not to underestimate him as AJ knows how good Angle is. Angle said AJ is the most talented individuals he’s ever gotten in the ring with. AJ said it was one of the biggest matches he’s ever had. Angle said they tore it up that night and at the end of he had a lot more respect for AJ. He thinks by the end of his career AJ will be in the top three of all time.

Angle was very much the heel that night in Trenton, NJ and started off the match by fighting dirty. After one suplex, the first real move of the match, Angle went for the pin, even though it was a Last Man Standing Match. AJ managed to fight back with a dropkick and a clothesline from the ring that about turned Angle inside-out it was so hard. AJ then flew out over the top to take Angle down. AJ pinned Angle outside, but only got two. Angle into the apron and into the barrier at AJ’s hands. The consummate heel, Angle drew AJ in, then grabbed the front of his tights and flung him out through the ropes. Angle tried to send Angle into the barrier, but AJ jumped over it. AJ flew back over, but Angle grabbed him out of the air and suplexed AJ’s back into the barrier in the sickest sounding move! A punch from AJ outside sent Angle bandage flying. They were really beating the heck out of each other, not pulling their punches as they do quite often. Fought up the ramp and Angle set up for a move, but AJ reversed it into a suplex on Angle for two. Up to the stage and Angle on the edge, but didn’t fall. Angle grabbed AJ and suplexed him off the stage. AJ caught most of it on his feet, but still sold the move. Angle flew off the stage onto AJ and bounced up to talk smack around his mouthpiece.

- Commercial

Back to the ring, Angle on the mat and AJ climbed. Angle ran up the corner, but was punched back down. AJ flew, but Angle caught him in the air with a powerbomb! Angle tried to set AJ up for the Styles clash, but was unable to execute it. AJ then managed to lock on Angle’s ankle lock and cinch it in tightly. AJ pulled Angle back from almost touching the ropes and then wrapped his whole body into the hold. Angle tapped out. “You tapped out!” chants. AJ to his feet while the ref counted. Angle got up on one foot just before the ref made it to ten – the battle continued! AJ tried to hit a springboard, but Angle moved back. AJ landed on his feet, but then Angle hit a low blow. Angle then hit his three Germans. AJ landed in a heap after the third, but was able to kick out. Down came the straps. AJ out of the Angle slam and hit pele. Both were down. AJ made it to Angle, but Angle got a shoulder up. AJ climbed, but Angle attacked with punches. AJ elbowed Angle down. AJ all the way up, but Angle ran up and flipped AJ back and to the mat. Angle got the three from that. AJ made it to his feet at seven. Angle slam and Angle got another three. AJ managed to get to his feet before nine. Angle went for another Angle slam, but AJ reversed it into a Styles clash for three. Just before ten Angle made it to his feet. Angle ended up sitting up top. “This is awesome!” chants. AJ up face to face with Angle up top. A lot of fighting before AJ somehow hit a DDT from the top for three. AJ managed to get to his feet before ten, but Angle didn’t.

Lauren interviewed Angle backstage. She asked him that since he crossed the line to TNA, what adjustments has he had to make in taking on new competitors? Angle said in TNA he had to make a lot of adjustments due to the wrestlers being a lot more athletic, younger, they’re more talented. But he has to say that these guys are the best wrestlers in the world and they’re a lot more hungry. He literally has to fight for his life. She then said he seems to have accomplished it all. What left for him to do in the realm of wrestling? Angle said he has done it all and he’s very proud of everything he’s accomplished in WWE and TNA and outside of it. But for him it’s about going out and performing for the fans. The TNA fans are very loyal and they love what they do and they appreciate having them. For him it’s about going out there and giving everything he has for that TNA fan. She said the fans love him to and thanked him for that. She then says the last match was at Genesis 200 when Jeff Jarrett and Angle put on a match for the ages.

As soon as the bell rang the fists flew! Angle into a corner and JJ in complete control. JJ kept whipping Angle from one corner to another. Angle fought back with a sleeper, but JJ hit a mule kick to get out of the hold. A No DQ Match, so it’s not illegal! Angle up on JJ’s shoulders and JJ fell back to slam Angle to the mat. Angle sent over the top and JJ flew out onto him. Don west freaked out because JJ’s foot caught on the top rope and then ended up cracking heads – but their heads weren’t even within two feet of each other! If anything JJ’s head hit the floor! Angle then sent JJ flying across the announce table. Angle looked to be hurting a bit. Angle cussed out Pinzer before stealing the bell. He ripped the mic taped to the bell board off and lined up with JJ’s head. Angle hit JJ right about in the top of the head with the side of the board the bell’s attached to. West started screaming about it being sickening and the blood is just pouring out of the head of JJ. I have to admit I don’t miss West on announce at all as I listen to him yell about how gruesome this all was. Angle proceeded to flip someone the bird – not sure if it was Pinzer or the fans. The blood gushed from JJ’s head, but Angle pulled him up and threw more punches. JJ’s head to announce again and it becomes apparent that the blood was gushing from JJ’s forehead, not from where Angle hit him. Can anyone say blading? I knew you could! More punches to JJ up the ramp, but JJ hit a DDT on Angle. West kept ranting about the ring bell and the blood. JJ slammed Angle’s head into the scaffolding around the entrance from the back. Angle’s busted open. Punches back and for. JJ kept punching Angle who again stood at the edge of the stage teetering. Angle stepped back a little too far and stepped down one level but then stepped right back up into more punches from JJ. Angle grabbed JJ and hit an Angle slam off the stage through that next level which looked to be a table.

- Commercial

They were back in the ring and hurting. Knee to Angle’s gut and JJ went for the stroke, but Angle reversed it into the ankle lock. JJ had quite the crimson mask and couldn’t get to the ropes. JJ rolled through and sent Angle flying through the ropes. Angle stomped over, threw the timekeeper from his chair an took it. Back in the ring with the chair, but JJ ducked it. JJ then dropkicked the chair into Angle’s face. JJ hit the stroke on Angle, but didn’t get the three. The fans were pissed Angle kicked out. JJ set Angle up top and climbed but Angle fought the superplex. Angle punched JJ to the mat. JJ then ate a flying dropkick and Angle slam, but managed to get his shoulders up! Angle’s straps came down and he tried to lock on the ankle lock, but JJ kicked him away. Angle charged JJ but met the ring post shoulder first! JJ pulled his guitar into the ring. Just as JJ swung up, Angle kicked JJ between the slats for a low blow. Angle picked up JJ’s guitar and stared at it. Angle then picked up the chair. Angle held up the guitar and got cheers. Then the chair to boos. Angle then dropped the guitar and went with the chair as the consummate heel would do. Angle readied for JJ who slowly got to his feet. Huge shot to JJ’s head, but JJ kicked out. Angle then grabbed Pinzer and choked him against the top rope as Angle screamed at him. JJ tried to hit an enziguri, but Angle held the foot and locked on his ankle lock. Screams from JJ as Angle really cinches in the hold. JJ really played up the pain. JJ rolled through and pinned Angle for two. Angle got JJ up, but JJ reversed it into a DDT. JJ crawled over and grabbed his guitar, but it’s already broken. JJ hobbled over and grabbed the chair. Angle up and walked right into JJ swinging the chair at his head. JJ fell to the mat holding his ankle. “TNA” chants. JJ slid over and did a lean back pin, but Angle kicked out and managed to roll JJ back and pin him for three!

Foley said that it’s easy to see why fans consider Angle one of the best in this sport, not only today, but of all time. His intensity to bring crowds and his thirst for mayhem are unsurpassed. Like all great champions, he make those around him even better too. Foley signed off the show for this episode of Epics.

Angle truly is a master of ring work and ring psychology. He is one of the best wrestlers to ever step foot in the squared circle. I just worry that he’s going to push it for too long and injure himself irreparably! Angle leaves it all in the ring every time he’s out there, no matter the show. He’s had so many neck injuries and struggles through so much pain on a daily basis that I wonder when it’s all going to fall apart and I pray that it doesn’t leave him or someone else permanently injured.

These matches prove that there has been some incredible booking in TNA. That there’s someone in creative who knows how good matches work and can set them up for the fabulous wrestlers to show just how good they are! While these were PPV matches, there’s no reason this caliber of match can’t be shown on Spike TV. And honestly, we’ve seen very few matches of this caliber on PPVs recently.

These were fabulous matches because everyone in them left there all out there for the fans. They didn’t hold back, didn’t worry about possible cussing or flipping a bird. And most of all, they didn’t worry about a little bloodshed. Luckily in TNA they understand it’s part of the job and no one rushes out to glue the wrestlers’ head shut if they happen to be bleeding. They don’t worry about color. Heck, they’re not against a little blading now and then. It’s all part of the industry!

KB

Are you planning on purchasing the Final Battle 2009 iPPV?

We head straight down to the arena floor where the ring is lined with ROH wrestlers as Jim Cornette stands in the middle.  Hog proclaims it to be a new day in ROH with a new Executive Producer.  Cornette welcomes the crowd and us; he hypes Philly as the birthplace of independents, and a great wrestling city.  Cornette introduces himself and gets a big pop, saying he’s proud and exciting to be here because ROH is the wrestling of the future.  Cornette makes his first major announcement, the ROH HDNet Pick Six tournament.  Cornette says he’s picked what he thinks are the top twelve contenders in ROH, and starting tonight, they’re going to have six single matches, and those will determine the top six contenders for the World Title, and from that point on, only people in the top six will be able to challenge for the ROH World Championship.  Not only that, but the people that win their singles matches will get a $2,500 bonus from HDNet.  Cornette says once again, the top six will be picked to challenge for the World Title, and the others will be out of contention.  Cornette announces the first five of six matches.

Match #1:Delirious vs. Kenny King

Match #2: Colt Cabana vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Match #3: Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards (which gets a big “thank you” chant from the crowd)

Match #4: Sonjay Dutt vs. Tyler Black

Match #5: Mark Briscoe vs. Jay Briscoe

Chris Hero looks very upset on the apron as Cornette runs down the tournament once more.  Cornette gets in a quick dig at Aries, before finishing up his promo, only to be interrupted (of course) by Austin Aries, who makes his way down to the ring.  Cornette says obviously Aries was detained since he’s so late.  Aries says he’s fashionable late.  Aries says he was trying to figure out what the E. in James E. Cornette stood for, and he thinks it’s Ego.  Aries says that Cornette may try, but he won’t be able to get the belt away from Aries because he’s smarter than Cornette (repeated three times for emphasis).  Cornette says the whole reason the Pick Six came up is because of the A Double Lucky Lottery.  Cornette says the World Champion won’t pick his own challengers, ROH will pick them, and Aries will earn his spot.  Cornette says ROH is about athleticism, not about picking your own opponents.  Aries says he’s sure that Grizzly Redwood and “Sugarfoot” don’t appreciate being put down by Cornette, and that he’s always been a fighting champion, so he doesn’t care who you put in front of him.  Aries says he’ll take on anyone that Cornette picks tonight.  Cornette says that’s funny because Austin Aries is going to be defending the ROH World Title against Kenny Omega, Davey Richards and Roderick Strong in a four-way match for the World Title.  Aries doesn’t look too happy as Corny makes his way to the back.

We get a video package highlighting the next match, where the winner gets a shot at the American Wolves at Final Battle 2009.  Lots of good footage of the Briscoe’s and Steenerico, and some good talking from Steen and Jay

Match #1: The Briscoe’s def. Kevin Steen and El Generico when Mark Briscoe pins Steen following a Jay Driller

I was a little surprised that we didn’t get any sort of entrance for either team, because all four of these guys are pretty important to ROH, but in all honesty, that’s a small complaint.  This was easily the best opener that ROH has put forth on HDNet, but that’s not really a surprise considering the two teams involved.  Steenerico and the Briscoe’s have had some absolute wars during their tenure in ROH, and while this wasn’t on the level of some of those other meetings, that’s not to say it was a bad match.  This match was great, and yet another example of how the ROH tag team division truly is the strongest in all of pro-wrestling.  The false finishes and submission attempts were a lot of fun, and if Final Battle wasn’t already half-scheduled at this point, there probably would have been a much greater element of “anything can happen”.  These two teams gel together better than any other two that I can think of.  The Wolves can have a good match with anybody, but something about Steenerico vs. The Briscoe’s always produces an enjoyable match.  Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of tag team wrestling, but I guess if you’re a fan of tag-teams, you probably already knew that.  A-.

The King of Old School himself, Steve Corino, is back in ROH, and he gets a bit of promo time.  Corino says he’s back in ROH because now ROH has national TV distribution, and to be on top you have to be on TV.  Corino says that he wants to win the World Championship, and he wants to be on TV, and he’s going to make those things happen.

Kyle Durden is backstage with Davey Richards.  Richards says you’ve got four of the best guys in Ring of Honor competing for the most important title in the world.  Richards says there are a lot of people in wrestling right now that are acting like wrestlers, but Davey is a wrestler.  Davey says he’s been winning championships in wrestling since he was 12 years old.  Richards says every man in the match has had a storybook year, but this year is the year of the wolf, so everyone needs to get ready because the hunt is on.

Hog and Prazak announce the last of the Pick Six matches, Chris Hero vs. Kenny Omega, which is still a few weeks away unfortunately.  Pick Six matches start next week with Delirious vs. Kenny King and Tyler Black vs. Sonjay Dutt.

Main Event for the ROH World Championship: Austin Aries wins the four corner survival match when he steals the pin from Roderick Strong after a Gibson driver on Davey Richards

This match was just absolutely great.  I think it might even be better than the first four-way for the ROH Championship.  All the interactions in this match got me incredibly hyped for singles matches in all different varieties between all four men.  I think between upcoming DVD releases and HDNet shows, we’ll get to see every possible combination of singles matches between these four men, except Roddy v. Aries, but we just recently got that on HDNet, so dreams can indeed come true.  This one will probably find its way on to the year-end top ten list, so can you guess what I’m going to say yet?  Go find this match!  A+.

Post match, the lights go out and Tyler Black stands at the entrance ramp while his music plays.  The image of Black staring down Aries is how the show closes.

Report Card

In Ring Action: This was easily the best wrestling show that ROH on HDNet has put forth so far.  To be completely honest, even though we only got eight men wrestling in two matches, I wouldn’t mind seeing the show move to this format.  Two or three longer, great matches are all we really need.  I think that shows like this are going to be the best way for ROH to carve out its niche going forward.  When have you ever seen WWE put on a 25-30 minute match with half as much action as this week’s four-way?  Answer: Rarely, extremely rarely.  This was an absolutely fantastic show, and the strongest, in terms of actual wrestling, that ROH has given us since the HDNet show started.  A.

Out of Ring Action: We had some highs and lows in this category this week.  Steve Corino was a hell of a talent in his day in the original ECW, and he even put on a pretty interesting series of matches with Homicide in ROH a couple of years ago, but the video package talking about the return of Corino didn’t really do much to get me excited about his return.  He just looked out of shape and was a little flat on the delivery.  One last thing about Corino and then I’m done, I promise, but admitting that the reason you came back to ROH for national TV exposure is NOT admirable (especially so when that is your main objective, even above gaining the ROH World Title).  The Davey Richards promo was a lot of fun, and I know a lot of people are down on Davey’s promos since he has a tendency to insert some “smark-ish” language, but I like it; I feel as though it really sets him apart.  Cornette’s promo at the beginning of the show was a lot of good, and a little bit bad.  I like that Cornette has only made one appearance on the show so far, and things are already getting mixed up in terms of the World Title scene.  While I liked seeing Cornette in an ROH ring, and he’s usually nothing but fire in promos, it felt like he was trying to find his way.  He repeated the rules of the Pick Six tournament several times, and he just seemed to be repeating himself over and over toward the end of the segment.  Overall, I’m absolutely thrilled that Cornette is back and I see his involvement as a solely positive thing; I just want to see more of “on fire” Cornette, and less “repetitive” Cornette.  One final note, the video package hyping the Steenerico/Briscoe’s match was fantastic, and I watched it two more times, just because I was so impressed.  Highs and lows this week, but as per usual, much more positive than negative.  B+.

Overall: I really think that this was the strongest episode that we’ve had the pleasure of seeing so far.  If you’re not seeking out this episode solely due to the four-way main event, then I don’t know what will get you interested in ROH.  On top of that, we got a continuation of one of the best feuds in ROH history (and quite possibly the final match between the two teams for the foreseeable future pending Steen’s Final Battle announcement).  Best show ever?  Maybe not ever, but definitely so far.  A.

Go ahead and pat yourself on the backs, we’ve made it through another week.  It’s time for me to start getting psyched up about the week that lies ahead.  Alright guys, you know the drill.  Same bat time, same bat channel.  Until next week…

I DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING FUNNY THIS WEEK!

Non Wrestling Related Media O’ the Week

So, I know I’ve given some love to The Office in the past, but now it’s time for me to give some love to the progenitor, The Office (UK edition).  If you’re a fan of British humor at all, you know it’s a bit more dry and understated than American comedy, and while The Office (UK) is dry and British, it isn’t very understated at all.  Some of the jokes may go over American viewers head’s, just because we may not understand some of the slang words and/or references, but the vast majority is simply hilarious.  I’ll admit, I’m not quite as high up on the British Office as I am the American version (sorry, but Rain Wilson as Dwight is much, much better than the British equivalent, Gareth), but I still am a big fan of the show, and would recommend checking it out.

Do you think Davey Richards’ involvement with Evolve wrestling will hurt his standing in ROH?

I said last week that I was thinking about modifying the Poll of Honor and this is how we’re going to do it, if you’re interested in submitting a Poll of Honor question just send it to me in e-mail form at sphopkins145@gmail.com.  I’ll pick the best of the bunch each week, and hopefully we can all make this blog a bit more interactive.  OK guys, let’s get on to the show.

We get a recap of Danielson’s farewell from ROH on HDNet last week, in what was a really good, and most likely (future) iconic, moment for ROH.

Hog and Prazak welcome us to the show and the topic is still Dragon as Hog reminds us he will be missed.  Prazak wants to focus the conversation on the present as he talks about tonight’s main event, an ROH World Title Match featuring the Young Bucks challenging the American Wolves for the belts.  We don’t waste any time here as it’s straight down to the ring for the first match of the night.

Match #1: Kenny King def. Brent Albright by pinfall when King reversed a suplex into a pin, and Rhett Titus held Albright’s feet

This match had a couple of things going for it.  For one thing, I’m glad to see the Albright/Claudio feud is finally dead/done/over with (more because I wanted to see Claudio move on, but whatever); and even though this match was under the guise of Albright being upset over King hurting Lynn, it gave Albright an excuse to wrestle someone I can’t recall him facing in singles competition ever before.  As much grief as I do give Albright, he does have these flashes of a better wrestler every now and then.  He busted out a couple of dance moves in an attempt to be charismatic (they were horrible dance moves, but still, it’s more than we’ve seen from him before), and he played the “slightly clever, but also slightly dumb” babyface role well.  I think I could have fun watching King wrestle almost anyone on the current roster right now, he’s such a natural and he just looks so comfortable in the ring.  There were a couple of neat spots in the match, but they all seemed to happen toward the end; Albright hitting the exploder suplex to launch King to the floor, King going for a crazy jumping back kick from the apron and being caught, then slammed into the barricade by Albright (props to King I guess, for taking a couple of big bumps back to back).  And is it just me, or did the match end just when the crowd was getting hot and the action was getting good?  The opening of this match was ok enough, but it was also entirely forgettable, but they were building toward something good there at the end, I just would have liked to see a bit more.  One quick note, there’s been some rumors floating around the ROH message boards about the possible departure of Brent Albright from ROH.  Albright kind of seemed to lose direction after his feud with Castagnoli (not that he really had a lot of direction during that feud).  I hope Albright either makes a return to the WWE, where I think his style and look would be perfect, or I hope he works on his character, and comes back to ROH with something a lot more fresh than what he’s been putting forth over the past few months.  Either way, I’m sure Albright will land on his feet and I wish him the best.  B-.

The Young Bucks cut a promo talking about what an honor it is to get a shot at the ROH World Titles, and how the ROH Titles are the most prestigious in the world.  They say that if they manage to win the titles tonight, they’ll hold onto them for dear life.

Match #2: D-Lo Brown def. Sal Rinauro by pinfall after he pops Rinauro up into DVD position, and takes him down into a sit-out powerbomb

Well, this was a squash, and usually my policy would kick in, but I just want to mention again how entertaining D-Lo has been since he’s been in ROH, and it was such a shame (at least to me) to see him go to TNA, although I can understand why.  I mean, he was tweeting during the match, c’mon, that’s funny.  SQUASH.

Kyle Durden is backstage talking about rumors of Nigel McGuinness being on his way out (RUMORS?!?!  Haven’t we known about this for months now?  Isn’t McGuinness already on a rival company’s Thursday night program?  ROH isn’t usually the kind of company that takes kayfabe a little too far, but this is a bit ridiculous).  McGuinness breathes heavily for a second, the walks off-screen.  McGuinness’ music hits and Nigel makes his way to the ring with a mic in his hand.  Nigel says you can’t sum up six years of your life in three minutes, so maybe all he can do is say thank you.  Nigel says there’s one person who he wants to say thank you to, and he says he’s going to go back and bring him out, even though this person’s shy.  Nigel does an introduction, saying without this guy, he would not be here today, and that man is NIGEL MCGUINNESS.  McGuinness says he believed in himself when everyone doubted him, and it is he who won the World Title in ROH because he refused to say die, so thank you Nigel.  Nigel says if anyone doesn’t agree with that sentiment, they can kiss his beautiful British ass, because he is leaving the building.  Nigel walks out through the crowd and says this is the last time you will see or hear him on ROH TV, because he’s leaving on a jet plane, and he doesn’t know when he’ll be back again.  Nigel is shown exiting the arena and heading down the street.

Kyle Durden is standing backstage with the American Wolves, Durden says the Bucks have beaten the Dark City Fight Club, stood toe to toe with the Briscoe’s, and now they’re taking on the Wolves.  Richards laughs and says he crippled the Briscoe’s.  He says he know the Bucks think they’ve finally made it, but they’re wrong, because this is the world of the American Wolves.  Edwards says the era of the Wolves is here.  Danielson and Nigel are gone but the Wolves are still standing.  Edwards says the Bucks haven’t wowed them, and tonight, the hunt claims two more victims.

Match #3: The Super Smash Brothers def. John Kermon and Brandon Day by pinfall when Player Uno pins John Kermon

This match was a bit of a sprint, and it felt a little bit crammed in there.  Honestly I would have been fine if they had dropped it from this show in favor of giving it more time on another one.  I really like the Smash Brothers, I saw them in Canada during Death Before Dishonor weekend where they took on the Briscoe’s and Steenerico.  The team is impressive (although it’s quite obvious that Dos is the stronger link of the team), but they didn’t really get time to shine here, at least not as much as I would have wanted.  It was good to see Kermon and Day on ROH TV, although it’s always good seeing some local talent from my area on (somewhat) National TV.  This one was far too short to really go anywhere, although it was still admittedly a bit of fun.  C+.

Jim Cornette, the man himself and the new Executive Producer for ROH on HDNet, gets a little bit of promo time.  Now Cornette talks like a motorboat and he’s got a bit of time to work with here, so I’m just going to hit on the big points.  Cornette says he’ll be making his live debut in two weeks, and he’ll be bringing positive changes.  Cornette singles out Aries and says that Aries may not like him.  Cornette says everyone has to tow the line, he wants to hear how people can help ROH, or he’ll be giving people directions to the back door.  Cornette says for anyone in the ROH locker room who doesn’t want to get 100% behind the “creative direction”, he’s got people to help them carry their bags.  Cornette says with him as the middleman between wrestling and TV, anything can happen.  There’s no other wrestling television program like it in the world, and there never will be.

Main Even ROH World Tag Team Title Match: The American Wolves def. The Young Bucks when Eddie Edwards forced Matt Jackson to tap in a single leg Boston crab

Tag Team match of the year?  I don’t know about that, as I guess it’ll have to wait for my year-end top ten list for that to all shake out, but this is definitely in the running.  The Young Bucks are definitely green, but they tend to pull it together a bit more when they’re put in the ring with more experienced teams, and even though the American Wolves haven’t been tagging together as long as the Bucks, Davey and Eddie have more in-ring experience.  I liked all the false finishes, and you can tell that the crowd really thought the Wolves had a chance to lose the belts.  Go out of your way to see this one. A+.

Report Card

In Ring Action: Well, the main event was definitely the match of the night, and one of the better matches ROH have put forth on HDNet.  The tag team match that preceded it could have used more time, but I guess what they did with the time allotted was OK.  Brown’s squashing of Rinauro was fun, or at least more fun that your average squash.  The King/Albright match was a good opener and I’m glad to see that King has been able to be triumphant over the people that have come from out of nowhere to stick up for Jerry Lynn.  Honestly, it makes sense, as it’ll make Lynn’s eventual victory over King when he returns mean that much more.  All in all, it was a good show, but one of the two matches in the middle could have been cut to make room for other aspects of the show.   B.

Out of Ring Action: First things first, the promo from Nigel McGuinness was amazing.  I read that Nigel came back to cut a much more heartfelt promo, which is really cool, but I’m glad that this is the last image that we’ll see of Nigel in ROH, walking away from the Arena, leaving ROH in his past.  The promo from the American Wolves was good, but Edwards has a bad habit of seeming to just echo everything that Richards says.  They aren’t even saying the same thing, but it just seems like Edwards is trying to take all his cues from Davey, and he’s not as good as Davey, so it just comes out sounding forced and hollow.  The Young Bucks also cut a pretty lackluster promo as well, it almost seems as though they’re in the Tyler Black/Roderick Strong school of promos.  The strength of Nigel and Richards more than made up for Edwards and the Bucks.  B+.

Overall: I won’t be surprised if the Bucks/Wolves match ends up on my top ten list that will be out in the next couple of weeks, and based on that alone, I have to highly recommend this episode.  ROH doesn’t really have to go very far out of its way to prove that they have the best tag team division in American wrestling today, it’s shown any time a team like the Wolves steps into the ring with opponents as talented as the Bucks, and they put on a match like tonight’s main event.  If you just can’t seem to find your tag team fix when tuning into WWE, it might be time to check out ROH.  B+.

Well guys, that’s it for another week in the books.  Look for the next edition of BoH to go up shortly after this one, possibly with a new Poll of Honor from an entirely new source.  Alright guys, you know the drill.  Same bat time, same bat channel.  Until next week…

COLT CABANA?!?!?!?!?!?

Non Wrestling Related Media O’ the Week

OK, so I don’t have anything non-wrestling related this week, so this week will be Wrestling media of the week.  I recently got a chance to sit down and watch PWG’s Against the Grain, with Chuck Taylor and Kenny Omega (The Men of Low Moral Fiber) taking on the Young Bucks for the PWG World Tag Team Championships.  If the Wolves/Bucks match was up your alley, buy this DVD, because the MOLMF/Bucks match is superior in almost every way possible.  PWG has been on a hot streak all year, so really any of their DVD’s would be worth purchasing, but if tag team wrestling is your thing, check out Against the Grain.

Tonight’s show features what could be Bryan Danielson’s last ever appearance on ROH on HDNet.  Dragon has been one of the most consistently entertaining, consistently great men in wrestling over the last seven years, and I look forward to watching him practice his craft in WWE.  He’s treated us to some of the greatest matches in ROH history, vs. Morishima, vs. Nigel, vs. Aries, and I can’t wait to see who steps up to fill the enormous shoes that Dragon is leaving behind (my money is on either Davey Richards or Chris Hero).  That leads us nicely into this week’s Poll of Honor:

Who do you think will be the next “Bryan Danielson” for ROH?

OK guys, with that out of the way it is time to get on to the action.

We get a really classy video package for the exiting Danielson.  It’s full of fantastic footage of some of the matches he’s had on HDNet.

Hog and Prazak welcome us to the show and continue the Dragon admiration, Hog saying that there isn’t a guy that has meant as much to ROH over the years as Bryan Danielson.  Prazak mentions that Danielson has been around since the very first show.  Hog says it’s sure to be an emotional night, and then throws us down to ringside for the first match of the night.

Match #1: Chris Hero def. Delirious by pinfall following a rip-chord rolling elbow

So, to add fuel to the fire that is their feud, Sonjay Dutt was out before the match even started to beat down Delirious before the match even began.  The match itself was decent, although it probably would have made more sense had Dutt not attacked Delirious.  The fact of the matter is that Hero is a much better wrestler than Delirious, and given the circumstances before the match, Delirious got in way too much offense.  Now if these two had wrestled the exact same match without the pre-match attack, I think it would have been much more believable.  I have to admit that I’m starting to like Delirious more and more every time he comes out to the ring without Daizee Haze, and now that he’s just recently returned from Japan (something that lit a fire under Hero earlier this year), I hope to see him improve even more.  I don’t ever see Delirious being a viable challenger for a World Title in ROH (which is more due to his gimmick than anything else, I mean really, how could you have a World Champion that only speaks in gibberish), but he could at least put on a couple of fun matches with the champ.  Hero continues to look good, although I want to see him in matches that are a bit more high profile.  That’s one thing that I don’t like about this show is the consistency.  How can Chris Hero be putting on a MOTYC with KENTA one week, and opening the show against Delirious a couple of weeks down the road?  Hero is one of those guys (along with Richards, and possible Omega and King), who deserve to be firmly entrenched in the main event scene, and hopefully with the advent of the Pick Six contenders, that’s what we’ll get in just a short while.  As for this match, I liked it outside of the opening interference.  I don’t think it would have hurt Delirious to lose clean to Chris Hero, and I think it kind of did hurt Hero that there’s an asterisk next to this victory due to Sonjay.  I think if anything, it would have made a ton more sense to have Delirious lose clean, and then have Dutt come out and destroy an already beaten Delirious.  That would have made everyone look a little bit better, and it probably would have given Sonjay a bit more heat (something he could definitely use).  Just my two cents.  B-.

We get another of Dragon’s favorite moments in ROH and this time it’s Gut Check from 2006.  His match against Colt Cabana was pretty damn good, and it was spectacular when you realize that Dragon had separated his shoulder just a couple of minutes into the match.  The two went on to a fantastic 60-minute time-limit draw.  Dragon puts over Cabana saying he’s one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the world.

Match #2 Beard vs. Beard: Necro Butcher and Grizzly Redwood def. Prince Nana and Joey Ryan after Grizzly Redwood connects with a swinging DDT on Joey Ryan

This match was OK.  It wasn’t a technical masterpiece, it wasn’t just a brawl, it was just a fun, short little match made for the sole purpose of having Grizzly Redwood shave “Dirty” Ernie Osiris.  Nothing really seemed to click in this match, I don’t know if it was the fact that the participants involved just don’t have good chemistry, or if it was just that the match never made it out of first gear.  I would have liked to see Nana take more punishment, and eventually the fall.  I don’t agree with Joey Ryan being the one to take the pin.  This guy just hasn’t been used properly at all since he joined the company.  Ryan is the second longest reigning PWG World Champion and I believe he still holds the title for most defenses.  He should not be taking a fall from Grizzly Redwood.  I understand that his gimmick is similar to the champion’s, so they may not want him in the main event scene right now, but he’s such a good wrestler, and he shouldn’t be jobbing to jobbers.  I hope that ROH realizes that this guy could be a great addition to the top of their card before it’s too late.  OK, now that my Joey Ryan rant is over, it’s time to critique the rest of the match.  It was just kind of there.  Redwood and Ryan didn’t seem to work very well together, as it looked like Ryan was anticipating everything just a second or two early.  Necro was good in his role as the consummate puncher, and Nana played up his chickensh*t shtick well.  This match accomplished what it was supposed to, but I still find myself wondering what the real point was.  C.

We get a glimpse at Dragon’s farewell to ROH in New York before we get our final “Top Dragon Memory” from ROH.

Dragon’s favorite match in ROH is his match from Glory By Honor V: Night Two against KENTA.  This is probably my top ROH match of all time; I honestly can’t think of many better matches, I even rank it above any of the Joe/Punk matches or Joe/Kobashi.  Dragon talks about the emotion involved in the match, and how it was his first back after the shoulder injury he suffered in the Cabana match.  Danielson ends by saying it’s probably the proudest he’s ever been as an ROH wrestler to be able to finish the match.

Kenny King gets a bit of promo time where he argues that the ROH locker room is jealous of him.  King’s reasoning is that not half of the guys in the back are able to do what he’s able to in the ring.  He says there’s only one King.

Match #3: Skullkrusher Rasche Brown def. Darren Matthews by pinfall after a torture-rack/burning hammer combination

Rasche Brown is huge.  That was the first thing I thought when I saw him.  I was surprised by his agility, and he pulled out a really cool spinning vertical suplex.  Other than that though, you know my policy.  SQUASH.

Main Event: Roderick Strong def. Bryan Danielson by pinfall after a gutbuster from the second rope followed by a Yakuza kick

It shouldn’t be a surprise to any of my regular readers that my reaction to this match is GO WATCH THIS MATCH!  This was definitely one of the MOTYC that ROH has been able to put forth with pretty astounding consistency.  Even if the match wasn’t half as good as it was, it would still have been worth checking out just for the fact that it’s Dragon’s last match in ROH.  And if Dragon is allowed to go out and put on matches half this good in WWE (because we all know his match quality in WWE will, in all probability, have very little to do with his skill, at least at first), we’re all in for a treat. If I need to spell it out anymore, go to YouTube, find this match, and watch it, maybe two or three times.  A+. A++++/*****/AMAZING (For Dragon’s Career)

Report Card

In Ring Action: So, the squash match was better than your average squash, enough said about that.  The Chris Hero/Delirious match was better than I expected it to be, but again I don’t agree with the outside interference, because really, I don’t think anyone stands to gain anything from it (except Sonjay, who I actually feel could have gained even more by waiting until after the match to beat down Delirious).  The Dragon/Roderick match is definitely going to be in the top 10 TV matches of the year.  This is one to go out of your way to see. B+

Out of Ring Action: All of the Dragon video packages and interview snippets were great and definitely had me amped up and ready to see Danielson’s match against Roderick, if only to see him make one more ROH moment before heading off into the corporate world.  King’s interview was good, and I hope ROH decides to do more with him quick, I just feel like his time in ROH is limited because WWE is going to come calling sooner or later.  This was a bit of a one-note show, but that note was a good one, especially to go out on. A-.

Overall: So, this episode won’t exactly have the highest grade ever, but it’s got the match that I would most recommend seeing, if only because it’s probably got the most meaning of any match that’s happened.  It’s not often that someone is around an organization like ROH for a length of time like seven years.  A-.

Hopefully ROH fans everywhere will try to make it out to WWE events when Dragon debuts to cheer him on.  It’d be amazing to see him climb his way to the top of the cards to main event a WrestleMania one day down the line.  Fingers crossed.  Alright guys.  You know the drill.  Same bat time, same bat channel.  Until next week…

THIS IS THE GUY THAT OUGHTA’ BE SHAVED RIGHT HERE!

Non Wrestling Related Media O’ the Week

I checked out the new show The League, about a bunch of guys and their fantasy football league.  It’s pretty awesome because it’s mainly just these guys sitting around, busting each other’s balls.  If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, this is a show for you.

Not much on this card is really fabulous. I think the couple of matches that look solid will be fabulous and the rest will make us want to run off to grab a beer or go to the loo. The main event should be the talk of the industry. I’m afraid this PPV could be quite depressing and a huge stinker for TNA.

X Division Championship Match – The Amazing Red (c) vs. Homicide

I see TNA starting Turning Point with this match as it should be amazing. Homicide has been on a huge push lately and Amazing Red is an incredible wrestler. Amazing Red throws moves that leaves my jaw on the floor and my eyes bugged out. He is the best smaller wrestler to come up the ranks since Rey Mysterio Jr. Even though Homicide is really good and has been in the middle of a strong push, I do not see him winning this match. I think Amazing Red, with Don West in his corner, still has some serious time with the X Division strap around his waist. I think the partnership between these two men has just started and can only get better from here. But I think it will be one of the best two matches of the night, only to be beaten by the main event. Winner – Amazing Red

Revenge Match – Bobby Lashley vs. Scott Steiner

Who’s going to win this match? I don’t care! This is the same storyline as when DDP stalked Sara and feuded with Taker. This storyline has been done so many times and by so many better wrestlers! Steiner should not be in the ring regularly. Lashley’s been pushed as unstoppable, but we wonder everyday if he’s going to walk away from wrestling to fight MMA full time. At this point TNA would be better off if both of them left wrestling and let the younger guys who can rock a match have the time these two are sucking up. At this point either could win and I wouldn‘t care! Even though Lashley hasn’t lost a match yet in TNA, Steiner’s backstage ego and unhappiness might dictate the outcome. TNA might hand this match to Steiner to keep him happy. As long as Kristal doesn’t turn on her husband because she’s so in love with Steiner, I see Lashley winning it. He’s just too strong and powerful for Steiner to get one over on him face to face. Winner – Lashley

6 Sides of Steel Match – Awesome Kong vs. Tara

This is another match that doesn’t hold much interest for me. They’re going to spend more time setting up the cage and ripping it down than the match will actually last! I know Tara is a tough chick and will be trying MMA, but I don’t think she’s any match for Awesome Kong. And what happened to Kim Couture who got into it with Tara at the last PPV? I know this is a cage match, but if anyone will get involved it will have to be her. Either way I think Tara has bitten off more than she can chew. Kong is going to destroy Tara, but I think they will do everything in their power to make it look good in the cage. Winner – Awesome Kong

Challenge Match – Kurt Angle vs. Desmond Wolfe

A while ago there was word that Angle’s contract was up in September and he would be leaving TNA to possibly return to WWE. Angle even went so far as kiss up to Vince McMahon in a couple of interviews, just to smooth over all the bad stuff he said when he left WWE and joined TNA. But I have heard nothing about that in months, nor have I heard about Angle signing a new contract. So I have no clue. If he was leaving, this would be the perfect way to write him out. Though I doubt TNA would have shown the video of Angle talking up Hogan coming in and how he will be changing the direction of TNA on this past Impact. This leads me to believe Angle’s not leaving, but you can never be sure. I haven’t been thrilled with Desmond Wolfe’s overly strong character in TNA. While strong heels are fabulous, TNA creative have made him too strong and it feels horribly fake. Wolfe has completely destroyed everyone he’s touched in less than three moves, usually in one. That can lead to some serious issues in the future for feuds. We all know he’s a damn good wrestler, but I think TNA is creatively screwing Wolfe up in a big way. Anyway, in picking a winner I have three thoughts – 1) Either Wolfe will bowl right over Angle, it will be ugly and sick. 2) Angle will hold his own somehow, even though Wolfe’s been booked as unstoppable until now, and the beaten down face will win at the PPV as so many matches have been booked in the past two decades! 3) Someone else will get involved, there will be a DQ or some other sort of flummox. With those three ideas in my head, I have to go with the third. I do not see how TNA can pull this match out any other way and save face for either wrestler. Winner – No Contest / DQ / Screwy Mess

TNA Tag Team Championship Match – British Invasion (c) vs. Motor City Machine Guns (c) vs. Beer Money

This could be a really great match or it could be barely this side of boring. It’s never easy to tell with TBI involved. Williams is fabulous and Magnus has really picked it up recently in the ring. As long as the ref gets rid of Terry ringside, it should be an honest match. I don’t see TBI retaining, but then again I did not see them winning the belts when they did, so I could be way off on this one. I really think TBI with the belts has been quite a drag. And while I’d love to see BMI winning, as would so many of their fans, I think it will be MCMG. I think it’s time for the Guns to $h*t or get off the pot. I know that sounds bitchy, but they haven’t had a great reputation backstage and a lot of people think they have just been wallowing in mid-card purgatory because they haven’t shown the initiative needed to get further. I have not heard much bad about them lately and it really seems as though – from where I’m sitting – that they’re ready to work hard. I say put the straps back on them and see what they give back! They’re damn good wrestlers who finally seem to have become serious about their jobs. If what we’ve been seeing is at all true, I think they should and will win this match. BMI have held the belts so often and for so long, I think a feud with MCMG – a semi-friendly feud – could be off the hook. Winners – MCMG

TNA Knockouts Tag Match: All Titles on the Line – The Beautiful People vs. Sarita & Taylor Wilde (c) & ODB (c)

How is this match supposed to run exactly? Both the Knockout Tag Team Titles and the Knockout Title are on the line, but how exactly are they going to be won or lost? I figure if someone pins ODB, that person will win her title. But what if someone pins Wilde? Which of who wins what? Too confusing and not very smart. Not enough explaining. Basically another gimmick falling flat for Russo and Ferrera. My feeling is that none of the titles should change hands. While ODB isn’t the best Knockout Champion, she’s a heck of a lot better than many other choices. If TNA puts any belt of any sort on Lacey von Erich, I will be disgusted and nauseated! The only person with the skills to even hold a belt is Velvet Sky and her gimmick is what’s holding her back. She could do well as Champion if she didn’t have to carry Lacey von Erich. At this point none of these titles should change hands in this screwy match. Winners – ODB, Sarita & Taylor Wilde

Six Man Tag Team Match – Team 3D & Rhino vs. Matt Morgan, Hernandez & D’Angelo Dinero

Nothing like changing the whole direction of a storyline and characters on the last show before a PPV! Suddenly Ray and Devon completely agree with Rhino and think he makes perfect sense? This doesn’t jive with me, but I also doubt that they‘re messing with Rhino. This is the second time in the past month we’ve been expected to believe the quick swerve and daft explanation thrown upon us (the first being Angle’s sudden face turn and he now completely loves and respects the young wrestlers). Cough *BS* cough! Okay, so now Team 3D completely believes the younger wrestlers are out to get them, even though Ray was all hangdog about hitting Morgan and Hernandez over the head with a chair just over a week ago. Now the ECW Originals completely agree with each other and are ready to square off with the two biggest young wrestlers in TNA – that makes complete sense! And while those young wrestlers don’t feel they need a partner, The Pope suddenly decided that he HAS to be part of their group and fight side by side against the ECW Originals? I call foul! This is too contrived. Of course the younger wrestlers are going to win so that Team 3D and Rhino can continue their vendetta storyline. If Team 3D and Rhino were to win their whole theory would fall apart around them. Winners – Morgan, Hernandez & The Pope

TNA Championship Match – AJ Styles (c) vs. Samoa Joe vs. Daniels

This should, by far, be the match of the night! That we’ll have to wait through so many other blecht matches to see it really blows. TNA keeps claiming this is the second time that these three men are facing off for a championship, but from what I have seen, this is their forth time facing off in Triple Threat matches. They faced off at Unbreakable 2005 for the X Division Championship, at Destination X 2006 in an Ultimate X Match and again at Against All Odds 2006 for the X Division Championship. I’m not sure which match TNA has been talking about the past couple weeks, but considering Dave Meltzer gave the Unbreakable match a five star rating, I figure it was that one (just the info I found in my research). While each time prior to this was for the X Division Championship, it does no lessen this match in any way. What I do find interesting is that they have each won a Triple Threat from the other two. Why TNA was not promoting this as the ‘rubber match’ I have no clue! That could have been the perfect angle to push leading up to this PPV. Huge missed opportunity – AGAIN! Even with all that I think this will be the match of the night. If you don’t know anything about how good these guys are in the ring together, go watch the Unbreakable match on YouTube or any of the Styles versus Daniels matches that took place in TNA though the time that all those Triple Threat matches took place. They had some killer matches that should be in the record books. But back to who will win this match? I could make a case for any of the three to win this. Joe is one bad ass and can always handle a title run. Plus he has done such a fabulous job creating strife between AJ and Daniels. But AJ has not been Champion for that long and should retain. AJ is at the top of his game and possibly the best to lead TNA into a new era. Then there’s Daniels. They’re bringing back the (#&^$!#&) Feast Or Fired Match, so why not make Daniels Champion so he can’t lose his job for the third year in a row? Also, Daniels is as justified to be Champion as much as the other two. More actually as he has not won the title yet and deserves to do so! But that still doesn’t answer who I think will win THIS match… Of course Joe will sit back as much as possible and smirk as AJ and Daniels beat the holy heck out of each other, but I doubt Joe will win. Honestly I think it will come down to AJ or Daniels and I do think the ‘attacker’ will be involved in some way. I think the attacker will somehow cost AJ the title and that the attacker is working with Daniels. Winner – Daniels

I really hope that Turning Point is better than it looks on paper, because if it isn’t, we’re in for a horrible PPV, long hours of ranting to each other about it on the live Blog.

TNA threw some matches at us that made no sense but not other matches that would make more sense. Like what happened to a possible match between Abyss and Dr. Stevie or Raven? I really thought something would happen between them there. They did so much setup for nothing to happen. So confusing.

I really wonder how TNA plans on pulling it all out on WWE when this is all they have. I was really hoping things would get better, but it doesn’t seem as though it’s happening at this point.

KB

I haven’t heard from WNW reader The Guy this week, but that’s ok, because I’ve been itching to ask a question of my own recently.

Have you been to any ROH shows?  If so, list them and tell us your experience.

Alright guys, we’re going to have to get straight into the action, the clock is ticking!

Hog and Prazak welcome us to the show and start the hype for the main event tonight, featuring Colt Cabana taking on Nigel McGuinness.  Prazak says there’s rumors all over the interwebs about Nigel’s future, Hog sends us to the first match.

Match #1: The Young Bucks vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe is declared a No Contest when the Dark City Fight Club interferes and attacks both teams

I was trying to rack my brain trying to figure out if I’ve ever seen two legitimate sets of siblings square off against each other in a tag-team match.  I’m positive the Steiner brothers never tagged against Owen and Bret Hart, I don’t think the Steiner’s were even still around in the WWF at the time.  Have the Hardy’s ever fought another legitimate set of brothers?  It’s not really a big deal or anything, it’s just kind of cool.  I was really into this match, and the interference from DCFC came out of nowhere.  For a little bit I wasn’t too happy, then I realized that it accomplished exactly what they were trying to.  Now I need to see a definitive re-match between these two teams, possibly even a triple threat tag team match with all six men thrown in for good measure.  The Bucks and the Briscoe’s have absolutely phenomenal teamwork skills, I really think it goes back to being brothers.  This match was a little more restrained than I expected, but I guess that makes sense too; this feud should build.  It’d be fun to see the Briscoe’s regain the Tag Titles in a couple of months and have the Bucks chase them in a somewhat friendly rivalry.  I really enjoyed this one, and I’m even OK with the less the kosher finishing moments of the match, because I like the bigger picture on this one, I like where it’s headed, and I really wouldn’t mind seeing more.  B+.

Bryan Danielson counts down his top five moments in ROH and one of the moments is Danielson’s match in Philadelphia at ROH’s second PPV, Driven ’07.  Dragon says everyone was really excited because it was a PPV match.  Dragon says his head was busted open and he had to go to the hospital with Jimmy Rave, and that was almost as memorable as the match itself.  Danielson finishes up by saying the whole night was just very special.

Kyle Durden is backstage with the ROH Tag Team Champions, The American Wolves.  Durden says that next week they have Dragon and Roderick Strong, he asks them how it feels.  Davey asks Durden why he isn’t wearing an American Wolves t-shirt.  Davey says that he’s pissed off at all these people walking around wearing Final Countdown t-shirts.  Davey says people should be buying American Wolves t-shirts because they are what ROH is all about.  Richards says that this may be Dragon’s second to last scheduled show on HDNet for the Final Countdown tour, but they’re going to make sure it’s his last stop.  Durden says that it’s historic because Dragon’s leaving, Richards throws him off to the side and Edwards grabs the microphone.  Edwards says that the Wolves make history and that the hunt is on.

Match #2: Rhett Titus def. Alex “Sugarfoot” Payne by pinfall

So, let me get two things straight before I start contemplating this match.  I really like Rhett Titus, I enjoy his gimmick, and I think his ring work is pretty solid.  I think it’s pretty clear that he’s the best product of the ROH wrestling academy.  On the flipside, I am really not a fan of Sugarfoot at all.  I know there are small guys in ROH, but a lot of them are either way more entertaining (Grizzly Redwood, “Dirty” Ernie), or they’re better wrestlers (Cheech and Cloudy).  Sugarfoot just does not look like a credible challenger in any context unless he’s in a tag match with Bobby Dempsey against a couple of other jobbers.  I had the same problem with this match that I had with the Lucky Lottery match that Payne was able to score a couple of weeks ago; Payne looked way too strong here.  I understand wanting to give the guy a “never say die” attitude, and show he’s got a big heart, but there’s got to be better ways to do it.  I mean Sugarfoot could just endlessly kick out of pinfalls for a little while without getting in any offense.  Mikey Whipwreck went months without getting in a single offensive move, and he was better for it.  When he finally did get in some offense (and actually won the tag team titles), the crowd exploded and loved him.  The problem with Sugarfoot is that none of us can suspend our disbelief to the point where we believe Sugarfoot is going to get in any offense against the current ROH champion (LL match).  To be honest, I really don’t even believe that Sugarfoot would be able to get in that much offense against Rhett Titus, I just can’t buy it.  I’m a little disappointed this wasn’t a squash match.  ROH, give Sugarfoot a little more time to mature on the independent scene and the ROH pre-shows.  Please stop bringing him up and showcasing him on your one hour of weekly television, unless it’s just for him to be a body to be thrown around the ring.  C-.

A promo is shown hyping Glory By Honor VIII.  Clips are shown from Ladder War II, Jim Cornette’s return to ROH, and Dragon/Nigel.  Needless to say, this is the kind of DVD that you buy without having to wait around for a review.

Skullkrusher Rasche Brown cuts a quick promo.  He says he’s not an unreasonable man.  He says he wrote a 13 on the wall a couple of years ago because he got in a bar fight with seven guys and pulled out 13 eyes.  Brown says he didn’t pull out the 14^th because he’s a considerate man.  Brown says that pain’s coming.

Tyler Black is backstage with Kyle Durden looking over footage of the spike piledriver that lead to Jerry Lynn’s injury.  Black says that Lynn is at home recovering and that it’s not fair because it wasn’t Jerry’s fault.  Nigel McGuinness walks in and says it’s not Good Will Hunting, it’s wrestling, and if you get hurt in the ring, you’ve only got yourself to blame.  Nigel says that maybe Black has a hard time understanding that, but Nigel has another fact, the ROH title is cursed, and when Tyler is the champion of ROH, he’ll get hurt.  McGuinness says if Tyler doesn’t want to end up hurt, he should change his plans.  Tyler looks into the camera and says it doesn’t matter what anyone says because the ROH title is his dream, and he’ll be the Ring of Honor World Champion.

Match #3: Claudio Castagnoli def. Grizzly Redwood by pinfall

See, now this match was booked exactly as it should have been.  Grizzly got in a believable amount of offense in (next to none) considering his opponent.  Claudio was a lot of fun to watch here, as it was basically just the Castagnoli show.  The no-hands airplane spin was really cool to see, and while I hope he busts that out from time to time, I hope that doesn’t become something that he relies on every match (like Tyler Black’s lionsault/standing shooting star press combo).  Even though it was definitely a squash, it was a good squash.  SQUASH.

Kenny King has a little bit of promo time so he can discuss the “Jerry Lynn” incident.  King says this business isn’t ballet, so he doesn’t feel bad about what happened to Lynn.  It’s a young man’s game.  King says he feels bad that Lynn won’t be able to buy groceries, but his time is up.

Main Event: Colt Cabana def. Nigel McGuinness by pinfall

Well, this was a heck of a swan song for Nigel McGuinness.  I don’t think this is his last appearance on HDNet, as I think he has at least one more segment taped where he addressed the crowd, but this was his last match for ROH on HDNet.  It’s a little bittersweet to see him go, because he’s already on television with another organization, and he’s already doing a great job in a high-level program.  We can all only hope that he doesn’t get buried in a red and yellow flood.  Colt Cabana has been a little bit more fun to watch every time he’s come on.  I still don’t think he’s quite hit his stride that he had before he left for the WWE.  McGuinness wasn’t quite as explosive as he used to be, but that really isn’t too much of a surprise; he hasn’t really been the same since he came back without undergoing surgery.  It also doesn’t make too much sense for him to go all out when he knew he was leaving (presumably for the WWE, but ultimately for TNA) in a few weeks.  I’m glad to see Colt go over here; it makes sense since Nigel has nothing to lose, and it gives Colt a nice little boost by giving him a win over a former ROH World Champion.  Nigel looked good on his way out, and Colt looked good in what was hopefully a move up the card for him.  I’m glad that us ROH fans had Nigel McGuinness to watch for so long, and I’m glad he’s got the opportunity now to prove how talented he is to a larger audience.  I’m also glad that we have a talented roster remaining to help carry the show.  Things should get a lot more interesting in ROH over the next few months.  Also, just a heads up, expect another little note on Bryan Danielson similar to this when his last match is aired in a couple of weeks.  B.

Report Card

In Ring Action: Well, other than the Rhett Titus/Alex Payne match, tonight was filled with a lot of enjoyable wrestling.  Nigel McGuinness/Colt Cabana was an entertaining match that had a lot of things going on and was able to appeal to me as a fan in several different ways.  Castagnoli/Redwood was a good squash match and I had to replay the footage of little Grizz getting spun around three times just because it was a ridiculous spot.  The opener was good, and like I said in the match review, I really want to see more from all three of these teams.  I think Briscoe’s/DCFC especially would be a lot of fun.  Payne/Titus was the only weak link here this week, and I wouldn’t mind if we didn’t see Payne for a little while.  I mean, c’mon, when the crowd is booing the guy who is supposed to be the underdog babyface, you can’t really go anywhere from there; you can’t even turn him heel because honestly, who would care?  Sorry for that little rant, overall this category was very strong tonight.  B.

Out of Ring Action: Tonight had a lot of video and promo moments, but a lot of them were really good, so I didn’t mind too much.  The Bryan Danielson video was really well done, and I’m enjoying the whole “Top Five Dragon Moments” from ROH.  The American Wolves cut a pretty good promo, but Richards seemed a little too preoccupied talking about the merchandise.  The Skullkrusher Rasche Brown promo was, again, interesting, and I like that he’s kind of an old school, psycho heel.  I could see how he could end up getting old pretty quickly though.  Kenny King cut a promo about Jerry Lynn, and it was probably a pretty good promo, but I’m honestly a little sick of hearing about Jerry Lynn right now.  We all know that Lynn is OK at this point, and he’ll probably be back in ROH sooner rather than later to avenge his injury at the hands of Kenny King.  Speaking of being sick of talking about Jerry Lynn, Tyler Black cut a promo talking about Jerry Lynn.  He was interrupted by McGuinness and then he talked about how the ROH title was his destiny.  It might have been good if it weren’t so robotic and forced sounding.  I’m really trying to figure out if Tyler, or Roderick Strong is worse at cutting promos.  Other than the Lynn updates, this was a pretty strong show for promos.  B.

Overall: Tonight was a good show, and although it was nothing mind-blowing, you should still go out of your way to see it, if for only one reason: Nigel McGuinness’ last televised match in ROH history.  Nothing else about tonight’s show really matters when you put the main event at the forefront.  The opener is fun and a hint at what will be a really fun feud down the line, and other than that, nothing else is spectacular.  But the main event is Nigel McGuinness’ last televised match in ROH history, and that’s all that’s really important about tonight’s episode.  B.  A+ (For Nigel’s ROH tenure.  THANK YOU NIGEL clap, clap, clap clap clap.).

So, I’m pretty sure you guys are going to be able to tell that I wasn’t able to finish this one before the in-laws came over.  It’s all good though; it ended up on the site, one way or the other.  Try and figure out where I had to stop and start writing things, and you could win the prize of self-satisfaction.  I’m hoping that next week’s review won’t suffer the same fate.  Alright guys, you know the drill.  Same bat time, same bat channel.  Until next week…

YOU TELLIN’ ME YOU DON’T STRUT AROUND YOUR HOTEL ROOM AT NIGHT, HOG?

Non Wrestling Related Media O’ the Week

The Internet is always good for some pretty goofy fun.  I found this little piece of goodness while aimlessly surfing around the other day, and I thought I’d share it here.  This website http://www.symphonyofscience.com has a couple of great videos re-imagining the late Carl Sagan, and several other scientists (Bill Nye, Stephen Hawking, etc.) as modern day rappers.  Footage from Sagan’s Cosmos series from PBS is auto-tuned and set to music.  It’s pretty amazing, and mildly educational.  Plus it’s just cool to hear Bill Nye “The Science Guy” auto-tuned.