That’s a Wrap #3
Week of February 16th ? 22nd 2009
By: David Stephens of WrestleView.com
Ousta! Welcome back to the only WrestleView column covering topics both nowhere yet everywhere at once. If you are new to the column you are probably going to hate us for the first couple weeks, but then you are going to hit a point where you say ?oh wait a minute, I think he gets it?. Don?t worry, that’s exactly how it is designed to be. This column is all about gut reactions and traveling thoughts. As the great Andy Kaufman once said: ?I just want real reactions. I want people to laugh f rom the gut, be sad f rom the gut, or get angry f rom the gut?.
Failure = Success?
Alright folks this one really blows my mind. I swear that the worse TNA gets, the better its ratings seem to be. It’s like Bizarro world over there [yeah I get bonus points for a Superman reference]. I turned off the TV at the end of the ?Empty Arena? match and vowed never to watch the product again. Truth be told, I think I do that every week; but honestly what was that nonsense? How can you complain and tell TNA they are doing everything wrong when their ratings have been steadily increasing? I honestly think there is some sort of train wreck effect occurring. I blame the high ratings on the fact that people are tuning to watch how ridiculous the whole show has become. I used to love TNA a couple years ago, but I find their current success absolutely mind boggling.
What’s in the News?
No diva will be appearing in Playboy for the issue before ?mania this year – I?m probably more upset about this then I should be ?
Even though it only results in a fine, Marijuana is starting to be avoided by even some top talent so as not to draw heat?
Shad of Cryme Tyme reportedly has heat for a lack of in ring ability – and yet he won his match on RAW this week via pinfall?
HHH sets new record for most WWE Title reigns with 8 by surpassing the Rock for a new total of 13 World Title reigns ? – next stop 16 World Title reigns ?
Funks? announced for the WWE Hall of Fame?
Dwayne Johnson says he has no problem with people calling him ?The Rock? – why is this even news? ?
Gail Kim video promo debuted on WWE.com – and then quickly removed ?
Chyna’s aptly named ?Another Night in Chyna? adult video set for release – that’s just gross ?
Sonjay Dutt released – because why keep the stars who put TNA on the map when you can have a bunch of out of shape ?veterans?? ?
Rourke admitted that the original intent was for him to wrestle a match at ?mania but was talked out of it – I?m seriously going to form a lynch mob to take out whoever was talking in his ear ?
Wrestler f rom ?The Wrestler? who played the steroid/painkiller dealer arrested for dealing steroids – I couldn?t make this stuff up if I tried ?
Scotty Goldman released?
WWE Draft on 4/13 set to be a 3 hour ‘spectacular? – ‘spectacular? was my word choice ?
Freddie Prinze Jr. done writing for the WWE – such a bizarre relationship in the first place ?
Paul London Story Time
I?ve got lots of news and notes f rom the past couple weeks. You can count on this column to always be on top of all the latest Paul London news because I?m not even going to pretend to hide my markdom.
http://www.myspace.com/officialpaullondon“>Paul’s Official Myspace launched
Paul-London.net is now the OFFICIAL website of Paul London
Paul wrestled his first post-WWE match this past weekend for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla in California. Paul was part of a 6-man tag match and won via Shooting Star Press
I just ordered the DVD of the show and you can get it over at PWG’s Official Site
Paul’s upcoming schedule includes:
Michael Porter’s WrestleShoot THIS Sunday 3/15 at 2pm EST
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla show on 3/15
Ratings
WWE Raw 2/16 ? 4.1
WWE ECW 2/17 ? 1.2
TNA Impact ? 1.3
WWE Stock Update
Week of February 17th 2009
Low ? 9.00
High ? 9.75
Quick Results
No Way Out
-Triple H wins WWE Championship (Elimination Chamber Match)
-Randy Orton def. Shane McMahon (No Holds Barred Match)
-Jack Swagger (c) def. Finlay (ECW Championship Match)
-Shawn Michaels def. JBL (All or Nothing Match)
-Edge wins World Heavyweight Championship (Elimination Chamber Match)
RAW
-Women’s Champion Melina def. Beth Phoenix to retain
-Rey Mysterio def. Mike Knox
-Kane def. Jamie Noble
-Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase & William Regal def. Intercontinental Champion CM Punk & Cryme Tyme
ECW
-Paul Burchill def. Boogeyman
-World Tag Team Champion John Morrison def. Tommy Dreamer
-Tyson Kidd def. local competitor
-Christian & Finlay def. ECW Champion Jack Swagger & Mark Henry
TNA Impact
-Motor City Machine Guns def. Lethal Consequences (Street Fight)
-L.A.X. & Shane Sewell def. Brutus Magnus, Sheik Abdul Bashir, & Matt Morgan (6-Man War)
-Taylor Wilde w/Roxxi & Daffney def. Angelina Love w/Velvet Sky & Kip James
-TNA World Tag Team Championships (if the challengers lose, whoever is pinned must leave TNA)
Beer Money Inc. (c) w/Jacqueline def. Team Canada (Petey Williams & Eric Young)
-Sting vs. Kurt Angle (Empty Arena Match) [No Contest]I?m not one to jump on the ?Fire Russo? bandwagon, but seriously how many stipulation matches can you have in one show?!?
Smackdown
-Divas Champion Maryse & Michelle McCool def. Maria & Eve Torres (Divas Tag Team Match)
-Montel Vontavious Porter def. United States Champion Shelton Benjamin & Chavo Guerrero (Handicap Match)
-Umaga def. Scotty Goldman??
-Jeff Hardy def. Edge (DQ) (Non-Title Match)
Must Read WrestleView Column of the Week
Baiamonte’s Casa #2 by Joe Baiamonte
A brilliantly written piece on the role of facial hair in professional wrestling. Plus, Joe is a friend of mine, so go check it out!
Special Mention
Mike Siciliano’s 300th installment of Pro’s f rom the Palace
Shout Outs
-Huge thanks to Mike Tedesco for covering ECW for me last night. I was a bit under the weather and he did a fantastic job. If you aren?t reading his recaps on Friday nights for Smackdown, then you are really missing out.
-Anthony Valvo of ?f rom the Desk of Mr. V? for giving me my first ever gold star this week! If you aren?t waiting with bated breath to read his column each week, then you are breathing far too easily
Loose Ends
-I?m currently working on a logo for the column, awww yeahhh
-I accidentally ordered 2 DVD’s of London’s PWG match this weekend because I tried to cancel the order to change my address, but instead managed to accidentally send one to my grandparent’s house
-Teddy Hart & Paul London are friends, and I am eagerly anticipating that dream match
So ?that’s a wrap??. Love it? Hate it? Disagree with everything I said? Just want to chat wrestling? I?m always up for reading your thoughts so send them ?em on over.
– David Stephens