From the Desk of Mr. V #55
February 18, 2010
By: Anthony J. Valvo of WrestleView.com
**WARNING: THIS COLUMN WILL BE A LONG ONE! PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF A SNACK. IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND ARE CATHOLIC, REMEMBER THAT WE ARE STARTING THE SEASON OF LENT NOW, SO NO MEAT. THANK YOU**
Ladies and Gentleman of the classroom, the introduction will be done by Loyal Student of the Classroom Rocky Dominguez!!
Ladies and gentleman with another exciting edition of From The Desk Here he is the one man everyone would want to stay in detention for, the man the myth the professor, Anthony Valvo!!!!
Enter some Abraham Washington Music (since he won?t be using it anytime soon)?
Thank you Rocky D. and Hello once again students! It is I, your WrestleView Resident Teacher Anthony J. Valvo giving you the very latest in the world that is professional wrestling.
Some of the subjects this week will be The Report Card for all the matches in WWE, TNA, and ROH. We will even get to grade FCW where there is a new Queen of FCW that will earn a Gold Star. Furthermore, I will discuss how much I will enjoy WWE’s NXT and a personal letter to TNA President Dixie Carter.
Also, we will have our detentions, Gold Stars, and kissing up to one of my wrestling idols in Jim Ross. So much to type and so little time. **Later on I decided to do that part of the column tomorrow, sorry if that disappoints you**
Finally, this is the first column on the Mr. V-puter 5000!! I finally gave my Compaq Presario the walking slip and wished it well in its future endeavors. Actually, I am purchasing RAM for it and giving it to my daughter (when she will use it in a couple years). So now right next to me is the HP Pavilion with 6MB of RAM and 1 Terabyte of Hard Drive. Everything is so fast on this and now I don?t have to rip my hair out when I work on columns that are 4,000 words long.
So, I ask all of my students to sit back and relax. If you are a first time reader, welcome to the classroom. To the rest of you, pay attention and eyes on the screen. School is in session!
Quote of the Week
Again, since this won?t be used in the near future and we need our daily fix of this?
If my students did not get that, search ?Tony Atlas Laugh?. If you are not a fan of ?The Laugh?, then you are just lying to this teacher and spend a night in detention.
Teacher’s Lecture
Out of all of these headlines, I am only interested in a couple of them. I am sorry but I am going to address WWE NXT and a possible TNA venue. When I am done with this column and Hunter posts it, I am taking it straight to Dixie Carter’s Facebook page.
WWE NXT…WILL be awesome!
You heard this one right! I am glad they will finally put the ECW letters to rest and they will give us this new program that will take us to some FCW talents. Now I have been watching FCW for the past couple months and I can tell you they picked some talents that are on the cusp of being on the WWE Roster and you will hear their story.
But do you want to know what this show reminds me of, class? To those aspiring to be a teacher let me tell you this. This show feels like a young student-teacher (FCW Wrestler in this case) that was appointed to their cooperating teachers (WWE Pros) by his or her student teaching supervisor (Vince McMahon and Johnny Ace). I guess I can feel for it (if that is the case).
Now, let me run down for you the pairings and my take on each one.
Chris Jericho will mentor Wade Barrett
Rundown of Barrett: He was the color commentator for FCW and a GREAT one at that. We talk about how Matt Striker has the potential to be a decent heel commentator, but Barrett executed it real well down there. However, he is a powerhouse of a wrestler if there is one in FCW. The man is 6?6? and 275 pounds! His signature moves are the big boot and the sitout powerbomb. His finisher is a Spinebuster.
Will the storyline work well with Jericho? Without a doubt, YES!! Jericho is easily one of the best when it comes to cutting promos and he has great ability in the ring. Barrett is a heel who can talk and displays raw power in FCW. With Jericho on his side, he can go pretty far in this company if the WWE uses him right.
Who should Barrett’s Ultimate mentor be? Easy choice here class. Jericho is great, but how awesome would it be if Barrett’s ?mentor? would be none other than William Regal? Regal could easily show him around the ropes and be the brutal force next to Regal that is now occupied by Ezekiel Jackson.
Grade on pairing: A. I love this pairing! This should be one that will be really interesting to watch out of the eight rookies and pros.
Matt Hardy will mentor Justin Gabriel
Rundown on Gabriel: He wrestles in FCW under ?Justin Angel? and is currently the FCW Champion as of press time. He was born in South Africa and was the first WWE talent singed from that area. He has the looks of Adam Lambert from American Idol, and that may catch some viewers? attention. Gabriel is 6?1? and 215 pounds. His signature moves are the discus elbow smash and STO. His finisher is the 450 Splash, in which he does pretty well.
Will the storyline work with Matt Hardy? It’s possible that these two faces will work pretty well. I watched a few of Gabriel’s matches and he does remind me of Matt Hardy a bit when Hardy was a few years younger. So in honesty, this pairing can work?if Gabriel does not fall into the Matt Hardy curse.
Who should Gabriel’s Ultimate mentor be? John Morrison comes to mind. They both do have movie star looks, are at times high flying, and both could benefit learning from each other.
Grade on pairing: B. I like it, but with Matt Hardy’s status with the company he should not be the one that mentors Justin Gabriel.
MVP will mentor Skip Sheffield
Rundown on Sheffield: Get used to the word ?Yip?! Skip Sheffield says that a lot during his matches. He was a past OVW champion under the name ?Ryback?. That gimmick was great. This ?cowboy/football player gimmick? does fit him, but still there is a bit of uncertainty. He was at one time suspended for 30 days while under the WWE Developmental System. He is listed as 6?2? and 275 pounds! His signature moves is the overhead belly to belly suplex. His finisher is The Backpack Stunner. This will not be his first venture into reality TV for the WWE, as he was on Tough Enough 4.
Will the storyline work with MVP? This pairing does not interest me at all. MVP is a good talent, but his stock just is not there with the WWE anymore. That is a terrible thing to type, but look where he was at right after the 2009 Draft and prove me wrong. Pairing him up with Sheffield is overall confusing because of their contrast styles.
Who would Sheffield’s Ultimate mentor be? Without a doubt, who would be a better mentor for this big guy than Batista? Sheffield is powerful, strong, and needed someone to show him the ropes in that department. Batista would be a perfect fit for Sheffield, but sadly that was not meant to be.
Grade on the pairing: C-. It will be interesting if they both complement each other, but I just can?t see this happening.
Carlito will mentor Michael Tarver
Rundown on Tarver: I like his current gimmick. He is one of those ?good side, bad side? competitors. He is listed at 6?4? and 250 pounds. He is very quick for his size, which could lead to big things for him. He is an all-out brawler. His signature moves would be a couple types of bodyslams and his finisher is similar to Big Show’s, the Knockout Punch.
Will the storyline work with Carlito? I see then end of this one being Tarver punching out Carlito. With a pro’s work ethic like Carlito’s I can?t see this working out well for the 32-year-old Tarver. However for Carlito, if he does a good job mentoring Tarver this could lead to a push for the one time success story.
Who would Tarver’s Ultimate mentor be? This is a guy I would pair up with a guy like MVP. Both of their styles work well and MVP could help Tarver with is speaking ability. Tarver is a force, but needs work on speaking to a crowd.
Grade on the pairing: D. I can?t see them working well together based solely on work ethic. Carlito looks lazy in the ring and a guy like Tarver needs someone to help him out between the ropes. Sorry, but Carlito is not a good choice.
The Miz will mentor Daniel Bryan
Rundown on Bryan: I don?t think I need to introduce the ?rookie? once known around the world as ?Bryan Danielson?. Bryan won multiple titles all around the world, including the prized Ring of Honor Pure and World Championship. Bryan has in-ring ability galore! He is a wrestler that can beat you in all styles of wrestling. Pound for pound a top five wrestler currently in the business. According to Wrestling Observer, Bryan won the Most Technical Wrestler Award five times and Most Outstanding Wrestler four times. He is listed as 5?10? and weighs 195 pounds, which makes him the smallest (but most established) wrestler on this show. His signature moves vary depending on the wrestler he is challenging, but he uses multiple types of suplexes and The Indian Deathlock. A couple of his more popular finishing moves are Cattle Mutilation and The Regal Plex. Bryan trained under the great talents in Shawn Michaels and William Regal. I think you get the point that he is a well-established talent.
Will the storyline work with The Miz? Absolutely! I know that Danielson has some mic ability, but nothing like The Miz. If Daniel Bryan is a heel to start off, this could be perfect for both men! I think however this will be the student schooling the teacher move for move inside the wrestling ring. Also, who is the most successful wrestler on the WWE Roster? With the US Title, The Unified Tag Team Titles, and The Big Show in his corner it is hard to say that The Miz is not on that list. Overall, I just like this pairing and who knows, it could really boost Bryan’s career in the WWE. To those who are upset with the name change and how he is in the ring, just read this following sentence. He needs someone to get him over in the WWE crowd. Whether it is working with or against, a guy like The Miz is a good fit for that and will instantly get a viewer’s attention.
Who would Bryan’s Ultimate mentor be? As much as I want to say someone, I CAN?T THINK OF ANYONE. Honestly, he could mentor so many of the wrestlers in FCW and the former ECW by himself. However, I could not see him making an impact in the WWE by himself with the WWE’s style of wrestling. Hence why I really like the pairing and maybe (just maybe) at the end of NXT we may get a Miz/Danielson feud.
Grade on the pairing: A. This pairing will be the talk of the show. The current multiple champion in the WWE ?mentoring? a guy who is miles ahead of him. This could very well be that hero vs. villain storyline on the show. Well Done!
Christian will mentor Heath Slater
Rundown on Slater: Slater has been successful for WWE Developmental since 2006, but could never get that push to the main roster for some reason. I saw a guy that is very confident in his abilities, but too confident. In Deep South Wrestling, he was a good talent but his stock rose up in Florida Championship Wrestling when he tasted both the FCW Championship and the FCW Tag Team Championship (with Joe Hennig, son of the Late, Great Curt ?Mr. Perfect? Hennig). His appearance may look like someone with royalty, but he is actually from West Virginia (no problems here). He is listed at 6?2 and 242 pounds. Signature moves of Slater’s would be flapjack and spinning spinebuster. His finishing move is a Jumping Russian Leg Sweep known as ?Sweetness?. He also appeared on Blue Collar TV (program that featured Jeff Foxworthy).
Will the storyline work with Christian? If Heath Slater listens to Christian’s teachings, it could only help him. If any WWE guy that overcame a lot of adversity this past year it is Christian. Plus, Christian pretty much trained young guys in ECW (case in point Yoshi Tatsu) anyway, and this really could help a guy like Slater. In storylines, Slater is a hothead with could instantly be slapped out of by Captain Charisma.
Who would Slater’s Ultimate mentor be? I think WWE got this one right with Christian. If anyone on the WWE roster that could help Slater get to the WWE Roster it would be Christian. Christian does have patience that could help anyone (remember, he spent a year in ECW as a face of the brand). Edge would not be a bad fit, but Christian I think is a guy that could teach the best out of anyone on the WWE Roster (outside of Finlay).
Grade on the pairing: A+. This will be real fun to watch. I could see this either being a ?moving? experience or Christian just getting fed up with Slater’s shenanigans. Overally, this will be a very good topic of discussion later.
CM Punk will mentor Darren Young
Rundown on Young: He is another one of those power guys in FCW, though his gimmick is really goofy down there. His ring entrance in FCW was DJ Gabriel’s old theme (that dance mix stuff). He proved himself in at least four independent wrestling organizations until he signed with the WWE last year. He is listed at 6?2? and weighs 255 pounds. His signature moves are devastating, as he could destroy anyone with The Tilt-a-Whirl Backbreaker and The Northern Lights Suplex. His finisher is The Running Powerslam. He is not really that ?new? to the WWE, as he appeared a few times on ?Sunday Night Heat?
Will the Storyline work with Punk? It will be interesting storyline, given the fact that CM Punk is playing the role of ?dark straightedge savior? right now. Pairing him with Young will just not be a good thing for Young, unless he knows how to be able to adjust to Punk’s style of wrestling. Hopefully, they won?t shave Young’s head. Young’s hairstyle is awesome, kind of looks like one of those Troll Dolls back in the early 90s. However, it could work if Punk teaches Young some of his technical moves that let Punk to World Title Gold.
Who would Young’s Ultimate mentor be? Honestly, this is a guy I can?t pinpoint someone with. However, maybe (just maybe) a mentor would be John Cena. Cena is a power guy with some ways to ground an opponent. Young is charismatic (like Cena), but he needs more seasoning and Cena would be the best fit for him.
Grade on the pairing: D. I really can?t get into this pairing. However I have been wrong before (see predictions later in this column).
R-Truth will mentor David Otunga
Rundown on Otunga: Well, he is known outside of the wrestling ring as the husband to Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Hudson. He is also a graduate of Harvard Law School, which makes him ?just slightly? smarter than your WrestleView educator. Like a few other NXT rookies, he had experience on reality television in which he was a contestant on ?I Love New York 2? (I think marrying Hudson was a GREAT move there, smart guy). In the ring, he still needs seasoning and I think Hudson is one of the reasons he is on this show. He is listed at 6?1? and weighs 250 pounds. He finishes off his opponents with ?The Verdict?, which is a chokeslam. I personally like the name of the finisher. He was trained by Tom Prichard and (the very underrated) Norman Smiley.
Will the Storyline work with R-Truth? As long as Pretty Ricky does not make an appearance. Honestly though, I like this pairing. R-Truth seems to be a good teacher in professional wrestling, and he is actually pretty accomplished in the ring. So, to answer this question, I like this pairing. I can?t see any downside to this.
Who would Otunga’s Ultimate mentor be? I think that R-Truth is a good pairing, but I think someone like The Big Show could be even better. Both of their styles are similar, so The Big Show could really give him some pointers on power.
Grade on the pairing: B. A rap artist meets up with the husband of Jennifer Hudson. This is a great pairing for those that like reality TV. For non-wrestling fans, this mentor/student pairing will probably be the most watched.
Well, I hope you enjoyed that lecture. Next week, after I watch NXT I will try to work out Season 2 for them (if there is one).
A Special Letter to Dixie Carter
**This letter will be going out to TNA President Dixie Carter. Last weekend, TNA’s venue for a house show in Pittsburgh, PA suffered a roof collapse. The Rostraver Ice Garden was hosting a hockey tournament when people heard some pillars cracking. Ten minutes later, the roof collapsed with no one being injured. So here is a special letter to Dixie Carter.
Dear Ms. Carter,
I will try to keep this letter very short, as right now you are probably eating some donuts and drinking champagne (or prune juice) with Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and one or two Nasty Boys. I hope that is going well for you, as actually the TNA product has improved a bit since those guys took over your proud little company. Hey, the less Jeff Jarrett, the better right? Just kidding, Ms. Carter.
Now, also I want to apologize about how the venue your company book in Pittsburgh is not fit for wrestling. I am sure some fans are disappointed and now that ticket sales are now suspended because of this unfortunate event. However, I have a GREAT venue that you can book this house show. It can seat a couple or so thousand of TNA fans in the Pittsburgh area and it is only a few minutes from my backyard. This building actually has a little bit of history when it comes to professional wrestling. Please, take a sip of that good champagne and read the next paragraph.
You could pick the Sewall Center in Moon Township and I will not mind that. Kurt Angle is from that area and he would more than likely get a hero’s welcome in his hometown. But look at the last name’sounds a lot like the last name of a TNA referee that quit your company, huh? You considered Belle Vernon, which is actually small than the place I want to discuss with you right now in the form of the letter. Now, here is my suggestion for a new venue for the Pittsburgh Show. You won?t have to worry about parking, tickets, and I am sure you will get at least 1,000-2,000 people to check it out (especially if it is up to me).
How about having the show at the CCBC Golden Dome in Monaca, PA? We have hotels within a couple miles from the location (actually three of them). We have a mall a couple miles away for some of your talents to do autographs signings. And more importantly, we have history in the Golden Dome.
Ask many of your talents (Team 3D and Taz come to mind) how they like the Golden Dome in Beaver County. Why do I ask this? Well, in 1997 ECW debuted for the first time on pay-per-view at?THE GOLDEN DOME! The event attracted almost 5,000 fans to watch wrestlers destroy each other in the ring. ECW even hosted events at The Dome on more than one occasion. And for the most part, the area surrounding the venue is well-liked and respected. We have everything within 2 miles for your needs.
Also, if you do this Ms. Carter I would like a VIP Pass. Why? Well, because if you book the event at The Golden Dome I will personally present a nice care package of Mac’s Donuts (best donuts in Beaver County) and a bottle or two of champagne. Only the best for the #2 wrestling promotion in the business.
I hope you take this venue into consideration. If you want more information, I would be more than happy to give you the information. Heck, I would even call and see what days are available. You want exposure but not want to enter the City of Pittsburgh. I understand that, the city is nice and all but the traffic is pretty bad on a Saturday evening. I know, my brother is a police officer.
Well, I will close this letter to you. If you don?t read this I will be sure to get some of my readers to post the column on your Facebook Page. Please consider this request from a fan of TNA for years.
Thank you for your consideration,
Anthony J. Valvo, Professional Wrestling Columnist for WrestleView.com
E-Mail: mistervwv@yahoo.com
Wow, I can?t believe I just typed over three thousand words on just two topics. I must be real passionate about NXT and TNA, which is weird. You know what class. I am going to close this column right now.
I know guys like Ricky Langston, Zac Clark or even CJ Bowman are throwing spitballs and paper airplanes in my direction. At least Crystal Mai, Sam Newstone, and Darraugh O?Connor have respect and would not do that.
So with that, later on this week (and I promise since the V-Puter 5000 can handle the power) I will present Column #56. If I continued, it would be WAY too much to digest. So at least for tonight, let’s close this up
Early Dismissal
Well, that does it for me this week. I thank you all for reading and I hope you did enjoy this Well, that does it for me at least for tonight. In honesty, I actually want to spend some time with my daughter (I promised her the ?tea party?) and my ceiling in the living has been leaking since Monday night. But I do have this homework assignment for those until tomorrow. Gold Start if you do this.
Homework Assignment
To those who have ?Dixie Carter? as a friend on Facebook, I seriously want this TNA house show in Monaca, PA. So, if you are a friend please copy the link on your browser and paste it on her Facebook page. Gold stars for a month if you do this.
If you want to get a hold of me during the week, please e-mail me at mistervwv@yahoo.com or by leaving me a message on Facebook.
Now, students you are allowed to leave the classroom. Please push in your chairs, line up straight, and exit to the closest door around you. Until the usual detentions, Gold Stars, and Honor that will appear tomorrow on Mr. V #56 I say rest up tonight, because there will be more school (DOUBLE of Mr. V this week) tomorrow. So until tomorrow, you are all?DISMISSED!!
Mr. V does read e-mail, so drop the teacher a line: mistervwv@yahoo.com.
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http://www.examiner.com/x-26526-Pittsburgh-Pro-Wrestling-Examiner
New content on the Examiner this week (I hope the powers do not get mad) starting Thursday.
If not for the students, there would be no Mr. V. Thanks for reading my column.
REMINDER: Mr. V will be back at his desk tomorrow with additional content. Thank you for your time tonight.