From the Desk of Mr. V #64
April 23, 2010
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
Introduction
This is where I already feel bad because Rocky Dominguez gave me a great introduction, but I accidently deleted it because all of my Facebook comments get sent to my e-mail and his intro was “just another victim”. Next week, I will do better, but until then.
Welcome once again class to “From the Desk of Mr. V”. I am your resident teacher of WrestleView and I will provide you with the good and bad of pro wrestling. Each week I will keep the predictions records up. Inside today will be a lecture on a few buzz worthy wrestling stories, detentions, Honor Rolls, and of course some freshly painted Gold Stars. Also, I would like some more takes on your thoughts from WrestleMania a few days ago. So students, have a seat and grab a beverage of your choosing. School is in session for the 65th time “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Quote of the Week
“Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”
– Albert Einstein
There was no real meaning to the quote of the week this week. The only reason I added it was because I am a fan of Albert Einstein, especially his Theory of Relativity. So that is the reason for the quote.
Earth Day 2010
Also, I will take this moment to say a happy holiday to….the Planet Earth! Many people are still unaware about the April 22nd being Earth Day 2010 and coming from someone that had a nine-week student teaching placement at McKeever Environmental Learning Center, I find it pretty important to do my fair share of protecting the world we live in. Here are some quick, yet efficient tips that one can do to protect the Earth.
Eliminate the use of Styrofoam cups.
Recycle anything that is plastic, paper, or glass when finished with them.
(For teachers) use eco-friendly coffee filters because I know I do.
Cut down on filling up your gas tank.
Turn off the water when one is not using it.
See, Mr. V can go “green” without all these reminders from NBC, Syfy, and The Weather Channel. I have been doing my fair share and I encourage my readers to do the same.
Now, let’s get back to wrestling…
Teacher’s Lecture
1) Wrestlers had no choice but to “job” to Eyjafjallajökull (the volcano in Iceland)
Well, out of all the stories I find this one to be one of the most odd I have ever typed about. Although the Smackdown roster traveled home safe and sound over the weekend, the Raw Roster were grounded in Ireland due to the volcano in Iceland.
However, it was not just WWE talent that was stuck in Europe. Also stuck in this fiasco were two notable champions in wrestling promotions outside of World Wrestling Entertainment. Those wrestlers were Douglas Williams (now former TNA X-Division Champion) and Claudio Castagnoli (current ROH Tag Team Champion).
I will only address the situation regarding the WWE because due to the volcano Raw could not make it to East Rutherford, NJ for their show. Instead, the fans who attended and the people watching at home were welcomed by superstars from the Smackdown roster! Even Raw announcer Justin Roberts was grounded, so the WWE made a call to Lillian Garcia to do the announcing. I for one gave credit and marked out for Garcia. She truly does have the voice and I missed her greatly when she retired. The only downfall was that Michael Cole was able to call the action on Monday Night Raw. Jerry Lawler was with him actually provided some great commentary. I thought it was because of the lack of a Diva’s match.
Now, let me just lecture those who thought RAW was a “subpar” show. Was it really that subpar? Or was it a good show despite the situation in Europe?
Well, here is my answer. I was entertained and thought the wrestling was pretty good. The WWE was really in a peculiar state, but the writing team did a fantastic job despite the timeframe they had to put on a show for the fans in New Jersey. Give credit to Smackdown’s roster, the WWE writers, and even Lillian Garcia for making what could have been a dreadful show and turned it into a nice, live spectacle that RAW usually delivers.
The storylines were great. I liked how they teased the fact that CM Punk’s head could be shaved this Sunday (though my early prediction states that CM Punk will win). It was great to see John Cena, Randy Orton, and Sheamus cut a promo thousands of miles away. It was a pleasant surprise to see The Undertaker wrestle for the first time since he went all-out against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania. Even the guest host segments were, dare I say, pretty good. I know I was marking out for Vladimir Kozlov and his quest to attack MacGruber.
Also, Prince Nana from ROH’s Embassy was a backstage extra during the skit with Jericho talking to MacGruber. Well, at least I thought it was Prince Nana talking to two guys at least (it was inaudible of course).
Sure, there were some moments that Raw did not do well, but like I mentioned one should not really be harsh because I am certain that writing for the WWE is hard. We all expected Monday Night Raw to really be a bomb, yet at least for the wrestlers involved it was a solid go-home show leading to Extreme Rules.
2) Rob Van Dam celebrated immensely on….4/19!
I am not going to joke about 4/20 and RVD because I don’t think it is appropriate. However on TNA Impact last Monday we got a NEW Heavyweight Champion in Rob Van Dam.
At first, I looked at my notes and said “oh great, another former WWE guy that is pushed in TNA”. But after a second glance and looking at the ratings of Impact, my mind was changed.
AJ Styles was a great TNA World Champion in this run. Styles held the title for 211 days, longer than anyone else since TNA’s World Title status branched out of the NWA (credit: Wikipedia). However, did his championship reign give TNA an increase in ratings recently? Did people buy the Pay-Per-Views to see AJ Styles? The answers to both questions were NO!
Outside of the initial TNA ratings from January, TNA’s ratings were steadily declining. When TNA decided to go head-to-head with Monday Night Raw, the show’s rating declined from a 1.0 in early March to a .62 later on. Since they bumped Impact an hour earlier than Raw, they enjoyed a minor boost in ratings. When Rob Van Dam won the TNA World Title, they posted a 1.0 overall rating (their highest since the Week of March 8th). (Credit: Gerweck.net)
Look, I think Styles is one of the best wrestlers in the world (I would consider putting him in my top 15 so far in 2010). However with the ratings and the lack of interest from the common wrestling fan, the team in TNA knew something needed to be done. TNA looked at their roster, found some guys that were talented and over with the crowd. I also looked at the challengers to AJ’s title (on their Pay-Per-View cards) since he won the World Heavyweight Title at No Surrender back on September 20, 2010.
Bound for Glory 2009 – AJ Styles defeated Sting. After that match, Sting took a leave and did not return until January. Sting’s first opponent I believe when he came back was Rob Van Dam.
Turning Point 2009 – AJ Styles defeated Daniels and Samoa Joe. I saw the match and I thought it was great. Daniels got another title shot the following PPV, while Samoa Joe got another shot at Against All Odds 2010.
Final Resolution 2009 – AJ Styles defeated Daniels. Since then, Daniels lost to Sean Morley among others. Daniels was buried, reportedly released, and the last time I saw him was earlier in April 2010 for…Ring of Honor.
Genesis 2010 – The first PPV of the Hogan/Bischoff era. AJ Styles defeated Kurt Angle by cheating. With the help of Ric Flair, Styles clocked Angle with the title and got the cheap victory. This match started a trend in which the champion could not win matches cleanly.
Against All Odds 2010 – AJ Styles defeated Samoa Joe and this was not “even” the Main Event for the evening! This was another cheap win for Styles. Joe was distracted by Bischoff (as well as Flair) and Styles got the better of this by hitting the Styles Clash. Since then, Joe was kidnapped and shoved into a van. Last Monday, he resurfaced in his old ring attire and does not have a private part on his face.
Destination X 2010 – AJ Styles retained his title by a no-contest decision. Abyss chokeslammed Styles through the ring mat, followed by Desmond Wolfe and Ric Flair getting sent down there that was funnier with the Benny Hill song playing in the background. Again, a fuzzy finish in my view. Abyss now is wrestling Hogan’s battles and should not be a World Title contender.
Lockdown 2010 – AJ Styles defeated D’Angelo Dinero thanks in part to…Ric Flair and a trusty pen. Though Dinero is a great talent and underrated in TNA, he is not yet at that World Title status.
So, AJ retained his title by:
1) Beating Sting clean in Sting’s hometown. Sting was planning on taking a leave and no way was he going to get the belt.
2) He defeated Daniels and Samoa Joe twice, none of those two were considered to be a World Champ (though Joe was a pretty good one back in the days of 2009).
3) Since Ric Flair was his manager, he retained by cheating or being slammed through a mat.
Those stats to me equaled out to this. Sure, Styles was the champion (and he did deserve that) but he really was not a strong champion since December of 2009. I do enjoy the heel AJ Styles, but the TNA World Champion right now should not be around his waist.
Putting the title on Rob Van Dam (this soon) was a great idea. Jeff Hardy would have been a good option too, but he has baggage with his upcoming and often-delayed trail in North Carolina. Kurt Angle is talking a leave and Sting is doing this part-time. In order to get (hopefully) a better rating, the fans want to see a clean victory and a face holding the title. Who is the most popular wrestler on that TNA roster right now? The one that has the fans chanting his name even before he enters the ring? That would be Rob Van Dam!
So, to Rob Van Dam I say this. First off, I hope you wife is doing well and recovering from colon cancer. I applaud you for tending to her and taking a leave from wrestling (I would not be surprised if they put this in a TNA storyline as to why he did not wrestle for nearly two years). Second, congratulations on becoming the NEW TNA World Champion! I expect their ratings to still be in the 1.0-1.2 range. But it is better than where it was in weeks past.
Here is hoping that Van Dam holds that title for a few months. He deserves it.
3) WWE Draft this Monday!
I will discuss my mock draft on The Teacher’s Lounge because I don’t want to make this a very long column this week. I will provide my grades to each wrestler after the draft. So, stay tuned for that.
Detentions
To be honest, nothing really riled me up this week. I had a feeling that it would be a great week and it truly was. So, I guess I will give only a few the dreaded “detention”
ETS and the Praxis Series – For making me have to pay another $155.00 to take a test in which I know I will pass. It is a shame that though people are certified by their institution of learning that they are not “certified” until they pass these stupid tests.
TNA – For not making sure your Knockouts are safe. First, Daffney got hurt and I am glad she is alright. Now it was reported that Angelina Love tore a bicep. That is a shame because Angelina Love is really making a strong comeback.
Jim Cornette – For issuing a death threat to Vince Russo. I am a big fan of yours and I know you are very passionate about the business. But instead of ripping on TNA, make ROH better with your actions.
Mr. V – For being the worst Predictor out of the Faculty. I am truly not on my “A” game this year. Here is hoping I can get over .500. If it was not for TNA’s PPVs I could be up there…
Carlito – For making me fall asleep during one of your matches. Since becoming a columnist for WrestleView, I never fell asleep during a match..until now!
WWE’s Treatment to R-Truth the past few weeks – It is just puzzling that he not even a month ago looked to be in a good situation. But now he is losing a little bit more. I hope that Truth does get a change in the WWE Draft.
David Otunga – For calling himself “A-List”. What happens if Jennifer Hudson breaks up with this guy? I am not wishing for that, but the guy is only over because someday he will be Mr. Jennifer “A-List” Hudson.
Joakim Noah – Win something in the NBA before you rip on an NBA city, ok?
(From Sam Dorseygordon) TNA Creative – for having RVD win the title on monday. It does nothing to the credibility of AJ Styles to have him lose a match to someone who was wrestling his fourth match in 24 hours. Nothing against RVD (except for maybe not selling like he had been in four matches), but a guy who’s been out of wrestling for a few years and only been in your company for a month + should not be going 4-0 in a 24 hour period against your top stars.
DUNCE CAP OF DOOM GOES TO…Former WWE Raw Guest Host Ben Roethlisberger! Right before I typed this column, the National Football League issued a 6-game suspension (without pay) to the Quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It could be reduced to 4 games for good behavior.
I have been a Pittsburgh sports fan all my life. I had many people ask for my thoughts on this situation. All I can say is he is guilty for being stupid. I don’t want to completely rip on this because we are all not perfect people. However, being the face of a sports franchise means a lot of responsibility. Though Roethlisberger does donate crime dogs to various police stations, word around this area is that he is not a good guy. He refused to sign autographs to children in need and gets himself into a lot of various problems (his motorcycle wreck and showing off “Little Ben” are just a couple of them).
Steeler fans want him gone, but I don’t think it will happen…yet. I think the guy gets one more chance and if he goofs up, I am sure Al Davis will give us three first round picks for him.
So, “Big Ben” I won’t be harsh like the NFL commissioner was to you. Sit at the corner and put the Dunce cap on your head for a week. You are officially the first guest host from RAW to be enshrined in Mr. V’s Dunce Cap of Doom!!
Previous Cappers were: Past Dunces in Mr. V’s classroom: Kate Gosselin, Bubba the Love Sponge (twice), Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Michael Cole (twice).
Mr. V’s Honor Roll for the week of April 12, 2010 – April 18, 2010
Here was Mr. V’s schedule in regards to grading these matches.
4/12 – Graded WWE Monday Night Raw and TNA Impact matches
4/13 – Graded WWE NXT Matches
4/14 – Column Writing. After that, I watched ROH on YouTube and recap the show.
4/15 – Graded WWE Superstars.
4/16 – Graded Smackdown Matches
4/17 – OFF DAY
4/18 – It will now be an OFF DAY until I finally get an FCW link.
** For the record, I will NOT be grading those subpar “challenges” from NXT. **
After watching this week’s showings from all promotions, the best match of the week was a no-brainer. However, with six matches fighting for the last two spots it made my decision very difficulty. So, here are my top three and I hope you students agree.
Distinguished Honors – Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge, Friday Night Smackdown, April 16.
How did it end? Edge hit the Spear on Chris Jericho, but Jack Swagger pulled Edge off of him and got the pinfall over Jericho to retain his World Heavyweight Title.
Grade: A- (leaned towards a B+).
The overall thoughts: I was very impressed with the start and how evenly contested this match was. I enjoyed the overall back and forth by all three wrestlers in which no one really had the upper hand until the end of the battle. Though there was at one point no-selling, it made up in the execution. All three did a great job balancing out their offense; they knew where to be in the ring and where to be positioned. The match was strong from start to finish, and the ending was pretty good. Usually a cheap win could bury someone, but in this case it made Jack Swagger more intelligent. He saw an opportunity and took it from Edge.
High Honors – Kazarian vs. Shannon Moore, TNA Impact, April 12.
How did it end? Kazarian and Shannon Moore were exchanging pinfall attempts, but the bell ended this match. TNA gave this match a 10-minute time limit, and the limit was reached. So, Kazarian and Moore’s match ended in a no-contest.
Grade: B
Overall Thoughts: The start of this match was very strong with both wrestlers exchanging moves. This was not your usual “X-Match”, as most of the action was inside the ring and ground based. It is not an X Division Match without a few daring maneuvers, but each one was pretty accurate to the story in the ring. Having Douglas Williams (the rival in this storyline) do commentary about technical wrestling was not less that brilliant, as he kept this match very entertaining. I liked the time limit draw (it was the first one for any promotion since I believe AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle the show before Bound for Glory, though I could be wrong). It was a nice way to end this match and made it harder to tell who would be the winner of their contest come Lockdown (though it changed because of that volcano). Overall, it was a great showing by both wrestlers, along with Williams who provided another voice to this battle.
Honors – Eddie Edwards vs. Kevin Steen, ROH on HDNet, April 12.
How did it end? Kevin Steen had the Crossface on Eddie Edwards when El Generico distracted Steen. Steen broke the hold, stared at Generico, and then turned around into a Small Package by Edwards.
Grade: B
Overall Thoughts: (From my ROH Recap from this past week). Steen and Edwards had a good match in and out of the ring. I really enjoyed how Steen addressed the elbow throughout the match and Edwards reactions to it. Though it was a bit rushed, I thought overall Edwards generated enough offense, while Steen told the story of being just an unemotional yet confused wrestler. Plus, adding Generico in the mix just to stare down Steen was pretty good as well.
And now…Mr. V’s Overall Grade book
A+, A, or A-: Jack Swagger vs. Chris Jericho vs. Edge (Smackdown)
B+: None to Report.
B: Eddie Edwards vs. Kevin Steen (ROH); Kazarian vs. Shannon Moore (TNA); Jeff Hardy vs. Robert Roode (TNA); Randy Orton vs. Batista (RAW); Christian vs. Wade Barrett (NXT); and Tyson Kidd, David Hart Smith, and Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk, Luke Gallows, and Darren Young (Smackdown);
B-: The Miz vs. David Hart Smith (RAW) and Christian vs. Chavo Guerrero (Superstars)
C+: Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus (RAW); Ted DiBiase vs. MVP (Superstars); and Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James (Smackdown)
C: Jerry Lynn vs. Jake Manning (ROH); Matt Morgan and Amazing Red vs. Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley (TNA); Evan Bourne vs. Carlito (RAW); Matt Hardy vs. Carlito (Superstars); and Drew McIntyre vs. Kane (Smackdown)
C-: Kevin Nash, Syxx-Pac, and Scott Hall vs. Brother Ray, Brother Devon, and Jesse Neal (TNA); Eve Torres vs. Maryse (RAW); John Cena vs. David Otunga (RAW); William Regal vs. Daniel Bryan (NXT); Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth (Smackdown); and JTG vs. Caylen Croft (Smackdown)
D+, D, or D-: D’Angelo Dinero vs. AJ Styles (TNA); Velvet Sky vs. Angelina Love (TNA); Brie Bella and Nikki Bella vs. Gail Kim and Kelly Kelly vs. Jillian Hall and Rosa Mendes (RAW); and Darren Young vs. Luke Gallows (NXT);
F or INC: El Generico vs. Steve Corino (ROH)
BONUS: PREDICTIONS FROM THE FACULTY STANDINGS
(As of TNA Lockdown)
The Lockdown records are in parentheses. I did a vote on whether or not to count two of the matches, and almost everybody voted to not count these two matches from
Lockdown:
The Xscape Match (the changed the entire match from a Tag Team to a 4-Man Xscape contest between Chris Sabin, Alex Shelley, Homicide, and Brian Kendrick).
The X Division Title Match (since Douglas Williams could not be there due to Eyjafjallajökull, they changed it to a match to determine the vacant TNA X Division Title).
So, we agreed to record seven of the nine matches on this card. So, here are the standings that were entered last weekend.
1) Josh Boutwell (Viva La Raza and TNA Recapper)……………….23-14 (5-2)
2) Daniel Browne (For Queen and Country)……………………………..22-15 (3-4)
3) David Stephens (That’s a Wrap and RAW Recapper)………….21-16 (3-4)
4) Students of the Week (The Best from Prev. PPV)………………21-16 (4-3)*
5) Matt O’Brien (Notes From The Nosebleeds)…………………………21-16 (4-3)
6) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings)……………………………………21-16 (5-2)
7) WrestleView Students (The Loyal Readers)………………………..20-17 (4-3)
8) Joe Baiamonte (Baiamonte’s Casa/2009 WV Champ)………19-18 (3-4)
9) Sean Hurley (The Sharpshooter)………………………………………..19-18 (4-3)
10) Doug Lackey (Reality From Ringside)………………………………….17-20 (4-3)
11) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/ROH Recaps)……….16-21 (2-5)
12) Jeff Springer (WWE Superstars Recapper)……………………………14-11 (2-5)
13) Mike Tedesco (Smackdown and NXT Recapper)…………………14-16 (INC)
SUPERSTARZZ went 4-3 for the Lockdown PPV, he did not retain his Student of the Week Status.
Among the Faculty, Josh Boutwell and Jose Marrero posted 5-2 records and they were the highest among the columnists
Out of the Students, we had a three-way tie for the win. Jeremy Samples, Eric Marin, and Josh Morgan posted a record of 6-1 for the Lockdown PPV. When the column comes out, I will e-mail the three of you an invite to provide picks for WWE’s Extreme Rules.
Overall, we had 20 “WV Students”. They averaged a win total of 3.6. Since I estimated the student’s picks, I had them marked as 4-3.
Past Students of the Week: Evan O’Brien, TJ Patton, Ricky Langston, Craig Alan Cope, Paul Lyons, and SUPERSTARZZ.
MISTER V’S GOLD STAR SEGMENT (Sponsored by: JR’s BBQ Sauce! There are still some great items for sale right now. Check out the site for further details at www.jrsbarbq.com)
Once again, Gold Stars from the desk of Mr. V are plenty. Here are the people or objects that deserved a Gold Star for their efforts. So, let’s begin to announce the Gold Stars.
Crystal Mai – For being a tremendous guest on The Teacher’s Lounge last week.
Josh Boutwell and Jose Marrero – They both earned one for getting the best Lockdown PPV record among the Faculty at 5-2.
Josh Boutwell – He earned another Gold Star for claiming the being the NEW #1 in our Overall Predictions from the Faculty Standings. In honor of Dean Boutwell, he told me to play this video…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRh0suBcx-A
Jeremy Samples, Eric Marin, and Josh Morgan – Among the WV Students, they posted the best mark at 6-1 and are invited to be the “Students of the Week” for the latest predictions article.
Daniel R. Browne – He earned it for holding on to the Dean spot in the predictions article for the past few weeks.
SUPERSTARZZ – For being a great “Student of the Week” last week.
Lester Junior – I was told to give him a Gold Star. And since he is the leader in another Fantasy Baseball League, I earned it. That and he gave me a trophy for my knowledge in Pittsburgh Pirates baseball.
Pittsburgh Penguins – For winning three straight games. May my playoff goatee continue!
Pittsburgh Pirates – Still over .500! Somebody pinch me…
Ryan Gray – In the WrestleView Fantasy Baseball league, he is currently tied for first place with another. I will not address the other person who is tied with him for the lead, as it would feed a teacher’s ego even more.
That Fordham Baseball Player – For this…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtUlc0-6z8A
Anthony “Don Tony” DeBlasi and Kevin Castle – Because they earn one for keeping me entertained with stories outside of wrestling.
To all that completed the homework assignment – Their work will be posted under “Homework Analysis”. Thank you all who completed this.
Rob Van Dam – Your NEW TNA World Heavyweight Champion. A very deserving champion and could be “The face of TNA” for quite some time.
Madison Rayne – Your NEW TNA Knockout’s Champion. Hunter Golden mentioned that she was improving every time she is in the ring, and I can’t dispute that. It is refreshing that fans get surprises like that.
Angelina Love and Daffney – Please get well soon.
Wade Barrett and Chris Jericho – For making NXT watchable the past few weeks.
Josh Mathews – He earns one for really upping his game on NXT. This is not to bash on Michael Cole, but Mathews has been very level-headed and calls a good match.
Jim Ross – Because it is my column and he deserves one.
The Miz – I would not usually do it, but I went on Hulu to watch Smackdown and they had a “From the Vault” match from 2007 with Kane. The Miz has improved drastically since then and it makes one appreciate The Miz’s desire to be the best in the WWE. Kudos to you Miz!
Undertaker – For coming off your leave for one match and doing a great job against Jack Swagger.
Lillian Garcia – It was great to hear her voice again.
Dunkin Donuts – Because Mr. V runs on Dunkin!
Homework Analysis
Last Week, I asked this question:
Jack Swagger is your new World Heavyweight Champion. Do you think it was just right, too soon, or should never have happened?
Before I present my students’ views on this topic, let me share mine:
Mr. V’s Take: I said before that Swagger was going to be a major star in the WWE. However, I was worried earlier this year when he was losing challenges to main event stars and lower-tier wrestlers such as Santino Marella.
When he won the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania, I was surprisingly shocked. I thought they would have given it to someone who was getting pushed or someone that was ready for a title run. When Swagger won that case, I worried that they would have him cash it in sometime over the summer and lose the match and put him in that Intercontinental/United States Title picture towards the year and perhaps be in the World Title Picture sometime in 2011 or even 2012 given the amount of main event stars on Raw and Smackdown.
When he defeated Jericho the Tuesday after WrestleMania, it was shocking to say the least. I mean, I did read the spoilers and saw the outcome well before Smackdown aired, but I was still shocked. Swagger winning the World Heavyweight Champion makes him a topic of debate. Some say it was too soon. Some say should never happen because he can’t cut a promo. Some say it was the right time to give him the title. Here is my thought about this.
I think putting the title on Jack Swagger right now may have been just a tad bit too soon. However, since becoming champion his role is that of a more serious-type wrestler. Gone are the days in which he is smiling and doing push-ups before he enters the ring. Now, we got someone that dresses classy and shows, well, swagger. Right now with Jericho feuding with Edge and CM Punk feuding with Rey Mysterio it made me wonder a bit why Swagger was the champion. Now I get it.
Sure, it happened too soon. But Swagger is built like a World Champion. With that, right now I think he is a perfect fit to be that Young World Champion that the WWE is shooting for. Swagger can beat opponents with more than just one set of moves. He proved it (though unsuccessfully) that he can go toe-to-toe with the likes of Randy Orton, John Cena, and The Undertaker. His promo work is in progress, but we are seeing progress.
So in conclusion, Swagger may have got the push too soon, but he clearly deserves a chance to prove that he is a star. He did a superb job as the ECW Champion last year and would actually preferred if he was the United States or Intercontinental Champion before his World Title run. But, if the WWE was to push a young, under 30 year old superstar, look no further than Jack Swagger.
Now, let’s see what some students typed. I got these out of my e-mail so if you posted yours on Facebook I may not have pasted it in this column. My apologies.
From Jeremy Samples:
I think that Jack Swagger’s title win was just right. It caught virtually every wrestling fan off guard, and that’s exactly what you need for Swagger’s character. As he is the kind of amateur/gold medalist wrestler, like a Kurt Angle, it brings that together with an ever larger aggressiveness factor. I absolutely loved the fact that each night he was trying to cash the briefcase in. However, it also put over his cocky/cowardly heel persona, when he backed away from Cena…once Cena had regained strength. Then, he took advantage of the crippled/disadvantaged character that Jericho was playing from the after-effects of his match at WrestleMania. Having Jack Swagger as the champion right now allows their to be a new sense of unpredictability within the World Title situation, that hasn’t been felt for quite some time. Finally, I think the biggest result of his championship reign shows how WWE is transforming to younger characters to be top stars. They’ve wanted to do this for awhile now, and with the emergence of Ted DiBiase and Jack Swagger…they are on a great path to achieving their new found presence as a company. So, definitely, the timing was just right.
From Michael Fox:
Jack Swagger seemed to be just a bit too soon. Granted I know in July there is a MITB PPV they could have waited until Extreme rules.
From Suzanne Abshire:
It probably was too soon to make the switch to Swagger but what will really decide is if WWE does the right thing with him and gives him a longer title run then what they did to Sheamus earlier in the year.
From Brandon Bax:
As far as Jack Swagger being the new world champion, i think it is brilliant, for some reason i think he looks like a champion and he is a great wrestler, he should be given some time to prove himself with the belt and from now on be in the mix for the top 2 titles in the WWE.
Good Ideas, Bad Ideas (By: The students of WrestleView.com)
From Michael Fox:
Good Idea: Make Rob Terry a Monster and seem like nothing can destroy him
Bad Idea: Hit Rob Terry in the Head hard enough to make him bleed the hard way
IF YOU HAVE A GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA YOU WANT TO SHARE: Send me an e-mail at mistervwv@hotmail.com
Homework Assignment
1) Total Nonstop Action Wrestling recently gave their World Heavyweight Championship to Rob Van Dam. Was this a good idea for the company, or a bad idea? (Due 4/28/10)
2) (From Mr. V #64) Finally, which show in professional wrestling do you believe is the best one so far. Summarize your reasoning as to why you believe it is the best show on television right now. The choices are Raw, Impact, NXT, Smackdown, Superstars, FCW, and Ring of Honor on HDNet. (Due 4/28/10)
Dismissal
Well, that does it for me this week. I thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this column as much as I typed it out. If you want to get a hold of me during the week, please e-mail me at mistervwv@hotmail.com or by leaving me a message on Facebook. I do get a lot of e-mails and may not reply in a timely fashion, but I will do my best to give you a quicker reply.
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 my next Ring of Honor on HDNet recap (which should arrive on Thursday or Friday), you are all……DISMISSED!
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If you enjoy Mr. V’s WrestleView columns, then take a look at my work on my other site Examiner.com
I will be adding a feature on that website starting in May! I just don’t know what to call my column on there yet.
http://www.examiner.com/x-26526-Pittsburgh-Pro-Wrestling-Examiner
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE IS NOW PLAYING ON SATURDAYS!!
Future Guest: Matt O’Brien from WrestleView.com
Coming soon to The Teacher’s Lounge we will have WrestleView.com’s own Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds). We don’t know what will be discussed, but it should be entertaining nonetheless. Who knows, maybe it will be about professional wrestlers in Minnesota and maybe some talk about The Minnesota Twins on the side.
To check out Matt O’Brien’s recent column, click here.
Already on the archives we interviewed Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings), Crystal Mai from Diva-Dirt.com, and The YouTube Sensation who had choice words to CM Punk.
David Stephens (That’s A Wrap and Raw recapper) and I have a new show only on the WVRN. It does cost a bit of money, but we will do our best to make it worth it. If you want to be a part of the Lounge for our “E-mails” section, you may drop us a line at teacherslounge@hotmail.com.
For $4.99 you can listen to the likes of Hunter Golden, Adam Martin, Tom Van Stone, Doug Lackey, and so much more!! I will be honest to say that we do offer the best value in paid content. So for a couple bucks less than a bag of Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee, you can get all of the above.
Finally to end this column, I would like to thank those who read all of my work. My ROH Recaps are still among the most viewed and my Examiner page is among the top 5 among all examiners in the Pittsburgh Area. This is the most motivated I have been in writing in some time, so thanks to all of you.
If not for the students, there would be no Mr. V. Thanks for reading my column.