From the Desk of Mr. V #84

From the Desk of Mr. V #84
August 25, 2010
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com

Introduction

I know this is recycled, but this is honestly how I feel when the new school year begins. Thanks to Zac Clark for introducing me to this video (as always).

Just letting you all know this, I love the school year. And THIS is how all college students should feel like the moment they step foot in the classroom…

and not this…

Detention for YOU, Frank the Tank (and all that impersonate it in the future).

Welcome to the latest edition of “From the Desk of Mr. V”. I am Anthony “Mr. V” Valvo, your WrestleView resident teacher with the same material as last time, but different names, matches, and articles.

So sit back and grab some iced coffee. Relax as you read the 84th Installment of “From the Desk of Mr. V.”

Quote of the Week

“Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten.” – B.F. Skinner.

Just think about this quote the moments before you being your upcoming days in school or at work. This quote is making me think as I type this column.

Teacher’s Lecture

1) The Briscoe Brothers staying in ROH.

Thoughts: Jay and Mark Briscoe had a try out match with the WWE, then tried out at FCW. That was in November and December and I guess the WWE did not get enough interest in plucking this tag team out of ROH and into a deal with the WWE. Now we got word that The Briscoes are not going anywhere, as they signed new contracts with Ring of Honor.

Now, some were asking about my thoughts, and I can simply say that although they may not be making as much money this was the smartest thing that this tag team could do right now. The reason is because ROH does emphasize tag team wrestling better than WWE or TNA.

To those that don’t know much about ROH, The Briscoes are the most decorated tag team in ROH History, winning the Tag Team Championships a record six times. They may actually be still the best tag team going in professional wrestling. Both are in their 20s and have great chemistry in the ring. Some of the moves that they do together as a team is The Doomsday Device (of Legion of Doom fame), a Double Sitout Side Slam known as “The Briscoe Bottom”, and they great combination finishers to defeat any opponent. There most recent ROH Tag Team reign ended in April 2010 when they lost to The Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli). Still, the Briscoes are one of the best tag teams today.

So, why did they sign back to ROH? In my opinion, ROH focuses more on tag teams than do their mainstream counterparts. I look down at the tag teams that are competing in the WWE or TNA and they rarely get solid time on television (outside of Beer Money and The Motor City Machineguns).

In the WWE, The Hart Dynasty (Tyson Kidd and David Hart Smith) are the champions. I think Tyson Kidd could still have a good future, but David Hart Smith at times shows his youth. They are a good tag team, but not one that rolls off the tongue. The potential is there for this team, but if they are not used properly, they will never be over with the crowd.

The Dude Busters were good in FCW, but now they are just guys that lose to low-card wrestlers. Still, I like what I have seen in Trent Barreta. Barreta could be a singles star, but the tag team goes nowhere.

The Usos have potential, but are now out of the Tag Team title picture.

Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov get time on Raw and actually get over a bit, but the team is out there for a good comedy.

Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins just seemed thrown together. Hawkins and Ryder was a decent tag team, but they broke it up really quick.

In other words, there are not quality tag teams that The Briscoes would go after. Simply, the Briscoes would probably have spent years in FCW. In my opinion, they are too good for the WWE. Most of the WWE tag teams are pretty much “who can we pair with who”. With the Briscoes, they are stars because they are a team. They are both impressive in the ring by themselves, but as a tag team they are nearly unstoppable.

Now, I know TNA had a great tag team series with Beer Money and The Motor City Machineguns. But where are the other tag teams they used to have.

Beer Money and The Guns are still pretty solid and work well together, but honestly these are the only two tag teams that I can sit back and watch with full attention.

Team 3D could be on the outs because they have not signed a new deal with TNA.

The British Invasion since split up a long time ago.

The Band has split up because of Hall’s unfortunate addictions and X-Pac’s health.

Remember the LAX? Well now Homicide got released last week.

Also, I was very happy to see The Young Bucks (now Generation Me) months ago because they had great encounters on ROH. Now they are lost in the shuffle and not getting paid well from TNA.

I am thinking that Jay and Mark Briscoe were looking at their futures. In the WWE or TNA (if there was any interest from TNA), they would probably have a good storyline or two and then the futures would not be so strong. In ROH, they are top draws and are over with their crowds.

I don’t know about long-term, but short-term wise I think the Briscoes made a very intelligent decision. Sure, ROH does not have the fan base of their competition I know that. But with the WWE and TNA not focusing on tag team wrestling might have been a big factor in their decision to stay with ROH. When (or if) the WWE and TNA focus more on tag team wrestling and give those divisions TV Time, perhaps the Briscoes will look into those companies again. For now, I am happy that they made the right choice and look forward to watching them on YouTube (since Mark Cuban won’t meet my demands on bringing HDNet to Pittsburgh).

2) Cody Rhodes will be on Warehouse 13.

Hey, this is a good move for Rhodes and perhaps gives Smackdown some exposure to that genre of fans with the move to Syfy in the coming weeks.

I know Warehouse 13 is one of the most successful shows in Syfy and I actually enjoy the parts that I have watched. I know adding a WWE wrestler like Rhodes will gain some fans of the program. I don’t know what Rhodes will be playing in the show, but I am sure it will be nothing short of “Dashing”.

So, good move by the WWE and Syfy for bringing Rhodes onto one of their successful shows. It worked well for them when they had ECW guys on their live “Ghost Hunters” broadcasts (I know CM Punk was on there and Elijah Burke as well), and I think it will work well to attract new fans to one of the best shows on cable.

And that is it for my lecture. If you have any questions about what went on in wrestling let me know at mistervwv@hotmail.com.

Detentions

The Pittsburgh Pirates – This sorry Major League Baseball franchise is so bad that even people in Cincinnati, Cleveland, New York, Boston, and even Tampa are expressing their sympathies to me as I continue to follow this team. Last weekend, they clinched their 18th straight losing season. That is a lot of losing. Since then, the Steelers won a couple Super Bowls, the Penguins (which were worse than the Pirates at one time) won a Stanley Cup, we had two defunct indoor lacrosse teams, The NHL had a franchise in Hartford and Winnipeg, and I graduated high school and college. Yeah, incoming college freshmen now have never witnessed a winning Pirates team. People often forget that the Pirates actually won Five World Championships, but none since Hunter Golden was in Diapers.

The owners of the Pittsburgh Pirates – For reasons of actually profiting from this debacle. Instead of trying to make the team better, the owners chose to have washed up music groups (all except Donnie Iris of course), bobbleheads, and other promotional tactics to “screw” the Pirates fans. There is not hope for a while and unless this team gets a new owner, expect to see Pedro Alvarez, Andrew McCuthen, and other solid players going to the Red Sox, Yankees, and Braves. You’re welcome, big markets.

Sorry in advance my wrestling students. I am a bit bitter about my local team.

Let me rundown the rest of them…

The New York Yankees Public Relations Department – So Tom Van Stone celebrated his birthday at the New Yankee Stadium the other day. His family paid probably top dollar to see this on the Big Screen at “The Stadium”


If none of you can read this, on the screen the name was “Tom Vanstone”. That is NOT the way you spell the legendary Tom Van Stone’s name! Yankees, you are very fortunate to have a loyal fan like Mr. Van Stone on there. Only if George Steinbrenner was still alive he would have fired the entire PR staff for this mess (RIP Boss).

Next year, I say the Yankees should remember to fix their error and add a space between the “n” and the “s”, and then capitalize the “S”. Detention for making this error obvious.

Quizno’s – Don’t take this the wrong way everyone, but every time I see that stupid commercial I want to harm the animals who took part of it.

Taylor Wilde – She almost exposed the “worst-kept mystery” surrounding the Masked Biker. Anyways, I want to ruin it! Hi Tara. Oh Crap!

Mr. V – Announced to the world that Tara is the masked biker! (FYI: I know it was reported that Tara is the masked lady, so don’t be all “marky” on me.)

Mike Tenay – What happened to this guy? He all of the sudden became an advertisement for everything in TNA instead of calling a match. It is just disappointing.

The Porpoise – For allowing Mike Hogewood to slap you.

Suggestions? Let me know at mistervwv@hotmail.com. Usually anyone that wants to nominate someone to detention is accepted.

Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll for the week of August 16 – August 22, 2010

8/16 – Graded WWE Monday Night Raw Matches
8/17 – Graded WWE NXT Matches
8/18 – Column Writing. After that, I watched ROH on YouTube and recap the show.
8/19 – Graded WWE Superstars and TNA Impact Matches.
8/20 – Graded Smackdown Matches
8/21 – OFF DAY
8/22 – OFF DAY

Distinguished Honors – Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards, ROH on HDNet, August 16.

How it ended – It ended when Roderick Strong connected with a Running Boot to the head of Davey Richards. Strong defeated Richards by pinfall. Moments before, Richards was a bit distracted by his manager Shane Hagadorn.

Grade: B.

Why it was distinguished honors-worthy?

I thought the match all around was pretty well-paced and impressive. Strong and Richards are so evenly matched and it showed in this main event. Strong has really come along the past year as a technician and a character. Last year, it seemed like he was a mid-card guy. Now, he is a bonafide contender. I liked how Strong did just enough in the match and was able to connect when needed to.

Richards showed a ton of aggression. He sold a bit this week, which many state that he lacks at times (myself included). Richards may blow past spots, but most of his offense was crisp.

Also, it seemed like both were involved in more than this story. Strong’s focus is now on the ROH World Title and his new faction is helping him a good bit. Richards now if faced with eliminating his long-time manager on the show, Shane Hagadorn. Both showed strong emotions throughout the match and in my eyes, it made the match more enjoyable.

High Honors – Yoshi Tatsu vs. Primo, WWE Superstars, August 19.

How it ended – After a very well-paced back and forth contest, Yoshi Tatsu finished the match with a Spinning Heel Kick from the top rope! Tatsu defeated Primo by pinfall.

Grade: B.

Why it was high honors-worthy?

This was a very impressive way to open up WWE Superstars, too bad a lot of people did not watch this.

I liked the simplicity and the flow. It was easy to follow. It was basic, yet effective. Tatsu was near perfect in the first half of the contest, but Primo got the advantage after the commercial break and he was pretty impressive wearing down Tatsu.

I know this would have never happened, but if this was on Raw I think both superstars would have gotten a little more respect. I was pleased, and I suggested if anyone wants to watch a back-and-forth, overall basic match to check this one out. Also, wasn’t Tatsu supposed to get a push?

Honors – Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio, Friday Night Smackdown, August 20.

How it ended – What a way to debut for Alberto Del Rio! After a little bit of a momentum from Mysterio, Del Rio’s work to the arm paid off when he forced Mysterio to tap via the Rolling Cross Armbar.

Grade: B-.

Why it was honors-worthy?

Though the match was pretty quick compared to the two ranked above it, it was a strong match that put over Del Rio.

Before the match, Del Rio came to the ring driving a Rolls Royce and had his own ring announcer! I threw in a bonus point for that because it really hyped up Del Rio.

Did the hype work? Definitely! Del Rio was also pretty impressive in the ring. He consistently worked on one body part (Mysterio’s arm) until Mysterio gave up. Mysterio was also good as well. His kicks were strong and went for some high-risk moves to slow down Del Rio.

I enjoyed the finish. It was a basic armbar, but the way Del Rio ended it was actually done well. A Mysterio win would have not done anything for any party. Now a win against a recent World Champion, that means Del Rio is going to be a player on the Smackdown roster.

Mr. V’s Grade Book for the past week

A+, A, or A-: None to Report.

B+: None to Report.

B: Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards (ROH) and Yoshi Tatsu vs. Primo (Superstars).

B-: John Cena vs. Darren Young (RAW); AJ Styles vs. Tommy Dreamer (TNA); and Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio (Smackdown)

C+: Jerry Lynn vs. Rhett Titus (ROH); Wade Barrett vs. Chris Jericho (RAW); Kaval vs. Husky Harris (NXT); Kurt Angle vs. Douglas Williams (TNA); D’Angelo Dinero vs. Matt Morgan (TNA); and Christian vs. Drew McIntyre (Smackdown).

C: El Generico vs. Erick Stevens (ROH); Heath Slater vs. Edge (RAW); Zack Ryder vs. Michael McGillicutty (NXT); MVP vs. Vance Archer (Superstars); Vance Archer and Curt Hawkins vs. MVP and JTG (Superstars); Jack Swagger vs. Chris Masters (Superstars); Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler (Smackdown); and Serena and Luke Gallows vs. Kelly Kelly and Big Show (Smackdown)

C-: Michael Tarver vs. Daniel Bryan (RAW); Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley (NXT); Mr. Anderson vs. Jay Lethal (TNA); and Angelina Love vs. Madison Rayne (TNA).

D+, D, or D-: Christian Able and Josh Raymond vs. Mike Sydal and Aiden Chambers (ROH); Justin Gabriel vs. Randy Orton (RAW); David Otunga and Skip Sheffield vs. John Morrison and R-Truth (RAW); and Alicia Fox/Jillian/Maryse vs. Melina/Gail Kim/Eve (RAW); Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Terry (TNA);

F or INC: None to Report.

Current Predictions from the Faculty Standings

2010-2011 Season (As of WWE’s SummerSlam 2010)

1) David Stephens (That’s a Wrap and RAW Recapper)………….60-34 (3-2)
2) Josh Boutwell (Viva La Raza and TNA Recapper)……………….60-34 (3-2)
3) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings)……………………………………58-36 (1-4)
4) Students of the Week (The Best from Prev. PPV)………………58-36 (4-1)*
5) Matt O’Brien (Notes From The Nosebleeds)…………………………55-39 (2-3)
6) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/ROH Recaps)……….55-39 (3-2)
7) Daniel Browne (For Queen and Country)……………………………..54-40 (1-4)
8) WrestleView Students (The Loyal Readers)………………………..54-40 (3-2)**
9) Doug Lackey (Reality From Ringside)…………………………………..52-42 (1-4)
10) Mike Tedesco (Smackdown and NXT Recapper)…………………44-35 (2-3)
11) Jeff Springer (WWE Superstars Recapper)……………………………42-33 (4-1)
12) Sean Hurley (The Sharpshooter)………………………………………..28-32 (NR)
13) Joe Baiamonte (Baiamonte’s Casa/2009 WV Champ)………24-20 (NR)

The next PPV will be TNA’s No Surrender. Out of all the WV Students based on picks from SummerSlam, Michael Phillips returned to be the Student of the Week because of his perfect 5-0 SummerSlam predictions record.

Mr. V’s Gold Star Segment (Brought to you by JR’s BBQ. Even though the WWE won’t air his voice on the intro, he will never leave the sponsorship of this segment unless someone pays for this spot).

Again, Gold Stars are going like delicious hotcakes. Let me type out those who I thought deserved some credit and got a gold star for their efforts.

Colt Cabana – I could never thank him enough for the time we all had on “The Teacher’s Lounge” last week. He was a real class act before the interview and afterwards (thanked me right after the Skype call). If you are not a VIP member, you have to slip a Five Dollar bill and catch this 30+minute interview with the current ROH wrestler. I think you will all be impressed with his answers to our questions.

Adam Martin – He got a pretty good image and hyped up our interview with Cabana very well. Thanks Adam.

David Stephens – He does a good job editing the show and he deserves one.

Alberto Del Rio – He is doing very well for himself, huh? Nice house, solid debut, and a win against Mysterio. That is what you call an “Impact”.

Chris Jericho – It takes a lot to make The Great Khali have a decent match, but Jericho found a way to make it work.

Ryan Gray – He is a frequent reader to my column (and a rival in the fantasy sports department), but this past week he got engaged and I thought it would be fair to congratulate him in my column. I hope the spelling is right.

James Lacerenza – He continuously sacrifices a log of time to get people to vote for his cause on the Pepsi Refresh Project. Please sacrifice a minute of your time to support MDA and Jerry’s Kids.

Yoshi Tatsu and Primo – They earn one for an impressive match on Superstars.

Claudio Castagnoli – For staying “Very European”.

Mike Tedesco – He is taking a well-deserved vacation. He is trusting me to do the Smackdown Recap for him and I hope to not let him down.

Goose Mahoney – He is my favorite WWE Referee, so he is in.

Jim Ross – He earned one for making his Chipotle Ketchup a wise investment.

AJ Styles – He earned one for an impressive job on last week’s Impact.

Kane – He cut one of the best promos I have seen in a very long time.

Homework Assignment (Assignment will begin within 2 weeks)

This week’s assignment

I have collected a handful of ballots from WrestleView columnists to compile a 2010 Mid-Year Awards piece. I waited a good bit because, well, I wanted to make sure it was done right (also because I have been very busy with other ventures). So, If you want to fill out your ballot without looking at the columnists’ picks, then here they are. This will be due in two weeks (in time for the 8/31 Edition of “From the Desk of Mr. V” or at a later date).

Categories for the 2010 Mid-Year Awards (From February 1st – August 30th)

Best Weekly TV Show
Best Gimmick
Most Underrated
Most Underutilized
Best Finisher
Best on the Mic
Best TV Announcer
Best Pay-Per-View
Most Popular Wrestler
Most Hated Wrestler
Most Improved
Best Feud of the Half-Year
Women’s Wrestler of the Half-Year
Most Outstanding (Pound for Pound) Wrestler of the Half Year
Tag Team of the Half-Year
Wrestler of the Half-Year

Also, here are some that you can have fun with. Here are the categories for “The Worst” of the Half-Year.

Most Overrated
Worst TV Announcer
Purgatory Award
Most Disappointing
Kizarny Award
Worst Wrestler of the Half-Year

Also, please vote for my friend’s cause at http://www.refresheverything.com/mdcamp. My friend’s name is James Lacerenza and he is attempting to go for $50,000 once more to write off some MD Camp expenses. This is a very noble cause and no one has to pay (except for Pepsi if James does win). Last month he came a bit short in 17th, but should be able to win it this month with your help. So, please help a fellow student out. Vote for James this month (you can vote once every day)!

**Update: James is in 43rd. I ask you all to please vote and if you do, let me know. I will give out Gold Stars to those that voted. I expect to be flooded with e-mails because you voted.**

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, teacherslounge@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 next week, you are all……DISMISSED!!!!

Look for Mr. V on Facebook under Anthony J. Valvo in the Pittsburgh Network

Mr. V FINALLY has Twitter. Follow me and my boring life at http://twitter.com/TheMisterV.

THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE IS NOW AIRING ON SATURDAYS!

Last Week’s Guest: ROH Professional Wrestler Colt Cabana!

One of my goals to Dave Stephens (Raw Recapper/That’s a Wrap Columnist) was to have an interview now and then. We were pretty fortunate to interview all of our guests and check the archives. I don’t think any of you would be disappointed.

Already on the archives we interviewed Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings), Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds), Crystal Mai from Diva-Dirt.com, and The YouTube Sensation who had choice words to CM Punk, and ROH Wrestler Colt Cabana! For $4.99, you get all of this along with many other hours of content.

David Stephens (That’s A Wrap and Raw recapper) and I have a weekly Internet show only on the WrestleView Radio Network. 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. To sign up, click here.

Thank you all for reading this column, students. I could not do this without you.

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