From the Desk of Mr. V #92
October 21, 2010
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
Introduction (By: Chris Elgee, a member of the United States Teachers’ Fraternity)
Now introducing the terrific teacher, with an excellence in education, entering his third decade of life, the undisputed and undefeated king of wrestling media, Mr. “V”, Anthony Valvo…
(Thanks for the kind words. I may not be King, but maybe The Black Knight of the wrestling media.)
Chris had this introduction made last week. I thank him for the wonderful introduction and now I can begin this column. If you would to do an introduction for me, send me an e-mail.
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.
In this week’s lecture, I will review some good and bad moments from TNA’s Bound for Glory and go over what in the world is going on with the commentary teams in the WWE.
So sit back and grab some coffer, hot apple cider, or whatever your choice of beverage may be this week. Relax as you read the 92nd Installment of “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Countdown to Mr. V #100…56 Days!
Quote of the Week
“You can’t let praise or criticisms get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” – John Wooden
I don’t know if I used this quote before (and I hope none of you go all the way in previous columns to do so), but I thought I should have done another John Wooden quote. The legendary NCAA Basketball coach would have turned 100 earlier this month, but left us before that. I am reading his latest book (yes, I do more than teach, write wrestling column, and tend to family needs) and let me tell you, it is very powerful. The book is called A Game Plan for Life and the more I read about him, the more I am fascinated. Give it a read of you need an escape.
Teacher’s Lecture
1) Stand up for the WWE! Mr. V did!
Why did Mr. V decide to join the Facebook “Stand Up for WWE” page?
Thoughts: When I watched Vince McMahon deliver his one minute speech that was posted on WrestleView, I thought what some may have thought. “Vince is doing this only because of Election Day and his wife is running for Senate”. Do I agree? Yes, I don’t think they would have this if not for Linda and her quest to “Smackdown the Government”. However, given the fact that nearly every website out there finds World Wrestling Entertainment to be “a joke” in my opinion it was the best time for the WWE to literally “Stand Up” for themselves. They are getting attacked as much as anyone right now.
Here was the video aired on Monday Night Raw, and can be seen on their Corporate Web Site.
The WWE may not be the most highly regarded company in the world, but it was about time that they put a light on their product.
The PG Rating – Let’s face it, right now it is not original anymore to have a show at TV-14 or TV-MA. I see more of those than PG. When I am sitting down, taking notes on wrestling, and drinking coffee, my daughter sometimes pokes her head out and sees the action. With the other promotions, I have to pause the DVR and make sure my child is not watching this material.
However, with the 2010 edition of the WWE I don’t have to do that. She can sit down and watch the same action her dad watches.
The PG rating is seriously a challenge to the WWE, a much stronger challenge than anyone can believe. Think, you have to have intense pro wrestling (fake or not, it does hurt) but can’t say a swear word in the show. I think the wrestling in the WWE has gotten a lot better since the change to PG. They now have to let their actions do the talking. I understand that Austin, The Rock, Mankind, and others would not have succeeded with the 2010 WWE, but times change. We know that.
Remember when you bought a yearbook and someone would write “Never change”. Honestly, I hated that. In order to succeed, sometimes you have to change. It may be for the better, it may be for the worst, but you have to change. Changing is a way of life. If everything was the same, it would eventually get boring. The TV-14 element was getting boring to me. I actually stopped watching pro wrestling a few years ago and came back to it in 2007 when I felt it was in transition. When the time is right, I expect the WWE to go back to a more “mature” product. But in the meantime, PG is going to stay no matter what. And I can totally respect that.
Also, let’s face it that the WWE is very marketable. WWE Superstars have done movies, commercials, TV Shows, and talk shows. TNA does have some name value, but most of them that were in commercials and movies spent time in the WWE. I won’t go on with a list of things, but the WWE has their own movie studios. And even though they have not produced a solid movie since The Rock was headlining them, they still can afford to pump out more movies.
Charities – Look, not to sound tacky but they may give more than over 90% of other companies in the United States.
Tribute to the Troops – I can’t explain how much many U.S. Soliders loved the fact that the WWE went to the battlefields and entertained the troops while we were at war. If you want to see a story from one of my friends who actually saw it live and in person, check out the archives of my column. It was in the 3rd or 4th week of December 2009.
Make-A-Wish – Again, I witness some kids in Pittsburgh that wished for a WWE Superstar to visit them. Without groaning and moaning, the WWE would always lend a helping hand to those children. I can’t speak from experience, but I know of a couple former students of mine that had a wish come true thanks to the WWE. I will not elaborate of course because of privacy issues, you have to respect that.
Though there have been tragedies and unfair treatment in the WWE, the company does their best to continue to distribute their success towards everyone around the world.
Though real politics are trying to put a dark cloud under the WWE, the company does their best to show what they are about. Overall, I think the WWE does more good than bad.
That is why I, Anthony J. Valvo of WrestleView.com, decided to get up for a moment and “Stand Up” for the WWE. I know that they are a better company than those who portray it as “scum”. Most of us know that there are a ton of shady businesses, but at least the WWE will do their best to please the fans that they care about.
Now that I sat back down, a couple more quick news topics
2) Christopher Daniels signs a new deal with ROH.
Thoughts: Let’s go back to early 2010 when I read this (not word for word) on WrestleView…
“TNA’s new management were not happy with Daniels.”
I asked why aren’t they? It honestly confused me because no matter who Daniels faced he would give his best effort (he almost broke his neck at Bound for Glory 2009). So after jobbing to some mid-card guys, he was released from TNA.
I thought it was the end of Daniels, until he cut a promo at ROH’s The Big Bang in April 2010.
He cut a promo in the ring after Davey Richards defeated Kenny King. Daniels said that he wanted to be the best. In Ring of Honor, he can do that. After many matches with some of the top ROH talents (and all looked pretty good in my opinion), ROH gave him a contract and he signed it.
Again, ROH may be letting some guys go or possibly have money issues, but they did a great job keeping Daniels on their roster. He is a guy that has been around the world and has many disciplines in the ring. He is also great on the mic and can wrestle anyone differently. He will challenge himself and teach other ROH wrestlers how to tell a story inside and outside the ring. I don’t know Daniels personally, but hearing him talk made me believe that he has strong passion for what he does for whatever company or show he works.
3) Matt Hardy is “future endeavored” by the WWE.
Thoughts: The news broke as Dave Stephens and I were taping The Teacher’s Lounge. All I have to say is good riddance.
Matt Hardy could have taken the high road, collected his paychecks, and not said anything. Instead, he ran his mouth on YouTube about how he was buried and how he can main event. Matt even started going crazy (he called it a character), eating green grapes, and playing with guns. He could have stayed quiet, he could have just took time off to relax. Instead, he just did what you should not do.
I think Mike Tedesco put it best that Matt Hardy will be doing the same job in TNA as he would in the WWE. I agree, he will never be a champion in TNA. I can’t see it happening. I just hope he is doing what he believes is right.
So, overall if he is doing this because of happiness, I can’t blame him. However, the way he acted out on the Internet was pretty inappropriate and uncalled for. He sounded like he was all hype.
So Matt will be in TNA before Christmas. Bet on that happening and he will be a part of “Immortal” alongside his brother Jeff. I expect Jeff to be like Hulk Hogan and Matt to be like Horace Hogan. Except Matt has a worse hairstyle.
Detentions
Hulk Hogan – Seriously, this guy has fallen on hard times. I feel sorry for him.
Dixie Carter – For selling the control of TNA without looking at the papers (I know it is Kayfabe, folks).
MVP – For taking out the poor Swagger Soaring Eagle. Really, who that this is what Swagger needed for fans to watch him?
Creative towards Kaval – I originally thought it would not be a good idea to put WWE Creative in here because I think Kaval is a talented wrestler. However, Kaval should not have been on this Smackdown team. But adding Tyler Reks? Who the heck is Tyler Reks?
Tyler Reks – Who are you?
Matt Hardy – Good News: The WWE finally let you go. Bad News: He will be with TNA by Christmas Morning.
Alicia Fox – Way to go to show that Naomi, a “Rookie” took you to school on NXT.
Michael Cole – Please, I think I have had too much of Michael Cole. I watch WWE Programming six hours a week, and he is on all of them! Vince McMahon, he is not that good.
Miley Cyrus – Why? It’s my column!!! Plus, there are better role models out there. But hey, it could be worse. Did you ever hear her father sing?
And I will tell you what my fantasy football team is NOT in detention! Yep, all of them are doing fine now. (I won last week on the WrestleView league 144-99 and earned the Blowout of the Week.)
The Eternal Detention Rundown
Praxis and the ETS Series
Teachers that get arrested
Ryan Clark
The Bee and Wasp family
Bubba The Love Sponge
The Pittsburgh Pirates Front Office
“Undefined” Alicia Fox
Quizno’s
5-Hour Energy
Matt Hardy (yes, even YOU “Matthew”!)
Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll for the week of October 11, 2010 – October 17, 2010
10/11 – Graded WWE Monday Night Raw Matches
10/12 – Graded WWE NXT Matches
10/13 – Column Writing. After that, I watched ROH on YouTube and recap the show.
10/14 – Graded WWE Superstars and TNA Impact Matches.
10/15 – Graded Smackdown Matches
10/16 – OFF DAY
10/17 – OFF DAY
Distinguished Honors – Christopher Daniels vs. Roderick Strong, ROH on HDNet, October 11.
How it ended – The ending began (terrible sequence of words) when Strong’s associates The House of Truth (Christian Able and Josh Raymond) ran in to be a distraction. Strong’s manager, Truth Martini, went to blind side Daniels, but Daniels dumped Martini over the top rope. Strong did manage to connect with the Sick Kick and covered Daniels. However, the referee stopped the count when he saw The Book of Truth near Strong. Strong and the official argued and it led to Daniels finishing off Strong with a Ura-Nage and The Best Moonsault Ever to end this match.
Grade: B+ (led towards a B)
Why it was distinguished honors-worthy? This was a very close, personal battle between two of Ring of Honor’s best wrestlers. The intensity showed in this match from start to finish and the goal for each other was to prove that one was better than the other.
The one brutal move was Strong’s chops across Daniels’ chest. I have not seen Strong deliver that many chops to one man since KENTA (and KENTA’s chest was pink with some bruising). I liked Daniels counters and his way of attacking. He showed some brawling in his offense, and it was something lacking when he was in TNA (again, TNA looked like fools for letting him go).
The ending was perfect. The last two televised matches between these guys, Truth Martini took Daniels’ head out of the game and Strong capitalized on the opportunity. However this time, Daniels comes back with a much-needed victory over the ROH Champion to show the audience that he is a top contender for the title.
Distinguished Honors – Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler, Friday Night Smackdown, October 15.
How it ended – The ending was basic, yet simple. Ziggler went up to the top rope, but Edge connected with a Spear while Ziggler was in the air.
Grade: B
Why it was high honors-worthy? This was the fourth qualifier match for whoever represented Smackdown at Bragging Rights. For a mid-card match on Smackdown, it flowed very nicely. It had a mix of almost every wrestling style. It had some risky moves, grappling, and there was some technical work involved by both wrestlers.
Ziggler looked real lost in his element when up against Kofi Kingston, but having Edge as his opponent made his offense more believable. Ziggler was able to consistently wear Edge down with holds. Edge’s offense was basic, but totally effective against the Intercontinental Champion.
Though the match was very good, the finish made it obvious as to who was going to win and be on Team Smackdown. However, even that looked impressive and I think this was the best showing by both guys in quite some time.
Honors – Randy Orton vs. Justin Gabriel, Monday Night Raw, October 11.
How it ended – After the 450 Splash was botched by Gabriel (though the match in itself was pretty good before this move happened), Orton got right up and connected with an RKO to take down one member of The Nexus.
Grade: B (leaned toward a B-)
Why it was honors-worthy? Well, at the start of the match Nexus got kicked out of the ring and that made for a good one-on-one match between the WWE Champion (Orton) and a guy that in the future can be special (Gabriel).
Orton and Gabriel told a story to start, and the action in the ring was very smooth. They wrestled close, not giving each other any space to do something daring. The ending was pretty bad. Orton did not roll out quick enough. Instead of being frustrated, Orton just got up, and quickly hit his finisher. I may be wrong, but that showed a bit more maturity for Orton compare to where he was at years ago. Though my words may not do this match justice, give it a look. It actually was very good and showed that Gabriel can hang with the top guys in the WWE.
Mr. V’s Grade Book for the past week
A+, A, or A-: None to Report.
B+: Christopher Daniels vs. Roderick Strong (ROH).
B: Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler (Smackdown).
B-: Rhett Titus and Kenny King vs. Jon Davis and Kory Chavis (ROH); Randy Orton vs. Justin Gabriel (RAW); Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (RAW); The Miz vs. John Cena (RAW); and Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes (Smackdown).
C+: Curt Hawkins vs. Trent Barreta (Superstars).
C: John Morrison vs. Tyson Kidd (RAW); Kelly Kelly vs. Layla (Superstars); Darren Young vs. Primo (Superstars); Kazarian/AJ Styles/James Storm/Robert Roode/Douglas Williams vs. D’Angelo Dinero (TNA); Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Anderson (TNA); and Alberto Del Rio vs. Chris Masters (Smackdown).
C-: R-Truth vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr. (RAW); Alicia Fox vs. Naomi (NXT); Melina vs. Alicia Fox (Superstars); Samoa Joe vs. Abyss (TNA); Jack Swagger vs. MVP (Smackdown); Kaval vs. The Big Show (Smackdown); and Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre (Smackdown).
D+, D, or D-: Santino Marella vs. Zack Ryder (RAW); CM Punk vs. Evan Bourne (RAW); AJ vs. Aksana (NXT); and Tyler Reks vs. Kaval (Smackdown).
F or INC: Madison Rayne vs. Tara (TNA).
Current Predictions from the Faculty Standings
2010-2011 Season (TNA’s Bound for Glory 2010)
1) Josh Boutwell (Viva La Raza and TNA Recapper)……………….77-44 (4-4)
2) David Stephens (That’s a Wrap and RAW Recapper)………….76-45 (3-5)
3) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings)……………………………………71-50 (4-4)
4) Students of the Week (The Best from Prev. PPV)………………71-50 (3-5)*
5) Daniel Browne (For Queen and Country)……………………………..69-52 (4-4)
6) WrestleView Students (The Loyal Readers)………………………..69-52 (4-4)
7) Matt O’Brien (Notes From The Nosebleeds)…………………………68-53 (2-6)
8) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/ROH Recaps)……….68-53 (4-4)
9) Jeff Springer (WWE Superstars Recapper)……………………………61-41 (5-3)
10) Mike Tedesco (Smackdown and NXT Recapper)…………………53-37 (NR)
11) Doug Lackey (Reality From Ringside)…………………………………..52-42 (NR)
12) Sean Hurley (The Sharpshooter)………………………………………..28-32 (NR)
13) Joe Baiamonte (Baiamonte’s Casa/2009 WV Champ)………24-20 (NR)
14) Enzo Mendicino (WWE NXT Recapper)…………………………………..3-5 (3-5)
The next PPV will be WWE’s Bragging Rights. We have Three NEW Students of the Week thanks to their 5-3 records at TNA’s Bound for Glory. They are Rocky Jr., Ricky Langston, and Paul Meade.
The three previous Students of the Week could not post a winning record this week. Michael Phillips was close at 4-4. Chad Robbins went 3-5 and Grash (Gregory Walek) went 1-7.
I averaged out the Students of the Week; they had an average of 2.67. So I gave them a 3-5 record.
Among the Faculty, Jeff Springer earned the best record for the TNA Bound for Glory PPV. Mr. Springer got a 5-3 record.
Overall, we had 16 “WV Students” and the average amount of wins was 3.68. Based on estimation I gave the WrestleView Students a 4-4 record.
Past Students of the Week: Evan O’Brien, TJ Patton, Ricky Langston, Craig Alan Cope, Paul Lyons, SUPERSTARZZ, Jeremy Samples, Josh Logan, Eric Marin, David Sumroy, Crystal Mai, Michael Phillips, Sean Martin, Sam Newstone, Brian Czygan, Wade Bradford, Austen Allen, Paul Meade, Frank Contorno, Benjamin Phillips, Chad Robbins, and Gregory “Grash” Walek.
Mr. V’s Gold Star Segment
Gold Stars brought to you by: ColtMerch.com! Take a look at Colt Cabana’s merchandise and you won’t be disappointed
Also, while you are at it check out www.jrsbarbq.com. Jim Ross has some amazing specials on all the BBQ Sauce you need. Now in some combos you can get a Free JR’s BBQ T-Shirt and even an autographed Kid’s Menu (though it may not do much good). Look at his blog and maybe buy a product or two. I know I will.
So many Gold Stars, and so little time. Let’s get this started, shall we?
Michelle Beadle – Probably people outside of the U.S. don’t know her, but she is one of the hosts for ESPN’s SportsNation. On Tuesday (10/19), she declared that she is a fan of the WWE and even did The Nexus catchphrase. I just thought it was awesome that she picked the WWE over what LeBron James did previously.
Chris Elgee – Thank you for the introduction this week. I hope all is well.
Dave Stephens – His latest “Moment of David” was probably his best one yet, in which he got a “phone call” from Adam Martin.
Ring of Honor – For giving Christopher Daniels a new contract. He can do no wrong for that company.
Jeff Hardy – I will admit, I watched TNA Impact last week and found Jeff Hardy’s character very refreshing. For once, he did not scream in the mic and hope the fans would cheer him louder.
Tyler Black and Davey Richards – Both had an amazing contest on Monday’s ROH on HDNet. I know some don’t like his antics or ability, but Black did very well and I do hope for much success as he goes to the WWE.
Daniel Bryan – For busting a move with the WWE Divas. Seriously, he is the United States Champion, had great matches with Kaval (FCW), Jericho (NXT), The Miz (Raw and PPV), and Sheamus (Raw). He even took out Michael Cole. Please don’t say he is getting low marks by the WWE. He will do just fine. Believe that, students.
Hornswoggle – I will say he made this teacher laugh this past week. He did what I begged someone to do, and that was to get Michael Cole away from the announcer table. His play-by-play was better than Tenay’s the past few weeks.
But you know who gets a Gold Star as well? This YouTuber
and this one
L. Anne Carrington – She earns one for her book The Cruiserweight. Plus, the writer is from the greatest city in the world, Pittsburgh, PA!
Claudio Castagnoli – For staying “Very European”
Zack Ryder – Now THIS is how you do Shore stuff…
Dave, if you are reading this we need this for the show. The fans will thank you.
To all my readers this week – Thank you, honestly I wish I could have done a better job this week.
Finally, a Bright Gold Star goes to Tom Bosely, the actor on one of my favorite shows of all time (Happy Days) passed away this week. Happy Days was truly about Mr. C and The Fonz. My thoughts go out to his family, RIP Mr. C
Who could remember the fact that he did commercials for Glad garbage bags, as well?
Homework Assignment (The Results will be up within the week)
This week will be the highly anticipated “WrestleView Readers Create-a-Roster”. Now what I plan on doing is writing down the wrestlers that were in the most e-mails received. However, I also plan to show everyone’s work. I have been awfully busy with my ventures outside the column. It will be up soon, trust me.
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. I noticed a lot of you “like” my columns and to all those, I thank you for reading.
Mr. V FINALLY has Twitter. Follow me and my boring life at http://www.twitter.com/TheMisterV. I have been getting better with my tweets recently.
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE IS NOW AIRING ON SATURDAYS!
Most recent guest: Former WWE and Current Independent Wrestler Aloisia (aka Isis The Amazon)
Dave was on assignment for this interview. So Jose Marrero and I had a very crisp, polite interview with a women’s wrestler who has gotten a lot of publicity over the past few weeks. Aloisia was a class act and we thank her (if she is reading) for being a part of the show this week. Her indie work, time in the WWE, and her future plans were discussed.
But wait class! There are more guests!!
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 from the other shows on the WrestleView Radio Network.
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.