From the Desk of Mr. V #109
February 17, 2011
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
Introduction
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 coffee, cider, or bottle water. Relax as you read the 109th Installment of “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Quote of the Week
“Humor is everywhere, in that there’s irony in just about anything a human does.” – Bill Nye
There is no real meaning this week when using this quote for #109. It is just that I happen to think Bill Nye is an iconic science figure. As a matter of fact, I probably learned more from Mr. Nye than I did with Mr. Greco (my 7th Grade teacher who sat in a chair more times than ever). Plus, as I was teaching a group of wonderful fifth grade students they had a Bill Nye video in which never get old (except for the cheesy music videos near the end).
No matter what age you are. A teenager, adult, or grandparent one can appreciate the humor and insight that Bill Nye performed on each one of this shows. Now, let’s go to our lecture for the day.
Teacher’s Lecture
1) Finally…
My Thoughts: That is all I can type for a heading. There are moments in which I am happy to be a columnist and radio co-host for a site like Wrestleview. Outside of my first column, my 100th column, and The Teacher’s Lounge there are moments in wrestling that I enjoy typing about. In 2009, I was thrilled to see Christian back in the WWE (on their ECW Brand no less). Also, Ring of Honor debuted on HDNet and the potential that Hulk Hogan could have provided for TNA’s product. In 2010, I typed about Shawn Michaels’ farewell from the Wrestling Ring, Bret Hart’s return, The birth of Nexus, and so many more moments that made me proud to be a part of this “community”. But 2011, while January did not really have any groundbreaking moments (outside of The Rumble) it took until February to “finally” have that big splash!
This year, it was announced in front of a crowd of thousands in Anaheim, CA and millions all over the world that The Rock has come back home, the WWE. Like most of my readers, my eyes were wide and for a moment it was complete disbelief. Here is a guy that accomplished pretty much everything in the WWE. He was one of the “prime-time” players during the Attitude Era and until he went full-time with his movies. Many people that follow professional wrestling still show support to Dwayne Johnson, and not even Hollywood could make him fail with such movies as Doom, The Tooth Fairy, and The Game Plan. Even though he was a member of “The Attitude Era”, the fans of The Rock showed support even with his “PG” ventures in the movies.
When The Rock announced that he was the host of WrestleMania, I was literally off my seat. I knew that this would be a big deal, as Jim Ross tweeted that WrestleMania is almost sold out and I assume that the PPV buyrates will be higher now that one of the most entertaining people in the business is a part of it. While I expect WrestleMania to be the best show of the year, I just hope some fans out there live in this fantasy world that The Rock will change this “PG” WWE.
So, with that, here are my “Bold” predictions. Yes, The Rock will be “money” leading to and the day of WrestleMania. However, let us not get too upbeat about this. Especially the fans that clamor for blood and swears in this era of the WWE.
Bold Pick #1: The Rock will not main event the card, even if he does wrestle.
As much as some want to see that, this should not close the show. The fans want to see John Cena vs. The Rock to main event the show, but I don’t. I think it should be about the WWE Championship or to build up someone to “elite status”. Will we see Rock vs. Cena. It is very possible, but keep in mind that The Rock has not wrestled since 2003 (this is not a fact and I may be wrong, sorry if I am not a nerd) when he lost to Goldberg at Backlash. If that is correct, we are talking near eight years. That is not ring rust, my students. That is like starting a car after not running it for eight years. If it is out and not running that long, it won’t run. So don’t expect The Rock to just go to WrestleMania and just instantly blow the roof off. The Rock will have to work his trade again and do a moderate job.
Bold Pick #2: The Rock will appear in the ring more.
When a wrestler goes back to the WWE fans and say that “I will never, ever go away”, mean it. I am not going to question The Rock’s guarantee, but now that he said those few, but intense words he will have to follow it. I am not a good man when it comes to predictions, but I think The Rock really spoke truthfully. He realized that without the Millions (and millions) of Rock’s fans, he would not have been as successful in his life, let along his time in the WWE. When The Rock accepted this role to be the Host of WrestleMania, this is a thank you to the people who still cheer for him.
Bold Pick #3 (and finally): The WWE will STAY “PG”
Even though The Rock is back, make no bones about it that the WWE is still in “transition mode”. The WWE is still trying to build up younger superstars and I am sorry to admit, but I am a purist of some sort and I think the wrestling is better now than it was in the Attitude Era. The Attitude Era, though, had the stories that kept me interested.
Furthermore, there is not really any competition for the WWE at this time. So there is no need for drastic measures. The WWE’s biggest opponent is, well, themselves. By adding The Rock (and supposedly someone else, more on that later), the WWE is finding way to generate awareness to the fans that are young and old. In my opinion, I still like the WWE being PG mainly because I am one of those rare wrestling fans that have a 4-year old that I keep tabs on every day. I just can’t sit with a child and watch Impact. However, I can watch WWE Superstars (so she can see her favorite wrestler, Zack Ryder).
The WWE does a great job by not listening to the fans. The company realizes that they are “armchair quarterbacks” and almost all of them don’t think long-term. Give credit to the WWE for finding something this year that will potentially make this WrestleMania the most watched in a long time.
So, in closing I think what the WWE has done with The Rock has piqued more than just the fans that watched every week, but those that have been out of the loop for a few years. It was a great homecoming, but don’t expect the WWE to change drastically just because The Rock got away with saying some choice words. The WWE knows what they are doing, and so far they are passing with flying colors.
2) Make a Muscle for MDA.
This is something that holds dear to my heart. As a member of The Knights of Columbus, I witnessed this first-hand at a couple locations and I won’t lie, I get emotional for these children.
Last year, I met a wrestling fan by the name of James Lacerenza and he shared with me his story and his goals for these wonderful children. The goal is to allow seventy (70) children to attend an MDA Summer Camp free of charge and no expense to the children’s families. When I heard about this charity work, I did not hesitate and donated money to MDA.
This year, I have been lifting weights and will “Make a Muscle” once again for Jerry’s Kids and for Mr. Lacerenza on his quest to reaching his goals. I encourage even if my readers can donate a dollar you can help make a difference to a child’s life.
Here is Mr. Lacerenza’s video (a WrestleMania promo if you will) promoting ConnectiKids Summer Camp Fund.
I want to thank Mr. Lacerenza’s for his promo and I will be using this again the week before WrestleMania.
You can find all the details at http://www.mdactkids.org/, and I mean ALL the details (donations and to volunteer). I applaud James’ volunteer work and together I firmly believe that the goal can be reached. Together, I hope that we can flex a bigger muscle than Scott Steiner’s!
3) Justin Beiber: will he or won’t he perform at WrestleMania?
My thoughts: According to a few sources, it appears that the young fans may get their wish and Justin Beiber will perform LIVE at WrestleMania.
Look class, as much as it pains me to say this. But it will be huge if they formally agree to the deal. Whether one likes it or not, Beiber is the “it” person in the music industry and again the WWE sees the dollar signs.
This is quick thinking, but I just don’t a negative for the WWE. If viewers don’t like it, then they can go get another slab of ribs or make a Miller High Life beer run. But one thing is certain, women and children will want to watch this. And if the WWE adds a few hundred to a thousand more PPV buys because of Justin Beiber, then Mission Accomplished.
Ok, there you have it. The only time I may speak positive of this Grammy-Losing contestant for Best New Artist. I don’t know who this winner was, but I thank the winner.
4) Another favor for a “student” of Mr. V’s.
Again, I apologize if this “bores” you all, but once again a reader of my column wanted to promote his radio show in my column. Now since my column is apparently popular on this site, I decided to give him my word and share this with all of you. How convenient that his radio show at Grand Valley State University (which I am envious of their Division II Football Program) happens to fall on the same day as this column. So after you complete my column for the day check out Jamel Watson’s Radio Show called “The Flow” at 5pm Thursdays on http://www.thewhale.org.
Alright Mr.V here is the information for my radio show. It is called The Flow and it is on WCKS The Whale, which is Grand Valley State University (my school) student run radio station. To listen to the show go to http://www.thewhale.org and click on the little player thing on the left of the screen. It is on every Thursday at 5pm EST.
Also I have a Facebook page for the show it is The Flow with Marquise (thewhale.org). On the show I play a mix of hip hop, r&b, and old school songs and also some comedy clips from some of my favorite comedians.
If you or any of the other students want to request a song or a comedian just go to The Flow with Marquise Facebook page and post there, I am always looking for suggestions and insight on how I can make my show better. Thank you for putting this in your column and please listen in on the show and let me know what you think of it.
Ok, there is Mr. Watson’s promo for “The Flow”. It does sound like a nice station to enjoy. Pittsburgh sure does not have a show like this one.
Any Questions?
This is the portion where I check my e-mail and answer any question from my Wrestleview Students. I do this because I do have a bit more free time.
I got so many good questions this week, and I am going to answer them all at a later date. I am very sorry, but I am still not feeling well and I do have a deadline. If I have some time over the weekend, be certain that I will answer them in a special edition of “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Detentions
Detentions are few and far this week. However, I think we can all agree on some of these detentions.
Praxis Tests – For being so expensive.
R-Truth – Can someone explain why he is in the Elmination Chamber match when he lost a match on Tuesday? (no typo, he lost to Brodus Clay). Also, Milwaukee probably won’t forget this superstar.
WWE Superstars – I probably am not the only one to think this, but man that 2/10 episode of Superstars was probably the worst show I ever witnessed. Can someone tell me what happened to Jack Swagger?
To people who still believe that 2/21/11 is Sting – Get back to reality, please. Though nothing is 100%, let Sting enjoy his personal life.
Mike Tenay and Taz – Now I am starting to think that the stories in TNA are getting better (not great, but improving), it is time for the commentary to follow suit. Both are getting worse by the week.
Karen Angle/Jarrett – What is her purpose?
Albert Pujols – As much as he is talented, there is NO WAY someone is worth 30 million dollars.
The Time Out Chair – Michael Cole
It was all a matter of time before Cole needed a timeout, and I thought now is the perfect opportunity to sit in the chair. Yep, that means he gets NO access from the Raw General Manager either (sorry). I will give him credit for not making any quips about Jerry Lawler (Lawler’s mother passed away last weekend), but his commentary on Smackdown was not existent.
When one is doing play-by-play in professional wrestling, that commentator calls the action and gets an occasional jab toward their commentary partner.
Good (for the most part when they are describing wrestling)
Bad
Well, what I heard from Cole on the 2/11 episode of Smackdown. I won’t bore you by posting a link in the column. He rarely spent time calling the action (like a good play-by-play commentator) and instead attacked Booker T for his lack of experience. It was nerve-wracking and unentertaining. I know the “Cole Miners” that read my works enjoyed it. However, I thought it was not done well. Cole as a character, I will give it to all of them, is good. But right now as I mentioned in a message to The Velvet Room’s Clinton Bowman, Cole is better off right now as a manager/color commentator. As for “The Voice”, I would hand it over to Josh Mathews by default right now.
The Eternal Detention Rundown
Praxis and the ETS Series
Teachers that get arrested
Ryan Clark
2010 French Soccer Team
Jeff Hardy
“Undefined” Alicia Fox
Mike Tenay
Matt Hardy (yes, even YOU “Matthew”!)
Mark Cuban and/or HDNet
Hulk Hogan
Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll For the Week of February 7 – February 13, 2011
2/07 – ROH on HDNet and WWE Monday Night Raw
2/08 – WWE NXT
2/09 – This is where I typed up Mr. V #108.
2/10 – WWE Superstars and TNA Impact
2/11 – WWE Friday Night Smackdown
2/12 – This is the day you listened to The Teacher’s Lounge. Our guests on this day were TNA’s Hernandez and Wrestleview’s Josh Boutwell. It is an episode you do not want to miss.
2/13 – OFF DAY.
The grades for the previous month will be around soon. I had a lot of work and not enough time to type. So it shall be completed over the weekend for sure.
Distinguished Honors – Jerry Lawler and Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr. and The Miz, Monday Night Raw, February 7.
How did the match end? After Bryan connected with a Suicide Dive to The Miz, Lawler pinned DiBiase via the Flying Fist Drop.
Grade: B-.
High Honors – AJ Styles and Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy, TNA Impact, February 10.
How did the match end? After Jarrett was distracted by Angle, Styles was able to pin Jarrett after the Springboard Forearm.
Grade: B-.
Honors – Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, Charlie Haas, and Shelton Benjamin vs. Rhett Titus, Kenny King, Claudio Castagnoli, and Chris Hero, ROH on HDNet, February 7.
How did the match end? The match ended with no winner, as both teams could not work together in the end. (Note: at the next ROH iPPV on 2/26/11, Titus and King will face Hero and Castagnoli for the ROH Tag Titles. The Briscoes will face Benjamin and Haas for the #1 Contender Spot on the same iPPV.)
Grade: B-
Mr. V’s Grade Book for this past week
A+, A, or A-: None to Report.
B+: None to Report.
B: None to Report.
B-: Kenny King/Rhett Titus/Claudio Castagnoli/Chris Hero vs. Mark Briscoe/Jay Brisoce/Charlie Haas/Shelton Benjamin (ROH); Jerry Lawler and Daniel Bryan vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr. and The Miz (RAW); AJ Styles and Kurt Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jeff Hardy (TNA); and Wade Barrett vs. Rey Mysterio (Smackdown).
C+: CM Punk vs. John Cena (RAW); Derrick Bateman vs. Byron Saxton (NXT); and Edge vs. Dolph Ziggler (Smackdown).
C: Mike Bennett vs. Grizzly Redwood (ROH); Alberto Del Rio vs. Santino Marella (RAW); Brodus Clay vs. Johnny Curtis (NXT); Tyler Reks vs. Curt Hawkins (Superstars); Mr. Anderson vs. Matt Morgan (TNA); and Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston (Smackdown).
C-: R-Truth vs. Mason Ryan (RAW); John Morrison vs. Michael McGillicutty (RAW); Natalya vs. Alicia Fox (Superstars); Jack Swagger vs. Trent Barreta (Superstars); Rob Van Dam/Samoa Joe/Brother Devon vs. Matt Hardy/Bully Ray/D’Angelo Dinero (TNA); Robbie E. vs. Suicide vs. Brian Kendrick (TNA); Justin Gabriel vs. Vladimir Kozlov (Smackdown); and Drew McIntyre vs. Chris Masters (Smackdown).
D+, D, or D-: Gail Kim/Eve/Tamina vs. Melina/Brie Bella/Nikki Bella (RAW); The Great Khali vs. Jimmy Uso/Jey Uso (Superstars); Sarita/Rosita/Madison Rayne/Tara vs. Angelina Love/Velvet Sky/Winter/Mickie James (TNA); and Kane vs. JTG (Smackdown).
F or INC: None to Report.
The Latest Predictions from the Faculty Standings (as of TNA’s Against All Odds)
In case you read the Predictions column, we are now doing a contest with the readers of Wrestleview. All you have to do to be a part of the work is to be consistent and predict each match for each PPV during the 2011-2012 Wrestleview Faculty Season. The top three (and to prevent ties, I did add a tiebreaker) after the 2012 Royal Rumble will win a prize that will be determined at a future date, however after discussing this with Editor-in-Chief (and 2010 Golden Yardstick Winner) Adam Martin here is an idea what the prizes will be:
First Place will win a wrestling DVD.
Second Place will win a T-Shirt.
Third Place will win a Coffee Mug.
Last Place will win TNA’s Victory Road 2009, as it was as bad a PPV as what potentially someone’s picks will be.
First, here are the standings among the Wrestleview Staff. Remember, I took out the Student of the Week standing. However, the Student of the Week will still be able to make the predictions in the next round.
1) Greg McNeish (The Velvet Room)……………………………………………………..6-1 (6-1)
2) Mike Tedesco (WWE Smackdown and WWE Superstar Recaps)……….5-2 (5-2)
3) Dave Stephens (Raw Recaps/That’s a Wrap/Teachers Lounge)……….4-3 (4-3)
4) Josh Boutwell (TNA Impact Recaps/Viva La Raza)……………………………4-3 (4-3)
5) Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds)…………………………………………4-3 (4-3)
6) Ryan Rivera (ROH on HDNet Recaps)…………………………………………………4-3 (4-3)
7) Nicholas Gray (The Velvet Room)……………………………………………………….4-3 (4-3)
8) Evan O’Brien (WV International Desk)………………………………………………..4-3 (4-3)
9) Wrestleview Students (The Readers of the Article)……………………………..4-3 (4-3)
10) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings/The Eye Gouge)………………………….3-4 (3-4)
11) Darraugh O’Connor (WV International Desk)……………………………………..3-4 (3-4)
12) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/Teacher’s Lounge)……………….2-5 (2-5)
13) Clinton Bowman (The Velvet Room)……………………………………………………2-5 (2-5)
The only Student of the Week this week is Ken Konarzewski. He was the only one that was not defeated by any Wrestleview Student last week.
We had 32 Wrestleview “Students” for TNA’s Against All Odds (a record for a TNA PPV) and they predicted an average of 3.84 matches correct. By estimation, I ruled that the WV Students earned a 4-3 score.
Here are the “students” that are making the grade for a prize so far. Remember, you have to be in the Top Three (in matches picked correctly, not “winning percentage”) after the 2012 Royal Rumble to win the contest! To those near the bottom, I will just send you an e-mail. I don’t want to embarrass you.
1) Ken Konarzewski…………………………..5-2 (5-2)
2) Paul Meade……………………………………5-2 (5-2)
3) Jason Namako……………………………….5-2 (5-2)
4) Jesse Grams……………………………………5-2 (5-2)
5) Travis Thomas…………………………………5-2 (5-2)
6) Rick Jackson……………………………………5-2 (5-2)
7) Michael Fox……………………………………5-2 (5-2)
8) Brandon Ewing………………………………5-2 (5-2)
9) Steven Horsecroft…………………………..5-2 (5-2)
10) Jordan Benterman………………………….5-2 (5-2)
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 specials on all the BBQ Sauce you need. Look at his blog and maybe buy a product or two. I know I will when shipping is free.
Hernandez – The TNA wrestler took some time off his schedule to have a good 45-minute interview with Dave Stephens, Josh Boutwell, and I. He shared many stories about his time in Mexico and joked about the Cowboys quarterback. It was a great interview and I thank Hernandez for his time. It was truly an honor to hear about his career.
James Lacerenza – The MDA volunteer is now doing another drive for Jerry’s Kids. I donated quite a few times to MDA and I hope some of my readers donate, even a dollar goes a long way.
The Rock – Thanks for coming home.
WWE – In 2011, they are going completely all-out. I think they should be commended for this as WrestleMania is the biggest event of the year for wrestling fans.
ROH – For adding MsChif vs. Sara Del Rey on their 9th Anniversary Card. I was not sure if I wanted to pay the fifteen bucks, but now I am sold! That and watching some tag team wrestling and a very good card from top to bottom.
Colt Cabana – He earns one for his outstanding work on “The Art of Wrestling” Podcast. Very funny work he did with The Iron Sheik.
Dave Stephens and Josh Boutwell – Boutwell actually was the one that talked to us about Hernandez, and Dave of course is probably one of the best when it comes to asking questions and following it up very quickly. Rutgers should be paying Dave’s loans in my opinion because he is pretty awesome (once you get past his taste in music).
Greg McNeish – The co-host of The Velvet Room represented Canada well by earning a 6-1 predictions record for Against All Odds. Not only did he beat the Wrestleview Staff, but all 32 students that competed in the game this week. For this effort, he is the early “Dean of Wrestleview” after 1 PPV for Season Three.
Mike Tedesco – The Smackdown and Superstars recapper should get one for having to recap that awful Superstars this past week, but he was the only staff member to predict both TNA championship matches correctly.
Ken Konarzewski – The man once again was able to retain his Student of the Week status by going 5-2 for the Against All Odds PPV.
Paul Meade, Jason Namako, Jesse Grams, Travis Thomas, Rick Jackson, Michael Fox, Brandon Ewing, Steven Horsecroft, and Jordan Benterman – All of the “Wrestleview Students” earned a 5-2 predictions record.
Grash – Congrats on getting your first NXT recap posted on Wrestleview.com.
Jamel Watson – Please help him and support his show at http://www.whale.org Thursdays at 5PM. You got nothing to do, right. It will easily kill a quick hour while one waits for Superstars, Impact, or whatever event one has.
Major League Baseball – YAY!! Spring Training!!
Kazarian – For retaining his TNA X Division Championship.
Madison Rayne – For retaining her TNA Knockouts Championship.
Jeff Hardy – As the norm, anyone who defends or wins a championship earns a Gold Star.
To the V-Puter 5000 – My computer is a year old this week and I have had great memories with it. My stress level has dropped now that I have a computer with 8GB of RAM and about 1.5 TB of space on the computer. Hopefully, I hope to have many more this computer.
Buddy Mignon – The latest Internet/Commercial sensation.
Remember, FOUR TIMES THE STEEEEEAAAAAAAKKKKK.
Are there any more that I should pass out? If so, e-mail me at mistervwv@hotmail.com and I will add them on next week.
Homework Assignment
NO Assignments until further notice.
I won’t give my readers the runaround this week. The next one may arrive in a couple weeks, as I will be working on renewing my certification to teach in Pennsylvania. Yes, if I don’t get this, I can’t call this “From the Desk of Mr. V” because; well I won’t be Mr. V. “From the Desk of V” does not even sound professional, anyway.
Dismissal
Well, that does it for me this week. I thank you all for reading this column 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 at lounge@Wrestleview.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!
Facebook: Add me if you want. I am Anthony J. Valvo in the Pittsburgh, PA network
Twitter: @TheMisterV
E-Mail: mistervwv@hotmail.com or lounge@Wrestleview.com
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE IS NOW AIRING ON SATURDAYS!
The Teacher’s Lounge gives the Wrestleview Radio Network Audience a complete rundown of the past week’s events in professional wrestling all in a two-hour program. We even have a few games, a detention segment, as well as interviews.
Last Week: TNA’s Hernandez and Wrestleview’s Josh Boutwell!
On the 2/12 episode, Dave Stephens, Josh Boutwell, and I did the predictions and provided opinions for TNA’s Against All Odds. We also interviewed TNA Superstar Hernandez and chatted about his wrestling career in Mexico, LAX, and Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo.
Already on the archives we interviewed Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings), Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds), Crystal Mai from Diva-Dirt.com, CJ Bowman and Nicholas Gray (co-hosts of The Velvet Room), The YouTube Sensation who had choice words to CM Punk, Josh Boutwell (Wrestleview TNA Recapper), ROH Wrestler Colt Cabana, and Former WWE Diva Aloisia! For $4.99 a month, 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 lounge@Wrestleview.com. To sign up, click here.