The Shoot #57
March 23, 2010
By: Joshua Piedra of WrestleView.com
-The First Shot-
This week we are like Heinz ketchup as we bring to you Shoot #57. After a long dry spell of PPVs, we had TNA’s Destination X this past Sunday, so the One Extra Round segment returns. Also, if you liked me on the Friday Fishbowl here on Wrestleview, then get ready as I am slated to be the guest on The Teacher’s Lounge this week. I?ll be talking wrestling and Wrestlemania with David Stephens and Wrestleview’s resident teacher Mr. V. So don?t miss it for anything in the world!
With that being said, it’s time to take our customary trip around the world of professional wrestling and take a look at some of the headlines. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you your Quick Shots for the week.
-Quick Shots-
Shawn Michaels hinted at the match between himself and The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 26 will, indeed, be his last. He mentioned how not many people get to go out the way they want to, hinting that this is the way he wants to leave the business. He also went on to put over the match as if he slipped back into kayfabe. Take the interview with Slam Wrestling for what you will, but it could be a spoiler for this year’s Wrestlemania. Any way you look at it though, I do believe that The Undertaker will go 18-0 and Shawn Michaels will fade away into the sunset.
Since my column comes out the day after impact and Raw, this might seem like old news, but I still cringe when I look at the numbers for the past Monday night’s head to head show. I know TNA was taped last week, but that 0.8 had to really sting compared to the WWE’s 3.7. Then again, they did have Austin on the show so more people were likely to watch that over something they could read on the internet. Funny enough, the replay of TNA last week did the same number as Monday night, a 0.8. If you add the two impact ratings together you get 1.6. Last I checked, 1.6 < 3.7. So with that staggering evidence before you, apparently it means that two impacts couldn?t even take down one Raw combined. When will the writing on the wall get big enough for Carter and company? Dixie Carter herself confirmed all the rumors that Awesome Kong has been officially released from TNA. Dixie even went on and stated that TNA still supports Kong. Funny how Dixie says that then on impact this week they show Mick Foley, a ?fired? wrestler, punching Bubba the Love Sponge in the backstage area? If that wasn?t a shot at Awesome Kong, I don?t know what is. I don?t know about you, but if I were Dixie Carter, I would be asking the caterer for some salt or at least some Heinz for the words she’s about to eat. Oh well, Dixie will be crying when Vince McMahon eventually snags her up and we can all HAIL KONG! -The Big Shot: Heel Commentators-
From the title of this week’s Big Shot, you may think that this might be a re-hash of a column I did in the past entitled ?The Importance of Commentary?, but this time, it’s a little bit different. Well? not really because I believe that the reason why I wrote that column was because of the lackluster job done by the internet’s most hated commentator known as Michael Cole. This time? well? I?m writing this column because of the lackluster job done by the internet’s most hated commentator known as Michael Cole.
But this time, it’s a little bit different? just a little bit, though. This isn?t about his overall job and his excessive usage of the term vintage. This time, it’s about his job on WWE’s newest prospect known as NXT. You see, on this very program, Michael Cole seemingly turns heel every time Daniel Bryan Danielson makes his way out to the arena to either cut a promo or have a match. The whole gimmick here is that Michael Cole is angry at all the internet fans for following Danielson’s career through Ring of Honor and the independent circuit and he believes that people on the independent circuit don?t know anything about pro-wrestling and that the WWE is the holy grail of the industry that everyone should ive and die by.
Josh Matthews, who sits in with Cole each and every week, is seemingly pro-internet and thus, the feud between the two ensues. This, I thought, was great chemistry between the two and it made the commentary on this show really stand out and actually be just as entertaining as anything else that you will see or hear on the program, but there seems to be one little tiny problem with this new re-invention of Michael Cole?. It only happens when Daniel Bryan Danielson is on the camera?. For the rest of the time, Michael Cole is just?. Well?. Michael Cole.
This is where the problem really comes in. Now, keep in mind that everyone feels Cole is stale. There is only so much dry commentary and vintage comments that one can take or make fun of before it just gets old. We FINALLY see a new life and some possible great potential in Michael Cole, but they limit it to only once a week on NXT? Come on? can someone please explain to me why this is a good idea?
Let me lay it out nice and simple. WWE, TNA, and even ROH, have been lacking something called the Heel commentator. It seems as if commentary in professional wrestling as a whole has been on a decline. Commentary now exists to tell stories or to mark out over the big spots that go down during a match. There really isn?t such a thing as a heel or face commentator. It’s usually just two guys sitting there feeding off each other, going with the flow, and not creating anything interesting or dynamic to make the fans possibly care about the match or the wrestlers who are in the ring.
I think that the whole reason why Michael Cole turned so many heads is because for that split second, when Michael Cole nerd raged on the entire internet wrestling community and the WWE Universe, that he created that dynamic that has been missing behind the booth for such a long, long time. I mean, I know that Michael Cole typically gets booed when he makes his entrance to the ring before Raw goes on the air, but that’s not heel heat? that’s just X-Pac heat. They boo him because they know that Michael Cole sucks at his job. Michael Cole FINALLY gave us a reason to actually boo him by being an actual heel and it just goes to complete waste.
So this column is basically a salute to the heel commentator. There have been many great ones over the years such as Jesse ?The Body? Ventura, Bobby ?The Brain? Heenan, Jerry Lawler before he turned neutral, even JBL made for a very compelling heel commentator when he was still with the WWE. All of those aforementioned have made for some interesting moments and have breathed new life into the commentary characters that are portrayed on camera. Hell, even Don Callis made a great heel commentator back in ECW when he portrayed Cyrus ?The Virus? as well as the Network Executive from TNN. They brought to the table that dynamic that made listening to commentary interesting. I would even enjoy listening to the bickering between Joey Styles and Joel Gertner over anything coming across the air waves in this day and age.
Honestly, speaking of ?in this day and age?, the WWE commentary is just one big story book. I can?t remember the last time I heard a commentator back a heel and support them. I can?t remember the last time when I heard the commentators argue with each other for the entire length of a broadcast. All I hear is ?This match brought to you by? or ?don?t forget that this PPV is on in X amount of days? or ?What is going to happen next!?? I can understand trying to get your talent over through storytelling but sounding like a marketing machine for two straight hours just isn?t the way to do it. WWE is not the only one guilty of it. TNA is the same way and ROH, well? ?SLAP THE PORPOISE? just isn?t cutting it that well either. So what do you all think? You think that commentary is dead and needs to be jolted back to life or are you all satisfied with the mediocre?
Another deep breath aaand?.
A shorter rant than normal this week, but I just needed to get this one off my chest and I must thank Michael Cole for being the catalyst for another rant by yours truly, Wrestleview’s resident shooter and the internet wrestling community’s loose cannon. Let’s talk PPV!
-One Extra Round: TNA Destination X PPV Prediction Results-
Kurt Angle vs. Mr. Anderson
WINNER: Kurt Angle
PICK: Kurt Angle
1-0
Thoughts: This one I can?t really comment on from a match perspective as my? ahem? creatively acquired stream got leg dropped by Hulk Hogan and company. I heard it was a great match and that Angle won with an ankle lock. This one was kind of predictable because of the entire storyline. I mean, with the amount of things that Mr. Anderson has done to Kurt Angle, it wouldn?t make any sense for Anderson to get the win here. Now? it doesn?t mean that this feud can?t continue, which it looks like it will, but they needed a reason for a rubber match here and this is what we got. The match served its purpose in my eyes.
Kevin Nash and Eric Young vs. Scott Hall and Syxx-Pac
WINNER: Hall and Pac
PICK: Hall and Pac
2-0
Thoughts: If you didn?t see this one coming, you should go down to your local optometrist and buy yourself some spectacles because this was like a bright light shining off on the horizon, dozens of miles away.
Kazarian vs. Daniels vs. Amazing Red vs. Brian Kendrick
WINNER: Kazarian
PICK: Kazarian
3-0
Thoughts: This was a rough one for a lot of people, but if you paid attention to Kazarian’s promo about coming back, making it his goal to re-ignite the X-Division to combat the powerhouse that is Monday Night Raw, then you could pretty much tell who they are going to push in this scenario. Now we?ll see Kazarian vs Williams at Lockdown where I think Kaz will win the gold and go on the feud with Daniels.
Motor City Machineguns (Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin) vs. Generation Me (Max Buck and Jeremy Buck)
WINNERS: MCMG
PICK: MCMG
4-0
Thoughts: A lot of people went with the Young Bucks (aka Generation Me) here, but you know that this is just a feud that is in the beginning stages. Much like Angle, much like the X Division title, this PPV seemed like the show that would be setting up a lot of feuds. Also, like the X Division title, I think we?ll see MCMG take the belts at Lockdown and have their rubber match against the Bucks.
TNA Knockouts Championship
Tara (c) vs. Daffney
WINNER: Tara
PICK: Tara
5-0
Thoughts: After being passed around like a collection plate at church, this title needed to stay put for a while so it made sense that Tara would win, but the feud isn?t over as Daffney went and stole Poison. I would, personally, love to see Daffney force feed Poison to Tara much like Big Boss Man forced Al Snow to eat his own dog.
TNA Red Leather Strap with a Piece of Gold-Wrapped Chocolate Championship
Rob Terry (c) vs. Brutus Magnus
WINNER: Rob Terry
PICK: Rob Terry
6-0
Thoughts: You want thoughts? I have none.. all I can say is Im glad the quarter landed tails.
TNA X Division Championship
Doug Williams (c) vs. Shannon Moore
WINNER: Doug Williams
PICK: Doug Williams
7-0
Thoughts: I?m happy that TNA didn?t decide to put the belt on the newest flavor of the week. I?m a huge fan of ?The Anarchist? Doug Williams and I?m happy to see him with the X-Division title. His gimmick where he wants to bring wrestling back to the flippers is a thing of genius. Too bad he?ll lose the title to Kaz at Lockdown.
TNA World Tag Team Championship
Matt Morgan and Hernandez (c’s) vs. Beer Money, Inc. (Robert Roode and James Storm)
WINNERS: Morgan/Hernandez
PICK: Beer Money
7-1
Thoughts: Wow? really? The perfect situation for Morgan to turn and they wait until impact to do it? Seriously, I think that TNA just did that to screw with my picks for this show. It’s a conspiracy! Where’s JJ Dillon? I need the rule book!
TNA World Championship
AJ Styles (c) vs. Abyss
WINNER: No One? Not Even the fans
PICK: AJ Styles
N/A
Thoughts: We decided not to count this one because of the confusing booking that lead to the finish of this match. I?m just tired of World Title matches ending in some kind of screw job finish. Why can?t we get a damn main event with a clean finish for once!?
For once, I actually do not have anything for you guys for Culture Shock this week. No new anime, no new music, no new games, nada. Next week, though, Culture Shock will be back as I will review the anime shows from this winter season that caught my interest, but until then, I?ve got nothing!
With that being said, thanks for reading! Here’s your outro now sans Twitter since I?ve given up on joining the Twitter craze.
-The Final Shot-
That’s going to do it for me this week. If you would like to submit anything as far as column feedback, wrestling discussion, culture shock topics, anything? you can do so by using any of the methods below.
E-Mail: syscrash2002@hotmail.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joshuapiedra
Until next week?