From the Desk of Mr. V #116
April 20, 2011
By: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
First off, it has been a very long time since I did a column for Wrestleview. My apologies to those who were waiting for so long, but like I said before. There is a time where my studies are important and when I study for a Praxis (yeah, I hate them as much as the next teacher), my mind goes into complete study mode.
However, I spend a good portion of my time this weekend to provide thoughts on WrestleMania XXVII and BOTH Ring of Honor Internet PPVs (with the help of Jason Namako for the ROH shows). The usual material will be there as well. You may want to brew a pot of coffee, it will be a long one.
This is #116 obviously. On Mr. V #117, I will be offering another college-level piece on thoughts from ROH’s Honor Takes Center Stage (with the help from a guest). This week is all about WrestleMania, as after a few of you asked for my thoughts on the show I decided to take a break from my studies and give you my take.
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 116th Installment of “From the Desk of Mr. V”.
Oh, and before I forget:
Happy Easter!
Quote of the Week
“Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good”. – William Daniels as George Feeny from “Boy Meets World”
Honestly, this is one of my favorite shows of all-time. Also, students in this world definitely need a Mr. Feeny in their lives (especially what students see now). I hope all my readers have that Mr. Feeny character in their lives.
Teacher’s Lecture
1) Edge Retires
My Thoughts: Now, I realized that I am pretty much late in this lecture but I will be (hopefully) brief on my thoughts with Edge.
I watched many of Edge’s moments in the WWE squared circle. I remember watching his first match in which there was an injury involved. But he obviously had the look to be something special in the WWE. However, I thought of him as a guy who was never going to be a World Champion. I thought he would be a very interesting character, but not enough to get him over.
But his credentials speak for themselves. He was mostly the main story on Smackdown during his last few years (outside of his time on Raw last year that was not a good run). He was a eleven-time World Champion, a five-time Intercontinental Champion, A 14-Tag Team Champion (w/6 different people), Mr. Money in the Bank (twice), a Royal Rumble winner, and a King of the Ring. He was married on Smackdown, had live sex on Raw, and shaved the head of Kurt Angle.
While I thought he was not “The Greatest” ever in professional wrestling, I will say that he was a wrestler that really grabbed my attention at times. His Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches were his breakout moments, was a hilarious character with Christian with the “five second pose”, and really did so much in the time that he worked in the WWE.
On the 4/11 edition of Raw, the book closed for Edge and it was good timing. I am glad that Edge looked out for his health and kept his money. When one is told by a doctor “you need to retire”, the decision should be easy. I think Edge made the right choice, he has nothing else to prove. He accomplished more than what anyone else expected out of him and for that I think we should applaud him for leaving at the top of his game. He may not be one of the greatest of all time, but he was a pretty good representative for World Wrestling Entertainment. Good Luck, Edge.
2) The Thrid Annual Mr. V WrestleMania Rundown
This is where you need to grab your cup of coffee; this is going to be long. I also have the ROH iPPVs to go over and I hope my readers will enjoy it.
To just go over what I do with the rundowns, I will post the result (which all should know), provide my “grade”, and who really won and lost after match is over. Also, I watched each match twice or even three times to get the best grade for the match.
Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio for Edge’s World Heavyweight Championship
Result: Edge speared Del Rio for the pinfall victory.
WINNER – Edge. I did not know during the match it would be his last match in his illustrious career, but I thought this was one of Edge’s best matches in a very long time.
WINNER – Del Rio. Even though Del Rio lost the match, his debut WrestleMania match was pretty impressive. Del Rio worked his program very well and demonstrated some great technical work to the arm.
Overall: Both wrestlers worked their segments real well and it was a very good opening match. However, I was pretty confused that they would book this match as the opener for their biggest show of the year. Overall, it was a very good exchange-filled battle that turned out to be a very good win for “The Rated R Superstar”.
Grade: B (it was a B- the first time I watched it)
Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio
Result: Cody Rhodes clubbed Rey Mysterio with Mysterio’s knee brace and then hit the Cross Rhodes for the pinfall victory.
WINNER – Rhodes. When it was his turn to deliver the offense, it was one of the best matches of his young career. He showed surprising strength when he executed a Delayed Suplex from the corner. His character transformation from “dashing” to “self-cautious” was done perfectly, and I think this was his breakout performance.
Overall: If Mysterio wanted Rhodes to be his opponent, then this was the right choice. Though Mysterio missed a sport or two (as did Rhodes), there were so many moves to this story that I really enjoyed. Mysterio took some serious bumps and when it was time to amaze the audience, I thought both guys did an impressive job.
Grade: B+ (same grade the first time I watched this).
The Corre (Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, and Ezekiel Jackson) vs. The Big Show, Kane, Santino Marella, and Kofi Kingston
Result: After the smoke settled in this very quick match, Santino Marella hit the Cobra and The Big Show nailed Heath Slater knocked him out with the punch.
WINNER –Kingston. Well, if anyone should be happy to be at WrestleMania it should be Kingston. He went from not appearing on the card to arriving at the last minute. Also, Kingston was part of the winning team in this tag match. All in all, though short the match may be Kingston was at least there.
LOSERS – The Corre. Let’s see, the faction holds the Intercontinental Championship and the Tag Team Titles and have been blind side attacking everyone. Now, they take a job in under two minutes. The result was fine, but wow have they fell off the face of the earth on this show.
Overall: The story was that the good guys got their revenge. However, the story was way too quick and the maneuvers are short. As a matter of fact, the match was faster than the time all read this segment.
Grade: D (I gave this a D- the first time I watched the show).
CM Punk vs. Randy Orton
Result: CM Punk tried to do a springboard move, but Randy Orton countered with an RKO for the pinfall victory.
WINNER – Orton. The question that was asked “Will Orton sell his knee” was answered with a “sort of”. His emotions were not bad and I thought that this was one of his best matches since turning face. It seems that CM Punk can get the best out of everyone when in the ring.
WINNER – CM Punk. Another one of those that did not need “the win” to win, Punk just paced the entire match to perfection. He was unreal with his facial reactions from selling to being in shocked after escaping the RKO attempt the first time.
Overall: Orton was able to get his spots on at the start and then with a flurry throughout the match. Orton also did a decent job holding on to that leg injury, something that apparently he did not do a good job on previously. CM Punk really shined when he slowed the match down and told a high-quality story with is mannerisms. In my opinion, despite “not winning” the match he was the MVP of WrestleMania. All in all, may have been one of the best matches on the card
Grade: B+ (gave it a B the first time).
Michael Cole (w/Jack Swagger) vs. Jerry Lawler with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as special referee
Result: After a celebration of Lawler’s victory via The Ankle Lock, the “Raw GM” declared Cole the winner via biased officiating by Austin.
LOSER – Cole. I am sorry, I am really trying to be biased in this portion. However, I did not think one thing of Cole’s offense was there. Granted, he is a commentator but the buildup should have also included that Cole work out a little bit. Also, there was no reason Cole should have had a long offensive program (also did you notice he was not even touching Lawler’s ankle when on the ropes).
LOSER – Whoever booked this match. Seriously, who in their mind would have a computer reverse a result on WrestleMania. Also, whoever gave this match over ten minutes should either resign or was already fired. This was putrid.
Overall: I thought Lawler did all that he could to salvage this mess of a contest. At first, I was glad to see that Lawler got his revenge on Cole because that is what I wanted to see (as well as my friends who watched this). Instead, we got a match that completely wiped out any adrenaline I had left.
Grade: D- (Gave the match a D the first time)
Triple H vs. The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match
Result: The Undertaker applied Hell’s Gate to a gassed Triple H. Triple H grabbed hold of the sledgehammer, but faded and had no choice but to tap. With the submission victory, The Undertaker went 19-0 at WrestleMania.
WINNER: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler. Seriously, how great was it to hear both guys on commentary once again for a WrestleMania? Sure, the lines were a bit off but when they spoke they did it at the right time. Also, during the match they just did not say anything, which to me at least told more of a story between the two men in the ring rather than behind the announcer table.
WINNER: The Undertaker. This may not have been his best match, but give him credit for wrestling in a match that he should not have competed in because of the rotator cuff injury. After Triple H’s chair shot and Tombstone, it just looked like he was either out of it or he was playing an amazing character. Give him credit for gutting out everything to be one step closer to 20-0.
Overall: The start of this match was very good, with both men really going hard with the punches. The match had some brutal physical spots, which is what one expects in a No Holds Barred match. They both went really hard and at times looked downright painful. However, I don’t have a timer on hand but there was a ton of stalling and there were some “pages” missing in the story. Why didn’t HHH attack Taker after a pinfall? Why couldn’t The Undertaker get up the last five minutes of the match? In my opinion, the match would have been terrific if it went fifteen minutes. But almost a half an hour? At times, it was very challenging to watch. However, for both wrestlers coming off serious injuries they did give their all to have what some called an “epic” match. In this readers opinion, I thought it was pretty good, but could have been much better if the match was half of its time allotted.
Grade: B (I gave it a B- the first time).
Dolph Ziggler, Michelle McCool, and Layla (w/Vickie Guerrero) vs. John Morrison, Trish Stratus, and Snooki
Result: After some kind of cartwheel backsplash, Snooki finished off McCool with a cartwheel into a splash.
WINNER – Snooki. Why not? She was clearly the highlight of this match with her amazing ability. I was very shocked to see that out of her.
WINNER – Stratus. At first, I was very concerned about the ring rust. However, she was the best one out there because she did turn back time and had a good control segment with McCool.
LOSER – Morrison. I am sorry, but he did not look enthused to be a part of the match and it showed. I think many would have died being in this type of match and Morrison showed no emotion whatsoever. At least Ziggler showed a bit of a character.
Overall: Kudos to McCool for taking the loss for her team. I think she gets a raw deal because of who she is married to, but obviously she knew that she was taking the job and worked a solid program with Stratus up until the end of the match. The loss could have also started the breakup of LayCool, and I thought that was a good way to plant the seed of the impending breakup. Snooki was the MVP in this match just because no one expected her to do what she did in the ring. Just by that alone bumped the grade of this match up just a bit.
Grade: C- (D+ the first time).
The Miz (c) (w/Alex Riley) vs. John Cena for the WWE World Championship
Result: After a Time Limit Draw, The Rock demanded the match continue. The Rock then hit the Rock Bottom on Cena and The Miz crawled over for the pinfall victory.
WINNER – Miz. Many wrestling fans can dislike the guy, but one must give credit where it is due. How many fans out there thought that Miz would main event a WrestleMania and win? I don’t think anyone saw these coming years ago and he just keeps getting better. Take the spill where he bumped the back of his head out of this, he was pretty good on his first main event. It looks like there will be many more in his future.
LOSER – Cena. He lost his first one-on-one match at a WrestleMania and probably this was his worst performance at a WrestleMania in his career. I don’t know if it was injury or just not there, Cena was very sloppy in offense and when selling. Even applying his finishers it just did not draw me into the match.
LOSER – The Rock. I may be a minority when mentioning it, but The Rock really ruined the show with his opening promo and his involvement in the main event. I talked to many of my friends and we know that at WrestleMania the story ends. The Rock did not end it, but carried it into next year’s WrestleMania. Something like this could have easily been placed elsewhere.
Overall: Ugh, last year’s main event was superb. And I had high hopes for this year’s match. But this was easily the most disappointing. Cena was not even close to his usually performance and The Miz came out strong and ended pretty weak (probably because the events at the end). It was very sloppy, but one thing I will mention is that it had a top-level feel to the match. Sadly, it went downhill from there. This match felt more like a Monday Night Raw main event than one that should end the WWE’s “Super Bowl”.
Grade: C (C+ the first time).
So, let’s see what the Overall QPA was for WrestleMania XXVII (as well as the previous WrestleManias since I covered them for WrestleVIew).
OVERALL WRESTLEMANIA XXVII GRADE: C (2.3 out of a 4.0)
I was actually very surprised that the overall grade was this high. I think that the matches at the top half of the card really saved this show.
The best matches on this card in my opinion were the battles of Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio and CM Punk vs. Randy Orton. Both were secondary storylines to the main storylines on Smackdown and Raw. Also, The World Heavyweight Championship was a very good match from start to finish, but at times it felt that Edge was limited in what he could do.
The match between HHH and The Undertaker was the best they could have done given the circumstances, but the match could have easily been cut down in time and increased some of the times to the other matches that were featured on this card.
The 8-man tag and the 6-person inter-gender were what I expected. Both matches were going to just be fillers and quick. The surprises here were how short the 8-Man tag was and Snooki showing tremendous talent in the ring.
Finally, the Main Event was very disappointing. I expected this to be a solid B and what I got was a continuance to the story between Cena and Rock. The Miz won this and I am happy he did, but this story was as poorly executed as what happened between the bell.
WrestleMania 27 Grade: 2.3 out of 4.0
WrestleMania 26 Grade: 2.45 out of 4.0
WrestleMania 25 Grade: 1.9 out of 4.0
Two weeks ago (in my last column), I mentioned that this WrestleMania was not going to be good as last year’s and I think I was correct. There were more compelling storylines last year and the action was pretty good. However, the other two WrestleManias were just not stellar enough. I am personally hoping that the WWE pulls all the strings for their next WrestleMania in Miami because if there is another mediocre event, it could potentially hurt them in Pay-per-view buys. To those that doubt that WrestleMania will sell out next year, to those you are all fools. People will buy that golden ticket so they can say to their family and friends “I went to WrestleMania”.
So, those are my thoughts on WrestleMania. Let me know what you thought of the show by sending me an e-mail to mistervwv@hotmail.com.
Any Questions?
For this week only because of the length of this piece, I will not be taking questions. However, the next column (#117) will have questions so please send them away to mistervwv@hotmail.com. Gold Stars to those who send me a question.
Detentions
Detentions are few and far this week. However, I think we can all agree on some of these detentions.
It has been a while since I was able to do this, and I am happy to give out detentions. These people and at times objects clearly deserve it for their comments or their complaints.
Hulk Hogan – He earns one for posting on Twitter how he does not listen to doctors in regards to Edge’s retirement. Hogan, perhaps listening to a doctor would have been the best thing that could happen.
WWE – Where do I start? Well, first off for a very forgettable WrestleMania. Sure, the first half was good, but after Cole and Lawler it was tough to follow something so horrible.
WWE – For banning Zack Ryder signs. Seriously, I think this is flattering that a guy who is nothing more than a jobber (I am sorry Zack Pack) to get this much recognition.
John Morrison – If all is true that you blew off Trish Stratus “for the divas in the back”, then I am sorry but for a guy who is very athletic you are pretty spineless.
Michael Cole – This time you earn it for just flat out stinking at WrestleMania. Also, for interrupting all the commentators and humiliating them. Can the WWE just give him a paid vacation so we don’t have to see him as a commentator? He is NO Bobby Heenan.
John Cena – As much as it pains me to put him here, he had his worst WrestleMania match in his career. For someone that hits it out of the park in big-time moments, it was pretty disappointing.
The TNA Front Row girls – At least show some enthusiasm! It is comical that they don’t react until the camera is right in front of them. Go ahead, class, Look at them. They are the most uneventful people in the world.
Mr. Anderson – I saw that! I saw that you tipped over a perfectly nice coffee table on the April 7th episode of Impact! What a waste of coffee!
Jack Korpela – Be creative! I heard the “Gold Star” comment on Superstars. I don’t forget. Ask Greg McNeish, I never forget!
Orlando Jordan – He gets one for the wardrobe.
The Teacher’s Lounge Intern – You know who you are, Frank. You will stay here until the Washington Capitals are out of the playoffs. Now go fetch me my coffee.
Some members of this “Steeler Nation” – Please stop calling radio stations over Joey Styles insulting Hines Ward. I am a Steeler fan, and I am voting for Chris Jericho because he I can. It is my choice, right? Don’t forget that “The Terrible Towel” should only be used for football games, not for dancing competitions.
Joey Styles – Before you want to mention that the Steelers “choked”, remember that the Eagles and the Patriots did the same exact thing. The only NFL fans that should talk the game are Green Bay Packer fans. No one is safe in my detention list.
The Time Out Chair – Activists
I wanted to pick so many, I really did. But instead, I decided to go with all these activists who cry foul when the WWE attempts to do something controversial. I seriously don’t get it. They are not allowed to say “Brokeback” and now they can’t smoke on television? But they can drink alcohol and that is ok? Though the product is PG, the parents are also responsible (or at least should be) to let their children know the rights from the wrongs.
Look, I know that it is wrong to insult someone for their orientations and I haven’t had a cigarette in years but that is my choice. I just think that these organizations go after the WWE because they are big time. It just makes these people total tools and fools. Stick to the billboards, please. And don’t get upset over entertainment. In conclusion, I guess I will just say this. People HAVE to QUIT being on the defense over the stupidest things.
Ok, now that I vented on the activists I think there is a special place in my list below for these suits.
Eh, let’s rundown the Eternal Detentions so next week all I have to do is copy and paste it.
Praxis and the ETS Series
Teachers that get arrested
Ryan Clark
2010 French Soccer Team
Jeff Hardy
“Undefined” Alicia Fox
Mike Tenay
Mark Cuban and/or HDNet
Hulk Hogan
Activists
SPECIAL!! THREE sets of Mr. V’s Honor Rolls (because I missed out on them)
Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll For the Week of March 21 – March 27, 2011
3/21 – WWE Monday Night Raw (NO ROH on HDNet because of CBI Tournament)
3/22 – WWE NXT
3/23 – OFF DAY.
3/24 – WWE Superstars and TNA Impact
3/25 – WWE Friday Night Smackdown
3/26 – This was the day you listened to “The Teacher’s Lounge”
3/27 – OFF DAY.
Distinguished Honors – Daniel Bryan and Gail Kim vs. Tyson Kidd and Melina, WWE Superstars, March 24.
How did it end? After a very contested battle between all four (even the divas performed very well in the match), Daniel Bryan made Tyson Kidd tap out due to the LaBell Lock.
Grade: B+.
High Honors – Wade Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, March 25.
How did it end? After a good story in which The Corre played interference for a moment, Wade Barrett connected with the Wasteland finisher and pinned Kofi Kingston to begin his first reign as WWE Intercontinental Champion.
Grade: B.
Honors – Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, March 25.
How did it end? After Del Rio was slightly distracted when Edge speared Brodus Clay, Christian took advantage and hit the Killswitch finisher to earn the victory over the top contender of Edge’s Championship (at the time of course).
Mr. V’s Grade Book for the past week
A+, A, or A-: None to Report.
B+: Daniel Bryan and Gail Kim vs. Tyson Kidd and Melina (Superstars).
B: Wade Barrett vs. Kofi Kingston (Smackdown) and Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio (Smackdown).
B-: Chris Masters vs. Tyler Reks (Superstars) and Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk (Smackdown).
C+: Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio (RAW) and Titus O’Neil vs. Darren Young (NXT).
C: Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison (RAW); Dolph Ziggler, Layla, and Michelle McCool vs. John Morrison and Trish Stratus (RAW); Lucky Cannon vs. Byron Saxton (NXT); Yoshi Tatsu and The Great Khali vs. Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso (Superstars); Mickie James vs. Tara (TNA); and Rob Van Dam vs. Mr. Anderson (TNA).
C-: Eve vs. Maryse (RAW); D’Angelo Dinero vs. Okato (TNA); Hernandez and Anarquia vs Matt Morgan and Brother Devon (TNA); Crimson and Scott Steiner vs. Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal (TNA); Edge vs. Drew McIntyre (Smackdown); and Jack Swagger vs. R-Truth (Smackdown).
D+, D, or D-: Sheamus vs. Evan Bourne (RAW); and Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel vs. Santino Marella and Vladimir Kozlov (RAW).
F or INC: Layla and Michelle McCool vs. Kelly Kelly and Rosa Mendes (Smackdown).
Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll For the Week of March 28 – April 3, 2011
3/28 – WWE Monday Night Raw (NO ROH on HDNet because of CBI Tournament)
3/29 – WWE NXT
3/30 – OFF DAY.
3/31 – WWE Superstars and TNA Impact
4/01 – WWE Friday Night Smackdown
4/02 – This was the day you listened to the FREE episode of “The Teacher’s Lounge”
4/03 – OFF DAY.
(SIDE NOTE: This was the WWE’s Go-Home week before WrestleMania)
Distinguished Honors – Edge and Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay, WWE Monday Night Raw, March 28.
How did it end? After a pretty long segment by Del Rio and Clay, Edge and Christian got hot at the right time. The match ended when Edge connected on The Spear on Brodus Clay to open up Raw on a high note.
Grade: B- (leaned toward C+).
High Honors – Abyss, Bully Ray, and Matt Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam, Mr. Anderson, and Sting, TNA Impact, March 31.
How did it end? Just when Rob Van Dam was about to complete the match by hitting his finisher, Mr. Anderson pushed Van Dam down. Bully Ray ended the match with the Bubba Bomb (or is it Bully Bomb) on Van Dam for the pinfall victory in the main event cage match.
Grade: C+ (leaned toward C).
Honors – Trent Barreta vs. Curt Hawkins, WWE Superstars, March 31.
How did it end? The match demonstrated some great quickness and the spot were pretty good. However despite Hawkins’ strategy, Barreta was able to connect on the Dudebuster DDT for the pinfall victory.
Grade: C+ (leaned toward C).
Mr. V’s Grade Book for the past week
A+, A, or A-: None to Report.
B+: None to Report.
B: None to Report.
B-: Edge and Christian vs. Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay (RAW).
C+: Dolph Ziggler and Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan and John Morrison (RAW); Trent Barreta vs. Curt Hawkins (Superstars); and Abyss, Bully Ray, and Matt Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam, Mr. Anderson, and Sting (TNA).
C: Titus O’Neil, Conor O’Brian, and Byron Saxton vs. Darren Young, Jacob Novak, and Lucky Cannon (NXT); Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, and Melina vs. Gail Kim, Natalya, and Eve (Superstars); Scott Steiner vs. Shannon Moore (TNA); Max Buck vs. Jeremy Buck (TNA); Kofi Kingston vs. Wade Barrett (Smackdown); and Cody Rhodes vs. Chris Masters (Smackdown).
C-: Santino Marella vs. Justin Gabriel (RAW) and Winter vs. Velvet Sky (TNA);
D+, D, or D-: Jack Swagger vs. Jerry Lawler (RAW) and Kurt Angle vs. Rob Terry (TNA);
F or INC: None to Report.
Mr. V’s Weekly Honor Roll For the Week of April 4 – April 10, 2011
4/04 – ROH on HDNet (Final Episode) and WWE Monday Night Raw
4/05 – WWE NXT
4/06 – OFF DAY.
4/07 – WWE Superstars (last on WGN America) and TNA Impact
4/08 – WWE Friday Night Smackdown
4/09 – This was the day you listened to the “The Teacher’s Lounge”
4/10 – OFF DAY.
Distinguished Honors – Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, and Davey Richards vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero, and Roderick Strong, ROH on HDNet, April 4.
How did it end? Ring of Honor closed out their show on HDNet with a thrilling six-man tag team match that was enjoyed by the majority who have watched these guys grow before our eyes. After many attempts, Davey Richards singed off ROH on HDNet when he applied the Ankle Lock to Roderick Strong, making him tap out via submission.
Grade: B+ (leaned toward A-).
High Honors – Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, WWE Monday Night Raw, April 4.
How did it end? After CM Punk was dumped out of the ring, Cody Rhodes landed on the ropes and Mysterio and Orton won the match when they did a 619/RKO combination. Orton pinned Rhodes to secure the victory.
Grade: B+ (leaned toward B).
Honors – Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian, WWE Friday Night Smackdown, April 8.
How did it end? Just when Christian was about to claim the #1 Contender spot for the World Heavyweight Championship, Alberto Del Rio clobbered Christian with the Top Rope Enzugiri to knock out “Captain Charisma”. Del Rio was able to score the pinfall and earn another title shot (even though Edge had to retire on April 11).
Grade: B.
Mr. V’s Grade Book for the past week
A+, A, or A-: None to Report.
B+: Jay Briscoe, Mark Briscoe, and Davey Richards vs. Claudio Castagnoli, Chris Hero, and Roderick Strong (ROH) and Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk (RAW).
B: Big Show, Kane, Santino Marella, and Kofi Kingston vs. Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Ezekiel Jackson, and Wade Barrett (Smackdown) and Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian (Smackdown)
B-: None to Report.
C+: Drew McIntyre vs. JTG (Superstars) and Santino Marella vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr. (Superstars).
C: Alberto Del Rio vs. Evan Bourne (RAW); Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan (RAW); Hornswoggle and Titus O’Neil vs. Chavo Guerrero and Darren Young (NXT); Yoshi Tatsu vs. Tyson Kidd (Superstars); Brian Kendrick, Chris Sabin, and Suicide vs. Robbie E, Max Buck, and Jeremy Buck (TNA) and Bully Ray vs. Christopher Daniels (TNA).
C-: Jerry Lawler vs. Jack Swagger (RAW); John Morrison and Trish Stratus vs. Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero (RAW); Conor O’Brian vs. Jacob Novak (NXT); Anarquia and Hernandez vs. Tommy Dreamer and Brother Devon (TNA); Rob Van Dam vs. Sting (TNA); and Kelly Kelly and Beth Phoenix vs. Layla and Michelle McCool (Smackdown)
D+, D, or D-: Yoshi Tatsu vs. Ted DiBiase, Jr. (NXT); Samoa Joe vs. Murphy (TNA); Sarita and Rosita vs. Velvet Sky and Angelina Love (TNA) and Cody Rhodes vs. Trent Barreta (Smackdown).
F or INC: None to Report.
Current Predictions from the Faculty Standings (As of TNA’s Lockdown 2011)
Not one set of predictions were the same this past weekend with TNA Lockdown, but surprisingly the standings were pretty consistent, but one this is for certain. Only six correct predictions separate our leader from last place, so it is still anyone’s game with nine months left in the game. Here are the standings and some notes after all have been calculated.
1) Mike Tedesco (WWE Smackdown and WWE Superstar Recaps)……….23-12 (5-3)
2) Josh Boutwell (TNA Impact Recaps/Viva La Raza)……………………………22-13 (5-3)
3) Dave Stephens (Raw Recaps/That’s a Wrap/Teachers Lounge)……….22-13 (4-4)
4) Ryan Rivera (ROH on HDNet Recaps)…………………………………………………22-13 (5-3)
5) Nicholas Gray (The Velvet Room)……………………………………………………….21-14 (5-3)
6) WrestleView Students (The Readers of the article)……………………………..21-14 (4-4)
7) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings/The Eye Gouge)………………………….19-15 (3-5)
8) Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds)…………………………………………19-16 (3-5)
9) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/Teacher’s Lounge)……………….19-16 (4-4)
10) Evan O’Brien (WV International Desk)………………………………………………..19-16 (5-3)
11) Gregory “Grash” Walek (WWE NXT Recapper)…………………………………….19-16 (5-3)
12) Greg McNeish (The Velvet Room)……………………………………………………..18-17 (3-5)
13) Clinton Bowman (The Velvet Room/Tough Enough recapper)…………18-17 (4-4)
14) Darragh O’Connor (WV International Desk)……………………………………..17-13 (5-3)
Tie-Breaker Points – Which are based on Championship matches correct
10: Mike Tedesco
9: Josh Boutwell
8: Nicholas Gray; Ryan Rivera; CJ Bowman; Anthony Valvo; Dave Stephens
7: Josh Boutwell; Jose Marrero; Evan O’Brien; Gregory Walek
6: Matt O’Brien
5: Greg McNeish
4: Darraugh O’Connor
All the matches on the card counted.
The best scores went to Mike Tedesco, Josh Boutwell, Ryan Rivera, Nicholas Gray, Evan O’Brien, Gregory Walek, and Darragh O’Connor. All scored a 5-3 record.
Mike Tedesco is currently in the lead in the standings and in tiebreaker points.
27 WrestleView Students sent in their predictions and averaged out 4.2 picks correctly, so the group as a whole went 4-4.
Jason (JerseyViper) Namako will be the new student of the week after going 6-2 with his picks for Lockdown. Reigning Student of the Week Ken Konarzewski was defeated, as he went 3-5.
Who’s in line for the Predictions Prize?
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.
I will just type out the Top Readers at this time. The first set of parentheses is the W/L record for TNA Lockdown. The second parentheses are the Tie-Breaker points.
1) Brandon Ewing………………………………………………25-10 (5-3) (9) – #1
2) Jason Namako…………………………………………………24-11 (6-2) (9) – Tie for #2
3) Travis Thomas………………………………………………….24-11 (5-3) (9) –Tie for #2
4) Paul Meade……………………………………………………24-11 (4-4) (8) – #3
Others may be tied with Mr. Meade in the standings, but he is the one with the most tiebreaker points at this time. Still over a half a year, so the standings can change in the blink of an eye.
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 http://www.jrsbarbq.com. Jim Ross has some specials on all the Beef Jerky you can consume. Look at his blog and maybe buy a product or two.
Finally, some Gold Stars!
Edge – People dream of being the best in whatever they do. People dream of ending their careers at the top of their game. Edge may not be the greatest of all-time, but he did what every professional wrestler wanted to do, and that was end their time at the top.
Scott Stanford – First off, I appreciate everyone who reads my columns. But when someone who is pretty famous in the New York area and a WWE commentator mentions that “he read it”, it should make anyone smile or mark out, right? Mr. Stanford, I thank you for reading “From the Desk of Mr. V”. I am a proud member of the Stanford Army.
Oh, and remember class, Regis likes him.
Lori Carrington – I may have already thanked her for being a part of “The Teacher’s Lounge a few weeks ago, but we thank her once again for the interview.
Paul Nemer – Also, I got to thank the Owner of WrestleView.com and 2009 Golden Yardstick Winner for Lifetime Achievement for joining us on “The Teacher’s Lounge” WrestleMania Weekend. Both Carrington and Nemer were terrific and we would love to have them back on at a future time.
Mike Tedesco – He joined us for the Predictions of WrestleMania and did a fine job. As a matter of fact, he is the leader of this season’s predictions among the WrestleView Staff members. He also gets one for the Paul Bearer impression. Just for you…
Dave Stephens – The WrestleMania Teacher’s Lounge could not have been done at all without him. Out of all the shows I have been a part of, that episode will be one that I remember for a very long time. Thank You.
Clinton Bowman – He gets one for joining me on The Teacher’s Lounge this past week. It is always a good time when I am on the Skype with Mr. Bowman.
CM Punk – From the time he was a commentator to the time he was with the Nexus to being one of the best performers at WrestleMania, he may be the best talent the WWE has right now.
The Miz – For retaining the WWE Championship. Here’s hoping his head is not too banged up.
Ken Konarzewski – He had the best PPV Record among the WrestleView Students for WrestleMania.
Jason Namako – He will be the Student of the Week for WWE’s Extreme Rules after beating all the WrestleView students on the TNA Lockdown Predictions. Also, Happy Birthday.
Mrs. Sands – My 5th grade teacher celebrated a birthday this week as well! She was a true inspiration. Also, if not for her I would never been introduced to “Sideway Stories of Wayside School”.
Cody Rhodes – He earns one for his improved performance the past few months. The transformation in his gimmick is excellent.
Christian and Alberto Del Rio – Just both of them get a Gold Star each for their great work in their series of matches and in the story for the World Heavyweight Championship. This has potential to be one of the best feuds in the WWE this year.
Chris Jericho – Jericho got a 26 for his Viennese Waltz, it was absolutely breathtaking. Team Chericho needs your help to continue. They are an amazing pairing! Besides, I want Jericho to use the Mirror Ball Trophy as a weapon.
Claudio Castagnoli – He gets one for reminding me to be “Very European”
Prince Nana – Because of his work with The Embassy for Ring of Honor.
Zack Ryder – He gets one because if I can’t hold a banner for Zack Ryder, then I will give him a Gold Star and hope someday I can be a Broski of the Week.
And that is all for now. If you want me to give out a Gold Star let me know at mistervwv@hotmail.com.
Homework Assignment (Due next week)
Well, now that my life is in order (studying, writing, and family is very balanced) I can get back to assigning some homework. Now, for next week I would l like to know what topics should be considered a “homework assignment”. Let me know next week and I will start issuing out the assignments.
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: @MrVWrestleView
E-Mail: mistervwv@hotmail.com or lounge@wrestleview.com
THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE IS NOW AIRING ON SATURDAYS!
Along with WrestleView’s Raw Recapper and Columnist Dave Stephens, 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.
Already on the archives we interviewed WrestleView.com staff members, including:
• Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings and FYB Radio host)
• Matt O’Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds)
• Josh Boutwell (TNA Recapper and Viva La Raza columnist)
• Mike Tedesco (WWE Smackdown and Superstars recapper)
• CJ Bowman (The Velvet Room and one-time guest host)
• Nicholas Gray (The Velvet Room)
• Adam Martin even guest hosted an episode (find out which one) (Editor-In-Chief)
• Paul Nemer (Site Owner)
But wait, here is plenty more!
The Teacher’s Lounge also interviewed professional wrestlers and amazing writers, including:
• Ring of Honor Wrestler and NWA World Heavyweight Champion Colt Cabana.
• TNA Superstar Hernandez
• Isis The Amazon (formerly Aloisia of WWE)
• Lori Carrington (Author of “The Crusierweight)
• Crystal Mai (from Diva-Dirt.com)
As always, Dave Stephens and I thank all our listeners as well as our readers. 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. It does cost 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.