What’s up world?? The King of All Italy Angry Long Island guy is here. Few things to talk about here before we go to the Hell In A Cell PPV picks.
First thing that needs to be addressed here, and I should’ve mentioned it in my ROH recap, is that for the first time that I can remember, ROH has promoted a new date in New York City, and a special date at that (Final Battle 2009), and they have not yet stated ANYONE who has signed to be on the card. Normally, when they announce a return date for any venue, there’s always a few preliminary names that have initially signed for combat on that card that they promote. This time, they didn’t do that. Perhaps they didn’t have time to do so due to the Cornette & Aries promo, but it’s still something to ponder regarding the viability and strength of ROH’s financial backing.
There’s been so many reports about ROH being in significant financial trouble, and although I wonder about the validity of those reports, this could be the first subtle sign that I have seen that all may not be rosy in the land of red, white, and black. Only time will tell, but its definitely two things that can be said about this point.
A) It’s ridiculously thin. I am definitely stretching at trying to find something controversial to talk about regarding ROH.
B) It’s still legitimate, as far as I am concerned. And it should royally tick off the WV chat room regulars. 🙂
One word, knitpick!
Moving forward.
Sting’s supposed hints at retirement are getting as old as Ric Flair wanting to return to the ring, and Brett Favre coming out of retirement twice in the last two years. I can understand completely booking Sting vs. Styles for the World title for Bound For Glory in Cali, but this “Final Curtain” thing is really old. Either they have to pull the strings on the retirement tour, or they need to quiet these ideas until it’s truly time for the final curtain to drop on Sting’s career. I’m surprised to have read the report that Ric Flair will not even entertain any offers of being a part of Sting’s farewell tour out of “loyalty to Vince McMahon.” After Wrestlemania 24, it has been apparent that Ric Flair’s loyalty has been to one thing and one thing only, Ric Flair. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Looking at the Bound For Glory card up to this point, I got big problems with the Bobby Lashley vs. Samoa Joe submissions match. It appeasred from all points that Joe was specifically given the X title belt to rebuild the X Division from the depths of hell that the division had fallen in to. And I thought he was doing a hell of a job of doing that. Daniels vs. Homicide vs. Joe is about as good as it can get, and that would be tremendous to see matches like that down the road in to Bound For Glory and beyond. Even going with the men in the Ultimate X #1 contender’s match, putting Joe in there, and making it a title match would’ve been a better fit in my opinion than Lashley vs. Joe in a submissions match. It’s like TNA just did a complete 180 degree turn in their storyline with Joe, and turned it in to a “exhibition” of supposedly the two big men with the closest MMA ties in TNA instead of using Joe for what he should be used for, in my opinion, and that’s to salvage the wreckage that the creative morons have wreaked in the X Division..
I like the Kurt Angle vs. Matt Morgan idea, but if Angle goes over, then what’s the point? There’s got to be a major change in the thinking of TNA creative, because the product seems awfully stale to me. It’s like on one side is Eric Young, on the other side is Kurt Angle, and then there’s everybody else. It makes for some very awkward storyline setups when you look at it somewhat objectively.
With regard to Lacey Von Erich, I?d like to ask if she’s seen the definition of this word in the dictionary.
Tact.
I?m not an Angelina Love fan. I don?t know much, if any of Lacey’s work, outside of some brief work in the indies. She did not impress. She’s got a lot to do before she has any remote possibility of exuding attitude outside of the six sided ring. If there’s a shred of truth to the article in the Miami Herald, it’s a bad move on Von Erich’s part.
What does this all mean? Simple, there’s so many holes in the creative direction of TNA Wrestling that you can drive a semi ? truck through it.
So, here’s my thoughts on TNA.. AJ’s the champ, the rest sucks. Move on.
Watched Smackdown last night for 1:55 of the 2 hour show. Yes, I fell asleep for the last five minutes and did not catch the end of the main event. That is my life in a nutshell. Nevertheless, I was very impressed and pleased with the entire show. The backstage segments were so ridiculously stupid that they became funny. Michael Cole needs to be put to sleep. (VINTAGE PALACE!) The joke is old. (Unfortunately, its still funny.) Chris Jericho and Big Show were superb. Zack Ryder has a lot of potential. (This was my first time really seeing Ryder do anything substantial since his move to ECW.) MVP & Mark Henry are gold as a tag team. I don?t know why WWE broke up Finlay and ?Swoggle, because they were good together, as they showed Friday night.
Rock was, well, Rock. No rust on the mike skills from the Great One. Absolute platinum style work. L-O-V-E-D it. And they all chanted the Palace’s name!
Ok, that was really stupid.
Punk’s preaching is getting to me a little, but I?ll live with it, because I am a huge Punk fan, and I am loving the fact that he is working as the top heel right now on Smackdown. However, with all that being said, I would be surprised as hell, pun intended, if Punk makes it out of Sunday alive.
I think they edited out DX’s schtick before the main event, which may be the first time I?ve ever seen that done since the revivals of DX. Surprising.
Vickie Guerrero is back on Smackdown, managing developmental talent Eric Escobar. Sigh.
I really hoped that Vickie had left for good. She needed the time away from the television. She drove me nuts. Yes, the regulars in the chat room said that Vickie is one of the most hated heels in WWE history, and to have her on television would be beneficial for the product, and I agree with that opinion, but that doesn?t mean I want to see her on my television. I?m sick to death of her, and her love interests polluting my cathode ray tube with garbage. I also call Vickie an immense hypocrite. Yes, I know she left before to ‘spend more time with her girls?, and I respect anyone’s time and chance to make a living if given that opportunity, but the facts are this. If you?re not sure where you?re going to be in the foreseeable future, & by Vickie being back already, it’s apparently obvious her long term plans were not in the fold when she left WWE back 3 months ago, then she should?ve shut up, got written off television, and done what she said she was going to do. Hearing her say one thing, and do completely another, puts her on the line of someone else who left WWE to ?heal up?, and ended up in Orlando literally like the next day.
Hypocrite.
The pay per view is OK, but the aspect of three cell matches is pushing it, especially if the report as to where they?ll end up in the card is accurate. Also, no blood on these matches is going to be awfully hard to sell to the fans. I know most of them will probably eat it up, but the IWC and the hardcore fans are going to poo poo this deal if it happens the way its been forecasted to happen.
Since I mentioned the PPV, let’s go to the picks, in a condensed fashion.
John Morrison retains the Intercontinental Championship over ?Mr. Ziggles? Dolph Ziggler. This is the beginning. Ziggler will take the belt, but just not yet. I think they?ve waited to pull the trigger on this for so long after the Mysterio debacle that they?re going to wait a little longer to make sure they get it right.
Jericho & Big Show retain the Unified Tag Titles over Batista & Rey Mysterio I would be stunned if this is a title change. Mysterio returns on a pay per view from suspension, and is given a title match? Hypocrites. They can?t reward Mysterio, regardless of the circumstances, with a championship in his first match after a suspension. Maybe down the road in a match at Bragging Rights or Survivor Series, because I can definitely see Mysterio & Batista winning the gold, but not yet.
The Miz wins the United States Championship over Kofi & Jack Swagger Someone want to explain to me why Swagger stopped being on commentary ten seconds in to the match with Kofi, Miz, Morrison & Ziggler? It looked awkward as hell. Swagger is as gifted as they come technically, but on the mike, he’s awful. And that’s going to be his downfall here. Miz, however, can start an inter promotional feud with Morrison after winning the belt, and causing grief for the IC Champion while he (Morrison) deals with Mr. Ziggles. Also, Miz has shown the most improvement in the recent time. Kofi is obviously being repackaged, (notice how last night he ended up moving from Jamaica to Ghana?), which makes me think that the title changes at Hell in a Cell.
DX over Legacy inside Hell in a Cell DX has all the advantages here. Experience. Experience. Experience. I don?t give a damn what happened at Breaking Point. This one is DX’s to win, and Legacy’s to learn. I would?ve kept this out of the Cell if I could, but in the cell, it’s a lock for DX.
Cena retains the WWE Title over Randy Orton inside Hell in a Cell don?t see them pulling another title change one month after Cena won the belt. I know I?ve said this a million times, but I don?t see it. I see Orton having to deal with DiBiase’s pending face turn and his stable in Legacy before I see him holding the spinner belt again.
Mickie James retains the Divas Title over Alicia Fox The women’s title isn?t good enough to defend at the PPV, so they do it on Smackdown? Contradictory if you ask me, since the women’s title has a lot more history. Not to mention the fact that McCool vs. Melina would?ve been more appropriate for the pay per view than Alicia Fox’s first chance at gold. (or silver, as the case may be.) Nevertheless, to please the Power, Andy Knowles, (in hopes that someday, the Palace can return to the Pro Wrestling Rewind here on Wrestleview.com), and in my head, James retains. Experience wins 99 times out of 100. And here, its lopsided in experience for Mickie James.
Undertaker wins the World Heavyweight Title inside Hell in a Cell. The only thing that can stop Taker from winning the strap is Taker himself. If he is not healthy enough to take the reigns and run with the title, then there may be some way that Punk will find to sneak out with the strap. I don?t think that’s going to happen. I would love it if it did, because of my fondness for Punk, but this is Satan’s structure, and Taker is the closest to Satan WWE has on the roster. I don?t see Punk making it out of the pay per view as World Heavyweight Champion.
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