Tag Archive: Creative Team

  1. MPX Back to School-August 18, 2012

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    MPX’s Back to School is in the books. (See what I did there?) Thanks to the characteristic awful traffic, epically torrential weather and WTF side-road configuration, I ended up getting there late and halfway into the dark match. So sorry to Tad Wylde & Kros/City for missing it.

    It took me a while to sit down and get my bearings. I sat down just in time to see the intros. Kate looked gorgeous and leggy as usual. We were treated to the title match being first.

    First match: Frankie Fisher (c) vs. Matt Palmer

    The match started, Matt did his finisher on Frankie and pinned him in Sheamus/Daniel Bryan time.

    Winner, and new champion: Matt Palmer

    Then Frankie started complaining and they restarted the match. I yelled out, “Dusty Finish” (and I usually try not to get involved).  However, they did the exact same thing and Palmer walked out as champion. If you read my writing, you know I’m a huge Matt Palmer fan. Having him as champ adds a certain credibility outside the company. If you do not know the name Matt Palmer, please learn it.

    I’m a little mixed on the next segment. There was a trivia contest between the two members of Tad Wylde and the Asian Nation. The build-up was a little different than Guy A beats up Guy B. So it was refreshing that the creative team is trying out new things. However, as I go into cranky old white man mode, I do not go to pro wrestling to watch trivia contests. But they had a little girl come in and clinch the trivia contest. It was about the kids and that’s what mattered.

    Second match: James Hawke vs. BC

    Hawke is beginning to get a bigger crowd reaction. And BC is great. He understands the crowd and has so much charisma. He has no character; he is just himself. I liked the decision of putting BC here in this match, because as a heel, all you have to be is contrary to him. The work looked a little clunky in places. But BC’s role was to make Hawke look good, and that went well.

    Winner: Hawke

    They showed a video of Haiden attacking Barrett Brown. Best I can figure out, somebody needs to call the police.

    Third match: Kanoa vs. Steven Kirby in a Lumberjill Match

    This match was joined by special guests: The North Texas Derby Revolution, whom can be found here. Between the Europa Expo and MPX, they are on an all-out publicity blitz. The match was Kanoa fighting Kirby with the ladies of the derby skating around the ring. Steven Kirby, formerly known as WASP, is going through a transition to being himself. His “self” is apparently very Irish-American. Kanoa showed a little bit of his comedic range. My only thing is was this out of character for him? But the match was pretty decent. When Kanoa got knocked out of the ring, the derby girls would make sure to hit him as they skated by. My major complaint was that this match did not fit the intensity their current feud. It was a showcase for the girls and might have better fit Tad Wylde facing a tag team. I’m not sure who else I would have put in the match with the roller girls. It’s like watching an episode of Mad Men and then one episode of Mad Men is the Harlem Globetrotters playing the Washington Generals. There were some stiff chops and some good work. Mike Foxx interfered followed by Scott Murdoch to force it into a “No contest.”

    Winner: No Contest

    Everybody wanted it to be a tag team match. I’m glad that it didn’t. They are willing to wait and let the story play out naturally.

    Fourth match: $Payday$ (c) vs. Kenny Steele for the Prospects Championship in a Last Man Standing Match

    This was a big blow-off to their feud. The guys really brought it in their intensity. They beat the living s*** out of each other. $Payday$ got his first ever “That was awesome” chant with his moonsault off the ring apron onto Kenny. They brawled and ended up at the tires for the crossfit training. Kenny put $Payday$ in the tire and rolled him back to the ring. One thing I liked is that $Payday$ was able to have a different type of match, yet he still found a way to include his athleticism in it. There was a sunset flip onto the ladder that drew $Payday$’s 2nd “That was awesome” chant of the night. At another point there was a spinebuster onto a ladder. For the finish, Kenny did a powerbomb onto the crossfit tire. That drew a first for me: a heel getting a “That was awesome” chant.

    Winner, and new Prospects champion: Kenny Steele

    For both guys fighting their first Last Man Standing Match, it was a pretty good brawl. I would have liked to seen more drama and focus on winning the match. But end to a very nice feud.

    Fifth match: Scott Murdoch vs. Mike Foxx

    I love that Mike Foxx is being used as a gatekeeper to build the next generation. I loved Murdoch’s intensity and focus. It was almost Lesnar-like. Foxx had his patented scowl. The first time these two met together, it somewhat lacked in the intangibles. This match did not. Both were firing on all cylinders. There were some chops where I was pretty sure somebody was going to get decapitated. It ended when Kanoa came back in followed by Kirby.

    Winner: No contest

    Really loving the feud going on with these four. As part of the main event, Zero the Antihero came out and asked to be on the main event team. Now if Mike Dolenz did not have a team ready, should have really been deserving of staying GM? Haiden walked out and beat up Zero, incapacitating him. Since Headbanger and Saint came out to Zero’s rescue, they were asked to be part of his team.

    Main event: Gregory James, Danny Saint, Claudia & Frankie Fisher vs. Kristopher Haiden, Matt “The Choice” Andrews, Regrub & Carrion Arcane in an elimination match for control of the company for 90 days:

    I was surprised by the choice of Claudia, but it made sense. Frankie didn’t. He had just lost the title. Why was he out there seemed to be a little off to me. This was perhaps one of the top matches of the night for me. There were lots of complex stories going on here. Claudia held her own and even pinned Choice. She also did a moonsault on Regrub earning a “That was awesome” chant. Frankie looked good in the match and even got some chants. I liked how even though he was on the face team, he still wrestled like a heel. It ended up with the last two being Greg & Arcane. Haiden, who had just been eliminated, attacked Mike Dolenz with a chair. It distracted Greg enough to where Arcane was able to get the pin.

    Winner: Arcane

    Being that he won control of the company, Kyle Valo took the mic and  announced the changes that would be happening.

    All in all… I’m liking Valo taking over as lead of the company. He’s better on the mic and entertains the heck out of me. I liked the $Payday$-Steele match. I loved the crossover of the derby girls (my kind of eye candy), even if it didn’t make sense in the bigger picture. And of course Matt Palmer being champion means nothing but good things. Not everything clicked, but they are focused and concentrating on letting the stories play out naturally rather than giving us too much too early. I am very intrigued to see where they go from here.

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  2. Matt B. Presents- Cena versus Rock – A Psychic Kids prediction

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    Once In A Lifetime...... Until Next Year!

    Hi I’m Matt B. Wrestle and with us today is Bobby L. (Last name withheld to protect identity from Vince’s lawyers). Bobby has a special gift for psychic predictions and has been featured on that show  A&E  Psychic Kids. Why is he here? Well we want to use him to predict the Rock vs Cena match and its implications at Wrestlemania 28. So lets ask the first Question.

    Matt: After seeing the return of the Doctor of Thuganomics last week what do we have in store for Wrestlemania?

    Bobby: I see a rough edge Cena who will be taking no garbage from anyone after Wrestlemania. I predict his feud with Kane has set Cena on his path.

    Matt: So basically a return to the gray characters of the heralded Attitude Era?

    Bobby: Yes and No. No because that era is dead and entertaining  family oriented programs are still the driving ambition.

    Matt:?.. We just saw Cena curse last week and references to pie and Cena’s lady parts.

    Bobby: All just little touches that add to the overall feud that will dissipate once the feud concludes. A little tease to buy the PPV

    Matt: So you predict that he will return harder edge but still family friendly even after the cursing and threatening to put his nuts in Rock’s face.

    Bobbi: Yes.

    I pause complexed by this theory. Or should I say prediction, he is psychic after all. I go through my notes searching for more clues to a harder edged program featuring more cursing and meta wrestling. I think I found it.

    Matt: Eve Torres making out with Cena who is publicly acknowledged as married. Shouldn’t this be an issue?

    Bobby: No I believe all will be forgotten by April 2nd. Dwayne will go back to acting full time and everything will return to normal. Or as normal as one goes with the creative team.

    Matt: More fart divas and Bella Twin pushes?

    Bobby: I don’t have to be a psychic to tell you the Divas suck. edit* No offense to the divas*

    Matt: But with the emergence of the male roster like Ziggler, R-truth and even Santino Marella wouldn’t this clue in to a return to anything can happen television branching out from the Cena turn to Thuganomics at Wrestlemania?

    Bobby: Are you okay?

    Calming myself. I believe in the knowledge that this could be the final year of our existence. 2012. The Mayan calendar. Why wouldn’t the E just go balls to the wall and give us the gray character development that we came to love during the 90’s. I finally decide to take a breath and ask about the possibilty that this is in fact a reverse Hogan.

    Bobby: A reverse Hogan?

    Matt: Yeah Rock took on Hogan at Wrestlemania in the SkyDome, when Hulk was still NWO and after beating him turned him face. So is it possible that the plan could include a Cena heel turn after a win over the Rock?

    Bobby pauses for a minute. Deep in thought. I was so expecting him to put his hand on his temples, Charles Xavier style  but he just thinks on it. He appears to convulse suddenly and for a minute there I think I broke him with the impossible question. When hs eyes roll into the back of his head I’m almost ready to call the paramedics. But suddenly his hands go up to stop me.

    Bobby: What you hope for seems to be certain. Only if WWe creative doesn’t hear about this interview first.

    The dread takes over as I envision my own psychic revelation as Vince having one of his underlings coming across my article and deciding to change everything at the last minute. Invalidating this prediction and thus dooming us to another stale  profitable Wrestlemania.

    Matt: So we can’t tell anyone?

    Bobby: Not it you want this to work out.

    So I would have to release this article after Wrestlemania to preserve all hope that it comes true. I knew I was facing a dilemma. My reputation would be tarnished with fans. I couldn’t allow that but at the same time if the E changed it at the last minute I would still be suspect of fraud.

    Matt: So I just can’t publish this article.

    Bobby: Good move. Sometimes the best solution is to do nothing. Oh and that Randy Orton piece about his feud with Kane?

    Matt: Yeah

    Bobby: I wouldn’t even waste my time. That is just filler to give Orton something to do.

    Matt: Are you sure?

    Bobby: Dude. Who is the one with the A&E Show?

    Matt: So I have no article to print on either front then.

    I have to do something to publish a piece or I have nothing for Wrestlemania. I could d0 the Undertaker vs HHH. NO. Everyone and their mother has covered that Rocky sequel. Punk and Jericho. Hell no it would just be Cena vs Rock redux. Wait what about Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan. No. Wait if I scratch out HHH favorite Sheamus and do a piece on Daniel Bryan and his descent into main event villiany that would cover something new.

    Bobby: Daniel Bryan.

    Matt: Wow you are good.

    Bobby: Duh, psychic. That could work.

    Matt: Good. Thanks for your time.

     

  3. Raw Is During the Eagles 11-7-11

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    This is probably one of the most tiring weekends of my life. And not only that, Raw is during an Eagles game. We are coming to you delayed from Liverpool. For those of you who don’t mind me going into my life, I am a Liverpool FC fan. (YNWA)

    We open up Raw with a really great exchange between Cena and Miz/Truth. Once fisticuffs started flying, Zack Ryder came out to his rescue.

    We had Dolph Ziggler take on John Morrison as he continued his Future Endeavored Tour. Vickie looked really nice in her outfit. This was a pretty decent match. My wife was not happy over Morrison wearing a shirt. She also did not like the match. It went on too long and they weren’t really doing anything (according to her). What I thought was awesome was the crowd cheering for Ziggler. Morrison should have walked out with a Suarez jersey. Morrison snapped his losing streak. I was pleased with the match. It looked like they put some effort into it.

    Then came the Walking Wellness Violation Mason Ryan against JTG. I’m still more shocked JTG’s on Raw. It was a squash match. Even though I don’t like the guy they’re pushing, I gotta give them credit. They’re trying to make a star. The crowd had no reaction to him whatsoever.

    We got a gratuitous “Wrestlemania Will Be Big” package. Then the Bellas supported Zack Ryder. I thought we were supposed to cheer him.

    Then we got Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston. These titles are so meaningless. I hate that it was the at the tag champ’s expense, but they made ADR look strong.

    Then Punk came out. And ADR delivered the most scripted promo I’ve ever heard. He called ADR one-dimensional. About freakin’ time. And CM Punk wants the belt and to make the title interesting again. (Wow, did he really just say that?) I think the first hour was pretty good overall. The WWE “Creative” Team needs to come up with something else for Del Rio to say other than “This is my destiny.”

    Then we watch the Muppets recap. Then we get the ridiculously stale Jack Swagger rematching against Santino Marella. Swagger won. Yawn.

    Kelly Kelly is on the cover of Maxim. We all die a little on the inside. Please watchSHIMMER. They have real women’s wrestling. This segment was so awful. Kelly Kelly should never be given a microphone again.

    Then we got Super Dave Osborne introducing Kevin Nash. Nash, for everything that’s wrong with him being an active part of the WWE product in 2011, is great on the mic. I still haven’t figured out where this is going.

    Super Dave and David Otunga are courting or something. Then Otunga makes fun of Punk, Punk goes after him and then ADR attacks him.

    Then we got the Cena/Ryder-Awesome Truth main events. I want to be mad for yet ANOTHER Raw with Cena as the main event. But can I be mad that we Zack Ryder in the main event? They turned this into a good match. Miz pinned John Cena. Yeah, I just typed that.

    I will give this show credit. The first hour was very solid and I thought the main event did a great job of building Awesome Truth and Zack Ryder. Yeaaaaaa!!!!!!!!

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  4. John Cena

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    John Cena is splashed across the cover-page of the popular, UK-based wrestling publication “Fighting Spirit Magazine” this month, complete with a caption reading “Have We Cena ‘Nuff?”.

    FSM, as it’s more commonly known, is perhaps the biggest selling wrestling magazine in Britain and covers the local scene extensively, whilst also detailing the latest goings on from the world of Mixed Martial Arts and what’s going down within WWE, TNA, ROH etc. Along with “Powerslam”, it’s one of the “Big Two” in terms of professional wrestling print here on this little island.

    Having been a buyer of both Powerslam and FSM for many, many years (my first issue of the former was April 2001), I have quite a lot of experience when it comes to what type of articles feature and which kind of wrestling fan they captivate and cater to. Obviously, both magazines are aimed more towards the fan who wants to know more than who is feuding with whom and which cards are coming up in the near future. There’s a decided “backstage” element to the writing, which clearly presumes that those reading already have an extensive knowledge of this unique form of entertainment and use the internet on occasion.

    Of course, this comes with its own problems and leads me merrily into the meat of the subject which prompted me to pen this little diatribe; John Cena.

    Now now, settle down and don’t you worry your sexy little head about anything, I’m not going to go all ‘keyboard warrior’ on those and such as those who happen to be pro wrestling fans and use the world wide web. I’m simply making the point that almost everyone who isn’t a casual wrestling fan and watches World Wrestling Entertainment seems to have some unbelievable vendetta against Mr. Cena.

    Sure, his punches maybe aren’t the most convincing around and the lines he’s fed by the creative team do make him come across like the biggest dork this side of Michael Cole but, is he really quite as bad as most make him out to be? Being a character quite plainly aimed towards children and the younger market, Cena simply cannot be a hard-edged anti-hero such as Steve Austin or even a mildly-offensive cool member of the roster such as The Rock. The landscape of WWE has simply changed since both those men were tearing up arena’s and selling Pay-Per-Views en masse. John Cena has a much, much different role to play – one that’s actually closer to home than most wrestling fans realise.

    If there are any children who grew up watching wrestling in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s who didn’t idolise Hulk Hogan then please let yourselves be known. Hulk was, for lack of a wittier phrase, the man during that time-frame and most kids were in awe of the guy. Similarly, most younger members of the wrestling audience are in awe of John Cena today and admire his never say die attitude and ability to always overcome the odds. One thing I do not really hear the writers of the aforementioned magazines saying is how ridiculous Hogans “Hulk-Up” routine or continued defying-the-odds type of wins were killing fan interest or bad for business. Sure, Hogan presided over a much more lucrative time for professional wrestling but that would be ignoring the point – WWE are giving their predominant market exactly what they want.

    It’s not hard to draw comparisons between “Word Life” and “Hulkamania”. Both are innocently portrayed as upstanding characters who would help an elderly lady across the street or take the time to teach a wrongdoing youngster the value of honesty and integrity. The pair are undoubtedly linked through their relationship with a generation of grapple-loving children and ability to shift t-shirts, wristbands and other assorted merchandise items like hot cakes. There’s even the not-so-small matter of them both having superhero-like comebacks during almost every one of their matches. The comparisons are pretty endless, right down to having an anthemic piece of music to accompany their grand entrance to the ring.

    Yours truly can recall a time when Cena was perceived as “cool” by many grown-ups who so wanted him to be catapulted to the top of the cards. The reaction to his United States Title win over The Big Show at “Wrestlemania XX” in the year of 2004 is concrete evidence of this. At that time, John Cena was viewed as one of the most cutting edge superstars for a number of years and was definitely being pushed towards main events with a combination of his own skills and the audiences connection with him. There were definite parallels with other men who went on to become major players in the company following a sustained period in the mid-card, such as Triple H and even Shawn Michaels. It was THAT kind of reaction. The one which told Vince McMahon that he had a ready-made star in his midst.

    So what went wrong? What has led us to this point in time where Mr. Cena can seemingly do no right? Is the era of Parental Guidance to blame for the watered-down receptions to this particular head-liner? What is really the reason for such hostile booing aimed at the master of the “Attitude Adjustment” regardless of what actions he takes?

    This is the part of the show where I hand it over you to, dear reader. I’d love to know YOUR opinions about none other than John Cena. Whether you agree with me or not, I’d like to hear from each and every one of you on this topic – one which is sure to spark debate! Just like John Cena always does! You can send all correspondence to jamiekennedy@live.com

    I look forward to it! TAKE IT HOME!

  5. “Impact” Review and Thoughts 11/27/08

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    Umm….

    Ok….

    Oh, forget it. This week is less of a review and more of a rant. I’m quite well aware that no one in a position of power in TNA reads this column on this site. I’m quite well aware that if they did, the things written here would mean absolutely nothing to any of them. I’m also quite well aware that business as usual will continue until the company dies and all in it are forced to seek other employment, mostly to no avail. All the same, on this Thanksgiving holiday, the so-called creative team and the powers-that-be of TNA should be giving most profuse thanks that my access to multiple large-caliber weapons and 55-gallon drums of chloroform are limited by a low-paying career in public education. (If anyone considers that statement to be a legitimate threat of violence, calm down. It’s a literary device, nothing more. That I must point that out is beyond sad.) (more…)