Ken Anderson, aka Mr. Kennedy, was released by the WWE this week. Now, the reason as to his release, are several in number. From sloppy suplexes to apparent wrist injuries, to a war of words backstage, to being injury prone. Many reasons are to blame for his departure. However, I can prove Mr. Kennedy was injured during RAW this past week, as this footage shows. Here is another angle of his devastating injury.
The field for the next WWE PPV, entitled ‘Extreme Rules’ is set, and it is headlined by the HogPen match between Miss Wrestlemania Vickie Guerrero and Santina Marella. Can Santina Marella reclaim her crown? Find out in this one of a kind match.
Also on the card, the WWE Champion, Randy Orton defends his title in a Steel Cage match against Batista.
Edge will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Jeff Hardy in a Ladder match, John Cena will face the Big Show in a Battle Rap Submission match, Christian defends the ECW Championship against Tommy Dreamer and Jack Swagger, Rey Mysterio defends the Intercontinental Championship against Chris Jericho, the new United States Champion, Kofi Kingston, defends against William Regal, Matt Hardy and MVP in a Fatal Four-Way and CM Punk faces off against Umaga in a Samoan Strap match. Just let you know, this PPV takes place on a Public Holiday in the land where I roam, so be sure to watch out for my comments LIVE. Will they be here? Who knows? Stay tuned.
TNA
Samoa Joe has been injured according to Samoa Joe’s Twitter account. He has a torn tricep as well as a broken finger or two. As TNA film several iMPACTs in advance, it will not affect his appearance there, however, it will affect him at Slammiversary. It will be interesting to see what type of role he plays.
Raven, Shane Douglas and Victoria all apeared on iMPACT this week. Raven to feud with Abyss, Shane Douglas attacked Daniels and Victoria took out the Beautiful People. It’s good to see Victoria, although I heard she was retiring. Shane Douglas looks fat and Raven looks old.
Finally – ThinkSoJoE… HAS COME BACK! to reviewing shows. I’ve been trying to get motivated to write about the programming lately, but I’ve been sleeping through most of it. RAW’s been boring, ECW’s been entertaining but I haven’t really been paying a lot of attention to it, and SmackDown hasn’t been bad – but I’m usually sleeping when it’s on. That’s the problem with working overnights, I guess. Anyway, Kofi Kingston will be taking on MVP for the United States Championship tonight, so without further adieu, let’s get started…
Hey everybody! Whose ready for another review of the rotating half face show?! I gotta say, the intro to Superstars kinda freaks me out a little. But, I digress. Let’s get this thang started.
First match of the evening pits THE ECW CHAMPION….CHRISTIAN against the Tommy Dreamer for the ECW title.
First out is Christian with his new shirt. I can’t wait to get it! Next out is the challenger, who was actually challenged by the champ, Tommy Dreamer. Why is the ECW championship match leading off the D-show? Shouldn’t it be the main event? Whatever….At one point, Dreamer looked like he was smelling Christian’s butt, when he applied a knee wrench. That was a little awkward. Throughout the match, Dreamer worked on Captain Charisma’s knee that was injured by Jack Swagger on ECW. This was a pretty good match. I’m not a huge fan of Dreamer’s work, but he certainly is not horrible. Christian is great and always does his part in the match. Dreamer hit a sicknasty suplex off the top rope and a cannonball to the outside, which were his two big spots of the night. Swagger made his way out the ringside and this match was ruled a no-contest. This match will likely be a triple threat match at Extreme Rules. This match gets a 8 out of 10.
Backstage interview with Josh Mathews and Chris Jericho
Jericho accuses Mathews of not respecting him and ties CMPunk’s popularity to his MITB briefcase. He defines greatness as himself and says Punk has his brush with greatness tonight.
The second match of the night is Kofi Kingston against William Regal
Regal should get a run at a world title soon. The guy is great. These two seem to work well together. I like their mix of high-flying and technical/brawling styles. From out of nowhere, Kingston hit the Trouble in Paradise for the win. This was good match for its length. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.
The main event of the evening is Chris Jericho and CM Punk
This match was good, but it seemed really random to have these two squaring off. It would have made more sense to have Punk and Rey tagging against Jericho and Umaga. This is the main event in name alone, as these two have no current beef with each other…Yet. Punk got the win with a counter of the Walls of Jericho into a rollup. After the match, Jericho hit a Code Breaker. This match looked like a seed-planter for a future program. We shall see. This match gets a 8.5 out of 10.
The show was very entertaining tonight. Except for the main event, everything else continued the storylines. Hopefully Jericho and Punk will start something going into Summerslam. As I leave you I will pose a question for you to ponder…If a penny is the unit for the American dollar, shouldn’t an ounce be the unit for the British pound?
Wait, this isnt Wednesday. What am I doing here? I’ve already posted for the week. Well, it seems that Joe didnt like my (No Wrestlemania column during WrestleMania week column), so I am here to tell you who is winning at Wrestlemania. That’s right, no predictions. I’m telling you, who will win. Let’s begin.
Intercontinental Championship
John Bradshaw Layfield (c) vs Rey Mysterio
The head says JBL wins, and with Tazz not renewing his contract, he retires again and joins JR on commentary.
The heart agrees.
the Annual Money In The Bank Ladder Match
CM Punk vs Kane vs Mark Henry vs Finlay vs MVP vs Shelton Benjamin vs Kofi Kingston vs Christian
Everyone seems to think, that this will be the first year that the winner of the MITB, will not win the title, when they do cash in the case. However, i’m going to use some logistics. Edge won the first MITB, was a heel, and won sneakily. RVD was next, was a facee, and he won at ECW One Night Stand, after challenging John Cena. CM Punk was last year’s winner, was also face, and beat Edge, sneakily.
According to the past, two faces and one heel have won. According to the current champions, two heels and one face are champions. The Champions might change, but the MITB winner is the biggest tweener in the history. The head says Kane, the heart says Kane. Kane challenges for the World Heavyweight Championship, and loses.
A 25 woman’s Diva Battle Royal including Melina, Maryse, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Michelle McCool, Nikki Bella, Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Kelly Kelly, Maria, Eve Torres, Katie Lea Burchill, Beth Phoenix, Layla El, Rosa Mendes, Candice Michelle, Natalya, Jillian Hall, Tiffany, Tammy “Sunny” Sytch, Victoria, Molly Holly, Jackie Gayda-Hass, Mae Young and one more unannounced to crown Miss Wrestlemania.
The head and heart agree again. Whomever the unannounced Diva is.
Extreme Rules match
Jeff Hardy vs Matt Hardy
The head says Jeff. The heart doesnt care, but reluctantly says Matt.
WWE Tag Team Championship and World Tag Team Championship
Carlito and Primo (c) vs John Morrison and the Miz (c)
Again, it looks straight-forward. The head and the heart say with the second best Tag Team in wrestling today. John Morrison and the Miz.
3-on-1 Handicap Match
Chris Jericho vs Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat and ‘Rowdy’ Roddy Piper w/ ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair
The heart says Jericho.It does. However, the head says the Legends.
World Heavyweight Championship
for the love of Vickie Guerrero
Edge (c) vs John Cena vs Big Show
The stipulation of the love of Vickie Guerrero, makes the head choose Edge. However, the heart wants a new champion, theBig Show.
WWE Championship
Triple H (c) vs Randy Orton
The heart has three certain choices every year. Triple H is one of them, so the heart says Triple H. However, the head thinks this way. Why push Randy Orton up to be the big heel on campus, and not have him win the title? The head says Randy Orton.
Which leaves us just one match ….
Shawn Michaels vs the Undertaker
Mr. Wrestlemania versus the Streak. Undertaker is 16-0 at Wrestlemania, but never before, has he faced the man, whom always seems to steal the show, when it comes to Wrestlemania. How I said earlier, that the heart has three choices, and that Triple H was one? HBK and the Undertaker, are the other two, so the heart is undecided. The head however, doesn’t see the streak breaking, so the head chooses the Undertaker. The heart is torn between two, but thinks the streak could be broken. The heart chooses Shawn Michaels.
Let’s recap just what the heart and the head have chosen.
It just wouldn’t be Wrestlemania Week without every keyboard-bashing monkey who knows the difference between a wrist lock and a wristwatch weighing in on match predictions and offering generally self-important commentary on the biggest wrestling – er – sports entertainment show of the year. Know what I have to say to that? My turn!
WWE Champion Triple H vs. Randy Orton
Trips wins. As if there’s any doubt. This was a storyline that really could have gone places. It did, but all the wrong places. Randy Orton was hotter than he had ever been, and people were absolutely into him. This whole story just got dragged out too long, and should have been left alone earlier. I’ll probably get slammed majorly for this, but the last thing that I wanted to see was the McMahon family stepping up to the Legacy at the end of RAW. This could have been THE moment for Orton and the Legacy. It won’t.
World Heavyweight Champion Edge vs. John Cena vs. Big Show (Triple Threat Match)
John Cena wins. Again, it’s not necessarily the best idea, but no way is this guy losing at Mania. I like a comedy love triangle story as much as anyone, but this one really hasn’t clicked well. Wrestlemania should be about the titles and major feuds, and throwing the “Who will Win Vickie Guerrero?” aspect into the match really cheapens it. A World Heavyweight Championship Title match does not need that type of extra flavor.
Intercontinental Champion JBL vs. Rey Mysterio
This match screams “Oh crap! We forgot to put the guy who single-handedly draws the Hispanic demographic on the show!” The IC title should be a major reward, not a consolation prize, which is what it looks like by having JBL win it and Rey challenging for it. With all of JBL’s promises to do something legendary at Mania, look for him to retain the IC title, retire it, and take his rightful place at the announce table.
Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy (Extreme Rules Match)
This looks to be really good. Matt versus Jeff couldn’t really have happened before this year and actually worked, and I’m hoping to see an absolutely unbridled vicious side of Matt Hardy in this match. Matt has pushed and pushed Jeff, but this story isn’t ready to end at Mania. It really hasn’t played out long enough. There’s still more to come, and with that thought in mind, Matt wins after using his more grounded technical skills and savage brutality to take out the more daredevil Jeff. Jeff really shouldn’t win until the feud is ready to end, and it shouldn’t yet. I’m all for things beginning and ending at Mania, but this story just doesn’t feel complete.
WWE Tag Team Champions [Carlito and Primo Colon] vs. World Tag Team Champions [The Miz and John Morrison] (Unified Tag Team Championship Lumberjack Match)
The Miz and John Morrison win, and unify the tag team belts. Please don’t let this match come down to the interference of the feuding and still interchangeable Bella twins! Please? The fact that there’s as much focus on these two twits as there is on the actual tag teams and belts causes concern. No title unification match at Wrestlemania should hang on the interference of irrelevant valets. Period.
Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker
Undertaker wins, and the Streak (insert Ray Stevens song here) remains intact. This match will be great. Probably the match of the night. And well should it be, considering the two guys involved. The fact that Mania is in Texas, and both Michaels and Taker are from Texas, will kick this match off the chart. However, the very idea that Shawn Michaels should be the one to end Undertaker’s Mania win streak is incomprehensible. The Streak is almost as legendary as the man who holds it. The person who ends it, if anyone ever does (and it might not ought to be ended at all), would be catapulted to the highest level and be forever remembered in the annals of pro wrestling as the guy who ended a legendary winning streak. Michaels doesn’t need that. He’s already a legend in his own right, and, in a sense, ending Taker’s streak would be wasted on him. It’s not as if he suddenly needs to get over after a lengthy absence. If someone is going to finally defeat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, it should not be Shawn Michaels.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (Mark Henry, Finley, CM Punk, Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Kofi Kingston, MVP [US Champion], Christian)
I would love to see CM Punk win this because CM Punk rules. He’s my favorite guy in the match, and I’m totally biased in his favor. The fact that he has already won it once, though, makes it unlikely. As much as I love Punk, he really shouldn’t even be in this match. Previous winners shouldn’t be in it again, and if they must, it should be quite a while. Several years, possibly. Punk should be in a one-on-one Mania match, which is described below. Christian winning the MITB would be amazing, because he would then be in a position to insert himself in angles involving Edge or the Hardys afterwards. He’s certainly the most experienced “ladder match” guy of the lot. However, Vince doesn’t see him as a star, and the MITB isn’t just a ladder match. It’s a guaranteed title shot, and I don’t see Christian being allowed that at this point. Therefore, with my first choice (CM Punk) and my second choice (Christian) being highly unlikely, I’m calling MVP to win it. He has the US title, which means that he’ll probably have to lose it to someone before cashing in his title shot. This could be the start of a major angle for MVP if he wins.
25-Diva Battle Royal for title of “Miss WrestleMania”
Ugh. This is a complete waste, but not for the reasons one might assume. Lance Storm was completely right when he said that this match was a good idea because it gave more of the women a piece of the big Mania payday, which they would not otherwise get. That much is absolutely fair. Unfortunately for them, a 25-person over-the-top-rope elimination battle royal is going to be a giant mess no matter who is in it. That’s just too many people in one ring at a time, and all of them can’t even wrestle to begin with. Candice Michelle and Ashley Massaro won’t be involved, so the chances of serious injury for everyone else in the match just went down. Some of the truly important former Divas aren’t going to be involved, and it really doesn’t feel significant. Sunny will be there, as will Victoria, Torrie Wilson, Jackie Gayda-Haas, and Molly Holly, but let’s look at the list of those who will not. Wendy Richter turned them down, supposedly. Sable and Dawn Marie are both pregnant, and won’t be there. Lita won’t be there, and after how she was treated at the end of her tenure, one can’t blame her at all. The Fabulous Moolah is no longer with us, not that she should have won such a thing, but come on, it’s Moolah. Mae Young won’t be involved in the match itself, but, to be fair, she IS almost 90 years old now. Amy Weber and Joy Giovanni don’t count as major contributors, but they won’t be there. Christy Hemme and Jacqueline (the original Jackie) obviously weren’t asked, as they currently work for TNA. Gail Kim is there. Terri Runnels isn’t. Debra won’t be there. I don’t personally know about Chyna (unlikely) or Jazz. There may not even be 25 women to put in the match by the time it’s all done. With some of the truly legendary Divas not being involved in this match, the original point seems to have been lost. Even so, I call Trish Stratus to win, as she deserves the title of “Miss Wrestlemania” (such as it is) more than anyone, past or present.
Chris Jericho vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat & Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka (w/ Ric Flair)
This is terrible. Chris Jericho wrestling three old guys who can barely move, bona fide legends though they may be, is a very bad decision. Sure, this could all be a swerve and Stone Cold comes out at the actual show to defend the honor of legends everywhere, and it’s really a one-on-one match. The entire angle also could have and should have served the purpose of elevating someone who stepped up to fight on behalf of the legends who inspired him to get into wrestling in the first place. Someone like CM Punk would have been perfect for this, despite the fact that Punk has already been World Champion once. Imagine the absolute GOLD that a promo war between Jericho and Punk would have been! Jericho takes out legend after legend, then Punk steps up and announces that he’s had enough of the disrespect, and that if Jericho wants to bully someone, he can try to bully him. Part of Punk’s appeal to the masses is that he’s one of us, a regular guy who was a fan, and who just happened to have the talent and drive to realize his wrestling dream. Inspiration from legends such as these three is almost built in to the story. This would have been a great Mania match. At least the match of Jericho/Punk wouldn’t have given away the winner. It could have gone either way. No such luck here. Jericho loses at Mania, no matter who and how many he faces in the ring. Aside from the fact that he has already succeeded in beating up the legends, no way is the feel-good vibe of Mania being sullied by evil Jericho winning. Jericho will not only lose, he’ll do so in utterly humiliating fashion. Jericho and the fans deserve better than this.
Hey guys, I just added a new skin to the list of choices. This one is a WrestleMania 25 inspired minimalist blue and silver themed skin called “BlueMania 25.”
Speaking of Blue, I haven’t watched SmackDown from this past Friday yet, but here are the results for your reading pleasure:
Triple H says he’s the cure for the disease that is Randy Orton. Then he beat Vladimir Kozlov.
MVP recaptured the United States Championship, defeating Shelton Benjamin.
Shawn Michaels defeated Kane
Jeff Hardy beat The Brian Kendrick in an extreme rules match. We find out that Jeff’s match with brother Matt at WrestleMania will also be extreme rules.
The Von Erich family is being inducted into the hall of fame by Michael P.S. Hayes
The Undertaker defeated JBL
Vickie Guerrero announced that the winner of the triple threat at WrestleMania will win her heart. This led to an altercation between Edge, The Big Show, and John Cena that left Vickie victimized by an accidental spear from Edge. Big Show carried Vickie off.
This article is part 4 of a series on WWE Pay Per View events. See also: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. At the time of this writing, the event in question is still titled WWE One Night Stand, though rumor has it that the name will change this year to WWE Extreme Rules.
Welcome back to my series on WWE Pay Per Views and why there are way too damned many of them. This is especially true in the month of June, where there are two of them – WWE One Night Stand and WWE Night of Champions. This week, I take a look at One Night Stand.
I present my arguments against WWE One Night Stand, after the jump! (more…)
This is part three of what should be a ten part series on WWE Pay Per View events. If this is your first time reading this series, please check out part one – “Why I hate: No Way Out” and part two – “Why I hate: WWE Backlash“
Having already stated my case against No Way Out and Backlash, two events that I feel strongly about because of their placement on the calendar in relation to WrestleMania, it may be difficult to write about Judgement Day. Started as an In Your House event in October of 1998, the annual May Pay Per View event almost seems pointless to me.
I present my arguments against WWE Judgment Day, after the jump! (more…)
Well, we know that MVP is in action against Matt Hardy tonight. Saves me watching a match, because we all know that MVP is not going to come to ECW and beat the champion on his current streak. Hopefully I’ll get to see that DX ShopZone ad that I missed last night. I’m sure it was hilarious. Other than that, I’m not sure what to expect (ok, I’m lying, I read the spoilers last night after RAW), so let’s get started with ECW on SciFi on DVR!
