ThinkSoJoE note: I didn’t vote on this week’s poll – I haven’t really watched much wrestling over the past week and therefore haven’t really felt qualified to do so. Nonetheless, here’s this week’s Power Poll results!
Power Poll 8/25/10: The song remains the same
Last week’s ascension of Internet darlings Daniel Bryan and the Motor City Machine Guns didn’t last long, but this week’s Power Poll features one new face and a bunch of familiar ones. And somehow a guy who the Internet supposedly hates remains at the top of a poll voted on by Internet wrestling writers.
BoredWrestlingFan.com has joined with other wrestling websites to form the Power Poll, a weekly top 10 list ranking men’s singles wrestlers in WWE and TNA. There are more wrestling writers expected to join the poll, and take some time to check out the websites of our participants. If you write for a wrestling website and are interested in participating, e-mail wrestlespective(at)gmail.com and include a link to your site.
1. John Cena
2. Rob Van Dam
3. Jack Swagger
4. Wade Barrett
5. Rey Mysterio
6. Big Show
7. Edge
8. Kofi Kingston
9. Kane
10. Jeff Hardy
Also receiving votes: C.M. Punk, Sheamus, Jay Lethal, Mr. Anderson, Sting, Kurt Angle, Randy Orton, The Miz, R-Truth, Ric Flair
Voters: Jerome Cusson (Pro Wrestling Ponderings), ThinkSoJoE (BoredWrestlingFan.com), Seth Roy (Wrestlespective), Jason Mann (Wrestlespective), Josh Hachat (Wrestlespective)
Hey, everybody! I’m back! Expect more articles soon, as there’s plenty of ammunition these days. Extra credit to anyone who understands the history reference.
Eric Bischoff has recently chosen to promote the on-line video stylings of a few mouth-breathing, window-licking examples of why Charles Darwin was wrong. No one who gleefully cheers direct chair shots to the head as a good reason to watch a particular pro wrestling show is truly a fan of pro wrestling, nor should the comments of any such person be given any consideration. In the hope of countering the shameful inanity spouted in these video clips (I’m not going to dignify them with direct links), listing eight good reasons to watch TNA was the original plan here. It would be fantastic to do so, but the sad fact is that eight good reasons to watch TNA simply no longer exist. If Eric Bischoff and Dixie Carter are such fans of internet feedback, and are truly concerned about the abysmal ratings of their televised product, they both need to look to a more recent past than the one that they continue to forcefeed to the few remaining poor saps who actually tune in to watch “Impact” on Monday nights. The things that made TNA stand out as a true alternative, and made it a unique creature, are gone. While it’s true that some of these points were in decline long before January 4 of 2010, under the Hogan/Bischoff regime, they have all but vanished. As food for thought, here are eight reasons why we USED to watch TNA.
College basketball has taken over HDNet tonight, and no Ring of Honor appears to be in the cards. Check back with us here at boredwrestlingfan.com for the only hour of pro wrestling on Monday nights NEXT Monday night.
Greetings, everyone! This is a new one. Since I now get HDNet, thanks to my move, I am officially the only BWF staffer who can review Ring of Honor’s Monday night show. As they ARE the only hour of pro wrestling on Monday nights, I’m quite happy to do so. Our fearless leader, ThinkSoJoE, will continue to provide you with excellent coverage of “Smackdown” on Friday nights. (more…)
-I have absolutely no idea what in the hell I just saw. That’s really all I can think of to say. Where to start?
-I guess I’ll start with the obvious, the Main Event. Another great match put on by AJ and Angle but what a horrendous finish. Just absolutely horrible. How many times of we seen the damn screw job recreated? But this was a damn recreated completely. Angle even screamed about going back to WWE (kind of like Hart drawing the WCW letters in the air) and then spit on Hogan and even trashed the announce table. That was the worst ending to Impact I have ever seen and I say that without hesitation. My head hurts from that. The AJ heel turn at Genesis was GREAT! I loved it, but this was just dumb.
-Now going back to the opening promo, that was great! Great execution from all involved and I think AJ is going to benefit greatly from this pairing with Flair. Nothing but good things can come out of that for him.
-The Brits were all but squashed in their rematch. Dinero lost in under 3 damn minutes to Jordan after putting on one hell of a match against Wolfe at Genesis.
-Love’s return was nice but did that match even go 2 minutes? In fact, I think AJ-Angle was the ONLY match that even went over 5 minutes all night. For a company that keeps screaming about how they are ‘pro wrestling’ and not ‘entertainment’ they sure aren’t doing a lot of actual wrestling right now.
-Anderson’s promo was good and I actually think he has A LOT of upside if he can stay healthy. A feud with Abyss doesn’t really seem like it would benefit either of them though.
-Who knows where the thing with Lashley is going? I don’t think they even know.
-And how sad is that we saw more of Bubba the Love Sponge tonight than any of the Knockouts or X-Division or guys or even Samoa Joe or Christopher Daniels at all? Just wow. I’m not going to speak on that pile of dog crap (Bubba the Love Sponge), I’ve said enough this week about him.
-I have absolutely no desire to see the Nasty Boys in TNA but it looks like they’re here to stay and Young got completely buried in the process.
-I would actually like to see Hall and Pac stick around, especially Pac since I think he still has a ton left to offer. I just don’t want to see a rehash of the nWo for the 100th time.
-TNA just doesn’t seem to have much of a direction at all right now. Maybe things will start to come into focus in the next few weeks but I just don’t know.
-I think hogan is going to run TNA in to the ground he was trying to say that he thought Vince EVERYTHING he knows….well Mr. hogan you are a fucking liar. Vince SR sold the company to Vinny Mac because he knew it was going to be in good hands Vince made you what you are today. A star an 80’s star that has run out of gas, and money. your wife left you for a 20 year old. your daughter is a whore that cant sing that tries to live off of your name. And lets not mention your son who crippled his “best friend” then you blamed the accident on the passenger.
-i think Eric Bishoff is to proud to fail twice but if he wants this to work out Dixie has to get rid of hogan and i don’t think that’s going to happen. look at what hes doing to the iMPACT zone it looks like a episode of WCW Thunder. Eric is a very intelligent mind in the world of wrestling but i think him in TNA is just rehashing old feelings of what he did to WCW
Match #1: Christy Hemme defeats Sojo Bolt: We open going straight into the match, which is awesome. Christy looks great, and is better in the ring than she has ever been. Not top-of-the-card Knockouts action, by any means, but she certainly didn’t embarrass herself.
Tenay and West run down tonight’s card, and a split screen shows AJ Styles and Matt Morgan entering the arena.
Lauren interviews Taz about Samoa Joe’s loss to Hernandez. Taz says that Joe let himself down. Joe beat Joe. Taz will motivate Joe, and turn a negative into a positive. Homicide will be the one to suffer, and Joe will put him out. Solid promo with excellent delivery by Taz.
Match #2: Hernandez defeats Doug Williams: I still don’t like Hernandez’s new music. Hernandez holds Williams up in a suplex for an eternity before landing a backbreaker over his shoulder. Brutus Magnus distracts Hernandez, and Williams takes control. Williams targets the neck and shoulders. Williams goes to the top turnbuckle, but misses a back senton. Don West is awesome! He says that the TNA fans aren’t the smartest of people, are the chants of “USA! USA!” for the Mexican or the Brit? Williams goes for a top rope cross body, but Hernandez catches him and plants him with a sit-down powerbomb for the win. Brutus magnus attacks hernandez post-match, but Hernandez disposes of him. Rob Terry attacks Hernandez with the “Feast or Fired” briefcase, and knocks him down. The British Invasion bails, and Hernandez gives chase once he regains his footing.
To the back! Hernandez grabs the mic from Lauren and yells something in Spanich. He leaves.
To the Mike Tenay sit-down interview! It’s with Bobby Lashley. Tenay says that he has followed every second of Lashley’s WWE career, and that professional wrestling wasn’t enough for him. Way to insult everyone, Mike. Is it possible to be successful in pro wrestling and MMA at the same time? Lashley says that he can. Tenay brings up the Main Event Mafia and Kurt Angle’s desire to be the greatest wrestler ever. Who would win between the greatest wrestler ever and the greatest MMA fighter ever? Lashley says that the fans will.
Jeremy Borash interviews Dr. Stevie (with a smokin’ hot Daffney) about his bounty on the head of Abyss. Dr. Stevie talks about defeating and destroying “Chris.” Abyss rushes in, grabs Dr. Stevie by the throat, and tells him to finish the job himself. Abyss is attacked by a chair-wielding “Outlaw” Jethro Holiday. For some reason.
To the back! Lauren interviews Tara, who has Poison crawling over her arm. Tara talks about Awesome Kong, and Lauren talks up the four-way Knockouts match. Tara is in creepy mode, and I likes it.
Match #3: Eric Young and Sheik Abdul Bashir (w/ Kiyoshi) defeat Rhino and Jesse Neal: Jesse Neal has the same haircut and ring gear that he had for his first match, which is appalling. Neal and Young (Ha! See what I did there?) start out. Rhino tags in and works over Young’s midsection. Neal tags back in. Tenay and West talk up the problems between Neal and Rhino. Young drives Neal into his corner, and Bashir tags in. Bashir tags in Young. Young levels Neal with a clothesline. Tenay and West talk up the “Steel Asylum” match that will take place at “Hard Justice.” The winner will be the Number One Contender to the X-Division title. Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin, Consequences Creed, Jay Lethal, Amazing Red, Suicide, and a debuting “Pope” D’Angelo Dinero (formerly known as Elijah Burke) are in it. Why am I afraid that Dinero/Burke is going to be handed the win and a shot at the X-Division title for his debut match that happens to be on a ppv, and the true X-Division guys will get shoved aside yet again? I hope that I’m wrong. Young and Bashir isolate Neal, and quickly tag each other in and out. Rhino is not happy. Neal has a chance to tag in Rhino, but attacks Bashir instead. Young grabs his trunks and rolls Neal up for the pin. Post-match, Rhino yells at Neal and slaps him. When Neal turns away, Rhino sets up and Gores him. Tenay and West play Rhino up as the face.
To the back! Lauren interviews Rhino about his treatment of Jesse Neal, actually getting some bass in her voice and challenging Rhino about it. “What do you think this is, the Lifetime Channel?” Awesome! Rhino delivers a strong promo about respecting what Neal has done in the military, but doubting that Neal can handle wrestling.
Match #4: Tara defeats ODB (w/ Cody Deaner), Angelina Love (w/ Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky), andAwesome Kong (w/ Raisha Saeed): Kong and Tara go after each other, while The Beautiful People bail and hide from Cody Deaner. ODB drinks from her flask, and shares it with Tara. Tara “Hulks up” and smacks her own boobs. ODB climbs to the top and leaps off onto Kong, Raisha Saeed, and Cody Deaner. Tara climbs to the top and leaps off on The Beautiful People. Tara smashes her head on the floor. Kong and Tara fight to the outside. Angelina Love takes out ODB with the Botox Injection bicycle kick. Kong broke up the count. ODB and Kong go. Kong womanhandles ODB, but ODB kicks out twice. Tara and Angelina Love fight outside the ring. Kong chokeslams ODB. Deaner hops up on the apron and screams at Kong. Deaner acts like he wants to fight Kong, but grabs her by the head and kisses her instead. Kong stares at Deaner, then pulls him into the ring and plants him with the Awesome Bomb. Tara runs in and rolls up Kong for the win.
To the back! Lauren talks to AJ Styles about his upcoming match against Matt Morgan. With the “Best of Three” series tied at one win each, AJ’s loss will put Sting at a huge disadvantage.
To the back! Jeremy Borash talks with Team 3D. I hate that Brother Devon talks respectfully about Booker T and Scott Steiner. More kissing up to Harlem Heat and the Steiner Brothers, neither of which are current teams. Talking up the Team 3D versus Booker T and Scott Steiner tag team title match.
Match #5: Scott Steiner (w/ Booker T and Sharmell) defeats Brother Ray (w/ Brother Devon): This was a “No DQ” match. Steiner gets the mic and blah blah blah. Brother Ray takes a mic and kisses up to Harlem Heat and the Steiner Brothers, before pointing out that garbage is also a household name, and, like them, it’s getting old and stinking. Slow, plodding, power game. Sharmell and Booker interfere. Ray takes Steiner’s chain mail headdress and puts it on. The British Invasion come down and distract, allowing Booker and Steiner to put Ray through a table and get the win. This was barely a match, and far too short for this sort of thing. With interference almost right away, it was pointless.
To the contract signing! Mike Tenay oversees as Mick Foley and Kevin Nash sign contracts for the Legends title match on Sunday at teh “Hard Justice” ppv. Both guys have final pre-match comments. Foley says that he doesn’t think that he’s ever had a conversation with Nash that didn’t revolve around money. Doesn’t a sense of pride or accomplishment meananything to Nash? Nash tells Foley that he could have made $20,000 at the past weekend’s authograph session, which he thinks that Foley cost him. Why doesn’t Foley take the easy way out, like Nash always has? Foley says that Nash may look down on him, but he loves wrestling with the sort of passion that would allow him to do it for free. Nash strips down and calls himself an athlete and a businessman, while Foley is a pathetic wrestler. Foley says that he’ll bring his set of skills on Sunday, and Nash can bring his, and they’ll see what happens. Foley says that they’re on a wrestling show, in a wrestling ring, with a title contract for a wrestling match, and nobody’s going through that table? Nash says that he doesn’t get paid for that, so he won’t go through it or put Mick through it for free. Mick says that he would put Nash through the table for free, and then announces that he thinks that he will go through the table for free. Foley runs off the ropes and hurls himself through the table. People cheer.
To the video package for the “Steel Asylum” match!
To the back! Lauren interviews Matt Morgan. Morgan feels no pressure, and is completely confident that he will win. He guarantees victory, in fact.
Match #6: Matt Morgan (w/ Kurt Angle) defeats AJ Styles (w/ Sting): This was the rubber match to determine the third man in the three-way dance at “Hard Justice” for the World Heavyweight title. AJ takes the match to Morgan by running the ropes and landing a flip dive over the top rope. AJ and Morgan fight on the floor, and AJ takes Morgan down with a flying forearm. Morgan is finally rolled into the ring and the bell rings to start the match. AJ puts Morgan in the Figure Four leg lock for a long time. Morgan screams, but won’t tap. Morganmakes it to the ropes, and AJ breaks the hold. Morgan gets his wind back, and uses his power against AJ. Morgan dominates AJ. Don West says that Angle has announced that this is Morgan’s last test for MEM membership. If Morgan wins this match, and helps him retain the title, he’ll be in. AJ kicks out several times, but Morgan continues to toy with him, and won’t allow AJ a chance to get in any offense. Morgan goes for the Carbon Footprint in the corner, but AJ dodges and lands a few punches. AJ hits a missile dropkick, but Morgan kicks out at two. Morgan catches AJ in a side slam, but AJ kicks out at two. AJ hits a Pele out of nowhere, but Morgan kicks out just in time. Morgan takes AJ’s head off with a Carbon Footprint, and gets the pin. Matt Morgan, Kurt Angle, and Sting will fight in the “Hard Justice” main event. Post-match, the entire MEM comes to the ring, applauding. Angle gets a mic.
Angle praises Morgan, and claims that the MEM was scouting him to recruit him all along. Morgan says that he thought that he was selling himself to the MEM, not the other way around. Angle says that Morgan has one last little thing to do before getting in to the MEM. Morgan says that Angle can’t possibly be asking him to help Angle retain the title. Angle says that he’s not asking it, he’s demanding it. Morgan calls Angle “little man,” and tells him that no one demands anything of “The Blueprint.” He isn’t passing up this opportunity, and he will be walking out of the match as the new World Heavyweight Champion. Angle is furious, and has to be restrained by the MEM as Morgan exits up the ramp. Morgan’s face turn is here.
“Hard Justice” Predictions:
Bounty Match: Abyss vs. Jethro Holiday
Abyss needs the win here.
Winner gets World Heavyweight title shot from the “Feast or Fired” briefcase: Hernandez vs. Big Rob Terry
Hernandez has got to get the win here.
New Japan IWGP Tag Team Championship match: The British Invasion (champs) vs. Beer Money
The British Invasion retains, if only because New Japan already issued one statement (later retracted) that they didn’t recognize the title change, and it can’t possibly happen again.
“Steel Asylum” match (winner is #1 Contender for the X-Division title): Alex Shelley vs. Chris Sabin vs. Jay Lethal vs. Consequences Creed vs. Daniels vs. Suicide vs. Amazing Red
If there were a god, Chris Sabin would win. That being said, Jay Lethal won the last one. I’m picking Daniels to win. This is all null and void if Don West was right, and Elijah Burke debuts as “The Pope” D’Angelo Dinero in this match. If he does, you can just hand him the win, as that’s the track record here.
Knockouts Championship title match: Angelina Love (w/ Madison Rayne and Velvet Sky) vs. ODB (w/ Cody Deaner)
Angelina retains. Please.
X-Division title match: Homicide vs. Samoa Joe (w/ Taz)
Homicide retains. He hasn’t had the title long, and there’s been no focus on it since he won it. He shouldn’t lose it yet.
Tag Team Championship match: Booker T and Scott Steiner (champs) vs. Team 3D
Team 3D should win here. I doubt that they will, but they should.
Legends Championship match: Mick Foley (champ) vs. Kevin Nash
Foley retains. Why let him win it if he’s going to lose it right away?
World Heavyweight title match: Kurt Angle (champ) vs. Matt Morgan vs. Sting
Angle retains. It’s Angle, duh.
That’s it for the real-time. Check back Sunday for a review of “Hard Justice!”
Tonight’s “Impact” opens with a video package recap of the “Final Resolution” pay-per-view. The Main Event Mafia makes their grand entrance, and they have something to say! Angle informs us all that things went down exactly as the MEM had planned. His working for TNA was great, he continues, until his boss got jealous of him due to all the press he received. Jarrett’s envy, and attempts to keep Angle down, are what caused this situation to end up here. Hate you, hate you, hate you? Check. Threats against three young daughters? Check. Last week, it was “I’m obsessed with Jeff Jarrett, I think about him morning, noon, and night.” This week, it’s “You’re jealous of me, I hate you?” Who writes this junior high, vaguely homoerotic drivel? Pro wrestling is not a “Twilight” novel, for Pete’s sake! Whoever Pete is.
We are saved by the Phenomenal One! AJ Styles comes to the ring and calls out Sting for accepting a cheap, tainted victory (Nash hitting Joe in the balls) after preaching about honor and respect for the past six months. Tell him, AJ! Angle interrupts, and tells AJ to meet Sting in the ring like a man, face to face. Ye gods, stop making the Front Line fall for this! It doesn’t make the fans get behind the fearless, never-say-die hero. It makes them roll their eyes in frustration at what morons the Front Line is for dancing to that tune every week. Will someone please call out the MEM on this tactic? If the audience can see it, acknowledge it. AJ sows more of a clue than anyone else thus far in this regard, and demands that the rest of the MEM leave the ring. This is between him and Sting, no one else. The MEM obliges, but they stay at ringside. AJ goes off on Sting, who takes it until deciding that the suitable retort is to punch AJ in the face. The MEM joins the AJ beatdown, as you all know. The Front Line hits the ring, and the MEM scatter.
To the back! Jarrett can’t function as the founder/owner of TNA and an active wrestler at the same time. Good. He hands over “the stroke” of running TNA to Mick Foley. For the time being. Hmm.
Tenay and West recap the reason for the X-Division tournament. They send it to the back, where Lauren is with the Motor City Machine Guns. She says that they are the guys everyone has been talking about, and that they may even have made themselves targets. Alex Shelley takes over, and tells her that she has a talent for stating the obvious. It’s crystal clear that they’re targets, because they tell the truth. Hey, if he’s lyin’, he’s dyin’, and he’s not dead yet! They called out Mick Foley on his lack of relevance and style. Now they’re getting attacked by a video game character! How do they prepare for that? Do they get a good cheat code? The Guns may have gotten screwed at “Final Resolution,” but they’re making the best of the situation. Shelley will concentrate on getting the X-Division title around his waist because Detroit needs heroes. Shelley and Sabin exit with great enthusiasm.
Match #1: Eric Young defeats Sheik Abdul Bashir (X-Division title qualifying match): It’s a definite that we’re getting a new champion now, but the assumption is that it has to be Eric Young. He has won the belt twice, only to have decisions reversed and lose it. It pretty much has to be him at this point, but Eric Young as X-Division champion just doesn’t ring true. As was discussed on a different thread, Eric Young is a completely likeable guy and a good performer. I saw him live at a local indy promotion, and the man can play to a live crowd like nobody’s business and have them eating out of his hand. He just doesn’t seem to be the guy to turn to in order to elevate the status and dignity of the X-Division title to what it was several years ago.
To the back! Another Brother Ray rallying talk. It’s good stuff, but are the Front Line so demoralized and incompetent that they need several of these in a broadcast? Ray gagging on whatever was in ODB’s flask was funny. HE announces that they aren’t going to sit around and wait for the MEM to take out one of them. He’s off to the ring to make Angle an offer he can’t refuse.
To the back! JB pimps the now-free TNA Mobile service. He is about to knock on the MEM’s door when it opens and out spills Mick Foley, laughing and roughhousing with the MEM like a group of schoolboys. Foley tells JB that he had forgotten just what a great group of guys the MEM is, and how much he enjoys being around them after all the time they’ve known each other and been on the road. They’re just misunderstood. Hmm. Teaser? Foreshadowing? A heel Foley would be interesting, if the MEM storyline weren’t already so lopsided and top-heavy.
Video package. Brutus Magnus is coming soon. That sounds like porn.
Match #2: Alex Shelley defeats “Black Machismo” Jay Lethal (X-Division title qualifying match): This match MIGHT have gone two minutes, which is pathetic. The match itself was quite good, with lots of interference from Chris Sabin. Lethal lost focus on Shelley, and got hit with the Air Raid Crash, which the announcers couldn’t (or didn’t even bother to) name. Every announcer should know and call every finishing move. Period. After a post-match celebration with Alex Shelley, Chris Sabin grabs the mic and calls out Mick Foley. The future Mr. Drowgoddess tells Foley that he has to give him props for succeeding in doing what the Knockouts have been trying and failing to do for months – screw the Motor City Machine Guns! Rawr. The Guns, he continues, gave Foley a chance to fix the tag team title situation, to give them the title shot that they won and deserve, but Foley didn’t do it. Because they are such fine gentlemen, they’ll give him another chance. Don’t make them come back there and get him, because if they do, Foley won’t like what’s going to happen. All personal bias aside, this is by far the best promo Chris Sabin has done. The delivery was perfect. This is also the moment that the lights go out, Suicide enters on the zip line, and proceeds to take out both Sabin and Shelley. Again. Look, the beatdowns aren’t the problem here. It’s the same WWE problem of having one guy, singlehandedly and with minimal effort, destroying a tag team that’s supposed to be one of the best ones anywhere. The first time, sure, there was the element of surprise. After that, it shouldn’t even be close. The Suicide entrance is cool, but if he does it every time, it’s going to get old really fast. I’m curious to see what they do with the Suicide character. Keeping him around as is may not work in the long term, but if Suicide is just a device to bring in someone else, that could work.
To the back! Matt Morgan is bitching out Abyss for his unbelievable stupidity last week in drinking with Beer Money. If they are such best friends, why is it only now that the subject is being mentioned? Despite Morgan’s demands for his return, “the Monster” is dead, buried, and decomposing. Abyss thinks that “The Family Guy” is real? WTF??? Abyss is no longer Kane. He’s Kane’s retarded brother who not only rode the short bus to school, he had to be handcuffed to the luggage rack! Oh, make it stop. Please.
A very well-done “Rough Cuts” segment. On James Storm. He comes off as a genuine, humble, self-sacrificing, devoted guy who overcame serious obstacles to get where he is today. This would be great, if not for the fact that in the match that is supposed to immediately follow this touching segment, HE’S A HEEL!!! He cheats to win matches by smashing beer bottles over people’s heads and hitting them in the faces with brass knuckles. Fans aren’t supposed to relate to the heels, they’re supposed to want to see them get their backsides handed to them. How hard can this concept be to grasp?
Match #3: James Storm defeats Abyss (Beer Bottle on a Pole match): I wish to God I could say that I was making that part up. Nope! It was actually a bucket of beer bottles, with a paper sign on it. No match involving the words “on a pole” can result in anything positive. Beer Money versus Abyss and Matt Morgan does nothing for me, mostly because the latter do nothing for me as a tag team. Beer Money has been great, but if they aren’t fighting LAX or the MCMGs, they’re being wasted.
To the back! More MEM interview time. Is this why the Shelley/Lethal match only got two minutes? What does Sting think about the earlier comments of AJ Styles? Nash interrupts and speaks for him, saying that the Front Line stood back and let their friend get hit in the balls, so it’s their fault. If he hadn’t done that, one of the Front Line guys would have done it to them. The MEM starts to close in on JB, accusing him of being part of the Front Line, which JB vehemently denies. When your interviewer/ring announcer denies being associated with you, your faction is not doing well. Angle makes everyone shut up and watch the tv, as Brother Ray has come out to the ring.
To the ring! Brother Ray challenges Angle to a one-on-one match. Angle comes out. The MEM has to leave the building. The Front Line has to leave the building. Just them. Angle accepts, and they shake hands.
To the back! In the Front Line locker room, no one believes that the MEM will actually leave and stay gone. Brother Ray essentially admits that they are right, but he gave his word. He has to be able to trust the handshake of an Olympic gold medalist. Brother Ray looks like an idiot now. He made the challenge. He had to know it would probably be accepted. He had to know that the MEM would come back and jump him. Why is he acting like he just now realized this? Ray tells the Front Line to leave the building. The Motor City Machine Guns jump up at once and comply, wishing him luck as they leave. The rest are more reluctant, but they all go. Even Devon.
To the back! The MEM locker room. Angle tells the MEM to leave, and that he’ll be done soon. As the MEM exit, Booker drops the god-awful accent and warns Angle about Brother Ray. Angle says that he’s got it.
More fake Sarah Palin-ness! The Beautiful People are still totally buying into the fake Palin. Kip almost reveals her as a fake, but Angelina stops him from talking. Yes, it’s painfully bad and already out-of-date. However, the fact that the Beautiful People are the only two who believe that this is the actual Palin makes it funny. A little.
Time for the “Feast or Fired” cases to be opened! As many people predicted, Hernandez got the World Heavyweight title shot. Homicide got the X-Division title shot. Curry Man got fired. It was sad and funny at the same time because Curry Man’s English was not good enough for him to understand that he was fired and being taken away at once. He thought he was signing another contract. The farewell video package covered mostly one match, but was well-done.
Match #4: Christy Hemme defeats Sojourner Bolt: IS the Rock and Rave Infection no more? Hemme has her own music, and is totally babyface now. She’s better now than she was, but she’s no MsChif. After scoring the victory, Hemme goes to hug Bolt, who slaps her, and they fight. Once again, security has to do a pull-apart.
Match #5: Brother Ray vs. Kurt Angle goes to a double countout: Although it did not seem to be said when the challenge was made, apparently if Brother Ray won, the Main Event Mafia was disbanded and if Kurt Angle won, the Front Line was disbanded. Talk about WAAAY too early to be having a stipulation like this. In any case, they brawl all over the place, and ignore all referee attempts to get the match back in the ring. After a ten-count, both men are counted out and the match is thrown out. They continue to fight to the outside of the building, and this is where the Main Event Mafia attacks Brother Ray with, among other things, a 2×4. The Front Line should have turned up here to take on the MEM, and all levels of hell broke loose. That would have made them look cool. Instead, the Front Line once again look like complete and total smegheads (“Red Dwarf” in the house!) for not anticipating this. Remember the promos a few weeks back, before Rhino and Team 3D took over the Front Line? The promos where the Motor City Machine Guns favored the “by any means necessary” approach, and Joe and AJ would not go for it? Remember when the Guns tried to help Jay Lethal beat Sting for the World title and Lethal refused, costing himself the title? Had this difference of opinion actually been given more focus before, the Front Line having to collectively decide what path they wanted to take would be much more compelling than simply being destroyed every week due to stupidity. In any case the Main Event Mafia beat Brother Ray senseless and leave him in a dumpster, while Sting does not participate and walks away.
