The WWE Weekend Schedule Inside Here

- The Smackdown brand runs tonight in Nimes, France.

- The Smackdown brand runs in Geneva, Switzerland tomorrow.

- The Raw brand runs tomorrow night in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

- The Smackdown brand runs Saturday in Paris, France.

- The Raw brand runs Saturday in Trenton, NJ.

- The Smackdown brand runs Sunday again in Paris, France.

- The Raw brand runs Sunday in Wheeling, WV.

- WWE tapes Monday Night Raw on Monday in Columbus, OH.

Kurt Angle Isn’t Happy With WWE

Kurt Angle posted the following on Twitter today…

"I was #34 of Wwe All time Greatest? Tell You what, take Me off the list. I'd rather not be on it, if I wasn't top 5. Who Ranks Wrestlers?"

Luke Gallows & Domino Return From Nigeria

After what was described as a nightmare tour in Nigeria, Drew Hankinson (Luke Gallows) and Cliff Compton (Domino) arrived back in Atlanta yesterday. Along with the problems with the bombing that took place there; the promoter didn't pay the wrestlers' hotel bill. Due to this, at one point, Compton was not allowed to leave the hotel. He had to pay $900 of his own money before he was allowed to leave. At the end of it all, both wrestlers stated that they had to spend "thousands of dollars" to get back to the US.

Tough Enough #6: It’s Getting Down to Nut Cuttin’ Time

Hi everyone. It’s AP week, as some of you may know, and I’m exhausted. I just took my AP Government/Politics exam and I have an Economics exam on Thursday, so I’m planning on being tired all week. That being said, this blog will be shorter than usual, I imagine, but I really enjoyed this episode for the most part, so who knows? I might ramble a bit.
Tough Enough #6: It’s Getting Down to Nut Cuttin’ Time
Intro
Skidmarks is gone, in case you forgot. I liked him at one point, but by now the only reason I’d want to see him stick around is to get pummeled by Booker T. Also, in case you forgot, the contestants played basketball with dwarfs. Yep. Anyways, Luke and Christina return from the bottom 3 and immediately, there’s some huge teenage-girl passive-aggressiveness going on between Ivelisse and Christina. Both girls want to be the only girl left, and instead of working with each other and letting the better lady win, they’re just quietly bickering. Didn’t you girls learn anything from dwarf basketball?!
Daily Training
Looks like we’re back to the basics here, with some regular workouts: squats, situps, push-ups, and all that. To the shock of no one, Eric can’t keep up with everyone else and gets winded fairly quickly. I still don’t know why he would go to Tough Enough out of shape. This whole episode really favored the smaller, fitter guys, and while I’m not saying that fitness isn’t crucial to the business, I doubt capable wrestlers like Bill couldn’t keep up too well either. I’m not just making excuses for Eric, though. He should’ve showed up in shape, or at the very least, done what Rima did and asked for extra training (conditioning, in his case).
In the ring, Jeremiah gets slammed awkwardly and starts spitting up blood. He still didn’t want to stop. Go Jeremiah, you might be new favorite. I have a feeling that determined attitude is making him a favorite among the trainers too. Then there’s finally a focus on AJ, which is ironically, on his blandness. He’s been close to keeping up with the top guys for most of the competition, but he hasn’t shown much personality. On top of that, he’s slipping today in the challenge.
Elbow Drop Training
This is one of the things I was talking about earlier when I said this type of training favors smaller guys. Although now that I think about it, being a nimble performer while still being big is a great trait. I’ve heard about Big Show being able to do a moonsault at one point, I remember guys like Manu and Umaga doing some cool turnbuckle stuff, and Kane goes up to the top rope nearly every match. So it’s not pointless training for the big guys, I guess. It should just be taken with a grain of salt. Anywho, Jeremiah looks all right, but green as ever. I’d much rather be in the ring with someone like Martin or Luke who seem to have experience over Jeremiah. Ivelisse is having a hard time being injured, and she’s making sure everyone knows it. Considering just about everyone in the WWE is working through pain at all times, I don’t know what Ivelisse is thinking. Booker T says that Ivelisse is using her leg injury as a crutch. Unintentional pun!
Ropes Course
John Morrison is here to talk to the contestants about focus. Stone Cold puts him over, but it’s just weird to hear Austin say “Shaman of Sexy.” We get a shot of the ropes course, and man, that looks like fun. Ivelisse is having a hard time, so Morrison nonchalantly says “I’m gonna go climb up to that beam.” He’s still sort of awkward when he talks, but he does some pretty cool stuff. Ivelisse eventually makes it, and luckily for her, she won’t be the laughingstock of this challenge, because Eric’s coming up soon. Eric slips and gets hung up on some steps, and eventually Christina passes right over him. Luke said it before me: what a metaphor. Eric doesn’t want Austin to send anyone up to help, but he sits up there for over 90 minutes. Eric gets help and gets lowered down and looks really pitiful doing it. I’ve been pulling for Eric since the beginning, but he really hasn’t done anything that impressive. What a shame.
Skills Challenge
This challenge consists of the contestants squatting while standing on the top turnbuckle. Again, the low centers of gravity benefit the smaller guys at the expense of the bigger Eric and Andy. Andy gets eliminated after falling behind and gets mad. Andy seems like a less weird and more tough version of Ryan. That coupled with the fact that he really seems to want to be in the WWE makes me cheer for the guy. Everyone does okay until AJ gets to a turnbuckle. He loses his balance almost immediately. The final four have to balance while Andy and Eric run the ropes. It’s a cool little twist, but in kayfabe, doesn’t hitting the ropes make the person on the top rope fall onto their crotch? Whoops. The final two are Luke and Jeremiah, who are always near the top. In a weird revelation, it seems that Luke thinks of both he and Jeremiah as the co-top guys, Jeremiah thinks that he’s the top guy. I think the bromance might come to an end down the road because of that. Jeremiah ends up looking really sloppy and eventually loses to Luke. You just can’t be sloppy when you’re taking care of someone in the ring. If Jeremiah’s going to win this season, something needs to be done about his sloppiness.
Judging
Both Jeremiah and Luke get praise from the trainers, and Bill echoes my sentiments about Andy. He’s probably never going to be on the top rope. Booker says Eric has been a disappointment, and I hate to say it, but I agree. With so much riding on this show, I can’t believe that Eric wouldn’t push himself harder. The trainers think that Ivelisse might be milking her injury a bit, which I see. She’s acting the way I used to act when I pretended to be sick so I didn’t have to go to school. They don’t see a superstar in AJ, but I don’t know if I agree. Maven didn’t look like a superstar, and I loved him growing up. He eliminated The Undertaker at the Royal Rumble! I digress, but I’m still pretty high up on AJ, at least from an athletic standpoint.
Elimination
The bottom three this week are Eric, Ivelisse, and AJ. Austin starts with AJ, saying that he’d probably like AJ as a neighbor. I’ll level with Austin there; I have a hard time seeing AJ show emotion in the ring or anything like that. AJ sounds as fake as Ryan when he says why he should be here. No one buys those inspirational one-liners. Those belong on bumper stickers, not in wrestling rings. Eric says he’s pushing himself to the limit every day, and I don’t buy that either. Austin agrees with me. He brings up the fact that Eric basically took a 90-minute nap on the ropes course. Austin asks Ivelisse to rate her pain on a scale of 1-10. Ivelisse does the whole pretend-to-hold-back-tears thing and says 8. Austin says that if it weren’t for her leg, she wouldn’t be in the bottom three, but he has to do what he has to do and takes the belt. Meanwhile, Ivelisse continues holding back tears and choking up. Stop that right now, young lady. You look ridiculous. Austin tells AJ and Eric that he’s actually taking two belts tonight. Eventually, Austin takes Eric’s belt as well. He says Eric has flashes of brilliance, but they’re just flashes.
Conclusion
All in all, I thought this episode was a lot more entertaining than last week’s. The occasional silliness is good, but I prefer it when the challenges are more serious and physical (like the ropes course). It adds to the seriousness and sells the show’s importance. I really liked Eric, and I’m sad to see him go, but it was his time. He had a lot riding on this competition, with his family situation, but this isn’t a charity. It seems as if all of the fat has been trimmed, so to speak, so the real shocking eliminations should start next week. As of writing, I believe Martin and Jeremiah are the only two contestants who haven’t been in the bottom three yet. With Jeremiah becoming dangerous though, I think we might see him there soon. I hope not, though. I’m guessing Luke will be the “bad guy” left at the end along with a nicer guy, probably Martin or Jeremiah. They all deserve to still be in this, and the good vs. bad is perfect for a reality TV finale. It’s certainly more compelling than “two buddies have a respectful competition to see who the better man is.”
In any case, I’m sorry if I rambled or if you’re disappointed with the length or quality. I was writing essays on Supreme Court cases and political theory all morning, and I’m crazy tired. Thanks for reading.

Tough Enough #7: Running With Wolves

Tough Enough #7: Running With Wolves
Intro
As usual, there’s a recap of the major events of the previous week: Ivelisse’s injury, Eric’s dismal performance on the ropes course, and the two of them getting eliminated. Again, they were the right people to go home, regardless of any bias you may have toward the contestants (I had a pretty obvious bias toward Eric). The closer we get to the finale, the more people are going to get upset about the eliminations, since only the people we’ve really gotten to know are left. AJ makes his way back to the house and breaks the news of the double elimination, and immediately, the focus is on Christina being the only girl remaining.
Christina: Last Girl Standing
I would never have guessed that Christina would make it this far, or even be the last girl still in the competition. I think most people, myself included, figured Rima would be the female to go the farthest (or maybe even win) due to her mainstream appeal, but as we know, that wasn’t the case. It’s taken until the 7th episode, but we finally start to really meet Christina during this yoga segment with Trish.
Daily Training
AJ, the sole survivor from last week’s bottom three, has to step up here or he’ll be gone like that. It seems as if Bill’s lightening up to the final few contestants as well, giving Christina a pep talk before training starts. Austin stops the contestants during kick-out drills to talk about creativity. He talks about adding a little je ne sais quoi to the moves, which is the second time this season that he’s used that phrase, for some reason. They do fireman’s carry drills and the trainers really get on AJ’s case for being timid. It was pretty ridiculous if you ask me; nothing looked that bad to me. Jeremiah starts doing some kind of MMA takedown which doesn’t go over well with the trainers. The greenness of Jeremiah is starting to shine through, and if he doesn’t make his movements more crisp, he could be gone as quickly as AJ.
The next drill involves the contestants tossing one another out of the ring. While it is one of the more contrived parts of wrestling, it still seems like exposing the business more than they should be. The people being tossed land on their feet, completely unaffected, which is perfectly fine (and safe), but that’s not what happens in the kayfabe world of WWE. Andy stiffs Luke right in the face with a forearm and tosses him haphazardly (although it looks “realistic”) over the top rope. It was surprising that Andy botched so badly, but it was even more surprising that Luke didn’t get mad and start fighting back.
Andy Misses His Family
Andy is seen looking at a video of his baby daughter trying to walk. He obviously misses his family, but I hope he sticks it out longer, instead of ending up going home early like Michelle. Luckily, it seems like Andy realizes that this competition is where he needs to be. I imagine the hardest part of being a wrestler, more than the physical pain, is having to be away from loved ones for so long. If Andy can’t make it through this, there’s no way he could make the WWE schedule.
The Divas Stop By
Kelly Kelly, Eva, and The Bella Twins, probably running from Kharma, stop by. I don’t mean this to demean the divas or anything, but merely from the one-dimensional state of the division, having them teach creativity seems a little far-fetched. “This is how you stand in the corner and cheer during a random 6-diva tag match!” It seems like instead of just an inspirational speech, the divas are here for a morale boost. They all go out to dinner and once again, the one person abstaining from drinking is Andy, who promised his wife and daughter he wouldn’t drink. I know that in social situations, he’d be looked at as a wet blanket, but it makes me really like the guy. Not that I’m militantly straightedge or anything, but keeping a promise in the face of peer pressure is something that should be commended. Luke doesn’t have the same opinion as me, and makes fun of Andy for it. Shocker.
PLUG TIME
The contestants head to THQ to create their own superstar in WWE All Stars. They’ll be playing WWE All Stars. WWE All Stars, you guys! Look, WWE All Stars! To be fair, All Stars was an incredibly fun game that I played for a good 6 or 7 hours one weekend with a friend of mine, but this is very obviously nothing more than a plug for the game. Austin talks about his transformation from The Ringmaster to Stone Cold Steve Austin, which I believe was very much his own doing, but there was much more freedom in character development back then. Especially in the undercard, there’s just not much in the way of character. But I guess that makes standing out all the more important. This was a silly segment, but I’m glad to know that playing video games for several hours while eating pizza bagels got me closer to being a WWE Superstar.
Surprise Training
Austin immediately sent the contestants back to the training facility for a session with Bill and Booker. AJ gets singled out for being timid once again, and I still think it’s overreacting on the trainers’ part. Everyone else seems to be doing well until Martin gets up and turns his leg awkwardly. A medic comes to tend to him and he wants to get back in the ring, but can’t. You have to pity Martin at this point. He was consistently around the top of the pack and an ankle injury may have compromised everything.
Martin returns on crutches the next day with the news that he has a fractured ankle. The doctors won’t allow him to continue, and Martin’s on the verge of tears. Stone Cold leads Martin into his office for a chat. After the talk, Austin shows Martin the wall holding the belts of the eliminated contestants and allows Martin to put his own belt on the wall. I really do feel bad for Martin, but I believe him when he says that he’ll be in the WWE someday.
Two-Minute Exhibition
Each rookie will have two minutes to show what they’ve learned, with the stipulation that they must perform one move from the top rope. Christina seems confident, moreso than usual, after Bill gives her another pep talk. She locks up with AJ and everything looks fine until she climbs the turnbuckle. She jumps and lands way too close to AJ, who was close enough to the turnbuckle as is. She’s hurt and the trainers immediately fault AJ, but it didn’t look like AJ’s fault to me. This episode is just filled reasons for me to defend AJ. They’re being harsher on AJ than anyone else, but that may just be my perspective or a perspective made in post-production editing. Christina’s hurt badly, and a medic is called once again. It’s another tragic accident for someone that was really improving as a character and a performer.
Conclusion
The show ends with Christina’s future uncertain as she’s sent to the hospital. Is this show cursed or something? Two leg injuries in one show is crazy. We’re down to 5 people now (possibly 4, depending on Christina’s health), and every single one of them could win this realistically. Martin was my favorite to win, so my new favorite to win is Jeremiah. I don’t know about his chances due to his inexperience and sloppiness, but I’ve really started liking him as a person. I like Andy, AJ, and Christina as well, so as long as Luke doesn’t win, I’m happy. Although, if Luke wins, a young cocky heel from Tough Enough would be a great gimmick for a newcomer like Luke. I just don’t like his attitude.
In any case, it’s down to the wire. Put your predictions or favorites down in the comments section, along with any feedback or questions you may have. As always, thanks for reading.

WWE Predicts – Over The Limit

This Sunday WWE will present their Over the Limit PPV from the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. Somehow this PPV snuck up on me before I knew it. Like every other PPV, there’s good and not so good matches on the card. Actually, there’s very little I’m looking forward to. There’s a couple matches that could be good, but much of it seems old hat and rehashed from other events. Hopefully WWE will pull it all together and show us something spectacular, or at least worth the money.
Hey everyone, I am “The Choice” Matt Andrews here with your (get your shot glasses ready) CHOICES for who’s going over at Over the Limit. Overall, the card isn’t…terrible. We’ve seen worse, but there hasn’t been a whole lot of buildup to the undercard. Truly a B-Level PPV, it’ll be interesting to see how WWE makes this relevant.
Ken Predicts – Singles Match – Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero
I’ll be surprised if the WWE doesn’t start the PPV with this match. From what I’ve been hearing, Chavo and Sin Cara have been tearing it up at house shows, so this should be sweet! It’s nice to see Chavo back on TV and in a PPV. I think he’s the perfect person to help push Sin Cara up in the WWE. The amazing moves and high spots should be awe inspiring. In the end I expect Chavo to put Sin Cara over, but he might win to continue the feud. If it’s as good as I’ve been hearing, this might go back and forth for a couple months. This is one of the few I’m very excited about and hope they don’t move it to be the dark match of the night. That would be a travesty to the fans watching from home.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Sin Cara
Brooks Predicts – Singles Match – Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero
I like this match a lot. Not only is the underused Chavo on a PPV card (the last time I remember seeing him on one was WrestleMania XXIV, and that’s only because I went to the event), but this is Sin Cara’s PPV debut. There’s a nice simple story in this feud, which is good for Sin Cara’s first. I don’t think many people expect Chavo to win here, unless they try to get him over by cheating Sin Cara out of a win, which I doubt. I’m no exception. Sin Cara will win after a bunch of crazy spots in a short, fun match.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Sin Cara
Matt Predicts – Singles Match – Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero
Case in point about there not being a lot of build, but these two should at least put on an entertaining match – if they’re given enough time. I’m guessing about 10 minutes, which is enough to do some pretty cool things. They should open the PPV with this match – as I said in my blog, this could be the sleeper hit of the night. As for who goes over? I don’t think this angle is done, so my CHOICE (this is going to be fun every month) is…
Matt’s Predicted Winner – Chavo Guerrero via Lying, Cheating, and/or Stealing
Ken Predicts – WWE Tag Team Championship Match – Big Show & Kane (c) vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan
Big Show and Kane are some of the biggest and strongest in the WWE, both in the ring and on mic, but they’re not as young as they used to be. Add in that WWE is trying to make Punk happy and that could spell trouble for the champs. Also, if Big Show and Kane lose they’ll be split up as one is on RAW and one on Smackdown, will be the end of them tagging together. With Ryan by his side, Punk has a chance against Kane and Big Show, but will Ryan go rogue again? I think in the end Kane and Big Show will retain, possibly because Ryan does something stupid and loses it for them through DQ. In the end I see Punk as mad at Ryan as he is with Kane and Big Show.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Kane & Big Show
Brooks Predicts – WWE Tag Team Championship Match – Big Show & Kane (c) vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan
Remember the rule: “If a person named CM Punk is in a PPV match, he will lose.” Big Show and Kane could’ve been used as transitional champions to get the belts from Corre to the Nexus but I don’t see the point in that. In all likelihood, this is being done to add more dissension among the members of Punk’s Nexus. There were already some visible problems between Mason and the rest of the group, so this will likely just make the eventual breakup of the faction sooner, which needs to be done. The Nexus has been active for nearly a year. It’s time to put an end to it.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Kane & Big Show
Matt Predicts – WWE Tag Team Championship Match – Big Show & Kane (c) vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan
Er…I’m sorry, I’ve been too preoccupied with Big Show and Kane vs. The Corre that I don’t really care a whole lot about what CM Punk’s New Nexus is doing. I think it’s because I haven’t heard Punk talk a whole lot. I mean, the guy can definitely let his actions speak for themselves, but we should all be treated to a CM Punk promo. Oh, and it’s probably because the New Nexus…um…sucks. Sorry to be blunt, but McGillicutty, Otunga, and Ryan just aren’t The Corre. Michael and David are pretty much re-starting the J.O.B. Squad, and Mason Ryan isn’t proven yet. That being said, I hope they DO actually do something with this, as the New Nexus vs. Big Show and Kane has potential. With that in mind, along with Punk’s recent grieves against management…
Matt’s Predicted Winner – NEW Tag Team Champions CM Punk & Mason Ryan
Ken Predicts – Kiss My Foot Match – Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole
Please, PLEASE, please, someone, make this end! I’m hoping that with Swagger pissed off at Cole, King will have free range to destroy Cole. My only worry is that Swagger will come out and attack Cole, ending the whole thing with Cole on top via DQ. Even if it’s a DQ, King has to hold up his end of the bargain, but I don’t see that happening. Cole will be inducted into the HOF someday and it wouldn’t surprise me to see King induct him when that happens, but not because of this match and not with King’s HOF ring. Cole will have to wait and get his own. I just hope this is the blow off of this feud and Cole goes back to being the boring ass he was rather than the loud and obnoxious ass he’s been this past year.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler
Brooks Predicts – Kiss My Foot Match
- Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole
Ugh. Ugggggggggggggggh. This really needs to stop. I love Jerry Lawler, and I wanted him to get his WrestleMania moment. He didn’t, and as terrible as that was, that should’ve been the end. I don’t care how lame of a payoff this would be; I want this done. I would rather watch a 60-man Iron Man match between two Great Khalis. Anything but this. I’m assuming that this is the PG version of Lawler finally getting a good amount of revenge, so I guess Lawler goes over here. Let’s just end this so commentary can be bearable again and this asinine angle stops taking up 1/4 of every Raw.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Jerry Lawler
Matt Predicts – Kiss My Foot Match – Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole
Sigh. Judging from his role this week on commentary, this program is coming to a close, thank God. On Smackdown, Cole was tolerable. The absence of Jack Swagger in Cole’s corner provides an interesting twist, but I also think Swagger’s done in this angle and is moving up. Three wins in a row for Michael Cole? I don’t think so. I’m going with everyone’s CHOICE (three!)…
Matt’s Predicted Winner – Jerry Lawler
Ken Predicts – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
I have to say that Zeke is quite the force to be reckoned with. He could take Wade apart if the rest of Corre doesn’t get involved. While I want to see Zeke dominate over Wade and walk away with the gold, I don’t see it happening just yet. In the end Wade will retain the gold if not come out on top cleanly.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Wade Barrett to retain IC Title
Brooks Predicts – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
This match was too rushed. I hate that I’m saying that, because I never liked the Corre and I want the group to dissolve as soon as possible, but Ezekiel is the face here and not many people know that. Face turns are a delicate thing, and they can’t be rushed. It has to be more than “I know I’ve terrorized this show for months, but now I want to beat up this bad guy that no one cares about anymore.” I believe that Zeke can be an effective face, but he has to be given time to win over the crowd before he’s put in a PPV match. As for who wins this match, I really don’t know. Wade Barrett’s done next to nothing with it, and Zeke’s a former World champion (ECW counts, believe it or not). My gut told me they may put the strap on Zeke to get him over, but now I’m thinking they might hold off on him winning the strap for a while. Barrett to win this one with Corre’s help.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Wade Barrett
Matt Predicts – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
This match is sadly not so much about the IC Belt as it is about Jackson vs. The Corre. That being said, I’m pretty sure Wade Barrett is going over here, but I’m going to say it will be without The Corre helping him. That can keep The Corre fresh, and it can still promote the Jackson vs. The Corre. I love what they’ve done with Zeke’s character, and I truly hope they don’t screw it up.
Matt’s Predicted Winner – Wade Barrett
Ken Predicts – Singles Match – Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth
I love Rey and think R-Truth has done a really solid job of turning heel and making it very believable, but I’m surprised they’re taking this to a PPV so quickly. I know it’s not a top tier PPV, but this feud doesn’t seem to have reached PPV proportions to me. I do think they’ll all stay in character and sell very well with Rey hitting some of his famous high spots, but in the end Alberto Del Rio will come out and cost Rey the win. Rey better find a friend really soon to cover his back of he’s going to be screwed dealing with two feuds at the same time.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – R-Truth
Brooks Predicts – Singles Match – Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth
No matter which way this match goes, the focus is obviously on R-Truth. If he wins, it starts to solidify and legitimize his heel turn. If he loses, it will add to his character by making him even more frustrated. The more likely route is the first, it seems. Rey is probably the top face in the WWE that puts over talent the most, much more than the Cenas, Ortons, and Triple Hs, anyway. I’m by no means an R-Truth fan (I’m still unimpressed with the bulk of his in-ring work, although I know he has potential), but this heel turn has really revitalized his character. He’s genuinely interesting for possibly the first time in his WWE career, and I hope they don’t drop the ball with him.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – R-Truth
Matt Predicts – Singles Match – Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth
Expect some promo work by R-Truth here, especially since he still doesn’t have a heel entrance theme. I don’t think I’m emotionally invested in this match, as I know that the Rey/R-Truth program has been rushed because Morrison is injured. How long is Morrison scheduled to be out? 6 weeks or so, right? I say Rey goes over here, R-Truth throws a tantrum, and continues the program at Capitol Punishment, where Morrison makes his return.
Matt’s Predicted Winner – Rey Mysterio
Ken Predicts – WWE Divas Championship Match – Brie Bella (c) vs. Kelly Kelly
I’m really waffling on this one. Kelly has made huge strides in the ring, but very few of her moves flow. You can see her counting the steps of each move in her head as she does them. She just hasn’t been able to put it all together into a whole fluid move. But then there’s Brie who’s claim to fame is being a twin who the refs can’t tell apart. What I’m saying is that neither are Champion and neither should be in a PPV Title match, not even a PPV such as OTL. Such a sad stake the Divas are as a group. I’m just hoping Kharma will help change that up at least a bit. Actually, I see her getting involved in this match. I think it will be because of Kharma that Kelly will win over the continually swapping twins. I’m not saying I want to see Kelly as Divas Champ, I’m saying I think Kharma will cause Kelly to win so she can either go after Kelly or help her in some odd way. Kharma has made things, at least, interesting.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Kelly Kelly
Brooks Predicts – WWE Divas Championship Match – Brie Bella (c) vs. Kelly Kelly
For those who don’t know, Brie Bella is the Divas champion. For those that don’t know, the Divas champion is supposedly the best the Divas division has to offer. For those that don’t know, the Divas division is that thing that Kharma destroys. This match was made because of Kharma, and I think Kelly Kelly will win because of Kharma. The biggest Diva angle right now is the odd relationship between Kelly and Kharma, and giving Kelly the title would add even more intrigue. It seems as if the WWE is unsure whether to book Kharma as a heel or face, and this match should give some insight. It’s clear that the WWE Universe loves Kharma, but I don’t know if the WWE will capitalize on that. I think Kelly wins her first title before entering a legitimate feud with Kharma.
Brooks Predicts – Kelly Kelly
Matt Predicts – WWE Divas Championship Match – Brie Bella (c) vs. Kelly Kelly
Again, as stated in my blog, this match is a KAT (read my blog to see what that is). This match should probably get no more than 5 minutes, and perhaps with some Twin Magic, the Bellas go over here. WAIT A MINUTE. I just had a genius idea that may cost me a prediction point in my first prediction blog. Kelly Kelly fights off Twin Magic, wins the Divas Championship for the first time ever, and starts a program with Kharma. Fast forward to SummerSlam, and Beth Phoenix saves Kelly Kelly.
Matt’s Predicted Winner – Kelly Kelly
Ken Predicts – World Heavyweight Championship Match – Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
This should be the main event, not Miz and Cena, but we all know that Cena is the golden boy that not only Orton can surpass! Either way, it’s Orton and Christian we’re talking about here. Of course I want to see Christian win. I adore Orton, even though it’s taken many years for me to get to this point, I want to see Christian at the top and having a decent run as World Heavyweight Champion. Personally I don’t think Wolverine should be leading Smackdown, but that’s just me. Yes, Orton is great, but Wolverine isn’t as much. Sorry, that face fur is throwing me in a strange way. It’s growing in creatively and looks odd on his face. But back to the match. I really think this will be a fabby match as these two have thrown down recently and gave some amazing matches. The bummer is that I don’t see Christian winning this one. Not right now with Orton being ‘the face’ of Smackdown.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Randy Orton
Brooks Predicts – World Heavyweight Championship Match – Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
This is a weird match, and a weird angle as a whole. I understand giving Randy the belt, because they want him to be the face of Smackdown. But why not take the belt off of Christian at this PPV as opposed to the first SmackDown after he won it? And if he won it on SmackDown, why not have Christian invoke his rematch clause on SmackDown? Having a face vs. face match at a lower-level show like this strikes me as weird, so I think something devious is happening, most likely a Christian heel turn. I prefer Christian as a face, and there are enough heels on SmackDown, but I just can’t shake the feeling that something big is happening here. Just having Orton defeat another face (and one that so many people wanted to be world champion for so long) doesn’t seem like enough. Something will happen here, but Randy Orton will walk out still champion.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Randy Orton
Matt Predicts – World Heavyweight Championship Match
- Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
This contest has been built up nicely in the last three weeks by the Smackdown crew, and I am going to CHOOSE (HA!) this match as Match of the Night. I’m hoping that Randy doesn’t do that goofy little dance again like he did on Smackdown. Honestly that dance and the possibility of a No Contest due to interference from Henry and Sheamus are my biggest fears for this match. We all know this program isn’t done, and if we’re giving Christian a second title reign, it better not be here – it should be on the 2nd grandest stage of them all, SummerSlam.
Matt’s Predicted Winner – Randy Orton
Ken Predicts – “I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. The Miz
Ugh! I’d been loving the growth in Miz, but he seems to have leveled off and I don’t think it’s his fault. He and Cena have done all they can do at this point in their feud and they need to end it here. Their match at WMXXVII should have been their blow off. I understand VKM thinking it might not be over because of Rock’s involvement, but trust me, Miz vs. Cena is done! The worst part of all this is that Miz doesn’t really have a chance. It’s highly doubtful that Cena will lose the strap this year before he faces Rocky at WMXXVIII, so Miz will lose in some way. I see A-Ri getting involved in some way and ending up screwing over Miz while trying to help him. But more than anything, I don’t want to see any duct tape or hear the ‘I quit’ on a recording! I don’t know why I bother. Cena will come out smelling of roses no matter what happens.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Cena
Brooks Predicts – “I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. The Miz
Does anyone think John Cena will say “I Quit”? No? Me neither. Unless The Miz pulls a Rock and records John Cena saying “I quit” and fools the referee into thinking he actually quit, there’s no chance of a Miz victory here. It should still be a fun match, just one with a foregone conclusion. I expect to see Miz pull out a few tricks and have Riley helping him, but there’s just no way Cena will quit. If you have even the slightest inkling that Miz may win, it would be silly to take the title off of Miz, only to have him win it back a month later. Cena to win here.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – John Cena
Matt Predicts – “I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship
- John Cena (c) vs. The Miz
So the scuttlebutt amongst the IWC is what the Miz is going to do to get John Cena to say I Quit. It’s too predictable – putting Cena in an “I Quit” match is pretty much putting Cena in an “I Win” Match. Especially given that Cena just won the belt last month. I know WWE hasn’t been huge up on long title reigns, but if they weren’t going to have Cena as champ going into WrestleMania, they’re going to have him as champ going into SummerSlam. My question is: After this match, where does The Miz go?
Matt’s Predicted Winner – John Cena
Dug didn’t have the time to write the reasons for his predictions, but he sent his basic predictions so he can stay in the pool for this PPV.
Singles Match – Sin Cara vs. Chavo Guerrero
Winner: Sin Cara
WWE Tag Team Championship Match – Big Show & Kane (c) vs. CM Punk & Mason Ryan
Winner: CM Punk and Mason Ryan
Kiss My Foot Match – Jerry Lawler vs. Michael Cole
Winner: Jerry Lawler
WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
Winner and new IC Champ: Ezekiel Jackson
Singles Match – Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth
Winner: R-Truth
World Heavyweight Championship Match – Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
Winner: Christian
“I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. The Miz
Winner: John Cena
After writing out my predictions I’m actually much more interested in watching Over The Limit. Some of these matches could be really great, if they’re not as predictable as they could be. Should be an interesting show and I’m really looking forward to hanging out in the Live Blog with everyone! If I get predictions from anyone else in, I’ll add them in to see who comes out on top after OTL.
KB & Brooks & Dug & Matt

Tough Enough #8: I’ve Been Bamboozled and Flabbergasted

As you all know, Randy Savage passed away last Friday. I really have a hard time articulating how I feel about the whole thing. As I’m sure you all were, I was shocked and devastated by the news, but what makes the news even worse is that it seemed as if he was really mending some burned bridges. Savage and Hogan got back to being on speaking terms after a decade of not talking, Savage was featured on WWE All Stars, and if he’s on good enough terms to advertise All Stars, why would a possible onscreen return have been out of the question?
As a teenager, I didn’t grow up watching Randy Savage. In fact, most of my friends only know him as “the Slim Jim guy” or don’t know him at all. But as someone who’s really passionate about the whole industry, it hurts to lose any member of it, especially one as integral and legendary as Randy Savage. It’s odd to think of Savage as an inspirational guy, but he really is to me. While Savage’s physique was nothing to scoff at, it was his charisma and wit that really got him over. As someone who dreams of entering the business someday, Savage embodied charisma and entertainment in a way no other wrestler did. I’ve been watching old interviews and segments from his career all weekend, and he was just an admirable, entertaining guy. I’ll miss him, and so will the wrestling world.
Tough Enough: I’ve Been Bamboozled and Flabbergasted
Intro
We get a recap of the terrible, terrible events of last week. Martin got sent home due to injury, and Christina’s future was uncertain due to another injury. This week starts with Trish meeting Christina outside to hear what the doctors said about her ankle. Luckily, it was just a sprain. AJ feels bad, so he says sorry for about a minute straight. AJ hasn’t shown much character, but showing a little bit of compassion may be better than showing a lot of selfishness, a la Luke.
Daily Training
This week is focusing on charisma. Eerily fitting, given Macho Man’s death. Luke and AJ start out the drills in the ring, and they look so similarly bland that it looks like clones are fighting. Adding to the illusion, they both botch and go for a drop toe hold at the same time. We get an early line of the night out of Bill after the botch: “You think I’m gonna continue to come in here and let you piss in my Cheerios?” If anyone can decipher that, please let me know in the comments section, because I have no idea what that means. Jeremiah’s rushing, which would be terrifying for the other guy. The last thing he needs to be doing while he’s still green is being reckless. When Luke and Andy do the drills in the ring together, Luke looks good as usual, but Andy really stepped up his game as well. In a business where agile big guys are hard to find, Andy could really stand out.
Life Lesson: Charisma
Bill starts with a lecture about how every WWE Superstar has charisma. Heh. James Roday from Psych is here to help with the lesson. Each contestant will be conducting his or her own guided tour of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. If you think this is going to be soul-crushingly awkward, don’t worry; it was. Austin was right about not being able to teach charisma. There’s nothing worse than a forced comedian like Luke (except maybe a non-comedian like AJ). You have to cut these guys some slack since they had to be entertaining while not knowing anything about the subject matter, but someone with enough charisma should be able to make the best of it. Luckily, Jeremiah did just that. Ever since the Tough Enough contestants showed up on Raw before this season, nearly everyone got booed but Jeremiah, who, with not much more than a simple “What’s up Atlanta, Georgia?” got a pretty good pop. Jeremiah didn’t follow the script too closely and made a bunch of quick-witted remarks instead, which goes a long way.
The Rock Stops By
The Rock immediately gets into the ring to see what the contestants are made of. Andy keeps up, which I’m still impressed with. Everyone looks okay, if not a little awkward, but Christina doesn’t get the chance to square off against The Rock due to injury, and she’s obviously disappointed. This was a nice change from the usual superstar stopping by, saying nothing new, just “Don’t give up. Try your best.” and all that. Not that the other didn’t have good advice, but having The Rock actually do something physical with the contestants was a welcome change.
Skills Challenge
The Rock’s staying around to watch as the contestants have a promo battle against Bill DeMott. Jeremiah sounds just as good as some of the current superstars (and better than some, but that isn’t saying much). Luke sounded a lot like a superstar as well. Some of came off as silly, but that’s mostly because they’re in an empty arena, and the passionate parts were met with silence instead of cheers. Christina’s seemed a bit phoned in, as if she worked on those exact lines beforehand, but at the same time, how often does a diva really use a mic to build a match? Christina has a great smile, and that’s all a diva really needs these days, sadly. This has been a week full of surprises from Andy, as he cuts a solid promo as well. He uses the “silent rage” phrase that he’s used before in his WWE All Stars character, which is a lot less silly if you think about “controlled frenzy” and other phrases used in the WWE right now. AJ talks well, but he seemed to be cutting a promo on the wrong thing. He also says “crapping in my oatmeal” at one point, which is never a good thing to say. It ended up being pretty impressive, though. The contests find out who won via The Rock, who will be cutting a promo on the contestants. Oh boy. It turns out AJ won, and he did do very well, to his credit.
Judging/Elimination
AJ is not safe, according to the trainers. Although he performed well in the skills challenge, he was directly responsible for Christina’s injury (which I’m still iffy about, but then again, I’ve never been inside a ring), and he hasn’t been consistently performing well. They just tear apart Christina, from the skills challenge to the life lesson, both of which were pretty bad. There seem to be no problems with Luke, who has the most potential according to the trainers. I’ll agree with them there; it’s mostly the backstage aspect that I think he’d have the most problems in. Jeremiah gets praised for his verbal work but chastised for his in-ring work. Andy just didn’t bring any charisma this week.
The bottom three this week are Christina, AJ, and Andy. Luke and Jeremiah, bros since the beginning, celebrate while Andy’s madder than he’s ever been (which is exactly what he needs). Immediately Austin tears into Andy for slacking, but Andy defends himself. I believe that Andy’s been working his hardest, or close to it at least, but Austin does this hilarious impression of Andy. I can’t do it justice with text, but you need to go watch it. Christina had a break with this week’s focus being on charisma, and she didn’t do anything worth mentioning. Austin doesn’t think Christina wants this bad enough. He tears into them a bit more before dropping a bombshell: Two people are going home right now. He asks Christina if she has any passion in her heart and she nods softly. What? And just like that, her belt’s gone. Austin asks Andy if he’s shown his best, and Andy says no. This turns into a shouting match with Andy ending up looking really intimidating, yelling as loud as he can. Austin says that he’d better show something next week and takes AJ’s belt. Christina hugs Andy as she and AJ leave the ring, and Andy’s crying and seething at the same time. The show ends with Austin hanging up the two belts. Only three people remain.
Conclusion
This show has improved by leaps and bounds ever since the fat was cut, so to speak. We’ve gotten to know these last 5 people a lot more than most of the original 14. Normally when I write these, I’ll pull the show up on YouTube and watch it bit by bit, putting in a few sentences at a time between clips, but during the elimination, I accidentally let about 5 minutes go by without stopping the video. I don’t know if it’s just me, but this is turning into really gripping television. After today, I don’t know who I like more: Andy or Jeremiah. Before that elimination, it seemed as if Andy was clearly the underdog, but he finally showed some emotion, to an almost scary extent. If Andy stays intense and Jeremiah refines his in-ring work, it really is a complete toss-up. If I had to guess a winner, I would rank the likelihood of winning:
1. Luke
2. Andy
3. Jeremiah
I say that just because Luke has been impressive from the start, all attitude problems aside. Everyone knows the whole “WWE loves big guys” cliche that may work in Andy’s favor. That coupled with his newfound intensity and proficient in-ring work could definitely push him to victory. I’ve liked Jeremiah for most of this competition, but his sloppiness will probably come back to bite him. There are enough injuries in wrestling, we don’t need any other way for them to happen. In reality though, all three of these men will probably be in the WWE at some point down the road.
That’s it for this week. When I started writing these, I wanted to end every week with a video or something interesting, and I’ve been slacking for one reason or another the last few weeks, so I put together a little something this week. It’s not much, but I wanted to do something to honor Randy Savage, so I learned his theme, Pomp and Circumstance, on ukulele.

Be sure to leave any predictions, questions, or feedback in the comments section below. Thanks for reading.