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.

Tough Enough #9: Now We Face The Rattlesnake

Tough Enough #9: Now We Face The Rattlesnake
Intro
We start out this week with a recap of the cringe-worthy charisma challenge from last week. Of course, AJ and Christina went home, and after watching this week’s episode, it’s clear that the right two went home. I sincerely believed that Luke, Andy, or Jeremiah could’ve won this competition, but having people with no real shot like Christina and AJ would’ve really taken away from what turned out to be a great episode. Jeremiah and Luke remind us of their bromance while Andy seethes about just making it out of the bottom three. In one way, Andy’s acting very off-putting whereas Jeremiah and Luke are being as jolly as ever, but in another sense, Andy’s determination is sort of endearing. I don’t really know which it is to me.
Fine Tuning
There’s no theme this week; it’s all wrapping up what the contestants have learned so far and doing some fine tuning. They start with cross-bodies from the second rope. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: when is Andy ever going to have to do a cross-body? It would make for a nice spot, I suppose, but big guys in the WWE don’t seem to have much room for deviation from the norm. Andy botches a high corner dodge, which, again, when will he ever do that? Andy’s really changed, as we see from a confessional segment. He knows he messed up, but he knows that everyone does it, so it’s no big deal. He’s a lot more confident, which may have been his biggest issue. Luke botches while trying to jump over Jeremiah, and then they both botch by ducking and running into one another. These crazy botches aren’t doing anything serious, but Martin got eliminated by getting up awkwardly. Such is the business, I guess. Both Andy and Jeremiah have taken heat from the trainers, but Luke appears to be at the head of the pack as usual.
The Miz Stops By At A Photoshoot
Awesome! One of the only remaining remnants of the original Tough Enough, The Miz, is here to watch the rookies as they pose for a cover shoot for WWE Magazine. The Miz could’ve been here for Charisma week, since the guy is the definition of charisma. As for the challenge itself, you can probably imagine what happened. There were cameras, so vain Luke did the best. Andy was shy and awkward, but eventually came out of his shell. Jeremiah, lack of teeth and all, was somewhere in the middle: More awkward than Luke, but he still had more charisma than Andy. Miz wishes the contestants luck and says “Remember, I’m awesome.” I don’t know exactly why, but that line was great to me. If I were The Miz, I would end every conversation with that.
More Training
Andy’s having a hard time looking big in the ring. After some coaching from Trish, he finally gets it and starts looking pretty big. Austin said it best a few weeks ago: We’ve seen a lot of Silent, but not a lot of Rage. It’s finally coming out and staying, and it’s making me more of a fan of the guy. Luke hits a picture-perfect dropkick, and when he’s not talking, it’s really hard to not like the guy. He talks a big game, but he actually backs it up, which I hate, but have to point out. Jeremiah’s going way too fast, which is probably the absolute worst thing you can do in the ring. He slows down a bit, even taking the time to do a somersault when he hits the ropes, and starts looking good as well. The three of them have all needed to change something, and they all have.
Visit To The Children’s Hospital
I really like this. Although a lot of the lower-card talent (which the winner is in danger of falling into) won’t be doing a lot of visits and other public appearances, this is a really important part of the industry and I’m glad they gave it the spotlight. This kind of thing is why I can’t bring myself to dislike a guy like John Cena. Sure, he’s formulaic in the ring, but he loves doing it, and he’s a hero to kids, including these kids. Even Luke seemed genuinely impacted by the visit. Fortunately, everyone seemed to do well and make the kids happy, which is way more important than doing the “best.”
Skills Challenge
Going back and looking at the first episodes, you can really see how far these contestants have come. They build from the original “3 Minutes of Hell” rope-running exercise to what they’re learning now, this is the last chance for the contestants to show their stuff. The contestants then go back to some bag work, dropping elbows on the bag. Luke hits a picture-perfect elbow drop. Luke’s on the top of his game this week. Jeremiah slams the bag the wrong way and climbs up to the top rope. He hits an insane aerial flip elbow drop and alllllmost gets it perfectly. If there was a person in the bag’s place, their face would’ve probably been crushed, but it was close. The trainers are less impressed than me. Jeremiah then botches an arm drag, and things aren’t looking good for him.
Pre-Elimination
The contestants are sent to pack their bags in preparation for the bottom three. Everyone’s passive-aggressively angry toward each other. Andy said that Jeremiah’s move was too dangerous, for example. The three of them have a toast, Luke and Jeremiah toasting with adult beverages and Luke with what looks like water. Party hard, Andy.
Elimination
This is more of a Top 3 than Bottom 3. We learn a bit about Jeremiah, mostly that he fought in Afghanistan. Austin implies that this isn’t Jeremiah’s passion, which is silly. Jeremiah obviously wants to do this, but I think it was just drama for drama’s sake. Austin calls Andy out for being soft and Andy fires right back. Andy cites his pregnant wife and baby at home as what’s mentally challenging, but Jeremiah has a little boy at home and he hasn’t let it bother him. That leads Jeremiah to call Andy soft, and Andy gets sassy immediately. Jeremiah says he’s tougher than Luke, and just like that, there are cracks in the bromance. Luke is really nervous, which is weird since it’s seemed like he’s the safest one tonight. He does this awkward “Ha Ha.” laugh, and Austin calls him out on it. Luke calls Jeremiah the arrogant one in the group, which is laughable. Austin then puts over how hard they’ve worked during this competition, but eventually Jeremiah is the one to go. Andy and Luke remain, and the finale will be an exhibition in front of an FCW audience. It is really, really weird to see FCW on a TV screen. The fact that they mentioned it alone was surprising, but to be broadcasting from FCW, a facility that doesn’t exist in the kayfabe world of WWE, was very strange.
Conclusion
I liked Jeremiah. In terms of charisma, I think he had the most. I feel like he would get over as a face the easiest, and by extension, get Tough Enough over. There was no elimination that I would’ve been perfectly fine with, though. They all three bring something unique to the table, and I’m sure if they truly want it, they’ll all be in WWE someday. I correctly predicted the relatively easy prediction of Jeremiah getting eliminated, with Luke being most likely to stay and win, and I’m sure most of you thought that as well. I really don’t know how the finale’s going to go, however. I just have a hard time seeing Andy get over as a face, even though I like him. Luke’s a natural heel that could get over quickly, but a face victory in the first season may bring in more interest in a second season. In any case, I’m excited to tune in.
That’s all for this week. Please let me know of any comments, questions, or feedback you have in the comments section. As always, thanks for reading.

Raw Is Blogged/Tough Enough Value Pack

Hi everyone, Brooks here. I normally run the Tough Enough blog (and the NXT results, if you’re one of the 6 people that still follows NXT) and Kendra takes care of the Raw blog, but she had some family obligations, so I’m doing the blogs for both shows this week. Considering the shows blended together this week, the timing couldn’t have been any better.
Without further ado, let’s get to it!
Tough Enough #10: May The Best Man Win
Intro
This entire episode is full of recap, and the intro is no exception. Nearly every elimination, injury, and major event is covered. Some random shots of Andy and Luke in a field end the recap. We get an inside look at Andy’s family, his very pregnant wife and his little toddler daughter. We go straight from cute to tough as Andy does a bunch of training, from jump roping to pushing a truck. As I’m sure you can imagine, Luke’s taking the Ric Flair approach to life, working hard and playing harder. There are some clips of him training back in his hometown and then he says that people mistake his intensity for arrogance. I think people mistake his arrogance for arrogance. I’m just thinking this because I can’t stand Luke, but he cries while thanking his mother, and I don’t think he would’ve been crying if there weren’t cameras in that room.
Enter The Dragon
It’s still weird to see FCW even mentioned on WWE TV, since it “doesn’t” “exist”. Luke and Andy’s trainer will be none other than Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat. After Randy Savage passed away, I watched their match at WrestleMania III, and it’s still one of the best matches ever. As expected, Steamboat seems to really know how what he’s doing. There’s a solid 2 or 3 minutes of Luke and Andy talking about how excited they are about their FCW debuts (although Andy already had an FCW contract), and soon enough, it’s time for their matches against Bill DeMott. We’ve been waiting for this all season! Finally, we get to see…a video package of a few highlights of their matches. Talk about anticlimax. Anyways, after their matches, which both look good from the little we get to see, Booker and Bill congratulate the contestants, and it’s time for the winner reveal live on Raw!
And The Winner Is…
Booker T, Trish, and Bill all make their way to the ring. The eliminated contestants (sans Rima, which is devastating) all make their way out next to the…Superstars music? Luke and Andy come out, followed by none other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. Right out of the gate, Austin’s swearing up a storm, which is great, especially since it’s not even 9 yet. Equally hilarious is Bill, who is the only one not dressed up. Someone in the crowd yells “Thanks for dressing up tonight!” which is met with a “YOU’RE WELCOME!” in the middle of his speech. Trish and Bill would pick Andy to win, and if you’ve been keeping up with my Tough Enough blogs, so would I. The focus is back on the two remaining contestants as they cut a short promo about why they should win. They’ve come a long way since receiving a “Stun Them All!” chant from the crowd at the start of the season, with Andy getting good pops and Luke getting good heat. Right before Austin can announce the winner, a limousine pulls up with the chairman, Vince McMahon! Vince asks the rookies why they belong to stand in the same ring that Shawn Michaels, Andre The Giant, and Sgt. Slaughter once stood (You know he wanted to say Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair). Andy’s looking nervous, and McMahon calls him out on it. Vince informs the crowd that it’s 9:00, and we’re now on Monday Night Raw, and as such, I’ll be switching too!
Raw Is Blogged: Special Guest Referee (And Writer) Edition
I never rated anything on my Tough Enough blogs, since there’s not much to really rate aside from “I liked this!” or “This was dumb!” but I’ll be switching over to Kendra’s format for the Raw section.
And The Winner Is… (For Real This Time)
A- – Andy wins! After much deliberation from Austin, after he hilariously interrupted Vince before he could announce the winner himself, Andy was announced the winner, which was absolutely the right move. Luke had a lot of things that make a WWE Superstar, but he was arrogant, which is the worst thing a young guy can be. Plus, it’s good to have a Cinderella story of sorts for the first season of Tough Enough, so people will be more interested in the second season, if it happens. Vince welcomes Andy to the WWE by slapping him (?) and Austin gives Andy a stunner, which Andy sells in the most awkward way I’ve ever seen. I’m sure a lot of you were upset at the end of this segment, so I dropped it to an A-. It didn’t “bury” Andy like a lot of people were thinking, but it was silly and unnecessary. Austin needs to stun someone every time he’s out there, but it could’ve been Vince. All in all, great segment, great result.
R-Truth Makes A Fool Of Himself Yet Again
B+ – What? I was watching this with my brother who hasn’t followed wrestling in a while, and it was nearly impossible to explain what is going on with R-Truth. I like crazy heel Truth a lot more than boring, rapping Truth, but dressing up in a Confederate soldier’s uniform and marching to the ring? Sure, why not? R-Truth apologizes to Jimmies of every size as well as the soda he spilled (If you’re keeping score, this is the second storyline with John Cena in 2011 that has involved spilling soda). It then turns into a rather generic “Let’s have everyone that wants the title come out” opening promo, with The Miz, Alex Riley, and John Cena all meeting in the ring. Cena says some wacky poop jokes until the anonymous general manager interrupts. Vince still has it, as he delivers a pitch perfect “Michael Cole….SHUT UP” which gets a huge pop from the crowd and myself. Vince makes the main event a tag team match with Stone Cold as the special guest referee to end an above average segment.
Santino Marella vs. Michael McGillicutty
C – We go from Vince McMahon and Stone Cold Steve Austin to the New Nexus. Luckily I have Santino’s antics to keep me interested in this faction that needed to end 6 months ago. Formulaic stuff here, as McGillicutty takes control with some dropkicks and headlocks. Santino starts to take control, Otunga tries to help out McGillicutty, Vladimir takes out Otunga, COOOOBRAAAAAAAA, and Santino wins.
Winner: Santino Marella
Kelly Kelly & Beth Phoenix vs. The Bella Twins
C – I got excited when I heard diva music, but then I remembered that Kharma is preggers and won’t be decimating everything that she sees. Then I got sad. As for the match, Kelly actually channeled her inner Mysterio with a victory roll. Beth gets the hot tag eventually. A slingshot suplex and a glam slam end this one.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Beth Phoenix
The Trisheroonie
A – Booker T tries to teach Trish how to do her own Spinaroonie backstage, but before we get to see her try, Jack Swagger interrupts and challenges Booker to a match. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Booker T is stepping back into the ring. He looked excellent at the Royal Rumble, and with a capable opponent like Jack Swagger, the match should be great. Right here. Right now.
CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
B – Punk comes out with Mason Ryan and sits down to have a little chat with the WWE Universe. He can still play the crowd like a fiddle, and I really, really hope he signs a new contract. I just realized that one year ago today, the Nexus debuted, and even CM Punk is having a hard time making it interesting. Break it up and stop making Punk carry all these lesser performers already! Rey comes out, and it’s time for Round #700 of Punk vs. Mysterio, which I really don’t mind. This was a solid match, but it lacked something that all of their other matches had. It was by no means a bad match, but they’ve had much better. These two guys are just held to a higher standard, and rightfully so. Mason Ryan being incompetent, a tornado DDT, and a splash from the top rope allows Rey to pick up the win.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Yet Another Obama Promo
D – No. Stop it. Stop it right now. I would give this the most bold, italicized F you’ve ever seen, just because these promos have been groan-worthy (and you know they’re going to have a fake Obama, Abraham Washington or someone, at the actual PPV), but R-Truth being crazy saved the segment a bit.
“The Big Show Is Fat And Stupid” by Alberto Del Rio, Illustrated By Ricardo Rodriguez
C – Alberto Del Rio needs something to do, and I don’t like the idea of him feuding with Big Show. I don’t like the idea of any impressive, young wrestler working with the Big Show, but Del Rio needs something. He’s lost steam since WrestleMania, and he’s in danger of losing his spot if he doesn’t pick it back up. This promo has been done a thousand times, but it’s still funny for a minute or two. Ricardo Rodriguez is always a bright spot in these promos, this time dressing up as Big Show himself. Del Rio calls “Big Show” fat and injured, Ricardo yells, and that about does it for this promo.
Kofi Kingston vs. Zack Ryder
C+ – Woo Woo Woo, You Know It, Zack Ryder’s on Raw! He gets the jobber entrance, complete with Dolph Ziggler’s music, who is watching from the announce table. The announcers actually plug Z! True Long Island Story as well as Ziggler’s Twitter. And believe it or not, this match wasn’t a squash. Ryder got in a surprising amount of offense on the US Champion. Not to mention, Ziggler’s improving by leaps and bounds on the mic. Trouble in Paradise ends this after a few minutes as Ziggler and Vickie pout and talk about Twitter.
Winner: Kofi Kingston
Booker T vs. Jack Swagger
B – Booker can still go. He still gets almost as high as he used to on his high kicks, too. It’s great to see him back in the ring, even if just for one night. Had he not gone to TNA, we could’ve seen some great matches over the last few years. Eventually, Swagger leaves the ring and gets counted out, only to be blindsided by Evan Bourne. Evan suckers Swagger into following him into the ring, and Swaggers gets a beautiful-looking scissors kick/shooting star press combo. To make up for the lack of a Trisheroonie, we get a…Bourne-aroonie? Or Spin-Air-Oonie?
Winner: Booker T
John Cena & Alex Riley vs. R-Truth & The Miz
B – I still can’t believe I’m typing that as the main event. Special guest referee Stone Cold makes his way to the ring. Riley and R-Truth start out the match and look surprisingly adequate in the ring. Another odd note is the lack of Stone Cold involvement in the match. If you dressed up Stone Cold in the ref stripes, I don’t think a lot of people would notice who the ref was, until the end at least. Both a chair and a briefcase make their way into the match before Austin gets involved. A stunner and an attitude adjustment end The Miz and the match. There was a crowd botch that resulted in Cena getting up when Austin had only counted two, but they rolled with it.
Winners: John Cena & Alex Riley
Michael Cole Is Still Annoying
A – Michael Cole reads an email from the GM in which the match’s decision is reversed. The email punishes Austin for interfering by…making him the GM next week? Sure, why not? Austin then thanks the GM by knocking over the GM podium and throwing the laptop, script and all, to the floor. He then decks Cole and tosses him into the ring. Cole gets a beer bath, a stunner, and an AA for his troubles to end the show. I still can’t stand the Michael Cole character, but if he gets decimated every show, I don’t mind.
Conclusion
I hope me filling in for Kendra didn’t suck too badly for you guys. I’ve always wanted to give a show I could rate a try, and I know I’ve rated everything pretty highly. I couldn’t help it though, it was a really good show. There wasn’t much to complain about. And 6 matches? I thought this wasn’t the show where “Wrestling Matters”. Kendra should be back next week, but it’s been real fun. Thanks for reading, everyone!

WWE Predicts – Capitol Punishment

Sunday June 19th WWE presents Capitol Punishment from Washington DC. While not one of WWE’s top four PPVs, this one looks pretty solid. There are some interesting matches booked and most of them have been set up creatively over the past couple weeks, or more. The more I look at the matches on this card, the more excited I am to watch this show. I also hope to have a large group to hang out with in the WNW Live Blog during CP!
Ken Predicts – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
I have liked Zeke since he came onto WWE TV in 2008. I will admit that it’s not his ring work, his ability to talk or his physique that won me over, but his smile. That big mischievous smile and sparkly eyes on someone built like that is very endearing. I understand why they added him to the Corre, but I prefer him being a face because of how mysterious he is with that smile. On the other hand, I’ve been fairly vocal about my dislike of Wade. For some reason I just don’t see it. He’s great on mic, has a solid look and isn’t bad in the ring, yet I’m still apathetic to him. I can’t say why he’s missing the mark for me, he just is, but that’s not the reason I’m picking Wade to lose this match. After Wade alienated Zeke, then lost the rest of the Corre, I think he’s without a chance. I don’t want Wade to come off weak, but he only achieved gold with the help of his boys (at Extreme Rules over Kofi, meaning he’s held the strap for 87 days, the longest of any WWE Title holder at the moment) and they’re no longer his boys. It’s because Wade has no one to cheat for him and how powerful Zeke is that I see Wade dropping the strap here. I think Zeke has proven himself to be worthy of this win and the chance to take himself to the next level.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Ezekiel Jackson
Brooks Predicts – WWE Intercontinental Championship Match – Wade Barrett (c) vs. Ezekiel Jackson
Yawn. I’m all for a dominating face, but Jackson just hasn’t done much to impress yet. He clearly has potential, but he hasn’t done anything remarkable yet. Wade on the other hand was the biggest heel in the company this time last year. Oh how the mighty have fallen. Now with Corre out of the equation, Zeke should win this one handily. Since Zeke isn’t that over yet, I think they may keep the belt on Wade for a bit longer, but at the same time, I don’t know how Wade could win without the help of Corre. I’ll go with the safe bet and say that Zeke wins this one.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Ezekiel Jackson
Ken Predicts – Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
I am watching Smackdown as I’m typing this and I’m glad I waited. Watching Big Show in the ring with Josh, the way he was acting, his new look (the black hoodie [I want to know what size it is to be so baggy on him] and that yellow taped hand), this new intensity, this fire inside him is really interesting and exciting to see. I’m hoping they keep Big Show face as I (one of the few) enjoy the sweet yet somewhat tortured side of him. This two sided Big Show with the fans behind him, but the scary side when he ‘snaps’ is going to make for a fabulous match. That is if they actually get to a match which I have a feeling won’t happen just yet. They can’t let ADR defeat Big Show with this new side to him, but they don’t want ADR take out either. I see this match ending in DQ through either Kane trying to stop his friend, Big Show attacking before the match even starts or possibly the return of Ricardo. As I focused most of this on Big Show, I do have to say that I’m really enjoying the growth and changes in ADR even since WM – calling his best friend a dog. He’s proven over and over that he should be in high up in the WWE.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – No Contest/DQ
Brooks Predicts – Big Show vs. Alberto Del Rio
Sigh. I like The Big Show. He’s actually the only wrestler I’ve met in person, and he was really a nice guy. I just don’t like watching him wrestle, especially a quick guy like Del Rio. I could see this match going either way, but I don’t expect this feud to last too long, so I think Del Rio’s getting his comeuppance on Sunday. Show will knock that infectious smile right off Del Rio’s face and both will move on to better things. I hope.
Brooks Predicts – Big Show
Ken Predicts – CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
I really want to be excited about this match as they’re both wonderful competitors and a lot of fun in the ring, but I’m not. I’m expecting, unless the ref in this match does something right, that Punk will not be alone out there. That leaves Rey in quite deep trouble. We saw what happened to Rey on RAW when Nexus got their hands on him. Then again, do we go by the old booking that when the face is totally beaten down on the go home show that he comes back and wins at the PPV? What about WWE still trying to make Punk happy? This could go either way and that’s why I am not sure who pick for this one. So, to make things interesting, I’m going against Brooks and picking Punk. I have purposefully not looked at his predictions so they wouldn’t shape my predictions, but I had to for this one.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – CM Punk
Brooks Predicts – CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
This should be fun. Both of these guys are rather directionless right now, so a short-term feud revival isn’t so bad. These two always find something different and innovative during their matches, and we can expect a lot of near falls in this one. More likely than not, we’ll probably see some Nexus interference as well. Unfortunately for CM Punk, Capitol Punishment is a Pay-Per-View, which means that he’s losing. Expect to see the Nexus surround the ring and get onto the apron, a la the Straight Edge Society at WrestleMania 26, only to be taken out by Mysterio before he takes Punk out with the 619.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Rey Mysterio
Ken Predicts – The Miz vs. Alex Riley
While this could be Riley’s big win, I don’t see that happening yet. Riley has been easily getting the upper hand over Miz these past couple weeks, but that hasn’t been one on one in the ring. I think Miz is going to have a number of dirty tricks tucked in his knee pads, and I don’t necessarily mean physical objects. Riley is still quite a bit greener than Miz, though he’s grown in a huge way being his lackey and that could help him in this match. Riley has proven himself quite a bit the past couple weeks, but this is the test after all those quizzes. This is THE place for Riley to really prove himself. I don’t mean he needs to win this match to get to the next level, just that he has to prove that he can hold his own in the ring, hit his moves, sell Miz’s and look like a pro doing so. If Miz doesn’t he’ll look pretty weak since losing the strap, getting beaten down week after week only to lose to his protégé in the ring. I think Miz will pull this one out somehow, but not cleanly. There will be some in for Riley to come back on Monday and continue to be right up in Miz’s business. I don’t see this feud ending here.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Miz
Brooks Predicts – The Miz vs. Alex Riley
Alex Riley seems to be the obvious choice here. He’s a new face that needs momentum. The Miz wouldn’t benefit from a win, whereas Riley would benefit hugely. Thing is, I’m seeing Miz winning. At the very least, someone’s getting disqualified. If Riley were to win, where would the story go from here? But if Miz wins, Riley can continue his pursuit for revenge, getting him more over every week. If Riley wins, I’m sure it’ll be by DQ after Miz brings a weapon into a match or won’t break a hold. But the most likely scenario is The Miz getting a sneaky win, firing Riley up even more, and keeping the feud going.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Miz
Ken Predicts – WWE United States Championship Match – Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero
Since I have picked Zeke to win the IC Title, to balance things out, I see Dolph winning here. Kofi is one of my favorites on all of WWE’s roster. He’s a lot of fun, interesting in the ring and fairly decent on mic, now that he’s lost the fake Jamaican accent. He always gets the crowd pumping as a fan favorite and has only held the strap for 47 days (the same length of time Cena’s held his strap and people are pushing for him to drop ASAPA), but I find him more interesting when he’s chasing a strap or opponent. Dolph, on the other hand, is back to his platinum blond and is a great heel Champion. Dolph and Vickie are wonderful at being nasty when Dolph holds gold. Then again we did see a little bit of a problem between Vickie and Dolph when Austin told Dolph he had to drop Vickie. Is there a face turn in Dolph’s future? Either way, I think it’s time to shake things up and have Dolph win over Kofi.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Dolph Ziggler
Brooks Predicts – WWE United States Championship Match – Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler
Hey, I’ve seen this somewhere before! This feud’s been going on and off for nearly a year, and to their credit, it hasn’t become all that stale. I’d like to see both men rise out of midcard purgatory, but as long as they’re stuck there, I’m glad they’re sticking together and putting on great matches. These two guys really are the future of the company, and this is, as always, a potential match of the night candidate. Kofi never does anything with the titles he holds, so it shouldn’t be long before he drops it again, but Ziggler doesn’t have enough momentum to get it just yet. Kofi retains this time.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Kofi Kingston
Ken Predicts – World Heavyweight Championship Match – Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
I was greatly against Christian dropping the strap and turning heel, but now that he has, I am reminded of just what a wonderful heel Christian can be. I can see these two going at it really hard in the ring and leaving all out there – as long as Orton really is cleared to work (as he should be). What I don’t see from this match is a clean win. I really think Sheamus will get involved in some way and cause Orton to win/retain, but leave Christian with a good reason to keep pursuing Orton and be totally cranky about it. For some reason watching Christian on Smackdown lately I keep expecting to see Trish show up at Christian’s side or DDP show up as Christian’s guru. Makes me realize how long it really has been since we’ve seen Christian as a heel in the WWE and what a great job he’s doing with it. Watching Christian chase Orton and the strap is some of the best fun I’ve seen on Smackdown recently and want to see it continue, leading up to something huge at SummerSlam.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – Randy Orton
Brooks Predicts – World Heavyweight Championship – Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian
Just when I was thinking that Christian will never have a world title again, he turns heel. On one hand, it freshens up his character and gives him a whole new slew of superstars to face. On the other hand, Smackdown is already full of main event heels, and Christian could just as easily fade into obscurity. Regardless, I imagine WWE sees Christian as a Rey Mysterio sort of character. They both got a feel-good title run due to losing a friend (Eddie’s death being much more devastating, of course), but are mostly used to put talent over and get good matches out of people. Although Christian as a heel champion would be fun in my opinion, I just don’t see it happening. The Internet will continue to herald Orton as the new “Super Cena” as he wins again.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – Randy Orton
Ken Predicts – WWE Championship – John Cena (c) vs. R-Truth
I feel as though I’m between a rock and a hard place on this one. I really do not want to see Cena hold this strap for the entire year so he has it facing Rock at WMXXVIII, but I don’t think R-Truth is ready for it. I will completely admit that I am blown away with R-Truth’s heel turn and I will admit I didn’t think he had this in him, but that doesn’t mean he should be WWE Champion. I see this match becoming rather interesting, but sadly I see Cena retaining. There might be something strange in the ending to continue R-Truth’s conspiracy theories, keep him pushing after Cena. Maybe if R-Truth continues to prove himself he could go on to hold the strap, but I see this character too new to strap even though R-Truth has been in the industry for over ten years. Though I do have to say that I thing this character could be the one to bring R-Truth to the top.
Ken’s Predicted Winner – John Cena
Brooks Predicts – WWE Championship Match – John Cena (c) vs. R-Truth
I would’ve laughed in your face two months ago if you’d have told me this was main eventing a Pay-Per-View, but R-Truth has really impressed. Who would’ve guessed that there was actually charisma somewhere in that rapping, dancing comedy act? I still don’t like R-Truth in the ring very much, but he manages to impress with his mannerisms and mic work alone, which should lead to an interesting main event. A lot of people are automatically thinking that Cena will win since he’s keeping the title until WrestleMania, but I’d be willing to bet that he’ll drop it before WrestleMania (Heck, he might lose it by SummerSlam). He just won’t lose it here. R-Truth may be a world champion soon, but his character’s still developing, and a loss would add to the whole conspiracy angle he’s got going on. There might even be a screwy finish to further infuriate R-Truth. Either way, Cena retains.
Brooks’ Predicted Winner – John Cena
I did notice that there isn’t a Divas Title Match or Tag Team Championship Match on the card in any way. I know the Diva’s Matches are usually used for potty/beer breaks, but to me this is showing how little WWE cares about the Divas and the Teams – even though the Usos have been blazing a path through Smackdown lately and seem to be getting an interesting reaction as they’re turning face. WWE better do something with them before they get bored! I hope they’re added to this PPV at the last minute or in the pre-CP dark match.
I want to announce something new that WNW will be trying with our PPV Predicts. I want to see how you would predict WWE and Impact Wrestling PPVs. Each PPV we’ll be picking a different WNW reader to join us predicting. If you are interested, please email me (Kendra) NOT Richard, and let me know that you’re interested, which company you’d prefer predicting for (WWE or Impact Wrestling) and we’ll go from there. This is my own personal project and my contact information is easily found in the Staff Listing here on WNW.
Don’t forget to check out all the new Staff Bios posted to learn more about the crazy WNW. I hope to see everyone in the WNW Live Blog during Capitol Punishment!
KB & Brooks

Raw Is Blogged – Punk’s Not Dead!

Hi everyone, Brooks here. Kendra couldn’t make it this week, but before you leave and never come back, she’ll be back next week. You may remember me from such classics as “That One Time When Kendra Couldn’t Do It & I Did The Tough Enough Finale & Raw In One Blog” or “The NXT Live Results Every Week.” If not, hello.
It’s summer and I’m a teenager, so my sleep schedule is completely messed up. Therefore I apologize in advance for any rambling or grammar errors that will probably occur. Without further ado, let’s get right to it:
Recap Of Punk 3:16
A – As always, an excellent promo package. As Shawn Michaels mentioned during his speech, these guys don’t get enough credit. They have enough color and light effects, they could probably make a video of a bowel movement look epic. It’s interesting to note that they shied away from showing the parts of the promo in which Punk mentions things like Ring of Honor and says hello to Scotty Goldman. That leads me to believe that the promo was less scripted than most. Obviously I’m aware that it was a worked shoot, but I’m thinking it was more of a “Hey, go out there and tell them why you’re leaving. Just keep it PG” instead of the normal scripting for promos. Great work as always to make it feel like a huge moment, which it was.
John Cena Responds
B+ – Cena informs the crowd that CM Punk has been suspended and therefore loses his title shot at Money in the Bank. I’m not Cena’s #1 fan but a lot of the hate he gets isn’t justified, especially those who say that he can’t work a mic. Sometimes he’s cheesy, but it seems like with Cena, the more serious the tone of the promo, the better. He knows how to use his voice to keep the crowd listening. But as for this promo specifically, it was very good for some of the same reasons Punk’s was: the touches of realism. The mention of Daniel Bryan’s firing and signs being confiscated, for example. Angles that are build to be this “real” are normally reserved for WrestleMania. It’s great that they’re pushing this hard to promote a B-level show. Cena says that he’s calling out Vince, because he wants to face Punk. Very good stuff from Cena.
Smiling Divas vs. Pouting Divas
C – Is there a better way to sum up the division right now? I was considering “Divas wearing colors vs. Divas wearing black” since that’s almost always the case as well. Kelly Kelly & Eve are facing The Bella Twins, and this really wasn’t that bad of a match. It was no Melina vs. Alicia Fox (reward joke for the folks who read my Tough Enough blogs!), but it was a step up from the usual Diva match. There were actually some signature moves and some basic psychology during the match. Kelly won with her finisher, and I still won’t care much about the Bellas until Kharma comes back and decimates them.
Winners: Kelly Kelly & Eve
Andy Leavine Promo
B – Silent Rage, the man that won last season’s Tough Enough. He was a good pick, I think most would agree. I hated Luke’s attitude, even if he had the edge in the athleticism department, and we know how workers aren’t pushed exclusively for in-ring work. We also know that nothing will get a worker de-pushed quicker than arrogance, and Luke was not lacking in arrogance. I’m excited to see Andy actually compete. I wish they would’ve capitalized on the hype and debuted him the week after he won, but if he wasn’t ready, I’m fine with them fine-tuning his skills some more. He’s an intense dude, and he’s quick for a big guy, so hopefully he’ll stand out from the other big guys.
R-Truth Is Paranoid: Part 386
C+ – I love wacky heel R-Truth. He’s apparently talking to Flo from the Progressive commercials before Scott Stanford asks him about his opportunity to face John Cena at Money in the Bank, if he can win the triple threat match tonight. He just switched to Geico and someone’s gonna get got tonight. I guess they’re done building Truth as a credible main event heel for now, because he’s cutting what are basically comedy promos. I enjoy humor in wrestling, so I don’t mind it, but it doesn’t exactly make you think “Yeah, this guy could totally beat Cena!” Also talking about the same thing for the 386th time in a row is Alberto Del Rio. Can you guess what he talked about? It rhymes with vestiny!
KozTino vs. OtungaCutty
C – OtungaCutty have the tag team belts. It’s okay if you didn’t know that. This was standard tag team stuff, for the most part. I really enjoy the dynamic of Santino and Kozlov. In one spot, Santino just leaned forward and Kozlov used him as a battering ram of sorts against McGillicutty. McGillicutty eventually picked up the win with his spinning neckbreaker finisher. The New Nexus just has no momentum and needs to stop. Hopefully it’ll end if/when Punk leaves, but I’m not so optimistic. After the match, Zack Ryder comes out, says “Woo woo woo, you know it.” and leaves. As a card-carrying member of the Zack Pack, I hope this leads to something. I’m just glad to see the guy on TV, though.
Winners: OtungaCutty
The Miz Discusses Strategy
B – Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I’m not knocking Alex Riley (although I’ll probably do that later), but going from winning the main event of WrestleMania to losing to Riley is a huge step. Luckily for Miz, he still looked like a main eventer in this promo. He looked crazy and intense, which is the best kind of Miz.
Evan Bourne is 12
B – I’m genuinely surprised that they haven’t made Evan Bourne dress up as Justin Bieber in one of the groan-worthy Entertainment segments. Evan’s voice is hilariously unintimidating. He’s backstage with Sgt. Slaughter before Jack Swagger comes in and lisp-spits all over the Sarge. Swagger challenges Sarge to a match later tonight. Swagger mentioned Slaughter’s heel turn during the Gulf War, which is one of many odd callbacks tonight. WWE doesn’t mention its past much, and it’s a nice change of pace to have some references that longtime fans get.
Jack Swagger vs. Sgt. Slaughter
C – Swagger’s such a talented guy, and he gets put into the weirdest angles. Slaughter slaps Swagger around for a minute before going for the COBRAAAAAAAAAAAA (clutch). Swagger fights out and wins with a Vader Bomb. After the match, Swagger applies the ankle lock before Evan Bourne makes the save. Swagger retreats and Slaughter and Bourne recite the pledge of allegiance. Weird segment, but there have been much worse holiday segments.
Winner: Jack Swagger
Alberto Del Rio vs. Rey Mysterio vs. R-Truth
B+ – I feel like we’ve been seeing so many triple threat matches lately, but I won’t complain. I love triple threats. At times this match suffered from the same thing many multi-man matches: one guy gets laid out on the outside of the ring and two other guys go at it like a regular match. There were a few very cool spots throughout that made up for it though. Rey hit a doomsday device splash on Truth and Truth hit a sunset flip on Del Rio, which resulted in a German supex on Rey. I liked that Truth didn’t help Del Rio beat Rey during that spot, even though their both heels. It adds to Truth’s paranoid character and it doesn’t abuse the overdone triple-threat-into-handicap angle that’s done so often. Del Rio eventually steals the win with the cross armbreaker. This is probably just to set up a future angle with Del Rio, with the revelation at the end of the show.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Kofi Just Wanted Some Cake
B+ – There’s a cake in the ring as Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero walk out. Although it is the United States’ birthday, Vickie wants us to celebrate Dolph instead, so she asks the crowd to stand up and sing Happy Birthday. Vickie sings to a chorus of boos, then Dolph cuts a very impressive promo. Ziggler used to be very average on the mic, but he really impressed me with this. He seemed confident, which I think made the difference. Kofi comes out, and sounds comfortable on the mic as well. These two don’t get much mic time, so it’s really nice to see them get the opportunity instead of having them wrestle for the thousandth time. Kofi makes Ziggler accidentally push Vickie’s butt into the cake, and then he pushes her face in it. Both men sounded as good as they ever have, and Vickie was the heat magnet she always is.
The Miz vs. Alex Riley
B- – I must say I’m impressed with Alex Riley’s face run so far. He just looks like a heel, but he’s made the transition seamlessly. The Miz is partially responsible, as he’s playing his role perfectly as well. One thing I still can’t stand is how Cole buries the face in the ring. Riley’s still getting over, and Cole doesn’t have anything to build toward anymore, so talking about why we shouldn’t like Riley doesn’t do anything but hurt Riley. The match wasn’t anything we hadn’t seen before, although it wasn’t bad. Riley won with a backslide pin, and Miz looked like a devastated little kid. Afterwards, Miz attacked Riley, tossing him around the outside and throwing him over the barricade. He had to do something, since Riley’s had the upper hand since day one of this feud. Miz sold his frustration incredibly well, looking to be on the verge of tears, angry and embarrassed at the same time.
Winner: Alex Riley
Cena Confronts The Boss
A – It seems like it’s been a while since a promo closed Raw, but this is was an excellent segment. First, McMahon came out and was the reasonable, almost babyface Vince, but slowly turned throughout his speech like he so often does. He tried to leave early, but Cena came out and stopped him. I can’t really do the promo itself justice; you just need to watch it if you haven’t already. In short, Cena says that he wants to fight CM Punk, and Vince doesn’t want him to because there’s too much risk. Eventually, McMahon concedes and the match is back on, but if Cena loses, he’s fired.
There was realism in that promo. Vince referenced Hogan, someone he has had legitimate programs. He mentioned “other wrestling companies.” This is not the kind of build that a normal B-level show gets. There are big plans here, and I really don’t have a clue what they are. The last pay-per-view main event feud was “I’m a conspiracy victim and I want your title.” This has the involvement of the entire WWE, and it’s not for WrestleMania, not even SummerSlam. I rarely ever buy a pay-per-view that isn’t WrestleMania, but I might actually buy Money in the Bank. Not only will it likely be an excellent show, but it’s a way to show WWE that we “smart” fans appreciate such a different, intriguing storyline.
This was a fun but inconsequential show. The show never really dragged, but nothing really noteworthy happened, save for the opening and closing promos. I’d give the show a B all in all, since it was certainly above average. Kendra should be back next week, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading this. I’ll be lurking the comments to hear any feedback, hate mail, or conspiracy theories you guys may have. As always, thanks for reading.