In recent posts, I've looked at comeback appearances. This time, I look at the return of a ring of someone who had made sporadic appearances, but hadn't laced up the boots for a long time.
It seems hard to believe now, but at one point Shawn Michaels, the Showstopper, hadn't wrestled for over four years. HBK had been one of the greatest wrestlers of the '90s right up until WrestleMania 14 in 1998, when he lost the WWF Title to Stone Cold Steve Austin. Due to a serious back injury, HBK disappeared immediately and, eventually, underwent what was assumed to be career-ending back surgery in 1999. Despite the occasional surprise appearance on Raw, the chances of HBK ever wrestling again were very unlkely.
In 2002, however, things changed. Michaels returned to Raw in June 2002 as a member of the nWo. The group disintegrated within weeks, but not before HBK called for Triple H to join the new World order at the Vengeance Pay-Per-View.
At Vengeance, with the nWo gone, Shawn's motive was to have H3 join him on Raw. The Game agreed and signed for the Monday night brand. The next night, a DX reunion was teased, only for HHH to Pedigree Michaels. This was followed by an assault in a car park, which led to Michaels challenging HHH to what would be an unsanctioned match at SummerSlam 2002. The Game agreed.
It's worth noting that, prior to August 25 2002, it was assumed that this match was one last match. And, besides, unlike other wrestlers who had been out injured, this was someone who had missed years of action due to a major back injury. Expectations were low heading into SummerSlam, although it would be great to see the Heartbreak Kid back in the ring, even if only for one more match.
SummerSlam came, and although HBK had some early offence, Triple H turned things around in his favour, using a steel chair to punish HBK's back further. Eventually, The Game called for a Pedigree, but a superkick that bashed the chair into HHH's face handed the momentum to Shawn.
Over the next few minutes, HBK busted HHH open with the chair, then pounded him in and out of the ring, and then amazingly hit a top rope splash onto HHH and through a table at ringside.
Back in the ring, Michaels unbelievably hit an elbow off the top of a ladder and signalled for Sweet Chin Music. HHH countered it, though, and motioned for the Pedigree. However, Michaels flipped HHH over, and got the three count.
It may not sound like much now, but for someone who hadn't wrestled in over 4 years, and had been sidelined by a severe injury, this was an astonishing performance. And, as it turned out, it was only the beginning of a second career which, combined with his 1988-1998 stint, made HBK arguably the greatest wrestler in WWE history.
But it all began at SummerSlam 2002. Everything, from the WM 21 classic against Kurt Angle to the various DX reunions to the showdowns at WrestleMania with The Undertaker, was all still to come on the night HBK stepped back into the ring. The impact of that match on Michaels' legacy, and the future of WWE (imagine the last nine years if Shawn hadn't returned) made this not only a memorable moment, but one of the most memorable matches of the last decade, and the history of SummerSlam.
Thursday 22 September 2011
WrestleMarkia: Night Of Champions 2011
As stated previously, I will do PPV recaps in separate blogs, so here's a rundown of the 2011 Night Of Champions. Bear in mind, this isn't move-by-move or anything like that: it's just a short yet detailed look at the events of the Pay-Per-View, followed by predictions on what this means for the weeks to come.
NOC kicked off with Miz and R-Truth vs Air Boom for the Tag Titles. A couple of early moves went a little awry, but overall this was a good start to the show (with Kofi Kingston literally flying high; he seemed to jump around 15 feet in the air when he tagged in). AwesomeTruth (as Jerry Lawler dubbed them) were disqualified for attacking the referee after a few bungled calls, adding to their "conspiracy" claims.
Match 2 saw Cody Rhodes defend the Intercontinental Title against Ted DiBiase. Had DiBiase returned several weeks earlier, and not two days, the crowd may have responded more enthusiastically, but it was still an enjoyable effort. Rhodes got the victory, although a rematch may be on the cards between DiBiase and his former "life coach".
Before the next bout, Christian demanded "One more match" for the World Heavyweight Title. Sheamus came out and feigned that he would assist Christian, as long as he got the first shot at the gold if Captain Charisma won it. Christian agreed, only to be Brogue Kicked.
The third match pitted Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero against Jack Swagger, Alex Riley and John Morrison in a Fatal Four Way for the United States Title. Heading in, it seemed this one only had two likely outcomes: Vickie Guerrero helping Dolph win, or turning on Ziggler to help Swagger become champion. As it turned out, Swagger had Morrison beat with the Gutwrench Powerbomb, but Mr Ziggles pushed him out of the way to take the pin and retain the gold. As I previously stated, those champions who are angered by four-ways always seem to win, whilst those who don't (as in, all 3 champs at last year's Fatal 4 Way PPV) always seem to lose. How strange.
Match four was Mark Henry's big moment, as he defeated Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship. The expected RKO-and-pin never happened; instead, the RKO was reversed into a second, title-winning World's Strongest Slam. A rematch at Hell In A Cell seems likely, but judging by the path of destruction Henry has been on since Capitol Punishment, it seems Henry's title reign will be a long one.
Next up, Beth Phoenix battled Kelly Kelly in her hometown of Buffalo, New York for the Divas Title. Ringside divas Natalya and Eve Torres had a to-do, whilst the fans rained boos down on Kelly and cheered massively for the Glamazon. However, whilst I expected a new champion to be crowned, Kelly surprisingly pinned Phoenix again, much to the frustration of hometown fans. As with the 4-ways, it also seems that hometown wrestlers, with few exceptions (such as CM Punk at Money In The Bank), tend to lose more often than not nowadays in WWE.
Alberto Del Rio's WWE Title defence against John Cena began with Cena stealing Del Rio's car for a joyride, and some pre-match ring announcing that one would normally see on Raw, as opposed to a WWE Title match on PPV. As the match wore on, despite Cena growing in confidence and having more offense, it still seemed that Del Rio would find a way out. It wasn't to be, and the STFU made Cena WWE Champion once again.
Lastly, Triple H battled CM Punk in a No Disqualification match, where if the Game lost in his first match since WrestleMania XXVII, he would resign as WWE COO. This was the match of the night (ironic, by the way, that a non-title match headlined Night Of Champions), with Punk's Randy Savage elbow drop that put HHH through n announcer's table being the stand-out moment. It was also the turning point, as from then on AwesomeTruth interfered (attacking both men, and the ref, who hilariously punched Miz when he and Truth first turned their attention to him), then John Laurinitis seemed to prevent a referee counting in HHH's favour, and after a suspicious moment wherein Laurinitis began texting somebody (which wasn't acknowledged by the announcers), the fired Kevin Nash emerged from the crowd to attack both men. But a sledgehammer shot drilled Big Kev at ringside, and the third Pedigree of the match put Punk away, and allowed HHH to win the match and save his job.
From here, anything could happen involving those in the three main matches at NOC. Henry looks likely to beat Orton and fellow smaller wrestlers in title defences, until someone of his own size decides to challenge him. Christian's "One more match" is as unlikely as ever with Henry as Champ, and seems to have his sights set on Sheamus anyway. With Henry as Champ, it's also unlikely that the much smaller Daniel Bryan will be cashing in Money In The Bank anytime soon.
Cena's WWE Title win came too soon in my opinion. A Del Rio victory (or even a DQ loss) could have allowed Cena to become Champ at HIAC in two weeks time. Instead, a Cell match between Cena and anyone for the gold seems pointless, unless a certain Hollywood-based superstar moved his match with Cena forward about six months. Del Rio will still probably face Cena in the Cell, but it's doubtful that he'll win.
Lastly, we come to Punk and HHH. Obviously, Kevin Nash is back, despite being fired (which suggests a Nash/Laurinitis alliance, since it was after the text at NOC that he appeared), which probably means a collison between Nash and either Punk or HHH. At one point, Nash and HHH could have been on the same page, but now the chances of them still being friends is very unlikely. Perhaps a Triple Threat match between the three in the Cell will be next. Or maybe Punk's repeated claims a few weeks back that he wasn't believing the Nash/HHH fall-outs mean that a Nash/HHH reunion is coming, despite what happened at NOC. Either way, although HHH kept his job at NOC, this story is far from over.
That's all for now, with the next recap coming after the next week of WWE TV shows. Until then, goodnight everybody!
NOC kicked off with Miz and R-Truth vs Air Boom for the Tag Titles. A couple of early moves went a little awry, but overall this was a good start to the show (with Kofi Kingston literally flying high; he seemed to jump around 15 feet in the air when he tagged in). AwesomeTruth (as Jerry Lawler dubbed them) were disqualified for attacking the referee after a few bungled calls, adding to their "conspiracy" claims.
Match 2 saw Cody Rhodes defend the Intercontinental Title against Ted DiBiase. Had DiBiase returned several weeks earlier, and not two days, the crowd may have responded more enthusiastically, but it was still an enjoyable effort. Rhodes got the victory, although a rematch may be on the cards between DiBiase and his former "life coach".
Before the next bout, Christian demanded "One more match" for the World Heavyweight Title. Sheamus came out and feigned that he would assist Christian, as long as he got the first shot at the gold if Captain Charisma won it. Christian agreed, only to be Brogue Kicked.
The third match pitted Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero against Jack Swagger, Alex Riley and John Morrison in a Fatal Four Way for the United States Title. Heading in, it seemed this one only had two likely outcomes: Vickie Guerrero helping Dolph win, or turning on Ziggler to help Swagger become champion. As it turned out, Swagger had Morrison beat with the Gutwrench Powerbomb, but Mr Ziggles pushed him out of the way to take the pin and retain the gold. As I previously stated, those champions who are angered by four-ways always seem to win, whilst those who don't (as in, all 3 champs at last year's Fatal 4 Way PPV) always seem to lose. How strange.
Match four was Mark Henry's big moment, as he defeated Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship. The expected RKO-and-pin never happened; instead, the RKO was reversed into a second, title-winning World's Strongest Slam. A rematch at Hell In A Cell seems likely, but judging by the path of destruction Henry has been on since Capitol Punishment, it seems Henry's title reign will be a long one.
Next up, Beth Phoenix battled Kelly Kelly in her hometown of Buffalo, New York for the Divas Title. Ringside divas Natalya and Eve Torres had a to-do, whilst the fans rained boos down on Kelly and cheered massively for the Glamazon. However, whilst I expected a new champion to be crowned, Kelly surprisingly pinned Phoenix again, much to the frustration of hometown fans. As with the 4-ways, it also seems that hometown wrestlers, with few exceptions (such as CM Punk at Money In The Bank), tend to lose more often than not nowadays in WWE.
Alberto Del Rio's WWE Title defence against John Cena began with Cena stealing Del Rio's car for a joyride, and some pre-match ring announcing that one would normally see on Raw, as opposed to a WWE Title match on PPV. As the match wore on, despite Cena growing in confidence and having more offense, it still seemed that Del Rio would find a way out. It wasn't to be, and the STFU made Cena WWE Champion once again.
Lastly, Triple H battled CM Punk in a No Disqualification match, where if the Game lost in his first match since WrestleMania XXVII, he would resign as WWE COO. This was the match of the night (ironic, by the way, that a non-title match headlined Night Of Champions), with Punk's Randy Savage elbow drop that put HHH through n announcer's table being the stand-out moment. It was also the turning point, as from then on AwesomeTruth interfered (attacking both men, and the ref, who hilariously punched Miz when he and Truth first turned their attention to him), then John Laurinitis seemed to prevent a referee counting in HHH's favour, and after a suspicious moment wherein Laurinitis began texting somebody (which wasn't acknowledged by the announcers), the fired Kevin Nash emerged from the crowd to attack both men. But a sledgehammer shot drilled Big Kev at ringside, and the third Pedigree of the match put Punk away, and allowed HHH to win the match and save his job.
From here, anything could happen involving those in the three main matches at NOC. Henry looks likely to beat Orton and fellow smaller wrestlers in title defences, until someone of his own size decides to challenge him. Christian's "One more match" is as unlikely as ever with Henry as Champ, and seems to have his sights set on Sheamus anyway. With Henry as Champ, it's also unlikely that the much smaller Daniel Bryan will be cashing in Money In The Bank anytime soon.
Cena's WWE Title win came too soon in my opinion. A Del Rio victory (or even a DQ loss) could have allowed Cena to become Champ at HIAC in two weeks time. Instead, a Cell match between Cena and anyone for the gold seems pointless, unless a certain Hollywood-based superstar moved his match with Cena forward about six months. Del Rio will still probably face Cena in the Cell, but it's doubtful that he'll win.
Lastly, we come to Punk and HHH. Obviously, Kevin Nash is back, despite being fired (which suggests a Nash/Laurinitis alliance, since it was after the text at NOC that he appeared), which probably means a collison between Nash and either Punk or HHH. At one point, Nash and HHH could have been on the same page, but now the chances of them still being friends is very unlikely. Perhaps a Triple Threat match between the three in the Cell will be next. Or maybe Punk's repeated claims a few weeks back that he wasn't believing the Nash/HHH fall-outs mean that a Nash/HHH reunion is coming, despite what happened at NOC. Either way, although HHH kept his job at NOC, this story is far from over.
That's all for now, with the next recap coming after the next week of WWE TV shows. Until then, goodnight everybody!
WrestleMarkia: September 18 2011
Before starting this week's wrestling recap, I'll point out that I won't be including Vintage Collection any more. It remains entertaining, but in the UK it can sometimes be Thursday by the time it's shown at a suitable time, which is several days after every other show. So, for that reason, this weekly recap will now focus solely on Raw, SmackDown, NXT and Superstars.
I should also mention that I will do PPV recaps separately from now on. So, this blog covers the most recent week of WWE TV, pre-Night Of Champions.
Raw was based around two events: a John Cena & Bret Hart vs Alberto Del Rio & Ricardo Rodriguez tag team match, and a final face-off between Triple H and CM Punk. The tag match didn't last long, and followed an earlier debate involving Del Rio, Hart and Cena. The only strange aspect was how nobody was disappointed at the announcement of the tag match, despite the massive cheers moments earlier when Cena proposed a Del Rio-Hitman WWE Title match.
As for Punk and HHH: their confrontation started off fairly mildly, only for both to start throwing barbs at each other, and by the end the "discussion" had become a lot more intense. After Punk's microphone was cut off twice, HHH offered Punk a third mic, only for CM to crack Triple H in the face with it and leave, no words necessary.
Also on Raw: The Miz was victorious over Kofi Kingston; Jerry Lawler teamed up with Sheamus to beat David Otunga and Michael McGilicutty; and Randy Orton was defeated by Cody Rhodes due to a distraction by Mark Henry, who pummeled the World Heavyweight Champion afterwards.
SmackDown this week saw the return of Edge, who both cut down Cody Rhodes (who himself was then attacked by a masked fan, who turned out to be Ted DiBiase) and hosted The Cutting Edge with Orton and Henry. Henry said his 15-year wait for the World Title would end at NOC; the Viper believed after NOC, Henry would be remembered as the World's Strongest Failure. They couldn't physically interact during TCE, but once the Rated R host left, and ended the show, Orton and Henry had a brawl, which ended with Henry once again dominating Orton.
Elsewhere on SD: Sheamus and Justin Gabriel beat Christian and Wade Barrett; R-Truth picked up a win over Evan Bourne; and Sin Cara was disqualified against Daniel Bryan, but continued the assault afterwards . . . until a second Sin Cara appeared and confronted the, er, first one. Who is the real Sin Cara? When asked, Booker T hilariously said "That one" as both were in the ring. Presumably, we'll find out which one in the weeks to come.
NXT this week continued one from last week, as William Regal and Matt Striker fought Darren Young and JTG, with DYoung and JTG coming out on top. The worst part of this was Michael Cole on commentary, who basically said the last six months of the show, and the main storyline on the show, were pointless, and at one point mentioned how Zach Ryder's YouTube show gets more hits than NXT online. For a show that is hardly available in the US, and therefore barely viewed, it's not the best way to get more viewers - unless the intention is to dump the show altogether.
Superstars was more of the same this week, as Brodus Clay continued dominating "local" wrestlers and Zach Ryder beat Drew McIntyre.
There weren't really any funny comments or signs this week (actually there were some on SmackDown but I can't remember them now), so I'll go right into the Best Of The WWeek:
Wrestler Of The WWeek: Mark Henry, who couldn't have looked more dominant heading into Night Of Champions.
Match Of The Week: With most of the top stars not on active duty or doing little in the ring, I'll pick Sin Cara vs Daniel Bryan from SmackDown.
Show Of The Week: For more noteworthy matches and developments, Raw gets it this week.
Finally, some final predictions for Night Of Champions, match by match:
- I expect Beth Phoenix to beat Kelly Kelly, since a second defeat would give both Beth and Natalya very little chance of bringing about the end of the so-called Barbie Dolls in WWE.
- Air Boom lost two single matches to Miz and R-Truth, which makes me think they'll triumph when the gold is on the line.
- Cody Rhodes vs Ted DiBiase was announced late for NOC. DiBiase's only just back from a short hiatus, but since a title has to change hands at NOC, it could be in this match.
- Dolph Ziggler's manager Vickie Guerrero reacted angrily to the announcement of the Riley-Ziggler-Morrison-Swagger US Title Four Way for the PPV. Paradoxically, that probably means that Dolph will come out on top.
- Triple H vs CM Punk. I can't see HHH losing here, purely for the reason that, if he did lose (and was no longer COO), there aren't many people who could replace him. That being said, a defeta for Punk could (and probably would) lead to a rematch in the near future.
- Randy Orton vs Mark Henry. A few weeks ago, I automatically assumed that Henry was definitely getting pinned. But since then, whilst Orton hasn't looked dominant at all (and thus, could do with a win), the talk of Henry's 15-year wait for the World Title suggests a possible upset. That said, I think Orton will win somehow, and if Henry does win the gold, it'll be at a later date.
- John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio hasn't confronted Cena head-on bar the time he attacked him after Cena beat CM Punk. But ADR will probably have something up his sleeve that will see him remain champ after NOC.
As said, a Night Of Champions recap will follow, with next week's TV in a separate piece.
That's all for this week. Until next time, goodnight everybody!
I should also mention that I will do PPV recaps separately from now on. So, this blog covers the most recent week of WWE TV, pre-Night Of Champions.
Raw was based around two events: a John Cena & Bret Hart vs Alberto Del Rio & Ricardo Rodriguez tag team match, and a final face-off between Triple H and CM Punk. The tag match didn't last long, and followed an earlier debate involving Del Rio, Hart and Cena. The only strange aspect was how nobody was disappointed at the announcement of the tag match, despite the massive cheers moments earlier when Cena proposed a Del Rio-Hitman WWE Title match.
As for Punk and HHH: their confrontation started off fairly mildly, only for both to start throwing barbs at each other, and by the end the "discussion" had become a lot more intense. After Punk's microphone was cut off twice, HHH offered Punk a third mic, only for CM to crack Triple H in the face with it and leave, no words necessary.
Also on Raw: The Miz was victorious over Kofi Kingston; Jerry Lawler teamed up with Sheamus to beat David Otunga and Michael McGilicutty; and Randy Orton was defeated by Cody Rhodes due to a distraction by Mark Henry, who pummeled the World Heavyweight Champion afterwards.
SmackDown this week saw the return of Edge, who both cut down Cody Rhodes (who himself was then attacked by a masked fan, who turned out to be Ted DiBiase) and hosted The Cutting Edge with Orton and Henry. Henry said his 15-year wait for the World Title would end at NOC; the Viper believed after NOC, Henry would be remembered as the World's Strongest Failure. They couldn't physically interact during TCE, but once the Rated R host left, and ended the show, Orton and Henry had a brawl, which ended with Henry once again dominating Orton.
Elsewhere on SD: Sheamus and Justin Gabriel beat Christian and Wade Barrett; R-Truth picked up a win over Evan Bourne; and Sin Cara was disqualified against Daniel Bryan, but continued the assault afterwards . . . until a second Sin Cara appeared and confronted the, er, first one. Who is the real Sin Cara? When asked, Booker T hilariously said "That one" as both were in the ring. Presumably, we'll find out which one in the weeks to come.
NXT this week continued one from last week, as William Regal and Matt Striker fought Darren Young and JTG, with DYoung and JTG coming out on top. The worst part of this was Michael Cole on commentary, who basically said the last six months of the show, and the main storyline on the show, were pointless, and at one point mentioned how Zach Ryder's YouTube show gets more hits than NXT online. For a show that is hardly available in the US, and therefore barely viewed, it's not the best way to get more viewers - unless the intention is to dump the show altogether.
Superstars was more of the same this week, as Brodus Clay continued dominating "local" wrestlers and Zach Ryder beat Drew McIntyre.
There weren't really any funny comments or signs this week (actually there were some on SmackDown but I can't remember them now), so I'll go right into the Best Of The WWeek:
Wrestler Of The WWeek: Mark Henry, who couldn't have looked more dominant heading into Night Of Champions.
Match Of The Week: With most of the top stars not on active duty or doing little in the ring, I'll pick Sin Cara vs Daniel Bryan from SmackDown.
Show Of The Week: For more noteworthy matches and developments, Raw gets it this week.
Finally, some final predictions for Night Of Champions, match by match:
- I expect Beth Phoenix to beat Kelly Kelly, since a second defeat would give both Beth and Natalya very little chance of bringing about the end of the so-called Barbie Dolls in WWE.
- Air Boom lost two single matches to Miz and R-Truth, which makes me think they'll triumph when the gold is on the line.
- Cody Rhodes vs Ted DiBiase was announced late for NOC. DiBiase's only just back from a short hiatus, but since a title has to change hands at NOC, it could be in this match.
- Dolph Ziggler's manager Vickie Guerrero reacted angrily to the announcement of the Riley-Ziggler-Morrison-Swagger US Title Four Way for the PPV. Paradoxically, that probably means that Dolph will come out on top.
- Triple H vs CM Punk. I can't see HHH losing here, purely for the reason that, if he did lose (and was no longer COO), there aren't many people who could replace him. That being said, a defeta for Punk could (and probably would) lead to a rematch in the near future.
- Randy Orton vs Mark Henry. A few weeks ago, I automatically assumed that Henry was definitely getting pinned. But since then, whilst Orton hasn't looked dominant at all (and thus, could do with a win), the talk of Henry's 15-year wait for the World Title suggests a possible upset. That said, I think Orton will win somehow, and if Henry does win the gold, it'll be at a later date.
- John Cena vs Alberto Del Rio. Del Rio hasn't confronted Cena head-on bar the time he attacked him after Cena beat CM Punk. But ADR will probably have something up his sleeve that will see him remain champ after NOC.
As said, a Night Of Champions recap will follow, with next week's TV in a separate piece.
That's all for this week. Until next time, goodnight everybody!
Friday 16 September 2011
WrestleMarkia Moments: #4 - Pillman's Got A Gun
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I would cover good, bad and ugly moments. For this one, it depends on your opinion as to which category it falls into, but it was certainly memorable.
Brian Pillman had teamed with Steve Austin in WCW in 1993 as The Hollywood Blondes, and they were allies when both arrived in WWE. But, in the Autumn of 1996, Austin was egged on to challenge Bret Hart to return and face him. Long story short, Hart came back and agreed to the match at Survivor Series.
Austin, despite originally challenging the Hit Man, wasn't pleased, and took it out on the Loose Cannon by breaking his ankle with a steel chair on Superstars. This put Pillman on the injured shelf, but Stone Cold wasn't finished there, and planned to make a "house call" to Flyin' Brian's home.
That brings us to November 4, 1996, and Monday Night Raw. An injured Brian Pillman was interviewed at home by announcer Kevin Kelly regarding Austin's potential "visit". Announcers occasionally interview wrestlers at home, but this one turned out a little different.
The Loose Cannon stated that he was unafraid of the Texas Rattlesnake, and had a secret weapon to stop him, if he showed up.
A gun.
Yes, a gun.
Bear in mind, in 1996 the most violent or outrageous thing to have been seen or heard in the WWF was probably someone going through an announcer's table or saying a mild swear word on TV. For Pillman to bring out a gun, and threaten to shoot Austin if he turned up, was a hair-raiser - and more was to come.
Now, before we go any further, I have a confession to make. Although I was a WWF fan in late 1996, Raw wasn't shown much in the UK back then and, if it was, it was at an awkward time of the day. Therefore, I hadn't seen, or even heard about, this incident until years later, and only saw it in full on the Best of Raw DVD that was released in 2008. Yet, if the same thing happened today, it would still have an impact. And, when I finally watched it for the first time, it was unlike anything I had seen before.
Anyway, back to 1996. So, Pillman basically threatens to blow Austin up, when suddenly footage showed Austin pounding some random people outside Pillman's house. Then, he tried to break in.
An injured Pillman stood up, as best he could, ready to pull the trigger if necessary. Suddenly, Austin burst in, and within seconds the picture had disappeared. During this, several obscenities were hurled, including Pillman yelling the F-word.
I didn't hear this on the DVD (I assume it was edited out), but it did happen. And this was live, so this was heard as it happened, on a show that was then aimed at young kids. It wasn't even PG; this was supposedly suitable for all audiences, so hearing this was a jaw-dropper. Imagine someone on Eastenders shouting the F-word during its 7:30 broadcast on BBC1, and you'll understand why WWE had to apologise for this. It actually almost got Raw kicked off the USA Network in, er, the USA. On a darkly comical note, I thought it was somewhat humorous when commentator Jerry Lawler told Kevin Kelly to grab the gun. Somehow, if you was ever in a situation like this, and you were the innocent party, the last thing you'd do is grab the gun yourself.
Later on, we saw Pillman again, with his terrified wife, and Kevin Kelly reported that a shot had been fired. Within minutes, Austin tried to get back in, leading to more insults being fired, but no more gunshots. We later found out that the shot that was fired had missed.
Then, bizarrely, Pillman never returned to WWE TV in months. (Okay, he was injured, but there weren't any follow-up interviews or anything.) Austin went and fought Bret at SSeries, then won the 1997 Royal Rumble, and lost to Bret at WrestleMania 13, but earned fan respect that would lead to the Austin 3:16 phenomenon exploding.
Within weeks, it seemed like it had never happened. Certainly, this explains why I didn't hear about it for years afterwards. Most probably, it was because this was an incident that went too far, at a time when WWE was only in the very early stages of its Attitude-based transformation. Even in the years to come when Raw was at its most controversial and edgy, besides the Bang 3:16 thing (which I may cover in the future), a gun was never used ever again in the WWF/WWE. The fact that, as alluded to earlier, WWE almost got thrown off the USA Network for the incident speaks volumes; although whether this was due to the swearing, the gun-related aspect, or both is unknown.
And really, looking back, what was the point of it? It never really had an impact on the Hart-Austin match at SSeries, and it never led to a rivalry of some kind. Okay, Pillman targeted Austin when he returned in 1997, but Austin's big issue was with Bret Hart; Pillman only got involved by being a Hart associate. And, as funny as it was when Austin flushed Pillman's head down the toilet, it's as if two totally different people had been Austin and Pillman in 1996, when one had seemingly threatened to kill the other.
So, this incident proved that while wrestling can usually get away with crossing the line of bad taste, for it's in the name of entertainment, sometimes it can go too far. The mere thought of a half-crippled man ready to shoot a home invader who had previously injured him sounds in itself like a bad idea. But whether you think it was too much too soon for that time period, or it should never have happened at all, the whole escapade was in itself a memorable moment in the history of Monday Night Raw. Even if it had been forgotten about by the time Austin gave Pillman a swirlee.
WrestleMarkia: September 11 2011
In contrast to last week, which featured a World Title Steel Cage match and other marquee battles, this week in WWE was a little less eventful. That being said, some notable occurences still, er, occured.
Raw began with Triple H and CM Punk again exchanging words, and were again interrupted by Kevin Nash. However, HHH soon revealed that Nash himself had sent the text which prompted him to interfere at SummerSlam (he commandeered H3's phone, or something like that). In retailiation, HHH fired Big Kev, meaning that Nash's tenure under contract to WWE lasted for a week (which is less time than his period as an unemployed ex-star between SummerSlam and the August 29 Raw). Big Sexy mysteriously left with John Laurinitis.
The rest of Raw revolved around Alberto Del Rio rounding up a few wrestlers (Christian, Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett) to attack John Cena. But, coming to Cena's aid were John Morrison, Alex Riley and Sheamus, which led to Teddy Long announcing an impromptu 8-man elimination tag match, with Cena (unsurprisingly) being the sole survivor. (By the way, has the anonymous Raw General Manager been on holiday for two months, or does that person no longer have power? And, if not, why is the computer still set up at ringside?)
Elsewhere on the apparently renamed Raw SuperShow (featuring Raw and SmackDown talent): Randy Orton popped in to pin Heath Slater; R-Truth and The Miz accepted their own challenge to Tag Champs Air Boom, before Truth lost to Punk; Jerry Lawler found a partner in Zach Ryder to beat Otunga and McGillicutty; and Beth Phoenix pinned Eve Torres, during which Natalya and Kelly Kelly bickered on commentary.
Over on SmackDown, Randy Orton was successful in beating fellow champion Cody Rhodes, but received another attack afterwards by Mark Henry, who had earlier pounded Teddy Long's assistant Zach Ryder. Also, Christian had a to-do with Sheamus, which may lead to some sort of match between those two. In addition, Sin Cara mysteriously spoke English before attacking Daniel Bryan again. That I can't remember much else from SD probably means the rest of the show this week was uneventful.
NXT returned in its usual format, and Darren Young's chastising of Matt Striker saw William Regal come to his aid, and beat Young in the main event, although Striker prevented JTG from interfering on DYoung's behalf. Also, Maxine and Derrick Bateman decided (on camera, strangely) to plan the kidnapping of Hornswoggle, and Todd Grisham was replaced on commentary by Jack Korpela. Oh, and Yoshi Tatsu did turn out to be Tyson Kidd's mystery stalker, and returned to Tuesday nights with a new look. He then beat Kidd in a match which started a bit awry but ended up being a good one.
Superstars went back to its roots this week, as Daniel Bryan was the only true Superstar on it (and beat Heath Slater). Other matches saw Brodus Clay continue dismantling no-marks, Titus O Neill and Percy Watson lost to Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks; and Mason Ryan returned to destroy JTG.
Finally, Vintage Collection's month of champions focused on those greats who were never WWE Champ. This included a WCW clash between Ricky Steamboat and Mr Wonderful, an In Your House 3 battle between Bam Bam Bigelow and the British Bulldog, an Intercontinental Title collision between Mr Perfect and Rowdy Roddy Piper, and a main event match between the Million Dollar Man and Jake Roberts from MSG. That Mean Gene missed the show due to another "well-earned rest" added to the prevailing thought that this was a B- or C-level week.
So, overall, a disappointing series of shows as very little happened and few memorable matches or moments occured. It wasn't terrible; just not very exciting. In retrospect, the Nash firing should have ended Raw, as nothing else afterwards really mattered, nor on the other shows. But, then again, not every week will be a great one, and these are the weeks that move the plot along as opposed to delivering incredible twists and turns. So, it served its purpose, although if you had to miss a week's worth of WWE for 2011, this would probably be the one to choose.
Mind you, there were still a few choice quotes. Again, nothing totally funny, but some stuff that made me smile, for different reasons:
"It'd good to see you're back, it's better than seeing your front." - Jerry Lawler to Michael Cole, Raw.
"JTG's so fly that he's become one of the Wright Brothers." - Scott Stanford, Superstars.
"Everyone in the world will be watching WrestleMania." - Matt Striker, who may have been slightly exaggerating, Superstars.
Now for some awards for the past seven days.
Wrestler Of The Week: Not very much happened this week, so just for some funny comments on Raw (that aren't listed above), I'll go with R-Truth.
Match Of The Week: Tyson Kidd vs Yoshi Tatsu from NXT.
Show Of The Week: In terms of different stuff happening, NXT was actually more eventful than Raw and SmackDown this week, so NXT gets the nod this week.
Lastly, some predictions concerning next week's shows and next Sunday's Night Of Champions. The fact that Alberto Del Rio continues running away from John Cena suggests a beating for him at NOC, but something tells me a hidden twist will keep the title with ADR. As for Punk-HHH: I don't think we've seen the last of Kevin Nash, which could hinder Punk's chances of victory at NOC.
Oh, I forgot to mention . . .
After Punk beat R-Truth on Raw, HHH came out and made his match at NOC a No Disqualification match. Punk said that was okay, but if HHH lost, he would have to resign as WWE COO. HHH agreed to the new stipulation.
Which makes me think HHH will win, since there isn't anybody else at this point who hasn't already been fired that could replace him. Or is there?
By the way, did you know HHH hasn't won a Pay-Per-View match, as of this writing, since WrestleMania XXVI nearly 18 months ago (which I was on hand to see)? That, to me, is another reason to expect a win for The Game, who never used to lose on PPV.
The Orton-Henry match, I'm unsure about. Originally, I didn't think that Henry would lose, at least not by a pinfall, so he could earn a rematch at Hell In A Cell. However, Henry's continuing domination of the Viper, and the repeated claims by announcers that Orton simply can't beat Henry, not only suggests a swerve in that a new champion won't be crowned, but that an RKO may be awaiting the World's Strongest Man. Or maybe not. We'll have to wait and see.
That's all for this installment, until next time, goodnight everybody!
Thursday 15 September 2011
WrestleMarkia Moments: #3: It's the Ultimate Warrior!
Last time, I discussed the return back in February 2011 of the Great One, The Rock. As great a moment as that was, though, it was always in the back of the minds of WWE fans that it would happen one day, even if it was only hopes rather than expectations. From Bret to Hulk, from Austin to Foley, almost every big name has returned, some several times, over the last few years. So, whilst the returns are a surprise, they aren't totally unexpected.
But things were different in 1992.
Back then, there wasn't an Internet which would give away one's comeback to WWE, months before they even leave the competition. The TV shows delivered little on a weekly basis, meaning that one wouldn't assume that a jaw-dropping event was always about to occur. And, whereas nowadays major stars usually end up returning, back then if a wrestler left, you would probably never see nor hear from them in WWE again.
Having said that, let's set the stage. It's the main event of WrestleMania VIII, and Hulk Hogan is having his "farewell" match with Sid Justice. It ends on a DQ (which I later discovered wasn't meant to happen, nor was Sid kicking out of Hogan's Legdrop) and Sid, Papa Shango and Harvey Whippleman are doing a number on the Hulkster. Who can save him?
Undertaker? Unlikely. Macho Man? He's celebrating winning the WWF Title. Roddy Piper? Hulk probably hadn't forgiven him for the Mr T rivalry in 1985. In fact, nobody comes to mind. No-one in the WWF seems likely to save the Hulkster.
But then some familiar music starts playing, and the Hoosier Dome, to quote commentator Gorilla Monsoon, "goes bananas!"
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, because he's running. And running very fast.
It's the Ultimate Warrior!
Warrior left the WWF after SummerSlam 1991 and hadn't resurfaced since. It was assumed he was gone for good; yet here he was at WrestleMania, coming to help Hulk Hogan. The fan who, by amazing coincidence, had a Bring Back The Warrior sign, was one of the thousands who exploded with joy upon witnessing the Warrior's comeback.
Warrior and Hogan quickly cleared house, and the fans cheered to wave goodbye to Hogan, and hello again to Warrior.
Well, that's what they thought on April 5, 1992. As it turned out, in a somewhat darkly comical twist, one year after Hulk's "farewell" and Warrior's comeback, WrestleMania IX in 1993 saw Hogan's in-ring return (and fifth WWF Title win), whilst Warrior had been fired months before.
In retrospect, there are a few other flaws to Warrior's appearance. Firstly, once the music began playing, Gorilla Monsoon blurted out "That's the Warrior's music!" before the Ultimate one had even appeared on-camera - which spoiled the surprise slightly. Secondly, Hulk was being saved from an unknown in Papa Shango, a miniscule manager in Harvey Whippleman, and a Sid Justice who himself would leave the WWF just a few weeks ago. So, not only was Hogan probably not in a great level of danger, within weeks it was like the moment never happened.
Finally, the Warrior who appeared at WM 8 was believed by many fans to be a different one to the man who left after SSlam '91, due to the numerous physical changes. I used to think that way, as if the WWF was like Corrie where characters are replaced every few years - but this wasn't one of those occasions, which genuinely led to rumours that the "real" Warrior was dead. Perhaps having the Internet nowadays to clarify wrestling-related matters is a good thing after all.
Warrior would return again in 1996 before leaving for good. Hogan left in mid-1993 for WCW, but returned to WWE in 2002, and several times since. And, whilst the Hulkster hasn't been on Raw in nearly four years, few will be surprised if he resurfaces in the near future.
But that's the point I'm making here: whether someone's working for the competition (Hogan), filming in Hollywood (Rock) or dancing on American TV whilst simultaneously performing in a band (Jericho), nowadays no-one can be absolutely sure that someone will never, ever return. In 1992, however, this wasn't a concern: nobody expected Warrior's return at WrestleMania VIII. And that's what made the Ultimate Comeback such a memorable moment.
But things were different in 1992.
Back then, there wasn't an Internet which would give away one's comeback to WWE, months before they even leave the competition. The TV shows delivered little on a weekly basis, meaning that one wouldn't assume that a jaw-dropping event was always about to occur. And, whereas nowadays major stars usually end up returning, back then if a wrestler left, you would probably never see nor hear from them in WWE again.
Having said that, let's set the stage. It's the main event of WrestleMania VIII, and Hulk Hogan is having his "farewell" match with Sid Justice. It ends on a DQ (which I later discovered wasn't meant to happen, nor was Sid kicking out of Hogan's Legdrop) and Sid, Papa Shango and Harvey Whippleman are doing a number on the Hulkster. Who can save him?
Undertaker? Unlikely. Macho Man? He's celebrating winning the WWF Title. Roddy Piper? Hulk probably hadn't forgiven him for the Mr T rivalry in 1985. In fact, nobody comes to mind. No-one in the WWF seems likely to save the Hulkster.
But then some familiar music starts playing, and the Hoosier Dome, to quote commentator Gorilla Monsoon, "goes bananas!"
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, because he's running. And running very fast.
It's the Ultimate Warrior!
Warrior left the WWF after SummerSlam 1991 and hadn't resurfaced since. It was assumed he was gone for good; yet here he was at WrestleMania, coming to help Hulk Hogan. The fan who, by amazing coincidence, had a Bring Back The Warrior sign, was one of the thousands who exploded with joy upon witnessing the Warrior's comeback.
Warrior and Hogan quickly cleared house, and the fans cheered to wave goodbye to Hogan, and hello again to Warrior.
Well, that's what they thought on April 5, 1992. As it turned out, in a somewhat darkly comical twist, one year after Hulk's "farewell" and Warrior's comeback, WrestleMania IX in 1993 saw Hogan's in-ring return (and fifth WWF Title win), whilst Warrior had been fired months before.
In retrospect, there are a few other flaws to Warrior's appearance. Firstly, once the music began playing, Gorilla Monsoon blurted out "That's the Warrior's music!" before the Ultimate one had even appeared on-camera - which spoiled the surprise slightly. Secondly, Hulk was being saved from an unknown in Papa Shango, a miniscule manager in Harvey Whippleman, and a Sid Justice who himself would leave the WWF just a few weeks ago. So, not only was Hogan probably not in a great level of danger, within weeks it was like the moment never happened.
Finally, the Warrior who appeared at WM 8 was believed by many fans to be a different one to the man who left after SSlam '91, due to the numerous physical changes. I used to think that way, as if the WWF was like Corrie where characters are replaced every few years - but this wasn't one of those occasions, which genuinely led to rumours that the "real" Warrior was dead. Perhaps having the Internet nowadays to clarify wrestling-related matters is a good thing after all.
Warrior would return again in 1996 before leaving for good. Hogan left in mid-1993 for WCW, but returned to WWE in 2002, and several times since. And, whilst the Hulkster hasn't been on Raw in nearly four years, few will be surprised if he resurfaces in the near future.
But that's the point I'm making here: whether someone's working for the competition (Hogan), filming in Hollywood (Rock) or dancing on American TV whilst simultaneously performing in a band (Jericho), nowadays no-one can be absolutely sure that someone will never, ever return. In 1992, however, this wasn't a concern: nobody expected Warrior's return at WrestleMania VIII. And that's what made the Ultimate Comeback such a memorable moment.
Thursday 8 September 2011
WrestleMarkia: September 4 2011
It was a week of big announcements in WWE this week, so let's get right to it.
WWE COO Triple H opened Raw by announcing that, for the forseeable future, SmackDown wrestlers would appear on a Raw SuperShow each week. Is this the beginning of the end for the Brand Extension, which began in 2002 and had separate rosters for both Raw and SmackDown? It remains to be seen; although having the entire choice of the WWE talent makes for a better programme, and at least prevents the questions if "Why is (insert name) on the other show?"
Moments later, Triple H addressed the Kevin Nash-CM Punk situation. Nash (who came out to his old nWo music) revealed that John Laurinitis had signed him to a WWE contract. Punk's sarcastic response and continuing insults at Nash and HHH led to the announcement of a Punk-Nash match at Night Of Champions. By the time the show ended, however, Triple H had removed Kevin Nash from the match and inserted . . . Triple H.
The contract was signed on the Super SmackDown (again featuring stars from both brands; although for SD, this was a one-off), admist further insults and accusations of what would happen at NOC. Nash interrupted proceedings and brawled with Punk; when HHH tried to stop Nash, he was shoved down by his close friend. Needless to say, this situation won't be resolved until Night Of Champions, at least.
Alberto Del Rio was absent from TV this week, leaving John Cena to deck his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. Cena teamed with Sheamus to beat Christian and Mark Henry on Raw, and Wade Barrett on SmackDown. In the meantime, World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton was dominant, beating U.S. Champ Dolph Ziggler on Raw and then defeating Christian to retain his crown in a Steel Cage on SmackDown. Afterwards, though, he was attacked by The World's Strongest Man, his challenger at Night Of Champions.
Other events of note, starting with Raw: Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne (now nicknamed Air Boom!) retained their newly won Tag Titles against former champs David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty, who afterwards confronted commentator Jerry Lawler over his criticism of their personality (or lack of). CM Punk's duel with The Miz ended in a DQ after attacks from R-Truth and Kevin Nash. On SmackDown, Sin Cara defeated Daniel Bryan, but then surprisingly attacked Mr Money In The Bank afterwards. And Sheamus beat The Great Khali by disqualification, and withstood a post-match assault from Khali and Jinder Mahal.
Elsewhere: This week's NXT was a clip show, showing highlights of how previous contestants have fared on Raw and SmackDown, including the 2011 SmackDown Money In The Bank Ladder match. That said, after almost 6 months, surely it's now time to finish NXT season 5 - especially since it only gives the winner a chance to choose their Pro on Season 6. Superstars had a main event between John Morrison and R-Truth, complete with highlights of their previous incidents. Truth's win suggests a rocky road ahead for Morrison; losing a grudge match on Superstars doesn't bode very well for him.
And Vintage Collection was based around a tournament to determine the next opponent to the NWA/WCW US Title in January 1993. However, by the time the Final was scheduled, due to then-champ Rick Rude's injury, the decider was now for the championship. Dustin Rhodes (now Goldust) won the tournament and title by countout after Ricky Steamboat was waylaid at ringside by Barry Windham. Strange, but entertaining.
My thoughts now on the best of the WWEek:
- Wrestler Of The Week: Randy Orton gets it for two great matches with Dolph Ziggler and Christian.
- Match Of The Week: Orton vs Ziggler; the RKO ending was unique and everything that came before it reivtalised a subdued crowd.
- Show Of The Week: Raw gets the nod this week for more eventful occurences.
As it's a new month, here's some thoughts on August in WWE.
- Wrestler Of The Month: A hard one, but due to several good matches with Christian, Ziggler and others, it's Randy Orton.
- Match Of The Month: Orton vs Christian at SummerSlam.
- Show Of The Month: SummerSlam.
- Moment Of The Month: The combined return of Kevin Nash and Alberto Del Rio's Money In The Bank cash-in at SummerSlam.
- Quote Of The Month: Virtually anything from The Rock's verbal smackdown of John Cena from the August 8 Raw.
Speaking of which, some choice quotes from TV this week:
- "The Clique is back, which is funny because "Clique" (click) is the sound everyone's remote makes whenever Kevin Nash comes on the TV screen, as well as the sound Kevin Nash's knees make whenever he walks." - CM Punk's response to Kevin Nash's new WWE contract.
- "David Otunga is riding Jennifer Hudson's coattails . . . if he wasn't married to her, the only thing he's say on a microphone is 'Do you want fries with that?'" - Jerry Lawler remains unimpressed by Otunga (and McGillicutty).
- "Zach Ryder overachieves at underachieving." - Matt Striker on Superstars (who changed his tune after Ryder beat Tyson Kidd).
Finally, some predictions on what is to come. The SuperShow concept for Raw, as stated earlier, could be the first step on the reuniting of the two rosters for one whole WWE. After almost ten years, in which time virtually everyone has appeared on both shows, several times, this wouldn't be a bad decision to make, and would make for more entertaining shows. It may not happen; but the fact that anyone can now appear on Raw means that it's possible.
The three key issues on WWE TV (Punk-Nash-HHH, Cena-Del Rio and Orton-Henry) won't be settled until Night Of Champions, at least. I'm predicting wins for HHH andDel Rio
That's all for this week. We'll see you next week; good night everybody!
WWE COO Triple H opened Raw by announcing that, for the forseeable future, SmackDown wrestlers would appear on a Raw SuperShow each week. Is this the beginning of the end for the Brand Extension, which began in 2002 and had separate rosters for both Raw and SmackDown? It remains to be seen; although having the entire choice of the WWE talent makes for a better programme, and at least prevents the questions if "Why is (insert name) on the other show?"
Moments later, Triple H addressed the Kevin Nash-CM Punk situation. Nash (who came out to his old nWo music) revealed that John Laurinitis had signed him to a WWE contract. Punk's sarcastic response and continuing insults at Nash and HHH led to the announcement of a Punk-Nash match at Night Of Champions. By the time the show ended, however, Triple H had removed Kevin Nash from the match and inserted . . . Triple H.
The contract was signed on the Super SmackDown (again featuring stars from both brands; although for SD, this was a one-off), admist further insults and accusations of what would happen at NOC. Nash interrupted proceedings and brawled with Punk; when HHH tried to stop Nash, he was shoved down by his close friend. Needless to say, this situation won't be resolved until Night Of Champions, at least.
Alberto Del Rio was absent from TV this week, leaving John Cena to deck his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. Cena teamed with Sheamus to beat Christian and Mark Henry on Raw, and Wade Barrett on SmackDown. In the meantime, World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton was dominant, beating U.S. Champ Dolph Ziggler on Raw and then defeating Christian to retain his crown in a Steel Cage on SmackDown. Afterwards, though, he was attacked by The World's Strongest Man, his challenger at Night Of Champions.
Other events of note, starting with Raw: Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne (now nicknamed Air Boom!) retained their newly won Tag Titles against former champs David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty, who afterwards confronted commentator Jerry Lawler over his criticism of their personality (or lack of). CM Punk's duel with The Miz ended in a DQ after attacks from R-Truth and Kevin Nash. On SmackDown, Sin Cara defeated Daniel Bryan, but then surprisingly attacked Mr Money In The Bank afterwards. And Sheamus beat The Great Khali by disqualification, and withstood a post-match assault from Khali and Jinder Mahal.
Elsewhere: This week's NXT was a clip show, showing highlights of how previous contestants have fared on Raw and SmackDown, including the 2011 SmackDown Money In The Bank Ladder match. That said, after almost 6 months, surely it's now time to finish NXT season 5 - especially since it only gives the winner a chance to choose their Pro on Season 6. Superstars had a main event between John Morrison and R-Truth, complete with highlights of their previous incidents. Truth's win suggests a rocky road ahead for Morrison; losing a grudge match on Superstars doesn't bode very well for him.
And Vintage Collection was based around a tournament to determine the next opponent to the NWA/WCW US Title in January 1993. However, by the time the Final was scheduled, due to then-champ Rick Rude's injury, the decider was now for the championship. Dustin Rhodes (now Goldust) won the tournament and title by countout after Ricky Steamboat was waylaid at ringside by Barry Windham. Strange, but entertaining.
My thoughts now on the best of the WWEek:
- Wrestler Of The Week: Randy Orton gets it for two great matches with Dolph Ziggler and Christian.
- Match Of The Week: Orton vs Ziggler; the RKO ending was unique and everything that came before it reivtalised a subdued crowd.
- Show Of The Week: Raw gets the nod this week for more eventful occurences.
As it's a new month, here's some thoughts on August in WWE.
- Wrestler Of The Month: A hard one, but due to several good matches with Christian, Ziggler and others, it's Randy Orton.
- Match Of The Month: Orton vs Christian at SummerSlam.
- Show Of The Month: SummerSlam.
- Moment Of The Month: The combined return of Kevin Nash and Alberto Del Rio's Money In The Bank cash-in at SummerSlam.
- Quote Of The Month: Virtually anything from The Rock's verbal smackdown of John Cena from the August 8 Raw.
Speaking of which, some choice quotes from TV this week:
- "The Clique is back, which is funny because "Clique" (click) is the sound everyone's remote makes whenever Kevin Nash comes on the TV screen, as well as the sound Kevin Nash's knees make whenever he walks." - CM Punk's response to Kevin Nash's new WWE contract.
- "David Otunga is riding Jennifer Hudson's coattails . . . if he wasn't married to her, the only thing he's say on a microphone is 'Do you want fries with that?'" - Jerry Lawler remains unimpressed by Otunga (and McGillicutty).
- "Zach Ryder overachieves at underachieving." - Matt Striker on Superstars (who changed his tune after Ryder beat Tyson Kidd).
Finally, some predictions on what is to come. The SuperShow concept for Raw, as stated earlier, could be the first step on the reuniting of the two rosters for one whole WWE. After almost ten years, in which time virtually everyone has appeared on both shows, several times, this wouldn't be a bad decision to make, and would make for more entertaining shows. It may not happen; but the fact that anyone can now appear on Raw means that it's possible.
The three key issues on WWE TV (Punk-Nash-HHH, Cena-Del Rio and Orton-Henry) won't be settled until Night Of Champions, at least. I'm predicting wins for HHH and
That's all for this week. We'll see you next week; good night everybody!
Monday 5 September 2011
WrestleMarkia: September 4 2011
It was a week of big announcements in WWE this week, so let's get right to it.
WWE COO Triple H opened Raw by announcing that, for the forseeable future, SmackDown wrestlers would appear on a Raw SuperShow each week. Is this the beginning of the end for the Brand Extension, which began in 2002 and had separate rosters for both Raw and SmackDown? It remains to be seen; although having the entire choice of the WWE talent makes for a better programme, and at least prevents the questions if "Why is (insert name) on the other show?"
Moments later, Triple H addressed the Kevin Nash-CM Punk situation. Nash (who came out to his old nWo music) revealed that John Laurinitis had signed him to a WWE contract. Punk's sarcastic response and continuing insults at Nash and HHH led to the announcement of a Punk-Nash match at Night Of Champions. By the time the show ended, however, Triple H had removed Kevin Nash from the match and inserted . . . Triple H.
The contract was signed on the Super SmackDown (again featuring stars from both brands; although for SD, this was a one-off), admist further insults and accusations of what would happen at NOC. Nash interrupted proceedings and brawled with Punk; when HHH tried to stop Nash, he was shoved down by his close friend. Needless to say, this situation won't be resolved until Night Of Champions, at least.
Alberto Del Rio was absent from TV this week, leaving John Cena to deck his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. Cena teamed with Sheamus to beat Christian and Mark Henry on Raw, and Wade Barrett on SmackDown. In the meantime, World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton was dominant, beating U.S. Champ Dolph Ziggler on Raw and then defeating Christian to retain his crown in a Steel Cage on SmackDown. Afterwards, though, he was attacked by The World's Strongest Man, his challenger at Night Of Champions.
Other events of note, starting with Raw: Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne (now nicknamed Air Boom!) retained their newly won Tag Titles against former champs David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty, who afterwards confronted commentator Jerry Lawler over his criticism of their personality (or lack of). CM Punk's duel with The Miz ended in a DQ after attacks from R-Truth and Kevin Nash. On SmackDown, Sin Cara defeated Daniel Bryan, but then surprisingly attacked Mr Money In The Bank afterwards. And Sheamus beat The Great Khali by disqualification, and withstood a post-match assault from Khali and Jinder Mahal.
Elsewhere: This week's NXT was a clip show, showing highlights of how previous contestants have fared on Raw and SmackDown, including the 2011 SmackDown Money In The Bank Ladder match. That said, after almost 6 months, surely it's now time to finish NXT season 5 - especially since it only gives the winner a chance to choose their Pro on Season 6. Superstars had a main event between John Morrison and R-Truth, complete with highlights of their previous incidents. Truth's win suggests a rocky road ahead for Morrison; losing a grudge match on Superstars doesn't bode very well for him.
And Vintage Collection was based around a tournament to determine the next opponent to the NWA/WCW US Title in January 1993. However, by the time the Final was scheduled, due to then-champ Rick Rude's injury, the decider was now for the championship. Dustin Rhodes (now Goldust) won the tournament and title by countout after Ricky Steamboat was waylaid at ringside by Barry Windham. Strange, but entertaining.
My thoughts now on the best of the WWEek:
- Wrestler Of The Week: Randy Orton gets it for two great matches with Dolph Ziggler and Christian.
- Match Of The Week: Orton vs Ziggler; the RKO ending was unique and everything that came before it reivtalised a subdued crowd.
- Show Of The Week: Raw gets the nod this week for more eventful occurences.
As it's a new month, here's some thoughts on August in WWE.
- Wrestler Of The Month: A hard one, but due to several good matches with Christian, Ziggler and others, it's Randy Orton.
- Match Of The Month: Orton vs Christian at SummerSlam.
- Show Of The Month: SummerSlam.
- Moment Of The Month: The combined return of Kevin Nash and Alberto Del Rio's Money In The Bank cash-in at SummerSlam.
- Quote Of The Month: Virtually anything from The Rock's verbal smackdown of John Cena from the August 8 Raw.
Speaking of which, some choice quotes from TV this week:
- "The Clique is back, which is funny because "Clique" (click) is the sound everyone's remote makes whenever Kevin Nash comes on the TV screen, as well as the sound Kevin Nash's knees make whenever he walks." - CM Punk's response to Kevin Nash's new WWE contract.
- "David Otunga is riding Jennifer Hudson's coattails . . . if he wasn't married to her, the only thing he's say on a microphone is 'Do you want fries with that?'" - Jerry Lawler remains unimpressed by Otunga (and McGillicutty).
- "Zach Ryder overachieves at underachieving." - Matt Striker on Superstars (who changed his tune after Ryder beat Tyson Kidd).
Finally, some predictions on what is to come. The SuperShow concept for Raw, as stated earlier, could be the first step on the reuniting of the two rosters for one whole WWE. After almost ten years, in which time virtually everyone has appeared on both shows, several times, this wouldn't be a bad decision to make, and would make for more entertaining shows. It may not happen; but the fact that anyone can now appear on Raw means that it's possible.
The three key issues on WWE TV (Punk-Nash-HHH, Cena-Del Rio and Orton-Henry) won't be settled until Night Of Champions, at least. I'm predicting wins for HHH and Del Rio (which could reuslt in the formation of an alliance, as I stated in a previous blog), whilst the World Title match is likely to end on a DQ or countout. With Hell In A Cell occuring two weeks after NOC, certain rivalries would have to keep on running after NOC, with the Cell likely to settle the grudges. I also think saving Punk-HHH for a steel-enclosed showdown at HIAC would have been better, although The Game's first match since WrestleMania XXVII will be worth seeing at Night Of Champions.
That's all for this week. We'll see you next week; good night everybody!
WWE COO Triple H opened Raw by announcing that, for the forseeable future, SmackDown wrestlers would appear on a Raw SuperShow each week. Is this the beginning of the end for the Brand Extension, which began in 2002 and had separate rosters for both Raw and SmackDown? It remains to be seen; although having the entire choice of the WWE talent makes for a better programme, and at least prevents the questions if "Why is (insert name) on the other show?"
Moments later, Triple H addressed the Kevin Nash-CM Punk situation. Nash (who came out to his old nWo music) revealed that John Laurinitis had signed him to a WWE contract. Punk's sarcastic response and continuing insults at Nash and HHH led to the announcement of a Punk-Nash match at Night Of Champions. By the time the show ended, however, Triple H had removed Kevin Nash from the match and inserted . . . Triple H.
The contract was signed on the Super SmackDown (again featuring stars from both brands; although for SD, this was a one-off), admist further insults and accusations of what would happen at NOC. Nash interrupted proceedings and brawled with Punk; when HHH tried to stop Nash, he was shoved down by his close friend. Needless to say, this situation won't be resolved until Night Of Champions, at least.
Alberto Del Rio was absent from TV this week, leaving John Cena to deck his ring announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. Cena teamed with Sheamus to beat Christian and Mark Henry on Raw, and Wade Barrett on SmackDown. In the meantime, World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton was dominant, beating U.S. Champ Dolph Ziggler on Raw and then defeating Christian to retain his crown in a Steel Cage on SmackDown. Afterwards, though, he was attacked by The World's Strongest Man, his challenger at Night Of Champions.
Other events of note, starting with Raw: Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne (now nicknamed Air Boom!) retained their newly won Tag Titles against former champs David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty, who afterwards confronted commentator Jerry Lawler over his criticism of their personality (or lack of). CM Punk's duel with The Miz ended in a DQ after attacks from R-Truth and Kevin Nash. On SmackDown, Sin Cara defeated Daniel Bryan, but then surprisingly attacked Mr Money In The Bank afterwards. And Sheamus beat The Great Khali by disqualification, and withstood a post-match assault from Khali and Jinder Mahal.
Elsewhere: This week's NXT was a clip show, showing highlights of how previous contestants have fared on Raw and SmackDown, including the 2011 SmackDown Money In The Bank Ladder match. That said, after almost 6 months, surely it's now time to finish NXT season 5 - especially since it only gives the winner a chance to choose their Pro on Season 6. Superstars had a main event between John Morrison and R-Truth, complete with highlights of their previous incidents. Truth's win suggests a rocky road ahead for Morrison; losing a grudge match on Superstars doesn't bode very well for him.
And Vintage Collection was based around a tournament to determine the next opponent to the NWA/WCW US Title in January 1993. However, by the time the Final was scheduled, due to then-champ Rick Rude's injury, the decider was now for the championship. Dustin Rhodes (now Goldust) won the tournament and title by countout after Ricky Steamboat was waylaid at ringside by Barry Windham. Strange, but entertaining.
My thoughts now on the best of the WWEek:
- Wrestler Of The Week: Randy Orton gets it for two great matches with Dolph Ziggler and Christian.
- Match Of The Week: Orton vs Ziggler; the RKO ending was unique and everything that came before it reivtalised a subdued crowd.
- Show Of The Week: Raw gets the nod this week for more eventful occurences.
As it's a new month, here's some thoughts on August in WWE.
- Wrestler Of The Month: A hard one, but due to several good matches with Christian, Ziggler and others, it's Randy Orton.
- Match Of The Month: Orton vs Christian at SummerSlam.
- Show Of The Month: SummerSlam.
- Moment Of The Month: The combined return of Kevin Nash and Alberto Del Rio's Money In The Bank cash-in at SummerSlam.
- Quote Of The Month: Virtually anything from The Rock's verbal smackdown of John Cena from the August 8 Raw.
Speaking of which, some choice quotes from TV this week:
- "The Clique is back, which is funny because "Clique" (click) is the sound everyone's remote makes whenever Kevin Nash comes on the TV screen, as well as the sound Kevin Nash's knees make whenever he walks." - CM Punk's response to Kevin Nash's new WWE contract.
- "David Otunga is riding Jennifer Hudson's coattails . . . if he wasn't married to her, the only thing he's say on a microphone is 'Do you want fries with that?'" - Jerry Lawler remains unimpressed by Otunga (and McGillicutty).
- "Zach Ryder overachieves at underachieving." - Matt Striker on Superstars (who changed his tune after Ryder beat Tyson Kidd).
Finally, some predictions on what is to come. The SuperShow concept for Raw, as stated earlier, could be the first step on the reuniting of the two rosters for one whole WWE. After almost ten years, in which time virtually everyone has appeared on both shows, several times, this wouldn't be a bad decision to make, and would make for more entertaining shows. It may not happen; but the fact that anyone can now appear on Raw means that it's possible.
The three key issues on WWE TV (Punk-Nash-HHH, Cena-Del Rio and Orton-Henry) won't be settled until Night Of Champions, at least. I'm predicting wins for HHH and Del Rio (which could reuslt in the formation of an alliance, as I stated in a previous blog), whilst the World Title match is likely to end on a DQ or countout. With Hell In A Cell occuring two weeks after NOC, certain rivalries would have to keep on running after NOC, with the Cell likely to settle the grudges. I also think saving Punk-HHH for a steel-enclosed showdown at HIAC would have been better, although The Game's first match since WrestleMania XXVII will be worth seeing at Night Of Champions.
That's all for this week. We'll see you next week; good night everybody!
Thursday 1 September 2011
WrestleMarkia Moments: #2: FINALLY
For those who watched the WWF/WWE in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s, there's the prevailing thought that wrestling today isn't as good as it used to be. I agree that certain elements aren't as enjoyable now as they were in previous years, but it doesn't mean that wrestling today still can't provide some memorable moments.
One of these occured on Raw, on February 14, 2011.
The guest host for WrestleMania XXVII was to be announced, and names from Snoop Dogg to Stone Cold were thrown about by announcers. When Vince McMahon said the previous week that "Only one man" could host WrestleMania, I had a sneaking suspicion as to who it would be.
This meant a desire to watch Raw live (at 2 am in the UK, by the way) due to the possiblity of him coming back.
Him being a former 9-time World Champion. Him being one of the biggest stars in WWE history. Him being The Most Electrifying Man In Sports-Entertainment, who hadn't laid the smack down in the ring for years, and was seemingly gone from WWE for good.
Could it be him?
At around 4:03 am UK time, the question was answered.
The lights went out in the arena in Anaheim. The anticipation grew. The chants came from fans who also hoped it was him. And then . . .
"If You Smelllllll . . ."
What followed was the loudest crowd roar of approval in years, and out of the curtain stepped the host for WrestleMania.
It was him.
It was The Rock.
Live on Raw for the first time in almost 7 years, what had at that point been a rather ordinary and dull build-up to 'Mania suddenly became a lot more Electrified. Within minutes, The Rock had turned the WWE on its head, and announced his participation as host of WM XXVII.
He then fired some verbal blows at then-WWE Champion The Miz, but saved his best material for John Cena. Cena had slated Rock in interviews outside the ring for some time, mainly regarding Rock's defection to Hollywood. One could charge Cena with being a hypocrite, due to his own involvement in films. But anyway, on this night The Rock mocked Cena's catch phrases, ring attire, hand gestures - in other words, on this night The Rock verbally laid the smack down on John Cena - something which the "Cena Sucks" brigade had hoped to see for years.
By the end of the night, The Rock had reignited Raw, and raised interest in WrestleMania XXVII. This was made more powerful by the fact that Rock hadn't been at 'Mania since 2004; this appearance, unlike other returns, meant something.
Over the next few weeks, Rock and Cena (and Miz) exchanged words and blows, culminating in Rock actually helping Miz beat Cena at WM XXVII. This was followed by the monumental announcement of Cena vs Rock at WM 28. It was assumed that Rock would never wrestle again; even with Mania in Rock's hometown of Miami, the possibility of WWE's biggest match in a decade seemed very unlikely. But it was on.
Since then, in the world of WWE Rock has only resurfaced to celebrate his birthday on Raw and fire verbal blows at Cena in an online video. But with whilst at this point WM 27 is a distant memory, the buzz surrounding the Great One will soon go into overdrive again, as he will appear at Survivor Series in some fashion in November. From there, fireworks will go off as the build-up to Rock vs Cena will intensify, and just about anything could happen.
But regardless of whether Rock retires at WM 28, Cena loses the WWE Title (assuming he regains it by then), or if somehow the match doesn't even happen, it was only made possible by the return of the People's Champion on that Valentine's Night Raw. Many have returned in grand fashion, but few were such big names, returning after such a long time, and with their identity still being such a surprise. At the time, just having him on Raw at all was a moment.
Seven months from now (seven months from today, in fact), a match that few thought they would ever see will headline WrestleMania XXVIII. But it all began when the Great One was announced as host of WrestleMania XXVII.
Forget a match with Cena, an unlikely tenth World Title reign, or a live birthday party. On February 14, 2011, that was all to come, and still may be. On February 14, 2011, just an appearance by the man was incredible enough. On February 14, 2011, finally, finally after seven years, FINALLY, The Rock came back to Monday Night Raw.
WrestleMarkia: August 28 2011
It was another busy week in WWE, as Legends resurfaced, championships changed hands and big announcements regarding upcoming title bouts were made.
On Raw, the plot thickened concerning the WWE Title and the COO. Triple H announced a CM Punk-John Cena main event, with the winner facing Alberto Del Rio for the gold at Night Of Champions. Beforehand, Punk interrupted Kevin Nash and Triple H, telling both men what he thought of them. When Punk insulted The Game once too many times, Nash clocked him with a right-hand, meaning that HHH had to throw the "unemployed" Nash out of the building.
Soon afterwards, John Laurinitis told HHH that Nash had been in a car accident, meaning that HHH left the arena. Laurinitis was in charge, and at ringside (along with Del Rio) for the Punk-Cena match. Cena won after Nash distracted Punk, but was assaulted afterwards by his opponent at NOC, Del Rio.
Elsewhere on Raw: Beth Phoenix and Natalya again applauded Kelly Kelly and Eve Torres after they were victorious (although it's likely to be a set-up). Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne beat David Otunga and Michael McGillicutty for the Tag Team Titles (I can't see the ex-Nexus members doing much now after that). Dolph Ziggler cost Jack Swagger a match with Alex Riley, and saw his relationship with Vickie Guerrero continue to weaken in the aftermath. The Miz and R-Truth pounded Santino Marella, and appeared to team up against the "conspiracy" on Raw. And Del Rio himself beat John Morrison, whilst it was announced that Rey Mysterio - last seen being beaten by Del Rio the night after SummerSlam - would miss months of action due to an injury.
On SmackDown, Bret Hart was the guest General Manager, since SD was in the Hitman's hometown of Calgary. Christian, long story short, got a Steel Cage match with Randy Orton for the World Title on the SuperSmackDown next week from Bret - although the chances of him winning the gold for the third time, knowing that Mark Henry will face the victor, are unlikely.
Other SD talking points: Christian defeated Daniel Bryan; Randy Orton beat Ted DiBiase, who afterwards was dumped by his "Life trainer" Cody Rhodes; Ezekiel Jackwon was impressive in beating The Great Khali with the Torture Rack (after a minor miscommunication with Khali and Jinder Mahal, which could see their alliance begin to crumble); Sin Cara defeated Heath Slater; and Mark Henry's match with Sheamus resulted in Henry pounding the Celtic Warrior at ringside. An eventful episode, but the emphasis is on next week's SuperSD, with the Cage match and a clash between Del Rio and Sin Cara.
Due to SummerSlam last week, I never had much room for NXT and Superstars in the previous piece, but will give a quick recap of this week's shows here: in between the brand new main event storyline for NXT (namely, highlights of the Raw main event), Darren Young continued to bully poor Matt Striker; Derrick Bateman's new girlfriend Maxine beat AJ in her NXT return; and Tyson Kidd was denied a hometown victory over Trent Barreta by a mysterious Japanese symbol on the Titan Tron - the second in as many weeks. Is it Yoshi Tatsu, returning for vengeance? If so, it was a clanger having Yoshi in the SmackDown Battle Royal last week, and eliminated fairly quickly - and this, while Kidd was in the same match.
Superstars was unique this week, in that it actually featured some, well, Superstars. Sheamus made an appearance, beating Heath Slater in the battle of the red-heads, while Brodus Clay beat another "hometown hero" and Daniel Bryan beat Drew McIntyre in the main event.
And Vintage Collection (I know it isn't current, but it's usually good for nostalgia) focused, as it will for the next few weeks, on Champions (in the run-up to Night Of Champions). WCW Clash Of The Champions was under the microscope this week. It was fairly enjoyable, although editing out the weapon shot that ended the Lex Luger-Rick Steiner World Title main event, on a night-time viewing, dampened the entertainment factor a bit.
There weren't many choice quotes on WWE TV this week, so I'll mention a few humorous fan signs:
"Tear Up My Sign" (Raw)
"I Texted Nash" (Raw)
I also meant to do this last week, but forgot, so I'll insert last week's and this week's Things Of The Week here.
Superstar Of The Week (Last week): Alberto Del Rio for becoming WWE Champion and beating Rey Mysterio and Daniel Bryan.
Match Of The Week (Last week): The No Holds Barred match between Randy Orton and Christian.
Show Of The Week (Last week): SummerSlam, although it was only average until midway through.
And now, for this week:
Superstar Of The Week (This week): For two good matches with Christian and Drew McIntyre, it's Daniel Bryan. Or DBryan, as Booker T calls him.
Match Of The Week (This week): I would have said the Rey Mysterio vs Chris Jericho match shown From The Vault on SmackDown. But, as it was old footage, it's a surprise nod to Tyson Kidd vs Trent Barreta on NXT, with Bryan vs McIntyre a close second.
Show Of The Week (This week): Raw was eventful, but SmackDown had more noteworthy moments, so SD gets this one.
I would have concluded with the humorous quotes; but, as there weren't really any this week, I'll end with my predictions concerning the weeks ahead.
On Raw, Cena will probably retailiate to Del Rio's attack, but the big question concerns Nash. Obviously, he wasn't in a car accident, but did Laurinitis know that Nash hadn't? What about HHH? And what about Cena? Big questions are waiting to be answered on Raw, as the connection - assuming there is one - between HHH, Nash, Laurinitis and possibly Del Rio and Stephanie McMahon looks too obvious to remain a secret. It may wait until Night Of Champions; but a major hint or talking point (i.e. perhaps some sort of ultimatum for HHH to show whose side he's on) should come out of the next Raw. I still wouldn't rule out another Cliquer getting involved, either.
As for SD: I can't see Christian beating Orton in the Cage. Orton will win here, and face Mark Henry at NOC. As I said last week, a final Orton-Christian match in Hell In A Cell would have been good, but with the Cage match coming up, I doubt it would happen now. It's more likely that Henry would get a second chance at Orton in the Cell, after some sort of DQ at NOC. Might a sustained beating by Henry in the latter match provide Daniel Bryan with a chance to turn bad and cash in his Money In The Bank to become World Champion?
And my predictions for the Night Of Champions card - some matches already announced, others not - are as follows: Cena vs Del Rio (WWE Title), Orton vs Henry (World Title), Cody vs DiBiase (IC Title), Miz and R-Truth vs Kofi and Bourne (Tag Titles), Dolph vs Swagger vs Riley (US Title), Beth vs Natalya vs Eve vs Kelly (Divas Title) and CM Punk vs Kevin Nash. I won't predict all of the results just yet, since only the Cena match is currently scheduled to happen.
That's all for this week. We'll see you next week; good night everybody!
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