Welcome to the 10th Anniversary Edition of the No Smark Zone!! Well I finally made it through 10 columns in a row. Thanks to everyone who has helped me with this, like all of the guys who did Fact or Fiction with me over the past few months. Thanks also to the mods for not being Nazi's like some other board mods are and not censoring what I have to say. Finally, I'd just like to thank everyone for reading and responding. If you're a "longtime" reader you know that I dont particularly care for the opinions of others. However I do find them interesting and I defiantely enjoy reading them. Especially if its a reaction to something I wrote or said. So in this edition of the No Smark Zone I have the return of FACT or FICTION, I will review the WWE draft and give my thoughts on it. I will also count down the 5 of the 10 PPV's of 2005. But much like Raw started out with a main event this week, I'm starting with a main event this week. It's time for something new, it's time for this weeks "Smark Out Moment!"
Now there are a lot of times I as a wrestling fan am sitting and watching the show and I lose myself in the moment. It happened a few times during the draft. But there are other times where I am taken aback slightly and I think "God, the smarks must really love that." So that put me to thinking, why not have a little write up in my column about it. The "week" for me is from last Friday's Smackdown! to this weeks ECW. So from those shows I think back and say "well when did the smarks bust a nut?" And there were a few times. The site Chris Benoit and CM Punk tagging up must have been a great moment. I mean here is one of the golden boys of the IWC teaming up with a man who they hold up on a pedestal second only to Bret Hart or Kurt Angle. And I'm not gonna lie, I am a big Benoit fan. One of the biggest ever. I got his DVD the day it came out and I have two or three 6 hour tapes of his matches from WCW. I would literally sit there each week and record everything he did. So I'm not discounting his credibilty, but man, people tend to over rate him and CM Punk as well. Benoit is great, perhaps the greatest ring technician of all time, but he unfortunately doesnt have it all.
Another one, in connection with that tag match has to be Benoit getting drafted to ECW. Im pretty sure it was along the same lines of when Angle got drafted there. They are under this assumption that Angle would instill all these great things into ECW. But his reign in ECW was mediocre at best. This time around, however, ECW has a whole HOST of new stars to work with. Benoit now has potential match ups with Elijah Burke, The Alpha Male, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorne, and CM Punk. So he will have a great impact, but I think ECW could have done just as well with someone else.
The "Smark Out" moment of the week came on Monday Night this week when it was announced that CM Punk would take on Carlito. I could literally hear the collective wad of the IWC hit the ceiling when that was announced. And I'm not gonna lie, I was interested to see the match too. And the match was alright too. But I read some places, people were calling it the match of the night, oh man would I BEG TO DIFFER!! I think it could have went better, but it was their first time together in the ring, so sparks werent gonna be flying too high. I would like to see them mix it up again somewhere down the road and if they both can stay healthy and on the WWE roster, they will.
The top 10 PPVs of 2005 (pt. 1)
This is going to need a little pretext. At the beginning of each semester, I blow my wad of excess student load money on DVDs. This semester I got the WWEs 2005 PPV Box Set along with the Bret Hart DVD and the Best of the WWE Championship for just a shade over 100 dollars. It was quite the deal. I finally got around to watching all of the PPVs and I think now is the right time to go through them. Now let it be known, there really weren’t any HORRIBLE PPVs in 2005. Well except the Great American Bash. Man that was absolute garbage. The undercard sucked and the ME blew even harder. Just crap. What’s worse is I PAID to watch it on PPV!! Ugh. But anyway, onto the review!
10. Unforgiven
This one BARELY, and I mean BARELY, edged out No Way Out for the number 10 spot. Thats not to say, however that it was that bad of a PPV by any means. It started good, had a great middle, and had a great end. I think the best moment of the night was when Ric Flair won the Intercontinental Title from Carlito. It was nice to see him with a belt around his waste again. Especially one that he hasnt held before. The match itself was pretty much as good as it could have been. Amazingly enough, the rivalry has lasted almost 2 years! Sure there was a break, but you know Carlito cant be a good guy for too long. My personal favorite match of the night was the steel cage match between Matt Hardy and Edge. It was good for a lot of reasons. One, because the Summerslam match was kind of a let down, more on that later. But these two both showed in this match that they have what it takes to get to the "next level". Edge got there first, but I have no doubts that unless the WWE decide to completely BURY Matt, Mr. Hardy will get there as well. I cant talk about this PPV and not talk about my homeboy Chris Masters. He was still relatively green at this point but he and HBK worked pretty well together and told a good (not great) but good story in the ring. The main event was always good. I dont give a rats ass what anyone says, but when Cena and Angle got into the ring together, something clicked. Yes, its not HBK/Angle, but nothing is. This was a category all its own and it was a great way to end the PPV.
9. Taboo Tuesday
We have another Raw brand PPV. I really like the concept of this PPV. I say concept because I think as much as the WWE would like to have us believe "we" are in control, there is AT LEAST a little behid the scenes trickery going on. But it's a good idea none the less. The first match of the night was Matt Hardy and Rey Mysterio vs. Snitsky (supposed to be Edge) and Chris Masters. This was one of the better opening matches all year. The crowd was realtively hot and they loved the high flying duo of Hardy and Mysterio. The match itself was pretty quickly paced when the faces got control and they showed off their high flying skills. Just great great stuff. The midcard was kinda lack luster but it picked up when Kane and The Big Show took on Cade and Murdoch for the tag belts. It was essentially a glorified squash match, but it was fun to see the two biggest monsters in the WWE just destroying the poor cowpokes. The main event was, well what can I say except Cena, Angle, and HBK? It was what it was. It wasnt bad, but it had Cena hitting the FU out of absolutely nowhere. And I wouldnt mind usually, however it had been happening for a while at that point. The highlight of the whole show, however, was Ric Flair vs. HHH in a steel cage match. Those two had a battle and a half. I honestly couldnt believe how bloody these guys were getting and how far Flair was willing to push himself at the ripe old age of 900. It was just brutal and if I didnt like putting the WWE Title above all else on Raw, I would have made it the main event.
8. Armageddon
Sadly, this is the only SD only PPV on the card. And its a shame too because as far as main events go, SD was the winner, HANDS DOWN in 2005. But unfortunately, despite having all of that talent on the undercard, the Smackdown! booking dropped the ball so to speak. But this PPV had a pretty decent undercard and a hell of a main event. It started off with a match with almost no build in JBL vs. Matt Hardy. But it was a nice opener and I think it started JBL to thinking about how great Matt really is. The tag team titles were also contested in a pretty hot match between MNM and The Mexicools. It's too bad both of these teams broke up as they were damn good. The best WRESTLING match of the night, of course, goes to Chris Benoit and Booker T going at it in the best of 7 series. Benoit was down 3 at this point and Booker T had seen fit to bring a broom out to the ring. Just hilarious shit. The tag team semi-main event was damn good too. I got winced in pain when I saw Rey take that double chokeslam from Kane and The Big Show. The main event, however, didnt disappoint as Randy Orton took on The Undertaker in Hell In A Cell. This was the second HIAC match of the year and I will say it was the BEST. Taker was essentially wearing Orton out with all of his offense and then some and Orton took it like a champ. It wasnt one sided, however, as some phenominal psychology came into play. Just a great PPV all around.
7. New Years Revolution
A lot of people said this was a one match PPV. But they are very mistaken. There is one man who made this PPV so memorable for me. And his name.....MAVEN. Yes, that's right, Maven. His playing to the crowd had me in stiches for most of the night. Then, to see him get his ass kicked not ONCE, but TWICE in a row was just fucking funny as hell. Another haha moment was came when Eugene and Lita got injured. It wasn’t like, “HAHA YOU GOT HURT” but like, “ha, 2 people got injured in 2 straight matches.” And of course, the Elimination Chamber was great. Of course Benoit is the first to go out. Fucking WWE. But the rest of it told a good story. Too bad Randy Orton as a face sucked. But at least they tried. This also helped build up to the Batista/HHH trilogy just superbly.
6. Vengeance
I was really torn on this one. I wanted so badly to put it in the top 5, but the one right after it barely edged it out. But boy was this shit stacked. Two world title matches, the start of a great feud, and the dream rematch. This was a damn good card. I remember where I was when I watched this too, it was a great time. The opener was Shelton/Carlito. It was an alright match. Kane vs. Edge was damn good. This was the beginning of what would be an almost 6 month feud with all the trimmings. Remember the ambulance match? That was the shit!!! HBK/Angle 2 was amazing. I was one of the many who thought it was better than the first. It was good to see a WM quality match that wasn’t at Wrestlemania. The triple threat was a trip, but I saw it as the WWE treating the WWE Championship as a midcard title and I thought it was really shitty of them. This also saw Christian’s semi-main event push. I think it showed here that he was funny, but not ready to be on the same level as HHH, HBK, or even Cena.
Well that is the first five. And now, my good readers, it is on you. It’s time for you to choose and win. If you can correctly rank my top 5 PPVs, you will win a prize, yet to be determined. I have a few idea’s but trust me, its more than rep points.
Well now that the WWE draft is over, its time to take a look at it and see where the brands now stand. I thought this 3 hour show was the shit. All of the matches were fucking rock solid, even the Squash My Balls match. My highlight of the night was Benoit vs. Bobby Lashley. I seriously got a boner when I heard about that shit. And it was a fucking awesome match too boot. Great mat based match. But enough of the matches, onto the picks…
ECW
The Boogeyman- Yeah, well it IS Sci-Fi. I guess this is ok. My favorite all time wrestling columnist said it suits Boogey better because of the shorter show, his shorter matches will look better. I think that is a fair assessment, but I think he should be used as a character and as rarely in the ring as possible. Perhaps he can be someone’s bodyguard or something. I can be the second coming of Piper and Orton!! Ok, maybe not.
Chris Benoit- Strike one for the smarks. Benoit was all but a lock to go to Raw. Hahahaha, suck on that! Benoit is about to light up the ECW meat. And that’s what they have for the most part, meat. Young meat and lots of it. The New Breed, CM Punk, Kevin Thorn, The Major Brothers; Benoit working with any of these wrestlers can only elevate them . This was the best move the WWE could have made for him because it will make a lot of people genuinely interested in ECW.
Smackdown
The Great Khali- Boy did SD get fucked over. This walking TURD is back to having blue balls. Great. You just know the WWE is going to pull the trigger on a Batista/Khali feud and, with all due respect to Batista, he’s no John Cena. Yeah, I said it. Cena carried this piece of shit through all of their matches and I just don’t think Batista can do that. Why cant they just fire this guy? I mean I really don’t want someone to lose out on their livelihood, but god he sucks so bad. UGH!
Torrie Wilson- Ok, more tits on SD. Is she gonna feud with Jillian now? I guess we will have to wait till after the supplemental draft and see what happens. Maybe she can become someone’s valet.
Chris Masters- Smart move by the WWE here. He had pretty much kicked all the ass he could on Raw, so now it’s time to move on. Over on SD he has a fresh roster to work with, too bad most of the guys on the mid card with him are HEELS. I think a good feud with Matt Hardy could be good for him. Or a turned Finlay would be even better. I want to see the Masterlock applied to HORNSWAGGLE! RATINGS GOLD!!!!
Ric Flair- This was the only legitimate shock for me. There was no way in hell I thought Ric was gonna go to SD. But hey, much like Masters, he had grown pretty stale on Raw. He had been through every heel on the midcard roster at least twice, so its time for a new show. Plus, he gets to be with his protégé Batista. Perhaps we can see a new faction on SD? If the WWE can get one or two more faces on the SD midcard, it could be awesome!!
Raw
King Booker- Of course Raw gets stacked. It’s the WWE’s flagship and we cant let it flounder. But when HHH, HBK, and Kennedy get back, its gonna be SUPER STACKED. But it definitely adds some variety to the main event scene, which sorely needed some variety. He has already been added to the 5 man championship match at Vengeance. Maybe we will finally get to see a good long Booker T/HBK one on one match. I have been wanting to see that for a while. Also, who wants to bet Lawler and Booker have at least one match sometime?
Snitsky- Why? Like, why? I laughed when I saw him get drafted because I wanted soooo bad for Matt Hardy to win. But alas it wasn’t to be. What is he gonna do on Raw? I mean it wasn’t that long ago he was a jobber and now he’s Kane 2? I am saying here and now that before June 2008, Snitsky is gonna get the axe.
Bobby Lashley- What a demotion. Going from World Champ to….midcard guy? Who is he gonna feud with? Personally, Id like to see what he can do in the ring with Carlito or Shelton Benjamin but I have a fear he is either gonna go back to a feud with Booker T or feud with Snitsky. Belch. Hopefully when Kennedy returns, those two have an EPIC feud because that is something Id LOVE to see. And if he is stuck in the midcard as of now, what’s gonna happen when HHH and HBK come back? Christ, it’s gonna be bad.
Ken Kennedy- This was surprising, but not shocking to me. I guess the WWE want to keep the fastest rising star in the WWE as a heel for as long as possible. I guess this is a good idea, but I was all primed and ready to see Edge vs. Kennedy. DAMN YOU WWE!!! But I think the WWE needed to do something with the ME scene on Raw. Booker was a nice addition, but Kennedy will add even more variety and the future looks very bring for Raw indeed.
So overall, SD gets fucked over, again, and Raw gets stacked. ECW is the only question mark. The adding of Benoit could be the best thing to ever happen to the fledgling WWE brand, but it could also completely backfire. So we will have to wait and see.
And now it is time for your MAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!! It’s now time for the return of FACT or FICTION!!
The WWE is on the cusp of a boom that could rival the “Attitude” and “Hogan” eras.
3lions-I am undecided on this issue, so for that reason, will have to state FICTION. There have been many instances over the past few years where people have jumped the gun and predicted that WWE are on the verge of another 'boom' period, due to the exciting young prospects being added to the rosters. The greatest example of this is in 2003, when the company had guys like Lesnar/Cena/Orton/Shelton/etc,and everyone was saying that thee guys would signal the next boom period in WWE. However, that never occured. Lesnar was being earmarked as the true star in the company, who would carry WWE into the next era. However, he left the company and other younger stars failed to deliver and a bulk of the establoshed ME stars left (Austin/Rock) and others were failed to be pushed (Jericho/RVD). The same can be said for the current WWE roster. There is no doubt that the future is potentially bright. But that key word there, is *potentially*. The company has a lot of young talented guys, all with varying levels of experience, who could be seen as the future of the company. Guys like Cena/Kennedy/Orton/Carlito/Nitro/Burchall/
Punk/Cor Von/Burke/Shelton, etc. However, there are certain variables which need to happen for that potential to be transformed into success. There seems to be a common attitude withthe younger guys in WWE, where they let fame and success go to their head and them become complacent (Carlito/Shelton are prime examples). To truly succeed in this industry, those younger guys will have to up their game and put 110% into everything they do, to ensure they climb the ladder of success and cement their place in the future of WWE. Also, the creative team nee to use these guys in the correct way. You can have the most talented guys in the World on your roster, but if they aren't handled correctly, then their best will not be showcased. To conclude, there is huge potential for another 'Boom' period, but it depends on various variables, which will all have to develop, for this to occur.
Defiant One-FACT I think if everything falls into place like it did for those two eras, then the WWE could be set to experience a major surge, of course all of this is reliant on many factors but it has happened several times before so it could happen now as well.
Kaedon-Fact: I don’t know if it is gonna happen, but if all the right pieces fall into place, it is going to be a boom time. What’s going to be really amazing is when Rey Mysterio gets back from his injuries and feuds with Edge. These guys are magic in the ring together and for the WHC, it’s going to be even better. Cena is hotter than any other superstar right now and the WWE has a lot of new stars just READY to be made. It will NOT be Rock/Austin again, but it will be just as entertaining.
Soulpower: Fiction: The Attitude era benefited from having a bunch of top tier stars (Rock,Austin,Taker,Kane,HHH) that were household names. Today we have John Cena, and that's about it. They have the potential to create another wrestling bom, but they need to use right.
3lions-Also, the direction of the ECW brand has now changed. Gone are the days of a muscle bound freak with a voice of a five year old, feuding with a pensioner. That has been replaced with a legend in Benoit, being the focal point of the brand, helping to establish the younger guys (also seen as the guys to take WWE into the next era), in the process. However, the WWE did screw over SD!, removing some of the brand's biggest stars (Kennedy/Benoit/Booker) and replacing them with a stiff in Masters, a bigger stiff in Khali and a Diva. This seriously hurts the ME scene on the brand. Add this to the fact that batista won't get another title shot on the brand, and the ME scene on the blue/white brand is very weak. However, Flair is a good addition to the brand, as it allows him to rekindle his partnership with Batista (helping to motivate Batista) and to resume his feud with Edge. it also gives MVP another helping hand in his devlopment. It could also be argued that Rey Mysterio's imminent return to te brand is like another draft pick (and he will likely feud with Edge upon his return), so thing's could be worse.
The recent WWE draft really served no purpose other than to stack Raw at the expense of Smackdown! and ECW.
Defiant One-FICTION The draft's purpose was to shake things up with new feuds and match possiblities. Its no secret that they've really been hindered with injuries lately, that also played a factor. Raw may have been the "winner" of the draft, with their recent acquisitions, but every brand made strides towards the future, maybe RAW a little more than ECW or SD but RAW is the flagship program.
Kaedon-Fiction: The WWE did stack Raw, but Benoit on ECW and Flair on SD will add some freshness to all the brands. Only a cynic would say the WWE solely used this draft to stack its main show.
3lions-Fiction. There were several purposes for this draft. Firstly, it gave WWE the opportunity to gain substantial ratings, as the Draft is considered something special within WWE and to it's audience also. Not only that, but it also gave WWE opportunity to shake up the rosters. Everyone has their opinions on the results of the Draft, but it did provide a shake up in the rosters. The outlook of Raw has totally changed (especially in the ME scene) and allowed Cena to gain a bunch of new challengers (Booker/Lashley/Snitsky/etc.). Also, the direction of the ECW brand has now changed. Gone are the days of a muscle bound freak with a voice of a five year old, feuding with a pensioner. That has been replaced with a legend in Benoit, being the focal point of the brand, helping to establish the younger guys (also seen as the guys to take WWE into the next era), in the process. However, the WWE did screw over SD!,
Soulpower: Fact: SD's been the best WWE show for a while, and taking away all their top talent is a perfect way to make sure that RAW is what its always billed as... The A show.
The “killing” of Vince McMahon has sunk the WWE to a new low from the depths of which it will never return.
3lions-Fiction. I personally love tis angle. Everyone has been saying for months upon months that they are sick of the Vince character and this angle allows WWE to write his character off TV for a considerable amount of time, if ot permanently. Too often nowadays, do people over-react to WWE's storyline's. People need to understand that WWE is no longer a pure wrestling company and prides itself on its sports-entertainment style, with emphasis placed on the entertainment side of things. This angle continues that style of WWE-programming and it is fitting that Vince's removal from WWE TV is such a huge angle. It also allows WWE to apply both short and long term planning to its porgramming, as a 'whodunit' or 'suicide' angle could develop from these events.
Defiant One-FICTION If done properly this could be the starting point of the aformentioned "new era". At this point we'll look back on the "death of Mr. McMahon" regardless, good or bad. However distasteful it ignited publicity, and attention, which is what it was meant to do. Like this angle or not people will watch to see how it pans out and to find out who killed Vince.
Soulpower: Fiction: I loved the "killing" of Vince. His on-air character had gotten stale, and people were getting tired of seeing him hog up a bunch of air time week in and week out. If done correctly, this angle could end up helping the WWE product in the long run.
Kaedon-Ok, I am not gonna get into this too deeply until next week, but its FICTION. I personally loved it. It was shocking, it was over the top, and above all, it was hilarious. I literally laughed for a half hour afterwards. That was, until I went to WWE.com and saw the headline. That took me another half hour to come down from. This was great. People fucking whine too god damn much and they need to cut that shit out. If anyone stops watching because of this…good fuck you. I don’t want you anywhere near the WWE or me bringing it down with your shitty fucking attitude.
Ken Kennedy being transferred to Raw almost guarantees him a main event spot at Wrestlemania.
Soulpower: Fiction: It almost guarantees that he won't be in the WM ME. Due to RAW's picks, now the have Lashley, Cena, Orton, HHH and HBK (when they return) and King Booker all as possible main eventers. I'm hoping that Kennedy somehow ends up back on SD, because that's where he has the biggest opportunity to thrive.
Defiant One-FICTION If Kennedy was the only maineventer drafted to RAW then id be tempted to say FACT, but thats not the case. I really would like to see Kennedy-Cena at WM24 where Cena puts Kennedy over for the WWE Title, but it isnt guaranteed to him, when guys like HHH, HBK, Booker, and Lashley are also present. So sorry, it doesnt mean its not gonna happen its just not guaranteed to him.
3lions-Fiction. Nothing is guarenteed in WWE. Also, with the huge stars which are currently on the Raw roster, there is more competition (and therefore less chance) of some being booked in the ME match for the Raw brand at 'Mania, especially with Cena being the Superstar he is and Triple H returning soon. There are arguments that Kennedy could ME 'Mania, but I don't think that is dependant on his trade to Raw. He has potential match ups with Cena/Edge/Triple H/HBK at 'Mania, with guys from different brands. Also, when 'Mania matches are booked, there are several matches with are inter-promotional, so brand recognition isn't such a major thing.
Kaedon-While I do think this is a promotion, it is still FICTION. Raw is so STACKED right now, he might not even make it in an UPPER midcard match unless its interpromotional. This was one of the reasons I didn’t want him going to Raw to begin with but the WWE cant just unring the bell. Hopefully he wont suffer too much on the stacked Raw brand.
The WWE is in a cycle of phasing out older stars and trying to make new ones. This is very apparent with the super pushes of guys like Lashley, Kennedy, MVP, and Edge.
Kaedon-Fact: Just like music, movies, and anything else that lasts forever, wrestling is cyclical. Today Edge, Cena, and Batista are to Rock, Austin, and HHH as Rock, HHH, and Austin are to Mr. Perfect, Hulk Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior. I AM NOT COMPARING THEM. What I am saying is that wrestlers get older and new ones have to step in for the younger generation. That’s how it used to be, how it is, and how it always will be.
Soulpower: Fact by default: Before the injuries hit, Taker,HHH,HBK were all part of the ME scene, since then the WWE has been pretty much forced to focus on the younger stars, something that will be a great asset for the E in the future.
Defiant One-FICTION In the past WWE has always been great at building stars, and thats no different from today. Eventually older guys put over the younger guys its that simple. Guys get injured, guys leave, guys get old no matter what the scenario WWE has always been good at deciding who is ready to shine. If it wasnt those four guys it would have been others.
3lions-Fact. It is no secret that WWE are trying to establish stars for the next era and in turn, phasing out older guys. However, this is a long-term process, which isn't going to be complete for a long time. The younger guys are being given big pushes currently (Edge/Kennedy/Lashley), but so are the older guys (HBK/Undertaker), so there is an equal balance at the moment. However, the pushes of the older guys are in preperation for younger guys to be put over. e.g. HBK was built up before/after Mania, with the sole intention of putting Cena over. Benoit has put MVP over several times since their feud began and Flair has been helping to put Carlito over. It there is one constant in this business, it is that guys come and go and there is a constant cycle, where the older guys put over the younger guys, for the benefit of the company/business. That is what is currently happening with the pushes of the younger guys and something which will continue to happen for generations to come.
Well thats it folks, the 10th one in the books. Thanks again to everyone for reading and I look forward to another 10!!:afro:
Now there are a lot of times I as a wrestling fan am sitting and watching the show and I lose myself in the moment. It happened a few times during the draft. But there are other times where I am taken aback slightly and I think "God, the smarks must really love that." So that put me to thinking, why not have a little write up in my column about it. The "week" for me is from last Friday's Smackdown! to this weeks ECW. So from those shows I think back and say "well when did the smarks bust a nut?" And there were a few times. The site Chris Benoit and CM Punk tagging up must have been a great moment. I mean here is one of the golden boys of the IWC teaming up with a man who they hold up on a pedestal second only to Bret Hart or Kurt Angle. And I'm not gonna lie, I am a big Benoit fan. One of the biggest ever. I got his DVD the day it came out and I have two or three 6 hour tapes of his matches from WCW. I would literally sit there each week and record everything he did. So I'm not discounting his credibilty, but man, people tend to over rate him and CM Punk as well. Benoit is great, perhaps the greatest ring technician of all time, but he unfortunately doesnt have it all.
Another one, in connection with that tag match has to be Benoit getting drafted to ECW. Im pretty sure it was along the same lines of when Angle got drafted there. They are under this assumption that Angle would instill all these great things into ECW. But his reign in ECW was mediocre at best. This time around, however, ECW has a whole HOST of new stars to work with. Benoit now has potential match ups with Elijah Burke, The Alpha Male, Matt Striker, Kevin Thorne, and CM Punk. So he will have a great impact, but I think ECW could have done just as well with someone else.
The "Smark Out" moment of the week came on Monday Night this week when it was announced that CM Punk would take on Carlito. I could literally hear the collective wad of the IWC hit the ceiling when that was announced. And I'm not gonna lie, I was interested to see the match too. And the match was alright too. But I read some places, people were calling it the match of the night, oh man would I BEG TO DIFFER!! I think it could have went better, but it was their first time together in the ring, so sparks werent gonna be flying too high. I would like to see them mix it up again somewhere down the road and if they both can stay healthy and on the WWE roster, they will.
The top 10 PPVs of 2005 (pt. 1)
This is going to need a little pretext. At the beginning of each semester, I blow my wad of excess student load money on DVDs. This semester I got the WWEs 2005 PPV Box Set along with the Bret Hart DVD and the Best of the WWE Championship for just a shade over 100 dollars. It was quite the deal. I finally got around to watching all of the PPVs and I think now is the right time to go through them. Now let it be known, there really weren’t any HORRIBLE PPVs in 2005. Well except the Great American Bash. Man that was absolute garbage. The undercard sucked and the ME blew even harder. Just crap. What’s worse is I PAID to watch it on PPV!! Ugh. But anyway, onto the review!
10. Unforgiven
This one BARELY, and I mean BARELY, edged out No Way Out for the number 10 spot. Thats not to say, however that it was that bad of a PPV by any means. It started good, had a great middle, and had a great end. I think the best moment of the night was when Ric Flair won the Intercontinental Title from Carlito. It was nice to see him with a belt around his waste again. Especially one that he hasnt held before. The match itself was pretty much as good as it could have been. Amazingly enough, the rivalry has lasted almost 2 years! Sure there was a break, but you know Carlito cant be a good guy for too long. My personal favorite match of the night was the steel cage match between Matt Hardy and Edge. It was good for a lot of reasons. One, because the Summerslam match was kind of a let down, more on that later. But these two both showed in this match that they have what it takes to get to the "next level". Edge got there first, but I have no doubts that unless the WWE decide to completely BURY Matt, Mr. Hardy will get there as well. I cant talk about this PPV and not talk about my homeboy Chris Masters. He was still relatively green at this point but he and HBK worked pretty well together and told a good (not great) but good story in the ring. The main event was always good. I dont give a rats ass what anyone says, but when Cena and Angle got into the ring together, something clicked. Yes, its not HBK/Angle, but nothing is. This was a category all its own and it was a great way to end the PPV.
9. Taboo Tuesday
We have another Raw brand PPV. I really like the concept of this PPV. I say concept because I think as much as the WWE would like to have us believe "we" are in control, there is AT LEAST a little behid the scenes trickery going on. But it's a good idea none the less. The first match of the night was Matt Hardy and Rey Mysterio vs. Snitsky (supposed to be Edge) and Chris Masters. This was one of the better opening matches all year. The crowd was realtively hot and they loved the high flying duo of Hardy and Mysterio. The match itself was pretty quickly paced when the faces got control and they showed off their high flying skills. Just great great stuff. The midcard was kinda lack luster but it picked up when Kane and The Big Show took on Cade and Murdoch for the tag belts. It was essentially a glorified squash match, but it was fun to see the two biggest monsters in the WWE just destroying the poor cowpokes. The main event was, well what can I say except Cena, Angle, and HBK? It was what it was. It wasnt bad, but it had Cena hitting the FU out of absolutely nowhere. And I wouldnt mind usually, however it had been happening for a while at that point. The highlight of the whole show, however, was Ric Flair vs. HHH in a steel cage match. Those two had a battle and a half. I honestly couldnt believe how bloody these guys were getting and how far Flair was willing to push himself at the ripe old age of 900. It was just brutal and if I didnt like putting the WWE Title above all else on Raw, I would have made it the main event.
8. Armageddon
Sadly, this is the only SD only PPV on the card. And its a shame too because as far as main events go, SD was the winner, HANDS DOWN in 2005. But unfortunately, despite having all of that talent on the undercard, the Smackdown! booking dropped the ball so to speak. But this PPV had a pretty decent undercard and a hell of a main event. It started off with a match with almost no build in JBL vs. Matt Hardy. But it was a nice opener and I think it started JBL to thinking about how great Matt really is. The tag team titles were also contested in a pretty hot match between MNM and The Mexicools. It's too bad both of these teams broke up as they were damn good. The best WRESTLING match of the night, of course, goes to Chris Benoit and Booker T going at it in the best of 7 series. Benoit was down 3 at this point and Booker T had seen fit to bring a broom out to the ring. Just hilarious shit. The tag team semi-main event was damn good too. I got winced in pain when I saw Rey take that double chokeslam from Kane and The Big Show. The main event, however, didnt disappoint as Randy Orton took on The Undertaker in Hell In A Cell. This was the second HIAC match of the year and I will say it was the BEST. Taker was essentially wearing Orton out with all of his offense and then some and Orton took it like a champ. It wasnt one sided, however, as some phenominal psychology came into play. Just a great PPV all around.
7. New Years Revolution
A lot of people said this was a one match PPV. But they are very mistaken. There is one man who made this PPV so memorable for me. And his name.....MAVEN. Yes, that's right, Maven. His playing to the crowd had me in stiches for most of the night. Then, to see him get his ass kicked not ONCE, but TWICE in a row was just fucking funny as hell. Another haha moment was came when Eugene and Lita got injured. It wasn’t like, “HAHA YOU GOT HURT” but like, “ha, 2 people got injured in 2 straight matches.” And of course, the Elimination Chamber was great. Of course Benoit is the first to go out. Fucking WWE. But the rest of it told a good story. Too bad Randy Orton as a face sucked. But at least they tried. This also helped build up to the Batista/HHH trilogy just superbly.
6. Vengeance
I was really torn on this one. I wanted so badly to put it in the top 5, but the one right after it barely edged it out. But boy was this shit stacked. Two world title matches, the start of a great feud, and the dream rematch. This was a damn good card. I remember where I was when I watched this too, it was a great time. The opener was Shelton/Carlito. It was an alright match. Kane vs. Edge was damn good. This was the beginning of what would be an almost 6 month feud with all the trimmings. Remember the ambulance match? That was the shit!!! HBK/Angle 2 was amazing. I was one of the many who thought it was better than the first. It was good to see a WM quality match that wasn’t at Wrestlemania. The triple threat was a trip, but I saw it as the WWE treating the WWE Championship as a midcard title and I thought it was really shitty of them. This also saw Christian’s semi-main event push. I think it showed here that he was funny, but not ready to be on the same level as HHH, HBK, or even Cena.
Well that is the first five. And now, my good readers, it is on you. It’s time for you to choose and win. If you can correctly rank my top 5 PPVs, you will win a prize, yet to be determined. I have a few idea’s but trust me, its more than rep points.
Well now that the WWE draft is over, its time to take a look at it and see where the brands now stand. I thought this 3 hour show was the shit. All of the matches were fucking rock solid, even the Squash My Balls match. My highlight of the night was Benoit vs. Bobby Lashley. I seriously got a boner when I heard about that shit. And it was a fucking awesome match too boot. Great mat based match. But enough of the matches, onto the picks…
ECW
The Boogeyman- Yeah, well it IS Sci-Fi. I guess this is ok. My favorite all time wrestling columnist said it suits Boogey better because of the shorter show, his shorter matches will look better. I think that is a fair assessment, but I think he should be used as a character and as rarely in the ring as possible. Perhaps he can be someone’s bodyguard or something. I can be the second coming of Piper and Orton!! Ok, maybe not.
Chris Benoit- Strike one for the smarks. Benoit was all but a lock to go to Raw. Hahahaha, suck on that! Benoit is about to light up the ECW meat. And that’s what they have for the most part, meat. Young meat and lots of it. The New Breed, CM Punk, Kevin Thorn, The Major Brothers; Benoit working with any of these wrestlers can only elevate them . This was the best move the WWE could have made for him because it will make a lot of people genuinely interested in ECW.
Smackdown
The Great Khali- Boy did SD get fucked over. This walking TURD is back to having blue balls. Great. You just know the WWE is going to pull the trigger on a Batista/Khali feud and, with all due respect to Batista, he’s no John Cena. Yeah, I said it. Cena carried this piece of shit through all of their matches and I just don’t think Batista can do that. Why cant they just fire this guy? I mean I really don’t want someone to lose out on their livelihood, but god he sucks so bad. UGH!
Torrie Wilson- Ok, more tits on SD. Is she gonna feud with Jillian now? I guess we will have to wait till after the supplemental draft and see what happens. Maybe she can become someone’s valet.
Chris Masters- Smart move by the WWE here. He had pretty much kicked all the ass he could on Raw, so now it’s time to move on. Over on SD he has a fresh roster to work with, too bad most of the guys on the mid card with him are HEELS. I think a good feud with Matt Hardy could be good for him. Or a turned Finlay would be even better. I want to see the Masterlock applied to HORNSWAGGLE! RATINGS GOLD!!!!
Ric Flair- This was the only legitimate shock for me. There was no way in hell I thought Ric was gonna go to SD. But hey, much like Masters, he had grown pretty stale on Raw. He had been through every heel on the midcard roster at least twice, so its time for a new show. Plus, he gets to be with his protégé Batista. Perhaps we can see a new faction on SD? If the WWE can get one or two more faces on the SD midcard, it could be awesome!!
Raw
King Booker- Of course Raw gets stacked. It’s the WWE’s flagship and we cant let it flounder. But when HHH, HBK, and Kennedy get back, its gonna be SUPER STACKED. But it definitely adds some variety to the main event scene, which sorely needed some variety. He has already been added to the 5 man championship match at Vengeance. Maybe we will finally get to see a good long Booker T/HBK one on one match. I have been wanting to see that for a while. Also, who wants to bet Lawler and Booker have at least one match sometime?
Snitsky- Why? Like, why? I laughed when I saw him get drafted because I wanted soooo bad for Matt Hardy to win. But alas it wasn’t to be. What is he gonna do on Raw? I mean it wasn’t that long ago he was a jobber and now he’s Kane 2? I am saying here and now that before June 2008, Snitsky is gonna get the axe.
Bobby Lashley- What a demotion. Going from World Champ to….midcard guy? Who is he gonna feud with? Personally, Id like to see what he can do in the ring with Carlito or Shelton Benjamin but I have a fear he is either gonna go back to a feud with Booker T or feud with Snitsky. Belch. Hopefully when Kennedy returns, those two have an EPIC feud because that is something Id LOVE to see. And if he is stuck in the midcard as of now, what’s gonna happen when HHH and HBK come back? Christ, it’s gonna be bad.
Ken Kennedy- This was surprising, but not shocking to me. I guess the WWE want to keep the fastest rising star in the WWE as a heel for as long as possible. I guess this is a good idea, but I was all primed and ready to see Edge vs. Kennedy. DAMN YOU WWE!!! But I think the WWE needed to do something with the ME scene on Raw. Booker was a nice addition, but Kennedy will add even more variety and the future looks very bring for Raw indeed.
So overall, SD gets fucked over, again, and Raw gets stacked. ECW is the only question mark. The adding of Benoit could be the best thing to ever happen to the fledgling WWE brand, but it could also completely backfire. So we will have to wait and see.
And now it is time for your MAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN EVENT OF THE EVENING!! It’s now time for the return of FACT or FICTION!!
The WWE is on the cusp of a boom that could rival the “Attitude” and “Hogan” eras.
3lions-I am undecided on this issue, so for that reason, will have to state FICTION. There have been many instances over the past few years where people have jumped the gun and predicted that WWE are on the verge of another 'boom' period, due to the exciting young prospects being added to the rosters. The greatest example of this is in 2003, when the company had guys like Lesnar/Cena/Orton/Shelton/etc,and everyone was saying that thee guys would signal the next boom period in WWE. However, that never occured. Lesnar was being earmarked as the true star in the company, who would carry WWE into the next era. However, he left the company and other younger stars failed to deliver and a bulk of the establoshed ME stars left (Austin/Rock) and others were failed to be pushed (Jericho/RVD). The same can be said for the current WWE roster. There is no doubt that the future is potentially bright. But that key word there, is *potentially*. The company has a lot of young talented guys, all with varying levels of experience, who could be seen as the future of the company. Guys like Cena/Kennedy/Orton/Carlito/Nitro/Burchall/
Punk/Cor Von/Burke/Shelton, etc. However, there are certain variables which need to happen for that potential to be transformed into success. There seems to be a common attitude withthe younger guys in WWE, where they let fame and success go to their head and them become complacent (Carlito/Shelton are prime examples). To truly succeed in this industry, those younger guys will have to up their game and put 110% into everything they do, to ensure they climb the ladder of success and cement their place in the future of WWE. Also, the creative team nee to use these guys in the correct way. You can have the most talented guys in the World on your roster, but if they aren't handled correctly, then their best will not be showcased. To conclude, there is huge potential for another 'Boom' period, but it depends on various variables, which will all have to develop, for this to occur.
Defiant One-FACT I think if everything falls into place like it did for those two eras, then the WWE could be set to experience a major surge, of course all of this is reliant on many factors but it has happened several times before so it could happen now as well.
Kaedon-Fact: I don’t know if it is gonna happen, but if all the right pieces fall into place, it is going to be a boom time. What’s going to be really amazing is when Rey Mysterio gets back from his injuries and feuds with Edge. These guys are magic in the ring together and for the WHC, it’s going to be even better. Cena is hotter than any other superstar right now and the WWE has a lot of new stars just READY to be made. It will NOT be Rock/Austin again, but it will be just as entertaining.
Soulpower: Fiction: The Attitude era benefited from having a bunch of top tier stars (Rock,Austin,Taker,Kane,HHH) that were household names. Today we have John Cena, and that's about it. They have the potential to create another wrestling bom, but they need to use right.
3lions-Also, the direction of the ECW brand has now changed. Gone are the days of a muscle bound freak with a voice of a five year old, feuding with a pensioner. That has been replaced with a legend in Benoit, being the focal point of the brand, helping to establish the younger guys (also seen as the guys to take WWE into the next era), in the process. However, the WWE did screw over SD!, removing some of the brand's biggest stars (Kennedy/Benoit/Booker) and replacing them with a stiff in Masters, a bigger stiff in Khali and a Diva. This seriously hurts the ME scene on the brand. Add this to the fact that batista won't get another title shot on the brand, and the ME scene on the blue/white brand is very weak. However, Flair is a good addition to the brand, as it allows him to rekindle his partnership with Batista (helping to motivate Batista) and to resume his feud with Edge. it also gives MVP another helping hand in his devlopment. It could also be argued that Rey Mysterio's imminent return to te brand is like another draft pick (and he will likely feud with Edge upon his return), so thing's could be worse.
The recent WWE draft really served no purpose other than to stack Raw at the expense of Smackdown! and ECW.
Defiant One-FICTION The draft's purpose was to shake things up with new feuds and match possiblities. Its no secret that they've really been hindered with injuries lately, that also played a factor. Raw may have been the "winner" of the draft, with their recent acquisitions, but every brand made strides towards the future, maybe RAW a little more than ECW or SD but RAW is the flagship program.
Kaedon-Fiction: The WWE did stack Raw, but Benoit on ECW and Flair on SD will add some freshness to all the brands. Only a cynic would say the WWE solely used this draft to stack its main show.
3lions-Fiction. There were several purposes for this draft. Firstly, it gave WWE the opportunity to gain substantial ratings, as the Draft is considered something special within WWE and to it's audience also. Not only that, but it also gave WWE opportunity to shake up the rosters. Everyone has their opinions on the results of the Draft, but it did provide a shake up in the rosters. The outlook of Raw has totally changed (especially in the ME scene) and allowed Cena to gain a bunch of new challengers (Booker/Lashley/Snitsky/etc.). Also, the direction of the ECW brand has now changed. Gone are the days of a muscle bound freak with a voice of a five year old, feuding with a pensioner. That has been replaced with a legend in Benoit, being the focal point of the brand, helping to establish the younger guys (also seen as the guys to take WWE into the next era), in the process. However, the WWE did screw over SD!,
Soulpower: Fact: SD's been the best WWE show for a while, and taking away all their top talent is a perfect way to make sure that RAW is what its always billed as... The A show.
The “killing” of Vince McMahon has sunk the WWE to a new low from the depths of which it will never return.
3lions-Fiction. I personally love tis angle. Everyone has been saying for months upon months that they are sick of the Vince character and this angle allows WWE to write his character off TV for a considerable amount of time, if ot permanently. Too often nowadays, do people over-react to WWE's storyline's. People need to understand that WWE is no longer a pure wrestling company and prides itself on its sports-entertainment style, with emphasis placed on the entertainment side of things. This angle continues that style of WWE-programming and it is fitting that Vince's removal from WWE TV is such a huge angle. It also allows WWE to apply both short and long term planning to its porgramming, as a 'whodunit' or 'suicide' angle could develop from these events.
Defiant One-FICTION If done properly this could be the starting point of the aformentioned "new era". At this point we'll look back on the "death of Mr. McMahon" regardless, good or bad. However distasteful it ignited publicity, and attention, which is what it was meant to do. Like this angle or not people will watch to see how it pans out and to find out who killed Vince.
Soulpower: Fiction: I loved the "killing" of Vince. His on-air character had gotten stale, and people were getting tired of seeing him hog up a bunch of air time week in and week out. If done correctly, this angle could end up helping the WWE product in the long run.
Kaedon-Ok, I am not gonna get into this too deeply until next week, but its FICTION. I personally loved it. It was shocking, it was over the top, and above all, it was hilarious. I literally laughed for a half hour afterwards. That was, until I went to WWE.com and saw the headline. That took me another half hour to come down from. This was great. People fucking whine too god damn much and they need to cut that shit out. If anyone stops watching because of this…good fuck you. I don’t want you anywhere near the WWE or me bringing it down with your shitty fucking attitude.
Ken Kennedy being transferred to Raw almost guarantees him a main event spot at Wrestlemania.
Soulpower: Fiction: It almost guarantees that he won't be in the WM ME. Due to RAW's picks, now the have Lashley, Cena, Orton, HHH and HBK (when they return) and King Booker all as possible main eventers. I'm hoping that Kennedy somehow ends up back on SD, because that's where he has the biggest opportunity to thrive.
Defiant One-FICTION If Kennedy was the only maineventer drafted to RAW then id be tempted to say FACT, but thats not the case. I really would like to see Kennedy-Cena at WM24 where Cena puts Kennedy over for the WWE Title, but it isnt guaranteed to him, when guys like HHH, HBK, Booker, and Lashley are also present. So sorry, it doesnt mean its not gonna happen its just not guaranteed to him.
3lions-Fiction. Nothing is guarenteed in WWE. Also, with the huge stars which are currently on the Raw roster, there is more competition (and therefore less chance) of some being booked in the ME match for the Raw brand at 'Mania, especially with Cena being the Superstar he is and Triple H returning soon. There are arguments that Kennedy could ME 'Mania, but I don't think that is dependant on his trade to Raw. He has potential match ups with Cena/Edge/Triple H/HBK at 'Mania, with guys from different brands. Also, when 'Mania matches are booked, there are several matches with are inter-promotional, so brand recognition isn't such a major thing.
Kaedon-While I do think this is a promotion, it is still FICTION. Raw is so STACKED right now, he might not even make it in an UPPER midcard match unless its interpromotional. This was one of the reasons I didn’t want him going to Raw to begin with but the WWE cant just unring the bell. Hopefully he wont suffer too much on the stacked Raw brand.
The WWE is in a cycle of phasing out older stars and trying to make new ones. This is very apparent with the super pushes of guys like Lashley, Kennedy, MVP, and Edge.
Kaedon-Fact: Just like music, movies, and anything else that lasts forever, wrestling is cyclical. Today Edge, Cena, and Batista are to Rock, Austin, and HHH as Rock, HHH, and Austin are to Mr. Perfect, Hulk Hogan, and Ultimate Warrior. I AM NOT COMPARING THEM. What I am saying is that wrestlers get older and new ones have to step in for the younger generation. That’s how it used to be, how it is, and how it always will be.
Soulpower: Fact by default: Before the injuries hit, Taker,HHH,HBK were all part of the ME scene, since then the WWE has been pretty much forced to focus on the younger stars, something that will be a great asset for the E in the future.
Defiant One-FICTION In the past WWE has always been great at building stars, and thats no different from today. Eventually older guys put over the younger guys its that simple. Guys get injured, guys leave, guys get old no matter what the scenario WWE has always been good at deciding who is ready to shine. If it wasnt those four guys it would have been others.
3lions-Fact. It is no secret that WWE are trying to establish stars for the next era and in turn, phasing out older guys. However, this is a long-term process, which isn't going to be complete for a long time. The younger guys are being given big pushes currently (Edge/Kennedy/Lashley), but so are the older guys (HBK/Undertaker), so there is an equal balance at the moment. However, the pushes of the older guys are in preperation for younger guys to be put over. e.g. HBK was built up before/after Mania, with the sole intention of putting Cena over. Benoit has put MVP over several times since their feud began and Flair has been helping to put Carlito over. It there is one constant in this business, it is that guys come and go and there is a constant cycle, where the older guys put over the younger guys, for the benefit of the company/business. That is what is currently happening with the pushes of the younger guys and something which will continue to happen for generations to come.
Well thats it folks, the 10th one in the books. Thanks again to everyone for reading and I look forward to another 10!!:afro:
