What A Year It's Been.

2008 has been quite a good year on the whole for pro-wrestling, yes the ratings have dropped further and the buy rates continue to shrink, but the product has had possibly its most solid year in a long time, at least in WWE.

TNA has spent most of the year going from the No.2 company to No.25 - it's logic that wrestling is cyclial and that if they get bad enough will eventually go full circle and become No.1. It won't happen in 2009.

ROH has had a very turbulent 2008, after finally converting me to the brilliant workrate, amazing high flying matches and sensible storylines they fire the head booker and go for a new retro booking style, i meanwhile cease buying the DVDs. ROH will land a TV deal with it's new style and take it's place as the 3rd big company.

PWG has again produced some amazing matches and will continue to be the No.1 Indy Promoter in the world.

Chikara will continue to entertain with its comical style and cartoon esque production, maybe even getting a spin off tv show.

As for the big dog WWE, they made record amounts of cash from overseas tours and still rakes in millions in merchandise and live shows. They will remain THE company throughout 2009 and beyond.


2009 is going to see some interesting developments in the square circle.

TNA WILL fire Russo. They will finally listen to the fans.

WWE will bring back Christian, but instead of an Edge & Christian re-union Edge will be drafted to RAW whilst Christian heads up the Blue Brand.

RAW will get a PROPER GM.

Freddie Prinze Jr Will Become an on screen character.

Hogan will be back on WWE TV.

Jeff Hardy will leave the company.

ROH will get major press coverage from the movie The Wrestler which will win an Oscar. This will spawn several cheap rip offs. mostly from WWE films.

A member of WWE will be involved in a drug scandal.

We will lose another legend to the affects of prolonged drug abuse.

Wrestlemania 25 will not be as good as 24.

Summerslam will be headlined by Edge vs CM Punk

Matt Hardy will feud with Jeff Hardy.

We will see The Hardyz vs Edge & Christian

Batista will suffer an injury, and retire

Sting will retire

Kurt Angle WONT retire

Vince McMahon will resurface on WWE TV.

DX will reunite 52 times in 2009. But only for one night.

Seamus O'Shaunessy will be called up from FCW soon.

The Legacy will disband before 2009 ends. Not before recruiting The Colons & Sim Snuka.

Randy Orton will turn face, and will not get over.

John Cena will turn heel, and it won't make a difference.

Shawn Michaels will fight JBL at Wrestlemania.

The winner of MITB 2009. Evan Bourne.

New Heavyweight champions in 2009. MVP, Mr. Kennedy, John Morrison & Christian.

John Morrison & The Miz to dominate the tag divisions until they split and feud in the summer.

More divas who you wont recognise will be added to the roster and will get more TV time than talented performers.

WWE will finally release Funaki.

Hornswoggle will turn heel.

Santino will get even more over.

Everyone already knows that the girl in the crowd when Beth comes to the ring is a ringer. She will be Womens champion regardless of whether she's any good.

Gail Kim will wear the awful Divas title and Womens belt at the same time.

Mae Young will kiss someone else on the WWE roster.

Macho Man won't be in the hall of fame this year.

Smackdown vs RAW 2010 will feature Triple H on the cover.

This years Playboy spread will be done by Mickie James :)

King Of The Ring 2009 will be Kofi Kingston.

The next Hell In A Cell will be a 4 way.

Cyber Sunday will be renamed SMS Sunday (well should be!)

Sean Waltman will turn up in TNA.

Cyber Sunday Or SMS Sunday would be more apt

Cyber Sunday is coming up and after the nothingness that was No Mercy (apart from THE ladder match of the year!) i'm hoping for the booking team to mix things up a bit. CM Punk is no longer champ and to be quite honest the originality and unpredictability that was starting to become a weekly factor on RAW, has once again dissapeared. This pay per view could be just the thing to mix that up, with some very interesting matches that US fans can choose, i'd say the WWE universe but that would be a lie as to vote you have to have a US cellphone. Out of principal for an event called CYBER sunday i won't be voting for the two matches that Net fans can pick.

WWE Championship Triple H(c) vs. either Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov or both.

I'm hoping Jeff Hardy is voted in because this could be the night to give him the belt, if only until the next PPV. Kozlov looks terrible so i don't want to have to watch him in the main event.

Undertaker vs. Big Show (WWE Universe chooses type of match)
Wow - after such an amazing match at No Mercy we're treated to another soon to be classic. These two should both be fighting younger guys and elevating new talent instead of going throught the motions of a feud nobody wants to see again. Taker will win to avenge his defeat from the last PPV.

World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho vs. Batista (WWE Universe chooses referee)
If Stone Cold is not voted in then something is seriously wrong with the WWE universe, Michaels and Orton are on TV every week and i just can't imagine this match not involving a stunner of some sort. I can see Batista winning the title soon and holding on to the belt til mania, but i dont think he'll get the win until Armageddon.

Kane vs. Rey Mysterio (WWE Universe chooses type of match)
Rey wins this one, but again this feud is going nowhere, it needs to involve Kanes mask sooner or later!!!!

ECW Championship Match Matt Hardy(c) vs. either Finlay, Evan Bourne or Mark Henry
How much do i want to see Evan Bourne with a belt, um about this much < > which is a lot for one of my blogs. Finlay would be interesting but no-way in hell can anyone outside of WWE headquarters vote in the worlds strongest man 1998 or whenever it was. Hardy will retain i'm guessing.

Cyber Sunday Preview Match US Championship Shelton Benjamin(c) vs either MVP, Festus or R-Truth
This is on WWE.com before the show starts and i might just tune in, especially if R-Truth gets the nod, this possibly being his biggest match since his return to WWE. Gettin Rowdy indeed.

Intercontinental Championship Match Santino Marella(c) vs. either Roddy Piper, Goldust or The Honky Tonk Man
Honky! Honky! Honky! Racism is alive and well in WWE, suprised to vote for crymetyme you dont have to text, hang on sorry, Michael Hayes was channeling through me again. Honky tonky man to win, but i think Santino will keep the belt, for a few more weeks at least.

Pick the Tag Team Match. Miz & Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme or Mickie James & Jamie Noble vs. Layla & William Regal or World Tag Team Championship, Priceless(c) vs. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston.
Punk & Kofi to win the vote. Priceless to regain! no real build to any of these feuds so no real effort on my part either.

WWE Diva Halloween Costume Contest, Women's Champion Beth Phoenix, Divas Champion Michelle McCool, Brie Bella, Candice Michelle, Eve, Jillian, Katie Lea Burchill, Kelly Kelly, Layla, Lena Yada, Maria, Maryse, Natalya, Tiffany, Victoria and Mickie James

Mickie James wins or Beth Phoenix if she reverts to her OVW look.

No Mercy Tonight - Predictions.

Unforgiven turned out to be an ok show, every title match was good apart from the divas match. Although what CM Punk has done wrong to not only be taken out of a match but not even given a match on the upcoming PPV is beyond me, but Triple H was on the last RAW so maybe that has something to do with it.

I also think i'm more of a ROH fan than TNA, after watching several downloaded shows i went on the net and actually PAID to get some PPV action on DVD. The production still needs a hell of a lot done to it, as there pretty much isnt anything, but at least the newer shows have better lighting and sound. Id rather see quality wrestling than have everyone take 3 minutes out of a show everytime they come to the ring so we can see some pyro and hear some stereotypical music. You know what i mean, oh hey that guys Japanese that must mean he has to have oriental music, or that guys British lets play some classical music or he's from Italy lets put some Opera in there!!

Anyway i'm getting off the point what i'm going to do every post from now on (which i won't mention that it's meant to be weekly but it's been a month - oh well) i'm going to rank the top 3 organisations in terms of wrestling quality, storylines, stip matches and anything else that all 3 can do so it can be fair comparison. There's no point me basing it on ratings, PPV buys, merch or anything like that because WWE is and always will be the big player, TNA are never going to overtake them (or even feel like competition) at the rate the're going.

Rankings This Month 1. WWE 2. ROH 3. TNA
WWE has had a solid month the TV has been well booked and the last PPV had some great matches and originality, TNA are recycling an old RussoWCW storyline (which much like the ECW/WCW Invasion angle could have been huge if booked right) this time the old guys are the heels and the young up and comers are the guys to cheer - the right way to build stars. ROH and it's Age of The Fall storyline is continuing to tick along nicely and because of their simpler and more ring based product thats why the're ahead of TNA. Overall though September was a very good month for Pro Wrestling for the big three.

Onto my predictions for No Mercy;

World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match: Champion Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels
This could be the match of the night, despite the reports coming out in the press to the contrary, I do believe that a Jericho Batista is in the offing, Batista taking the belt to Mania and defending it against Cena. For that to happen i see Jericho retaining the belt tonight. Would be great if Punk beats up Michaels so he cant compete and takes his place - thats repeat illogical booking Vince!

WWE Champion Triple H vs. Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy is NOT going to win, if he did he'd probably do an RVD so until he can prove once and for all to management that he's 100% on the ball Tripper will retain, and the match will be sloppy.

ECW Champion Matt Hardy vs. Mark Henry
This can't be as bad as the SummerSlam match, but Mark Henry is in the match so you can never be sure, i can see Henry regaining the title.

No.1 Contender To The World Title Match: Batista vs. JBL
This match has 'sucks' written all over it, Batista will win and lets hope he puts some effort in.

Big Show vs. Undertaker
Oh wow - This AGAIN. Not interested in what they can do, i just don't care. Taker wins.

Women's Championship Match: Champion Beth Phoenix vs. Candice Michelle
Beth will retain for now, i can only see her losing the title when Glamarella break up and i don't think that's going to be for a month at least.

If Rey Loses He Has To Remove His Mask: Rey Mysterio vs. Kane

WWE would be crazy to get rid of the Mask, it's such a great piece of merchandise, but with his contract running out and his injuries piling up, this could be a must watch piece of TV. I've seen unmasked Rey before but just imagine all those kids that truly have no idea what he looks like(and don't have access to the internet). Kane will win, Rey will remove his mask for tonight in the ring only - but i don't think this feud is over - if anything i think it may end up in a mask vs mask match. Rey wins and Kane has to re-mask.

Don't forget to watch on PPV tonight

Unforgiven Predictions!!

Summerslam wasn't a bad show in the end, It was'nt a classic but it was'nt a complete waste for those that actually paid for it.

I even managed to catch up with TNA watching Hard Justice, i always used to love the undercard on TNA PPV and hate the main events (usually because Jeff Jarrett was involved), but nowadays its the undercard thats a bit of a clusterfuck and the main event is usually pretty decent.

TNA need to go back to how they were booking in 2005, and early 2006 in my opinion, that's when they had the best in ring product and most solid PPVs. Russo isn't solely to blame for why TNA hasnt managed to get to the next level, but he is a huge factor. 2008 WWE has almost as many stip matches as TNA but the one thing thats different is that WWEs usually at least makes sense.

Hard Justice was a good effort, the X Title is being booked well again, AJ vs Kurt was solid and although Booker bores me with his current gimmick his match with Joe was well paced. I hope Jarrett doesnt come back, no offence to him, but i don't think he can have another run at the top.

Anyway lets get down to business, Unforgiven is tomorrow.

World Title Scramble Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Batista vs. Kane vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield vs. Rey Mysterio

WWE Title Scramble Match: Triple H (c) vs. The Brian Kendrick vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy

Unsactioned Match: Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

WWE Tag Team Title Match: Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase (c) vs. Cryme Tyme

ECW Title Scramble Match: Mark Henry (c) vs. Matt Hardy vs. The Miz vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Finlay

Divas Title Match: Michelle McCool (c) vs. Maryse

In the World Title Scramble match (so much for being an Adamle Original being done on every other brand) i can see Kane and Batista winning the belt, but i just have a feeling Punk will retain once the 20 minutes are up. With Orton itching to take over JBLs spot and Batista replacing Cena as the fan fave i can see them keeping the belt with Punk, maybe even til Survivor Series.

The WWE Title Scramble match looks very interesting, and with the exception of Jeff and MVP i can't see anyone beating Triple H within 20 minutes. Triple H will retain. I think the fact that WWE are hyping the possibility of multiple title switches i wouldnt be suprised if all 3 belts stayed where they were. Also can you imagine The Brian Kendrick with the WWE title?

So i predicted that there would be a streetfight between Y2J and HBK and that's pretty much what were going to get, i can see HBK getting the win, but with yet another injury i can see Jericho being given the win. Definately one that could go either way, but im going for Jericho winning this and some crazy finish, especially as this is unsactioned.

I don't see CrymeTyme winning the belts, Rhodes and Dibiase seem to have some kind of pact with Orton, so i would'nt rule out some interference from Randy. CrymeTyme will get the belts soon though.

ECW Title, should just be renamed the TV title, although that was far more prestigous. Henry will keep the belt, but i think Finlay and Hardy will get the pin within the 20 mins. They just won't be able to hold onto it.

Divas Title - Or the Shitty Purple Butterfly belt as i remember it. Who Gives A F**K?? I know we don't need another Glamazon vs Mickie James match on PPV, but surely this is not going to get buys. This belt should only be defended on TV until people give a shit.

Only 6 Matches. Seems A bit cheap to me.


Brock Lesnar Vs Randy Couture.
This is UFC, something i've tried to get into for years but for every awesome 5 minute beating, theres a 20 minute bore. Now Brock has arrived i have a reason to get into it. I realise that Randy was made champion, so this is going to be a title match. I for one cannot wait to see if Brock can actually win this, i don't think he will because this will only be his 4th ever MMA fight and his UFC record is won one, lost one. But November 15th will be awesome..............

.................that's if the planet is still about! Anyone else heard about this experiment to recreate the big bang that's going down on Weds? Apparantly the scientists are'nt sure about what might happen, but there is a small chance that they could just end up creating a black hole! Yay Science!

Summer Slam - Prediction Time!

SummerSlam 2008

Edge vs. Undertaker (Hell in a Cell Match)

The Undertaker will overcome Edge, especially seeing how la familia has been cut off, Edge's turn to the darkside to fact the deadman is an intriguing one.
We could see a true bloodfest and as this is the first HITC i'm hoping he'll make it a memorable one as most of these matches have been glorified cage matches since the attitude era ended.

WWE Champion Triple H vs. The Great Khali

Anything other than a 5 minute victory for HHH would be dissapointing, i know Khali is huge in India and WWE want the international buys but he can't last much longer with the amount of injuries he's sustained and we the audience have grown even more weary with his 5 moves!

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs. JBL

I truly cannot see JBL getting this win, but i hope it's not another screwjob finish, CM Punk should win but i don't think it will be the clean win he needs.

ECW Champion Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy

Mark Henry will retain, for now.

John Cena vs. Batista

If this was 1991 this would be on last! but it's not, instead we have two mediocre workers, who are massively over trying to out power the other! I think it will be a suprisingly good match, but Cena needs to win and hopefully that will be enough to turn Batista heel. He sucks as a face(well he just sucks!)

Montel Vontavious Porter vs. Jeff Hardy

Not even sure this match will happen with the reports that Jeff broke his neck at the Smackdown taping, if it does then MVP will get a very quick win.

Winners Take All Tag Team Match: Intercontinental Champion Kofi Kingston and
Womens Champion Mickie James vs. Santino Marella & Beth Phoenix.

I can see Beth getting the pinfall on Kofi and getting both belts, i think Santino and Beth are gold at the moment, but if Adamle awards BOTH belts to Phoenix i think the interplay with Santino and Beth over the IC belt would make for great TV. i still see them winning, just not sure which belt will go where!

Shawn Michaels announcement

Shawn Michaels will not retire, he will demand a match against Y2J. Maybe some sort of stipulation match, such as a streetfight or cage match for Unforgiven.

That's your lot. Should hopefully get to watch this tomorrow night, i think it could be a good PPV not too many shocks on the cards but as long as it's solid i'l be happy.

As Ron Simmons Used To Say "Damn"

Is it just me or has Wrestling just got a bit dull (even with Raw/Smackdown shaking things up for the last few weeks), all the same faces, all the same storylines, just with different opponents! I think Raw/Smackdown are better than they were about 3/4 months ago, but if the PG rating does water down the product anymore i can seriously see me leaving wrestling behind, i did it before.

My first phase of being a wrestling fan was from the age of about 5(1985) until i was 13 (1993), i had spent the first few years watching big daddy on itv, and then when my local rental store started getting in WWF tapes i got hooked! WrestleMania 9 was probably the last thing i watched until Royal Rumble 2000.
Thats right 7 years it took for Vince to regain my attention, this was just after the peak of the wrestling boom, i can tell you that because i had WWE Heat on Channel 4 and WCW Worldwide on Channel 5 not since the early nineties had i been able to watch wrestling at home on tv.
Now of course Sky has ALL the WWE shows, Setanta has all the UFC and Bravo shows TNA, Not forgetting that we have our own wrestling channel(although its become more MMA based). So with all this product on show why do i feel like i want to watch something else? Maybe its because I'm 28 now and heading into maturity - finally. Maybe it's because wrestling has got a bit shit.

I love wrestling, although those early years and first few months of 2000 were the best (i still thought it was real), but the complexities of what goes on backstage and how it all happens kept me from leaving.

Now it's been over a month since my last blog, i don't know if i have the patience to go on with it to be truthful.

We shall have to see what happens next week i guess.

The Draft (How Right I Was & What This Means For WWE)

Edge to Raw
Rey Mysterio to Raw
Umaga to Smackdown
JBL to Smackdown
CM Punk to Raw
Snitsky back to ECW
Cody Rhodes to Smackdown
Hardcore Holly to ECW
Elijah Burke to Raw
Kofi Kingston to Smackdown
Finlay to ECW
Super Crazy to ECW
John Morrison to Raw
Santino Marella to Smackdown
Kelly Kelly to Raw
William Regal to Smackdown
Charlie Haas to Smackdown

Thats how i suggested it would go down and i got 5 Spot on so i'm not too suprised and i even hinted that Triple H would move to Smackdown but never thought it would actually happen!

So heres all the draft picks, including the supplemental picks;

RAW:

Rey Mysterio - The big little man came up trumps with this move opening up a host of new challengers, Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, CM Punk, after 6 years on Smackdown this is probably the best thing for RAW, Rey and WWE as a whole.

CM Punk - Mr MITB 2008 Gets a shot at the big time, if Triple H is over on the blue brand then the straight edge superstar can finally break out!

Michael Cole - Im glad JR got moved, i did suggest mixing up the announce team by adding guests but getting rid of JR is as good as that gets. Cole personally isnt that great an announcer but he's the best that there is that isn't Joey Styles.

Batista - Possibly turn heel and join up with Orton, cant really see much sense in this move as he did nothing with his last opportunity on RAW, however with Triple H on Smackdown with the WWE title he could possibly get the World title on RAW with a victory over Edge.

Kane - Obviously dropping the belt to Henry or Show at NOC, seems like he'll be lumbering back to Monday nights, he needs another makeover because without any of his 'masked' aura 2008 Kane is very dull.

Jamie Noble - A good little addition to the roster, especially considering how Smackdown no longer has cruiserweights, i can see a great feud with Paul London.

Deuce - I really dont know much about him as i try to avoid Smackdown, but apparantly he's the best of the two, good luck to him, lower mid card here he comes!

Chuck Palumbo - Yay! Chucks back on RAW! Cant think of anything that they could do for him that he couldnt do on Smackdown!

Matt Striker - Again i don't get this has he suddenly got something that he didnt have last time around?

Layla - Oh dear, another brainless, bimbo who can wrestle as well as i can!

Kofi Kingston - I suggested he'd get called up to Smackdown but he's skipped right to RAW, I exspect big things from him!

SMACKDOWN:

Jeff Hardy - Why did they do this? Easy, because if he gets fired, no-one will notice him missing from Smackdown, plus he's more likely to be given a shot with the world title than WWE belt! (However if the world title goes to RAW i dont see Triple H trading the belt to Jeff anytime soon?)

Jim Ross - JR looks like he's been taken out to the barn, ready for the farmer with his gun! Him and Mick could be a good team but i doubt it very much!

Umaga - he's going to run rough shot over the mid card and probably will get the US Title, if it comes back to Smackdown that is!

Mr. Kennedy - I can see a Kennedy vs Triple H match happening very soon! Very good news for Kennedy.

Triple H - This is great news to Smackdown and even better news for Raw, i think he will do really well and probably win and lose the title enough to beat Rics record!!!

Trevor Murdoch - Another solid addition to the midcard, cant see anything big happening to him in the near future though.

Big Daddy V - Back to Smackdown for the fat titted waste of screen time, should have been fired!

DH Smith - Better off on Smackdown than on RAW, few more years and a good gimmick and he could be on top!

Brian Kendrick - Off to the land of the cruiserweight toys! Never to be played with again!

Maria - Its the way it goes you do Playboy, you get moved to Smackdown and then you dissapear! good luck Maria!

Shelton Benjamin - Hopefully can get back into some sort of title picture, was wasted in ECW!

Carlito - Thats not cool! It was either him or Santino, i think he has to improve or next year he'll be in TNA.

ECW:

Matt Hardy - Bad news for Matt, but great for ECW, Could be a contender for the title if he drops the US belt.

Mark Henry - At least it wasnt RAW!!

Hornswoggle Finlay - Best place for him!

Super Crazy - He needs to lose the lard and become extreme again! Ci!
Finlay - ECW Title here he comes, i can see the Finlay clan taking over the land of the extreme!

The size of the font represents who i think will have the biggest impact draft wise.

It was a bad draft for the hardys, both being relegated to the lower shows, which was a shame after the brief re-union we had during the show, i see Finlay moving to ECW as probably the best pick there. His experience will improve the product ten fold and his gimmick along with Hornswoggle should have some good storyline potential. Triple H's move alongside JR were probably the biggest drafts of the year!

Can't wait to see NOC and RAW to see how the first week pans out!

!<

The Draft - How It SHOULD Go Down!

The draft started off as a good way to bring talent from Smackdown to Raw to take that person to the next level. We saw it with John Cena, Carlito, Kennedy and a host of others, usually with the deadwood going the other way, ECW was also an escape route.

This years draft is very important however as WWE has been hit with so many injuries, suspensions and other bad luck that the rosters need a good shake up. The tag division on Raw was meant to get a boost with the arrival of London & Kendrick but just slipped further down the list of writers priorities. Smackdown and ECW have so little storyline action that i don't even bother watching them, as for Raw i don't really know why i watch it!

The first thing people need to realise is that RAW is WWE, Smackdown and ECW are clear after thoughts and can operate with virtually no star power, so this draft i predict ALL the big players coming over!

• Edge to Raw I think this is a good move as he is the no.1 heel at the moment, with rko rko'd and if he does come over, i can see him dropping his belt at Night of Champions. He can work a program with Triple H and Cena, and maybe even Jericho and Hardy, This would definately boost the ratings.
• Rey Mysterio to Raw As the biggest little man is still out with an injury i can see him coming to raw, also to boost the ratings, he wont be back for a few more weeks but i think putting him in a feud with Jericho would be money, we could also see a Hardy vs Mysterio match which would draw huge if booked right.
• Umaga to Smackdown Everyone seems to know that this IS gona happen, but it makes sense, he's lost so much momentum since his feud with Cena that he needs to be a monster some place else, he can possibly chase the US title.
• JBL to Smackdown This makes sense in a way, his failed comeback has done nothing on Raw and i think he could challenge for the World title, he's great on the mic and even though he cant carry a match he can make anyone a crowd favourite, even John Cena!
• CM Punk to Raw This is probably not the best move for him as the politics on Raw will probably screw him over in the long run, but short term i can see him cashing in his MITB shot and maybe headline a PPV in Autumn, only if he's a heel though. Maybe a IC vs MITB feud with Jericho could be in the offing.
• Snitsky back to ECW So he can stay there and never darken my screen again.
• Cody Rhodes to Smackdown after losing the tag belts to Dibiase and his mysterious partner (i think DH Smith) Cody and Hardcore are going there own ways, Cody has more chance on the blue brand anyway.
• Hardcore Holly to ECW Hardcore would be a good addition to ECW, he can suck there instead! But seriously he has a lot of experience which he can pass on to the younger guys, speaking of which...
• Elijah Burke to Raw Another talented worker that should be given the chance to break out on Raw.
• Kofi Kingston to Smackdown Already a firm favourite with the fans, a move to Smackdown would boost his career and maybe even set him up for a switch to Raw next year.
• Finlay to ECW This would be similar to Benoit's move to ECW last year (where he would be a mentor/trainer and overall best worker on the brand) Hornswoggle would go with him and probably fit in with the world of Sci Fi, with his brawling style he would be a good choice for ECW champion (better than Chavo anyway)
• Super Crazy to ECW Because he deserves much better.
• John Morrison to Raw I think he maybe ready for another shot on the big show (no pun intended) and a possible feud with Jericho for the IC belt is mouthwatering.
• Santino Marella to Smackdown I for one dont want this to happen, but the way his value has dropped since Maria has left his side i think he may go over to Smackdown to chase the US Title and another diva.
• Kelly Kelly to Raw Obviously because she is the most desired diva and no.1 choice for the next WWE Playboy shoot.
• William Regal to Smackdown Another move i dont want to happen, but i think after his aborted/f***ed up push due to his suspension i can see him being dumped over on Smackdown once again.
• Charlie Haas to Smackdown Vince may have had him help him during the Money give away, but its a well known fact that VKM is not a big fan, sending him to Smackdown is probably a nicer option than firing him completely

I can also see possibilities in Kennedy or Orton moving to Smackdown but i think the above choices are pretty solid moves, nobody cares if the divas swap brands and it would be foolish to break up any of the tag teams as there are only 3 anyway! Just have to wait and see if Vince and the writers see things the same way!

Should be a good Raw, maybe we'll get a match or two aswell.

!<

Weekend Post Number One

When this blog first started i planned on updating it after every Raw, every ECW, every Smackdown, every Impact, every PPV. Now i've realised that i just dont have the time to do that, once a week i can probably manage, so from this point onwards i'm gona make this a one post a week blog (Weekends most likely)

So whats happened this week in Wrestling. Well not a lot, Vince is still giving away $$$$$$$$ and not putting anything decent on Raw, being from overseas the give away is not in the least bit entertaining, apart from the cringe worthy segments!!!!

I missed the TNA show because Coventry don't have trains running late on a Saturday night and it was fathers day on the sunday (i put family first because i couldnt bag a lift!)

The draft is getting closer and probably would get more buys than, say, Night Of Champions, having Ted DiBiase (Jnr) getting a title shot is a waste, but then again having Rhodes and Holly as champs is criminal. Why dont they have the Draft at the PPV, i know they need ratings but the buyrates for the B shows arent great either. If they were to have the 3 GM's host the PPV and we could get the trades in between the title matches, we could even get a Cruiserweight Open where the Winner if he's on RAW or ECW gets drafted to Smackdown, would give Kendrick an escape route at least.

My 5 tips to boost RAWs ratings;

1. Trade Triple H for Edge - Edge is the most watched Champion in recent history, and his feud with Cena was pretty decent, maybe with a few other players in the mix Raws title picture could be interesting. Triple H as champion has been almost as much fun as JBL being on top!
2. Get Guest Announcers on Raw! JR and the King are so '98, and so are there lines, i'd like to see Former Wrestlers, Celebrities, Injured WWE guys, just to give the show a new voice, the headsets are there to keep them in line so why the hell not
3. 15 Minute Matches, not 5 Minute Main Events - This is your bread and butter, so dont give us crumbs.
4. Build up the Tag and IC Titles, These belts need more TV time, and that gives the holders more chance at making it to the next level.
5. Stray from the formula. Raws number one problem is predictabilty, if the ppv is HHH vs Cena and Orton vs Hardy dont just have a tag between the four on Raw. Have a 4 way, 3 on 1, something thats not been done ad naseum for the past 5 years or so. Need more run ins, backstage fights, parking lot brawls, fighting through the crowd, allow wrestlers more freedom to entertain. If the 7 year cycle is to be believed then were due another Invasion.

Thats all for now, but i shall be back again soon with Round Three of my TKOTR tournament, my predictions for Night of Champions and The Draft and of course any reviews of what goes down in the world of sports entertainment.

True King Of The Ring - 2008 - Round Two

We left the tournament after round one, and the WWE guys enter for round two;

• CM Punk vs. AJ Styles

AJ and CM, have one hell of a fight, with each using there unique moves to try and gain the upper hand, Punk even tries to hit the Pepsi Plunge, but AJ counters it into a Styles clash off the top rope! AJ Picks up the win.

• Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe

Jeff is used to fighting against a big Samoan, but never one with as much agility and submission proess as Joe, Jeff takes to the air with every opportunity, but with a few power moves, Joe leaves Jeff on the mat. Joe sets Jeff up for a muscle buster, but is hit with a Twist of Fate, Jeff climbs the turnbuckle to hit his senton but Joe moves out of the way. After a running senton of his own, he picks up Jeff and hits him with a muscle buster to pick up the win.

• MVP vs. Homicide

Homicide faces DQ if Hernandez even shows up in the arena so he's completely on his own tonight, MVP is cocky in the early going, but Homicide takes him to town and when Salinas comes to ringside it looks as if the odds are against MVP. However after having Salinas taken to the back by security, MVP takes advantage of the distraction to pick up the win!

• Santino Marella vs. Nigel McGuiness

Santino picks up the win, in a pure mat classic, McGuiness didnt look 100% and Marella targeted the weak body part and managed to get a suprise submission victory.

• Shelton Benjamin vs. Doug Williams

Doug Williams uses all of his World experience to throw Benjamin around the ring, but Benjamin is quicker and suprisingly counters everyone of Williams' move, the match goes to the outside and its only the speed of Benjamin that allows him to get to the ring before the refs ten count. Williams is counted out, putting Benjamin through to the next round.

• Edge vs. KENTA

KENTAs kicks take an early toll on the World Champion, however Edge is resilient enough to shake off the abuse, KENTA goes down but takes three spears to keep him on the mat for the 3 count.

• Paul London vs. Takeshi Morishima

Morishima uses all of his power to dismantle London, throwing him around the ring as if he's arag doll, London does get some offence in, but Morishima shakes it off to pick up an easy win.

• Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson.

In the final match of Round Two Y2J takes on the American Dragon, and this one goes old school, Jericho breaking out a lot of moves that he's not used in years and Danielson wrestling pure ROH style. Jericho manages to get Danielson to the middle of the ring and put him in the Walls of Jericho, after 5 minutes in the hold Danielson taps out.

Round One - Fight!

AJ Styles vs. Rob Van Dam: AJ Styles wins a classic high flying affair, but littered with blown spots, RVD looked really ring rusty at points and AJ carried the whole thing.

Samoa Joe vs. Tomko: Samoa Joe goes through to the next round in a stiff affair, Tomko is still developing his style and couldnt dominate Joe with any consistency, Joe found a weakness in Tomkos attack, countered and forced him to tap out.

Homicide vs. Low Ki: Homicide defeats Low Ki in a strong style classic, Low Ki looked to have the match in the bag but Hernandez interfered and helped his LAX partner get the win, The referee didnt see the outside interference and so Homicide cannot be disqualified.

Pac vs. Nigel McGuiness: Nigel McGuinness defeats Pac in a bit of a mismatch, Pac taking to the air at every opportunity and Nigel just biding his time and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. After a blown move, McGuinness locked Pac into a hold that he just had to tap from.

Curry Man vs. Doug Williams: Doug Williams uses all the moves and counters in his arsenal to overcome Christopher Daniels in his comedy persona, Curry man just didnt seem to have enough spice to upset the Brit.

Jay Lethal vs. KENTA: KENTA takes Black Machismo to school and stretches him and batters him with kicks, but is forced to work for the win, Lethal is the quicker of the two, but KENTA takes advantage of having So Cal Val at ringside and manages to get the DQ win. After some ringside shenanigans So Cal Val gets her man DQ'd putting KENTA through to the next round.

Christian Cage vs. Takeshi Morishima: Takeshi Morishima works over the smaller Cage, but Christian is the quicker and almost gets the win, however as we saw earlier in the night Morishimas long time tag partner aids him in getting the win to advance him to the next round.

Bryan Danielson vs. Spud: Spud almost picks up the shock of the tournament, but Danielson saves face by getting the win. Spud put his all into this match and quite possibly if he had faced someone else could have got the win, but Danielson never put a foot wrong.

Thats the results, so the line up for Round two looks something like this;

1. CM Punk vs. AJ Styles
   
2. Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe
   
3. MVP vs. Homicide
   
4. Santino Marella vs. Nigel McGuiness
   
5. Shelton Benjamin vs. Doug Williams
   
6. Edge vs. KENTA
   
7. Paul London vs. Takeshi Morishima
   
8. Chris Jericho vs. Bryan Danielson.

The results for this round will be posted soon, and in far more detail than Round One.

True King Of The Ring - 2008

So who is THE king of the ring in 2008? The One guy who could carry the entire business on his shoulders if he was given the opportunity to do so! Originally it was planned to be a 16 person tournament, but its been increased to 24, with all WWE talent getting byes to round two. Round One of the tournament sees the TNA guys taking on the best of the Indy crop. The Eight winners of this round will take on the 8 WWE guys in round two.

Just to reiterate, 24 men, 8 leaving in the first round leaving us with our final 16. This is a fantasy tournament based on history, political maneuvering, fan heat, potential and of course ability either in the ring or on the mic. Triple H has been barred from entering, anyone suspended or injured is also illegible. All entrants must have been on PPV/TV in the last 12 Months.

The WWE Stars that will be in Round Two are;

1. CM Punk
2. Jeff Hardy
3. Chris Jericho
   
4. Paul London
   
5. MVP
6. Santino Marella
7. Shelton Benjamin
8. Edge

With 3 representatives from Raw and Smackdown, with a further 2 from ECW, WWE has a strong chance of winning the TKOTR title.

The 16 TNA/Independent workers are;

1. AJ Styles
2. Samoa Joe
3. Homicide
4. Pac
5. Curry Man
6. Jay Lethal
7. Christian Cage
8. Bryan Danielson
9. Nigel Mcguinness
10. Takeshi Morishima
11. KENTA
12. Doug Williams
13. Spud
14. Low Ki
15. Tomko
16. Rob Van Dam

1. AJ Styles vs. Rob Van Dam
2. Samoa Joe vs. Tomko
3. Homicide vs. Low Ki
4. Pac vs. Nigel McGuiness
5. Curry Man vs. Doug Williams
6. Jay Lethal vs. KENTA
7. Christian Cage vs. Takeshi Morishima
8. Bryan Danielson vs. Spud

Who's going home early?

Been A Long Time, Should'nt Have Left You, Wirthout A Dope Beat To Step To.

Sorry - my bad.

Yeah it seems like forever ago i did any updates on here, but i've been very busy since Mania 24, moving house, work, exhibitions.

Will have a new blog very shortly, i've just got the Chris Jericho book so once ive got through that i'll put up a review, also have to decide if its worth going back and watching Judgment Day. Its the first PPV i've missed in a couple of years (apart from the ECW, Smackdown! ones they dont really count) and with One Night Stand a week away i dont really have the time to go back and watch a PPV where nothing notable happened!

I also have to watch a load of TNA because on the 14th i shall be in Coventry in the Skydome and i need to know what the hell is going on and even if Kurt Angle will be there.

Gutted that Regal got suspended, I doubt he'll come back on Raw, so it may be the last time i've seen him! I really dont like Smackdown or ECW, so i pray that he comes back to the No.1 Brand.

I'm also thinking of starting A WWE vs Indies fantasy tournament. TNA are classed as an Indy in my opinion so they will be included. I just want to see how good a card you could book, if you had no rules or contracts! 16 Man tournament coming soon (obviously i will be using current form, politics and associations to book this otherwise there's little point)

So. Watch out for a new blog coming this way soon! I'm also going to over haul the whole page because it's a bit 2007!

!<

WrestleMania 24- The Backlash Begins Here.

Mania 24 felt a bit odd. Obviously having an outdoor event in a thunderstorm isn't going to be what Vince wanted but it never affected the in-ring action (only when the lights went out!). The Show seemed to end with a bit of a whimper and some of the booking was a little bit odd for the Superbowl of wrestling (a match with ONE move!)

Overall the show was a slight improvement on last years event, with 3 matches that could take the crown for WWE match of 2008... so far that is.


24 Man Battle Royal - My Prediction Khali. Winner Kane.
Didnt see this because it was on WWE.com, was a bit suprised that Khali did'nt get the win because Kane has been a glorified jobber for months.

JBL vs. Finlay - My Prediction Finlay. Winner JBL.
My prediction was thrown to the wolves as soon as i saw Hornswoggle coming down the ramp, not from under the ring, the reason why JBL picked up the win. Was not as stiff as it could have been and resembled a hardcore match from 2000. 6/10

Money In The Bank Ladder Match - My Prediction MVP. Winner CM Punk.
It was'nt until i saw MVP climbing the ladder that i realised that was why Matt Hardy was'nt added to the match, so he could do a supposed suprise run in. That cost my boy big, however something even stranger happened, Jericho and CM Punk battled on the ladder and The Punk prevailed. Shelton took a crazy bump onto a gimmicked ladder, Morrison did a moonsault with a ladder and there was a crazy sunsetflip, powerbomb suplex off the top of the ladder. Quite possibly the best MITB yet. 10/10

Batista vs. Umaga - My Prediction Batista. Winner Batista.
Thought this could have been stiffer, but it made up for that by being short, resembled a RAW main event, not a Mania match. 5/10

ECW Title - My Prediction Chavo. Winner Kane.
Such a waste, why did'nt Chavo go for the DQ, then get challenged by Punk! That makes sense, booking a squash with ONE FRICKIN move on a PPV is so pointless. ECW is finally DEAD. 0/10

Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair - My Prediction Michaels. Winner Michaels.
This was a good emotional match and after Michaels took the announce table apart i really was'nt sure if he could continue, but the two put on a really good match with a fitting ending. 8/10

Bunnymania Match - My Prediction Maria & Ashley. Winner Phoenix & Melina.
Thankfully someone up there had good sense to turn the lights off during the match, wrong result however, not that i saw it. 3/10

WWE Title - My Prediction Orton. Winner Orton.
A good little match, but did'nt feel like one of the main events, a good finish however. 7/10

Mayweather vs. Big Show - My Prediction Mayweather. Winner Mayweather
This was my second favourite match of the show, it was well worked and very well booked with a very good finish. Possibly the best Celeb involvement in a Mania match EVER! 8/10

World Title - My Prediction Undertaker. Winner Undertaker
After the last match the crowd were'nt really up for this, but the two did have a good match, with obvious interference and the more obvious ending, reverese tombstone pin! 7/10

Let me know what you thought of the show.

FINAL (And I Mean FINAL) Predictions For Mania, Using My Head - Not My Heart.

Here's the final line up for the super show on Sunday, with my FINAL predictions. Going to go with logic on these decisions so i can get 10 out of 10. Also i reckon this will be the running order.

• Pre-show: 24-man Interpromotional Battle Royal,Winner Faces ECW Champion Chavo Guerrero
  • Elijah Burke, Lance Cade, Deuce, Domino, Tommy Dreamer, Jim Duggan, Festus, The Great Khali, Mark Henry, Hardcore Holly, Jesse, Kane, Brian Kendrick, Kofi Kingston, The Miz, Shannon Moore, Trevor Murdoch, Jamie Noble, Chuck Palumbo, Cody Rhodes, Snitsky, Matt Striker, Val Venis and Jimmy Wang Yang

RESULT - This is this years dark match (available LIVE on WWE.com) or on the DVD if you can't be bothered to sit in front of your PC. Obviously one of the giants will win, but i'm going to go for Khali because of his win over Holly on RAW.

• Money in the Bank ladder match: Mr. Kennedy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison

RESULT - I'd like CM Punk to win but getting a PROPER title shot is still a while off, at least until his heel turn. It's between Kennedy & MVP for this, but i don't see Kennedy winning another MITB, So i'm gona go for MVP. I don't think he will cash it in straight away because if he has to face Undertaker at the end of the show i doubt they would waste the title shot or Undefeated streak.

• Umaga vs. Batista

RESULT - This has all the appeal of last years Kane vs. Khali. I think Batista will win, but as long as it's short we'll be the real winners.

• Belfast Brawl: Finlay vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield

RESULT - This is a tough one, i still think there's enough fan support for Hornswoggle that he will come out for a shilleligh (how do you spell that?) shot, that will help Finlay get the win and end this awful mini-feud.

• ECW Championship: Chavo Guerrero (c) vs. TBD

RESULT - Okay regardless of who Chavo faces, Chavo is going to leave with the belt. I think the Edgeheads will get involved and maybe get a DQ Finish or at least help Chavo to the win. Either Khali DQ Win(which means Chavo retains) or Chavo retains, see what i'm getting at?

• Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs. The Big Show

RESULT - £10Million ($20M) is a lot of money just to lay down to a wrestler that was never top of his field (Giant circa 1996-7 was as close as it got), Money Mayweather is getting the win one way or another.

• Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels

RESULT - A lot of people have backed tracked and said that Flair is going to win this, i can't see it, Flair quit WWE last year and only really came back due to money problems, i can see him losing this and still being on WWE tv every week. Shawn Michaels all the way.

• Playboy BunnyMania Lumberjack match: Maria and Ashley vs. Beth Phoenix and Melina

RESULT - So when Candice got injured did they bring in Mickie James (who has'nt been in playboy, but similar publications ;) no they went for Ashley, the least succesful WWE Diva Playboy cover ever. I can see Santino coming out and interfering, Snoop giving him a cane shot, Maria picking up the win. That's the only thing they could book that would make me happy. I'm 27 if i wanted to see eye candy would'nt i just get the aforementioned playboy magazines, rather than this softcore (i won't class it as wrestling). So i don't care but Maria & Ashley to win.

• Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Triple H vs. John Cena

RESULT - Now this is the hardest match to call, i can see it going to each guy. However if you look forward to Backlash what's the most likely main event. A Stipulation re-match with all three. I am back tracking a little bit but i think Triple H and Cena will have to wait one more month to get their hands on the belt. Orton to retain, possibly using the ropes.

• World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker

RESULT - The Undertaker to win, may even have to dispose of Chavo and the Rmy. As this could possibly be his last Mania i can't see him losing his streak.


Well there you have it, 10 matches, 10 predictions. Now to play the waiting game. At least i don't have to wait til 1AM as it will be starting at Midnight. Just to rub it in for those that are watching it in the States at a reasonable time, we only pay £15, thats $30 roughly and if we want it HD instead, we pay - EXACTLY THE SAME!

Just need a HD Box now!!!

TNA - TBA

So after all my recent slagging off of TNAs recent product, i only went ahead and got tickets to the show in Coventry(UK). Now if it was A WWE show in Coventry i would have been just as eager to get tickets, but unlike WWE it seemed a lot easier to actually get the tickets before they sold out.
Now the big question in my mind is, what the hell is the card gona be? The Show isnt until June, that's 12 weeks, a quarter of a year - in Wrestling terms it's a long time, in TNAs crazy crash TV terms it's a lifetime.

So the first thing i did after purchasing the tickets was make sure that i'm up to date with the product, i'm not gona go crazy and start watching Impact, but i made a start at least with the Destination X PPV. Now don't get me wrong, i usually watch the shows because 2 or 3 fights catch my eye, but this card had nothing to entice me, nothing that would make me want to watch it live (and stay up til 4am to see the main event!). That being said everyone on the show worked there asses off and delivered possibly the most solid top to bottom TNA PPV yet, quite bold claims but there were no absolute bombs on the entire show.

LAX vs. Motor City Machine Guns vs. Rock and Rave Infection.
What a great opener, not a fan of Hoyt or Rave, but they did well, LAX picked up the win to get a shot at the TNA Tag Champs.

X Division Title Match: Jay Lethal(c) vs. Petey Williams.
Hate Peteys current gimmick but he did need a change, sadly this gimmick is just not really what he needed, it at least means Scott Steiner does'nt have to wrestle all the time, Lethal picked up the win to retain after So Cal Val interfered to counter the interference from Steiner.

Kaz & Eric Young vs. Rellick & Black Reign.
This was a good comedy match, but with good solid wrestling too, the ending with super Eric was the icing on the cake and could set up an interesting character, aslong as it's not like The Hurricane. Eric & Kaz picked up the win.

TNA Knockout Title Match: Awesome Kong(c) vs. ODB vs Gail Kim.
For a womens match this was pretty good stuff, still can't get too excited about women wrestling but it was miles better than anything WWE has offered, hopefully TNA can keep it up. Awesome Kong won to retain the title.

Curry Man & Shark Boy vs. Team 3D.
This was a fishmarket street fight, a lame gimmick, but executed pretty well, Team 3D are a bit stale but at least they know how to play the bad guy, no-one comes close to inciting hatred as much as Brother Ray. The finish was lame but overall a good match with Curry Man & Shark Boy getting the win.

Robert Roode vs. Booker T
The only match that dragged, thankfully it was short and the post match was interesting enough to help you forget about it. Was'nt awful, but felt like a TV Match. Roode picked up the win, in another stipulation match. What happened to guys just fighting for belts??

Rhino vs. James Storm.
Okay this match was stupid, but entertaining, who does'nt like watching a good bump now and then, but this match just seemed a bit pointless, a bump for bumps sake to end a match. Anyway Rhino got the win and James Storm hit the mat with his head, maybe it will knock some sense into him so next time they offer him an Elevation X match he can tell them to jump. Maybe Russo should Jump... hmmmm.

Samoa Joe, Christian Cage & Kevin Nash vs. Kurt Angle, AJ Styles & Tomko.
I hate tag team main events, just seems a bit 'Monday Night Raw', surely people pay to see one guy fight another - Kevin Nash probably had his best TNA match though (not saying much) and Joe got the winning by forcing Tomko to submit.

Overall a really enjoyable pay per view, with way too many stipulations and not a singles main event, it wasn't perfect but a step in the right direction. Now for my next challenge, sitting through a whole episode of Impact - wish me luck.

!<

3 weeks to Mania!

With 3 weeks till the big one, things are shaping up nicely. Even though this years event has been treated like a B show with its build up following No Way Out.

Finlay vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
This one should be an intersting stiff match as long as JBL ups his game from his series with Jericho, it's just a shame it all comes from the awful hornswoggle storyline, the quicker he can return to being 'little bastard' the better. Finlay should win this with the aid of his midget son.

Maria and Candice Michelle vs. Beth Phoenix and Melina.
Snoop Dogg has some sort of involvement in this match, woopy doo, i have no interest in this at all. Where's Mickie James? She's done far better Adult Magazine shoots than both Maria & Candice and wait a minute, she can wrestle. Maria & Candice are gona pick up the win.

Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels
If Flair loses he has to retire, by the time Mania comes around he will have been inducted into the WWE hall of fame, chances are that Shawn will carry him to a great match, it may even steal the show, if he can work a miracle. Shawn will pick up the win.

Umaga vs. Batista
This is going to be another brutal contest, i can't see Umaga winning, so the Useless Dave Batista will probably get the win. Hopefully it will be short!

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. The Big Show
This was being built quite well until that awful confrontation on Raw "i broke your nose, next time i'll break your jaw" first time it was funny, but by the end of it i was looking away with embarassment. Floyd is an annoying little bling bitch and i hope Show punks him out, but for $20 Million i don't think the current Welterweight Champion is going down. Expect 'Money' Mayweather to get the win.

Money in the Bank ladder match: Jeff Hardy vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. TBD vs. TBD vs. TBD
This has been my favourite match at the last 2 Manias, and is shaping up to be another show stealer. Jeff has to be the clear favourite, but Y2J is a strong possibility too. Shelton Benjamin is my pick for this one though, thats only on the basis that he's been the most entertaining in his previous MITBLM outings, i doubt he will win but i can always hope.

World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs. The Undertaker
This one has Undertaker written all over it, after last years Taker v Batista match i can easily see this one outdoing that (Because Edge & Taker are actually damn good!) I can imagine this being an arena wild brawl, but with one OBVIOUS outcome.

Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton (c) vs. Triple H vs. John Cena
This is the one tough match to call, does John Cena get HIS belt back or will Tripper decide that it's been too long since his last title run. One thing is pretty certain though, Orton won't be walking out with the belt. I'm personally going to go with Triple H. I'd rather have Orton keep the belt.

So Much Wrestling, So Little Time.

So i'm just about to watch RAW, but that's all i seem to have time for these days, apart from the PPV's. I need to start watching ECW, Smackdown, Impact and the TNA & ROH PPV's too. I will be reviewing the new HBK DVD soon and i've also purchased the TNA Best of Year One DVD, So keep an eye out for that as well.
I wish PWG had a weekly TV show and i also should try and watch the Chikara podcast more regularily. I do seem to keep up with the Botchamania clips on youtube and all the awesome shoot interviews that pop up on there.

How can i juggle working, music, djing, films, tv, wrestling and keep my girl happy too. the answer is moderation and at the moment WWE's lacklustre booked by numbers show are not doing enough to entice me! Any hints apart from staying up til 4am everyday will be greatly appreciated

With so many small UK promoters putting on good shows, along with TNA, WWE and NOAH doing tours this year watching it LIVE is just as tough a dilemma, but a good one to have!

If you're on facebook - add the wrestler application - and see if you can take me on!!!

!<

Breakout star of 2008

So who is gona be THE guy of 2008.
I don't mean Cena, Triple H, Undertaker i'm talking about the guys that are striving to get to that level, Randy Orton is the most recent addition to the list but who will join him in '08.

Lets introduce the contenders.

1. CM Punk
2. MVP
3. Jeff Hardy
4. Mr Kennedy
5. Samoa Joe
6. AJ Styles
7. Santino Marella
8. Tomko
   

CM Punk is the favourite to break through the glass ceiling, as he is the companys spokesperson for drug usage (what with being probably the only one on the roster who hasn't touched drugs) he is held in high regard with the office. That was until recently, reports are all over the internet that he's been putting in sub standard performances and showing an 'indy' attitude, the main reason why he isn't ECW champion at the moment.

MVP has been the best thing on Smackdown, his gimmick is fresh and he is growing in stature week after week, it also helps that his feud with Matt Hardy has been built up beautifully, almost like an early 90's feud. People want to see those 2 go at it.

Jeff Hardy almost made it at the rumble, but instead he gets another shot at glory at NWO, His huge fanbase and daredevil style give him huge cross over appeal but still WWE seem afraid to give him the ball to run with. Wrestling skills wise he's equally as good as John Cena so for people to say he has'nt got the ability is nonsense, he would make Vince a lot of money as champion and would open a whole lot of fresh feuds. Who doenst want to see Jeff vs HBK at Mania? that would be a bigger draw than Cena v HHH. Triple H knows it and thats why he will win the chamber match.

Mr. Kennedy has probably had his best shot at glory and blown that in spectacular style, he doesn't seem to be getting the same reactions at live shows and he already looks to be suffering from 'carlito' syndrome. You know what i mean, you like the guy but you don't see him as a threat to the world title because he's been doing nothing for too long. HBK vs Kennedy seems to be the most likely mania match, a win there could blow everything wide open again.

Samoa Joe, the best thing in TNA. Then along comes Kurt Angle. It's taken a while but Joe is back up at the top of the card, refereeing Kurt vs Christian, a match so obvious that its gona set up a triple threat or at least another Kurt vs Joe. For the sake of both Joe & TNA, he will need to win that.

AJ Styles has been on top of TNA before, several times in fact, but each run seemed like a distraction, to the bookers at least who usually got the belt off him and sent him back to the X Division to win that title again. AJ is no longer seen as an X Division wrestler (then again theres only 3 of them left) and took a while to adjust to being in the main focus of shows. His current role is annoying to anyone who has followed TNA since the beginning. He needs to be in the main event picture and not just be seen as a sidekick for him truly to breakout.

Santino, how i love you! The best thing about RAW for the past few months have been the short but sweet skits that Santino has been a part of, from mud pies and cans of ass whip to his beautiful girlfriend Maria, everytime i hear his music i know that for the next 5 minutes something good is going to happen (Maria beer bath for moment of '07). His wrestling skill is still in need of fine tuning, but with a probable tag title run with Carlito it looks as if he could be an outside bet.

Tomko, already IWGP & TNA champion as well as having WWE experience this guy has impressed me a lot. Not sure if he deserved to be put into such a high position in TNA from his arrival but he has worked hard to stay there and could easily go the extra mile and end up main eventing. A Joe vs Tomko match seems to be quite a mouthwatering prospect.

Another TNA PPV - Yawn!

Well i realised that it's pobably a bit late to review the last TNA PPV what with the latest happening tonight, so i'm just gona skip it. My bad.

No. It's not my bad. there was a time when i'd happily sit down for 2 and a half hours and watch something that truly was an alternative to WWE. Now all that TNA is a messed up rip off of RAW circa 1999, i will try my best to watch the event but the card makes me want to AVOID it rather than pay for it.

No Way Out - Preview

Still behind on TNA PPV's(more because i don't really wanna watch them, but i feel like i'm losing touch) so i'm going to have to look forward to the next WWE super show.

So Cena's got himself into the title picture already, but i'm actually looking forward to the continuation of there feud, yes i am a smark, but i can see that its good for business to get the strap back on Cena, even though Orton has hardly put a foot wrong since he's been on top. Cena will win so he'll face Triple H at Mania.

Mr. Kennedy obviously wont be beating Ric Flair, so theres no point saying anymore about it.

Edge vs Rey Mysterio will be a very interesting re-match, the rumble was booked very well and i think these 2 can pull off an even better match this time, Edge will retain so he can face Taker at Wrestlemania.

The 2 elimination chamber matches are meant to sort out the no.1 contenders for the respective titles, Undertaker will win the Smackdown/ECW chamber, however having just one member of ECW in it(Big Fatty V too) really puts a mockery on it, CM Punk would be a better participant especially if he does'nt face Chavo at No Way Out. Triple H should'nt win the Raw chamber, but i dont think anyone else in the match will be put over, Hardy included.

At the moment there the only matches announced, will preview the other matches that are added and possibly change my mind closer to the event.

Royal Rumble Results

Well the 2008 rumble was a bit of a mixed bag, some really good things and some pretty poor things.

Ric Flair vs. MVP got us underway, not too bad for an opener, with Flair picking up the win after a patented figure four(***)

Jericho vs. JBL was up next and again was pretty uneventful until Y2J got himself DQ'd by whacking The Wrestling God with a chair, Jericho then preceded to choke the hell out of JBL.(***)

Then Edge vs. Mysterio was up, this was the best match of the card, Vickie Guerrero got involved making the save for Edge, who managed to spear ReyRey after an attempted west coast pop and pick up the win (****)

Hardy got a huge reaction before his match with Orton, there wasn't much high flying which kept the odds in Ortons favour. Maybe a Matt run in or Balcony senton could have helped Hardy, but it wasnt to be, as Jeff attempted a twist of fate, Orton countered with an RKO to get the win.(***)

Ashley somehow was allowed on the mic, only saved by Santino Marella and Maria. Who looks set to be posing for playboy. :)

The rumble started off with the 2 men that finished last years, there were a few suprise entrants, Roddy Piper and Jimmy Snuka, but up until the last 3 it was pretty standard stuff. The fact Finlay got DQ'd before even entering(or not entering at all and there never used to be DQ's in rumble matches) and Hornswoggle never got eliminated it ruined my enjoyment of the match. Cena was the last man out, it was a bit of a shock but i had heard rumours he may show up, he then eliminated Triple H who had just eliminated Batista to book his place at WM24.(***)

Rumble Imminent

The rumble is only a few hours away and i'm having second thoughts about Flair winning! I started off a few months ago believing that Ric would win the rumble to set up his retirement angle, but it seems that the whole angle has been given low priority so i've had to completely rethink.

I hope that Triple H doesnt win, i'm so tired of his act and more to the point he no longer entertains me, his matches are even more predictable than Ric Flairs!! Even though i dont want him to win he's the favourite as it seems that mania is going to be Orton vs HHH. Hardy may win and lose the title back to Orton but Triple H may just get the Mania match.

Undertaker is the other possibility as it would set up Edge vs Taker at Mania, Edge has never been pinned at the big one so its possible they can do a streak v streak angle.

CM Punk is a very good outside bet as he too would get a shot at Edge at Mania and the feud between them is building quite nicely.

So they are my final three, Triple H, Taker & Punk.

Also expect Big Show to make an appearance, i was thinking Lashley may turn up but as it seems he's been let go that's looking less likely, the official WWE site has only 25 official entrants so there will be some surprises, maybe Flair will do double duty!!!

Let's just hope it's as good as last years!

WWE Draft - Dream Edition

As you are all probably aware the WWE sometimes holds its draft after WrestleMania, this always leads to us net geeks trying to work out who's going where and why, well I've been thinking a lot about who should or should'nt be on the current roster all together. In my draft i'd remove 12 wrestlers from the WWE and replace them with 12 wrestlers from TNA, ROH and the other promotions out there.

The WWE Stars That Are Cut.

1. Hardcore Holly
2. Gene Snitsky
3. Great Khali
4. Ric Flair
5. Charlie Haas
6. The Miz
7. Big Daddy V
8. Jerry Lawler
9. Funaki
10. Mark Henry
11. Michelle McCool
12. Ashley Massaro

The Non-WWE Stars That Are Drafted.

1. AJ Styles
2. Pac
3. Christopher Daniels
4. Abyss
5. Rhino
6. Motor City Machine Guns (Shelley & Sabin)
7. Rob Van Dam
8. Samoa Joe
9. Jay Lethal
10. Jushin Thunder Liger
11. Tajiri
12. Sting

Okay the cuts are quite obvious but will explain for those that may not be in the know.
I'd get rid of Holly because the guy has been with the company for over a decade and not once shown any sign of drawing money or charisma. Snitsky is bad, not even a foot fetish or yellow teeth gimmick have got the guy over, or his quite obvious use of the gas! Great Khali is the worst there was, worst there is, worst there ever will be. Ric Flair may be getting one last run but personally i wouldnt have brought him back from his self imposed retirement. Charlie Haas could have been great with his late brother and with Shelton Benjamin, but with the latter now getting a decent push on ECW it seems Haas is once again floundering, he was even the duller part of the Viscera Haas tag team. The Miz is annoying and cant work best to show him the door. Big Daddy V is in the same boat as Holly, over a decade and not a single good match, monsters need to be feared and although people fear him, its only because of his bitch tits.
Lawler should go because he brings a staleness to RAW, i quite enjoyed Raw when Heyman replaced him, as for replacing him id have JR and guest colour commentary each week, would at least add a bit of unpredictability to RAW. Funaki is a world class jobber, but has nothing left to offer WWE, he poses no real threat and therefore is glorified enhancement talent. Mark Henry has never ever shown any signs of improvement and he is taking up valuable space on the roster. Michelle & Ashley, women who can't wrestle and are completely interchangeable, worth nothing to WWE.

Reasons for picking these 12.

AJ Styles - Now that he has found the ability to get on the mic he could become the new Shawn Michaels as his in ring ability is first class, he probably would be best served putting into ECW where he could easily challenge for the title using his phenomenal style.

Pac - Would be perfect in reinventing the cruiserweight division on Smackdown! as long as he tones his style down a bit he should make the transition quite easily

Christopher Daniels - with his great ring ability would be a great asset to RAW, especially in the hunt for the IC belt.

Abyss - Could settle in easily to ECW, but would be best served on Smackdown! feuding with Kane especially chasing the US title.

Rhino - This ECW original could make the brand his own, but i think he's another that could fit into the Smackdown! mid card.

Motor City Machine Guns (Shelley & Sabin) - Technically this is 2 people but WWE have drafted teams as whole before, i think RAW needs a tag team that had the chemistry of the Hardys back in the early 00's, Sabin and Shelley also have a lot more experience in singles if they ever split.

Rob Van Dam - He did the whole ECW thing, but i think with his status should be in the WWE or World title picture from the get go.

Samoa Joe - Id put Joe on RAW and i'd feud him with Umaga, a good storyline could be that Joe thinks that Umaga needs to be more human leading to battles between the two, before the 2 team up to take on the tag division.

Jay Lethal - Another Smackdown addition, in the cruiserweight division, but could easily move up to the US title picture.

Jushin Thunder Liger - Id put Liger on SD, even though he has cruiserweight history, with his experience id put him in the US title picture and maybe even a World title shot at one of the B shows.

Tajiri - Raw bound Tajiri could easily slip into the IC title picture, or even the tag ranks as he is quite versatile.

Sting - Even though he's past his prime id bring him in on a short contract, work him with Michaels and possibly give him his only WWE title reign. Im sure it would do big money if he's booked sparingly and only wrestled on PPV.

Have i got it right? probably not, Big Daddy V may become the next Rock or Tajiri may become the next Scott Hall - you can never tell, but thats why we watch every week.

On The Move

So Chris Harris has left TNA. Apparantly he and Ron Killings have signed with WWE, with such good deals that they wont get shipped off to OVW. Also rumours say that Big Show has signed a new contract with WWE, from the reports he is in really good shape, down to about 440lbs.
Senshi has also left TNA on a full time basis, but will be working the occasional PPV, means he's more likely to turn up on the indies as LowKi again. Personally i hope he signs for ROH.

If the reports are right then Show will be probably debut on RAW, Harris in ECW and Smackdown! will get Killings. Ron Killings is a great signing, with his past history i wouldnt be suprised to see him go for the US belt. Chris Harris would probably work quite well with John Morrison and Show would probably debut in the Rumble match.

Then again until i see it with my own eyes, they will indeed just be rumours!

WWE RAW - 7th Jan 2008

Well it was the return of Raw Roulette, reminding us of why Eric Bischoff was more watchable than Vince McMahon, because he IS a gameshow host.

Mr. Kennedy & Shawn Michaels teamed up against Charlie Haas & Trevor Murdoch in a strange bedfellows match, it was pretty standard stuff really, Kennedy picked up the win after taking out his own partner first (***)

Hardcore Holly and Carlito fought in an absolutely rubbish comedy match, because they had to dress as each other, that was pretty much it! Hardcore Holly won (*)

Then we get a Lingerie Pillow Fight between the Divas, which i cared about for about 10 seconds, even after seeing Maria and Mickies outfit. Ashley won the 'match' in her first match since her jump from Smackdown! That will get the ratings up! (*)

William Regal really pissed off Triple H last week so Vince set up a match between the two, so i bet Regal wasnt too happy when he got a first blood match. It wasnt too bad, i mean completely obvious but still entertaining. Triple H gets the win by busting Regal wide open! (***)

JBL & Snitsky vs. Jericho - not even sure about this one, i mean it started off well with Snitz and Y2J in the ring, then the wrestling god himself got involved and just became a massive drawn out (dare i say dull to watch) beatdown. So Y2J wins throgh DQ. (**)

Hornswoggle and tag team partner for the night, Mick Foley had to beat the Highlanders to qualify for the rumble. Mick Foley obviously making up his quota of TV and PPV matches in one easy step. McMahons midget offspring and Mrs Foleys baby boy picked up the win (**)

Thankfully we got a good match to end Raw! Jeff Hardy vs. Umaga, in a steel cage.
It did look early on as if Umaga would destroy Hardy, but as Orton came to ringside Hardy picked up the pace even delivering a whisper in the wind from the top of the cage to pick up the win (****)

So the Rumble is shaping up to be a good PPV, but with the rating for this episode of Raw being a lot lower than hoped it seems the booking squad is gona have to try a lot harder to keep us hooked. Dressing Hardcore Holly up as Carlito is NOT the way to do it.

Best Of 2007

As 2007 was a pretty bad year for Pro Wrestling in general i guess its pretty easy to say what the worst things were, The Benoit tragedy, Steroid Scandals, Injuries to the top stars, Russos booking, 'Death' Of Vince McMahon....................................

But there were good things too. No really there were.

John Cena actually made a good WWE champion (yes he did, i'm a smark but even i have to admit that he was a really watchable champion and he had some great matches)

CM Punk got over (on ECW thats a pretty good thing, though he's shouting whats my name everywhere he goes)

An hour long match on RAW........... That was probably the best match of John Cenas career, and it took place OUTSIDE the USA.

Santino Marella's awesome comedy heel character

MVP's rise to the top (well hes looking at his reflection on that glass ceiling at the moment)

Ring Of Honor made it to PPV

I Discovered Pro Wrestling Guerila, Its what TNA promised to be

Chris Jericho came back (even if he looked like a camp game show host in a bon jovi lookalike competition)

Sunny was back on RAW!

William Regal became general manager - his rightful role (i do miss Tajiri as his teaboy though)

The Climax of the 2007 rumble was the best EVER

AJ Styles got good on the mic.

Team 3D vs The Steiners was actually GOOD

Triple H wasn't on RAW every week. Left time for wrestling.

Maria wore even skimpier outfits this year, got a beer bath and now she's doing playboy!!!

Randy Orton stayed out of trouble (well sorta, depends on which sites you read!)

Umaga was a really, really believable monster (Umanga as us Brits call him)

There was no December to Dismember 2007

WWE released the awesome Ladder Match DVD

TNA didnt go out of business

The Diva Search didnt waste too much tv time (maybe next year it will waste NONE)

And I Could go on but i'm not going to.......

Hopefully 2008 will bring us some great PPV's, good feuds, awesome characters and memorable TV moments, but as long as we have no serious injuries, wellness violations or even premature deaths then this will be a better year than last.